Thursday, August 30, 2012

Hurry! Pioneer Woman's Cookbook Download for $3.99

I love this woman's recipes and her blog. Everything I have ever cooked with her recipes has turned out great! Check out Amazon to get the KINDLE version of The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier for $3.99.

Amazon prices will change without warning so purchase quickly!


Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Link Love: Walgreens Friends and Family Discount Tomorrow!

Check out Southern Saver's Post on how to get 15% off at Walgreens tomorrow for their friends and family sale! Couple that with purchasing their sale items with coupons and you could get some fantastic deals!

Friday, August 24, 2012

Target Trip 8/24/12

There were some great chicken and clearance deals this week at Target! It really pays to print out the Target brand coupons before you go just in case they are on sale. This is the second time I have found $2 coupons on Target meat (the first was on ground beef). If your Target carries meat, be on the lookout for these! They are promotions, not due to approaching good through date.

OOP: $19.37 (Saving 58%)

6 Golden Plume Whole Chickens, regularly 5.39, on sale 4.58
-(6) $2/1 Target Qs peelies on product
Final Price: 2.58 ea

4 Market Pantry Frozen Brown Rice, on clearance .54 ea.
-(2) .50/2 Market Pantry Frozen Vegetables Target peelies
Final Price: .29 ea

2 Market Pantry Frozen Pineapple, on clearance 1.17 ea
-(2) $1/1 Any Market Pantry Frozen Fruit Target IP Qs
Final Price: .17 ea

3 Rose Art Liquid Glue, .34 ea
-$1/3 MF Q
Final Price: .01 ea

2 PaperMate Pen Packages, $1 ea
-(2) $1 off PaperMate writing instrument, (Target coupon) printable
Final Price: Free

Iam's Dry Dog Food, $3.00
-$3/1 MF Q from manufacturer (had forever)
Final Price: Free

2 YoCrunch Yogurt, .60
-(2) .25/1 IP Qs
Final Price: .35 ea

Total before savings: $45.87
OOP: $19.37 (Saving 58%)

Saturday, August 18, 2012

For the Locals: Frist Family Free Day

Here's a date to put on your calendar! The Frist is having a free family day on Sunday, October 21st from 1 to 5:30 pm. Go HERE for more information about family activities!

Monday, August 13, 2012

Menu Plan Monday 8/13/12


Monday: Baked Tilapia and Fresh Spinach & Rice
Tuesday: Rosemary Pork Chops & Garlic Cauliflower
Wednesday: Sausage with Onion and Bell Pepper & Crockpot Cheesy Spinach Casserole
Thursday: Chili
Friday: Chicken Carbonara & Pasta
Saturday: Crockpot Pork Stew
Sunday: Turkey Bacon Frittata

Check out Orgjunkie.com for more ideas!

Friday, August 10, 2012

Harris Teeter Super Doubles Trips!

These are the trips over the last three days. It's a great time to stock up on things that are generally not at a good price. Prices and sales are good through Tuesday!

OOP: $8.02 (Saving 88%)

3 Vanity Fair Napkins, 2.39
-(3) $1/1 MF Q, doubled
-$1 ZVR
Final Price: .06

3 Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls, 2.19
-(3) $1/1 MF Q, doubled (peelie booklet from KMart when I purchased coffee)
Final Price: .19 ea

Eckrich Sausage, 2.50
-.55/1 MF Q, doubled
Final Price: 1.40

4 Honest Tea, 1.33
-$1/2 Honest Tea printable, doubled
Final Price: .33

5 Old Orchard Juice, 3.29 B2G3
-(2) $1 off Old Orchard Very Cherre tart cherry juice or juice blend printable, doubled
Final Price: .52 ea

Ocean Spray Juice, 2.99
-$1/1 IP Q, doubled
Final Price: .99

Silk Protein Drink, 1.50
-$1/1 IP Q, doubled
Final Price: Free

Finish Dishwasher Detergent, 5.79 BOGO
-$1/1 MF Q from Kroger homemailer, doubled
Final Price: .89

2 Eat, Think, Smile Health Bars, 1.50
-(2) $1/1 IP Qs, doubled
Final Price: Free

Smart Balance, 2.27
-$1.10/1 IP Q, doubled
Final Price: .07

Total before sales/coupons: 66.20
Sales: 19.69
Coupons: 38.49
OOP: $8.02 (Saving 88%)

OOP: $16.44 (Saving 83%)

2 Finish Dishwasher Detergent, 5.79 BOGO
-(2) .75/1 IP Qs NLA, doubled
Final Price: 1.39 ea

8 MT RX Bars, on sale $2 ea (2 different kinds)
-(4) $2/2 IP Qs, doubled
-(2) $2 ZVRs
Final Price: Free+

2 Wholly Salsa, 2.49
-(2) $1.50/1 IP Qs, doubled
Final Price: Free

2 Green Giant Steamers, 2.75 BOGO
-(2) .50/1 IP Qs, doubled
Final Price: .37 ea

Sambuzan Juice, 2.99
- $1.50/1 IP Q, doubled
Final Price: Free

2 Silk Protein Drink, 1.50
-(2) $1/1 IP Qs, doubled
Final Price: Free

Roman Meal Bread, 3.19
-$1/1 MF Q peelie, doubled
Final Price: 1.19

2 Blue Bunny Ice Cream, 3.29
-(2) $1/1 IP Qs, doubled
Final Price: 1.29 ea

2 Beef Jerkie, 2.99
-(2) $1/1 MF Q (found at hair salon), cashier stopped from doubling
Final Price: 1.99

4 Emerald Almonds, 5.89 BOGO
-(2) $1.50/2 MF Q from inside package of previous purchase, doubled
Final Price: 1.44 ea

Total before sales/coupons: 96.62
Sales: 30.21
Coupons: 49.97
OOP: $16.44 (Saving 83%)

OOP: $10.08 (saving 86%)

3 Vanity Fair Napkins, 2.39
-(3) $1/1 MF Q, doubled
Final Price: .39 ea

2 Wholly Guacamole, 2.79 BOGO
-(2) $1/1 MF Qs, doubled
Final Price: Free

Wholly Salsa, 2.49
-$1/1 MF Q, doubled
Final Price: .49

Cetaphil Bar, 4.39
-$2/1 MF Q, doubled (had forever, probably from dermatologist office)
Final Price: .39

Always Infinity, 4.99
-$2/1 MF Q, doubled
-$2/1 ZVR
Final Price: Free+ (MM)

Tampax Pearl, 4.49
-$2/1 MF Q, doubled
-$2/1 ZVR
Final Price: Free+ (MM)

6 Bumble Bee Tuna, $1
-(3) .55/2 MF Q Blinkie, doubled
Final Price: .45 ea

3 Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls, 2.19
-(3) $1/1 MF Q, doubled
Final Price: .19 ea

Silk Protein Drink, 1.50
-$1/1 IP Q, doubled
Final Price: Free

Finish Dishwasher Detergent, 5.79 BOGO
-$.50/1 IP Q, doubled
Final Price: 1.89

Smuckers Jam, 2.00
-.75/1 IP Q, doubled
Final Price: .50

Meal Deal:
All Below for 6.99
Final Price: 2.99

Nutella, $3.00
-$1/1 MF Q, doubled
-$1 ZVR
Final Price: Free

HT Milk, 1.79

Natures Own Toasters, 2.50
(there is a coupon for this, I just did not have one)

Corn Flakes, 2.79
-.50/1 MF Q, doubled
Final Price: 1.79

Total before sales/coupons: 72.98
Sales: 18.32
Coupons: 44.58
OOP: $10.08 (saving 86%)

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

For the Locals: Free Youth Soccer Instruction!

We have attended these in the past for football and baseball. I am sure soccer will be just as great! Here is the email that I received:

Greetings from Chevy Youth Soccer!

As part of the Chevy Youth Soccer Program, your Selected Chevy Dealers are hosting FREE youth soccer instructional clinics in your area for ages 6-14 with U.K. Elite! You are receiving this email because you signed up for a Chevrolet clinic in the past and I wanted to make sure you were aware of this upcoming opportunity as well! You have not been added to a distribution list and this is the only email you will receive unless you do in fact sign up for one of these events.

Please share the attached invitation with other members of your community as soon as possible! The invitations contain important information about the RSVP site www.chevyyouthsports.com/soccer, which participants will use to register. They will choose Nashville for market and enter kickit for the password!

Here are the details:

Saturday, September 8

Check-in 5:00-5:45pm

Clinic 6:00-9:00pm

Snack 9:00pm

E.S. Rose Park and Sports Complex

1000 Edgehill Avenue

Nashville, TN 37203

--OR--

Sunday, September 9

Check-in 12:00-12:45pm

Clinic 1:00-4:00pm

Snack 4:00pm

E.S. Rose Park and Sports Complex

1000 Edgehill Avenue

Nashville, TN 37203


More on our professional instructors from UK Elite:

UK Elite Soccer Trainers represent professionalism, integrity, act as role models to young athletes and have a wealth of soccer knowledge. All UK Elite Soccer Trainers hold coaching licenses from multiple countries are fully insured and have had a complete background check confirming their suitability to work with children. The UK Elite Curriculum is a blend of all the best known practices and coaching methods from around the globe!

U.K. Elite incorporates methods from England, USA, Brazil, Holland, France, Germany, Italy and emerging soccer countries such as Australia and African Nations. They have active associations with professional clubs, national and International Soccer associations, keeping their curriculum fresh and challenging for every level of player.

For more information on U.K. Elite, check out their blog at www.UKElite.com/blog.


Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions.

Best,
Jen

--

Jen Stoltz
GM Dealer Programs Senior Coordinator
1720 Windward Concourse | Suite 100 | Alpharetta, GA | 30005

Desk: 770.407.8564 | Mobile: 678.313.2470 | Fax: 770.407.8566

Email: jstoltz@gmdealerprograms.com

Web: www.youthsportswired.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/youthsportswired

Twitter: www.twitter.com/youthsportswire

Harris Teeter Catalina Deal on Nature Valley

Nature Valley Granola Bars - Save Up To $3.00 OYNO 8/6-9-2

This may be useful for Super Doubles this week!

Buy Nature Valley Granola Bars (5 cnt or larger) or Nature Valley Granola Thins

Buy 3 and Get $1.00 OYNO
Buy 4 and Get $2.00 OYNO
Buy 5 or more and Get $3.00 OYNO

Valid 8/6 - 9/2/12

Coupon Printed at Register
All items must be purchased in one shopping trip.
Limited to product in stock.
No cash back.

Harris Teeter Super Doubles Begins Today!

Super Doubles is a week-long coupon event where Harris Teeter will double any coupon up to $2.00, 20 per day per Vic card.

Check out these sites for coupon match-ups!

A Penny Filled Pantry


Southern Savers

Faithful Provisions

My Coupon Teacher

Coupon Challenge

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Publix & Harris Teeter Shops

Sales are good at both stores through next Tuesday!

OOP: 14.69 (Saving 61%)
Harris Teeter:

Chobani Greek Yogurt, 5.59
-Free Coupon
Final Price: Free

6 Ball Park Hot Dogs, 3.55 BOGO
-(3) $1/2 MF Qs
Final Price: 1.28 ea

3 Eckrich Sausage, 2.50
-(3) .55/1 MF Qs, doubled
Final Price: 1.40 ea

Chapstick, 1.18

Total before sales/coupons: 37.74
Sales: 11.16
Coupons: 11.89
OOP: 14.69 (Saving 61%)

OOP: 18.89 (Saving 70%)
Publix:

Lucky Charms, 3.99 BOGO
-.50/1 MF Q, doubled
Final Price: .99

2 Smuckers Uncrustables, 3.15 BOGO
-(2) $1/1 IP Qs
Final Price: .58 ea

4 Betty Crocker Box Potatoes, 1.55
-(2) $1.50/2 Publix IP Qs
-(2) $1/2 IP Qs
Final Price: .30 ea

Publix Milk, 2.99

10 Alpo Dog Food, .75
-$1.50/10 MF Q
Final Price: .60 ea

8 Progresso Soup, 1.50
-(8) $1/1 Publix Qs from Stand
-(2) $1/4 IP Qs
Final price: .25 ea

Publix Baby Spinach Bag, 2.49
-$1/1 Bagged Salad WYB Progresso Soup peelie on soup
Final Price: 1.49

Broccoli Slaw Bag, 2.00
-$1/1 Bagged Salad WYB Progresso Soup peelie on soup
Final Price: 1.00

2 Ragu, 2.15 BOGO
-.50/2 Ragu pasta sauce jars, RP 7/29, doubled
Final Price: .59 ea

Country Crock Spread, 2.49 BOGO
-.40/1 MF Q, doubled
Final Price: .44

Wish Bone Dressing, 2.89 BOGO
-.50/1 Wish-Bone Western dressing, excl trial sizes, RP 7/29, doubled
Final Price: .44

Juicy Drop Pop, 1.59 (for my little helper)

-$5/$40 Publix Q from homemailer

Total before sales/coupons: 62.16
Sales: 14.67
Coupons: 28.60
OOP: 18.89 (Saving 70%)

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Learning to Can Jelly!

I have always wanted to learn to can. It just seems so domestic and a great way to preserve food. With the price of food constantly going up, I thought it would also benefit economically. So I began reading everything I could about it. I surfed the net and checked out books at the library. Also, we have a Williams-Sonoma store at our local mall which has free cooking classes every Sunday at 1 pm. They frequently have canning classes and I attended two of them. I loved their cooking utensils for canning, but the price was more than I wanted to dish out for an experiment. Fortunately, Walmart has all the basics that you need at a very reasonable price. Also, Pioneer Woman has a great tutorial on how to can with lots of pictures. Also see part 2 of her canning series.

Now what to can? Hmmmmm.

My kids have gone to the same school for six years. I have driven this road hundreds of times. I just happened to notice at a stop sign that the driveway was lined with trees that bloomed beautifully in the spring and currently have all these cherry size green things on them.

So I stopped and picked a few. Then, because I am clueless about trees, I took them to a local nursery that sells many trees and plants and asked. I also looked them up online just to be sure they knew what they were talking about. It turns out that these lovely little balls are crab apples! Lots and lots of crab apples. Thousands. There are at least four different kinds of crab apples on the property. In six years, I have never seen anyone pick these crab apples. Not once.

Huh. Buckets of fruit at my fingertips, growing along the driveway of my kids' school and I had no idea.

Free fruit.

FREE FRUIT!

Of course I quickly googled crab apple jelly and found some great recipes to try and even a few videos on how to do it on YouTube. According to what I learned, crab apples are most ripe in August/September but if you are making jelly, you should have them slightly less than full ripeness which is now (end of July/beginning of August). Even though I took the kids three times to pick fruit, it did not even put a dent in the quantity on the trees.

I must warn you though, because the fruit is small, it is time consuming to remove stems, blossom ends and cut any blemishes away. However, I think it is worth it! It's also full of pectin which is what makes jelly jelly. So you can add other fruit or herbs to it to change the flavor, using it as a base. And you don't have to buy pectin to add! Just a tip: If you let the fruit sit on your counter a few days before beginning, the stems come off much easier. I found this out on my second batch.

After viewing many recipes and a couple of videos, I began with this recipe for spiced crab apple jelly. It took two days to accomplish. I got through to the straining and allowed it to strain overnight.

On a side note, I submitted a jar of my first ever batch to our local county fair this past week and won first place for apple jelly. WOO HOO! It's a winner!


Spiced Crab Apple Jelly

Ingredients:

7 lbs crab apples (this is about two plastic store bags mostly full), cleaned and halved (end flower cut off and any spots removed)
2 cinnamon sticks
Abt 10 whole cloves
Abt 10 cups of water
8 cups of sugar

Directions:

After cleaning and halving crab apples, place in one or two pots and divide the water. Boil until apples become soft. Replace water as needed. It should easily cover all the apples. As apples become cooked, mash them with a masher. Water should still be fluid. Drain apples with a colander saving the liquid and keeping the apple pulp for the moment. Drain the liquid in the colander again only this time line with coffee filters. You should end up with about 8 cups of liquid. If you do not have that much put some pulp back into the pot, add water and bring to a boil. Do same process and add liquid to the other portion of liquid. Once you have enough liquid toss apple pulp.

Put liquid into a clean pot, add spices and 8 cups of sugar. Sugar should be equal one cup to one cup of liquid. Boil for about 25 minutes and occasionally stirring and removing film. Test with a spoon from the freezer. You will begin to see the cooled liquid on the spoons gelling. Strain spices out.

Can liquid using a hot water bath for ten minutes. Makes abt 8 cans.

Note: Using the above recipe, I also made a batch of blueberry crab apple jelly. During the first boil of the apples I threw in a pint of frozen blueberries and did not add the cinnamon and cloves. It turned the jelly purple and according to the kids was better on a PB & J than grape jelly.

*

Here is another recipe that I tried, and it turned out great as well! Martha Stewart made this while she was in prison from crab apple trees that grew on the prison property! I just happen to have a lovely Rosemary bush growing at my mailbox. If you have never planted an herb, I highly recommend Rosemary. It is a perennial and will not die out. I had one given to me once during a holiday and it sat on my window sill for months. Finally when it was looking sickly I stuck it in the ground by the mailbox and it took off. My mailbox seems to be a popular stopping point for many walkers in the neighborhood!

Martha Stewart's Crab Apple Rosemary Jelly

Ingredients:

5 cups ripe crab apples, stems and end flower removed
2 cups water
sugar to measure
sprigs of rosemary

Directions:

Cut the apples into chunks. Add water and simmer until soft.
Strain the juice through 3 layers of cheesecloth or a jelly bag.
For each cup of juice, add 3/4 cup sugar. Swirl a large sprig of rosemary through the liquid.
Bring the syrup to a boil and cook quickly to a temperature of 220 degrees.
Remove from heat, skim and pour into hot half pint jars. Seal jars by boiling for ten minutes.

*

Finally, to please my husband I tried my hand at Jalapeno Jelly. It turned out extremely well and I will be making it again. My first batch won third place at my local county fair in its category. It was very inexpensive to make. I must warn you that it makes your house smell quite badly according to the kids! I would describe it as sweet and spicy but not hot.

Jalapeno Jelly

Ingredients:

3/4 lb of jalapenos, cored and seeded
2 cups apple-cider vinegar
6 cups sugar
2 pouches liquid pectin
3 drops of green food coloring (optional)

Directions:

Wearing gloves, wash, seed, and core the jalapenos. Puree them in a food processor with 1 cup of vinegar. Pour into a medium sized pot. Add the other cup of vinegar and all the sugar. Bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Allow to boil for 10 minutes. Add the pectin and let it rapidly boil for one minute. Remove from heat and skim the top if needed. If desired, you can add food coloring.

Ladle jelly into clean, warm canning jars leaving a 1/4″ head space. Wipe the rim of the jar and put on sterile lid. Screw on the top. Put in water bath for 10 minutes. Remove, let cool, and check for good seal.

Serve with crackers and/or cream cheese.

Steakhouse Dark Bread Recipe!

Lately I have been really busy getting my kids ready to compete in out local county fair. Just as a background, I consider myself a city girl who never competed as a child and didn't enter a fair until about four years ago. However, it is fun. Really fun. The kids love it. It's free. And sometimes you win. In a world where every kids gets a trophy when they join a team, it is nice for them to experience real competition and learn that sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. Both are learning experiences and necessary to become a well rounded and responsible adult. All three of my kids entered and I am happy to report that my oldest (11) won second place with his bread baking. We chose a dark bread recipe because we wanted to try painting on the bread after it was cooked. The other two did not win but enjoyed the cooking and eating after!

Steakhouse Dark Bread


Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups strong brewed coffee, room temperature
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup dark molasses
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 cups flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast or bread machine yeast

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in bread machine pan in order suggested by manufacturer. Select Dough cycle. When the machine indicates the end of the final rise, remove the dough.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Divide the dough into three strands and braid. Let rise until doubled in size while the oven preheats, it should rise quickly.

3. Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Optional: Mix cornstarch and water and paint designs on the outside of the bread after cooking.

Great Deal on Pork Roasts at Food Saver This Week!

With the food prices about to rise dramatically due to the draught out West, you may want to stock up on this great deal.  Food Saver has po...