The Coupon Goddess

Our Day In Pictures

2012-05-26T17:21:00.006-07:00

Salvation Army or Nordstrom's?

2012-05-25T07:27:00.000-07:00

After weeding through my kid's closets, packing up winter clothes and restocking with warmer weather outfits, I came to two conclusions.

My kids are rough on their stuff. Do you remember those old commercials for Samsonite? The ones with the gorillas that beat the hell out of the luggage?

My kids could've given those gorillas a run for their bananas, I tell you.

Also, my food must have some type of nutritional properties akin to Miracle Gro. I swear the kids have grown a foot this winter.

All of this growing necessitated a trip to The Salvation Army to drop off bags of outgrown clothing. I figured while I was there I'd poke around and see what was on the racks.

It's been a long long time since I've checked out the thrift stores, and I was curious to see what they had to offer these days.....

My first stop was the jeans rack. Now keep in mind, this store was not located in some type of ritzy neighborhood. Quite the contrary.

So, I was very surprised to see this designer label pair of Lucky Brand marked at $4.99 sandwiched between a pair of Arizona and Lee jeans.

And not too far down the rack did I come across this pair of Gap jeans with the tags still attached. If $4.99 wasn't enough of a bargain, they were taking an additional 50% off all blue tagged items in the store. These brand new Gap jeans would've been $2.50. Bargain.

Lucky Brand wasn't the only high falutin' label I came across. Check out this Juicy Couture skirt. $4.99! Have you ever stepped foot into a Juicy store?

My shoes start to melt a la Wizard of Oz whenever I even entertain the idea of walking into that store. Not a store for the frugal minded folk.

These White House Black Market capris were in the retail stores for over $50 last season. I know this because I desperately wanted them.

If these had been a size 10, I'd be wearing them as I type this post. Sadly they were not, therefore I'm typing this post in my flannel jammie bottoms.

Even though I didn't find anything amazing for myself, I did score some cute stuff for the girls. For a whopping $4.00, I bought a pair of Gap capris, an Izod top, Justice denim shorts and a fleece Columbia zip up.

All in excellent condition, except the Justice shorts that have that "distressed look" that is so very popular right now. To think we pay for clothing with frayed edges and holes because it's in fashion. Mind boggling. But for .99 I won't stress over it.

Some people take issue with purchasing used clothing. I do not. Matter of fact, I'm damn near giddy that we're stepping into yard sale season here in the Northeast.

My girls are terribly rough on their clothing. Part of this is due to the fact that they enjoy playing outside. They are highly physical, never stop moving type of kids, so it stands to reason that their clothing is going to get roughed up.

Getting play clothes at a thrift shop or yard sale saves me from hollering at them whenever I see a grass stain or dirt splotch.

Purchasing used kid's clothes on the cheap is like purchasing a little bit of sanity.

If you haven't checked out your local thrift stores lately, I encourage you to give it a look-see. I bet you have stuff to drop off anyway, right?

How about you? Do you shop in thrift stores? Yard sales? Or are you opposed to purchasing used clothing?

A Peek Into My Cart

2012-05-24T06:31:00.001-07:00

I wish I could say that my grocery shopping trip was methodical and full of incredible bargains this week. It wasn't.

This is due to a bunch of different issues. A weekend trip to DC, another day in court with the never ending accident litigation, and a half day of school.

So, when we ran out of fresh produce, I knew I had to suck it up and take the kids grocery shopping with me. And after all of these years of couponing, you'd think the kids would get how this grocery shopping thing works.

Shannon: Ooooh, look at those cookies! I want them. Can we get them? Say yes!

Me: No. They aren't on sale and I don't have a coupon.

Leela: Can we get fruit snacks?

Me: No. They aren't on sale and I don't have a coupon.

Shannon: (who gets smarter by looking in my binder) You have a coupon for Chips Deluxe. Can we get those?

Me: No. They aren't on sale. I'll bake you some when we get home.

Shannon: It's not the same.

Me: Let me explain to you how this works......

I get the coupons.

The food goes on sale.

I buy the food with the coupons.

I bring it home.

You eat it.

Shannon: I'd rather pick what I want.

Me: You can do that when you get a job and buy your own food.

After an hour of saying no to impulse purchases the kids so desperately wanted me to say yes to, I made an impulse purchase of my own.

Alexia Mushroom Bites. I did have a coupon, so it wasn't a total wanton decadent impulse buy, but I envisioned nibbling on these while sipping a glass of wine after my harried shopping excursion with the girls.

I always marvel at couponers who tell tales of their kids skipping down aisles, looking for a product that mom has given them a coupon for. Heck, there are even kids who help their parents clip the coupons from the weekend inserts.

Not mine. My kids are drawn to the products with the best advertising and highest shelf price. I hope they get good jobs when they grow up.

How about you? Do you shop with the kids? How does that work for you?

The New Living Social 918 F Street

2012-05-23T12:40:00.001-07:00

Every trip I take to Washington DC is memorable, and I discover something new each time I visit. Be it a museum I've not yet explored, a new to me restaurant, monuments I've not noticed, Washington DC always has something new and wonderful to discover.

And this past weekend was no different. We are all familiar with the deal giant Living Social. But you might not be familiar with their latest venture 918 F Street. I daresay that even the locals have yet to discover this uber hip venue.

918 F Street is an innovative concept. The space is designed to host a myriad of events which connect local merchants directly with the consumer.

From art classes where you can sip wine while learning how to paint, to meet and greets with rock bands, this space is designed to offer truly unique opportunities through the ever so popular group buying experience many of us love.

In a little twist of serendipity, Katie Workman, the author of The Mom 100 Cookbook that I reviewed recently, happened to be teaching a class the day I visited.

Participants paid $55 for the two hour hands on class which included a copy of The Mom 100 Cookbook and an exquisite meal of teriyaki salmon, sauteed veggies, rice, chickpea poppers and chocolate dipped strawberries.

The 918 F Street kitchen is stocked with some pretty serious hardware. An army of Kitchenaid mixers, immersion blenders, portable gas cooktops, and ovens everywhere you look.

The 918 F Street staff does a fabulous job keeping the ingredients organized and the work stations cleared. Every time I put a dirty dish aside, an assistant whisked it away. I wish they had given us an assistant as a parting gift.

Besides the ingredients, each station had the recipes we were to prepare for the class.

All the ingredients were pre-measured and ready to go.

The television screens gave everyone the perfect view of what was going on at all times. Very high tech and very helpful.

I just fell in love with this kitchen. A magical place where pre-measured ingredients appear when needed and the dishes are washed by someone else. A little slice of heaven.

How amazing does this look? Crunchy rosemary and olive oil chickpeas. Yum.

If you live in the DC area, be sure to check out the offerings at Living Social's 918 F Street. With so many different types of experiences offered, you are bound to find something special!

This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.

Lemon Pound Cake

2012-05-22T04:50:00.000-07:00

Nordic Ware pans make me happy.

Nordic Ware pans marked down to 50% off make me even happier.

Last week I cruised into Crate and Barrel just for kicks. Shelves filled with cookware, colorful dishes, and every kitchen tool you could possibly imagine, but my favorite part of the store is the baking section, which is where I found this beautiful clearanced Nordic Ware lemon pan.

And since I recently picked up a lemon juicer to avoid carpal tunnel syndrome from squeezing tons of lemons for my lemon chicken dish, I figured it was time to give both the pan and juicer a whirl.

How I've lived 42 years without a juicer is beyond me.

The most stressful thing about decorative Nordic Ware pans is the release. I always spray the heck out of them with Baker's Joy and say a prayer during the flip. Success!

This particular recipe made so much batter that I got to use my mini pans too. Aren't they cute?

Pound cake is pretty rich on its own, but a simple lemon syrup gives it more moisture and even more lemony goodness.

Right before serving, a little sprinkle of powdered sugar is a good thing. But don't do that until the guests get to see the lemon imprint. It sort of defeats the purpose of using a decorative pan otherwise!

This cake is a no fail recipe. It is very lemony, so if lemon is not your thing, feel free to use any other citrus juice or none at all. It will be perfect no matter how you slice it.

Lemon Pound Cake

3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter at room temp
8oz cream cheese softened ( I used light, but with 3 sticks of butter, does it matter?)
3 cups sugar
4 lemons (zest all of them and reserve one lemon for the juice)
6 large eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract

Simple Syrup

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
the juice of one lemon

Preheat oven to 325 and spray pan with non stick spray.

Using a stand mixer, cream the butter, cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl and make sure it's all mixed together.

Slowly add in the flour and mix over low speed until the batter is smooth. Pour into pans and bake until golden. It took mine a solid hour.

In a small sauce pan, mix together the water, sugar, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Take off the heat and let it cool for ten minutes before pouring over cake.

I took a fork and pierced some holes into the cake before pouring the simple syrup over top. It allows the syrup to sink in deeper and faster. Right before serving, sprinkle powdered sugar over top if you like.

Winner!

2012-05-21T04:52:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Melody R. from MA. You are the winner of the Stop&Shop giveaway! Please send your mailing info to thecoupongoddessblog@yahoo.com. Thanks to all for entering!

Andrew's Air Force Base 2012 Air Show

2012-05-20T08:06:00.000-07:00

This weekend I had the opportunity to take in the Andrew's Air Force Base Air Show. A spectacular display of our military's aviation history.

From World War II bombers to the latest, and quite frankly intimidating, F-22 Raptor fighter, it was a vast display of aircraft that had the crowd in awe for the entire length of the show.

This was my first air show, and it really gave me a greater appreciation of our military and all they do to protect us on a daily basis.

There were so many powerful photo opportunities, but the following are some of my favorites...

The very large and shade producing B-52 Buffalo bomber. (Thanks to all the placards for displaying the names of the aircraft. It was helpful.)

F/A-18 Hornet fighter

NASA'S Super Guppy. Huge and totally mind blowing that this thing can take flight. Seriously.

C-5 Galaxy

CH-53 Super Stallion

H-34 Vietnam Veteran

Member of Navy SEAL Team Six. Remember the guys who rooted out Osama Bin Laden? Yeah, pretty bad ass, don't you think? I'm not thinking that people pick fights with these guys.

Security was pretty tight, which makes sense since the President's Air Force One aircraft are here.

And as enjoyable as the static displays were, the actual planes in the air were even more amazing.

The Legacy Formation of the P-51 Mustang and the F-22 Raptor. Cool.

The formidable B-2 Spirit stealth bomber.

It's just about guaranteed that everyone went home with a crick in the neck. We were all craning our necks looking into the sky for hours.

But the most anticipated part of the show was the Blue Angels.

A loud, powerful, display of precision formation flying, this team had us all in awe. They were fast. They were ear splittingly loud. And I swear my bones rattled when they flew overhead.

It was a beautiful day that had us all proud to be Americans. If you ever have the opportunity to attend an air show, I'd highly recommend it. I won't forget it anytime soon.

How about you? Have you ever attended an air show?

An Evening On The Odyssey In Boston Harbor

2012-05-19T06:47:00.001-07:00

This past week I had the opportunity to take a Boston harbor cruise on the elegant Odyssey dining cruise ship. Upon arriving at the dock, I knew it was going to be a special evening.

As soon as you start climbing the gang plank, you know that the staff is more than willing to make the experience memorable. Lots of smiling faces, welcome aboards, and inquiries on what they can do to make your evening truly special.

Oh, and did I mention the drinks? So stinkin' good. You must try the sangria. I will be thinking about that sangria for a good long while.

After we were settled in, my friends and I walked around to soak in the views. It was such a beautiful warm May evening, which makes this type of experience all the better.

I went with my blogging buddies Christy, Kim, and my friend Judy. A funny story about Judy....

Judy is a reader turned friend. Do you guys remember when I did the bake sale to raise money for Sarah who had cancer? (she is doing great, by the way)

Well, Judy showed up and bought some goodies. Down the road the accident happened and Judy did some very nice things for me.

And of course we became friends. It's amazing how blogging has introduced me to some mighty fine people who will be a permanent part of my life.

But I digress....

The views from the Odyssey are spectacular. The Boston harbor is such a visually interesting place with the views of the Boston skyline, the boats, and even the planes landing/taking off at Logan. It's so much more enjoyable to watch that than to experience it, from my point of view.

And the interior of the vessel is visually appealing as well. The attention to detail is apparent from the fresh flowers on the table to the parchment paper menus perched on the plates. I can just see celebrating a special occasion on this ship.

For those who love to dance, there's a large dance floor, live band and emcee a la Julie from The Love Boat who was getting everyone up and boogeying as soon as the boat pulled out of the mooring.

Our dinner was quite the affair. We started by choosing from a long list of appetizers. I chose a seafood medley baked under a zesty stuffing. So very good. And for my main course, I had one of the best short rib dishes I've had in a long time.

Usually on these types of cruises I've found that the food is lacking. But that is certainly not the case on the Odyssey. Each dish came out hot, beautifully plated, and delicious. Foodies will not be disappointed.

After dinner we spent the time chatting and enjoying the panoramic views. I tried to drag my girlfriends out on the dance floor, but they would have none of that. Party poopers.

If you are planning a special event, or if you are looking for a dramatic date night with your honey bunny, this is the way to go. To get more info on booking an Odyssey cruise, visit the website for ticket pricing and sail dates/times.

Thank you to Odyssey Cruises for inviting me for a very special evening. I was not compensated for this post, but they did offer me the cruise free of charge. All opinions are my own.

Barley, Not Your Grandma's Grain

2012-05-15T18:18:00.001-07:00

In my lifetime, I've never cooked barley. Never. Ever. And would you like to know the reason why? Because the name just sounds blecky. Barley. It sounds similar to barfy, doesn't it?

So, when I found myself at a recent event where the chef was serving barley, I was sort of disappointed. No, I was disappointed.

Too healthy. Too foreign. And I didn't have my Birkenstocks with me. Ok, I don't even own a pair of Birkentstocks, but I figured it was required if one was to consume barley.

Who eats barley anyway? Aunt Edna eats barley. Grandma might have cooked it in the way back.

I mean, when was the last time you saw it on a restaurant menu? Or at your neighborhood cookout? An old school grain that's best left in the past, right?

Wrong.

Upon tasting the chef's barley dish that was stewed in chicken stock and orange juice, I was a goner. Sort of a cross between pasta and rice, its toothy texture and nutty flavor had me wondering what culinary rock I've been hiding under all of these years.

A veritable bargain at around $3.00 for just shy of two pounds at your local grocer, barley is a nutritional powerhouse that offers numerous health benefits, which may include fighting heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

And the fiber? Oh, let me tell you about the fiber. At 8 grams of fiber per serving, it offers 32% of your suggested daily fiber intake. That's a lot.

Now, let me get practical with you. Intimate even. If you haven't consumed barley before, don't go too far from your home the first few days.

Yes, it is delicious. Yes, it is healthy. But it is a colonic in the most natural of forms and you will go through a cleanse if you want to or not. Trust me on this one.

So, I would suggest introducing barley into your diet slowly.

Don't do what I did and eat two cups in one serving because, oh my goodness you'll want to eat two cups. But if you do, you'll be thanking God for that stockpile of toilet paper you have in the basement.

Cooked barley can be served as a side dish with just about anything. We grilled some kielbasa the other night, and it went just perfect with that.

And on Mother's Day I grilled some shrimp and served it on top of the leftovers from the day before. So incredibly good. Not only is it inexpensive, it only has 200 calories per cup. That's a calorie bargain for sure!

Barley takes time to cook, about an hour. And a tip I learned from the chef is to cook it in a delicious liquid so that it sucks up all of that flavor right into the grain. It's amazing what a difference that one simple step can make.

Think about it.....

If you cook rice in water normally, can you imagine cooking it in chicken broth? It will soak up all of that flavor and impart a whole other nuance to your dish.

The same thing with barley. The chef cooked it in a mixture of orange juice and chicken broth, which was awesome, but you could go crazy with all different kinds of liquids that would impart different flavors.

Now, the recipe I'm going to share with you today will be a big hit with those of you who love the flavors of the Caribbean. A little sweet, a little spicy, but entirely delicious. You'll be hearing steel drums after the first bite....

Island Barley

8oz pearl barley
6oz mango nectar (found by the Goya products in the grocery store)
6oz chicken stock
1 lime, juiced
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup cranberries
1 red bell pepper roasted and diced
1 to 2 jalapenos, finely diced ( use as much or as little heat as you'd like)
1/4 Tbsp kosher salt
1/4 Tbsp coarsely ground black pepper

Bring the mango nectar, chicken stock, lime juice, and olive oil to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to low and add barley. Cook for one hour or until the grain is tender. Add the cilantro, cranberries, red pepper, jalapenos, salt and pepper. Stir to incorporate all ingredients. That's it!

This dish can be served hot, warm, or even cold. It matters not. No matter how you dish it up, it will be fantastic. Delicious, healthy, cleansing. Barley. Who knew?

A Peek Into My Cart

2012-05-14T18:42:00.000-07:00

Ok, so you know how I always preach about how important it is to eat a well balanced diet? How we as couponers can look normal at the checkout?

Yeah, for this one post, you can forget about all of that. Today my cart looked like it was pushed around by an Oompa Loompa on a chocolate bender.

Here's the scoop. At Stop&Shop there's a candy/gas points deal that will allow my kids to have smores for the entire summer for dang near free. That is, if I can hide the chocolate from them. It's sort of hard to hide 60 king sized Hershey bars.

For every 5 king sized Hershey products I purchase, I pay $6.25, but I get $7.00 in gas at the pump if I purchase 35 gallons. So basically, it's a money maker. Smores for the whole neighborhood it is!

Also, certain theater box candy has the same math as the Hershey deal above, so I seriously stocked up on boxes of Whoppers, Reese's Pieces and Good N' Plenty to go with all of the cheap movies we are going to see this summer.

How are we going to do that? Great question! Let me show you!

You need to keep your eyes peeled for certain products that have Spidey codes. You can go here to see all of the participating products, but Cheez-Its, Kellogg's, and Keebler products all have the Spidey packaging....

For every 6 codes entered, you get a free movie ticket. There's a limit of 30 code redemptions for the duration of the promotion, but I need to do a little digging to see if this is per email address or household. I'll update in the comment section when I figure that out.

This week Cheez-Its are buy one box, get one free. So for every six boxes I purchase, I pay $11.55, but I get a $12.00 movie ticket for free. We absolutely love Cheez-Its, so this is a win-win situation. We are totally stocking up.

As I mentioned, Kellogg's is also a participating brand, and once again Stop&Shop is offering a promotion this week where you buy 4 boxes of cereal and you get $6 off your order and a free gallon of milk.

Of course I'm purchasing the specially marked Spidey code boxes which turns out to be a fantastic deal. As an example, I've been buying four boxes of Crunchy Nut cereal using .70/1 coupons. My total comes to $1.74 after coupons and the $6 instant savings.

And for that, not only do I get all of that cereal, I get a free gallon of milk and 4 Spidey codes. So for every 12 boxes I purchase, I pay $5.28 and I get two free movie tickets and three gallons of milk.

A pretty sweet deal if you ask me. Those theater boxes of candy will taste even sweeter while watching movies for a fraction of what the rest of the people in the theater are paying.

I tossed some spinach, barley and chocolate covered bananas onto the belt for some balance. Balance is key, don't you know?

This time around Kellogg's switched things up by putting the codes on the front of the package. I sort of like the way you can see how much cereal is left in the box. Don't you?

So, that's what I'm excited about this week. How about you? What are you working on?

Stop&Shop Mother's Day Giveaway!

2012-05-13T18:09:00.001-07:00

Happy Mother's Day! I hope you all had a fantastic relaxing day, celebrating the women that enrich your lives.

We had a very low key day. I opened homemade cards, sipped a piping hot mug of coffee while doing absolutely nothing, and I enjoyed a foot rub by the two most qualified massage therapists I know.

It doesn't get much better than that, my friends.

Along with my homemade cards, I received a special package from Stop&Shop, which was filled with flour, sugar, vanilla, granola, and $20 in Stop&Shop gift cards.

Nestled inside the basket was a recipe for banana cranberry muffins which I'll be making in the not too distant future. I have a love for all things cranberries, so this recipe speaks to my foodie soul.

Banana Cranberry Muffins

1/2 cup dried cranberries, rehydrated
1 cup hot water
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp (reserve for tops) low fat granola (crushed)
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup nonfat sour cream
3/4 cup mashed banana (approx. 1 1/2 bananas)
1/4 cup skim milk
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg

Place cranberries in a bowl and cover with hot water. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl mix sour cream and next 5 ingredients, stir well.

Stir sour cream mixture into dry mixture until combined and mixture is moistened. Drain cranberries, dry with a paper towel, and fold into muffin mixture.

Spoon mixture into muffin cups and top with remaining 2 Tbsp of granola. Bake for 22 minutes at 375 or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

How would you like to win a basket filled with all of the fixin's you need to make this recipe PLUS $20 in Stop&Shop gift cards? All you need to do to enter is comment on this post with your first name, last initial, the state you are from and how you celebrated this special day.

Entries must be received by Friday, May 18th 11:59pm ET. Good luck!

Thank you to Stop&Shop for sending the lovely Mother's Day basket for my enjoyment and for offering another as a giveaway for my readers. All opinions are my own.

2012-05-13T16:44:00.002-07:00

Congrats to Lori M. from MT! You are the winner of the Mom 2.0 swag giveaway. Please send your mailing address to thecoupongoddessblog@yahoo.com. Thanks to all for entering!

As Long As I'm Living My Baby You'll Be

2012-05-11T17:17:00.002-07:00

I remember when Aidan was a tiny baby and how I would walk around everywhere with him stuck to my chest in a baby carrier. Wherever I went, there he was.

It was attachment parenting before it ever became fashionable.

His favorite place to nap was on my stomach while I was napping as well. Little did I know at the time that this would be called co-sleeping down the road. I guess I was ahead of my time. Or more truthfully, it was the only way I could get some sleep.

And as he got older, that transitioned into rocking him for what felt like hours before I'd gently place him in his crib, which is when he'd always wake up and wail.

That kid had a set of lungs.

When he was around two I decided to Ferberize him. Which basically means, let him cry it out so he would learn to sleep on his own.

The first few nights I did this I would sit outside his door quietly sobbing. It took a full week for him to figure out that I wasn't coming back in. He did not like the Ferber method one little bit.

Even though he learned to sleep through the night, I will always regret having done that. It just didn't feel right.

I really miss those early years with Aidan.

I'm not sure if I appreciated them as much as I could have had I known that three more babies would be coming in the not too distant future.

I don't think I could've loved him any more than I did, because let me tell you, I was quite enamored with this child. Three baby albums full of pics from his first year will attest to that.

But if I only knew how busy my life would become, maybe I would've relished those early years with him even more. If that's even possible. He was a much adored child.

However he did what all kids do best. He grew up.

He doesn't fit in the baby carrier any more. And not only does he sleep through the night, he could sleep until two o'clock in the afternoon if we let him.

I daresay he's becoming a man.

Goodbye diaper pins, hello boutonniere pins.

Watching my son prepare for his prom today was bittersweet.

My hand is not the one he wants to hold onto any longer.

Heck, I had to fight to get him to pose with me in the picture above.

He was too busy texting excitedly to all of his buddies.

But that's how it goes. Our babies grow up, become adults, and have lives of their own. And that's a good thing. At least that's what I keep telling myself over and over again. My mantra for today.

I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, As long as I'm living my baby you'll be.

A Happy Mailbox

2012-05-10T09:01:00.000-07:00

Prior to couponing, getting the mail was rarely a pleasant task. Bills, bills, and more bills. Isn't it funny how there are always surprise bills, but rarely surprise checks? I really like surprise checks.

Once I became a couponer, my mailbox got a whole lot happier. Way back in the golden days of couponing, we used to get all sorts of goodies for mailing in proofs of purchase from packages.

Tony The Tiger soccer jerseys, Keebler Elves beach towels, branded soccer balls, some pretty cool stuff. Things have evolved though, as they always do, and I must say that the freebies seem to be getting better and better as social media progresses.

Facebook has been all shades of awesome lately with free product opportunities. By just "liking" a company I've received tons of totally free stuff. Pizza, chocolate, music, hair products, razors, just to name a few.

But lately my mailbox has gotten even sexier due to social media engagement. Let me share with you what the mailman delivered yesterday...

Usually I can count on Victoria's Secret for a free cotton panty coupon every couple of months. My entire panty wardrobe is comprised of free VS panties. But yesterday I got an offer for a free pair of lace waist cotton hip huggers worth $10.50.

(Photo Credit Victoria's Secret)

Now, if Victoria's Secret would just toss in some free lipo, Botox, and Rejuvederm treatments so that I could look like this gal while wearing said panties, I'd be entirely grateful.

And as lovely as free panties may be, Bumble and Bumble upped the ante big time. I had signed up for a free sample of their Bb Straight product...

I was already really excited about this particular freebie due to my wildly ornery curls that I have to flat iron into submission every day, but inside the packaging was a gift card for a free blow out at a participating salon.

The participating salon in my area charges $25 to $35 for this service. That's one hell of a freebie.

So, now we are up to about $45 in free useful product in my mailbox. Not too shabby. But wait, there's more..

Who wants to have age spots while having perfectly coiffed hair and lacy panties on their bottom? No siree bob. We'll have none of that business.

My StriVectin EV Brightening Serum sample promises to even out my skin tone and diminish stubborn age spots. At a hefty $79.54 for a 1.7oz bottle, my .25oz sample is worth $11.70. Certainly worth the four seconds it took to fill out the address form with auto-fill.

Add in my free product coupons for International Delight coffee creamer and Pasta Prima Ravioli, and we're talking about an almost $70 in free product mail day.

Oh, one more thing. I got a cute little purse filled with Tampax, but that sort of takes away from the sexiness of it all, doesn't it? Nobody wants to have their period while wearing sexy panties on a good hair day.

How about you? Have your mail days brightened since becoming a couponer? What's your favorite mailbox freebie lately?

A Peek Into My Trunk

2012-05-09T06:46:00.003-07:00

After grocery shopping yesterday, I pushed my cart out of the store and realized that I forgot to take a picture of my cart. So, when I got to the car I took everything out of the bags and arranged it in my trunk as people walked by giving me the strangest looks.

There's nothing to see people. Move along. Just a crazy woman taking pictures of her groceries. What? Like you haven't seen that before? A woman can be proud of her groceries, can't she?

My first order of business this week was getting some fresh produce into the house. My next focus was dog food. And no. I don't have a dog, but there is a gas points deal this week that gives you .20 off each gallon of gas you purchase if you buy two cans of dog food at $1.69 each.

This ends up being a money maker, so it looks like we'll be donating to our local animal shelter. I didn't go overboard because there wasn't much stock. I think everyone in my area recognized that this was a good deal. Dog owners, or not.

Other than that, I stocked up on some chicken which was also part of the gas points promo, no name snack bags because they were super cheap, Welch's Essentials juice because I had coupons and I got a free Welch's Fizz with every two Essentials I purchased, and some other random things we needed like fruits and veggies.

Nothing earth shaking. Just some basics to get us through until I get my binder and coupons organized. Just walking away from that binder for one week totally threw me off track.

I have zero idea of what's going on at the drug stores this week. That's my next task to tackle. Anything amazing I shouldn't miss? How about Target? Any spectacular finds there?

My Michelangelo

2012-05-08T14:23:00.001-07:00

My 14 year old son Michael is at that age when he doesn't want me to share his photos with the world. As a proud parent (and blogger), that's a hard pill to swallow, but it is his right. One that I have to respect until he says otherwise.

Until then, he has given me permission to share some of his artwork with you. Many of you know that Michael is an art student. He spends many hours pouring over art theory and other texts that are helping him hone his skills.

Watching him paint and draw, I often wonder where he gets this ability. It truly must be a gift because none of us in the immediate family can do what this kid does.

Above is Michael's version of Katniss from the book/movie The Hunger Games. It's his first full portrait and I think he did a mighty fine job.

I'm also loving this simple sketch of a woman's eye. Michael dismisses this as a practice piece and inconsequential, but it's one of my favorites. One that I will frame and hang in my home as soon as I can get him to part with it. Artists are funny that way.

Isn't it mind boggling how some people are just born with a gifting? Prewired to be great in some particular area?

I'm very proud of Michael, and so excited to see how this talent will grow with him as he enters adulthood.

Sunset Chicken with Mango Kiwi Salsa

2012-05-07T19:19:00.000-07:00

It's only been one day and I already miss Florida. Or maybe I just miss some waiter walking up to me and asking if I'd like to order another drink as I lay in a chaise lounge soaking up the rays, but whatever. I still miss it.

Today was back to reality. I woke up this morning, shuffled to the fridge, and much to my dismay I discovered that it was near empty. How this is possible, I don't know. I crammed that thing full of all kinds of good stuff before I left.

It must be the teenagers. They have a way of hoovering things down. Have you ever watched that special on National Geographic where the whale swims through the ocean with its mouth wide open and swallows up everything in its wake?

Teenagers and whales have that in common.

One bottle of Pom and one half of a container of coleslaw sat on the shelf. I'm pretty good at whipping stuff up with odds and ends, but I'm no miracle worker.

So, off to Stop & Shop I went with no real plans for dinner. Just a craving for anything that would take my taste buds back to Florida.

My first stop was the produce department where I spied some healthy looking jalapeno peppers. Into the cart they went.

And then I noticed that mangoes were on sale. I could almost hear the tinkling of steel drums.

A bunch of cilantro, a couple of kiwi fruit, and one Vidalia onion later I was back in Miami, even if it was only in my mind. I cruised through the meat department, grabbed a package of chicken, and off to the checkout I went.

Upon arriving home, I ran down to the stockpile to grab the last ingredient I needed to bring this dish together.

Months ago I had purchased this key lime marmalade when it went on clearance at Shaw's for 75% off. I had no idea what I wanted to do with it at the time, but I knew it would come in handy at some point.

After chopping up the mango, onion, kiwi, jalapeno, and cilantro, I tossed some of the marmalade into the microwave....

Which I then mixed into the fresh salsa. Can you hear the waves crashing yet?

After warming up some more of the key lime marmalade, I coated my grilled chicken with it. Marmalade is such a versatile pantry staple. If you don't have key lime marmalade, any citrus marmalade will do just fine.

After the chicken finished cooking, I covered it with the mango kiwi salsa. Sweet, savory, with a hefty bit of heat from the jalapenos. A bright dish in both color and flavor.

The colors of this dish remind me of the Florida sunset. Hence the name. I hope this dish brings some sun and flavor into your kitchen too. Enjoy!

Sunset Chicken with Mango Kiwi Salsa

3 pounds of bone in chicken pieces (thigh, breast, leg, whatever)
2 mangoes, diced
1 Vidalia onion, diced
2 kiwi fruit, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (you can use more or less to taste)
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup key lime marmalade (or any other citrus marmalade), divided
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

In a mixing bowl, combine mangoes, onion, kiwi, jalapeno pepper, cilantro, and 1/4 cup of marmalade that you've zapped in the microwave just until runny. Add 1 tsp salt and mix well. Set aside.

Salt and pepper the chicken pieces. Grill chicken until the juices run clear. Baste with the remaining marmalade.

Once the chicken is fully cooked, place chicken on serving platter and pour fruit salsa over top. Enjoy!

Serves 4-6.

Winners!

2012-05-07T18:29:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Jen C. from TN and Jacquelyn O. from NH. You've both won copies of The Mom 100 cookbook. If you could both be so kind as to send your mailing address to thecoupongoddessblog@yahoo.com, I'd so appreciate it. Thanks to all for entering!

Mom 2.0 Summary and a Giveaway

2012-05-06T18:56:00.000-07:00

If money were no object, I'd forever choose to stay at Ritz Carlton properties. Over the top attentive staff, luxurious accommodations, grandiose staircases, floral arrangements everywhere. I could go on and on. It is luxurious.

Located on Key Biscayne, this Ritz Carlton property felt like an island to itself. Situated on a lovely beach with killer views, one could spend days here and not feel inclined to leave the property.

There were special touches everywhere, but the fountains and flowers had me mesmerized.

I spent a good long time walking around soaking it all in.

I couldn't resist taking one more lizard shot. This one had the cutest butt.

My friends and I popped off the property once to check out downtown Miami. I had never been, so I was curious what all the hulabaloo was about.

We went to lunch at Versailles which had incredible Cuban food. The best I've ever had. But then again, it was the only Cuban food I've ever had, so I have little to compare it to. But I can assure you it was fantastic.

Versailles has killer mojitos too. The Ritz wanted something like $17.00 per mojito, so the $6.00 ones at Versailles were a bargain!

Our first day ended with watching the sunset over Miami...

How gorgeous is that?

(Charlene, myself, Jodi and Anne)

The next day the conference started. People often times ask me why I go to blogging conferences. Well, there are a few reasons....

First of all, I go to learn how to blog better. There are panels on how to fine tune your writing skills, how to grow your readership, how to promote your blog, etc. I've been doing this for a long time and I always learn something new at these conferences.

I also go to meet new bloggers. Be it brand new bloggers who've just launched blogs, or bloggers that I just haven't crossed paths with yet. It's good business to keep in the know in this industry.

Also, I go to connect with brands that I might want to work with. Basically, I look for brands/products that I'd like to review and give away here on The Coupon Goddess. And everyone seems to enjoy a good giveaway. Don't you think?

Of course I also go to hang out with my blogging buddies....

Meet my good friends Ellen and Cecily. I'm so blessed to be friends with wildly talented women.

Oh, and I forgot something. The parties. Blogging conferences have the most amazing parties. Here I am all dolled up for a very, very special party.

I spent forever getting my hair just right for it. Do you like my Carol Brady flip? It lasted all of 6.5 minutes in the Miami humidity.

What was so special about this party? Why, it was held at the Versace mansion on South Beach!

We started with appetizers and cocktails in the mansion court yard, which was pretty over the top elegant. But after a little while they opened the doors into this lovely area....

To say that the Versace mansion is breath taking is a gross understatement.

There were tons of delicious nibbles and cocktails. All of that working out I did for the last two months just went to hell in a hand basket.

Of course there was even more socializing and networking. Above is my new friend Ellen who writes a blog that addresses the topic of special needs children. If you have special needs kids, I'd highly suggest checking out her blog.

And for all of you green conscious people, above is my friend Sommer who writes a blog that is focused on green living. I'm certainly no expert in this area, but I'd sure love to start heading in that direction.

It was an amazing evening and such a special experience to visit the Versace mansion with my peers. I doubt that any of us will forget this conference anytime soon.

Mom2.0 was not very swag heavy, but I did manage to grab some goodies for a giveaway. Hallmark was there promoting their newest card line and their recordable story books. I was able to grab both a recordable story book and an assortment of cards.

Check this one out...

I thought you might like that one. I also grabbed a free product coupon from Sargento for the new Thin Slices. Two free product coupons for Ecover laundry detergent, $10.00/1 coupon for Charmin toilet paper, a yummy bag of chocolate strawberry granola from Love Crunch, and a laundry bag from LG.

I'm also throwing in a $25.00 Chevron gas card because I'm in a super good mood that my flight went well this evening. No major bumps. No electrical fires. Just clear skies and smooth sailing. My kind of flight.

To enter this giveaway, just comment on this post with your first name, last initial, and the state you are from. Entries must be received by Friday, May 11th 11:59pm ET. Good luck!

Also, thank you for letting me share this experience with you. I know it's off the beaten path, but I promise to get back to business as usual lickety split.

Mom 2.0 Summit

2012-05-04T11:37:00.001-07:00

Before I got into blogging the idea of going to a conference didn't excite me. Way back in the way back, I went to school for elementary education. Our conferences were sort of dry and in my opinion very boring.

But I didn't stick with teaching, so that might explain that.

Blogging conferences are a different animal. And the women who plan these shindigs know how to do it right.

Mom 2.0 is located at The Ritz Carlton in Key Biscayne this year. A lovely resort on the ocean with spectacular views.

Our first event was a pool side party last night which was hosted by LG. They were showing off their newest and greatest products....

Pretty sexy, right?

There were drinks by the pool, hand treatments, massages, and a buffet. A nice way to spend the evening, networking with other bloggers and brands who work in this industry.

This was a white party, which means everyone had to wear white. Makes sense, right? I can't even begin to tell you how long it took me to find a white outfit.

Doesn't that sound like a simple task? It didn't quite turn out that way, but clearly I figured it out.

The weather has been lovely and I'm really enjoying the natural beauty of this place. Especially the lizards. They fascinate me. Large ones, small ones, all different colors. And they are everywhere! Looking for them is like playing Where's Waldo.

If my luggage wasn't already fifty pounds pre-swag, I'd be tempted to shove this guy in. Or girl. Your guess is as good as mine. I'm not up on my reptile anatomy.

Aren't the flowers lovely too? So many photo opportunities!

So far the conference has been wonderful. Making new friends, reuniting with old friends. Learning some things here and there that will hopefully keep me growing as a blogger. All while enjoying a few mojitos pool side. Life is good.

Check back tomorrow for a Mom2.0 swag giveaway. You knew one was coming. Didn't you?

Turbulence

2012-05-03T08:21:00.001-07:00

As I've shared with you many, many times before, I have a fear of flying. Over the past few years it has gotten better however. It used to be a paralyzing, oh my God we are going to all go down in a fire ball of molten metal type of fear, but I've moved on. Or so I thought.

I usually carry a bottle of Valium with me when I fly, but I haven't had to take one in a very long time. All of the traveling to blogging conferences and visiting my parents who live out of state and out of country has sort of gotten me used to the whole idea.

But when I buckled myself into my seat on my 7:15 am flight from JFK to MIA, an alarm went off in my head. Intuition? Maybe. I popped a pill and prayed that my mind was just running away with me as usual.

Around an hour into the flight the pilot came on and asked the flight attendants to take their seats. That is never, ever a good sign. Ever.

Minutes later we hit a rough patch of air. There was a bit of a dip, a strong shake, and then calm for a few moments. Then it happened. The plane dropped like the Tower of Terror.

Later on I would be told by the pilot that this is called convective weather, but at the time there were no announcements. Just loud gasps and cries from fellow passengers.

The plane swayed from side to side, shaking, shuddering, and then we smelled a chemical like smoke coming through the ventilation. That's when several of the passengers started to lose it. Including me.

This only lasted for a few minutes, but it seemed like an eternity. Once the plane was stabilized, the pilot came on to explain what had happened. He also assured us that the smoke and acrid smell was not serious.

I'm not certain that we were all convinced of this. But shortly thereafter we saw the beverage carts come rolling out, and that's when I think the color returned to my cheeks.

Two hours later we were on the ground in one piece. A few more gray hairs, certainly mentally drained, but in one piece instead of scattered over Virginia.

I'm back to full on flying phobia. For life.

The first thing I did when I got to my hotel was toss on my bathing suit and plop myself onto the first pool chair I could find to enjoy a much needed drink.

As I sat there sipping my mojito, I watched the planes flying into Miami. Thanking God I was safely on the ground. Another crisis averted. I'm starting to feel like a cat. I've lost track of how many lives I have left. Hopefully a few more.

Have you ever experienced severe turbulence? Did it affect your confidence in flying?

I Heart NYC

2012-05-02T19:35:00.000-07:00

I have no idea who this woman is. She was strolling around Central Park and I thought she was as cute as a button. Also, I really wanted her t-shirt, but was too cheap to buy it. So, I took a picture of her in it instead.

There is something magical about Central Park. Don't you think?

It's dark and gothic looking in some places, and the around the next corner you find..

A field of flowers. All bright, blooming and full of life. Beautiful.

Not one of my favorite pictures due to the imbalanced composition, but I still wanted to share with you the irony of it all. I drove all the way from Plymouth, Massachusetts and the first monument I see in New York is for Plymouth Rock. Comical, yes?

Ok, this next sight freaked me out big time. I noticed that the cap of this wall was moving.

As I got closer I realized it was a swarm of bees. Honey, I'm home.

As I walked through the park, I happened upon brides having their pictures taken. What a spectacular place to capture such a special moment in time.

Confession, I might have shed a tear or two.

It was a truly beautiful day and a fantastic evening. Going to New York City is always such an exciting experience. Some people get intimidated by big cities. Not me. I look at is an opportunity to explore and discover new people and places I've not seen before. An adventure!

As I write this I'm currently in Miami. Getting here was quite the story which I'll save until tomorrow morning to share with you. I've been traveling since 5:00 this morning and I'm plum out of energy.

I hope you are all having a fabulous week!

Quiche, No Dinner Bell Needed

2012-04-30T16:27:00.001-07:00

I bought some eggs.

Ok, I bought a lot of eggs. Sheesh, you guys know me so well.

Seriously, they were on sale for $1.88 a carton, so only .88 each after .50/1 doubled coupon. It was the right thing to do.

As I was stuffing the cartons in my fridge, Jeff kept shaking his head saying "We're never going to eat that many eggs." "Wanna make a bet?" I said.

So tonight I spread a puff pastry sheet into my spring form pan, mixed some cheddar cheese and bacon into the eggs, and into the oven it went.

I didn't have to holler for the kids to come down for dinner.

There's something about the smell of bacon and cheese wafting through the house that negates having to call people down for dinner.

Eggs. Gotta love them. Cheap, nutritious, and satisfying.

We have what I call an "upside down dinner" often. Breakfast for dinner is such an easy option for days when you are scratching your head trying to figure out what to make for dinner.

How about you? Do you ever flip things around and serve breakfast dishes for dinner? Confession, there are days when I even let kids have cold cereal for dinner. Gasp, can you even imagine that?

These Hips Don't Lie

2012-04-29T18:17:00.000-07:00

Ok, so you don't see a picture of a shopping cart. Yes, Sunday is the day I usually flash a picture of whatever hot deals I've found on this first day of the sales, but today is different.

I've hemmed and hawed about this post for several days because I knew that today was not going to be a typical deal day. I did do some shopping which we will get to in a bit, but I had other things on my mind.

For those of you who have been following this blog for awhile, you know I've been itching to get back into the workforce. I have a bachelor's degree in public administration, training in culinary arts, but no hard plans on what exactly I wanted to do when I grew up.

But then the accident happened.

Like many people who go through trauma, I felt compelled to reevaluate my life....

Where am I going? What do I really want to do with my life? What truly makes me happy? What happened to my boobs?

Oh wait, that last one might be an issue unique to me.

All kidding aside, it wasn't very hard to come to a conclusion. I love people. Writing fulfills me. I interface well with companies and brands. The obvious choice was a career in social media.

In my life there have been times when I've had a good idea but it just wasn't the right time for it to come to fruition.

Now it's the right time.

No, I'm not shutting the doors of The Coupon Goddess. I love this blog too much. Hell, we've been through so much together. Haven't we? Fun times, sad times, holy heck I left my shoes at home again times.

I'm not willing to end that relationship with you.

But things are changing.

This week I'm going to be in New York City for one day and then the next I'm flying down to Miami for the blogging conference Mom2.0. A whirlwind week for sure.

And while it's going to look like all fun and games to you, it's now my job. Crazy stuff, right? To do something I love and get paid for it is a dream come true.

So what's the problem, you ask?

It's hard to write about frugal living when you are jetting off to some pretty fabulous places. I mean c'mon, the Mom2.0 conference is at The Ritz Carlton in Key Biscayne, FL. Certainly that does not suck.

However, it does make it hard for me to share my life with you. I feel sort of guilty.

That said, I'm too selfish to say goodbye. Therefore, I'm going to continue to share what's going on with my life because we've come this far together, right?

So over the next week, give me a bit of grace.

I'm only gone for a week and then we can get back to couponing.

There are only four or five blogging conferences per year that I'll be attending, so I'm hoping my work does not prohibit me from writing about the topics I usually cover here on TCG.

Thank you for understanding. Or at least humoring me. I'll take that too.

On to my funny shopping story....

In preparation for this trip to Miami, I had to do a little shopping. You see, I'm a New Englander through and through, and there's no salsa dancing attire in my closet.

Matter of fact, upon further evaluation I realized that I wear a lot of black clothing. Great for funerals, but not so great for the beaches of Miami.

I also realized that due to the accident my hips have changed. All of my life I wished for hips, and it took a near death experience and four pelvic fractures to get them.

New fuller hips, no appropriate clothing, sounds like a good reason to shop to me.

I kid you not when I tell you that I went to every woman's clothing store on the eastern seaboard. If a mannequin in the window had boobs, I went in.

I'm now hear to tell you that having hips is overrated. Sure, you look all Rubenesque and all, but it's damn near impossible to find something to wear.

That's why all Rubens' paintings are of naked women. They couldn't find anything to fit into.

I guess you'll have to check in this coming week to see what I came up with. I think I did ok, all things considered.

I'm ending my post this evening with a video from the queen of hips, Shakira. I figure if she can shake it with what she's got, my steel reinforced hips will do just fine.

The Mom 100 Cookbook and a Giveaway

2012-04-27T16:56:00.000-07:00

Cookbooks. Oh, how I love them. Even with all of the websites and blogs devoted to cooking, I still get a rush when I break the binding on a brand new cookbook that's filled with glossy pictures of recipes that just might land on my kitchen table.

Even though I am an accomplished and even semi-formally trained cook (I've taken classes at Johnson and Wales), I welcome new inspiration wherever I can get it. After years and years of cooking meals, it's helpful to get a new perspective from a someone else that loves food as much as I do.

Enter Katie Workman...

Recently I was invited to attend a lunch at Scollay Square with the Boston Brunchers. It was a fabulous lunch of grilled prosciutto wrapped with asparagus, flat iron flank steak with chimichurri sauce, and strawberry shortcake for dessert.

A fine lunch at an equally fine establishment that served an incredible mimosa. And boy could I wax poetic about Scollay Square's mimosa, but I'd rather tell you about Katie.

We were at the lunch to discuss Katie Workman's new cookbook The Mom 100. A compilation of 100 recipes that will help moms everywhere make delicious meals for their families, utilizing ingredients that you not only can pronounce, but most likely have in your stockpile.

For me the sign of a good cookbook is how many pages I've marked. As you can see, there are quite a few recipes that I'm looking forward to making in The Mom 100.

The recipe I'd like to share with you today is Katie's Lemon Chicken. One of the things I like best about Katie's cookbook is the flexibility. She offers options for picky eaters, options for working with ingredients you already have, and tips on how to make the whole cooking process simpler.

And in my case only whole chickens were on sale at Stop & Shop this week. So, even though the recipe calls for chicken breasts and thigh pieces, I knew Katie would approve of my utilizing the .99/lb whole chickens that were on sale. Katie is pretty cool that way.

Whack. A little brute force does a good thing for a woman's soul.

Do you use kosher salt? If not, buy a box. It's cheap and makes a world of difference in your cooking.

Lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and oregano. Are you feeling it yet?

This recipe utilizes your broiler. Does that scare you? It scared me. I was convinced that I was going to light the house on fire. But I didn't. However, I did make one of the best chicken dishes that has ever graced my table.

Katie suggests serving Lemon Chicken with a good starch that sucks up the wonderful lemony sauce. I highly recommend white rice. It was the perfect accompaniment for this meal. A satisfying meal the whole family devoured.

The Mom 100 Lemon Chicken

1 cup fresh lemon juice (from 4 to 6 lemons)
2/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano or thyme
Kosher or coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 bone in chicken breasts with skin (2 to 2 1/2 lbs)
6 bone in chicken thighs with skin ( 2 1/2 to 3 lbs)
1/4 cup Italian flat leaf parsley (optional)

Preheat the broiler with the rack placed about 8 inches away from the heat source.

Put the lemon juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano or thyme, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in a container with a lid and shake well to blend.

Place the chicken pieces skin side down on a rimmed baking sheet and salt them lightly. Broil for 15 minutes. Turn the pieces, lightly salt them, and broil them until the skin is crisp and golden brown and the juices run clear when the pieces are pierced with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes longer.

Remove the chicken from the broiler, leaving the broiler on. Cut the breasts and thighs in half (you can use a clean dish towel to hold the chicken steady so you don't burn yourself; cut across the bone if you have a very strong sharp knife or cut just alongside the bone if a crosswire cut is too difficult.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat, and return the chicken to the baking sheet.

Shake the lemon sauce again and pour it over the chicken. Turn the pieces over so they are evenly coated with the sauce, making sure all of the pieces end up skin side down.

Broil the chicken until it has browned a bit more, another 2 minutes, then turn the pieces skin side up and broil them until the skin is browned a bit more, about 3 minutes longer. Remove the chicken from the baking sheet and, if you are using the parsley, stir it into the sauce still in the baking sheet. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.

This is just one of the many inspired, delicious, practical but family pleasing recipes in The Mom 100. From meatloaf, to chocolate chip cookies, this cookbook is chock-a-block full of fool proof recipes that any Mom could fall back on.

With the upcoming wedding/bridal shower season, this would make a lovely gift for any bride to be. Also, a fantastic gift for Mother's Day. It's the gift that keeps on giving.

How would you like to win your own copy of The Mom 100? To enter, leave your first name, last initial, and the state you are from. Two readers will each win a copy of Katie Workman's cookbook The Mom 100.

Entries must be received by Friday, May 4th 11:59 pm ET. Good luck!

This is not a sponsored post. I did receive a copy of The Mom 100 to review and had the opportunity to lunch with the fabulous Katie Workman. All opinions are my own.