Fred Meyer Sunday ad

Sunday and Monday ONLY

Cherries 2.88
Tillamook ice cream 2/5


Regular ad
Zucchini .99
Grapes .99
Cantaloupe 2/4
Eggs .78
Yoplait - 10/5$$
Strawberries 2/5

*******++++
Rotation bulk meat for the week would be b
Boneless 1/2 loin pork roast is 1.69
*****+

QFC haul(s)

QFC haul

Bread 1.25,
Chips-ritz Free

Saved 4.63

Strawberries
Raspberries 1.88
2 doz eggs .78
Blueberry pie 1.99
Maple  extract 2.39 (. Markdown )


I will dehydrate eggs for future use--  I'm almost out of vanilla , so I thought I might stretch what I have by using maple flavor  when it mad sense.  

Total
14.05

Total per week so far this  quarter 54.70 .    Including buying bulk purchases.  

Friday recipe - mix

Cream soup base,    Cream of xxx soup is running well  over a dollar on sale.    this is much cheaper and doesn't take much more time than opening a can and you aren't eating things you can't pronounce.

Pick amtome when you can get butter for 2.00.  You can't substitute fake or margarine for this, it doesn't work. Store in the fridge for 2-3 months or freeze.  I make small batches.   

White sauce mix there are several variations out there.   Some Use cornstarch.   

4 cups dry milk ( not instant ) 

1 cup flour 

2 sticks butter. 

Cut butter into the dry mixture.   You can use a pastry cutter or your mixer with the wisk attachment. 

Basic white sauce for,white,sauce, add cheese for Mac and cheese etc.   

2/3 cup mix 

1 cup water 

Cook until thick over medium heat stirring with wisk.   

Thick cream soup ( condensed) 

3/4 cup water 

1 tsp better than boullion 

1 cup mix.  

Stir until thick, cooking over medium high heat.   

Add seasonings of choice about a 1/2 tsp each 

Garlic powder 

Onion powder 

Parsley 

Salt and pepper 

Chocolate pudding 

1 cup mix 

1/2 cup sugar

3 T cocoa 

1 cups water 

Measure ingredients in order and wisk on medium heat until combined.   Turn heat up and bring to boil.   Boil about 20 SECONDS until thick,  cover and chill.  

I have a different version that is low sodium and low fat.   

Another day, another dollar.     

Thursday bullets - ten thing never to eat

Some of this is  from a registered dietitian, but I also have heard it from multiple sources including my dear mother.    LOL.   It's not good to fool Mother Nature and fake is  fake.     This is my opinion, based on my reading.   I'm not a doctor and you need to use your own judgement.
.

1. Orange juice from concentrate has  more sugar than a soda.    
2. Soda pop.     It's full of sugar and the fizz can leach the calcium from your bones, so they say. 
3. Margarine and fake butter.   Hey, I really want to know why palm oil is supposedly cancer producing and terrible on Nutella, but it's ok in fake butter.     If you want to reduce the bad fat in your butter, try land of lakes butter with olive oil.   Olive oil is supposed to be for good cholesterol.   
4. Fake sugar.   They are telling us that sugar is bad for you, but fake sugar is worse.    I guess moderation is the key. I've taken to not using sugar at all in my drinks.    
5. Cheap whole wheat bread.   Not much different than cheap white bread.    Look at the nutrition label.    The more fiber it has, the better.    
6. Soy milk.    I don't have a clue why, but that's what the nutritionists say. 
7. Tilipa.   Dirty........that's all I can say. 
8. Southern grown chicken.    Local is better.   There is more to it.    
9. Individual packets of microwave oatmeal.    Cost more and have less nutrition.   
10. Microwave popcorn.   It's not the corn, it's the stuff they put in it.   
11. Bonus: cheap hot dogs.   There is a difference between Hebrew national and Nathan's vs the other brands.   Some hot dogs 🌭 have mystery ingredients.    There is also a faction out there that is against all processed meats.    We like them, so my answer is moderation. 

Grocery outlet and dollar tree

Guess where we went!    LOL

Holiday time  is a good time to stock  picnic supplies.  Prices are about  as low as they get on picnic type fare.  

I got plastic trays for the deck table to make eating out there easier.   Wenwalk threw two rooms to get to the family room door, so it should make life easier carrying our plates.  

I also get a pound cake from DT.  I have strawberries and whip cream already,   We are having Texas stew for dinner,   It's in the slow cooker/ insta pot.  I brought the ingr Donets up to warm woth the sauté feature because so,emofmthem were frozen and then switched to slow cooker.  

Grocery outlet

• Bluecheese 3.49
• Wish bone  Italian dressing - good for marinade.   At pull date.25 
• Lemon snack bars .99
• Pudding mixes , chocolate caramel  3/1 
• Tomato paste , hunts. Ind packets .99
• Challenge butter 1.98
• Nathan's franks 2/5 
• Sliced Italian salami 199
• Total 15.93  - saves 41.65 

Chain store ads

Just a note: some of the condiment and s'mores supplies are cheaper year   round at the dollar tree.  Beware of origins, but some are national brands. 

Alberways 

Five dollar Friday : Pork Tenderloin

Coupon 10 off 50.   I don't find that a good coupon becaise the other prices are so much higher that you aren't saving anything.  

Sweet baby rays BBQ.   .79 @@ if u have the coupon on last Sunday's paper it is cheaper  at FM. 

Hot dog buns 2/1.00@@

Tortilla chips 1.99@@

2 lbs Tillamook cheese brick 7.99-  not a bargain.  It's one of the misquotes that brick cheese is cheaper than grated.    

Sour cream 4/5 

QFC (Kroger ) 

Strawberries 188

Tomatoes .88

Tillamook 2 lb block 5.99 ( still too high ) 

Eggs .78

Butter 2/5 

Tillamook ice cream 2/6 

Hebrew national 2/6 

April-- this ones for you.    Corn 2/1.00

Note : Hebrew national is not my preferred hot dog only because they package them in numbers of one less hot dog than there are buns in a package.   It has nothing to do with the quality.  Another note of a dirty little secret.    Almost always , it doesn't pay  to get the hotdogs and the buns at the same store.   They will use one for a "loss leader " and make up the profit on the other.   

Tuesday book review

Taste of Home Meals in One Pan


It's always a time saver to cook meals on one pan because you have less things to watch and less pans to wash,   It's especially nice of it os a slow cooker meal that you can set and forget.   Threemcoirse or more meals are time consuming and not always the best if you have children  to watch as well.   I am a advocate of involving children in the dinner process.   Sunday breakfast 4 Dinner  can be a family affair.. even granddaughter can bitter the English muffins or toast.

This cookbook is a soft sided one that I got at a discount at Winco.    I have written for Taste of Home in the past.    I also have been published in Womans  Day.

The book is divided into chapters to include those of protein ,and cooking vessels with the added bonus of deserts.    Yum!  There are a variety of meals woth a variety of basic costs.  Some are more expensive than others, and some can be easily adapted without sacrificing the integrity of the meal.

It's one that you will refer to often to spark up a dull meal week.

Monday kitchen management

reminder of meal plan

Pizza
Breakfast 4 dinner
Texas stew
Stuffed pasta shells
Asparagus ( green beans ) Angel hair shrimp
Chicken enchaladas
Meditranian  Pork and orzo,

• Buy green beans, hominy, check shrimp , tomatoes 
• Texas stew : hamburger, hominy, corn - wash potatoes for slicing 
• Stuffed pasta shells -ok.    Bought shells for 1.29 
• Wash veggies 
• Clean fridge 
• Take inventory of meat drawer,   Disinfect drain boards and drains 
• Make a desert 
• Wash floor 
• Wax north side of kitchen cupboards

Grocery hauls

Grocery shopping / Sunday

Wheat bread.   1.45
Hot dog buns .79
Blue bunny ice cream 3.50  less .50 coupon
English cucumber .78
Strawberries 1.98
Green beans 2.98
Red grapes 148 a pound
Total 14.36


Fred Meyers

Chicken breast
Hebrew franks 3.00
Sweet baby rays sauce 100 les .33 cents .67 ( coupon)
Blueberries 299
Tomatoes .88
Total 16.77

Total 31.13

Costco Rebate Haul

Rebate hauls don't hit my total spent list becaise it is a return of money we already spent,  

Non food items are not listed on this list.  We bought soap thatnwas discounted, new pillows, and husband's  beer.  

• Soy sauce 
• Tortilla chips. 
• Bananas 
• Celery 

Meal plans -may 22

Meal  plans save time, effort, and money and a lot of stress.  

Focus....taste of home - Meals on one pan

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

• Pizza 🍕- a favorite and basic pizza cost little more than a dollar.   A good way to use up bits of leftovers 
• Breakfast 4 Dimner - another great way to feed family for less.    Eggs are still .10 or less.   
• Texas stew.: a slow cooker meal with hamburger, hominy, corn , tomatoes, beans, etc.    - Taste of Home 
• Stuffed pasta shells , broccoli. 
• Asparagus and shrimp angelhair ( sub green beans ) 
• Chicken enchaladas woth sour cream sauce.   
• Mediterranean Pork and orzo 

Fred Meyer Sunday specials

It's  BBQ time.    Now would be the time to buy your YEARs worth of BBQ sauce.   For us, that's not a lot.    Baby Rays is 100 several places. We ncludimg fred Meyers and there ism buy 3, save a dollar coupon in Sunday's paper.   There is also a coupon  for .50 off of Blue Bunny  ice cream cones,    A good treat if you are in a diet or are counting carbs.  

Foster Farms split chicken breast .87 - stock  up rotation alert!
Blueberries 299
Tomatoes .88
Turkey bacon  2/5

Sour cream , cottage cheese, cream cheese 4/5
Hebrew national hot dogs 2/6


Notes : Hebrew national hot dogs as well as Nathan's have no excess animal parts in them.  
Now would be a good time to stock chicken breast for a rotation meat.  
Buying picnic type BBQ sauce, catsup. Mustard etc is a good time,  many times you can find condiments with coupons.really cheap.    Sweet baby rays has taken a price hike from last year so getting it for .67 is a good buy.  ( coupons) .  

They are also pushing s'mores .    I can almost always get Graham crackers and marshmallows at the  DT .   ( Dollar Tree) .  

Hot dog and hamburger buns are always under a dollar for Wincos brand,   The hamburger buns are smaller but suit you well if you are counting carbs or on a diet.  

Freddies wanted five dollars for good hamburger.  I can usually get it for 3.28 at Winco.

Friday remake of a recipe

Herb dip with veggies

Dip :

2 cups reduced fat sour cream
1/4 cup homemade ranch dressing mix
1 T onion flakes ( or dehydrated onions )
2 T dried  parsley

Place in bowl and stir.   Cover to store in refrigerator.

Serve with  carrots, celery, cucumbers, radishes.broccolli

Thursday bullets -5 basic ingredients

Ten things that are food bargains

1. Basic oatmeal.   Good old Quaker oatmeal in a bulk box (Costco) or a round carton.  Dover, nutrition.   Takes, I longer than a instant package and is more nutritious,   It takes like three packages of the instant stuff to have the same nutrition as one 1/2 cup portion of "real" oats.   1 cup water, 1/2 cup oats, 1.1/2 minutes in the microwave.    Use a bowl larger than you need,  somerimes  it tends to boil over.    Breakfast, cookies, breakfast cookies, banana bread 
2. Carrots.   Plan old fashioned carrots.   Most of the time they are 1/2 the price of baby carrots and they use bleach to process the baby carrots.   
3. Flour.   Bought in bulk it can be as low as .08 a cup.   If you price bisquick, cake mixes, bread, or pancake mixes, flour is a real bargain.    
4. Eggs.   A powerhouse of protein for a few cents an egg.    Very versatile.   The RDA for protein is 6 ounces that include eggs,    
5. Potatoes.   Another versatile ingredient that is soo much cheaper than the frozen counterparts.   Potato soup, clam chowder, baked potato bar, oven fries 🍟 (no trans fat) mashed potatoes.    

Wednesday chain store ads - May 17th

Alberways

Fresh whole chicken  .67 ( note this is not marked with origin.   )

Red seedless grapes .77


Five dollar Friday

Sweet baby rays BBQ 5/5
Ragu pasta sauce 4/5 $$$


QFC

Milk .99
Raspberries 2.99
Peppers .88
Sour cream or cottage cheese 2/5


About it.  

Fred Meyers haul

Fred Meyers haul.  

I'm still sitting at less than 45.00 a week this month.

Yogurt - .33 each less .10 coupon.   .23
Butter 1.99
Blueberries 4.99
Yogurt dipper .89 less .50 coupon .39
Eggs .79
Cucumbers 2/.99

Total 14.27

Tuesday musings.

I am bulk cooking three pounds of Jimmy Dean sausage.    While opening the chubs, I was reminded of what I paid of these sausages .  One was free, one was 2.25 purchased with a coupon, and one was full price ( a mistake ) and 5.79.   All were not out of date  and all were the same sized package,   That's a 5.79 difference in price spread.  A good reason to pay attention to prices and not just put the same thing in your cart at the same store every week.

That almost six dollars can buy another two meals if you continue  to look before you leap.

Consider this,  it's called the snowball effect.......only it is  much better  than that snowball the neighbor kid threw at  your picture window.  Lol

I got a free chub of sausage with a coupon,  That saved 5.79.   With that 5.79, I bought 4 ragu pasta sauces with coupons for .75 each.   Now I have 2.79 left.   I bought 4 Barilla pastas for .625 each with two coupons,  that's 2.50.  Now I have .29 left.   Now I have the start of

4 full packages of pasta
4 jars of pasta sauce - 4 pasta dinners plus a hold lit for a pizza
Enough sausage for part of a pizza
The rest of a package of sausage for a quiche for dinner
And the pizza sauce of o snag a little from the pasta dinner.

Or, the majority of five dinners.  

My argument for spending a total of ten minutes while I was waiting for my turn at the hair salon on couponing,    This week I got :

•  Free pound of jimmy dean  sausage 
• Free sack of frozen peas 
• Free nacho chips 
• Free dipper yogurt 
• 4 jars of pasta sauce 3.00 
• 4 packages of pasta 250 
• 2 packages (1 lb) cheese 1.76      7.26
• 10 lbs potatoes 1.78                     9.04

That is enough to go a long ways to feeding a weeks worth of dinners,    Granted, this works best when you find an equally good week and buy other foods to rotate. But, essentially you can :

• Pull a few tablespoons of cooked and de-fatted sausage for the pizza.   Add cheese and pepperoni bought with coupons for .50 at the DT.   1/2 a package will do.   
• Pull half of the remainder for nachos add cheese , the free chips and anything you have to augment - peppers, tomatoes, beans  ....
• The rest can be for a quiche.   Add eggs, milk, cheese, and bisquick
• 4 meals of pasta and sauce .   Add parm cheese? A salad? 
• Baked potato bar- add a dollar can of chilli, cheese. 
• Potato soup- add biscuits or corn bread, milk and carrots, celery.    
• Scalloped potatoes, ham cubes, and peas .   Ham cubes are - little more than two dollars at Winco, or you might have some left from Easter.  

Basically, notmcounting bare basics like flour, yeas, milk spices etc.  you would need : 

Pepperoni .50 

Can of chilli 100

Can of beans .50 ( or a 1-1/2 pound of dry beans for 100 at the dollar store.   

Can of doced tomatoes .50 

Milk 149 this week at QFC 

Carrots 100

Ham cubes 2.39 

Celery 100

Salad 100 

Another 10 dollars. 

7 dinners for under twenty dollars. - the price of a take out pizza or two dinners from a meal service.   

Finding time to scratch cook.

Face it, there are only 24 hours in a day.    Running a home, raising kids, holding one or two jobs all takes time,   I had the opportunity to take management courses when I worked at a firmitre factory as a systems administrator,   It was helpful, I learned about tickler files. And priority lists. I iedna tocklermfile for years.  Then I got sick and just getting out of bed was a chore,   The tickler file kinda went by the wayside.

I did learn to schedule.   It's something you do when you work.    It's a way to avoid becoming overwhelmed.    I still make lists.   Somehow, when things are in paper, I'm not laying awake at night wondering if I've forgotten something or of there are going to be enough hours in a day to do what needs to be done.

Our mothers and grandmothers would spring clean,   I can remember my mother loading up a utility cart and move from room to room washing walls, washing curtains, and waxing floors.    O don't think anyone does that anymore.  We have full lives and most of us have a lot on our plates.   The concept of zone cleaning helps reolace the spring cleaning.  Take a day you have free time, or make free time to spend an hour on a particular room or section of the house,   Rotate big jobs and rotate rooms .  That way, eventually , every room gets a deep clean.

I digress.    The kitchen is the focus.   How to find time to scratch cook.....

• Leave often used appliances out.  Having to drag out a heavy appliance slows you down,   
• Find easy recipes.   Refrigerator bread, slow cooker meals. One pot suppers (less dishes ) 
• Delicate - even small children can do some things.  And you know what they are doing while you are cooking,    My sisters and I were baking by the  time we were nine years old.   We also got the wonderful job of washing the dishes by hand and cleaning the kitchen.    LOL.  
• Spend an hour once a week to Prep.   It's faster to wash all the vegetables at one to,e than it is to wash as you go.   Ditto chopping,   Set up the food processer or your machine of choice .  Saves time and clean up.    
• Plan meals .  Make notes on a meal plan form when you need to defrost meat.    
• Invest in appliances  that will hero you be efficient in the kitchen.  If money is tight, prioritize spending and look for them at estate sales and the goodwill.   Bread machines are all over the place and as low as five bucks.  Instead of buying a lot of appliances , consider an Insta   pot even if you have to save up for it.   It's a slow cooker, a rice cooker and a pressure cooker.    Easy, few steps, and a lot safer than the old fashioned kind.  
• Make your own recipe book of a limited amount of meals that are efficient.   
• Instead of buying for particular meals, develop a list of foods that you use in a regular basis, and cook from those ingredients.   Having basics in the house means there are no special trips to the store.   The less road blocks you give yourself, the more efficient cooking is.   Many boxed mixes are only a few ingredients if you leave out the added salt and preservatives you don't want for your family anyway. 

,  

: cookbook review

I have long been a fan of Taste of Home.   I was a contributor in the past.    I was also on woman's day for my budget cooking.   I find that the Taste of Home recipes aren't trying to sell a particular product, they are family tested and sometimes are that recipe grandma  used to make that was sooo yummy.  

I bought The Complete Brunch Cookbook.  It is soft  bound and I bought it discounted  Winco.  We have long been a fan of Breakfast  4 Dinner.   It's a good way to s t r e t c h a dollar .  

Some of the recipes are definitely for a company brunch,   I say that because they are fancy and take a fair amount of work.    I am all about easy and quick. It goes back to sounding more time planning and shopping, and less time cooking, assuming you have a life and it's not being a master cook,

Some  recipes that did intrigue me are :

Sausage quiche squares
Bacon and egg pizza
Tater tot bake
Veggie packed  strada
Sausage from scratch - ( no garbage)
Denver scramble tostada
turkey sage sausage patties
Broccoli brunch skillet
black bean frittata
Chocolate pecan waffles
Banana oat pancakes
Bacon potato  waffles ( leftover mashed potatoes? )

Chocolate chip coffee cake
Chocolate banana muffins
Pumpkin pecan loaves
Ham and green onion biscuits
Orange cranberry bread


Total 108 recipes.  
Some Taste  of home recipes can be found on line.  

Making a new recipe mixes things up and makes a meal less boring,

Fred Meyers Sunday ad

Happy  Mother's Day!  

Eggs .79

FF boneless, skinless chicken breast 177

Tillamook cheese 5.00 a two pound brick - limit 2

Butter 2.00 - limit 2

BBQ sauce 100
Cake mix 100
Frozen treats 100

Hillshire Farms sausage 1.99
Cucumbers, radishes, green  onions 2/1.00