I’ve never liked Fruit Salad because most of the ones I’ve had at potlucks have marshmallows, gelatin, whip cream, or nuts in them.  But when I tried Diana’s, I loved it.  Here’s the easy, yummy recipe below:

1. Pour 1 Medium can crushed pineapple (in its own juice) into a bowl.
2. Stir in 1 Small box vanilla instant pudding.
3. Then add 3 - 4  Tablespoons of Tang (or you could save this step until the end**)
4. Add any amount of diced fruit: apples (Jonathan said he liked the apples in the mixture, but I didn’t like the hard texture with everything else being softer), grapes, bananas, strawberries, kiwi, oranges, etc.  Cutting up the fruit took awhile, but at least it’s easy and ready to serve right away.

**In hind sight, I think you should wait to mix the Tang until you’ve got your fruit in there.  I think 3 TBS was too much Tang for the amount of fruit I used.

Today, Thursday September 24 from 5-8 pm (ONLY), you can get a FREE 3 oz Jack’s Creation Ice Cream from Cold Stone Creamery.  They ask that you make a donation for the Make a Wish Foundation.  Jonathan and I went last year, and it was really good!

Head on over to Chick-fil-A for their Labor Day promotion.  Wear your favorite sports team apparel, and get a FREE Chicken Sandwich. This promotion starts at 10:30 am and ends at closing.

We’re going to meet Jonathan at the one in the mall by his work for lunch.  And we might even go to another one for dinner, too!  Abigail and I will be wearing Atlanta Braves shirts; Jonathan will be sporting a team that is less awesome.

My friend Jess posted this survey on her facebook and tagged me to fill it out, so here it is . . .

1. What time did you get up this morning?
9:00- don’t hate me because my daughter sleeps in until then

2. How do you like your steak?
Medium-Medium Well

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
Oh gosh.  Um “License to Wed”- over TWO years ago.  We hate going to the theater.

4. What is your favorite TV show?
“Psych” or “Everybody Loves Raymond”

5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
Salvador, Brasil if it had the perfect temperature and less people

6. What did you have for breakfast?
breakfast drink

7. What is your favorite cuisine?
Mexican

8. What foods do you dislike?
Veggies

9. Favorite Place to Eat?
Texas Roadhouse

10. Favorite dressing?
Catalina

11.What kind of vehicle do you drive
a Bravada SUV

12. What are your favorite clothes?
sorry Stacy and Clinton, I know you hate this word, but comfortable clothes

13. Where would you visit if you had the chance?
Australia

14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?
half empty

15. Where would you want to retire?
a nice private island

16. Favorite time of day?
5:30ish when Jonathan comes home from work

17. Where were you born?
New Mexico

18. What is your favorite sport to watch?
Soccer

22. Bird watcher?
No way; they scare me.

23. Are you a morning person or a night person?
Night person

24. Do you have any pets?
one dog

25. Any new and exciting news you’d like to share?
Abigail can now say, “I love you” and “Thank you”

26. What did you want to be when you were little?
A veterinarian

27. What is your best childhood memory?
Going to swim in the lake on Wednesdays during the summer w/ church families

28. Are you a cat or dog person?
definitely dog

29. Are you married?
yes

30. Always wear your seat belt?
yes

31. Been in a car accident?
only one- the girl totaled our Jeep

32. Any pet peeves?
Where do I begin!  My biggest one is people littering.

33. Favorite Pizza Topping?
Hamburger

34. Favorite Flower?
Gerber Daisy

35. Favorite ice cream?
Cookie Dough

36. Favorite fast food restaurant?
hmm.  Chick fil A or Taco Bell

37. How many times did you fail your driver’s test?
None

38. From whom did you get your last email
a girl who found my blog who asked questions about getting her child to sleep at night

39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?
Don’t have a credit card.  But I’ll pretend: Walmart- yes, I know, I’m boring and practical.

40. Do anything spontaneous lately?
uhh?

41. Like your job?
at times it’s hard, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything

42. Broccoli?
yuck- hate the smell

43. What was your favorite vacation?
Atlanta to see the Braves

44. Last person you went out to dinner with?
Husband, Abigail, and Daddy

45. What are you listening to right now?
silence!  the daughter is napping.

46. What is your favorite color?
pink

47. How many tattoos do you have?
none

49. What time is it?
2:41 Pm

50. Coffee Drinker?
nope

Baby & Kids

• Little Movers Huggies Diapers Sample

Food & Drink

• Wear a Sports Team shirt, and receive a FREE  Chick Fil A Chicken Sandwich only on Labor Day 9/7
• Bear Naked Granola
• Kashi Cereal Sample
• FruitaBu Smooshed Fruit when you join the Squad
• Persimmon Tea
• Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters

Health & Beauty

• Exederm sample pack
  
• 12-ct Cankermelts product.  Expires 9/15
• Cankermelts 2 ct sample
• Carefree Ultra Protection Liners
• Tampax Pearl
• Playtex Gentle Glide 
  
• Playtex Sport
• Kotex Overnight
• 6 piece Kotex sample
• Stayfree
• Handmade Soap
• Emergen-C Sample
• Zyrtec sample

Other

• Free Bowling on Sept 5 with this coupon
• free personalized greeting card. Use code: SENDHOPE

Some tips about requesting samples or buying anything online.  I’ve never had any problems; these are just me being extra careful.

1. I always put Mrs in the “first name” column– not my first name.
2. I type in a fake number if they ask for a phone number.
3. I have set up an email account that I only use for requesting samples.  Be sure to do this, so you don’t fill up your personal email account with newsletters.
   
4. I don’t give my correct birth date; I type the same year I was born, but I mix up the month and day.
   

Be patient for your samples, some of them take up to 8-12 weeks to come.  Check out the past weeks’ samples, as many of them are still good.

Jonathan wanted a different cake for his bday this year.  I know he’s a fan of Mint Chocolate Chip, so I made him a Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cake.

He liked it so much, he had me make another one with Cookies n Cream Ice Cream.  Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 26 Oreo cookies, crushed
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 gallon ice cream, any kind (Mint Chocolate Chip was what he liked best)
• 1 (15 ounce) jar chocolate fudge topping
• 10 ounces of cool whip, thawed

Directions:

1. Reserve about 1/3 cup of cookie crumbs for topping.
2. Mix remaining crumbs with butter, and press into the bottom of a 9×13 inch dish.
3. Freeze for 20 minutes.
4. Put 1 layer of ice cream (1/2 of ice cream) on top of the crumbs.
5. Put 1 layer of hot fudge (1/2 of hot fudge) on top of the ice cream.
6. Put remaining 1/2 of ice cream.
7. Put down remaining 1/2 of hot fudge.
8. Freeze for 20 minutes.
9. Spread the cool whip on top.
10. Freeze until ready to serve.
11. Sprinkle with the 1/3 cup of cookie crumbs on top just before serving.

Baby & Kids

• Huggies Enjoy the Ride Points: NBDKD QZGDT FJPGB (5 pts)
• Potty Training Kit from Pampers including Easy-up Samples

Food & Drink

• Free Chicken Sandwich at Chick-fil-A to the first 250,000 who register as fans at The Chick-fil-A Chicken Wave
• Fiber One Honey Clusters cereal & a Fiber One Oats & Chocolate bar
• Free small limeade with any purchase at an A&W restaurant with coupon.  Expires 10/3
• Just Like Sugar Sweetener
• Dentaburst

Health & Beauty

• Always Liners & Pad
• bag of Halls Cough Drops

Other

• Connections Hallmark Card
• Kitchen Crafts + Low Cost Decorations E-Book

Some tips about requesting samples or buying anything online.  I’ve never had any problems; these are just me being extra careful.

1. I always put Mrs in the “first name” column– not my first name.
2. I type in a fake number if they ask for a phone number.
3. I have set up an email account that I only use for requesting samples.  Be sure to do this, so you don’t fill up your personal email account with newsletters.
   
4. I don’t give my correct birth date; I type the same year I was born, but I mix up the month and day.
   

Be patient for your samples, some of them take up to 8-12 weeks to come.  Check out the past weeks’ samples, as many of them are still good.

I love lasagna when its made without ricotta or cottage cheese.  Just give me the mozzarella, and I’m good.  My Grandma makes the best lasagna, but she uses a tomato paste mixture, etc.  I found it easier to just use spaghetti sauce, so, here’s my altered recipe for Lasagna from my Grandma:

Ingredients

• 1-1.5 lbs of Ground Beef, depending on how much meat you like
• 32 oz of Spaghetti Sauce
• 1/4 cup of Water
• 9 Lasagna Noodles
• 3 cups of Mozzarella Cheese (I also add some Parmesan blend)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine sauce, meat, and water.
3. Spread 1 1/4 cup of suace mixture on the bottom of a 9×13 dish.
4. Top with half of the Uncooked lasagna noodles.
5. Top with half of the mozzarella cheese
6. Repeat all layers (sauce, noodles, cheese).
7. Cover tightly with foil, and bake for 1 hour.

Baby & Kids

• Parent’s Choice Formula

Food & Drink

• Atomic Energy Bites.  apparently they’re charging around 80 cents to ship it, so it’s not completely free
• Fruit Juicer

Health & Beauty

• Aveda Smooth Infusions shampoo, conditioner and Style Prep Smoother.  Take coupon to store.
• NoDoz Alertness Aid
• Feminine Products
• Dove Shampoo

Some tips about requesting samples or buying anything online.  I’ve never had any problems; these are just me being extra careful.

1. I always put Mrs in the “first name” column– not my first name.
2. I type in a fake number if they ask for a phone number.
3. I have set up an email account that I only use for requesting samples.  Be sure to do this, so you don’t fill up your personal email account with newsletters.
   
4. I don’t give my correct birth date; I type the same year I was born, but I mix up the month and day.
   

Be patient for your samples, some of them take up to 8-12 weeks to come.  Check out the past weeks’ samples, as many of them are still good.

Baby & Kids

• Pampers Gifts to Grow point: FREECODEEXP0823 (1 point)
• Huggies Enjoy the Ride point: BBMCJ MBDWF CCPGB (1 pt)

Food & Drink

• Nature Valley Trail Mix Bar and a sample of Granola Nut Clusters when you sign up for a newsletter
• 4 oz. sample of Vita-Spelt Pasta when you call 1-800-997-7358, extension 210.

Health & Beauty

• Aqua Fresh Extreme Clean Toothpaste.  print a coupon
• Carefree Ultra Protection Liners
• Prilosec OTC
• Kotex Thin Overnights

Photo Deals

• 25 Free 4×6 Prints when you open a new account with Walgreens Photo before August 24, 2009.  Choose in-store pickup to avoid paying s&h! costs.

Other

• Back to School calendar with Nestle coupons
• John Macarthur’s book, Daily Readings from the Life of Christ .  Expires 9/20
• Scrubbing Bubbles Shower Caddy
• Pet & Shape Dog Treat
• 1000 Free Song Downloads

Some tips about requesting samples or buying anything online.  I’ve never had any problems; these are just me being extra careful.

1. I always put Mrs in the “first name” column– not my first name.
2. I type in a fake number if they ask for a phone number.
3. I have set up an email account that I only use for requesting samples.  Be sure to do this, so you don’t fill up your personal email account with newsletters.
   
4. I don’t give my correct birth date; I type the same year I was born, but I mix up the month and day.
   

Be patient for your samples, some of them take up to 8-12 weeks to come.  Check out the past weeks’ samples, as many of them are still good.