It is hard to believe that Thanksgiving is almost here already!  That being said — I am cooking my first Thanksgiving dinner this year, so I am all about finding all the help I can get.  While looking for some ideas and recipes, I can across Better Homes and Gardens and found that they have a lot of helpful information.  They have an excellent tasty recipe section that has cranberry sauces, holiday salads, spice-rubbed turkey, turkey stuffings, and even a wine guide just to name a few.  They also have a lot of crafts and decorating ideas. You can make the Wheat Centerpiece, Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids, Thanksgiving Day Cards, Tic-Tac-Toe, and the Wild Turkey.  We can’t forget the Turkey Roasting Guide which is what I really need.  Best of all, its free!  The roasting guide helps you figure out defrosting and cooking instructions for your turkey, as well as chicken, beef, pork, and other large cuts of meat. You can even select the time you want to serve your meal and get a personalized cooking schedule.

If you are looking for some great ideas for Thanksgiving, make sure you check out Better Homes and Gardens.  I know I am glad I did!

Like most people, we are a very busy family here, so we often order out which can quickly add up.  However, with the economy taking the downturn it has, everyone is looking for ways to save money.  I recently read in my local newspaper that people are joining food co-ops and buy whole cows to save money.  Another great way to save money, is to quit ordering out.  Instead, you can save a lot of money by making homecooked meals.  This easy to make recipe is not only easy but pretty cheap to make also.  This recipe will make 4 servings, and the total cost of this meal is $13.04 (which include the serving suggestions).  Where else can you feed your family for that cheap?  I do have to thank Prego for this great recipe to try out.   My family loved it and I am sure yours will too!

1 tbsp of vegetable oil
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 jar Prego Chunky Garden Mushroom & Green Pepper Italian Sauce
8 oz rotini pasta, cooked and drained

Heat oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium high heat.  Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes or until well browned stirring often.

Stir the sauce in the skillet and heat to a boil.  Reduce heat to low.  Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.  Serve chicken mixture with the pasta.

Serving suggestions:  Served with whole green beans and soft wheat dinner rolls.  Dessert should be mini-eclaires.

Image via Wikipedia

Whole wheat fllour adds a slightly nutty flavor and wholesome texture to a traditional sugar cookie recipe.

And if you do too, you should definitely try out Frito-Lays new brand.  Its called True North.  They have everything from nut clusters to nut crunches to nut crisps to whole nuts.  They seriously take care of any “nut” need you may have.  Their mission statement is one of most unique ones I’ve seen in a long time.  It is “to bring inspiration to natural snacking”.  Recently, Bill (the hubby) and I tried a couple of the peanut crunches. We tried both the toasted sesame and the honey wheat.  I’ll be honest, when I opened the package of the honey wheat crunches, I just wanted to smell them all day.  They smell that yummy!  They also taste just as good too.   Some other things I like about them are that they are 100% natural, no preservatives, no artificial flavors, and no added colors.  They also are a good source of protein and fiber.  All the nuts are also grown and produced in the United States of America.  They are both kosher and vegan too!

Where can you get these?  Target, CVS, Sam’s, and Walmart carry these wonderful snacks.  If you feel like a nut and don’t want your normal plain boring peanut, give these a try!  You won’t regret it and will pick up a new healthy snack.