Chocolate Cinnamon Biscotti

So the other day I was watching Giada on the Food Network and she made savory biscotti that looked amazing.  Since it is such a nasty rainy day I decided to make some biscotti of my own.  I didn't have the seasoning that Giada used so I decided to go with a sweeter version; plus I love to dip biscotti in my coffee or tea so this works better for me anyway.

Chocolate Cinnamon Biscotti

1/2 cup of butter (softened)

2 tsp baking powder

3 tsp unsweetened cocoa

1 tsp cinnamon

1/3 cup sugar

2 eggs (room temp)

1 3/4 cup flour

white baking chocolate

Preheat oven to 375.  Blend butter until creamy, about 30 seconds.  Then add cocoa, sugar, cinnamon, and baking powder.  Blend til well mixed.  Beat eggs into mixture.  Then slowly add your flour and chocolate chips or baking chocolate.  The ingredients will form a dough.  On a greased cookie sheet mold your dough like shown below or if you like smaller pieces of biscotti you can form two smaller loaves.  Bake for 20-25 min. (check with a toothpick to make sure it is done)

 Let the biscotti cool on a cooling rack for one hour.  Then slice with a serated knife. 

Once sliced put back into oven on an ungreased cookie sheet at 325 for 8 min on each side. 

And voila you have yummy biscotti!!  This recipe was super easy to make and other then baking and cooling time it was quick to make too! It is also super easy to add and remove ingredients like the chocolate and cinnamon and add savory ingredients to go with dinner or a nice salad.  I hope you enjoy this and feel inpsired to try some on your own!!

~Kristyn

Birds Nest Sugar Cookies

For Easter I made these adorable cookies that I just had to share with you!

Birds Nest Sugar Cookies

What you need:

Sugar Cookie Mix

Icing

Flaked Coconut

Food Coloring

Jelly Beans/Peanut M&M's/or anything that looks like a bird egg

These festive cookies are so easy to make and decorate!  They would be fun for kids to make too!

Just make the cookies as marked on the package, (I pressed the cookies down with a glass to make sure they were flat) then after cooled icing them with an icing of your choice.  I used vanilla whipped frosting then added a little orange zest and fresh orange juice to add flavor.  Then get your coconut out and you can toast it in the oven or just add a few drops of food coloring (any color), mix well and top your cookies.  For the bird eggs I used jelly beans but any oval shaped candy would work.  

These cookies were a big hit for Easter but could also be used for a baby shower or kids birthday party. 

Enjoy!!

~Kristyn

Coupon Crazy!!

Okay so last week I watched the new show on TLC "Extreme Couponing" and I cannot understand how these women/families do it.  Like seriously how do you go the grocery store, rack up a $1900 shopping cart, and walk away paying just over $100.  In the last few months I have really started looking for good coupons to cut out and help save some money. I would use a few on my shopping trips but never really thought more than that.  After seeing previews for this show it peeked my interest and over the last couple weeks I have really started cutting out and printing coupons. Once I have them cut out I put them in my little accordian file folder...

NOW WHAT TO DO WITH THEM????

So I sit and I plan my shopping trips; I look over the circulars and online deals to see what is the best deal and where.  While doing this I manage to find great deals on items that of course I DON'T need!!! I put my list together, gather all my "great" coupons and head out for my big Extreme Couponing Trip!  On my last few trips I have managed to save close to $100 each time with using coupons and instore savings.  Now to me saving $100 is great but these women on this show are saving double triple, even ten times the amount that I am saving.  So my question is how they do it?  Another question is why they need to stock up so much that their stock piles of grocery items take over bedrooms, closets, basements and entire homes.  I know that stocking up on certain things is nice because if you happen to run out of something you can just go into your pantry (or whereever) and get it rather then heading to the store.  However, buying 32 containers of Maalox and 62 bottles of French's Mustard is WOW crazy!!! 

I have been looking around at different blogs and coupon sites to find tips and tricks that will help with this new hobby.  For now here are helpful websites and blogs off the TLC website that I found a bit helpful.  I don't really need stock piles like the ones above but I would love to save on things that I use everyday and keep to my monthly budget. 

Get Tips from TLC's Extreme Couponers

Calling all couponers! Wonder how they do it?! Visit the websites of the extreme couponers from the show and get their tips.

• Amy Woodall, http://blessingsncouponing.blogspot.com/
• Double Saving Divas, Tai and Tarin, http://doublesavingdivas.com/
• J'aime Kirlew, http://www.extremecoupondiva.com
• Stephanie Barr, http://www.ourcouponhome.com/
• Tammilee Tillison, http://www.tammileetips.com
• Treasure Phillips, http://www.couponshoppingwithtreasure.com/
• Missy Eby, http://www.feedinggodspeople.com/
• Tiffany Ivanovsky, http://mylitter.com/
• Paul Ivanovsky, http://www.iheartthemart.com/

Couponing & Shopping on TLC Family

Here's everything you'll need to know to leave the store with the best savings for you and your family. Check out a few TLC Family articles below.

• Best Websites to Save You Money
• Top 10 Marked-up Items in the Grocery Store
• Extreme Coupon Tips for Novice Couponers
• 10 Store Brands that are the Same as the Name Brands
• Top 10 Groceries that Americans Buy
• Top 10 Things that Never Go on Sale
• Groceries Quiz: Do You Know the Price?
• 10 Great Deals that Usually Aren't
• 10 Ways Grocery Stores Trick You into Spending More
• Family Budget Basics

If anyone reading has any thoughts on this new frenzie send me a comment or email at OneInspiredMama@gmail.com !!

Coupons and Sales

click here for instore coupon

I'm not going to use this so I figured I'd share so someone would get to use it!

Here is 30% off at Juicy Couture

Check out JC Penney's for big doorbuster sales!

If you have never checked out Zulily click here to take advantage of up to 70% savings on things for you, the kids, your house, as well as great gift ideas.  Here are some of the sales going on now:

                                                         Skechers Shoes                                                 BabyLegs

                                                       nuLOOM  (rugs)                                    Harper Collins (picture books)

Lately I am all about the coupons and saving a buck here and there....why pay full price when you can get it for next to nothing!!  If you are up for saving here and there check out The Krazy Coupon Lady!!! 

Well there are my saving tips for the day! Now go and shop, but be sure to check out some of these sites so you are getting the best deals you can!! 

Enjoy~

Kristyn

ps. be sure to share deals that you have too I would love to here what other savings are out there!!