We made it through to 52 weeks!

                                                                   Week 49 ( Save $49)    Week 50 ( Save $50)
                                                                   Week 51 ( Save $51)    Week 52 ( Save $52)



Congratulations!  If you have been following this blog for 52 weeks, you would have save an extra $1378. How much were you able to save?  I will be starting the blog again in 2015 and I hope to keep up with the posts.  We will start the savings again in the first week of January.   

November /December was a challenging time and I was unable to keep up with the weeks.  Thank you to my readers, family and friends close and afar for viewing my blog.  I look forward to your comments and suggestions.  Feel free to post your comments below by clicking on the pencil and post your comments in the drop box.

I like to wish everyone the Merriest Christmas and a Wonderful New Years! 

Cheers,
Jaycee

             

 

 

 

No bake cookies

                                                                                                        Week 47 (Save $47)
                                                                                                        Week 48 (Save $48)

With just weeks before Christmas, there is so much to do.  Bear with me for the next few weeks as we are close to hitting that 52 week mark.

Here is a super easy no bake sweet and salty recipe that takes 10 minutes to prepare.  It's so delicious!

Yields 32-34 pieces

1/2 cup butter
1 cup of white sugar
few spoons of milk (try soya or chocolate milk)
1/4 unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (try soya or almond butter)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2.5 cups old fashion oats
1 cup chopped pretzels
1/3 cup of shredded coconut
1/4 tsp. sea salt + extra for sprinkling on cookies

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter  Add the milk, sugar cocoa and stir to a boil.

Remove from heat and add peanut butter ,vanilla and 1/4 tsp of salt.

Stir in the oats, coconut, and pretzels and coat through.  Mixture should be dry but if you find it too dry to scoop, add another dash of milk.

Using a mini cookie scooper or spoon, scoop packed spoonful's onto a waxed paper. Sprinkle with extra sea salt is optional.

Cool completely.  Cookies will harden when cool.  Store in airtight container and will keep up to 4 days

Feel free to add dried fruits, nuts, marshmallows or even broken graham crackers to the mix.

 

 

ENJOY!

 

 

Go and Make tons of cookies

                                                                                             Week 45 (Save $45)
                                                                                             Week 46 (Save $46)

 

 

 

 

Happy Holidays! 

 

DIY Santa Sleighs

                                                                                                       Week 43 (Save $43)
                                                                                                       Week 44 (Save $44)

Where did the year go ? In just a little over 43 days, Christmas will be here for those who celebrate. I hope you took advantage in one section of the summer/fall blog posting about early planning and start picking up wonderful Christmas deals at art shows, craft fairs, and yard sale.  It's still not too late to start.  There are tons of Christmas bazaar's and craft shows, still happening in and around town.  Just check your local newspaper and keep your eyes open and before you know it, you will be done with your Santa list.

Here is fun no mess super fun DIY project that you make with kids. You can find the Kit Kat chocolates at your local grocery store, dollar store or Walmart.  Make them by the dozen!

Each sleigh requires: 1 Kit Kat bar, 6 small Kit Kat bars, 2 candy canes, 1 Santa chocolate, thin red ribbon and a hot glue gun.

Glue the  2 candy canes on the bottom of the regular Kit Kat bar.  Now lightly glue 3 of the small Kit Kat bars on the back part of the sleigh.  Glue the other 2 bars, then the final 1 on top.  Glue the Santa to the front/against the small chocolates.  Now tie and curl a piece of ribbon across the small Kit Kat bars to finish off the sleighs. 

 

 

 



 

 

 

Have fun making them!

Halloween Skelton Cookies

                                                                                                      Week 42 (Save $42)

With Halloween just a few days away, why not recreate using your favorite dark chocolate sugar cookie or gingerbread cookie recipe and make a batch of Scary Halloween Cookie for your friends and families.  Bring a batch of these Skelton inspired cookies to a party this weekend and I am sure they will be a big hit!



Variety of cookie cutters

 

What makes these cookies look amazing is the detailed white skeleton bones on the dark cookie. 

 

Piping Tips:

 

Using a piping bag with royal icing  (see recipe below).  Cut a  small hole, outline the skull with ghoulish big uneven eyes, nose and jagged upper teeth.  Pipe bones for all arms and feet.  Outline the spine.

 

Add your personal touches, whether it be dots, dashes or doodles ( Did you see the fishbone on the leg of the cat? ). 

 

Allow the icing to dry.  If there is something you piped and do not like, you can easily scrape the icing off with a sharp knife.

 

Note: None of the icing outlines or designs are perfect.  The piping was done free hand and super quick. Free-styling is the best technique!

Royal Icing   Yield 1 cup

1/2 cup meringue powder (lump free)

1 3/4 cups of icing sugar sifted (lump free)

70 ml of hot tap water

Blend the meringue powder and the icing sugar with the water for 4 minutes.  Add more water to desired consistency.  Keep icing covered with damp cloth while using.  Store in airtight container, no need to refrigerate.  Re blend before use.   For stiffer icing, use less water.

 

 

Have FUN creating these Skelton Cookies

 

Have a Safe and Happy Halloween!!









Toronto: It's voting day in Ontario!

                                                                                                  Week $41 (Save $41)
                                                                                                

Monday October 27th, 2014

 

The polling stations will be opened from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Bring your Notice of Registration Card with one piece of valid identification to your assigned polling station and make your vote count! 

And may the best man or woman win!

There is always something to be Thankful for!

                                                                                       Week 39 (Save $39)
                                                                                       Week 40 (Save $40)

 

 

 

 

 

Nuit Blanche 2014

                                                                                                         Week 37 (Save $37)
                                                                                                         Week 38 (Save $38)


Saturday October 4th, from sunset to sunrise, one night long.  An free event through out the city filled with contemporary art that will "WOW" you. City spaces and neighbourhoods are transformed with over 125 exhibits and art installations. Millions of people head out to experience the extravaganza transformed by amazing artists.  Now in it's 9th year, this cultural phenomenon just gets better year after year.  Come and experience the magic!

DIY: Pyramid Garden Trellis

                                                                                                Week 35 (Save $35)
                                                                                                Week 36 (Save $36)

What to do with all the left over 1 x 1 pretreated fence trims ?  How about a super simple strong 3 dimensional pyramid garden trellis in less than an hour! I will attempt to explain the steps I took to build this trellis.  I basically built the trellis from my head.  I took the pieces of wood and went "saw" crazy.

You will need 8 pieces of 1 x 1 trim, all the same length.   1 or 2 pieces of shorter length 1 x 1's for the cross section.  50 nails: 1 1/4 inch .  A hand saw if  you do not have a table saw ( All cuts are straight cuts).

This pyramid is approximately 2 meters in height.  I determined the diameter of the bottom legs to be 13 inches apart  (I want this trellis to fit into a large flower pot ) .  Take 2 of the long trims and cut 3 cross trims and nail it together.  Take another long trim and center it wedge it between the pointy top to the bottom cross trim.  Mark your length and cut the trim and nail to the cross trims. 



Make 2 identical trellis's, one will be the front and the other will be the back.

 



Place the front and back together and cut 2 sets of the cross trims and nail the sides together to line up with the front and back.  Finish off by cutting two trim pieces and nail it to top of the pyramid. 

 

 

 

 

 How easy was that!  Now go place it in your garden!

 

 

 

 



Labour Day

                                                                                                                   
                                                         Week 34 (Save $34)

Labour Day is a statutory national holiday celebrated throughout Canada on the first Monday in September.  United States celebrates it's Labor Day on the same day. 

While some Labour Day parades and picnics are organized by unions, most Canadians simply regard Labour Day as the Monday of the last long weekend of summer.

Families with school-age children take it as the last chance to travel before the end of summer. Some teenagers and young adults view it as the last weekend for parties before returning to school, which traditionally begin their new year the day after.

I will not bore you with the history of the Labour movement but I will wish you a Happy and Safe long weekend! Enjoy!

Summer/ Fall Savings

                                                                                                       Week  33 (Save $33)

As we slowly wind down and hanging on to that last piece of summer, the Fall season will soon be amongst us.  Fall is the best time of year, the air is so fresh, the changing color of the leaves, fall harvest festivals and fairs, and don't forget all the GREAT fall seasonal deals you should take advantage of:

Summer clothes: This is a great time to stock up on bathing suits, summer shoes, that summer outfit you were not willing to dish out at the start of the season for next year.  Stores are discounting and trying to make room for the fall gear.  Hit the advertised sidewalk sales and head straight to the clearance rack for some fashionable deals.

 

Outdoor furniture and grills: Need a new b.b.q. grill or patio set for the back yard? Now is a great time to purchase that big ticket for nothing.  Most stores will just be trying to get rid of it to make room for Halloween and Christmas.  And let us not forget the snows blowers, shovels and salt.

Lawn Mowers: The grass has slowly stopped growing as fast but the sales for the lawn movers will just be starting.  Pickup a lawn mower or other yard tool even cheaper as the temperature drops! Which means more green in your pocket.
 

Plants and Scrubs: Your local garden centre's are discounting their  summer flowers and plants as the summer season winds down.  Stock up on perennials, planters, soils, etc.  With the extra greenery and a little planning now.   Next years garden will pay off with beautiful blooms and have your neighbors green with envy. 

 

Travel Tickets: Fall is also a great time to plan your winter or holiday get away with amazing savings.  There are great airfare and vacation deals,  so take advantage of the huge savings!

Christmas presents:   For those who do celebrate Christmas,  I know most of us dread the word "Christmas".  Christmas always seems to sneak up on us.  Fall is a great time to pick up a wonderful deals at fall festivals, art shows, craft fairs,  and even yard sales.  Shop early and with a little planning, you will be able to knock everyone on your Santa list before you know it.  

Seasonal fruits and veggies: Autumn is a great time to head to the apple orchards and spend the day with the family picking and eating everything about apples.  Whether it be pies, apple butter, jelly's or jam.  Who does not love the many varieties of apples available at this time of the year.  Don't forget to pick up pumpkins and squashes while in season. 
 

Wine:  Autumn is also harvest time for the grapes which means you will be able to get cheaper wine during the fall since there will be more bottles of wine on the market.  Stock up on the wine for future gatherings or for cooking.


Do share with us your Fall saving ideas


 

 

2 Simple Ingredients = 2 Recipes

                                                                                                     Week 32 (Save $32)

 

Plum/Roma Tomato's and Rosemary 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tomato's are the most popular garden vegetable grown in North America. With hundreds of varieties, the vine plant grows fairly easily and produces a bumper crop. 

 

This year, the plum tomatoes yield has been overwhelming and the summer is not yet over!  The plum tomatoes have this meaty fleshier pulp which makes them perfect for salads and sandwiches.  The plum tomatoes are commonly used and preferred for making home made sauces because they are less juicer. 

  

 

Here are 2 recipe passed down from a dear Italian friend. The sauce cooks down perfectly and with only 2 simple ingredients from the garden or supermarket. The oven roasted tomatoes are just Amazing!

 

 

Sauce

60 ripe plum tomatoes  (approximately, 12 pounds)

8 springs of fresh rosemary, tied together tightly

Remove the skins off the tomatoes by blanching them in pot of water.  Remove the skins and cut the tomatoes into big chunks with the seeds (make sure you cut out the stems).

 

Place the cut up tomatoes in a large pot with the rosemary and bring to boil on medium high heat.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Simmer the sauce for 2 to 3 hours with no pot lid, to desired consistency. 

 

Remove the rosemary and add a pinch of salt to bring out the flavors. 

 

Store the sauce in the refrigerator for 5 days or freeze up to 6 months in the freezer.

 

Oven Roasted Tomato's                                     

Roasting is the simplest way to make okay tomatoes AMAZING!!  Longer oven time just intensifying and brings out the flavors of the sweetness and enriches any topper for whether it be pasta, pizza, sandwiches, crostini's or salads.

 

 

15 plum tomatoes, cut in half , stems removed                       

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil                         

3 cloves of garlic chopped
a few springs of rosemary                     

Salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 350°F. 

                       

Toss the tomatoes with garlic into a large bowl, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Toss well and lay the tomatoes, cut side up, in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in the middle rack of the oven. 

 

Roast until they've caramelized a bit and shrunken, for about 60 to 90 minutes. Stir briefly after 30 minutes . 

 

The tomatoes can keep in the refrigerator for 5 days or freeze up to 6 months in the freezer.

 

 

Enjoy!

No posts on Civic Holiday

                                                                                                  Week 31 (Save $31)

When any long weekend comes along, we just take it and enjoy that extra day off.  Do we really know what the Civic Holiday is at all ??

The Civic Holiday is celebrated on the first Monday of August and it's a public holiday in some provinces and territories. It is known by many names in different provinces and municipalities. It's called Regatta Day in Newfoundland, Saskatchewan Day in SK, British Columbia Day in BC, Natal Day in Nova Scotia and PEI, Simcoe Day in Toronto, New Brunswick Day in New Brunswick, Colonel By Day in Ottawa, Heritage Day in Alberta and Joseph Brant Day in Burlington, ON. It is called Benjamin Vaughan day in the City of Vaughan, Ontario.

The Civic Holiday is commonly referred to as the August long weekend. It is probably the busiest day on highways as tens of thousands of families go camping, to cottages, etc this weekend.
Each municipality that opts to declare the holiday can give it a unique name. It's called the "civic" holiday because it's the holiday that cities have authority to declare.

I'm outta here!  Have a great Civic weekend and week!

The best things in life are free

                                                                                                      Week 30 (Save $30)
                                                                                                      Week 31 (Save $31)

 

 

 

Magic Custard Cake

                                                                                                    Week 29 (Save $29)

A super easy custard cake made with 6 simple ingredients! I was concerned with the liquidity batter but it bakes up to a wonderful custard texture.  


I love anything in a custard form but a Cake !

Ingredients:

4 eggs (whites separated from yolks), room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted

3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups milk lukewarm
 

Optional: powdered sugar for dusting cake
 

 

Instructions:
 
Preheat oven to 325 F degrees. Grease or Line 8 inch x 8 inch baking dish with parchment.

Separate eggs and add the egg whites to a mixer and beat egg whites stiff. Place egg whites in a bowl and set aside.

Beat the egg yolks & sugar until light. Add butter and vanilla.  Beat for two minutes. 

Add the flour and mix it in until fully incorporated.

Slowly start adding the milk and beat until everything is well mixed together.

Add the egg whites, a third at a time and gently fold them in using a spatula, repeat until all egg whites are folded in.  

Pour batter into baking dish and bake for approx. 60 minutes or until the top is lightly golden. 

Cool and dust heavily with powdered sugar.



Tested twice and it was delicious!

Enjoy !!

Mosquitoes

                                                                                             Week 28 ( Save $28 )

 

I know we are officially into the summer when those annoying pesky mosquito are biting me alive ! Apparently, only the female mosquitoes are the culprit biters.  They can smell their dinner up to 50 meters away and they only target certain people.  I always seem to be on their dinner menu as their daily special. I guess they just love the sweet taste of my blood !

I wear scent free products,  I wear light color clothing, I eat a lot of garlic (the garlic seem to keep my friends at bay), and bananas. I still get chewed alive ! 

My other alternative if I want to be outdoors is to stop breathing.  That way I will no longer let out any more carbon dioxide to attract the attention from those blood suckers...I don't think that is going to be happening very soon !

There are effective insect repellents sprays, such as DEET, which is very harsh chemical spray on to keep mosquitoes away.  Some people splash themselves with Avon's Skin So Soft while others swear carrying a bounce sheet in their back pocket does the trick. I will give the bounce sheet a try since it's a simple alternative and I will see how effective that is.

 

Here are a few natural kitchen remedies that may help with the itchiness after the bite. Just remember, some remedies work for one person and may not be affective to others :

• Apple cider or white vinegar can reduce the swelling and stop the itching due to the acidity content in the vinegar.  Dab the area with a cotton ball.

• Baking soda mixed with water can be used as a paste.  Apply the paste to the affected area

• Crush Tums is another alternative if you do not have baking soda on hand

• Use cool tea bags to soothe the affected area as a compress

• Cut a lemon or lime into pieces and rub the affected area.  The citrus acid will get rid of the itch.

• Rubbing with the inside of a banana peel can relieve the itch in minutes due to the oils in the peel.

• Try dabbing honey, it can soothe the affected area.

• Onions and raw potatoes can alleviate the itch.

• The inside of an cracked egg shell, use the flexible member and cover the bite.  As the membrane dries, it will draw out some of the toxins.

• Toothpaste, mouth wash, deodorant, may relieve the itch.

• Vicks vapour Rub contains menthol and camphor oils and both of the ingredients may help stop the itching.

If you know of any other natural remedies, do share it with us so we all can have a bite free summer!

Happy Canada Day!

                                                                                                       Week 27 (Save $27)

O Canada (English version)

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.

With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!

From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

 

O Canada (French version)

O Canada! Terre de nos aieux,
Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux!

Car ton bras sait porter l'epee,
Il sait porter la croix!

Ton histoire est une epopee
Des plus brillants exploits.

Et ta valeur, de foi trempee,
Protegera nos foyers et nos droits.

Protegera nos foyers et nos droits.

 

O Canada (Bilingual version - non official)

O Canada! Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command,

Car ton bras sait porter l'epee,
Il sait porter la croix!

Ton histoire est une epopee
Des plus brillants exploits,

God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

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