Update: What to do with BBQ sauce?

I decided that I ought to document the different recipes we try using this free BBQ sauce and then share. I have tried two new dishes so far, and both seemed to be a success. The first was actually a return to 8th grade home ec class when we learned to make BBQ beef cups. The BBQ chicken pizza idea came from one of the couponing blogs I check often, and I liked it even better! Here are the results:
BBQ Chicken Pizza
Ingredients:
Pizza crust:
Dissolve 1 T. yeast and 1 T. sugar in 1 1/2 c. warm water.
Add 1 T. dried milk, 1 T. honey, and 1 tsp. salt.
Add and knead 3 1/2-4 c. flour
Melt 2-3 T. butter in pizza pan. Coat dough in butter so it is easier to work with. Then stretch and press dough into pan. (This recipe makes two deep dish pizza crusts or one pizza and breadsticks, which you can top with garlic salt and parmesan cheese-yum!)
Toppings:
2 c. cooked, cubed chicken (I marinated and grilled ours for dinner the night before and then used the leftovers.)
1/4 c. red onion
1/4-1/2 c. BBQ sauce, depending on how much sauce you like
1/2 c. chopped/torn cilantro
1 1/2 -2 c. cheese (I used a pre-shredded Italian pizza blend)
(FYI--We also made garlic chicken pizza at the same time, which is also really yummy. The sauce is so easy--just melt together 4 oz. cream cheese, 1/4 c. sour cream, and 1-2 T. minced garlic, and then spread it on the pizza. Add whatever toppings you like--we use chicken, bacon, onion, cheese, and tomato.)
My beautiful BBQ chicken pizza (I was pretty proud of it :)
Here is the finished product of the BBQ cups:

BBQ Beef Cups
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1/4 c. green pepper
1/4 cup onion
1 1/2 c. BBQ sauce (I used about 1/2 a bottle)
2 c. cheese
1 pkg. Pillsbury Grands biscuits (or two pkg. small ones)

Fry the hamburger on med-high heat with the onion and green pepper. Add salt and pepper. When the hamburger is done, drain the grease off and then add the BBQ sauce. Preheat the oven to 375. Butter muffin tins. Press biscuits into muffin cups. Spoon beef mixture into biscuits. Top with cheese and bake for about 15-20 min. We enjoyed this a lot!

More BBQ Sauce?!

Alright, so I realize that one family can only use so much BBQ sauce in the year or so you have until it expires, which is why I didn't intend to buy any more of it for quite a while--I already stockpiled this last week and had some from another sale a little while ago. But, when I suddenly realized at the store tonight that if I bought more of it the store would be paying me to shop there...let's just say I couldn't help myself. Here's how it worked, in case you are curious:
6 BBQ sauce 1.00 ea.=6.00
2 Bagelfuls (yummy!) 2.50 ea.=5.00
1 jar clearanced baby food= .20
Total=11.20(plus tax)
-3.00 Kraft promo
-5.00 MC (manufacturer coupons)
-3.00 Albertsons double coupons
My OOP (out of pocket--including tax)=51 cents!
But wait, take a look at what printed out because I bought more BBQ sauce:
3.00 catalina for my next shopping trip to wonderful Albertsons!
That's right folks, they paid me 2.49 to take these items home--I guess I'll find some recipes that use BBQ sauce! (Please share if you have some :)

Small Wonders

The following is a conversation I just had with Olivia:
Olivia: Mom, when Sara is sleeping, Heavenly Father is watching over her, just like He watches over us!
Mom: Yes, that's right, Olivia.
Oivia: Mom, Heavenly Father watches over all his children because He loves all his children.
Mom: You are right, I am proud of you that you know that. How did you learn that? Or did you just figure it out?
Olivia: You told me it, and then I knowed it. Then I feeled it in here (placing hand on chest) and I knowed it and I could talk about it.
Mom: Wow Olivia, do you know what that is? That is the Spirit telling you that it is true. That is the Holy Ghost saying "Yes, Olivia, Heavenly Father does watch over his children, that is true." Then you feel good inside and you know it is true.
Olivia: Yeah, the Holy Ghost says to me that it's true.
We don't have moments like this every day, but when we do they sure are sweet! It just goes to show how amazing little kids' spirits are and how open their hearts are to the truth.

Albertsons Trip 5-7-09

I had another exciting trip to Albertsons yesterday, so I had to share. If you are one of the many people who got a phone call from me about the deals you could score, please excuse the insanity--it is just exciting and fun for me! Anyway, here is what I did:
Transaction #1:
10 bottles of J&J baby wash, lotion, oil, etc. (I figure I can use some of these for baby gifts in the upcoming near future ;)
3.00/ea.=30.00
-8.00 manufacturer coupons
-5.00 PYP coupon
Total=18.00 (without tax)
But--I got a 10.00 catalina to use on the next order!
Transaction #2:
6 boxes of Caprisun 2.50/ea.=15.00
20 boxes of Mac N Cheese 5.00/5 pk.=20.00
6 BBQ sauce 1.00/ea.=6.00
4 Duncan Hines brownie mixes 1.00/ea.=4.00
4 boxes Ritz crackers 2.89/ea.=11.56
10 Yoplait yogurts .69/ea.=6.90
2 loaves Sara Lee bread 2.00/ea.=4.00
4 boxes Bagelfuls 2.50/ea.=10.00
4 bottles of Ranch dressing (not pictured--gave away)2.50/ea.=10.00
9 pkg. note cards (clearanced) .49/ea.=4.41
Total w/out coupons=183.74
After coupons/promotion discounts I paid:
$31.38!!! and I got a $3.00 catalina to use the next time I shop there.
AND I am now up to $.85 off per gallon when I fill up next!
I love deals :)

Sweet Cousins

Last Sunday was a special day--my brother Tyson and his wife KaDee had their little boy, Tucker, blessed! We had to get a picture of the girls with their new little cousin. Isn't he a cutie?

Couponing Frenzy

Yes, it's true, not only have I joined the growing ranks of couponers, but I have also started taking pictures of my food! Crazy, you say? Maybe, but there is definitely a high when you come back from a shopping trip like this, and this is nothing compared to the pros. Here is a summary of the two transactions that resulted in this pile of food:
Transaction #1:
12 Healthy Choice Frozen Dinners
1 Hunts Spaghetti Sauce
7 boxes Playtex tampons
For all of this my total before sales, clearance, and coupons would have been around 80.00 (the tampons were on clearance for .99--I am guessing they are normally around 4.00)
After coupons and catalinas, I spent....(drum roll please)
$15.55 But wait, it gets better--I also got back $15.00 in catalina coupons! So then I used those on my second transaction, of which I will spare the details except to say that my total for that purchase would have been 250.81. but I only spent 64.54!!! Plus, between the two transactions I earned .30 off each gallon for gas rewards! And that, my friends, is worth documenting with a pic or two. As a side note, Olivia woke up as I was unloading all these groceries, and when I asked her what she thought she said, " Well, this food sure looks pretty yummy, Mom!" I also have to say i is pretty funny to watch her and Trey playing store now--she's always saying things like "Wait, I have a coupon for that!" or "I can't get that--it's not on sale." Talk about sponges!

Mommy and Girls on Easter

I was so excited for Easter this year so I could have the girls in matching dresses. Now, I realize that is not what the holiday is all about--please don't think I am too materialistic--but this is one of those little details that moms take pleasure in. In addition to the girls' cuteness and the fact that it was Easter, the day was also special because David's cousin's little girl, Gracie Jewel, got blessed. (On a sad and embarrassing note, however, the day was also memorable because this was the day I walked up to sing in the church choir and realized that my skirt had fallen down around my ankles...not a happy kind of memorable, and yet it does make me smile;)

The Musical Stylings of Olivia

So I mentioned this to Brenda on the phone the other day, but I had forgotten that this was one of the rare things I actually caught on video. So here it is--a special message of love for Mommy, Daddy, Mommy, Daddy, Mommy, Daddy...Andrew, Brenda, Keagan, Deker, Tyson, KaDee, and Tucker. There's a lot of Olivia love goin' around!

Olivia and I love to watch American Idol--when it gets to the good part, anyway. This is her version, otherwise known as "Miracle Idol." :) (If you saw the video on facebook, this is the same one.) FYI, this is also typical attire for her on any given day. She likes to put on her tutu or her mermaid dress with the spaghetti straps, both of which I have asked her to wear over other clothes, come out to wherever I am, wiggle her shoulder and say, "Am I mooodest?" What a character!

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

Dress-up, bubble baths, rag curls and lots of kisses--I just love having girls!

A Second Attempt, A Fresh Start

Welcome to the official blog for the David and Leah Picanco family! I am happy to finally have the chance to start a blog so I ca keep track of the many happenings of our family. It is fun for other people to see, but one of the main reasons I think this will be good for us is because I am so bad at journaling--hopefully I will be more motivated to record special memories and events in our family's lives via this outlet! This is my second attempt at blogging--some of you may have seen my first try back in 2007. I didn't realize at the time how hard it would be to do this without high-speed internet, which we did not have at the time. So I decided to just start over with a new blog. Bear with me as I learn the tricks of the trade.
The most recent development in our lives is the possibility of moving to Shelley, Idaho in June. We are at the point in the process where we have to wait and see if an FHA loan will be approved despite the repairs that the house needs. It is a fixer-upper, which is one of the reasons we wanted it--so we (and by we I mostly mean David :) could make the repairs ourselves and gain equity more quickly. However, if FHA determines that certain repairs have to be done in order for the loan to be approved, we may have to build that price into the price of the loan and then hire an FHA approved contractor to do the work, which would seriously stink...we're just waiting to see what happens at this point. But everthing thus far has gone so quickly and smoothly--we are trying to have faith that this is what we are supposed to be doing and the Lord will continue to bless us in this endeavor if it is what is best for our family. I'll post some pics of the house as soon as things are a little more final. In the meantime, we will continue to enjoy our little home in Idaho Falls and being a little closer to everything, including many of the people we love!