this week is a mess!

I don't know what my problem is.  Actually I do know, I'm tired, my tummy hurts, and I keep waking up at 6:30 every morning when I really need to sleep in a bit.  I have no energy and it takes everything I've got just to do what I have to. 

Everyone says that this will pass, I'm at nine weeks and I hear my energy will come back...but I need it now! 

Just the thought of this week has me wanting to crawl back into bed.  I have rehearsal tonight (and have to work all day), then 3 performances on thursday, friday, and saturday.  Then I have to work up for another big (different) performance the next weekend that I'm running.  I have so much busy work and final details to go through.  Then I've got a recital next weekend and a church Christmas party that I'm supposed to be doing something for, not sure what.

So far my menu plan has been a joke!  I had an apple, pb, and saltines on monday, then boiled some macaroni  and topped it with jarred sauce Tuesday.  I've already made my chicken salad for lunch and pb&j for dinner, so no better there. 

Anyway, if I get around to shopping I"ll post my stats here but I'm not even sure if I'll shop.  I may just keep eating the cereal and apples!

On a good note, my Christmas shopping is all done!

Menu Plan Monday

My goodness!  What a week it's been in our house.  I'm sure it mirrors a lot of your weeks as well.  We had a TON of food, snacks, sweets in the house and a few extra mouths to help us eat it.  Now the holiday is over, the leftovers have passed their 3-4 day rule, and it's time to start fresh. 

Monday:  Eggplant parm, broccoli
Tuesday: grilled chicken salad
Wednesday: Turkey soup (from freezer), garlic toast, salad
Thursday: leftovers or something boring like a can of soup
Friday: buffalo stuffed chicken, cauliflower, rice
Saturday: bacon/blue burgers, potatoes, veggie
Sunday: I'll leave this blank in case we go out or something.

Black Friday Shopping

About 7 years ago, I got up at 4:00 and stood in line at Walmart.  It was 30 degrees and sleeting rain.  We waited about 1 1/2 hours and then stampeded in. I did get my TV, although I really did have to get aggressive to keep it, and then we waited in another line for over 2 hours to check out.  I also waited in line at Best Buy for over 2 hours with my sister so she could buy a cheap shower radio.  After that year, I swore that I'd never do that again...my time is more important...blah blah blah. 

This year, I am again tempted.  I'm getting up around 7:00 and heading to the Office Depot.  They will have been open for an hour, and I'm hoping they won't be too swamped.  The reason is the cheap Kodak camera.  My husband is DYING for this camera and I've been price checking all over town:  $60 is awesome deal.  I'm also in charge of buying the cordless phone with extra hand sets for my parents, and I think I'll get it today, assuming it's not too expensive.  I may also grab the CD-Rs for $6 if I see them.

Other than that, if I get a chance to prepare a Rite Aid or CVS stop, I may, but probably not.  I hope to be home in time for breakfast at 9:30!

Happy Thanksgiving

Today I am thankful for my husband, my family, my country, my church, and my new little baby on the way! Also pinnocle and rum cake!!!

I Saved 34% at Bi-Lo

Although I did pay full price for a lot of stuff, I feel like I had a great trip today.  I'm at $250 total for the month, and really only need about $30 worth of "stuff", mostly produce, to finish the month off.  This seems incredible to me that I can get through November spending under $300 for groceries, in fact I spent more last month and there was no big holiday or house guests.  I guess that speaks for planning, couponing, and working the sales!


My biggest "non-coupon" spending went to ingredients for the spiced tea (see Sunday's post) and the walnuts.



So anyway, to my big Bi-Lo trip.

2 2-Liters Pepsi
1 2-Liter diet cherry 7-UP
1 2-Liter Root Beer
1 Peprich Farm stuffing cubes
4 lb bag Dixie Crystal sugar (used $.50/1-paid $1)
2 Kraft Miracle Whip (used 2 $1/1 Face book Qs)
2 Dole Mandarin Oranges (used $.50/2 All You Q)
1 Lipton Instant Decaf Tea
1 6 Qt Tang
2 Nestle Coco Mix (Bogo)
3 bags walnuts
Bread (Bogo)
2 store brand potato chips
2 store brand saltine crackers
2 sparkle big rolls of paper towels (used $1/2)
1 Bounty Napkins (forgot my darn Q but got anyway)
2 Smart Balance Milks (used 2 $2/1)
1 gallon milk (used $1 off wyb Sara Lee Bread peelie)
2 LOL real butter (used $1/2)
1 store brand large sour cream
18 count eggs
1 lb chicken livers
1 head romaine lettuce
1 bag cranberries
1 Bartlett pear
4 bananas

Subtotal:  $98.21
Total: $65.15

I'm going with a savings of 34% which is close, but I'm too lazy to do the math!

Thanksgiving Menu

Well, here's my plan for Thanksgiving.  We'll have 5 adults in the house, and probably enough food to feed 10! I've linked to quite a few recipes, and I want you to know that I have tried and follow each of these to the tee (except the muffins, but I'm assuming they'll be good cause they're from the Fairhope Foodie).  They are all wonderful!




Breakfast: Snickerdoodle Muffins, fruit, bacon


I'm planning on having "dinner" about 3:30 or 4:00, so for lunch, I'm just going to set out snacks for everyone to graze on.  So when dinner comes, we'll be ready to eat.

Snacks: Veggie tray, Liver Pate/Pub Cheese/Garlic toasts and crackers, Chips and dip, relish tray (olives, pickled beets, pickles, roasted red peppers), pigs in a blanket (you gotta love crescent rolls and Lil smokies)


Dinner: Roasted Turkey (I use a herb butter under the skin to give it an awesome flavor), stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn casserole, asparagus with holandaise sauce, cranberry orange relish, Waldorf salad (minus the celery and raisins), rolls, apple pie with a dutch topping, Georgia peach cobbler


I'm also planning on making Bacardi Rum Cake to have around the house...it is incredible and easy if you're looking for a rum cake!

And either Thursday or Friday I'll make my famous turkey soup with parsley dumplings.  I discovered this recipe about 5 years ago and LOVE IT!

Menu Plan Monday

Well this week is obviously different than most weeks.  We'll have more mouths to feed (yay) and of course a ton of food in the house (double yay).  I'm all over the Thanksgiving Menu planning, and I'll post that tomorrow.  But I still wanted to put out a menu for everything planned before and after the holiday.

Monday:  Buffalo stuffed chicken, something else!

Tuesday:  I'll be cooking and cleaning all day today, so we'll probably eat cereal, sandwiches, and pizza (in this order)

Wednesday: Snickerdoodle Muffins, sausage, fruit (breakfast)
                    Cesar Salad, Mushroom soup (lunch)
                    Dinner out-I bought a $50/$100 Q at Restaurant.com when it was 80% off

Thursday: see menu tomorrow

Friday: Quiche, fruit (breakfast)
            leftovers (lunch)
            Bacon and blue cheese burgers, roasted cauliflower (dinner)

Saturday: Omelet, fruit, hashbrowns (breakfast)
               leftovers (lunch)
               Either Italian or Mexican: I've got most of the ingredients for either, so we'll
               take a vote!

Sunday: I'm pretty sure hubby and I will be alone this day, so we'll probably just graze
             on the leftovers.  I'll also have made a big pot of my famous turkey soup that I
             make every year (the secret is the dumplings) so we'll have that around as well.

Spiced Tea

This is an old family favorite that us kids used to love during the cold season.  We enjoy it ourselves, but it also makes a nice "teacher gift" in a mug or a cute tin.  The smell (and taste) will put you in a festive mood, I promise!

I had my first mug of this today, and even though it is about 60 degrees here, it still was nice and nostalgic to have a warm mug of spiced tea.

Spiced Tea

2 C Tang
2 C sugar
3/4 C instant tea
1 t Cinnamon
1 t ground cloves

-Mix all ingredients well.  To make all you do is put about 1 T in a mug of hot water.  Some people like it stronger and some a little weaker, so you can make adjustments to your taste.  I use big mugs, so I always use a little more!

Getting the House Ready

Well, I'm thrilled to have some company for Thanksgiving this year.  We live so far away from most of our family that we are often alone or have to do the travelling.  This year we'll have my parents, my grandma, and my husband's cousin.

So last weekend, I organized every cupboard, drawer, and closet.  I also sorted the pantry and my "gift wrapping station" (really just a dresser in a spare room).

This weekend, we did even more.  I LOVE my husband.  He drug out the ladder and vacuumed the beams in our 24 ft tall living room and then did the ceiling fan.  This hasn't been done since we moved in 2 years ago because I've always been afraid to do it myself.  He actually decided today was the day.  Then he did every ceiling fan in the house (there are 7).

What a guy!  Now I just have the regular stuff to do: Vacuum, dust, dishes...that sort of thing.  I can handle that on Monday or Tuesday.  And of course the cooking, I'm all over that.

Great Shopping trip-saved 51% at Ingles

Well, although I was pretty ill and busy this week, on my day off I did hit up Ingles to pick up the things I need on sale.

3 Chex Mix's (2 $.50/1, 1 $1 off)
1 Wheat Thin ($1 off)
1 Jello Instant Pudding
3 No Yolk Noodles (all free with 3 $/50 off)
2 unidentified dollar items-i can't believe I don't know what I bought!
1 Oscar Meyer Bacon (for eating)
1 Carolina Pride Bacon (for cooking)
10 lb bag potatoes ($3)
5 lb bag apples ($3)
4 lb bag oranges ($3)
1 salad (on managers special also with $.75 off)

Total before Q's and sales:   $44.54
Total After:$21.55

Food Lion Trip-saved 76%

Although I was pretty down this week, I did get out on Tuesday (my day off) to catch a few sales...I've been trying to get what I need for Thanksgiving week and Christmas baking ahead of time so I'd get the best deal.  

I went to he Food Lion really because of the buy 4 Kellogg's Cereals and get an instant $5 off your bill.  So I bought 2 Rice Krispies (2/$4 with $1/2 Q) and 2 Strawberry All Bran's (2/$4.27  with $1/2 Q).  This got me 4 boxes of cereal for  about $1.27, and the Rice Krispies had a peelie, buy 2 get a pack of marshmallows free!  Jackpot!

Here's all I got

4 boxes of cereal (really cheap)
1 pack marshmallows (free)
2 Hunt's tomato sauce (FL printable, $1/2)
2 Treasure cove blue cheese ($1/2)
3 lb ground beef

My total before Q's and sales was $44.20, and after everything, I paid $10.99.


                                     

Friday Food Waste

I've been inspired by The Frugal Girl to participate in her Friday food waste movement. What a neat idea to be held accountable for the food we throw away. So this week, I kept track of the food that I tossed.


Well, Since I've been so sick this week, food waste is at an all time minimum! It's my first no waste week, and it's mostly explained by me hardly cooking anything and us scavanging the fridge for anything etable.  But I'll take it, with the holiday coming up, I'm afraid we may have too much next week.

Menu Plan Monday

My husband is the sweetest.  I suggested that he make me something for dinner last Thursday because I would be home late and he really is a good cook when I let him in "my" kitchen.  He defrosted some perch and made a foil packet with pineapple chunks and some citrus/current jam which he cooked on the grill.  He also made mashed sweet potato puree and cut up veggies to go with it.  Never in a million years would I have cooked my fish with pineapple and currant jam...but it was delicious!  So notice who's cooking this Thursday again!!

Monday: fish fillets, roasted veggie cous cous
Tuesday: Grilled chicken, cottage cheese, broccoli

Wednesday: left overs
Thursday: Husband's Choice!!
Friday: Tomato/Basil burgers, home fries
-I'm also feeling like I NEVER stick to my menu Sat/Sun so instead, I'm going to tell you what I made LAST weekend!

Saturday: Feta stuffed chicken with a balsamic glaze, wild rice, cut up cucumber
Sunday: Grilled Porkchops, roasted potatoes/carrots/onions/b. squash/cauliflower (notice the leftover veggies in the cous cous "tomorrow")

Bacardi Rum Cake

I sat down late in October and jotted down my menu for thanksgiving. Then I made a list of ingredients that I could buy ahead of time, so I could watch the sales and get the best prices. This got me to thinking about my family's favorite Thanksgiving Day recipes. I thought I would share a few with you and maybe inspire you to think ahead to the holidays a bit!

About this rum cake recipe...it is fantastic.  I straight up copied it, so I won't go to the trouble of copying it out here...but I HIGHLY recommend it.

It used a yellow box cake along with a few other ingredients to "doctor up" the box (including dark rum).  Then after it's cooked, you soak it in butter mixed with rum.  It is moist, delicious, and addictive.

I often feel that if it doesn't have chocolate, I don't bother with it.  But this cake is the exception (the liquor helps).  It also lasts for an extra long time, I think the butter soak keeps it from getting dry...it doen'st really last that long at my house though!!

What's For Dinner

I made a pot of soup the other day that was really delicious and was made from "stuff" laying around.  I'll list my "recipe" but I don't really expect anyone to follow it exactly.  The idea is, you put in what you have and use up all the bits and pieces from your freezer/fridge/pantry! I served it with a cornbread mix I got for free at Bi-Lo (I threw in a handful of cheddar cheese and it was quite tasty).

1 large carton chicken broth
1 can tomatoes
a few carrots
one onion
a stalk of celery
handful of Lima beans from freezer

half a can of corn
bay leaf
pinch of thyme
1 t salt
1 t McCormick Montreal seasoning (it needed something when it was done)

-Cook all these ingredients together 30-45 minutes, then add

1 can navy beans
12 meatballs from the freezer
handful of WW egg noodles

-simmer another 20 minutes

I could eat soup everyday, and the great thing is that it's pretty healthy if you make it right!!

Friday Food Waste

I've been inspired by The Frugal Girl to participate in her Friday food waste movement. What a neat idea to be held accountable for the food we throw away. So this week, I kept track of the food that I tossed.


That's what I get for bragging!  Last week, I blogged about 3 mushrooms, and that was it.  Then today I actually cleaned the fridge and found quite a few things that should have been tossed last week!  Oh well. 

1) Pozole (pork and hominy soup) I pulled from the freezer and promptly forgot about.

2)Yogurt-I bought a ton of this when it was almost free, and although we ate about 7 packages, the last one was just too much.

3)Buttercream Frosting-I made a bunch of pumpkin cookies for a bake sale and had this left over.  I was going to make a cake or something, but it's just 2 of us and we would have eaten it all.  I'd rather it go in the trash than on my hips!

4)1/2 roll phyllo dough-this kills me, but I just didn't get to my second batch or phyllo rolls in time and this dough is not good when not fresh

5) tiny bit of porkchops/mashed potatoes-WAY OLD!  Gross.

6)1 T cream cheese

7) 1 T blue cheese

Food Lion quick trip-72%

I did a fast run into Food Lion this weekend, basically to get some free toothpaste.



I got:

2 Crest Toothpastes (used 2 $1 off and got them both for free)
3 2-Liters Diet 7-UP
1 2-Liter regular 7-UP (used 2 BOGO Q's)

This means I got $9.46 worth of stuff for $2.62! This is about a 72% savings.

Publix Menu-$50.50

Here's this weeks Publix menu. If you have a family of four, this should give you seven dinners to serve spending only $50.50. I use these prices/coupon matchups to see what's on sale this week and what Q's are available. Of course, your store may not accept every kind of coupon, and you may not HAVE every coupon, but this gives you an idea of what to serve this week.  The crock pot beef roast/french dip combo is one we do at my house all the time.  We also buy a lot of dried pinto beans as a side to any Mexican dish...but in this menu they take center stage in the nachos. (We often eat just pintos in their broth with a little cheese melted on top as a meal.)

If your pantry/freezer is anything like mine, you can do a few meal substitutes to save even more this week!

Chicken patty Sandwich, stuffing and sauteed squash ($7.78)
Shrimp Paella with corn on the cob ($10.72)
Beef Roast, cheesy rice, steamed broccoli ($14.00)
Spaghetti, fruit, rolls($4.35)
French Dip, potato salad ($1.99)
Chili dogs, french fries, veggies ($5.75)
Bean Nachos ($5.91)



Chicken patty Sandwich, stuffing and sauteed squash ($7.78)

• Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dip Bodacious Onion,  free with coupon
• Perdue Breaded Chicken Patties, $2
• French Hamburger Buns, 8 ct, $2.79 (save 4 for french dips)
• Kraft Stove Top Stuffing Mix, 5 or 6 oz, $.99
• 2 lbs Yellow, or Zucchini Squash, $2

Shrimp Paella with corn on the cob ($10.72)

• Vigo Saffron Rice, free with coupon
• 1 lb Large Florida Pink Shrimp, $8.99
• 1 can chicken broth
• 2 Hunt’s Tomatoes, $.40 (only use one)
• 4 Corn on the cob $1.33

Beef Roast, cheesy rice, steamed broccoli ($14.00)

• 4 lb 7-Bone Chuck Roast, $10 (cook in crock pot with pantry spices and a little water or broth-save half for dinner later in the week)
• Hormel Country Crock Side Dishes, $2
• Broccoli, $2

Spaghetti, fruit, rolls($4.35)

• Bertolli Pasta Sauce, $1.25
• Ronzoni Pasta, Selected Varieties, free with coupon
• 1/2 lb Ground Round, $1.85
• Del Monte canned fruit (free if you can use RA video values Q)
• Publix Ready to Bake Rolls, $1.25

French Dip, potato salad ($1.99)

• Left over burger rolls
• left over roast, shredded
• left over broth from crock pot for dipping (you can simmer this with onions or mushrooms if your family likes)
• Publix Southern Style Potato Salad, $1.99

Chili dogs, french fries, veggies ($5.75)

• 1 package National Kosher All Beef Franks, $1.50
• buns, estimated $1.50
• can of hot dog chili, estimated $.75
• Alexia All Natural Potatoes, (french fries if they're included) $1.50
• Birds Eye Voila!, $.50

Bean Nachos ($5.91)

• 1 bag dried pinto beans ($1) (soak overnight, rinse, and then cook a few hours covered in water with salt, bullion, onions...or whatever!)
• Margaritaville Tortilla Chips $1.66
• Sargento Shredded Cheese, $1
• shredded lettuce, estimated $1.25
• tomato chopped, estimated $1
  
  

Chicken Liver Pate

I sat down late in October and jotted down my menu for thanksgiving. Then I made a list of ingredients that I could buy ahead of time, so I could watch the sales and get the best prices. This got me to thinking about my family's favorite Thanksgiving Day recipes. I thought I would share a few with you and maybe inspire you to think ahead to the holidays a bit!

Our Christmas Eve family celebration always consists of everyone bringing their favorite appetizer.  It would not be complete if my dad did not make this!  I'm planning on serving this the day before Thanksgiving along with some cheese spread to keep us full while we play cards.

CHICKEN LIVER PATE
2 sticks butter
1/4 stalk celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 lb chicken livers
1 tsp parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

• Melt butter until bubbly.
• Add celery and onion.
• Saute well, until most of the moisture content is cooked out of the vegetables.
• Add chicken livers and saute until just done.
• Stir in all other ingredients.
• Cook several minutes more.
• Allow to cool.
• Blend on high till smooth.
•  Chill before serving.

Menu Plan Monday

I totally blew the menu plan last week.  After I had made it, I realized I missed a few important details of the week.  I forgot that school was out for election day, so my husband had the day off.  So we went out for lunch instead of having leftovers, which meant that I did not make a meal for dinner.  I also forgot that my husband was going to be out of town on Thursday and Friday, so those two meals were scratched.  I have a history of getting a Domino's Philly cheese Steak pizza when he's gone (I love it/he hates it) but this time, I just had some leftover soup and Doritos.  So, you'll see a lot of repeats from last week!

Monday:  turkey/gravy, Roasted cauliflower/carrots/onions/butternut squash
Tuesday: veggie soup with meatballs, rolls

Wednesday: leftovers
Thursday: grilled cheese cut up veggies
Friday: tacos, beans, rice
Saturday: taco salad
Sunday: fish, veggie, rice

The blackberry cordial is finally ready!

Finally, after weeks of waiting my blackberry cordial is finished! I made it in late August and it had to sit for 6 weeks (I turned it once a week).  I broke it open mid October and it was worth the wait. 







I drained and strained the mixture to get out all the blackberries and seeds.

  My husband insisted on saving the blackberries, although I was ready to toss them.  I figured we had used all the "blackberry goodness", he figured we had blackberries that had soaked in vodka and they would be delicious.  I declined to try them, but the guys ate a few.  If they're still in the freezer in a few months, I'm tossing though!

The cordial was very sweet, and pretty strong.  It really did have a strong blackberry flavor to it, too. I enjoyed 2 glasses and then had to drink some water!  I'm planning on trying a shot in some iced tea to see what that tastes like. 

My verdict is...go for it!

Ingles Shopping Trip-I saved 70%!

I had 2 $5/5 Kraft coupons left that were going to expire in 12 days, so I took them to Ingles where assorted Kraft cheese was on sale for $2.  Here's what I did...

2 Kraft cubed CJ
2 Kraft shredded swiss
2 Kraft shredded sharp cheddar
1 Kraft shredded monteray
1 16 oz Breakstone cottage cheese
2 16 oz Breakstone sour creams

Total Before Qx and sale prices: $34.45
Total After/Out of Pocket: $10.54

Publix Shopping Trip

I had a great shopping trip at Publix this week.  I bought VERY few things that were not on sale and I didn't have a Q for.  Doing this, I saved 77% at Publix!

1 Frozen Peprich Farm Dinner Roll (these has a try me free rebate on them)
1 Jenny O Turkey w/gravy meal for 2 (used a $.55 peelie-paid $1.45)
1 Saltine cracker
1 Pringles Xtreme (used a Free Q)
4 Craisins (BOGO)
1 Corn Tortilla
4 Green Giant canned Corn (used 2 $.50/2)
2 Os-Cal tablets (used a Px $5/2, and 2 $3 man Qs-getting $1 overage)
1 Old El Paso taco seasoning (buy 2 get one free Q)
1 OEP refried beans ($.50 Q)
1 OEP taco shells
3 Stonyfield plain yogurts ($.50/3)
1 Rubber Maid Produce Saver (used Px $1 and Man $1-made it $.69)

Total I Paid: $17.46-but I'll get a $3.49 rebate from the rolls
so I'm counting the total as $13.97 paid for $60.34 worth of groceries.

Friday Food Waste

I've been inspired by The Frugal Girl to participate in her Friday food waste movement. What a neat idea to be held accountable for the food we throw away. So this week, I kept track of the food that I tossed.

Hardly any waste this week...I'm proud of myself.  I would take a picture of the 3 button mushrooms that were sliming up a zip loc, but my husband has the camera at the beach.  Not to bad, though!

I do have a fridge FULL of veggies, so I'll have to make sure it all gets used or else next week will look bad, and I'll be mad at myself.  I already made some butternut squash (plus carrots, celery, onion) soup and used up the rest of the cream to make it VERY decadent.  And I've got veggie/meatball soup on the agenda as well, so we should be okay.

Odd shopping trip at Publix

I bought 8 Thai Kitchen noodles (used 8 $.50 off-all doubling to make these free)
1 cauliflower
1 broccoli
1 lb asparagus

Total: $5.89

I was thrilled to have 8 free packages of my new favorite thing, and the prices on these fresh veggies were the best I've seen in a while.  I've got a ton of items in my stockpile, but nothing really compares to fresh veggies!

If you're a couponer, check out this post to do some purging of expired coupons.

Publix Menu-Feed your family for $50.02 this week!

Here's this weeks Publix menu.  If you have a family of four, this should give you seven dinners to serve spending only $50.  I use these prices/coupon matchups to see what's on sale this week and what Q's are available.  This week, I gave you one beef option, one pork option, one vegetarian option, and 4 chicken options.  I guess it's a good week for chicken!  Happy cooking.

Pork Spare Ribs, baked potatoes, steamed veggies ($11.59)
Beef Stew and rolls ($8.96)
Homemade Chicken noodle Soup, rolls and steamed veggies ($5.41)
Chicken and dumplings, roasted veggies ($6.35)
Chicken tossed salad and Progresso soup ($5.12)
Portabella Spaghetti, garlic toast, steamed broccoli ($5.65)
Fried Chicken, Baked Beans, canned corn ($6.94)


Pork Spare Ribs, baked potatoes, steamed veggies ($11.59)
If you're anything like me, you have the ingredients for this linked up recipe, if not, just use a bottle of BBQ sauce instead but follow the cooking directions.

• 3 lb Pork Spareribs, $7.50
• 2 Green Valley Steamers, save one for later $1.40
• Idaho Potatoes, 5 lb bag, $2.69

Beef Stew and rolls (this recipe is similar to the one I make-scale to 4 servings) ($8.96)

• 1 lb Beef  $3.99
• Yellow Onions, 3 lb bag, $1.99 (you won't use them all!)
• Carrots, estimated $1.50
• Beefy mushroom soup-buy 2 Progresso soups using 2 coupons, $.29
• Original Recipe Buns 8 ct $1.19 with target Q (save 4 for chicken soup day)
• (I'm assuming you have the cornstarch and oil)

Chicken Soup, rolls and steamed veggies ($5.41)

• 3 lb Publix Whole chicken, $3.60 (use all for broth but reserve some meat for salad later)
• leftover carrots and onions
• 2 noodles-Barilla $.27 (save one for another meal)
• 1 Eat Smart Veg, $1.66
• dry spices from your pantry

Chicken and dumplings, veggies ($6.35)

• 3 lb Chicken, $3.60
• eggs, estimated $1.25
• 2 C flour, estimated $1.50
• (I'll assume you have the bullion, if you have to buy this hopefully you have the flour or eggs to make up the money)
• extra bag of GV steamers

Chicken tossed salad and soup ($5.12)

• Reserved chicken from soup
• Ocean Spray Craisins, $.13
• Emerald Honey Roasted Peanuts,  $1.60
• Kraft or Seven Seas Salad Dressing,  $.60
• Publix Salad Mix. $2
• 1 Cucumber, $.50
• 2 cans Progresso Soup, Any Varieties, 18 to 19-oz can, $.29

Portabella Spaghetti, garlic toast, steamed broccoli (5.65)

• Noodles from the other day
• New York Texas Toast, estimated $1.40
• Baby Portabella Mushrooms, 8 oz, $1.69
• Eat Smart Broccoli  $1.66
• Francesco Rinaldi ToBe Healthy Pasta Sauce, $.90 (yellow flyer)

Fried Chicken, Baked Beans, canned corn ($6.94)

• 8-pc Fried Chicken Drumsticks & Thighs, $5.99
• Bush’s Best Baked Beans. $.66
• 2 Green Giant Canned corn $.29

Corn Casserole

I sat down late in October and jotted down my menu for thanksgiving. Then I made a list of ingredients that I could buy ahead of time, so I could watch the sales and get the best prices. This got me to thinking about my family's favorite Thanksgiving Day recipes. I thought I would share a few with you and maybe inspire you to think ahead to the holidays a bit!

Here's is a recipe that I have made EVERY TIME we have a turkey!  My husband like to deep fry a turkey for the Superbowl, the Michigan/Michigan State Game, any party we have where more that 10 people are invited...you get the idea.  I always accompany it with this casserole.  I like it because it's delicious (of course) and it also works great in a crock pot so I've been know to make a double batch to put on a buffet for a major party.  A man in my church choir used to bring this to every pot luck we had, and I fell in love!!

Max's Corn Casserole
1 can creamed corn
1 can whole kernel corn
1 Jiffy corn bread mix
1 stick butter/margarine
1 C sour cream
2 eggs
salt/pepper
8 oz shredded yellow cheese

Mix all but the cheese in a casserole dish or crockpot.  Press the cheese down on the top of the other ingredients.  Bake  in a 350 degree oven for one hour, or cook on low for 6-8 hours in a crockpot.  Presentation is a little better in the casserole dish, but the ease in the crockpot and the fact that it leaves the oven free is worth it for me!

October Budget Review

Here's an overview of how much I had planned on spending on EVERYTHING this month and how it actually worked out. Our retirement and medical premium is taken out already.




Savings Account: planned/actual: $400

Household Expenses: (mortgage, utilities, garbage, Internet...)
                                  planned: $1388 actual: $1336.36
Credit/Loan Payments: (includes gym membership, credit card, student loan, personal loan)
                                 planned: $585.52 actual: $585.52



Cars: (including car payment, insurance, gas, maintenance)
                 planned: $421.5 actual: $423.93
Groceries/Drug Store: planned $300 actual: $334.37
Entertainment: planned: $300 actual: $231.21
Spending Money: planned: $300 actual: $300

Other: including vet bill, charity, home improvement tools: $142.87


Total Expenses: $3754.26
Total Income: $3889.89
Excess: $135.63
I am very pleased we have a bit of money left over this month.  Adding to the 200 from last month, we've got a good start on an unexpected trip.  I just found out my sister is getting married in 2 months 12 hours north of us.  This brought on lots of anxiety for me about money.  I started stressing about money for Christmas, travelling, and all the extra things I'll have to throw at the wedding to make it special like hair, tanning, nails, champagne, wedding present.  Although it'll be a small wedding, I want my sister to feel special!

I sat down and jotted down all the extra things I'd need money for and adjusted our Nov/Dec budgets for it.  Now I feel like I have control and we can do what we need to do.  I will have to skip the savings account in December to make it happen, which I"m not thrilled about, but it's doable.

Menu Plan Monday

It's a new month and I'm heading in to it with a new perspective!  I'm dedicated to having a stress free holiday, and that starts with me planning now.  I'm trying to add 5-10 items I need for Thanksgiving to each weeks shopping list (watching the sales of course) so I'll try not to make too many dinner items that need a lot of things I don't already have on hand.

Monday: Taco Pie, sausage cheese dip/tortilla chips
Tuesday: Grilled Pork chops, roasted cauliflower, cous cous
Wednesday: leftovers
Thursday: Vegetable soup with meatballs, homemade rolls
Friday: Shrimp red Thai curry, rice
Saturday: Tomato/Basil Burgers, pasta salad with lots of veggies, corn on the cob
Sunday:  Lemon/mushroom chicken, roasted potatoes, broccoli salad

I have pretty much everything on hand to make everything, except the curry which I'll have to buy pretty much everything!  I've been craving red curry like mad...so I can't help but dream.  If something gets bumped, it will be that, and I may just get some take out for myself for lunch to feed the craving.

Throw Out Expired Coupons-June, July, August

My coupon binder had got to the point where it was just overflowing.  It was completely out of order and bulging at the seams.  That is a clear sign that some purging was in order.

So, it's time to make some room in your coupon binders for November. In order to make this happen, I'm clearing out June, July and August. Before you throw the whole insert away, there are a few exceptions to the "expired" rule. See below for unexpired Q's you may wish to keep. The list becomes longer towards the end of August, but I kept going because I really needed to purge!!


If you have older inserts than June, check out my coupon purging posts from earlier!

March/April   May

Let me also say that I am limited to the coupons that are in MY inserts.  There are regional differences between inserts, and I also use a lot of Q's, so I may miss reporting one if I've already used it.  I very carefully look through every insert and do my best to give you the best information available to me, but YIMV (your inserts may vary).
Smart Source 6/6 Toss the Whole Thing
Red Plum 6/6 Toss the Whole Thing


Smart Source 6/13 Toss the Whole Thing

Red Plum 6/13 Toss the Whole Thing

Smart Source 6/20

• There's Fischer snack Q (makes for free snacks at Px) that is good until 12/31

Red Plum 6/20 Toss the Whole Thing

Smart Source 6/27 Toss the Whole Thing

Red Plum 6/27 Toss the Whole Thing
---------------------------------------------------------
Smart Source 7/11 Toss the Whole Thing

Red Plum 7/11 Toss the Whole Thing

Smart Source 7/18

• There is a Q for eggs good until 12/31
• There is a Motrin Q good until 11/30

Red Plum 7/18 I didn't have one of these?

Smart Source 7/25

• There is a Yeast Q good through 12/31
• There is a Goof Off Q good through 12/31

Red Plum 7/25 Toss the Whole Thing
-----------------------------------------------------------
Smart Source 8/1

• There are Phillips Tooth brush Q's good through 11/30
• Act mouth wash Q's good through 11/31
• $3/3 first aid Q's good through 11/30
• Welch's Jelly good through 11/31

Red Plum 8/1 Toss the Whole Thing
PG 8/1 Toss the Whole Thing

Smart Source 8/8

• There are some Scotch tape Q's good through 11/13

Red Plum 8/8

• There are Goodies pain reliever and Rhodes rolls good through 11/30

GM 8/8 Toss the Whole Thing

Smart Source 8/15

• Pedia Sure (11/30) Bio Tru (12/31) Blue Plate Mayo (11/31) Shrek (3/31)

Red Plum 8/15

• Cesare Dog treats (11/9) Imodium (12/15) Caltrate (11/13)

Smart Source 8/22

• Pyrex (12/31) Arm and Hammer (11/31) White Castle Burgers (11/20)
• Zantec and Zaditor (12/31)
• Beggin strips and friskies (11/21) Frigo String Cheese (11/31)
• French's Dipping Sauce (12/31) Curel Bandages (11/31)

Red Plum 8/22 I didn't have one of these

Smart source 8/29

• Pace salsa, success rice, brookwood farms item (11/31)
• Moore's wing sauce (11/30) Mold Armor (12/31)
• Damp Rid (11/31) Atkins products (12/31)

Red Plum 8/29

• There is a Nutella Q good until 11/21)

PG 8/29 The only thing in here not expired is the PG rebate form. 
              I have 3 extras of these if anyone is in need...

20 Free Thai Kitchen Noodles

So I went on eBay and ordered 20 $.50 off of any one Thai Kitchen product. This is a great deal because my Publix has the ginger flavored noodles for $.99.  After they double, the noodles will be free!  I paid $1.54 for the coupons with shipping, so I consider this a victory for couponing!!!

If you've never tried these, I recommend giving them a try with the Q from a recent Red Plum (can't remember which one).  The flavors are a bit more complex, the noodles are WAY better texture and the nutrition is better, too.  One whole package has 190 calories and makes a great lunch with a salad or piece of fruit.

Friday Food Waste

I've been inspired by The Frugal Girl to participate in her Friday food waste movement. What a neat idea to be held accountable for the food we throw away. So this week, I kept track of the food that I tossed.



This first picture happened Monday.  I decided to eat a pretzel and cheese snack pack that, when I looked, had expired 12/09.  It had obviously been lying around our house for a VERY long time.  I was desperate and tried it anyway, and the pretzel was horribly stale. 

I also pitched 1/3 of a can of Kraft Parmesan.  I had got it out for my husband to use on the spaghetti and he never put it away.  It sat on the counter all night, so I didn't trust it.  I did get 4 cans of grated parm for free from Bi Lo a few weeks ago, so that took out the sting.

Other than that, I pitched 2 breakfast sausage links that I thought were long gone and 3 chicken tenders that I was going to give the dog but then didn't because of her stomach "issues".  You're welcome for using the word issues and not explaining in detail the horrible things that have been happening in her box at night!

Ingles Shopping Trip

I don't go to Ingles very often.  I usually find  their coupon policy annoying, and I especially hate it during triple coupons days.  I always have some problem or headache that occurs.  But I headed there today to get a few things.  Mostly I wanted to get Krusteaz Muffin mixes and I NEEDED dog food.

I only had about $35 left in my grocery budget this month, and I went over, but for a good cause...you'll see.  I'm also stocking up for the holidays.  I have a (very long) list of non-perishables I need for the Thanksgiving Day and weekend, and I'm trying to get them as they go on sale.

3 Krusteas Muffins (used 3 $.50 Qs)
1 Diet Sierra Mist 2-Liter
2 gold Medal flours (too good of a deal to pass up)
2 Jiffy Corm bread mixes (also pretty cheap at $.44)
1 Corn chip
1 rotel tomato
1 marked down cottage cheese (the produce/dairy mark downs are my favorite thing about this store!)
1 can creamed corn
2 Yellow cake mixes
1 salad mix (marked down to $1.50, I used a $.75 Q)
4 Crescent rolls (used 2 $.40/2)
1 dry dog food (used $1 off-here's where I blew the budget, but the small $5 bags are not lasting long enough and I'm sick of running out.  So I got the $16 bad that is 4x bigger-totally worth it)
2.8 lbs ground beef
1 sausage roll (marked down to $1.79-I cooked that day and froze)

Total was $41.29

Cranberry-Orange Relish

I sat down late in October and jotted down my menu for thanksgiving.  Then I made a list of ingredients that I could buy ahead of time, so I could watch the sales and get the best prices.  This got me to thinking about my family's favorite Thanksgiving Day recipes.  I thought I would share a few with you and maybe inspire you to think ahead to the holidays a bit!

Here's a recipe for Cranberry-Orange Relish.  I got this out of a magazine years ago and quickly adopted it as my own.  I love the citrus flavor it has, and with 4 ingredients, it couldn't be simpler.



 Cranberry-Orange Relish

12 oz fresh cranberries, picked over and washed
1 1/2 C sugar
1/3 C OJ
1 T orange zest

Cook the first 3 ingredients in a sauce pan over med. heat until most of the berries have popped.  This usually takes about 10 minutes (stir frequently).

Stir in zest and let cool.

Feed your family of four for $48.05 this week!

Now here's the thing. I'm not actually feeding a family of 4 with this menu. It's a family of two for us, and we're not picky. We eat leftovers, cheese and crackers for dinner, cereal...we eat well sometimes and other times we just eat. If you'd like to see what we're actually eating check out this Menu Plan. But I'd like to help give you guys an idea of what you can buy at Publix this week and get on the table. You can probably eat a meal or two out of your pantry and do some substituting to spend way less. With the exception of the meatloaf, I would (and do) make these meals on occasion. The most frequent and favorite things from this weeks menu are the roasted cauliflower (with smoked paprika for us), lentil quiche, tomato chicken and cheesy potato soup!

So Here's This Weeks Menu:

Monday: Fish Tacos with rice ($7)
Tuesday: Chicken Pattie Sandwiches and Creamy tomato Soup ($7.33)
Wednesday: Creamy Pasta Bake with garlic bread ($2.83)
Thursday: Meatloaf, roasted red potatoes, crudites ($13.48)
Friday: chicken breast cooked in tomato, roasted cauliflower ($7.49)
Saturday: Gordon's fish fillets and potato cheese soup ($3.93)
Sunday: Lentil Quiche, roasted potatoes ($5.99)

GRAND TOTAL: $48.05 and I know you can get lower than this by buying your ground beef cheaper and using ingredients from the pantry!

Monday: Fish Tacos with rice ($7)

• Taco Bell Home Originals Dinner! Assorted $.35 (with All You Coupon)
• Gorton’s Premium Fish Fillets 2 for $4.40 (with 1 px yw and 2 $1 offs)             will use the other package Saturday
• Shredded Lettuce estimated $1
• Rice a roni estimated $1.25

Tuesday: Chicken Patty Sandwiches and Creamy tomato Soup ($9.33)

• 2 Perdue Breaded Chicken Chicken Tenders $2.39
• Nature’s Own Sandwich Rounds, $1.45
• Extra Shredded lettuce from Monday,
• Sauce from fridge/pantry (mayo, salad dressing, mustard….whatever)
• You can get miracle whip for $.21 at Target right now
• V8 100% Vegetable Juice, $1.49
• 1 large onion estimated 1 (save ¼ for Thursday)
• milk estimated $3

         (I’m assuming you have flour and butter)

Wednesday: Creamy Pasta Bake with garlic bread $2.83

• 3 Hunt’s 100% Natural Tomatoes, Assorted Varieties, 28 oz can, $1.89 (use one)
• Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Pasta or Garden Delight, (free or $ maker with $1 off)
• Kraft Velveeta Cheese, $.93 (with Target Q)
• Broccoli bunch $1.50
• Cole’s Garlic Bread $.40

Mix blanched broccoli, cooked pasta, melted cheese and  tomato together in baking dish. You can add any spices like garlic, onion, pepper, Italian seasoning...whatever sounds good.  Sprinkle with bread crumbs or crumbled crackers if desired and bake 350 20-30 minutes.


Thursday: Meatloaf,  mashed red potatoes, crudites ($13.48)

• Tomato juice: paid for Tuesday
• 1.5 Ground Sirloin, $6 (buy this cheaper somewhere else to save)
• oats estimated $1 (hope you got it last week at $.25)
• dozen eggs, estimated $1.50
• onion: paid for Tuesday
• Red Potatoes, 5 lb bag, $2.99
• Apple and Cheese or Vegetable Platter, $1.99

Friday: chicken breast cooked in tomato, roasted cauliflower ($7.49)

Easiest way to make chicken breasts that taste awesome! Brown 4 breasts in oil or Pam and cook maybe 5-10 minutes. Dump 2 cans of diced tomatoes on top, cover and cook about 10-20 minutes longer on a low heat until cooked through. Chicken is SO tender when cooked this was and very healthy.

•  2 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, $5.99
• Tomato (paid for wed)
• Cauliflower $1.50

Toss cauliflower with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and paprika, or any other spice you think sounds good.  Roast in a 425 degree oven about 20-25 minutes.  Stir once or twice.

Saturday: Gordon's fish fillets and potato cheese soup ($3.93)

• The extra bag of fish fillets from Monday
• 6 red potatoes
• Kraft Velveeta Cheese, $.93 (with Target Q)
• shredded carrots, estimated $1.5
• frozen peas, estimated $1.5

Peel potatoes and slice thin, just barely cover them in water in a soup pot and simmer about 10 minutes.  Then add in the carrots (and onion if desired) and simmer another 10 minutes.  Cube Velveeta and stir into hot soup.  Add a few handfuls of frozen peas and cook on low about 2-3 minutes more. 

Sunday Lentil Quiche, roasted potatoes ($5.99)

•  Publix Sour Cream, $.99
• 1 small onion, estimated $1
• lentils, $1
• broccoli florets, $1.5
• 1 lg tomato estimated $1.5

            Use leftover milk, eggs and potatoes from other days

There you have it!  Seven meals for your family spending only $48.05 (plus tax).

Creamy Chicken Pockets

Creamy Chicken Pockets

1 Cup diced, cooked chicken breasts
3 oz softened cream cheese
1 t grated onion
minced garlic clove
1/2 t parsley (fresh or dried)
splash of milk
salt/pepper
-------------------------------
2 T  bread crumbs (I often add smoked paprika to this)
1 T melted butter
1/2 packet of crescent rolls (4 rolls)

*This recipe will make 2 packets, you can double to make four allowing you to use the whole can of crescent rolls




Mix the first 7 ingredients together to make filling.
Press 2  rolls into a rectangle  and place half of the chicken mixture in the center. 
Fold the rolls over and seal. I always end up making mine the shape of a large thick hamburger.



Brush the pocket with butter and coat with bread crumbs.
Bake in 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes.



Here are our "fancy" sides we had with it! 



*To freeze this recipe, put the chicken mixture in a bag and label, freeze the can of crescent rolls as is, and (if you want) freeze the bread crumbs in a separate bag.
*On dinner morning thaw, and assemble that evening.
*I don't find it necessary to freeze the breadcrumbs because they keep year round in the refrigerator.  I also use the 4 leftover rolls for something else, because as a family of 2, we don't really want to eat the same meal twice in a row. I do double the chicken recipe and use it later with a fresh can of crescents, though!

*This recipe is adapted from Once-a-Month Cooking by Mimi Wilson and Mary Beth Lagerborg.  I found that the original recipe needed a little spicing and creaming up.

Menu Plan Monday

I'm doing a small chicken freezer session tomorrow, so this weeks menu will feature a few of those recipes. I'm also trying to spend very little this week so that the grocery money doesn't run out, so some of the recipes are a little redundant.

Monday: Chicken Packets, roasted potatoes, crudites
Tuesday: Lemon Mushroom Chicken (recipe to come), onion flatbread,
Wednesday: left over spaghetti
Thursday: leftovers/something boring like canned soup or PB&J
Friday: eat out
Saturday: Old-Fashioned Chicken and Rice with a veggie
Sunday: Fish Fillets, baked potato, veggie

Here's what's on the list of things to make and freeze tomorrow:

Old-Fashioned Chicken and Rice (3 2-serving meals worth)
Lemon Mushroom Chicken (2 2-serving meals worth)
Chicken Packets (1 2-serving meals worth)

*update: I made 6 meals in under 1 hour Sunday:
             it took a little longer to clean everything up though!

Budgeting

I've always felt like I was very aware of where our money went.  There was always money for the bills, and slowly but surely our debt has been going down...but a lot of money slipped through our finger tips and there never seemed to be enough left over to do all the "fun stuff" we wanted. 

So I started planning a strict budget this summer, when we were struggling to get by without dipping into our savings.  But I didn't start following it until September, when our income was "restored".

Last night, when I couldn't sleep, it suddenly occurred to me that since the first few days of following the budget, we didn't go into overdraft once!  Now for us, going into overdraft is no big deal and it happened mostly because I had a bunch of checks in my purse and never made it to the bank.  We didn't spend money we didn't have, but we did often have that transferring of money from one account to the other, and then have to replace it a day later. 

But by having a budget, that has been eliminated!  How cool is that?  We're ahead, not just skimming the line.  I think we've especially stopped the money flying out the window in the grocery (me) and bar (him) departments. Now, after we've spent the allotted money, we just stop.

For those of you who are curious, after bills are paid/retirement accounts funded/insurance paid, this is how we spend the rest of our money.

$400 into savings (My husband is dying to get his hands on this money, but I have so-far won this battle.)

$400 for groceries/drug store items

$300 for spending money, split between the two of us (This goes for clothes, hair cuts, take out, bar tabs, what ever we like.)

$300 for entertainment that we do together (Mostly going to the bar and eating out.)

So my best advice to someone who would like to get their finances in order is to TRACK YOUR SPENDING and the limit overspending in any category that you see fit.

Apple Dip

I'm sure this recipe has been around forever, but if you don't know about it...you need to try it!  Easy, Yummy, Cheap: my kind of recipe. I've got a drawer full of cream cheese thanks to the Kraft coupon a few weeks ago, so this recipe was basically free for me to make.



Apple Dip

1 bar Cream Cheese-softened
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 t vanilla
1/8 cup chopped peanuts (optional) this is also good with toffee chips instead of nuts or plain with no "add-ins"

Mix everything together and let set in the fridge for a few hours for the sugar to disolve.  Serve with chopped up apples...awesome!!! This tastes like creamy caramel dip.

Friday Food Waste

I've been inspired by The Frugal Girl to participate in her Friday food waste movement. What a neat idea to be held accountable for the food we throw away. So this week, I kept track of the food that I tossed.




It started with two bags of Spatz's garlic toast...which kills me.  We currently live 12 hours South of the little local bakery in Michigan that produces these culinary miracles (okay, I may be exaggerating a little, but they're really good). I love them with cheddar cheese spread, but I especially love them in French onion soup.  So when I stocked up this summer, I put them in the freezer like I usually do.  But this time they got REALLY freezer burned and tasted terrible.  I guess I wasn't in the mood for French Onion Soup when it was over 100 degrees this summer. 

On the plus side, I did find that Texas Toast will do in a pinch to float in your soup.  It was pretty tasty.

The rest of our food waste was one lonely tamale.  It was part of a combination platter at a Mexican restaurant we tried.  It must have been freezer burn week, because that's what this tamale tasted like.  I hated it, my husband hated it, so we tossed it.

Not a bad week as far as food waste goes...

Rite Aid Trip-Allergy Meds

I saved over $40 at RA this week!!

I"ve been back and forth about my allergy medication.  I find that Cetrizine (RA brand) works great at controlling my severe allergies and is budget conscious if you buy a bigger bottle.  I take it religiously about 6 months out of the year and occasionally the rest of the year...and it tends to affect my sleep.  For the first month or two I can sleep 12 hours at a time and have a heck of a time getting up even then, and when I stop taking it, I toss and turn for at least a week. So I've been trying to decide if I should try something else or what.

Then RA made my choice for me.  Cetrizine is BOGO this week.  I'm sold!!

So I got 2 packages (120 pills each) for $25.85. This is an 8 month supply!

They are originally $32.99, so it was $66 worth of pills, BOGO takes off $32.99, I used a $5/25 and a $1/1.  I also used my $3 remaining UP rewards. 

I'm pleased and have decided to just be happy with the fact that my allergies are in control.  If I sleep a little more than usual...so be it.

Publix Menu: Feed a family of 4 for $50 (and change)

Now here's the thing.  I'm not actually feeding a family of 4 with this menu.  It's a family of two for us, and we're not picky.  We eat leftovers, cheese and crackers for dinner, cereal...we eat well sometimes and other times we just eat. If you'd like to see what we're actually eating check out this Menu Plan.  But I'd like to help give you guys an idea of what you can buy at Publix this week and get on the table.  You can probably eat a meal or two out of your pantry and do some substituting to spend way less.  With the exception of the hot dog stuff, I would (and do) make these meals on occasion.

While these may not be the healthiest options, I did include a protein, starch and veggie in every meal. 

Monday: Pizza, bread sticks, salad
Tuesday: Egg Muffin Sandwiches, sausage, fried potatoes, yogurt
Wednesday: Hot dogs, noodles, corn on the cob
Thursday: Pork chops with mushroom soup, mashed potatoes, frozen veggies
Friday: Steak Sandwiches, salad, baked potato
Saturday: Shrimp/Asparagus/Mushroom Pasta with bread sticks
Sunday: Hot Dog Casserole, veggie

The $50 Challenge Menu for this current week is now available, too!

Monday: Pizza, bread sticks, salad ($4.40)

• Tombstone Pizza, $2.90
• Fresh Express Salad Blend with coupon, $1
• Cole’s Garlic Mini-Loaf, 8 oz, $.50 (yellow flyer deal with coupon)

Tuesday: Breakfast for dinner ($7.25)

• Thomas’ English Muffins,  $.75,
• Eggs, estimated $1.50,
• Publix shredded cheese: $2
•  2 Banquet Brown’N Serve sausages $2,
• Fried potatoes (we'll factor the cost into another night)
• Yogurt Dannon DanActive $1 (yellow flyer deal with Q)

Wednesday: ($6.65)

• Hot dogs $2.00 (this leaves an extra package for later)
• Buns estimated $1.50
• Knorr Sides  $.65
• Georgia Sweet Corn 4 ct, $2.49

Thursday: ($13)

• Boneless Pork Chops,2 lbs $7.98
• Campbell's soup 2/$1
• Idaho Potatoes, 5 lb bag, $2.99 (will use in 2 other meals also) 
• Birds Eye frozen corn estimated $.75
• coat the chops with flour seasoned with salt, brown about 5 minutes a side in oil and then throw in onions/garlic (if you like) and a can of mushroom soup mixed with maybe 1/2 C milk/water.  I like to put in a teaspoon of vinegar (balsamic is the best) to enhance but you don't have to.  Cook, stirring frequently and flipping chops about 15 more minutes.   This makes a tender chop and has lots of gravy for the potatoes.

Friday: Steak Sandwiches: ($8.50)

• Steak-Eze Philly Beef Steaks, 6 pk,  5.99
• Cheese leftover from Tuesday
• Buns, estimated $1.50
• Salad with coupon $1
• Baked potato left from Thursday

Saturday:  Shrimp/veggie pasta with garlic bread $6.88

• 1/2 lb Medium White Shrimp, $2.99
• Asparagus, $2.49/lb
• Portabella Mushrooms 6 oz pkg, $2.69/lb,
• Pasta I'm estimating free because hopefully you've got it in the pantry
• Del Monte Tomatoes, Assorted Varieties, $.70
• I'm also estimating the sauce free because you should be able to make one from  an assortment of staples you already have.
• I'd cook some onions and garlic (if I had them) in some butter/oil for a few minutes.  Then throw in a tablespoon of flour and cook a minute.  Then I'd stir in something wet (broth, milk, wine, water with bouillon) and season with some spices that sounded good or a splash of vinegar.  Add to cooked pasta and shrimp/veggies sauteed in a fat and have a gourmet pasta.
• Cole’s Garlic Mini-Loaf, 8 oz, $.50 (yellow flyer deal with coupon)

Sunday: Hot Dog Casserole

• 1 package hot dogs (from Wednesday)
• 1 cornbread mix, $.75
• 1 can baked beans, estimated $1.25
• 1/2 pound ground chuck, $1.50 (the recipe calls for double hot dogs, but I think it would be better with 1 pk dogs and added beef)
• Birds Eye frozen veggie estimated $.75

The grand total: $50.32, and you could SURELY find some of these ingredients in your pantry/freezer to exchange or substitute for even more savings.

I saved 62% at Publix this week!

I hit up Publix this morning with a small list of necessities (coffee, oil) and deals (free Hungry Man dinners, Luna bar).  I got $62.83 worth of groceries for $23.98 which is especially good because I got 5 packages of coffee and fresh produce. Here's how I did it...

2 Hungry Man dinners (used 2 $2 off Q's-free with overage)
1 green pepper
1 cucumber
1 tomato
4 kiwis
5 Eight O'clock coffees (used 2 $2/2 and 1 $.75/1)
1 Quaker Oatmeal (used $2 off)
1 large Pompeii Olive Oil (used $1 off)
2 Thai Kitchen Noodle soups (used $1/2)
1 Luna bar (free with $.50 Q from Mambo Sprouts bk)
1 Cascadian Farms fz raspberries ($.75 printable)

This was the first time I remembered to take a picture of my groceries, and then I found out the memory card was not in the camera...oh well, maybe next time!

Menu Plan Monday

Well, I got cocky and dropped by grocery budget from $400 to $300 this month to funnel the money somewhere else.  So the month is half over and I'm 2/3 of the way through the money...it's another week of living out of the freezer/pantry. 

Monday: grilled pork chops, pasta salad, steamed carrots
Tuesday: Annie's Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips, grilled cheese, salad
Wednesday: something boring like leftovers or a can of soup or something
Thursday: tacos
Friday: feta cheese rolls, Greek salad
Saturday: Cuban black beans and rice
Sunday: tilapia, roasted potatoes, steamed carrots

shopping list: frozen raspberries, 2 kiwis, tomato, green pepper, cucumber, chili powder (coffee, allergy meds)

Pepper at the Pumpkin Patch

We went to the pumpkin patch this week, and she was too cute to resist!  I had her in a pumpking t-shirt, but the little s$%t chewed a hole in it while she was wearing it. Isn't she cute.

Easy Layered Egg Bake

Here is a recipe that was introduced to our family by our Spanish exchange student in 1996.  It has been made MANY times since then and we all really enjoy it.  I find that it makes a good breakfast or lunch option (great for company because it is make ahead) and is even a good appetiser for parties. 



For many years, we've used a store bought pie crust, Kraft yellow and white slices, and ham lunch meat in a perfect rectangle.  This is wonderful, but today I used a homemade pie crust and "fancy" ham lunch meat because that was what I had and it was just as good, if not better.  The Kraft coupon deal has my cheese drawer stuffed and Bi Lo had their whipping cream BOGO, so this recipe was on the brain! I'd love to try it with "real" cheese as well as the rest of the ingredients, so I may try that again soon.

Easy Layered Egg Bake (will always be known as the "Ana cheesy egg thing" by my family!)

1 pie crust, homemade or store bought
9 slices of yellow cheese (singles)
9 slices of white cheese
1 small package of ham lunch meat
3 eggs
1/2 pint whipping cream

-Preheat oven to 325 degrees

-Press crust into a 9x13 ungreased pan, only coming up the side maybe 1/2 inch or less



-Layer all of the yellow cheese on top




-Top with 2 layers of ham



-Layer all of the white cheese




-Mix the cream and eggs together and pour over the top.




-Bake about 40-45 minutes uncovered.  It will get a few bubbles in it and they may turn
brown, but will still taste and look  delicious. Best when served cold!

Friday Food Waste

I've been inspired by The Frugal Girl to participate in her Friday food waste movement. What a neat idea to be held accountable for the food we throw away. So this week, I kept track of the food that I tossed.

It was a great week for us this time. The only waste this week was 1/2 of a lime (not pictured because it was thrown away by my husband).

I was unhappy with all of the stuff I tossed last week, so I went to great lengths to save everything.  I ate a very sad looking salad with sort of wilted looking lettuce and a mushy tomato.  It tasted fine, but I normally would have just tossed it...one more day and I would have had to.  I also packed a sad looking dinner last night...3 day old eggplant parm, and cauliflower in cheese sauce that was on it's last legs.  I really wanted to toss it and get take out, but I didn't!  I also made sure to serve cut up veggies at every meal so they didn't go to waste.  I find if I don't cut em up, we don't bother to eat them. 

Rite Aid trip

I didn't do GREAT at Rite Aid this week, but I did use my $5 UP rewards before they expired, so that's something!

Here's what I got for $11.99 (and I'm going back today to get a $2.69 refund)

2 7-UP 2-liters (used a BOGO coupon) I'll save this for the punch I make at my cmas recital
6 bags fun-sized Kit Kats (2 $1/3 Qs)
1 Garnier Fructise styler (1 RA $1, 1 $1 man Q)I see this rang up as $2.69 over the advertised price, so I'll go back and get a refund or exchange for something that was on sale for $2.5)
1 Maybeline Gel Eye Liner ($2 off Q)-this looks AWESOME!!
1 Blistex lip ointment
I also used a $5/25 Q and $5 in UP rewards

So my total (after my refund) will be $9.30, (and getting $3 UPs and $1.50 in SCR)

When you stop to consider the fact that the eyeliner was full price $9.49, that sounds better.  It's like I got all my Halloween candy for free this year +.

Great deals at Target this week!

I made a trip to Target today to grab some deals.  Really I needed a few Scrubbing Bubbles products but ended up with a lot more.  Here's what I got...

1 Scrubbing Bubbles Fresh Max refill (free w/q)
1 SB Fresh refill ($1 off Q)
SB 2-pk shower cleaner refill ($2 off Q)
2 Hershey's Kisses regular (2 $1 Target Q, $1/2 man Q)-for Xmas cookies
2 Kikomen soy sauce (BOGO Q)
1 kikomen teriaki sauce ($1 off Q)
2 Coffee Mate creamers (2 $1.50 Qs)
2 Lip Smackers (2 $1 off Q)
1 Rawhide dog bone-$.99
2 Purina Beneful singles (free with 2 $2 off Qs)
3 Act II mini popcorn boxes (3 $.75 off Qs)-for Halloween give away

My original total was $40.43, and after coupons I spent $15.94.

This is about a 60% savings!!

Wednesday confession...

Well, I did it today.  I was tossing my mixed paper recycling in a giant dumpster and I spied a sunday newspaper right on top.  I assumed (correctly) that the coupon inserts would still be there and they were.  I spend about 3 minutes digging around on the top of the pile and found 4 inserts.  If my husband hadn't been there, I probably would have found a few more but I was a bit embarrassed...

So yes, I will dig in a dumpster for coupon inserts...would you?

Shopping at Bi-Lo

Well, I did make it out to Bi-Lo this weekend and did some good stocking up.  I'm starting to think ahead to the holidays and buying things I'll need as they go on sale, hence the oatmeal and brown sugar (and flour, broth, bread crumbs last week).  I don't want a major $250 grocery bill for the week of Thanksgiving, so a little towards it every week seems like the way to go. 

Here's what I got:

1 32 oz Dixie brown sugar ($.75 off Q)
1 32 oz Southern Home brown sugar (free-buy theirs/try ours)
2 4C Parmesan cheese (both were free with 2 $2 off coupons)
1 Sarah Lee bread BOGO
6 Bumble Bee tuna pouch (used 6 $.55 off which doubles making all free)
2 cans Beef broth
1 can kidney beans
2 SH old fashioned oats BOGO
Dog treats
Advil Caplets (free with Q)
2 SH margarine
2 SH eggs
1 SH whipping cream (this was BOGO, so I got a large carton for less than I was going to pay for a small carton)
1 SH milk
1 frozen Texas toast (used $.50 off Q)
1 package pork chops
2 one pound packages of ham lunch meat (used 2 $.55 off Q's)
1 Country Pride sausage roll, BOGO
1 SH perch fillets, BOGO
1 bag apples, BOGO
1 two pound bag carrots, BOGO
1 three pound bag onions, BOGO
1 carton of Whoppers, splurge

My total was $95.94 before savings and $46.96 after, so I saved 52%.

This feels pretty good considering I did get some fresh produce and meat/seafood.

Menu Plan Monday

I'm doing some baking this weekend, so we'll have lots of banana pancakes and pumpkin muffins for breakfast.  I'm also making fall sugar cookies for the church bake sale, so we'll have an assortment of cookies to munch on as snacks.  Also, I just got back from the Bi-Lo and got 6 pouches of tuna for free, so lunch will be a tuna sandwich, tuna melt, tuna on crackers or tuna salad at least 2 or 3 days.

Here's what's on the agenda for dinner:

Monday: leftover eggplant parmesan, garlic bread, salad
Tuesday:  Chili, cornbread, salad
Wednesday: leftovers
Thursday: pork chops with mushroom soup, mashed potatoes, broccoli
Friday: half price apps and dollar beers for us at chief's
Saturday: french onion soup and tuna melts
Sunday: flounder, roasted potatoes, cauliflower

Fall Almond Topiary Craft

Just wanted to give you guys a quick craft idea if you're so in the mood!

We made these 4 years ago as one of the three centerpieces for our wedding.




They were easy, quick and cheap, and now, years later, I still have a few that I love to put out. 

(Please ignore the dusty coffee table!!)

All you need is a small pot, a craft ball, a glue gun, and quite a few almonds.

Publix shopping trip

This is by far not the best "couponing trip" I've ever taken to Publix, but I've decided to share it anyway.  It seems like everyone is blogging about saving 90% or 75%, but for me, that's not always the case.  Last week, I had a $10 splurge item that messed up my totals, but I was very happy...and this week is the same.  We had an appetiser anniversary celebration Thursday that I did a little splurging for and I'm okay with my numbers even though they're not great.  I put the splurge items in italics so you'll see where I paid full price...I did plan the apps around items I already had, so I didn't really get that much.  Here they are...

1 package yellow corn chips
1 pk cinnamon/sugar pita chips
2 Planters peanuts
1 bunch green onions
1 Haas avocado (free with FB coupon)
1 bunch parsley
1 pk strawberries
1 red onion
2 Luigi Italian Ice's
1 Px flour
4 cans pumpkin
1 pk ham lunch meat
2 Progresso bread crumbs (used 2 $.50 off)
1 HV farmhouse dressing (used $2 Q-made it free)
4 cartons Swanson chicken broth (used 2 $.75/2)

My total was $33.72, I saved $11.77 in Q's and $14.62 in sale items.

So I got $60.11 worth of groceries for $33.72...not even 50% but I'm happy!

(So far this month I've spent $92 at the grocery/drug store/discount store.  I'll have to be careful that I don't go too overboard, I've only got $300 to spend all month.)

Friday Food Waste

I've been inspired by The Frugal Girl to participate in her Friday food waste movement. What a neat idea to be held accountable for the food we throw away. So this week, I kept track of the food that I tossed.

Before I share with you what I tossed this week, I'd like to share with you what I saved!  I used 1/4 of a carton of whipping cream (left over from the fondue), 1/6 bottle of white wine (practically unbelievable that I left a glass sitting there), the end of an onion and my last clove of garlic to make an unbelievable yummy sauce.  I also put chicken stock, mushrooms and butter in it.  All of that sort of looked like food waste, but it took a plain piece of chicken, mashed potatoes and a can of corn and made it feel gourmet!

 Now for the embarrassment...don't judge!!!

I cleaned out the fridge door and tossed a lot.  Now I only do this about once every 6 months and I'm not really cool with using things after the expiration date, so it is a large waste week.

From left to right:  a little bit of a yogurt smoothie, canned peaches, yeast (I replace every fall so my holiday breads are freshest), egg whites, ready whip, maraschino cherries, a tiny bit of pineapple juice, a little bit of veggie soup base, sour cream, pizza sauce, yogurt, peach jam, dressing and spray butter.

Most of this stuff was at least 3/4 gone, but not all.  All excuses aside, I vow to keep working on my habits and to reduce my waste.

I saved 50% at Publix and still got a giant bottle of wine

This was not my best savings trip ever or anything, but I did alright and got a lot of stuff that made me happy!  Here's the info...

2 Triscuts (used $1/2 to make them $2 a piece)
2 Old El Paso dinner kits (used 2 $.50 off to make them $.40 a piece)
2 Green Giant fz veggies (used 2 $.50 off making them both free)
2 Kraft white slices
2 Kraft yellow slices
1 Kraft bar cheese (used the Kraft $5/5 making them all $1 a piece)
1 diet ginger ale 2L ($1.79)
1 Sprite 2L (used  $.50 off making this $.79)
1 Pedigree Puppy Chow ($4)
2 Whole Fruit Sorbet (used 2 $.50 off, making them $.44 a piece)
2 Crystal Lights (used 2 $1 off making them $1.35 a piece)
1 WW Bread ($2)
1 bag apples ($2)
1 giant bottle of wine ($10) this is what made me the happiest

Grand total was $34.34
I saved $36.19, so a little over 50% while still splurging...that's alright with me!

(I also made a big trip to the produce market spending a little over $11 for a ton of veggies!)

Anniversary Eats

Well, tomorrow is our Fourth Anniversary.  We have developed a tradition of going to a Thai restaurant every year, because our first day in town (4 days after our wedding) this was the first thing we did.  But this year, I'm working until 7:00 and this is a little late for us to go out on a week night because Charles gets up so early.  So we'll go to The Lime Leaf Friday, and we're going to stay in Thursday. 

The 4th year is traditionally the year to give "fruits and vegetables".  Since we don't really get presents (at first we were too poor, now I'm too cheap) I decided to make an appetiser dinner with fruits and veggies as the center. I had originally planned something else, but decided to try some new recipes to make it a little more exciting.  All recipes need to be of the "make ahead" variety as well, which limits things. 

Here's what I came up with:                               

Annie's Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips (I'll buy the cinnamon chips)


Avocado Feta Salsa (Served on maybe bagel chips or crustini)



Ham roll ups (we need protein and I've got a ton of cream cheese)

I'll also put out a relish tray and some sort of nut mix.

New Clothes Surprise!

I was going through my fall clothes and putting away some of my summer stuff when I made an awesome discovery.  I had shopped some clearance last March and bought 3 new fall/winter tops that I forgot about.  So I now have new clothes that feel free because I bought them so long ago!  Add that to the 3 birthday tops and skirt I got last month and the new (to me) pants from the Goodwill, and I've got a weeks worth of clothes that are new. 

But the reason I'm writing this is to remind everyone to shop the summer clearance now.  Put away a few shorts and tank tops that you bought for $5 today, and you'll have a major surprise waiting for you next year.  I just may head out to the mall later.....

Preparing for Christmas with 'Simply Christmas'

I ran across a great idea at the Shabby Art Boutique.  She is putting the homemade and home baked back into the holidays with her 12 week plan have a stress free and enjoyable Christmas.

I joined (although I'm too stupid to know how to grab her button) and I can't wait to see what she suggests!

Menu Plan Monday

I'm trying to eat out of the pantry/freezer again this week.  I've been doing pretty good, and it's showing in our grocery budget.  Sometimes I get so excited about a deal that I over buy, and then we never eat the stuff!  I'm trying hard to get out of that habit.  So here's the plan.

Monday: creamed salmon with cheesy pinwheel bake, veggie
Tuesday:  Chicken Tacos, pinto beans, Mexican rice
Wednesday: leftovers
Thursday: fruit and veggies with dip, crab meat muffins
Friday: going out for our 4th anniversary-mmm Thai
Saturday: Mexican Pizza
Sunday: Spicy Coconut Shrimp over noodles, eggrolls

To Buy:  can of salmon, everything for Thursday (it's our actual anniversary so we want to do apps), 1 lb shrimp, one can coconut milk, fresh ginger

Beefy Rhinlander Stew

For some reason, I've been dying to try some lentil recipes, and I also had a few pounds of stew meat in the freezer that was calling my name.  That's how this recipe came about.  I started by using the base from this recipe. But my additions made it something completely different.  My husband truly couldn't shut up about how delicious this was.  He insisted that it tasted like his mom's bean from "back in the day" but I didn't really think pinto beans when I had this...I thought more like the best most interesting beef stew ever.


Beefy Rhinlander Stew
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb stew meat, cut into small chunks
5 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup chopped cabbage
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
48 oz beef stock
32 oz water
8 cloves of roasted garlic (optional, I just added cuz they were left over...very good tho)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 pinch ground pepper
1 cup dry lentils
1 cup potatoes, diced

• brown stew meat in oil, and set aside
• add bacon to the oil and fry about 5 minutes until it begins to get crispy, then add carrots, onions, and cabbage, saute an additional 4-5 minutes
• stir in flour, stirring and mixing over heat at least one minute
• then add broth/water and stir to mix.  Add meat, lentils, and seasonings (everything but the potatoes) and cook over low heat about 2 hours.  Stir frequently to prevent scorching.  You may add more water if you prefer a thinner base. 
• after 2 hours, add potatoes and cook an additional 45 minutes

I served this with garlic knots, and they were awesome.  I over-cooked at least a minute, but they were still awesome.

October to-do list

Well, I thought since it is a new month, I could use this space to set myself some mini-goals.

1. Last month, I tracked every dime that came in and went out, and I felt awesome and in control!  So this month, I vow to do the same.  I tweaked my budget to fit our needs a little better, so we'll see how it goes.

2. Work with the dog almost every single day.  She's pretty much got sit and stay down, although she chooses not to on occasion.  Now we're working on lay down and walking on a leash.  The leash walking is a big one!

3.  Keep up with my menu plan and stick to it...  I always start out great, but by the weekend, I'm craving Chinese, or some specific homemade meal that sends me out to the store with my debit card.  This month, I'm saving on groceries by practicing self control!

4.  Go to the gym at least once a week.   I really love yoga, and have attended at least 3-5 classes a week for years, but in the last 6 months or so, I just lost my mojo...not sure why.  So instead of declaring an all out five classes a week, I'm going to start back slow.  I can do once a week, and I know that that will lead to more.  Really, I just need to set my alarm and get up on time.  No biggie.  I can do this!!!

5. Clear out the garden for next year.  I've got dead plants sitting there, lettuce that bolted a long time ago and tomato and squash plants that are dead to the world, but still taking up space.  The only things left that are alive are a few herbs and some onions.  So I can take at least 45 minutes one day this month and pull everything up.  At least it's not 90 degrees everyday.  We finally had a cold snap a few days ago!

6. Go through winter/fall clothes.  If I do it now when I'm just starting to need them, I'll have a lot more options than if I put it off and try to get by.  I recall buying a few things on super clearance last spring, and have not idea what they are, so I'll have some surprises, which is fun.

Friday Food Waste

I've been inspired by The Frugal Girl to participate in her Friday food waste movement. What a neat idea to be held accountable for the food we throw away. So this week, I kept track of the food that I tossed.



This is BY FAR the worst! Two really nasty, "science project looking" pieces of pita bread. You know the tatziki I threw out last week? These were supposed to go with that. For some reason they were in a basket above the fridge where the oatmeal packets are supposed to go. I couldn't resist the close up picture. NASTY!!! 

Other than that, I'm on the fence about the 1/2 cup of cole slaw left over...if my husband eats it this weekend, it's safe, if not...I'm tossing it.  Time will tell.....