coupon website

I found an awesome coupon site to share, they post free samples and great coupons, I have been using this site for a few months now and they have a facebook page, it is couponsmakeitfree.com check them out :)

a giveaway :) always fun

http://mommatalks.bl​ogspot.com/

 

My good friend is starting an at home business making custom tutu's so in spirit of the upcomming football season she is having a giveaway on her blog for a custom football team tutu, click the link above to enter and good luck.

coming soon

Next week I will be adding a crochet pattern of the week, I will be sharing a few of my favorite patterns for beginners. The recipes will still be coming, I will be posting a chicken pot pie recipe I recently tried on the kids and they loved it! and a family tradition recipe. I am hoping to post a few links for free samples or coupons as well,more household tips and a new website review.

A good friend of mine is starting a tutu making business she will custom make a tutu for your little lady in your life you can find her on facebook lebelle creations, click on the info tab for prices. they make great dress up wear,or use them for a Halloween costume! or for photos.

Hope you all are enjoying your summer, check out the Italian pasta recipe, its great for hot days, bbq's ,picnics or potlucks!!!

italian pasta salad (quick fix side dish)

Hands-On Time: 15 minutes
Ready In: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients

8 oz. uncooked rotini pasta 4 cups of a combination of the following: diced salami or pepperoni diced mozzarella cheese diced plum tomato halved black olives diced green peppers cannelini beans 2 cups Italian dressing* Parmesan cheese for garnish

Directions

1. Cook the pasta until done to desired tenderness and drain well. Al dente is best since soaking in dressing can cause the pasta to become mushy. Cool completely.
2. Toss with meat, mozzarella, tomato, olives, peppers, beans and dressing.
3. Garnish with parmesan cheese.
4. Chill for an hour before serving.

I enjoy making this dish to go with a bbq as a sidedish, I dont always add the meat to it i feel the veggies taste just as good without it.

review

This is my first ever review of a website I came across food.com while searching for an at home windex recipe that I could make without spending alot of money, and what I found was an awesome place to not only find food recipes but cleaning solutions as well. They have a community where you can search forums and post on a topic like special diets or kitchen appliances and gadgets see what someone else thinks about that food chopper lol, or you can search through their wide variet of over 40,000 recipes from ground beef to shrimp. So far it has been worth joining the site and trying out a few recipes along the way :) they also have cook books such as weight watchers for those trying to lose a few pounds!

I love the site and plan on using it in the future, so go check out food.com

Recipe of the week

Baked Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

1 lb elbow macaroni

2 (10 3/4 ounce) cans cheddar cheese soup

2 (12 ounce) cans evaporated milk

5/8 cup butter (1 1/4 sticks)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

6 cups shredded cheddar cheese (medium or sharp, or a combination)

dried parsley (for sprinkling on top)

Preheat oven to 350

Cook pasta according to pasta directions just until done - you don't want it mushy, because it will absorb a little of the cheesy liquid in the oven.

 Combine soup, evaporated milk, butter, salt, and pepper in a large microwaveable bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, leaving a small vent, and cook for 6-7 minutes until the butter is melted and the mixture is warm-to-hot throughout. (If making a half batch, 4 minutes in the microwave should do it).

 In a large baking dish (minimum 9x13, smaller if halving the recipe), spread 1/3 of the cooked noodles. Top with 1/3 of the sauce. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheddar.

 Repeat layers twice, ending with the cheese.

 Bake for 40-45 minutes.

 When it comes out of the oven, sprinkle with a little dried parsley if desired. This gives it visual interest, and you can also pretend it's healthier.

8 Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

I found this recipe on Food.com and plan on trying it later this week

Homemade Windex

Here is a recipe for homemade windex that I found on food.com it works great and saves money :)

• 1/2 cup ammonia
• 2 cups rubbing alcohol
• 1 teaspoon Joy dishwashing soap
• 1 gallon water, up to Change Measurements: US | Metric

Directions:

Prep Time: 2 mins

Total Time: 2 mins

1. 1 Mix all ingredients together, adding just enough water to reach the 1 gallon mark, and divide up into spray bottles for all bathrooms.
2. 2 Can also be used to clean exterior windows.
3. 3 If doing a big job like that, make sure the water is hot.
4. 4 That will help to dissolve the dirt

Fair Results

I had posted that i entered several things into the Jackson County Fair, I did fairly well the coconut macaroons i recieved a reserved champion ribbon, onion pepper bread a first place ribbon, cinnamon apple swirl bread 2nd place ribbon,cinnamon bubble rolls 1st place ribbon and white chocolate chip cookies 1st place ribbon.

I am very happy with the results although i didnt think the macaroons were all that great but maybe i am just not a coconut person? next is the Harvest fair i plan on entering a few crocheted items and maybe one or two baked goods.

apple swirled cinnamon bread (bread machine or by hand)

I have made this recipe in the bread machine and by hand both methods turned out great!!!

apple swirled cinnamon bread
 the bread dough

1/3 cup milk
1 egg
2 Tbsp butter
2cups bread flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 cup shredded peeled apple ( I like to use green)

for filling
3/4 cup peeled finely chopped apple
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp butter

Add first 8 ingredients to bread machine according to manufacturers directions, select dough cycle.
When cycle is complete remove dough from machine, cover and let rest 10 mins,meanwhile  in medium mixing bowl combine chopped apple,brown sugar and cinnamon for the filling set aside.

on lightly floured surface roll dough into a 14x9 in rectangle, spread with 1 Tbsp butter, spread out filling. Beginning at short ends roll up jelly roll style to center, place loaf in a greased loaf pan rolled side up, cover and let rise 30 mins

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 mins or until bread sounds hallow when fingers are tapped on the top if neccessary cover with foil last 10 mins to prevent over browning.

this recipe is a favorite of my nieces and nephews hope you enjoy as well.

Baking for the fair

I have been baking for the upcoming summer fair if you live in the southern oregon area check out my baked goods :) at the harvest fair I recieved first place and champion for my clover leaf rolls,3rd place on my pumpkin bread and 2nd place on my italian herb bread, so I am hoping for atleast one ribbon but there is some tough competitors out there in each catagory. I will be posting the remaining recipes this week for all my enteries so others can try them, the cinnamon bubble rolls are a cinch to make and are great for breakfast, I served them at my nieces girl scout sleep over and it was a hit, so check back on my blog and i will post the apple cinnamon swirl bread,onion pepper bread and coconut macaroons.

Have a nice Day and god bless

Recipe of the week

Cinnamon Bubble Buns
(Prep: 1 hour 45 min; Bake: 20 min; Yield: 12 buns)

For the dough:

• 1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 3 tbsl unsalted butter, melted
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda

For the cinnamon-sugar coating:

• 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

For the vanilla glaze:

• 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

1. In a large mixing bowl, sprinkled the yeast over the water and let it stand until bubbly, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the butter, sour cream, sugar, egg, and vanilla.

2. Beat in 2 cups of the flour, the salt, and the baking soda until combined.

3. Add the remaining 1/2 cup flour and continue mixing until a smooth, soft dough forms.

4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly flour surface (keep your mixing bowl handy) and knead it until smooth, about 3 minutes.  As you knead, add more flour if the dough is sticky, no more than 2 tbsp though. Place the dough back in the mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

5. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin pan, then flour the cups and tap out the excess.

6. In a small bowl, blend the sugar and cinnamon for the coating. Place the melted butter in a small dish and set aside.

7. Gently punch down the dough to deflate it. Form it into a long cylinder and divide it into 12 equal portions. Using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife, divide each of the 12 portions into 6 equal pieces, then roll each piece into a ball.

 

8. To make a bun, dip six of the balls in melted butter (be generous with the butter), then roll them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Arrange five of the balls in the bottom of a muffin cup. With your fingertip, make a small well and press the sixth ball in the center. Repeat with the remaining dough balls. Loosely cover the buns with plastic wrap and let them rise in a warm place until they’re puffy and double in size, about 40 minutes. Preheat oven to 350F.

9. Bake the buns on the center rack until golden, about 20-22 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack placed over a sheet of waxed paper or aluminum foil to cool for about 5 minutes. Now tilt the pan and gently tap it on the counter to release the buns. If needed, you can use a knife to release them from the pan. Place the buns on the wire rack.

 

10. In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the glaze and stir until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, you can thin it out by adding 1 tsp water at a time. Brush each bun with the glaze. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

(adapted from Familiy Fun April 2011)

Yard Sales part 2

My top ten  yardsale finds

10. kids books (great way to get them ahead during the summer and school year without spending a fortune at a bookstore , and yes you could go to the library but think of this you can take those books after they have been read and donate them to the library!!!)

9. movies ( depending on condition and price you can save  some money getting top name movies)

8. games

7. kids shoes (depending on condition you can wash most in the washer)

6. general household items (ironing board,iron,desks,ect getting them at a great price is a bargain any day)

5. toys ( kids break them why pay full price for a hot wheels car or that magic wand i find all sorts of toys at cheap prices and if it gets broke its ok, at christmas they get the new toys)

4. antiques (anything that is antique and worth more than what you are paying for it)

3. brand new items ( i have found cheap items that are still factory wrapped such as a candle set that i gave as a gift saved me about 19 dollars i got it for a buck !!!!)

2. Baby items (chairs,bedding ect you can find items cheap)

1. Clothing ( if it is slightly worn or looks almost new why not pay 10 to 50 cents for it saves me alot of money with 7 kids)

I dont see a thing with saving money people use coupons, i use yardsales to find great bargains!!!!!

Yard Sales

I love Yardsales just like the next person, there are many advantages to finding a good sale during the summer, people are getting rid of winter clothes so i can get the kids a few outfits for less than 2 dollars or i can find them a few summer outfits for the same price,when you have 7 kids at home saving  money is essential. today i didnt find any clothes because of recent yardsales I had already gone to but I did however find an awesome bbq grill for a friend for a dollar you cannot beat that,he is going to use it for camping ect, i also got a movie for 3 dollars which is alittle more than i would have paid but it was one i had been looking for.

I will be posting more about yardsales later

Fouth of July

the past few years i have spent the fourth of july with a good friend of mine, but this year i went up to diamond lake with my brother,his exgirlfiend,my nieces and one of their friends. we had a great time swimming in the lake, eating some good food and watching the fireworks. I have to say that diamond lake is a fun place to be on the 4th, they have a live band,talent contest,and the best firework show i have seen in a long time. hopefully next year we will camp out :) hope that your 4th of july went well :)