Author Archive

Apple Pie Muffins

Monday, January 21st, 2008

Practicing hospital hospitality this past week for my nephew, I put together a basket of treats for the family to take down to the hospital with them.

I had lots of apples to use up and thought this recipe for Apple Pie Muffins would be perfect for a yummy treat. I made a double batch for them and for our family. I also made a triple batch of the crumb topping and put it in our freezer to help save a step the next time I make these or my Banana Crumb Muffins.

These muffins are super delicious and just the right balance of sweetness and tartness (from the apples). Serve these with a big glass of milk to wash them down.

Our house smelled so good after I was done baking these that I wanted to extend the scent longer. I used the peels and apple cores from dicing my apples and threw them in a pot with some lemons that were no longer good anymore. I topped the pot with some water and extra cinnamon and let it simmer away while I packaged the muffins up for the trip to Chicago. It smelled like an apple pie for the entire day. Thanks to whoever supplied that tip on Works-For-Me Wednesday because it really worked.

I thought these looked so beautiful in this red gingham basket that I had purchased from Goodwill. I put a little tag on it with a description of the muffins on it so that people knew what they would be diving into.

Although I couldn’t sit in the waiting room with them, it was my way of showing that I loved and supported them during that time.

Good Cheap Fun- BUNCO!

Sunday, January 20th, 2008

I don’t know if any of you participate in Bunco or any other fun game like this, but I joined a Bunco League that has been an ultimate blast for me once a month.

This past week’s was probably the most fun yet because our theme was so great! The theme was “Weddings” and we all were told to wear our wedding dresses or favorite bridesmaid dress to the event. Considering how much people pay for these dresses, any opportunity you have to wear this more than once seems like a great idea to me!

I borrowed a dress from a girlfriend, who has been in her fair share of weddings, and got all dressed up for the event. My husband got a big kick out of me dressing up like this, complete with warm socks and snow boots. Considering the freezing Indiana temperatures, I wasn’t about to brave it in a sexy pair of strappy shoes.

Our host went all out with a Polish Wedding Buffet complete with a wedding cake, made by her aunt. The food included homemade Polish sausage, herb-buttered noodles, mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans, and lots of yummy appetizers. We stuffed ourselves silly and then played Bunco by the light of her Unity candles.

In our league, the cost is $5 to play and a booby prize to be given to the person with the most losses. I eat more than $5 in food and sometimes I win my $5 back (or more) at the end of the game. For an entire evening of great fun and good food, it is totally worth the investment.

The booby prizes were a hoot and many people graciously passed on their ugly wedding gifts that they got from their own weddings. It was hilarious to see the gifts that were given and the hideous gifts that people got.

Each person went home with a wedding favor of chocolates wrapped in netting. Every detail went into the event and we all had such a blast dressing up and hanging out. Much thanks to our hostess for the evening for making the night so special!

If you are thinking of starting your own Bunco league, you can get more information at this website. I would highly recommend it for anyone looking for some good cheap fun. Best of all, it is a great way to build friendships and get away from the kids for a night.

Sound Off:
Do you do a game or activity regularly with your friends? What are some cheap ways that you have found to socialize?

New Article: Running an Energy-Effecient Freezer

Sunday, January 20th, 2008

I am trying to work through all of the great article and topic suggestions, for our site, that you shared with me during one of my giveaways.

One of the requests was to feature more articles on making our appliances more energy-efficient. People have loved our Amazing Dishwasher article so I have added another appliance article to the mix…”Running an Energy-Efficient Freezer.” The article offers a tutorial on easy ways to defrost your freezer and basic freezing guidelines for foods.

Sound Off: Do you have a deep freeze? Do you have any of your own special tips for keeping the appliance running efficiently?

Freebie Friday: January 18, 2007

Friday, January 18th, 2008

Once again, a big thanks to Freebies 4 Mom for helping me compile our weekly list of goodies. Enjoy all your fun freebies in the mail and think of us as you enjoy all your special freebie goodies!

Health & Beauty:

FDA Health Kit
$1.50 off of Luvs Diapers Coupon (Target Coupon)

Food:

Glad Microwave Steaming Bags
Hamburger Helper Singles
Hillshire Farm House Party
South Beach Granola Clusters

Entertainment:

Boating Magazine
Hollywood Video Free Rental (Sign up for their newsletter on their homepage)
Dime Magazine
Office Depot Catalogs (School Book or Office Book)

Home/Garden:

Post-It Pop Up Notes
More free Post-It Stuff (Pick your prize!)
You need these answers:
18
Durable Tabs
Command Adhesive
Pop-Up Note Dispenser
2 inches
All of the above
22 inches x 18 inches
Tripadvisor Luggage Tags

Pet Care:

Aquadine Fish Food sample

Mark your calendars!! Auntie Anne’s is turning 20! To kick-off its 20th birthday celebration, Auntie Anne’s is hosting a Free Pretzel Day on February 2nd at stores nationwide! Stop by your local Auntie Anne’s on February 2nd between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to try one complimentary Original or Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel — no strings attached.

Mark your calendars!! National Pancake Day is coming on February 12th. From 7AM-10PM you can get your free short stack of pancakes. Donations are requested for the Children’s Miracle Network that day.

Mark your calendars!! Watch a professional chef demonstrate how to prepare an authentic meal using fine products from Bertolli®. Come for this exclusive event on January 26 at a participating Sam’s Club and enjoy some free food.

Mark your calendars!! Free sweet week in the month of January on every Tuesday for Michiana residents at our area McDonald’s restaurants. Read this post for the full scoop.

A Special Prayer Request

Thursday, January 17th, 2008

Update: Austin’s surgery went really well and he is now in recovery. Thank you for your prayers and thoughts. Please continue to keep him in your thoughts and prayers, as he has a long recovery ahead of him.

I don’t often ask for a prayer request on here, but we have so many amazing readers that I would love to tap into that today. My nephew will be going in for a very serious surgery tomorrow morning. He has a rare condition called, Congenital Nevus that covers one of his legs.

They are attempting to get skin to use for a grafting and the past few surgeries have failed. They will be expanding his tissue in a different place this time, in hopes that this tissue will be stronger and give them more to work with. The more skin that they can get, the more of the nevus they will be able to remove.

Please pray for their family this week and ask God to help heal him. He is only six years old and it breaks my heart that they have to go through all of this. They are a young family and need all the prayers and support that we can offer them.

Amy’s Notebook 01.17.07

Thursday, January 17th, 2008


Thank you to everyone for your sweet birthday wishes- it made my day! We had a wonderful dinner with our family and I got some beautiful gifts that I am looking forward to taking a picture of and sharing with everyone. No one knows you better than your family and I got some really great stuff this year! They all picked gifts that went along with my retro-housewife theme. So chic!

Here are is my little notebook of ideas for the week- I hope you enjoy reading these as much as I enjoy putting them all together!

This granola recipe looks delicious and healthy too. I am going to have to add that to next month’s menu planner.

When Emily gets a little older, I would love to try this tea party activity for her birthday party.

This indoor ice fishing looks like a fun activity when the weather is too cold to play outside.

I love this idea for creating a list of free things I can do that will keep me out of the stores.

I am going to have to think of some thrifty ways to add more yellow into our house. The color just makes me happy and these photos offer great inspiration!!

This looked like a fun project to unload some buttons in my junk drawers.

I love this how-to guide on reading a sewing pattern. Great information for someone learning to sew!

Another great instruction tutorial on making your own reusable grocery bags.

I really love this idea for decorating jar lids and her pop of color on her cabinets has me thinking about maybe adding a touch of color to mine!

I adore this patchwork skirt. I can just picture myself in it!

As we continue to get rid of the ugly dated eighties look in our house, I am thinking staining the banisters might be another thing we could do.

I need zippered pillows for our playroom. The kids wipe their faces on them all of the time and it would be so nice to be able to wash these.

For the knitters- how cute are these color-coded knitting needles. Super smart!

i just love these candles in this picture. I am going to have to do this next year around the holidays. They look so elegant!

This is a great inspiration for creating and finishing some of my projects at our house for this year.

I am going to have to try this recipe for these tiny calzones. I bet the kids would gobble them up!

Here are some more creative ways to wrap gifts– I am all about those!

I adore this little felt book– that would make a beautiful birthday gift for one of my children!

I like these ideas for post-holiday recycling!

One of My Birthday Gifts

Wednesday, January 16th, 2008

We are celebrating with our family tonight, but Ryan decided to give me my birthday present early so I could stop lusting after these at TJ Maxx. Here is my beautiful Cuisinart Cast Iron Pot. It is such a beautiful shade of red and I can’t wait to cook in it. I have wanted one of these forever and I finally got it!

Along with this, I have gotten the go-ahead to get myself a new set of pots. Here is the thing…I don’t know what kind of pots I want, but I know I want something that will be good quality and last me for the rest of my life. The only qualification is that I do not want nonstick cookware. Any suggestions from my favorite peanut gallery?

It’s Official! I’m OLD!

Wednesday, January 16th, 2008

I turn thirty today! Isn’t thirty the new twenty? Or the new ten? I keep hearing those rumors so I am hoping that they are true. Does it help that I feel much younger than I am? Or that I still get carded?

How do I know that I am getting older? Well, I was mortified when I saw someone in our family wearing fishnet stockings at a holiday get together. I actually felt sorry for her… until I discovered that fishnets could be something that was not only fashionable, but was encouraged by fashion experts this year. And yet, I thought these were just for street walkers. I am starting to show my age!

How do I know I am still young? I still indulge in stupid teenage shows like “The Hills” & “Gossip Girls.” I stay up too late playing the Wii and hanging out with my husband. Last but not least, I still feel like I am playing dress-up & house over here even though we have been doing this for years now.

In honor of my special day, I offer you a vintage post from my archives. This is one of our more infamous posts that brings searches in by the hundreds. Here is my link to all of those great birthday freebies that you can score.

Be sure to bookmark this for your special day. After all, Friday shouldn’t be the only day you get free stuff on our blog!

Don’t Cut Up Your Princess Express Credit Card!

Tuesday, January 15th, 2008

I ran across this from Life, In a Nutshell! This is classic and a great laugh (and lesson too!)

Frugal Hacks: Choosing a Hobby Wisely

Tuesday, January 15th, 2008

Each Tuesday, I get the opportunity to guest blog on Frugal Hacks. My specialty is the entertainment category and what could be more entertaining than exploring your hobbies and passions?

It is a goal for me this year to get my craft supplies back in order and really make some time for myself to explore the hobbies that make me happy. I love to do crafts and make gifts, but my family and the website take up the majority of my time and I don’t have the time to really devote towards crafting it up.

As you can see in my notebook entries each week, I am constantly fascinated by creating crafts and the people who have made those passions a priority.

I hope you can check out this post and share some of your own tips for organizing your craft supplies and what hobbies you are interested in doing!