Pam Cooking Spray Review

Hi all,
  I received a fantastic opportunity to review the New & Improved Formula  Pam cooking spray!  Now, I was thinking to myself....New & Improved, 70% better?  How can it get any better?  I've never had any complaints when using Pam in the past.  So, I was anxious to see this new formula put to the test.

  I was so excited when I went to the post office and got one of those cards saying I had a package too big to fit in my box. Love it when that happens!  It's like Christmas. :) Smiley360.com graciously sent me a great package with everything I needed for the review.  It contained a free voucher for a full size Pam cooking spray, one free voucher for Hunts tomatoes, a recipe pamphlet, a Pam spatula, and a fantastic Pyrex baking dish. Woo Hoo!!

  I was asked to put Pam to the test.  Pick sticky ooey gooey recipes. Soooo.......I thought of my favorite go to pasta dish.....what I like to call a very simplified baked ziti.   Besides, it's my daughter's favorite, and she was having a friend over for dinner. :)  So, I took my baking dish and sprayed it down with the New & Improved Pam Cooking Spray.  Followed the back breaking (NOT!) recipe linked above, and popped it in the oven.  About 50 minutes later....

Had to use my own baking dish since I was making a double batch for company. 

  Look at all that cheese, tomato sauce, and pasta!!  Doesn't it look delish? AND sticky? Well, it was delish, but definitely not sticky!  It was a hit with my daughter's little friend.  I covered what was left and popped it in the fridge for leftovers the next day.  Nooowww, were talking dried hard pasta and spaghetti sauce right?!  WRONG!!

   Take a look at my baking dish after just spraying down with cold water, while I was letting the water heat up.  Then once the water got hot....

  Yep, JUST hot water!!! No rubbing, scrubbing, or soap!  I was amazed!  So then I proceeded with my soft dishcloth and dish soap, leisurely cleaning my baking dish, pretty much just enjoying the warm water. :)  Ahhh!! No, frustrating spots that I have to use my scouring pad on, rubbing and rubbing, breaking a sweat saying, "C'mon!!!! Grrrr!!!!"  

Just in case you need more proof....

Fried eggs, Look at that sparkling pan!

Baked Chicken!

  Once again, that is after just spraying hot water on the dish.  The rest came off with me gently rubbing off with my fingers under the running water.






  Needless to say....I was impressed and very pleased.  The Pam cooking spray is still my number one pick for non-stick cooking!

Thanks PAM for my free can of cooking spray! Click PAM Cooking Spray to download a $0.50 off coupon for the new & improved Pam Cooking Spray.

I hope you all enjoyed my review!

Happy Cooking!
Jennifer

Disclosure:  Thank you to Pam & Smiley360.com who provided me with the package above with everything I needed for this review free.  The opinions are completely my own.

Save Your Wallet While Helping Save The Earth Tip #2

 ,
Hi all,
  With cool weather upon us and cold weather on it's way, I'm looking forward to curling up on the couch to a warm, crackling fire.  I've got another great tip to share with you to Save Your Wallet While Helping Save the Earth (if you missed the first one, just click here).  So, tip #2....toilet paper and paper towel rolls....the empty ones. ;)  You know we all have them.  Now I'm going to share three things you can do with all of those rolls besides just throwing them in the garbage.



Number 1:
 The most obvious choice...just recycle.  Toss them in your recycle bin.

Number 2:
  Take them to your laundry room.  Yep, you read correctly.  Toss them in a bag, tote, box (whatever will keep them nice, neat, and easily accessible).  I'm sure most of you know that lint from your dryer is highly flammable.  Which is why you should always clean out the lint between loads.  Take that lint and push it into that empty roll.  Keep adding after every load.  Once filled you've got yourself a perfect fire starter for that warm, crackling fire I was talking about!

Cha Ching!!!!  No more buying fire starter logs!  Or breaking your back splitting kindling.  

 I take this even a step further.  Once there's enough lint to plug the bottom of the roll, I go to our office.  Pull open the door to our shredder and stuff a pinch of shredded paper down in there.  Then I just continue the layering....lint, paper, lint, paper...you get the idea, until full.  The last layer is always the lint so that I don't have shredded paper falling out everywhere.

  This number  2 method keeps the rolls, lint, and shredded paper out of the land fills and serves a very practical purpose.  I love practical!

  Is this method not glamorous enough for you?  Well, I've got something great for you to use those rolls for that will glam your decor!

Hence,
Number 3:
  This tip will appeal to decorators and crafters.  My friend over at Thrifty Crafty Girl has found a fantastic tutorial on how to use those empty rolls.  You know those expensive decorative metal scroll wall hangings?  She found a way (through another great blogger), on how to mimic those for just the cost of some glue and paint!

  Just take a look! 

 Can you believe those are toilet paper rolls?!  What a fantastic way to utilize something that is just going to be thrown away, and make it into something beautiful.  I LOVE that!  For all you crafters.....don't you love the idea of crafting without having to buy all the materials?

Another win win in my book!

Well, I hope you have enjoyed all my tips for those empty rolls.  Enjoy those warm fires!

Happy Recycling!
Jennifer

My Fall Kitchen Table 2011

Hi all,
  Well, here's my fall kitchen table decorations.  The tall basket stays on our table all year round.  It normally has ivy in it.  For this  time of year I just put in some fall foliage that I picked up at Michaels last year for 50% off. :)  I picked up the runner at our local Dollar General two years ago.  It is so colorful and vibrant,  you should really go check out the Dollar General in your area. You won't believe the cute holiday decor you can find there!














The little scarecrow was picked up at Big Lots about 7 years ago for a dollar I think.  Added a great smelling red candle in a beautiful glass jar.

 The bronze leaf pedestal bowl was a great outdoor market find.  I just fill it with some leaf garland and faux gourds and jeweled fruit.  I took some of the remaining leaf garland and wrapped  it around the bottom of the bowl for color.













  This cute little terracotta bunny also stays on the table all year.  For the fall decor, I just gave her a cute little bow (left over from that purple ribbon I mention in my front door post) and added a sprig of the fall berries in the center.   Doesn't she look cute?


How are you decorating this fall?  I can't wait to start decorating for Christmas!!


Happy Decorating!
Jennifer

My Fall Front Door Picture for 2011

Hi all,
  I've had my front door decorated now for almost a month, and I'm just getting around to posting the pictures.  Better late than never! :)  I usually stick with a more fall theme then the Halloween theme.  That way I can keep it up until Thanksgiving.  Well, up until the weekend before Thanksgiving, which is when I normally decorate the outside for Christmas.

  After Halloween, the jack-o-lantern will be replaced with a mum.  The small pumpkin on the mini bale of hay is faux.  We got it a Michaels a couple of years ago.  My daughter painted a ghost on one side, a happy jack-o-lantern face, and a girl jack-o-lantern.  She just turns them around when she sees fit. :)

  I finished off the look with a spotlight so that the whole display can be seen at night.

  My front door needed something, and I didn't have a nice colorful fall wreath.  So my thrifty decorating wheels starting turning in my brain.....I had two of those cinnamon brooms, that no longer smelled of cinnamon, some leaf garland, and some purple checked wire ribbon that I got on sale at Dollar General last year for $.25.  I just criss crossed the brooms, wired them, wrapped the leaf garland around and secured with wire.  Then tied a bow with the purple ribbon and well-ahhh!  A nice colorful fall door arrangement!  I was quite pleased.

 The bale of hay was lacking something, so I put a cornucopia at the scarecrow's feet.  I stuffed a small yellow towel in the bottom and filled the top with leaves that fell from the garland, and some faux fruit.  I think it filled in that space nicely.  If you look at the bottom of this picture, you can see the girl jack-o-lantern my daughter painted.....green eye shadow and all. :)



I hope you all have been enjoying your fall so far!

Happy Decorating!
Jennifer

Save Your Wallet While Helping Save The Earth Tip #1

Hi all!
  I haven't been posting very often lately.  Been waiting for some inspiration.  I've got some great posts planned and hope you will be sure to come back to see what I've come up with. :)

  While we are definitely not the greenest family....I have been trying to slowly find ways to help reduce our carbon footprint.  In doing so, I have found that I am also increasing the green in our wallet.  Woo Hoo!!  In discovering this revelation, it has inspired some great ideas for blog posts.  Yipee!  This is just a win, win, win situation! :)

Hence was born...."Save Your Wallet While Helping Save The Earth" tips.  For those of you who are super green heroes, bare with me and don't laugh to hard at this newbie, as we are just easing our way in.  For those of you who are new to this whole idea, wait until you see the discoveries I've made! ;)

Save Your Wallet While Helping Save The Earth Tip #1:

Recycling!  Duh! Duh! Duuuuuuhhhh!  (Insert low piano key tune here!)  Don't worry...great tips coming up here:

 Our garbage pick up service did not offer recyling, so for years everything has been tossed in the garbage. I mean who has time to:
1)Buy containers to sort, then
2)Find space for all the containers
3)Actually sort them, and finally
4)Make a trip to the recycle center, that is not convenient?

Not me!  I found a solution!  Another trash service left an advertisement on our mailbox.  I called, they offer recycling AND were a couple dollars cheaper per quarter. Save Your Wallet part 1.  Hurray!!!  No brainer there.  I just switched services and well ah....

Nice big recycling can!

  No sorting, just rinse, and all the newspapers (ahem...couponers, myself included!!), junk mail, cardboard (cereal boxes), plastic, and cans (not just soda, but veggie too!)  I was SHOCKED at how fast that recycle can filled up!  I am utterly embarrassed and ashamed to think of all the things that we have just tossed that could have been recycled.  Lesson learned, so I guess that's the whole point.  

  Now onto the Save Your Wallet part 2....I'm not using as many garbage bags.  We all no how expensive those can be!  Not to mention, less bags in the landfill.  Yes, I know there are biodegradable bags, and that I can buy products with less waste...baby steps here! ;)  

  So call around, see if other garbage services offer recycling in your area.  If they are not cheaper or the same price, don't be afraid to ask if they will match your current service price.  If you have no luck, then maybe you could just recycle a little at a time, by filling up your plastic grocery bags and taking them back to the grocery store.  I've noticed most of them have recycle bins there.  You know you are in that store at least twice a week! ;)  Even that small baby step will make a difference in how often you have to buy more garbage bags.  

I hope you found this post helpful and will check back for more posts on how to, "Save Your Wallet While Helping Save The Earth."

If you have tips or a blog post on this subject to share (especially for those who don't have a garbage pick up that offers recycling), please share in the comments.  I'd love to hear ways to improve. 

Happy Recycling!

Jennifer

Frugal Breakfasts to go....

Hi all,
  Are the morning trips through the drive thru killing your grocery budget?  Think you have no choice, because you just don't have the time in the morning to fix your breakfast?  Do you think you could spare 2 minutes in the morning to save big?  Sure you can!  Here's how we do it....

  This week my DH went to our local meat market and bought a 5lb. bag of his favorite country sausage for $9.99.

 I went to Aldi and bought their 4 pk of canned biscuits (10 in each can) for $1.79.









 The trick to quick breakfast is not to wait to fix them in the morning when you are trying to get out the door.  Go ahead and fix them ahead of time.

First I put all 40 of the biscuits in the oven to bake.  While they were baking, I made 40 sausage patties out of the 5lb bag.  Yes, it did take a while to fry up all those sausage patties, but it's well worth it.

  After the patties are cooked, I went ahead and assembled all the biscuits.  Then I take freezer bags and put two in each bag.  I roll up the bags to make them nice and compact so that I can then fit several into one large freezer bag before putting them in the freezer.  I do that to just keep everything nice a neat in the freezer.

  Now, for the time saving tip.  Before you go to bed, pull out one of the bags and put it in the fridge. By morning it will be ready for heating. Also, go ahead and get your coffee maker ready, if it has a timer set it for a few minutes before you plan to get up.  Lay out a nice cloth napkin and place your coffee cup, sugar, and spoon on it so you are greeting in the morning by the nice display ready and waiting.

  Be sure you go ahead and get your brown bag or lunch box ready to put your biscuits in and don't forget a napkin. ;)  In the morning pop your biscuits in the microwave for about 45 seconds pour your cup of coffee while they are warming and in less than a minute you have a warm breakfast and coffee ready to walk out the door!

  For $11.78 + tax I fixed 20 days worth of breakfast for my DH.  He would have spent that in about 2 days going through a drive thru!

  Note:  Be sure you don't throw away those freezer bags!  I'll share with you my frugal tip for those in a post soon to come. ;)

I hope you enjoyed the tip!  Have a wonderful day!
Jennifer

Frugal Meal, thanks to Aldi! :) Chicken Parmigiana

Hi all,
I thought it could be fun to share frugal meals/recipes from the things purchased from Aldi. So here's what I cooked for our dinner tonight.

Bought:
1 Chicken Parmagiana $2.69 (in freezer section)
1 Lettuce $.79 (two servings about $.20)
1 Tomato from 24oz bag about $.25
1/2 box of spaghetti (from Publix about $.45)

This fed our family of three for a grand total of about $3.69. I didn't figure the amount of dressing on mine and DD's salad or our drinks, but I'd say that's a pretty deliciously frugal meal! 



Enjoy,
Jennifer

Stuffed Bell Peppers...So Delicious!

Hi all,
  Last night we had stuffed bell peppers.  They were so delicious!  It's one of our favorite meals.  Thanks to Aldi, I got a 3pk of large green peppers and 4 ears of fresh corn for $1.29 each.  I also fixed New York Texas Toast that I picked up this week at Publix  for $.47 (8ct box).

   Here's the breakdown for the Texas toast:
Toast was $1.27 - $.40 MQD = $.47

Note: M=Manufacturer, Q=Coupon, D=Doubled

I followed the recipe from another really great blogger.  If you haven't checked out The Beehive Cottage, you really should!  It's wonderful eye candy....you'll see! ;)  Here's the link to the Stuffed Bell Peppers.

I hope you enjoy!

Jennifer

 

Last night's Chicken Tacos...Mmm!

Hi all,
  Last night I tried a Betty Crocker recipe for Wild West Sizzlin' Chicken Tacos.  (just click the title of the recipe to be taken to the complete instructions) They were simply delicious!  The whole family loved them, and I will definitely have them again.  


  I did make a couple of adjustments.  DH does not care for beans, so I just didn't put any on his.  I had a packet of taco seasoning, so I used that on the chicken instead of the cumin and paprika.  Also, I didn't have any fresh red bell pepper, but I did have a jar of roasted red peppers in the fridge that worked beautifully.  


   I'm trying to build a nice collection of recipes to use for a menu plan.  When I find a good one like this, I'll add it to the collection.  Now that I know the family likes this, I will be sure to make up a big batch of chicken strips next time and freeze them in dinner size portions.  This is another strategy that I'm working on.  Building up my freezer with prepared ahead components of a dinner for quick meal preparation.  


Enjoy!
Jennifer


  

Overflowing with stuffed animals??

Hi all,
  This post was inspired by another blogging friend of mine, (you know who you are...Tracey @ Girls to Grow ;) )when I gave a suggestion of what to do with that pile of stuffed animals that have accumulated over the years.

  If you have a little one anything like mine you have LOTS of stuffed animals taking over!  My DD was never much into dolls, but loves her soft fluffy animals.  So between my husband, myself and family giving her stuffed sweeties for every birthday or holiday that rolled around we have quite a selection!

  To help control this, I take themed ones and pack them up with the other holiday things and only bring them out when decorating for that holiday.  I do this for Christmas, Valentines, and Easter.  (I don't pack away the brand new one she just got, those get to hang around until that holiday rolls around again, then it gets packed away the next time.)  She hates to see them packed away, but loves it when that particular holiday runs around.  We take all her stuffed animals that she keeps on her bed and replace them with the current holiday theme.  We have a great time doing this, and it gives her room a nice freshening up and new look for a while.

  Now, her absolute favorites stay either on her bed or in her closet.  We have narrowed down just a few particular ones to leave on her bed when she makes it up.  Then we have a game we play at night at bedtime.  She hopes on the bed, then closes her eyes.  I go into the closet and randomly pick one of the animals.  I then lay it in her hands and she tries to guess which one it is before looking.  This helps to keep toys from never getting played with by alternating them around.

  For those that have not been played with in a long time and just need to go, we have found a solution for that as well.  A friend of ours told us that the local fire department loves to receive excellent used condition stuffed animals to hand out to children on a call.  Just a little something to bring some small comfort to a little one who has just lost everything in a fire.  My DD loved this idea!  She didn't feel bad at all losing a sweet stuffed animal knowing that it could bring some joy to a child who is no doubt sad and frightened.   So call your local fire department to see if they do this.  If they don't, maybe they would like to start.

  Another suggestion would be to include them in a Christmas or Easter gift to a child in need.   In these economic times, I'm sure that we could find many homes at these times of year to bless a child with.

  I hope you have found my suggestions useful.  Be sure to come back again real soon! :)

Have a great day,
Jennifer

Recycle Easter Baskets & Remnants :)

Hi all,
  Now that Easter has passed you may be thinking, of tossing the empty baskets and plastic eggs.  I never do that!  These things can be used again and again. :)

  The basket in this picture was a basket that was given to me almost 10 years ago when I was pregnant with my daughter, filled with baby gifts for my baby shower.  I thought the basket was so pretty, I decided right then and there to make it the annual Easter basket.

  Every Easter eve we (DD and I) set it out for the Easter Bunny to fill.  That way, he doesn't have to bring a new one each year.  To freshen it up I just add new Easter ribbon and fluff up the basket grass.  If you don't like any of your left over baskets enough to reuse them this way, try your local Goodwill or thrift shops.  There are always beautiful baskets at mine for a fraction of the cost of a new one.

  For those novelty plastic baskets, you can use these over and over as well.  If your not in love with them enough to be "the" basket, just keep them for Easter egg hunts.  We also use them to decorate DD's room with plastic eggs.  Use them to fill with a few eggs and spring knick knacks to give as a gift to a teacher, loved one, or a family in need for their children.

  As for those plastic eggs, soak them in some soapy water, rinse, set out to dry, then pack them in a bag for next year.  We leave these out for the Easter Bunny to fill as well. :)  When you need to go to the church or neighborhood hunt, you should have ample plenty eggs to take as your contribution and not have to go purchase any.

  Those plastic dye cups that you might have gotten in a egg dying kit....wash them and use them again next year for extra colors, or just to speed up the process. ;)

  You may be thinking what to do with the accumulation of stuffed Easter bunnies from years past....our favorites are packed up with all the other Easter things and only brought out during Easter to decorate DD's room.  If you are just overflowing with them, use them to put with those gift baskets I mentioned above.

  So before you toss, think about how you can save yourself some time, money or bless someone else by reusing these things.

 I hope you find these tips useful.  Have a great week! :)
Jennifer

Hate cleaning the shower?

Hi all,
  I've got a household tip I want to share.  Do you HATE cleaning the shower?  All that tile just takes forever to clean doesn't it?  Let's see if I can help you with that. ;)

  I keep a bottle of my shower cleaner in the shower along with a hand scrub brush and one of those big plastic cups you get from a big value meal.  Everyday  when I step into the shower before I start washing, I spray down one door or one line of tile/grout.  Scrub it with the scrub brush then rinse with the cup.  By doing just one door or one line of tile at a time it's not overwhelming.  It only takes a moment and your shower never gets out of hand.

  On bathroom cleaning days I just concentrate on the outside of the shower doors, which is just a quick spritz of Windex and wipe down.  It's fast, It's simple...It's a nice clean shower all the time! :)

Hope you enjoy this little tip and have a great day!
Jennifer

My Blog is in print!!

Hi all!

  My blog is in print!......Cyber print that is.  Due to my recent series, "Are You a Flylady?",  a new blogging friend of mine asked me if she could quote me.  She told me she was writing an article for an online magazine on spring cleaning, and thought that my series would be a good highlight.  Of course I said, SURE!  :)

  The magazine is Southern Child.  If you are not familiar with it, you should check it out.  It's chock full of great articles.  The magazine was founded to help foster children find loving families by providing affordable advertising space for family based businesses.

  If you are visiting me from reading the article....Welcome!  Be sure to leave me a comment, so I can say hello!  :)

  The author of the article "Spring Cleaning" (in the April/May 2011 issues pg. 74-75 ;) ), is Michelle Byers Densmore.  I've just recently had the pleasure of meeting Michelle through my blog and have enjoyed starting to get to know her.  You can met her too, on her blog, Southern Somedays.  If you haven't visited her blog before, you are in for a treat.  It's a very sweetly designed eye candy, just dripping with good 'ol southern hospitality!  Stop in and say hello, and be sure to tell her that her friend at Just Peachy in Dixie sent ya!  


I hope you all have a wonderful day!  Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to visit again soon. :)
Jennifer

Are you a Flylady? Series 32 of 32 (I did it!)

 Hi all,

  For those of you following this series....Welcome Back!  For those of you new here....Welcome!  If you're new, don't worry, you can read from the beginning of this series here.

If you've never heard of Flylady, you can read all about it here.  

  Well, I did it!  I completed all the babysteps, and have renewed my desire for keeping my house in a nice, clean, orderly fashion.  When I first read about Flylady, I just kind of dove in, and did some of the things that I thought were a good idea.  I established a few good habits, but didn't really keep it up.  This time I started with day 1 and worked diligently all the way through.  I can't believe the difference this time!  I really have gotten to a point where I absolutely cannot go to bed with a messy kitchen!  I hate the feeling of walking down in the morning to face a mess MUCH worse than the short amount of time it takes to just clean up right after dinner.  

  I also love getting dressed first thing in the morning, instead of waiting until after I'm done cleaning like I used to.  There are many reasons for this:

1. It wakes me up

2. I feel better with a little makeup 

3. Even if I'm not going anywhere, I feel better about myself, and I think my DH appreciates the fresh look much better than the I just crawled out of bed look in the middle of the afternoon. :)

4. I have had a few instances where I unexpectedly needed to leave the house, and I was ready!

  My laundry has become much more manageable as apposed to the mountain constantly at the foot of my bed, with never ending wrinkles!  I still falter some with getting 2 loads done a day, but I'm working on that. ;) 

  Believe it or not my favorite task, second only to my nice shiny sink in the morning.....Swishing and Swiping our toilets daily.  I just love that my toilets are never dirty!  No more dread of cleaning a disgusting toilet.  Literally 5 minutes of my day wiping down tank, lids, seats, and swishing 3 toilets is well worth the reward!  If you don't think you can do it all at once, just use a different bathroom throughout the day, and when your finished do a quick swish and swipe....done!  I keep cleaner, and rags under each sink to make it even more convenient.  

  These everyday tasks have become so routine, that it's really simple for me to add the daily missions in each day.  No more spring cleaning!  It gets done year round.  Gotta love that!  For the longest time I  looked at my homemaking chores as burdens.  Now, I see them as a blessing!  A blessing to me, my family, and our home.  Through God's grace,  my DH has been able to provide so that I have been given the gift of being able to do what I love.  Stay at home with my daughter homeschooling her, and providing a haven for my husband to come home to.  Knowing that God's path for me can change at any moment, I am embracing my responsibilities with joy now.  

  I look forward to continuing my Flylady Journey.  I hope you have enjoyed this series, and it has blessed you as much as it has me!  

Happy Flying!

Jennifer

Are you a Flylady? Series 31 of 32 (Check Calendar in Advance)

 Hi all,

  For those of you following this series....Welcome Back!  For those of you new here....Welcome!  If you're new, don't worry, you can read from the beginning of this series here.

If you've never heard of Flylady, you can read all about it here.  

    Whew!  I'm back!  Internet issues are all fixed now.  I missed ya'll!  What did we ever do before internet, cell phones, etc.?   I have no idea, but I do know I realized how much I enjoy this blog, and I'm glad to be back in the saddle again. ;)  

    Today's task is really a good one for me.  I need to not only check my calendar the night before during my bedtime routine, but go ahead a look a month in advance.  It will be so much nicer to see what's coming up and have time to plan (if necessary-cards, gifts, supplies, etc.) rather than realize I'm not prepared!  Why have that stress when I can avoid it completely?  Now that I'm working on my Control Journal to get important dates (birthdays, anniversaries, etc.) in, this should be a nice addition to my routine.  

  I hope you all have a wonderful day!

Jennifer