Have you seen the commercial for the brownie pan that can bake your brownies and cut them into equal portions at the same time? Well, if you have and you want one, The Christmas Tree Shops has a generic version for only $4.99! I made sure to get right out and buy mine yesterday and the two people with me each bought one too! I even convinced a shopper I do not know into getting one! If you LOVE brownies ( and everyone who knows me knows that I LOVE them) this is the pan for you. Be sure to run (not walk) to your local Christmas Tree Shops store and get one of these fabulous brownie pans today!

Oh, and right next to the brownie pans you will find an awesome brownie mix!  It is called “No Pudge Brownie Mix” and it is on sale for 2 for $5.  You make the brownies with yogurt therefor making the brownies with 0 grams of fat (no that was not a typo).  I have made these brownies several times and they are indeed very tasty, you can even ask my mother (I am sure she will comment to this post, so just look below) !

There are 4 flavors: Original, Cappuccino, Raspberry and Mint.

And, while you are shopping, why not shop for Easter items.  I purchased all the items for my daughters Easter basket, including the basket ( I bought a large sand pail) for under $17!   Happy shopping.

• Save $10 at Christmas Tree Shops
• Paperless Paper Towels….Save the trees

If you like to make french toast, try mini french toast.  It is just like regular french toast, but mini.  There are several ways to make mini french toast and they are all very tasty.  Last weekend I prepared mini french toast by cutting a regular slice of bread into 4 sections.  The french toast pieces were small enough for dunking, dipping and eating in two bites.  My kids loved them and I did as well. I like to top my mini french toast with cinnamon and real maple syrup.

Below I have listed 3 recipes for mini french toast, give them a try and let me know what you think!

P.S. Don’t forget to add a dash of sugar to your egg mixture to make your mini french toast extra golden brown.

• Oatmeal Island…..What Dreams are Made of
• Tasty Eggnog Recipes

Do you ever go away on vacation, come home and wonder if the food in your fridge and freezer is still good?  Other than asking your neighbor, there really is no way to know if your power has gone out and for how long when your not home.

I was recently on a vacation with my family in Maine and I was getting some food out of my parents freezer when I spotted a plastic container with a  block of ice, frozen sideways.  I had to ask what it was doing in the freezer.  I was told it was there so they would know if the power went out, and for how long.  If the ice was on the bottom of the container, than the power had gone out and the ice had melted and froze again.  But if the ice was still sideways, the ice had not melted and the food had stayed cold.

I thought that this was a brilliant idea, so as soon as I got home I did the same thing in my freezer.  This is so easy to do, and worth doing, especially if you go on vacation a lot or have a second home where you leave food in the fridge and freezer.

To do this, just follow these simple instructions:

1) Get a small plastic container and lid

2) Fill the container half way with water

3) Place the container with lid in the freezer sideways

4) Once the water has frozen to ice, turn the container right side up.  The ice will be sideways in the container, and it will stay that way until the freezer gets warm enough to melt it.

Now, just check your container when you come back from vacation, or go on a trip to your second home.

Note: This idea came from my Step Mother, Virginia.  While I was on vacation in Maine, she gave me tons of great frugal tips and ideas that I will be using on Frugal Cape Cod.  She always has great ideas, and tips that I have never heard of before. Thank You!!!

• Try OAMC and Bulk Cooking
• Grocery Store Greenhouse