Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

November 17th, 2008


This will be my first year hosting the family Thanksgiving dinner so I am working on putting our food together to pop in the freezer so I can enjoy the day free from worries about everything getting done. What is one of my least favorite things to make? Mashed potatoes! I find them to be a little labor-intensive and they can dirty a lot of pots. It is a Thanksgiving staple though so I thought I would figure out how I could make them ahead of time.

I had found a recipe for mashed potatoes that not only freeze beautifully, but they also can be reheated on low in the slow cooker. Both of these qualities make them a winner because I can keep the oven freed up for the other dishes and I can make them early.

Here is my recipe, adapted to our personal taste, perfect for any holiday get together! These are creamy and have a hint of tang to them from the sour cream. Sprinkle with a little paprika, if you so desire, and enjoy the convenience of pulling these out of your freezer for this holiday season.


Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Serves 15

5 pounds of potatoes
1 block (8 oz) of low-fat cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup low fat sour cream
4 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup milk (or more if desired)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Peel potatoes and cut into small cubes. Throw the potatoes in a large pot filled with cold water. Cook for 25 minutes or until fork-tender. Drain the potatoes and put them back into the hot pot. Add cream cheese, butter, milk, and salt. Mash with a potato masher or use a hand mixer to whip the potatoes. Spoon mixture into a freezer-safe container and label.

Thanksgiving Day: Put potatoes in the fridge 1-2 days before to allow them to completely thaw. Spray slow cooker with cooking spray and put potatoes in the slow cooker. Brush the top of the potatoes with a tablespoon of butter and sprinkle with paprika. Cook on low for two to four hours.

If you would rather bake these, bake the potatoes at 350 degrees for thirty to forty minutes or until completely hot.

This side dish was entered in the Frugal Thanksgiving Mini-Series hosted by Frugal Upstate. Be sure to visit for more great Thanksgiving meal ideas!

Freebie Friday: November 14, 2008

November 14th, 2008

A big thanks to Heather, at Freebies 4 Mom, for assisting me with this week’s freebies. Heather is my favorite resource to visit to pick up freebies all week long and on Fridays we compile a big list of freebies so you can do your applying for freebies in one day. Of course, you can check her great site every single day for oodles of freebies so you never miss anything throughout the week. Did I mention she inspires me? Be sure to always check her site for the best coupons and get the latest in coupon goodies for this week!

Happy Freebie Friday!

Health & Beauty

Kirkland Diaper (do not need to be a Costco member)
Christina Aguilera Inspire fragrance

Food

Country Bob’s Sauce
NutraSweet 3 Flavors
Benefiber On-the-Go (Walmart)
Lactaid (Sam’s Club)

Entertainment

The Secret Life Season 2 House Party
Faceoff Hockey Magazine
Tennis Magazine
Automobile Magazine
Kids Corner Advent Calendar (request by mail or download)
Sheryl Crow “Hello My Friend Hello” download- Enter Code HMKSC08
Sara Bareilles “Love Song” download- Enter Code T3UBERKQPPNXD29
Antiques Magazine

Home & Garden

$5 Donation to K.I.D.S. by Robeez for each eCard sent
Marie Callender Shopping List (scroll down to bottom)


Upcoming Freebie Events:

NOVEMBER

15 – Ocean Spray Sampling at Walmart
22 – Lowe’s Kids Workshop, make a Football Goal
23 – Free Dr. Pepper

***************************

Be sure to enter to win a free quarterly membership to ListPlanIt.com along with a free holiday e-planner. This would be a great contest to enter if you are needing help with getting your family organized this year or even to get your small business paperwork in order. Be sure to head over to The MotherLoot and get your entry in. This contest will end at 8PM (EST) on Tuesday (11/18). Good luck to each of you!

The final giveaway, for this week, is for a $50 Walmart Gift Card. Walmart is partnering with us to give our readers the chance to score one of these for the holidays. Scoot over to The MotherLoot right now and submit your entry today. This giveaway will end on Tuesday (11/18) at 8PM.

Notebook Experiments: Can I Make a Juicy Turkey Burger?

November 13th, 2008

Experiment: Can I make a juicy turkey burger?

Experiment Taken From: Notebook Entry 10.23.08

Materials Needed: Please see Serious Eats for the full instructions. I followed the instructions exactly and made my turkey burgers in my stainless steel cookware because it is was roomier than the cast iron skillet I have.

Results: I was really excited to try this turkey burger recipe because every turkey burger I have ever tried seems to come out really dry. I was really intrigued by the ingredient list and that there were no eggs or milk involved (as my past recipes) and instead the only binding agent was ricotta cheese.

I am really not a fan of ricotta cheese, but I was willing to give this a try. I was very worried the ricotta would add a gritty texture to my burger (especially with 1/2 a cup of ricotta in there) and I was also worried how it would go over with the rest of the family.

I prepared the burgers as instructed and cooked them for four minutes on each side. I then reduced the heat with the lid cracked for ten minutes and then served them up on bakery buns with a slice of cheese and ketchup.

These were the best turkey burgers I have ever eaten in my life. They were moist and flavorful all the way through. Even the protesters in my family who said they would not eat one of my burgers finally relented and ate everything on their plate.

We all agreed that we could not taste the ricotta at all, but could only taste the meat and a hint of mustard that was incorporated in the mix.

Conclusion:I will be making these over and over again for my family. It was a great quick meal to put together and served with apple slices, it was a great meal for the entire family. Thanks to Serious Eats for sharing this recipe idea!

********************

I am so excited to open our Notebook Experiments up to everyone and I hope that you will be able to participate this week or in weeks to come! I will be posting this each Thursday so please mark your calendars if you plan to participate. You can post your entries at any time throughout the week and then leave your entry in the links below.

We have this handy banner that you are more than welcome to use, but it is not a requirement! It is just something you can add to add a little sparkle to your entry.

Rules for Participation:

1. Choose anything from any of our notebook entries (past or present) to do with your family. We have hundreds of bookmarked links of crafts, ways to save money, and organizing ideas.
2. Complete an experiment from the notebook and share about it on your blog or website. We would love to see pictures of what you accomplished or a detailed description of how your projects turned out. Please include a link to this entry, a link to the original posting of the entry (at the original crafster’s blog), and (to help us relocate the project) the date or link of the notebook entry where you found it. You can use the same formatting as our entries or you can just include that information in your post in your own unique way!
3. Post a link below. Please include your name or blog name & a fast description of your project. Example- MomAdvice (WHO bread)

I can’t wait to see what you create and what you find inspiring!

Amy’s Notebook 11.13.08

November 13th, 2008

I am loving this bag made out of plastic bags (@ Coco Knits)

This flower garland made from catalogs would be festive in greens & reds for the holidays (@ zakka life)

Another great recycling project, a mobile made from cereal boxes (@ plumpudding)

These binder clips are adorable (@ jane’s apron)

I love these pressed leaves to decorate the house for fall (@ Make & Takes)

This slow cooker breakfast casserole would be great for a morning brunch with friends (@ 4 Reluctant Entertainers)

I love this article on Thanksgiving desserts that freeze well (@ NY Times)

I want to try this silky smooth pumpkin pie (@ Smitten Kitchen)

I would also love to try this pumpkin chiffon cake (@ Baking Bites)

This monogrammed wreath would really make a statement on my door (@ Purple Lemon Designs)

This recipe for fluffy pumpkin pie sounds so interesting (@ Divine Domesticity)

This classic apple pie sounds delicious (@ The Kitchn)

Inspiring Moms: Jeannie from MeArt.com

November 12th, 2008

I had the distinct pleasure of meeting our next inspiring mom at the American Baby Faire and just knew she would be an inspiration to moms who are trying to start a business. Jeannie & I chatted like old friends about the ins and outs of starting a business and I found what she was doing to be not only unique, but such a creative way to use her background. I hope you will enjoy this interview as much as I do and that it will inspire you to make your own work-at-home dreams happen!

Can you tell me a little bit about your business and how you got started?

Lets face it. We’re all artists at heart. Meart.com, lets you be an artist. We turn personal photos of you, a loved one, a friend or even a pet into one-of-a-kind, custom works of art. You choose the design, style and color scheme. You can even add a name or sentiment. Each piece of Me Art is printed on fine art paper or canvas, which is stretched and ready to hang.

It all started when I was looking for the perfect piece of artwork to decorate my first son’s nursery. Everything I found was so generic. I wanted something truly unique and that would have personal meaning as well. So, I took a photo of him and turned it into Me Art.

My friends started asking me to make them one and before I knew it Me Art was born. It became my passion project.


Was it a hard decision leaving the workforce to begin working from home?

I had no intention of leaving my job. I was a V.P Creative Director at Leo Burnett in Chicago and I absolutely loved it. Me Art was just a side project that wasn’t getting the attention it needed.

After I had my third son, Drew wrapped his precious little finger around me and said, “mom, please don’t leave.” So, I didn’t. He’s 10 months now and it seemed like something I was supposed to do. The boys were growing up fast and I didn’t want to miss out on anymore special moments. It seemed like an opportunity to develop my passion project into a business while spending more time with the boys.

Since you are a work-at-home mom, can you share one time-saving tip that has helped you get your work accomplished and also manage the daily activities in your house?

– Make lists. They help you stay organized amidst the chaos and accomplished at the end of the day.

– Don’t be a work-a-holic. Schedule your work and playtime with the kids. When it blends together you start to feel like you’re not doing either well.

Do you have any tips/recommendations for someone who wants to pursue working from home?

– Create everyday. Whether it is an idea, a simple drawing with your kids, a new recipe, an imaginary friend or game. Letting your creative spirit out opens your mind. It frees you and puts smiles on everyone’s face. Which we all need when juggling work and kids.

– Treasure nap time. When naps phase out turn it into “quiet time”. Get your most important work done during this time.

What is the most meaningful piece of art in your own home?

Our home is filled with artwork. Art makes me smile, it brings back memories of where it was discovered and the exact emotion felt when enjoying the piece. It’s difficult to choose one. There is a piece I turn to, for inspiration that my mother gave me. The artist is Brian Andreas and it reminds me that our imagination is one of our greatest gifts. Believe in it and who knows where it could take you.

Thank you, Jeannie, for answering all of my questions. Be sure to swing by MeArt.com to see Jeannie’s amazing handiwork!

Wanna put in a nomination for an inspiring mom? Leave me a comment and nominate someone to be featured here!

Play It Again,Momma: Make Ahead Thanksgiving Appetizers

November 12th, 2008

Thanksgiving isn’t far away, but you don’t have to wait until the night before to get your Thanksgiving meal ready. Many recipes can be prepared in advance and they can be waiting for you when the big day arrives.

This year I am trying something different. Instead of the frantic cooking the night before (or the morning of), I am going to try and prepare as much as I can in advance for the big day. I am not sure who is planning on hosting our dinners this year, but even if I am not hosting myself, I try to do my part to help with the meal. I thought it would be so nice to have the food waiting for me instead of me waiting for it.

First, let’s began with the appetizer portion of the meal. I think it is so nice to have some dishes for people to munch on while they are waiting for the meal to be prepared. Here are some fun recipes that you can prepare for the big day and store in your freezer until the day before. Double or triple these recipes for a large crowd!

Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Appetizers

Cranberry Spread

16 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup dried cranberries
1/4 c. orange juice

Do-Ahead: Mix all of the ingredients together and mold into a ball or leave loose as a spread. Wrap in plastic wrap, then wrap in foil, and store in a freezer bag. Make sure to label your bag so that you can find it again.

Thanksgiving Day: Let the spread thaw in the refrigerator 1-2 days before Thanksgiving. Place dip in a bowl (or on a platter if it has been molded into a ball) and serve with gingersnaps or crackers.

Italian Meatballs

1 pound lean ground turkey
1 cup bread crumbs
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 egg beaten

Do-Ahead: In a large bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, garlic powder and beaten egg. Shape into small meatballs and place on a cookie sheet. Bake in a 400 degree oven for fifteen to twenty minutes. Allow them to completely cool and then place meatballs in a labeled freezer bag.

Thanksgiving Day: Allow meatballs to thaw overnight. In the morning, throw meatballs in your slow cooker and dump a jar of spaghetti sauce on top. Cook on low for two to four hours, or until the meatballs are warmed through.

Spinach Balls

2- 10 oz packages frozen spinach
1 package chicken-flavored stuffing mix
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
6 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup butter, melted
Salt & pepper to taste

Do-Ahead: Cook spinach according to instructions, drain in a sieve, use back of a wooden spoon to press the spinach against the sieve to get as much moisture as possible out In a bowl combine the spinach, stuffing mix,cheese, eggs, butter, salt& pepper Mix thoroughly& roll into small balls 3/4 to 1″ size. Place on a cookie sheet and freeze.

Thanksgiving Day:
To serve place frozen balls on a cookie sheet and bake at 350F 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned If you are doing them fresh or thawed only bake for 7-10 minutes. Serve hot.

Pine Cone Cheese Ball

1 package cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Do-Ahead: Mix cream cheese, shredded cheese, and Dijon mustard in a food processor until blended. Shape into a ball and store in your freezer.

Thanksgiving Day: The day before- remove from freezer and allow it to thaw. Shape cheese into a pine cone shape. Stick almond slivers into the cone-shaped cheese in rows, until the ball is completely covered. Cover and refrigerate. Serve with crackers.

Bonus Additions: On the big day you can also add a veggie tray and shrimp cocktail to have out for your guests.

(Image Source: Muffet)


Do you do appetizers for Thanksgiving Day? Feel free to share your recipes here!

Big Giveaways & Big Give Updates

November 11th, 2008


We are currently running not one, not two, but three contests for our readers right now. I am trying to give away as much loot as I can for the holiday season so be sure to get your entries in!

Our first giveaway is ending TODAY. You can swing by The MotherLoot and enter our giveaway of four Nintendo DS games. If you have a DS or are planning to give one for Christmas, this would be a great giveaway to sign up for. Leave your comments over here by 11/11 (Tuesday) at 8PM (Eastern time) and we will enter your name into the drawing.

Our second giveaway is for a free quarterly membership to ListPlanIt.com along with a free holiday e-planner. This would be a great contest to enter if you are needing help with getting your family organized this year or even to get your small business paperwork in order. Be sure to head over to The MotherLoot and get your entry in. This contest will end at 8PM (EST) on Tuesday (11/18). Good luck to each of you!

The final giveaway is for a $50 Walmart Gift Card. Walmart is partnering with us to give our readers the chance to score one of these for the holidays. Scoot over to The MotherLoot right now and submit your entry today. This giveaway will end on Tuesday (11/18) at 8PM.

****************
We want to thank all of our supporters for their help with the Big Give. As a reminder, Jennifer, from Sisterly Savings, contacted me to see how she could support our BIG Give. You can read more about what she is doing and if you leave her a comment, Boston Market has agreed to make a $.10 donation (up to $100) for our cause. This is a great way to help with our give without even having to reach in your pocket to do it.

I am also very thankful to Rachel, at Modern Mommyhood, for offering to donate her advertising money this week to our Big Give. Please head over to Rachel’s site and let her know that you are reading what she is writing. I have had the privilege of working on Family Bliss with Rachel and she has lots of great ideas on ways to save money. Please read about what big give efforts she is working on and I hope it inspires you in your own giving this year. Thank you, Rachel!

It is not too late to sign up and be part of the giving. What could be more rewarding than helping others? Please join us!

We are continuing to look for sponsors to help us so please email me at amy@momadvice.com and tell me what you can help with. Remember that with your donation, you will receive a month’s worth of free advertising for the entire month of January!
I am putting it all out there- that is 160K hits each month that will see your company and all the great things you are doing.

Holiday Photo Cards: Who Has the Best Deals?

November 11th, 2008

We love to give photo cards for the holidays because the card itself feels like giving a gift. We have family all over and loved ones who don’t see our children regularly so photo cards just made sense for us.

Photo cards can be expensive though and when you are doing mass quantities of something, you need to really make sure you are getting the best deal possible. Shopping around and utilizing coupon codes are your best bet when it comes to purchasing your cards online.

Here is some general information on pricing for this year’s photo cards. To keep it simple, I am sticking to a basic 4×8 card with a single photo. There are many different variations on the cards now that can add to the cost of your cards so be sure to check the pricing when shopping around and remember all of those extra frills often end up in someone’s trash or recycle bin. Splurge on the things that really count!

Winkflash

I was surprised to see the current pricing for Winkflash on their cards, but in a totally good way. They offer a one day turnaround and a money-back guarantee on their cards. Best of all, this online store requires no minimum order and a flat $.23 per card for their current sale. No sneaky pricing deals and you gotta love that! It does say to take advantage of the $.23 rate you need to use the coupon code GREATCARD8 and the offer ends November 16th! That is 40% off their normal pricing listed, but even with the normal prices it is still a great deal!

I bet you can guess where I will be ordering from this year!

Pricing on 50- $11.50 (sale price)
Pricing on 100- $23.00 (sale price)

Sam’s Club

Of all the brick and mortar places I have explored, Sam’s Club wins on price overall. I have ordered through them for a couple of years now and I have yet to be disappointed by the quality of the cards. One downfall with shopping through them is that they are going to be more limited on the backgrounds, but if you take a really great picture of your kids, that is all that really matters in the end.

Pricing on 50- $14.50
Pricing on 100- $25.00

Walmart

If you don’t have access to a Sam’s Club, Walmart also offers photo cards for a great price. They also have more backgrounds available. The nice thing about Walmart is that you don’t have to make a large quantity commitment, as many websites do require you to buy a minimum of 25. If you just wanted to do photo cards for close family members, you could order your cards individually. They also offer more templates to pick from so you do have more of a variety than you would through Sam’s Club.

Pricing on 50- $16.50
Pricing on 100- $33.00

Shutterfly
One advantage of shopping through an online resource is that you can cash in on great coupon codes that aren’t often available with the brick and mortar stores. Shutterfly also takes you through a fun three question “card style finder” process where you can pick pictures that have represented the holidays to you and helps you chose a template that fits you best. The templates are amazing,but the prices are going to range widely because they have so many options. The pricing we have pulled is for one of their more basic templates.

Pricing on 50- $26.00
Pricing on 100- $44.00

Walgreens

Walgreens offers their card quantities in twenty to a box for your ordering needs. They offer a wide range on selection and are rewarding their early bird customers (ordering before November 15th) using coupon code WRAP33 with a 33% discount on your photo order.

Pricing on 40- $19.98
Pricing on 60- $29.97
Pricing on 100- $49.95

Snapfish

Snapfish is one of the more affordable online retailers for photo cards and offer a wide selection of holiday backgrounds. Pricing is said to be around $.29, but that is only if a quantity of 240 cards is ordered. I used the basic paper, standard 4×8, with no frills for this pricing scenario. Pricing will vary based on the extras.

Pricing on 40- $22.00
Pricing on 60- $33.00
Pricing on 100- $45.00

CVS Photo Center

CVS offers a larger selection with 94 holiday backgrounds to choose from. These cards come in boxes of twenty and can be ordered online and can be picked up at your local CVS location. The pricing, however, is not as good as the superstores, but they do tend to offer coupon codes that can be redeemed towards your order.

Pricing on 40- $26.99
Pricing on 60- $35.99
Pricing on 100- $53.99

Photoworks-

Photoworks is a little sneakier with the pricing system. When you click on a card that says it is $.36, that number is really only acheived by ordering nine or more boxes of 25 cards. I may be in the minority, but I doubt I would need that many cards for one holiday mailing. I picked a basic card with one basic picture and came up with this rough pricing amount.

Pricing on 50- $33.00
Pricing on 100- $66.00

How do you save on those photo cards?

Order early- Now is the time to start jumping on early bird specials. Online stores tend to reward their early customers with really great coupon codes so take advantage of those lower prices and stage a photo session with your kids that will work for the holiday season.

Look for coupon codes- Try to cash in on those discounts and take advantage of things like free shipping or companies that are offering a free photo gift that could be use for the holiday gift-giving season.

Buy larger quantities to redeem the bigger discounts on card pricing, but only if you will be able to use the cards that you are ordering. Make your card list first to decide quantities and then order your cards to make it the most cost-effective for your family.

Try buying a template and then having them printed at an inexpensive printing place or printing them yourself, if you have a photo printer. You can still have a very personalized design, but pay a flat fee for the template. My friend, Simple Mom, is offering a discount to those who order early at Chickpea Designs.

Shop through a rewards shopping site like Ebates. I am a huge fan of the company and try to do the majority of my shopping through them. You can sign up and get $5 automatically in your account and companies like Shutterfly, for example, offer 8% back on your shopping order. The site will also list coupon codes that you can use towards your order. I would love if you used this referral link because those sign-ups help with our Christmas shopping for the year.

(Photo Source: Eszter Hargittai)

Do you do photo cards? Where do you order from and how do you keep the cost low on your cards? Another fun question- how many cards do you send out? I am always curious about that!

Redbox Code 11.10.08

November 10th, 2008

Today’s free code for a Redbox movie is LK43CE. This code is good for one free movie and you can use it until midnight tonight. Enjoy a free family movie together!

Side Notes:

– If you want to rent more than one movie for free, bring more than one credit/debit card. You can use the same promotional code, you just will need different cards to charge it to. The charge will be zero as long as you return your movie on time for the next day.

– When entering in your free movie code, you need to enter it FIRST before picking the movie. On the very first screen, click the, “Rent with Promo.” Enter in the above code and then make your selection- the amount should then total zero.

Here is an updated list of new releases:

Get Smart
Unless by smart, they mean intelligent! The hilarious Steve Carrell plays the world’s favorite bumbling, stumbling agent in this remake of the 1960s TV hit. The movie’s sex appeal and muscle are added by, respectively, Anne Hathaway and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

Transsiberian
It all starts with a train ride through the snowy terrain between Moscow and China. If that isn’t that perfect backdrop for mystery and deception, then redbox doesn’t know what is. Woody Harrelson and Emily Mortimer play an American couple whose cross-continental train trip derails when they meet two strangers.

Journey to the Center of the Earth
Back from last week, Brendan Fraser takes sci-fi comedy movie lovers on yet another huge thrillride. This time, he plays a professor whose search for his missing brother takes him downward – to the center of the earth. Josh Hutcherson and Anita Brium co-star.

Freebie Friday: November 7, 2008

November 7th, 2008

It is definitely my favorite day of the week! Happy Freebie Friday, everyone! Each Friday we feature all the free loot you can get on the internet and all this is made possible through my partnership with Heather, from Freebies 4 Mom. Take some time today to browse Heather’s amazing freebie site and be sure to check out her list of baby, toddler, & kid freebies! What mom doesn’t love opening her mailbox and finding her free stuff inside?

Health & Beauty

Mystery Shampoo/Conditioner from P&G; and Walmart
Huggies Diaper (Walmart)
Tena
Food

Orville Redenbacher’s Lime & Salt Popcorn (Walmart)
Ensure Shakes
Betty Crocker Potatoes
Fruit Roll-Up

Entertainment

Walgreens 8×10 use coupon code FREEPIC (free if you pick it up in-store)
Diabetes Self-Management Magazine

Home & Garden

Glad Storage Bags (Walmart)
Ziploc Home & Holidays Gift Pack

Pet Care

Pedigree Good Bites

Upcoming Freebie Events:

NOVEMBER

8 – Barbie Cares noon to 3 pm, get a free photo w/Barbie
8 – Kohl’s National Beauty Day free sampling event
8 – Lowe’s Kids Workshop, make a Semi Truck
22 – Lowe’s Kids Workshop, make a Football Goal
23 – Free Dr. Pepper

******************************

HUGE giveaway on The MotherLoot perfect for your holiday gift-giving. We are giving away FOUR Nintendo DS games to one lucky winner. To enter this contest, you need to head to The MotherLoot and leave your comment by 11/11 (Tuesday) at 8PM (Eastern time) and we will enter your name into the drawing. Only entries that follow the directions for commenting will be included in our giveaway. Thanks so much for entering & good luck to each of you!