Is There An App. For That?

photo © 2009 Nina Matthews | more info (via: Wylio)


After Michele's post about Apps. I got to thinking about Apps. I think I would really enjoy. I hope the App. developers are listening. Its not that long of a list, just some Apps.

• An App. that will clean my kitchen for me. That seems to always need to be done.
  
• An App. that will set my coffee pot up. That way Mr. Bernie and I don't have to wait each other out to see who will do it.
• An App. that will filter out repetitive posts on Facebook. The ones that say the same thing almost everyday. I know you all know what I mean.
• An App. that will help my mailman deliver my mail to me. Mine, not someone who is several streets over.
  
• An App. that will slap people upside the head if they are rude.
• An App that will clean the litter box for me. How cool would that be?

I don't think that I'm asking for much. I could think of others I want. However, I don't want to see greedy. What kind of Apps. would you like to see?

Monday's value meal...

This time of year its nice to entertain your friends with a nice meal and great company.  This dish lets you make something that looks like you slaved away but in fact only takes a half hour to prep and put together and an hour and twenty minutes to cook, just enough time to chat and toast the season.




CHICKEN AND MUSHROOMS IN RED WINE SAUCE

4 small chicken legs (drumstick-thigh piece) (about 2 pounds total)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
16 pearl onions (1-1/3 cups)
2 cups fresh medium mushrooms, quartered
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1-1/2 teaspoons snipped fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1-1/2 teaspoons snipped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons chicken broth
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
6 slices bacon, crisp-cooked, drained, and crumbled
Snipped parsley (optional)
Hot cooked noodles

1. Skin chicken. In a plastic or paper bag combine 2 tablespoons flour, the garlic salt, and pepper. Add chicken, one or two pieces at a time, to the bag, shaking to coat chicken well.

2. In a 4-1/2-quart Dutch oven cook chicken in hot oil about 10 minutes or until lightly browned, turning to brown evenly. Drain. Add wine, 1/2 cup chicken broth, the onions, mushrooms, tomato paste, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to boilling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes or until chicken is tender and no longer pink. Discard bay leaf. Transfer chicken to a platter; keep warm.

3. Stir together 2 tablespoons broth and 1 tablespoon flour. Add to mushroom mixture in Dutch oven. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Stir in bacon. Spoon some of the mushroom sauce over chicken; sprinkle with parsley, if desired. Pass remaining sauce. Serve with hot noodles.

Makes 4 servings.


---Main course---

$0.55 off Pilgrim's Pride Chicken
$1.00 off any Arrow Mills flour
$1.00 off any Filippo Berio Oliv1e Oil (this was at the bottom of page 4)
$1.00 off  Hatfield Bacon
 
---Beverage---
 
For the adults save $10.00 off any $ purchase from Wine.com using coupon code CPNBASKET
For the younger folks save $2.00 off two Welch's Sparkling Juices
 
---Salad---
 
$1.00 off any Olivia's Organic Salad
$1.00 off any two Lighthouse products
 
---Sides---
 
$0.40 off Green Giant Frozen Bagged Vegetables (this was on page 2)
 
---Bread---
 
$0.40 off any two Pillsbury Italian Meal breads (this was on page 2)
 
---Dessert---
 
$1.00 off any two Pillsurbury Refrigerated Holiday Cookie Dough (this was on page 2)
$1.00 off any two pints of Starbucks Ice Cream (I found the coupon on page 12)

Have a great start to the week everyone!

C.Q.

Sunday's media madness...

This holiday season why not let your iPod and Smart Phones make your shopping a little easier?  There are some really great cool apps available that can help get your shopping done in short order so you have more time to relax and bake those cookies for the office cookie exchange.

First lets start with know how much you can spend, you can use Mint to help you with a budget, its available for free download to both the Android and iPhone, if you don't want that information on your portable device they are also available on Yahoo.com.  When you have your budget set you can stretch it using application such as Coupon Shurpa, it offers coupons to over 5,000 stores from your home computer, or download the free app and it will send coupons to over a hundred stores directly to your iPhone or iPod Touch.

Need directions or store information?  One of the best apps available is YPMoble, this is not the Yellow Pages of your childhood, now it is super charged with a search feature, driving directions, web links, reviews and a way to save your contacts or favorites lists. YPMoble is free and available for your iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, Android, Palm and Blackberry.  Now that you have made it to the mall and parked in the sea of cars, will you ever find your car again?  You will if you download Carr Matey, this app is available for the Android and will help you find a place to park, let you enter parking garage information,and remind you when your meter is set to expire.

Well you made it, look out shoppers your off to the races!  But which direction do you need to go?  With Mall Maps Mobile you can find your way around almost any mall with ease, its great for finding new places that have just opened or when you are traveling and shopping an area you are unfamiliar with. This free download is available in the iTunes store for the iPod, iPad, and iPhone.  Now that you have found your favorite store are you getting the best deal on your purchase? Used to be you had to run all over town to find out, now you can just use an app like Shop Savvy 4 by using the camera on your iPhone or Android camera to scan the bar code and compare prices with other stores and on line.

Ahhhh, almost done but where did you put all those reward membership cards?  With an application like CardStar you can keep all that information together in one spot.  With an ever growing list of merchants that are supported as well as the ability to add your own this is one of the easiest and most beneficial apps available, epically since its free and available for the iPhone, iPod, iPad, Android, Blackberry and Windows phone.  All you do is find the card info and show your phone to the cashier, no more extra plastic cards to carry around.

I hope you all have a rewarding shopping experience this holiday season!

C.Q.

Bonus bucks for the holidays...

While you are working on your gift list don't forget something for yourself.  With the economy slowly recovering many restaurants are still offering their version of a dining "stimulus" with bonus gift cards.  I have put together a list of the places I was able to find, if you know of others please share them in the comments section so folks can use them.

Applebee's is offering a $10.00 bonus with every $50.00 purchased.
BD's Mongolian Grill is offering a $10.00 bonus with every $50.00 purchased as well as a 2011 calendar that has coupons in it for the rest of the year.
Benihana is offering a $10.00 bonus with every $50.00 purchased.
Buca di Beppo is offering a $10.00 bonus with every $50.00 purchased.
Buffalo Wild Wings is offering a $5.00 bonus with every $25.00 purchased.

California Pizza Kitchen is offering a $20.00 bonus with every $100.00 purchased.

Carrabba's is offering a $20.00 bonus with every $100.00 purchased.
Chili's is offering 10% off all gift card orders over $100.00.
Denny's is offering a $5.00 bonus with every $25.00 purchased.

Fuddruckers is offering a $5.00 bonus with every $25.00 purchased.

McCormick & Schmicks is offering a $10.00 bonus with every $50.00 purchased or $25.00 with every $100.00 purchase.
Outback is offering a $20.00 bonus with every $100.00 purchased.

Red Robin is offering a $5.00 bonus with every $25.00 purchased.

Roys is offering a $20.00 bonus with every $100.00 purchased.
UNO Chicago Grill is offering a $5.00 bonus with every $25.00 purchased.



This little list is some of my local places that are offering deals;

Bellisio's is offering a $10.00 bonus with every $100.00 purchased.

Grandma's is offering a $10.00 bonus with every $100.00 purchased.
Mexico Lindo is offering $5.00 with every $25 purchased. (You need to go to the restaurant to purchase these.)
New Scenic Cafe is offering discounted cards at a rate of $20.00 for a $25.00 card, $40.00 for a $50.00 card and $75.00 for a $100.00 card. (You need to go to the restaurant to purchase these)
O'Neill's Pub and Liquorr is offering $5.00 with every $25.00 purchased. (You need to go to the liquor store to purchase these)
Pizza Luce is offering a $25.00 bonus with every $100.00 purchase.
Sammy's Pizza is offering a $10.00 bonus with every $50.00 purchase.
Timber Lodge Steakhouse is offering a $5.00 bonus with every $50.00 purchased or $10.00 with every $100.00 purchase.




Remember there are restrictions on many of the bonus cards so if you are looking for gift cards to tip your postman, delivery driver, door man etc you need to give them the cards you purchased not the bonus cards or they may expire before they get used.  When I get bonus cards I put small post-it-notes on them with expiration dates so I make sure they get used.
 
Have a fantastic weekend everyone!
 
C.Q.

Friday's Freebie...

Got a little more shopping to do? No need to shop 'till you drop, instead stop in and get a free Chips and Queso with the purchase of any entree at Chili's Restaurant. 

I hope you are all having a great Friday!

C.Q.

Thursdays picture perfect deal...

The picture...

Or recent snowfall left our backyard looking like a winter wonderland.  I love the contrast of the hardwoods with the white of the snow and the softness of the dead grass.

The deal...

Have a man on your list that's hard to shop for this holiday?  Check out the Home Depot's Ryobi free tool event.  Right now when you buy select tool kits you will get a free tool, this is a great way to stretch your holiday dollars. 

Have a great day everyone and stay warm!

C.Q.

Wednesday's learn and earn...

~WORD OF THE DAY~

 cacophony \ka-KAH-fuh-nee\ ~ noun

DEFINITION: harsh or discordant sound : dissonance; specifically : harshness in the sound of words or phrases

EXAMPLES: Feedback from the microphone produced an awful, shrieking cacophony equivalent to the sound of nails scratching on a blackboard.

"Imagine a tent full of celebrities, artists and art patrons dressed in their designer best -- Eli Broad, Frank Gehry, Jeff Koons, Gwen Stefani and more -- submitting to a cacophony of farm auctioneers calling, cattle ranchers whipping and drummers drumming." -- From an article by Booth Moore, describing a gala fundraiser, in the Los Angeles Times, November 15, 2010

DID YOU KNOW? Words that descend from the Greek word "phōnē" are making noise in English. Why? Because "phōnē" means "sound" or "voice." "Cacophony" comes from a joining of the Greek prefix "kak-," meaning "bad," with "phōnē", so it essentially means "bad sound." "Symphony," a word that indicates harmony or agreement in sound, traces to "phōnē" and the Greek prefix "syn-," which means "together." "Polyphony" refers to a style of musical composition in which two or more independent melodies are juxtaposed in harmony, and it comes from a combination of "phōnē" and the Greek prefix "poly-," meaning "many." And "euphony," a word for a pleasing or sweet sound, combines "phōnē" with "eu-," a prefix that means "good."

 

~THE REBATE~

 

Receive a $5.00 Walmart gift certificate when you purchase 3 participating items between 11/24 and 1/31. Qualifying items to choose from include:

• Neutrogena® Healthy Skin® Brightening Eye Perfector
• George Foreman® SkiLite™ Searing Skillet
• George Foreman® Panini Press Open Grill
• George Foreman® Smart Kitchen™ Multicooker
• Fruit of the Loom (Any Ladies’ 6 Pack of socks)
• Depend® Variety Pack (Men’s or Women’s)
• Poise® Thin Comfort
• Kleenex® Hand Towels
• VIVA® Big Roll
• Jimmy Dean® Hearty Sausage Crumbles
• Sally Hansen® Diamond Strength® Nail Color
• Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara

To receive the rebate mail in a completed rebate form together with the original dated cash register receipt from Walmart with the qualifying items circled.  This offer is good only for items purchased from Walmart and there is only one submission allowed per household.

Have a great day everyone, stay warm!

 

C.Q.