Frankies Cat Cave

*Sorry everyone computers been down for 4 days just getting working again and here's Frankie's Friday post late.

Frankie chilling in the feline version of a man cave

                                             
                                        The feline controls the remote--Mom I'm turning off Cheetah Girls

                                           Mom did not get new blankets for x-mas frankie did.
                                                           

Snoozing on my chair in front of the TV

The Secret To Using Your Coupons Effectively

Good Morning all,  I've been wanting to post this for awhile.  So even though  still clipping and filing I'm going to let you in on the secret.  Organization is the secret to using your coupons.  You need to find the system that works best for you.  I love the box method and I've always wanted a coupon keeper but could not justify paying that kind of money for it.  So I did what every frugal blogger/mom does I made my own.  I found a craft storage box at Wal-mart for around $8 and I got large index cards and post it notes.  I cut the cards down to size and put colored post it notes with the headings of coupons I use.  You can have as many sections that fit in your box(I'm still filing mine).  You can have segments for your ecb's (cvs-extra care bucks) and your Catalina coupons or even high value coupons.  You make it to what you need.  The more organized it is the more money you can save.  I can tell you a time I had to hunt for coupons for a sale because the box segment just said health and beauty. This took at least half an hour. This way its broken up into hair care, oral care and skin care which makes it alot easier.  If you have alot of coupons get the family involved in clipping and tell them you'll treat them. I give the boys some extra money to help me.  Shoot if Frankie had hands I'd give him a pair of scissors and tell him to clip for a can of cheese flavored cat food he'd do anything.  So now your organized what do you do?

1.  Check your store flyers for the sales and any matching coupons.

2.  Check couponing websites for what they have found with coupons

3.  Before you shop get a note book and go into your cabinets and write down products and contact info plus their upcs on products and call the companies.

4.  Keep tract of who you've called and what you get from them

5.  Check the store out before you shop for unadvertised deals and tear pad coupons and coupon blinkie machines.

6.  To keep you motivated keep tract of what you save in your note book.

7.  Almost forgot check the websites of the stores for future sales to get the coupons you need.

This is just a few things I do to use my coupons.  I'm not saying the box method is for everyone you have to find what works for you. What ever method you use it needs to be organized in order for you to save money.  So Happy Couponing.

check out the party at craft-o-maniac

http://www.craft-o-maniac.com

Orange Delicious Confection of Murder

Good Evening all,  Finally back to murder mystery cooking.  Today's recipe is a doozy.  It looks and taste just like a dreamsicle  because that's what it is in cake form-orange dreamsicle cake.  First off, your treated to a really good read before you get to the fluffy goodness at the back of the book.  The name of the book is "Death Takes the Cake" by Melinda Wells.  The book is about a home cook named Della Carmichael who has her own reality cooking show.  Her producer has signed her up to be in a cooking competition. You know how fierce we cooks are and competitive and someone will stop at nothing.  So look for a whole lot of interesting characters.  One of the characters is sugary sweet or is she.   So check it out to find out who got murdered and why and so much yummy in the back of this book.  Their is also some cooking tips in the book which I always can use tips for  my cooking.   The cake I chose for the blog is the orange dreamsicle cake, because Valentines day is around the corner and the competition in the book was going be aired on Valentines Day.  So here's the recipe bon appetite.

We did alter this recipe to fit my families needs:

Here's what you'll need:

Butter or Margarine

flour

orange cake mix  (was told was seasonal)

3 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup water

1 tsp orange extract

zest of one large orange

1 package of orange jello

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 13 by 9 in pan (glass if using metal temp should be 325)

Do not follow package directions when making this cake.  Take the cake mix and add the following ingredients to a mixing bowl; 3 eggs, sour cream, vegetable oil,water, orange extract and the zest.

Mix until ingredients are moist and then beat for two minutes scraping sides with spoon.  When thoroughly mixed pour into greased pan and bake for 30 minutes or until sides of cake separate from pan.

Once you remove cake from oven you proceed to make holes in the cake.  I used a butter knife.

While the cake was in the oven I heated the water for the jello.  Take your orange jello and dissolve in 1 cup boiling water and then add 1/2 cup ice cold water once dissolved.  Then pour over cake and put cake in the fridge to cool for at least an hour.

For the topping

1 package orange jello

1 package of vanilla pudding mix

1 cup cold whole milk (I used 2 %)

zest of large orange (omitted)

1 tsp orange extract

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

8 oz container of cool whip (used reddi whip)

1 cup cold whipping cream (could not find used heavy)

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Mix jello and pudding with the milk.  Add the zest and the orange extract.  Mix until thick then add vanilla extract.  Fold the mixture into the cool whip.

In a different bowl add the whipping cream and powdered sugar until stiff.  Mine did not get real stiff probably because of the cream.  Add this to the whipped cream.  Once all mixed pour over top of cake will form a 1/2 inch layer of topping.  Decorate with whatever you want I found blood oranges at Wal mart to add to the cake.  Refrigerate cake for 2-3 hours.  When serving keep cold don't leave out much like an ice cream cake it will melt.

For easy pinning here's the link  http://www.pinterest.com/pin/362610207469396530/

Save Mart Meat Shopping for January 2014

Good Evening all, Everything is still a little disarrayed with all the appointments and holidays and now the boys are sick.  So I did the meat shopping this morning and wanted to post it now.  I  have an appointment and will probably be gone all day tomorrow have to take the train.  I hope to have a regular Mon-wed-Friday schedule next week.  So happy couponing and enjoy the bargains.  

Did the meat sale got 11 packages of varying meats for $5 each

2 packages of Tyson grilled and ready to cook chicken  used 2 $1 off coupons

1 package of the any tizers chicken used 1 $1 off coupon this would be good for Superbowl

This type of sale is usually one to two weeks every month, so I try and find coupons for things they put on sale like the Tyson, also corn dogs and sausages are part of the deal.  If you have a save mart check it out.   Also their was a managers special going on for 10 lbs of leg quarters for $4.78

2 little bottles of 7 up 

2 bags of the marshmallow peanuts (will be calling company for coupons)

1 box 12 count pop tarts

2 Kellogg's Eggo home style waffles on sale 2/$4

Fresh Express Salad were b1g1f  (I used last Sundays coupon for $1.50/2) also tear pads for .55/1 next to it.

Total before sales and coupons  $108.30                    After coupons/sales  $69.03   Saved  36%

Also before you shop look for items that you have recipes for that are on sale for example the Tyson grilled and ready would make great Mongolian chicken substituting the beef of course.  Here's the link to help with your budget. 

http://lorrainesresources.blogspot.com/2013/08/family-fun-recipe-homemade-mongolian.html

                                           Frankie of course thought the chicken was for him.
                                                   

Frankies Corner--The Best of Frankie photo gallery

Frankie is sitting here glaring at me I made the mistake of saying I'm going bye bye to the VA.  He knows when I go to the VA I'm gone a better part of the day.  Do your cats react when your gone along time.  What do you do to make it easier for them.  Okay I wasn't going to do the most popular of Frankie post.  I decided to compile his best pictures and have everyone tell me which is their favourite.  Love the comments please send them my way any way.  Would even love it if you commented on the face book fan page.

crock pot asian sliders

Good Morning all, It will be a busy week so will be off schedule.  I wanted to give you an extra foodie post this week to off set the schedule.  But I promise after this week will be back on tract. I will be finally done with inspections, appointments and new doctors.  So anyways had that lovely 10 lb pork roast and I was not going to let Conor turn all of it into the German pot roast recipe.  We love the meat ball mixture with the hoisin so I decide to try my new crock pot out and make a slider recipe.  I took 5 lbs of pork shoulder and cooked it all day about 7 hours.  I shredded it with a fork and added the listed ingredients to it. 

1/2 cup barbecue sauce-you can use any kind you like

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

after your pork is shredded mix all ingredients together. You can put on bread, hamburger buns or even whole wheat bread.  Whatever tickles your fancy its tastes yummy.  

Be sure and check back later in the week.  I found a new murder mystery foodie book this time its dealing with cakes-yummy orange dreamsicle cake.

Here's the links to my other favourite Asian recipes

http://lorrainesresources.blogspot.com/2013/10/hooked-on-hoisin-meatballs.html

http://lorrainesresources.blogspot.com/2013/08/family-fun-recipe-homemade-mongolian.html

Happy New Year with a German Pot Roast

Good Afternoon all,  Conor got his wish for the New Year a German Recipe.  First off,  I wanted to wish all my readers a Happy New year and I will continue to bring you new recipes, ways to save money and help with health issues/parenting and of course the further adventures of Frankie.  Those of you who read my blog know my youngest son Conor is really into his German heritage and wants us to cook more German recipes.  Don't worry I still make my Asian recipes in fact half of that 10 lb roast is in the crock pot being turned into Asian sliders as we speak.  I found today's recipe on the taste of home website and have altered it to fit my families taste.  So without further ado here's the recipe.

calls for 3-4 lb pork tenderloin (used 5 lb shoulder roast)

4 garlic gloves, minced (used 1 tablespoon minced garlic)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon ground mustard

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon each oregano, thyme and rosemary

1/4 teaspoon pepper (used just to taste)

4 potatoes peeled and cut (used more and cut into chunks)

2 onions cut and quartered

called for yellow tomato we omitted this item boys don't like whole tomatoes

Get a nice sized bowl and mix oil, lemon juice and all seasoning together.

Put roast in shallow pan or roasting whichever you have

Cook 20 minutes by itself at 375 degrees

Add potatoes and onions and cook them with the meat for an hour 

It took the meat another hour to cook did not want the vegetables to burn so set them aside and kept warm until roast was done.  Roast will be done when thermometer reads 160.

Voila you have dinner we served with a cake from the store bakery wasn't up to doing a cake today and of course the sparkling holiday cider.  Want to make sure you don't miss any post follow me on facebook or bloglovin would love to have you. Please send me some comment love if you love the recipes always love reading every ones comments.