Wednesday, December 30, 2009

China pics

Hannah riding her bike in the backyard. The kids all got new bikes from their Aunt and Uncle, they had a blast riding them on the good weather days. Parker was caught red handed in the sand, something he knew he shouldn't be playing in. He knew he was in trouble with Mom and Dad, Grandma came to his rescue and gave him a free pass to play, she even rounded up some toys for him to play with.


An old style accountant, he had a bowl of beans, a real bean counter!

The Chinese pavillion for the Shanghai Expo. Grandpa's friend was able to get us in to see all the buildings even though most of them are still under construction.

Hannah and Parker were enjoying the nice sunny day and the great grass!




Lunch with the cousins.

Parker was so proud of his new fire truck!
Farewell dinner at home.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Menu plan

This week I will be making some lighter meals before our gluttony on Thanksgiving!

Breakfasts:
puffy oven panckae
pumpkin smoothies
waffles
and cereal

Dinners:
Chef salads with parmesan breadsticks
Bean enchiladas (last pan from freezer)
Grilled shrimp skewers with fried rice
Thanksgiving dinner and then leftovers for a couple more days!
Pork carnitas

Monday, November 16, 2009

Menu plan

I'm trying to clean out the fridge and freezer this week. I made a menu based on what I have "in stock"!

Green chicken chili
Hong Kong style noodle soup with baby bok choy
Mini turkey meatloaves with red potato smashers and corn
Spring rolls, potstickers, and chopped chinese salad with wonton chips
Alfredo with cajun shrimp and garlic cheese biscuits
Beef satay with ginger rice and peanut sauce
Chicken sesame teriyaki fingers with rice

Monday, November 2, 2009

Menu plan monday

I am finally posted another menu plan. I have been so sick with the flu and other things that I took two weeks off from planning. We have been surviving on pantry items and meals that I had frozen all ready, along with a few meals that friends brought in.

Breakfasts
ham and cheese omelets
waffles
eggs and toasts
turkey sausage wraps
cereal and fruit
smoothies

Lunches
homemade mac and cheese (from freezer)
chicken nuggets
chicken pasta
pb & j
quesadillas
deli sandwiches

Dinners
Chicken tetrazinni
Beef and Barley soup
Sloppy Joes and homemade chips
Enchiladas
Chicken gravy and rice
Ziti bake
Leftovers

I am trying to clean out our freezer in preparation for our trip out of the country next month. Seattle does not have a good track record for good weather in December and the last three years we have lost power for more than a few days at a time. I don't want to come home to a freezer of rotten food!

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Menu plan monday

Here is our plan this week!

Breakfast
Sausage and eggs, toast
Waffles
cereal hot and cold
strawberry and banana smoothies

Lunches
Tuna or egg salad sandwiches
quesadillas
leftovers
salads

Dinners
Sub sandwiches with homemade potato chips with jello blocks
Roast beef, mashed potatoes, corn, salad
Ham and potato soup
Chicken curry with rice and edamame
Chili nachos, taco salad
Homemade pizzas, green salad
Satay meatballs with peanut sauce, rice, broccoli

Monday, September 21, 2009

Menu plan monday

Breakfasts
fruit smoothies
peaches with milk
hot cereal, cold cereal and fruit

Lunches
leftovers
ham, turkey, tuna, or pb sandwiches

Dinners
Baked potatoes with chili and nachos
Chicken tetrazinni
pasta carbonara
spaghetti pie
BLTs with sweet potatoe fries
leftovers
pizza for kids-dinner out for grownups

Monday, September 14, 2009

How to save money starting today!

Top ways to save money at the grocery store
1. Look at the grocery ads! I plan my meals for the week based on what is on sale that week. Also plan to stock up on items that are on sale.
2. Clip coupons for the items that you know you will use and for items that are new in the stores. An item will most likely be introduced at a great discount.
3. Don’t be brand loyal. Generic or non-name brand items are usually the same quality.
4. Look at shelf tags and compare prices carefully. Sometimes you have to buy multiple items to get the sale price.
5. Ask for a rain check if an item is out of stock.
6. Sign up for savings cards at your local stores
7. Keep an eye out for stores that you may not usually shop at like Dollar Tree, and ethnic stores.
My Favorite Stores
King county WA area
Safeway and Albertsons-I only buy the sale items at these stores. I will buy my milk at Safeway most often because the everyday price is cheaper there.
Sunset Market-(on Sunset between Goodwill and Rite Aid) The produce here is very good and the meat is extremely fresh. They make fresh tortillas and tortilla chips here daily.
WinCo- I only go here once in a while. They have a great bulk foods section with lots of rice, pasta, beans, and baking ingredients. It is the cheapest place for flax seed.
Goodwill-I like to run in here every few weeks, the one on Sunset receives a lot of merchandise from
Target. They always have a lot of new items to check out. It is a great place to buy books, paperbacks are only .69.
Half Price Books-The best selection of used books in town!
Target-This store has a lot of great health and beauty deals, always check the back of the aisles for clearance merchandise.
Dollar Tree-this place is great for cards, holiday items, coloring books, toiletries, candy, and the occasional surprise item.Rite-Aid and Walgreens-Both of these stores have great Free after Rebate items, usually every week. The programs are all online, and are very easy to participate in.
Viet-Wah-This store is also on Sunset neat Dollar Tree. They have a great fresh meat department and all the asian ingredients.
Coupon process-
I gather 2-4 papers every weekend depending on what I will use. You can ask friends and neighbors to save insert coupons for you.I collate my copies of the paper and clip only the coupons that I will use, the ones I can trade for more that I will use, and also for new products. After I am done clipping I store the inserts by date for later use. Sometimes deals will come up later after you have clipped.I use a zippered binder with baseball card pages in it to store my coupons. I divide mine into categories.
Some people like to organize by aisles, or alphabetical.
My categories are:
Baking
Baby and kids
Candy and gum
Canned goods
Cereal and Bread-I divide it between manufacturers
Cleaning products-I include laundry soap here
Cosmetics and body care-make-up, deodorants, body soap and lotions,
Dairy-milk, yogurt, cheese, butter
Frozen
Hair care-shampoo and conditioner,
Juice and sodaMeatMedicine- also put first aid items here
Mexican and Ethnic
Pasta-rice, packaged meals,
Plastic and paper goods- bags, paper towels, toilet paper,
Produce
Refridgerated Non dairy- cookie dough, biscuits, pudding,
Sauces and dressings-pasta sauce, salad dressing, bbq sauce
Snacks and chips
Razors and shaving
Restaurants
Store coupons-Each store has a page Target, Safeway, Albertsons
Misc.
My favorite clubs, memberships, and online shopping places
Costco- my parents and I share a membership here. It is a great place to save money on items as long as you can resist the temptation of things you don’t need, and also if you can manage the bulk items well.
Famous Footwear rewards-you can sign up at http://www.famousfootwear.com/. I watch for the buy 1 get ½ off sale. They will send you reward coupons usually every quarter, and on your birthday.
Bath and Body works- sign up at http://www.bathandbody.com/ to receive emails that will include coupons and upcoming sales.
Pinching your Pennies- This is the ultimate place for all shopping deals around town and online!Register at http://www.pinchingyourpennies.com/
Kohls Sign up at http://www.kohls.com/ for exclusive savings codes and coupons
JC Penney rewards earn rewards coupons from every purchase http://www.jcpenney.com/
Swagbucks This one is new for me sign up at http://www.swagbucks.com/. You can earn rewards cards to online retailers like Amazon just for searching the net!
http://www.paperbackswap.com/ is a great place to exchange all of the books you don't read for the ones you want to read! Join today, it is simple and very fun!
I am a book junkie, but as a busy mom I don't often have time to sit and read. I rely on overdrive media for Ipod compatible books. Check online at your local library to see if this free service is available for you. You can download audio versions of your favorite books directly to your ipod and mp3 players!

Monday, September 7, 2009

Fun stuff!

I have been busy this weekend! I made all this plus 24 bottles of peach jam, 1 jar of blueberry syrup, and 6 jars of strawberry basalmic jam.

First day of school

Parker's first day of preschool. I couldn't get a picture of all three of them looking at the right place at the same time~!




Sunday, September 6, 2009

Menu Plan Monday

Breakfasts

Cold cereal and fruit
oatmeal and fruit
french toast sticks
pancakes
eggs and toast
yogurt smoothies

Lunches
sandwiches~tuna, pb and jelly, pb and agave, bologna and cheese
pb and crackers
quesadillas
leftovers

Dinners
Hamburger patties, with mashed potatoes and gravy, corn on the cob
Deluxe chopped salad and rolls
Chili and baked potatoes
Ravioli soup and cheesy italian bread
Glazed salmon and rice with fresh green beans
"sushi" rolls and potstickers
Leftover night

Monday, August 31, 2009

Menu plan monday

Can you believe that I am posting a menu plan finally! It has been a while for sure!

Breakfasts
Boiled omelets
cold cereal and fruit
fruit and yogurt smoothies
egg in the hole
blueberry muffins

Lunches
pb & j
tuna sandwiches
quesadillas

Dinners
Sweet and sour pork with rice and broccoli
Clam Chowder
Italian Hamburger soup
Home made mini pizzas
White chicken chili
mini meatloaves with honey baked beans

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Back to school lunch ideas

It's back to school time for most of us, time to get into a routine again! In preperation for shopping this week I asked my kids what their favorite school lunches are, here is what they came up with:

tuna sandwiches or tuna with crackers
PB & J sandwiches or with crackers
salad
apples and pb
tortilla with peanut butter and sliced apples
yogurt and cheese
cheese, meat, and crackers (like a lunchable)
quesadillas ( I put these in a reusable sandwich container lined with tin foil and they stay warm enough for them)

In their thermos' they like
Rice and beans
stew
very rarely Ramen noodles
spaghetti and other pastas
hashbrowns and scrambled eggs
baked potatoes
home made soup and sometimes the canned fun soups like goldfish.


Change the same old things into something new for them
roll out bread flat and spread on ingredients. roll up and slice into pinwheel shapes (my kids call it sushi)
make it mini or cut sandwiches into shapes.
I have a crinkle cutter and the kids like to see their veggies or fruits cut with it.

Let them choose!
I have a large bin that I put crackers, cereal, cookies, raisins, fruit cups, pretzels, fruit snacks, and other shelf stable items in. I let them choose a treat for their lunch and also one for their snack.

Good luck!

Monday, August 24, 2009

Some Ut pics

We had a great time in Utah. Here are some pics.
This is a tee pee that some one built near the reservior where my Dad works. The waterfall near the reservior
My BIL and nephew racing down the Alpine Slide in Park City.
Me and my little guy heading up to the slide in the Ski Lift.
Bryce Canyon
Zion's National Park with my sweetie.
I logged 2895.5 miles on my van in the 9 days we were gone, thats an awful lot of driving. I think I drove all but about 500 miles of that too!

We made it back from our wonderful trip! We had a great time in Utah. Now it is back to school time for us, time to start getting into a better routine! I will have a meal plan posted tomorrow, I have the flu and do not want to think about food today!

Sunday, August 9, 2009

No menu plan this week. We are leaving for another family trip mid-week, I am going to clean out the fridge and all of the extras that are hanging around in the freezer.

Friday, August 7, 2009

Salsa~Our new favorite thing!

I got this recipe from a freind from church. It is a wonderful recipe. I substituted tomatillos for tomatoes the other day and I think it is even better!

COOKED SALSA By: Etel Ghoreishi
In a 1 quart sauce pan combine:
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt – may add more to taste
Dash pepper
Heat: Medium to high heat

Add to above ingredients:
3 tomatoes
1 small white/yellow onion – cut in half
1 garlic clove
2 Serrano peppers

Boil until tomatoes and onion are thoroughly cooked.
When done, spoon out ingredients and place in a blender. Blend in Chop setting.
Heat 3 tbsp. olive or vegetable oil in same saucepan. Carefully, add blended sauce, and cook for 2 minutes.
You may store cooked salsa in the fridge for up to one week! Or, freeze.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Menu Plan Monday

We didn't get to all of the meals I had planned last week! I ran away with the kids to the coast to escape the heat. We had a great time camping out in La Push, we even got rained on over there. I was wonderful to cool down and to spend time exploring over there. We can't wait to go back!

I am trying to clean out the fridge and freezer this week before we leave for another trip next week.

Breakfasts
Fresh fruit and yogurt
toast
muffins from freezer
turkey bacon BLTs

Lunch
corn dogs
quesadillas
tuna and crackers
grilled ham and cheese
pb & j

Dinners
roast chicken and potatoes
bbq pork sandwiches corn on the cob
beef and broccoli
grilled pizzas
potstickers, rice, edamame, rice
leftovers for 2 nights

Monday, July 27, 2009

I-90 closures this week

Just a reminder that the I-90 bridges will be closed this week for the Blue Angels practices and performances.

Thursday 1:15-2:30
Friday, Sat, and Sun 12:45-2:40.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Menu plan monday

Breakfasts
cereal and fruit
fruit smoothies with yogurt
chocolate chip mini muffins
cinnamon rolls, turkey bacon
homemade poptarts
omelets in a bag

Lunch
grilled ham and cheese sandwiches
grilled pizzas
greek chickpea burgers with tahziki sauce
tuna and crackers
pb & j rollups
mac and cheese with mini burgers
homemade lunchables

Dinner
Teriyaki pineapple pork chops, chow mein, steamed broccoli
Chicken lettuce wraps (PF Changs style)
Grilled shrimp, takami edamame, and potstickers
Grilled steak salad
Taco salads with rice, and beans
Beef stroganoff, rice, fresh green beans
Clean out the fridge night

Thursday, July 9, 2009

My new favorite thing

I love books! But, if I sit down to read a book 8 hours can go by without me getting to to do anything, the kids can tear down the house and I wouldn't notice~! I have learned that the best way to get my fill of reading is to listen to books on tape. In the past I have checked out all the audio books from the library and added them to my Itunes; this can be a very time consuming task though.
I just just found out that through my library system inline I can download books directly to my Ipod. It takes just a few minutes per book. The system is called Overdrive Media. It is free from my King county Library System. Check your library to find out if it available in your area.

We are home!

We had a great time in Utah, but are so glad to be home! I miss all the fresh produce that I can get here, and the cooler weather, 90 is too hot for me!

No menu plan this week. I am cleaning out the fridge and freezer. I just shopped for a bunch of produce and few basics like milk and eggs.

Monday, June 29, 2009

No menu plan this week, we are making a quick trip to Utah.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Menu plan monday

Breakfasts
Fruit Smoothies~the kids love making up new recipes!
Toaster waffles and pastries
pancakes
breakfast cookies

Lunches
Quesadillas
sandwiches, tuna, pb & j, ham and cheese
crackers and cheese (lunchable style for park days)
tortilla wraps

Dinners
Mexican Lasagna (new recipe I came up with, I will review it tomorrow)
Grilled pork loin with grilled potato packets
Curry chicken and potatoes, rice, edamame
Lasagna, garlic bread, green salad
Chunky Italian soup with garlic breadsticks
Baked potatoes, green salad bar
Leftovers

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Apple Pie Squares

This the only pastry crust that I have ever been able to make with any success! My mom found this recipe in an old cookbook. I have substituted berries and peaches with great results, leave out the cinnamon if you use berries.


Apple Pie Squares
4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 2/3 c butter
½ c water
1 egg
1 Tbsp vinegar

Mix together to form crust
Roll out ½ of dough to fit in jelly roll pan

Filling: 12 apples peeled and sliced
2 cups sugar
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp lemon juice

Mix together and put in crust. Then put another layer of crust on the top.
Bake at 350 for 60 minutes , then drizzle with glaze.

Glaze: 4 Tbsp butter
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp lemon juice

Cucumber dip

My sister came up with this one, it is a really refreshing snack

1 cup mayo (whatever you prefer, fat free is fine)
1 1/2 cups low fat cottage cheese
1 tsp accent
pepper to taste
1 chopped, seeded cucumber.

Mix well and chill. Serve with cut up veggies or crackers.

Italian Veggies

I take appetizers to our office every tuesday night, it has been really fun to come up with recipes that are easy to transport and are yummy to eat! This one was a real hit!

1 bottle Kraft Zesty Italian dressing (this one really is the best for this, even better homemade)
Veggies, I used red, yellow, and orange bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and zucchini. Slice and dice the veggies into similar sizes and pour on the dressing. It is best to let it marinate for at least 8 hours, overnight is great. Serve well chilled.

The sky is falling apple wraps

3 thumbs up for this one!

So, so easy too!
1 tortilla
peanut butter
chopped apples and bananas

Tropical fruit smoothies

This recipe came from the Disney cookbook also.

1 medium banana
1 1/2 cups cut up fruit, we used fresh raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries
6-8 oz lowfat vanilla yogurt
3/4 cup low fat milk
honey or agave to taste

Blend it all up to desired consistency.

Pit Stop Tacos




The kids gave this one 2 thumbs up!
The recipe that they had picked out was one that used cheezit crackers and spaghetti sauce, we changed it a lot. We used fritos, taco meat with all the regular taco toppings, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, and ranch dressing. This was really fun for them, the kids ate it in the car while we were running errands.

Secret Lair Burgers

This recipe is from the Disney cookbook. The kids liked them a lot. I served it with some baked sweet potato "fries".

1 lb ground beef
1/2 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 buns
tomatoes
lettuce
pickles
mayo, mustard and ketchup.

Mix meat with salt and pepper. Shape into 8 patties, divide cheese between 4 of them and then cover them with another patty. Grill until done and serve with desired toppings.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Menu plan monday

This is our last week of school, to make it a bit more fun I decided to let the kids make the menu for the week. We went to the library and checked out a bunch of kids cookbooks for them to make choices from. I think they did a great job of it! I am very impressed with the amount of fruits and veggies that they included. They also made a shopping list for me, they checked out what we all ready had a home and decided what we needed to get. Great job girls!

Most of the recipes came from The Disney Magic Kitchen Cookbook. I will have the kids review each one and let you know how they are.

Hi Mom.

Here is the menu:

Breakfast:Biscuits and Gravy (croissants for buiscuts)

Dinner: Hamburgers (Secret Lair Burgers page 88)

Breakfast: Muffin Tops

Dinner:Be Our Guest Berry Salad page 74

Breakfast: Tropical Fruit Smoothie page 30

Lunch:Take a dip lunch page 52

Dinner:Body Shop Black Bean Salad page 44

Lunch:Pit stop portable pizza page 60

Breakfast:The Sky Is Falling Apple Wraps page 42

Lunch:Secret lair burgers page 88

Dinner:Garden Fresh Veggies Salad page 38

Lunch:Pb and J

Breakfast:Don't Forget Breakfast Cookies Page 32

Lunch:Power up Pasta and meatballs page 84

Dinner: Not Too Scary Berry Pancakes page 24

Breakfast:As You Wish Muffins Page 26

Lunch:Lightning fast wraps page 36

Dinner:Fiesta Taco Pizzas page 90

Thank You!
Love,
The girls!

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Going green


Living in Seattle where everyone seems to be "green" I have started doing more to help the enviroment. I compost and recycle and I carry my own shopping bags everywhere with me. I love the mesh produce bags that I found at Whole Foods, but only have two of them because they are$1.19 a peice. I was looking at Dollar Tree the other day for some mesh laundry bags and I found these Blink bags. They will work perfectly for produce! Four in a package for $1 is a bargain! I will let you know how they hold up.


Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Salmon cakes

2 cups cooked salmon (I had some left over from the weekend)
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 egg
1 cup plain bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste
1 T dry mustard

Mix until barely moistened, form into patties and press into pamko bread crumbs. Cook in a frying pan with just a few tablespoons of oil until golden brown.

I served it with the leftover cucumber sauce from the pitas the other night with some dried dill stirred in.

Sesame Salad

2 packages thin spaghetti
1 bottle Asian Sesame Ginger Dressing (I used Newmans Own brand)
2 orange peppers
1 english cucumber
1/4 cup sesame seeds

Boil pasta until just al dente, drain and place in a bowl. Add most of the bottle of dressing and the sliced vegetables. Mix well. Spinkle with the seeds and chill.

Monday, June 8, 2009

Greek turkey meatballs

I made these tonight for dinner, they were a hit! Next time I will have to double the recipe.

1 package ground turkey 1 1/4 pounds
4 cloves garlic pressed or chopped finely
1 T oregano
1 t cumin
1/2 t cinnamon
salt and pepper
Mix well and form into meatballs. Layer in the bottom of a crock pot sprayed with non stick spray, cook on low 3-4 hours until fully cooked.

Cucumber sauce
1 cup plain yogurt
2 cloves garlic pressed
1.4 cup grated cucumber
salt and pepper to taste
dash of Accent seasoning
1 t oregano.
Mix well and chill.

I made home made pita bread, but use any kind you want. I made the pitas with the meatballs and sauce and also stuffed in some romaine lettuce and chopped cucumbers.

Menu plan monday 6/8-6/14

Wow, I haven't posted for a long time!

Here is what we are having this week:

Breakfast
pancakes
crepes
smoothies
cereal

Lunches
salads
leftovers
sandwiches, tuna and pb

Dinners
Turkey meatball pitas
Salmon cakes and home fries
Orange chicken with rice
spring rolls, sushi, and chow mein
Enchilada pie, beans, salad
burgers and dogs, home made potato chips, corn on the cob
C.O.R.N (clean out the fridge nite)

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Free Family Film Festival

We love watching movies in the summer, especially when its free!
Here is the link:
Free family film festival

Hawaii

They call this the Grand Canyon of Hawaii. It was amazing to see it. It is suprising to see it in the middle of a tropical paradise.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

A few pics




This is the view from our room, the ocean is about 100 yards away





Monday, May 4, 2009

Menu Plan Monday 5/4-5/10

I'll be making some extra dishes for the freezer this week. I will be gone next week and want to make things easier for my mom while she watches the kids.

Breakfasts
pancakes~ making 2 doz to freeze
muffins~making a doz to freeze
smoothies
yogurt parfaits with fresh fruit
cold cereal and fruit

Lunches~
PB & J
tuna and crackers
quesadillas
leftovers
salad

Dinners~
Taquitos and beans
Hawaiian chicken and macaroni salad
Chinese style pork chops with fried noodles and bok choy
Homemade pizza (this is becoming a weekly tradition!)
Asian fire meat with rice and edamame
Homemade chicken nuggets and home fries
Baked potato and salad bar (this is a great way to clean out your fridge!)
Leftovers

For the freezer:
enchilada pie
taquitos
honey lime enchiladas
pizza crusts
spaghetti pie

Monday, April 27, 2009

Menu Plan Monday 4/26-5/3

Breakfasts
Smoothies
panacakes
muffins
banana bars

Lunches
leftovers
salad
quesadillas
PB & J

Dinners
beef stroganoff, peas, rice
sweet and sour chicken with rice and steamed broccoli
chicken enchiladas with black beans and salad
white chicken chili with cornbread
homemade pizza and breadsticks
Dinner at a friends house
Thai peanut meatballs with cashew lo mein

Friday, April 24, 2009

Before and After Pics

November 2008~Before 194.5 pounds (how did I get so unhealthy?!)

After 167~ April 17th

Since taking this picture on the 17th, I have lost 5 more pounds! I am at 162 today!!!! Total inches lost 18.
Good news, I am down two dress sizes so far, bad news, I am down 2 cup sizes too.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Menu Plan Monday 4/20-4/26

Breakfast~
Mall pretzels
pancakes
smoothies
yogurt parfaits
sausage biscuits

Lunches~
Leftovers
Salad
tuna and crackers
pb&j
quesadillas

Dinners~
Thai peanut turkey burgers with home made potato chips
Salad and baked potato bar
Burgers and dogs, mac & cheese, sweet potato fries
Home made stromboli and breadsticks
BBQ Chicken, grandpa's potatoes, corn
Cherried Pork loin with rice pilaf, and roasted beets

Thursday, April 16, 2009

100th POST!!!

I made it to 100! To celebrate I am giving away a $10 gift card and a copy of my Family Favorites Cookbook.
Leave a comment with a link to your favorite frugal recipe and your email address to win a $10 gift card to the store of your choice and a copy of my Family Favorite Cookbook!
Winner will chosen by random on Saturday the 18th.

Safeway Living Well Promotion

Second transaction
Huggies 29.99 -$1.50 mailer coupon
Skippy 2.50 -$1.00 catalina coupon
I also used my previous $10.00 catalina coupon and $10.00 of catalinas from the Bertolli sauces.
Total OOP $9.99~

First transaction
10 Bertollis $2.00 each - 5-.75 coupons and 5-1.00 coupons
2 Dreamfields pasta $2.00 each- 1.00 printable coupons
and one package Bounty 6.99 no coupons
Total OOP 20.24 and I received $20.00 in catalina coupons .

This is my favorite sale of the year at Safeway! You can find more details here.

Home Made Pop Tarts

I found the recipe here. I used cherry jam, and a triple berry jam in mine. The kids liked them. I might make them again, not sure they are worth the effort!

Mall Pretzels




I found this recipe almost a year ago! My kids found it my recipe binder last week and begged me to make them. The kids gave them 2 thumbs up. They are easy to make too!


I found the recipe here.


I made them much smaller, I cut my dough into about 36 pieces. I rolled it out to about a foot long and then made the pretzel shapes. It is easiest to shape them all, then dip them all at the same time.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

The Best Sugar Cookies

I found this recipe in an old church cookbook. I love my sugar cookies thick and moist. This recipe is the best one I have ever made. I made a few changes to the recipe, it is perfection now!

Sugar Cookies
1 1/2 cubes butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup sour cream (I used plain yogurt)
2 tsp vanilla or lemon flavoring
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4-5 cups flour
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl Cream butter, sugar together. Add eggs and yogurt and mix well. Add dry ingredients one cup at a time. Dough will be soft and moist. I found it easier to work with after chilling in the fridge over night. Roll into teaspoon size balls and then flatten slightly before baking. Bake at 375 for 8-10, until just lightly brown.

Easy Icing
juice and zest of one lemon
1 can of Betty Crocker Fluffy white icing

Mix together and drizzle over cooled cookies.

(We prefer them with no icing at all!)

Yogurt Twists


I found this recipe on Grocery Cart Challenge and really wanted to try it, but I only had yogurt in the house. I made them with the plain yogurt and they were delicious! My husband said they were the best ones I had ever made! Our favorite yogurt is Nancy's plain. I buy it at Cash and Carry for $5.08 for 64 oz.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Menu Plan Monday 4/13-4/19

I'm finally feeling organized enough to post another menu plan!

Breakfasts~
home made pop tarts
yogurt cinnamon twists
pancakes
cereal and fruit parfaits
puffy oven pancake
smoothies and fresh juice

Lunch~leftovers and salads

Dinners~
Sloppy joes and home made potato chips
Turkey and broccoli casserole
Turkey pot pie pockets
Home made pizza and breadsticks
Spaghetti Pie
Broccoli soup with bread bowls
BLT Sandwiches

I am making a double batch of the yogurt twist dough to make the breakfast rolls and also the bread bowls for soup. I will make a triple batch of pizza dough for the pizza and breadsticks, and also for the crust of the spaghetti pie. I will post the recipes when they are perfected, I'm still tweaking them a bit!

Friday, April 10, 2009

Grandma's Sloppy Joes

You will never use the canned stuff after you try this recipe!

Grandma's Sloppy Joes
1 lb lean ground beef
1 onion diced
2-3 cloves garlic chopped
1 cup ketchup
2 T worcestershire sauce
1 t sage
1 t curry
1 cup water
salt and pepper to taste
Brown beef with onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Drain off any fat. Add ketchup, water, and spices. Simmer for 30-40 minutes.

My changes
I added 1T curry, 1 T cumin, and 2 t sage, I doubled the recipe and used 1 1/2 lbs ground beef and 2 cups cooked barley (no one knew the difference!)

Check out The Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap for more fun frugal recipes!

Monday, March 30, 2009

Deals for today!

I bought these at QFC, I had $1 coupons for the bars and ,50 coupon for the cereal. I had a credit from the pharmacy on my QFC card, so they paid me $3.40 to take these out of the store.

I bought 40 items at Safeway on the Mix 5 promotion. I had coupons for every product. Total for all of this was $10.01 and I received $10 in catalina coupons to use like cash next time I shop!