Saving Myself Silly

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Dishing It Up Recipe Hop: Slow Cooker Meals--Easy Slow Cooker Pork Stew

This is a new year and my recipe hop partners and I wanted to try doing things a little bit different! We are going to be posting on Thursday mornings now instead of Saturdays. We are going to be sticking with monthly themes, and we have some giveaways in the works!

This month our theme is slow cooker meals. We all love cooking with our slow cooker because they are sooo versatile, and oh so easy to use!

The recipe I'm going to share with you this week is one I threw together using items I had just gotten on sale.

I made this meal in a large crock-pot. If you have a smaller one, you may wish to cut down on the meat and other ingredients. My family of 4 ate two dinners, and a lunch off of this, and then put one meal into the freezer.

Ingredients:
2-3 lbs Pork Stew Meat
2 cans beef broth
2 pouches of brown gravy mix
2 broth cans full of water
4-5 sliced carrots
several small potatoes (any kind will do!)
1 stalk sliced celery (optional)
season to taste
Rice (however much your family needs. We use about 2 cups raw per meal, and that gives my husband a lunch the next day.)

Directions:
Place meat, liquid ingredients, and seasoning into the crockpot. Cook on high until meat is tender. Add vegetables later in the day (the potatoes especially will turn to mush if you put them in too early. I usually give them about 1 hour cooking, and the carrots 2-3. Celery can be added at the beginning or with the carrots.)

You may want to add about 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch/water mixture before serving to thicken the gravy.
Serve over cooked rice.

Cost Breakdown:
Pork Stew meat (half of the 5 lbs I bought)= $3.29
Beef Broth (2 cans @ $0.49 each)= $0.98
White Potatoes @ $0.59/lb = $1.29
Half of 1lb carrots (usually around $0.69) = $0.35
Rice for all 4 meals (estimate $1)
Gravy Mix @ $0.39 each at Aldi = $0.78

Total cost $7.69 and that fed/will feed us 4 meals! That's $1.92 per meal for a family of 4!

Please check out the other slow cooker meals from my friends at Thrifty Texas Penny, Pary Moppins, Deals From MS Do, The Happy Lil Homemaker, Mama's Money Tree, Eating With Mimi, 20SomethingSaver, and Dearly Domestic listed below. If you have a slow cooker meal, link up! Please add our button to your post to help spread the word!

This post is linked up at:

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Sunday Coupon Preview For 1/15

Well the past two weeks have spoiled us with all of the extra coupons, but that couldn't last forever!

This Sunday there will be a single SmartSource insert in our papers.

There will be some pretty good coupons, though! (Including Huggies for those of you who need diapers!)

Check out all the details here.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Practical Wisdom From Yesterday's Women: Have A Budget!

I'm still reading through the introductory paragraphs of The American Frugal Housewife (free for Kindle), and I've come across yet another bit of wisdom:

"It is wise to keep an exact account of all you expend. This answers two purposes; it makes you more careful in spending money, and it enables your husband to judge precisely whether his family live within his income. No false pride, or foolish ambition to appear as well as others, should ever induce a person to live one cent beyond the income of which he is certain."
Child, Lydia Maria Francis (2009-10-04). The American Frugal Housewife (Kindle Locations 107-109). Public Domain Books. Kindle Edition.

The book goes on to give a few examples of daily wages (which were between $2 and $0.50) and how whatever your wage, or your husband's wage I suppose, you should spend only roughly 80% of that.

It also goes on to talk about how trying to keep up with those of a higher social class will come back to haunt you when calamity arises, and you've not saved up anything.

I don't think these are very hard to relate to today at all! Here are a few of my thoughts:

You need to have a budget in place and STICK TO IT! My husband and I will be revamping ours when his next paycheck comes. There have been some changes to our income and finances since we last took a look at it, and we've been spending through some money we'd saved up so we need to take a very close look at that.
Unlike then, now there are credit cards. Don't use them. If you don't have the cash to pay for something, don't buy it. It's very tempting to want to buy that item on credit to "appear as well as others", but save up for it so you don't end up paying much, much more in interest.
Use CASH! We've gotten away from this system, as we always just seem to be too busy to go to the bank and needing to hit the store as soon as the deposit hits the account. But I really liked using cash, and intend to go back to it because, like she said up there..it makes you more careful in spending money...when you can actually see in being spent rather than swiping a piece of plastic.

I will be working on making, trimming, and sticking to my own budget, but I'm going to leave you with one more thought that she had on this subject, and particularly on the topic of our children watching our actions. I think it speaks volumes all by itself!

Self-denial, in proportion to the narrowness of your income, will eventually be the happiest and most respectable course for you and yours. If you are prosperous, perseverance and industry will not fail to place you in such a situation as your ambition covets; and if you are not prosperous, it will be well for your children that they have not been educated to higher hopes than they will ever realize.
Child, Lydia Maria Francis (2009-10-04). The American Frugal Housewife (Kindle Locations 115-118). Public Domain Books. Kindle Edition.

80% Off At Restaurant.com

Restaurant.com Weekly Promo Offer 300 x 250

Restaurant.com has a new code DINNER that will get you 80% off! That means that $25 gift certificates will cost just $2!

If you wish to earn a bit of cash back, you can purchase then through Upromise (30% back into your child's college savings account), or Ebates (15% cashback).

Kroger Deal 1/11-1/17

Here are the best prices I see advertised at Kroger this week:

Meat:

Kroger Value Chicken Drumsticks/Thighs $0.99/lb.

Seasoned Chicken Leg Quarters $0.79/lb

Eckrich Smoked Sausage 42 oz $5.99

Produce:

Blueberries Pint $2.50

Cantaloupe $1.00

Other:

Ken's Salad Dressing 16oz. 50% Off $1.84 Each

Use $1/1 from 1/8 SS = $0.84 each

Sargento Cheese Shredded 5-8oz. 50% Off $1.79 Each

Libby's Canned Vegetables 50% Off $0.62 Each

Use $1/4 from 11/13 RP = $0.37 each wyb 4

Classico Pasta Sauce 50% Off $1.49 each

Bush's Best Beans 50% Off $0.54-$0.59 Each

Birds Eye Voila Skillet Meals 50% Off $2.69 Each

Thomas English Muffins 50% Off $1.99 Each

Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 50% Off $1.59 Each

Swiss Miss 50% Off $1.14 Each

Use $0.50/2 from 12/11 SS

Silk Almond/coconut Milk $2.79

Use $0.75/1 from 1/8 SS

Many other items are also Half Off this week!

There is a P&G Mega Event going on again this week.

You can load extra savings to your kroger card here.

Don't forget about the Cellfire and SavingStar Coupons also!

Fiesta Deals 1/11-1/17

Here are the best prices I see advertised at Fiesta this week:

Meat:

Whole Chickens $0.67/lb (limit 3 with $10 purchase)

Pork Spare Ribs $1.49/lb (limit 2 with $10 purchase)

Beef Shank $1.79/ln *Thursday & Friday Only*

Chicken Drumsticks $0.69/lb *Thursday & Friday Only* Limit 1 Jumbo bag with $10 purchase

Produce:

Tomatoes $0.59/lb

Mangos 2 for $1

Avocados $0.39 each

Cilantro 3 for $1

Lettuce $0.79 each

Red Onions $0.69/lb

Lemons 5 for $1

10 lb bag Oranges $4.99

Green Bell Peppers 3 for $1

Navel Oranges 5 for $1

Green Cabbage $0.39/lb

Other:

Fiesta Rice 4 lb. $1.66

El Rio Grande Deals 1/11-1/17

Here are the best prices I see advertised at El Rio Grande this week:

Meat:

Split Chicken Breast $0.69/lb

Pork Rib Stew Meat $0.99/lb

Catfish Nuggets $1.19/lb.

Ground Beef $1.69/lb.

Produce:

Yellow Onions 8 lbs. for $1

Round Tomatoes 3 lbs. for $1

5lb. Potatoes $0.99

Small Red Apples 4 for $1

Large Avocados $0.79 each

Cilantro 3 for $0.99

Bananas 2 lbs. for $1

Cucumbers 3 for $1

Yellow Corn 2 for $1

Tangerines 6 for $1

Fresh Celery $0.59

Green Onions 2 for $1

Other:

Scott Extra Soft 12 pack double roll $3.99 each

El Rancho Deals 1/11-1/17

Here are the best prices I see advertised at El Rio Grande this week:

Meat:

Beef Shank $1.69/lb

Chicken Breast $1.19/lb

Fresh Pork $0.99/lb

Produce:

Large Tomatoes 3 lbs. for $1

Avocados 5 for $1

Lettuce $0.99 each

White Onions 2 lbs. for $1

Mexican Squash $0.69/lb

Cilantro 4 for $1

Green Cabbage 3 lbs. for $0.99

Oranges 7 for $0.99

Red Delicious Apples 4 for $0.99

Other:

Rice 4lb. bag $2

Aldi Deals 1/11-1/17

Here are the best prices I see advertised at Aldi this week:

Meat Special Buy:

Fresh Top Round London Broil $4.49/lb
(I have absolutely no idea if this is a good price for this type of meat or not).

Produce:

Grapefruit $0.29 each

Apples $0.50/lb (sold in 3 lb. bags for $1.49)

Clementines $0.75/lb. Sold in 2 lb. bags for $1.49

Pineapple $0.99

Tom Thumb Deals 1/11-1/17

Here are the best prices I see advertised this week at Tom Thumb:

Meat:

Whole Boneless Pork Loin $1.99/lb

Safeway Chicken Thighs/Drumsticks $0.99/lb

Hormel Natural Choice Lunchmeat $2.49 with in-ad coupon

Use $0.50/1 printable (first one doubles) = $1.49 (multiples redeemed at face value)

Produce:

Gala, Braeburn, or Fuji Apples $0.99/lb

Peeled Baby Carrots 1lb. $1.00

Lemons 2 for $1

Avocados $0.79

Cucumbers/Green Bell Peppers $0.79

Organic Baking Potatoes $0.99/lb

Other:

Chef Boyardee $0.89

Use $0.50/4 from 1/1 SS (first one doubles) = $0.64 each wyb 4

Pillsbury Brownie Mix $0.99 each with in-ad coupon

Use coupon from 11/6 RP (varies by region)

Powerade $0.69 with in-ad coupon

Keebler Fudge Shoppe Cookies $1.67 with in ad coupon

New Product Coupon: Velveeta Dip + Tom Thumb Deal

There is a new coupon available this morning for $1.00/1 Velveeta Dip (you will have to scroll through to find it, it was on page 2 for me):

These are on sale for just $2.99 at Tom Thumb Starting today, so after coupon you will pay just $1.99.

Albertsons Deals 1/11-1/17

Albertsons has some very good prices this week. They are having a very small Mega Sale, alongside a Crazy 8's sale--many items are $0.88. They also have some great meat and produce prices, as well as $5/$50 in-ad coupon that is valid Fri-Sun Only and after all manufacturer coupon are redeemed.

Here are the best prices I see advertised this week:

Meat:

Split Chicken Breasts or Drumsticks $0.88/lb

Chicken Breasts $1.69/lb

Assorted Pork Loin Chops $1.88/lb

Produce:

Clementines (Fri-Sun Only) 3lb bag $3.99 OR 5lb. box $4.99

Cherries $2.88/lb

5lb. Russet Potatoes $1.88 each

Fresh Express Spinach or Garden Salad $1.88

3lb. Yellow Onions $1.88

Cantaloupe $1.88

Celery $0.98

Egglpant $0.98 each

Danjou Pears $0.88/lb (sold in 8lb. totes)

3lb. Apples $2.88 each

Buy 10 Save $5 Mega Items: * Indicates Price When Buying 10

Ragu Pasta Sauce $0.98*

Knorr Pasta Sides $0.78*

Hellman's Mayo 30oz $3.98*

Country Crock 45oz $2.48*

Breyers Ice Cream, Popsicles, or Klondike Bars $3.28*

WishBone Dressing $1.48*

Bertolli Entrees $5.98*

Other:

Albertsons Frozen Vegetables 16oz $0.88

Albertsons Quick Oats or Old Fashioned Old $0.88

Totinos Pizza Rolls $0.98

Use $0.40/2 from 12/11 SS or 1/8 GM (doubles) = $0.58 each
$0.40/2 Printable

Campbells Select Soups $0.98

Healthy Choice Soups

Swiss Miss $0.98

Use $0.50/2 from 12/11 SS (doubles) = $0.48 each

Chef Boyardee $0.88

Use $0.50/4 from 1/1 SS (doubles) = $0.63 each

Grands Biscuits $1.50

Use $0.30/2 (triples) from 10/23 SS, 11/20 SS, 12/11 SS, 1/8 GM = $01.05 each
$0.30/2 Printable

Activia 4pk $2

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

HIGH Value Baby Formula Coupon

If you use formula for your baby, or know someone who does, then you will want to print this one out RIGHT NOW!

$10.00 off any Enfamil large tub

This stuff is incredibly expensive, so make sure you print your limit of two so you can save $20 on something you will have to buy anyway!

Nice Coupon For The Winter Months

Here's a great coupon to use to fight those winter chapped lips!

$0.75 off Carmex Moisture Plus Lip Balm

There will be some Carmex on sale for $1.19 at CVS starting this Sunday. I'm not certain that this particular type will be included, but I am sure that we shouldbe seeing some drug stores sales on it as we get deeper into the winter, so print it now before its gone!

Albertsons Trip 1/10 69% Savings

After Old Navy (and Garden Ridge, JCPenney, and Cici's), we made one last stop at Albertsons before heading home. I put my list together and gathered up my coupons yesterday, so I was all set to get in and out of there, which is good because the two year old was all shopped out!

Here's what I got:

The only coupons I used were 4 BOGO Ozarka Sparkling 1L, and 4 $0.75/2 Musselman's Single Serve. Both were from this past Sunday's paper.

Total Shelf Price: $48.56

Total Sale Price: $26.48 Already 45 % Savings

Price Paid After Coupons: $15.04 69% Savings

Using My Old Navy Groupons

This morning, my mom wanted to go shopping, so I decided that while I was out (and had an extra person with me to redeem my second one), we would run by Old Navy and see what I could find to use my two Groupons on.

We split these up into two transactions that were as near to $20 each as we could get. They were having a big clearance sale, so everything that I bought was marked down. Here is everything that I was able to get with my two $20 Old Navy Groupons.

Two pair of sweatpants for me.

Two shirts for me

A summer nightgown for me

A pair of brown leather flip flops for my husband.

2 Matching dresses for my girls

3 3-packs of girls panties

I'm not sure how much all of these items cost before clearance, but after using my Groupons (one was a gift, and one I paid $5 for the one I bought because I had $5 credit in my account), I spent just $5.67 including taxes (and they taxed on the price of the groupon, so $10 more than I actually owed I was taxed for).

That means that I paid $10.67 for all of this including what I paid for the Groupons, plus for each set of purchases, my mother and I both got a coupon to be used in the future for $10 off a $20 purchase.

Introducing Teaching Tuesdays

I mentioned in my post about my new blog schedule that Tuesdays were going to be "teaching Tuesdays" for a while. I'm going to be kicking this series off *next* week, but I wanted to give you guys a brief introduction of what to expect, and also ask for some input from you!

I'm going to keep these very brief, and tackle a single topic each week. I'll tell you whatever I know about the topic, and give you some helpful links, too!

I have a small list of topics already in mind, but I would love to hear from you. If there is any sort of question related to couponing/saving money/freezer cooking/anything else that I talk about here on this blog, feel free to ask. I will add it to my list.

If you have an idea you would like to have answered, you may leave a comment below, or if you would rather do so, you may email me at savingmyselfsilly@gmail.com.

Rare Meat Coupon

Here's a great new coupon for Jennie-O Turkey Sausage:

$0.75 off JENNIE-O TURKEY STORE sausage

Print this now and watch for meat reductions when you go to the grocery store. Kroger usually has a lot of these, so keep an eye out.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Zatarain's Coupon

Here is a great coupon for $0.50/3 Zatarian's Cajun Dinner Mixes

$0.50 off three Zatarain's Rice or Pasta Mixes

If you love Cajun food, or you're just homesick like me, these are pretty good!

They often go on sale for $1 per box. If your store doubles, you can get three boxes for $2, or just $0.66 per box.

Custom Desk Calendar Just $1 + Shipping

Right now InkGarden is offering their custom desk calendars for just $1 each.

Shipping for the first calendar is $4.99, but if you buy additional ones, shipping is just $1.99 each on those.

Click the image above to make yours!

New Discount Shopping Site: SneakPeeq

Sneakpeeq, the largest social shopping company, is celebrating 100,000 facebook fans! As part
of its celebration, sneakpeeq is giving away $10 for free! Use it towards any purchase.

They have some great sales going on right now, including Melissa & Doug Toys!

Click on the image above to register now and get your $10 credit!

Organization Update: Getting Stuff Together Over The Break!

I told you that we were going to be doing a ton of cleaning, moving around, and reorganizing around here the week after Christmas, but I never got a chance to fill you in on how that was going.

Here are a couple shots of our newly made playroom (earlier in the day, this room was a nursury).

We moved the little sister that's in this picture in with the big sister. They are having a good time sharing a room now. Earlier in the day, the floor of this room was covered with toys that were not in the proper spot. They now all have a home in the picture above, and we only left the playhouse and polly pocket doll toys in their room, as well as the book shelf.

My husband got a new desk (on clearance for $40!!). Here it is all set up...yes those are transformers....
There was a futon where his desk now sits (it's been moved into the playroom). He no longer has to do his schoolwork out in the garage, so he's very happy about that.

Last week, when my help (read husband) had to go back to work, and my older daughter was back at school, I tackled some smaller projects.

First off, the top of my hutch had gotten out of hand yet again. This is what it looked like before I straightened in back up.

Also, the one remaining thing in my girls room that was a mess was their bookshelf, so I took all the book off--half were already on the floor, and organized them by type.

This is midway through organizing them, so I have them all stacked up in categories. I've got the picture books on the bottom shelves for the little one, books that the five year old can read on the next two up, and nice books that i don't want messed with at the top.

Of course, the two year managed to make about 18 more messes while I was trying to get this done.

Normally, I will let you guys know my goal for the upcoming week, but with my mom visiting, we plan to be out and about a bit. I've got some Old Navy Groupons and a JC Penney gift card to use, so we'll be doing some shopping and just hanging out, so I'm not setting an organizing goal except not falling behind on the dishes and laundry (which I already have!).

What is your goal for the week?

Need Some Help With Your Menu Planning?

I know many people have set a goal to get organized and save more money in the new year. A great way to save on food is by meal planning.

I just shared my menu plan for the week with you guys this morning, and I'm keeping it pretty simple this week with my mom visiting.

I am getting burned out on some of the recipes I've been making, so next week I plan on using this site a bit more extensively. I know I've told you guys about it before, but I wanted to mention it again in case you are just getting into the meal planning and need a little bit of help.

This site is so great! You pick the store you want to shop at. It shows you the prices of some meats and other items, then once you pick your main protein, it gives you some meal choice to pick from using other sale items at that store! Then it makes a shopping list for you.

With the free version, you can plan up to three meals, you can clear them out and start over if you need to plan more (I always do), but there are also paid options with more features.

Click the image above to try it out now!

Menu Plan: Mom's In Town

My mom got in to town Saturday morning, and she brought up a huge pork roast to cook while she was here, so she's be doing that tomorrow while she's watching my toddler while I'm at the dentist.

I'm still working out the breakfasts and lunches for the week, but I've gotten my dinners all planned out.

Monday: Pork Roast

Tuesday: Mom's getting Popeye's (they have a 2 piece for $0.99 special on Tuesdays, so she gets it everytime she comes)

Wednesday: Leftover roast

Thursday: Catfish Nuggets and homemade fries

Friday: Red Beans and Rice (I didn't get around to making this last week)

Saturday: Leftover Red Beans (then I should still have some to freeze)

Sunday: Spaghetti (from the freezer)

You can find more menu plans here.

Sunday, January 8, 2012

CVS Trip 1/8: $0.25 OOP 99% Savings

After we got home from church, I ran back out to the store to bed some extra newspapers, and then I came back home and went through the CVS ad. They finally had an ad that I was excited to shop, and I had a lot of ECBs to spend!

I had the $9 ECBs from my last trip, $5 from the Beauty Club, and I got $8 from my quarterly spending. They only thing I can figure with that one is that we had a few extra prescriptions filled with our sickness last month. I've never gotten that many in my life! So I went into the store with $22 of their money to spend. Here is what I left with:

Total Shelf Price: $47.70
Total Sale Price: $35.69
Price Paid After Coupons and ECBS: $0.25 99% Savings and I received $16.24 back in ECBs.

Coupons I used were:
FREE AXE coupon (by mail)
BOGO Axe coupon from today's paper.
$1/2 GM Cereal from 12/11 SS
$2/2 Reach toothbrushes

Note: The toothbrushes I found were a bonus 3 pack, and still included in the sale.

TONS Of New Printable Coupons Today!

Oh my goodness! So many new coupons this morning, I feel like the first of the morning happened all over again!

Go grab the ones you need!

Practical Wisdom From Yesterday's Women: Nothing Should Be Wasted!

I told you earlier in the week of my plan to read through some really old homemaking books that I found free for Kindle and share with you the wisdom that I glean from them (you can click over and read my intro post if you missed it).

I told you that I was going to start off reading The American Frugal Housewife, and I did not even get a full paragraph into the introductory chapter before I had a great quote for you!

"Nothing should be thrown away so long as it is possible to make any use of it, however trifling that use may be; and whatever be the size of a family, every member should be employed either in earning or saving money."
Child, Lydia Maria Francis (2009-10-04). The American Frugal Housewife (Kindle Locations 89-90). Public Domain Books. Kindle Edition.

The book goes on to suggest a few ways that this should be accomplished (written, if you recall, in 1832):

Knitting/mending our own stockings.
Patching clothing.
Teaching children to prepare and braid straw for their own bonnets (and their brother's hats!)
Using feathers that fall from turkeys and geese to make fans to be sold for profit.

Now there are certainly a ton of things in this book that are not going to pertain to us anymore. Obviously, not many of us knit stockings, or wear bonnets, and own geese! But the main idea here is still the same today!

Some things that we can do today to make less waste:

Learn some basic sewing so that small tears in clothing can be repaired. (I'm certainly talking to myself here, because I'm not sure I'm equipped to so much as sew a button back on!)
If the children want to create, let them color on the backs of those papers that coupons print on. Let them cut pictures out of your old magazines. Think about the items you throw away everyday and determine if there is anyway that you can reuse it. I cleaned out some empty spice shakers for my girls to use as tub toys!
If you have a skill (we all have skills), see if you can profit from it. Make things to sell if you are crafty (I'm not!). Tutor. Edit essays. (I've done both of these, though!) I keep telling my husband that people would pay for his computer expertise.
If you have things that you don't need, but they are still useful, try to sell them. Post them on craigslist, or have a garage sale.

These few little paragraphs resonated with me because my husband recently had to switch to a different part time job that paid much less, and we are trying to find ways to make up for that loss of income. He has applied for a tutoring position a few hours a week that will pay quite well given his teaching experience, but whether or not there is a student for him is up to chance!

We've been going through our house and doing a lot of purging (wasteful yes, but sometimes you just have to!) We have sat a number of things off to the side in our garage, and we are planning to have a garage sale in the near future.

Of course, I am using this site to share my skills and knowledge with all of you, and continuing to learn more about blogging and always working to make this site better and more user friendly (I'd love any suggestions!). I love what I do here, and do not blog to make money. In fact, I blogged for an entire year before ever signing up with any affiliate sites whatsoever. But, I do spend a lot of time doing this, so I am always looking into ways to make my site become profitable.

I don't know if Ms. Child would say we were living up to her frugal expectations (I've definitely got to figure out the button sewing), but I truly believe it is a process, and everyone slips up from time to time. We've not always been the most frugal people, but we are trying our best to get there!

Looks like the next frugal topic the book discusses is budgets, so stayed tuned!

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Weekend Rewind: Homemade Baby Food

This post was first written on March 30, 2010. When my kids were younger, I made my own baby food for both of them. It was very easy, much cheaper, and I knew exactly what went in it!

Here's the post:

After I got done with all of my shopping last week and was feeling so proud of myself for getting everything we would need in the near future (and doing so with two kids tagging along), I opened up the freezer to discover that my hungry little critter was almost out of homemade baby food. *sigh* I had also forgotten the main ingredient to the recipe my visiting sister in law had asked for, so back to the store I went. I came back with enchilada sauce, and three very large sweet potatoes. I also had a pack of carrots in the fridge.

I baked the sweet potatoes until they were very soft. I boiled the carrots in a large pot on the stove.

When they are done, I puree them until they are smooth. My daughter is getting a little older now so I tried to make them a little thicker and chunkier for her. For smaller portions I use my Magic Bullet , but for large portions I use my blender. Then I pour them into very small containers or ice cube trays. Then I put them into the freezer.

Once they are frozen, I will remove them from the ice cube trays and place them into a zip top freezer bag. Then when it is meal time I just have to take out a few cubes and thaw them in the microwave.

So there, now I have my orange vegetables made. Who knows a good sale on green vegetables or fruit?

Oh, one more thing! If the produce you want is not in season, frozen blagged vegetables work just as well. I have made peas and green beans this way and they work just fine. =)

Friday, January 6, 2012

Friday Must-Read Rewind

It's the first Friday of the new year, and alot of the posts I've read, or seeked out to read, have had that first of the year encouragement to do well and keep going with what you are already doing well.

Here is a great list of 7 things to do in the new year to simplify your life and make things run more smoothly. I was encouraged by this post because I've either just done, or its on my list of tasks to accomplish, everything on that list--except for the bathroom cleaning baskets. It is such a simple idea, and I really like it. I'm just not convinced that it would not be too big of a toddler temptation. ;)
Being frugal has everything to do with intentions
How a friend saved $1200 in 10 minutes.
I'm still working on making my personal and blogging plans for the year, and you all know I've been working a lot on organizing. This a series that ran last year, and I caught the tail end of it, but I'm going to try to work it into my plans this year: 52 Weeks of Organizing

FREE Kindle Download: How To Make A Budget

Here's a FREE Kindle download I just came across that I thought might help us all:

How to Make a Budget: Get Out of Debt and Start Saving More Money

We will be reworking our budget when my husband gets his monthly payment later this month, so I will definitely be adding this to my reading list.

What To Expect Around Here In The New Year

I am a little bit behind on all of my "planning for the new year" as you can tell, but I've finally been able to come up with a new blogging schedule that I think is going to work for me. My mother will be visiting this week, so you may not see all of these things come into play until after her visit, but I have some great new things in store.

Mondays:

Tuesdays:

New: Teaching Tuesdays (Look for this starting later in the month.)
New: Rebate Round-Up (I'm challenging myself to be better about mail-in rebates, so I'm going to go in search of some to share with you each week.)

Wednesdays:

Grocery Match-Ups
Practical Wisdom From Yesterday's Women

Thursdays:

Friday:

Must-Read Rewind (I've been sharing my favorite reads throughout the week.)
New: Weekly Shopping/Saving Totals (I've always posted all of my shopping trips, but each Friday I'm going to add them all together, see if I stuck to the budget, and keep track of my savings.

Saturday:

New: Weekend Rewind---I'm going to repost one of my favorite posts from the past. There's some great stuff buried back in those year and a half of archives!

Sunday:

Another installment of Practical Wisdom From Yesterday's Women. (I've got the first one all typed up and scheduled to post! I can't wait!)

If you'd like to make sure you do not miss all of these new features, I would suggest following me by email (fill in the form below). This is especially important if you only follow me on facebook because many of us bloggers are still having horrible trouble with our posts showing up in people's feeds. Many of the blogs that I follow no longer appear in my feed, so I am missing out on seeing their posts. If you subscribe by email, you will get a single email each day containing any posts I have written in that 24 hour period. They will be waiting in your inbox for you to read at your leisure. =)

HOT!! High Value Cold Eeze Coupon

Click here to print your coupon for $2.50/1 Cold Eeze Oral Spray!

$2.50 off On Cold-EEZE Cold Remedy ORAL SPRAY

Print this one now and hold onto it for a hot drug store deal!

Hormel Natural Choice Lunch Meat Coupon= $2.50 (or less) at Kroger

Here is a great new lunch meat coupon.

$0.50 off HORMEL NATURAL CHOICE Deli meat

These are currently on sale at Kroger (Through Tuesday) for $3. Texas Kroger does not double anymore, so you can use this coupon and pay $2.50. If your Kroger still doubles, you will pay $2.

New Nabisco Coupon

Wheat Thins and Triscuits are my favorite snacks, so I love when these coupons come along! They are pretty rare and never last long, so print now!

$1.00 off 2 NABISCO snacks (not single serve)

One you print, be on the look out for a sale! I often see these on sale 2 for $4, so after coupon they would be just $1.50 each. I don't see that sale anywhere this week though.

Tom Thumb has the Teddy Grahams 2 for $5 this week (which I think is pricey!) but that was about the only advertised sale I saw.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Sunday Coupon Preview For 1/8: HOLY COW!!!

As if the 4 inserts this past Sunday weren't enough, this Sunday there could be up to 6 coupon inserts!!!

There will be 2 SS, 1 RP, 1 GM, and Walmart and Target will also put out inserts.

Some of these very well may be regional, and some regions will combine inserts (so you may not get the GM insert, but the coupons from it may be in your SS).

Check out what to expect here!

I'm seeing some great stuff!

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