Frugal Thoughts from the Life of Kat

Peanut Butter Toffee Bars

2011-12-01T06:06:00.000-08:00

I was flipping through the latest issue of a magazine (Family Fun, I think it's called) and found this recipe. Since James loves toffee, I thought I would try it out.

I only made a half batch of these as a tester. I'll include my measurements.

Peanut Butter Toffee Bars

1/4 c butter, softened
1/4 (plus a little more) c creamy peanut butter
3/8 c packed light brown sugar
1 egg yolk (do not double this if you double the recipe to fill a 9X13 pan)
3/4 c flour
1/4 c instant oats
1/8 t salt
1-1/2 c dark chocolate chips
1/2 c toffee baking pieces

1. Heat oven to 350°. Line a 8-inch square baking pan with foil so that it extends over the edges of the pan.

2. In a bowl, beat the butter, peanut butter, sugar, and egg yolk until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add the flour, oats and salt and beat the mixture just until the ingredients are blended.

3. Press the mixture evenly into the bottow of the pan. Bake until the crust is golden brown, 15-20 minutes.

4. Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle with the chocolate chips. Place pan back in the oven for 1 minute. Remove the pan again and spread the chocolate evenly over the crust. Sprinkle with the toffee pieces and gently press the pieces in to the chocolate layer.

5. Allow the pan to cool on a wire rack until the chocolate has set. (May take several hours.) Using the edges of the foil, lift the bars out of the pan and cut the dessert into squares. I was able to get 16 pieces out of the 8-inch pan.

These are pretty yummy. The peanut butter flavor overwhelms the toffee flavor a little, but you definitely still get the toffee crunch on top. James liked them and asked me to keep the recipe.

Great News!

2011-10-18T14:41:00.000-07:00

We are finally back in our home after the wildfire that hit our area. We had massive smoke damage and had to fight the insurance company (State Farm) to pay for the damages. I am hoping to have a baking day this week to make thank you gifts for the people that helped us! I'll keep you posted!

Why I've been away.

2011-09-20T04:40:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted for a long time. I had some health problems for awhile that we were trying to work out and then almost three weeks ago we were evacuated from our house. We live right in the middle of the area affected by the largest wildfire in TX history. We were evacuated from our home for 10 days before we were allowed back into our area. We did not lose our home thanks to God and the wonderful first responders who worked so hard to save our house. Our home is unliveable right now due to smoke damage, but we are working on that.

This pictures is what is left of the woods to the left and behind our house.

This is from the right side of our house looking from outside our fence to behind our property. You can just see how close the fire came to our house if you look inside the fence. Where the picture was taken is all burnt.

We are extremely blessed and have been surprised and awed by the generosity of others. Even though we were not one of the 1000+ people that lost structures, we have been displaced and most people have been really supportive. The only group we have had problems with is our insurance company, State Farm. We are currently in the process of fighting them to cover more than what the adjustor allotted.

I hope to start posting again soon, but need some time to work out everything with our house. God bless!

Baked Chicken Flautas

2011-07-19T06:56:00.001-07:00

Oh my gosh, these flautas were so good!!! We were watching "Hungry Girl" on TV over the weekend and she made a recipe for baked chicken flautas that we both thought looked really good. I love flautas, but James, although he prefers other forms of Mexican food, just likes them. I didn't look the recipe up, instead I just flew by the seat of my pants and made up my own recipe.

Kat's Baked Chicken Flautas

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 t taco seasoning, divided
1 T coconut oil
water
1/4 c salsa (we used homemade)
1/4 - 1/3 c shredded cheddar cheese
7 corn tortillas

1. Sprinkle 1 t taco seasoning over chicken. Place chicken and oil in Crock-pot. Put in enough water to cover the bottom of the crock. I used a little more than 1/4 c. Cook on low until moist and tender. I ended up cooking mine for about 7-8 hours.

2. Remove chicken from crock and use two forks to shred the chicken. Add in salsa, cheese and taco seasoning and stir together.

3. Wrap tortillas in a damp paper towel and warm in the microwave for about 1 minute.

4. Spread 1-2 T of chicken mixture on each tortilla. Roll up each tortilla and place on a lightly oiled baking pan. Bake at 400° for about 15 minutes until crispy!

I hope you enjoy!

"Art" work

2011-07-19T06:49:00.001-07:00

I saw some "artwork" in the most recent Family Fun magazine that I thought looked pretty cool. I thought I would give it a try. James thought that I was so artistic after looking at these, but I really just colored in boxes in patterns. It was at least fun and took up some time to do these!

Homemade corn muffin mix

2011-07-12T14:09:00.000-07:00

I love corn bread, corn muffins, corn cakes, etc., so I was excited to see this recipe for a corn muffin mix in the latest issue of the Food Network Magazine. I changed the recipe a little so I'll include my version below.

Just in case those don't look enticing enough, here's a close-up!

These were so good with honey drizzled on top!

Corn Muffin Mix

Whisk together the following ingredients and store in an air-tight container. This is about 2.5 dozen muffins when made.

3 c white wheat flour
3/4 c succanat (or use 1 c sugar)
2 c cornmeal
1/8 c baking powder
1/2 T salt
a small dash of cinnamon

To make 1 dozen muffins, whisk 1 c milk, 2 eggs, and 4 T melted butter into 2-1/4 c muffin mix just until blended. Transfer to a greased muffin tin and bake at 400° for 15 minutes.

Oh, I hope you like these as much as we did!

Beef Barley Soup

2011-07-07T06:21:00.001-07:00

My boss made this soup last week and I loved it. He got the recipe from Cooks.com and was nice enough to share it with me. I changed it up a little based on what I had in the house and how I wanted to cook it.

Beef Barley Soup

1 lb. stew beef
salt and pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
4 c beef stock
2 c water
1/2 c barley
1 c chopped carrot
1/2 c chopped celery
1 c chopped onion
1 t Italian seasoning
1 15-oz can of crushed tomatoes

1. Brown meat over medium high heat. Add salt and pepper to meat and let cook for about thirty seconds. Add one cup of stock to pan and scrape bottom of pan. Pour this mixture into a preheated crock-pot.

2. Add the rest of the beef stock, water, carrots, celery, onions, Italian seasoning and bay leaf to the crock-pot and let cook for two to three hours on low.

3. After two to three hours, add barley and tomatoes. Check the flavor of the broth to see if you need more salt or pepper. Cook for 5-7 more hours on low.

This was a pretty hearty soup and we really liked it.

Bacon-Cheese Biscuits

2011-07-07T06:07:00.000-07:00

Last night I made a new soup recipe that I was really looking forward to: Beef and Barley. James usually gets hungry quickly after eating only soup for dinner so I was looking for something with a little filling power to add to the meal. I found the recipe for these Bacon-Cheese Biscuits in the newest Food Network Cooking magazine. They are by no means a "light" recipe, but James really liked them. He described them as "excellent". I thought they were ok, but I only really like biscuits when they are covered in jelly or honey, so I am not really the one to ask about these. I did omit a few things from the recipe, so I'll just give you what I made.

Bacon-Cheese Biscuits
4 slices bacon
2 c flour
2 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
scant t salt
6 T cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 c grated cheddar cheese
1 c buttermilk

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Cook the bacon until crisp, reserving two T of bacon drippings when done cooking. Chop bacon.

2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and chopped bacon together in a medium bowl. Cut butter into the flour mixture until it is in pea-size pieces. (I used a pastry blender, but you could use two knives or your hands.) Stir in the cheese. Add the buttermilk and reserved bacon drippings and gently mix just until moistened.

3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead 3-4 times. Don't overknead! Pat out to about 1/2 inch thick, then cut into biscuits using a 2 inch round cutter. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. I was able to get 9 biscuits out of this recipe.

4. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Holy Cacao Cake Balls Review

2011-07-05T12:46:00.000-07:00

I read about this little trailer and it's products in a magazine and they made it sound really awesome. James and I had never tried cake balls before so on a whim one day we went looking for this little trailer. Holy Cacao specializes in making cake balls which are essentially made by baking a cake, tearing it up into pieces, mixing it with frosting, rolling into balls, putting a stick in the balls, and then coating in chocolate.

We tried three varieties starting with (from left to right in picture) "Diablo", "Brass", and "Velvet" cake balls. The "Diablo" is a chocolate cake mixed with ancho chile cream cheese and then covered in chocolate. "Brass" is peanut butter cookies mixed with chunky peanut butter and then milk chocolate dipped. "Velvet" is your typical red velvet cake mixed with cream cheese frosting and then covered in white chocolate.

I was not a fan of this dessert. While they all had a nice flavor, especially the "Brass" cake balls, I just didn't enjoy the mushy texture in the center. Just not my thing. The "Diablo" had a nice little kick while you were chewing but again, I just wasn't a fan of the texture. James thought they were alright but nothing special.

At $5 for 3 cake balls, I would have rather spent the money on an ice cream at Amy's Ice Cream!!

Kat's Ice Cream Sandwiches

2011-06-24T11:48:00.001-07:00

The other day I was just sitting around watching a cooking show and the host was making ice cream sandwiches. She was using a store bought mix for the cookies and some other things. I decided I needed to make my James some ice cream sandwiches (which he loves), but that I would make the cookies from scratch and use some leftover ice cream we had. Here's what I came up with:

Kat's Ice Cream Sandwiches:

1-1/8 c white wheat flour

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1/2 c unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4 c + 1/8 c succanat (or use regular sugar)

1/4 c + 1/8 c brown sugar

1/2 t vanilla

1 egg

1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

softened ice cream - any flavor you like

1. Cream sugars and butter together. Once light and fluffy, add in the egg and vanilla and stir.

2. Add in flour, baking soda and salt. Stir until almost all the flour is mixed in. Add chocolate chips and mix until you can't see flour anymore.

3. Using a standard ice cream scoop, drop cookie batter on silpat lined baking sheets. These spread and are big so don't put more than six on a pan.

4. Bake in a 375° oven for 10-12 minutes. Put on a wire rack to cool. Once cookies are cool, put them in a ziploc bag and freeze until solid.

5. Once cookies are frozen, put one scoop of softened ice cream on the bottom of one cookie and top with another. Freeze until ice cream is solid again.

I don't have a stand mixer, so I just used some arm muscle for this, but you could of course use a mixer.

These are so yummy! I accidentally forgot about the ice cream so it was a little softer than I would have liked when I made the sandwiches, but it still worked out. This recipe made 5 sandwiches (James got to one before I could include it in the picture) and one sample cookie.

So-Called "Mock KitKat Bars"

2011-06-21T13:35:00.001-07:00

I wanted to make a snack yesterday and had been holding on to this recipe for awhile. Since I had all of the ingredients, I decided to give it a try. While it has a good "candy" flavor, I would not describe it is a KitKat bar or even a "mock" KitKat bar. The recipe is from a blog I follow called Cookie Madness.

Mock KitKat Bar Cookies

2-1/2 sleeves of Ritz Crackers
1-1/2 c graham cracker crumbs
3/4 c packed brown sugar
1 c sugar
3/4 c butter
1/3 c milk
1 c butterscotch chips
1 c semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 c peanut butter

1. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment or non-stick foil. Put a layer of crackers over the bottom.

2. In a HEAVY-bottomed saucepan, stir together graham cracker crumbs, sugars, butter, and milk. Turn heat to medium and bring to a boil. When mixture begins to boil, set time for 5 minutes and boil for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Once the 5 minutes are up, pour half the mixture over the Ritz crackers and gently spread evenly, then put another layer of crackers over the mixture. Top with the rest of the mixture, spread evenly, and top with a final layer of crackers. (Two layers of mixture, three layers of crackers.)

3. In another saucepan, combien butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, and peanut butter. Melt, over low heat, until smooth. Spread melted mix over top of crackers.

4. Let this cook at room temp for awhile and then transfer to the fridge until the chocolate sets. When set, remove from pan using parchment of foil and cut into bars.

If I make these again, I will increase the caramel mixture by a quarter to make sure I have enough to evenly spread over all the layers.

The graham cracker mixture burns very easily. I had a candy thermometer in it (essentially you are making a caramel) and after the five minutes it was just a little below soft ball stage.

CVS today 6/21

2011-06-21T13:30:00.000-07:00

I had some ECB expiring soon, so I went in to roll them over.

I bought the purchases above in two transactions.

Total OOP = $3.32
Total saved = $21.04
ECB earned = $13.49

Pretty nice little trip. Plus the Hershey's Bliss White Chocolate bites are DELICIOUS!

Kerbey Lane Review

2011-06-17T08:59:00.000-07:00

Kerbey Lane Cafe is a local favorite in Austin, TX. We have been there once or twice a long time ago, but not in a very long time. I've always loved the eclectic, artsy vibe of Kerbey Lane...it's the kind of place where most of the servers have tattoos, piercings, and there are a lot of dreds! Recently I purchased a Groupon for $7 which enabled us to get $15 worth of food, so we thought we would give it another shot.

When we first got there we were "greeted" by a rather curt, but stunningly beautiful lady. She was kind of abrupt with us at first, but it might just have been because they were coming off a rush. We were seated and started looking at the menu (which we had already perused on the web.) Our waiter showed up several minutes later, right when I started to wonder if anyone was ever going to come to our table, and took our orders for water. We decided to order an appetizer of chips, queso and salsa, pictured below.

I honestly thought this was the best part of the whole meal. The queso was so creamy and yummy. Awesome queso flavor and great texture. The salsa was a little on the sweet side, but it was still good and the chips were crispy and salty. A small order (which is what we ordered) was $5.59.

I ordered a short stack of original buttermilk pancakes. I really wanted whole-wheat pancakes, but they only have apple whole-wheat pancakes and mix the apples in early so they couldn't take them out. I thought the pancakes were okay, but they were nothing special. I am not a huge fan of hot syrup, and that is what Kerbey Lane brings to the table (we weren't really checked on by anyone so I never got to ask for cold syrup by the time I had made up my mind that was what I wanted.) The syrup did have a good flavor, just not really what I wanted or was expecting. I don't even think I ate half of the pancakes. A short stack of pancakes is $4.49.

James ordered "David's Enchiladas' with verde sauce which consisted of "three cheddarjack cheese enchiladas topped with your choice of sauce, pico de gallo, lettuce and sour cream. Served with black beans and guacamole." The black beans and guacamole were served on a different plate. James liked the flavor of the beans and guacamole. He said the enchiladas were okay, but not like he expected. They were kind of dry and not like traditional enchiladas that are covered in sauce. He said that he felt like they were trying to make the enchiladas healthy by completely covering them with a "salad." I got the feeling that he would not order these again. The David's Enchilada were priced at $7.99.

With our $15 groupon we only ended up paying $9 for the meal at the restaurant. (We tipped off the original total, and were more generous than we should have been based on the service.)

I'm not sure if we'll be going back. I think we were both a little disappointed in the meal, although it was okay.

Update

2011-06-15T08:43:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to give an update on my condition. We still don't know what's going on. Today I had some more blood work done, was put on a new medication, and am being referred to a cardiologist. We'll see what happens.

I do have a new restaurant review to put up in the next couple of days.

Odds and Ends

2011-06-04T17:54:00.000-07:00

As per my challenge I've been doing a few things.

One day after work I put in a movie and worked on a piece of a decoration I want to get done for Christmas. I got a pretty large portion of it completed. Eventually it will be a snow man...kind of hard to see it now, but I actually don't have a lot left to do.

My friend Inge makes jewelry and she made me a couple of pairs of earrings that I love. I was inspired to try my hand at it. While it is pretty easy, making the little loops is harder than it would seem. I also messed up on the pair on the left...I didn't notice that there were two sizes of silver balls on the bead chain, so I'll have to fix one of them. Overall, I'm pretty happy with my first attempts.

I've also helped James paint a little bit of the outside of the house. I'm not that much of a help because I tire out so easily, but I did contribute for about an hour.

I also want to share my Staples bounty. I forgot I had some earned some rewards when the store first opened, and received an email that they were going to expire. I went with the intention of being frivolous with the rewards and just getting a bunch of whatever I wanted. However, I happened to walk down one aisle in the very back of the store that had food and paper products. My plan changed and I was able to get $25.95 worth of goods that we'll use around the house.

New challenge for myself

2011-06-01T17:55:00.000-07:00

I have been having some health problems...undiagnosed health problems. These have been the center of my thoughts for about two months. It is very difficult to stay positive and "look on the bright side" when you have constant discomfort. In an effort to take my mind of the problems (my health insurance doesn't kick in for a month, so I'm in limbo until then), I am challenging myself to craft, bake, do a home improvement project, or do a brain-teaser puzzle every day that I am off work for at least two months. The projects can be small or big, it is more about the idea of creating and completing something. I hope this will help me keep my mind off my discomfort, at least for a little while each day. Hopefully, I'll remember to take pictures of the things I do and blog about them.

Reviews

2011-05-30T18:04:00.000-07:00

Sorry about not having any new reviews lately. We have been eating out, but we have been going to the same restaurants that I've already reviewed. We will try to branch out soon, but right now we are just in a rut.

Review: Sports Dawg

2011-05-23T12:43:00.000-07:00

I don't have to write a long review for this one. Sports Dawg was disgusting! I got the chicken fried steak sandwich and it was a frozen patty that had been deep fried. The meal came with "fresh-made" chips...disgusting. James got a jalapeno burger...okay, but he thought the chips were gross as well. Not much else to say about this one.

Review - Snappy's Cafe & Grill, Katy, TX

2011-05-16T09:36:00.000-07:00

We took a spur of the moment trip to Katy, TX, so that James could visit the Bass Pro Shop. After finally picking the rod and reel he wanted to purchase, we walked around the mall, and then decided to eat. We busted out the GPS looking for something that wasn't a chain and was near the mall. Snappy's Cafe & Grill popped up and it was close.

As it was spur of the moment, I don't have any pictures...no camera! Snappy's was just a little local dive. Normal grease pit, but with some Greek food thrown in. I had a regular burger, James had a jalapeno cheese burger, and we split an order of fries. Nothing special with the food. Burgers were okay and the fries were your typical frozen things you can get in any burger joint, but it was okay.

I think the time to go to Snappy's might be breakfast. After ordering my burger and then seeing all the yummy breakfasts, I wish I had ordered pancakes and bacon.

While the food was just plain and uneventful, the waitstaff seemed really friendly. We could tell that there were a lot of regulars and that they were all known by name. Plus although busy, the servers were all in good moods and nice.

If we lived there, we would probably go back, but next time we visit we will try a different place.

Menu Plan

2011-04-25T13:29:00.000-07:00

Hit CVS yesterday, but don't have the time to post the stuff. Here's what J and I planned for food this week.

Monday - Grilled chicken breasts and potatoes

Tuesday - Pizza (quick homemade meal after our run)

Wednesday - Sirloin steaks and skillet potatoes

Thursday - Turkey pitas

Friday - Gnocchi

Saturday - Black bean tacos

Sunday - Beef fajitas

L'Oreal Makeup Review

2011-04-11T11:01:00.001-07:00

As a BzzAgent I recently received two free L'Oreal products to try out. I received full-size samples of Double Extend Eye Illuminator Mascara and the One Sweep Eye Shadow, both designed for brown eyes. I went to the L'Oreal website and read the reviews for the One Sweep Eye Shadow. I really wanted to love this product after reading all the positive reviews. The website and information provided by L'Oreal via the Bzz campaign state that the One Sweep Eye Shadow:

* Defines, colors, and highlights in one easy sweep.
* Features a one of a kind applicator designed to fit the shape of your eye.
* Coordinated shadows in natural palettes to enhance your eye color.

I loved the concept of this idea, but I did not find the statements about the application to be true. No matter how many times I tried or practiced, I could not get "one-sweep" to look good on my eyes. I found that the darkest, liner, color always ended up to look like a huge blob on my eyelid rather than an enhancement. After I used brushed to blend the colors and add extra highlighting colors, I was able to make the colors work...but it was definitely not in one sweep.

Having stated that I don't love the application process, I will state that I love the color palette. When I used brushes to apply the colors to my eyes, the results were awesome. I really felt like the colors made my eyes "pop".

Overall, I probably wouldn't purchase this product on my own without a very hefty sale, but if I could purchase it on clearance I would definitely give it a second try.

The next product I got to try was the Double Extend Eye Illuminator which the website and Bzz packets described as:

* Professionally developed to enhance and illuminate your eyes.
* Lengthens, intensifies and illuminates in two simple steps.
* Clump-free, flake and smudge resistant.
* Suitable for sensitive eyes.
* Fragrance free.

This mascara is applied in two easy steps. First the basecoat is applied and second an "illuminating" topcoat is immediately applied to the lashes...no wait time necessary between the two coats. The topcoat is supposed to be infused with light-reflecting pearls to enhance your eye color.

I really like this mascara, although I question the "light-reflecting pearls" aspect of the topcoat. My lashes did seem to appear a lot longer using the basecoat (which I was extremely thankful for), but I didn't necessarily notice any "light-reflecting" aspects of the topcoat. Even though I couldn't see any appreciable results from using the topcoat, I still use it...maybe others see it?

My one problem with this product was that the length of the applicator was a little too short. I think if the length was increased I would have an easier time applying the mascara.

I would definitely purchase this mascara again and look forward to continuing to use the product.

Out of town

2011-04-07T06:01:00.000-07:00

I've been visiting my nieces a lot lately so I haven't been baking, shopping or crafting at all. Hopefully after next weekend, I will get back to the normal routine!

CVS and Staples on 3/27/2011

2011-03-27T14:39:00.000-07:00

Two quick stops today. One at CVS and the other at the newly built Staples. The batteries are from Staples and we will be getting the full price of both packages ($25.98) back via the Staples Rewards program.

CVS totals:

Total OOP = Zero (used GC that I didn't pay for)

Total saved = $30.30

ECB earned = $9 (I really earned another $7, but I used it on my second transaction.)

**Also just a hint...the 3 Musketeer's Truffle Crisp is nasty and should never be eaten again! **

Monster Marshmallow Cookies

2011-03-24T12:59:00.000-07:00

In my effort to get back into the world of cooking and baking, I had earmarked these cookies from the April 2011 issue of Food Network Magazine. They were the winner of a marshmallow-themed contest.

I changed the recipe a little by reducing the sugar and vanilla. I also changed or excluded the topping, which was good because I actually prefer these cookies without the topping. The last change I made was to use semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of milk chocolate since I didn't have them on hand. The cookies are pretty good and have a really nice texture. They are huge if you follow the directions. I think I will make them smaller next time. James also liked these cookies a lot, but requested raisins in them next time. I should mention that oatmeal-raisin cookies are James' favorite. My version of the recipe (with the changes) is below the picture.

Monster Marshmallow Cookies (modified from Food Network Mag)

2 c all-purpose flour (next time I am going to sub some white wheat)
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3/4 c granulated sugar
3/4 c packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temp
2 t vanilla
2 c quick-cooking oats
1-1/4 c crispy rice cereal
1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c coarsely chopped pecans
1 c miniature marshmallows

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line baking pan with either parchment paper or use Silpat sheets.
2. Combine the first three ingredients in a bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugars together until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then beat in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture and beat until combined.
4. Stir the oats, cereal, chocolate chips, pecans and marshmallows into dough with a wooden spoon.
5. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of the dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 3 inches apart. These really need to be well spaced because they are big and do spread quite a bit.
6. Bake for 14 minutes (this may vary based on how your oven works.) Transfer to racks to cool.
If you want to make the topping, all I did was melt some chocolate chips and a little heavy cream together in the microwave. Once melted, I added in some very finely chopped pecans. I eyeballed all these, so I don't really have measurements.

If you try these, let me know what you think. Happy baking!

Thai Pork and Noodles

2011-03-22T13:03:00.000-07:00

I miss Chinese food. I don't get to eat it a lot anymore because MSG gives me a massive migraine, and we do not really care for the two Chinese restaurants in town. I make a mean Chicken Lo Mein, but I really want to try something different. James and I have never had Thai food and have wanted to for awhile; however, there are no local Thai restaurants, so I decided to try my own. I found this recipe in the April 2011 issue of Food Network Magazine and with a few tweaks we had a very yummy meal.

I cut the amount of pork called for in the recipe down by half (I am trying to cut down our meat intake), cut out the veggies (because I don't eat them...next time I will include some veggies for James), cut the fish sauce down a little (James isn't a huge fan), cut down the amount of peanut oil, and used a different type of rice noodle. My version of the recipe is below the picture.

Thai Pork and Noodles

1/2 pound thin boneless pork chops, sliced into 1/4 inch strips

8 oz. rice noodles

1 c fresh cilantro

1 lime = zest and juice

2 slices peeled ginger

2 cloves garlic

3 red jalapeno peppers, seeded

2 shallots, roughly chopped

2 T fish sauce (if you like fish sauce, use 3T)

2 T lightly packed brown sugar

3 T peanut oil

1. Cook noodles according to package directions. Reserve a couple of T of noodle water before draining and rinsing with cold water.

2. In a food processor, puree the cilantro, lime zest and juice, garlic, ginger, jalapenos, shallots, fish sauce, brown sugar, and 1 T of water until smooth.

3. Heat peanut oil in large skilled over high heat. Add half the cilantro mixture and stir-fry for about 1 minute. Add the pork and stir-fry until no longer pink.

4. Reduce the heat to medium and add noodle water to the cilantro pork mixture and stir. Add the noodles and two more T of cilantro mixture and stir. Break out the chopsticks and enjoy!

Next time I make this, I am not going to seed all the jalapenos. I think the flavor of the dish would have been enhanced by a little more spice. We also had a little of the cilantro mixture left so we are going to use it to marinate some tuna steaks later in the week.

Menu Plan

2011-03-21T07:00:00.001-07:00

I am struggling with the fact that I have had no desire to cook or participate in the kitchen for several months now. I'm not sure what it is, but I do need to work on improving. Thus, I am actually going to menu plan for the week, and hopefully stick to it!

Monday - Thai Pork and Noodles (new)

Tuesday - Best-ever Chicken Fajita Chowder (new)

Wednesday - Waffles or pancakes

Thursday - LO chicken enchilada soup

Friday - James will cook himself some tuna

Saturday - Black bean soup

Sunday - Sirloin and potatoes

I am also going to try a new cookie recipe called "Monster Marshmallow Cookies".

Review: Maybelline New York's SuperStay 24 2-step Lip Color

2011-03-21T06:25:00.000-07:00

As a Bzzagent, I was recently chosen to participate in a new Bzz for Maybelline New York's new SuperStay 24 2-step Lip Color. As part of the Bzz I received 4 full-size lip colors, two of which are pictured below. The bottom color, Timeless Rose, is the color that I tried.

Maybelline's new SuperStay 24 lip color is brought to us after 5 years of research and 10 different patents. The SuperStay 24 lip colors have been developed with new micro-flex technology which allows the color to stay all day without caking, cracking, or fading. There are 30 runway-inspired colors in four shade families: Reds, Plums, Pinks, and Naturals.

SuperStay 24 is applied in two easy steps:
1. Apply the long-lasting base coat and allow to dry for about two minutes.
2. Apply the moisturizing top coat lip balm.

My past experiences with long-lasting lip color have not been favorable. Usually after applying the base coat, I felt like my lips were caked in mud and anytime I would talk, I could feel the "mud" cracking. I also felt like I constantly had to reapply the top coat lip gloss in order to not have the "cracking" feeling.

I am happy to say that I did not feel the same way after trying the Timeless Rose shade of SuperStay 24! (Sorry for the quality of the picture, I was in a poorly lit bathroom!) The color stayed on for a full 10 hours, before I removed it. I only had to reapply the lip balm one time and I never felt like my lips were cracking!

I shared the other three shade with my coworkers/friends and they loved them! Here's what they had to say:

Beka - "I love it! As long, as I used the lip balm, my lips never dried out. I even went to bed wearing it one night and it was still on in the morning...without rubbing off on my pillow case!"

Stephanie - " I love the lip color! It stayed on for a really long time without having to reapply."

Summer - "Thanks for sharing. I love the color you gave me and it lasts for a really long time. Plus, I like the lip balm it makes my lips feel soft."

So, if you are looking to try a new long lasting lip color, try Maybelline New York's SuperStay 24!

Luling Bar-B-Q Review

2011-03-19T14:29:00.001-07:00

We took my nieces fishing today at Palmetto State Park in Luling, TX. Of course, we had to go eat BBQ for lunch since we just so happened to be in the area. My parents, the girls, and James and I all love BBQ so it was a great idea! We were originally going to go to City Market, but it was packed...huge line and absolutely no where to sit, so we went to Luling Bar-B-Q across the street. I tried to find a web page to link to, but couldn't find anything. The number is posted on the sign in the picture below, and the address is 709 E. Davis St in Luling.

We were surprised that this place wasn't packed. Don't get my wrong it was busy, and we lucked out getting a table right when we walked in, but there was not a super long line. Whew, because everyone was hungry!

Here's a picture of some of the sausage and the brisket. My dad and James picked four links of sausage, three plain and one jalapeno. The links of sausage were $1.90 each. James said the sausage had a really good flavor, but that it was on par with sausages from other restaurants. Definitely not bad, but not the absolute best either. He did really like the jalapeno sausage and preferred it to the regular. The brisket (all meats were $9 per pound) was disappointing. James said it was super dry and pretty bland. I didn't even try it because I could see how dry it was, and didn't want to be disappointed.

Here are the pork ribs. These were super moist and flavorful. I am not a BBQ purist so I really liked adding the restaurant manufactured "hot" sauce to my bites of ribs. James loved the smokey flavor and the moistness of the ribs.

Here was my meal...big surprise, yet another chopped beef sandwich. The meat was nicely flavored and moist. Nothing super special about it, but I would eat it again. I would say the sandwich I had from Black's Barbeque in Lockhart, was better, but it was not bad. They originally got my order wrong because James asked for no pickles, and when we got the sandwich it had pickles on it. Just pick off the pickles you say, but then the nasty flavor of pickle juice is leftover and I won't eat it. Thankfully James took it back and they made me another one.

Like most BBQ places, food here was "pricey". $68 bought us 3 pounds of pork ribs, 4 links of sausage, 1 pound of terrible brisket, 1 chopped beef sandwich, 1 pint each of beans and potato salad, 3 bags of chips, and five drinks. There were however a ton of leftovers for James, so they probably bought too much food.

Overall, I think we would eat here again. We enjoyed the food and the price was pretty normal for the type of food. Downside is that there isn't a lot of seating in the restaurant, but I guess space is limited in the restaurant. Another little clue...don't use the restrooms there...not the cleanest.

Happy eating!

3/10 CVS Trip

2011-03-10T17:59:00.000-08:00

I has some ECB expiring soon and needed to use them up. Not a good week to use up ECB, but this is what I picked up.

Total OOP = ZERO ($1.65 on GC)
Total value = $24.81
ECB earned = $8 (redeemed a raincheck worth $5)

Mandola's Italian Market Review

2011-02-28T06:37:00.000-08:00

James and I found a Mandola's Italian Market near the downtown area a couple of years ago and loved it. We were super happy when we discovered that one was going to be opening in the area of the city that we frequent. On Saturday we stopped in at the newly opened Mandola's Italian Market near the CostCo on Mopac and William Cannon for an early lunch.

Pictured above is the store front at the new area. Just a little background, James and I used to watch a cooking show on PBS that was hosted by Damian Mandola and his nephew Johnny Carrabba. Yep, that's right, they started the hugely successful Carrabba's Italian restaurants. We used to love to watch the show because the two men were so funny together. When we moved to the Austin area we discovered Carrabba's and liked that really well. However, now we can't eat there because it goes against our 2011 challenge of eating at locally owned (non-national) restaurants. We can eat at Mandola's though, because although it is a chain, all three stores are in the Austin area and owned locally.

Mandola's Italian Market is not only a restaurant, it is store, a gelateria, and a bakery. Pretty cool concept, right? I wish I would have had room after lunch for some gelato, but we were stuffed!

After ordering we sat down and waited for our food. You order at a counter, get a number and put the number on a metal post on the table. Then runners bring out the food according to your assigned number. While waiting for your food, a basket of crusty bread is brought to you. Over on the side of the restaurant is a place where you can get olive oil and spices, which James put together and brought to the table. The bread is really crusty and sometimes a little hard to chew, but it is full of flavor and worth gnawing on to eat it!

James ordered the Pugliese pizza which had a thin crust dough topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, italian sausage, pan-roasted mushrooms, and shaved red onions. I think they use a fire-oven to cook their pizzas and as you can see James' got a little crusty on the edge. Despite being a little burnt on the one edge, he loved his pizza. I had a little bite and loved the smoky flavor of the crust. James liked the blend of flavors and thought that all the flavors were balanced well. His pizza cost $10.

I ordered the same thing I order every time I go to one of these restaurants the Gnocchi al Sugo. Gnocchi, if you don't know, is a yummy little potato dumpling that is cooked much like pasta. I love gnocchi, but it is often overcooked or undercooked which either makes it mushy or doughy. Thankfully, Mandola's knows how to cook the dish because it had a perfect texture! The sauce is a blend of tomato puree, pork meat, garlic, onions and basil. You will also find some fresh mozzarella balls in the mix! Oh, I love this meal! None of the flavors are overbearing and they blend together very nicely. I like to top mine with parmesan and some crushed red pepper for a little spice. The Gnocchi al Sugo is priced at $11.

The coolest part is as we were leaving we actually ran into Damian Mandola coming in to the restaurant. He chatted with us for a couple of minutes about our meal...checking to make sure we liked it. Then he was nice enough to pose for a picture with me! I was in awe because he was like I remembered him from the cooking show...loud, jovial and friendly! It definitely made my day meeting him.

If you get a chance, you should definitely have a meal at Mandola's Italian Market. Let me know how you liked it and most importantly, don't forget to invite me!!!

Giveaway winner

2011-02-24T06:54:00.001-08:00

Congratulations to Christopher for winning the giveaway! I will send your info to Blogspark so they can send off the package!

Packsaddle Bar-be- Que Review

2011-02-22T06:44:00.000-08:00

We used to live in San Angelo, Texas, where Packsaddle is located and we ate there at least once a week. We decided to get out of town for the weekend and headed to San Angelo, and of course we had to stop there. We used to think Packsaddle had the best BBQ and burgers; however, now that we live in the BBQ capital region of TX, we know different. Everything is still good at Packsaddle, but we don't consider it the best anymore.

Here's the front of the restaurant. I've always liked their logo, it just makes me laugh.

James decided to get the small cheeseburger with mayonnaise. He said that it still tasted good, but that he has had better since we've been testing local restaurants. As you can tell, it is served on a store-bought bun, with lettuce, a tomato and onions. James liked the tenderness of the meat.

I got the small chopped beef sandwich...I always get this when I go to Packsaddle. I still loved it, but Black's in Lockhart has a much better sandwich. I will say that I really like the BBQ sauce at Packsaddle. I like the sweeter sauces and that's how they make theirs.

Both sandwiches came with a bag of Lays since we got ours to go...for some reason I don't think we would have been welcome to dine in. It might have had something to do with the two large dogs we had with us (although Marsh and Mary were very interested in the restaurant .) Both sandwiches were $4.95 which is definitely a lot more reasonably priced compared to all the barbeque places around here.

Overall, James and I still really like and recommend Packsaddle in San Angelo and will continue to eat there when we visit.

CVS trip 2/21/22

2011-02-22T06:38:00.000-08:00

Ok, so the picture looks ironic...all that candy and a tube of toothpaste? What can I say, they were good deals. The store lost power in the middle of my transaction, so the clerk had to manually enter some of my ECBs and give me a raincheck for the ECBs I should have earned but he was super cool about it.

Total OOP = ZERO ($1.18 on GC)
Total Value = $16.95
Total ECB earned = $4.79

45th Pillsbury Bake-Off Prize Pack and Giveaway

2011-02-17T19:03:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I love to bake. However, I am not good at coming up with my own recipes...thank goodness the lovely contestants of the Pillsbury Bake-Off exist and I can use their awesome recipes. Pillsbury, through myBlogSpark, provided me with the prize pack shown below. The prize pack included an apron with the Pillsbury Dough Boy logo, a pen, and the Pillsbury Bake-off 100 Winning Recipes cook book.

After looking at the cookbook, I have several recipes I can't wait to try, such as Maple-Bacon Breakfast Rolls, Peanut Butter Cookie Granola, Chicken-bacon Quesadillas, "Mamma Mia" Ravioli Bites, and Mile-High Peanut Butter-Brownie Pie! Oh, my mouth is watering just typing the names!

The 45th Pillsbury Bake-Off is now open for recipe entries and you could win a million dollars if you supply the winning, original recipe!

There are four categories of recipes that can be submitted:
1.) Breakfast & Brunches
2.) Entertaining Appetizers
3.) Dinner Made Easy™
4.) Sweet Treats

Entries are being accepted online between now and April 18, 2011, at www.bakeoff.com. You’ll also find contest details, including eligible products, prizes, how the recipes will be judged and the official rules, on the web site.

Now, here's even more good news! Pillsbury and my BlogSpark have provided me with another prize pack to giveaway! To enter please leave your name, an email address and answer one of the following questions:

1. What is your favorite Pillsbury Bake-Off recipe?

OR

2. What Pillsbury product would you use when designing a recipe?

You'll get one extra entry for each of the following:
1. Follow my blog
2. Mention the giveaway on your facebook page.

Please leave a separate post, for each entry.

I'll leave the contest open until Wednesday, February 23.

Happy Baking/Eating to all!

Mexico Lindo Review

2011-02-14T05:56:00.001-08:00

On Friday night, James was four hours late coming home from work because he had to stay with a technician. He also had some samples to drop off at the hospital in Smithville. Once we got the samples to Smithville, we were both hungry so we decided to eat at a local Mexican food joint called Mexico Lindo.

We got there around 8:30 and there were still several groups of people at the restaurant. We sat ourselves and waited for a little while until a frazzled young waitress came to our table and asked us what we wanted. Only then did she notice that we didn't have menus or silverware and ran off to get them. A young man brought us some chips and salsa and they were awesome. Freshly cooked chips and a good salsa, full of onion and cilantro flavors with just the right spice level.

James ordered the #31 which had 2 cheese enchiladas, carne guisada, rice and beans. I don't eat enchiladas so I can't say much about them other than James liked them. The carne guisada was awesome! Melt in your mouth tender with tons of flavor. James' entire plate was cleaned at the end of the meal...it looked like he wanted to lick the plate. The beans had a smokey bacon flavor and the rice was pretty standard. His meal was $7.99.

I ordered the "H" dinner special which was a fajita burrito topped with chili con queso. I had my choice of chicken or beef and went with chicken. At first bite I didn't enjoy the queso, but after awhile I kind of started liking it. I like my queso a little spicy and I really like it to not taste like American or Velveeta cheese and at first that is what I tasted. I guess once I started enjoying the delicious chicken inside the tortilla, I started to like how the queso accented the chicken. My "H" dinner special was priced at $6.99.

The one thing I would say is to not expect the best service at this little joint. We had some communication problems with our waitress (I don't think she fully grasped the English language, and my spanish is very rusty), but it wasn't enough to ruin the experience. I didn't go in expecting a fine dining moment so James and I just enjoyed our food!

Two sodas, two meals, and a tip later we were out a total of $24! Pretty awesome price for the meal we ate. We will definitely be including this on our little Mexican food circuit and can't wait to go again. Sorry no pictures, but it was a last minute decision. Also, I can't find a website for the restaurant, but the address is posted at several review sites.

Happy eating!

2/13 CVS trip: $48.17 for ZERO OOP

2011-02-14T05:48:00.000-08:00

Quick stop at CVS today to get some mostly free items. I bought the following items in two transactions.

Total OOP = zero ($1.34 on GC that I got for free)
ECB earned = $15.39
Total value = $48.17

Today's CVS visit

2011-02-08T13:47:00.000-08:00

Total OOP = ZERO ($4.33 on GC)
Total savings = $31.00
ECB earned = $6.99

Menu Plan 2/7-2/13

2011-02-07T08:01:00.000-08:00

I've been really struggling with menu planning for several months. Either I don't even bother making one, or I make one and don't follow it. Hopefully it will get better.

Monday - Tostados using leftover taco meat and refried beans

Tuesday - Grilled chicken and baked potatoes

Wednesday - French toast using Sour Cream Vanilla Bread from Monday

Thursday - Beef empanadas

Friday - Gnocchi in tomato sauce and foccacia

Saturday - pizza

Sunday - Pork chops and skillet potatoes

Hyde Park Bar & Grill Review

2011-02-06T17:01:00.001-08:00

We decided to visit the Hyde Park Bar & Grill restaurant in Austin on Saturday night. The restaurant is a locally-owned store that has two locations. We went to the South Austin site at West Gate Blvd. We had heard and read some really good things about the restaurant, especially about their french fries and mac & cheese. We were actually really disappointed in our meals.

James got the Kobe Beef Chopped Steak entree. His meal came with a Kobe beef chopped steak topped with cheese and mushrooms, a side of green chili cheese mashers, and a choice of one side. James picked corn and cheese tamales for his side. The steak was tender and had good flavor, but it was nothing special. He said the mashed potatoes tasted like regular mashed potatoes...he didn't really even taste the additions. The corn and cheese tamales were the best part of both our our meals. They had an awesome flavor and were actually really moist. James' meal was priced at $12.95.

I ordered the chicken fried steak with the gravy on the side. My entree came with the Hyde Park french fries and my choice of a side. I picked the macaroni and cheese for my other side. The fries are fresh cut potatoes dipped in buttermilk, fried and seasoned. I couldn't decide if I liked them or not. They were crispy and flavored okay, but they left a weird after taste/texture in my mouth. It's hard to explain. The mac & cheese had great flavor and was my favorite part of the meal, but it was served cold which was a big downer. I HATED the chicken fried steak. There was a weird coating on the steak. It was not a cracker breading or a batter coating, but more of a doughy thing surrounding a really gristley (I don't even know if that is a word, but I'm going with it) piece of meat. The breading was thick and doughy and disgusting. I ended up scraping it all off and just eating the beef. I actually enjoyed the tamales from James' plate more than anything on mine. My entree was priced at $9.95.

Another downer to our visit was our waiter. Either he was new or just having a bad day, but we spent a lot of time without water even though things weren't very busy. He also did not welcome us or show any personality at all. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and forgive him, but it is always a negative when your server doesn't help make the dining experience pleasant.

I'm pretty sure we won't ever visit the restaurant again. As usual, I'll leave you with a quote from James, "It tastes like cafeteria food, but made fresh."

Thomas Bagel Thins Review

2011-02-06T16:23:00.000-08:00

Bzzagent.com recently had a Bzz campaign for the new Thomas Bagel Thins and I was lucky enough to be chosen for it. As part of the campaign, they sent me manufacturer coupons for one free bag and several for $1 off. I've had the coupons for awhile, but only recently found the Bagel Thins at a local Walmart.

The new Thomas Bagel Thins come in four flavors and are only 110 calories each. I tried the 100% Whole Wheat Bagel Thins, but the other options are "Everything Bagels", plain, and cinnamon raisin. Check out the Thomas website or their Facebook page for more information about this new product.

I love bagels...I mean, I am a huge fan of bagels, so I was excited to try these. I have to say...I LOVED them. They had the wonderful flavor and texture of bagels, but weren't as doughy. The whole wheat flavor really shined through. It wasn't overwhelming or dry, but had the nice "nutty" flavor that whole wheat items usually have. My husband, who usually doesn't like bagels, actually expressed that he would like to try the thins after listening to me talk about them. I especially liked being able to eat a "whole" bagel, without the usual high caloric intake associated with them.

I will definitely be eating these again, but at $2.98 for 8 bagel thins, I will probably wait for a sale and coupon combo to present itself. If you have questions or want to talk to me about the Thomas Bagel Thins, leave a message.

CVS 2/5/11

2011-02-06T16:19:00.000-08:00

Pretty good trip yesterday.

Total OOP = ZERO ( $3.54 on GC - would have been negative if we didn't pick up some sodas for the superbowl)
Total saved = $33.24

P. Terry's Review

2011-02-02T18:39:00.000-08:00

I know I promised that I would get better about taking pictures, but I forgot my camera again. I had a bad day and just wanted to get out of the house. I have been wanting to try P. Terry's a restaurant chain started in Austin and owned by an Austinite, so we decided to go tonight. There are currently three stores and another two being built.

P. Terry's uses 100% Angus beef that is hormone and anti-biotic free. The produce they use is brought in fresh every day and some of the produce is even locally grown. The french fries are cut fresh every day and fried in 100% canola oil.

The MENU is pretty small. I guess they are operating on the premise of have a small number of items, but do them well.

We liked our meal alot, and we really liked the price. I got a hamburger (Plain) combo and James got a cheeseburger combo for a total of $10.12! The burgers are kind of small, that's one thing I would have liked to take a picture of...the layers of James' loaded burger. There were more vegetables than beef, but he said he thought the mix of textures and beef was good. I liked my plain burger. I thought the flavor was good and enjoyed knowing that the beef didn't have a ton of additives. I think I might try the chickent burger next time for something different! The fries are awesome though and you receive a pretty generous portion. They are thinly cut and then nicely fried. I did have to put a little salt on them, but I like my french fries salty.

Next time we go, and we will definitely be visiting again, we are each going to get a burger and then share the fries. We want to try the milkshakes!

Happy eating!

A couple of things

2011-02-01T06:24:00.001-08:00

We've been to a couple of restaurants, but they've been spur of the moment things so I haven't had my camera. I'll try to get better, I promise.

We did grab burgers at a local place in Bastrop last night called Hula Hoops/Tommy Gunn's...I'm not sure which is the real name. Burgers came with chips and I thought they were a little too pricey, but I guess for the quality of ingredients and the restaurant being on Main Street that was to be expected. My burger which was essentially just a classic burger with only ketchup on it was $8.99. James had something called "the Leader of the Pack". It was loaded with greens, tomato, onions, some kind of cream cheese concoction, bacon and jalapenos. His burger came with chips and a jalapeno popper (jalapeno stuffed with cream cheese and sausage and then wrapped with bacon, smeared with BBQ sauce and grilled). The cost of his burger was about $11.50. We both liked the flavor of our burgers because they are smoked first and then reheated on a gas grill, but we found the texture to be really weird. The burgers kept falling apart...literally, not some weird allusion to juiciness. It was like clumps of meat were crushed together to form a burger, but never really molded into a patty. James really liked the mix of flavors on his burger, but neither one of us could finish the meal...huge burgers.

Overall we will probably not be returning to Hula Hoops/Tommy Gunn's, but it wasn't terrible.

Baking Days Update #2

2011-01-24T10:59:00.001-08:00

After looking at available freezer space and the amount of sweets on hand this morning, I decided to not make the bagels or Mock Kit Kat Bars.

I did make muffins, waffles, granola bars, and two loaves of bread this morning...on top of doing my Monday chores.

Pumpkin Muffins/Mini-loaves - I don't eat these, but James likes to have them for quick breakfasts. I freeze them and then he defrosts them in the morning in the microwave. My Mom gave me the recipe and she got it from an issue of Diabetes Forecast. I made some changes so here's my version:

1/3 c toasted, chopped pecans

2-1/2 c flour

2 t baking soda

2 t cinnamon

1 t all-spice

1/2 t ground nutmeg

1/4 t ground cloves

2 eggs

1 egg white

1-1/2 c lightly packed brown sugar

1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin

1/3 c skim milk

1/4 c canola oil or applesauce (I've made it both ways)

1 t vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine flour, baking soda and spices in a medium bowl.

3. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, egg white, and brown sugar. Stir until uniform and fluffy. Add the pumpkin, milk, oil (or applesauce), and vanilla.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine.

5. Fill lined muffin cups with batter and bake for about 15 minutes. You will have to watch the muffins because my oven is a little off and I had to guesstimate the time.

I was able to make 12 muffins and three mini-loaves with this recipe.

I have also substituted 1 c brown sugar and 1/2 c Splenda for the brown sugar with good results. Another substitution I sometimes use is to use 1 cup of white wheat flour for part of the total flour.

Waffles of Insane Greatness - courtesy of Finding Joy in My Kitchen. I haven't tasted these yet, they went straight into the freezer. The looked and smelled good.

Homemade Chewy Granola Bars (No Bake) - courtesy of Heavenly Homemaker. I used toasted almond slivers and mini-chocolate chips as my add-ins, but the chips melted while mixing so we'll see what happens. These are cooling in the fridge so I haven't tasted them yet.

One loaf of Cinnamon Swirl bread and one loaf of Honey Whole Wheat Bread - both recipes from Heavenly Homemaker. These were easy to make, but like most breads a little time consuming. I just planned the rest of my baking around the rising and baking times.

Not bad for a couple of hours worth of work.

Baking day update

2011-01-23T14:20:00.001-08:00

I decided to make it "Baking Days" instead of one baking day. Yesterday I made the Peanut Butter Candy Bars pictured below. I froze most of them for future snacking opportunities. I would post the recipe, except I don't remember where I got it from so I can't give that person or magazine credit. I don't like to post recipes if I can't give proper credit. If you'd like the recipe, leave me a message with your email address and I'll send it to you.

Today I made pizza shells, calzones, and whole wheat English muffins. Most of these will go in the freezer as well for future meals.

Now I have four marked four things of my baking list for tomorrow!

Monday = Baking Day

2011-01-22T16:17:00.000-08:00

I am gearing up for a massive baking day on Monday. I will be stuck in the house waiting for a delivery, so I might as well make use of my time. Here's what I am planning on baking:

Granola Bars

Pizza shells and Calzones = FINISHED

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Bagels

English Muffins = FINISHED

Waffles (double batch)

Cheese-stuffed Breadsticks

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pumpkin Muffins

Peanut Butter Caramel Bars = FINISHED

Mock Kit Kat Bars

I will hopefully have some time tomorrow to start on a few of these items, otherwise I will shorten the list some for Monday.

Quick CVS Trip

2011-01-21T07:23:00.000-08:00

Needed some mascara so I thought I would take advantage of earning some ECB.

Total OOP = ZERO ($6.58 on GC which was a gift)
Total saved = $22.97

Casa Chapala Review

2011-01-17T11:23:00.001-08:00

We had never heard of Casa Chapala, until a Groupon deal was offered. $30 worth of Mexican fare for $15 was what we purchased through Groupon. We didn't know when we were going to use it, but then along came Saturday...cold, rainy and gloomy. You have to love spicy Mexican food on days like that!

Casa Chapala is owned by the Barragon Cortez Family and was established in 1987. We really didn't have any expectations of the restaurant since we had never been there before, although one of James' colleagues had told him good things about the restaurant.

There are two locations and we visited the one on W. Anderson Lane in North Austin. It is kind of tucked into a corner of a strip mall. The outside of the building is pictured above.

Our waiter Abel (who by the way you should absolutely request...he was awesome! Super knowledgeable, attentive, and helpful) sat us at our booth, as per our request. The menus were supplied in these huge leather binders that James is modeling for you.

One of the coolest things about Casa Chapala is that your server actually makes your salsa at your table according to your taste preferences. James and I have visited a ton of Mexican food establishments and this is the first place I had ever visited with this practice. I love super spicy salsa, so with James agreement (sometimes spicy stuff doesn't agree with him) and Abel's recommendation, we went with super spicy. He mixed pureed tomato with about 1/2 teaspoon of garlic/salt/pepper mixture and a heaping tablespoon of some kind of fried, crumbled pepper pieces together to make a beautifully spicy concoction. This wasn't your typical burn-your-mouth spicy salsa though, it was almost a smoky flavored salsa. Different than what we were used to, but we both still really enjoyed it.

For his meal James picked the Enchiladas Astlan which were described as:

"These enchiladas are stacked, rather than rolled. The first layer is topped with black beans and pico de gallo, then layered with your choice of meat, green salsa and topped with melted cheese and a dollop of sour cream."

For his choice of meat he picked shredded beef, the other two choices were spicy chicken or ground beef. He also had his choice of refried, Charro or black beans of which he chose Charro. His meal is pictured at the top of the food picture and he LOVED it! He thought the flavor and texture was awesome and also enjoyed the beans and rice.

I chose chicken fajitas for one. Usually these would be served on a hot plate, but because I don't eat vegetables (usually these are served with green and red bell peppers, onions and mushrooms) the cooks put my chicken on a regular plate so it wouldn't burn. I opted for black beans. My fajitas were very good and nicely flavored. Nothing really different about them from other places, except they thankfully weren't swimming in oil or butter. The only downside to me meal were the black beans. While nicely flavored, they were not whole beans instead it was almost like a soup. I would have preferred whole beans, but it wasn't enough to make me not enjoy my meal. Next time we go back, and we will be going back, I think I am going to try the cabrito (for you non-Spanish speaking people that means goat!)

And then came dessert. We had several choices but opted for the very traditional sopapillas. These were just plain delicious!

As you might be able to tell from the background of some of the pictures, the decor was very traditional Mexican fare...brightly painted walls adorned with dresses, blankets, hats, and metal wall hangings. Even the waiters and waitresses wore "traditional" Mexican clothes which definitely added to the feel of the restaurant.

Casa Chapala is a little more expensive than what we are used to in our small town, but it was definitely worth it. Our meal total was $34.72 with tax, but after our Groupon deal we paid $4.87 at the restaurant (we had already paid $15 to Groupon). This total did not include a tip, which I am not going to share because I am an over-tipper, but I will say that Abel did an excellent job and deserved the entire tip!

We can't wait to visit Casa Chapala again and hope to see our local friends there!

Menu Plan 1/10-1/16

2011-01-09T13:23:00.000-08:00

I have finally gotten back to meal planning. Here's what we are planning on eating this week:

Monday - Baked Potato Soup

Tuesday - Pizza

Wednesday - Crockpot roast beef and baked potatoes

Thursday - BBQ beef sandwiches and mac & cheese

Friday - Chicken fajitas

Saturday - waffles

Sunday - hamburgers and chips

My Gatorade deal

2011-01-09T13:19:00.000-08:00

Quick stop at CVS today to get some Gatorade and Superbowl snacks. We also bought a Snickers Almond (buy for $0.89, get $0.89 ECB back), but that didn't make it home for the picture. The rest of the items were buy $20 get a $10 ECB back.

Total OOP = ZERO ($5.20 on GC)
Total saved = $39.03
ECB earned = $10.89 total

Thundercloud Subs Review

2011-01-02T14:40:00.000-08:00

We have run the Turkey Trot in Austin on Thanksgiving almost every year if James wasn't working since moving here. On the back of our race numbers there is always a coupon for a Buy One Get One (B1G1) sandwich at Thundercloud Subs, a major sponsor of the run. This year we actually kept the coupons and today used one for the first visit ever.

Thundercloud Subs is a locally owned and started company in Austin and thus is a restaurant that we are able to eat at in accordance with our 2011 Challenge. They claim to slice all their meats and cheese fresh, make their own sauces, and have bread made and delivered fresh daily.

James and I both picked hot sandwiches to try today.

James had what was listed on the menu as a Hot Roast Beef Sandwich, but was called a Philly sandwich on the receipt. There were two sizes to choose from and he picked small. He said that the sandwich tasted fine and had good flavor, but wasn't anything exceptional. He did like that everything seemed to be hot and fresh.

I ordered the small Meatball Sub. I had my choice of American or Provolone cheese - Provolone, of course! I also had the choice of white or wheat bread. I opted for the wheat bread. The sandwich was made of two huge meatballs, Provolone cheese, marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese on the wheat roll. It was an okay sandwich. I really liked the bread, it was soft and very flavorful. The marinara sauce had a nice blend of flavors and textures. I did not like the meatballs much. I would have preferred several smaller, easier to eat, meatballs. I also didn't like the texture of the meatballs. They didn't taste homemade, but instead tasted like something bought from Ben E. Keith.

We both had small drinks which were $1.59 each. James sandwich was $4.69 and mine was $3.49. Our total was $8.52 after our B1G1 coupon.

The decor of the restaurant was mostly made up of clean lines and art depicted local Austin features. It was very clean and comfortable. The music was played a little too loud for my taste but it wasn't enough to ruin my experience. It did seem fairly busy as a steady stream of customers came in while we were eating.

After talking about it James and I decided that it was an okay meal but if we didn't have another B1G1 coupon available to us, we probably would not go back. Next time we will try some of the cold cut sandwiches to see if we like the options better.

Quick 2010 Reading Review

2011-01-02T14:38:00.000-08:00

I am a complete nerd. Just going to preface that before telling you that I keep track of the number of books and magazines I read each year. I just like to see the totals. I will tell you that the numbers went way down this year because I've worked more and spent more time on the computer (BAD!)

Total # of books read = 85

Total # of magazines read = 115

Paper towels and laundry soap

2011-01-02T14:32:00.001-08:00

While we have cut back on our paper towel usage, we do still use them for little messes. We just opened our last roll the other day and I wondered how long I would have to wait for a sale. Not long apparently,

Total OOP = ZERO (on GC = $8.35)
Total saved via ECB, MQ, sales = $40.51
Total ECB earned = $11

Black's Barbecue Review

2011-01-01T12:33:00.000-08:00

We visited with my parents and nieces today and decided to try Black's Barbecue in Lockhart. Black's is often listed on the "Best of Texas BBQ" lists and Lockhart is considered the BBQ capital of TX. Today was the first time we had ever eaten at Black's.

The restaurant itself is on one of the streets in old downtown Lockhart. We went early, so there was still a ton of parking, but I could see how during busy times parking might be a challenge. When you first walk in, you are funneled immediately into a line. You are given plates to choose your sides, of which there were a ton and told how the process works. Basically it is like most BBQ joints, each side has an individual price and you buy the meat by the pound.

This was James' first plate. He choose beans, potato salad, a pickle, and a jalapeno as his sides. The pork spare ribs were purchased by the pound and then split up between all of us. James loved the ribs. They were super tender and pulled off the bone very easily. My 3 and 2 year old nieces were able to eat the ribs because they were so tender. He also said the potato salad had good flavor and texture. The beans were awesome! I had some as well and I thought the flavor and texture were both exceptional.

Just thought I would give you a peek at the blissful look James had while eating. This look alternated with one of complete focus on the food.

Here's my plate. I opted for the chopped beef sandwich with Black's BBQ sauce (no pickles and no onions for me, but they usually are included on the sandwiches), macaroni and cheese, and beans. The sandwich was one of the best chopped beef sandwiches I have ever eaten. It did not drip grease or have a lot of fat in it and they gave a generous portion of meat in the bun. The sauce was a perfect complement to the meat. The one downer to the meal was the macaroni and cheese. It was bland and not hot at all. Even salt didn't help the flavor of the mac!

Here's how the meat was served. My dad and James choose to get three types of sausage (original, garlic, and jalapeno), pork spareribs (beef ribs and jumbo beef ribs were the other rib choices) and brisket. James liked all of the meat although he felt that the brisket was a little dry. As far as flavor went, he said that the meat had the perfect balance of spices and smoke.

Like most BBQ joints, the meal was fairly pricey, but the flavor more than made up for it. I wasn't around when my dad paid the bill, so I'm not sure what the total was. I know the sides were about $1.50 each, the ribs and brisket varied in price from $10.98-$11.98 a pound depending on the type, the sausages were $2.19 per link, and the chopped beef sandwiches were $3.89 each. The link at the top of the review will take you to Black's website where you can peruse the other choices and prices that they offer.

The atmosphere of the restaurant is much like all the other BBQ joints...long tables, sauce on the table, wood walls, concrete floors, etc. Everything was very clean though which was nice. Missing was the stink of the smoker because I think they do their smoking outside or in another building that is separated from the dining area - this was a definite plus for me.

We will definitely go back to Black's for another meal. I'll leave you with James' most memorable comment, "I think I have found my new favorite place to eat."

2011 Challenge

2011-01-01T00:35:00.000-08:00

We started thinking about our 2011 Challenge a couple of months ago. We tossed around several monetary ideas, but decided to try something new. As previously discussed in the 2010 Challenge Review, we love to eat out...it is our only vice. We wondered if we could still eat out, but challenge ourselves in some way.

For 2011, we will support the local businesses and eat at only locally owned eateries. Here are the caveats:

1.) The restaurants we eat at CANNOT be a national franchise. This means restaurants such as Carino's, Taco Bell (yes, that one is going to hurt me), Fuddrucker's, Carl's Jr., Red Robin, Fire Bowl Cafe, Culver's, Chili's, etc., are out.

2.) We can eat at local franchises. Local to either our city, the major city we are near, any city in the state, or any franchise/chain that was started in Texas, and is still only a mostly Texas-based restaurant. For example, Rosa's Cafe and Tortilla Factory started in San Angelo, Texas and has spread to several areas of the state.

3.) If we are given a gift card for a franchise we will allow ourselves to use it.

4.) While we will express our challenge to our friends and families, we will not impose our challenge on others. If our friends or families choose the restaurants, we will go wherever they choose.

5.) We are allowed to eat anywhere on vacations or trips, but will try to eat locally if we have ample time to do research.

There it is, our 2011 Challenge. We are excited about the possibilities! I will try to blog about each of the restaurants we support. We'll keep you updated on how we do!

** We do have a budget for both groceries and eating out, but the focus of the 2011 Challenge is on where we spend our money, not what we spend it on. **

End of Year Challenge Review

2010-12-30T05:37:00.000-08:00

We decided to end our challenge two days early so that we could splurge a little for the New Year. We have already proven to ourselves that we could succeed and wanted some down time not thinking about bargains.

What we learned...we enjoy eating out and it is hard to not do that as often. Dining out is really our only vice, we don't drink alcohol, smoke anything, or party; we just like to eat at restaurants. I think reigning in the restaurant use was the hardest part about this year.

We did actually spend more thatn $1200, but that was because I added in $58.76 worth of rebates I received from different bargains. Here are our totals for the 2010 Challenge:

Total amount of money actually spent: $1219.55

Total rebates added in: $58.76

Amount left: $9.79

Amount saved: $891.27!!!!

Total value of purchases: $2110.82

I can't believe how much can be saved. We used coupons, gift cards, and sometimes people gave us items. Amazing.

It was a good challenge for the year. We are proud of ourselves for trying the challenge and it has definitely taught us some budgeting skills.

Stay tuned for a post on next year's challenge!

One more gift card

2010-12-28T17:06:00.003-08:00

We went to Chili's tonight, thanks to a gift card from my parents. Saved $25!

New challenge for 2011

2010-12-27T08:19:00.001-08:00

We have picked our new challenge for 2011. Info coming soon, as well as a 2010 challenge review!

CVS trip of the week

2010-12-27T08:13:00.000-08:00

Quick stop in today. My CVS didn't have the $15/$5 ECB CoverGirl deal because they don't carry the right types of products. I was bummed because that was what I was aiming for, oh well, I did need detergent! Plus I was able to use up some ECBs.

Total OOP = ZERO

Total saved using MQ, ECB, and GC = $22.41 (food savings = $6.36), plus I earned $5 in ECB

Today's outing

2010-12-26T14:23:00.000-08:00

We went into town today to look for some after Christmas sales and some other things.

Target:
4 - Holiday brownie mixes on sale for $0.79 each = $3.16

Total OOP = Zero ( saved $6.36 from sales and using a gift card)

Walmart:
3 bags of Pretzel M&Ms at 50% off = $3.75

HEB:
We took advantage of the Meal Deal of the week. Purchase one package of pre-seasoned fajita meat (beef, chicken thigh, or pork) and get several items free.

Total OOP = zero ($7.15 on giftcard, savings of $13.64 with all the free items.)

We also ate at Olive Garden for lunch using a giftcard from my parents. That was a savings of $25. Then we had ice cream using the money my parents gave us for our wedding anniversary which was a savings of $7.56.

It was a really good day for us as far as savings goes!

2010-12-25T13:41:00.000-08:00

We hit the sweet spot when visiting my parents today. We received oranges, a double pack of Cinnabon muffin mix, candies, hot chocolate, and real Maine whoopie pies. The whoopie pies alone are $26.95 for the dozen! I am going to take a conservative estimate and guess the total value of these goodies at about $40...that is $40 saved for us!!!

No picture, but we also picked up some milk and tortillas at Super Target yesterday. Used a gift card so we saved $4.08.

Another candy trip at CVS

2010-12-20T14:28:00.001-08:00

Decided on one more candy run. Cost me $0.05 after sales, MQ, CVS Q and ECB.

Today's CVS trip

2010-12-19T15:10:00.001-08:00

I'm still trying to use up ECBs that expire Thursday. I will have to make one more trip, but that is alright.

I used a B2G1 free Q on the Hershey's/Reese's candy, and when scanned it took off the original price of $3.49 instead of the sale price of $2.50. Sweet deal. I actually went negative with this deal and thus ended up having to purchase the M&Ms.

Total before sales, Q and ECB = $14.15

Total sales, Q and ECB = $ $13.85

Total OOP w/ tax = $0.76

CVS Excedrin deal

2010-12-19T06:45:00.000-08:00

I have been really disappointed in CVS deals lately. Well, for about a month and a half now. I had a ton of ECBs to use up so I went looking for something I could use and still earn some ECB on.

Total cost before Q and ECB = $21.07

Total MQ and ECB = $20.47

Total OOP = $0.60

Earned $10 ECB and I still have about $8 in ECB to use by Thursday. I don't really like the deals this week either, but I did find one or two things I can get...if they are in stock.

BEEF

2010-12-18T07:13:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine got a few people together to purchase a half a cow that was grass-fed and hormone free. We ended up with one huge roast (about 4 pounds), two round steaks, two T-bones, 4 pounds of hamburger, and 1 side of fajita meat for $34.78. I forgot to take a picture of it because it was so cold and I was in a hurry to get inside. We are pretty happy with the deal especially since all of the cuts of meat were the same price ($2.70/pound).

A few items and a meal

2010-12-06T09:28:00.000-08:00

I don't know why we did it, but on Saturday we ate lunch from Jack in the Box. Total OOP = $11.33

We made a quick trip to the store last night for some non-food items and picked up these two things. James saw the cakes and said, "Oh, and they are my favorite kind." Who can resist a 40 year old man saying that about Little Debbie Holiday Cakes. Total OOP = #3.76

eggs

2010-12-02T18:39:00.000-08:00

The good thing about working at a restaurant is that sometimes there are extra groceries. My boss accidently received a large crate of eggs and was told he could keep them. We don't use a lot of eggs at the restaurant so he was giving them away. I walked away with two and half dozen eggs!

Saved = $3.23 (based on the local price of $1.29 per dozen)

Late Meal Plan

2010-11-30T05:38:00.000-08:00

I'm feeling really lazy. I don't want to do my daily chores this morning so I'm just going to post my meal plan and watch New Moon before going to work. I like being able to have mornings like this.
We have a weird week with James having rehearsals two nights and concerts two nights this week, so you'll see lots of quick meals.

Tuesday - turkey tortellini soup

Wednesday - tuna steaks and baked potatoes

Thursday - turkey Alfredo

Friday - spaghetti

Saturday - turkey enchiladas

Sunday - crock pot BBQ pork sandwiches

In case you didn't notice, we have some turkey to use up!

Quick trip

2010-11-29T11:03:00.000-08:00

Just picked up two items.
Total OOP = $3.66

Sausage

2010-11-28T08:49:00.000-08:00

No picture today, sorry. James loves the Jimmy Dean heat and serve breakfast sausages. I don't usually purchase them because he goes through them so quickly and due to the expense. I did purchase a package at CostCo for him on Friday since we had a coupon.

Total OOP = $5.49
Total saved = $2.50

Guest coming trip - getting my turkey

2010-11-20T05:24:00.001-08:00

We don't do a traditional Thanksgiving dinner in our household. I could eat turkey all the time, but don't like many of the traditional side dishes. James is not a huge fan of turkey, but would eat the sides. So when we got married, we decided we would just cook whatever we wanted to eat that day. Additionally we usually run in the local 5 mile Turkey Trot which takes up the morning by the time you include driving time. This year we have company for Thanksgiving, but we are still sticking with our tradition, just modifying it a little bit.

Yes, you see a turkey there!!! We are making a huge pot of chili for Thanksgiving, but still going to have some bird as well. James is going to smoke up the turkey the night before and then we will eat on it the next couple of days, as well as chowing down on the chili! Best of both worlds.

The turkey was normally $0.89 a pound, but with a $10 purchase went down to $0.58 a pound. Since we needed to get eggs, drinks for the guests, tortillas for freezer breakfast burritos, and corn chips for frito pies, we were able to snag a 10 pound turkey for $6.30 ( a really good deal around here ).

Total OOP = $19.46
Total saved = $8.03

Pillsbury Cinnamon French Toast Bake

2010-11-20T05:14:00.000-08:00

I saw the recipe for this dish on a show on the cooking channel that was recapping old Pillsbury BakeOff recipes. This one just kind of stuck with me. It is called Cinnamon French Toast Bake. I cut the recipe in half and baked it in an 8x8 metal pan. I really liked the top of this dish, so cinnamony and crunchy. The bottom however was soggy and less appealing to me. I am not a huge fan of bread pudding for this very reason, and this recipe reminded me of the pudding a little bit. I will definitely make the recipe again, but with a few changes. Instead of having butter on the bottom of the pan and then putting in the cut-up rolls, I am just going to spray the bottom of the pan. I also might cut the syrup in half and add it to the custard mixture instead of adding it on top.

We are going to try to warm the leftovers up in a skillet this morning to see if we can crisp up the bottom a little more. Happy eating to all!

Bzz Report: Tom's of Main Wicked Fresh Toothpaste

2010-11-19T13:57:00.000-08:00

As part of the BzzAgent program, I recently received one full size tube of Tom's of Main Wicked Fresh Cool Peppermint toothpaste and several smaller samples to test out. I gave one sample to my mom and another to my wonderful friend Stephanie.

The Bzz pamphlet about the toothpaste stated that the toothpaste:

* Provides long-lasting fresh breath, naturally
* Comes in two minty fresh flavors, Cool Peppermint and Spearmint Ice
* Contains fluoride to help fight cavities
* Does not contain alcohol or any artificial ingredients
* Suggested retail around $4.19 for a 5.2 oz tube

Tom's of Maine also stated" "Wicked Fresh! toothpaste combines a patent-pending boost of botanical extracts and great-tasting natural mint oils to fight bad breath germs for hours." Tom's also does not test it's products on animals, uses sustainable practices, uses no artificial colors, flavors, fragrance, or preservatives and use as much recycle content as possible.

After a week and half of using this toothpaste exclusively, I have mixed feelings. I do feel that it does a good job of cleaning my teeth. I also feel very good using it because of all the measures Tom's of Maine uses to help the environment. However, the toothpaste has a very bitter, chemically test that takes a little bit of getting used to. I don't know if the mint oils are just super strong, or if I am accustomed to the artificial sweeteners put in other commercial toothpastes. I am also not pleased with the price. Since I get most of my toothpaste for either free or up to $0.50, I would be hard pressed to spend $4.19.

Overall, I will probably not purchase this product, based mostly on the flavor. My friend Stephanie said that after the first use, and the bitter taste, that she would not use the toothpaste ever again. I didn't think it was that bad and will finish out the tube.

Keep in mind that I was given the samples from Bzzagent and that all opinions are mine or those of my friends. You should always try something on your own to garner your own opinions. Happy Brushing!!

No picture

2010-11-19T13:49:00.000-08:00

Quick stop at the store today to pick up a half gallon of milk and a small container of heavy cream.

OOP = $3.37

Some quick stops

2010-11-15T12:56:00.001-08:00

I was watching a show on the Cooking Channel yesterday in which they were baking recipes from the past Pillsbury BakeOff contests. One of the recipes was for Cinnamon French Toast Bake. It looked so good that I knew I needed to try it this week. Oh, I can't wait!!

Walmart: OOP = $2.55 (I will be able to use the Half and Half for something else as well.)

I also made a quick stop at CVS to get some mostly free gum!
Total OOP = ZERO ($3.04 on GC)
Total Saved = $19.58 plus I have a $1 ECB

Menu Plan Monday: 11/15/10-11/21/10

2010-11-15T07:02:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it is already the middle of November. We just got back from our Big Bend backpacking trip and I am still trying to get in the swing of things. We got some bad financial news...or potential bad news, so we are starting to tighten down again. I also might be looking for a second job, but we'll see how things go.

Monday - Crockpot pork loin with potatoes

Tuesday - BBQ pork wraps and chips

Wednesday - Crockpot baked potato soup (Oh, I love how comforting this dish tastes!)

Thursday - LO

Friday - Breakfast for dinner

Saturday - Tuna steaks and rice

Sunday - Pasta

Let's see how this goes for the week.

Back from our trip and groceries!

2010-11-13T14:18:00.000-08:00

We just got back from a week at Big Bend National Park. Three and half days and three nights of which were spent backpacking the outer loop. By far it was the most physically demanding thing we have ever done. But, despite our deepest desires to stay there, we are back home and trying to get into a routine again. We did a little grocery shopping and since my mind wasn't completely back in the frugal mindset, we had a bunch of splurges. I hope it doesn't make things too tight at the end.

CostCo - OOP = $40.81 (My only consolation is that these will last us a little while.)

HEB:
Total OOP = 45.48
Total saved = $16.31

Walgreens:
Total OOP = $2.97
Total saved = $2.40

My 75 pound lap dog

2010-11-13T14:14:00.000-08:00

Marshmallow has recently decided that instead of occasionally getting into a chair with people, that he thinks it is acceptable all the time. That makes him our 75 pound lap dog.

Last night's game meal

2010-10-28T17:35:00.000-07:00

Last night we watched the Texas Rangers play in the first game of the 2010 World Series. We decided to have a game day meal of pizza...but neither one of us felt like putting one together from scratch, so we bought Totino's frozen pizza. I'm also planning on making a big batch of breakfast tacos to freeze, thus the potatoes and bacon.

Total OOP = $11.85
Total saved = $0.73

My bosses wife is trying to lose weight so she cleared out her pantry. Here's what we received from that cleaning. After a little research, I am going to low-ball this and say this is a savings of $5.50.

No shopping needed

2010-10-26T06:01:00.000-07:00

We are in between two trips so groceries are a little weird right now. We just got back from a weekend trip and had leftover food from that which was purchased out of the vacation budget. So we'll be okay for a couple of days since we still have a bunch of stuff left in the house as well. It is going to be a hodgepodge of meals this week, but it will work for us.

I'm getting nervous because my total amount left for the grocery challenge seems so low. We'll see how things go.

We're back!

2010-10-24T17:37:00.000-07:00

We decided to get away for the weekend and went down to Rockport. I am not a huge fan of the coast, but James loves it so we packed up Mary and Marshmallow (the others stayed with a beast/house sitter) and took off. I loved taking pictures of the birds!

This seagull was hovering above a pier at Stinky Beach in Goose Island State park. The wind was so strong, it was literally not moving anywhere.

I made James stop on the road so I could take a picture of this caracara eating a fish. There were two of them, but one got a little scared by us stopping.

I think this might be either the coolest or scariest name for a boat.

This is a huge, old live oak tree by Goose Island State Park. It is over 1000 years old and has a circumference of a little over 35 feet. I loved the lines of the beautiful branches.

Two food stops today

2010-10-17T13:56:00.000-07:00

Two quick stops for some food today. We got the chili for free at HEB by purchasing cheese, which we needed anyway.

Total OOP = $14.13
Total saved = $3

We also made a quick stop at CVS so I could get some free gum and my favorite cereal.

Total OOP = $1
Total saved = $18.23 (sales and used MQs and ECBs, plus earned $5 ECB on cereal deal)

Date Night

2010-10-16T21:47:00.000-07:00

We had an awesome date night! Awhile ago I saw a link to a Christmas song performed by a men's acapella group called Straight No Chaser. I hope you check them out.

We went out to dinner at Firebowl Cafe and had ice cream at Amy's Ice cream. Total OOP = $27.69.

Plus we bought some apples and chips at CostCo. Total OOP = 16.98 (James has really been wanting the Honey Crisp apples and this is the least expensive place to buy that many.)

Fudge Brownies

2010-10-15T18:41:00.001-07:00

I was in the mood for some brownies today but wanted to try a new recipe. I used the recipe from the book, "Feed Your Family for $12.00 a Day" by Rhonda Barfield.

I didn't have all the ingredients she used, so I had to make some changes. I also halved the recipe. Because I haven't tweaked the recipe enough to make it my own, I don't feel comfortable posting it. The changes I made involved substituting pumpkin puree for prune butter and using a real egg instead of egg substitute. I also added some M&Ms I had on hand and topped the brownies with powdered sugar.

These do not have the typical brownie texture, they are a lot smoother. I am on the fence on whether I like them or not. I think for a "healthier" version of a brownie they aren't too bad, but I would never choose them over a "real" brownie. James likes them okay, but says he can taste the pumpkin puree a little (I can't or I wouldn't even be eating them.)

Spending freeze

2010-10-09T10:20:00.001-07:00

We have decided to go on a week long spending freeze. We just want to see if we can do it. Tuesday will be an exception because we had already made some plans that can't be rescheduled. We are only allowing ourselves to pay bills and I can use my CVS gift card if there are good deals this week...but no cash, check or credit card otherwise!

On a side note, we are doing really well on our month long challenge of being a one car family. It definitely takes some planning, and I've been riding my bike to work alot, but it's been interesting!

Shopping trips from yesterday

2010-10-07T06:11:00.000-07:00

Needed to pick up a few items at the store today. Mostly basics, but a couple of treats. The Diet Coke was free courtesy of coke rewards!

Total OOP = $24.94
Total saved w/ sales and Q = $7.49

Also made a quick stop at CVS. I have not been super thrilled with their ECB deals lately. Keep in mind, I only buy what I use...I don't just buy things to get ECB. I have been wanting to get the Colgate Wisps for an upcoming backpacking trip, and they finally had some ECB's associated with them this week.

In two transactions:

Total OOP = $2.21
Total saved (ECB, MQ, and sales) = $13

Mini-baking day

2010-10-04T10:06:00.001-07:00

I have been craving cinnamon rolls lately. I really like to have some quick breakfast foods on hand for James in the morning so, I decided that I would use some of my time today for a mini-baking for the freezer day. I set my game plan and started working. Took me five hours but this is what I made:

7 wheat pizza shells (not pictured because they were being baked at the time)
4 plain bagels
4 cinnamon-raisin bagels
17 cinnamon rolls (8 regular and 9 with raisins)
3 dozen chocolate chip cookies
1 dozen banana-pecan muffins (vegan)
5 Bacon, potato, and egg breakfast tacos

The muffins ended up being vegan because I ran out of eggs. I had some Ener-G egg substitute on hand so I just used those.

I think James will be happy when he comes home!

Menu Plan 10/4-10/10

2010-10-04T10:03:00.000-07:00

We should do better on our menu plan this week because we don't really have any plans this week.

Monday - Tuna steaks, baked potatoes, and wheat rolls

Tuesday - Boca chicken burgers and baked chips

Wednesday - Spahetti and Peasant bread

Thursday - Sesame chicken and rice

Friday - Pizza

Saturday - Crockpot BBQ chicken and mac and cheese

Sunday - chili or some other kind of soup

Into Town

2010-10-03T13:57:00.000-07:00

We went into the big city this morning to visit a new church. We came away from that with the knowledge that we would not be going back to that particular church. Then we went to Target to get Powerade. I had a Target Q for buy 4 get the 5th free plus I had two free powerade Coke Reward coupons. I was worried they would beep so I called the corporate number to ask if I could use all the Q at once, and they said yes. Of course, they beeped and the manager gave me problems. Basically calling me a liar, but back pedaled and started kissing my rear when I asked her if she was calling me or corporate Target a liar. She did take all three coupons, but advised me that it really shouldn't have been done and that corporate always says "yes" because they don't have to deal with customers in store. Moral of the story, no one else try this...it's too much hassle.

Total OOP w/ tax = $1.71
Total saved = $2.57

We also decided to stop for a totally unhealthy fry fest and shared a plate at Long John Silver's. OOP = $9.94

Halloween Decoration

2010-10-03T13:54:00.001-07:00

I finally finished my newest Halloween decoration. It is now hanging up on my front door. I totally messed up the cat's head when I was cutting out the pattern, but was so frustrated that I just adjusted the stitches. I also had to change some colors since I didn't want to buy a whole skein of yarn just for some little pieces. Overall I'm pretty pleased!

Last little trip of the month

2010-09-30T17:48:00.000-07:00

I've been having a craving for cinnamon rolls lately. I needed some cream cheese for the frosting and I also picked up some tortilla chips.

Total OOP = $3.27

Total saved = $0.25

Burger

2010-09-28T14:03:00.001-07:00

Even though it is going to put us way over-budget for this month, we picked up some hamburger at CostCo. We had been waiting for a sale for a long time, but nothing was happening. It will probably go on sale this week now that I have bought some.

OOP= $17.67

This week's CVS trip

2010-09-26T12:49:00.000-07:00

Hit up CVS this morning. Did pretty well. I needed some back up shampoo and conditioner, and have been wanting a rechargeable toothbrush. I bought these items in two transactions and used a $4/$20 CVS Q, a $4.99 ECB, a $13 ECB that I earned in the first transaction and several MQ. I also earned $10 in ECB that are leftover. Additionally with the purchase of the Olay and Oral-B products, I will be able to add that to the total I've purchased from Proctor and Gamble and send away for $110 worth of MQ.

Total before sales and Q = $57.35
Total sales and Q = $49.96
Total OOP w/ tax = $8 (savings of 87%)

Also, need to deduct $6.47 from grocery budget for eating out last night.

Out again

2010-09-22T08:03:00.000-07:00

No meal plan, no sleep, and not feeling well lead to skipping boot camp and eating fattening food. But on the bright side I did get to watch the entire episode of Glee!

OOP = $8.74

One item at CVS

2010-09-21T12:56:00.000-07:00

I stopped at CVS the other day for one item. I picked up the Soft Scrub Total cleaning product. OOP = free (used a $1 MQ and $0.99 ECB, the product was on sale for $1.99). Then I stopped at a local thrift shop looking for an ottoman. Mary (our oldest beast) is having a hard time jumping up on the bed so we are trying to find an ottoman to help her - I know it's crazy, but she's our baby. No luck with the ottoman...but I did find an old school paper cutter for $6. Super thrilled with that find!

Red Robin free meal

2010-09-17T06:39:00.000-07:00

We went out celebrating a birthday last night and went to Red Robin to take advantage of a deal. We had a coupon for a free Gourmet Burger via the birthday club of Red Robin. We also had a $10 gift card. Cost of meal = ZERO! Amount saved = $20

Little bits

2010-09-15T11:54:00.000-07:00

Needed some basics and got James a surprise.

HEB: (eggs and milk)
Total OOP = $2.48

CVS: (shower gel and Milano cookies)
Total before sales and Q = $7.98
Total sales and Q (including $5 ECB) = $7.74
Total OOP w/ tax = $0.31

Total from grocery budget = $2.72
Total saved = $0.76

Menu Plan 9/13 - 9/19

2010-09-13T07:58:00.000-07:00

Hopefully we'll do well this week on our menu plan. We took advantage of some birthday freebies last week and will do that one more time this week.

Monday - Taco Corn Bread Squares (new)

Tuesday - Boca chicken burgers and chips

Wednesday - Tuna tacos

Thursday - birthday celebration

Friday - Beefy BQ macaroni (new)

Saturday - Crockpot BQ chicken and mac and cheese

Sunday - LO

Couple of items

2010-09-11T18:11:00.001-07:00

We were in one part of town today and I had some Target coupons. I could get the chicken less expensive in another store, but it would have meant using more gas to drive farther, so we bought this.

Total OOP = $6.18

Total saved = $3

Neither one of us felt like cooking tonight after eating such a big meal at lunch with my parents and nieces, but we figured we would be hungry later. We decided to use another birthday coupon and went to Papa Murphy's.

Total OOP = $9.99

Total saved = $3.99

No cost dinner at Chili's!

2010-09-10T18:53:00.000-07:00

Several of weeks ago, the builder that built our house stopped by and asked if he could take some pictures of the interior of our house for future reference. James checked him out online and decided to let him. A couple of weeks ago we received at $25 gift card to Chili's in the mail from him!! In addition, I received a coupon for a free brownie sundae from Chili's birthday program recently. So we headed off to the restaurant. It started out pretty bad because we weren't greeted by a server for a long time. Finally the manager came and got our order. When we ordered the 2 for $20 meal, she told me we couldn't use the free dessert coupon because you can only take advantage of one promotion at a time. I explained that it was my birthday coupon and she graciously let us use it.

Our meal ended up costing us nothing. I paid for most of the tip with the remainder of the gift card and left extra (does not come from grocery budget.)

Total saved: $27.44 ($21.65 for the meal and $5.79 for the free desser)t. Can't beat that action!