Testing Products

I have been super busy this week and found it to be a great success for testing company products. My hubby even has some with top Mens Brands. I have 3 products to test and a meeting with a corprate advisor with a top consumer brand this week online. I am soo excited... and no really truely this is no scam! I love having input since I am a picky consumer. I feel if they are going to charge the prices they do in a grocery store...it better be the best product or I am not buying it. So again my successful survey sites have been Surveyhead, oneopinion, Mindfield, their links are on my link under surveys. Check them out, be patient, and be honest! Have a super day all:)

Meal Planning

The easiest and the best way to save yourself from rushed, impulsed buying is to make a weekly menu planner. My mother used to pull out the weekly County Market sale ads and wander along the meat aisle every week to feed her family of 6 on a 100 a week grocery budget. Every week she pretty much hit the mark unless she needed something that wasn't on sale. So for me its a must do before I go grocery shopping. I like to coupon but honestly food coupons don't excite me too much. I know what I like and I am a hard person to try to convince to switch. I also think great value things can be cheaper than the regular item plus the coupon. I cook pretty close to home made so all the box foods, and canned items don't excite me. Also take in consideration other than the trusty Campbell's tomato soup which CANNOT be replicated or substituted to me, cost way less to make homemade rather than buying the cans at 1.40-2.50 per can of soup. So a quick way to menu plan is to sit with your family the night before shopping or put a list on the refrigerator at the start of week and as people say they need something or want something, write it down then when it comes time to go shopping it will be tremendously easier than second guessing. I usually make my list Wednesday and ask my family or remember what they said they were craving and  go from there, then Thursday I scout the Internet  for any coupons and shop on Friday. Same routine week after week after week. My budget is 100-150 dollars a week and I am usually real close unless my kids went through a growth spurt. I also plan my lunches and breakfasts roughly too. I will not and do not go to the store for missing items. I hate shopping to begin with. Below is a list I made that is cheaper to do yourself rather than buying out of convenience.

10 Cheap Things You Can Make At Home Cheaper Than Buying!!!

1. Salad Mixes.... I buy at Sams Club 6 pack of Organic Romaine Lettuce heads for 3.99 if I were to buy that at Walmart premade it would cost me 4 bags of premade salad at 2.99 a bag.... so clean and cut your own lettuce is money in your pocket
2. Frozen Veggies...depending on what blend you buy it can be more expensive to buy frozen over fresh...take for instance fresh broccoli at a pound for 1.49 cents is cheaper than a 10 ounce bag of Birdseye at 1.85.... plus you can cook it, cut it up fresh or do as you please because you saved money and you have options other than just cooked.
3.Shredded Cheese...HUGE waste of money and a poor quality of cheese not to mention...a bag of cheese has preservatives and anti caking chemicals on it to keep it fresh...where you could buy a 2.5 pound block of Tillamook cheese at Sams Club for around 7.50 and make more cheese than you can buy for 7.50... and its fresh and will melt soo much better than that grated stuff!!!
4.Canned Soup...for 1.50 for Campbells small soups to 5 dollars a can for fancy soup you could make a huge for the same price and feed your family for hardly anything. My pot of Split pea costs me around 3 dollars for an entire pot, Chicken Noodle around 5 dollars, Potato Soup same and Vegetable Soup maybe 4 dollars. I would go broke trying to buy enough canned soup to feed 4 people everyday for lunch.
5.Frozen Meatballs... for 30 meatballs in bag at 5.99 each you could make roughly 70 1 ounce meatballs at home for same price if not less!! Plus they taste better and the quality is better and much much healthier for you!!
6.Chicken breast Products- okay this goes many ways....chicken nuggets/ grilled chicken strip pieces/ etc.... It is soo much healthier and cheaper to make your own at home....if you only knew what was in one and all the chemicals and fillers it takes to make some items you would be appalled. Buy bulk chicken breasts...cut them down as needed and make the items at home... you will cut 3/4 of the fat and calories and the convenience of having it prepared will save you in the long run.
7.Chopped Prepare Veggies- It cost at walmart almost 2 dollars for chopped onions/celery etc...an onion costs 60 cents and up depending on size but not more than a dollar per item...you can save money and get a better product cutting your produce yourself...
8. Frozen Hashbrowns... a bag costs from 1.99 to 3.99 a bag..you can peel and grate your own the same amount for a 1.00 or less... 10 pound bags of potatoes depending on variety are 2.99 roughly so you can easily make them for less than a buck homemade
9.Instant Mashed Potatoes- for 1.00 and up a pack for 4 servings ...you can make 10 servings for the same cost...potatoes are cheap and great for you.
10.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Hoagie

~Chicken Cordon Bleu Hoagies~

4-3 ounce chicken breasts....If chicken breast are gigantic... cut them in half width wise

4 slices Sargento or any other brand of baby Swiss

4- Hoagie buns...I used IGAs fresh baked but also like Sweetheart Sub Rolls

4 slices of black forest ham

1/4 c.-Dijon mustard

lettuce

tomato

mayo

1/2 cup Olive Garden Dressing( found this at Sam's Club believe it or not)

1. Trim chicken breast and place in a gallon bag with Olive Garden dressing marinade all day or overnight/or a couple hours...

2. Heat grill to 400 and place chicken breasts on grill and cook until done

3. When chicken is done smear some Dijon on the chicken and  place a slice of black forest ham on top and Swiss cheese...

4. Remove chicken and place split buns on grill to toast up for 30 seconds roughly and assemble sandwich to ones liking.

ENJOY!!!

Birthday Time at the Zoo!!!

Birthday Time at the Zoo!!!

This last week was my 4 year old sons' birthday!! It's amazing how they go from infant to a big boy in the blink of an eye. I can't imagine sending him to kindergarten next year... tear tear. Unfortunately that's what kids do, eat sleep and grow! This year my son wanted to go to the Monster Truck show and get a couple Batman figurines. Just like daddy he is into Marvel, DC comics, Transformers, cars and all things boy! But although he is a hardcore boy I sure love our mommy son snuggle time. There definitely a difference in boys from girls. They are just extra special for some reason....maybe because I have a 2 year old girl and a 6 year old girl and having him is a breath of fresh air. Well have a super weekend, enjoy the nice weather and spend that quality time with your babies because before you know it you will be begging them to spend time with you!

Survey Update week ending June 9 2012

My weekly survey update as following, Surveyhead is at 127.00, swagbucks is at roughly 5000 (50 dollars) Oneopinion is at 45.00 and Toluna is at 32k points with 30k pending, not as fabulous as other survey sites. I also got my Arm and Hammer laundry detergent they sent me free, and it is a very nice product and my LOreal Youth Code moisturizer. The LOreal Youth Code is a thick but not greasy moisturizer and I am in love with it. I have a oily/dry/sensitive face and this is meeting my needs nicely, and if you have a odd combo you know how hard it is to find quality products that work for all symptoms. So there is my wrap short and sweet! Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the free Vitamin D, with sunscreen on of course!

Chance to finally get a leaner Body!!

So if you know me I am not a big person, but I do have love handles; well not so much anymore. I am a very self conscious person and although I am a size 6 and weigh in at 135 at 5 foot 10 I could loose some fat around my tummy and thighs. About 3 weeks ago I decided to do a low fat diet to find that leaner me. My family swears up and down on low carb but I think that is silly and a low fat is more sensible for me. A lifetime of no potatoes is no life for me, and seriously how could I be a married to a Sweetheart Bakery/Hostess salesman and not eat my bread and donuts. Well I am happy to say I have lost over an inch on my tummy...I am so close to a flat tummy it isn't funny, and have lost on my thighs too around 1/2 inch. I workout before bed everyday and eat no more than 22-27grams of fat on a 1350-1450 calorie diet. Its all about eating 4-5 meals a day for me. Also putting in more whole foods rather than processed. So here is my run down for a meal.... Breakfast either egg/omelet toast and fruit or yogurt and fruit, then Lunch is always has been so no change soup and a half of a sandwich or sandwich and a salad and then a afternoon snack always including a protein and then a good dinner, like last night I had Sweet n sour grilled chicken breast over jasmin rice and asparagus. I don't feel deprived but potato chips are the hardest temptation for me!!! Ugh its so depressing I could eat a whole can of pringles or a whole bag of Kettle chips salt n vinegar in one sitting. I also use www.fitclick.com to help me be honest with myself and to track everything I eat....when I cheat I put it in and usually workout a little harder that evening to make up for it, but you cannot deprive yourself of everything. So on this lovely note tonight Everything in moderation and Honesty to yourself! :) 

I love my mailbox

This week has been a busy week so far for my mailbox. Yesterday smiley sent me Arm and Hammer detergent..full size bag btw...and today i got a jar of loreal youth code moisturizer. Granted i have to rate the products..but its nice to try before i consider buying. I often times love the product over what I am currently using. Now the coffee I received was from the Seattle's best coffee companys facebook page. Companies love to give freebies to their fans, so become their fans!! Well on this free and happy post I hope you have a fabulous week and a penny saved is literally a penny earned!!!

Make The Best Breakfasts At Home

10 Fabulous Breakfasts Ideas Made By You!!!

Ever since I was a child and as long as I can remember we always would wake up in the morning and Dad would have a big hot breakfast like those served in restaurants ready for us. As an adult I have taken that family tradition and made it ours too! There is nothing better than a hot plate of delicious food to start out a Sunday. Why eat out when you can make a full breakfast for a family of 5 for under 10 dollars. I dare you to find that kind of a deal at a restaurant!

Eggs Benedict

Eggs Benedict sounds complicating, but its not! This tasty meal is made up of egg, Canadian bacon, English muffin and hollandaise sauce. So here is a trick to making this tasty dish.

1.Hollandaise sauce is perfect out of a packet...literally..Knorrs makes the best!!! Hollandaise...why make it from scratch if you can cheat!

2. You can poach an egg or lightly fry it up, if you poach the egg get a pan of water on stove when it comes to a boil drop temp down to high low so it wont boil anymore, then add in 1T white vinegar...must do that or you will make a egg slurry...vinegar helps egg to poach correctly.... after a 3-4 minutes pull egg out and drain on paper towel

3.Split a MillBrook English muffin, they stay crispier due to the cornmeal dusted bottom, toast it up

4. Warm Canadian bacon up

5. Place toasted English muffin half down, place Canadian bacon on top , then place the egg, then drizzle the hollandaise sauce... seriously as easy as that! Garnish with chives for green effect! But not necessary!

Homemade Hash Browns

1.Peel potatoes and rinse off.

2.Then with a grater, grate the potatoes in a big bowl

3.Fill bowl up with water and let sit for around 5-10 minutes or even overnight...make sure water covers all the hash browns or they will brown...

4. Drain the potatoes well and place on a towel to dry for a minute or 2

5. Get a large pan and on medium high add in oil around 1T for every potato you grated or add in butter for a richer flavor.

6. Place semi dried potatoes in the hot pan and sprinkle salt pepper and some diced onions if you like onions like I do

7. Drop heat down to medium and every 3-5 minutes flip less crowded the pan the crispy they will get! Serve when golden brown or cooked the way you like them.

***These Hash browns cost maybe 50 cents, where a frozen bag costs upward of 2 to 3 dollars. Convenience costs money!***

Best Bacon/Sausage Made Easy!!

1. Oven at 375

2. Place bacon strips on a baking sheet and please don't overlap or they wont get crispy

3. Place pan in oven and within 15 minutes depending on thickness you will have brown crispy bacon

4. Lift bacon off of the pan and drain on paper towels

5.Smile you don't have to clean up a huge greasy mess:)

***You can do this with sausage links and patties too! But will take a few minutes longer.***

Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

1. Open and Bake some Pillsbury biscuits

2. In a pan brown up a roll of Jimmy Dean Sausage variety of choice...any will work

3. Remove sausage when fully!! browned

4. Add in 4T butter/margarine and 4T flour back in sausage pan and whisk until you have cooked the flour for 1 minute on medium/medium high

5. Add in  3 cups milk or 2 cans evaporated milk until it thickens up, if it seems to thick add in more milk... but a bit at a time, also add in 1/2T. ground pepper and 1/2T. salt..

6. Add back in sausage

7. Split biscuits and pour gravy over them! Enjoy!

Best Omelets

1. Warm up on medium a small 6inch fry pan or whatever size you like

2. In a bowl add in 2 eggs and a tablespoon of milk a pinch of salt and pepper , mix well

3. Place mixture in the fry pan and cook, using a butter knife pull sides toward the middle a bit so the uncooked top will move to bottom of pan

4. When most is cooked using a spatula flip the omelet over so top will cook, place cheese, ham, onions, green peppers, tomatoes or whatever you like on one side of omelet and gently fold over the other side enclosing the ingredients

5. Let cheese melt and serve. Easier to do than make this post, honestly

***Made a cheese omelet and poured over some chili...best omelet I have made in years!***

My French Toast!

1. Preheat a grill pan or large fry pan on medium

2. In a bowl place 5 eggs, 1/2 cup of milk, 2T brown sugar, 1t. liquid vanilla, 1t. cinnamon and mix well

3. I use Sweetheart Texas Toast, you really need a thick bread for this... you can do this the night before and let air dry by placing them on the counter before going to bed

4. Need to add a smear of butter to pan so toast don't stick then dip each slice in the batter making sure to have no bread showing

5. Place in pan and cook on medium heat until both sides are browned....

****You can switch this up by using frozen waffles defrosted and placing them in this egg mixture and browning them in the pan... Excellent taste and texture******

Breakfast Casserole/Premake before bed

1. Place frozen tater tots single layer on the bottom of glass or metal 8x8 pan

2. In a mixing bowl add in 8 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1 cup grated cheese, and 1 cup of bacon or 1.5 cups of diced ham or sausage browned and crumbled, along with peppers/onions or any other veggies you like, also a teaspoon of black pepper and salt.. Mix well and pour over the tater tots and cover with foil, place in fridge and go to bed or relax.

3. Preheat oven at 350 and put pan covered in the oven for 45 minutes, then uncover and top with another cup or 2 of cheese and bake another 5-10 minutes

4. Let set for 5 minutes and cut into squares and enjoy!

***You could do this in the crock pot on low overnight I am sure***

*** I enjoy mixing in bacon, white cheddar cheese, asparagus and caramelized onion in the mix***

Mix It Up Pancakes/Waffles

1. Preheat pan on medium

2. Mix up a basic batch of pancake mix, honestly the box is as good as homemade if you use Aunt Jemima...

3. Decide what kind you like, defrost frozen blueberries, cut up bananas, use chocolate chips, or saute some apples in butter, brown sugar and cinnamon and cook down until soft and pour over freshly cooked pancakes instead of syrup...

4. Pour batter in pan and then top them with your favorite ingredient, when bubbling in the center of pancake flip it over and cook until other side is browned.

5. Serve them up!

***My hubby loves peanut butter and honey on top of warm pancakes***

Homemade EggMcMuffin

1. Cook up meat of choice, Canadian bacon, ham, bacon or sausage

2. Toast split Millbrook English muffins

3. Fry or scramble up eggs

4. Place meat, then a slice of cheese and egg on one side of muffin then top with other toasted muffin.

5. Simple as that!

Breakfast Burritos

So I am bias when it comes to tortillas but Don Julio tortillas are the best, they are soft and fresh and don't break, so with that being said you can find these at some grocery stores or at the Sweetheart Thrift Store.

Warm large tortilla up 30 seconds and place in scrambled eggs, cooked meat of choice, some cooked hash browns, sprinkled cheese and top with salsa.

Fold up in a burrito and enjoy! Super quick and easy!

***Avocado is terrific in these too***

Fun Family Ideas for Summertime

So everyone knows what the summertime boredom blues are, so to keep them at bay consider doing a family activity at least once a week. These memories will last a lifetime, Trust me! As a child we had board game night every Saturday night unless my mom was busy, or she and I would play SNES monopoly and Mario Brothers until 1 am sometimes. I cherish these memories and thank her for spending quality time with me as a child. Awesome memories!!!

Evening Walk

In the evenings before sunset I love to go for a walk with my kids and hubby and just enjoy everyones company.

Morning Walk

Living in the little town we live in, in the morning the air is cool and crisp and perfect for walking. Its also nice to see the flowers and chat with our elderly neighbors who too are morning people. Also a great way to get to know your neighbors

Ice Cream

We love to walk over to our local MooCones, great local Wilcoxsons ice cream shack. Cheap, and a great treat! Our family favorite to do in the summer!

Library

Local libraries offer great reading groups for children and family. Usually once or twice a week a staff or a volunteer from the community reads for 30 minutes various childrens books and engage with them.

Picnic at the Park (lunch or dinner)

Spend a family meal at the park...pack a meal together or pick up some Subway and eat and play at the park. Fun activity and wears the kids out! Win win!

Playdates

If you have friends with kids, start up a once a week, same day every week so no confusion and have a big playdate at a park. I did this with my cousin Kristie! Super fun and again it wears the kids out.

Fishing

Cost of license is around 26 dollars now in Montana so why not go fishing? Fun, helps build childs patience and great way to spend time with your kids. No license needed for kids under 11 or 12 I believe so cheap cheap family fun. We always take the dog and kids and our lunches and spend 3 or 4 hours out enjoying the outdoors.