Muddy Buddies aka "Puppy Chow"

Somehow both the box of Chocolate Chex and Rice Chex were open at the same time!  There is only a few people in my house that like Chex cereal in a bowl of milk.  So instead of throwing it out to the birds or just dumping it in the trash, I figured that I would use it up before it went stale and make a sweet treat with the cereal.

I love making Muddy Buddies because it is quick and easy and you can fill your sweet tooth with chocolate!

I poured the Chocolate Chex and Rice Chex cereal into a big mixing bowl and gathered the rest of my ingredients.



I melted 1 cup milk chocolate chips, 1/4 cup margarine, 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter in a pan. Once melted I removed it from the heat and stirred in 1 tsp. vanilla.  Then I poured the melted mixture on top of my cereal.
Once the cereal was coated with the chocolate/peanut butter mixture, I poured the covered cereal into a ziploc bag that had 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar.



I shook the bag to coat the cereal with the powdered sugar. Once it was fully coated, I added in another 1/2 cup powdered sugar to finish coating it.

Now it is ready to eat!  All total it took me about 10 minutes from start to finish!

With the holidays coming, I am going to be adding this to my list of "go to" appetizers/munchies to have on hand for when guests are visiting!  I love that this recipe is kid friendly as well!  Most of my kids will eat it and most of them know how to fix it without a lot of help from me!

Here is the full recipe:

8-9 cups Chex cereal
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup margarine
1 cup chocolate chips
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2-2 cups powdered sugar

Pour cereal into a big mixing bowl. In a separate bowl or pan, melt peanut butter, margarine, and chocolate chips together. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla. Pour melted mixture on to the cereal, stir carefully until all the cereal is evenly coated.  Put powdered sugar into a gallon ziploc bag(or even a paper grocery bag), pour coated cereal into the bag, close bag and shake until cereal is coated with powdered sugar. Add in more powdered sugar if needed, and shake the bag again. Open bag and enjoy!

This post is linked to:

• Food On Fridays at Ann Kroeker’s!
• Recipe Swap at The Grocery Cart Challenge!
• Friday Feasts at Mom Trends!
• Foodie Friday at Designs By Gollum!

Veterans Day 2009

**Even though the video is a couple years old, it is still fitting for today!

Veterans Day

by Cheryl Dyson

On Veterans Day we honor all,

Who answered to a service call.

Soldiers young, and soldiers old,

Fought for freedom, brave and bold.

Some have lived, while others died,

And all of them deserve our pride.

We’re proud of all the soldiers who,

Kept thinking of red, white and blue.

They fought for us and all our rights,

They fought through many days and nights.

And though we may not know each name,

We thank ALL veterans just the same.

To my hubby, a Persian Gulf Veteran(and currently a Navy reservist)
To my uncle, a Korean War Veteran
To my cousin, a Vietnam War Veteran
To my grandfather, a World War II Veteran
To hubby's grandfather, a World War II Veteran
To hubby's uncle, a World War II Veteran
To my aunt, a retired Air Force Lt. Col.
To my cousin's hubby, currently serving in the Air Force
and to ALL other Veterans from the past and present and their families...

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT AND SERVICE!

There are several companies nationwide that want to recognize veterans for their service by giving them discounts or freebies!  You can find a list of them here or here.  You might also find that there are businesses in your locale that are also honoring veterans, like in my city there is a car wash that is giving free car washes to veterans today.

This post is linked to: 

• Veteran's Day Tribute at The Happy Housewife!

Menu Plan Monday 11/8-11/14

Last week’s menu plans were a “fly by night” job.  Or better known as “Oh no! Its 4pm in the afternoon, what am I fixing for dinner!” Between not having a plan and sickness in the house, I am amazed that we did not eat out once during the week! We had homemade chicken club sandwiches, creamy chicken over rice, skillet chicken with mac & cheese, cube steaks and crashed potatoes.

This week’s meals are family favorite simple meals.  There is still sickness in the house so I am going the route of using my crockpot or easy meals so that I do not have to spend lots of time in the kitchen. I really would like to get some baking done this week but that will be determined on how much of my energy level increases over the next couple of days.

For this week’s lunches that are for the kids and me!  Unless we are having leftovers, our lunches are served with apple slices or carrot sticks along with fruit juice or water.  Hubby usually takes a dinner leftover along with various snacks for his work lunch so I don’t take the time to plan his lunches.

This week’s shopping trip was a payday week shopping because I didn’t do any shopping last week!!  It was refreshing to take a break from shopping and just work at using what was in the pantry and freezer.

A special thanks to Laura-Organizing Junkie for hosting Menu Plan Monday! Need help with your menus; go check the over 300 other delicious meal plans that have been linked at Laura-Organizing Junkie’s site or look down in my right sidebar for my menu suggestion lists!

Sunday (11-8)

Breakfast: eggs, sausage, hash browns, and chocolate donuts

Lunch: pizza

Dinner: McDonald’s (after church)

Snack: snack basket

Monday (11-9)

Breakfast: cereal and toast

Lunch: leftovers

Dinner: roasted chicken served with mashed potatoes & gravy, corn and biscuits

Snack: snack basket

Tuesday (11-10)

Breakfast:  waffles and sausage

Lunch: sandwich & chips

Dinner:  roast, carrots and potatoes served with homemade bread

Snack: snack basket

Wednesday (11-11)

Breakfast:  bagels and cereal

Lunch: sandwich & chips

Dinner:  Bacon burgers, fries and fresh veggie tray

Snack: snack basket

Thursday (11-12)

Breakfast:  Pancakes and sausage

Lunch: leftovers

Dinner:  lemon pepper chicken served with rice and peas

Snack: snack basket

Friday (11-13)

Breakfast:  cereal and toast

Lunch: sandwich & chips

Dinner:  pizza subs

Snack: ice cream night

Saturday (11-14)

Breakfast:  Your Choice

Lunch: chicken nuggets and tater tots

Dinner:  cube steak served with mashed potatoes, corn and rolls

Snack: popcorn

Weekly Shopping Trip---Savings $165.22 plus!

After taking last week off of shopping the deals and before the "sickness" hit me, I did some grocery shopping to restock my shelves of meat and other essentials to make meals for my family.  This week's deals were not too great in the stores but I was able to snag some good deals at the local bakery outlets and a quick trip to Save A Lot.  The deals at Save A Lot are going to be good for next week too so I might head back over there next Friday(payday) to snag more soup since there was a limit on the number of cans I could get in one trip.

And just in case you are wondering, the following purchases were made in two days.  I split up my shopping due to the time I had available. All total it only took me 2 hours without kids in tow to get everything below!

Here is the breakdown of my purchases this week:

Butternut Bread Thrift Store: (I am putting the regular price of each item if you were to get in the grocery store not on sale!)

• 1 box(4pks) choc. chip muffins $1.00 (reg. $3.99)
• 2 boxes assorted donuts $2.09 (reg. $3.99 each)
• 4 boxes chocolate donettes $4.00 (reg $3.19 each)
• 1 box HoHo cakes $1.00 (reg. $3.99)
• 9 pkgs. individual snack cakes $3.00 (reg. $1.25 each)

Total OOP: $11.09

Total Savings: $28.88

Total with outlet prices: $39.97

Aunt Millie's Bread Outlet: (I am putting the regular price of each item if you were to get in the grocery store not on sale!)

• 6 loaves sandwich bread $5.34 (reg. $3.19 each)
• 6-8ct pks hamburg buns $4.14 (reg $3.19 each)
• 2 pks brown 'n serve rolls $1.29 (reg. $1.99 each)
• 2 pks deli style hoagie buns $1.98 (reg. $2.99 each)
• 2 loaves Texas Toast bread $2.98 (reg. $2.99 each)
• 2 pks plain bagels $1.58 (reg. $3.59 each)

Total OOP: $17.31

Total Savings: $44.09

Total without outlet prices: $61.40

**I love the fact that I have these bread outlet stores within my 5 mile radius of my home.  This makes these trips to the outlets so cost effective in that I am not going out of my way to shop there hence spending more in gas than I would be saving by shopping at these places. 

Now for the grocery stores shopped at this week:

Save A Lot:

• 12 cans cream of chicken soup $6.00
• 1 box onion soup mix 69¢

Total OOP: $6.69

Total savings: priceless

Duthler's:(small local corner grocery store chain)

• 12 lbs potatoes $3.16
• 2.67 lbs beef cube steak $7.98
• 3.38 lbs beef rump roast $7.40

Total OOP: $18.54

Total Savings: $8.66

Total without sales: $27.20

Meijer: 

• 2 lbs stick margarine $1.18
• 2 boxes choc. fudge poptarts $2.60
• 4 dozen eggs $3.92
• 3.93 lbs ground beef from round $7.83
• 1 bottle Juice Juice Immunity 52¢
• 5lbs whole wheat flour $3.29
• 1 box graham cracker sandwiches $2.64
• 11.12 lbs split chicken breasts $11.01
• 3.86 lbs bananas $1.51
• 4 cans Grands Biscuits $3.36
• 2 bottles Old Orchard Juice $3.38
• 2- 6pks applesauce $3.78
• 1 bag Doritos $1.99
• 4 boxes various Post cereals $6.96
• 1 box Honey Nut Cheerios $1.74
• 2 boxes Quaker instant oatmeal $2.98
• 2 boxes Red Baron pizzas $2.98
• 1 gallon apple cider $2.99
• 1 box sausage patties $1.50
• 2 Speed Stick deodorants $4.24(with tax)
• 3 gallons milk $6.00
• 5lbs boneless/skinless chicken breasts $9.98
• 5 boxes brown 'n serve sausage links $5.00
• 1 bag Nature Valley Nut clusters $2.14

Total OOP: $93.52

Total Savings: $41.00

Total without coupons & sales: $134.52

Family Fare: 

• 7.43 lbs ground beef from chuck $13.30
• 2.32 lbs beef cube steak $6.48 (manager's markdown)
• .72 lbs beef bottom round steaks $2.76 (manager's markdown)
• 3.05 lbs chicken drumsticks $3.02
• 12 containers Yoplait yogurt $5.10
• 1 box Quaker Simple Harvest granola bars $1.50
• 1 box Choc. Little Bites Mini Wheats $1.67
• 1 box Cinnabon bars $1.50
• 2 boxes cream cheese $1.76
• 3 boxes Pillsbury pie crust $4.81
• 2 graham cracker crusts $2.00
• 2 boxes Pillsbury brownie mix $2.00
• 1 box Velveeta cheese $4.49
• 4 bottles Old Orchard Juice $4.88
• 1 bottle Styling gel $2.39

Total OOP after $5.10 bottle refund: $52.70

Total Savings with bottle refund: $42.59

Total without sales, coupons, & bottle refund: $95.29

Grand Total OOP: $199.85

Grand Total Savings: $165.22

Grand Total without sales, coupons, outlets, and bottle refunds: $365.07


This post is linked to:

• Super Savings Saturday at MoneySavingMom!
• Shopping Round Up at The Grocery Cart Challenge!

Sickness Rampage!

I am still alive!!!

However, I have been dealing with sickness! Monday and Tuesday I was feeling run down and had a funny sore throat like what I normally get from my fall allergies! But Tuesday night, I came down with a fever of 101°. Along with the fever came body aches, actually all my joints in my body felt huge and achy! Thankfully that only lasted about 8 hours!

NOW I am fever free and have been for about 36 hours, but I still have this major stuffy nose and a cough that I hope is keeping the "crud" from entering my lungs! It hurts to cough!

So I have been caring for myself over the last few days rather than worrying about posting anything here. I hope you understand!

Hopefully my kids do not catch this "bug"!

I will be back soon!