Luv Saving Money – Page 713

Label your Food with Date it! Labels

I have been a Lovable Labels Lovebug through my blog for a few years now. Through the program I’ve had the opportunity to try many Lovable Labels products. My absolute favorite one is their Date it! Labels.

Did you every clean out your fridge and pull out one of your food storage containers. You don’t even remember how long it’s been in there and you’re honestly afraid to open it for fear of the stench or grossness that may display itself proudly. What is in that Container!? Label your food with Date it! Labels from Lovable Labels. These are one of the most useful things I’ve discovered for my kitchen. These food storage labels come in 30 packs with 10 large, 10 medium, and 10 small labels. When you transfer your food to the storage container just place your label wherever you want on the container and you can mark the date and contents of said container so you know exactly how long it’s been in there and what it is.

This is a pic from the making homemade applesauce how-to I did back in October. I used them to date the baby food. You can leave the labels on the container. These labels are microwave, dishwasher, and freezer safe, waterproof, and reusable. These labels are heavy duty labels. I’ve had some of mine on my containers for a year and they still look like the day I put them on there. Don’t worry about them sticking forever to your good Tupperware either. They stay put but I’ve removed them and restuck them a number of times and they still stick well and don’t leave any nastiness behind either. You can use a dry erase marker and wipe them off to use them again and again.

For a while there Lovable Labels only had 3 different designs available. The design pictured above is called “candied dots” then they had a blue and white one called “picnic” and a cute baby design. They have now added NEW designs one called “country” that comes in a few different colors and “Retro” that has some pretty funky designs.

I liked these so much I actually got a bunch of packs to give to my coworkers this past Christmas.

If you’re thinking of ordering them I can save you a little money with a coupon code: AngieBLB3 saves you 10% off your order at lovablelabels.ca

Ideas for Leftover Holiday Candy

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

Holiday candies, the kids love ’em and some times mom and dad do too. In our house thought my kids get treats from all directions. They get them in their stockings, they get candies and treats from relatives, and from parties at school. After a while though everyone seems to get tired of them. You can throw them away I suppose but I have some better ideas. Sometimes it’s just the form, people are tired of looking at candy canes maybe but changing their form might renew a interest in them. So what can you do with leftover holiday candy?

We received some awesome Wonka candies from Nestle. We received Gobstopper Candy Canes 12ct.
and some SweeTarts holiday mix around Christmas. Every year we hand candy canes on the Christmas tree to add to the decor and the kids are able to take one off now and then to nibble on it. Inevitably we find a few that people missed on the tree.

The Gobstopper candy canes had the typical candy cane shape but they were solid colors on the outside. If you are familiar with regular gobstoppers, you know that as you suck on them there are different layers of color. The candy canes are made similarly.

These candy canes went fast. Everyone loved them. There were a couple hiding on the tree when we took everything down. Crushed, the candy canes could easily a topping for cupcakes, cookies, ice cream and more.

Also, when kept at the right temp, candy canes will last a while. The Gobstopper candy canes came in red, white, and green colors. Did you ever notice that when you put the two hooks of the candy canes together they make a heart? You could affix two candy canes to a piece of paper or tie them together to make a heart for little Valentine treats. The Gobstopper ones would work great for that with the red and white ones.

We also had some leftover SweetTart holdiay mix. They were red and gree holiday shops. Again, crushed you can use them as toppings on whatever you like. Being that they are are…well..tart they do better with a sweet sour mix. I had some granny smith apples in the fridge. I personally love tart and sour things. I thought I’d cut up some granny smith applies, dip them in chocolate then roll them in crushed SweeTarts.

Initially I wanted to use white chocolate but when I went to melt my white chocolate I realized it had expired so I used milk chocolate instead. I still think white chocolate would have been better but they turned out good anyway.

Recipe for Sweet and Sour Granny Bites:

— About 1 cup chocolate to melt. In my opinion white would be better but milk chocolate worked for us. Could be baking squares or chocolate chips

— 3 Granny Smith apples

–1/2 box of crushed SweeTarts

Cut your apples up into slices removing core. Crush SweeTarts. We Put them in a sandwich bag and smacked them with the back of a heavy spoon but you can do it how you like. Pour crushed SweeTarts into bowl. Melt chocolate according to package directions and then stir until smooth. Dip half of your apple slice into the chocolat then roll in the crushed SweeTarts. Allow to hard for about 20 minutes.

My boys all tried them. They were a kit here. In fact the next day my youngest son asked me “Mom do we have anymore of those SweeTart apples” lol:

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Enter to Win One of Six Amazon Gift Cards

*This post does contain affiliate links. Regardless I only post legitimate offers from trusted sites**

Enter to win one of six $25 Amazon gift cards in the #NoFailDinnerIdeas sweepstakes. This one is cool because you also get to see and repin some awesome recipe ideas. I don’t know about you but I’m always looking for recipe ideas. It’s simple and easy to enter. Click the link in this post or the widget below to enter. Ends 2/11/14

Do you have a go-to dinner idea that your family loves? I do, my family loves my chicken stir fry. I usually make it about once every 2 weeks and it never gets old for us.

2014 Food Trends

**This is a sponsored post completed as a member of the US Family Guide Bloggers group**

Become a Dining Daredevil in 2014!

Restaurant.com releases their Hot Food Trends for the New Year

I personally love discovering new foods. Unfortunately, in my little town we don’t get anything too new and exciting. It seems when something cool does come around it doesn’t last long here and we’re back to the norm. I read an article about a bubble tea trend one time. I saw pictures and thought, “I’d love to give that a try” Unfortunately, as far as I know there isn’t any place even close that makes/sells bubble tea.

There are lots of a trends though and this article from Restaurants.com talks about the 2014 food trends you can expect to see.

1. Egg-cellent Adventures
While it’s hard to determine when this trend ignited, it’s definitely picked up pace and could reach its peak of popularity in 2014. The “breakfast for dinner” craze and increasing popularity of regional specialties, like Korean Bibimbap and Mexican Huevos Rancheros, will only grow the trend of egg-y fusions. Plus, there’s an emerging sense from the scientific crowd that eggs are healthier than perhaps you previously thought, which will feed consumer interest in this farm-fresh favorite. All in all, 2014 will be the year of the egg, so you might as well get cracking!
We dare you: Next time you order a burger or stir fry, ask them to top it off with a fried egg or two. The added protein will help boost your metabolism and satisfy your hunger!
2. Farm to Fork
Diners’ growing eco-awareness and their desire for the wholesome simplicity of home-style cooking and minimally-processed foods is on the rise. Riding this wave, restaurants are returning to their predecessors’ roots, sourcing fresh produce and natural ingredients and cooking them up in a style that more closely resembles the authentic recipes that graced Grandma’s kitchen table rather than modern, industrial food products.
We dare you: When people hear “farm to fork,” they immediately think of steamed vegetables, but this trend encompasses more than just radishes and such. Tender meat alternatives and locally produced cheeses are two items to look for on the menu. Don’t be afraid to order something with a beet or two for an added super food bonus!
3. Tea Time, All the Time
Once confined primarily to Asian restaurants, tea is an increasingly popular beverage. In 2014, you’ll find tea used for novel and surprising purposes. For example, ground teas like matcha and chai can be used as dry rubs and marinades for beef, chicken or veggies. Tea-smoked salmon and pork will both make headway in the new year, and English-style tea-time gatherings at local cafes will also be big.
We dare you: To find these tea-fusion meals, take a trip to an Asian fusion restaurant near you and keep an eye out for tea-smoked pork, ribs, or stir fry. For an added bonus, try one of our other favorite food trends of 2014, a hot sauce like sriracha.
Feeling brave? Why not tackle the rest of our top food trend list on the Restaurant.com blog: http://thedish.restaurant.com/take-a-bite-out-of-2014-hot-food-trends-for-the-new-year/. Your tummy will thank you!

Follow Restaurants.com on these social media channels:
 Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Restaurant_com
 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/restaurantcom
 Blog post: http://thedish.restaurant.com
 Google+: +restaurantcom

Which of the food trends for 2014 do you think you’d like to try the most?

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Saving Money on College Textbooks

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If you’re a senior in high school you’ve probably already been looking into colleges. If you’re currently enrolled in college then you already know. College is a big expense but is definitely a good investment. There are lots of expenses involved when talking about college including the cost of textbooks. I think it’s absurd how much college textbooks cost but most of them you have to have. Some of them you’ll only use for a couple months and probably never look at again. I have my textbooks from college just gathering dust up in my attic. They’re about 13 or 14 years old now so I doubt they’d be any good to anyone except maybe as kindling. I can honestly say there are some I never opened again after a certain semester was over.

Have you ever priced out a new college textbook? Some of them a hundreds of dollars. No kidding. Even if you get used ones from the campus book store, they’re still pretty expensive. So what is the alternative? You have to have the books right? Consider renting college textbooks. Renting college textbooks from campusbookrentals.com lets you save 40-80% off bookstore prices. That’s big savings. To find out more about how renting books from campusbookrentals.com works, check out this video:

Free shipping both ways, flexible renting periods, you’re allowed to highlight in the rented textbooks, well this just sounds like a good deal to me. It does get better though. When you rent books from campusbookrentals.com they donate to Operation Smile. Operation Smile is a medical charity that works around the world with children that have facial deformities like cleft palates and cleft lips. Medical professionals provide their service free of charge and train doctors in poorer countries so that more children can be helped. Just doing quick general searches I see all types of textbooks on the site for nursing, business, law, and lots more. I even did a search for Occupational Therapy books which is what I have my degree in. They have those too.

If that’s not enough to make you want to check out their site, you should also read about their Rent Back program. If you’ve already dished out the cash to buy those outrageously priced textbooks, don’t worry, there’s an option for you too. When you’re done with your textbooks you can rent them to other students and earn some of your money back. Every time your book is rented, you get paid! So really, if you’re book is in demand you have the potential to earn all your money back and then some.

Using campusbookrentals.com and rentback.com are great options in saving money on college textbooks.

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