Saturday

Pinterest Easter Egg Hop

How often do you check out Pinterest? There are so many ideas that I could spend hours just looking at them each day! Here are a few of my favorite Easter Egg ideas as well as more on my Easter Pinterest Board. What are some of your favorite Pinterest Easter ideas? 


  • Please follow my boards on Pinterest- SusieQTpies Cafe and see what all I have shared for Easter.

Friday

HOT end of month printable Coupons & Deals

Hey Coupon users! Here are the end of the month coupons. That means that these particular coupons will not be available April 1st for printing. So look over the list and print off what you need!

Have a great weekend.


New Coupons Today

Baby & Toddler Coupons
Breakfast & Food Coupons

Thursday

5 Tips to Avoid Getting Sick on a Family Vacation


5 Tips to Avoid Getting Sick on a Family Vacation

1. Sanitize everything! -One of the first ways to ruin a vacation together is catching a cold on the plane.  Carry antibacterial wipes and wipe down every surface you may touch on the plane.  Wipe the belt buckle, food tray and latch, volume control, and armrests.  The airline crew cannot clean all these surfaces between flights which can harbor contagious viruses and bacteria.

2. Wash your hands- Especially before touching your own or a loved one's eyes, nose or mouth.  When travelling, it is impossible to avoid contact with surfaces that many others may have touched.  To avoid those bugs contaminating your family, wash your hands.

3. Be proactive- On family vacations with everyone close together, take Cold-EEZE at the first sign of a cold to shorten the duration, minimizing the amount of time you are sick to better enjoy your vacation.  Cold-EEZE zinc lozenges have been found to decrease the duration of colds by nearly half in studies by Dartmouth Medical Center and the Cleveland Clinic.  Also, by shortening your cold, it minimizes the chances of spreading the cold onto your family members.

4.  Be prepared- Carry medications with you to minimize the impact of a cold or illness so you can all still enjoy your trip.  Useful medications include analgesia like Tylenol or allergy medications for adults and children.  Adults may also want to have some decongestants handy just in case.

5.  Be healthy- Good hydration, good nutrition and exercise go a long way to giving the body the support it needs to stay strong.

 Guest article provided by By Dr. Yael Halaas, MD.

Background
She has been quoted in US Weekly, Men’s Fitness, Prevention & Fitness Magazine.
•          Medical School - Cornell University
•          Yeshiva University, Residency in Otolaryngology
•          Yeshiva University, Internship in General Surgery
Board Certifications:
•          American Board of Otolaryngology
Professional Memberships:
•          American Medical Association
•          American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery.
•          American Academy of Otolaryngology- Head & Neck Surgery


Wednesday

Springtime Menu and Recipes by Patricia L. Mote



Springtime Menu and Recipes

by Patricia L. Mote
Author of
Great Menus: Seasonal Recipes for Entertaining
The change to daylight savings time makes everyone realize that Spring is just around the corner. In some parts of the country where it has been unusually warm, it feels like Spring already. Whether for a Passover meal (April 6 & 7), an Easter meal (April 8), or an anytime Spring meal, here is a suggested menu that everyone will enjoy.

There are a lot of pink and orange foods in the menu so use pink and orange flowers for a festive look. Tulips come to mind. 
Prepared as shown, these recipes would serve 10.

Menu:
Cocktails
Stuffed Dates (with chevre, glazed with pomegranate syrup)
Hummus with Cucumber Slices
Serve with Pinot Grigio
Ota Ika (Tongan Raw Fish Salad)*
Serve with Pinot Noir
Butterflied BBQ Lamb
BBQ Asparagus with Chopped Egg
Parsley and Mint Chutney
Mediterranean Potatoes*
Fennel and Orange Salad (with Orange Blossom Honey Lime Dressing)
Serve with Prosecco
Flourless Macadamia Cake with Fruits*


Ota Ika (Raw Fish)
I just got back from sailing in Tonga and this was my very favorite dish while there. You will need to go to the fishmonger for the freshest fish! In Tonga the Ota Ika was served in vessels made of banana leaves. Here I use endive. The fish used in this picture is grouper.

1 lb sushi grade tuna, snapper or grouper

1 can coconut milk
3 limes
1 small green pepper, diced
4 green onions sliced
1 large tomato, diced
Slice the raw fish into thin slabs and pour the lime juice on top of the fish. 
Cover and let sit for 2-3 hours. Dice the fish, retaining the lime juice. Add the remaining ingredients to the lime juice. Let the mixture sit for at least another ½ hour before serving.
Mediterranean Potatoes
Preheat the oven to 350.
2 Tsp olive oil
1 large sweet onions, thinly sliced
2 large sweet potatoes, thinly sliced 20 small potatoes such as Yukon gold, sliced
½ lb. goat cheese (optional, not for kosher)
4 oz. chopped Kalmata olives
¼ cup olive oil mixed with 2 Tsp fresh oregano
Salt and pepper to taste.

In an oiled 9x13 glass casserole, make 2 layers starting with the potatoes then the onions, salt and pepper and all of the cheese and olives. Repeat the potato and onion layers. Cover well with foil, and bake 45 minutes. Remove the foil and drizzle with the oil and oregano mixture. Bake for an additional 15 minutes. 
Flourless Macadamia Nut Cake with Fruits
Preheat the oven to 350.
10 large strawberries
2 mangos
5 oz. almonds
5 oz. macadamia nuts
Place macadamia nuts on a baking pan, and roast for 5 minutes stirring once and checking to make sure that they do not burn. Do the same with the almonds.
Turn down oven to 325.

Let the nuts cool and then place almonds in a food processor and grind/pulse to a flour. Remove almond flour. Place macadamia nuts in the processor. It will be a little chunky, and watch that it does not become nut butter!
Spray a spring form pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.
6 large eggs, separated, and at room temperature
1 cup sugar, divided
2 tsp baking powder

Cream the egg yolks with ½ cup sugar, then add the baking powder and nut mix. In another bowl, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form; then slowly add the other ½ cup sugar until stiff peaks form. The nut mix is fairly solid, so take ½ cup of the whipped egg whites to thin; then gently fold the two together and pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Let cool slightly. Then using a thin blade, slide the blade along the outside edge and carefully remove the cake from the pan. Flip it over onto parchment paper and remove the bottom of the pan and the paper. Sift powdered sugar over the cake. Serve in wedges. Garnish with some mango and a large strawberry on each plate.

This is good just like this but you can also top it with some whipped cream and/or chocolate sauce.
_______________________________________________
Guest Menu: Patricia Lewis Mote is the author of Great Menus: Seasonal Recipes for Entertaining, the first of a trio of cookbooks. As the wife of the former president of the University of Maryland (1998 - 2010), Mote did a lot of entertaining and loved planning and executing tasty and beautiful meals. Learn more at: http://greatmenus.vpweb.com.

Tuesday

7 Fun Ways to Teach Children to Save money


7 Fun Ways to Teach Children to Save

1.     It’s All in the Visuals 
Children tend to be visual learners. Hang up a savings goal chart, like an empty thermometer or table, that they can fill in as they reach their goal. For older children, have them create a ‘Wish List’ of items they want with the cost included. These visual reminders will help encourage them to save their money instead of spending it immediately.

2.     Field Trip!
Every child loves a good field trip. Tell them you are going to take them on a field trip to the bank and watch their eyes light up. Many banks, including TD Bank, offer a joint savings account option that the parent and child can open together. Let them come with you when you open this so they can be involved in every aspect of their money management. Have them deposit money with you on a regular basis, particularly when they receive money for birthdays or holidays.

As a treat for filling up their coin jars visit the Penny Arcade at your local TD Bank and let them cash in their coins for deposit into their savings account.  The interactive coin counting machine even offers the chance to win a prize! 
Visit the Store Locator to find the nearest Penny Arcade.

3.     Penny Pinching
Compare prices in stores or online to help teach your child to spot a great deal. When shopping with your child, check the sale and clearance sections first. Let them know they may find something on their wish list or a similar alternative for a better, less expensive price.

4.     Let Them Pick Up the Tab
Spending Mom and Dad’s money is easy! Help them to develop a better relationship with money by having them use their own money to pay for the items they want. They’ll appreciate the hard work that goes into saving your own money.

5.     Give them a “Job” 
Teach them the value of hard work by working out a reasonable rate for chores or other odd jobs around the house. Using these rates, share with them how many working hours it would take in order to afford the items on their wish list.

6.     Here’s the Game Plan
Play a board game customized for teaching children about money or make up your own game! For a list of recommended games, check out this article from About.com. You can also visit the TD Bank WOW! Zone game room for interactive computer games for your child.

7.     Let’s Make a Deal
Make a deal with your child that you will match a percentage of the amount they save if the save consistently or reach a certain amount. This could be anything from a video game to their first car—it’s whatever works best for your family!

In lieu of a percentage, reward your child for great savings habits. Some experts say it is most effective to reward children with something non-material like an extra hour of TV-watching, a later curfew one night or a sleepover!

Guest post provided by TD Bank. 

Old Navy BEST-TEES are soft-tees

Have you ever tried the Old Navy BEST-TEES? My daughter, Old Navy Naomi was sent one of these BEST-TEES to review. This was her first time to wear one of these shirts. The first thing that she noticed was how soft the shirt was brand new and with many washes. She calls the BEST-TEES, "SOFT-TEES."
We love the variety of styles, sizes and PRICES at Old Navy. The line has better, brighter and bolder colors that hold up well in the wash. Old Navy Naomi is wearing a small women, scoop neck t-shirt in dark navy. She loves to layer her shirts and this one is no exception. The shirts are premium quality, super-soft fabric that is designed for a better fit and silhouette. Gone are the days of super baggy tees for my teen. This shirt was very flattering and she said "she looked good" wearing it!

Check out this entertaining Mr. T's Old Navy BEST-TEES "infomercial" parody:


What is your favorite thing about Old Navy?

As a mom, one of my favorite things about Old Navy BEST-TEES would be that they come in a wide range of sizes, colors and prices. They have long-sleeve, crew neck, V-neck and short sleeved as well as camisoles, ribbed tanks, racer backs and hoodies. These style choices suit everyone in our family. They also come in a rainbow of colors which does matter in a house full of teens. Everyone seems to have their favorite color, which Old Navy offers and they tend to only buy their favorite color. I personally can and do wear the rainbow and love the brighter and bolder colors.

Besides style and color, as a mom, I also love the wide range of sizes offered by Old Navy.  The BEST-TEES are offered from women and men sizes all the way down to toddler size of 12 months. For my daughter, BEST-TEES means "SOFT-TEES" but for me, the mom, I call them "EVERYONE TEES" because there is a price, size, color, style and fit for everyone in my family. That is what makes Old Navy's "BEST-TEES" my favorite thing about Old Navy.




I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Old Navy and received a product sample to facilitate my review, and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

Meals in Minutes Cookbook Giveaway with Gooseberry Patch

Yes, it is time for another Gooseberry Patch Cookbook giveaway! I was so excited to get the chance to be an early reviewer for this book, Meals in Minutes. This is the 10th anniversary edition with new recipes that are fast and fun to make with batches of time saving tips.

Gooseberry Patch

Peanut Butter Pan Cake
3 c. all purpose flour
2 c. sugar
2 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1/4 c. baking cocoa
2 t. vanilla extract
3/4 c. oil
2 T. vinegar
2 c. water
Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and baking cocoa in a large bowl; mix well. Add vanilla, oil and vinegar; stir in water, mixing well. Spread into a lightly greased 13"x9" baking pan; bake at 350 degrees for 35 min. Spread Peanut Butter Frosting on cake when cool. Makes 15.

Peanut Butter Frosting
2 c. powdered sugar
1 c. shortening
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract
1/2-3/4 c. milk
1 c. creamy peanut butter (WE USED CRUNCHY)
Combine sugar, shortening and vanilla until smooth and creamy, adding enough milk to reach desired spreading consistency. Stir in peanut butter; mix well. 
Gooseberry Patch
I'm going to jump right in and share with you the chapters and some of my favorite recipes that I have cooked or plan on cooking. I have a house full of 3 teen girls. We eat together almost every night. Some nights we might be missing a teen due to college classes or work schedule but I still plan dinner. I love cookbooks like this one to give me new and exciting meals to try out on my girls. We are always looking for new family favorites. Quick and easy Meals in Minutes is just the right book to help me get a nutritious dinner on the table. (As for hubby, he'll eat anything but cooked carrots)

Market Fresh & Fast-Cauliflower Soup, Taco Salad & Spicy Salsa Shrimp (having both next week for Cinco De Mayo)
Oodles of Noodles-Chicken & Bowties, Cajun Chicken Pasta (having this on Thursday), Zippy Ziti, Pizza Pasta Salad, Garlic-Angel Hair Pasta, Thai Peanut Noodle
Hearty in a Hurry-Easy Mini Meatloaves (making soon and recipe by Jen at Gooseberry Patch), Deli Stromboli, Veggie Pizza Casserole, Zesty Pizza Casserole
Quick as a Wink-Coconut Chicken, Baby Hot Browns, Coffee-Braised Chicken, Macadamia Nut Chicken
Treats in a Twinkle-Pecan Chippers, Butterscotch Brownies, Peanut Butter Pan Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting, No-Fry Fried Ice Cream (Cinco De Mayo), Best-Ever Cupcakes, Homemade Lemonade Syrup
Perfectly Prepared Pantry-Wonderful chapter that of ingredients that are essential to have on hand for speedy suppers. Market Math breaks down measurements from what you need to what you actually need to buy at the store.
Thai Peanut Noodles
Thai Peanut Noodles

Instructions
1 lb shrimp (WE also USED 1 lb chicken breast cut into small pieces)
1 c. light Italian salad dressing, divided
8 oz pkg. angel hair pasta
2 T. crunchy peanut butter
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. honey
1 t. ground ginger (WE also USED 2 t. fresh, chopped ginger)
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1 c. green onions, chopped
1 T. sesame oil 
2 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
optional: 2/3 c. chopped peanuts

Directions
Coat shrimp and chicken with 1/2 cup salad dressing; refrigerate for 30 min. Meanwhile, prepare pasta according to pkg. directions; drain. In a bowl, whisk peanut butter with remaining salad dressing, soy sauce, honey, ginger and red pepper flakes until smooth; set aside. In a skillet over med. heat, sauté carrot, onions, chicken & shrimp in sesame oil until  chicken is cooked, about 5 min. Toss pasta, peanut butter mixture and meat together in a large serving bowl; sprinkle with cilantro and peanuts. Serves 4. 
 (WE doubled the ingredients for the peanut sauce-it needed it!) 

The cookbook is for new chefs, newlyweds, seasoned cooks, Gooseberry Patch cookbook collectors, busy mom's, dad's looking for a date night meal and more! The book is also for teen girls! The two desserts, were made by my 13 year old all by herself. Each page in this 222 page cookbook is chocked full of recipes and hand-dandy tips to make meal time prep look easy. Check it out, today!
Meals in Minutes Gooseberry Patch
(Click here to get the Best-Ever Cupcakes recipe)

(OVER) Enter to win a copy of this cookbook with the super easy Rafflecopter entry form. There are entries for everyone. Do as many as you want. Giveaway ends April 8th, 2012.

Best-Ever Cupcakes by Gooseberry Patch

Here is another tasty recipe from the new, Meals in Minutes Gooseberry Patch cookbook!
My 13 year old made this and they were a huge hit. We have more pictures to add later because she also decorated these for Easter. So cute and tasty!


Best-Ever Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
3 T. baking cocoa
1 c. sugar
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
6 T. oil
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. cold water
16 oz container frosting

Directions

In a bowl, blend all the ingredients except frosting; fill 12 paper-lined muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes; cool before frosting; Makes one dozen.
Kitchen Notes:


EB, for being 13, is an excellent baker. I really wish she would let me take more pictures of her baking. She gets ALL into it and my kitchen looks like a hurricane rushed through when she is finished. I'm talking flour, cocoa powder, etc everywhere. Even if she is making a box mix, she can tear up my kitchen in 10 minutes flat.

Since she was 9 years old, I have been able to hand her a recipe and she can make it exactly as written. She is self-sufficient and doesn't need help nor does she want it. If she can't reach something, she pulls the chair to get what she needs.

Baking with your kids is such a wonderful bonding time and learning experience. EB is always learning new things, asking wonderful questions like "what all uses all-purpose flour and if it is all-purpose then why doesn't every recipe use all-purpose flour...." etc. She is getting better at changing things up, too. This recipe called for 1 container of frosting. We have an easy frosting recipe but decided to keep with the Meals in Minutes or the sweet chapter theme of "Treats in a Twinkle" and use the can frosting. The cake is chocolate but she had me purchase vanilla frosting. Once it was time to frost, EB wanted chocolate frosting because she knew that  would be her daddy's choice. So, EB dumped cocoa powder into the frosting tub and made a new, delish frosting. That is why some of the pics are vanilla and chocolate.

Don't pass up any opportunity to be with your daughters. I have two more that are 17 1/2 and won't be around much longer. They grow too fast so grab onto them and enjoy all the time that you have been blessed with.

Enter the Gooseberry Patch Giveaway here on my blog with Meals in Minutes.

Monday

HOT Printable Coupons Barbie, Maybelline, Crayola and more


Crest and Oral-B Pro-Health Clinical Plaque Control Test Drive Program #CrestSponsored

I’ve been invited to participate in the Crest and Oral-B Pro-Health Clinical Plaque control test drive program.The last time I was at the dentist it was recommended that I use the Clinical mouthwash but I never bought any. That is why I am excited to participate in this test drive. I love that fresh clean feeling that I get after my dental cleaning. How about you? So far that is the feeling that I have on this Crest Test Drive. Not only are my teeth looking good but my mouth feels fresh!


I plan on posting again in a week or so to let you know if the oh so fresh feeling last. In the meantime, check out the Pro-Health Clinical Olympic Games Sweepstakes and enter for a chance to win a trip to the London 2012 Olympic Games. I can't wait to see all our summer Olympic Athletes! It would be so fun to actually see it in person! When you enter you also have a chance to win the full Crest and Oran-B Pro Health product line. 


To enter the sweepstakes visit www.crestoralbclinical.com/olympicgamessweeps. The sweepstakes began on March 15th and will run through May 31st. No purchase necessary.Void where prohibited. 


Good luck entering! If you win anything, let me know! If I win the trip, everyone will know! 


I wrote this review while participating in a test drive campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Crest and Oral-B and received product samples to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central Consulting sent me a promotional gift to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Weekly Menu Plan with Easy Recipes

Welcome back to Menu Planning Monday! Thanks to all who stopped in and even linked up! Remember you can link up any menu or recipe. If you have a menu plan link up, feel free to leave that in the links too! Have a great week!


Monday- Fiesta Burger and SPICY RANCH Dip and Flower Power Artist Veggies
Tuesday-Scallopine with Peppers, Mushrooms and Tomatoes and a huge salad
Wednesday-Crockpot Cranberry BBQ Chicken and Mom's Cheesy Hashbrowns
Thursday-Leftovers or Pizza Soup (depends if we have enough leftovers or not)
Friday-Thai Green Curry Chicken 
Saturday-Speedy Sausage Muffins
Desset-Coconut Dream Cake

Check out these hot coupons before you head out to the store.

I've linked up at OrgJunkie's Menu Plan Monday link up. I will pin some of the below post on Pinterest as I have time! If you do pin my post, please leave a comment and I will be sure to get yours pinned. Thanks! Have a super week.

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