Stretching That Soap

They have been getting smaller and smaller - those bottles of dish soap.


But the prices have stayed the same or gone up a bit.


They are supposed to be more concentrated so you get more for the money out of a bottle.


That would probably work if everyone used less instead of the same amount.


So, a few years ago, I started keeping a separate bottle, and mixing some of that dish soap with water.


It certainly went a lot farther, and the same amount was being used just the same by everyone.


And it didn't affect the suds in the sink - there were always enough.


This small trick has saved us money, and I still buy the good brands as they are the best latherers.


But I only do so when they are on sale - and a coupon is always a bonus!

Savings at Walgreens

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Walgreens and Express Script are parting ways when it comes to filling prescriptions at the pharmacy counter.

And there are many customers that are very upset with this news.

Instead of having the friendly pharmacist fill their prescriptions, they will have to use a mail service to get their medications.

Worries are abound as to where these medicines are coming from.

They know it will not be the reliable pharmacy that they trust who can answer their questions and make sure all goes well each month with the refills.

To help make the transition a bit easier on them, the Walgreens Prescription Savings Club is offering a special discount on their annual membership plan.

This plan offers savings on over 8,000 brand name medicines and all the generic medications too.

In addition to our prescriptions, they also offer discounts on pet prescriptions, flue shots, nebulizers, and diabetic supplies.

Members even earn bonuses when they purchase Walgreens brand products.

For individuals, it costs $5 for membership for a year.

A family membership, which includes a spouse, dependents who are 22 and younger, and pets, costs $10 for a year  that receives discount prices on prescriptions.

Show your support for this pharmacy by following Walgreens on Twitter and by liking Walgreens on Facebook.

Counting Steps Socially

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cafe Well for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

As most of my readers already know, for the past couple of years, I have used a pedometer to count my steps and monitor my walking.

I would track the numbers online and it would go towards helping a worthwhile organization at the end of the year.

Cafe Well has taken this idea to a new level.

Using a social network and wireless pedometers, participants track their steps when they walk or run.

A wellness program called Race to the Moon rewards them for their total steps and milestones along the way.

This program offers incentives and is fun for the participants.

That is the secret to the program's success - competition and talking with others about their progress keeps the users interested and wanting to accomplish more.

This Race to the Moon program is open to certain Health America members in their partnership with Cafe Well.

Creating a health care challenge sounds like a lot of fun too.

If it were based on eating healthy food, then that would be a double advantage to this program.

Not only would the users be exercising with their walking or running, they would also be eating better.

Eating healthier food will help with weight issues and will give an overall feeling of well being.

Little steps at a time to get us feeling and being healthier is always a good thing.

Crustless Pumpkin Pie

We love pumpkin pie, but it doesn't always love us.


Actually, it isn't the the pumpkin filling that is the problem, it is the crust.


For years I used one that contained shortening as an ingredient.


Well, those hydrogenated fats just weren't agreeing with us.


So, I went to a butter recipe that was oh so delicious.


Once  again, the fat was not agreeing with my system.


My husband was never too crazy about pie crust to begin with, so I thought about trying something different for the pumpkin.


I mixed the filling per my recipe, but instead of putting it in a pie dish, I filled six custard cups with it.


Putting them in a baking dish filled with water, I baked the cups per my recipe.


Keeping a close eye on them, it took about twenty minutes less than the whole pie takes to cook.


After they cooled, we dug in.


They were so good - cooked perfectly just like in the pie.


We now think of them as a "veggie" serving instead of a dessert.


And they are the perfect size in those cups, with a lot less fat and calories to worry about!

Lasagna Tip

We finally got everything together to make a large batch of lasagna.


A really large batch of it - enough to freeze a couple of dinners and a couple of lunches after we eat our fill of it now.


We had the meat in the freezer, which we bought on sale over time.


All we had to get was the cheese, so it made making this meal quite a bit easier on the pocket.


There are tons of recipes out there for lasagna - both with cooked and uncooked noodles.


But what I have found that works best is soaked noodles.


No hassle of cooking them, or having to try to figure the correct amount of liquid for the uncooked ones.


Soaking them for 15 minutes in a tray of water that has been boiled is all that is necessary.


It keeps the noodles from being too soggy from all the cooking, and too dry because they absorbed all the fluids.


I have used this method for years, and the lasagna is perfect every time - whether it's a regular batch or a really large batch.


Dinner is going to be so good tonight!