For my dear friend

My dear friend Amanda made these to pay tribute to those who lost their lives last week in CT.

Quick Dinner • Mexican Sweet Potatoes

After being on vacation for a couple of weeks, I decided to try to use up some sweet potatoes before they went bad.  I earlier had pinned a recipe that looked delicious and would fit the bill to use up the few sweet potatoes I had on hand.  With all of the ingredients on hand (well, except for the cilantro; oh, and the the canned chipotle peppers), I decided to give it a go for a quick Sunday dinner.

This is the recipe and inspiration for the meal:

From "Pinch of Yum"

http://pinchofyum.com/healthy-mexican-sweet-potato-skins

I used this recipe as a guide and modified as I saw fit.  I rarely every follow a recipe fully; well, except when baking.  

For my version:

Microwave 3 sweet potatoes individually using the baked potato mode (please note, I normally don't use the microwave for cooking).

Meanwhile, drain a can of sweet corn and top with some cracked pepper and I used a New Mexican spice blend I purchased from my recent vacation and then let it saute in a small frying pan.

After the potatoes were soft, remove them from the skin and put in a medium bowl with the cream cheese and sour cream.  

Blend into a smooth mixture and then add one can of drained black beans and the roasted corn.  

Place the Mexican Sweet Potatoes in a glass pie plate and top with your desired amount of shredded cheese and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 15 minutes.  

To Serve:

We used the mixture as you would a refried bean and used it as a topping of a tortilla layered with chicken and pork.  

What a great meal and definitely a keeper, whether you follow the original recipe or use it to inspire your own version!

A Signature Mark

One of the reasons why I love couponing so much is because it multiplies what you can buy!  I know, like I need more reasons to shop!

One ministry that I love to shop for is Operation Christmas Child.  Through OCC, shoebox filled gifts are sent throughout the world to children in need.  Common items included are school supplies, toys, hygiene items, games, etc.  I shop year round for my OCC items and love getting items at their lowest prices!  

Year round shopping typically includes shopping for end of season/holiday clearance, back to school shopping and then everyday sales.  To assist in finding the best deals, I recommend following www.clipwithpurpose.com and www.livingrichwithcoupons.com as they cover all of my shopping interests.

This year, I also decided to start packing shoeboxes early.  As of date, I have packed 10 out of the 12 boxes I'm intending to send to OCC this fall.  Whenever I got  a shoebox, I wrapped it and packed it right away.  Each time, I wrote a content list in order for me to do last minute checks in November.  

This is box #10 which includes: hygiene items (toothbrush, toothpaste, hair comb, deodorant, facial tissue pack, two washcloths, soap, hair accessories), school items (backpack, journal, pencil case with pens, pencils, erasers, mini stapler, mini highlighter, paper clips) and clothing and accessories (shirt, necklace, friendship bracelets, hawaiian lei necklace).  I'm sure I forgot to list something. 

The last thing I want to share is about leaving a signature mark.  I bought a roll of masking tape at Michael's (clearance isle, of course) and it wan't until a few months later that I knew it was meant to be used for OCC.  I cut one section of tape and affix it to the lid of each box and then fill in the corresponding number (things didn't get complicated until box #10).  This is a great way for me to pray for my boxes and know what else is needed in each box.

The number line is also perfect to reinforce counting skills.

Please visit www.samaritanspurse.com/occ to learn more about how you can become involved in Operation Christmas Child.  

Flower Pot Favors

One of my lovely friends (and long-time neighbor) is getting married this fall and we successfully pulled off her surprise bridal shower!  I was asked to help by putting together the favors.  We wanted to do something floral and were first thinking of tying up a few packages of flower seeds with pretty ribbon.


I had an idea to combine the table decorations with the favors.  Why not, right?  Being summer, finding flowers would certainly be no problem.  My only concern was finding the right pot.  I was unimpressed by the terra cots sold at AC Moore; they just didn't have the right look and I did not want to have to paint 30 pots!  


So, off to Michael's I went.  Have I mentioned how much I love Michael's?!?  My number one rule when going to Michael's is to always grab a cart; you never know what you might spot!  Off to the clearance bins I went and there they were... at 60% off!  These adorable tin pails were either leftovers from their spring or Mother's Day items.  I immediately started searching all of the bins to find 30!  Don't worry, I did leave a few for others.

At the shower, I clustered 6 in the center of each table and the ladies were pleasantly surprised that they could take one home.  There were also a few leftover which I placed on the gift table.  

Next time you are planning an event, think of ways you can combine decorations with your party favors.  Not only will your guests be excited to take home a "piece" of the party; but, it will also leave you with one last thing to clean up.  :)

Apple Cider Flavored Water

A few weeks ago, I saw a pin about a detoxing water mixture that would boost your metabolism and give you energy!  Unfortunately, the link was flagged as spam so I do not have further detail about the science behind this blend.


Nonetheless, I decided to give it a try because I rarely drink enough liquids in a day.  After drinking the concoction for a few days, I started to refer to it as "Apple Cider Flavored Water."  


I have to say that I do feel pretty good after drinking this for almost two weeks now.  I have only had a few sodas, an iced mocha and a glass of chocolate milk during the course of the last two weeks.  Everything else I've drank has been the flavored water.  On average, I have been drinking around 50 ounces a day.  

Apple Cider Flavored Water

1. Cut up one apple and place in a bottom of a gallon pitcher (I cored the apple to remove the seeds).
2. Place one cinnamon stick with the apple.
3. Fill the container up half way with ice.
4. Continue by adding water to fill the pitcher.
5. Let the mixture "brew" for 10 minutes before drinking.

Re-use the apples and cinnamon stick to make three gallons of flavored water and then discard.


Whether this is a miracle energy booster or not, at least it got me to drink more water.  And it tastes great too!  


Try it out for yourself!


original pin:  tonetiki.wordpress.com

Whipped Cherry Lemon Cake

It's been almost a year since I found out I was allergic to eggs and Pinterest has been such a fun way to collect "pins" of food I can eat.  


One thing that has been especially difficult is with dessert.  With the help of my "Desserts I Can Eat" board, I've been able to collect a bunch of recipes of sweet treats.  Now, when I feel the need for sweets, I can go to the board and voila, the recipes are there waiting for me.


One recipe I came across early on was making cake from a boxed cake mix plus one can of soda (which apparently is an old weight watcher's recipe).  


Here is my take on it:

Whipped Cherry Lemon Cake

Cake:


One box of lemon cake mix
10 oz. of Diet Mountain Dew


Mix the two together and bake as per the boxes directions.


Topping:


Combine 1 container of cool whip with one can of cherry pie filling.   


Top the cooled cake with the topping.  


Serve and ENJOY!

I'll take 12

That's right. I bought 12 of them and received $61 in catalinas and ShopRite gift cards. Sounds great, right? You can do it too but sorry, you only have today! What if I also told you that I have never bought or used this product before too? Well, it's true. One of my couponing mottos is if it's free I'll likely by it and if I make money on it I'll definitely buy it! This is a money making deal buying Clairol Natural Instincts hair color! You will also need 6 coupons from the 6/17 Smartsource circular (I used (4) $5 off 2 and (4) $2 off 1). Here's the breakdown: (12) boxes at $5.99 = 71.88 *you will need to do 6 transactions After each transaction you will get a $6 Catalina After the sixth and final transaction you will also get a $25 ShopRite gift card reward! Final money maker of $17.12 (not include tax). Not a bad day getting paid to shop!