Did you get some FREE Cool Whip at Albertsons this week? One of my favorite ways to use Cool Whip is making Creamy Mojito Torte. The ingredients are relatively inexpensive and it’s always a hit when I bring it to gatherings or serve it at my house. (Sorry the photo doesn’t do it justice, I haven’t taken a photo of it when I make it, so I had to copy this out of my cookbook.)
It’s a Pampered Chef recipe, but you don’t need all the fancy Pampered Chef tools to make it. Any kind of cake or torte pans will do. The thing that makes it so delicious is the cream cheese and cool whip filling/topping. 
The Pampered Chef ® Creamy Mojito Torte Recipe
Nonstick cooking spray with flour
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp dark rum, divided
1 pkg (18.25 oz) butter recipe yellow cake mix (plus ingredients to make cake)
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar, divided
3 limes, divided
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp mint extract
1 container (12 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray Torte Pans with nonstick cooking spray with flour. Place 8-in. circles of Parchment Paper over centers of pans; set aside. Substituting 1/2 cup of the rum for 1/2 cup of the water, prepare cake mix according to package directions in Stainless (4-qt.) Mixing Bowl. Whisk batter 1 minute. Divide batter between pans, spreading evenly to edges. Bake 14-16 minutes or until wooden pick inserted into centers comes out clean.
- For glaze, combine 1/4 cup of the sugar and remaining 2 tbsp rum in Prep Bowl. Remove pans from oven to Stackable Cooling Rack; let stand 5 minutes. Invert one cake onto Simple Additions® Large Round Platter. Invert second cake onto cooling rack. Brush wells of both cakes with glaze.
- For filling, zest two of the limes using Microplane® Adjustable Grater to measure 2 tsp zest. Juice zested limes to measure 3 tbsp juice. In Stainless (6-qt.) Mixing Bowl, combine juice, zest, cream cheese, mint extract and remaining 1 cup sugar. Whisk briskly until smooth. Fold in whipped topping and mix until very thick. Attach open star tip to Easy Accent® Decorator; fill with 1/2 cup of the filling and set aside.
- Slice remaining lime. Cut slices into quarters. Spread half the remaining filling into well of cake on platter. Slide Large Spreader between second cake and cooling rack. Carefully place cake well-side up over filling. Spread remaining filling into well. Pipe rosettes around cake; garnish with lime slices.
Yield: 16 servings
Nutrients per serving: Calories 350, Total Fat 16 g, Saturated Fat 7 g, Cholesterol 55 mg, Carbohydrate 42 g, Protein 3 g, Sodium 290 mg, Fiber 0 g
Cook’s Tip: To substitute rum extract for the rum, prepare cake mix according to package directions, adding 1 tsp rum extract. For glaze, use 1/2 tsp rum extract with 2 tbsp water; combine with powdered sugar as directed.
Do you have a favorite recipe that calls for Cool Whip? Leave a comment with it!
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(This post will remain at the top of the site all day today, scroll down to see the newest deals.)
Welcome Tacoma News Tribune readers! If you read today’s article in the Tacoma News Tribune, welcome to Queen Bee Coupons & Savings. This is the place to get the daily buzz about grocery sales, printable coupons, online deals and more. With a focus on Puget Sound, you’ll get deals that are relevant and local to you!
New to couponing?
If you are new to couponing, this is the place to start saving. Check out my bee-ginners section of the blog for some coupon basics. Consider taking the FREE coupon class I’m offering next week at the Tacoma News Tribune. I always recommend people take a class to get started. Couponing can be so much more than just clipping a coupon here or there – you can really save big with the right tools and knowledge.
The high cost of beer, wine and alcohol can really take a gulp out of your monthly grocery budget. You’re not going to find any alcohol coupons, at least not in Washington, but you can save on these items when you take advantage of rebates.
My husband prefers the “micro-brew” beers and although we buy it rarely and only when it’s on sale, these can be expensive splurges on our grocery bill, so we take advantage of rebates like this Redhook one when we can.
I found this form at the local Albertsons, but I’ve seen it at various other stores as well. It has five options for $5 refunds on beef, chicken, seafood, spices and pasta when you purchase Redhook beer. I think you can do each rebate per household.
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If you have an old freezer or fridge in the house, now might be the coolest time to get rid of it! Tacoma Public Utilities will haul it away for FREE, plus give you a check for $30! Take that $30 and buy an energy efficient freezer or fridge to save up to $140 a year on your electric bill! Now that’s a money saver!
PLUS, when you schedule your pick-up, make sure and request a FREE home energy kit which includes two compact fluorescent lights, an energy- and water-saving showerhead, and a kitchen faucet aerator!
Visit the Tacoma Power Know Your Power web site to get more information!
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If you think you’re a crazy couponer, be rest assured, you’re in good company. Americans saved $2 Billion using coupons in the first half of this year! That’s up 37% from before the recession, according to a study done by Valassis, the company that puts out the Red Plum coupon insert in the newspaper.
Here are the highlights from the study:
- Companies are offering more coupons than ever before - with 18 billion more coupons (for consumer packaged goods) released between January to June 2010, an increase of 11.4 percent from a year ago and 24.8 percent from 2008.
- Overall coupon redemption has increased 7.9% year-to-date, with the highest growth (12%) being in health and beauty care.
- Coupons have shorter expiration dates, lasting 9.5 weeks compared to 10.6 weeks in 2009.
- Coupon values are higher, with the average value up to $1.43 for the first half of 2010 compared to $1.37 for 2009.
- The newspaper continues to be the primary resource for coupons, with companies continuing to distribute 85% of their coupons via newspaper and mailed coupon inserts. (Get coupon inserts! Check out my special Sunday paper rates for the Tacoma News Tribune!)
- Internet printable coupons are growing at a much faster rate than any other distribution rate, up 79% from a year ago. Internet coupons represent only 1.2% of all coupon distribution.
I find these kinds of studies fascinating! Of course, please remember the source, Valassis is in the business of coupons and they want their investors to think they are part of a promising and lucrative future. Although I do think there is validity in their study, I just like to consider the source when considering how much weight to put on the statistics.
View the complete Valassis press release here.
What are your thoughts? Leave a comment, I’d love to hear from you!
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Do you remember back in May when I told you about the super deal on Dinners Done Right through Groupon? I snagged the deal right up with the baby on the way and I heard from quite a few readers that also took advantage of the one-day sale. Anyhow. . . I finally went and made my meals tonight and I have to tell you how fun and easy it was!
My August copy of the All You magazine came in the mail yesterday and it’s full of coupons! This magazine comes out monthly and honestly has mediocre articles and content – but the coupons make it worthwhile. The coupons are usually higher value than the coupons from the newspaper and it definitely pays for itself.
There are only two ways to get the All You magazine – buy it at Walmart for about $2.40 a copy, it’s the only store that carries it, or get a subscription for it. The subscription is the cheaper route to go. You can get a one-year subscription from Amazon.com right now for $19.95, making it only a $1.66 per issue. The two-year subscription is only $34, a better deal at only $1.42 an issue!
Here are the coupons in the August issue:
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I discovered Mint.com in May and I LOVE it. It’s a FREE online budgeting program that connects directly with your checking account(s) and/or credit cards and helps you stay on track each month. Keeping a budget spreadsheet is surprisingly something I’m horrible at – I love SAVING money, but I hate tracking it – so I like that it does most of the work for me. In the last month it’s really helped us see where we were spending money and I think it’s helped us save more!
I’d love to hear your feedback about Mint.com if you’ve used it before – leave a comment and let me know!
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This post is LOOONG overdue! I think being organized is one of the most important things when it comes to being a successful couponer. Time is money and if you’re wasting time searching for a coupon, wasting time clipping stacks of coupons and overwhelmed with a mess of coupons, you won’t keep couponing!
So I updated my Coupon Organization page with these tips on how to organize your coupon inserts. . .
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There are a couple great deals on Wheat Thins this week and I’m sure we’ll see more this month. If you’re buying Wheat Thins – look for specially marked boxes that include a FREE Sample of Crystal Light Pure Fitness and a coupon for $1 off any one Crystal Light Pure Fitness Drink Mix Product inside (expires 3/31/2011)! Look for a little sticker in the top right corner of the box that says “FREE sample inside” (see picture above).
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Expired coupons are inevitable – there is just no way to physically use them all before they expire, so do you throw them away? No way!
U.S. military families stationed overseas are able to use expired coupons for up to six (6) months after the expiration date. It’s an easy way to support our military families who sacrifice so much for us!
Here are a couple programs to check out for more information:
Have you been overseas and benefited from this program? Have you sent your expired coupons overseas? Leave a comment and let us know!
(Thanks, Francie!)
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Is shopping at Costco and other bulk retailers cheaper than clipping coupons and shopping sales? I get this question a lot and there isn’t really one right answer – but I think in general it’s a better deal to clip coupons and shop sales. You’d be surprised after figuring out the per unit price how much you’re actually paying vs. if you had bought it at the store on sale with a coupon.
This post explains my thinking on Costco vs. coupons and includes a price list for common items at Costco and I’ve figured out the per unit price for you! This way you can easily compare prices when you’re out shopping. Wahoo! I’m super excited about this price list.
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I’ve made freezer meals in the past – simple things like making an extra batch of enchiladas or an extra lasagna, but with the baby coming in nine weeks, I’m going to get serious and get my freezer stocked up!
