Whats for supper tonight: Homemade Pizza

The kids were wanting pizza tonight and my original intention was too cook it on the grill tonight, but not possible with all the storms moving through the area.  Its one of those weeks where money is tight, payday isn't till Friday so I went looking for a recipe for the dough.   I found one and its not half bad. 

The next time you make pizza, try this recipe for Garlic and Herb No yeast dough.  One tip: Make sure you follow the directions and measure the dry ingredients to the specification or it just won't come out.  It will be too sticky and you won't be able to roll it out.   


Another tip for this dough,  you can make small little tiny 4 inch rounds, bake them off then save them for 'Home made Lunchables'.   Throw them in your kids' lunch boxes with a little container of sauce, and some shredded cheese and you have a treat that will be a hit.   Walmart has some terrific Ziplock  sectioned containers that are perfect for this.

Have a great night!!

Kohl's 30% off Code!!

Thanks to AMY for the heads up!

This just in, hot hot hot!!!

Shop at Kohls, with your Kohl's Charge card, online only, with the code:

SIZZLING30

July 14th through July 21 2010 with Kohl's charge

This can not be used in store unless you have a physical paper coupon. 

Huge Savings can be had with this code!  Shop the clearance section and get some great deals for BTS or next winter! 

Taco Skillet Meal

Here is my 'too hot to cook', 'I'm not turning on the oven', frugal meal for today.
I took a recipe that I enjoy and have used in the past and tweaked it to become a 'skillet' meal. I have an electric skillet that I use several times a week, especially in the summer in an effort to avoid turning on my oven and heating up the house. I love my skillet! LOL

Here is the original recipe in case you would like to try it as is.

Taco Bake (Serves 6)
1lb ground beef
1 half green pepper, diced
1half onion, diced
1packet taco seasoning (any kind)
1 14oz package of Mac and Cheese (any kind)
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup salsa (any kind)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Brown ground beef with the diced onion and pepper.  When browned, season with taco seasoning  as directed on package. In another pan, make mac and cheese as directed.  Add the sour cream to the mac and cheese. Grease a casserole dish, and layer the mac and meat mixture, alternating layers. Top with  salsa and cheese and bake at 325 until cheese is melted and slightly browned.

Here is my variation to not use the oven:

In a skillet, brown ground beef with onions and pepper, season with taco seasoning. In another pan,  made mac and cheese as directed, but instead of milk, just add the sour cream.  Pour into skillet with meat mixture.  Pour  salsa on top, then sprinkle cheese on top.  Cover then turn off heat and let cheese melt for about 5 or 6 minutes. 

And whats the perfect veggie to serve with this?  Why Mexican corn, of course!  Heat up some frozen corn, but to that add some diced green and red peppers, some butter and season with salt and pepper. 

Enjoy!


Have a Great Night!!

Good Monday Morning!

Mondays are usually crazy and this one is no exception.  There is so much to do and the day just started.  Not a big fan of Mondays!

Among other things, I'm in the middle of laundry that hasn't been done since Friday,  oldest dd has a dentist appt this am,  I promised them a trip to the library today to turn in their reading logs for prizes, AND  I need to pick up a few groceries.  Who said these were the lazy days of summer?? 

I plan on spending this week decluttering, and hoping to get some good deals out of here via Craig's list. We have a  Dora kitchen , 
 a Dora Castle,     Geo Trax ,  a play kitchen, clothes, and a bunch of other things that need to get out ,of my basement. My husband actually got a whole corner of the basement cleaned out this week, and challenged me to try and do the same.   I would just toss it all in a yard sale, but I did that last year and it just didn't work out the way I wanted it too.   So I'm going to list it all individually and hope for the best.



So tell me, do you get deals on Craig's list?  What sort of things do you like to buy, and look for?  Do you sell on Craig's list?  How does that go? 

Have a great day!

Amazon Shopping: Christmas in July!

Right now Amazon is running their 'up to' 50% off sale on toys, so NOW is a great time to start stocking up on those Christmas presents! There are some great deals to be had  right at this minute, you can get some things that your kids might have been wanting for next to nothing.  With Amazon, you get free shipping after you spend $25.  With this sale, you can get 4 to 5 items in your cart before you reach the $25.  And remember, if you have been doing Swagbucks,  and you have earned a $25 Gift Card, these items are FREE.  Just remember  when you are browsing and adding stuff to your cart, they must be shipped by Amazon and say they are 'elegible for Free shipping.'

So here are some ideas to get you started. 
































































Bakugan Special Attack Turbine Helios Color Varies  Price: 3.13


I'll be back later to update this list.  Have a Great Day!!

Firework Shows: Frugal fun for your family!

Remember growing up and looking forward to the great fireworks shows all summer long?     Here in  Connecticut,
we have a fantastic show that always falls in the second weekend in July, in New London.  They call it Sail fest and its a weekend long festival featuring music, crafts, artists,  and food.  Its always a great time.   The end of the Saturday night always culminates with a large fireworks display sponsored by Foxwoods, but  created by the Grucci Brothers. 

In this economy, more and more communities are doing away with their annual fireworks display.  Its is just too costly for towns and cities to continue these traditions for the people and many have cancelled.  In Norwich, the annual July 4th fireworks were moved to Dodd Stadium and you had to have a ticket to get in.  People showed up early in the morning to make sure they got their tickets, even though they were free,  but it was a first come, first serve basis.    Many weren't willing to live without seeing the fireworks, even if you had to make a plan to get there.

If you live  in Connecticut, or are planning on visiting, make sure you go to Mohegan Sun in Uncasville every Wednesday for a  Free Fireworks display. They also feature a car show, a Farmer's Market,  Native American Dancing, a DJ, and a live band.  They also serve free popcorn and water.   This is not to be missed and has become a summertime tradition in our fair state.

Families enjoy Fireworks.  The  best way to view them is to arrive early.  Bring a picnic supper.   You don't need to be close, you can sit where ever you want and its always the best seat in the house.  Bring your blanket,  and games for the kids to pass some time while they wait.   I have found that Free Fireworks displays are some of the best frugal family fun time our family has had.   Now remember the fun you had as a kid, and  make those memories for you own kids.  All for free.  Sometimes the best memories don't have a price.

Have a Great day!

Stocking up!

We just covered how to get coupons and use them, but now we want to know how to use them effectively. If you are continually getting items for free, or nearly free, consider stockpiling them. It may cost you a bit more in the beginning to build up your stockpile, but once you get going and have a decent stock, you'll see your grocery bills go WAY down.

I have had people ask me, since I use alot of coupons, do I buy alot of items I don't need? The answer to that question is NO, I buy stuff I will USE, not stuff I need or don't need. There is a difference. View these 2 scenarios:

Scenario 1: You are hosting a party and realize, you have no ketchup. You think quickly, 'I'll just run to Walmart and grab a bottle, its only $1.' So you spend time you don't have, gas you really can't afford to waste, and battle that crowd on a Saturday. You grab the ketchup, then say, 'hmmmm, while I'm here, I better grab some mustard and relish too...', but the time you leave, you have spent $40.

Scenario 2: You are hosting a party and realize, you have no ketchup. No worries! You have 2 more bottles in your pantry you got for .50 a piece matching the last coupon with a sale. Phew!  And mustard and relish also.   No need to leave the house, continue getting ready for your party.

Which to you makes more sense?
I have found stockpiling groceries has been an absolute lifesaver for me.  Last year the bank made an error with our checking account and we had no access to money for about 5 weeks.  The LONGEST 5 weeks of my life.  However, I had created such a stock pile in my basement that it was able to hold us over that long.  I had lunch meats, cheese, breads  and roasts in my freezer.  I had cereals, oatmeal and snacks stocked up for the kids.  I had side dishes, and veggies stocked up  for meals.  And I had enough salad dressings and condiments stocked up, we are STILL trying to go through them.    I admit that since I went through that period, I have had a hard time getting back to that point, but it got us through a very difficult point in time so I was so glad I had it.  The only thing I couldn't get  was fresh  produce and that was difficult, and we had family that would help keep us in milk and anything else we might need.    But we made it and it was my shopping to fill my stock pile that got us through.  

We joke alot around here, "If the bomb falls, go to Melissa's house!"  You are all welcome to my house if the bomb falls. ;)

Have a great day!!