5 Things I Like This Week

Feature article by Lynchburg College on my brother and his new role as an athlete. http://www.lynchburg.edu/x29813.xml

It's almost Fall!!! It used to be my first sip of a Caramel Apple Spice drink from Starbucks that signified the start of Fall for me, but then they started offering that drink all the time. Now it's the smell of cinnamon brooms that captivate my thoughts letting me know cooler weather is coming and the leaves are about to change! One of the grocery stores I shop at has them at the front of the store - Sniff! Sniff! 

I found a great deal on cereal this week at Publix, as well as many other healthy grocery options. See below for the entire post.

I just made this wreath this afternoon. It's made with deco mesh ribbon. It's pretty easy to make, but you could fluff the ribbon all day long and still feel like you could fluff some more.

Billboard on University, based on the great song "Jack and Diane" by John Mellencamp. It's great advertising and marketing. And most everytime we pass by, J and I bust into the song.

A Steal of a Deal #2

I had a great week at Publix this week! I'd like to say I have a great week every week, but usually I just have a good week. Great is much better than good in my book!

I would like to point out how relatively healthy everything is! A lot of people say that couponing leads to buying junk but that doesn't have to be the case if you don't let it.

• English Muffins, on sale BOGO and I had a $1 off each package. Paid $1 for each.
• Salad Mix,on sale BOGO and I had a $1 off each package. Paid $1 for each.
• Yellow Onions, on sale for 2/$5. No coupon, but already made french onion soup last night in the crock pot. I'll slide a few more up and freeze for the future. 
• SnackWell's snack packages, on sale BOGO and I had a $1 off each package. Paid $0.60 for each.
• Eight O'Clock coffee, on sale BOGO and I had a $0.75 off coupon. Paid $1.90 for each. I don't even drink coffee at home, but I'm always looking for deals for my in-laws. My father-in-law can't remember if he likes Eight O'Clock coffee, but he likes $1.75 for an entire package, so I have a feeling he will like this.
• Chef Boyardee, on sale BOGO and I had 2 $0.50/2 coupons that doubled. Bought 4 for $1. 
• Pace salsa, on sale BOGO and I had $0.50/2 coupon that doubled. Bought 2 for $1.80. We don't love jarred salsa, but for this price, we do! 
• Fiber One cereal, on sale 2/$5 and I had 6 $2 store coupons plus 3 $1/2 manufacturer's coupon. Used all 9 coupons and got all 9 boxes FREE! It's all being mailed to my mother, I even called her at the store to see what flavors she wanted. 

So for all that, I paid $18.04. Between store sales and coupons, I saved $52.29 OR 75%. Like I said, I think I did pretty good and most of the food is relatively healthy.

All My Children...or rather All My Grandchildren

Today, a significant event is taking place in daytime television...All My Children airs for the last time on network television. All My Children has been on the air for over 40 years - first airing on January 5, 1970. For today's television, that's an extremely long time! Perhaps you're a fan, perhaps you're not. I promise this post really has nothing to do with the soap opera itself, I promise. Please keep reading...

When I was younger, my mom worked out of the home, so when my brother and I got sick, rather than my mom staying home or taking a vacation day, my mom would take us to my grandmother's house. My grandmother was a nurse, so clearly she knew exactly how to take care of us, whatever our various ailments. Even when we were out for various school breaks or whatnot, we still went to my grandmother's house.

My grandmother and I meeting my baby brother for the first time.

My grandparents have both passed, but I would love to know what they would think of today's television. Yes, the shows that are on, but I'd be more interested in the actual piece of electronic equipment. My grandparents always had one of those televisions that was an actual piece of furniture. Even when the one I remember as a child broke, they got a "new" one when I was a teenager, it looked almost the exact same. It looked something like this:

 

When I would stay home from school and go to my grandmother's house, I had full reign. I was able to talk whenever I wanted, eat whatever I wanted, watch whatever I wanted on television. HOWEVER, when the one o'clock hour approached (eastern time), everything stopped and we had to watch All My Children. This was my grandmother's guilty pleasure. I'm not positive but I'm pretty sure she saw the first episode and didn't quit watching until the day she died.

I remember in college, I would call my grandmother to check in and we would always talk about what was going on with various characters. If I was home sick today, there's no way I would have a clue about what was going on with the various story lines and characters. On this day, however, I might just play "sick" and watch just for the sake of old times. Old times that I cherish with my grandmother...she taught me well and I miss her!

My aunt, grandmother, mom, and me at my bridal shower. This was a few weeks before she passed away.

The Great and the Least,

The Rich and the Poor,
The Weak and the Strong,
In Sickness and in Health,
In Joy and Sorrow,
In Tragedy and Triumph,
You are ALL MY CHILDREN.

Not a Healthy Recipe, but Delicious nonetheless!

Our schedules are hectic and we're usually only home together on Monday nights. On the other nights, we either try to eat leftovers together at sporadic times or I find something when I can eat and Jeremy finds something for dinner when he has time to eat.

The other night Jeremy had a meeting and I needed something quick and easy for dinner because cooking for two is hard enough so cooking for one is next to impossible for me. And if I cook then I also have to clean and I'm just not willing to do all that after working a long day. We have a deal in our marriage, whoever cooks, the other one cleans. When I'm the only one home, well I'm stuck having to cook and clean and there's lots of days I don't feel like doing that.

I decided to make dinner and just like the title of the post says, it was not at all healthy but delicious nonetheless! I call them BBQ Beef Cups. I don't make these often, but often enough to know they're dangerous to my waistline and they are quick and easy.

First, you take a can of biscuit dough and pull pieces apart, filling a muffin tin like this. The can I had was actually for 8 biscuits, but as you can see I was able to take the pieces and spread them out so I was able to make 10 of these.

Then, you brown some ground beef or turkey and once it's finished browning, add some BBQ sauce. One of the nights that I prepared these, I called J and told him what I was making and he requested some with Frank's, so that's what he had the next day for lunch. It was so simple to half the meat and add BBQ sauce to some of them for me and hot sauce to the others for him.

Then you fill the cups with the meat mixture. It looks something like this...

I also add a dollop of either the BBQ sauce of hot sauce on the very top just for a little added moisture. We would be eating these over the next few days and I didn't want them drying out. To make them even better, you can add some shredded cheese on top for a little something extra. However, then I realized that I wouldn't know which ones were made with what sauce, so I added a jalapeno slice to each of that I made for J.

Then, pop your muffin tin into the oven to melt the cheese and after a few minutes, you end up with something like this.

DELICIOUSNESS!!!