Freebies, Coupons, Samples & Resources

Photo courtesy of www.freepressreleaselist.com

I know I am bombarding the web-waves with freebies and such, but I am just now combing through my emails (and sadly seeing where I missed out on some awesome deals, grrrrrrr). For instance, there is an Old Navy coupon below, that I could have used last Saturday when I spent upwards of $110 shopping for my little ninja, tsk tsk tsk. Lesson learned….stay current on my bargain emails!!! So, because I am behind, you will see that some of these things expire today:-/ … Sorry, I promise to do better. Hopefully some of you will still be able to take advantage of them. Well, enjoy reading through…there’s some good informational resources as well. Many thanks to my friend Yolanda for all the wonderful info!

Freebies, coupons and samples for mommies - https://www.babiesonline.com/offers/

Free Blockbuster Express Rental Codes (expire on 2/25/11) - INBG8G & MRC37H

LITE-UP TEXAS (Gexa Energy): LITE-UP TEXAS is back.  The Low Income Electric Discount Program will run May 2011 through August 2011.  For additional information and program requirements you can call 1-866-454-8387 or go to the Public Utility Commission of Texas website at http://www.puc.state.tx.us/ocp/assist/liteup/index.cfm

HISD Becomes Third U.S. School District to Offer Free SAT to All JuniorsStudents can take the college entrance exam during class time in April. http://www.houstonisd.org/HISDConnectEnglish/Images/PDF/FreeSAT_PR.pdf

Scholarships Available at UH for all Students/Majors Website: www.HoustonAlumni.com/scholarships/

Free Customized 10x13 Wall Portrait from Sears Portrait Studio - No Session Fee. Sears Portrait Studio is offering a free customized 10x13 wall portrait now through March 31st. There is no session fee required and no purchase necessary. Just print out the coupon and take it to a Sears Studio near you.

http://searsportraitstudio.rsys4.net/servlet/formlink/f?kLHjkiQYST

2011 Consumer Action Handbook

http://www.consumeraction.gov/caw_orderhandbook.shtml

Free Six-Month Subscription to American Baby Magazine

“American Baby magazine offers parenting tips, advice, coupons, and information on what to expect when you're expecting. Allow 6-8 weeks for the first issue to arrive. Typically the magazine runs about ten bucks!”  https://secure.americanbaby.com/bhg/store/checkout/partner/?promoCode=I406VADF1&ordersrc=earthsbest0604

 Free Baby Carrier (value $39, all you pay is S&H) at sevenslings.com

a.      Go to www.sevenslings.com

b.      Click on “Shop Now”, and select any baby carrier you like.  Be sure to go to the sizing page to get the correct size.

c.       Once you have selected your size, you’ll automatically be directed to the “shopping bag”.  Enter the promo code “TEXAS” and they will deduct 100% of the cost of the carrier – all you pay is shipping fees!

Free Information Kit with final wishes planner from Physicians Life Insurance Company, call 1-800-238-5979

Or use this final wishes planner…

https://www.physiciansmutual.com/PDF/final_wishes/XREF-0610.pdf

Last Wishes & Final Arrangements http://www.beyondtheveil.net/wishes.html#factsheet

Organizing Your Financial Records, Free Personal and Financial Organizers http://www.todaysseniors.com/pages/Organizers.html

Arby’s Free Steakhouse Onion Rings with the purchase of a sandwich (excluding value menu items) http://arbys.fbmta.com/members/ViewMailing.aspx?MailingID=27917301978&storecode=5360

Old Navy 25% off coupon

http://oldnavyprd.vo.llnwd.net/o43/index.html

$1 off coupon for Wendy’s new Asiago Ranch Chicken Club

http://bricks.coupons.com/Start.asp?tqnm=ybjiemm97096905&bt=wi&o=82302&pt=&lang=&ws=&ct=&ci=&cl=&cp=&eb=1&c=WY&p=yprier@hotmail.com&z=&r=&pc=&tc=

National Engineers Week Celebration at the Children’s Museum of Houston -  The 60^th Anniversary of National Engineers Week is this week and you are invited to celebrate this weekend, February 26 and 27, at the Children’s Museum of Houston . Take part in some popular engineering projects using everyday activities, such as Paper Tower , Engineer Word Search or Engineer Take Over, where you can work hand in hand with real engineers in a variety of fun, hands-on engineering activities sure to spark the imagination. Visit the Children’s Museum of Houston website for more information.

Dillard's Add'l 40% off clearance starts 2/24 http://www.dillards.com/?campaign=txtlk_ddsclk&linkshare=null/affiliate

Chick-fil-A Free Fry Day 3/4/2011  

http://view.chick-fil-ainsiders.com/?j=fe9b15717d64037c77&m=fea315707664047876&ls=fe2112797761037f7d1370&l=ff001772766106&s=fe21157370620d7f7c1275&jb=ffcf14&ju=fe8e1d727760017a71&r=0

Hobby Lobby 25% off coupon  http://www.hobbylobby.com/weekly/coupon.cfm

JoAnns 20% of total coupon http://i52.tinypic.com/epn13l.png

40% off Michaels coupon

http://www.michaels.com/022011-40AORPI/022011-40AORPI,default,pg.html

T.G.I. Fridays $5 off $15 or more coupon

http://fridays.qrs1.net/greatdealsapp/19qske9t.html?CMP=30422

Payless ShoeSource 20% Off Printable Coupon or Online Purchase til 3/8

http://www.facebook.com/payless?v=app_6009294086

Payless 15% off printable coupon through 3/31/11

https://updates.payless.com/servlet/website/PersonalizedForm?sLllEVTTCTUVW.209yf.203LsJhtL.20.26tHpsE.26f7be_7.2e.2ey.26zzEiHtLsHFthttRlHOLlIpnDJht

Mimi’s Café

http://mimiscafe.fbmta.com/shared/images/27917287438/27917287438_20110218173480.jpg

FREE Legal Advice - The Houston Bar Association offers free legal advice over the telephone through legalLine, a public service program on the 1^st and 3^rd Wednesday of the month, between the hours of 5 p.m.-9 p.m.  Licensed volunteer attorneys answer legal questions and direct callers to additional resources for assistance.

CALL:  713-759-1133  /  Learn more about the community services of the Houston Bar Association at www.hba.org

Stop & Smell the Roses...Or Kneel & Watch the Leaves...it's all the Same!

Photo courtesy of going-places-blog.com

One of the things I love most about motherhood is having Jace remind me of the things we take for granted as adults. It not only allows me to see God in a loving, creative and sovereign way; but it adds some spontaneity to my life. It teaches me what the all-too-famous, yet hard-to-understand cliché, “stop and smell the roses,” means. We took a walk outside today, much like we usually do; me on foot and him in the stroller. All of a sudden, from behind, I saw him sit up straight and his head going very quickly from side to side. I leaned forward to look at him, and his face was the most intense that I had ever seen it, still going from left to right with wonder. I stood up and looked around…nothing…I saw absolutely nothing. We rolled on, only for him to do the same thing again. I looked again…nothing. We continued on. Why is he doing it again!!? It just doesn’t make sense! I leaned forward, looked him in the eye (although he never looked back at me) and followed his eyes with precision. The only way, though, for me to see clearer was for me to kneel down and align myself with his eye-line. When I did that, I saw it, I saw it! And I smiled…then I laughed. So what was it? Well, he was in sheer amazement at the leaves running down the street, with the wind at their backs…hustling and bustling, barely touching the ground. They looked like kids racing, playing and laughing. Well, at least that’s what I saw. He saw members of nature rustling, making sounds foreign to his little ears, dancing a jig that his eyes have never seen…and he was utterly captivated…something we should all be at God’s marvelous, artistic and entertaining creation. There are so many opportunities for us to have heart-lifting moments; get a smile without having to give anything in return; or be reminded that there is a sovereign creator who thought of everything we would need to be reminded that He created it all. We often miss these opportunities, busied by things that seem far more important…and in doing so, we miss God. 

Today I stopped and smelled the roses. Well, I knelt and watched the leaves; but the end result was the same. I had a splice of spontaneity added to my day, a nice quick dose of dancing leaves that brought a huge smile to my face and a chuckle to my voice. Before that, I was simply walking…and thinking…and doing what I usually do, very routinely and quite mundanely. And before I knew it, after a little exploration and determination to see what caught the attention of a fascinated babe…I found it…God, running on the ground right before my eyes, telling me to stop, look, and listen…to take a moment to run and play and dance. And I did. I grabbed the handles of the stroller, ran down the street so Jace could feel the air on his face, and inadvertently I felt the air on mine. Boy, have I missed what it feels like to marvel at something. He laughed…and I laughed…and we laughed. And that was a special moment. Thank you, Jace, for that lovely and easy and heart-lifting reminder. Mommy needed that!

Today's Freebies, Deals & Coupons!!

Image courtesy of kosheronabudget.com

If you’re like me, you can stand all the deals you can get :-) So…here are more goodies, freebies and coupons! As I said, I try to check them out to make sure they are still valid. Every now and then I may miss one. If you find that something is not working or invalid, please post a comment to let us know. If any of the hyperlinks don’t work just copy and paste the URL into your browser. Thanks much and enjoy the savings!!

1.       Free Starbucks Coffee @ Barnes & Noble on 2/26 w/Guided Nook Color Tour

http://ebm.e.bn.com/c/tag/hBNY3sXB8GcokB8ZMZFNPYjHsVe/doc.html?byo=1&pubid=K1971&lkid=J14950200

2.      Luby’s Welcomes Fuddruckers into Their Family of Restaurants! Join the Fudd’s Club to receive info and perks

http://www.murgent.com/users/job_link.php?job=4755-EC-110222-00&tr=34e2bd96&mqcid=232582975

3.      FREE Kleenex Sneeze Catcher Kit – Includes Shirt, Hat, and More!

Sign your kid up to get a FREE Kleenex Sneeze Catcher Kit. The kit includes: Member ID card, Sneeze Catcher Hat, Sneeze Catcher T-Shirt, Activity Book, Kleenex® Brand Pocket Pack of Facial Tissues, Facial Tissue holder, and Coupons.
To get the kit answer the questions, enter your email address. Then check your email and click on the link to request your free kit!

http://www.kleenex.com/Sneeze

4.      American Airlines is offering from 100 up to 100,000 AAdvantage Miles for Free when you "Like" them on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/aadvantage?sk=app_146688548725178

5.      Joyce Meyer Ministries is offering FREE upon request, Enjoying Life Encouragement Greeting Cards…These greeting cards will offer a right-on-time word of encouragement.

See other February Special Offers as well. www.joycemeyer.org/Life

6.      Hope you still have your Sunday Houston Chronicle...if so, check out the bottom of page A24...Coupon for FREE (up to $1.39) one (1) 2-liter bottle of Sun Drop (Reg. or Diet).

7.      Please come and join in for line dancing classes @ St. Mary's Catholic Church, 3006 Rosedale @ Ennis, at the cottage building every Tuesday from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.  Have fun while working out!  4 info call 832-260-3111.  Instructor:  Victoria Carriere-Peterson

8.     Bagel and smear only $1 at Einstein Bagels http://einsteinbrosbagels.fbmta.com/members/ViewMailing.aspx?MailingID=42949675529&storecode=

9.      40% off Justice For Girls Coupon

http://www.shopjustice.com/coupons?utm_source=justice&utm_medium=email&utm_term=ruffle_tanks_denim&utm_content=all&utm_campaign=20110224_ruffle_tanks_denim

10.  Quiznos coupons http://www.quiznos.com/qmail/20110223/  

11.   Free 8×10 Collage Print at Walgreens today (2/24/11). Choose multiple photos – Printed on high-quality photo paper and ready in as little as an hour http://photo.walgreens.com/walgreens/fe/l=en_US/p/store/deals/DealOftheDay

12.  Free Redbox rental today (2/24/11) http://www.facebook.com/redbox?v=app_112267968848558

13.  Scholarship opportunities for all grade levels (Elementary, MS, HS) http://www.fwisd.org/guidance/Pages/scholarships.aspx

14.  Chipotle Coupon: Buy One, Get One Free Burritos, Burrito Bowls, Tacos, or Salads Spend about a minute and a half watching (or pretending to watch) the video, and you will be able to print out your coupon at the end. Bring the coupon into your nearest Chipotle by March 3rd, and enjoy twice the meat and tortilla goodness.” http://coupon.fanappz.net:8180/promotionappz/watchVideo/coupon

15.   $1 off Wendy’s new chicken sandwich http://bricks.coupons.com/Start.asp?tqnm=ybxkcqj26173650&bt=wi&o=82302&pt=&lang=&ws=&ct=&ci=&cl=&cp=&eb=1&c=WY&p=yprier@hotmail.com&z=&r=&pc=&tc=

16.  Free Pair of HEAROS Ear Plugs - Just enter your email address and select your choice of Original HEAROS, Xtreme HEAROS, or Sleep Pretty in Pink, then fill out the short form to request your free sample pair of HEAROS ear plugs. http://www.hearos.com/index/trial

Bargains & Freebies!

I have a friend who sends out weekly (sometimes daily) bargains of all kinds. I am going to try to share them with everyone as often as I can. Read below and see what works for you. I will try to check all the links and info for accuracy before posting but I can't promise I will have time to. So if you ever try one and find discrepancies, please let me know so I can make the modification. Enjoy!

1.       For a limited time only:

a.      Family Fun 10 issues/yr (up to 3 yrs) New or Renewal, only $1.99 per year (or 20 cents per issue)

Family Fun magazine dishes up crafts, recipes, party ideas and more.  Enjoy boredom-defying activities in over 180 splashy, colorful pages. Geared toward parents with young children, this energetic magazine promises to enrich the lives of families.

http://publicationstation.net/items/subscriptions/family-children/familyfun-detail.htm

 

b.      Parents 12 issues/yr (up to 5 years) New or Renewal, only $1.99 per year (or 17 cents per issue)

The leading family magazine for parents offering proven tips, sure-fire techniques and straightforward advice form America's foremost childcare experts.

http://publicationstation.net/items/subscriptions/family-children/parents-detail.htm

We accept all major credit cards, check, money order and PAYPAL. - NO DEBIT OR GIFT CREDIT CARDS PLEASE!!! 

     2.   Free “Txtng Kills” Thumb Bands - Order up to five "X the TXT" thumb bands for those you love to remind them - and help spread the word - not to text message while driving. Visit http://xthetxtstore.com/. Please be sure to visit us on Facebook for updates, events and more at facebook.com/XtheTXT. 

3.   How To Get A US Customer Service Representative Quick!! Any time you call an 800 number (for a credit card, banking, insurance, you name it) and are transferred to a representative (like in India), please consider doing the following:

After you are connected and realize that the customer service representative is not from the USA (you can always ask if you are not sure about the accent), please very politely say, "I'd like to speak to a customer service representative in the United States of America."  The rep might suggest talking to his/her manager, but, again, politely say, "Thank you, but I'd like to speak to a customer service representative in the USA." You will be immediately connected to a rep in the USA . It only takes less than one minute to have your call re-directed to the USA .

Note from someone who used the service: When I got redirected to a USA rep, I asked again to make sure - and yes, she was from Fort Lauderdale ...

Imagine if every US citizen who has to make such a call requests a US rep, imagine how that would ultimately impact the number of US jobs that would need to be created ASAP.  Imagine what would happen if every US citizen insisted on talking to only US phone reps from this day on.

If I tell 10 people to consider this and you tell 10 people to consider doing this - see what I mean...it becomes an exercise in viral marketing 101.

Remember - the goal here is to restore jobs back here at home - not to be abrupt or rude to a foreign phone rep. If you agree, please tell 10 people you know and tell them to tell 10 people they know....etc...etc...

Bring Jobs Back to USA photo courtesy of www.wikihow.com
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Quest for the Perfect Chai Tea Latté

Photo courtesy of www.chaitea.net

I know I have been M.I.A. and with good reason, I'm a new mommy in the learning curve of a lifetime, remember?! :-) Seriously, though, I have been mommy-ing it up while trying to get back in the swing of work and life. All the latest haps will take a whole other blog post, but for now I need to scream out to cyber world that I AM IN SEARCH OF THE PERFECT HOMEMADE CHAI SPICE, to make my daily chai tea latté in my very own kitchen at the start of every day.

I teach college, and I recently had coffee with one of my students during my break, where I ordered a soy chai latté, which I have not had since I lived in New York over four years ago. Just the thought of sipping on this warm handful of deliciousness took my senses on a much needed vacation! Oh my goodness! So I indulged, and closed my eyes for a spell as I gave in to this totally unexpected (yet very welcomed) sensory extravaganza. Boy oh boy was I the happiest person on the planet in that moment! So happy that I had one the next day, and the next, and the next. Thank God for the gift card that had been sitting in my wallet for months. But it finally ran out, and I shelled out the 4+ bucks for the drink. And, well, that was the last one I had. For some reason I just can't justify forking over 4 dollars to Starbucks daily the way I have done in the past. I mean, I just can't see that now. Perhaps I've outgrown the commercial feel of a nice cup of love. I like the feeling of a personal cup of something-hot, that makes me feel like I am having a rendezvous with something unique, made with care just for me. At commercial establishments like Starbucks, I feel the same as the next person...kind of like I am sharing my lover with the world, ya know? This part machine, part human made beverage that tastes exactly the same everyday, and that crosses a cold counter with such routine-ness, that it in no way seems especially made for me. Maybe I'm asking for too much...well, no I'm not! I want my hot-ness to myself and that's what I will have :-) So...I put my researching skills to use, in search of various chai latté recipes and techniques; and put that Starbucks money in the gas tank and headed to the north side, in search of an herb and spice store for ingredients.

My feet landed in Lone Star Culinary Spice Market, where I wanted to lick the walls it smelled so good! This place had every herb and spice you could conjure up. If I had hours to spare I would have spent them there, and possibly even spent the night. That's how heavenly it was. So, there I was able to buy everything I need. I got all the ingredients from all of the recipes that looked worth trying. That way I would not have to go back after every attempt.

Tonight I tried this one, from the Homemade Gift Guru:

• 1 small jar or small cellophane bag
• 3 teaspoons premium loose leaf black tea such as Darjeeling Tea
• 1 two inch cinnamon stick
• 1 four to six inch vanilla bean cut in 2 inch pieces
• 2 whole star anise
• 8 - 10 cardamom pods or 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 8 whole cloves
• 3 whole black peppercorns
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 inch slice of crystallized ginger
• Optional to go with mix: 1 inch or larger nub of fresh ginger root with peel (choose ginger root that is plump and juicy not wrinkled)
• Homemade Recipe Tag - or Print Recipe Gift Tag Here

This variation was a bit too strong. The fresh ginger, along with the crystallized ginger, made the drink too, well, gingery. The drink did not give me the taste I am looking for. So... tomorrow I will experiment again. In the meantime, if you believe you have, or know of, the perfect chai spice recipe, please post it here and I will give it a try!

I am finding that many recipes only list the ingredients and not the amounts. I suppose this is because everyone's tastes differ widely; however I need the amounts to at least give me a starting point. I am not familiar with how to pair these particular herbs and spices, or how they even work together, so I need as much guidance as possible. With that said, amounts and methods are greatly appreciated!

So...I hope to be sipping, well slurping (as I am supposed to do, according one Indian site I found), my perfect chai tea latté soon and very soon!

Until next time...

I Wonder What's in My Toy Box...

This morning I prepared to enter into some thinking time on my commute to work, when I felt the inkling to turn on the radio. It was on Gospel station 92.1 and Yolanda Adams had just begun her daily meditation. She said November would be a month of learning how to pray and today was the first installment in that series. Among the many things she said was, “God does not want us to practice failure. He wants us to practice success.” She went on to elaborate saying that God does not release certain things to us because of our lack of readiness. I thought about my feelings on this. I used to hate when people said God withheld things because we weren’t ready. I think that was because it felt like more of a personal critique than something I could bring myself to swallow.

Interestingly though, now that I have a child I was able to take a new perspective. I could instantly recall my visit to Babies R’ Us on yesterday, where I slowly walked down every toy aisle, in search of toys that indicated they were for children starting at 6 months. I had previously bought Jace a couple of toys, and very excitedly so, on which I paid absolutely no attention to the clearly labeled age minimum. I got the toys home and noted within seconds of giving them to him that they were put straight into his mouth. Now, this is not what these particular toys were for. I mean, I had brought home a fancy laptop/story book combination, and a story book that if you press the buttons it would read the pages aloud for you. These things were certainly not for eating! So I found myself spending quite a bit of time taking them from him, and then trying to manually position his hands to hold them properly and then explain (in a language he doesn’t yet understand, mind you) how the toys are to be used and how invaluable they are as learning and advancement tools. I jokingly said to him, “Well I guess you’re not as advanced as I thought you were.” But I seriously said to myself, there is a reason they put the age minimums on the toys, smarty! LOL!

When Yolanda made her statement this morning, I laughed aloud as I recalled the example of the toys. While I saw many things on yesterday that I would love for Jace to have, I had learned from my previous experience that he just wasn’t ready. More importantly, it was not because I do not love him; or because I don’t think he is quite brilliant for his age; or because I am the mean old mom. It was because mentally and physically he just has not developed to a place of readiness for the things I wanted to give him. His mind cannot comprehend how they are to be used. He does not even have language available to him yet that would allow him to ask me any questions he might have. His muscles are not yet strong enough to hold them properly. His coordination (the little he has) is so new that it has not evolved enough to serve him in areas that require more than what he knows to this point. His current behavioral habit is to place things in his mouth. He needs things that foster that; to soothe his ailing gums and that allow him to learn and feel various textures. The problem was not him; it was me. I was trying to meet a need that he does not yet have. And so I believe this is how it is with God.

There are many things He wants to give us, but in His loving wisdom, He only gives us what we are mentally, physically and spiritually able to handle at the time. Isn’t that what a caring parent does…one who pays attention and desires that their child develops naturally, thoroughly and in order? That’s just who God is. And like Yolanda says, he sets us up to practice success and not failure. To have given Jace those toys and expected him to get the full benefit of them would have been unwise on my part. Where are those toys now? Well, because Jace kept the book in his mouth, the pages started to tear (even though they were thick cardboard). So they’ve been tucked away in a box since that very day, waiting for him to grow into them. This makes me wonder what God has tucked away in the toy box for me. What does He have waiting for me that He is waiting for me to grow into? I'll bet there are some good things in that box!! It also helped me to see that there are things He will withhold from me until I am ready for them. Now I know that is not punitive. In fact, it is nothing less than loving.

With that new perspective, I can look around my life as it stands, for the “toys” that are lying around. I can set my mind to the things I have and am able to master right now, and not the things I do not have or desire to master in the future. I have to accept that my spiritual muscles are still developing; my mind is still expanding to incorporate language and understanding that I do not yet have; and that my body is strengthening to be able to accommodate my future calling. And when it is time, as I am able, things will come my way…but not a moment sooner.

The most significant “toy” (albeit very real) I have in front of me right now is my son. That is something I was obviously ready for that was released into my possession. It is also something I have to grow into, although I don’t foresee mastery in the plan ;-) … He is the most major part of my current life. And as sure as he is, there are other things around for me to use in my growing efforts that I likely take for granted; and it is my responsibility to find them, use them and master them, or I will not be advancing to the next stage any time soon.

In the meantime, I wonder what's in my toy box ... okay, okay I will stay focused on right now ;-)

Yummy Granola Bars

Being a new mommy one of the hardest things for me to do is EAT. This is a real challenge because ordinarily I absolutely LOVE food. Since having Jace I have struggled with my diet because I am breastfeeding and he apparently has some food allergies, meaning it is MY diet that takes the hit. Until we know for sure what's on his no-eat list, mommy must sacrifice. My pre-pregnancy weight was 115 pounds. My post-pregnancy weight is 101 (after having gained 5 pounds). First, I have been under a tremendous amount of stress; and second, Jace is just now getting to where he will give me just a few minutes to eat (hence the weight gain - thanks Jace!). So with that, I NEED TO EAT AS MUCH AS I CAN.

Jace is also NON-STOP. For example, today he took one nap for 30 minutes and another for 10 minutes...this is since he woke up this morning...and he is STILL going strong, fighting his sleep, and I am playing trade-off with my mother for both our sanity's sake...talk about exhausting! So, one of the things I am working really hard on is finding ways to squeeze meals into the seemingly impossible schedule he keeps. This means having as much as I can prepared ahead of time; things I can put together in a matter of minutes or snacks to grab and go. One of the quick energy snacks I have fallen in love with are these homemade granola bars. I love granola bars and never had I considered making my own. But I did, and I can honestly say I will never turn back to any store-bought granola bars, ever.

Below is the recipe I found online at www.allrecipes.com. It is fabulous! I use it as a foundational recipe to which I add things like flax seed, dried papaya & mango, cranberry, raisins, varying nuts, coconut, chocolate chips, my list goes on. Periodically I make some substitutions to see just how healthy I can get with it (whole wheat flour instead of white, a little less sugar, etc.). The bars come out thick, while nice and chewy. I love being able to reach for something quick, healthy and tasty. And I love the idea of making things at home that I used to rely solely on the grocer to provide. So, here's the recipe. If you test it out, let me know what you think; and let me know if you come up with any interesting substitutions I can try. I love experimenting. Bon apetit!

Playgroup Granola Bars

You will need:

*   2 cups rolled oats

*   3/4 cup packed brown sugar

*   1/2 cup wheat germ

*   3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

*   1 cup all-purpose flour

*   3/4 cup raisins (optional)

*   3/4 teaspoon salt

*   1/2 cup honey

*   1 egg, beaten

*   1/2 cup vegetable oil

*   2 teaspoons vanilla extract

To create your granola bars:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Spray your baking pan/dish with a pan spray. The original recipe calls for a 9x13 inch baking pan. You can customize this recipe by creating fun shaped granola bars with specialty pans. For instance, you can make granola shaped like cupcakes or bake it in a character pan for fun.

3. Mix oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, cinnamon, flour, salt, and raisins . At this time you can add additional items for personal taste. Common granola bars items include: nuts, coconut, chocolate chips for a treat, peanut butter for protein, and even dried fruit will make fun items for variety.

4. Make a well in the center, and pour in the honey, egg, oil and vanilla.

5. Pack the granola mixture into the pan and distribute the mixture evenly in the pan or add to cupcake liners if you prefer.

6. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove the bars when they begin to turn golden at the edges. Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. Do not allow the bars to cool completely before cutting, or they will be too hard to cut.