Everything 50% Off This Saturday at Goodwill

This Saturday is the first Saturday of the month, and all Goodwill stores are having half off day starting at 8 a.m.

More Free Music at Amazon

Amazon is offering free album downloads of sampler music. Most of it you can download by song as well. So if you are in the mood to try new music for free, check it out.

Menu Planning Monday 3/30/2009

Monday: Ziti Chicken Casserole
Tuesday: Calzones
Wednesday: Shrimp Gumbo
Thursday: Cheater Pot Pie
Friday: Spaghetti
Saturday: Idiot Chicken
Sunday: Roast Turkey and Steamed Vegetables - I just bought this at Amazon (birthday present), and I am going to try it out on a lovely frozen turkey that I bought for next to nothing just after the holidays in my freezer. Should make for some great leftovers next week.

Check out Organizing Junkie for more menu planning ideas!

Free Redbox Monday!

Free movie rental at Redbox locations today 3/30 only when you use the code 89ZQJ3 at checkout! Enjoy!

I've Won An Award!! Awesome!

Melissa at Saving Cents with Sense (a great blog, check her out) has honored me with this wonderful award. I do enjoy getting awards, mostly because I get to share some favorite blogs with my readers. Today I am going to focus on my Mommy Blogs listed below. They are great writers that frequently make me laugh out loud as they describe their children, days and constant amazement at life in general. One of the best things about the internet is that you can find people out there that share the same challenges as yourself and are able to laugh about them. I can't tell you how many times I have read out loud to my husband some of the hilarious things they have written. They also remind me of the beauty and joy in simple things. Check them out!

Rules for the Uber Amazing Blog:Uber (synonym to Super) Amazing Blog Award is a blog award given to sites who; inspire you, make you smile and laugh, gives amazing information, a great read, have an amazing design and any other reasons you can think of that makes them UBER amazing!

The rules of this award are:
1.Copy the badge and put the logo on your blog sidebar or post.
2. Nominate at least 5 blogs (can be more) that for you are Uber Amazing!
3. Let them know that they have received this Uber Amazing award by commenting on their blog.
4. Share the love and link to this this post and to the person you received your award from.

For the Uber Amazing Award, I nominate:

I Am Bossy

Sarcastic Mom

Ronda's Rants

Like Merchant Ships

Three Blondes and a Redhead

Vintage Thirty

Mommy's Martini

Ramblings of a Crazy Woman

Happy Meals & Happy Hour

Suburb Sanity

whatever

Thanks, Melissa!

Salsa Recipe: Idiot Chicken

For those of you who printed the fantastic Pace coupon that I mentioned earlier this week, here is a great and simple recipe.

Idiot Chicken
from RecipeZaar

Ingredients:

• 3-4 fresh or thawed boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 (18 ounce) jar mild salsa
  

Directions:

Place chicken in the bottom of the crock pot. Pour salsa over chicken to cover. Cover and cook on low for 8 hrs or high for 4 hours.

Kroger Clearance: Why You Should Always Take Coupons With You

Yesterday afternoon I stopped by Kroger to pick up a prescription. Before I went in I had decided that I was not going to shop. Not a bit. I didn't even take my coupons in. Well, my prescription was not ready - come back in ten minutes. I half wondered if they say that to everyone to get them to go shop. Maybe. It worked on me. My plan then was to go collect blinkies. I still was not shopping. In the freezer section I found a couple of microwave egg cooker containers which I have been meaning to get. Okay, I did not need coupons for that, and it wasn't really food so that was okay. I then wandered over to the clearance section. There were Glade and Febreeze products 75% off. I knew I had a ton of coupons for these. So I went out to my car and got my mammoth coupon binder. This was a good thing because, since I wanted to buy the egg cookers which would have been six dollars plus tax, I was able to get them plus the other items for $4.36 due to all the overage on the clearance items. So my lesson learned is always take your coupons with you (even if you just leave them in the car) and always check Kroger clearance!

Total before sales/coupons: 69.38
Sales: 46.02
Coupons: 19.00
OOP: $4.36

Great Petsmart Coupons

Check out The Thrifty Mama for some great deals at Petsmart!

Happy News Fridays

Whenever my life seemed bleak, my mom had a knack for cheering me up by reminding me of all the things that I had accomplished instead of focusing on the issues at present. I hope I will always remember to do that for my children. Here's an example: Once when I was studying for a difficult calculus exam in college, I had a horrible cold...and it was raining... and I had just broken up with whomever I had been dating...and I had a crappy job...and I had just heard the news that a girl my age, with whom I went to church, had just gotten married on some distant tropical beach to some hot guy and she was opening her own art boutique because her new husband was quite wealthy, I called home miserable and my mom reminded me that she would probably find herself divorced with children and no way to support herself because she did not pursue an education...oh, and by the way you are nearly through with college, how great is that? I felt better, worked harder and passed that exam. Oh the girl, you might ask? She did eventually end up as predicted (though I would not wish that on anyone). I say all this because perhaps that is what our nation needs right now - a little good news pep talk and a reminder that we are strong.

Everyday, we hear news story after news story of horrible things happening. From murder and mayhem to the destruction of our environment, it can really bring a person or nation down. I sometimes turn off the news for a few days and breath a sigh of relief. With this in mind, I am going to find good things that are happening and report on them on Fridays.

Because the auto industry is so much in the news, here is some good news about our automobiles:

"Granted, cars emit greenhouse gases and create maddening traffic jams, but consider what else they do. Compared with the models on the road in 1970, today's cars burn less gasoline per mile and emit 98 percent fewer pollutants. That's why, despite the doubling of the number of cars, there's much less smog in the air.

The basic sedan today offers more creature comforts and safety than the luxury cars of old. The fatality rate has declined sharply, and cars have become so reliable that it's rare to come upon that once-routine sight on the shoulder of the road: a driver forlornly staring under the hood."

-It's a Wonderful Life, Reader's Digest, February 2009

If you are interested in getting happy news in your email, I recommend this website, Happy News. Sign up for their newsletter and you will read news stories that are positive.

Harris Teeter and Publix Trips 3/26/09

I am making up for doing very little shopping last week. That was probably a good thing since this week is Harris Teeter's triple coupon weekend! There is also a great milk deal at Publix. Overall, I purchased $216.21 for OOP $62.89 (saving 71%) and got some great stockpiling deals. Publix sales go on through next Tuesday and Harris Teeter's triple coupons sale is good through the weekend.


Publix Trip:

Tuscan Garlic Loaf, 4.49 (If anyone has this recipe, I want it!)
Bagel, .69
-$2/$5 Food Lion IP Q
Final Price: 3.18

Cantaloupe, on sale .97

3 Boxes Strawberries, on sale 3/$5
-$2/$5 Food Lion IP Q
Final Price: 3.00 (1.00 each)

4 Kelloggs Mini Wheats, 4.19 BOGO
-4 $1/1 IP Qs
Final Price: 1.10 each

Publix Milk, 2.69
-Publix Q buy 4 Kelloggs cereals, get Milk Free
Final Price: Free

Nabisco Chocolate Chip Cookies, on sale $2.50
-$1/1 MF Q when you buy gallon of milk
Final Price: 1.50

Publix Black Beans, .83

Santtitas White Corn Chips, 2.00

6 Pace Salsas, 3.49 each
-6 $4/1 IP Qs
Final Price: -.51 overage

-$5/$50 HG Hills Competitor Coupon

Total before sales/coupons: 73.50
Sales: 21.87
Coupons: 40.69
OOP: 10.94 (saving 85%)



Harris Teeter Trip 1:

Del Monte Pears, 1.19
-Free Coupon
Final Price: Free

3 Del Monte No Salt Tomatoes, 1.65 each
-3 .40/1 MF Qs, tripled
Final Price: .45 each

6 Dole Pineapple, 1.49 each
-3 .75/2, tripled
Final Price: .37 each

6 Ortega Seasonings, .99 each
-3 .75/2 MF Q, tripled
Final Price: -.14 overage each

6 Swanson Chicken, regularly 2.19, on sale 1.79
-3 .75/2 MF Qs, tripled
Final Price: .67 each

3 Welch Grape Jam, 2.49
-.55/1 MF Q, tripled
Final Price: .84 each

2 Pace Salsa, 4.19
-$4/1 IP Q
Final Price: .19 each

Pace Salsa Teq, 3.69
-$4/1 IP Q
Final Price: -.31 overage

Skippy Peanut Butter, 2.79
-MF Q .60/1 MF Q, tripled
Final Price: .99 each

22 Count Family Sack Frito Lay Chips, regularly 8.99, on sale 7.99
-.55/1, tripled
Final Price: 6.34

Total before coupons: 68.74
Coupons: 46.57
OOP: 22.17 (saving 68%)



Harris Teeter Trip 2 (yesterday):

2 Mott's Apple Sauce, 1.96
-.55/1 IP Q, tripled
Final Price: .31 each

Minute Rice, 2.49
-.50/1 MF Q, tripled
Final Price: .99

Spam, regularly 2.69, on sale 2.50
-.40/1 MF Q, tripled
Final Price: 1.30

Spam Single, 1.19
-.25/1 MF Q, tripled
Final Price: .44

4 Knorr Sides, 1.49
-2 .50/2 MF Q, tripled
Final Price: .74 each

3 Sweet Sue Chicken, regularly 3.89, on sale 3.39
-3 .75/1 MF Qs, tripled
Final Price: 1.14 each

Pace Picante Sauce, 3.99
-$4/1 IP Q
Final Price: -.01 overage

Pace Pico de Gallo, 3.69
-$4/1 IP Q
Final Price: -.31 overage

3 Welch Grape Jam, 2.49
-.55/1 MF Q, tripled
Final Price: .84 each

Skippy Peanut Butter, 2.79
-MF Q .60/1 MF Q, tripled
Final Price: .99 each

6 Swanson Chicken, regularly 2.19, on sale 1.79
-3 .75/2 MF Qs, tripled
Final Price: .67 each

4 Chef Boyardee Mini ABCs, on sale .64 each
1 Chef Boyardee Ravioli, on sale 1.oo
-$1/5 MF Q
Final Price: .51 each

2.61 lbs Red Seedless Grapes, regularly 2.49 lb, on sale 1.99 lb
Final Price: 5.19

Total before coupons: 73.97
Coupons: 44.19
OOP: 29.78 (saving 60%)

Bargain Meal of the Week 3/26/09

It's time for another week of Bargain Meals! Erin over at $5 Dinners (a great read!) is hosting a gathering of bloggers all over the internet, creating frugal meals straight from the sales circulars of their favorite stores. Check it out for even more inspiration. I contribute every Thursday for the current sales at Publix, which run from Wednesday to the following Tuesday. Keep in mind that you do not need to purchase two of a product to get the buy one get one price. Publix marks down their products to half price for the BOGO deals.

This may sound unusual but it works! It makes very tender ribs.

Barbecued Ribs

Ingredients:

• enough ribs to feed your family (pork spareribs are $1.59 lb)
• canned Coca-Cola/Pepsi (Pepsi 2 Litters, 1.69 BOGO)
• barbecue sauce (currently buy brand name get Publix version free)
  
• garlic
• salt and pepper
• onion powder

Directions:

Place ribs in baking dish and pour soda over the meat until it is covered. Add barbecue sauce and spices.

Marinate over night.

Slow cook the ribs in soda mixture at 200 degrees for at least four hours (longer for more tenderness). Cover the ribs to avoid burning.

Remove the ribs from the oven being careful to prevent meat from falling off the bone.

Place ribs on grill. Brush with barbecue sauce. Add additional seasoning if desired. Grill for ten minutes or until sauce caramelizes.

Deals I Like This Week

Harris Teeter:

This weekend is Triple Coupon Weekend! Go HERE to see coupon matchups.

Food Lion:

Cantaloupes, 2.99 BOGO
Zucchini or Yellow Squash, $1.29 per lb (Farmer's Market generally has it at this price as well)
-$2 off $5 product purchase printable (Food Lion)
Final Price: $2 Off Total

Wishbone Salad Dressing 8 oz., 1.00 (Thanks Frugal in Franklin for this item info!)
-.75/1 IP Q (printable)
-.65/1 IP Food Lion Q (printable)
Final Price: If you buy 2 and use two IP Qs and one Food Lion Q, then -.15 overage for 2.

Food Lion Milk, 2.47

Publix:

Campbell’s Select Harvest Soup, $2.39 BOGO
-$1/2 MF Q (SS 2/01)
-.50/1 MF Q (SS 3/01)
Final Price: .69 each

Lance Cookies, Crackers or Wafers, 10 -14oz pkg, $2.89 BOGO
-$1/1 MF Q (SS 2/22)
Final Price: .44 each

Contessa Meals, 22-24oz, $7.99 BOGO
-$2/1 IP Q printable (IE) or printable (FF)
-$1.50/2 IP Q printable
Final Price: 1.99-3.25 each

Glass Plus, 32oz Bottle, $2.49 BOGO
-.50/1 MF Q (SS 3/22, 2/08)
-$1/1 IP Q printable
Final Price: .24 each

Publix Orange Juice, 1 gallon, $2.49 each

Pepperidge Farms Goldfish Grahams, 2.19 BOGO

Snack Factory Pretzel Crisps, 3.19 BOGO (these are really good, a coworker brought them in recently)
-$1/1 IP Q printable (IE) or printable (FF)
Final Price: .69 each

Mini Watermelon or Honey Dew Melon $2.50 ea
Fresh Strawberries $1.66 ea
Cantaloupes .97¢ ea
-$2 off $5 Produce Purchase printable (Food Lion)

Kellogg's Frosted Flakes, 1.99
-$1/2 IP Q
Final Price: 1.49
(Also use the Publix Coupon in the Circular, Buy 4 Kellogg's Cereals, get Publix Milk Free)

Thanks to Southern Savers for most of this information. For a complete list of sale items and coupon match-ups check out her site!

HG Hills:

Washington Red Delicious or Jonagold Apples, .89 per lb

Saturday Only:
Kool-Aid Bursts, 6 Pack, .79
Carolina Pride Jumbo Hot Dogs, .99 each
Split Chicken Breasts, .99 per lb
10 lb Bag Potatoes, 2/$5
Sirloin End Cut Pork Chops, 1.19 per lb

This is not in the advertisement, but I stopped at the Franklin HG Hill on Monday and they had their store brand paper towels (6 pack) on sale 5 for 19.99. We are always running out of paper towels, and I rarely find a decent deal on paper towels even with coupons. If you have the same problem, you may want to stock up.

CVS (food related):

Campbell’s Soup, .99 BOGO (Some stores have it a little more expensive than this)
-$1/2 IP Q HERE
Final Price: Free (Thanks Lizzy’s Language for this tip!)

Quick, Go Get This Printable Coupon!

HERE is a $4/1 coupon on any Pace product. I suspect that it will make numerous items free. Be ready to print. It may take a few minutes. I was able to print multiple times. It will not last long so print asap.

Free Redbox Wednesday!

Today, March 25th, you can get a free DVD rental at your local Redbox. Use code MMM325.

This can be used once per debit/credit card, so you can rent more than one for free by using different cards!

Bzzzz...Chili's Guiltless Grill Menu Review

For all the newbies out there, when you see someone rave about being part of a test group for a company and they provide you with an invitation to join that group, do it. That is how I became involved with BzzAgent.com. They let you join a campaign, they usually (not always) provide you with coupons, and you get to try new products (which is totally cool). That is what I did with their Chili’s Guiltless Grill campaign. They also expect you to be honest so you can say what you really think. They sent me a four coupons for free Guiltless Grill entrees. While I was under the weather this past week, I sent my husband for take-out. Of course we also bought just a ton of appetizers for the kids so Chili's still made money!

I thought the Guiltless Grill Entrees were very good. We had the Carne Asada Steak and the Honey-Mustard Glazed Salmon. Of the two, I thought the Salmon was the best, and I would order it again. By the way, this is a low-carber's paradise. I am so glad to see restaurants providing a tasty and healthy section of the menu where you don't feel like you are missing out when you go out to eat.

Just fyi, Chili’s Guiltless Grill menu has six options with less than 750 calories, and less than 25 grams of fat each.

• Guiltless Buffalo or Grilled Chicken Sandwich
• Guiltless Cedar Plank Tilapia
• Guiltless Carne Asada Steak
• Guiltless Honey-Mustard Glazed or Grilled Salmon
• Guiltless Chicken Platter
• Guiltless Black Bean Burger

Do you need to relax?

If you do, you can download 99 Perfectly Relaxing Songs from Amazon for .99 (saving $96.03 if you were to download each song). What a deal!

Also, you can download more relaxing chant music for FREE from Amazon HERE (thanks Devastating Boredom for this info).

Onion Custard Review

I tried out the recipe that I recently posted about. It turned out good. It was similar to quiche. It had an unusual flavor that I liked, produced by the nutmeg. I did use a bit more bacon than the recipe called. I would make it again. It would make a great breakfast dish.

Free Redbox Monday!

Redbox Code for today is HG7W56. Good until Midnight tonight.

Menu Plan Monday! 3-23-09

Monday: Sausage Corn Muffins and Sauteed Fresh Spinach
Tuesday: Peanut Butter Chicken and Rice
Wednesday: Gumbo
Thursday: Stupid Easy Crock Pot Sausage and Potatoes
Friday: Ham Egg Bake
Saturday: Calzones
Sunday: Meatza

Check out Organizing Junkie for more menu planning ideas!

Great Printables

$1/1 Honey Nut Cheerios
.55/2 Hillshire Farm Lunch Meat
$1/1 Johnson & Johnson Body Care Product
.55/1 Shedd's Spread Country Crock

Recipe: Onion Custard

Recently, thanks to Frugal in Franklin, I purchased fresh onions for .25 per lb at H.G. Hills. I was expecting to find less than desirable onions at that price but they turned out to be big, beautiful white onions. So I will chop them up and freeze most of them.

On Friday, my mom came to visit and we went to our local Goodwill. I really enjoy checking out the old cookbooks. I purchased a couple for casseroles. One book, Casserole Treasury by Lousene Rousseau Brunner published in 1964, had an interesting onion recipe that I wanted to share. Since I had just purchased a lot of onions, I thought it was appropriate.

Onion Custard

1 lb small white onions peeled
1/4 cup butter or margarine
3 eggs well beaten
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Salt and Pepper
1 strip bacon shredded

1. Let the onions, if raw, stand in cold salted water for an hour or so.
2. Slice them and saute them lightly in sizzling butter, until they are soft but not colored. Let them cool.
3. Combine the eggs, cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir in the onions and pour into a small greased casserole.
4. Scatter the bacon shreds on top and bake about 20 minutes in a moderate oven, 350 degrees, until the custard is set and firm to the touch.

Serves 4.

Cheap Legos!

Check out a recent post at It's Hip to Save! She has a great deal on Legos. Also, if you go through ebates.com first, you get back 3%.

Harris Teeter Triple Coupons Mar 25 - Mar 31

Triple coupon weekend is coming to Harris Teeter March 25th through March 31st so get your coupons ready! For a preview of the deals and a coupons match-up, check out Hot Coupon World. Remember that you can only use up to twenty coupons per day and only three like coupons at a time. Most HTs will not triple printable coupons but I have used these coupons and they have tripled. Blinkies (coupons from the boxes around the store) that have a number that begins with 9 will definitely not triple, however, those that begin with a 5 may triple, YMMV.

Kroger Trip 3/19/09

Kroger has a 10 Item Mega Event currently going on, and I was nearly out of laundry detergent. Crazy, I know. The last time I purchased laundry detergent was months ago at CVS when they had a fantastic deal on Purex. This deal on Purex was pretty good so I took advantage of it. For their event, you have to purchase ten items on their list and they will deduct $5 from your total. You can do this for up to thirty items with a total of $15 off. The sale is good until Saturday if you wish to purchase similar items.

Here is what I purchased:


6 Activia Yogurt, regularly 3.99, on sale 2.49
-6 MF Qs $1/1
Final Price with Mega Deal Discount: .99 each

Kroger Eggs, 1.29

2 Betty Crocker Boxed Potatoes, regularly 1.85, on sale 1.49
-.40/1 Cellfire Q
-.35/1 eShortcuts Q
-2 .40/1 IP Q, doubled
Final Price with Mega Deal Discount: -.19 overage

Oreo Cookies, 2.68
-$1/1 MF Q for Nabisco cookies when you purchase gallon of milk (from tearpad at CVS)
Final Price with Mega Deal Discount: $1.18

Land O Lake Butter, regularly 1.99, on sale 1.49
-2 .55/1 IP Qs
Final Price with Mega Deal Discount: .44 each

Kroger Milk, 2.50

Welch's Juice, 2.99
-$1/1 Hang tag Q
Final Price with Mega Deal Discount: 1.49

2 Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks, 1.99
- $50/2 MF Q, doubled
-.75/1 Cellfire Q
Final Price with Mega Deal Discount: .62 each

2 Oscar Mayer Honey Ham, regularly 4.99 each, on sale 2/$5
-$1/2 Blinkie Q
Final Price: $2 each

6 Purex, regularly 3.64, on sale 2.99
-6 .35/1, doubled
Final Price with Mega Deal Discount: 1.79 each

Angus Steak, regularly over 10., on sale 5.63

Tyson Chicken, on sale 3.80

Total before sales/coupons: 95.11
Coupons: 27.40
Sales: 22.99
Final OOP: 44.72 (saving 56%)

Bargain Meal of the Week 3/19/09

It's time for another week of Bargain Meals! Erin over at $5 Dinners (a great read!) is hosting a gathering of bloggers all over the internet, creating frugal meals straight from the sales circulars of their favorite stores. Check it out for even more inspiration. I contribute every Thursday for the current sales at Publix, which run from Wednesday to the following Tuesday. Keep in mind that you do not need to purchase two of a product to get the buy one get one price. Publix marks down their products to half price for the BOGO deals.

Tuna Melts
from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 1 (1 pound) loaf French bread
• 1 small sweet onion, peeled and diced
• 1 (12 ounce) can tuna, drained
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 cup mayonnaise

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a mixing bowl, combine sweet onion, drained tuna, mozzarella, and mayonnaise. Mix thoroughly.
3. Spread tuna mixture on slices of French bread to form a sandwich. Place sandwiches on a cookie sheet.
4. Bake in a preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Publix Sales:
Handmade Sourdough French Bread in Baker on sale $2.89
(if you use the Food Lion $2 off of $5 Bakery purchase, it will be cheaper if you purchased two)
Bumble Bee Prime Fillet Tuna 4-pack, currently $7.49 BOGO (making one can .94 each)
Publix Chunk Cheese, 2/$4

Total Price: 5.83 or $4.83 with coupon, plus a little more for onion and mayo.

Deals I Like This Week

Publix:

Food Lion has a printable coupon for $2 off of a $5 produce purchase and a $2 off of a $5 bakery purchase. Publix honors competitor coupons so you can use these at their store.

Florida Strawberries, 3/$5
-Food Lion IP Q $2/$5 produce
Final Price: 3/$3

Post Cereal (includes Selects, Grape-Nuts, Grape-Nuts Flakes, Trail Mix Crunch) 4.29, BOGO
- 2 $2/1 printable or $1/2 MF Q (SS 3/1)
Final Price: $.15 - $1.65 a box

Green Giant Veggies (10/$10)
- $.50/1 MF Q (GM 2/8) or $.60/2 printable
Final Price: $.00 - $.70 each

Yoplait Yogurt (4-pk. 4-oz cup), $2.50, BOGO
-$1.50/1 IP Q : HERE
OR
-$1/1 IP Q : HERE and HERE
Final Price: $0.00 - $.50 for 2

Del Monte Fresh Cut Vegetables (11 to 15.25-oz can, Excluding Specialty Varieties and Asparagus, Limit four.), $.79
- IP Q $.75/1 40% Less Salt varieties: HERE
Final Price: $.04 for 1

Thanks to Homeschooling Four and Fiddledeedee! for the information.

Harris Teeter:

Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner, 1.39 BOGO
-$.50/1 MF Q (2/8 or 3/15 S), doubled
Final price: $.39 each

Sargento Shredded Cheese 8 oz., 2/$4
-$.40/1 MF Q (1/25 S), doubled
Final price: $1.20 each

Cheerios, 3/$6
-$.50/1 MF Q (2/8 GM), doubled
Final price = $1.00 each

Jumbo Cantaloupe
Sale price: $.99

Thanks to Centsible Savings for this information!

Petsmart:

Iams Smart Puppy dry dog food 4 lbs, on sale $5.99
-$5/1 MF Q (P&G 3/1)
Final Price: .99

Thanks to Queen of Good Intentions for this deal!

Target:

Quaker deal - buy five products get a $5 gift card at checkout (deal is good until the 21st).

Buy: 5 Cereals 18.4 oz=$12.50
Use: (5) -$1 off printable
Total Due: $7.50, get $5 gift card back = $2.50 total for 5 boxes

Thanks to Southern Savers for this information.

Also reported at Target:

GE Energy-Saving Light Bulbs, 1.00
-$1/1 IP Q printable
OR
-.50/1 MF Q
Final Price: .00 to .50 each

Pledge Furniture Wipes, 2.75 to 3.00
-$1/1 HERE
-Stack with $2/1 HERE
Final Price: Free with both coupons

Gillette Body Wash (8.4 oz.), 2.00
-$2/1 MF Q (3/1 P&G)
Final Price: Free

Thanks to In Good Cents for this information!

Free Redbox Rental Code

Use code GTL456 to get a free movie tonight! Good tonight, Wednesday March 18th, only!

WFMW: Citation Machine

I've spent a lot of time in school and written more papers than I can remember. The Citation Machine has saved me countless hours when writing references for my papers. I LOVE this site! All you do is choose the type of citation that you need, fill in the blanks, press submit and then copy and paste the citation into your reference section. You no longer have to wonder where the periods or italics go. For all those moms and dads out there helping your kids with their papers, this will be a life saver. It really works for me!

For other WFMW ideas, check out We Are THAT Family!

CVS Trip: $4.06 for $154.50

I had expiring ECBs and two $10 off of $50 CVS coupons so I made a trip to CVS after checking the Internet for the best deals. I made two transactions with shopping in between because I feel guilty doing it all at once - I don't want people to have to wait in line behind me. I lost a few ECBs so I will have to make up for that in future transactions. However, Easter is coming soon and CVS usually has great ECB deals over holidays.

I was going to attempt purchasing three Dry Ideas at the same time because it has been reported online that the limit is actually three. However, I saw a friend at the store who I mentioned it to and she tried two and it did not work. There was a problem with the price not ringing up correctly and the cashier had to fix it. He would not fix it twice. She ultimately returned the second one. I did notice on my receipt that it is showing another quantity to be purchased toward the deal. I think it may have worked if the cash register had rung the correct price to begin with.

Here is what I purchased:


Transaction 1:

Dry Idea, regularly 4.49, on sale 2.99
-IP Q $2/1

L'Oreal Revitalift Cream, regularly 19.99, on sale 16.00
-MF Q $2/1
-CVS CRT $3/1

L'Oreal Revitalift Face Wipes, 6.99
-MF Q $2/1

Colgate Max Fresh, regularly 3.29, on sale 2.99
-MF Q $1/1

24.7 Daily Scrub, 15.99

2 Revlon Lipstick, 7.99 BOGO
-CVS CRT $2/1
-2 MF Qs $1/1

Irish Spring Body Wash, 4.99

-CVS $10/$50

Total Before Coupons/Sales: $72.55
ECBs Used: $33.99
Total OOP: .78
ECBs Earned: $24.98 ($5 for L'Oreal, $4.99 for Irish Spring, $2.99 for Colgate, $10. for 24.7, and $2 for Dry Idea)


Transaction 2:

4 Progresso Soup, regularly 3.19, on sale 1.25
-IP Q $1/2 (I actually had two of these but only one rung up)

3 Bliss Milk Chocolate, regularly 4.99, on sale 3.99
-3 MF Qs $1/1

2 Pringles, regularly 1.99, on sale 1.47
-2 MF Qs $1/1 (from P&G Booklet mailed to me)

4 Dove Shampoo/Conditioners, regularly 4.99, on sale 4.00
-4 MF Qs $1.50/1

3 Reese Peanut Butter Eggs, regularly 2.99, on sale 2.00
-IP Q $1.5/3

2 Glade Air Freshioners, 1.89
-2 CVS CRTs $1/1

2 Revlon Lipstick, 7.99 BOGO
-2 MF Qs $1/1

-CVS $10/$50 coupon

Total before sales/coupons: $81.88
ECBs Used: 22.98
Total OOP: $3.21
ECBs earned: $11.00 (($5 for Dove, $5 for Hersheys, and $1 for Glade)

Free Redbox Rental Code!

The code for a free movie on March 16th, good until midnight, is 2GR4N8.

1950's Menu Planning Monday 3/16/09

I have been under the weather this week so my friend Carol came by yesterday to keep me company, and while here, we baked bread (actually she did all the work). Since we were in the kitchen, we looked through one of my old cookbooks. This particular one, The Village Cook Book, I purchased at our local flea market several years ago. I love to find old cookbooks that are hand written, photocopied and put together by clubs. There is something great about using family favorite recipes - so unpretentious without a million ingredients. This cookbook was published in 1956 by The Village Improvement Society in Yarmouth, Maine. One of the interesting things about this cookbook is that at the end of each section there are local advertisements including providers of coal and even one by L.L. Bean. The phone numbers are only five digits. The recipes sounded so amusing yesterday that I am going to attempt them this week. Some of the recipes mention things that I have no clue what they are and some are vague on specifics as to amounts and temperatures. I suspect that these recipes were so well known by the cooks that these specifics were assumed to be known at the time. These are the main dishes - I'll add sides as I cook. See recipes below.

Monday: Six Layer Dinner
Tuesday: Smothered Ham and Sweet Potato Balls
Wednesday: Scarlet Sinners
Thursday: Seafood Casserole
Friday: Individual Hamburg Cups
Saturday: Shrimp Cream
Sunday: Meat Loaf - Russian Style

Six Layer Dinner
by Lee P. Bailey

2 cups sliced potatoes
1 cup rice
2 cups hamburger
1 large can tomatoes
1 large sliced green pepper
1 cup sliced onions

Place in layers in casserole. Salt and pepper each layer. Bake slowly 2 1/2 hours in covered casserole.

Smothered Ham
by Grace Haskell

1 sliced ham (smoked) 2 inches thick
milk to cover ham
4 T brown sugar
1 tsp prepared mustard

Soak ham 2 hours in milk. Sprinkle brown sugar and mustard over top. Bake covered 2 hours in mod oven (325 - 350). Remove cover 15 minutes before ham is done. Serve with slices of fried pineapple.

Sweet Potato Balls
by Grace Frank

Mash sweet potatoes. Add salt, pepper and plenty of better. Cool and shape around 1/2 marshmallow. Dip in beaten egg and roll in crushed corn flakes. Heat thoroughly in moderate oven about 10 minutes.

Scarlet Sinners
by Bernice Wentworth

1 cup flaked cooked fish
2 cups hot mashed potatoes
1tbs butter
1/8 tsp pepper
salt to taste
1 can cranberry sauce
1 egg

Beat fish and potato together. Add butter, pepper, salt and beaten egg. Shape misture into cakes and brown in hot fat. Mash branberry sauce. Heat to boiling and serve over cakes.

Seafood Casserole
by Rebecca T. Carr

1 can crabmeat or 1/2 lb lobster meat
2 cans shrimp
1 can minced clams
1 (4 oz) can sliced mushrooms
2 cans mushroom soup
cream
1/2 t Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper
butter crumbs
grated cheese
paprika

Mix all ingredients. Add liquid from clams and mushrooms to dilute soup if too thick. Add a little cream. Season with 1/2 t Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Put in casserole, top with buttered crumbs and sprinke with grated cheese and paprika. Bake 20 minutes at 350 oven. Serve with hot rice on toast points.

Individual Hamburg Cups
by Lessie S. O'Donnell

Press seasoned hamburg around to line muffin tin. Fill cavity with creamed vegetable left-overs. Top with crumbs or grated cheese. Bake 30 minutes in moderate oven or until meat is done.

Shrimp Cream
by Jane A. Shepard

1 stick butter
2 or 3 T flour
1 cup milk
1 can mushrooms
1 can chicken with rice soup
1 small jar pimentos
1 lb raw cleaned shrimp

Melt butter, add flour, milk, soup, mushrooms, and pimentos. Just bvefore you are ready to serve, add raw cleaned shrimp and cook only until shrimp turns pink. Serve on patty shells.

Meat Loaf - Russian Style
by Grace M. Frank

Meat Portion:
2 lbs ground beef
4 slices bread soaked in milk
2 eggs - well beaten
salt and pepper

Stuffing:
small onion
butter
1/2 lb mushrooms cut fine

Sauce:
small chopped onion
butter
1 T sugar
2 T tomato paste
1 1/2 c broth
2 T sour cream

Mix meat portion well. Pat out meat. For stuffing, fry onion and mushrooms in butter. When done, spread on beef mixture and roll like jelly roll. Work on waxed paper. Bake 30 to 40 minutes in moderate oven.

For sauce, brown onion in butter. Add sugar, tomato paste and broth. Cook of 20 minutes. Add sour cream at last minute, pour over loaf.

Good Time to Buy Newspapers

Tomorrow there will be three inserts in the paper: SS, RP and P&G. You can check out what the coupons are HERE. Just two of the coupons in each paper will pay for the papers for me: Ballpark Franks $1/2 and Reynolds Wrap Aluminum Foil $1/1. Usually when there is a Ballpark coupon, a sale is not far behind. I like to buy these and put them in the freezer as my kids love hot dogs. Walgreens frequently has a sale for Reynold's Wrap for a $1 and by using these coupons, it makes them free. So all the other coupons are bonus! I would buy at least five papers and if you saw a coupon that would really benefit you in the list, then get more.

Do you have kids that love Nintendo DS Light?

This Nintendo DS Light is on sale for $103.99 at DELL with coupon code Z0WPL1J0CC3W47 [Exp. 03/26]. This includes free shipping.

We have gone through about three. I make my son work for them now rather than just paying for them when he breaks them. He now treats them much better. I like to have one on hand when I find them on sale since they rarely go on sale. If it were just for entertainment purposes I probably would not bother, but it has really improved his reading skills which I like. This particular one that is on sale is pink and will be a future big birthday present for our daughter.

I know some parents do not like their kids to play video games, but it has really helped our children both in their reading and in their dexterity. In moderation, using technology tools that your kids enjoy will benefit them long into the future. Before I went into research, I was a business and technology high school teacher and I knew which kids had access to technology when they were younger because they were leagues ahead of the kids who did not.

Rite Aid $5 off of $25 Printable

Click here to print your coupon. Valid for Friday and Saturday Only! March 13 & March 14.

Bargain Meal of the Week 3/12/09

It's time for another week of Bargain Meals! Erin over at $5 Dinners (a great read!) is hosting a gathering of bloggers all over the internet, creating frugal meals straight from the sales circulars of their favorite stores. Check it out for even more inspiration. I contribute every Thursday for the current sales at Publix, which run from Wednesday to the following Tuesday. Keep in mind that you do not need to purchase two of a product to get the buy one get one price. Publix marks down their products to half price for the BOGO deals.

This is one of my favorites, and when I feel like we have over indulged on carbs lately, its a great meal to make. Every time I make it, I wonder why I don't make it more often because it is really good. I usually do not include the optional carrots, mostly because I forget to buy them!

Beef & Cabbage Bake

Description:
Low-Carb and tastes good!

Ingredients:
1 lb extra-lean ground beef (or mixture of beef & turkey)
1 small onion, diced
2 Tablespoons oil
1/2 head cabbage (about 3 cups coarsely shredded)
2 tablespoons carrots, shredded (optional)
1 bouillon cube*
1/2 cup water
garlic to taste
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
onion powder, black pepper and salt - all to taste
small tomato - thinly sliced
shredded parmesan and/or romano cheese (I have used Cheddar cheese and it turns out great)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine ground meat, onion and garlic powder in a 2 qt. covered oven casserole/pan with oil. Sauté uncovered for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to break up meat mixture. Drain off any fat. (Optionally, this can be done in a skillet and then moved to a covered casserole at this point.) Add cabbage and all but last two ingredients and toss well. Cover casserole and bake at 350°F for 1 hour. Remove cover during last 15 minutes, top with sliced tomatoes and shredded cheese and return to oven for balance of baking time.

3 net grams of carbohydrate per serving.

* You can use 1/2 cup canned chicken broth here in place of bouillon and water if you prefer.

Publix Sales:

Ground Sirloin, 3.99 per lb (you can also use ground beef which may be cheaper)
Cabbage, on sale .19 per lb
Cabot Vermont Cheddar Cheese 2/$4 (if you were lucky enough to find a tearpad for $3/1 MF Q, then this would be free with coupon)
Premium Tomatoes, $1.49 lb

Final Cost: About $6.50 or $4.50 with coupon plus a little more for oils and seasonings.

Deals I Like This Week

Publix:

Bertolli Pasta Sauce, 15 or 24 oz jar or 13.5 oz pkg, $3.75 BOGO
-$1 off Bertolli Pasta Sauce in store dispenser
Final Price: .50¢ ea, pouches or jars .87¢ ea

Tai Pei Dinners, 12 to 14.2 oz box, $2.99 BOGO
-.50/1 Tai Pei Entrees SS 1/25
-$1/2 Tai Pei Entrees RP 3/01
Final Price: .49 to .99

Electrasol Automatic Gel Detergent, 75 oz bottle, $4.39 BOGO
-.40/1 off any Electrasol (Finish) Detergent SS 3/15 (upcoming)
-.50/1 Electrasol printable
Final Price: 1.19 to 1.39

Lysol All Purpose Trigger Spray Cleaner Disinfectant, $2.69 BOGO
-.50/1 Lysol Trigger Spray cleaners SS 1/25, 3/15 or printable
Final Price: .34¢ ea

Crest Toothpaste, 8.2 oz tube $1.99
-$1 off Crest Paste or Oral B Toothbrush store coupon Simple Ways to Save flyer at Publix
-$1 off Crest Toothpaste PG $120 savings rebate booklet
-$1 off Crest PG 3/01
Final Price: Free when you use store coupon and MF Q together

Chicken, .79 per lb
Green Cabbage, .19 lb
Strawberries 16 oz, 1.66 each
Cantaloupes, 1.50 each
Premium Tomatoes, $1.49 lb

Food Lion

Marie Callender’s Dinners, $3.99 BOGO
-$1/2 Marie Callender’s Pasta Al Dente Kroger Home Mailer (MF Q)
Final Price: $1.50 ea

Doritos, $3.99 BOGO
-$1 off Doritos printable (Food Lion)
Final Price: $1

Top Round London Broil or Round Roast 50% off

Boneless Chicken Breast Fillets or Tenders 50% off

Sea Best Seafood 16 oz Tuna or Tilapia B1G1 (price not listed)

White Potatoes 5lb bag B1G1 at $4.49 (.44¢ lb)

Kroger:

Kroger currently has its buy 10 products get $5 off at check out. Using the right combination of coupons and products, you can actually make money to pay for your other groceries. To see a list of items and available coupons, check HERE.

Thanks to Southern Savers for most of this information. Check out her blog! She has a ton of valuable information. Also be sure to load up your Kroger card at cellfire before you shop there.

Free Redbox Rental Code!

Wednesday Free Red Box Movie Rental Code is JBG123 It will work until midnight tonight!

For the Locals: Celebrate Friday the 13th!

This is totally cool and FREE!

Films at the Frist: Frankenstein
Friday, March 13, 7:00 p.m.
Auditorium, FREE

What better way to spend Friday the 13th, than by watching the classic Frankenstein film! Based on Mary Shelley’s masterpiece novel, this 1931 adaptation introduces Dr. Henry Frankenstein, a mad and obsessed scientist, who creates a human monster by piecing together body parts. The monster terrorizes the Bavarian countryside after being mistreated by Frankenstein’s assistant and society as a whole. Boris Karloff gives a memorable performance as the monster in this Universal Studios production. Directed by James Whale, 1931, 71 minutes. Not Rated. 35mm.

Restaurant.com: $25 Gift Certificate for $2

Restaurant.com is having its 80% off deal! These are great, especially if you are traveling. Be sure to read the fine print, you usually have to purchase a certain amount when using the coupon. It can really save you a lot of money. The coupons are usually good for a year. I've used them several times and have yet to be disappointed.

Use 80% off coupon code MENU (exp. 3/15/09).

Do you have a pet?

We have a Red Bone Coonhound who, if she sees a cracked door, will take off like a lightening bolt. You can not catch her. She is fast, not just a little fast, but really, really fast. When she escapes we basically have to wait for someone in the neighborhood to call us to tell us that they have her. We always ask if they have a hold of her because it is pointless to go there if she is not actually captured. She is really smart and dumb at the same time. When she is tired of chasing her rabbits, she will go to a house and ring the door bell. No kidding. And the house always contains nice people with pets.

Anyway, I say this because if it weren't for her tag and our information on the tag, we would never see her again. Artscow.com is having a great deal where you can order a tag and have it shipped for .99 cents. You can't go to a pet store and get one from the machine for that price. You can even put a picture (see Izzy above) of your pet on the tag! When at the site, go to Create your own Stuff and choose jewelry and then custom dog tag. When you check out, use the coupon code COWTAG99. It is well worth it to possibly save the life of your pet.

Menu Plan Monday! 3-9-09

Monday: Baked Shrimp and Dijon Cauliflower (recipe below)
Tuesday: Shepherd's Pie & Baked Apples
Wednesday: Eat Out
Thursday: Six Can Chicken Tortilla Soup
Friday: Lasagna
Saturday: Cheeseburger Pasta
Sunday: Baked Chicken & Mac & Cheese

Dijon Cauliflower

Description: If you are on a low carb diet, this is the recipe for you! Otherwise, it's still an awesome recipe.

Ingredients:
1 C Real Mayonnaise
1 1/2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
3 Strips Cooked Bacon (chopped)
1 1/2 C Shredded Cheddar Cheese
2 Tbsp Butter
1 Head Fresh Cauliflower
(I use a 16oz bag of frozen cauliflowerettes. Either will do)
Ground Pepper to taste

Directions:
Place cauliflower in a casserole dish with the butter. Microwave covered for approximately 8 minutes or until cauliflower is tender. Stir cauliflower. In separate bowl, mix the mayonnaise and Dijon mustard together. Spread mixture over cauliflower and top with bacon pieces and shredded cheese. Microwave for another 4 minutes, or until cheese is well melted. Top with ground pepper. Enjoy!

Time for a Trip to Dollar General

Check out the post at It's Hip to Save for the great deal on Sweet Sue Canned Chicken. It's on sale for $1 and with a recent coupon will cost only .25 each!

Free Movie Rental Monday!

The Redbox Code for today is F3T9L6. It's good until Midnight tonight.

Cake Bread

If you want to try something new in your bread machine, here's a yummy and easy recipe:

Cake Bread

Ingredients:
1 pk yeast, active dry rapid rise
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pk cake mix, yellow (about 1 cup)
2 1/2 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/4 cup water very warm

Directions:
Add ingredients to bread machine following manufacturers directions. Choose basic bread cycle, light crust.