Saving and Sharing It: 2013

February 28, 2013

Sharing the Sweets ~ Week #4

This past weekend was my turn to share the sweets and I shared a little more then I wanted to. But it all worked out in the end. I decided to make Cinnamon Swirl Bread and Banana Bread for my baking buddies. I got up early to finish baking the last few loaves before I had to head out to work and my husband was going to take them out for me. When I got home I noticed 2 of the loaves tops looked funny. So I asked my 7 year old what happened to the bread and he said that he spilled his water on the counter and when he went to clean it up he pulled the towel the bread was sitting on and the bread fell on the floor and our dog took a bite out of both then he picked it up quick and put it back on the counter. So I got to share my bread with the dog too and now had to bake two more. Thankfully, I use the Pillsbury Bread Mixes and they are easy to make. You just add the mix, eggs, oil and water, stir and bake. It’s that easy and they taste great! I enjoyed spending the time baking for my friends. It’s a good feeling when you can do something for someone else.

Ready for delivery.

After speaking with all the Baking Buddies, we have decided to continue baking and sharing our sweets with each other. Everyone's family enjoyed the experience and receiving all the goodies.

Katie

February 27, 2013

Get a FREE Sample of Suave Moroccan Argan Oil.

Hop over and visit this offer and enter the sweepstakes. The first 200,000 entries will get a free sample of Suave Moroccan Infusion.

Click here for this offer.

Katie

February 21, 2013

Sharing the Sweets ~ Week #3

This week was Christina's turn to share the sweets. Below Christina wrote about her experience sharing her sweets. Christina baked Monkey Bread. My family has never had Monkey Bread so it was a nice treat.

We had a great time as a family with our baking buddies weekend. My kids all helped make the Monkey Bread. We followed an easy recipe found on Pillsbury.com. I have one bit of advice, only bake one pan at a time. When I had 3 pans in the oven, the baking time was over an hour and hard to get the middle to cook.

I have really enjoyed being a part of the baking buddies, and so has my family. Each of the kids got to deliver their monkey bread to a family and loved doing so.

Christina

February 18, 2013

Coupons, Coupons and more Coupons!

Chocolate makes every day better...

$1.50 off two M&M'S Brand Chocolate Candies

Fun and games to entertain...

Snacks & Meals

Personal Care Products

A Little Cleaning Solution

$1.00 off 14-oz. Spot Shot carpet stain remover

Something for the cat

$1.00 off any ONE (1) bag of 9Lives dry cat food

Happy Clipping,

Katie

February 15, 2013

Blossom is loving her freebies!

Today I received a really nice Purina One Smart Blend sample from Walmart. Blossom really enjoyed the food. As soon as I opened the bag she was staring me down waiting. Plus she loved us taking pictures because she kept getting more food while we tried to get a good picture. She would have eaten the whole bag if I let her.

I also receive a $4.00 off coupon with the Purina sample from Walmart, a Disney Vacation Planning DVD that goes behinds the scenes of Disney and a coupon for a FREE bottle of Pepsi Next.

Make sure you visit Walmart.com regularly to see what free samples are available.

Enjoy,

Katie

February 14, 2013

Sharing the Sweets ~ Week #2

This week was Mandy's turn to share the sweets. Below Mandy wrote about her experience sharing this week. My family personally enjoyed the sweet treats Mandy delivered to us.

Ella cutting the bananas

Mandy and Ella preparing the treats

Jason dipping the bananas in chocolate.

Before and after

Our family changed what we were originally going to bake due to the arrival of NEMO. Since we did not know if the power would go out, we decided to do this PB "Nana Cream Bites " we found on Pinterest. It was also nice that we could involve our 5 year old more and our 1 1/2 year old was able to help by sitting in his chair eating peanut butter. Ella did most of the cutting so some of them were not exactly 1/2-3/4 inch thick. I did the peanut butter part and then my husband, Jason did the chocolate part. It was nice to be able to include all 4 of us in the kitchen at the same time!

Recipe:

PB ‘Nana Cream Bites

2 large bananas

1/4 cup natural peanut butter

1/2 cup chocolate chips

2 tbsp-1/4 cup milk of choice

Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper or parchment. Slice bananas into coins about 1/2–3/4 inch thick. Spread a little dollop of peanut butter on top of each one. In a small bowl, combine the chocolate chips and milk (remember, less is more). Microwave in 15 second increments until you can whisk them together. You want it to be a dip able consistency, not spreadable. Add a splash more milk if necessary. Dip the banana chunks using a fork as a little chocolate-coating forklift, dipping them into the melted chocolate. Place chocolate coated bananas on the prepared sheet and place in freezer until completely frozen (3–5 hours). Remove frozen banana chunks from the sheet and store in a freezer container.

Mandy and Family

February 12, 2013

More New Coupons!

Below you will find the most recent updated coupons.

DVDs

Toys

HORMEL™ & More

Personal Care & Health

Plums & Prunes

Juice

Misc

Happy Clipping,

Katie

-Affiliate Link

February 7, 2013

Half Price Zoo Admission

As noted in the Onondaga County Park News - A trip to the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, NY is a great way to get the kids out of the house during their winter break. Stations with various animal artifacts will be found around the zoo allowing guests to feel the fur of a tiger or see how big an elephant’s tusk really is. Learn about what happens behind-the-scenes of the zoo by meeting zoo keepers and enjoying animal demonstrations.

Snow Leopards

(Image credit Rosamond Gifford Zoo)

My family loves the Rosamond Gifford Zoo. They have a wonderful indoor monkey exhibit that the kids really enjoy.

The Rosamond Gifford Zoo is offering half price zoo admission all month long. Click here to visit their website for more information.

Enjoy,

Katie

Reward your child and save a little money!

Chuck E. Cheese is a great way to reward your child. Help your child develop in areas that are some of the most common challenges of parenting. Chuck E. Cheese offers a Rewards Calendar to help with cleaning room, homework, great behavior, reading, brushing teeth, good night's sleep and more. The calendar is for 2 weeks, you mark off the calendar as your child accomplishes their goals. Take the completed calendar to Chuck E. Cheese and your child will receive 10 free tokens. Before you go don't forget to visit their website to print off a coupon for more savings.

Click here to choose and print your Rewards Calendar.

Have fun!

Katie

February 6, 2013

Mom on a Meal Mission

Here is a new post from our Mom on a Meal Mission.

Ahhh...Super Bowl weekend. A weekend full of food not consumed on regular basis. I found a simple recipe to make for lunch that was simple and only 5 everyday ingredients that wasn't to much to eat before the big Super Bowl spread - Turkey Panini Sandwiches.

Shopping list:

Pillsbury French Loaf Bread
Barbecue Sauce
Sliced Monterey Jack Cheese
Sliced Turkey
Red Onion

Cost: $9.00

Click here for the Pillsbury recipe I used.

The Panini's turned out really good. My son didn't like them because of the BBQ sauce. But the rest us gave it two thumbs up! The hardest part was rolling out the dough. I made two without onions so the kids would eat them. I also didn't have a panini press so I used my George Foreman grill. They came out messy, but had very good taste. It was good for a quick sandwich.

Enjoy,

Christina - Mom on a Meal Mission

Sharing the Sweets ~ Week #1!

This past weekend was the start of our Sharing the Sweets - Baking Buddies group. It was wonderful receiving our first sweet treat. The chocolate cupcakes were delicious!

Michelle and Alison had a great time baking and decorating the cupcakes.

Mandy wanted to share how much Evan enjoyed eating the cupcakes. He was trying to lick the frosting off his face.

What a great start to our Sharing the Sweets ~ Baking Buddies Group. I can't wait to see what sweet treats show up at my house this Saturday.

You can start a Baking Buddies Group also. Pick three friends who live close to you and each week a different friend bakes for everyone and delivers them. It's wonderful receiving fresh baked goodies each weekend and only baking once a month.

Enjoy,

Katie

February 4, 2013

Zatarain's Review

This year we brought a little of New Orleans to our Super Bowl party thanks to Cravebox. I was chosen to receive the Zatarain's Big Game Cravebox and was very pleased with all the products I received. My family had never tried any Zatarain products before so I was very interested in the products.

I prepared the New Orleans Style Jambalaya Mix with Kielbasa, Red Beans and Rice and West Bank Wings.

I really enjoyed each dish and so did the other adults. The Red Beans and Rice were my favorite. Each rice dish was very flavorful and not to spicy. The Jambalaya had a little more heat to it then the Red Beans and Rice. As for the West Bank Wings, while I was preparing them I was thinking they were going to be spicy hot because of the ingredients. But much to my surprise they had the perfect blend of sweet and spicy. Everyone really liked the wings and they were easy to prepare. Zatarian's is now a name our family will use know, because I will definitely be preparing these dishes again.

West Bank Wings

(Zatarain's Recipe)

3 lbs. chicken wing pieces 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce

2 tsp. Zatarains Creole Seasoning 1/2 tsp ground pepper

1 tbl. vegetable oil 1 tbl minced garlic

1/2 cup pineapple juice 3/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1/4 cup Zatarain's Creole Mustard Chopped fresh Cilantro

1/4 cup cane syrup or molasses Sesame Seed

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss chicken wings with oil and Creole Seasoning in large bowl. Arrange wings in single layer on foil-lined large shallow baking sheet.

Bake 35 minutes or until wings are cooked through and skin is crisp.

Mix remaining ingredients, except cilantro and sesame seeds, in large skillet. Bring to boil on high heat and reduce to simmer. Cook sauce for about 15 minutes, until it is reduced by a third and is a "syrup" consistency. Transfer wings with tongs into skillet. Toss until coated with sauce, move to serving platter and garnish with cilantro and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Makes 8-10 appetizer servings.

I hope your family enjoys the wings as much as my family did.

If you would like to learn more about Cravebox visit www.cravebox.com.

Enjoy,

Katie

FREE PEPSI NEXT!

Pepsi is giving away 1 million bottles of Pepsi Next. Click here to get you FREE Pepsi Next.

Coupons will be sent to the first one million valid registrations who log on to PepsiNEXT.com to request the coupon on or before 11:59:59pm EST on February 4, 2013. Offer valid for US consumers only. Requests will only be honored for registrants who are thirteen years or older. Coupon expires March 31, 2013.

Hurry and get your coupon.

Katie

February 3, 2013

My Sunday Savings!

Today I had to run out to the store to pick up a few things for our Super Bowl party. I decided to scan the store ads and take a quick peek at my coupons to see what I could use, share or donate that was a good deal. These are the deals I took advantage of using my coupons. I have enough dish detergent in my pantry for my family so I bought these 3 bottles with the intention of sharing or donating.

Palmolive Dish Detergent on sale for $1.00 used $.25 coupons (doubled) total off $.50

Total cost each $.50

Kikkoman Soy Sauce on sale for $1.79 used $.75 coupons (doubled) total off $1.50

Total cost $.29

Campbell's Skillet Sauces on sale 2 for $4.00 used 2 $.75 coupons (doubled) total off $3.00

Total cost each $.50

Newman's Own Salad Dressing on sale for 2 for $5.00 used 2 $.75 coupons (doubled) total off $3.00

Total each $1.00

Hormel Pepperoni on sale BOGO cost $3.99 for one, used $1.00 coupon

Total each $1.50

After saving $11.12 in Advantedge Saving and $10.00 in coupons, my was total $ 6.29.

Are you shopping with coupons? You don't have to be an extreme couponer to save a few dollars.

Katie

February 2, 2013

Is Shredded Cheese on your grocery list?

Then don't go shopping without a few coupons.

Save $.55 on two (2) Sargento Shredded Cheese packages. Click here to print your coupon.

$0.55 off any Sargento Reduced Fat Cheese

Save $.55 on any one (1) Sargento Reduced Fat Cheese. Click here to print your coupon.

Happy Clipping,

Katie

~Affiliate Link

Save $1.00 on Velveeta

A Super Bowl Party isn't complete without Velveeta! Get $1.00 off one (1) 32 oz Velveeta. Click here to print your coupon. Coupon valid only at Walmart.

If you are looking for a Velveeta dip for your party, click here for Velveeta recipes from Kraft.

Enjoy,

Katie

(Image Credit Kraft Foods)

~Affiliate Link

Hotel Transylvania Giveaway: Win a MONSTER Prize Pack

Win a Hotel Transylvania Prize Pack! Prize Pack Includes: 1 Blu-ray, 1 Mavis the Bat plush toy (Sold exclusively at Wal-Mart), 1 Hotel T notebook AND 1 Social gaming T-shirt (comes in various sizes). See Rafflecopter for Entry Details. Open to U.S. You must be 18 years old to enter to win. Ends 2/12

Click here to enter giveaway.

Good Luck,

Katie

February 1, 2013

Valentine's Day Cards

Make your Valentine's cards extra special this year. York Photo is offering $2 Folded Valentine's Cards. Plus you will get 40 free prints.

Order By February 4th To Receive By Valentine's Day!

Use Code: MYFOLDED
Offer Expires February 28th
Shipping for Cards Starts At: $3.49

~Affiliates Link

Save $1.00 on Bar-S

As you are preparing the grocery list for your Super Bowl party, make sure to add Bar-S Smoked Sausage to your list.

ChefsBest has the perfect snack recipe for the "big game" and here's $1.00 off to try it. You can save $1.00 off any 2.5 lb. package. Coupons expires 2/28/12. Click here to print your coupon.

Bar-S Smoked Sausage ~ 2012 Excellence Award Winner.

Plus, you'll find a great recipe for a warm cheddar and beer dipping sauce!

Enjoy,

Katie

~Affiliates Link

Big Savings for Babies, Kids & Moms!

Totsy offers moms on-the-go and moms-to-be access to brand-specific sales, up to 80% off retail, just for them and the kids, ages 0-7. Top brands for mom, baby, and child. Prenatal care products, baby gear, travel accessories, bedding and bath, children's clothing, toys, DVDs, and educational materials are just a sampling of a selection that promises only the best in quality and designer brands. 100% eco-friendly: Totsy is the first company in private sales to take on sustainable and socially responsible initiatives in all areas of business. One baby, one tree: With every purchase you make through Totsy, we will plant one tree in the name of your child to help reduce the effects of deforestation. Who says shopping can't save the world?

Click here to join.

Happy Shopping,

Katie