December – 2016 – Frugal Novice

Kitchen Must-Have: Hamilton Beach Professional 14 Cup Dicing Food Processor

My contributor received a Hamilton Beach food processor to facilitate this review, and Hamilton Beach provided the food processor for the associated giveaway.

Frugal Novice contributor Debbie really knows her way around the kitchen, so she was perfect to test out the Hamilton Beach professional food processor sent my way for review. In fact, she regularly hosts a group of friends at her house for dinner, so she was able to use the food processor to make food for an upcoming gathering and share her opinions of the machine:

I decided to try out several preparations of ingredients with the food processor to really get a feel for the variety of options it provides, and first started with dicing a potato. If you’ve ever done this manually, you know how hard it can be to get uniform cuts – so it’s really appealing to get the job done with a food processor instead!

Here’s what the setup looks like – there’s a blade that spins around and then the potato will also be pushed through the grid, giving me nice cubed pieces of potato.

The dicing worked really well and I’m happy with the finished product.

I did notice some potato left on the top of the disc when I removed it from the processor:

The food processor comes with a device to help clean the dicer; there’s a bit of a learning curve in getting it to line up right, but once I got the hang of it I was able to use it to remove the leftover pieces of potato.

You can see in the video above that there’s a locking handle on this food processor. It holds everything together well and keeps the machine stable, along with the help of suction cups underneath.

After dicing the potato I decided to try slicing cucumbers. The slicing disc has 15 different thicknesses to choose from, giving you a lot of options for various needs.

Last but not least I used the shredding disc to shred cheddar for homemade pimento cheese.

It worked really quickly, saving a lot of time and effort that would have been used if I’d shredded the cheese by hand.

There was a little bit of cheese left on the disc, but not too much.

Looks great, don’t you think? All set for making some amazing pimento cheese.

The Hamilton Beach Professional 14-cup food processor provides a lot of power and efficiency, and has some really smart features built in – the suction cups and locking handle mentioned above, but also…

a spot for the cord to be stored. Genius.

…and…

a storage container for all the parts and pieces. Love this!

The Hamilton Beach Professional 14-cup food processor is a great tool to have in your kitchen arsenal, and I’m looking forward to making many more dishes with its help.

You might just be able to see how great it is for yourself! One lucky reader will win their very own food processor just like the one shown above. Enter via Rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saving Money at CVS is Even Easier with Digital Receipts! #ReceiptYouLater

I’m proud to be working with CVS Pharmacy on the CVS Says Receipt You Later Campaign. All opinions expressed are my own, and all product claims or program details shared should be verified at CVS.com or with the appropriate manufacturers.

I love to find bargains. I mean, the name of my blog has “frugal” in it, so it’s probably no surprise that I swoon a little when I find ways to save money. And right now, while everyone’s budgets are recovering from Christmas, it’s the perfect time to find ways to stretch your dollar.

I’ve loved the CVS ExtraCare program for a long time, because I’ve gotten many great deals with their discounts. It’s better than ever now, because CVS has introduced Digital Receipts. I always have my phone with me, which means I now also always have my CVS coupons with me, right in the CVS Pharmacy app.

Here’s the home screen for my app – I can easily view my deals and rewards, and can even store my ExtraCare card on my phone for store employees to scan when I’m shopping.

CVS’s digital receipts totally simplify my life by going paperless; my wallet isn’t cluttered with long paper receipts, and I know my ExtraCare deals/coupons can be easily accessed (and not lost!). I know I’ll end up saving more money than ever because of this! I love that CVS is so committed to their customers’ needs – they heard loud and clear that we love coupons and special offers, but wanted a paperless option – and they provided it with their digital receipts!

I love how personalized the CVS app is – I’ll receive exclusive benefits, personalized savings offers, quarterly ExtraBucks and more. All of my personal preferences are saved for future transactions via email so everything is tailored for my needs.

If you don’t have access to digital receipts, here’s how to get started:

Just complete a simple, one-time opt-in process in store that includes enrolling in the ExtraCare Rewards program if you’re not already a member. Be sure and provide a valid email address so you can receive your digital receipts. Just ask a store associate! You can also download the free CVS Pharmacy app to make it even easier to manage your coupons and rewards.

Once you’re enrolled as an ExtraCare member, you will have all receipts delivered digitally via email. You will continue to receive exclusive benefits, personalized savings offers, available ExtraBucks Rewards and more, which can be redeemed in store by using a smartphone, tablet or computer, and then simply selecting the “send to card” button found next to each offer. Additionally, all personal preferences are saved for future transactions. You will always be able to specifically request a paper copy of your receipt at the time of the transaction if you’d like one!

Get 2017 off to a great, budget-friendly, organized start and sign up for CVS Digital Receipts today. Your wallet will thank you. #ReceiptYouLater #CVS

Oriental Trading Makes Christmas Parties a Hit!

I received items from Oriental Trading to help facilitate my review. All opinions are honest and are my own.

I love being room mom for my son’s class – and part of the fun of being room mom is planning the class Christmas party. I knew immediately that the place to go for all my Christmas party supplies was Oriental Trading Company. For one thing, I’ve used them many times so I’m confident in the quality of their products, but for another, I know they have a huge variety of items available, so I’ll be able to find whatever I’m looking for.

I found super cute plates and napkins (as you can see above). I always feel like those are key in setting a fun party atmosphere for kids, and these really do the trick.

My son’s favorite thing I got was these fun reindeer glasses. They’re so inexpensive that everyone in the class was able to get a pair – they make for great photos!

I ordered some really awesome looking wood trees for the kids to decorate, but they ended up being out of stock (be sure and order early, since so many people shop at Oriental Trading) so I used some cute pompom balls and green paint to let kids decorate little wood rectangles and make Christmas ornaments.

No matter what kind of party you’re planning, Oriental Trading is definitely the go-to for all your supplies!

Keep Your Family Safe and Secure with Kaspersky

This post is brought to you by Kaspersky Lab and The Motherhood. All opinions in this blog are my own.

Kids – and families in general – are more digitally connected now than ever before. Whether it’s through computers, tablets, or smart phones, there’s a lot of online activity in most homes. Brian and I try to be vigilant about monitoring what the kids are accessing, but it’s still a good idea to have something more in place for protection. That’s where Kaspersky Lab comes in. They’ve got a gift for keeping families safe, and right now (until January 10, 2017) you can take advantage of an incredible deal – up to 50% off of all their core products including:

Kaspersky Antivirus
Kaspersky Internet Security
Kaspersky Total Security (best protection for families!)

Kaspersky Total Security is an amazing deal, especially with the discount! You can:

Secure computers, smartphones and tablets with multi-device protection
Shop and bank safely with award-winning Safe Money technology
Protect, monitor and set limits for your kids online with Safe Kids technology
Stop webcam hackers from spying into your home
Confirm the security of your Wi-Fi connection
Easily create, sync and manage your passwords
Backup valuable data for free online—including photos and videos

It can be hard sometimes finding the right security to use – You want to make sure you go with a company you can really trust! Kaspersky Lab is a brand you can feel secure (see what I did there?) in using, and here’s why:

1st place in 60 independent tests and reviews
400 million users around the world
800 million threats stopped last year alone—including ransomware
AV-Comparatives’ top-rated product—5 straight years

Don’t forget to shop before January 10 to take advantage of savings up to 50% off! Click here to get started on the path to cyber security for your family.

Fogo de Chao – Decadent Dining Experience!

We received meals to facilitate our review. All opinions are honest and are our own.

Several years ago Brian and I got the opportunity to eat at a Fogo de Chao in Austin, and we loved it. We’ve told the kids for years about what a fun dining experience it is (not to mention amazingly delicious), so we were really thrilled with the opportunity to introduce them – and my mother-in-law (Brian’s stepdad had already been) – to the restaurant on our recent trip to Dallas. We visited the Addison location and had a truly lovely meal.

If you’re not familiar with Fogo de Chao, let me give you the most important piece of information – come HUNGRY. There is an abundance of exquisite food, and trust me, you’ll want to try it all. The salad bar alone is stocked with all sorts of cheeses, fruits, veggies & more – and if you go to brunch there are other offerings out as well!

If you looked at the salad bar alone you’d think you’d won the lottery, but the real heart of the Fogo de Chao experience is the meat. Every guest receives a two-sided card. One one side it’s red, meaning servers should stop bringing meat, and on the other it’s green, meaning you’re ready for more.

There are a ton of different options to try – filet, strip steak, ribs, lamb, pork, beef, chicken – and it’s all delicious. A server will ask you how you’d like your meat cooked (when applicable) and then give you a portion to place on your plate.

Beyond that, the sides brought to the table are amazing, too!

Our fabulous waiter, Antonio, had us try the bolo de fuba, which is a corn cake served with a banana whipped cream – so good. We loved the polenta, caramelized bananas, and creamy whipped potatoes, too.

And y’all, the bread. It is light, airy, cheesy popover-style rolls called pao de queijo. I seriously couldn’t get enough of them and wish I could have them every day.

At this point I’m sure you can tell that the food is totally worth a visit, but what takes Fogo de Chao even more over the top is the service. The manager Tony was gregarious and welcoming, our waiter Antonio was always ready to pull out our chairs for us and was constantly on top of any need we might have. If you want to feel pampered, Fogo de Chao is the place to be. Thanks to Tony and his team for running a top notch restaurant through and through. We’ll definitely be back!

Also, don’t miss this great news!

From Monday – Thursday, now through Jan. 2, all military veterans and active duty personnel will receive 40% off their dinner or 25% off their lunch (valid for the full Churrasco experience; reservations required, just mention “Military Holiday” when making reservation).

Here are Fogo de Chao’s holiday hours:

Christmas Eve: 11:00 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Christmas Day: 12:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
New Year’s Eve: 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 p.m.
New Year’s Day: 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Their special holiday menu includes such items as:

Seasonal Beef Roast
Sweet Potato Casserole
Butternut & Sweet Potato Soup
Roasted Butternut Squash and Pear & Endive Salads

Don’t miss out on a truly one-of-a-kind dining experience – check out Fogo de Chao this holiday season!

ICE! at Gaylord Texan is the Perfect Family Getaway

We received tickets to ICE! to facilitate our review. All opinions are honest and are our own.

We, like most other families, feel like we’re busy all the time – and especially so during the holidays. It seemed, then, like the perfect idea to get away and do something fun for the whole family. The Gaylord Texan is less than three hours away, and we set our sights on going to the ICE! exhibit.

We stayed one night at the Gaylord as part of our trip, and I can’t recommend enough adding this to your itinerary. It was so nice getting back to our room at the end of a busy day and just relax. I’ll tell you more about our room in a bit (spoiler alert: it was amazing), but first let’s talk about the whole reason we went – ICE! The theme this year is Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town, a classic theme that was nostalgic for the adults and charming for the kids.

If you’ve never been to ICE! before, you should know that there are lines to get in – as with anything that’s immensely popular, there are a lot of people that want to go. We knew this ahead of time and were prepared, which made the waiting much more pleasant. Our solution? We bought a huge bag of popcorn and a big bag of cotton candy for the 5 kids to share. This worked great! You might also want to bring along a book for each child (something Christmas-themed would be perfect) to read while you’re waiting.

The Gaylord does a wonderful job of decorating the areas so that it feels magical and fun. In one waiting area, you’re surrounded by what looks like various machines for toy making. In another, there’s a giant rotating ice mountain and mist floating down with snowflakes shining on it.

Once you get very close to entering the exhibit, everyone receives a thick blue parka to wear. Another tip is to bring along your own gloves, hats, and scarves – this helps keep everyone warmer! The kids looked adorable in their parkas.

Brian and his mom looked pretty cute, too!

Once we got into the exhibit area I was really pleased with how easy it was to see each exhibit. It didn’t seem crowded at all, and we were able to go through at our own pace without feeling rushed. We could stop and look at all the details, and could take as many photos as we wanted – and trust me, there are so many things to take photos of! The attention to every aspect of the experience is beyond what you’d even expect. It was utterly impressive, and we were all wowed by the artists’ work.

Check out the beautiful nativity, too:

At the end of the exhibit there is a whole room filled with ice slides the whole family can go down – the kids thought this was a lot of fun and wanted to go down several times!

If you want to check on tickets or get more info on ICE! click here – it’s running through January 1!

Once we left the exhibit we went and got hot chocolate – the perfect treat to warm up with after being SO cold! Afterward we went over to the adjacent area, which had all sorts of activities to choose from. We got to meet some characters:

We also did the snow tubing, which was a hit with everyone. We got to go down the slopes 12 times, and the lines moved pretty quickly for this attraction. Living in Texas our chances for tubing down a snowy hill are pretty slim, so this was especially fun for all of us!

There are so many activities to choose from! We already decided we want to go back next year and try out some of the other options, like cookies & milk with Mrs. Claus, an elf scavenger hunt, and throwing real snowballs!

We really enjoyed walking around the vast atrium of the Gaylord and looking at all the different decorations. It is absolutely beautiful, and we had fun taking photos at various settings.

We did photos with Santa, too!

I’ve got to talk about our room a bit, too, because it was honestly a huge highlight of the trip for the kids too. We walked into the suite and all three of them said “Wow!!!” – I decided to do a little video tour so you can see for yourself what a perfect setup this is for families:

The kids loved the view outside our room and spent a ton of time hanging out on the balcony, looking at lights and watching people walk by. This was our view at night – so pretty, isn’t it?

This was an absolutely wonderful getaway for our family – the kids loved it and didn’t want to leave! They shared their favorite parts of our stay:

We can’t wait to go back and stay at the Gaylord again – they have fun things all throughout the year so we’ll be looking for opportunities to go and have another wonderful weekend getaway!

Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner in Our House!

This is a compensated post. All opinions are honest and are my own.

We cook most of our meals at home. This means we have to get creative with our menu planning so we don’t end up eating the same thing over and over again – I’m sure you’ve been in that same boat! We do have a few favorite meals that frequent our meal rotation, though:

Shredded Beef Quesadillas
Pot Roast with Baked Potatoes
Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
Burritos with Ground Beef and Black Beans

Did you notice the common thread? We love to have beef recipes mixed into our menu plan for the week. And beef prices are down this season (nearly 10 percent from the highest prices in late 2014!), which makes it perfect to incorporate beef into holiday recipes! You can expect to be seeing lower prices at the meat case in your grocery retailer. Take advantage of these prices as you shop for roasts, steaks and ground beef this season.

On Christmas Eve, for instance, we’ll be having spicy beef sliders. These are SO easy to make – the beef cooks while we’re at a Christmas Eve service, and then it’s ready for us to enjoy for dinner. Just place 1-1.5 pounds of beef stew meat in your slow cooker along with a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Pour beef broth over the meat just until it is completely covered. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, then serve the beef in dinner rolls with a slice of swiss cheese. Delicious and SO easy!

We use the leftover meat to make amazing beef quesadillas – I just shred the meat and add it to cheese & sauteed onions for the perfect quesadilla filling.

Pot roast is another favorite of ours (by the way – if you’re like me and never know what cut to get, check out this awesome resource); we like to serve it with brown gravy over baked potatoes. Talk about the perfect cold weather comfort food!

If you’re trying to figure out what to make this holiday season (like this beef stuffing with apples & cranberries, or braised short ribs with red wine sauce), check out this handy guide that’ll get you prepared for virtually any occasion:

Here’s a quick video recipe you might want to try – it looks SO good, doesn’t it?

For more holiday recipes such as Citrus-Marinated Beef and Fruit Kabobs, Braised Short Ribs with Red Wine Sauce and Beef Stuffing with Apples and Cranberries, visit beefitswhatsfordinner.com.

Here are some other great tips for when you’re cooking with beef:

When you’re at the grocery store, pick up beef just before checking out. A good rule of thumb is this: if it will take longer than 30 minutes to get your freshly purchased beef home, consider keeping it in a cold cooler.
Once you’re home, refrigerate or freeze beef as soon as possible after purchasing, and always place beef packages on the lowest shelf in your refrigerator on a plate or tray to catch any escaping juices.
For best quality, thaw steaks and roasts in the refrigerator—never at room temperature—and be sure to place the frozen package on a plate or tray to catch any escaping juices during the thawing process. Check out these refrigerator and freezer storage guidelines to ensure maximum quality.
Tip: You can quickly thaw Ground Beef in your microwave in five minutes or less – just follow these simple steps.

Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner.

Keep up with all things Beef on social media:

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube

The Perfect Christmas Present for Your Furry Friend!

This post is part of an ambassadorship with Beneful. I receive products, information, and compensation as an ambassador. All opinions are my own. We’re proud to be #FriendsOfBeneful!

Guys, I’m so proud that I just have to share. We’re almost done with Christmas shopping, y’all. And there are still five days to go! That might just be a record for us. We’ve gotten cousin gifts, grandparent gifts, and of course gifts for our kids – and in our house we definitely can’t forget our pet gifts, either. We shop for our two dogs, my mom’s dog, and my brother & sister-in-law’s dogs – it’s tradition for them to all exchange gifts each year.

If you’re looking for what to give your pup this Christmas, look no further! I’ve got a great suggestion for a goodie bag any dog would love – plus a DIY gift idea and a how-to on creating a custom gift bag to fit any oddly-shaped gifts.

You can see above the variety of gifts we decided were perfect for our dog Sally to give our other dog Ninja. So fun, right? A rawhide candy cane, a tub of yummy Beneful food, a dog toy, and a custom collar slide to help him feel festive.

Here’s how we assembled the collar slide – I just cut shapes out of felt and then used a hot glue gun to assemble it all. I added a felt loop on the back to slide on to the collar, and voila! – all set.

This assortment of gifts makes for an odd present to wrap, so I made a gift bag out of wrapping paper – and here’s how I did it:

Take a sheet of wrapping paper and fold it in thirds,taping the seam together. Then fold up the bottom of the paper and spread it open into a diamond shape. Fold the top corner of the diamond down and the bottom corner up so they overlap, and then tape. Reach your hand into the open end and spread the bag out, and you’re good to go! It’s so easy and super cute.

We put the Beneful food in the bottom of the bag – it makes a perfect weight so the bag doesn’t tip over – and then we added everything else.

Since Ninja can be a little oblivious we went ahead and let him try on the collar slide – isn’t it adorable? You could do any sort of shape you like – even something like an initial so it could be used beyond the holidays.

Skylanders Imaginators Multiplies the Imaginations – and the Fun!

We received a copy of Skylanders Imaginators to facilitate our review. All opinions are honest and our own.

Our boys have been fans of the Skylanders games for a long time – you can see our reviews of Trap Team and SuperChargers I’ve posted in years past. Well, I can say without a doubt that Imaginators is their favorite iteration yet.

Just like in previous versions, players can put Skylanders figurines onto a Portal of Power, which will then allow players to control the figurine-represented character in the game levels.

The addition that makes this version so special is “Imaginators”, which are characters created by the player. Creation Crystals (like the one shown in the photo below) are where the Imaginators are stored. With creation crystals, the boys can transport their Imaginatiors to all video game consoles the game is released for.

At the beginning of the game, players can select a battle class and elemental class, which determines their fighting style. Afterwards, players can customize all sorts of things for their Imaginators, like: names, voices, powers, appearances, colors and sizes. Body parts, which are classified into four types, namely Common, Rare, Epic, and Ultimate, can be found when players are exploring in the game. These new parts can be used to customize the player’s existing imaginators, which can be modified at any time.

You can find Skylanders Imaginators at most major retailers and on Amazon. It’d make a great Christmas gift for kids who love gaming and getting creative!

Hallmark Holiday Traditions Continue!

We received ornaments to facilitate our review. All opinions are honest and are our own.

Traditions are incredibly important to me when it comes to the holidays, and I’ve loved it as Brian and I have figured out what we’d like to do with our children each year. Hallmark Keepsake ornaments are a big part of our Christmas tradition, which I wrote about in 2014 – and last year, too! Each year the kids pick out an ornament that represents their interest for the year – and Brian and I pick one out, too. The plan is that when the kids are grown and have their own Christmas tree they’ll be able to take all their ornaments from over the years.

Here are the ornaments we picked out for 2017:

J picked BB-8. He loves Star Wars, and was a big fan of The Force Awakens when we went to see it last year. The attention to detail on this ornament is amazing – it looks so good!

C loves cooking and baking, so it was no surprise to us that he picked this Santa’s sleigh ornament:

It is seriously adorable. The candy canes, the icing details, and the fact that santa’s hat is a piping tip all just add to the charm.

E was entirely predictable with her ornament selection – Elsa all the way!

Brian and I went with a classic, and chose the Crayola coloring box. It opens and closes, and again, the attention to detail is incredibly impressive (see the front view above).