Sleep Number SleepIQ Technology

How incredibly cool... SO! I made the wise decision to join Smiley360.com. Being a member of this site means you get to receive, use, & review products for FREE. Lots of rewards, so gimmicks!

Today, as my first official Smiley360 Mission, I took a card that I received in the mail & went to my local Sleep Number store (here in VA Beach). While there, I spoke to David, a friendly salesman who spoke to me like a friend, & not at all like a pushy salesman. He showed me the Sleep Number SleepIQ Technology. One word: WOW. This bed tracks your sleeping habits, movements, heart rate, breathing, etc, ON TOP OF the already amazing Sleep Number bed. When you wake up in the morning, you're able to look at your smartphone, tablet, what have you, & check your "Sleep IQ." The higher the number, the better you've slept. You can also factor in how much caffeine you've had, what you've eaten, alcohol consumption, and more, to help figure out how to get your best night's sleep.

To thank me for writing my review, Smiley360 is sending me a 4" or 5" contour memory foam pillow, for FREE! How great is that?!

I'm floored. It is wild how comfortable these beds are, then to add something as helpful as SleepIQ? I want one.

Time to write my letter to Santa. ;)

Out from under my rock!

Wow.
I cannot believe it has been nearly 3 years since my last post. We've been a busy family! Since my last entry, our oldest, Erin, has had her 2nd, 3rd, & 4th birthdays! I'm now 29 (yikes... next year is a big deal! :D ) & my sexy co-worker, aka: the husband, is now 34. In March of this year, we welcomed our second child, another daughter. The always smiling, can't get enough of her squishy cheeks, Colbie. (Who I may or may not refer to as "Squishy" or "Squish," in future posts.)

I've also begun homeschooling Erin. She is loving pre-k, & doing really well.

Aside from that, I am now ridiculously interested in freebies. Every chance I can snag some, I do. If I can't use it, someone else out there probably can! I use PinchMe.com, the CouponClipinista facebook page, & a handful of other sample sites that I will list when something great becomes available. In the meantime, I encourage anyone who is also interested in receiving freebies to sign up for PinchMe.com & add great apps such as: Ibotta and Checkout 51.

Ibotta and Checkout 51 are apps that actually pay you for buying certain grocery items. Many that you would probably purchase any way! Milk, eggs, bread, apples, etc. and once you reach a certain "amount," you're able to cash out. Free money, people! For things you already buy!

RetailMeNot is another great app; it gives you online &/or in-store coupons right on your phone. And who doesn't love Target, right? If you haven't added Cartwheel to your phone, you should do that immediately. Same goes for Kroger & Harris Teeter. Hellooooo, digital coupons loaded directly to my shopping card!

Listia is a fun, free, auction site. Earn credits by listing items you never use anymore, then use those credits to buy other people's listings. Check it out!

Each of the apps listed on this post are FREE. If you check them out, let me know what you think! Or, if you know of another app that you think I'd enjoy, please feel free to share. :)

Happy Saturday, everyone!

Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Quite a bit has happened since my last entry! We've experienced our first earthquake as a family, Erin's experienced her first hurricane and tons of other silliness in between. And of course, I've been cooking up a storm in the meantime. I didn't think I'd be sharing this recipe because it is just THAT good, but I want everyone to taste them--and these aren't something that would ship well. So have at it; it's the perfect time of year!!

Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

1 Box Devil's Food Cake mix

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)--15oz.

1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together and pour into (UNgreased) cupcake liners. If you spray them, it'll make the liners translucent & they will feel greasy on the outside. Bake for time stated on your cake box. I baked mine for about 22-25 minutes.

After they've cooled, top them with your favorite icing. I suggest taking your favorite buttercream or cream cheese icing & mixing in a little cinnamon & a little pumpkin pie spice.

And yes, I made this recipe up. So you're lucky I'm sharing it! ;)

Enjoy!

And Happy Halloween!!

Great Alfredo Sauce :)

Finally found a combo that I'm happy with! I hope everyone else likes it, too!

Alfredo Sauce:

1 stick of unsalted sweet cream butter

1 pint (a little over 2 cups) of heavy whipping cream

3 cloves of garlic, minced/finely chopped

2/3 cup of grated parmesan cheese

(roughly) 1 tbsp black pepper

In pan, melt butter and add garlic. Slowly stir in cream and keep it on a medium-low boil, stirring in parmesan & black pepper. It will thicken rather quickly; you'll want to keep a close eye on it & stir it frequently.

I recommend that, if you plan on using chicken or shrimp--cook that & your fettucini noodles before the alfredo sauce, because the alfredo sauce takes very little time.

And I LOVE garlic, so if you prefer a subtle garlic taste, use only 1 or 2 cloves.

(I poured the alfredo sauce over fettucini noodles and sliced garlic chicken that I had baked in the oven.)

Enjoy!



Lemon-Lime Cake

For our Super Bowl get-together (GO PACK GO!), I wanted to make a cake that was yellow & green. I was browsing the Kraft website and found some amazing cake recipes. I've tried Jell-O Poke Cakes before and really enjoyed it, so I figured I'd make one with Packer colors. Lemon cake & lime Jell-O, it was!

For anyone who has never heard of a Jell-O Poke Cake, you can use many different flavor pairings. White cake mix goes with pretty much ANY fruity jell-o flavor and it is SO pretty when you cut into it. I always use my 9x13 pan to make this cake, but if you'd like to use two different colors of jell-o, you can do so by using 2 eight inch round cake pans. You can type "Jell-O Poke Cake recipe" into your search engine and will find the kraft link for more pairings.

My Lemon-Lime Cake:

1 box Lemon cake mix + ingredients according to box

1 box of Lime Jell-O mix

1 cup boiling water

1 cup cold water

Topping/ "Icing":

1 tub of whip cream

1 can of crushed pineapple

Green food coloring

 

Bake cake according to box, using a 9x13 dish.

While cake is baking, boil 1 cup of water, then add jell-o powder, stir well. Remove from heat. Stir in cold water.

Once cake is done, let it cool for about 5 minutes. Poke the cake with a fork every 2 inches or so.

Pour jell-o mix over cake and refrigerate for an hour.

Meanwhile, strain can of crushed pineapple and pour into tub of whip cream. Then spread whip cream mix over cooled cake. Keep refrigerated until serving.

If you decide to make a chocolate cake-cherry (or strawberry) jell-o combination, I recommend using whip cream and 1 tbsp of cocoa powder for your topping.

Enjoy!

Two Newbies

I haven't tried these yet, but I'd really like to, so I'm posting them here!

CROCKPOT BRUNCH CASSEROLE
Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 onion, large; finely chopped
2 Tablespoons olive oil or butter
2 garlic cloves; minced
1 can mushrooms, sliced; drained; 4 oz
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon oregano, leaf
1/2 package spinach, chopped
3 Tablespoons flour
6  eggs, beaten
1/4 cup milk, scalded
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, sharp; grated

Directions:

1. In skillet, lightly brown ground beef and onion in olive oil; drain well.

2. Place in well-greased crock-pot.

3. Stir in remaining ingredients except eggs, milk and cheese until well blended.

4. Beat eggs and milk together. Pour over other ingredients; stir well. Dust with additional nutmeg.

5. Cover and cook on LOW setting for 7 to 10 hours or until firm. Just before serving, sprinkle with grated cheese.

CROCK POT BRUNCH FLORENTINE

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated and divided
1 9 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 cup white bread, cubed
1 cup fresh button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup green onion, thinly sliced
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

1. Lightly grease the slow cooker. Layer half of the cheddar cheese, spinach, bread,mushrooms and green onions in the bottom of the crock pot.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, salt, pepper and garlic powder until thoroughly combined.

3. Pour this egg mixture over the layered mixture. Do not mix. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

4. Cover; cook on High for 1 1/2 to 2 hours

Cream Biscuits

Easy Cream Biscuits

I love these biscuits, because they can be made so quickly. They've got a delicious, fluffy inside & a nice, crunchy outside. As with any biscuits or cookies (or biscotti, etc etc), I recommend using parchment paper to line the baking sheet; it makes for an evenly browned/cooked bottom.

• 1  package quick active dry yeast
• 1/4  cup warm water (105º to 115º)
• 1  tablespoon sugar
• 2  cups Bisquick® Original baking mix
• 1/2  cup half-and-half

 

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water in medium bowl. Stir in sugar. Stir in baking mix and half-and-half until dough forms.
2. Turn dough onto surface lined with parchment paper, cover with another layer of parchment paper & roll out. Roll 1/2 inch thick. Cut with 2-inch cutter dipped in baking mix. Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover and let rise in warm place about 30 minutes or until soft and puffed.
3. Heat oven to 425º. Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.