Bargains and A Recipe.

I love a good bargain. It is such a thrill for me to see how good of a deal I can get on things. It's even more exciting when I sit down with my receipts and calculate what I saved. It's another one of my simple pleasures in life. So last night when we made an unexpected trip to Target and I discovered Christmas stuff was 75% off I thought I was in heaven!

I bought a cart load of things. A wreath for our front door, some wrapping paper, tons of white tissue paper (24 cents a pack for something you use year round?! You gotta love it!) Cake mixes galore (again, 39 cents a box for something I use year round?!) Gift bags, a topiary for my dining room and on and on....I had a blast! I walked out of Target with my overflowing cart of treasures feeling like I was on top of the world.

So having said how much I love a bargain, something else I love just as much is using things up. It truly drives me bonkers to only have a handful of something left in a bag. It seems wasteful to throw it, yet it isn't enough to really use on it's own. So when I was left with a handful of chocolate chips in two different bags, a handful of butterscotch chips in another bag (all leftover from Christmas baking) I figured there had to be something I could use them in.

Well, of course there was! I dug around in my pantry, reading recipe ideas on the backs of things and viola, on the back of my chow mein noodles bag was a recipe using the noodles, peanuts (luckily the kids had these on hand from Christmas presents) and.....chocolate/buttersotch chips. These were such a hit around here I had to share the recipe!

1/2 bag of Crunchy Chinese Noodles
1 bag of chocolate or butterscotch chips
A handful of peanuts

Melt chips. Stir in peanuts and noodles till combined. Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper. Let clusters sit till cooled and hardened. (I popped mine into the freezer to set faster)

So here's my challenge for you.....What bargain can you find today? What can you use up instead of just throwing?

It's Contagious!

So it seems blogging has become contagious in our household. Meghan created her own blog yesterday. watching her create her blog was just too cute! And, not to be outdone by his wife, his mother in law and his oldest daughter, Marty has created a blog. I can hardly wait to see what they write about! When I learn how to link their sites to my text with a "click here" I'll post their addresses. I may need to ask my favorite "geek" for some help on that one!

Simple Things

Some of you may know this about me, others may not, but I really enjoy the simple things in life. A freshly brewed pot of coffee in the afternoon. (it's even better if I drink that coffee in a great mug!) Driving through McDonalds just to get a Coke. A new bottle of flavored creamer. A trip to the library. A new song on my MP3 player. A great coupon. A fresh new notebook from my back to school stash. A new recipe. (especially if it's a quick and easy one!) Ahhh, pure bliss! Marty is always saying he's envious of how the most simplest of things, like a bottle of creamer, can bring me such joy in life.

However, I've noticed lately that I haven't been getting as much enjoyment out of my days like I usually do. At first I couldn't figure out why. I've been crabby with the kids. I've been crabby with Marty. Then it dawned on me, I have been so busy working (something I'm not completely used to as I've stayed home most of my married and parenting life) that I have forgotten to take the time to enjoy the little things for myself. I miss it!

So I resolved to get back into enjoying one simple thing every day. I will stick with my standard simple pleasures, but I have also decided to search for more. What I am not sure, but I figure these are not the only simple pleasures in life! Maybe I need to get excited about a pack of new pens. Maybe I need to wander through a garden center. (with a coffee in hand, of course!) Or maybe I need to splurge (gasp!) and get that David Archuletta CD I've been eyeing. I don't know. But I am sure excited to discover what's out there!

Recipe

I decided to share this salad recipe that I got from my friend and co-worker Monica. It's so simple yet so so yummy. It's a family favorite around here! (Addison included)

Ranch Pasta Salad
1 jar of Marie Callenders Ranch Salad Dressing (Ceasar works well, too)
1 box of Rotini pasta
1 bag of Shredded Cheddar Cheese, to taste
Summer Sausage, to taste

Cook pasta to desired doneness. Drain and let cool. While pasta is cooking remove skin from Summer Sausage and cut into bite size pieces. When pasta is cool add salad dressing, cheese and sausage. Combine well. Chill.

Welcome!

Welcome to the Schires Five Blog. I'm glad you're here! Grab a cup of coffee and chat with me for a while!

Merry Christmas!