November 19th, 2009 · Misc
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Dirt Devil. All opinions are 100% mine.
It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is right around the corner. We all know that Thanksgiving comes with turkey, stuffing and of course cranberry sauce. On Black Friday the early bird does really catch the worm full of great holiday deals. Some people rush out to their local department stores while others prefer to sit back, and relax with a mug of hot chocolate with marshmallows. Don’t worry if you miss Black Friday as the Monday after Thanksgiving is CyberMonday. On CyberMonday you can save lots of money too. But don’t start shopping until you check out the long list DirtDevil’s savings for your family. On top of the already great deals you can save money with coupons, auctions, rebates and free shipping. DirtDevil has a Holiday Buying Guide with 300 ways to save money while shopping online. You don’t have to search online for the sites, you’ll have an entire list in one place. DirtDevil has some great gifts for men, women, and children such as a broom set for children, steam cleaner for him and vacuum for her. But you might want to open the DirtDevil gifts a few days before the holiday. That way you’ll have the house spic and span before your guests arrive. Just remember to get your family member something personal too.
16. Purchase bread from a bread store.
17. Use hand sanitizer on your hands before and after shopping. It might save you a trip to the doctor with the flu
18. Use a wagon or cart to take groceries in it’ll save your back and get you finished sooner.
19. Separate your can goods by category in your cupboard. It’ll save you time when you’re trying to cook in a hurry.I separate my fruits, vegetables, soups and other can goods for easy picking.
20. Check online for coupons and call manufacturers for coupons. Just tell them you love their products and you might get some free coupons.
Deciding on the perfect stocking stuffers for kids isn’t an easy thing to do. I like to mix up the little goodies each year for the stocking stuffers. I thought it would nice to buy some wholesale candy that the kids cannot find usually at the stores. I put a few little small gifts into each stocking. For the little one’s I’ll buy them small gifts such as cars for boys and dolls for girls. Another fun way to use candy is to decorate gingerbread houses. I usually buy the supplies for the gingerbread houses instead of buying a kit. It’s fun to pick and chose different kinds of candies to decorate the gingerbread houses. I usually use graham crackers to build the house along with colored icing. It’s fun to buy candies kids don’t usually see in the local stores. Using a cookie sheet covered with foil is usually just enough room for the house. I like to add some landscape on the outside of the houses. Using Rock Candy for trees adds a little flare to the outside of the house. I use food dye to change the color of the icing as it’s less expensive. I can use licorice for the road ways and the sidewalks. I’m trying to figure out what I can use to do a pond out side the house. Candy bars can be used as a bridge across the pond. Using small assorted candies in a pattern on top of the roof sounds like a perfect addition to my gingerbread houses.
Are you trying to find a simple flavorful recipe that’s kid friendly and budget friendly too? Just tell the little one’s its logs in a river, but you’ll know the truth its homemade barbecue sauce with hot dogs. The great thing is you’ll be making your own sauce, which is healthier for your family and easy to make too.
Prep 10 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 2-4
Ingredients
10 hot dogs
1 large onion
3/4 cup celery with leaves chopped
1/4 cup water
1 cup ketchup
3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard
Salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 Tablespoons margarine/butter
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
2 Tablespoons white vinegar
Directions
1. Sauté in a large skillet onions and celery in butter/margarine until soft on low-medium heat.
2. Add water, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, garlic powder, lemon juice, brown sugar, and vinegar. Cook for 5 minutes and stir occasionally.
3. Place hot dogs poked with a fork into skillet with sauce. Cover and cook on low-medium heat for 10 minutes.
Tip #1: Goes great with macaroni cheese or on a toasted bun.
Tip #2: Add a vegetable and starch then ring the dinner bell.
Most people find television at least somewhat enjoyable. I feel that exact way especially when it’s a series I watch religiously, but it’s a real pain when I come home ten minutes before the show ends. Luckily, you can learn more at charter.net/ondemand and watch your favorite series directly on the computer when you’re relaxed instead of too busy to sit down. It doesn’t helps when the kids insist on asking twenty questions or the dog barks hysterically during your favorite show. Instead, you can wait until they all decide to chill out. As a food blogger, I need to know what foods are popular during a certain time of year so I’ll watch some food shows. Most people love turkey for thanksgiving and they don’t like soup on a hot day. So I try to keep up with the readers demands. Working on my cooking book has taken me away from my favorite shows, but I can keep up on them online. The great thing is you can watch over 6,000 shows when you want to watch it. If you’ve got little ones you can watch the On Demand shows when your kids are asking for the showing rather than trying to explain to a two year old that wants to watch a cartoon right now not on the television guides schedule. It’s pretty amazing how much cable television has grown in the last 10 years. Time definitely flies by when you’re cooking in the kitchen. If you’re into Facebook you can get updates and fun extras on Charter’s Facebook page. It’s another way to keep on what’s in and what’s out.
