Off topic - vehicle shopping

Since my FORD Windstar has been in the shop for the third time since Christmas I am seriously looking at replacing it, as well as acquiring a 2nd vehicle. We had two vehicles until this summer when the transmission went on our "beat up" car. We are going to take a look at the ford trucks available in our area. Really any truck, we always seem to need to haul something, especially in the winter.

Specifically I'd be looking at a ford 4x4. You really can't be with out a 4 wheel drive here, at least 1 vehicle should be. I'd really love to have a plow package installed, so we can take care of our own driveway. My brother does a good job, but he doesn't do it for free!

I'm not a fan of only ford trucks, really almost any truck would do! I'd love it to have 4 doors, that would be great with the kids.

I am not a brand snob, ford is what my current car is. I'd consider lots of different makes & models. I plan on doing a LOT of homework & making a very educated decision before we purchase!

Restaurant Supplies

I find that the way I cook/bake leads me to use up my equipment more like a pro would. So why not start out with pro-grade stuff!

Professional cookware is my goal. I try to replace things little by little with pro-grade stuff. Cookware, cutting tools, bakeware, even storage, when we do our big kitchen remodel I will be basing it on a restaurant/bakery kitchen not what's going on in the magazines!

I am focused mainly on baking, so baking products are my thing. There is nothing better than using a restaurant equipment grade baking pan for you cookies. I have 2 and they are fabulous, I need a bunch more, because when the holidays are here I can have up to 8 sheets going at once!

If you are looking for food service supplies they have everything from disposables to soup pots! The list goes on and on. I'm bookmarking this link because they stock Bunn repair parts & I have a Bunn!





Brought to you by your friends at Wasserstrom.com

Valentine's for the "sweets" challenged

I am no gourmet, just an average Mom who like to make messes in the kitchen. My talents lean heavy towards the baking end of the culinary spectrum. I can get creative with FOOD but it usually gets little noses in a twist, therefore I tend to stick with the basics. Sad for my taste buds, but I'll live! I lean towards baking goodies of all kinds anyways and not too many complaints about it when I do.

If you aren't so talented, don't have the kitchen, don't have the time to whip up something fabulous for your sweeties, or want to send something to distant sweeties on Valentine's Day David's Cookies is a great online solution. For $4.95 flat rate shipping you can send your loved ones a really great treat! If you want the props they even offer cookie dough, so you can enjoy the rewards of loved ones thinking you made a HUGE effort.

David's Cookies has a variety of special needs products as well including sugar free & no sugar added treats. And if you look for it, all products are Kosher Dairy certified.

Why not check out David's Cookies monthly subscriptions section. I know I wouldn't complain about getting a cookie of the month! What a great gift if you are in sales, something that arrives every month to remind your clients about you & your business.

Rent to Own - good in a pinch

Living in a depressed area of the country can lead to a few stereotypical things; lots of dollar stores and many food banks and non profit agencies, but the oddest phenomenon is the increasing number of rent-to-own stores.

I don't turn my nose up at these places they are far to useful, especially in a declining economy. We have used one local chain on a few occasions. We've looked at rent to own appliances before. I even had one in my home, our dryer went a month before our tax return came so we rented for a couple months until we were able to find a good deal on a good dryer. We even bought our sons bunk bed from this store. It was the only way to purchase this bunk bed & at the time we thought it would last him a long time, looked well constructed & heavy duty. It has proven to be a sturdy piece of furniture, but I don't see him staying in it in to his teens. I've mentioned my son is a big boy right??? It also wasn't nearly as heavy duty as it seemed (I looked at it in the box at the store, not put together).


If you've ever wondered what is rent to own? It is a way for people who don't have credit, don't want to use credit, or are looking for a temporary solution to have the things they need (ok mostly things they want & should probably be saving money to buy outright. But in our case it saved us from having to borrow money or use a credit card to replace a much needed appliance. We ended up going through the payment cycle on the bed, we made a few extra payments & cut the payments short by doing so, but we would have done better if we had made more payments on the principal.

There are so many rent to own companies locally that I am not sure I can list them all. We just added Aaron's to the mix, Rent-to-Own & Rent Way are just a couple of the others. If you have cash on hand and are looking for a potentially good deal, check them out. They get returns or repos all the time & since they can't (at least in NY) sell them as new they offer good deals on them to clear them out of storage & store space.

Dawn Plus Hand Renewal Review

I was given a bottle of Dawn Plus Hand Renewal to try out. I try to avoid hand washing at almost all costs, so the bottle has lasted a very long time. I usually add the soap to the water, but it works great on the quick washes too. You know the "I want to use THAT cup with dinner" and the "eww the dishwasher didn't get these very clean"...

I use an oil bottle to dispense my dish soap and it looks very pretty in the bottle. Maybe a little like the slime from Ghostbusters 2, but prettier!

Overall I'd buy this dish soap regularly. It has a nice smell, makes nice suds with just a little bit and looks good in the bottle!

I can say that my hands are not as dry as they usually are this time of year but I've also been diligent with the moisturizer too.

Happy New Year!!!

Welcome 2009!

My favorite 12 recipes from 2008!

January - Parker House Rolls

February - Copy Cat IHop pancakes

March - Oven Puff Pancake

April - Chocolate Sourdough Cake

May - Bread Dough

June - Grilled Cheese Sandwich Pie

July - French Onion Soup

August - Hot Artichoke Dip

September - Mexi Lentil Rice

October - Cheesy Mac & Cheese

November - Blackberry Pie

December - Truffles

Pillsbury Easy as Pie!

I was given a lovely basket of pie necessities to keep or share. I am going to give it to an off line friend, who should love it just as much as I do, and really needs it!

The idea is that Pillsbury pie crusts make pie easy as well...pie! I've said it before, I made a fruit pie with a double crust and it was done about as fast as the last cake I made! I really like the new "unroll" and use design. The old folded way was always more of a pain, almost as difficult as from scratch sometimes!

How about a super easy fruit pie or my favorite chicken pot pie.
The basket contains 2 glass pie plates, a pie server, a CD-rom of recipes and pictures of pies, and a pie cut out set.

I have a wedding today!

My niece is getting married today! They are the cutest couple and we can't wait for it to start.



It does get me thinking about Wedding Rings though, and how much I really need to upgrade. We lost my rings in a move, not sure how it happened but it did. I picked up something cheaply on sale at the mall a few years ago, it does the job, but it isn't "special."

Even with the increased cost of gold since we bought our first bands (almost 14 years ago) their plain Wedding Bands seem to be value priced. I won't say cheap, because they aren't. But it doesn't look like it would cost 3 month salary either!

Blue Nile has a gorgeous collection of build your own Diamond Rings, or the option of adding color. Which got me thinking that since I am simply replacing what was lost, long after the fact, wouldn't it be neat to have my kids birthstones set on either side of a diamond. They both have November birthdays & our anniversary is in November, so it would just scream sentimental!

Blue Nile is a company consumers can trust: Blue Nile is a publicly traded company listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange, and has been profiled by Forbes and The New York Times. All orders ship via free FedEx and each order is backed by a 30-day no questions asked return policy. They also provide guidance, if you need it, in making the perfect choice.

Holiday Gift Giving #1

I am hoping to get an MP3 player for Christmas or shortly after this year (finally). My sister says don't bother getting anything but an iPod, at least for me. The kids should be ok with a generic cheap one, but I need something with storage & usability!

The other reason is stuff like the Jensen JiMS 525i iPod docking station. It has iTunes tagging, a dual alarm clock, remote, 2 speakers, 30 preset HD radio FM stations. This would be a perfect kitchen addition to me, I might have to clear up some precious counter space for it!

With iTunes Tagging if you hear a song you want, press “tag” and your iPod saves that song’s info so when you sync iPod a tagged playlist appears with links to the iTunes Store. Preview tagged songs free, then buy them with a click. Talk about convenient. I am constantly trying to find a scrap of paper to jot down a song I want to download later. With this I just push a button, that sounds so much safer if you're in a car!

The best part is all the new music stations in HD available in my area. Of course there are only 13, but I really only listen to 6 of them regularly anyways.

Need new checks?

I will be needing new Checks sometime in the next couple of months. It's amazing how quickly you go through them when you have children in activities! That pretty much sums up 75% of my expenses out of that account! Fund raisers, lunch, tution, home parties, it's just crazy! I'm burning through the first round of checks like mad & I'm really not a check person. It's just easier for those types of expenses. We've only had 6 fund raisers so far this year!

I like my Personal Checks to be just that, personal. If I have to pay for them, I like them to be "me" in some way. Something like custom photo personal checks works for me. What better than a picture of my smiling children every time I have to pay the bills!

If you are just looking for the standard value priced checks how does 150 single checks starting at $3.89. Not too bad. I think I had to pay $15 through my bank (first time discount) and they are just standard, run of the mill checks!

Carousel Checks has business checks, laser checks, desk sets, stamps, labels. It looks like a one stop shop for all those needs. Shipping on 150 singles is only $2.95.

Thanksgiving dinner

I am hosting 2 Thanksgiving dinners this year. Both families are coming to our house. Hubby's family is coming Thursday & mine Saturday (I think). I chose this so don't feel too bad for me, LOL! It just works out better with the kids birthdays and all.

This means that over the next 2 weeks I will be doing an inventory of my supplies and planning the menu. I need to take stock of everything from my serving spoons to my chafing dishes. I think I am ok, except for some new pot holders and a couple new platters. I only have one that's large enough for a turkey. I also need to set my grocery shopping lists so I can spread it out over the next two weeks. I really dislike last minute shopping!

My in-laws adds up to 20 if everyone makes it. That's not huge until you try to sit down to eat! Now that I have my new dinning room table, I need to acquire some chairs. Thankfully my in-laws have a vast collection of folding chairs I can borrow. But they are on my "to Buy" list.

Having owned a type of restaurant I can say that restaurant supply shops are the best source for kitchen equipment discounts! If you are in the market check out Restaurant Supplies and Equipment, they offer free shipping on orders over $195 and a 110% price match, so if you find the items cheaper somewhere else they'll give you 10% better, not too shabby. Use coupon code club229 for 8 - 11% off any product!

How are you cutting back?

How are you cutting back, saving money, being frugal?

We have cut back a lot on our extra spending, grocery lists are bare bones, toiletries are bought matching coupons to sales & reward programs until they are practically free. We don't eat out much anymore, and a lot of home improvement projects have been put on the back burner.

Even though I am overdue for a vision check up, I don't have to put it off, just procrastinating on making the appointment. Thankfully we are blessed with basic vision coverage in our insurance package. They'll pay for a visit & either glasses or contacts once every 2 years. Of course contacts have to be rechecked every year, so I'm not sure how they figure that's helpful...

Anyways, I am going next month to get my new prescriptions. I need both, so the way I see it, I'm going with the more expensive option on the insurance & that would be my contacts. I have an astigmatism & contacts are never cheap! But my glasses are 2 years old as well & look like I set them on sandpaper everynight. So how do I avoid a huge bill for glasses? Try the internet!

I discovered eyeglasses can be purchased cheaply online. Zenni Optical has a fantastic selection of cheap packages starting at $8 a pair. That includes the lenses,anti-scratch coating, hard case, & microfiber cleaning cloth! That's a lot for only $8. The frame selection is huge, ranging from hip to classic. And believe me the frames I got 2 years ago are ugly by comparison to the selection here!

There are even detailed instructions of what you need to get from your Optometrist for your order. Upgrade options include tinting, anti-reflective coating, clip on sun shades, and photochromic lenses. They even have a selection of Ski goggles.

Extreme Lighting

Magnalight.com has a huge variety of specialized light fixtures. Don't think pretty, think industrial!

They have a huge selection of explosion proof lighting. Including flashlights, hand held (like for under the car hood), stand work lights, ceiling fixtures, tank lights. If you need to light a confined space, or just want to make sure your lights don't set off an explosion... I can see this being a big deal in an earthquake area, or even in your home's garage. Especially if you do a lot of work with paint or chemicals. Who couldn't find an excuse to own a waterproof explosion proof flashlight??? I'm wondering why we don't already.

What caught my eye are the wireless remote control spotlights- AC and car battery DC. I'm not sure if it was the camouflage casing or the huge candle power ratings they have, but these are cool! The men in my life would freak out to open one of these on Christmas morning. I just know that this would have come in handy the other night when my hunters were out bow hunting & lost the deer's trail. They had to call in a dog tracking service. I imagine if they had been able to better illuminate the area they would have saved a few hours of their evening!

The cool factor comes in with the remote. If they had mounted it to my brother's 4 wheeler, or had it hand held they could use the remote from up to 150 feet away. If you are out in the woods tracking after dusk, you never know which way your trail will lead. This would be so helpful! Of course the deer tracking service wouldn't have gotten the donation my Dad had to pay to have them come.

Ore Ida Steam n' Mash Potatoes

I received a bunch of coupons for the new Ore-Ida Steam n' Mash potatoes. They also sent me a very cool masher, so I figured I'd better use the "free" coupon and give them a try. They were $3.44 at our local Wal*Mart. I picked the Three Cheese variety, how can you go wrong with 3 cheeses!!!

I made them tonight as a side to hot dogs (lazy I know but we were at a 2 hour parade this afternoon. They were easy, microwave for 11 minutes, let sit for 2, add milk butter & mash.

These were SO good! Better than dry flakes, but just as easy. I dare say that made them better than from scratch, but that's based on convenience!!! It was perfect for a quick side dish. I do dislike peeling potatoes, it's one of my least favorite things to do in the kitchen, I think I have a peeler phobia!

Now since I got these free the next question becomes, would I pay full retail for these? Doubtful. Would I buy them on sale with coupons? Sure!

Easy Pizza Crust

So regular readers will know that I love to make my own pizza crust, from scratch & with great stuff like whole wheat flour & milled flaxseed. But sometimes convenient is just better! What can be more convenient than popping a tube & using your leftovers to make a one of a kind pizza in minutes, no knead to wait on dough, get it, ha!

This was in my email, it's going straight to my shopping list. It will be a great help since hubby is now cooking 3 nights a week!

Get In on the Fun of Making Pizza at Home

With New Pillsbury^® Thin Pizza Crust

Pizza has wedged its way into almost every home in America, serving as an easy meal on busy nights. The most appealing kind is homemade pizza—a simple, cost-effective option that allows people to customize their toppings and enjoy the fun of making pizza at home.

Now Pillsbury is offering a new way to make your pizza at home—thin crust style. Joining the popular classic crust option in stores, the new Pillsbury^® Thin Crust Pizza Crust is a crispier option that’s easy to use and gives families the choice of a thinner and more classic-style crust when building personalized pizzas at home. Just unroll, top with favorite ingredients and bake either crust for a warm-from-your-oven, homemade pizza with a delicious, evenly browned crust every time.

People have told us how making homemade pizza is a family tradition, says test kitchen experts in the Pillsbury Kitchens at General Mills. They remember making homemade pizza from scratch as a child, and now want to make it a fun activity they can share and enjoy with their kids. It’s a special treat, because everyone can choose their toppings and personalize their own part of the pizza.

Pillsbury has created four new recipes that start with convenient Pillsbury^® Thin Crust Pizza Crust. From hearty meats to colorful vegetables and fresh herbs, the toppings create perfect pizzas that are kid-friendly and appeal to more adult tastes.

Chicken ’n Bacon Ranch Pizza is an easy, delicious alternative to tomato sauce–based pizza. Italian seasoned chicken strips, crispy bacon, Roma tomatoes, onion and ranch dressing are combined for a savory mix. The pizza is finished with a combination of shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. The tempting tastes will be a popular pick for all ages. You can even use leftover chicken for this recipe.

Meat lovers will crave the smell and taste of the hearty Mega Meat Pizza. Italian sausage, ground beef, sliced pepperoni, deli salami and Canadian bacon cover the tomato sauce base and a sprinkling of shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese tops off the meaty masterpiece. This recipe is sure to satisfy even the biggest appetites in the house.

For a more gourmet touch, try Spinach and Caramelized Onion Pizza. The onions are caramelized to a golden brown in olive oil with a dash of sugar, balsamic vinegar, salt and garlic. Next, the savory onion mixture is spooned evenly over the crust and topped with spinach and a layer of three cheeses. The caramelized onions bring a touch of sweetness to complement the delicate flavor of the spinach. This recipe is delicious as a main dish or can be cut into smaller squares for an impressive appetizer.

Tomato Pesto Pizza brings a trendy restaurant favorite home. After one bite, you’ll know you’ll be making this recipe again and again. It’s simple and just tastes great. The pesto sauce is balanced with an Italian blend of cheese, while the Roma tomatoes and sliced fresh basil add color and a burst of flavor. Tomato Pesto Pizza is a pretty recipe with wide appeal.

From the eager beginner to the practiced pizza baker, everyone will enjoy using Pillsbury^® Thin Crust Pizza Crust or Pillsbury’s classic crust. The new thin crust is now available nationwide in the refrigerated dough section of your supermarket. The suggested retail price is $2.49 for one pizza crust.

To find more than 50 additional pizza recipes for both Pillsbury’s thin and classic pizza crusts, visit www.pillsbury.com.

Product Review - Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce

I recently received 2 bottles of Country Bob's All purpose sauce to use & review.

We used the first bottle to make a marinade for an inexpensive beef roast, which my hubby sliced in steak size pieces for grilling.

The sweetness of the sauce was a pleasant surprise. It reminded me of the BBQ sauce I make from scratch but with a smokier-steak sauce taste.

The samples came with a recipe pamphlet including recipes such as Grilled Pork Tenderloin, Country Bob's meatloaf, Fantastic Baked Beans, and Shrimp Cocktail Sauce. You can find more recipes online.

This sauce could easily become a pantry staple in our house! Now I have to try some of their other products!

Key Ingredients

I think I may have mentioned Key Ingredients here before. But this site is awesome! I typed in "French Toast" and tons of results popped up, the bonus, it gives you code to post in your blog like this:



As you may have guessed I am addicted to recipes(and fabric, and home decor ideas). The problem is that I have more than I think I could cook! Occasionaly I find one that makes it into the constant rotation (crockpot lasagna, flaxseed pizza crust). Usually they are made once and then forgotten. But with Key Ingredients, a neat easy to read recipe is always at hand!

They have features that let you collect recipes, set up grocery lists, add friends, and type in your own recipes.

There is even a recently added feature. The "Easy Whole Wheat Pizza Dough" sounds yummy! I'm sure the "Black Bean Nacho Grilled Pizza" is tasty but I'm not sure how my kiddos would feel about it! They are regular pizza kids, don't mess with it! Although they did seem to like the chicken finger pizza, as long as we got it plain or mild.

How about the Peach White-Wine Sangria from the July 2005 Gourmet? Yummy! When you add a recipe to your collection on the site you can choose a "cookbook" so if you are looking for saved beverages, they'll all be in your "beverage" file. Or whatever you want to call it!

I think I will use this site regularly!

Royal Treasures

I was just asked to write about this food site Royal Treasures. I had never been to the site before, but their product sounds fantastic! How can you go wrong with a motto of "Chocolate is nature's way of making up for Mondays." Based in Graham North Carolina this "bakery" seems to have very focused company plan. Do a couple things really well & customers will follow. According to the website their business started like many food business do, in their home kitchen. It's amazing how sometimes a simple gift from your kitchen can turn into a thriving food business!

They have truffles available individually or in baskets. They have 4 levels of gift basket available for order online, but of course if you want something special they can accommodate you.

The Royal Treasures website also has brownies and Pecan Pies available. There are 8 varieties of brownie to choose from, how about some Triple Chocolate, or my favorite kind of brownie Peanut Butter...YUM!

I think my only complaint about the website is the photos are a little on the not mouth watering side, and I'd like to see pictures of all the brownie varieties. But over all Royal Treasures is a website worth visiting!

My Kraft Food & Family came today!!!

WoooHooo!

I have looked forward to its arrival every season for a few years now. I just like how they tend to keep things real & simple. I may like to eat brie & fruit with escargot but it isn't exactly on the regular menu around here!!! So simple meals with real food, that usually the kids don't look at it & go "No, this is yucky for me" (DD3) or "Do I have to eat THIS?" DS7.

SO I'm sure I'll post at least one good recipe out of this one.

If you can't wait for me go to http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/FoodandFamily & check it out for yourself. BTW, the subscription is FREE!!!

Nifty Kitchen Gadgets

Nifty things on the web that belong or are already in my kitchen!!

Thrifty Mommy Has a review of the William Bounds Sili Gourmet Sling. This looks like a must have for those of us who have to cook mosterous birds & hams this time of year... (last Turkey I cooked was 22 pounds, wonder how this would hold up???)


Cuisipro Accutec Grater/Zester is one that I am itching to get. I just found a source for whole nutmeg, now I need a grater for it....

I am not sure how I manage to get buy with out the KitchenAid Box Grater I have a grater, but it is only a flat one, ouch! Bonus, this has a storage container for the stuff you grate!

I have one of these KitchenAid Rotary Grater. I know I can't live with out it. I have used it for cheese, nuts, chocolate...

OXO Good Grips 26981 Potato Ricer is on my wishlist. While I like lumpy mashed potatoes, not everyone cares for them. This item makes them smooth & yummy!

I have this Mandolin Kitchen Slicer but I want this MIU France Stainless Steel Professional Mandoline Slicer The plastic of the sunbeam just makes it harder to work with, don't ask me why, I just don't like it. The blades are harder to figure out, I kept putting them in upside down. Which really messes up the uniformity. And forget a waffle fry with it, I think I shredded a pound before I gave up...