Menus with what's on sale Oct. 28.-Nov. 3

Did I actually just write November down like it was really going to be here in less than a week? Can't be so, say it isn't so and that my life isn't racing past me.

Some smokin deals this week, especially if you will be able to hit Fry's Moonlight Madness sale tomorrow, Thursday, from 3 to 9p.m. Gala apples for .99 a 3 lb. bag. At first I read .99 and assumed that meant per pound, and thought to myself, "what's so special about that?", then I went back and saw that is was for a 3 lb. bag. That's .33 lb. kids! And there is a limit of 4 bags, so you could buy 12 lbs. of apples for $4 and put them in the fruit section of the fridge and be set for a couple of weeks.

I wanted to tell you about something. Even at risk that the world will know what a slob I am. Our drinking glasses had this film on them. The "glass" glasses and the plastic glasses. I would hand wash them and they still would look bad and the "glass" glasses had spots on them still. I just thought that I wasn't washing them good enough. Well, the lightbulb finally went on in my little head Monday while I was in the kitchen and after washing and drying the same glass a second time, holding it up to the light and it still didn't look good, I thought to myself, "those are hard water stains." DUH. I know, it takes me awhile sometimes but with most things or some things, I eventually get it. So I pulled out the vinegar and poured it into a glass, then got out more glasses and poured some in, then pulled out more glasses and poured the vinegar already in glasses into them and poured some vinegar on my wash cloth and scrubbed the outsides as well as the insides. Then after washing and drying and holding up to the window to inspect I was so happy. I now have the most sparkling looking glasses in the world. My husband and daughter both pointed out to me that I could have run vinegar through the dishwasher with most probably the same results, but oh, well. Caution: Use gloves if you have any kind of small cut on your hands. Not that I did, but if your hands are not in good shape it will hurt, and will hurt bad. Vinegar is fast becoming my most used food stuff for cleaning. I put a splash in the bottom of my canner and the pot that had the lids in it after a canning session and it removes the calcium build up and I occassionally soak a cloth around my kitchen faucet with hot vinegar to remove the hard water stains on the countertop. And on the water/ice dispenser for the fridge.
EDIT: If you do put vinegar on your granite countertops, or anything else, please rinse off thoroughly with clear water as granite is porous, as you know, and vinegar IS an acid.

Here it is:

$70.96

Breakfast
1-Cereal, milk and cantaloupe chunks
2-Oatmeal, Sunny D juice
3-Cereal, milk, hot cocoa
4-Oatmeal, Hot cocoa
5-Oatmeal, apple juice
6-French toast, sausage links
7-Waffles, bacon, juice or cocoa, whatever is left

Lunch
1-PB&J sandwich, apple
2-Lunch meat sandwich, cheez-its crackers, carrots
3-PB&J sandwich, granola bar, grapes
4-Lunch meat sandwich, cheez-its crackers, apple
5-PB&J sandwich, cheez-its crackers, granola bar
6-Mac & cheese, apple
7-Tacquitos, grapes, Pepsi

Dinner
1-Mac & Cheese, broccoli, pear crisp/vanilla ice cream for dessert. see http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/10/pear-crisp-with-vanilla-ice-cream/ for a recipe for pear crisp.
2-Pizza, green salad
3-Food Club skillet dinner, squash(buy a roast, ask the butcher to grind 2/3 into ground beef for the skillet dinner and chili dogs and cut up 1/3 into chunks for stew)
4-Spaghetti and red sauce, french baguette
5-Chili dogs or hot dog, buns, chips and dip. see http://food.aol.com/experts/tyler-florence/chili-dogs-with-creamy-coleslaw Or if you want to trade out the Cheez-its or something else for a can of Hormel chili for .89 at Fry's, then do that.
6-Baked chicken, mandarin orange green salad with a sweet dressing, Rice A Roni
7-Beef stew with onions, carrots, potatoes and cheddar garlic biscuits

Snacks:
Microwave popcorn

CHEDDAR GARLIC BISCUITS
I don't remember if I got this from the Bisquick box or a magazine

2 C. bisquick
1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese
sliced/diced green onion to taste
2/3 C. milk
1/4 C. butter or marg., melted
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

In a bowl, combine the biscuit mix, cheese and onion. Stir in milk until a soft dough form; stir 30 seconds longer. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Combine butter and garlic powder; brush over biscuits. Serve warm.

MANDARIN SALAD
from Woman's Day, 8/8/95, I've modified it though

Dressing:
1/2 C. veg. oil
1/4 C. cider vinegar
1/4 C. sugar
1 tsp. salt

Mix in a jar or tupperware container by shaking it. Tear lettuce, slice green onions and add drained can of mandarin oranges. Toss with dressing.

If you wish to add sugared almonds put 1 cup of sliced almonds in a small pan over mdium heat with 1/3 cup of sugar. When sugar melts and starts to carmelize and almonds are very lightly toasted, put in a non plastic bowl or turn out onto parchment paper to cool. Break apart when cool. Can use in the salad if you wish. But I didn't allow for almonds in the grocery list. Or try it with cashews, pecans, walnuts sugared. Better yet, sugared pecans in the salad with some chunks of blue cheese in it! yummmmm.

Grocery List:
Albertsons
Whole fryer, .48 lb., buy aprox. 3 lbs. at $1.44
John Morrell meat weiners, .49 with in ad coupon from Wed. paper, buy one
Dreyers vanilla ice cream, $2.27

Bashas
Boneless cross rib roast, $1.87 lb., aprox. 3 lbs. for $5.61(you might need 4 lbs., you are using this for 3 meals, possibly)
slicing tomatoes, .77 lb.
Food Cub dip, .99
Kellogg's cereals, $1.88, buy 2
Pepsi 2 liter, with shocker coupon from Wed. ad, .49, limit 1
Hillshire Farms deli selects, $2.88
Food Club skillet Classics, 10/$10, buy 1
Bisquick, 2/$5, buy 1
Food Club Mac & Cheese, 2/$1, buy 3
Food Club oats, $1.99
Eggs, I've allowed for .99 for 1 doz.
Rice A Roni, $1, buy 1
Lettuce, I've allowed for $1.50
Potatoes, .59 lb., buy 1 lb.
green onions, I've allowed for .89 for 1 bunch
Bashas milk, $2.19, buy 2
Bakery hot dog buns, .99, buy 1
beef broth, I've allowed for .75, buy 2

Fry's (use a Fresh and Easy $3 off of $30 purchase here, or your Albertson's $10 off of $100 purchase coupon)
Fry's mega 10 deal
1-Sunny D citrus drink, .89
2-Banquet brown and serve sausage links, .89
3-Tombstone pizza, $1.99
4-Cheez-its crackers, .99
5-Dole mandarin oranges, .49
6-Kraft shredded cheese, $1.99
7-Jose' Ole' Taquitos, $1.99
8-Swiss Miss cocoa, .79
9-Quaker granola bars, $1.49
10-Lay's Potato chips (for dip), $1.77

Regular sale items
Fresh baked french baquette, $1.00
Bartlett pears, .49 lb, buy 3 lbs. or 4-5 pears at $1.47
Kroger mini peeled carrots, $1
Kroger Value bread, .88, buy 3
Kroger Value spaghetti sauce, $1.15
Fry's spaghetti, .88
onion, I've allowed for .50
Kroger Value Peanut butter, $1.49

Fry's Moonlight Madness sale from 3-9p.m. on Thursday
Langers Apple juice, .88, buy 1
Pop Secret popcorn, .88, buy 1
Gala apples, .99 lb., 3 lb. bag, buy 3 (albertson's also has 3 lbs. for .99)
Bar S/Kroger Value bacon, .97 (Albertson's has bacon for .99)

Sprouts
Cantaloupe, .97 ea
Seedless grapes, .97 lb, buy 2 lbs.
Acorn squash, .69 lb., buy 2 lbs.

Other great deals:
Dole bananas, .39 lb-Albertsons
red or Granny apples, .99 for a 3 lb. bag-Albertsons
Northwest gala, .49 lb.-Fry's
chicken drums or thighs, .88 lb.-Fry's
Bulk foods, save 25%-Fry's
Moonlight madness-Doritos, $1.48-Fry's
Moonlight madness-Nestle candies, $1.88-Fry's
Moonlight madness-Wonka candy, $1.67-Fry's
Kroger semisweet baking chips, .97-Fry's
Split chicken breast, .87 lb.-Bashas
M&M/Mars or Hersheys fun size candy, $1.48 with shocker coupon-Bashas
Langers 3 liter apple juice or cider with shocker coupon, $1.48-Bashas
Lay Potato chips, $1.88-Bashas
Bar S meat franks, .99-Bashas
Mi Ranchitos tortilla chips, .99-Bashas
Hunt's diced tomatoes, .99-Bashas
Mott's applesauce, 2/$3-Bashas
Yams, 99 lb.-Bashas

Items not on the grocery list:
ketchup
butter
brown sugar
syrup
flour
almonds
chili powder
mayonnaise
mustard
waffle syrup or powdered sugar
jelly
garlic powder
cider vinegar
veg. oil
cinnamon

Menus with what's on sale Oct. 7- Oct. 13

So. Yesterday afternoon I sit down to write out some of the recipes that I wanted to and to perhaps work on the Budget Menu after that and I get this urgent message from my son as I let the message machine pop on instead of answering the phone. Can I just ask you this? How does someone forget to bring a speedo (Ew.) to a swim meet? So I drop everything and run and find it (on the bedroom floor, big surprise, but by then I was just so happy to have found it fast), pick it up with only my forefinger and thumb without having to look at it too much and put it in a bag, throw the after swim meet pizza party cookies into a cooler so they won't turn into molten lava, then throw the cooler into the car and race to the pool to give him his swimsuit before the swim meet started. I used to be so smug about this sort of thing. People who had children who would forget to bring their swimsuit to a swim practice or a swim meet. Not any more.

Here it is for the week

$75.19

Feel free to shave off what you can. I was a little limited as the Albertson's deal I had to buy in increments of 6. Also, especially with Albertsons, using coupons I bet that you can clip at least $5 off of this total, if not more.

Breakfast
1-Breakfast tacos (chorizo, eggs, tortilla)
2-Cold cereal, milk, Sunny Delite
3-Blueberry muffins, pear slices
4-Eggs, toast, Sunny Delite
5-Cold cereal, milk
6-Pancakes see http://www.thedailychannel.com/recipes/pancakes1.htm for recipe
7-Cold cereal, milk, orange rolls

Lunch
1-Tuna sandwich, chex mix, banana
2-PB&J sandwich, apple (hopefully you have jelly already)
3-Tuna sandwich, chex mix
4-PB&J sandwich, cantaloupe chunks
5-Tuna sandwich, apple
6-Mac & cheese
7-Dinner leftovers

Dinner
1-Pig in Blanket, carrot sticks, cantaloupe chunks see http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1726,149161-232195,00html If you'd rather do a chili dog, there is an interesting recipe and video of how to make it at the left side, under Tyler Florence. You'll need to add hot dog buns and another pound or two of ground London Broil to the list if you do.

2-Chicken and dumplings, romaine and tomato salad see http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/patrick-and-gina-neely/neelys-chicken-and-dumplings-recipe/index.html see http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/wild-rice-salad-recipe/index.html for a homemade salad dressing with ingredients you may already have

3-Shrimp scampi and pasta, frozen vegetable, see http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/shrimp-scampi-recipe/index.html The shrimp in the bag are already cooked so you'll just need to soak them in cold water, drain, then toss in the sauce lightly. Otherwise they will get tough like erasers.

4-Bacon Quiche, romaine and tomato salad, french bread see http://southernfood.about.com/od/quicherecipes/r/r70603a.htm See left side for recipe for pie crust.

5-Chicken enchiladas, frozen vegetable. Use a can of enchilada sauce, chicken quarters meat, cheese, flour tortillas.

6-Ground beef gravy over mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli. Brown ground london broil, season to taste with garlic powder or salt, salt and pepper if desired, add can of cr. of mushroom soup, can of water, or almost a can of water and stir until smooth and heat through. You can add some worcestershire sauce if you have it. Put on mashed potatoes.

7-Pizza, frozen vegetable

Possible dessert ideas this week could be snickerdoodles. Apple pie if you buy more apples and apple pie enchiladas if you buy more apples or apple pie filling and more flour tortillas.

Apple Pie Enchiladas
Submitted to the couponsense message board recipe folder by Erika M.
I just think that this is a nifty idea!

1 (21 oz) can apple pie filling
6 (6 inch) flour tortillas
ground cinnamon
1/2 C. granulated sugar
1/2 C. packed brown sugar
1/2 C. water
1/3 C. butter or margarine
whipped cream or vanilla ice cream
1. spoon fruit filling evenly down the center of each tortilla, and sprinkle with cinnamon. roll up each tortilla, and place seam side down in baking dish.
2. Combine both sugars, water, and butter in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring constantly for 3 minutes. Pour sauce over enchiladas and let stand for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream and/or ice cream. Can drizzle excess sauce over ice cream. Makes 6 servings.

This menu has been a booger to figure out. And if it seems high, it is, but there are some high end ingredients in here. Just hope that it's all here.
Grocery List:
Albertson's:
Sunny D juice, .88 with coupon from Wed. ad
Las palmas enchilada sauce, green or red, I think, it's up to you, $1.99
Calidad tortillas, flour, $1, buy 2
Buy in stacks of 6 deal
1-crescent rolls, $1.50
2-Cinnamon toast crunch cereal, $1.50
3-General Mills flour, $1.50
4-Betty Crocker blueberry muffin mix, $1.50
5-chex mix, $1
6-Progresso chicken broth, $1
1-Progresso chicken broth, $1
2-Green Giant steamers vegs, $1
3-Green Giant Steamers vegs, $1
4-Green Giant Steamers vegs, $1
5-Pillsbury orange rolls, $1.5-
6-Kix or Cheerios or cinn toast crunch cereal, $1.50
chorizo, $1
Red Baron Pizza, $2.99
London Broil, $1.77 lb., buy one lb., ask the butcher to grind it into hamburger for you

Bashas
French bread, .98 with coupon from the booklet sent out
Bar-S meat franks, .39 with coup from booklet
Hormel Black label bacon, $1.88 with coup from booklet
Kraft singles, $1.48 with coup from booklet
Russet Potatoes, .98 for 10 lb. bag with coup from booklet
Extra large shrimp, 1 lb. bag for $3.49 with coup from booklet
Bananas, 3 lbs./$1 with coup from booklet
Fresh chicken leg quarters, .47 lb. in 10 lb. bag, $4.70
Bashas large eggs, .88, buy 3 doz.
bumble Bee chunk light tuna, .48, buy 3
Food club butter, 2/$3, buy 2 (use unsalted butter for pie dough)
Crystal Farms cheese, $1.99, buy 2 shredded
Food Club mac & cheese, .48
American Beauty or Ronzoni pasta, .98
Broccoli, .99 lb.
Large celery, .88
Milk, I've allowed for $3, buy 1
Onion, .50, buy 1
Cr. of mushroom soup, I've allowed for $1.75
Lemon, I've allowed for .30, buy 1
Parsley, I've allowed for $2.00
Carrots, I've allowed for $1.50

Fry's
Gala apples, .49 lb., buy 3 lbs. at $1.47
Kroger Value bread, .88, buy 4. should give you 80 slices. Or buy the Fry's bread at .99, there are more slices of bread. I think 26 but you may need to count it.
Fry's mayonnaise, $2.49
Kroger Value Peanut butter, $1.29

Sprouts
Bartlett or Bosc pears, 3 lbs./$1
vine ripe tomatoes, .69 lb., buy 1 lb.
Green leaf, red leaf or romaine lettuce, .88 ea, buy 1
Jumbo cantaloup, .88 each

Items not on the list:
brown sugar
baking powder
salt
herbs
spices
heavy cream
whipped cream
ice cream
garlic powder or whole garlic
jelly
dry mustard
vinegar
oil

Other good deals this week:
large green bell pepper, 2/$1, sprouts
Fry's cereal, 2/$3-Fry's, duh
Ken's salad dressing, .99 with coup-Albertson'
Dole bananas, .39 lb.-albertson's
Fresh gr. beef, .99 in 5 lb. packs with coup from booklet-Bashas
rotisserie chicken, $3.99 with coup from booklet-Bashas
Food Club salad dressing, .78 with coup from booklet-Bashas
Shamrock Farms sour cream, .98 with coup from booklet-Bashas
New crop pears, .77 lb.-Bashas
food Club flour, $1.99-Bashas
Food Club sugar, $1.99-Bashas
Ragu Pasta sauce, $1.79-Bashas
Ore Ida onion rings, $2.88-Bashas