Extreme Couponing, Houston Frugal Living Blog
These are some personal favorites that we will be making for Super Bowl Sunday. For me, unless my team is playing (which again… they are NOT) it is more about the food for me!
Please leave your favorite game day recipes or recipe ideas in the comments!
I will be posting a few more recipes today! Come back and see what there is!
My friend Becky S. sent me over this recipe for Hot Artichoke Dip to make for the Super Bowl this weekend. As soon as I started reading it I realized that I have made it before and IT WAS AWESOME! You know how you have those recipes you make a bunch of times in a few months and then you forget about them? This was one of those!
I am SOOOOO glad she reminded me of it!
Hot Artichoke Dip
8 oz. cream cheese, softened, cut into cubes
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (fresh, if possible)
1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, chopped
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 tsp. dill
1/8 tsp saltCombine cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, Parmesan, half of the artichoke hearts, garlic, dill, and salt in a food processor. Process until blended. Stir in the other half of the artichoke hearts. (Or you add all the artichoke hearts to the blender for a smooth dip.) Spoon into an oiled baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Serve warm with pita chips or crackers.
We often have sandwiches for dinner. In order to make them a little more exciting I try different spreads and different breads. I made this simple dill sandwich spread the other night and my 15 year old declared his love for me and ate 2 sandwiches. I would say it was a hit!
Take a block of cream cheese, mayo, crushed garlic, dill and some cucumber if you have it.
Mix it all together and chill. This can be kept in the fridge for a few days and used when needed.
Next I rummaged through my fridge and grabbed all the cheese and meat I had. I used bread from the mark down section at my Kroger and a cucumber.
I have found that when I make a buffet line or spread it all out and let the family make their own sandwich it is much more appetizing to them and fun. They also add more veggies when I do this.
The cucumber is such a compliment to the dill spread it is a MUST on this sandwich! It was aHUGE hit at our house and so I hope you try it!
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and grated
1 package (8 ounce size) cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon dill weed
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed garlic
Mix all together and chill.
There is a NEW high value Pillsbury Crescent Roll coupon you can print, $1 off ANY size Pillsbury Crescent Roll.
Mountain Dew Apple Dumplings are so completely, INSANELY good, I just can’t even tell you! I have posted the recipe before, but because you might be cooking for guests in the next few weeks I wanted to give you some ideas of things to make you a rock star at dinner!
Plus there are always coupons for crescent rolls!
2 Granny Smith apples
2 cans crescent rolls
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla
cinnamon
1 small can Mountain Dew
Peel and core apples. Cut apples into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan. Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.
When I was a kid a grocery store called King Soopers in my area always gave kids free Cherry Chip cookies. They were just like chocolate chip cookies but were make with Cherry flavored chips.
They also had lemon, but those were never very popular.
This was a highlight of our week, getting the free cookies. They also had $.10 hotdogs and so we often had dinner there while my Mom got groceries!
It is not easy to find the cherry chips. They are not just colored chips, they taste like cherry. I had to order mine from Amazon and they came in 2 days. They were less than $2 a bag and with Amazon Prime I got free shipping.
There is a really good recipe on the bag and I am making those tomorrow, it calls for mini marshmallows and evaporated milk. I will let you know how those turn out.
I made mine using the same recipe from the back of the Nestle Toll House bag but used almond extract instead of vanilla.
PREHEAT oven to 375° F.
COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
Menu Plan Monday! Are your kids home? Mine are. I am going to make some Valentines stuff with them today and hopefully maybe catch a movie as they have gift cards from their Grandparents that are burning holes in their pockets.
Does anyone else love the sound of SILENCE early in the morning when no one else it up? It might be just me, but it is my favorite time of day! 🙂
Randalls/Safeway has Fresh Whole Pork Shoulder Blade Roast for $1.29 a lb until Tuesday night. I am going to pick some up and toss it in the freezer.
Kroger has boneless Skinless chicken breasts $1.59/lb!!!!!!!!!!!! Stock up!!!!!!! You have until the sale switches Tuesday night!!
Monday – Chicken Wrapped Bacon – Reader Nicole sent me this recipe and pictures a while ago and we have been making it often since then! It is perfect for my little kids.
Tuesday – Smoked Boston Butt Roast – From Paul Deans restaurant so you know it is good!
Wednesday – Santa Fe Chicken – This is a recipe from my friend Shasta and I think she got it from Skinny Taste. Anyway, everyone LOVES it, so give it a try!
Thursday – Pan Seared Strip Steak – My husband will be home tonight and he makes a steak like nothing you have ever had! In a good way! I am going to let him tackle this one!
Friday – Foil Pack Taco Chicken – This is a kid FAVORITE at my house! It is Friday and I am sure a friend will be over, so the kids will be so happy to see we are having this!
For the past few years I have just stuck with the same two recipes for chocolate chip cookies. Either the Nestle Toll House one on the bag, or the Neiman Marcus recipe (if I have to make a LOT of cookies).
I picked this one because I thought the combo of shortening and oil was a little different, since I only use real butter for cookies normally. They turned out really nice I think. They don’t spread out, they stay chunky and have a shortbread consistency. The kids and Paul gave two thumbs up. The only problem now is that I ate so much cookie dough, I need someone to figure out how many WW points it was, and I have a feeling I am done eating for the next 8 days!
Does anyone have any favorite Chocolate Chip cookies recipes you can post to share that I can try???
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
1 Cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup shortening
1 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 t. cream of tartar
2 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I used 1 cup Ghirardelli’s + 2 cups semi-sweet chips and 1 cup chopped pecans)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. I an a medium bowl , beat together white sugar, brown sugar, oil and shortening until smooth. Stir in eggs, and vanilla beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt, stir into sugar mixture. Finally, fold in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by big spoonfuls onto cookies sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 min. cool on sheet and remove.
This is a post from last year, that I am reposting to give you some tips and ideas!
We are having friends over for the Super Bowl. I like to cook and talk, so the fact that there is a game to watch is just a side note for me 🙂 But as I was cleaning the kitchen and getting the table ready, I realized a few things…
First, I am a total nerd and love to make tables pretty for parties no matter how many people are there. I do it on Sunday for dinner just because.
Second, it DOES NOT have to cost you anything!
I store all my nice plates and dishes on top of the cupboards, and even on my fireplace mantle. I grabbed greenery from the TV stand for the table and a magazine basket for chips. Plus, most of everything that I have was from Walmart anyway. In fact, the entire table at one point or another came from Walmart each piece under $10 or way less. I think that the PRESENTATION makes the mood and even can make it TASTE better! Not that my food isn’t good 🙂
This is what we are having:
Cream Cheese w/ Jalapeno Jelly and Crackers
BBQ ( brisket, sausage and pulled pork, form my VERY favorite BBQ place, go HERE to visit!)
Dessert/Better than sex cake and cupcakes
A few suggestions would be that I always put the drinks in the back, we also have a fridge on the deck with soda but the juice and other stuff I don’t want the little kids helping themselves and making a mess. I purposely make it where they have to ask for help.
Also, I love crock pots, heating plates and my chaffing dishes. This makes it so that I don’t have to be in the kitchen all day and can make everything ahead of time and leave it out so everyone can come and go as they please.
This is a VERY small get together, if it was a normal Davis or Ivanovsky party I would have the island, 2 tables and more set up. But I still like to make things special even if it is just my family!
It is time to start thinking ahead to Valentines Day recipes and ideas. Consider making these Cherry Chocolate Kiss Cookies this year to really impress someone you love!
This is one I was glad I made when the kids were around! I needed them to unwrap the kisses, HOWEVER, I should have bought another jar of cherries as it was all I could do to keep them from eating them all!
The dough is SOOOOO good. I am warning you. If you have no willpower make with a friend near by!
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons maraschino cherry juice
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherry
48 Hershey cherry cordial chocolate kisses
granulated sugar
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a mixing bowl beat butter for 30 seconds on med-high speed. Add powdered sugar and salt beating until combined (scrape sides of bowl). Beat in the cherry liquid and almond extract. Beat in as much flour as you can then use a spoon to mix any remaining flour and the chopped cherries.
2. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Using the bottom of a glass dipped in granulated sugar, flatten the balls until they are about 1/2 inch thick. Bake 14 minutes or until bottoms are light brown. Right away place a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
This week it is cold and rainy. At least here in Houston. I just want soup and crock pot meals. When I plan my meals, I start with the protein part of the meal because that is the most expensive. I look to see what is on sale and then make my plan.
Monday – Slow Cooker Creamy Beef Stroganoff
Tuesday – Copy Cat Zuppa Toscana Soup from Olive Garden
Wednesday – Chicken Tacos ( will need leftover meat for Chicken Soup Friday)
Thursday – Parmesan Crusted Pork Loin Chops
Friday – Chicken Taco Soup ( use chicken meat from Wednesday )
Part comedian, part Dad, part athlete. He will boss around your children while they play ball.
Just as angelic as she looks, this girl could easily raise a Village by herself, and all the children would grow up to be President.
Self proclaimed, she would be a webkinz dog. Because, "they're cute, and puppies are too. And they're sweet and they always get along with other puppies."
This mini-Martha Stewart can handle ANY craft you send her way. She isn't all bows and rainbows, she's got karate kid moves!
Not "Pick-Me-Up" like caffeine, she wants you to pick her up! AND NOW!
Anything that can be destroyed WILL be destroyed!
Practically Perfect in Every Way for now! Nicknamed "The Panda" she is rolly polly and lives by the motto, "the little one, is KING!"
The resident Labradoodle, Miller got his name because Mom won and got to name the baby! Need something chewed up? He'll take care of it. Especially if it's expensive..
