It pays to complain.

My experience today.....

I went to cook my pork tenderloin that I bought on Friday the 13th on a five dollar Friday deal.  It had a May 28th date on it.  We had beef tips and mashed potatoes instead last night.  Those were the beef tips that I got for two dollars with double coupons.  

Today I took the roast back, even though I had posted my receipt and lost it.  They told me I could replace ot.  The butcher gave me a regular pork tenderloin, 24 ounces instead of the seasoned one 18 ounces for even price.   The regular price now is      8.99.   SCORE,  

You can never guess what we had for dinner!  

Sunday supreme , the third time is a charm!

I've decided to take a day at a time.   I am working on a class on my studio and hope I get to teach it.   At least the subject is a challenge and probably the best thing that could happen; it makes my mind stop racing.

I did speak my mind.here are two papers in our small town, one os an on line paper,and  the other a regular newspaper.   The in line paper tried to make it sound like the antique mall we work (ed) at was closed two years ago.  She was clearly biased in her writing from the get go.m I called her on it and she retracted saying they wanted more upscale tenants in the building.  The building , after they remodel will have ten thousand square feet of beer establishments and a art museum.  They want to be a stopping off point for the commuters.  The bus, ferry, and train stations are near by.

My comment.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10203197575092714&id=1608277980


I did a while blog, it was erased.   So goes my day. I'll try to recap.

Trying new recipes is a good way to mix up dinner time and keep frugal eating fresh and interesting.
Recipes are found just about everywhere these days and can often be adapted to meet your needs.

Stuffed tomatoes
A good recipe when tomatoes are in avoidance and cheap.
6 medium tomatoes.  ( or three large ones cut in half.  )
1 cup orzo, cooked and drained
1/2 cup grated cheese
1T melted butter
Basil, parsley, salt and pepper
6 T reserve flesh, drained.

Cut small slice off the top of the tomatoes . Scoop out the fleet leaving some wall on the tomato.  Reserve the flesh.    Make stiffing, fill tomatoes . Place in a baking pan and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until soft and warm.

This recipe came from my sisters recipe box.   It was from a friend of my parents and came from WWII when some food items were rationed and some you couldn't get at all.   Red velvet,cake came about during the war because you couldn't get chocolate and someone wanted chocolate cake.

 Crazy Cake

 

1 1/2 cups cake flour (sifted)

1        cup granulated sugar

3  Tablespoons cocoa

1  teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

 

Sift above ingredients together into an ungreased 8" x 8" pan.  Make a well in center and add:

 

6  Tablespoons salad oil

1  Tablespoon  vinegar

1 cup cold water or cold coffee

1  teaspoon vanilla

 

Mix together with a fork.  Do not beat.   Bake @ 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until tests done.

 

 

Frosting:

 

2 cups confectioners sugar

1/3 cube of butter

dash of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg white OR 2 Tablespoons milk

 

Cream sugar and butter.  Add salt, vanilla and egg white OR milk and beat until smooth and creamy.  Fold in marshmallows and English walnuts.

 

 

____________________________________________________________
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Friday focus

In the last 15 days, our whole life has done a drastic change.  We are both going to be out of work, I have lost my space to sell antiques and product.   Our budget, accordingly is shot.  And now our granddaughter is going to spend the summer with us instead of going to preschool.   It seems they have decided she is special needs and they do t have the skills to deal with her.   She's a smart, energetic girl that doesn't want to slow down for anything.  She doesn't fit their mould.  

I digress.  

Last night I made pasta.  I was going for Mac and cheese, but opened the wrong can of recipe starter. I have tomato that I got of free at the dollar store.  

Betty Crocker sent another list of foil packet , grill dinners.   You can also cook them in the oven if you don't want to grill.   Kids think it is like camping out.  There are less dishes. And some of them are really good.  They had a pineapple and chicken one that sounds really good. Also potatoes, veggies, and another chicken dish with thighs.   Our kitchen is facing east, so it's really hot at night, but the deck is cool.

We have a lot of salads in the summer.  Or I find an easily made protein and I make salads on Sunday and we eat off of them all week.  Basically, a salad bar and an entre.  It makes for less work and less time in a hot kitchen.  

 Nancy, I loved your idea last Friday.  I haven't made those, but I remember my mom making them.   I saw a recipe a while back using canned clams.   We just usually have the Mac and cheese and a veggie.  We go to an upscale restaurant  for happy hour group sometimes.  They have ala carte for cheap.  My husband gets crab cakes.  They also have a stuffed chicken with asparagus.  I rarely fet asparagus because it's expensive and I am the only one that likes it.  Both items are around five bucks,   We go out with friends once a week for happy hourmbecausemots a cheap dinner.
I don't count going out in our food budget. Other  than happy hour, we don't go out often.  If we don't replace our income. It will be even less! LOL.  I do feed is on an average of 62.00 a week. And, that is 25 percent less than the USDA stats for thrifty for just my husband and I.  We also feed my daughter and granddaughter .   My daughter buys some specialty foods for them.  ( they are semi vegetarian) .  

I usually pick Wednesday and clean out the fridge and try to use up the weeks veggies that are looking peeked.  I like to make muffins or tea breads.  It's a good way to hide a veggie.  

I goes that all.  

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Jane

Terrific Thursday

One more day this week to work.  I hope I can hold up.  Yesterday about killed me.   My husband went without coffee or anything to drink until the end of shift.   We had double the staff, but five times the volume of sales .    With both of is loosing our jobs, I will be spending more time with coupons .   The sad thing is that because a developer has a pie on the sky idea, 200 people will loose their jobs.   Jobs for old people are hard to find.   The biggest joke is that they wanted more upscale renters  we sell crystal, china, diamonds and gold jewelry amd sterling.  They are replacing it with beer bottles.   LOL

Roast is BOGO at three dollars a pound.  It would be a good time to grind your own hamburger.   That's cheaper than ground beef at the lowest grade.    We have been eating a lot of pork and chicken since the price of beef went so high.  A little variety would be welcome.  

Fruits and vegetables are coming in season and the prices are good at some stores.   Last night we had two for one steaks at the Channel Marker.  It is cheaper than buying steak at home and I was totally beat.   Even a easy  meal would have been a challenge.  

I digress.

Ideas for dinner.  The concept of cheap dinners has changed dramatically with the high cost of beef.  Pork os following suit.  The six dollar a roll Jimmy Dean  sausage at Costco is now 8.49.  Using a small amount to add flavour to a soup is still within reach.   I can still get pork chops reasonable.   Cheese is on sale periodically.  My husband finally got the concept of buying it when it is on sale wether we are out of cheese or not when he saw it for eight dollars a brick.  An example of it pays to study the grocery ads was when the same brand and amount of cheese ranged on the ads between four dollars a brick and eight dollars a Brick.

Garden Fettuccine
Pizza
Breakfast for dinner
Veggie Mac and cheese is always a winner here.
We like an impossible pie with cheese and a little meat.   Served with a field green salad with a fruit and raspberry vinaigrette.
Pesto chicken panini is good .  Make pesto with parsley and walnuts.
Pesto with fresh stir fry veggies and shrimp is good.  SAFEWAYS still has shrimp reasonable sometimes.

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Jane

Wicked wednesday

The ads , we are down to three plus Fred Meyers that come out on Sunday.   I see a smaller version of SAFEWAYS and ALBERTSONS in the Sunday paper.    I did go  to Walgreens.  They paid me .25 to buy toothpaste and I got dish washing pods for free.


QFC

Berries 1.88
Cherries 3.88
Broccoli .99
Sirloin tip roast BOGO nets 3.00 a pound
Yogurt  10/5$$
Radishes 2/1
Pasta 1.00$$
Bread 1.00

ALBERTSONS

Strawberries 3.99
Milk 2/5@@
Bread .99@@
Hamburger 2.98@@-15 fat
Cantelope 3.49 ea

.80 sale
Refried and black beans
Tomatoes
Catsup
BBQ sauce
Manwich

Coupons
Ice cream 2.49
Crisco oil 2.99


SAFEWAYS

Corn 6/2
Ice cream 2.99
Milk 2.89
Berries 1.99
Chicken .99
Cherries 3.99
Peppers 1.00
Yoplait 10/5$$

5 dollar Friday
Berries  18 oz
Sirloin tips 5.00
Edamame


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Jane

Happy Father's Day note freebies at Walgreens

I have the ads for this week.

Walgreens

PUREX laundry detergent, buy 1 , get two free
Nuts 1.99
Eggs, turkey bacon 2/3

Finish dw detergent.  4.99, mail in rebate in paper 4.99.  Final cost FREE
Clams .89@@

Colgate toothpaste 3.00
Register reward 2.50
Coupon in paper .50
Nets FREE



Fred Meyers
Cherries 3.48

Eggs 4/5
Milk 4/5@@
Bread 3/4@@
Berries 2/4
Tomatoes .99
Sour cream .99@@
Beans or tomatoes .50 limit 6@@

Beans and tomatoes are a good stock items.  Think casseroles. Soups, tacos, salsa,

THATS ABOUT ALL.

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Jane

Freaky Friday

Things are getting crazy at work.   I'm thinking of changing our name to the city zoo soon.  We don't have time to even gulp a drink of water.   What a let down when we are closed .  Bummer.   We can only hope and pray the owners find a building soon.

What to do with what you have.  Last weeks protein of choice was chicken and pork tenderloins.  Finding any meat under five dollars a pound is iffy.   Meat has to be under five dollars a pound in order to make a five dollar dinner.  A lot of the people I have talked to get three hundred dollars a month in snap.  If one could really feed a family on a hundred dollars a month,that would be  a nice feat.   I haven't seen that lately and still have filling, nutritional , balanced meals.
At three hundred dollars.mdomner has to be five dollars to leave five dollars for breakfast and lunch.

There are a lot of new chicken dishes on the Betty Crocker e mail feed.  If you haven't signed up, ot os a good thing to do. It is  free and sometimes there are coupons and links to where ingredients are on sale.   Ots constantly changing and new recipes are happening every week.   This week there is a jerk chicken with black beans and sweet potatoes.   Something  I have never heard of before.   I'm not sure my family would eat it, but it is totally different.

Chicken os still a buck a pound for grill packs at Fred Meyers.
Pasta is a buck and there are coupons out there at qfc
Hebrew national hot dogs are three dollars at QFC.   You can cut your costs by making pigs in blankets with bisquick or  adding them to beans.   I try to limit our processed meat consumption to one time a week or less.

Pepperoni continues to be fifty cents with a coupon at the dollar store.   (Dollar tree)
There is a recipe for pizza crust on a previous blog.  Easy and made in the food processor.   Fun for children.

Tacos are fast and easy.  You can make your own taco seasoning,  I mix it with water and simmer shredded chicken just lomg enough to season and heat it through.   Soft shells are cheap at Costco and grocery outlet.

Cheese os on sale this  week.  Mac and cheese os a family favorite.   I can still get cheese recipe starter at Big  Lots  for fifty cents.  They don't take coupons and I, not finding any. Some of my recipe starter I got for free at the dollar store.   That's another reason why you should stock when you find things really cheap.   Adding some real cheese to the starter stretches cheese that sometimes os selling for eight dollars a brick.   I had jalapeño chicken Mac and cheese at happy hour a few weeks ago.  They added jalapeños to the Mac and cheese, and added shredded chicken in a pile on top of the bowl.   It was really good.   I NEVER pass up a cheese sale of less than three dollars a pound.   You can always freeze it, add a little (Tablespoon) if cornstarch to it to keep it from clumping.  It's fine of you melt it on pizza or on Mac and cheese.

SAFEWAYS has a family pizza for five dollars on Friday.   It is so big I can barely get it onto my big oven,  I cut it in half and make two meals.   Top ot with veggies or any leftover cooked meat you can find.

I wrote a blog on almost free pizza.   It's a concept, not the fact that someone os giving away free pizza.    If you chop a little extra of anything that you are chopping during the week to make dinner and out ot on a bag on the freezer door and do the same for any chopped or cooked meat that would go on a pizza. I keep the meats separate, but the veggies I stick together,   By the end of the week, you have a pizza almost made and gleamed from your leftovers.   Of you don't want to make a crust, there are crusts for a buck or two at big lots.   ( thin)

Grapes are 1.28'at QFC and Fred M eyes.   It's a good time to have breakfast for dinner.   Blueberry pancakes and turkey bacon!   Scrambled eggs , toast and grapes, or hash browns.   We like quiche.  I serve it with a salad with field greens and grapes or blueberries, or strawberries.   We also like a chop salad with field greens, chicken cubes, grapes and walnuts.   Or apple and toasted or sugared walnuts.
Serve with a roll or biscuit.

That's about all.

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Jane

Wicked Wednesday, the ads

It's going to be a long , hard couple of months ahead,  I am afraid.   I think the old adage, one day at a time os in order.  

QFC
Salsa 2/4
Roma's  .99
Cherries 3.88
Grapes 1.28
Barilla pasta 1.00$$
Strawberries 2/bins 1.00
Corn 2/1
Hebrew national 2/6

SAFEWAYS

Dreyers 2.99
Potato salad 4.99
HORMEL lunch meat or pepperoni $$ ( pepperoni is at the dollar store with a coupon it's .50.
Peaches 1.49
Corn 6/2
Berries 2/5
Tuna .99
Mayo 1.99@@
Salsa 1.79@@

Five dollar Friday
Pizza 5.00
Shrimp
Sub sandwich
Coffee


ALBERTSONS

Corn 4/1
Cereal 1.49. Look for coupons
2lbs cheese 4.99@@

Mega. Buy more, save more. Buy 10/ save 5.  On to 30/15
Prices are net, remember mix or match quantity prices

Sour cream, cottage cheese 1.49
Oatmeal 2.49
Peanut butter 1.99
Olive oil 4.99

Buy 4/ save 2
BREYERS 2.49
Mayo 2.99


Kraft salad dressing 1.99 ck for coupons
BBQ sauce .79
Kraft singles 2.79
Taco shells .99


Note there were only three ads thos week.  Top is closing.  Soon there will be only two ads when ALBERTSONS merges with SAFEWAYS.   SAFEWAYS is the better of the stores in my opinion , but ALBERTSONS is going to be the pick of the two stores.   That is sad, because we have half as many choices.,  more choices usually make for lower prices.  We are gaining a Winco in our area, and we also have Fred Meyers a few miles away along with grocery Outlet and Bog Lots.   For is, Fred Meyer, grocery outlet and bog lots are all on the same street in  the next town.  Winco was several towns away, so having it close to home will be an improvement,  they have a great bulk department and prices are fairly good.  You have to bag your own, so take a helper with you. We don't know how long the transitions will take.  

For a person that doesn't like upheaval and not knowing what is going to happen next, this is a very stressful time for me.  

Prayers and hugs,

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Jane

Monday madness.

I am sure glad I have a stock of food.  Because some developer has a pipe dream, we are out of a job, at least temporarily, maybe forever.   That crimps our budget a lot.   Our job was our padding.   Now we are back to bare bones.   Things will work out, I am sure,  but having a stockpile of food is surely going to help us ride  the wave.   Besides not having a job, I loose my availability to sell antiques and my product.   That's a double wammie.  .  The worst part of it is this developer has put 150 people put of work, and  I truly believe that his idea is a pie in the sky.   I have been doing accounting for all kinds of businesses for fifty years now.   Doing the math, I think he's setting himself up to fail.   Time will tell.  

I digress.

Chicken grill packs were a buck a pound at Fred Meyers.   There were several veggies and fruits that were quite reasonable also.  I stocked with pork tenderloins and grill packs.   I like to debone the chicken breasts and cook the rest for shredded chicken that can be used for BBQ sandwiches. Tacos, or I had jalapeño chicken Mac and cheese the other day at our happy hour.  It was really good.

It doesn't seem logical with meat prices rising, that the legislature would cut snap.  But, like Mr. Echelbarger, the legislature doesn't always think logical in my opinion.   I am not fond of the attitude that the rich can get richer and the poor can get poorer.

The whole idea of groceries on the cheap is to give people tools to feed their families well on a meager budget.   If you can do that, doing it on more is a piece of cake and you have learned to make educated decisions on your grocery purchases.

Protein is the biggest expense of the grocery budget.  Protein seems to be the one thing who's price is rising the most.   If we can average protein costs and watch the perishables and stock at the lowest prices the staple items, we can still keep to a rigid budget.

Of you are on snap or a fixed income, your budget is rigid.   The social security raise did not cover the amount our necessities ( insurances and food and utilities) have risen.

Averaging protein works with the addition of vegetarian meals a couple of,nights a week.  I am still able to get cheese for two to three dollars a pound.  Eggs are also a cheap protein,   With coupons, some ready made meats ( sirloin tips) continue to be a cost effective alternative.   Chicken is still a buck a pound on sale, which helps average the cost so we can afford a piece of red meat every now and then.  We still need red meat to keep our iron supply up.   So far, the only thing that we are deficient of is vitamin d.  That is because we are not real milk drinkers and sun is not a big commodity in the PNW! LOL.  We do eat sour cream and cottage cheese and regular cheeses.

To recap

• Average your protein costs
• Strive for five dollar dinners ( typical family of four) 
• Watch your fruit and vegetable costs and buy in season 
• Buy dairy when it is on sale, and buy what you will use before it goes bad.  
• Buy cheese on sale.  Grocery outlet os a good source of unusual and inexpensive cheeses.  

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Jane 

Sunday ads

The dollar store was very fruitful yesterday.   There is a lot of plastic garbage at the dollar store, but there is also a lot of necessity items that are far less expensive than anywhere else.   Facial tissue is one.   I got brand name catsup for a dollar for a large bottle.   They have sugar free candy, toothpaste and soap for free with coupons.   Sunday papers are a buck.  

Walgreens.  
A
Get five dollar rewards when you spend 25.00.  There are a bot of BOGO or BOG 1/2.  Mostly for non food items.  

Coffee 6.99
Milk 2.69
Mitchum deodorant w coupon .99
Tea bags 2.99

Fred Meyers

Butter 2/4@@
Grapes 1.28@@
Chicken grill pack .99@@
Blues 4.98
Zucchini or yellow  .99
Tomatoes  .99
Bins 4/5

Keeping a mindset of watching for true deals for the things that you actually need is a good way to live  better for less.  

I got an e mail that there was a concert at our local performance center .  Tickets for seniors with the ticket surcharge on line were twenty dollars.   If you bought ten senior tickets they were ten dollars with a max surcharge of 12.00.  I got eleven of our friends to go and we paid eleven dollars for our twenty dollar tickets.  

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Jane

Finally friday

It's getting crazy at work.  Dealers are putting sales on everything to clear out some merchandise so they don't have to move ot.  We are trying to ring double the sales and do extra work.   It days like yesterday that I am glad I only work two days a week.   LOL Meanwhile we are trying to find a building to move to.

We had chicken mashed potatoes and mixed berries for dinner last night.   My plan os to get pork tenderloins for our stock meat this week.   I try to keep a variety of meats in our pantry/ freezer so we eat well and eat a variety of foods.  No matter what you eat, someone will have a reason why it is unhealthy. My take is to eat a variety of foods and avoid processed meats on a regular basis.  I want us to eat them no more than once a week. I always keep fresh fruits and veggies in the house.

Not paying full price, or what my mother used to call top dollar, is the key.   No matter what the future holds with the shake up in the grocery industry, that is still your best plan.   Being flexible helps a lot.

Finding the best two stores the week you are buying the food helps too.  You get the best selection of produce and the advantage of the best buys.   A trick of retailers is to put something on a really good sale.  They assume you are only shopping one store and you will buy the things that go with that item for more than full price and they will be money ahead.  The object of this game is for YOU to be money ahead.  

Managing your leftovers and your perishables is another way to beat the high cost of food.   Look for ingenious ways to use up the vegetable bin.   I like to roast veggies.  I found radishes for fifty cents a Fred Meyers.   They are very good roasted.  Add any root veggies or peppers, or squash to them in a pan . Cut them on pieces so they are done at the same time and drizzle them with olive oil and salt and peppers . Sometimes  I add thyme or rosemary.   Roast in a 375 degree oven until done.  I start checking at twenty minutes.m if I am in a hurry I add a chicken sausage to the last ten minutes or so.
It's an easy dinner.   I really like easy.

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Jane

A few notes on terrific Thirsday

Our landlord at work, ( I'll save the expliratives for your imagination! lol) gave us forty days to evict 150 people.  That means if we don't find a new place really soon, we will loose dealers and probavly our jobs.  I am not impressed with the landlords lack of professionalism, but he hasn't had that trait since the get go.  

On a better note, TOP  foods os closing. Lately they have been leaning towards being a high priced store.  WINCo  is moving in.  I am excited because we will be able to go to Winco any time we want. Going miles away meant we could only go every eight weeks or so.   I am saddened , though that SAFEWAYS and ALBERTSONS are merging and they are closing stores.  SAFEWAYS is far better price woes and clean wise than ALBERTSONS.  I will reserve judgment until I see the end results.  

Our whole scheme of stores and prices are about to change.   Thos a time when flexibility is paramount.   It is also a good thing we have stocked and can ride the wave until things settle down from all the changes.  

Life happens, and the people that can adjust to the bes and flows will be better off than those who can't.  

That's about all

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Jane

Wicked Wednesday, the ads

We did get the ads this week on time.    Such as they are.   I thought I would talk about how to analyze the ads.  Pick two grocery stores from the ads.  Lately,I have been going to Fred Meyers with the Sunday ads.   Besides Costco, they have had the best prices on dairy and periodically have beans and tomatoes for .50.   

Top has a five dollars off of fifty coupon.m considering everything is already priced higher than the proverbial balls, it's not much of a bargain.  

They have Tillamook ice cream for 2.99, cheese for 5.99, when you buy four total items.

Bread is 2/4.

QFC

Raspberries 2/3

Tomatoes 1.00

Tortillas 1.00

Cilantro 2/1

ALBERTSONS 

Grapes 1.00

Chicken thighs .88 ( they are not telling where they r from) 

Tillamook ice cream 2/6

Eggs 2/3@@

Ground beef 3.99 ( 7 percent fat) 

Berries 2/6

Barilla pasta .98

SAFEWAYS 

Blues 2.99

Five dollar Friday 

Pork tenderloin

Brownies

Cantelope 2/5

Raspberries 3/5

Nalleys chili 1.00

 

That's about all.  I would pick the store that had the most cheap prices on what I needed.   I like the price of the pork tenderloin and berries at SAFEWAYS.   The beef, pasta, eggs, amd ice cream would draw me to ALBERTSONS if I needed them.  

Otherwise, I would pick this week to check out Winco.   

Or not go at all.  

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Jane 

Terrific Tuesday

I finally got to Fred Meyers yesterday.  I didn't spend much, but got good buys on what I did get.  
I had to go to michaels and get a new paper trimmer.   My old one broke.  I found out that they are under warranty and Fiskars will send me a replacement part, but I have to finish a project before then.  

There is this Mexican theme with the grocery stores this week.  Haven't quite figured that out yet because it's not May 5th? lol.  We eat a lot of tex ,ex because everybody likes it and I can make one meal and make everybody happy.  

We have been incorporating chicken into our Mexican recipes.   I can still get chicken for a buck a pound.

It's the first of the month.   I usually cover the basics.  I talked about the bare bones basics a couple of days ago.  It's a balancing act and it takes a little planning, but the reward is a lower food bill.  After gas, food is the most expensive thing in most peoples discressionary income.    We have a very small car and inky go to the store and work is a mile or so away.   Groceries are our most expensive expense.   Our groceries are 1/2 the national average.   The USDA has stats on sixes of families and how much food at home should cost.  I spend 25 percent less than their thrifty budget and I also supplement my daughter and granddaughter a lot.    And, that's not all food eaten at home, because I am constantly stocking.  We have a stock built.  

• Take advantage of store specials
• Specials are on a six to 12 week rotation.  
• Go to more than one store.   This gives you the best pick of produce.   
• Buy a meat that is economical and buy in bulk to maximize your savings.  Buy enough to serve that meat it's allotted times for a month.   The next week, pick a different meat.   ( or protein ) 
• When a staple item is in sale, buy enough to last you until it goes on sale again.  
• Keep track of grocery prices.   Find out what is the cheapest proce on your area.  Thos os getting harder because prices don't seem to be stable these days.  
• Don't buy more than you can use before it goes bad.   
• Watch for tricks the retailers have to get you to impulse buy.   It's 70 percent of their  sales.   Save the seventy percent.  

I Guess that's all.   

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Jane 

Sunday notes , the ads

Walgreens

Hair accessories reg 2.99' register rewards 2.00 nets .99
All detergent 28-40 loads 2.99, register reward nets 1.99

Fred Meyers

Strawberries 1.88
Onions .88
Milk 2/5
Buns 3/4
Smoked sausage 2/6
Tillamook 10/4
Beans tomatoes 2/1@@
Tortillas .89@@
Rice 2lbs .99@@
Oranges .99
Cukes .99

This is the first if the month be sure to go online and download your coupons,m the high ticket ones go first.  Mast month there were few real food ones. But this is another month.  
The first four pages of the smart source this week are good ones.   I always watch for the sirloin tips coupons because with a good sale they are cheaper than scratch.  

My husband out a small pot roast in the crockpot this  morning,   I am hoping to get the back deck together so we can start living out eye.  It is a lot cooler out there than on the house in the summer, especially of we need to leave the house closed up all day.  

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Jane

Suddenly Saturday

I had a family emergency and still didn't get to go to QFC.    I did get to SAFEWAYS.   I got a piece of chuck.  It was three dollars a pound and we haven't had a real piece of beef in a long time.   I also got chicken for a buck a pound.   Cod is four dollars a pound at QFC and beans and tomatoes are .50.

I am still on target for my budget.   I try to keep a lot of fruit and veggies on the house.  

Working with a small budget takes a bit of a balancing act.   Setting certain figures for each category of food helps stay on track. Especially of you are stocking and don't buy a weeks worth of groceries on the same week they are eaten.   Last week, I bought no protein.  This  week I bought two.   I average one large piece of meat a week, buying bulk and cooking / and or dividing it up into meal sized portions.   I want to buy one meat a week ( or source of protein) and buy enough for the month of that meats meals.

I have a matrix for meal plans.  It makes meal planning easier and insures you are getting a variety of protein.   Yours will probably be different than mine.   I am trying to please a meat eater, a semi vegetarian and I am diabetic.   It's a balancing act.

2 beef
2 pork or chicken
2 vegetarian
1 fish or shellfish

Looking at the ads again this week only exemplifies that the most important tool you can have in eating on a small budget is KNOW YOUR PRICES.   Often  lately I have found the spread between prices of the same thing has been double.   These are things that are on my stock up list.   Things you can make good cheap meals from are the basis of my stock list.  

The idea  is to buy low and eat when the prices are high.   It works.  It works no matter where you are, or what prices are prevelant in your area.   I saw a weeks meals on another blog that was written in another part of the country.  Some of the prices  were more than we pay, and some were less.  
It's all realitive.  


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Jane

Good by TOP

top foods is closing in snohomish county.  they have already closed the shoreline store.   That leaves is two chains controlling our food shopping.   To me, that is very scary. Competition  is what keeps prices down.  Top had been easing their way to a alternative high priced store anyway.   

Just a note.    

I looked at the rite aid ad, not seeing much there.   

Thursday, the ads

We got ads late because of the holiday.  

TOP
Tomatoes .98
Roast 3.49
Hagan tuna 2/1.@@
Blues 3.00@@ pint

QFC
Blues  18 oz 3.99
Chicken .99
Tillamook ice cream 3/10
Cod 3.99
Bread 2/4
Kroger beans or tomatoes 2/1


SAFEWAYS

Kens salad dressing $$BOGO
Grapes 1.49
Corn 6/2
Cukes .79

5 dollar Friday
Sub
Blueberry custard pie
Berries 2 lbs or 18 ounces strawberries,, blues
GM cereal and bars 1.49$$$, buy 4


ALBERTSONS

Berries 3.99
Yoplait 20/5

Cake mix 1.29
Milk 3.79
Butter 2/6
ALBERTSONS ice cream 2.99
Grapes 2.99
Cantaloupe 3/10
Cukes .69
Corn 4/2.50

Notes:
I got butter for 1.50 a couple of weeks ago at FM

Tuna is .50 several places, the spread os from .50 to a dollar....that's double
Tillamook ice cream is 3.33.  For superior quality than ALBERTSONS for 3.00.  
You should be able to find coupons for cereal.  

At .50, it would be  a good time to stock your beans and tomatoes of you need to.  

That's about it.  

Wicked Wednesday

Thos os going to be short, I have a full plate today and the ads didn't come yet, I suspect because of the holiday.  Also, there were no inserts in Sundays paper because of the holiday.  

I went tomcostco yesterday.  We were out of our usual Costco stuff.   .  There were jeans on a instant rebate type offer, as well as dishwasher detergent.   A bonus pack of extra pods with three dollars off.,
I always get bananas and nuts and dairy.   Tortillas are always cheaper.  I keep the, in the fridge.  They last a long time.  

We also went to big lots and the grocery outlet.    Big lots had fruit sauce with no added sugar or corn syrup for a buck and a pizza crust for a buck.   Recipe starters are .50.  I am not finding any more coupons and big lots doesn't accept coupons or snap.   It's still a good time saver and cheaper than scratch.  

Grocery outlet is cheaper on coffee.  Coffee, pork, and beef are on the take a hike trail along with cheese.   We got cheese and they had cranberry juice cheap.  

 Buffalo chicken wrap.  Wraps are a way to cut your carbs.  A usual tortilla has about ten carbs , as opposed to about thirty plus  for a two slice of bread sandwich.  

Chicken strips cooked
Hot pepper sauce
Butter

Tortillas
Shredded lettuce
Shredded cheese
Chopped tomato
Blue cheese dressing,  

Brush blue cheese dressing on tortilla.  
Place chicken strips on a bowl with some melted butter and a couple of drops of hot sauce .
Place chicken strips in center if tortilla.   Add remaining ingredients.   Roll tortilla.

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Please share

Jane

Terrific Tuesday , recipe addition

Another what to do with what you got.  It's  officially spring now that Memorial Day has happened, right?    Although the backyard fairy hasn't done his magic in our backyard.  Usually by Mother's Day we have the deck planted and the deck furniture   up.  Last year we had a mishap with the wind and the top of the table is now in a bag, reduced to tiny shreads of glass.   I found a table that was in disrepair, but had good glass, so we are making a good table out of two.  


I digress.

Betty Crocker this time had a piece on foil packets.   I have done a blog on foil packets before. I will try to find it and repost.    Basically, it's the concept of taking a square of heavy foil, ( or a double piece) spraying ot with Pam and building and dinner in a mound.   Seal the foil and grill it off or bake ot on the oven.  It makes for a no mess dinner ( no pans, no dishes) . Kids love ot and mom loves the no dishes.   You can also tailor the packs to suit different tastes.

This is the second time I have done this blog today.  The first one fell apart!  LOL
So much for doing a blog at three in the am.

I have done blogs on foil packets before.  The kids love them,  they are like camping out;and moms like them because there are no dishes.  They are a good way to do dinner ahead and not have to cook in a hot kitchen.  They can be cooked in a oven or on the BBQ.  You can use up leftovers and tailor each persons packet to their taste.


Veggie Chicken Packet.
uses bone in chicken breast. Sometimes I have purchased them for 1.25 a pound.

For EACH packet

2 T instant rice
1chicken breast 1/4, or about 4 punches. ( the size of the palm of your hand.
1/ cup sliced carrot
2onion slices, separate into rings
1/4 cup peppers, sliced thin.
1 T water
1 T w sauce
2tsp soy sauce
1 T butter

Place rice in the center of a 14 inch square piece of foil
Top with chicken and veggies
Mix liquids together
Pour over chicken.
I would cup the edges of the foil first.
Dot with butter.
Fold foil around chicken and seal.
Place n baking pan and bake at 350 for 65-75 minutes or until chicken is done.
Open foil carefully, there will be steam!!!


I know the purists would say that I am filling the landfill, you can use used foil.

It would be a good recipe for a busy day. Even a older child or a culinary challenged spouse could put the packets on pan and get them started in the oven. LOL

You could also use already cooked chicken and shorten the time. Yhen you would just worry about how long the rice and veggies would take to cook. It would really be fast if you used leftover rice, maybe even finely chop the pepper in with it. I have a thing about white food. It needs colour. LOL

There is an earlier post on foil packets. It's a good thing to do when you are working late and you can fix them ahead for someone else to shove in the oven. Kids like the packets...it's like camping.

There are a lot of foil packet meals on the Betty Crocker website that are updated with more
sophisticated flavors.


Basically you take a 12 in square piece of foil ( or splice two smaller ones together) and layer

Starch
Meat
Veggies
A gravy or some kind of liquid.

Wrap the foil around the dinner and seal.  Make individual packets.  The foil becomes your dish.
Bake at 350 to 400 until done.


I started this blog to help people cook good nutritious meals on a tight budget. it came to my attention that some people on SNAP were running out of money before they ran out of month. we eat on about 1/2 of the USDA statistics for a thrifty plan. It is doable. no, we are not on SNAP. In the process, I have learned that other people that want to get out of the kitchen faster because they have busy lives and people that like trying a new recipe like it as well. It can't help anyone if they are not motivated to try. Not having food in the house at the end of the month should be motivation enough. It doesn't make your child or children feel secure when they know the cupboards are empty.

thanks for stopping by

Please share. Comment!?!

Jane