Category: Holidays

My Homemade Thanksgiving Cranberry Sauce Recipe!

November 21, 2012 Cooking, Holidays, Recipes

My Cranberry Sauce Recipe
I began making my cranberry sauce from scratch about three years ago. I decided to make a sauce that tastes better than the one from a can. I won’t say this is cheaper, but I can buy a bag for $1.50 on sale. This recipe makes more than enough to feed my entire family including second helpings!

Making your own cranberry sauce is so easy. Anyone can make this and make your family think you slaved all day over it. I like to make it a day or two ahead of time and keep it in the fridge to chill. I take it out a couple of hours before serving so it’s not too cold. My husband who refused to eat cranberry sauce loves this cranberry sauce recipe! He always thought he hated cranberry sauce, but it turns out he just dislikes the canned stuff!

What you will need:
1 bag of Cranberries like Oceanspray
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tsp Cinnamon

Cranberry Sauce Recipe Directions:
I open the bag and pour into a colander. Rinse them really well and pick out the bad ones.

I put them into a heavy saucepan like my Magnalite. I add about 1/4 cup orange juice and a 1 tsp of cinnamon.

Then I allow it cook over a medium heat for about 15 minutes. Yes the cranberries will pop but it’s fine.

I keep stirring it and mashing it a bit while it’s cooking. Then remove from heat when it’s thick and cooked down.

I allow it to cool off and pour into a bowl. If you have a fun mold you could pour it into a ring mold to make it even more festive!

I don’t have one so I just pour it into a Tupperware bowl that won’t stain. Then I put it in the fridge to chill overnight.

That’s it! Super easy and fast and extremely tasty!

Dunkin Donuts Seasonal Coffee is Great for the Holidays!

November 21, 2012 Christmas, Holidays, Product Reviews, reviews


The Holidays for me mean spending time with friends and family as well as spreading holiday cheer. The smell of pine trees, the smells of baking cookies and that crisp winter air! I enjoy the colder weather and listening to Christmas music plus looking at all of the beautifully decorated houses. Even better is sharing memories with good friends and family while drinking a cup of delicious coffee during the holidays. It is a great way for me to unwind and spend time with the people I love.

Right now you can get Dunkin’ Donuts® Holiday Coffee is available at your local grocery store for a limited time! I was able to try the Gingerbread Cookie coffee and it was delicious. It had just the right combination of spice and sugar without being too sweet or overpowering. It smelled heavenly while it was brewing! I was also sent two generous sized coffee mugs which are nicely made. The new seasonal varieties also come with a cute gift tag on them which makes it perfect to use as a gift!

You will definitely want to stock up on this coffee to share with guests and for any last minute holiday parties! You can find several flavors to choose from like Original Blend, Dunkin’ Decaf® and special seasonal varieties including Mocha Mint, Pumpkin Spice and Gingerbread Cookie.

  • Pumpkin Spice: You’ll fall for this warm holiday flavor again and again.
  • Gingerbread Cookie: Catch this perfect combination of sugar and spice if you can.
  • Mocha Mint: Satisfy that chocolate craving with a warm cup of this minty winter treat.

I truly enjoyed this coffee and I know why Dunkin’ Donuts® motto is One Taste and You’ll Understand®.

Thank you to Dunkin’ Donuts® packaged coffee at grocery for being a sponsor. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.

McCormick Gravy Mix is My Family Holiday Tradition & Giveaway!

November 17, 2012 Cooking, Family Life, Giveaways, Holidays

I grew up watching my Mom cook using McCormick spices, seasonings, and gravy mixes. I have very fond memories of helping her cook our Thanksgiving dinner each year. We would wake up early to start prepping the turkey which took a better part of the day. I always knew that our dinner was almost ready when I saw her making the delicious gravy.

As an adult, I was so worried that I wouldn’t be able to replicate her delicious gravy. It was always so perfect in color and never had any lumps. She assured me as long as I was using McCormick Turkey Gravy mix then the gravy would be perfect! She was right.

How she got the gravy so perfect was that she learned to add her own flair. She would take the drippings from the turkey and added in the mix along with some spices and a bit of water. Now I cook the big Thanksgiving Dinner each year, and I still continue to use her recipe. I never have to worry about lumpy gravy. I get lots of compliments on my gravy from my husband’s family.

What I really like about McCormick Gravy mix is that it doesn’t contain any artificial flavors or colors, no MSG, and has 0 grams of fat! It only contains natural spices and seasonings which helps it to taste so savory. You can visit the McCormick Website to learn more ways to add your own flair to their gravy mix. You could add sage, poultry seasoning, or even thyme to further enhance the flavors. You will also find lots of great recipes and tips to help you make your Thanksgiving meal even more spectacular!

McCormick has generously sponsored a $75 Gift Pack to one lucky reader!

  • Le Creuset Gravy Boat and Ladle
  • $50 Crate and Barrel Gift Card

The Giveaway will end on 11/23 at 11:59PM EST! Open to age 18+ but only to residents of the USA.

Just enter on the Rafflecopter below and Good Luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

This is the perfect way to showcase your Turkey Gravy!

Disclaimer: I am part of the Mom It Forward blogger network. Mom It Forward and McCormick partnered in support of this campaign. McCormick compensated me for participation in this campaign. However all thoughts and opinions are 100% mine. Thrifty Momma Ramblings is not responsible for prize fulfillment and will come from McCormick!

View Best Buy Black Friday Ad for 2012!

November 15, 2012 Best Buy, Black Friday Ads, Christmas, Holidays

Here is the Best Buy Black Friday ad for 2012!

This is a PDF file! Thanks to Fat Wallet for the scan!

Doors will open at 12am and they will start handing out tickets 2 hours before the sale starts.

Best Buy will have some online only deals on Thanksgiving Day! I see a LG Blu-Ray DVD that has Wi-Fi streaming! That’s one of my must haves for this year.

There are some great deals!

I see lots of Movies including Blu-Ray for $3.99! Lots of great deals on flat screen tv’s. There is so much!

View Full Toys”R”Us Black Friday Ad for 2012!

November 15, 2012 Black Friday Ads, Christmas, Holidays, saving money, shopping sales, Toys"R"Us

Here is the full Toys”R”Us Black Friday Ad for 2012! There are some really great deals.

NOTE: This is a pdf file and courtesy of Fat Wallet! Thanks.

Doors will open at 8PM on Thanksgiving Day.

There are so many great deals but here a few that have caught my eye!

Apple 4th Generation 16GB Ipod touch for $199.99 with 2 Bonus items: $20 Toys-R-Us gift card & $30 Itunes Multi-pack gift card!

Buy a $50 Itunes Gift Card and get a $15 Itunes card FREE!

Genesis Sega and Atari Throw Back System is $24.99

Fisher Price Dora Kitchen is $49.99

20 Piece Matchbox Vehicle Set is only $12.99

40% Off Legos

There is much more! Too much to list it all.

Target Black Friday Ad Has Been Released Online!!!

November 13, 2012 Black Friday Ads, Christmas, Holidays, saving money, shopping sales, Store Match-Ups, Target, Target Ads

The front and back page of Target Black Friday Ad has been released on Target’s online website!

The stores will open at 9PM! You can shop online all day on Thanksgiving and there will be Black Friday sales!

I can’t wait to see all the good deals online! Luckily I am hosting Thanksgiving at my house so I will be online and posting great deals while cooking!

I finally had a chance to look through the whole ad! Here are some of the top deals I see so far.

Brave and Madagascar 3 DVD will both be $10!!!

I will wait and buy them then.

There is an Xbox 360 Kinnect Bundle for only $197!

Nikkon Camera for only $97!

Mr. Coffee one cup maker that uses Keurig k-cups for $79.99 but get a $30 Target Gift Card!

That is a hot price as Walmart has this as a regular price but no extra incentive to buy. I am really thinking of getting this for myself and hubby for Christmas.

Fire pit for only $29.99 Doorbuster! Hot deal!

Kids Plush Pants for only $5 which is cheaper than Walmart’s price for $6.

Crayola Art Buckets with the Twistable Crayons for only $6.99!

Dyson Vacuum for only $269!

Toddler/Infant hat and mitten set for only $3!

Kids pj sets for only $5 each!

Men’s Fleece pants for only $5 each!

Women’s Fleece pants for only $5 each!

Ladies Fleece Gloves are B1G1 FREE and only $3 so a $1.50 each! Great Deal!

Ladies Robes are only $10 each!

Ladies Sleep Tees with socks are only $10 each!

Ladies Suede Boots are only $25 each!

Kids Character Comforters will be $20!

Egyptian Cotton 600 ct Sheet Sets for only $35!

There are also sales on toys like Fisher Price, Nerf, Hot Wheels, Barbie, and so much more!

The back page has a deal to get $10 Gift Card for every $50 spent on Clothing, Household, and such!

This is one amazing ad! I am excited about all the great deals!