4th of July BBQ for $30

Or there abouts. Feed 15 people for aproximately $30.

Menu

Hamburgers
Buns
Corn on the cob
Watermelon wedges
Potato Chips
Lemonade
Brownies ala mode
$27.47

Add a strawberry Jello/Whipped cream salad for $3.02
for a total of $30.49

Strawberry Jello/Whipped cream salad
Sliced strawberries (Fry's, .77)
Jello, 6 oz. (Albertson's, .75)
1 1/2 C. hot water
Cool whip, two tubs (Albertson's, .75 ea, $1.50 total)
2 C. vanilla ice cream (Dreyer's ice cream, already have some for brownies ala mode, Basha's, 2/$2.50)

Add hot water to Jello and mix until dissolved. Add 2 C. of vanilla ice cream and stir. Fold in or gently whisk in the Cool Whip after the water has cooled down. Add strawberries, chill for 3-4 hrs. Keep inside or on ice in this heat.

Groceries:
Gr. beef, $1.87 for 5# purchase. $9.35 for 5#. Fri., Sat., Sun., and Mon. only, Bashas'
Hamburger buns, 4/$5, buy 2 at $2.50, Bashas'
Sweet corn, .19 ea, buy 15 for a total of $2.85, Bashas'
Watermelon, .15 lb., buy 10# for a total of $1.50, Bashas'
Lay's potato chips, $1.77, Fri., Sat., Sun., and Mon. only, Bashas'
Country Time Lemonade, $1.50, Bashas'
Betty Crocker brownie mix, $1.50, Bashas'
Dreyers ice cream, 2/$5, buy 2, Bashas'

If you choose to make the Strawberry Jello Salad:
Strawberries, .77, Fry's or .89 at Bashas' Fri., Sat., Sun., or Mon. only if you don't want to make a trip to Fry's just for strawberries, add .12 to your total
Strawberry Jello, .75, Albertson's
Cool Whip, .75, buy 2, Albertson's
Ice cream, use 2 cups out of the ice cream that you got for the brownies ala mode

Items not on the grocery list:
hamburger condiments and lettuce and tomatoes for the hamburgers

What are you planning on for dinner for the Fourth?

Chop Salad

My kids tease me that half of the photos on my camera are of food. They are embarrassed to show their friends pictures off of my camera. It is what it is.





I don't know what this salad is called. Sooz got the recipe off of the "Two Peas and a Pot" blog and she used it for the Relief Society Christmas dinner this past December. I made it for her that night. The poor woman was in charge of food that night and also had a daughter getting married in two weeks so she was right on the edge of somethin. I also did a trial run of the salad a week before to see how much we would need to have for that night. It is really yummy. Very colorful. Very garlicy. Or as Emeril would say, "Gaaaaahlic". Very tasty salad.



For the first time I made this salad, the trial run, I used craisins because I didn't have golden raisins. Or any raisins for that matter. I had thrown out the rock hard raisins after I had exhanged them for chocolate chips in the cup that my son was using as a finals studying motivator. That's what you see in the above fuzzy shot. Craisins. I also used lemon juice concentrate for the dressing. It worked fine, just use a little less, because it's well, it's concentrated.

Chop Salad
from Two Peas and a Pot

Chopped butter lettuce
Chopped tomatoes
Chopped avocado
Sliced or diced red onion
Toasted almonds
golden raisins

Dressing:
1/4 C. cider vinegar
1 T. sugar
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
2 T. Olive Oil
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. minced garlic

Plan on about 6-7 servings per head of butter lettuce. My daughter and I could each eat half a head of salad, but for the dinner, I planned on about 7 servings per head and it turned out about right.

Menu with what's on sale for the week of Apr. 28-May 4

A little late again this week, so sorry. Please take a moment, if you haven't already, to comment on the Apr. 17th post for the Fry's Gift Card contest, it ends tomorrow (Tues., May 4) night. I love all of the comments that I've been getting and enjoyed the one by anonymous that read, "My wife made me do this." What a good hubby you are anonymous.

Lots of Hispanic staples on sale this week. This is the week of the year that I like to stock up on my salsa (dear son can go through a jar in one day) and tortilla (I freeze them) and enchilada sauce supplies for the year. Add a coupon to the sale price and it can be a substantial savings. If you don't believe me, just try it.

Is it just me, or have you noticed food prices creeping up ever so gently and slowly again? Have you noticed product packaging is shrinking? Have you also noticed that manufacturer coupons are not as big of a value than they were two years ago? They are still good, don't get me wrong, but I've noticed that what once was a "buy one and get 55 cents off", that here in Arizona doubled to a dollar, is now more like "buy two and get 55 cents off" coupon. More important than ever to stock up on the goods when they are a decent price and with a coupon if possible and shop from your pantry instead of the store shelves each week.


Here it is:

$77.90

**If you want cake this week, and you know that you do, add $2.49 to make a total of
$80.39

Breakfast
1-Pancakes and syrup, orange juice
2-Cinnamon rolls, orange juice
3-Egg, potato and bacon breakfast burritos
4-Oatmeal
5-Pancakes, syrup, cantalope
6-Bagels and cream cheese
7-Egg biscuit

Lunch
1-Lunchmeat sandwich, grapes
2-Suddenly Salad pasta salad, orange
3-Tuna sandwich, grapes
4-Tuna sandwich, orange
5-Tuna sandwich, carrots, strawberries
6-Tony's pizza, carrots
7-Macaroni and cheese

Dinner
1-Macaroni and cheese, canned veg of choice, french bread

2-Tacos, lime/cilantro rice

3-Baked chicken, mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli (Bake the boneless chicken breasts fully or part way and slice horizontially as to give you twice as many portions.) Use leftover chicken for chicken enchiladas on meal idea #5.

4-Tacquitos, guacamole salad see http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Guacamole-Salad-Barefoot-Contessa-Ina-Garten-239592 I was thinking that this had beans and corn in it, so that's what I planned on. Beans, corn and avacado, onion and red or yellow sweet pepper which would be delicious, I think. If you want to make the full recipe, you're going to have to add, grape tomatoes, and jalepenos to your grocery list. I personally would leave the jalepenos out.

5-chicken enchiladas, chips and salsa

6-Hot dogs, suddenly salad pasta salad

7-Crustless quiche or a crust quiche if you want, use some of the bacon for this, green salad

Dessert:
Cake if you've added it in your total

Grocery List:
Albertson's:
Cantalope, 10/$10, buy 1
Mission soft taco flour tortillas, .99, buy 2
Mission tortilla chips, .99
Blue Ribbon Rice, 2/$1, buy 1
Green Giant vegetables, 2/$1, buy one, make one corn for the guac salad if you want corn in it
Chicken of the Sea tuna, 2/$1, buy 3
Bar S meat franks, .98
Cinnamon rolls from the bakery, 4 count, 10/$10, buy 1 pkg.
La Victoria enchilada sauce, 10/$10, buy 1
Albertson's milk, 3/$5, with coupon from Wed. ad
Donald Duck orange juice, $1.27 with coup form Wed. ad, buy 1
Iceberg lettuce, .49 each with coup from Wed. ad, buy 1
Ton's pizza, $1.57 with coup from Wed. ad, buy 2
Farmers bacon, $2.49 lb. with coup from Wed. ad, buy 1 lb. or buy bacon at Fry's for $2.50
French bread, .99 with coup from Wed. ad, buy 1
Albertson's chunk cheese, .98 each, with coup from Wed. ad, buy 2 and shred them yourself
Kraft Mac & cheese, .39 each, with coup from Wed. ad, buy 4
Smithfield lunchmeat, 10/$10, buy 1

Bashas'
10 # bag of russets, .79
**Pillsbury cake mix, .99
**Pillsbury frosting, 2/$3, buy 1
Food club black beans, .69
Betty Crocker complete pancake mix, $1.99
Eggo syrup, $1.99
Suddenly Salad, 4/$5, buy 2
Food Club olives, 4/$5
Jose Ole tacquitos, $3.99

Fry's
Boneless, skinless chicken breast, $1.77 lb., buy 3 lbs. at $5.31
Red seedless grapes, .87 lb., buy 2 lbs.
Pace Picante sauce, $1.88
Kroger cream cheese, $1, buy 1
Kroger bagels, $1, buy 1
Pillsbury Grands! biscuits, 10/$10, buy 1
Kroger Value bread, .88, buy 4
Old El Paso or Kroger crunchy taco shells, 10/$10, buy 1
Hot dog buns, I've allowed for $1.50
Red or yellow pepper, I've allowed for $1
Red onion, I've allowed for $1

Safeway
Lean ground beef, 1.99 lb., buy 1 lb.

Sprouts
Hass avocados, 3/$1, buy 2 at .67
cucumbers, 3/$1, buy 1 at .33
Strawberries, 2/$3, buy 1
Cilantro, buy 1 at .33
Green onions, buy 1 at .33
Limes, buy 6 at $2
Navel oranges, .77 lb., buy 4 lbs.
Oats, .69 lb., buy 1
baby carrots, .99 lb.
broccoli, .99 lb., buy 1 lb.

Items not on grocery list:
flour
butter
mayonnaise
sugar
spices
Olive oil

Other great deals this week:
Blackberries, .99-Safeway
Avocados, 3/$1-Safeway
Dole classic iceberg salad, .79-Bashas
Albertson's suffing, $1-Albertson's
Brianna salad dressing, $2.50-Albertson's

Sesame Peanut Noodle Salad

Sesame Peanut Noodle Salad
from Emeril Lagasse, Food Network

Ingredients:
1 pound spaghetti
4 Tablespoons peanut oil, divided
4 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter
4 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons freshly minced ginger
1-2 pinches crushed red pepper flakes
1 C. julienned cucumbers, optional
1/4 C. green onion tops, sliced diagonally
1/4 C. chopped unsalted peanuts
1 Tablespoon sesame seeds

Directions:
Fill a medium soup pot or Dutch oven with water and bring to a boil over high heat.

Boil the pasta according to package directions, omitting salt, about 9 minutes or until al dente. Drain the spaghetti in a colander, then transfer noodles to a large mixing bowl and, using tongs, toss with 2 tablespoons of the peanut oil to keep the pasta from sticking. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining peanut oil, peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, ginger, and crushed red pepper flakes. Whisk until smooth.

Pour 1/2 of the peanut mixture onto the spaghetti and, using tongs, toss to coat the pasta. Cover the spaghetti with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.

When ready to serve, pour the remaining peanut mixture onto the spaghetti and toss to coat. Sprinkle with julienned cucumbers, if using, sliced green onions, chopped peanuts and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Sugared pecans

Or cashews, walnuts, almonds, hazel nuts, macadamias, peanuts. Once you learn this basic method, there are endless possibilities. I did this the other night and while I still don't have all the measurements, this is one of those recipes, let's face it, that you may have to do one or two times before you get it right. Some are just that way. So don't be afraid. But I will tell you what I've learned so that maybe you won't be wasting ingredients.

Take a small nonstick fry pan. Leave it dry. Put it on the burner and I then crank it up to high heat. I put 1/3 C. of white sugar in the pan. Have the nuts ready. How many nuts you ask? I had enough to make a layer over the sugar in the pan. I didn't measure them, but I'm thinking it was 3/4 to 1 C. of nuts. If I am using them for salads, then I usually chop them once or twice with a large knife. Now you have two choices here. If you want a hard crunch glazy type coating on the nuts, then let the sugar totally liquify. You may want to turn the heat down ever so slightly but either way you have to work fast and get those nuts in the pan, stir them around and then bam onto parchment paper to cool. The sugar goes brown and if you mess around too much it will get burnt tasting. Or taste burnt, whatever is correct English here. Or you can go for the second option and put the nuts in when the sugar just starts to liquify or liquifies halfway. Then coat, get onto a sheet of parchment paper or waxed paper or a sheet pan on your counter (if using the sheet pan I would spray a thin spray of PAM onto it before putting the caramelized nuts on it). If you do it the second way the nuts will be sugary and crunchy but not as hard or evenly glazed as the other way. I like them the second way actually but I am usually messing around and don't get them in the pan fast enough and they turn out the first way. You're actually making caramel, so do it when you don't have to answer the phone and when the kids are not in the kitchen with you. Send the dogs outside even. Oh, and sometimes, when the sugar is in the fry pan, I like to sprinkle a little cinnamon over it. Or over the nuts once I've added them. You could experiment with other spices also, sweet or savory type spices. These are great in salad with blue cheese or feta, craisins and/or mandarin oranges. You'll save a lot of money by making them yourself instead of buying them already sugared. You may eat most of them as is before they make it to your salad bowl.

Sweet Pork

There are other versions of this but this one is so simple.

http://www.recipezaar.com/Sweet-Pork-213880

Sesame Peanut Noodle Salad

This recipe from Emeril Lagasse looks good.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/sesame-peanut-noodle-salad-recipe/index.html

Menu with what's on sale for the week Dec. 2-Dec.8

I certainly hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. That was a nice little break after the holiday from the frenzy of grocery shopping, however the ads are up again and there are lots of great prices this week.

$76.72 total
-$5.00 if you have a $5.00 off of a $20.00 purchase from Fresh and Easy used at Albertsons
$71.72
-$5.00 if you have a $5.00 off of a $20.00 purchase from Fresh and Easy used at Fry's
$66.72
-$2.98 if you have other manufacturer's coupons this week. See http://www.couponsense.com/
$63.74 total after coupons

The $5.00 off of $20.00 purchase coupon came to me through an email from Fresh and Easy.
Leave a comment and the end of this post if you want me to have Fresh and Easy send you a coupon. I will need your email address but I will delete the comment once I send it to you. The coupon expires on Dec. 6.

Breakfast
1-Oatmeal, toast
2-Oatmeal, pear slices
3-Cold cereal, hot chocolate (If you want to save $1.99 from your total, omit the cold cereal and add another day of oats here.)
4-Oatmeal
5-Chocolate chip pancakes (made from Bisquick baking mix)
6-Oatmeal, toast, hot chocolate
7-Breakfast tacos

Lunch
1-Tuna sandwich, apple
2-PB&J sandwich, orange, cookie
3-Tuna sandwich, orange
4-PB&J sandwich, apple, carrot sticks
5-Tuna sandwich, clementines, cookie
6-PB&J sandwich, orange
7-Pork sandwich, cookie

Dinner
1-Spaghetti, salad (If you want to add Pomegranate to the salad, from Bashas, add $1.50 to the total)

2-Stuffed green peppers (four pepper halves stuffed with Rice A Roni and some ground beef if desired), steamed carrots

3-Crustless spinach quiche, vegetable. See http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Crustless-Spinach-Quiche/Detail.aspx for a recipe for Crustless spinach quiche.

4-Pork roast, scalloped potatoes, vegetable, cheddar biscuits (recipe on side, omit green onions)

5-Meat loaf, vegetable, mashed potatoes. Prepare Jell-O for tomorrow night's dinner while preparing tonight's meal if you can't do it in the morning.

6-Meat loaf sandwich, Jello salad (recipe below) (use some plain oats if desired for the meatloaf)

7-Lasagne, vegetable (recipe at side)

Dessert:
Cake mix cookies (recipe at side and below several posts)
Blackberry shortcakes (recipe for shortcakes on the box of the Bisquick mix)

Whipped cream Jello

1 6 oz. package of Jello gelatin, any flavor, I like strawberry or cherry
1 8 oz. container of heavy cream

Make up the package of Jello or gelatin according to directions on the package. Set until firm in the refrigerator. In another bowl, whip up the heavy cream with a wisk or hand mixer. Add sugar to taste and 1/2 to 1 tsp. of vanilla to taste. Break up the set gelatin by stirring gently with a spoon. Add the whipped cream and gently fold in. Return to refrigerator until time to serve.

Grocery List:
Albertson's
Ground beef, 93% lean with purchase of 5# or more, $1.77 lb. Buy 5# at $8.85
Albertsons large eggs, 10/$10, buy 2
Albertsons butter, $1
Farmland sausage, $1
Betty Crocker potatoes, $1, buy one scalloped or au gratin and one mashed at $2
Nestle hot cocoa mix, $1
Calidad tortillas, $1
Pillsbury cake mix, .79, buy 2
Libby's canned vegetables, .50, buy 4 at $2.00
Albertson whipping cream, .79, buy 2
Fresh carrots, 2# bag, $1
Fresh express spinach, $1.50

Total came to $24.51 so if you want to use a $5.00 off of a $20.00 purchase Fresh and Easy internet coupon, you can bringing the total down to $19.51

Bashas
California navel oranges, 3#/.99. Buy 8 lbs. at $2.64
Bashas milk, $1.58, buy 2, there is a limit of 2, $3.16
****General Mills cereals, $1.99, if you choose not to buy the Post cereal at Fry's
Hunt's Pasta sauce, .88, buy 3 at $2.64
American Beauty pasta, .88
Welch's jelly or jam, $1.58
Skippy peanut butter, $1.58
Bisquick, $2.99
Food Club lasagne noodes, $1.99

Fry's
Boneless 1/2 pork loin, $1.77 lb, buy aprox. 4 lbs. at $7.08
Cutie Clementines, $2.37 for 3# bag
Chicken of the Sea tuna, 20/$10, buy 3 cans at $1.50
Fry's cottage cheese, $1
Rice A Roni, $1
Jell-O gelatin, $1
Post cereal, $1.99 or General Mills cereal from Bashas for $1.99
Kroger Value bread, .88, buy 4 loaves at $3.52
Pears, $1 lb.
Kroger chocolate chips, $1

Total came to $21.46 You'll need a total of $20 to use the Fresh and Easy $5 off coupon at Fry's. It will bring the total down to $16.46

Sprouts
Oats, 2 lbs./$1, buy 3# at $1.50
Blackberries, .77
Green bell peppers, 2/$1, buy 2
Red delicious apples, .69 lb., buy 8# at $5.52

Walgreen's
Deerfield Farms cheese with in ad coupon, 2/$3, limit 4. Buy 3 shredded pkgs. at $4.50

Items not included in the grocery list:
Mayonnaise
sugar
vanilla
pancake syrup
oil

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

I don't know why I always think that I need to have this for Thanksgiving, but I do. Yummy.

www.dianaskitchen.com/page/favorite/pretzel.htm

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

Menu with what's on sale Sept. 30- Oct. 6

We've have been hot for so long here in Arizona that now that it's cooling off it is glorious. And by cooling off I mean down to the chilly mid 90's. But we'll take it. So if you are somewhere other than "here" and have felt that my menus haven't reflected the crisp coolness of fall, you're right. I'm still of the mindset that a cold salad is what I want for dinner some nights. Or light, like just a sandwich or wrap or quesadilla. Not too creative a menu for you this week. If you're in need of other ideas, the side bar holds lots of blogs and sites that offer menu ideas.



$70.75

Breakfast
1-Pancakes, syrup, apple juice
2-Oatmeal
3-Cold cereal, milk
4-Pancakes
5-Oatmeal
6-Cold cereal, milk
7-Pancakes

Lunch
1-PB&J sandwich, orange segments, granola bar
2-Bologna sandwich, grapes, granola bar
3-PB&J sandwich, apple, pretzels
4-Bologna sandwich, grapes, pretzels
5-PB&J sandwich, pretzels, cake
6-Canned pasta
7-Chicken noodle soup

Dinner
1-Hamburger Stroganoff over egg noodles, steamed carrots
see http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/hamburger_stroganoff/

2-Progresso soup, french bread

3-Grilled Chicken kebob Salad see http://food.aol.com/experts/tyler-florence/ Scroll down and click onto Grilled Chicken Kebob Salad for a quick video. If it were me, I would probably partially cook the sausages first before grilling them. If you don't use all of the sausages or have leftovers, put them in the Spaghetti sauce for idea #4 if you wish.

4-Spaghetti, sauce and garlic toast

5-Fish sticks, yams, steamed broccoli. Cake for dessert

6-Grilled cheese sandwich, tomato soup, carrot sticks

7-Pizza, leftover vegetables



Grocery List:
Albertsons
Bar S bologna, $1.67
Red Baron Pizza, $2.99
Romaine, $1.00
Carrots, 2 lbs. for $1
French bread, .79 with coupon in Wed. ad, limit 2, buy 2


Bashas
I received a coupon booklet in the mail that is pink and has Shocker coupons in it. Some great deals.

Red seedless grapes, .77 lb, buy 2 lbs.
Broccoli or Cauliflower, .69 lb.
Challenge butter, .88 for 8 oz., free with coupon (go to the couponsense blog to print two off, side bar. Go to www.challengedairy.com/special-offers/ for another. Check out http://www.couponsense.com/ for other coupons and deals)
Progresso Classics soup, .99, buy 3
Campbell's pasta, .49, buy 3
Daisy sour cream, .99
Bashas milk, $1.99, buy 2
mushrooms, $1.49
Eggs, I've allowed, $1.39
Kraft singles, $1.48 with coupon from the Shocker coupon book
Quaker buy 5 promo with coupon in Wed. ad for $3 off
1-Quaker Oats, $1.99
2-Aunt Jemima Pancake mix, $1.99
3-Aunt Jemima syrup, $1.99
4-Quaker cereal, $1.99
5-Quaker granola bars, $1.99


Fry's
Lean ground beef, $1.67 lb., buy 2 lb. chub for $3.34
Betty Crocker cake mix, .77
Navel oranges, .77 lb, buy 2 lbs. at $1.54
Campbell's chicken noodle and tomato soup, buy 4, 2 of each. Look for a coupon for this
Gorton's fish sticks, $2.99 (there are 18, you may need another package?)
Kroger Value apple juice cocktail, $1.29
Kroger Value bread, .88, buy 4
Kroger Value or Fry's spaghetti, .88
Kroger Value spaghetti sauce, $1.15
Egg noodles, I'ved allowed $2.00
Kroger Value peanut butter, $1.29
Fry's pretzels, I'ved allowed for $1.30
Betty Crocker frosting, 2/$3, buy 1
Kroger dinner sausage, $3.50
Jelly, I'ved allowed for $2.50


Sprouts
Yams, .88 lb, buy 3 lbs. at $2.64
Gala apples, .88 lb., buy 3 lbs. at $2.64


Other great deals this week:
Kroger Value corn flakes, .99-Fry's
Kroger Value Potatoes, 10 lb. bag, $2.97-Fry's
Pork Loin, $1.57 lb.-Albertson's
Farmland sausage, $1-Albertson's
Carolina smoked turkey or turkey pastrami, $3.99 lb.
Kraft single, $1.67
Asparagus, 4lb./$5-sprouts
Navel oranges, .88 lb.-Sprouts
BC 80 calorie potatoes, .99-Bashas
BC Hamburger Helper, .99-Bahsas
Sargento shredded cheese, $1.88-Bashas
Food Club lunch meat, $2.99-Bashas
Campbells Pork n Beans, 3/$1-Bashas
Campbell's soup, 10/$10-Bashas


Items I don't have on the grocery list:
bay leaves
Parmesan cheese
lemon juice
parsley
onion
paprika
mayonnaise

Menu for what's on sale for Sept. 9-Sept. 16

So late in the sales week, but better late than never. Remember that you have until Monday night, Sept. 14th to enter in the Fry's $20 GC giveaway. See my post way down there, under the "Announcing.." headliner.

Here we go...$69.12 this week

Breakfast
1-Cold cereal, sliced peaches
2-Hard boiled eggs, toast
3-Cold cereal
4-French toast, cantaloupe slices
5-Cold cereal
6-Cold cereal
7-Eggs, toast

Lunch
1-Tuna sandwich, cookie
2-cottage cheese/canned fruit salad, celery sticks
3-Pork sandwich, apple wedges (keep some apple for the Spinach Salad for dinner idea #3)
4-Egg salad sandwich, tortilla chips, cookie
5-Tuna sandwich, strawberries
6-Chicken Noodle or tomato soup, leftover corn muffins
7-Macaroni and Cheese, Soda

Dinner
1-Macaroni and cheese, canned vegetable of your choice

2-Pork roast, canned vegetable of your choice, bread dressing, see http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Celery-Stuffing/Detail.aspx for recipe for bread dressing. Cut the pork loin into 3 pieces (or more?). One for the roast, one for the strips for stir fry and one to freeze for next week or the week after. Leftover roasted pork can be used for sandwiches. I did not put an onion down on the grocery list for the bread dressing, so if you need onion in this dish, add it to your grocery list.

3-Spinach Salad, french bread. See recipe below for Spinach Salad.

4-Pork stir fry with Ramen noodles. Use pork strips, broccoli and mushrooms for stir fry.

5-Taco Soup, corn muffins. Tortilla chips, sour cream and avocados for toppers. See recipe below for the Taco Soup

6-Bacon and tomato sandwiches. Add $1.28 to the week's food budget and buy some Kroger Value french fries to go with it if desired. Peach Raspberry Crisp for dessert. See side bar to take you to the entry that has the link for the recipe.

7-Spaghetti, sauce, garlic bread

Spinach Salad (Beth C., who gave it to Ginna B., who gave it to me)

Fresh spinach, washed
shredded or thinly sliced cabbage or some cole slaw mix
sliced strawberries
diced apple
Brianna's brand poppy seed dressing
(halved grapes, but the budget did not allow for grapes this time)
(Toasted amaranth and cooked quinoa are also added as are sugared cashews but I did not allow for them in the budget this time. Also adding cooked chicken or pork is good.)



Taco Soup (Kathy G., who gave it to Margie M., who gave it to me)

1 lb. of ground beef or ground turkey
1 small to medium onion, diced
1 can of corn with liquid (15 oz.)
1 can of black beans or pinto beans, with liquid (15 oz.)
1 can of diced tomatoes (28 oz.), or two smaller cans (15 oz.)
2 cans of tomato sauce (8 oz. each)
1 C. of water
1 package of taco seasoning

Brown ground beef. Drain grease. Sautee onion or cook in a bowl with a small amount of olive oil in it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Combine everything in a pot, heat until hot. Serve with toppers.

Toppers:
Shredded cheddar or Monterrey jack cheese
jalapenos, pickled or fresh
sour cream
sliced olives
sliced or diced avocado
sliced green onion
tortilla chips or corn tortilla strips fried in oil and salted. Or you can bake them.

(serves 4-6)

Now for the Grocery List:
Albertson's
Calidad tortilla chips, .99
Albertson's french bread, .99, buy 2
Hunt's diced tomatoes, .99
Jiffy corn muffin mix, 2/.79, buy 2
Bunch spinach, .69, buy 2

Bashas'
Boneless pork loin, $1.27 lb., aprox. $11 for one (cut into 3 pieces. Use one for a roast, one for pork stir fry and freeze one piece for next week or the next week)
Utah peaches, .79, buy 5 lbs, aprox., at $3.95
Strawberries, $1, buy 2
Bashas' large eggs, .88, buy 2
Del Monte vegetables, .69, buy 3
Lawry's taco seasoning, 2/$1, buy 1
S&W black beans, .75
Shamrock Farms sour cream, $1.39 (use a coupon and pay .39 for this)
Celery, .79
Broccoli, .99
Dole mushrooms, .88
Brianna's poppy seed dressing, I've allowed for $4.70 for this
Del Monte fruit, .75
Hamburger, $2.49 lb., $3.50 per package, aproximately
Cabbage, I've allowed for $1 for this
Large tomatoes, $1.99 lb.

Fry's
Fry's milk, $1.39, buy 2 (you can also buy the milk at the same price at Albertson's)
Driscolls raspberries, $1, buy 1
Gala apples, .77 lb., buy 2 lbs.
Campbell's chicken noodle or tomato soup, .49, buy 3
Maruchan Ramen noodles, .10, buy 2
Bumble Bee chunk light tuna, .47, buy 2
Fry's chicken broth, .50, buy 2
Fry's tomato sauce, .15, buy 2
Fry's macaroni and cheese, .29, buy 3
Big K soda, .47, buy 1
Kroger Value cereal, .99, buy 3 (or you can buy the Malt O Meal cereal at Albertson's for .99 each)
Kroger Value cookies, $1.19, buy 1
Bar S bacon, $1.99
Kroger cottage cheese, $1.18
Kroger Value bread, .88, buy 4 loaves
Fry's spaghetti, .88
Kroger Value spaghetti sauce, $1.19

Sprouts
Chilean Hass avocados, .49
Cantaloupe, .99

Items not on the grocery list:
oats
sugar
flour
butter
herbs and spices
onion

Other great deals this week:
Gala apples, .69 lb.-Safeway
Lucerne milk, $1.39-Safeway
Fresh and Easy shredded cheese, $1.99-Fresh and Easy
Yoplait yogurt, .40-Bashas'
Macayo diced green chilis, 2/$1-Bashas'
Malt O Meal cereal, .99-Albertson's
Albertson's milk-$1.39-Albertson's
Land o Frost Deli Shaved lunchmeat, $2.50-Albertson's
Albertson's sour cream, .99-albertson's
Kroger Value sugar, $1.69-Fry's
Kroger sour cream, $1.19-Fry's

The Utah peaches at Bashas. My friend was telling me that her friend takes the sliced, peeled peaches and puts them in a ziplock baggie. Then she puts that in a pie plate and freezes it so that it forms to the pan form. She then takes out the pan once the peaches are frozen and stacks them. Then when she wants peach pie, she takes out a bag of pie form peaches and plops them into a pie crust.

Menu for what's on sale Sep. 2-Sep. 8

Remember to enter the $20 Fry's GC contest by putting your name and email in the comment section of the "Announcing..." post below!!!!!!

This week:

$69.09

A good week to stock up on meat. My friend Mindy over at the $50 Stockpile blog (see my sidebar) has some good ideas for how to use $50 for meals this week.

Breakfast

1-French toast, bacon (reserving bacon for baked beans)

2-Breakfast tacos (eggs, sausage crumbles wrapped in a flour tortilla)

3-Cinnamon toast, cantaloupe chunks

4-French toast

5-Egg biscuit

6-Cinnamon toast

7-Breakfast tacos

Lunch

1-PB&J sandwich, celery sticks

2-PB&J sandwich, goldfish crackers

3-Bagels, cream cheese, carrots

4-PB&J sandwich, cantaloupe chunks

5-PB&J sandwich, watermelon chunks

6-Grilled cheese sandwich, leftover potato salad

7-Grilled cheese sandwich, potato chips

Dinner

1-Potato Cream Cheese Soup. Find recipe at http://www.recipezaar.com/Paneras-Cream-Cheese-Potato-Soup-150863

2-Hamburgers or meatloaf, green salad

3-Hot dogs, baked beans. The recipe for the baked beans on Pioneer Woman Cooks is below. I allowed for a half recipe for the beans. Otherwise it serves 18. So if you want to make the full recipe and use some for labor day, that would work. I allowed for 3 fifteen ounce cans of Pork & Beans in the grocery list.

4-Labor Day Menu. Spareribs, Potato Salad, Celery and carrots, Potato chips and dip, watermelon. If enough eggs will be left for the rest of the week, make some deviled eggs. Cheesecake pie for dessert. Cheesecake pie recipe below. If you have leftover cream cheese from bagels this week, a good dip can be made creaming the cheese, adding some milk to make creamier and some garlic salt to taste.

5-Leftovers.

6-Southwestern Chicken Caesar salad. A couple of options here. A recipe http://www.recipezaar.com/southwestern-chicken-caesar-salad-wchipotle-dressing-380694 or make your own dressing by adding a couple of dashes of green tabasco to bottled caesar dressing. You could try the red kind if that's all you have. Or let's go crazy and even say to try a small amount of taco seasoning. Try just a little in a small amount of dressing first to see if you'll like it. Or buy the Caesar salad kits on sale at Fry's this week. Making your own would be more cost effective though. If you choose to use the recipe, use one cob of corn for this salad, if you decide to buy some black beans for it, you will have to allow for extra in the food budget.

7-Grilled chicken sandwiches and corn on the cob. Here's what my hubby does. He bakes the chicken breasts in the oven at 350 or lower temp(I'll have to ask him now which it is) until they are almost done. Still inedible though. He then slices the breasts in half, so that you now have double the amount of chicken breasts, but thinner, and easier to eat as a sandwich. A really good $ stretcher idea for BBQ's and parties. He then puts BBQ sauce on them and BBQ's until they are done, not very long. Ice cream for dessert. If you want to use the leg quarters instead for this night, then cook the meat, take off the bone, and use as BBQ chicken sandwiches.

Quick Southern-Style Baked Beans

recipe by Pam Anderson
serves up to 18
as posted by the Pioneer Woman Cooks

8 slices bacon, halved
1 medium onion, small dice
1/2 medium green pepper, small dice
3 large cans(28 oz. each), Pork and Beans (or 6 small cans)
3/4 C. BBQ sauce
1/2 C. brown sugar
1/4 C. distilled or cider vinegar
2 tsp. dry mustard or 2 T. Dijon mustard

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Fry bacon in large, deep saute pan skillet until bacon has partially cooked and has released about 1/4 C. drippings. Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels. Add onions and peppers to drippings in pan and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add beans and remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer(If skillet is not large enough, add beans and heat to a simmer then transfer to a large bowl and stir in remaining ingredients. Pour flavored beans into a greased 13-by 9-inch (or similar size) overproof pan. Top with bacon, then bake until beans are bubbly and sauce is the consistency of pancake syrup, about 2 hours. Let stand to slightly thicken.

You may want to halve this recipe and only use 3 small cans of P&B's. Adjust the other ingredients.

Spareribs

3 lbs. spareribs
2 T. butter
1 Onion, medium, diced
1 clove garlic or comparable amount of garlic powder
1 C. celery, chopped
3/4 C. water
1 C. ketchup
2 T. vinegar
2 T. lemon juice
2 T. worcestershire sauce
2 T. brown sugar
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Melt butter; add onion, and cook until translucent, add remaining ingredients and cook 20 minutes. Enough sauce for 3 lbs. of meat. Simmer spareribs in sauce for 3-4 hours. (my mom always cut them into separate ribs or chunks of 2-3 ribs before cooking in the sauce.)



Cheesecake Pie (Angela N.)

2 bricks cream cheese, room temperature
2/3 C. heavy cream
2/3 C. powdered sugar
1 grahm cracker or shortbread or oreo pie crust

Mix cheese, cream (or less milk if you don't want to buy cream, start with 1/4 C.), powdered sugar, with an electric mixer until creamy. Pour into a cracker crust, refridgerate four hours. Serve with canned pie filling or fruit jam. Strawberry or Raspberry freezer jam is an excellent topping for this.

Albertson's

Albertson's is quadrupling coupon values this week

Cantaloupe, .99, buy 1. You may want to buy the cantaloupe at Sprouts for the same price.

Van Camp's Pork and beans, 2/$1, buy 3 cans. Food City has them for .25 if you have one close to you.

Bashas'

80% ground beef, $1.38 lb., 4 lbs. or more, aprox. $5.52

Bashas hot dog or hamburger buns, .88, buy 2 hamburger, 1 hot dog buns

Food Club cheese singles, .99

Food Club slice bacon, $1.99, buy 1. Fry's has Kroger Value bacon every day for $1.77

Bar S meat franks, .28 with shocker! coupon from the Wed. ad, with additional $20 purchase

Blue Bunny ice cream, $1.48 with shocker! coupon from the Wed. ad and additional $20 purchase

Kraft mayonnaise or Miracle whip, $1.98 with shocker! coupon from the Wed. ad and additional $20 purchase

Russet potatoes, .99 for a 10 lb. bag, buy 1

Whole seedless watermelon, $1.99

They have Pork and Beans here for .75 if you don't want to run to Food City or Albertson's

Eggs, I've allowed for $1.49 per doz., I forgot to check real prices last night, buy 3 dozen.

Green bell pepper, .99, buy 1

Yellow onion, $1 lb., buy 2

Fry's

Pork spareribs, .97 lb., one rack was a little over 4 lbs., or $4.23. I know they're cheaper at Bashas' this week. I couldn't find a pack to price and you have to buy a twin pack. I figured that this might be cheaper in the long run but if you have extra $, buy spareribs at Bashas'.

Boneless/skinless chicken breast, Kroger Value brand, $1.67 lb., aprox. $3.92. You can go with leg quarters at Bashas' for $3.80 for a 10# bag. Your choice. (Just turn meal idea #7 into BBQ chicken sandwiches instead of grilled chicken sandwiches.)

Lay's potato chips, $1.47

Kroger shredded cheese, .97, buy 1 for the top to the soup or for the breakfast tacos or to top with the Caesar salad. You may choose to buy another package of cheese depending on how many items you want cheese in this week.

Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce, .88

Kroger cream cheese, $1.25, buy 4 packages

Kroger Value canned biscuits, .46

Kroger Value peanut butter, $1.29

Kroger dip, .97

Celery, $1

Organic mini peeled carrots, 2/$3, buy 1

Mission taco tortillas, buy one, get one free, $2.69 for 2

Grahm crackers, I've allowed for $1.99 for this. This is to make the pie shell

Fry's milk, $1.99, buy 1

Pepperideg Farms goldfish crackers, 10/$10

Kroger bagels, $1.25

Kroger Value bread, .88, buy 5 loaves. You will need 80 slices of bread minimum this week. Four loaves is 80 slices. The fifth loaf will give you security if something burns. Rollover into next week if you don't use it.

Farmer John sausage links, $1, buy 2

Fry's chicken broth, .89, buy 2

Romaine lettuce, I've allowed for $1.50 for this

Sprouts

Sweet corn, 10/$2, buy 5 ears

Large vine ripe tomatoes, .99 lb., buy 1 lb.

Other great buys this week:

chilean avocados, 2/$1, Sprouts

Green beans, .99 lb., Sprouts

Blue Bunny ice cream, $1.88, Albertson's

93% br. beef, $1.77 lb., 5 lbs. or more, Albertson's

Dole salad kits, .97, Fry's

Bar S jumbo franks, .57, Fry's

Kroger Value bacon, $1.77, Fry's

Popsicles, .88, Fry's

Broccoli or cauliflower, $1, Fry's

Hunt's pasta sauce, 4/$5, Fry's

Kroger apple juice coctail, $1.29, Fry's

Fresh pork spareribs, .88 lb., Bashas'

Boneless top sirloin, $1.99 lb., Bashas'

Cook's Ham, .99 lb., Bashas' (makes for a cheap lunch meat)

Fresh chicken leg quarters, .38 lb., in a 10 lb. bag for $3.80

Things not on the grocery list:

brown sugar

ketchup

garlic powder

worcestershire sauce

ground mustard

Dijon

tobasco

Menus for what's on sale Aug. 26-Sept. 2

$68.82

Breakfast
1-Egg biscuit
2-Cold cereal
3-Cinnamon or orange rolls
4-Cold cereal
5-Cinnamon toast
6-Orange or cinnamon rolls
7-Cold cereal

Lunch
1-Green salad, apple, brownie
2-Lunch meat sandwich, celery sticks, cookie
3-Lunch meat sandwich, apple, cookie
4-Chicken salad, leftover from dinner idea #3, cookie
5-Lunch meat sandwich, orange
6-Mac & Cheese, plum
7-Mac & Cheese, 7 Up

Dinner
1-Mac & cheese, sliced tomatoes, broccoli salad, see recipe below (save some bacon crumbles for baked potatoes in dinner idea #2.)

2-Baked potato with sour cream, sliced scallions, shredded cheese and bacon crumbles, canned vegetable

3-Chicken salad, see recipe below, cantaloupe wedges, crescent rolls, brownie for dessert

4-Tacos made with ground beef, shredded cheese, some lettuce left from Lunch idea #1, shredded cheese, some tomato dices left from tomatoes used in Dinner idea #1, sour cream. If you don't have any taco seasoning mix, but you do have some little packets of taco sauce from Mexican take out in your fridge, use those to season the cooked ground beef. Or use garlic salt or garlic powder, cumin, chili powder to taste.

5-London Broil, cauliflower gratin, grilled corn on the cob. see http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sara-moulton/grilled-marinated-london-broil-recipe/index.html or http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1726,154168-232205,00.html
for London Broil recipes and http://www.recipezaar.com/Barefoot-Contessas-Cauliflower-Gratin-208626 for the Barefoot Contessa's recipe for Cauliflower Gratin. I would use regular cheese instead of Gruyere if it were me.

6-Try Chicken Squares at http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1839,146187-227194,00.html You hopefully have a can of cream of chicken soup in the pantry. If you'd rather have plain chicken, then bake and have the crescent rolls on the side. You'll have to add a canned vegetable to the grocery list or eat leftover sides.

7-Beef and Cheese Crescent Pie and mashed potatoes. See http://www.kitchentips.org/recipes/a-tasty-beef-and-cheese-crescent-pie-recipe




Polynesian Chicken Salad (Stacey C.)
2 C. cooked chicken breast, diced
1/4 C. pineapple chunks, drained
halved green grapes (red ones are the ones on sale this week)
small can of drained mandarin oranges
1/2 C. celery, diced
1/4 C. slivered almonds
4 green onions, sliced
1/2 C. low-fat vanilla yogurt (can substitute plain non-fat yogurt)
1/4 C. regular mayonnaise (can substitute fat-free mayo)

Combine chicken, pineapple, celery, almonds, and onion; set aside. Blend together yogurt and mayonnaise; stir into chicken mixture. Serve on bed of lettuce.

NOTE: I did not put almonds on the shopping list, you may want to do that. I was trying to keep costs down. Also, you may want to double this recipe since it is for a main dish. Or just double the chicken, celery, pineapple amounts.


Broccoli Salad
2-3 bunches broccoli, cut into florets
4-6 slices of bacon, fried and crumbled
1/2 C. of grated cheddar

Dressing:
1 C. Miracle Whip salad dressing
1/2 C. white or cider vinegar
4 Tablespoons sugar

Wash the broccoli and trim into florets. Make the dressing and add the other ingredients, gently toss.


Grocery List:
Albertson's
Corn, 6/$1, buy 6
Fresh Express salad, $1, buy 1
Libby's vegetables, 5/$3, buy 3, one veg needs to be green beans for the Beef and cheese crescent pie. Whether you buy a third canned veg for a side to the chicken squares is up to you.
Green onions/scallions, 2/$1, buy 1
Boneless/skinless chicken breast, $1.57 lb., buy 3 lbs. at aprox. $4.71

Bashas'
Bashas' 1/2 gallon milk, .88, buy 4 at $3.52
Food Club Mac & cheese, 3/$1, buy 3
London Broil, $1.67 lb. It will be aprox. $8-$9 for 2 pieces of London Broil, have one ground into hamburger for Tacos and Beef and cheese crescent pie, leave the other one whole for grilled London Broil
Bashas sour cream .88
7 up, .89
Land O'Frost deli shaved meat, $1.99, buy 2
Valu Time Eggs, .98
Prune Plums, .99 lb.
Canned pineapple, $1.38
Valu Time mandarin oranges, .50

Fry's
Mega buy 10 event
1-Gen Mills or quaker cereal, $1.39
2-Gen Mills or Quaker cereal, $1.39
3-Grands! biscuits, .88
4-Pillsbury cinnamon rolls, .88 (.38 if you have a coupon)
5-Pillsbury cinnamon or orange rolls, .88 (.38 if you have a coupon)
6-Pillsbury crescent rolls, .88
7-Pillsbury crescent rolls, .88
8-Pillsbury crescent rolls, .88
9-Betty Crocker Brownie mix, $1.49
10-Old El Paso Taco shells, .99

Organic red seedless grapes, .67 lb., buy 1
Navel oranges, .77 lb, buy 2 lbs. at $1.54
Kroger shredded cheese, $1.99, buy four package
Kroger Value cookies, $1.19
Celery, allowed for $1.00
Vanilla yogurt, buy 2 small containers, allowed for $1.50
Tomato sauce, allowed for .50
Apples, 3 lb. bag, $2.77
Potatoes, $2.97 for 10 lb. bag
Kroger Value bacon, $1.77 lb., buy 1
Kroger Value bread, .88, buy 2

Sprouts
Snow White Cauliflower, .99 ea
Large cantaloupe, .77 ea
Broccoli crowns, .77, buy 2 at $1.54
Hot House tomatoes, .99, buy 2 lbs.


Items not on list:
Miracle Whip
sugar
soy sauce
honey
vinegar

Other great deals:
93% lean gr. beef, $1.77/lb.-Bashas
Bashas cottage cheese, .88-Bashas
dole mushrooms, .99-Bashas
Valu Time sugar, $1.88-Bashas
Red or green cabbage, 2 lbs/$1-Albertsons
Fresh carrots, $1/2 lbs.-Albertsons
Yellow onions, 3 lbs./$1
Raspberries, .99-Sprouts
hass Avocado, .77 ea-sprouts
Carne Asada, $3.99/lb-sprouts
Reeses King size peanut butter cups or Reeses pieces theater candy, free with coupon-Fry's, see http://www.couponsense.com/ to find out how

Menu for what's on sale Aug. 18-Aug. 25

You can save a couple of dollars on this plan this week if you use coupons. If you want to know more, see http://www.couponsense.com/

$59.04

Breakfast

1-Cold Cereal
2-Egg biscuit
3-Cold Cereal
4-French toast
5-Eggs, sausage
6-Muffins
7-French toast

Lunch

1-Tuna sandwich, grapes, Flavor Aid
2-Bologna sandwich, apple
3-Tuna sandwich, leftover macaroni salad if any, juice box
4-Chicken salad sandwich, fruit gel bowl, celery/gr. pepper strips, Flavor Aid
5-Bologna sandwich, apple, celery, juice box
6-Ramen Noodles, scallion slices on top, Flavor Aid
7-Ramen Noodles
If you home school you can save $ this week by having lots of Ramen noodles and Mac & Cheese for lunch

Dinner

1-Mac & Cheese and hot dog slices, canned vegetable

2-Chinese Chicken coleslaw, muffins. Use half of this chicken package for this meal and half for the chicken salad sandwiches for lunch idea #4. Recipe for Cabbage Ramen Salad is below

3-Hamburgers, macaroni salad. Use a package of the mac & cheese minus the cheese sauce to make the macaroni salad, with celery dices and whatever else you like and mayonnaise. Nectarine Tart for dessert, see http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1694204 for a recipe

4-Bean/cheese burrito, green salad

5-Baked chicken, mashed potatoes, steamed fresh green beans

6-Hamburger Helper, canned vegetable, ice cream for dessert

7-Scalloped potatoes with cooked sausage crumbles, canned vegetable



Cabbage Ramen Salad

From Cooks.com



Dressing:

1/4 C. sugar

1/2 C. white wine vinegar (I use white, cider or rice vinegar)

1 C. oil

2 seasoning packets from ramen package (I never use these)



Salad:

1 med. head cabbage, sliced thin or packaged cole slaw, not sure how many packages equal a head though

4 stalks green onion, sliced

1 C. almonds, sliced

2 pkgs., Ramen noodles, chicken flavor

1 C. sesame seeds



Combine dressing ingredients; mix well and chill. Combine cabbage and green onions. Roast almonds and sesame seeds at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool. Crumble dry ramen. Sprinkle ramen, almonds and sesame seeds over cabbage mixture. Before serving, pour dressing over salad and toss to coat.



Variation: Add shredded cooked chicken or turkey. Or add thinly sliced char siu.



OK, so I do things a little differently when I make this but couldn't find my handwritten recipe and this was close. I crumble the ramen noodles and then on low to med heat in some butter or margarine slowly cook in a fry pan until they are golden. Then cool. And hide them until you are ready to use them, because the family will figure out quickly that these are yummy this way and they will disappear, much like croutons that never make it onto the salad. I never put sesame seeds or almonds in mine anymore so therefore I don't roast them and I probably wouldn't roast them if I did put them in, I would just dump them in the salad. But that's just me. Also, if you want to add nuts but don't have almonds, think peanuts, or chopped macadamias or cashews, or pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds, or pistachios, Almond Accents would be fabulous. You could even pick out the sunflower seeds and peanuts and raisins out of the trail mix if you wanted to for it(raise your hand if you've ever picked out all of the m&m's out of the trail mix when no one else was home! Hand being raised right now.) Whatever you have that you like and your little salad eaters will eat.



Here's the grocery list for the week:

Albertson's
Albertson's Mac & Cheese, 4/$1, buy 4
Chicken of the Sea chunk light tuna, 2/$1, buy two unless you like more tuna on your sandwiches
Maruchan Ramen Noodles, 10/$1, buy six
Albertson's shredded cheese, .97, buy one
Betty Crocker muffin mix, 3/$1, buy 3
Fresh picked green beans, .99 lb., buy one lb

Bashas'
Yellow Nectarines, .79 lb., buy 2 lbs. at $1.58, you actually need 3 nectarines for the recipe if you are making the nectarine almond tart.
Gala Apples, .88 lb, buy 8 apples, at aprox. $2.16
Green bell pepper, .33 ea., buy one
Bashas milk, $1.39, buy 2
Food Club vegetables, .48, buy 3
Breyer's pints ice cream, $1, buy 2
Fresh ground beef, 90% lean, $1.77 for 4# or more, pkg. aprox. $5.56, a little over 3#
Bashas fresh split chicken breasts, .77 lb. Buy two pkgs. at aprox. $2.80 per package, 4 breasts in each
Bar S meat bologna, $1.25
Bar S jumbo meat franks, $1.25
Tree top 3 pack juice boxes, .99, buy 3
Flavor Aid drink mix, .11, buy 3 at .33
Hamburger buns, $1.49 or $1.29 in the Bakery
Bashas lg. eggs, dozen .99, buy 3

Fry's
Fry's mega 10 event
1-Hamburger Helper .77
2-Betty Crocker Augratin or Scalloped potatoes, .77 (2/3 C. prepared, 5 servings
3-Betty Crocker Augratin or Scalloped potatoes, .77
4-Betty Crocker mashed potatoes, .77 (8 servings)
5-Pillsbury Grands! biscuits , .88
6-Quaker or General Mills cereals, $1.39
7-Quaker or General Mills cereals, $1.39
8-Pillsbury Pie crust, $1.99
9-Old El Paso refried beans, .49
10-Old El Paso refried beans, .49
Green onions, 2/$1, buy one bunch at .50
Dole classic iceberg salad, $1
Dole classic cole slaw, $1
Celery, $1
Farmer John pork links, $1, buy 2
Four tortillas, I allowed for $2.90
Kroger Value bread, .88, buy 4 at $3.52

Sprouts
Green, red, or black grapes, .69 lb, buy 2 lbs. at $1.38


Items I have left out:

Mayo, mustard, sugar, flour, honey, taco sauce, almonds, butter

Other great buys this week:

Extra Lean ground beef, $1.99 lb. at Sprouts
Green Giant canned vegetables, .49 on the mega 10 event at Fry's
Cross rib steak, $1.88 lb. at Fry's
Gorton's fish fillets, 2/$7 at Bashas
Iceberg lettuce, .88 ea at Bashas
Beef tenderloin, $4.99 lb., aprox. $34.73 per bag, a savings of $48.72 at Bashas. WOW.
Chicken thighs, drumsticks or quarters, .88 lb. at Safeway
Broccoli crowns, .79 lb. at Safeway
Walla Walla sweet onions, .69 lb. at Safeway
93 % lean gr. beef, $1.77 lb. at Albertsons