At JC Penny’s they are offering a coupon for $10 off a $25 purchase for MNG by MANGO. To make it even sweeter, you can use this coupon on clearance items! Rose bought everything above for only $17! She saved over $135!! Print this coupon and run in and see what you can find! Thanks Rose Knows Coupons!

If you have not signed up for the JC Penny newsletter you do not want to miss out. I was not a big JC Penny shopper UNTIL I started getting the newsletter. This is where you get the heads up on exclusive deals and those $10 off a $10 purchase coupons!

This coupon comes in handy, get $1 off Johnson’s Baby Powder HERE. It should be under almost all zip codes. There are always some deals that you can score with this one.

The Clymb is back with some great deals today! If you are new you can sign up HERE and get a FREE $10 credit. You can turn around and use that credit right away on any item. Today they have a bunch of water bottles for under $10, meaning that you can get them free! You will have to pay shipping, but you could pick up 3 bottles and just pay shipping for them!

Go HERE to take a look! If you have been waiting to use your credit now is a good time.

As a preschool director and parent, I am intimately familiar with all aspects of dried pasta 🙂

As a couponer, and someone who likes to create inexpensive meals at home for my family while on a budget, pasta dishes are a staple in my home. My children are still little and like pasta dishes, they are filling and those little bodies need the carbs. When ever I have the chance though I ALWAYS grab the either the higher fiber, or whole wheat options to try and add in some of the better fiber to their diet.

The kids don’t always want to go along with me though on the whole wheat pasta, it freaks them out a little with the color and texture. Barilla has a new white pasta that is high in fiber but looks familiar!

Introducing Piccolini Rich in Fiber – White

• Contains 3x more fiber than regular pasta
• Provides 30% of daily whole grains (per 100g serving)
• Looks and tastes like regular pasta

Now, for preschool, the possibilities with pasta are endless! Pasta is cheap and soooooo entertaining! Here are a few of my favorite ideas of things to do with Barilla pasta:

• Bow tie pasta angels
• Pasta Tiara
• Pasta Rainbows
• Threading Pasta, making necklaces

Plus, you can go to Barilla’s site and watch videos of things to do with pasta for both cooking and crafts!

A few weeks ago I posted an easy, inexpensive and really good recipe that my kids have been making at least once a week now. It is really satisfying for them to help cook and be responsible for helping with dinner. It is easy for them to help boil the pasta, scoop everything out and into the skillet, and brown the hamburger. All with supervision of course!

Check out The Girl Who Ate Everything, her pictures are much better 

Taco Pasta

1 pound ground beef or turkey ( I used 1.5 lb. )
8-12 ounces Barilla medium pasta shells or other small dry pasta shapes ( I used 12 oz)
1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, drained (if making this for kids you might want to use just plain diced tomatoes)
4 tablespoons taco seasoning (I used 1 packet)
3 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or sauté pan, cook the ground meat over medium-high heat until no longer pink. A few minutes before the meat is cooked through, add the chopped onion to the skillet. Once the meat is cooked through, mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes.

Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit if it is still too thin.

Toss in the cilantro right before serving for some fresh color and flavor. Serve with a green salad.

This post was written on behalf of Barilla Pasta, which I LOVE and use every week!

I know it is weird to get excited about seeing a coupon, but I actually did when I saw this Lloyd’s one! This os one of our favorite meals in the Ivanovsky household, a baked potato bar! Plus, I didn’t have anything planned for dinner and so this is what we are having!!

Go HERE to print your $1.00 off Lloyd’s BBQ coupon! ( I used 77477)

A baked potato bar is not a new idea and I am sure you have done it many times… but recently we “rediscovered” this dinner idea and it continues to be a huge hit around here!

I like potato bar’s because they are easy and cheap. We usually can find many toppings in the fridge and I rarely have to pick anything up at the store for it, the only thing I have to do is get them in the oven in time 

I always butter and salt the potatoes with kosher salt and wrap them in foil, my husband tells me this is why he loves me! This is a good job for the kids. ** I think they turn out better when you don’t wrap them in foil, but it makes a mess of my oven and smokes even with a pan underneath…

A month or so ago I got a great deal on this BBQ. I usually make my own but it was so cheap I thought I would try it. I bought a bunch and threw them in the freezer. When we have baked potatoes we use 2 for my family. I toss them in the microwave and we top the potatoes with it.

This is a picture of my daughters plate, I forgot to take one of mine and my husbands, we had ours TOPPED with everything! It was prettier that way! We usually have sour cream, cheese, butter, green onions, pulled pork, and salt and pepper.

Here are some ideas of what you can put in your bar:

Baked Potato bars are really good to serve to big groups and company, Ellen’s Kitchen has methods on how to transport and arrange Potato Bars for large crowds.

What are you having for dinner tonight?

**Use zip 98052

WOW, there are so many uses for this high value coupon! If you have not gotten your $1.50 off Colgate Sensative coupon go HERE and look under zip 30303, 77477, 90210 or try 80222. It has been on and off today finding it! Let us know if you find it under a certain zip! Thanks Hip2Save for photo and deal.

Some Walmart stores have it in the trial size section as well as some grocery stores.

Eversave has a great deal today on Parents magazine. You can get a 1 year subscription for only $5. If you are a new member you get a free $3 credit for signing up and you can apply that to the total amount making your subscription only $2!

This is a great magazine to get for the coupons.

Also today on Eversave travel, if you are needing to make a hotel reservation for anytime soon you might want to check out the deal they have going for Travelocity. You can get a $100 gift voucher to Travelocity for only $50.

From September 6 – 10, 2011, participating Chick-fil-A^® restaurants are giving away a variety of FREE breakfast entrées to customers who make a reservation online. To make your reservation, visit this website beginning Monday, August 29, 2011 and choose your preferred Chick-fil-A restaurant, the date, time and breakfast entrée.

Some of you will be able make a reservation right away and not have to wait.

Remember the sample bag form this spring at Target with all the goodies and coupons? It is back! Go HERE and quickly get your free bag! The site is slow because of the traffic, if you don’t get in the first time, keep trying! Thanks Hip!