Pumpkin Pie Crunch

So…. I have definitely been neglecting my blog lately.  I have a lot going on both physically and mentally… so I am currently making time for some things that really really need me (my kids that are growing up way too fast .. mostly) rather than writing.

On that note….  I just had to share this recipe… with someone… anyone….

My mom got this on a handwritten piece of paper from someone at work and asked me to make it for Easter dinner.  I did… and YUM!

Super easy…. super tasty….. just super.

Pumpkin Pie Crunch

1 can (15 oz) solid pack pumpkin (my MIL takes our Halloween pumpkins, cooks them down, and splits the pumpkin with us… so I used fresh frozen)

1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk

3 eggs

1 1/4 c sugar

1 tbs pumpkin pie spice ( I didn’t have any… but had three of the four ingredients to it… so I used 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger, and 1 tsp nutmeg…..  the fourth is allspice.. but I didn’t have any of that either)

1/2 tsp salt

1 package yellow cake mix

1 c walnuts

3/4 c melted butter

Baking time 50-60 minutes

Heat oven to 350

Grease bottom of pan.  combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, spice and salt.

pour into pan.

sprinkle dry cake mix on top.

top with nuts.

drizzle with melted butter.

bake…..

YUM!

Season-Serve Container

Okay…. so Hubby got a few steaks at the store and is requesting a steak dinner tonight.  He also bought some marinades and is talking about trying to get the grill going.  I guess he is looking forward to spring too!  Too bad we are having a heat wave here in nny right now and it’s only 40 degrees out!

Anyway… I was getting the meat ready to marinate and decided that since I shared some other favorite Tupperware products that I would show the Season-Serve container by Tupperware.

This thing is awesome!  It has ridged bottom in the base and on the lid because it is meant to flip back and forth.  You put a little marinade down, place the meat on top, more marinade and then pop it in the fridge and just flip it over once in a while.  I only put three skinny steaks in here, but it actually works better with more meat.  You can fit a ton in here because you can mound it up.  The lid is as deep as the bottom and it holds a ton.

The ridges let the marinade actually get in under the meat on both sides instead of having the meat just set on the bottom flat.  This container is awesome to marinate meat and veggies and the super seal locks everything in even if you need to marinate overnight.

Check it out here and get your order in with grilling season just around the corner!

(Click “shop our product gallery” and then “preparation” on the left hand side to find it.)

Back on Track

Okay… so we went away for the weekend for the first time as a family of five.  You would think that since we were only going for one overnight a measly three hours away we would just pop some clothes in the car and take off.

Well… no… we packed enough stuff that you would think we were going to another country for two weeks.  My son gets car sick after about 20 minutes in the car so we had all that fun.

Needless to say…. I did not get my menu plan done last night…. I didn’t even remember to get the Sunday paper :(…. I have looked up zero deals to share… and my living room is still covered in all of the stuff that we had to plop there when we got back last night.

It was so nice to get away and make memories with my family, but what a weekend…

Oh.. and we were driving the whole time on pins and needles because my truck failed to pass inspection the Friday before we left.  Don’t worry… we weren’t driving in an unsafe vehicle.  Hubby fixed the problem Friday night… but we weren’t able to get it inspected before we left.

So… let me catch up a bit around this house.  I will look up the online Price Chopper flyer and post the deals and this week’s menu plan.

Baby Gifts

I was reading through a magazine in the Dr. office the other day and saw a couple really cute different things that I thought would make nice baby shower or new baby gifts.

I thought I would share.

 

These are called Dunck Ducks and you can get them for $10 on amazon.com for the set of three.  I just thought that they were different and cute.  My son is almost four and still hates having his hair rinsed.  I even got the bucket thing with the rubber part so that it doesn’t get in his face and he still hates it.  Maybe he wouldn’t tweak out if it was a duck rinsing his hair.  Ya never know with kiddos….

 

For this second one… you need to know the baby’s name and have a picture.  I guess it would be more of an after you had the baby gift than a shower gift.  Anyway.. they are super cute.  It is a book by Sandra Boynton that you can get here.  It is customizable by adding the child’s full name and the photo at the end.  It is $19.95 plus $4.65 shipping.

 

Target Coupon Match Ups for 1/30-2/5

 

Over at Totally Target you can see the coupon match ups for next weeks ad already.  She takes the preview of the ad and the preview of the paper and combines those with the Target online coupons.  It makes for some great deals.  Check it out and plan ahead.

Shaklee Review Part 2

Yesterday, shortly after posting review number one, I ran the dishwasher packed full of yucky dishes.  Shaklee powder machine dishwasher detergent says to include one scoop in each of the compartments for regular water, two scoops in each for hard water, and for really hard water to fill up both compartments.  Of course, we have super duper hard water.  I have to re-check the cost comparison based on the fact that I have to use three times the regular amount because of the hard water.  I am, however, fairly confident that Shaklee will still be cheaper than the Cascade Complete.  The Cascade Complete is the only thing that actually works in our dishwasher so far.  There are very rarely coupons for the Complete version and it is almost never included in the sales on Cascade in my local stores.

All of the dishes came out super clean and sparkling.  It got everything clean and didn’t leave any nasty film or streaks.  We never use the dry option on the dishwasher and if we use anything other than the Cascade Complete, and now Shaklee, the dishes would come out quite filmy.

I then ran a few loads of laundry through.  It seems so weird to be able to use the same detergent for the kids as I used for our clothes.  It was even more weird to be able to use dryer sheets for the kids clothes.  For once the kids towels were soft and not all scratchy.  The dryer sheets seem really strange.  They feel like thing wax paper with a bunch of holes punched in them.  They come out all twisted and wadded up, but you can recycle them.  How cool.

The laundry seemed super clean and soft from both the liquid detergent and the fabric sheets.  It was strange for our clothes to not have that very familiar fabric sheet smell that I love so much.  I do like that I am able to use them on the kids clothes, but I am missing that smell on our stuff.

Yesterday I needed to scrub the bathroom (per my weekly cleaning chart) so I decided to give these products a real run for their money.  I used the basic h all-purpose cleaner to clean just about everything in the room.  I still used my swiffer duster with the long handle to get all my dust and cobweb areas up high and on baseboards.  I am not sure that I will stop using those.

I used the all purpose on the washer and dryer, the sink, the garbage, the tp holder, the door knobs, the laundry cabinet, the heater, and then lastly the toilet.  It seemed to clean everything wonderfully.  The only things that I want heavier duty something for is the toilet bowl and the tub.

I recently fell in love with Lime Away for my tub and shower because we have such hard water.  That stuff takes the scum off with such minimal elbow grease.  It does, however, make me feel like I am going to pass out.  I have to do the tub when the kids are napping or already in bed and then crack the window and have the fan on.

I know it isn’t good for me so I am going to order the scour off and the basic g by Shaklee to see if they will make me ditch the Lime Away.

I used the basic h glass cleaner on the mirrors with the microfiber window cleaning cloth.  The cloth is strange feeling to me (same as the sponge and other towels), but worked really really well.

So… the only thing left in the kit that I haven’t tried is the basic h wipes.  I will post a third review including those and the scour off and basic g once I get them and am able to try them.

So far…. I heart Shaklee and its effectiveness.  I miss my smelly stuff too…  😦

I Need These

Ok.. so I did the back splash in my kitchen with this copper colored floral embossed tin tile.  I got enough to do the whole section of wall behind the stove and the cabinets on either side.  It took two sets that, at the time, were sold by ltd Commodities for something close to $6.95 or so.

I really want to do the rest of the area to the left of the sink and the right between the cabinets and counter.  I figured out that I need four sets.

The only place that I can find these is through amazon.com and even other sites that have them link me to amazon.  The cheapest they are selling for is $11.90 per set.  At four sets… that charges me $47.60… which I was going to suck it up and go for… but then they want $23.96 just to ship them here.    aaarrrrgh!

So… if anyone sees these or know where I might be able to look to at least get cheaper shipping at the same price for the tiles… PLEASE let me know.  Thanks.   (They have to be this design and copper toned… not gold or silver)

Shaklee So Far

 

I got my Shaklee Get Clean Starter Kit yesterday.  I was so excited to get it and use it.  I immediately got everything out, but was unable to make the three cleaners from the basic h2 because the bottle was so frozen.  It was 25 below here yesterday before the wind chill… brrrrrrr…….

I did have a baby outfit that had some pretty yucky stains on it that I was going to soak in the powdered oxy clean that has become one of my favorites.  I decided to use the shaklee laundry booster soak instead and try it out.  The pajamas that needed soaking were white to begin with and came out so super sparkly bright white with NO stains!!!  I stuck them in a bucket soak and left them over night.  I didn’t check them until this morning, but I am super pleased.

I haven’t done a load of laundry yet so I am not sure how the regular liquid laundry wash is yet.

Today was deep clean kitchen counters and appliances day on my cleaning routine.  I made up the three cleaners and was able to use the all purpose cleaner and de-greaser cleaning up the kitchen.

I decided to try the regular all purpose cleaner first on the coffee pot, but figured that I would need to use the degreaser to really get it clean.  I quickly sprayed the bottom heat plate that had burned on coffee on it and then wiped it with a towel.  It wiped right off so easy with no soaking and no elbow grease.  Amazing!

I then soaked the coffee pot and the basket in the sink with a few drops of basic h.  It cleaned them up so sparkly and nice!!!  Since the cleaners are fragrance free…. it was so much nicer than smelling that nasty vinegar smell when I usually soak the coffee pot.

It seems really weird to spray down the counters and wipe them all down without my regular “clean smell” that I am so used to.  I am sure it has to be better than inhaling all those chemicals, but will definitely take some getting used to.

All in all…..   everything that I have tried seems to work really well.  I already miss my lysol and clorox smells, but know that this decision will be so much better for my family and me.  I think it is worth it… especially if they work just as well or better.

I thought my kit came with the hand soap and the scour off paste.  It did not.  I will be getting the scour off to try on the stove and the tub.  I also see in the catalog that they sent that they have a baby soap line.

I have to use Aveeno on the kids and coat them with Aquaphor after each bath.  If they have a bath more than every other day, I don’t use Aveeno and Aquaphor, or I don’t use Dreft… they rash out all red.  I was told they have eczema.  I am definitely interested in trying out the baby products.  I just have to look into the cost and ingredient differences from the stuff that we already use and know works.

Cookware Wish List

I saw these Paula Deen cookware pieces at Ollie’s over the weekend.  You can’t really tell by this picture, but this green color is speckled.  They also have a blue speckled too, but I am in love with this green.

So… I had to share… that this stuff is my new wish list of kitchen collection.  It is a bit expensive… so I think that it will stay a wish, but a girl can dream can’t she?

 

Oh… I should mention… My only piece of Paula Deen anything is this blue cast iron dutch oven that my mom got me for Christmas last year.  It is coated on the inside, heavy as…..  , and awesome.  I probably should get the blue cookware to match the dutch oven, but my kitchen and dining area are (and will be in the newly done house) a wine and grapes type decor that has golds, greens and reds more than any blue.  This piece is gorgeous too though isn’t it?

SEARS Portrait Studio Coupons

Mama Cheaps is posting about where to go to get a whole bunch of coupons for SEARS Portrait Studio.

One of the coups gets you 20% off entire purchase and free collage.