It's a Week of Birthday FREEBIES!!

This coming Saturday (9/5) is my Birthday!! In case you are wondering, I will be 29, again ( I am not going to tell you how many times I have been 29 or you will be able to figure out my real age). One of my favorite things about Birthdays is all of the FREEBIES that you can get! This week I will be sharing the FREEBIES and providing links so that you can celebrate your Birthday with a bunch of FREEBIES too. I have already received a $10 off any purchase coupon from Victoria's Secret, 20% off Hallmark coupon and a FREE lip gloss from Sephora. Check back this week for links to sign-up and I will post pictures of all of my goodies on Saturday!



(The picture above is from my Second Birthday party in 19xx. It is dark and a little fuzzy because it was originally a slide. Can you guess how old I am now? Please, no comments asking "What is a slide and why does it make a picture dark and fuzzy?" I already feel old! LOL)

Frugal Friday Humor

Here are some Warning Signs that you may be addicted to Bargain Hunting & Coupons:

1. Your husband states that he is tired of painting the exterior of your house and wants to purchase siding. You ask him if the 85 rolls of aluminum foil you have stockpiled in the basement will work.



2. When choosing a vacation destination the first thing you check is the number and locations of CVS & Walgreens.



3. You are stopped by the Wal-Mart greeters every time you enter the store because your coupon box is so BIG they think you have a return.



4. You frequently shop CVS at midnight on Saturday night.



5. You could stay home for 6 months and not run out of anything.



6. You keep Extra Bucks in your wallet with your cash.



7. You have transferred your presciption to earn store gift cards so many times you have to look at the bottle to remember which pharmacy currently has the prescription.



8. You have more pictures of your CVS, Walgreens, Target & Grocery Store purchases than your children.



9. The cashiers at CVS recognize you and start arguing over who gets to go to lunch when they see you walk in the door. They refer to you as Crazy Coupon Lady and you think this is a compliment.



10. When your child asks for "supplies" to build a Fort, you give him your Kotex stockpile. (Note to Self: After showing son how to build a Kotex Fort do not take him with you to CVS to purchase Kotex. Apparently, single men standing in line to buy beer at CVS do not enjoy discussing Kotex Forts with 5 year olds.)

For great Frugal tips & ideas visit Frugal Friday at Life as Mom.

Spaghetti Casserole Recipe

We love Spaghetti at our house! This Spaghetti Casserole is easy and delicous. I make these ahead of time and keep them in the freezer for a quick dinner. The casserole goes straight from the freezer to the oven and bakes for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Add some Itailian Bread and a salad and you have an easy dinner with minimal clean-up!

Spaghetti Casserole

(This recipe makes 2 casseroles and can be easily doubled to make 4)

• 1 package Spaghetti


• 16oz. Cottage Cheese


• 8oz. Sour Cream


• 1 lb. Ground Beef


• 2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese


• 4 1/2 cups Spaghetti Sauce (homemade or from a jar)


• 2 Casserole Dishes & 2 small ziploc bags

Directions:

1. Cook ground beef in a skillet until browned.


2. Cook spaghetti according to package directions.


3. Add cooked ground beef to warm Spaghetti Sauce.


4. In a small bowl, mix together cottage cheese & sour cream.


5. Add 1/2 the cooked spaghetti to each casserole dish.


6. Spread 1/2 of the cottage cheese & sour cream mixture on top of the spaghetti in each dish.


7. Top each casserole with the meat sauce.


8. After the casserole cools, cover and place in the freezer (casserole will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months).


9. Place 1 cup of Mozzarella Cheese in each of the ziploc bags and attach to the casserole cover.

To Heat the Casserole:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


2. Remove cover from casserole and place in the oven for 1 hour.


3. After 1 hour sprinkle 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese on top and bake another 10-15 minutes.


4. Serve with Italian Bread and Salad.

(The square casseroles are the Spaghetti casseroles and the round are extra meat sauce for the freezer.)

For more great make-ahead meals visit Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life as Mom.

What do you do with 10 pounds of Blueberries??

If you saw my Super Savings Saturday post this week, you probably noticed that I bought 10 pounds (yes, 10 pounds that is not a typo) of blueberries at Hen House for $13.76. Finding blueberries for $1.37/lb. was too good a deal to pass up!! Now, what am I going to do with 10 pounds of blueberries? Some of them I washed and put in the frig for us to enjoy now. The rest I placed in the freezer.

Freezing Fresh Blueberries:

1. Wash and completely dry blueberries.




2. Place a sheet of wax paper on a cookie sheet.




3. Add a single layer of blueberries to the cookie sheet. Fill the cookie sheet but make sure the blueberries are not touching.




4. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer for 3-4 hours or until blueberries are hard.




5. Remove blueberries from the cookie sheet and place in a Ziploc Bag.




6. Label and store in the freezer.
   
   

If you use these steps to freeze fruit (blueberries, strawberries, bananas etc.), each piece will be frozen individually and you will not end up with a big blob of frozen fruit.

One of our favorite breakfast treats are Blueberry Yogurt Parfaits. Just combine vanilla yogurt, fresh blueberries and Kashi Go Lean Crunch Cereal (or granola). YUM!!

Here are some more great Blueberry Recipes:

• Blueberry Bars




• Easy Batter Fruit Cobbler




• Lemon Berry Smoothie




• Blueberry Muffins




• Oatmeal Blueberry Pancakes




• Blueberry Streusel Muffins




• Blueberry Pancakes

Leave a comment if you have a Yummy Blueberry Recipe!