12-9-10

7:25am

I only have 4 more Christmas gifts to get
and our Christmas shopping will be done, woo hoo.
One gift was getting some microfiber cloths from
Dollar Tree and working on making some pads
today for the steam mop. I traced the bottom
of the steam mop onto a piece of paper and stuck
it in my purse. This way I know to get the correct
size of cloth for it. I'm hoping Dollar Tree also carries
velcro for the bottoms of the pads.

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..
For you non-bakers out there-
Here's a quick & easy idea for a Christmas gift.
Take an oven mitt, get a box or pouch of cookie
mix or brownie mix and put it into a zip bag and seal.
Those Krusteaz cookie mixes are still on sale
this week at Kroger for $1.49 when you buy 10.
Some boxes have $1.10 (doubled) coupons on them
making them .49 cents each.
Next print out the baking instructions and
glue or tape them to an index card. Wrap a large
ribbon around finger part of mitt and slide
directions under ribbon. You could also
insert a wooden spoon in the glove also.
Oven mitt- $1.00
cookie mix- .49 cents
wooden spoon- .33 cents
(you might be able to find packages
with more than one wooden spoon in it at Dollar Tree)

TOTAL COST FOR GIFT: $1.82
You could also jazz up the cookie mix
and include baggies of nuts, raisins,
gum drops and so on to give it a more
homemade look.
This gift would be great for teachers!
Price at Big Lots $5.00
You would save $3.18 on each one by making your own.

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WHAT'S FOR SUPPER?

Meatball Poppers
with mozarella stuffed meatballs

Ingredients You’ll Need:

• 1 1lb of ground beef
• 1/2 cup Italian Bread Crumbs
• 1 large egg
• 2 sticks of mozzarella string cheese

Step 1 – Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, egg and ground beef. Mix thouroughly, best if done by hand. This would be a good time to enlist the help of the freshly washed hands of an older child or husband.

Step 2 - Cut each mozzarella cheese stick into 6 evenly sized cubes.

Step 3 – Roll a hunk of the meat mixture into a ball about the size of a golf ball, slightly flatten the meatball and push a cheese cube right into the center. Smooth your meatball back into shape and place on a greased baking sheet.

Step 4 – Once all 12 meatballs are ready, bake for 25 minutes.

My changes to this recipe:

Mozarella cheese sticks were too expensive to
buy so instead I bought a block of Kroger brand
mozarella cheese for $2.50. I plan to slice
and cube the cheese to put inside the meatballs.

Once meatballs have been cooked then I want
to wrap them in biscuits rolled in butter then rolled
into a mixture of bread crumbs, garlic salt &
parmesan cheese and bake according to
directions on biscuit can.

Serve with tomato sauce like pizza or spaghetti sauce.

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WHAT'S BAKING IN THE OVEN TONIGHT?

Coconut Macaroons

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 5 1/2 cups flaked coconut
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, coconut and salt. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla using your hands until well blended. Use an ice cream scoop to drop dough onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about golf ball size.
3. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until coconut is toasted.

And of course I can't leave well enough alone
and have to make changes of my own to this recipe also, lol!

Reduce vanilla extract to 1/2 tsp. and add 2 teaspoons freshly
squeezed lime juice and 2 teaspoons
grated lime zest.
Also add in 1/8 teaspoon ginger to milk.

Once baked & cooled dip bottoms
of macaroons into white melted chocolate.
(Ginger Lime Macaroons)

TIP: If you don't have a lime handy
try mixing some lime flavored jello
into the sweetened condensed milk.

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My Meatball Poppers
VERY filling!!
I had two of the six I dished up!
Served with a bacon ranch dressing
because I didn't have any spaghetti sauce.
.
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9:00pm

Just finished making two steam mop pads.
I sandwiched a terry cloth towel between
two microfiber towels to make them.
I sewed on velcro then machine
quilted them together.
.
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I didn't get my macaroons made tonight.
Kinda short on coconut so will splurge and
pick some up tomorrow.

Cookie mix ideas:


PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE MIX

SALTED PEANUT CHEWS

1	pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® peanut butter cookie mix
3	tablespoons vegetable oil
1	tablespoon water
1	egg
3	cups miniature marshmallows
2/3	cup light corn syrup
1/4	cup butter or margarine
2	teaspoons vanilla
1	bag (10 oz) peanut butter chips
2	cups crisp rice cereal
2	cups salted peanuts

	Print these coupons...
	About Concordance™

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray.
2. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, oil, water and egg until soft dough forms. Press dough in pan using floured fingers.
3. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until set. Immediately sprinkle marshmallows over crust; bake 1 to 2 minutes longer or until marshmallows begin to puff.
4. In 4-quart saucepan, cook corn syrup, butter, vanilla and chips over low heat, stirring constantly, until chips are melted. Remove from heat; stir in cereal and nuts. Immediately spoon cereal mixture evenly over marshmallows. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until firm. For bars, cut into 9 rows by 4 rows.

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SUGAR COOKIE MIX


Spritz cookies

1	pouch (1 lb. 1.5 oz.) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1/2	cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/2	cup butter, melted*
1	teaspoon almond extract
1	egg
	Betty Crocker® decorating decors and colored sugars, if desired
	White decorator sugar crystals

	Print these coupons...
	$0.40 off Betty Crocker® Cookie Mix Plus 47 more...
	About Concordance™

1. Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, flour, melted butter, almond extract and egg until soft forms.
2. Fit desired template in cookie press; fill cookie press with dough. Force dough through template onto ungreased cookie sheets. Sprinkle with decors or colored sugars. Sprinkle with sugar crystals.
3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until set but not brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack.

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Cinna-Spin Cookies

1	pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1/2	teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2	cup butter or margarine, softened
1	egg, slightly beaten
1	tablespoon ground cinnamon

Glaze

1	cup powdered sugar
2	tablespoons milk
1/4	teaspoon vanilla

	Print these coupons...
	About Concordance™

Total Time: 55 Min

Serve with...
Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Total Time: 55 Min
Serve with...
Chicken-Chile Enchilada Pie
Total Time: 50 Min
MORE OPTIONS: 11 22 33
1. Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, mix cookie mix and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Stir in butter and egg until soft dough forms.
2. On piece of waxed paper, shape 1 tablespoon cinnamon into a line about 5 inches long. Using floured fingers, shape 1 tablespoon of dough into a rope 5 inches long. Press one side of dough rope into cinnamon.
3. On ungreased cookie sheet, coil dough rope tightly, cinnamon side facing center, into cinnamon-roll shape. Press end of rope into roll to seal. Repeat with remaining dough. Place cookies 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.
4. Bake 7 to 10 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
5. In small bowl, mix glaze ingredients until smooth. Drizzle over cookies.

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Pecan Pie Bars

Crust

1	pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1/2	cup butter or margarine, softened
1	egg

Filling

1	cup packed brown sugar
2	tablespoons Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/2	teaspoon baking powder
1/2	teaspoon salt
1/2	teaspoon vanilla
2	eggs
1 1/2	cups chopped pecans

	Print these coupons...
	About Concordance™

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray.
2. In large bowl, stir all Crust ingredients until dough forms. Press dough in bottom of pan using floured fingers. Bake 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, stir all Pecan Filling ingredients until well blended. Pour over hot crust.
4. Bake 15 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely, about 2 hours. For bars, cut into 9 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

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Macaroon Chewies

1	pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1	bag (14 oz) flaked coconut
1/4	cup milk
1	can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
1/2	cup semisweet chocolate chips
1	teaspoon butter or margarine

	Print these coupons...
	About Concordance™

1. In large bowl, stir together cookie mix and coconut. Stir in milk and sweetened condensed milk until well blended. Cover; refrigerate 2 hours.
2. Heat oven to 375°F. Line cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper or use ungreased cookie sheets. Using 1-tablespoon-size cookie scoop, scoop dough onto cookie sheets 2 inches apart.
3. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 5 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely.
4. In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips and butter on High 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and stirred smooth. Using fork, drizzle chocolate in lines over cookies. Store loosely covered.

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This week I spent around $27 on groceries trying
to cut back and use things up in the pantry.
$27 ain't much I know for a family of 4
so let's see how far I stretched it. I ended up getting enough meat for 8 meals.

-5.09 pound package of hamburger (manager special)
-pkg. of Italian sausage.
-pound of ground sausage
-pound of bacon.
-2 two liters of pop.
-pkg. broccoli.
-2 pkgs cheese & broccoli rice.
-6 butterfinger candy bars (free after coupons)
-2 cans sweetened condensed milk.
-2 gallons milk.
-block of mozarella cheese
-coconut

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Tomorrow we need to get the plates
transferred over to our car. I forgot about
that expense so there's about $53, maybe more. grrr.
We bought the car Nov. 8th.
Got a temporary tag for $30-$40.
During that 30 day period my plates expired
so I'm sure they are gonna wanna slap me
with a $20 late fee on top of the regular fees
for transferring my plates and getting
my renewal sticker. Which would suck
after paying for the temporary tag and I didn't
even have these plates on the car yet because
of the temporary plate.
So it's quite possible I might have to
come up with a total of $75 or more for plates.
Will wait and see. I hope not.

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Stopping by the bank tomorrow.
I was able to round up 11 of my survey checks
for $33 to put in the bank along
with the check from scrapping metal so
there's some free money to help out.
I am still awaiting my prize from Downy.
(tapping fingers on table wondering when it will come)

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