Make up with your money…

Yesterday I posted a free sample of mascara from Sephora and JC Penny and my friend Jen reminded me that you should always toss old mascara because it can have bacteria in it that can cause eye infections and other problems.

I don’t wear make up often and yet I am as susceptible as any woman to seeing pretty colors and new products on sale and usually end up purchasing things I will only use once. So that begs the question when I open up something for the second time, “is it still OK to use?” Well here is the rule of thumb on all things beautifying. The biggest advice here for penny pinching is don't over buy, knowing how long these things will last will keep you from buying the latest new item in every shade available.

For Mascara and eye liner go no longer than six months before you get rid of them. I will admit I have a black eye liner pencil in my make up that is about 5+ years old that I need to toss.

Any other eye cream based products including shadows and night creams should be considered old after a year, they may look fine but you just don’t want to take chances with your eyes.

Most liquid concealers, blushes and moisturizers will last over a year, a good rule of thumb for these products is the texture and smell, if they have started to break down and get watery or have an off smell to them then get rid of them.

Finally, powders can be fine for up to three years, just make sure they don’t get matted or clumpy and still go on evenly. Lipstick can go up to three years as well, but if it is waxy and hard to apply throw it away.

So now that we have emptied out your make up supply here are some great sale items to stock back up. Sephora almost always has a sale going that is worth checking out and they offer free shipping on orders over $50.00, free samples with your purchase and free returns if you don’t like something. Right now you get a free Juicy Couture parfum roller ball key chain when you enter coupon code JUICYCOUTURE at checkout. Be sure to check out their other beauty deals.

Ulta.com is having their Summer sale of 20% off your purchase, use coupon code 51194 at check out. Hurry though this sale ends today (July 31st). They also are offering $3.50 off of a $10.00 purchase with coupon code 49499 and 3 free samples with every online order. If you miss the sale you can still get free shipping by using coupon code 59031, if your order is over $50.00 you won‘t need the coupon.

If you order direct from Estee Lauder they are offering free shipping on orders over $50.00 as well as 2 free samples of your choice.

Sally Beauty Supply has a large sale and clearance section and they offer free shipping on orders over $50.00, there is also a coupon offering $25.00 off a $100 purchase, just use coupon code 555165 at checkout.

Have a great weekend everyone!

C.Q.

Friday's freebie...

For her: get a free sample of Sophora's Two Faced Mascara at JC Penny while supplies last. Just print the coupon and bring it in with you, and the best part is there is no expiration on the coupon and if they are out of the Two Faced Mascara you can substitute it with a free custom sample of your choice.

For him: get a free sample of Nautica's new water based eco-friendly fragrance for men, Oceans. Just fill in the on line form and they will mail it right to your door.

Have a wonderful Friday everyone!

C.Q.

Thursdays picture perfect deal...

The picture...

When I was visiting a good friend in Montana her hubby thought I should see Dan-Walt Gardens since I love gardening. It was a wonderful afternoon for us and I got to see the curious site of black chickens eating grasshoppers. What a great environmentally friendly way to keep pests under control!

The deal...

Today I found two deals worth mentioning, the first is Catherine's is having their year end sale with up to 80% off through the end of this month. There are some really cute tops and pants as well as a great black and white dress marked down to $18.59 from its original price of $68.00. If you want to shop on line you can get free shipping if you have your order shipped to a local store or if you want it sent right to your door they charge a flat rate of $7.00.

The second deal is for anyone with a budding young artist, or anyone interested in drawing for that matter. Walmart has a one day deal on an 80 piece personalized artists kit in a beautiful wooden latch box for only $19.00. You get free shipping if you have it shipped to your local Walmart or just $0.97 to ship it to your house.

Have a nice Thrudsay everyone!

C.Q.

Wednesday's learn and earn...

~WORD OF THE DAY~


Wellerism • \WELL-uh-riz-um\ • noun

: an expression of comparison comprising a usually well-known quotation followed by a facetious sequel

Example Sentence: My father's favorite Wellerism is "'We'll have to rehearse that,' said the undertaker as the coffin fell out of the car."

Did you know? Sam Weller, Mr. Pickwick's good-natured servant in Charles Dickens' The Pickwick Papers, and his father were fond of following well-known sayings or phrases with humorous or punning conclusions. For example, in one incident in the book, Sam quips, "What the devil do you want with me, as the man said, w[h]en he see the ghost?" Neither Charles Dickens nor Sam Weller invented that type of word play, but Weller's tendency to use such witticisms had provoked people to start calling them "Wellerisms" by 1839, soon after the publication of the novel.

~THE REBATE~

When you purchase $20 in products from the Febreze Home Collection you can receive a $10 rewards card by mail. You will need to mail in the completed rebate form together with your original dated cash register receipt with the circled eligible products and their corresponding prices and the original UPC’s (bar codes) from qualifying packages. Remember, this offer applies to the Home Collection only. The Offer ends 9/06/10.

Fabreze also has a couple of other promotions as well as coupons available so be sure to check them out as well.

I hope you are all having a great week so far.

C.Q.

Tuesday's tid-bit...

Monday's value meal...

Its nice to be able to turn on the slow cooker and do your days work and come back and have dinner all ready to go. Today I found a nice slow cooker recipe for pork that won't heat up your house.

SLOW COOKED PORK TENDERLOIN

1 (2 pound) pork tenderloin
1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
1 cup water
3/4 cup red wine
3 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons soy sauce
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place pork tenderloin in a slow cooker with the contents of the soup packet. Pour water, wine, and soy sauce over the top, turning the pork to coat. Carefully spread garlic over the pork, leaving as much on top of the roast during cooking as possible. Sprinkle with pepper, cover, and cook on low setting for 4 hours. Serve with cooking liquid on the side as au jus.

---Main course---

$1.00 off any HORMEL® ALWAYS TENDER® product. Any variety. (Sign up at their web site for printable coupons.)

---Salad---

$0.55 off one package of Tanimura & Antle Artisan® Lettuce
$1.00 off any Two Litehouse® Products

---Beverage---

$1.25 off and 8 or 12 pack of LaCroix Sparkling Water (the coupon is at the bottom of the page)

---Dessert---

Cookie ice cream Sunday:

$1.00 off Starbucks ice cream
with
Save $.55 off any Pillsbury® Big Deluxe® Special Edition Cookie

I hope you are all having a good start to your week!

C.Q.

Sunday's media madness...

This last weekend I was chatting with my nieces and nephews and was kind of surprised to find out that whats old is new in music still. I had thought it was just a phase that the kids were liking swing and jazz but it seems to have stuck. Don't get me wrong, they still like the new stuff as well, but even that has its nods to the past. While we were talking my husband chimed in that he found a band her really likes on XM Radio that he had never heard before called Volbeat. The kids had never heard of them either so I wanted to hear a little bit of what they sounded like. So to sum up the sound of the band, ummm well, lets see, they are, old rock, a little country, a little TV theme song sounding, a little heavy metal, a little....well you get the idea. Every song has a slightly different sound to it, depending on what the band is trying to get across to the listener, and yet they do have their own distinct sound.

This doesn't happen often, but I have to agree with my hubby, I really like this band (must be the eclectic in me). Volbeat is from Copenhagen and got together in 2001, not surprisingly their inspirations come from Metallica, Social Distortion, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash. They currently have 4 albums out, The Strength / The Sound / The Songs (2005-2006), Rock the Rebel / Metal the Devil (2007), Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood (2008-2009). They have a new album called Touring and Beyond Hell/Above Heaven that is set to be released on September 10, 2010. In keeping with the old is new theme the band has even released some of their albums as, well, albums. You can find the vinyl versions with relative ease at Amazon.

If you are interested in the most recent album on the market, Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood you can listen to samples and download individual songs from Amazon or iTunes for $0.99 each or $9.99 for them all, or you can purchase the album CD for $12.12 with free shipping at Movie Mars. If you prefer the old school version of a vinyl record you can find it for $13.08 through a few Amazon sellers. You can also find a copy on eBay, although when I checked I was not able to find one as low as the new copy from Movie Mars.

I hope you are all having a great weekend!

C.Q.

Savings by phone...

Rethinking your cell phone plan is almost as bad as shopping for new jeans. You know the ones you have are comfortable and do the job, but on the other hand you also know there is something better out there if you take a little time. A couple of years ago I was comfortable with our shared minutes plan between my husband and I, we got 150 minutes a month to use between us for $76.00 after all the taxes. Sounds wonderful but we never even came close to using that many minutes, we were lucky if we used the phones at all. I called the carrier and found out that this was their lowest plan but I was locked in for 2 more years and if I canceled it would cost $100 per phone. That didn't seem fair but I sat down and did some math. Best Buy had phones we liked for $25.00 each and a 100 minute prepaid card for each of them was $75.00. The price to cancel and start over was a total of $550.00, the cost to stay with our old carrier would have been $1,824.00. By switching and paying the penalty we saved over $1,200.00 for the next two years.

Here is the math:

Best Buy phone = $25.00 x 2 = $50.00
100 prepaid minutes = $75.00 x 2 = $150.00 x 2 years = $300.00
$100.00 fee per phone to drop old carrier = $200.00
Total for the next two years with Best Buys plan = $50.00 + $300 + $200 = $550.00

Old carrier fee $76.00 x 24 months left = $1,824.00

I am not saying that a prepaid works for everyone, but maybe it is time to check your current carrier. Do you have a lot of minutes left over at the end of the month? Even if they roll over you will probably never use them all, think if it this way, if you roll over 10 minutes every month from your plan at the end of the year you will have 120 minutes, that may sound good but are you really going to ever use them? The phone company is banking on the fact your not, they get paid and you get to keep your minutes, it looks great....on paper. Worse yet, do you lose any unused minutes at the end of the month, a company that charges for the minutes but doesn't roll them over is hoping that at some point you will need a little more that what you paid for due to some family emergency or vacation you need to call home from, then they will charge you 3 times the standard rate. Its easy to check for plans that are in you budget with Bill Shrink, its quick and easy and could save you a lot of cash. You will need your usage information, it can usually be found on your bill.

The second thing is to check your bill for features you may be getting charged for that you never use. Your phone may be equipped with a GPS navigation system, but do you use it? That can cost up to $10.00 per month on your plan. Another charge may be for Internet usage, if you don't access the Internet from the road you may be paying for something you don't need or use. Some of the phone carriers allow you to turn on features as you need them, if you need the Internet or GPS for a vacation then see what the charge is for one month and set up a reminder to call to have it turned off when you are back home.

Another thing to check is the cost of the phone itself. Technology changes so fast now days that its hard to stay on top of it, I have opted to keep my phone simple and bought myself an iPod Touch separate from the phone. That way all my hard work and apps will stay in one place if I ever decide to upgrade my phone because it's outdated, I also don't have to pay "extra" for the technology embedded in the phone. Its important to remember that a "Budget" phone can still be a nice phone, almost all have messaging, voice mail, camera, Internet and texting. You can even go "green" with some of the new phones. The MOTO W233 Renew green phone from T-Mobile is unique because of its eco-friendly construction, the Samsung Reclaim green cell phones handset is made up of 80 percent recyclable materials and is designed with organic components and packaging. Please also recycle your old cell phone when you purchase a new one, many battered woman's shelters will take them, or you can request a prepaid envelope from the Cell Phones for Soldiers program, plus many many more programs that use phones for the elderly, victims of natural disasters etc. check for options with phones4charity.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

C.Q.

Friday's freebie

I have two freebie's for you today, one to fuel your pets and one to fuel you. First up, you can get a free 6 ounce bag of Purina One cat or dog food at Petsmart. Go to the Petsmart web site and sign up for the PetPerks Club or log in with your PetPerks number. After you have logged in there will be an option to print one of two coupons, one is for Canada only so be sure to check the "fine" print.

The second freebie is from Walmart, they are offering a nice sized sample of Kashi Cereal with fresh blueberries from the store. This sample offer runs through July 25th so if you want a little snack while shopping get there quick. If you sign up for the Kashi News Letter they will send you members only coupons as well.

Have a fantastic Friday everyone!

C.Q.

Thursdays picture perfect deal...

The picture...

We stopped at a little pull over area on Highway 13 in Wisconsin to take a picture of how blue the lake and the sky were that day.

The deal...

Crabtree & Evelyn has extended their summer sale until Monday. The current seasonal promotion is buy one get one 50% off. That means you can get the ever popular Gardner's Hand Therepy Cream in the large size for $25.00 and get the beautifully scented Rosewater Hand Therepy Cream for $7.50. They also offer free shipping on orders over $65.00 and be sure to check out the outlet area where you can get up to 75% off, like the Rosewater Bath and Shower Gel or the Rosewater Body Lotion, both for only $15.00 each instead of $26.00. They also have a Platinum Program, for $10.00 you get 20% off at the time of purchse and 20% off between the 1st and the 7th of each month as well as 15% off on your birthday.

I hope you are all having a great week!

C.Q.

Wednesday's learn and earn...

~WORD OF THE DAY~

gasconade • \gas-kuh-NAYD\ • noun
: bravado or exaggerated boasting

Example Sentence: "Honesty and frankness do more for the public's confidence … than extravagant boasting or supercilious gasconade." (F. Gonzalez-Crussi, The New York Times, April 7, 2002)

Did you know? The citizens of Gascony in southwestern France have proverbially been regarded as prone to bragging. Their reputation has been immortalized in such swashbuckling literary works as Alexandre Dumas' The Three Musketeers and Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac. Linguistically, the legend survives in the word "gascon," meaning "braggart," as well as in "gasconade" itself.

~THE REBATE~

Today I have a little different rebate offer, it's from ConAgra Foods. When you buy $10 worth of participating ConAgra foods products they will send you $25.00 worth of coupons. The purchases need to be made between 5/06/2010 and 08/15/2010. ConAgra products included in the rebate are Healthy Choice, Kid Cuisine, Egg Beaters, Hunts Manwich, Chef Boyardee, Peter Pan Peanut Butter, Snack Pack pudding, Marie Callender's, Pam , Fleischman's Van Camp's, Hunts Tomato Ketchup, Reddi Wip and Hebrew National Hot Dogs. You will need to mail in your original dated receipt with the participating items and their prices circled together with the rebate form postmarked before 8/30/2010.

I hope everyone is having a good week.

C.Q.

Tuesday's tid-bit

Monday's value meal...

The summertime stand by of hot dogs doesn't have to be boring, here are some fun toppings to try before the season is over to spice up your dogs.

The classic chili dog: Chili, chopped onion and shredding cheddar cheese.
The beanie weenie: Mix baked beans with an equal amount of finely chopped tomato with a dash of mustard of your choice.
The salad dog: Lettuce torn up into tiny bits with slices of cucumber and tomato and a bit of finely diced red pepper, chopped into tiny pieces and mixed together.
The California dog: Guacamole, sprouts and chopped tomato.
The French dog: Melted Brie Cheese and chopped ham or bacon.
The Greek dog: Feta cheese, sun dried tomatoes and tzatziki sauce.
The Italian dog: Marinara sauce, sliced mozzarella cheese and crumbled sausage.
The Mexican dog: Re-fried beans, tomato and shredded cheese.
The classic Baseball game Frank: Yellow mustard, sauerkraut and onion.
The Southern dog: Cole slaw, chili and/or bacon.
The Chicago dog: Mustard, white onions, pickle relish, tomato, sport peppers, celery salt and a dill pickle spear

---Main course---

$0.75 off any two Ball Park® products

---Salad---

$0.55 on the purchase of one package of Tanimura & Antle Artisan® Lettuce
$1.00 off any two Litehouse® Products
OR
$1.00 off any 3lb or larger Reser's Deli Salad

---Beverage---

$1.25 off and 8 or 12 pack of LaCroix Sparkling Water (the coupon is at the bottom of the page)

---Dessert---

$1.00 off any flavor Yoplait® Frozen Smoothie

Got a favorite dog of your own creation? I would love to know what it is! Hope you are all having a terrific start to your week.

C.Q.

Sunday's media madness...

I love to read, many of you know that, you probably also know that like everything else in my life I have very eclectic taste in my books, old or new, fact or fiction, love story or murder mystery I adore them all. What some of you may not know is that I really do have a favorite genera, it combines my love for reading with the foodie in me, making me a sucker for the "culinary mystery". These books typically revolve around great food as well as a succulent mystery. A couple of years ago when I got my new Kindle and was looking for books to download to it I found an author named Cleo Coyle and fell in love with her very strong female character Clare who runs a coffee house with her ex-husband. The characters are as rich and robust as the coffee that is served up in these books. The author has written these books so well that I feel I know these people and I can almost hear the little bell on the coffee shop door jingle and smell the fresh coffee every time I open the cover of one of her books. I read all the books in the series in a month and could hardly wait for more, now the newest installment in the series, Roast Mortem, is set to be released August 3rd, 2010. If you own a Kindle and want to download it the cost of the book through Amazon is $11.99, for those of you with a Sony e-Reader you can download it for $11.99 at Barns & Noble, if you would prefer to have a hardcover copy for your bookshelf then Barns & Noble should have it in store for $16.83 and Amazon will deliver it to your door for $16.47 with free shipping if you meet the $25.00 minimum purchase requirement.

Here is the product description from Amazon to give you a little information about the book: "After local firefighters pull Clare out of a blazing café, she happily comes to their rescue by teaching them the finer points of operating their newly donated espresso machine. But matters really heat up when somebody is torching cafes around the city and firefighters begin to die in suspicious ways...

Believing the two events are related, Clare investigates, staking out a five-borough bake sale and sniffing out clues in the pizza ovens of Brooklyn. When her detective boyfriend, Mike Quinn, is pulled into the fire of a false accusation, Clare is desperate to put out the flames. But will she be able to come to Mike's rescue before someone tries to extinguish her?"

Cleo Coyle also has a great web site of her own where you can find anything from information on her books (she writes two series, the Coffee House books as well as the Haunted Bookshop novels), to where to find the best cup of coffee almost anywhere, and for those of you who love having a little "extra" with your mysteries check out the Mystery Lovers' Blog for a ton of information with different authors, including Cleo Coyle.

I hope you all are having a nice relaxing weekend.

C.Q.

Buying a car without breaking the bank...

Its hard to believe it’s the end of the year for car manufactures when we are in the middle of summer, but now is one of the best times to be looking for a new car if you are in the market for one. There are a lot of incentives being offered by most of the companies, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Chevrolet are offering 0% APR financing available on many models, cash back rebates of up to $5,000 on some models until September 7th. Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury are offering 0% APR financing on most models, cash back offers up to $3,500 until September 7th. Honda has 0.9% to 2.9% APR financing on some models also until September 7th. BMW is offering Low lease rates and 0.9% financing on many models until August 31st. Mini is offering Low lease rates and 1.9% financing for up to 60 months until August 31st. Toyota is offering 0% APR financing on some models as well as a variety of other deals depending on what part of the country you live in, and Nissan and Infiniti are offering 0% financing on many models until August 2nd.

There are other things to keep in mind when you are looking to purchase a vehicle as well, the old advise of “do your homework” is never more true than when you are buying a car. Also be sure to shop around, not all car dealerships are created equal, you may find a better deal for a truck in a metro vs. a rural dealership where supply is great but demand is low. Also beware of the dealer added “values“, there is a great article I came across at Safe Car Guide that lists all the “extra’s” that are added into the price of your new car, be sure to check it out. Also, remember that if you are going to finance your purchase things get more expensive. I know this sounds over simplistic, but consider that after market heated front seats cost about $500.00, but when those same seats are purchased from a dealer, if you finance at 6.31% (the current national average) then over the course of a 60 month loan those seats cost $9.74 extra per month; that's $584.40 over the course of the loan. If you can wait on some of the little things and add them after you purchase the car you can save a bundle. There are a few things that you should never get from a dealer, the glaring example here are the floor mats. For example, Nissan will gladly sell them to you for $175.00, however if you go to online you can find car floor mats as low as $15.24 for black or $19.95 for animal print at Amazon.

Do you have car buying stories good or bad? I would love to hear your experiences and know how they affected what or where you bought your vehicle.

Have a fantastic weekend!

C.Q.

Friday's freebie...

Recently Subway and The Biggest Loser have teamed up to put together a new workout mix that you can download free at Workout Music. The song line up includes Telephone by Lady Gaga, In My Head by Jason Derulo, Revolver by Madonna, Empire State of Mind by Jay Z Feat and Alicia Keys, Hard by Rihanna, Bulletproof by La Roux, Hey Soul Sister by Train, Blah Blah Blah by Ke$ha, According to You by Orianthi, Whataya Want From Me by Adam Lambert, Russian Roulette by Rihanna and Need You Now by Lady Antebellum.

Have a great Friday everyone!

C.Q.

Thursdays picture perfect deal...

The picture...

While at the Renaissance Fair last year my friend and I stumbled across this set of friends. The horse had its eyes covered because of the flies and couldn't see so when the horse would whinny the pig would stand up and tug on its harness lightly to let it know it was there. They seem to be pretty close buddies, they reminded me of friends from Charlotte's Webb.

The deal...

Like most women I can not stand to purchase a new swim suite! I usually got at least 5 years between shopping for a new one. Newport News has taken a little of the sting out of a new suite with their buy one get one free semi-annual sale. They have 18 suites to choose from in One piece, Tanktini and Bikini's that won't break the bank. They also have plus and tall sizes in many of them. While your there be sure to check their clearance section for some really great deals on the rest of your wardrobe as well. I found a coupon for 10% off using code 604 at checkout, however I am not sure if this will work on the summer sale items, but its worth a try, if you really like Newport News and plan to shop there frequently then it may be worth checking out their Newport News Club, the cost is $25.00 for the year so you will want to make sure you will save at least that amount over the next 12 months.

Hope you are all having a great day.

C.Q.

Wednesday's learn and earn

~WORD OF THE DAY~

peloton • \pel-uh-TAHN\ • noun
: the main body of riders in a bicycle race

Example Sentence:
"The first major splits occur in the peloton at about the 110-mile mark, where many riders find they can no longer keep up." (Michael Barry, The New York Times, September 26, 2008)

Did you know? If you've ever watched the Tour de France on television, you've seen the peloton, the brightly colored pack of riders making up the central group. You may have also gained some inadvertent insight into the word itself, which as you may have guessed is French in origin. In French, "peloton" literally means "ball," but it is most often used with the meaning "group." It's frequently used in the bicycling context, just as in English, but it can also refer to a group in a marathon or other sporting event. French "peloton" can also mean "squad" or "platoon," and since we’ve told you that you probably won’t be too surprised to learn that it is also the source of our word "platoon."

~THE REBATE~

After taking care of my own mother for several years this new program is something I would have gladly welcomed! If you gives, gets or needs care from a loved one please check out this special rebate. "The Caregivers Marketplace is the nation’s first free program specifically designed to offer cash back on products not typically covered by insurance or Medicare. We work with leading manufacturers to negotiate cash back on carefully selected products and services that you need to keep your loved one well cared for, healthy and most importantly, home. Products eligible for cash back include nutrition, digestive health, incontinence, bathing and skin care, and aids for daily living. We do not sell products. We simply make it possible for you to receive cash back on products you may already buy and use."

Products currently include Aspercream, Balmex, Benzodent, Colace, Cortizone-10, Cottonelle Fresh Flushable Moist Wipes, Depend, Gold Bond, Icy Hot, Kaopectate, Oasis, Peri-Colace, Poise, Senokot, Senokot-S, and Sufak. The rebates range from .50 cents up to $10.00. You need to submit the rebate with a minimum of 5 items at a time and the program is very simple to use. They have a very well laid out frequently asked questions section.

Please be sure to pass this information along to anyone you know who that can benefit from this program.

Hope you are all having a great week.

C.Q.

Tuesday's tid-bit

Monday's value meal...

Today the coupons offered were not geared as much towards making a full meal, however, when life gives you lemons....

I have decided to give you some fun ideas for a summertime simple yet gourmet picnic, whether at the park, the local beach or your own little oasis in the back yard. This would be a great idea for the romantic at heart as well as the foodies out there.

VICHYSSOISE (COLD POTATO SOUP)

2 leeks
1 sm. onion, sliced
2 tbsp. butter
3 sm. potatoes, peeled and sliced (2 1/2 c.)
2 c. chicken broth
1 tsp. salt
1 c. whipping cream
Snipped chives

Remove tops of leeks; slice leeks (2/3 cup). In 2-quart saucepan, cook leeks and onion in butter until vegetables are tender, but not brown. Stir in sliced potatoes, chicken broth and salt. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes or until potatoes are very tender.
Place half of the mixture in blender container or food processor. Cover and blend until mixture is smooth. Pour into bowl. Repeat with remaining mixture. Return all mixture to saucepan. Stir in milk. Season to taste with additional salt and white pepper. Bring to boiling, stirring frequently. Cool. Stir in whipping cream. Cover and chill thoroughly before serving. 4-6 servings.

---Main course---

There are no coupons for the items in this main course, however these items are inexpensive at the grocery store or better still, the local farmers market or Co-op where you can support your local community of growers.

---Salad---

$0.55 off one package of Tanimura & Antle Artisan® Lettuce
$1.00 off any Two Litehouse® Products
OR
$1.00 off any 3lb or larger Reser's Deli Salad
OR
$.50 off when you buy two any flavor Betty Crocker® Suddenly Salad® Mixes

---Bread---

Cheese of your choice with crackers and grapes is always a good choice:

$1.50 off the purchase of any two WASA Crisp Crackers

---Beverage---

Try a sparkling water with a hint of fruit juice or a little fruit drink cocktail mixer:

$1.25 off and 8 or 12 pack of LaCroix Sparkling Water (the coupon is at the bottom of the page)
WITH
$1.00 Off One Trop50® 59 oz product
OR
$1.00 off three cans of frozen BACARDI® MIXERS any flavor

---Dessert---

Dipping strawberries in melted chocolate and letting them cool is an easy treat:

$1.00 off any DOVE® PROMISES® Silky Smooth Chocolate Bag (8.5 oz. - 9.5 oz.)

I hope you are all having a great start to the new week!

C.Q.

Sunday's media madness...

Do you get cravings for your favorite take out or remember fondly the best pie you ever had at your favorite restaurant? Well if so then the man of your dreams goes by the name Todd Wilbur. Over the years he has written a slew of books, all recreating restaurants top secret recipes. Of all his books I chose to write about Top Secret Restaurant Recipes: Creating Kitchen Clones from America's Favorite Restaurant Chains 1, 2 and 3 just to keep it a little less confusing.

Top Secret Restaurant Recipes: Creating Kitchen Clones from America's Favorite Restaurant Chains, the first in the trilogy includes great food from Applebee's Oriental Chicken Salad, Chi-Chi's Fried Ice Cream, IHOP's Cheese Blintz to Tony Roma's wonderful World Famous Ribs. I was able to find this book at its lowest price for a new copy at The Book Depository for $9.99 with free shipping. the lowest price I found for a used copy was with Buy.com, base price $1.01 + shipping of $3.99 and tax of .39 cents, making the total cost only $5.39.

Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2: More Amazing Clones of Famous Dishes from America's Favorite Restaurant Chains, the next book in the series includes foods like The Cheesecake Factory's Original Cheesecake, Denny's Fabulous French Toast, Lone Star's Lone Star Chili and The Olive Garden's Lemon Cream Cake (a personal favorite of mine and my husband). I found the lowest price for a new copy of this book at The Book Depository, the base price is $10.49 and they ship free world wide. The lowest price for a used copy was from Once Sold Tales for $5.50 with free shipping.

The final book in the series, Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 3: The Secret Formulas for Duplicating Your Favorite Restaurant Dishes at Home, is set to be released on September 28, 2010. The latest installment promises recipes for Olive Garden's Bread sticks, Cracker Barrel's Double Chocolate Fudge Coca-Cola Cake, Outback Steakhouse's Outback Rack and On the Border's Mexican Mojito. The lowest price for pre-order that I was able to find was with Amazon for $10.80, but only if you have enough in your order to reach the $25 requirement for free shipping, if you just want the book then it is lowest at The Book Depository for $12.00 with free shipping.

If you are looking for a specific recipe or have an idea for a recipe that should be included be sure to check out Todd Wilbur's web site, Top Secret Recipes. You will find all sorts of information and recipes you can print and try right away, this weeks big reveal is Wendy's Frosty.

Have a fantastic Sunday everyone!

C.Q.

Movie money savers...

So, I woke up this morning to what was supposed to be a nice day but was in fact over cast, chilly and it looked like rain. The sun finally won out but it got me to thinking of things that are fun when it rains.

Something I enjoy is going to the movies, it takes up about 2 hours of my time which means it can be a rain shower when I go in and the sun shining when I get out. The down side to the movies is that they can be expensive, but there are ways around paying full price. I have chosen 5 of the larger cinema's for this article, but be sure to check your local independent theaters as well, for example we have a nice one here that shows more independent films and serves wine and they have some great specials.

AMC Theaters: AMC offers discounted tickets before noon every day of the week so if you are an early riser this would be a good option, they also have a Movie Watcher Reward program where you can sign up and they will give you a card that you show when you purchase tickets, every purchase is worth 2 points (up to 4 points per visit), you can then earn a free movie ticket when you turn in 10 points. It can up to 4 weeks for your hard plastic card to arrive in the mail but they offer a temporary one you can down load and print to use right away. AMC also offers a chance to become an AMC Insider. Once you are a panel member, there will be ongoing participation draws where you will be entered for a chance to win cash prizes monthly depending on your participation. If you have a group of kids to look after this summer or just want to get you child and the neighborhood friends together for a special outing then check into AMCs Summer Movie Camp, they are showing select movies every Tuesday at 10AM for only $1.00.

Carmike Cinema's: Carmike's offers Super Stimulus Tuesdays, which means every Tuesday you can get great concession deals; $1 Popcorn, $1 Drink, $2.50 Candy, and now they are offering $5 off one of their fantastic concession combos (Large/Large Combo, Couples Medium Combo, Couples Large Combo, or our Nachos Combo). Carmike's also has their 2010 Popcorn Bucket. Stop by the concession stands and purchase the 2010 Popcorn Bucket for $15. The bucket is yours to keep and you can bring it back every time you visit one of their theatres in 2010 and they will refill it for only $2.50. I love movie theater popcorn and have stopped on occasion just for the hot buttery stuff. Carmike's also has a kids program, every Tuesday this Summer, you can enjoy one of your favorite blockbuster films from the past on one of the large screens for only a buck. Its called the Carmike's Summer Kid's Series and you can also get popcorn and a drink for only a buck each.

CineMark Theaters: Most of CineMark's offers are from their concession stands. Get $1.00 off your order of nachos in you purchase a large coke, upgrade your movie snack pack for only $1.00, make a money saving combo with a Large drink, large Icee and a large popcorn and save .50 cents OR get 2 large drinks, 2 large Icees and 1 large popcorn and save .75 cents. They currently also have a contest to win a wii, there is no purchase necessary.

Marcus Theaters: Marcus offers $2.00 Tuesdays, you get popcorn and fountain drinks for only $2.00 each. Every Wednesday and Thursday Marcus Theatres puts select movies in the spotlight with their Spotlight Movie Club. They select several current films that you may have missed or want to see again. The admission for the Spotlight movie is only $5.00 on Wednesdays and Thursdays. To receive this offer you need to subscribe to their emailed show times newsletter. Every Friday Marcus Theatres has special admission prices for anyone age 60 and over with their Young at Heart special, its only $4.00 for any show that starts before 5:30 PM.
Also, select Marcus Theatres locations offer an Early Bird Special Friday through Sunday before 11am, you receive admission to your choice of movie for just $5.00. Marcus also has a great kids program this year called Kids Rule, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10 am from June 23rd through August 12th kids can watch their favorite family movies for just $2.75 in honor of their 75th Anniversary, this includes the Popcorn. If you are looking for a quite night out away from the kids select Marcus locations also offer a program called Dinner and a Movie, this offer varies by locations so be sure to check out what is offered in your area.

Regal Entertainment Group: Regal has a program called the Regal Crown Club which has quite a few different benefits, including, $1.00 Candy on Monday and $1.00 Popcorn on Tuesdays with paid admission at the box office, plus you earn one credit for every dollar spent and bonus credits on Tuesdays, once you reach 50 points you earn a free popcorn, if you save longer you can redeem 150 for a free movie ticket. For the kids Regal has a Free Family Film Festival featuring select G or PG movies that start at 10:00am every Tuesday and Wednesday. Tickets and seating are first-come, first-served and are limited to theatre capacity. The Free Family Film Festival is safe, lots of fun and a great way for kids to spend a weekday morning in the summer. Tickets for the 2010 Free Family Film Festival are exclusively available at select theatres’ box office on the day of the show.

All theaters seem to have a corporate section where you can buy a block of tickets at a discounted rate. This is worth looking into if you are a frequent movie goer as it may save you up to 20% of the ticket cost, eBay is another great way to find discounted movie tickets. Also be sure to check out the special offers at Fandango.

Have a great weekend everyone!

C.Q.

Friday's freebie...

Looking for a sauce that will taste great on your steak, hamburgers, chicken, and even fries? Your search is over when you try this special offer of a free bottle of Country Bob's original All Purpose Sauce. Just submit your snail mail info and a coupon will arrive that can be redeemed for a free bottle from your local retailer. Request yours today while BBQ season is still going on! Offer ending unknown.

Have a great Friday everyone!

C.Q.

Thursdays picture perfect deal...

The picture...

While I was unable to go to our local classic car show this year I was able to go and get some really fun detail shots last year. This one was one of my favorites, it is a tail fin from a 1952 Cadillac, I loved the sleek lines and the shine of the car.

The deal...

I love candles and Yankee is one of my all time favorite brands because the scent is so long lasting. Right now Yankee has a few great sales going on on their site, 25% off of three fragrances; Stormwatch, Midsummer's Night and Mango Peach Salsa in any size. Another sale going on is the 3 For $10 on Room Sprays, Hand Sanitizers, Lip Balm, Travel Spray. If you are looking for a great scent for your car the Car Jars and Car Jells are buy 2 get 1 free and Reed Diffusers for your home are 25% off. I also love my collection of Yankee Candle Scentstories, its fun to sit down with a great book and put in a scent disc and have different scents fill the room, the discs are regularly $9.99 but are on sale for $5.00. Yankee Candle offers $5.00 flat rate shipping and there is currently a coupon code of sgame for for $10.00 off of $25.00, there is no expiration date listed on this code but it was working yesterday. There is another coupon code of HDYEMVN for $10.00 off of $25.00 that is set to expire on 7/10/2010.

Hope you are all having a great Thursday!

C.Q.

Wednesday's learn and earn...

~WORD OF THE DAY~

olla podrida • \ah-luh-puh-DREE-duh\• noun

1 : a rich seasoned stew of slowly simmered meat and vegetables that is a traditional Spanish and Latin-American dish

*2 : hodgepodge

Example Sentence:

Ask around for ideas on how to stop hiccups and you’ll get an olla podrida of bizarre remedies.

Did you know? In 1599, lexicographer John Minsheu wanted to know "from whence or why they call it olla podrida." Good question. No one is sure why the Spanish used a term that means "rotten pot" to name a tasty stew, but there has been plenty of speculation on the subject. One theory holds that the name developed because the long, slow cooking process required to make the stew was compared to the process of rotting, but there's no definitive evidence to support that idea. It is more certain that both French and English speakers borrowed "olla podrida" and later adapted the term for other mixtures whose content was as varied as the stew. The French also translated "olla podrida" as "pot pourri," an expression English speakers adapted to "potpourri."

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence

~THE REBATE~

Summer is the time of year for kids to play and get the scrapes and cuts that all kids get, making this a really good rebate offer. Buy any three products, in any combination from these participating brands: Band-Aid Brand Adhesive Bandages, Neosporin, or Purell Instant Hand Sanitizer and get a free first aid kit in your choice of three colors by mail. The kit also comes with coupons inside for future purchases. All you need to do is mail in the dated, store identified cash register receipt together with the rebate form with the UPCs from your purchases taped to it. Offers expires on 7/31/2010 and must be postmarked before 8/31/2010.

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!

C.Q.

Tuesday's tid-bit...

Monday's value meal

After a busy weekend its time to settle back and relax a little. With the weather still warm why not make a grilled chicken burger with a deli salad to keep it easy. For dessert indulge a little in a frozen fruit smoothie. There are many fruits and vegetables on sale at your local super market this time of year so be sure to check the weekly fliers. I have seen a lot of coupons for "first pound free with $10 purchase", remember, that doesn't mean you need to get more that the one pound. Also be sure to check your local farmers market if you have one, you will get top quality produce and support local growers.

Grilled Chicken Burgers

1 onion, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 pounds ground chicken
1 egg
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 tablespoon Old Bay ™ Seasoning
kosher salt to taste
black pepper to taste

1.Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil grate.
2.Lightly spray a saute pan with cooking or oil spray over medium heat. Saute the onion with the garlic first, then the bell pepper, then the mushrooms, tomatoes and carrots, all to desired tenderness. Set aside and allow all vegetables to cool completely.
3.In a large bowl, combine the chicken and vegetables. Add the egg, bread crumbs and seasonings to taste. Mix all together well and form into 8 patties.
4.Grill over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes per side, or to desired doneness. Add cheese if desired.

---Main Course---

$1.00 on Golden Plump ANY package of Recipe Ready™ Ground Chicken
$0.55 off Aunt Millie's Hawaiian Hamburger Buns
$1.00 off Frontier Spices or Pepper Grinder (it is near the bottom of the page)
$0.55 on any one package of any Lorraine® cheese product

---Salad---

$1.00 off any 3lb or larger Reser's Deli Salad

---Beverage/Dessert---

$1.00 off any two Chiquita Smoothies
or
$1.00 off any flavor Yoplait® Frozen Smoothie

Have a great week everyone!

C.Q.

Sunday's media madness

Recently I had a chance to get caught up on my movies so I put in Valentine's Day. The cast is really large so I wasn't sure I would be able to follow it real well since I wasn't really in the mood for a "thinking" movie, however, I had no problem and truly love the story. It is filled with twists and turns so even if you get one thing figured out there is still something that will surprise you in the end. Although not the best movie of the year it was defiantly fun to watch.

"Gary Marshall's ensemble romantic comedy Valentine's Day follows nearly two dozen people as they find and lose love in all its many forms over the course of the title holiday. The numerous characters include a very busy florist (Ashton Kutcher) and his schoolteacher best friend (Jennifer Garner). She's having an affair with a married doctor (Patrick Dempsey). Meanwhile, a businessman (Bradley Cooper) and a military captain (Julia Roberts) on leave share a long conversation during an international flight. There's also an elderly couple (Hector Elizondo and Shirley MacLaine) who are caring for their elementary school-age grandson, who is pining for a classmate and missing his mother. The huge cast also includes Jamie Foxx as a local TV personality, Topher Grace, Queen Latifah, and Anne Hathaway." ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

The lowest price new copy can be found at Walmart for $12.96, if you want to have it mailed to you they will charge a shipping fee and tax that will bring the total to $15.06. The in-store price may vary, but it is worth checking out if you're there to save on the shipping. You can also check on eBay where I found it for as low as $2.88 with shipping.

I hope you all have a great 4th of July!

C.Q.

Happy 4th of July...

Its the first major holiday of the summer season and things are in full swing for 4th of July celebrations everywhere. Because its on a Sunday this year it seems like a lot of folks are planning on a two day celebration, and why not? It is, after all our nations birthday, and who doesn't like birthday parties? Whether you're planning on having an outdoor picnic or BBQ, going to a parade or just watching the fireworks this weekend, I have tried to put together some fun ideas.

Planning and outdoor family gathering? If you hare having young kids you can print off some cute pages for them to color in, if you hare having kids who are a little older here are some 4th of July word searches, you could even offer a small prize for the first one to finish theirs. 4th of July, signers of the Declaration of Independence, and the original 13 colonies. There are printing instructions near the bottom of the page for each puzzle.

Wow your guests with a great looking red white and blue Patriotic Drink, a fresh fruit flag, or Uncle Sam ice cream cones. For a new twist on your main course you could Mix up the tried and true BBQ chicken or burgers with Barbecue-Glazed Salmon or Spice Rubbed Pork Tenderloin.

If you are planning on going out to see the fireworks consider taking your camera with you. Kodak has some great advice on how to get the most from your fireworks photography.

If you are planning on staying home this weekend why not dress up your computer a little with free wallpaper or screen savers and check out some of the great sales being offered.

If you are sharing your 4th of July with a family pet remember that most animals will try to get away from loud noises. Trying to escape can mean broken windows, torn fences, chewed doors or dog crates, and result in lacerations, foot pad injuries, teeth and mouth injuries or worse as they try to run from the disturbingly loud noises. It doesn't matter if the fears are "rational" or not. It should be noted that scolding a frightened animal is not effective will only intensify the fears. It's best to keep your pet in a "safe room" like a basement or room with covered or no windows and some items to help ease the anxiety. Its important to note too that loud noises to us are deafening to your pet and can cause permanent hearing loss for them. Here are some steps to help your furry friend through the evening.

Here is a fun fact to share with your friends and family; On 4th of July 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed only by two people, John Hancock and Charles Thomson. Have a fun and safe weekend everyone!

C.Q.

Friday's freebie...

Ever wished you could take better pictures or make the ones you too better then they turned out or just figure out how to share them on the Internet? Maybe you want to start a home business and have questions web design, marketing materials or Microsoft Excel and Power Point. Possibly you just want to preform your own simple maintenance and or make your PC safer. Even an IT professional can find a free class or two with the HP Learning center. They currently have over 100 classes on photography, Home office, Microsoft software, PC security, IT classes and Graphic Art. One of the most popular classes currently offered through the free class site is Stress, sanity and survival, something we can all use at one time or another. All classes are at your own pace and you can even interact with a professional from the field being taught through the online bulletin boards.

Sometimes it nice to learn something new.

Hope your all having a great Friday, have a great and safe 4th of July weekend!

C.Q.

Thursdays picture perfect deal...

The picture...

I just took this picture in Yellowstone Park, all the buffalo calfs were following their mothers and this little one was towards the back taking its time. They were all so cute, hard to believe how big they grow up to be!

The deal...

Cooks is having their 4th of July sale and you can find some items marked down as much as 80%! I was able to find a set of grilling kabob baskets marked down to $13.95 that were originally $20.00. I also found a cast iron corn bread skillet (we use ours all the time) marked down to $19.99 from $25.00. Also, if you use coupon code AW4EM5847 you will get free shipping on any order over $49.00. Cooks Wine Store is also having a sale

Hope everyone is having a nice week!

C.Q.