So What if?

I should be getting some of tomorrow's dinner prepped. I should be going over the Primary Sharing Time that I am to do tomorrow. I should be ironing white shirts. I should be dusting furniture and vacuuming dusty dog paw printed floors in preparation for our dinner company for tomorrow.

I asked myself the question this afternoon that what if someone didn't like my menu plan for the week. What then? What if you don't like PB&J sandwiches or oatmeal or casseroles? Do your own thing. Believe me, we are as picky as they come over at this house. I couldn't pull off tuna sandwiches for lunch for my family. These are ideas to let you know that it is possible to serve good food within a reasonable budget.

Let me tell you some of my basic rules and strategies when I scour the ads on Wednesday. I stick to the meats on the first page of the store ad. And I stick to the meats that are under $2/lb. Under $1/lb., even better. If you have enough cash reserve during the week to buy family packs of meat, then the price per pound goes down. Read the price stickers closely. Learn how to read then, then teach your kids to read them.

For produce and meat. If, when you get to the store and the item on sale looks crappy, then don't buy it. It's not a good deal if you have to throw it away before you can use it. It's also not a good deal if your family won't eat it. Only buy what your family likes. Produce on the last page or produce page will be the best prices in the store that week. Sometimes frozen or canned is cheaper. Just depends on what your family likes and will eat.

I buy Mayo and condiments around big BBQ and holiday weekend sales. With a coupon you can get mustard free, mayo for $1.50-$2.00 for a quart. If you don't stockpile these items and need them, see the store generic brands like Kroger Value at Fry's and Food Club at Basha's. I don't see a difference in most items that are generic. However, I am a Mayonnaise snob and buy only Kraft.

Get used to buying and eating seasonal produce, it will save you a bunch of money.

Watch "best by" dates and "use by" dates closely. If you stockpile more than you are going to use before an expiration date, it doesn't save you $. Having said that, I use lots of stuff after the expiration date. Don't think any less of me. But I do not use mayo or salad dressings after the exp. date. They get really funky after their exp. date.

Lactose intolerant?

So I can relate. When I eat a full bowl of ice cream and have forgotten to take some LactAid pills.

Sooz gave me grief for not posting the picture of the dead, bloated cow. The below image is not for the squeamish. It's waiting for the "dead" truck.

Banana Crumb Muffins

Banana Crumb Muffins
from All Recipes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 bananas, mashed
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. sprinkle topping over muffins. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Onion Strings

Onion Strings
From Pioneer Woman Cooks, pg. 92-93
Ree Drummond

1 large onion
2 cups buttermilk (if you don't have any buttermilk, add 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar to just under 1 cup of low fat milk)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 scant tablespoon salt (I found this too salty for my taste)
Plenty of black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Canola oil for frying

Begin by peeling the onion and slicing very thinly. Separate the onion slices and place them in a shallow dish. Pour buttermilk over the top. Press the onions down so they're submerged as much as possible and let them soak on the counter for at least an hour. If necessary, stir them around a bit halfway through the soaking process. In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Pour 1 to 2 quarts canola oil in a pot or Dutch oven. Heat to 375 degrees or until a pinch of flour sizzles when sprinkled over the pan. Using tongs, remove a handful of onions from the buttermilk and immediately dunk into the flour mixture. Coat the onions in the flour mixture, then tap them on the inside of the bowl to shake off the excess. Plunge the onions into the hot oil. With a spoon, fiddle with them a bit just to break them up. And watch them! They'll be ready to remove from the oil in no time flat. When they're golden brown (this should take under a minut), remove them from the oil and place on a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with the remaining onion slices and serve immediately. Pile these on top of a juicy grilled hamburger--to die for!

Menu with what's on sale for the week of July 28-August 3

Eating 1/2 of your meals in restaurants or fast food places for a week makes you really appreciate, good wholesome cooked foods when you return home.

$79.42

Breakfast
1-Oatmeal, chocolate milk
2-cold cereal, milk
3-Oatmeal, banana
4-Oatmeal
5-French toast
6-Oatmeal
7-Egg in the hole

Lunch
1-Tuna sandwich, grapes
2-PB&J sandwich, peach slices, Cheez its crackers
3-Tuna sandwich, cantaloupe chunks
4-PB&J sandwich, orange
5-PB&J sandwich
6-Pizza, watermelon wedges
7-PB&J sandwich, melon salad

Dinner
1-Spaghetti, vegetable
2-Favorite chicken, see recipe at side, steamed broccoli
3-Cobb salad. Lettuce, cucumber, radishes, green onions, hard boiled eggs, leftover chicken, bacon. Save some cooked bacon for the Potato soup on menu idea #5
4-Hamburgers, PW's fried onion strings, see recipe at side
5-Potato soup, see recipe at side. Toppers: Leftover fried onions strings (crisp up in oven first if desired), shredded cheese, sliced scallions, crumbled bacon. I haven't allowed for heavy cream in the budget so use milk only.
6-Stuffed green pepper halves. Stuff with ground beef, cooked rice, tomato sauce, onions. Vegetable for side dish. If any whole hard boiled eggs left over, make deviled eggs.
7-Oven fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green salad

Dessert:
Banana muffins, see recipe at side
Rice pudding

Albertsons:
Ground beef, 93 %, 5 lbs. or more, $1.88 lb., buy 5# at $9.40
Red Baron pizza, $2.79
Iceberg lettuce, 2/$1, buy 2
Malt O Meal cereal, $1.99
Russet potatoes, $2.99 for 10# bag
English cucumbers, .99 each
Mushrooms, $1.99 each

Bashas:
Dole bananas, .48 lb., buy 4 lbs. at $2.40

Fry's:
Australian Navel oranges, .88 lb., buy 5 lbs. at $4.40
Cantaloupe, .88 each
Fry's sandwich bread, .88, buy 4 at $3.52
Hunt's Pasta sauce, 10/$10, buy 1
American Beauty pasta, 10/$10, buy 1
Broccoli or Cauliflower, 10/$10, buy 1 lb.
Pictsweet vegetables, 10/$10, buy 2
Boneless skinless chicken breasts, $1.77 lb, buy 4 lbs.
Kroger shredded cheese, 2/$3, buy 2
Kroger Value bacon, $1.68
Bumble Bee Tuna, 2/$1, buy 2
Fry's lg. eggs, .88, buy 2 at $1.76
Fry's chocolate milk, .88, buy 1
Kroger Value peanut butter, $1.49
Rice, allowed for $2.99
Tomato sauce, allowed for .50
chicken broth, allowed for .99, buy 2
vegetable broth, allowed for .99, buy 2

Safeway
Green seedless grapes, .78 lb., buy 2 lbs. at $1.56
Peaches, .88 lb., buy 3 lbs. at $2.64
Mini watermelon, $1.99
Dairy Glen milk, $1.68 gal, buy 2 gal at $3.36
Safeway Hot dog or Hamburger buns, .99, buy one Hamburger buns
Green bell pepper, 3/.99, buy 2 at .66
Land O Lakes spreadable butter, .99 with coupon and $10 min. purchase
Green onions, radishes, 2/$1, buy one of each
Cheez its crackers, 2/$4, buy 1
Walla Walla sweet yellow onions, .99 lb., buy one or two

Sprouts
Oats, .69 lb., buy 3 lbs. at $2.07

Items not on grocery list
jelly
vinegar
flour
sugar
brown sugar
spices
garlic
buttermilk, use milk and vinegar
Parmesan cheese
packaged bread crumbs
canola oil
Mayonnaise
sweet pickle relish
paprika
basil, fresh or dried

The deal

So here's the deal. I didn't get a Wednesday paper because I had the paper stopped while we were in Idaho. And even if I did scour the online ads it's too late for this week.

Some of the great deals I've found at Bashas' since I've been back are:

Round steak for $1.69/lb. Add some of the canned tomatoes on sale and have swiss steak. Or a can of cr. of mushroom soup and some water, a little garlic salt to the crockpot for an easy peezy dinner.

Ground round for $1.69/lb., limit 2--I've gotten three packs of this already since Sat. and fried it off and bagged it for meals. It's in the freezer for when I need to make tacos, spaghetti sauce, burritos, shepherd's pie, casserole, etc. I even froze some raw that I can thaw out to make meatloaf out of. Or make into patties for hamburgers and freeze with waxed or parchment paper in-between the patties.

Whole chickens, .49/lb. Great price. Roast/bake the chicken or put it out on the grill on the side with the burners off and cook it out there to keep the house cool. I forget how long it takes that way. Google cooking the chicken on the grill and I bet you'll find the answer.

Dreyer's ice cream, 2/$5. Perfect as it is or scoop onto a peach/raspberry crisp or brownie or on top of strawberries.

Strawberries, .99. Make some freezer jam. I make enough in the spring and summer to sustain us for toast and as cheesecake topping throughout the year. Or if you're really a go-getter, make enough for your Christmas give aways now and then in Dec. you won't have to lift a finger for friend's and neighbor's gifts. Or use the strawberries to top ice cream.

Bashas' large eggs for .69/doz. Killer price on eggs this week. I think that there was a limit of two at a time. You could make a frittata or quiche, deviled eggs, egg salad sandwiches, omelots, egg in the hole.

Stokely's canned vegetables and Food Club tomatoes, .69. Taco soup, corn and bean salad or salsa, Chili, or vegetable side to your roast chicken.

I'm Home

I've been in Idaho the past week. I've seen lots of corn fields, wheat fields, hay and barns and even one very bloated dead cow. Ew. Photos to follow. I'll forgo the photo of the bloated dead cow waiting for the "dead" truck to pick it up. My kids think I am warped that I took a picture of it. Can you believe that there is such a thing as a "dead" truck? We went a different way this time and went through Las Vegas, aka Lost Wages. Hoover Dam was amazing and we went through all of the dam jokes we could think of, such as, there's the Dam water, the Dam bus, the Dam car, the Dam bridge, the Dam boats, etc., etc. Even saw the bronze statues that my Fantasy book genre loving son tells me are talked about in one of the Percy Jackson books. I got a killer picture of them as we wound around the road on the Dam and he, being the book nerd that he is, thought it was great that we have a picture of them. It is a 15-16 hr. drive from Phoenix to Boise. We stayed the first night in Layton, Utah at the Hilton Garden Inn. I had never stayed at a Hilton Garden Inn before. Still a little pricey but nice. Then on to Boise and Meridian where we stayed for five days. We ate at the hubs favorite Chinese Restaurant on the Planet, Golden Star. Good Chinese food but they cannot for the life of them get any of the American items that they have on their menu right. Or maybe it's just me that they have the problem with. The husband and the kids split 3 cords of wood with Grandpa and rode four wheelers around the block. We took a day with the brother in laws and sister in laws and took a drive to where my father in law was born and grew up, up in the hills of Ola and Sweet. On the trip home we decided to do it in 3 days, stopping off the first night in Layton again so that we could go to Lagoon amusement park in Farmington, Utah. Can I tell you that when I was a kid that the roller coaster there looked old. That was 35 years ago. No way I was getting on that thing again. It is ancient. I saw a sign that said it was built in 1921. My sis in law helped me get tickets online for Lagoon the night before we left Idaho. She is a whiz at getting deals and just for fun typed in "Lagoon promotion code" in the google box. She found two of them. I ended up getting $12 off per ticket for a total of $48 savings. Great trip, great to be home.
St. George Temple, St. George, Utah


Corn field, Meridian, Idaho
Another corn field
Wheat field, Meridian, Idaho
The story of our life. Our vaction life, that is.
On the way to Ola
A sign in Ola, Idaho, next to a school. I thought it was funny.
Cows eating in Emmett, Idaho
Somewhere in Northern Utah. I love contrasting field colors.
Lagoon Amusement Park, Farminton, Utah. The old, old, old roller coaster
The hubs loves old tractors, this one was on a trailer. He had to speed up so that I could snap a picture of it. Sorry. Glare from the window
On approach to Hoover Dam, the new bridge they've built
The statues talked about in the Percy Jackson book. Not sure which book of the series Lake Mead

A strange obsession

The last time I had bratwurst for dinner, I put the Polynesian dipping sauce from Chick Filet on it. YUM. I know, it just doesn't make sense. But it works for me. Maybe all of the acidity in the sauce cuts through the fattiness of the sausage and that's what I like about the combination.

So tonight I had bratwurst for dinner and I thought that the leftover sweet and sour sauce from the sweet and sour pork the other night might be good on it. Tasted just like the Polynesian dipping sauce from Chick Filet.

My husband used to buy the Yoshida's brand sweet and sour sauce to put on meatballs found in the frozen section at Costco and use for appetizers at weddings. So I'm thinking that this sweet and sour sauce would be good for that also. Also probably good in a crockpot full of lil smokies.

Or on a homemade burger with a ring of pineapple on top of it.

Frozen chocolate chip cookie dough balls dipped in chocolate

Yeah. You read the title right. Sheer genius from Joy the baker. Check it out.

http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2010/06/chocolate-chip-cookie-dough-balls/#more-2980

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I made the Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe tonight for dinner that was in the post earlier today that I got from the "two peas and a pot" blog. Except that I switched out pork from a pork loin instead of using chicken. It was yummy, yummy. I have never been a fan of homemade sweet and sour before because I could never find a sauce to my liking. This one is good. If I would make any changes, I might thicken the sauce slightly with some cornstarch and add it to the pork right before serving so as to keep the pork crisper. Everyone gobbled it down, even the child who is a self proclaimed hater of Asian cuisine. But then again, I don't really know how authentic sweet and sour pork made with ketchup is. I had some sauteed red pepper strips and pineapple chunks on the side for those who like to add one or both of those. Next time I may get crazy and have sauteed onions on the side.

Sweet and Sour Chicken
from the blog, "Two Peas and a Pot"


3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 C. cornstarch
1/4 C. canola oil

Cut the boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Coat chicken in cornstarch. Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix sauce ingredients together and pour over the chicken.

Sauce:
3/4 C. sugar
4 T. ketchup
1/2 C. vinegar
1 T. soy sauce
1 tsp. garlic salt

Bake for 1 hr. at 325 degrees. Turn chicken every 15 minutes. If you want extra sauce, make another batch and put in a pot and bring to a boil. Keep at medium heat, stirring often for 6-8 minutes until reduced slightly.

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

Just finished sewing on merit badges on the sash of the BS uniform. Half of them had been stapled on with numerous staples on each little circle. Board of Review tonight, they would have no use for staples holding on merit badges.

You can make this a cheaper week by omitting the shrimp that I put on the menu. If kind of put things over the top. But for those of you who like shrimp it will give you an alternative to the normal chicken and hamburger that are usually found on this blog.

And omit any of the fruit you don't want, that will make the price of this week go down.

$81.41

Breakfast
1-Cold cereal, milk and orange juice
2-Oatmeal, blueberry muffins from recips to right
3-Cold cereal, milk, apple juice
4-Oatmeal, orange juice
5-Cold cereal, milk, apple juice
6-Oatmeal
7-Egg, bacon breakfast tacos. Only use a couple of slices of bacon for this.

Lunch
1-Hot dog, grapes
2-Cottage cheese, fruit cocktail, carrots
3-PB&J sandwich, fresh peach, carrots
4-Bologna sandwich, pudding cup
5-PB&J sandwich, banana, brownie
6-Pizza, applesauce
7-PB&J sandwich, popcorn

Dinner
1-Teriyak london broil, shrimp and pineapple kebobs, green salad, crusty bread
2-Sweet and sour chicken, Rice, vegetable See http://twopeasandapot.blogspot.com/2010/07/sweet-and-sour-chicken.html
3-Spaghetti, red sauce, garlic bread
4-Red or green chicken enchiladas, salad
5-BLT's, deviled eggs
6-Shrimp tacos, lettuce (cut into shreds from bag salad), tomato, cheese, sour cream
7-Leftovers

Dessert/snacks:
Popcorn
Brownies
Strawberries (add a can of whipped cream from Bashas, Food Club for $1.99 if you wish to have Strawberries and cream

Grocery List:
Albertson's
Blueberries, .99
London broil, $1.77 lb., buy 1 lb. if you can
Albertson's milk, $1.67, limit 2, buy 2
Malt O Meal or Albertson's cereal, .88, buy 3
Bar S meat franks, .88
Bar S meat bologna, .88
don Pancho flour tortillas, .88, buy 2
Hot house tomatoes, .88 lb., buy 1 lb.
Medium raw shrimp, $3.99 lb, in a 2# bag for $7.98
Albertson's taco shells, 10/$10
La Moderna Pasta, 7 oz., 4/$1, buy 2 at .50
Donald Duck orange juice with coupon from ad, .99, limit 1
Freschetta Pizza with coupon from ad, $3.77
Albertson's sandwich bread with coupon from ad, .88, limit 3, buy 3
Albertson's Premium bacon $2.48 with coupon from ad, limit 2, buy 1

Bashas
Red or green seedless grapes, .88 lb, buy 2 lbs.
California peaches, .88 lb, buy 3 lbs. at $2.64
Sanderson Farms boneless skinless chicken, $1.77 lb, buy 3 lbs. at $5.31
Crusty bread, $1.19, buy 2
Las Palmas enchilada sauce, 2/$4, buy 1
Food Club applesauce, 2/$3, buy 1
Bashas hot dog buns, $1.29
Food club pudding cups, .88
Bashas cottage cheese, $1.79
Dole bananas, .48 lb., buy 5 lbs. at $2.40
Eggs, aprox. $1.39, buy 2 doz.

Fry's
Strawberries, .88, buy 2
Kroger shredded cheese, $2.99
Kroger sour cream, $1
Dole Premium Classic Salad, $1, buy 2
Fry's fruit cocktail, $1, buy 1, buy one Pineapple chunks, $1
Birdseye steamfresh or Pictsweet vegs, $1
Duncan Hines Brownie mix, $1
Kroger popcorn, $1
Langer's apple juice, $1.39
Kroger mini peeled carrots, $1
Rice, I've allowed for $2.99
Kroger peanut butter, I've allowed for $1.49
Fry's spaghetti sauce, I've allowed for $1.19

Items not on the grocery list:
Condiments
mayo
brown sugar
white sugar
oil
flour
soy sauce
ketchup
vinegar
garlic
dry mustard
bamboo grilling sticks

Other great deals this week:
Kroger fruit snacks, $1-Fry's
Big K soad, .69-Fry's
English cucumber, $1-Bashas
Food Club mini marshmallows, .88-Bashas
Food Club whipped cream, $1.99-Bashas
Ground beef, 5# or more, $1.77 lb.-Albertson's
Libby's saurkraut, 10/$10-Albertson's
Rosarite refried beans, .88-Albertson's
Mini carrots,10/$10-Albertson's
English cucumber, 10/$10-Albertson's

Sprouts
Oatmeal, .69 lb., buy 2 lbs. at $1.38

Favorite Chicken

Favorite Chicken aka Chicken Risotto
From Sooz

6 T. butter/margarine
1 lb. chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 C. uncooked rice
3 green onions, chopped
3 C. chicken broth
1 tsp. basil
1 C. shredded cheese

In a large skillet melt 2 T. butter. Add chicken and cook over medium heat about 5 minutes. Remove chicken from skillet. Add 4 T. butter, rice and garlic to skillet and cook until rice is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add green onions and mushrooms if desired. Cook 2 minutes. Stire in chicken broth and basil. Bring to a boil; cover and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in chicken, continue simmering until chicken is heated and rice is tender, about 5 minutes. Top with cheese and serve! Makes about 6 servings.

P.F. Changs Lettuce Wraps

P.F. Chang style Lettuce Wraps
from Carrie S.

3 T. oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup water chestnuts (can)
2/3 C. mushrooms
3 T. chopped onion
1 tsp. minced garlic
4-5 leaves of ice berg lettuce

Special sauce
1/4 C. sugar
1/2 C. water
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. rice wine vinegar
2 T. ketchup
1 T. lemon juice
1/8 t. sesame oil or EVOO
1 T. hot mustard
2 tsp. water
1-2 tsp. garlic and red chili paste

Stir Fry Sauce
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. rice wine vinegar

Make special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl. Add soy, rice vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and sesame oil. Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you are ready to serve. Combine the hot water with the hot mustard and set this aside as well. Eventually add your desired measurement of mustard and garlic chili sauce to the special sauce mixture to pour over the wraps. Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large fry pan. Saute chicken breasts for 4-5 minutes per side or until done. Remove chicken from the pan and cool. Keep oil in the pan, keep hot. As chicken cools, mince water chestnuts and mushrooms to about the size of small peas. Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy, brown sugar, and vinegar together in a small bowl. When chicken is cool, mince it as small as the mushrooms and water chestnuts are. With the pan still on high heat, add another T. of EVOO. Add chicken, garlic, onions, water chestnuts and mushrooms to the pan. Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and saute the mixture for a couple of minutes, then serve it in the lettuce cups. Top with special sauce.

Lemon Poppyseed Chicken

Lemon Poppyseed Chicken
from Sharon M.

1 lb. chicken breasts cooked and shredded
1/2 cup sauteed mushrooms
1 1/2 can cream of chicken soup
1 tsp. crushed garlic
2 Tblsp. minced onion
6 ounces sour cream
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 Tblsp. lemon juice
1-row keebler town house crackers, crushed
1/3-cup butter, melted
Poppy seeds

In sprayed baking dish spread chicken evenly. In a bowl combine soup and sour cream, broth, garlic, onion and mushrooms. Pour soup mixture over chicken. Sprinkle with Poppy seeds. Sprinkle crushed crackers evenly over chicken casserole. Drizzle butter over crackers. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes uncovered. Serve with salad and bread.

Menu with what's on sale for the week of June 30-July 6

A lot later than I wanted to be cranking this out. I had this under $80, then put on the Ritz crackers and it pushed it over the top.

$80.88

Breakfast
1-Muffins
2-Egg in the hole from PW
3-Oatmeal
4-Muffins
5-Meatless Breakfast tacos with eggs and cheese
6-Oatmeal
7-Oatmeal

Lunch
1-PB&J sandwich, grapes
2-PB&J sandwich, banana
3-hot dog, ice cold watermelon, cookie
4-Lunchmeat sandwich, chips
5-hot dog, strawberries
6-Lunchmeat sandwich, banana
7-Ravioli, cookie

Dinner
1-P. F. Chang style Lettuce wraps
2-Hamburger, potato chips, baked beans (2 cans of P&B's, some BBQ sauce)
3-Favorite Chicken aka Chicken Risotto, see side bar for recipe, frozen vegs.
4-Macho Nachos, salad
5-Chicken wraps
6-Sesame Peanut Noodle Salad
7-Chicken Poppyseed Casserole, frozen veg.

Desserts:
Cookies
Brownies
Ice cream

Grocery List:
Albertson's
Daisy sour cream, 10/$10, buy one, see post below if you have a Daisy coup
Mission tortillas, $1.99
Shamrock Farms milk, $2.69, buy 2
Mushrooms, $1.99
Seedless grapes, .67 lb, buy 3 lbs.
Lay's potato chips, $1.47
Ritz crackers, $2.50, I am subbing these for the Keebler Town House crackers

Bashas'
Bashas hot dog or hamburger buns, .88, buy 3, 2 hot dog, 1 hamburger at $2.64
Hillshire Farms Deli Select meat, 3/$10, buy 1, see post below for coupon
Van Camp's Pork & Beans, 2/$1, buy 2
Mission tortilla chips, 2/$3, buy 1
Dole bananas, .48 lb., buy 5 lbs.
Hot House cucumber, .99 ea
Eggs, aprox. $1.39 per doz., buy 2

Fry's
Buy 10 items
1-Oscar Mayer meat franks, .88
2-Oscar Mayer meat franks, .88
3-Kraft BBQ sauce, .69
4-Breyers ice cream, $1.77
5-Chef Boy R Dee Ravioli, .69
6-Chef Boy R Dee Ravioli, .69
7-Betty Crocker brownie mix, $1.69
8-Betty Crocker muffin mix, $1.69
9-Betty Crocker muffin mix, $1.69
10-Betty Crocker cookie mix, $1.69
See post below for coupon numbers, you can save about $4 on the ten items just using coupons

Kroger shredded cheese, 2/$3, buy 2
Kroger frozen vegs., .97, buy 2
Kroger Value bread, .88, buy 4
Fresh boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.77 lb., buy 4 lbs. at $7.08
Kroger Value Peanut butter, $1.47
Rice, aprox. $2.99
Scallions, aprox. .50
Chicken broth, aprox. .99, buy 2
Fry's spaghetti, .88, buy 1
Cream of chicken soup, aprox. $1.50

Safeway
93 % ground beef, $1.99 lb, buy 3 lbs. at $5.97

Sprouts
Strawberries, .88
Iceberg, .99 ea., buy 2
Oats, .69 lbs, buy 2 lbs.

Items not on grocery list:
peanut oil
soy sauce
sesame oil
brown sugar
ginger
red pepper flakes
unsalted peanuts
sesame seeds
garlic
onion
lemon jice
butter
mayo
condiments for burgers
basil
water chestnuts, oops, thought I had most ingred. accounted for
sugar
rice wine vinegar or other kind of vinegar
ketchup
hot mustard
red chili paste

Free

For some reason I haven't been able to finish the budget menu yet for this week. I have a rough, rough draft but that doesn't help if you need supplies for the fourth. Which most of you probably got yesterday. DUH.

I got onto www.pinchingyourpennies.com and am posting some of the better deals for this week. This week typically is a great week of the year to pick up condiments like mayo, ketchup, mustard, relish and BBQ sauce for a song. Also sports drinks and canned soda and hot dogs. Stockpile and you won't have to buy some things until Super Bowl week and some not until next summer.

Here are some specials I found and match them with a coupon and boom, you're in business and can feed your family for dirt cheap this week.

Bashas'
Bar S franks-use the store coupon in the ad, I think with min. $10 purchase and the coup from the Red Plum insert of 5/16=FREE
Hillshire Farms deli select meat-$2.78 with either the RP 6/6 or the RP 5/23
Claussen Pickles-$2 with the coupon from the SmartSource insert of 6/20
French's mustard-.50 with coup SS 5/9
Kraft Mayo-$2.24 with SS 6/20
Keebler Townhouse crackers-$2 with SS 5/16

Albertson's
Daisy sour cream-RP 6/6=FREE
French's mustard-SS 5/9=FREE
Kraft dressing-.67 with SS 6/20
Jack Daniels BBQ sauce-SS 5/16=FREE
K C Masterpiece BBQ sauce-SS 5/9=FREE

Fry's
Some of these items you have to buy 10 mix n match on the special so watch tags closely and count meticulousy
French's mustard-.49 with SS 5/9
French's honey mustard dipping sauce-.49 with SS 6/6
French's spicy bold or honey mustard-.49 with SS 5/9
Betty Crocker Pouch cookies-.69 with General Mills coup from insert of 5/30
Breyer's ice cream-$1.27, buy 2 with SS 6/27
Oscar Mayer franks-.38 with $1/2 coup in SS 5/16 or SS 6/20
Totinos pizza rolls-General Millis 5/30=FREE

Zucchini Chocolate Cake

Zucchini Chocolate Cake
from Cooks.com

1/4 C. butter
1/2 C. veg. oil
1 3/4 C. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 C. sour milk (or regular milk with some vinegar in it)
2 1/2 C. Flour
4 tbsp. cocoa
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 C. grated zucchini

Cream butter, oil and sugar; add eggs, vanilla, and sour milk. Beat with mixer. Mix in rest of ingredients. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Beat well. Stire in 2 cups grated zucchini. Put in a greased 10 x 10 inch cake pan. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup chocolate chips. Bake at 325 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until done.

When cooled I like to make a powdered sugar glaze with powdered sugar and water and drizzle it on with a spoon or fork.

Week #26

Halfway through 2010. Woohoo. I have been working on my drawer/box a day challenge. A little each day although not always consciously. Is that a word? Consciously. I may have mispelled it, I should look it up. Anywho. I have been cleaning up the computer and putting my sent items copied onto paper, then deleting them. I am then putting the sent copies that are printed into a binder to use as a journal since it is the only record that I have of our day to day life and my feelings, rantings, ravings, and such. We also had a yard sale today. Not a rip roarin success but then we knew what we were doing having it on a holiday weekend. A few nice people attended and the obligatory characters. It's amazing how many areas of your life need cleaning up when you make a conscious effort to do so.

Lab tested and approved

This is Lucy. We took both dogs in to Petsmart to get their nails clipped this week. As we're standing in the check out line to pay, a man who was trying to be pleasant and congenial, asked what breed of dog Lucy was. We responded that she was a yellow lab. If I had a nickel for every time we get asked that question. My husband said that it makes you feel like you really got cheated and are suckers buying a pure bred Labrador Retrievor that no one thinks is a Labrador Retrievor. So I've decided that the next time someone asks me what breed of dog Lucy is that I will respond that she is a Chihuahua. All 86 pounds of her.