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Strawberry Dream Cake!

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We were celebrating my daughters baptism this weekend and although my sister-in-law was bringing dessert I was afraid it was going to be chocolate.
My daughter hates chocolate…
Yes, I am sure she is my child!
My sister had made this cake earlier in the week and told me how good it was so I thought I would try it. Things got really busy and she happened to walk in as I was yelling at kids to get out the door for softball. She volunteered to take the little ones back to her apt. and bake the cake.
I love her!
So, I started with an already baked cake. Actually, 2 cakes in 9 in. round pans. 
I cut them in half and made my own frosting. 
I had the cake with the frosting below. but I wanted to try it my way! 
Basic frosting:
1 stick butter soft
1 tsp. vanilla
2 T. milk
1 bag powered sugar

I also added a little strawberry preserves to each layer for some flavor and color!

My cake decorating skills are not the greatest, but the cake usually tastes good, thats all that counts right?
Remember, this cake wreck??

I kept this cake in the fridge from the beginning, that made it really good! 
I think next time, I will add a little red food coloring to the batter, just a little, to give it a little more color! A really good cake I would make again!

Strawberry Dream Cake

Ingredients

  • 1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix
  • 1 1/2 cups frozen sweetened strawberries, pureed
  • 12 ounces cream cheese
  • 8 (1 ounce) squares white chocolate
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
  • 1/2 pint sliced fresh strawberries

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9 inch round cake pans.
  2. Make cake per directions except substitute the 1 1/2 cups of strawberries for the water and add 1 extra egg, (if cake mix calls for 2 eggs add 3), and 8 ounces of the cream cheese at room temperature. Beat well and pour into the prepared pans.
  3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. A toothpick inserted in the center will not come out clean when this cake is done since it is so moist. Let cake cool fully before frosting.
  4. To Make Frosting: Heat the heavy cream until just beginning to boil. Pour it over the white chocolate (chopped) and the remaining 4 ounces cream cheese. Mix well and let cool. Once cool fold into the whipped topping. Use to frost cooled cake and garnish with sliced fresh strawberries.

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Kroger Deals February 24th

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Mix and Match is back this week at Kroger! Wow, the past month of Mega Deals have left me stocked up on everything, but I am not going to miss out on the free items this week! To see more Kroger deals go HERE.
*10 for $10 Mix and Match Sale


*Totino’s Crisp Crust Pizza
2/7SS $.50/1 wyb rolls

Final Price: Free wyb Rolls

*StarKist
2/14RP $1/2
$1/1 Printable

Final Price: FREE

*BlueBell Pints
*Manwich
*Wolf Brand Chili
*Nabisco Go-Paks
*Mission Tortillas
*Arrid Deodorant XX Antiperspirant
*Pace Picante Sauce (8 oz)
*Sobe Life Water

Printable B1G1 Free

Final Price: .50 each wyb 2
*Knorr Side Dishes
1/31RP $1/3
Final Price: .67 each wyb 3
*Green Giant Frozen Veggies

Printable .50/1

1/3GM.60/3
2/7GM .60/3

Final Price: FREE

*GE Light Bulbs
1/3SS $1/1

Final Price: FREE

*Chapstick
1/31RP $1/3
Final Price: .67 each wyb 3
*Carefree Liners

Printable $1/1

Final Price: FREE

FREE 2 Gallons of Milk wyb any combination of (4) Kellogg’s Cereals!
RP $1/3 Printable (Cereal)

2/7RP $1/3 (Cereal)
2/7RP $1/2 (bars)
B1G1 Printable (Special K)

Dr Pepper, Pepsi Cola products 3/$12 
Get 1 free wyb 4
Final Price: 4/$12 (or $3 each)

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Randalls/Safeway deals February 24th.

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These are just a few of the deals this week at Randalls/TomThumb. It seems to be a slow week. To see more Randalls deals go HERE.

Welch’s Grape Juice $2.49

$1/1 SS 02/07/10 

$1/2 Printable 

Final Price: $1.49


Prego $1.25 (buy 4 Heart Smart Sauces)

Use (2) $.50/2 coupons 2/7/10 SS 

Pay $3, Get $1 Catalina

$0.50/2 02/07/2010 SS 
$1.00/1 02/07/2010 SS 
Final Price: as low as $0.50 each or lower if use $1 off coupon 
Chinet- $3.99

Final Price: $2.99


Kraft Mac N Cheese 2/$1

Final Price: $0.30 each

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Remember this guy? Ask Paul, is back!

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Remember this guy?!
Hideous I know…
Back, in the dark ages (last summer) my husband would cry himself to sleep at night because he was sooo left out of the blogging world. I felt like it was my duty to give him a voice and we did a segment called “Ask Paul”. You can read the first one HERE. 
It started off a little slow, but soon took off to where he was getting about 20 emails a week. Quite honestly, I was really surprised. One week he even got 41 emails. Then he quit. I think it freaked him out. 
Well, he’s back! Ready to take all your coupon, what’s wrong with my husband, I hate my dog also, and I can’t wait for football season to be back, questions!
You can email him at pbivan@yahoo.com
* Look for Ask Paul on either Friday or Saturday nights, because basically when you have 6 kids and your wife is pregnant with your 7th you don’t have a life! This IS your weekend entertainment!

P.S. My Mother has never had so much fun photoshopping in her life! I can still here her giggling! 

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Thinking about Swagbucks?

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If you have not signed up to do Swagbucks, wait a few days to do so!
I am sure you are sick of hearing me talk about Swagbucks, but honestly I am so sorry that I waited so long to do it! I really want everyone of you to take advantage of the gift cards that you can get. 
I only cash mine in at Amazon, but so far in the 5 months that I have done Swagbucks I have gotten some really nice items at Amazon. I paid for most of our Christmas, bought a really nice Dyson and recently a new lens for my camera. I wrote a post HERE explaining how to get more Swagbucks. 
On February 25th Swagbucks is kicking off their 2nd Birthday celebration. They will have tons of ways to get extra Swagbucks and I will have a special code for you to use to get double the bucks just for signing up!
No, Swagbucks did not hire me to write this! I just think it is a really good way to pay for some of the extra things around the house!

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Freebies list!

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Go here to request a FREE Beech-Nut Toddler kit The FREE kits will include high value coupons… possibly a FREE product coupon! Thanks Hip!




Sun-Maid is offering a new FREE recipe booklet! Go head on over here to score a FREE Fruit & Sunshine Recipe booklet, filled with 17 different recipes! (Thanks, Free Stuff!)


free yoplait yogurt Free Yoplait Yo Plus Sample
Go HERE for a free sample of Yoplait Yo Plus!

ZonePerfect is offering a FREE sample of their NEW ZonePerfect Indulgence Nutrition Squares in either Caramel Toffee or Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse. Just go on over here to become a fan of ZonePerfect on Facebook. After doing so, click on the ZonePerfect Tab and then you’ll be able to click on a link to register for  your FREE sample!
Get a free sample of Olay Total Effect Body Wash, courtesy of Walmart, Thanks Moms Need to Know!


Kellogg’s is offering a Free All Bran 7-Day Promise Pack when you log-in or register. Thanks, Good Deal Mama!

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FREE Mascara at Target

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Before Christmas, I got about 10 of The Extra Super Lash mascara at Target FREE! It is priced again at $2.89. Use the $3/1 Rimmel coupon from the March All You magazine to get it free! I really like this kind.


You can find the All You magazine at the checkout in Walmarts, or you can get a subscription HERE. I highly recommend this magazine is is full of TONS of coupons! I usually buy a few each month plus my subscription.
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Free BelsonPro Turbo Dryer with purchase of BelsonPro Digital Nano Flat Iron

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 Beginning today through February 28th, you can get a Free BelsonPro Turbo Dryer with purchase of BelsonPro Digital Nano Flat Iron online & in stores at SallyBeauty Supply

Just add the BelsonPro Digital Nano Diamond Flat Iron 1″ (Item# 255161) to your cart and enter promo code 444413 in the space provided. The BelsonPro Ionic Tourmaline Turbo Dryer (Item# 255154) will be automatically added to your cart as a free bonus item. Thanks My Dallas Mommy.


If I get into a Sally before this sale ends, I’ll get a review from someone who works there in these products!
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Guest Post: How to stretch your Food Stamp dollars further.

By 12 Comments By clicking on our links, we might make a SMALL commission - Thanks for the support! See our full DISCLOSURE here.

This is a guest post from Carol who is a blogger at Coupon Crazy Carol. I originally saw it on Couponing to Disney the other day. I was intrigued and thought it took tremendous courage for Carol to write this post, I wanted to post it as a guest post here so that it may help anyone else in the same situation. 
It is said “Into every life some rain must fall.” but I would like to know exactly who’s definition of “some” we are working under and exactly where is this rain gauge we are using because heavens to Betsy there seems to be a ton of rain on my porch!
Without creating a snooze fest of a post, 2009 brought lots of changes to my family and financial situation.  My children’s father, my husband, chose to “opt out” of fatherhood and our marriage because we were cramping his style.  I took my children and we moved in with my father, 200 miles from my husband. I have two very small, very wonderful children.  As I type this, my beautiful 2-year-old daughter and my amazing 11-month-old son are asleep on the bed beside me. .
Being a single mother is an extremely hard job.  Especially when you go 8 months with no child support.  As a result, I have had to educate myself extensively on social services and low income programs available to me and my children to survive and provide them with a quality of life that they deserve.
When you end up on your face outside of the DHS office there isn’t a whole lot of help or guidance offered here in TN.  I am lucky enough to have friends “in the system” both as recipients and as “The Man” (HAH!)  So I have more knowledge about resources than most.
I know that I am NOT the only person out there who receives benefits for food and wants to stretch them as far as possible! So here is a guide to help you stretch your benefits!!
Budget your FS each month as other folks budget their cash.**Very few people receive their benefits on the first of the month.  Know yourstate’s rules for benefits distribution.  Your benefits could be on your card any time between the 1st and the 10th of the month.  I receive my benefits on the 9th day of the month. so my monthly budget goes from the 9th to the 9th
**Example of budgeting: Peggy Sue receives $400.00 a month for her family of 4. (herself, her husband and her two children) This means she has roughly $92.31 a week to spend on groceries for them. ($400 * 12 months) / 52 weeks = $92.31 weekly
**Plan your meals.  I will admit that I struggle with this but it is kind of necessity! Be sure to plan your meals around the sales.  Find some local blogs that match coupons or use Kristin’s amazing low cost lists to help you plan meals!!! Here are some recipe resources for you:Menu Plan Monday
A Few Shortcuts
Be sure to use coupons to buy your items each week to drive your cost as low as possible.
If it is convenient for you (or only slightly inconvenient) I recommend that you shop many different stores to get the very lowest prices! If you normally shop Publix but Chicken is on sale for $1.99 / lb at Kroger then WHY would you pay $3.99 / lb at Publix?!
Remember that if you live in a state that has a food sales tax (Tennessee does) that you will have to pay a slight amount for the tax on the coupons so bring some cash to the store with you.
Planning, Planning, Planning!
**One of my biggest pitfalls is not sticking to my list!! Make a list and stick to it!! If your list says 4 of the BOGO fruit cups because that is all you have coupons for then stick to 4!
**Try to grab ALL of the free items available each week.  As many as you have coupons for.  If you have a publix near you i recommend you print, beg, borrow, clip ANY Muir Glen Product coupon you can find and use it to buy the 8oz size of tomato sauce.  You should get around 11¢ of overage for each can but there are so many recipes you can use that stuff in and it’s handy to always have it on your shelf!! (Remember – YMMV when it comes to overage at Publix. Some WILL allow you to get Overage and some won’t. Mine will.)
**I plan my meals around my grocery list.  If chicken is on sale then we have chicken this week, not steak or roast unless I have it in my freezer!
**If you have planned your list out for the week and have money left over it’s okay to save that as a surplus for the following week or month. Your EBT/Food Stamp Benefits ROLL from month to month!!!
**Be sure you are stockpiling at the rock bottom prices so that you don’t have to buy items at full price!!
Know the store’s policy on EBT cards/Food Stamps!!
Walmart handles food vs. non-food with coupons fine.
Kroger handles the food vs. non-food fine.
Harris Teeter also handles it fine BUT their system has definite weirdness going on.  A few times my total should have been like $2-3.00 in cash after I paid with my EBT card and instead it came out to them owing me $5.00….It was very, very weird and I made them keep the money and I have run some numbers but have yet to come out with an explanation for the balance due to me…
Publix is a different animal.
I found out the hard way that Publix coupons all come off of the food stampable total…Even non-food coupons.  I bought a whole bunch of clearance stuff (Shampoo and razors and such) that should be free and I should only pay $3.00 in cash for.  My foodstamp total should have been around $9.00 . My total in cash came to $14.00
I was very confused.  i went to the customer service desk and the manager explained it to me.  He fixed everything for me which was terrific.  Apparently my cashier was new and didn’t know to just automatically have me separate nonfood & food items when using EBT cards.  Now I know and I automatically right away separate my order out.  I’ve been known to go through Publix with 6 orders.  That is the major reason why I try to stick to one or two cashiers who know me well and who don’t mind me or my coupons.
You don’t have to sacrifice your cost of living just because you are having a hard time right now!!
Here is the reality of my situation: I am a single mother. It is not fiscally possible for me to go to work in this economy.  If I were to get just any-old job I would end up further in the hole than I am….day-care, gasoline, wear-&-tear on my car, new clothes, new shoes, and that doesn’t count health insurance premiums and co-pays and the diapers and OTC medication etc for my children. (We are a sickly people.  I single-handedly keep the makers of Tylenol, Motrin and Benadryl in business with my kids home with me – when my daughter went to daycare she was sick 3 times the amount she is now – and she is sick at least twice a month as it is!!!)

There are a LOT of people angry at me because they look at me as a lazy leach on society.  They seem to forget that I worked for 18 years before I EVER drew $1.00 out of “the system.” When I was working for those 18 years I paid into the social services programs like everyone else and LIKE everyone else I have just as much of a right to use these services when I need to as anyone else!!! I refuse to make excuses or apologies or anything to anyone.
Some other tips to help out if you are in the boat with me:
Look for other low-income programs:
The YMCA offers low-income programs that are income-based and I believe they offer scholarships or grants so that you can attend without having to pay anything if you qualify.
Your local museum may offer a low-income program.  In Tennessee the Science Center (formerly the Cumberland Science Museum) offers a yearly membership for $20.00 with an EBT card.
You can get a free cell phone to keep you safe if you have an EBT card. Check outSafelink Wireless if you need a cell phone.  They are pre-paid track phones and someone (I don’t know who but I think it’s a tremendous idea!) pays for a certain number of minutes per phone a month.  It is only offered in certain states and that part of their website is down right now so I can’t tell you which ones 🙁 To see if your state participates go to the link and put your zip code in and see if you could qualify if you are in need of a phone!! (And yes, it really is free!)
Check into state supported/paid for insurance programs for your children if you are unable to provide them with insurance.  Your state may have a reduced cost (or free) health insurance option.
If you have small children (5 and under) or are pregnant or nursing PLEASE check into your state’s WIC program (Women, infants and children.) They provide you with food vouchers for your children that can help out tremendously.  If you are unable to nurse and your baby has to use formula they help you out with formula for the first 12 months of a childs life and provide essential foods for your child such as whole grains, eggs, juice, milk and fresh fruits and vegetables each month!! (This program is very easy to qualify for..a LOT of the enlisted folks in the military qualify for WIC….)
If you have small children, and a washer at home, swallow your “ick” factor and check into cloth diapering.  Each disposable diaper costs 41¢ that you are throwing into the landfill. (This is an average number averaging the cost of a newborn diaper and the cost of a stage 5 diaper).  The average child will wear 7000 diapers until they are potty trained (Assuming complete potty training by age 3)  I cloth diaper my youngest.  That reminds me – I need to write a post about that 🙂 So many posts, so little time.  So many whiney children in this house! 😉
Huge very special thanks to Kristin who asked me to write this post three months ago and has patiently waited for me to write it!!! Things are SO CRAZY at my house with two so small as a single parent!!
Please feel free to visit me over at Crazy Coupon Carol or email me at nosunshyne (at) gmail (dot) com if you have questions or need some additional help 🙂

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Purex, $1.94 at Meijer!

By 2 Comments By clicking on our links, we might make a SMALL commission - Thanks for the support! See our full DISCLOSURE here.

Looking for more ways to use that awesome coupons from Sundays inserts? Thanks to Deal Finding Chik for letting us know about a great deal at Meijer!
*Deal Idea*
Buy 2 Purex 3-in-1 sheets – 4.88
Use B1G1 coupon from 2/21 RP
Use $1.00/1 coupon from HERE
Final Price – $3.88 for both making it just $1.94 each!

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Amazon Deals

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Drug Store Deals

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Latest Freebies

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