“Budget Babe” Robyn Moreno Shares Family-Friendly Tips for Saving and Earning More
Survey shows consumers want to cut costs at dinner table and bring home more ‘bacon’

Kalamazoo, MI January 15, 2009 Press Release— — Amid an economic downturn with increased unemployment, rising food prices and housing foreclosures, the nation’s consumers are focused on the bottom line – their own wallets.  In a recent survey (1) conducted by The Pampered Chef, 88 percent of Americans living in the Midwest said they’re making changes to help save money and relieve financial burdens for their families.  Two of the primary changes consumers say they’re considering are how they can feed their family for less and how they can bring in supplemental income.  With this in mind, The Pampered Chef has partnered with self-proclaimed “budget babe” Robyn Moreno, author of the newly-released book “Practically Posh: The Smart Girls Guide to a Glam Life,” to offer expert insights and tips on how to lead a budget-friendly lifestyle.  “We’re all feeling the pinch of the challenging economy,” said Moreno.  “But consumers don’t have to panic, I’ve got simple tips to shrink spending, starting with the dinner table, and also have smart recommendations for earning more income.  “Mealtime Solutions for $2 Per Person

Getting started can be a cinch.  A Pampered Chef business requires little investment – for just $155 a new Consultant kit includes a selection of high-quality products and business materials valued at more than $500.  Consultants also receive training to help them succeed, including interactive Web courses, videos, national and local sales meetings and other materials.

“Anyone can do direct selling,” says Moreno.  “Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom, a college kid, a former executive or have a full-time career, it’s an easy, fun way to boost your budget.”

To learn more about The Pampered Chef, shop a collection of essential kitchen tools, or for information on becoming a Consultant, please call Cheryl Lynn Miller, Independent Senior Consultant for The Pampered Chef, at (269) 547-8571 or e-mail clynnmiller@sbcglobal.net.
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About The Pampered Chef®
The Pampered Chef, founded in 1980 by Doris K. Christopher and now part of the Berkshire Hathaway family of businesses, is the premier direct seller of high quality kitchen tools.  At in-home cooking demonstrations, called Cooking Shows, guests see products and recipes in action, learn quick and easy food preparation techniques and receive tips on how to entertain with style and ease – transforming the simple to the spectacular.  For more information call 1-800-266-5562 or visit http://www.pamperedchef.com.  The Pampered Chef is a registered trademark.

1 Omnibus survey of 1,000 consumers, ages 18 and over, conducted by independent research firm Wakefield in Oct. 2008
2 Prices are estimated and vary regionally

This is a wonderful article I came across.  It was written my Jim Burns, Ph.D. stating why it’s import for families to get back to the dinner table together!!

I’m happy to announce that over the past few years, more and more families are making the intentional effort to have regular, family-mealtimes.  Here are seven reasons why doing so is a great idea:

1) Kids who live in families that eat dinner together regularly are less likely to be involved in at risk behaviors.  According to the 2000 study done by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA), children who don’t eat dinner with their families are 61 percent more likely to use alcohol, tobacco, or illegal drugs. By contrast, children who eat dinner with their families every night of the week are 20 percent less likely to drink, smoke, or use illegal drugs.

2) Families who eat dinner together regularly are more likely to have stronger, happier family relationships.  As families struggle to find amounts of quantity and quality time together, family dinnertime provides the opportunity for both.  When families hang out together and communicate, they grow strong and healthy.

3) Families who eat dinner regularly develop a stronger family identity.  Eating together serves to build a family identity.  Additionally, this family “routine” provides a sense of stability and security that provides kids with a positive environment where they can grow into healthy adults.

4) Families who eat dinner together regularly can keep in touch with each others’ lives.  Everyone – kids and parents alike – can keep up-to-date during your family dinnertime on what is going on with school, jobs, family life, and friends.

5) A regular family dinnertime provides natural opportunities for planning and problem solving.  Scheduling family meeting times to discuss planning, needs and problem solving can be difficult.  A regular family mealtime can offer a natural solution to the challenge.

6) Eating dinner regularly fosters learning.  When families who eat dinner together engage in a variety of conversation topics, learning is encouraged.  Kids who are exposed to regular family discussion times learn a broader vocabulary.

7) Kids are likely to receive better nutrition when eating dinner regularly with their families.  A simple, but true rule applies: when kids eat with their families, they eat better.  A family dinnertime means kids are more likely to eat a nutritionally balanced meal, lower in sugar and fat content, than if they prepare or purchase meals on their own.

I think everyone would agree dinner time is a great time to bring the family together.  Well at our house we try to even make dinner preparation a family affair.  Everyone gets to be involved in making the dinner (something that my “Pampered” kitchen makes very easy to accomplish.)  Tonight we made what my daughter calls “Mom’s Crispy Pizza.” 

Pizza is my family’s favorite meal, but I get very tired of the same old pepperoni pizza so I came up with my own recipe – it’s both quick and easy to make as well as good for you.  Mom’s Crispy Pizza is made with two different types of cheese, chicken, sausage, bacon, and tomatoes and in the 30 minutes Domino’s takes to deliver to your door this pizza is on the table ready to eat. 

I start with cooking my sausage in my Small Micro-Cooker only a few minutes in the microwave then chop it using my Mix ‘N Chop (actually chopping the sausage is my daughter’s job.)  While she is chopping I roll out my pizza dough (I prefer Pillsbury pizza dough) on my Large Bar Pan, sprinkle with Italian Seasoning Mix and put that in the oven for about 6 minutes (follow heat instructions on the package.) 

Next I fry up 4 strips of bacon then slice them up and set aside with the sausage.  When the pizza dough is done we spread about 3/4 jar of pizza sauce (depending on your taste) on the crust from corner to corner.  Using my Rotary Grater, my daughter spreads a layer of Colby Jack cheese (this helps prevent the crust from getting soggy from the moist toppings.)  While my princess is busy with the cheese I shred my chicken breast (left over from the previous nights dinner as I usually always cook an extra chicken breast – great to use for lunches the next day or as a topping on my pizza) and dice up the tomato (my family won’t eat sliced tomato only diced).

Now we add the sausage, chicken, bacon, tomatoes and the kids add another layer of cheese (mozzarella usually bought already shredded) then back in the oven for about another 15 minutes (cook according to the dough package.)  When it comes out of the oven I cut into large squares with my Pizza Cutter and serve with my Mini-Serving Spatula.  Start to finish in about 30 minutes – it’s a family favorite.

1 can (10 3/4 oz) Campbell’s Cream of Chicken Condensed Soup

1 can (10 3/4 oz) Campbell’s Cheddar Cheese Condensed Soup

1/4 large onion diced

1/2 tsp. garlic pepper

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (frozen)

Instant Mashed Potatoes

Pillsbury Grands Biscuits

1. 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2. Stir soup, garlic pepper, & onions in crock pot
3. Add chicken (still frozen) – if your chicken is already unthawed you’ll want to add some water to the soup mix
4. Cook on High power for 3 Hours
5. Shred Chicken in Crock Pot
6. Stir in Frozen Mixed Vegetables and contine cooking for another hour – total cook time 4 Hours

About 20 minutes left of cook time put biscuits in oven & prepare Instant Potatoes.  Serve chicken & vegetables over Mashed Potatoes, top with cheese, and serve with biscuits.

Bake time:  4 hours       Prep time:  20 minutes      Makes:  4 Servings

My husband calls me the queen of kitchen gadgets – this coming from the mechanic with the biggest tool box in the shop.  Well as much as I hate to admit it he is right (but don’t tell him I said so – I’ll just deny it.)  I do love my kitchen gadgets, but only if they actually make my life easier.  I think one of my favorite gadgets, next to my crock pot & FoodSaver, is my West Bend Programmable Food Steamer.

I use my food steamer all year round.  I have had two food steamers my first steamer was a Sunbeam Food Steamer & had only one basket.  That worked great when it was just my husband and I as it would hold about 1 cup of Rice (cooked) or about 5 full sized ears of corn.  Now that we have a family of four – it just wasn’t big enough.  My latest steamer has tier baskets (that will hold about 5 ears of corn each!)  With this new steamer I can make enough vegetables in it to not only feed my family but also steam enough vegetables to feed our parents when they come over as well.  It’s not uncommon at my house to have my husband’s parents and his sister, husband, and two sons over for dinner – when you’re cooking for 10 the tiers really come in handy. 

As you probably know by now I’m always looking for the best deal, I have found that Walmart.com you can get it for $49.98 – I’ve found it on other sites ranging from $51 – $75.  Plus at Walmart.com you can either have it shipped to your house or shipped to a store for you to pick up and save money on the cost of shipping!

Have you even sat back and figured out how much you spend weekly or monthly on the convenience of frozen waffles?  I did and I have to say it surprised me.  I found on a grocery saving website tip #3 – If you have kids you may also know that frozen waffles are a basic food staple! As much as I agree with this statement I disagree with notion that buying frozen waffles is my only alternative.  According to The Supermarket Sleuth frozen waffles general cost between $2.79 and $2.99 for just 6 waffles, this seems a bit high to me as I generally only buy things when they go on sale so for the sake of easy math let’s say they cost about $2.50 for 10 waffles.  Hey I’m a mother of two, I like things quick and easy.  On the weekend when I’m already making breakfast for my family I simply double the batch when making own waffles.

I prefer to use Bisquick since I can add my own ingredients to the mix like pecans for extra fiber & protein – the recipe (listed below) states that you can get 12 (4-inch) waffles but again for easy math let’s go with 10.  The box I have cost me $4.39 which works out to about $0.63 per batch of waffles.  The breakdown of my calculations is below if you interested but in essence making my own waffles costs me about $1.19 for 10 waffles.  A cost savings of about $1.31!!

• Mix – $0.63
• Eggs – $0.30
• Milk – $0.19
• Oil – $0.02
• Electricity – $0.05 (yes I actually figured this out based on 1000 watt waffle iron for about 30 using approximately 0.5 Kilowatt hours at our current rate of approximately $0.09 – I can usually get them done quicker but again I like easy math.)

As an added bonus I found this really cool Heart-shaped waffle iron at JCPenney.com – it makes 5 little heart shaped waffles my kids really love that I make their waffles into hearts rather then the squares they used to get (out of the box.)  I set my waffle iron to 3.5 (they are on the light side but turn golden when we toast them in the toaster.) Once out of the waffle maker, the waffles cool on my cooling rack for about an hour then place them in a Ziploc bag (squeezing out the excess air) before putting them in the freezer.  I now have homemade waffles on hand that are just as convenient as the frozen variety for about ½ the cost.  We also make our own frozen pancakes again at about ½ the cost as those in your freezer section of the grocery store.

• 2 cups Bisquick
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbs Oil
• 1 1/3 cup Milk
• chopped pecans (optional)

I hope you enjoy your homemade waffles as much as we do and would love to hear if you have a great waffle recipe – I’m always on the lookout for great recipes.