Review: Take a Tote Reuseable Shopping Bags
May 30, 2009 by Barb
Filed under Featured, The Coupon Cupboard Recommends
Everyone knows that I am a complete reusable bag junkie so I am excited to introduce to you Take a Tote bags by Yvonne Totes! I got a chance to try the beautiful tote located to the left recently. I have been using it for about a few months now, several times a week and it is holding up fantastically! It is created to be very durable. I can’t tell you how many of those “reusable” bags that I have gone through from Kroger. At $.99 a pop I would much rather buy a durable bag for a bit more that is going to last!
Discover a wonderful selection of fashionable products. Yvonne Totes features quality, useful items for everyone to 
last for years to come at a price that is affordable. Yvonne Totes is a Mother-Daughter business based out of Auburndale Wisconsin offering more than 20 years of industrial sewing experience. Yvonne Totes bring quality products at competitive prices.
They great thing about this site is that they offer WAY more than just tote bags! They also offer Pouches, Travel Pillows, and Athletic Bags which are all American-made products by Yvonne Totes. They strive to improve their products with durable material and manufacture environmentally safe items.
You can see an entire list of products by clicking any of the categories below!
I also received a cute little pouch. I have been using this for my coupons actually! I know what your thinking, no way all of my coupons fit in there! Well you right. When I pull my coupons and make my order, I clip them together and tuck them in this with my list. I stick in in the front on my bin and off to the store I go. It is much nicer than an envelope!
** FREE SHIPPING ON ALL PRODUCTS!! **
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Win a YEARS SUPPLY of Kraft Mac and Cheese! (closed)
May 19, 2009 by Barb
Filed under Featured, Win A Prize in our Giveaways!
Winner will be announced shortly!
I don’t know about your house but Kraft Mac and Cheese is a staple in mine. It was one of the few things my very picky youngest would eat for years and to this day is his favorite food. So, of course I was thrilled when Kraft offered to Share a Little Comfort with me and The Coupon Cupboard readers. This is such a great program and I am really excited to be a small part of it!
What is Share a Little Comfort about?
Kraft is donating up to 1,000,000 boxes of Macaroni and Cheese to Feeding America.
How can you help?
Kraft will donate a FREE box of KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese to Feeding America each time you:
- visit www.sharealittlecomfort.com and click on the donate button (you can do this once per day and there are COUPONS there too!)
- use #bluebox in your twitter message
- Share a Little Comfort on Facebook
The Coupon Cupboard and Kraft wants to Share a Little Comfort with YOU!
We are happy to be giving away a years supply of Mac and Cheese to one of our lucky readers. That is 50 boxes for you and a donation of 50 boxes to Feeding America in your name.
How do you win???
REQUIRED Initial Entry: Leave a comment telling me how you ‘doctor up’ your mac and cheese. For a special treat, we put shrimp in it (I know that sounds weird but my picky eater loves shrimp too!).
Optional Bonus Entries:
- Haven’t registered for the forum yet? Do that and leave your forum ID name. If you are already a member, just leave a comment with your forum name.
- Receive 1 Entry for each QUALITY Thread on the forum you create. Must be at least 2 sentences. You can gain a lot of entries here! Leave the link in a comment here that goes to your thread.
- Receive 1 Entry for following @couponcupboard on Twitter (Leave your Twitter ID.)
- Receive 1 Entry for grabbing our Button on the side bar of the forum (leave a link to where)
- Receive 1 entry for Stumbling The Coupon Cupboard or the new The Coupon Cupboard Review Blog. (Leave your Stumble ID)
- Receive 1 Entry for each time you add this Giveaway to a Mr Linky, Blog Carnival, Sweepstakes site, forum etc. (Leave the link)
- Receive 1 Entry by Faving us on Mom Faves (Leave your Mom Faves ID)
- Receive 1 Entry – (You may do this FIVE times per day, we want those boxes donated!) Tweet about this Giveaway. Copy and paste this —–>#bluebox Entered to win years supply of mac & cheese http://bit.ly/viNzx & Shared a Little Comfort w/ @couponcupboard & Feeding America
- If you haven’t joined our sister site, WeFitFamilies, yet go sign up! We run a lot of amazing giveaways there! If you have, just leave a comment with your forum name.
Did you know Toni-Lynn’ s blog is ALSO giving away a years supply of Mac & Cheese.
Go here to enter her giveaway: A Year’s Supply of Macaroni and Cheese Giveaway
Please leave a separate comment for each entry. Giveaway is open to US Residents only. Must be 18 years of age or older. We reserve the right to remove any entry from this giveaway that doesn’t have the requested information. This giveaway ends June 6, 2009 11:59 pm EST. Please allow up to 4 weeks to receive your item. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours another winner will be chosen.
*This post graciously sponsored by Kraft
How To Buy Steak at Pot Roast Prices
May 17, 2009 by Barb
Filed under Hot Forum Discussions
Sure, ribeyes and porterhouses are juicy and delicious. But as food prices continue to rise and the stock market continues to sink, the thrifty shopper might assume that good cuts have gone the way of the brontosaurus burger. Not so. With a little bit of knowledge about “Butcher’s Cuts,” the average consumer can snap up a steak at pot roast prices.
1. The Reliable Chuck Eye Roll or Boneless Chuck Roll
Don’t be fooled by its reputation as a roast! This cut is greatly overlooked by the home cook and typically bought as a chuck roast to be slow cooked. But it’s actually a continuation of the expensive ribeye as it expands into the chuck, or front quarter of the side. The chuck roll is sold as a roast for half the price of a ribeye, and simply needs to be portioned into steaks by cutting across the grain. Ask your butcher to divide the steaks, or go at it yourself. Either way, you’ll end up with a top quality steak for the pan, broiler or grill.
2. The Flavorful Flatiron or Clod Heart
The flatiron is not quite as tender as the chuck eye, but has a superior beefy flavor. This cut is usually sold as a whole roast, but any butcher worth his steel can easily trim out the small layer of sinew and portion it into individual steaks. Fancy restaurants around the country have long depended on this delicious cut for their bar steak. Simply marinate your meat overnight in a zip-lock baggie with salt, pepper and a bit of dark beer. The marinade will make the meat even more tender and flavorful as it seeps overnight.
3. The Romantic’s Chuck Tender
True to its name, this small and tender cut is from the center of the arm chuck. Shaped much like miniature tenderloin, it’s the perfect steak to serve with herb-roasted potatoes and a nice bottle of red wine. Take care though, while this cut is tender it’s also very lean and must not be over cooked. Remove the meat from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking, and dose each side with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. The room temperature steak will cook faster and more evenly (3-4 minutes a side) with less chance of over cooking.
4. Skirt Steak for Monday Night Football
This cut is long, thin and narrow with a great texture and even better flavor. It really excels when marinated in a simple domestic beer, garlic and lime juice mixture and seasoned with a bit of salt and pepper. The longer you can let it soak up the flavor of the beer and lime the better, which also allows you to get the preparation done days in advance. It cooks fast and even, which makes it a satisfying meat to serve to the masses right before kickoff.
5. The King of All Butchers’ Treats: The Hanger or Hanging Tender Steak
Like the chuck tender, the hanger is a perfectly sized, quick cooking and beefy steak for two. And just like the flatiron, it has a small ribbon of connective tissue that runs through the center, conveniently dividing it perfectly into two elegant sized steaks. If you aren’t confident removing this portion yourself, ask your butcher. He or she can do it easily in a matter of seconds. This cut also benefits from warming to room temperature and seasoned with salt and black pepper before hitting the grill or pan.
A few meat cooking tips: May 14, 2009 by Barb I have been singing that jingle all week. Want to know why?? I was invited to visit the Oscar Mayer test kitchens next month for a State of the Sandwich conference in Madison, WI. While there, I get to be one of the first to try out four new flavors of their Deli Fresh meats from Oscar Mayer. I am looking forward to meeting with Oscar Mayer employees and learning more about their brand. I was invited with a team of nine other mommy bloggers, including, *drum roll please* Toni-Lynn! We plan to bring you back tons of information about the latest Deli Fresh flavors! I have heard that I will get to participate in a sandwich making video while I am there so I really need your help! What is it that you do to make brown bagging fresh and fun? What ideas do you have to save money on lunches? If you have anything that you would like me to discuss while I am there, please let me know! Don’t worry, I will (of course!) be asking where we can get the best coupons for Oscar Mayer!
May 8, 2009 by Barb We moved into our house just months ago and it is pretty, shall we say, BLAND? A friend introduced me to the uppercase living company and I was HOOKED! Let me be real clear on this, I was in no way compensated to review this product but I was so in love with it that I wanted to share. I was able to buy my sayings during a buy one, get one half price sale in April. My ‘consultant’ told me there may be a sale in June. The new catalog comes out in July. But in any case? Why am I so nutso over this stuff? It is so EASY, and not really all that expensive to do. The two sayings which I had custom made in the photo below came to roughly $80. That included Karen (consultant) installing them. Basically, these are vinyl stickers that you can get made to say practically anything and in many colors, fonts so on. When on the wall they look exactly like they were stenciled. Karen shared a story of a women buying the saying “Yes, you are the fairest of them all…” for her sister who was recovering from breast cancer. She put it on the mirror in her room. Here you can see Karen finishing up the “Please silence your cell phones..” (which is a family joke) You can make your own personalized sayings or choose from thousands of pre-designed ones. You can only buy uppercase living through a consultant. I think it may be best to find someone close to you to consult with so they can see the area and help you through the initial buy. If you are in Denver area, I really recommend Karen. Her link is: http://karen.uppercaseliving.net/Home.m
May 8, 2009 by Barb Progresso unveiled on Oct. 20, 2008, the results of a national blind taste test that shows 7 of 10 people with a preference chose the great taste of Progresso’s Traditional Chicken Noodle over Campbell’s Select Harvest Chicken with Egg Noodles. Campbell’s recent advertising campaign touts the ‘real taste’ of Select Harvest Chicken Noodles and compares the soup with Progresso, says the marketing manager for Progresso. This taste test proves there is no comparison: The majority of consumers prefer the taste of Progresso Traditional Chicken Noodle over Select Harvest Chicken with Egg Noodles. No amount of advertising can change that, adds the marketing manager. Progresso is encouraging consumers to choose for themselves at the Progresso Taste Challenge Web site, www.ProgressoTasteChallenge.com, where visitors can download up to $3.00 in coupons. The site also provides a money-back guarantee to anyone who is not fully satisfied with the taste of Progresso soup. Consumers have a choice when it comes to soup, and we want people to make their own decision about which soup tastes best, says the Progresso marketing manager. If you taste our soup, we guarantee you’ll love it — or we’ll send your money back. We’re confident that consumers will continue to choose Progresso. National taste test confirms consumers prefer Progresso Traditional Chicken Noodle over Select Harvest Chicken with Egg Noodles. May 8, 2009 by Barb I recently had the chance to try a product called the Days Ago Digital Day Counter. I will be completely honest in saying, when I first received this product, I was thinking there is no way this would be useful to me. Food doesn’t last long enough around here to need these! Then I went to the Days Ago website and started to look around. The uses for this product are only limited to your own ideas! Beyond its functionality as a kitchen gadget and tool, the DaysAgo is unique in that it can be used in every room in your house! In the family room, track how long it’s been since you watered the plants or changed the filter in the fish tank. In the bathroom, track how long it’s been since you’ve taken your medication. Outside, track how many days it’s been since you fertilized the vegetable garden. The many unique uses of the DaysAgo make it a great gift for any busy household. Families have discovered that it’s the household tool they’ve been missing! The DaysAgo Digital Day Counter is the first and only digital day counter that attaches to a variety of surfaces with a magnetic or suction backing and counts up to 99 days. It’s a simple gadget that is re-usable, versatile and helps save money. You can use it on food containers to let you know how many days ago you opened it, closed it, tried it, sauced it, grew it, etc. As for leftovers, it eliminates the doubt about when to throw it out. Look here to find out about fresh storage tips for your refrigerator. Beyond its functionality as a cool kitchen gadget and tool, the DaysAgo is unique in that it can be used in every room in your house! In the family room, track how long it’s been since you watered the plants or changed the filter in the fish tank. In the bathroom, track how long it’s been since you’ve taken your medication. Outside, track how many days it’s been since you fertilized the vegetable garden. The many unique uses of the DaysAgo make it a great gift for any busy household. Families have discovered that it’s the household tool they’ve been missing! The ideas here are just the tip of the iceberg – this is the kitchen tool that keeps expanding its uses! Families who have bought the DaysAgo often write to us, telling us about all the new ways they have been able to use this gadget around the house. They area avaliable in 3 different styles The Magnetic DaysAgo – Snaps to most metal surfaces. Perfect for jar lids and refrigerators. May 7, 2009 by Barb This is too cool for school. Kids (and grown-ups too) will be able to color up their breakfast with this fun product! Believe it or not we have 2 of them to give away! Two winners of this giveaway will receive the following: Enter to Win! * Receive 1 Entry for each QUALITY Thread on the forum you create. Must be at least 2 sentences unless its freebie. You can gain a lot of entries here! Leave the link in a comment here that goes to your thread. Please leave a separate Comment for each. Giveaway is open to US Residents only. Must be 18 years of age or older. We reserve the right to remove any entry from this giveaway that doesn’t have the requested information. This giveaway ends 5/25/09 at 11:59 pm EST. Please allow up to 4 weeks to receive your item. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours another winner will be chosen. Winners Announced: Ann and Tina T. Congrats! Winners notified shortly!
May 6, 2009 by Barb WINNER: Comment 2 which appears to be…. Stacie @a49erfangirl Congrats! I will send you a tweet! I just reviewed this fun, new makeup line and Chandi at Mineral Basics was kind enough to offer our readers a giveaway! She will send the winner of this giveaway 15 samples of their choice from Mineral Basics. How to win: Enter to Win! * Receive 1 Entry for each QUALITY Thread on the forum you create. Must be at least 2 sentences unless its freebie. You can gain a lot of entries here! Leave the link in a comment here that goes to your thread. Please leave a separate Comment for each. Giveaway is open to US Residents only. Must be 18 years of age or older. We reserve the right to remove any entry from this giveaway that doesn’t have the requested information. This giveaway ends 5/20/09 at 11:59 pm EST. Please allow up to 4 weeks to receive your item. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours another winner will be chosen.
May 6, 2009 by Barb First off, I have to say that I am not an adventurous person when it comes to makeup. I tend to stick with safe, neutral tones. So when Chandi at Mineral Basics offered to send me this kit, I thought “why not try something new?” I was shocked when I got the samples. Holy crimey, they were BRIGHT in the little baggies. I was afraid I was going to look like a bad Diana Ross drag queen in them. But, I was shocked. On the skin, they were delicate and flattering. The colors were rich but not over powering. Certainly, something I would wear. My friend Angie was over and I gave her some for her and her daughter to try. The next time she was over, she looked radiant. I asked her what was different and she pointed out that she was wearing the purple eyeshadow I had given her. It looked really nice. I asked Angie to write her opinion for you all: I have tried the Mineral Basics eye shadow on a few occasions. I was surprised to find that is lasted as long as it did. The colors are bright and fun. As an adult, I would wear most of the colors for a fun occasion or for a costume because they are a little too bright for me to wear everyday. As for my daughter though, who is 12 she will wear them more often. Over all, the makeup is bright, fun and playful. We are enjoying them. Overall, would I recommend this product? Yes, especially for something fun, a girls night out, fun date, and so on. I like that you can order a sample pack for $42.
1. Remember that any steak will continue to cook one step farther after you take it off the heat. That means the medium rare steak you just took off the grill will be medium by the time you sit down to eat it.
2. Let meat rest for 10 minutes after cooking. Simply cover it with tinfoil to keep warm while the juices are redistributed into the meat. Otherwise, the juic e will run out as soon as you cut into it.
3. Pat the meat dry with a paper towel before you cook it to allow the flavorful browning to form faster on the outside of the steak. Skip this step and the steak will steam for the first few critical minutes instead of developing flavor.
4. Start a steak hot and finish it cooler. If you’re cooking it in a pan, start it on a high flame for a few minutes while it browns and then lower the flame to medium for the last few minutes. On a grill start it in the hot center of the flames and then move it to the cooler side once it has browned. This with insure a more evenly cooked, better tasting steak.
What do you think??? Get in on the conversation in the forum!
Oh I Wish I Were an Oscar Mayer…
Filed under Featured, The Coupon Cupboard Recommends
So, what is the state of your sandwiches? Mine are, admittedly, pretty darn bland these days. My kids are sick of pb&j and my husband lately has been eating lunch out a lot near his office and it is costing us a FORTUNE. Yes, I will say it, we are in a lunch rut at the moment and I need to find a way out! That is why I am so excited to get the opportunity to make brown bagging fun again. My families health needs it and so does my wallet!Review: Uppercase Living Removable Wall Art
Filed under Featured, The Coupon Cupboard Recommends
Review: Progresso Soup Taste Challenge
Filed under Featured, The Coupon Cupboard Recommends
National taste test confirms consumers prefer Progresso Traditional Chicken Noodle
over Select Harvest Chicken with Egg Noodles
Review: Days Ago Kitchen Gadget
Filed under Featured, The Coupon Cupboard Recommends
The Suction DaysAgo – Sticks to most smooth surfaces. Great for plastic and glass containers.
The Band DaysAgo – Great for bottles, jars, and glass containers and bags.Giveaway: Pop Art Toaster Creativity Coloring Kit (closed)
Filed under Featured, Win A Prize in our Giveaways!
There are so many ways to enter this giveaway! You must leave a new post for every entry. If you leave an entry and then you see it is not here that is because you did not follow one of the directions and it did not qualify as a entry.
* Receive 1 Entry for following @couponcupboard on Twitter. (Leave your Twitter ID.)
* Receive 1 Entry for grabbing our Button on the side bar of the forum (leave a link to where)
* Receive 1 entry for Stumbling The Coupon Cupboard or the new The Coupon Cupboard Review Blog. (Leave your Stumble ID)
* Receive 1 Entry for each time you add this Giveaway to a Mr Linky, Blog Carnival, Sweepstakes site, forum etc. (Leave the link)
* Receive 1 Entry by Faving us on Mom Faves (Leave your Mom Faves ID)
* Receive 1 Entry – (You may do this once per day) Tweet about this Giveaway. Copy and paste this —–> Enter to win an adorable toaster kit from @poparttoaster and The Coupon Cupboard! I just did! http://bit.ly/HRnYN @couponcupboard
Giveaway: Enchanted Makeup From Mineral Basics (closed)
Filed under Win A Prize in our Giveaways!
There are so many ways to enter this giveaway! You must leave a new post for every entry. If you leave an entry and then you see it is not here that is because you did not follow one of the directions and it did not qualify as a entry.
* Receive 1 Entry for following @couponcupboard on Twitter. (Leave your Twitter ID.)
* Receive 1 Entry for grabbing our Button on the side bar of the forum (leave a link to where)
* Receive 1 entry for Stumbling The Coupon Cupboard or the new The Coupon Cupboard Review Blog. (Leave your Stumble ID)
* Receive 1 Entry for each time you add this Giveaway to a Mr Linky, Blog Carnival, Sweepstakes site, forum etc. (Leave the link)
* Receive 1 Entry by Faving us on Mom Faves (Leave your Mom Faves ID)
* Receive 1 Entry – (You may do this once per day) Tweet about this Giveaway. Copy and paste this —–> Enter to win a fabulous Mineral Basics make-up from The Coupon Cupboard! I just did! http://bit.ly/HRnYN @couponcupboardReview: Enchanted Fantasy Makeup From Mineral Basics
Filed under Featured, The Coupon Cupboard Recommends