Five reasons not to buy a rotisserie chicken

Five reasons not to buy a rotisserie chicken

1)  Most of them are three pounds or less.   The cost is anywhere from five to eight dollars a piece.   The cheapest I have found is five dollars for a three pound chicken.   That is 1.67 a pound,   Chickens are a buck a pound or less all the time.    That is about 70 percent more.

2) The  ratio of meat to bone has a break even point of three pounds.  It is never a good buy to buy a chicken less than three pounds, and  a five pound chicken is the best buy.

3) you don't know where that chicken has been.   I only buy Washington or Oregon grown chicken for reasons I won't delve into here.

4) it smells so good to have a chicken roasting in the oven.

5) you can use your own seasonings and make it taste better.


The biggie is that a five  pound chicken roasted at home gives  you a lot more bang for your buck.
A chicken takes me about ten minutes tops to pu in the oven.

Wash the inside of the chicken and scrape it out with a spoon.   Dump a handful of salt on the cavity ( a couple of tablespoons. ) stuff it woth anything you have hanging around. -- short of the kids  dirty sox! LOL.  ... An orange, apple, lemon, onion, etc.

Massage olive oil on the skin, top and bottom.

Pit in roasting pan and roast at 375 degrees until done.  I use a meat thermometer that registers 179 degrees for well done chicken,   Juices should run clear and the leg should break away easy.

Wash everything that you touch with raw chicken well.   I use a glass cutting board and put ot through the dishwasher or disinfect it along with the counters , sink, and any implements I use.
That is standard procedure for any raw meat!   Don't cross contaminate raw veggies with raw meat.

I cut a chicken apart and break it down to the bones, dark meat, and cut the breast in two.

• Roast chicken dinner with mashed potatoes etc.  
• chicken pot pie 
• Chicken tacos or enchiladas. ( make scratch enchalada sauce...the canned kind can cost more than the chicken.   
• Chicken soup
• Buffalo chicken pizza
• Chicken noodle casserole 

Guess that's all

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Jane 

Shopping trip

First I went to the dollar store.  
I got a but load of health andnbeUty supplies for fifteen dollars.   Also included was a popcorn bucket and a set of pens and two bags of sugar free candy. Werthers original.

QFC was the buy six, get thre.  I did two and used coupons.   Savings was 46 percent.   The percentage would probably be higher but hubby put cheap white bread in the cart.    I got a brick of cheese for six dollars.  

Total food 20.83.

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Jane

De jiorno pizza -2
Johnsonville sausage -2
Laundry detergent
4 - 120 count tissue boxes
2 pound cheese
1 lb pasta
Bread
2 packages goldfish crackers

The ads

We went to happy hour last night.   I had a flatbread with basil, tomato,roasted garlic and white cheese.   It would be easily replicated with a bomboli or other pizza crust.  

The ads
ALBERTSONS

Lean ground beef 3.99
Dreyers ice cream 2/6

SAFEWAYS

Berries 2/6
Red Barton 3/9
DiGiorno 2/9
Ground beefb7 percent 4.79
Johnsonville brats 4.99$$

Five dollar Friday
Pizza
Tony Roma's ribs
Strawberries
Shrimp
Ice cream 2/5


QFC

Frescjryya or red Barron 3.99
Pork chops BOGO
Cheese 5.99
Grapes 2.99
Tomatoes 1.99

Buy 6, save three

Digiorno 3.99
Johnsonville smoked sausage $$ 2.99
Dreyers 2.99
M and ms 2.49$$

Rosa Rita refried beans 1.00$$

$$ means thermos a coupon out there.  
I also saw on a video that toothpaste with coupons at SAFEWAYS was a quarter after  coupons.  I have not checked that out yet!  

Please note that some things are cheaper than others between stores.  Cross off anything that is higher priced when deciding your stores of preference.


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Jane

Notes

I made an interesting observation yesterday.    I went looking for more cupcakes for my granddaughters valentine treats for school.  I would make them, but it isn't allowed.   I didn't realize that there were two to a package, so I needed more.   ThemboxesmRe done and ready for my granddaughter to put stickers on.  

I digress.    I decided to pick up some things that I needed .  The ten pound potatoes and the often pound potatoes were sitting side by side.   There was fifty cents difference between the ten and the fifteen pound bags!  

I got a pumpkin pie ( 10 inch) for 3.99.  You can't buy he pumpkin and cream for 3.99.
Strawberries were 2/5, and I needed eggs.   Killed me to have to buy eggs.  I usually find them for 1.25.  

I have saved receipts and am going to post them to a spread sheet  today. I know the figure is going  to be remarkably low and I have a lot of food stocked.   From the sounds of the weather madness on the east coast, I hope others are well stocked too.  

I buy canned  beans.  Beans have a very short fridge life.  As does rice.   Of all things that can become tainted fast, they are in the top of the list.   The beans also go bad.  I tried in vein to get split peas to become soft-- they were old.    I don't buy a lot of dried  beans at a time for that reason.  

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Jane

Interesting article!

http://www.alternet.org/food/what-i-learned-week-food-stamps-paul-ryan-couldnt-be-any-more-wrong


This is an interesting article about how one guy made ot through a week on food stamp money.  
The prices are much higher than I pay, but then, again, it's New York.   The wages are higher too and selecting out one week is much harder than doing a month or more so that you can develope a stock amd pay less than top dollar for your food.  

Thos month I have spent less than 225.00 on food. I have a lot of stock and a lot of perishables still in the fridge.   I should make it easily until the end of the month.  

I bought a large package ( about three pounds ) of pork loin roast.   Today I cut several pork chops off of it and cubed  the rest of it and pit it in the crockpot for stew, or fried rice etc.  

I still have a chicken to cook Tommorrow or the next day.  

The trick is to manage meat ( or your protein) .  That is the biggest expense in the food department,  
If you pick what you find really cheap you can average your meat costs and still afford a more expensive cut if meat every now and then.  I try to get beef into us twice a week.   It is a good way to keep yourself from becoming anemic.   We eat a lot of fresh  fruit and veggies-- more fruit than veggies because I have a hubby that grew up on the fifties when everything was canned or cooked to death.    LOl

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Jane

Winco trip

We just got back from Winco.   I spent 69.22 on food.   Beer was two dollars less than Rite Aid  and one dollar cheaper  than wallmart.  

The pic is on the facebook on janes groceries on the cheap.   I got a lot of dairy, meat, and staples.  I got two cucumbers and a five pound  bag of carrots.

Yoplait eight pack. 3.58
Pork sirloin ( right at two bucks a pound) 6.57
Cottage cheese 4.28
Sour cream 2.51
BBQ beer 3.18 net of coupon and there is another dollar coupon  on the tub
American cheese 2.98
Butter 2.98
Nathan's hot dogs 3.97
Canned beans .67
Green beans .68
Olives .94
Sauerkraut on glass 2.10
Hard rolls 2.48
Cucumbers .58
Bomboli 2 pack with sauce 5.98
Noodles 1.02
Instant potatoes .87 with coupon .54
Little debbie cakes ( treats for school) 2.96
Hunts pasta sauce .97
5  pounds carrots 2.38

That's about all. I only bought what was cheaper than other stores.  Winco takes coupons, but you can't stack coupons.  They take debit cards,  but no credit cards.  You have to bag yourself.  

The savings are remarkable.  I can't wait until they come to our neck of he woods.  

Shopping trip

My total before the trip for the month was 64.00.  I spent forty two dollars at SAFEWAYS  and thirty dollars not including beer at QFC.  136.00 for over three weeks total.  

SAFEWAYS had chicken for a buck a pound.   QFC has a ten inch pumpkin pie for 3.99.   Pie crust was a buck.     I did splurge and buy lefsa.    I got blues, strawberries, oranges and apples.  Frozen potatoes were a buck for two pounds.  

I pretty much replenished the perishables We  still have staple items.  

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Jane

It's a Winco kinda week.

We got the ads yesterday, such as they are.   Not much there.  

ALBERTSONS has eggs, cheese, and Yoplait and apples.  

QFC has oranges for .69, roast for 3.99,  and frozen potatoes for a buck!  

SAFEWAYS has blues 2/5, tomatoes 1.99,,chicken ,99, salad dressing 1.49, Hillshire farms sausage 3.99,

Five dollar Friday
Strawberries
2lb ground turkey
Blueberry custard pie

That's about all I see.   Unfortunately, my daughter informs me that welfare out of pasta sauce.  That's a first for me and there are no sales so far.    Thus, a trip to Winco is in order.   I sincerely hope that the top building is the new home for Winco.   It will save us a lot of gas.   We can't shop too often, ots too far away.  


Be sure to check the coupon matchups.  

What t do with that stale baguette.

I saw a clip with Rachael Ray and Sara mouton.m take a stale, rock hard baguette.  Put it under running water.  Douse it good.   Wrap in foil amd put in a cold oven and turn the oven to 300.  Bake for 12-15 minutes.   Ots miraculously bread again instead of a baseball bat!    LOL.  

Shopping trip

We went to SAFEWAYS today.  I was adamant that I was going to stay to twenty dollars because I had a three dollars  off twenty just for u.    Seems my just for u hadn't hit my card, but they gave it to me. I spent 27.00.  

I was careful to only buy specials that we would use.
Blackberries, strawberries, salad, beef tips, pasta was a buck. I also had a coupon for a dollar off two which made the pasta .50.  Add that to cheese sauce I got for free and we have a really cheap Mac and cheese.   It's still cheap of I add cheese and veggies.  

I digress.   I got a brownie mix for a buck.  

I used five dollars worth of coupons last week and spent 37.00.  This week I spent 27.00 and used 2.00 worth of coupons.   Total 64,00 for two weeks with 7.00 in coupons.

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Jane

The ads , week to jan 13

QFC
Pork tenderloin 2.99
Blues 18 oz 4.99
Milk 4/5
Bread 2/4
Red Barron pizza 3/10
Cottage cheese 3/5
Yogurt 10/5
Ice cream 2.79

SAFEWAYS
My just for you gives me a coupon for three dollars off of twenty.

Oranges .99
Blues, or blackberries 2/6
Barilla  1.00
Grapes 2.99
Cucumbers 1.00
HORMEL entres 5.99$$$
Five dollar Friday
Chicken, raw ( ck weight)
Cooking oil
Salad 4/5
24 ounces tomatoes

ALBERTSONS
Halo clementines 3.99
Milk 2/5

That's about it.  

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Jane

Grocery trip

Just went to QFC.  Mega sale is in.  Most of the stuff is things that I don't buy, but my vegetarian daughter does.  I buy regular food for all four of us, and she buys any alternative food she wants to supplement.   We take turns when we buy take out,  she bus about every third time.   Take out is a good alternative to going out.  You are buying your own drinks and we can with careful planning and some coupons get dinner about four dollars.   Still a splurge, but manageable.

QFC

I got grape tomatoes for 2.00
Pasta was a buck, coupons for a dollar off three.  Only some varieties count, but I was able to get a reasonable selection of what dear husband would eat.  Net .67
Blues were 2.50
BBQ meat was 3.99 and I had a dollar coupon.   - net 2.99
Pork chops were BOGO, 2.50 per meal,
Stew beef 6.00 a pound
Sandwich meat, ham and turkey were 2.99 ea and I had .50 each coupons,  net 2.49

Spent 37.00. Saved thirty dollars.

What to do with what I got

1) BBQ beef sandwiches with French fries ( 2.00 a package).  Dinner 2.50 plus a salad.
2) pork chops, a gratin potatoes, green beans   2.50, .50..50 3.00
3) pizza.   , homemade crust, sausage 2.95
4) beef stroganoff. 6.50
5) blueberry waffles, , yogurt parfaits 4.00
6) red spaghetti with red sauce , green beans , French bread 2.97
7) baked cod, oven roasted root veggies, bread  5.00

Does not include staples, does include some food purchased in other weeks.  25.50

Not quite a hundred dollars a month, but pretty good in my book.   Add breakfast and lunches and cost of staples and you are well under 75.00 a week.  USDA  stats  for two of is is 85.40 , September figures.  

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Jane

Top 10 things I buy at the dollar store

First  of all, not all dollar stores are alike.   We have a Dollar Tree.

Some lady told me that the dollar store just had cheap ??!!.   True,  there is throw away junk , but there is also good things  a whole lot cheaper than other stores.

Top ten things I buy at the dollar store.

1) facial tissue.   120 count

2) cleaning supplies - window cleaner, soft scrub for my sink, disappearing sponges for the black marks on walls, and grease on the stove, regular sponges with a scrubber on the back.

3) cotton rounds for taking off makeup.  Nail files. Soap and toothpaste are free with coupons.   Toothbrushes are two for a dollar.
   
4) coffee filters , napkins.  ( the quality is not the best on napkins, but they work and they are a throw away,  we usually use cloth napkins, but use paper when we are having tomato based goods that would stain bad.   Years ago, I found material really cheap, and made napkins.  .  They cost me a dime.

5)  gloves for children.   Kids loose gloves.   There is no sense in buying or making mittens to be lost.

6). Oberto sausage and pepperoni.   The same size package is upwards of three dollars with the same far out pull date.

7)  The Sunday paper.  You can get it all week.

8) spices  and sprinkles.

9) balloons for parties.

10) googelie eyes , school supplies , children's cardboard books, word seek books, coloring books,


Guess that is it.

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Jane

Top 10 things I buy at costco

Borrowing an idea from another post, here are the top 10 things I buy at Costco

1) gas.   By far the cheapest around here.   Sometimes it is as much as a buck under the competition.

2) meds  --over the counter meds.

3) liquid soap

4) toilet paper , occasional paper towels.

5) rags from the automotive department.  I use  them for the kitchen.   Change them often, especially if I am cooking raw chicken.

6)  Bisquick, a start for many quick recipes that saves time and money.

7) nuts , my granddaughter and her gramps favorite snack!

8) bulk sausage

9) grated cheese at the costco's business.   It comes in five pound bags and is far cheaper than the grocery store even on sale.

10) sugar free coffee syrup at Costco business.  The savings are remarkable.

10.5.  Boxed tomato soup when they have it.  It is far cheaper than the grocery store and I add blue cheese and basil.   Yum!

Bananas.   Far less expensive than any store I've seen.

That's about it.   Some  of those things  a year expense.   Some we buy often ( gas) .

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Jane