COUPONS Work For Me! WFMW

My Hubby calls me the Coupon Queen. I use coupons for everything-groceries, restaurants, oil changes, trips to the mall, and online shopping. I clip coupons from the newspaper, print them out online, and sign up for direct mailing of coupons from individual companies. I save our family a TON of money each month and often get many items FREE, which enables me to give the excess food away to friends or the local food pantry at church. For example, yesterday my bill at Walgreens came out to $98, but after my coupons, I paid $12.98 and received a $4 coupon to use the next time I go to WAGS (my nickname for Walgreens). The Winter Texans behind me in line applauded me when they saw how much the total bill dropped.

Now, I must admit, not everyone is a FAN of Couponing, and you may get dirty looks when you break out your coupons while checking out at a store. I usually warn people ahead of time that I will be using a lot of coupons and the transaction may take longer as a result.

I am not going to go into all the tricks and tips of couponing today, but if you want tips feel free to email me. I would love to teach a Couponing Class one day. I believe that God wants us to use the money that He blesses us with wisely. If we can save money on our daily essentials, then we will have more money to give away to others.

The pictures above are of the cute Coupon Organizer that I made this week to hold all of my coupons. I bought an expandable file at Hobby Lobby for $5.99 with a 40% coupon (I told you I am obsessed :-)). So for about $3.50 I was able to create the cutest coupon holder to carry with me on my shopping trips. I used some stickers that I had already (I think I bought them all at the Dollar Tree). So, now I have an extra reason to smile when using coupons as I have such a FUN way to store them :-).

Using Coupons to save money TOTALLY Works For Me! For more Works For Me Wednesdays, check out http://www.wearethatfamily.com/

And, if you are new to Butterfly Kisses & Tasty Dishes, then THANKS for stopping by! Check out my recipes, ramblings from my heart, and my 100 muffins in 100 day adventure. May your day be filled to overflowing with God's Love so that you naturally spill it out on others!

Day #51: Frosted Chocolate Orange Muffins

Today, I made Frosted Chocolate Orange Muffins, quite a unique combination, but quite tasty too. The Citrus addition gave your ordinary chocolate muffin a flavor burst and made them extra sweet.

Tomorrow's Muffin: Moist Orange & Almond


Frosted Chocolate Orange Muffins

Ingredients:
oil or melted butter, for greasing (if using)
2 oranges

about 1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tbsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
heaping 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

2 large eggs
strips of orange zest, to decorate

FOR THE FROSTING:

2 oz semisweet chocolate chips (1/4 cup)

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp water

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan or line with 12 muffin paper liners.

Finely grate the rind from the oranges and squeeze the juice. Make up the juice to 1 cup with the milk and add the orange rind.

Sift together the flour, salt, cocoa, and baking powder in a large bowl. Stir in the brown sugar and chocolate chips.

Lightly beat the eggs in a large bowl, then beat in the milk and orange mixture, and oil. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the beaten liquid ingredients. Stir gently until combined; do not overmix.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, until well risen and firm to the touch. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

To make the frosting, break the chocolate into a heatproof bowl, add the butter and water, and stand the bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Stir constantly, until melted. Remove from the heat, sift in the confectioners sugar, and beat until smooth. While the frosting is still warm, spread it on top of the muffins, then decorate with strips of the orange zest.

Day #50: Chicken & Corn Muffins

We enjoyed today's Hearty Chicken and Corn Muffin for dinner with a Ceasar Salad on the side. It was filling, delish, and healthy!

Tomorrow's Muffin: FROSTED CHOCOLATE ORANGE

Thanks for following me on this muffin journey my Beautiful Friends. Can you believe we are HALFWAY through the journey already?? 50 Muffins completed, 50 left. Hope you are having as much fun as I am. If you want to get each and every muffin recipe delivered to your email inbox, then just sign up to receive my posts in the box on the right side of my blog.

Here is a little encouragment for your heart today. I recently heard this Amazing Song by Matt Maher and Kari Jobe, "To You Be the Glory"....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bH6QbH7wXgs

Chicken and Corn Muffins

Ingredients:
oil or melted butter, for greasing (if using)
7 Tbsp canola oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 skinless chicken breast, about 6 oz finely chopped
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
ground paprika, to garnish

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan or line with 12 muffin paper liners.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a skillet. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Sift together the flour, salt, pepper, and baking powder in a large bowl.

Lightly beat the eggs in a large bowl, then beat in the buttermilk, and oil. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the beaten liquid ingredients. Add the chicken mixture and corn. Stir gently until combined; do not overmix.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, until well risen, golden brown, and firm to the touch. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes,sprinkle with paprika, and serve warm.

Day #49: Brandied Peach Muffins (sans Brandy)

If you are a Southerner, and if you love peaches, and if you think Peach Cobbler is melt-in-your-mouth delicious, then you are going to GO CRAZY for today's muffin. The recipe title is Brandied Peach, but we do not keep liquor in our home so I made a few substitutions when baking these goodies. They turned out wonderful even without the addition of the Brandy, but feel free to use it if you wish. Instead of the Brandy, I used a heaping tablespoon of vanilla extract and added a heaping tablespoon of cinnamon. If you do not use the brandy, include the natural peach juice in the batter when you are mixing as it will make them extra moist. My hubby said the muffins taste just like a bowl of peach cobbler. So, I encourage you to eat one while it is hot and serve it with a heaping scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. It would be a perfect spring or summer treat!

Tomorrow's Muffin: Chicken and Corn

Thanks for following me on this muffin journey my Beautiful Friends My prayer for you this week is that you will be reminded that you are God's Masterpiece-Created for GOOD THINGS!

Ephesians 2:10

"For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."

Brandied Peach Muffins

Ingredients:
oil or melted butter, for greasing (if using)
14 oz canned peaches in natural juice
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup superfine sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
6 tbsp canola oil
3 tbsp brandy (or 1 tbsp vanilla extract)
1 tbsp cinnamon (my addition)
finely grated rind of 1 orange


Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan or line with 12 muffin paper liners.

Drain and finely chop the peaches. NOTE: If not using the Brandy, do not drain the peaches. Chop them, and then add the natural peach juice to the mixture.
Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. Stir in the sugar.

Lightly beat the eggs in a large bowl, then beat in the buttermilk, brandy (or vanilla), orange rind, and oil. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the beaten liquid ingredients. Add the chopped peaches (and juice if you are not using brandy). Stir gently until just combined; do not overmix.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, until well risen, golden brown, and firm to the touch. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes,then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Day #48: Baby Shower Muffins

I was asked to make a Baby Shower Cake for a friend from church, so I thought today would be the perfect day to make the Baby Shower Muffins (Cupcakes, really) out of my 100 Muffin Cookbook. I love the idea of making and serving cupcakes instead of a big cake because with cupcakes you already have the perfect single portion size, no cutting needed. These were so much fun to make, and you could really let your creativity go wild. I made some as the recipe dictated, but I made an extra dozen and decorated with the basic Wilton white icing recipe and edible pansies on top. They turned out so very pretty. Since it is close to Easter, I was able to find Pink Whopper eggs that worked great in place of the sugared almonds in the recipe.

Tomorrow's Muffin: Brandied Peach (sans brandy :-))

Baby Shower Muffins

Ingredients:
oil or melted butter, for greasing (if using)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup superfine sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
6 tbsp canola oil
finely grated rind of 1 lemon
12 pink or blue sugared almonds, to decorate

For the FROSTING:
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
3-4 tsp hot water
1-2 drops of red or blue food coloring

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan or line with 12 muffin paper liners.

Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. Stir in the sugar.

Lightly beat the eggs in a large bowl, then beat in the buttermilk, lemon rind, and oil. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the beaten liquid ingredients. Stir gently until just combined; do not overmix.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, until well risen, golden brown, and firm to the touch. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes,then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

When the muffins are cold, make the frosting. Sift the confectioners sugar into a bowl. Add the water and stir until the mixture is smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Add 1-2 drops of food coloring and stir into the frosting until it is evenly colored pink or pale blue.

Spoon the frosting on top of each muffin. Top with a sugared almond and let stand for about 30 minutes before serving.

Day #47: Cherry & Coconut Muffins

Today I made the Cherry & Coconut Muffins instead of the Blue Cheese & Pear ones that I had mentioned yesterday. Sorry for the subsitution, but I discovered my pears had gone bad when I started to make them. But, no need to worry, we will tackle them another day.

The Cherry & Coconut proved to be a unique and quite tasty combination for the Coconut fan. I changed the recipe up a little by using a jar of maraschino cherries instead of dried cherries and fresh cherries. You could also substitute regular milk for the coconut milk and still get a great muffin. The recipe says to include a whole cherry with the stem on top of each muffin before baking. The thought of having a stem bake in my muffin just didn't seem appealing to me, so I removed the stems first before topping the muffins with cherries.

Tomorrow's Muffin: Baby Shower Muffins

Cherry & Coconut Muffins

Ingredients:
oil or melted butter, for greasing (if using)
1/2 cup candied cherries (I used 1 small jar maraschino cherries and cut each cherry into halves)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1/2 cup dry, unsweetened coconut flakes
2 large eggs
1 cup coconut milk
6 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
12 whole fresh cherries on their stalks (I removed the stalks)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan or line with 12 muffin pan liners.

Cut the candied cherries into small pieces.

Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. Stir in the sugar, coconut flakes, and chopped candied cherries.

Lightly beat the eggs in a large bowl, then beat in the coconut milk, vanilla extract and oil. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the beaten liquid ingredients. Stir gently until just combined; do not overmix.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Top each muffin with a whole fresh cherry.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, until well risen, golden brown, and firm to the touch. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes,then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

The Hurt Before the Healing

Over the past few weeks, my heart has been heavy with grief and a burdening weight that has left me frustrated and in tears at least once a day. I hate it when I feel like this; I hate the lack of joy that my heart has; I hate my downcast spirit. I am not sure the exact cause of this recent frustration and sadness. Maybe I didn’t allow myself to grieve fully after Savannah died; maybe I am fighting fears or frustrations over the fact that our timing to get pregnant again doesn’t seem to be God’s timing. Maybe, I am lonely, feeling disconnected and distanced from the ones I love the most. Or, maybe it is just a combination of all these things.

Whatever the reason, it is real, and it stinks. But, God is the Master at making “stinking” things have a Beautiful aroma. He often speaks to me through song, and this week, Josh Wilson’s new song, “Before the Morning” has spoken to my heart and given me hope that the pain I have been feeling in my heart really is just the “hurt before the healing.”

I encourage you to read the lyrics to the song below and then listen to the link of the song on You Tube. I also put a link to a video of Josh Wilson explaining the story behind why he wrote the song. After hearing the reasoning behind the song, I was even more convicted that God wanted to minister to my heart through these words.

If you are hurting in your life now or stuck in a place where things just don’t seem to be getting better, then I encourage you that there is hope and healing coming. You are loved and prayed for my friends. Thanks for listening; I am truly humbled that you are reading my blog.

Josh Wilson’s Before the Morning:

Do you wonder why you have to
Feel the things that hurt you
If there’s a God who loves you where is He now

Maybe there are things you can’t see
And all those things are happening
To bring a better ending

Someday somehow you’ll see you’ll see

Would you dare would you dare to believe
That you still have a reason to sing
Cause the pain that you’ve been feeling
It can’t compare to the joy that’s coming
So hold on you gotta wait for the light
Press on and just fight the good fight
Cause the pain that you’ve been feeling
It’s just the dark before the morning

My friend you know how this all ends
You know where you’re going
You just don’t know how you’ll get there
So say a prayer

And hold on cause there’s good for those who love God
But life is not a snapshot
It might take a little time but you’ll see the bigger picture

Once you feel the weight of glory
All your pain will fade to memory

It’s just the hurt before the healing
Oh the pain that you’ve been feeling
It’s just the dark before the morning

The song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MniOtRnCO9I

Story behind the song:
http://www.tangle.com/view_video?viewkey=13a37597ad327d0bf760