Couponing: My New Addiction

Last Sunday I spent the afternoon watching the Extreme Couponing marathon on TV.  I was inspired, but skeptical.  So the hubby ran out, bought a Sunday paper and we started clipping.  We wanted to see if this was something that was actually worth while, so we decided to check out the savings that night.  Lucky for us Ryleigh had taken a late nap, so we were able to hit the grocery store at 8 p.m.  We had a pretty successful trip and I knew it was going to be something I had to continue.  A hobby if you will.

I began following thekrazycouponlady.com, one of the ladies who was featured on the show.  She also has a book out, which of course, I bought and have been reading to try to learn how to get the best deals.  I put together my binder, organized my coupons and was prepared for my next venture out.

This past Sunday I bought 3 papers, clipped my coupons, looked at all the ads, and wrote down by store which sales/promotions matched up with the coupons I had (which isn't many right now, but I'm trying to build it up).  So today I headed out, first hitting the grocery store.  Some of my best buys from today:

four jars of peanut butter on buy 1 get 1 free special + three $0.75 coupons = $1.94 each
three canteloupes on buy 1 get 2 free special = $1.33 each
two dishwashing liquid soap on sale for $0.99 + two $0.50 coupons (doubled) = FREE!
two deoderants on 2 for $3 special + two $0.50 coupons (doubled)= $0.50 each!

My total savings from this store was $37.99 from coupons and $24.76 from my store card.

I then headed to Walgreens to get some deals.  In order to get all the savings I had to do this in 3 seperate transactions, but it was worth it because I now have $4.00 in register rewards to put towards my next purchase there : ) My total savings from Walgreens was $28.53 + $4.00 in register rewards.

Considering this was my first "planned" couponing trip out, I'm pretty proud of myself.  My grand total today was $145 and I only paid $46.  I hope to get better and I can't wait to get my bill down to single digits : )  68% savings is definitely worth the coupon trouble...plus, I think I actually enjoy it.

Cooking: Everyday Italian

Over the past couple of weeks I have tried some new Italian dishes that we over here at Casa Richardson have really enjoyed.  I was watching Giada At Home on the Food Network one afternoon and became inspired to make these dinners.  I have used some of her recipes before and she never disappoints, and after using these recipes her record with me remains at 100%.  Obviously I made some changes to them (because I always do), but I'll give you the Giada recipe and then I'll let you know what my changes were.  I hope you try at least one of these, because they were all so simple and so delicious : )  Bon Appetite (or whatever that is in Italian)
                                                                                                                                  

First up, Mushroom Risotto with Peas.  I have been working on my risotto skills for about 6 months now and I think I've finally mastered it.  It's not that difficult, it's just tedious.  All together it should only take about 25-28 minutes to cook, you just have to spend that entire 25-28 minutes standing at your stove, stirring...and stirring...and stirring...and stirring.  You want to make sure you heat up all the liquid you will be adding and you want to make sure you cook the risotto at the perfect medium-high heat so that the liquid doesn't absorb too fast leaving you with crunchy risotto.  You want it to be tender and creamy. 

Ingredients

• 8 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
• 1/2-ounce dried porcini mushrooms
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups finely chopped onions
• 10 ounces white mushrooms, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio Rice
• 2/3 cup dry white wine
• 3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning

Directions

Bring the broth to a simmer in a heavy medium saucepan. Add the porcini mushrooms. Set aside until the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Keep the broth warm over very low heat.

Melt the butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the white mushroom and garlic. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the porcini mushrooms to a cutting board. Finely chop the mushrooms and add to the saucepan. Saute until the mushrooms are tender and the juices evaporate, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and let it toast for a few minutes. Add the wine; cook until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of hot broth; simmer over medium-low heat until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Continue to cook until the rice is just tender and the mixture is creamy, adding more broth by cupfuls and stirring often, about 28 minutes (the rice will absorb 6 to 8 cups of broth). Stir in the peas. Mix in the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

My Changes:  I couldn't find dried porcini mushrooms, all my grocery store had was dried chanterelle mushrooms.  From what I've read, chanterelle mushrooms have a fruiter flavor than the more robust porcini, but obviously I still enjoyed the end result.  My only other change was I added pancetta to the recipe.  I knew we would be eating this as an entree and the hubby isn't too fond of meatless dinners.  Pancetta is an Italian bacon which is unsmoked pork belly and I was able to find it cubed up already in my grocers deli section.  I cooked the pancetta up in a skillet, drained it, then added it in the end with the peas.  I topped mine with some more grated Parmesan : )
                                                                                                                                  

Next up is Capellini al Forno.  This is the recipe I watched Giada make on her show.  It's almost like making a lasagna, with all of it's layers.  I guess you can say it's a fun alternative for lasagna or a boring baked pasta dish.  

The hubby wanted to have a "Presentation Off"...can you tell which one is his?

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing pan
• 1 pound capellini (angel hair) pasta
• 1 cup plus 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 3 eggs, at room temperature, beaten
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup plain breadcrumbs
• 1 pound proscuitto, sliced 1/8-inch thick and coarsely chopped
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded smoked mozzarella
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 (25-ounce) jar marinara or tomato-basil sauce, warmed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch diameter nonstick spring form pan. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and place in a large bowl. Add 4 tablespoons butter, 1 cup Parmesan, eggs, parsley, salt and pepper. Toss well until coated.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup breadcrumbs in the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread 1/3 of the seasoned pasta on top. Arrange half of the prosciutto in a single layer on top. Sprinkle half of the mozzarella on top. Add 1/3 of the pasta and push down lightly to form an even layer. Repeat the layers with 1/4 cup breacrumbs, the remaining pasta, prosciutto, and mozzarella. In a small bowl, mix the remaining 1/2 cup breadcrumbs and Parmesan together. Sprinkle over the layers and dot with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Drizzle with olive oil and bake until light golden on top, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes.

Remove the sides of the pan and cut the pasta into wedges. Serve with warm marianara sauce.

My Changes:  First, I didn't have a spring form pan, nor did I care to purchase one, so I chose to just use a 9" cake pan.  I also halfed the recipe because this thing is pretty massive and I knew we were not going to eat it all, so I figured the cake pan would be fine.  If you choose to do this as well, be sure to cut your baking time to 30 minutes or so because although you're halfing the recipe, you're still putting the ingredients in the same size pan, just not as deep, so it will cook faster.  I started checking mine at 20 minutes.  Other than that, I followed the recipe.  I would encourage you to taste your proscuitto first because some can be rather salty (like mine was) and you will most likely not want to use all the salt the recipe calls for if this is the case.  Mine probably could have done without the salt all together.  Also, I made mine with the chopped parsley, but I have a feeling it would be so much better if the parsely was replaced with basil.  Just a suggestion : )
                                                                                                                                  

Lastly is Orzo and Sausage Stuffed Peppers.  I love me some stuffed peppers, but the recipe I usually follow for these is getting a little bland.  I had some orzo in my pantry so I searched online to see what I could use it for and alas, Giada to the rescue.  Her recipe calls for just Orzo Stuffed Peppers, but like I said before, we really aren't a "meatless" dinner kind of family, so I added sweet Italian Sausage to it (I'll give you all my changes at the bottom).  These peppers were so moist and flavorful, by far the best I've ever tried.

Ingredients

• 1 (28-ounce) can Italian tomatoes
• 2 zucchini, grated
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano, plus more for sprinkling
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
• 6 sweet bell peppers(red or yellow)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Pour the tomatoes into a large bowl and break apart using a pair of kitchen shears or your finger tips. Add the zucchini, mint, cheese, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.

Meanwhile, bring the chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the orzo and cook for 4 minutes. The orzo should be only partially cooked. Use a fine mesh sieve to transfer the orzo to the large bowl with the other vegetables. Stir the orzo into the vegetable mix to combine. Transfer the warm chicken broth to a 3-quart baking dish.

Slice the tops off the peppers and remove all ribs and seeds. Cut a very thin slice from the base to help the peppers stand up (only if you need to).

Place the peppers in the baking dish with the warm chicken broth. Spoon the orzo mixture into the peppers. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle the top of each pepper with cheese and continue baking until the cheese is golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, carefully transfer the orzo stuffed pepper to a serving plate.

My Changes:  With the addition of the 1 lbs. sweet Italian sausage, I halfed the amount of orzo and only used 1 zucchini so that I didn't create too much stuffing for the 6 peppers called for.  And actually, I bought pretty giant peppers, so I only needed 5 of them.  I still cooked the orzo in the 4 cups of chicken broth because you will need all that broth for the bottom of your baking dish.  I simply mixed in the raw sausage during the first step with all the other ingrediants, then added the orzo after it finished cooking.  If you wanted to use another meat, you definitely could, I just figured Italian sausage has so much flavor in it that it would go nicely.  Also, my previous stuffed pepper recipe calls for ground beef and I was getting a little sick of it, so I was looking for something different.  I hope you try this recipe my way, it was delicious!

Ryleigh is Ten Months!!!!!!!!!!

Ryleigh at 10 months (August 15, 2011)

Okay...the exclamation points are really rackin' up and getting ridiculous!  Ten!  Ten of 'em up there!  In the months Ryleigh has been alive, I could have had another baby.  How crazy is that?!  My little muffinhead cannot be that old!

But she is.  sigh....

She has had a busy month filled with lots of visitors.  We started out (literally the day after we turned 9 months) with a visit from Uncle Dave, Aunt Cristin, Tyler and Kylie.  We had lots of fun with them and Ryleigh really enjoyed getting to play with her cousins.  You can check out the pictures and videos HERE.  Two weeks later we had a visit from Gammy and Grandad.  They made a stop at our house for a couple days during their week-long road trip vacation.  You can read all about it and look at the pictures and videos from that visit HERE.

This month has also been pretty full of new things for Ryleigh as well.  I mentioned last month that she began to cut tooth #3 & #4...well literally days later she began cutting tooth #5, #6, #7, AND #8!  It was amazing.  Aunt Cristin actually discovered our protruding toofers and Mommy couldn't believe it.  Six teeth all cutting at pretty much the same time!  Lucky for us, only #3 & #4 resulted in a cranky baby.  They've been growing and growing this past month and are almost completely through.  She looks soooo adorable when she gives that toothy grin now : )  But watch out, Mommy learned the hard way that those teeth are vicious...just ask my shoulder.

She has continued to master her waving, except for now she has discovered her wrist and instead of flailing her arms around to wave she simply raises her arm and flicks her wrist (you'll see it in an adorable video).  It's the cutest thing ever.  She will also give you an example of how big she is by raising both arms in the air when you ask "Ryleigh, how big are you?"  Just be sure to say "Sooooooo big!" in a high-pitched voice when she does it.

Another skill she mastered this month is how to crawl up the stairs.  We were so proud of our little munchkin when she first did it...then it just became annoying.  At first she just liked to crawl up to the landing and sit there.  I guess she thought it was a nice place to watch TV.  Then she started venturing up the big set of stairs and if you weren't watching, she'd be half way up those stairs before you knew it!  We have since invested in a baby gate to keep her from venturing upstairs, but she cries every time we put it up (she gets over it pretty quickly though). 

She is trying to sound out words a lot now...when you say bottle she will respond with "bahhh", but "bahhh" is also what she says when you tell her it's bath time.  She continues to say "Mama" and "Dada" and she will let out the occasional "Yaya" when she sees my Mom on skype or hears her voice on the speakerphone.  You can sometimes get an "up" out of her, but only if you say it first.  I can swear almost every day that she says some new word...one day I said Lucy and I think she said "Ucy", then another day I said nap and she responded with "ap"...so I think she's working on it.  She most definitely knows words though...you say breakfast and she immediately crawls to the pantry where her food is, you say puffs and she claps her hands (because they are her favorite) and crawls to her highchair, you say bath time and she crawls to the stairs (and if you let her crawl up the stairs she will continue on to the bathroom).  Sooo...needless to say we have started repeating things a lot around here.  She also knows when Mommy is getting a bottle ready because once she hears the microwave start she stops crying or fussing, and if she's on the floor, she crawls into the kitchen, pulls herself up with the cabinets and stands directly under where the microwave is and points at it.  So smart : )

She has also started pointing at things a lot now.  Like my eyeball (ouch!), nose and mouth.  Actually, she jams her finger in my mouth.  So when she does it we've started saying "eye...that's Mommy's eye...where's Ryleigh's eye", then I'll point to her eye and so on.  One day we were playing this game with our noses and after a few times she actually pointed to my nose on her own when I asked her where mine was.  It might be coincidence, but whatever, I think she's smart : )  She also likes to mimic me when I try to pick boogies out of her nose.  She has started sticking her finger in my nose when I do it to her...it's not so fun...for me at least.

Another skill she has managed to master this month is getting off the sofa by herself, which I think is pretty amazing for a 10 month old.  If she wants down, she simply lays on her belly, scooches backwards to the edge of the sofa and works her way down feet first until they touch the floor.  I mean, that's pretty logical thinking, right?!  I've yet to capture it on video, but I'm trying!

Sooo...we're growing up and learning new things and starting to put things together, which is amazing to watch.  But her feisty days are becoming more frequent which means she's becoming a lot more exhausting.  But it's all worth it when she looks at you, says "Mama" then dives in and gives you that slobbery, open-mouthed "kiss" : ) sigh....

caught!

Mommy puts rattles on Ryleighs ankles...Ryleigh doesn't like it

trying to crawl through a tiny passage while a bulldog is trying to = tears

Lucy makes sure Ryleigh isn't getting into trouble

look at my chompers!

trying to figure out the sippy cup, in a...different way

made it to the stairs

"don't worry Mommy, I won't go up them...while you're looking"

waving

crazy Mommy is always putting things on my head!

snack time, juice and puffs

Ryleigh's famous laugh-cry

trying on one of my birthday picture outfits...and eating white out, whatever

eating chicken like a big girl

Ryleigh spends some time on the landing and tries to break down the barrier

 Finally!  The time has come!

"hmmm, this blankie is laying on the back of this chair, what should I do with?  I know!  Snuggle with it!"

playing peek-a-boo with the blankies

justing standing up, holding my own bottle, no biggie

Nothing says "I live in the south" like a baby drinking a beer shirtless

(it was empty, don't worry!)

cuddling her snuggle guy

Mommy's love bite from Ryleigh

seriously Mommy, stop putting things on my head (but isn't it cute?!)

playing in Mommy's closet

(for some reason, the second I open my closet door she goes crawling in, pulls herself up using my shirts then uses them to sway around...she usually pulls 10 of them off of the hangers.  It's like her own little playground in there apparently)

using Lucy's stairs to get into Mommy & Daddy's bed

pooped

crawling around on the sofa, clearly obeying Mommy's wishes

10 months old and soo big!

Some pictures from our photo shoot today

Cooking: Easy Chicken and Sweet Potato Pies

 I made these Chicken Hand Pies the other night for dinner and thought they would be nice to pass along. As I started making them I realized they were actually very simple and look pretty impressive. I originally got the recipe from Everyday Food, but made a few changes along the way.  I included the original recipe in case you would like to follow Martha Stewart's way.  Although her recipe called for leftover food from a previous recipe because I found this recipe in a weekly "menu", so I had to mash the 2 recipes together in case you wanted to make your chicken and sweet potatoes from scratch like she does (over-achiever).  I encourage you to try it a different way though and experiment with different "insides" : )  I look forward to creating my own "pies" soon. 

 Here is a step-by-step on how to make them the way I did.

Start by making the insides for the pies.  The recipe calls for roasted sweet potatoes, but I didn't have time to roast my own, so I used canned yams and just drained them and rinsed them before mashing them.  I bought one of the small cans and only used about half of it, so I saved the left-overs for another night to have on the side.  I followed the recipe and used the coriander and cumin to season the potatoes, but if you want a more sweet pie, you could use brown sugar instead.

After thawing out the puff pastry and rolling it out into a 12" square, cut it into 4 individual squares.  Spread the sweet potato mixture onto each square.  You may want to try to keep the sweet potatoes on one half of the square to make it easier when folding the puff pastry.  Be sure to leave about 1/2" around the edges so you can seal the pastry.

Next, top with your shredded chicken.  The recipe calls for your own chicken, but I just purchased an already made rotisserie chicken from our local grocery store.  The hassle of roasting a chicken is done and they always have great flavor!  Any chicken left over you can use for chicken salad the next day!

Next, fold the square in half diagonally to create a little triangle.  Whip an egg and brush the edges of each pie to help seal it up.  Use a fork to seal the edges and cut a couple slits in the top of each pie to let the air out while cooking.  Brush the rest of the egg wash on top of each pie to help it brown up while cooking. 

Voila!  Puffed up delicious chicken pies!  Serve with your favorite veggie (I chose green beans) and of course, your favorite glass of wine : )

 

Chicken and Sweet Potato Hand Pies

Ingredients

• 2 cups roasted sweet potatoes
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• All-purpose flour, for rolling
• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces (2 cups)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a large bowl, toss together sweet potatoes and 2 teaspoons olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Arrange potatoes in a single layer on two rimmed baking sheets and roast until tender, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.
3. On a floured work surface, roll out puff pastry to a 12-inch square and cut into 4 squares. Divide sweet-potato mixture among bottom halves of squares, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Top each with 1/2 cup chicken and brush edges of squares with some egg. Fold top halves of squares over filling to make a triangle, then crimp edges with a fork. With a sharp knife, cut vents in pastry and brush with remaining egg.
4. Transfer pies to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden and crisp, about 30 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, bring 1/2 inch salted water to a boil. Add green beans and cook, covered, until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and serve with pies.
In a medium bowl, mash sweet potatoes with a fork or potato masher. Add cream, coriander, and cumin; stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.



A Mid-Week Visit

This week we had some visitors at Casa Richardson again...Gammy and Grandad came down to visit.  They had planned a road trip for themselves and decided it just wouldn't be right to not drive the extra miles and see Ryleigh for a few days.  So from Wednesday morning to Saturday morning we spent some time with the hubby's parents.  Due to the fact that is was about 100 degrees, we pretty much just hung out around the house in the air conditioning, but one day we did venture out to the Greensboro Children's Museum and Daddy and Grandad did sneak in an early game of golf one day.  Other than that Gammy and Grandad had lots of fun playing with Ryleigh...especially Grandad since he hasn't seen her since Christmas!!

Enjoy some pictures and videos of our time together.  The majority of these pictures are from the Children's Museum so when you see strange sights, like Ryleigh in the cockpit of an airplane, or Mommy sitting inside a firetruck, you'll know what's really going on....

Ryleigh shows Grandad how to play her drum

hammin' it up for the camera

 

Grandad showing Ryleigh the trains

 

Dining Car anyone?

How cute would it be if you peeked in the cockpit and saw that precious face?

Officer Ryleigh

Mommy trying out the fire truck

watch out Jimmie Johnson!

It's nice to see that even after being stung, Ryleigh can set aside her differences and befriend a bumble bee

Mommy's little ballerina

Puzzle time with Gammy

"I see you!!"

Bouncy Bouncy Bouncy

"Gammy this shopping cart is tiny...where's all the food gonna go?"

Reading with Grandad

not quite sure who's reading to who

it's only appropriate...Brian Williams on the NBC Nightly News was playing during her delivery 

Peek-A-Boo!

Mommy & Daddy trying to capture funny faces on the Ipad

This next set of pictures is an example of what happens when grown adults are not able to find anything better to do to entertain themselves.  Enjoy.

 

  

  

I now return you to your normal, everyday photos....

Ryleigh's new bath time routine...climb up the stairs, crawl to bathroom, pull up using bathtub, get undressed, have fun in tub!

Gammy got Ryleigh a pool...she's trying to decide if she likes it

Lucy isn't too sure about it either

playing with her new kissy doll... she had to teach Grandad how to play with this toy as well

by far two of the cutest things Ryleigh is doing right now.  You. Are. Welcome.