Eat from the Pantry: Looking Back at January 2010

Redemption Unlimited's A. Reports on her "Eat from the Pantry" Experience

When I first read about the Eat from the Pantry Challenge on Crystal Paine's blog, I thought, "Oh, yea, I can do that!" - a little too confidently. Now, at the end of this month, it's turned out to be a much bigger challenge than I initially assessed. We definitely had our hiccups, including the following:

• On January 2, my husband ordered some K-cup coffee on Amazon for a bargain price (in relative terms) of $15.
• He also did a trip to Sam's Club for us in the middle of the month, which bought us a few convenience foods (aka frozen lasagnas) and frozen chicken breasts ($13 for a huge bag).
• I was along on the two trips to Giant, during which I picked up about $30 worth of beef and poultry to freeze since it was on sale.
  

SO, if we had been following Crystal's general parameters of produce-dairy-eggs-only, and foregone at least the frozen protein and K-cups, we would have spent $211 on groceries in January, or $47.64/week. As it is, our total made it $60.74/week - which is still quite a bit lower for us, considering that we spend about $12/week on organic milk alone around here (one of my routine grocery splurges). If you divide our spending over two adults and a toddler, that's $2.89/person per day.

The net effect? Our kitchen pantry has been pretty well hollowed-out. I still have a lot of cream cheese, brown rice, and Heart-Healthy Bisquick, but I guess that those can be used up in February, too! There's a lot less "convenience" or processed foods left. In general, over the past year or so, I've tried to increasingly buy "whole food" items and staples to build meals from scratch, so this is actually a good thing. (But I'll always have a few frozen pizzas and lasagnas around...)

I'm convinced that - for the sake of the money saved and health, I should sally forth by concentrating my personal couponing/sale-shopping energies more and more on deals involving simple less-processed nonperishables (rice, pasta, etc.) and fridge staples (produce, dairy, etc.) that allow me to assemble healthier meals. I'm also going to focus more on eating what we already have around, now that I've seen how far it can take us!

Though, February 1 will definitely find me buying some decaf coffee... 0:-p

Redemption Unlimited's Mel Reports on Her "Eat from the Pantry" Experience

Like A., I thought I could breeze through the month of January and save 50% on our food budget. I was wrong! Though my pantry is nearly empty, I still had to buy a lot of staple foods - like chicken, for example. After all our Christmas guests departed, I had very little in the freezer because I'd used it up to feed the horde.

Additionally, I was blessed to provide 5 meals for other families in need. I maximized these opportunities by cooking from the pantry as much as possible, but I ended up using a lot of the chicken I bought the first week of January. Which meant I had to buy a second round of chicken halfway through the month.

I did end up saving about $50 on our food budget for the month. Though I'd like to see a much higher number, I feel very convicted with what I learned, as outlined below.
(1) I do not do a good job of checking what we have in the FRIDGE before grocery shopping. I truly am a fridge stockpiler! We don't have a second fridge or freezer, so our fridge is generally pretty full, especially full of condiments and things in the fridge door. Case in point: we had 2 bottles of opened barbecue sauce and 3 bottles of salad dressing in our fridge. We rarely use barbecue sauce, so I purposed to use both of those in January. I finished 1 of the 3 salad dressings. I also realized that I let produce go bad by not planning to use it all up in 2 recipes. I'm good at using it in 1 recipe, but not about finishing it all up. Moving forward, I will purpose to plan 2 ways to use fresh produce.

(2) I need to visually LOOK at what I have in the pantry, fridge and freezer before writing up my meal plan for the week. I assume I know what we have, but I realized that if I don't see it I really don't know what we have "in stock." Easy fix: look in all 3 places on Sunday afternoons before writing up the meal plan.

(3) I need to pack my lunch more. I really like to eat lunch out 1-2 times a week. I usually do this when I have coverage for my toddler and maximize the splurge by using coupons, but this was an easy habit to break. I will purpose to pack my lunch at least 1 of those 2 times per week. To make it exciting, I can pack a soda, sweet treat and/or chips. This will save me $ and calories.

I really look forward to continuing this new trend throughout 2010. I'm hoping and praying for additional savings in other months as I get better at using what we have.

Chick-Fil-A Calendars - Saturday's the Last January Day for Coupon Redemption!

Just a reminder that tomorrow (Saturday 01/30) is the last day that you can redeem your January freebie coupons from your 2010 Chick-Fil-A "cow-lendars - since Chick-Fil-As are closed on Sundays. Don't let your freebie soups or breakfast biscuits go to waste! :)
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5 Reasons to Visit Giant This Week, 01/29 - 02/04 (Plus FREEBIES and $5/$25 Bloom coupon)

I spotted a $5/$25 Bloom purchase coupon in this week's Bloom ad. SO, if you're buying a bunch of stuff that's not on sale in this Giant ad in the coming week, consider whether that Bloom coupon might get you better bang for your buck. OR ask your Giant to accept the competitor's coupons.

But HOLY MOLY there are quite a few freebies worth checking out! Also, a ton of deals and combos that we've outlined here.

Top Five Reasons to Visit Giant This Week:

1. Chobani Greek Yoghurt, 10/$10
   B2G1, but most importantly, $1/1 any, 12/13 SS
   Final price: FREE!
   
   
2. Reach Crystal Clean Toothbrush, $0.99
   B1G1, 12/06 RP, 01/03 RP2
   $2/1 or $1/1, 06/21/2009 SS (expires 05/31/10) or 10/18/09 RP (expires 06/30/10)
   Final price: FREE!
   
   
3. Tony's Crispy Crust Pizza, 10/$10
   $0.50/1, 12/13 SS
   Final price: FREE!
   
   
4. Post Cereal, 2/$3, must buy 2
   Honey Bunches of Oats, Grape-Nuts, Selects, or Shredded Wheat
   $1/2 Grape Nuts, Shredded Wheat, 01/17 SS
   Final price: $1/box
   Also, maybe: $2/1 (feel free to report if this coupon applies to the cereal on sale!)
   
   
5. Gatorade, $0.88/bottle (Save at least $0.37/bottle)
   If G2 is priced this way (it does say "All Flavors...):
   $1/2 or $0.50/1 G2, 01/10 RP
   Final price: Possibly FREE if the $0.50/1 doubles, or the $1/2 will make it $0.38 bottle, still pretty cheap for Gatorade!

Other Reasons to Visit Giant This Week, January 29 through February 4

SUPER G Boneless Chicken Breast, $1.99/lb.

Petite Sirloin Steak, $3.99/lb. (Save $1.50/lb.)

SUPER G Italian Dinner Links OR Fresh Pork Spareribs, $1.99/lb. (Save at least $1.80/lb.)

SUPER G Chicken Leg Quarters, $0.79/lb. (Save at least $0.70/lb.)

Snow Crab Clusters, $4.99/lb. (Save at least $4/lb.)

Ball Park Beef or Meat Franks, BOGO
$0.75/2, 01/10 RP (values vary regionally; may also double)
Final price: possibly $1.50 off the cost of one, for two!

Giant Sliced Bacon, 12-16 oz., $1.99

Laura's Lean Ground Beef, $3.99 (usually a tad over $5/lb.)

Nature's Promise Whole CHicken, $1.59/lb.

Nature's Promise Top Round Steak, $4.99/lb.

Wilson Pepperoni, BOGO

Sweet Seedless Clementines, 5 lb., $4.88 (Save at least $2.11)

All Purpose Potatoes 5 lb. bag, 2/$4

Green Cabbage, $0.39/lb. (Save at least $0.20/lb.)

Giant Cheese Board Cheese, 2/$4

Giant Sour Cream, 2/$3

Breyers Disney Lowfat Yoghurt 6-pack, 2/$5
$0.75/1, 01/03 SS
Final price: $1 for a 6 pack - $0.17/cup!

Wesson Oil, $5.99 for a 128 oz. jug

Giant Long Grain White Rice, $6.99 for a 20 lb. bag

Coke 12 packs, must buy 4, 4/$11

Pepperidge Farm Bakery Sale, 33% off
$1/1 Baked Naturals, 01/17 RP2
$0.40/1 (may double) Swirl Bread, Bagels, or English Muffins
$0.50/1 (may double) Bread or Rolls

Kleenex Cottonelle 12 Double Roll Bath Tissue, $5.99 (Save at least $3)
There are quite a few Cottonelle ones out there, but the best one I spotted:
$0.75/1, 01/17 SS, may double
Final price: as low as $4.49 ($0.37/roll), down from the retail price of $8.99

Lay's Potato Chips, BOGO (Save at least $3.99)

***

Deal: Buy any 3 participating Gorton's Seafood items and any 3 participating Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers in one transaction and $4 will be deducted from the end of your order when you check out (limit 1 per transaction).

Gorton's Seafood, 33% off
$1/1
Other printable coupons here
$0.50/1 Gorton's grilled sprimp item, 01/03 SS2
$0.50/1 Gorton's grilled item, 01/03 SS2
$1/2 Gorton's items, 01/24 SS

Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers, 3/$5
$0.40/1, 12/13 GM or 01/03 GM - Final price: $0.86/bag

***

Pepperidge Farm Frozen Items, $1.99 (excludes puff pastry)

Nature's Promise Cookies, 2/$5 (The raspberry chocolate chip ones are insanely tasty, but don't say that I didn't warn you when you find yourself staring at the crumbs at the bottom of the box. ;-p)

Nature's Promise Honey (wildflower or organic, 12 oz.), $3.29

Nature's Promise Organic Butter Quarters, 1 lb., $3.99

***
Deal: Buy 4 Deer Park Spring Water 24-packs and receive a $5 Catalina, buy 3 and receive a $3 Cat, buy 2 and receive a $2 Cat.

Deer Park 24-pack, $3.49 (Save at least $1.50)
$1/2, recent All You magazine
Final price: $2.99
***

Crystal Light 4 pack, 2/$5
$2/2, 01/03 SS2
Final price: $1.50/each

Emerald Peanuts
$1/1 may apply (print early; daily limits for this link)
Final price: $2 off the price of one, for two!

Coupon: Save 20% off a future purchase with the purchase of any transferred prescription (up to $50 savings).

Crest Toothpaste, Classic or Baking Soda, 3.5 oz, $0.99

***
Deal: Save $5 instantly off your order when you buy $20 in participating Unilever products.Limit 1 per transaction. Some Dove printable coupons here, though products not listed in ad as participating, so check them in store to see if they are part of the deal!

Dove Men's Men+Care Products (prices not listed)

Dove Soap 2-pack, 2/$5

Suave Shampoo or Conditioner, 2/$4
(Men's) $0.50/1, 12/13 RP
Professionals, $1/2, 01/03 RP2
Any, $1/2, 01/17 SS
Final price: anywhere from $1 to $1.50/bottle

Dove Shampoo or Conditioner, $2.99

Vaseline Intensive Care Lotion, $4.99

Suave Hand & Body Lotion, 2/$5
Any, $1/2, 01/17 SS (this may be a hair care only coupon; can't tell from the entry in the AFC database)
Final price: $2/bottle

Lever 2000 Soap 2-pack, 10/$10

Dove Body Wash, 2/$7

Suave Body Wash, $1.99
Any, $1/2, 01/17 SS (this may be a hair care only coupon; can't tell from the entry in the AFC database)
Final price: $0.50/bottle

***

Skintimate or Edge Shave Gel, 2/$4
$0.75/1 Edge, 01/10 SS
Final price: $0.50

Clorox Bleach, 3/$5

Kleenex Tissues, 2/$3
$0.50/3, 12/06 SS
Final price: $1.16/box

$10/10 sale:
Barilla Pasta
Starkist Solid White Tuna, B2G1, though may be specific to Save-a-Lot only (haven't printed myself)
Giant Boxed Frozen Vegetables
Progresso Vegetable Classics Soup, $0.50/2, 01/03 GM insert or 12/06 SS insert, final: $0.50/can!
Giant HomeTown Bakery Cookies
Celeste Pizza for One
Giant English Muffins
Del Monte Fruit Naturals, $1/3, final: $0.66/each
Ajax Dishwashing Liquid
Hunt's Snack Pack, $0.50/3, though may be store-specific, final price: $0.66/4-pack!
Banquet Brown'n'Serve Sausage Links
Maruchan Ramen Noodles 6-pack
Lipton Original Teas
Betty Crocker Cake Mix
Chef Boyardee Pasta (includes microwave bowls), $0.40/1 microwave bowls, 01/10 SS, final: $0.20, $1/5 cans or bowls, 01/10 SS
Knorr Pasta Sides, $0.55/2, 01/17 SS, final: $0.45 each
Hostess Cakes 2 Pack
Bisquick Shake'n'Pour

***

Weekly Meal Deal: Buy 2 Freschetta or PizzAmore Pizzas, and get a FREE Dole Classic Iceberg Salad.

Freschetta, $5.99
$1/1, or 11/15 SS (expires 02/07)

SO, you could get ~$3 (the cost of the lettuce, give or take) + $2 = $5 off the price of two pizzas and a bag of lettuce. Final price for the meal: ~$10.

***
This post is part of BeCentsAble's Grocery Gathering

What other Giant coupon matchups and deals did you spot for the coming week? Did we make any deal-calculating hiccups? Post a comment to let us know!
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It's Friday: Earn Mega Swag Bucks today!

It's Friday: Earn Mega Swag Bucks today!

Every Friday is Mega Swag Bucks Day!

Never heard of Swagbucks? It's one of our favorite websites because it's easy to earn free prizes by using the Swagbucks search engine. And on Fridays, users have better chances of winning Mega Swagbucks denominations.

The way it works:

• Go to Swagbucks through our referral link by clicking here.
  
• Sign up and create a new profile for yourself.
  
• Search a few times a day, and you'll start seeing points accumulate.

I use Swagbucks to search 2-3 times a day, 3-4 days a week for things I would normally research. I usually cash out my Swagbucks for Starbucks gift cards, but there are lots of other cool prizes in the Swagbucks store.

As a disclaimer, if you sign up under our referral link, we will receive Swagbucks thanks to you.

Gifts We Love: Travel Mug

I (Mel) would like to introduce a series about the gifts our family loves, highlighting things we received for Christmas or birthdays in the past year. As some of our relatives say,

"Stuff doesn't bring us happiness. Only Jesus does."

We here at Redemption Unlimited believe that too, but sometimes life is downright easier with certain stuff. So we'll be posting about items now and then when "favorite things" come to mind. {enter strains from Maria Von Trapp, please}

Let's hear it for my new travel mug!

It's pink, it's "green," it's dishwasher safe, microwave safe, and it just plain makes me smile. Made by Aladdin, it's recycled and recyclable. It makes my once weekly outings to Starbucks that much prettier.

Birthday Cake Round-up: Thomas the Tank Engine Cake

My son has fallen head over heels for Thomas the Tank Engine. Thomas, Thomas' friends, Sir Topham Hat, Harold the Helicopter, we're all over you here in our house! I think he dreams of Thomas, because he wakes up talking about him.


To celebrate my son's birthday last year I made the simplest Thomas cake I could conceive. I was tempted to make this cake but quickly gave up on that idea once I realized how many days it would take. And his birthday is in December, mind you?! As if there's not enough on my literal plate.



At any rate, I really enjoy decorating sugar cookies. In keeping with LifeAsMom's Birthday Cake Round-up, here is my version of a Thomas cake! My favorite chocolate cake recipe is the Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake. I use 3 9" layer cake pans because this recipe makes a lot of cake batter. For the frosting I used the delectable Wilton Chocolate Buttercream Icing recipe. Instead of milk I used half & half, which gave the frosting a deeper dimension.





And a few more photos so you can see the table setup with a LILLABO figure 8 wooden track set from IKEA.

Happy birthday to the sweetest boy!

Embassy Car Wash: sign up for emails & get 50% off coupons!

A faithful reader tipped us off to the local Embassy Car Wash. She is on the company's email list, and she said once a month she receives a 50% off coupon for the "platinum car wash."

Embassy Auto Wash has 5 locations in northern Virginia. According to the website, the platinum car wash includes all the bells & whistles for an exterior car wash + an interior car wash and vaccuuming! It would cost $11 with the 50% off coupon. Sounds like a great spring cleaning coupon to me - or one to use to get all the salt & sand off our cars.

Sign up for the Preferred Customer Email Program here.

Eat from the Pantry: dinner & dessert recipe

We ate dinner using 2 successful Eat from the Pantry recipes I tried for the first time this week. My efforts at eating from the pantry have taken me on adventures in cooking and baking this month, but I received enough compliments on these two to convince me to share them here.

Mel's Slow Cooker Chicken & Dumplings
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken, diced
4 ribs of celery, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
1 potato, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
3 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon sage
Spray slow cooker with Pam. Place chicken and vegetables in slow cooker. Pour chicken broth, cornstarch and seasonings into a plastic container with a leak-proof lid. Shake ingredients until smooth. If the cornstarch still has lumps after shaking, crush lumps with a fork.
Pour liquid over chicken & vegetables. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Add dumplings one hour before serving and turn setting to low.
* Serves 4-6

Dumplings:
1 cup Bisquick (I used the Heart Healthy kind)
1/4 - 1/2 cup skim milk or more
Mix milk and Biscuick to a relatively liquid-y consistency. It should almost be pourable. Dot stew with teaspoonfuls of dumpling batter, stirring to incorporate. We like smaller dumplings in our house!


Mel's Yellow Chocolate Chip Cake with Chocolate Glaze
* adapted from the "Starlight Yellow Cake" in Betty Crocker's Cookbook, Bridal Edition
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 small package vanilla pudding mix

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups milk (I used 1 cup skim, 1/4 cup half & half)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg + 2 egg whites

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips + 1 tablespoon flour

Heat oven to 350. Spray Bundt pan with cooking spray. Stir dry ingredients together in prep bowl. Beat butter in stand mixer until light and fluffy. Add sugar to butter 1/2 cup at a time, scraping sides of bowl frequently. Add eggs one at a time and beat on high speed for 1 minute. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk & vanilla. After all ingredients have been added, beat on high speed for 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. To keep chocolate chips from sinking to the bottom of the cake, stir 1 tablespoon flour(or more) into chips until well coated before adding to batter. After cake batter is whipped enough to look lighter in color, fold in chips by hand and pour batter into pans. Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool cake in pan on wire rack, about 1 hour. Invert and remove cake carefully on plate, then pour chocolate glaze (recipe below) over cake and cool.
* Serves 12-15

Chocolate Glaze
* from the "Chocolate Glaze" recipe in Betty Crocker's Cookbook, Bridal Edition
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons corn syrup (I used the dark corn syrup I had in the pantry)
1 to 2 teaspoons hot water

Heat chocolate chips, butter and corn syrup in saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently, until chocolate chips are melted. Cool 10 minutes.

Stir in hot water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until consistency of thick syrup. Pour over Bundt cake, cool, then cut and serve.

Giant: Nearly free Tide!

I've made 2 runs to Giant this week trying to capitalize on a Tide laundry detergent P&G Catalina deal. Thanks, Moneywise Moms!

In total I bought 8 50-ounce containers of high efficiency(HE) Tide in 2 different transactions. For transaction #1, I used one save $1/2 manufacturers coupon and a $10 catalina from last week's P&G Catalina deal. At the self checkout line I noticed that the person in front of me had left his Catalina coupons. To my chagrin, there was a save $2 on your next $23 Giant purchae Catalina. Yahoo!

I saved $13 in coupons and spent $7.40 OOP, only to earn another $10 Catalina!

I earned $3.60!

On transaction #2, I bought another 4 bottles of HE Tide.

I used my $10 Catalina from transaction #1 and spent $11.53 OOP, only to earn another $10 Catalina! Total paid: $1.53

I haven't bought name brand detergent in 2 years since I like the Kirkland brand HE detergent sold at Costco. But I much prefer the performance and smell of Tide, so I'm hoping this will last me the better part of 2010! What a blessing to be able to roll those Catalinas. I might go back one more time tomorrow.

The sale is still on today, Thursday, so stop in at Giant to get your Tide!

Eat from the Pantry Inspiration: Creative Birthday Gifts

Since we're doing the Eat from the Pantry challenge this month, I was inspired to try to keep my January birthday giving under control. You see, I really like to give gifts and especially to wrap them! I have a thing for pretty paper and fabric ribbon. But alas, I digress.

Four of my closest friends have January birthdays, of course right after the expensive gift giving month of December. I usually like to spend around $25 per person on gifts and/or outings. But this year I set a goal to do the unthinkable - reduce my gift spending for this month to at least 60%, or $60.

I'm happy to say that I am on target to beat my goal! Here's a breakdown.

For friend #1, I brainstormed over and over and finally decided to make her a "breakfast in bed" package to deliver on her doorstep the morning of her birthday. She lives nearby and I coordinated via email with her husband so he'd know to pick up the gift bag from their doorstep at 8:30 am. I used food items I already had in the house and made a 9x9 egg casserole, banana chocolate chip muffins, and threw in a half dozen clementines. She has 4 people in her family, so I factored that in. I also wrote out a nice birthday card that I got free at Hallmark on coupons in December and threw in a nicely wrapped gift that I already had in the house. I count this a $0 gift because I used items I already in the house, things that did not come out of our "gift budget." Voila!
TOTAL: $0

Friend #2 lives out of state. I spent $10 on her gift & card and $7.50 on shipping.
TOTAL: $17.50

Friend #3 lives out of town, but we met for lunch by driving 2 hours to meet in the middle. I spent $7 on her gift, and we used free birthday entree coupons to get our lunches free. I think we paid $3 each to cover the kids meal our kids split + tip. I'll add $20 for gas.
TOTAL: $30

I will treat Friend #4 to lunch at Chick-fil-a, using whatever Chick-fil-a calendar coupons work for that meal. I plan to spend no more than $10 on lunch for both of us, but it will probably be more like $5.
TOTAL: $10

And the grand total for my 4 dear friends' January birthdays?
$57.50!

Setting small goals for myself like this makes saving money more palatable. I'm also enjoying the extra challenge when it comes to creativity.

What ideas do you have for saving on birthdays? Leave us a comment to fill us in.

Works for Me Wednesday: Shoes Off at the Door

It's Wednesday, time for "Works for Me Wednesday", a blog carnival hosted by We Are THAT Family. To see more of this week's "Works for Me Wednesday" posts, click here.

True confession: Having something to do with the fact that I grew up in a household where shoes went on in the morning and came off at bedtime, I once thought that the "shoe free" household concept was kind of a prissy one.

Then, quite some time after becoming parents, we shampooed our carpets again and were mortified by the color of the grimy water in the tank - not to mention the amount of sweat that went into moving the furniture so that the steam cleaning could be done in the first place!

We decided then to institute a shoes-free household where shoes come off at the door, and have now done so for about 7 months. It was hard at first since neither my husband nor I had ever regularly done it - and now we had to convince our toddler that it was a good idea, too. But I am glad that we did it, and here's why:

• It's just plain cleaner, and from the standpoint of a parent of rugrats, healthier. Less dirt tracked into the house in general - cleaner carpets for my baby (we put a blanket down for her to play for now, but at some point this summer, she'll be crawling all over and harder to keep off the carpet and floors).
  
  
• It saved our socks! You can actually lay down my socks and see a timeline in the white athletic socks (which I wear most often). The "pre-shoes-off" era socks have an impermeably dingy color on the soles, while the ones from the "shoes-off" era still look essentially new in terms of whiteness. Guess which ones will probably last longer, ergo continue to enable more frugal sock-buying long-term?
  
  
• Our kids will have it as an ingrained pattern and probably do it at other people's houses as habit. And, there's a better chance that they'll grow up to do it in their own households.

We are not militant about this rule - we usually unofficially suspend it when company is around. Only our parents and other regular visitors are asked to doff their shoes, but since we as a nuclear family account for 90%+ of the traffic in the house, removing our shoes makes the biggest difference.

Taking our shoes off at the door works for me!
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Trip to Target a.k.a. "Tarzhay"

Oooooweee, it was a good trip to Target this morning. I was doing a "no coupon" trip - not really planned as "no coupon"; I just happen to be a bit behind on tracking the Target deals on the blogosphere and am not back on my A-game since our baby was born. But - you can still scoop some great clearance items out there! I got some wardrobe refresher pants for my daughter now that her current ones are turning into highwater pants. As cheap or cheaper than second-hand!

Examples of what I scooped up today:

Girls' turtlenecks - marked down to $0.94!
(available in baby through 5T, white, black, navy, with ruched detail at collar)

Girls' brown Cherokee chinos - marked down from $7 to $1.75!
(available in baby through 5T)

Girls' bright chino pants (red, pink, etc.), marked down to $4.99
(available in baby through 5T)

Girls' boot-cut Hanes sweatpants, $0.98
(available in baby through 5T - Note: Just got a Target coupon booklet in the mail this afternoon with a $1 Hanes coupon...= free pants?)

Almay Eyeshadow, around $7 or $8, clearance-marked to $1.92
(There were tons of these, all in a very neutral beige-ish ivory shade great for highlighting the browbone and inner corner of your eyes, in a cute little magnetically-sealing case. Wish that I had an Almay coupon for these! AFullCup's database says there are none out there, but prove me wrong, folks! I'd love to return and get this eyeshadow even more cheaply!) Thanks to a comment from Laura of Frugal Friends (muchas gracias!), I now know about a printable $1 Almay Target coupon. Make that eyeshadow $0.92!!! :) Waaaahooo!

Target brand invisible tape, $1.70-something, down to $0.24 (!)
(The cashier admitted that this came from a case that they had lost in their back room, guessing during the holidays...it took all my willpower not to buy ALL of the tape there, which was about 25 or so rolls.)

I also saw:

Girls' fleece pants, $7 marked down to $3.50 (baby through 5T)

Boys' fully-coordinated Christmas outfits (baby through 5T), including pants, layered-look vest and bow tie with collared dress shirt, priced to clear

Next time you're in Target, hit up the clearance sections to see what you can score for pennies on the dollar - even without coupons! :)

Have you scooped up a deal at Target in the last week or two? What did you find?
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The Limited: $15 off $15 purchase printable coupon!

The Limited has a printable coupon available here for $15 off a $15 purchase, $30 off a $100 purchase, or $50 off a $150 purchase. Valid in-store or online through February 3.

Thanks, Slickdeals!

Cookbook Review: Make it Fast, Cook it Slow

I've been dying to get my hands on Stephanie O'Dea's new cookbook, "Make it Fast, Cook it Slow." She rose to fame with her "A Year of Crockpotting" blog and I still follow her posts happily.

I liketo cook, but I don't like to have a lot of cookbooks. I find it confusing to remember which book harbors which recipe, and it's just easier to search for or save recipes on my computer. So I tend to be a minimalist when it comes to cookbooks. Rather than purchase them, I'll borrow one or sign one out of the library. When I found out our library had "Make it Fast, Cook it Slow," I quickly placed a hold on it. I wanted to see how it was formatted before buying it, and I've decided that I'd love to have it in my kitchen after seeing it and holding it in my hands. I like the format, and the publisher still printed some of Stephanie's pithy comments.

Last week I tried out the Taco Soup recipe in the cookbook when making a meal to take to a friend. I was pleased with the results. I omitted the ranch dressing packet from the recipe, used black beans instead of kidney beans, and used 2 tablespoons of homemade taco seasoning. Yummy! I will definitely make this one again for my own family.

Bath & Body Works: major sale, 5 for $15 antibacterial hand soaps

Bath & Body Works is running a major sale on a lot of goodies. Most are 50% - 75% off. This would be a great time to buy items on a deep discount and save them for a Valentine's Day teacher gift or for a Christmas gift later this year.

Additionally, you can use promotion code 1419 to save $10 off a $40-$50 purchase OR INSTYLE20 for 20% off a purchase below $40 or above $50.

The antibacterial hand soaps (love the foaming ones for my toddler!) are 5 for $15 or 7 for $20, the lowest price I've ever seen.

If you prefer to shop in-store, Money Saving Mom has the scoop here on a printable coupon for a free item up to $12. But go fast, the coupon expires today 1/25!

Thanks, Slickdeals!

Austin Grill: New Rewards Club, earn $10 instantly!

Austin Grill just rolled out a new rewards club. If you enroll, you'll earn $10 instantly in your account.

I rolled this reward with another $10 coupon I had for my "anniversary" of being in the Austin Grill email club to get $20 off our dinner out this weekend! If you really want to go wild, use the reward on a kids eat free night, Tuesday, and take your whole family!

I like the low-key atmosphere of Austin Grill. Their salsa is always really good, and the food is so-so. But for the number of coupons I get, it's a favorite of mine. I always go for my birthday because they send a free entree coupon. Can't beat getting the most expensive item on the menu free!



To sign up for the rewards club, go here.

Menu Plan Monday, Last Week of Eat from the Pantry!

Still have about a lifetime supply of cream cheese to use up from that pre-holiday sale.

Monday:
Breakfast: Clementines, bananas, and toasted (frozen) yeast rolls with cream cheese
Lunch: Leftovers from Sunday night dinner - which was brought to us (horray!) by friends from church.
Dinner: Loaded "shrimp club" salad with Baconnaise-coated thawed shrimp, tomato, gorgonzola cheese, cranberries, toasted almonds, and vinaigrette. Also - apple slices dipped in peanut butter.

Tuesday:
Breakfast: Cereal and milk, bananas
Lunch: Brie, apricot preserves, and fresh basil broiled on whole grain toast
Dinner: Homemade avocado sushi (and lots of it!), salad or frozen veggies with shiitake sesame vinaigrette

Wednesday:
Breakfast: Toast and cream cheese with fruit preserves, cubed mango
Lunch: Annie's mac'n'cheese, clementines or grapefruit.
Dinner: Scrambled eggs, toaster oven home fries with ketchup

Thursday:
Breakfast: Instant oatmeal with raisins and toasted almonds
Lunch: PB&J, baby carrots
Dinner: Crock pot taco soup (ground beef, leftover veggies, taco seasonings, topped w/sour cream and cheese), fruit smoothies

Friday:
Breakfast: Sour cream muffin and cream cheese, grapefruit
Lunch: Avocado sandwiches (blend avocado with a little Baconnaise and fresh cilantro and spread thickly on whole grain toast...yum!)
Dinner: Frozen pizza (The End.)

Frugal Fridays: Eat from the Pantry and Taco Seasoning!

Over at Life as Mom, Jessica has challenged bloggers to write about what we're doing to stretch our dollars a little further.

Both A. and I are committed to cooking and baking as much food as possible for our families. During Eat from the Pantry month, we've ramped up our efforts more than ever. I've learned some things about myself this month, and I'll share more about that later, but I now know that eating from the pantry will be something we do every month.


Out of necessity earlier this week, I looked up a taco seasoning recipe because I was out of the Ortega packets I usually have in our pantry. I usually get those packets for under $.75 when Shoppers does triple coupons, but those days seem to be few & far between anymore. I was pleasantly surprised with how well this seasoning recipe tasted. I like that I can control the amounts of heat and sodium, making it family friendly for us. I quickly made a second round of the seasoning after using it and stored it in a small plastic container in my spice cupboard. I used it again in a tortilla chicken soup I took to a friend yesterday, and we still have more for later!

Here's the recipe if you'd like to try it. I originally found the recipe here but adjusted the salt, pepper and red pepper flakes because the amounts were way too much for our family.

Mel's Taco Seasoning
Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

In a small bowl, mix together all ingredients with a fork. For a finer consistency process seasoning in a food processor. Store in an airtight container.

5 Reasons to Visit Giant, 01/22-01/28

Yoghurt, chicken, cheese, and bagels - just wish that there were a few more produce sales. But hey: it's the middle of winter. What should I be expecting? :) Pretty sure that the Proctor and Gamble $10/$30 Catalina deal is still going through January 28, and good on shelf prices for the $30 minimum to get your $10 coupon good off your next purchase at Giant.

1. Yoplait, 20/$10
   See 01/03 GM insert (values vary regionally), or $1/8 via coupons.com
   Final price: as low as $0.37/cup
   
   
2. Danimals Drinkable Yoghurt Smoothies, 6-packs, 2/$4
   $1/1, 01/10 insert
   Final price: $1 for 6, or $0.17/each
   
   
3. SUPER G Chicken Drumsticks, Thighs, or Leg Quarters, or Whole Chicken $0.99/lb. This is a stock-up price; I haven't seen it lower in quite some time. Chicken is great for throwing in the crock pot!
   
   
4. President Crumbled Feta Cheese, BOGO
   $1/1, 01/24 Red Plum insert.
   Use two since you're getting two, to get $2 off the price of one, for two!
   
   
5. Lender's Bagels, 4/$5
   $1/2 here
   Final price: $0.75/pack!

Other Reasons to Visit Giant This Week, January 22 through January 28:

Top Round, Bottom Round, or Eye Round Roast, Half Price! (Save at least $2.25/lb.)

Fresh Pork Tenderloin, $3.99/lb.

Perdue 93% Lean Ground Turkey, $1.99/lb. (Save at least $0.50/lb.)

Alaskan Sockeye Salmon Fillets or Extra Jumbo Raw Gulft Shrimp, $7.99/lb. (Save at least $2/lb.)

Johnsonville Breakfast Links, $2.49
$0.55/1 or $1/2, 01/17 SS (varies regionally)
Final price: as low as $1.39/pack

Oscar Mayer Beef Franks, BOGO

Oscar Mayer Bologna, BOGO

Nature's Promise Boneless Chicken Breast, $4.99/lb.

Nature's Promise Boneless Center Cut Pork Chops, $4.49/lb.

Nature's Promise Boneless Beef Chuck Steak or Roast, $3.99/lb.

Nature's Promise Boneless Top Sirloin Steak, $6.99/lb.

Blueberries and Blackberries, 2/$4 (Save at least $0.50/each)

Giant European Salads and Dole Salad Blends, 2/$5 (Save at least $0.49/each)

Nature's Promise or Nasoya Organic Tofu, 2/$4
Tofu is a great lean protein. Look at all the five star tofu recipes here!
$1.50/2 Nasoya products 09/27/2009 RP (expires 03/31/10)
Final price: $1.25 per package for Nasoya tofu

Giant Butter, 1 lb., $1.99

Giant Ice Cream, 56 oz. carton, $1.99

Kraft Singles, 2/$5

Giant Fancy Shredded Cheese, 2/$4

Giant Sour Cream, 2/$3

Nature's Promise Soymilk, $2.97

Nature's Promise Organic Apple Juice, 2/$5

Nature's Promise Organic Rice, $2.99

Eden Organic Quinoa, $3.99 (usually $4.99)

Nature's Path Whole O's, 2/$5 (usually $3+)

Newman's Own Pasta Sauce, 2/$5
Newman's Own Salsa, 2/$5
$1/2, 01/24 RP, or here
Final price: 2/$4

Turkey Hill Chilled Drinks, 3/$5
$1/2, 11/08 RP
Final price: $1.16 each

Stroehmann's Dutch Country Breads, BOGO

Nature's Pride Bread, 2/$5

Weight Watchers Smart Ones, 6/$10
$2/8
$1/5
$4/$10
$1/3 (Flatbreads)
Free dessert w/purchase of 5 Smart Ones, or $1.50/7, or $1/5, January All You magazine
$3/10, 01/10 SS

Progresso Traditional Soup, 5/$6
$0.50/2, 01/03 GM insert or 12/06 SS insert
Final price: $0.70/can
$1/4, 01/17 SS
Final price: $0.95/can

Fridays: Rotisserie Chickens, 32 oz. packages, 2/$10

Saturdays: Butcher's Pride Fully Cooked Pork BBQ Spare Ribs, 24 oz. package, 2/$10

Deal: Buy two packages of Mrs. Paul's Seafood in one transaction and get a FREE Giant 2 liter soda and Giant French Fries instantly when you check out.

Weekly Meal Deal: Buy an 8-piece Fried Chicken and 16 oz. Prepackaged potato salad, macaroni salad, or cole slaw, and get a FREE 2 Liter Coke.

Gas Deal: Buy any select P&G products (listed in-ad) and get an additional 10 cents per gallon off the cost of your gas when you fill up at a Giant gas station!

***

This post is part of BeCentsAble's Grocery Gathering

What other Giant coupon matchups and deals did you spot for the coming week? Did we make any deal-calculating hiccups? Post a comment to let us know!

Saving at The Children's Place During Monster Sale - In Person and Online!

The Monster Sale is now going on at the Children's Place. If there's a child (or a few) in your life who needs wardrobing, you can score some really good deals, often getting separates (shirts, skirts, and pants) at under $5 each, and dresses, jackets, etc. in the neighborhood of $10 or less. Girls' tights can be bought for two and a half bucks per pair or less. If you're feeling especially bold, you can buy up a size or two in anticipation of winter 2010/2011. Besides that point, we (argh) have a couple of months at least of colder weather to go, so the clearanced long sleeve shirts and corduroy pants can still get almost a full season of wear right now - and jeans and light jackets (and other layering pieces) will take you all the way through spring.

Incidentally, now that I'm home with an infant and my almost-three-year-old, I'm starting to weigh the pros and cons of online Children's Place shopping against visiting the CP outlet at Potomac Mills. I've never shopped CP online before, mainly because with a growing child it was a lot easier to visit the outlet in person - and I also like to see the sizes and quality for myself before buying when possible. But now that I've shopped at Children's Place outlet for a couple of years, I'm more familiar with what CP makes to last (jeans and belts, for example), and what usually falls apart after a season (shoes, at least in my experience). This especially useful now that I have two girls, because I know what's worth the investment given that items could possibly last through a second wearing by my younger daughter.

Since I now know generally what I'm in for quality-wise, I'm considering visiting CP online to shop for denim and other staples for my girls. Yes, I'd probably pay $5 to ship the whole thing, but to save the gas money to Woodbridge (Potomac Mills) and the hassle of wrangling an active toddler and a nursing infant might make paying that shipping fee worthwhile for once! Also, code C99AA will get me a 15% discount (thanks, Baby Cheapskate!), so that will take the edge off. Clicking through ebates.com to the Children's Place site will also net me 3% cash back. There is a brand new free shipping code that was just posted to RetailMeNot.com, so I may check that out as well.

BUT, if I decide to (deep, cleansing breaths) ultimately make the trek with the two girls to the CP outlet, I will definitely be bringing this 15% off January 2010 coupon with me (with thanks to the Coupon Divas!).

Are you shopping Children's Place right now? Are you going in person or online? If you've been to a bricks-and-mortar Children's Place location recently, how are its Monster Sale prices/selection comparing with the online prices and selection?
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Disclosure: if you join ebates through our referral link, we will earn $5 (thank you!) for referring you.

Works for Me Wednesday: Afternoon Tea

In 2010 I started a new daily tradition... afternoon tea!

After my toddler goes to bed in the afternoon, I usually need some sort of pick-me-up to keep me from wanting to take a nap myself. I find that I'm much more effective with a little caffeine in the form of a hot drink. And something sweet. I usually heat up my kettle and brew some plain caffeinated black or green tea. I use my individual teapot and cup for one, like this, and sit down with a cookie, muffin or cinnamon bun, whatever I have in the freezer.

It's a delicious and much-needed indulgence that gets me through the afternoon. Sure, I don't need the extra 100-200 calories, but I'm a much happier girl for it!

What's your indulgence just for you on a regular basis? Leave us a comment, we'd love to hear.

P&G Catalina Deal at Giant Even Better than Advertised!

WOW! The P&G Catalina deal is even better than advertised in this week's Giant ad. Gina of Moneywise Moms left us a great comment alerting us to the sweetness of the Catalina deal - Thanks so much, Gina!

Apparently the $30 minimum to get the $10 Catalina is good for shelf prices, not the sale prices, so you can get $30 in retail prices to get the Catalina, saving even more. Check out this week's Giant deals (including P&G Catalina product matchups) here!
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Eating from the Pantry...Anybody Else Pining for Feb. 1?

Whew...now January 19, this Eat from the Pantry Challenge is a lot like when you're 2/3 of the way through a hard workout; you're stretching yourself, a bit worn out, but the end is in sight.

Just twelve more days, but I'm already dreaming up a list of all the groceries I'm going to be "allowed" to buy come February 1 (decaf coffee, especially, in my case). I suppose that kind of negates the point of the challenge, doesn't it? Then again, becoming aware that you can make it several weeks without so-called "essentials" it not a bad little exercise in self-denial, especially in the face of the tragedy in Haiti - where essentials are lacking in the truest, most terrible sense.

On the upside, my pantry and freezer are definitely getting emptier than they've been in months! Glad that those staples and couponed items are finally getting a bit used up. And, our grocery spending for the month is (for us) pretty low indeed - details to come at our end-of-month challenge evaluation post.

Anybody else trying to muster the gusto to make it over that 2/3-through hump to the end of January?

Anybody else have strategies to prevent a February 1 grocery-buying binge? 0;-)
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Menu Plan Monday

Here we go, here we go:

Monday:
Breakfast: Cereal w/milk, banana
Lunch: Peanut butter sandwiches, plain yoghurt with honey, orange slices
Dinner: Baked sesame chicken drumsticks, salad with shredded cheese, baby carrots

Tuesday:
Breakfast: Thawed/warmed cinnamon rolls, courtesy of Mel (so yummy, thanks, Mel!!)
Lunch: Whole wheat couscous with edamame and leftover chicken - tossed with shiitake sesame vinaigrette, applesauce
Dinner: Pasta bolognese, salad, garlic bread

Wednesday:
Breakfast: Instant oatmeal with raisins, banana
Lunch: Instant black bean soup, sliced apples
Dinnner: Pot roast with carrots and potatoes

Thursday:
Breakfast: Cereal w/milk, banana
Lunch: Leftovers (pot roast and/or pasta)
Dinner: Paprika-sauteed chicken breast, asparagus, berry crumble

Friday:
Breakfast: Plain yoghurt w/granola
Lunch: Chicken salad sandwiches from leftover chicken, baby carrots
Dinner: Frozen lasagna, salad

5 Reasons to Visit Giant This Week, 01/15-01/21

Here are 5 Reasons to Visit Giant This Week:

1. Wipes and diapers, CHEAP. See the deal ideas below with the P&G Catalina offer. Wipes could come as cheaply as $0.66/pack, or get two jumbo packs of diapers and four packs of wipes for $12.
   
   
2. Sweet Clementines, $4.88/5 lb. box
   
   
3. Emerald Premium Nuts, BOGO
   $1/1 (print early; daily limits for this link)
   Final price: $2 off the price of one, for two!
   
   
4. $1.22/bottle Herbal Essences Hair Care - Again, see the P&G deals below.
   
   
5. Laughing Cow Cheese Wedges, 2/$5
   $1/2, 01/10 SS
   Final price: $2 each
   
   
6. The Catalina deal is even sweeter than we thought - the $30 minimum applies for shelf (not sale) prices!
   

Other reasons to visit Giant this week:

Perdue Boneless Chicken Breast, Half Price, sold at $2.49/lb.

Center Cut Pork Loin Chops, Half Price, sold at $1.99/lb.

Shoulder Steak for London Broil, Half Price, sold at $1.99/lb.

Jumbo Raw Gulf Shrimp or Extra Large Cooked Shrimp, $6.99/lb.

Johnsonville Stadium Brats, BOGO
$0.55/1 any Johnsonville Sausage, Country Living December '09 or Martha Steward Living November
Final price: $2.20 off the price of one, for TWO packages.

Oscar Meyer Wieners, BOGO

Nature's Promise Chicken Drumsticks or Thighs, $1.69/lb. (compare w/$2.19/lb.)

Nature's Promise 85% Lean Ground Beef, $3.99/lb. (compare w/~$5/lb.)

Cedar's Hommus, BOGO

Bunched Broccoli or Broccoli Crowns, $0.79/lb.

New low prices:
Tomatoes on the Vine, $2.99/lb.
Cucumbers, 4/$3
Sweet Onions, $1.49/lb.

Kraft Shredded Cheese, 2/$5

Giant Cheese Board Cheese, 8 oz. blocks, 2/$4

Great Lakes Cracker Cuts, $2.79

Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers, 3/$5
$0.40/1, 12/13 and 01/03 General Mills inserts
Final price: as low as $0.86/each

Newman's Own Thin & Crispy Pizza, 2/$10
$1/1
Final price: $4/pizza

Hot Pockets, 5/$10
$1/3 or $0.50/3, 10/25 SS
Final price: $1.66/each

Lean Cuisine Entrees, 5/$10

Ragu Pasta Sauce, 3/$5

Barilla Pasta, 4/$5
$1/2 Barilla Pasta Plus, 01/03 SS2 (not sure if it applies)
Final price: $0.75/box

Chi-Chi's Salsa, 2/$4
$1/2, 12/06 SS
Final price: $1.50/jar

Fiber One English Muffins, BOGO

Arnold Whole Grain Breads, 2/$5
$0.55/1, 11/08 SS
Final price: $1.40/loaf

Kellogg's Cereal, 2/$4
Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops, Corn Pops, Apple Jacks, Raisin Bran, or 8-ct. Pop-Tarts.
$1/2 Frosted Flakes or Pops, 12/13 insert, final price: $1.50 each
$1/2 Apple Jacks or Froot Loops, 12/13 insert, final price: $1.50 each
$1/3 Apple Jacks, Froot Loops, Corn Pops, and/or Frosted Flakes, 01/10 RP, final price: $1.66 each
$1/2 Raisin Bran, 01/10 RP

Emerald Peanuts, BOGO
(see above in top five; nuts link may apply)

Nature Made Vitamins or Supplements, BOGO
See 01/03 SS for many high value Nature Made coupons
See also January and February All You magazines and this link.
Remember to use two coupons since you're getting two items!

10/$10 Sale
Celeste Pizza for One
Del Monte Vegetables, $1/4, final price: $0.75/each (also see the $1/8 in the 11/15 RP)
Chobani Greek Yoghurt, B2G1, final price: $0.66/each, or $1/1, 12/13 SS, final price: FREE(?)
Orchard Perfect Ripe Avocados
Betty Crocker Cake Mix
Gatorade
Oscar Mayer Basic or Jr. Lunchables
Chef Boyardee Pasta, $0.50/2, final price: $0.50 each, or $1/5, 01/10 SS, final price: $0.80/each
Knorr Pasta Sides

In-ad coupon: Save 20% off a future purchase with the purchase of any transferred prescription.

H1N1 Flu shots are now available at certain Giant pharmacies and store locations - visit giantfood.com for details.

Deal: Save $10 off your next shopping order. Use your Giant card and purchase $30 worth of participating P&G products in one transaction and you'll receive a checkout coupon for $10 off your next shopping order. Limit 1 offer per transaction. Note: The Catalina deal is even sweeter than we thought - the $30 minimum applies for shelf (not sale) prices!

Participating Products:

Bounty 8-Roll Pack Paper Towels, $10
$0.25/1, 12/27 P&G (doubles to $0.50 off)

Charmin Big Rolls 24-pack, $10
$0.25/1, 12/27 P&G (doubles to $0.50 off)

Tide 2X Liquid Laundry Detergent

Bounty Everyday Napkins, 4/$10
$0.25/1, 12/27 P&G (doubles to $0.50 off)

Bounty Basic Paper Towels 6-pack, 2/$10
$0.25/1, 12/27 P&G (doubles to $0.50 off)

Bounce Fabric Softener Sheets, 2/$10
$0.25/1, 12/27 P&G (doubles to $0.50 off)

Puffs Facial Tissue 3-pack, 2/$10

Downy Fabric Softener, 2/$10
$0.25/1, 12/27 P&G (doubles to $0.50 off)

Duracell 16 pack, $10 while supplies last
See 12/13 RP insert for Duracells of varying values

Pampers Jumbo Diapers, $10
$2/1 Cruisers, 12/06 RP
$2/1, 12/27 P&G

Pampers Baby Fresh Wipes, 4/$10
$0.50/1, 12/27 P&G (doubles to $1 off)

Dawn Dish Detergent, 10/$10
$0.25/1, 12/27 P&G (doubles to $0.50 off)

Febreze Air Effects, 4/$10

Crest Pro-Health Rinse, 2/$10

Always Maxi Pads, 3/$10

Nice'N Easy Perfect10, $10

Herbal Essences Hair Care, 3/$10
$1/1 Shampoo, Conditioner, or Styling Product, 12/27 P&G

Best deal: Buy 30 bottles of Dawn, using $0.25/1 coupons. Pay $15 for Dawn, get $10 Catalina back. Net $5 paid for 30 bottles of Dawn ($0.17/each).

Herbal Essences deal idea: Buy 9 Herbal Essences items, use nine $1 coupons. Pay $21 for 9 items, and get $10 back in Catalina. Net $11 paid for 9 items, or $1.22/bottle

Wipes deal idea: Buy 12 Pampers wipes. Use twelve $0.50 coupons. Pay $18 for the wipes, and get back a $10 Catalina. Net $8 for 12 packs of wipes, or $0.66/pack!

Wipes and diapers idea: Buy 2 jumbos and 4 wipes. Use two $2 coupons and four $0.50 coupons. Pay $22, get $10 Catalina back. Net $12 for two jumbos and four wipes. Sweet!

***

Meal Deal:
Buy Giant Chicken Parmesan and any 9 oz. Buitoni Fresh Pasta, and get a free Baguette Bread from the Giant bakery.

Fridays: Rotisserie Chickens, 32 oz. packages, 2/$10

Saturdays: Butcher's Pride Fully Cooked Pork BBQ Spare Ribs, 24 oz. package, 2/$10

Save an additional $0.10/gallon off your gas at Giant gas station locations when you buy select participating Giant brand items (listed in ad).

***

This post is part of BeCentsAble's Grocery Gathering

What other Giant coupon matchups and deals did you spot for the coming week? Did we make any deal-calculating hiccups? Post a comment to let us know!

Earn Double ExtraCare Bucks at CVS, January 17 through March 15

Details here, with thanks to Erica of I Heart CVS.
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Works for Me Wednesday: Cleaning the Coffee Pot

Our tip for Works for Me Wednesday today has to do with cleaning a coffee pot.

Our coffee pot picks up a lot of scum on the inside over time, and I use a trick I learned when I was a teenage dishwasher in a restaurant. Here it is:

Put 2-3 cups of cold water into the pot
Add 1-2 cups of ice
Add 1-2 teaspoons of salt
Add 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice (or squeeze 1/4 fresh lemon into pot)

Swirl all those items together and let the pot sit for a while as the ice melts and the salt & lemon juice break down the dirt. Check on it in an hour, a few hours, or a half day and swirl things around some more. I have a pot scrub brush that I use to get inside the pot, and usually that does the trick. Wash with dish soap and voila! A sparkling new coffee pot!

* Instead of pouring the cleaning solution straight in the sink look in your cupboards for mugs that have coffee or tea stains or other dishes that don't come quite clean. The solution works wonders on other dishes as well!

What works for you when it comes to cleaning coffee off dishes?

Tuesday Deals Roundup - Free Einstein Bros. Bagel, Kids' Clothing Deeply Discounted, 20% off Coach Coupon, and More!

Here are some deals, coupons, and freebies that we've spotted lately on the frugality blogosphere!

Free bagel and cream cheese at Einstein Bros. Bagels. Details (thanks Mrs. Moneysaver!) here! Mrs. Moneysaver also recently posted on 10 freebie contemporary Christian MP3s.

Hot $1/2 Classico Pasta Sauce printable coupon. When paired with a buy-one-get-one (BOGO) sale on Classico, this could make the pasta sauce in the neighborhood of $0.75/jar. Thanks, Christy! Christy also reports that there could be a surge in markdowns in children's clothing at your local Target.

Bargain Briana showed us how to get kids' Disney crocs for $8/pair. Thanks, Briana! Think summer and buy a size or two up!

If you're near a Coach outlet, this 20% off coupon could possibly make a post-holiday deal even sweeter. Thanks, Frugal Coupon Living! FCL also mentioned recently that you could get a free half-gallon of milk.

Never Pay Retail Again has a post on how to save 40%+ at Justice (a girls' clothing retailer). Thanks, Jodi!

Any other smokin' deals you'd care to share via comment? :)
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Eat from the Pantry Challenge - Invented Recipe - "Coconut Curry Veggie Bowl"

This - today's pantry-assembled lunch - was surprisingly good. I will be making it again in the future for sure. Turmeric is a known cancer-preventer!

Coconut Curry Veggie Bowl

Into a medium pot, on med-high heat:

1 14 oz. can coconut milk (I may substitute "lite" coconut milk in the future)
2 chicken boullion cubes (could be veggie boullion to make this vegan)
Heaping teaspoon curry powder
Heaping teaspoon turmeric
Dash onion powder
Dash garlic powder
1 cup uncooked quinoa (could substitute rice of any kind, but it may require a bit longer on the stove if so)
1/3 c. dried cranberries
Short drizzle agave syrup (or 1 heaping teaspoon sugar)

Heat the above for 10 minutes or so, to boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low, and add:

1 c. frozen veggies (I did a frozen mixed: carrots, green beans, peas, corn)

Cook another 5 minutes, still stirring occasionally, and then turn off heat.

Dish into bowls and top with toasted chopped walnuts. (To toast walnuts, put in chopped walnuts in toaster oven at 450 for 5 minutes while the other stuff cooks...)

Yum!

Menu Plan Monday

In the thick of the January "Eat from the Pantry Challenge". Operative word being challenge. Trying to integrate neglected dry staples in creative ways here.

Monday:
Breakfast: Cereal with milk, bananas
Lunch: Leftovers from Sunday dinner, fresh blueberries
Dinner: Broccoli Pizza alfredo (using a cream cheese alfredo recipe since I need to get rid of cream cheese, and a crust from Heart Healthy Bisquick)

Tuesday:
Breakfast: Thawed sour cream muffins with berry sauce
Lunch: Quinoa with (frozen) asparagus and chopped walnuts, fresh blueberries
Dinner: Tuna salad sandwiches, sliced apples

Wednesday:
Breakfast: Bananas, Nutella on whole grain toast
Lunch: Annie's Shells with White Cheddar, applesauce
Dinner: Chicken with savory coconut cream brown rice, cubed papaya

Thursday:
Breakfast: Instant oatmeal with raisins
Lunch: Leftover Annie's in instant split pea soup, cubed papaya
Dinner: Taco salad with romaine, seasoned ground beef, tomatoes, shredded cheese, sour cream

Friday:
Breakfast: Cereal and milk, bananas
Lunch: Leftover taco salad
Dinner: Scrambled eggs, toast with cashew butter and honey

Giant circular: 20% off purchase coupon with the purchase of any transferred prescription

In the back of my Giant circular I just noticed an interesting coupon. The coupon is to save 20% off a future purchase with the purchase of any transferred prescription. Expires 01/30/10.

If you have a big shopping trip that needs to happen in January, this could be a good deal. I can't find page numbers on the circular, but in mine is on the second-to-last page.

If you use it, please let us know how it works out for your food budget!

Washington, DC: Restaurant Week 1/11 - 1/17

For those who live in the Washington, DC area: Restaurant Week begins Monday!

If you're not familiar with Restaurant Week, let us bring you up to speed.

• It happens twice a year in the DC area, once in January and once in August.
• Local restaurant opt to participate and offer 3-course fixed price menus for lunch and/or dinner.
• Reservations can sometimes be hard to get depending on the day of the week, so it pays to plan ahead.
• It's cheap and a GREAT way to try out a higher-end restaurant to celebrate a special occasion. For instance you could celebrate your birthday, Valentine's Day, or anniversary a little early!

The 2010 pricing is $20.10 for a 3-course fixed price lunch per person and $35.10 for a 3-course fixed price dinner per person.

Click here to make reservations and peruse the list of restaurants. I'm pleased to see that The Melting Pot is participating this time around. I wish I would have saved my gift card!

I can speak from experience that these restaurants would all feature yummy food:
701 Restaurant
Acadiana
Bobby Van's Steakhouse
The Caucus Room
Ceiba
Chef Geoff's
Coeur de Lion
Jaleo
Laporta's
Oceanaire
Poste
Rosa Mexicano
Sequoia
The Melting Pot
Zola
Zaytinya

If you go, let us know - we'd love to hear about your experience.

Eating from the Pantry - Feeding Company on the Fly

My inlaws came by - and stayed for dinner last night. My older daughter just basks in their adoration and special attention.

My husband and I threw together a "from the pantry" dinner for company on the fly for the occasion. Here's how it broke down:

Dinner:

Chicken drumsticks (from the freezer), baked with honey, sesame oil, garlic powder, and ginger powder
Steamed frozen asparagus, dressed with spray Caesar vinaigrette
Steamed frozen edamame pods
Fresh baby carrots (pretty much a staple at our house)

And for dessert:

Thawed/warmed slices of sour cream loafs (sour cream muffin mix in mini loaf form), from last November's Baking Day - much like fluffier pound cake
with
Mixed Berry sauce (frozen berries, splash of juice, white sugar brought to boil in saucepan)
and
Whipped cream (a carton of heavy cream soon-to-be-past-its prime from the fridge) with drops of vanilla extract, brandy extract, and a dash of ginger powder

My inlaws raved on the dished-out dessert (which I really should have photo'ed for the blog). It was without question the most creative element of my "Eating-from-the-Pantry-With-Company" meal. It shows how you can transform a humble Baking Day frozen item into a warm gourmet-looking dessert with steaming hot berry sauce and melting-on-top whipped cream.

Also, I'm beginning to be convinced that having a small carton of heavy cream on hand at all times (like eggs and milk) could be worthwhile for the convenience and taste factor (much more luxurious than even Reddi-Wip). Regular heavy cream is generally cheaper than aerosol whipped creams, and it has a pretty long shelf life, so unless there are aerosol whipped cream coupons/sales available, doing the 30 seconds of work with an electric mixer to whip the heavy cream into soft peaks is worth it, and company will testify as much!

Old Navy: 75% clearance sale

Old Navy is running a clearance sale right now with items up to 75% off!
Looks like a great time to shop for adults and kids!


I like the Perfect Crew-Neck Tees, and the regular price is $10. They're on sale in different colors and patterns from $3.49 - $8.99. This one is $5.99. Some styles have limited sizes available.


I've also mentioned before that I really like Old Navy's Perfect Khakis. Some colors and sizes are on sale right now for $12.99. Regular price is $29.50?! I'm ordering 2 pairs.

Jeans are also on sale for $14.99 and up. Most are not as low as they go sometimes, but decent prices even still.

Go through Ebates to get 2% back!

Snapfish: 50 prints for 50 pennies through 1/11

Need to print photos from Christmas? or want to plan ahead and print photos to include in Valentines?

Snapfish is running a great sale. By entering promotion code NEWYEAR50 at checkout you can score the deal.

Sweeten it by going through Ebates to get a whopping 10% back!

Major Retailers Trend: New Warehouse or Outlet Sections

We've been interested to find that major retailers like Target are bringing in warehouse-type items in sections of their stores. Some news outlets call it an attempt to compete with places like Costco or Sams Club. We'll be interested to see how the prices are. Check your Target store when you go next and let us know what you see! To read more, click through to this article.

I(Mel) have also checked out the new "Outlet Section" at ACMoore. After noticing it on the ACMoore circular a few weekends ago, I wanted to see what it was all about. At my location it appeared that the store discounted seasonal items or items that didn't sell well and centralized the location in the store. It was near the entrance and had big signs. I didn't find anything of note, but I will be sure to check there when I visit the store.

Have you noticed any other stores doing such things? Leave us a comment if so.

Frugal Friday: peppermint hot chocolate recipe

My sister and I adore the peppermint hot chocolate served at Starbucks. At around $3 per cup, though, I've been experimenting with ways to make a yummy, quick equivalent at home.

My favorite hot chocolate mix is a dark chocolate organic fair trade can of mix found at Trader Joe's. I haven't spotted it there this year yet, so I've been working with Swiss Miss packets since I'm too lazy to make some from scratch.

Here is a recipe that will score you a cup of delicious peppermint hot chocolate for less than 50 cents per serving. Enjoy!

Mel's Peppermint Hot Chocolate

1 packet of hot chocolate, any variety

10 ounces boiling water

4 ounces of milk, any variety (I've tried vanilla soy and skim; any milk adds some necessary creaminess!)

3 drops of peppermint extract

crushed peppermint candies or candy cane, sprinkling of marshmallows or spoonful of Cool Whip, optional

You'll want to use a large mug for this one - it's a generous serving or enough for one mom and one toddler's small sippy cup. Add ingredients and stir.

* NOTE: A little peppermint extract goes a long way, so be sure to use a medicine dropper or pour the extract on a spoon before mixing it in. Too much extract ruins the drink.

Target Setting Up Warehouse-Style Sections in Stores with Bulk-Packaged Necessities Like Toilet Paper

Y'know how Target's dollar spot is a competitive strategy vis-a-vis dollar stores? Well, look out, Sam's Club and Costco!

5 Reasons to Visit Giant This Week, 01/08-01/14

Looks like Giant has protein and produce on sale this week! Yeah!

5 Reasons to Visit Giant this week, 01/08 - 01/14

1. Healthy Choice Entrees, 5/$10
Print your $5/5 Healthy Choice frozen meals coupon here (prints twice)
Final price: $1 each!

2. Porterhouse or T-Bone Steak, $4.99/lb. (Save $5/lb.)

3. Super G Homestyle Roasting Chicken, $0.99/lb. - perfect for Crock Pot cooking!
(what on earth does "homestyle" mean in this context, anyway?)

4. Strawberries, $2.50/lb. for 1 lb. packages (Save $1.49/pack!)

5. Birds Eye Steamfresh Vegetables (frozen) , 3/$5
$0.50/1, 12/6 SS (should double)
Final price: $0.66/bag

Other notable deals:
Super G Honey Glazed Spiral Sliced Ham, $1.99/lb. (Save $1.29/lb.)

Trident Oven Ready Breaded seafood, BOGO

Super G Chicken Drumsticks or Thighs, $0.99/lb.

Fridays: Rotisserie Chickens, 32 oz. packages, 2/$10

Saturdays: Butcher's Pride Fully Cooked Pork BBQ Spare Ribs, 24 oz. package, 2/$10

Boneless Center Cut Pork Chops, $2.99

10 lb. bag Russet Potatoes, $3.49

Giant European Salads (bagged), 2/$5

Nature's Promise or Nasoya Organic Tofu, 2/$4
Tofu is a great lean protein. Look at all the five star tofu recipes here!
$1.50/2 Nasoya products 09/27/2009 RP (expires 03/31/10)
Final price: $1.25 per package for Nasoya tofu

Mushrooms, 8 oz. packages, $1.79 (normally $1.99)

Buy two 64 oz. bottles of Ocean Spray Premium 100% Grapefruit Juice at 2/$4
and get a 5 lb. Bag of Ocean Spray Grapefruit FREE!
(Wow, that's a lot of grapefruit taste!) *** look for blinkie or peelable coupons in-store.

Turkey Hill Chilled Drinks, 3/$5
$1/2, 11/08 RP
Final price: $1.16 each

General Mills Cereal, $2.22
Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Lucky Charms & Cocoa Puffs
Printable $$1/2 coupon here
Final price: $1.56 each
Coupons.com also has a $0.55/1 Trix that may double

California Pizza Kitchen or DiGiorno Pizzas, 2/$10 (Save at least $2.98 on 2)

Progresso Traditional Soup, Buy 2, Get 2 FREE (Save at least $5 on 2)
$0.50/2 Progresso soups , two any flavor (should double) 12/06/2009 SS (expires 01/30/10)
Final price: ~$1.50 each

Yoplait Yoghurt, 20/$10
$.40/6 (should double) 01/03/2010 GM (expires 02/27/10)
$0.50/8 (should double) 01/03/2010 GM (expires 02/27/10)
Final price: $.37 - $.50 each

DanActive or Activia 4-packs, 2/$4
$1/1, 10/04 and 12/06 SS
Final price: $1/each, or $0.25/cup

Pillsbury Toaster Strudel or Scrambles, 2/$4
$1/1 Toaster Strudel (or the $0.55/2 from the 01/03 GM insert)
Lowest possible price: $1 for a box of 6 ($0.17/each)

5 pack Kraft Mac'n'Cheese, $3.99

Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Pasta, 10/$10
$1/2
Final price: $0.50/box

Hunt's Tomatoes, 10/$10
$1/3 here
Final price: $0.66/can

Bertolli Complete Dinners for Two or Oven Bake meals, $5.99
$2/1 for registering, or $1/1 (12/6 RP)
Final possible price: $3.99

Brawny Paper Towels, $5.99 (Save at least $2.50)

Glade Air Freshener, 5/$5

***

This post is part of BeCentsAble's Grocery Gathering

What other Giant coupon matchups and deals did you spot for the coming week? Post a comment to let us know!