Paul and I had to hit up a few more stores to pick out some more gifts- but we're nearly done now!
Today, I bring you the beauty of the off-price store. We went out to Christmas Tree Shoppes, and Building 19/Spags.
At Christmas Tree Shoppes, we found some of the REALLY nice, high end furry blankets for 6.99- 9.99. The kind that usually cost at least $20. We also found a two-piece set of 20oz thermal coffee mugs, $6.99. The best deal I found, though, was an 11oz container of sesame seeds for $2! These, along with some poppy seeds (same deal), will be used as a topper for some homemade bagels.
At Building 19/Spags, we found tons of board books, perfect for our budding little reader. We also found a box set of toys and games for 2+ year olds that was originally $25, marked down to $7.99. Several other items rounded out our $22 trip- 3 legal pads for Abby to draw on, a bug kit for Anthony, crayons, and a baseball glove for Paul.
I'm hoping that I will get a chance to hit up Ocean State Job Lot tomorrow- I need to pick up some stocking stuffers for Paul (sorry babe, not putting up any hints here!) and pick out something for my sister's birthday.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Cooking Day, part 2!
So, what's that about the best laid plans? Yeah, mine fell apart after a night of grouchy babies. What did I get done?
Hmmm, let's see. First thing in the morning, the stockpot came out of the fridge and onto the burner. The crockpot and rice cooker had black beans and chickpeas, respectively, and they were both drained, rinsed, and refilled with water, then turned on.
The only thing I really got done was bagging everything up. The burritos haven't been made yet, nor the muffins, nor the biscuit mix. But honestly, that's the beauty of cooking ahead. I can jump in where I am, since I'm "banking" the food and sticking it in the freezer or pantry. Hopefully, I can get the biscuit mix made up tonight or tomorrow, since I have some quick dinners that call for biscuit mix!
Hmmm, let's see. First thing in the morning, the stockpot came out of the fridge and onto the burner. The crockpot and rice cooker had black beans and chickpeas, respectively, and they were both drained, rinsed, and refilled with water, then turned on.
The only thing I really got done was bagging everything up. The burritos haven't been made yet, nor the muffins, nor the biscuit mix. But honestly, that's the beauty of cooking ahead. I can jump in where I am, since I'm "banking" the food and sticking it in the freezer or pantry. Hopefully, I can get the biscuit mix made up tonight or tomorrow, since I have some quick dinners that call for biscuit mix!
Monday, December 1, 2008
Shopping/Cooking Day #1
With Christmas fast approaching, things tend to get crazier than usual. With 2 in diapers, we're run pretty ragged as it is, so something's got to give. One thing that we're simplifying this year is meal prep. By having quick and easy meals at our fingertips, we'll be able to fit in the rest of the insanity that is our schedule for the rest of the month!
Today is shopping and and prep day. We took a chunk of time out to get some shopping done.
Walmart- bought 10 bags of veggies (free after coupon), 10 boxes of high fiber/protein pasta (50¢ per box after coupon), 8 boxes of potatoes (33¢ per box after coupon), 5lbs of ground beef ($6.32- $1.26 per lb), 6 bags of dried beans and lentils (99¢ each), flour, shortening, bread, milk, and eggs.
At Shaw's- 20lbs of chicken leg quarters (.49¢ per lb), 1 bag of dried hominy (not carried at Walmart), and a bottled water. I used a $10 off catalina, which, for some reason, took off $11.50??? I ended up paying.... 32¢!
So, the next step is to get it all processed. When we got home, 10 chicken legs went immediately into the stockpot, covered with water, seasoned with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning, and set to boil.
While that was working, I took the last bag of chicken stock out of the freezer and dumped it into the rice cooker with 3 cups of brown rice.
Then, I took the pinto beans that were in the crockpot soaking and set them on the stove to boil. I added some chili powder, oregano, cayenne pepper, onions, and garlic.
All of this took about 15 minutes, and in the meantime I threw a lasagna into the oven.
When the chicken was cooked, I pulled it out of the pot and let it cool. The stock went into several Pyrex measuring cups (I hate the way that fat clings to plastic, so I used the glassware!) and I pulled the meat off the bones and stuck it in the stock. The whole container then goes into the fridge overnight. I do this because the chicken is still a bit fatty when it first comes out of the stock, but an overnight stint in the fridge is plenty of time for the fat to rise to the top, where it will solidify and can be pulled out easily in the morning. The bones went into a freezer bag for now- I'll have more to add tomorrow!
The rice got bagged up and frozen, as well as half of the beans. The other half went into the fridge to be finished tomorrow.
I also made up two bags of three uncooked legs each. They're sitting merrily in the freezer now.
That leaves a total of 10 more legs to be cooked tomorrow. They are already in the stockpot in the fridge, ready for me to pop onto the stove in the morning.
All told, I think I took about an hour so far. I was also cleaning up the kitchen, unpacking the groceries, and had dinner in the midst of all that work! It has been a long day, but I'm proud of what got done so far!
On the agenda for tomorrow: Boil last batch of chicken, cook black beans and chickpeas, make a batch of biscuit mix, bag and freeze the whole lot, bake up some muffins and biscuits, and bag and freeze the ground beef. More on that tomorrow!
Today is shopping and and prep day. We took a chunk of time out to get some shopping done.
Walmart- bought 10 bags of veggies (free after coupon), 10 boxes of high fiber/protein pasta (50¢ per box after coupon), 8 boxes of potatoes (33¢ per box after coupon), 5lbs of ground beef ($6.32- $1.26 per lb), 6 bags of dried beans and lentils (99¢ each), flour, shortening, bread, milk, and eggs.
At Shaw's- 20lbs of chicken leg quarters (.49¢ per lb), 1 bag of dried hominy (not carried at Walmart), and a bottled water. I used a $10 off catalina, which, for some reason, took off $11.50??? I ended up paying.... 32¢!
So, the next step is to get it all processed. When we got home, 10 chicken legs went immediately into the stockpot, covered with water, seasoned with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning, and set to boil.
While that was working, I took the last bag of chicken stock out of the freezer and dumped it into the rice cooker with 3 cups of brown rice.
Then, I took the pinto beans that were in the crockpot soaking and set them on the stove to boil. I added some chili powder, oregano, cayenne pepper, onions, and garlic.
All of this took about 15 minutes, and in the meantime I threw a lasagna into the oven.
When the chicken was cooked, I pulled it out of the pot and let it cool. The stock went into several Pyrex measuring cups (I hate the way that fat clings to plastic, so I used the glassware!) and I pulled the meat off the bones and stuck it in the stock. The whole container then goes into the fridge overnight. I do this because the chicken is still a bit fatty when it first comes out of the stock, but an overnight stint in the fridge is plenty of time for the fat to rise to the top, where it will solidify and can be pulled out easily in the morning. The bones went into a freezer bag for now- I'll have more to add tomorrow!
The rice got bagged up and frozen, as well as half of the beans. The other half went into the fridge to be finished tomorrow.
I also made up two bags of three uncooked legs each. They're sitting merrily in the freezer now.
That leaves a total of 10 more legs to be cooked tomorrow. They are already in the stockpot in the fridge, ready for me to pop onto the stove in the morning.
All told, I think I took about an hour so far. I was also cleaning up the kitchen, unpacking the groceries, and had dinner in the midst of all that work! It has been a long day, but I'm proud of what got done so far!
On the agenda for tomorrow: Boil last batch of chicken, cook black beans and chickpeas, make a batch of biscuit mix, bag and freeze the whole lot, bake up some muffins and biscuits, and bag and freeze the ground beef. More on that tomorrow!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Favorite Christmas Activities that won't break the bank!
When I was little, my parents made up a game for my sister and I. We'd drive around, looking for Christmas lights, and listening to Christmas music. Every time we'd see a light display, we'd call out "Christmas lights!" and we would all admire the hard work put into the displays.
Nowadays, my husband and I are passing that tradition along to our children. Last year, Paul took me to see some of the displays that he passed on the way to work, and it makes me smile to this day.
Bake with your kids! Put on your favorite Christmas music and have fun. Take lots of pictures of your flour-covered kids, use pasturized eggs if you're planning on letting them lick the spoons and bowls.
Search the web to find local events. Lots of communities host Christmas events, like caroling, or your local school's music program might be having an event. Visit the Christmas displays in your town. Make hot cocoa and really savor the time together.
Nowadays, my husband and I are passing that tradition along to our children. Last year, Paul took me to see some of the displays that he passed on the way to work, and it makes me smile to this day.
Bake with your kids! Put on your favorite Christmas music and have fun. Take lots of pictures of your flour-covered kids, use pasturized eggs if you're planning on letting them lick the spoons and bowls.
Search the web to find local events. Lots of communities host Christmas events, like caroling, or your local school's music program might be having an event. Visit the Christmas displays in your town. Make hot cocoa and really savor the time together.
Saving at Christmas- the Gift Edition
Need ideas for gifts? Here's a few!
Calendars- Last year, I made up a bunch of photo calendars with pictures of the kids. I made them all the same, so it was at a discount. Clutter-free, since they are a usable item. Search the web for the best deals, and don't forget to Google "Coupon Codes" for the site you choose!
The gift of food- I make up a bunch of cookies and give them to, well, everyone! Using coupons combined with sales will cut the price in half or more!
Ebay- You can get almost anything at a discount from Ebay!
Calendars- Last year, I made up a bunch of photo calendars with pictures of the kids. I made them all the same, so it was at a discount. Clutter-free, since they are a usable item. Search the web for the best deals, and don't forget to Google "Coupon Codes" for the site you choose!
The gift of food- I make up a bunch of cookies and give them to, well, everyone! Using coupons combined with sales will cut the price in half or more!
Ebay- You can get almost anything at a discount from Ebay!
Saving at Christmas
So, everyone is nervous about the economy, and it seems that everyone is cutting back. But that doesn't mean that you have to, as Dave Ramsey says, "live in a cave and only come out on triple coupon Thursdays". You can still enjoy the Christmas season on a budget! I promise!
I'm going to start a mini-series on saving money at Christmas, complete with ideas for inexpensive yet thoughtful gifts, celebrating the season without breaking the bank, and a few of my favorite Christmas recipes. Watch for future posts!
I'm going to start a mini-series on saving money at Christmas, complete with ideas for inexpensive yet thoughtful gifts, celebrating the season without breaking the bank, and a few of my favorite Christmas recipes. Watch for future posts!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Great deals at Shaws this week!
So, Shaws is doing a Catalina deal this week- spend $20 get $10 Cat. Pretty good deal on its face, right? Well, it gets better! There have been confirmed reports that the Cat prints based on PRE sale prices. That's right, folks, I did it myself! Here's what I did:
9 cans Healthy Choice Soups (on sale 10 for $10, regular price is 2/$5)= $9
-$3 (3x $1 off 3 coupons, found in the same aisle! can they make it any easier?)
Paid $6, got back $10 Catalina coupon!
Also included in this deal are Swiss Miss hot cocoa (make sure it says "Conagra" on the side), Pam, HC entrees, OR popcorn, Hunts products, and lots more!
Keep rolling the Cats to pay for your other freebie items, and you'll wind up with tons of pantry staples!
9 cans Healthy Choice Soups (on sale 10 for $10, regular price is 2/$5)= $9
-$3 (3x $1 off 3 coupons, found in the same aisle! can they make it any easier?)
Paid $6, got back $10 Catalina coupon!
Also included in this deal are Swiss Miss hot cocoa (make sure it says "Conagra" on the side), Pam, HC entrees, OR popcorn, Hunts products, and lots more!
Keep rolling the Cats to pay for your other freebie items, and you'll wind up with tons of pantry staples!
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