Deal of the Day- III

I love free stuff! In this week's coupons there were two coupons that, when used at Wal-Mart, got me free stuff. I had 2-3 sets of the coupons, so got even more free that way. First, there was a $.50 off 1 Maruchan Yakisoba meal. These are made by the same company as Ramen Noodles, but this is a Japanese version with Japanese noodles and Teriyaki sauce. I'm pretty excited to try this, as I am always looking for single serving meals I can have on days that I just don't want mac & cheese or spaghettio's, etc. Since I had three of these coupons, and the price on them was only &.48, I made 2 cents on each of the three packages I got.
Next, I had 2 $1 off 1 Gain Dish Soap. These are priced at $.97 at Wal-Mart, so I was paid $.03 for each of those two bottles. I've been in love with Gain products for years since I first discovered their Apple Mango Tango laundry detergent. When I heard that they were now making dish soap I went nuts! Unfortunately I haven't been able to find the Apple Mango Tango in the store to buy more, but I did get a free bottle through a Facebook promotion about a month ago. So yes, I have 3 free bottles of super yummy Gain dish soap under my sink! Although this dish soap doesn't clean any better than its competitors, I must say that the scent is certainly better. It's like an air freshener for the kitchen! When I clean off the counter and kitchen table with it, I can smell it lingering (not too strong) for hours. MMMMM....
What a day of fun freebies!

Fun New Project

I'm so completely addicted to anything crafty, and like to spend my free time hunting down craft ideas. I've found several fun crafty blogs, but this one really caught my attention this week. When Tattoo was a baby, he had the cutest onesie with a necktie printed on it. I was so sad when he outgrew it, and never found another one. Dummy me, I also never thought to try to make one, until I came across this post...a tutorial for making that exact shirt! I printed her template for the necktie, which is about just the right size for Tattoo. On Kaiden it would have only come to the top of his tummy, so I modified it for him, making it a couple inches longer. I found the long sleeve tees at Walmart for $3.50 each, and the fabric and wonder-under for the ties was only $3. So I was able to make both shirts for $10 total ($5 each) when I would have paid at least $10 for a similar product at the store. I had so much fun making them that I went back in search of more materials. I found a superman-blue shirt on clearance for $1 that is Tattoo's size and I got a navy shirt for Kaiden (not on clearance). Now, I'm going to get over to Joann's in hope of finding a Superman-print fabric for the ties for the new shirts.

Deal of the Day-Part II

Kaiden is super hard on his jeans. When looking at his pants in preparation of the chilly season, I realized that he had holes in the knees of every single pair he owns! So off to the store I went to get some more. I had previously printed 4 $2 off coupons for any children denim item at Target. I found Kaiden's size of pants for $4! So I was able to snag 4 pairs of pants for $8 total!!! Unfortunately they only had 2 colors available, so he has two pairs of each color, but pants are pants, right? The quality of Target pants isn't that great, so I'm sure they won't make it to hand-me-downs for Tattoo, but considering that cost was lower than Kid to Kid or D.I., who cares!? Anyway, I'm excited about my deal of the day. Now, all we need to make it through the winter is a coat for PJ. And on I go, hunting for another deal on that!....

Freezer Cooking Day 1.4

Today was a little work=high payout kind of day. There was a LOT of food involved, but not much effort on my part. Today on the menu was honey barbecue chicken, beef ribs, pork ribs, baked chicken in gravy and chocolate pie.
The chicken was the same recipe as the previously made honey barbecue beef, but with chicken instead. I must have used more chicken than beef, because I ended up with 16 servings of the chicken. Nathan, Matthew and I had the chicken for dinner, so I only froze 12 portions.

The beef ribs and pork ribs were very easy. I just wrapped them in heavy duty foil and baked at 325 degrees for 3 hours. After letting them cool down, I put them in freezer bags and poured barbecue sauce in with them. From there you just smoosh it around in the bag until all the ribs are coated.

The baked chicken has always been one of our favorite freezer meals. This time I did it a bit differently, because it always seems that there's not enough of the chicken to go around come meal time. Here's what I did:

6 Lbs. Boneless skinless chicken breast
1 C. Flour
1 C. Melted Butter
16 slices American cheese
2 C. Mushrooms, sliced
1 C. Minced onion
1 Can Evaporated milk
2 Cans Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper

Coat chicken with flour. Pour melted butter over cookie sheet(s). Place chicken in butter. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 425 degrees. Turn chicken and bake 20 minutes more. Remove from oven. Arrange chicken in square foil baking pan. Top chicken with cheese, mushrooms and onion. Combine milk, soup, salt and pepper. Pour over all. Cover with heavy duty foil and freeze. When ready to eat, thaw, then bake at 350 degrees for 45 mins-1 hour, or until sauce starts to bubble.

This recipe was also found from the Dinner is Ready cookbook.

The chocolate pie was just a basic Oreo cookie crust with chocolate pudding pie filling. I can't seem to make anything chocolate without eating some, so although I made 2 pies, only one went in the freezer and we had the second for dessert, topped with Cool Whip. Yum!

All in all, super easy, super productive day!

Freezer Cooking Day 1.3

I think Friday has quickly become my favorite day of the week! This week was a bit tricky, as Nathan had the day off work. We had plans, but I didn't want to miss out on cooking, so I managed to squeeze in some fun with the family and a MAJOR cooking day! In fact, I think I over-did it a bit, and maybe should have cut out one of the meals I made. Oh well, they all turned out great and super yummy. Today on the menu I made Lasagna, Fried Chicken and Honey Barbecue Beef.
Lasagna:
1 Lb. Lean ground beef
1 Lb. Italian sausage
1 C. Chopped onion
2 Cans Spaghetti Sauce
2 Cans Italian tomatoes
2 tsp. Garlic Powder
3 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
2 Tbsp. Sugar
2 tsp. Salt
2 C. Ricotta Cheese (1 container)
6 C. Cottage Cheese (3 med containers)
2 C. Parmesan Cheese (I actually use the Kraft Italian blend of shredded cheese- cheaper and more flavor)
Sprinkle of Italian Seasoning
8 C. Mozzarella Cheese
1 box lasagna noodles

Brown beef and sausage with onions. Add tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, garlic, Italian seasoning, sugar and salt. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer about half an hour.
Mix Ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, and sprinkle of Italian seasoning in large of bowl.

I use the disposable foil square cake pans to keep the lasagna in. Start with meat sauce on the bottom. Next do 2 layers of each: noodles, cheese mixture, meat sauce, shredded mozzarella. Be sure to end with the shredded mozzarella. Cover with extra heavy foil. When ready to eat, thaw at room temperature most of the day, then bake at 350 degrees for about an hour, or until cheese is nice and bubbly.

Honey Barbecue Beef:
1 (3 Lb.) Beef Chuck Roast
24 Oz. Barbecue sauce
1/2 C. Honey
1/3 C. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tsp. Mustard
1/2 C. Chopped onion
1 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper

Trim roast of all visible fat. Cut roast in 4 pieces and place in slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours. Drain broth. Combine barbecue sauce, honey, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, onion, salt and pepper. Pour over roast in slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low for 5-6 hours. Remove roast and allow to cool enough to handle. Shred or chop meat and place in a large bowl. Pour some of the sauce over shredded meat, enough to thoroughly coat. Stir to coat. Allow to cool completely.
For individual servings, spray a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Fill muffin cups with meat and sauce. Cover and place pan in freezer bag until just frozen. Pop out and place in gallon freezer bag.
When ready to serve, just thaw and heat. Serve on toasted bun. (Recommended garnishes: shredded lettuce and dill pickles).
You can also substitute boneless skinless chicken for the roast. I WILL be trying this one in the coming weeks!

Both the Lasagna and the Honey Barbecue recipes came from the 30 Meals in One Day line of recipe books. Lasagna from "Dinner is Ready," and Honey Barbecue from "Lunch is Ready."

I also made Fried Chicken, which can be found in the Pioneer Woman Cookbook. She does have a website as well, but doesn't have all the recipes available there that are in the book.

Today I made 4 lasagna, 3 meals of fried chicken, and 9 servings of the honey barbecue beef.

Freezer Cooking Day 1.2

Well, it's Friday again, and that means more cooking! Today on the menu we had meatballs, Chile Verde, and blueberry pie.
Meatballs:
1 Lb. Lean ground beef
1 Lb. Ground pork
2 Eggs
1 tsp. Garlic salt
1 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Black pepper
1 C. Dry bread crumbs
1/4 C. Minced onion
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Combine ground beef and pork. Mix in egg, garlic salt, salt pepper, bread crumbs, onion and Worcestershire sauce. Shape into 1-inch meat balls. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until cooked through. Freeze meatballs in single layer. Put in freezer bags to use with meal of your choice!

Chile Verde:
1 Med. Pork Roast
2 cans Golden mushroom soup
1 can Cream of mushroom soup
1 jar Salsa ( I like green)
1 can Diced green chilies

Cook roast in crock pot until fully cooked. Shred roast, drain juice, and return to crock pot. Mix in soups, salsa and chilies. Cook on high for about an hour or until heated throughout.

For the blueberry pie I just made a basic pastry crust and canned blueberry pie filling...very easy!

Today I was able to make 3 meals of meatballs, 4 meals of Chile Verde and 2 blueberry pies. Yum!

Freezer Cooking Day 1.1

I love freezer cooking day! I think I'm going to try to do at least a few meals every Friday. With Nathan gone ALL day, I need something to distract myself from being too lonely. Today on the menu was chicken-fried pork and pork enchiladas (unintentional theme). When I do freezer cooking, I typically do just a few meals, but LOTS of servings of each. Today I did 4 pans of enchiladas, and 3 meals of the chicken-fried pork.Enchiladas:

Med. Pork Roast
4 lbs. Shredded cheese (I used the Mexican blend)
2 Large cans green enchilada sauce
28-30 Corn tortillas
*oil for frying* (optional)

I put the roast in the crock pot until fully cooked. I then cut/shredded it. I mixed the pork, 2 lbs, of cheese and about half the first can of enchilada sauce. Nathan likes the tortillas lightly fried before being rolled up, so I did that in canola oil, but that step can be skipped. Then put a large spoonful of the meat mixture in each tortilla and roll. Pour remaining sauce over top of rolled enchiladas and sprinkle remaining 2 lbs of cheese over everything. I cover with foil and put in the freezer at that point. When ready to cook, it takes about an hour at 350 degrees.

The chicken-fried pork recipe I got from the Pioneer Woman Cookbook. She uses steak, but I tried that once and wasn't thrilled. I've tried chicken, pounded very thin, and it's wonderful. This is the first time I've tried the pork, so I hope it turns out okay!

Finally, the last of my cooking for today, mighty mini meatloaves. After spending hours cooking the freezer meals, I wasn't in the mood to eat either of those, so I whipped up a batch of mini meatloaves.
Mighty Mini Meatloaves:
1 egg ¾ c. buttermilk ( I never have buttermilk on hand, so I mix ¾ milk w/ ¾ Tbsp white vinegar to make my own)
1 ½ c. cheddar cheese, shredded
½ c. oats
½ onion, chopped
2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1 tsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lb. lean ground beef
½ c. ketchup
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a muffin tin. In a bowl, beat the egg and buttermilk, stir in the cheese, oats, onion and spices. Add beef and mix well. Fill muffin wells, making individual loaves. Combine ketchup and Worcestershire sauce and spoon over mini loaves. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until done.

Deal of the Day

Nathan and I have had a great time in the past week or so looking at the clearance outdoor items. It's fun that they've been putting all the summer stuff on clearance already, as there is still plenty of time to use it this year. Our favorite place is Target, and have already been there a couple times. Today, we went looking mainly for a lounge chair and/or outdoor table and chair set. We did find some great deals, but nothing that really stood out. Then, as we were about to leave that section, I saw a child-size picnic table that was just too cute! We looked all over for a price, but couldn't find one. Nathan grabbed the box and took it over to the price scanner. After he hauled it away, there was another box behind it that was clearly marked $8.71. He came back with the box he'd taken away, saying it was $12.48. Turns out, the box in back had been repackaged, resulting in a lower selling price. Here's the best part: the original price was $49.99! That's a savings of about 83%! I can't imagine spending that much on such a little picnic table, but for under $9, we couldn't leave the store without it. Here's a pic of the boys testing it out.

New project

We bought Kaiden a new Nemo quilt when we bought him his big boy bed. This was October 2008. Somewhere between 6 months to a year later, all the quilting had come undone, and the batting in the quilt had turned into one big lump. It was possible to smooth it down, but not very fun. We just kept dealing with it until "How to Train Your Dragon" merchandise was released. We found Kaiden a new quilt that was cheaper than it would cost to make him a new one. It will probably die a sad death as quickly as Nemo did, but we'll worry about that later.
Now, onto more interesting stuff. Less than a week after Kaiden got his new quilt, the yucky Nemo quilt ended up in Tattoo's room, as we decided to pass the theme down to him. I'd had enough of that quilt. So, rather than starting completely from scratch and trying to come up with a quilt that would fit the Nemo theme and newly green walls, I came up with a plan! I cut up the Nemo quilt and removed that yucky batting. I then cut squares around some of the cutest parts of the front of the quilt, and the water pattern from the back. I then pieced those squares with a few coordinating new fabrics I acquired from an awesome sale at JoAnn's to make a new, smaller quilt that's perfect for his tiny little bed! I did fleece on the back, so there's no batting involved (whew!) I included a front view, back view and view of how it looks on the bed. Too bad I didn't get a before picture!

Wing....Sprinter?

I'm finding it hard to be mad at the snow today. Yes, I know that it's technically spring, and yes, I do hate snow typically. But today, I feel a little different for the following reasons: 1. I don't have to drive in it. 2. It's not sticking to the roads and sidewalks. 3. Snow on flowers is SOOOO beautiful!
Snow during the winter is depressing because everything is ugly and drab. Today however, the grass is turning green, flowers are starting to bloom and the snow is merely accenting it, rather than covering it up. Granted, we don't have a lot of flowers blooming just yet, but the simple beauty of the damp dirt, yellow and blue flowers, and green grass is stunning. The snow will be melted within a few days and we'll have a few more days of spring again. And then most likely do this whole thing over again. But for today anyway, the snow and I are at peace!

Miracle Drug?

I've been suffering from headaches for as long as I can remember. As a child, it could usually be associated with dehydration, as I never drank enough. As I grew to a teenager, I developed back problems that eventually turned my headaches into severe tension headaches. When Kaiden was a baby, something happened to my shoulder that made both the headaches and the back/shoulder pain nearly unbearable! I just made do for so long with any and all over-the-counter medication I could get my hands on. Finally, last August was the last straw. I thought I had meningitis! I couldn't move my head and had the worst headache of my life. I finally went in to see my doctor and he referred me to a physical therapist. That was the best thing I've ever done for myself! I felt good for months! At the time I was going, I felt it was a fairly cost effective way of helping me through my pain. As it turned out, they were only charging me half what I was required to pay when I went in, and then slammed me with a HUGE bill when I was done. Needless to say, physical therapy is now off the table for pain treatment. Well, I turned back to my over-the-counter medication, which did help, but in recent weeks isn't even touching the pain. It was time to look for something new. I remembered once when we were in Las Vegas, we came across this thing called a Massage Mouse, that is a little electric device. It has wires attached to sticky pads that you stick to places on your body that need a massage. This device is a much smaller version of one of the machines they used on me at physical therapy! I thought if I could track one down, that would help. Well, I was able to find quite a few at Amazon, with different prices. Although it's a price that I would have cringed at a few weeks ago, when I got thinking about the price for physical therapy, this is less than half the cost of just one session! And it should last me at least a year! So hopefully that works. Also, another thing I've just started trying is Ultra-Strength Bengay. I found it on sale, with a peel-off coupon on the box, so I got it for a great price! I tried it on my shoulder and neck last night before bed. I was a little worried, because when I first hurt my shoulder a couple years ago, I'd tried Icy Hot, and it literally burned me! When I tried this Bengay, although there was a slight burning sensation at first, within several minutes I was completely numb. I think that was the most relaxed my neck has been in months! The final step to my new self-medicating plan, is the key. I'd asked Linda about what she could suggest that may help, and she mentioned that the ladies that work with her swear by Excedrin Migraine. The ingredients are basically Tylenol, aspirin and caffeine. I'd never tried aspirin before and I'm always nervous when trying new drugs. Well, I tried my first dose last night as well, and I must say, I was actually comfortable for the first time in a long time. Between the Bengay, and Excedrin Migraine, I think I may have found my miracle drug combination...for now...until I grow immune to all that too. Now, when my massage mouse gets here, I should be feeling really good! Now, for suggestions. Nothing that I've found that really works, works for a long period of time. My body gets used to it and it loses its effectiveness over time. I need suggestions for anything else that may have worked for anyone reading this, or someone you know with a similar problem. Here's what I've thought of that I can still try, but I don't want to yet, for varying reasons: chiropractor, massage therapy and cutting my hair shorter (it's really long and heavy). Suggestions?

Perfect Timing!

Recently I'd seen an advertisment for Frogtape, and it looked awesome! It's a patented tape for painting that has a chemical on it that reacts with latex paint to form an impenetrable barrier, making a cleaner edge. I wanted it! I knew I still had to paint Tattoo's room (and the rest of the house), and get so frustrated when I make boo-boos that I have to go over again. Well, before I bought any I found, on one of my money-saving websites, a deal that included Frogtape and Princess and the Frog. When you buy both you get a $5 rebate. The tape is only $5.97! I was going to get Princess and the Frog anyway, so as a bonus, I got the most awesome painting tape in the world for less than a dollar! Sweet! Anyway, is that perfect timing or what!
P.S. Painted Tattoo's room today and it looks GREAT!

Yaz

Warning: If you suffer from an aversion to too much information, this post is not for you!

It's no secret for anyone that knows me, that I'm not ready for any more children right now. We have talked about a possible one or two more after Nathan is done with school, and I don't have to work full time any more. Plus, I need to be really healthy before I can handle any more pregnancies. Right now, I'm not even close to where I would like to be physically.
So last week, I visited my doctor for my annual check up and to request a new type of birth control. Before Matthew was born, I was using Yasmine, and was pretty comfortable with it. However, the hormones caused my headaches to be worse. So at this visit, I requested the low hormone version, called Yaz.
Jackie, the nurse practitioner I see at Dr. Langer's office, was totally on board with trying it. She had some samples she sent me with that day, so I'm set for 3 months. There's also a program card she gave me, that will make it so that no future refills (at least for 6 month's worth) will cost over $20. This was really great news for me, since all prescriptions are full cost until we meet our deductible, on our high-deductible insurance plan. She did warn me that I probably would see a lawyer commercial warning of the effects of Yaz, which I had already seen. She said that any birth control poses the same risks, it's just they can target that one specifically as a name brand. All medicine poses risks, but the benefits far outweigh the possible 1:100,000 or so risk. Where I had no problems on Yasmine, I'm 99% sure I'll be okay on the lower hormone version.

Dentist Update

Yesterday was the day! I got my cavities filled! For years my teeth and jaw have hurt so bad from being so squished together after getting so many fillings the last time. I had requested that the dentist file those down a bit when he was in there working, and he did!
The final cavity tally was actually just 5, rather than the original 6 I'd thought. I needed 3 on my top right side, 1 on my bottom right and 1 on my top left. Normally, the dentist suggests that much work be split into 2 visits. No, not me! I asked if they could just do it all at once. Making sure I had the time off work, getting a babysitter, borrowing a car...that's a lot of work! I just wanted to get it all over at once. So, I ended up with 3 quadrants of my mouth numb. My right side was so numb, it went all the way up to my eyelashes, numbed the right side of my nose (so it felt like the worst stuffy nose ever!), and all the way over to my ear. Very weird feeling! It finally wore off just in time for dinner.
After he was done doing all the work, he asked me to bite down, and tell him if one side was hitting before the other. I'd noticed a long time ago that my left side would touch first. This was my chance to fix it too! He filed that side down just a bit, so all my teeth hit at the same time. He'd also notice a spot on one tooth that was getting a little extra impact from the tooth it meets up with, so he filed it down too, finally making my entire bite more comfortable than it has been in years!
There are a few spots that need to be filed down a bit more, but I couldn't tell when I was numb. I had already scheduled my 6 month visit, so I think I will wait and see if they wear back down on their own, and if not, I'll get them fixed in August at that visit.
So many people have always said to me "You have such beautiful teeth." I would always do my fake smile and say "Thank you!" while inwardly thinking "Yes, but they are rotting out!" Now, when I hear that, I can flash my pearly white smile and genuinely say "Thank you!" Wahoo!

Nursery Update

I have been spoiled. Keyana and Kaiden were both children that didn't mind being away from mommy, and when first introduced to nursery, ran in without looking back. So, I figured it must be in the blood and thought Matthew would be the same way. Boy was I wrong! His first visit was right at 18 months, and he wouldn't play with the other kids, wouldn't talk to the grown-ups, and barely wanted to play with the toys unless he was in mommy's lap. Well, I've been working with him, and started slowly sneaking out for a few minutes longer every week. Finally, I'm am proud to announce, I was only in there with him for 5 minutes this week! Wahooo!!!!
On a side note: Kaiden began in Sunbeams this year, and has a hard time adjusting from nursery to primary. The first few weeks, I either had to send him to the nursery, sit with him in his class, or take him to mine. Even so, it didn't completely stop the meltdowns. Well, I've also been working with him on getting him to stay in his own class, and this week he had no meltdowns, and stayed in his class the whole time! I made it through 1/2 of Sunday School and all of Relief Society, for the first time in almost a year! Now, I sure hope I didn't jinx myself by celebrating this early.

Dentist

I am one of the many moms that have completely neglected myself for years, saying that I just don't have time for it, with so many little kids to take care of first. Well, it's time for that thought process to stop. I need time for myself. My health and my teeth have suffered! The last time I went to the dentist, was just a month or so after Keyana was born. Yes, I know that it's been almost 6 years.
Everyone that knows me knows that I don't handle pregnancy well. I'm one that has severe morning sickness, throwing up 17+ times per day, for 4+ months straight. Besides the weight loss this created, it also affected my teeth, pretty severely. After Keyana was born, I had 10 cavities from all the acid.
You can imagine that after almost 6 years with no professional dental care and 2 more pregnancies, my teeth would be rotting and falling out. Well, I am proud to say that I went to the dentist yesterday and only have 6 cavities! I'm well aware that it's still a lot, but considering everything those poor things have been through, I was in shock that it wasn't a million times worse!
Nathan and I had agreed that I couldn't get the work done on my teeth that I would need until I called all the places we owe money for previous medical bills and set up payments. I was so desperate to get my teeth fixed, that I went ahead and went in for my cleaning and exam, because it was free, and figured I could set an appt for in the future after I was able to call and schedule those payments. So I made payment arrangements for all the medical bills today, and have the appointment set to fill those cavities on the 24th. Yay! At my first visit, I also scheduled my next cleaning for August, so I'll have less of a reason to back out.
Now, with my teeth about to be fixed, on to my health...
I'm quite overweight. I'll admit that. In the past, I've tried Weight Watchers, and it really worked! But I was hungry ALL the time! Plus, I couldn't really afford it. So, I found another program that is completely free and much more user friendly. It's called My Fitness Pal, and there's a website and iPhone application, to help me out. I started with about 64 pounds to lose, and have already lost 7.
To keep myself motivated, I've decided to reward myself at certain milestones. At 15 pounds, I will buy myself a new movie. The halfway mark, I'm going to get my teeth whitened at the dentist's. When I hit my goal, I'm going to get a whole new wardrobe (since I will seriously need it at that point!)
Wish me luck!

Just me!

I've been wanting to do this for awhile. I come across things and situations in my life, that I would like to write about, but I'm terrible at keeping a journal, and it may just not fit into my family blog. So here I am, starting my own.
Some of the things I will be writing about include, my weight loss adventures, saving money and random thoughts in my head. Also, I'm a member of several research panels that ask my to share my opinion on a given product after trying it out. This is a great outlet for me to do that. I'll include the link to this blog on my family blog, and the link to my family blog on here, just to make things easy, without messing up the family blogs with my own life!