Restaurants.com 80% Off Promotion - limited time!

Restaurants.com has a new promotion going on now through April 26.  All gift certificates are 80% off.  Just use the promo code MEAL when you check out, and your discount will be applied.  You can get $25 gift certificates for just $2. 

What a great way to eat out and save!   Offer Extended Until April 30.

A Good Egg!

With the picnic season just around the corner, and all the ways we use eggs (e.g. egg salad, potato salad and deviled eggs), I got to thinking about how many variations there must be for achieving the perfect hard boiled egg.  I've read about people steaming them, and even pressure cooking them.  I haven't tried either of these methods, and I'm not here to bring you everyone's tried and true approach to the perfect egg - just mine.

This is the way my mom taught me to make boiled eggs with a twist of my own.  Place your eggs in a pan of cold water with the lid on, and turn the burner to high.  Set your timer for 15 minutes, and watch closely.  As soon as the water comes to a boil, turn the burner off and start the timer.

When the eggs are done, drain and rinse with cold water.  Run more cold water into the pan and let it set a couple minutes.  Drain the water, replace the lid and shake vigorously, holding the lid on.  The eggs will peel nicely and have a perfect yolk.  So give this one a try and see for yourself that boiled eggs are as easy as 1-2-3.

Here are some more tips for boiled eggs:

• Older eggs (3-5 days) will peel better than fresh eggs.  (Never a problem here)
• Do not add salt to the water.  This raises the boiling point of water and may make the whites rubbery.
• Room temperature eggs are less likely to crack, and take approximately one minute less to cook than eggs right from the refrigerator.
• A TB of vinegar added to the water will prevent the white from running out of any egg that happens to crack.  However, this can affect the taste.
• Overcooked eggs may produce a green ring around the outer surface of the yolks.

Basic Egg Salad 
The recipe is simple and consists of boiled eggs, mayonnaise and salt & pepper.  Other add-ins include onions, pickles, celery, mustard, dill, and bell pepper. 
 

Friends, Fun, Food (and wine of course)

It was quite a weekend filled with joy and laughter, old friends and new places.  Saturday, was our anniversary, and after going to three stores to chase down cypress mulch, we joined our Cheers friends for another fabulous wine dinner.  Dine by Design catered with their usual delicious style.  Here was our menu and the accompanying wines.

King Salad (shrimp & avocado on lettuce w/spicy dressing)
2008 Ulrich Langguth Riesling ($12.99 at Total Wine)

Pork Loin w/raspberry chipotle sauce
2007 reserve Oak Grove Zinfandel ($7.99 at Total Wine)

Marinated Beef Tenderloin
2008 Columbia Valley Merlot ($9.49 at Costco)

Noodles Romanoff
2008 Mirassou Pinot Grigio ($7.99 at Costco)

Rum Cake
2008 Doulce France Vouvray ($9.99 at Total Wine)

Everything was wonderful, but my favorite dish was the pork loin, and my favorite wine was the Merlot. 

But the fun didn't stop there.  Sunday Kevin and Ashley took us to Raffaldini Vineyards and Winery.  It is about an hour north of here on US 421.  The view from their Italian-style villa was just amazing.  We had a beautiful, clear day with barely a cloud in the sky.  

 Upstairs on the piazza.

 A view of the mountains beyond the vineyard.

A beautifully landscaped rose garden.

On the way to the villa.

Patio overlooking the vineyard.

This was another wonderful day.  Since it was getting late and they closed at 5:00, we decided to forego the wine tasting and just enjoyed the nice weather, the scenery and the company.  We watched people parachuting in the distance like tiny specks against the bright sky.  

We did get a couple bottles of their Vermentino.  This is a refreshing white wine, delicious with seafood and shellfish and mild cheeses.  I look forward to going back and tasting all their wines.

Back in town, we wrapped up our day with dinner at Applebee's.  Today was quite a treat, and ended too soon.  Sharing good times, and good food with good friends was a great way to celebrate our anniversary weekend.

 

Quote of the Week

Aerodynamically the bumble bee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumble bee doesn't know it, so it goes on flying anyway.  

- Mary Kay Ash

If a little bumble bee can accomplish the "impossible" imagine what you can do?

Snowball and Other Spring Beauties

As Spring slowly fades toward Summer, here are some more flowers from around my yard.

Snowball:  Three stages of the bloom.

Ummmm, smell the lilac.

The King of Spring!

Bloodroot, prettier than it's name.

Three Strikes

As we have become more dependent on gadgets that chop, grind, slice, dice and even cook for us while we're out, we also become a little out of sorts when they mysteriously stop working.  

Strike one, my twenty-something crock pot gives up the ghost and turns a normally tender chunk of chuck into something akin to a boiled owl.  Mom used this phrase to describe various over-cooked proteins as being tougher than a boiled owl.  Not having any personal experience with this, we'll just assume it was.

Strike two? The "I-can't-live-without-it" food processor we bought 10 years ago.  Little by little, the bowl and cover were wearing out.  A piece would break here and crack there, but it still worked fine.  That is until I tried to grate my wedge of Parmigiana Reggiano, and the bowl kept rising up on the base because it had broken to the point that it wouldn't stay latched in place.

Strike three.  I decided to try a new tapenade recipe, but with the processor out of order, I pull out the blender, and start piling stuff into the container.  I slap on the lid, push the button and what do I get?  A big WHIRRRRR, but no blade action.  Hubs calls "turn it off" from the other room and comes to check it out.  So I regroup while he takes the blade downstairs to oil it - something about the bearings and did it go into the dishwasher?  No, dishwashers are evil!  Well, only the first time or two, I swear.  Is it toast?

Now for Plan C (don't you hate it when it comes down to Plan C).  In my desperation, I used my immersion blender's chopper unit, and folks I don't recommend this for expediency's sake.  It's wonderful for small quantities of something like nuts for a pie or to whiz up a can of tomatoes, but for a batch of tapenade, it was quite the challenge.

Fortunately, all the food processor needed was a few replacement parts.  Can't say the same for the crock pot, and I haven't gotten the prognosis on the blender.

Meanwhile, here's Sophie enjoying her "present".

It's just what I wanted.  How did you know?

A Fine Day for Wine!

Isn't it exciting when you discover something new practically in your own back yard?  That's how we felt when we visited Junius Linday Vineyards.  It's located in Northern Davidson County just a short drive from Winston-Salem.  Owner, Michael Zimmerman was pouring their wines in a picturesque outdoor setting just feet from the vines.  Also part of the team was Bacchus, an American Foxhound named for the Roman god of wine.  He was people-friendly, and happily passing the afternoon people watching or lying on the cool floor.

Looking out over the vineyard.

 
There was another group tasting when we arrived, and they bought a bottle to share at one of the patio tables.  As we tasted our way through their array of wines (two white, three red and one dessert wine), I was taken with their Second Leaf, a blend of Viognier and Roussanne.

The land, which is now a vineyard, was chosen by Michael's grandfather, Junius Lindsay Zimmerman and his bride Beatrice as they started their life together, and it has been in the family ever since.  Michael moved back to the home place with his wife Lucia in 1995 after having spent 15 years in the Foreign Service.  In 2004 he began growing grapes on 2 acres, and I believe they are currently planting about 9 acres.

The tasting bar.

This was a great way to spend some leisure time on a nice Spring afternoon.  It was a pleasure to meet Michael and learn about their wines and some of the family history.  We left with our own bottle of Second Leaf and two complimentary tasting glasses.

Junius Lindsay Second Leaf

We rounded out the day with a visit to Childress Vineyards, where we purchased a bottle of their Viognier and enjoyed that out on their terrace overlooking a beautiful green lawn and the vineyard beyond.  They were out of Trio, our favorite, but it will be available again around the 23rd of April.
  

The terrace

The lawn at Childress Vineyards.

Interestingly, both the Junius Lindsay and Childress wines were crafted by Mark Friszolowski, the talented winemaker at Childress Vineyards.

Quote of the Week

Every day may not be good, but there's something good in every day.  

 -  Author Unknown

We all have days that seem like everything that could go wrong did, but within each day there is a bright spot.   Some days we just have to look deeper than others.

Don't Let Your Bundle of Joy Cost a Bundle

The economy may be improving, but for those new parents and parents to be, there are new expenses on the horizon, and it is a broad horizon spanning 18 years or more.  This requires commitment and sacrifice, but it shouldn't land you in the poor house, at least not in the first few years of life...as scenes of Harvard flash before your eyes.

But first things first, you need to prepare for your upcoming bundle of joy.  You need clothes by the bundles, diapers, food, baby toiletries, and maybe formula and bottles.  You may wonder what I'm doing writing a post about baby stuff when all my children have four legs and fur.  Well, the answer is simple.  I want to help people save money, and steer them in the direction of value and information.

There are a number of websites out there devoted to coupon savings, where to get the deals on diapers and how to work the system to even get free stuff.  I have sorted through and pulled out what I think are some good ones.  Some are simply money savers, some have reviews and others will relate their experiences so you'll know you're not alone in baby-land.  

Smart Shopping

Let's start with money saving.  After all that's probably at the top of everyone's list.  This first group isn't baby-specific, but they provide sale information and coupon match-ups for food, household goods, personal care and baby items.

Hip2Save.com
This site has a myriad of different savings from Target and Wal-Mart to the 3 major drugstores, Walgreen's, CVS and Rite Aid.  She has even included store guides so you'll learn how to take full advantage of the savings available.  Yes, there are things to learn about drugstore shopping, and all three stores are different.  She also offers lot of on-line deals like books and toys from Amazon. 

Southernsavers.com
This one covers local grocery stores such as Harris Teeter and Food Lion plus other regional stores with coupon match-ups.  It also covers the same 3 drugstores, offering another take on the same sales.

Sometimes grocery stores such as Food Lion, have printable coupons on-line.  In addition to food and household items, there are usually several sets of baby care coupons.

Just for Baby

Babycheapskate.com
This provides information on cost-conscious decorating, baby product reviews, coupons and sales and diapers and other products.  There is a product review on diapers, and what other mom's have to say about the different brands and styles, including generics/store brands.

Babycenter.com
A wealth of baby information, health and support, links to blogs, questions and answers and more.

Alternative Shopping Places

This may not suit all new parents, but I suggest checking out thrift stores, and consignment shops.  Every parent wants their babies dressed in adorable little outfits, and they should be.  However, they grow out of everything so quickly, especially in the first year, that it can be very costly to keep up with their ever-changing dimensions.  While you can't cover all your baby's wardrobe needs at these places, you can find new, or nearly new items, even brand names, for a fraction of mall and specialty shop prices to help offset the other costs.

Hand-me-downs

Network with friends and family who already have children.  Baby clothes will be outgrown before being worn out so see if someone has clothes to loan or give away.  The same goes for items like strollers, car seats, high chairs and cribs.

Other Links

Diapers.com (free shipping on orders over $49)

Babies Online (free coupons and magazines and samples, and more)

Wal-Mart Baby (97¢ shipping to your home)

Restaurants.com (save money on a parents night out, babysitting not included)

Passion for Savings  (check here for Wal-mart deals, and more)

Centsible Savings (check here for Wal-mart deals, and more)

There is much repetition among the coupon sites.  Many cover the same stores and have the same coupons.  You just need to find the ones that best> meet your needs.  As always, pay attention to your coupons for restrictions such as size, item count, etc., and use coupons appropriately.

Our Happy Easter Weekend

It was a happy Easter here in the Sunny South, and a gorgeous weekend in many areas so I've heard.  The flowers were blooming and the skies were clear and blue.  Saturday night we had a pre-Easter/birthday combination dinner with DH's family.  In addition to Easter, we were celebrating my niece's and bil's birthdays.  We had grilled lamb, and a red velvet birthday cake for dessert.

The fastest hands!

 Happy Birthday!

Afterward we dyed Easter eggs.  That was the first in years for me.  It was fun, and they turned out pretty good, considering we had blue, green and 3 oranges to work with.  I don't know what happened to the red and yellow.

Ready, Set, Go

I think the Easter Bunny would be proud of these!

We started off Easter Sunday by attending the Easter service with Ashley and Kevin and the kids, followed by a pleasant lunch at El Paisano.  Then Ashley and I and the kids went to PetSmart to get hermit crabs, while the guys went home to check out the leaking refrigerator.

I got a short video of the crabs, named Hans (Scott's) and Cannonball (Michael's).  Hans is wearing the natural colored shell and Cannonball is yellow and black with a red stripe.

I suppose you're wondering why the boys were telling the crabs to say "crab cakes".  When I took pictures, instead of "say cheese" I was going to do "say crab flakes", like the crab food, but it sort of came out wrong - hmmm...what was I thinking?

Hans actually got out of the shallow dish three times, so we had to get a deeper container to prevent further escape.

"I've got a plan."

We hung out with them for the rest of the day, and had a wonderful beef stew for dinner. Ashley's Dad and Kevin's brother's family all joined us in the kitchen for dinner.  

Happy Easter everyone!

Quote of the Week

This comes a little late this week.

A hug is a great gift - one size fits all, and it's easy to exchange.  

- Author Unknown

This is a gift we all benefit from, both giving and receiving.  

A New Addition

Saturday was an exciting day for us.  This type of event doesn't happen every day or even every decade for that matter.  My DH is now the proud owner of a 2002 Honda Accord.  It's got it all, comfy leather seats, power this and that and...drumroll please...a sunroof!  That is a first for either of us.  This ends his two-year search for just the right car.  He went through several phases like I'd like a Corolla, no maybe a Civic.  We looked at car after car in under the broiling summer sun until he concluded that he'd just keep his car for now.  OK.  It was always brimming just under the surface though, the notion that the time was winding down to replace it.  Next there was the "I can just get another Saturn" phase. There were a few out there, but that model/body style is getting hard to come by, and that passed into "I'll just put new tires on it and keep driving."

When my car died back in November, I launched a search of my own.  That renewed his interest as well.  My search took us through the dead of winter and we endured bitter winds as we looked at car after car, and test drove them through snow and slush.  In the process so began his Accord phase, and we drove 4 before finding the right one.  We almost ended up with a silver one (no leather), but our offer was declined.  Fine.  Things usually work out the way they are supposed to if you don't force the issue.

On Thursday we found another gold one on-line.  We looked at it Friday evening, and went back the next morning for a test drive.  Once the decision was made that this was the car, and we had our "number" in mind, Tim, our long-suffering salesman came out to give us their "number". Can you guess?  They weren't exactly in the same neighborhood.  Again I said, "I'm sorry, I was hoping you'd be getting a new car today".  Tim said he would take our offer to the manager to see what he'd say.  Tim had been gone for a while, so thinking we were just out of luck again, we were about to leave.  But wait... here comes Tim, and he's walking with purpose.  Apparently the fact that we were there with our checkbook ready to buy and drive carried some weight, and our offer was accepted.

So here it is! 

I am happy and excited that he has a "new" car.  Now, it's my turn!

Restaurants.com - 80% off...Again!

Restaurants.com has a new promotion going on now through April 6.  All gift certificates are 80% off.  Just use the promo code CHOW when you check out, and your discount will be applied.  You can get $25 gift certificates for just $2. 

What a great way to eat out and save!

Spring has Sprung!

Here is some of Nature's bounty.

 

The out-of-control Forsythia beside the driveway.

A Tulip Tree blossom at Sci-Works.

A budding Snowball.

Hot Cross Buns - an Easter Tradition

With Easter coming up this weekend, I thought it would be a good time to learn a little about this tasty holiday treat.  They can be found in stores everywhere around Easter, they are sweet, spiced buns with currants or raisins and sometimes other candied fruits.  They are leavened with yeast and have a cross made of icing on the top.

Traditionally, these are eaten on Good Friday with the cross symbolizing the crucifixion.  The first use of the term Hot Cross Buns was recorded in 1733.  However it is believed that the Saxons ate buns marked with a cross to honor the goddess Eostre.  This is probably the origin of the word Easter.

This tradition is believed to have begun when Queen Elizabeth I banned them from being consumed except at festivals such as Easter and Christmas.  In many cultures, breads play an important part in religious holidays.  It symbolizes different religious events depending on ingredients and shape.

There is a lot of folklore associated with Hot Cross Buns.

• Buns baked and served on Good Friday will not spoil or mold during the year.

• Sharing a bun with another ensures friendship during the coming year, especially if you say the following:  "Half for you half for me, between us two shall goodwill be"

• Some say that because of the cross, the bun should be kissed before being eaten.

• They protect against shipwreck on an ocean voyage.

• Hang one in the kitchen to protect against fire.

There is even a nursery rhyme named for the buns.  
Hot cross buns!
Hot cross buns!
One ha' penny, two ha' penny,
Hot cross buns!
If you have no daughters,
Give them to your sons
One ha' penny,
Two ha' penny,
Hot Cross Buns!

So try some Hot Cross Buns and share in a tradition that goes back centuries.

Technical Difficulties

There is a problem with pictures not showing up on some blogs.  Here is what Blogger Status says:

"Our image backend is experiencing problems which may affect the display and/or uploading of photos. We are working to resolve this and will update this post when we have more information."

Hopefully, all the pictures will be restored soon!

Quote of the Week

Recognition is the greatest motivation. 

-  Gerard C. Eakedale

I believe this is true.  The more people admire and appreciate us or the work we do, the more likely we are to continue, to push forward in our endeavors.

A New Look!

Hi everyone,

I am working on a new look for Roses to Rainbows.  It's still in the semi-experimental stage so don't be surprised that it looks different, and then looks different again.  I'll get it ironed out eventually.

Here is my Rosie keeping me company while I blog.

Are the Grocery Stores Really Too Expensive?

It has been mentioned to me that some of the stores I shop at are too expensive.  I suppose this is true on a regular price comparison with say Wal-Mart or even Aldi.  I shop at these stores, too.  However, I go where I can get the most for the least, and many times that is a major grocery store.

For example, I posted a week or so ago about Harris Teeter coupons in the Friday newspaper.  There were $16 worth of coupons:  Four 50¢ coupons off "any" one item and four $1.00 coupons off "any" item of $2 or more, and also two for $5 off a $40 purchase.  

I used three of the $1 coupons on 3 packs of diet Coke, which brought the price down from 3/$10 to $3/$7, a much better deal.  I used the 50¢ ones on Campbell's tomato soup, making it 10¢ a can.  I used my last $1 coupon on a bottle of wine, and also used a $5/40 coupon.  All of this was on sale already.  Everything else I got was either on sale, I had a manufacturers coupon or it was a store brand.  

What was the bottom line?  I saved $27.34 and paid $34.08.  This is about 45%.

Last week's highlights focused on cleaning products:
Lysol Kitchen cleaner - Regularly $2.89 for 44¢ (BOGOF + $1 coupon)
Lysol Toilet cleaner - Regularly $2.69 for 34¢ (BOGOF + $1 coupon)
Brawny paper towels 8 rolls - Regularly $9.99 for $4.99  (sale $5.99 + $1 coupon)
12 oz. bottle of Joy dish washing detergent - Regularly $1.39 for 39¢ (sale 99¢ + 30¢ coupon)

I saved around 43% that day.  My goal is to save an average of 50% on groceries and household items. 

Harris Teeter always doubles coupons up to 99¢ every day (up to 20 coupons per day).  Go here for their next triple coupon event starting 3/24.

Check out my Top 5 list of things not to pay full price for, and see another example of savings here.

Restaurants.com Gift Certificates 80% Off

Restaurants.com has a new promotion going on now through March 31.  All gift certificates are 80% off.  Just use the promo code COOK when you check out, and your discount will be applied.  You can get $25 gift certificates for just $2. 

What a great way to eat out and save!