$200 Walmart Card Giveaway!

If the price of gas is causing a pinch in your wallet, you are not alone!

It seems like the price of gas has been cutting into summer fun, grocery budgets and everything else. So, 20 of your favorite bloggers have come together to give one lucky reader a helping hand, in the form of a $200 Walmart card, which you can use for gas or groceries!

I am participating on behalf of my new website and podcast Township Falls.

This is a true crime podcast with tones of history, travel and a gross miscarriage of justice.  I hope you will give us a listen and a 5 star review on apple podcasts.

Enter for your chance to win a $200 e-Gift card to Walmart! This giveaway is open to the US only where permitted, age 18 and older. This giveaway ends at 11:59 PM EST on 8.31.22. See below for terms and conditions

 

This giveaway is hosted by Chatty Patty’s Place and The Review Wire. All entries will be verified—only one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. Any person who has won a prize (or whose household has won a prize) in any promotion sponsored by the Sponsor in the past thirty (30) days before this contest start date is not eligible to win a prize in this contest. Entrants who have created social accounts purely to enter Competitions or Sweepstakes will not be eligible to win. All social accounts used must be public. The winner will be chosen randomly through Sweep Widget and contacted via email. A reply to the winning email is required within 48 hours before a new winner is chosen. Void where prohibited by law. One person entering per household, please

How To Freeze Mini Sweet Peppers

 If you have time to visit your local farmers market this week; this is the time to stock up on all the tasty little peppers that are available right now. I am a farmers market enthusiast for sure. There is nothing quite like a basket of freshly picked, locally grown veggies for $1. 

I have been buying everything in season from sweet onions, to asparagus and corn on the cob and sticking it in my freezer for the winter. I wish I could can, but I have a cook top stove and have been told those don't heat evenly for safe canning.

Last week, my favorite farmer at the market had small baskets of mini sweet peppers, jalapeno pepper and wax peppers for $1. I was told they were picked that morning. They were perfect, beautiful and vibrant, they smelled like summer should. I bought 3 baskets of each. We kept a basket that we mixed from the variety aside for fresh eating, and then I prepared the rest for the freezer.

Wash and cut the tops off of the mini sweet peppers.

Clear out the seeds and slice them at desired thickness.

Lay the peppers on a paper towel to dry the juices.

Place the peppers in a single layer on a plate.

Pop the peppers in the freezer for 45 minutes.

Remove from the freezer and transfer to a freezer bag or a food saver bag. Try to remove as much air as possible.

Place in the freezer for up to 1 year.

I usually add 3 or 4 peppers per food storage bag, because that is the amount that my family uses, but, you can adjust the amount of sliced peppers you add to each pack.

You might be wondering how to use the pepper slices after they have been frozen?

I like to add them to crock pot meals, casseroles, scrambled eggs, etc. 

They are perfect for sheet pan fajitas. 

I like to mix the peppers and onion together to freeze for easy chili veggies.

In general, they are perfect for use, just like any other frozen peppers you might buy at the store, but so much cheaper! I can make several packs to use later for about 25 cents each.

Find more money saving ideas here:

6 Things Not To Bargain Shop For 

Why It's Important to Try New Foods

 Woman eating pizza - Image Courtesy of Pexels

Eating is good for the soul. But you can get stuck in a food rut. So it's essential to try new foods and grow as a result. Here are some of the main reasons this is important.

Could be Your Next Favourite Thing

How do you know you like something if you don't try it? Even the aroma of something is often vastly different to how it tastes. Unfortunately, many people get stuck in a food cycle of eating the same things all the time. And often, these don't do any good. They could be junk food or just reusing the same ingredients. For example, chilli con Carne, spaghetti bolognese and cottage pie are essentially the same things with one or two things added. So pop into a German deli, try a local Japanese restaurant or explore the foods of the Russian shop around the corner.

A Healthier Way to Eat

The food you often eat may be causing you harm. Some countries, like the UK and USA, constantly consume vast amounts of junk food from takeaways or processed and pre-packaged meals. But cooking fresh food has many health benefits. For example, you will have more energy, increased focus and healthier toilet habits. European countries like France, Italy and Spain place emphasis on the importance of cooking fresh. And often, it involves generational participation. This teaches kids how to look after themselves and makes beautiful memories.

Try New Foods for Cultural Experience

Every culture worldwide has different foods to eat, methods of preparation and even how they enjoy their foods. For example, Indian families will eat together in one sitting. Often with multiple generations enjoying their fresh meals with each other. But this is more than eating. It's a cultural experience because each generation before, and the ones before them, have spent hundreds of years improving and refining family recipes. Which is why they taste amazing. Of course, this is also true of Chinese, Japanese and most mainland European cultures.

Be an Example for the Children

If you have kids, then you know it can be a nightmare to get them to eat. Yet often, they grow up on the same diet as their parents. Which may or may not be the best thing for them. By trying new foods, you can encourage your children to do the same. And for the same reasons with the same results. And although you may not like a particular cuisine, your children should have the freedom of choice over what they eat. Otherwise, it could mean a lifetime of takeout food and microwave meals. Which isn't just bad for them. It means no cooking skills and costs more.

Improve Your Own Cooking

Any professional chef worth the salt in their kitchen will tell you that you can't improve your cooking without trying other cuisines. Even if you stick to one cuisine, you will learn to use ingredients in different ways. For instance, Brits love making meatballs and spaghetti with minced beef. Yet Mexicans love to shallow fry small amounts at a time for crispy beef tacos. There are always more ways to use something. But if you don't try dishes from other countries, you will never know. Plus, you get to enjoy the journey, and it's an excuse to eat a bit more.

Summary

There are many benefits when you try new foods from all over the world. These include discovering your next favourite thing, experiencing culture and improving your cooking.

Instant Pot Banana Rice Pudding

 

My family loves rice pudding and I often make it in the instant pot. But, we had some over ripe bananas and I thought maybe, I could put them to use in the pudding we all love so much. And let me tell you, this is one of my most delicious ideas yet!

This is such an easy recipe. You can have it ready in minutes if you like it warm, but if you like it cool, no worries! Just give it a little time to rest and cool.

This is a great recipe to keep on hand because it is cheap to make, and it tastes like a million bucks when you dig into it. It is a great way to stretch your grocery budget by adding in affordable rice to your desserts. Plus this no bake goodie won't heat up the house on a hot day.

Ingredients:

1 c white rice

1 ½ c water

2 cups of milk

½ c sugar

2 overripe bananas

1 tsp vanilla

Add rice and water to the instant pot.

Seal and select high heat.

Set the timer for 3 minutes.

It will take about 10 minutes before the timer begins to countdown.

When the timer beeps, turn off the instant pot. 

After 10 minutes, quick release the steam.

Add milk and sugar.

Stir.

In a small bowl, smash the bananas and add vanilla and cinnamon.

Pour this into the rice.

Turn the instant pot to saute, and allow to cook until it comes to a boil. 

Remove the liner from the instant pot and allow to cool and thicken.

Serve warm or cold, with cinnamon sprinkled over the top and sliced bananas if you like.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

Makes 6 servings.

If you are looking for more affordable dessert ideas you might like these peanut butter cream puffs or  my homemade stove top rice pudding recipe.

Turn Your Summer Dinner Party Into The Best Foodie Event Of The Year

 While there are several foodie events that people can attend throughout the year, there is nothing quite as wholesome as hosting your own food event. 

Food events are most popular during the warmer months thanks to being able to spend more time outside. From home barbeques to food festivals, there is always a lot that happens during the summer to satisfy those foodies among us.

Should you be someone that loves to host people and cook good food, then why not host your own summer dinner party and turn it into the foodie event of the year? Whether you want to cook a barbeque or an inside dinner party, here are all of the tips that you need to host the best foodie event of the year.

Wine Glasses Vino - Free photo on Pixabay

Make homemade dips and sauces

Although you might think that cooking all of your ingredients from scratch is enough, it will enhance your dishes if you make your own sauces and dips. 

Store-bought dips and sauces are nice. But, they aren’t the same as a homemade concoction. The great thing about homemade dips and sauces is that you can add more flavor or diverse ingredients to make them unique. You might be able to throw something together that your friends and family ask you to make them time and time again because it was just so yummy.

For example, you could make a homemade tzatziki for your crudite platter and a sticky orange sauce for your barbecued chicken. 

It can take a lot of time to make all of your sauces and dips from scratch, so you might want to get started way ahead of the party so that you can enjoy cooking the main ingredients on the day.

Have a range of drinks on offer

The best parties are those that have a wide range of drinks on offer. You might only host adults, however, some guests might want a soft drink. 

Therefore, having a range of soft and alcoholic drinks will ensure that every guest is satisfied. 

To make your soft drinks extra special, you could throw together some mocktails and hand out your drinks in fancy glassware. 

Allow guests to bring their own recipes

Whether your friend wants to bring their fantastic summer sauteed corn and squash or lentil curry, let them. The more food, the merrier the party will be. 

When a guest asks to bring a dish with them, it isn’t because they don’t trust your cooking. Instead, it will likely be because they want to show off a new recipe that they have mastered. 

Sharing recipes and allowing people to bring their own food will also ensure that there is plenty to go around. If your food is that good, your guests might demolish it. Hence, having some extra food will make sure that guests never go hungry. 

Set the atmosphere

Like a professional food event, you should set the atmosphere. To do so, you could:

• Add decorations. Having your home and garden fully decorated will make the summer dinner party feel like an expert summer foodie event. Making your interior look the part will not go unnoticed and you will look like a host that really cares about their guests. 

• Create a theme. To make your foodie event unique and memorable, you could create a theme. This theme could run into the food choices, drink options, decorations, and dress code. For instance, you could create a Mexican-themed dinner party and make tacos, and margarita cocktails, and ask guests to dress in red, white, and green. 

• Don’t forget the music. Any ultimate summer party (food-based or not) will have music playing in the background. This will set the mood and get people in the party spirit. Again, this could align with your theme and further enhance the fun of your foodie event. 

Small and picky snacks and desserts

Before and after your guests eat, you will want to give them a little something to satisfy them. They might have not eaten all day to save themselves for your feast. Therefore, don’t forget to put out some pre-dinner snacks. This could be fancy canapes or a simple table of crisps, vegetable sticks, homemade dips, and nuts. 

Likewise, don’t forget to offer your guests a sweet treat to finish off their meals with. If you have prepared a large meal, then it is often best to make small and picky desserts. Something like bite-sized brownies, cookies, or homemade chocolate is perfect so that guests can balance out their palates.