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*LAST CHANCE* Eat at Home Meal Plans: 30% off through 9/22 + Victory Pantry Bonus

 


Disclosure: the post below may contain affiliate links. When you make a purchase or take action using these links, the site makes commission. For more information, please see my Disclosure Policy.

Just a reminder – TODAY is the last day to get in on this sale!

Are you looking for some help to get organized with your meal planning? Maybe you’re looking to make some meaningful steps toward reducing your grocery budget. Or maybe you’re like a lot of folks who just get in a rut of making the same dinners over and over and are ready to spice things up.

If any of the above apply, take a look at the Eat at Home Meal Plans. I encourage you to do so quickly, because through 9/22 only, you can save 30% off when you use coupon code EASY. These sales only happen a few times per year!

How It Works

To get started with your new meal plan service, head to Eat at Home.

You’ll then be able to select the menu that makes best sense for your family’s size and nutritional needs. These currently include whole food plant based (emphasizes whole foods, veggies, whole grains), traditional (family-friendly), slow cooker/instant pot (EVERY recipe can be made in your slow cooker!), and no flour/no sugar.

The good news is you’ll have access to ALL four plans with your membership! So you can switch it up and choose between recipes.

You will then get a color-coded grocery list each week with the ingredients you’ll need for your recipes! Want to streamline things even more? Consider purchasing your items through Clicklist.

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Baked Cinnamon French Toast Sticks Recipe – Freezer Friendly

 


Disclosure: the post below may contain affiliate links. When you make a purchase or take action using these links, the site makes commission. For more information, please see my Disclosure Policy.
French Toast Sticks {Freezer-Friendly Recipe}

What kid doesn’t love french toast sticks (or teenager, for that matter)?! And on a busy school morning, having some you can just pull out of the freezer and heat up is such a time saver!

I figured out that I can buy a loaf of Texas Toast for about $4 and make somewhere around 30 french toast sticks (give or take), or I can spend about twice that much for half the amount. This honestly seems like a no-brainer to me. Not to mention, we have the ease of a freezer friendly meal and YOU get to control the ingredients.

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 5 slices of Texas Toast
  • 3 eggs
  • 3/4 cups milk
  • 3/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 tsp melted butter

Preheat your oven to 350° F.

Stack your Texas Toast. Using a serrated knife, cut your loaf into three.

Cut Loaf for French Toast Sticks

Next, you’ll need a 9 x 13 inch pan. Add your milk, eggs, cinnamon and melted butter directly to your pan and whisk until blended.

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Have a cookie sheet on hand for this next step. Place your bread in the pan and then flip over. Remove bread from pan and place on lightly greased cookie sheet.

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22 Ways to Get Free Stuff Online

 


Disclosure: the post below may contain affiliate links. When you make a purchase or take action using these links, the site makes commission. For more information, please see my Disclosure Policy.
open paper shopping bag with handles

It’s so fun to get free stuff online, isn’t it? I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t love getting free stuff, and with the Internet, it’s so easy to get your hands on some freebies with just a few clicks.

The trick is wading through all of the different websites out there that promise free stuff. Some are just plain spammy, some ask for your credit card information for a “free trial,” and so on.

But really, there are plenty of totally legit ways to get free stuff online…everything from free gift cards to free samples of food and beauty products to free e-books and more. Companies want you to try out their products, so they’re willing to send you products for free that you might decide to spend your own money on later.

Online Places to Get Free Stuff

There are SO many places where you can get free stuff online, but I’ve narrowed this list down to the best of the best – websites that won’t ask for your credit card information, ask you to fill out a bazillion surveys, or send you a bunch of spam. Here are my favorite places you can go to get free stuff online:

1. PINCHme

PINCHme partners with well-known companies to get free samples in the hands of consumers. There is no credit card required, and the samples typically show up in a box within 4-6 weeks of your requesting them.

First, you’ll need to sign up for an account and fill out a brief shopper survey. They ask you to share a few facts about yourself so they can find the best samples and coupons for you. Then just wait for the next Sample Day (usually a Tuesday) for the samples to go live.

You typically need to request your samples pretty quickly once they go live because once they’re gone, they’re gone. After you receive your samples, you’ll need to log back into your PINCHme account to fill out a few surveys and reviews for the products you received. This helps your account remain in good standing so you can continue to receive freebies.

Note that PINCHme only ships to the 48 contiguous states at this time.

2. Free Stuff

FreeStuff.com is updated daily with free samples and free stuff from across the Internet. They also have a weekly newsletter that helps you stay on top of the best free offers without having to visit the website daily.

They have a huge number of freebies listed, but it’s well-organized and easy to use. I just requested a free mousepad…here’s hoping I get it!

One feature I like about Free Stuff is that you can get the gist of what’s needed to request a freebie before you even click on the link that will take you to the offer. Free Stuff lets you know if you need to fill out a survey or questionnaire, or if there are any other hoops you need to jump through.

3. I Love Free Things

I Love Free Things rounds up awesome free samples, magazine subscriptions, photo freebies, food freebies, and more. They update the website regularly and send out a newsletter twice a week. They even have a category for freebie hunters who live in Canada!

On every freebie page, you’ll be able to see the information for the freebie as well as any comments other users have left. If for some reason a freebie doesn’t work, you can flag it on the offer page so I Love Free Things can update the site.

I just requested a few free samples for deodorant and shampoo/conditioner – these are always the perfect size to throw in my toiletry bag when I’m traveling! I also ordered a free magazine subscription to Field & Stream for my husband. (Freebies are constantly changing, so these may not be available at the time you’re reading this. Still, it’s fun to see what kinds of things you can get.)

4. Freeflys

Freeflys shares thousands of free samples, freebies, and saving tips. It’s regularly updated in terms of both adding new freebies and removing ones that have been expired. Freeflys has been featured on The Today Show, The Doctors, ABC News, and FOX News.

Once again, Freeflys does a really awesome job of letting you know exactly what’s required of you before you request a freebie so that you don’t waste your time doing things you don’t want to do. Most free samples are very easy and just require your name and address, but some may require you to jump through a few hoops.

They offer a daily digest via email of all the newest and best free samples and free stuff available as well as tips to save money.

5. My Free Product Samples

My Free Product Samples rounds up the best free samples, no strings attached. They’ve been around since 2007 and are dedicated to finding the best free stuff and awesome deals out there.

Note that they do have a “deals” section that also finds great deals across the web, but those won’t be 100% free. Their free samples section is pretty robust, though.

They highlight free samples as well as coupon offers, sweepstakes, test panels, rebate offers, and more.

6. Swagbucks

It’s super easy to get free stuff through Swagbucks, and I have been doing so for years. You can earn Swagbucks by shopping online, taking surveys, watching videos, or even just searching online (instead of using Google).

Once you’ve earned enough Swagbucks, you can redeem them for gift cards to Amazon and other popular retailers, or even just cash out via PayPal. Gift cards are available at a variety of price points, starting as low as $3!

Right now you can get a 1000 SB bonus ($10 value) when you sign up for Swagbucks! (There’s a bit of fine print with the 1000 SB bonus offer, so be sure to read that if you’re interested in grabbing the bonus.)

7. InboxDollars

InboxDollars is another way to get free stuff online – it pays you for completing activities you’re probably doing anyway! Pile up cash in your account by completing offers, taking surveys, playing games, watching videos, or even just reading emails.

Each activity is worth a certain amount of money/points and you can cash out when your account reaches $30. You can opt to receive your payout via PayPal or check, or with an e-gift card.

Right now, you can get a $5 bonus when you sign up for InboxDollars!

8. BzzAgent

Do you love sharing your opinion with others? Sign up for BzzAgent and you’ll be sent free products to review and share on your social media accounts and/or website.

You’ll first sign up for an account, telling BzzAgent about your interests. When they have a campaign they think is a good fit, they’ll send you an email inviting you to try a product and share your experience.

This isn’t something where you’ll get free stuff online right away, but it may pay off in the future. Please note that you will need to connect your social media accounts with your BzzAgent profile to be able to participate.

9. Free Stuff Times

Free Stuff Times rounds up a huge variety of freebies with everything from free samples to contests, coupons, hot deals, and movie screenings. There’s even a section where you can see what other people got in the mail!

The website looks to be updated daily (or close to it), and there’s an email newsletter with the option to receive new posts daily, weekly, or with each new post.

10. TrySpree

TrySpree compiles a curated list of free samples to help you wade through all of the freebie offers out there. You can opt to visit the website for updates or sign up for their weekly email newsletter. They also provide other money-saving articles and tips.

You can opt to create a TrySpree account to make the process even easier. Where available, TrySpree will request the free samples for you when you hit the “TrySpree it!” button. I didn’t see this button on the few samples I looked at, but maybe it’s only available at certain times. I could see this a being a big timesaver once it becomes available.

11. Influenster

Influenster is a site that not only helps you get free stuff online, but it also gives you reviews from 6.5 million+ members to help you decide if a product is right for you.

Their big draw is VoxBoxes which are sent out monthly and contain free full-size products for members to use, review and share their opinions about.

You’ll need to create an account and download the Influenster app to get a VoxBox, and there’s no guarantee that you’ll get one regularly. Be sure to fill out your profile completely so they can send you VoxBoxes that work for you. Don’t forget to upload a profile picture!

Note that you’ll need to connect your social media accounts to the Influenster app to increase your likelihood of getting selected for VoxBoxes. The more you interact, the more you increase your likelihood of getting a VoxBox.

12. SampleSource

SampleSource.com sends out samples a few times a year. You’ll need to register for an account and choose your samples. Once you get them, you have the option of giving them a rating so other people can check out what you thought. This isn’t a necessity, though.

Quantities are limited, but when you become a member, you’ll receive an email once samples are available so you can grab yours quickly. I always enjoy getting my samples from SampleSource and getting some fun freebies in the mail!

13. Just Free Stuff

Just Free Stuff was started back in 1997 and is regularly updated by an actual person. I appreciate that it doesn’t have the spammy offers that some other freebie websites have.

You’ll find free magazines, free samples, product testing opportunities, and more. There’s even a Bored? category if you’re looking for something to do online when you’re bored. (We’ve all been there, right?!)

14. Freebies 4 Mom

Freebies 4 Mom was one of the first sites I browsed when I started my money-saving and deal-finding journey, and I’m happy to find that it’s still being updated today. Yes, it does have a lot of freebies available that moms would like, but there’s plenty of variety of samples that non-moms will want to check it out, too.

I found free e-books, free printables, free samples, free product testing opportunities, and lots more.

15. I Crave Freebies

I Crave Freebies is one of the oldest freebie sites out there. It was started in 2007 and continues to be updated daily, all day long. It’s more of a blog-style format with the newest freebies at the top of the page.

You can also sign up for the mailing list to get freebie offers sent straight to your inbox. They also have a “Staff Picks” category to help you find the best of the best.

I also like that they allow readers to leave comments on posts so that you can see if a particular freebie is still available or not.

16. Free Stuff Finder

Free Stuff Finder was created in 2011 and has a HUGE variety of deals and freebies. It doesn’t just post free stuff, but it’s easy to find the free offers by clicking the “Free Stuff” tab at the top of the page.

When you click that tab, you’ll find free samples, free magazines, free baby stuff, free food, giveaways, and more. They also round up in-store freebies as well as those you can find online.

I like that Free Stuff Finder posts pictures of what you’ll receive (where possible) along with laying out the details of each offer. It’s helpful to get a visual and to see what’s actually possible when you’re looking to find free stuff online.

17. Hey, It’s Free!

If you want a little dose of humor along with your freebie offers, you’ll want to visit Hey, It’s Free!. It’s run by a guy named Goob and posts freebies and offers in a blog-style form.

The number one goal of Hey, It’s Free! is to only post genuine freebies and samples, with none of the spam and junk that you may find elsewhere.

You’ll find a great Getting Started guide as well as top-rated freebies, birthday freebies, and daily offers like magazine subscriptions, food freebies, free e-books, and lots more.

18. Home Tester Club

Sign up to be a member of Home Tester Club to be eligible for free samples and free product trials. They just ask you to leave an honest review of the product once you’ve tried it out.

And they REALLY want you to be honest – their reviews are 100% uncensored (except for profanity, of course) and if you leave a negative review, it won’t affect your eligibility to receive future free products and samples.

You’ll need to create an account and fill out some information to be eligible for these trials, and you’ll need to apply for the ones that interest you.

Besides the free product tests, they also offer survey prizes, rewards badges, and more with their weekly competitions.

I just applied to try out some cold brew coffee and snacks…fingers crossed I get picked!

19. MySavings.com

MySavings.com lists a wide variety of free samples and freebies in addition to other money-saving items like coupons, deals, and more.

You’ll find two sections – one for Free Samples and another for Freebies. There are many, many items listed which you can thankfully sort by category.

These are legitimate offers – and good ones! You won’t find any “free after completing a really long survey” or “free after giving us your credit card number” offers on MySavings.com.

Read my full MySavings.com review.

20. Baby Formula Companies

The cost of baby formula can quickly add up, but you can request free baby formula samples to help you figure out what works best for your baby. Plus, you’ll receive additional savings throughout the year with coupons sent to your mailbox.

Enfamil Family Beginnings – Join for up to $400 in gifts and a chance to win free formula for a year. You’ll receive free belly badges, free formula samples, valuable checks for money off a future purchase, special offers, and more.

Similac StrongMoms – Join for up to $400 in benefits and support throughout your journey. You’ll receive nutrition guidance for you and your baby, a free Shutterfly photo book, formula samples, and more.

21. Smiley360

Smiley360 is a very active community of members who want to try out free products. To get started, you’ll need to create an account, then complete your profile and take all available surveys.

Once you’ve done that, you sit back and wait for the next Mission. These are free product experiences that match your lifestyle and interests. When you accept a Mission, you’ll receive a Smiley Kit with a free sample or full-size product as well as a Sharing Guide and Mission Rules bookmark that will let you know what you need to do.

Try the product out and share your feedback with friends and family. Your package might also contain extra items such as coupons or samples to share with friends and family. Note that you’ll need to connect your social media accounts to receive a Smiley Kit.

22.  Ripple Street

Have you heard of Chatterbox or House Party? They’re now under the banner of Ripple Street, a website that pairs brands with consumers.

Sign up for an account to have the opportunity to receive free products and exclusive offers. You can apply for specific opportunities that appeal to you – just be sure to meet the requirements once you receive the box. Chatterbox opportunities do not require you to host a party and share your products, while House Party opportunities do.

Summary

With all of these ways to collect freebies, you’ll have free samples and products showing up at your doorstep in no time. Have fun collecting a stash of items to save for your stockpile or to give away to others.

Where are your favorite places to get free stuff online? Please share your experience in the comments below!

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Great Wolf Lodge on Groupon – As Low As $149/Night!

 


Disclosure: the post below may contain affiliate links. When you make a purchase or take action using these links, the site makes commission. For more information, please see my Disclosure Policy.

Great Wolf Lodge Groupon

Groupon is running another offer on Great Wolf Lodge! This particular offer is strong if you have a larger family and/or enjoy staying in the larger, themed family suites. Here are the starting rate breakdowns (Grand Mound, WA location):

Options include:

Dates are available to book into December. Note that you’re allowed to enter the water park at 1pm on the day you check in and stay until close on the day you check out. You can book at these prices for a limited time only.

Want to stay at a different Great Wolf Lodge location? Check out these deals through Groupon:

Other fine print:

Reservations: Dates cannot be changed through Groupon once booked; valid only for night(s) purchased. Cancellation policy: 9-day cancellation notice required prior to check-in or reservation is non-refundable; reservations made within cancellation window are non-refundable. Change policy: A nonrefundable $15 fee will be added to your reservation each time you contact the Great Wolf Lodge call center to change your reservation. Additional fees: $29.99 daily resort fee plus tax added at purchase. Rates may vary by date and are subject to availability.

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How to Freeze Tomatoes

 


Disclosure: the post below may contain affiliate links. When you make a purchase or take action using these links, the site makes commission. For more information, please see my Disclosure Policy.
How to Freeze Tomatoes

How to Freeze Tomatoes

I have a confession to make: I’m not canning anything this year. After a couple summers of getting really into it, I really just needed a break! However, I do have more than enough produce from my garden right about this time and I knew I’d need to preserve it in some way or it’d just go to waste. So this year? I decided to do some freezing!

Today I want to share the method I’ve been using to freeze my garden tomatoes this year. This might be worth considering if:

  • You have a small garden and/or just a few tomato plants
  • You find your tomatoes are ripening in small batches at a time
  • You don’t own canning equipment and/or lack the time and/or interest to learn how to can
  • Like me, you just want a break from canning!

The good news is freezing tomatoes doesn’t require any fancy equipment nor does it involve you setting aside an entire day (unless you really have a ton of tomatoes, I suppose). So let me take you through this method from start to finish.

Fresh Picked Garden Tomatoes

Step one: harvest your tomatoes. I like to freeze mine as soon as I’ve picked them in order to ensure the freshest possible produce. Of course, you could also freeze tomatoes you’ve purchased from the store or picked up from the farmer’s market as well. I had this nice bowlful ready to go this morning.

Freezing Tomatoes - Wash Them!

Next, give your tomatoes a good washing and remove the tops. I just slice mine off.

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The next step is removing the tomato skins. Bring a pot of water to a good boil. While the pot is coming up to a boil, prepare a large bowl of ice cold water and set it on the counter. Once the pot is at a boil, plop a few tomatoes in at a time and just until you notice the skins beginning to peel back. This should take roughly 30 seconds, but could take even less time depending on the temperature of your water and the size of your tomatoes.

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Scoop the tomatoes out with a slotted spoon and place them in a large bowl of ice cold water. This will do two things: 1) halt the cooking process and 2) make the tomatoes easier to handle! If you’ve done this correctly, the skins should now just peel off effortlessly (as pictured above).

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Continue the process until you have completed peeling all of your tomatoes. At this point, you can freeze your tomatoes whole, but most of the recipes I use called for diced tomatoes.

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So I diced my tomatoes and put roughly 1 ½ cups per Ziploc freezer bag because that is roughly the amount you’d get out of one can of tomatoes (see what I’m getting at here?).

As you can see, that one bowlful yielded me three baggies’ worth of tomatoes. Over the weekend, I harvested enough to produce four more bags. The beauty about freezing tomatoes is that it really does not take much time at all, so you can process in small batches like this as your tomatoes ripen. I would say the batch today took me under 30 minutes from start (harvesting) to finish (putting in the freezer). It’s definitely a nice break over canning!

To use them, I plan on defrosting and using in any recipe that calls for diced tomatoes – chilis, soups, casseroles, etc. How long can you freeze tomatoes? The National Center for Home Food Preservation recommends 8-12 months for vegetables (frozen at 0°). I will personally try to use them up within the next few months for the best flavor.

For more information, including food safety, you may wish to visit the National Center for Home Food Preservation’s page on freezing tomatoes. They have some additional ways you can safely freeze tomatoes listed.

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy:

Do you ever freeze tomatoes or other garden vegetables?

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Chorizo Breakfast Burritos – Freezer Friendly

 


Disclosure: the post below may contain affiliate links. When you make a purchase or take action using these links, the site makes commission. For more information, please see my Disclosure Policy.
Chorizo Breakfast Burrito - Freezer Friendly Recipe

Mmmm…breakfast burritos. I love them, my family loves them…did I mention I love them? Eggs, cheese, potatoes, meat – all of it neatly rolled up into a tortilla envelope that makes eating on the run easy! What can be better than that? Maybe, making a batch ahead of time and freezing them?!

Being a native Southern California girl, I absolutely LOVE Chorizo (and all things Mexican food). When I moved to Washington State I realized it’s not as easy to find certain Hispanic foods as easily as it used to be. None of our markets in the harbor carry Chorizo the way I remember buying it. But I did find a package of Chorizo links over by the Italian sausage links and decided to give those a try…we weren’t disappointed!

You can scramble your eggs in one pan, brown potatoes in another and cook your meat in still another pan OR you can just use one pan and cut down on your mess.  Since I was making these for the freezer, no one was in a hurry to eat them.

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 1 lb Chorizo (or meat of your choice: diced ham, bacon, sausage, etc.)
  • 2.5 cups shredded medium cheddar cheese (or cheese of your choice)
  • 6 extra large eggs (if using medium or large I would add an extra 1 or 2)
  • 2 cups diced potatoes
  • 8 burrito size tortillas
Chorizo Breakfast Burrito Ingredients

I like to start with cooking up my meat first in my cast iron skillet since it seasons the pan up nicely. These links are a little different to work with because each link is packaged in a casing. The first thing you need to do is slice the casing on each link and then remove it and throw it away.

Chorizo Breakfast Burrito

Cook Chorizo until brown and crumbly on medium heat. Remove Chorizo from pan and place onto a paper towel lined plate. Wipe out your pan with a paper towel (no need to scrub it clean).

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17 Places to Get Cash for Coins

 


Disclosure: the post below may contain affiliate links. When you make a purchase or take action using these links, the site makes commission. For more information, please see my Disclosure Policy.

Chances are you have a big jar of coins stashed somewhere in your home. You keep meaning to do something with it, but the coins just keep accumulating. Now is the time to do something about it and get cash for coins!

The United States Mint has released several statements recently encouraging consumers to spend their coins. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, coins have not been circulating as much as they normally would.

This has led to retailers and small businesses having some difficulty accepting cash payments, which is a problem for those people who primarily – or exclusively – use cash.

To help out, it’s time to get those coins back into circulation. And you’d be surprised how quickly the value of those coins can add up! Turn them in for cash and get some money to pay off debt, spend, or save.

Places to Get Cash for Coins

You have several different options of places to get cash for coins. Some are totally free, while some will require a fee that takes a percentage of the cash total. Peruse this list and see what works for you.

1. Your Local Bank or Credit Union

The easiest way to get cash for coins is to check with your local bank or credit union to see what they can do for you. There are so many variables to consider that it’s impossible to round up all of the different options here. Just make a quick phone call to ask. You could also try browsing their website to see if that information is listed.

Banks and credit unions may have a coin-counting machine, or you may be asked to bring in rolled coins. (Loose coins are usually preferred if they have a machine.)

Coin counting may be limited to members only, or available to non-members with a fee. Recently, a few banks have even offered bonuses for trading in your coins for cash, considering the national coin shortage.

The smaller the establishment, the more likely they’ll have a free coin-counting machine for your use. I just contacted my credit union and found out that coin counting is free for members. (We have a free checking account, too – I love my credit union!)

I did find a few larger banks that have coin-counting machines available for members:

  • U.S. Bank has 3,000+ branches across the United States, primarily in the Western and Midwestern states. They have coin-counting machines available to customers. Fees may apply. Filter your search by “coin counter” to find locations with a machine.
  • Fifth Third Bank has 1,100+ branches across eleven states. They offer loose coin exchange; fees may apply. Filter your search by “loose coin exchange” to find locations where you can get cash for coins.
  • TCF Bank has 400+ branches across seven states, including Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. They have coin machines available at many locations and charge a 0-1.5% fee for customers and a 10% fee for non-customers.

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Three-Ingredient Pumpkin Spice Cake Recipe

 


Disclosure: the post below may contain affiliate links. When you make a purchase or take action using these links, the site makes commission. For more information, please see my Disclosure Policy.

This easy Pumpkin Spice Cake recipe is perfect for fall, or any time you’re jonesin’ for a pumpkin spice fix! Combine just three ingredients for a delectable treat.

If you are a pumpkin lover like I am, you don’t sit on your duff and wait for Thanksgiving to roll around. Pumpkin is pretty much awesome any time of year. During the holidays I will look for opportunities to stock up so I can bake with it year round.

Last night my kids were asking for a treat and I decided to make this Pumpkin Spice Cake recipe my mom shared with me once. The best part is you only need three ingredients to make it. Warning: it’s almost a little TOO delicious.

Easy Pumpkin Spice Cake Recipe

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need:

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350° F. Get ready, this next part is tricky. Mix the ingredients. (I hope you can handle that.)

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Pear Vanilla Bread Recipe

 


Disclosure: the post below may contain affiliate links. When you make a purchase or take action using these links, the site makes commission. For more information, please see my Disclosure Policy.
Pear Vanilla Bread

As I shared recently, I’ve been canning up a quite a bit of fruit lately, including pears. I had another 20 pound box of pears to address today and the plan was to make my favorite jam ever, Pear Vanilla Jam (from the blog, Food in Jars).

Pear Vanilla Jam Recipe

I know I’ve raved about this jam before – but it is simply the best jam I’ve ever tasted! It’s also ridiculously easy to make as there is no peeling of pears required and it’s a soft set. While canning up a batch today I was inspired to take the two primary flavors – pear and vanilla – and turn it into a luscious bread. It turned out so good, I knew I had to share it with you.

pearvanilla2

Start by taking 2 or 3 pears and blending them. I just put them through my Vitamix with a tiny bit of water. Notice I did not peel them and I did leave some chunks. I then scraped one vanilla bean with a spoon and mixed it into the pears. I then added the pod and let it all sit while I worked on the rest of the bread.

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Blend 1 stick of butter (1/2 cup) with 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup white sugar. Add two eggs.

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Discard the vanilla pod from your pears and blend them into the mixture. Now, I used 2 cups of the pears and the resulting bread was VERY moist…. as in falling apart moist. If this appeals to you, by all means, add 2 cups. But if you prefer a bread that will be a little easier to manage and still have all the flavor – I’d reduce this to just one cup of pears.

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In another bowl, mix 2 cups of flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ¼ tsp cloves, and ¼ tsp cardamom. You don’t have to add the spices, but I think they add a nice fall touch to this bread! You could also use whatever spices appeal to you.

Gently blend the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just mixed.

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Pour into a lightly greased loaf pan and bake in a 350° oven for 40-60 minutes, until the toothpick comes out clean.

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This bread smelled delicious coming out of the oven! I like that it’s different than your standard banana, pumpkin, or zucchini bread – but still feels like a distinctly fall recipe.

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The 2 cups of pears yielded a very moist bread…so much so you’d almost prefer to eat it in a bowl with a fork! Again, reduce this closer to 1 cup if you want a bread that’s a bit more “portable.” I love the texture from leaving some of the chunks of pears in, too.

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Lucky me… my pear vanilla jam was done just in time!

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This bread goes perfectly with a cup of coffee and a dreary fall afternoon.

Enjoy!

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9 Ways to Get Free Air for Your Tires

 


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A few winters ago, my younger sister came to visit me and my family on Christmas Eve. We needed to drive back to my parents’ house a couple of hours away later that evening, so I volunteered to drive her car while my husband took our SUV with all of the kids inside. (I know my sister doesn’t love driving in the big city.)

Once I began driving her car, I immediately noticed that her tires were low on air. It was her first car and she had no idea how to check her tire pressure. So, I swung by the nearest gas station, purchased a cheap tire pressure gauge, and filled up her tires. We were on our merry way in no time, and she learned how to fill up her tires.

I don’t fault her for not knowing how to inflate her tires – it’s something I didn’t know about when I was first driving, either. Truth be told, the first time the tire pressure indicator went off in my new vehicle I nearly had a heart attack because I had no idea what was going on!

Thankfully, it’s a simple fix, and it can be a FREE fix, too. Now that indicator doesn’t even phase me – I just check and adjust my tire pressure as soon as possible.

Free Air for Your Tires

Using a public air compressor to air up your tires can cost anywhere from $1.50 to $2 each time. Yikes! But there’s good news – you don’t have to keep those quarters in your car just in case. Instead, use one of these ways to get free air for your tires to get you back on the road at no cost to you.

1. Air Up at a Gas Station or Grocery Store

The easiest and quickest way to get free air for your tires is to find a gas station or grocery store near you that offers free air. Yes, some stores now charge for air (which seems silly to me), but chances are you can still find a location near you that offers free air.

FreeAirPump.com is a website that maps out where you can find free air near you. Keep in mind that it’s a user-generated map, so it may not be 100% accurate, but it’s a good starting point.

Otherwise, you can ask your neighbors or in your local Facebook or Nextdoor group for recommendations. As for me, I typically fill my tires at Holiday Stationstores or Kwik Trip. Even my local grocery store, Hy-Vee, offers free air at their gas stations.

Here are some other gas station chains that offer free air for your tires:

If you’re nervous about filling up your tires yourself, don’t be. It’s easy to do. Cars.com has a quick video of how you can check the pressure and inflate your tires yourself.

You may need to purchase a tire pressure gauge to be sure you’re inflating your tires to the right PSI, or the air pump may have a digital display to show when your tires have reached the correct air pressure. Check the inside of your driver’s side door or your owner’s manual for the recommended PSI.

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