amy, Author at Pennywise Cook

Valentine’s Day Granola Cookies

February 12, 2015 by amy Leave a Comment

I’m a pretty big fan of granola. Are you?

I bet you didn’t know that nothing says Happy Valentine’s Day more than granola.

It’s true.

When you make these Valentine’s Day Granola Cookies, it’s like a big old gigantic bear hug of Valentine’s Day goodness. For one because you can make them into cute and adorable little hearts. And for two because you’ll make them healthier for your favorite Valentine.

These tasty cookies are made using better for you ingredients, so you can feel good about making these for your Valentine.

I recently read a research study that showed that corn oil is better at lowering cholesterol than extra virgin olive oil! You learn something new every day!

I like to use Mazola® Corn Oil because it has a neutral flavor and lets the other flavors in my cooking and baking stand out. Mazola® Corn Oil made a great addition to the granola cookies that I made. I’ve also used to it to make breaded chicken and stir-fry.

I have a special tip for you. Happy Valentine’s Day from me. I love you. Yes, I do! I can’t take all the credit for it. I saw this on Rachael Ray recently and thought it was genius so I had to share.

Sticky stuff like honey is so hard to measure out and then get out of the measuring cup. You lose some as you pour it out because it sticks. I never feel like I get all the honey out. Here’s a tip:

Put plastic wrap into your measuring cup
Fill with desired honey (or sticky substance like corn syrup)
Bunch at the top.
Snip off a small hole and squeeze out every last drop.
Throw away plastic wrap and have a CLEAN measuring cup with no honey lost in the process!

Genius, right? LIFE-changing!

The Mazola® Corn Oil does a great job holding all my wet ingredients together. The egg whites and honey kinda want to go off and do their own gloppy goo mess, but the oil man. It keeps the harmony.

I will not lie to you, Valentine. I did eat from this very spoon.

Here is yet another genius idea. I KNOW! I really, really love you.

Put a cookie cutter on parchment paper (that’s on a cookie sheet). Spray it with a taddy bit of cooking spray to keep from sticking. Then spoon in your granola and pat down. Remove your cookie cutter and you have your heart-shaped cookie.

I was so happy with how they turned out. I was going for a cookie-like texture and not a granola bar and this was exactly what I got!

I’ll be making these often. I love how versatile they are. You can add in raisins or nuts or whatever you’d like. I added a few chocolate chips to these and red sprinkles on top to be festive. You can certainly leave them out to keep them better for you.

Check out more research facts about the benefits of Corn Oil and be sure to check out Mazola®, too!

Valentine's Day Granola Cookies

2015-01-26 12:55:03

Yields 15

Skip the chocolate and try these better for you granola cookies instead!

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Ingredients

2 and 1/2 c old fashioned oats
1 c crisp rice cereal
1/2 Mazola® Corn Oil
1/4 pure honey
2 egg whites
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°.
Mix together oats, cereal, and chocolate chips.
Wisk together oil, honey, egg whites, and vanilla.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Place greased cookie cutter on parchment paper and scoop in granola. Flatten and remove. Repeat until all granola is used.
Bake 15 minutes or until sides begin to brown.

By Pennywise Cook

Pennywise Cook http://www.pennywisecook.com/

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Filed Under: Appetizers and Snacks, Cookies, Desserts, Gift Ideas, Healthy, Kid-Friendly, Sponsored

Filing Cabinet Makeover

February 11, 2015 by amy 5 Comments

I think it’s safe to say that most filing cabinets are pretty boring. They just don’t offer them in a plethora of prints or colors. The office supply store isn’t really concerned whether our filing cabinet matches our aqua theme or not. Well, all I can say is how dare they!

It gave me a little DIY project to sink to teeth into.

I purchased a massive tanker desk at a thrift store recently. I knew it needed a friend.

A filing cabinet friend.

I thought what better way to practice my metal object furniture redoing, than with a filing cabinet.

I guess it’s a good thing that I had this old black/ugly filing cabinet hanging around.

Confession: I had to YouTube how to remove the drawers. Leave it to me to have a filing cabinet with drawers that didn’t remove the same as most.

My weapons of choice for this Filing Cabinet Makeover.

I knew I needed to prime this sucker so the paint would stick to the metal. Walmart’s Krylon has always been good to me in the past. It’s cheap too, so Krylon it is!

I started by wiping the filing cabinet down with a damp cloth. You know, to get the cooties off.

Then I went into my garage where the temperature was twelve below zero. Not really, but it felt that way. Because my DIY projects can’t wait until the summer. Noooo. I have to do them when it’s frigid and I can barely hold a can of spray paint because my fingers are trying to fall off because of frost bite.

Next, I perused my garage for something to use as a drop cloth.

Of course! The Christmas gift bags that we received that were larger than life! I’ll cut them and place them underneath.

Bad idea. Don’t recommend it.

I primed the whole thing and then let it dry for an hour and a half. Then went back and sprayed on the aqua-ness.

I used my Silhouette Portrait machine (which I’m obsessed with) to cut out these cute little flowers. Then I painted them onto the filing cabinet in a few random places.

I think they added a nice little touch!

And then BAM! Mr. Filing Cabinet became Mr. Awesome Filing Cabinet!

It goes really well with my DIY Tanker Desk Makeover. I can’t wait to show that to you!

Stay cool Mr. Awesome Filing Cabinet.

You are way too cool for school.

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Filed Under: DIY Projects

Valentine Pies

January 26, 2015 by amy 1 Comment

I love Valentine’s Day. Not because we get all romantic and stuff, but because it’s such an easy holiday to decorate for.

Throw up some things that are red, pink, or white and you have got yourself some Valentine’s spirit. Not to mention that hearts are everywhere. All the dollar stores are brimming over with decor and treats galore. And the love things makes it pretty cool too. 😉

Our anniversary is just 2 weeks after Valentine’s Day so we never get too mushy on the 14th. But I love helping my daughters get their little Valentine cards and treats ready for school that day.

Ah, yes. The days when you could use cheesy lines and call everyone your Valentine!

I made up these little heart Valentine Pies the other day and I must say they were a hit. I’m sure these have been done before, but I have never made them before now. SO simple.

I think they would make a great treat for my daughter to take to school on Valentine’s Day!

I used store bought pie crusts. You know me! I rolled them out and used a $.50 cookie cutter to cut out little hearts. I will use a bigger cookie cutter next time as these were just a taddy bit too small.

I dropped about a teaspoon of canned cherry pie filling into the middle of the heart and topped it with another pie crust heart.

I used a fork to crimp all of the edges. Helps to keep it from coming apart while it’s cooking.

Lastly, I cut a X in the middle to keep it from puffing up in the oven.

Make these extra tasty by dropping a dollop of whipped cream on top when they are warm! Use any pie filling you’d like or make your own.

Easy as pie!

Valentine Pies

2015-01-23 12:12:12

Give your Valentine more than a card. Give them a PIE!

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Ingredients

2 refrigerated pie crust, brought to room temp
1 (20 oz) can pie filling, you won't need it all

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450°.
With first pie crust, cut hearts out and place onto cookie sheet. Add about a teaspoon of pie filling to each heart.
Cut out hearts from 2nd pie crust. Top each pie filling heart with another heart. Crimp closed with fork.
Bake for 8-10 minutes watching to make sure edges don't burn.
Let cool!

Notes

You'll need a heart-shaped cookie cutter and a fork!

By Pennywise Cook

Pennywise Cook http://www.pennywisecook.com/

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Filed Under: Appetizers and Snacks, Desserts, Gift Ideas, Holiday, Party Ideas

KitchenAid Classic Stand Mixer $189.99 + Cash Back!

January 23, 2015 by amy Leave a Comment

I don’t post a lot of deals anymore here on Pennywise, but I wanted to share this one because I am very passionate about something.

My stand mixer!

My KitchenAid has been with me through thick buttercream and thin. I wouldn’t want to go through that with any other kinda mixer.

Today at Best Buy, the Deal of the Day is the KitchenAid Classic Stand Mixer for just $189.99! That’s down $60 from the original price of $249. I’m used to seeing them for around $299 so this is a great price.

Now, why not get some cash back on this purchase if you can? TopCashBack will give you 2.25% cash back for this purchase! You purchase just like you would at the Best Buy site only they say “hey! they purchased through us, so let’s give them some cash!”.

To get yours:

Head to TopCashBack.
In the search bar at the top, type on Best Buy.
You’ll find Best Buy at the top and click on the Cash Back button.
Then the Get Cash Back Now button.
It will take you to the Best Buy site where you can click on Deals > Deal of the Day.
Bam- Get your stand mixer!

This deal is good today (1/23/2015) only!

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Filed Under: Deals and Coupons

Easy Fried Rice

January 23, 2015 by amy 3 Comments

When my hubby and I were dating, he wouldn’t eat anything but cheeseburgers.

True story.

Date nights with candlelit quarterpounders? Pretty much. He didn’t like anything green, and he especially didn’t like anything foreign.

That is, until you sit him down at a place called Benihana and feed him fried rice. It’s the one thing “foreign” that I could always count on him to eat.

Thankfully he has outgrown most of his picky pants stage and likes to eat a variety of things. But that fried rice is still the only thing he’ll order at a Thai, Chinese, or Japanese place.

I started making this rice soon after we got married for two specific reasons. I just remembered another, so there’s really three.

1) It’s easy. It’s not something you have to think too much about. Just throw it all together in a skillet and boom!

2) It’s really quick. No need to slave over the stove all night.

3) Hubby eats it. Reason enough for me!

This is the perfect meal or side dish to make with leftover rice. It’s best when the rice has been refrigerated and is cold. I have been known to make rice the night before just for this meal.

It really confuses my family.

And then they understand when we have this meal the next night!

I make this with whatever frozen veggies that I can find on sale. Fresh veggies? Of course you can use them, too! It’s such a versatile and easy thing. You can’t mess it up. The variety that I got had sugar snap peas, green beans, red peppers, celery, mushrooms, broccoli, carrots, and onions in it.

Slap an egg in there with your cold rice and add some soy and teriyaki sauce and you have got a really tasty dish.

Here’s the way that I make it, but remember that you can add or take away whatever you’d like.

Simple Fried Rice

2015-01-22 19:55:52

Why not make your own fried rice at home? It's simple, tasty, and easy on your wallet!

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Ingredients

2 c. brown rice, cooked
1 (12 oz) bag of frozen veggies (stir fry mix is good)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 egg, scrambled
2 tsp minced garlic
1-2 tbsp soy sauce
1-2 tbsp teriyaki sauce
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat in large skillet.
Add frozen veggies and cook until softened.
Add garlic and cook until browned.
Add egg and cook combining into veggies.Then add the cold rice.
Fry over high heat. Add soy and teriyaki. Add salt & pepper to taste.

By Pennywise Cook

Pennywise Cook http://www.pennywisecook.com/

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Filed Under: Healthy, Kid-Friendly, Main Dishes, Meatless, Sides and Vegetables

Zucchini Brownies {3 Ingredients}

January 12, 2015 by amy 14 Comments

The weekend is over.

How do you like that reality? I don’t like it at all. Seems as though I find myself saying almost every single Sunday evening, that I don’t know where the weekend went. It’s gone in a vapor. Such is life I suppose.

So why not make some brownies to make life more enjoyable?

Warm, gooey, chocolatey brownies. Yes, I think that would make a great Sunday evening pick me up.

Oh, what’s that you say? You’re trying to eat healthier? I got you covered…

These brownies have a secret ingredient that I makes them healthy. Something that some like and some don’t.

And believe me, if you’re the person that doesn’t like this ingredient, it won’t matter.

I promise.

You see, these brownies are made with zucchini. Yep, that green, tender, cucumber look-alike stuff. You won’t be able to tell that it’s in them.

I’m not sure that anyone would ever request that big measuring cup of green goo to be placed into their brownies. If you don’t tell them, they won’t even know.

I did just that. I made these for my family. They gobbled them up with their normal brownie enthusiasm.

“Mmmmm I love brownies.”

“These are so good!”

Then after they’ve had their fill, I break the news out on them like a spider monkey.

“You just ate zucchini and you didn’t know it!”

{insert evil veggie sneaking laugh there}

So you see, you have just became a zucchini ninja. Turning dessert time in vegetable time.

With the quickness. There are only 3 ingredients in the brownies which makes them extra easy and extra quick.

A box of brownie mix. A cup of that green goo, which is just pureed zucchini. And a 3rd cup of milk (any kind you’d like).

Ninja. Yep.

Zucchini Brownies

2015-01-12 05:44:09

3 ingredients including a VEGGIE makes dessert time healthy and tasty!

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Ingredients

Box of brownie mix (18.3- 18.9 oz)
1 cup pureed zucchini
1/3 cup milk (of your choice)

Instructions

Preheat oven to degree listed on brownie mix.
Mix together mix, puree, and milk.
Pour into greased 9x13 baking dish.
Bake according to directions on brownie mix.

Notes

I used almond milk to cut calories in my brownies. Tasted great!
To puree your zucchini, cut it into chunks and throw it into a blender, food processor, or magic bullet thingy.

By Pennywise Cook

Adapted from Frugal Foodie Mom

Pennywise Cook http://www.pennywisecook.com/

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Filed Under: Desserts, Healthy, Kid-Friendly

Chicken and Okra Skillet

January 5, 2015 by amy 17 Comments

Happy new year! It’s 2015 already y’all. Can you believe it? HOW are we already here?

I remember thinking that summer being over was weird. And now CHRISTMAS is over. SO weird.

I have fond memories of my great Aunt Joan always making pickled okra around the holidays. I’m pretty sure that she always made it, but we mostly saw her around the holidays so I just associated it that way. Who knew that a kid would love to dig into dig into a big old jar of homemade okra?

My kids sure wouldn’t.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned that I like lots of forms of okra. Fried, steamed, cut, you name it. It’s all good in the okra hood. My husband, not so much. Though for the new year, he is committing to eating better so he decided he would give it a chance. So I decided I would come up with something really tasty to get him on the okra train.

So I made this! My own creation of a few flavors that I thought would go well together. I love what the okra adds to this dish. It’s a bit slimy and soft, but that makes this so good. Gives it a sort of stew texture.

My favorite part? It’s a one-pot meal! You can easily make this whole meal in your skillet. Thank you Jesus!

My husband’s verdict was made apparent when he went back for seconds! I withheld a large smile inside as I watched him dole out the next helping. I told him at the beginning that I thought that he was going to be surprised and he said that he was.

All the ingredients are really simple. Many might be things you already have. This is so quick to whip up so it would make a nice weeknight meal.

Chicken and Okra Skillet

2015-01-05 09:37:05

Tomatoes, Okra, and Chicken make a great combination in this easy recipe for a great weeknight meal.

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Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
1 lb fresh chicken tenders, cut into bite-size pieces
1 (12 oz) bag frozen cut okra
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp beef bouillon
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

In 1 tbsp olive oil, saute onion and celery over medium heat until translucent. Add garlic and saute until browned. Add chicken pieces and cook until no more pink.
Season with salt and pepper.
Make hole in chicken, celery and onion mixture. Add frozen okra to the middle. Cover and let steam for 5 minutes.
Add can of diced tomatoes, beef bouillon, and cumin. Let simmer for about 5 minutes until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper and serve!

Notes

I use my kitchen sheers to cut up the chicken! Makes it quicker and easier than a knife.

By Pennywise Cook

Pennywise Cook http://www.pennywisecook.com/

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Filed Under: Chicken Recipes, Healthy, Main Dishes

Jabra Sport Pulse Wireless Headphones at Best Buy

December 29, 2014 by amy 187 Comments

I used to be a very dedicated runner. I’d say that I ran almost every single day, even through the winter.

I may have been crazy, but I was in shape! No, that’s not me in the picture above. In my dreams!

I still try to get to the gym at least 3 times a week and out for a walk/run when it’s nice outside. No treadmill can compare to the feeling of fresh air in your lungs and a beautiful view while you work up a sweat.

I have bad luck with headphones. It’s a problem. I buy the ones that are really cheap and they always break. I’ve even had some that SHOCK me when I plug them into the machine at the gym. Pretty sure that people think I’m nuts when I yank my headphones out of my ears like I’ve just been shocked. Well people, it’s because I DID get shocked!

They have come out with some pretty fantastic options for headphones. For instance, these Jabra Sport Pulse Wireless Earbud Headphones from Best Buy. They have a heart rate monitor IN YOUR EAR! How cool is that?

You can totally take your training to the next level with these babies. They aren’t just headphones, they are an all-in-one training solution that combines an in-ear biometric heart rate monitor, immersive Dolby® Digital sound and real-time voice coaching.

And if you might wonder if these will break like all those cheap ones that shock me, know that these will not! They are made with US military durability certifications so you can bet they won’t!

They have a built-in intelligent app that helping exercisers plan, track and evaluate each workout. You can test fitness levels and aerobic capacity, adjust heart rate zone levels to optimize training, and set goals based on distance, time or calories burned.

They are compatible with smartphones that have Bluetooth.

These come with everything you see here. Having different size options is a huge plus. Not everyone’s ears are the same size, y’all!

They have pretty glowing reviews too! Check them out at Best Buy.

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

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Filed Under: Sponsored

Cake Mix Donuts and NEW Simply Juice Drinks!

December 19, 2014 by amy 65 Comments

Breakfasts at our house usually go one of two ways. It’s either a quick and easy breakfast, or it’s a slow will it ever be done so we can eat kinda breakfast. We find that on weekdays where school is impending, it’s the former. It becomes a treat when we get to sit down together for a nice breakfast. We’re working on this, I promise. I don’t ever want life to get so busy that we miss out on each other’s company.

I’ve been known to make homemade donuts for breakfast. No complaints from the girls. Or the husband for that matter. These Baked Lemon Berry Donuts were amazing. I’ve also made a blueberry version of these that was so tasty.

The other day I wanted to make some homemade donuts for breakfast, but I didn’t have all of the ingredients. Of course, I consulted Pinterest and came across a recipe for CAKE MIX donuts. I thought to myself, does it really get any easier than that? Decision made. Donuts created. One of the easiest breakfasts ever.

I can feel better about these being made of cake because they aren’t fried like most donuts, right?

I can also feel better about them because they take about 5 minutes to make, right? Of course!

You know something that goes great with donuts?

Juice.

One of my favorite brands, Simply Beverages, has come out with a new premium line of juice drinks that are so incredibly tasty y’all. Our family has always been a fan of this brand. It is high quality!

This new line offers these flavors:

Tropical
Fruit Punch
Mixed Berry

All of which are ALL NATURAL (not from concentrate yay), made with simple ingredients, and contain no preservatives.

They all taste so pure and incredibly natural. I’m not just saying that either. You can always tell when a juice has a bunch of stuff added. This juice drink tastes like they just squeezed the living daylights out of the fruit and boom, juice!

To make the donuts, you’re going to need a donut pan. You can grab this Wilton Nonstick 6-Cavity Donut Pan for only $9.99 at Amazon. I have a large and a small version of this pan. The mini donuts are plenty big. Though I sometimes still find myself eating more than one!

Making these is almost like making a cake but with fewer ingredients. It’s easy, quick, and makes plenty. They look pretty, too! My daughter told me that they look like I got them from a bakery. I was going to tell her that I did, but instead I just said thank you with a big ole smile on my face. 😉

The ingredients for these are so simple. I want to eventually play with the consistency of the donuts. They are still a little light like cake, so I’m going to work on tweaking them to get a bit more thick.

So quick and easy!

I love to pair my donuts with Simply Juice Drinks. Nothing goes better with a sweet donut like a smart beverage choice. The hardest part was picking which was my favorite…

I had a bit of a hard time deciding if I liked the Tropical or Mixed Berry the best. I love pineapple so I really enjoyed this one. SO good. It goes well with whatever I choose for breakfast.

Like for instance, this here donut. Yeah, it’s made of CAKE!

Simply Juice Drink Mixed Berry I think has made its way to the top as my fave. I’m a little fruity sometimes.

You can find all of these Simply Juice Drinks in the refrigerated at your local grocery store. They come in the big 59 oz bottles (in all 3 flavors) or convenient 11.5 oz single serve bottles. Be sure to visit Simply Orange Juice on Facebook to keep up with the latest on all Simply Beverage products.

Simply Beverages has provided an outstanding GIVEAWAY for you guys! Be sure to enter the giveaway below the recipe.

Cake Mix Donuts

2014-12-18 09:10:16

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Ingredients

DONUTS
1 Box Cake Mix (any flavor)
1 egg
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1 c. water
GLAZE
1 & 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 tbsp melted butter
4 tablespoons milk

Instructions

DONUT
Preheat oven to 350°.
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.
Spoon or pipe batter into greased donut pan wells.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges begin to brown.
Let cool and use a fork to remove and place onto cooling rack. Carefully!
GLAZE
Combine all ingredients and mix until spoon.
Dip donuts into glaze and place on wax paper or cooling rack to dry.
Add sprinkles or toppings you desire while wet!
You can add less milk to make it thicker or more to thin it.

Adapted from It's Always Autumn

Pennywise Cook http://www.pennywisecook.com/

Simply Great Taste Prize Pack

5 Simply Juice Drink Coupons
1 Glass Juice Carafe
1 Set of Essential Highball Glassware
$50 American Express Gift Card

This giveaway will end on January 2nd at 12:00am CT. I will contact the winner on January 3rd and they will have 24 hours to respond. If I have not heard from them, I will name a new winner.I was provided with the Simply Beverages for review purposes and compensated for my time. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.
This prize was provided by Simply Beverages, but Simply Beverages is not an administrator or connected in any other way with this contest [or sweepstakes, or giveaway as applicable].

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Filed Under: Breakfast, Desserts, Sponsored

40% Off Kitchen Gifts at Family Christian!

December 6, 2014 by amy Leave a Comment

I have some more gift ideas for you today!

Now here’s a sale that I can get excited about! I’m a sucker for cutsy kitchen gadgets. I love cooking, but cooking with an adorable spatula makes it more fun somehow. Tell me that I’m not the only one!

So these adorable Metal Measuring Spoons with Cross Emblem? Yeah, they reeled me in. I’m going to get a couple of these for gifts. And I’m going to grab a set for myself. They are normally $14.99 but they are on sale for just $8.99 right now!

Or what about these Retro Look Stackable Mugs with Rack. These would look great sitting around my kitchen. The top two say “Serve One Another in Love” and the bottom two say “The Sweetest Ingredients Are Love, Joy, & Faith”. I LOVE these. Normally $24.99, right now during this sale you can get them for just $14.99!

There no doubt that I will be buying a set of these. How adorable are they? This Retro Look Measuring Cup Set comes with four different cups including 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, and 1 cup measurements. It’s currently on sale for $10.79!

There is a bunch more and ALL of the Kitchen Gifts at Family Christian are 40% off! You need to check it out!

Sale is good 12/5- 12/24!

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Filed Under: Deals and Coupons, Gift Ideas, Sponsored Tagged With: Christmas Gifts, Family Christian, Gifts, kitchen, kitchen gadgets, kitchen gifts, measuring cups, measuring spoons

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