Blueberry Muffin Recipe

I made homemade blueberry muffins for breakfast this morning and they were delicious! Don't you just love eating warm muffins that are fresh out of the oven? I thought I'd share the recipe for anyone that is interested.

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 cup fresh blueberries

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners. Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups close to the top. Bake for about 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

The original recipe called for a crumb topping, but I decided against it to reduce the calories.

Mission blueberry has been accomplished!

All of the blueberries have been cleaned and vacuum packed for freezing. I gave one pint away to a dear friend whose daughter loves blueberries. I also saved one pint to make homemade blueberry muffins for breakfast tomorrow morning. Can't wait to eat warm blueberry muffins!

Food Lion: 20 Free Candy Bars

My mother was headed to Hagerstown this afternoon and asked me to ride along. We passed a Food Lion store on the way home and I asked her to stop. I was very happy to find that the store had the buy one, get one free blinkie coupons. I purchased twenty candy bars that were on sale buy one, get one free. I used ten buy one, get one free blinkie coupons and got all twenty candy bars for FREE!

Food Lion: Free M&M's

Food Lion has individual packages of assorted candy bars on sale buy one, get one free. I purchased ten packages of M&M's and used five buy one, get one free blinkie coupons. All ten packages were FREE!

You'll notice that three packages are already gone. Aiden and I enjoyed them on the way home from the store! :) A big thanks to Michelle for tipping me off to the blinkie coupons at the Hedgesville store. I was able to get five coupons before the blinkie machine ran out!

Weis: Blueberries for $1.00 per PINT

My local Weis had a "Midnight Madness" sale this evening from 8pm-midnight. I braved the insanely crowded store to purchase blueberries for $1.00 per PINT. Tomorrow, I'll clean them and freeze most of them for use in homemade blueberry muffins and pancakes. I had plans to purchase a few other items at the sale, but the store ran out of carts and there was no way I could carry everything in my arms! They had huge watermelons for $1.99. Did anyone else take advantage of the sale? If so, what did you purchase?

Strawberry season is here.....

You may have noticed that I haven't posted very much the past few days. We've been busy picking strawberries at a local orchard. My son has been having a blast! I can't believe how loaded the strawberry patch is with big, ripe strawberries this season. They are the sweetest strawberries I've ever tasted! If you're local and interested in picking, I suggest heading to Orr's Farm Market in Martinsburg. Does anyone have any favorite recipes they'd like to share?

Martin's: Pretzels for .19 cents per box.

Martin's has SuperPretzel baked soft pretzels on sale this week for $1.69. Use the .75/1 coupon from the May 10, 2009 Red Plum insert. The coupon doubles to $1.50---making each box just .19 cents. My local store only doubles one like coupon per transaction. If you want to purchase more than one box, don't forget to divide them into separate transactions.

Two More $10.00 Rebates

I found two more great mail-in rebates today. NO beer purchase is required for residents of the following states: AL, AR, CT, HI, IN, KY, ME, MO, NC, NJ, NY, OK, UT and WV. Both rebates are valid from May 1, 2009-July 31, 2009. I have a few extras if anyone is interested.

Pottery Barn Kids Fabric Party Banners for $2.75

It's no secret that my favorite store in the entire world is Pottery Barn Kids. Lancaster, PA has a Pottery Barn Kids outlet store that I visit every time we come here. I've always been able to find some awesome deals and this evening was NO exception.

I found the above pictured soccer and pirate party banners marked. I was shocked to find these banners on the sidewalk sale and pay just $2.75 each. The banners are fabric and the quality of them is excellent. These will come in handy for birthday parties or play dates. I'm thinking of having a pirate themed party for my son's birthday in December. I purchased one of each, but may go back and purchase a few more of them tomorrow.

I'm out of town......

I'm out of town for the weekend enjoying spending time with my husband and son. We just returned from swimming at the hotel pool. My son is having a blast! I hope all of my readers enjoy spending the holiday weekend with their families.

Awesome Seafood, Steak and Produce Rebates

I found two more mail-in rebates today at Weis. NO beer purchase is required for either rebate. Both rebates are valid for residents of the following states: AL, AR, CT, HI, KY, MA, ME, MN, MO, NC, NJ, NY, RI, SD, UT, VA and WV. The fruit/produce rebate is valid 5/1/2009-7/31/2009. The seafood/steak rebate is valid 5/1/2009-8/2/2009. I have extras if anyone is interested.

Weis: Cool Whip for .09 cents

Weis has French Vanilla Cool Whip on clearance for .74 cents. I purchased six containers and used three blinkie coupons for .65/2 which doubled--making each container just .09 cents. Total for six containers was .54 cents plus tax.

A big thanks goes to my friend, Kelly, for calling me know about this deal. When I left the store, there were approximately twelve more containers on the shelf. If you're local, go and pick them up before someone else does.

Martin's: Moneymaker on Kraft Barbecue Sauce and Cool Whip

Kraft Barbecue Sauce and Cool Whip are on sale for $1.00 at Martin's this week. I purchased six bottles of barbecue sauce and two containers of Cool Whip. I used six $1.00 printable coupons for the barbecue sauce--making each one of them FREE. I also used one $1.00/2 printable coupon for the Cool Whip----making each one just .50 cents. Total for everything was $1.00 plus tax.






I also earned a $3.00 catalina coupon for purchasing six Kraft Barbecue Sauce. This made the transaction a profit of $2.00! :) Finally, I earned .20 cents off my next gas purchase for purchasing eight qualifying products (both the Kraft Barbecue Sauce and Cool Whip count). What a great deal!

$1.50 DiGiorno Flatbread Melt Printable Coupon

Go HERE to print a coupon for $1.50 off DiGiorngo Flatbread Melts. Be sure to click the back button and refresh button (F5) to print the coupon twice. (Thanks, Money Saving Mom)

These are on sale for $2.00 at Weis until Wednesday, May 20th. Use the coupon and get them for just .50 cents each.

Food Lion: Free Chinet Plates

Food Lion has Chinet Lunch Plates on sale for $2.00 per package. Use the $2.00 coupon from the May 3, 2009 Smart Source coupon insert to get them for FREE. These will come in handy for picnics and other gatherings.

Victoria's Secret: $10.00 off ANY purchase coupon

I received another great coupon from Victoria's Secret in the mail today. It's for $10.00 off ANY purchase and is good until June 30, 2009. I have no idea why this was sent to me because my birthday isn't until November. Did anyone else receive this fabulous coupon?

Free Chocolate Coupon

Who doesn't love free chocolate? Go HERE to request your free chocolate coupon from Mars Corporation. The coupon is redeemable for your choice of one (1) single-sized package of any M&M'S® Brand, MILKY WAY® Brand, SNICKERS® Brand, 3 MUSKETEERS® Brand, TWIX® Brand or DOVE® Brand product. Coupon will arrive by mail in approximately six weeks.

Weis: Velveeta Pepper Jack for .59 cents

I was happy to find Velveeta Pepper Jack cheese at Weis on clearance for $1.59 (16 oz. block). I purchased three blocks and used three $1.00 printable coupons from HERE and HERE. I paid just .59 cents per block. There were four blocks remaining on the shelf when I left the store this evening. I'm planning to use some of the cheese to make warm Pepper Jack Ranch Dip this weekend.

Martin's: Capri Sun Sunrise for $1.00

Martin's has the Capri Sun Sunrise 10 pack for $2.00. Use the $1.00/1 coupon from the April 19th Smart Source and pay just $1.00--only .10 cents per juice pouch. I picked up two packages yesterday and used my final two coupons. These are great to have on hand for play dates and trips to the park.

Weis: DiGiorno Flatbread Melts for $1.00

Weis has DiGiorno Flatbread Melts on sale for $2.00 each. I purchased two and used two $1.00 blinkie coupons. After coupons, I paid $1.00 for each Flatbread Melt. My husband will take these to work and eat them for lunch. Has anyone tried these? If so, are they good?

Weis: .03 cents for Wacky Mac Noodles

Weis has Wacky Mac Noodles on sale BOGO free. At my store, the noodles are priced at $1.55. I purchased four packages and used two .75/1 printable coupons from smartsource.com. Both coupons doubled to $1.50. I paid .10 cents for four packages--- approximately .03 cents each. These noodles work great in my pasta salad recipe.

Weis: Moneymaker on Kraft Barbecue Sauce

Weis has Kraft Barbecue sauce on sale for $1.00 per bottle. I purchased six bottles and used six $1.00 printable coupons. These coupons can be found at coupons.com and smartsource.com. All six bottles were FREE! I also received a catalina coupon for $3.00 off my next order for purchasing six bottles. Six bottles of barbecue sauce for FREE and a profit of $3.00 is a really sweet deal!

Martin's: Free McCormick Grill Mates

Martin's has McCormick Grill Mates marinade packets on sale for .99 cents. I used the .50/1 coupon from the May 3, 2009 Red Plum insert. The coupon doubled and I got the marinade for FREE.

Martin's: Free A.1. Marinade

Martin's has A.1. Marinade on sale for $1.99 per bottle. I used the $2.00 coupon from the 5/10/2009 Smart Source insert and each bottle of the marinade was FREE.

Free Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs Coupon

I can't say enough good things about Kraft's First Taste program! I received two more great coupons from them in today's mail. One was for a FREE box of Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs Chewy Granola Bars (up to $3.19). The other coupon was for $2.00 off any one box of Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs Chewy Granola Bars. I still haven't made it to the grocery store this week, but will use them the next time I do. Did anyone else receive these coupons?

Chocolate Strawberry Torte Recipe

Chocolate Strawberry Torte is one of my favorite desserts. It's not too sweet and the combination of chocolate and strawberry is delicious! I found this recipe in a Taste of Home magazine about eight years ago and have been making it ever since. The recipe calls for a homemade chocolate crust. Prior to being a mother, I always made the homemade crust. I will admit that it's better that way, but I didn't have time yesterday when making this recipe for Mother's Day.

Ingredients:

12 oz. of Cool Whip (1.5 containers)
8 oz. of sour cream
1 small package of instant chocolate pudding
1 package of strawberries (sliced)
1 chocolate pie crust

Combine Cool Whip, sour cream and instant chocolate pudding.

Mix for a few minutes until all ingredients are combined and fluffy. I use my Kitchen Aid stand mixer and let it do all of the work for me. :)

Line bottom of pie crust with sliced strawberries. Add mixture on top of the strawberries and smooth it out. Garnish with strawberries and grated chocolate. Refrigerate until serving.

My little taste tester enjoyed licking the spoon. :)

I am linking this post to Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.

Sheetz: Free Specialty Drink Coupons

I received a flyer from Sheetz in yesterday's mail that contained two coupons for FREE specialty drinks. The coupons are valid until May 31, 2009 at the Kearneysville location only. I'll be giving these coupons to my husband because the Kearneysville Sheetz is right down the road from his work. Did anyone else receive this awesome flyer in their mailbox?

Regal Free Summer Movie Schedule

Regal has released the Summer 2009 free movie schedule. If you're local, go HERE to view the schedule for Martinsburg, West Virginia. There are some great movies being offered on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings free of charge. I'm looking forward to taking my son to a few movies. To find the Regal movie schedule for your local area, go HERE.

Walgreens: Free 8x10 Photo

Walgreens is offering a FREE 8x10 today--May 6, 2009. Upload your photo at Walgreens.com and use the coupon code MOTHER. Make sure to select in store pick-up and you'll pay nothing. I ordered the above photo of my son wearing "Daddy's favorite hat". I'm planning to give the photo to my husband with his Father's Day gift. The photo was ready in less than an hour and the print quality was great. Hurry because this deal is only good on Wednesday, May 6th.

Martin's: $5.00 off $50.00 Coupon/$2.00 off $5.00 Meat Coupon

I just received an email from Martin's that contained two great coupons. Both coupons expire on May 23, 2009.

$5.00 off your purchase of $50.00 or more can be printed HERE.

$2.00 off your $5.00 meat purchase can be printed HERE.

Enjoy! :)

Free KFC Grilled Chicken Meal

Go HERE to print a coupon for a FREE 2 piece Grilled Chicken meal at Kentucky Fried Chicken. The meal includes two sides and a biscuit. Offer valid at participating stores. Limit one coupon per person during offer period of May 5, 2009-May 19, 2009, not valid on Mother's Day. Hurry and print this because the print limit will be reached quickly. You should be able to print up to four coupons per computer.

Weis: DaVinci Pasta for .19 cents per bag

DaVinci pasta is normally $1.99 per bag at Weis. My local store has assorted varieties marked down to .69 cents per bag. I purchased four bags and used two wine tag coupons for $1.00/2 bags--making each bag just .19 cents. There were lots of these noodles left on the shelf. I'm planning to use the noodles in pasta salad.

Weis: Free Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers

Weis has Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers on sale for $1.00 per bag. I purchased four bags and used four .50 cent coupons from the April 5, 2009 Smart Source insert. All four coupons doubled--making each bag FREE. The sale runs through May 6th.

Martin's: Ortego Diced Chiles for .14 cents per can

I love Mexican food! Martin's has Ortego Diced Green Chiles on sale for .89 cents per can. I purchased two cans and used the .75 off any 2 Ortego products coupon from the April 19, 2009 Smart Source insert. The coupon doubled to $1.50--making each can just .14 cents. These are great to add to chili or tacos. Does anyone have any recipes that call for chiles? If so, please share!

Kraft Easy Mac Coupon in Parade yesterday

I wanted to let everyone know that there was a Buy One, Get One Free coupon for Kraft Easy Mac inside the Parade magazine yesterday. The parade magazine is located inside most Sunday newspapers. The coupon was located on the bottom right-hand corner of page 13. Did anyone else receive this coupon?

Free After Rebate: El Monterey Tornados

I have another great TRY ME FREE product offer to share with you (see photo above). While grocery shopping at Weis today, I noticed that El Monterey Tornados had a TRY ME FREE sticker on each product. I purchased the Southwest Chicken ones for my husband, but the stickers were on other flavors too. Be on the lookout for this offer when you're out shopping at your local grocery store. For those of you that are local, I found this product in the freezer section at Weis on Queen Street in Martinsburg. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Menu: May 3- May 9

Sunday, May 3: Lunch: Hamburgers and Hotdogs on the grill/Chips
Dinner: Shrimp/Veggie Stir-fry

Monday, May 4: Meatball Subs, Homemeade Pasta Salad, Fresh Fruit

Tuesday, May 5: Grilled Chicken (marinated in italian dressing), Baked Potatoes with toppings of your choice, Steamed Broccoli

Wednesday, May 6: Spaghetti, Salad, Garlic Bread

Thursday, May 7: Chef Salads, Fresh Fruit, Brownies

Friday, May 8: Dinner Out

Saturday, May 9: Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Corn on the Cob, Crescent Rolls
Dessert: Chocolate-Strawberry Torte

Have a great week everyone!

$5.00 Home Depot Coupon

I received a booklet in the mail today from Home Depot. Inside was a coupon for $5.00 off a purchase of $50.00 or more. Valid 4/27/09-5/17/2009. Watch out for this coupon booklet in your mailbox.

Walmart: Capri Sun .97 cents per box of ten

Capri Sun is on rollback at Walmart for $1.97 per box of ten pouches. This morning, I purchased four boxes and used four $1.00 coupons from the 4/19/2009 Smart Source insert. Each box cost me just .97 cents. I love having these on hand for my son to drink when we go to the park.

Five Ways to Collect Coupons Without a Newspaper Subscription

Recently, I've had many people ask me how I'm able to collect so many coupons. I do not have a subscription to the newspaper. Here are some of the ways I've been successful at collecting coupons:

1. Family members, friends and neighbors: Many people do not use the coupons from the Sunday newspaper. My parents, grandmother, neighbors and a few friends give me the coupons from their newspapers. Most people will be happy to save the coupons for you--just ask.

2. Print them from the internet: Printable coupon sites are another great way to obtain coupons. Coupons.com and SmartSource.com are two great places to start printing coupons. Blogs are another great place to find links to great printable coupons. Many manufacturers also offer printable coupons for products on their websites.

3. Grocery stores/convenience stores: Grocery stores often times have blinkie, tear pad and peelie coupons in the store. I am always on the lookout for coupons when grocery shopping. I've also been successful at finding tear pad coupons at convenience stores.

4. Recycle Center: I'm an avid recycler. The recycling center is close to my home and I drop off items several times per week. Almost every time I drop off items, I find one or two sets of inserts. I don't spend much time looking for them, but if they're on top of the pile I help myself to them.

5. Trading coupons: In the past, I've been successful at trading coupons with other people. Example: I no longer need diaper coupons because my son is potty-trained. I could trade my diaper coupons for something else that I needed coupons for. Why not organize a coupon swap in your neighborhood or church?

These are just a few of the ways that I've been successful at collecting coupons over the past few years. I hope this post will be helpful to those of you who are just getting started using coupons. As always, please don't hesitate to ask me if you have any questions.