25 St. Patrick's Day Desserts

 

St. Patrick's Day has to be my favorite spring holiday. Being a graduate of Notre Dame and coming from a Notre Dame obsessed family, we take our shamrocks and wearing o' the green pretty seriously. Here are 25 of my favorite St. Patrick's Day desserts to help you celebrate.

Even more St. Patrick's Day inspiration: 

Mint M&M Fudge

This Mint M&M Fudge has only three ingredients and is so easy to make! Creamy, crunchy and minty: it's the perfect St. Patrick's Day treat! 

Based on these photos you are probably expecting me to talk about St. Patrick's Day. But I am going to throw your for a loop and skip over the fact that these are the perfect St. Paddy's Day treat and instead I am going to tell you about my Dad.

My Dad is a pretty easy guy to make happy. Aside from having his family and friends around, the things that make him happy are pretty simple.

A Notre Dame football win can have him smiling for 6 straight days until the following Saturday when the next game will fill our house with questions like "Are you nervous yet?" as he gets ready for kickoff. Give him the remote, a beer, some cheesy salsa and a couch full of Notre Dame loving family and friends for a game watch and he is a happy man.

My Dad also loves golf. My mom will say that the only time my Dad doesn't need his alarm clock is when he is going to play golf. He will struggle to get out of bed at 7 for work but a 7am tee time has him awake before 6. He even likes watching golf. I think watching golf is second only to watching Notre Dame sports in his tv viewing preferences.

My Dad also loves movies: new movies, old movies, weird western movies, anything really. In fact, we regularly buy him boxed dvd sets of old movies and tv shows. He also loves knowing random trivia facts about said movies. As long as he is in the theater before the previews withs someone to steal popcorn from, he would be happy watching almost anything.

But when it comes to desserts, well then my Dad decides to get difficult. His favorite dessert can't be Magic Cookie Bars or Gooey Bars or even Sugar Cookies. My Dad is not thrilled by your traditional cupcakes or sheets cakes (although he will gladly eat them). When it comes to sweet treats, my father has to go for the time consuming ones, the involves 18 different steps ones, the you have to make a completely separate trip to the store because you definitely don't have ingredients just laying around in your pantry ones.

No, his favorite desserts are Peanut Butter Buckeyes and Peppermint Pattie Cupcakes. Both of which require things like double boilers and dipping things in chocolate or stuffing and rolling things by hand. So even though I broke down and made him his traditional birthday dessert of Peppermint Pattie Cupcakes, this year I also made him an easy dessert to enjoy as well.

This Mint M&M Fudge only has three ingredients and the recipe really is as simple as combine, melt, stir, pour, eat. It was so easy that I actually made it on a Friday night after a full school week. And since by most Friday nights it is all I can do to put on sweats and watch On Demand, that should tell you something. And my Dad dubbed it "Quite Possibly The Best Thing You Have Ever Made".  So we are going to call it a win on multiple fronts.

So Happy Birthday to the best dad in the world. You are worth every burn I get from that double boiler. Although I guess that next year I can skip the Peppermint Pattie Cupcakes and just make this fudge instead.

Mint M&M Fudge

• 3 cups of milk chocolate chips
• 1 can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1 1/2 cup crushed Mint M&M's (1 cup for the fudge, 1/2 cup for topping it)

1.) In a saucepan combine the chocolate chips and the condensed milk. 

2.) Stir on medium heat until chocolate chips are completely melted and combined. 

3.) Turn off the heat and stir in 1 cup of crushed Mint M&M's.

4.) Pour mixture into a 9x9 pan lined with tin foil.  Top with leftover 1/2 cup of crushed Mint M&M's. You may need to press the M&M's down into the fudge so that they stick. 

5.) Refrigerate overnight or for at least 8 hours. 

6.) Pull the foil edges up and use the foil to remove the fudge from the pan. Cut into squares to serve. Be sure to store leftover fudge in the fridge so it doesn't get melty.

Want more St. Patrick's Day dessert ideas?

Saved 64% at Publix

 

I can't believe it is almost March. I feel like it was just the New Year and I was promising to get back on track with weekly shopping after the holidays. Well (knock on wood), I feel like things are finally starting to slow down and we are actually getting back into our weekly routines.

Justin had off a long weekend (which never happens) so we were able to head to the farmers' market on Saturday and spend about $10 in veggies and another $5 in bread and juice. That allowed us to put off going to Publix until Tuesday which was nice. I was really happy to have $20 in gift cards from blog promos so we actually managed to spend nothing out of pocket at Publix and only $15 in groceries for the whole week.

I am planning on heading to Publix tomorrow to shop the new sale ad so keep an eye out for that trip to be posted over the weekend or on Monday. A few of these deals are from the current advantage flyers to they are still going on this week too.

Breakdown of Tuesday's Publix trip:
Total retail value: $54.99
Total spent: $19.73 (had a $20 gift card to pay with)
Total saved: $35.26
Percent saved: 64%

What I got with sale/coupon match ups:

• 2 boxes of Sara Lee Pound Cake (frozen), retails for $3.79 each, on sale for $1.89 each
• Used two $1 off printable coupons
• Made them .89 cents each
• 3 Muller Greek Yogurts, retails for $1.25 each, on sale for $1 each
• Used a $1/3 Publix green advantage flyer coupon (found in store)
• Stacked with a $1/2 coupon from the 1/5 RP
• Made them .33 cents each
• 2 Fresh Attitudes Salad Blends, retails for $3.09 each, on sale BOGO made them $1.54 each
• 2 Fillipo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oils, retails for $6.79 each, on sale for $4.99 each
• Used two $1 off printable coupons (use zip code 80004 or 30187)
• Made it $3.99 a bottle
• 5 Dannon and Stonyfield Organic Greek Yogurts, retails for $1.50 each, on sale for $1 each
• Used a $1/5 Publix advantage flyer coupon
• Stacked with a .50/2 Stonyfield coupon
• Made them .70 cents each
• 2 bottles of Bolthouse Farms Juice, retails for $2.89 each, on sale BOGO ($1.44 each)
• Used two .75 cents off printables from Facebook
• Made them .69 cents each
• 1 bottle of Drano, retails for $4.79
• Used a .55 cents off Publix digital manufacturer coupon
• Used a $1 off advantage flyer Publix coupon
• Earned .50 cash back from Checkout 51
• Made it $2.74
• 2 pairs of Playtex gloves, retails for $2.99 each, on sale BOGO, made them $1.49 each

Check out my favorite FREE couponing apps!

30 Hearty Soup Recipes

 

I have totally been in a soup mood lately. I think it is the rainy, dark, dreary and pseudo-wintery weather we have been having here in South Florida. With the rest of the country snowed in, it seems like the perfect time to round up some of my favorite soup recipes to help keep you all warm and cozy.

My Favorite {Free} Couponing Apps

 

While most of us use our phones for talking, texting, emailing and Facebooking, your favorite little distraction can actually be used to save you money too. On top of shopping the sales and using coupons, I use apps like Ibotta, Checkout 51 and Cartwheel to save even more when I shop. I have tried a bunch of different couponing apps and these three are by far my favorite. They are also the easiest to use and save with too.

 

ibotta:

Hands down this is the app I have saved the most money with today. Since I started using it about a year ago, I have earned over $300 in cash back between grocery offers, movie offers, bonuses and referral credits. The best part is that it can be used on top of manufacturer and store coupons as well which can make products very cheap or even free.

The idea behind ibotta is simple. There are a number of "offers" on everyday products like grocery items, toiletries, paper products, movie tickets and more. You do simple tasks like reading a fact or answering a short question to earn the cash back value for the item (ranges from .25 cents to $2+ per item). 

You go to the grocery store and shop as usual. Once you get home you upload a photo of your receipt with the purchased products on it, scan the products barcode (to prove you bought it) and in less than 48 hours, ibotta puts your earnings into your account. Once you reach $5 in cash back you can have that money transferred to your PayPal account or you can cash it in for any amount over $5 in iTunes, Redbox or Starbucks gift cards. Right now they are also offering a $2 bonus to  new users if they redeem their first offer within two weeks of signing up. Learn more about ibotta here and see an example of using it here.

 Checkout 51 :

This is a relatively new app. It is similar to ibotta in that you grocery shop as usual and then upload a photo of your receipt to earn anywhere from .25 cents to $1+ in cash back for each item. Checkout 51 usually only has 10-15 offers and those offers change each week on Wednesday. Their items tend to match up with the current Publix sale cycles but the app can be used for grocery shopping anywhere.

Once your Checkout 51 cash back balance hits $20  they will send you a check. While the offers are limited they do tend to be for high quality items and many times they will also have generic offers for things like .50 cents cash back on any brand of eggs or milk.

Target Cartwheel:

If you are obsessed with Target like I am then Cartwheel is a must have app for you. Cartwheel is an app that lets you select from hundreds of discounts ranging from 5% to 50% off, and add them to your personalized Cartwheel barcode. When you shop at Target have the cashier scan your barcode at checkout in store. If you don't have a smart phone you can select and load your offers on the computer and print out the barcode to bring into the store with you too. 

You can use each discounts as many times as you want before they expire and you can even stack Cartwheel on top of your Target REDcard discount and other coupons. Offers are always changing and it is a nice mix between brands and general items like eggs, milk and even meat. There are also offers for the Target cafe, clothing, baby products, household items, decor, holiday items and more.

New to couponing? Check out my Couponing 101 posts to help you get started!

How Using Cash Makes Me A Better Couponer

     

For those of you who are new here or don't know, Justin and I pay for all of our groceries and household spending in cash. We budget $80 a week in cash for all our shopping at places like Publix, Walmart, Target or drugstores. We also use that $80 a week to cover things like our occasional organic produce shares ($45 each time, now about once a month) and our twice a year Zaycon chicken order ($70-$80 for 40 pounds of chicken)

Many weeks we spend much less than $80 and so I usually save some of the cash as reserve grocery money for bigger shopping weeks and we also use the extra grocery money to go towards any big bills we might have pop up that month or for any short term savings goals we currently have, like buying a new camera on Black Friday.

In the 3 years that I have been couponing, I have constantly been tweaking what I do to find out what works for us, how much we realistically need of each item, and how sale cycles work in my area. However, one of the biggest and most effective changes I have made is couponing using cash.

Although we were seeing a significant impact on our monthly spending by couponing, I still felt like there had to be a better way to make those savings work for us and have a greater impact on our weekly and monthly saving goals.

I have always been a debit card kind of girl. Justin and I have a budget and a savings plan but we just never made that leap to a cash envelope system.  About a year and a half ago, I started to think long and hard about the benefits of using cash. Justin and I discussed it and decided to try using cash for our weekly grocery, toiletries and household shopping. We decided to try it for the month of January last year and we love it so much it is now a permanent part of our lives. 

Here are just four of the ways switching to cash has made me a more effective couponer:

1. It forces me to stick to our budget. 

Let’s face it, as someone who coupons, it can be so tempting to spend a little more because you are getting a great deal. I try to be as practical as I can in my couponing but I still struggle with this every once and awhile.

We have set a budget of $80 a week for all household shopping. This includes groceries, toiletries, and all household items. This allows me to buy what we need and add to my stockpile, pantry and freezer without blowing our weekly budget. If there is a great deal that I want to stock up on, I have to take into account what else we need that week before I take advantage of the deal.

2. It forces me to plan my shopping trips.  

I have always tried to make a list before I go shopping and stick to it. Before I started paying in cash, I could be more flexible with my list and what I chose to buy. 

Now that I only have a set amount of cash to spend, I carry a calculator with me and as I go through my list I add up my total spending to make sure I am staying on target. This forces me to avoid impulse buys and really ask myself if we truly need something or if I am just buying it because it’s a good deal.

3. It keeps our stockpile under control. 

One of the benefits of couponing is having a stockpile or a supply of grocery and household items on hand so you don’t have to make an extra trip and pay full price for something when you run out. It has allowed us plan our meals better, entertain friends on a budget, and give more to homeless shelters and food banks.

Having a set weekly spending budget helps keep our stockpile at a reasonable size. I can’t buy unlimited amounts of things even if it is a great deal. This has forced us to be more practical about couponing and kept us from failing into the trap of having excessive amounts of things or buying what we can’t use in a timely manner.

4. It helps us save more and balance our budget. 

As I said earlier, couponing significantly lowered our weekly and monthly spending. I was able to start budgeting less for groceries and household items but the number still changed from week to week.

We now pull out two week’s worth of spending cash each pay day. This allows me to know exactly what is going to be coming out and budget the rest of our pay checks accordingly.

If we have extra money left in the envelope at the end of the two weeks, we split it between our long term and short term savings accounts or save some of it for reserve grocery money or our produce share. This allows us to save more on top of what we already budget for savings; and by also putting some of it in a “short term” savings account, we can spent that money on house projects or a fun weekend trip. It also gives us a cushion for those bigger shopping weeks when I want to stock up on meat, butter, or other super deals.

If you are reading this and thinking that using cash is a hassle, just know that I was you a year ago. I could never have imagined how something as easy and simple as using cash would make me a more efficient shopper, couponer and budgeter – but I am now converted to the cash envelope system and I’m not looking back!

 Do you a cash system? Do you have any tricks for being an efficient couponer? New to couponing? Check out my Learn To Coupon page to read about the basics for getting started! 

Peanut Butter Lovers Cake Mix Cookies

  

Did you watch the Super Bowl? I was in a room with it on but really I only paid attention to the commercials. Because that's what it's all about right? Commercials and food. Especially desserts. And while there were lots of cute football themed treats my personal favorites from Sunday were these Peanut Butter Lover's Cake Mix Cookies.

Talk about the perfect combo of peanut butter and chocolate. (which is a perfection in and of itself). These cookies start out with a traditional cake mix cookie base using Devil's Food cake mix, add in some peanut butter chips and top with a melty Reese's heart and you have what one of my fellow game watchers called "the absolute best cookie I have ever put in my mouth."

This same friend is someone who I would consider to have significant will power when it comes to restraining herself around desserts. (And I mean that in the best way possible). Unlike me, she can usually just have one cookie or she opts for fruit instead of cake. So when she went back for seconds, thirds and possibly even fourths, I knew that I wasn't just being biased in saying these are amazing.

You can always switch these up if it's not Valentine's season by using a regular Reese's in the middle instead of a heart or you can leave them plain as I did with some of the dough. I will tell you that the cookies with hearts in the middle were WAY more popular than those without. So much more popular that my mom and aunt may have hidden some of them for later so that they wouldn't get stuck with the plain ones. (Remember how I told you my family hoards food? See I wasn't kidding)

Peanut Butter Lovers Cake Mix Cookies

• 1 box of Devil's Food cake mix (just the mix)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup of vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup of peanut butter chocolate chips (I used the mixed Nestle morsels)
• 24 Reese's Hearts or Reese's Cups unwrapped

1.) Mix together the cake mix, eggs, oil and baking power until a cookie batter forms. 

2.) Stir in the chocolate/peanut butter chips.

3.) Drop by rounded scoops onto a greased or parchment covered baking sheet.

4.) Bake for 6 minutes at 350 degrees.

5.) After 6 minutes remove the cookies and gently press an unwrapped Reese's heart (or cup) into the center of the cookie. Finish baking at 350 degrees for 3 more minutes. The Reese's will melt completely if you leave them in the oven longer than that. 

6.) Let cool and enjoy!

Looking for more Valentine's Day fun? Check out my Valentine's Day Pinterest board!