Birds Nest Eggs

Looking for something Easter themed for breakfast today? Got extra eggs from all the Easter sales? How about some Birds Nest Eggs...what your gonna need is a large cupcake pan, break, bacon, eggs, small amount of melted butter, shreaded chedder cheese (optional) and salt/pepper to taste.

Here is how to make them -

1. Preheat overn to 375 degrees.
2. Use melted butter to coat inside of muffin cups.
3. While oven is heating, cook bacon (leave it a bit undercooked so it stays flexible). Remove bacon and pat with paper towels to absorb extra greese off.
4. Remove bread crust and then use a rolling pin (or large glass) to flatten bread. Use flattend bread to form "nest" inside the cupcake cups.
5. Inside "nest" you will now add your bacon, folding if necessary. I've seen people leave the ends hanging over, or simply like it in a circle...whatever floats you boat is fine.
6. Crack one egg into each cup, salting and peppering if desired.
7. Sprinkle a small amount of cheese on top if desired.
8. Bake for ~25 minutes, or until egg is cooked to your desired level.

Allow to cool slightly before serving. Serve with a side of fresh fruit and a glass of milk for a complete breakfast.

Rubber band Easter eggs

Looking for to do something a bit different with your Easter eggs this year? How about using rubber bands to give them a cute stripe? All you do it apply rubber bands to the eggs before you dye them. When you pull the eggs out of the dye bath, allow them to dry slightly with the bands on, then carefully remove them and viola, your done!

Thanks Real Simply for the idea and pic!

String Eggs

Here is a cheap DIY project that makes a great centerpiece for the Easter season, all you need is embroidery floss, disposable cups, balloons, liquid starch, clothes pins (for drying purposes) and a fine grade rope (for drying purposes). This is a great project to use up leftover embroider floss!

1. Unwrap packaging from embroidery floss and soak floss (seperate colors into different cups) in liquid starch.
2. Inflate balloons to desired "egg" sizes. I suggest making them smaller than a baseball, or your gonna need a ton of floss.
3. Once floss has absorbed starch, wrap it around the balloons until you reach the desired coverage. I suggest you wrap them in a random spider web type pattern for the best effect. Average egg will take 2-4 skeins of floss.
4. Using the balloon tail, clothes pin the egg to the rope and allow to dry overnight.
5. Pop the balloon and remove from egg. Put eggs into a cute basket or bowl on your table.

Pic pulled from Sunday Baker

New Month = New Coupons

If you have not printed coupons in the last few days, its worth the time to go and look again for the new ones that have been added for this month. To get to the printable websites use the tab above for the master list, or to go straight to the coupons.com website (primary one), you can simply click on the "see all coupons" in the button I've put below for you.

New Month = New Coupons

If you have not printed coupons in the last few days, its worth the time to go and look again for the new ones that have been added for this month. To get to the printable websites use the tab above for the master list, or to go straight to the coupons.com website (primary one), you can simply click on the "see all coupons" in the button I've put below for you.

New Month = New coupons

If you have not printed coupons in the last few days, its worth the time to go and look again for the new ones that have been added for this month. To get to the printable websites use the tab above for the master list, or to go straight to the coupons.com website (primary one), you can simply click on the "see all coupons" in the button I've put below for you.

Keeping the kiddos from getting sick tip....

The kids are back in school...and so are the germs. Use this budget friendly tip to help keep your kids from spreading germs with their toothbrushes. Of course you are going to want to give them a friendly reminder about handwashing and sharing hats & combs as well, but this will save you one at least one talk.....hopefully (and hopefully save your the cost of a visit to the doctor).

Pic pulled from pintrist

Sweet shoe deal at Payless

Right now Payless Shoes has their BOGO promotion going and are including closeout shoes in this program. You can combine great sale with promo code 70144 to get an extra 20% off, and if you use "ship to store", shipping is FREE. To sweeten the deal even more, start shopping via Ebates and get a 5% rebate on your purchase.

Image pulled from Payless.com webpage

New Month = New Coupons

If you have not printed coupons in the last few days, its worth the time to go and look again for the new ones that have been added for this month. To get to the printable websites use the tab above for the master list, or to go straight to the coupons.com website (primary one), you can simply click on the "see all coupons" in the button I've put below for you.

Labor Day Sales

This weekend you can typically grab some great promo codes, free shipping codes and printable coupons to some of your favorite stores. Grocery stores tend to run extra specials as well. This is a great opportunity to grab a couple holiday gifts so you won't feel so overwhelmed in December. Keep in mind, that if you are looking to snag school clothes on the cheap, the prices tend to get marked down better next month, but then the selection is can also be smaller for sizes and styles.

Don't have a code? There are lots of sites out there to look at such as Retail Me Not. This is one site that this blogger always checks when shopping online for codes.

For printable coupons, be sure to check the tabs above.

1/2 price breakfast burritos

All day on September 3rd you can grab a sonic breakfast burrito for half price. Great way to enjoy a eating out on a budget.

10 Money Saving Tips From Our Vacation In SE Missouri

Every year I make a point to take my kids on vacation. I feel that this is a way to create great bonding, and memories they will cherish their entire lives. Of course being the frugal gal I am, I don't want to break the bank to do this. Along with my other travel tips posted before, I try to let you know how I continue to do this by telling you about my yearly frugal outings, in hope that this helps you stay on budget as well.

This summer we vacations in Arcadia Valley and Mark Twain National Forest, both are located in the South East part of Missouri. Here are 10 money saving things we did when planning/enjoying this summers vacation:

1. We chose a location that was a 1 day or less drive from out home so that we could minimize fuel cost and avoid having to pay for transitional lodging. FYI: Driving typically remains a more cost effective choice for families even when airlines are running promos.
2. When choosing our location, I did some Internet research to see what was available for family entertainment. This year I choose this location because it was centrally located between 4 national parks, less than an hour from a river for rafting, and also a historic flour mill for touring on a "non-ideal weather" day. Since admission to national parks in Missouri is FREE and there were so many in the area, this gave us lots of stuff to do for no cost except fuel to get there. 
3. We did pay to rent a raft mainly for children safety reasons. Our kids are young enough we didn't want to take a chance of getting separated, them flipping a canoe etc. Before we rented, I did my research and found one that was listed with the chamber of commerce (this tells me they are a legit business and likely have the required insurance/safety measures in place). By calling ahead I paid $65 for a raft instead of $120 at one of the more prominent places listed. We just did without some of the office frills, which didn't bother us and saved us about $55 dollars. They all float on the same river and had similar equipment/time frames. We did pack our own life vests, but if you don't have some, make sure you ask about it when doing cost comparisons on this type of rental. 
4. We purchased most of our food ahead of time and packed it with us. This gave me the opportunity to shop while items were on sale, and use coupons to get the most for my money. I did not pack whole bottles of some items such as mayo, instead i recycled some small jars and simply packed what we would used in them and threw it in our cooler. If these items got left in the hotel fridge, nobody is gonna cry over leaving 10cents of mayo in a recycled jar....instead of a $3 bottle offered at most local touristy markets. Items that are easily squished such as bread, I normally buy on site unless we have extra room and I can pack them in a hard sided box out of the sun and protected.
5. We own a super insulated cooler that actually will keep items cold on hot summer days and easily fits into the back of our vehicle. Although the cooler initially cost us more out of pocket, we can use it for years and years, plus now spend way less on ice, plus also save the time and fuel of running to pick it up. An added bonus of this cooler is that having a cooler that works this well, means that you also have less chance of food spoiling because it got to warm, saving your money.
6. We choose a hotel that had a small refrigerator and microwave. This allowed us more variety of items to eat in our room, and the opportunity to save any leftovers from eating out. Most of the items we packed to eat were breakfast and lunch focused. Our goal was to eat breakfast in the room, pack a picnic lunch and then eat supper out. After all, we are on vacation and mom should get at least 1 meal off a day.
7. Once we arrived and emptied our regular food items into the hotel fridge, we then filled our cooler with all the cans and bottles etc of drinks we would use for the week and left it in the back of the vehicle. Being able to pull out a drink for each of us when we got thirsty saved us a ton of "where did my cash go" mysteries. At rates of $1.69+ tax for a 20oz bottle of pop (or other convenience store type beverage) x4 family members x 3 stops daily = about $21 per day on drink stops....ridiculous!
8. We packed special snacks for each person. This helped us avoid any trips inside uber expensive grocery or gas station stores to grab them. My kids get sorta excited about picking out a snack we normally don't have before we leave. It's actually kinda funny how excited they get over something as simple as a bag of beef jerky or trail mixes. We try and keep non-melting snacks in the car just in case one of the kids gets hungry between meal times. If you can focus on snacks that have nutritional content it will help fight that hunger better than simple refined carbs (such as chips).
9. I cooked ahead so we had "real" food. Although my kids would be happy with about anything, my husband is not. He wants at least some meat and eggs for breakfast. To make sure that everyone stayed happy, I cooked ahead some breakfast sandwiches with meat, egg & cheese on an English muffins. I wrapped each individual one in plastic wrap, then put them in a gallon sized freezer bag and froze them (the freezer bag helps keep water out if the ice in the cooler melts). When it was time to pack the cooler, these little "ice cube" sandwiches helped keep the rest of the food cold, and I didn't have to worry much about them getting too warm for food safety reasons. You can do many more meals like this that can be easily fixed using just a microwave including tons of casseroles (pre-bake), breakfast burritos, sloppy-joe filling (buy buns after arrival), taco meat and more. Just think out of the box, and freeze anything you can.
10. Pack your own travel sized games, not for the car but for the hotel room. If you have a rainy day and are limited on what you can get out and do, enjoy some family time in the room. Many rooms have movies on TV, why not whip up some popcorn, watch a movie & play some games as a family. After all, isn't the whole goal of this vacation spending time together anyway?

I hope these tips help you create your own family memories!

Save $5 off a $30 Purchase at Dollar General

Today is the day to rake in the extra savings at DG again. Print the coupon from the link below to save $5 on a $30 purchase. I use this type of offer to stock up on household items that we go through a lot of like toilet paper, laundry soap etc. You can combine DG coupons and manufacturer coupons to double dip on their savings as well. They are strict on their coupon policy, so make you look it over. When checking out at the store, hand them the DG $5 off coupon first, then the manufacturer coupons, then lastly your regular DG coupons - that way if your total drops below $30 after coupons, you don't miss out on the extra savings.

• DG printable coupons (includes the $5 coupon)
• DG Coupon policy

Quadruple dipped savings at Kohl's

Kohl's has a mulitple dip opportunity going right now. Here is how to get the most bang for your buck right now.

1. Start shopping via ebates, this will give you a 6% rebate on your purchase
2. Place your desired items in your cart, and when you check out, you will be allowed to use 2 discount codes. Discount codes will apply to full price, sale price and even closeout pricing, yippee!
3. First use code NOTEBOOK30 to get 30% off your total.
4. Next use code FREE50LUV to get free shipping on any order over $50.
5. If you end up spending more than $75, you can skip the free shipping code because your will be free anyway. Instead used either code INTIMATES15 to save an extra 15% off intimate apparel, or SCHOOLDAYS to save an extra 15% off of school clothes.
6. Lastly, you will earn $10 in Kohls cash for every $50 spent.

If you prefer to shop in the store, here is a great printable coupon on Retail Me Not to save $10 off a $25 purchase. You can try bringing the online codes to save your 30%, but not all cashiers will honor the online codes at the register.

Image pulled from Kohl's website

Blogger Bargains is on Pinterest

Looking for more ways to be frugal? There are a ton of ideas on Pinterest and I am trying to capture them for you on one board. Start following me on Pinterest to ensure you don't miss any. Click here to be taken to my board.

New Month = New Coupons

If you have not printed coupons in the last few days, its worth the time to go and look again for the new ones that have been added for this month. To get to the printable websites use the tab above for the master list, or to go straight to the coupons.com website (primary one), you can simply click on the "see all coupons" in the button I've put below for you.

$3 Movies at AMC

How did I not know about this until now? Thanks My Litter for the info!

Each week this summer AMC is having $3 admission to a 10pm showing of a movie with a portion of the proceeds going to the Autism Society. Click here for a list of shows & to find a participating theater near you.

Movie images pulled from AMC website of upcoming shows

Save 40% at Justice

Justice is a store full of "hip" clothes for young girls. Use coupon code 431 to get 40% off your next online purchase (or tell the cashier the code at checkout) and get those hip clothes for less. This discount comes off your ENTIRE purchase including closeout items!
Start you shopping via Ebates and get an extra 4% back off your online purchase.

Teachers save 15% at Jo Ann

Register online for Job Ann's reward card & save 15% off every purchase. The discount is taken off after all other promotions or coupons, so still continue to clip those coupons and combine them to get a great deal. To register online, go to www.joann.com/teachers

Tax Free weekend in Missouri

August 2nd thru August 4th is this years tax free weekend. Start collecting your coupons now (see coupon link tab), & watch for special store promotions to get the great deals...tax free!

New promo code for Children's Place = Great deal on school clothes!

Children's place has a uber great discount opportunity going right now. I was able to snag my kids some great clothes for school off the sale and closeout areas and use the promo code HAPPY4TH to get an extra 20% off plus FREE shipping. While you are there, be sure to check out their accessories, you can always stash them away and use them for Stocking Stuffers or Easter basket fillers later.

Pic pulled from children's Place website

Here is how you can get the most bang for your buck.

1. They have a great sale going right now, with many items being 60% or more off retail. This includes boys, girls, infants, shoes and accessory items!
2. Start shopping via Ebates and earn youself a 3% rebate. If you are not already a member, you can find the details on how to enroll in my quick links.
3. Use code HAPPY4TH at checkout to save an additional 20% off, and you get FREE shipping!

New Month = New Coupons

If you have not printed coupons in the last few days, its worth the time to go and look again for the new ones that have been added for this month. To get to the printable websites use the tab above for the master list, or to go straight to the coupons.com website (primary one), you can simply click on the "see all coupons" in the button I've put below for you.

40% off & free shipping at American Eagle

Right now you can use the promo code below & save big on AE clothing & shoes.

Half price shakes at Sonic

Tomorrow is the 1st day of summer, & to celebrate Sonic is offering half price shakes all day!

Summer Film series at Wonderscope

Today kicks off this summers film series. Admission is only $5 per person with free parking. They are located ~1.5 miles west of the intersection of I-35 & Johnson Drive in Shawnee.

Keep in mind that Wonderscope is also a "blue star" museum which gives free admission to military members & up to 5 family members each summer.

Free donuts

Tomorrow is national donut day. Check your favorite chain for specials, many are giving away donuts for FREE!

New Month = New Coupons

If you have not printed coupons in the last few days, its worth the time to go and look again for the new ones that have been added for this month. To get to the printable websites use the tab above for the master list, or to go straight to the coupons.com website (primary one), you can simply click on the "see all coupons" in the button I've put below for you.

BOGO Big Mac promotion at Mc Donalds

This weekend only buy a Big Mac & get one free!

FREE printables for your road trip

As many of us are communiting to our vacation destination by car instead of plane, I thought just a few more FREE printable links to easy the "I'm board" problem could be of use as we enter the vacation season.

• Road Trip Questionare from Dating Divas (great for couples w/o kids)
• State license plate game from Dating Divas (great for both young and old)
• Printable mazes from freepuzzles.net
• Roadtrip scavenger hunt from freepuzzles.net
• Car bingo from freepuzzles.net
• Tic Tac Toe, Close the box & Hangman from freepuzzles.net

Pic pulled from freepuzzles.net

New Month = New Coupons

If you have not printed coupons in the last few days, its worth the time to go and look again for the new ones that have been added for this month. To get to the printable websites use the tab above for the master list, or to go straight to the coupons.com website (primary one), you can simply click on the "see all coupons" in the button I've put below for you.

Free computer access

Did you know that Longview Community College has open computer lab sessions with people to help guide you through any programming difficulties? Unlike the public library, the do not have a strict time limit either. This is a great program for those wishing to disconnect home internet but still need access, as well as giving you an opportunity to get out of a hot house in the summer. Whoot, whoot!

$1 Egg White Delight McMuffin

Right now you can grab breakfast on the cheap at McDonalds. Try their new breakfast sandwich for $1 plus a drink from their value menu for $1 = $2 total before tax.

Upcycle those old T-shirts

We all have t-shirts around the house that we don't wear for one reason or another. Why not take those shirts and upcycle them into something fun. Let's face it, if you don't wear it now, you try one of these tutorals and it doesn't work....did you really loose anything besides time? No, so go for it. Click on the items below to be taken to the pintrist link, from there you can click on the right upper corner above the pic to be taken to the site from which it was pinned. Photos from two of the links are pictured below....

• Scarf necklace
• Tank top
• One shoulder shirt
• T-shirt vest
• Fringe scarf
• Childrens play cape
• Woven back
• Woven ribbon

$.25 Burgers at McDonalds

Today only you can get a Big Mac or Quarter Pounder with cheese for a quarter when you purchase another at regular price, at McDonalds in KC & St Joseph for Customer Appreciation day.

Budget friendly wall decor

I recently changed jobs and had to decide what decor I wanted to put up on my new office wall. I started checking out my local bargain retailers and quickly discovered wall decor was WAY more expensive than I remembered. With that in mind, I looked online for inexpensive options. Here is one option that is budget friendly and an uber easy one to pull together for any crafter, fabric covered artist canvas. The canvas can be purchased with one of your weekly hobby store coupons for $5-$10, and the fabric can often be found off a reminant table and/or at a garage sale (of course you may be able to check the sewing stashes from any of your family members as well). Then use your staple gun and simply attach the fabric over the canvas and add a "hanging" type of device (you can make many versions from hardware you already have on hand - one pictured below), viola, your ready to hang it up.

These photos are simply examples that have been posted using this idea, click on pictures to be taken to these photo sources

FREE fishing knot instructions

If you are looking for a boy scout project (or parent/child activity) for spring, why not use Bass Pro's fishing knot tutorals and practice attaching hooks and lures, then follow it up with a trip to the local fishing hole at your next meeting. This makes for an inexpensive project that I'm pretty sure you'll have extra "helpers" for if you ask. Make sure you ask the parents to send a rod with line the night you plan the event. Click here to go to Bass Pro's webpage with the knots

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Cute easter idea

Found this cute Easter idea on pintrist and thought it was worth sharing. What you will need is icing bags (can purchse at craft stores - great use for those 40% off 1 item coupons), cheese balls and green ribbon. Simply fill the bags up and put the cute ties on top, great non-candy give away for those kids holiday parties!

Thanks to Blooming Where I'm Planted for the idea and pic!

New Month = New Coupons

If you have not printed coupons in the last few days, its worth the time to go and look again for the new ones that have been added for this month. To get to the printable websites use the tab above for the master list, or to go straight to the coupons.com website (primary one), you can simply click on the "see all coupons" in the button I've put below for you.

Quadrouple dip at Kohls

Kohl's has a mulitple dip opportunity going right now. Here is how to get the most bang for your buck right now.

1. Start shopping via ebates, this will give you a 2% rebate on your purchase
2. Place your desired items in your cart, and when you check out, you will be allowed to use 2 discount codes. Discount codes will apply to full price, sale price and even closeout pricing.
3. First use code JELLYBEAN to get 30% off your total.
4. Next use code FORU50SHIP to get free shipping on any order over $50.
5. Lastly, you will earn $10 in Kohls cash for every $50 spent.

Logo pulled from Kohls website

Save big at Childrens Place (online)

Right niew you can use code MORE30T to get 30% off a purchase of $60 or more. Spend $75 and shipping is free. Of course you need to start via Ebates to grab your extra 2.5% rebate as well. I snagged a cartfull of markdown items for a steal!

Save at Lego Land & The Sealife Aquarium

Quick, go pull last Sundays paper out of your recycle bin & look for this coupon....it doesn't expire till 12/31/13 & can be used for up to 5 people!

Garden starter idea

A great way to save money on your grocery budget is to grow some it yourself. Doesn't matter if its just a few pots or and entire acre of garden...the point is...its healthy and cheap! As we enjoy these wonderful spring days....its not too early to start thinking about getting your starters in line for your summer garden. Since seeds are less expensive than starter plants, consider using this idea from pintrist to get them going in a indoor "green house" (you can recycle a rotesserie chicken container to do this if you don't have a store purchased on version). The cones are biodegradable so the starters can later be planted cone and all into the ground.

Photo pulled from pintrist

Girl Scout Week Specials

This week is Girl Scout week, if you have a Scout in your family, look for many stores and eating establishments to be running promotions. Here is just one you could grab at Buca Di Beppo.

$5 for new Starbucks reward customers

Right now if you register a Starbucks card (new members only) they will load it with $5 credit for FREE. Don't have a physicial card, why not download the app and have the electronic one. Even if you are not a coffee drinker, this is a great deal because you can go in to grab a muffin and milk and/or one of my favorite caramel apple ciders. I registered on my phone and had my credit within a few hours. Click here for more information.

Recycle old keys

We all tend to end up with old keys that go to locks we no longer have. Why not clean out your key drawer and recycle them into garden labels? Best part....all you need is old keys, a few sharpie markers, and old can of spray paint!

Thanks Fave Crafts for the idea and pic!

Football cleats on closeout at Walmart

Check your local clearance racks for winter clothing as well as fall sporting equipment...now is the time to buy for next year. Check out what I found at a local Walmart.

New Month = New Coupons

If you have not printed coupons in the last few days, its worth the time to go and look again for the new ones that have been added for this month. To get to the printable websites use the tab above for the master list, or to go straight to the coupons.com website (primary one), you can simply click on the "see all coupons" in the button I've put below for you.

Quadrupple dipped savings at Kohl's

Kohl's has a mulitple dip opportunity going right now. Here is how to get the most bang for your buck right now.

1. Start shopping via ebates, this will give you a 6% rebate on your purchase (double rebate promo going on right now).
2. Place your desired items in your cart, and when you check out, you will be allowed to use 2 discount codes. Discount codes will apply to full price, sale price and even closeout pricing.
3. First use code CUPID30 to get 30% off your total.
4. Next use code LUV2BMVC to get free shipping on your order reguardless of size.
5. Lastly, you will earn Kohl's cash on today's purchase if you spend at least $50.

Pic pulled from Kohl's website

Semi-homemade Sticky Buns

Instead of spending $5 per roll at a gourmet shop, consider making this semi-homemade version at home. I serve mine with a side of fruit and a large glass of milk for breakfast on the weekend.

What you need:
1 bag frozen cinnamon rolls (I use Rhodes brand)
1 stick butter
1 C brown sugar
1 C diced pecans
Plastic wrap
Cooking spray

How to:
Melt butter in a microwave safe dish. Then dip in brush and uses a scant amount of the butter to coat the inside of a standard 9X12 cake pan. Take the remaining butter and mix in the brown sugar, stir until well mixed. Pour mixture into the bottom of the pan. Now sprinkle the diced pecans over the top (you may adjust this as per your preferences), do not mix. Take the frozen cinnamon rolls and place them on top of the nuts/sugar/butter layer. I can fit 6-8 in my pan and have enough room....but no more. Take a piece of plastic wrap and spray 1 side with pam. Place the sprayed side towards the rolls (not on them) to cover the pan. This will keep the rolls from sticking to the wrap as they rise overnight. Place pan on stovetop under the light (or another warm area of the kitchen) and allow them to rise while you sleep. When you wake, bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Once baked, turn them over to serve (I tend to use my pan lid, then a spatula to move them to a nicer plate).

As for what to do with the remaining rolls and frosting....why not make a second pan of just regular rolls for those who don't like nuts.

Upcycle an old box into a house

I saw this tutorial and thought to myself....what a great idea. My kids often play with boxes only to have them get in my road, and me insist that they go out on trash day. This project makes the house collapsible so it can be folded between uses. Click here to go to She Knows Parenting's tutorial and build your own. Great way to fix the "I'm board" child for at least 1 day.

Pic pulled from weblink in post above

Eat on the cheap at Zarda BBQ in February

Check out the promotion Zarda has this month. What a great way to dine in on a budget!

New Month = New Coupons

If you have not printed coupons in the last few days, its worth the time to go and look again for the new ones that have been added for this month. To get to the printable websites use the tab above for the master list, or to go straight to the coupons.com website (primary one), you can simply click on the "see all coupons" in the button I've put below for you.

Using minute steak

When budgets are tight, minute steak (aka cube steak) is one of the least expensive cuts of beef you can buy at most markets. The problem with lesser expensive cuts of meat such as this, is that they tend to be overly chewey. Not to worry, just choose a recipe that has a long cooking time on lower heat, such as a crock pot, to cook it in. Here is one recipe you can try.

Meat:
Family pack of minute steak

Gravy mixture:
2 cans Campbells cream of mushroom soup
1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup
3/4 C Water

Spray crock pot with non-stick cooking spray (like Pam) and put 1/2 of the package of meat, then small amount gravy, then the remaining meat, and cover with the rest of the gravy mixture. Throw it in the crock on low and allow it to cook all day. Serve with a side salad and some veggies to round out the meal.

If using store brand soups, they tend to have more sodium, so simply opt to make one of them the low-sodium version.

Frugal Eats - Ranch Chicken

I love when I find recipes that primarily come from my stockpile. By having a stockpile, I can purchase ingredients when they are at rock bottom prices, and saving on my grocery budget. Here is one of those recipes.

8 oz dry pasta
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
2 1/2 Tbsp ranch powder
3 C milk (yes, you can use milk made from powder)
1 C cheddar cheese (I used shredded out of my freezer)
2.8oz jar real bacon bits
2 10oz cans of chicken (drained)
pepper to taste (I twist my grinder twice)

1. Boil pasta till al'dente, drain and place in bowl large enough to later toss with sauce.
2. In large sauce pan, melt butter. Add flour and wisk into a rue. Slowly wisk in milk and simmer until thickened, stirring constantly.
3. Add ranch powder and pepper to milk and stir. Then add cheese and stir until melted. Next add in bacon, then chicken and stir.
4. Pour sauce over pasta and toss.

Serve hot with a veggie (my kids prefer brussel sprouts, but then again...they were raised by a foodie mom).

FREE kids burger at Red Robin

Make sure you update your Red Robin membership to reflect your kids birthdays....if you do, they will email you a printable cert to bring in on their birthday for a free burger. Sounds like a great way to celebrate.