Cents of Style Item Of The Week- 5/10/21- SPRING GRAB BAGS! Starting at $9.99

 

Grab bag

** This post also contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

You know what I love? So many things, but in this case, I love a good surprise. Cents of Style is hooking us all up with a surprise this week.

This week is grab bag week! These grab bags usually retail from $29.95-$139.95, but are marked down right now PLUS you can enter an EXTRA 20% OFF and get them for ONLY $9.99-$34.99! That is up to 75% off of retail!

SPRING GRAB BAG options:
2 Accessories or shoes for $9.99
2 Bottoms for $15.99
4 Items, 2 clothing & 2 accessories, for $19.99
6 Items, 4 clothing & 2 accessories, for $34.99

Grab bagGrab bag

Grab bag Grab bagTo take advantage of this amazing deal, make sure to use Coupon Code SURPRISEME.

Rubio’s & Celebrity Chef Richard Blais Launch Adventure-Inspired Street Tacos!

YOU GUYS! Ok, so you may not know this, but I am a HUGE Top Chef fan. I especially love the Masters seasons. it’s just so amazing to see professional chefs work together and compete at the same time. It’s refreshing to see a show where there is no backstabbing, scheming, or nastiness.

I digress. When I found out about this awesome collaboration between Rubio’s and Richard Blais, I jumped on the opportunity to share it.

Rubio’s Coastal Grill and Television Personality, James Beard-Nominated Cookbook Author and Restaurateur, Richard Blais, have partnered to create a new line of adventure-inspired street tacos, including the Hawaiian-inspired Hula Hula Carnitas Taco, the Blaised & Glazed Crispy Chicken Taco, delivering a zesty taco twist on Buffalo chicken, and the Ancho Po-Boy Shrimp Taco, featuring a modern take on classic New Orleans street food. The special tacos will be available beginning May 20 at Rubio’s locations in California, Arizona and Nevada.

I’ll be joining other bloggers, influencers, and media folks on May 18th to sample these new tacos, and meet Mr. Blais. Keep your eyes peeled for pictures on my socials!

While many craved comfort foods early in the pandemic, guests are now seeking new, innovative tastes that ignite a sense of adventure. The imaginative Rubio’s x Blais Street Tacos infuse Celebrity Chef Blais’ sophisticated and daring roots with Rubio’s signature Mexican flavors.

Rubio’s Rewards members will be first to try the new Rubio’s x Blais Street Taco Plate, with VIP early access. For one day, on May 19, Rubio’s Reward members can place an order online at Rubios.com, or through the app, and get one FREE Blais taco or $5 off the Rubio’s x Blais Street Taco Plate.

Guests can mix and match any three street tacos, served with a side of house black beans and warm tortilla chips. Available to-go or for socially distanced dining in Rubio’s restaurants and outdoor patios, guests may order online, or through the app, for contact-free curbside or express pickup, or get their tacos delivered to their door for just $1.99. For more information about Rubio’s Coastal Grill and to view the menu, visit Rubio’sFacebook and Instagram.

Pizza Hut: Enroll now for Camp BOOK IT!

Enrollment is now open for Camp BOOK IT! 2021. Enroll your children now to help fight the summer slide.

Camp BOOK IT! will run June-August, 2021, and is open to PreK-6th grade students (ages 4-12).

Set reading goals, have fun, and reward your students for their summer reading with free pizza!

Recipe: Roasted Onion and Caramelized Onion Bisque

I saw a video online someplace (I want to say Facebook, but it could have been on Reddit too), and it showed how to make tomato bisque using freshly roasted tomatoes.

I was excited to try it since we’ve been getting tons of big tomatoes in our CSA box over the past two weeks and I had them sitting on the counter.

This recipe is simple, but it does involve a few steps and does take some time.

It’s worth it in my opinion.

Roasted Onion and Caramelized Onion Bisque

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

  • 8-10 Tomatoes, tops cut off. If the tomatoes are not a uniform size, cut them in half /into large uniform hunks
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, diced
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 can (approx 16 oz) chicken or veggie stock
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 1 Teaspoon each: Basil, Rosemary
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup half and half
  • dash red pepper flakes (optional)
caramelized onions…. mmmmm

Directions:

  1. Preheat Oven to 425 degrees. Place tomatoes/tomato hunks on an oiled-up baking sheet. Brush tomatoes with oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
  2. Roast tomatoes for 35-45 minutes.
  3. While tomatoes are roasting, melt butter in a stockpot, and over medium/low heat saute onions. in the last 10 minutes of cooking the onions, add the garlic and stir frequently to keep from burning. You will need to stir frequently.
  4. Place tomatoes in with onions, and add stock, and all herbs/seasonings, EXCEPT the bay leaf and red pepper.
  5. Using an emersion blender, blend soup until it’s smooth.
  6. Now that soup is smooth, add bay leaf and simmer for 30-45 minutes on low.
  7. Add half and half, stir well, add red pepper if desired.
  8. Serve topped with croutons.
This is what roasted tomatoes look like in a lonely stockpot.

Note: If you don’t have an emersion blender, pour tomatoes and onions into a blender and pulse until smooth.

This recipe does not make a ton of soup, as most of my soup recipes do. This recipe takes time, but it’s so good. It’s worth the time and effort for sure.

I recommend my 4-way grilled cheese to go with this soup too!

May 2021: New Healthy Freebies From Social Nature!

 If you are into Organic/Natural/Healthy products, then Social Nature is up your alley. Sign up and apply to sample products that you are interested in. I get probably 1-2 products to sample each month. And most of the time it’s full-size products, not just a tiny sample.

Social Nature has rounded up products that are available to try at a Whole Foods Market near you. Apply to Try the products that interest you to see if you’re a match here. All of these products are available at Whole Foods.

And one of the things I love about Social Nature is that they don’t leave our friends with food allergies out.

There are sampling offers for Gluten-free, nut-free, meat-free foods frequently.

Canadian Friends- You are in luck, there are sampling opportunities for you too! So if you love trying new products, check out Social Nature!

5/10/2021 Weekly Meal Plan

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpg

Last week on Tuesday night our fridge started acting up, and by Wednesday afternoon, it was no longer blowing cold air. the fan was broken. Thankfully we have the extended warranty, so they came out Thursday afternoon and repaired the fridge (replaced the fan).

As a result, we lost most of the food in the fridge, including all of the condiments. The meal plan for the rest of last week was scrapped.

I hit up the store to replace what was lost, but I wasn’t able to replace all of it, for some reason, there are some food shortages, probably because some items are made overseas and there are some countries that are seeing surges in Covid Cases as of late.

The CSA emails us in advance to give us a heads up as to what may be in our boxes each week, and that really gives me an upper hand when it comes to meal planning for the week.

Veggies and fruit are delivered each Monday by Yasukochi Family Farms CSA. For $25, it’s a great deal. I don’t have to pick anything, go to the store, or carry it upstairs. I can’t go to the store and get the same amount we get weekly for $25. Seriously. It’s a deal. I spend about an hour on Monday afternoon cleaning and prepping veggies for the rest of the week.

For those of you that are new to meal planning, I’ve got an easy 101 style post here with super easy tips and steps. After you get that down, here is info about batch or freezer cooking.

I’ve gotten a pretty good inventory of the pantry, freezer, and fridge done (I try to update it after every shopping trip), so I’m able to plan meals and use up what we’ve got with little waste. If you are looking for a kitchen inventory printable, I like the kitchen inventories here. They are great printables.

I only post our dinner plans for the week, because our other meals are usually the same each day.

Breakfast: Coffee with 1/2 and 1/2  for me, and pancakes or something along those lines for the kids.  The kids are nuts about pancakes. The Big Kid has been on a protein shake kick in the AM.

Lunch: Kids take lunch to school. I eat leftovers. Everyone rejoices.

Dinner: Usually, I do a crockpot meal on Mondays, but now that we are home all the time, we’ve been having an odd combination of fully home-cooked, scratch meals, and frozen entrees and veggies. I have been posting our meal plans on Instagram too- As well as pics of stuff we are doing to keep busy.

  • Sunday:  Take out (It was Mother’s Day after all)
  • Monday:   Big Ol’ Salad, fruit, protein shakes
  • Tuesday:    Salsa Chicken, Rice, roasted veg
  • Wednesday:  Nugget night (nuggets, fruit, crackers, milk)
  • Thursday:  Steak, potatoes, roasted veg
  • Friday:  Pizza/Takeout Night
  • Saturday: Meal o’ Snacks and /or leftovers

Please stay safe you guys!

Talk Back: What are you cooking for dinner this week?

Fetch Rewards Want a piece of over 2.5 MILLION points?

Spring to it! Millions of points are waiting.

 

There’s never been a better time to get into the snap habit. That’s because Fetch Rewards is giving away over 2.5 million points!

Snap all your receipts between 5/9 and 5/16 for a chance to win a share of the pot. That could be up to 50,000 points in your Fetch account, or thousands of other prizes, just for snapping a receipt. Winners will be awarded points on 5/18. Get to it!

If you haven’t signed up for Fetch Rewards yet, or want to learn more, check out my post here. Find the Fetch Rewards app in your app store, and when you download it and scan any receipt, use my code ND2TB when you sign up and you’ll score 2,000 bonus points.

Rubio’s Celebrates National Shrimp Day with $6 Shrimp Entrées

YUM! IF you’ve been reading the blog for a while, you know that I love Rubio’s. They started here in San Diego, and they have such a wide array of tasty food!

Celebrate National Shrimp Day at Rubio’s on Monday, May 10, when all Rubio’s shrimp entrées are just $6 with the purchase of any drink. Simply enter the coupon code MKTG1124 with your order through the Rubio’s app, or online at Rubios.com. Or, show the coupon when you order at any Rubio’s.

Guests can order any shrimp entrée on the menu, including the seasonal favorite, the Smoky Oaxacan Shrimp Bowl. Rubio’s shrimp is responsibly sourced and marinated in a blend of ancho chiles, garlic, cilantro, olive oil and lime. Next, it is pan-seared on an authentic Mexican comal.

Rubio’s locations across California, Arizona, and Nevada are open. Guests may order online, or through the app, for contact-free curbside or express pickup, or delivery for just $1.99. For more information and to view the menu, visit Rubio’sFacebook and Instagram.

5/7/2021 Friday Freebies and Deals

bright boxes

This week has been busy- The compressor in our fridge died hard on Wednesday. The meal plan for the week changed drastically. The kids were stoked that they got to eat an entire box of popsicles in one sitting though.  I’m hunting for some good deals today to restock the fridge and freezer. I’m going to need all new condiments. TIP: If your fridge dies, don’t try to save the mayo. Warm mayo is not a good thing!

Luckily, We’ve got some good freebies and deals this week.

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

Most of these freebies and deals are online. I am not encouraging anyone to go into stores or go out into public. Mask up, wash your paws, stay socially distanced, get vaccinated when it’s your turn!

Freebies:

Free Southern Flavor Charbroil Seasoning Sample
New Sampler Samples – Eye Liner, Orgain Powder & Frozen Sides
Free Domino’s Gift Card Giveaway
Free Quest Squad Swag, Products & More
Free Screening of In the Heights
5 Free Disney Movie Insiders Points
Free Sweet Earth Awesome Burger at Select Stores
Free Sweet Earth Awesome Grounds at Select Stores
Free Cookie at Insomnia Cookie for Teachers & Nurses
Free Subscription to Cosmopolitan Magazine
Free 8×10 Photo Print at Walgreens
Free Cliradex Face Wipes or Foam Sample
Free Botzees Toddler Young Coders Party
Free Sweet Earth Marinated Chik’n at Select Stores
Free Sample of Tom Ford Black Orchid
Free BareFoot Wine for Your Birthday
Walmart Mother’s Day Event – Free Crafts, Goody Bag & More
Free Terrain D.O.G. Stickers
Free Abundant Natural Health Ocean Soothe Gel & Lotion Samples
2 Free Meridian Dog Food Samples
Free Hartz Home Protection Odor Eliminating Dog Pads
Free Sample of Nateen Baby Diapers
Free Sample of StriVectin Eye Cream
Free Subscription to Shape Magazine
Free Sample of Combat Ready Friction Shield Tape
Free Subscription to Wine Spectator Magazine
Free Matrix Socolor Permanent Dye Or Toner
Free Sweet Earth Mindful Chik’n at Select Stores
Free No-Cost Heart Health Screenings
Free Wonder Woman Mother’s Day Craft Event at JCPenney
Free Juice or Freeze at Pressed Juicery
Free Ink Cartridge
Free Sample of Cheez-It Grooves
Possible Free 12 Piece Makeup Pencil Set

Deals:

Up to 85% Off XTRATUF Shoes ONLY $9.99
Gel Pens 30-Pack ONLY $7.64 (Reg. $16)
Giant Backyard Waterslide ONLY $99.98 (Reg. $180)
Buy 2 Get 1 Free Cosmetic Bags + Free Shipping
Paint by Sticker Zoo Animals ONLY $5.01 (Reg. $10)
MUK LUKS Women’s No Show Sport Socks 6-Pack $16.99 (Reg. $28)
Jumbo Down-Alt Comforters ONLY $16.99 (Reg. $85)
Morgan Home Fleece Throws ONLY $10.20 (Reg $20)
Kate Spade Cameron and Staci Bundle ONLY $109 (Reg $378)
OPI Nail Polish Scotland Collection ONLY $5.25 (Reg $11)
Deep Tissue Massage Gun ONLY $37.99 Shipped (Reg $75)
Lighted Vanity Mirror with Shelf ONLY $69.90 Shipped (Reg $120)
Martha Stewart 11-Inch Grill Pan ONLY $43.99 Shipped (Reg $110)
A Cloud-Soft Mattress Pad up to 75% Off
Art & Cook Steak Knives w/ Tie-Dye Handles ONLY $7.93 (Reg $22)

Free Donuts from Mary’s Donuts For Moms!

Hey moms! Do you like donuts? If you nodded your head or screamed out, “HELL YES!” This awesome deal is for you!

If you’ve read my past Birthday Freebie posts (the 2021 one can be found here), you’ve seen that I’ve posted birthday freebies from Birthday Club Hub, which works with businesses in eight states to disseminate birthday freebies and other freebies throughout the year to club members (BTW- it’s free to join).

Mary’s Donuts is part of the Birthday Club Hub, and they send out a free offer for moms.

Score a free donut on May 9, 2021 at either their Santee or Lakeside Location. Simply show the email to the cashier/friendly donut seller.

I’ll report back if I find any more Mother’s Day Freebies. And I’ll post a photo of my free donut on Instagram for sure.