FONDUE DATE NIGHT ~ ON A BUDGET!!!

If you have been following my Monthly Menu Plan you will notice that 

we have Fondue Date Night at least once a month!

It's fun, cheap & a great way no stress way to entertain.

Think about it....You are making your guest cook their own food!  :)

For me, usually the meats being grilled are the misc. small amounts that are still in the freezer.

I find that with fondue you can cut the amount of food in half by the people you have attending.

Example: my family of 6 I only prep enough food for 3 (3 chicken breast, 3 steaks....)

Of course, this makes for a very frugal party menu or date night!!

On average any Fondue Restaurant will cost $30+ a person for a dinner meal (this doesn't even include having desert fondue)!!!

Where creating your own fondue meal at home will cost a fraction of the price!!

Plus, it gives you a reason to pull out all those Pampered Chef dishes

you just had to have!!

SOME TIPS TO KEEP IT FRUGAL:

• Clean out your freezer!
• We all have misc cuts of meat that isn't enough to make a meal....These are perfect for fondue
• Pork, chicken, steak, sausage, shrimp.....
• Shop the Day-Old Bakery Goods for Pastries & Bread to dip
• You can usually pick up day-old baked goods for $.99, where to buy fresh it cost $3.00
• Day-old baked goods are a bit dry which is perfect for fondue, they can hold up to the cheese or chocolate better than fresh.
• Use normal chocolate chips for dessert fondue rather than special fondue chocolate!
• Fondue Chocolate costs a fortune, $15 a bag!!  The only thing that makes it special is already has a higher oil content to make it smooth and dippable (I know, not a word)
• Chocolate chips on average only cost $1.50 a bag and us couponers usually have some in our stockpile even cheaper (hence the term Stockpile Cooking)  All you need to do is add oil when melting until the desired consistency is achieved.
• Don't buy Fondue Recipe books!
• There are so many free recipes all over the internet & pinterest!  No need to pay for something that is FREE!!

Like my Indoor Grill, Electric Fondue Pot & Chocolate Fountain?!  

I bought them all from Amazon at amazing prices!  We use them all the time, and of course the chocolate fountain is a favorite at all my kid's birthday parties!!

$39.99 = Maxi-Matic EGL-3450 Elite Cuisine 13-Inch Countertop Non-Stick Grill, Black




 $29.99 = Nostalgia Electrics FPS-200 Electric Fondue Pot




$24.99 = Nostalgia Electrics CFF-965 Mini Chocolate Fondue Fountain

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FEED YOUR SUPER BOWL PARTY GUEST FOR UNDER $10!!!

Are you hosting a Super Bowl Party this Sunday?

Crockpot Pork Carnitas are my favorite cheap way to feed

a crowd!  

They are always amazing and since we are using the crockpot......you get to enjoy your company instead of cooking all day!

You can always pick up a Pork Roast very cheap, but right now

Ridley's has Sirloin Pork Roast for only $.97 lb!!!  

Not to mention they have everything else you need to complete this delicious meal:

*Don Julio Torillas $.98

*Avocados $.47 each

*Roma Tomatoes $.47 each

*Cilantro $.50

*Limes 3/$1

That is a crazy cheap price!  Feed a crowd & don't break the bank!!

Ingredients

• 1 pork roast (3 to 4 pounds)
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1-1/2 cups minced fresh cilantro
• 1 cup salsa
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup tequila or additional chicken broth
• 2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies
• 12 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed
• Optional toppings: fresh cilantro leaves, chopped avocado and tomato

Directions

Cut roast in half (if you need to); place in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Sprinkle with garlic, oil, salt and pepper. Add the onions, cilantro, salsa, broth, tequila and chilies. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until meat is tender.  Remove meat; cool slightly. Shred with two forks and return to the slow cooker; heat through. Spoon about 2/3 cup meat mixture onto each tortilla; serve with toppings of your choice.

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NEW YEARS EVE PARTY IDEAS: KEEP THE KIDS BUSY!

Source: howdoesshe.com via Amy on Pinterest

I was browsing Pinterest for some new New Years Eve Party Ideas and found this one.

Great idea for the kiddo's to keep them busy all night long!

Have a balloon for every hour that the kids can pop.  

Each balloon be filled with candy or an activity for them to do to pass the time 

until the next hour!

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SIMPLIFY MY LIFE: HOMEMADE CUSTOM CUPCAKE LINERS!

The plain paper cupcake holders are always the ones that we 

are getting cheap or free; but they are so boring!!

Here is a simple way to make them match any party!

In a shallow dish, put a few drops of food coloring 

and enough water to go up the sides of the liners.

(add more or less water depending on how far you want the color to go on the liners)

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PARTY IDEAS: CHEESECAKE BAR

For our son's Graduation Party he didn't want a normal cake....but Cheesecake.

I was rather happy to hear because I also LOVE Cheesecake.

Though serving a plain white cheesecake was just not going to do for a party 

(if you know me and my parties you know what I'm talking about)

So, I came up with a Cheesecake Bar!

This was a blast, and a great way to keep the waste at a minimal.  

My wonderful Step-mom made the cheesecake, and instead of making several normal 

huge thick cheesecakes she baked them in a baking sheet.

This made the cheesecake much thinner and of course stretches a regular recipe

way beyond a 10 inch cake!

Making a cheesecake in a baking sheet also makes it very easy to cut into small bars.

We served the cheesecake in disposable champagne cups (i got from Zurchers).

These cups added a fun little fancy flair to the Cheesecake Bar & where just the right portion size. 

What's a Cheesecake Bar without toppings....

We used mason jars to hold several different toppings 

(Winco Bulk ~ I love you)

This is what we had:

* Mini M&M's * Mini Chocolate Chips * Crushed Oreo's * 

* Chocolate Syrup (my recipe) * Caramel Sauce (my recipe) * Cherry Pie Filling *

This was a huge hit & will definitely be happening again!

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4TH OF JULY FLAG THEMED FOOD!

DO YOU HAVE TO MAKE A DISH FOR A 4TH OF JULY BBQ TOMORROW?

HERE ARE A FEW FUN WAYS TO SHOW YOUR LOVE FOOD STYLE!!

I FOUND THESE ON PINTEREST, SO FOR THE RECIPES JUST CLICK ON THE PICTURE

Source: todayshousewife.net via Elizabeth on Pinterest

Source: divinepartyconcepts.com via Sue on Pinterest

Source: makeandtakes.com via Sarah on Pinterest

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PARTY IDEA: DRUNK GUMMY BEARS

Drunk Gummy Bears.

Here is a very fun & yummy treat for your next party!

I had see a lot of buzz about making these last week over the web,

so I figured I better give them a try.

They taste like Jell-O Shots....but don't take the work!

I'm thinking for Cinco de Mayo I'm making Tequila Gummy Worms!!

HOW TO:

Put your Gummy Bears in a container with a lid. 

Submerge them in your Alcohol of choice.

I used Whipped Cream Vodka.

Cover and put in the fridge for at least 24 hours

to soak up the liquid.  It is amazing that the gummy bears just absorb the

liquid; the more liquid you add the more they absorb.

The gummy bears just grow, becoming a delicious adult treat! 

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FUN WITH KIDS: TURN TOILET PAPER ROLLS INTO PARTY FAVORS!

I showed you HERE how I use toilet paper rolls to keep
the cords on appliances and my hair irons under control!

So, I was excited to see this very cheap way to make party favors for any occasion!

CHECK THIS OUT!

Fold in one side of the end.

Then fold in the other side. Repeat on other end.

Open back up and give the toilet paper  roll a bit of paint. Be careful to not use too much paint if your toilet paper roll is extra thin.

Give it a nice shine with a light coat of clear spray paint.

Fill with candy and treats, fold back ends.

Thanks for the great idea Skip To My Lou!!




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PINTEREST FAVORITE: FREEZE WATER BALLOONS TO CHILL BEVERAGES!

Source: Uploaded by user via Necia on Pinterest

Fill balloons with water and freeze them.

Use the ice balloons to chill beverages!

This would last much longer than loose ice would.  Not to mention much more frugal!

It would be fun to make the ice balloons match the party colors!

FYI - No water balloon fights until the ice balls are thawed!

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PINTREST FAVORITE: NO MORE JUICE MESS!

Source: currentcatalog.com via Lindsay on Pinterest

Use a 2 liter bottle as a drip catcher for a drink dispenser!!

All I can say is Brilliant!

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