Saturday, July 30, 2011

Shabbat Shalom: Friday Night Dinner and New Candle Holders



Friday nights are special around here.  We make it a point to celebrate Shabbat with a nice dinner every Friday.  "Nice" can be rather relative at times, sometimes we will have dinner out then come home for prayers and candle lighting or we might just have pizza...but we always make it special and different by setting a nice table and eating from our nice china.  Tonight we had the most yummie lasagna, green beans with lots of garlic, Cesar salad, and of course Challah. 



I also have some ice cream in the freezer for dessert, it is ice cream month, after all.



David surprised me this morning before he left for work with a gift.  He usually gives his surprises when he comes home so this was a treat.  He bought me new glass holders for our Shabbat candles.  They are so pretty.  The photos do not show how pretty they are.

They create the most stunning colors as the candles flicker.

Now I also need to apologise for blog neglect.  Summer is not a time I spend in my craft room much, and that is where I do most of my blogging (cause that is where my computer is)...and the time I do spend in here has been devoted to eBay and my new couponing hobby.  I will try to be more engaged, I have several books I want to post about for the Summer Reading series and some other things.  I do hope you can forgive me...summer is just so much fun and this room gets super HOT...even with the central A/C and window unit...not to mention several fans going.  This is TEXAS and JULY / AUGUST is the hottest part of the year!!!!  One thing I have tried to do was to make up blog posts, as I have thoughts and time, and schedule them to post while I am away...but they never post.  I am either doing something wrong or there is a glitch in that system.

I hope everyone is having a great fun summer and staying COOL!!!!

Tiffany

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Saturday Matinee: BAD TEACHER

I am going a bit away from my Vintage Movie Saturday Matinee Reviews....I was going to save this movie snippet for August when everyone's mind is on "Back to School" time...this would be enough to Home School your kiddos!!!!  However, this movie was so funny that I could not wait to share.

To beat the Texas Summer heat, David and I skipped the water park and headed out for a Mid-Day Matinee.  We saw Bad Teacher with Cameron Diaz.  She is one of those actresses that I say "gets on my nerves" but I usually enjoy her movies.  She is funny and fun to look at.  Her legs just do not stop and I wish they were on my body (not in a lesbian kind of way...I literally want them ON my body as MY legs).

Here is the synopsis from Yahoo! Movies:

"Some teachers just don't give an F. For example, there's Elizabeth. She's foul-mouthed, ruthless, and inappropriate. She drinks, she gets high, and she can't wait to marry her meal ticket and get out of her bogus day job. When she's dumped by her fiance, she sets her plan in motion to win over a rich, handsome substitute - competing for his affections with an overly energetic colleague, Amy. When Elizabeth also finds herself fighting off the advances of a sarcastic, irreverent gym teacher, the consequences of her wild and outrageous schemes give her students, her coworkers, and even herself an education like no other. "


When I first saw the trailers for this movies I was like "NO WAY can a TEACHER afford Louboutins"...But then that was answered in the first 10 minutes...she was GOING TO marry "well" and was on her way to maxing out her hubbie to be's fortune.  Well that did not work out for her so she returned to her teaching job, bitterness in tow.

What a great place to "hide out"!!!!  Middle school, that "No Man's Land" of awkwardness between grade school and high school.  The kids are too busy trying to find their place in life to notice how bad their teacher might be.  HOWEVER, she is so bad they DO NOTICE.  In fact, the only person who does not seem to notice is her boss, the PRINCIPAL. 

I know...I know...she is BAD and the poor children are suffering....GET OVER IT!!!!  It is a movie and supposed to be over the top and funny.  We all know it would not be funny in real life (ok...well not THAT funny...but I would still give out a chuckle or two...three).

I recommend this movie for a fun way to entertain yourself while cooling off with some popcorn (which I did not have....back on the Low Carb wagon this week).


Tiffany

Friday, July 15, 2011

Summer Reading List: Kiss the Girls

Kiss the Girls (2nd Alex Cross Novel) is our next Summer Reading List selection and OH BOY!!!! Was it a doozie. From the very first page I was hooked. I have seen the movie, of course, and loved the characters. Alex Cross was played by Morgan Freeman, and since he is the narrator in most of the book, I heard Morgan Freeman's deep voice as I read. Ashley Judd (one of my favorites...I hope she gets her chance at an Oscar or Golden Globe sometime...I love reading the books that go with her movies) is Kate and her voice is there, too.




Here is the synopsis:

Kiss the Girls  (1995) is a psychological thriller novel by American writer James Patterson, the second to star his recurrent character Alex Cross, an African-American psychologist.

"Kiss the Girls begins in 1975 Boca Raton, Florida where the boy, Casanova, is killing his first four victims. Elsewhere in 1981 Chapel Hill, North Carolina a young Gentleman Caller kills his first two victims.

Present time - Casanova takes a girl to the woods and leaves her to die. He wears a mask for death. An ongoing theme is that Casanova wears a mask to symbolize his mood.

Alex Cross comes home to find his sister, grandmother, and other relatives waiting for him and is informed that his niece, Naomi "Scootchie" Cross a student at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, is missing." (from Wikipedia)

Now Alex Cross is involved. This is where the story gets a bit "out there" so you kind of have to just go with it and not think too much. I really do not know much about how the police and FBI work except what I have seen on Law and Order, CSI, Cold Case, and Without a Trace...but usually on those shows they will not let someone personally involved, like with a relative involved, work a case. But Alex not only works the case, he lives the case....and brings Kate with him.

"In North Carolina Sampson and Cross meet Detectives Nick Ruskin and Davey Sikes who tell Cross that the FBI and DEA are involved and that eight to ten women are missing, all from different states, all have received notes from someone calling himself Casanova.

Casanova picks Kate McTiernan for his next victim and kidnaps her. Kate awakens finding some of her things and Casanova who explains the rules and warns her not to break them. The next time he shows up to be with Kate, she fights back and he knocks her out, afterwards she awakens to find at least six other women locked in rooms near her." (from Wikipedia)

I do not know why I enjoy stories like this...but a mad man holding a bunch of women hostage just drags me in....

Meanwhile..."In Los Angeles, reporter Beth Lieberman is working on a serial killer story about “The Gentleman Caller” who has just raped and murdered a 14-year-old girl. He threatens “bonus kills" to her if his letters are not published. Kyle Craig meets Beth in LA.

Casanova plans to kill Kate because she had broken the rules, but she fights him and gets away. Kate manages to escape, running outside into a forest and jumping off a cliff into the river below. Cross and Ruskin find out she is alive, but she is too injured to speak." (from Wikipedia)

Ok so that is where I will stop with the synopsis...as usually I do not want to give too much away. I think telling you that Kate escapes is not too much of a give-a-way because she is such an important part of the book, however "out there" her involvement in "working the case" might be. I just do not think, in real life, a victim would be going all over the US trying to catch a dangerous killer...but whatever, it makes very good reading.

I think there are parts that just drag on. It is a long book. I enjoyed it and found it very suspenseful, even though I had already seen the movie several times. There are a few parts that I groaned because of the cheesiness or that it was unbelievable, but again...it is entertainment so do not think too much into it.  )It was perfect for a few trips to the water park.  I had my chair set up with fluffy towels and plenty of sun screen and just let the girls (14 year old) do their "thing".)

I would love to pass this book along to someone else to enjoy.  I will draw a name from comments next Friday. (please be in the US). 

Enjoy!!!!

Tiffany

Thursday, July 14, 2011

FREE Jiffy Corn Bread Cookbook!!!!

I found a great deal on the Jiffy website this morning.   They are giving away FREE cookbooks full of their fabulous recipes.  You can also download the book online, right from their site.  Be sure to head over to get your copy!!!!

In the meantime, here is a yummie recipe from the Jiffy site.

Chicken Casserole with Broccoli

(6-8 Servings)

  • 1 cup "JIFFY" Baking Mix
  • 1-1/2 cups pre-cooked chopped chicken, or
  • 2 cans (4.5 oz.) chunk chicken, drained
  • 1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped broccoli (rinsed, drained)
  • 1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup milk
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/4 tsp. seasoning salt
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 400°.  Grease a 2 quart casserole dish.
Place chicken, broccoli and cheese in prepared dish. In a separate bowl, combine baking mix, milk, eggs, salt and pepper until blended. Pour into dish over chicken, broccoli and cheese. Bake 35-40 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

YUMMMIEEE!!!!

Happy Homemaking,

Tiffany

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Thrifty Living with COUPONS, Walgreens, CVS, and Walmart

I have been playing the "coupon" game, ladies.  I have been following a few blogs, clipping coupons, stacking, matching, and actually saving money on things we need and will use.  I am not going to "extremes" and will be slowing this down quiet a bit now that the initial hoopla is done.  I got a bit too "into" the game....but like I said, I bough things we need and will use.  I also bought a LOT of things for care packages for Cheer camp (my niece and BFF's step daughter) and some other gifts.  AND...some supplies for my eBay fun...

Here are some general highlights....

Ok...so CVS is a big player in this "game".  CVS takes coupons, has FAB sales, lets you stack coupons, and THEN...gives you back "Extra Bucks" that you can spend on other things in the store.  You can also get a few things free (either outright free with coupon or after combining sales, coupons, and extra care bucks / register rewards).

Here is a recent trip:

I have had a few run in run out trips like this for last minute items.  All have the same kinds of savings.  Just today I needed to stock up on drinks for our trip to see my niece perform on her last day at Cheer Camp then on to New Braunfels ,Texas and Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort.  I planned ahead by knowing who had the best deals on Diet Dr. Pepper.  CVS to the rescue, again.  They had Diet DP 3 12 packs for 10.00 THEN you get 3.00 Extra Care Bucks to use later on.  Since CVS also has Coke products on sale, this worked out.  I was able to get 3 - 12 packs of DP,  5 - 2 litters of Fresca, and some candy for the movie (saw RIO at the Dollar Show!!!!) all for 10.00 (and some tax).  So I basically got my Coke products and movie candy free (and we will not figure up what I saved by sneaking in my own candy!!!!)...AND the DP 12 packs were a great price.

Walgreens (the couponers call it WAGS...LOL...I am getting the lingo down) has some great deals, too.   The receipt is EXTRA long so I will not try to fit that on here.  I went for personal care products....I stocked up on deodorant, feminine hygiene products (now those can get pricey), OTC meds,  toothpaste, toothbrushes, hair products, and some breakfast things for David when he is in a hurry. 

Some of these items are rather pricey when it comes to such things.  My deodorant is the Secret Clinical which is 9.99 (but Wags had it for buy one / get one half...then I had a 2 coupons).  I got some Zantac (I usually get Walmart's generic brand...but I clipped a coupon for 5.00 off then Wags had an instore coupon, found in their monthly booklet for 2.00).  I got a pretty pricey back ache patch from Tylenol (another 5.00 coupon and Wags had an instore coupon for an additional 2.00 off) so this was under a dollar.  I also got sun care products for our water park trips....they were bogo and then I had a coupon.  I did not buy ANYTHING without a coupon.

I also got the following FREE...they were on sale then I had a coupon that either equaled the sale price or was over the sale price (which means the overage went to the final bill)
4 Toothbrushes (the were 2 for 2.00 then I had 2 - 2.00 coupons)
3 Toothpaste Tubes (they were 1.00 each then I had a 1.00 off coupon)
After sun Care Gel (free when you buy 2 sun care products)

The feminine hygiene products all were bought with high value coupons THEN had Register Rewards (like Extra Care Bucks).  Most came under 1.50 a package. 

The Register Rewards added up to 9.00 to use another time.
I saved a total of 77.50
Like Saving 86.50

I spent 70.09.  Not bad, huh?

I have also saved quiet a bit at Walmart with coupons and price matching.  My last bill, I saved about 40.00 with coupons, sorry but I did not add up the savings on price matching (that is when you show an ad from another store that has a product cheaper).

One place I had NO IDEA I could save with coupons is Staples Office Supply.  My bill came to over 80.00...then after coupons it went down to about 26.00.  I was able to get a huge box of printer paper (for printing postage, packing slips, and just everyday misc...oh...and more coupons :)~  ), packing supplies to ship out the stuff I sell, and some really cute pink pens.  OH!!! and I noticed they had Charmin Toilette Paper cheaper than Walmart so I picked that up, some furniture polish, and sandwich bags.  I can not believe I got my bill down so much.

Now, how did I find out how to do this?  Save so much money?  Well...I have been following Collin over at http://www.hip2save.com/, mostly.  I have looked a a few other blogs, too, but hers is where I learned so much.  I am in no way an expert but I am happy as a clam to same so much on things I USE and NEED....and a few things I want (the nail care).  It has taken some time...but not much.  I try not to spend more time online than I did anyway....I do not neglect my house wife chores, I still get my inventory for eBay, spend time with my hubbie...spend time with my niece, friends, etc....so I am not neglecting things.  I think following Collin's blog helps save so much time, too.  She finds the deals for you...all you have to do is cut the coupons out and go shopping!!!!

Tiffany

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Bahama Mamma....TOMMY BAHAMA, that is!!!!

This week is a Tommy Bahama kinda week over on my eBay listings.  I LOVE the Tommy Bahama label.  I try to pick them up whenever I see them for a reasonable price.  I hardly EVER find them in XL for David , but when I do I get them!!!!  I will even pay a bit more for my darling husband.  The quality is so nice.  They take hardly nothing to care for them.  And can I mention how HOT I think my man is when he has one of these nice casual shirts on? 

We are a beachie kind of household.  We love being in the water and LOVE summer time.  These shirts are perfect for our lifestyle.  They bring a bit of Aloha to the mainland, for us.

Unfortunately not all are out size...so on eBay they went.  Be sure to check out my listing and bid if you see something you like.









You can bid on these until Sunday, July 10th.  The auctions all end throughout the day Sunday.  I would love for them to go to a good home so go check them out!!!!

Tiffany
I am joining the linky party at My Dear Trash

Freebie from Saphora & Bare Minerals


I love LOVE L. O. V. E. FREEBIES!!!! Don't you?  Head on over to JC Penny / Saphora and score a printout for a free deluxe sample of Bare Minerals Purely Nourishing Moisturizer .  I have never used this product so I can not comment on it...but this is a great time to try it out.  I have used the Bare Minerals Make-up and liked it.  Also, Saphora is a fun place.  I went there before I got my Bridal Pics done and got the royal treatment.  It was a alot of fun.

http://f.jcpenneyem.com/i/2/95827765/bareminerals_coupon.jpg

Enjoy!!!!

Tiffany

Friday, July 1, 2011

Summer Reading List: Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe

"Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe spent 36 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List. Harper Lee gave a recommendation for the book, saying, "Airplanes and television have removed the Threadgoodes from the Southern scene. Happily for us, Fannie Flagg has preserved a whole community of them in a richly comic, poignant narrative that records the exuberance of their lives, the sadness of their departure. Idgie Threadgoode is a true original: Huckleberry Finn would have tried to marry her!" from Wikipedia

I actually read this book BEFORE the last one I reviews (Welcome to the World Baby Girl) but I skipped reviewing it since I was sure most have read it, heard of it, or seen the movie.  I am really putting it in here as a filler because I am not finished with my current book, Kiss The Girls.  OMG that is a good one...can not wait to tell you all about it.  SO MUCH BETTER than the movie (and I really enjoyed the movie)....ok enough about that...lets talk "Tomatoes".



Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe by Fannie Flagg is quiet popular and known because of the movie, Fried Green Tomatoes ,  starring Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary Stuary Masterson and Mary-Louise Parker.  While I really liked the movie, after reading the book I rewatched it and found it a bit hoekie.  I enjoyed the book MUCH better.

Here is a brief synopsis:

"The story jumps narration and sequence and is distinctive in chapter-opening visuals to establish the date and the source of the chapter. Some come from the fictional newspaper in Whistle Stop, Alabama called The Weems Weekly. Some come from the Couches' house in Birmingham, and others fill in some of the more intimate details of the stories told about the characters.

The story is told through many generations and begins in 1985 with an unfulfilled housewife named Evelyn Couch, who comes with her husband to visit his elderly mother, who dislikes Evelyn, at Rose Terrace Nursing Home. While avoiding her, Evelyn meets nursing home resident Mrs. "Ninny" Threadgoode, who begins to tell her random stories of her home in Whistle Stop, beginning in the 1920s. Evelyn becomes so interested in the stories of Whistle Stop that her life begins to take new meaning in the characters in Mrs. Threadgoode's history.

Ninny Threadgoode grew up in a bustling house after being adopted by the Threadgoode family and eventually married one of the brothers. Her first love, however, was young Buddy Threadgoode, whose pet of all the children was the youngest girl, Idgie (Imogene). An unrepentant tomboy, Idgie learned her charm from Buddy. Buddy died when a train hit him, and young Idgie was devastated. Nothing civilized her until a few summers later when beautiful and virtuous Ruth Jamison came to live with the family while she taught Vacation Bible School. The family and servants watched with amusement as Idgie fell head over heels in love with Ruth, but when Ruth went home to Georgia to marry a man she was promised to, once more, Idgie drank too much, lived in the woods, and fell apart.

After a few years, Idgie went to check up on Ruth and discovered that her husband, Frank Bennett, was abusing her. When Ruth's mother died of illness soon after, a page torn from the Book of Ruth in the Bible was sent to the Threadgoode house (appropriately Ruth 1:16, "But Ruth said, 'Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.'"), and Idgie, her brother Julian, and Big George (son of the Threadgoode cook, Sipsey) went to Georgia to bring the pregnant Ruth home. Frank resisted, but Ruth came home and promised never to leave Idgie again. Papa Threadgoode gave Idgie money to start a business so that she could care for Ruth and their son. She bought the cafe where Sipsey and her daughter-in-law Onzell cooked, and Big George, married to Onzell, made the best barbecue in Alabama.

Idgie and Ruth raised Ruth's son, and the cafe became known all over the US during The Great Depression through the communication of hobos, especially half-time Whistle Stop resident Smokey Lonesome. It had a reputation for feeding men down on their luck, and Idgie and Ruth got in trouble from local law enforcement when they decided to serve black customers from the back door at lowered prices. It was about this point that Georgia detectives started asking about the suspicious disappearance of Ruth's ex-husband.

Evelyn Couch becomes so entwined in Mrs. Threadgoode's stories that she begins to live them in her mind, and she realizes how purposeless her life has become and how pointless her reasons were for caring about people's opinions while growing up. Overweight and virtually ignored by her husband, Evelyn becomes inspired by Idgie's boldness and audacity and creates an alter-ego named Towanda, a hyper-violent, Amazon-like character who lashes out at people. Made uneasy by how much satisfaction she feels at lashing out, Evelyn confesses to Mrs. Threadgoode what is happening. She gets a job with Mary Kay Cosmetics and, at Mrs. Threadgoode's suggestion, starts to take hormones for menopause.

Prodded on by Evelyn, Ninny resumes her story. For years the cafe ran—through World War II and into the 1950s. Idgie and Ruth's son grew up, and the lives of the town members moved on...." 

I will leave the rest for you to find out by reading this yourselves.  I know you will enjoy it.  Fannie Flagg describes the "times" of the book so well that it is a must read for any vintage loving gal wanting to loose herself in another time.  This one is mostly set in the 1920 - 1930s.   as a matter of fact, Ms. Flagg does such a good job that you might think you can hear a train chug by on a clear night (ok...that was a bit "much" now wasn't it?).

The novel takes on a few important themes, one being Lesbianism.  I remeber my daddy having lots to say about this when the movie came out, and the movie really glossed over it changing the relationship around a bit, ya know cleaning it up for people like my conservative daddy.  The town accepts this relationship which is different than most of the "old southerners" I have known or had contact with (thru books, movies...and life). 

Aging is another theme as Evelyne is going thru menopause and midlife, empty nester boredom and Mrs. Threadgoode, who is 86, is deteriorating and shoing signs of demntia.

Another theme is FOOD.  Food is a HUGE part of this novel.  So much so that there are recipes included in the book as well as an "extra" on the DVD.  Fannie Flagg also put out a cook book, Fannie Flagg's Original Whistle Stop Cafe Cookbook: Featuring : Fried Green Tomatoes, Southern Barbecue, Banana Split Cake, and Many Other Great Recipes.  I do not have this cookbokk but would love a copy to sit on the shelf in my kitchen with the rest of my cookbook collection.



I think theonly down fall to this book is thatI found myself craving lots of yummie foods.  Every time Evelyne goes to visit, she brings a snack.  This gave me a very strong desire for Hostess Snow Balls...and I had a very hard time finding them.  It was not until this very week that I finally looked down on the bottom of a shelf at Albertsons and spotted the much loved pink goodies.

I also had to try my hand at a batch of Fried Green Tomatoes.  I could not find any green tomatoes so I just got some really firm red ones and fried those puppies up....we had them with steak on Saturday night and OH. MY. WORD!!!!!  They were so good.  I used some Tony Chachere's fish fry mix to batter and fried them till golden brown.  YUMMMIE!!!!

I have looked and looked for a photo of my creation but I can not find one and I can not get my camera to upload....I just know that pic ios still on my camera.  Oh boy, they were GOOOOOD!!!!

If you want to read this book, click on any of the links I have provided.  They will take you to Amazon where you will find one on the cheap.  The movie is also available there or head on over to your local Walmart and you will find it in that big box of 5 dollar movies that they have (just saw one in there today).

Enjoy!!!!  I now I did.

Tiffany