Great Target Deal! 6/29/08 to 7/5/08

Thanks to Thrifty Florida Mom for this great deal! My prices at Target are not quite as cheap as her Target but still quite a deal!

Tomato Paste & Sweet Pickle Relish

In case you are like me and have recently purchased a few cans of tomato paste and pickle relish for next to nothing using coupons, I found this recipe that uses both. Let me know if you like it!

Sloppy Joes

2 lbs. Ground beef

1 tsp. Salt

1 onion cut fine

2 cans tomato paste

2 cans water

½ green pepper diced

4 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons vinegar

2 tsp. mustard

4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

½ tsp. Pepper

4 tablespoons sweet pickle relish

Brown onion in oil, add ground beef and salt. Cook and add remaining ingredients. Cook until done.

Serve over hamburger buns or bread.

Things I LOVE!

As a working mom, I have very little time to do the things I need to do around the house (cook, clean, etc.). I absolutely love timers. These are timers on mechanical devices. I have three that I use regularly that make my life so much easier. These are the timers on my bread machine, crock pot and washing machine. I can set my timer for my bread machine to be complete, either cooked or dough ready to be popped in the oven when I walk in the door. The crock pot has a timer that will cook what is in it, automatically turn off, and then keep it warm after cooking. I can load the washer with clothes in the morning before I leave for work, set the timer and it will wash just before I get home so the clothes will not get that nasty mildew smell because they sit in the washer wet for too long. On a good day all three will be set to run!

If you have never tried a bread machine, they are fantastic. Don't buy one brand new. If you are interested in purchasing one, check out the thrift stores. It is a hobby that people often try once and give up on. It is also a popular gift that people don't try but end up donating. My first bread maker I bought at a department store. I have bought three since at thrifts stores for myself and family. The ones from the thrift stores were hardly used - one even had a note on it that it was used three times only. They all worked perfectly. They usually run from $5 to $15. Just make sure you plug it in and it heats up, and there is the metal or plastic scoop/blade in the pan that turns (it is detachable and often lost). You can usually download instructions.

Here is a couple of recipes for a good day of bread making and crock potting:

Decadent Sweet Milk Bread

Description:
This makes a soft sweet loaf of bread. It can be totally made in a bread machine, however, I just used the machine to make the dough.

Ingredients:
1 cup of water
½ cup of sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of butter
3 1/3 cups of bread flour
2 teaspoons of yeast

Directions:
Put ingredients in bread machine and set for dough cycle. When complete, remove and separate into three sections. Roll each out like snakes and mesh ends together. Braid and press ends together. Place in baking dish and brush butter or egg white on top. Bake at 340 for 30-45 minutes, until top is golden brown.

One can of the sweetened condensed milk will make two loaves plus. The rest would be good in coffee. I made two loaves and froze one. The milk is thick stuff and hardly pours after being in the refrigerator.


Cranberry Turkey

Description:
Not only is it YUMMY - it's easy!

Ingredients:
Turkey Breast or Turkey Legs
1 can of whole berry cranberry sauce
1 pkg of dry onion soup mix
1/2 cup of orange juice
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Put turkey in crockpot, mix rest of ingredients and pour over turkey. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. I fill the crock to the top with meat and double the mix and we have leftovers to put in freezer. I also make gravy out of the sauce and put over mashed potatoes.

Walgreen's Deals 6/24/2008

I actually walked to Walgreen's at lunch (five blocks from my office) for the exercise and to see if there was a B1G1 deal on Planter's Nuts that someone else mentioned online. Unfortunately, no such deal at my Walgreen's, but I was able to pick up some great deals:

CVS Deals 6/23/2008

This is my third trip to CVS in my attempt to learn their system. I think it went pretty well, though, I could probably improve it in the future.

The 125 Healthiest Supermarket Foods in America

I saw an interview from someone representing the magazine Men's Health recently. They were discussing how men's magazines were different from women. Apparently, you will see many more lists in men's magazines. Men devote less time to reading magazines, and lists are quicker and to the point. This particular list is great! I will certainly be looking for coupons to try some of these out on my kids. It even mentions the ketchup that my bio-physicist step-dad (cancer researcher) keeps encouraging us to use. Speaking of him, take your vitamin C, it reduces inflammation and prevents cancer.

The 125 Healthiest Supermarket Foods in America

Healthy and Low-Cost Meals

I am very interested in finding meals that use a lot of antioxidant ingredients and if they are inexpensive to fix, then they are truly keepers. These two recipes have those qualities and they actually taste great!

Caribbean Chicken Stew

Description:
Colorful veggies and spices combine to deliver a hefty dose of health-protecting antioxidants, fiber and exotic Caribbean tastes.

Ingredients:
2 Tbs. canola oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsps. cinnamon
1 tsp. each, allspice and nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste
Salt to taste
1 bay leaf
1 16-ounce can diced tomatoes, no salt added
2 cups 99% fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts/thighs, boiled or poached, pulled into strips
1 1/2 cups winter squash, cubed (or substitute thick zucchini slices)
1 15.5-ounce can black beans, undrained
4 limes, each cut into quarters
Optional: cooked brown rice

Directions:
In a large pot, heat oil. Add onion, green pepper, garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Add spices; sauté 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, broth, chicken, squash and beans. Simmer, covered, 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf. Serve over optional brown rice with juice from lime wedges.

Per serving: 221 calories, 18g carbohydrates, 23g protein, 6g fat (1g saturated), 60mg cholesterol, 6g fiber, 274mg sodium


Moroccan Sweet Potato Stew

Description:
This is a very healthy and filling recipe with great flavor. We have made this several times. However, we like to add shredded chicken, though it is good as written.

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed with press
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 can (14 to 14 1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth (1 3/4 cups)
1 cup no-salt-added garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
1 large sweet potato (about 16 ounces), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
2 small zucchini (about 6 ounces each), cut into 3/4-inch chunks
1 cup whole-grain couscous

Directions:
1. In nonstick 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until tender and lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic, curry powder, cumin, and allspice; cook 30 seconds.
2. Add tomatoes, broth, beans, and sweet potato; cover and heat to boiling over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook 10 minutes. Stir in zucchini and cook, covered, 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
3. Meanwhile, prepare couscous as label directs.
4. Stir mint into stew. Serve stew with couscous.