If it's free I want it!

By now you all know that I'm friggin' addicted to free stuff.  I can now say that I no longer request things I don't need...like samples of wood...but little alarms seem to sound if my eyes pass by the words "FREE."  Luckily for my fantabulous readers I enjoy passing on the freebie deals.  Granted I don't post them on here near enough but I actually found a few minutes today to both read my free subscription to All You magazine (thanks to my magazines.com e-gift from Valued Opinions) and to let you know about some pretty cool things I found in here! I'm not sure if you already have a subscription to this magazine but you need to.  Not only do they have awesome articles but it's also full of coupons.  Score!

The first article that caught my eye was a Q&A about working from home.  They had a few companies on there but I thought I'd mention what I've done (and occasionally still do).  If you know how to transcribe you should check into Scribie.  The best part is you get to pick and chose which dictations you want to transcribe.  The downside is sometimes they don't have many available.  Any good at writing articles?  Look into Yahoo! Voices and submit your best.  If they like it they'll pay you for it.  I also take surveys.  Lame, I know.  But hey, $20 is $20.

Okay, now on to the fun free stuff.  They had a lot to chose from, along with some I've already posted on prior posts.  A new one I didn't know about? Going to the movies for free!  Apparently you can sign up at advancescreenings.com and go for free.  I haven't actually looked into it yet, but I will. 

Books? Well, Amazon and Nook readers probably already knew about the thousands of free e-books but just in case you didn't you need to check out amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com to find them.  I only read free e-books on mine and I absolutely love my Kindle!  One of my best friends has a Nook and we've been known to hunt and share free titles together.

You can also get a ton of free magazines.  I've posted many links before but my favorite by far is to Rewards Gold.  You can take a short survey and then in turn pick out a free subscription.  Right now they have Martha Stewart Living, The Wall Street Journal, and Latina. 

Lastly, I've noticed a Coastal.com freebie has been floating around on Pinterest and also showed up in All You.  They have a one time promotion where you can get a free pair of prescription glasses.  This means I need to hurry and get my eyes rechecked since my prescription has expired.  Oh how I love free.  :)

Taco Casserole

Guess who found a taco casserole recipe on Pinterest!  And then guess who's internet was acting stupid the night I was going to make it!  Yep.  Me.  Luckily I was determined (OK...I had 4 hungry kiddos, a hungry husband...and a hungry me...all wanting taco casserole.  My 8 year old daughter put on her apron and we made our own version. It came out AMAZING!!!

Recipe:

1 lb hamburger
31 oz can refried beans
3 tomatoes
1 bell pepper
2.25 oz can sliced olives
Chunky salsa
Taco seasoning (make your own or buy some)
1 pkg fiesta mix shredded cheese
Tortilla chips

Cook your hamburger, add a 1/4 cup of water, seasoning, your bell pepper (sliced) and 2 tomatoes (diced). While letting that simmer pour your baked beans in a 8x10 dish and smooth. Crumble a couple handfuls of tortilla chips over it along with a light layer of cheese. Then pour your meat and veg mix and smooth. Next add more crumbled tortillas, cheese, the last tomato, diced, any bell pepper left, and the olives.

Place in the oven at 350 for 15-20 minuted. Serve and enjoy!

And just a side note, I apologize for the pics being out of order.  I'm trying out the blogger app and I'm still figuring it out. :)

Insanely simple chicken sandwiches

We haven't eaten very healthy this weekend and we're suffering.  I can actually feel how if affects me.  My husband was even complaining about how sluggish he feels after eating pizza, greasy bratwurst, and chips.  I believe I'm flattered!

So after a quick rundown of the fridge and cabinet stock I came up sesame buns, chicken tenderloins, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, and a bell pepper.  Chicken sandwiches it was! 

There is no recipe by the way. Just cook your chicken, throw everything on the bun, and eat it.  Granted I did cook baked beans and some fries, but hey, it went well with a beer. Hehe.

Cheesy Mac and Ham

We had some super nasty storms yesterday.  I'm talking trees being ripped out of the ground, buildings loosing their roofs, no power, and hail.  Yuck.  Anyway, this morning it was gorgeous (like it usually is after a terrible storm) and while driving down the road I see people coming together to clean up the mess.  Since moving to the South, that is one thing that has really dominated this area.  People truly come together during the bad times.  I associate this with homemade macaroni and cheese.  I guess comfort and the South make my mamaw come to mind and this woman is the true epitome of comfort, love, and the best homemade macaroni and cheese ever.  EVER.

Now I can't feed a family of five a dish of macaroni and cheese (no matter how awesome it is) but I can feed them mac and cheese with ham...or just combine it all together and make an awesome dish of Cheesy Mac and Ham.  So that's what I did.  I skipped a lot of steps that people take when making homemade macaroni and cheese, but I think it still tastes awesome.

Cheesy Mac and Ham Recipe:

16 oz bag of elbow macaroni, cooked

1 lb of ham, diced

4 cups of finely shredded cheddar cheese

12 oz evaporated milk

Mix all ingredients in a large pot.  Pour in to an 8x11 inch pan (lightly greased) and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until golden.  My daughter also asks that I add the step "lick the spoon" as soon as you finish mixing all the ingredients.  Hehe.  I love her.

Spicy Rice and Beans

Lately just about everything I have been cooking seems to be begging a tortilla to snuggle up in.  Granted foods don't have feelings or crave a warm blanket/tortilla to curl up with, but sometimes it's easier to blame the food than my own laziness.  So yes.  I've been cooking easy food and rolling it up as a burrito or folding into a taco.  No forks needed (i.e. less dishes to be washed).

The newest creation is basically rice and beans but with a twist.  It stays within the strictest of budgets, gives you plenty of leftovers, and isn't the plain old rice and beans that are so boooorrrrring.  Did I mention it's easy?  Like beyond easy?

Spicy Rice and Beans:

4 cups cooked brown rice
2 cups fiesta mix cheese
1 can rotel tomatoes with chilis
2 cans pinto beans
1-2 small tomatoes, diced
Tortillas

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, heat up, and throw on a tortilla.  Told you it was easy!!  ;)

Hello Pinterest!

It's official. Find Bratty Budgets on Pinterest here. Not much to it yet, but it's a start.

As you were.  ;)

Birthday Freebies

© Photographer Jinyoung Lee | Agency: Dreamstime.com

I'm on kitchen strike today.  The hubby grilled a late lunch for us so that is a good enough reason for me to encourage the kids to eat leftovers or scrounge the cabinets if they want something else.  There's nothing wrong with PB & J every once and awhile.  :) 

So if I'm not eating (or thinking about eating...or cooking...or baking) then I'm looking for a good deal or a freebie.  And since my lovely birthday is coming up (August 30th...I'm giving you all plenty of time to come up with some nifty gifts for me) in just a few months-just under half a year mind you-I believe it's time to get ready for reaping in the birthday freebies.  The following links are mainly made up of places around where I live but I will gladly add on to it if anybody has any they know of.

Enjoy!

Academy Sports - Sign up for their email to get a $5 gift card on your birthday.

Ace Hardware

Arby's

Captain D's

Chicken of the Sea - Don't judge.  You get a coupon. 

CVS - Seriously!  You usually get $3 in rewards!

Dippin' Dots

Firehouse Subs

Great American Cookie

Kmart - You won't get anything, but your child(ren) will get a $5 gift card!

Ihop

Old Navy

Sonic

Starbucks

Vera Bradley - Apparently most Vera Bradley stores will give you $20 off on your birthday as long as you bring id.  I'd call ahead to be sure but WOW! 

Waffle House - You guessed it--a free waffle!

Wendys

Wingstop

For real?!

So a couple of my recipes made it to Pinterest.  Oh.my.goodness.  My views skyrocketed which was a pleasant surprise.  I've neglected my poor little blog but with all this new traffic I believe it's time to start cooking and finding freebies. It feels good to be back!