Monthly Archives:

April 2014

World Book Night 2014 Reader Giveaway!

unnamed (2)

 

Good evening, savvy savers! As you may know tonight is World Book Night 2014! The Lady Prefers To Save is participating is this awesome international reading outreach program! Just last night we picked up our case of books, and today distributed them to four area middle schools and high schools! This year we had the pleasure of distributing Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs.

This is an awesome book, and an even better cause! This year World Book Night agents will distribute over 10 Million books to people all over the country, from all walks of life! Each fall individual can apply to participate, for which I will post on this topic once we are closer to that time. In the meanwhile, be sure to click here to enter this years exciting Essay Contest, to help undiscovered writers and authors, who can submit an essay for a chance to be in next year’s free ebook accompaniment to this program! All parents, community leaders, church officials, educators, librarians, and the like are encouraged to get young, aspiring writers to submit works as well!

 

IMG_69611

 

As well, I am spreading the love of the written word, by way of my readers, as I am giving four copies of this awesome book away here! This contest ends at 11:59pm CST on 5/10/14!

Good luck, everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday Ways To Save: Save $100.00 A Year By Recycling!

IMG_0080
Good morning, savvy savers! For this weeks Wednesday Ways To Save, I wanted to discuss recycling, and the various ways that this simple act can save you money! Check this out:

1) If you arent currently recycling, you may want to look into your city or town’s system. Some areas actually give you vouchers for recycling. These vouchers can be used at local restaurants, even stores in your area; your city managers office would be the best place to contact!

2) Some states issue a deposit on recyclable bottles and cans, upwards of $0.10 a bottle.

3) According to the EPA, 80-90% of the average households trash contains recyclable, or donation-worth items. If you recycled these items, consider the cost you will save on trash bags alone, you could save upwards of $40.00 a year!

4) Some states will give you state tax credits on your annual tax return; the average state has an allotance of over $60.00 a year!
With all of these advantages, why would you not recycle?

In my home, we recycle most items; as you can see above we are serious about our collections! We also donate goods, upcycle items, and compost our vegetable scraps. We have done this for three years, and by doing so I save over $110.00 a year!

Here’s to the environment!

Organizational Ideas: Bathroom Spice Rack Nail Polish Organizer!

ORGANIZATIONword2collage

Good morning, savvy savers! I hope many of you are off of work this fine Easter Monday, and for those that may not be, that something positive comes of both your mood and your day! With that said, I want to share the aspects of my master bathroom, that I consider positive! For this week, Organizational Ideas post, I want to share how I organize my nail polish collection, and my collection I mean the myriad of bottles that seem to come from the abyss to my bathroom!

IMG_0078

I organize my bottles on a hanging spice rack, which I was able to purchase for free, using earned Amazon.com gift cards, from survey sites! This rack is priced at under $10.00. This method keeps my polishes, nail art nail polish, and lacquers within reach, not sitting in drawers, and easily accessible to myself during weekly spa nights! I love to look at my rack when I go into the bathroom, for as a visual person, colors excite me! Here’s to organizing!

Cupboard Clearing Cake!

IMG_0002

Good afternoon, savvy savers! This afternoon I found my family a bit down in the dumps, this combined with my needs to prepare a menu and plan meals for the week, and as I had already completed my coupon shopping this morning, left me in need to find something to cheer my family up without leaving my home, or kitchen, for that matter! Voila! A one-bowl chocolate cake recipe! Most of you, like myself, will have most of these ingredients on hand, and the end result is amazing! I also am a fan of any cake preparations that requires one bowl, and I surely do not feel like emptying the dishwasher at present!

Why call it Cupboard Clearing Cake? Well, the toppings and icing can be tailored to whatever you have on hand, and in my case, cherry pie filling, oreos, and nutella! Also note, I will be serving this cake with leftover Halloween-themed napkins and utensils, again sans-dishwashing this afternoon!

This cake is sure to cheer up even the glumpiest gus!

Cupboard Clearing Cake:
2 cups white sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Directions For Cake:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2) Grease and flour two nine inch round pans.
3) In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, mix for 2 minutes on medium speed of mixer.
4) Stir in the boiling water last. Batter will be thin. Pour evenly into the prepared pans.
5) Bake 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cake tests done with a toothpick.
6) Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Ingredients for Icing and Assembling Cake:
2 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
6 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup nutella
1 can cherry pie filling
Oreo cookies, or other cookies on hand.

Directions: for Assembling
1) In a medium bowl, sift together the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa, and set aside.
2) Next, in a large glass bowl, cream butter until smooth, then gradually beat in sugar mixture alternately with evaporated milk.
3) Blend in vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy; adjust consistency with more milk or sugar if needed.
4) Fold in nutella, and let icing rest in bowl, at room temperature for five minutes.
5) Place 1 cake round on cake stand, adding half the contents of one can of cherry pie filling on top, then top with second cake round.
6) Ice cake, then place remaining cherry pie filling centered on top of cake, when finished crumble oreos around top, and reserve several to rim bottom of cake.

Enjoy!

Remember, you saw this recipe first at The Lady Prefers To Save!

Healthy Lifestyle Series: eMeals & Shrimp and Grits Recipe!

Hello again, savvy savers! Today I wanted to post again about on of the diet strategies I have implemented into my new diet and healthier lifestyle, eMeals! The folks at eMeals have graciously allowed me to partake in a free one-years subscription of their service, and I will be including these meal options into my current healthy lifestyle strategy, and I also wanted to bring you, my readers, information on their services as well!

Emeals

eMeals, was founded by Jane DeLaney & Jenny Cochran in 2003. Both Jane and Jenny are  typically very busy moms! Jane was frazzled over trying to pull off dinner for the family week after week. Her meal plans were scribbled on napkins and lost in her purse. So she went to work creating a better way to make meals happen. Jane recruited Jenny, a fabulous cook, and her sister to help her with the everyday operations of the company. Working with a talented team of meal planners, they developed eMeals to feed their families and preserve their sanity. Hundreds of thousands of partnerships, friendships, and business relationships later, Jane and Jenny built a way to make moms’ lives easier, by bringing manageability back to America’s dinner table.

emeals-how-it-works

What is eMeals?

eMeals is an email based service, which offers over 50 weekly meal plans based on a user’s preferred food style, family size, and grocery store. Food styles, or prepared eating habits, include classic meals, clean eating, paleo, simple gourmet, low fat, low carb portion control, natural and organic, vegetarian, gluten-free, slow cooker, and our new 500 calorie plans. eMeals also  provide 7 simple to follow recipes with corresponding grocery lists each week. Meal plans are tied to the weekly sales and seasonal specials at selected grocery store chains. The result is our mass following of loyal customers who save time, money, and their sanity while providing delicious and healthy home cooked meals for their families.

emeals-plans

Can you really save money by using eMeals?

The average eMeals customer says they save around $1,000/year on groceries, and that doesn’t even include all the time they save. And we all know time is money! Over 50% eMeals subscribers have a targeted weekly budget for their grocery spending.  As well, keeping this in mind, eMeals structures meal plans around seasonal specials and in the case of specific stores such as ALDI, Kroger, Publix, Ralphs, Safeway, Target, Walmart, and Whole Foods!

emeals-classic-meal-plan

Does eMeals have any new promotions?

We just released our new 500 calorie plans, a new Publix Portion Control Meal Plan, as well as a new COSTCO Meal Plan. We are always looking to expand our meal plans to what our community tells us they need! We are happy to offer The Lady Prefers To Save readers 15% off with the coupon code DINNER15.

Are you involved in any charity work?

For five years, eMeals has been one of the largest funding sources for the Haiti Nutrition Project which is a program that curtails and reverses severe malnutrition within infants and children in Haiti. This program distributes Medika Mamba, which is a Haitian term for “peanut butter medicine,” a daily food supplement that provides complete nourishment needed for the growth and health of young Haitian children.

What should new customers know about your company?

We are a company based on the ideals of having dinner together as a family. That is such a valuable gift you can give to your children, your spouse, and anyone else that joins you at your table. We want to make it easier to facilitate dinner together as a family where connections and memories are made.

How can your customers get the most out of eMeals?

Sporadic grocery spending and multiple trips to the store is money down the drain. Having a plan, period, is what saves people the most money and controls spending. Having a consistent plan at your fingertips, ready to be shopped at a moments notice is GOLD. In comes eMeals. Forgetting to bring your list to the store is also money down the drain. Eliminating that problem is gold too. In comes the companion eMeals app. Your list is always on your phone – ready when you are.

Useful tips:

1) Determine how many meals you need for the week. There are seven meals on each week’s menu.

2) The app can skip any of the meals you choose to not cook and it will automatically delete those items from the grocery list.

3) Shop your stockpile first and delete items you may already have from the grocery list

4) Be sure to purchase the pantry staples that you may not have that are required for the meals you choose to cook.

5) Stick to the list!

paleo         blogger-network-banner5

We also have not only dinner plans, but breakfast, lunch and dessert to help you get all your meals planned out with minimal effort. Use this tool to your advantage!

Is there anything else that you would like for The Lady Prefers To Save readers to know about eMeals?

eMeals is always adding more plans to meet the growing eating lifestyles that emerge. Paleo and Clean Eating are examples of that and happen to be two of our most popular plans! We would love to have The Lady Prefers To Save’s readers sign up for eMeals with the discount code DINNER15 for 15% off.

In addition, here is a sample eMeals recipe, for one of my favorite dishes, Shrimp and Grits:

1 cup quick-cooking grits
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
6 slices bacon
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 to 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
2/3 cup white wine (or substitute chicken broth)
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Juice from 1/2 lemon
2 green onions, chopped

1) Cook grits according to package directions. Stir in Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons butter and garlic salt.

2) Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat 5 to 6 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon, reserving drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon, and set aside.

3) Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter to skillet over medium heat. Add bell peppers, garlic and Creole seasoning; cook 2 minutes. Add wine; cook 2 minutes or until wine almost evaporates.

4) Increase heat to medium-high. Add shrimp, and cook 3 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Stir in lemon juice; sprinkle with green onions.

5) Serve shrimp over grits; top each serving with crumbled bacon.

Here’s to the Journey!

In accordance with FTC Guidelines: I hereby disclose that I received complimentary products from the company being reviewed above, in exchange for my honest opinion and review of my experience.  I was not compensated for this review, but received a free membership. All opinions in the post are 100% my own. Individual results or experiences may vary. Please consult your physician, dietitian, or diabetes specialist before starting any diet. You can obtain more details information about the company, its products, and policies by visiting their respective websites, which will be linked above.

Battle-Of-The-Bulge, Budget Style: Gardening To Lose Weight!


eating_budget

Hello again, savvy savers! Today I am starting another new blog series, Battle Of The Bulge, Budget-Style! I will be focusing on ways to live a healthier, more active lifestyle while be able to afford clean, organic, obtainable foods! I believe this series can be worthwhile for many, who like myself, wish to get more in shape, not through crash-dieting but by small attainable lifestyle changes!  All of the changes I propose will be free or affordable, and most meals and plans will contain couponed savings or deals! Fads are fancy, but coupons are a commitment! With that said, here is where I am currently: I have a family history of high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer. I am looking to lose 60lbs., find affordable non-gym membership options for working out, and change the way I consume food; this includes meals, snacks, and splurges!

Today I am 31 years young, I am 5’6”, and weigh 198 lbs; I am down one pound since last week. I walk my dogs but beyond this am not terribly active. My lifestyle causes sedentary behaviors; I work-from-home, blog, run two internet businesses, and perform advocacy work online as well. I am an internet-based excuser! Today this changes! Spring has sprung, and so shall I! I have taken up yoga, and have started working out with a pedometer on as well!

Gardening-On-a-Budget-Homesteading-and-Health

For my fifth post, I wanted to discuss a new measure I have implemented to help in my healthier lifestyle choice, gardening! Did you know that according to the American Heart Association, gardening 1 hour daily will burn up to 400 calories, and considering that the average weekend project tales 4-6 hours, and that maintaining your yard weekly, in warmer weather, will take nearly 1 hour a day, you would, on average burn upwards of 2,400 calories a week! An entire days worth of calories! This is a staggering number! For me, I make sure to water the plants, lawn, and mow as often as I can, as its no longer a chore for me, but an exercise! I love that performing tasks for  hobby can lead to better health!

How awesome is that?

Here’s to the Journey!