Thursday's picture perfect deal...

The picture...

This was taken last summer on my trip to St. Paul, Minnesota.  We don't get many English Sparrows where we live and this little guy was happy to have his picture taken.  We were at Como Park and it was quite a dreary day so he was all poofed up trying to stay warm and dry.

The deal...

L'Occitane is having a sale on their new super sizes.  You can get some of you classic favorites in larger sizes and save some cash; like some of my favorites, Almond Shower Oil which is great for dry skin is marked down from $48.00 to $36.00 for a 16.9 ounce bottle, or the Rose Bath and Shower gel that really lifts my mood in the winter is marked down from $40.00 to $30.00 for a 16.9 ounce bottle.   L'Occitane also usually includes free samples with your order which is always fun and right now they have free shipping on all orders over $40.00.  If you create an account with them and sign up to recieve their emails you will also be entered to win a trip to Providence, if you are already a subscriber, just go to their site and sign in, then click on the Providence tab to find the entry form.

Hope you are all having a great Thursday.

C.Q.

Tastefully Tueday...

When the weather starts to turn warmer we tend to eat a little later in the day since we are doing so much outside, so I love having something a little sweet but not too heavy in the afternoon.  This is a perfect snack with a glass of iced tea or lemon-aid.




7UP Cake

1 1/2 cups butter
3 cups white sugar
5 eggs
3 cups all-purpose or cake flour
2 teaspoons lemon extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup 7UP ™

Cream together the butter and sugar for 20 minutes. (that is not a typo, if you don't do the full 20 minutes the cake will end not be nearly as light) Add eggs, one at a time. Add flour, lemon extract, vanilla and fold in the 7UP ™ soft drink. Pour into a well-greased 12 cup Bundt pan. Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 60 to 75 minutes.  If you would like you can serve this with a glaze of 1 cup powdered sugar to 2 tablespoons of milk mixed together and spooned over the top, or you can serve with fresh fruit.

$0.50 off Imperial Sugar® Extra Fine Granulated Pure Cane Sugar Bags
$1.00 off Arrowhead Mills flour

For today's no cook option is with Pizza Hut, until June 4th they have brought back their $5 for any size pizza with any crust (stuffed crust is a little extra) and any toppings for carry out, they also have their Tuscan Tuesday, 2 pastas with bread sticks for $10.00.  If you "like" them on Facebook you will be entered to win a free pizza or a $50.00 Pizza Hut gift card.

We also have a winner for the pizza and cutting board give away!! Congratulations to Esther, she had the winning entry of  #4 so I will be sending her out an email today, and thanks to everyone who entered.

Have a great day everyone!

C.Q.

Sunday's media madness...

Some of you are lucky enough to live in areas where you have started planting already, up in the north we need to wait until at least Memorial day, and sometimes even that is pushing it a little.  Today I thought I would showcase a group of books to help you get the most from your garden and local Farmers Markets.

The first book is The Vegetable Gardener's Bible (10th Anniversary Edition) by Edward C. Smith.  This books focuses on getting the most out of your garden using a method he calls W-O-R-D which stands for Wide rows, Organic methods, Raised beds, and Deep soil.  The author looks at individual growing, harvesting, and best varieties of a large number of both common and more exotic vegetables and herbs.  The book features great photographs and an in depth A-Z section where you can find all the information you need for a great and bountiful vegetable garden of your own.  I was able to find the new paperback book at its lowest price at Go Hastings for $17.06 with free shipping.  If you have a Kindle you can download it for $9.48 from Amazon.

The next book is Grow the Good Life: Why a Vegetable Garden Will Make You Happy, Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise by Michele Owens.  From the Amazon product description: "With her wry, funny, and accessible approach, Owens helps beginning gardeners overcome obstacles that keep them from planting a few seedlings every spring. She explains why dirt isn't dirty; the health benefits of growing one’s own food; and that vegetable gardens are not antithetical to the frantic pace of modern life, but simple and undemanding if intelligently managed.  Grow the Good Life is not just another how-to. Instead, it will teach you the true fundamentals of vegetable growing: how to fit a garden into your life and why it’s worth the trouble."  I was able to find this book for the lowest price at Book Depository for $15.99 with free shipping.  Amazon also has this in the Kindle version for $9.99.
To go with these two great books I found because no matter how much you plant, the local Farmers Markets always have great stuff you either didn't plant yourself, didn't plant enough of or isn't ripe in your garden yet, they are a great way to fill in what you need while supporting your local growers.

This first book is Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America's Farmers' Markets by Deborah Madison.  One of the Editorial reviews: "The book offers chapters deftly arranged by fruit and vegetable families as they appear in the markets, such as "The Vegetable Fruits of Summer: Eggplants, Tomatoes, and Peppers" and "A Cool Weather Miscellany," which includes recipes such as Sautéed Artichokes with Potatoes and Garlic Chives and a marvelous "essence-of" soup, Elixir of Fresh Peas. Madison also treats unfamiliar fruits and vegetables, presenting the likes of lamb quarters in a soup made with Sonoma Teleme cheese, and sugar loaf chicory simply grilled and dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Recipes for delightful salads like Melon Salad with Thai Basil also appear, as do a selection of pastas and risotto, such as Winter Squash Risotto with Seared Radicchio, and sweets like White Peaches in Lemon Verbena Syrup and Date, Dried Cherry, and Chocolate Nut Torte. With sidebars like Atlanta's All-Organic Market: Late October and color photos throughout of vendors, produce, and many of the dishes, the book offers the perfect match of Madison and the markets. --Arthur Boehm"   I was able to find this paperback book at its lowest price from Go Hastings for $17.78 with free shipping.

The last book is Fresh from the Farmers' Market: Year-Round Recipes for the Pick of the Crop by Janet Fletcher.  With more than 75 fresh recipes and big color photographs, this book makes the most of what is in season with each soup, salad, entree, and dessert.  "Janet Fletcher guides shoppers through the market, sharing tips on selection and storage as well as advice from the farmers themselves, so readers can turn peak-season produce into delicious eating, year-round."  I was able to find this paperback book at Book Depository for $16.21 with free shipping world wide.

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend and remember to enter my Pizza giveaway, the entries are VERY low so you have a great chance to win a free pizza and bamboo cutting board from Freschetta.

C.Q.

Thursdays picture perfect deal...

The picture...

These two towering rocks are the reason for the name Split Rock.  My hubby and my niece and her boyfriend went for an early spring hike in Split Rock Lighthouse State Park and walked all the way to the end to see the two spires.  The once volcanic rock was shaped by the glaciers as they scraped along the surface forming the Great Lakes Basin and the water of the lake is causing the rocks to change even more over the eons.

The deal...

Winter is over, Spring cleaning is done and many of you are working on your Summer gardens.  Why not treat yourself to a little indulgence?  Fannie May's Customer Appreciation Week is going on now through May 15th, and you can save up to 50% at their online store and have it delivered right to your door!! Some of the best sellers are on sale including the Mint Meltaways and the Pixies, but if you can't decide you can always get a box of assorted chocolates.  If you spend $30.00 you qualify for free shipping by using coupon code 36022.

Hope you are all having a great week so far, hang in there, the weekend isn't far off.  Remember to enter my giveaway for a free Freschetta Pizza and cutting board.  I have super low entries, only three folks so far have told me what they would get for their free pizza so your odds are great, just pop over and leave a comment with your choice.

C.Q.





 

Friday's freebie...

Even though I quit smoking I am still hooked on candles and it always seems like I don't have a lighter when I need one. Today's freebie may help solve that problem, or at least help a little. Bic is offering a coupon of $4.99 which will cover the cost of a free lighter. All they ask is that you fill in a short survey and tell them which of their new designs you like the best and worst. Bic will ask for your name and address so they can mail the coupon, there is a limit one coupon per household, allow 3-5 weeks for delivery. 

And now for the part everyone has been waiting for, the winner of the $10.00 Amazon Gift card is..........................KELLY GLOVER!  Congrats Kelly, I will be sending you an email so you know to watch for the email from Amazon.  Thank you so much for entering!  Kelly's winning entry that the hubby pulled out of the box was the answer to the riddle posted to our Facebook site, which I am sure you are all wanting to know the answer of so here it is:  "If all the oceans were renamed things like French Silk, Banana Cream and Pecan, what would you be steering your Zodiac on?"  The answer is Pie Seas or Pieces.  Congratulations again Kelly, and thank you to all of you for entering.  Keep watching for more contests and give aways, and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for exclusive goodies there.

Have a great end of the week everyone!

C.Q.

Thursdays picture perfect deal...

The picture...

A friend and I toured a local little museum last summer, it depicts early settlement life in Northern Minnesota.  I loved this picture because it made me think about all the times I have driven down the road and seen an odd shoe laying on the side of the road.  Seeing that single black boot made me wonder if there was a stray one laying along side some horse or wagon path in the 1800s making those folks wonder what the heck happened.

The deal...

OK so right now its a little weird with the weather, its chilly, its raining, its warm but windy so why not catch up on your Scrapbooking and paper crafts?  A Cherry On Top is a great place to find everything you need for your projects and like their site says, "There is always a Scrapbooking Sale at A Cherry on Top Scrapbooking Shoppe!"  Stop in and see if there are goodies you need now or can stock up on for future use.  Another great site I found was Scrap Your Trip for all things travel related.  They have paper I have not seen anywhere else.  They are having a sale March 9 - March 11, just use coupon code 30WRM to get 30% off your order.

Have a fantastic Thursday an remember to enter the $10.00 Amazon gift certificate give away if you haven't already, I will draw a winner for tomorrows blog.

C.Q.

Friday's freebie...

Well its here, today is my Birthday (old enough, thats how old) so today's freebie is a link to the Spoofee site that lists a ton of places you can get fun free stuff for your birthday.  Oh ya, and a contest to give away a present to one of my readers.  Lets see, how about a $10.00 Amazon Gift certificate emailed to the winner?  If it sounds good here are the ways to enter:

1) Everyone who is following me on Google friends is automatically entered once.

2) Leave me a comment with the best birthday gift you ever got for two entries.

3) Follow me on Facebook for three entries.

4) Solve the word puzzle and send me a private message at CouponQueensThrone@Gmail.com with the answer.  There are three different hints, one on my twitter feed, one at Facebook and this one: Its a bird, its a plane, no its a FISH, the one word answer is worth four entries.

5) Upload a picture of your oldest expired coupon to the Living on Less Facebook page for five entries.
 
The winner will be announced in next Friday's blog, best of luck to everyone!!
 
I hope you all have a fun day!
 
C.Q.