Quick Cooking

Hi!  I have not been here much lately, and I thought I would stop by and be sure that you know I have another blog!  I am much more regularly posting my at my other blog.  You can click on the picture to get there or here's the link.  http://www.barbiecrafts.blogspot.com. ; By the way, that is the view from my front porch.  Come by and sit awhile!The links are still on this site for my recipes and crafts ideas, if you want to get to those. 

I will stop by from time to time!

You can also read my columns on the Knoxville Examiner.  I am the Knoxville Cooking Examiner and the Tri-Cities Social Media Examiner. 

Tonight I got 45 Healthy Choice Frozen Entrees for .57 cents each!  They were not out of date, and as a matter of fact, they will be good well into 2011.    If you use coupons, you probably do things like this yourself, and you're not impressed.  OK, but I will give out our secrets to some of the uninitiated among us, so that we all can take part in the festivities!

You can really make like a bandit if you use your coupons wisely.  There are a few secrets to doing what I do, and it makes the difference between really saving or just saving some pocket change. 

Many people feel that fooling with coupons is too much trouble.  It is a little bit of trouble, but it is the most fun you can have.  (at least in a grocery store!)  I do have to clip all the coupons, file them, and tote the bag in the store, but I SAVE big! Here's an article about organizing your coupons:  Click Here.

One thing you must be aware of is that you don't have to use the coupons that day!  Save your coupons until the item is on sale or clearance.  Always, take a coupon that is dispensed.  You can use it another day or even in another store!  Always get at least two of every coupon you can;  you can use two coupons on a buy-on-get-one free deal. 

I like to get extra coupons in restaurants on Sunday if they have newspapers laying around on tables.  Ok, yes, we do eat at real fancy restaurants like Burger King.  I always ask for the coupons, and I sometimes will ask a total stranger sitting there reading his own copy of the paper.  I actually did that!

Remember to check sale bins in the grocery store.  You can use coupons there!  I got my Healthy Choice $5.00 off of Five coupons in the freezer aisle, but there was a sale bin at the back.  Same coupons work!

Save coupons that you think you may not use, because you may find something in the sale bin that you can use it on!  Good Luck Saving Big!~

I am famous, or infamous is probably more exact,  for my LOVE and obsession with kitchen gadgets.  If you are new to my articles, here is a humorous article discussing my addiction!  

My latest gadget is a slider maker.  I am also a CVS nut, ( read about that HERE)  and I found this on their clearance rack.  I had resisted the temptation to buy it at 75% off,  but my husband got it for me at 90% off.  This made it $2.49!  We actually intend to make salmon cakes in it, but we might make sliders, too. 

The thing is, neither of us knew what a slider was!  I asked my college-age daughter what a slider was.  I had NEVER heard of a slider.  Evidently, it is a trendy little hamburger you eat as an appetizer.  The same week, Rachel Ray was making sliders.  We used an Applebee's gift card last night, and the big deal in appetizers was "sliders."  Am I missing something?  It is just little hamburgers.  Why do we have to call them something else?  Maybe we do this to have an excuse to eat a hamburger  BEFORE we eat dinner?

Anyway, here is my latest gadget.  I can't wait!  It reminds me of a "As seen on tv" hamburger cooker my mom used to have in the 70's. 

I will let you know how it turns out! 

Here are a couple of new recipes you might want to try. 

Chinese chicken Salad

Italian Bread in the Breadmaker

A Great Basic Meatloaf with Cornflakes  this meatloaf only uses one pound of hamburger!

Until next time...

Barbie

Hi!  It's been a little while since I updated this Quick Cooking blog.  Today, you might want to check out this Easter Recipe:  Easter Sunday Salad.    It is so easy, and it requires absolutely no cooking.  Quick and Easy is always my specialty! 

♪♫♫♪ Here comes Peter Cottontail....♪♫♫♪ Hopping down the Bunny Trail!  If you wonder how I did those neat little musical notes, see the instructions HeRE.  it is so easy!

As you are getting ready for Easter, are you noticing that many grocery stores and drug stores are already marking down the Easter items before Easter?  After Easter, I always buy a lot of candy at 75% or more off.  There are a lot of desert recipes that use broken up pieces of chocolate, and these little chocolate bunnies are perfect.

When you are shopping, don't forget to check out some of those sales with the "bucks" back on your receipt to use next time.  If you work those right, you can do really well!  CVS and Walgreens are two stores that do this.  I buy the lowest price item with bucks back, and work my way up, using the bucks from one to purchase the next.  Here is what I bought yesterday for $11.97.  I didn't do too bad, did I?  This week in our area, Walgreen's has the Dove items, Just for Men Shampoo, and Dental Floss with the total amount of purchase back in bucks....You buy the dental floss for 2.99...get the $2.99 bucks back...Use that to pay on  another order for the Dove product for $4.00, get the 4.00 bucks back.  Then you use that to buy the $4.99 Just for Men Shampoo....You leave with a $4.99 buck to use another time.  This week, I actually went to another Walgreen's and got another Dove, using that $4.99.  I got $4.00 back to use next time!  You get the idea!  $11.97 for these items!

till next time.....keep it quick and easy!

barbie♥  

 Hi!  I'm bragging today!  Look what I got at Kroger this week for $6.62!  If I'm lying, I'm a crying!  NO  JOKE!  Everyone is always asking me how I pull these things off, but it's really not too hard.  You can do it, too.  You have to clip coupons of course.      Here's an article on how to find coupons.  Using the sale paper from Kroger, I carefully go through my organized coupons (Here's an article on how to organize coupons...)I always save all coupons, even if I don't think I will use them.  That's the trick.  When you look at your Kroger weekly ad, you will pick out coupons that go with the very cheap items. 

Kroger often runs sales where you have to buy 8 or 10 items.  I place a hand basket in my buggy to keep them separate.  You must buy GROUPS of 8 or 10, whichever is specified.  If you buy 9 instead of 8, the 9th one is regular price.  Until a nice employee told me this, I thought it was 8 or over or 10 or over. 

You will notice I got 16 items.  Two groups of 8 got me the items very cheaply. 
For instance, the tuna was 49 cents each.  The kind in the pouch is very expensive.  I had a coupon for $1.00 off of two, so I actually made a penny for taking it home.

You get the picture.

Tuesday is Senior Citizen's Day....(Old Fart's Day is what we call it....because it is my husband who is the Old Fart!)  It will be renamed in a few years!:tongue:

Till next time.......clip those coupons!  Study those circulars.....It's a contest!

barbie

I'm real excited about my new blog on Blogger.  This is Google's blog platform, and it is enhanced to make Google adsense easier to manage. If you are not an internet "geek," you probably don't understand or care about what I just said.  Just suffice it to say that blogger.com is quite a good set-up if you are interested in starting your own blog.  Most blog sites like this have a yearly fee, and the other free sites are becoming increasingly restrictive.  Webs.com, the site you are reading this on has changed their policy on adsense.  Adsense is Google's ad program by which you can monetize a site.  Blogger is set up to make it the easiest I have ever seen to implement your ads.  I have Amazon ads on this blog, because the google adsense ads are owned, controlled, and profited on by webs.com in exchange for the free site.  I am real excited to be able to utilize Google Adsense on my new blog, once again. 

While I'm on the subject of sites, etc..., I want to remind you that this Quickk Cooking  site has an archive of my Quick and Easy  recipes and  Quick and Easy craft ideas. I will still maintain that list, so be sure you bookmark this page, too.  At this point, I intend to maintain the Quick Cooking blog, too. 

On a totally different topic, I mentioned the other day that I watched a show about an Exterminator who had come to remove a racoon from someone's attic.  It was so vicous.  Well, lo and behold, last night my son was playing his guitar in the living room, and what was standing up at the window on the porch, peering in at him?  A big racoon.  The dog's rabies vaccination expires this week, so we have got to  be sure and get that right on time!  The pictures you see on the blog are where we live, so you can imagine everything that we have here. 

The thing I hate the most are the coyotes.  I think they are so creepy.  They look right in your eyes, and they are not afraid of the car or anything.  OOh.

Another abrupt change of subject..................... I went to Kroger this week, and I got the items in the picture below all for $6.62!  I love using coupons and seeing how well I can do!  I am going to be telling you more about my magic as the days go by.  This particular batch of stuff was Kroger's Buy 8 items sale.  I bought two groups of 8 and used manufacturer's coupons, as well.  It was Tuesday, so I got the 5% Senior Citizen Discount, which my husband qualifies for.  (We affectionately call it the Old Fart's Discount!) Voila!  $6.62.

One word about those specials at Kroger.  You must buy the required numbers of items.  Sometimes it is 10 and sometimes 8.  If you buy 9 instead of 8, the 9th one is the regular price.  You must buy 8 more items.....Understand?  I actually did not until a nice employee explained it to me. I usually get a little hand basket and put it down in my buggy to keep the groups of 8 separate from my order.

I just got this government recall notice for  mobile  powerpacks  for blackberries and other things.....by tumi.....here is the link:

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10169.html

I wrote an article about exploding cell phone chargers.....here's the link....

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2559397/worried_about_cell_phone_dangers_exploding.html?cat=5

something to think about!

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Of course, if you are watching this show, The Exterminator.....you are more worried and brown widow spiders and racoons......ooh....I haven't watched this show on A & E before and a friend alerted me to it.  I live in a wooded area, as you see.  This show is exciting and terrifying!

till later

barbie

This is a shot of my view from my front door.?? Today, there were two red-tailed hawks circling.? They are so beautiful, and they come here a lot.? I guess they have a nest.? One day I saw one sitting with his back to me on the fence row as I drove down the driveway.? I was struck with an awe and a terror!? I wish I had thought to snap a picture with my phone.? They are quite large and sort of rare.? Oh they are beautiful.? They whistle when they circle overhead.?I HOPE?to one day get a picture for?you.? This was how I started Monday morning.? I started to title this? blog,? "Hanging Around, Nothing to do but frown, Rainy days and Mondays always get me down."? Then I decided I wasn't really that glum.? So, I was toying with," Monday, Monday, so good to me.? ...it was all I hoped it would be."? Then, I decided that would be a lie!? LOL.? I think the truth is somewhere in between.?

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I am having some health concerns...I have this flu everyone has.? Someone mentioned that horseradish would drive it out.? So, I dipped everything I ate in horseradish tonight.? I actually would rub it on my head and feet if I thought it would help!?

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It is actually quite good on chicken and broccoli.? Have you ever tried it?? I have started frying those boneless chicken breasts in a seasoned cornstarch instead of flour.? It is really good.? If you like Chinese style chicken, like Gen Tsao, etc....this is how they prepare the chicken.? Try it...

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Don't forget to run your cvs card under the new machine they installed at the front of the store.? It will print off coupons for you.? Every time I go in, I get one for a dollar off paper towels.? I buy the 1.29 paper towel for .29....and it is a good roll of CVS paper towels.? Here is an article I wrote a while back about how I make like a bandit at CVS....

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good luck!

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sniffling, hacking, and hurting....but Happy!

barbie!

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Hello!  Hope everyone is having a great Sunday.  It's almost time to start a new week, and I hope that whatever you face as you start the week, it is with a positive, bright attitude. 

This week I have decided to take a few days and concentrate on ME.  I am going to try to get rested up.  Sometimes, it is the hardest thing to do, taking care of yourself.  Everyone kept telling me through the months I was at the hospital almost 24/7 that I should take care of me.  When I would try, my mom would call and ask me when I was coming back!  Now, it is all hitting me like a ton of bricks.  I am sick, and I am physically and emotionally collapsing.  It is time for me!

Here is a little recipe I made yesterday, and it has an interesting story, if you are a thrift store -aholic..   How to Make Corn Fritters Quickand Easy!

Hope you have a great Monday!  (OK...I know that is a stretch.......) I hope you have a Quick Monday? LOL..... 

Most of you know my husband and I have been toysellers on Ebay for quite some time.  We just recently closed our store, but we are continuing to sell collectible toys through the auction format. 

Because of this business, we have been subject over the last year particularly, to striingent government regulations regarding recalls.  I receive recall information on a regular basis.  here are some recently recalled things you moms and grandmoms out there may need to know.  This just came out today.

1. Boys' Hooded Sweatshirts with Drawstrings Recalled by Brand Evolution Due to Strangulation Hazard

2. Telebrands Recalls Scarves with Microwaveable Heat Packs Due to Fire and Burn Hazards

3. Girl's Hooded Jackets with Drawstrings Recalled by Regaliti Due to Strangulation Hazard; Sold Exclusively at Burlington Coat Factory

4. Byer California Recalls Girls' Jackets with Drawstrings Due to Strangulation Hazard

Hope this is  helpful. 

Here are a few from the other day:

1. Children's Fork and Spoon Sets Recalled by Peachtree Playthings Due to Choking Hazard; Sold at Dollar Tree and Deals,

 2. Risk of Strangulation Prompts Recall to Repair Roman Shades by Lutron Electronics,

3. Risk of Strangulation Prompts Recall to Repair Roman Shades and Roll-Up Blinds by Meijer,

barbie