My favorite soup - Olive Garden Gnocchi Chicken

I have been craving this soup for awhile now so I looked online and found the Top Secret Recipe. Our weather has changed into late fall/early winter so I am going to be doing a lot more soups. They are economical and yummy! I am lacking some fresh vegetables so I am going to break into my food storage and make it with the dried celery, dried onion and dried carrots. I also am going to use frozen spinach and shelf-stable cream from Gossners. I just don't want to leave the house today so this is my answer. I'll let you know how it tastes.

Serves: 6

1/3 cup butter
2 cloves garlic minced
1 pound chicken cubed
1/3 cup flour
1/2 carrot shredded
1/4 cup onions shredded
1/2 cup fresh spinach torn in pieces
2 cups milk
2 cups heavy cream
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 pinch cracked pepper
1 17.6-ounce can gnocchi

On medium heat, melt butter in a soup pot, add in the garlic and sautee, add your chicken and cook through out. Add flour and stir in flour and mix well until the flour is cooked into the chicken. Next add your milk and heavy cream then add the veggies (Carrots, Celery, Onion, Spinach). Add three bullion cubes. Add your Gnocchi last it takes 3-4 min. to cook throughout. Mix ingredients well until soup thickens and stirring occasionally. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

FoodStorage Express

I was recently introduced to this company out of Cedar Hills, Utah.  You and a group of friends place a bulk order for product and then it is delivered to your door.  The prices are extremely competitive and with not having to drive anywhere, saves you time and money!  A great idea for those who want to stock up on food storage items and become more prepared as a neighborhood.

Food Storage Express

Roasted Pumpkin Seed

I love pumpkin seeds!  I usually drizzle olive oil over the top, sprinkle salt over them and roast for awhile in the oven.

This year I found a recipe using BUTTER (Ooh La La!)!

* Take your pumpkin seeds and spread them out on paper towels to dry overnight
* Place them in a bowl and pour melted butter over the top
* Spread out on a cookie sheet
* Sprinkle Sea Salt over the top (could use all kinds of things, cinnamon sugar, parmasean cheese)
* Bake at 300 degrees for 15 minutes, stir to evenly distribute salt, bake for 15 minutes more
* If still not done to your liking, roast for another 10 minutes

* ENJOY!!!!

Pumpkins!

Had fun today picking out pumpkins along with going through a corn maze with the family.  I have found a link to create fun cut-outs on pumpkins.  I am still deciding which to do so once I have I will post the photo.  Here is the link:

Pumpkin Carving

This is the pattern I have chosen to do... keep checking back to see if I actually accomplished it!

Savvy Shopping

I LOVE the Savvy Shopper website!  I am a moderator on the site and have been involved with the program for 4 years.  The website is a sharing forum for good deals found around Utah, but there are also links to coupons and deals online so they are available everywhere.

http://www.savvyshopperdeals.com/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,2/

I teach coupon classes all over Utah how to save money and create your Prepared Pantry.  I would love to help you learn how to do this to save money or how to get more for your money.

Fun Halloween Treats

Here is a link for some great treats for Halloween and many include pictures.

Halloween Treats

How to Freeze and Save

Found this video online. VERY INFORMATIVE!!

If you have ever wondered if something can freeze and for how long, watch Sara Moulton on Good Morning America give you the quick run down.

How to Freeze and Save

Shared via AddThis

Placemat Purses

I am helping some ladies at our neighborhood Super Saturday tomorrow to make these cute bags! Depending on how you decorate them, they can be very inexpensive to make. The red one on the left is 2 placemats sewn together. The blue one and lady bug one are both one placemat folded and sewn together.


* I found the placemats (14" x 19") at Walmart for less than $2.00
* I bought the buttons at craft stores such as Joann, Michaels & Roberts Crafts
* Use scrap ribbon, appliques, buttons or other crafts you have around the house to make them extremely economical


I made the ladybug one for my niece for Christmas this year and I am using the other one for my own purse. The ladybug bag cost me $6 to make.

Do you like our logo?

Have you wondered why we picked this logo for our business? We spent a lot of time on the logo. It reminds you of the story of the Ant & the Grasshopper by Aesop.



In a field one summer's day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart's content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.

"Why not come and chat with me," said the Grasshopper, "instead of toiling and moiling in that way?"

"I am helping to lay up food for the winter," said the Ant, "and recommend you to do the same."

"Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper; "we have got plenty of food at present." But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil. When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food, and found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew: "IT IS BEST TO PREPARE FOR THE DAYS OF NECESSITY."

Today was a good day

On my way to a PTA meeting this morning I picked up a prescription, dropped off something at my husband's work, hit the bank (made deposits) and stopped at the grocery store that had a great deal on Hunts Ketchup - that was the only thing I needed to add to my Prepared Pantry. I have been sticking around home this week so within 1 hour I had accomplished a lot by stacking my errands.

After the PTA meeting, catching up on emails, checking out Facebook, and working a few hours on business, I was really tired - the MS fatigue is catching me. I was so thankful that I was prepared for it by having my Prepared Pantry and I grabbed a pack of frozen hamburger that I had previously cooked and packed into a freezer bag in one pound packs and a can of Sloppy Joe Mix.

In less than 10 minutes, dinner was on the table and the husband was quite satisfied!

Grocery Shopping

A chore that never ends! A few simple tips will save you time and money.

Meal Planning

It is so hard to effectively manage your family's food budget unless you have a plan. Being prepared for the everyday emergencies (health, jobs, general busy-ness) is what you need to do.




Create a Master Menu - and Get a copy of Mine!

Creating a Prepared Pantry

Donna and I are going to give you a quick lesson in how to create a Prepared Pantry!




Create a Prepared Pantry with our Software!

Coupon Shopping Power Point

Here is a quick power point about coupon shopping



Coupon Organizer

Savvy Shopper Website

Pot Holder First Aid Kit

These are the instructions for our potholder first aid kit. We have created literally hundreds of them over the past four years and are so excited to share the instructions with you (so that we don't have to make anymore!)

There are literally hundreds of different items you could include in your kit and part of that depends where you will keep it. I always have medicine (ibuprofen and antacid) and band-aids galore!

When we made them and sold them we included over 40 items: sting relief pads, ibuprofen, hydrocortisone ointment, antacid tablets, triple antibiotic ointment, betadine pads, antiseptic towels, band aids (several sizes), 2” x 2” gauze sponges, non-aspirin pain relief, cotton tip applicators, silk tape, tongue blade, burn packet and non-latex gloves. This kit is excellent for emergency kits, work desks, diaper bags, purses or your vehicle.