budgetsmartgirl

Archive for December, 2010|Monthly archive page

The Blog-Get Ready for 2011

In The Blog on December 27, 2010 at 4:02 pm

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.

Now’s a great time to do some shopping. Valentine’s Day isn’t that far away and as lots of red themed items like giftbags and wrapping paper are deeply discounted this week, it’s perfect. Also, chocolates and candy can be turned into treats for Valentine’s Day too.

My bargain last week was this cookbook I found at the local supermarket. They had a display of books and toys and after searching through them, this one caught my eye. I haven’t tried any of the recipes yet but they all look tempting. The book has a great section on how to stock the pantry to trim your budget. It cost just $3.99 and looks to be a good buy.

Some articles I found this week-

They say cash is king-

http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/111667/discounts-for-paying-cash?mod=bb-budgeting

What to buy this week-

http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/488/the-best-after-christmas-sales/

Great article if you’re looking for a car-

http://real-us.autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/1636/car-dealer-extras-to-avoid/

No articles this week, they’ll be back the week of January 3rd with the newsletter. Some topics I’m working on for 2011 are organizing on a budget, getting the most out of your food budget, saving on healthcare costs.Plus, lots more budget saving recipes.

Hope you have a wonderful New Year.

The Blog-Merry Christmas from Budget Smart Girl

In The Blog on December 20, 2010 at 7:02 pm

It’s snowing again. Earlier today I decided to venture out for some last minute Christmas shopping. I  saw two reindeer pulling a sleigh full of children and being led by Santa in a parking lot (and no, I hadn’t been drinking!) Only wished I’d had my camera with me. It looked like the perfect holiday snapshot.

I hope all your shopping is done and that you found some bargains. Budget Smart Girl articles will be back the week of January 3rd but I’ll be blogging next Monday as usual and I’ll tell you about things I’m planning for the site and blog in 2011.

Here are some articles I found this week--

Two more weeks to find these bargains-

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/111515/the-best-stuff-to-buy-in-december-

Looking to buy a car in 2011, check this out-

http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/1610/10-great-cheap-cars/

Even warmer climates are feeling the freeze this year, so here’s the perfect article-

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/111560/energy-wasters-in-your-home

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas. Thank you for visiting the site, reading the blog and for all your wonderful e-mails throughout the year.

Merry Christmas from Budget Smart Girl

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Holiday Entertaining…easy on you, easy on your budget

In Budget Smart Cook on December 17, 2010 at 2:38 pm

One thing I hate is giving a party where I spend most of my time in the kitchen and not visiting with my guests. I gave up throwing sit down dinners years ago and have since relied on serving appetizers and finger foods. It’s not only easier on your budget but frees up more of your time to enjoy the festivities. Plus clean up doesn’t mean you spend hours at the kitchen sink.

Here are some of my favorite ideas and recipes-

Mediterranean Herbal Cream Cheese Spread

I use this recipe on crackers and sometimes cucumber slices too-

 (Makes ½ cup)

  •  4 oz. cream cheese, regular or low fat
  • 2 tablespoons chopped sundried tomatoes in oil
  • 1 tablespoon chopped oregano
  • 1 tablespoon chopped thyme

 *Remove the cream cheese from the refrigerator about 15 minutes before you plan to make this spread.

Place the cream cheese in a bowl and stir in sundried tomatoes, then mix in the oregano and thyme. You can also add some of the oil from the sundried tomatoes to thin it out and boost the flavor.

Put the spread back into the refrigerator, but take it out again about 5-10 minutes before you eat it so it spreads more easily.

You can also use this as a base for sandwiches and wraps. It’s also a tasty treat served on toast.

Another variation is to mix and match herbs with whatever sandwich filling you’re using. For example, sage pairs perfectly with chicken and turkey slices.

Filo Cups

One thing that’s always in my freezer, and not just during the Holidays, is a package of filo dough. It’s inexpensive, it goes a long way and an added plus is it can be used for both sweet and savory dishes. These filo cups look like you spent hours preparing them. They also make great snacks too.

4 sheets frozen filo dough, thawed

2 tablespoons unsalted butter or low fat spread, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place one sheet of the filo dough on the countertop or cutting board and brush with some of the melted spread/butter. Top with another sheet, brush with spread/butter and continue with the other two sheets, making sure you brush the top sheet with the butter/spread.

Cut the sheets into 12 squares. Take a muffin pan and mold each stack into each of the cups…you’ll get some overlap at the top, but don’t worry because it makes them look more decorative. Bake for about five minutes or until lightly golden brown. Let them cool on a wire rack before you fill them. They can be made a couple of days in advance too.

Filling Suggestions-

One of the fillings that always seem to get people coming back for more is curried chicken salad. (This is also a good filling for sandwiches and stuffed tomatoes too).

  • 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
  • ¾ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder, your choice of mild or hot
  • ¼ cup chopped celery,
  • ¼ cup chopped toasted cashews
  • ½ cup chopped seedless red grapes.

Simply mix everything together and let it sit in the fridge for about an hour, more if you have time. The combination also works well with tuna too, just leave out the grapes.

I’ve also had success with using the filo cups for mini quiches. And another quick idea is to take a flavored cream cheese, like onion or salmon, whip it until it’s light and airy and put the mixture into a pastry bag and pipe the mixture into the cups. Maybe top with a pitted olive or a toasted nut like a pecan. This works great on slices of cucumber too!

Mini Quesadillas

Most people think of chicken as the ideal filling for quesadillas but when holiday season is in full swing, canned salmon is always on sale and makes a great filling when it’s mixed with some pepper jack cheese and cooked as usual. You can either cut them into wedges or cut them in circles with a cookie cutter for bite size snacking.

Mini Quiches

I line muffin pans with short crust pastry and fill them with a couple of different quiche recipes, traditional quiche, using cheese and bacon. I’ve also tried cheese and chile peppers, also chopped shrimp, and a mushroom and spinach quiche. These freeze really well too.

 Pesto Coated Drumsticks.

I saw a recipe using cooked shrimp and pesto but as shrimp can get pricey, especially if you’re serving lots of people, a less expensive option is chicken drumsticks. Cook them and while they’re still warm toss them some store bought pesto sauce. 

Mini Versions of Just About Everything

There are some of my favorite appetizers to make and eat. I make up a batch of regular size sandwiches and use a cookie cutter to make smaller ones. I’ve also used this method with pizza and made pizza fingers.

 

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Last Minute Gift Ideas

In Budget Smart Girl's Guide on December 15, 2010 at 8:23 pm

Almost Christmas…I’m nearly done with my shopping, just the odd stocking stuffer gift or two left to buy. Whether you’ve run out of ideas or money, I always find some of the following gifts can save the day.

Cookies…homemade or not

First of all I just saw this great article on Yahoo-

http://shine.yahoo.com/event/holidaymoments/top-10-cookie-baking-secrets-2425023/

If making your own cookies is out of the question, try buying a few packages of readymade ones. Some chocolate, some shortbread etc. Mix and match them and then buy some of the boxes you get with your take out order at a Chinese restaurant. I’m seeing more of these boxes at places like Target, party supply stores and this time the year they come in greens and reds. Put the cookies inside and place a festive bow on the handle.

Tea

I’m a huge tea fan during the holidays it’s not only on sale but you can get Christmas flavored ones like eggnog and sugarplum spice. The box itself doesn’t look that exciting but it’s easy to find tins with Christmas scenes on them. You can even try combing the tea and cookies together.

Walgreens and CVS Pharmacy

One year it was a couple of days before Christmas and I still had a few gifts to buy and ran out of ideas and wrapping paper. Two places I headed to were Walgreens and CVS Pharmacy. They not only had things like bubble baths and perfume but some items were already wrapped in holiday packaging and weren’t that expensive.

Mittens and…

Seems we’re all in the deep freeze right now and I’m sure mittens or gloves will be appreciated. It’s one item that always seems to be on sale and at budget smart prices. I’ve often bought mittens and combined them with a container of hot cocoa.

Gift Cards

Lots of gift cards can be purchased for $5 or $10 and are perfect for last minute stocking stuffers. Best thing is most supermarkets carry them now. If you’re thinking of buying one, lots of companies also give you a gift card as a way of saying thank you, so pick some place or service you’d use yourself.

Books

One other thing you can pick up while you’re doing the holiday grocery shopping is a book. Most supermarkets carry bestselling paperbacks and often at a discount.

Games

This year most of the gifts we bought for everyone have come from Marbles, The Brain Store. It’s not only fun just to browse..and yes, they encourage you to try out the games while you’re shopping, but they have some games for under $10 that  make perfect last minute gifts or for slipping in the stocking. One I bought was called Story Cubes for just $9.99.

Thinking Ahead to Spring

If the gift recipient likes flowers or growing things, one item people really appreciate, especially in the dead of winter, is flower bulbs. Buy a flower pot, put a bag of potting soil and seeds or bulbs inside and they can get a headstart on their spring gardening. It’s also something nice to look at while the snow’s still on the ground.

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The Blog-Money Saving CookBooks

In The Blog on December 13, 2010 at 5:43 pm

It’s definitely looking a lot like Christmas where I live. Fifth biggest snowstorm on record and there’s more on the way. Most of the weekend was spent clearing snow. (I’ve discovered that humming the theme song to Hawaii Five O really helps you think about warm faraway places).

Before the snow moved in, I took a trip to the library and as I often do, browsed the cookbook section. I found two books that I think are both musts for the Budget Smart Girl’s bookshelf.

One is  Quick Fix Healthy Mix 225 Healthy and Affordable Mix Recipes to Stock Your Kitchen by Casey Kellar and Nicole Kellar-Munoz. It’s full of mixes you can make to stock the pantry. They all seem simple to make and with easy to find ingredients. The second book is $3 Meals, feed your family delicious healthy meals for less than the cost of a gallon of milk by Ellen Brown. I haven’t tried any of the recipes yet but they all sound tempting with everything from soups to breads. I checked both titles on Amazon and there are some used copies for sell there as well new ones.

I always make one or two homemade gifts and this year I’ve made a pinecone basket complete with greenery and Christmas lights for my sister in law. I  usually use stickers with the word homemade  by Susan on it but discovered my sticker maker machine was out of paper. It’s the first time I’ve had to buy replacement for it and I was shocked to learn that it’s not just the paper that’s replaced but the whole plastic unit that fits inside holiding the paper and adhesive roll. I don’t know what some companies are thinking but wouldn’t it be cheaper and more eco friendly just to offer paper and adhesive rolls each time we need it? Well, one good thing did come out of it. While I searched around for the best price I stumbled across this site www.save-on-crafts.com that has just about everything you need for crafting.

Found this interesting article yesterday-

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/111525/what-car-mechanics-wont-tell-you?mod=family-auto

This Week on Budget Smart Girl-Last minute gift ideas and holiday entertaining that’s easy on you and your wallet.

Have a good week.

Food Gifts for the Budget Smart Cook

In Budget Smart Cook on December 9, 2010 at 6:48 pm

 

I don’t think you can ever go wrong with a gift from the kitchen. Here are some of my ideas and recipes. Once again, baskets are a wonderful way to ‘wrap’ them. I also keep holiday themed tins each year just for food gifts

Breads and Cakes

Instead of wrapping them in foil or cling wrap, buy an inexpensive tea towel, wrap it around the bread and tie the ends into a bow. If you’re not in the mood for baking, one option is to parcel up the dry ingredients, add instructions, and a list of other ingredients the recipient will need, and place everything in a disposable baking pan. This also works for brownies and muffins.

Chocolate, Ginger and Pear Bread

  •  6 tablespoons of butter or margarine
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3 eggs (beaten)
  • 1 cup self raising flour
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 4 canned pear halves, drained, dried and chopped into medium size pieces
  • 1 4 ounce bar of good quality dark chocolate, roughly chopped

 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly grease a 2 pound loaf pan.

In a large bowl, cream butter or margarine until soft, slowly add brown sugar and then gradually add beaten eggs.

Stir in flour, cocoa powder and ginger and beat together until mixture is smooth.

Fold in both the pears and chopped chocolate.

Pour mixture into loaf pan and back for 50-60 minutes until it’s well risen. Cool in pan for about ten minutes and then remove it and allow it to cool on a rack for at least an hour before cutting.

You can decorate it with more chopped chocolate and also crystallized ginger pieces.

Yields 12 slices and pairs perfectly with a cup of tea.

 

Soup’s On

Who wouldn’t appreciate coming home to a bowl of homemade soup? Well, the recipient has to do a little work, but this makes a really thoughtful gift, especially for a senior. And you can even keep a few of these soup mixes in your own pantry for the cold winter months ahead.

I like to layer all the ingredients in a mason jar. I type the instructions for making the soup on an index card and tie it around the neck of the jar with a red or green bow. Here is what you’ll need-

  • 1/3 cup lentils, or yellow split peas
  • 2/3 cup dried tortellini (meat, chicken, or cheese variety)
    *I like to use lentils with the meat tortellini and the split peas with the chicken or cheese variety.
  • ¼ cup sun dried tomatoes
  • I bouillon cube, chicken or vegetable
  • 1 ½ tsp dried basil
  • 1 ½ tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp. dried minced onion

Instruction label should read-Empty the ingredients into a three-quart saucepan, add five cups of water. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer soup for 45 minutes or until the lentils and peas are tender. Serves 4.

Something Different From Cookies

I don’t know about you but sometimes I get bored with making and giving cookies every year. Here’s an alternative that’s a lot less work-

Sweet BBQ Nuts

  • Two tablespoons honey
  • Two tablespoons BBQ sauce
  • One tablespoon ketchup…if you like some heat, replace the ketchup with some Frontera Chipotle Hot sauce.
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder

Just about any types of nut work perfectly in this recipe. My favorites are pecans and cashews, but I’ve had great results using peanuts, almonds, and even walnuts. The above mixture coats about 2 cups of nuts, so if you want more, double the above amounts.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

In the meantime, take a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients, except the nuts, and mix together.

Place the nuts on a baking sheet and place in the oven to warm through. About five minutes should do it, watch them carefully because they can burn very quickly. Add the nuts to the mixing bowl and toss in the honey/BBQ mix. Make sure they’re all covered.

Cover the baking sheet with some parchment paper and place the coated nuts on top and spread out evenly.

Bake for about 10-15 minutes, stir occasionally and keep your eye on them as they can get too hot and burn.

In my house these have a mysterious way of disappearing within 24 hours of making!

Chocolates

I admit I love chocolates any day of the year but it wouldn’t be Christmas without making this recipe.

Chocolate Truffles

  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 2 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (I’ve also used part cream, part eggnog)

Instructions

Melt the butter and add the cocoa powder. Sieve the confectioner’s sugar into a large bowl and add the butter mixture. Blend together until well mixed. (I’ve done this by hand but using a mixer is a lot easier). Add the cream and mix everything together. Place in the refrigerator for about an hour until firm and then roll into balls. The roll them in cocoa powder, confectioner’s sugar, toasted coconut or chopped nuts.

Some variations I’ve made include adding about three tablespoons of the chopped candied orange peel, two tablespoons chopped candied ginger or try adding about 1/2 teaspoon of ginger powder when you add the cocoa powder. I’ve also thought about chopped dried cranberries and mango.

Keep these refrigerated. Makes about a dozen.

Homemade Gifts for the Budget Smart Girl

In Budget Smart Girl's Guide on December 8, 2010 at 11:22 pm

Even if you’re not on a budget, giving a friend something you’ve made is always appreciated. Some of my favorite gifts have been the ones I know people have put the time and effort into making for me.

Homemade gifts can not only stretch your budget, they’re perfect for keeping on hand for times when someone out of the blue gives you a gift. Yes, it happens to me every Christmas.

And if you end up with more than you give out, keep them for birthdays, as get well gifts or just for yourself.

Here are my ideas for easy to make, inexpensive gifts. Later this week I’ll feature some homemade food gifts including a recipe for one of my favorite holiday breads.

Gift Baskets

The possibilities are endless when it comes to making your own gift baskets. Best thing is you can personalize the gift to each person tastes and interests. My favorite place to buy baskets is the dollar store. They have a good selection of styles and sizes. They also have supplies, like tinsel and raffia, you can use to put into the basket to hold everything in place

For the ladies bath and body products are always welcome and I rely on one of my favorite companies www.eyeslipsface.com for supplies. Lots of items that are just a dollar…they also make great stocking stuffer gifts too. One of my favorites, the body butter is only $4. And the hand crème, also $4 is excellent too.

Baskets for the Crafter

Most people have a hobby like knitting and one idea is to put together a basket based on their interests. Knitting wool, patterns etc. This year I’ve added flower arranging to my hobby list and last week while I was in Walmart I bought some supplies for just a $1 a package. I also noticed they had a good selection of other craft items too. Michaels craft stores also have some good deals.

For the Reader

Okay, this is my dream basket, some paperback books, a box of tea or cocoa and some cookies. I think anyone’s happy with that combination.

Make your Own Beauty Products

The other week I found these articles for making your own bath and beauty products to give as gifts. If you’ve ever shopped someplace where they have handmade soaps they sell by the slice, you’ll know you can get sticker shock even for the smallest piece. I’ve been tempted to make my own but all the recipes I’ve found seem to involve lye and wearing goggles but these seem straightforward and don’t require an in home chemistry lab-

http://www.naturalhomemagazine.com/diy-projects/handmade-homemade-soap-recipes-milk-and-honey-soap.aspx

http://www.herbco.com/t-herbal-cosmetic-recipes.aspx I’m definitely trying the hand cream and bubble bath.

Where to Buy Supplies

If you’re wondering where to buy supplies for making these homemade soaps and lotions, I did a little Internet searching and found the following companies. Lots of good stuff, ideas, and prices seem reasonable too. (If you’re looking to make your spa products to pamper yourself for just pennies, they have everything you need).

http://www.fromnaturewithlove.com/

http://www.snowdriftfarm.com/

http://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com, this company also has gift basket accessories too

http://www.soapgoods.com/

Christmas Items for Boxes and Stockings

Here’s another company that always has a good selection of holiday related items

www.orientaltrading.com

Homemade Gift Certificates

I call these the emergency gifts, stand buys when you’ve run out of ideas or money. Print some homemade gift certificates on your computer. Everything from washing a car to babysitting.

The Blog-The $5 Haircut

In The Blog on December 6, 2010 at 5:39 pm

I’ve been so busy lately I haven’t had time to get my hair cut. Well, that was until last week when I visited the local beauty school. All haircuts are just $5 and performed by senior students. As you can imagine at that price the place was packed. Once again, I’m really impressed at just how good something that costs a quarter of what you’d normally pay looks. It was a great cut and I’ll definitely being going back there again.

A couple of months ago I interviewed an author who I later found out had written a novel about three friends who are facing financial difficulties and set up a support group and start blogging to share their tips. The book is titled Small Change and it’s written by Sheila Roberts. She’s kindly agreed to be a guest on the site next year to tell us about her own money saving tips. I just finished reading Small Change and I can recommend to you not only because it’s a fun story but has tips we can all use and even some recipes too. If you’ve read it or do read it and have any questions for Sheila be sure to e-mail me.

Be sure to check out the December 13th issue of Woman’s World. It has homemade holiday gift ideas including some I might just make for myself. Also, you can e-mail them and they send you gifttags and instructions you can put on the jars and bottles.

Articles I especially liked this week-

Buying something that pays you back is definitely budget smart-

http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/468/10-products-that-pay-for-themselves/

If paying off or paying down the debt on your credit card is something on your to do list for 2011, check this out-

http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/111426/10-expenses-to-cut-to-help-pay-off-credit-card-debt?mod=oneclick

This week on Budget Smart Girl-The countdown to Christmas is underway and I’ll be offering some suggestions for gifts you can make yourself.

Have a good week.

The Budget Smart Girl’s Newsletter-December 2010

In Budget Smart Girl's Newsletter on December 2, 2010 at 10:57 pm

I’m not sure where this year went but I find it hard to believe it’s almost a new one. December is the perfect time to think about your budget for 2011 and what goals you want to achieve.

Our Giveaway Winners

Thanks to all the companies and individuals who offered prizes this year and to everyone who entered. Giveaway #1 went to Julie, #2 Hella, #3 Travis, #4 Dana and finally #5 Patty. Congratulations and I hope you enjoy the prizes.

Don’t Follow My Mistake

Most of the coupons I use are printed from online sites. Last week I was busy, clicked on the coupons I wanted, pressed the print button and walked away to do other chores while the coupons printed. When I got back I noticed the colored parts of the coupons had printed but not the black section with the codes needed for scanning. Seems the black printer cartridge had run out half way through the job. I’d also reached the limit for most of the coupons and couldn’t reprint them. Lesson learned here; make sure both print cartridges aren’t running low. Second tip, don’t leave the room while they’re printing so you can spot problems straight away.

Is there a cheaper alternative?

There’s one thing I love, and especially during the holidays, and that’s the gourmet chocolate oranges pieces you find at upscale stores. The ingredients are simple yet I always get a bad case of sticker shock when I buy them. The last time I paid $8 for what I thought would be a whole bag and ended up with just four pieces for my money. Enough I said; I could make this for a lot less. Best news is it’s fairly simple and now that most companies sell top quality chocolate in just about every supermarket, the whole process got easier and cheaper. It’s also wonderful for using every part of an orange. It makes the kitchen smell fantastic and whatever is left can be thrown into the garbage disposal to act as a deodorant.

Here’s how I make the homemade chocolate orange treats-

Peel three oranges and remove the white pith. I use the back of a spoon just in case my hand slips. Place the peel in a saucepan, cover with water, bring to a boil and simmer until it’s tender. Meanwhile in another saucepan, add 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar, heat till melted and then add the peel and simmer until it’s translucent and should look like this-

 

I’ve been using semi sweet chocolate which I melt and added the chopped candied peel. Sometimes I use mini muffin molds, other times I just drop about a tablespoon onto waxed paper and let it set. The candied peel is also great for making homemade truffles…more recipes for those next week on Budget Smart Girl.

Another treat I like and that’s once again over priced is chocolate covered ginger. Buy gingerroot, chop it and then simmer in 1 cup of water and 1 1/3 cup of sugar for about 20-25 minutes. Strain it, let the ginger dry and then dredge it in sugar. I toss it in melted chocolate, spoon it onto waxed paper and let it set and then break it into bite sized pieces.

 Best Buys for December

  • New to the produce section: Hass avocadoes, grapefruit, cauliflower, navel oranges…I bought some last week and this year’s crop is especially sweet.
  • At their Peak: Brussels sprouts, dill, sweet potatoes, turnips, dates, Mandarin oranges, Bosc and Comice pears.
  • Buy them while you can: parsnips, winter squash and cranberries…buy extra and store in the freezer.

Heating Your Home

It’s almost winter and I thought this was an interesting article-

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ygreen/20101115/sc_ygreen/10mistakespeoplemakewithheat.

Try This for The Holidays

I got so busy with the gift guides I forgot to share this recipe from La Tortilla Factory www.latortillafactory.com with you. It’s perfect for a holiday party tray. My tip, if you want to cut the cost of making this appetizer, leave out the smoked salmon. I’m betting it tastes just as good.

Smoked Salmon, Spinach and Artichoke Cream Cheese Christmas Tree Pinwheels

Makes about 48 small appetizers

½ cup Artichoke cream cheese, Philadelphia brand (114.5 g)

2 cups packed spinach leaves (458g)

1½ cup marinated Artichoke, drained the juice (343.5g)

8oz Smoked Salmon (224 grams)

4 Slices of Chipotle Cheddar cheese, cut into halves (84g)

4 La Tortilla Factory (10 inch) Tomato Basil Tortillas

1 cup marinated small white onion (229g)

1 cup marinated green olive (229g)

  1. On a working surface, divide the ingredients into 4 portions.
  2. Spread the cream cheese evenly on each tortilla, Top to arrange with spinach leaves, artichoke, salmon and cheese across the center on the tortilla.
  3. Starting at one end, roll each tortilla tightly into a wrap, then, slice each roll into 1-inch-thick slices
  4. To arrange into a Christmas tree pinwheel, place 6 -8 slices of pinwheel on the base of a round platter, stack on top of one –another until the pinwheel looked like a Christmas tree.  Garnish with onion and olive around the Pinwheel tree.

 Note:  You may use some tooth-picks to hold the pinwheel together in order to hold-up into a “Christmas tree”.

Cheeses

And if you’re wondering where to buy chipotle cheddar cheese. I found some at the local Walmart store. They’re made by Borden and offer a host of flavored cheeses and all for under $2. They’re perfect for pairing with burgers. I have to say my favorite is the smoked Swiss. It’s really nice on a veggie burger.

Christmas Crafts for the Children

Here’s something I was sent from Sandy Sandler, founder of non-profit Crafters 4 Kids and creator of Bowdabra. Sandy hopes that parents and teachers will use the free holiday gift making instructions she provides to help children to create gifts for their family and friends.


Examples of the Kid-Friendly Holiday Gift Projects include:

 

  • Holiday Pencil Toppers – Children can create pencil toppers with pipe cleaners.  This is a perfect gift for teachers, classmates, and school age siblings. 
  • Holiday Notepad – Personalize a notepad with foam holiday decorations and give it to adult relatives.  It can be used as a phone message pad, a grocery list, or a place to jot notes.  Children can make an additional notepad for school and use it as an autograph book to remember their friends over Christmas break.
  • Jewelry – Foam is the perfect crafting material for children.  Children can cut foam into strips, add ribbon, and decorate for fun cuffs and bracelets. This craft requires limited supervision and children can really use their imagination with it.  They can make several different styles depending on the gift recipient.
  • Decorated Wooden Boxes – Use simple wooden boxes and decorate them with little miniatures tailored to the gift recipient.   Add a little gift or gift certificate inside of the box.
  • Holiday Coasters – This craft uses recycled lids from glass jars and foam and transforms them into something very useful like coasters.  Children will roll strips of foam and place them into the lid in a mosaic like pattern.  No two coasters will look exactly alike!

 For more ideas check out-www.C4K555.org

Articles to check out-

I found this one on the Yahoo site from the UK-

http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/The-top-seven-stingiest-money-yahoofinanceuk-1187145710.html

I think the freezer is one of the biggest allies for the Budget Smart Girl and here are even more good uses for it-

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/life/6-alternate-uses-for-your-freezer-2412274/

I had to check this one out because I’ve been hearing funny things people do to save money.

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/111349/5-moves-that-make-you-look-cheap

Movie and Popcorn

It’s winter and it’s cold outside. How about a night at home with some homemade popcorn and a movie? If you haven’t tried the Kernel Seasons products check them out because we use their seasonings all the time when we make popcorn. Some supermarkets sell their products and they’re inexpensive. Another plus is the seasonings aren’t just for popcorn. I’ve used mine in mashed potatoes and sprinkled on veggies like broccoli.

Get a $5 rebate when you buy The Search for Santa Paws or Disney’s A Christmas Carol and any two participating Kernal Seasons products. Offer ends 2/28/11 (US only)

http://www.kernelseasons.com 

In the coming weeks on Budget Smart Girl I’ll be focusing on inexpensive holiday entertaining, last minute gift ideas and homemade gifts. If anyone has any tips, ideas for gifts or even a recipe, feel free to contact me. I’d love to share your ideas with other readers.

Hope you have a wonderful Holiday Season.

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