I already mentioned the current ‘end child hunger’ campaign but just in case you don’t know how to input the codes to get those meals donated, here’s a quick video to help. The website to enter the codes is endchildhunger.com

Disclosure: I am an official Walmart Mom. Follow me and my fellow Walmart Moms as we share our experiences and ideas! Walmart has provided me with compensation and gift card in return for my time & efforts to create this post. My participation in this program is voluntary and my opinions are my own, always have been, always will be.

With the economy getting hit hard, Walmart is helping to fight hunger by donating over over 42 million meals to local food banks.  You can actually find your local community and vote for them and they could also be included. Voting ends on April 30th for that.   Alongside Walmart with this initiative, you’ll find Conagra, Kraft, Kelloggs, and General Mills also helping out.  By simply purchasing products from the Fighting Hunger circular and following the very easy directions, you’ll be able to activate a donation!!

I don’t think I have to tell you how important this topic is to me. I’ve discussed it many times so I do hope that you guys take advantage of these simple things you can do to help fight hunger.   Even taking this current campaign out of it….there are so many ways for you to support your local food banks.  You could simply buy an extra few cans at grocery shopping time every week and then take those and donate them.  Doing something is better than doing nothing!

Disclosure: I am an official Walmart Mom. Follow me and my fellow Walmart Moms as we share our experiences and ideas! Walmart has provided me with compensation and gift card in return for my time & efforts to create this post. My participation in this program is voluntary and my opinions are my own, always have been, always will be.

One of mine and Truett’s favorite things to snack on are Craisins.  We LOVE them.  I even used them in his class’s Valentine’s Day goodie bags.  One of the little girls is allergic to red dye so I kept trying to find a ‘red’ snack that she could eat and Ocean Spray’s Craisins were it!

Anyways, something else we like is cranberry juice, which also happens to be made by Ocean Spray.  Well they came out with a new flavor called Cran-Cherry and I thought it would be fun to see Truett’s thoughts on it.  I guess I should have waited until he wasn’t so tired ’cause he’s not real energetic but he does love the juice.  In fact, all my boys love the juice so much that one bottle was gone in one day.  Anyways, here’s what he said….

I guess I also should have cleaned his face before putting him on camera too huh?  *sigh*  Anyways, we really do love the juice and wanted to share that with y’all.  Every since I’ve slowly cut my soda intake down, I’ve been trying new juices, flavored waters, etc and it’s been like a fun adventure.  I get to see what I like but also what my family likes and doesn’t.

I’m thinking the juice could be used in a recipe somehow…have any ideas?  I’d sure like to try something!! Oh! They have diet cran-cherry too!

Okay, I’m out but if you have a recipe that might be a good fit using this juice, let me know and I’ll try it.  Have a good’un!

I’ve heard of parents sneaking in fruits & veges to get their kids to eat them but around here, there’s no need to be sneaky.  When I received a big box of Piñata apples, Truett’s eyes lit up.  He asked what I was gonna do with them and I said, “I don’t know, I think I’m gonna make them into a pie or muffins or something sweet”.  You know what he did?  He rolled his eyes and said, “Can’t I just eat the apple for my snack?”.  Awwww, he only wanted the apple.    So that’s what I did folks, I let him eat the apples for snacks and then I quickly noticed that my older boys were grabbing one before they headed off to school!  As much as I wanted to turn these apples into something special, I was slapped with, they were special as is.  I’m glad I have my boys around to remind that of the little things.

BUT, if you are new to cooking with apples, you should know that some apples are better for certain things than others.  These that I received are Piñata apples.  They are very flavorful, tropical I’d say.  They are very crisp and juicy, firm & crunchy, and they resist browning after being cut.  These are excellent for snacks and salads and based on what I’ve seen about them, great for baking as well.

If you are looking for some tasty ideas using these Pinata Apples, check out these recipes!

• Apple Muffins
• Vegan Apple Spice Cake
• Apple Cookies with Oatmeal and Caramel

Disclosure: I am an official Walmart Mom. Follow me and my fellow Walmart Moms as we share our experiences and ideas! Walmart has provided me with compensation and gift card in return for my time & efforts to create this post. My participation in this program is voluntary and my opinions are my own, always have been, always will be.

My first week’s meal plan worked out really great!  While I didn’t enjoy sitting down to plan the meals, I did enjoy seeing your guesses, seeing what I actually spent, and not having to worry about what to cook each night of the week.  So before we get to week two’s meal plan, let’s find out what I actually spent for the first week and who won the Chef’s knife with the closes guess!

I was able to get everything on my list except hot dog buns, which I had to come back and get later in the week.  Next time I do this, I’ll make separate transactions and keep my household stuff separate so that you can truly see the total.  Here is the receipt and prices for the ingredients for week one.

So on the first receipt, I had a subtotal of 43.51.  On the second receipt, the subtotal is 2.50.  The grand total is……

$43.51 + $2.50 = $46.01 

The winner of the Chef’s knife is Melissa Miller with her guess of $45.76 (Val, you were soooo close too).  Congrats Melissa!!!  I really think the hot dog buns were high but since I don’t buy them often, it might be normal. I bought all my stuff at Walmart and used no coupons. Thanks for playing along y’all and I hope you participate in more!

JANUARY WEEK TWO MEAL PLAN

To recap things you should know:

A couple of things you should know; 1) I have a family of 5 – me, my husband, 18yr old, 15yr old, and 5yr old.  We live in the middle of Texas.  2) Our beef is part of our income so we have a chest freezer full of it.  Most recipes will include beef but I’ll throw in chicken and such from time to time. 3) All the kids are in school so these meals are for our evening supper.  Me and the hubs will eat whatever we can find during the day.  If I have extras that need to be bought that week, I’ll post them as ‘ingredients’, which you’ll include in your total when calculating cost.  If I have coupons, I’ll let you know.

Week One, January 8-14 2012

Menu

1. Calzones
2. Baked Chicken
3. Brisket
4. Ghoulash
5. Combo burritos
6. Stir Fry
7. ‘find your own meal’ day lol

Ingredients to Buy

• Crescent Roll Pastries (probably 2 cans)
• 2 pkgs of Deli Ham
• Bottle of Italian dressing
• 6 cans of tomato sauce
• 5lb bag of flour
• container of mushrooms
• bottle of barbecue sauce

Extras to buy for the week

• 2 loaves of bread (we go through a lot of bread)
• Peanut butter/jelly jar (both mixed together)
• 2 pkgs of sandwich meat
• Kraft Mayo with Olive Oil and Cracked Pepper (WE LOVE LOVE LOVE this!)

How much do you think those ingredients will cost?

In a comment below, leave your best guess of what you think these ingredients will cost.  The person that comes closes without going over, will win the Robin Takes 5 Cookbook; 500 recipes, 500 calories or less, 5 ingredients or less, 5 nights a week at 5:00pm.

You have until Friday evening of January 13th, 6pm CST to take a guess.  Good luck!  Also, if you have a budget friendly meal idea, please share along with your guess. I’d love to have more ideas for my future meal planning!

P.S. Again, congrats to Melissa Miller!  She was the winner of the Chef’s Knife!

In honor of National Oatmeal Month, I thought I’d round a few of my favorite oatmeal recipes for you, many of which are healthy, with a couple (or 3 or 4 or 5) being indulgent.  If you don’t follow these blogs, you should definitely add them to your weekly reading.  They tell great stories, share drool worthy photos, and will inspire you in the kitchen!

(all photos belong to the blogs that I linked to)

CRANBERRY APPLE OATMEAL CRISP by Cat

REESE’S COOKIE BATTER by Katie

OATMEAL ALMOND CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES by Katie Goodman

OLD FASHION BANANA NUT OATMEAL

DEE’S OATMEAL PANCAKES by Dee

OATMEAL MUFFINS by 101 Cookbooks

D’oh! by Kath Eats

APPLE PIE OATMEAL by Amy

BABY BLUE CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL COOKIE CUPS by Amanda

OATMEAL BANANA BREAD by Sassy

2011 has been full of ups and even more downs.  Me and the family have been focusing on each-other and our future for the past couple of months and plan to start 2012 fresh in all areas, including financially.  We are starting Dave Ramsey’s financial plan beginning of 2012 and that means cutting costs everywhere, including groceries.

I’m a horrible meal planner to be quite honest but I hope, with your help, I can become better at it.  I realize it’s an essential part of saving money so I’m determined to make it work.  The meals will be basic most of the time but you gotta do what you gotta do to make the budget work right?

To make it more interesting for you guys, I’ve decided to make this a weekly post for accountability for me, and I’m gonna do something fun for you!  This is how it will work!  Every week, I’ll post my weekly meal plan.  I’ll provide you with a list of ingredients that I’ll have to buy to make the meals and the person who comes closes to the actual amount spent without going over, will win a small prize.   I’ll share my receipt and all so that you can see it.  During the next week (every Saturday), I’ll share who won, the actual cost, and the next meal plan..so on and so on.  This will encourage me to buy ONLY the ingredients I need to make the meals, stick to my budget, provide you a little fun, and a chance to win a prize.

A couple of things you should know; 1) I have a family of 5 – me, my husband, 18yr old, 15yr old, and 5yr old.  We live in the middle of Texas.  2) Our beef is part of our income so we have a chest freezer full of it.  Most recipes will include beef but I’ll throw in chicken and such from time to time. 3) All the kids are in school so these meals are for our evening supper.  Me and the hubs will eat whatever we can find during the day.  If I have extras that need to be bought that week, I’ll post them as ‘ingredients’, which you’ll include in your total when calculating cost.

Week One, January 1-7 2012

• Pot Roast, Mash Taters, Corn
• Hot Dogs
• Fajita Steak Sliced & Cooked with Bell Pepper with Rice and Brown Gravy
• Enchiladas and salad
• Hamburgers & Fries
• Slow Cooker Short Ribs with cubed/baked tater chunks
• Hot Roast Beef Sandwiches

INGREDIENTS TO BUY

• 10lb bag of Taters
• Rice
• Green Bell Pepper
• Campbell’s Brown Gravy & Onion
• 1 package Hamburger buns
• Sub type rolls for roast beef sandwiches (probably 2 pkgs, not sure how many come in one)
• 1 head of Lettuce
• 6 tomatoes
• Package of sliced cheese (24)
• 2lbs of cheddar cheese
• 1 package corn tortillas
• 160z sour cream
• wieners
• can of chili (family size can)
• 1 garlic cloves
• Campbell’s condensed french onion soup

Extras to buy for the week include:

• 2 Loaves of bread
• Box of Cold Brew Tea
• Stick Butter (2 pkgs)

How much do you think those ingredients will cost?

In a comment below, leave your best guess of what you think these ingredients will cost.  The person that comes closes without going over, will win this sharp Chef’s knife from Chicago Cutlery.  It’s professional stainless steel, forged blades, 8″, and has a full lifetime guarantee.

You have until Friday evening of January 6th, 6pm CST to take a guess.  Good luck!  Also, if you have a budget friendly meal idea, please share along with your guess. I’d love to have more ideas for my future meal planning!

P.S. Congrats to Mary G from North Carolina. She was the winner of the Clorox Gift Basket and Williams & Sonoma Gift Card! 

One of the pains that I have to deal with here on the ranch, is the lovely hard-water spots on my dishes.  I was always looking for that next product to eliminate them but man, it can get pricey.   I was talking to a gal, probably in her 60′s, who was telling me that she had the same issue but that she simply used Clorox Bleach.  Now, when she first said it, I wasn’t quite convinced and was almost set-back by it but she explained her ‘parts’.  She filled her sink up with warm water and choice of dish soap; then she put 2 tablespoons of Clorox Bleach in the suds and swooshed around.

I honestly didn’t think JUST 2 Tablespoons would work but it did, it Bleached it Away.  There was a considerable difference when they were dry.  I guess you learn something new all the time from the wise, experienced ones.   This just shows me that you don’t need all those fancy cleaners and ‘special agents’, you just need Clorox Bleach!   Check out my Christmas plate!!  All you can see is the reflection of everything else because it’s so clean!

Guess what, you have the chance to win a Clorox Gift Basket and $50 Gift Card to Williams and Sonoma!  Woohoo!

How to Enter

Required Entry: Share a messy moment that happens in your kitchen! Tell me all about it, I wanna hear them!  If you need some inspiration, watch the video and see a fellow blogger and Mom share her messy moment.

Additional optional entries, leaving all in separate comments to count:

• Join the My Wooden Spoon’s Facebook Community.  I’m always giving freebies like ecookbooks over there!
• Follow @ACowboysWife on Twitter and tweet this giveaway with the URL to this post! (DAILY ENTRY-once per day)
• Subscribe to my feed via RSS or email. You must confirm your email subscription for it to be a valid entry! Coming soon, there will be special giveaways JUST for email subscribers! If you’re already a subscriber, simply leave a separate comment letting me know you’ve already subscribed.
• Go share your messy moment over on Clorox’s Facebook page and how you Bleach it Away!

This giveaway ends at 6:00 p.m. CST on 12/15/2011 and is open to all U.S. residents.

Disclosure: Clorox is providing the gift basket and gift card and I have been paid for my time & efforts to create this post.  As always, my opinions are my own. 

Oh man, making a car themed cake was more of a task than I thought but I have narrowed my issues down to a couple of things that I’ll get to a little later.  Truett turned 5 years old today and all I could think about was when my two oldest were that age…and how grown they are now.  That means time will fly by again and Truett will be a Senior in no time.

Anyhoo, I decided to make Truett a car themed cake.  And that was issue number 1.  I really didn’t plan ahead.  I was like, “ooohh, it will be fun to make Truett some kind of car cake”….the night before his birthday party.  I know, I’m a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants gal huh.  I quickly knew I couldn’t make a real car cake because I didn’t have the pan and I sure ain’t talented enough to carve one out of layers of cake.  I had seen a track done before using a number 5 so I went that route. I found my big Wilton cake pan and used it,  12x18x2 I believe.  I gathered all the supplies and began. You can find most of these supplies at Walmart in their Wilton section!

(You can click on the photos to make them bigger if you like)

SUPPLIES

• Wilton’s Cake Pan, measuring 12 x 18 x 2
• Wilton’s Grass Tip #233 with icing bag
• Wilton’s Ready-Made Fondant and/or make your own (marshmallows and powdered sugar)
• Wilton’s Icing Colors
• Wilton’s Ready-to-Use Decorator Icing (the big bucket did all the grass and iced the whole cake)
• 3 cake mixes
• and I forget to add things here, I’ll list them throughout the post!

First, I used the pan insert to make a ’5′ template since it was the exact size of the pan obviously, then cut it out.  I laid it on the cake to make sure it looked good.  I mixed all three cake mixes just like the directions said and baked the cake.  One cake mix equals about 4-6 cups of batter.  This pan uses 14 cups of batter which is how I got the 3.

I cooled the cake, iced it with the decorator icing, and put it in the fridge overnight.

It was now time to make the fondant for the track.  Oy.  The last two times I was suppposed to attend Wilton events, I had other personal things going on so I missed out on the fondant learning experience.   Since I know my good friend Cat is awesome at making anything, I seeked out her video on how to make marshmallow fondant.

I greased up my bowl, surface, and spatula.  I melted my marshmallows (160z bag) and put in my icing color, which is issue #2 came into effect.  I had no idea how hard it would be to make black colored fondant.  GRRRRRR!  I didn’t want to add too much because I didn’t want a bitter taste.  Had I planned ahead, I could have searched for this and the best way to get it black but since I didn’t, I went with the flow. I added some black, brown, and a tiny bit of royal blue.  The longer it set, the more dark grey (pavement like) color it got.

I kneaded it and rolled it out.  I laid my template on it and cut the 5 out.

To get the 5 on the cake without it tearing, I gently folded it in half, picked it up, and placed it on the cake.

I used the yellow ready-to-use fondant for the road.  I just rolled it out and used a pizza cutter to make the strips, placing them down the road.

Now, had I been able to make a true black, I would have done the sides with a black and white checkboard effect but since I couldn’t, I decided to do it all in green grass.  Simple fix yes?  I did this pretty sloppy I reckon but I was ready to be done.  I colored what icing I had left in my bucket with Wilton’s Kelly Green Icing Color.  It darkened over time as well.  I placed it in my bag and used tip #233.

I was able to do 3 sides of the cake with green grass before running out of icing so I just hid the other side!! LOL  And this is the final product!  I placed 5 cars along the road with a candle on each car.  I used Cat’s other tip about melting the bottom of the candle just enough for it to stick to the car.  This was a great tip since it doesn’t hurt the car at all!   We lit the candles and made a wish!!

It’s not perfect but like my facebook friend Kassie said, “anything made with Love is perfect”…….

Thank you Wilton for teaching me all that I do know because while this and I’m sure any cakes I do are a challenge, it’s fun to see the end result and make something for my kids, from my heart.

I love to cook and I love to find new recipes, but life doesn’t always give me the time and resources for either. There are simply days when I don’t have the time to find something new to cook up or forget the grocery list on the kitchen table when I’m headed to the grocery store. However, I have found a few neat smart phone apps to download on my 4G Phone Samsung Exhibit that have made keeping my kitchen table full of delicious dishes a little easier.

Epicurious

I love to look for new recipes to try, but I don’t always have the time to sit down at my computer or at my kitchen table with a cookbook to look for recipes. That’s where Epicurious comes in. No matter where I am at, I can quickly scan the app for a new recipe and plan for it later. No longer do I have to worry about serving the same dishes each week. I can have something new and exciting prepared without having to exude much effort.

My Grocery List

I hate it when I get to the grocery store only to realize that I’ve left the grocery list on the counter, especially after having to make that long drive. It drives me nuts. Well instead of having to keep one of my kids or husband on the phone while I scour the aisles looking for what I need, I simply plug the list into my phone through MyGroceryList. I take my phone everywhere so when I decide to shop, my list is right there. No need to worry about leaving the list at home anymore.

Calorie Counter

Now this may seem a little counter-intuitive for when you are walking the grocery store aisles, especially when you cook some of the decadent desserts that I like to, but it does help me create a few more healthy meals. Instead of typing in what I have eaten for the day, I enter in dishes that I plan on preparing into the meal finder and get an estimate of the total calories contained in a meal. It’s pretty nifty, and it keeps use from having to add notches in or belts or buying new ones altogether.

Cooking and food have always been passions of mine. However, as life got more hectic, taking the necessary time out of my day to enjoy these passions became more and more difficult. With a few easy-to-use apps, I have been able to enjoy my passions once again without having to use large portions of my day. When cell phones came out, I thought they were great. Now, I think they are absolute life savers.