Sausage Casserole

Christmas Eve brunch at my mom's is quite possibly my favorite part of the holidays. I love being with my family and I love brunch. :) What more could a person ask for but to have them both together...add presents and it's just almost too much to handle!

This year, I made my Italian Sausage casserole, which was a huge success. It is my go-to, fail-safe dish and it is super easy and inexpensive, both of which are necessities for me. The recipe follows:

Ingredients:
1 roll sausage (I like the hot sausage but you can use whatever)
1 pkg. cream cheese
2 pkgs crescent rolls
2 tbs. Italian Seasoning

In a skillet, brown sausage, then drain. Place sausage back in skillet and add cream cheese and italian seasoning. Stir continuously until ingredients are incorporated. 

Lay out one pkg of crescent rolls on a cookie sheet and push seams together. Pour sausage mixture over crescent rolls then top with second can of crescent rolls. Again, push seams together. Bake at 375 until bread is golden brown.

That's it. Simple and super delicious.

Best Deals So Far

My mother and I have shopped on black friday for about 20 years and this year was by far the absolute worst experience we've ever had. It is not fun like it used to be and we really didn't find any great deals. For this reason, we decided to take another day, yesterday, December 19, and go to Bowling Green to do some final shopping. We had already discussed how many great deals we had found after BF, but yesterday was amazing! So much so, in fact, that we've decided to BOYCOT black friday from now on and just do all of our Christmas shopping the week before Christmas. Besides, the people are much more friendly the week before Chrsitmas, so it's an added bonus. :)
So, here's my list of go-to stores for any last minute shoppers:
Aeropostle....if you need to buy clothes, go here. Up to 80% off store wide with jeans as low as $18 a pair.
JC Penney....kids fleece shirts for as low as $4.99 and certain toys up to 60% off.
New York and Co....up to 80% off store wide.
Hobby Lobby....their usualy 50% off items are currently the items that make great gifts...picture frames, wall decor, candles, etc.
Ulta Beauty....they have many items that include bonuses and freebies and they also have amazing bins full of .99 items that make great stocking stuffers.
Target....one of my favorite stores, they have all of their Christmas snacks/goodies/stocking stuffers already marked 30% off. Trust me, they're going fast.

I know there are many more places to include, but these are my top pics for exceptional deals. If you have any more, feel free to add them in a comment below! And, happy last minute shopping.

Christmas Snacks

Christmas is that time of year when I literally push my scale to the side and just enjoy every meal and snack I can get my hands on! And honestly, snacks and finger foods are my choice, even when it's not the holidays. I have tried a few new snacks lately and of course some tried and trues but my favorite, so far, has been the making of something I've always called "Puppy Chow" made with Chex cereal, peanut butter, chocolate chips and powdered sugar. (honestly, how can you go wrong with that combo) :)
What is your favorite Christmas snack recipe?????

Please share!!!!

I Don't Even Like Hats

I am not a hat person; however, I wear many different hats throughout my day and I have several jobs that keep me pretty busy. One of my favorite employers is Uppercase Living. This company has gone through many changes lately and it just keeps getting better.

I said all of that to say this.....I am offering a Christmas special, a set of 4 ceramic coasters with a monogram or a personalized decal (fleur de lis, sunburst medalion, snowflake) all nicely giftwrapped for $15. These will be here the week before Christmas. They make GREAT gifts for teachers, co-workers, and also make great stocking stuffers.

If you're interested, let me know and I'll order you a set and have them wrapped and ready to go. :)http://www.uppercaseliving.com/

Muffin Tops Are Best Eaten, Not Worn

Muffins are one of my favorite snacks and I try to keep a packaged mix in my pantry at all times. However, recently I have decided to venture into baking "made-from-scratch" instead of using ready made mixes....whenever time permits that is. Not only is it healthier, but it's cheaper too. Today's treat was the result of having too many over-ripe bananas laying around that needed to be eaten asap. You can use blueberries or strawberries or whatever fruit you like.

Banana Muffins
1/2 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 egs
5 over-ripe bananas
1 tsp vanilla
2 c. self-rising flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
dash salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all of these ingredients together using a mixer on the lowest speed. You do not want to over-mix this, so just mix until everything is mixed together. And, for those of us who are not pros, the good news is....you want lumpy batter! Woo Hoo!!!

When you finish mixing, pour batter into your muffin pan and bake at 375 degrees for approximately 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

This recipe actually made 6 regular sized muffins as well as 2 petite loaves of bread (perfect for giving as gifts).

REVIEWS--
I took little pieces of butter and stuck inside the warm muffins. Carter said they were "absolutely delicious"....and 3 muffins later, I have to agree. ;) Enjoy!

The "B" Word

The word budget usually condures up images of suffering and misery. I, however, am determined to try to dispell the myth that living on a budget is horrible. I currently have found myself in a sitatuion where I am in desperate need of finding ways to save money, especially considering I have a 6 year old and one on the way and I have just been laid off from my job! With all that being said, life goes on. Christmas and Birthdays still come and dinners still have to be served.

So, follow me as we learn together how to prepare inexpensive, yet yummy meals; find ways to entertain children without breaking the bank; shop on a limited income, etc. Hopefully this will not only save me money, but you as well!!!!