Menu Plan Monday: 5/14/2012

Monday: Mexican Pork and Sweet Potato Stew
Tuesday: Hawaiian Drumsticks & Steamed Vegetables
Wednesday: Cranberry Barbecue Meatballs, Creamed Spinach & Cucumber Salad
Thursday: Turkey Chili
Friday: Chicken Wings & Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake

Saturday: Artichoke Chicken & Almost Loaded Baked Potato
Sunday: Pizza

Would you like to put your DVDs on your IPAD or Tablet?

This is kind of specific, but if you travel a lot you will know how valuable this info can be. Recently, I bought my husband for his birthday a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0. He will be traveling to Poland soon for business and wanted something small for entertainment and communication back home. We have many DVDs and wanted a way to put some of them on the Samsung so he can watch something on the plane, etc. (without an internet connection). That is when I came across this site and software for burning DVDs to your computer and then transferring them to your tablet/iPad/etc. We tested it in the trial version of the software and when it worked we purchased the full version ($28). It is totally easy and cool! Just to be able to burn your DVDs to your computer to watch when you want rather than to keep track of the disc will be great! Here is the information:

PAVTUBE

HERE is a site that discusses how easy it is to operate.

Publix Shop 5/10/12

OOP: 9.25 (Saving 86%)

Since I splurged on stocking up on meat this week, I only went for the really great deals at Publix! Prices are good through Tuesday.

10 Sun Drop Sodas, 1.76

-(5) Publix BOGO Qs Spring Gatherings Booklet

-(10) $1/1 Sun Drop, any 2-Liter bottle - 05-06-12 SS

Final Price: Free+

2 Pepsi Next Sodas, 1.69

-(2) $1/1 Pepsi Next, any 2 L (Publix Coupon) - Yellow Adv Buy Flyer "Happy Mother's Day"

-$1/2 MF Q Pepsi Next, any 2-Liter Bottle - 04-29-12 MTS

Final Price: .19 ea

10 Pepperidge Farm Baked Naturals Crisp, 5.8-8.5 oz, 1.74

-(10) .50/1 MF Qs SS 5/06, doubled

Final Price: .74 ea

Vitamin Water, 1.50

-$1/1 MF Q (husband brought home from work)

-.50/1 Whole Foods Coupon

Final Price: Free

Hidden Valley Dressing, 3.29 BOGO

-$1/1 MF Q from Publix Spring Gatherings Booklet

Final Price: .65

Total before sales/coupons: 63.74

Sales: 19.04

Coupons: 45.45

OOP: $9.25 (Saving 86%)

Food Saver Meat Sale!

Now is a good time to stock up on meat at Food Saver. Through Sunday, pork loins are $1.38 per lb ($1.52 with 10% added). Also, fresh drumsticks are .97 per lb ($1.07). I have previously purchased their pork loins and they are really good.

I knew I was going to stock up, but serving whole pork loins over and over did not appeal to me. So it dawned on me that Food Saver has its own butcher, and they will cut a piece of meat up for you for free. So I purchased six and had two cut up for stew meat and two cut up in chops. Just so you know, boneless pork chops are over $4 per lb and having a pork loin cut is so much cheaper. One pork loin cut up into stew meat will fill three Ziploc bags. Each pork loin had an average cost of $6.27. Chicken leg packages averaged $4.53 ea. What you see is 27.3 lbs of pork loin and 14 lbs of chicken. Total OOP was $61.40.

Picture below is after separating the meat out into storage bags for freezing just to show how much one pork loin produces.

Guest Post: Ten Ways to Keep More Money in Your Wallet!

Here is a great refresher on saving money by guest poster, Jay Manning.

Ten Ways to Keep More Money in Your Wallet!

Do you work pay check to pay check? Are you constantly spending more than you earn? You are among the millions of Americans who are feeling the burden of a fallen economy. Here are ten ways to keep more of your hard-earned cash in your wallet!

1. Take your own cup of coffee to work in the morning. Just by making coffee at home, you can save yourself over $30.00 a month. I understand the need for a latte or a cappuccino once in a while, but you can buy delicious creamer alternatives at your local grocery store. Make it a special treat once a week to stop at your favorite local coffee spot and spoil yourself.

2. Get out your recyclable lunch bag and take your lunch to work. You won't believe how much money you will save just by taking your lunch three to four times each week.

3. Make a list before you go grocery shopping. Stick to your list and avoid impulse buys at the grocery store. Try to keep within a set budget and buy in bulk whenever possible. Sam's Club is a great example of where to go for some of your bulk-buying needs.

4. Take back your cans. You can help save the environment and put the money back into your wallet at the same time. Invest in a recycle bin just for your cans and use it all year long.

5. Do your coupon homework. Keep your coupons organized and make sure you bring them with you when you shop.

6. Compare prices. Whether you are shopping for groceries, clothing or toys, you need to compare prices. You can do a lot of comparison shopping in your very own home. Utilize the internet and price shop ahead of time. This is a great way to save yourself time, money and gas.

7. Limit nights out. It’s fun to take the whole family to the movies for a great feature and refreshments, but limit this to special occasions (once a month, at most) and save yourself a boatload of money. To take a family of four or five, you are going to spend at least $60.00 in tickets and refreshments. Furthermore, going out to eat before the show can prove just as costly. Instead, try eating an early lunch where everyone shares generous appetizers and entries, then hit a matinee and skip the refreshments (or buy some candy at the grocery store beforehand, that everyone can share).

8. Cancel your gym memberships for the spring and summer. You can get an amazing amount of exercise by going to your local parks, biking, and swimming. You can save a ton of money and inspire your children to exercise with you. Take them to the park and play soccer, Frisbee, basketball, or tag and enjoy some fun family time together.

9. Cancel subscriptions. You can use the internet to review and retrieve the latest news and information. Some magazine, like Entertainment Weekly, provide almost all the content in their magazines on the their website too.

10. Carpool. With gas prices rising to a possible $5.00 a gallon this summer, you may want to think about carpooling to work or school. Don't be afraid to ask around and I bet you will find there are a lot of people willing to carpool with you.

Link Love: Free Sunscreen at Target!

Check out the post at A Penny Filled Pantry on how to get free sunscreen at Target!

Clean Out My Pantry Cookies Recipe

I found this cookie recipe in 2007 and have been making them ever since. I would love to give credit to the original cook but I can no longer find her online. Every time I make them my husband and kids swear that they are the best ever. I have never made them the same twice. This recipe allows for multiple variations, basically whatever you have in your cabinet. I have used different kinds of sugars, different types of flour, thrown in a mashed banana, and used whatever chips or leftover candy that I had, and it still turns out great! Make sure you coat the outside of the dough ball with sugar as the recipe instructs. I think that is key to making this cookie fantastic.

Cleaning Out My Pantry Cookies

Description:
Great for rainy days with the kids when you don't feel like going to the store!

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
1/3 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup granulated sugar (for rolling)

Directions:
1. Cream the butter and sugars(brown and powdered) together, about 3 minutes. Add in eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the bowl using a spatula.

2. Add vanilla and mix for one more minute.

3. Slowly add in the flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder.

4. Add the various chips and dried cherries and mix until incorporated.

5. Roll cookies into a ball and roll in granulate sugar.

6. Bake at 375F for 9-10 minutes.