Yep. That's right. Money in your pocket!! If you are fan, or maybe you just need a night out of the house, check it out and see if there's a concert near you. Buy your tickets and make sure you use the MOM code at checkout to save $5. ~Enjoy!

I love to bake! I wish baked good were their own food group and probably no surprise that I tend to make the breakfast items off Once a Month Mom more than the others. Yeah, I noticed.

Yesterday I mentioned that I have all these apples and I've been baking A LOT. It got me to thinking about how I cut costs to keep my spending under control.

So, here are a few frugal baking tips:

1. Use dry ingredients.
Well, no duh.
I mean use dry buttermilk. I keep Saco Cultured Buttermilk powder in my fridge and I never have to worry about running out to get buttermilk for a recipe or wasting buttermilk in a carton that I'm not going to finish. A 16 oz. container costs around $4 and that's a lot of buttermilk. I've yet to finish a container but I'm getting closer now that I've made so many batches of Apple Streusel Muffins lately.

I also use powdered milk when I can. There's no reason to use cow's milk in baking and cooking if you don't have to. You can't taste the difference once it's been cooked/ baked so use the less expensive option. Either keep some powdered milk made up in your fridge or make some up the night before if you know you'll be cooking/ baking a lot the next day. A few minutes of time will save you money.

2. Use your Club.
I buy as much of my baking supplies at Costco as I can. Flour is $0.29/lb. at Costco vs. $.39/lbs. at Kroger and that's when it's on sale. Sure, I have to buy 25 lbs. but I bake a LOT. Also, I have 5 gallon tubs from the bakery up the street that I bought for $2.50. They are airtight and the flour stores beautifully.

What else do I buy at Costco?
Vanilla. So much cheaper there.
Brown sugar, too, unless there's a massive holiday mark down - which sometimes happens. Cooking oil is usually cheaper. Not always.
Sugar, almost always, and it's only in a 10lb. bag which means that after I fill my canister the rest fits in my cabinet.
Butter.
Eggs are always $.99/dozen which is cheaper than my Kroger.
Chocolate chips . I go through a ton of chips and yes, I get them at Costco but I also buy them at Kroger because the coupon deals are good and I need the mini-chips for Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cake. Kroger knows this about me and just sent me a coupon for a free bag of chips. I love that!

ZipLock Bags. I always get these at Costco! Our Costco membership gives us coupons to use at Costco and currently there are coupons for Ziplock bags so I stocked up on freezer bags. Even with reusing te ones that I can I go through a good number of bags and they are much cheaper at Costco.

So there are some of my tips for frugal baking. Do you have any?

I had the great fortune to buy 40 pounds of organic Granny Smith apples for $25 last week and jumped at the chance. We all know that price doesn't come around every day. Of course the next problem was - what to do with them.

1. We pulled out the nicest and smallest for Comfort and Joy to eat. I say 'smalles' because these are lovely BIG apples. Most of them are bigger than both of my fists put together. The girl love apples and good, fresh fruit is expensive this time of the year so this is a nice treat.

2. I peeled, sliced and flash froze about 10 lbs. This fit in two gallon zip freezer bags and I'll use these for pies and for baking.

3. I made the Once a Month Mom Apple Streusel Muffin recipe, in it's full form, TWICE. The first batch is entirely mini-muffins for the girls because my toddler trial shows that they are more likely to eat the entire muffin if the good streusel topping is closer to the muffin. The second batch is two-thirds full-sized muffins which I'll used for book group and 1/3 mini-muffins for Comfort and Joy.

4. Applesauce! I've already have four quart put in the freezer from two batches of apples done in the crockpot. This recipe was easy - I filled the crockpot with apples - about 12 - and set it on low for 2 hours until they fell apart. Stir and allow to cool. I'd do more but Comfort isn't eating it and Joy doesn't need more fruit in her diet - if you get what I mean.

5. And I still have more apples!! Seriously. There's still about 8-10 lbs probably. So, I'm thinking apple butter.

I know that certain apples are better for making certain things but at this point I want to make sure I use these before they get mushy. Granted my kitchen is chilly [~65 degrees] but these apples won't stay crisp forever.

So, if you have any ideas for easy, inexpensive and easy to save things that I can do with these apples I'd love to hear it.

If so, you're in luck. Qdoba Mexican Grill will be celebrating their 7th anniversary in Richmond. From 5PM and 7PM, they will be giving away free Chicken and Vegetarian Burritos at all 5 Richmond locations. Limitations may apply. See store for more details. Only valid at Richmond locations.

There you go. That's what's for dinner.

Here you Go! Kroger shoppers can start downloading these to their loyalty cards today - Tuesday, February 23rd - until March 8th. Coupons expire March 22nd. Hop over to the right-hand side bar and get yours now.

Betty Crocker Cookie Mix Save $.40
Save $0.40 when you buy any flavor 17.5 OZ. OR LARGER Betty Crocker(r)
Cookie Mix.

Betty Crocker Frosting Save $.50
Save $0.50 when you buy ONE TUB any flavor/variety Betty Crocker(r)
Frosting.

Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks Save $.50
Save $0.50 when you buy TWO BOXES Betty Crocker(r) Fruit by the Foot(r),
Fruit Gushers(r), Fruit Roll-Ups(r) OR Fruit Roll-Ups(r) Fruit
Stickerz(r) Fruit Flavored Snacks.

Betty Crocker Muffin Mix Save $.50
Save $0.50 when you buy any flavor/variety Betty Crocker(r) Box Muffin
Mix or Fiber One Box Muffin Mix.

Betty Crocker Supreme Brownie Save $.75
Save $0.75 when you buy TWO any flavor Betty Crocker(r) Box Supreme
Brownie Mixes.

Betty Crocker Warm Delights Save $.50
Save $0.50 when you buy ONE any flavor Betty Crocker(r) Warm Delights(r)
Bowls OR Betty Crocker(r) Warm Delights(r) Minis Bowls.

Chex Mix(r) or Snacks Save $.50
Save $0.50 when you buy any flavor 4.5 OZ. OR LARGER Chex Mix(r) OR
Chex(r) 100 Calorie Snack.

Fiber One Muffin Mix Save $.50
Save $0.50 when you buy any flavor/variety Fiber One Box Muffin Mix.

Fiber One(r) Chewy Bar Save $.40
Save $0.40 when you buy ONE BOX any flavor Fiber One(r) Chewy Bars or
Fiber One(r) 90 Calorie Chewy Bars.

Green Giant(r) vegie's Save $.50
Save $0.50 when you buy TWO any variety Green Giant(r) Frozen Boxed
Vegetables.

Hamburger Helper(r) Save $.75
Save $0.75 when you buy THREE any flavor Hamburger Helper(r), Tuna
Helper(r) OR Chicken Helper(r) Home Cooked Skillet Meals.

Honey Nut Cheerios Save $.55
Save $0.55 when you buy ONE BOX Honey Nut Cheerios(r) cereal.

Nature Valley Granola Bars Save $.40
Save $0.40 when you buy ONE BOX any flavor/variety Nature Valley(r)
Granola Bars.

Nature Valley Granola Nut Clustrs Save $1
Save $1.00 when you buy ONE BAG any flavor Nature Valley(r) Granola Nut
Clusters.

Pillsbury Italian Meal Bred Save $.40
Save $0.40 when you buy any TWO Pillsbury(r) Italian Meal Breads
(Includes any Loaves, Breadsticks, Dinner Rolls, and Pizza Crust).

Pillsbury Sweet Rolls Save $.40
Save $0.40 when you buy any TWO Pillsbury(r) Sweet Rolls OR Grands!(r)
Sweet Rolls.

Pillsbury Toaster Strudel(r) Save $.55
Save $0.55 when you buy any TWO Pillsbury(r) Toaster Strudel(r)
Pastries.

Pillsbury(r) Savorings(r) Save $1
Save $1.00 when you buy TWO any flavor/variety Pillsbury(r) Savorings(r)
products.

Reeses(r) Puffs(r) Save $.55
Save $0.55 when you buy ONE BOX Reeses(r) Puffs(r) cereal.

Yoplait Kids Zone Save $.80
Save $0.80 when you buy TWO any flavor Yoplait(r) products listed: -
Yoplait(r) Go-GURT(r) Yogurt - Yoplait(r) Trix(r) Multipack Yogurt.

Yoplait(r) Cups Save $.50
Save $0.50 when you buy SIX any variety Yoplait(r) Yogurt cups OR any
flavor Yoplait(r) Original OR Light Smoothies.

Yoplait(r) Delights(tm) Save $1
Save $1.00 when you buy any flavor Yoplait(r) Delights Yogurt Multipack.

Yoplait(r) Fiber One(r) Save $1
Save $1.00 when you buy any flavor Yoplait(r) Fiber One(r) Yogurt
Multipacks.

Any Biore Save $1
Save $1.00 when purchasing Biore products.

Fur Fighter Refills Save $1
Save $1 off Scotch Fur Fighter Refills for Upholstery.

Scotch Fur Fighter Save $4
Save $4 on a Scotch(tm) Fur Fighter(tm) Hair Remover Starter Kit.

We live in this truly great neighborhood in Richmond. It's a wonderful pedestrian shopping distict just a block from our house and on weekend afternoons or even after dinner we often stroll up and down Cary Street enjoying the sights and sounds.

Yesterday we had unseasonably warm temperatures and sunshine so we got out for a walk. The girls trooped around without the boots for the first time in weeks and we waved to shop keepers we know, dodged people enjoying the weather and doing their own shopping and walked through a couple of stores.

In one store the woman that works there said, "Don't you guys usually have those monkey back-packs?" We smiled and said we usually do but today we'd gotten out without them. See, it's nice to know that people recognize us and know that our kids go with us.

Walking further up the street a guy came out of the sushi restaurant to make balloon animals for the girl. No kidding. Right there on the sidewalk. It was clear we were just out for a walk but it was also clear that the girls were very appreciative. Comfort bounced up and down the entire time he worked on her butterfly and the ladybug he made for Joy was perfect, especially since he included a strap to go around her wrist. Genius.

On our walk home we stopped in the Goodwill/ Thrift Store and the woman at the counter says, "Well, if it isn't my two favorite girls." I find this kind considering what I heard about their behavior in the store the last time they were there but mostly I love that there are people in our neighborhood who enjoy our kids and who know them and who, in a pinch, would keep an eye out for them.

So, if you're in the area I highly suggest you come and visit Carytown. You will just love it. And if you have a similar area in your city I highly suggest you plan a visit. Local retailers need our help now more than ever. We want to do everything we can do keep these eclectic shopping areas robust. It's definitely a Cool Idea!

This is something I've been mulling over for some time and I've decided to open up a conversation.

I believe in Free Speech for every man, woman, and child. This is one of the best things that our country is built on. Heck, at this point, it's practically what the internet is built on.

That said - I do not believe that corporations or other entities have the same rights that people do. Corporations have access to power and resources that you and I don't. They don't walk softly. They are larger than life. Corporations are not people. They don't get to vote. They don't get rights under the Constitution or the Amendments.

Surprisingly, 80% of Americans actually agree with one another about this and are in vehement opposition to the recent Supreme Court decision. Can you believe it? Eighty-percent of Republicans, Democrats, Caucasians, African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians, men, and women - we all said it together.

The rights our Founders documented are reserved for people. For us. And if we let Corporations take over the rights we enjoy and let them run with them - well, it's our own darn fault when they start running the world in way in which we don't agree.

There is over a hundred years of precedence already. There's no reason to build anymore. It's time to pay attention to the ways in which this issue will be rectified. Personally, I don't want the next election cycle brought to me by Viagra, HFCS, or ADM. It's not NASCAR or a television sitcom. It's the American political process. Let's take is seriously.

I'm enjoying the Olympics. How about you? One thing that I'm seeing more of - literally - is the agony of defeat.

Why?

I think because there is literally more television time to fill so we have the 'opportunity' to see more than just the best performances. Sometimes this is unfortunate. Like after the pairs figure skating.

Just in case you need a dose of beautiful, seamless ice skating where partners move together with their music and don't fall on their butts hop on over and watch this performance by Torvill and Dean from the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics. I guarantee that you won't be disappointed. Enjoy!

I just got an email from my local IKEA saying that if you dine at IKEA from February 18-21 they'll take the cost of your meal off of the price of any home furnishings over $100. So if you were in the market to get a new bed or sofa or bookcase or wall unit then hop on out to IKEA and have yourself some swedish meatballs - 'cause they're tasty and they'll be free:) Gotta love a Cool Idea like that!

I started doing surveys a year and a half ago when my oldest daughter was 3 and my youngest was 1 1/2. I found myself with lots of random bits of time that probably all added up to a full-time job - too much time to do nothing with. I enjoyed being home with my girls but I also needed to add income to our family as my husband's job was downsized.

I ran across a post on Deal Seeking Mom about surveys and signed up for a few and over the next few months I signed up for several more. As my children have grown and as I've found a rhythm in doing the surveys I created a system for myself.

I do the surveys when the girls are having their free play time and after they go to bed/ or nap. If they are watching a video then that's when I log in and get some surveys done because goodness knows I don't need to be totally focused on the 2,000th viewing of The Little Mermaid. If we are having constructive play, I put the computer aside and play with them but there are times we all need a break and that's when I check and see what surveys are available.

This system is working well for me. I cashout $30-50/ month or so. It took some time to get enough surveys going to get this kind of payout and I know I could do more, but at this point I don't have the time. It's a choice and a balance - to make money out of our 'down' time is a phenomenally Cool Idea!

Let's start this out right! How about a Full Size sample of Pantene Nature Fusion. Just log into your Vocalpoint account and then make your request. If you're not a member of Vocalpoint take a moment to register, it's free - and you get coupons, samples and some cool swag.

I promised I was going to do a better job this year of posting how I was doing with my resolutions - especially meal planning - and I think I can say I'm doing okay.

Here the list of my resolutions again:
1. Get serious about meal planning.
2. Continue to come up with creative solutions to add to my SAHM income.
3. I am a great writer. Whether it's non-fiction, blogging, birthday cards, or fiction. I need to make sure I give myself time to do what I enjoy.


1. Okay, meal planning is still something I need to work on. I did go through several weeks where I actually wrote what we were going to eat each evening on our family calendar. That ended when the first major snow came through and we were all home for every meal/ all day for a week. This was draining and did some major depleting of the freezer!

Now, I'm working on finding some new recipes to try so that we can have some new meals in rotation. I nearly drooled today when Tricia at Once A Month Mom posted her menu plan today and it included bacon cheeseburger meatballs. Now doesn't that sound yummy!

2. I'm continuing to do surveys and mystery shopping and it's working well. I've had to give up a couple of really good mystery shops due to the nasty weather that we've had. I have a mystery shop with a company I've never worked with before and I'm looking forward to that. I've also picked up some shops that are done on the phone which I'm looking forward to since they won't be dependent on our crazy weather and I can do them as soon as I get back from dropping the girls off at school.

3. I AM A GREAT WRITER! I'm over half way through the writing class I'm taking right now and I'm loving it - LOVING IT! This class is focusing on something I've never worried about before - discoverying the story before you sit down to write - and it's really helping me get a sense of things before I start the bulk of the writing. Surprisingly, I'm enjoying the soundtrack that I built. I listen to it all the time and I'm learning more about the story every time.

So, that's where I am. The second month of the year and still some good work ahead of me and many more Cool Ideas to discover.

The opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics was like one big Hallmark moment for me. How about you?

In case you missed it here's a clip of k.d. lang singing "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen from a few years ago. Still good. The only differenc is that she wore white on Friday.

Electrolux is teaming up with Kelly Ripa again for "Kelly's Cake Off For A Cause" to support the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF). This time Buddy Valastro, from TLC's "Cake Boss" has helped bake some lavish cakes to help out.

Do we get to eat these cakes? Nope. But we can vote on them! Visit Kelly-confidential.com and take your pick. For every vote Electrolux will donate a $1 to OCRF. And if that's not enough of a reason to hop over to check this out, everyone that logs into the site and sends a virtual cake is entered to win an induction range from Electrolux!

There you go. Many reasons to go to Kelly-Confidential. 1) Awareness. 2) Money for research. 3) Virtual cake that might win you a new range. I think those are definitely Cool Ideas!

Oh, we just love Children's Place at our house. It's one of the few places were the sizes are true for Comfort.

But, alas, kids grow so fast and prices are more than I'd like to pay - so I wait for good sales and great coupons.

Grab this one before it's gone. I know I'll be getting one because Comfort's pants from the beginning of school are too short already. Same is true for Joy. And if Comfort gets new pants I can hand her's down to her sister. Smart. Frugal. And Definitely a Cool Idea.

IKEA is doing FREE Breakfast again February 13-15. Check your store to make sure they are participating but I know that the Woodbridge location usually does. Just my previous experience. So, if you're off to IKEA to take advantage of the bedroom sales you might want to arrive a bit early and get a free meal. I think it's definitely a Cool Idea.

I got a bit of a bday present from a couple of my surveys, too. I had payouts from Toluna and MySurvey for a total of $30. Gotta love when survey cash arrives in the mail, even when it's just a little bit at a time.

Are you stuck for what to get your loved ones for Valentine's Day? Or maybe you're just stuck inside because of the weather - like me. Well, I have some Swagbucks traded in for Amazon gift cards and with my Prime Membership I can have something cute or fun or whatever here in a couple of days. So, now I'm off to shop with my free money because that is a tremendously Cool Idea!

Coupons are available on Cellfire for Kroger and Safeway starting
Tuesday 02/09/10 can be saved until Monday 02/22/10 and expire Monday
03/08/10. So, load 'em up from the right hand sidebar.

BC Cookie Mix Save $.40
Save $0.40 when you buy any flavor 17.5 OZ. OR LARGER Betty Crocker(r)
Cookie Mix.

BC Frosting Save $.50
Save $0.50 when you buy ONE TUB any flavor/variety Betty Crocker(r)
Frosting.

BC Fruit Snacks Save $.50
Save $0.50 when you buy TWO BOXES Betty Crocker(r) Fruit by the Foot(r)
Fruit Gushers(r) Fruit Roll-Ups(r) OR Fruit Roll-Ups(r) Fruit
Stickerz(r) Fruit Flavored Snacks.

BC Muffin Mix Save $.50
Save $0.50 when you buy any flavor/variety Betty Crocker(r) Box Muffin
Mix or Fiber One Box Muffin Mix.

BC Supreme Brownie Save $.75
Save $0.75 when you buy TWO any flavor Betty Crocker(r) Box Supreme
Brownie Mixes.

BC Warm Delights Save $.50
Save $0.50 when you buy ONE any flavor Betty Crocker(r) Warm Delights(r)
Bowls OR Betty Crocker(r) Warm Delights(r) Minis Bowls.

Chex Mix(r) or Snacks Save $.50
Save $0.50 when you buy any flavor 4.5 OZ. OR LARGER Chex Mix(r) OR
Chex(r) 100 Calorie Snack.

Fiber One Muffin Mix Save $.50
Save $0.50 when you buy any flavor/variety Fiber One Box Muffin Mix.

Fiber One(r) Chewy Bar Save $.40
Save $0.40 when you buy ONE BOX any flavor Fiber One(r) Chewy Bars or
Fiber One(r) 90 Calorie Chewy Bars.

Green Giant(r) vege's Save $.50
Save $0.50 when you buy TWO any variety Green Giant(r) Frozen Boxed
Vegetables.

Hamburger Helper(r) Save $.75
Save $0.75 when you buy THREE any flavor Hamburger Helper(r) Tuna
Helper(r) OR Chicken Helper(r) Home Cooked Skillet Meals.

Honey Nut Cheerios Save $.55
Save $0.55 when you buy ONE BOX Honey Nut Cheerios(r) cereal.

NV Granola Bars Save $.40
Save $0.40 when you buy ONE BOX any flavor/variety Nature Valley(r)
Granola Bars.

NV Granola Nut Clustrs Save $1
Save $1.00 when you buy ONE BAG any flavor Nature Valley(r) Granola Nut
Clusters.

PB Italian Meal Bred Save $.40
Save $0.40 when you buy any TWO Pillsbury(r) Italian Meal Breads
(Includes any Loaves Breadsticks Dinner Rolls and Pizza Crust).

PB Sweet Rolls Save $.40
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Sweet Rolls.

PB Toaster Strudel(r) Save $.55
Save $0.55 when you buy any TWO Pillsbury(r) Toaster Strudel(r)
Pastries.

Pillsbury(r) Savorings(r) Save $1
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products.

Reeses(r) Puffs(r) Save $.55
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Yoplait Kids Zone Save $.80
Save $0.80 when you buy TWO any flavor Yoplait(r) products listed: -
Yoplait(r) Go-GURT(r) Yogurt - Yoplait(r) Trix(r) Multipack Yogurt.

Yoplait(r) Cups Save $.50
Save $0.50 when you buy SIX any variety Yoplait(r) Yogurt cups OR any
flavor Yoplait(r) Original OR Light Smoothies.

Yoplait(r) Delights(tm) Save $1
Save $1.00 when you buy any flavor Yoplait(r) Delights Yogurt Multipack.

Yoplait(r) Fiber One(r) Save $1
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Multipacks.

Any Biore Save $1
Save $1.00 when purchasing Biore products.

Select BAN Items Save $.75
Save $0.75 on Ban solids and roll-ons.

Toll House(r) Dough Save $.55
Save $0.55 when you purchase any (1) variety of Nestle(r) Toll House(r)
Refrigerated Cookie Dough.

Toll House(r) Morsels
Save $.50 Save $0.50 when you purchase any (1) variety of
Nestle(r) Toll House(r) Morsels


Scotch Fur Fighter Save $4
Save $4 on a Scotch(tm) Fur Fighter(tm) Hair Remover Starter Kit.

Fur Fighter Refills Save $1
Save $1 on a Scotch(tm) Fur Fighter(tm) Hair Remover Refill Sheets.

Box Tops for Education is giving away 1000 Bonus Box Tops each day during the month of February to a lucky school. You can enter every day to win a chance for your school. Think of all the Cool things this could buy for your school. Log in each day and enter.

I love gnocchi. I just love 'em. Those light and airy Italian potato dumplings. Well, not really a dumpling in the sense I think of them but that's the closest way I can think to describe them. I rarely get to eat them though because most Italian restaurants we go to, when we go out, rarely have gnocchi on the menu. Or they have it combined with some sauce I would never ever put in my mouth.

So, I began to think - how hard could this be to make? I found some recipes. Cooking Light has some great ones. Well, there are lots of great ones. Classic ones. And mostly they are all the same. And each time I tried to replicate this light and airy, mouth-watering deliciousness I ended up with wallpaper paste. YUCK!

Then a couple of years ago - maybe when I was first home with Comfort - I remember seeing an episode of Tyler's Ultimate on Food Network and he made gnocchi and he was very clear that the key was to bake the potato instead of boiling it. Well, heck - that's where I was going off the rails.

For those of you that have been reading this blog for a little while you may have guessed why I was boiling the potatoes. Yep, it's cheaper to use the cooktop than to turn on the oven. However, in this case you want the potatoes dry so it really does need an oven. So, use the oven. Or better yet do what I have done - I 'splurged' at Costco last month when they had an in-store coupon and bought a countertop toaster oven/ convection oven. I now use this for small cooking projects - like baking 1-2 lbs of potatoes.

Back to my story. One of the magazines I get for free - another reason I should keep up the weekly freebie post - is Bon Appetite. Mostly I flip through it and pass it along to my best friend because she's a much more adventurous cook and eater than am. But this time there was a recipe and 'help' section for gnocchi so I decided to try again.

Here's their recipe:
1 1/2 lbs. russet potatoes - scrub, dry, prick with a fork
1 C flour
1 egg yolk
1 tsp kosher salt
large pinch fresh nutmeg - I just grated it right into the bowl
olive oil
potato ricer or food mill
1. Bake potatoes for 1 hr at 400 degrees. Cool slightly and scoop out flesh and work through ricer. [I couldn't find my ricer for the life of me, so I used my pastry cuter to make sure there weren't any chunks.]
2. Spread out and let cool to room temp.
3. Line baking sheet with foil or parchment. Put potatoes in bowl. Add 1 C flour and toss to coat. Make a well in the middle and add egg yolk, salt, and nutmeg.
4. Stir with fork until it's all crumbly then turn it out on a floured surface. [I use this chopping board from IKEA as my baking board. I treat it like a cast iron skillet - I never use soap and water and only use it for floured items.] Knead the dough together adding additional flour as necessary.
5. Cut into 4 pieces and roll each piece into a 1 inch thick rope. The rope was as wide as my board - 18 inches. Cut into 3/4 inch pieces and place on lined baking sheet.
6. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and working in small batches cook gnocchi. It's done when it floats to the top. Skim from pot and transfer to bowl and drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat.
[recipe from Bon Appetite, Feb 2010]

So, if you bought a 10 lb. bag of russet potatoes at Kroger last week like I did because they were such a great deal then thought - what on EARTH am I going to do with them - here's a great recipe. It's not time consuming but you do need to plan ahead. Plan ahead then leave it alone.

I've made this two days in a row because we didn't have any leftovers last night. Yep, it passed the Trial by Toddler. Comfort and Joy both cleaned their plates so today I'm making another batch to put in the freezer. Tomorrow I make some more since I hear that potatoes are still on sale this week and I think homemade gnocchi are now the Coolest Idea EVER!

We're between snow storms right now and most of this has melted but I hear we're getting more this weekend. Comfort will be super excited because it means...

MORE SNOW ANGELS!!

It's been really cold here in Virginia lately. In fact, cold enough that the snow hasn't really begun to melt very much, but that doesn't mean that we can't begin to think about food that evokes feelings of warmer times.

What am I talking about? Two words - pimento cheese. YUM!!

For those of you who don't live anywhere near the south and aren't familiar with the concept of pimento cheese let me try to explain it. Pimento cheese is made from grated sharp cheddar cheee, but still - somehow - ends up being creamy. It has smushed pimentos in it and it's a little salty and I remember it fondly from childhood because my mom made me pimento cheese sandwiches occasionally when I had field trips. The other times she made peanut butter and honey and those were super yummy, too!

But back to pimento cheese. Buying pimento cheese isn't hard. You can find tubs of various sizes and prices but they will also vary in taste, texture and quality. And, yes, the Ukrop's Kitchen does make the best pimento cheese but it's something like $5.99 for 4 oz. So, over the years it's gotten me to thinking - just how hard can it be to make this stuff?

Well, looking at recipes side by side I couldn't come up with the common denomintors before my head exploded. Lately, though, I've decided that I was just trying too hard so I just jumped right in and picked a recipe to start from. I chose Paula Deen's Pimento Cheese recipe because if you want southern food you gotta at least look at what Paula's making.

Here's Paula's Recipe:
Ingredients
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup grated sharp cheddar
1 cup grated Monterey Jack
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon House Seasoning, recipe follows
2 to 3 tablespoons pimentos, smashed
1 teaspoon grated onion
Cracked black pepper

Directions
Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth and fluffy. Add all of the remaining ingredients and beat until well blended. It can be used as a dip for crudite or as a sandwich filling.
House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder

I keep Paula's House Seasoning on hand for other stuff so I didn't have to make that up and I didn't have any Jack cheese so I just used all cheddar. No biggy. But when I pulled it all together it still felt too 'mayonnaisey'. Maybe not a surprise since this is a Paula Deen recipe:) It also didn't seem to have much seasoning coming through. Another problem I had - I now had 5 oz. of cream cheese left.

So, I kept working and this is what I came up with. I may try something a bit different next time but I'll start with my recipe and work from there.

My recipe:
8 oz. softened cream cheese
4 C grated sharp cheddar
1/2 C mayo - I use Duke's and if you can get your hands on some I highly recommend it!
2 tsp. Paula's House Seasoning
3 Tbsp smashed pimentos

1. Beat cream cheese and then stir in other ingredients.
2. Put in fridge to chill before serving - if you can resist!

I'm not exactly sure how much this made before we started eating it but after we noshed for a while I put away a pint sized container. We noshed before chilling and it was truer to store bought pimento cheese after it came out of the fridge. Still creamy but not as wimpy in texture as it was at first.

So, if you're trying to figure out what to do with all that great Kraft Cheese you got at Kroger during the Mega Deals or if you also have more mouths to feed in your house due to snow days then think about whipping up some pimento cheese. It's such a Cool Idea!

Yep, we have more snow here in Virginia. It's a Winter Wonderland and thank goodness for Nick Jr. because Comfort and Joy have been out of school all week.

Being home all week also means that we're going through a LOT of food. Sure, we usually eat at home but the only meal that all of us are usually home together is dinner. Now, we're a family of four eating 3 meals a day plus snacks. Needless to say I am SOOO glad that Kroger had that mega deal sale last week and that we got out to Costco last night.

So for the next couple of days I'm going to post some of the recipes that have been keeping us going.

Breakfast has been easy. The girls love scrambled eggs and meat circles [trans. - sausage] so we had a big breakfast before going out to play in the snow.

Today, I pulled Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cake out of the freezer. This is a great go-to breakfast for us and I love making some smaller loaves to have around, too. This is one of my favorite Once A Month Mom recipes.

Come back tomorrow and find out what we've been enjoying for lunch. It's a yummy Cool Idea!

P&G has established a community to get input from moms. If you are interested in finding out more about what they are doing and perhaps sharing ideas and saving money, hop on over and check it out. Another cool thing about the community is that members can receive rewards such as product samples, online gift cards and donations to your favorite charities as well as periodic discounts on life’s essentials! Definitely a Cool Idea!!