Apple-Raisin Bars

I think it's kind of funny how growing up I never wanted to mix my sweet stuff with fruit or nuts.  Like when offered a raisin-oatmeal cookie or a chocolate chip...I'd always go for the chocolate.  Well, maybe that's not a good example because I still would.  Let's see...how about a carrot cake or brownies with nuts?  But now I know that they're good for me and I figure, "Hey, if I'm gonna eat some sweets, why not put something good in there too?!"

So, when I came across this recipe awhile back I had to try it out.  They were AMAZING!  

Apple-Raisin Bars

Makes: 12 bars Prep: 15 minutes 
Bake: 35 minutes 

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups packed light-brown       sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or       margarine, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups diced Golden       Delicious apples 

3/4 cup raisins

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Liberally coat a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

2. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; set aside.

3. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, blend together sugar, eggs, butter and vanilla for 3 minutes or until smooth.

4. Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture; mix for 
2 minutes or until just incorporated. Stir in diced apples and raisins and spread into prepared pan.

5. Bake at 350°F for 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely before cutting into bars and serving.

Side notes:

- I tried 1 cup brown sugar the second time but they weren't as good.  I might try 1 1/2 cups next time.

- Also, I used whatever apples I had on hand.

Cheap Eats

So, my friend Jennie told me about this amazing deal at Rest.aurant.com. Usually you can get a $25 gift certificate to X-restaurant for about 10 bucks. Not a bad deal in itself. Well, she was reading on someone elses blog (sorry I don't know the blog) about how if you enter the code SAVE (not sure how long this will work) in the discount code area you'll save an additional 70%!

Let me break it down even further...

I bought 8 gift cards to various restaurants all worth $25 a piece but were sold for $10. Before the SAVE code was applied I would have spent $80, saving me about $120. BUT...take 70% off $80 and you get a whopping $24!!!! That's $3 per $25 gift certificate.

Now, I did read some of the terms and conditions. They weren't too bad but, if you buy multiple certificates, you may not be able to use more than one per visit, and they may require dine in vs. carry out.

All-in-all, a pretty cheap eat!

Free Christmas Music!

Hey all...

Check out this great blog TheMotherLoad for some free Christmas music downloads. There are several different links but one of them is Amazon which has a free download for each day until Christmas and you can download past days. I've been wanting to add to my holiday collection of music and now I'm doing it for free!

Merry Christmas!!!

Freebie

Arby's Freebie!

Click here for your free Beef n Cheddar.

Redbox

My new favoritest thing is Redbox. I'd been hearing about them but figured in my little Midwest town we didn't have them. Then...the other day I was leaving HyVee and there it was...our very own Redbox! For those of you who don't know yet what Redbox is it's a cheap little way to rent movies. Basically it's a big red box/machine where you use a touch screen to pick the movie you want to watch...and the best part...it's only a buck! That's right $1.00 for one night! They have them all over...grocery stores, McDonalds drive thru's, etc. Just depends on where you live. You can return them anywhere too. Say you rent one at our local South Walmart and then the next day are at the HyVee on 40th and Old Cheney...you can return it there. Check out Redbox for more info and sign up with your email to get your first movie free. Also, check out ThisList for promotional codes that you can enter at the kiosk for a free movie. I've rented twice now and both were free! I think Mondays and Wednesdays are free all the time. You do need to have a credit card with you in order to rent the movie. Even if you have a promo code they'll still ask you to scan your credit card in case you don't return the movie on time or keep it longer than 25 days, in that case it's yours to keep forever.

momAgenda

Part of being thrifty, frugal and living with sanity is taking a few minutes to plan. Recently I found the blog 24/7Moms. It's a great site with menu plans, budget friendly activities, and contests! I won a momAgenda and I'm about to give you all the details of this fantastic planner!

Well, first off, it's PINK!!!How much better can a planner be?!

In all seriousness it is pretty darn great. The first day I got it I started flipping through the brand new pages getting all giddy with the excitement that a new planner gives me. The first few pages give you examples of how the President of momAgenda uses hers. Then there are pages of unique and useful websites for cooking, shopping online, humor, fun for kids, nutrition, just for moms, etc. After that there are a few pages of helpful reference websites and toll-free numbers while you're traveling or just out and about.

On with the calendar section. Next we have the monthly pages which have two years worth of pages. Very helpful since we all hate the end of the year when we have to transfer all that valuable info into the next calendar. Now you'll only have to do it ever two years!

The daily section of the planner is where I spend most of my time. One of the two attached ribbons keeps my week handy. Each week is spread vertically across two pages. The first third of the page, horizontally, is for your day. It doesn't have specific hours, which I like, so you can just put the 9:00 for the doctor and then since you may not have anything again until 4:30 you aren't waisting a bunch of space. The next almost two-thirds is for your kids activities. Since I only have a 13 month old right now I don't have a lot to schedule for him. But don't worry, I've used it to my advantage! Right now I use it for more detail about something I need to do on a certain day (sometimes I need very clear instructions or I forget what my note was for!), and I also write out a verse that I want to be reminded of all week for encouragement. momAgenda has also included encouraging and inspiring quotes at the top of the page along with a small monthly calendar of the current and upcoming month. Lastly, the bottom row is for you to plan ahead with your meals. You can write what you're having and that way you know what you need to pick up or what to tell the kids to throw in the oven for you.

The back of the planner is filled with sections for you to write down that awesome wine you tried at that new restaurant so you can pick it up next time you're at the store, or to plan vacation ideas when you're waiting for your turn at the dentist office, or to write down some wardrobe essentials you want to look for at TJMax next time you're there and the list goes on and on. momAgenda also comes with a removable address book in the back so you can move it to your next momAgenda!!!

All in all...I'm a momAgenda girl for life now!

Check out momAgenda and 24/7Moms to see what else they have to offer!

FREE Music!

I just found NoiseTrade, thanks to a link on FreebiesForMom. Noise Trade is a legal site that let's you download music for free or pay what you want. You do have to give them 3 of your friends emails in order to have them send you a link to download the CD that you want. But I figure my friends will be glad to know where they can get some new tunes. (Beware, I might enter your email!) I've downloaded Derek Webb's "The Ringing Bell" and Waterdeep's "Heart Attack Time Machine" so far.

Happy Free Music Day!