Last year I started doing a quick month in review post at the end of every month to highlight a few of the most popular posts from that month. I took a break during November and December, but I really enjoy doing those posts, so I thought I would bring it back for 2012.

So, here is a quick review of what we covered in January and a look at what is coming up in February.

I am planning on continuing Souper Mondays and Ground Beef  Thursdays for at least the first few months of the year. I am really enjoying these series and I know you all are as well.

We covered some great recipes for Ground Beef Thursdays like the Fiesta Macaroni (pictured at the top) and frito pie. It was so fun to read through the comments on the frito pie recipe to see how many of you love this dish also. And I was happy to share a new idea/recipe with so many of you that had never heard of frito pie.

And for Souper Monday I shared several recipes including one of my kids’ favorites which is Pizza Soup.

One of my goals for this year is to really work on serving my family healthy breakfasts. So, with that in mind I shared homemade coconut granola and coconut baked granola, which are both fun and simple to make.

I also shared my goals for working on my grocery budget and my reading goals for the year.

And I have some great things coming up this month for you as well. I will be sharing quick and easy flan, which would be a perfect Valentines Day dessert. And I will also share oven fried pork chops, taco chowder, chicken enchilada soup, and more.

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January 2012 In Review and A Look At February is a post from: Lynn's Kitchen Adventures ©2011 LynnsKitchenAdventures - All rights reserved.

I have been hearing a lot about Vitacost lately from several of my friends, so I finally decided to give it a try. Last week I ordered  a few gluten free products and was very happy with what I got.

Right now they have a new customer $10 off coupon. So, just for signing up for an account you will be emailed a $10 off coupon.

And Vitacost sells all kinds of items from vitamins and health foods to skin care and gluten free foods.

I have a trip coming up, so I used my $10 off coupon to order a few gluten free snack items to take with me. I got these three items for $6.97 including shipping. That is a good deal for gluten free food.

Vitacost sells so much stuff that I had a hard time deciding what to order. I almost ordered the Tinkyada gluten free spaghetti that they have on sale for $2.28 lb, but decided that I need some items for the trip instead.

And I think Vitacost might just be my new go to place to get vitamins because they sell a lot of different brands. They also have Burt’s Bees products, all kinds of food and grocery products, and more. They really do have some great deals, especially if you use the coupon for signing up.

All you have to do is:

1. Sign up for Vitacost. There is no obligation, but you do have to create an account to receive the coupon. Once you sign up, you will receive an email with your $10 off coupon.

2. Go to Vitacost and find the items you want to purchase.

3. At checkout enter the code for the $10 off that you were sent when you signed up and it should take the $10 off. Shipping is flat rate of $4.99, so your final total could be as low as $4.99.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for supporting this site.

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Vitacost: Health and Gluten Free Foods and $10 off is a post from: Lynn's Kitchen Adventures ©2011 LynnsKitchenAdventures - All rights reserved.

I thought I would give a quick update on my Books To Read post that I did a few weeks ago.

So far I am off to a good start. Setting the timer for 20 minutes a day has worked well and I have completed two books so far, both of which are food type books. There have been a few days that I did not read, or did not get the whole time done, but overall it has gone well.

The two books that I finished were Food Heroes and Girl Hunter: Revolutionizing the Way We Eat, One Hunt at a Time and I really enjoyed both of them.

Food Heroes was a fun and educational look into 16 Culinary Artisans. These 16 people are devoted to food and what they do. They love making and producing food the real way, the old way. They stay true to the food and what it is. They want to produce a product in its best form.

From potatoes and tomatoes to salami and honey, these artisans love what they do and strive to do it the best they can. They have overcome many challenges to produce the products they do, but they continue to do it because they love it and are dedicated to preserving it.

Food Heroes reminded me a bit of my childhood. We always had a garden. I grew up picking berries and mushrooms for money. My mom canned and preserved 600-800 quarts of food each year. For many years my dad raised honey bees and for awhile we bought goat’s milk from the lady down the road.

Now my parents were not artisans trying to sell a product, but there are many similarities. Growing and producing your own food is a lot of work, but the end result is so worth it. When you really care about the product you are growing or making, it shows and the results are well worth the work. There is nothing quite like growing and eating your own food. And this book reminded me of why growing your own food and buying local can be so important.

I also just finished Girl Hunter: Revolutionizing the Way We Eat, One Hunt at a Time. I really enjoyed this book. My dad hunted when I was a kid. Many of our friends hunted and still do. My husband, son, and daughter hunt. In fact, my fourteen year old daughter got her first deer last fall and we are currently enjoying the meat from it.

So, hunting is not new to me and I am so glad that this book is helping to change the stereotype that hunting often has.

This book is not a how to hunt book though. Girl Hunter is more stories about hunting. It helps you realize the connection that hunting and preparing food has with everyday life.

I really enjoyed the way the author was not afraid of the whole process of hunting. She not only hunted, she also cleaned and cooked what she hunted. She really connected to the food and the whole process. She not only hunted it, she did the whole process of taking it from the woods to the table. And she shares a few recipes along the way.

I will say that I bought this book with my daughter in mind since she loves to hunt, but after reading it myself, I am going to wait a bit longer to have her read it. There is nothing wrong with the book, but there are a few stories that involve some drinking and story telling by hunters that I think are a bit rough and tough for her right now. However, if she continues to love hunting this is a book I am sure she will read in the future.

And I wish this book would have emphasized more the fact that many people need to hunt. There are people who hunt simply to put food on the table and to help feed their family. This was covered some in the book, but I think it could have been dealt with a little deeper.

But again, overall I loved the book. And if you enjoy hunting, grew up with hunters, or have always wanted to hunt this is a book you will probably enjoy.

What good books have you read lately?

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Food Heroes and Girl Hunter is a post from: Lynn's Kitchen Adventures ©2011 LynnsKitchenAdventures - All rights reserved.

You might have guessed that I like talking about food, but what you may not know is that I love history. It was my favorite subject in school, and I have continued to love it as an adult.  And what I really love is when food and history can come together.

Food and history can often be combined. I have been able to incorporate food and history together, many times in our homeschooling. People need to eat, that has not changed over the course of time, but often what we eat has changed. You can learn so much about a time period or culture just by studying the food.

An example of this is the Chinese New Year, which is January 23, and this year it is the Year of the Dragon. We don’t usually celebrate the Chinese New Year, but I have learned over the years that holidays like the Chinese New Year can be turned into a great learning experience.

It is a great way to set aside some time to learn about a culture and what foods that culture eats. You can even focus on what foods are eaten during those holidays and try your own version of these foods at home.

Sitting down for a meal that contains foods from other cultures often brings questions from kids about what they are eating and why others eat it. You can make the entire meal a learning experience, and events like the Chinese New Year are a perfect time to incorporate these learning experiences.

Now I understand that making at home versions of food from other cultures can be challenging and time consuming, but you can keep it simple and use premade mixes and foods.

Use products like Sun-Bird that are quick and easy to put together, yet give you the same fun learning experience about other cultures and holidays. Sun-Bird has a great variety and you are sure to find something your family will enjoy.

So take some time to introduce some new foods to your kids, and make it a learning experience while you are at it.

Disclaimer: I was compensated for my time in writing this post, but my thoughts and opinions are my own.

Download your FREE Christmas Recipes Ebook From Lynn's Kitchen Adventures. This offer for subscribers only. Click Here

Chinese New Year, Food, and Sun-Bird is a post from: Lynn's Kitchen Adventures ©2011 LynnsKitchenAdventures - All rights reserved.

One of the things I love about blogging is all the people I have been able to get to know both online and in real life. One of those people is Sarah Roe also known as the Money Saving Queen. She is a fellow Oklahoman and I have had the chance to meet her several times. I even attended one of her couponing classes.

Sarah recently came out what an ebook called Organic on a Budget and right now she is offering it free to anyone that subscribes to her email updates. This ebook has some great tips for saving money on organic and healthy food. So, if you are looking for ways to save money on groceries this ebook is a great place to start.

Download your FREE Christmas Recipes Ebook From Lynn's Kitchen Adventures. This offer for subscribers only. Click Here

Free Organic on a Budget ebook is a post from: Lynn's Kitchen Adventures ©2011 LynnsKitchenAdventures - All rights reserved.

I am a planner. I am one of those people that need a plan or I go crazy and don’t get anything done. I am not a spur of the moment, fly by the seat of my pants person.

My husband and I love Google calendars for most things, but for my menu planning and a few other things I still prefer a paper planner. I like to be able to quickly write things down and see them on paper.

I have used day planners of some sort for years, but never found exactly what I needed until Jessica shared her idea with me a few years ago of making my own using the forms and things that worked for me.

I loved this idea because so often I would only use part of the planner and the rest was just a waste of paper and space.

So, for the last few years I have put together a custom made planner, with just the forms that I needed and wanted. Last year, I used the Organizing Life As Mom planner as my guide and added a few extra forms that I needed and put together a planner designed just for me and the things that I needed.

This year Jessica added some great things to her planner. She added a home school pack, a bloggers pack, and a calendar pack. I love this because we each need something different and this let’s you custom make your planner. And it let’s you add anything else you need to it.

I like to take my planner in and have it spiral bound. This costs under $5, in fact this year I only paid just over $3, and I think it is much easier than using a 3 ring binder, but a if you prefer a binder that will work as well.

Just this week I printed out the forms that I wanted from the Life As Mom planner, added a few more that I needed, added some dividers for the different sections, and took it into Office Depot and had it spiral bound. I just need to add a few labels to the dividers and I will have a brand new 2012 planner designed just for me.

And I love the fun dividers I have found at Wal-mart the last few years. They make my planner not only functional, but fun.

Since right now is the prefect time to put together a planner Jessica is offering a sale in her Life As Mom store. She if offering a $2 off code for any purchase over $8. And it is good for her whole store not just her planner, but if you are a someone like me that depends on planners to make life easier, I suggest checking out the planners. Just use the code NEW YOU at checkout for your $2 off.

I would love to hear if you are a planner and what you like to use. Do you plan on paper or have you gone paperless and do it all in digital form?

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New Year, New Planner, And A Sale is a post from: Lynn's Kitchen Adventures ©2011 LynnsKitchenAdventures - All rights reserved.

I did not go out shopping and braving the crowds today for Black Friday. I like a good deal like everyone else, but I am not a fan of crowds and long lines and everything else that goes along with Black Friday. I much prefer shopping from my couch, using my computer.

Many stores offer great deals online for Black Friday and Cyber Monday and if there is something I want or need I will take advantage of those deals.

One of my favorite ways to save a little extra when shopping online is to use Ebates.

Ebates is a site that gives you a percent back when you shop. And it works, it really does. I have been using Ebates for several years now and love it. Four times a year I receive a check in the mail from Ebates and it is always a nice surprise.

In fact, I used them twice today already. I got 6% cash back for JC Penney and 7% cash back on a few good deals I found at Gap online.

If you are new to Ebates here is how it works.

When you are ready to shop go to Ebates and sign up, it is free.

Find the store you are wanting to shop at. There is over 1,200 stores listed. Stores like Target, Wal-mart, Eddie Bauer, Staples, Lands End, Llbean, Target, Kohls, Best Buy, and many more.

When you find the store you want to shop at, click shop now. It redirects you to the store’s website and you check out like normal. And you can use coupon codes just like you normally would.

So, all you do different is to go to Ebates first, before you go to the store website. It is one simple extra step that saves you money all year long.

Then four times a year, you will receive your check for the % back amount from the purchases you have made.

Now, you wont’ get rich with Ebates, but little things add up and if you shop online it is a fun way to receive a little extra money every few months.

Thank you for putting up with a non food type post. I am not turning into a deal blogger, I just wanted to share with you my love of Ebates and online shopping.

How many of you already use Ebates?

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Download your FREE Christmas Recipes Ebook From Lynn's Kitchen Adventures. This offer for subscribers only. Click Here

Shopping Online and Ebates is a post from: Lynn's Kitchen Adventures ©2011 LynnsKitchenAdventures - All rights reserved.

As I mentioned last week I love ground beef recipes because they are usually quick and easy recipes that contain everyday ingredients.

Today I thought I would highlight a few of our favorite ground beef recipes.

Enchilada Rice is a quick and easy kid friendly meal.

Chili Cornbread Bake is a fun way to change up a family favorite.

You cannot get much more simple than Beef and Bean Bake. So easy and yet so good!

Mexican Beef and Beans is another delicious take on beans and ground beef.

If you are looking for a crock pot ground beef meal this Chipotle Beef Tacos is really good.

If you are looking for an easy asian twist on ground beef, Ground Beef Stire Fry might be just what you are looking for.

And Quick and Easy Beef and Rice is probably one of the least expensive meals on my site and yet it is still very good.

What is your favorite way to serve ground beef?

Download your FREE Christmas Recipes Ebook From Lynn's Kitchen Adventures. This offer for subscribers only. Click Here

A Few Ground Beef Recipes is a post from: Lynn's Kitchen Adventures ©2011 LynnsKitchenAdventures - All rights reserved.

A few weeks ago I shared about the $5 Taste Of Home Cookbook. Shortly after I shared that post I had a reader mention that by ordering some of the books included in that sale, it signed you up for future previews of other books.

I immediately went and checked the sale and a few of the books did include that, but I spent quite a bit of time looking at the books on sale and did not see any cookbooks that mentioned that. However, I immediately went back and edited that post, so that you all would know to watch for it on the books you ordered.

Some of you have now received your order, and it has come to my attention that in some of orders there was a note stating that you were signed up for future previews of books, even when it did not state that when you ordered it. I am guessing that there must have been a glitch in their system or something that caused this issue.

I wanted to let those of you that ordered know about the issue so that you could watch for it when your books came, in case there was an error with your order.

If their was an error on your order, please call Taste Of Home and let them know, so that it will be taken care of. Their customer service has always been great, so if it happened to you they should be able to easily take care of it.

Download your FREE Christmas Recipes Ebook From Lynn's Kitchen Adventures. This offer for subscribers only. Click Here

A Note About the Taste Of Home Cookbook Sale From A Few Weeks Ago is a post from: Lynn's Kitchen Adventures ©2011 LynnsKitchenAdventures - All rights reserved.

As many of you know my family deals with several food allergies. Not only do I eat gluten free, but my oldest daughter has a peanut, tree nut, and sesame allergy. The combination of these issues makes life in the kitchen interesting and at times challenging.

And for us one of the hardest areas is candy.

The candy aisle at the grocery store never looks the same once you are diagnosed with a food allergy, especially a peanut, tree nut, sesame allergy. No longer can you grab a candy bar at the check out line or run into a gas station and grab a snack. These things become almost impossible once you deal with nut allergies.

These issues are hard on anyone, but they are especially hard for kid’s to deal with.

This is why I was so excited to find out about Gimbal’s Fine Candies. Gimbals Candies are free of the top eight allergens.

Here is a quote from their website:

The eight most common food allergens are peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, gluten, soy, fish, and shell fish. These foods cause over 90 percent of all allergic food reactions. Gimbal’s Fine Candies facilities are free of these eight most common food allergens, eliminating the risk of cross contamination. Countless Gimbal’s consumers with allergies have personally thanked us for making our candies available to them. We are happy to create delicious treats that can be enjoyed by so many people.

If you or your child suffers from food allergies you understand how important that statement is. Gimbal’s take allergies seriously.

And not only that their candy is good. Really good!

Gimbals recently sent me a sample package of candy for my family to enjoy and enjoy it we did! It was so nice to have candy that we could all enjoy without worrying about what it contained.

My favorite of the candies was the honey lovers package. My husband, who has no food allergies, said the black licorice was some of the best he has ever had. He said it reminded him of a really good old fashioned licorice and it was gluten free! For those licorice lovers out there that are gluten free and have missed black licorice, you should give this a try.

My kids favorites were the jelly beans and the sour lovers candy. Really, though we loved it all.

I already have a list of candies I want to order from Gimbals for the holidays. And I plan to give a few away as gifts.

If you know of someone that deals with allergies Gimbal’s Candies would make a perfect holiday gift, especially for a child with food allergies.

Has anyone else tried Gimbals?

Disclaimer: Gimbals sent me a sample package of their candies to try, but my thoughts and opinions are my own. Life with food allergies is difficult and I love promoting companies that make our life easier.

Download your FREE Christmas Recipes Ebook From Lynn's Kitchen Adventures. This offer for subscribers only. Click Here

Gimbal’s Allergy Friendly Candy is a post from: Lynn's Kitchen Adventures ©2011 LynnsKitchenAdventures - All rights reserved.