Wednesday's learn and earn...

~WORD OF THE DAY~

flivver  \FLIV-er\  ~  noun

DEFINITION: a small cheap usually old automobile

EXAMPLES: Kevin plans to keep his new convertible off the roads during the harsh, cold months when streets are salted and sanded, so he is looking for a flivver to use as a winter beater.

"She shook my hand -- a man's strong grip -- and then drove away in her flivver." -- From a story by Stephen King in his 2010 book Full Dark, No Stars

DID YOU KNOW? In 1908, Henry Ford changed the world with the Model T, the first affordable automobile. English speakers quickly coined an array of colorful terms for the Model T and the other relatively inexpensive cars that followed it. No one is sure why cheap cars came to be called "flivvers," but we do know that in the early 1900s that colorful term was also used as a slang verb meaning "to fail," as in "If this film flivvers, I'll be in trouble." In Flappers 2 Rappers: American Youth Slang, author Tom Dalzell lists "flivver" (which made its print debut in 1910, just two years after the Model T hit the streets) among a number of terms applied to "the humble Ford." Others included "bone crusher," "bouncing Betty," "Henry's go-cart," "puddle jumper," "Spirit of Detroit," and "Tin Lizzie."

~THE REBATE~

This is great for back to school, Buy any 2 participating Welch’s jams, jellies or spreads between 6/15 and 9/30 and get a free sandwich keeper.  Just send in the original sales reciepts dated between June 15 and September 30th with the eligable purchases circled together with the compleated rebate form.  All requests must be recieved by Welch's no later than October 15, 2011.

Hope you are all having a great week!

C.Q.

Penny wise picnic in the park...

Our sun is finally starting to come back after over two weeks of rainy days so I am thinking about having some fun with a picnic lunch. Its something we love to do on nice bright days. Whether its a local city park, a state park or a national park, there is always something fun to do. While city parks are free, State parks and National parks charge a fee if you don't have an annual pass, check the links for information in your area. When visiting any park remember the "Leave No Trace" rule to Protect our Parks and their Wildlife: Help keep our Parks safe and clean. Protect wildlife by remembering not to feed them and always clean up after your visit. The future of the parks and their wildlife is in our hands.

When packing a lunch, the cooler or picnic basket is an important part, make sure it is well insulated so you don't have any health issues later in the day, nothing spoils your day worse than spoiled food. If you like the more traditional baskets check out PicnicBaskets.com or Picnic Trip (they are currently having a sale), both offer insulated baskets with all the plates, glasses, napkins and serving wear built right in the container for easy storage. That being said, the prices at both stores reflect the price of convenience. If you shop around at local garage sales, Freecycle or on eBay you can find a nice soft sided cooler like the Coleman 30 can soft sided cooler which is the perfect size for two. If you plan on picnicking more than a couple times during the season it is worth looking at garage sales and second hand stores for some silver wear that won't leave you heartbroken if you loss or accidentally toss it in the garbage. Another good investment is some Corelle plates that won't break. You can check on eBay or WalMart has a nice 16 piece set for four for only $25.00, if you choose to have it shipped then they will charge an additional $2.39. Finally, don't forget the blanket, my best advice is to find a King size heavy blanket at a local thrift store and have it cleaned, there is no need to buy a "specialty" picnic blanket. Now that your all set, check out some great inspired sandwich ideas to pack up and take with you for the day at Recipie Zaar. Don't forget your drinks of choice and extra water for Fido or Fifi and your ready for a great day outdoors.

Once your all set to head out its time to think of things to do, if you have younger kids try measuring out a 1' x 1' area for each of them and giving them a pad of paper and a couple of wild plant and bug identification books and let them be explorers in miniature. Set each child up in a different area and let them compare with eachother what they have that's different in their section from the other kids. If you have really young kids bring along some soapy water and a bubble wand. You can even make rainbow bubbles! Check out the Creative Kids site for neat ideas and tips. For older kids bring along a Frisbee or a football to toss around. If you plan on doing any hiking or fishing its a good idea to bring an extra pair of socks in case your feet get wet. And no matter if it just you or you and the whole family, be sure to bring along a camera for the unexpected nature shots and special family moments.

Let me know about some of your fun picnic memories with friends and family!

Have a wonderful weekend.

C.Q.

Brown bag a buck or two...

These days it seems like everyone is trying to save money at lunchtime by going to the fast food places. While it may save you a dime or two, it will cost you plenty in the long run if it becomes a habit. We all know its less expensive to bring your own lunch to work, but it gets boring pretty quick as you run out of ideas for lunch meat and peanut butter. Today I thought I would give you some ideas for mixing things up and trying something new as well as some coupons to make your lunch money go further.

First up, how about some fun ideas for sandwiches? Ever think of a waffle as bread? The Kraft food kitchens has a really nice idea for a Waffle apple-wich using waffles, Smoked ham, cheese, apple and syrup. If you want to make this for work, don't slice the apple until your going to eat so it stays fresh. To really mix up your lunch try sharing sandwiches with your whole family. If its you and your spouse make different sandwiches for each of you then take 1/2 of yours and 1/2 of theirs, if you have kids share with them too by cutting the sandwiches into smaller portions, quarters or even eighths, its a great way to have different flavors at meal time. A Back Forest beef sandwich is good for leftover flank steak and a way to give it a whole new taste, everyone in the office will want one!

Want to have a refined lunch break or a picnic when the weather gets better? Try making some tea sandwiches. These are typically sandwiches that are made with thinner sliced bread with no crust and cut into wedges. My all time favorite is cucumber and cream cheese (which I now make as a regular sandwich during the summer with cucumbers from my garden). Whats Cooking America has a great selection of tea sandwiches as well as other tea time goodies that can be made ahead of time and assembled into a lunch that would make the Queen jealous. You can make tea at home for your Thermos and either have it hot or cold with your lunch.

Having a Monday from you know where? Maybe a lunch brake to somewhere exotic is the ticket to a renewed look on the day. Make ahead Dolmas can give you a taste of the Greek Isles, chilled Gazpacho soup can take you away to Spain for a bit, for a French inspired lunch try a cheese board of all the classics on French bread, for a bit of the Tropics theres avocado and pineapple salad, or for a bit Japanese culture try your hand at making a California Roll to bring to work.

Wednesday getting you giddy and looking forward to the end of the week? Try a fun whimsical lunch to keep your floating through the day. How about a cheese and soft pretzel sandwich? A cherry chicken sandwich on a croissant will definatly keep you smiling for the rest of the day, and who didn't like peanut butter growing up? Whether you like creamy or extra crunchy there are a million ways you can still enjoy it as an adult, my personal favorite is PB, bacon and lettuce, you can find a ton of ideas at cdkitchen.

To stretch your grocery dollar be sure to check for coupons at CoolSavings, Red Plum, SmartSource and Coupons.com before you shop.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend so far!

C.Q.