Where's Sluggy Been? & A NomNom Recipe

I know, I know.....I've sort of been M.I.A. lately.

It all began a few weeks ago, when my hard drive fried.
Ever since then, I've been off kilter and off my game.

My Simplifying Christmas series posts?
My Christmas baking recipe posts?
Even my usual Grocery shops, Meal planning and Budget posts.......just haven't been happening.
Ugh.

Yep, just Ugh.
I am feeling so articulate lately, can't you tell? ;-)

December is always packed with goings-ons here.
We've got the high school band & chorus programs....and some years the school play if one of the teens is involved in that too, having to fetch #1 son from college, selling on eBay(since the Holidays is the busy time there for what I have!), blogging(or trying to), running to Rite-Aid for goodies and Daughter's birthday.
This year she turned 18!  I now technically have 2 adult children.
1 more to go. ;-)

Add in the brew-ha-ha surrounding the Holidays and December is anything but quiet and low-key.
Now is it any wonder why I am trying to simplify my Christmas?lol

Though I haven't been finding much time, with all that, for blogging, I have been keeping up with the baking this Christmas.   Instead of big massive one day BakeFest, I've been just wedging in a small session of cookie or pie making here and there since Sunday.
Here's what I've gotten accomplished to this point....

3 batches of Oatmeal cookies-1 without raisins.

1 batch of Coconut Macaroons in a festive lime green color.

1 batch of Coconut Macaroons regular color.  I added a dried cherry to each one after baking.  Didn't work out too well since they keep falling off.lol

1 batch of Double Chocolate Cookie Bars.  I added butterscotch chips to this recipe.

I also baked 2 Pecan Pies.  Christmas isn't Christmas in our house without this Southern favorite!

I've also got 1.5 dozen Chocolate Chocolate Chunk & Peanut Butter Cookies in the oven as I type.
Later today the pumpkin puree making and then the Pumpkin Pie baking commences....

If your gang loves chocolate and nuts, you need to try these Double Chocolate Cookie Bars.  They are easy-peasy.  Sort of a cross between Oreos, a fresh baked cookie and fudge.
I cut this recipe out of one of those Women's magazines ages ago.  I have no clue which one but it was over 20 years ago.

Double Chocolate Cookie Bars

Ingredients--
*2 cups finely crushed creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookies(Oreos or Hydrox or any brand of similar), 24 cookies or 2/3 of a package
*1/4 Cup butter(or margarine), melted
*1 (12 oz)package semi-sweet chocolate chips
*1 (14 oz)can Eagle Condensed Milk(not evaporated milk!)
*1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
*1 Cup chopped nuts(I used walnuts but you can use whatever you like)

Preheat over to 350F.
Combine crumbs and butter, press firmly on bottom of 13x9in. baking pan.

In medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 cup of the choco. chips with the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla.

Pour evenly over prepared crust.

Top with nuts and remaining chocolate chips.

(I also added butterscotch chips and didn't use the whole bag of the semi-sweet chips. You could also use vanilla chips, cinnamon chips or whatever your family prefers.)

Bake 20 minutes or until set.
Cool.
Chill if desired.  Cut into bars.  Store tightly covered at room temperature.(if they last that long!lol)
The recipe says it makes 24-36 'bars'.  Since it's just a 13x9 pan, the 'bars' are more like 1.5" squares. 8-)

So what has everybody else been baking up in the kitchen?

Sluggy

Don't Forget to Enter My Giveaways!

I know everyone is super busy but when you are online, be sure and enter my Giveaways located HERE and HERE.  Or just use the links on the right side of the website at the top of the blog.  The first one ends on Dec. 30th and the second one ends Christmas eve night so hurry!


It's not like y'all have anything else to do this week, right?lol


Sluggy

You Know It's Cold.....

......When the beagle does this......

See the beagle, plaster her body up against the baseboard heating unit in the cold, tile-floored hallway.
Even the sound of the pantry door opening couldn't tear her away!lol

I sure hope January mellows out in the frigid department...geez!

Sluggy

The Mid-Week Rite-Aid Report

Yah, I know everyone is sick to death of my Rite-Aid posts.
So I'll just do a quick show-and-tell summary from the last 4 trips.....lol

Wednesday morning....1st Day of the 4-Day Extravaganza.....

Those puzzles are some of the GREAT VALUE Toys that give a $2+Up Reward each.  They are regular retail of $.99, or $.89 w/wellness discount of 10% or $.79 w/wellness discount of 20%.
They are moneymakers no matter the discount or not.

The Advil pictured is $4.99 during the 4 Day Sale(ends on Sat.).  There was a $1/1 ManuQ sometime in the recent past set of inserts.  There is also a Video Values Q for $1 AND/OR a In-Ad $1 Q.
The regular sales ad says you get a $1 +Up Reward for buying the Advil AND during the 4-Day sale you also get a $3+Up Reward.
After Qs and +Ups the Advil is a moneymaker as well!

I was shocked to find any of this Sensitive Colgate Toothpaste on the shelves as late in the regular sale week as Wednesday.  Since it's on sale for $3.50 and each tube you buy gives you back a $3.50 +Up Reward, I assumed that all the stores would be cleaned out of it by Sunday evening!  Even without any Qs it's FREE after +Ups.
But I guess everyone is too busy this week shopping for gifts so at least for now, there is still Colgate on the shelves around here.  Has anyone found it still laying on the shelves in their stores?

Then we hit another store later that day while out running errands....

I am missing a 2 lt. of Mountain Dew and 2 x 20 oz. Sierra Mist Cranberry.
There is a BOGO Video Values Q.  Pair it with the $.55/1 Tearpad Qs that are hanging on the refrigerated cases doors in your store.  Plus the 20 oz. Sierra Mist Cranberry is on sale at Rite-Aid for $.99 bottle.  After 2 Qs and sale price, your 2 bottles together will cost you $.44. 

These are the only 2 bags of nuts I have found this week.  If you can't find them either, be sure and get a raincheck....they should write it up as $2 a bag(because of the +Ups you won't get).  Pair your raincheck with the $1/1 Q online and you'll pay $1 a bag once they are back in stock.

Yet another store while out.....

They had the Great Value figurines as well as the puzzles.....this was at a store that usually doesn't have much or special things that some stores get in.  And no, I left puzzles and figurines on the shelf for others.
Again lots of the FREE toothpaste(after +Ups).  I used my raincheck for hash that expires soon. No the hash isn't expiring soon, the raincheck is.  I'm just too lazy to go back and fix that sentence.lol
A little free tape and 15¢ envelopes too....

This is too funny......I got 15 +Up Rewards for this purchase.....$36 in +Ups.
Here's the tape....well, most of the tape since I couldn't fit it all in the photo....

Yes, the chihuahua is reading it...or at least sniffing it.
She knows a great deal when she sees one!lol

And last night I was bored and Rite-Aid is open until 11pm for the next week, so I went up to wander around and give the cashier something to do.....lol....

Still Toothpaste left and Bic pens(that cost .18¢ for 2 packages after +Ups), envelopes and Advil.
No tape for 100 miles however and they said they got 3 whole rolls more on the last truck from the warehouse!lolol
That Almay make-up?.....it's a great deal this week!  40% off AND there is a $2 Almay Video Values Q(can't recall if it's a Dec. Q or was a Nov. Q?).  So regular price here for the cheapest Almay is $7.49.
With 40% sale it's $4.49 this week.  The Q makes it $2.49 PLUS there is a $2 SCR this month(#61), so after everything you pay $.49 OOP for it.
I picked this shadow for blue eyes up for Daughter to give to her friend for Christmas.....shhhh, don't tell her, ok? ;-)


THESE TRIPS
Total Spent....$1.75(put on free Rite-Aid gift card)
Value of Items....$174.66
SCR qualified for...$2.00
Other Rebates earned...$0.00
Gift Cards earned....$00.00
+Up Rewards earned...$85.50
+Up Rewards spent...$49.00
+Up Rewards left to spend....$109.50

GRAND TOTALS--December Rebate Period so far

Number of Transactions......24
Total Spent....$11.02 put on free Gift Cards/Certificates so ZERO OOP
Value of Items purchased....$989.97
SCR qualified for....$16.00
Other Cash....$11.99
Gift of Savings Reward...$40.00*both me and BIL account*
Additional Rebates....$0.00
Additional Non-Cash Rewards....$0.00

+UPS Totals for Dec. SCR period
+Up Rewards carryover from 12/13.....$73.00
+Up Rewards spent....$195.00
+Up Rewards earned....$287.50
+Up Rewards left....$109.50

Sluggy

My Christmas Present.....from Google!

Looky what appeared in my mailbox last week...at least I think it was last week.  The days are just a blur lately so yah, I'm saying it was last week...that's my story anyway. lol

Back to the photo......

It's my very first ad revenue check from Google!

If you have a blogspot blog and have their ads on your blog, some day you too might reach $100 in ad revenue.  And once you reach that number, your buds at Google will cut you a check!
And not to spoil this totally awesome moment......but do you know how long it took me to reach $100 in page views/ad clicks on my blog?
Well I started this particular blog on the day before my birthday--Jan. 20th, 2009.  I don't recall exactly when I put the ads up on it....I'm guessing it was about 6 months into this whole deal, so I'll say around July of  '09?
Yah, that sounds about right.
So it took just shy of 17 months or almost 1.5 YEARS to become a paid blogger!

It's a good thing I didn't give up my day job, huh?
No wait!....I don't have a day job....well, yes I have a job, but until the kids or the dogs start cutting me checks for what I do, I don't actually get paid to do anything. lol

At any rate, I am not going to let the fact, that once you divide how many womanhours, that I've spent chained to this machine, enlightening, entertaining, bamboozling or just plain boring you all, the only people who earn less than me a yr. are unskilled workers in Burundi, Lesotho, Malawi and Sierra Leone.

So what am I going to do with this thing once I cash it?
Hmmmm....

Any suggestions?

For now, I'll just sit back and gaze upon it and savor the moment.....because at this rate, I won't see another one of these babies until July of 2012! ;-)

Sluggy