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To a lot of you who know me and love me, and even more so for some of those of you who don’t, it makes absolutely no sense that I would aspire to attend a bloggers conference. See, I lost some of you, right there. – lol But, Relevant isn’t just another blogger’s conference. The [...]
To a lot of you who know me and love me, and even more so for some of those of you who don’t, it makes absolutely no sense that I would aspire to attend a bloggers conference. See, I lost some of you, right there. – lol But, Relevant isn’t just another blogger’s conference.
The Relevant Conference exists to offer a place of face to face interaction with Christian women bloggers who want to be relevant in the larger blog and social media world. Our goal is to go beyond the surface into intentional blogging and real life living. We support women turning their hearts toward home and using their blogs to bless their families while also engaging the world for the glory of God. Relevant is a one-of-a-kind conference that seeks to engage women by teaching blogging techniques and social media skill while also urging and encouraging women to live fully integrated lives with their faith and family.
This is a conference about family and keeping a home, as God has called us to do, not as the world demands; and it matches the Busy-at Home theme and my heart to a tee. I would love to meet and connect with like-minded bloggers and companies that I could support and promote; and who could support me in making Busy-at-Home an even more welcoming and valuable place for you to visit.
The theme for this year’s conference is Blessing My Family, Engaging the World. I love that! It’s exactly who I want to be and what I want to do. Our key verse, from Titus 2, is at the top of every page of our Busy-at-Home blog. “…Train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home…” I take that very seriously and I want my blogging to reflect that commitment. I’m a long way from “having arrived”, but with 27 years of marriage, 5 children, almost four decades in the kitchen, 20 years of homeschooling and now, the blessing of 3 grandchildren, I have some experiences to bring to the table. Relevant 2010, would give me the opportunity to learn how to relate all of those experiences effectively and bring out the best that I have to offer you. It would help me to grow one step closer to the woman God created me to be , as well as provide resources and knowledge that help me to share ways you can do that, too.
Do you all know about Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce? It’s amusing to me that there is a bottle of it in my refrigerator tonight – that my husband couldn’t eat his grilled chicken, at supper, without it. The bottle that I have was a generous gift from Country Bobs. A coupon for a free sample arrived a while back and only last week did I get around to picking some up. It has now been adopted as a must-have condiment in our kitchen. I wonder how much of that is coincidence and how much of it might be one of those interesting nudges God gives me, now and again. Because tonight I am writing this post as part of an entry into a giveaway Country Bob’s is holding. The prize is a free ticket to the Relevant 2010 Conference. The deadline is midnight tomorrow and I only just heard about it, tonight. Amazing!
Needless to say I am excited and even hopeful. Who knows what could happen? So, for those who know and love me, and even those of you who don’t, thanks for indulging me in a little dreaming, tonight. It’s been a lot of fun!
From now until November 30, beginning on the first day of each month, you can enter your story into one of Proctor and Gamble’s monthly “Thank You Mom” contests. Whether she lives near or far, share how much you appreciate your mom or the woman who has been like a mom to you, and you [...]
From now until November 30, beginning on the first day of each month, you can enter your story into one of Proctor and Gamble’s monthly “Thank You Mom” contests. Whether she lives near or far, share how much you appreciate your mom or the woman who has been like a mom to you, and you could win a new video camera and $1000 for a fantastic trip to visit her.
Proctor & Gamble continues to celebrate moms everywhere with “Thank You Mom Reunions”, a nationwide contest to reunite Moms and their children for milestone family moments like graduations and birthdays they otherwise might have missed. “Thank You Mom Reunions” will bring together 105 moms with their children, who are unable to do so on their own. (15 per month for a 10 month campaign.)
Judges will choose 30 finalists based on the following criteria:
- Originality & Creativity of Essay — 40%
- Overall Inspiration of Quality of Essay — 25%
- Appropriateness of Essay to Contest Theme — 25%
- Appropriateness of Title to Essay — 10%
In the event of a tie during judging, the tie will be broken based on the highest score for Originality & Creativity.
Those thirty finalists will have their stories posted in the Finalist’s Gallery and we all can go and vote for our favorites, once per day. The 15 highest-ranked stories each win $1,000 and a handheld video camera to record their reunion and post it online!
There is still time to vote on the June entries! Click over and cast a vote for your favorite.
Then start composing your own story. 15 winners will be selected every month from now until Thanksgiving! That’s July, August, September, October, and November. You can’t be one of them if you don’t enter! Hurry! Get signed up, today!
My post about this contest makes me eligible for a gift card via random drawing by One2One Network.
I love fragrance!!! In candles, soaps, lotions, perfume, air freshener, baking, newly mowed hay, spring rain…you get the idea. Aroma can bring back wonderful memories, relax your mind and body, energize you, or even soothe you. Fragrance in any product can be powerful and Bodycology offers us the opportunity to experience irresistible scents at affordable [...]
I love fragrance!!! In candles, soaps, lotions, perfume, air freshener, baking, newly mowed hay, spring rain…you get the idea. Aroma can bring back wonderful memories, relax your mind and body, energize you, or even soothe you. Fragrance in any product can be powerful and Bodycology offers us the opportunity to experience irresistible scents at affordable prices. I love their products and have used them, often, here at home and as well-received additions to gift baskets for friends and family.
As busy moms on a budget, we don’t often take the time or want to spend the money for even small luxuries for ourselves. Bodycology makes it easy and affordable to experience a little luxury in our everyday moments. Their products are as easy to find as your local Wal-Mart or other discount store and affordable on even a frugal budget. I can’t wait to introduce you to the wonderful options so you can experience them yourself.
I had the opportunity, this week to review some of the newest products Bodycology has to offer. Not only do I get to share my experience with you, but Bodycology has generously provided for a Busy-at-Home reader to receive a new Shower Gel & Foaming Bath, along with a Body Cream in the luscious Midnight Garden Fragrance. Be sure to keep reading for the exciting details of this Giveaway!
I was delighted to receive a new, longer lasting Body Mist in White Gardenia, Anti-bacterial Foaming Hand Soap in White Gardenia and Shower Gel & Foaming Bath in the Midnight Garden Fragrance. Midnight Garden happens to be my favorite Bodycology fragrance, so that was an especially welcome gift, but I wasn’t prepared for how much I would also love the other two products.
- Body Mist, Shower Gel & Foaming Bath and Antibacterial Foaming Hand Soap I was sent to review.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that the body mist is light and refreshing. It didn’t leave that oily residue on my skin that I have found to be so common with other body mists. It actually made my skin feel a little cooler, fresher and somewhat smooth/softened. I was curious then about the ingredients and found that it contained aloe vera to condition and hydrate the skin. The fragrance stayed with me the entire day in a very subtle way. I love that it wasn’t over-powering.
- White Gardenia Body Mist
You HAVE to try the new line of anti-bacterial foaming hand soap from Bodycology. This is not just a handful of bubbly fluff. You know what I mean if you have tried some other brands. The Bodycology Foaming Hand Soap only required one pump to produce a thick and creamy lather that wasn’t overly sudsy or bubbly. It rinsed cleanly and left my hands feeling smooth and hydrated. No dry skin! That’s a huge deal for me! The room where I washed my hands still had a hint of the lingering fragrance in the air. Clean hands, soft skin, softly fragranced environment. You’d never suspect it is antibacterial. Absolutely love it!
- White Gardenia Anti-bacterial Foaming Hand Soap
Are you ready for a luxurious aromatherapy experience that fits your frugal budget and won’t require any extra time out of your busy schedule? Bodycology Shower Gel & Foaming Bath Wash is just what you need. Like the Hand Soap, I was delighted that this was not just some perfumed, fluffy bubbles. The lather was thick, rich, silky and luxurious. I felt clean, but it didn’t dry my skin and the fragrance was wonderful. It made those few quiet moments of my day incredibly relaxing (and too short!) - 
It was like a mini spa treatment, right at home.
- Midnight Garden Shower Gel & Foaming Bath
Bodycology‘s products are available in Apple Orchard, Coconut Lime, Cucumber Melon, Clean Lemon, Sweet Petals, Midnight Garden, Vanilla Cupcake, White Gardenia, Berry Pear, Brown Sugar Vanilla, Cherry Blossom and Fresh Waters. You can purchase products individually or I have often found them packaged in attractive gift sets.
When you visit the Bodycology website you can find retailers near you who carry the products at affordable prices. Just for fun, you can answer some questions about things you enjoy and be paired with the fragrance that “fits” you best. So, if you’re ready to experience the luxury and fragrance for yourself, stop by the website and find out where you can find these inexpensive “spa like” products in your own town.
GIVEAWAY!!!
One lucky Busy-at-Home reader will receive a Midnight Garden Shower Gel & Foaming Bath Wash and a Midnight Garden Body Cream thanks to the generosity of Bodycology.
You must be 18 or older and reside in the U.S. to enter. Winner will be selected in a random drawing with random.org. Deadline for entry is midnight CST, Friday, July 9, 2010.
Required Entry: (must be completed for additional entries to count)
Visit the Bodycology website and take the Bodycology Quiz. Come back here and in the comments list the fragrance that “matches” your personal style.
Additional Entries: (Be sure you complete the required entry, so we can count any extra ones you complete.)
- Visit the Bodycology website to find a retailer in your area that carries their products. Come back here and put the name of the store in your comments. (Stores will show up on the map as little green arrows. Click one to get a store’s address.) If you don’t find a store in your area, come back here and post your zip code in a comment.
- Follow Bodycology on Twitter. (include your Twitter ID/name in your comment).
- Follow Busy-at-Home on Twitter (include your Twitter ID/name in your comment).
- Like Busy-at-Home on Facebook (include your Facebook ID/name in your comment).
- Like Bodycology on Facebook. (include your Facebook ID/name in your comment.)
- Post on Bodycology’s Facebook wall and let them know you are entering this Busy-at-Home giveaway. (Come back and leave a comment that you posted on their wall.)
- Tweet the following (one time per day) Include a link to the tweet in your comment. (Click the timestamp in your tweet and it will take you to the link.): @busyathome Review and Giveaway!! Luxurious, spa-quality products from @mybodycology! http://ow.ly/24xb3#giveaway #review
- Subscribe to Busy-at-Home email updates. (Comment that you subscribed and give the email address you used.)
- Post this Giveaway on your blog or facebook page and include the link in your comment.
- Join Busy at Home with Google Friends Connect.
- Subscribe to our RSS Feed.
- In a comment, tell where you heard about this giveaway.
I was provided the three products mentioned above to complete my review and Bodycology will ship the prizes for the Giveaway directly to the winning reader. I was not paid to provide this review. The opinions expressed are wholly my own.
Wednesday night about 10:15 p.m., I got an uncontrollable craving for some really good bread. Healthy — yes, that was definitely in the back of my head, but I was also really wanting the nutty, chewy texture of whole grain with lots of seeds, nuts and grain. I wanted the texture as much as the [...]
Wednesday night about 10:15 p.m., I got an uncontrollable craving for some really good bread. Healthy — yes, that was definitely in the back of my head, but I was also really wanting the nutty, chewy texture of whole grain with lots of seeds, nuts and grain. I wanted the texture as much as the bread. I also wanted something different than my usual favorite — maybe something a little sweet. So, being the adventurer extraordinaire that I am, I decided at 10:30 pm to tweak my favorite recipe (not the half whole wheat, half white, everyday recipe that I appease my family with occasionally) and make some Whole Grain Cinnamon Raisin Bread. And since my favorite recipe makes four giant loaves of bread, my first tweak was to scale it back — something that all of you know almost never happens in MY kitchen. But scale it back, I did. I pretty much halved everything and added a few touches that could satisfy my cravings and by 11:15 p.m., I had two gorgeous loaves, rising in the pans. What? You don’t bake bread at midnight? – lol – Some cravings just cannot be denied. You’ll see. You’ll be wanting some, too!
And what’s my one and only, go-to every time, first-love appliance in the kitchen? That’s right, you know I pulled out my Bosch. I’m going to share something a little personal. We’ve been visiting long enough and I think you can handle it. I HATE “stuff” on my counters. I just can’t take it. I can’t bake something or prepare a meal if the counters are cluttered. I have to clean everything up first. It’s a personal problem, sort of an irrational OCD thing, but I can’t help it. I don’t want appliances, dishes, papers, crumbs, NOTHING on my countertops. I know, I need help; but you’ll be happy to know I have been able to manage a candle, a decorative cookie jar and in the back corner, behind the fridge, I keep my Bosch out on the counter — because I love it so much and because I use it on an almost daily basis (and because I love him more than any appliance 
, David gets to keep his coffeemaker beside the Bosch.) In another post, I will have to tell you how great the Bosch is and publicly declare my affections for it, but today, we’ll settle for “I pulled out my Bosch from the corner and made some reeeeediculously delicious bread!”
…
Whole Grain Cinnamon Raisin Bread
…
Ingredients:
- 2½ cups warm water
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 Tbls. yeast
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 3 Tbls. granular lecithin (liquid is fine)
- ½ cup wheat gluten
- 3 – 4 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 2 cups of seeds, grains, and nuts (I used the Harvest Grains Blend from King Arthur. A big splurge, but so worth it on this particular occasion.)
- 4 – 5 cups of whole wheat flour
- 1½ cups raisins
Put the warm water, sugar and yeast into the bowl on the Bosch and stir gently (or put the lid on and let it whir! I just wasn’t messing with the lid, yet, at this point.)
Water, yeast and brown sugar. Note that at this point, I have not yet realized, I don't have the dough hook in my mixer. What?!! It was late.
Adding melted butter. Still no dough hook.
Just added the gluten. Still no dough hook.
Adding lecithin. Yes, I know -- no dough hook. I'm a dork.
Mix in about 3½ cups of the flour and then in small increments, gradually add just what you need to complete the dough. In total for this batch, I used 4½ cups of flour. (After all my bread posts, you are probably tired of hearing this, but it is really important if you want the best possible bread. Humidity will dramatically affect the amount of flour you need to make bread dough. Add a portion of what is called for, mix it in and then begin adding flour in 1/2 cup to 1/4 cup intervals, mixing and adding more when needed, until the dough in your machine just starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and leaves the bowl sides clean. The dough will be very soft, but not sticky to the touch. That is perfect dough.)
Finally a dough hook! I figured it out after an unusual clunking dance across the counter top.
Add the grain and raisins and mix until incorporated (as in mixed together, not as in having formed a business. That would take forever. ) See below for a tip on baking with raisins.
Mixing raisins into the dough. See the clean sides of the bowl?
Knead on power level 2 for seven minutes or turn onto a floured board and knead by hand for ten to fifteen minutes.
Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a warm, damp tea towel and let rise until doubled in size.
In the bowl, ready to rise!
Punch down the dough. Knead slightly until it forms a smooth ball. Divide in half.
Form each half into a loaf and place in a greased loaf pan. Cover with a warm, damp tea towel and let rise until doubled in size.
Risen and ready to bake.
Bake in a 350° oven for 35-40 minutes.
Lightly butter the tops of your loaves. It tastes good and keeps the crusts soft.
Remove from oven and butter the tops of the loaves. Turn onto a cooling rack and allow loaves to cool before slicing. (Okay, that’s the official stance on cooling and slicing. The reality is you will want to slice a warm, wonderful hunk right off the loaf as soon as it is out of the pan. I’d like to discourage you from doing that, because a) you’ll burn your mouth, b) it squishes the loaf out of shape and c) you’ll burn your mouth. But, since I don’t even heed my own advice, I don’t feel right withholding the pleasure of warm, delicious bread and scorched lips from the rest of you. A woman has to do what a woman has to do.
Hot hunk of bread and slightly disfigured loaf. Yum!
If you MUST slice the loaf while it is still warm, turn the loaf on its side and with a serrated blade, using a sawing motion and very little pressure, remove a slab and then gently set the loaf back on the cooling rack, next to its kin. While all of it is cooling you can dredge your freshly hewn hunk of bread with lots of butter and revel in the deliciousness.
Once the bread has cooled, I like to slice it and then either freeze it or store it in airtight containers. If you can find them, the 2 -gallon ziplocs work really well, but the 1 -gallons are usually too small, since I use slightly over-sized loaf pans. The company that made this handy-dandy bread slicer is no longer in business and since next to my Bosch, this is the kitchen tool I love almost in second place, I guard it carefully. I even found some poor unsuspecting person on Ebay who had no idea they could never get another one, and I bought the one they had, without one glimmer of a guilty conscience. Using an electric knife, this gadget allows me to make thin, uniform slices, that store and serve easily. I have seen similar contraptions on Amazon, but nothing exactly like this beauty. See how lovely the slices are?
My friend, the bread slicing phenomenon! That's 14 perfect slices and 3 or 4 were already gone.
**The promised tip for baking with raisins** If your raisins are particularly dried, they can often scorch and have an almost burnt, bitter taste after further dehydrating in your oven. So, before I add them to mixtures I will be baking, I measure them into a microwave safe container, completely cover them in water and microwave on full power for 1 – 2 minutes. I leave them in that warm water while I mix the rest of my ingredients and then thoroughly drain them just before adding them to my dough or batter. They are plump, juicy and sweet even after the baking is complete.
Raisins covered in water, ready to be microwaved 1 - 2 minutes.
How did the bread turn out? Take a look. See how soft, pliable and tender it is? It doesn’t crack or tear when I fold it over. It is the texture of your husband’s and children’s white bread dreams. That’s how I finally got mine to eat true whole wheat bread (but I still have to leave out the nuts, grains, and seeds from theirs). It’s the lecithin. I have never been able to achieve this texture without it. So, while it is not necessary to the successful taste or rising of the bread, it is definitely necessary for this specific texture and softness.
Soft, moist, flexible and delicious!
This bread is bee-YEW-tiful toasted and even better as cinnamon toast, but you won’t believe how amazingly delicious it was for grilled cheese sandwiches! Stay tuned for the toasted, ooey, gooey, yumminess.
Perfect slices of cinnamony, nutty, whole grain yumminess!
PRINTABLE RECIPE COMING SOON!
This post is linked to Grocery Cart Challenge.
I promised that as soon as I got a picture of Flat Susie’s manicure, I would share it. See her beautiful nails? She got in on the act and polished Lacy’s nails before she jetted off to South Dakota. I’m expecting to hear any day now, that she has arrived for her visit with the [...]
I promised that as soon as I got a picture of Flat Susie’s manicure, I would share it. See her beautiful nails? She got in on the act and polished Lacy’s nails before she jetted off to South Dakota. I’m expecting to hear any day now, that she has arrived for her visit with the Stolz’s.
Flat Susie receiving and giving a manicure!
Do you all remember when I posted on our Facebook Wall a couple weeks ago about Kraft’s First Taste website? Did you go and sign up? Then go, right now, and don’t waste another minute! Not only is it a great way to get news about all the awesome new products Kraft is launching, [...]
Do you all remember when I posted on our Facebook Wall a couple weeks ago about Kraft’s First Taste website? Did you go and sign up? Then go, right now, and don’t waste another minute! Not only is it a great way to get news about all the awesome new products Kraft is launching, but you have the opportunity to weigh in with your opinions and be heard. You’ll also find recipes and special offers, like free samples and/or coupons for free products when they are available. They even have opportunities for members to do House Parties and introduce guests to the new products.
I was fortunate enough to participate in Kraft’s “Taste What’s New and Delicious from Kraft Foods” campaign. I received six coupons for FREE full-sized products in the mail! My family and I had great fun taste-testing DiGiornio’s new Deep Dish Pizza, Kool-Aid Fun-Fizz tablets, Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh thin-sliced ham, Kraft 100 Calorie Packs of Cheddar Cheese Cubes, Ritz Crackerfuls Four Cheese Crackers and Kraft’s New Homestyle Macaroni and Cheese. (Actually, the Homestyle Mac and Cheese wasn’t available the day I shopped, so I still have that coupon for another shopping trip, but I did have FREE coupons for the new Kraft Grilled Cheese Explosion Macaroni and Cheese dinners (from a different promotion), and that is what you see in this picture.)
Delicious, FREE products we have received from Kraft
The Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh ham was amazing! We made sub sandwiches at home on Father’s Day and our whole family enjoyed this meat. The packaging is easy to open and close (which means the meat stays fresh). I loved how thin and flavorful the slices were. At my local Wal-Mart, this one pound package was priced only $4.50, which was cheaper than the deli turkey they were offering, plus I didn’t have to stand in line and wait for it to be shaved and packaged. I just pulled it off the shelf and was on to the next item on my list. (As a side note, I recently had the opportunity to print a free coupon for the new Deli-Fresh Turkey Pastrami, which we also gobbled up on Father’s Day. It is probably my husband’s all-time favorite sandwich meat, now.)
The Kool-Aid Fun Fizz is definitely a hit with our eight-year-old daughter and our three- and two-year-old granddaughters. For this particular shopping trip, we picked up the Partying Punch, but all the girls have also tried Grape and Lemonade. The consensus among adults was that the flavors were a little weak, but the kids absolutely loved them and that is all that really matters. To me, the real benefit of this product is that it is a fun and appealing way to get kids to drink more water, which is exactly what they did.
When I read about DiGiornio Deep Dish pizza and even after I received the coupon, I didn’t realize it was a single serving pie, so I was a little surprised when I first saw it in the freezer case. My skepticism continued when I saw that it was “microwave” pizza, but I couldn’t have been more pleasantly surprised. My husband and I shared this yummy treat on one of our date nights, watching a movie. What an unexpectedly flavorful shock! We had the four cheese variety and it was absolutely delicious. I am very picky about pizza sauce — the taste and the quantity — and I loved this pizza. The other thing that surprised and delighted me was that the crust actually browned. It had a soft, wonderful center and lightly browned, yummy outer crust. You wouldn’t have believed it came out of the microwave!
The Kraft 100 Calorie Cheese Cube packs are perfect for quick snacks to pick up and go. I’ve mentioned to you before that one of our daughter’s is insulin resistant and having this pre-measured, handy protein-packed snack ready for her to grab is great! Plus, it just tastes good. It’s the perfect size snack to tide the kids and grandkids over until supper is on the table.
While I was gone for an evening, the Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Grilled Cheese Explosion dinners became the “base” for my husband’s dinner prep. He is so great about taking over when I’m gone and cooking for the family. His meals tend to be casseroles and his favorites always start with macaroni and cheese. That’s exactly what happened to the Grilled Cheese Explosion dinners. He prepared them following the directions on the box and added some seasoned ground beef I already had in the fridge. It made a creamy, satisfying meal which was super simple for him to prepare.
Ritz Crackerfuls may actually be my new secret obsession. These whole-grain crackers are absolutely delicious little cracker sandwiches filled with cheese spreads. I bought the Four Cheese variety and enjoyed them plain and also slathered with some of my homemade Hot Pepper Jelly. I can also imagine this four cheese variety spread with a thin layer of pizza sauce, some sliced pepperoni and a little mozzarella cheese, then baked until the cheese is bubbly. What a great snack or party appetizer! Yum!
See the yummy cheese filling? And look at the size of those crackers! It really is a hearty, filling snack.
So, seriously. If you haven’t signed up at First Taste, yet, do it today. You never know when you may be the one selected to try out new products or receive some great coupons. It’s fun AND it’s just one more piece of ammunition in your frugal arsenal. I know you are working, just like me, to be a great steward of your family’s resources.
Enter to win a $1000 Amazon Gift Certificate by completing this survey that gives your impressions of the products I told you about, today. The questions are asked as though you and I (Glenda) have had a personal conversation about these products, instead of you having just read my blog, however, Kraft would definitely like your impressions. So, go fill out the survey and earn your chance at the $1000 gift certificate. Good luck!
And the Winner Is…#51 Wehaf says: June 29, 2010 at 4:58 pm (Edit) I would fill the plate with beer bread and give it to my next door neighbor. Ingredients 1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer 3 cups self-rising flour 3 tablespoons white sugar Directions In a large bowl, mix together the sugar [...]
And the Winner Is…#51
Wehaf says:I would fill the plate with beer bread and give it to my next door neighbor.
Ingredients
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer
3 cups self-rising flour
3 tablespoons white sugar
DirectionsIn a large bowl, mix together the sugar and flour. Add beer and continue to mix, first using a wooden spoon, then your hands. Batter will be sticky. Pour into a 9 x 5 inch greased loaf pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees ) for 50 for 60 minutes. The top will be crunchy, and the insides will be soft.
Congratulations, Wehaf! I will register the number on your plate, so the first $5 will be contributed and ship it as soon as we hear back from you. We will be watching anxiously to see how far the plate can travel. Thank you for participating in the research for a cure for breast cancer!
I have emailed you to get your shipping info. We need to hear back from you in 48 hours or a new winner will have to be selected.
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I’m so excited to be participating in KitchenAid’s Co0k for the Cure! Having a breast cancer survivor in our family makes this an even more personal event. The weekend of July 16 – 18th, cooks around America will have the opportunity to partner with KitchenAid and the Susan G Komen Foundation to raise money for breast cancer research. It’s such a great opportunity to share a love of cooking and support an exceptionally worthwhile effort! Plus, who doesn’t love a party?!!! Have a dinner party, brunch, barbecue, snack attack (lol), or even a bake sale. You provide the fun, food and fellowship and instead of asking guests to bring a dish, ask them to bring a small donation to the Susan G Komen Foundation. What a fantastic concept!
A second chance to continue the fundraising is being offered, too! Parties that raise at least $50 will receive a Pass the Plate serving platter to help you continue in your breast cancer fighting efforts. Every time you “pass the plate” to a friend and they register it on the website, KitchenAid will make a $5 donation to the cause. I envision a plate of homemade cookies or bread delivered to a friend with a note attached giving the web address to register the plate. Then that friend passes the love and some wonderful treat on to another friend, who registers the plate and passes it on, and so on, and so on… Imagine the impact! It’s such a phenomenal idea and I can’t wait to see how far those plates travel!
KitchenAid has one more option for supporting the Susan G Komen Foundation. If you are already in the market for a new KitchenAid appliance, why not purchase something from their Cook for the Cure product line? A donation will be made for each product purchased.
I’m going to get right on the planning and update you soon with the delicious recipes and theme for Busy-at-Home’s Cook for the Cure Party. I can’t wait to share the details! In the meantime, we want to kick things off and get you excited to help in this great cause.
GIVEAWAY!!!!
…
Busy-at-Home has purchased a Pass the Plate Serving Platter and a set of Cook for the Cure Mixing Bowls. One of our readers will receive BOTH as the prize in our Cooks for the Cure Giveaway. You keep the bowls to use in your own kitchen and you get to to be the first in what will hopefully be a long line of people sharing tasty treats and contributing to this great cause, by passing the plate. When you receive the Pass the Plate serving Platter, you must agree to fill it with something yummy and give it away to someone else who will do the same, and so on and so on. We’ll track the plate’s progress around the country and see how much money we can raise by logging in to the account at KitchenAid. KitchenAid will donate $5 to breast cancer research each time we register the plate on their website and then pass it on. I can’t wait to see how much we can raise! So, this giveaway is a win – win! Something new and spiffy for your kitchen and something for you to pass along and make a difference in an awesome cause.
Giveaway Rules: (Entries that do not complete the requirements of the required entry, as stated, will be deleted.)
1) Must be 18 years of age and a U.S. resident.
2) Winner must agree to visit the KitchenAid website, register the plate and pass it on in the spirit of the event. Enjoy the KitchenAid bowl set in your own kitchen, but the platter must be passed on.
3) Required Entry: In a comment below, tell what wonderful treat you would fill the plate with and who you would give the platter of treats away to so they, too, can pass it on.
4) Additional Entires: (You must post a separate comment for each of these you complete.)
- In a comment below, share the complete recipe for the treat you said you would share on the Pass the Plate serving platter.
- Follow KitchenAid on Twitter (include your Twitter ID/name in your comment).
- Follow KitchenAid on Facebook (include your Facebook ID/name in your comment).
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In a large bowl, mix together the sugar and flour. Add beer and continue to mix, first using a wooden spoon, then your hands. Batter will be sticky. Pour into a 9 x 5 inch greased loaf pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees ) for 50 for 60 minutes. The top will be crunchy, and the insides will be soft.
I know I have posted about Walgreen’s and their Register Rewards coupon program before; but if you’re still on the fence or not quite sure you understand how it is supposed to work, I hope this post will encourage you to step out and try your hand at this “saving game”. I drove in to [...]
I know I have posted about Walgreen’s and their Register Rewards coupon program before; but if you’re still on the fence or not quite sure you understand how it is supposed to work, I hope this post will encourage you to step out and try your hand at this “saving game”.
I drove in to Lincoln, today, to do a weekly grocery shop, pick up dog food at Pet’s Mart and re-stock some household items I knew I could get at Wal-greens. I had to invest a little time reviewing the ads and pulling the coupons I would use, but it turned out to be worth the effort. At Walgreen’s I purchased $92.68 in product, (including tax), and only handed over $40.44 out of our bank account, plus I still have a $3 RR coupon in my purse for my next Walgreen’s visit! $92.68 -$40.44+$3 =$55.24 saved. Happy! Happy! Happy! Here’s how I organized the visits to make that savings.
Transactions 1, 2 & 3 (All made at the same checkout time. The first two were intended, but then the checker made me an offer I couldn’t refuse and I did all 3 at once. I just divided my items and the checker rung up three tickets for me.)
I got to the checkout with the following items in my cart: 2 bottles of Windex, 1 Nivea for Men Body Wash/Shampoo, 2 Pepsi 12 -packs and 1 Diet Mountain Dew 12-pack. The Windex and Nivea were rung up as one transaction and the soda was a separate transaction.
The Nivea was $5.99 and the Windex was 2/$6. I used two $1 coupons for the Windex and a $1 coupon for the Nivea, so my total for this first transaction (including tax) was $9.83. Here’s where savings start to happen. The register dispensed a $6 RR coupon (for the Nivea) and a $1 RR (for the Windex) coupon with my receipt. Remember, Register Rewards (RR) are just like cash that can be used on your next transaction at Walgreen’s.
Now, the checker rang up the soda as a second transaction. It was on sale 3/$11. I used the $7 in RR that I received in the first transaction and since there is no sales tax on food in Nebraska, my total for Transaction 2 was only $4 for three 12-packs of Pepsi products! AND the register dispensed a $3 RR with my receipt.
The Gillette Fusion Razor was on my list for a later transaction, but as I completed Transactions 1 & 2 with the checker at the cosmetics counter (who by the way was a real peach and very accommodating), she told me that she also “had these great razors on sale for Father’s Day AND happened to have an extra $4 coupon for it behind the counter + it gives a $5 RR.” [ which I already knew ] “Would I like to buy one?” Well, not only was I amused by her sales pitch, but the wheels were turning to save even more. I agreed. She rang up the razor for me at $9.89 and subtracted her $4 coupon. I also handed her a 39¢ Butterfinger, because I then gave her the $3 RR coupon from Transaction 2. You can’t use more coupons than you have products and since I wanted to use 2 coupons, hers AND mine, I tossed in the candy. The total for Transaction 3, including sales tax, was $3.97 and the register dispensed a $5 RR with my receipt. I love it when the store pays me to shop! - lol
I put my purchases in the cart, which I promptly wheeled to the parking lot and unloaded.
Transaction 4
Transaction 4 was pretty simple. I took the cart back into the store and parked it. Then I walked over and picked up the 4 bags of Hershey’s chocolate that were on sale 4/$10. I proceeded to the checkout at the front of the store where I used the RR coupon from Transaction 3, which brought my total for Transaction 4 to $5. The register dispensed a $5 RR with my receipt. 4 bags of chocolate for free. Oh happy day!
I took the bag of chocolate to the van and decided to make one more trip inside, before I went to the grocery store, instead of making two after.
Transaction 5
This is where the story gets a little comical. I checked out back at the cosmetics counter, again. I even had the same checker. I remembered her, but even though it was only 13 minutes later (Yes, I have the time-stamped receipts to show it. – lol ), she did not remember me. I carried the Nivea and Schick Hydro 3 razor to the checkout. She looked at what I was buying and launched into, “I have this great razor on sale for Father’s Day AND happen to have an extra $4 coupon for it behind the counter + it gives a $5 RR. Would you like one?” I smiled, threw a 39¢ Butterfinger on the counter and said, “That would be great!” I used her $4 coupon for the razor, a $1 coupon for the Nivea, a $2 coupon for the Schick razor and the $5 RR from Transaction 4. My total, with sales tax, for Transaction 5 was $13.93. The register dispensed a $6 RR for the Nivea, a$4 RR for the Schick razor and a $5 RR for the Gillette — a total of $15 in RR. Another great money-maker!
I smiled all the way to the van and drove to the grocery store on the other side of town. There happens to be another Walgreen’s across the street. So, when I finished my grocery shopping, I made a quick dash into Walgreen’s to complete my final two transactions.
Transactions 6 & 7
Like transactions 1, 2 & 3, 6 & 7 were both done at the same time, just on two different receipts. I had the following items in my cart when I reached the register: Nivea Body Wash/Shampoo, Oscar Mayer Turkey, Oscar Mayer Ham, three 39¢ Butterfingers, two 12-packs of Pepsi and one 12-pack of Mountain Dew and a package of 100 ponytail holders.
Transaction 6 was everything except the soda and ponytail holders. I used two $1 coupons for the Oscar Mayer meat, a $1 coupon for the Nivea, and the $4 and $5 RR coupons from transaction 5. See why the Butterfingers are in there? I can’t have more coupons than products in the transaction. So five products, five coupons and my total for Transaction 6 was only $2.58. The register dispensed a $6 RR for the Nivea with my receipt.
Transaction 7 was for the soda and ponytail holders. I used the $6 RR from transaction 5 and the $6 RR from transaction 6. I threw the ponytail holders in here for 2 reasons: a) We needed some. b) I cannot use a greater value of RR than the total price of my transaction. The soda alone, would have only been $11 and I wanted to use both $6 RR. thus the $1.99 worth of ponytail holders. My total for Transaction 7, including sales tax, was $1.13. The register dispensed a $3 RR with my receipt, which I will be able to use on my next trip to Walgreens.
Have you had a great shopping trip experience, recently? Know about a deal that is to good to pass up? We know that stockpiling items we commonly use, when we find them at a great bargain, can save us hundreds of dollars a year. What other frugal tips can stretch the family budget? Please share your knowledge and encouragement to help us all become wise stewards. Looking forward to hearing from all of you!
It’s been a while since I updated you on Flat Susie’s journey. We received the sweetest letter and some pictures from the Roger’s family in Omaha. I’ll share them with you here. Hi, gals! Flat Susie couldn’t have arrived at a better time. She arrived on May 14th, just as Grandma Rogers and Grandpa Jay came [...]
It’s been a while since I updated you on Flat Susie’s journey. We received the sweetest letter and some pictures from the Roger’s family in Omaha. I’ll share them with you here.
Hi, gals!
Flat Susie couldn’t have arrived at a better time. She arrived on May 14th, just as Grandma Rogers and Grandpa Jay came to visit us from Wichita, Kansas. As you can see from the pictures, we had quite the busy weekend. Friday evening we sat outdoors by the fire sipping hot chocolate and roasting marshmallows. Flat Susie prefers hers rare, unlike Grandpa Jay, who prefers his blackened.
I think Flat Susie enjoyed watching Kyle’s flag football game Saturday morning. It’s too bad we didn’t have some pom poms for her to cheer on the team.
After the game, we went to Oscars (our newest favorite pizza parlor) and had some oh so yummy pizza pie.
Then it was off for a walk across the new walking bridge across the Missouri River. You can learn a little more about this bridge at the following site:
The highlight was when Flat Susie was in two states at one time – Iowa and Nebraska!
Then it was off for ice cream at Dairy Queen and another football game on Sunday.
We said goodbye to Susie Monday morning, as she left our house for her next adventure. Thanks so much, Larissa, for sharing her with us. We had a fabulous time! And, personally, I rather enjoyed having another girl in the house, even if it was just for a short time.
Laura, Don, Brandon and Kyle
…
Thank you Roger’s Family for an exciting visit and the wonderful hospitality!
Well, Flat Susie made one more stop in Omaha, before moving on. She stopped to visit Larissa’s big sister; and we have it on good authority that they both got manicures during the visit! We’ll be watching for her gorgeous new fingernails in the next pictures.
Flat Susie’s journey continues as she wings her way to Hartford, SD to visit our good friends the Stolz’s!
One if by land and two if by sea — well not really, but with the crazy amounts of rain we’ve been having, you can never be too sure. Lots of rain and cooler than average weather put a lot of energy into growing strong, lush plants — but not much in the way of [...]
One if by land and two if by sea — well not really, but with the crazy amounts of rain we’ve been having, you can never be too sure. Lots of rain and cooler than average weather put a lot of energy into growing strong, lush plants — but not much in the way of vegetable hope and promise. This past week, turned the tables, though; and while we still had rain, we had all the heat and humidity one expects from a Nebraska summer. The tomatoes LOVED it! Do you remember this picture from a couple weeks ago?
Well, this is how the tomatoes look, today! And some of those yellow blossoms, reaching for the sun, have set on the tiniest little green promises of delectable tomatoey goodness! I can hardly wait!
Can’t you just smell these delicious herbs? Thyme and Chives. They look beautiful and decorative, the aroma is wonderful and the fresh taste in cooking simply can’t be beat! (Note to self: Definitely need to get more herbs planted — basil for Kay’s pesto and lots of cilantro for our favorite Mexican dishes.)
And I never cease to marvel at the creativity and beauty of God. Look at these flowers!!!! We have fussed and complained about the weather — too wet, too cool, too dry, too hot. Nothing is too ANYTHING for Him. He makes beauty out of every condition. These flowers remind me every day of that scripture in Matthew, about “the lilies of the field”. Look at them! And He loves us many times more than these incredible flowers. No worries!
I have tons of day lilies that will bloom and be pretty all summer, but I have to confess that these Asiatic lilies are still my favorite and with a little tender care, may net me a second set of blooms before the summer is over.
The whole flower bed is doing well, as you can see, in spite of the poor photography skills through the glare of the front window.
And last but not least, remember these beauties? I finally tracked down the name. They are called Gazanias.
So, what’s new in your corner of the garden? How is God blessing the work of your hands? I hope it’s amazing and I hope you’ll share! Have a great Father’s Day weekend!
