Baked Salmon Dijon

May 8th, 2007

Baked Salmon Dijon

4 (4 ounce) fillets salmon
3 tablespoons prepared Dijon-style mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup Italian-style dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a shallow baking pan with aluminum foil.
Place salmon skin-side down on foil. Spread a thin layer of mustard on the top of each fillet, and season with salt and pepper. Top with bread crumbs, then drizzle with melted butter. Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until salmon flakes easily with a fork.

Serve with baked potatoes & a salad.

Posted in Aldi, Main Dishes | 1 Comment »

Crispy Chicken Tenders

May 8th, 2007

Crispy Parmesan Chicken Tenders

1 large egg
3 Tbsp butter or margarine, melted
30 round buttery crackers, crushed (1 cup)
1/4 Tsp each: paprika, pepper and salt
3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 lb chicken tenders

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil (for easy cleanup); coat foil with nonstick spray. Put egg in shallow bowl; beat lightly with a fork. Put melted butter in another shallow bowl. Mix crushed crackers, paprika, pepper, and salt on a sheet of wax paper; spread Parmesan cheese on another sheet. Dip tenders in egg, then cracker mixture to coat; then dip 1 side in melted butter, then Parmesan cheese. Place tenders cheese side up on lined pan. Bake 12-15 minutes or until tenders are golden and cooked through.

Serve with honey for dipping, macaroni, & baby carrots.

Posted in Aldi, Main Dishes | 1 Comment »

Yummy Chicken Tacos

May 8th, 2007

Yummy Chicken Tacos

1# chicken breast (or 1# boneless top sirloin)
1 T. vegetable oil
2 cups water
1 cup mild salsa
1 package taco seasonings
2 cups minute rice (uncooked)
8-12 tortilla shells
Heat oil in a skillet. Add chicken; cook until lightly brown. Stir in water, salsa, and seasoning mix. Heat to a boil and stir in rice; cover. Remove from heat and let stand five minutes. Spoon into tortillas and top with shredded cheese.

Serve with a side of tortilla chips & salsa.

Posted in Aldi, Main Dishes | 1 Comment »

Overcoming My Fears: Gardening

May 8th, 2007

Remember when I made that confession about being scared to work with dough? Well, here is another one of those kind of confessions. I really stink at gardening and I mean STINK! I swear that when the flowers see me coming, they start to wither and hold each other. The violets really do shrink into a ball and the tulips sag their heads. Despite working in a nursery every summer of my high school and college career, I just never was that great with plants. I thought it might be genetic because my mom is the same way, but my grandmother maintains a beautiful garden and the flowers seem to all stand to attention for her.

I also don’t like being outdoors. Or being too hot. Or being dirty. Or working too hard. Basically, I am your average girly-girl, who was just made to sit in the shade and sip iced tea.

Fortunately, this girly-girl is extremely frugal, and my dismay with produce prices really got the best of me. I thought to myself, “Why not have a garden for myself?” I immediately pictured myself bringing baskets of beautiful produce to our friends and family to share the bounty of my hard work. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be the neighbor that people can’t wait to see knock on their door with loads of yummy treats?

So…I did it! I overcame my fear of planting (and getting dirty) and planted myself a little vegetable garden. I managed to plant parsley, rosemary, sweet basil, cherry tomatoes, regular tomatoes and green peppers.

Don’t worry, I was not wearing these shoes….

But I was wearing this highly fashionable John Deere shirt. Why not get into the spirit, I say?

Above is our finished product and I couldn’t be more proud! I greeted my hubby at the door with the biggest smile he had ever seen. He gave me the strangest look and said, rather scared, “You have dirt on your face.”

So, avid gardening readers, share with me your BEST gardening tips! Tell me everything you know! How do you keep those pesky varmints away from the greens? What is your tip for the best produce imaginable? What is the one thing you wish you would have known when you began dabbling in gardening? Does it run in your family? Please share!

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Slow Cooked Pork Chops

May 8th, 2007

People who hate pork chops, adore this recipe! These taste more like chicken than pork and it is easy as 1-2-3!

Slow Cooked Pork Chops

4 pork chops (I use a package of center-cut chops)
1 package onion soup mix
1 cup chicken broth

Place pork chops in the slow cooker. In a separate bowl, combine soup mix & chicken broth, stir. Pour over chops. Cook on low heat for six to eight hours.

Serve with chicken flavored rice & a roll of tube biscuits.

Posted in Aldi, Main Dishes | 2 Comments »

Interview with Shakadoo

May 7th, 2007

Kristen over at one of my favorite blogs, Shakadoo, asked to do an interview with me about our website. I hope that you will be able to check it out since it was such a fun interview to do. Many thanks to Kristen & Shakadoo for giving us this opportunity to share with them about our site!

I love the idea of doing interviews with bloggers and would love to feature some of my favorite blogs here. If you are interested in sharing about your blog with MomAdvice, please shoot an email over to me at amy@momadvice.com. Of course, we MUST feature Shakadoo now!

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The Gift Closet Part Three: Frugal Wedding Gifts

May 6th, 2007

This is the third installment in the gift closet series. In the first section I talked about the presentation of your gifts, in the second part I discussed inexpensive graduate gifts, and today I would like to talk about frugal wedding gifts.

I love to stock up for weddings because it is something that you can do throughout the year with very little expense. Many of the wedding gifts that I am going to list will make great housewarming gifts too or can be a great way to welcome a new neighbor. Try to keep some of these ideas in the back of your mind when doing thrift sale shopping or hitting the end-of-season clearance sales.

Here are a few of my ideas for wedding gifts:

1. Get the couple’s board game collection started and get them some new games. You can ask the couple what type of board games they like and get them one or two of these.

2. Christmas decorations make great gifts for a newly married couple. You can purchase these at the after Christmas sales and get tons of stuff for very little money. It is nice to get an ornament with the year of their wedding on it to include within the gift, to remember their wedding date by.

3. Pool your money with several other couples and get them a folding table & chairs set. Some of our family did this for us and we actually used it as our kitchen dining set for several months before we were able to save up enough to purchase a kitchen table. Broke newlyweds will really appreciate this gift.

4. Fill a wine rack for the couple. I often see small wine racks, made to accommodate two or three bottles, at thrift sales. I try and buy these and fill them with a couple of bottles of wine. One of our favorite inexpensive brands is the Barefoot wines, which can be purchased for $5-6 a bottle. This wine has received great reviews and awards, and it is easy on the wallet.

5. Give the couple a picnic set. I try to stock up on these during the summer clearance sales. Pair a picnic set with an outdoor blanket and you have a beautiful gift for the couple. These will often be marked down fifty or seventy-five percent off at the end of the summer. Stock up!

6. I love to buy couples a welcome mat or a wreath for their front door. You could also get an inexpensive sign that has their names on it. I try to make the wreaths myself and utilize those great Michael’s forty percent off coupons. Thrift stores will often have donated wreaths that you can use and just pull all of the previous owner’s greenery off of it to make a new one.

7. A stationary set can be a beautiful gift for a new bride. Fill a basket with stationary and plenty of thank you notes and a book of stamps. This is a thoughtful gift that she can really use to thank everyone who has given them gifts.

What are some gifts that you like to give as wedding gifts? Better yet, what was the best gift that you received?

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For the Mom Who Has Everything: Exclusive iPod Gift Set

May 5th, 2007

What could be better than a brand spanking new iPod? How about an iPod and some chocolates to go with it? Best Buy is offering an exclusive gift set for Mother’s Day that will be available starting May 6th and will only be available for a limited time with limited quantities available.

The gift set includes the following:

– A pink or silver 4GB Apple iPod nano, slim enough to fit in mom’s pocket, purse or palm

– A variety of pink-foiled milk chocolate meltaways

– It is packaged in a mod polka-dot-patterned box inspired by the prism of iPod nano colors and this spring’s hottest accessory: dots!

I got the opportunity to review this lovely gift set and all I can say is that if your sweetheart gets you this gift, he will be the man of the year! The iPod makes such a fabulous present and the chocolates are a great bonus to satisfy any mom’s sweet tooth.

This iPod has 4GB versus the 2GB that were previously available in the first generation of iPods. The battery is twice the size of the original and Apple boasts that it can go play twenty-four hours of music or five hours of photo slideshows before needing a charge. It has an aluminum exterior, which makes it resistant to scratches, and comes in a fun hot pink color or a striking silver shade.

I have never owned an iPod before so this is my first experience with the Apple Company. Since I have never had one of these, I really had no expectations going into it. I was really surprised though how much I love this gadget, as the sound on it is absolutely incredible and is far superior to other mp3 players out on the market.

The iPod also includes lots of other fun little gadgets like games, a calendar, a stopwatch, and a small screen to view your pictures.

The difference between the iPod & other mp3 players is that iPods do not have a radio available on it and all of the music needs to be converted into iTunes before it is playable in this player. Fortunately, iTunes is easy to install and the process is not tedious, but just an extra step towards having a player with incredible sound. The radio feature can be added by purchasing additional accessories, but it is not a necessary item for most people who would just like to listen to the music of their own choice.

The retail cost for this gift set is $214.99 and is available at your local Best Buy store. Feel free to point your husband and children towards this review to really give them a hint of what you want this year! I am wishing you all whatever you are dreaming of for your special day and hope you all have a fabulous Mother’s Day!

Many thanks to the Best Buy company for giving me the opportunity to review this product!

While I am on the subject of iPods & mp3 players, here is my question for today…Who is currently on your playlist? I am sure we can all use some ideas for new artists and give me some of your good old favorites. I am always looking for a little creative inspiration!

On Amy’s Playlist:

Norah Jones
Jack Johnson
Coldplay
Amy Winehouse
Paolo Nutini
Regina Spektor
The Killers
The Fray
The Shins
Matt Kearney
Justin Timberlake (no comments please!)

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Check It Out: The Dangerous Book for Boys

May 4th, 2007

A cross between a Boy Scout’s trusty guide and a throwback to the old days of really cool encyclopedias, “The Dangerous Book for Boys” by Conn & Hal Iggulden is a wonderful book for any boy in your life. The book is meant to be a handbook for boys, guiding them on all the cool things every boy should know about. With sections devoted towards making paper airplanes, how to skip stones, how to tie knots, and answers on questions about the world, this book offers a wealth of knowledge for every little boy.

My favorite part about this guide to a boy’s life is just the feeling of nostalgia that one gets from reading it. The pictures and design of the book give it such timeless beauty and the photographs and diagrams for making things create a great reference book for little boys.
There was a time where fathers taught their sons how to do many of the things listed in this book, but it seems the digital world and the fast pace times have changed things a lot. It is now considered dangerous to give our sons a pocket knife, in these troubled times, and the Dangerous Book for Boys brings you back to the days where your father went fishing & hunting with you, taught you all about the world around you, and bonded with their child in that good old-fashioned way.
The book contains a guide book on the different types of trees and bugs, with a picture guide that explains about each of these living things. There are great guides on building things too on things such as tree houses, batteries, & periscopes.
Upon your son completing each stage in the book, he can pick up his free printable badges at their website.
You can also read an interview with the author and read more about the idea for the book here.
I wonder what good old-fashioned things your husbands do with your sons. Do they camp together? Fish? Hunt for critters? Share what fun father & son activities go around in your home!
Once again, many thanks to Harper Collins for giving us the opportunity to review such a great book! It is a wonderful addition to our son’s book collection and one that I think he will enjoy for years and years to come!

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Freebie Friday: May 4, 2007

May 4th, 2007

There are lots of goodies this week! Please share them with your friends & family! Unfortunately, I did not do a menu planner for this week due to our family schedule, but you can check out all of the previous menu planners here. Just click on the individual entry and it will give you access to the files. I will be back to planning meals next week!

Health & Beauty:

Not sure if smartfiberstixx is right for you? How about a FREE sample! No obligation, no shipping costs and absolutely no risk! Simply send us an email with your mailing address (US customers only) and we’ll drop a few stixx in the mail to you today. Also, if you do not mind telling us how you heard about us, we would appreciate. For more information about this product, visit their website.

Complete a short survey and receive a free sample of shampoo & conditioner from Marie Claire magazine. It does not list the brand that you will receive.

This freebie is for diabetics. You can sign up to download a printable coupon for a free Breeze 2 Blood Glucose Monitoring System.

Clairol is opening up a club to become a Color Source VIP. You will receive tons of great perks like free samples, offers, sweepstakes eligibility and more! This offer is only open to a limited amount of people so sign up today. You will see the offer at the bottom of the page.

OB Tampon is offering a free OB Tampon trial pack.

Share your thoughts on the new BuyBeauty.com and they will send you a free Lancome gift. The Lancome gifts will vary. Please allow ten to fourteen business days for shipping. They reserve the right to substitute the free gift based on availability.

Try the new Maybelline New York Longwear Silky Foundation for free. Please limit one freebie per household and allow up to four weeks for delivery.

Enjoy a complimentary wellness service at any Origins Retail Store 4/25 – 5/6 and get your choice of one of our 5 famous full-size cleansers absolutely FREE.* We’ll treat you to a soothing mini facial and introduce you to the products perfect for your skin. What are you waiting for? Space is limited so call or visit one of our stores to make an appointment. To find the store nearest you click here or call 1-800-ORIGINS and select option 5.

Home & Garden:

DoubleTree Two Free Tree Seedlings *First 10,000* by joining the Doubletree Pledge to Plant Challenge. Doubletree is challenging people across North America to be part of what could become a 50,000 tree planting pledge across America in just one month! Its easy and free, just visit the website by May 31, fill out the simple form and you will receive two live seedling trees suitable to plant in your area. For every “double-tree” Pledge to Plant Promise, Doubletree will match your pledge by planting an additional two live seedling trees in a U.S. forest in need, through reforestation projects currently underway by The National Arbor Day Foundation. Doubletree Hotels are planting the seeds of knowledge with a new generation of kids at grade schools and youth organizations in 150 cities across the U.S. and Canada as part of its award winning Teaching Kids to CARE community outreach program. Thousands of students from late April through early May will learn about why trees are one of the earth’s most precious resources and will receive 10,000 seedling trees to re-green their neighborhoods. How can YOU be part of the celebration? It’s as easy as planting two trees of your own, compliments of Doubletree and The National Arbor Day Foundation. To commemorate one of the oldest environmental holidays, Doubletree is challenging people across North America to be part of what could become a 50,000 tree planting pledge across America in just one month! No purchase is necessary. Simply fill out the Pledge to Plant Promise Form by May 31, 2007. As a result, you will receive two live seedling trees, with our compliments, suitable to plant in your own community.

Click on the Free Sample button to give Cascade 2in1 ActionPacs a try on your next load. Please limit one sample per customer and allow up to four weeks for delivery.

Sign up for a free sample of Ultra Downy from Wal-Mart. Please allow up to four weeks for delivery.

Complete the information to receive your free sample of Post-it® Flags and Notes. You can also sign up to receive great offers from Post-it® Perks by clicking the box below. If you are already a Post-it® Perks member, you do not need to check the box. Limit one sample(s) per household. Sample(s) available through June 30th, 2007 or while supplies last.

Sign up to receive a free sample of Clorox Disinfecting Wipes. Please allow up to four weeks for delivery and limit one per household.

We’re excited to offer the first 10,000 people who join Clean Home Journal™ through this offer a Ziploc® Gift Pack that includes: 3 Free Ziploc® Brand Bag samples and valuable coupons.

Entertainment:

TransWorld SURF Magazine covers the new generation of surfers whose technical and progressive styles have taken surfing to another level. Each monthly issue features today’s hottest groms, the sickest waves, and in-depth interviews with your favorite pros. Note: You will receive 3 issues of TransWorld SURF Magazine only with no commitment or obligation whatsoever. You will not be sent any additional magazines and you do NOT have to cancel a subscription after you have received your free 3 issues. We will not be accepting feedback on this sample.This subscription to TransWorld SURF magazine has been purchased on your behalf by MetooSoftware.com.

Join Regal Crown Club and earn rewards for going to the movies. Free movies, popcorn, soft drinks and more!

Visit this About Freebies page to learn how you can get a free Xbox Live Diamond Card. The Xbox Live Diamond card is available in the US only to Xbox Live Gold subscribers.

Sign up to receive a free magazine subscription to the Family Tree Maker Magazine.

This one is not a “true” freebie, but is great if you already buy Nutrogena products. Buy a Nutrogena product and receive a free movie pass to the list of participating movie theatres. Check the list first before signing up, as the choices are limited. Hope someone can cash in on this one!

Food:

We’ve reinvented Diet 7UP with more natural lemon lime flavor. It is even more refreshing, and guess what! There’s even less diet aftertaste! We’re letting you make the call on the New Diet 7UP. While supplies last, we’re giving away Diet 7UP Taste Challenge kits. Each kit contains the New Diet 7UP and two other competing diet lemon lime soft drinks. Try each of the soft drinks, and let your taste buds tell you which is best. We’re confident you’ll love the New Diet 7UP. Register for your Diet 7UP Taste Challenge kit today! Once you fill out the survey, you will get the following message: We have received your request for a Diet 7UP Taste Challenge kit. In the case that demand for the Taste Challenge kits exceed our supply, we will send you a coupon so that you can enjoy the great new taste of Diet 7UP – now with more natural lemon lime flavor than ever.

Please fill out this short form to receive your free pot of Mr. Coffee! Please allow six to eight weeks for delivery of this freebie.

May 4th-6th McDonald’s is giving away free iced coffee samples from 11am-6pm. Contact your local McDonald’s to see if they are participating. Michiana residents– I contacted the Granger restaurant and they don’t have iced coffees in their restaurant yet and won’t be receiving these until June.

Try a free sample of the new Knorr Sides Plus Veggies. Please limit one freebie per household and allow four weeks for delivery.

Pet Needs:

This freebie is a repeat, but just wanted to make sure everyone got this one! As a gesture of the Iams promise and dedication to keeping your pets healthy and happy, we would like to invite the first 250,000 pet owners who register here to receive a free 4-lb. bag of either our dry dog or dry cat food or equivalent value (up to $6.50 for dog and $10.00 for cat) off a larger-sized bag. This will exceed over 1 million pounds of free food.

Baby:

Sign up to receive a free subscription to American Baby Magazine.

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