Crock pot favorite recipes!
All week we’ve been talking about crock pots and about how football season started in my house and how that means little league times three for me. That means every weekday night we are at four different practices at four different places but the times all overlap. I decided that I need to find a good answer to making dinner even though I won’t be home. Otherwise we will end up eating lots of fast food, sandwiches, cereal and hot dogs! Yuck! The need for good healthy crock pot favorite dinners made me look into my recipes again. Because this is the last blog about crock pots for a bit, I just had to share a couple of my all time crock pot favorite recipes.
I went back through a lot of my old recipes and found these two favorites. These are super easy recipes with ingredients that are not hard or expensive to find. My kids love these recipes and ask to have it again which is always a big stamp of approval. Slow cooker recipes need to be fast and easy to prep, in my opinion, and these both fit those requirements. I’m not sure where I got the recipes from originally but they are really yummy ones! Both of them use chicken, which is a crock pot favorite for my family.
One reason I love chicken crock pot recipes, is the fact that I always have chicken in the freezer. I love getting chicken in bulk from Zaycon Foods and freezing it in portions that work in my recipes. (If you haven’t tried the chicken from Zaycon Foods, get ready. They have chicken ordering open now. It is a great way to get chicken breasts that are healthy and tasty. Don’t miss this great way to get chicken.)
If you try one of these crock pot favorite recipes, let me know how you and your family liked it. They both really are so yummy!
Slow Cooker Sesame Chicken
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 pound boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons dried onion
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 3 Tablespoons water
Sesame seeds
DIRECTIONS:
Put chicken into crock pot. Combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, and garlic. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours, or just until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from crock pot, leave sauce. Dissolve 2 teaspoons of cornstarch in 3 tablespoons of water and pour into crock pot. Stir to combine with sauce. Replace lid and cook sauce on high for ten more minutes or until slightly thickened. Cut chicken into bite size pieces and return to crock pot – can leave chicken in and simmer on low or serve. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice.
Peanut Butter Crock Pot Thai Chicken
INGREDIENTS:
3 pounds chicken breasts
1 48 ounce jar salsa
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
6 teaspoons ginger
6 tablespoons soy sauce
6 teaspoons lime juice
DIRECTIONS:
Put all ingredients in crock pot on low for 6-8 hours. Garnish with cilantro, scallions, and peanuts. Serve over rice.
Crock Pot Buying Tips!
All week we’ve been talking about crock pots and about how football season started in my house and how that means little league times three for me. That’s because I have three boys playing little league football this year and a daughter who swims on a swim team. That means every weekday night we are at four different practices at four different places but the times all overlap. I decided that I need to find a good answer to making dinner even though I won’t be home. Otherwise we will end up eating lots of fast food, sandwiches, cereal and hot dogs! Yuck! The need for good healthy but quick dinners made me think I need to start using my crock pot, or slow cooker, again. As we’ve been talking about this I’ve been thinking that it might be time to replace one of my crock pots. It just doesn’t seem to be heating up and cooking food very well. Because I might be crock pot shopping soon, I decided I better start thinking about crock pot buying tips.
When you set out to buy a crock pot there are so many things to consider – basic crock pot buying tips are good to keep in mind. If you ignore these tips, crazy things happen. You may end up owning the cutest purple crock pot that looks fun and adorable. But that fun and adorable purple crock pot won’t cook your food well and you’ll be sad and disappointed. (Reason I need to buy a new crock pot in paragraph #1.) I learned the hard way that all crock pots are not created equal. Here are a few of the crock pot buying tips to keep in mind when you go shopping for your next crock pot.
Manual vs Programmable
This seems like a pretty basic option – but sometimes it can be tricky! If I had listened to this important one of the crock pot buying tips I wouldn’t have my purple crock pot disaster. Manual is pretty easy to figure out – the crock pot has a few basic settings and you have to adjust it and turn it off or on when you want. Programmable is much more complicated. Pay attention to how many different setting it has. Look for features like timers and keep warm settings. Some programmable crock pots will come with probes to help get foods to the correct temperatures. Just because it says it is programmable does not mean there are all of the settings and features you want.
Removable Crock
This one would be a deal breaker for me but I see crock pots with non-removable liners all of the time. I need to be able to wash the crock and really scrub it. If you can’t put the whole thing in the sink, there is no way it will work for me.
Where’s the Lid?
When it comes to crock pots, all lids are not created equal. Once again, if I had listened to this important one of the crock pot buying tips I wouldn’t have my purple crock pot disaster. Lids are either attached or unattached. Attached lids may be held in place with a strap or lock. Some lids are actually permanently attached or attached so strangely that they are too hard to remove. Check the lid before you buy your crockpot.
Size and Shape Matter
Crock pots come in lots of shapes and sizes. Pay attention to the size – a too small or too big crockpot will cause problems with uneven cooking and incorrect cooking times. If you want to fit roasts, hams or chickens or other odd shaped foods into the crock pot, get the appropriate shape. Ovals might work better for some larger items.
Do you have crock pot buying tips that aren’t listed here? Let us know – we love to hear from you!
Family favorite crock pot recipes!
For the last couple of days we have talked about how football season started in my house and how that means little league times three for me. That’s because I have three boys playing little league football this year and a daughter who swims on a swim team. That means every weekday night we are at four different practices at four different places but the times all overlap. I decided that I need to find a good answer to making dinner even though I won’t be home. Otherwise we will end up eating lots of fast food, sandwiches, cereal and hot dogs! Yuck! The need for good healthy but quick dinners made me think I need to start using my crock pot, or slow cooker, again. I’ve gathered a couple of family favorite crock pot recipes that make crock pot cooking easy and yummy.
Sometimes the most simple crock pot recipes are the ones that end up being family favorites. That’s what these recipes are – simple family favorite crock pot recipes. My whole family loves them all. Do you have some simple family favorite crock pot recipes? If you do, share them with us! We’ll feature a few in an upcoming blog.
Crock Pot Taco Soup
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (1 ounce) package ranch dressing mix
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
1 (15.5 ounce) can corn, undrained
1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, undrained
1 (15 ounce) can sliced black olives
1 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 cup tomato juice
Directions:
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; cook and stir beef until crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink.
- Drain and discard any excess grease.
- Transfer beef to a slow cooker and sprinkle with the taco seasoning mix and ranch dressing mix.
- Add the diced tomatoes and green chilies, corn, and black beans, all with their liquid, to the slow cooker.
- Stir the black olives, onion, bell pepper, and tomato juice into the ground beef mixture.
- Cook on low until the vegetables are completely tender, about 5 hours.
Crock Pot Pulled Pork
Ingredients:
1 (2 pound) pork tenderloin
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle root beer
1 (18 ounce) bottle your favorite barbecue sauce
8 hamburger buns, split and lightly toasted
Directions:
- Place the pork tenderloin in a slow cooker; pour the root beer over the meat.
- Cover and cook on low until well cooked and the pork shreds easily, 6 to 7 hours. The actual length of time may vary according to individual slow cooker.
- Drain well. Stir in barbecue sauce.
- Serve over hamburger buns.
Crock Pot White Chili
Ingredients:
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken breast
1 (15.5 ounce) can white beans, drained
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 (15.25 ounce) can white corn, drained
1 (7 ounce) can green salsa
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies
1 large tomato, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon lime juice
Directions:
- Stir chicken, white beans, chicken broth, white corn, green salsa, green chilies, tomato, cilantro, green onion, lemon juice, and lime juice together in the crock of a slow cooker.
- Cook on low until hot, about 1 hour.
Crock pot tips and tricks!
Yesterday we talked about how football season started in my house and how that means little league times three for me. That’s because I have three boys playing little league football this year and a daughter who swims on a swim team. That means every weekday night we are at four different practices at four different places but the times all overlap. I decided that I need to find a good answer to making dinner even though I won’t be home. Otherwise we will end up eating lots of fast food, sandwiches, cereal and hot dogs! Yuck! The need for good healthy but quick dinners made me think I need to start using my crock pot, or slow cooker, again. What makes me keep drifting away from using my crock pot? I’m just not sure. I decided I better track down some crock pot tips and tricks to see if I can start using the crock pot and have it become habit.
It seems like cooking in a crock pot would be so easy that you wouldn’t need crock pot tips and tricks. Not so! A quick internet search showed me I wasn’t the only one who had trouble sticking with using a crock pot. There are so many reasons that people don’t stick with crock pot cooking long term. Many of those reasons are remedied by paying attention to these tips and tricks.
Have a Plan
Just like with any other cooking; having a plan for dinner is a must. Have your recipe and ingredients ready ahead of time. This is one of the best crock pot tips and tricks there is – no plan means no success with crock pot cooking.
Good Crock Pot
It might be tempting to buy a cheap and featureless crockpot, but don’t be fooled. You will want a crock pot with more than the basic model and features. A programmable crock pot is ideal. With varied temperatures and times you will be able to do so much more than the basic warm and hot manual setting crock pot.
Right Size
If you use a crock pot that is the wrong size, your recipe might suffer. Having too much in your crock pot or too little in your crock pot will cause it to cook unevenly. It will cook too quickly or not enough. This is another one of the most important crock pot tips and tricks.
Too full
Don’t overfill your crock pot. Just like when you use the wrong size crock pot, a too full crock pot will lead to uneven cooking and food that is not fully cooked. Check your owner’s manual for details on your specific crock pot but many experts say don’t fill it over 2/3 full.
Use the Lid
Don’t forget to use the lid. The lid helps the crock pot maintain proper temperature during the cooking time. Uncovered crock pots may cook slowly and unevenly. This is another of the most important crock pot tips and tricks.
Easy Clean Up
Look for a crock pot with a removable crock – don’t settle for one that is built in to the base. You can put the crock right in the sink for easy clean up. Want it to be even easier? Purchase disposable crock pot liners. You’ll toss the mess in the trash and have a clean crock pot. Super easy!
Have more crock pot tips and tricks? Share them with us – we love to hear from you.
Football season means crock pot season!
Football season started in my house today. That’s little league times three for me! I have three boys playing little league football this year and a daughter who swims on a swim team. That means every weekday night we are at four different practices at four different places but the times all overlap. I decided that I need to find a good answer to making dinner even though I won’t be home. Otherwise we will end up eating lots of fast food, sandwiches, cereal and hot dogs! Yuck! The need for good healthy but quick dinners made me think I need to start using my crock pot, or slow cooker, again.
Even when it isn’t football season I hate feeling frantic and last minute about making dinner. With all of the activities we run to, some days dinner prep is left to the last minute. We are caught way past dinner time standing in front of the refrigerator and wondering what to make for dinner. I have decided enough is enough and I better get the crock pot off the shelf, dust it off and start thinking about recipes I can make. I have decided to start with chicken recipes. Chicken crock pot recipes always seem easy to find plus they usually seem to be easy to make and very tasty.
Another reason I started with chicken crock pot recipes, is the fact that I always have chicken in the freezer. I love getting chicken in bulk from Zaycon Foods and freezing it in portions that work in my recipes. (If you haven’t tried the chicken from Zaycon Foods, get ready. They are have chicken ordering open now. It is a great way to get chicken breasts that are healthy and tasty. There is even a coupon code ending today – see that blog HERE.)
I went back through a lot of my old recipes and found some favorites. These are a few that are super easy recipes with ingredients that are not hard or expensive to find. My kids love these recipes and ask to have it again which is always a big stamp of approval. Slow cooker recipes need to be fast and easy to prep, in my opinion. This week I’ll be featuring many of my favorite crock pot recipes in an attempt to motivate myself and maybe help some of you too. Do you want to see one of your favorite crock pot recipes featured on PYP? Share your favorite with us and we will feature a few on the blog. We’ll also talk about crock pot tips and tricks. If you have any, share them with us too. We’ll include them this week also.
Now go find your crock pot, dust if off and get ready to make some good healthy but quick dinners with us!
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Today is National Cheesecake Day!
Guess what day it is? Guess what – it isn’t hump day! It’s even better! It’s one of those holidays that is so very much fun to celebrate. It’s one of those food related holidays. Today is National Cheesecake Day! Yum! What a perfectly delicious holiday to celebrate. Cheesecake is one of my family’s favorite treats. A couple of us prefer it over birthday cake on our birthdays. We love to try new kinds of cheesecake and National Cheesecake Day seems like the perfect time to do it.
Here are two great recipes to help you celebrate National Cheesecake Day. This first recipe is a new recipe we are trying this year. The second is an old favorite. If you try one, let us know how you like it. We love hearing from you!
White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
Makes 1 – 9 inch cheesecake
Ingredients:
1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs
3 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 (10 ounce) package frozen raspberries
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water
2 cups white chocolate chips
1/2 cup half-and-half cream
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
- In a medium bowl, mix together cookie crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar, and melted butter. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan.
- In a saucepan, combine raspberries, 2 tablespoons sugar, cornstarch, and water. Bring to boil, and continue boiling 5 minutes, or until sauce is thick. Strain sauce through a mesh strainer to remove seeds.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt white chocolate chips with half-and-half, stirring occasionally until smooth.
- In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Blend in vanilla and melted white chocolate. Pour half of batter over crust. Spoon 3 tablespoons raspberry sauce over batter. Pour remaining cheesecake batter into pan, and again spoon 3 tablespoons raspberry sauce over the top. Swirl batter with the tip of a knife to create a marbled effect.
- Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until filling is set. Cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 8 hours before removing from pan. Serve with remaining raspberry sauce.
Cheesecake Brownies
Makes 1 – 9×13 inch pan
Ingredients:
1 (19.8 ounce) package brownie mix
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 egg
1/3 cup white sugar
Directions:
- Prepare the brownie mix as directed by manufacturer. Preheat oven to temperature indicated on box. Grease a 9×13 inch pan.
- Spread the brownie batter evenly into the prepared pan. Using an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, egg and sugar until smooth. Dollop the cream cheese mixture on top of the brownie batter. Swirl together using a knife or skewer.
- Bake according to manufacturer’s instructions. Brownies will be done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in the pan, then cut into bars and serve.
Clean out the garage! Keep it safe!
When it comes to getting things done around the house, I am usually a go-getter. I hate dragging my feet and letting jobs wait until later. I usually decide to tackle a job and then get it going. But there is one job that I find I keep procrastinating. I’ve been putting it off for a month or more – maybe two or more! I just don’t want to do this job and it shows. I really try to look the other way and ignore it. That doesn’t work. I’m going to have to face it and get it done. I’m going to have to clean out the garage! That doesn’t sound fun at all.
I decided to take my plan to clean out the garage and treat it like all the other things I do – I break them into parts and tackle them bit by bit. It seems easier and far less overwhelming that way. I decided the most important part of my decision to clean out the garage was to make sure things were safe. Lots of life happens in and out of our garage so having that all go on safely is pretty important. There are a few things to consider when you clean out the garage and make it safe.
Chemicals
If your garage is like mine, there are probably lots and lots of chemicals stored there. Paints, oils, lawn care, cleaners – there are so many chemicals in the typical garage. The majority of these chemicals are actually poisonous to some degree. Be sure to gather and store these chemical out of the reach of children and pets when you clean out the garage.
Some chemicals can react with other chemicals or heat sources. Be careful when you clean out the garage and avoid putting chemicals in locations that will create a dangerous reaction or fire.
Gas Grills
We all love our gas grills and many people store them in the garage. The gas grills themselves are not usually dangerous but the gas canisters can be very dangerous. Check gas tanks for leaks. It is much better to store the gas tanks outside of the house. When you clean out the garage, it would be a good idea to find a safe place to store the gas tanks.
Sharp Tools
There are so many sharp tools that are stored in the garage. Don’t create a dangerous situation by storing them in the reach of children or pets. Hang sharp tools on pegboard placed up high on the walls – it is a great way to keep them safe.
Floor Safety
Keep the floors of your garage safe and clear to avoid slips, trips and falls. Avoid keeping things on the floors in areas where people walk. Be aware of water that accumulates on the floor. When you clean out the garage be aware of floor safety and keep your floors from becoming a hazard.
Smoke detectors
Remember to have a smoke detector in the garage, just like in other parts of your home. When you clean out the garage, change the batteries.
Have more ideas for safety when you clean out the garage? Let us know. We love to hear from you!
Food Safe Picnic Tips!
Where I live, July 24th is a HUGE state wide holiday. People are off work, there are parades and fireworks, and there are lots of picnics. Every picnic friendly holiday it seems I see someone post on social media that someone in their family got sick from eating some sort of spoiled picnic food. Are all of the reported stomach bugs really from spoiled picnic food? There is a good chance the answer is yes! So how can we remedy this situation? We can all catch up on some basic food safe picnic tips and implement them when having our picnics, tomorrow or any other picnic day.
Most food safe picnic tips seem like common sense. But if these food safe picnic tips aren’t followed people can get sick. I’d much rather take precautions than cause people to get sick, especially when those people are my kids. Kids with stomach bugs make life pretty icky for a couple of days! Following these food safe picnic tips should help avoid that and keep all the picnicking fun and safe!
Food Safe Picnic Tips – Straight from the FDA website:
Serving Picnic Food: Keep it COLD / HOT
Keeping food at proper temperatures – indoor and out – is critical in preventing the growth of foodborne bacteria. The key is to never let your picnic food remain in the “Danger Zone” – between 40° F and 140° F – for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour if outdoor temperatures are above 90° F. This is when bacteria in food can multiply rapidly, and lead to foodborne illness.
Instead, follow these simple rules for keeping cold foods cold and hot foods hot.
COLD FOOD
Cold perishable food should be kept in the cooler at 40° F or below until serving time.
- Once you’ve served it, it should not sit out for longer than 2 hours, or 1 hour if the outdoor temperature is above 90° F. If it does – discard it.
- Foods like chicken salad and desserts in individual serving dishes can be placed directly on ice, or in a shallow container set in a deep pan filled with ice. Drain off water as ice melts and replace ice frequently.
HOT FOOD
Hot food should be kept hot, at or above 140° F.
- Wrap it well and place it in an insulated container until serving.
- Just as with cold food – these foods should not sit out for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour in temperatures above 90° F. If food is left out longer, throw it away to be safe.
Platter Warning:
Prevent “Cross-Contamination” When Serving
Never reuse a plate or utensils that previously held raw meat, poultry, or seafood for serving — unless they’ve been washed first in hot, soapy water. Otherwise, you can spread bacteria from the raw juices to your cooked or ready-to-eat food.
This is particularly important to remember when serving cooked foods from the grill.
Home-buying financial decisions – don’t forget these tips!
Sometimes financial decisions seem easy and obvious but sometimes these same financial decisions are not that obvious and sort of complicated. Once in a while these decisions are actually quite tricky. When you are buying a home, many of the financial decisions you make can hurt you without you even realizing it. I was talking with a neighbor who is in the middle of buying a house and quite a few of these financial decisions came up in our conversation. Some of these ideas are obvious but some are things you may not have thought about. Everything considered, home-buying financial decisions are some of the most important you can make.
Most important home-buying financial decisions are easy to spot but there are a few simple ones that can ruin the home buying process if you aren’t careful. A few of these home-buying financial decisions are:
Don’t miss payments
It seems pretty obvious that you should miss or be late on a payment while in the process of buying a home. It isn’t something most people would do intentionally. In the chaos of buying a house and moving, it can be easy to miss a bill or misplace a payment.
Don’t change jobs
Even a move up may be detrimental to a loan application. Lenders are looking for financial stability which they see in the amount of years you have worked at your current job.
Don’t change banks
Banking stability is another sign of financial stability that lenders examine in the loan process. Avoid switching banks when you will be applying for a home loan in the near future.
Don’t make surprise large deposits
Unusual large deposits is something that can raise flags when it comes to banking stability. The money for your down payment should be in your bank a couple of months before you apply for a loan.
Don’t apply for a new card
Avoid applying for a new credit card when you are applying for a home loan. New credit cards equal new potential debt. Most lenders feel new debt could decrease your ability to pay your mortgage.
Don’t finance a car
Wait until after you purchase your home if you need to finance your new car purchase. Taking on new debt will change your debt to income ratio and may make you ineligible for certain loans or loan perks.
Don’t finance big ticket items
Just like when buying a car, wait until after you purchase your home if you need to finance a large purchase. Furniture, electronics, cell phones, you name it – avoid financing it until after you buy our home.
Don’t cosign on a loan
Cosigning on a loan will affect your debt to income ratio just like if it was you who took on the new debt alone. When you cosign a loan you can be held responsible for making the payments. Lenders look at this as your debt.
These are just a few of the important home-buying financial decisions you need to remember when buying a home. Have some more home-buying financial decisions to add? Let us know. We love hearing from you!
National Junk Food Day!
You all know how I love random obscure holidays. You know the ones, the holidays that you hear about on the internet or in your email. Today is one of those days and it sounds like a very fun one! Today, June 21st is National Junk Food Day. It’s a day devoted to all of those things that we are always told we are not supposed to eat. It is a great day to ditch your diet and have a few snacks that are usually off limits. Is it crunchy, salty, sweet, or sour? Is it deep fried? How about chocolaty or otherwise gooey? Maybe it is french fries or soda pop? There are so many kids of junk food to choose from if you want to indulge on National Junk Food Day.
National Junk Food Day originated in 1972. The director of the Center for Science in the Pulic Interest, Michael Jacobsen said foods with little nutritional value were unhealthy when eaten on a regular basis. Even though they are labeled as “junk,” these foods usually do not pose any immediate health risk and are generally safe when integrated into a well balanced diet. However, the consumption of a “junk food” heavy diet can have adverse effects on your health. So celebrate on National Junk Food Day and then get back to healthy eating tomorrow.
What are Americans eating on National Junk Food Day? I’m sure this varies around the country with people mostly consuming what is popular locally. We went to Jamba Juice today and now I am going to say that was in celebration of National Junk Food Day. Time Magazine compiled a list of what they thought were the Top Ten Iconic Junk Foods in America. Are any of your favorites on the list?
- Twinkies
- Cheese Puffs
- Moon Pies
- Doughnuts
- McDonald’s French Fries
- Chipwich
- Pork Rinds
- Snickers
- Pepperoni Pizza
- Doritos
Did you have any of those junk food treats today? No? There is still time to celebrate National Junk Food Day. Grab your favorite junk food and celebrate!
Love S’mores? Try these recipes!
I love summer time so very much. There are so many fun things to do, there is never a truly dull moment. One thing I love to do in the summer time is have a campfire. I love it so much that we bought a fire pit and we use it a lot. Sitting around a fire seems to be one of those activities that is always fun no matter what else is or isn’t happening. One way to make campfires extra fun is to roast marshmallows and make s’mores. S’mores are a hit with almost everyone. S’mores are a favorite summer time treat.
If you like s’mores as much as I do then these recipes will be sure to interest you! Looking for a few ways to enjoy the yummy s’mores flavor without the campfire? It’s true that campfires are not always practical so we need a way to enjoy the s’mores taste without the fire and smoke. There are some great recipes out there – these are a few of my favorites and what we use when we need to fix a s’mores craving without the campfire.
Baked S’mores
Makes 1 – 9×13 inch dish
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup white sugar
3 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3 cups miniature marshmallows
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, combine butter, sugar and graham cracker crumbs until well coated. Press half of crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Top with the chocolate chips, then the marshmallows. Sprinkle the remaining graham cracker mixture over the marshmallows and press down with a spatula.
- Bake in preheated oven 10 minutes, until marshmallows are melted. Cool completely before cutting into squares.
S’mores Frappucinno
Makes 1 serving
Ingredients:
3/4 cup ice
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons marshmallow topping
1 shot cold espresso
1/2 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/2 tablespoon white sugar
1/4 cup whipped cream
1/2 tablespoon graham cracker crumbs
Directions:
- Blend ice, milk, marshmallow topping, espresso, cocoa powder, and sugar together in a blender until smooth.
- Pour into a glass and top with whipped cream and graham cracker crumbs.
Indoor S’mores
Makes 16 servings
Ingredients:
4 cups honey graham cereal
3 tablespoons margarine
6 cups miniature marshmallows
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
Directions:
- Coat a 9×13 inch dish with cooking spray. Place cereal into a large bowl; set aside.
- In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt margarine. Add marshmallows and corn syrup and stir until melted and smooth.
- Stir in chocolate chips until melted. Remove from heat and pour over waiting cereal; stir well to coat.
- Press into prepared pan. Cool completely before cutting into squares.
July is National Cell Phone Etiquette Month!
Attention blog readers – raise your hand if you are reading this blog on your cell phone. Yep – I thought so. A very large portion of you are reading this blog on your cell phone. Besides being used for the obvious phone calls and texting, cell phones have become the go to device for checking email, social networking and even surfing your favorite money saving website. (Wink, wink: Of course that is Pinching Your Pennies right?) With the increased use of cell phones comes an increase in the occurrence of cell phone use blunders. I’ve seen plenty of things happening with cell phones that are rude, wrong and even illegal. I’m sure you have too. It’s hard to go anywhere without seeing someone creating some sort of cell phone blunder. This is where we look to the month of July. Besides being a patriotic month, it is also National Cell Phone Etiquette Month.
Yes, you heard me right. There is actually a month where special attention should be paid to proper use of cell phones. National Cell Phone Etiquette Month is the perfect time to go over some of the ways to avoid common cell phone blunders. No one wants to be “that person” – the one who looks or sounds like a big jerk when on the cell phone. We all want to be just the opposite right? Here are a few helpful tips to help you out during National Cell Phone Etiquette Month.
Don’t text and drive
We have all heard this over and over again but National Cell Phone Etiquette Month seems like a great time to point it out again. Texting and driving is proven to be dangerous. But every time I go out I see adults and teens texting and driving. Just stop it. Stop it now.
Silence is golden
I’m sure you think that all of your calls and texts are important but the rest of us don’t think the same. When you are in public and in any kind of situation where extra noises are not wanted by everyone, silence your phone. Dinner, movies, classes, church, school – the list goes on and on. National Cell Phone Etiquette Month reminds us to use that mute button please.
Avoid yelling
So many people do the “cell yell” when they are talking on their cell phones. Today most cell conversations are clear so remember to speak in your normal voice.
Zip your lips
A big tip from National Cell Phone Etiquette Month is to avoid discussing personal, sensitive or private information when you are out and about and talking on your cell phone. Most of the time, the people around you can hear everything you are talking about and you never know who will overhear you.
Pay attention to your friends
If you have friends or family with you, avoid spending unnecessary time on your cell phone. Let unimportant calls go to voicemail. Limit texting and social media use. Spend your time with the people around you.
Step away for longer calls
If you have to take a longer call, excuse yourself and step away from those you are with. Keep all necessary conversations to a minimum.
There are so many more tips for National Cell Phone Etiquette Month. Stay tuned for more. Have a tip to share? Let us know – we love to hear from you!
Prime Perks – More than just Prime Day!
Yesterday we talked more about the big announcement from Amazon – did you see our blog post? Amazon has announced that they are going to be having Prime Day. Exactly what is Prime Day going to be? Prime Day is a one-day shopping event on July 15, 2015, with more deals than Black Friday. Prime members can shop exclusive deals from electronics, toys, video games, movies, clothing, patio, lawn and garden, sports and outdoor items and more. It is important to note that Prime Day is for Amazon Prime members only. Because of this, it is a great time to try Amazon Prime and take advantage of all of the other Prime perks too.
Yesterday I told you how much I loved the FREE Two-Day Shipping. I told you about the 30 day FREE trial that is available! Thinking about trying Amazon Prime? This would be an awesome time to try an Amazon Prime membership. Remember I told you that if you sign up today, your FREE trial will take you through the Prime Day shopping event. It is a perfect time to try Amazon Prime. You’ll be able to take advantage of all of the great deals we will bring you, and not worry about paying shipping.
Still not convinced? There are many more Prime perks to having an Amazon Prime membership. I have to tell you that I think they are REALLY good perks too. Here’s a quick look at these Prime perks and what they offer.
FREE Two-Day Shipping
FREE Two-Day Shipping on millions of items. Need a last minute gift? Can’t get out of the house? Realize you forgot to pick up something? With FREE Two-Day Shipping from an Amazon Prime membership, your shopping problems are solved. You get unlimited deliveries with no minimum order size, and with 20 million eligible items, the options are practically limitless. Your Amazon Prime membership also includes a variety of shipping benefits, including several shipping options if you need to expedite your delivery.
Prime Instant Video
With an Amazon Prime membership you get unlimited instant streaming of over 40,000 movies and TV episodes. You can instantly stream Prime Instant Video titles from your computer’s web browser, Fire phone, Fire TV, Fire Tablets, iOS devices, and hundreds of other Internet-connected TVs, Blu-ray players, set-top-boxes, and gaming consoles.
Prime Music
When you get an Amazon Prime membership you get unlimited, ad-free access to over a million songs and hundreds of playlists. With Prime Music, you can listen to ad-free music including over a million songs from top artists and old favorites. Amazon is adding more music all the time.
Prime Photos
With an Amazon Prime membership you now get unlimited photo storage in Amazon Cloud Drive. You can store your photos safely in Cloud Drive and you can access them anywhere, from almost any device by signing in with your Amazon account.
Prime Early Access
Your Amazon Prime membership includes Early Access. With Amazon Prime Early Access you will get 30-minute early access to select Lightning Deals on Amazon, and new events on MyHabit.
Kindle Owners’ Lending Library
Borrow one Kindle Book per month from over 500,000 titles for free on any Kindle device with no due dates. The Kindle Owners’ Lending Library is available to Amazon Prime memberships who own a Kindle device. Books borrowed from the Lending Library have no due date and can be delivered to other Kindle devices registered to your Amazon account. Books that are borrowed from the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library can be read only on Kindle devices.
Amazon Mom
Amazon Mom members get 20% off diapers subscriptions, a 15% baby registry completion discount and access to Amazon Mom exclusive discounts and deals. Amazon Mom is aimed at helping parents and caregivers in the prenatal through toddler years use Amazon to find and save on products that families need. Amazon Mom is open to anyone, whether you’re a mom, dad, grandparent or caretaker.
Amazon Student
Amazon Student members get FREE Two-Day Shipping on millions of items and a 6 month free trial. After your free trial, your membership will upgrade to Amazon Prime for 50% off. As with a regular Amazon Prime membership, you can cancel at any time. You will need to have a .edu email address to participate in this program.
Share Your Amazon Prime Benefits
When you have a free or paid Amazon Prime membership you can share your shipping benefits with up to four additional family members living in the same household. Other Amazon Prime membership benefits such as Prime Instant Video, Prime Music, and the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library can’t be shared.
These Prime perks are awesome plus shopping Prime Day sounds great doesn’t it? Sign up today for your 30 FREE Trial and see if you love Amazon Prime as much as I do. Follow any of the links in this blog to get started.
Amazon Prime & Prime Day – Is it worth it?
Prime Day is on the way! Are you excited yet? Did you miss the big announcement from Amazon or our blog post? Amazon has announced that they are going to be having Prime Day. Exactly what is Prime Day going to be? Prime Day is a one-day shopping event on July 15, 2015, with more deals than Black Friday. Prime members can shop exclusive deals from electronics, toys, video games, movies, clothing, patio, lawn and garden, sports and outdoor items and more. It is important to note that Prime Day is for Amazon Prime members only. Because of this, it is a great time to try Amazon Prime.
The thought of Prime Day makes me so happy! Because I’ll admit it, I love shopping online. If I could just buy everything online and have it show up at my door, I’d be so happy. Sometimes it feels like going to the store is a huge waste of my time, especially when it is just for a couple of items. I also really dislike driving all around town to get good deals on the few items I need. Again it feels like I am wasting my time. If I can buy the things I need online, saving time and money, I am so happy. I started shopping on Amazon a few years ago and I love it. I shop the deals on Amazon a lot. I buy everything from electronics, to paper products, to toys, to groceries. I can buy almost anything on Amazon. This is one of the biggest reasons why I LOVE having Amazon Prime.
Amazon Prime gained popularity because of the free shipping it provides. When you have Amazon Prime all of your qualifying orders get FREE Two-Day shipping. Amazon says it best, “Need a last minute gift? Can’t get out of the house? Realize you forgot to pick up something? With FREE Two-Day Shipping from Amazon Prime, your shopping problems are solved. You get unlimited deliveries with no minimum order size, and with 20 million eligible items, the options are practically limitless. From big to small, A to Z, home to office, and everywhere in between, satisfying that shopping itch —or need— is just two days away.”
Amazon Prime does cost $99 a year. This may sound like a big investment at first. If you look at it carefully, it is not much at all. $99 a year breaks down into $8.25 a month. Do you spend $8.25 a month in shipping from other retailers? Do you spend $8.25 in gas running after an item or two, running here or there? Is the time you spend running these errands worth $8.25 a month? My guess is that most people answer yes to all of those questions. Many of us probably spend more than $8.25 in time, gas and shipping. When you look at these factors Amazon Prime would actually pay for itself.
Thinking about trying Amazon Prime? There is a 30 day FREE trial available! This would be an awesome time to try Amazon Prime. Amazon Prime Free Trial members enjoy all the same benefits as paid members. If you sign up today, your FREE trial will take you through Prime Day. You’ll be able to take advantage of all of the great deals we will bring you, and not worry about paying shipping.
Signing up for the Amazon Prime 30 day FREE trial is easy! Just follow any of the links here in this blog and look for the Start Your 30 day Free Trial button. To sign up for the Amazon Prime free trial, your account must have a current, valid credit card. While you won’t be charged for your free trial, you will be automatically upgraded to a paid membership plan at the end of the trial period. It is easy to turn off your Amazon Prime membership renewal on the Amazon website.
Beyond the FREE Two-Day shipping there are so many more benefits to having Amazon Prime. They include Unlimited Photo Storage, Prime Instant Video, Prime Music, and access to the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library. We’ll talk about those tomorrow, along with more ways to save when shopping on Amazon. The savings can be HUGE!