Tuesday, October 27, 2009

What's for dinner: Chicken Tortillas

I am so not a meal planner. I am not a foodie. I am not wired to think in terms of meals. I don't dream of dishes, rarely cut recipes and generally get by on a little this and that, one of which I will invariably be out of when it comes time for dinner. Anything I make is going to be simple, healthy and easy. Preferably also cooks itself so that when I arrive home it is DONE.

Tonight we're having chicken tortillas. This one is so easy my 7 year old could do it.

4-6 frozen (yes frozen) boneless and skinless breasts or thighs
1-2 cups of salsa
1 can black beans, drained
1 cup or so of frozen corn

Dump this all into the 5qt crockpot and set to low. Cook all day. When you get home from work shred the chicken and stir. Serve with rice, fat free refried beans, cheese, etc. in warmed tortilla shells. (Tip: place a wet paper towel or clean dish towel over a plate of tortillas and cook for about 30 seconds in your microwave. This will soften them if you store them in the fridge like I do.)

My kids actually love this (ok one kid picks out every bean but she still will eat it). It's cheap, fast and easy! I luv my crockpot! I wish it could do laundry, too.

Monday, October 26, 2009

I like tea. I like free tea better


Enjoy a free sample of Oregon Chai Latte tea by clicking here. Hurry as they ran out last time.
(Oh and as I type this, I can hear my poor jade plant dropping little dead leaves on the floor. Sigh)

Monday, October 19, 2009

Freezer burn and Jade plants


I was sad to see that the dip below 40 degrees the other night did a number on my twelve year old jade plant. I purchase this little baby as a wee 5 inch thing in Ikea one day on the spur of the moment. It's now quite a plant, and I do nothing to it but water it. I think I should really re pot it. The pot is soooo ugly and well, it's been in that same pot for FOREVER.

A jade will flower, you know, just in case you didn't know. I didn't but one day in December it made these little white flowers. I had no idea!

But behold my sweet baby with the burned finger tips. She'll survive (she'll drop a bazillion little freezer-burned leaves and grow new ones.

Awww!

for the birds

There are three bird feeders and a bird bath outside my kitchen window that attract a large variety of local birds:
  • Robins (who don't eat from bird feeders but who enjoy the bath)
  • Blue Jays (who scare away the other birds and are REALLY loud)
  • Common house sparrows (that sit on my kitchen window sill)
  • Owls (they keep their distance but manage to scare the bejesus out of the little birds)
  • Golden Finches (only prefer thistle)
  • Red Tail Hawks (only prefer to eat the little birds, which they have, right in front of me)
I put out a variety of seeds (aka what is on sale). I've found the oiled sunflower to be the least preferred by the most birds. The little ones can't manage it and the big ones just throw it all over the place. It does help, though, with making suet because of its size.

I've added a suet feeder for winter, and developed my own suet recipe. I consider this a success because:
A. birds seem to eat it
B. Birds seem to eat it and survive

Here's the recipe:
  • Three or four heaping tablespoons of beef fat (I collect it in a can and save it in the fridge, let it harden and throw out the can when it's full. It contains bacon and beef fat. )
  • Three tables spoons of any kind of peanut butter
  • A cup of oiled sunflower seeds.
Put all three into a metal bowl over a pot of hot water until it all melts.

Then add the suet mix to a plastic container the size of your suet feeder (I bought a suet cake from the store and saved the plastic tray to re use)
Put the suet into the container and into the freezer to firm up.
When set, pop it out and insert into the feeder.

Now, if you live where it is 90 degrees, this recipe is not only NOT going to work, it will make a terrific drippy mess. So leave this for cold climate or cold days. I googled recipes calling for beef suet from a butcher shop (a what?) and two or three melting sessions to firm it. I don't plan on commercially selling suet and I'm lazy, so mine worked just fine and took about 15 minutes.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Two crazy weeks

I just realized it's been almost two weeks since my last post. I have only one excuse:

Middle School

No, I haven't been demoted but I am pondering how I managed to ever get out of high school (let alone graduate school) without truly learning the parts of speech.

We have a middle schooler in our house and suddenly MY every free moment is consumed with homework. I don't recall how long I spent doing homework in middle school, but I bet you it wasn't anywhere near the 3 to 4 hours PER NIGHT we are averaging here. We have homework in nearly every subject, and not just a simple worksheet, but pages of responses. Math requires showing your work for every problem, even ones you can work in your head (my personal pet peeve: making the children write the formula for every problem and then solving it, even when it is the SAME FORMULA for all 30 questions!). Analogies in language arts class had me in cold SAT-sweats. Prescient is to omniscient as...as..as? This weekend we are discussing free trade for social studies and there is a leaf project to be completed. Oh and that cello. Someone needs to practice that!

So when it came to the trade off between scouring for grocery deals and helping my 10 year old not have a nervous breakdown over helping verbs, the kid won out. I can tell you right now Jewel is running a spend $10 get $3 back instantly sale which is best explained over at mashupmom.com I'm sure.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Buy three specially marked Kellogg's® cereals and get $10

Thanks to couponerswanted.com for this great deal on specially marked boxes of Kellogg's cereals:

...

Buy three specially marked Kellogg's® cereals and get $10 bonus buck to spend on electronics, toys, sporting goods, books, concessions and movies!

Requirements

1. Buy three (3) specially marked boxes of Kellogg's® cereal and collect the codes inside each box.
2. Enter codes at www.kelloggbonusbucks.com.
3. Receive your $10 Bonus Bucks certificate by mail.
4. Redeem your certificate at a variety of participating retailers.

Codes must be entered all at one time in order to qualify to receive the certificate. Codes must be entered by 09/30/2010. Certificates expire 11/30/2010. For a complete list of participating retailers, please visit www.usekelloggbonusbucks.com.

Products
•Kellogg's Frosted Flakes® cereal: specially marked packages
•Kellogg's® Froot Loops® cereal: specially marked packages
•Kellogg's® Frosted Mini-Wheats® Bite Size cereal: specially marked packages
•Kellogg's Raisin Bran® cereal: specially marked packages

Delivery
Bonus Bucks will arrive within 4-6 weeks.

And from the FAQ:

Is there a limit to how many Bonus Bucks certificates I can receive?

There is no limit to the number of Bonus Bucks certificates you can receive. Each Bonus Bucks certificate requires the submission of three unique codes (one from each of three qualifying packages of Kellogg's products)

NEW Printables

Thanks SouthernSavers!

Coupons.com
My Favorites
.40/1 Betty Crocker Boxed Potatoes (makes them almost free)
$1.50 off Birds Eye Steamfresh Meal
.50/1 Birds Eye Steam Fresh
.50/1 Chex Mix
.50/1 Honey Nut Cheerios
$1 off Freschetta Pizza
.50/1 Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers
.50/2 Green Giant boxed Vegetables
.50/1 Green Giant 19-24oz bag vegetables
.60/1 Jello Pudding or Gelatin Snacks
$1 off Lactaid Supplement Product
$1 off any McCormick Spice, Herb or Extract
.50/1 Tetley Tea
$1 off Welch’s Juice

Other’s that are good
$1 off Bagel Bites 9ct +
.40/1 Betty Crocker Cookie Mix
.60/1 Bisquik 40oz or larger
.75/1 Cocoa Puffs Cereal
$1/2 General Mills Kids Cereals (2 different coupons)
$1/2 Foster Farm’s Lunch Meat
.75/1 Fiber One Frozen Muffins
.55/1 Keebler Sandwhich Crackers
$2 off Kentucky Legend Ham or Turkey Breast
$1 off Kellogg’s Special K Blueberry Cereal
$1/2 Progresso Products (excludes soup and broth)
$1.10/3 Progresso Soups
$1 off Snuggle Fabric Softener
$1/2 Special K Bars 6ct +
$1.10 off Romano’s Macaroni Grill Entree
$1/2 Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Pasta
$1.10 off Wanchai Ferry Dinner Kit
.75/1 Weight Watchers cheese or cream cheese

Smart Source
My Favorites
.40/1 Betty Crocker Boxed Potatoes
$1 off Bumble Bee Premium Tuna Pouch
.50/2 Green Giant Boxed Vegetalbes
.50/1 Green Gaint Valley Fresh Steamers
.50/1 Green Giant Bagged Vegetables 19-24oz
$1 off Shady Brook Frozen Turkey
$1 off Honeysuckle Frozen Turkey
$2/2 Pull Ups Flushable Moist Wipes
$1 off Stacy’s Pita Chips
$5 off Science Diet Pet Food

Other’s that are good
.40/1 Betty Crocker Cookie Mix
.55/1 Cinnamon Toast Crunch
.75/1 Duncan Hines Whole Grain Muffin Mix
$1 off Wholly Guacamole or Salsa

EOS Lip Balm Review


Back in August I told you all about a new lipgloss product coming out called "EOS." This week I finally received the product in the mail. I was planning to write some great review of the product, in depth. I ended up with this:


  • A round lip gloss reminds EVERYONE who sees it of roll-on deodorant ( BAN specifically)
  • A round lip gloss is pretty near impossible to put on neatly; the ball is simply too wide.
  • A round lip gloss cannot be tucked into your jeans pocket. You end up looking like you've got some new growth
Yes, it's cute.
Yes, it's minty.
Yes, it was free.

But would I BUY this?

No

And that's about the most important thing this review has to say.

All dressed up so I'm going to Fresh Market!


This is seriously the prettiest store in town....

As reported by Coupon Savng Game

Here are some of the deals this week (9/30-10/6)at The Fresh Market...

MEAT:
All Natural Boneless Chicken BreastsPrice $3.99/lb
Coho Salmon FilletsPrice $9.99/lb
Culinary Reserve Crab Meat, Claw, Jumbo, or SuperLump, 16 oz

Price 25% off
Hereford Lean Whole Ribeyes Price $4.99/lb
Pork Tenderloin Price $4.99/lb

PRODUCE:
Earthbound Farm Organic Bagged Salads
Price 2/$5

Honeycrisp Apples, Conventional or Organic
Price $2.98

DELI:
Oven Roasted Turkey
Price $7.49/lb

Raw Milk Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Price $5.99/lb

Rotisserie Boneless Turkey Breasts, Natural Flavor or White Wine Herb
Price $6.99/lb

Twice Baked Potatoes
Price $3.99/lb

BAKERY:
Cherry or Apple Turnovers
Price $2.99/4-pk

Cornbread, Original, Blueberry, or Jalapeno
Price $3.49/lb

In the Fridge & Pantry...
Cinnamon Scented Pinecones and Brooms
Price $4.99/1

Crunchmaster Crackers, all varieties, 4.5 oz
Price 2/$6
Use $1/1 from Inspirations Monthly booklet (Pay $4/2)
Use $.75/1 Printable HERE (Pay $4.50/2)

Gia Russa Bruschetta, all varieties, 10 oz
Price $4.99/1Immaculate Baking Co. Better Bakes Cookie Dough, 10-14 oz
Price 2/$6

In Shell Pistachios, Roasted & Salted or Roasted No Salt
Price 20% off

TFM Breakfast Blend Coffee, Whole Bean or Ground
Price $7.99/lb

Monthly Specials & Coupons:
Muir Glen Organic Soups
Price 2/$4
Use $1/1 from Better At Home (A) booklet (Pay $2/2)
Use $1/2 Printable HERE (Pay $3/2)

Wasa Multigrain Crispbreads, all varieties, 8.1-9.7 oz
Price $2.29/1
Use $.75/1 Printable HERE (Pay $1.54/1)

September 30-October 13 ONLY Coupons in Fliers found in-store or online.
$1 off Crunchmasters Crackers

October 7-October 20 ONLY Coupon in Fliers found in-store or online.
$1 off McCann's Oatmeal, all varieties

October 21-November 3 ONLY Coupon in Fliers found in-store or online.
$1 off Patsy's Pasta Sauce
$1 off Summit Collection Coffee, all varieties

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