It so much nicer to say Childhood Classics than Struggle Meal but we know they're the same thing.  It's the very last items you still have in your fridge or cupboard before payday and you somehow make it into a meal.  I used to always give them a fun name and years later my husband said that he remembered me adding 'special or surprise' to the end of what ever it was I was creating.  Obviously Mac and Cheese with hotdogs, toast with butter and sugar and mini pizzas were always super fun in my house.  Its easy and cheap:: bread, pizza sauce, cheese is the basics of it.  I do remember when I was younger my mom would give me white bread dipped in milk and sugar sometimes.  What is your favorite struggle meal?  For me its definitely potatoes, sausage and onions. Easy cheap and it leaves lots of left overs and its even better the next day!  Our friends at Buzzfeed asked their community and here are some of my favorites:: https://www.buzzfeed.com/hannahloewentheil/struggle-meals-nostalgia 

I love Valentines Day! It's no secret that I love LOVE! Making it just a bit more special in your house this week is an easy low impact way to show your love to your Boo.  I like easy and inexpensive in pretty much everything and cooking and food is no different.  This week everything in my house is going to be heart shaped or pink or red.  I like a festive week!  My Pinterest board is kinda chaotic but you can find ideas for cute and cheap valentines day foods and decor.  Peep it here:: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/371476669279489096/ 

Taylor Swift will be watching her boyfriend play in the Super Bowl this weekend.  Travis Kelce plays for the Kansas City Chiefs and it's the 3rd time in as many years that they've been to the big game.  Suites were hard to come by this year as Kendrick Lamar is the halftime show and both teams playing this year have a beefy history with each other.  Taylor managed to snag a suite and I snagged a chance to see what they'll be serving her and her fancy friends and family while she's watching the game and it all sounds insanely delish!  We're talking like sushi and sandwich platters, seafood towers, and tomahawk steaks with the Super Bowl LIX logo branded right into the bone.  The LOGO BRANDED ON THE BONE! That is so fancy!  The game is in New Orleans and even the every day Joe attending the game is going to be eating well eith their pick of Louisiana grub: Three different po' boys, alligator sausage on French bread, seafood nachos, a lobster karagge sandwich (panko-coated butterflied lobster tail drizzled with lemon pepper sauce, butter lettuce, tomato, and remoulade sauce on a brioche bun!), and 9-hour smoked short rib. Jambalya and Cajun beef brisket sandwiches, as well as stadium classics like hot dogs, pretzels, and nachos will also be on the menu.  The Season Finale of Football is this Sunday and before I sign off ..........................Go Taylors Boyfriend! 

People who own a KitchenAid Stand Mixer are an absolute different type of adult.  People who own a KitchenAid Stand Mixer are the level of adult I strive to be, clearly financially fluid and they're someone who has recipes that even require a stand mixer.  It's a big deal and it's a standard of 'I have arrived'.  The next level of KSM people are the ones who own multiples!  Multiple colors, these people are also the same people get the new models and exclusive models as soon as they come out.  And KitchenAid knows it! Last year the fine folks over there at the KitchenAid dropped Salt Blue for the 2024 color of the year, and if you fell in love with that one, just wait til you hear about 2025.  They've just released the new color for the 2025 KitchenAid Stand Mixer....... and the color is........ Butter. It's absolutely gorgeous.  I covet the baby pink or tiffany blue shade myself.  But this Butter yellow is absolutely gorgeous.  The KitchenAid people describe the shade as "a soft, energizing butter yellow with a creamy, satin finish."  Here's a link to all my favorite KitchenAid mixers https://amzn.to/40M0A8V and you can find some way more affordable options here https://amzn.to/4hroBJG This one has a limited time coupon code too!

Dips are the rock star of any party.  They're versatile and allow you to show off who you are with your dipware.  That's where its at, the dipware and the dip service ware.  Does it have a cute saying on it? "Just in queso" is one of my favorites and obviously I only use it for queso.  Can you imagine the stares if I had celery sticks in the queso quote bowl?  The horror.  So thats why I always like to grab a cute little dip dish if I see them for the right price. Past season clearance, Goodwill etc. Dips really only get their time to shine around holidays and festivities but honestly at this big grown age, there is not a single dang thing keeping you from making Boat Dip on a Tuesday just because it's delicious and also Treat yo self! Another factor when choosing a dip is does your dipware fit your dip properly?  We are not going to serve a big beefy heavy dip in a dainty crystal.  For the serious dips you are going to need for the big game this weekend, you are probably mostly going to be using your big and hearty serving bowls and save your smaller cuter dishes for the next baby shower.  I referenced Boat Dip earlier and it is my all time favorite.  I have tried to make it many times myself and it never comes out the way good Boat Dip is supposed to taste.  Peep the recipe down below and find one of my favorite versatile cute serving dish you can get delivered before the big season finale to football this Sunday. https://amzn.to/4jCy4zr

Did I ever tell you about the time I ate a 6ft beef stick? Well let me regale you with the tale of a young Angie full of hope and hunger.  I have a bad memory so I can't remember the details about who I was with but it was either a) I was on a school trip to Sauder Village in probably middle school or late elementary or b) it was like a road trip I took with one of my friends and her family to some Amish village. Which now that I think about it, it was probably the same Amish village.  I love beef sticks.  The original Slim Jim is obviously superior, I'm a beef stick snob, but I still will eat the subpar sticks if that is what's available.  So here I am at the Amish village and I see it, long and superior and I had to have it.  It was a 6ft long beef stick.  In one full long flimsy stick.  It was like a jump rope!  Omgosh it was so good, and I remember eating it on the way home and some adult asked me if my mom was going to be ok with me eating that much beef stick.  I wish I had a better memory because I want to know who the memory was with and the details about when it was etc.  Because of my awful memory and a.d.d I just have very little memories.  But I do remember the 6ft beef stick story.  Today I opened my email and see that Subway has added an Oreo footlong!  It's milks favorite cookie, in 12 full inches!  I haven't had it yet, but I am definitely interested.  https://newsroom.subway.com/2025-01-30-SUBWAY-R-TEAMS-UP-WITH-MILKS-FAVORITE-COOKIE-R-TO-DEBUT-AN-ALL-NEW-OREO-R-FOOTLONG-COOKIE 

Ruth's Chris Steakhouse is the most confusing name ever.  It's named after a guy named Chris's mom, Ruth.  So its Ruth's Chris.... Anywho the delicious steakhouse is now in second place as americas favorite chain restaurant.  Nothin' Bundt Cakes is now our number 1 pick for chain restaurant. Not only did Nothing Bundt Cakes take home the title of America's Favorite Restaurant Chain, it's also Gen Z and Millennials' favorite "limited-service" chain.  Nothin' Bundt Cakes come in a bunch of flavors but the banana pudding is the absolute best, in my expert banana cake experience.  This year the top 10 fave restaurant list includes coffee shops and even smoothie shops.  See the full list below::

You may have noticed that Costco pulled all Coca Cola products from its shelves due to a price dispute with the wholesaler.  In order to maintain the $1.50 hot dog deal, the Pepsi switch was necessary.  However, here we are a decade later, and Coke is coming back!  Its standard facts that McDonalds has the absolute best fountain Coke but somehow the Costco fountain soda is just as delicious.  I'm a Diet Coke girl so I am excited to see it come back.  No date on the rollout but all the Pepsi loyalist will definitely on the FB telling you everything about it.  So will I! 

The nationwide average for eggs currently is about $3.65 but in the midwest we're seeing prices like $5.57 and even higher yet, on the west coast and specifically California has seen $8.75 egg prices.  And it is not changing anytime soon.  In fact, egg prices could go even  higher in 2025.  We'll see it everywhere too.  Bakeries will have to raise their prices, obviously breakfast chains will be slightly higher and of course the average consumer will notice the pricey eggs too.  A bird flu outbreak, the rising cost of doing business, and, in some locales, changing laws are just some of the reasons for the increase.  So how are families doing it?  How can we afford $5.00 eggs? Many of your friends and neighbors are visiting food banks and it might be easier for you than  you thought.  Ask around you community where you can get food assistance and don't be ashamed, we're all hurting in the pocketbook.  https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2025-01-27/us-inflation-leads-families-to-struggle-for-food-fed-debates-rate-path?embedded-checkout=true

Happy National Green Juice Day!  Do you open your gifts on actual Green Juice Day or Green Juice Day Eve? It is also National Leprosy Day but this felt like a more fun thing to talk about.  I love a green juice! I definitely think it gets a bad name because it is so ugly.  If it were pink, everyone would love it. However more than $130 million worth of fruit-based cold-pressed juices are sold globally, while global sales of vegetable-based cold-pressed juices reach $85 million.  Here's my favorite Green Juice recipe, enjoy! 

OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHH, they are mad at Oprah!  It's not a secret that she has lost quite a bit of weight on a GLP-1 and has been talking lots and lots about it.  When Oprah talks, people listen and most recently she's stirring up the drama.  Oprah said that its not about willpower and self control, but when you're using the GLP-1's you're just not hearing the 'food noise'.  Food Noise?  I had never even heard of that term. Food noise is the constant internal thoughts about food and eating, which can lead to overeating and unhealthy habits. It can be a barrier to making lifestyle changes. Miss O saying that our ozempic girlies are never thinking about food is ludacris, according to some hungry ladies.  The skinny girl drugs act as appetite suppressants and also slow down the digestion so you feel fuller longer.  I don't have real experience, while I was prediabetic for a while my sweet doctor said no no no every time I asked for the skinny shot.  Things to keep in mind:: 1. I am not a doctor and you should not take medical advice from me. and 2. Thickk girls is where it's at anyway.  Men like women, not girls. 

Aldi is my absolute favorite grocery.  Not only do they have the best cheese and bakery sections in the game but their prices are amazing.  And not just the private label stuff either, the produce is always fresh and hella affordable.  And btw they are on the delivery apps so even if you are not a 'go to the store' kinda gal, you can still shop them.  Aldi tops the list of the absolute cheapest place to buy groceries currently, Trader Joe's is on the list too!  Again, delicious and fun food for so much less.  Trader Joe's and Aldi is more of an adventure than a shopping trip.  You can always find a little treat for yourself there too. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/cheapest-grocery-stores-america-now-205100324.html 

If you are like 25% of americans you're trying out Dry January where we abstain from alcohol, you may notice that you cant get enough sugar.  This is a totally common but not widely talked about side effect.  Fun fact, if you go to rehab, one thing to consider is your recovery centers wellness program because some are very strict and do not allow sugar during your detox but there are others who openly encourage your friends and family to bring you hard candies while you're detoxing.  So why do we crave sugar when we stop drinking? https://www.foodandwine.com/quitting-alcohol-craving-sugar-8775429 This is a great read but it boils down to how our brains and dopamine and sugar all work together to fool us into bliss.  And you know the bliss I speak of, its the super cold beer at the end of the day, its the wine with your friends on a wednesday night and its also how happy you feel when you peel a roll of slice and bake cookie dough and eat it like a banana.  It all feels amazing and in the same way.  Have you ever seen an x-ray of a brain on cocaine and a brain on sugar?  The x-rays look exactly the same because the feelings that both give you, is the same. However, coke is bad and sugar isn't great for you, but it is legal, so there's that. 

Disney World goes way out for the holidays.  Obviously, they're Disney, they do everything big.  There are some really beautiful and extravagant gingerbread houses at the parks and the hotels too.  I've seen some in person and it's incredible.  The Grand Floridian has the most extravagant one standing at 17 ft tall and its celebrating it's 25th year.  But what happens to it after the holidays? Disney World's gingerbread houses are recycled for local bees to eat. The process includes: 

Well well well.  Here we are, another year and this is the year that we're getting in shape right?  Maybe.  But even if it's not, you can still make great choices while eating out.  I know the Whopper is absolutely delicious, but have you tried the Impossible Whopper?  Plant based instead of beef?  I think you might be surprised at how far they've come with the tastiness of 'not quite meat' meat.  I will most always opt for a burrito bowl if I'm looking for fast and not terrible for me but this list makes me want to branch out a bit.  Find your favorite now, and let's get healthier together this year! https://fortune.com/well/article/healthy-fast-food-picks/ 

For the last 7 years Starbucks has had an open door policy, meaning that you can always stop to use the potty, or just have a break in the cool air if you're incredibly hot at Disney and the sbux line is hella long, but you just stay for a few minutes and nope absolutely not for their free wifi anymore.  Here's the story on why they started the open door policy 7 years ago and if you don't know the story, I definitely suggest you take a quick peak. https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/02/us/starbucks-arrest-agreements/index.html  Starbucks just told us you have to buy something or leave.  Periodt. They put this official statement out to USA Today "Implementing a Coffeehouse Code of Conduct is something most retailers already have... This means our cafes, patios, and restrooms are for customers and partners. By setting clear expectations for behavior and use of our spaces, we can create a better environment for everyone."  BTW let me spill a bit of chai tea before I get out of here, allegedly they're in the midst of some bargaining plans with the workers who claim that the CEO makes 10000 times more than the average barista. 

Savor Fort Wayne is right around the corner and it's the best time to eat in the city.  From January 15-26 you can dine at 60 different restaurants.  I remember when Savor was just barely 20 restaurants and to see the growth is awesome.  It truly gets better every year too.  Its Restaurant Week in FW, 12 Delicious Days of Savor Fort Wayne, is how they position it but it should really be called Greatest Week Ever.  The places you can choose from have all created a special menu or have special menu pricing or bogo deals.  This is the time for you to try all those super pricey joints you've been dying to try but your pocketbook puts the car in reverse before you can even put your car in park.  Ruth's Chris, Eddie Merlot and The Oyster Bar are on the list this year and on my must have list. The Oh-Five Scoop Shop and even YLNI Farmers Market will have a Savor popup this year.  Here's the Savor website and its from my friends at Visit Fort Wayne. https://www.visitfortwayne.com/savor/ 

There is snow all over the ground and its still coming down in some places.  What are we going to do with all this snow? Put it all in a straight line! Just kidding, we're going to eat it! You may or may not have ever had snow ice cream but its nasty and delish all in one bite.  Here's what you'll need for Snow Ice Cream:

The Super Bowl is coming up and not only is that big business for the strip clubs in NOLA but also the food and beverage industry will see a major uptick.  Stadiums have really changed over the years in the way that they feed us. Where it used to be mainly only peanuts, hotdogs, beer and ice cream, we now see many major sports stadiums with a pretty extensive menu and most even include some fine dining options.  The price of a 'regular beer' at NFL stadiums varies vastly across the country with the West Coast having the most expensive on average. The two teams in Los Angeles, the Rams and the Chargers, both play their home games at SoFi Stadium, where a beer and a hot dog costs $19.49. That is followed by the Chicago Bears’ home, Soldier Field, which charges $19, and the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, where it’ll run Saints fans $18.99.  Best "Basic” beer prices are found in New Orleans and San Francisco, where both stadium’s cheapest brews still cost $12. Nine other teams charge between $11 and $11.99 for one beer. The least expensive beers are in Atlanta, Detroit, Miami, and at the New York Jets’ MetLife Stadium, where the bargain brews are $5.49 each. So where do our beloved Indianapolis Colts and Lucas Oil Stadium rank?  We are number 5 on the list of most inexpensive football beers at just around $8. If you're looking for fine and fun dining at Caesar Superdome stadium this year during the Super Bowl, look no further than the Alligator Sausage at Crescent City Cuisine on level 104.  https://nola.eater.com/2023/9/8/23861825/what-to-eat-where-superdome-saints-games-stadium-dining Back home at Lucas Oil Stadium the dining isn't as massive but it is equally delicious however for me at an Indianapolis Colts game its got to be The Ringer- a footlong corndog and the BBQ Brisket Nachos at Section 513.  If you want some random trivia to impress your friends with on Super Bowl Sunday here is a list of the price of beer at every NFL stadium this year. https://vinepair.com/booze-news/nfl-stadium-beer-prices-2024/ Cheers and Go Taylors Boyfriends Team! 

"Make new friends, but keep the old.  One is silver and the others gold"  If you know that line from that song you were probably a Girl Scout or Brownie at some point in your life.  At least when I was a Brownie and a Girl Scout we sang that song.  I don't even remember the amount of years that I was in the organization, but I do remember that I do not look back on it fondly.  That being said, I love Girl Scout Cookie Season!  It's just around the corner but I just found out that they're discontinuing 2 flavors this year.  Don't worry though, they weren't anyones favorite anyway.  This year they're 86'ing the Toast-Yay! and Girl Scout S'mores.  You can get while they last and then its over for those guys.  The Girl Scouts sell around 200 million boxes of cookies each year. This is a big business, generating about $800 million in revenue.  If you're new to earth and don't have any idea what I am even talking about, here's the rundown. Every year from January until about April girls from all over the country will be pushing their goods on us and every year I tell myself I will only buy 1 box of each of my favorites each season, but I fail completely every time I see the girls outside the supermarket or at the mall or the girls who set up outside a dispensary and sold completely out of 300 boxes in less than 6 hours.  That is that go getter spirit that The Girl Scouts are trying to instill in the troops.  The Girl Scout cookie program is designed to raise money and improve the financial literacy of girls. It's also considered "the largest girl-led entrepreneurial program in the world".  Girl Scout cookies are on Grub Hub but also you can order direct from a girl too.  This year with the loss of the Toast-Yay! and Smores the list is shorter but all your favorites are still there.  I am forever a Tagalong, Thin Mint and Samoa kind of girl. Did you know that there are actually 2 bakeries that make the cookies?  It depends on what side of the country you live on and depending on who bakes the cookies, some of them even have different names ie; Samoas = Caramel Delights  https://www.girlscouts.org/en/cookies/cookie-flavors.html 

I am still using skim milk.  From a cow.  I like it better for cooking and its superior for dunking cookies. And I know everyone is nutty for nut milks now, but I do buy and use almond milk and soy milk too.  I drink chocolate almond milk alone, it is a perfect snacky poo and a great pick me up in the afternoon.  Soy milk is good in my coffee and if anyone has milk allergies in your home, almond or soy is better option than a cow.  But does it expire? Do nuts even expire? Read this before you drink that almond milk! https://www.delish.com/kitchen-tools/kitchen-secrets/a63106467/does-almond-milk-go-bad/