More Great Cook Books

More great cookbooks available online to download to your Kindle. If you do not have a Kindle like myself, you can still read these great books on your PC. You will need to download the Kindle program for PC from Amazon. This is a Free download.

Amazon has a Kindle store where you can find tons of different cookbooks some even free. The free ones can change without notice, so when you see them free don't forget to download them to your Amazon account.

I have not read any of these yet as I just discovered them and wanted to share this with everyone.

Amazing Cakes by Instructable authors just came out this December free.
25 Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes by Gooseberry Patch .89 cents.
Healthy Children's Lunches (52 Brilliant little ideas) by Mandy Francis free
Good Friends Great Tastes by Debbie Gore free.
A Skillet, A Spatula and a Dream by Barbara Bretton free
The Six O'Clock Scramble: Dinner in 20 minutes or less by Aviva Goldfarb $2.89

I think you would  really need to check them out for yourself as there are 12,191 in the Cooking, Food and Wine section. Enjoy!

~*Jennifer

~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Marvelous Mommy Meals, this is not a sponsored post. All opinions are honest and my own*~

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Looking back over 2011

Can you imagine 2011 is almost over? I can't believe we will be in 2012 tomorrow! This year seemed to go by faster than last year. Is this something that happens when we hit 30? Looking back over this past year there has been some negatives but so many positives that it has been an incredible year.

• Each year that goes by I am a mother to two amazing children and a wife to my best friend and husband, my high school sweetheart. 

• Both my children are now in school. Wow, seems like yesterday they were both babies. Trying to juggle holding a toddler and carrying an infant carrier with the baby in it.

• We got a new Kitty named Lily, she is part Siamese and pure black with maybe 2 white furs. She is a crazy kitty but a great addition to our family. 

• I took a new position at work. I went from working evening shifts in a Supported Independent living program to a residential home with high needs individuals. The other big change is the hours, I am now working overnights.

• We enjoyed a day at the water park, this being the first time the kids have been to one and both loved it. We also took a 3 day vacation and rented a cottage. This was another thing the kids are looking forward to doing again next summer. 

• I won tickets to Disney on Ice and surprised the kids with this amazing show that I hear about all the time. P wants to go again next year.

On the blogging front I met some wonderful ladies through their blogs, and at two amazing conferences this past fall. I never imagined that blogging and being on Twitter and Facebook could lead to meeting so many great people.

• I attended Blissdom Canada and also ShesConnected. I have enjoyed working with all the great sponsors this past year and look forward to working with them in 2012 and meeting more great people though social media and networking. I also want to Thank our wonderful sponsor for both trips to Toronto; KidZoomer.

• Canadian Coupon Mom was also mentioned on CTV news while Regina from Coupons.ca was doing an interview - Saving Money on the Web. I enjoyed a nice chat over coffee with Regina that afternoon and spent some time together at Blissdom Canada

• Vanessa Lee from CTV also wanted to chat about coupons, she did a Savvy Shoppers segments in which I was featured in the first nights episode in November.

• Did I also mention that I met Gail Van Oxlade? No, well I did and I am amazed with this woman and how she is exactly the same in real life as she is on 'Til Debt Do Us Part. She has that same great personality that we see on her show. She doesn't sugar coat anything and that is why I am where I am today with my spending and saving. Want to read more about Gail and her famous money saving jars and tips, check out Gail Van Oxlade's Blog.

• Oh and I wont forget meeting Jordan Knight! I was a huge NKOTB fan growing up.

I know there are many more great things that happened this year but these are the things that come to mind right away. I am working on a goal list for 2012 and hope to have it posted early in January. I wont be making "resolutions" this year, I am going to try it a bit differently.

I would love to hear about your 2011, please leave a comment and/or link for your year recap of 2011.

Happy New Year! I will see you in 2012!!

~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Canadian Coupon Mom. This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Crafting with the Kids

Santa was super nice at our house and he even included a gift card in each of the children's stocking. A $10 Dollarama gift card! They love shopping for craft items at the Dollarama. The other day we headed out to exchange a pair of yoga pants for mom, check out Bulk Barn and head to the Dollarama in a near by town.

The kids got tons of craft items and I thought I would show you a few of the things we have worked on so far.

A picked out a little make your own jewelry kit which to be honest I figured wouldn't be that great. To my surprise it was a pretty cute set. It was in a cardboard box so we couldn't tell what the beads and stuff looked like before buying them. After making jewelry with A, I am thinking about making more jewelry.

Here is what we made and we still have enough to make a bracelet.

P bought a craft set to make 6 foam keychains. He wants to make them and give them to his friends at school. We added the puppy one to his backpack already.

~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Canadian Coupon Mom. This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Boxing Week Sale @BeanBagBoss

Now is the time to head on over to the Beanbag Boss and pick up one of these great chairs for a great price! Sale runs until January 2nd, 2012.

~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Canadian Coupon Mom on behalf of BeanBag Boss. This is not a sponsored post.*~

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Toys for Tails with Hartz

Over the Holidays Hartz has been asking people to send a virtual Angry Birds pet toy to your friends on Facebook or Twitter. Each virtual pet toy that is sent Hartz will be donating $1 worth of Hartz products (toys and treats) to shelters in need across the country up to $10,000! So far they have raised $1,921.

It is very easy to help out just head over to Hartz on Facebook and like their page. On the left there is a link Angry Birds Virtual Gifts and follow the instructions. Send as many as you would like. They will be posted on your friends Facebook wall.

Also while you are on Hartz Facebook fan page share your pets photo with their Angry Bird toys in Photo Contest for a chance to win a customized Hartz gift basket. This contest runs until January 6th, 2012.


 
~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Canadian Coupon Mom on behalf of Hartz. This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Treats for Santa and his Reindeer

Last week I was really sick, to the point I actually went and sat at the ER because I knew I needed some antibiotics just to get better. I will tell you though after the second dose of meds I did feel a lot better. This has really kicked me in the butt and I haven't felt like doing a whole lot. I have been extremely tired and it hasn't helped that I work overnights and its the holidays.

The kids this year really want to make Santa some brownies but they also wanted Rice Krispie squares for themselves. By the end of the week I wasn't feeling that up to baking so my kids and I made Rice Krispie squares for the family and some to leave for Santa.

Rice Krispie squares have been a great easy snack for years. I remember my mom making them when I was little. They require very little ingredients and can be made in a flash.

Here is what the kids left out for Santa this year!

~*Jennifer 

~*Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. This post was written by Marvelous Mommy Meals. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Marvelous Menu Planning Monday Dec 26-Jan 1/12

This week I am behind in posting the Marvelous Menu Planning Monday and I apologize for it. It is part due to the Holidays and being sick & tired.

This weeks menu includes a few different meals that we don't have too often anymore and a new one I sort of did on the go.

Monday December 26th,2011 - Creamy Potato Soup with homemade biscuits (I will be posting the recipes very soon)

Tuesday December 27th, 2011 - Grilled Cheese sandwiches and pea soup

Wednesday December 28th, 2011 - Frittata with toast

Thursday December 29th, 2011 - Chicken, Potatoes and salad

Friday December 30th, 2011 - Fish, Rice and veggies

Saturday December 31st, 2011 - Some sort of quick and easy pasta dish

Sunday January 1st, 2012 - Ribs, potatoes and Salad

Please post a link to your Marvelous menus in the comments!

~*Jennifer

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How Do You Feed A Hungry Giant?

We recently read a really cute book about a boy named Oscar and his dog who found a Giant outside in their backyard. To make the story more interesting this giant had a very BIG problem. He was HUNGRY and wanted to eat but what do you feed a HUNGRY giant??

Oscar and his dog went to work on finding something to feed this polite and friendly giant. Green Grapes? Pizza? Chocolate Milk? or how about 33 jars of Peanut Butter? This giant was still hungry!! What would Oscar do? Oscar's mom invited the Hungry giant in for dinner. The book includes a separate recipe book to feed a HUNGRY Giant or 8 little kids. This is great for sleepovers or parties; it includes Pigs in a Blanket, Jumbo Fries, Pasta Mountain, Pizza-Size Chocolate Chip cookie and more for a hungry crowd.

This is a very fun and entertaining children's pop-up book! It's a definite favorite of ours and I am sure you and your children will love it also.

You can find a retailer near you by visiting Thomas Allen & Son Ltd. This book retails for $21.95 and is written by Caitlin Friedman, Illustrated by Shaw Nielsen.


~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Canadian Coupon Mom on behalf of Thomas Allen & Son Ltd. We received a complimentary product to facilitate this review. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Merry Christmas!

From my house to yours; we wish you a very Merry Christmas!

Look who stopped by last night.....

Thanks iCaughtSanta.com

The kids where very excited and received a lot of neat toys. It was a great day spent with our family relaxing and playing with new toys. We had a few visitors stop by and we are now about to sit down and enjoy a different kind of Christmas dinner; homemade Pizza (I will blog about this very soon).

Enjoy the rest of your night and again Merry Christmas!

~*Jennifer

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We Wish You....

A Very Merry Christmas from Our House to Yours!

Thanks to iCaughtSanta.com for Santa in our house!

~*Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post; it was written by Canadian Coupon Mom. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Make Memories with iCaughtSanta.com

My kids have been really excited for Christmas and Santa. My son has told his sister over and over again that Santa wont come to bring presents if they are awake but in the next breath he is saying he wants to stay up and see Santa.

This year Mom is going to catch Santa in the house and share my experience with the kids on Christmas day. I know you will say "why would the children believe that mommy saw Santa?" This Mommy always has her camera in hand and will get a great snapshot of Santa! Can you imagine the look on their faces? I am excited for it and all the question that will come with it I am sure.

iCaughtSanta.com has helped me with this memory for years to come. This is a unique site will help you make a Santa memory forever in three easy and quick steps. First snap a picture of your house where you would like to catch Santa - tree, fireplace, lazy boy etc. Then choose a Santa and a border. You can rotate your picture and Santa you even have an option to flip Santa to fit your photo.

Canadian Coupon Mom readers can save 50% off your entire order by using this coupon code SANTA50

When you go to iCaughtSanta.com you will see a banner on the top of the page asking "Have a discount code?" follow the instructions and enter your code then make your photo. Enjoy the amazed looks from your children or grandchildren when they see it.


~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Canadian Coupon Mom on behalf of iCaughtSanta.com. I received a complimentary product for review purpose. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Lancome Luxe Box Giveaway!

Time has come to get the Lancome Luxe Box Giveaway started. I am very excited to be able to offer this to one of Canadian Coupon Mom's readers Thanks to everyone who voted!!

I asked a couple weeks ago if people would be interested in a surprise for the giveaway or if you would want to know what was in the box. I had a few people interested in me keeping it a surprise. So with that in mind I will be holding off on reviewing my Lancome box until the end of January. In the Lancome Limited Edition Luxe Box you will receive 4 deluxe samples of Lancome products. If you really need to know what is in the box you can email me at jennifer @ canadiancouponmom.ca

I will make this very simple to enter please fill in the rafflecopter form below. Mandatory entry will be to leave go to the Lancome website and tell me what you would love to try or what your favorite Lancome product is. I will also keep it simple for extra entries. Please leave your rafflecopter name in your blog comment as it is hard to know who is who sometimes. Thanks! This giveaway will be open to Canadian residents only and will close January 9th at 12:01 am.

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Hartz Angry Birds Review

We have two fur babies that we feel really are part of our little family. They are included in so much around here including bedtime, meal time (more they feel they should be part of this time), watching tv, and just lazing around the house. So with Christmas fast approaching we want to make sure we have a few things under the tree for our babes Marty and Lily Belle.

We ran out to one of our favorite kitty treat stores and picked up some treats and we have also kept a couple toys we received from our great friends at Hartz. This year they have introduced a new line of cat and dog toys. Remember awhile back when I wrote about the Angry Bird craze? If not please check out the post. We have jumped on that craze and love playing Angry Birds especially P. He was very excited to see what Hartz sent for Marty and Lily, Angry Birds cat toys!!

Now Marty I think is a little bit on the lines of Garfield and is too lazy to play but sometimes he will shock you and start batting around the soft play toys. He doesn't seem to like the hard balls with the bells for some reason. Lily on the other hand is a friskie little part Siamese kitty and can play for hours. If you watch her though I think she also prefers the soft catnip type toys.

We reviewed the Angry Bird Catnip Head - Pig; this little toy when you pull the string vibrates. I did have to tie a small knot in the end as it looked like it was going to go into the toy. Plus it was easier for small children to grab the string.

There are also packs of plastic balls with bells that look like the Angry Birds - red, black, green. They come with 6 in a pack. My kitties will play with these but they are not their favorites.

Also the cats really like the Angry Birds Cat Wand. This wand has the pig and red Angry Bird. You can choose to put both on at the same time or one at a time. They are very easy to attached to the wand. My cat somehow got a hold of the pig in the night and well now it is missing some feathers but she still loves him. My kids have had a ton of fun with using the wand to play with both cats as they call it fishing for kitties!

Take a look at this video of P playing with Lily.


Looking for Angry Bird toys for your furry friends check out Walmart! Follow Hartz on Facebook and on Twitter @HartzPets. Want to see all the new product visit www.hartz.com



~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Canadian Coupon Mom on behalf of Hartz. I received complimentary product for review purpose. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Winter Vegetable Mash with Provolone

I have a few free magazine subscriptions that come from food companies- Kraft, Sobey's, All you need is Cheese are a few. I think there is one more but I can't think of it at the moment.

This month's All you need is Cheese -Winter 2011 features a section For Kids of all ages. In this issue they offered two different kid friendly recipes - Chicken and Mozzarella medallions and Winter vegetable mash with Provolone.

I don't know about you but I am starting to have a hard time to get my daughter A to eat her veggies without complaining. She used to be the girl that loved her veggies.  A does like her potatoes and she LOVES cheese. When I saw this recipe I was very excited to try it out and it looked pretty easy to make. I also love that after most of the recipes is a Cheese Alternative; this includes other cheeses that will go well instead of the listed cheese. I used Mozzarella cheese instead of Provolone. Everyone enjoyed this dish! The kids even noticed the carrots and ate with no issues.

Winter Vegetable Mash with Provolone

Serving; 8
Prep time: 20
To table time: 30

Ingredients:

4 cups (1L) potatoes, peeled and cut into large pieces
1 cup (250ml) carrots, peeeled and cut into large pieces
1 cup (250ml) cauliflower, cut into large pieces
1/2 cup (125ml) onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp (30ml) butter
1 1/2 cup (375ml) Canadian Provolone, diced
2 Tbsp (30ml) parsley, freshly chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup (60ml) breadcrumbs or cracker crumbs

Preperation & Cooking

• In a large saucepan, boil some salted water
• Add vegetables and cook 20 minutes or until tender
• Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C)
• Drain and mash vegetables using a potato masher
• Add butter, 1/2 cup (125ml) Provolone and parsley. Season to taste
• Spread mixture into a 9" (23cm) square or round oven dish
• Cover with remaining cheese and the bread crumbs
• Bake 10 minutes to melt and brown cheese, then serve

Cheese Alternatives: Canadian Swiss, Cheddar, Mozzarella, Monterey Jack, Gouda

Vegetables Yum!

Prepping Veggies

Boil Veggies

Mash Veggies

Add Cheese!

Top with Cheese and bread crumbs

Ta da! YUMMY! Enjoy!!

Get your own Free Subscription to All you need is Cheese by 100% Canadian Milk.

~*Jennifer

~*Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. This post was written by Marvelous Mommy Meals. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Cranberry Almond Popcorn Bars

We just recently made a tasty Holiday treat with some Orville Redenbacher Smart Pop popcorn. This tasty treat was super quick and easy to make and I had a couple helpers. My bars for some reason didn't stay together but it did make a great snack either way. Let me know if you try it and how everyone likes it! 

Cranberry Almond Popcorn Bars

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Total: 1 hour 35 minutes

Makes: 40 servings (1 bar each)

Ingredients

PAM Original Cooking Spray

1 bag (99 g each) Orville Redenbacher’s Gourmet Butter Microwave Popcorn (you can substitute with one bag of 80 g, if you would like)

2/3 cup (155 ml) honey

½ cup (118 ml) almond butter

1 cup (120 g) dried cranberries

Directions

1. Lightly spray a 13x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray; set aside. Prepare popcorn according to package directions. Remove all unpopped kernels; place popcorn in large bowl.

2.  Place honey and almond butter in a 2.5 - quart microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH 2 minutes or until honey mixture is hot and bubbly. Pour over popcorn and toss gently to coat evenly. Add cranberries; gently combine. 

3. Press popcorn mixture into baking dish. Cool completely to room temperature. Cut into 40 bite-sized bars.

For more great recipes check out Orville Redenbacher's website!

~Jennifer

~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Marvelous Mommy Meals. I did receive a package popcorn to use to make these bars. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Orville Redenbacher Holiday Treats

We are fast approaching Christmas! I can't believe it will be here so fast. This past week we have spent the time decorating our house for Christmas. We have made lots of fun treats also. I want to share some fun healthy snack idea's along with a fun decorating idea.

Back in September we enjoyed Orville Redenbacher Power Crunch Snack Bars. With the holidays brings lots of tasty snacks that may contain Cranberries. We have tried another great recipe that we would love to share with you. 

Cranberry Almond Popcorn Bars

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Total: 1 hour 35 minutes

Makes: 40 servings (1 bar each)

Ingredients

PAM Original Cooking Spray

1 bag (99 g each) Orville Redenbacher’s Gourmet Butter Microwave Popcorn (you can substitute with one bag of 80 g, if you would like)

2/3 cup (155 ml) honey

½ cup (118 ml) almond butter

1 cup (120 g) dried cranberries

Directions

1. Lightly spray a 13x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray; set aside. Prepare popcorn according to package directions. Remove all unpopped kernels; place popcorn in large bowl.

2.  Place honey and almond butter in a 2.5 - quart microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH 2 minutes or until honey mixture is hot and bubbly. Pour over popcorn and toss gently to coat evenly. Add cranberries; gently combine. 

3. Press popcorn mixture into baking dish. Cool completely to room temperature. Cut into 40 bite-sized bars. 

For some reason when I made this it did not set the way it should but that didn't stop my family from gobbling it up and giving it their thumbs up approval. We will try it again this time being fast to getting into the pan and maybe making it almond butter and honey hotter. I did use an 80g bag of popcorn instead of  99g.

Tips: 

This easy-to-bake treat is made even more festive with the addition of red and green sugar or sprinkles. Leave them out for Santa, or package for a yummy hostess gift.

Serve: 

Popcorn is such a healthy snack and my children love it. Seasoned popcorn can be a light fun snack for holiday guest displayed in merry containers. It's a snack full of fibre and satisfying crunch. Why not try some seasoning - taco seasoning, parmesan cheese or for a sweet taste hot chocolate powder. 

Decorate:

Have fun decorating with our Orville Redenbacher's Gourmet Butter Microwave Popcorn! Make your house very festive with Fashion festive garlands by threading popcorn onto string. Add fresh cranberries at varying intervals for a pop of festive colour, you can also add red and/or green candies for a sweet surprise. The kids will have a lot of fun with this. We plan on doing this together Christmas Eve!

For more tasty recipes visit Orville Redenbacher www.orville.com

~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Canadian Coupon Mom on behalf of Orville Redenbacher Smart Pop popcorn. We received a complimentary product for review purpose. All opinions are honest and my own.

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The Bosses Love the Boss! @BeanBagBoss

Are you still looking for that last minute Christmas gift? I have a really great gift that will be loved by the recipient.  How about a cozy bean bag chair from Beanbag Boss?!? They are still taking Christmas orders and depending on where you live it should arrive before Christmas. If not you know what I do. I print out the picture with a "It's on it's way!" note.

We recently had the opportunity to try out the Beanbag Boss Bean bag chair. We spent a lot of time trying to figure out what color/pattern we wanted to go with. There are TONS to choose from, not just your basic black, red, blue, green and yellow. They even have fun dots, skulls, army etc. We finally decided on the army print. This was one we figured the whole family will like.

Check out this video on how you can use the Boss

I was very surprised on how fast the beanbag chair arrived by FedEx and also free shipping on all beanbags. It only took a few days from order to delivery. When the box arrived it was HUGE! I knew it would be big but I didn't think it was that big! My kids got it out of the box (3 kids can fit in the box - a 3 & 4 yr old girls and a 5 yr old boy!)


This beanbag chair has been loved by EVERYONE in our family in the last couple weeks, once the kitties knew they were allowed on it they have also been caught napping in the evening or early mornings. The kids have spent movie/tv time chilling on the Boss together and Daddy has even used it when gaming. He has given his two thumbs up approval!

Sorry for the dark pictures they were better than the one with the flash

Better pictures to come.. just been so busy with being sick and the Holidays

The Beanbag Boss makes their chairs very durable polyester which is water and stain resistant! The actual size of this HUGE bean bag chair is 4.5' x 5' which is 11 cubic feet of coziness. All the chairs are filled with lightweight foam beans that will form to your body when you sit or lay on the chair.

The Boss sells these great chairs starting at $169+ with Free shipping. You can follow Beanbag Boss on Twitter @BeanBagBoss or "Like" them on Facebook

~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Canadian Coupon Mom on behalf of Beanbag Boss. I received a complimentary product for review purpose. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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