Country Kitchen
I received my first issue of "Refund Bundle" and a sample copy of "Purchase Power," monthly refunding bulletins, and find that they do contain many refund offers that you don't find in the stores, magazines, and newspapers. I am beginning to realize that to make refunding really pay off you must subscribe to some kind of monthly bulletin. Many of the offers listed in these two do not require forms, so you simply send in your qualifiers (box tops, proof-of-purchase coupons, labels, etc.) with your request for a refund. I had often wondered how these women who get $50 to $100 monthly in refunds and free gifts find the offers, since I never seem to come across that many offers in the stores where I shop or in the publications I read. "Refundle Bundle" is the monthly bulletin put out by Susan Samtur, the "Super Shopper" who recently wrote a book on refunding and saving money at the checkout. RB is a 24-page magazine. Included in the October issue were seven and one-half pages of refund offers that don't require forms, two and one-half pages that require forms, addresses to write to for various forms, and a list of freebies. There were also hints on refunding, notes from readers about their experiences, and six pages of "Switch 'n Swap" items where women all over the country advertise the forms they have to trade or sell and ask for those they need. It seems that to make the most of refunding you start swaping with other refunders who have what you need. In "Refundle Bundle" I found immediately four offers, not requiring forms, that I could take advantage of. I had the necessary qualifiers saved in my boxes of "junk" as my family calls my collection of labels, box tops, box bottoms, package wrappings, etc. I found a number of other "no form" offers for which I have some of the qualifiers and should be able to get the remainder before the expiration date, especially if I can find someone willing to trade qualifiers with me. "Purchase Power" is a smaller bulletin which has just started publication. It contained a few refund offers that I did not find in the larger "Refundle Bundle". Since it is a Maine publication and RB is a New-York one, "Purchase Power" sometimes might contain offers that are regional, that is, only current in New England, which RB might not carry. I was amazed to find that there are even Refunding Conventions. In RB, there was a list of conventions around the country for the month of October. You were to bring your refund forms, qualifiers, cash-off coupons, and have a big trading session, I'd guess. You did need to pre-register for these conventions. Many refunders in an area will form local clubs and get together weekly or bi-weekly to exchange forms, coupons, and qualifiers. There are many refunding magazines or bulletins available. I've reviewed the two above simply because they're the ones I've had access to. There are others which I imagine are just as good. But apparently, to get the most out of refunding, you should invest in a subscription to some refunding magazine. I resisted doing this for over a year and could not find nearly the number of refund offers I'd heard were available. By using a refunding publication, 1 think I should be aware of many more offers and hopefully can turn more of my "junk" into dollars. So many people commented on the Crock Pot recipes I included in my October 7 column a couple weeks ago. They seemed to feel easy meals are needed this time of year. So I'll include a few more this week. I always think of fall as Indian Pudding weather. Here is a crock pot recipe for that dish. Grease your crock pot and set it at High for 20 minutes. While the pot is heating, bring 3 cups milk, 12 tsp. salt, and 12 cup cornmeal to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly so that it does not stick or burn. Then turn down the heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes more. Combine 13 cup molasses, 3 eggs, 12 tsp. ginger, 14 cup sugar, 14 to 12 tsp. cinnamon, depending on taste. Slowly beat these into the hot mixture until smooth. Pour the mixture into the crock pot. Cover and cook the pudding on High for 2 to 3 hours. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired. Makes 6 or 8 servings. (If you are using the larger 5-qt. crock pot, you should double the pudding recipe). Cheese - rice casserole Combine in a bowl 2 cups cooked rice (not minute type), 2 cups grated cheese (sharp cheese is usually preferred), 12 cup milk, 2 beaten eggs, 2 12 cups grated carrots, 2-3 tbl. chopped onion, 14 tsp. pepper, 1 tsp. salt. Mix together well. Pour into the greased crock pot. Cover and cook at High for 2 12 to 3 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours. Chicken Casserole Mix together 3 cups chopped cooked chicken, 2 small chopped raw potatoes, 2 small chopped onions, 3 chopped carrots, 1 tsp. salt, 2 tbl. chopped parsley, 2 eggs, 1 12 cups chicken gravy, some poultry seasoning if desired. Pour into greased crock pot. Cover and cook on Low for about 8 hours.
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