New Poll - What the Readers Want

I have a new poll on the left side of my blog and would appreciate it if all of you would take a second and answer it.  I'm working on a new posting schedule and would love some input from my readers.  If you have any other ideas you would like to see on my blog, please leave me a comment.  Also, if anyone is interested in guest posting, please let me know.

If you are reading this in a reader, please click on the post title to go directly to my blog.  Poll is on the left side, below the BlogHer ad.

Live Giveaways from Thrifty & Chic Mom

Remember last week when I wrote about using Twitter to win prizes? I recently learned of a great giveaway opportunity I wanted to let you in on.

I've been following Ellen, aka Thrifty and Chic Mom, for awhile now and she offers some great giveaways. I've even won a few myself. A few months back she decided to offer live giveaways on her blog every Monday night. It is fun to join in but gets a little crazy towards the end so she is moving the giveaways to Twitter every Monday night. For details on how to enter Monday Night Live Giveaways head over to her blog. This week she is giving away a Britax car seat, along with a few other great prizes.

While you are on Twitter, go ahead and follow me - @LifeWithLess. I'm having a blast getting to know some of you even better through Twitter.

OAMC On The Fly

This weekend, Money Saving Mom and Life as Mom are hosting freezer cooking days. I've watched the past few months as these moms have learned how to do this within their schedule and I always sit there with a bit of envy at what they can accomplish. I find cooking relaxing and would love to spend an entire day or two in my kitchen but it isn't really possible at this time in my life. However, I do stock my freezer by making double batches of items when I cook dinner.

My husband wound up not working today (more on that next week) and we are in the middle of a snow "storm" (predicted 6-12"but so far just a few have fallen) so I've decided to cook a few things. I've used all of my grocery budget for this week though and did not plan on participating so I'm not going to do a ton but every little bit helps.

This morning I threw some banana bread in the oven while my oldest was at preschool. The first batch I made as actual bread. I decided I wanted some as muffins though so I decided to make another batch. I should have double checked my recipe though as I forgot to add the sugar to the second batch. Luckily, I was using some extremely ripe bananas from my freezer so they helped sweeten the muffins. They aren't as good as usual but definitely still edible.

Later this afternoon I'm hoping to make a few more batches of pancake mix and possibly some muffin mixes.

Tomorrow for dinner I'm going to make a double recipe of something using ground beef. Not sure yet what I'm making but I hope to check out several of the other bloggers who are participating and using one of their yummy recipes.

If I find time or inspiration to make anything else I will let you know. Good luck to everyone participating!

Food Friday: Cinnamon-Spiced Bananas

My oldest has developed his mommy's bad habit of wanting something sweet after dinner every night. Since I'm trying to lose weight, I'm constantly looking for things that will satisfy this sweet tooth without packing on the pounds. I found this recipe in the current issue (Feb/March 2010) of Healthy Cooking Magazine. This is a delicious way to add fruit to my diet and still feel like I'm eating something unhealthy.

Cinnamon-Spiced Bananas
Serves 4

3 large bananas, sliced
3 tsp brown sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp butter
1 cup reduced-fat vanilla ice cream

1. Place bananas in a small microwave-safe bowl. Top with brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon; dot with butter.

2. Cover and microwave on high for 1-2 minutes or until sugar is melted, stirring once. Spoon banana mixture into bowls; top with ice cream. Serve immediately.

1/2 cup mixture with 1/4 cup ice cream equals 211 calories, 5 g fat, 16 mg cholesterol, 50 mg sodium, 42 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 3 g protein

Everything But The Kitchen Sink Soup

I've seen many blog posts recently from those participating in the Eat from the Pantry Challenge stating they are just about out of food and it is becoming hard to come up with meals. Times like this is when I make soup using all the odds and ends I can find in my house.

The basic concept is protein, liquid, veggies, and starch. This week I made soup using leftover spaghetti sauce, sloppy joes, beef burrito filling, a can of beef broth, random bits and pieces of veggies and beans from my freezer, and some noodles. It was delicious and helped me use up some of the leftovers that I was getting tired of. Also, the beef burritos turned out a bit too spicy for our liking but in soup it was just right.

Sometimes I will freeze similar ingredient leftovers just for times like this. It makes a quick, warm meal and hardly costs a thing.

Birthday Presents Without Breaking the Bank

Now that my son is in preschool, we are getting more and more birthday party invitations. This could easily break the bank but I'm trying to be smart about it so today I'm going to share a few tips on how to buy presents without going broke.

Set a budget. It is way too easy to try to "keep up with the Joneses" so avoid this by setting a budget early. For kids gifts, I try not to spend more than $10.

Shop sales. The end of the season is the best time to buy gifts. You can pick up items for next to nothing and it will look like you spent way more than you really did. Right now, Target has clearance toys 75% off.

Swagbucks. An easy way to shop for free is with Swagbucks. You earn bucks for performing online searches and can redeem these for gifts. My favorite ones are for Amazon or Starbucks gift cards. I always keep a decent amount of Amazon in my account so I can snag a good deal for free when I see it. Starbucks cards make great gifts for adults too and they will never know you didn't pay a penny for it.

Reuse gift bags. I save all the decent gift bags from every occasion and reuse them. Very rarely do I need to buy wrapping or gift bags due to this. If I do need a bag though, the dollar store has some great ones.

Designate a gift area. It does little good to buy ahead and reuse items if you cannot find it when you need it. I have an area in a basement closet where I keep gifts and wrapping.

Feel free to share other ideas on how you save on buying gifts.

Tweet Your Way to Prizes

I have gone back and forth with using Twitter for awhile now. I used it often when I was working but I was tweeting for my clients (social media was the majority of my job) so I didn't always want to come home and feel like I was going back to work. Recently though, I've participated in a few Twitter parties and have had a blast. I now have Tweet Deck on my desktop and I'm starting to participate more. What I'm learning is that a lot of great companies give out prizes throughout the day or through Twitter parties. I suggest you look up your favorite companies and follow them in order to earn great prizes and learn about their new products. You will also meet some great people online and form some fun friendships. While you are at it, follow me at @LifeWithLess.