Cookie Cupcakes -- Quick, Easy, and SO Yummy!

You guys, I am so excited to share these treats....crispy, chewy, coconut sugar cookies, topped with a sweet cream cheese frosting, sprinkled with pretty coconut and sugar....and devoured!  Two words: "dangerously delicious"!  They are a great bite-size for the kiddos....and for you to have more than one and still enjoy yourself.  ;)

We had a last-minute get together for the 4th of July, and at first I was going to make our 4th of July fruit kabobs (....big hit with the kids, and a favorite on the blog!)....but then I realized we were out of blueberries and I couldn't find our wooden skewers, lol. 

I wanted a fun treat for the kids though, so with strawberries in hand, off to Pinterest I went!  I found this recipe for "Red, White, and Blue Sugar Cookie Cups" and it was perfect -- it's an easy one to make and easy to have all the ingredients on hand!

After baking the sugar cookie cups, I frosted them with cream cheese frosting - just put it in a Ziploc bag, snip off the corner and do a swirly-whirly on top for a pretty look.

I had red sugar that was clearanced after Christmas, and I dyed some coconut blue for the topping.  To make the blue coconut, I just tossed some shredded coconut and a couple drops of blue food coloring (I'd like to try a natural food coloring like this) in a Tupperware container - the kids liked helping with this!  Then we added some fresh strawberries...

The red, white and blue was perfect for a 4th of July or Memorial Day treat, but my mind was racing with other color possibilities -- birthday parties, sports teams, other holidays, pink and blue for baby showers or gender reveal parties...

I did leave some plain for those who don't love coconut - just as yummy to keep it really simple with just the colored sugar....

They were super delicious!!  Seriously, how can you go wrong with sugar cookies, cream cheese, fresh fruit, and anything in a mini muffin tin?? It was very similar in taste to a fruit pizza, but in a cute bite size.  (My mouth is watering just typing this up!)

Directions

For the Cookie Cupcakes:

• 1 (17.5 oz.) package Sugar Cookie Cookie Mix (I used Betty Crocker)
• ½ c. coconut oil
• 1 egg

1. Mix cookies according to package instructions, substituting coconut oil for butter.
2. Grease mini muffin tin (24 muffins) and divide dough evenly among tins.

3. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
4. Cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• ½ c. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 6 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 c. powdered sugar

1. In a large bowl, beat butter, cream cheese, & vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth & blended.
2. Add powdered sugar, mixing until smooth, then beat on medium speed for 1 minute to lighten the frosting.
3. Top cooled cookie cups with cream cheese frosting, using a plastic bag with the corner cut off to pipe frosting (a smaller hole gives you more control). Top with blue coconut, red sugar, and strawberry piece (or whatever you'd like).

Optional Toppings:

• ½ c. sweetened, shredded coconut (dyed with a couple drops of food coloring)
• colored sugar
• fresh strawberries, raspberries, blueberries (if using large strawberries, divide into smaller segments)
• candies (nerds, gummies, etc)

5 Tips to Start Your Garden -- for Cheap!

It's been too long since I've had a chance to write something fun here on the blog! (of course I've shared quick great deals, but I have missed actually writing!)  Here in West Michigan we're getting really tired of the months of blizzards and we are itching to get our garden started!  The hubzy and I have been doing a lot of talking, dreaming, and planning about warmer weather and what our goals are this year.

Last year was our families first "real" garden and overall it was a great success!  We had a good harvest, a few problems to learn from, and the kids *loved* being part of it all.  I was thrilled with the extremely cheap, delicious, organic veggies! 

There's just nothing like walking out your door (front door in our case), and grabbing handfuls of fresh broccoli, peppers, and tomatoes off the vine...still warm from the afternoon sun. ::sigh::

Jacob and Lucas helping Papa fill the raised beds

Our backyard raised beds and the kids helping - especially baby Levi 
(It didn't get enough sun to be very successful back here, but it was pretty!)

I've missed it dearly this winter, but the growing season is right around the corner and we aim to be more prepared this year.  There are lots of products and things you can buy to get started, but there are also really cheap DIY ideas to keep your costs low.  I thought I'd share some ideas we've seen and things we've found helpful....

Our first peppers! (bell, jalapeno, and something else, lol)

1. Work With What You Have - for a long time we didn't even attempt a garden because our backyard is all shade, and we were quite sure our city would have a problem with front yard gardens.  We gave them a call though and found out that there was nothing prohibiting it!  And as a bonus of creating a front yard garden, we've also gotten a chance to meet and talk to a lot of new neighbors in the process - win win!  ;)

First we assessed what we already had on hand.  Randy had recently rebuilt a deck and was able to bring the old deck pieces home.  We re-purposed the stairs for a tiered herb garden, used the porch railings for trellises, and we also used pallets for our raised beds.  (Later he turned most of the deck boards into beautiful bookcases for our office!)

Obviously everyone won't have an old deck lying around, lol, but do think about what you already have.  Also, you can look around for free supplies on Craigslist, freecycle, Facebook, friends...

Our first harvest!

2. Build Your Own Raised Beds - As we looked around, I found a lot of premade raised beds online (that I gravitated toward for the convenience factor).  My husband made our beds and tomato cages though for much cheaper, very much like they did in this raised bed tutorial.  If you're handy, it can be much cheaper to go this route.

We used the same ideas to layer, starting with the cardboard....
"Lay down a thick layer of brown corrugated cardboard (the plain stuff), or newspaper. Either is perfectly safe to use in the garden and will fully decompose, but not before killing any grass below it. They’ll also provide compost and food for worms."

3. Free Seed Starters - We took too long building our beds last year to be able to start from seed, so we bought almost all of our plants inexpensively at our farmers market.  You can save a lot of money though by starting from seeds.  If you plan on starting your own vegetable and flowers indoors to get a head start on the growing season, here are a few ways to use recycled materials to start for free...

• Toilet paper rolls
• Brown paper bags
• Cardboard egg cartons
• Eggshells
• Newspaper (or use this origami style)
• A combination of whatever you've got

(*Here's a great "how-to" when starting your seeds indoors!)



4. Companion Planting - learning about companion planting can make your garden much more successful!  Something as simple as planting certain plants next to others can deter pests, make them more flavorful, and make the most of your space!  You can learn a lot just by searching online, find a great book at the library, or get a good ebook about companion planting with great reviews here!

My hubby tending our front yard garden

5. Just Go For It! - we were hesitant at first because it had been so long since we had been part of a "real" garden, but we found that we learned so much along the way!  There is tons of information available at your fingertips online, and family and friends are happy to share what they know to help you along! 

We found wonderful gardening Facebook pages designed specifically for helping each other with questions, another with great information about saving seeds (which we did successfully!), and......we found that really it's not as intimidating as we thought.  =)
So, get started and enjoy the beauty of your own garden!

Some of our homemade tomato cages, along with cabbage and marigolds

Zucchini Pancakes -- easy and healthy breakfast! (or lunch, dinner, snack...)

This weekend a new friend blessed us with a whole BIG bag of zucchini - 16 of them! They were fresh out of her moms garden, and I'm determined to use every bit and not let any go to waste!
(I'm especially thankful because we have a mystery pest in our own garden eating the leaves of all of our squash! ....and cucumbers ....and parsley)

I was going to whip up some zucchini fritters, but discovered just before breakfast that we had no eggs.....sooo, I went to Pinterest to find a "zucchini-breakfast-with-no-egg" recipe.  Not as easy as I thought, but I came across this recipe for Zucchini Pancakes and decided to try it -- SO glad I did!  I made just a few changes and they were fantastic!

They were a perfect texture - not too fluffy, not too dense, just right....and really filling!  They had just a hint of sweetness, and while we tried it with some butter and real maple syrup, the boys said they both preferred it without the syrup (yay)! It would be great to make a big batch, freeze the extra, and have on hand for a quick and easy breakfast when school starts.  They're perfect to grab on your way out the door.

It was just me and the boys at home this morning and they loved them!  Here are some quotes from breakfast....
Lucas (3), after taking one bite:  "Make again!" (which he then repeated every few bites from the highchair, lol)
Jacob (9): "Waaay better than normal pancakes."  "Those are the best pancakes I've ever had in. my. life."
Elijah (13 - and tough to impress): "Wow, those are really good."

Now that I've done my best to oversell them, lol, here's how to make your own...


Zucchini Pancakes (makes 24)

4 cups all purpose flour (I used non-GMO, unbleached, all-purpose)

4 tbsp sugar

4 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp salt

4 cups milk (I used coconut milk because that's what was in the fridge, but you could use any other kind of milk -- and use a little more or less if you want to change the consistency)

4 tbsp coconut oil*

3 cups shredded zucchini (I shredded with my KitchenAid, then pushed it into a wire sieve to get rid of excess liquid. You could also squeeze it out with a kitchen towel or cheesecloth after shredding)

Mix together all the dry ingredients, then add the milk and coconut oil. Stir in the zucchini until combined.

Grease the pan/griddle (you could use a spray, but I used coconut oil, and my favorite pieces were the ones that got a little crispy on the edge from the oil) and heat over medium heat.  Drop by 1/4 cupfuls, then after about a minute (or when bubbles start forming around the edges), flip and cook other side.

*I used this coconut oil because it's what I have on hand, and because it's refined it has no coconut flavor, but still has the benefits of coconut oil.  This unrefined oil is one of my favorites though, and I think the hint of coconut would just be delicious with these!



Linked up at:

Amazon: Intex Explorer 100 Boat $8.99 -- 73% off! (reg. $38.99)

What a sweet little boat for fun in the water!  Or as a kiddie pool on land, ooh, or maybe a clever cooler for a bbq!
Hurry over to Amazon where you can get this Intex Explorer 100 Boat for just $8.99 (Reg. $38.99!).
You will get FREE shipping with Amazon Prime (sign up for a FREE 30 day trial here) or when you spend $25 or more with Super Saver shipping!

• 1-person inflatable boat designed for pools or calm waters
• 2 air chambers for safety; grab rope on the bow
• Inflatable floor for comfort and rigidity; welded oar locks
• Contemporary graphics and colors; U.S. Coast Guard ID
• Measures 58 x 14 x 33 inches (W x H x D); 120-pound capacity

$1 Movies (all ages!) for Kids Movies at Goodrich Quality Theaters through the Summer!

I just came across another great movie theater deal to have some fun with the kids, but enjoy the air conditioning too.

Goodrich Quality Theaters have $1 kids movies during the summer through August 10th - $1 all ages!  Each week, Monday through Friday at 10am there is a new PG movie.  See if you have a nearby location here.

What are you doing to beat the heat with these crazy high temperatures we've had lately??

**HOT** Rebates for Jose Cuervo, Captain Morgan, Smirnoff, and MORE! FREE Groceries!

I love when rebates for wine, liquor, or beer come around because these rebates are a great way to save money and it's perfect timing if you have a 4th of July party or summer soiree coming up that you'll be buying alcohol for....

Right now (until 7/8/12!) you have a few days to grab this first deal:

• Buy any (2) 750ml (or larger) Jose Cuervo, Captain Morgan, Smirnoff, Johnnie Walker, Ketel One, and/or Tanqueray* between 6/24/12 and 7/8/12
• Mail in this rebate form to get $8 back! That's $4 off per bottle!
• *See rebate form for specific varieties.  Not valid in IN, ME, MS, NC, TX, and UT.

This 2nd deal you have a little longer to buy, and is similar, but with more options to purchase:

• Buy any (2) 750ml (or larger) Bailey's, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Johnnie Walker, Jose Cuervo,  Ketel One, Smirnoff, and/or Tanqueray* between 6/14/12 and 7/10/12
• Mail in this rebate form to get $8 back! That's $4 off per bottle!
• *See rebate form for specific varieties.  Not valid in IN, ME, MS, NC, TX, and UT.

Here's a 3rd deal with an even longer time to take advantage of, and is the best one of all IMO!

• Buy (1) 12pk OR (2) 6pks of Smirnoff Premium Malt Mixed Drinks/Premium Flavored Malt Beverage AND $25.01+ in groceries, between 5/11/12 and 9/30/12,
• Mail in the rebate form found here to get a $25 rebate!  What a fun way to save on groceries!  ;) 
• Valid in AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, MA, MD, MI, MS, MT, NE, NV, NM, ND, OH, OK, OR, RI, SC, SD, TN, WA, WI or WY.

These are 3 separate rebates, so you can purchase and submit all three, but they must all be on their own receipt!  For example, you cannot purchase 2 Jose Cuervo's and expect it to qualify for both #1 and #2 rebates.  Each rebate will need it's own rebate form and original receipt.

Make sure to read the rebate forms and follow the directions to be sure you receive your rebate.  When I mail in rebates, I always make a copy of my submission (via digital photo) to keep track of what I've sent in, and in case there's any discrepancy I can show proof of purchase.


(thanks Sarah's Deals and The Deal Yo!)

Rite-Aid: FREE FujiFilm Waterproof Camera!

It's a bummer that Iowa doesn't have Rite-Aid's because we're visiting family and I would love to grab this camera deal!

     {{Deal Scenario ~ Rite-Aid}}
FujiFilm Waterproof One-Time Use Camera - $7.99 (price check if priced at $17.99)
- $3/1 +UP Reward (weekly deal, limit 2)
- $5/1 +UP Reward (monthly deal)
= FREE + .01¢ Moneymaker!


(thanks Mama's Spot!)

FREE and Cheap Movies at Theaters this Summer!

My kids love going to the movie theater and I love having a nice air conditioned place to go during the summer, but I do not love the prices!  Luckily, there are quite a few theaters who are offering FREE and cheap family movie programs this summer! 

Passionate Penny Pincher has put together a great list of theaters offering these programs!  Also, be sure to check your local theaters if they're not listed to see if they have their own cheap/free movies.  We have a theater that offers $3 tickets all the time, and another that has new release movies for $4 every Sunday night -- those are our date nights.  =)

FREE Roller Skating for Kids - All Summer!

Did you love roller skating as a kid?  I sure did!  We went all the time it seems.....lots of fun memories skating to "Ice, Ice, Baby" and doing the chicken dance.  ;)

Well, this Summer, you can get FREE roller skating for kids -- 2 free passes per week, per kid all Summer!!  I'm so bummed there are no participating roller rinks in our area, but hopefully there will be for you!  Check here for locations.


(thanks Inspiring You 2 Save!)

4th of July Fruit Kabobs Recipe! Fun, easy and healthy recipe for kids to help with!

Here's a really yummy way to celebrate the 4th of July (or Memorial Day) with a fun red, white, and blue treat!  Since it's Summer, many fruits are in season and this makes it a perfect frugal recipe/activity to make with the kids!  It's easy and healthy too!

I originally saw this recipe on Frugal Girls a couple years ago and when we had a family reunion over July 4th last year, I thought this would be perfect for both the oodles of little ones and the adults! They were a hit!

I started by assembling my ingredients:

• Skewers
• Star Shaped Marshmallows (I've seen them at Walmart and Meijer.  You could also use regular marshmallows too)
• Red and Blue fruit (I used strawberries, blueberries, and red grapes)

{^ that's almost exactly what my ingredients looked like, but I couldn't take a good picture with the cell phone - thanks Frugal Girls!}

Then I stuck the fruit and marshmallows on the skewers in fun patterns.  Done!
{I apologize for the poor quality pictures, I misplaced the camera - then found it about 30 minutes after these were gobbled up, lol.  So, cell phone pics will have to do}  =)

The skewers are sharp, so be careful!  But kids can help by:

• picking which fruits to buy/use
• washing fruits
• handing you fruits and marshmallows
• assembling the patterns of how they want them on the kabob (ie: 2 blueberries, 1 white marshmallow, 3 blueberries, 1 blue marshmallow....etc.)
• older kiddles could thread the ingredients onto the skewer

Other red, white, and blue ingredients you could use....
Red:

• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Cherries
• Grapes
• Watermelon chunks/balls
• Red grapefruit
• Red Pears

White:

• Marshmallows (mini, large, stars...)
• Pound cake cut into chunks or shapes with a cookie cutter
• Dragonfruit (white and black inside)
• Banana (tossed with lemon juice to keep from browning)
• White nectarines or peaches
• Pears (peeled - and again, tossed with lemon juice)
• Pineapple (white-ish)  =)
• Angel food cake

Blue:

• Blueberries
• Blackberries
• Raisins

{Here's a great flag version Brianna made that I found on Pinterest!}

I think these would be really fun for other occasions too!  Rainbow colored for a birthday party - or use the colors of a favorite sports team for a game day party.  What do you think?  Any other ideas?

Linking up to.....

Coleman Montana 8-person Tent only $99.99 Shipped!

There's a great deal on a Coleman Montana 8-person tent right now at Amazon!  Their prices change frequently, so if you want it, act fast!  We have one similar to this and we love it!  It makes me almost love camping!  ;)

Normally $219.99, it's now priced at $119.99 + FREE shipping, AND, you'll get $20 off* for spending over $100 on select Coleman camping gear = $99.99 shipped!


*(the $20 discount shows up on the final order page)

(thanks Mojo Savings!)

Friday Feature: Frugal Family Fun - Disc Golf (or Frisbee Golf)!

When we were on vacation visiting family, we had lots of outdoor fun since the weather was just beautiful!  We visited a few different disc golf courses and had a great time! I was thinking about how inexpensive and family friendly of a sport it is and thought I should tell you about it in case it's new to you!  And it's a great idea for a fun way to finish up the Summer with the family - although it can be played anytime!

Q: What is Disc Golf? (also called Frisbee Golf)
A: "Disc golf is played much like traditional golf. Instead of a ball and clubs, however, players use a flying disc, or Frisbee®....A golf disc is thrown from a tee area to a target which is the "hole". the hole can be one of a number of disc golf targets; the most common is called a Pole Hole® an elevated metal basket.....Disc golf rarely requires a greens fee, you probably won't need to rent a cart, and you never get stuck with a bad "tee time." It is designed to be enjoyed by people of all ages, male and female, regardless of economic status." - from PDGA.com  (Professional Disc Golf Association)

{brother-in-law Mike "teeing off"}

There's a course directory at PDGA.com to be able to find courses near you - they're all over the place and almost always FREE to play at!

DG Course Review is also a great site to find courses and see lots of details about each one....like ratings from users, difficulty, condition, wooded or not, length of course.....etc.


First, we went to one in Newton, IA, called Maytag Park, which the guys seemed to like - but my sister-in-law and I took kid duty at the playground, so I didn't play it myself.  =)

 {*side note: just about the time the guys finished playing, my punkin' here fell down some steps and we had to rush to the ER.....all is well, but it was definitely a scare and a rough way to finish a fun evening!}

The next weekend we went to a couple courses in Ames.  We first tried the Carroll Marty Disc Golf Course at Gateway Hills Park -- we had kids and adults playing with us, and we all enjoyed it!  Each of the 18 holes had an option to start at the "normal" tees, or a more difficult professional tee to be a bit more challenging. 
*We returned to this one a week later and brought more family members because we liked it so much!

When we were done, the guys wanted to check out another nearby course called "Stable Run DGC" at Iowa State University since we were so close.  I was pretty whooped from all that sunshine (and late nights of "vacation"), so I just followed along while they played.  It was a lot less busy than the first one, and they liked it ok, but we all definitely preferred the Carroll Marty course.

{sister-in-law Amy taking a shot}

 {gathering the discs from the basket}

{hubzy's turn}

{this was a challenging hole!  It dropped off where you see the edge there!}

It's such a great and versatile sport...kids and adults love it, it's a cheap date, a great excuse to get some fresh air and exercise, and on top of that it's very inexpensive!  All you need is a disc and you're all set.  A few years ago I bought my husband a 3 disc set for about $20 for his birthday, and he's gotten hours and hours of fun out of that 20 bucks!

Discs are commonly priced anywhere from $7-$15.....you can buy them as individual discs or in sets.  From what I understand there are 3 main kinds of discs - driver, mid-range, and putter. Similar to golf clubs, they each are made for different things - some for short distance "putting", others for long throws....etc.  But, if you're just starting out, you can just pick up a basic disc and it will work just fine.  You can find them at most sports stores like MC Sports and Dick's Sporting Goods or online at Amazon or Ebay with some FREE credit from Swagbucks!  I would think WalMart might even carry them with as popular as the game is, but I haven't looked to be sure.

We're thinking about adding to our starter set and I just found a few cool ones online.....I believe this DX Starter 3-Packset is the same one I bought for my husband and it's only a little more than what I spent (+ shipped free to your house!).  This Innova Pro Katana Disc Golf Driveris very similar to my brother-in-laws' driver I played with most of the course and I loved it!  This Innova Disc Golf Starter Setincludes 3 discs and a disc golf bag to carry your discs in as you play (which I found very handy as my father-in-law had one we all used!), all for just under $40.



We had a lot of fun, with a lot of people, for not a lot of money.....it was a great time!  I'm becoming quite the fan (not necessarily good, just a fan, lol) and highly recommend it! 
It's fun to share bits of our vacation with you......now you tell me.......

Have you ever played (or heard of) Disc Golf?  Where's your favorite place to play?  Any tips, advice or resources you know of?

Friday Feature: Kids Snack Ideas for Summer Break!

During Summer Break, if the kids aren't lamenting about being bored, they're saying "Can I have a snack? Can I have a snack? Can I have a snack?" {that's three of them asking right after one another, lol}

Here are a couple clever ideas for managing the snack monsters while they're home from school - either during Summer vacation, in the afternoons during the school year, or all the time if you're homeschooling!

I love Kristen Duke's idea of having the kids choose what to "buy" for their snacks - check out her blog for a great system to "Streamline Summer Snacking"! 
{Her photography is pretty awesome too!  And I cannot get enough of her Pink Lemonade birthday party!!}

Also, in her comments, I saw this suggestion from Lorie that I thought was a great alternative:

"Fun!! We used to do something similar. Actually the same, just without the fun money. After breakfast the kids would all back up their snacks for the day. They had to pick two healthy snacks (fruit/veggies), one regular snack (pretzels/crackers) and one treat (cookies, etc) and they could eat them whenever they wanted, but when they were gone they were gone. It helped them learn to ration! ;D"

So smart!!

How do you manage the 'snack attacks' at your house??  Do you have any great tips or tricks for keeping the snacking organized or keep it from getting out of control?

P.S. I'm so happy that I actually posted a "Friday Feature" on Friday!  haha!  =)

P.P.S. Make sure to see the BIG List of FREE and Cheap Summer Activities HERE!  Awesome resource for making memories, helping kids have a fun Summer and keeping the "I'm bored's" away.