Today Only!!  Ends at Midnight Eastern!

What a great day to order your Halloween photos.

You can get 8×10 photos for $1 each. 

They can either ship them to you in 1-day or you can pick them up in 1-hour!

Code: 1DAY

Here's the link.

There is a limit of 10 per customer.

Here's a great deal from Redbox!

Treat yourself to a free rental tonight!

Text TREAT to 727272, and you’ll get a free rental code good for tonight only (it won’t work after midnight Central Time).

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(Available on participating carriers, message and data rates may apply, text STOP to quit.) 

Ritz Pix is offering a Free 11×14 Print today only!

Shipping is $3.99 or there is a $2.99 Service Charge for in store pickup.

Use code: bigfree

Here's the link to Ritz Pix

The offer is valid 8am-10pm EST

I have lots of zucchini at my house!  I have been on the look out for great recipes for using it up.  My husband won't eat zucchini unless it's in bread.  Last week I made a mock apple pie using zucchini.  I wish I would have taken a picture because it looked just like my pie had Granny Smith Apples in it.  My husband ate 2nds and 3rds and has no clue that the pie was made with zucchini.  I thought I would share the recipe:

Mock Apple Pie

1 pie crust, unbaked

5 c. sliced zucchini, peeled and remove seeds

3/4 c. sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 c. real lemon juice

3/4 c. water

Topping:

1 c. flour

1/2 c. brown sugar

6 tbsp. butter

1/4 tsp. salt

Bring the zucchini, sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice and water to a boil and simmer until the zucchini is soft.  Pour into the pie shell and then put the topping on.  Bake the pie at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

There are several wildfires burning around the country right now.  Just this last weekend one started here in Utah that required about 1500 homes to evacuate.  I have never been evacuated but this particular fire really made me think about what I would want to grab if I was being evacuated.

If I had 5 minutes to evacuation my house I would grab:

My Family

My Dog

My 72 Hour Kit

Lock Box with Important Documents (should be stored near the 72 hour kit)

Medications

Getting those few things would probably take me about 5 minutes.

If I had 15 minutes to evacuate I would also grab:

My Computer Hard Drive

Box of Family Heirlooms

Photo Albums

If I had 30 minutes to evacuate I would also make sure to:

Grab Some Extra Food & Water Storage

Grab Extra Clothing for Each Family Member

Turn on the Outside Sprinkling System (if we are in fire danger)

Turn of the Gas & Power to the House

Get my BBQ grill's propane tank as far from the house as possible.

I think it is a good idea to make a list for yourself of what you would grab, that way when you are stressed about trying to get out you will remember your plan.

Here are some things to consider making sure you have covered in the event of an emergency:

Make sure you have things to keep your kids entertained in your 72 hour kits

Keep your pet's leashes and such in the same place so you always know where they are in case you need to grab them quick

I have CDs of my pictures in my lock box and I update it once a year.

Keep copies of your important documents at home and store the originals elsewhere like in a safe deposit box at the bank.

Keep an amount of cash on hand

Keep extra motor oil in your vehicles and also fill you car with fuel when it's 1/2 full.

Keep your cell phone charged and consider keeping an extra battery in the car.

I am interested in knowing what is on your grab list for 5, 15 and 30 minutes.  Please leave a comment!

"It was something my grandma used to do."  or  "No one does that anymore….."  That's what I used to think when I considered doing my own canning.  A few years ago though I caught the canning bug and I love doing it!  I have also found that it is actually becoming popular again.  I use canning at home as a way to save money on groceries and a great way to provide healthy options for my family.  I like knowing what is in the food I feed my family.  Although a bit time consuming, home canning is actually quite easy once you get the hang of it. 

Here are some benefits of home canning to consider:

You can often find fruits and vegetables at great prices throughout the season.  Get to know a local farmer or shop at your local Farmer's Market.  By buying produce in bulk you will save money!  Last week I purchased a bushel of tomatoes from a local farmer for $20. I know the farmer, I could see her farm, and the tomatoes were picked that day!  The next day I turned those fresh tomatoes into 14 quarts of tomatoes.  A bushel of tomatoes is about 40 lbs!

Talk to your neighbors.  Maybe they have or know someone that has a peach tree and they are willing to share their fruit.  Again last week, my son and I went and picked about a bushel of peaches from a neighbor's tree and then I came home, peeled and froze peaches in quart size freezer bags.  I will be able to use them in cobblers, smoothies, pies, and as a side dish with breakfast. 

I also found that another neighbor had pickling cucumbers she wasn't going to use.  By combining those with cucumbers from my own garden I have canned about 20 pint jars of pickles.  (yes we love pickles)

Salsa, Spaghetti Sauce, Chili Sauce, Jams and Relish are all things that I can at my house.  I figure on average I am only spending about .30 per jar for my canned goods.

By canning your own food you are helping the environment.  It reduces the waste of prepackaged foods.  Of course the glass jars and the rings are re-useable. 

You know what is in your food.  In quarts of tomatoes there is tomatoes, lemon juice, and a bit of salt….  THAT'S IT…. no other additives or preservatives that are added to the majority of the food we buy in the stores.

Here are a couple of websites that you can find more information on home canning:

Provident Living

Pick Your Own

National Center for Home Food Preservation

Stay tuned for some of my favorite and simple canning recipes.

LINK

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