Sunday, February 28, 2010
Last Chance!!
Today is the last day of the month! Don't forget to go print the coupons you haven't printed yet!
Friday, February 26, 2010
FREE Pampers Sample for Sam's Club Members
Free Sample of Pampers with Dry Max, but you must have a Sam's Club membership #.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
February 2, 2010 ~ Day 2 of Pantry Challenge
Breakfast
Little Jimmy ~ Toaster Strudels
Daddy ~ smoothie
Sam ~ mandarin oranges in jello (he has been sick with a fever and really didn't want anything else)
Me ~ coffee
Lunch
Little Jimmy ~ PB & J, cheese stick & mandarin oranges in jello
Sam ~ chicken noodle (he stayed home from school today)
Daddy ~ potato soup
Me ~ tuna fish on leftover dinner rolls from Sunday
Dinner
Spaghetti & meatballs, salad & dinner rolls. The only thing I bought for this meal was a head of lettuce. I only used 1/2 a head, so we will be able to have salad again this week.
Cupcakes for dessert. From the Cake Mix Doctor.
Cupcakes:
24 paper liners for cupcake pans
(21/2-inch size)
cake mix
3 tablespoons vanilla instant
pudding mix
11/4 cups milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Quick Caramel Frosting (below)
1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners and set the pans aside.
2. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are incorporated, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 11/2 to 2 minutes longer, scraping down the side of the bowl again if needed. The batter should look well blended.
3. Spoon or scoop a heaping 1/4 cup of cupcake batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it two thirds of the way full. (You will get between 22 and 24 cupcakes; remove the empty liners, if any.)
4. Place the pans in the oven and bake the cupcakes until they are golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed with a finger, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edge of the cupcake cups, lift the cupcakes up from the bottom of the pans using the end of the knife, and pick them out of the pans carefully with your fingertips. Place the cupcakes on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes longer before frosting.
5. Meanwhile, make the Quick Caramel Frosting.
6. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of frosting on top of each cupcake and spread it out with a short metal spatula or spoon, taking care to cover the top completely. The cupcakes are then ready to serve.
Quick Caramel Frosting
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Place the butter and brown sugars in a heavy medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the mixture comes to a boil, about 2 minutes. Add the milk, stir, and let the mixture return to a boil, then remove the pan from the heat. Add about 11/4 cups of the confectioners’ sugar and the vanilla. Beat with a wooden spoon or whisk until the frosting is smooth. Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, but not so much so that it thickens and hardens. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of frosting on top of each cupcake and spread it out with a short metal spatula or spoon, taking care to cover the top completely. The cupcakes are then ready to serve.
I did not make the frosting. I had full intentions on making it, but realized I had no brown sugar. So I used a can of cream cheese frosting from the pantry and put sprinkles on them.
Little Jimmy ~ Toaster Strudels
Daddy ~ smoothie
Sam ~ mandarin oranges in jello (he has been sick with a fever and really didn't want anything else)
Me ~ coffee
Lunch
Little Jimmy ~ PB & J, cheese stick & mandarin oranges in jello
Sam ~ chicken noodle (he stayed home from school today)
Daddy ~ potato soup
Me ~ tuna fish on leftover dinner rolls from Sunday
Dinner
Spaghetti & meatballs, salad & dinner rolls. The only thing I bought for this meal was a head of lettuce. I only used 1/2 a head, so we will be able to have salad again this week.
Cupcakes for dessert. From the Cake Mix Doctor.
Cupcakes:
24 paper liners for cupcake pans
(21/2-inch size)
cake mix
3 tablespoons vanilla instant
pudding mix
11/4 cups milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Quick Caramel Frosting (below)
1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners and set the pans aside.
2. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are incorporated, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 11/2 to 2 minutes longer, scraping down the side of the bowl again if needed. The batter should look well blended.
3. Spoon or scoop a heaping 1/4 cup of cupcake batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it two thirds of the way full. (You will get between 22 and 24 cupcakes; remove the empty liners, if any.)
4. Place the pans in the oven and bake the cupcakes until they are golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed with a finger, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edge of the cupcake cups, lift the cupcakes up from the bottom of the pans using the end of the knife, and pick them out of the pans carefully with your fingertips. Place the cupcakes on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes longer before frosting.
5. Meanwhile, make the Quick Caramel Frosting.
6. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of frosting on top of each cupcake and spread it out with a short metal spatula or spoon, taking care to cover the top completely. The cupcakes are then ready to serve.
Quick Caramel Frosting
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Place the butter and brown sugars in a heavy medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the mixture comes to a boil, about 2 minutes. Add the milk, stir, and let the mixture return to a boil, then remove the pan from the heat. Add about 11/4 cups of the confectioners’ sugar and the vanilla. Beat with a wooden spoon or whisk until the frosting is smooth. Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, but not so much so that it thickens and hardens. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of frosting on top of each cupcake and spread it out with a short metal spatula or spoon, taking care to cover the top completely. The cupcakes are then ready to serve.
I did not make the frosting. I had full intentions on making it, but realized I had no brown sugar. So I used a can of cream cheese frosting from the pantry and put sprinkles on them.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Day 1 of Pantry Challenge
Breakfast - Oatmeal for the boys, cereal for Jimmy & coffee for me.
Lunch - packed lunches for the boys (ham sandwich, cheese stick and a cupcake) that saves me $4.50 a day. Jimmy and I were out and ran through McDonalds (boo, not a good start there!).
Dinner - Potato soup. I had 5 lbs of potatoes that needed to be used soon. Added cheddar cheese that I had plus a bag of frozen corn. This will last for a few days and be great for leftovers. I think potato soup is better the second day. Sam liked the potatoes and ham, not a fan of carrots and corn. Daddy and Jimmy are playing basketball, I will let you know how they like it.
Stopped at the store to get a few needed items for the week.
Starting balance - $40.00
Giant Eagle - $22.17
-------------------------
balance - $17.83
Potato Soup (from my favorite cook, Mom, with a few add-ins from me)
5 lbs. potatoes
3 stalks celery (I didn't have celery and forgot to get it today. No biggie for me, not a big fan anyway)
3 large carrots ( used 1/2 bag of baby carrots that I already had)
3 small onions
1 stick butter
1 cup flour
2 quarts milk
3 ears of corn (I used frozen)
1 ham steak (cut up into small pieces) *optional
2 cups cheddar cheese *optional
Peel potatoes. Cut into bite size chunks. Put in large pan, add water until covered and boil till tender. Dice carrots, celery and onions. Melt butter in soup pot and saute until tender, stirring occasionally. Add flour to vegetable mixture and stir 1 minute. Add 2 quarts of milk and continue stirring and heat to almost a boil (but don't let it boil!). Drain potatoes and mash half of them. Add to veg mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cut kernals of 3 ears of corn and add to soup. *Add ham and cheese. Heat until cheese is melted.
Lunch - packed lunches for the boys (ham sandwich, cheese stick and a cupcake) that saves me $4.50 a day. Jimmy and I were out and ran through McDonalds (boo, not a good start there!).
Dinner - Potato soup. I had 5 lbs of potatoes that needed to be used soon. Added cheddar cheese that I had plus a bag of frozen corn. This will last for a few days and be great for leftovers. I think potato soup is better the second day. Sam liked the potatoes and ham, not a fan of carrots and corn. Daddy and Jimmy are playing basketball, I will let you know how they like it.
Stopped at the store to get a few needed items for the week.
Starting balance - $40.00
Giant Eagle - $22.17
-------------------------
balance - $17.83
Potato Soup (from my favorite cook, Mom, with a few add-ins from me)
5 lbs. potatoes
3 stalks celery (I didn't have celery and forgot to get it today. No biggie for me, not a big fan anyway)
3 large carrots ( used 1/2 bag of baby carrots that I already had)
3 small onions
1 stick butter
1 cup flour
2 quarts milk
3 ears of corn (I used frozen)
1 ham steak (cut up into small pieces) *optional
2 cups cheddar cheese *optional
Peel potatoes. Cut into bite size chunks. Put in large pan, add water until covered and boil till tender. Dice carrots, celery and onions. Melt butter in soup pot and saute until tender, stirring occasionally. Add flour to vegetable mixture and stir 1 minute. Add 2 quarts of milk and continue stirring and heat to almost a boil (but don't let it boil!). Drain potatoes and mash half of them. Add to veg mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cut kernals of 3 ears of corn and add to soup. *Add ham and cheese. Heat until cheese is melted.
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