Kitchen Tip Tuesday: Beat The Heat and Eat Good

We have made it through the first months of summer but we still have some heat coming up in the next month or so. Here are a few ideas of how you can eat good and stay cool preparing it.


Summer Salads
This is one of my favorite times of the year because fresh produce is located every where. If you don't grow your own then check out the local farmer market. Fresh fruit and vegetable platters can be sided with cottage cheese, pasta salads, yogurt, tuna salad, or egg salad for a delicious light meal. The nutrients in this type of light meal is great as well.

Grill out:

Some individuals grill out the whole year through. For me and my family the best time for grilling is during the heat of the summer. It is too hot to cook inside so grill outside where the heat can stay. The delicious food will make for a great meal.

Avoid Boiling:

If you have to do it early in the morning or late at night. I understand there are those dishes that we consider picnic fare that require boiling If you do this in the early morning or late evening you can store the dish in the fridge and reheat at a later point. Boiling has a negative point at contributing to the heat of the kitchen as well as to the humidity. One thing to do may be to use a pressure cooker that will cut down the time of boiling dramatically.

Be smart when cooking use the crockpot or cook once and eat twice. You may even consider a marathon of cooking for the entire week. Don't forget about the no cook meals or the microwave meals as well. Cutting down heat in the kitchen can be done if you use your common sense and smarts in the kitchen.

Random Thought Tuesday

Don't you just hate it when you oversleep? That is exactly what I did this morning. The alarm went off and I hit the snooze button I thought to give myself 15 minutes more sleep. I am not sure what I did because an hour after I hit the snooze button I woke up. That meant that me and the teens all had to hurry up and get ready to go to bible school. We did just fine I just hate to be in a rush.

We are in our second day of bible school All is going pretty well and we are all having lots of fun. There is a lot of work that goes into bible school before, during and after but it is all worth it to be able to tell the story of Jesus to children who may not other wise be able to hear it. I have been a craft leader for the past 4 years. This year we are weaving mats and making keychains in our craft room this year. Each grade has to be adapted to. We will do the same crafts each day this week with a different grade. I often feel sorry for the first group that goes through as they are like the guinea pigs and after that we try to get it all figured out.

Meals this week at our house are quick and easy. Using crockpot and getting all ready to eat the night before makes it all a lot easier. The washing, housekeeping and cooking is all still here when we get home from bible school. But we love it and we can talk about the days on goings for hours. That is why we do what we do.

Follow Me Back Tuesday

Want a great way to visit more blogs, find new friends and get more followers? Then join in Follow Me Back Tuesday at Survey Junkie If you follow me I will follow you back.

Bryers Smooth & Dreamy ice cream giveaway

Want a delicious ice cream snack and still keep your figure? Then you need to try Bryers Smooth & Delicious bars and sandwiches. The taste is wonderful you will be surprised that they have such few calories. The Smooth & Delicious bars delighted our taste buds and we did not feel as if we were be cheated by eating a lower calorie ice cream snack. The Breyers Smooth & Delicious snacks come in 6 different varieties including Chocolate Caramel Brownie, Vanilla Caramel Chip, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Chocolate Covered Strawberry, Vanilla Fudge Brownie, and Triple Chocolate Chip. With so many great flavors every member of the family should be able to find just the right one. Moms like myself can rest assure as well because the Bryers snacks have no artificial flavors or colors, 160 calories or less and 4-6g of fat per serving.

Want to try some for your self? Currently you can get a $1 off a package of your choice of Bryers bars & sandwiches at this link https://secure.breyers.com/coupon/register.aspx Thanks to Mom Central I also have a coupon for a free box of your choice of Bryers Smooth & Delicious bars or sandwiches.

To enter this giveaway you must tell me what your choice of flavor would be.

Extra entries:

• follow my blog
• subscribe to my blog
• grab my button and let me know where you place it
• place my blog on your blog roll

Giveaway starts now and will run through August 8, 2010. Good Luck Email must be on blog profile or in comment or entries will not count

We received complimentary Breyers Ice Cream for review and a gift card from MOM Central and Breyers Ice Cream

Do You Plan Your Meals

Do you know what you are eating tonight, tommorow, the next week? Well I for one hate to wake up in the morning get to lunch and not know what supper will be. As the mother of a large family it is my responsibility to get supper on the table and know what the plan is for the next night as well as the rest of the week and if it is a good time period even the month. So why do I like to know what we have planned?

• I shop either one time a week or once every 2 weeks. Knowing what the meal plan is allows me to puchase what is neccessary.


• Meal Planning relieves a lot of stress because I know what the meals will be and I also know that the ingredients needed are in the kitchen


• You will know how much time the planned meal will take to fix allowing you to have more say on how your time is spent.


• It allows me to plan meals on the nights that I will not be home and my kids can fix the meals that they know how to make.

Now you know why I create a meal plan and the benifits a meal plan can give you Here is my meal plan for this week.

• roast and potatoes, roll, pudding


• fish, mac n cheese, ice cream


• chicken wings, salad, dressing, pudding


• meatball sub, coleslaw, ice cream


• cowboy beans, cornbread, coleslaw, jello


• hash, bread/butter, peas, fruit


• barbq, beans, cornbread, cobbler

What will you be having?

Happy Homemaker Monday

The weather in my neck of the woods:
it is rather nice today not as hot as the past few days


Things that make me happy:
children they are contagious

Book I'm reading:
One in a Million


What I'm enjoying on TV:
no cable so watching lots of great movies

On the menu for dinner:
was a quick one hot dogs and chips first day of bible school

On my To Do List:
Laundry

cleaning house

bible school all week


New Recipe I tried or want to try soon:
I have been posting lots on my blog go there to check them out

In the craft basket:
keychains for bible school



Looking forward to this week:
bible school all week



Tips and Tricks:
when dealing with children allow them a few chances at decision making but too many overwhelm them

My favorite blog post this week:
been lots of blog reading this week been leaving comments as I travel

Blog Hopping (a new discovered blog you would like to share with the readers):
there have been some and have loved them all


No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):
I have been sharing pictures on my blog and have enjoyed seeing others



Pickled Green Beans

Lesson learned the past few days:
take life as it is any harder and it would be unbearable any easier it would be a bore


On my mind:
Bible school all week and end of month things to do


Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:

one of the sweetest verses was read in sunday school this past week John 3: 16

Sparkling Summer Fun @ I heart Faces - theme purple

See more great purple pictures here

Play Room

My friend who lives in the city wanted to make her daughter a place to play but did not know how to do that in the house she lived in. So she created her one in the basement. I think it is rather cute what do you think?

shared on mellow yellow monday and at Smiling Sally for Blue Monday

Radio Flyer

Radio Flyer, every kids dream. Did you have one? I did when I was a kid and my daughter had purchased my granddaughter one as well. Radio Flyer is not limited to one product but actually has many within the company. To celebrate yesterdays memories, the joys of today and the excitement of tomorrow Radio Flyer has set up the worlds larges mosaic to let you share your photo of you or the ones you love enjoying their radio flyer. Visit this link to join in on the fun and add your own photos www.RadioFlyerArt.com

Thanks to MomSelect for initially sharing this information.

Oxy Clinical Acne Solutions Pack Review and Giveaway

It seems that the children in this house took after their dad with the skin and acne problems. I sneaked by with minor problems but hubby had acne as a teenager and into his early twenties. My sons have taken after him and to an extent so has my daughters. It is my teenage son that was able to benefit by being able to try the Oxy Clinical Acne Solution Pack for this review. He started out slow not wanting to or not being sure how to use the product. It does seem at first to be a bit odd to use three products at one time. The thing is that the three products work together to form the Oxy Clinical Acne Solution. After the first day the routine of using the pack became an every day occurance. He was proud after the week to see some results that he was not for sure would happen

Living with acne is not an enjoyable experience. For many teenagers the ridicule and the pain can be more than one can handle. My son has been pretty lucky to not be called the names I heard my sister with acne in highschool. The teasing by classmates can be unruley and help to tear down the self esteem of a teen who other wise was proud of herself. Oxy Clinical Acne Solution can help your teen to not have to face the torture and pain of acne in school.

Benefits of Oxy Clinical Clearing Treatment : ** from the Oxy website

• Data show OXY® Clinical Clearing Treatment kills acne bacteria as fast as a leading topical prescription acne medication*
• OXY® Clinical Clearing Treatment is proven to eliminate 99% of acne bacteria in just 8 hours
• OXY® Clinical Advanced Face Wash means 25 times more medication remains on the skin to fight acne longer
• OXY® Clinical Hydrating Therapy is a 3-in-1 formula that hydrates, exfoliates and controls oil
  Buy: you can purchase the Oxy Clinical Acne Solution at stores such as walmart and target Visit the Oxy website where you can request a coupon as well
  
  Win: we were sent 2 Oxy Clinical Acne Solution kits, one for review and one to giveaway to one of my Annies Home readers.
  
  To enter this contest follow my blog Thats it one way to enter follow my blog
  
  Giveaway ends August 1, 2010
  
  “I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Oxy Clinical and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”
  

Win a George Foreman Evolve

Grilling out is not something my hubby does a lot of. My son in law, brother, mother, and even I grill out more than my hubby does. He does have one secret weapon though. He loves his George Foreman Grill and uses it quite often. When the kids are invited over for a cook out they ask which one is it the foreman or the regular grill. Well now Leslie Loves Veggies has introduced me to another George Foreman product that I so want to win. The Evolve allows you to do so much more than what you could do before. This would be a great tool to have in the kitchen. This giveaway ends August 14, 2010

Win Dominos gc

My kids rely on Dominos for their extras. They use their own money and order wings, pizza, garlic bread sticks and the list goes on. I know hubbys favorite are the subs and garlic bread sticks will suit me any time. That is why I so want to win the Dominos Pizza gc giveaway being hosted by Thanks Mail Carrier.

Saturday Photo Hunt : Hanging is the theme

This is the bedroom of one of my old school chums do you see all the great bags hanging from the wall?

Copy Cat Chick Fil A Chicken Sandwich

Copy Cat Chick-Fil-A Chicken Sandwich

3 cups Peanut oil
1 Egg
1 cup Milk
1 cup Flour
2 1/2 tb Powdered sugar
1/2 ts Pepper
2 tb Salt
2 Skinless, boneless chicken breasts, halved
4 Plain hamburger buns
2 tb Melted butter
8 Dill pickle slices

Heat the peanut oil in a pressure cooker over med. heat to about 400F. In
a small bowl, beat the egg and stir in the milk. In a separate bowl,
combine the flour, sugar, pepper, and salt. dip each piece of chicken in
milk until it is fully moistened. Roll the moistened chicken in the flour
mixture until completely coated. Drop all four chicken pieces into the hot
oil and close the pressure cooker. When steam starts shooting through the
pressure release, set the timer for 3-1/2 minutes. IMPORTANT!!!!
DO NOT CLOSE STEAM RELEASE. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS! While the chicken is
cooking, spread a coating of melted butter on the face of each bun. When
the chicken is done, remove it from the oil and drain or blot on paper
towels. Place two pickles on each bottom bun; add a chicken breast, then
the top bun. To make a deluxe chicken sandwich, simply add two tomato
slices and a leaf of lettuce. Mayonnaise also goes well on this
sandwich--it is a side order at the restaurant.

Church Picnic Punch

CHURCH PICNIC PUNCH

1 can pear nectar
1 can peach nectar
1 lg. can pineapple juice
1 env. strawberry Kool-Aid
1 lg. bottle 7-UP

Combine all ingredients except 7-UP. Just before serving, add 7-UP and ice cubes.

From Cooking-Friends submitted by Terri in May 2004

Round Em Up Burgers

Round 'em Up Burgers
Mr.Food

With very little effort (and ingredients you probably have on hand), you'll be
serving these unexpected burgers and getting raves. They're sure to "round 'em
up," alright!

* 8 hamburger patties (2 pounds total)
* 3 tablespoons barbecue sauce
* 1 can (4.5 ounces) chopped green chilies, well drained
* 8 slices Monterey Jack cheese
* 1 cup canned French-fried onions
* 8 hamburger buns, split

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the hamburger patties on two rimmed baking sheets. Spread the barbecue sauce evenly over the tops of the patties and sprinkle with the green chilies. Bake for 15 minutes. Top each burger with a slice of cheese and a sprinkle of French-fried onions. Bake for 3 to 5 minutes, or until no pink remains in the burgers and the
cheese is melted. Serve in the buns.

Savory Sausage and Rice Skillet

Savory Sausage & Rice Skillet
from Campbell's Kitchen

1 lb. sweet Italian sausage, cut into 1" pieces
1 cup sliced celery
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, cut into 2" strips
1 medium red pepper, cut into 2" strips
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves, crushed OR 1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
1 cup uncooked regular brown rice
1/2 cup uncooked wild rice
2 cans (14 oz. each ) Swanson(R) Chicken Broth OR Natural Goodness(TM) Chicken Broth (3 1/2 cups)
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

COOK sausage in large nonstick skillet until browned. Add celery, onion, peppers, garlic and thyme and cook until vegetables are tender. ADD brown rice, wild rice and broth. Heat to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat 45 min. or until rice is done. Stir in parsley. Serves 6.

Christmas In July : Cappuccino Mix in a Jar

Cappuccino Mix in a Jar

2/3 cup instant coffee granules
1 cup powdered non-dairy creamer
1 cup powdered chocolate drink mix
1/2 cup SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Have ready 2 (12 ounce) canning jars. Put the instant coffee into a food processor, and process to a fine powder. If you don't have a food processor, put it into a large plastic bag, and crush with a rolling pin. In a large bowl, combine creamer, chocolate mix, instant coffee, SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir together until well mixed. Spoon into 2 - 12 ounce jars. Attach a note to each jar that reads: Cappuccino: Mix 3 tablespoons of powder with 6 fluid ounces hot water.

Source : Dorie
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Momsmenuplan

Beef Stroganoff in Crock Pot

Beef Stroganoff in Crock Pot

* 1 1/2 lb Beef for stew
* 2 tb Butter or margarine
* 1 1/2 c Beef bouillon
* 2 tb Ketchup
* 1 sm Garlic clove; crushed
* 1 ts Salt
* 8 oz Sliced mushrooms
* 1 md Onion; chopped
* 3 tb Flour
* 1 c Sour cream
* 3 c Hot cooked noodles; (up to

Dredge beef in flour and salt. Melt butter or margarine in large skillet and add
beef and onion. Cook over medium heat until browned. Place beef bouillon,
ketchup, garlic and mushrooms in crock pot and mix. Add cooked beef and onions.
Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours. Add sour cream, cover and cook for 30-45
minutes (do not let mixture boil). Serve over hot cooked noodles.

Source:
recipelu-digest Volume 01 Number 392 by James and Susan Kirkland on Dec 21, 1997

Korean Style Barbecued Beef

Korean Barbecued Beef

* 1 flank steak (1 3/4 to 2 lb.)
* 1/2 cup soy sauce
* 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
* 2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
* 3 tablespoons sugar
* 3 cloves garlic peeled and pressed or minced

Rinse beef and pat dry. Cut steak at a 45 angle across the grain, cutting almost, but not completely, through. Make another cut 1/4 inch from the first cut, following the same angle and cutting all the way through. Open up butterflied slices and place in a large bowl. Add soy, green onions, sesame oil, sugar, and garlic to bowl; mix to coat. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. Spread slices open on an oiled grill over a bed of hot coals or high heat on
a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level only 2 to 3 seconds); close lid on gas grill. Cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, 5 to 6 minutes total.

Crockpot Spicy Beef and Potatoes

CROCK POT SPICY BEEF AND POTATOES

2 lb. stew beef
1 - 14 1/2 oz. can of Italian stewed tomatoes
1/2 cup red wine
1 - 2lb. bag of baby potatoes
3 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon each of oregano, cumin and chili powder
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
1/4 cups salsa
2 cups frozen corn
l teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 Tablespoons flour or cornstarch

Mix salt/pepper/flour with beef and brown beef in 1 Tablespoon of oil in skillet. When browned on all sides, remove from pan and set aside. Place baby potatoes in the bottom of the crackpot. Combine all ingredients except corn and cook on low for 7 hours, high for 4 hours. Add corn during the last hour. If it is too thin, thicken with cornstarch and water mixture

Taco Sandwiches

Taco Sandwiches

1 pound ground beef
1 loaf (1 pound) unsliced Italian bread
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ cup salsa
2 Tablespoons taco seasoning
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 large tomato, sliced
6 slices cheddar cheese

In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink. Meanwhile, cut bread in half lengthwise; hollow out top and bottom of loaf, leaving a ½-inch shell. In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and salsa until blended. Spread inside bread shell, set aside. Drain beef. Stir in taco seasoning. Layer lettuce and tomato in bottom of bread shell, top with beef mixture in
cheese. Replace bread top. Serve with corn chips or tortilla

This stew was made by the cookie at times when the chuck wagon wasn't moving and had the time to make it. It will also work well in a crock pot or even in the oven.

Lay three or four slices of bacon across the bottom of the pot or Dutch oven. Cut beef and everything else into bite-size chunks and put in a layer on top of the bacon. Scrape and cut carrots and they go on top of the beef, next comes celery if you have it and finally potatoes which should just about fill the pot. Salt and pepper and you can add some bay leaves, jalapeños, garlic cloves, a squirt of W sauce or whatever else for seasoning. Pour a big can of tomato juice (or V-8) over it and put the lid on. Lower it into the fire hole on top of the coals and toss a saddle blanket over it. If you are using a crock pot, set it on low or a regular pot into a 225° oven.
Spend the day cutting and branding calves, fixing fence or plowing the north forty or whatever you need to do till about supper time and your stew will be ready.

Source : Jim Foreman pantry challenge yahoo group
__._,_.___

Boston Cream Pie

Boston Cream Pie
SPONGE CAKE:
1-1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1 tsp. vanilla
FILLING:
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
CHOCOLATE GLAZE:
3 Tbs. unsalted butter
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 Tbs. corn syrup
2 Tbs. water
1 cup powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350. Prepare cake: Line bottom of 2 straight-sided 8-inch round baking pans with waxed paper. Sift flour, baking powder, salt onto sheet of waxed paper. Beat whites in a bowl until soft and peaks form. Beat in 1/2 cup sugar for 1-2 minutes until stiff peaks form. Beat yolks and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl until thickened and light in color. Beat in water and
vanilla. Fold in whites. Fold in flour mixture in 2 additions. Scrape into pans. Bake in 350 oven 25 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Turn cakes out on to racks to cool completely. Peel off paper.
Prepare filling: Mix sugar, flour and salt in saucepan. Stir in 3/4 cup milk. Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture boils; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk together remaining milk and egg. Whisk mixture into saucepan. Return to heat. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing on surface to prevent film. Cool.
Invert cake layer on serving plate. Stir cooled filling; spread over
layer. Invert second layer on top.
Prepare Glaze: melt butter and chocolate in saucepan over low heat,
stirring occasionally. Stir in corn syrup and water until blended. Stir in powdered sugar until smooth Spoon on top of cake; spread level, allowing some of glaze to flow over edge. Chill.

Recipe By: Family Circle 6/3/97

Coconut Fudge

Coconut Fudge
Not as hard to make as regular candy/fudge and not as sweet, but just as
delicious. You might want to keep to the low end of the sugar measurement as
coconut milk has a lot of sugar in it already.


* 1/2 cup coconut milk
* 1 cup milk
* 1 3/4 to 2 cups sugar
* 3/4 cup fine desiccated coconut
* 1 cup butter

Heat coconut milk, milk, and sugar in a pan and keep stirring until thickened.
Add the coconut and the butter, Keep stirring until the fudge thickens further
and leaves the sides of the pan to form a somewhat loose ball in the center. Pat
down on a greased pan.

Win an Infant Swim Vest

Summer time is full of fun and when that fun is done safely then all will be assured a great time. Boating and swimming are two summer events that if done correctly are super fun. The Coleman company can help make this safet with their infant safety vest. Currently you can win one on the blog Slice O' Heaven This giveaway ends August 12, 2010

OnTray review and giveaway

We all know that shopping for groceries occupies both hands. How else would you push the cart, grab more than one item off the shelf or reach that item kept on the top shelf? When you have coupons or little ones the idea of shopping with two hands swiftly goes away. But with the OnTray the dream may be back. The OnTray helps you make the best use out of both hands while shopping.




If you save money using coupons then you know that it may be hard to keep all those deals and coupons in order. The OnTray allows you a place to lay the coupons while figuring out your best buy. In the end allowing you to save money

Have little hands when you go shopping. the OnTray can help you there as well. Allow the little one to have a snack and enjoy their selves while shopping making for an easier shopping experience

Buy: you can purchase the OnTray online or from many leading grocery stores. To order online or find out where you can find it go to the OnTray website http://www.ontray2go.com/ When ordering online use code ANNIE for free shipping.

WIn: One of Annies Home readers will get a Free OnTray.

To enter this giveaway let me know something that I did not share with you.

Extra Entries:

• follow
• follow OnTray on twitter
• follow my blog on twitter
• like OnTray on facebook
• tweet about the giveaway
  

Giveaway Starts now and ends July 31, 2010. Good Luck Email must be in comment or on blog profile or entries do not count.

we were not compensated for this post in any Thoughts and words were my own

Win GC from CSN Store

The fifth day of the anniversary bash at Thanks Mail Carrier is a big delight. The gift today is sponsored by the CSN Stores. It is for a $70 gc to the great CSN stores. This giveaway ends August 12, 2010.

Another great opportunity to win a CSN gc is located at CutePeas where CSN Stores is sponsoring a $60 gc. This giveaway ends August 19, 2010.

Feed Me Books Friday

Princess is going to be a big sister and just like we have to prepare for a new baby so does Princess. One of the ways we will be helping get Princess ready to welcome the new baby home is by reading to her. The book I'm A Big Sister by Joanna Cole is one of the great books we will be reading to her This book helps Princess to know what a big sister is, what a big sister is supposed to do and what she should expect when the baby is at home. What a grand time bringing the baby home will be but we must also must be aware that it is also a big change for a two year old who is used to having mommy and daddy all to their selve.

Strawberry Salsa Bruschetta with Jalapeno

3/4 cup Roma (plum) tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 cup Driscoll's strawberries, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded & finely chopped, to taste
1/4 tsp cilantro, leaves
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup onions, minced
2 fresh French baguettes, cut into rounds and toasted
1/2 lb garlic herb cream cheese, or cream cheese, softened
Cooking Directions:
In medium mixing bowl, combine strawberries, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, salt, and jalapeno peppers, if desired. Cover and refrigerate at least two hours to allow flavors to blend. To prepare bruschetta, spread French bread rounds with cheese. Top each with approximately 2 tsp Strawberry Salsa. Shortcut: Add chopped Driscoll's strawberries to your favorite prepared salsa. Use salsa as a condiment with grilled or roasted chicken, pork or fish. Makes about 2 cup salsa.

Source Quality Health newsletter

Aloha Friday : shopping day

Aloha Friday!!!! It is that special day that has a special meme just to help us bloggers relax and get to know each other better. Kailani over at the blog An Island Life hosts this meme. My question today has to do with shopping and running errands.

Do you have a special day of the week that you go to the grocery store and run errands?

I would answer this by saying for my daughter it is always on Friday but for myself it is whenever the need arises.

Fun Follow Friday

This is my first follow friday I am looking forward to meeting lots of people and get a few followers along the way

Frugal Tips for Going Back to School

Wow!!! Summer will be gone before we know it and shortly the kids will be back in school. Back to School shopping is always a must in nearly every family but there are a few things you can do to save yourself some $$

• Shop consignment stores or thrift stores. These shops may have exactly what you are looking for but only 1/2 the price. The clothing at these shops are often next to new or gently worn. By shopping these sort of stores first you will have a good idea of what you can get there and what you must spend a bit more money on. You may even want to go a step further when cleaning out what fits your child and what doesn't and sell a few items to make you some back to school money.


• When shopping at the store look for buys the other day I noticed great buys on several items. The prices have been slashed to move new in and the store wants to make a bit of money on the items that are going out even if it is no where near the price it originally was. Keep in mind when shopping that if you buy items that will look good together you can mix and match separates to make attractive outfits


• Keep an eye on your newspaper and the sale circulars. We love the sales where you can get one item at regular price and save a great amount on the second. One year I did this back to school shopping and when I got to the cash register we were doing great and she found even more sales than we did and took more discounts off. YEAH!!!


• Shop on a budget. If you have a budget in mind then you will be more apt to not spend more.

Good Luck with back to school shopping I hope these tips help you along your way.

Classic Italian Panini with Prosciutto and Fresh Mozzarella

This to me looks like the perfect busy night supper

1 (12-ounce) loaf French bread, cut in half horizontally
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fresh mozzarella cheese, divided
2 ounces very thin slices prosciutto
2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
Cooking spray

Hollow out top and bottom halves of bread, leaving a 1/2-inch-thick shell; reserve torn bread for another use. Spread 2 tablespoons mayonnaise over cut side of each bread half. Sprinkle basil and 1/2 cup cheese on bottom half of loaf. Top evenly with prosciutto, tomato slices, and remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Cover with top half of loaf. Cut filled loaf crosswise into 4 equal pieces. Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add sandwiches to pan. Place a cast-iron or other heavy skillet on top of sandwiches; press gently to flatten sandwiches. Cook 3 minutes on each side or until bread is toasted (leave cast-iron skillet on sandwiches while they cook).

Source: Elizabeth Karmel, Cooking Light, MAY 2008

Win a Nap Mat Cover

The excitement of the new baby has me making all sorts of new lists and getting ready to shop. There are so many great items out there for new babies. Just take a look at this adorable nap mat cover created by Chic-Covers. It would be perfect for my daughter who loves to visit. It folds the nap mat up so that it can be easily taken where ever she goes. Right now Chic Covers is hosting giveaway where she is giving away a nap mat cover with the nap mat inside.

Coffee and Sweet Rolls

So glad you were able to visit today. I always love it when my friends drop by. Perhaps you can grab a cup of coffee and a sweet roll and visit for a while.

Cinnamon Rolls

1 1/4 cups lukewarm water (110-115°F)
1 pkg. active dry yeast (2-1/4 tsp)
1/2 cup sugar
4 tbsp butter
2 large eggs
1/3 cup dry milk powder
4 to 4 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt

In a large bowl, sprinkle room temperature yeast over the warm water with 1 tsp. sugar; stir to dissolve. Set aside to allow the yeast to rehydrate and become foamy (about 5 minutes).
Add sugar, butter, eggs, milk powder, 4 cups flour and salt. Stir until dough leaves the sides of the bowl, adding flour if needed. Dough should be soft and somewhat stickier than a dough for regular bread. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 to 10 minutes). Transfer dough to a bowl brushed with oil. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk. Punch down. Shape into a long, narrow rectangle. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes. At this point, dough may be used in any sweet dough recipe or to make any kind of sweet breads or rolls. Form into loaves, rolls, or braids and allow to rise until doubled in volume. Bake at 350°F until golden and light; smaller loaves and rolls will take less time to bake than large loaves which will bake in about 50 minutes.

shared with foodie friday @ Designs by Gollum

Do You Remember?

This picture was taken in the mid 1990's. It is a picture of my two cousins I believe for one of the Holidays. Just look at those curls and polished looks. Now they both have short bob hair that is easy to manage. It is just so fun to look back and see how we used to dress and when life catches up to us it all changes.

Piggy Paint giveaway

Ever since I was a little girl I loved to have my fingernails and toenails painted up. My daughters and granddaughters have follow suit. My daughter loves to paint her daughters fingernails and toenails with Piggy Paint. Piggy Paint is the safe, natural non toxic polish that comes n a grand variety of shades. A mother of two girls Melanie Hurley created piggy paint for girls like hers who enjoy dressing up to do so safely.



Take a look at this picture and tell me which one you would rather your child or grandchild use to paint their tiny nails. You can almost see the toxins escaping the solvent based polishes whereas piggy paint is water based and holds their color.

Piggy Paint is not only safe for their children they also take pride in contributing to special needs. Like the Fight Breast Cancer Pack which contains two polishes which are angel kisses and forever fancy. The Piggy Paint family has been touched by cancer as well and created this sweet package and donate a portion to the Susan B. Komen foundation.

Piggy Paint also have a few new to your products like this Piggy Paint Topcoat & Primecoat which allows you to put the finishing touches on the nails. We all know that little girls are not always well behaved little princesses there are times that they can horse around and play as hard as the boys. This new product will allow you to protect painted nails against scratches and chips better than without it.

Have some fun with the radio=active fingernail polish. My girls had a blast seeing it glow in the dark.

Piggy Paint has earned the excellence award from SafBaby.com. Knowing the ingredients to Piggy Paint are as simple as Water, water-miscible acrylic resins and thickeners (well below 100 parts per million), glycol ethers. May contain mica, D&C red lake, ultramarine blue, iron and titanium oxide pigments

Does your little Princess love Piggy Paint? Does she like to show her friends her favorites? Get this cute Piggy Paint tee for her and let her show her pride in what she chooses to wear. Mom they have one for you to. From onesies for the tiny ones to tees for adults girls of all stages and ages can wear their pride on Piggy Paint.

Piggy Paint has a special Princess Pack which would be the hit of any sleepover. Let the girls have fun painting each others nails and you can rest assure that it cleans up easily and is safe to use.
Buy: you can purchase any of these wonderful Piggy Paint products from their website located at http://www.piggypaint.com/ Use the code FRESH10L It is good for 10 % off anything at www.piggypaint.com and will expire September 7, 2010

Win: One of Annies Home readers will win a $15 gift certificate

Enter this giveaway by telling me your three favorite shades of Piggy Paint

Extra Entries:

• following my blog (2 entries)
• follow piggy paint on twitter (2 entries)
• fan piggy paint on facebook (2 entries)
• follow my blog on twitter (2 entries)
• tweet about this giveaway (may tweet up to 4 times per day) link in comment
• grab my button and let me know where you place it (5 entries)
• eomment on any non giveaway post (up to 5 entries a day)
• blog about this giveaway linking back to this post and to piggy paint, share on facebook, share on other giveaway sight or social network (5 entries each) link in comment

Giveaway starts now and ends August 6, 2010. Good Luck Please make sure email is in comment or on blog profile or your entriy will not count.

there was no product or other financial means received for posting this giveaway

Bacon Wrapped Barbq Burgers

8 bacon slices
1 (4.5-oz.) jar sliced mushrooms, drained and chopped
1/2 cup chopped Vidalia or sweet onion
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup bottled honey barbecue sauce, divided
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
Wooden picks
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 sesame seed hamburger buns, toasted

Arrange bacon on a paper towel-lined microwave-safe plate; cover with a paper towel. Microwave bacon at HIGH 2 minutes or until edges begin to crinkle and bacon is partially cooked. Sauté mushrooms and onion in hot oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat 4 to 5 minutes or until tender and liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, and stir in 2 Tbsp. barbecue sauce. Preheat grill to 350° to 400° (medium-high). Shape ground beef into 8 (5-inch) thin patties. Place 2 Tbsp. mushroom mixture in center of each of 4 patties. Top with remaining patties, pressing edges to seal. Shape into 4-inch patties. Wrap sides of each patty with 2 bacon slices, overlapping ends of each slice. Secure bacon using wooden picks. Sprinkle patties with salt. Cover and chill 10 minutes. Grill patties, covered with grill lid, over 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat 5 to 6 minutes on 1 side. Turn and baste with half of remaining barbecue sauce. Grill 5 to 6 minutes or until beef is no longer pink in center. Turn and baste with remaining barbecue sauce. Remove from grill, and let stand 5 minutes. Remove wooden picks. Serve burgers on buns, and top with remaining mushroom mixture.

Source: Southern Living 2008

Cashew Casserole

Cashew Casserole

1 can (10 1/2 oz.) cr. of mushroom soup
1 can (7 oz.) tuna
1 can (3 oz.) chow mein noodles
1/4 lb. cashews, salted or plain
1/2 c. diced celery
1/4 c. frozen minced onion

Combine all ingredients and bake in an oven
dish for 40 min. at 325°. Serves 3.

Source: SimpleMeals by Joan in Oregon June 2004.

Bacon Cheeseburger Spirals

Bacon Cheeseburger Spirals

1 (8 ounce) package uncooked spiral pasta
1 pound ground beef
6 slices bacon, diced
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed
tomato soup, undiluted
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
barbecue sauce and prepared
mustard, optional

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a skillet, cook beef over medium heat
until no longer pink; drain and set aside. In the same skillet, cook bacon until crisp; remove
with a slotted spoon to paper towels. Discard drippings. Drain pasta; add to the skillet. Add soup, beef and bacon; heat through. Sprinkle with cheese; cover and cook until the cheese is melted. Serve with barbecue sauce and mustard if desired.
Source: Yahoo group by Terri in May 2004

Quesadilla Appetizers

Quesadilla Appetizers

Try this quesadilla recipe made with Original Bisquick® mix from Betty Crocker.

1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles, drained
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese (8 oz)
1 cup Original Bisquick® mix
1 cup half-and-half
1/8 teaspoon red pepper sauce, if desired
4 eggs
3/4 cup chunky style salsa

Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 9-inch square pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle chiles and cheese in pan. In medium bowl, stir all remaining ingredients except salsa with wire whisk or fork until blended. Pour into pan. Bake about 30 minutes or until golden brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut into 6 rows by 6 rows. Serve with salsa.