Easy Sloppy Joes Recipe + Giveaway from Ragu & Walgreens!

I have to admit it - Sloppy Joes? Not usually our thing. I have unfortunate childhood memories regarding this cultural delicacy. But it recently occurred to me that we have never tried making them ourselves, now that we are grown-ups and in charge of the food situation. Is it possible I'm missing out on something amazing? I may have to put them on our meal plan and find out. And why not use a coupon to purchase the sauce? You know I'm never one to pass up a deal.

Ragú® Sloppy Joes could become a family favorite - you never know. They say kids will love the great taste, and I know I always appreciate a meal with simple preparation and fast clean up.

Ragú® Sloppy Joes Recipe
INGREDIENTS
* 2 lbs. lean ground beef
* 1 medium onion, chopped (optional)
* 1 jar (1 lb. 8 oz.) Ragú® Old World Style® Pasta Sauce
* 8 whole wheat hamburger buns or regular hamburger buns
DIRECTIONS
1. Brown ground beef with onion in large nonstick skillet; drain.
2. Stir in Ragú® Old World Style® Pasta Sauce. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer covered, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Serve on buns.

What's your go-to quick dinner during the busy holiday season?

Giveaway

Enter to win a $50 Walgreens Gift Card, Pasta Bowl Set and Pasta Pan Set.  This giveaway is hosted by MomDot and will end on December 15.  This giveaway is open to US readers only.

To enter the giveaway, follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter form below (you may need Javascript enabled to see the form and it may take a moment to load)!  Once you complete the first entry, the other options will open up so that you can complete them as well.  All of the "extra entries" are optional - you can do just one, or as many as you want!  Winners will be contacted by email and have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post. All opinions expressed are my own. Sponsor is responsible for prize fulfillment. For more information, you can read my Giveaway Policy and my Disclosure Policy.

You Can Call Me Josephine.

Josephine March, that is.  I'll also answer to Anne (the "of Green Gables" variety).

If you're a literary buff, you might already know what these two amazing characters aspire to do: write.  You can literally feel their joy when you read (or watch or perform) how they have overcome cruel editors - or best friends who add in bits about baking powder - and achieved their wildest dreams.

Ever since I was a very little girl, I have dreamed of writing.  My first story, Valentown, was written in second grade.  I'm pretty sure I still have the first draft somewhere (along with some delightful illustrations crafted by my friend Holly).  That one may not have made its grand debut to the world, but I have still had fun over the years composing short stories, fan fiction (Anastasia, Phantom of the Opera, and a few others I'm far too embarrassed to admit), and script adaptations. 

In 2011, I was given the opportunity to write on a daily basis for a local KC coupon blog.  It was a fabulous learning experience, but ultimately I realized that it wasn't my cup of tea.  It didn't require a lot of actual writing; just a lot of deal-seeking and fast fingers.  I have the utmost respect for frugal bloggers after having been in their shoes!  Once that endeavor reached its end for me, I decided that this little old blog needed a pick me up.  And while I was working on that project - another opportunity landed in my lap.

I was contacted by KC Parent magazine and asked if I would be interested in writing as a contributor for their quarterly editions of KC Baby.

Um, what?!  My name in print?  YES, please!

April-June 2013 KC Baby

KC Baby is a free publication which is distributed in over 327 locations in the Kansas City metro area.  It's the only resource in KC targeted to the pregnancy through preschool (ages 0-3) market.  So, in my book?  That's kind of a big deal.

My name in print. Excited doesn't even describe it!

My recurring article is a product review column, featuring the latest and greatest pregnancy and baby products I have encountered.  In my first issue, there's a nursing tank top by Glamourmom, a Britax car seat, and more.  If you live in the metro, make sure you grab a copy next time you are out! 

Now if you'll excuse me... I think I'll start my epic novel project next.  It worked out for Jo, after all!

Confession: I Threw Out My Coupons

When you have a baby or two and you have one income, it's almost always essential to learn how to save money on diapers.  Not to mention, you're spending so much money on headbands for your tiny princess, that you need to save money on pretty much everything else to make up the difference. 

Back to the point.  When I found out I was pregnant with Lincoln, I knew that I wanted to be a stay at home mom.  I started reading books and blogs about saving money.  I clipped every coupon I could find.  I got a newspaper subscription.  I actually even wrote a coupon blog for over a year.  And while I did save a lot of money, I spent an extremely ridiculous amount of time trying to figure out how to get all of the freebies, samples, and deals that I could. 

When I knew that Adelaide was on the way, one of the first things to go was blogging about coupons.  I loved deal blogging, but it requires being online almost constantly to watch for new deals that may be gone within minutes.  I have a huge respect for the awesome coupon bloggers who have been sharing deals for years on end.  That job is hard. 

I still tried to keep up with my coupons, though.  I read the deal blogs.  I liked every page on Facebook that might share a freebie at random times.  I kept my newspaper subscription.  But as I dealt with morning sickness and a very busy toddler, my coupons started to expire.  I realized that I was not getting to the drugstores more often than once every couple of months (in the deal world - you almost have to visit weekly to keep up with the drugstore game).  I desperately tried, but finally, this week - I GAVE UP.

I threw my coupons away.  Almost all of them.

I simply don't have the time or energy right now to worry about keeping up with all of the deals - just to maybe save $2 on a pack of diapers once a month.  And that's only if I happen to make it to the store.  Please don't judge me for not sending my coupons to a military group or a coupon swap.  This week, I really really just needed to be DONE with them and this was the best solution. 99% of them were way expired, anyway.

I kept a few restaurant coupons (most of which I can't use anyway since I am currently eating dairy-free, but maybe my hubby can use them), some Bed, Bath & Beyond coupons, and a few other retail coupons.  My enormous coupon binder seems manageable right now.  I am absolutely positive that one day in the future, I will again be a couponing queen.  But right now, it's simply not feasible for me to keep up.  My tiny kids are more important.

The only thing that I found upsetting?  This:

Who lets a coupon for a free box of diapers EXPIRE?!  Seriously.  Fail.

Wordless Wednesday: Couponing at a Young Age