Grocery & Coupon Challenge January 2009

I'll be posting my grocery expenses and how much I save with coupons (including store sales). Groceries do NOT include greeting cards, school supplies, bird seed, prescription medications, or household items like rubbermaid containers and mops. They DO include all food, dairy, health and beauty items, over-the-counter medications, paper goods, cleaning and laundry supplies, batteries and light bulbs.

Because my husband wants me to FILL MY PANTRY, my food budget this month is about $750. He is worried about food-supply disruptions so he wants me to have as much food put away as possible.

SPENT "out of pocket":
Jan. 2: Shop Rite. $45 (my husband, who shops without coupons and without regard for sales)
Jan. 5: Wegmans. $21.25 (not a bargain place, but there are certain items I can ONLY get here.)
Jan. 6: CVS. $15.99 (and I got back $12.50 in extra care bucks!)
Jan. 7: Shop Rite. $148.81
Jan. 12: Shop Rite $76.97
Jan. 14: Shop Rite $52.04
Jan. 16: Shop Rite $19.73
Jan. 20: Shop Rite $139.28
Jan. 26: Shop Rite $10.98
Jan. 27: Shop Rite $101.52
Jan. 29: Shady Maple $25.00
Jan. 30: Shop Rite $15.25

TOTAL SPENT THIS MONTH: $671.82


SAVED (coupons and store sales):
Jan. 5: Wegmans. $1.00
Jan. 6: CVS. $23.89
Jan. 7: Shop Rite. $85.04
Jan. 12: Shop Rite. $33.19
Jan. 14: Shop Rite. $41.27
Jan. 16: Shop Rite. $18.50
Jan. 20: Shop Rite. $95.10
Jan. 26: Shop Rite. $1.00
Jan. 27: Shop Rite. $47.41
Jan. 30: Shop Rite. $5.45

TOTAL COUPON & STORE SALE SAVINGS: $351.85

Not bad!! That's over $1,000 of food for this month but I spent under $700. My pantry and freezer are full.

Menu Plan January 25-31, 2009

Menu Plan Monday is hosted at the "Organized Junkie" blog!

Here are my plans for dinner this week:

SUNDAY: leftovers

MONDAY: hot roast beef and gravy sandwiches on Italian rolls; tater tots; corn

TUESDAY: Chicken Piccata

WEDNESDAY: tacos

THURSDAY: spaghetti

FRIDAY: Linguine with shrimp marinara, Spanish Country bread, salad.

SATURDAY: Honey Mustard Chicken

Menu Plan January 18-24, 2009

SUNDAY: game-day pizza

MONDAY: takeout

TUESDAY: Pork roast with roasted potatoes and sweet potatoes

WEDNESDAY: Sloppy Joes, tater tots, salad

THURSDAY: spaghetti

FRIDAY: baked flounder

SATURDAY: roast beef & gravy sandwiches on Italian rolls, salad

We never did try that Mexican chicken in the crockpot from last week. I'll hold that over until next week!

Easily Pleased

I stopped at Sam's Club today to buy my industrial-size sack of bread flour, brick-pack of yeast, giant jar of garlic, tub-o-dried minced onion, super-size box of Goldfish (you're never too old for Goldfish) and paper cups for the bathroom.

And as I wandered my way toward the checkout (why is all the food all the way in the back of the store?) I found a display of 5-piece knife sets. Well, actually, 4 knives and one block. But whatever. It looks just like the one in the picture, except it doesn't have that fancy-schmancy doodad with Wolfgang Puck's signature on it.

I figured I'd use them for chopping vegetables, but discovered tonight that a good santoku knife can slice through a roast beef like nobody's business. And woohoo, I only paid $21.32 for the set!

I'm easily pleased. Let the chopping begin.

Menu Plan Jan. 11-17, 2009

SUNDAY: Chili

MONDAY: Pork teriyaki, rice, green beans

TUESDAY: Happy anniversary to us today!! I'm making a special dinner at home; roast beef, mashed potatoes, gravy and vegetables. We'll top it off with a romantic dessert with the whole Tiger Cub Scout troop, LOL!

WEDNESDAY: Mexican chicken in the crockpot with noodles.

THURSDAY: Spaghetti

FRIDAY: Spanish Garlic shrimp over rice

SATURDAY: Homemade mac & cheese, ranch-breaded chicken tenders, vegetables.

Menu Plan Jan 4-10, 2009

Happy New Year!

SUNDAY: Chicken marsala, noodles, vegetable

MONDAY: Roast pork with Hoisin-Molasses sauce, oven-roasted potatoes and vegetable

TUESDAY: Beef paysanne, noodles, vegetable

WEDNESDAY: Chicken & Biscuit Stew, rice

THURSDAY: Spaghetti

FRIDAY: Maple-Hoisin Glazed Salmon, rice, vegetable

SATURDAY: Oplatek dinner at church. Polish foods of all kinds!

Menu Plan December 29-Jan.3

MON. 29: Barbara's Chicken Paprika

TUES. 30: Open House at a friend's. I brought Pepperoni Bread and Rocky Road candy.

WED. 31: Swiss Chicken Melt

THURS 1: Chicken parm at Mom & Pop's.

FRI 2: Pizza

SAT 3: We ate out!

My Newest Addition to the Cookbook Collection

I just got my copy of How to Cook Like Your Grandmother by Drew Kime. I'm a big fan of Drew's blog because it has clear, no-nonsense instructions, a little humor, a little nostalgia, and great step-by-step photos for each recipe! And the book is just the same, minus the photos. If you're looking for a good cookbook for yourself or to give as a gift, and you don't want the celebrity glitz but instead good home cooking made with real ingredients, this book is an excellent choice. It's even got space for notes after each recipe, so you can jot down your review or any modifications you make. Highly recommended!

Catching Up on the Menu Plan!

Here's what we've BEEN eating:

Mon 15: Balsamic Chicken with Onions

Tues 16: Cheese ravioli with sauce and meatballs

Wed 17: Pot roast, oven-roasted potatoes, vegetables and Amanda's pull-apart rolls

Thurs 18: Hawaiian chicken, rice, green beans

Fri 19: Homemade pizza

Sat 20: Ranch chicken tenders, corn, chicken-flavored noodles

Sun 21: dinner with friends

Mon 22: Spaghetti

Tues 23: Turkey Chili Blanco

Wed 24: Christmas Eve Pierogi Dinner

Thurs 25: Roast filet mignon, baked potatoes/yams, roasted carrots

Fri 26: Dinner with family

Sat 27: Olive Garden

Sun 28: Pork Chops German Style, Mixed vegetables, mac & cheese

Tried and True

Some recipes we've tasted that are definitely "keepers!"

Amanda's Homemade Pull-apart dinner rolls. EASY--there is no "rise after shaping" and the salt on top is yummy. Great with soup.

Barbara's Sweet Tea: yummy!

Barbara's Melt-in-Your-Mouth Braised and Barbecued Chicken. Long title. Great chicken.

Menu Plan December 8-14

It's been a wacky week with doctor appointments and minor surgery. Amazingly we've managed not to resort to takeout through all this, and I haven't been to Shop Rite in more than 10 days. Think they miss me?

MONDAY: Chicken Piccata, Alfredo noodles, green beans

TUESDAY: Pork and Hominy Stew from the December 2008 issue of All You. NOT recommended.

WEDNESDAY: Tandoori Chicken

THURSDAY: Homemade chicken noodle soup from my friend

FRIDAY: Linguine with shrimp and scallop marinara

SATURDAY: Turkey Crescent Casserole

SUNDAY: Mexican Shepherd's Pie

Menu Plan December 1 - 7

Here's what we had over the weekend. NOT what was planned.

SATURDAY...Pizza

SUNDAY...meatball sandwiches and sausage & pepper sandwiches

MENU PLAN FOR THE WEEK:

MONDAY: Turkey Encore Paprikas with noodles

TUESDAY: Sweet & Sour Pork with rice

WEDNESDAY: Chicken Fajita Soup

THURSDAY: Spaghetti and meatballs

FRIDAY: Baked whiting.

SATURDAY: Pepperoni Bread

SUNDAY: Dinner at a friend's house!

Ways to Serve the Leftover Turkey

Yes, I'm late to the Leftover Turkey Party. I'm cooking leftovers tonight and the rest is in the freezer for future dinners. I don't like to O.D. on turkey all at once; then we never want it again! Right now there are 3 more dinners' worth of cooked turkey in the freezer and 1 dinner's worth of stuffing--plus a large container of turkey stock.

Here are some recipes I use with leftover turkey. Any recipe calling for cubed cooked chicken works equally well with cubed cooked turkey.

Turkey Encore Paprikas
Cousin Sharon's Chicken & Biscuit Stew
Chicken & Dumplings
Chicken Fajita Soup
Grandpa's Dark Meat Chicken
Pot Pie
Chicken Chili Blanco
Chicken & Noodle Casserole
Chicken Divan
Scarborough Fair Chicken Soup (I made stock with the turkey carcass, so this would be a great way to use it!)
Crescent Casserole

I also make Chicken Enchiladas using canned enchilada sauce (the red kind), onions, cheese and flour tortillas.

And finally, you can't go wrong (any time of year) with
Thanksgiving-in-a-Bowl
Warm up all your leftovers of the following items, layer in an oven-safe or microwave-safe bowl, and heat it up until the cheese melts.
Turkey (bite size pieces)
Corn
Mashed potatoes
Stuffing
Gravy
Cheddar cheese for topping

The KFC near my house closed, so this is how I satisfy my craving for their famous mashed potato bowl.

Turkey Encore Paprikas

This is a great way to use that leftover turkey without having it seem like you are eating leftover turkey.

2 cups cubed cooked turkey (or chicken)
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes with juice
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tbl minced garlic
1 onion, chopped
1/2 of a 12-oz jar of roasted red peppers, chopped
1 1/2 cups whole baby bella mushrooms (white mushrooms work too but these have great flavor!)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp paprika

I mix all this up in my 6-qt Nesco roaster, turn it on to 250 and let it go for an hour.
If you don't have a roaster, use a nice big skillet with a lid, and simmer it for an hour.
Serve over your favorite pasta (we like bow ties with this dish!)

Thanksgiving on Wheels: the aftermath

I hope everyone had a very happy Thanksgiving!

Ours was pretty quiet, with just my in-laws at their house, but it was a nice day. I cooked the turkey, stuffing, bread, apple pie and turnips here. Everything was packed in coolers to take to my in-laws' house. I had the potatoes all peeled and in a tupperware full of ice water. Then there were cans of gravy, cranberry sauce and corn, and a bag of frozen green beans. A pretty basic meal. When we got there I put the foil pans of cooked food in the oven on warm (with some chicken broth added to the turkey and stuffing to keep them moist.) I cooked all the other food as usual. The only thing that didn't work well was the turnips. I don't know if it was the foil pan or the extra steaming/baking time, but they didn't come out well. However, I'm the only one who really eats them so no one else missed it.

All in all it was not too terrible to bring the dinner with us.

Thanksgiving-on-the-go

It appears that I will be cooking Thanksgiving dinner after all. AND transporting it 75 miles.

I'll be posting a menu and timetable for Thanksgiving-on-the-go as I work it out.

Menu Plan November 23-29, 2008

SUNDAY: Beef Paysanne, Spanish Country Bread

MONDAY: Tacos, homemade mac & cheese

TUESDAY: Chicken & dumplings with peas and carrots

WEDNESDAY: meatball sandwiches on homemade Italian rolls

THURSDAY: Thanksgiving dinner! I'm bringing bread, as requested by the hostess

FRIDAY: Salmon burgers, Lidia's Italian Potatoes

SATURDAY: Chicken Fajita Soup, tortilla chips

Salmon Burgers

Makes 4 burgers.

1 can (15 oz) red or pink water-packed salmon, rinsed & drained (about 2 cups flaked salmon)
8 saltines, crushed
1/4 cup seeded, diced red bell pepper
3 TBL miracle whip*
1 tsp lemon juice
4 drops tabasco

Remove skin from salmon and flake with a fork. Mash or remove bones. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Shape into 4 patties.
Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and brush with olive oil. Place patties on oiled pan.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes at 350 until golden brown.

*To sub for miracle whip, add the same amount of mayo and 1/8 tsp EACH garlic powder, mustard powder, & paprika.

This is based on a recipe in Lickety-Split Meals by Zonya Foco. However, I sub for the miracle whip and bake these rather than frying.

Frugal Grocery Shopping

I had to laugh when I read this article just now: Does Your Frugality Drive Everyone Nuts?

An hour ago, I finished up my grocery shopping at my favorite local supermarket. I had a pretty full cart, and wound up with 10 canvas grocery bags full of food. I got 50 cents back for using 10 reusable bags, by the way! Those bags I bought last January have more than paid for themselves.

Anyway, I had a big stack of coupons with my order, plus my "free" turkey (you get a free turkey each November if you spend over $300 during a certain time period. They calculate this BEFORE coupons--works for me!)

The two men behind me in line rolled their eyes when they saw the coupons sitting there waiting to be redeemed. And because I had a new-to-the-job checker, it took a little longer than usual.

But hey, guys behind me in line--I saved $71.98 in coupons and store savings--I only had to pay $131.46 for $202 worth of food. Not bad for a few minutes of coupon clipping and careful list-making.

Sorry if my frugal ways cost you an extra few minutes this morning. Next time, pick another line.

My husband thinks that ShopRite is going to stop letting me in if I continue to shop like this. But we're enjoying it while it lasts.

Menu Plan November 16-22, 2008

Last Friday I used one of the homemade pizza crusts that I had prepared and frozen. Great option for a fast pizza, along with homemade sauce and some shredded Italian-blend cheese.

SUNDAY: We went to Chinese Buffet.

MONDAY: Spicy Orange Chicken, rice, vegetable

TUESDAY: Ham, eggs and home fries

WEDNESDAY: Tacos, corn, homemade mac & cheese

THURSDAY: Ravioli with meatballs

FRIDAY: Salmon burgers (sides to be determined)

SATURDAY: Beef paysanne, noodles, vegetable