Week 17

Week number 17 of the drawer/box/shelf/cabinet a day challenge. Didn't do it today. Didn't do it yesterday. Didn't do it on Sunday. Didn't do it on Saturday. Last week I was going through more old paperwork. Found, get ready for this, some of my Grandma's Relief Society membership cards, one dating back to 1937. In the forties and through to the sixties, they paid dues. Isn't that a trip? Fifty cents per year. Isn't it wild, we are into the year a third of the way already? Wasn't it just Christmas a couple of weeks ago?

Definition of Relief Society=the women's group in the LDS church, largest women's organization in the world.

Menu Planner and Grocery List

On Menu Plan Monday I found a Menu Planner and Grocery List that you could download and print off

http://orgjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/menu-planner-template.pdf

http://orgjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/grocery-list.pdf



or other lists such as a family travel list, camping list, responsibility charts for children, etc.

http://orgjunkie.com/download-files

Fry's Gift Card Contest

See post of Sat., Apr. 17, 2010

Menu with what's on sale for week of Apr. 21-Apr. 26 and more on the Fry's give away

Don't forget to go two posts down and leave your name and email for the Fry's Gift Card give away.

At first glance it doesn't look like a killer sales week but I put a lot of extras in the menu this week and didn't have to revamp it once after the first rough copy. So add a package of lunch meat or shave off some money by removing the soda, pudding cups, ice cream and fruit snacks to save money this week. Or switch out some of the fruit and buy another Suddenly Salad mix for a pasta salad lunch instead of sandwiches one day. I did forget a few items so started out a little cheaper than this final total, but I still decided to keep the luxury items like the fruit snacks, juice, pop, pudding cups. You can cut them out if you want to save lots of money this week.

$78.77
if you add .88 for the Hamburger Helper total is
$79.65

Breakfast
1-Pancakes
2-Cold cereal, milk and juice
3-Bagels and cream cheese
4-Cold cereal, milk and juice
5-Pancakes, juice
6-French toast
7-Cold cereal, milk

Lunch
1-Tuna sandwich, banana, fruit snack
2-PB&J sandwich, orange, pudding cup
3-Tuna sandwich, fruit snack, grapes
4-Egg salad sandwich, strawberries
5-Tuna sandwich, grapes, tortilla chips
6-Hot dog, bun, orange, soda
7-Hamburgers, pineapple/strawberry fruit salad, soda

Dinner
1-Beef and broccoli, brown rice, green salad. I was going to post a recipe from a recipe website for Beef and Broccoli but see below for how I make it. Or google Beef and Broccoli

2-Spinach Strawberry salad with sweet vinaigrette and grilled chicken strips or slices. See below for vinaigrette recipe

3-Hamburgers, buns, Suddenly salad pasta salad. If the ground round is too dry or lean, add a little olive oil to the meat before shaping into patties. Or and egg?????? Would that work????

4-Chicken Enchilada Casserole, chips and salsa, green salad. See side bar for recipe but see below for explanation.

5-Grilled cheese sandwich

6-Stuffed green peppers, roasted cauliflower, jello. See below for link to recipe for Roasted Cauliflower. Make stuffed peppers by using the halves, cook slightly in microwave, used browned gr. beef, tomato sauce, leftover cooked brown rice from meal idea #1, season with garlic salt or basil and put into halves, add a little cheese if you want, bake until hot. I'm not sure if you'll need all three cans of tomato sauce, so open them one at a time to see how tomato-ee and juicy you will want the rice to be. OK?

7-Leftovers or Hamburger Helper. Add .88 and buy a Hamburger Helper if that is what you want. You should have enough ground beef for it and should have enough lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes for a green salad to go with it.

Dessert:
Ice cream
fruit

Beef and Broccoli
This is how I would do it. Slice the meat thin and fry on hot heat fast, don't overcook. The meat should still be juicy inside. Take out of pan and put on a plate. Either fry the broccoli or par boil or steam it. Put the beef broth in the fry pan and heat, season with garlic salt, ground ginger, soy sauce if you want. Make a slurry of cornstarch and add to the beef broth and let thicken. Add the broccoli and meat back to the pan.


Enchilada Casserole
The recipe to this is at the left side. I allowed for an 8x8 size with the groceries listed. So what I would do is to cook two or three chicken breasts and dice the meat once it's cooled. Then I would take one can of cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup and put in a bowl. I would add some milk, maybe 1/4-1/2 soup can of milk, a couple of spoonfulls of sour cream and some green salsa or green enchilada sauce if I had it. If you don't, then add a spoon full or two of the salsa you have. Tear a flour tortilla into bite size pieces and put in an 8x8 inch pan. Add one or two tortillas, however many you want, add the chicken, add some sauce, continue layering with tortillas, chicken and sauce until out of chicken and sauce. Top with cheese and bake at 350 until hot and bubbly but don't burn the cheese. I sometimes garnish with diced tomato, sliced olives and crushed tortilla chips. My son thinks this is dip and will eat it by scooping it with tortilla chips. That's yummy also.

To double recipe, add a little more chicken and another can of soup and put in a 9x13 pan. You should have enough sour cream, tortillas and salsa.

Sweet Vinaigrette
1/2 C. veg. oil
1/4 C. cider vinegar
1/4 C. sugar
1 tsp. salt

whisk together or shake together in a jar or tupperware container with a tight fitting lid.

Roasted Cauliflower
see http://thisweekfordinner.com/2010/04/20/simple-side-dishes-roasted-cauliflower/

Groceries:
Albertson's:
Ground round, 5# or more, $1.77 lb., aprox. $8.85
Dole bananas, .49 lb., buy 3 lbs. at $1.47
Strawberries, .88 each, buy 2
Albertson's milk, 3 for $5, so $1.66 each, buy 3
Suddenly salad, .88 with coupon from paper
**Hamburger Helper, .88 with coupon from paper. Only buy one if you are using it instead of leftovers on meal idea #7. Add .88 to total.
Albertson's sour cream, .88 with coupon from paper
Snack pack pudding, 10/$10, buy 1
Jello, 10/$10, buy 1
Bar S jumbo meat franks, 10/$10, buy 1
Calidad flour tortillas, 10/$10, buy 1

Bashas'
Food club tomato sauce, .17, buy 3 at .51
Bashas chicken, .79 lb., buy 4 lbs. at $3.16
broccoli, .89 lb., buy 2 lbs.
Valu time cereal, .88, buy 3 at $2.64
Food Club Pancake mix, $1.59
Food Club syrup, $1.59
Food Club apple juice, $1.59, buy 2
Fresh cauliflower, .89 lb.
Food Club shredded cheese, $1.25

Fry's
Beef cross rib steak, $1.88, buy 2 lbs. at $3.76
Kroger salad dressing, .99
Kroger American cheese singles, .99, Fri/Sat./Sun. only
chicken of the Sea tuna, 20/$10, buy 3
Kroger peanut butter, 10/$10, buy 1
Campbell's cooking soups, 10/$10. Buy 1 if making 8x8, buy 2 if making 9x13
Fry's large eggs, $1.39, buy 2
Fry's tortilla chips, 10/$10, buy 1
Herdez or LaVictoria salsa, 2/$4, buy 1
Kroger fruit snacks, 10/$10, buy 1
Kroger Value buns, .88, buy 3 total, 2 hamburger, 1 hot dog
Kroger deluxe ice cream, 10/$10, buy 2
Kroger cream cheese, 10/$10, buy 1
Kroger bagels, 10/$10, buy 1 (might be in refridgerated section)
Kroger Value bread, .88, buy 4 at $3.52
Beef broth, 1 can, I've allowed for .99

Safeway
Sat. and Sun. only-2 liter Pepsi/7 Up, .69, buy 1
Sat. and Sun. only-8# bag of oranges, $2.99 each
Red seedless grapes, .88 lb.
Fresh express spinach, .99
Cucumber, .69

Sprouts
Green bell pepper, .77 each, buy 2 (for four people), at $1.54
Pineapple, $1.50
Iceberg lettuce, .88
Brown rice in bulk, .69 lb., buy 2 lbs. at $1.38
Cluster tomatoes, .97 lb.

Items not on grocery list:
Mayonnaise
jelly
spices/herbs
condiments
oil
flour
sugar
cornstarch
vinegar
salt
Parmesan
green salsa or enchilada sauce
butter
powdered sugar
pickle relish

Other great deals this week:
Dreyer's ice cream, $2.49-Safeway
Pork chops, $1.88 lb.-Fry's
chicken drums/thighs, .77 lb.-Fry's
Strawberries, .88 each-Fry's
American Beauty, Creamette, or Ronzoni pasta, 10/$10-Fry's
Fry's milk, $1.68, limit 2-Fry's
Kroger Orange juice, 128 oz., $2.99-Fry's
Roast, $1.88 lb.-Fry's
Idahoan potato pouch, 10/$10-Fry's
Kroger Value apple juice cocktail, $1.47-Fry's
Bashas' sandwich bread, .99-Bashas
food Club salad dressing, .99-Bashas
Pork loin, $1.77 lb.-Albertson's
7 Up, RC cola, or A&W root beer, .88 with coup-Albertson's
Albertson's cereal, 10/$10-albertson's


Well, there you have it. Since it is quite a lengthy post, I am so afraid I might have left out something important. Like you sit down to eat hamburgers and realize that you didn't buy hamburger. You'll probably notice before you sit down to eat, though.

Week 16

Week number 16 of the drawer a day challenge. Yeh. I feel like my life has been reduced to counting weeks. Sixteen weeks of dejunking. Five weeks left of school. If I counted it right. This week has been spent getting caught up on other things, not much dejunking going on. And where as I thought my house was in order, it appears right now that it isn't. I am talking figuratively as well as literally. I have the LDS missionaries coming to dinner in less than two hours and the kitchen garbage has stunk up the house, I have to take it out. I cut up a pineapple but that's all that's ready for dinner. Yippee. Won't they be thrilled with that? My husband's buckets for the hot/cold foot soaks he has to do each day are still in the family room, in the middle, with two lovely towels beside them. The dogs have chewed green bones on the carpet and there are crumbs everywhere. I don't have time to vacuum. I don't even want to venture into the guest bathroom to see what needs to be done in there. Because every good Mormon knows that the missionaries never have to use your bathroom when it's sparkling clean.

Fry's Gift Card contest

I think it would be fun as a pre-cursor to summer to have a contest. So....A $50 gift card to Fry's (Kroger, Smith's, etc.) Grocery stores will be the prize. I can't think of what the rules should be, so let's just say you leave your name and email information in the comment section of this post. So for everyone still tuning in, get your name in. Oh, I should have an ending date, huh? Let's say May 4th. At midnight. Mahuahauhua. Is that spooky sounding? That's what I was going for, not lame. Happy shopping and eating.

Menu with what's on sale for the week of Apr. 14-Apr. 20

$77.22

Breakfast
1-Cold Cereal
2-Cold Cereal
3-Cold Cereal
4-Egg biscuit
5-Cold cereal
6-Cold cereal
7-Cold cereal

Lunch
1-PB&J sandwich, orange, doritos chips
2-PB&J sandwich, apple, granola bar
3-PB&J sandwich, strawberries, granola bar
4-PB&J sandwich, orange, granola bar
5-PB&J sandwich, apple, fruit shapes
6-Ramen noodles, carrots, fruit shapes
7-Ramen noodles, granola bar

Dinner
1-London Broil, grilled corn on the cob, onion rings
2-Chicken 1/4's, canned vegetable, Rice A Roni
3-Spaghetti with red or alfredo sauce, salad, french bread
4-Frittata, raw carrots, salad
5-Steak fajitas with leftover london broil, sliced onions and peppers
6-Taco soup with cheddar, sour cream and doritos as toppers
7-Leftovers

Dessert:
Strawberry shortcake

Grocery List:
Albertsons:
Doritos tortilla chips, $1.77 with coupon from ad
California sweet corn, 4/$1, buy 4
Albertsons's biscuits in a can, 10/$4, buy 1
Ramen noodles, 5/$1, buy 5

Bashas:
Buy 4 Big G products and get one gallon of milk for free up to two free gallons
1-Fiber One Cereal, $1.99
2-Cheerios, $1.99
3-Fiber One Cereal, $1.99
4-Kix, $1.99
1-Fiber One bars, $1.99
2-Fiber One bars, $1.99
3-Betty Crocker fruit shapes, $1.99
4-Betty Crocker fruit shapes, $1.99
Two free gallons of milk

Hot house cucumber, $1
Rice A Roni, 4/$5, buy 1
Tomatoes, $1 lb., buy 1 lb.

Fry's:
Ground beef, 93 %, $1.88 lb. in 2 lb. chub for $3.76
Strawberries, .88, buy 2
Kroger whipped topping, .88
shortcake cups, 10/$10, buy 1
Kroger cheese, 50% off, allow $2 per pack, buy 2
Ragu sauce, 2/$3, buy 1
Kroger Value bread, .88, buy 4 at $3.52
Daisy sour cream, $1.99
Kroger onion rings, $1.99
Kroger Value peanut butter, $1.49
Flour tortialls, allow $2.99
Onion, I've allowed for $1
Libby's canned vegetables, 20/$10, buy 2, make one be a can of corn for the Taco soup
Fry's pinto beans, 20/$10, buy 1
Fry's tomatoes, 20/$10, buy 2
Tomato sauce, I've allowed for $1, buy 2 small cans
Fry's spaghetti, .88
Taco seasoning, I've allowed for $1

Safeway
London Broil, $1.77 lb., buy 3 lbs. at $5.31
chicken 1/4's, .69 lb., buy 4 lbs. at $2.76
Large navel oranges, 3 lbs./.99, buy 9 lbs. at $2.97
Lucerne lg. eggs, 18 count, $1.49 with coupon, min. purchase of $10

Sprouts
Red or green bell pepper, .99
Braeburn apples, .99, buy 6 lbs. at $5.94
Romaine, .88
Baby carrots, .99
French bread, $1.29

Items not on grocery list:
jelly
butter
flour
sugar
condiments
spices

Week 15

Week number 15 of the drawer/cabinet/box a day challenge. Renewed fervor and enthusiam with the challenge after watching the "Hoarding: Buried Alive" marathon on Saturday night. In fact my husband even commented that the show must have shaken me up a bit, because of how I've been acting and the fact that I've asked him to part with a few things also. In the past week I've gone through some of the old videos and thrown out two trash bags of those and have a full box to take to the Soup and Swap. I've also gone through two boxes of old newspaper clippings that my Grandmother saved. Dozens of bridal clippings from the 30's through to the 60's. Have also gone through a few books. And the sewing items that I was waffling over are now in the donate pile instead of the save pile. The Dr. pulled the pins out of my husband's foot yesterday, ew, ew, ew, and I brought them home for the kids to see. You'll be proud of me, I promptly threw them away after our little podiatry lesson. I'm a little twisted, I was thinking of scrapbooking layouts I could use with them along side pictures of his recovering foot. No more twisted than the Dr. who suggested I wash them and serve up skewered olives on them to the children. He was kidding. Or maybe he was making fun of my interest in taking the pins home. I even thought of putting them under my husband's pillow in hopes that the pin fairy would come last night. Today I plan on getting out all of the old acrylic paints and sort through those and toss the dried ones, and get the unpainted wooden crafts out that I never painted but had to have and donate those to the Soup and Swap. I also plan to toss a year's worth of church magazines to make room for this year's magazines. I may try to sneak a few woodworking magazines out to the garbage sandwiched inbetween the other magazines. It may not work though.

Diaper wipes

I found this blog with the interesting post of how to make diaper wipes yourself. I know, you're thinking that there is a limit to what you will do to save a buck. It doesn't sound like it's time consuming at all and you probably have all of the supplies in your bathroom or pantry.

go to http://pickyeatersanonymous.blogspot.com/

Zesty Roasted Chicken and Potatoes

Zesty Roasted Chicken and Potatoes

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/zesty-roasted-chicken-and-potatoes/2d928937-e488-4510-a373-e8cb3b308294

Menu with what's on sale for the week of Apr. 7-Apr. 13

You may not want to drive to six stores this week. It's entirely up to you and I totally understand if you rebel and say "enough with the madness, I'm not going to do it this week." I just try to offer you some insight as to what's available and that you can feed your family healthy and interesting food for under $100/week. This week had some really good and cost effective combinations if you are willing to store hop. And if you're not willing to store hop, that's okay too, because you will still save $ if you shop and buy only what's on sale. That is the key. That and using coupons and never paying more than $2/lb. for meat. So go forth and conquer. Conquer the grocery store, that is.

$73.11


Breakfast
1-Steel cut oats or regular oats and blueberries
2-Oatmeal
3-Oatmeal, toast
4-Potato, Leftover sausage from dinner, egg burrito
5-French toast
6-Oatmeal
7-Cinnamon rolls

Lunch
1-PB&J sandwich, apple
2-Lunchmeat sandwich, grapes
3-PB&J sandwich, carrots, banana
4-Lunchmeat sandwich, tortilla chips, strawberries
5-PB&J sandwich, strawberries
6-Egg salad sandwich, banana
7-Cheese quesadilla, grapes

Dinner
1-Spaghetti with Alfredo or red sauce, french bread or garlic bread
2-Steak, pepper, onion sandwich on french bread (Slice steak really thin, fry quick, season with garlic salt and worcestershire sauce)
3-Rope sausage and potato skillet, green salad
4-Chicken, broccoli and rice. Or switch it out with Betty Crocker's Zesty Chicken and Potatoes if you have enough potatoes. Applesauce. see http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/zesty-roasted-chicken-and-potatoes/2d928937-e488-4510-a373-e8cb3b308294
5-Macaroni and cheese, canned vegetable of choice, corn muffins, fresh pineapple
6-Waffles for dinner. see http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Classic-Waffles/Detail.aspx
7-French bread cheese pizza, green salad

Grocery List:
Albertson's:
Boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1.77 lb., buy 2 lbs. at $3.54
Strawberries, .88 with coupon in Wed. ad
French bread, .88 with coupon in Wed. ad, limit 1, buy other 2 at Bashas
Burrito flour tortillas, $2.49

Bashas'
2 day sale, Fri. and Sat., Dole bananas, 4 lbs./$1, buy 4 lbs.
Doritas tortilla chips, $1.67
Green seedless grapes, .88 lb., buy 3 lbs.
Bashas' milk, $1.88, buy 3
Dole Premium gold pineapple, $1.88
Hillshire Farms Deli Select meat, $2.88
Crusty Italian bread, $1.19, buy 2
Boneless round steak, $1.59 lb, buy 2 lbs.
Eggs, allow for $2 doz., buy 2 doz.

Fresh & Easy
Mission Pride applesauce, .99
Mary Lee Mac & Cheese, .39, buy 2
Puro Pasta sauce, .99
Fresh & Easy canned vegetables, .69, buy 1
Cinch corn muffin mix, .35

Fry's
Hillshire Farms sausage rope, $2.50
Ragu Pasta sauce, 2/$3, your choice of red or alfredo, buy 1( or buy 2 if you don't want to go to F&E)
Kroger canned cinnamon rolls, $1.69
Welch's grape jam, $1.79
Kroger mini carrots, $1
Red bell pepper, 4/$5, buy 1
Kroger Value bread, .88, buy 4
Kroger Value peanut butter, $1.47
Fry's spaghetti, .88
onion, I've allowed for .50, buy 1
Rice, I've allowed for $2.99
Kraft shredded cheese, $1.99, buy 2
tomato, I've allowed for $1.50

Safeway
Broccoli, .68 lb., buy 1 lb.
Crisp gala apples, .88 lb., buy 4 lbs. at $3.52 or buy at Sprouts for same price
5# bag of potatoes, .68

Sprouts
Blueberries, .99
Navel oranges, .49 lb., buy 7 lbs. at $3.43
Iceberg lettuce, .88
Oats, 2lbs./$1 in the bins, buy 3 lbs. at $1.50

Items not on grocery list:
flour
sugar
leavening
salt
spices
syrup
butter
mayonnaise
Dijon mustard
butter

Other great deals:
green seedless grapes, .88 lb.-Safeway
F&E ground beef, $1.59 lb.-F&E
Romero's tortillas, 8 ct., flour or corn, .98-F&E
F&E dry pasta, .99-F&E
Fry's milk, $1.88-Fry's
sliced white mushrooms, $1.50-fry's
London broil, $1.77 lb.-*Albies
Albertson's milk, $1.88-Albies
Yoplait yogurt, .38 when you buy 10 with coupon from ad-Albies
Santitas tortilla chips, .99 with coup from ad-Albies
Ragu sauce, 3/$5-albies
Tombstone Pizza, $2.99-Albies
Mott's applesauce, 2/$1.50-Bashas'
Bashas' cottage cheese, $1.79-Bashas'
Bashas sour cream, $1.79-Bashas'
Baby ray's BBQ sauce, $1.50-Bashas'
Langer Apple Juice, $1.49 plus .50 off coupon (exp. 4-13-10) in the ad-Smart & Final
Tropicanna orange juice, $1.49, 64 oz.-smart & Final


*Albies=Albertson's

Week 14

Six tips for forcing yourself to do a dreaded task. See "the Happiness Project" at far left on favorite blogs list. I should have them tattooed on my forehead. Or at the very least (which is my preferred option) tape them to my bathroom mirror. Ugh. Week number fourteen of the drawer a day challenge and the dynamics and enthusiasm level have changed a tad but I am still plugging away. For those of you who know me, I know what you're thinking. "Wow she has a lot of crap in that house!" I bet even those of you who don't know me are thinking that. And to reply to that statement, even though unverbalized, I would have to say. "Why, yes. Yes I do." To go through a box or drawer a day and still be going at week number 14? Yes, and there's still a lot to conquer, believe me. And to my defense I would have to say that I am probably not doing a box or drawer every day. I am still in the game so consider myself still successful at this project. Yesterday I found a 50 yr. old white with red polka dotted belt with matching afternoon gloves. I also went through a box of pictures and threw out the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th copies of some pictures. Amazing break through for me. Still on the right track. Going at a fast enough speed? Maybe not, but still plugging along at it. Yesterday while I was going through a box my husband was in the room with me and we were visiting and watching television while I was sorting. The television was on the channel that has that show about hoarders and commercials kept coming on for that show. Vivid images of a woman climbing through stacks of stuff and trash just to get to another part of her house flashed across my eyes and that image is enblazoned in my mind forever. So when I was reluctant to part with something I obviously didn't/don't need the husband would say, "You can get rid of it, or you can be on TV in a couple of years." (meaning I would be on that hoarder show. Arggghhhh.) The husband always knows the right things to say. The truth be told, we ALL know at least one hoarder of mega proportions that could qualify as a star of that show. And if you're saying, "Well, I don't", then look around you a little deeper and harder, they are there, I can assure you. It's not all that uncommon. In my opinion, at least. When people would ask me how someone could let their house get so far away from them as a mega hoarder, I never had the answer. Now I do. The same as with any project or task in life whether good or bad. "One day at a time, or one step by step." I know...it sounds like I'm quoting from 70's and 80's TV sitcom titles. All judgement aside, hoarders do start out with empty houses and it happens, quite innocently, step by step, with good intentions of saving the pumpkin seeds for the next garden (though why she had to save the rotting pumpkin, I'll never understand), or save the chicken bones for fertilizer for the garden or saving hundreds or thousands of buttons because they'll need them some day. Not everything each one of us does makes sense to someone else. Whether because they went through hard times when they had nothing or are doing it for some other need....I don't know. I only know that mega hoarders need compassion and help. I also only know that it takes constant monitoring and drawer a day challenges for some of us to not fall into that trap of being enslaved by items, things and stuff. To those of you who may already be enslaved by items, things and stuff, I say to you that it's never too late to start dejunking. Step by step, day by day, here a little, there a little. You CAN do it.

Re-purposing ham

Three good ham leftover meals(broccoli ham quiche, ham and bean soup, tortellini bean and ham salad at http://moneysavingmom.com/ , on one of the April 5th(2010) posts.

Also:
Ham fried rice
Scalloped or Funeral potatoes and diced ham
Potato soup with ham dices
Ham Omelets
Grilled ham and cheese sandwiches
Baked potatoes with diced ham on top in place of bacon
Baked Chicken breasts stuffed with ham and cheese, with cream of chicken soup sauce on top
Pasta Primavera
Chef salad
and a recipe from Margot for Broccoli Ham bake at comment #19 on "This week for dinner" http://thisweekfordinner.com/2010/04/04/week-167-menu-and-happy-easter/

If you have a favorite recipe for leftover ham, share it in the comment section. Only if you want to.

Menu with what's on sale for the week of Mar. 30-Apr. 6

$76.69

Can you believe I forgot to add milk?
There is no cold cereal, but you'll need some for french toast and drinking and the mashed potatoes. I didn't see any for sale, that's why it didn't get added so add accordingly.

Breakfast
1-Oatmeal
2-Toast
3-Oatmeal
4-French toast, sausage
5-Oatmeal
6-Egg, bacon
7-Egg biscuit

Lunch
1-Tuna sandwich, carrots, potato chips
2-Ham sandwich, strawberries
3-Tuna sandwich, orange
4-Tuna sandwich, apple
5-Tuna sandwich, orange
6-Chicken salad sandwich, cottage cheese/pinapple
7-Crustless ham and cheese quiche

Dinner
1-Ham, cheesy potatoes, deviled eggs, vegetable, ice cream

2-Sloppy Joes, buns, salad. Browned ground beef, ketchup, a little brown sugar, a tiny bit of mustard, some worcestershire if you have it, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste for the sloppy joes.

3-Baked chicken thighs, stove top stuffing, vegetable

4-Hot dog and bun, potato chips

5-Shepherd's Pie, green salad. Layer of browned ground beef, jarred beef gravy, can of drained green beans, mashed potatoes on top

6-Salad, crescent rolls. Carrot cake

7-Leftovers, ice cream

Grocery List
Albertson's:

Lay's potato chips, $1.77
Ground beef, $1.67 lb, buy min of 5 lbs., aprox. $8.35
Stove top stuffing mix, 10/$10, buy 1
Heinz beef gravy, 10/$10, buy 1
Cool whip, 10/$10, buy 1

Bashas
Sugar tree spiral sliced ham, .97 lb., aprox. 9 lbs. at $8.73
Stokely's vegetables, 2/$1, buy 3, one a can of green beans for the Shepherd's Pie
Food Club butter with Shocker! coup and $15 min purchase, $1.29
Dreyer's ice cream with Shocker! coup and $15 min purchase, $1.88
Bashas extra large eggs, 18 count with Shocker! coup and $15 min purchase, $1.29
Bar S meat franks, .99
Hormel Black label bacon, $2.99
Hot dog buns, $1.49
Hamburger buns, $1.49
Betty Crocker box potatoes, .99, mashed potatoes for the Shepherd's pie
Betty Crocker cake mix, .99, carrot cake or whatever choice of cake you'd prefer
Dole Classic iceberg salad, .99, buy 2

Fry's
Pillsbury Grands! biscuits, .99
Kroger cottage cheese, 10/$10, buy 1
Kroger sour cream, 10/$10, buy 1
Kroger cream cheese, .88
Kroger pineapple, .88
Farmer John pork links, 10/$10
Fry's large eggs, $1.49
Kroger shedded cheese, $1.77, buy 2 bags
Kroger potatoes, frozen, $1.88
Pillsbury crescents, $1.88
Kroger Value bread, .88, buy 4

Safeway
Chicken thighs, .99 lb., buy 3 lbs. at $2.97
Campbells condesed cream soups, .99, buy 2, one cr. of mushroom and one cr. of celery(or cr. of chicken if cr. of celery is not on sale.)
Green onions/radishes, 2/$1, buy one of each for salads
Bumble Bee tuna, 2/$1, buy 4 at $2.00

Sprouts
Carrots, 2 lbs., .99
Navel oranges, .49 lb., buy 8 lbs. at $3.92
Strawberries, .97, buy 2 boxes
Pinova apples, .88 lb., buy 4 lbs. at $3.52
Oatmeal, .79 lb. in bins, buy 2 lbs. at $1.58

Items not on grocery list:
ketchup, about a half a bottle
brown sugar
powdered sugar
vanilla
worcestershire sauce
mustard
relish
syrup
mayonnaise
salad dressings
milk
spices, herbs

Other great buys this week:
Romaine, .88-Sprouts
Wheat thins, $1.88-Albertson's
Tropianna o. j., 2/$4-Albertson's
Libby's vegs. 2/$1-albies
Lil smokies, $2.99-Albertson's
Beef tenderloin in bag, $4.97 lb.-Bashas
Lay's potato chips, $1.88-Bashas
Gold Medal flour, 2/$3-Bashas
C&H brown or powd. sugar, 2/$4-Bashas
5# russets, .58-Fry's
Rice A Roni, .88-Fry's
Kroger mandarin oranges, .88-Fry's
Lay's Potato chips, $1.88-Fry's
Crisco oil, 2/$5-Fry's
Kraft may, $2.49-Fry's
Cool whip topping, .99-Fry's
Jello gelatin or pudding, .99-Fry's
Kroger mini carrots, $1-Fry's

Cute Easter ideas

Easter nest cupcakes on http://theidearoom.net/search/label/Easter

Week 13

Week number thirteen of the drawer/shelf/cabinet/box/whatever junk I can throw out a day challenge. Today I went to put a phone book away that Dear Husband had left out on the kitchen counter. I am not being sarcastic when I say "Dear Husband", I am cutting him some slack these days as he has a broken foot. Ten minutes later I had all of the phone books strewn out in the entryway and was sorting them to throw out the old ones. I threw out 13 phone books/yellow pages. Thirteen on week thirteen. That's all I have to say about that.

4 Layer Chocolate Pudding Dessert

4 Layer Chocolate Pudding Dessert
from Cooks.com

Mix Together:
1 C. flour
1 C. chopped nut
1/2 C. butter

Press on bottom of cake pan (9x13). Bake 10 to 12 minutes at 350 degrees.

Layer #2
Combine:
8 oz. cream cheese
1 C. powdered sugar
9 oz. Cool whip

Put on first layer when it is cool.

Layer #3
1 large or 2 small packages of instant chocolate pudding
2 C. milk

Put on the top of second layer.

Layer #4
Cover third layer with whip cream or Cool Whip.

Chill until serving time.

I must mention that I've been using real whipped cream for this. Mainly b/c when I went to buy Cool whip that Easter weekend there wasn't any to be found. Unless you call LITE cool whip, cool whip, which I don't. So I bought the large container of heavy cream and whipped my own. Takes 2-3 minutes. Easy Peezy. Anyway. YUMMY with real whipped cream.

Butterfinger Bars

Butterfinger Bars

4 C. oatmeal
1/2 C. sugar
1 C. brown sugar
1 C. butter or margerine

Mix and press into a 9x13 pan. Bake 12 minutes at 350 degrees.

Melt 2 C. of chocolate chips and 1-1/2 C. peanut butter in the microwave for aproximately 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Spread of top of cooked cookie. Cool and cut into bars.

Cheesy Potatoes

Cheesy Potatoes

1 bag (30 oz.) of shredded hash browns
1 can of cream of celery soup
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
2 cups (1 pint) of sour cream
4 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

Mix above ingredients together keeping 2 cups of cheese out for the topping. Transfer to a 9x13 pan that you've sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, top with remaining cheese, cook uncovered at 350 degrees until internal temperature is 140 degrees, approximately 55-60 minutes(if potatoes were frozen, if not, then much less time, check often).

*Add ham to make a Potato and Ham casserole

Deviled Eggs

A non measure, eyeball it kind of recipe or instruction for making:

Deviled Eggs

As many hardboiled eggs as you'd like cut in half. If you'd like 12 deviled eggs, then make 7 or 8 hard boiled eggs. One or two always turn out ugly as they're being shelled. The whites of the ugly ones get slipped to the dogs.

Sweet pickle relish

dry mustard

Mayonnaise

Cut eggs in half. Slip yolks into a bowl. Mash yolks with a fork until fine. add a half to a teaspoon of dry mustard or how ever hot you want it to be. Add a spoon of pickle relish. Add enough mayonnaise to make it creamy or desire consistency. Spoon yolk mixture into the white of the egg. Sprinkle with paprika for color or add an olive slice or a sweet gerkin slice or some dill or parsley for color.

Carrot Cake

Lately I have settled for the Betty Crocker carrot cake mix as my carrot cake fix. I like to make it into cupcakes. I like the boxed carrot cake mixes. And I can make them with gelatin or baking powder/oil/water as a substitute for the eggs. I like to pop a spoonful or two of cake batter into my mouth as I'm putting the cupcakes in the oven to bake, since I don't make it with eggs, the best part of the whole baking experience.

I don't think that I have made this "from scratch" cake in quite awhile. It is a very dense, rustic type cake that is really good. With lots of yummy cream cheese frosting. We had a neighbor across the street from us that used to make this for us. She was a fabulous cook and this is her recipe. So for the hard core carrot cake fanatics out there, that wouldn't dream of using a baking mix for carrot cake, this is for you. You can add raisins and nuts if you wish, it's totally up to you.

Carrot Cake
from Barbara R.

2 C. sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 C. oil
2 C. sifted flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
3 C. finely grated carrots
1 tsp salt
Raisins and nuts, optional

Mix sugar, oil and egg. Beat well. Add dry ingredients to first mixture and beat well. Add carrots. Bake in two 9" pans at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until done.

NOTE: I've always baked it in a 9x13 pan. But I don't remember for how long. It did take longer.

Frosting

1/2 C finely chopped pecans (I never use nuts in the frosting)
8 oz. cream cheese
2 C. or 1 box of powdered sugar
1/2 stick margerine or butter
2 tsp. vanilla

Beat well. Frost the carrot cake when cooled.

Shelf stable milk

http://rugettingprepared.blogspot.com/ For those of you getting your food storage together in Arizona and want to include dairy other than dry milk, the ladies at rugettingprepared are taking orders for shelf stable milk. Money needs to be in by the 10th of this month. They are in Queen Creek but will have some drop off sites at other east valley locations. See their website for details. They are offering whipping cream, cheese(I'm not sure if the cheese is regular or shelf stable), strawberry milk, root beer milk, chocolate milk.