Extreme Couponing....helpful or harmful??

Okay, I confess....I haven't watched even a single episode of that crazy new show on TLC...you know the one....Extreme Couponing!  I see no reason to watch a show that basically teaches people how to coupon the wrong way.  I also don't need 40 containers of mustard, 80 cartons of yogurt, 67 rolls of toilet paper and so on and so on.  But, that is just my humble little opinion.  


With that in mind, I was very interested in this article that I found on Yahoo.com called How to get the most from coupons.  The article is part of a series related to being Financially Fit that is authored by Farnoosh Torabi. Check out more about her at http://www.farnoosh.tv/


Highlights of the article include new coupon procedures (because of Extreme Couponing) being implemented at both Rite Aid and Target, and Coupon Dos and Don'ts.  There is also a link to the article, "Is Extreme Couponing Hurting Self Esteem?" by Leah Ingram on her blog Suddenly Frugal.  


All in all, I found both the Yahoo article and Leah Ingram's article to be equally fascinating and very well written.  Read them and tell me your thoughts! 




A.Marie

Best Choc-Chip Banana Bread EVER

 

I found this recipe for Banana Chocolate Chip Bread when I was trolling the internet for a way to use up all of my frozen bananas that kept hitting my hubby and kids on the head when they opened the freezer door!  This recipe is FANTABULOUS!!! (my new word for fantastic and fabulous!)  Take my word for it...make a double batch!!  


Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

• Serves: makes 1 loaf
• Prep Time: 15 min
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 min

You need 3 or 4 really nasty looking bananas for this recipe. Add chocolate chips to make it all taste wonderful.
Yes, you can add nuts too or instead... substitute a 1/2 cup of nuts for a 1/2 cup of chocolate chips...

Ingredients

• 3 or 4 Bananas- Brown and nasty is perfect
• 1 cup Sugar- maybe a little more
• 1 stick Butter - melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips- ok... maybe a little more....

Instructions

Grease a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan. If you want to hedge your bets, cut a piece of parchment paper to fit in the bottom of the pan. Spray it.
Heat oven to 350 degrees


Put the bananas (the insides, not the peel) and the sugar in a mixing bowl. Mix on HIGH for a few minutes. Add the melted, cooled butter, eggs, and the vanilla. Mix it up, scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add baking soda and flour, combine.
Add chocolate chips, mix it all up.


Scrape the dough into the loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour, until browned on top, and a toothpick stuck in it comes out clean.

Let the pan cool on a rack for 20 minutes or so.

Turn out onto rack to cool completely.

Slice and eat.

So, does this make you want to make banana bread today??   :)

A.Marie

FLASH FREEZING

(Image courtesy of Google, as my camera is not cooperating this a.m.)

Since my little strawberry patch is producing so well, what we don't eat, I flash freeze.   This way, I don't waste any of these little jewels and I can have them on hand if I decide to make smoothies or shakes.  The method of flash freezing that I use is this:

• For strawberries (or other berries) I rinse, cut the tops off, and cut in half  (if they are very large).  Then I lay the fruit out on a cookie sheet and freeze at least a couple of hours.  Sometimes I forget and leave them overnight. Then I place them in bags and seal (using a straw to vacuum out the air). 

• Afterwards, I remove it from the freezer, let it sit on the counter for a few minutes, then use a spatula to transfer it to a freezer bag. Freezing the fruit on the sheet first causes them to harden so that they don't all stick together when placed in the bag. :)

I also like to use this method with bananas.  Since we often have quite a few that don't get eaten right away, this method of freezing bananas is perfect for smoothies, because you don't have to thaw the banana to peel it before throwing it in your blender (therefore creating a thicker smoothie/milkshake).   Just peel the banana, cut it into chunks, and prepare in the same way as above.


Note:  if the bananas are really, REALLY ripe..you know what I mean...as in the skin is totally black looking and the fruit is mushy, I skip cutting it into chunks and just throw the entire banana in the freezer, skin and all.  I use these bananas for bread, usually, as all I have to do is thaw them a bit, slip the skins off, and mash the fruit.  (I have found that these over-ripe ones don't do as well for smoothies and shakes, though.  It might just be me, but I find that it makes the drink taste odd!)


What have you flash-frozen lately?  I know that you all have something interesting to tell me!!!  :)



A.Marie

"Dad's Life" (Official Father's Day Anthem)

Oh my.....this is hysterical!!!   Check out the "Gas Station Glasses!!!  LOL  

Happy Father's Day!!!  

GIVEAWAY AT THE OTHER BLOG

Okay, so it has been crazy busy around my house.  I thought that once school ended, I would have more time to play on the computer.  It hasn't been working out that way!! LOL


Anyway, I have a Betty Crocker Gluten Free giveaway going on at my other blog My Money Mission Online.  So, if you like giveaways and gluten free baking, head on over there and enter!!


Hope you are all having a good week.  My teen son had knee surgery yesterday, and everything went well.  He is now in the recovery mode and hopefully he'll be back on his feet in no time!!


A.Marie

HAPPINESS MOMENT

Wow! Such an honor! I was mentioned in an article over at Taber's Truths.  YIPEE!!  Click to go on over there and read his post entitled, "Christian Family Life Today.  There is definitely much "food for thought" in that article, and it ties in perfectly with what I try to do for my own family!  Thanks for the Happiness Moment, Pastor Duke! :)


Have a wonderful Friday Everyone!!


A.Marie

DISNEY OR BUST

Well, Today's the Day!!  Hubby and Teen son are a headin' to Disney with the High School Band and Choir!!  I cannot BELIEVE that this day has finally come!  When teen son started band way back in the 5th grade, the band directors told them about this trip and the kids got so excited.  Since the band only goes once every four years, my son and his friends figured it out that they would go at the end of their Junior year.  That sounded sooooo far away!  But, the big day has arrived and I'm still kind of in shock that it is, in fact, actually here!!  


Where has the time gone?? 


So, at 11:30 a.m., those big ol' tour buses are gonna pull out of the high school parking lot, loaded with teens, directors, and chaperone's, and I might actually get a little teary-eyed.  I'm not sad because they are leaving; it's just going to be a bit overwhelming to think that those kids on that bus were once starry-eyed little 5th graders who couldn't wait to go on this big trip and now they are almost all grown up!


I'll post some pics later on if I get a chance......


A.Marie

They march at Disney on Thursday....I wonder if Donald Duck will be there??!!   LOL  ;)