Lisa Park, Author at Saving Cent by Cent

Turkey Cranberry Wraps

May 4, 2022 by Lisa Park Leave a Comment

These Turkey Cranberry Wraps are easy to make with sliced turkey, whipped cream cheese, jellied cranberry sauce, and lettuce. It’s wrapped up in a tomato basil tortilla to make it a delicious summer meal idea.

During summer, I like to make easy meals that don’t require me to turn on my oven and heat up the house. This Turkey Cranberry Wrap is only five ingredients and only takes a few minutes to make.

I like how the flavor of the sliced deli turkey, jellied cranberry sauce and whipped cream cheese come together to make it taste good. And the tomato basil tortillas add color and additional flavor to the wrap.

So how do you make turkey wraps? Here is the step-by-step process to make turkey wraps with cream cheese and cranberry sauce.

On a tomato basil tortilla, spread a layer of the whipped cream cheese.

In a small bowl, place the jellied cranberry sauce and stir to make it smooth. Spread a layer of the cranberry sauce on top of the cream cheese.

Place 3-4 slices of turkey on top of the cranberry sauce.

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Filed Under: Recipes

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Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup

March 4, 2022 by Lisa Park Leave a Comment

This creamy chicken wild rice soup is made with carrots, celery, mushrooms, chicken and wild rice with a creamy, rich base sauce that is delicious. It’s a perfect soup to eat on chilly days!

I love making soups for dinner when it’s cold and chilly outside because it warms me up inside and out. And this creamy chicken wild rice soup is another family-favorite soup recipe that hits the spot on those chilly days.

Whenever I tell my husband I’m making soup for dinner, he comments how good that sounds to help him warm up after working outside in the cold all day long.

Something I love about this easy chicken wild rice soup is it has a rich and creamy base sauce that brings together the flavor with the vegetable broth mixture. One thing about this base sauce is that you’ll want to use the Rice a Roni Long Grain and Wild Rice here because it has a seasoning packet that you’ll use to flavor the sauce. It really adds to the taste of this wild rice soup.

Before getting to the creamy wild rice soup recipe, here are some questions people have had:

What is the best wild rice soup?

Personally, I think this is the best wild rice soup. But of course you’ll find variations of other wild rice soup recipes out there, and they are probably delicious too. But give this recipe a try, and let me know what you think.

What to serve with chicken wild rice soup?

After making soup for dinner, I don’t always want to spend a lot of time to make something else, but I do like to have bread on the side.

Two easy bread recipes that don’t require a lot of time to make is this sweet cornbread recipe and this light and fluffy biscuit recipe. Add honey or jam to the top, and they taste delicious!

Another side option that goes well with soup is almost any variety of salad.

So how do you make wild rice soup? Here are the directions of how to make this creamy wild rice soup:

In a large pot, sauté the celery and carrots in olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add in the mushrooms and sauté for 2 minutes more.

Add in the chicken broth, water and the cooked, diced chicken to the pot. Bring to a boil, then stir in the long grain and wild rice (put the seasoning packet aside). Cover the pot and simmer for 25 minutes.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and stir in the Rice a Roni seasoning packet. Cook until bubbly. Whisk in the flour until it becomes a thick paste, then add in the half and half and whisk until combined. Stir the sauce for about 5 minutes until it thickens.

Stir the creamy base sauce into the vegetable broth mixture and cook for about 10 minutes until heated through.

It’s now ready to serve!

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Filed Under: Recipes, Soups

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Easy Valentine’s Bark Recipe

January 31, 2022 by Lisa Park Leave a Comment

This easy Valentine’s Bark recipe is a fun dessert to make for the family on Valentine’s Day.

If you are looking for easy Valentine’s Day treats for the kids or other loved ones, this Valentine’s bark recipe is a really easy recipe to make. And what’s even better is that it’s a no-bake recipe for Valentine’s.

It will take about 10-15 minutes to make this strawberry bark recipe, and then about 30 minutes to set up before it’s ready to cut and serve.

It’s fun to get the kids in the kitchen and have them help to stir and spread the ingredients together. A highlight that the kids love to do is putting Valentine’s M&M’s and Valentine’s sprinkles all over the top of the Valentine’s Day bark.

Sometimes the sprinkles end up going all over the counter, but in the end, seeing their happy faces because they helped make it is something I love.

We take time to do recipes together as a family because we love spending time with each other. Even though it can be messy, the messes will eventually get cleaned up. And I’ll always remember the bonding time we had together making this Valentine’s Day recipe.

Here are a some answers to questions people have asked:

What are some easy Valentine’s treats for kids?

This Valentine’s bark recipe is definitely an easy recipe. You can print the recipe at the end of this post.

Other easy recipes to make for Valentine’s Day is Strawberry Shortcake, Valentine’s Cookies, Red Velvet Cookies, and Sugar Cookie Bars.

What is the best chocolate bark for baking?

This particular bark recipe doesn’t use chocolate bark, although I’m sure you could probably add it to this recipe. For the best chocolate bark, it’s important to use high-quality ingredients.

Ghirardelli Melting Wafers would be an option that is a good quality without costing as much as much as chocolate bars for melting.

For this Valentine’s day bark, I use the strawberry cheesecake candy melts here. If those aren’t available, you could try the regular strawberry candy melts, or you can use vanilla candy melts and add in cheesecake flavoring to it.

Here is how to make this easy Valentine’s bark recipe:

Place the strawberry wafers and cream cheese in a blender, and blend until combined into a dough consistency.

Line a 9×9 pan with parchment paper. Press the strawberry cream cheese blended mixture evenly on the bottom of the pan.

In a glass bowl, microwave the candy melts for 1 minute and then stir.

Continue microwaving in 30 second intervals and stirring in between until melted.

Pour the melted candy over the crust.

Sprinkle the top with Valentine’s M&Ms and Valentine’s sprinkles. Allow to sit for 30 minutes before serving.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Desserts, Recipes, Valentine's

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Save 20-50% in Food and Meat with Utah Food Co-op

October 21, 2021 by Lisa Park Leave a Comment

The Food and Meat Co-op helps local farmers, businesses and families in Utah by buying in bulk at wholesale prices and distributing it to the local community.

I received a free box of meat in return for a review. All opinions are my own.

Meat is usually the most expensive item to purchase at the grocery store when making meals for your family.

As my husband and I watched the price of food go up over the past year, we discussed that we should increase the amount of meat we have stored in our freezer. And that every time we go grocery shopping, we should pick up an extra package or two of meat and freeze it.

Well, a few months ago I was talking with one of the founders of Food and Meat Co-op located here in Utah. I liked the idea of buying meat in bulk to have in my freezer, while supporting local farmers and businesses, so she explained to me how the Food and Meat co-op works.

WHAT IS THE FOOD AND MEAT CO-OP?

The Food and Meat Co-op was started by two moms who wanted to help local farmers, businesses and families in Utah.

The Co-op is able to buy food and meat in bulk from local Utah suppliers, producers and farmers and then distribute it to the local community. By buying bulk, they are able to get wholesale group pricing, which saves people between 20-50% on retail prices on every product.

The point of the Co-op is to get good food for less expensive. The high-quality food is made fresh, packed fresh and delivered fresh.

Since the food goes straight from packaging the product to the consumer, it doesn’t go through a long transportation chain, which means fewer people are handling the food, and it’s not sitting for days at a grocery store.

The Food and Meat Co-op source a variety of foods, but mostly meats such as chicken, ground sirloin, pork chops, bacon, sausage, ground beef, and more. And the meats have no added hormones or steroids and are antibiotic free.

In addition, another benefit of the Co-op is you are supporting local Utah growers, businesses and the economy.

HOW DOES THE FOOD AND MEAT CO-OP WORK?

Each month the Food and Meat Co-op has a two-week sale on various foods. You go online to the Food and Meat Co-op website and select the items you want to purchase. Choose the northern-Utah location and day you want to go and pick up your purchase.

Arrive at that location on the specific day and time you chose. A refrigerated truck will be there waiting in the parking lot. Line up behind the other cars and wait in your vehicle.

A worker will come up to your vehicle and look up your order.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Frugal, Grocery Tips

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Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies

September 21, 2021 by Lisa Park Leave a Comment

These Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies include pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice to create the delicious pumpkin flavor. The cookies are soft and chewy and rolled in sugar, cinnamon and pumpkin spice making this snickerdoodle pumpkin cookie recipe a perfect fall dessert.

I absolutely love the smell of pumpkin recipes baking in my house in the fall. It makes my house smell so good, and it gets me excited for fall.

I always make sure to have plenty of pumpkin puree in my house during the holiday months when I am baking all the delicious pumpkin recipes. And I make sure to have pumpkin spice too since there are many pumpkin recipes that call for it.

The other day, I decided to make these pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies, and they are soft and chewy. My family and friends who tried them loved them so much that they kept grabbing more cookies out of the container.

The pumpkin spice snickerdoodle cookies don’t have too strong of a pumpkin flavor. You can tell they have a slight hint of pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice in them. The cookies combined with all of the ingredients taste delicious.

Here are a few questions that people have asked about pumpkin snickerdoodles:

How Do You Make Pumpkin Snickerdoodles at Home?

Here is how to make this snickerdoodle pumpkin cookie recipe.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth.

Add in the pumpkin puree, sugar, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, salt and baking powder. Mix until well combined.

Add in the egg and mix well. Then add in the flour and mix well until combined.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place the cookie dough in the fridge for at least 1 hour to chill.

Note: The chilling of the dough helps prevent the cookies from going flat.

After the dough has chilled, scoop about 1 Tablespoon of dough and form them into 1 inch balls.

Roll the dough balls into the sugar, pumpkin spice and cinnamon coating, then place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Desserts, Recipes

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Easy American Flag Fruit Pizza

June 29, 2021 by Lisa Park Leave a Comment

This American Flag Fruit Pizza is an easy fruit pizza dessert that is made from a sugar cookie mix topped with a sweet frosting and fresh berries.

With the Fourth of July coming up, this American Flag Fruit Pizza is sure to be a crowd pleaser during your patriotic celebration.

I made this for my family and they loved how the berries were made to look like a flag. They also loved the taste of the sugar cookie and asked for seconds and thirds to eat.

I’m all about making easy desserts and saving time when I make desserts. And this is an easy dessert to make. The thing that take the longest to do is hull and slice the strawberries. Since there are about 20-25 strawberries to hull and cut for this fruit pizza dessert, this strawberry huller and fruit slicer set is a kitchen tool accessory that is handy to have in the kitchen. It will make putting together this easy fruit pizza recipe even easier.

As people make Fourth of July dessert recipes and come across fruit pizza desserts, here are a few questions people ask.

What is fruit pizza?

Fruit pizza is a fruit dessert which is made like a pizza. It doesn’t have any of the ingredients of a traditional pizza you would make or purchase from a pizza place or restaurant. Instead, it’s a large sugar cookie with sweet frosting and fresh berries on top.

Sugar cookie dough tends to be used best for fruit pizza desserts. It makes a large pan and is great to serve at large holiday gatherings or parties. And it tastes best when served the day it’s made because the fresh fruit isn’t as fresh the next day.

What is the recipe for fruit pizza?

To make the American flag fruit pizza, first preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use cooking spray to lightly coat a 12 x 17 baking sheet. And prepare the sugar cookie mix according to the directions on the package.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Desserts, Recipes

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Reese’s Pieces Peanut Butter Cookies

May 7, 2021 by Lisa Park 2 Comments

These are the best Reese’s Pieces peanut butter cookies with more than a cup of creamy peanut butter. And adding Reese’s Pieces, peanut butter chips and chocolate chips make these the ultimate peanut butter cookies!

I made these Reese’s Pieces peanut butter cookies and they are amazing! They are soft in the middle and have a delicious peanut butter flavor with a mix in of Reese’s Pieces, peanut butter chips and chocolate chips.

I made this easy peanut butter cookies recipe a few weeks ago. They turned out so good that my family asked if I would make them again this week.

I make these Reese’s peanut butter cookies smaller by only rolling them into 1.5 inch balls. A kitchen item I love using now and that makes the cookies come out round and all the same size is a 1.5 Tablespoon cookie scoop. Until a few years ago, I would use a spoon to measure the dough and then roll it into a ball. When I finally purchased and started using a cookie scoop, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t purchased one sooner. It’s definitely convenient to have, and I use it every time I make cookies now.

Before I get into how to make these Reese’s Pieces peanut butter cookies, here are some questions that people have asked.

What Are Reese’s Pieces?

Reese’s Pieces are a peanut butter candy that are a roundish shape covered in a yellow, orange or brown candy shell.

What Are The Ingredients in Reese’s Pieces?

Here are the some of the main ingredients in Reese’s Pieces:

Sugar
Partially defatted peanuts
Partially hydrogenated vegetable oil
Corn syrup
Artificial colors
Salt

To see all the ingredients, head over to Hershey’s website.

Do Reese’s Pieces Have Chocolate In Them?

Unlike the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, it turns out that Reese’s Pieces do not actually contain any chocolate.

If you want to make these Reese’s peanut butter cookies, keep reading to get the recipe.

Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Using an electric mixer, cream together the peanut butter, butter, brown sugar, and sugar until combined. Add in the eggs and vanilla extra, and mix until creamy.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Add this to the creamy peanut butter mixture and mix until combined.

Fold in the Reese’s Pieces, peanut butter chips and chocolate chips.

Use a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop to form dough balls, and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Press additional Reese’s Pieces onto each cookie dough ball.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Desserts, Recipes

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Chicken Broccoli Potato Casserole

April 19, 2021 by Lisa Park Leave a Comment

This chicken broccoli potato casserole tastes delicious with a creamy cheese sauce and crunchy topping. Prepare the chicken and potatoes ahead of time and use frozen broccoli to make this meal come together quickly.

My mother used to make a chicken broccoli casserole regularly for my siblings and I when I was younger, and I just loved it. Then when I was married with a family of my own, my sister-in-law said she added potatoes and a creamy sauce on top that varied from what my mom did.

I took both of these recipes and created a chicken broccoli potato casserole that is creamy and delicious.

You can also make an extra chicken broccoli potato casserole and freeze it for later. Head over here to get tips on how to freeze casseroles.

TIME-SAVING TIPS:

Since I know that making dinner can take time, there are a few things I do in advance to make this casserole faster and easier to get in the oven.

Preparing the Broccoli:

I used to always steam fresh broccoli for this recipe, but now to go faster, especially on busy days, I use frozen broccoli from a bag. If you want, you can still steam fresh broccoli, but if you don’t have time, then bagged broccoli it is.

Preparing the Chicken:

I always keep cooked, shredded chicken in the freezer that can be pulled out and thawed in the fridge or microwave. This tip helps me a lot to get dinner on the table faster.

What I do is cook chicken in the crock pot or Instant Pot, shred it, then place it into individual re-sealable bags and put it in the freezer. Head over here for more info about preparing chicken in advance.

Preparing the Potatoes:

I also cook, peel and slice the potatoes in advance and place them in the fridge or freezer so it’s easy to thaw and add to the recipe.

Sometimes when I know I’ll be making this homemade chicken and broccoli casserole for dinner, I’ll also plan another dinner with potatoes. So on the day I am cooking potatoes for a dinner, (for instance, if I’m making potatoes with chili on top), I’ll always cook extra potatoes that I can place in the fridge or freezer that will be used later for the casserole.

Now that you know my time-saving tips to make this easy chicken broccoli casserole, here are some answers to questions people have had.

WHAT IS BAKED POTATO CHICKEN BROCCOLI CASSEROLE?

With almost any baked potato chicken broccoli casserole, the recipes range from using mashed potatoes, hash browns, cubed potatoes or sliced potatoes, then mixing in or adding bite-sized pieces of broccoli and chicken.

This homemade chicken and broccoli casserole recipe that I share on this post includes baked potatoes that are peeled and sliced. The potatoes are placed in a casserole dish on top of the broccoli and chicken. Then a creamy sauce is poured over top, followed by cheese and a crunchy topping. You can get the delicious recipe below.

HOW DO YOU MAKE CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI SOUP?

I love a good broccoli soup and so does my family. I’ve tried a bunch of different recipes, but this broccoli cheese soup recipe here is my family’s favorite.

It doesn’t have chicken in it, but it’s really good. And you could add in cooked chicken if you want. I make the broccoli cheese soup for my family regularly, and it’s the best broccoli cheese soup I’ve tasted.

If you are looking for a chicken and broccoli soup, then here are a few recipes you could try:

Creamy Chicken Broccoli Soup by The Recipe Critic

Easy Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Soup by Sweet CS Designs

HOW DO YOU MAKE BROCCOLI AND CHEESE CASSROLE?

This chicken broccoli casserole recipe that I share on this post is really delicious. Below are the step-by-step instructions of how to make the recipe.

Arrange the broccoli florets in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Main Dish, Recipes

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2-Ingredient Homemade Shower Cleaner

March 24, 2021 by Lisa Park Leave a Comment

Spring cleaning is now starting to happen at our house, and this homemade shower cleaner will help you get your tub and showers clean and shiny.

It also helps to get rid of a lot of the hard-water spots that form on the tub and shower surfaces. Plus, this shower cleaner is inexpensive to make and is only two ingredients.

Check out the video below to see how to make this easy shower spray cleaner. If you can’t see the video, head over to my YouTube channel here.

Here is the basic instructions of how to make this homemade shower cleaner.

What You’ll Need:

Directions:

Pour the vinegar and blue Dawn dishwashing soap into the spray bottle. Shake it until the solution is mixed. Spray the tub and shower with the cleaning solution. Wait for 15 minutes, then wipe/scrub down. Rinse it off with water.

Note: Over time, the solution may become thicker. If this happens, then just add more vinegar to thin the solution so you can spray it.

Filed Under: Cleaning, Family & Home

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Easy Red Velvet Cookies Recipe

February 9, 2021 by Lisa Park Leave a Comment

Only four ingredients are needed to make these delicious and easy red velvet cookies.

I love simple cookies and desserts that I can make around the holidays. And these easy red velvet cookies are a perfect treat for Valentine’s day or Christmas or whenever you are craving something sweet.

It only takes about 10 minutes to prep these cookies, and there is just four ingredients: Red velvet cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil and holiday M&M’s. You could substitute the M&M’s for white chocolate chips instead, which tastes really good too.

Before sharing this easy red velvet cookies recipe, here are some regularly asked questions:

What Makes Red Velvet Cookies Red?

Red food coloring is what makes red velvet cookies red.

If you want a deep red color to the red velvet cookies, use gel food coloring. It’s a better coloring option for the cookie dough than liquid drops of red food coloring.

The gel gives the cookies a more vibrant color and you’ll use less than with the liquid food coloring. And too much liquid food coloring can actually alter the taste and texture of the red velvet cookies.

What Is The Best Recipe for Cake Mix Cookies?

There are many different recipes that use cake mix to make cookies.

I personally think that these red velvet cake mix cookies are one of the best cake mix cookie recipes. Check out the easy recipe below.

If you want to learn how to make cake mix cookies from just about any cake mix box, head over to The Best Cake Recipes where they’ll show you how with only three ingredients.

And here are some really good cake mix cookie recipes to try:

Cake Mix Peanut Butter Cookies from Artsy Fartsy Mama

Funfetti Cake Mix Cookies from The 36th Avenue

Chocolate Chip Cake Mix Cookies from Moments with Mandi

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies from The Country Cook

How Do You Make Red Velvet Cookies?

Here is the step-by-step process of how to make the red velvet cookies recipe:

Preheat oven to 357 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Using an electric mixer, in a bowl mix the red velvet cake mix, eggs and oil until fully mixed.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Desserts, Recipes

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my Disclosure Policy here.

What is the best wild rice soup?

What to serve with chicken wild rice soup?

What are some easy Valentine’s treats for kids?

What is the best chocolate bark for baking?

WHAT IS THE FOOD AND MEAT CO-OP?

HOW DOES THE FOOD AND MEAT CO-OP WORK?

How Do You Make Pumpkin Snickerdoodles at Home?

What is fruit pizza?

What is the recipe for fruit pizza?

What Are Reese’s Pieces?

What Are The Ingredients in Reese’s Pieces?

Do Reese’s Pieces Have Chocolate In Them?

TIME-SAVING TIPS:

Preparing the Broccoli:

Preparing the Chicken:

Preparing the Potatoes:

WHAT IS BAKED POTATO CHICKEN BROCCOLI CASSEROLE?

HOW DO YOU MAKE CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI SOUP?

HOW DO YOU MAKE BROCCOLI AND CHEESE CASSROLE?

What Makes Red Velvet Cookies Red?

What Is The Best Recipe for Cake Mix Cookies?

How Do You Make Red Velvet Cookies?

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