Sharing a Friends Story of a Loved Grandmother

Friendships that are truly great survive not speaking to each other for years and can be picked up where you left off without skipping a beat. I have a friend that I have know since we were in 6th grade together and I moved away when we started our freshman year of high school. We have kept in touch off and on over the years since social media has made that super easy.

Recently we reconnected and I heard about the passing of his 93 year old grandmother Odilia who was an Army widow. The family has created a Indiegogo story to help collect funds to help with funeral cost since the family in the last few years had to bury their own Mother who was Odilia's daughter. I only knew my own Grandmother for a short time and think of her often. My friend and his family were blessed to have her in their lives for so many years. If you can help in any way that would be greatly appreciated.

If you would like to read more of Odilia "Lila" story and to donate you can visit the story on Indiegogo:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/services-for-lila-g

Making A Kid Friendly Lunch and Saving Money Using Kraft Printable Coupons

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

Saving money on groceries has always been something that was important to me. While I was raising my five kids, you can imagine what the food bills were like. I was always looking for coupon deals to help me stretch my dollars.

Now that I live with my daughter, her husband, and their three children, I see that times haven't changed much. We now use coupons all the time, too. It really does help us save money, and what's so great is that we can easily find and use online coupons.

I made one of my grandchildren's favorite lunches for them the other day, and I used Kraft coupons to save me money. The Walmart website has lots of great coupons for popular Kraft products that we use everyday. The money we save on coupons really adds up, and I know most families like us, love the savings.

The same great tasting Kraft products that I bought for my kids are the same ones my grandchildren love today. I wonder how many boxes of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese and packages of Kraft Singles I've bought in my life??

The kids adore macaroni and cheese for lunch, and Pigs In A Blanket, which is beef franks with cheese and dough, and baked in the oven. When I was shopping at Walmart, I used my printable coupons to save money on some of my family's favorite Kraft items.

Back in the day, we had to search through the newspapers to find grocery coupons, and that was really time consuming. I love how the Walmart website lets you print them off quickly and easily.

Yes, times have definitely changed!!

 

I've been making Pigs In A Blanket (we call it this even if I use beef) for years. They are so simple to make but so tasty. We say they are for the kids, but the adults love them too.

I like how the cheese melts and the biscuit hold in all that yummy goodness. Sometimes I will make a big batch and put them in the refrigerator for the kid's lunches all week long.

I like to be a sneaky Nana and add veggies to my grandchildren's meals whenever I can. For this lunch, I simply added  peas to the cooked Kraft Macaroni & Cheese.

Just put a cup of frozen peas with a little water in the microwave for 60 seconds, then add them to the hot macaroni and cheese, then give it a good stir. The kids always eat it up, and I'm happy they ate a veggie, too.

We really go through so many boxes a month, that I used a great coupon for it from the Walmart website.  Just go there and print out a coupon to save $1.00 off Kraft Macaroni & Cheese 5-pack (prints are limited).

Ashley is two now, and loves her lunchtime. Her brothers were still at swim lessons, so it was nice for her and I to have a quiet lunch together. But we knew at any moment the boys would come busting in the door, asking for their own lunches.

Kool-Aid is a family favorite, and the kids love these handy Kool-Aid Jammers to drink with lunch.

You can find all these Kraft food items and many more at your local Walmart. Be sure to use the digital coupons available to save money on your favorite Kraft products.

Kraft's printable coupons are available for a limited time only, so make sure to get yours soon to take advantage of these savings.

If your family is anything like mine, we love saving money on our grocery bill, and using coupons is one of the easiest ways to do that. I bet your grocery budget will be #PackedWithSavings.

And I'd love to share with you my super simple recipe lunch, one that the kids will be sure to love.

Recipe for Easy Pigs In A Blanket

Makes 10

Ingredients:
Cooking Spray
1 package Oscar Meyer Beef Franks, use 5 hot dogs
5 slices Kraft Singles cheese slices
1 10-pack of ready-to-bake country style biscuits

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Slice hot dogs evenly in half. Slice cheese in half. Open package of biscuits and lay out each individually and flatten slightly into an oval shape.
Tightly wrap a piece of cheese around the hotdog. Take the slightly flattened biscuit and wrap it around the hot dog, squeezing edges firmly together.
Lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray, and place them 1/2 inch apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

#CollectiveBias

Sausage and Spinach Lasagna Made With Heinz Classico Family Favorites Pasta Sauce

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

Whenever I need a dinner recipe that I know will be delicious and enough to feed everyone, I always make one of my family favorites, lasagna.

I like lasagna because you can vary the taste so much by just using different ingredients. The other night I made one of my favorite versions, lasagna made with Italian sausage and spinach.

This time I used Heinz's Classico Family Favorites pasta sauce. This sauce was so good that it reminded me of the homemade sauce my mom had always made. The perfect blend of spices and seasonings, with just a tiny hint of sweetness.

My seven year old grandson, Jayden, has really started to show an interest in cooking. We are all encouraging this because who knows, he could be the next reality show star chef, right?

Jayden helped me cook this dinner. We are practicing with this recipe because he and I are making a birthday dinner for his Mom (my daughter) next week. He's super excited about it, and so am I.

I picked up some jars of Traditional Classico pasta sauce when I was doing my grocery shopping at Walmart.

Unlike some really great tasting sauces, Classico is so reasonably priced that it helps me save money while I make healthy meals for my family. When I make my Italian sausage and spinach lasagna, the kids actually eat it without saying a word about the spinach. Usually they don't like spinach, so I'm really glad they will eat it in this dish.

The first thing you do is brown a pound of Italian sausage and chopped onion. I love Italian sausage and stock up on it when it's on sale. I find I use it in so many recipes, and lots of times I will use it instead of ground beef.

Then you add two bottles of the Classico sauce, bring it to a boil, and then let it simmer for ten minutes. This will really let the flavors of the sauce come out beautifully.

While we were cooking, I was already getting hungry for some of this lasagna, yum!!        

Jayden was in charge of helping me make the ricotta cheese and spinach filling. He's getting good at measuring ingredients, and excellent at stirring things.

I wish I had encouraged my five kids more in the kitchen. Somehow they all miraculously became good cooks all by themselves. There's nothing I love more than a dinner invitation to one of their houses. I love seeing them being creative in the kitchen, and then sitting down to eat what they cooked, with them.



So after we made the sauce and the ricotta cheese and spinach filling, it was time to put together the lasagna.

I had never used the no-cook lasagna noodles before, but a friend of mine told me they were great, so I used them here. I was a little skeptical but she's a fabulous cook, so I tried them in this recipe.

They turned out to be delicious, and really won me over. And it eliminates the big step of cooking the noodles when you make lasagna.

You can find Heinz Classico Family Favorites pasta sauce in the spaghetti sauce section at Walmart.

It also comes in Parmesan & Romano flavor, and with the Meat Sauce variety. You can use these sauces with so many recipes, and I see some great dishes coming out of my kitchen soon using all of these varieties.

I really love cooking with my grandchildren, and Jayden and I were very happy with the way our dinner turned out. Cooking with these delicious Classico sauces lets me make our #FamilyFavorites even easier to make.

Save money with this Heinz Classico coupon when you buy two jars of Classico Family Favorites!

Here is my recipe for my lasagna. It feeds 6-8 depending on how you slice it. And I always find it stretches further if you serve it with a green salad and warm garlic bread.

Recipe for Sausage and Spinach Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 pound Italian sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
2 jars (24 ounces each) Heinz Classico Family Favorites pasta sauce, Traditional variety
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
9 no-cook lasagna noodles

Directions:

In a large skillet, cook sausage and onions over medium heat until meat is no longer pink, drain.
Stir in the sauce, garlic, basil and oregano. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the spinach, ricotta, and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese.
Spread 1 1/2 cups meat sauce into a greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Top with 3 noodles. Spread
1 1/2 cups sauce to edges of noodles. Top with half of the ricotta mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles, sauce, and mozzarella cheese.

Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover, bake 10-15 minutes longer, or until bubbly.
Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Enjoy!!







#CollectiveBias

Peppa Pig The Balloon Ride DVD Giveaway



Everyone in our house adores Peppa Pig. My granddaughter Ashley loves watching this sweet and charming little piggy and all her adventures.

Peppa is a lovable little Piggy who lives with her younger brother George, Mummy Pig and Daddy Pig. Peppa loves playing games, dressing up, visiting exciting places, and making new friends.

And because she's a little piggy, her very favorite thing to do is jump up and down in muddy puddles!

The Balloon Ride is a brand new Peppa Pig DVD that is perfect fun for the little ones to watch. There are 12 fun packed episodes, including George's Birthday, Ice Skating, and the Baby Piggy.

You can also find Peppa Pig episodes on Nick jr. I enjoy watching Peppa with my grandchildren because it's a sweet show, and I love that Peppa's grandparents, Granddad Pig and Granny Pig are such a big part of her life.

We are giving away one copy of The Balloon Ride to one of our readers.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts August 5, 2014 and ends on August 19, 2014 at 12:01 am EST. Winner will be emailed and has 72 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize. I was sent a product to review for this post.

Shot@Life With Back To School Immunazations At Walgreens

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.



When my five children were growing up, going back to school was always an exciting time. It meant new clothes and backpacks, seeing friends again, and me making sure they were up-to-date on all their required vaccines.

That meant an individual doctor's appointment for any child that needed a shot. It could be very time consuming and expensive for me and my family.

That's one of the reasons I was excited to learn about Walgreens offering school immunizations to children seven years and older right in many Walgreens stores. How easy is that? And you don't even need an appointment.

When you get a shot at Walgreens, you are also helping to provide a life saving vaccine to a needy child in a developing country through the United Nation Foundation's Shot@Life Program.

My seven year old grandson Jayden isn't thrilled about getting a shot, just like most other kids. But it makes me extremely grateful that the immunizations he needs to stay healthy are so readily available.

Through the Get a Shot, Give a Shot program at Walgreens, we can provide another child a chance at a healthy life, just by getting our school immunizations there.

I love that Jayden is very aware that there are other children in need. He was glad to know that when he gets the shot he needs, he is helping out a child who is not as fortunate as himself.

I've always explained to my kids that, though a shot is no fun, it keeps them from getting very, very sick. Telling them that they are also helping another child to not get sick makes it a little easier, too.

Of course, a reward or treats after getting a shot helps too!!

Just like other Walgreens, our Walgreens in the Seattle area makes getting children an immunization quick and easy.

Besides not needing an appointment, most insurance plans are accepted, too. Walgreens pharmacists will also report back any immunizations to your primary care physician.

It was amazing how much Walgreens is in the spirit of getting our kids back to school, happy and healthy, just like this sign says.

I picked up a few little extras for Jayden to go back to school with, because that's part of the fun of being a grandmother.

How convenient to get your back to school immunizations and school supplies all in one place, right?

Spiderman and super heros are a big deal around our house. So is taking a daily vitamin to keep us healthy.

I picked up a bottle of these Spiderman Multivitamin Gummies because I knew Jayden would love them. Gone are the days when I had a hard time making my kids chew the nasty tasting kind.

So if you have school aged children seven and older who need immunizations,  bring them into Walgreens where they can Get a Shot, Give a Shot.

Every child deserves a healthy life, and you can help make that happen by participating in Walgreens Shot@Life Campaign.

It is so easy to help a child in need when you #GiveaShot. Won't you help?

#CollectiveBias