Family Recipe: Frito Surprise!

It’s not a surprise. And I can’t believe I’ve never posted this recipe before. My grandma invented it one summer, driving across the country in a Winnebago full of kids, my grandfather cruising the highways and byways of America.

It’s similar to Frito Pie, but it’s a little beefier. Ya know, when you have seven growing kids, you gotta add a bit more.

My friend Kara asked for the recipe yesterday, and I thought I’d share it.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef (you could use ground turkey, but honestly this recipe is not anywhere near healthy)
  • One can of Hormel chili with beans (It has to have beans)
  • One bag Fritos
  • 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
  • one canned sliced black olives, rinsed and drained
  • Two tomatoes diced
  • One avocado, pitted and sliced
  • sour cream
  • salsa

Directions

I like cooking Fritos Surprise in an electric skillet, but you can cook it on the stovetop in a regular skillet.

  1. Crumble and fry the ground meat (drain as needed).
  2. Add the chili and cook until heated through.
  3. Top with Fritos and cheese.
  4. Cook on low until cheese is melted.
  5. Remove from heat.
  6. Add tomatoes, olives, and avocados.
  7. Dish out portions and top with sour cream and salsa as desired.

It serves about 6-9, depending on how much you eat. And it’s really good. In true grandma fashion, serve it with fruit salad and bread and butter.

Book It is back!

Book It is back for the 2021-2022 School year!

Book It is still alive and well! Enrollment is now open for the 2021-22 BOOK IT! Program year. Parents can now enroll their homeschool children!

It’s quick and easy. teachers can enroll their individual classes, parents can enroll homeschooled or distance learning kiddos.

My kids love Book It (just like their mama did!). It’s a great way to encourage reading and share a tasty, nostalgic memory.

Make Tracking even easier for your kiddos too- download and print tracking calendars for each kid!

 

10/16/2021 DC Kids FanDome!

Looking for something fun for the kiddos to do next Saturday? Check out the DC Kids Fan Dome!

The ultimate global fan experience and streaming event to celebrate your favorite DC Super Heroes. Kids and their parents will explore the DC Multiverse with Robin and the Teen Titans, catch sneak peeks of upcoming DC animated shows and immerse themselves in at-home digital activities all in a safe, kid-friendly environment. The event will be co-hosted by social media sensation and Cartoon Network’s first musician in residence, Nandi Bushell.

 

If your child loves Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and other DC Super Heroes (and DC Super-Villains!), they won’t want to miss it! 

Event Name: DC Kids FanDome

Event Type:  Virtual/Online

Cost:  Free

Ages All ages

Date:  Saturday, October 16, 2021

Start Time:  9:00 AM PT

URL/Location:  DCKidsFanDome.com and the DC Kids YouTube

 

10/8/2021 Friday Freebies and Deals!

It’s raining! Woo hoo! Ok, so if you aren’t in Southern California, you probably don’t understand why it’s so exciting. We’re in a drought and any little bit helps. Also, now I don’t have to wash my car.

If you are looking for birthday freebies, fret not! I put together a list new for 2021- Check it out here.

Freebies:

Full Sized Freebies from Sprouts!
Free Homefree Healthy Cookie Party
Free Khadi Rose Repair Oil
Free Abbey’s Hope Watch Watchdog Tag
Free Kids’ Guide to Helping Animals Magazine + Stickers
Free 8×10 Photo Print at Walgreens
Free Mylanta Gas Minis Sample
Free Headlamps, Handheld Flashlight or Clip Light
Free 2-Year Subscription to People Magazine
Free I Heart Equality Sticker
Free Thin the Threat Bumper Sticker
Free Above MS Recipe Book
Free 89.3 The Arbor Hologram Sticker
Free Sample of Nescafe Intenso Coffee
Free Planet Oat Unsweetened Oatmilk at Kroger & Affiliates
Free 3-Pack of Hallmark Little World Changer Greeting Cards
Free Coffee at Cumberland Farms Every Friday
Free Medium Fries w/ Any $1 Purchase at McDonalds – Every Friday
Free khadi Neem Harmony Hair Oil
Free Avene Solaire UV SPF or Tinted Sunscreen Fluid
3 Free Gratitude Postcards
Free Access to MyHeritage Ancestry Tools
Free Lowe’s Hal-LOWE-en Trick-or-Treat Tryouts Event
Free Modelo Beverage Can Holder on Oct & Nov 11th
Score a Free $10 Credit from Amazon
Free Ocusleep Sleep Glasses
Free Skincare Product + $40 Amazon Gift Card
Free Subscription to Cigar Aficionado Magazine
Free Bruichladdich Scotch Whisky Virtual Party
Free Sample of NYX Cosmetics’ Marshmellow Primer
Free Gatorade Zero with Protein
Free Khadi Vitality Grow Hair Oil
Free Ginkgo Biloba Complex Pills
Free Men’s Moisturizer Product + $30 Amazon Gift Card
Banfield Pet Hospital – Free Office Visit & Consultation

Deals:

Rimmel Lasting Finish Extreme Lipstick ONLY $3.58 (Reg. $6.49)
Holiday Velvet Plush Throw ONLY $10.49 at JCPenney (Reg $30)
Nike Shirts on Clearance for $4.50
Coach Pave Signature Huggie Earrings ONLY $24.96 (Reg. $78)
MUK LUKS Women’s Sharon Boots ONLY $14.99 (Reg. $115)
Ultrasoft Sheet Twin Set ONLY $13.99 (Reg $45)
Save $30 on Tide, Crest, Bounty and More of Your Favorite Brands
Martha Stewart Glass Pitcher ONLY $8.99 (Reg $24)
Martha Stewart Harvest Pumpkin Cocottes ONLY $19.99 (Reg $50)
White Sapphire Sterling Silver Ring ONLY $15 (Reg $75)
Michael Kors Pebbled Crossbody Bag ONLY $89.25 (Reg $258)
Coach Double Corner Zip Wristlet ONLY $39.20 (Reg. $98)
Garmin Vivofit Jr ONLY $39.00 (Reg. $80)
MUK LUKS Women’s Cheryl Boots ONLY $21.99 (Reg $65)
Hush Puppies Fall Flats ONLY $31.49 with 10% Off at Checkout
70% Off Sweaters From Evelyn Taylor + Extra 10% Off at Checkout
JoyBay Ride On Swing Cars ONLY $31.49 with 10% Off at Checkout
60% Off Hanes & More + Extra 10% Off at Checkout
35% Off bareMinerals, Buxom & More + Extra 10% Off at Checkout
NYX Ultimate Shadow Palette ONLY $10.29 (Reg. $18)
Telestrations Board Game ONLY $11.96 (Reg. $30)
MUK LUKS Bootie Slippers ONLY $7.99 (Reg. $24)
Maybelline The Blushed Nudes Eyeshadow Palette $6.16 (Reg. $12)
MUK LUKS Liza Boots ONLY $14.99 (Reg. $65)
BLACK+DECKER Leaf Blower ONLY $89 (Reg. $147)
LEGO BrickHeadz Nutcracker ONLY $9.99 on Amazon
Rubbermaid Storage Containers 18-Piece Set ONLY $25 (Reg $35)
Adjustable Measuring Cups Set of 2 ONLY $12.99 (Reg $25)
The James Bond Collection Blu-ray ONLY $59.99 (Reg. $115)
Martha Stewart 3-Pack Nesting Bowls ONLY $16.99 (Reg $44)
Nike Classic Kids Backpack ONLY $15 (Reg $30)
Cooks 30-Pc Nonstick Cookware Set ONLY $55.99 (Reg $160)
Nike Boys Dri-FIT Block Logo Print Shorts ONLY $8.40 (Reg $28)
Fruit of the Loom Men’s Briefs 15-Pack ONLY $12.50 (Reg $23)

Free Sample from Degree!

It’s free sample time!

Sign up and be the first to know about exciting offers, product updates, and more from Degree and other Unilever brands.

Samples are limited to one sample of Degree For Women UltraClear Dry Spray and one sample of Degree For Men UltraClear Dry Spray per household.

If you have redeemed a Dove sample (I posted about it a few weeks ago), you will be unable to redeem a Degree sample.

October Sprouts Farmers Market Monthly Freebies!

Sprouts is hooking us up and helping us stay healthy! Every month on the Sprouts app in the Digital Coupon section, there are between 4-6 free items (they are marked “SAMPLING PROGRAM”).

Quantities are limited on the app, so if you are interested in any of these, I recommend that you add these coupons (by opening the Sprouts app, click on digital coupons, and click on each coupon in the lower corner where the little green circle is) to your app ASAP.

Not all Sprouts locations will have these freebies, so I suggest trying larger Sprouts location in your area.

These are full-sized freebies- not small sample sized products. they are located in the store with the other products of the same type.

Not all accounts will receive all the same products.

This month the following items are available:

  • Zack’s Mighty Organic Tortilla Chips
  • Toby’s Dressing and Dip Products
  • Free Vital Farms Pasture-Raised Butter with Avocado Oil
  • Wicked Foods Meal Pot

 

Monthly Side Hustle Totals September 2021

I decided that at the end of each month in 2021, I’m going to post the breakdown of how much I made doing each side hustle/cashback app. My complete side hustle list can be found here and my complete list of Smartphone Apps can be found here.

I know some of you are curious about how much I make doing all of the hustles that I wrote about, and while I do a year-end update, I know some of you don’t wanna wait till the end of the year and that’s understandable.

Some of the side hustles I do frequently, like using the Fetch Rewards App every time I go shopping.

Some of the hustles are more passive but have cumulative rewards so even though I do them each month, I may not receive a payout each month. It doesn’t make them any less valuable to me, they just take a longer amount of time to earn the reward. Honestly, those are fairly low-time investments, so I don’t feel bad that they take a long time to earn a payout. SBKC and Achievement are two of these.

And some I do in fits and starts. For example, I may not spend a lot of time doing PaidViewPoint surveys for a few weeks, and then I’ll get two or three emails telling me that I have time-sensitive or higher-paying surveys. Then I’ll rush over to the site and do five or 10 surveys and earn five or 10 bucks. It just depends on what’s available at the time.

Some of you might notice from this list that there are a number of research studies, I’ve been trying to do at least 1-2 a month because they tend to pay a lot better than surveys. I have been posting research studies and opportunities on the blog whenever they come across my email. I hope some of you are also applying for them and receiving opportunities to do them too.

September was back to school and I started looking for a part-time job in earnest. I was able to do 3 research studies online. I have been doing a lot of reviews and such but don’t pay cash, but rather pay in-kind (Tryit, InfluensterSocial Nature, and BzzAgent). Each one of those sends a product or samples. In September, I received about $250 worth of items to review including toys, a couple games, free clothes, and food items.

I try not to take the sample only offers because it’s not worth my time to review a bunch of sample size stuff. Especially when I can be working with brands and companies that offer me products that are full-size, or they pay me with cash. Because really, as nice as say five dollar tube of deodorant might be, I can’t really pay my utility bill with it.

  • Fetch Rewards: $50
  • Capterra: $50
  • Ibotta: $22.00
  • Pinecone Research: $15
  • UpVoice: $10
  • Misc. Rebates: $50
  • Class Action Lawsuit payouts (these I didn’t apply for, I just received checks in the mail) $32.00
  • Ohm Connect: $25
  • Research Studies: $225 (total for three studies combined)

Talk Back: How much do you make each month on your side hustles? Do you have any that you love and want to recommend? Leave a link in the comments below! Please no MLM or Direct Sales Opportunities. 

San Diego, Ca Area Halloween Activities!

It’s Spooky Season, which means it’s time for some local events!

Trunk or Treats, Halloween/Fall Carnivals, and other Halloween fun!

These events are just a few of the events going on in San Diego County. If you know of other events, please feel free to leave info in the comments.

 

  • Journey Church in La Mesa is hosting Journey Kids – Halloween Family Dance on 10/9/2021 from 5:30-7:00pm. RSVP here. 
  • If you live closer to downtown/Little Italy, check out Trick or Treat on India Street. This fun and safe Halloween event makes it possible for urban families to enjoy authentic trick-or-treating fun as Little Italy businesses along historic India Street open their doors to give out candy and Halloween treats. 10/27/2021 5:30-7:30pm.
  • HauntFest on Main is an exciting family-friendly event in Downtown El Cajon with a pumpkin patch, costume contest, kids zone, rides, entertainment, and more! 4pm-9pm on 10/29/2021

Faith Chapel in Spring Valley is hosting a Trunk or Treat event on Halloween 10/31/2021 6pm-8pm.

 

 

 

 

 

Food Distributions are Back at Faith Chapel!

I got this info in my email last night and I had to share ASAP.

Faith Chapel will be having distributions every 1st & 3rd Wednesdays of the month henceforth starting at 10am!

The Address is:

Faith Chapel
9400 Campo Rd.
Spring Valley, CA 91977

This is a drive-thru style event, so you don’t have to leave your vehicles. Tell your family and friends!

Don’t forget, Faith Chapel also has a boutique open to be shopped at during these distribution times. Everything in our boutique is FREE and available to any guests that come through. You can find everything from clothes to household furnishings, kitchenware, toys etc.

10/4/2021 is Taco Day! Free A la Carte Taco at Rubio’s!

Tomorrow (10/4/2021) is Taco Day. Celebrate with a free a la carte taco with any purchase (terms apply) at Rubio’s!

I love the grilled veggie tacos- they are really flavorful! You can get a coupon and learn more here.

There are other free tacos deals all over the US. Check out the Taco Bell and Del Taco apps for more deals.