I love trying new things

So upon my money saving adventures throughout the internet, I stumbled upon Vocalpoint--a great page where you can get coupons to try new products or just get deals on products you love. 

I recently was picked to try out a new non-permanent hair color from Nice'N Easy. So, when I get the coupon in the mail, I will try this out and let y'all know how I like it. Just in time too! My grays are starting to show. Lol. 

Thanksgiving is not that far away!

Are you looking forward to Thanksgiving this year? I know I am! It is a time to come together as a family and eat wonderful and tasty food. Plus it gives me a chance to show off my cooking skills. Lol.

Well Allrecipes.com and Campbells is sponsoring something great this year called "Respect the Bird." A lot of people tend to skip over Thanksgiving and head straight into Christmas, which I personally do not understand. So please join both me and Allrecipes.com in respecting the bird!



Here is also a video that you can watch on it. :)



Anyway, I just wanted to support this great cause.

I respect the bird. :)

Halloween Party Ideas

I LOVE Halloween parties! I've love cooking and making special treats and scary food!

I highly suggest getting Halloween cookbook and craft book for ideas (I have tons). One year for Halloween, I made mummy dogs (hot dogs wrapped in bread stick dough and baked to look like mummies), zombie fingers (chicken wings), a zombie brain (mac and cheese made in a brain mold), body part punch (a delicious punch with a jello/ice hand made out of a mold--gummy eye balls and body parts included), and many scary treats.

Also, choose a theme! Whether it be haunted house, grave yard, witches ball, zombie invasion, spooky woods, dracula's den etc, have fun with it and go all out!

Once you have your theme decorate around it. Plus, do not be afraid to have fun and don't be afraid to go retro! I love bobbing for apples and pin the nose on the pumpkin.

I hope this gave you some ideas!

I found another way to earn free things

I just received an email from one of my favorite money saving blogs, and I saw a link to a website where you can earn points to redeem for gift cards. One lady saved her Amazon.com cards and bought an Ipod for free.  So here is the link to get to it. Click on the banner.



I just joined, so I'll keep yall updated on my sucess!

Fresh Juicy Savings!

So, I have been rambling about savings lately (and boy do I need to save right now), so I think I am going to start posting good deals and coupons on here. I have the blog, so why not use it?

Check this deal out! Buy one, get one free! Plus it has fruit juice in it, so you can drink the juice!

http://www.vocalpoint.com/FruitNaturalsCoupon

Man I am so Emo today....

There are times in this life where everything seems to go wrong, and you cannot seem to catch a break. You stop and wonder if you made it this way. Was it something I did wrong in my past? Is God punishing me for all the bad things I have done? Was it somebody I did not mean to hurt? Or was it someone I did? Is it karma? Are all the good things I have done in this life too little to make up for my mistakes?

I hate these times, and lately they seem to be coming all too often for me. It is always when I slowly get optimistic about something that everything just goes wrong. I have not really been able to enjoy all the blessings that have come my way because the bad just keeps on beating me down every chance I get.

I know. I am so depressing. I even annoy myself. I know I sound so whiney. Still, it helps me to vent. I need to let it out otherwise I’ll go crazy. Well, more crazy than I normally am, and Lord knows that it EXTREMELY crazy. *sigh*

Let me just say that I have tried to right my wrongs. I am truly trying to be a good person. I am not cruel, and even though I have though ill will on people who have hurt me, I would never want it to happen. I have even gone out of my way for a few people to try to make it better. I’ve done my part, so now it is up to them.

So my question is, why? Why does life continue to beat me down? I guess I’ll just have to wait and see. The only good part out of all of this is my loving husband and two wonderful children. At least I am not alone.

Cooking Staples

Seeing how I am in such a food talking mood today, I decided to post what I feel are staples in my kitchen. In my opinion, any person can follow a recipe, but a cook can make a recipe their own with the correct seasonings. I always make sure to have the following spices on hand:

• Garlic Powder (not Garlic Salt- as I like a LOT of garlic in my dishes and using Garlic Salt can make a dish too salty)
• Onion Powder
• Salt
• Pepper
• Dried Basil (perfect for Italian Cooking)
• Oregano (ditto)
• Cajun Seasoning (such as Slap yo Mamma or Tony Chacheres-use like salt)
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Allspice

Ok, so those are just a few. You'd be better off getting a spice rack that has most of these on it, and then supplementing the rest. Try new seasonings too. You never know what you will like.

Now for other items. I always keep rice (different varieties, but mainly long grain), a variety of noodles, all-purpose flour, sugar (white, powdered, and brown),  baking powder, baking soda, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, powdered buttermilk, bread, milk, canned veggies (any variety the family likes), plus many more.

Now, buy meat when it is on sale. If you think you will use it, buy it and freeze it. I usually wait until the price gets reduced. As long as you freeze it by the day of sale, you should be ok. We recently switched to ground turkey from ground beef to try and be healthier. Ironically, we have found it to be WAY cheaper than the ground beef offered at our stores. I usually buy 3 lbs for $5. I also try to keep some type of pork on hand, some type of stew meat, and I ALWAYS have frozen chicken. I usually buy the already frozen boneless chicken. This way I do not have to separate it after purchase to freeze it. Plus it is easier to grab one at a time instead of defrosting more than you need. I have also found it cheaper at times too to purchase them this way. Also, buy in bulk if it is cheaper. You can separate it when you get home and seal it is individual bags for later use.

Now, with these main staples, you have tons of different options for meals. Of course I did not add everything I keep in stock, but it is a start for anyone looking to keep a base.

I might start posting recipes on here too. Cooking is my passion. So if it makes me happy, why not share the love. :)