Archive | January 2016

22 Heart-Shaped Edible Valentines

Whether you’re planning a romantic dinner for your honey or bringing in sweets for a classroom celebration, these heart-shaped valentines recipes are guaranteed to have everyone swooning!

1. Heart Shaped Strawberry Hand Pies

Source: Well Plated

2. Mini Heart Cookies

Source: The Dessert Lover

3. Chocolate Dipped Valentine Brownies

Source: Recipe Girl

4. Rice Krispies Treats Hearts

Source: Intimate Weddings

5. Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

Source: Annie’s Eats

6. Chocolate Raspberry Hearts

Source: Land O Lakes

7. Ding Dong Valentines Chocolate Hearts

Source: OMG Chocolate Desserts

8. Valentine’s Heart Macaroons

Source: Liv for Cake

9. Shot Through The Heart Cake Pops

Source: Hello Little Home

10. Conversation Heart Cheesecakes

Source: Hungry Happenings

11. Oreo Truffles Valentine’s Hearts

Source: OMG Chocolate Desserts

12. Chocolate Heart Peanut Butter Cookies

Source: Betty Crocker

13. Homemade Heart Marshmallows

Source: Belly Full

14. Peanut Butter Chocolate Hearts

Source: six sisters’ stuff

15. Heart Cupcakes Made with a Muffin Tin

Source: Tastes Better From Scratch

16. Sweetheart Cinnamon Rolls

Source: Lady Behind the Curtain

17. Chocolate Cheesecake Mousse Cups with a Sweet Berry Compote

Source: Barbara Bakes

18. Heart Shaped Peanut Butter Cookies

Source: The Semisweet Sisters

19. Peppermint Bark Candy Cane Hearts

Source: Sweet & Crunchy Blog

20. Make My Heart Pound Cake

Source: Pint Sized Baker

21. Strawberries and Cream Doughnuts

Source: Thirty Handmade Days

22. Raspberry Mousse Meringue Hearts

Source: Handmade Charlotte

2016 Cost of Flu Shots: CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Walmart, Costco, Sam’s Club, & More

Jan8

<<<2017 UPDATE: Click HERE for the 2016 price list.>>>

Thinking of getting a flu shot? Don’t have insurance and not sure where to go for the best price? Flu season is in full swing so when it came time for us to get our flu shots, I priced out the cheapest options for individuals without health insurance for the regular flu shot. To help ensure accuracy, I called two different locations from each of the following stores and pharmacies (in Charleston, SC & in January of 2016) and was quoted the below prices. **I do not represent any of the companies listed below. Please note that prices may vary depending on your location and are subject to change at any time so I strongly recommend calling and confirming the price when scheduling your appointment, particularly since many stores run out of the different vaccination types. Some stores also run special promotions, offer coupons, or match competitor prices so always check before you head out the door.**

This year’s best price winner is Costco at $14.99 for the standard trivalent flu shot. Check out my full list for other pharmacies and their price comparisons.

Flu Vaccination Types: (from the CDC website):

Standard (trivalent) and Quadrivalent:

Traditional flu vaccines made to protect against three different flu viruses (called “trivalent” vaccines) are available. In addition, flu vaccines made to protect against four different flu viruses (called “quadrivalent” vaccines) also are available.

Nasal spray flu vaccine (also called flu mist):

All nasal spray flu vaccines for the 2015-2016 season will provide protection against four flu viruses: an influenza A (H1N1) virus, an influenza A (H3N2) virus and two influenza B viruses.

Sorted by Price (tax not included):

Costco: $14.99 standard. The two Costco’s I called said they do not carry either quadrivalent or the mist.

According to their corporate policy, ANYONE can use Costco’s Pharmacy where required by law, with no membership required. Yay! If you don’t have a membership, it’s not a bad idea to print out their pharmacy policy to take with you just in case.

Sam’s Club: $14.99-$20 standard, $30 quadrivalent. They do no carry the nasal spray vaccine.

*According to their site you DO NOT need a Sam’s Club Membership to use their Pharmacy for Rx medications. Although unclear whether flu shots are included in that rule, it does say at most a 10% service fee is added to all other nonmember purchases from the pharmacy so still a great deal. If you don’t have a membership, it’s not a bad idea to print out their pharmacy policy to take with you just in case.

Target: $24.99 standard, $31.99 quadrivalent, $31.99 nasal spray vaccine. *If you have a Costco in your area, many Targets do price match.

Walmart: $25 standard, $30 quadrivalent. They do not carry the nasal spray vaccine.

Kmart: $27.99-$29.99 standard, $37.99-$39.99 quadrivalent. They do not carry the nasal spray vaccine. *Please note that they offered a few trivalent options ranging up to $55 but the least expensive was $27.99-$29.99, though the pharmacists did confirm that prices vary by store. Please call ahead of time to confirm availability and price.

Rite Aid: $31.99 standard, $39.99 quadrivalent, $49.99 nasal spray vaccine.

CVS: $31.99 trivalent, $34.99-$56.99 quadrivalent. They do not carry the nasal spray vaccine.

Walgreens: $31.99 trivalent, $39.99 quadrivalent. Both stores I called no longer carried the nasal spray vaccine, and said Walgreens had only received limited quantities per location, and were unable able to quote me a price.

Have a store or pharmacy to add? Care to list a pricing update? Feel free to leave a comment below!

50 Kickin’ Super Bowl Recipes!

Jan7

Okay, it’s tough to admit this but, for me, the best part of a Super Bowl party is the food. There. I said it. I love the commercials and getting together with friends but a party with lots of yummy appetizers is what gets me cheering. So as I started planning my own party this year, I figured I’d put together my personal top 50 list to share. If only there were enough people and enough crockpots in my house so I could make all fifty! Enjoy!

1. Slow Cooker Shredded Buffalo Chicken Sliders (From Hip2Save)

2. Artichoke & Spinach Dip Restaurant Style (From AllRecipes)

3. Hot Caramelized Onion Dip with Bacon and Gruyere (From Spicy Southern Kitchen)

4. Cocktail Smokies (From Cupcake Diaries)

5. Easy Guacamole (From AllRecipes)

6. Easy Potato Skins (From iheartnaptime)

7. Seriously Smooth Roasted Garlic Parmesan Hummus (From Sally’s Baking Addiction)

8. Crab Rangoon Dip (From missbutterbean)

9. Philly Cheesesteak Sliders (From home made interest)

10. The Ultimate Bloody Mary (From Jo-Lynne Shane)

11. Cheesy Bacon Spinach Dip (From Damn Delicious)

12. Sweet & Spicy Sriracha Baked Chicken Wings (From Baker by Nature)

13. Cherry Cheesecake Dip (From I Heart Eating)

14. Sweet and Spicy Chicken Bacon Wraps (From 101 Cooking for Two)

15. Meatball Sub on a Stick (From Cookies & Cups)

16. Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites Recipe- Auntie Anne’s Pretzel Bites Copycat Recipe (From Midget Momma)

17. Bourbon Maple Glazed Chicken Wings (From Simply Recipes)

18. Turkey Bacon Ranch Sliders (From Wine & Glue)

19. Slow Cooker Brisket French Dip Sandwiches (From Neighbor Food)

20. Seven Layer Taco Dip (From AllRecipes)

21. Pepperoni Pizza Football Cheese Ball (From Mom on Timeout)

22. Ham & Cheese Pretzel Bites (From Pip & Ebby)

23. Easy Jalapeño and Red Pepper Cheese Ball (From Averie Cooks)

24. Hissy Fit Dip (From Plain Chicken)

25. Bacon Wrapped Tater Tot Bombs (From Damn Delicious)

26. Easy Vegetable Pizza (From Wannabite)

27. Homemade Mac And Cheese Bites (From chef in training)

28. Pepperoni Cheese Stick Roll Ups (From The Girl Who Ate Everything)

29. Ham & Swiss Sliders (From Cincy Shopper)

30. Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip (From Gimme Some Oven)

31. Baked Firecracker Chicken Tenders (From Creme de la Crumb)

32. Copycat Olive Garden Toasted Ravioli (From Frugal Coupon Living)

33. Buckeye Dip (From Stockpiling Moms)

34. Cream Cheese Ranch Roll-ups (From Stephie Cooks)

35. Chili’s Queso Dip (The Girl Who Ate Everything)

36. Crockpot Sesame Meatballs (From Little Broken)

37. Cheesy Party Burgers (From Kevin & Amanda)

38. Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Crisps (From Spend With Pennies)

39. Mexican Street Corn Salad (From Cooking Classy)

40. Jalapeno Popper Dip (Cook Crave Inspire)

41. Loaded Buffalo Chicken Nachos (From Host the Toast)

42. Philly Cheesesteak Egg Rolls (From Carlsbad Cravings)

43. Mini Corn Dogs (From missbutterbean)

44. Runzas (From Her View From Home)

45. Baked Bloomin’ Onion (From Gimme Some Oven)

46. Cheese and Garlic Crack Bread (From Recipe Tin Eats)

47. Cookies and Cream Dip (From Penney Lane)

48. Bacon-Wrapped Smokies with Brown Sugar and Butter (From Tasty Kitchen)

49. Thai Firecracker Shrimp (From Steamy Kitchen)

50. Tex Mex Hushpuppies (From Lemons for Lulu)

What a difference a century makes!

Jan5

With the start of a new year, I thought it might be fun to do something a little different and take myself (and possibly you) on a fun history lesson. Instead of looking at what the most popular fashions, music, and fashion were from 2015 or predicted for 2016, why not look at what was popular a hundred years ago? So here’s a fun little list of the most popular fashions, foods, and music “pins” from 1916.

So what was life like in 1916? To start, the United States had just entered World War I, unlike anything the world had ever experienced before. Patriotism in the U.S. was at an all-time high and citizens were encouraged to help with the war effort by enlisting, planting gardens to help with the diminishing food supplies, purchasing war bonds, and much more. Women and African Americans were encouraged for the first time in our nation’s history to work the types of jobs that had typically only been offered to White men.

1916 President

Woodrow Wilson

1916 U.S. Population

101,961,000

1916 Music

The biggest hit of 1916 was M-O-T-H-E-R (A Word That Means the World to Me) by Henry Burr. The song was on the U.S. Billboard’s coveted #1 slot for 11 weeks!

1916 Fashion

With women entering the workforce, uniforms became quite the novelty and even little girls would sew uniforms for their dolls. The U.S. saw women’s hemlines shorten to allow for more movement when working and helping support the war effort and hairstyles also started to shorten. Despite the war, women’s fashion grew while becoming more practical. Even though corsets were still worm by most women clothes became less fitted.

1916 Hollywood

The most popular movie of the year was D.W. Griffith’s “Intolerance” which cost $385,907 to make, considered one of the most expensive movies at its time.

Charlie Chaplin was the most popular actor, followed closely by Mary Pickford.

1916 Cars

The Ford Model T Touring Car was #1 in America.

1916 Baby Names

The top five girl names were Mary, Helen, Dorothy, Margaret, and Ruth. The top five boy names were John, William, James, Robert, and Joseph.

1916 Recipes

And last, but not least, here’s a fun digital copy of one of the more popular cookbooks of the time, Good Housekeeping Woman’s Home Cookbook with such American favorites as Cottage Pudding, Sweetbread Salad, and An Inexpensive Cake.

Amazing how much has changed in 100 years and yet a lot is very much the same–we still come together as a nation during war and still love to cook delicious recipes for our families, wear the latest fashions, watch movies (now talkies in color!) and listen to music. Here’s to another 100 years!