Extreme Couponing

Tonight there is a new show debuting on TLC called Extreme Couponing.  Several couponers will be showcased.  These people take it to the extreme with their stockpiles (1500 deodorants!) and ways of collecting coupons (dumpster diving!). 

Yes, I am a couponer and yes, I do stockpile some items for my family.  I do this in a much more realistic way than what I think will be portrayed on this show.  I hope that the show does not make people lump all couponers into this category of extreme ones who are more like hoarders. 

Stockpiling is actually smart shopping by buying multiple items at rock-bottom prices (or even free) and saving for future use rather than buying at full price when you need them.  You can shop from your pantry rather than running to the store and paying the full price.  Examples of some of the items I have a stockpile of include toothpaste, deodorant, pasta, peanut butter, cleaning products like Windex, etc.  And my stockpile is nothing crazy...I'm talking a few to several of these items.  Once I start scoring deals on more than that I start sharing with others and donating to food pantries. 

I'm anxious to tune into tonight's show (TLC at 8pm EST).

Salmon with Pecan Crunch Coating

from the archives...This is a good recipe.  I hope you enjoy it.  I am joining in this week's Ingredient Spotlight at Eat At Home.


(photo from All Recipes)

Salmon with Pecan-Crunch Coating
4 salmon fillets (about 1-1/2 inches thick)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1-1/2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper; place skin side down, in a lightly greased baking dish.
Combine mustard, butter, and honey; brush over salmon. Combine breadcrumbs, pecans and parsley; spoon evenly across top of salmon. Bake, uncovered, at 450 for 12 to 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork.
Yield: 4 servings

Amanda's Easiest Ever Crock Pot Roast

I am linking this recipe to Your Recipe, My Kitchen this week.  I posted this one a while back so if you are stopping by to see it, I'd love for you to check out some of my more recent recipes too. 
This is a good one...hope you enjoy.  I'll be making this again this week!


Well, life has certainly gotten in the way the past couple of weeks and kept me from posting anything here on the blog.  It's times like this when I am so happy to have really quick and easy recipes to go to that my family loves.  I recently tried a new one and immediately added it  as a new family favorite. 

Amanda at Serenity Now posted a recipe not long ago for the Easiest Ever Crock Pot Roast.  The way I usually make a crock pot roast is really easy but this sounded a little different so I wanted to try it.  I am so glad I did.  Yes, it is super easy and it also is super yummy!  I neglected to take any pictures (life has been crazy for a couple of weeks, remember?) so I am using one of Amanda's pictures.  And be sure to click on the link to go directly to her post for additional pictures and to read her post.

(Amanda's Easiest Ever Crock Pot Roast.  Photo from Amanda's blog, Serenity Now.)

Amanda's Easiest Ever Crock Pot Roast
1/2 cup water
1 packet Italian Dressing Mix  (as info I used Good Seasons)
1 packet Ranch Dressing Mix  (as info I used Hidden Valley)
1 packet Brown Gravy Mix  (as info I used McCormicks)
1 Beef Roast, sized for your crock pot  (I actually used a london broil 'cause that's what I had in the freezer)

Pour 1/2 cup water into base of crock pot and place roast inside. Pour dressing packets and gravy packet over roast. Cover and cook 6-7 hours on low. 

***Amanda's version adds potatoes and veggies to the crock pot after cooking the roast for 4 hours and letting the taters & veggies cook for 2-3 hours.  She uses 2-3 potatoes with the skin on cut into chunks and mixed veggies (she uses a bag of frozen carrots, broccoli & cauliflower). 
I didn't add the taters & veggies to mine this time.  Instead I served the roast & gravy over egg noodles with broccoli on the side. 

Hope you enjoy this easy recipe.  Thanks Amanda!!!

OFFER EXPIRED $5 Off a $5 Purchase at Hallmark THIS WEEKEND

Go here to print this $5 off coupon from Hallmark.  Minimum purchase is $5.  Last year I had a couple of these and scored really nice wrapping paper for free and several cards for free! 

This coupon is good tomorrow, 12/3 through Sunday, 12/5 only.  Print and hurry to Hallmark this weekend!

Online Santa Fun For Your Kids

Portable North Pole lets your children receive a personalized message from Santa.  Very cool!


Starting on Wednesday, December 1st you can track Santa with the Official Norad Santa Tracker. 

Creamy Italian Crock Pot Chicken

**just linked up this recipe to Your Recipe, My Kitchen

One of the things I like best about sharing recipes on my blog is participating in weekly blog parties that spotlight food and recipes.  I am finding lots of yummy recipes to try and am discovering great blogs to follow. 

Recently I found a yummy-sounding recipe on Tiffanee's blog, One Crazy Cookie.  The recipe is for Creamy Italian Crock Pot Chicken....only a few ingredients to throw in the crock pot...gotta like that!  Thanks, Tiffany, for sharing this recipe!  It was an instant hit with my family.

Creamy Italian Crock Pot Chicken

4-5 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
1/2 cup butter
1 package dry Italian dressing mix (I used Good Seasons)
2 (10-3/4oz.) cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup water
1 (8oz) cream cheese
1 lb. pasta

Place chicken breasts in the crock pot and sprinkle with the Italian dressing mix.  Pour can of cream of chicken soup and water over chicken.  Add the butter.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours, stirring once or twice. 

When chicken is done, remove it from the sauce and shred it.  Add the brick of cream cheese and return the chicken to the crock pot.  Allow the cream cheese to melt.  Stir to combine. 

This is great served with either pasta or rice.  I used rotini noodles and added the cooked pasta into the crock pot and stirred to combine it with the chicken and sauce mixture. 

This was a great recipe that my family all agreed was a hit.  And it was good the next day for lunch too!

I'll be sharing this recipe this week...
Mouthwatering Monday
Tasty Tuesday
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Tuesdays At The Table
Eat at Home's Ingredient Spotlight
Serenity Now's Weekend Bloggy Reading

Menu Plan Monday

Here's my plan for this week...

Monday...chicken in slow cooker (no idea what this is called...my friend told me about it...chicken breasts, cream of chicken soup and cheddar cheese soup in slow cooker...I'll let you know how it turns out), mashed potatoes, green beans

Tuesday...chili & rice (this is the 2nd half of the batch I made 2 weeks ago and froze)

Wednesday...Easiest Ever Pot Roast (will share recipe in a few days...thanks to fellow blogger, Amanda...she'll get a shout out in my recipe post!), egg noodles, honey carrots

Thursday...Peanut Chicken (recipe coming in a few days), rice, broccoli

Friday...out for son's b-day!