Photo Friday!

These two shots were taken as we escaped the city last week! Delaney kept calling the sun set the pink and purple sky and she said over and over how pretty it was, you know because her favorite color is PINK!

It was very pretty and relaxing. I love my time away from the city!

But real life often calls us back...

Happy Friday!

Tell The Truth Thursday! I hate paying full price!

I love to shop!

I love to buy!

I love to look!

I HATE PAYING FULL PRICE!

I can't stand paying full price for anything.

Don't get me wrong I'm no extreme coupon-er, I don't argue with shop owners or managers, I don't even let on that I am not buying because its not on sale I just simply turn and walk away if something cost more than I think it should.

I know, I know who am I to say how much bananas should cost, or kids clothes or even crafting items... I frequently shop at the dollar stores (which if you have read my blog before you will know that very well...), at the Sally Ann for re-purposing items (if I can get it for less and make it unique why not!!!) and when I buy my groceries I only buy items on sale in the flyers (I plan our meals/ stock our freezer based on the flyers each week!).

It actually pains me to pay full price knowing that I could have possibly saved even a few cents by picking up that item with a coupon or by getting it at another store.

I recently learned that Micheal's doesn't take coupons for Cricut products... Oh this made me unbelievably sad! I left the store with my purchase because I needed it to use my Cricut (it was a cutting mat) but I was a little heart broken that I couldn't save on it...

Maybe it comes from having a frugal mom, maybe it comes from being a stay at home momma, maybe just maybe it comes from the deep feeling of satisfaction I get from saving my family money... I feel like it's my contribution, my job to save what I can for my family since I don't bring in an income. I feel like the least I can do is to try to save as much as I can of what money does come in...

Made it My Own! A few of Our favorite things!

This past month was my In-laws wedding anniversary... (theirs is just a few days after ours) and when you have been married for a while, and have kids as old as Robyn (yes dear that is a dig because your sooo old...) you have everything you need. 

So what do you give someone who has everything? 

Well this is one idea!

 I saw this version on Pinterest and thought I would change it up a bit... 

I love the sentiment and I love the look!  

To change it up I changed the colors, and instead of writing "A few of MY favorite things" I wrote "A few of OUR favorite things" (it was a joint gift after all... I also added the painted clothes pins rather than frames so they can easily change out the pictures over time... you know the quick snapshots or a smaller wallet size if they want. 

I really like how it turned out! I love the color on the letters too (that was Robyn's idea, gotta give him credit sometimes I guess!)

Do you make your own gifts? I'd love some new ideas if your willing to share!

Make it Monday! Cheeseburger Meatloaf!

I love meatloaf I've posted about it before and I have posted my recipe here before. It's not something that we ate growing up but its something that now as an adult says comfort to me... 

But it can get a bit on the boring side if you don't jazz it up every now and again.

So very recently I got the Kraft Whats Cooking magazine, (you can click here to order it, its free and comes once per season) and I saw a very interesting recipe... I said the name out loud to Robyn and I think his mouth fell open, and a pool or drool fell on the floor... 

And you guessed it we had to try it! 

(a little greasy but YUMMY!)

The Cheeseburger Meatloaf in the magazine calls for Cheez Whiz (which I am always acused of saying wrong but that's another post....) but since I don't usually buy it I just made the cheese sauce I make for Macaroni and Cheese!

So for this make it Monday you are getting a twofer... you get the Meatloaf recipe and a quick cheese sauce recipe too!

My Cheese Sauce!

2 Tbsp of butter   

2 Tbsp flour   

2 Cups of milk  

1 Cup of Condensed canned milk  (we put it in our tea in these parts but most people use it for baking... and no don't use sweetened condensed milk it's not the same....) 

1 tsp Mustard

Cheese

Pepper

Melt your butter and add your flour, let the flour cook out a bit. then add your milks and let thicken (remember not to have your heat too high or you will burn your milk and let me tell you that's a mess you don't wanna clean up!) once your milk is thick add your mustard. (this gives your sauce a nice kick and keeps it from feeling too heavy) Then add pepper to taste. Finally add your cheese... I don't measure my cheese as I like it really cheesy but you can just add cheese until you one like the consistency and two think it tastes cheesy enough. 

Cheeseburger Meatloaf!

(as changed by me...)
1 lb of lean ground beef

1/3 cup of bread crumbs or crushed crackers

1/2 cup Cheez Whiz divided (or cheese sauce) 

1/2 of 1 Onion thinly diced or sliced (your preference)

1 Egg

2 tbsp of Ketchup or BBQ sauce

Mix your meat, egg, cracker crumbs, onion, BBQ sauce, with 2 Tbsp of cheese sauce. Mix well and form into a loaf or large burger shape and bake at 375 for 25 mins. Then add additional BBQ sauce to the top of the loaf and bake for 5 more mins, finally add the remainder of your cheese sauce to the top and cook for another 10 mins or until fully cooked through.

So good and such a nice change on meatloaf. Feeds the whole family and we had left overs for lunch too! 

Have you tried and switch up on an old standard recipe? Have you tried a recipe and substituted in your own homemade sauces rather than use store bought? Let me know how your recipes have worked out for you in the comments!

Happy Monday!