Running Out? Run In! is back at Publix {$25 Gift Card Giveaway}

It happens way too often. We think we have extra items in our pantry, bathroom or laundry room and we realize that we are all out! It's such a pain when you run out of the things you use the most, isn't it?

From May 15th  through May 22nd , look for the “Running Out? Run In.” event at Publix® to take advantage of great savings on some of your favorite brands from General Mills and Procter & Gamble, like Wheaties, Totino’s, Charmin and Crest.  Plus, if you buy $30 of participating* items from 5/15 through 5/31, you can mail in to receive a $10 Publix® gift card to use on your next shopping trip!  (For more details on this great rebate, please visit www.runningoutrunin.com) 

*Participating products: Wheaties®, Cascadian Farm®, Honey Nut Cheerios® Medley Crunch and Total® Whole Grain Cereal (assorted varieties); Hamburger Helper® and Suddenly Salad® (assorted varieties); Totino’s® Party Pizza (assorted varieties); Totino’s® Pizza Rolls (40ct, assorted varieties); Yoplait® Light Yogurt with Granola (assorted varieties); Yoplait® Go-Gurt (8ct pkg 2.25oz, assorted varieties); Gain Laundry Detergent (100oz, assorted varieties); Dawn® Dish Detergent (20-24oz bottle, assorted varieties); Charmin® Basic Bathroom Tissue (12 double roll pkg, assorted varieties); Bounty® Dura Towel and Bounty® Paper Towels (1 King Roll, 1 Big Roll); Crest® Toothpaste (8.2 oz) + Oral-B Indicator & Complete Manual Brush (1ct) assorted varieties; Herbal Essences® (6.0 -10.7oz, assorted varieties) and Vidal Sassoon Shampoo/Conditioner (12oz, assorted varieties) 

I know for a fact that I will be taking advantage of this offer and plan to stock up on Bounty paper towels, Gain laundry detergent, Cascadian Farm cereal and Crest toothpaste. As a matter of fact, we are almost out of toothpaste in all of our bathrooms in my home. One nice thing about shopping at Publix is that you can be able to get all that you need and be in and out!

Would you like to take advantage of this deal? Publix and MyBlogSpark are providing a $25 for me to give away to one very lucky Momfiles reader. Enter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end on May 12, 2013. One winner will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email to claim prize. Please leave a valid email address in the event you are selected as a winner. Please follow giveaway rules or all entries will be disqualified. Momfiles is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Good luck!

*I received a prize pack, information, and giveaway that have been provided by General Mills and Publix® through MyBlogSpark.

The Publix Running Out? RUN IN. event is back! | $25 gift card giveaway

**Closed** Winner is latanya

Do you ever get frustrated when you realize that you go to grab a roll of toilet paper only to find out you are on your last roll? Or maybe when you grab the toothpaste tube and can barely squeeze a drop out? I know that it drives me nuts and it seems like I always run out of some of the staple products all at once! Well the good news is that Publix Supermarket is running their Running Out? Run In. event to help you receive rewards for stocking up on participating items from General Mills and Procter & Gamble that you tend to use the most. 

From March 14th through March 20th, look for the Running Out? Run In. event at Publix to take advantage of great savings on some favorite brands from General Mills and Procter & Gamble, like Cheerios, Totino’s Pizza, Charmin and Crest. Plus, if you buy $25 of participating items during this event, you can mail in to receive a $5 Publix gift card to use on your next shopping trip! (For more details on this rebate, please visit www.runningoutrunin.com.) 

I am looking forward to stocking up on mostly non-perishable items including Tide, Charmin bath tissue, Crest toothpaste and Herbal Essences shampoo and conditioner. Be sure to "like" the Publix Facebook page for updates on promotions and recipes.

How would you like to win a $25 Publix gift card to help you take of advantage of the Running Out? Run In. event? One lucky Momfiles reader will win it. Enter below: a Rafflecopter giveaway  

This giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end on March 15, 2013. One winner will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email to claim prize. Please leave a valid email address in the event you are selected as a winner. Please follow giveaway rules or all entries will be disqualified. Momfiles is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Good luck! 

The information, products and General Mills gift pack were provided by General Mills and Publix® through MyBlogSpark

Make this Thanksgiving Mishap-free with Walmart {$50 GC Giveaway}

**CLOSED**

The winner is Thomas Murphy! Congratulations and thanks to everyone for entering and sharing your Thanksgiving tips! 

Now that we have the month of October behind us, we can now look forward to Thanksgiving. It is my favorite holiday and I almost always host a big dinner for family and friends. Along with the excitement of family time and good food, we sometimes run into mishaps here and there. It seems like no matter how much you plan, make lists or think you have it all together, something goes wrong! I decided to share some of my personal tips to help make your Thanksgiving a bit more Mishap-free.

• Plan ahead! Make a detailed list of your menu in advance so you can have a thorough grocery list made. This way, you can start shopping over the course of a few weeks and stock up on non-perishable items. 
• Don't be a hero. We all want to make the best meals made from scratch but sometimes shortcuts are your best friend! Pick up some cake mix and make it your own. Make your icing from scratch and use a piping bag to make it pretty. Semi-homemade is not bad! 
• Make sure to pick up some seasonal candles and room fragrance sprays. It makes the atmosphere more festive and relaxed.
• Practice a new dish or dessert a few weeks ahead in a smaller amount to see if you like it. I have made things before that failed miserably and there was no do-over.
• Every year I have cooked all my side dishes the day before and packed them up in the refrigerator for the next day. This makes the day of Thanksgiving so much more relaxed and all I have to do is roast my turkey and put my pies in the oven. 
• I love serving dinner on China plates but I have learned that you can buy "fancy" paper plates and disposable utensils and cups that you don't have to wash afterwards! Also be sure to have enough plastic storage bags and aluminum foil for leftovers. 
• Keep wine on hand! I don't think I have to explain that one!

Thanksgiving is all about time with the ones you love and should not be stressful.You can find some great tips and advice at the Thanksgiving Mishaps website to help get you through the holiday. Check out this video from Chef Richard:

 

I am so pleased that Walmart is providing a $50 gift card for one very lucky Momfiles reader to win. With Walmart's low prices and big selection, you can get a whole lot! Enter below...
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end on November 18, 2012. One winner will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email. Momfiles is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Be sure to follow giveaway rules in Rafflecopter. Good luck!

Walmart provided me with a gift card and the giveaway, but the thoughts and tips shared in this post are my own.

How I maximize my coffee budget and still have the perfect cup each day

I love a really good, rich cup of coffee. I only require one cup a day and I get tired of the same old brand sometimes. I am a coffee snob and stay away from the low-end bargain brands. They lack the strength and flavor I require.  The whole 'use a tablespoon per 6 ounces of water' is a joke. I am more of a use 1/2 cup per 6 ounces (no lie!) As much as I love the premium brands, I can't always justify the cost. I finally found a way to get around that and not sacrifice the quality or taste. Lately I have been shopping for premium, traditional ground coffee that is on sale and try to match it up with coupons. I also purchase an espresso ground coffee that I always find on sale at Publix. They tend to always have a brand for under $3. I usually buy Cafe Bustelo, Pilon or La Llave.

What I do is mix both varieties in my regular drip coffee maker. The fact that The espresso grind is more concentrated and rich, makes me have to use less of my more expensive premium coffee.

The result is a dark, strong and rich cup of coffee every time. I have been doing this for months and even my husband noticed how good our coffee is. We are so spoiled that we have to bring coffee from home when we travel. I totally recommend this method of coffee making for those who crave the richness of Starbucks but have Walmart pockets.

Kroger Buy 5 – Save $5 Event! #MyBlogSpark $25 gift GC Giveaway

Attention Kroger Shoppers! Get ready for the Kroger Buy 5- Save $5 Event from October 14th-24th. Purchase 5 participating General Mills products, and receive a coupon for $5 off your next shopping order* (coupon printed at checkout)!

Look for some of your favorite participating General Mills products like Cheerios, Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Pillsbury Toaster Strudel, Betty Crocker Cake and Brownie Mixes, Hamburger Helper, Totino’s Party Pizza, Yoplait** and many more! With the baking season in full swing, I plan on stocking up on some Betty Crocker cake and brownie mixes!

Promotion varies in different locations so please be sure to check your local Kroger Co. Family of Stores*** for specific deals and offers which include: Kroger, Ralphs, King Scoopers, City Market, Dillons, Smith’s, Fry’s, QFC, Baker’s, Owen’s, Jay C Food Stores, Hilander, Gerbes, Fred Meyer, Pay Less Supermarkets and Scott’s Food & Pharmacy 

* Products must be purchased during one shopping visit. To view a list of participating products see your store for details. The $5 coupon offer off your next shopping trip offer expires 1 week from the print date, with the coupon prints ending October 24th. Any offers printed on October 24th will expire on October 31st. **Yoplait items vary by state ***Excludes Food 4 Less

One Momfiles reader will win a $25 Kroger gift card to help stock up and save during the Kroger Buy 5- Save $5 Event. Enter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end on October 11, 2012. One winner will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email. Momfiles is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Good luck!

Disclosure: The gift card, information, and additional sample have been provided by Kroger and General Mills through MyBlogSpark

Buy HP XL Ink at Walmart to save money and time! {$20 GC Giveaway}

**Contest closed** Winner is Jammie Morey Congratulations!

Ever since school has been back in session, I have noticed something that is inevitable. We run out of printer ink way too often and I feel like I am having to run to the store to buy it frequently. When you add a spouse that's in college in the mix, we really run out of ink fast! Good thing Walmart carries HP ink cartridges that come in HP XL. I had seen them before in my cartridge size but was afraid it would not fit in my HP printer. It turns out the "XL" means the cartridge holds more ink. It fits in the same way the regular ones do. This means way more printing and less running out to buy more ink cartridges! 

It is so convenient to be able to stock up on ink cartridges while you are shopping for your groceries and household items. I found that the HP XL ink came in a large variety of sizes and the prices were reasonable. I received a $75 Walmart gift card from MomSelect to purchase HP XL ink for my printer and I had $14 left over to purchase a few items for the kids. Besides the ink cartridges, I was able to get 2 boxes of oatmeal for William, 2 bags of candy for the girls to take to volleyball, as well as a box of cake mix and powdered sugar to make cupcakes. You can't beat getting your printer ink for a decent price and being able to grab some other items at the same time with the money you saved. I think it is a great convenience for busy moms like myself!

Giveaway: One lucky Momfiles reader will win a $20 Walmart gift card to help towards the purchase of HP XL Ink! Enter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end on October 10, 2012. One winner will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email. Momfiles is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Good luck!

I received a Walmart gift card as part of a promotional program with MomSelect. All thoughts/opinions are 100% my own.

The latest from my kitchen

Lately I have been battling the dinner cooking blues. As usual, I feel like I have run out of ideas. I have been following a couple bloggers that have been meal-planning in advance and I decided to give it a try. For me, I can only do one week at a time (maybe even 4 days). I am a 2-3 times a week grocery shopper because I like everything to be as fresh as possible. I won't say that I have been overly successful in the meal-planning department. I feel like I can't stay on track because my taste or mood might change according to my schedule. One great thing is I have been cooking a lot of meatless meals. I am a HUGE veggie lover. I don't think there are too many vegetables I don't love.  In recent weeks I decided to cook meals without meat and without alerting the family ahead of time. To my surprise they all (even the hubby) love NOT eating any meat. Whaaaattt???!!!! We have all decided that we will have 3-4 meatless meals each week. Today I threw together a fabulous veggie stir-fry served with Jasmine rice and kimchi.

It was so delicious and even the kids agreed that adding any meat, chicken or even shellfish would have spoiled it. I love Asian cuisine so I am really happy that the family loved it as much as they did. 

Last weekend I made a Caribbean style fish dish (Escovitch) that got rave reviews from the family. This dish starts off with seasoned and fried fish that is then topped with a vinegar and citrus based sauce that also contains onions, fresh tomatoes, scallions and hot pepper. This dish can be served with boiled plantains & cassava or just plain rice or grits. 

I am just so happy that my family is all on board with having more meatless meals. I think it will make menu planning a little bit easier and maybe I will actually stick to it! 

What are your favorite meatless meals? Do you meal plan? 

My spice cabinet must-haves

Today I wanted to share my go-to seasonings and spices that I use all the time. I have so many people ask me what I season my dishes with so I figured I would post about it. My number one item is my Badia Complete Seasoning. I use it in all of my savory dishes including meat, poultry, fish, beans, rice and pasta.  It has a lot of Caribbean and Spanish flavor. I must have garlic powder (as well as my fresh garlic) and Badia makes a great one. Badia products can be found at Kroger, Publix, Food Lion and some Walmart stores (in the event you wanted to check them out for yourself). I also love my fine sea salt and black pepper grinder. I love the multi-colored peppercorns too. They have a very unique taste and is a little less peppery.

For additional flavor and color, I love my Tony Chachere's and Goya Sazon. I do have a number of other items in my spice cabinet but I tend to have my favorites that I use most often. I can't forget my other staples- fresh onion, garlic, scallions and cilantro. So there you have it! What are your favorite spices and seasonings?

Food Lion $25,000 Kitchen Makeover

Food Lion is launching a sweepstakes to win a $25,000 kitchen makeover! The sweepstakes is open to residents in both North and South Carolina and runs from 8/15 – 9/12. There will be a Grand Prize, a 1st & 2nd place prize, as well as multiple Food Lion gift card giveaways.

~ Grand Prize: $25k Home Makeover Package
~ 1st Place: $10k in cash
~ 2nd Place: Free Groceries for a Year
~ 100 weekly $20 Food Lion gift cards (400 total)

This made me think of all the things I could do if I won the big makeover for my kitchen. $25,000 is a lot and even the 10k in cash is not too shabby.  My kitchen is very small so I could see trying to expand it just a bit. Of course my ancient cabinets and counter tops would have to go! I would even volunteer to be on the demolition team! I can just see the dark cherry wood cabinets with pewter fixtures and brand new charcoal gray granite counter tops. I would stick with a traditional double sink and a swanky new faucet with matching fixtures. So after all that is done I would go for all new appliances. I don't have to have the fanciest ones but I would LOVE a convection oven with a flat top range. Okay I admit, I entered the sweepstakes. It took me all of one minute. I would love love love to win!
Go check it out for yourself and you can get additional entries through "checking in" on Foursquare and Facebook and purchasing My Essentials brand products. Be sure to stay connected to Food Lion on Facebook and Twitter.

What would you want to make over in your kitchen if you won?

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Food Lion. I received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Food Lion Ambassador Shopping Trip & $50 GC Giveaway

**CLOSED**

Hey guys! If you live in an area with a Food Lion grocery store, you might have noticed some changes in some of the stores. They have been updated, making the store look brighter, more inviting and very organized. The shelves are well stocked with a lot of the great name brands you use as well as the Food Lion brand of items including the "My Essentials" line. I received a very generous $150 gift card through Mom Central as a Food Lion Ambassador and got to see how far I could stretch it. I was totally up for the challenge! I made my list and headed to a brand new store that recently opened in my area.

I will say that the first thing I noticed was the gorgeous produce department filled with such beautiful, fresh fruit and vegetables. I pleased with the prices and quality. I did grab some essentials as well as a few extras for some special meals. The prices on the organic items were very fair.  I went up and down each and every aisle and compared prices on both name brands and the store brand. I found that some staple items I buy were a lot cheaper such as sugar, iced tea bags, flour and a lot of the non-grocery, household items. Now the make it or break it part of any store for me is the meat, poultry and seafood department. I was really happy with the prices, especially on beef. I don't buy beef often because it is usually way too expensive. I was so happy to be able to buy enough protein items for almost 2 weeks without feeling like I was going to have to take out a loan to pay for my groceries.

Something that really got me excited is the selection of ethnic food products that they carried. I use certain types of seasonings are very hard to find in my city and I found them there! Not only did they have more than I would ever want, the prices were SO LOW! *happy dance* My overall shopping experience at Food Lion was a wonderful one. I was treated well and felt like everything was very easy to find and I did not feel like the store was cluttered. I also was able to walk out with a very full cart load of groceries and household items and still have a small balance left in my gift card!

Here are some of the great items I received in my Food Lion Ambassador Kit. 

I love the wooden recipe card box that came with a nice set of recipe cards. I asked my teenage daughters to pick something they wanted me to make and surprise, surprise... they picked something sweet. They chose the "World's Best Chocolate Chip Cookies" recipe. I did ask after all!

I purchased almost all of the ingredients in the store brand with the exception of maybe 3 things I already had at home.

I have made many chocolate chip cookies in my lifetime and I have my usual go-to recipe that I have used for years. I decided to try out the Food Lion recipe. I won't lie, I was a bit nervous because I have never made any baked goods with store brand items. Oh my gosh, they came out AMAZING! They were a bit flatter looking than what I am used to but the taste... I can compare it to a local bakery that sells their chocolate chip cookies for $1.29 each! They had a great chew and crispiness at the same time and were not too sweet. I separated the dough and added pecans to one half since the girls like them with just chocolate chips. I absolutely must share this recipe!

What you will need:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 baking soda
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup white sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 11.5 ounce bag of chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate)
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (I used 1/2)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees or according to how your oven bakes.
2. Mix flour, salt and baking soda together; set aside
3. Beat butter for 1 minute or until smooth. Add the sugars and beat for another 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each egg goes in.
4. Reduce speed to low and add the dry ingredients in three portions, mixing until each addition is incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips and nuts.
5. I then chilled the dough for it to firm up and formed them into balls. I baked them on a cookie sheet for about 11 minutes and transferred them to cooling racks.

Apparently my family thought the cookies were an appetizer for dinner! Speaking of dinner....

I made this for dinner the same day I baked the cookies. I bought some fresh rib-eye steaks that I pan seared in my cast iron pan, sauteed mushrooms & onions, homemade garlic mashed red potatoes and some sauteed zuchinni & squash topped with Parmesan cheese. This meal fed my family for only $24. Not bad and you won't be able to get that price at any restaurant!

Giveaway: One lucky Momfiles reader will win a $50 Food Lion gift card. Believe me, you will get a lot with that amount! a Rafflecopter giveaway  

This giveaway is open to US Residents only and winner is only eligible to win one gift card per campaign. Giveaway will end on August 8, 2012. One winner will be chosen at random and contacted by email. You must complete mandatory entry in order to qualify for extra entries. Momfiles is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Good luck!

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central for Food Lion. I received a gift card and product kit to facilitate my review.

You can't beat home cooking | Publix $25 GC giveaway

Like most busy families, meal time can be a challenge when time is limited. Luckily Publix knows that the best meals happen and home and are having their “Best Meals Happen at Home” event to find great savings on some of your favorite products. Be sure to visit BestMealsatHome.com to find fantastic recipes, which can be cooked in 30 minutes or less, and your family is sure to love. After all, who wants to be stuck in the kitchen for hours when that time can be spent with your family!

Take advantage of great savings on some of your favorite participating brands during the “Best Meals Happen at Home” event at Publix from March 8th through March 14th.   As of March 8th, look for in-store for coupons that will be valid through March 28th, 2012.  Visit BestMealsatHome.com to sign up and receive emails with weekly recipes and coupon offers that will help you save up to $200 this year!

I made these yummy lasagna rolls using General Mills Ragu brand pasta sauce.

Giveaway: One lucky Momfiles reader will win a $25 Publix gift card! Enter below in the Rafflecopter widget. 

Save at Kroger with Cart Busters {Rafflecopter Giveaway}

Beginning the week of February 26th, 2012, shop the Kroger Co. Family of Stores biggest-ever promotion and find the hottest prices around on more than 35 brands, across more than 60 categories from General Mills, P&G, Pepsi, Nestle, Kraft and Kroger Banner Brands. During the Cart Buster Savings Event, you’ll find great savings in almost every department at the Kroger Family of Stores. Be sure to check your local store to confirm dates of the Cart Buster event.

This is such a good time to stock up and combine coupons for added savings. I am running low on a lot of household items so this is one of those sales that I take full advantage of!

Looking for even more ways to save time and money? Visit CartBuster.com beginning 2/26/12 to find money-savings digital coupons, shopping lists and more. And starting 2/29/12 you can participate in the “Deal of the Day”! How does the Deal of the Day work? 


* During seven days of the Cart Buster Savings Event, 2/29/12 - 3/6/12, there will be a super hot, exclusive offer good on one participating Cart Buster item. Each offer will be exclusive and available for one-day only – but the offer will be good for the duration of the entire event. 
* You’ll see savings of up to and over 50% with the Deal of the Day offers – maybe even some freebies - and that’s on top of the already-low, low prices that Cart Buster has to offer! 
* Look for seven days of “Deal of the Day offers” beginning 2/29/12. The Last Deal of the Day offer will be up on 3/6/12. But don’t fret - the Cart Buster event will continue even after the Deal of the Day ends. Check your local store for the exact end date for the Cart Buster Savings Event.

Giveaway: One Momfiles reader will win a $25 Kroger gift card, good at any of the Kroger Family stores. Enter below in the Rafflecopter widget:

This contest is open to US Residents only and will end on March 12, 2012. Please leave your email address in your comment if you do not have a Blogger profile. Failure to follow the rules will disqualify your entries. Momfiles is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Good luck!