Do you have a Yoplait kid?

I sure do.  In fact, I have 3 Yoplait kids.  My kids LOVE Yoplait for Kids yogurt.  They love Go-gurts, they love Trix Yoplait and they love the Yoplait for Kids.  They think they’re getting a yummy treat, but *I* know that they’re also getting something healthy and nutritious, something that is providing Vitamin D and calcium to help build strong bones.  THEY think it’s a snack.  I look at it as a snack with benefits!

Living in an apartment complex, my kids don’t get out and stay as active, particularly in the cold months, as I’d like them to.  But in the summer, I encourage them to get out as soon as they’re finished with their breakfasts! LOL     ANOTHER problem, though, with livingin an apartment complex is that they don’t have a lot of outdoorsy toys to play with.  The ones that they do have, mysteriously disappear if they’re left out overnight.  So imagine their excitement when they opened the box from my friends at MySpark and found THIS incredible prize pack!

The Yoplait Get Active Prize Pack includes a travel cooler (to take your yogurt on the road), a jump rope, a water bottle and an outdoor game set that includes a beach ball, paddle ball, Jai-Ali and a Frisbee, PLUS a coupon for a FREE package of my choice of Yoplait! 

   They FREAKED!

And I’ll bet the kid(s) in your life will freak when you win yours!  Yes, I have not one, not two, but THREE AWESOME Yoplait Get Active Prize Packs to give away to 3 lucky readers!

As always, I have a variety of ways for you to win!

    Leave a comment  for each of the things you decide to do:

  Blog about this giveaway.    Leave your comment WITH your url to the post.
    Tweet about this giveaway.  In your comment, be sure to include a link to your actual tweet.  You can do this once a day, every day until the end of the contest (May 3rd).

    Share this on your facebook profile!  Just click below – and of course, make sure you send me the link to that in your comment.
    Become a fan of My Tasty Space on Facebook!  Just let me know in your comment what your Facebook name is.

    Become a follower on blogger.

    Send me lots of money.   KIDDING!

  Stumble this post.  In your comment, leave your SU Name.

Leave a comment here telling me how you like to get your family to get active and have fun.   

 *This coupon offer for a free six pack of Yoplait for Kids yogurt is not valid in some states, including Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota and Tennessee.   However, you’re still more than welcome to enter to win the rest of the prize pack!

Also, if you sign up to join my Facebook group, you’ll get a code for $1.50 coupon off Yoplait!

So, what are you waiting for? Get entering!

[This offer is valid in the US only]

[Entries without a valid email address will be deleted.]

Super Easter Dinner

Happy Easter everyone!

We typically have the standard ham dinner for Easter.  This year, however, I felt like changing it up, so I took advantage of an excellent sale and bought a 6.5 lb rib roast.  I’ve always been leery of trying to make a prime rib because they’re NOT cheap, and if I screw it up, that’s a lot of money wasted.  But last night, I went online and found a very easy, very basic recipe at  RecipeTips.com and decided to try it.  I wanted an easy dinner without tons of prep work, and without a lot of  fuss.    The prime rib recipe was exactly that.

You  take it out and let it sit on the counter until it becomes room temperature. 

You sprinkle salt & pepper all over it, rubbing it in to make sure it sticks.

You put it in the pan.

You preheat the oven to 460.

You place the roast in the oven at 450 for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, you reduce the heat to 325.

You bake it for 11-13 minutes per pound.  I’d figured on 2 hours.  I was mistaken LOL

After about 30 minutes or so, you place your sweet potatoes (see below) in the oven as well.    Do it quickly so as not to let the oven cool off too much.

Then after about an hour – an hour and a half (from when you put it in), check the temperature with a meat thermometer.   Depending on how well done you want the roast, you then make the decision whether it needs to stay in.  The recipe said

 

 

My meat thermometer read 160 so I took it out quickly and tented it with foil while I hurriedly made the veggies LOL

After it had sat for about 10-15 minutes, I removed the foil and sliced.

Voila!

It was tender and absolutely YUMMY!!!!!

Baked Sweet Potatoes

As easy as it sounds.  Peel your sweet potatoes.  Wrap them individually in foil.  I typically put myine on a baking sheet because the natural sugars inside the potato will come out and drip and smoke, otherwise.  I bake them while I am baking the meat – whatever I might be making.

TI baked them for approximately 1 hour, but your time will vary, depending on the oven temp.  When you unwrap them, they will be “juicy” – from the natural sugars that have been released.  I put them in a bowl, cut them up with a butter knife, sprinkle with brown sugar and then butter.

 

Finally, I also made approximately 1/2 a bag of frozen green beans.  To make those, I put  2 cups of water in a pan, along with a couple of teaspoons of chicken bouillon.  I add the green beans and bring to a boil , then  I let simmer until they are tender.

 

Oh, and can’t forget the rolls!

The best part of all of this is that it doesn’t have to be for a holiday.  Although I spent about $32 on the roast, it will easily feed 4-6 people (adults) or more with kids! 

4 for $15?

4 15.  That’s Shaw's new “thing” to entice people.  Four meals for under $15.  Not whole meals – 4 servings.  So you can feed your family of 4 for under $15.

Isn’t that big of them!

For $15, I can make 4 FULL dinners.  Because we’ve always had to live rather frugally, this new era that Americans are finding themselves in, the one in which they can’t be hitting MdD’s 4 times a week – is really nothing new to me. 

The trick, really, is to know how to shop.  You don’t buy things based on need. You buy things based on sales.  You stock up on things when they’re on sale, and then you don’t have to pay sometimes double the price when you need them.

This works particularly well with meats, although, obviously, you need a freezer large enough to accommodate good sales. 

Here’s an example:

Yesterday, I bought 1 lb of Butterball ground turkey.  It was on sale for $1.99 – it’s normally $3.99 or higher.

I would typically buy 2 or 3 of them, because I use it quite frequently.  (I didn’t this week because I have no room in my freezer.)

I also bought a pound of egg noodles that were on sale.

I went home and cooked the turkey up, with some salt & pepper.  I combined it with a jar of spaghetti sauce (Spinach & Cheese Florentine is awesome!), boiled the egg noodles, and voila.  I had a meal for way more than 4 people – for way less than $15! 

$1.99 – turkey

$1.99 – sauce

$1.29 – egg noodles

$5.27  - and enough for dinner for 5 and more than enough for lunch the next day for all of us.  So figure it, in total, fed 8 (at least).   $.65 for a meal is much more acceptable to me than $15!

I’ve already noticed that Shaw's also has boneless chicken breast on sale this week.  $1.88/lb is an excellent price, so I will buy 2 or 3 packages of it. 

There are tons of things I can make with boneless chicken breast, so I am not worried that I’ll put it in the freezer and it won’t get used.  In fact, one of the recipes I made with turkey, http://nhmom.blogspot.com/2008/12/turkey-pot-pie-with-corn-bread-stuffing.html, I will just substitute chicken for turkey with.  So figure $5 for the chicken, $1 for the box of stuffing, $1 for the gravy (if I’m feeling lazy and don’t make my own).  I got the pie crust for free with a coupon. 

Simple recipe, and delicious.  WAY less than $15.

What are some of your favorite recipes that are budget conscious?

Honey Kix Review + Giveaway! [closed]

My kids love cereal. Of course, they REALLY love sugar cereal, but I buy it so infrequently, they have learned to like pretty much anything. There are a few exceptions. Those cereals that are really plain looking tend to get me the hems and haws if I try to even SUGGEST that they eat it for breakfast. So when I opened the box of Honey Kix and gave it to them, I figured I’d get the same ‘tude. But I didn’t! They didn’t even ask for the sugar jar. Honey Kix has all the goodness of Kix® cereal but now with a touch of honey! Honey Kix is a good source of fiber, calcium and vitamin D, contains 16 grams of whole grain per serving (at least 48 grams recommended daily) and has no artificial flavors or preservatives. A perfect balance of taste and nutrition through simple ingredients, which both moms and kids can agree on!

If you would like to try the new Honey Kix, I have a great giveaway for you!

You will receive a coupon for a free box of Honey Kix, the cereal container, Kix cereal bowl, insulated on-the-go cereal container and an ADORABLE honey pot! Just leave a comment telling me what your favorite cereal is. No, not your kids – YOURS. :)

I have THREE of these packs to give away – and I’ll draw a winner this Monday, the 30th.

And a reminder - if you do not leave your email address, and only comment as "anonymous", your entry will be discarded. Thanks.

Happy New Year!

Wow - I can't believe it's been so long. Here's my excuse explanation.

My hubby lost his job in November. Although I did post for Christmas, I really haven't been feeling it. That's putting it mildly. Fortunately, we were able to qualify for state assistance, so we've actually had WAY too much food - but I really haven't felt too much like cooking anything particularly original or worth sharing. I will try, though. :)

Turkey Pot Pie with Corn bread stuffing

I know, a lot of people might be SICK of turkey by now, but I made something SO delicious with my leftover turkey that I just had to share it. 

Now, to explain – on Thanksgiving, I wasn’t happy with the way our turkey came out. The thermometer told me it was done, and I listened to it.  The thermometer was faulty, and so as a result, I had to put the turkey  back in the oven for another hour right when it was actually time to serve.  Then it just wasn’t as good as it should have been.  So a week later, I made another turkey, and that one came out fa bu lous.  Still, it was a lot of turkey, and after several sandwiches, it sat in the fridge for several days.

Finally, inspiration hit and I did this pot pie.

• 1 pre-made pie crust
• 2 cups shredded turkey
• 1- 1 1/2 cups turkey gravy
• 1 box cornbread stuffing
• 1-1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 onion, diced small
• 1 stalk celery, diced small
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil

I pre-baked the pre-made pie crust for about 10 or 15 minutes at 350..

Meanwhile, I heated the turkey & gravy in a sauce pan. Use your judgment on the amount of gravy – you do not want it to be soupy.  It will just soak through the pie crust and make mush.

Sauté the onion & celery in a skillet until translucent.   Combine in a large bowl with the pre-packaged cornbread stuffing and mix unti well combined.  Moisten it with the chicken broth – folding the mixture together.

Remove pie crust from oven and pour turkey & gravy mixture into the shell.  Top with the stuffing, and be sure to pat it down so that it’s  “snug”.  This will help keep the slices together when it’s finished.

Return the pie to the oven and cook for 30-40 minutes or until the top of the stuffing crust is crisp & brown.  Remove from the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes before serving.

 

As a side note, I know this sounds quite a bit like another recipe I recently posted, but let me assure you – this one is SSOOOO much better!

A different take on an old classic

With the Holiday season in full swing, many people will be scanning their cupboards for something fun, and preferably inexpensive to bring to that pot luck, office party or whatever other holiday gatherings.

In recognition of that, Ocean Spray & Heinz have partnered up to bring you a really easy and inexpensive recipe that is sure to put smiles on everyone’s faces.

I am a big fan of simple. I’m also a big fan of inexpensive. So this recipe was perfect for me. 2 steps – 3 ingredients. How much simpler can it get?

The Ultimate Party Meatballs

• 1 16-ounce can Ocean Spray® Jellied Cranberry Sauce
• 1 12-ounce bottle Heinz® Chili Sauce
• 1 2-pound bag frozen, pre-cooked, cocktail-size meatballs

Combine sauces in a large saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring until smooth. Add meatballs. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until meatballs are heated through, stirring occasionally.

Makes 30 appetizer servings.

Slow cooker Preparation: Place meatballs in a slow cooker. Combine sauces and pour over meatballs. Cover and cook 4 hours on HIGH.

In addition to offering lots of other great recipes for those holiday gatherings, the Ultimate Party Meatballs website is also having sweepstakes. The winner will receive $3,000 to throw the ULTIMATE party.

So go check out their recipes, enter the sweepstakes – and have a happy Holiday season :)

Special thanks to Mom Central for giving me the opportunity to share this with you!

Roasted Sausage & peppers

Another meal that I don’t particularly anticipate to be awesome winds up being awesome, and no pictures. LOL

This was originally based on a recipe by Rachael Ray, but I’ve corrupted it enough that now it’s pretty much mine LOL

Roasted Sausage & Peppers w/Spaghetti

• 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage
• 2 yellow peppers, sliced into strips
• 1 red pepper, sliced into strips
• 1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes or 2 fresh tomatoes, diced
• Olive oil
• basil, dried
• spaghetti, cooked according to directions

Toss strips of peppers with a light coating of olive oil, salt & pepper.  Spread into a single layer on a lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes on 350°.

Arrange sausage links on another foil lined baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and roast those for 20 minutes or until done inside.

(meanwhile, you’re boiling your spaghetti)

Once sausage is fully cooked, slice into 1/2” discs onto peppers baking sheet and toss together to combine.  Add the tomatoes and sprinkle with a generous dose of basil.  All I had was dried, but that worked well.

Once spaghetti is finished cooking, drain and return to pan.  Then add sausage, peppers & tomatoes and all their yummy juices directly to spaghetti pan and toss to coat.

Serve  :)

Orange cranberry sauce

1 Bag whole cranberries

1 orange – juiced and zested

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

Bring water & sugar to boil.  Add cranberries, orange juice (1/4 cup was yielded from orange) and approximately 1/2 teaspoon of orange zest.  Because I do not have a zester, I used a vegetable peeler gently – and then chopped it up finely. 

Bring mixture to a boil and then lower heat. Simmer mixture for 15 minutes or until juices reduce.    Remove from heat.  Mixture will thicken as it cools.  Serve :)

 

  

Super Sweet Potatoes

I know I promised to post my menu recipes, but things have a way of smacking you in the head and that’s been the case this week. However, I hope to appease you with some stuff I’ve made today :)

SUPER Sweet Potatoes

6 large sweet potatoes – peeled and cut in half

that’s it!

I wrapped each potato in a piece of aluminum foil.  I placed them on a foil lined baking sheet and baked them in a 350 degree oven for roughly 90 minutes. Then I let them cool all by themselves for an hour or two.  Don’t mess with them, don’t take them out of the foil. Just let them set.

When you’re ready, take them out of their little aluminum and sugar cocoon and into a bowl.  At this point, you can mash them with a fork, they should be so nice & soft.  They have caramelized, and mine, at least, need nothing. No butter, no brown sugar, nothing. They’re simply perfect.

Tilapia Croquettes, revisited

I hate it when I make something that I don’t realize is going to be AWESOME, so I don’t bother taking pictures for the blog. LOL  This turned out to be the case last night when I decided to make tilapia croquettes for dinner.  I didn’t have the time nor energy to come up the stairs to print out the recipe, but I was pretty sure I remembered it.  Mostly.  So I set out to eek out dinner despite having a really lousy day, and it turned in to a delicious dinner for everyone, which, in turn, helped make my day better.

1 lb tilapia filets

1/2 c. panko breadcrumbs

1/2 c. Italian flavored breadcrumbs

2 eggs, scrambled

1/2 stalk celery, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbsp. lime juice

2 Tbs. butter

1/4 c. white wine

2 Tbsp. sweet relish

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

 

1. Melt 1 Tbsp butter in skillet and add 1 Tbsp. oil. 
2. Sauté onion and celery until onion is translucent.
3. Add fish filets and cook over medium-low heat.
4. Once fish is cooked through, break it up into chunks and add white wine.
5. Turn heat to low and allow wine to reduce.
6. While the fish is cooking, beat the egg in a bowl. 
7. Add relish and lime juice to egg.
8. In separate bowl, combine breadcrumbs, salt, pepper & red pepper flakes.
9. Fold wet & dry ingredients together and add fish, turning gently. You don’t want to shred the fish.
10. Heat remaining oil & butter in skillet.
11. Press approx. 1/3 cup of breading and mixture into patties.  Mine made 8 or 9.
12. Cook in small batches until brown. 

Enjoy!

My family is SO weird.

I posted our “Thanksgiving” menu on the kitchen bulletin board. 

Thanksgiving Menu:

• Pot Roast
• Baked Potato
• Meatballs
• Bread
• Pie

I wanted to see if anyone would notice.  All day went by and nothing. No one mentioned anything.  This morning, I went down to get my coffee and found this note.  

To Mom:  (big smile face)

pie: what kind of pie?????

bread: do you mean biskits?

Nothing about the lack of turkey. Nothing about the meatballs. 

My family is so weird.

Yummy Autumn Salad

You know how sometimes, you just start throwing things together, and it turns out either really fabulous or really ... unfabulous?

This salad came out in the first category - FAB U LOUS.

I realize I may be a little late to the game of adding fruit into a salad, but am I ever glad I've finally wisened up! The fresh apples that we happened to pick up this weekend on sale at the WalMart Supercenter for $.35 a POUND came in handy, that's for sure!




Yummy Autumn Salad

• 2 cups baby romaine leaves
• 1 plum tomato, quartered
• 2 slices deli turkey breast
• 1/4 gala apple, cut into slivers
• 3-4 slices pepperoni
• bacon bits (real, not bacos)
• fat free honey dijon dressing
  

I layered it all in, then just sprinkled about a tablespoon of dressing on top - tossed it gently and then SCARFED IT DOWN.

The apple woke this salad up! It was wonderful - you have GOT to try it. :)