Perfectly Perfect Pecan Pancakes

A few weeks ago my husband and I took a locals advice on where to eat breakfast in a local college town.  This place is an original and had some of the best breakfast food we've eaten.  We both agreed anytime we are close, that is going to be the place we stop and eat.

I decided to take the waitresses advice as she said the pancakes were delicious and HUGE! I chose one blueberry and one pecan pancake.  I think I may have gotten something else too but that would make me seem like an over eater that can't control herself when it comes to carbs and stuffs her mouth when given the opportunity (um yeah, that about describes me).  Well, the one thing I actually finished was the pecan pancake.  Oh my love for food...it was delicious!

I have been wanting to experiment with making my own version but I didn't want it to be too complicated and I wanted it to be as quick as the Bisquick pancakes I usually make.  So, I searched recipes, figured out what would taste good together and gave it a go.  I believe my version is pretty good.  I don't know if I can master that perfect pancake I had a few weeks ago, but I've managed to make something that I crave the day after I made them.  That's a pretty good sign!   Plus it was my first attempt.  It can only get more delicious from here, right?

Perfect Pecan Pancakes

2 cups Bisquick
1 cup milk
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. brown sugar (heaping)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup pecans (I didn't measure, just poured, but it was close)

Stir all ingredients except pecans until blended.  Pour in the pecans and mix into batter.
Pour onto warm greased pan or griddle.
Cook until edges are dry and the tops bubble.  Flip and cook until golden.
Makes about 14 small pancakes.




 

My Coke Rewards Magazine Deals

I just went and entered a few codes on My Coke Rewards and took a look at some of the rewards they are offering. They have some great magazine deals right now.
Here are my two favorites:
Wednesday Deal- Whole Living 1 year Subscription- 100 points
All You 1 year Subscription- 333 points


 

Just My o"PIN"ion on The BEST Macaroni and Cheese

So I asked my readers on Facebook if they would rather me try the "World's Best Macaroni and Cheese or Chocolate Chip Cookie?" I was secretly hoping for the cookie because I have a major sweet tooth, but instead these crazy people chose Macaroni and Cheese! Just kidding. I love my readers (no matter how insane they are). So, I had pinned two pins with the title BEST Macaroni and Cheese in them and decided which one to try. I am going to be completely honest, I chose the easy one from blogs.baggle.com. The one with one kind of cheese and the one I could pronounce. The other one looked divine but I would have to go to the specialty cheese part of the grocery store and find cheese I couldn't pronounce. I'm simple. I'm a mom. I'm busy...get over it and go find your own Gruyere Cheese or whatever it's called!

Ingredients:

1 (8-ounce) package elbow macaroni, cooked and drained *This is the only change I made.  I used 16 oz. or a whole box*
2 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions:

Let me take a minute to tell you how mad I get when people don't explain processes of things in order.  The directions for this dish were mostly great except when I got to the part of, add your cooked pasta.  I paused and under a few harsh words spoken silently in my head, I muttered, "They never told me to cook the pasta."  Is that common sense?  I don't think so.  But then again I thought part of the Star Spangled Banner was "donzerly light" (dawn's early light)...and I won't tell you at what age I realized it but my 6th grade teacher thought I was sure funny!

So, let me first start by saying:
1.  Cook Your Pasta!!!
2.  Then follow the rest of the directions following the link above.  The rest is easy to understand and explained well!

Verdict:

This is my first time making Homemade Macaroni and Cheese. I'm usually a box kind-of-gal.  However, it really wasn't that hard.  Had I cooked the noodles before I'd started, it would have been much easier!  The kids verdict was that they didn't like it and that the box kind was better.  My husband and I both agreed it needed MORE cheese.  I had looked at the comments for the recipe and most of them said it was way too cheesy even when they used 16 oz. of noodles.  That they only used 5 cups of cheese because they couldn't imagine more.  Well...I think next time I will use 8 oz. of noodles and perhaps the same amount of cheese.  Or if I do use 16 oz., I would at least use 8 cups of cheese.  Holy Cheese Batman, but I don't want a dry noodle at all!  I want them swimming in a river of cheese.  Isn't that the point...gooey, cheesy, yumminess?!

So, would I dub this the BEST Macaroni and Cheese...NO!  But I'm not going to make that fancy recipe with the gruyere cheese or however you say and spell it!  So, this will go in my recipe file and I'll put it out from time to time.  Now, how about we research those cookies!

Here are pictures of the process:

Cooking the Garlic

Halfway Through Making the Cheese Sauce

Out of the Oven

 

Just My o"PIN"ion on Tranferring Printer Text to Wood

I love anything vintage. The more distressed the better in my world. I am sooo lucky that my children also love the distressed look and have a way of making everything look vintage around here! Even though one of my favorite hobbies is to mosey around my favorite local antique stores, usually I walk away with little except for my creative juices flowing. You see, antiques are expensive. It seems like the antique look is very popular right now, so vendors have marked up their prices accordingly! So, I take ideas I see and try to recreate it in a more frugal way! I have been wanting to make a sign for my front porch that has our last name along with the year our recent home was established. I remember seeing this idea from Diddle Dumpling on Pinterest where you can transfer printer ink to wood.  So, I picked up a cute board for about $5.00 at the antique store and saved it for a moment I had time to work on this.

Diddle Dumpling has more detailed beginning instructions on how to prepare your board and the best paints to use, but I skipped this step since I bought my board ready to go!

Supplies:
*Wood Board that has been painted and distressed how you prefer.
*Printed Words, rotated so they are correct when you transfer them.  *Please google how to rotate your words according to your printer properties for the software you create the words in*  I used the Paint software that came with my laptop.
*Paint Brush
*Water
*Sharpie Pen
*Paint for touch ups.
*Hardware or twine to hang your sign.

Directions:
I created my words using the Paint software on my computer.  I must say this is what took the longest to figure out.  I probably tried a dozen times before I got the size I wanted.  However, I finally got it just right and was ready for the next step.  I placed my wording on the sign like I wanted and somewhat creased the paper to help it stay in place, but you could also tape it to help.  Then you take a paintbrush and go over the words with water.  You don't need to get it sopping wet, just wet is fine.  Then take the lid of your sharpie and press horizontal and vertical on the letters to get them to transfer over to the wood.  Like you would for any other transfer type material.  After you get it transferred you can go over the lettering with black paint if it is too light for you.  Then put hardware to hang on the back.

Verdict:
So everything went great as soon as I figured out how to print the wording the way I wanted.  It was a easy, simple process that was really quick.  However, when I took the paper off the wood, there was nothing on the wood.  The ink hadn't transferred over to the wood.  After doing some research, it seems laser jet printers won't work for this project unless you use acetone.  Soooo glad they put this in the directions...ugh!  So, I found my old ink jet printer, got it hooked up after installing the driver to my computer, dusted off the cobwebs and then realized there was no ink! So the only thing I have to say is...To Be Continued!

Here are some pictures of the experience!

Materials

 

 

 

 

 

 

Use Paintbrush To Get Printing Wet

Go Over Printed Letters With Sharpie Lid to Transfer

FAIL!

 

$1.00 Wichita Eagle Sunday Subscriptions- CD&S Exclusive Deal!

I am so excited about this opportunity for my local readers in the Wichita area!

Tiffany Smith, from the Wichita Eagle, has given my Coupon Deals and Steals readers an exclusive deal on a Sunday Wichita Eagle subscription! We all love the Sunday paper for one reason...COUPONS! Okay, so maybe there are some great articles and it's nice to see the weather forecast for the week, but if you are a couponer, you will agree!

Here are the details at snagging the $1.00 A Week Sunday Subscription!!!
*Email tsmith@wichitaeagle.com!
*You will have to purchase a minimum 26 Week Subscription!
*You can purchase as many subscriptions as you want- I got a couple!!
*If you are already a subscriber, just paid or renewed, Tiffany will work with you as long as you purchase an additional subscription!
*You MUST mention that Coupon Deals and Steals or Ashlei Matthews, the coupon lady, sent you!

If you have any other questions just ask Tiffany!  She is so nice and easy to work with.

Double Swag Bucks For Using Coupon Through May

Are you printing all your coupons through Swagbucks?  If you aren't...you better start!

They are currently doubling the points you earn for each coupon to 20 Swagbucks instead of 10. This will run through the end of May, so go print them off and don't forget to use them while you shop this
month!

New to Swagbucks??  Go learn more here.  Two Words- "A-Mazing"...okay, that's one but it's that good!


 

Just My o"PIN"ion on Homemade Pledge

I am falling in love with homemade cleaners. They are usually so much cheaper and better for your family and the environment! I have a kitchen table that has a wood top and it is constantly in need of a polished finish. My kids have destroyed it and continue too. There are feet marks all over it (if you know the stories of my baby Parker being a monkey, this makes sense to you). We bought it about a year ago and thank goodness it has a distressed look because we have added to that charm! But keeping the top looking polished is a chore. It usually just looks horrid. I found this pin from Food.com that not only promised a great polish but also that you would only have to dust every other week or so! It only takes two ingredients and it's so simple to use.

Ingredients: 1 tsp. lemon juice 1/4 cup olive oil Container to hold it as you probably won't use it all.

Directions: Mix the lemon juice and the olive oil in a container. Mix it. Take a dusting cloth and wipe down your furniture, cabinets, etc. I really rub it in as it does have that oily consistency.

Verdict: Love it! My table is so shiny, even I am tempted to get on top of it and dance a happy dance. I can't wait to see how long the polish lasts. I also dusted a baseboard halfway with this solution to see if it gets as dusty as the other half. It's my evil way of seeing if it's claims of dusting less are true! Who really likes to dust anyway? *silence* Yep, that's what I thought!

Here are some pictures of the experience!

                                                   BEFORE

 

                     

                                  After 

Just My o"PIN"ion on Copycat Sonic Cherry Limeades

 

It's basically summertime in my neck of the woods...91 glorious degrees outside today! I was wondering what to post this week and as I was driving by Sonic today and the line was seriously out of the driveway onto the street (someone please tell me why you would really wait that long), I remembered that I had pinned this recipe for a Sonic Cherry Limeade.

I do love a good Sonic Cherry or Strawberry Limeade.  However, Sonic is a little out of the way for me to hop on over during Happy Hour, so I was hoping this recipe would be the answer to my prayers!  My prayer went something like this:

"Dear Lord, 

How are you today?  It is hot here.  There are no Sonic's for miles and there are times that when my children are climbing up the tv stand for the 50th time, the baby has taken all his pajamas out of his dresser and the middle little is putting toothpaste in his hair that I could really just use a Cherry Limeade.  I'm sure you understand as you made these children of mine and I know you are chuckling to yourself as you watch their mother scrape peanut butter out of the DVD player.  So, please make this recipe taste as good as a margarita, which is what I really want but I'm a lush and if I drink one of those I won't be able to drive to pick up the biggest kid from school!  (Hence why I love Summer Break!)

Amen"

The Supplies:

1 can Sprite or Sprite Zero if you are watching the waistline
1/4 cup Cherry Juice (I used Juicy Juice but I would also like to try an Organic Juice next time)
3 Lime Wedges
1 16 oz. cup filled 3/4 full with Ice

The Directions:

Fill your cup with ice.  Make sure it is about a 16 oz. cup or it will get too full.  Then add the Sprite, juice and the juice of the limes.  Add lime wedges or cherries for garnish if you like.  Stir and enjoy!

The Verdict:
Was it as good as a margarita, no.  Was it as good as Sonic, no.  Did it taste kinda like a Diet Cherry Limeade from Sonic, kinda!  That is close enough for me!  It was good but I don't know if I would say it's the Copycat Recipe.  I am going to try it with an organic juice next time and I think that may help with the cherry taste.  My oldest liked it and the baby seemed to too.  Make sure you tell me what you think if you make one!  Would love to hear if there's any difference when you use different pops and juices!

Here are some pics from the experience:

The Ingredients

 Does My Face Say It All?