Monday, November 30, 2009
Blogging update
This blog may be changing A LOT in the very near future.....please keep up at my other blog here for updates!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Savings at Food Lion
Saturday afternoon my husband and I ran into a nearby Food Lion store. It is not the store closest to us, but one a few miles away. I strolled into the meat market to look for some lunch meat, and I saw little pink stickers on a lot of the fresh meat in the cases, denoting that they had been marked down. I had talked with the meat market manager in the past and knew that their usual meat markdown days were Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, so I was not expecting to score any big deals. Closer looks revealed that there were some SUPER deals to be had, especially on pork! I got several packs or pork chops that had originally been marked at over $9 a pack, for less that $3! Packs of ground pork were marked down from $3.99 to a mere 75 cents. I grabbed several packages of the pork chops, but avoided the ground pork because it didn't look all that great. I noticed a sign sticking up out of the case that had an advertisement on it for pork, something along the lines of eating pork or grilling pork or pork is the other white meat or something, but I didn't really read the sign because my eye settled on something else.....there were coupons attached to the sign! That's right, each coupon was for $1 off of any package of fresh pork. I read carefully to make sure it would apply to the packages I had selected, and sure enough, it did! I scampered happily to the register and brought home my savings in a bag!
Of course, part of what I saved went towards the Heath candy bars that were buy one get one free by the register...I have been craving Heath bars for some reason lately!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
JC Penney
I went to JC Penney yesterday and I was thrilled to find that they were having a HUGE 75% off sale in all departments! They had jeans for my daughter in the girls plus section (which are very hard to find!) for less than $10 a pair and shirts in plus sizes for $5!!!!! It was a great time to go!
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Food Lion Mac and Cheese
For those of you in the Savannah area, I just learned that the Food Lion in Pooler has it's store brand macaroni and cheese dated Sept 2010 on sale for 10 cents a box. My hubby just called to tell me he picked up 30 boxes!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
50 free photo prints PLUS free shipping!
Thanks to the Money Wise Mom blog, I heard about an offer from Snapfish to get 50 free prints with free shipping. I just signed up with Snapfish again, with a different email than I had used with them before, and it worked great! I have used Snapfish a few times and the quality is great and I get my prints in about 3-4 days.
Try it! Click the link here and upload your pics. It's free...what have you got to lose?????
Try it! Click the link here and upload your pics. It's free...what have you got to lose?????
Monday, September 7, 2009
comments
If you are having difficulty commenting on my blog please email me at mom2rissa@yahoo.com
Thank you!
Thank you!
Friday, September 4, 2009
Slushies
We all love slushies in the summertime! Whether it's an Icee, a slush puppy, or a frozen drink from the gas station, they are all so good on a hot summer day! However, they can get expensive.
I fiddled around a few days ago and came up with this:
This is what I did. I poured an envelope of unsweetened kid's drink mix (I have used both KoolAid and FlavorAid with the same results) and about 3/4 cup sugar in the blender. I add one cup of hot water to dissolve the sugar, and blend on high for a few seconds to mix it all up well. Then I remove that center plastic lid thingie on my blender top and with the blender running on a pretty high speed, I think mine says "liquify", I start adding ice cubes one at a time. I blend until the blender container is full and the mixture isn't spinning anymore. Then I pour the thick mixture into glasses (use a spoon to help guide it as it is very thick and will come out in a big splash if you are not careful) and call in the family.
>
They love it and I estimate 3 glasses costs us waaaaaay less that even one store bought slushie!
I fiddled around a few days ago and came up with this:
This is what I did. I poured an envelope of unsweetened kid's drink mix (I have used both KoolAid and FlavorAid with the same results) and about 3/4 cup sugar in the blender. I add one cup of hot water to dissolve the sugar, and blend on high for a few seconds to mix it all up well. Then I remove that center plastic lid thingie on my blender top and with the blender running on a pretty high speed, I think mine says "liquify", I start adding ice cubes one at a time. I blend until the blender container is full and the mixture isn't spinning anymore. Then I pour the thick mixture into glasses (use a spoon to help guide it as it is very thick and will come out in a big splash if you are not careful) and call in the family.
>
They love it and I estimate 3 glasses costs us waaaaaay less that even one store bought slushie!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Another freebie for you!
Betty Crocker is giving away free samples of their wonderful AuGratin and mashed potatoes! To get yours, just chick here and sign up!
Friday, August 28, 2009
Shopping for the guys
OH MY GOODNESS!
That is all I can say about this post.
Let me begin with some background for you.
My husband works on a tugboat with 3 other men. They work 7 days and nights, then they are home for 7 days and nights. The men live together and work together on the boat, sharing meals as well.
The company provides these men with grocery money every week. The crew sends two men out to buy groceries for their boat for the week. They do not have to buy cleaning supplies or paper products, as these are also furnished by the company, and they bring their own toiletries from home.
Last week, they were a man short on grocery day and my husband asked if I would accompany him on the shopping trip.
You must remember that when I shop, I go to at least 3 stores and buy the sale goods there and we work meals around those items. You can imagine how hard it was for me to plan shopping at ONE STORE!
We started out with a list made by the crew for what they wanted for the week. It was separated by department, which made the process much simpler.
What shocked me was what we had to get! Each person has specific things they want, like Sprite Zero and Ritz crackers with Cream Cheese and Hot Pockets. But the hardest part for me is that they BUY NAME BRAND EVERYTHING, AND THEY DO NOT USE COUPONS AND THEY BUY WHAT THEY WANT NO MATTER THE PRICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was breaking out in hives when my husband put Pop Secret popcorn in the buggy....$6.99 for 10 bags. It did not matter that other brands were on sale, it had to be Pop Secret. Store brand soda was on sale for $1.99 a 12 pack, would that work? NOPE! Had to be Sprite Zero at nearly $6 a 12 pack.
I am not saying that this is all bad, they work a very hard and demanding job, often in bad conditions. I can see the point of getting what foods you like as a reward. But seriously, do you know how much money these guys get to spend on food every week?
$350
YIKES! I don't spend that in a month, including cleaning supplies, paper products, health and beauty items and pet stuff!
I will need medication if I have to do that again!
That is all I can say about this post.
Let me begin with some background for you.
My husband works on a tugboat with 3 other men. They work 7 days and nights, then they are home for 7 days and nights. The men live together and work together on the boat, sharing meals as well.
The company provides these men with grocery money every week. The crew sends two men out to buy groceries for their boat for the week. They do not have to buy cleaning supplies or paper products, as these are also furnished by the company, and they bring their own toiletries from home.
Last week, they were a man short on grocery day and my husband asked if I would accompany him on the shopping trip.
You must remember that when I shop, I go to at least 3 stores and buy the sale goods there and we work meals around those items. You can imagine how hard it was for me to plan shopping at ONE STORE!
We started out with a list made by the crew for what they wanted for the week. It was separated by department, which made the process much simpler.
What shocked me was what we had to get! Each person has specific things they want, like Sprite Zero and Ritz crackers with Cream Cheese and Hot Pockets. But the hardest part for me is that they BUY NAME BRAND EVERYTHING, AND THEY DO NOT USE COUPONS AND THEY BUY WHAT THEY WANT NO MATTER THE PRICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was breaking out in hives when my husband put Pop Secret popcorn in the buggy....$6.99 for 10 bags. It did not matter that other brands were on sale, it had to be Pop Secret. Store brand soda was on sale for $1.99 a 12 pack, would that work? NOPE! Had to be Sprite Zero at nearly $6 a 12 pack.
I am not saying that this is all bad, they work a very hard and demanding job, often in bad conditions. I can see the point of getting what foods you like as a reward. But seriously, do you know how much money these guys get to spend on food every week?
$350
YIKES! I don't spend that in a month, including cleaning supplies, paper products, health and beauty items and pet stuff!
I will need medication if I have to do that again!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Southern Living Magazine
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Snapfish
Have you guys tried Snapfish photo services? I saw an ad that offered 50 free prints when you registered. I signed up and although I had to pay a couple of dollars for shipping, I saw that when I checked out they also offered me a FREE 8x10 print. I [placed my order, and in just a couple of days my prints arrived. Now I was thinking, with service so cheap and so quick, these must be of inferior quality right?
WRONG!
The prints were crisp and bright, the finish was a brilliant gloss and all in all I was THRILLED with my prints!
My Publix coupon book had a coupon inside for new and existing Publix photo center user, which I discovered is through Snapfish so I used the Publix coupon and got 35 free prints again, delivered to my home in 3 days. How awesome is this? Just visit here to get your free prints.
The following coupon code will get you discounts and freebies. Just enter it at checkout.
PUBLIXFALL09= 35 free prints
But beware! The Publix website shows that they are offering a "deal" of 75 prints for $9.99, or 100 prints for $12.99. This breaks down to 12-13 cents per print, when Snapfish's usual price is only 9 cents per print.
I also found another website that details the policies and rates Snapfish against other photo sites. Click here for details and more coupon codes!!!!
WRONG!
The prints were crisp and bright, the finish was a brilliant gloss and all in all I was THRILLED with my prints!
My Publix coupon book had a coupon inside for new and existing Publix photo center user, which I discovered is through Snapfish so I used the Publix coupon and got 35 free prints again, delivered to my home in 3 days. How awesome is this? Just visit here to get your free prints.
The following coupon code will get you discounts and freebies. Just enter it at checkout.
PUBLIXFALL09= 35 free prints
But beware! The Publix website shows that they are offering a "deal" of 75 prints for $9.99, or 100 prints for $12.99. This breaks down to 12-13 cents per print, when Snapfish's usual price is only 9 cents per print.
I also found another website that details the policies and rates Snapfish against other photo sites. Click here for details and more coupon codes!!!!
Monday, August 17, 2009
Meat for my Freezer
I lucked up again yesterday and found bone-in chicken breasts on sale at Kroger for 99 cents a pound. We got 12 pounds of chicken.
Kroger also sells a value pack of frozen ground turkey. It contains 4 one pound chubs and costs $6.99.
When we got home, I left two of the chubs of ground turkey as they were and put them in the freezer for a recipe I am doing next week. The remaining two chubs I thawed and then browned with some onion in it. I found that by following a suggestion I found over at Moneywise Mom's, preparing the meat this way saves so much time! Plus, it is ready for a quick meal when you need it. Just open a ziploc bag and dump the cooked meat into a pan with a jar of spaghetti sauce or season it up and use for tacos, or dump it in for Hamburger Helper. Half of the work is done ahead of time, so it is great for busy nights!
Then my husband and I tackled the chicken. First, we removed the skin from three chicken breasts and laid them in my crockpot. I dumped on a can of Rotel tomatoes with cilantro and lime juice and set it to cook on low for 6 hours. (Money wise Mom used regular Rotel, but that is too spicy for us so we use this milder version which is FABULOUS!) Next, we pulled off the big part of each remaining breast and put the bones and tiny scrap pieces of chicken, along with the tender strip that remains attached to the bone, in a large pot with some onion and garlic. I cut up enough of the chicken breasts for chicken soft tacos last night, then put the remaining (now boneless and skinless) chicken breasts into 2 ziploc bags.
After the chicken was done boiling, I drained off the broth and put it into 3 plastic freezer containers. When the meat was cool enough to handle, I picked it from the bones. There was enough to make one recipe's worth of diced cooked chicken, while I use in my chicken casserole, and then what was left I divided among my three freezer cups for chicken and noodles or chicken and dumplings or chicken soup.
Once the crockpot chicken was done, I removed and shredded the meat with two forks and placed it into two ziploc bags for chicken tacos or enchiladas.
All together, I spent about $15.50 on the meat that I used. What I got out of that was:
1 meal of chicken tacos last night
2 meals of chicken tacos or enchiladas in freezer
3 meals of chicken with broth for soup, dumplings, etc.
2 bags of thick chicken breasts for grilling
1 bag of diced cooked chicken for chicken and rice
3 bags of cooked ground turkey for spaghetti or whatever
That is 12 meals worth, at roughly $1.29 per meal, not including any leftovers we may have :)
I found the ideas to prepare the chicken and ground meat over at Money wise Moms, along with many links to great recipes. Click here to check it out! Just look under her blog archives under "cooking ahead".
Kroger also sells a value pack of frozen ground turkey. It contains 4 one pound chubs and costs $6.99.
When we got home, I left two of the chubs of ground turkey as they were and put them in the freezer for a recipe I am doing next week. The remaining two chubs I thawed and then browned with some onion in it. I found that by following a suggestion I found over at Moneywise Mom's, preparing the meat this way saves so much time! Plus, it is ready for a quick meal when you need it. Just open a ziploc bag and dump the cooked meat into a pan with a jar of spaghetti sauce or season it up and use for tacos, or dump it in for Hamburger Helper. Half of the work is done ahead of time, so it is great for busy nights!
Then my husband and I tackled the chicken. First, we removed the skin from three chicken breasts and laid them in my crockpot. I dumped on a can of Rotel tomatoes with cilantro and lime juice and set it to cook on low for 6 hours. (Money wise Mom used regular Rotel, but that is too spicy for us so we use this milder version which is FABULOUS!) Next, we pulled off the big part of each remaining breast and put the bones and tiny scrap pieces of chicken, along with the tender strip that remains attached to the bone, in a large pot with some onion and garlic. I cut up enough of the chicken breasts for chicken soft tacos last night, then put the remaining (now boneless and skinless) chicken breasts into 2 ziploc bags.
After the chicken was done boiling, I drained off the broth and put it into 3 plastic freezer containers. When the meat was cool enough to handle, I picked it from the bones. There was enough to make one recipe's worth of diced cooked chicken, while I use in my chicken casserole, and then what was left I divided among my three freezer cups for chicken and noodles or chicken and dumplings or chicken soup.
Once the crockpot chicken was done, I removed and shredded the meat with two forks and placed it into two ziploc bags for chicken tacos or enchiladas.
All together, I spent about $15.50 on the meat that I used. What I got out of that was:
1 meal of chicken tacos last night
2 meals of chicken tacos or enchiladas in freezer
3 meals of chicken with broth for soup, dumplings, etc.
2 bags of thick chicken breasts for grilling
1 bag of diced cooked chicken for chicken and rice
3 bags of cooked ground turkey for spaghetti or whatever
That is 12 meals worth, at roughly $1.29 per meal, not including any leftovers we may have :)
I found the ideas to prepare the chicken and ground meat over at Money wise Moms, along with many links to great recipes. Click here to check it out! Just look under her blog archives under "cooking ahead".
Monday, August 10, 2009
As a special promotion, the Schwan's frozen food company is offering $10 in free food to the first 500,000 people who shop on their website. There are a couple of restrictions, such as they have to deliver to your area already and you can't have ordered in something like 14 week, and you pay the taxes. I just placed my order for a gallon of their rich chocolate ice cream, delivered to my door in a few days, and it is costing me 5 cents!!!!!
So what are you waiting for? It's free food people! GO SHOP NOW!!!!!!!!!!
Click this link and enjoy!
Sunday, August 9, 2009
I'm back!
I have been sooooo out of it lately. Seems that with summertime here I have not been doing much big shopping, just enough here and there to get us through. I have not even been clipping coupons, can you believe it? I have been LAZY and it is showing!
I went to Food Lion yesterday because they had split chicken breasts on sale for 87 cents a pound, and I picked up a few things while I was there. I spent almost $70 and got barely anything!!!!!!!!!! They did have some good deals though, like the chicken and they also had picnic hams for 69 cents a pound. I got one that will fit in my oval crockpot and it ran about $5.00. I like cooking the hams in the crockpot because you can avoid heating up the house with the oven for for 2 hours! Plus, the ham turns out tender and juicy and it makes plenty of good broth which I save for seasoning. I chill the broth, then skim off all the fat that rises to the top and discard it. Then I warm the broth up so I can pour it into ice cube trays and I freeze it. When they are solid I pop them out and store them in a Ziploc bag. One cube seasons a can of green beans wonderfully, and 2-3 make frozen butter beans or peas taste soooo good! This way I always have seasoning broth on hand and the cube size works well.
I got my newspaper today so I will be clipping away this afternoon. My daughter is having a sleepover so I will have something to do to keep me occupied while I am locked away in my bedroom preserving my sanity!
I went to Food Lion yesterday because they had split chicken breasts on sale for 87 cents a pound, and I picked up a few things while I was there. I spent almost $70 and got barely anything!!!!!!!!!! They did have some good deals though, like the chicken and they also had picnic hams for 69 cents a pound. I got one that will fit in my oval crockpot and it ran about $5.00. I like cooking the hams in the crockpot because you can avoid heating up the house with the oven for for 2 hours! Plus, the ham turns out tender and juicy and it makes plenty of good broth which I save for seasoning. I chill the broth, then skim off all the fat that rises to the top and discard it. Then I warm the broth up so I can pour it into ice cube trays and I freeze it. When they are solid I pop them out and store them in a Ziploc bag. One cube seasons a can of green beans wonderfully, and 2-3 make frozen butter beans or peas taste soooo good! This way I always have seasoning broth on hand and the cube size works well.
I got my newspaper today so I will be clipping away this afternoon. My daughter is having a sleepover so I will have something to do to keep me occupied while I am locked away in my bedroom preserving my sanity!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Savings at the Kroger!
From the Sunday coupon booklets back in May, I had clipped a whole lot of coupons for Suave products. The Kroger ad this week showed Suave deodorant for $1 each, and Suave shampoo at $1 each.
I had 17 coupons for 50 cents off one Suave deodorant, which Kroger doubled so I got 17 sticks of Suave deodorant for F*R*E*E*!
I had several coupons for $1 off 2 bottles of Suave shampoo or conditioner, so I got a bottle of each and used one coupon. It cost me $1 for both.
The last thing that I got today that was a good deal was the 12 pack Kroger "Big K" sodas. Now we are a very budget conscious family,and sodas are a luxury but we were grilling hotdogs tonight so soda seemed like a worthy splurge! In our area name brand sodas right now are running $5 per 12 pack and sometimes even $5 for an 8 pack. My husband is quite picky about soda, and would MUCH prefer the name brand, but settles for the Kroger store brand. We have tried the store brand from Publix, Food Lion, and WalMart, but none make him as happy as the ones from Big K! The 12 pack is on sale for $1.99.
I had 17 coupons for 50 cents off one Suave deodorant, which Kroger doubled so I got 17 sticks of Suave deodorant for F*R*E*E*!
I had several coupons for $1 off 2 bottles of Suave shampoo or conditioner, so I got a bottle of each and used one coupon. It cost me $1 for both.
The last thing that I got today that was a good deal was the 12 pack Kroger "Big K" sodas. Now we are a very budget conscious family,and sodas are a luxury but we were grilling hotdogs tonight so soda seemed like a worthy splurge! In our area name brand sodas right now are running $5 per 12 pack and sometimes even $5 for an 8 pack. My husband is quite picky about soda, and would MUCH prefer the name brand, but settles for the Kroger store brand. We have tried the store brand from Publix, Food Lion, and WalMart, but none make him as happy as the ones from Big K! The 12 pack is on sale for $1.99.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Beat the Heat!
Here is one way to beat the summer heat. My husband bought me a toaster oven a few years ago. It is a Black and Decker one, and it will hold a 12" pizza pan or a 9x13" casserole.
When it gets too hot to cook inside, I move the toaster oven onto my screened in back porch. I bake everything in it! I have made casseroles, baked cookies, baked poundcakes, and broiled fish.
This saves money three ways:
1. The AC doesn't work harder to cool down a hot kitchen
2. The smaller oven is just the right size to bake one pan in. No need to heat up a huge oven, which would waste electricity and money!
3. Since I can cook without heating up the house, it prevents us from going out to eat when it is too hot to cook!
Try it and see what you think! Your sweaty brow will thank me for it!
When it gets too hot to cook inside, I move the toaster oven onto my screened in back porch. I bake everything in it! I have made casseroles, baked cookies, baked poundcakes, and broiled fish.
This saves money three ways:
1. The AC doesn't work harder to cool down a hot kitchen
2. The smaller oven is just the right size to bake one pan in. No need to heat up a huge oven, which would waste electricity and money!
3. Since I can cook without heating up the house, it prevents us from going out to eat when it is too hot to cook!
Try it and see what you think! Your sweaty brow will thank me for it!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
FREE BREAKFAST!
Tell your friends about the FREE CroisSONIC™ Breakfast Sandwich by copying the link below and sending it via e-mail.
http://www.sonicdrivein.com/croissonic
http://www.sonicdrivein.com/croissonic
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Earth Day Good Deals
Hi everyone,
I have a couple of good deals for you but you have to act fast because they are only good today, Wed. April 22, in honor of Earth Day.
Walgreens.com has a printable coupon for use in store. It entitles you to one free reusable shopping bag, plus 15% off storewide or 20% off on Walgreens brand products. Mix these deals with some sales and coupons and you can save big time! I bought some clearance eater candy, a six pack of Hershey bunnies that were 75% off, plus the extra 15% off, so the pack came to 74 cents. They are about one ounce per piece, so about 12 cents per sweet snack. :)
www.reynoldsrecycled.com has a promo for a free roll of recycled aluminum foil. Go to the website to fill out the online rebate form and get your free roll!
Let em know if any of these work out for you and how much you save at Walgreens!
I have a couple of good deals for you but you have to act fast because they are only good today, Wed. April 22, in honor of Earth Day.
Walgreens.com has a printable coupon for use in store. It entitles you to one free reusable shopping bag, plus 15% off storewide or 20% off on Walgreens brand products. Mix these deals with some sales and coupons and you can save big time! I bought some clearance eater candy, a six pack of Hershey bunnies that were 75% off, plus the extra 15% off, so the pack came to 74 cents. They are about one ounce per piece, so about 12 cents per sweet snack. :)
www.reynoldsrecycled.com has a promo for a free roll of recycled aluminum foil. Go to the website to fill out the online rebate form and get your free roll!
Let em know if any of these work out for you and how much you save at Walgreens!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Chicken on the cheap!
Yesterday I popped into Food Lion to grab some stuff for my sicky father in law. You know, the usual...Gatorade, chicken noodle soup, saltines....and while I was there I noticed boneless skinless chicken breasts were on sale for an unheard of $1.79/lb. I grabbed 6 packages and came home with them. It was then, as I put my bounty into the fridge, that I began to wonder why I didn't get more. I mean, I got 5 packages of chicken for like $14......DUH! The sale ends on Tuesday nights at 10:00....so I made plans to scamper down there again today to stock up.
Today I went and got 7 more packages. I brought them in and began preparing them in the way that I mentioned in my cook-ahead post for chicken (Found on Moneywise Moms). I have found by trying this prep method a few times which way we use the most of the meat, so I devised my own plan.
I put 4 breasts in the crockpot with a can of tomatoes for shredded chicken tacos. This makes 2 meals for us as I usually end up cooking some ground turkey along with it to give my crew* a choice of tacos and enchiladas.
I put 4 breasts in the pot with a big spoon of garlic to boil and then dice up. My crew* loves my chicken casserole recipe, (I will post this for you) which is super easy and calls for a large can of precooked chicken, sort of like tuna. This is easy and quick, but costly too since a can of that stuff usually runs close to $3 and I always wonder what is really in it........
I took the other breasts and butterflied about half of them, making thin, neat and tidy chicken cutlets. Bread these babies in Italian bread crumbs and cook them in a tiny bit of olive oil for a super yummy and very fast dinner! The other half I trimmed up nice and neat and left them thick for grilling. (That way they don't dry out)
All of the little leftover bits got tossed into a zipper bag for soup or chicken "hamburger" helper.
It is all done, except the crockpot chicken which is making the house smell soooo good! Total time...with mom in law bagging and labeling? About 30 minutes. And guess what? Since we figured it up and we got 10 meals for our family* for about $25, Kathy went BACK to Food Lion to get more chicken!
*note: our family consists of two men with hearty appetites, two women and an 11 year old girl in a growth spurt who is eating everything in sight!
Easy Chicken and Rice
1 bag, about 1 lb. cooked chicken pieces
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 large spoonful mayonnaise
a handful of those french fried onions, the kind that go on green bean casserole
Mix all of this together and bake it about 30 minutes at 350. Top with another handful of the french fried onions and bake another five minutes or so to brown the little crispy onions. :)
This is VERY good...but I never promised it was healthy!!! I got this recipe from my good friend Ginger about 5 years ago and have been making it ever since!
Today I went and got 7 more packages. I brought them in and began preparing them in the way that I mentioned in my cook-ahead post for chicken (Found on Moneywise Moms). I have found by trying this prep method a few times which way we use the most of the meat, so I devised my own plan.
I put 4 breasts in the crockpot with a can of tomatoes for shredded chicken tacos. This makes 2 meals for us as I usually end up cooking some ground turkey along with it to give my crew* a choice of tacos and enchiladas.
I put 4 breasts in the pot with a big spoon of garlic to boil and then dice up. My crew* loves my chicken casserole recipe, (I will post this for you) which is super easy and calls for a large can of precooked chicken, sort of like tuna. This is easy and quick, but costly too since a can of that stuff usually runs close to $3 and I always wonder what is really in it........
I took the other breasts and butterflied about half of them, making thin, neat and tidy chicken cutlets. Bread these babies in Italian bread crumbs and cook them in a tiny bit of olive oil for a super yummy and very fast dinner! The other half I trimmed up nice and neat and left them thick for grilling. (That way they don't dry out)
All of the little leftover bits got tossed into a zipper bag for soup or chicken "hamburger" helper.
It is all done, except the crockpot chicken which is making the house smell soooo good! Total time...with mom in law bagging and labeling? About 30 minutes. And guess what? Since we figured it up and we got 10 meals for our family* for about $25, Kathy went BACK to Food Lion to get more chicken!
*note: our family consists of two men with hearty appetites, two women and an 11 year old girl in a growth spurt who is eating everything in sight!
Easy Chicken and Rice
1 bag, about 1 lb. cooked chicken pieces
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 large spoonful mayonnaise
a handful of those french fried onions, the kind that go on green bean casserole
Mix all of this together and bake it about 30 minutes at 350. Top with another handful of the french fried onions and bake another five minutes or so to brown the little crispy onions. :)
This is VERY good...but I never promised it was healthy!!! I got this recipe from my good friend Ginger about 5 years ago and have been making it ever since!
Friday, March 27, 2009
Hmmm.........frugal living? Maybe not so much tonight!
Today is Friday. This is where my weeks worth of frugality and pinching pennies pays off. We are going out to eat tonight, probably at our traditional favorite little place, El Potro.
The restaurant is about 2 blocks from our house. We have gone there at least once a week for over 11 years. It is a very down to earth place, very basic, no frills. Just good food, good service, and lots of memories.
We usually get the buffet. It is offered Mon-Fri for lunch, Friday night, and Sunday lunch. Lunch is $6.35, dinner is $7.35. I love Mexican food, but usually it is very spicy. Not here. Of course they have spicy things on the menu, and will spice up anything you want, but the average choices are not spicy.
So why do I really, really love this place????
Let me list the reasons why.....
1. They have happy orange walls. Ok, maybe that is a stretch but the walls used to be a yucky aquamarine. The happy orange is much better.
2. The KNOW us there. As soon as our butts hit the cushion, our drinks are on the table. They remember, Diet Coke for me and my daughter, tea for the rest of the crew.
3.Also, since they know us, they know we do not like jalapenos in our cheese dip. Therefore, they make it for us. Fresh. No jalapenos. They are the only place in town that doesn't serve the canned queso. They make it fresh.
4. Since I don't eat red meat, they will make me 2 cheese enchiladas to go with the buffet at no charge.
5. The waiter (Gus) is tops. He is prompt, friendly, smiles a lot, always asks where someone is if one is missing from our party. He has also helped our daughter with Spanish homework.
6. They are fast. Food is muy rapido and mucho delicioso!!!!!
7. They like us. They really, really like us. They greet us as family, bring us samples of new stuff, and say they missed us if we don't go every week.
All this is to say, I love this place. It may not be the newest, shiniest, flashiest place but to us, it is home. There are at least 4 other Mexican places in our small town, but this is the only place for us.
The restaurant is about 2 blocks from our house. We have gone there at least once a week for over 11 years. It is a very down to earth place, very basic, no frills. Just good food, good service, and lots of memories.
We usually get the buffet. It is offered Mon-Fri for lunch, Friday night, and Sunday lunch. Lunch is $6.35, dinner is $7.35. I love Mexican food, but usually it is very spicy. Not here. Of course they have spicy things on the menu, and will spice up anything you want, but the average choices are not spicy.
So why do I really, really love this place????
Let me list the reasons why.....
1. They have happy orange walls. Ok, maybe that is a stretch but the walls used to be a yucky aquamarine. The happy orange is much better.
2. The KNOW us there. As soon as our butts hit the cushion, our drinks are on the table. They remember, Diet Coke for me and my daughter, tea for the rest of the crew.
3.Also, since they know us, they know we do not like jalapenos in our cheese dip. Therefore, they make it for us. Fresh. No jalapenos. They are the only place in town that doesn't serve the canned queso. They make it fresh.
4. Since I don't eat red meat, they will make me 2 cheese enchiladas to go with the buffet at no charge.
5. The waiter (Gus) is tops. He is prompt, friendly, smiles a lot, always asks where someone is if one is missing from our party. He has also helped our daughter with Spanish homework.
6. They are fast. Food is muy rapido and mucho delicioso!!!!!
7. They like us. They really, really like us. They greet us as family, bring us samples of new stuff, and say they missed us if we don't go every week.
All this is to say, I love this place. It may not be the newest, shiniest, flashiest place but to us, it is home. There are at least 4 other Mexican places in our small town, but this is the only place for us.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
A great frugal idea for your yard
My bloggy buddy Jamie over at From Dhuland...with love.....has some great ideas for frugal and eco friendly yard decor. Go check it out and tell her you read about it here on my blog! :)
http://savannahscrapbooking.typepad.com/savannah_scrapbooking/2009/03/trash-to-treasure.html
http://savannahscrapbooking.typepad.com/savannah_scrapbooking/2009/03/trash-to-treasure.html
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
I am thinking....
I am thinking seriously about stopping this blog. Seems I am running out of ideas, and I don't seem to have much readership here. Any thoughts?
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Update on the cook ahead idea
I tried the idea from my previous post about cooking the meat ahead this past weekend. I did about 10 lbs of chicken and 8 lbs of ground pork/turkey mix because we don't eat ground beef.
I have to admit that it was easier than I thought it would be and the results have been fantastic! If you have not tried this idea yet I urge you to do so! It is a great time saver and made for some tasty meals!
Saturday I made chili with the precooked meat. It was so easy to just dump the bag in and add all of my other ingredients, turn on the pot and GO!
Tuesday night I made tacos and enchiladas with the prepared shredded chicken and they was delicious! I just thawed the meat, wrapped the enchilada shells around it and threw it in the oven. Tasty and good! QUICK TOO!
Tonight is baked ziti with the prepared ground meat mix. It will be so easy! The meat is thawing, now all I have to do is boil noodles, open a jar of sauce and throw it all together. Put in the pan and throw cheese on top and pop it into the oven. Now that's the way I like it....quick, easy and GOOD!
I decided to compose a list of reasons why I like doing the meat ahead so much:
1. I only had to handle raw meat one time. This is a major ICK factor for me in cooking, and also the reason I keep rubber gloves on my microwave.
2. I only had to chop raw onion and cry once.
3. I could easily see how many meals I had enough meat for when I stacked it in my freezer.
4. The Ziploc bags of cooked meat take up much less room and store flatter that the bulky packages of meat.
5. The precooked meat makes it super quick and easy to throw together easy homecooked meals. It was quicker to put the tacos and enchiladas together than to order pizza.
6. The flexibility of the cooked meat makes trying new recipes easy and enticing again, even when I don't feel creative. :)
If you have not checked out the idea of cooking ahead, please give it a whirl. It took me about 2 hours to do both the chicken and the ground meat, and I have enough meat prepared now for about 12 meals.
Let me know what you think!!!!
I have to admit that it was easier than I thought it would be and the results have been fantastic! If you have not tried this idea yet I urge you to do so! It is a great time saver and made for some tasty meals!
Saturday I made chili with the precooked meat. It was so easy to just dump the bag in and add all of my other ingredients, turn on the pot and GO!
Tuesday night I made tacos and enchiladas with the prepared shredded chicken and they was delicious! I just thawed the meat, wrapped the enchilada shells around it and threw it in the oven. Tasty and good! QUICK TOO!
Tonight is baked ziti with the prepared ground meat mix. It will be so easy! The meat is thawing, now all I have to do is boil noodles, open a jar of sauce and throw it all together. Put in the pan and throw cheese on top and pop it into the oven. Now that's the way I like it....quick, easy and GOOD!
I decided to compose a list of reasons why I like doing the meat ahead so much:
1. I only had to handle raw meat one time. This is a major ICK factor for me in cooking, and also the reason I keep rubber gloves on my microwave.
2. I only had to chop raw onion and cry once.
3. I could easily see how many meals I had enough meat for when I stacked it in my freezer.
4. The Ziploc bags of cooked meat take up much less room and store flatter that the bulky packages of meat.
5. The precooked meat makes it super quick and easy to throw together easy homecooked meals. It was quicker to put the tacos and enchiladas together than to order pizza.
6. The flexibility of the cooked meat makes trying new recipes easy and enticing again, even when I don't feel creative. :)
If you have not checked out the idea of cooking ahead, please give it a whirl. It took me about 2 hours to do both the chicken and the ground meat, and I have enough meat prepared now for about 12 meals.
Let me know what you think!!!!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
A big time saver in the kitchen!
I wanted to share something I found online with you. While I was blog stalking I came across a blog that has some really great ideas on it about cooking once and eating 10 times. Well, that idea appealed to me as a big time saver so I looked into it. The blog author has listed a way to cook once and eat 10 times by preparing chicken or ground beef in advance and freezing for quick meals later. I am very inspired to try this and I printed out her instructions as well as a few of her recipes that she includes at the bottom of the posts.Although you may have to half or double the amount of meat for your family, I think this is a fabulous idea and will really help on nights when time is short and everyone is hungry. I love the idea of having the "hot" part done ahead when the summertime heat makes the kitchen just unbearable.
Check this out and let me know what you think. I am including a link to her page with the chicken instructions. I tried to insert a link to follow on this blog but it won't send you to the right page for some reason so just go to her blog (listed below) and in the right hand column under blog posts click on "cooking ahead". You will see the ground beef one come up with an imbeded link to follow for the chicken version. Or, you can click on her button on the top of this post and follow it from there. It is an awesome blog and I have added her to my blog list of sites to stalk! :)
Let me know what you think!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Thank you!
Thank you all for your prayers and support during this emotional time for our family!
On a lighter note, I have to say that I missed this week's Sunday paper....so no coupons and no sale flyers for me this week! I am looking at them online though, and although it works ok it isn't the same as circling them with my pen and clipping the little Walgreens coupons out! However, my trusty pink notebook is by my side and I am making my list for Publix, Walgreens, Kroger and Save A Lot this morning.
I went through my coupon box last night and trashed all of my unused January coupons, and I have to say it made me kinda sad. I am such a coupon nerd....
With all of the unexpected funeral expenses this past week my grocery budget is very tight, so check back in a few days to see how I did. It will all depend on the sales and coupons.....so keep checking!
On a lighter note, I have to say that I missed this week's Sunday paper....so no coupons and no sale flyers for me this week! I am looking at them online though, and although it works ok it isn't the same as circling them with my pen and clipping the little Walgreens coupons out! However, my trusty pink notebook is by my side and I am making my list for Publix, Walgreens, Kroger and Save A Lot this morning.
I went through my coupon box last night and trashed all of my unused January coupons, and I have to say it made me kinda sad. I am such a coupon nerd....
With all of the unexpected funeral expenses this past week my grocery budget is very tight, so check back in a few days to see how I did. It will all depend on the sales and coupons.....so keep checking!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Clarifying....
Just a quick note.....
The mother in law that passed away is my husbands biological mother.
The mother in law that lives with us is his step mom, Kathy, who has her disability blog posted on blogspot.
Sorry for any confusion!
The mother in law that passed away is my husbands biological mother.
The mother in law that lives with us is his step mom, Kathy, who has her disability blog posted on blogspot.
Sorry for any confusion!
Prayer request
I would like to ask all of my readers to remember my family in your prayers. My mother in law has passed away suddenly and my husband is traveling to make the arrangements for her. I will post the details when I know them.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Shopping and Saving
I went on my weekly shopping trip at Kroger and Publix this Tuesday. I found some really great deals! I started at Publix, and using my coupons and store specials, this is what I got:
Total retail price: $137.53
Total savings, using sale prices and coupons: $86.64
My out of pocket cost: $50.89
Moving on to Kroger, where I lucked up on some extra savings in addition to what I had planned on getting.
My biggest steals were the Softsoaps, which were on sale for $1 each. I had 7 50 cent coupons, which they of course double to $1 off, so these puppies were free. Same deal on the batteries, they were also on sale for $1 a pack, and I had 75 cents off Duracell and $1 off the Rayovacs so they were all free, except the one Duracell was 25 cents. I felt silly buying all of those when I don't need them, but they don't expire until Dec. 2012, so I think I am ok. Most of our flashlights take C batteries, and living on the coast we have to stock up on these at hurricane season anyway....so I planned ahead. )At least it worked out that way :)
Total retail price: $95.67
Total savings, with coupons and sales: $68.62
My out of pocket cost: $27.05
My hubby says I did pretty good. That makes me proud!
Total retail price: $137.53
Total savings, using sale prices and coupons: $86.64
My out of pocket cost: $50.89
Moving on to Kroger, where I lucked up on some extra savings in addition to what I had planned on getting.
My biggest steals were the Softsoaps, which were on sale for $1 each. I had 7 50 cent coupons, which they of course double to $1 off, so these puppies were free. Same deal on the batteries, they were also on sale for $1 a pack, and I had 75 cents off Duracell and $1 off the Rayovacs so they were all free, except the one Duracell was 25 cents. I felt silly buying all of those when I don't need them, but they don't expire until Dec. 2012, so I think I am ok. Most of our flashlights take C batteries, and living on the coast we have to stock up on these at hurricane season anyway....so I planned ahead. )At least it worked out that way :)
Total retail price: $95.67
Total savings, with coupons and sales: $68.62
My out of pocket cost: $27.05
My hubby says I did pretty good. That makes me proud!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
An interesting idea....
Here is an idea that needs some consideration. My bloggy buddy Miranda has started a new blog about life with endometriosis and living after a hysterectomy at age 25. She has done a lot of research about the chemicals and side effects of using tampons and pads. While this is often an uncomfortable topic (to say the least~~no pun intended)the use of feminine hygiene products affects us all at some point. Her findings are sobering and very concerning to me. The alternatives are also very money wise, and that is something else to consider. While they may not be for everyone, I do think the studies and research need to be considered by all women.
When you have time, please check out Miranda's new blog, My Life Without A Uterus.
I am having technical difficulties this morning and I can't get the links to work. Please use my blog roll and go to The Keeper Of The Cheerios blog, scroll down 2 posts to read about her new blog, and click her link there. On the left hand side of her new blog are the links I have tried unsuccessfully to insert here.
Sorry for all the trouble, let me know if it was worth your time!
When you have time, please check out Miranda's new blog, My Life Without A Uterus.
I am having technical difficulties this morning and I can't get the links to work. Please use my blog roll and go to The Keeper Of The Cheerios blog, scroll down 2 posts to read about her new blog, and click her link there. On the left hand side of her new blog are the links I have tried unsuccessfully to insert here.
Sorry for all the trouble, let me know if it was worth your time!
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
How I spent $146.85
Today I went grocery shopping.
My first stop was my favorite store, Publix. Here is what I got:
10 boxes Betty Crocker potatoes
2 boxes Betty Crocker brownie mix
2 boxes Barilla pasta
4 boxes of Pop Tarts
3 large bags of Pizza Rolls
3 boxes Savorings
1 box Uncrustables
1 crate of clementines
1 cantaloupe
12 pack Lipton green tea 16 oz bottles
1 box brown sugar
1 box powdered sugar
1 quart strawberries
Total: $83.71
My cost after coupons and sales: $35.04
Savings: $48.67
Moving on to Kroger:
1 package stickers
2 loaves bread
2 packages No Yolks egg noodles
1 lb. fresh cherries
1 liter soda
2 12 pks Kroger brand soda
4 naval oranges
3 grapefruits
6 boxes Kelloggs cereal
3 lbs. apples
2 lbs bacon
1 dozen eggs
2 gallons milk
4 bottles Softsoap
1 Suave shampoo
1 Suave conditioner
Total: $70.54
My total after coupons and sales: $33.66
Savings: $36.88
Scampered over to Save A Lot
3 lbs bananas
3 bags frozen veggies
one can cooking spray
chili powder
2 cans cream of celery
12 packs Flavor Aide
8 cans greens beans
2 cans potatoes
2 cans corn
olive oil
1 can sliced pineapple
5 packs gravy mix
10 lbs white rice
5 Del Monte fresh fruit cups
1.65 lbs zucchini
1 lb tater tots
Total: $39.66
Savings $2.00 in coupons
My total: $38.45
Headed to Piggly Wiggly for meat:
2 lbs ground turkey
4 lbs chicken breasts
5 lbs pork chops
2 lbs pork cubed steak
Total: $51.95
Sale price: $29.99
Savings: $21.96
Last stop....Food Lion
7 lbs country style ribs
Total: 17.65
Sale Price: $9.71
Savings: $7.94
Ok, so it took me about 6 hours and I was exhausted but if I had not been a careful shopper and paid full retail price, my total for groceries today would have been $263.51. With shopping the sales and using coupons strategically, I only spent $146.85, saving $116.66. How was that for smart shopping?
My first stop was my favorite store, Publix. Here is what I got:
10 boxes Betty Crocker potatoes
2 boxes Betty Crocker brownie mix
2 boxes Barilla pasta
4 boxes of Pop Tarts
3 large bags of Pizza Rolls
3 boxes Savorings
1 box Uncrustables
1 crate of clementines
1 cantaloupe
12 pack Lipton green tea 16 oz bottles
1 box brown sugar
1 box powdered sugar
1 quart strawberries
Total: $83.71
My cost after coupons and sales: $35.04
Savings: $48.67
Moving on to Kroger:
1 package stickers
2 loaves bread
2 packages No Yolks egg noodles
1 lb. fresh cherries
1 liter soda
2 12 pks Kroger brand soda
4 naval oranges
3 grapefruits
6 boxes Kelloggs cereal
3 lbs. apples
2 lbs bacon
1 dozen eggs
2 gallons milk
4 bottles Softsoap
1 Suave shampoo
1 Suave conditioner
Total: $70.54
My total after coupons and sales: $33.66
Savings: $36.88
Scampered over to Save A Lot
3 lbs bananas
3 bags frozen veggies
one can cooking spray
chili powder
2 cans cream of celery
12 packs Flavor Aide
8 cans greens beans
2 cans potatoes
2 cans corn
olive oil
1 can sliced pineapple
5 packs gravy mix
10 lbs white rice
5 Del Monte fresh fruit cups
1.65 lbs zucchini
1 lb tater tots
Total: $39.66
Savings $2.00 in coupons
My total: $38.45
Headed to Piggly Wiggly for meat:
2 lbs ground turkey
4 lbs chicken breasts
5 lbs pork chops
2 lbs pork cubed steak
Total: $51.95
Sale price: $29.99
Savings: $21.96
Last stop....Food Lion
7 lbs country style ribs
Total: 17.65
Sale Price: $9.71
Savings: $7.94
Ok, so it took me about 6 hours and I was exhausted but if I had not been a careful shopper and paid full retail price, my total for groceries today would have been $263.51. With shopping the sales and using coupons strategically, I only spent $146.85, saving $116.66. How was that for smart shopping?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)