Ooey Gooey Bars

Okay, I'll be the first to admit it. Something I tried off Pinterest that looked flawless wasn't so hot looking coming from my kitchen but BOY is it yummy! Anywho, here's the recipe.

Crust::

1 box butter-recipe cake mix

1 egg

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

Filling::

1  8 oz. package cream cheese, softened

2 eggs

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1  16 oz. box powdered sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Light grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.  In a bowl, combine cake mix, egg & butter with an electric mixer.  Mix well.  Pat into the bottom of prepared pan & set aside.  Still using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth; add eggs & vanilla.  Dump powdered sugar & beat very well.  Reduce the speed of the mixer & slowly pour in the melted butter.  Mix Well.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Pour filling onto cake mixture & spread evenly.  Bake for 40-50 minutes (closer to 50 so it's not too ooey & gooey).  You want the center to be a little gooey, so don't let it stay in too long.  Remove from oven & allow to cool completely.  You can add chocolate & drizzle it on top after cooling for 15 minutes.  Allow to cool for at least an hour & then cut into bars and enjoy!

Pinkeye Remedy

This Monday, My baby girl's eye started draining.  My husband had been complaining of his eyes watering a lot from allergies so early Monday, I'd written this off as just allergies as well (her daddy and her are both super sensitive to a lot of the same things!)  By Monday evening, the draining turned to GUNK.  Red Flag.  I knew it either had to be pinkeye or an ear infection because the last time hers did this, it was her ears.  I started frantically looking for something I could do at home to ease this.  

Honey.  Seriously, the best stuff ever.  

3 tablespoons of honey & 1 cup of water.  Heat in the microwave (or boil if you prefer).  Then apply the entire amount to the affected eye.  We keep real-deal honey at our house at all times.  I started this Monday evening at her bath time.  On Tuesday, I scheduled an appointment to see her doctor.  They'd told me with my son that sometimes pinkeye can cause drainage and lead to an ear infection.  I couldn't get her in until Wednesday afternoon.  I continued to clean her eye with this solution once a day.  Her eye NEVER matted shut.  The picture below is her eye (the right one) after having pinkeye for 2 days.  No matting.  Today it's slightly pink around the eye, but not severe & not hurting as bad. 

 I will also add that since she had viral conjunctivitis, she ended up with a fever shortly after her doctor's appointment.  But by 5 am today, it's been gone since.  This was a picture of my baby sleeping last night.  Again, with NO matted eye =) 

So mamas, if your babies get cursed with this crud, try the honey ;)

Homemade Chicken Quesadillas & Hot Salsa

Quesadillas are hands down one of mine & my husband's favorite foods.  But of course, cutting back on our grocery portion of our budget isn't going to allow us to splurge to go eat mexican anymore.  So this week, I got a rotisserie chicken to stretch out over two meals for us (I will also add that this was SUPER easy to make). I decided to try my hand at making homemade quesadillas.  I SUCCEEDED! My hubby loved these more than our local mexican restaurants! And it runs roughly $10 to make 6 of them =)

To make them, I used::

1-1/2 lbs rotisserie chicken
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 tomato, diced
1 onion, diced
1  16 oz tub of goat cheese 
Flour Tortillas

Start by dicing all of your veggies.  Then put them in a frying pan with some EVOO on medium high heat to saute.  While your veggies are on, tear your rotisserie chicken & heat up your goat cheese.  When your veggies are done, make a thin layer of them across your tortilla.  Then make a layer of chicken on top.  And then add your cheese.  I also choose to pour cheese on top of my tortilla once i've folded it up (My name is Amanda & I'm a cheese addict.) Then enjoy ;)

I also made my hubby a tub of homemade hot salsa as an added bonus!

To make my salsa, I use::

1  12 oz jar of hot jalapeno slices, not pickled!

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 tbsp lime juice

1 tsp cumin

1 onion, diced

1 tbsp garlic

Add all of these in your blender, mix & enjoy ;)

Budgeting Progress

This was only a little bit of my groceries I managed to get today.  I went to Aldi & got all this for $20. I got sour cream, spinach, mini corn dogs, Jif to-go cups, 2 packs of flour tortillas, Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing, Baked Beans, 2 lbs onions, Cherry tomatoes, lettuce & a pack of diapers.  

I also went to Sam's and Walmart as well to get my meats & other groceries I needed for the week ahead.  I also got a rotisserie chicken to work for 2 meals, a 4 lb pack of boneless skinless breast, salmon, sausage biscuits for my princess, stuff to make ooey gooey bars, and other random things.  

I felt super accomplished when I got home and had all the groceries laid out from all 3 trips. Sticking to a $50 a week budget for my household may not be so hard after all.  And this all was with NO coupons!! 

Hopefully next week I can get pictures of my entire trip and do even better!

Homeschooing Update

So this week we've just started back to school.  Holidays, baking, travel & sickness required a little time off.  We've all had the crud going around.

We started back Monday very easy.  Reading more than usual with a few worksheets to ease back into things.  Yesterday we went back into full swing, with the exception of reading our sight words.  Sometimes that's a tad frustrating when he's had time off.  And today we started back with everything & then some.  I added a new workbook into the mix.  "Math Made Easy: Kindergarten Workbook.  It's a 2001 edition.  But I also have a 4 year old that I'd like to get a jump on math with. He can count like it's nothing.  And I realize it's an older edition.  But he LOVED it today.  Any activity or book I can use to get him engage in and make him interested in math is gonna go down.  Seriously, I HATED math until high school and then again in college.  I want writing & math to be things he LOVES.  

Anyways, short I know, just wanted to give a little update on our week thus far school-wise.  Here's a link to the workbook if anybody's interested!

<iframe src="http://rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=aditloas-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B00FFHVK3Y" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>

Success

Today I went to the grocery store to buy up stuff for a few meals this week.  I went with $50 cash in hand, rather than relying on my debit card like I normally do.  Usually, I get way too many groceries and spend way too much.  I had NO coupons (out of ink, story of my life). But I told my kids "No" several times & got out without going over =)  All this with meat, vegetables, cat and dog food.  I'm proud of myself.  Major accomplishment, maybe budgeting won't be a punishment after all ;)

Just wanted to give a mini update!

I Will Save Money.

So this year I've decided to set a pretty tight budget.  I want to have our finances under control and not to go spend just because we've had it.  Also, doing this will allow for some date nights, which we all know are essential. 

I've heard amazing things about the cash envelope system.  I'm in the process of getting my envelopes together.  I've written all of our expenses down.  IF we end up sticking to this budget or going below it, Christmas will be paid in cash that we've saved.  AND, we will also have a chunk to put back for our new home (or hopefully we will be in it by then!!)

Again, I'm hoping this won't be a NY resolution I think I can do and give up on immediately.  But so far, i've stuck to my grocery budget for the week.  And hopefully, with the help of coupons, I'll start going WAY below it.  

Anyways I'll keep you updated ;)