Tobins' Tastes: May 2014

Friday, May 30, 2014

Cake Batter TWIX Bites Dessert Dip



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Are you ready for Father's Day yet? I don't quite have a gift yet, but I have dessert in the bag. When it comes to celebrating dad's I think of BBQing outside and sitting on the back porch relaxing. And in the June heat of South Florida, nothing sounds better for dessert at an afternoon BBQ then a cool, refreshing dessert dip made with Mars TWIX Bites and served with fruit and cookies.


As far as family celebrations go, I like to keep it simple. Something I can prepare ahead and then just serve when needed is my favorite way to go. This dessert dip only has three ingredients and you can switch up the flavor or go with lower fat/lower sugar options as you prefer.


I went with a standard cake batter dip inspired by this TWIX dip I made at Christmas time. The creamy cake batter is broken up by crunchy, caramely, TWIX Bites for a dessert that you could take a spoon to. Not that I recommend that or would ever do that. But if your dad is anything like my dad, he may do it anyways and use the excuse "Well, it's Father's Day."


The graham crackers and apple slices were the perfect dipping tools. Caramel and apples always go well together and the Granny Smith Apples gave a little tanginess to offset the sweetness of the dip.


You can pretty much use any type of cracker, cookie or fruit you have on hand. This would probably even taste good on cardboard.


Cake Batter TWIX Bites Dip
  • 8oz tub of Cool Whip
  • 1 cup of Yellow Cake Mix (just the mix)
  • 20-25 TWIX Bites, cut in half
1.) Beat together the Cool Whip and cake mix until smooth.

2.) Stir in chopped up TWIX Bites.

3.) Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving with graham crackers, apple slices or any other type of cookie or fruit you prefer.


Want to save on TWIX Bites and all of the other varieties in the Mars Bites Family? Not only can you get them for a great price regularly at Walmart like I did. Check out the variety of coupons Mars has available right now including one to save $3.00 Off any two (2) MARS Brand Bites, 6oz. or larger. Includes TWIX®, 3 MUSKETEERS®, MILKY WAY® Simply Caramel, MILKY WAY® & SNICKERS®.


Thursday, May 29, 2014

Grown Up Versions Of Childhood Favorites {Kraft #1DollarDeals}

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for #CollectiveBias and its advertiser #1DollarDeals .



When it comes to the end of school, I am just like a little kid. Being a high school teacher means that I get to experience the joy that comes with the "School's Out For Summer!" feeling every June. And while it is an amazing feeling, this time of year makes for a crazy schedule with very little time to prep and sit down to a full meal. So in honor of that summer feeling and in an effort to save time, I have put together two traditional children's after school snacks and remade them as adult versions.


Since I don't like to break the bank with afternoon snacks, I headed to Walmart and grabbed a few of Kraft's $1 deals like Jell-O: Instant Chocolate Pudding & Pie Filling, Kraft Original Flavor Macaroni & Cheese Dinner and Kool-Aid Bursts, 6 count. I already had a few things I needed at home but I grabbed a few additional items and for less than $10 was set with everything I needed to make an adult version of the traditional blue box Kraft Mac & Cheese and a dressed up version of a Jell-O pudding cup.


I was an extremely picky eater as child but I have vivid memories of loving Kraft Mac & Cheese. I was a total weirdo who only liked the "regular noodles" so even as an adult I made sure to grab those. I knew that the first thing I was going to make was a grown up version of my childhood favorite.


This recipe starts out exactly like a traditional Mac & Cheese following the directions on the box. Once it is ready, I stirred in 1/2 cup of sliced sun-dried tomatoes, spooned it into ramekins, and topped each one with a little panko and Parmesan. I baked them up for 5 minutes at 350 degrees and they were the perfect afternoon snack for adults.


For when we are in the mood for a sweeter snack, I created a "fancy" version of a Jell-O pudding cup. I made the pudding according to the directions on the package and let it set up in individual plastic cups. I dressed up the tops with a little Cool Whip pipped in an icing bag and sprinkled on some chocolate sprinkles for athestics and crunch. These can be stored in the fridge for a ready when you need it single serving treat.


And since you can't have a snack without something to drink, I had to fulfill a childhood dream and buy Kool-Aid Bursts. In our house as a child, we constantly asked for these. My mom usually only gave into them for parties and special occasions. So now that I do my own grocery shopping, there were definitely going in my cart. And with a little bow on them, they look just right next to my grown up snacks.





Friday, May 23, 2014

Sam’s Club Gift Card Rebate Offer On Tyson Grillin’ Wings

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for #CollectiveBias and its advertiser #WhatsGrillin . 

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Get outside and grill this weekend with Tyson Grillin’ Wings found at Sam’s Club. These grill and serve smokehouse flavored wings cook on the grill in about 18 minutes. Right now when you purchase one bag of Tyson Grillin’ Wings at Sam’s Club through June 1st, you will receive a $5 giftcard and you will be entered to win A Char-Broil® 4-burner IR gas grill.


PROGRAM TERMS:
1. Must be purchased at a Sam’s Club between 5/1/14 and 6/1/14.
2. Receipt must show retailer name, date, time, receipt total, and qualifying purchase. Each receipt can only be submitted once.
3. Limited to four (4) submissions per customer.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS: Enter at http://www.drvsusa.com/wings/
Snap a picture of the Sam’s Club receipt. Ensure it clearly shows (1) the purchase of one Tyson® Grillin’ Wings® product; (2) date and time of purchase; and (3) the total amount of the transaction.

Looking for an easy summer recipe using Tyson Grillin' Wings? Check out my recipe for Sweet & Spicy Asian BBQ Wings!



Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Getting Started Couponing: Everything You Need To Know All In One Post!


Are you just getting started in couponing? Even though I have a Learn To Coupon page and Couponing 101 post label, I know it can be confusing to sort through all my old posts to read everything. So to simplify the process I have put everything you need to know (well most of it anyways...) here in order with links to the post.

Use this post as your jumping off point into the world of couponing and saving on groceries and household items. Just click on the titles for the links to each individual post. Did I forget something? Let me know. Have questions that weren't answered? Comment or email me and I will be happy to help!

The Basics:

5 Questions To Ask Yourself Before You Start Couponing

Learn The Sale Cycles

Where To Find Coupons

Planning A Shopping Trip

Websites I Use To Plan My Trips

What Months Do Things Go On Sale

Details & Specifics

Couponing Lingo

Unconventional Places To Find Coupons

My Favorite Free Couponing Apps

How Does Stacking Coupons Work?

Making Couponing A Lifestyle

What's A Stockpile & Why Should You Have One

The Stalk My Stockpile Series

Why Using Cash Makes Me A Better Couponer

Saving Money By Buying Meat In Bulk From Zaycon


Friday, May 9, 2014

My Favorite Couponing Websites


When it comes to couponing, once you have the basics down all you really need is a few good websites to help you snag the best deals at your local grocery stores. It doesn't take hours of reading or research to save a lot each week. While it might seem overwhelming, if you stick to one or two sites, you will find that building your weekly shopping list can be very simple.

When I first started couponing, I felt like I had to read every site out there multiple times a day to stay on top of the deals. Now I read each of my top sites once a day (if that) and take 15-30 on a specific site to build a shopping list before one of my trips. What I love about all of these sites is that you can build a shopping list complete with links to printable coupons, available store coupons and newspaper coupons. Here are my top websites that I use to help me coupon.

I Heart Publix

Hands down this is the site that I use the most. Since Publix is where I do most of my shopping, I check this site daily sometimes twice a day. Not only does Michele post weekly ads with coupon match ups but she also posts about great deals, high value coupons, Advantage Flyer coupon match ups, store promotions and more. I use iheartpublix.com as the basis for all of my shopping trips.

My favorite features is that I can build my own shopping list from the weekly ad coupon match up and from other deal posts to create a custom list with matching coupons. Each week on Wednesday night I create my shopping list and then use it to pull and cut all my coupons for my Thursday shopping trip. I then take that list and the cut coupons with me to the store to do my shopping. You can even add your own personalized items and prices too. Below is an example of a shopping list you could create. (Click on the image to enlarge it)



 Totally Target

As the name suggests TotallyTarget.com is a website devoted to getting great deals at Target. Kerry not only posts weekly ad coupon match ups but she also posts about current gift card deals, store promotions, mobile coupons, Target.com couponsCartwheel discounts, current clearance finds and more.

I love Totally Target because not only can I build a shopping list similar to the one from I Heart Publix but I can also know what extra coupons to bring with me to be on the look out for clearance deals too. Kerry also posts shopping scenarios for gift card deals and $X/$XX Target coupons to help you get even better deals. If you have a Target addiction like I do then a quick stop by this site before heading to Target is definitely going to save you some money.

Southern Savers

SouthernSavers.com is a couponing site that covers all different stores. Not only does Jenny post about grocery deals but she also posts about restaurant deals, Amazon deals, and tons of money saving opportunities both on and off line. She also has an amazing coupon database.

Souther Savers is my go to website for searching for coupons. If you are looking for a coupon for a certain product or even a restaurant or website simply click on the Coupon Database icon in the top right hand corner of the site and search for it. You can also make shopping list for weekly store sale ads with coupon matches for close to 20 stores including Walmart, Winn Dixie, Pubilx, Target, the dollar stores, drugstore and many regional grocery stores.

Money Saving Mom

MoneySavingMom.com is one of the first blogs I started reading when I began couponing. Not only does Crystal post about coupons and great deals but she has tons of good advice on budgeting, frugal meals, living within your means and saving even on a tight budget.

She also shares great recipes, natural and organic food/product coupons and deals as well as store promotions and online deals. Another aspect of Money Saving Mom that I love is that Crystal also shares tips for being more intentional with your time and energy which in turn can save you not just money but a whole lot of stress too. Her site is a great one if you want to start saving money and getting organized in all aspects of your life not just the grocery store.

New to couponing? Check out the Learn To Coupon page and some of these helpful posts below!





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