The Happy Cheapskate

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-21T10:22:00.002-05:00

Hello, all... I'm going to skip the bargain meal post this week because I'm away for the weekend, and we all know what bargain meal every sale is pointing to this week... our Thanksgiving Feast! I don't plan on doing much other cooking this week- I'm going to haul a couple of pre-cooked meals out of the freezer and keep things easy while I get ready for the big day. And of course, there will be leftovers galore after that. I hope everyone has a happy, safe, blessed and TASTY Thanksgiving!

(scared turkey picture by Scott Bauer source ARS license Public Domain)

Stop and Shop Bargain Meal week of 11/13-11/19

2009-11-14T15:41:00.003-05:00

This week at Stop and Shop, there are still frozen Shady Brook Farms turkeys for .47/lb! I have to tell you, I am so glad I went ahead and roasted a turkey last weekend. It ended up making enough white meat for 6 meals, enough dark meat for my husband to snack on all week, and a whole gallon of delicious broth- for less than five dollars. I will share with you a recipe I tried this week-- I wanted to use up potatoes because I had 2 big bags of potatoes in my cupboard. I made Turkey Potato Tetrazzini, following this recipe here, but with some changes. I made my own "cream of turkey" soup using this recipe here. I didn't end up using all the cheese that the recipe calls for- I just mixed a little parmesan into my cream of turkey soup and put a little shake of parmesan between each layer of potatoes. Finally, I used carrots instead of broccoli. I served it with a side of vegetables and some cranberry sauce (hey, it's on sale left and right so why not eat it?)

At the same time, I made a whole batch of more traditional turkey tetrazzini with spaghetti and froze it up for later. I am finding that it's almost as easy to make 2 dinners at a time than only one, and it saves me so much time later! The only downside is, I hope that we aren't all sick of turkey leftovers before Thanksgiving even happens. I'll definitely do my best to try to space out our meals throughout the winter, without forgetting about all that turkey that I froze!

Shaw's Bargain Meal of the week, 11/13- 11/19

2009-11-14T15:23:00.002-05:00

This week at Shaw's, boneless chicken breast chicken is 1.99 a pound, asparagus is 1.77/lb (until Sunday only!) and Rice-a-Roni is $1/ box. You can make a nice casserole with all of the above; try a variation on Asparagus, Chicken, Wild Rice Casserole.

If you need some "cream of" soups in the pantry, Shaw's has its own brand on sale for .89 a can.
However, I am trying to break my own personal recipe addiction to Cream of Chicken soup. There isn't much going for it nutritionally and it can be kind of expensive. But I just love how it tastes even though my inner whole foods snob is screaming. Last week, after I made turkey broth, I experimented with making "cream of turkey soup" that I could use in the dinners I planned to make from all that leftover turkey. I used this recipe here- I didn't have all the seasonings listed, but it still came out tasting really good. I'm sure once we get used to using homemade cream-of-whatever soup, we won't even notice the difference.

Shaw's Bargain Meal week of 11/6-11/12

2009-11-07T15:55:00.002-05:00

This week at Shaw's, I'm mainly excited about yet another Catalina sale that will allow me to replenish my dwindling supplies of Progresso Soup, Chex Mix, and Fiber One Bars. Definitely all processed and packaged, but my kids and hubby eat it up like there's no tomorrow, and all those Box Tops for Education should ensure that every kid at my daughters' school gets a new laptop or something.

Apart from that, there really isn't anything too exciting in terms of meat or produce sales, at least to me. For this week's bargain meal, I came across a recipe for Cheesy Spinach Lasagna which calls for cream cheese and bacon, of all things. Shaw's Cream Cheese is .99 for an 8 oz. brick, and Butterball Turkey Bacon is $2 for a 6 oz. package (you might be able to do better than that with Shaw's brand bacon.) Shaw's boxed vegetables are .89 a package, if you need spinach, and Barilla lasagna noodles are 1.67 a package. The recipe calls for provolone cheese and a little cottage cheese, but I think you can substitute and improvise there if you don't have those.

To be honest, I really don't plan my meals around sales. I have enough food stored in my cupboards and freezer to last a long time. For my weekly shopping, I buy things that are very cheap with coupons to replenish my pantry, and I buy milk and fruits and vegetables. If the sales aren't good at Shaw's, I get my milk at the gas station and my produce and eggs at a local farm stand. So, the bargain meal is definitely a nifty idea and all, but if all I had to go on was what was on sale at the local grocery stores, it would be really tough to come up with 7 different frugal dinners each week!

Stop and Shop Bargain Meal 11/6-11/12- Turkey Day!

2009-11-07T15:31:00.002-05:00

I know it's not actually Thanksgiving. I just feel a little silly because I've been roasting a turkey today. Stop and Shop has Shady Brook Farms frozen turkeys on sale for .47 a pound which, if I'm not mistaken, is an amazing price. I don't think meat can be much cheaper than that unless they're giving it away. So I bought a little 10 lb. turkey for less than $5 last night- I left it in a cooler in my car because it was 29 degrees overnight- and started roasting it early this morning.

Directions on how to cook a turkey from its frozen state without thawing it first are here. I have to say, it was very easy to do and much less messy than dealing with a nonfrozen, slimy bird. The only tricky part is making sure that you remove the giblets and neck partway through cooking, because you can't get them out when it's frozen solid. My 10 lb. bird took about 6 hours to cook and the turkey was very, very moist and tasty.
When the turkey was roasted, I let it rest for a while and then cut off all the useable meat. I'm not a fan of dark meat but my husband will eat it, so I saved all those parts separately. The white meat will be frozen to use in recipes (I'm thinking I will make Turkey Tetrazzini and Turkey and Rice Casserole.) Then I cut up the carcass and used it to make stock, which is still cooking right now. Once it's done, I'll freeze that in containers as well.
Between the meat and stock it looks like this turkey will provide at least 5-6 meals. Not bad!

I'm glad I ended up doing this because we're having Thanksgiving at my parents' this year, so we won't have our own turkey to get leftovers from. Of course, this wouldn't be a bad time to buy your Thanksgiving turkey, if you have the freezer space (I sure don't). I wasn't sure how I would like the Shady Brook Farms turkey, but it was very tasty (they do season it with brine or something because it's a tad salty, but not bad.)

Stop and Shop Bargain Meal week of 10/30-11-5

2009-10-31T15:51:00.002-04:00

This week, Stop and Shop has White Gem Homestyle Roasting Chickens on sale for .99/lb. I've seen better, but it isn't a bad price. A 5 lb bag of All Purpose Potatoes are 1.77- again, not great, but not awful. (If you live near Shaw's, they have 5 lb. bags of russet potatoes for .99 this week!) Try a roast chicken and potatoes recipe- here's a suggestion that sounds good.

Asparagus is on sale for 1.77/lb, which is a great price for asparagus. I have tried to like asparagus because my husband really likes it, and I found that the skinnier, more delicate asparagus is tastier to me. I found directions here on cooking asparagus in the microwave, which was really easy and they came out tasting very good.

Shaw's Bargain Meal week of 10/30-11/5- Quesadillas!

2009-10-31T15:33:00.003-04:00

Did I really just type an "11" for the month? I can't believe how fast 2009 is flying by.

When I stopped in at my Shaw's yesterday, there was a big box of Chi-Chi's Tortillas (fajita size, flour) marked down to .30 a package. I bought 5 packages because I really can't fit much more in my freezer! Then, when I got home, I made one of the quickest, easiest and cheapest dinners in my repertoire- quesadillas. This is how you do it:

Arrange tortillas on a cookie sheet you've sprayed with nonstick spray
Top with literally anything- diced tomatoes, leftover veggies, meat or chicken. I topped mine with leftover taco filling from the other night, and Mozzarella cheese (I know, not exactly Mexican, but Mozzarella always tastes good to me.)
Put another tortilla on top.
Bake at 400 degrees until cheese is bubbly and tortillas are browned on the edges.
Slice with a pizza cutter and serve with a side salad or veggie.

Everyone loves them, which is surprising because my kids don't really like tacos that much or other Mexican-style foods. And they are just so easy. I tried to figure out how much dinner cost us last night- since everything was leftover except for a little bit of cheese and the tortillas, I don't know, maybe a dollar?

This week at Shaw's, you may not be able to find any tortillas on clearance, but the same Chi-Chi's Tortillas are on sale for 1.99, and Sargento shredded cheese is Buy 1 Get 1 Free. Ro-Tel tomatoes are .88 a can (even cheaper with the coupon that you can find here) and Shaw's mild green chiles are 2/ $1.

Anything but Fried Green Tomatoes

2009-10-24T17:43:00.000-04:00

So, last week, we had a little Severe Weather Alert popping up on the computer (I love the Forcastfox plug-in- since I never watch the weather on TV it tells me everything I need to know.) telling us there was a possibility of frost during the night. I panicked a little and quickly Googled what I should do about my poor tomatoes- my tomato plants were loaded with green fruit that had yet to ripen!

Some sources suggested elaborate heating and/or insulating methods to try to buy the tomatoes some time. But plenty of other people had recipes for what to do with all those green tomatoes. Many of the recipes were for fried green tomatoes- something I've never had, but that I'm not especially interested in. Some of the more interesting ideas were:

faux berry jelly, using raspberry gelatin to trick you into thinking you're eating... raspberries. I was kind of intrigued by this idea.
green tomato salsa
green tomato soup

What I ended up making was a couple loaves of green tomato bread, using this recipe. All the recipes I saw had a lot more sugar than I am accustomed to using in baked goods- 2 whole cups of white sugar!?! (The recipe I used called for a cup of Splenda in place of one cup of sugar-- but don't even get me started on Splenda.) But it definitely tasted really, really good, and my husband and kids were asking where it went when it was all gone, after like, a day. (To be fair, I only let them eat one loaf- the other one is in the freezer for later.) But if I make it again, I will definitely be scaling back on the sugar content.

I also made a rice and chickpeas dish with the Roma tomatoes that ended up being red, and my cherry tomatoes that were still green. My husband really loved it and I did too.

Chickpea and Green Tomato Rice

In a large pot, saute an onion and a little garlic in 1 tbsp olive oil until clear.
Add about 4-5 Roma tomatoes (or equivalent amount of other tomatoes) sliced into quarters.
Pour in 2 cups chicken broth and a can of chickpeas (drain liquid.)
Add 1 cup green cherry tomatoes, cut in half, and a cup of corn kernels (frozen or canned).
Heat mixture until boiling, then add a package of rice pilaf or 1 cup other form of rice.
Simmer until rice is tender. Add pepper, oregano, basil to taste and serve.

The point is, not to be afraid of those unripe tomatoes in the garden. As long as they don't freeze while they're outside, all they need is some cooking to become part of a tasty meal.

Stop and Shop Bargain Meal week of 10/23-10/29

2009-10-23T14:44:00.003-04:00

Since we're all completely sick of pork chops on sale, yet again (I'm sure you've stocked up plenty and you have enough pork in the freezer to last until Valentine's Day, at least) why not breakfast for dinner? My kids love "egg pie" and it's their favorite dinner request these days. They don't even mind when I throw in some veggies- even spinach (eek!) and kale (gasp!) have passed muster. A dozen eggs at Stop and Shop are $1 this week, and Stop and Shop Bacon is $1.77 for a 12-16 oz. package.

"Egg pie" a.k.a. my version of quiche is pretty easy.
I often make it without a crust, but if I do use a crust it's something improvised (I've used stale crackers or a thin layer of Bisquick mixed with milk pressed on the bottom of a greased pan and baked a few minutes ahead of time-- and you can also use leftover rice or slices of bread.)
Then I chop up veggies, ham, bacon, whatever, and sprinkle it over the crust (If I'm not using a crust, I will pour in the eggs and then add the veggies or whatever).
I often make my quiche in a 9x 9 glass dish but it goes pretty fast- 13 x 9 would be better for more than 4 people. (Make sure to spray with nonstick cooking spray)
I whisk my eggs together with just a little milk (I use 5 eggs for the 9x9 pan- you could probably use a whole dozen for the larger pan.)
Then I pour the eggs in the pan, add any extras if I haven't already, and sprinkle cheese over the top. I have used all kinds of cheese, even American cheese from the deli broken into bits, and they have been fine.
I bake it at 350 for approximately 25-35 minutes (the deeper the eggs are in the pan, the longer the baking time.) When a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, it's good to go!

With a slice of homemade bread and some salad, this is a very satisfying- and frugal- meal!

Shaw's Bargain Meal of the Week

2009-10-23T14:31:00.002-04:00

During the fall and winter months (and really, anytime at all,) making a nice pot of homemade soup is a great budget-stretcher. Usually a few cans of relatively inexpensive ingredients will make you a nice soup, and you can throw in almost any random leftover meat, bean, grain or vegetable that you happen to have languishing in the refrigerator.

This week's Bargain Meal from Shaw's is especially budget-friendly- I think the total cost might be around three dollars, plus whatever you decide to serve with it. With avocados on sale for $1 each and Shaw's canned corn on sale for .60/can (and even less if you use the printable coupon,) Avocado Corn Soup
would be a great recipe to try sometime this week. You could serve it with tortilla chips (Tostitos are 2.29 this week) or Ritz crackers (1.88/ box)- or to be more healthy, some whole-wheat bread.

Move over, Netflix

2009-10-18T17:30:00.001-04:00

We've been using Netflix for our DVD rentals for several years. We always sort of hem and haw about canceling the service, because we don't have tons of time to watch movies and my husband and I are both kind of clueless about pop culture so I don't have any idea which movies might be good. We end up filling our queue with movies that we think we might want to watch, but since we have the bare-bones 1 DVD at a time plan, when the DVD arrives we find that we don't actually feel like watching it, and so we avoid watching it, sometimes for weeks and weeks at a time. Recently, it got really bad- I think we received a movie in early August, and I just sent it back last week because I had absolutely no desire to watch it. So essentially we paid 2 month's worth of rental fees to allow this movie to gather dust. Pretty much a big waste of money.

If the above information has left you with the impression that my husband and I are major dorks, I'll do nothing to disabuse you of that notion. In the same time period, I think I probably read about 12 books. So... yeah.

Last week I was at the library with the kids and we took out a bunch of DVD's. We are heavy library users, as I have mentioned before, but never once has it occurred to me to use the library for anything but books. To my surprise, the local library does have a decent selection of movies- they may not have 40 copies of the latest new releases, like Blockbuster, but they probably do have one copy. So you might have to put a really popular movie on hold, and wait a few weeks to be able to watch it (so it's definitely not "on demand")- but you will eventually watch it, and it will be free, and you can take it out for a week and maybe even renew it for another week.

I'm continually amazed by the reources available from my local library. And my kids are thrilled to be able to rent DVD's on a semi-regular basis now. I may just finally cancel that Netflix service.

Shaw's Bargain Meal week of 10/16-10/22

2009-10-17T17:12:00.003-04:00

Lately, the only thing I've gotten excited about at Shaw's has been some interesting Catalina sales. Unfortunately, I'm almost maxed out on shelf and freezer space so I don't know how much more stockpiling it's humanly possible to do. This week has a General Mills deal where you buy $25 worth of products (based on shelf price) and you get $10 back. So that's worked out well. However, there isn't much to speak of as far as meat and produce sales are concerned.

I find that, more and more, my family has been eating vegetarian meals without anyone really noticing or complaining. One way I can get away with serving a vegetarian meal is by cooking a pasta dish with really chunky veggies, or substantial amounts of cheese, or both. This week, to stretch out the meat budget, you can serve a vegetarian pasta meal along the lines of Stringy Macaroni. I would personally reduce the amounts of cheese (for health and budget reasons), and you can substitute premade sauce like Prego (1.49 this week, and there are various coupons available.) Hood cottage cheese is 2.49 a container which isn't a wonderful price, but with the 1.00/2 coupons out there it isn't too bad. (It never occurred to me to use cottage cheese in pasta recipes before, instead of ricotta, but so many people swear by it-- I tried it in manicotti the other night and it was really good!)

Again, I apologize for missing last week's bargain meal- things have been crazy!

Stop and Shop Bargain Meal week of 10/16-10/22

2009-10-17T16:28:00.005-04:00

I apologize for my MIA-ness this past week... we had a death in the family and things have been a little chaotic... plus I really did not find anything particularly inspiring to write about last week. So I just didn't. But I feel like the crummy friend who doesn't show up for the 3 p.m. coffee date and then makes lame excuses afterwards. So, I am sorry.

You know how nutrition people recommend shopping the perimeter of the grocery store, where all the fresh foods are, and staying out of the middle aisles? With Stop and Shop, I have come to find that to save money, I only need to look at the front and back page of the flyer. Deals are hard to come by in the middle pages- I find that lately I just skim the middle pages quickly because I never expect to find anything good!

This week, on the front page of course, boneless pork sirloin chops are 1.99/lb. I know, I know... pork, again? But I found a recipe for a Pork and Beans Skillet Supper that sounds quick, easy, and it uses a lot of ingredients most people have in their pantry all the time. If you need canned veggies, S&S has Green Giant canned veggies on sale for 1.99 for a 4-pack, and Bush's Best Baked Beans are $1 a can. This recipe sounds like it could lend itself well to crockpot experimentation- throw all the ingredients in the crockpot, put it on low all day and see what happens. I'm a heavy crockpot user once the weather turns really cold- nothing's better than coming home to a warm and comforting meal that's been cooking all day.

Stop and Shop Bargain Meal, week of 10/2-10/8

2009-10-02T22:04:00.002-04:00

This week at Stop and Shop, roasting chickens are .99/lb, strawberries are $2 per container, and Romaine lettuce hearts are 2.50 for a package of 3. If you roast a chicken, you can use some leftover meat as part of a strawberry chicken salad; add some red bell peppers at .99/lb for additional flavor and crunch. It won't be long before fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables are a distant memory, and most people probably won't feel like eating salads anymore. I know I go for months in the winter without touching salad (of course, we eat cooked vegetables as a side.)

Shaw's Bargain Meal, Week of 10/2-10/8

2009-10-02T21:48:00.003-04:00

This week at Shaw's, pork loin is 1.69/lb, which is a really good deal... check here for some suggestions on what to do with pork loin.

For this week's Bargain Meal, take advantage of the "can-tastic" sale this week and the Shaw's Boneless Chicken Breast that's 1.99/lb- Southwest Chicken uses chicken, a can of corn, a can of tomatoes, and a can of beans. The recipe calls for making it with a skillet, but some reviewers made it in the slow cooker and it sounds like it would be perfect made that way. Serve it with hot rice or rolled up in some tortillas. Yum.

Stop and Shop Bargain Meal of the week 9/25-10/1

2009-09-25T20:37:00.003-04:00

This week at Stop and Shop, both Perdue Ground Turkey and 80% Lean Ground Beef are on sale for 1.99/lb. I was trying to think of something interesting to do with ground meat, and nothing really jumped out at me because the produce sales aren't anything too exciting this week. But I noticed that Dannon yogurt is on sale for .40 a container, and wondered if there wasn't something you could do with ground meat and yogurt.

Lo and behold! We have Middle Eastern Pasta with Yogurt and Pine Nuts. The recipe suggests subbing slivered almonds for the pine nuts- you could probably substitute any nut, and I have read that sunflower seeds are a good substitution as well. The recipe looks very simple and easy! If you are out of pasta, Stop and Shop brand pasta is .80/ box this week. Serve with some veggies on the side and you have a nice frugal meal.

Shaw's Bargain Meal week of 9/25-10/1

2009-09-25T20:19:00.004-04:00

Wow, is it really almost October? Time flies crazy fast.

When I checked out my Shaw's flyer, I was most excited about the 2.77 New England Coffee (I have some coupons that made it 1.77- boo-yeah!)- not because I am a coffee drinker, but my husband is, and he works the night shift, and he becomes grumpy and sad when all there is to drink in the house is generic coffee-in-a-can. (I'm sorry, baby!) So I stocked up on Cinnamon Hazelnut aplenty and he'll be all happy and wishing he married me all over again when he comes home tomorrow morning to find it. Fifty nine cents a pound for apples is good, too, and I picked up some spinach for .99 .

But what I didn't really pay attention to, is the .99 "Fresh Pork Picnic Shoulder." Now, the un-frugal part of my brain reads that and thinks, "Ugh, random cheap cut of meat. No thanks." But on my frugal journey I've learned all sorts of worthwhile things about random cheap cuts of meat, mostly involving the crock pot. So I did a little research and found some ideas on cooking a pork shoulder here and here. Basically, the shoulder roast does have a bone in it because it's part of the pig's foreleg, but it's supposed to be one of the most flavorful cuts of pork, and is really popular for making BBQ pulled pork. You can check out more details here.

The other thing about this, is that this week there is a coupon for free onions, carrots, and potatoes when you buy any pork or beef roast of 3 lbs or more. The ones that are featured in the ad are 2.99/lb- not that great of a deal if you ask me. But the pork shoulder is also considered a roast and therefore should be part of this deal... which would be a pretty great deal if you ask me. If you try it out before I do, let me know if it works.

Stop and Shop Bargain Meal week of 9/18-9/24

2009-09-18T21:26:00.003-04:00

My family loves lasagna but it isn't often that I have all of the necessary ingredients all together at one time. Lasagna noodles are hard to find on sale, so I've never had the chance to really stockpile them. Once in a while I find ricotta cheese on sale and when I do, I buy several and freeze them. For me, it is usually better/easier/cheaper to make some form of Pasta Lasagna to get my baked pasta and ricotta cheese fix.

This week, ricotta cheese is 2.99 at Stop and Shop- which isn't a fantastic price exactly, but with .99 pasta sauce (Francesco Rinaldi- I like their "Sweet and Tasty Tomato" sauce) and .75 pasta (Prince pasta, all varieties- except baking and flavored) it can make an affordable meal. You can stretch the ricotta using my grated zucchini method that I alluded to here, and that would make the cost per meal a little cheaper. This recipe calls for meat and some additional cheese- I wouldn't make a special trip to buy additional ingredients but use whatever cheese and meat I might happen to have around the house- another reason why lasagna dishes tend to be pricey is because people end up buying 3 different kinds of cheese and different meats and everything else. Just baking some pasta with layers of sauce and ricotta, with maybe a little bit of grated parmesan sprinkled on top, is going to be very tasty with a nice little salad or side of vegetables.

And I'm glad we're getting into cooler weather again, because I don't need to feel bad about making "comfort food" all the time. This is the season for it!

Shaw's Bargain Meal Week of 9/18-9/24

2009-09-18T21:12:00.003-04:00

I can tell it's almost fall, because squash (butternut, acorn, or buttercup) is on sale for .59/lb at Shaw's! Unfortunately, I am not able to cook squash as much as I would like to- although my family tolerates spaghetti squash and summer squash varieties, they are not a fan of winter squashes. I don't know why, because they all love pumpkin, and I can't really tell the difference between pumpkin and butternut squash when it's cooked up and mashed (actually, pumpkin is a squash, but don't tell my kids- or my husband. Maybe I should get some acorn squash and call it mini green pumpkins?)

With ground beef on sale for 1.88/lb, some stuffed squash would be delicious and frugal. Try this Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe- it calls for zucchini but you could really use any vegetable or grain to stuff your squash.

Happy fall!

Stop and Shop Bargain Meal week of 9/11-9/17

2009-09-11T19:02:00.001-04:00

This week at Stop and Shop, broccoli is a great deal at .88/pound. Boneless Center-Cut Pork Chops are 1.99/lb, and Success Rice is 2 for $4 for both white and brown rice. I totally heart Success brown rice- regular brown rice takes 45 minutes to cook, and it is really nice to be able to cook up nice healthy whole grains in a matter of a few minutes. There were $1 off coupons for Success Rice a couple weeks ago, making the rice only $1 a box- there are also printable coupons here.

With these ingredients you could try this recipe for pork-fried rice. I also might make a pork stir-fry. I always have the ingredients on hand to mix up a stir fry. Using a little vinegar is a trick I learned from Erin at $5 dinners... it keeps you from having to use a ton of soy sauce and having really high sodium in your recipe as a result.

Easy Pork Stir Fry

3/4 lb. pork loin, sliced into thin strips
3-4 cups cut-up vegetables of your choice (broccoli, peppers, onions, carrot strips... anything)
1/2 cup orange juice
1 Tbsp white vinegar
2 Tbsp teriyaki sauce
1 tsp ground ginger
2 Tbsp flour
pepper to taste
2 cups cooked brown rice

Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the pork until the outsides are no longer pink.
Put the vegetables in with the meat and turn the heat to medium-low. While veggies are cooking, mix up the sauce. Add all liquid ingredients together. Stir in the ginger and then stir in the flour gradually, breaking up any lumps. Pour sauce over the stir-fry and keep stirring.
When pork is cooked through and veggies are tender, remove from heat and add pepper to taste. Serve over rice.

One thing about my cooking is that I never make dinner with measuring cups- I've been mixing up my own tasty stir-fry sauce for eons but I have only a rough idea of how much I use of each ingredient. So please feel free to adjust amounts- if your sauce seems too sweet, add a little more teriyaki; too salty, add more orange juice.

I was very flattered last night at my daughter's open house at school- she had a poster taped to her desk with all of her "favorites." Under "Favorite Smell?" She wrote "My mom's cooking." Which is too funny, because she's a very picky eater! She says she loves the smell, even if she doesn't want to eat what I'm serving. Oh well.

Roast Chicken: Shaw's Bargain Meal, week of 9/11-9/17

2009-09-11T18:44:00.005-04:00

I always talk about how bargain shopping makes me try things that are new and different for me. This week is no different... I have made a roast chicken once in my life- when I was in my late teens and making my own little Thanksgiving dinner for two people. It was easy and tasty, but I've never gotten around to doing it again. I've just been a boneless/skinless chicken-breast type person because that's how I was raised. But with Perdue roasting chickens being .88/lb a week at Shaw's, it might be worth giving roast chicken a whirl.

So, what does one do with a roast chicken? Well, basic tips for how to roast a chicken are here. There seems to be some debate back and forth as to whether cooking whole chickens is really more economical than boneless skinless chicken breast (on sale, of course.) I found the discussion here to be interesting. I'm thinking that in general, you probably get more meat for your dollar when you spend $1.59 a pound for chicken breast vs. .88 a pound for a whole chicken, bones and skin and all. However, you can make really good broth with your chicken bones once you've actually cooked and eaten your chicken and saved any leftover scraps of meat. This post at the Simple Dollar sums up what to do with your whole chicken pretty well. And beyond the cost difference, roast chicken is just very tasty. Chicken breast can sometimes be just... blah.

This week at Shaw's, Maine potatoes are 1.98 for a 5 pound bag. You can make a nice, easy meal with roasted chicken and potatoes- try this recipe for ideas. I make roasts all the time on weeknights... I get home around 4, get the roast ready, and it cooks away while I'm getting other stuff done. Of course, they always make a nice Sunday dinner too.

Shaw's Bargain Meal week of 9/4-9/10

2009-09-04T19:53:00.003-04:00

One of the tricks of stockpiling is taking advantage of seasonal sales. Right before Thanksgiving, you can stock up on stuffing, gravy mix, boxed mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and a lot of different baking supplies. If you want a box of stuffing in, say, February, you're probably going to pay full price for it. After a while, you start to realize what you need to stock up on throughout the year to avoid running out of the things you want.

Sometimes the sales reflect the customs of particular religious groups. I'm Catholic, and I don't eat meat on Fridays during Lent; fish is okay though, and sales on fish are definitely a big deal in most grocery stores in my area throughout Lent. There are many traditional kosher foods on sale for Rosh Hashanah, coming up in a couple of weeks. Even if you aren't Jewish, anyone can eat kosher foods (and actually, many of the things we eat every day are kosher, but if you aren't aware of it, you might not notice.)

Streit's Matzo Ball mix is 10 for $10, and there are Kedem Tube Soup Mixes for 2/$1. For something different and inexpensive, you could make some matzo ball soup and serve it with a side salad or sandwiches. Kedem apple and grape juice are both good prices (1.50 and 2.50 a bottle, respectively) and the Kedem tea biscuits are 3/$1, which would be worth trying. I've never had any of these foods before, but part of the fun of bargain shopping is trying new things and expanding your horizons!

Stop and Shop Bargain Meal week of 9/4-9/10

2009-09-04T19:33:00.002-04:00

I haven't been posting as much because I'm back to work and getting back into the routine of the school year. I'm actually kind of excited about going to Stop and Shop this week... even though 3.99 is way over my normal per-pound cost for meat, my hubby loves steak tips soooo much I will have to splurge and get some of those. Corn on the cob is a great price (12 for 1.99) and it won't be long before corn season is but a distant memory... There are other good prices on meat and produce this week, so check your flyer to see what you need to stock up on.

Obviously, some late-summer grilling will be a part of most people's weekend plans, but for something a little different later in the week, try cooking up some greens. Collards, kale and turnip greens are .69/lb- a "Real Deal" that will last for a while. ( I have found kale to be a very versatile vegetable- I use it in place of spinach. It has an interesting flavor and a little more texture than spinach.) Jones Naturally Hickory Smoked Ham Steak is 1.99- a recipe to try is Delicious Greens and Ham with some nice crusty bread. Also, Countryfine Italian Sausage is 1.99/lb- you could cook it up with the greens as well- it makes a surprisingly tasty dish. And it's amazing how a big pile of greens shrinks when you cook them.

Happy Labor Day!

Stop and Shop Bargain Meal, week of 8/28- 9/3

2009-08-28T19:40:00.002-04:00

Stop and Shop has redesigned its flyer in such a manner that I find completely distracting... all over the place there's a tacky little logo that says "Weekly Specials!" and in other places there's another logo that says "Real Deal!" And there's green highlighting in random places, and the whole effect is just very busy and confusing and unpleasant. And the deals at Stop and Shop are no better than usual (I much prefer Shaw's, if you haven't noticed...)

I was almost going to throw up my hands about the Bargain Meal of the Week because there didn't seem to be much of anything on sale, but when I looked at the flyer again I got inspired. Avocados are .99/lb, corn is 8/1.99, and plum tomatoes are also .99/lb. These ingredients are what you need to make Swan's Summer Soup, a cold, gazpacho-like soup. I love having soup for dinner because that means I also get to have bread for dinner- and I (and my whole entire family) just really love bread.

Shaw's Bargain Meal, week of 8/28-9/3

2009-08-28T19:19:00.003-04:00

This week at Shaw's, there are several kinds of meat on sale, so if you haven't stocked up on meat lately, it might be a good week to do that. Chicken is 1.79/lb, and through Sunday only, shoulder steak is 1.79/lb and ground beef is 1.99/lb.

I feel like I've been coming up with these kooky "meat and fruit" combos lately, but the only interesting produce that's a good buy this week are the peaches, plums and nectarines that are .99/lb. A recipe that sounds absolutely divine is Baked Chicken with Peaches - the ingredients are simple and it doesn't sound difficult to make at all.

Serve it with some nice fluffy white rice and a veggie for a very special meal!

Stop and Shop Bargain Meal, week of 8/21-8/27

2009-08-22T15:18:00.003-04:00

I apologize for my lateness in getting my bargain meals up. My kids are out of the house for a few days and I spontaneously decided to purge all the clutter, trinkets, trash, and Barbie shoes from their bedrooms. It ended up being a monumental task... I am basically done, but I have a mountain of perfectly good useless stuff to donate to Goodwill. Anyway...

Hrm, guess what's on sale at Stop and Shop? Pork chops again, 1.99/lb (and grapes again, .99 lb.) What on earth can we do with that? Well, I am learning not to be surprised when I find recipes that involve odd combinations of ingredients. When I typed "pork" and "grapes" into Allrecipes.com, I got a list of possible recipes (some involved grape juice, some involved grape tomatoes, but some involved actual grapes! Imagine that.)

One recipe that sounded good, and do-able, with some substitutions, is Pork Tenderloin with Honey Grape Sauce. The recipe calls for a 2 lb. pork roast that you grill, and then you make a sauce with the grapes that you pour over it. Obviously, you can just cook the pork chops any way you like, and then make the sauce. The recipe calls for red grapes rather than green grapes, but it's certainly worth giving a try with green grapes. Most of the other ingredients are common pantry staples, and if you don't have something you can always substitute (chop up a little onion in place of shallots, or use ground ginger instead of fresh.)

To serve with it, you can make a box of Rice-A-Roni, $1/box this week, and whatever vegetables you have on hand. I bet the grape sauce would be very nice poured over rice!

What To Do With Stockpiled Veggie Burgers: Shaw's Bargain Meal week of 8/21-8/27

2009-08-21T21:49:00.004-04:00

This week there is another catalina deal going on at Shaw's- this time, it's ConAgra food products (so Hunt's ketchup & tomatoes, Wesson Oil, things like that) and Kellogg's products- buy $25 and get $10 for your next purchase. I was holding out for a good Kellogg's sale so I could do the $10 Fuel for School rebate- so that's what I did during my first shopping trip today. Basically, I got my 8 boxes of cereal (though I need more cereal like I need a hole in my head) and 2 boxes of Morningstar Farms black bean burgers for less than free! With my coupons, I spent about $17 out of pocket; then I got $10 back, and I sent in for the $10 rebate.

Can I just interrupt this blog posting to say that manufacturer's rebates are such a huge pain?? I mean, they ask you to buy 10 products, and not only do you send in the receipt, but you have to cut the UPC code off of every box? Do they realize that I'm stockpiling here, and these boxes will be in my basement for months- I don't want a whole bunch of mutilated cardboard boxes in long-term storage. And of course all that cardboard in the envelope makes it impossible to send in the rebate with a single stamp. Ok, complaining time over. Obviously, they make it difficult so that most consumers won't even bother with the rebate.

So, with sales like this going on, it's been easy for me to stock up on veggie burgers lately. Now, almost everybody in my family will eat veggie burgers without complaining. I really don't mind them at all. But they're not the kind of meal that you really look forward to. I generally serve them when I'm not feeling imaginative and I want something on the table fast. I think my mom used to serve us hot dogs (blech) when we were kids, when she was in the same situation. So I was curious- is there anything more interesting you can do with veggie burgers? Once or twice I've cut them up and used them in a pasta sauce or something, but I want more ideas now, because I have so many!

Some possible ideas:

slice them up in strips and grill them; use them to top a salad
slice them in strips for use in a stir-fry
crumble up and use either alone or combined with ground meat in chili, shepherd's pie, pasta bakes
add to ground meat in making meat loaf
chop them up and mix with salsa and cheese- serve as a dip for chips.
slice them up, cover in bread crumbs, and fry them
mix them up with beans as part of a burrito or taco filling
make Sloppy Joes
use them as part of a stuffed peppers recipe

This week at Shaw's, there is a pretty sweet deal on potatoes- a 5lb bag of red potatoes is only .99 after you use a Shaw's coupon. Based on that, and our surplus of vegetarian fake meat, I think an attempt at Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie is in order. Most recipes online feature some form of curried lentils as the "meat"- I've seen a few with just chopped veggies and some with tofu, crumbled mushrooms, things like that. But this one involves actual veggie burgers. It has a lot of ingredients, but anything you're lacking you can probably substitute or leave out.

I prefer my shepherd's pie to be on the simple side. I usually just season my ground meat with pepper and salt, stir in whatever vegetables I have (corn is nice), top with homemade mashed potatoes, and bake (a few minutes under the broiler gives a nice crispy crust.) It's one of my family's favorite foods so I don't feel the need to try a fancier version anytime soon. I plan on trying out my own version of Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie in the near future, and I'll keep you posted as to the results!

On Vacation...

2009-08-14T09:56:00.000-04:00

No bargain meal this week- I'm on vacation. Be back next week!

Another Frugal Food Experiment: Poor Man's Ricotta Cheese

2009-08-08T21:59:00.000-04:00

Last week I subjected my whole family to the Poor Man's (Turkey) Burger. All the burger- eaters seemed to like it just fine. This week, I have been trying to use up random food in the house without buying more (well, apart from crazy Shaw's stockpile runs) because we're going away and I don't want things in the fridge to go to waste.

Anyway, I had this idea to make stuffed manicotti, only I didn't have any ricotta cheese. What I did have is a large zucchini. When I was a teenager I started making a vegetarian lasagne recipe that involved shredding zucchini and mixing it with the ricotta cheese. I have made this for years now, and no man, woman, or child of any age who has ever consumed it has ever noticed or complained, because it is tasty and no one notices the zucchini.

Well, today, I wondered, what would happen if you just had the zucchini, and no ricotta cheese whatsoever? Such as, right now? I was going to try.

Manicotti Stuffed with Kale & Zucchini

1 package manicotti
2 cups kale, washed and torn
1 large zucchini
5-6 leaves fresh basil, chopped (or dried, if you don't have fresh)
dash pepper & salt
2 tbsp grated Parmesan
1 jar pasta sauce
1/2 cup shredded cheese

a little fresh parsley (optional, but you knew that)

I also had some random beans from my garden. They are completely unnecessary in this recipe.

Prepare the pasta according to package directions. In a separate pan, steam or boil the kale. Meanwhile, grate your zucchini. I always use a regular cheese grater, but it takes a long time and makes my hand hurt. I'm sure a food processor would be faster. I got one at my bridal shower, but have yet to remove it from its box. I'm sure I'll use it someday.
Add pepper, salt, basil, and parmesan to the zucchini mixture. Drain the kale well and stir in with the zucchini. If the mixture seems overly runny, you can strain off any liquid, but I didn't bother.
Put a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a 13 x 9 pan. Stuff the manicotti. I wasn't sure how to do this. I tried using my fingers. Most of the manicotti had tears in it, anyway, so I ended up just splitting them open, putting the filling inside and closing them back up. I guess I wasn't the first person with that idea. Arrange the manicotti semi-neatly in the pan. (I threw the beans on the top. Just ignore them.)
Pour rest of sauce over pasta and top with cheese and fresh parsley. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1/2 hour.

This was a very happy cheapskate meal. The zucchini was .50 a pound, the manicotti was reduced to .50 as well, the sauce I stockpiled for next to nothing, and the kale was .69/lb. The basil was free from the garden (along with the random beans that I threw in there. I had to do something with them) and the cheese was probably the most expensive thing, maybe .75 worth? We had it with some salad and slices of homemade bread. This meal probably cost $3.00 total, plus it made leftovers.

And- everyone liked it! The kids asked a couple of times, "What are the noodles full of?" and my husband said, "It doesn't matter. It's good, so eat it." And they did. I didn't think it tasted like cheese or anything, but grated zucchini is definitely a satisfactory pasta filling on its own. Another successful frugal food experiment... I'm on a roll!

Pork Chops are Peachy: Shaw's Bargain Meal

2009-08-06T21:24:00.003-04:00

Okay, I just explained my thought process when I try to come up with a Bargain Meal of the Week. I just looked at my Shaw's flyer, saw that Pork Chops were 1.69/lb and peaches are .77/lb. I would never think to put those two things together. And yet, lo and behold, the internet bursts forth with all kinds of recipes involving peaches and pork! Apparently this is a classic flavor combination, like pineapples and ham, or apples and pork, or raisins and pork... hmmm... maybe pork just goes well with fruit, in general?

Peachy Mustard Pork Chops seems like a good, basic recipe to start with- I imagine you could substitute the peach preserves with some fresh peaches that were chopped up and mashed a little bit. You could serve it over some hot rice with a little butter and salt. If you want fast, Shaw's has Kraft Minute Rice (does it really only take a minute?) on sale for 1.89/box, or if you have more time, Shopper's Value Long Grain Rice is 2.99 for 5 lbs.

I will be taking my Shaw's bargain shopping on the road this week- we are going on vacation Saturday! We rented a house near Acadia National Park in Maine, and I was so thrilled to learn that there is a Shaw's (and a Hannaford's) close by so I can pick up some perishables. (I'm bringing non-perishable stuff that I've stockpiled with me, of course.) I wish there were more types of meat on sale this week... it will be hard for me to pay more than 1.99/lb for meat. (But making dinner ourselves for eight people will be a lot cheaper than going out to eat every night! I have to remind myself of that. )

Strawberry Balsamic Chicken: S&S Bargain Meal of the Week

2009-08-06T20:57:00.003-04:00

So, my thought process when trying to come up with bargain meals is, "What meat is less than 1.99 a pound?" and "What in-season produce is on sale this week?" Then I'll do some curious Googling and try to come up with an interesting way to use those ingredients that doesn't seem too time-intensive or use a bunch of crazy ingredients (because it's tough to be a frugal cook who is looking for unusual ingredients every week.)

This week's recipe seems to be a step up from the simple family meal- it sounds like it would be nice to serve for guests. But, you know, you should never serve a new recipe for guests- you always have to try it out yourself first. So why not try this out on your family? With boneless chicken breast on sale for 1.79/lb and strawberries on sale for 3 for $5 ($1.67 per 1 lb. container,) Strawberry Balsamic Chicken sounds perfect. Another key ingredient is strawberry yogurt; S&S brand yogurt is on sale for 8 for $4 (.50 per container.) Since you need 4 containers, this isn't going to end up being a $5 dinner, but for a fancier meal, it's still quite affordable. Most of the other ingredients are pantry staples, and if you don't have a particular herb or spice, you can just omit it. (I have parsley growing on my doorstep, but not mint, so I'd probably leave the mint out.) I won't have a chance to try this recipe this week- we're going on vacation- but I definitely want to try it out soon. Let me know if you try it and like it!

S&S brand Garden Salad is 1.29/bag, so you can serve that with whatever veggies you might have around, and some bread or rice would round out the meal. Not a $5 dinner, but not too shabby!

An Unfrugal Mistake, or How I Paid $127.50 to Have Four Bags of Trash Taken Away

2009-08-03T15:28:00.007-04:00

My husband and I had a dilemma about a month ago and we weren't sure how to resolve it. We live in a town with no townwide trash pickup. You either have to pay a company of your choosing to pick up your trash, or you can purchase a dump permit and bring all your trash and recycleables to the dump yourself.

Since we have lived in our house, we (and when I say "we," I mean "he") have been bringing our trash to the dump ourselves. It isn't that bad. We can recycle all kinds of paper, plastic containers except styrofoam, metal, and glass. I have bins in a kitchen closet to keep rinsed-out containers and stacks of paper to be recycled. The only things that we actually throw away are things like plastic outer wrapping, weird containers that we can't figure out how to recycle, and gross things like tissues and meat containers. We throw all our food scraps in a compost pile. So we fill a trash bag *maybe* once a week.

(Our town had decided to institute a "pay as you throw" program where you'd have to pay $2 per bag of trash you threw out. We thought that was a great idea, because we'd end up paying maybe $100 a year to get rid of our trash. However, plenty of other people protested and so they went back to the old system.)

So what's the problem? Well,we found out my husband would be deploying overseas with the military at some point during the winter. He thought that it would be a good idea to hire a trash pickup company so that I wouldn't have to worry about dealing with the trash when I was running the household by myself. In theory, this seemed like a good plan. During the school year, when I'm working, I get very stressed when my to-do list starts to get too long. Keeping things as simple as possible seemed like a good idea. Plus, the trash is kind of gross, and I didn't want to put it in my nice pretty car, and we were planning on taking my husband's truck off the road while he was away. So, we reasoned that the cost of the trash pickup was balanced out by not having to pay insurance on the truck.

Since the dump permit was supposed to renew on July 1st, my husband called to start trash pickup now. The cost difference is significant. Trash pickup costs $75 per two month billing cycle, plus a $15 fuel surcharge, so it's basically $45 a month or $540 a year. (We did not know about the fuel surcharge until we actually got our bill.) The dump permit costs $178 a year, or $14.83 per month.

Once we had signed up, it was a couple of weeks before the trash company gave us our special giant barrel- it's nice and huge and sturdy and squirrelproof, and has wheels. It looked awfully silly to put our lone bag of trash inside this giant receptacle, but whatever.

Meanwhile, our piles of recycleable materials were starting to overwhelm us. We started bagging it and piling it in the basement, and it soon took over half of the unfinished portion of our basement. When my husband had initially called the trash company, they told him that there would also be recycling pickup, and they would be sending him information about what day the recycling truck would be here and what they would pick up and things like that.

I don't think the recycling truck would be planning on picking up 17 bags of #2 plastic containers.

We got no recycling information. I started to get frantic. My husband called the trash company several times, but the phone rang and rang and no one answered. The website for the company was no help; it didn't even list the right phone number for the company. It drove me crazy that we were paying $45 a month for a truck to take away a single bag of trash each week. It would take me 10 minutes to go drop that off at the dump. The hourly wage for that would be something like $60 an hour. And I couldn't open my kitchen closet without an avalanche of tin cans and Yoplait containers raining down on me.

I was really, really starting to regret our decision. We received a bill the other day which informed us that if we cancel the service now, we are responsible for the current billing cycle- so we just got charged $90 for the next two months, until the end of October. I calculated what the cost would be for our yearly trash service if we cancelled now and got a dump permit. It would be $25.40/month, or $305.50 per year. Even though we just wasted a whole bunch of money, it would still be worth it to cancel.

So yesterday, I went online and signed up for the dump permit. I ran out in the yard to show my husband the receipt. "See?! The agony is over! We can get rid of our recycle stuff again!" He was as thrilled as I was.

This morning, he said to me, "Wow, so we really have a dump permit? I can actually go to the dump? Hooray!" But he still expressed concern that it would be hard for me to take the trash when I was alone. "Oh come on," I said. "70-year-old ladies take their own trash to the dump in their little Toyota Camrys. Surely I can handle it."

Later on, my husband came in from the backyard while I was checking my email. "Hey, it's a good thing you cancelled the trash pickup. It won't matter anyway.

"My deployment was cancelled, so I'll be able to take the trash myself. I'm not going anywhere."

I never thought I would get so emotional about stinkin' trash. I get a whole year of life with my husband back. God is really good to us.

Catalina Madness at Shaw's

2009-08-02T11:24:00.006-04:00

image courtesy of catalinamarketing.com

Well, if you're an avid Shaw's shopper you're probably well aware that there is a catalina promotion running this week on General Mills and Unilever products. In the time that I've been a serious user of coupons, I have found that I am able to do my most successful stockpiling of groceries during these types of sales. Over that time, I've learned a lot about how to get as many groceries as possible for the least possible cost, after making many mistakes along the way!

Sale Basics:

These sales are almost always based on shelf prices rather than sale prices. In other words, if you are supposed to buy $30 in products to get a $15 catalina (money-off coupon for your next trip to Shaw's), you would look at the non-sale price to reach your total of $30.
You can, and should, use coupons on the items that you are purchasing. I have been able to maximize my savings by ordering coupons that will double at Shaw's (most of the coupons that come out in my local paper are for more than $1.00 and therefore will not double.) Usually there is a preview of the upcoming week's Shaw's ad on AFullCup.com on Monday or Tuesday. I check over the items and see what I want to stock up on, and place an order for coupons for those items. I have usually been able to get my coupons by Friday or Saturday of that week.
When you receive a catalina, you can "roll" it by using it to pay for your next order.
If a catalina does not print, it is often because an item you purchased is not programmed into the system. (I find this is often the case with unusual varieties of certain products.) Shoppers on the Shaw's forums at websites like HotCouponWorld.com and AFullCup.com are pretty good about reporting their results about which items are working well and which are not. It can also be because you didn't add up the prices correctly. Sometimes the catalina machine might be off (you can tell because it has a little green light when it's on.)
If a catalina doesn't print, you have a few options. If you have spent more than you wanted to out of pocket, you could return the items. You won't get your coupons back. If you've only spent a few dollars out of pocket, it's probably not worth it to return the items. I, and many other Shaw's sale shoppers, have not found most Shaw's managers and customer service people to be helpful with getting catalina issues resolved. They will often state that the sale is based on sale prices rather than shelf prices, or that you did not get the catalina because you used coupons. If the deal doesn't work the way I planned, I just go on my merry way.
These sales often double or triple (so you could buy $60 and get $30, or buy $90 and get $45.) Check AFullCup.com to see if that's the case. It's easier to make fewer trips for more items.

When these sales are going on, I find that they take up more of my time than I want to spend on them. I really don't enjoy shopping- I like getting good deals and not spending more than I have to on groceries, but during weeks like this I end up making at least one trip per day to Shaw's, which I don't particularly relish. So what I do to avoid spending too much time on shopping:

On Thursday night, I gather all of the coupons that I have for any products that I might want to buy at that particular sale. At this week's sale, I am interested in Lipton tea (I am a dedicated tea drinker- the rest of America may run on Dunkin' but I run on Lipton...) chex mix, Chex Mix and Fiber One Bars, Honey Nut Cheerios, Suave Shampoo and Bodywash, Q-Tips, Betty Crocker Brownie Mix, and Country Crock.
I don't really plan my transactions too much ahead of time; some people find out shelf prices ahead of time and have a plan of what they're buying, and that works well for them. I don't worry about this too much, because I often go to different Shaw's stores with different shelf prices, and if they're out of something, I need to readjust.
I find that buying a mix of different items, when possible, tends to draw less attention and that way you aren't clearing shelves so other customers can partake of the sale, too. Also, if you are using coupons that double, you can only use 6 of any one kind of coupon, so keep that in mind when planning purchases.
I try not to use a ton of printable coupons at any one time- on this or any other transaction. Not because there's anything wrong with it, but some managers and cashiers can give you a hard time.
I started carrying a calculator with me into the store, to keep a running total of my sale prices. (I found it very helpful, but I think I need to have a better quality calculator- I got one for $1 at Wal-mart and the keys aren't very sensitive so I kept making mistakes and getting frustrated.)
As I put an item in my cart, I pull out the coupon that I have for it. I keep all the coupons I'm using clipped together so I can just hand them to the cashier when I go to buy the items.
I always ask politely if I can use the catalinas to pay for the purchase. Some cashiers don't know if they'll work, but they always go through. You may need to get some "filler" items because your out of pocket total may be less than $0 depending on how many catalinas you have. (I always try to be really nice to the cashiers and baggers at Shaw's, anyway. I worked there in high school... there can be a lot of difficult customers and nice ones are always appreciated.)
I try not to make special trips out of the house to go to Shaw's. I will go there on my way home from work or when I am doing other errands. If I'm visiting friends or family and there's a Shaw's nearby, I will sometimes make a quick side trip. I usually do end up going to a few different Shaw's stores, to avoid clearing shelves.
I don't buy things I don't want or need, even if they're practically free. These sales generally revolve around highly processed foods, so if I don't feel good about my family eating it, it's not good enough to donate to the food pantry, either.

I can't possibly take a picture of all the things I've bought at Shaw's the last few days- I am a little bit Type-A compulsive and things need to be put away pronto when I get home. This is the load of groceries I got on Saturday- I was visiting my parents and they live within walking distance of two Shaw's stores, so I hit them both. On this trip, I got about $150 worth of groceries for a total of $5.60 out of pocket- I had $20 in catalinas left over. (I should have had $35, but the Nature Valley granola bars weren't programmed into the system and messed up my totals. Not a huge loss.) I also picked up some nice natural & organic reduced items as part of that total. This picture doesn't include some yogurt that I bought for my parents and some rice milk that Diva needed to drink right away.

My food storage areas are ready to explode after several trips like this, but I know we'll eat this stuff up fast- we go through tons of cereal and granola bars every week. Until the next exciting episode...

What's for dinner? Burgers and potato salad

2009-08-01T23:26:00.004-04:00

The meal that says "summer" to me has to be, hands down, burgers off the grill, corn on the cob and potato salad. Love love love it. The other night, I tried something a little bit different... I tried a version of the "poor man's burger" as suggested here. I had bought ground turkey at Wal-mart for about 1.79/lb. I mixed it with the remainder of a two-day-old loaf of homemade bread that I had shredded, some Worcestershire sauce, a little BBQ sauce and pepper, and made it into patties. It ended up making 8 good-sized patties, which was enough for two nights for us. And I found them to be quite tasty! I sort of noticed the bread pieces because I knew they were there, but there wasn't anything strange about the taste or the texture.

As we cleaned up after the second night of burgers, I asked my husband if he noticed anything "odd" about these burgers. He immediately became concerned and asked if he had cooked them wrong on the grill. "They seemed just fine to me." And then I made my little confession... that he had just eaten a Poor Man's Burger.

He literally did not notice, and in fact had enjoyed eating them. Spending 89 cents per meal on burgers is pretty darn frugal. The only thing that concerns me about the idea of stretching meat this way is that instead of getting a serving of lean protein, you're getting added starch in the guise of meat (although it is whole grains.) Most methods of stretching meat involve some form of carb (breadcrumbs, oats, crackers, etc.) Amy Dacyczyn (in her Tightwad Gazette) talks about using "TVP" (textured vegetable protein) to stretch ground meat. Although the idea of using another protein source is appealing, TVP seems to be a highly processed food product (I guess they use it as a filler in school lunch meats...) and I'm not sure that the cost per pound would really make using it worthwhile. Using beans might be a better idea- beans are much less processed and I know that we already like the taste. I think I will experiment with other ways to stretch ground meat and see how it goes.

As I mentioned the other day, I tend to make a huge bowl of potato salad that lasts for a few days. My husband could probably eat the whole thing in one sitting, but he tries to restrain himself. I didn't find potato salad appealing when I was growing up. When I was first married, hubby asked me to make some so I asked around and figured out my own recipe... I tried it, and then I was hooked. Now I like potato salad no matter who makes it, but I definitely enjoy eating my own recipe! I try to make it healthier than standard potato salad- it has low fat mayo and I add lots of fresh veggies so we get lots of vitamins and fiber and crunch without a lot of calories.

Rustic Potato Salad

6 medium potatoes
1/2 bell pepper, diced
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 c low fat mayo
balsamic vinegar
1 hard boiled egg (optional)
1-2 green onions, chopped (optional)

Wash potatoes- I don't bother peeling them (hence the rustic- it's healthier too.) Cut them into small pieces and boil them until you can easily poke them with a fork. Meanwhile, chop your veggies- sometimes I only have peppers, or I only have celery- it's good either way. Just increase the amount if you only have one veggie.
Drain the potatoes in the colander and rinse them gently with cool water. Mix them in a large covered container with the vegetables and let chill in the fridge at least 3-4 hours.
About an hour before serving, make the dressing. I take about 1/4 cup of mayo and put it in a little bowl. (I am picky about the mayo flavor, btw. I find Smart Balance and Kraft mayo taste good in this recipe. Hellman's and Trader Joe's mayo: not good.) I stir in balsamic vinegar, a couple of tablespoons at a time, until the consistency is like ranch dressing and the color is sort of a nice mocha brown. If you are adding a hard boiled egg, mash it and stir it with a little bit of mayo, then mix it with the rest of the dressing.
Add the dressing to the potatoes and gently toss to coat (I stir the potatoes up from the bottom to make sure they all get covered. If you feel like the dressing is a little scanty, you can always make a little bit more.) Top with green onions and let the salad chill for a little while longer so flavors can blend.

That's it. The other day I also added a little parsley and dill from the garden, which was definitely a nice touch. That's the best thing about salads, that you can mix and match and add all sorts of things to make a flavor that's uniquely your own.

Learning to like eggplant! Stop and Shop Bargain Meal

2009-07-30T13:50:00.003-04:00

I have never been a huge eggplant fan, but I am trying really hard to like it, and to learn to cook it in tasty ways. It comes in handy when there aren't any great deals on meat to be had. So far, me (and the kids) prefer eggplant as an accent in a baked pasta dish. Eggplant is .99/lb this week at Stop and Shop, as is (good ole) zucchini & summer squash (we will definitely miss the zucchini/ summer squash sales in the dead of winter.)

Baked Pasta with Eggplant Parm Nibbles

1 medium eggplant
1/2 tsp salt
Bread crumbs
1 tbsp olive oil
2-3 cups chopped veggies of choice (I choose... zucchini!)
1/2 box pasta (ziti, penne, rotini all work well)
1 jar pasta sauce or 2 15 oz. cans of tomatoes in some form
1/2 cup shredded cheese

First, you need to prep the eggplant. Erin gives a beautiful description on how to do this here. Basically, peel the eggplant, chop it into small pieces, put it in a colander, sprinkle a little salt on it and let it drain for a while (30 minutes to an hour.) You can prepare more than one eggplant this way and freeze some for later.
Meanwhile, prepare pasta according to package directions and chop up your other vegetables.
Heat the olive oil in your skillet to medium high. While it's warming up, take a bowl of bread crumbs and roll the eggplant in the crumbs, a few at a time. I find that the crumbs stick to the eggplant just fine without dipping them in egg or anything, but you could do that if you wanted. Then you want to saute your eggplant pieces in the oil until they are golden brown. You could probably get much crispier pieces if you deep-fried them, but I don't really fry things.
When the pasta is done, mix it in a 9 x 13 baking pan with the sauce and/or tomatoes. Stir the vegetables and the cooked eggplant in as well. Then top with cheese and cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes. Serve with corn on the cob- it's on sale for 12 for 1.99 (about 17 cents an ear!)

Oooh... pork loin.. again!?!

2009-07-30T13:26:00.003-04:00

I thought we just did this... Shaw's is having yet another sale on good ole pork loin. No worries mate; you can do a lot of things with pork. So if you pick up a pork loin, cut it into whatever you plan to use: roasts, strips for stir-fry, or pork chops.

The produce selections at Shaw's this week are a little on the pricey side (1.99 isn't too bad for a head of cauliflower though- and that's one of the few vegetables my kids are equally enthusiastic about. The dog likes it too... weird.) Anyway, cabbage is always a cheap staple, and Shaw's has it on sale for .49/lb. I found a number of recipes that called for pork and cabbage; these two are simple and earned good reviews: Pork Chop and Cabbage Casserole and Pork Loin and Cabbage.

If you're in the mood for barbecue but you don't have time to fuss with the grill (or your grill is full of bees- hi, mom and dad!) try doing barbecue pork in the slow cooker! Slow Cooker BBQ pork chops sounds delicious and so easy- you basically layer pork chops in your slow cooker with a bottle of barbecue sauce and let it cook all day on low. Then you can make some cole slaw with that cabbage and serve that on the side.

Saving Money During Grilling Season

2009-07-27T09:49:00.005-04:00

As I mentioned before, the grocery budget can take a beating during the summer months if you cook meat on the grill often. During the cooler parts of the year, I only serve meat as a "main course" maybe once or twice a week. For the most part, we eat stews, casseroles, pasta and rice dishes that require only a little bit of meat, if any. Some suggestions for stretching your grocery budget further when you're serving meat as a main course more often:

Buy meat on sale, of course. I look for all types of meat to be less than 1.99/lb, unless it's fish- I think fish for less than 3.99/lb isn't too bad. I stock up on different meats maybe once a month.
When you buy your meat, put it in meal-size portions and freeze what you're not going to eat in a couple of days. Despite what most restaurant menus would have you believe, a serving of meat is only 3-4 oz., so based on that and the number of people in your household, portion meat accordingly.
I also look for hot dog and hamburger rolls in the reduced section (at Shaw's of course). They often have them for .50 per package, and I freeze them for later.
Don't spend extra for special marinades- I have some suggestions here for frugal marinade options.
Plan ahead! I honestly think that planning your meals is where you get your biggest payoff for time invested. That way, you use up stuff that you already have and you don't buy more than you need. At the same time, be flexible-I often end up changing my plan mid-week due to unexpected circumstances. For example, last week my mom surprised me and showed up at my house with all kinds of food to cook on the grill. We ended up eating what she brought over all week long, and even freezing some for later.
As much as I try to avoid making my kitchen into a restaurant, grilling can be one area where it pays off to make different people different things. For example, Pepper likes hot dogs and no one else does, so I keep a package around for her and throw a hot dog on the grill if we're having turkey burgers or something. This can also work well if the grown-ups want something more expensive that the kids don't like (like steak or fish...)
Make side dishes that can last for multiple meals. I will make a big batch of potato salad and it usually provides us with a side dish for the next three dinners. With that and a garden salad, the only additional food I need to prepare each night is what we are planning to grill.
Go veg. I was pleasantly surprised that most of my family members (except for Pepper, content with her hot dog) enjoy veggie burgers. Since we often get them on sale with coupons, they are a quick and convenient alternative. I don't find that they're necessarily cheaper than buying meat by the pound, though.
Make sure you don't waste money on propane- only turn on as many burners as you need, run it only as long as needed, and shut the grill off immediately when you're done. According to The Simple Dollar, it's actually a little bit more expensive to grill rather than use the oven or stovetop. However, for most people grilling is an essential part of summer- the extra cost is worth it.
On nights when you don't grill, look for lower cost menu options like using leftovers and making meatless dishes, to balance out higher costs on the other nights.

Also see:

Ten Frugal Tips for a Great Grilling Experience, from The Simple Dollar
The Frugal Barbecue Grill from Families.com
Grilling on a Budget from the Hillbilly Housewife
60 Cheap Marinades, by CheapHealthyGood

What is "London Broil," Exactly??? S&S and Shaw's, week of 7/24-7/30

2009-07-24T07:25:00.005-04:00

Stop and Shop and Shaw's have this symbiotic relationship (or maybe they're just trying to compete with each other) where they often have the exact same stuff on sale, especially meats. This is one of those weeks. Both flyers feature something called "London Broil" on the top of the front page, so I decided to do a combined post for both stores. Stop and Shop is 1.79/lb, and Shaw's is 1.99/lb. Both good prices, but if you have the choice, of course, head over to Stop and Shop. But the question in my mind is, what on earth is London Broil? As I mentioned before, as a bargain grocery shopper I have made it my business to try all kinds of different forms of meat when they are on sale. So, I did some research about this so-called "London Broil."

First of all, I learned that London Broil is not a specific cut of beef- it is a cooking method for meat that would be otherwise tough. Basically the meat is marinated, you can broil it or grill it until it is medium rare (cook it any more and it will be too tough) and then you slice it across the grain at a 45 degree angle.

So I noticed that Stop and Shop is selling "Top Round" as London Broil, and Shaw's is selling "Shoulder Steak"- both different cuts of meat. Both come from the front of the animal, so they get lots of work when he is walking around- therefore they're pretty lean and have to be cooked carefully to be tasty. I found this handy-dandy chart that is really helpful- it shows all the different cuts of meat and explains how to cook them.

I'm not too keen on the London Broil idea... my husband and I both prefer our meat cooked a bit more than medium rare. So I wanted to know what other ways will work with these cuts of meat. It sounds like it is good for:

slicing thinly and marinating- to use in stir-frys, fajitas, salads, etc. The key is to cook quickly over high heat.
Some people suggest grinding it yourself, to make a lean ground beef. Or cut into cubes for chili.
If you aren't going to cook it hot and fast, you need to cook it slowly... preferably in a slow cooker. It sounds like it is tasty in the crockpot- just throw it in with some vegetables, some form of liquid, and set on low all day.
A burrito filling- put the meat in the crockpot with taco seasonings, a can of chiles, a can of tomatoes and a diced onion- cook on low all day- the meat should be easy to shred when it is cooked.
You can also cut it up and cook it in a crockpot soup.

If you decide to grill the London Broil this week (I might even try it- I might try cooking it a little longer than suggested, and if I don't like it, I can put it in the slow cooker,) you definitely have to marinate it. You do not need to buy anything at the store to marinate your meat! There is plenty of stuff at your house that you can use. I always mix up a random marinade from things I have around the house... some suggestions of things you can use-

a little bit of oil wouldn't hurt, especially a lean cut of meat
any salad dressing
vinegars
wine or beer or cola
condiments- ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauce
juice- apple is great with pork, orange is great with teriyaki and ginger
soy sauce, Worcestershire Sauce, hot sauce...
herbs and spices

Obviously, don't mix all of these things together or it will be gross- but you can play around and experiment with flavors that you know you and your family like. Make sure you cut the meat into meal-sized portions and freeze the rest- you don't save money if you cook 3 pounds of meat for a family of 4.

If you're shopping at Stop and Shop, you can pick up some elbow macaroni (Stop and Shop Pasta is .75 a box) and make a pasta salad. For pasta salad, I generally cook 1/2 the box of pasta and then add whatever vegetables I have handy (peppers, carrots, celery, tomatoes all work well.) Then you can mix it up with some salad dressing (ranch or Italian work well- Ken's Dressing is $2.00 a bottle if you don't have any at home) and maybe a little bit of mayo, and season with pepper and salt to taste. If you have cheese, nuts, leftover bacon, olives, etc., all of those things would be tasty additions. If that's too complicated or you're in a hurry, you can pick up a box of Suddenly Salad for 1.50 a box and let Betty Crocker take care of the pasta salad-making for you. There isn't much on sale for fresh vegetables this week- if you don't have anything at home, Green Giant Canned Vegetables are $1 a can (I bet the S&S brand is cheaper than that, though.) Also, Romaine hearts are 2.50 for a bag of 3, and I find those go a long way- I can get a whole week's worth of salads out of 3 Romaine hearts.

If you go to Shaw's, you can get corn for .33 an ear, which isn't great but isn't awful. And the Fresh Express Complete Salads are B1G1 free- there was a printable coupon out a couple weeks ago that would make this a great deal but I can't locate it now- if you printed it out, you have some close-to-free salad! If you need to pick up a starchy side, the Shopper's Value White Rice in a 20 lb. bag is 9.99, which is about .50 a pound, and should go a very long way. (Alas, I try as much as possible to use brown rice- I wish they had that in a 20 lb. bag on sale!) An easy rice side: cook the rice according to package directions, and then dump in a can of whatever non- condensed soup you have around and heat it through (drain off any extra liquid if it's too runny). We have so much soup that we've picked up on sale- that's an easy way to use it up.

Happy Shopping!

My Sad Little Garden

2009-07-23T19:24:00.000-04:00

Every year I try to grow things in my garden, with mixed results. Last year, we had a massive zucchini plant that went halfway across the yard. My husband had to mow around it for months. We were so excited about all the great zucchini we were going to get. Finally, it produced... one... a single zucchini, the size and shape of a watermelon. We managed to cook it, but it was a little weird having slices the size of a small dinner plate. The only other things that grew were some beans (we got a handful of beans at a time) and these things called lemon cucumbers, which grew on a vine and were pretty successful. Nothing really got going until the end of the summer, though...

I tried really hard with my garden this year. I started lots of seeds in March and April. My whole kitchen table was taken up with little seedlings for months. I don't know if they didn't get enough sun or what, because nothing really grew. :-(

So when it was time for planting (the weekend of Mother's Day, according to local gardening authorities), I planted pepper and tomato seedlings that I bought. I planted squash, cucumber, and beans directly in the ground. And then... I waited.

There wasn't any late frost or anything, but the weather never really seemed to warm up. And then, it rained, and rained, and rained. I guess in June the sun only came out 25% of the time. (July is a little better, but still very cool and rainy overall.) So my plants kind of just languished in the garden, not dying but not growing either.

My tomato plants are finally growing. The peppers don't seem any bigger but are producing some flowers.
The squash and cucumber plants are finally starting to grow.

I set up a little pyramid for my beans to grow on. Too bad, I forgot that I was growing bush beans, not pole beans. They don't need to grow on anything. They are growing some beans, and I harvested a whole handful yesterday. I cut them up and cooked them in my rice pilaf.

I had strawberry plants from last year. The squirrels and birds ate all of the strawberries before they had time to ripen. My husband jokes that I put a lot of effort into feeding the local wildlife. I planted blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries all around my property. So far, only the raspberries are producing fruit, but again, someone keeps eating them...

Well, I still have hope. I don't give up on my garden until the frost kills it. I really wish I was able to grow enough food so that we wouldn't need to buy produce during the summer, and also have enough to can and freeze. Well, with results like this... I guess I better keep wishing!

Nummy Banana Bread and/or Muffins

2009-07-23T12:46:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, I was making bread, and I decided, since I am heating up the oven anyway, why not make something else? With some overripe bananas on the counter, and a couple more in the freezer, it seemed like a good time to make some banana bread.

The recipe I have been using for a while is here, but I made some significant tweaks (adding whole wheat flour, using yogurt instead of applesauce, adding spice, reducing sugar...) to it, so it's basically a new recipe. I also doubled it, so it makes 2 loaves or 24 muffins... or, what I ended up doing, one loaf and a batch of muffins.

Nummy Banana Bread/ Muffins

4 eggs
2/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
4 mashed bananas
1/2 cup yogurt (plain, vanilla, or banana)
2/3 cup milk
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups wheat flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1 tsp nutmeg (optional)
1/4 cup stir-ins (optional- I used flax seeds... you could use raisins, chocolate chips, crushed nuts..)
1/2 cup granola cereal (for topping- also optional)

For this recipe, the oven needs to be preheated to 325. I wait to preheat my oven until I am almost done prepping the recipe, because either I am a very slow baker or my oven heats up very quickly, but the oven is always ready before I am. Spray whatever pans you are using with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, beat the sugar and eggs for five minutes. They will be fluffy and creamy.
Then add the bananas, yogurt, milk, oil, and vanilla, and beat them together thoroughly.
In another large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices until well blended. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just blended. Add any extra ingredients and fold them in.
Pour batter into pans. Top with granola if desired (I used Post Trail Mix Crunch cereal that I got for free at CVS a couple weeks ago.)
Bake loaf for about 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean; muffins should be ready after 25-30 minutes. Take out of pans and allow to cool on a wire rack.

I thought the addition of the wheat flour and the reduction of the sugar was really successful- the texture was very similar to the original recipe and we didn't miss the sugar at all. The texture is different than most banana bread/muffins- it's a little lighter with a slightly crunchy crust. We all really liked this recipe, although my husband had no idea they were banana muffins- I think with the addition of spices, the banana flavor is sort of subtle. So if you really like a strong banana flavor, I would eliminate or reduce the cinnamon & nutmeg.

Shopping with Pepper and Diva

2009-07-21T12:51:00.002-04:00

My 2 daughters, "Pepper" (almost 9) and "Diva" (7) are only 19 months apart, but they are so very different! This became all too clear when I took each of them for a special shopping trip. They've been doing activities through the local Recreation Department for the past couple weeks (Diva did dance last week, and Pepper is doing soccer this week.) So it gave me a chance to spend some one-on-one time with each of them. They both had gift cards left over from birthdays and Christmas (!) so I thought it would be easier for each of them to spend her own gift card on her own without her sister complaining.

Pepper

Pepper loves to read. Actually, that's a total understatement- that would be like saying "She loves to breathe." She reads three or four books at a time; she reads in the car- even at night, with a booklight on; she reads in bed until late at night, until I pry the book out of her hands and shut off the light. (At least, I hope she stops reading at that point.) She loves fantasy, horror, and mysteries. She's read the whole Harry Potter series multiple times and she's been begging me to let her read Twilight. (I've refused, so she's placated herself by reading more kid-friendly books about vampires. And wearing plastic vampire teeth, and painting her fingernails black. Did I mention she isn't even nine yet? )

I love to read too, and I've had to find frugal ways to keep myself in reading material. We're avid library users- we probably take out hundreds of books from the library each year, and I'm always requesting things via interlibrary loan. If there's something particular I want to read that I can't find via the library, I try to find a used copy, usually from half.com or ebay. I very rarely buy a new book for myself in the bookstore. When I do browse in the bookstore, I usually take notes about what books look interesting and try to find a copy at the library. If I got even half of my reading material from the bookstore, reading would be a very, very expensive habit for me.

Pepper isn't overly thrilled with my frugal habits in this regard. She covets books. She insists there is nothing like owning a book for your very own, and smelling that new book smell. Even if she reads something at the library, she wants to get a copy for herself. She is forever cajoling her grandmother and me to take her to Borders and let her buy books. (Admittedly, I should be happy about this. She isn't cajoling me for an Ipod, new clothes, video games, a cell phone... But it is still a form of greediness that I am trying to teach her to overcome.) Fortunately, she got several gift cards to Barnes and Noble and Borders last Christmas, and we still had one left over.

When I told her we were going to the bookstore last Wednesday, I had a vision of us sitting side by side in comfy chairs, perusing whatever books we had found, quietly spending some quality mother-daughter time together. Maybe we'd even get a chai latte at the cafe for a treat. I've spent so much parenting energy in trying to keep her out of the bookstore, when in truth I really enjoy going there as well. I wanted to take the time to really enjoy being there with her, to share a love we both have in common.

Alas. She made a beeline for a table of bestsellers and promptly scooped up a stack of books. "These are the ones I want." She had the first 2 books from the Inkspell series and the third installment of a series called Vampirates. (Seriously. Vampires and Pirates?? Why didn't I think of that? Edward and Jack Sparrow... wait, this is a children's book..)

I looked them over, and pointed out that they added up to about $27.00, when her gift card was only for $20. "Also, they have the whole Inkspell series at the library. Why don't you just get it there? Or just read the first one and make sure you like it?" I also pointed out that she might want to read the first Vampirates book, instead of the third, since she had never read them before.

She refused any sort of commensensical suggestions that I had and insisted that these were the books that she had to have. The sales lady noticed her with her stack of books (they are all quite thick) and told her she needed to get herself a job to afford all her books. (Indeed.) So I told her that she would have to pay me back for whatever the gift card didn't cover, which she agreed to. (I also pointed out to her a quote by Erasmus on a tote bag, which I thought reflected her philosophy pretty well: "When I get a little money I buy books, and if any is left I buy food and clothes." I admit, I used to feel the same way.)

I'm sure she's enjoying her new books, and I will try again in the future to have mother/ daughter bonding time over books. I'm so glad she loves to read, I really, truly am, but I hope she can learn to be more content with less expensive ways of getting her reading material. She also loves to write, but if she ever starts her own blog I'm sure it won't be about frugal living!

Diva
Diva has more fashion sense in her little pinkie than I could ever hope to have in my entire life. I can't imagine what her teachers think of her at school, because I don't think she's worn the same outfit twice. She's the littlest in the extended family at the moment, so she's the beneficiary of everyone's hand-me-downs and she has ridiculous quantities of clothing. She manages to combine colors, prints, and accessories in such unexpected and tasteful ways, and she usually looks fantastic. (I have no idea where she gets it- I generally wear some form of jeans-and-a-T-shirt when I'm not working, and I grudgingly dress up a little bit more for work.)

Once, when Diva was a baby, she climbed out of her carriage in the J.C. Penney shoe department and threw herself at the girls' shoe display, squealing with glee. (I often cite this incident as a refutation of all those sociology arguments who say that gender traits aren't inborn but a product of the environment. How could a baby be this fixated on shoes, when her own mother wears the same flip-flops every day?) So she was thrilled when her uncle and auntie got her a Famous Footwear gift card for her birthday. We headed to the mall to pay them a visit this morning.

She has definitely inherited my eye for a bargain, and realized that the super-cute shoes that are $54.99 aren't as super-cute as the ones that are on clearance for $10. So although she tried on some expensive shoes, she decided she would rather find something cheaper and stretch her gift card further. Atta girl!

She tried on these boots.

I know it's hard to picture them on a seven year old, but they looked fabulous on her. And I knew she could wear them, no problem. (This girl could run in heels by the time she was two.) But they were $44.99, so we were just going to forget about them. But then we spied other boots, that were almost exactly the same, on sale for $26.99. Now we're talkin'.

The boots weren't in her size, but the sales girl checked to see if they were in their warehouse, and said they would be shipped to our house for free. Woo-hoo! She also saw these sandals, on clearance for $20:

My mother has the exact same sandals, and Diva puts them on and wears them around the house when she's there. So she was thrilled to have a pair of her own.

I also had a gift card to Famous Footwear, as I mentioned in this post. I found a couple pairs of cute and comfy sandals on clearance (which is good, because I'm still wearing last year's flip-flops.) So between the Famous Footwear Buy 1 Get 1 Half Off sale and a coupon I had for $10 off a $50 purchase, we got 4 pairs of shoes for less than $60- and since we had gift cards, we didn't pay a dime. Granted, my girl didn't get the most practical shoes in the world, but she will definitely wear them and love them.

I don't often shop "for fun," and I venture to the mall only rarely because I don't like it. But it was nice and quiet in the mall this morning- we got there just as the stores were opening- and I didn't mind it so much. I did find myself looking more at new and trendy clothes that were out (is an almost-30 woman supposed to be looking at clothes at Charlotte Russe?) and getting that itchy "wanting things" feeling. I think a big part of being a happy cheapskate is avoiding that itchy feeling of wanting more stuff. When I stay away from the mall, don't open up a fashion magazine or a catalog, or leave the TV off, I am much more content with the things I already have. And as fun as shopping can be from time to time, that's the way to be frugal and content.

It's Possible to be a Healthy Cheapskate

2009-07-20T19:40:00.001-04:00

There was an article today in The Boston Globe about how the recession is causing people to slide into unhealthy habits...

"Fattening foods are cheaper and easier to find than healthier fare. People are working longer hours for less pay, taking second jobs to make up lost earnings, and struggling to maintain a gym membership - or all three. Worrying about work translates into wider waistlines, it turns out, mostly for people who are already overweight. Oh, and losing sleep, too? That’ll add on the pounds, as well."

It is a sad fact that the poor in our country tend not to be malnourished, but over-nourished... the cheapest food that's readily available to most people is full of empty calories. It requires some education in nutrition to make good choices that are also inexpensive. I'm no expert in health or anything, but I read a lot about nutrition and exercise and I try to make good choices for me and my family.

In my couponing and grocery shopping adventures, I've had to turn down many good deals that were for processed foods that were just plain unhealthy. (Even though my kids eat boxed mac n' cheese once in a while, we usually eat meals from scratch that are based around vegetables, whole grains, and lean meat. ) I try to tell myself- just because it's cheap, doesn't mean we should eat it! And I don't buy it just to donate to the food pantry- because, as the article points out, the people using the food pantry are the ones suffering the most. They don't need unhealthy food either!

So how do cheapskates stay healthy? A nutrition professor recommends :

"... filling the shopping cart with fresh fruits and vegetables when they are in season or on sale, and heading to the frozen vegetables aisle otherwise. Meat, fish, or poultry should be in 3-ounce portions and whole grains should make up the rest of a well-balanced varied diet."

I would add to that:

Make home-cooked meals all the time. Much to my kids' chagrin, I make a really big deal of making sure we don't need to get takeout unless we plan it in advance as a special treat. Plan out what you're going to eat each week, and if you know that you will be busy on certain nights, plan around that. Make double batches of meals and freeze them. Eat leftovers. If you're out and about at dinnertime, pack a picnic.
Drink tap water. It's (practically) free, and if your water is gross, use a filter! My kids have juice only once a day, and I like to add a little splash of juice to my H20, but otherwise we drink lots of water.
Eat breakfast every day. Studies prove that it really helps with maintaining a healthy weight, and it can be one of the least expensive meals of the day.
Eat less. Think before you eat- are you eating because you're bored, or because it's 3 o'clock and you always have a snack at 3 o'clock? Only eat when you're hungry, and stop eating when you're full!

The article also has suggestions on saving money on exercise, by signing up for group classes at the gym rather than using a personal trainer. That still sounds pretty expensive to me! I know people have a lot of different ways they try to stay fit. Personally, I have found that exercise videos/DVD's fit into my lifestyle as a working mom very well- I have stuck with the exercise habit for about 8 years that way. When I have a spare half hour or so, I pop in a DVD and get my workout done- I don't need to go anywhere and I don't need a lot of special equipment (and the equipment that you do need, you can usually pick up used from Craigslist, Freecycle, yard sales, or Play it Again Sports.) I spend very little money on my workout habit- I will occasionally pick up a used DVD or two from half.com, and there is a local discount store that often has DVD's marked down for just a couple of dollars. Another great thing about workout videos- you don't need fancy workout clothes because you're not working out in public! I do my workouts in my jammies.

My husband has always sworn by going to the gym- he says you can't get a "real workout" at home. The gym he goes to is $20 a month, which isn't bad, if you go. Lately, though, it's been harder and harder for him to get himself out the door and to the gym, so he's been wanting to develop a home workout program for himself too. I've been keeping my eyes open for some used workout equipment for him- he needs much bigger weights than I do, and a weight bench, and he likes to use an elliptical at the gym. If we can find a used one for $200 or less and we cancel the gym membership, it will pay for itself in 10 months!

Walking is also great exercise and it's free.. The thing I love about walking is that it's so multi-purpose. You get exercise, fresh air, you get to see what's going on around the neighborhood and say "hi" to your neighbors. We have a dog, so giving her a walk gives her the exercise she needs too, and keeps her happy. When you walk with your family or friends, you can socialize, and when you're alone, it's a nice time to be quiet and think, or listen to music, or books on tape, or whatever. We live in the middle of nowhere, so we couldn't walk to do errands, but if you live near civilization, you could even get some errands done on your walk.

I don't think the media is doing anyone any favors by making it sound like it's really hard and expensive to exercise and eat right. It's all about making health a priority, and making good choices. Exercising helps to relieve stress and helps you to sleep better, which in turn fosters overall health. And with obesity being a huge risk factor for lots of medical conditions, being healthy saves you lots of money in the long run.

Spendin' Money on a Monday

2009-07-20T13:01:00.005-04:00

I considered titling this post "Money-Saving Monday..." but the truth of the matter is, the best way to save money is to sit at home and not spend a dime! But, alas, one must buy groceries, and the best way to do it is to plan out what you're doing, and save as much money as you can.

I live about 15 miles away from most stores. :-( That makes shopping a big pain in my butt, so I try to plan out my shopping trips well so I don't waste gas and time and energy. (This also means that I often let deals pass me buy... I am not driving 15 miles to Rite-Aid for a tube of toothpaste, even if it's a moneymaker, when I have 40 tubes of toothpaste sitting in my basement. It's just the way things are...)

When I head out shopping for the day, I either get the sense that I am "on" or I am not. I don't know if anyone else has this feeling- like you just "know" when you're going to get good deals or not. When I am "off," I walk into the store and nothing I want is in stock, the cashiers and clerks give me a hard time, the coupon is for a different size item... do you know what I mean? To me, that's usually a signal to buy only what I need and go on home. Today, I knew it was going to be a good shopping trip.

I don't usually chronicle my grocery purchases, except to my husband who pretends to be interested (God bless him,) but I will today- it was a decent shopping trip- nothing crazy, but good. I apologize for my lousy photo cropping... my picture editing software is being uncooperative at the moment.

My groceries- I spent $37.19 at Shaw's, Stop and Shop, and Walmart. Some highlights...

Stop and Shop- I got Cranberry Pomegranate Juice for .56 a bottle (it was on sale for 1.66, and I had a .55/1 coupon that doubled. I only got two bottles because I only had 2 coupons... I'm not sure if we like Cranberry Pomegranate juice or not.)
The strawberries were 2.99 for 2 lbs., also at Stop and Shop.
I got bread for .50 a loaf on markdown at Shaw's- even though we're mostly eating homemade bread now, I like having some backup in the freezer in case I don't have time to make it. And-it's kinda sad in a way, but I figured out that in the cost of flour alone, I spend over .50 a loaf to make bread. But it's so tasty and delicious, it's worth it.
At Shaw's, I got Swiss Premium Iced Tea for .24 a 1/2 gallon- they are on sale for .99, and there is a tearpad for .75 off coupons, which ended up doubling. I only got 2 of those because my fridge is packed!
I got sugar and Breyer's Yocrunch yogurt as part of the $3 off $10 deal- I paid 4.80 for 10 lbs of sugar and 2 4-packs of yogurt. That is some really expensive yogurt though, even on sale.
Hood ice cream and frozen yogurt was 2.50- I had $1/1 coupons... the whole family is happy when there's ice cream in the fridge, and then we don't need to spend any money on the ice cream truck that comes by every day...
I didn't end up getting any meat from the meat sale. I think the best deal was 1.66/lb for turkey burger, which I can get more inexpensively at a local butcher.
At Wal-mart, I used up the rest of my Ronzoni Smart Taste coupons before they expired... .50 per box isn't too bad for pasta
And, I got Kraft Macaroni and Cheese for .50 a box with a Buy 3, get 1 free coupon- which is about .38 per box which isn't bad.
I also got Boca Burgers for 2.18 with the coupons I had. We like veggie burgers as a quick supper sometimes.

Yesterday I stopped at a local fruit stand and spent $12 on butter, eggs, celery, carrots, a watermelon, apples, bananas, and HUGE zucchini for .50/lb. So my food spending is about $50 for the week- not too bad. I usually average about $60 a week but it fluctuates- some weeks I spend $20, some weeks I spend $100...

I also went to Walgreens and spent $7.86.

Got some free Mentos Gum
And some G2 gel pens, free after RR, my most favoritest pens in the whole world (I made a second trip and got more)
Scotch tape was .06 per roll
Kleenex was about .56 a box- I used the $1/3 coupon that was for lotion-type Kleenex, which was part of the sale this week.
.89 is a good price for tuna
And I've been using more bar soap for washing our hands- it seems like it lasts longer and is cheaper. We've been using little hotel soaps for months in our bathrooms.

I also went by Staples to get some free-after-rebate school supplies, and CVS to get free-after ECB school supplies (and Bic Soliel razors which are free)... Now it's time to kick back! No more shopping for me! (Oh... I did want to get to Target.. who knows if that will happen!)

What's for dinner? White Chicken Chili

2009-07-18T21:18:00.001-04:00

This is a new one for us... I told my husband what was for dinner, and he's like, "I've never heard of that." I don't know if I've ever even had it, but, hmmm... chicken, beans, spiciness... what's not to like? I made it in the crockpot because that won't heat up the house too much. It is actually HOT in New England these days! Who woulda thunk it?

When I want to try something new for dinner, I tend to browse a few different recipes on the Internet, get an idea of what the recipe is supposed to consist of, and adapt freely based on what I actually have on hand. So, I give you...

White Chicken Chili

3/4 lb. chicken ($1.13)
1 tbsp olive oil (.10)
2 stalks celery, chopped (.20)
1 medium onion, chopped (.10)
1 tbsp minced garlic (.10)
1 can cream of chicken soup (.50)
2 cups chicken broth (I use water and 2 tsp "Better than Boullion") (.20)
2 cans white beans (I used garbanzo) (.58)
1 small can green chiles (.29)
1 cup corn kernels (free w/ coupon)
1/2 tsp cumin (.05)
1 tsp hot sauce (or to taste)(.01)
pepper & salt to taste (edited to add: you probably won't need any salt!)

First, I sauteed the celery, onion and garlic in the olive oil over low heat, until the onions were clear.
While that was happening, I cut up the raw chicken and put it in the crockpot. I poured the soup, the broth, and the beans over the chicken. Then, I put the vegetables on top. I put my slow cooker on "high"- most chicken dishes only seem to take about 4 hours on high. However, if you were leaving for the day, I would leave the chicken whole and put the crockpot on "low."
About an hour before serving time, I added the chiles and the corn. I usually don't season crockpot dishes until right before they're ready to serve because the flavors seem more vibrant that way. I garnished the bowls with a little bit of homemade plain yogurt and shredded cheese. (I have no idea what those red specks are in the picture. I think that's a trick of the light. There's nothing red in this soup!)

I had apple-corn muffins that I made the other day, so we had those with dinner, along with leftover cauliflower from last night (to continue with the "white" theme) and some leftover salad (ok, that wasn't white.) Total cost: under $5!

The verdict? We really liked it- my husband had 2 large bowls (and I couldn't say anything because he just got his blood test results from the doctor- his cholesterol and triglycerides are perfect. Apparently the cheapskate meal plan is working for him.) I found it to be a little salty because of all the canned ingredients- the beans, the cream of chicken soup, and the chiles. In the future, I'll try to make it with dry beans and white sauce instead... but making it with canned ingredients is definitely quick, easy, tasty and cheap!

Untangling my coupon mess....

2009-07-18T15:45:00.003-04:00

I like coupons. I like them a lot. They save me lots of money on things I like to buy, like cereal, toothpaste, shampoo, and deodorant. But what I am not crazy about is the whole process of managing my coupons. I have not been very successful at it lately. Allow me to explain.

When I started using coupons seriously, about a year ago, I started with the insert filing method of organization. This did not work for me. For one thing, once you start cutting up that insert, the whole thing is a mess. For another thing, I was always seeing random clearanced items while I was out shopping, and of course I wouldn't have the coupon with me. And what was maybe worst of all, I had a really hard time remembering if I still had a coupon or if I already used it. It was too hard to rely on internet sources to match up coupons for me and tell me what inserts certain coupons were located in.

So I started to cut out mostly all of the coupons in the inserts, except the ones that I was 99.99% sure I would never use, and file them in a huge accordion file thing by categories. I have a little accordion file that I keep in my purse that has a section for each store that I am going to. I put all the coupons that I want to use in there, and I keep the big file nearby in case I find something extra. For the most part, that system has worked okay. However, maintaining it is pretty time-consuming. Cutting the coupons is time-consuming, looking for them when I want them is time-consuming, and then getting rid of all the expired coupons is time-consuming. And when I don't use a coupon in my little store file, it just sits there and I usually forget about it, so I don't end up using it at a different store.

These little organizational glitches make me miss deals! For example, earlier this week I wanted Olay coupons because there was a sale at CVS. I could only find one. Today, when I cleaned out my file, I found more. Last week, I didn't bother going to Stop and Shop when they had Special K on sale for $1.50, because I only had one coupon for Special K- or so I thought. Today when I cleaned out the little file I found a pile of Kellogg's coupons that expire tomorrow, that I could have used if I had only been a little more organized. ARGH!

When I clean out my coupon file, I get rid of a lot of expired coupons- I would say I don't end up using 90% of the coupons I cut out. I am not sure if I should be more particular about what coupons I end up cutting out- like, cut out things I know that I will use, like cereal and Colgate, and maybe leave the 80 gazillion L'oreal coupons in their inserts in case I need them. So many people swear by the binder system, but I don't know if that would be any better for me. But I should probably try something different if what I am doing now isn't working all that great...

What's your favorite department store?

2009-07-18T07:43:00.000-04:00

Mine is now known as... the thrift store.

When I was a teenager, I passed a secondhand clothing store on my walk home from school. I would stop in two or three days a week and browse. Since I was a kid, I had the time to really dig through the racks and see what good stuff was there. I didn't buy all of my clothes there, but I know some really memorable, key pieces of my grunge-era attire (a gray shirt embroidered with dragonflies and some 70's-era Gap flare-leg cords stand out) were all secondhand. My friends and I also made the trek to a hip clothing store in Cambridge, MA called The Garment District- mostly everything there was secondhand (or vintage, as various hip people are more inclined to call it.) They had (and still do) a section called "Dollar a pound" where you could load up garbage bags full of random clothes and pay $1 per pound for it. The clothes we got there were generally nothing pretty, but my friends and I liked it that way, and you can get away with rips and funky colors and pants that you need a belt to hold up when you're fifteen years old.

Well, as time went on my taste in clothes became more and more expensive (and as I became an adult, I no longer needed to express my individuality with "funky vintage fashion". ) When I tried to be "cheap," I'd buy clothes at discount stores like Walmart or Target, but I noticed they didn't fit well and didn't hold up in the wash. I tended to buy things on clearance at mall stores (I walked into Express, The Limited, or The Gap and made a beeline for the back) or I shopped at places like Marshalls, TJ Maxx, or Ross.

Recently, a thift store opened up in my town. It hasn't occurred to me to shop at a secondhand store, not for years. For one thing, I just don't have time to pore through racks and racks of stuff to find something I might like. And for another, I guess I thought that buying secondhand clothes were for people that had serious money troubles, who couldn't otherwise afford clothes.

But this store is very enticing- for one thing, it's laid out in such a way that shopping is very easy. All the different types of clothes are sorted by size and color. So if I need a skirt, I can quickly glance through all the skirts in my size and see if a color or pattern stands out. I tend to check the garment over quickly for signs of wear, and then I check the label. If the item of clothing is a quality brand, it seems basically unworn, and I like it, I will try it on. If I try it on and I like it, and I have enough money in my budget, I will buy it.

This past spring, I spent $32 on clothes for work: 2 jackets, a short-sleeved sweater, a skirt, and a pair of capri pants. Some of these items still had the original tags on them. Some of them came from pricey stores like Ann Taylor. I got more compliments on things I bought from the thrift store than anything else I... oh, wait, I didn't buy clothes anywhere else but the thrift store (well, that's not 100% true- I bought a few tank tops and T shirts for layering at Kohl's when they were on sale for 2.99 and 3.99 each.) But it's true that I found clothes that were great quality, very unique, and very cheap. And I was happy.

The thrift store has been a great place to buy books (my kids love to read and often beg to buy books- with 99 cent books I can let them do that) and household items (I've gotten baking pans and a bread machine there- the bread machine was only 7.99!)

I went there a couple of weeks ago and glanced through their shoes. (Again, their shoes are arranged by color and size- very easy to shop.) I got a pair of Skecher's for 4.99 and cute shearling winter boots for 6.99 (I searched high and low for boots last winter- I could not find a pair of boots I liked for less than $70.)

The funny thing was, I told my mother about my shoe purchases- which were probably not 100% frugal since they were total impulse buys and I didn't desperately need these things. (But if I'm doing impulse buying at the thrift store, I'm not going to do too much damage to my budget.) So for my birthday last week, she gave me a $50 giftcard to Famous Footwear- maybe she is worried about my ability to afford proper shoes? Well, $50 should go pretty far when I hit the clearance rack- just walk straight to the back! And maybe I will be able to convert my mom to the joys of thrift store shopping, too.

Energy drinks... not so frugal

2009-07-17T20:03:00.000-04:00

So, my hubby came home from the dentist the other day and was sad... the dentist showed him an X-ray of his molars that show that they are basically rotting away from the inside. We have $600 (after insurance) in dental work lined up for him over the next few months as a result, and that probably won't be the end of it.

The dentist and my husband were both perplexed. Why would his teeth suddenly be crumbling to bits in his mouth? She asked him if he drank soda... all day long. To which he answered, "No, I hate soda!" I never buy it. We never drink it. Not even in restaurants- we usually drink water or unsweetened iced tea.

Then it suddenly dawned on him... he took a job a year ago that involves working second and third shifts, sometimes back-to-back. As part of his daily work habits, he had been stopping at the convenient store to buy energy drinks (which makes my little cheapskate soul rather unhappy! But I try not to get on my husband's case about things like that- overall, he's a pretty frugal guy.) He wasn't bringing coffee to work because his employer requires him to bring things in sealed containers (security reasons.) So he was drinking Monster and Rockstar drinks every day and then working long shifts without brushing his teeth. :-( Those drinks have some serious sugar.

Needless to say, he's kicking that habit! Yikes! I had no idea sugar was that bad for your teeth. Not to mention, very expensive consequences.

Shaw's Bargain Meal week of 7/17-7/23

2009-07-16T20:00:00.004-04:00

Shaw's has a lot going on this week, which is great and all, but it can be pretty confusing to figure out what's a good deal and what's not, especially on the fly when you're rushing through the grocery store at 5:37 with assorted kiddos in tow...

So there's a "pick4" meat promo where you can choose 4 packages of meat and pay 19.99 (with a coupon from the flyer and your rewards card, of course.) So basically the packages of meat would be 5.00 each. It's hard to compare prices and see whether this is a good deal for all the different types of meat featured. You have to basically figure out the cost per pound and see if it's worth it to you to stock up.

We like ground turkey, and Shady Brook Farms Turkey is part of this deal- a 3lb. package. So if you got 4 of them, it would be like getting 12 lbs of turkey for 19.99, which would be 1.66 a package. That's a pretty good price for ground turkey. I'm not sure if it's worth spending 19.99 on meat for (especially since my freezer is absolutely loaded with meats...) We might be able to get a good price on steak as part of this deal, but it's really hard to tell because there's no information about package sizes. So I will probably end up deciding in the store whether or not I will partake of this deal. It's promotions like this that really challenge my mental math skills (I don't carry a calculator with me when I shop- I really should!)

(There is also a $3 off coupon for $10 worth of various products... on the back page of the circular. Since it's a store coupon, you can combine that sale with other coupons and possibly get some good deals.

And... there is another sale that is "Buy $20 Get $10" on some random products- Chee-zit Crackers, Dr. Pepper, Rice Krispie treats, and a few other things... I tend to love those sales at Shaw's and make multiple trips to avail myself of such savings, but I don't think we eat any of those products- just Cheez-its, really. We like Rice Krispie treats too, but when you can buy cereal for next to nothing and make a huge pan of homemade Rice Krispie Treats, it seems silly to pay for a teensy little box of prewrapped snacks, even on sale. Check the Shaw's forums at A Full Cup for details on these promotions.)

Confusing sales aside, there are some good prices on produce (.99 Bell peppers and Broccoli Crowns) and cabbage is .49 a pound. So it would be worth it to make some healthy slaw to serve with some meat from the grill...

Healthy, Easy Cole Slaw

3 cups shredded cabbage .75
1 broccoli crown, diced and blanched ( I dunno about you, dear readers, but the thought of raw broccoli makes my stomach hurt- plus, cooking it a little makes the color so green and pretty.) .50
1-2 cups diced veggies of choice (carrots, bell peppers, green onions would all work well) 1.00
1/2 cup plain yogurt .30
1/4 cup mayo (low fat is fine) .25
1 tbsp cider or balsamic vinegar .01
pepper & salt to taste .01

Mix up all your veggies. Mix up your yogurt and mayo and vingegar. Mix it all together. You can garnish it with some nuts or whatever you like. You could also add a little bit of honey and some raisins if you like a sweeter slaw. Put it in the fridge until you're ready to eat. Total Cost: $2.82- and you can probably eat leftovers the following day.

So, decide what meat you will get from the "pick 4 meat sale," divide it into meal-size portions, throw it on the grill, serve it with some cole slaw and some bread or Near East Rice Pilaf/Couscous (10 for $10 or .90 if you use the Shaw's internet printable coupon and buy 10 boxes.) (Total meal cost approximately $5.38, depending on what meat you use.)

Even with meat on sale, grilling can be tough on the grocery budget- in the cooler weather I definitely make many more "one-dish" meals- soups, stews, and casseroles, where it is much easier to use just a little bit of meat as an accent, rather than a big slab of meat in the middle of your plate. In an upcoming post, I'll list some of my favorite ways to save money on dinner during the summer months!

Stop and Shop Bargain Meal, week of 7/17-7/23

2009-07-16T19:21:00.004-04:00

Stop and Shop actually has some good deals this week! Ocean Spray Cranberry juice is 3/$5- that price is practically unheard of for a 64 oz. bottle. Too bad the sale doesn't include the 100% juice varieties... :-(

2 lb. packages of strawberries are 2.99 (as opposed to the 1 lb. package that costs 2 for $5- so you basically get an extra pound for forty-nine cents?)

But what I am really excited about: Butterball Thin & Crispy Turkey Bacon is 10 for $10 for a 12 oz. package. I don't often buy bacon but it's such a great way to add flavor to meals- I think the price is right at $1. (Let's hope it tastes good, though! I've never tried this kind before! Oh, the adventures of bargain shopping!) <>

With the White Gem Boneless Chicken Breast on sale for 1.79/lb, bacon, and some pantry staples (grab some Prince pasta on sale for 10 for $10 if you're out of pasta,) you can make this chicken pasta dish that sounds tasty and very simple.

Or, if you're sick of pasta, try cooking up your favorite vegetables (zucchini is on sale- again- for .99/lb, and corn is 8 for 1.88- about .24 an ear) and crumbling a few pieces of bacon over it (see this recipe for ideas). You can grill up some chicken and serve some Near East Rice Pilaf (10 for $10) and you have yourself a nice summer meal.

My daughter, who is a major bacon fanatic, will be happy to know that it can be frozen, so we can stock up... the USDA recommends storing it for 1-2 months for best taste, but it's safe to store longer than that. <>

Stop and Shop Bargain Meal, week of 7/10-7/16

2009-07-10T10:57:00.003-04:00

Okay. So far, I have put the Stop and Shop circular in the recycling bin twice- by accident, I swear. But I think it's my subconscious telling me that I'm not all that excited by the deals this week.

I am moderately excited by the 2 for $3 Kellogg's cereal deal, except that the only cereals I'd buy are Blueberry and Cinnamon Pecan Special K. And much to my chagrin, I only have one coupon for Blueberry Special K... all the rest of my Kellogg's coupons are for Mini-Wheats. The other frustrating part of this deal is that you could use it for the Kellogg's Fuel for School Rebate (buy 10 items in a single transaction, save $10), except that the cereal sale is "limit 4." There are other participating products on sale, like Pop-Tarts, Morningstar Farms, and some Keebler products, but nothing that I'm too excited about. Oh well, the rebate goes through September 30, so I am sure I will be able to hit a good cereal sale before then.

The $5/$15 meat coupon is available again, good through the 16th, so you might be able to use that to get some okay deals on meat this week. The pork and chicken on sale this week is bone-in, which a lot of people are okay with... me, I am a big baby when it comes to things like bones. So I will probably skip buying meat at Stop and Shop this week. As far as produce is concerned, B1G1 free lettuce might work out to be a good deal- as crazy as it sounds, B1G1 free sales annoy me because I often have no idea what the non-sale price is- it could be a great deal- or not. Otherwise, nothing much.

Most people are pretty lucky in that when their regular grocery store is lacking in deals, they can always go to a different store. But what if Stop and Shop is your only store for miles around? I found out recently that my local Stop and Shop has very low prices on dry beans and lentils, lower than my local Walmart. I got a pound of lentils there for eighty cents. You can pick up zucchini & summer squash for 1.29/lb, which isn't too bad, especially if you only get a couple. The rest of the ingredients are usually already in my pantry. This is my favorite thing to do with lentils-( I submitted it to All Recipes for approval, but they haven't approved it yet...) but I will share it with you.

Italian Lentil Stew

1 tbsp olive oil (.10)

1 tbsp minced garlic (.10)

1 medium onion, cut into large chunks (.30)

3 stalks celery, cut into 1 inch pieces (.40)

4 peeled carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces (.30)

1 cup dry lentils (.40)

3 bouillon cubes (.15)

4 cups water

2 cans (15 oz) diced Italian style tomatoes (1.00)

1 bay leaf (.01)

1/2 cup small pasta (like bowtie) (.05)

1 medium zucchini, cut into large chunks (.50)

1 medium yellow squash, cut into large chunks (.50)

1 tsp dried basil(or to taste) (.01)

1/2 tsp dried oregano (or to taste) (.01)

Ground pepper, to taste (.01)

Grated cheese (romano, parmesan) for garnish (.50)

(Approx. $4.34 for a meal that makes a lot of leftovers)

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Saute celery, carrots, onions, and garlic, until onions are clear.
Meanwhile, rinse lentils. Put water, bouillon, bay leaf, and tomatoes in a large pot on medium heat. Add carrots, celery, onions and lentils- simmer for about 7 minutes.
Add pasta and let cook for 3 minutes- then add zucchini and squash- cook until tender but not mushy. Add oregano, basil and pepper and remove from heat- let sit for 30 minutes, covered.
Serve with a topping of grated cheese. This dish goes great with a nice crusty homemade bread.

My husband is a big meat n' potatoes fan- he is tolerant of occasional meatless meals, but without meat he becomes sad... :-( He tends to make fun of foods like couscous, lentils, sprouts, etc. But he absolutely loved this. The key is to cut the vegetables into really big chunks, so they feel nice and substantial in your mouth. This makes a lot of leftovers- the squash & zucchini tend to get sort of mushy on the reheat, but it don't bother me none.

Happy shopping!

Shaw's Bargain Meal of the week, 7/10-7/16

2009-07-09T21:56:00.005-04:00

This week, Shaw's has Swift Premium Half Boneless Pork Loin on sale for 1.49/ lb. Prior to acquiring mad grocery shopping skillz, I would have never considered purchasing a pork loin. I sometimes bought pork chops when they were all neatly cut up and trimmed and arranged in a blister pack, but usually I stuck to the cheaper basics: boneless chicken breast and ground turkey or beef. But one of the great things about being a bargain hunter is the variety it has brought to my family's diet. We try new foods all the time now- when they're on sale!

Last fall was the first time I bought an actual pork loin- I noticed that the price per pound was 1.79 or so, which is my target price for meat. I was a little scared when I actually looked in the meat case and saw how big it was. When I got the huge slab of meat home, I cut it up into three roasts (maybe 2 lbs each?), some pork chops, and some little strips of pork for a stir fry. So that one huge slab of meat provided us with maybe 5 or 6 meals. Some of the smaller pork loins can be cut into only 2 or 3 roasts, but that's okay.

Then, I checked online to see how to cook it. This site was very helpful to get started. Usually, when I cook a pork roast, I mix together pepper, sea salt, some garlic, and maybe basil or oregano, with some olive oil, and rub it all over the roast. Then I put it in the broiler under "low" for a few minutes until the top starts to caramelize. While that's happening, I cut up vegetables (whatever I have handy- but root vegetables hold up well to roasting) and I also coat them with pepper, salt, spices, and olive oil. Then I arrange the vegetables around the meat and bake the whole thing at 350 until the temperature of the roast is 160 degrees ( a meat thermometer was a worthwhile investment for me.) I probably cook the meat a little more than most people like, but I'm sort of easily sketched out by undercooked meat.

Recently I tried cooking a pork loin on the grill. Basically, I took a 2 lb roast and "butterflied" it- cut it up the middle. I rubbed it all over with a spice rub. You cook it on the grill over very high heat, and then turn the heat down to low (some people recommend grilling the pork indirectly, away from the flames.) It took a really long time, maybe 90 minutes? I was shocked my grill didn't run out of propane. But my family loved it. I didn't like the spice rub I used- it had tomato flavor and for some reason I don't think tomato goes well with pork, for me.

So, my recommendation for this week is to get a pork loin, cut it up and freeze part of it, and make sure you have plenty of charcoal or propane so you can grill that baby! The Shaw's produce sales seem to have calmed down this week- but get a Fresh Express Garden Plus Lettuce bagged salad for 2/$3 to serve with it. The Carolina Rice Mixes are 5/$3, and are free if you have coupons (.75/2, exp. 7/31/2009) because they will double. I personally find the rice mixes to be a little too salty, so I mix them with chopped vegetables or plain brown rice.

Apart from a pork loin, I think I may pick up some raspberries this week for 3/$5- I have recently planted raspberries all over my yard but as I wait for them to ripen (and with 50-degree nights who knows if they ever will,) 1.67 for a little container isn't a bad price. I bought a whole watermelon for 3.99 last week and we've only been able to eat half of it so far. I might pick one up next Thursday before the sale runs out, for the following week (unless of course, watermelon continues to be on sale next week... stay tuned.)

Who doesn't love a free wall?

2009-07-08T15:00:00.000-04:00

A couple of months ago, I came home from work to find that my husband had dug a big trench in the yard. We have this informal shade garden on the far side of our driveway that, when we moved in, was a big tangled mass of woods and brush that hung over the sidewalk. We cleared the brush, left some trees, and planted some low-maintenance plants. It made a huge difference in the "curb appeal" of my house, and I was really proud of the results. So when I arrived home and saw a big gash dug into the side of the hill, with the grass all ripped up, I was a little... surprised. Why would my husband mess with a good thing?

However, he's a very low-key and easy-going guy with few strong opinions (read: I almost always get my way, about everything), so if he actually has a strong desire to do something, I let him go nuts. We had a conversation that went like this.

Me: Um, what are you up to?
Him: I got tired of mowing the hill over here, so I dug it up.
Me: Um, ok.

A few weeks ago, I noticed he started making piles of rocks. First little rocks, and then bigger and bigger ones. He and the dog would leave in the truck for several hours at a time, and come back with some rocks.

Me: What are those rocks for?
Him: I'm going to build a wall.
Me: OK. Where did they come from?
Him: Oh, around.
Me: Um, ok.

I think the rocks have come from the woods, the area around the power lines, and construction sites. I am not 100% sure taking the rocks was legal, but as you can see, I don't ask too many questions. In the past couple weeks, he has been building the wall in earnest. My husband is a carpenter by trade but I don't think he has any masonry experience... or any idea how to make a wall. He has been digging into the side of the slope, and packing sand between the rocks. It looks... really good. I think I want one for the other side of the driveway. We've had torrential downpours recently, and it has held up really well. When it's complete, and we have some new plantings in, I think it's a nice enhancement to our home. Of course I let my husband know that, and apologized for my earlier skepticism... :-)

Frugal tip of the day: Get outta town!

2009-07-06T14:40:00.004-04:00

So I went for a little ride the other day, to visit a local wholesale restaurant supplier, and the new Aldi in my area. I wanted to do some price-checking to see if it would ever make sense to make the trek to either location- it was a good 30 minutes to the restaurant supplier, and another ten minutes down the road to Aldi.

Well, I was disappointed in the first stop- the restaurant supplier didn't have good prices on anything except for cheese (about $2/lb for shredded cheese.) It cost about the same per pound for a 50 lb. sack of no-name brand flour as I can normally buy King Arthur or Gold Medal flour on sale. Some things were much more expensive. I sometimes wonder if wholesale/warehouse type food retailers try to confuse consumers with bulk packaging- they hope that people won't do the math and realize they are paying too much. On the bright side, milk was 1.99 a gallon, but I am not going to drive thirty minutes out of my way to buy milk. I'm glad I took the trip though- now I know that I don't need to go to there ever again!

Aldi was about what I expected. Their prices are much better than most store brands, so if you needed something and it wasn't on sale, Aldi would be a good choice. The produce prices were great and the quality seemed pretty good (although that doesn't sound like it's the case in all Aldi stores, everywhere). The prices on milk and cheese were also good, although I wonder how the cheese tastes*. I was tempted by some of the packages of meat (hamburger patties marked down to $1/lb!), but I was a little leery. As far as being a source for baking ingredients, Aldi's selection was rather limited (only white flour, white rice, etc.) and, again, their price for no-name flour was the same as I could get on sale. I ended up buying some canned beans and chilis that were .29 a can, some nonstick cooking spray that was about 1.29, and strawberries for 1.50. I meant to get a big canister of old-fashioned oatmeal that was 1.49 or so, but I was too lazy to deposit a quarter to get a cart... so I was concentrating so hard on not dropping stuff and I totally forgot to get the oatmeal. Darn it!

(*Note: I did a little Googling of Aldi and the quality of their products... I read a post from a driver who works for Aldi, and he said that he makes stops at the Sargento factory to pick up cheese, etc. I also read that their frozen fish, including wild salmon (!!) is very good, and people overall seem to be happy with their products. I think I will have to go back and pick up that oatmeal.)

Anyway, while I was out and about in this unfamiliar area, I noticed gas prices were about 15 cents cheaper than in my town, so I topped off my tank. I passed by a Super Walmart and wondered if their prices might be cheaper, too. I had items on my list for Walmart anyway, so it was worth a trip.

For the most part, I was pleasantly surprised! My local Walmart carries King Arthur whole wheat flour for $4.55 for 5 lbs (91 cents a pound!) , which is quite a bit cheaper than the supermarket. This Walmart had whole wheat flour for $3.22, or 64 cents a pound! As I walked through the aisles and glanced at other things, I noticed prices averaged a few cents to a dollar lower than my local store.

It occurred to me that for a lot of people, it might make sense to see if there's a nearby area (whether it's lower-income, more rural, or more urban) that tends to have lower prices than the stores in your own town. Some instances where I can see this being useful include:

combining every day low prices with coupons. Every week, fellow bloggers publish lists of deals to be had at places like Walmart and Target. Unfortunately, my local stores usually have higher retail prices than most of the deals listed. For example, a while back there were $1/1 Muir Glen coupons that people were using on cans of tomatoes at Walmart, and getting the tomatoes for a few cents. At my Walmart, the cans of Muir Glen tomatoes were over two dollars a can.
percent or dollar off sales. For example, if a store is advertising a sale like "50% off all women's footwear," the total cost will be cheaper if the retail price is lower. Or if the sale is $xx off the retail price-- the same rule applies.
major planned purchases. If you needed to buy a lot of building supplies to remodel your bathroom or something, it might be worth it to look at the prices at Lowe's or Home Depot in a different area- you are buying so much stuff, the savings might be very significant. Or if you are planning on buying furniture, electronics, or even a car, it might make sense to check prices in a different area.

I wouldn't necessarily make a trip to this other town all the time, but if I happened to be going that way, it would be worth it to stop and pick up some necessities. If I made a special trip, I would probably plan a pretty comprehensive shopping excursion and hit several stores to make the time and gas expenditure worth it. And I will definitely fill up my gas tank while I am there.

Confessions of a Reluctant Baker

2009-07-05T19:30:00.000-04:00

Not my actual baked goods... :-)

My first post to this blog was about my experiments with making granola bars and jam muffins-- which might give you the misleading impression that I've always been this avid baker-type person. But baking is quickly becoming a new hobby of mine, one that my whole family is coming to appreciate (and my husband is starting to brag to his friends about!)

My mom is a pretty highly skilled baker. She doesn't bake often- she usually bakes special cookies, pies and cakes for holidays, and they tend to be quite impressive. So I guess I have always associated baking with fussy special occasions, lots of calories, and lots of work. When I was a kid I used to bake brownies, muffins, and quickbreads- nothing healthy. When I was in my early twenties and quite poor, I did bake my own bread for a while, but gave it up. I baked birthday cakes, usually from a mix, and some quickbreads or Christmas cookies around the holidays, but that was the extent of my baking life. The flour and baking powder in my cabinet tended to stay there for a long time, untouched.

I think I started to develop an appreciation for baking after Thanksgiving this past year, when everyone in my family started to look glassy-eyed when I brought out the leftover sweet potato casserole. Even I was starting to get sick of it, and I loooove sweet potatoes. So I did some Googling and found a recipe for sweet potato muffins. They were delicious, everyone loved them, and I was happy that I didn't have to waste food. (In case you haven't noticed, my frugal pet peeve is wasting food.)

From that point, whenever I had overripe bananas or bruised apples or some other food item that no one wanted to eat anymore, I was making it into cheap and healthy baked goods. I found other sources of ingredients, too. I work at a school and often there is leftover produce from school lunches (the kids don't want the veggies and fruits with their meals) or leftovers from classroom parties. Most of the time, this extra food would go in the trash- instead, I turn it into applesauce, carrot bread and banana muffins.

I've only recently started baking bread again- my whole family loves it. My kids would rather have warm slices of homemade bread with homemade jam than almost anything in the snack cabinet. I've been a serious coupon user for about a year now and I've always tried to stockpile granola bars, crackers, and other healthy-ish snacks. But really, even with coupons and a good sale, a box of 6 prewrapped granola bars (with all kinds of additives and crazy ingredients) can be a dollar or more. I haven't worked out the exact costs of my baking endeavors, but I know I'm making delicious, healthy food for pennies. I was just reading Amy Dacyzyn's Complete Tightwad Gazette and she shared a similar comment from a reader:

"It's not accurate... simply to compare the cost of home-baked bread to that of store-bought bread; the actual savings is much greater. Because home-baked bread is so good, it tends to displace not only store-bought bread but also more expensive and often less healthy snack foods such as cookies or crackers. Another family I know that switched to 100 percent home-baked bread a couple of years ago makes the same observation- they noticed a significant drop in their food bill."
- The Complete Tightwad Gazette

The key is, sticking with ingredients that are inexpensive and readily available. If I'm in a baking mood, I look for recipes that have ingredients I already have, or make an appropriate substitution. The flour that sat in my cabinet for months (years?) has long since been used up. I want to try to find lower-cost sources of basic baking ingredients. I have an associate BJ's membership thanks to my mother, and their prices on yeast are great but I can get better deals on flour and sugar at Walmart. I have bought flour, sugar, honey, and dried fruit with Register Rewards and Extra Care Bucks at Walgreens and CVS, but their prices tend to be higher than the grocery store. I just found out there is a wholesale restaurant supplier in my area that sells to the public, so I want to head out there this week and see if they have any better deals (although my husband has expressed some concern about the logistics of storing a 50-lb bag of flour!) There is also an Aldi that opened recently, about twenty miles away, so I will check that out also.

photo by Peggy Greb source ARS license Public Domain

Happy 4th!

2009-07-04T20:55:00.003-04:00

I hope everybody enjoyed their holiday today, and took some time to reflect on how very, very lucky we are to live in a country where we can enjoy freedom, health and safety to a degree that people in many other countries can only dream about.

I was really surprised when I was out and about today to see how many stores were open for business. Is this a new phenomenon, or am I just noticing this more now? It used to be that on a major national holiday, you were lucky if you found a convenient store that was open if you needed milk or something. I stopped by Office Max today because I had a coupon for $10 off a $20 purchase, and it expired today, so I thought on my way by I would see if they were open. I almost didn't, because I assumed they wouldn't be. But they were open, from 9 to 6. There were three employees and exactly one customer- me.

It doesn't even seem to make good business sense to keep a store like Office Max open on a day like today. I'm sure the employees are receiving overtime-- how much business would they have to do to cover their hourly wages? But more than that, what ever happened to respecting an important holiday? People should be spending time with their families, not working unless they perform a crucial job like working in a hospital or in law enforcement. And can't shopping wait for another day?

photo by Terry J. Adams source NSBP license Public Domain

Stop and Shop Bargain Meal week of 6/3-6/9

2009-07-02T21:33:00.003-04:00

Stop and Shop has some exciting produce buys this week, again- they're repeating their 12/1.99 corn sale, and the 4 for $5 blueberries sale of a couple weeks ago. (I bought 8 pints of blueberries last time, ate one, froze a couple, and made 5 pints of jam.)

This week Countryfine Italian Sausage Links are 1.99/lb and green and yellow squash (the vegetables formerly known as zucchini and summer squash, people!) are both .99/lb. Now there are a variety of creative and interesting things you could do with these ingredients, such as zucchini soup or stuffed zucchini or something. What I would probably do, when faced with these ingredients, is a simple pasta dish. Prego pasta sauce is 2 for $4 this week, and Stop and Shop Pasta is still 5 for $4.

When making sausage, I like to remove the casing before cooking- I think it's too tough otherwise. Then I cut it up into 1-inch pieces and cook it over medium heat. I saute it with whatever vegetables are handy, add about 2/3 of a jar of pasta sauce or a can of diced tomatoes, and serve over pasta. Add some homemade bread and you've got a meal. Total cost: Under $5

Shaw's Bargain Meal week of 6/3-6/9

2009-07-02T20:49:00.005-04:00

There's lots of barbecue items on a three day sale (through July 5)- some highlights include 1.49/lb boneless spare ribs and 1.99/lb chicken. Some other goodies include 3.99 whole seedless watermelon, 1.49/lb cherries, and .99 for a package of white mushrooms. Corn on the cob is 10 for 1.99 again this week, and ground beef is 1.59/lb (part of the 3 day sale- with a $1 off 3 lbs or more coupon making it about 1.26/lb )- making hamburgers on the grill and corn practically a no-brainer for this week. But what if you've had enough of barbecue? Put that extra ground beef and those ears of corn to work... try a goulash, chili, or taco soup. (Cajun-style Corn Soup looks good..) Bell peppers at .99/lb, yellow onions at .99 for a 2 lb bag, and Hunt's tomato sauce at 10 for $10 (or Spike's Santa Fe Salsa, also 10 for $10) will work in most of these recipes, too.

No-Brainer Chili

1 lb ground beef (1.26) (I actually usually use turkey)
1 chopped onion (about .20)
1 can beans including liquid (kidney, pinto, or black- I usually find them for about .75 a can)
1 jar salsa (1.00)
1 can diced tomatoes (often on sale for about .50)
1 chopped bell pepper ( about .50)
2 ears corn, kernels cut off (.39)
hot sauce and black pepper to taste (.05)
1 large tortilla ( I got some from a bulk food store for .50/20 frozen tortillas... so about .025)

In a large saucepan, brown 1 lb. ground beef over medium heat- when it is almost completely cooked (still a little pink) drain off the fat. Saute with the onion until the onion is clear. Then dump the beans, salsa, and tomatoes in with the meat, and turn the heat to low. Let it simmer for 10-20 minutes or so (the longer it cooks over low heat, the better it tastes). Then add the peppers and corn and cook for a little while longer. Add hot sauce and pepper until you like the flavor.

I like adding the peppers last so they don't turn into mush, and are still crispy and green. Sometimes I serve chili over brown rice, but I also like to make my own tortilla crisps and use them to dip in the chili. I tear up a big tortilla and bake them at 400 degrees in the toaster for a few minutes. You can top chili with cheese- or sour cream (I use plain yogurt and no one knows the difference.) Total cost: About $4.18.

Homemade Granola Bars!

2009-07-02T14:13:00.000-04:00

We had some thunder rumbling through this morning, so I thought some baking was in order... We had a huge tub of those Trader Joe's chocolate chip cookies that my mom bought us, and even though we have been eating them diligently (they are *awesome* crushed over ice cream), about 1/4 of the tub had managed to go mushy and stale in these last few humid days. I was trying to think of what I could do with the stale cookies. Crush them up... and make... something. I thought of maybe making some kind of pie crust, only I don't have any pudding or whipped cream or anything to fill the pie with. I contemplated mixing crushed cookies into a muffin or quickbread batter, which would probably be pretty tasty.

But, while I was taking my shower, the solution dawned on me. (The solutions to all of life's problems dawn on me while I am taking my shower.) Make granola bars! Of course!

I went onto Allrecipes.com (I don't own any cookbooks- the Internet is my cookbook. I figure if 4236 people give a good review to an online recipe, it's worth a shot) and surveyed the granola bar recipes. I used this recipe as a base but changed it a bit. Basically, this is what I did:

2 cups of oats
3/4 cups brown sugar (actually, I used 1/2 cup white sugar and 1/4 c brown- ran out of brown sugar- whoopsie.)
1 1/4 cup smashed stale cookies
1/3 cup smashed-up raw almonds
1/3 cup wheat flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup honey
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla (ran out of this too... whoops again.)
2 tbsp peanut butter

I preheated the oven to 350 and sprayed the 9 x 13 pan. I mixed all the dry ingredients together, made a well in the middle and mixed it all together with my hands (very messy.) I spread it out in the pan and pressed it down evenly-- it didn't seem like it would fill the whole pan unless it was in a very thin layer. So I left about 3 inches of space at one end of the pan. It would probably be fine in a 9x9 square pan.

I wasn't sure how long to bake it- the original recipe said 30-35 minutes, but some people that commented on it said that was too long. So I baked it until the edges got brown, about 15 minutes. I let the bars cool and started to cut them. The ones in the middle really seemed too mushy, so I threw the whole thing back in the oven for another 10 minutes (I was making jam muffins by this point so the oven was on anyway.) This time, they seemed better and the kids and hubby came around to try a sample.

Oh. My. Goodness. These were probably more gooey and dessert-y than any granola bar has the right to be. For general snacking purposes, I could probably reduce the sugar in these quite a bit. But they were so, so good. I think I will also reduce the liquid ingredients in the future- maybe you don't need both vegetable oil *and* peanut butter.

One of the nice things about being frugal in the kitchen is that I'm always trying to come up with new ways to avoid letting food go to waste. So now I have a way to use up stale cookies or crackers in the future. I made the jam muffins because we have an extreme surplus of jam- I made a batch of blueberry jam last week, a batch of strawberry this week, and of course we had to open a jar of each after I canned them to see how they tasted! However, looking in my fridge I also saw

two (!) open jars of Polaner strawberry jam
two jars of pumpkin butter from Trader Joe's (from my mom, again)
a big jar of Trader Joe's cherry jam (thanks, mom)
a massive jar of apple butter that we may have purchased when we moved in, 4 years ago

So I pitched the apple butter, and used the rest for jam muffins. I divided the batter into 4, and added some whole wheat flour, and made cherry, strawberry, blueberry, and pumpkin butter muffins. I added some cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves to the pumpkin butter batter. I also added some topping- I like to take an instant oatmeal packet (something else we have in mass quantities) and mix it with about a tablespoon of buttery spread and microwave it for about ten seconds. It make a tasty streusel-like topping. These were also a big hit, especially the pumpkin butter muffins. I've had pumpkin butter sitting in my fridge for eons- I can't believe it never occurred to me to use it in baked goods! Sigh...