Valentines Day is right around the corner and Walmart Challenged me to come up with some great Valentines cupcakes to share!

Lately on Pinterest I’ve seen a bunch of cool “oreo” desserts and I was just itching to try one in particular-Oreo cookies baked into cupcakes!

The ingredients are simple!  You just need a package of Oreos, a box of cake mix (with whatever oil, water & eggs necessary to mix them up), some frosting (I made my favorite no boil homemade icing) and some cute cupcake wrappers & picks!  All these ingredients & decorations cost me under $10 at my local Walmart.

To make your Hidden Oreo Cupcakes, just mix up your cake batter according to the directions on the package.  I chose to make strawberry supreme in honor of Valentines Day-but this would work with whatever cake flavor was your favorite.

Next get your cupcake tins ready.  Just pop your liner in and then set an Oreo cookie in the bottom of each one.

Pour your batter over each cookie filling the tins 2/3 full and pop them in your oven–again, just follow the directions on the back of the box for how long and what temperature.

The cake bakes right around the Oreo!  How cool is that?

Now there are many ways to decorate you cupcakes.  Let’s start with the basics.  You can go with what I like to call your basic “mom” frosting–ie just use a knife or spreader to get the icing on there.  The cupcake liners came with cute Valentines Day picks you can stick in-viola! Decorated!  Or you can buy some candy to stick on top-I bought these large conversation hearts at Walmart.  Simple, cute, festive and even the least talented decorator out there can make them.

Now lets move on to a slightly more advanced technique.  I promise you, this is one of those things that looks fabulous and difficult but really isn’t!  All you have to do is the basic 1M Swirl (click through to my Easy Elegant Cupcake Tutorial post to see how really super easy it is using the 1M start tip)

The 1M swirl looks fantastic on it’s own, but if you paint nice lines of food coloring on the inside of the bag before you put the icing in you get a really awesome variegated effect that will have your friends and family swearing you bought these cupcakes at a bakery!

As you pipe the food coloring gets used up and less vibrant, which is why the on the left looks different than the one in the back.  Of course you can dress them up even more with the picks or candy as well.

Another super easy but impressive technique is to use that huge 1M star tip and just to cover the top of the cupcakes with stars.

There you have it-gorgeous and easy.  And if you spring for this cute cupcake tree (I found it in the Valentines Day aisle at my Walmart) you’ll be able to display your creations in style!

So what do you think?  Have I inspired any of you to make cupcakes for Valentines day?

****This is a sponsored post****

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post I am participating in as one of the Walmart Moms. Walmart has provided me with compensation for this post. My participation is voluntary and opinions, as always are my own.

It’s that time of year again when Walmart Challenges me to see how well I can do shopping for Charity at Christmas time!  Again this year Walmart generously offered $50 for me to spend on the charity of my choice.  Last year I tried to see how much I could stretch the $50 to get the most toys possible, but this year I chose to pick specific items off of our church “giving tree” and use the $50 for the specific toys the kids/parents had asked for.

I document how I did in a Christmas Charity Shopping video!

So-I went a bit over.  I could have stayed under the $50 by buying a bit less for the art supplies, but I figured what the heck-I’ll just kick in the extra myself!

I know Christmas is getting close, but there is still time to help those less fortunate around you!  Just give your local civic organizations or church a call and see if they still need anything, or use the drop box for charity that most Walmart’s have set up in their stores!

****This is a sponsored post****

Disclosure: This is a sponsored review I am participating in with the Walmart Moms. Walmart has provided me with compensation for this post. My participation is voluntary and opinions, as always are my own.

You guys all know how much I love ALDI.  I frequently mention them here on the blog, on Facebook, in tweets, during menu plans. . . well you get the idea.  I think that for low cost, decent quality food staples you cannot beat ALDI!  And when they have $.89  five LB bags of flour or $.99 eggs-well, I start gushing.

So when I was contacted to see if I would be interested in tell you all about the ALDI online holiday catalog and giving away TWO, count ‘em TWO, $25 giftcards to some lucky readers–well you can only imagine how thrilled I was.

There are always a lot of great deals at ALDI, but at Christmas time they get in their special German treats.  Stollen (a delicious breakfast bread), German chocolates, Germany Christmas cookies. . . It brings back my time in Germany and the fun Yankee Bill and I used to have at the markets during the holiday season.

So head on over and check out the ALDI Holiday Online Catalog!  If you aren’t sure if there is an ALDI near you, use the handy store locator.

Now the fun part-the giveaway!

To be chosen as one of the two $25 ALDI Giftcard winners, simply leave a comment letting me know what your favorite thing to buy at Aldi’s is (or if you have yet to shop there-what you are interested in buying there)

This giveaway will run from today-Dec 14th through Saturday Dec 17th.

Good luck!

Disclosure: ALDI provided me with a giftcard and the two giftcards for the giveaway. My participation is voluntary and opinions, as always are my own.

****This is a sponsored post****

It’s time for the annual stocking stuffer challenge from Walmart!  Stockings are such a fun part of the holidays-but let’s face it, they can be a BEAR to fill.  This is the second year that the Walmart Moms have been challenged to fill a Christmas stocking for under $20.  I like a challenge, so I chose to do Yankee Bill’s stocking for the second year in a row.  I think men can be hard to shop for, plus it’s a family tradition for him to fill the kiddos stockings so it didn’t make sense for me to shop for theirs

Check out my video Walmart Challenge–Stuffing a Stocking for $20 to see how I did!

Who’s the hardest person in YOUR family to fill a stocking for?

****This is a sponsored post****

Disclosure: This is a sponsored review I am participating in with the Walmart Moms. Walmart has provided me with compensation for this post. My participation is voluntary and opinions, as always are my own.

Remember how I got new Foodsaver to review a while back?  Well here is my video review!

Do any of you use a Foodsaver?

****This is a sponsored post****

Disclosure: This is a sponsored review I am participating in with the Walmart Moms. Walmart has provided me with compensation for this post. My participation is voluntary and opinions, as always are my own.

As a Walmart Mom I’ve had the opportunity to tell you all about improvements in the Walmart coupon policies as they have happened.

Well now not only does Walmart gladly accept all manufacturer coupons, not only have they made it easier to redeem coupons in stores but they have also now compiled tons of manufacturer coupons online at Walmart.com Coupons!

So you can combine manufacturer coupons with Walmart’s Everyday Low Prices and their Ad Match Guarantee. . .there are lots of ways to save!

****This is a sponsored post****

Disclosure: This is a sponsored review I am participating in with the Walmart Moms. Walmart has provided me with compensation for this post. My participation is voluntary and opinions, as always are my own.

Tonight, December 2nd a new Walmart and P&G family movie~~ “Game of Your Life”~~ airs at 8/7c on NBC

Being a blogger can have some fun little perks-like getting to preview movies or try new products.  It’s fun to see something or try an item before it’s available to the rest of the world!  That’s what happened with “Game of Your Life”–I was given the opportunity to watch it online before it aired on TV.  Not only that, but they sent me a fun viewing kit with an inflatable “gaming” chair and some snacks as well   Now my  kids think I’m cool because they got to watch the movie before any of their friends.

Are you familiar with the Family Movies?  They all have been fun.  Secrets of the Mountain.  The Jensen Project (which I got to fly up to Montreal to watch being filmed~and am shown with other mom bloggers in the “extras” segments on the video!).  A Walk in My Shoes.  Field of Vision. . .there have been 7 movies already and two more are on their way.

It’s nice to actually have some quality family tv out there that you can watch with your kid without being bored silly!  I especially appreciate the fact that parents are shown in a positive light in all of these movies–so much of the entertainment aimed at children, teens and tweens shows parents as being idiots or uninvolved–more of a “gag” than a part of their kids lives.

Game of Your Life is about a gamer named Zach who gets a scholarship to an exclusive video game design program.  It’s a competitive environment and typically half of the class washes out before the end of the first year.  Zach has to deal with growing up, the tough course, new friends and his dad’s financial problems at home.  He’s given an opportunity to work on a secretive and suspicious side project and things begin to go awry.  Eventually he’ll be forced to make a decision that will affect his future and the lives of those around him.

The kids really enjoyed the movie and I thought that the emphasis on family, home and integrity were a welcome change from some of the junk you see out there.

If you want to see more about the movie or watch a preview just head on over to the Game of Your Life website.

Disclaimer:  I was sent a special code to preview this movie, an inflatable chair and some pop-tarts.  Personally I don’t consider that to equal “compensation” but I figured I’d disclaim anyway.

Today I’m reviewing Tattler reusable canning jar lids.  Yes-you read that right.  Re-useable!!!

When I heard about this product I was immediately intrigued.  It’s always bothered me that those metal canning lids are single use-and this year the packs of 12 for the regular mouth jars was running about $2.50-$3.  Considering the fact that I canned over 250 jars this year, that means I spent at least $50 on canning jar lids.  Thank goodness I already had most of the jars eh?

I wrote the kind folks at Tattler and asked them if they would be willing to provide me with some lids to review.  They were more than happy to-and also offered to host a giveaway here on Frugal Upstate!  (details at the end of the post)

Now before I start this review I want to do a big ‘ol disclaimer right up front.  The USDA has NOT changed their canning recommendations.  If you read all of their information the only approved way to can is with the disposable lids.  You should read all of the information available on the Tattler website and then make your own assessment of whether you feel comfortable using the product.

However, after reading the materials from Tattler I felt very comfortable with my decision to use this product for preserving food for my family.   These lids have been made since 1976 and seem to have a very good track record.

The Tattler lids are made up of a plastic lid (to replace the metal one) and a rubber gasket.  They use the standard metal canning rings that you already have to hold down the lids during processing and cooling.

The lids are BPA free and made of materials that are FDA and USDA approved for food.  From their website:

TATTLER Reusable Plastic Canning Lids are manufactured using a plastic compound that is safe for direct contact with food products.We utilize an FDA and USDA approved, food grade product known as Polyoxymethylene Copolymer (POM) or Acetal Copolymer.

The product we use is compliant with applicable FDA regulations for food contact. . .  This product is formulated using polyacetal base resin that is compliant for use in food contact applications according to (CFR), Title 21, 177.2470. Any additives, that may be present, comply with appropriate, specific FDA Regulations.               

Additionally, this plastic is approved by the USDA for direct contact use with meat and poultry products, as well as meeting the Sanitary Standards 3A Compliance for the Dairy and Food Industries Supply Association (DFISA).

Now on to the canning!  I wanted to really test the metal (ha!) of these lids, so I waited until I had some pressure canning to do before I tried them out.  I had an entire turkey that I had cooked specifically to can the meat-so that’s what I tested with.

To start, both the lid and the gasket are heated up in simmering water.

Then you go about your normal process of filling your canning jars with the hot food.

Next you wipe the rim just as you do with a standard lid.  I always like to use a damp cloth for this.

Now you take the lid and the gasket out of the hot water. . . and fit the gasket onto the lid.

The lid is placed on the clean jar rim.  You are supposed to press down on the center of the lid while screwing the ring down.

The directions state to tighten the rings all the way (a big difference from the “finger tight” normally used with disposable canning lids) and then loosen them a 1/4 inch.  That’s a 1/4 INCH-not a 1/4 turn-which is what I thought at first!

Then the jar went into the pressure canner right along with all the others.  After about a half an hour of heating up, 90 minutes of canning at 15lbs of pressure and another 30 minutes or so to cool. . . out came the jar.  Sealed!

With these lids there is an additional step when the jars come out of the canner–you must tighten the lid all the way down to help it seal!

Here is the jar after cooling–the lid was dimpled in and the seal was tight!  Success!

It’s 5 days later now and the jar is still securely sealed.  Of course I can’t comment on how long they stay sealed as I’ve only just started using them–but I have no reason to doubt the claims of the many reviews on their site.

The Tattler reusable canning jar lids run $20.95 for three dozen of the regular sized,  $23.95 for three dozen of the wide mouth.  That works out to $6.98 for a dozen of the regular sized.  Since the disposables cost me $2.50, as soon as I hit 3 uses on the lids I’m saving money!  The company has done trials using the same lids and gaskets 14 times with no failures–and they cite anecdotal evidence from satisfied users who have been using the same lids for up to 20 years.  So in the long run these could save a LOT of money for your average canner-even though the initial outlay may be expensive.  (note: there are bulk discounts for large orders and you can also order replacement gaskets on their own)

If you decide to buy some Tattler lids after reading this review,  I’d appreciate it if you’d consider using my affiliate link below or in the sidebar!

*****This Giveaway is Closed*****

Now on to the fun stuff-the GIVEAWAY!

The kind folks at Tattler are hosting the giveaway of 1 box of regular lids and gaskets and 1 box of widemouth lids and gaskets for a lucky reader!

This giveaway runs from today–Tuesday Nov 29, 2011 until midnight Saturday Dec 4, 2011. 

To enter: leave a comment telling me your favorite food to can!

Want some additional entries? Use any or all of the following and then come back and leave a comment for each!

1.  Tweet telling others about the contest using this link:  http://bit.ly/t5W5hW

2.  Sign up to get Frugal Upstate sent to via email:  Frugal Upstate Email Subscription Signup or to read it in your RSS Reader

3.  Subscribe to the Frugal Upstate YouTube Channel.  Just go to the Frugal Upstate channel and click on the yellow “subscribe” button there on top.

Want to keep up on all the great Frugal Upstate articles, reviews, recipes and more?  Why not become a fan of our Frugal Upstate Facebook page-we have lots of great conversations and information over there!

****This is a sponsored post****

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post I. I received product to review. My participation is voluntary and opinions, as always are my own.

This month’s Walmart Grocery Challenge was to shop for a classic Thanksgiving dinner at Walmart and spend $40 or less doing it.

I went with a very typical Thanksgiving meal: Turkey & Gravy, Stuffing (homemade), Mashed Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole, Cranberry Relish and Pumpkin Pie.  Here’s how I made out:

(note:  If you are reading this via an email subscription-then click on this to see the video: Walmart Thanksgiving Dinner Challenge)

So I was able to buy everything for around $37!  And out of that there are a LOT of potatoes left for other uses (hello-10 lb bag!), some sausage links and some cheese that were not fully used-so technically I spent even LESS.

What is your typical Thanksgiving menu?  How much do you think you spend to prepare your meal?

****This is a sponsored post****

Disclosure: This is a sponsored review I am participating in with the Walmart Moms. Walmart has provided me with compensation for this post. My participation is voluntary and opinions, as always are my own.

Did you all know the Black Friday Ad for Walmart is out?  For your own preview of the ad head on over to the Online Black Friday Flier. . .but let me tell you a bit about it.

First off, there are actually THREE events.  There is a Thursday night sale starting at 10pm on “toys and more” while supplies last, Friday 12am on “electronics” while supplies last and finally Friday 8am for “Electronics and more” again, while supplies last.  The flier is divided up showing which items are on sale at which times–which should help you plan your shopping trip.

Of course I can’t talk about every single item that will be on sale (you’ll have to head on over and check out the online flier yourself for that) but here are a few items I found interesting:

An Amazon Kindle for $79!  I love to read, and I hate to carry lots of heavy books around, especially when I travel–so I love an E-Reader.  I bought a different brand myself because the Kindle didn’t used to play nice with the public library system.  But now many libraries support the Kindle so it’s a great option.

My kids love playing video games–even though we severely restrict their usage.  I like them to use the active ones, like the stuff for the Xbox Kinect, or the Dance Dance Revolution games.  I was interested to see that a few of those were on sale in the $10, $15 & $28 video games:

You all know how much I love my crockpot-so seeing a 6qt crockpot for $9.44, and that 3 pot crockpot unit I’ve been drooling over for $18.92 has me all excited.

Too bad Yankee Bill hunts all day the day after Thanskgiving starting at about 4am.  I usually don’t get to go shopping on Black Friday. . .although with the 10pm Thursday night sale, for once I might be able to run out and pick up a few things!

So, do you go shopping on Black Friday?  Is there anything special you are looking for this year?

****This is a sponsored post****

Disclosure: This is a sponsored review I am participating in with the Walmart Moms. Walmart has provided me with compensation for this post. My participation is voluntary and opinions, as always are my own.