Welch's: Harvest of Help

Welch's: Harvest of Help is donating juice to Feeding America (a non-profit working for hunger-relief) and they need our help! For each click of the mouse, they'll donate 8 glasses of juice. Its super simple, but you do have to click on just the right button on their webpage. You can do it! And then get yourself a drink. It sure made me thirsty!

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Dollar Dinner!

So KFC gave away a free piece of chicken today. That's nice. But this is even better! Boston Market has a dinner (or lunch) for one dollar. Multiple pieces of chicken, plus mashed potatoes plus cornbread. That's sweet. We'll be there Wednesday night... and Friday too. Why not?

Print your coupon(s) here:

http://www.bostonmarket.com/restaurant?page=coupons

UPDATE: It looks like Boston Market took the coupon off their site already. hope you printed yours! If not I'll give you a hint: slickdeals.net; search boston market. We thoroughly enjoyed our meals on Wednesday night and we're going back tonight! The coupon is good through Sunday Nov 1, so you still have time to enjoy.

Free address labels

I bought my first address labels when I was 10 years old and used them for my pen pals and BMG Music service correspondence. They were rainbow colored- pink then yellow then a blue one then green! They even had to be licked- remember that? Anyhow, my 1,000 rainbow labels never ran out before I ran er moved out of my parents home. The next batches of address labels came to me from charities- indian reservations, St. Jude's, Sierra Club and more. They were sweet, because they were free. Never mind the ostrich picture on them. Today I realized I either need to inform the charities of my new whereabouts and sucomb to their mass mailings, OR I could actually buy some address labels from a reputable printing company. Huh! So I did it. You'll probably see the results on our Christmas cards, but in the mean time, check out Vista Print if you need address labels, because they are FREE. Just $3 for shipping, and you've got nice, non-cheesy, non-licking address labels.

what is it about New Jersey?

We've owned a home in New Jersey for one month now. People ask me how I like it, how I'm adjusting, how it compares to Maryland, etc. etc. Here are just a few things about the new life that I love.

• I love the two old men that meet up every weekday morning at the church parking lot near our home. They set up their lawn chairs (on the asphalt) and shoot the breeze. For hours. Everyday.
• I love the carillon of the church (St. Thomas the Apostle) which play lovely hymns everyday... oh alright, I love them less at 7am on Saturday morning, but they're still nice.
• Italians are everywhere.
• When we enrolled at a local bank, we were welcomed to "the family". (How else could they pay us 4.01% on our checking account?)
• No more pumping gas for me - all service stations are full service. Aparently there's a law requiring gas to be dispensed by "professionals" you know.
• When you ask for paper bags at the store, they put a paper bag inside of a plastic bag. I guess so you have handles to hold the bag with, but what's the point of the paper bag inside then?
• Shoprite has had ice cream on sale every week for 1.99 or less since we got here. This has kept baby very happy. That and the 99 cent Tastycakes at the Arnold bakery thrift store... (Would you believe I actually lost a pound between my last two doctor visits?)
• I get to see the Manhattan skyline everytime I drive east on Rte 3. Somedays its smoggy, somedays its clear, but its breathtaking every time I realize NYC is right there!
• The Manhattan Temple is so gorgeous.

Free Lunch (or dinner) this week

Its fast food, but its free! Print this coupon for Arby's FREE Bacon cheddar Roastburger with ANY drink purchase !
I imagine the drink will run you $1.39 or something, depending on what size you get. The coupon is good just until THURSDAY so go enjoy a free(ish) meal! Make it spontaneous picnic on a nice summer day.
Anyone tried these sandwiches before? I haven't been a big roast beast kind of person in the past... baby thinks it sounds good though. Especially for free.
Thanks to all the other bloggers (like Hip2Save) posting this so I can't forget about it.

Virtual Yard Sale!

Since we need every last penny to our names to buy a house (and probably a new car), I'm selling off these items:

Pentax ZX-7, SLR Camera, Sigma lens (28-80mm) plus a few filters and a case! Highly rated: http://www.photographyreview.com/mfr/pentax/35mm/PRD_84504_3105crx.aspx Purchased in 2002, retail about $500 for camera body, $150 for lens, filters, and case.
$130 for all!

Sharp 250-watt stereo system- CD-E77 - 3-disc changer w/ dual cassette player, remote, great sound. CD-changer struggles when shuffling. See http://www.dealtime.com/xPF-Sharp-CD-E77-Mini-System-with-CD. Purchased in 2003, retail about $160.
$35 (We're keeping this since we can't replace it anytime soon)

Garmin E-trex Vista GPS- Super duper GPS for adventures by land & sea (not a car GPS- it doesn't speak). Purchased in 2002, retail about $300.
$69 (PPU- sold)

Probably more to come!! Pictures can be provided... I should post them here soon though. Let me know if you'd like more info about anything.

Menu Plan Monday: June 14-20

I can't believe its half way through June. Our time in Maryland is ticking by and I need to do better at enjoying it before we leave. We still have to eat though. I've started to wonder about how we're going to eat in New Jersey. Sounds over dramatic I know (how will we eat?? Jerry does have a job, don't worry all). Really its my apprehension about where the nearest grocery store is, and whether it will be fairly priced and what about Trader Joe's and how often will I really get down to Aldi with two kids along and will the grocery stores double coupons there and so on. One step at a time. I can always order food from Amazon.com. (anyone ever tried it?)
Anyway, this week's menu:
Sunday: Cuban steak, potato salad
Monday: Caribbean Pork & Rice
Tuesday: Beef Stroganoff w/ egg noodles
Wednesday: Pierogies w/ spinach & peppers
Thursday: jerry jerry
Friday: Cheesesteak sandwiches
Saturday: Aloha pizza

going down green

I saw a recipe for Green Smoothies during my first trimester and just about gagged. That's great for them, I thought. Then I saw it again last week under a much calmer stomach situation. Since "deceptively delicious" is my middle name, I thought I should try it out.
Not bad at all! I am a big lover of milkshakes and smoothies, so this is a much better-for-me alternative, and one I can share with Calista. We've been enjoying it for snack time lately.
Here's my version:

1/2 frozen banana
1/2 c plain yogurt
small handful of blueberries
large handful of fresh spinach
some milk
some Orange juice
some ice
vrrrrooom in the blender
and voila!

It washes down peanut butter very well. And you get a signature green mustache that's priceless. Try it!

Rockin' the Rite Aid

This week is a fine one for Rite Aid. I honestly haven't been there in months and months (OK, except the one in NJ that was going out of business and everything was 75% off!!). But the ad this week looked so good I couldm't pass it by. My store didn't have everything, as usual, but I still had a good trip.
Today I got these 25 items for $2. 38 out of pocket. Oh yeah, and I'm expecting a single check rebate for another $6.00 in the mail. Woohoo!
Thanks to the BOGO coupons in the 5/17 RP (which I had 10 of) and the Rite Aid BOGO sale, I got 20 free candybars. Yes its just what I need now I'm sure. But my primary class is going to love me. :) And doesn't homemade Twix ice cream sound scrumptous?
To plan your own trip to Rite Aid, check out a summary of deals on Faithful Provisions. And remember to print and use the $5 off a $25 purchase coupon too!

Menu Plan Monday: June 7-13

Planned meals are back at our house. I hope. Its so much easier on all of us if dinner is not a last minute thing... I just need to do better!
Sunday: Crock Pot Black Bean & Shredded Pork soup (all you mag)
Monday: Fettucine Carbonara (thanks Joy of "cooking"), broccoli
Tuesday: Shrimp & zucchini Tostadas (Everyday Food mag)
Wednesday: Tacos
Thursday: Its all Jerry.
Friday: Hamburgers
Saturday: Spring rolls

DIY Healthy Tortillas

We were out of tortillas on a Sunday recently and this girl just needed some tortilla. So I decided it was time to try to make my own. They turned out so nicely I had to share! Whole wheat tortillas can be pretty expensive, or have sweeteners you don't really want in them. I found it only took about 1/2 hour to make & cook a batch of 10 tortillas, and you could double the recipe and freeze them if you were inclined.

The original recipe I used from Lindsay at Passionate Homemaking, but I'm not quite as passionate as she is, so here's a slightly revised version of her recipe.

2 cups whole wheat flour (I used hard red wheat)

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup warm water

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/4 cup oil

1. Measure liquid ingredients into a mixing bowl.
2. Add baking powder and salt, kneading in the flour until the dough is workable but not too stiff. It helps if you have a little helper. ;) I found the amount of flour to be just right. Let stand 10 minutes.
4. Shape into 8 - 10 balls and let stand 10 more minutes. Roll to form a 10 inch circle or use a tortilla press. I try to get them as thin as I could by hand, since I don't have a tortilla press.
4. Bake on a lightly greased griddle till done (not browned). Toast for about 20-30 sec. per side.

Enjoy!

Mine were certainly not perfect circles like store-bought ones, but they tasted great and made excellent burrito wrappers. I kept the extras in a ziploc in the fridge.

bellyhood (not bollywood)

I have arrived at bellyhood. On Sunday I whacked myself (in the protrusive belly) with the car door for the first time (since last time). It was a very "doh!" moment. I ran my poor belly into the wall(s) many times with Calista. It takes some re-calibration to get yourself through life when you are growing wider everyday. Cats are lucky because they have whiskers to help them figure out if they can fit through a door. (and you shouldn't trim whiskers, even if they're uneven. Poor Miffy. I was 12, OK?).

Hurry!! get free lunch (or dinner) from KFC (er KGC)

You've got to print this out today to get your FREE 2-piece Grilled Chicken Meal with two sides and a biscuit! I hear you can print out 4 per computer, so you can take some friends or your family! The coupon expires in a couple weeks, so think about how much KFC you can stomach in a short period of time too ;).
Thanks to my fave deal blogs for the heads up: Faithful Provisions, Hip2Save, and MoneyWiseMoms!

Menu Plan Monday: May 3-9

Sunday: Pasta Pizza and franch bread from my new (thrift store) bread maker
Monday: Spinach & Rice Casserole, leftover franch bread, ice cream
Tuesday: Feliz Cinco de Mayo!!! Bean Burgers, salad, limeade, helado
Wednesday: Apple Cheddar Chicken, broccoli, ice cream
Thursday: Beans & Rice, Asparagus & cheese sauce, ice cream
Friday: Mini meatloaves, scalloped potatoes, peas, ice cream
Saturday: Out of town (hopefully they'll have ice cream ;)

So we got a little ice cream today... Thanks to Giant's double coupons (& $1 coupon from 3/29),Turkey Hill was only 50 cents a tub! How could we resist?

I don't usually post much about my personal life then when I do (a few days ago) I got 6 comments! Thanks for the love, all. I suppose that's the stuff that makes this interesting, so I'll try to add more.

shoppin' for a cause

Next Saturday is the national mail carier's food drive, Stamping Out Hunger, so I thought that was a good reason to go get some cheap food at the Shoppers double/triple coupon sale (* Note that not all Shoppers stores are participating; I went to White Flint). OK, so we'll probably keep 80% of what we bought, but I do have some other recent purchases to send along to the food banks. (BLEH- do not waste your money on the Rozoni Bistro "ready to eat" pasta packs! I couldn't have imagined they could be so gross! I got them free and I still won't eat another one.)
So here's the run down: I got about $50 of food for $13! That included $4 of produce & milk (no coupons for those).
6 cans of beans
8 cans diced tomatoes
5 cups of tuna/salmon (ready to eat- this is great convenience food for Calista now)
2 Activia yogurt 4-packs
1 Dan-Active 4 pk
2 bags froz broccoli
1 cookie mix
3 small cans pineapple
3 boxes pasta
1 tub land o lakes
roma tomatoes
cilantro
1 gal milk
ohhh yeahhh.

boring blog

Good thing I'm not a professional blogger (not even close) cause I just don't feel inspired these days. But I'm going to try to get back with a simple top ten list of my excuses for not blogging. Feel free to chime in with your best excuses!
1. The "turnip"-sized being in my belly has wreaked havoc on my relationship with meal planning. I am past the first trimester now, and things are better, but I couldn't think about food or open the fridge without feeling nauseous for a while.
2. Naptime= naptime, not blog time these days.
3. I'm utterly distracted by plans to move to New Jersey for Jerry's new job this fall.
4. I'm addicted to Zillow.com
5. I'm crafting the finest Google map of our new NJ hood with points for possible homes, Montclair State, churches, and the nearest ALDI locations. I'll have to drive 30 minutes probably, but ALDI will be doable at least once a month.
6. Calista turned TWO and partied hard.
7. Family - we've visited and been visited a lot in the last month. What a treat!
8. Learning new vocab- I am picking up terms like rate buy down, and abbreviations like MLS, WIC, CAC, etc.
9. I just run out of time to think of things to blog about, like #9 & 10 of this list. I gotta go to bed!
10.

Menu Plan Monday: Mar 29- Apr 4

Sunday: Crock-pot roast, potatoes, mushrooms, carrots, onions (classic)
Monday: Stuffed Peppers (All You magazine)
Tuesday: I'm eating Navajo Taco's at Enrichment meeting; Jerry is jealous
Wednesday: Chicken Sausage & Pepper Alfredo Pasta (I'm winging this one)
Thursday: Beans & Rice (Jerry's winging this one)
Friday: Apricot Baked Chicken (All You magazine)
Saturday: I'll be dropping off Jerry at the airport that evening, so Calista and I may go for dinner at IKEA or something fun. Or not. I keep having looming thoughts of how I should be super frugal and responsible if we're going to buy a house this year. We'll see which side wins (lazy mom or responsible mom).

Menu Plan Monday: Mar 15-21

We did eat last week but several meals were out or out of town and the rest were not worth posting about ;). Not that any week is that exciting either. But here you go.
Sunday: White Chili (back to the crock pot!)
Monday: Lentil Soup
Tuesday: Spinach Pie
Wednesday: Chicken Enchiladas
Thursday: Lasagna
Friday: Pizza
Saturday: a Jerry special

Menu Plan Monday: Mar 1-Mar 8

Sunday: Enchiladas... not in the crockpot (which I am trying to use each sunday, but really we wanted these for dinner and it's faster not in the crockpot). Funny thing- when Calista saw me chopping the onions she cried out "Crockpot!". She was disappointed we weren't puting the onions in the crockpot.
Monday: Cilatro Pesto Salmon- this was pretty good and healthy!
Tuesday: Teriyaki chicken stirfry
Wednesday: (Broccoli Soup) This got updated for the can of Chicken Corn Chowder, and I whipped up a new recipe for Quick Breadsticks that were de-lish! I made them with WW flour too. I like quick. And I like breadsticks, so what could be better?
Thursday: Personal Pane Pizzas
Friday: Navajo Tacos
Saturday: out. I'm in the mood for a Veggie Boat at 3 Brothers!

This week's menu was planned by Jerry. I was busy reviewing some KSA's for his job application so I traded him for the menu planning ;). Thanks hon!

a free lunch - a quizno's sub

Hurry hurry and sign up to get a free Quizno's sub! They're giving away a million subs, and they're about a third of the way there last I checked.
Be careful to print the coupon when you know you'll use it soon because it will expire 5 days later. But sign up for it now, and you'll receive an email to print from.
I'll have mine for dinner on Thursday! Anyone want to join me? :)

Menu Plan Monday: Feb 22-29

Sunday: Pork (still had some from the Cafe Rio Salads last Tuesday) w/ rice
Monday: Ham & Fabulous Potatoes (a Fails family take on Funeral Potatoes- close to this recipe, but without the fatty topping)
Tuesday: TGIFriday's- gotta use that coupon one more time!
Wednesday: Mini-pizzas on english muffins
Thursday: hopefully I'll get my free Quizno's coupon to use, since Jerry's out of town
Friday: Potato soup, frozen leftover from this week
Saturday: Enchiladas & spanish rice

Since I owe you...

I'm paying up for all the birthdays, thank yous and wedding gifts I've slacked on by paying it forward! How do you get in on the good karma to come? Read on.

Pay It Forward Exchange is based on the concept of the movie "Pay it Forward". I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on this post requesting to join the PIF exchange. All the gifts will be made and posted out 'sometime within the next year'. How exciting to not know when your surprise package will arrive!

What you need to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog. This Exchange is only open to those with active websites or blogs. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS PROMISE TO POST THIS SAME 'PAY IT FORWARD' MESSAGE ONTO YOUR BLOG, WHICH MUST BE ACTIVE IN ORDER TO PLAY. YOU WILL PAY IT FORWARD TO 3 PEOPLE WHO COMMENT ON YOUR BLOG.

Other comments are welcome, but only the first 3 will be my Pay It Forward recipients. Actually if you have any good ideas for me to make with these hands, feel free to chime in!

Making Money at CVS

This week is a great one for making money at CVS! If you already have some extra bucks, use them on these deals to multiply your stash of ECB. If you have no ECB yet, this is a good time to start, because your initial investment is not just matched, its multiplied (ok, by like .7540283 or so, not by 20 or anything huge).
Here's the scenario I did yesterday:

-Neutrogena bar soap (original or unscented work- not sure about the acne formula)
2 x 2.99= 5.98
Received 10 ECB
= 4.02 profit! *** This is a straight-up money maker- no coupons required! Limit one though, :(

-Gillete Venus Razor
1x 7.99
- $4 off Gillette Fusion coupon (works for Venus just fine) from 2/8
Received 4 ECB
= Free

Colgate Toothpaste
2 x 2.99
- 2x $1 manu coupon from 2/1 ** If you don't have coupons from that day, you can print one from here
Received $5.98 in ECB
= $2 profit!! The only thing better than free toothpaste, is money making toothpaste!

CVS brand Cotton squares
.99
(will buy another pack next time and receive $2 ecb)

- Glucose Meter
19.99
-19.99 coupon
= free

I know, you're wondering "why did you buy ANOTHER glucose meter Danae?? Is your whole neighborhood going diabetic? " No. But the magic coupon machine spat out a $5 off $30 when I went in the store, so I threw that in to boost my total over $30, and make even more of a profit!

I spent $9.49 in ECB, plus $.84 out of pocket, and I received $19.98 in ECB. Thats almost $10 in ECB I didn't have before I went to the store and "bought" soap, toothpaste, razor, etc. Teehee! This is my milk money! (Since I'm trying to buy my milk locally, and with ECB now)
Good luck to you- may you find your CVS well stocked.

Menu Plan Monday: Feb 15-21

Sunday: Crock pot Roast
Monday: Spaghetti
Tuesday: Cafe Rio pork salad
Wednesday: Chowder & cornbread
Thursday: Cilantro-Pesto Salmon
Friday: something in the 5 minutes I have at home before going to babysit (for my coop neighbor)
Saturday: Phillip's Shrimp (Safeway super coupon + manu coupon= great deal for shrimp!)

TGIF - Free Meal at Fridays!

I didn't think it could be for real, but it is! TGI Fridays is circulating a coupon for B1G1 entree. We went out last Saturday and enjoyed a meal of steak, ribs, and shrimp for 3 adults for $20. Sure its the epitome of a chain restaurant, but there's something for everyone on the huge menu. And the price- free is good!!
The coupon is not valid on Valentines Day but otherwise you can print it and go as many times as you like before March. If the website doesn't work for you I can email you the pdf.
Hurray for Fridays!

Happy Birthday, Darwin!

What a darlin, that Darwin! (age 9, with his younger sister)

Where would we be if it weren't for Charles Darwin? Well, we might all be Pastafarians, good gosh, need I say more? Happy Birthday Chuck. And happy day to all the fine specimens that have evolved in the name of Homo sapiens.

Menu Plan "Just forget that Monday was 3 days ago" Feb 8-14th

I planned our menu this week. I did. I'll even tell you about it. Never mind its Thursday though, k? This way I can tell you a little about the food we already cooked.

Sunday: Apricot-Orange Pork chops + chicken = a feast for 10! Delicious!
Monday: Sloppy Lentils
Tuesday: "No-Fuss" Potato Soup (Fix it & Forget it cookbook pg 62)- notice the "no fuss" in quotes- I think its a relative description. I felt like there was definitely fussing involved, but it was delicious.
Wednesday: Taco Ring (see photo above)I do this with ground turkey instead of beef, and half the recipe
Thursday: We'll see what Jerry turns up!
Friday: Egg Rolls, asian veggies & rice
Saturday: Heart-shaped Pizza- pure love!

Plant a Tree for Free!

Whether you've always known about AMERICAN FORESTS or just found out about them here and now, take this quick, 5-minute survey, and AMERICAN FORESTS will plant a tree for every person who takes it. Take the Survey

American Forests is a wonderful non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. They lead projects on the local level to encourage urban reforestation, and globally with their Global Re-Leaf program. I am guessing the tree they plant in your honor will be at one of the Global Re-Leaf projects.

Even if you don't have a good answer for all the survey questions, please complete the survey so your tree will be counted! You can feel good about planting a tree without lifting the shovel. :)

Menu Plan Monday: Feb 1- 8

Sunday: Salsa Chicken and Black Bean Soup ala crockpot
Monday: Denver Omeletes and hashbrowns (didn't eat this last week because I got suckered into Giant's meal deal- pizza, soda & ice cream for $5, minus my coupon = $4. Couldn't resist)
Tuesday: Crockpot Gyros ooohh I can't wait for this!
Wednesday: Grilled Chicken salad
Thursday: ? Jerry?
Friday: Mom Fails is visiting- she won't know we just had Bean Burgers last week ;)
Saturday: Apricot-Orange Pork chops

good times on a dime

I love a night out almost as much as I love a good deal. So when you can get both, its pretty sweet.
Have you heard of Goldstar? The Goldstar website features half-price tickets to theater, sporting, and other miscellaneous events in several large cities, including DC & Baltimore.
Last month we enjoyed the Medieval Times show:If you sign up (for free) you'll get an email each week listing events you may like to attend, so you can stay abreast of the local happenings. They've listed everything from Cirque du Soleil to the Washionton Wizards games. So check it out, and go out for a good time (on a few hundred dimes).

A starting point - CVS help

Dear Denise and other lost but aspiring CVS shoppers,
There is help for you. Please, please, seek help somewhere. You owe it to yourself.
One place to start is:

http://iheartcvs.com/2008/03/cvs-for-newbies.html

If that doesn't help, try this page:

http://tiasavingcents.com/cvs-101/
or
http://sahmmoney.blogspot.com/2008/02/i-wanna-hold-your-hand-cvs-for.html

You could also give me a call if you're really desperate, and we can go out for some retail therapy if you're nearby. It will be OK.

latest and greatest.. er leastest

You probably wouldn't understand... but it was hard. We were gone for 7 days to Utah. There are many great things about Utah. Glorious mountains covered with snow, courteous salespeople who understand about customer service, and really wide streets (good for drivers, bad for stormwater).
BUT they are missing something very important. They have Rite Aid and Walgreens but... NO CVS. What's this girl to do? Well, I relaxed and enjoyed things that don't cost money.

Then we came back home and we've got Shoppers luring me in with triple coupons, and CVS running their usual deals, and I'm off to shop again. Here's the results!

I picked up $40 of groceries for $10.

For me, one of the highlights is that I can use my coupon for 50 cents off the Washington Post and it triples, making the paper free. That equals more coupons (for free)! This week (1/25) the coupons include another glucose meter coupon. This comes into play at CVS.

We got at CVS:
7 Stacy's pita chips @ 3.00 each
-1.50 off coupon x 7
received $10 ECB

2 Energizer 8x batteries @ 6.00 each
-2.00 coupon peelies x 2
received $4 ECB

1 Onetouch Glucose meter @ 19.99
-$20 coupon

1 Physician's Formula mineral mascara @ $1.99 (75% off clearance)
--------------------
Then we used
$10 off a $50 purchase (magic coupon machine special!)
$6 ECB
$3 ECB

for a total of $1.49 out of pocket
and received
$14 ECB

which made it a net profit of $3.51 for us to take home these items!

The couponing tactic to note here is that even though I do not need another glucose meter (I was down to 2!) they can be used as "fillers" to help you take advantage of a $ off $ coupon. When I first saw a 10 off 50 coupon I choked, thinking I would never let myself spend $50 at CVS. Lucky for me and you, the $50 total required is before coupons. So pick up two $20 glucose meters, ten dollars of whatever you need, take off $40 in coupons, plus the 10 off 50, and voila! You go home with 10 dollars worth of what you need, and two glucose meters you may or may not need. If any of you could use a meter, let me know!

Menu Plan Monday: Jan 25- 31

Sunday: Chicken & Dumplings ala crockpot
Monday: Ham and au gratin potatoes (courtesy of shopper triples- on again now!)
Tuesday: Cheesy Broccoli shells from Real Simple magazine 10/08
Wednesday: 7- layer dip and Spanish rice
Thursday: Salad
Friday: Omelets
Saturday: Bean Burgers

You can tell (well, I can anyways) when I do my meal planning in front of the computer or not. Last night was a not. Its good for me to do it this way sometimes because it forces me to think about what's in the fridge and cupboards, rather than getting excited about a colorful picture I found online, and going out to buy more groceries in order to make the meal.
We're glad to be home again!

Menu Plan Monday: Jan 12- Jan 18

This is the easiest week of meals I've planned in a while.
Monday- we're going out tonight
Tuesday- cleaning out the fridge
Wednesday- Sunday- out of town. And half of the following week too.
I hope I can get back to my game when I need too...

In the mean time, I wanted to share a fabulous meal plan I found that uses *just* foods you can buy at Aldi. Even if you are an Aldi fan, you probably also shop elsewhere because you can't pick up the green onions or panko breadcrumbs you need for that recipe at Aldi. This site (look at the column on the left) gives you a couple weeks worth of meals that you can make from just Aldi food. Its genius! I like to shop other places (where I can use my coupons) so I won't give that up anytime soon, but I am amused by the meal plan nonetheless. I will save my comments about cooking in the dishwasher for later.

and the ACTUAL retail price is...

$3.60!

Congratulations to John for the lowest bid of all, $4.80. It's true, its hard to conceive of getting all that chocolate for so little, because usually 3 bucks will get you one of the 17 bags we got. So that is why we glutinously filled our cart and giggled our way home from Target. The key to this deal is *coupons*, as usual. I saved my coupons for Christmas candy (and a couple from Halloween) until the candy was 75% off, then the coupons make it practically free. I am still trying to figure out what holiday tradition our family can adopt that involves receiving holiday goodies after the fact (without saving them for next year (it just doesn't work the same for chocolate, Clair ;)).

John, I'll have a sweet package for you on Saturday at the game. Yay!

Repurposing washcloths

Its been a while since I posted a recycling/repurposing post. As I was about to start this project I realized I should document it and share with whoever may be out there reading this. You may know that we have been cloth diapering for a while now, and I am trying to re-think my use of paper/plastic products. I don't use a lot of paper towels, but I could use even fewer if I had enough good rags handy when I needed them.
Enter the clearance-priced holiday washcloths!
I'll cut them, stitch them and stack them up where I usually have paper towels placed to use for wiping the table, counters, spills, etc. I will continue to use paper towels for things like the occasional cockroach or other nasties I don't want in my laundry. Before this venture, we used about a roll of paper towels per 1.5 months. Seriously, they last a while around here. I actually hate to use them because I feel wasteful, so I think having a cloth handy to wipe the counter will encourage me to keep cleaner surfaces. That's the "take-home" bonus for me, and the earth gets the less trash in the landfill, less chlorine bleached paper product production, less trees harvested for paper pulp bonus.
Here's the play-by-play:
I want small cloths so I will make 4 out of 1 washcloth. Chop 1, 2.Here are my 16 square cloths.

To prevent them fraying to pieces, I zig-zag stiched the two cut sides of each square. Everytime I do a sewing project like this I have to confront my fear of sewing over my fingers. Please don't try that at home.
I cut off the tag from every 4th square.Here's my new stack of wipe-up/scrub down/not-paper cloths!

Menu Plan Monday: Jan 5- Jan 11

Monday: Pumpkin & Black Bean Soup
Tuesday: Jambalaya (probably with chicken since Jerry has shunned the turkey leftovers in any form)
Wednesday: Indian Spiced Salmon and au gratin potatoes
Thursday: Personal Pane Pizza's (Jerry's new idea for pizza on our favorite Trader Joe's pane (bread)) You may have noticed that I could eat pizza every week, and I have been ;)
Friday: Oh bother. I don't want to cook more by Friday night. We'll have to eat cake. Or more like chocolate, since we have a plethora of that around. OK, ok, we'll eat some butternut squash soup if I don't find something cheap in the frozen food isle at Aldi.
Saturday: Roasted Winter Veggies and mac n cheese. Pure comfort.
Sunday: Slow Cooker Beef Tacos

I have a couple resolutions for 2009 that have to do with food. First, I will use my crockpot on Sundays to prepare dinner since we have church at 1:00pm now. I'll use my time in the morning to make sure we have something for dinner when we get home from church, and the house will smell yummy too. Unless it burns. But I think I have learned that lesson.
Second, I will buy more local foods. You know I am a thrifty shopper extraordinaire, so this may seem like an oxymoron if you've checked the prices for CSA's or at Whole Foods lately. So I will start small. I will buy my milk from CVS, where they sell Cloverland Dairy milk, which comes from a farm near Baltimore and has no growth hormones (and, of course, I can buy it with my extra care bucks!). I will either buy a share of the Clagget farm's harvest (we might qualify for the reduced price share, or maybe I'll find someone who wants to share a share? Let me know if that's you), or schedule regular outings to do a workshare (I'll pick for 4 hours to get a share for the week). I think the outings option will be fun for Calista and myself. I miss working outside and having a yard. I miss the pleasure of eating something that I tended, watched, and harvested.

Eating with the fullest pleasure –pleasure, that is, that does not depend on ignorance –is perhaps the profoundest enactment of our connection with the world. In this pleasure we experience and celebrate our dependence and gratitude, for we are living from mystery, from creatures we did not make and powers we cannot comprehend. - Wendell Berry (1924- )

A new year, a new contest!

Maybe you are feeling the let down of the holidays passing. Maybe your new year's resolutions are a little non-traditional, like that 3-Musketeers commercial... (not on youtube yet, so I can't post it)
Either way, I am offering you solace through a small bean, Theobroma cacao.
Sometimes, we can't help ourselves. And when it involves a deal like this, we certainly cannot.
Your challenge, should you accept it, is to guess the price paid for all this fine chocolate we purchased at Target. You should know that this was bought the Monday after Christmas, so there was obviously some store markdown involved.
The winner (closest guess to the total price who lives either in the DC metro area or in Utah, since we'll be visiting in a couple weeks) will receive a fine assortment of these goodies.
**The deadline for your guesses is Thursday January 8th at 11:59pm.