What a great Black Friday outing!

Did everybody have a good Thanksgiving? I know we did. Since, we didn't go back to Pittsburgh or host Thanksgiving dinner here this year, we decided to scrap all the big time turkey dinner cooking and headed out to the city to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade instead. We then went to Chinatown for a delicious Peking Duck (hey, at least we had some sort of fowl :P) lunch. I'll blog about all that later on. The thing I was looking forward to this Thanksgiving (apart from going to the parade) was the Black Friday sales! I went through all the Black Friday ads and decided that we would go to Kohls this year. Actually Target and Walmart had pretty good stuff too, but seriously, we were just too lazy to join the crazy crowd, stand in long lines and get stuck in traffic in more than one place. So, we chose Kohls :D

We woke up at 3:00am (well Kevin did, I decided to just stay up all night) and managed to get ready and left our apartment by 3:34am. It takes about 10 minutes or so for us to get to Kohls and the doors open at 4:00am, so we were making good time. There wasn't much traffic on the roads, so all is well :D

When we pulled into Kohls parking lot, it was already filled with cars! I have never seen the parking lot at Kohls so packed before.

Check out the line waiting to get in. This is not even the full line. It's so long, I can't even get a full shot of it!! Can you see the last guy in line with the cap? Kevin was standing behind him, and behind Kevin, there was at least another 70 to 80 people, and the line was growing by the minute. As I was standing in line, I remembered that one of the Walmart staff was trampled to death when the doors opened in Walmart last year. I really hoped that the crowd wouldn't get crazy and stuff here.

Well, the doors opened at 4:00am and surprisingly, everybody was just moving along in line and there wasn't any mad dash or anybody pushing and stuff. I had already made a list of all the things that I wanted and had an idea exactly where they were. So, the moment we got in, we just headed to the small appliances department and picked up the stuff. I nearly got run over by only two shopping carts (considered very good for Black Friday) and managed to find everything that I wanted (they sort of hid the breadmaker in some corner, but Kevin managed to find it). We finished our shopping in 10 minutes and made it to the cashier before long lines started. Look at my happy face. It says "Mission Accomplished"! We managed to get some really good deals, without having to really deal with the crazy crowds and long lines!

Checkout my wonderful husband. He woke up at 3am just brave the Black Friday crowds with me. He also stood in line to save our spot while I went around taking photos. Not only that, he also went all over the electrical appliance department to look for my breadmaker (and found a few hidden in some corner), carried all those heavy boxes (since they ran out of shopping carts) and followed me all around the shop. Best of all, he paid for everything...yay! Thank you thank you thank you :P You are the best! *hugz*

This are some of the stuff that we bought. The original combined price for all those four kitchen appliances is around $220. After the sale, we paid a total of $128! Sounds good? Wait, it gets better. There is also a mail in rebate from Kohls for all those four appliances. After the mail in rebates, we only pay $78 in total! Also, Kohls has another promotion going on. You get back $10 in Kohls Cash for every $50 spent, so we got back $20. So, with the sale, mail in rebates and cash back....we paid only $58 for all those four items! Can you believe that? Only $58 for a Breadmaker, Toaster Oven/Broiler, Flip Belgian Waffle Maker and a Quesadilla Maker. Was it worth waking up for at 3am? You bet it was! I can't wait for Black Friday to come around again next year!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We would like to wish all our readers

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

May you have a great time with love ones this holiday season...

Charter's Best Deal of the Year!

* This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Charter Communication. All opinions are 100% mine.

Guess what guys? The folks at Charter are at it again! You know how Charter is well known for their amazing deals and crazy sweepstakes? Well, they are ending their year of groundbreaking sweepstakes and offerings with one last push - and trust me, it’s their best of the year. I just love all the sweepstakes and deals by Charter. Truly, no one else on the Internet has sweepstakes as great as them. Remember all the great sweepstakes they had in the past? In case you forgot (which is pretty hard to do), over the last two years, Charter has outpaced the industry in creative and newsworthy sweepstakes. Some of their prizes includes an HDTV-a-day, a Toyota Prius, a new 2010 Chevy Camaro 2SS, Xbox 360s and many many more!

Want to get great deals and win some cool prizes? Just head over to Charter’s Daily Deal Web Site. There are two ways to win! First, you can get great deals on Charter Cable, Internet and Phone services, including FREE Gift Cards with special online deals. That's right. From Black Friday to Cyber Monday, they are offering gift cards worth up to $200 with special online deals! What kind of gift cards? Well, you can choose gift cards from major retailers in electronics, clothing, home, accessories as well as restaurants. This will definitely save you shopping money when you need it most this holiday season! Among the participating retailers are Best Buy, Sears, Kohls, Macys, Marshalls, GAP, Old Navy, Olive Garden, Outback, Ruby Tuesdays, CVS, Walgreens, Shell and a whole lot more.

After Cyber Monday, they will begin their 38 days of specials. They will be giving out great gifts, prizes and deals every day. You will stand a chance to win gifts like iPods, Camcorders, TVs, GPS units, webcams, Photo frames and more! They have even got some great Showtime schwag to give away like Dexter, The Tudors, and Californication. Not only that, for fans of HBO, they have Big Love and Entourage box-sets too! Each day is something different, so check it out often. There are plenty of chances to win each day.

Want to keep up with all the daily deals? It's real easy. Just become a fan of Charter on Facebook and they’ll be updating it every day through the holidays with all the latest info. So what are you waiting for? Check our Charter's Best Deal of The Year today!

Free Medium Papa Johns Pizza!

I wanted to blog about this promo for quite a while now but never got around to it. I THINK it's still on, if not, Papa Johns always has great deals, promotions and sweepstakes going on constantly.

I became a fan of Papa Johns on Facebook not too long ago and entered my email for them to send me a coupon for a free pizza. I received this coupon in my mailbox a couple of days later, thanking me for being a fan of Papa John. The coupon had a promo code for a FREE medium cheese pizza with any online pizza order above $10. Each promo code is unique, so I cannot share the code with you guys here.

A few days later, we saw a promotion for a large Six Meats Pizza for only $10.99. So, we ordered that online and entered our free pizza code. True enough, a medium cheese pizza was added into our order for free. Since we are not really fans of just plain cheese pizzas, we added one topping to the pizza for $1.65. Within half an hour of placing the order online, two boxes of piping hot pizza arrived at our door! :D Wanna see inside the box?

Mmmm mmmm mmmmm, don't they look good? Wanna see a close up?

This is the large Six Meat Pizza. For only $10.99, it's really a bargain. This 14" pie was loaded with spicy Italian sausages, bacon, pepperoni, salami, ham and Canadian bacon. If you are a meat lover, this is definitely for you.

Here is our free medium cheese pizza. It's about 12" in diameter and we paid $1.65 for our favorite Papa Johns topping - spicy Italian sausage. Looking good for a $1.65 pie :P Overall, it was a great deal. Two pizzas for a little over $15 (including tax, delivery charge and tip). Not too bad, not too bad at all. Oohhh I just loveee Papa Johns, don't you? :D

Win a $20,000 Kitchen Makeover!!

* This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Dr. Oetker. All opinions are 100% mine.

A wonderful new kitchen with lots of workspace, a large island in the middle and beautiful granite counter tops. Top of the range kitchen cabinets, fitted with brand new stainless steel appliances. A full set of gourmet cookware and bakeware, complete with beautiful matching dinnerware, glassware and flatware. Sounds like a dream kitchen? Well, it's MY dream kitchen. I'm sure you have your own version of your dream kitchen too. Guess what? To all our Canadian readers (sorry to all our non Canadian readers, this one is just open to Canadians), dream no more. Here's your chance to make that dream into reality. All you need to do is enter Dr. Oetker Kitchen Makeover Contest for a chance to win a $20,000 Kitchen Makeover. That's right, $20,000 to convert your boring old kitchen to the kitchen of your dreams!

How do you enter? Well, it's as easy as 1,2,3.

1. Locate the unique PIN code inside specially marked packages of Casa Di Mama Pizza.
   
2. Head over to Make It Like Mama Giveaway's website, click on the Whirlpool oven and enter your pin.
   
3. Click on the freshly baked Casa Di Mama Pizza to collect your game slice. Just complete any one of the game pizza by collecting all 4 slices and you win the corresponding prize!

Yup, it's as easy as that. One grand prize winner will win the $20,000 kitchen makeover and eight secondary winners will scoop up one of the following Whirpool appliances - a fridge/freezer, freestanding electric range, dishwasher or microwave. Even if you don't win one of the nine big prizes, there is a chance for you to win one of the 2,000 instant prizes - a Casa di Mama Pizza or a pizza cutter.

If you want more PINs, you can sign up to be a Savoury Moments Member! Not only will you receive one bonus PIN but you will also be in the loop to get a heads up on future upcoming contests, giveaways and special savings.

So, what are you waiting for? Start collecting those PINs and make your dream kitchen makeover a reality. Remember, the contest ends January 4, 2010. So, hurry hurry hurry!

Lyndhurst Diner - Lyndhurst, NJ

As some of you may know, New Jersey is well known for it's diners. There are so many diners around, it's hard to drive by a neighbourhood without seeing at least a few. We would drive by Lyndhurst Diner every time we go down Riverside Ave and always commented that we should try it one day.

We were looking for a place to go to for dinner last weekend and decided to try out Lyndhurst Diner. It looks like any other typical diner in NJ, with its shiny and retro looking exterior. There is also ample free parking space in front and behind the diner.

The diner is split into three sections - a counter with bar stools, a section with booths and a more formal dining area. We were led to the more formal dining area (I don't know why, doesn't really bother us...any section is good). When we arrived, the whole dining area was packed. I took this photo later on when most of the crowd had cleared out.

The menu selection was huge and very reasonably priced. We ordered from the specials section and our main meal comes with bread, soup, salad bar and two side dishes. Kevin's selection even had a free dessert thrown in. After ordering, they brought out the bread basket. There were loads of stuff in it, different kinds of bread, pretzel rods and a few different types of crackers.

We could also help ourselves to the salad bar. It's not too big a salad bar, but there were some yummy stuff in it. You can also see the counter as well as the booth section behind the salad bar.

Here's what I took from the salad bar. Some German potato salad, a side salad with feta cheese and vinaigrette and stuffed grape leaves. I've always been a huge fan of stuffed grape leaves and I really enjoyed finding some in the salad bar!

For our soup, we had a choice between Chicken Noodle Soup or Manhattan Clam Chowder. Kevin chose the Manhattan Clam Chowder (on the right) and he said that it was alright. Not that many clams but the soup was nice tasting. I ordered the Chicken Noodle Soup (on the left). I love it! Instead of using regular egg noodles, they used Orzo instead. It's a nice change and the soup was hearty, with lots of vegetable and chicken. Very nice.

For our sides, we both ordered potato pancakes (sorry for the blur pic, the lighting was pretty bad :P). We got two pieces each, with apple sauce and sour cream. We both really like potato pancakes and their potato pancakes didn't disappoint. In fact, I would say that it tasted better than average.

For his other side, Kevin ordered red cabbage. It was a hugeeee portion. I took a small bite, just to see what it tasted like and it somewhat reminded me of sauerkraut. Now, I'm not a big fan of sauerkraut, so I thought that the red cabbage was just alrite. Kevin on the other hand thinks that it's pretty good.

I ordered spinach and rice as my other side. Now, this I like :P It was a huge portion too, big enough for me to eat it as a main meal and maybe have some left over...lol!

Kevin ordered the Yankee Pot Roast as his main ($11.95). Again, it was a huge portion. 8 large slices of meat, it looked more like a family platter instead of a main meal for one person! Nice and juicy, Kevin liked it a lot.

I had the Long Island Duck ($12.90). Just when I thought that Kevin's meal was huge, it was somewhat overshadowed when mine arrived. I expected maybe a duck breast or a thigh and a drumstick. Guess what? They gave me half a duck! Mind you, it wasn't a small duck either! Look at how tiny the big steak knife looked, next to the duck. Not only was the portion huge, but it tasted yummy! The skin was nice and crispy and the meat was moist. They served a really good fruit sauce with the duck. There were big chunks of pears, cherries, mandarin oranges and pineapples in a bowl with some cinnamon smelling sauce. Really good, my whole meal smelled like Christmas :P Mmm mmmm good!

Kevin had 5 different types of pudding to choose from as his dessert. He ordered the chocolate pudding. By then, he was way too stuffed to finish his dessert by himself, so we shared. Overall, I would say that it was a great dinner. Really friendly waitresses, good food and affordable prices - all the makings of a perfect Sunday dinner. Oh, by the way, we had enough leftovers for my lunch the next day and dinner for the both of us!! =)

Lyndhurst Diner
540 Riverside Avenue,
Lyndhurst, NJ 07071
Tel: (201)933-7660

Experience a Branson-style Family Holiday!

*This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hiltons of Branson. All opinions are 100% mine.

Wow, it's that time of the year again. How time flies. One moment you are enjoying a nice summertime backyard BBQ and in a blink of an eye, Thanksgiving is less than a week away. Before you know it, Christmas will be here! Oh I love the holiday season, don't you? It's a time when family can get together and spend time with each other. It's also a great time to get away for a family vacation. Thinking of gong somewhere this holiday season? I know just the place for you. Head over to Branson, Missouri to celebrate the holiday season together with your family in the warmth and comfort of an Ozark Mountain Christmas! Both the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing as well as the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel is currently offering some really amazing and value for money packages, customized just for you and your family this holiday season.

Among all the packages offered, this is my favorite. Check out the "With It’s a Wonderful Life" package. Starting at $329 per night and running from Nov 15 thru Dec 23, you’ll experience the ultimate holiday getaway for shopping, relaxation and entertainment. It includes breakfast as well as a Branson Landing passport loaded with discounts at dozens of shops and restaurants along with a treatment at Aspire Medical Spa. Mmm mmmm, a spa treatment and shopping, sounds like something right up my alley.

If you have children or will be bringing kids along for your vacation, you'll have to check out the "Santa’s Coming to Town" package. It's designed specially for families like yours. From Nov 15 thru Dec 23 , every Friday thru Sunday, children will enjoy Story Time with Mrs. Claus in the lobby of the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel and Santa himself will deliver presents, cookies and milk to guest’s rooms! How fun is that? With prices starting from as low as $189 per night, I'm sure this is one vacation the kids will talk about for a long long time!

There are also many other exciting packages specially designed for you this holiday season. Just head over to their website and check them out today. So, need I say more? With these exciting holiday packages at the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing and Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel, you and your family are in for a true holiday treat! Go ahead and book your holiday package today!!

Simple Chicken Cordon Bleu

I tried making a simplified version of the Chicken Cordon Bleu yesterday for dinner and it turned great! Chicken Cordon Bleu is basically chicken breast, rolled up together with ham & cheese, and then fried. I decided not to fry the chicken but baked it instead (I usually prefer to bake instead of fry). It turned out pretty good too. It's really simple. Here's how you make it.

First, you would need to butterfly some skinless chicken breast. Then, sprinkle on some salt and black pepper, just a little pinch.

Next, lay a piece of ham on one side of the chicken. If the ham doesn't fit that well, you can just cut it to shape.

Then, sprinkle on some cheese. The original recipe calls for swiss cheese but I used some shredded mozzarella instead. It's equally as good.

Cover the cheese with another piece of ham.

There are two ways to go about the next step. You can either just cover the chicken breast over the ham or you can roll it up. I would suggest rolling it up if you are planning to fry the chicken but if you are baking it, just flip over the side that doesn't have any filling and cover.

Next, dip the chicken breast in some egg. This is to make sure the breadcrumbs stick to the chicken.

Stuff in whatever ham that is sticking out from the chicken breast and coat the whole chicken breast evenly with seasoned breadcrumbs. You can use Italian breadcrumbs or like me, Shake n Bake :D

Once you have coated the chicken breast, place it in a greased baking pan.

Use some toothpicks to hold down the chicken, so that it doesn't open up during cooking. Then, pop it in a 425F oven for about 35 minutes. Once that is done, just remove it from the oven and it's ready to be served! I served the chicken breast up with some steamed broccoli and cheesy rice. Very simple to make and taste mmm mmm mmmm good! :D

Dirt Devil Holiday Buying Guide

* This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hoover and Dirt Devil. All opinions are 100% mine.

It's that time of the year again. With the holiday season coming up real soon, it's time we start thinking about getting Christmas gifts for everybody. Don't get me wrong, I love giving gifts. It's the crowds at the mall and long lines at the checkout counters that I don't like. That's why, I usually do a lot of my holiday shopping online. I do not have to worry about the crowds or driving from one mall to another, just to find that perfect gift. You can imagine my excitement when I found out about the Dirt Devil Holiday Gift Guide. Also known as the Dirt Devil 2009 Guide to Red Hot Online Shopping Shortcuts, it's like the ultimate guide to online shopping! Everything you ever wanted to know about online shopping is in this guide.

There is just so much information packed into those 12 pages, it's pretty amazing. There are over 300 websites, tricks and clever ways to save when you shop online. You can find a list of Black Friday and Cyber Monday websites as well as Deal A Day websites. That's really helpful if you want to know what will be on sale on Black Friday or Cyber Monday, way ahead of time. I also like the section about promo code tricks and how to find them on the net. I definitely learnt a trick or two after reading that! The best thing I learnt from guide is the part where I got information on Free Shipping Day (December 17, 2009) and also free shipping shortcuts for other times. Shipping charges is one of the reasons why I sometimes go to the actual store instead of buying something online. Therefore, I am always looking out for free shipping. Finding this piece of information really made me a happy girl!

Not only can you get great online shopping information from this guide, but you can also find great Holiday Deals from DirtDevil.com. There are all kinds of Dirt Devil products on offer, be it Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him or Family Favorites. The offer starts on Nov 25th (Wednesday) and while supplies last! I just love the Designer Series Dirt Devil Vacuum Cleaners. It's so modern, stylish and sleek looking, I think I might get one come Nov 25th!

So, if you are planning to do some online shopping this holiday season, go download your free copy of the Dirt Devil Holiday Buying Guide from DirtDevil.com before you start. Trust me, you will thank me (and Dirt Devil, of course) for it!

Grilled Ham & Cheese Wrap

Since I'm the only person eating lunch at home, I would not usually make anything elaborate. My lunch would either be leftovers from yesterdays dinner or something simple and easy to make, like a sandwich, instant noodles or a wrap. Today, I made one of my all time favorites, Grilled Ham & Cheese Wrap. Let me share this simple recipe with you.

First, spread some Miracle Whip on a tortilla. Today, I used a regular tortilla but sometimes I would change it up by using Wheat, Spinach or other types of tortilla.

Then, place a few slices of cheese on top of the Miracle Whip. I used Provolone but you can basically use any type of cheese that melts well (Swiss, Mozzarella...ect).

Next, place a few slices of deli meat on the cheese. I used Virginia Ham but again, it's totally up to you. You can use roast beef, corned beef, turkey, roast chicken, pepperoni...it's entirely up to you.

Place a couple more slices of cheese on top of the deli meat.

Now it's time to roll up the tortilla. All you need to do is roll it up half way, tuck in the side and continue rolling. Then, place it on a George Foreman grill that has already been heated.

Allow it to grill for a couple of minutes (until you can see the grill lines).

Once it's nice and grilled, remove it from the grill and cut it into half.

There you go! A yummy lunch all ready in less than 15 minutes! You can serve it up with some chips, a side salad or even a fruit salad. Today, I had my Grilled Ham & Cheese Wrap with a large handful of Lays Original Potato Chips and a tall glass of Coke. Mmmm mmmm mmmm =)