Recipe~French Toast made with King’s Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

On Saturday, I spent the day at Bloggy Boot Camp and one of the event sponsors was King’s Hawaiian. Have you ever been to Hawaii? I have, and I’m here to tell you, put it on your bucket list! Go there! Seriously, make it happen. When Courtney from King’s Hawaiian was talking to us on Saturday, I was finding myself incredibly envious of her–she gets to live in Hawaii! Well, we all got some King’s Hawaiian products to try, and a few other bloggers mentioned that King’s Hawaiian recipes are very popular right now. We even got a book of them. But I woke up Sunday morning, inspired to try my own. I really wanted something easy to do, that I was pretty sure I couldn’t screw up and my kids would eat it.

So, I sliced my sweet rolls horizontally:

In a bowl, I mixed up 4 or 5 eggs, with about a half cup of skim milk and a dash of vanilla and a dash of rum extract. I always whisk it really well. I put a bit of butter in a pan to melt. I dipped the sweet rolls in the mixture and plopped into the pan. I did 4 at a time. The sweet rolls come sort of connected when you get them–you’ll see what I mean when you open yours. So I separated mine into groups of four. You know that episode of Seinfeld, when Elaine just wants to eat muffin tops? I felt the same way about this, except I just wanted the bottoms. The bottoms just cooked up better. The tops, being rounded, were a bit more difficult to cook without squishing. Still, both parts were very yummy! Oh, when I first put each group into the pan, I sprinkled it with a bit of cinnamon & sugar mixture. Cooked both sides on medium heat until browned, and served with syrup. My 5-year-old had seconds and thirds…which means it was good!

To recap:

  • eggs
  • skim milk
  • dash of vanilla extract
  • dash of rum extract
  • sprinkle with cinnamon sugar while in pan
  • serve with syrup

Next time, I sort of want to try to make it overnight, as a French toast bake. I have so much trouble making those, so that they aren’t soggy. But I think these sweet rolls are firm enough and dense enough that that may not happen. I’ll keep you posted.

 

Special thanks to King’s Hawaiian for the rolls to try. I was not compensated for, nor was I asked to do this post. All opinions are my own.


Pennsylvanians, what you need to know about the payday loans bill

The following is a guest post from my friend Susan Rzucidlo. This was published in the Philadelphia Inquirer this morning. At risk of bringing politics on to my blog, I think it fits because in my opinion, pay day loans ARE NOT smart spending! Wouldn’t you agree?

A pack of avaricious wolves that has been circling Harrisburg is salivating to feed on the working poor with a bill that would legalize exploitative payday loans that could carry interest rates in the triple digits.
 
Dressed in the clothing of consumer protection, the bill strips away Pennsylvania’s long-held and strongly enforced protections against predatory short-term loans. Sponsored by Rep. Chris Ross (R., Chester), the legislation would drop-kick the state’s 24 percent annual-percentage-rate cap. As a result, individuals with marginal incomes, including truck drivers, nurses, and clerks, could be pushed into a cycle of debt.
 
It’s easy for that to happen: Lured by the availability of quick money, a borrower may take out a two-week loan and pay it back on payday, with interest and fees. A few days after payday, though, he realizes he can’t pay his bills, so he takes out another loan. Of course, he has less money to pay the new debt because he’s just paid an unconscionable premium to the payday lender.
 
The cycle repeats, keeping people indebted to the lenders an average of 200 days a year, according to national statistics.
Borrowers secure the payday loans with their bank accounts by either giving the lender a postdated check or, incredibly, giving the lender Internet access to bank accounts. Ross’ bill would also give payday lenders access to unemployment and Social Security checks. Talk about vulnerable people!
 
On a $300 loan, the legislation would allow $42.50 in interest and fees. Annualized, that’s 369 percent. Reporting on the devastating effect these loans have on soldiers, the Defense Department in 2006 persuaded Congress and former President George W. Bush to cap the interest at 36 percent for military personnel and their families.
But Ross and his pals want to take Pennsylvania in the opposite direction. They’re ignoring a national trend in which several states, including Oregon, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Arkansas, have rolled back triple-digit interest rates.
 
Churches, community groups, and civil rights organizations in Missouri have decided not to wait for government to protect them. They have collected 180,000 signatures on a petition for a referendum on legislation to stop usury.
 
Such grass-roots efforts may be why some of the same out-of-state lenders who were rebuffed in a 2010 Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling — when they tried to flout the state’s controls on Internet lending — are again prowling around Harrisburg. Consumer suspicion nationally is shrinking their hunting ground.
The country is still reeling from its last debt spree. Families burdened with variable-rate mortgages and other exotic financial products are still losing their homes. That makes it even more galling that Pennsylvania legislators would be accomplices in springing a debt trap on low- and moderate-income families. They’ve even fast-tracked Ross’ bill, putting it on the House calendar for a vote this week.
 
After learning of the bill’s true implications, about a dozen of its nearly 60 cosponsors have backed off. The rest should follow suit. Pennsylvania has already dealt with predatory payday lenders, it shouldn’t be inviting more wolves into the commonwealth.
Susan F. Rzucidlo
2012 Democratic Candidate 
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
District 158
 
And now here’s my editorial–Vote for Susan! If you are local to me (Kennett, Avondale, Unionville, etc.) and live in the PA 158th District, please go to the polls this fall and vote for her. We’ve had enough of Chris Ross, haven’t we?~Lisa
 
 

Meal Plan/Menu Plan Monday~week of May 21

If you’ve been following this site for a while, you’ve no doubt realized that slowly my philosophy is changing–as far as how I am saving money on groceries. I even sorta flinch on the inside when I refer to myself as a “Supercouponer.” I’m not sure the term fits anymore. The hot deals, freebies, moneymakers…just ain’t what they used to be. I’m finding couponing to be an awful lot of work for little payoff these days. So, I’m re-evaluating for other ways to save money.

One way I have found that works for me is meal planning. When I do a meal plan and stick to it, I easily save 20-30% off my grocery bill as compared to walking around the store without a plan. My favorite meal planning service is Food on the Table. It will match up your meal plan to your local grocery store ads, and tell you where you can get that list for the least amount of money. Right now, use the code SPRINGFREE and get it free for life. (this will sell out or run out, so get it now!). Here is what we are having this week, right from their site–this is what it looks like once you’ve picked your meals; I will be clicking through to the next screen where it will give me my shopping list.

meal plan monday, meal planning ideas, meal planning websites
Want to come for dinner? Here’s what we’re having.
I chose these options for a variety of reasons. One is that I have lots of this stuff on hand already–the pie crusts, the pizza crusts, pasta, canned beans, chicken breasts. Many of the items–the mac & cheese, the pot pie, can be made ahead of time to save me time. I’m actually making 3-4 of these things today, so that all I have to do is pop them in the oven later in the week.
 
Overall, I’m really pleased with this–it saves me time and money.
 
 
 

Walmart rolls back prices on outdoor items

Walmart just announced they have rolled back a bunch of prices on their outdoor and patio stuff. Remember, you can do ship to store to get free shipping–you just have to pick it up at your local store.

Save Big on Patio & Garden Needs at Walmart.com!