Living - Did You Know Potatoes & Lettuce!

It has been a while since I have shared a DYK topic, so I thought I would do a quickie.

Did you know....

Add a paper towel to your bag of lettuce to keep the moisture away from the leaves, keeping them crisper and helping the lettuce last longer!

You can apply this simple step to your potatoes as well, which will help them last longer!

Do you have a Did You Know topic you would like to share? Email me! 'Cause trust me, I don't know it all! I need your help!!

Living - DYK - Glow Bracelets and Necklaces!

DYK?

Well, did you? Did you know that you can put used glow necklaces and bracelets in your freezer and reuse them? That's right, a way to use the novelty necklaces and bracelets that kids love a second time! Now, I have tried this several times and I must say that it doesn't always work but a majority of the time it does.

After using a glow item, undo it and lay it straight as possible. Place in your freezer for several hours until frozen. When ready to use again, remove from freezer and re-"crack" or "snap" the item. And it will glow. Reuse and have fun!

Thanks to a gal named Kelsey for teaching me this fun and money-saving trick!

Living - Did You Know...Coupon Inserts!

This week's DYK article is regarding Coupon Inserts. Please send your suggested topics for future DYK articles to the email address above right.

Did you know that different newspapers have different coupon inserts? Larger city newspapers typically have larger inserts, which can also include more "regional" coupons. By regional, it means store or restaurant coupons. An example of this would be Target. Although the Argus Leader in Sioux Falls contains some Target coupons, they aren't normally the *hot* Target coupons. The hot coupons, typically are $5 gift card coupons.

The Argus has indicated that it is up to the individual businesses on whether they want to be a part of the coupon insert included in their paper. So, what do you do if you want more coupons? Well, you can either purchase the coupons you want off of coupon clipping services or ebay. Or you can purchase the Star Tribune in the local area. Just be sure before purchasing that the coupon inserts are in the paper. I found last weekend that the inserts were not in the Star Tribunes at the HyVee near my house. So I bopped down to the nearest gas station and they were in the Tribunes there!

Does anyone else have any suggestions?

Living - DYK This Blog Site!

This week's DYK topic is this blog site. I have so much yet to learn about how to better utilize this blog site, but I figured I would give you a few pointers on how you can use this blog site in hopes that it makes it more user friendly. So there are a few Did You Knows below.

DYK?

*Search: There is a search option on the upper right corner - this can be used to search this blog for certain topics, words, etc.

*Labels: If you look under each article posted in smaller print there is the word "Labels" and then following it is additional information. Example, look below this article it will say "Labels: Did You Know - DYK". If you click on "Did You Know - DYK" part it will take you to a page with all the previously posted articles with that same label! So if you missed one of the oh so very important DYK article, you can catch up there! :-) Or if you like the instant win games or sweepstakes I post, I label them with Games so you can click on that label and it will take you to all the games. Same for different stores, I have labeled them with Target, HyVee, etc. This is a great tool.

*Buttons: There are now 5 little buttons at the bottom of each article which allow you everal options such as to email the article simply by pushing the first button. Or you can send an article to your facebook page by pushing the facebook button. A great way to share the wealth of knowledge! Just hover over the buttons to see what they are.

*Comments: By simply clicking the comments button below an article you can read other comments or you can add a comment of your own. Let me just tell you that I really enjoy hearing how a deal made your day or better deals that you have found. This is a great way to share with everyone. Feel free to comment!!!

*Email Address: My email address for this blog can be found at the top right corner. Please utilize this for sharing deals you come across! I REALLY appreciate when others share deals because I am a busy mommy and don't get out shopping all that much. And the more info shared the more I can pass along to others. Believe it or not, I don't get to make use of all the deals I post! :-)

*Followers: On the far bottom right hand side of the blog is a section called "Followers". This is a section of great folks that have chosen to "follow" the blog and show it! I welcome you to join. I know there are a lot more of you that follow the blog that haven't signed up, which is perfectly fine. This is just a fun way to show you follow and enjoy the blog!

*Favorite Links: Towards the top of the site on the right hand side is a listing of some of my Favorite Links relative to this blog. The Events link takes you to events that I have posted about on this blog. Feel free to explore those links.

Living - DYK Marinade!

Did You Know (DYK) - as usual, it is possible that some of you amazing people already know this, however just by the slight chance someone (like me) doesn't I hope to help by passing along the tidbit, information or article. I also appreciate my loyal readers passing along their information to use for this section of the blog because most certainly, I DO NOT KNOW IT ALL! :-) Again, my husband does not need to know that. In all seriousness however, please submit your helpful topics for DYK! We can all learn from each other.

This week's DYK is quite simple, but something that took me a while to figure out. Some of the simplest things, the things right in front of our face, are the hardest and take the longest to learn.

With grilling season in full swing, you have probably made a few marinades for your meats by now. Where do you mix your marinades? For the longest time I would mix my marinades in a bowl and then pour the marinade into whatever container (mostly plastic zipper bags) the meat would be marinading in. No more! Why didn't I think of this years ago?! I now just throw my ingredients for the marinade right into the zipper bag, zip it up and mix with my hands by squeezing it around. Then place the meat in the bag, zip up and rub it around and throw it into the fridge. No messy bowl to clean up! So, DYK?! Feel free to include your fun grilling tips in the comments for other readers!

And just for fun, one of my personal favorite marinades for a sirloin (amount needed will depend on size of steak):

1/2 cup Heinz 57

1/4 cup Worstershire sauce

1/2 tsp ground pepper

Living - DYK on Meat

With the MEGA meat sales going on, I figured it would be fitting to do a DYK (Did You Know) article on meat. How fitting, I know! :-) Sometimes I humor myself, so please just go along with me. And may I say..."really?!" to the MEGA meat sales?

Ok, let me get started with the article already.

Several years back when it was just my husband and me, I was shopping at the grocery store eyeing a large pork loin. It sounded like a nice surprise supper idea for my husband. But I couldn't phathom having to make this huge pork loin for just the two of us. It was on such a good sale though and the idea of buying it wouldn't leave my mind. I continued on with my grocery shopping, all the while thinking of that pork loin and how happy my husband would be. Why don't they make pork loins that are on sale that are smaller? And why do I have to be such a good wife? (ha!) I was slightly annoyed by the idea of such a large piece of meat for just two people. What a waste. We would be eating it for weeks! But wait, the idea of cutting it into two, maybe even three came to me. Brilliant. So for years I would buy a pork loin, bring it home and cut it into separate meal size portions, re-package it and freeze it.

Then not that many years ago, I happened to be shopping a great pork loin sale and the most exciting thing happened. I watched a woman pick up one of those large pork loins, walk it over to the meat counter and ask them to cut it in two. And guess what?! They did it! For free!

So, as if I had done it a million times before, I walked my large pork loin over to the meat counter and asked them to cut it into threes. Yes, that is right, I asked them to cut it into threes. Not thirds, threes! Do you think they could tell it was my first time?! I still have to laugh at myself today.

The moral of the story of me making my way in this world today (takes everything you got), is DYK (Did You Know) that when purchasing meat at the grocery store, you can take it to the meat counter and ask them to cut it for you?! If you didn't know, it's okay. Next time calmly walk your piece of meat to the counter and ask for threes! :-)

Let us know what types of requests you make at the meat counter!

Happy Mega Meat sale shopping this week and always!

Living - DYK Peppers

I have thought some about adding a new article on the blog for "Did You Know" items, which will become better known as DYK! The purpose of these articles is to help you with your Living, Laughing or Saving in some fashion. The meat of the article may be about something you already know, but hopes are that someone out there didn't know and now they will!

I am open to suggested DYK topics. So if you think you might know something that others don't already know, please send those topics to me at the email address up top. Thanks in advance!

This weeks DYK article is about Peppers.

What happens when you go to the store and buy a fresh bell pepper (red pepper, yellow pepper) and you take it home, slice it up and only need to use half of the pepper for the recipe you are making? You put the rest of the pepper in the refrigerator. You go back a day or so later and the remaining pepper is all wrinkly and no longer crisp.

Did You Know (DYK) that when cuting up the pepper you should leave the seeds in tact with the part of the pepper that you are not going to use. Place the remaining portion of the pepper in a baggie and place in your refrigerator. When doing this, I have been able to use the yet crisp pepper a week later! I learned this several years ago when I was doing Pampered Chef shows and have enjoyed spreading the word ever since. Hopefully this will help you save some money on produce!