Here are a few souvenirs from my recent web travels:

To ponder:

For Such a time as this for mommas

Courtship in the 24/7 era for teens, singles and parents of teens

Watching the wrong movies not what you think it’s about!

For laughs:

Rooting for Tim Tebow – laughed out loud at this!

For your consideration:

“V” …has anyone else considered this? – I wasn’t going to give this show a try until I read this.  The parallels intrigued me enough to try it out.  What about you?

To mark on your calendar:

Raising Kids to do Hard Things – they’re coming to Atlanta in 2010!

I am over at Habits today, talking about purchasing your groceries.  I promised some links and tips here:

First the tips:

Beginners:

Make a menu

Make a list

Don’t go hungry Seriously.

Clean out your pantry and fridge before you shop.

Intermediate:

Clip coupons for items you use

Have a coupon box or file

Check sale ads before you go

Sign up for coupons to be delivered to your home or inbox

Advanced:

Go to websites that match deals for you

Print coupons from links on those sites

Use a coupon binder

Use ‘automatic coupons’ that are tied to your shopper card or cell phone.

Shop in bulk – purchase six weeks of a product that is a super deal. (6 weeks is the average time it takes for sale cycles)

Links – (there are a lot) and store tips: Thanks to Heidi for supplying these! She is beyond advanced

Kroger: Kroger ads run Sunday through Saturday.  They will accept printable and newspaper insert coupons.  They will double coupons with a value of up to 50 cents.  You can stack a paper coupon with an eCoupon that has been loaded to your Kroger Plus Card for extra savings!

Publix: Publix ads run Thursday through Wednesday.  They will accept internet printable coupons and newspaper insert coupons.  They will double coupons with a value of up to 50 cents.  Publix will accept competitor coupons.  Each Publix considers different stores competitors.   Call the location you use and ask which competitors’ coupons they will accept.   You can stack a Publix or competitor’s coupon with a manufacturer’s coupon for outstanding savings!

Drug Stores: The 3 major drug stores in the area are CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens.   They all offer either a rebate or rewards program.  You can get really good deals as long as you familiarize yourself with the specific program and stay on top of expiration dates.  I have found that Walgreens is the trickiest to deal with, but you can find some good deals.  Rite Aid and CVS have big money making potential, but you do have to sign up for their rewards programs.

http://www.southernsavers.com/getting-started-guides/how-to-cvs/

http://www.southernsavers.com/getting-started-guides/rite-aid-guide/

http://www.southernsavers.com/getting-started-guides/guide-to-walgreens/

Websites I use:

www.southernsavers.com

This site is my favorite grocery shopping site.  Jenny has lists for the major grocery and drug store chains in the southeast.  She scans all of the weekly ads and matches the sales up with coupons to help you find the best deals.  You can print your list with coupon match-ups directly from her website.  She also has guides to help you if you are new to couponing.  Go to http://www.southernsavers.com/getting-started-guides to get a better understanding of Jenny and her website.

www.couponmom.com

This site features many of the national chains and includes Target and Wal-Mart.  This site uses spreadsheets of the coupon/sale matchups.   This site also offers additional help if you are new to couponing.

www.hotcouponworld.com

Has grocery coupons and internet codes for retail shopping.  A good place to print the latest Target printable coupons

http://www.kroger.com/in_store/Pages/coupon_landing.aspx

Has eCoupons you can load to your Kroger Plus Card.

www.iheartpublix.com

Get better details specific to Publix.

http://www.iheartcvs.com/

A site devoted to CVS and their Extra Care Bucks reward program.

www.coupons.com

Printable grocery coupon site

www.smartsource.com

More printable grocery coupons

www.redplum.com

More printable grocery coupons

www.cellfire.com

Load eCoupons to your Kroger Plus Card here

www.shortcuts.com

More eCoupons for your Kroger Plus Card

www.hillbillyhousewife.com

This is a great site for money-saving recipes and ideas on how to save money in your home.

http://www.iheartsavingmoney.com/

A great website to keep you up on internet deals, coupons, rebates and samples.

www.pgeverydaysolutions.com

This site has coupons, recipes, samples and more ways to stretch your budget!

http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/Budget/BudgetLandingPage.aspx

Money-saving ideas from Kraft Foods

http://www.craftymommymadness.com/

A blog devoted to finding and sharing bargains!

http://shop.upromise.com/mall/coupons

If you have an uPromise Account set-up, you can get eCoupons here to add additional funds to your account!

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

Exhibit C

The Suspect

What do you think?

Even though several people have already posted a link to this, I thought, why not post another?  You can’t get too much of it   After all, that’s MY man (or should I say, love machine?)!  And whether your marriage is great, you need a little help, or are really struggling, come check out this new series at Church @ the Ridge :

Earlier in the week I blogged about menu-planning on Habits for a Happy Home. One indispensible tool of coming up with a menu is, of course, cookbooks.  I’ll admit that there are weeks when I don’t crack open a single cookbook to plan. I just stick to tried and true favorites that I know by heart.  However, that can get a little dull and I find that I need some inspiration.  Sometimes, I just like looking a the beautiful pictures

Another source for recipes that has become very popular is the web.  Who doesn’t love just typing in what you want to make and coming up with several options.

I’ve listed below my top three favorites in both categories.  These are the three that I return to the most.  Then there are a couple of honorable mentions for books that I just love   You can click on the picks to go to amazon to look at the books.  Pics of the websites will take you straight there.

Cookbooks ~

The Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook

When something has the word ultimate in the title, it usually means it’s going to be full of good stuff, and this is no exception.  I wish this had been in my cookbook collection when I first got married. It is a great reference book with pictures of everything from different cuts of meat,to all types of pastas, to different cheeses. It has step-by step pics of many different cooking techniques, handy substitutions, menu suggestions and lots more.  This is a great gift for new brides.  When I am looking for a recipe, I usually go here first.

Favorite recipes include macaroni and cheese, spinach artichoke dip and favorite sugar cookies.

Betty Crocker’s Cookbook

Surprisingly enough, the next two on my list are void of pictures. (I love pictures) That is probably because they are full of so much other stuff, there wasn’t room for pics. This is an old paperback that I think was given to me by my mother-in-law many years ago.  It is worn and stained and there are pages falling out, a sure sign of a winner! Another go-to book for all your basics and then some, this has served me well.

Favorite recipes include golden chicken nuggets, meatloaf (easy and delicious), meatballs, simple pancakes and waffles.

Fix-it and Forget-it Cookbook: Feasting with your Slow Cooker

A slow cooker is a momma’s best friend.  There is so much you can do with it.  This cookbook proves it. What I really like about this one is that there are often several recipes for one meal. For instance, there are at least 6 different pot roast recipes, so if you are missing ingredients to one or have picky eaters, just keep looking and you are sure to find one you can use.  I have also combined some before using what looks good in one and something else from another.  I can’t think of a time that I have been disappointed.

Favorite recipes include Wanda’s chicken and rice, Shari’s beef stroganoff, and Lamb Shanks (a favorite of hubby’s)

Websites ~

allrecipes.com

There are a lot of recipe sites out there.  I’ve been using this one for a while, so I keep going back to the familiar.  I use it most often when I have an extra day at the end of a pay period and I need to find something to make with the ingredients I have on hand.  Last week, I happened to have some frozen veggies, eggs and cheese, but no meat.  I wanted something more than scrambled eggs and I found a couple of wonderful quiche recipes – one with spinach and one with broccoli – that were top notch. I like that there are several options (sometimes too many!) for whatever I’m looking for and that there are pictures, and reviews with reader suggestions for alternate options.  I use the free version. You can sign in and save recipes in your own recipe box.  I just recently started using this feature, so the only recipes I have in it are the two quiches and a simple white gravy.

Christy Jordan’s Southern Plate

I recently heard of this site from my friend Tricia.  It has lots of tasty crowd-pleasers on here, most of them very simple to make.  I also enjoy her commentaries.  You can sign up for emails with new recipes and receive a free ebook.  I linked to a recent post of hers that had a fantastic message about why she thinks life is good RIGHT NOW and it also includes the recipe for meatloaf casserole that I hope to try, even though I don’t know what leftover meatloaf is, around here.  I might have to make two   From there, you can check out her home page.

Other favorites ~ taco  soup, not your average sloppy joes and deep dish pizza.

Miscellaneous Blogs

I always like recommendations from friends.  So if they suggest it, I will probably try it These ladies have great collections of recipes on their sites that are family-tested and momma-approved.

Here are some that have become family favorites of ours:

Little Sanctuary’s Chicken Spaghetti

Hodge Podge’s Cookies and Cream

Frogs Snails and Puppy Dog Tales Mini Cheesecakes

Honorable mentions ~

Jan Karon’s Mitford Cookbook and Kitchen Reader

Recipes from the beloved Mitford Series (including Esther Bolick’s famous Orange Marmalade Cake) with excerpts from the books.  Fun to read while you’re waiting for your goodies to bake.

Everyday Italian by Giada DiLaurentis

This book includes recipes from my favorite cooking show.  I realize it’s criminal to not pick Paula Dean as my favorite when in the South, and I do love her, but Giada’s show appeals to me with all it’s fresh ingredients, beautifully prepared. The fact that it’s Italian food is a huge plus!

My big-giant-mess-of-a-recipe-file by Kerri

Sorry, you won’t be able to find this on amazon.com or at your nearest book store, but you can come over and sift through them to see if you can find something you like.  I really need to do some straightening in this area.  I’m thinking of having a recipe organizing party where friends can get together with our files and notebooks that are stuffed with food-spattered recipes and weed out, rewrite and re-file.  Of course to be admitted, you have to prepare and bring one of the recipes 

That’s it from me – bon appetit!  What’s cookin’ at your house?

I’m over at Habits for a Happy Home today, so pull up a chair and join me, won’t ya?

This blog is under construction.  After a long absence, I am hoping to be up and running again soon with a new look.  I would LOVE your input about things you would like to see on a blog.  What interests you?  Leave a comment and let me know.  See you soon!

I know I am way overdue for a shred update.  Let’s just say that I am shredded, but not in the way I had intended   I was doing great until I got the head crud, then I fell off the horse.  I am happy to say that I am back to shredding and feeling much better (and worse) at the same time.  I really noticed the difference when I got out of my routine.  I was 1) much more easily fatigued   2) much more likely to eat bad things    3) more easily discouraged overall  4) not able to sleep as well.    I’m sure Bill could tell the difference.   I am mad at myself for losing ground, but I am determined to get back to it and keep at it.  How about you guys out there.  Anyone still shredding?

I think I hurt myself last night when they announced that Kris Allen had won American Idol.  I jumped off the couch and pulled a muscle in the process.  I love me an underdog.  I have to say that I did take notice of Kris way back.  Everyone was loving Danny and Adam (both brilliant performers), but I said, ” I kind of like that guy”.  But that’s neither here nor there

Anyway, here is a video of my favorite Kris performance.  THIS is why I am thrilled that he won – aside from his obvious talent. Thanks to Michelle for sharing this on facebook.

So I’ve been busy this week getting into an exercise rhythm.  It was hard at first, but I think I’ve settled on a solid plan.  To help jump start me, I’m doing the 30-day Shred by Jillian Michaels from The Biggest Loser.  I read about it on another blog and thought I’d give it a whirl.  It’s just 20 minutes a day for 30 days.  Sounds easy, right?

The first two days almost did me in (and this was on level 1 – there are 3).  My thighs hurt so much that I sounded like Michael Jackson coming down the stairs.  Ow! Hee – hee! Ooooh!  It was rough

The third day proved a little better and it’s been going well (still not easy) since.  I have yet to move up to level 2, since I haven’t quite mastered 1 yet. (RE: it still burns!)  I recommend this for just about anyone as it includes simple, but effective exercises done in 3 6-minute circuits that include 3 minutes strength, 2 minutes cardio and 1 minute of abs.  This is great for those ADD exercisers out there (me included) .  You don’t have time to get bored – you barely have time to breathe!  It is a very effective combination.

In addition to that I have been walking a 5K (that’s 3.1 miles, but 5K sounds much cooler) 3 nights a week.  This I love.  I walked before fairly regularly for about 30 minutes a go and at a quick, but not challenging pace.  Now I’m doing a very brisk (alllmost jog) pace. I’ve even expanded my territory to include the neighborhood across the street.

My motivation?  The playlist I created on my ipod.  You can see it under, well, the On My iPod tab.  I will tell you that there is a shocking lack of Christian music.  I need to fix this.  In my defense, I found a stash of old CD’s which my daughter uploaded to itunes and so I just chose from those.  Most of my regular CD’s were in the car.  So please don’t judge me I’m a child of the 80’s and sometimes, I just have to get my 80’s music fix.

I chose these songs based on walkability – they had to have a great beat and fun factor – they have to make me smile.  I just wish that I had been using my iPod all along.  Who knows where I would be?

So go check it out and be sure to leave a comment on your favorite songs that get you moving.  And while you’re at it, pick up a copy of the Shred and let’s get shredded together. (It’s on sale at Target this week $13 or order on amazon.com $12 w/shipping) Misery loves company and I already have one recruit (besides Bill). What are you waiting for?