Musings

88 cents

Sarah

Even though this is a food blog, I just have to share another one of my passions: good deals. I am on a constant quest for good deals, be it rolling ECB’s at CVS or using coupons at the grocery store to get boxes of cereal for pennies.

Fun fact: at one point late last summer, we had 19 boxes of cereal in our possession at once. It was stacked in our cabinets and on top of our cabinets in a very haphazard fashion. And we ate it ALL! Well, and donated some too.

I digress.

Last night, I spent 88 cents. And it was a very happy 88 cents from my wallet, because it went towards the purchase of these beauties.

Home purchases- serving dishes and table linens.
Deals & steals that make this girl happy happy happy!

What all is there, you ask?

  • A serving plate
  • A serving bowl
  • 2 placemats
  • 2 napkins
  • 2 napkin rings

And how did I get such a wonderful deal? By using Kohl’s cash, of course.

I have never used Kohl’s cash before. It’s basically a marketing ploy to get you to spend more money at their store, and I am sure prices are marked up to compensate for this ‘cash.’ During certain promotional periods, if you spend $50, you receive $10 in Kohl’s cash, which then can be used at Kohl’s like cash [hence the name] during specified dates.

A few weeks ago, my husband mentioned he needed some new work clothes. Being the fabulous wife I am, and seizing every opportunity my husband willingly will go to a store for something besides beef jerky or Mountain Dew [I exaggerate… kind of…], I suggested we go shopping the very next night. And so we did, buying him two pairs of pants, one long sleeve button-down, two polos, and one short sleeve button-down, and earning me $20 in fun money, which I went to spend last night. Bliss.

I spent some time perusing my options and ended up with a total of $20.82 prior to tax. After applying my Kohl’s cash, my total was the aforementioned wonderful 88 cents. It doesn’t get any better than that, folks.

receipt from Kohl's
A savings of $56.10! Oh yes please!

Just look at that receipt. Fun fun fun fun fun. A free $20 and a huge savings? I’ll take that any day!

Sarah and her goodies!
Thumbs up for a good deal!

Oh I am such a dork.

Happy Saturday.

Question of the Day: What good deals have you gotten lately?

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Disclosure: Kohl’s did not pay me for this publicity, to shop in their store, to exploit their Kohl’s cash deal and spend a mere 88 cents when they want customers to get that $20 and return and spend another $20 at their store. Ha ha, the thought is funny. However, should Kohl’s or any other business so desire to compensate me for a review or like experience I would be more than willing to oblige! 🙂 Any takers?
Main Dishes, Recipes, Soups

Summer Mexican Soup

Sarah

A second soup recipe in a row?!? What is happening with Sarah? I don’t even really like most kinds of soup! Crazy.

Since my husband likes lists, I thought I’d make a list of the top ten reasons why I love this Summer Mexican Soup.

  1. I forgot I was eating soup while eating this soup. That never happens!
  2. SMS has texture. No smooth soups for me, thank you!
  3. SMS is not oily or salty [which is why I don’t like broth-based soups. We determined this last night.]
  4. SMS is definitely a veggie soup without having soggy veggies. Yuck!
  5. SMS has protein so it’s filling without being heavy. Husband even thought so, and the meat was MIA. *gasp*
  6. This recipe is quick to make… about 30 minutes, tops.
  7. The corn makes this soup sweet.
  8. The beans and tomatoes and spices make it savory.
  9. This recipe made a ton, so be ready to feed a crowd, freeze a bunch of lunches, or cut the recipe down to fit your needs. Love the cook once eat many times strategy! 🙂
  10. SMS is summery, fresh, and reminds me of a good Mexican meal! Delish!

Summer Mexican Soup... a delightful blend of corn, black beans, and tomatoes. Perfect for summer! Find the recipe on thepajamachef.com

Summer Mexican Soup

  • Servings: 4
  • Print

utilizing the base recipe from Lynn’s Kitchen Adventures

Ingredients:

  • 8 ears of corn on the cob [I used raw; Lynn used a combination]
  • 3 tablespoons margarine
  • 3 cups of water, divided
  • 1 cup skim milk
  • 1 cup black beans, drained
  • 1/2 cup diced tomatoes, drained [I used a canned Mexican-style blend]
  • 1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
  • 1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Slice the kernels off the cob.  I found it was easiest to do this while standing the ear of corn up in a shallow bowl so the kernels don’t fly everywhere… that didn’t happen to me or anything ;). In a food processor, puree the corn kernels with 1 1/2 cups water. I left the kernels a little rough and somewhat textured, without completely smoothing them over.  Add the corn to a saucepan along with the rest of the water, milk, and margarine. Heat for 2-3 minutes, then add beans, tomatoes, red chili pepper flakes, garlic salt, chili powder, and pepper. Cook mixture for about 10 minutes over medium heat and adjust seasonings if desired.

Notes:

I served this soup plain with a side salad. I think it could be jazzed up tortilla soup-style with tortilla chips for crunch and/or dipping, some shredded cheese, grilled chicken, chili peppers for additional spice, and sour cream. However, I thought it was great as is but everyone’s tastes are different. Enjoy! 🙂

After posting this recipe I am hungry! In fact, I’m going to have some for lunch with a black bean quesadilla! Yum!

Main Dishes, Recipes, Soups

Potato Soup

Sarah

Soup in the summer? I admit that it doesn’t make a ton of sense, but it sounded good so I went with it. This is an old recipe of my mom’s and it is really easy and really tasty… even in the heat of summer!

Potato soup and bread.

Potato Soup

Ingredients:

  • 6 medium potatoes
  • 3 medium carrots [or 2 large carrots]
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 tablespoons margarine
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cup water
  • 2 cups skim milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon celery salt

Directions:

Scrub and roughly peel potatoes, then dice into small to medium sized pieces [the smaller the cut, the faster they cook!]. Scrub and chop carrots [no need to peel–that’s just more nutrients… and they are hidden. Bonus! :)] and dice onion. Add all vegetables to a large pot along with the water, and cook over medium heat until soft, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

After vegetables are softened to the consistency of mashed potatoes, make the rue by melting the margarine in the microwave and whisking in the flour gently [or be lazy like me and add them both directly to the pot]. Add rue to pot, then add milk and celery salt. Bring to a boil and then simmer for at least 5 minutes or until heated through.

Serve with freshly ground pepper and/or shredded cheese, and some tasty bread and a salad on the side.

Main Dishes, Recipes, Sandwiches and Wraps

Southwest Chicken Panini

Sarah
Southwest Chicken Panini | thepajamachef.com
Dinner on our new cute kids’ plates from Target!

Ages ago, I found a recipe for Southwest Chicken Salad Panini. It sounded good, so I filed it away in my recipe box–which is actually a 12″x12″ crate with a bunch of binders and folders… there are so many recipes I want to try. Let’s not even mention my GoogleReader and Firefox bookmarks… Oh. My. Goodness. But what can I say? I learned from my mom! She has a ton of recipes too! 🙂 Anyway, I finally got around to making the sandwiches. It was super easy and made for a good, quick weeknight dinner, perfect for sitting around and watching TV. The panini had a ton of flavor, a little bit of spice, and was very filling. On the side, steamed green beans and rutabaga fries were great too… we just couldn’t get enough!

Southwest Chicken Panini

  • Servings: 2
  • Print

adapted from Kraft

Ingredients:

  • 4 slices whole wheat bread
  • 2 slices cheese [I used havarti]
  • 1 tablespoon mayo or Miracle Whip
  • 1 tablespoon ranch dressing
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 cup cooked chicken, cut into chunks
  • black pepper
  • cooking spray

Directions:

Heat panini grill, George Foreman grill, or a medium sized skillet to medium heat. I used a panini grill, but any of the other options would probably work just as well. In a medium sized bowl, mix chicken, Miracle Whip, and ranch to combine. Then season with paprika and a dash of pepper. Spray one side of each piece of bread with cooking spray, then fill the bread with a slice of cheese and chicken salad. Place on grill/skillet when hot and cook until cheese has melted and bread is toasted. This should take anywhere from 4-8 minutes, depending on your grill/skillet.

Note:

Veggies–especially tomatoes–would be a great addition to this panini! I just didn’t have any when I made it. 😦  The original recipe did call for it though.