Bananas or Plantain (Platanos)

I have talked to several of you about the basket two weeks ago and our bananas. The debate is whether they were actually plantain. I'm thinking they very well could be. Plantain are at there sweetest when the skin is black. This is completely against everything I know to let fruit go black before eating it. Here is a site that gives you more information on the plantain. Years ago I had some pan fried plantain in a caramel sauce over ice cream it was so good. Google cooking with plantain and enjoy them.

Sautéed Plantains are great served plain or with French Toast or over homemade ice cream.
Prep Time: 05 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:

* 2 plantains, peeled
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1 tablespoon brown sugar
* 1/2 cup orange juice

Preparation:
Slice plantains in 1/2 inch pieces. Melt butter in pan. Add brown sugar, stir until melted. Add orange juice and plantains. Cook until plantains are soft.

We did get pineapple in our baskets today so when I found this recipe at cdkitchen.com I thought, yum.

Baked Plantain & Pineapple Dessert Recipe

Ingredients:
2 yellow or brown plantains
1 can (8-oz. size) pineapple tidbits or chunks, drained
2 tablespoons margarine
1/8 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray large baking dish with vegetable oil spray. Wash plantains and slice lengthwise, placing them cut-side up in dish. Top with drained pineapple chunks.

In a small saucepan place margarine, sugar and spices. Stir and heat over low until melted and bubbly, about one minute.

Pour mixture over plantains and pineapples. Cover with foil and bake for 35-40 minutes until plantains are tender when pierced with fork.

Remove plantains from skin, cut into 1-inch pieces and serve atop a scoop of ice cream, with some of the pineapple chunks too.

Tinker Bell DVD/Blu-Ray Combo Pack $10 coupon

I found a coupon for Tinker Bell & The Lost Treasure. It does expire today so run to Wal-mart and save on your Blu-Ray combo pack, remember this comes with a regular DVD as well as the blu-ray. Get your coupon here.
Sorry there isn't much notice.

Mexican Gray Squash

In our last Bountiful Basket we received Mexican Gray Squash. It looks like a short zucchini, it does have a much softer skin though. There is no great enlightening info on this vegetable that I could find. I did find a posting of one woman's favorite way to eat it and I cooked for dinner tonight. My husband and I both really liked it, the picky children ate it with no real comment.

Here is what I did:

2 squash, diced into cubes
1c. frozen corn
1/4 white onion, chopped
1 T. creme fraiche, I used heavy whipping cream
On medium heat I put a couple tablespoons of olive oil in my pan. Then added the squash, corn and onion. I left the onion thinly sliced instead of chopped so that my kids could eat around the onion, spoiled in my opinion. I cooked the veggies until the the squash was starting to get a brownness, is that a word?, then turned off the heat. At that point I added the cream and quickly stirred it around.

This was a yummy side dish!

When I Google 'Mexican Gray Squash' I found a lot of recipes that are dishes for zucchini. You can substitute the squash in your favorite recipe calling for zucchini.

Persimmons -- Fruit

For those of you bought a bountiful basket and are not sure what a persimmons is and what to do with it read what I found:


It's important you know there are two kinds of persimmons: the Fuyu, the kind you can eat right away, and the Hachiya, the kind you can't.
When selecting Fuyu persimmons, look for ones that are yellow-orange in color and firm to the touch. Fuyus will stay firm for two or three weeks at room temperature. Eventually, after about three weeks, they will soften somewhat like the Hachiya. At this stage, some people feel the Fuyu's sweetness reaches its peak.

Persimmon Nutrition Their crispness can be prolonged by refrigeration if the temperature remains close to freezing (32°F) but once the fruit is returned to room temperature, it will soften. Surprisingly, persimmons stored at normal refrigerator temperature, about 40°F, will actually deteriorate faster than if stored at room temperature (55°F.)

Even though, Fuyus look heartier than Hachiyas, they can also bruise easily. These bruises will not show externally, so they should be handled with care. Fuyus are ethylene sensitive and should not be stored near ethylene-producing fruit such as apples or bananas, when ripe.

Fuyu persimmons can be eaten out of hand like an apple or pear, and there isn't any need to peel them. In fact, the California Grower's Association described them as crisp like an apple, sweet like a pear. A squeeze of lime perks up their flavor even more.

Fuyus can also be used like apples and pears in fruit salads, cobblers, or crisps, and are sturdy enough to be used in stir-fries as well. Fuyus do not darken when cut, so they can be sliced and made part of a vegetable or fruit tray.

Here are links to sites with fuyu persimmons recipes:
recipezaar.com
simplyrecipes.com
seasonalchef.com

I highly suggest you just bite into one, yummy!

$10 Toy Voucher from Keebler!

From now until 12/31/10, you can get a $10 Toy Cash Voucher (in the form of a check) when you purchase five specially-marked packages of Keebler Crackers, Keebler Cookies, or Rice Krispies Treats!

Participating products include:

Almond Crescents, Cheez-It Party Mix, Club Original, Club Snack Sticks Original, Fudge Shoppe Merry Mint Patties, Gingerbread Men, Holiday Rice Krispies Treats, Marshmallow Squares, Jingles, Sandies Cashew, Sandies Chocolate Chip and Pecan, Sandies Dark Chocolate Almond, Sandies Pecan Shortbread, Sandies Simply Shortbread, Town House Original, Town House FlipSides Original, Town House Toppers Original, and Toasteds Party Packs.


Expires 12/31/10, one per household. Be sure to check out Snackpicks.com and Coupons.com for some great money-saving coupons for these items!
Thanks DealSeekingMom!

Saving Money on Heating Expenses

I found this posting on Utah Deal Diva and thought I would pass it along.

Even though it's gorgeous outside today, it will be snowing before we know it, so I thought for this week's Thrifty Thursday feature, I'd give some tips on how to save money on your heating expenses. Most of these are very simple things you can do in 5 minutes or less that end up having a big impact on your



* Change the air filters in your home for adequate air flow when the heater is on.

* Change the direction to counter-clockwise on your ceiling fans so they'll push the cold air up and the warm air down. Your heater won't have to work as hard and as a result, you'll save money! Thanks Tamara!

* After you use the oven, leave the door open. Make use of that heat that would otherwise be wasted. Obviously make sure the oven is turned off and kids are safely kept away if you do this!

* Open the blinds and curtains on the sunny side of the house when the sun is shining and close them as soon as the sun goes down to retain the solar heat. Close curtains on the shady side of the house. Also consider insulated curtains or adding a thermal lining to your existing curtains. I put some up in my kid's rooms and it's helped significantly! {Also an added bonus, it makes the room dark for better naps!}

* If your water heater is in an unheated space like an unfinished basement, wrap an insulation blanket around it to prevent heat loss. Also make sure your water heater is set to only 120 degrees. Anything higher is just unnecessary!

* Don't heat areas of your house you don't use regularly. Close heating vents or turn back thermostats in those areas and close the doors for a painless reduction in heating costs. Also, if you're like us and have only 1 thermostat in a 2-story home, close some of the upstairs vents to direct the heated air to the downstairs, making the temperature of your home more uniform.

* Use a programmable thermostat and be mindful of what you're setting it at. 68 to 70 degrees while you're home and awake, and 60 to 65 degrees while you're asleep or not at home are reasonable temperatures. Setting it too low at night isn't a good idea because it will make your furnace work overtime to compensate when it kicks on. Also, if 68-70 degrees sounds too low for you, I encourage you to try it for a week or two. There's nothing wrong with wearing a sweater at home and it's amazing how quickly you acclimate to the lower temps.

National Cupcake Day

Snack maker Little Debbie is giving away 125,000 boxes of cupcakes and other prizes in celebration of National Cupcake Day on Sunday. I registered here for a chance to win. (They say they are giving away a million cupcakes, but each box has eight cupcakes, which translates into only 125,000 boxes, but that's still pretty good odds!) By the way, if you win a box of cupcakes, it comes in the form of a coupon you can take to your local grocery store.

Win a Year of Wendy's Hamburgers

Yo do have to submit a 30 second 'Wendy's moment' video. They pick a winner everyday. Check out the details.

Snapfish

Don't let the holidays sneak up on you – create memorable greeting cards today and save over 25% when you order 20. We'll even include FREE standard shipping.

Just use coupon 20BUNDLE at checkout before October 31.*

Browse card selection here.

They also have 30% off Ornaments.
Use code: TRIMEARLY
See selection here.

The Scrapbook Table Newsletter Deals

Get your Halloween costumes now!
Get your Halloween costumes at the Book Table! Select costume sets and accessories 25% off. Hurry in while supplies lasts!

2010 Calendars are here!!
Buy yours now while the selection is good!

$5.00 off
When you spend $25 or more
Excludes sale items and music lessons
Expires Nov. 1,2009

Click here to print coupon.

October General Best Buy
Arguing with Idiots
By: Glenn Beck

FUNNY.

FRIGHTENING.

TRUE.

It happens to all of us: You're minding your own business, when some idiot informs you that guns are evil, the Prius will save the planet, or the rich have to finally start paying their fair share of taxes.

"Just go away!" you think to yourself -- but they only become more obnoxious. Your heart rate quickens. You start to sweat. You can't get away. Your only hope is...

...this book.

Glenn Beck, author of the #1 "New York Times" bestsellers "An Inconvenient Book" and "Glenn Beck's Common Sense," has stumbled upon the secret formula to winning arguments against people with big mouths but small minds: knowing the facts.

And this book is full of them.
40% off in October!
Regular $29.99

Book Table LDS Best Buy
Sheri Dew Collection
Buy now for Christmas at 30% off

6 bestsellers now in one audio collection. Plus, a never- before- published bonus talk and a NEW DVD presentation!

Millions of Latter- day Saints around the globe have been touched and motivated by Sheri Dew's stories and words. Now, available is this unique audio collection featuring the following titles:

* The Savior Heals Without a Scar
* God Wants a Powerful People
* Famous Last Words
* Living on the Lord’s Side of the Line
* This Is a Test. It Is Only a Test
* If Life Were Easy, It Wouldn’t Be Hard
* NEW! Awake, Arise, and Come Unto Christ— Delivered at 2008 BYU Women’s Conference
* NEW DVD! Time Out for Women Presentation

This month only $34.97

Visiting Teaching Thought

Nurture the Rising Generation



We have been born, as Nephi of old,
To goodly parents who love the Lord.
We have been taught, and we understand,
That we must do as the Lord commands.

We’ll Bring the World His Truth: Army of Helaman, Children’s Songbook

Print this article

20% off
Any framed art
Can not be combined with any other discount
Expires Nov. 1,2009

Print this coupon

The Scrapbook Table
29 So. Main
Logan, UT 84321
435-752-3055

Still haven't heard about Upstart?

Upstart is a free at-home preschool program offered by the Waterford Institute. The program is for children ages 4 and 5 who aren't yet in kindergarten and covers reading, math and science. Parents who enroll must commit to working with their child for 15 minutes per day, five days per week. This program is designed for families of any income, but low-income families may qualify for the use of a free computer and Internet service as well. When offered this spring, available positions for this year went quickly. Go here for more information.
Thanks, One Cheap Chick.

Kohl's Childrens Book Promotion

My daughter and I love these books. We only own "If You Give a Moose a Muffin." I haven't been in to Kohl's yet but I most certainly will. What kind of Grandma would I be without the entire collection?! My guess is they will sell out fast with each shipment. Click here to see the stuffed animals, they are so cute!
The Kohl's Cares for Kids program, which features popular books for children and coordinating stuffed animals sold in Kohl's stores for only $5 each, is now featuring the best-selling “If You Give..” series by Laura Numeroff and illustrator Felicia Bond including “If You Take A Mouse To The Movies,” “If You Give A Pig A Party,” “If You Give A Cat A Cupcake,” and “If You Give A Moose A Muffin.”
I like the fact that the books and stuffed animals are priced at only $5 each, and that Kohl's donates 100 percent of the net profit from the sales of both the books and animals to children's charities nationwide. This series will be sold at Kohl's and Kohls.com through the end of the year.

Toy Coupons!

If you are interested in toy coupons, Playskool has just released $75 worth! Go here to access them. Instead of just going crazy and printing them all, think of gifts you'll be purchasing for the holidays. Only print the coupons that are age appropriate that you really think you might use!

Coupons.com: 3 $1/1 Playtex Gloves Coupons!

I found this posting on Hip 2 Save. My hands take a beating when the seasons change and I have to protect them with gloves when I am in the kitchen.
Coupons.com keeps dishing out new Playtex coupons! I posted yesterday about the $1 Discover Playtex GreatLengths Disposable Gloves coupon. Well, now they have 2 additional coupons available:

save $1 on any new CleanCuisine Disposable Food Prep Gloves

Save $1 on any Discover Playtex Living Gloves

**I think I've seen the Playtex gloves priced around $1-$2 at Walmart, so they should be very inexpensive after these $1 coupons!

Nature Valley Coupons

There are Nature Valley coupons worth $1.60 off their new Nut Clusters product. I received a free sample from the Pssst program and it came with 10 of the $1.60 off coupons, now you can get yours too. Go here (IE link or FF link) to get yours. Remember, you may print two.

The Visions of Ransom Lake

Every month Marcia has a one of her books on sale. The last time I really wanted to take advantage of this I decided I would wait until later in the month before I would order my copy of "Fragrance of Her Name', which is one of my top 5 Marcia books. Much to my disappointment by the middle of the month they had sold out of the discounted price book.
I will not make that mistake twice. The Visions of Ransom Lake is also in my top 5 and it is this months discounted book. I just ordered my copy, yeah! You can check out the site and order your copy here. If you want something to read before the book can be sent to you then you have a couple of choices. One, you can sign up to receive Marcia's monthly newsletter and receive 'The Rogue Knight', also in my top 5. Two, you can order one of her ebooks. I have read Kissing Cousins & The Light of the Lovers' Moon and enjoyed both of them. I read Sweet Cherry Ray and I don't remember not liking it but Indebted Deliverance was not one of my favorites. I still haven't read Kiss in the Dark because I am in the middle of two series books and I will just read Kiss in the Dark instead of what I have already started so I am waiting until I have these other series done.

Walgreens

I haven't been into town today to see if Walgreens has opened yet or not. I thought they had last week and then realized they were stocking the store. Has there ever been, in the history of store openings, a slower store to get there doors opened after the store is built?! I see deals at Walgreens all over the internet and I know there is a bit to learn to effectively take advantage of their deals so I am giving you a link to a posting/video of how to shop Walgreens.

Free Kid's Clinics

I really like this months clinics at Lowes.
Sign up now here for the free kids clinics at Lowe's offered this October from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturdays — they fill up fast!

Ball Toss Game on Oct. 10

Frankenstring Magic Game on Oct. 24

New Kellogg's Promotion

Check out this new offer by Kellogg's. Buy three specially marked boxes of cereal, get $10 to spend on electronics, toys, sporting goods, books, movies . Go here for more information about this offer.

One tip: Use Kellogg's coupons to make this an even better deal — there's a coupon worth $1.50 off two boxes of mini-wheats, for example, at RedPlum.com.

Free Recipe Book from Land O Lakes

Go here and sign up with Land O Lakes and you can request a FREE holiday brochure filled with yummy recipes! It is my understanding that they often give members access to high value coupons!

$10 in Laundry Coupons!

There are $10 in new laundry care coupons here! These are PDF coupons and don't start expiring until 3/01/2010.

You can also request to have these coupons mailed to you here. The document would use a boat load of printer ink, so this is the option I chose!

* Save $2 on one Dryel Refill or Starter Kit
* Save $2 on Febreeze Odor Eliminator
* Save $1 on Bounce 15 minute Dry Cleaner
* Save $1 on Tide Wash Bag
* Save $1 on Downy Wrinkle Releaser
* Save $1 on Bounce Lint Roller
* Save $1 on Evercare Lint Roller (you can get the travel sized one for FREE at Walmart!)
* Save $1 on Dreft products

Thanks MoneySavingMadness!

Albertson's Preview!! HOT SALE!

I'm super excited for the sale at Albertson's starting Wednesday! There is a HOT Quaker sale, plus, another "Save $3 instantly" promo that will mean Ronzoni Healthy Harvest pasta for .20 each, cheap sugar and lots more great deals!

Even though the rest of the world got double coupons this week and we didn't, we'll still be able to stock up this week without spending much at all!

I'll post some matchups and a deal scenario soon...
Thanks, Utah Deal Diva.

Redbox Code

It is the first Monday of October and Redbox text me a code that expires at midnight tonight. The code is QNGJ7KD. Remember, this code can be used only once per transaction. If you have more than one debit/credit card you can use it once per card.

Divvy Up Consignment Sale: October 15-17th

I was out of town for the first Divvy Up sale. Did any of you sell or buy items? I am going to participate this time. Here is the information that I found on Pinching Your Pennies about the sale:

You asked for it and we're doing it again

There will be a fall Divvy UP-- October 15-17th at the Cache County Fairgrounds. Thursday will be item check in and our pre sale (where the best stuff goes, so don't miss out on this one). Pre sale is for pregnant and new moms, volunteers, those who help advertise for us, consignors and military families. Friday will be our regular sale and Saturday will be the ½ off sale. See our website for complete details.

Our last sale in July was a huge success- over 4000 items for sale. It's time to go through children's clothes for the fall/winter and time to get rid of gently used items. We'd love to help you sell them.

It's easy-
1. Log onto our website (thedivvyup.com ) and list your items (you can automatically carry over any unsold items from our last sale.)
2. List and tag your items
3. Drop them off at our sale and wait for your check to arrive.

So much easier than a garage sale (and more money too) and much easier than on line selling. A great way to make a little cash on items that you don't need any more.

We have also had many ask for booths to be set up at the sale. If you sell a child/women type new item (jewelry, hair accessories, make up, etc) you can rent a banquet table for $25. You take care of your own sales. You can sit there during our sale or leave information about your business. We will only allow one of each type business, so first come, first serve. Contact us via our website for more info. If you'd like to sell your merchandise but don't want to sit at our sale, you can check them in as regular items (commissions apply here).

Questions?
Visit thedivvyup.com for our email address. We'd love to have you participate.

Walmart: Snow White Diamond Edition $9.86!

I just want to give you all a heads up on this upcoming deal at Walmart! Snow White will be released for sale on October 6th! Plus, Walmart will be selling the Diamond Edition Blu-Ray & DVD Combo Pack for just $19.86... AND to sweeten the deal further, there is a $10/1 coupon available here: IE or Firefox (you should be able to print 2 coupons per computer)! Final cost just $9.86! REMEMBER, with the Disney Blu-Ray movies you get the regular DVD as well. They are making the transition to Blu-Ray easy on us.

I would highly suggest printing this coupon now-- I'm guessing the print limit will be reached quite quickly!

These DVDs will make for some great, inexpensive Christmas presents!!!
.
Thanks, CouponGal!

High Value $3/1 Neosporin Lip Health Coupon!

There is a new high value Neosporin coupon available: save $3/1 Neosporin Lip Health product. You can print this coupon in IE or Firefox. Remember to press your browser back button to print a total of 2 coupons per computer. If the links above don't work, then you'll need to go here and register.