A new recipe

I've been in a baking and cooking mood this week but it's been so hot that I've not wanted to be in the kitchen for long. But today, I awoke to the birds singing and a gorgeous high of 67 degrees. Don't you just love Colorado? So, I just had to attempt a new recipe. Bourdon Handheld Peach Pies. Oh my goodness, I'm in Heaven! A Samantha tidbit for you; I love to cook with alcohol. I have a slight allergy to alcohol so I can't (nor would I really want to) down a shot of liquor. But I can savor the flavors when it's baked or cooked into something! This recipe is a bit of work though. It's a pastry dough so it's time-consuming. I was apprehensive about that because I'm not the best baker. Cooking, I'm quite good at, but not baking. But the sour cream in the dough made it heartier and less prone to toughness if overworked a bit. Feel free to substitute plain yogurt for the sour cream! I did and it came out just fine!


Peach Hand Pies

As I said before, these are time-consuming but there is a reason for all the chilling. The dough is high in butter (for flakiness) and when warm, it's very hard to handle. Follow the recipe, you won't be disappointed!

Slightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Makes 14 to 24 (depending on cutter size)

For the pastry:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks, 8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into
pieces
1/2 cup sour cream (or plain yogurt)
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup ice water

For the filling:
2 cans of sugar free peaches (or fresh but then you'll need more sugar)
1/4 cup flour
1/8 cup sugar or Splenda substitute
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon bourbon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

One egg yolk beaten with 2 tablespoons water (for egg wash)
Coarse sanding sugar, for decoration

1. To make the pastry, in a bowl, combine the flour and salt. Place the butter in another bowl. Place both bowls in the freezer for 1 hour. Remove the bowls from the freezer and make a well in the center of the flour. Add the butter to the well and, using a pastry blender, cut it in until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Make another well in the center. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, lemon juice and water and add half of this mixture to the well. With your fingertips, mix in the liquid until large lumps form. Remove the large lumps and repeat with the remaining liquid and flour-butter mixture. Pat the lumps into a ball; do not overwork the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. If preparing ahead of time, the dough can be stored at this point for up to one month in the freezer.

2. Divide the refrigerated dough in half. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one half of the dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a 4 1/2-inch-round biscuit cutter, cut seven circles out of the rolled dough. Transfer the circles to a parchment-lined baking sheet, and place in the refrigerator to chill for about 30 minutes. Repeat the rolling, cutting, and chilling process with the remaining half of dough. (I used a 4-inch cutter–if you can call a “cutter” the tin edge of the container that holds my smaller round cutters–and managed to get 12 from each dough half, after rerolling the scraps.)

3. Make the filling: Chop the peaches into small bits (approx. 1/2-inch dice), much smaller than you’d use for a regular-sized pie. Mix them with the flour, sugar and pinch of salt, and add the bourbon and vanilla.

4. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator, and let stand at room temperature until just pliable, 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon about 1 to 2 tablespoons filling (use the smaller amount for a 4-inch circle) onto one half of each circle of dough. Quickly brush a little cold water around the circumference of the dough, and fold it in half so the other side comes down over the filling, creating a semicircle. Seal the hand pie, and make a decorative edge by pressing the edges of the dough together with the back of a fork. Repeat process with remaining dough. Place the hand pies back on the parchment-lined baking sheet, and return to the refrigerator to chill for another 30 minutes.

5. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Remove the chilled hand pies from the refrigerator, cut a small slit in each and lightly brush with the egg yolk wash. Sprinkle sanding sugar generously over the pies, and place pies in the oven to bake. Bake until the hand pies are golden brown and just slightly cracked, about 20 minutes. Remove the pies from the oven, and let stand to cool slightly before serving.

Free Listerine!

It has been reported that many area Targets have Listerine and Listerine Whitening on clearance for $1.98 a bottle. Pair that with a $2/1 coupon HERE for free Listerine! Type in area code 01089 if you don't see it. To make this deal even better, there is a $10 rebate being offered for Listerine Whitening. Here are the details.

"Purchase any Listerine Whitening or Rembrandt product and receive a free $10 prepaid debit card to put toward your favorite white must have item for summer. Mail your original receipt with the UPC code circled, including your name and address to “Dare to Wear” Gift, PO Box 4938, NY, NY 10185. Please allow 4-6 weeks for shipping.

Offer good while supplies last. Limit one per household. Purchase of qualifying product must be made between 5/21-6/17. Proofs of purchase must include original receipt with the product and purchase date circled and must be received by 7/1. Retail value $10.”

Yay! I know for a fact that the Target on Powers and North Carefree had tons of these Listerines on sale this afternoon. I know this because I bought 2 today :) But go quickly! They won't last!

Albertson's Weekly Deals (05/26/2010-06/01/2010)

Meat

8 Piece Fried Chicken (2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 drumsticks, 2 breasts) – $3.99 each A (I am so getting this!)

Ground Beef (5 lbs or more) – $1.77 B

USDA Choice Beef Petite Sirloin Steak, Boneless – B1G2 free with in-store coupon, limit 1 reward per transaction
= That’s about $2.33/lb if you get 3 about the same size A-

Pork Baby Back Ribs (Bone-in) – B1G2 free, limit 1 reward per transaction
= That’s about $2.33/lb if you get 3 about the same size B

Great American Tilapia Fillet (16 oz bag, frozen) - B1G2 free with in-ad coupon
= $2.66 each when you buy 3 B-

Moran’s Beef Patties (73% lean, frozen, 5 lb bag) – B1G1 free
= $7.50 each when you buy 2 B

Hebrew National Beef Franks and Knockwurst (12 oz) – B1G2 free with in-ad coupon
= $2.00 each when you get 3 A- (this brand doesn’t go on sale very often)

Produce

Sweet Corn – $0.25 each C- (They’re $.19 apiece at Walmart)

Large Green Bell Peppers – $0.69 each C

Dairy
Yoplait Yogurt (4-6 oz) – $0.40 each when you buy 10
- $.40/6 SS coupon
= $.30 each B-

Frozen

Dreyer’s Ice Cream (1.5 qt), Fruit Bars (6-12 ct), Nestle Drumstick (4 ct), Push Up (9 ct), Ice Cream Sandwiches (6 ct) – $2.27 each B

Grocery

Van Camp’s Pork and Beans (15 oz) – $0.50 each B+

Kellogg’s Cereal (9-15 oz) – $1.99 each
- $1.50/3 HERE or $1.50/2 HERE or $1.50/3 RP coupon
= $1.24- $1.49 ea C (hopefully you stocked up last week when it was $.49 a box!

Heinz Ketchup (40 oz): $1.67 each C

Bull’s-Eye Barbecue Sauce (17.5-18 oz): $0.75 each with in-store coupon B-

Kraft Barbecue Sauce (16.25-18 oz): $0.50 each B (will probably be free at some point)

Kraft Salad Dressing (16 oz) – $1.50 each when you buy 2, with in-ad coupon, limit 2
- $55/1 SS coupon or HERE
= $.50 ea B

Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks (6-18 ct) – $1.25 each when you buy 4, limit 2 rewards per transaction
- $.50/2 HERE or HERE B-

Kraft Macaroni & Cheese (5 box pk) – $3.69 and get 1 Capri Sun Roarin’ Waters Free
= $.74 each + free Capri Sun B-

Coke Products (12 pk/12 oz) : $2.47 each when you buy 4, limit 1 reward per transaction plus get a free Crystal Geyser Water (24 pk/16.9 oz) with in-ad coupon
= $1.97 each A- (Pepsi Products are $1.80 at Target this week though!)

Capri Sun or Kool-Aid Jammers: $1.47, limit 4 B

Bush’s Baked Beans (28 oz): $1.67 each C

Hefty Plates, Bowls or Cups (16-60 ct) – $1.25 each
- $1/2 RP coupon
= $0.75 each B

King Soopers (05/26/2010- 06/02/2010)

Meat

Ribeye Steak Bone-in: $5.99/lb C

Oscar Mayer Meat Wieners: $1.50
-$1/2 IP HERE
=$1 B- (these are .49 at Safeway this week)

Oscar Mayer Beef Franks: $2.50
-$1/2 IP HERE
=$2 C

Oscar Mayer Deli Shaved Meats: $2.50
-$1 IP HERE
=$1.50 B

Hebrew National Franks: $2.50 C+ (I wish we had a coupon for these! But they are cheaper at Albertsons this week)

Johnsonville Bratwurst or Italian Sausage: $2.50
-.55 IP HERE
=$1.50 A-

Produce

Sweet Corn: .25 C+

Lemons 2lb Bag: $1.99 D (WAY cheaper at Rancho if you shop there)

Romaine, Bib, Red or Green Leaf Lettuce: $1 each B

Frozen

Kroger Deluxe Ice Cream or Cool Classics Novelties (48 oz. Ice Cream. 8-12 ct. Selected Bars): $1.99 C

Bird’s Eye Frozen Corn on the Cob 12 pk: $2
- $1/1 Bird’s Eye coupon (previously available)
= $1 each A-

Grocery
Heinz Ketchup: $1.49 B (cheaper at Walmart recently)

Sunkist 2-liter Bottles: $1
- $.50/1 Sunkist Solar Fusion SS coupon
= FREE!

Buy (4) Kraft Dressing: $1.67 each
-(3) .55 IPs HERE *you will need two computers to get 3 coupons or 5/2 SS coupon
-$2 Catalina for buying (4) Dressings
= FREE

Hanson’s Natural Soda 6 pk: $2.50
- $1/1 SS coupon
= $1.50 ea A-

Cool Whip 8oz: $.99 B-

Pepsi, Coca-Cola or 7-UP Soft Drinks: $2.50 wyb 4 B- (slightly cheaper at Albertsons)

Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce: $1
-$1/2 SS coupon
=.50 A-

Lays Potato Chips: $1.77 C

Minute Maid Drinks: $1 B

Marzetti Dressings: Buy One Get One Free (Save $4.29)
-(2) $1 SS coupon
=$1.14 each A- (These are in the produce section)

Safeway Deals (5/26/2010- 06/02/2010)

I don't know about you but I was hoping for some great deals this week because of Memorial Day but no, it's not shaping up that way. Bummer :(

Reminder: Safeway doubles all coupons up to $1. That means your $.50 coupon is now worth $1, your $.75 coupon is now worth $1, etc.

Meat

Oscar Mayer Sliced Bacon: $4.49
-$1 Turkey Bacon IP HERE
=$3.49 C-

Oscar Mayer Meat Franks 16oz: $.99 with in-ad coupon
-$1/2 IP HERE
=.49 each A- (we have gotten these for free recently)

Ranchers Reserve Beef New York Strip Steak: $4.99/lb B+

Rancher’s Reserve Beef Ribeye Steak: $5.99/lb C

Johnsonville Bratwurst or Italian Sausage: $2.99
-.55 IP HERE
=$1.99 B

Johnsonville Breakfast Sausage Links or Patties: $2.99
-.55 IP HERE
=$1.99 C

Grocery

Bush’s Best Grillin’ Beans: $1.33 C

Doritos Tortilla Chips: $1.88 with in-ad coupon B-

French’s Mustard 20oz: $1.99
-.50 IP HERE
=.99 B

Lay’s Chips or Kettle Chips: $1.77 (Friday 5/28 though Monday 5/31) B-

12-Pack Coca-Cola, Pepsi or 7-UP: $2.74 each wyb 4 C ($2.47 each at Albertsons this week plus get a free pack of water)

Oscar Mayer Deli Shaved Lunchmeat: $2.99
-$1 IP HERE
=$1.99 C+

Welch’s Juice Cocktail 64oz: $2.50
-$1/2 Safeway e-coupon HERE
-$1/2 IP HERE
=$1.50 each B

Kraft Miracle Whip or Mayonnaise: $1.99 with in-ad coupon B-

Lawry’s Marinade, Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbeque Sauce, or Heinz Ketchup: BOGO
- $1/1 Baby Ray’s SS coupon or $.50/1 Lawry’s SS coupon
= ? (Don’t know what the original price is. I’ll let you know!)

Mission Tortillas: $1.79
-$1/1 SS coupon
= $.79 ea C

Dairy

Lucerne Large Eggs: $1.29 with in-ad coupon B

Frozen

Lucerne Novelties 6-12ct: $1.49 with in-ad coupon B

Birds Eye Steamfresh Vegetables: $2
-.50 SS coupon
=$1 C

Household

Tide Stain Release 18ct, 36oz: $5.99 with in-ad coupon
-$3 MQ (5/2 PG)
-$3 P&G e-coupon/
=FREE! A

Kingsford Charcoal Briquets: $5.99 with in-ad coupon
-FREE Dressing or Glad Product or BBQ Sauce IP HERE
=$5.99 for Charcoal + FREE Product! B

Buy (4) Ziploc Containers for $1.99 each wyb 4 (through 6/18)
- (4) .55 SS coupon
-(2) $2 Catalinas wyb (2)
=4 for FREE! A+

Sunflower Market Deals (05/26/2010- 06/02/2010)

Remember Sunflower has Double Ad Days on Wednesdays so everything that was on sale last week are all still on sale along with this week’s sale.

Double Ad Deals

Red Seedless Grapes – $0.88/lb A-

Seventh Generation Cleaners (32 oz) – $2.99
- $1/1 RP coupon or HERE
= 1.99 B- (They’re $.79 at Target right now)

Crunchmaster Multi-Seed Crackers (4.5 oz) – $2
- $1/1 Crunchmaster Crackers SS coupon
= $1 A-

Italian, Yellow, or Mexican Grey Squash – $0.88/lb B

Braeburn Apples – $0.99/lb C

Anjou Pears – $0.99/lb C

Wild Caught Mahi Mahi Fillets – $3.88lb A

Chicken Tenders (family pack) – $1.88/lb B- (I’m really hoping for excellent meat prices this week!)

Bulk Rolled, Quick, or Steel Cut Oats – $0.50/lb A

Lundberg Short Grain Brown Rice – $0.69/lb A

Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Bread Mixes (16-22 oz) – $2.99 B

New Deals- Good All Week

All Natural Beef Back Ribs: $1.99 C-

Cantaloupe or Honey Dew Melon: $.99/lb C

Blackberries (5.6 oz) – $0.88 A

Strawberries (1 lb) – $2 C

White Corn – $0.25 each C (I bought some for $.13 ea at Walmart this week)

Yellow Peaches or Nectarines – $0.98/lb C

Whole Seedless Watermelons – $2 A-

Red or Green Leaf Lettuce – $0.88 C

Bok Choy or Napa Cabbage – $0.50/lb A

Roma Tomatoes – $0.88/lb B

Blue Sky Natural Soda (6 pack) – $1.99 B

85% Lean Ground Beef (family pack) – $1.97/lb B-

Dried Cranberries – $2.99/lb C

Getting back on track

We got back from a wonderful week at Disney World last week and I must admit, I gained a pound and a half. I was going to be so good! I mean, come on, Disney has it's very fine qualities but food isn't one of them. A couple of restaurants shine (Jiko, at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, is one of my favorites) but most I could pass up and not feel like I missed out at all. My one downfall is the Earl of Sandwich. With only two locations in the world (London and Orlando), a trip back to Disney is really a trip back to Earl of Sandwich for our family. But that's not what did me in. My mom and I shared a sandwich both times we ventured there! It was the lack of exercise. Even walking miles and miles around the Disney property wasn't enough exercise to keep that pound at bay. So, here I am, eight days after getting back, and I'm hopping back on that elliptical. My words of encouragment to you this week are: get back up! Don't quit just because you fell off track for a while. I'm striving to meet my goals and the motto for this site, a healthier lifestyle. Let's stay disciplined together :)

My Shopping Week

I had an extremely frustrating week of shopping. We needed a lot to restock from vacation so I went to 6 stores this week because I was not about to pay full price for anything if I could help it! At 4 of the 6 stores, I ended up at customer service for one reason or another. It seemed like none of the deals were going right for me! Target especially frustrated me because they refused to honor their own coupon policy and I ended up paying double what I thought for 100-calorie pack cookies. The rest of the stores, sometimes after extensive arguing, honored all my coupons and refunded me the money. So here's my question of the week. When do you say it's just not worth it? Every one of the mistakes on my bill were over $2 (one was as high as $8) but would that be worth it to you? Would you spend the time to recover $2? I haven't learned how to let it go yet. If I know I'm right, I'll fight it out to the death :) It's my $2 and I want it!
That really wasn't what this post was supposed to be about :) I was going to show you what I got! Here it is! Like I said, we needed alot this week so I spent more than I usually do. A whopping $41.57!

Safeway
2-2liters of 7-up
4 Honest Teas

King Soopers
2 Half gallons of Almond Milk
1 Half gallon 2% milk
1 Surf Laundry detergent
1 All Laundry detergent
1 6-pack Dannon yogurt
2 Oikos Greek Yogurt (not pictured)

Target (head HERE for a list of Target deals!)
4 boxes Nabisco 100-calorie cookies
2 packs BIC pens
1 7th Generation dishsoap
1 package nail files
2 Jergens healthy glow lotions
1 bag sugar snap peas (not pictured)

2 lbs of sugar (not pictured)

Rancho Liborio (a mexican market here in town that I haven't started reviewing yet but they do have some incredible produce prices! Go HERE to check out their sales)
1 cucumber
1 bunch cilantro
1 package cheese
1 lb roma tomatoes
1 lb zucchini
1 bag homemade mexican chips (not pictured)
1 head iceberg lettuce (not pictured)

Albertsons
1 canteloupe
4 boxes of cereal
2 dozen eggs

Walmart

1 package turkey burgers

3 corn-on-the-cob

2 hard rolls

5 lbs of flour (not pictured)

1 lb of butter

1/2 lb of American cheese

1 onion (not pictured)

I think that's most of it. I have a feeling I'm forgetting some of the Walmart stuff but I can't find the receipt at the moment. But you get the gist. I got alot! And I'm DONE shopping for a while. It was exhausting!

Reserve a Chick-Fil-A Sandwich!

Head HERE to make your reservation for a free Spicy Chicken Sandwich between May 31st and June 5th. I signed up and there were still lots of reservations available but I would hurry! There's no telling when times will run out! What a great idea! This will cut down on huge lines :) I appreciate that, don't you?

Japanese Beef Stew

I have entered the nationwide grocery challenge put on by All You magazine and one of the requirements is blogging about creative and cheap meal ideas. So, I have decided to start practicing. This recipe cost about $6 total and fed my family of four with leftovers. This recipe is also high in protein and low in calories, about 290 a serving. A big thanks to Biggest Loser for their recipe! I do love most of their dishes!





Japanese Beef Stew
Makes 4 (2 1/4-cup) servings

1 tablespoon whole-grain oat flour (white flour can be substituted)
1/8 teaspoon garlic power
3 cloves fresh garlic
1T grated fresh ginger
Pinch of ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 pound top round steak, cut into 1" cubes
2 teaspoons sesame oil
8 ounces button mushrooms, each halved
1 onion, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 cans (14 ounces each) lower-sodium, fat-free beef broth
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
2 cups sugar snap peas
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes

In a medium resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Add the beef and shake the bag until all the cubes are coated. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

Set a large nonstick soup pot over medium-high heat until it is hot enough for a spritz of water to sizzle on it. Add the oil. Add the reserved beef cubes to the pot in a single layer. Cook for about 1 minute per side, or until browned. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the mushrooms, onion, fresh garlic, and ginger. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the onion is tender, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon and scraping any browned bits from the pan bottom.

Add the broth and carrots. Increase the heat to high. When the broth comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low so the mixture simmers gently. Cover and cook for 45 minutes.

Add the potatoes. Cook for another 45 minutes, or until the beef is fork tender. Add sugar snap peas and heat for 5 minutes or until peas are hot. Season with additional salt and pepper. Serve your beef stew immediately.

*I didn't add the sweet potatoes as I didn't have any and they're expensive right now. Instead I put the stew on top of rice. It was just as yummy!

Heard of Groupon?

I just heard about a fabulous new idea (well, new to me!). It's called Groupon. That's Group and Coupon put together. It's a website that sells coupons to area restaurants, attractions, spas, and more at a fraction of the price. The idea is that a certain number of people need to purchase the coupon for the deal to be "on". If that set number of people do not purchase the coupon that day, then no one gets the deal. The number of people that need to purchase changes from day to day but I've watched the site for a couple of weeks and have never seen a coupon not reach it's needed number. And if you decide to buy a Groupon and not enough people buy as well, then you're not charged anything.
Groupon just came to Colorado Springs a couple of weeks ago but they also are in Denver. So check it out! I bought one to a soda and ice cream shop last week ($6 for $15 worth of products) and for manicure/pedicures ($19 for both!) in Denver. What a fun idea!

Safeway Deals

Dairy

32 oz Lucerne Shredded or Chunk Cheese: $4.49 B-

Yoplait Go-Gurt or Trix Yogurt $1
-.75/2 or $1/2 SS coupons
=.50 A

32 oz Lucerne flavored Creamers: $1.49 with in-ad coupon C

Lucerne Natural Slices 8oz $1.99 with in-ad coupon C


Meat

Sanderson Farms Whole Chicken: .79/lb B+

Ranchers Reserve Boneless Beef Top Sirloin Steak: $3.99/lb C

10 oz Jimmy Dean Pork Sausage: $2.50
-$1 RP coupon
=$1.50 B

8-9 oz Hillshire Farm Thin or Hearty Lunchmeat: $2.99
-.55 RP coupon
=$1.99 B

Produce

Green Bell Peppers .50 B
Green Onions: .50 each A-

Russet Potatoes 10lb Bag: $1.99 with in-ad coupon B

Sweet Red Cherries: $3.99/lb C

Fresh Express Garden Salads: $1.00
-.50 Safeway eCoupon HERE (these are coupons that you load to your Safeway card)
=.50 B

Grocery

Pepsi or 7-UP 2-Liter: $.88
-.55/1 IP Previously Available
=FREE

Pillsbury Products: Save $3 Instantly when you buy 3
Pricing varies but here on some coupons to use-
-.40/2 Pillsbury Crescent Rolls SS coupon
-.30/2 Pillsbury Grands or HERE
-.75/2 Pillsbury Grands, Biscuits, Cinnamon Rolls or Mini-Cinnamon Rolls SS coupon
-$1/2 Pillsbury Refrigerated Cookie Dough SS coupon
-.50/2 Pillsbury Refrigerated Rolled Pie Crusts SS coupon
-$1/2 Pillsbury Savorings Product SS coupon
-.40/2 Pillsbury Sweet Rolls or Grands Sweet Rolls SS coupon

9.9 oz-12.6 oz M&M’s Chocolate Bags: $3.00
-B2G1 RP coupon
=$2 each C

Del Monte Fruit Cups: $1.00 C

Vitamin Water: $.99
-$1/2 SS coupon
=.49 B+

9-13 oz Tostitos Tortilla Chips: $2.99
-$1 Peelies previously available on select bags
=$1.99 C

14.5 oz Post Honey Bunches of Oats:$1.99
-$1/2 SS coupon
=$1.49 C

Quaker Granola Bars: $.99 with in-ad coupon
-.75/2 RP coupon
=.49 each A

(2) Free Boxes of Nabisco Snack Crackers when you buy (4) 12-Packs of Coca-Cola at $2.74 each
=$10.96 for all B

Cheerios 14oz $1.99
-$.55/1 SS coupons or HERE
=$1.49 C- (they’re $.99 each at Albertsons this week)

Frozen Foods

Pillsbury Toaster Strudels: $1.88 with in-ad coupon
-.55/2 SS coupon
=$1.33 B

Lean Cuisine Single Serve Meals: $2.50
-$1/2 IP HERE
=$2 each C

California Pizza Kitchen Pizza: $4.49
-$1 SS coupon
=$3.49 B

Starbucks Ice Cream Pint $3
- $1/2 IP HERE
=$2.50 C-

Household

Oxi Clean Max Force or 10ct packs: $2.99
-$2 SS coupon or $1.50 IP HERE
=.99 at best A-

Cascade Dish Detergent 16-20ct Pacs: $3.99 with in-ad coupon
-.50/1 P&G coupon
=$3.49 C-

Carefree Pantiliners 22ct: .99
-$1/1 SS coupon
= FREE

Arm & Hammer Laundry Detergent Liquid: $2.99
-$1/2 (4/11 SS)
=$2.49 C+

Arm & Hammer Toothpaste: $1.99
-$1 IP HERE
=.99 C-

King Soopers Weekly Deals

King Soopers also doubles coupons up to $1 so your $.50/1 coupon is now worth $1/1, your $.25/1 coupon is now worth $.50, etc. Kings also gives a $.05 credit for each reusable bag you bring in. Here's what's good at King Soopers this week.

Produce

Sweet Red Cherries: $2.47 /lb B-

Whole Canteloupe: $0.49/lb (cheaper at Albertsons this week!) B-

Leaf Lettuce-Romaine, Bib, Red or Green: $1 B

Dairy

32 oz Shredded or Chunk Kroger Cheese: $4.99 B-

5-12 oz Sargento Cheese: 40% off
-$.50/1 SS coupon OR
-$.75/1 coupon at http://www.coupons.com/ (previously available)
= Pricing will vary B-

4-8 pk Yoplait Yogurt: $2.00
-$.50/1 Yoplait Delights SS coupon OR
-$.50/1 Fiber One Yogurt SS coupon
= $1.00 B

64 oz Silk Soymilk or Pure Almond Milk: $2.99
-$1.25/1 SS coupon
= $1.74 ea B

Meat

Laura’s Lean 92% Ground Beef or Patties – B1G1 Free
- $1/1 coupon at http://www.laurasleanbeef.com/
=Pricing will vary B+ (for this brand. Others will go lower)

Oscar Mayer Bologna – $1
- $1/2 Oscar Mayer Lunchmeats SS coupon OR
- $1/2 Oscar Mayer Lunchmeats at http://www.coupons.com/
= $.50 ea A-

Snow Crab Clusters: $4.99/lb B

Pork Rib Chops or Center Cut: $1.99/lb C


Grocery
Keebler Club or Townhouse Crackers, Chips Deluxe or Sandies Cookies: $1.69 when you buy 3
-.55/1 Keebler Sandies RP coupon OR
- $1/2 Keebler Cookies RP coupon
=.69-$1.19 each B

8.75-12.25oz Lay’s or Ruffles Potato Chips: $1.98 B-

12 oz Gatorade: .79 C (they're $.49 ea for 32 oz at Albertsons this week)

11.25-11.75 oz Hostess Desserts: Buy One Get One Free $1.50 each
-(2) .40/1 coupon at http://www.hostesscakes.com/
=.50 each A

Smart Ones: $1.58
-$3/6 MQ from All You magazine (previously available)
=$1.08 each B-

Hershey’s XL Bars: $1 wyb (5)
-(5) $1 Hersheys Extra Dark SS coupon
=5 for free :) A+

Tree Top Juice: $1.77
-$1/2 coupon at www.treetop.com/coupon.aspx
=$1.22 B

Pillsbury Toaster Strudels: $2
-.55/2 SS coupon
=$1.50 each B

Tyson Any’tizers $6.99
-$1/1 SS coupon OR
- $1/1 coupon at http://www.coupons.com/ (previously available)
=$5.99 C-

7-10 oz Green Giant Frozen Vegetables $.88 B- (we get these free regularly)

Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Dressing: $2.79 ea
-$1 SS coupon
=$1.79 C-

Household

64-72 count Huggies Baby Wipes: $1.99
- $2/2 coupon at http://www.coupons.com/
=$.99 ea A-

Huggies Diapers: $8.99
- $3/1 coupon at http://www.coupons.com/
= $5.99 A-

Huggies Little Swimmers (12 ct) – $6.99
- $1.50/1 coupon at http://www.coupons.com/
= $5.49 B+

Surf Laundry Detergent 28-32 loads: $2.99
-$2 RP coupon
=.99 A

All Laundry Detergent 28-32 loads: $2.99
-$1/2 RP coupon OR
-$2 Oxi-Liquid RP coupon
=.99 at best A

Snuggle Fabric Softener 70-80ct $2.99
-.75/1 RP coupon
=$1.99 C

Albertsons Deals

Albertsons is doubling, tripling, and quadrupling coupons this week up to $1. So your $.50 coupon is now worth $1, etc.

Grocery Deals 05/19/10-05/25/10

12 count Large Eggs: $.59 ea with in-ad coupon A-

Gatorade 32oz: $.49 ea when you buy 10 B

Albertsons hot dog or hamburger buns: $.88 ea B-

Starbucks Frappuccinos 4-pk: $3.99

Oscar Mayer Turkey Bacon: $1.88 ea
- $1.50/1 sent to Kraft First Taste members
= $.33 ea A+

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts: $1.77/lb B

USDA Choice Ribeye Steaks: $4.77/lb B+

Cantaloupe: $1 ea B

Starbucks Frappuccinos 4-pk: $3.99
- $1/1 SS MQ coupon
= $2.99 B

California Pizza Kitchen for One Pizza: $2.50 ea
- $1/1 RP coupon
= $1.50 ea B

Hamburger Helper: $.88 ea with in-ad coupon
-$.75/3 RP coupon
=$.55 ea B

Oscar Meyer Hotdogs: $1.88 ea
-$1/2 coupon at http://www.coupons.com/
= $1.33 ea B-

Mangos: $.99 ea D (They're $.33/ea at Sunflower this week)

Cucumbers: $.59 ea C (They're 6/$1 at Rancho Liborio if you shop there)

General Mills Cereal Mix and Match

Buy 4, Save $6. You'll need to buy in quantities of 4. You can buy 4,8,12,16, etc. Some of these prices are a good stockup price only if you're new to couponing or don't have a stockpile of cereal yet. Right now, we have 20 boxes of cereal so personally, I would shoot for under $.50/box. All the prices on this sale are an ok price, I'd give them a C. Here's a list of ones that I can find coupons for.

Cheerios: $1.99 ea
- $.55 printable at http://www.coupons.com/ or http://www.boxtops4education.com/
= $.99 ea B

Honey Nut Cheerios: $1.99 ea
-$1/2 RP coupon
= $1.49 ea B-

Cinnamon Toast Crunch: $1.99 ea
-$.50/1 printable at http://www.boxtops4education.com/ or http://www.coupons.com/
= $.99 ea A-

Lucky Charms: $1.99 ea
-$.55/1 printable
= $.99 ea B

See anything else that I'm missing? Let me know!

Weekly Grocery Store Posts

So many people have asked me to start reviewing grocery store ads so that they can see exactly how I get my deals and where they can too. I will oblige. Here's how I will be grading all store deals and a list of abbreviations for future reference. Now you too can get in on the fantastic deals and stop wasting your money on high grocery prices! If you have questions or don't understand something, please leave a comment and I'll do my best to answer it. Ready to get started?

Grocery Pricing System:
A: STOCK UP! You won't find that this price comes around often at all.
B: A great price but one you'll see a few times a year. Stock up if you're out.
C: It's a standard sale price, you won't miss out if you don't buy it. You'll see it again soon.
D: You can find this price anywhere, even without a "sale". Don't worry about buying it unless you need it.
F: Don't waste your time or money :)

Abbreviations:
SS: Smartsource. This is one of the coupon inserts from the Sunday paper. If you only do one thing to get coupons, subscribe to the Sunday paper. It's like $35 for the whole year and you'll reap that tenfold in you savings.
RP: RedPlum. Another coupon insert that comes in the Sunday paper
P&G: Proctor and Gamble. Another coupon insert from the paper
MQ: Manufacturer Coupon
B1G1: Buy one, get one free
IP: Internet Printable Coupon
OOP: Money paid "Out of Pocket"
$1/1, $1/2: Amount off per item purchased ($1 off off one, $1 off of 2, etc)
YMMV: Your milage may vary (meaning different stores may carry different pricing. Ex: Clearance items)

So here's just a few things to get you (and I) started. I will add to this list as it become necessary. Happy Shopping!

Sunflower Market Deals

I will from now on be reviewing our local grocery stores so that you can also get in on the incredible shopping deals that have cut our family's food budget in half. A head's up though; I don't shop at Walgreens because I just don't have much luck with deals working out there so if you'd like to see those weekly deals, please head over to http://www.bargainblessings.com/. She can tell you all about them! Here are Sunflower's.

Remember, Sunflower Market has Double Ad Days on Wednesday. That means last week's deals and this week's deals are all valid on Wednesday. Twice the amount on sale!
I'll be grading them (A, A-, B, etc) as it's easiest to see the best deals that way. If a price is not listed, it's because it's not worth your time :) Wait for a better sale!

Organic Mild Yellow Onions: $.99/lb A

Ruby Red Grapefruit: $.17 ea A

Lundberg Short Grain Brown Rice: $.69/lb A

Rolled, Quick, or Steel Cut Oats: $.50/lb A

Mahi Mahi Fillets: $3.88/lb A

Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Pizza Crust: $2.49 A-

Seedless Watermelon: 3 lbs for $1 A- (a good price for right now. Will go cheaper later)

All Natural Chicken Tenders: $1.88/lb B

Green Cabbage: 3 lbs for $1 B

Anjou Pears: $.99/lb B

Stoneyfield Farms Organic Yogurt 32 oz: $2.50
Use $.50/1 coupon from www.stoneyfieldfarms.com/coupons_offers/index.jsp
= $2 each B (maybe higher is you really like Stoneyfield)

Lemons: 3 for $1 B-

Large Navel Oranges: $.99/lb B-

Braeburn Apples: .99/lb C

My shopping week

Here's pictures of my shopping this week. I broke the pics up by store this week so you could see what's what. I did all of this yesterday because of being on vacation. Normally I would spread it out throughout the week. I spent 3 hours cutting coupons, putting coupons back in order, and organizing this week's shopping list because I was away! Phew, that was a long time!

King Soopers




All of this was free of me. King Soopers will sporatically send me coupons in the mail and this time I had some for free Lays chips and the Broccoli. The Bulls Eye barbeque sauce came as a free coupon in my Kraft freebie kit they advertised last week (I'm saving the free hot dog coupon!). The nail polish, eyeshadow, and make-up sponges were part of the current P&G promotion. All in all, I spent $.28 in tax. That's it!

Albertsons




I didn't get that much stuff at Albertsons or Kings this week. I paid $.88 for the Bumblebee Tuna but everything else was free this week.

Safeway



Safeway is having a gigantic cereal sale this week! I missed the Post and Kellogg's promotion that would have made all of this free but I still only spent $4 for 4 boxes of Cap'n Crunch, 2 boxes of Cheerios, 2 boxes of Fruit Loops, 2 Nut Clusters, and 1 Wacky Mac Pasta. Not bad at all!

So, my totals this week were $5.16!

Top 10 Web Freebies

I love free stuff! It gives me great joy to find coupons, samples, and more in my mailbox. Wouldn't that just make your day too? I've compiled a list of free things floating around the internet, from coupons to virus protection. Here's my top ten list:

1. Free Online Coupons: There are just hundreds and thousands of free coupons floating around the world wide web but here's a few of my favorite sites. Print to your heart's content!
- http://www.coupons.com/
- http://www.smartsource.com/
- http://www.allyou.com/
- http://www.redplum.com/

2. Free Virus Protection: (http://www.cyberdefender.com/) This a free, very dependable service that I have used in the past (I now have a free service that came with my laptop). It also has spam shielder and spywear removal.

3. Free financial planner and help: (http://www.mint.com/) This website is so neat! It's like an online version of Microsoft Money but better! I've tested this out and it worked well for my easy financial situation. I'm not sure how well it would work for a more complex household budget.

4. Free text messaging: You heard right, free text messaging at http://www.textem.net/. You use the web to text instead of your phone so you would need internet access. But it sends to a friend's phone just like a text! And it's free!

5. Free Long Distance Calling: (http://www.skype.com/) Most everyone knows about this expecially here in Colorado Springs were military families abide. Lots and lots of families communicate with their father,brother,husband overseas through Skype. It's free and for the most part, pretty reliable. Sometimes the picture (if you're using a webcam) can be a bit grainy and choppy.

6. Free Online Games: (http://www.msn.com/ or http://www.pogo.com/) Lots and lots of free games to try out from Monopoly to Scrabble.

7. Free Music: (http://www.pandora.com/) A great online radio station where you can play a variety of your favorite songs and find new favorites!

8. Free Computer Storage: (http://www.mozy.com/) My dad loves this site. Instead of backing up your files to an outside source, you can back them up on the web! The more friends or family you invite, the more storage you get!

9. Free Samples: I've got lots of these websites I use to get free samples but here's a list of my favorites because they give me free stuff on such a regular basis.
-Kraft's First Taste: (http://www.kraftfirsttaste.com/) I just got 6 free things today! Kool-Aid, Pizza, and Macaroni and Cheese are just a few of the things I have received from this great site.
-General Mill's Pssst: (http://pssst.generalmills.com/) Another great company that sporatically sends me free coupons and samples in the mail.
-Vocalpoint: (http://www.vocalpoint.com/) You have to qualify for this program. They look for families more than single people. But try and join. It's free and they send you great stuff!

10. Free TV: (http://www.hulu.com/) I love this site. I watch all my favorite televisions on it as it's more reliable than even the network stations website. With less commercials!

All You's Grocery Challenge

All You is a magazine chock full of wonderful coupons and tips on saving money. It's sold exculsively at Walmart but you can buy a subscription on www.allyou.com or www.amazon.com. On their website, All You just announced a grocery challenge to start on June 20th. Feed your family for no more than $25/person each week for 4 weeks and you could win a $1000 grocery gift card! So for our family, that would be $400 for the month. Not too hard at all! We spent $258 for our family of 4 last month and ate very well. That's not including eating out which we do about once a week. Log on to www.allyou.com to register for the contest! Then be sure to let me know if you're entering! I'll help you along the way and give you ideas on how to save this month!

How to Save Money on Vacation

I'm still in sunny (extremely hot) Florida but I thought I'd post some tips on how I saved this vacation. It's hard to save at DisneyWorld and we tend to like to splurge on vacations, not save. But with a recent lay-off in the family and all of us in school, we did need to cut back this time around. I love to play travel agent for my family and I'll surf the Internest for hours and days to get the best deals on plane tickets, hotels, and rental cars. Here's what we did and some extra tips to help you on your next trip!



1. Plane Tickets: My favorite site is Travelocity. I book 75% of our plane tickets on it. The customer service is great and they have quickly resolved most of my concerns in the past. It allows you to surf a range of dates to get the best deals and this is my tip #1. Say, you're looking for plane tickets for June 28th. If you look for a plane ticket for the entire month of June, I can usually find cheaper plane tickets for the 28th than if I only looked for that specific date. Strange, huh. Also, always compare Travelocity's price (or Orbitz or Expedia) to the actually Airline's price. Sometimes you'll find it a bit cheaper.

2. BeCentsable.com: I researched grocery prices and coupons before I left just like I would at home. So for a week of food for the 4 of us, it cost us only $42. This is not including the times we ate out. BeCentsable.com is a national network for grocery blogs. I brought the coupons I needed and it saved us about $55. I've done better but we're on vacation! You have to splurge on certain things!

3. Join Restaurant e-clubs: We had gift cards to Red Lobster and ended up using that and a dinner coupon to feed our family for free! If you think you'll be eating at a certain restaurant, see if you can join their e-club or if you've got coupons to use there. I brought Steak and Shake, Mcdonald's, Macaroni Grill, and Tony Romo coupons but didn't end up using them this trip. But hey, they were available if we wanted to go!

So, there's a few ideas to get you started. I'll add to these as soon as we get back next week. Until then, start planning your next trip and see how you can save!

Fly for $10! Seriously!!

QUICK! Jetblue Airlines is having an amazing anniversary deal. Take an impromptu trip tomorrow or Wednesday for $10! I just checked and Denver to JFK was still available. But you'll have to hurry! These will go super fast! Too bad I'm already on vacation!

How to stay fit away from home?

My family is headed to sunny Florida this next week and I was looking for ways to stay fit and still exercising away from my gym (goodbye 24 Fitness! I'll miss you!). Here's some ideas for you as we approach summer vacation and those trips away from home lead you astray.

1. Make a schedule
I love lists and schedules! I find great satisfaction from crossing over a "to-do" item. A vacation schedule keeps me motivated and on track with my fitness goals. It doesn't need to be detailed. Just a little reminder that you need to give yourself an hour or so to work off those cheeseburgers you've eaten (or in my case, those sandwiches from my favorite Disney restaurant, Earl of Sandwich).

2. Find a gym in your network
I'm a member of 24 Fitness and fortunately (or unfortunately, maybe) there are gyms all around the country. Find out if the gym you belong to has a branch in the area you are traveling to. I know 24 Fitness, Gold's Gym, and the YMCA are everywhere!

3. Stick to your calorie counting!
This is one area I tend to let go while vacationing. I can easily to led astray with all the restaurant eating that happens when away from home. But I've made a commitment to myself that I will not gain weight this next week. It's okay with me not to lose anything but gaining is NOT an option. Not this trip :)

4. Pack easy to do exercise equipment
Bring an exercise DVD (already on iTunes for me!). Or pack those resistance bands. I've got tons of them from physical therapy as I'm a clutz and spend a lot of time in rehabilation with my ankles :)

Hopefully this has helped you a little for the start of summer vacation. I'll be back in a couple days to give you tips on saving money during vacation. Have fun and remember to relax and have a good time! Bon Voyage!

Last Minute Deals

I was very late in my grocery shopping this week because of a wonderful wedding weekend with my best friend. But I did get in on a BUNCH of deals this week at Albertsons and King Soopers. In addition to these deals pictured, I bought a few things at Safeway for the bridal breakfast but no picture, sorry. Look at all the stuff I got! These were purchases in a couple of rounds as King Soopers will only let me use 3 of the same type of coupon per transaction. I've listed totals below as well.

P.S. I'm trying something new. From now on, a list will appear on the right hand side of the page listing what I've spent and how much I've saved. Let me know what you think!

Albertsons

Transaction #1: $8.01

Transaction #2: $14.69

King Soopers

Transaction #1: $.16

Transaction #2: $.99

Total spent: $23.85