Don't get me wrong, I love cooking.  But I've been SO uninspired in the kitchen for dinners lately. Maybe it's because we have had quite a few bouts of flu going around our house.  Or because I spend most of my days creating fun recipes for my job.  Some nights, by the time 5:00 hits, I'm just staring at the fridge, hoping for a cooked meal to pop out at me.  I wish! Can't I have a magical twitch to my nose like Samantha on Bewitched?!

Last night, I had ground turkey but no ideas what to do with it.  I wanted a burger, but it was still partially frozen.  I remembered seeing something on Rachael Ray once about a cheeseburger casserole and I just went with it.  

The verdict? EVERYONE loved it.  It tastes just like McDonald's double cheeseburgers. We don't do much McD's, but those double cheeseburgers are hard to resist...especially after a nasty post-wedding hangover! (We had quite a few weddings this summer...I learned the hard way)

Served with some of our favorite tots and green beans, this was a tasty meal that hit the table in about 30 minutes! 

Turkey Cheeseburger Casserole

Here's what you need:

• 1 package of Jennie-O lean ground turkey (about 1.25 lbs)
• 2 cups of elbow noodles, cooked al dente (about 5-6 minutes)
• 2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup relish
• 2 pickle spears, chopped (more or less to taste)
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 
• 1/4 teaspoon each- onion & garlic powder
• 2 cups cheddar cheese 
• Optional: chopped bacon (I put it on half of ours)

1. Preheat oven to 400. 
2. In a large pan, brown ground turkey for 4-5 minutes.  Add onions, mustard, Worcestershire, onion and garlic powder.  Brown until turkey is completely cooked. Do not drain.
3. Add pickles, relish, tomatoes, tomato paste. Once thoroughly heated, slowly pour in noodles. Stir.
4. Pour into casserole dish and top with cheese (and optional bacon).  Bake 15 minutes, until cheese is melted and drool-worthy.
   
    

What's your go-to meal when you're in a cooking rut?

Time to Bundle Up! Kmart has MAJOR Outerwear Savings!

We woke up to a dusting of snow on the ground today.  I absolutely love snow...this time of year, at least.  By the time January hits, I'm over it.  But for now, I'm optimistic! Especially if it means we will have a White Christmas!

If you're looking for some deals on winter gear, look no further than Kmart!  

As you may know, I am a personal shopper for Shop Your Way Rewards--which includes Kmart, Sears and Lands End.  My job is to help YOU save money.  I can send you exclusive coupons and rewards, or just quick heads up for sales.  All up to what you want!  Also, at least once a month, you'll get a $5 bonus on your Shop Your Way account. Best part? It's FREE!  

Yesterday, I posted a pic of our new boots and a lot of people wondered where they were mine were from.  Kmart!  I love how warm and comfy they are.  Great quality boots for under $40! 

Bustin out the boots!! It's snowing!! ❄️

A photo posted by Ashleigh Evans (@itscheapash) on Nov 11, 2014 at 5:55am PST

Right now, all boots are Buy 1, Get 50% off.  You can get free 2-day shipping as a client of mine, or ship to your local store. Also, be sure to add the  $5 off $25 in shoes coupon to your account. (Tip: I add ANY coupon I think I'll use. At checkout, whatever ones are relevant will be applied)

• Girl's Boots
• Women's Boots
• Men's Boots
• Boy's Boots

All outerwear is on sale 40% off and hat/glove sets start at $6.99!  Coats start at $20, with most around $27 and snow pants are $17.  There are coupons: $5 off $25 in Apparel and also $5 off $50 Storewide.

• Boys Outerwear
• Girls Outerwear

If you have anything specific you need help finding, I'm here to help! Also, be sure to use your Ebates account for an additional 3% back! New to Ebates? You'll get a free $10 gift card.

Is there snow on the ground where you live?

Aunt Millie's Thrift Store: Discounted Bread!

I don't know about your family, but we fly through bread, bagels, English muffins or basically any carbs--during breakfast if we each have a bagel, that's one package right there!  With the prices of groceries getting INSANE, it's nice to find a bargain store for something we frequently eat.  One day on a whim, I stopped into our local Aunt Millie's Thrift Store and I was pleasantly surprised.  They carry most of our favorite breads, including Meijer brand french toast bagels (ah-mazing) and whole wheat pitas (for pizzadillas!).  When you walk in, ask about the specials and for any pricing information.  For instance, our store has a bargain table and you get a FREE item off of that table when you spend over $5.

The Aunt Millie's Thrift Store is located off of 68th Street here in Grand Rapids, but there are locations all over Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois and Wisconsin.  I'm sure prices vary by store, but if you have one in your area, be sure to stop in! You're in for a great discount.  I usually walk out with two large bags full of bread for under $10!

Tips:

• Ask about discount days for even better prices!  Ours is on Sunday and bread is only $0.75!  There are other deals too.
• Since the bread is close to the "use-by" date, be sure to have room in the freezer.  For buns, I just pick them up when I need them. 
• Think about other ways you can use the bread. They have $1 bags of day-old bread which I make croutons or bread crumbs with.  With Thanksgiving coming up soon, consider getting one of those bags to make your own stuffing mix!

What ways are you saving on groceries lately? I'm all ears! 

Fun Mason Jar Gift: Sriracha Party Mix!

I have a confession: I am a sriracha addict.  If you aren't sure what sriracha is, it's a spicy chili sauce that you can buy in your ethnic food aisle.  Look for a green top and a rooster on it!  It's the most grabbed condiment in our house.  I put it on EVERYTHING. Eggs. Popcorn. Sandwiches. Chicken.  My aunt even found sriracha candy canes for me last holiday season (thank you Aunt Beth!). 

When I was pregnant with Gabby, I had a major spicy food cravings and I found sriracha.  Other hot sauces weren't cutting it for me, so grabbed . I'd seen it before at Noodles and other restaurants, but I never thought to buy any.  

Along with a sriracha addiction, I love snacking.  So it was only a short time until I figured out that sriracha and party mix are a match made in heaven.  Add some coconout oil for sweetness (and a bit of a healthier alternative to butter) and it gained a new nickname in our house: crack mix.  

Sriracha Party Mix aka Crack Mix

Here's what you need:

• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/3 cup Sriracha
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 
• 1 tablespoon seasoned salt 
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 3 cups EACH: Corn, Rice and Wheat squares cereal
• 2 cups pretzels
• 1 cup peanuts
• 1 cup sesame sticks

Mix it up!

1. Preheat oven to 250. 
2. After coconut oil is melted, mix in the sriracha, Worcestershire, seasoned salt, garlic and onion powder. I love to use a Pyrex glass measuring cup for this, it makes it easy to pour.
3. In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients.  Pour coconut oil mixture over and mix well. 
4. Pour onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  Bake for 60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. 
5. Store in an air-tight container....although it probably won't last too long. 

What do you put sriracha on?

Mmmm Monday: Buffalo Ranch Chicken Salad

I have been trying to do a little meal prep on Sundays so I'm set for lunches during the week.  Otherwise, it'll be 2:00 and I realize I've only had coffee.  Even with just Gabby home, I get stuck on Pinterest busy and forget to eat!

Favorite make-ahead items: hard boiled eggs, tuna salad, chopped veggies and shredded chicken. During the summer, I loved wraps with regular chicken salad--but that can get boring.  Enter: buffalo ranch chicken salad!!  Aside from wraps, this chicken is tasty for nachos, buffalo chicken pizza or simply on a cracker.  This is a bit healthier than regular chicken salad since there is Greek yogurt dressing used instead of mayo.

Buffalo Ranch Chicken Salad
What You Need:

• 3-4 Chicken Breasts
• 1/4-1/2 cup Bolthouse Farms Yogurt Ranch Dressing (Opa! is great too)
• Frank's Buffalo Sauce (or your favorite!), to taste- start with 1 tablespoon
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• Optional: chopped celery, chopped green onion

1. In a pan, add chicken and water, just enough to cover the chicken.  Boil on medium heat until fully cooked.  Remove from pan and let chill.
2. Once the chicken has cooled enough to handle, shred with a fork.  Toss in buffalo sauce, then add ranch until it's the consistency you want.  
3. Refrigerate until ready to use. Will last 2-3 days in the fridge.

• For Wraps: heat tortilla, add shredded lettuce, carrots, green onion, blue cheese and extra  dressing.  Fold and cut in half.  We LOVE Alexia waffle fries on the side.  They bake up super crispy
• For Nachos: top chips and cheese with buffalo chicken, blue cheese, green onions and drizzle with more buffalo sauce. 

What's your go-to quick lunch?

Treat Yourself Giveaway: $150 DYLN Inspired Gift Card!

I was doing laundry this weekend and realized I have eight pairs of black yoga pants.  Then I have capris and yoga leggings....it's an addiction! Yes, they are somewhat different, but I probably look like I'm wearing the same pants every morning when I walk the girls to school. Oh well!

This time of year gets super hectic and I know most ladies out there are thinking about others.  Which is great...but I wanted a giveaway for YOU!  Or you can re-gift the gift card to someone you love for Christmas--shh! I won't tell.  Whatever floats your boat!

DYLN Inspired is giving one of my readers a $150 gift card to spend on their site.  Also, ALL readers get 40% off all yoga pants until November 15 using code SAVINGS!  These aren't just your run of the mill work out pants, DYLN uses quality materials (including pearls for softness) to help wick sweat and keep you comfortable!  I have my eye on the compression pants! Also, note that super cute orange zip up above!

How do you enter? See below!

Treat Yo Self $150 DYLN Giveaway

Coupon Alert! Print These Game Coupons NOW!

We love a game night in our house, especially now that the girls are getting older!  I'm so excited to introduce my little ones to some of my favorites!  There are some new game and toy coupons to print ASAP! This week, there are deals at Target and Meijer--be sure to check your ads.

If you already have some of these games, they are also great holiday donation items.