Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Chili: Cook once, eat twice

I swear there is no such thing as a small batch of chili.  I just keep adding things until it is testing the limit of my pan.  There is no recipe, just the way my dad taught me how to make it years ago. The ingredients are pretty much the standard chili ingredients but may vary based on what is hanging out in my fridge. A pot of chili could be based on a the standard chunk of ground beef buried in my freezer or it may be the destiny of the leftover pork roast in the fridge.  I can't take credit for this(props to Rachael Ray) but I do have the most delicious solution to keep from being forced to eat leftover chili for a week straight.  It is a great way to change standard leftovers, a great freezer casserole, and a family favorite.

Chili Hashbrown Bake(my way):

Layer about 1 inch of chili into a casserole dish. Mix half to 3/4 bag of frozen hashbrowns  and 1 C of shredded cheddar cheese together and pour over over top of chili.  Cover and freeze.  To cook, thaw overnight in fridge and then bake uncovered at 375 for 35-40 min or until chili is bubbling and hashbrowns are golden brown.

Cheesy Hash Brown Chili from Rachael Ray Show:

Cheesy Hash Brown Chili


Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 15-ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 1 1-pound bag frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, chili powder and cumin and cook, stirring, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
Step
Stir in the tomato paste. Add the beef and cook, breaking up the meat, for 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper.
Step
Add the beans and the tomatoes with their juice and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Transfer to an 8-by-11-inch baking dish.
In a large bowl, combine the potatoes and cheese. Scatter the potato mixture over the chili. Place the baking dish on a baking sheet and bake until the potatoes are cooked through and the chili is bubbling, about 35 minutes.

I apologize that I had no pictures of my own but we were so excited about having a favorite for supper that I didn't even think to take a picture.  Also, you'll have to forgive my lame recipe on this one. I tend to use a recipe as inspiration and then deviate wildly.  

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Some things I've been working on lately...

Ignore the terrible photography on most of these...I really should have got the iphone instead.
Bridal Shower Invite for the sweetest bride I know.

Princess P's 4th Birthday Invite



Bounty from my dad's garden while my parents were on vacation...Produce does not get fresher or cheaper than this!


Goals


This is a long overdue post.  I had originally intended for a post about our goals to be one of my first posts, but it slipped away from me the way most of August did.  I have a renewed enthusiasm for our goals this week though, after Hubs and I sat down and figured out just how much debt we have remaining and an approximate timeline for paying off each outstanding debt. I feel compelled to share them here because they are a huge part of my life--the reason and motivation for the decisions that I make each day whether its clipping a coupon or walking away from a really great sale because I don't need the item or having my mom cut my hair because its free(a savings of $400/year). I'm a pretty open person, so if you don't want to know that much about me I'd stop reading here.

We are facing down just under $10,000(monthly payments of $645! or $7,740/yr-I can't wait to keep that each month) right now which includes a vehicle loan for our only vehicle(a sacrifice we've made in the name of savings), personal loans and credit cards but does not include our mortgage.  Just a few years ago that number was over $30,000.  The average household debt for credit cards alone is $15,956.  It feels darn good to be below that number!

So without further ado, here is our goal plan:

Debt                                              Planned Payoff Month
Vehicle                                                     2/13
Loan A                                                     4/13
Loan B                                                     8/13
Loan C                                                   11/13
Credit Card A                                           1/14
Credit Card B                                           2/14
Loan D                                                    4/14

I now have this great plan to remind me each day of where I want to be in two years and motivate me to work harder and make good decisions.  I have to make sure that I'm not just asking myself and not just Princess P "Now, was that a good decision?"(my second most frequent Mom-ism after "The dog is not your toy!").


"How I going to live today in order to create the tomorrow I'm committed to?" 
-Anthony Robbins, author 

Failure


"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts."
-Winston Churchill

As promised I would fess up if I failed my August budget-which I did, miserably.  My goal was $300 for the month but I stopped keeping track somewhere around $200 near the 10th of the month.  Stuff kind of hit the fan around here after that, hence, my absence from blogging. A new month is just around the corner though so a new budget is in development. We are going to try the cash envelope system for the first time.  I am uneasy about this though because I love being able to track everything online.  I fear that if I cannot track things online I might feel like I am not in control--yes, I have some control issues.  However, what I was doing wasn't working so we will continue to adjust until we find the right plan for our family. I will post the details at the beginning of September and plan to approach it with renewed energy.  


Monday, August 6, 2012

Challenge Week 2: Overambition

Well, its the start of my second week at home. So far it has been great, I'm enjoying Princess P more than I have in years(well, atleast like 80% of time). And much to my husband's dismay I have been getting through my lists and then some. DH actually threatened to block Pinterest on my computer after  I cleaned the kitchen and decided that our cabinets needed a fresh coat of paint.  This epiphany came to me just 10 min before he was due to arrive home from work so I grabbed the ever-handy screwdriver from the top of the fridge(really if he doesn't want me to use the stuff, he should hide it better...like, umm, put it away.)  and feverishly started removing cabinet doors.  Luckily, I am ambidextrous with a screwdriver our I'd have never been able to work through the hand cramp...and he was stuck in traffic for a half hour.  By the time he got home, I had most of the doors off and he was surprisingly submissive.

This week, I'm on to deep cleaning the bathroom.  And after Fez attempted to steal my underpants while I was in the shower, I decided that just maybe I did want that laundry chute that insisted DH wall over six years ago when we remodeled the bathroom.  It is located like four inches above the back of our toilet-awkward!  And it drops to the opposite side of the basement from the laundry room, in the doorway of DH's home theater.  I really would like the laundry pile out of itty-bitty bathroom though, particularly to deter the the furry little panty raiders.  I had to squelch the urge to smash a hole in the wall...DH would have had a coronary.

So my challenge for this week is to put the lid on my Pinterest-fueled ambitions and channel that energy into some money-making and money-saving.

Meal Plan Monday

This week is a pretty efficient menu-minimal groceries and minimal cooking.  Today, I am roasting two chickens and then I am turning the leftovers into a bunch of meals and chicken soup for lunches.

Monday-Roasted Chicken, Potatoes, and Carrots(I may get ambitious and stuff the chickens too)
Tuesday-Crockpot Chicken & Dumplings
Wednesday-Jambalaya & Corn Muffins
Thursday-Homemade Mac'n'Cheese, Broccoli
Friday-Homemade Pizza
Saturday-Leftovers

Here's a fabulous recipe picked up from Pinterest that we tried this weekend-it features one of my favorite things, Hawaiian rolls.  I will probably be making these a lot for our Sunday football potlucks. Sorry, no pic because I didn't think of it until we had polished them off.

Baked Ham & Cheese Sliders

1 pkg of King's Hawaiian Rolls
1/2 lb sliced deli ham
6-8 slices of cheese(Swiss or American work well, but we used what we had on had-colby jack)
1 onion, minced
1/2 stick of butter
3 T of dijon mustard
2 tsp of worcestershire sauce
3 tsp of poppy of poppy seeds

In a sauce pan melt your butter. Add onion and cook until soft. Then add in your mustard, Worcestershire, and poppy seeds. Simmer for 5 mins. Slice your rolls right down the middle. Place them in a pan with foil. Place 2/3 of mixture on bottom of rolls. Add your ham and then your cheese. Place top of rolls and top with remaining 1/3 of mixture. Bake for 20 mins on 350.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

New month, New Budget

Scheduled Post that did not post on August 1 as I thought:

It has been a week of changes here-Monday was DH's first day at new job, Tuesday was DH's 28th birthday, and now its the first of August.  New month means a new budget.  I'm going to publish my budget and spending this month so that I'm being held accountable to someone.  I made some reductions based on our stockpile being so well-stocked...and with hopes that I could improve my couponing and dealing seeking skills.

So without further ado, our goal this month is $300.  That includes all groceries, toiletries, and any eating out.

I may fail, but I will promise to fess up and publicly shame myself right here if I do.  With DH's new job we are switching banks, as he is now employed by a bank.  And we are going to have separate accounts for his and hers paychecks which is a big change because we've always pooled our money.  Also, we are getting used to a new pay schedule, so I foresee some possible bumps in the road.  Regardless, I am going to set a $300 goal!

Jack Kerouac“My fault, my failure, is not in the passions I have, but in my lack of control of them.” 
                                                                                                                                                                 ― Jack Kerouac

Festival 1-day Meat Sale Specials Tomorrow 8/2!

Tomorrow Only 8am-9pm, While Supplies Last!


Bone-in Country Style Ribs $1.48/lb

Burgundy Pepper Spoon Steaks $3.98/lb

Fresh Whole Chicken $ .98/lb

Chicken Drumsticks $ .78/lb

Whole Turkey Breast $1.38/lb

Presliced Whole Pork Butt $1.98/lb

Alda Cod or Haddock $19.90/5 lb box

Half Ribeye or NY Strip Loins $6.98/lb

10lb tube of 80% Lean Ground Chuck $23.90

In Ad Coupons:

Land'O'Frost 9oz Deli Meat $1.00(limit 5)

Old Wisconsin Natural Casing Weiners $3.98(limit 3)

Raw E-Z Peel Shrimp 1lb $3.99(limit 1)

Johsonville Brats $6.98(limit 1)






Tuesday, July 31, 2012

CVS Shopping Trip


Made a quick run to CVS this evening to pick up some body wash before my high value coupon expired.  Surprise!  The coupon machine printed me a store coupon for Olay!

Olay Body Wash on sale for $5.99 ea.
Olay Face Cleansing cloth on sale for $3.74
Snickers & Milky Way Buy 1(at $1.19) and get one for $ .25

Coupons used:
2- $ .75/2 Milky Way MQ
$3/2 Olay Body Wash MQ
Buy 1 Olay Facial Cleanser, Get Olay Body Wash Free MQ
$3 off $15 Olay purchase CVS Coupon Center
$ .75/2 Snickers, Milky Way or Twix CVS Coupon Center
$3.00 ECB from earlier trip

Total out-of-pocket.....$1.21!  I had to add on the two Snickers to use up overage!

That is $29.99 worth or stuff for just $1.21 or 96% savings!

Challenge Day 1: Turtle Brownie Cheesecake


Its my first day back in the saddle as WAHM(work-at-home mom) and DH's second day at his new job, as well as, his birthday!  Wishing you a happy birthday, Love!

Hubby with his terribly decorated turtle brownie cheesecake(my piping skills need some work)
My biggest dilemma today was trying to figure out a great birthday treat for DH's birthday using what I had on hand.  A)I'm to stubborn to run the store B)too lazy to go the store and C)most importantly wasn't going to pay full price for something because I didn't plan well. I usually make him a cheesecake but we only had two thawed blocks of cream cheese, one frozen solid block, and one green fuzzy block(fridge clean-out tomorrow!).  Here's what I tossed together with what I had on hand with modifications based on its shortcomings:

Turtle Brownie Cheesecake:

1 box of  Turtle brownie mix(I have like 10 of these in my stockpile)
3 8oz packages of cream cheese
2/3 C sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla(I substituted Bailey's Irish Cream with a Hint of Caramel)

Make brownie mix as directed on box and bake at 350 degrees for 20 min or until set in a greased springform pan.(The original called for baking it 35 min. I baked it 25 and it was over cooked.) Lower oven temp to 325 degrees.

Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together until smooth(to get a really great fluffy texture I let it cream in the stand mixer for 3-5 min.). Fold in one egg at a time until barely mixed. This is the key to a great cheesecake. Make sure not to over beat your eggs. (I only had 2 blocks of cream cheese so I scaled back the other ingredients as well-it lacked cheesecakness.)

Pour cheesecake mixture into springform pan over the baked brownie. Return to the 325 degree oven and bake for 35-40 min until center is nearly set. Let cool on a rack for 1 hr and then cool in fridge for 3 hrs before eating.


Meal Plan Monday

What? Its Tuesday?  Whatever.

Tuesday-Chicken Fajitas(veggies and meat prepped on Sunday and hanging out together in a Ziploc)
Wednesday-Chicken Gyros (also prepped and hanging out in the fridge)
Thursday-Stuffed Pork Chops, Roasted Potatoes, and Green Beans
Friday-Fish Tacos
Saturday and Sunday-TBD

On a side note, Festival's one day meat sale is on Thursday!  I can't wait to see what will be worth stocking up on.  I feel uninspired by the contents of our freezer.  Perhaps, because it still has 20 frozen pizzas in it(at $ .50 per pizza it was stockpile time!).

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Copps and Pick'n'Save Ad Highlights 7/29-8/4

Here's a list of what I felt were some of the better deals at Copps and Pick'n'Save this week. I tried to list coupon matchups when possible but there may be coupons out there at that I missed.

In-store coupons:

Roundy's Gallon Milk $2.29(limit 1)

Lay's, Wavy Lay's or Rold Gold Pretzels $1.98(limit 1)

Entenmann's Donuts, Popems, or Coffecake or Thomas' English Muffins $1.68(limit 1)

Tide Laundry Detergent 100oz.  $10.98(limit 1)
$ .75/1 Tide Detergent PG 7/29/12 exp 8/31/12

Patrick Cudahy Sliced Bacon $2.99(limit 1)

Gillette Fusion or Venus Razor System $7.98(limit 1)
$1/1 Gillette Fusion PG 7/29/12 exp 8/31/12

Clairol Nice'n'Easy Hair Color $4.98(limit 1)
$3/1 Clairol Nice'n'Easy PG 7/29/12 exp 8/31/12
$2/1 Clairol Hair Color PG 7/29/12 exp 8/31/12

Gillete Mach 3 or Venus Disposable Razors $6.98(limit 1)

Ivory Body Wash $2.48(limit 1)
$ .30/1 Ivory Soap or Body Wash PG 7/29/12 exp 8/31/12

Old Spice, Secret or Gillette Deodorant $3.48
$1/2 Secret Deodorant PG 7/29/12 exp 8/31/12
$1/2 Gillette Deodorant PG 7/29/12 exp 8/31/12
$1/2 Old Spice Products PG 7/29/21 exp 8/31/12

Old Spice Body Wash, Deodorant, or Body Spray $2.98(limit 1)
$1/2 Old Spice Products PG 7/29/12 exp 8/31/12

Always 14-60 Ct Pads or 34-50 Pantiliners or Tampax 20ct $2.98(limit 1)
$1.50/2 Always Pantliners PG 7/29/12 exp 8/31/12
$1.50/2 Tampax PG 7/29/12 exp 8/31/12
$1.50/2 Always Pads PG 7/29/12 exp 8/31/12

Head & Shoulders Shampoo or Conditioner $3.98
$1/1 Head and Shoulders Product PG 7/29/12 exp 8/31/12

Duracell Coppertop Batteries $5.98
$ .75/1  Duracell Coppertop PG 7/29/12 exp 8/31/12

Pampers Jumbo Diapers 20-50ct. $8.98
$1.50/1 Pampers Diapers PG 7/29/12 exp 8/31/12

Pampers Wipes 60-72ct. $1. 48
$ .50/1 Pampers Wipes PG 7/29/12 exp 8/31/12

Bounty Paper Towels 8ct $7.48
$ .25/1 Bounty PG 7/29/12 exp 8/31/12

Produce:

Red Grapes $1.49/lb.

Roma Tomatoes $ .98/lb.

Russet Potatoes 5lb. Bag $ .98

Baby Cut Carrots 1lb. Bag $ .98

Celery $ .98

Whole White Mushrooms 8oz. $ .98

Fresh Express Garden Salad 10/$10

Meat:

Chicken Leg Quarters $ .69/lb

33% off Steak Sale

Johnsonville Pork & Chicken Bratwurst or Italian Sausage $3.99
$1/1 Pork & Chicken Brat SS 7/22/2012 exp 10/21/12

Oscar Mayer Bologna or Cotto Salami 12oz. 10/$10

Frozen:

Eggo Pancakes, Waffles, or French Toast Sticks 5/$10
(I have a lot of $ .25 monopoly coupons for these!)

Palermo's Thin Crust Classics 5/$10
(I have seen a lot of $ .25 monopoly coupons for these as well!)

Totinos Pizza Rolls 40ct 3/$9
(Lots of $ .25 monopoly coupons out there for these too!)

Fat Boy Ice Cream Bars or Sandwiches $1.89
(Yet another monopoly coupon item!)

Dairy:

Roundy's Sour Cream or French Onion Dip $ .98

Yoplait Yogurt 6oz 10/$5
$ .40/6 printable

Dannon Yogurt 6oz 10/$5

Roundy's Greek Yogurt 10/$10

Roundy's String Cheese 6oz 10/$10

Grocery:

Knorr Pasta Sides 10/$10

Pop Tarts 2/$4

Household:

Cascade Gel, Powder, or Action Pacs $4.99
$1/1 Cascade Product PG 7/29/12 exp 8/31/12


Other notable promotions:

Save $5 instantly when you purchase $15 worth of Unilever products(includes Suave, Dove, Degree, and more)

Save $5 off your next purchase when you purchase $15 worth of Johnson & Johnson pruducts(includes Band-Aid, Listerine, Reach, Stayfree, Aveeno, Visine and More)

Get $10 off your next purchase when you purchase $30 worth of Kimberly-Clark and Colgate-Palmolive(includes Huggies, Softsoap, Colgate, Kotex, and more)

Buy 8 Betty Crocker Helpers, Suddenly Salad, Specialty or Mashed Potatoes, Brownie or Cake Mix and save $4 instantly.


 There are a lot of coupon matchups out there for these products!








Wednesday, July 25, 2012

More Fez

Sometimes you just need a good hug....then Fez is your doxie.



Dr. P's diagnosis-a big heart! 


Possible FREE or Cheap Dove or Mars at CVS this week!



Head on in to CVS and scan your Extra Care Card at the coupon center....you may get be lucky enough to score a $1/2 Mars candy coupon.  Remember to scan your multiple times card until the coupon center says "no available coupons".

SALE PRICE 2 for $1.00
- in-store coupon
=FREE



I was also lucky enough to score a $ .75/2 Snickers, Twix or Milky Way store coupon so I was able to pick up two Twix bars for just $ .25!


 and don't forget about the current printable coupon for Milky Way!



SALE PRICE 2 for $1
-$. 75/2 printable
= 2 for $  .25











Monday, July 23, 2012

Pick'n'Save and Copps Highlights 7/22-7/28

Here are a few of what I thought were the more noteworthy deals in this weeks Pick'n'Save and Copps ad:


In Ad Store Coupons:


Gatorade 8pk.-20oz.  $3.88(Limit 1)

Nabisco Oreo Cookies $1.88(Limit 1, 2/$5 thereafter)
$1 off 2 Nabisco cookies or crackers printable

Klondike Bars $1.98(Limit 1)

Produce:

Green Beans $ .99/lb

Washington Cherries $1.98/lb

Green Onions 2/$1

Green Bell Peppers $ .99/lb

Zucchini $ .99/lb

Bunch Radishes $ .99/lb

Meat:

Boneless Chuck Roast or Steak $2.99/lb

80% Lean Ground Chuck $2.49/lb

Dairy:

Yoplait Original or Whips! 10/$5
$.40/6 Yoplait Yogurt Cups printable

Dannon Oikos Yogurt 10/$10
No mainstream coupon but I have a lot of $.25 off Monopoly store coupons for these

Kraft 5.8oz Shredded, Chunk Crumbles or Big Slice or 12oz. Singles $ .99(when you buy 5, limit of 5)

Grocery:

General Mills Cereal or Granola Bars $1.98(when you buy 4, limit of 4)

Quaker Cereal, Granola Bars, or Soft Baked Cookies 2/$4
Also have a lot of Monopoly store coupons for these

Roundy's 16oz Long Grain Rice $ .59

Powerade 32oz $ .79

Open Pit Barbecue Sauce 18oz $ .79

Roundy's Hamburger or Hot Dog Buns 8ct $.79

La Banderita Flour Tortillas 10 pk $ .99

Hershey's or Mars King Size Candy Bars $ .99
$ .75/2 Milky Way Bars printable

My thoughts, overall, not the greatest sales this week.  Please share if I missed a great coupon matchup.  This is my first week doing this.  One of the reasons I started the blog is because there were no blogs covering the Copps and Pick'n'Save matchups in our area before Thursday of each week.  The ad for the Milwaukee and Madison area is four days behind us here in Northeast Wisconsin.  I could not take the extra four days of waiting!


Great deals at Walgreens 7/22-7/28


Here's a highlight of some of the better deals at Walgreens this week, including free deodorant and maxi pads!
Gillette Venus & Olay System $8.99

$4/1 Gillette Venus & Olay Razor, exp. 7/31/12 (SS 6/17/12)

Total = $4.99 (Get Back $4 RR Gillette Venus)

= $0.99 EACH!!!


Stayfree 14 Ct Maxi Pads $1.99(same deal at CVS this week too!)
$2/1 Stayfree Product, exp. 8/31/2012 (SS 7/22/12)
=FREE!!!


Right Guard Total Defense 5 Antiperspirant/Deodorant $2.99 
$1/1 Right Guard Antiperspirant (no longer printable)

Total = $1.99 (Get back $2 RR)
=FREE!!!

POST CEREAL $2/5
$1/1 Shredded Wheat or Grape Nuts Cereals printable

$1/1 Post Shredded Wheat Cereal, exp. 7/29/12 (SS 06/17/12)
$0.55/1, $0.50/1 Pebbles Cereals, exp. 7/22/12 (RP 06/10/12)
$1/2 Post Honey Bunches of Oats, exp. 8/19/12 (SS 07/08/12)
$1/1 Post Grape-Nuts or Grape-Nuts Flakes (SS 06/17/12)
GET $1 RR back on 2, as low as $1/box!


There are lots more great deals at Walgreens this week but they were just a few of my favorites!

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Fez



Meet Fez,  a 3-yr. old piebald dachsund.  He has a rather odd mix of smooth-hair with just a touch of wire hair...a kind of funny looking fellow.  Kind of like Snoopy's brother, Spike.




When he turns his baby blues(yes, he has blue eyes) on you, you want to snuggle up with him.  He came into rescue as an owner surrender.   His owner worked long hours and was unable to devote much time to him.  By no means though is he high maintenance.  He is very laid-back and spends as much time as he can napping.  I'm sure he would love to go to a home where he wasn't abruptly woken from his naps by an overeager 3-yr old human.   But he sure does love playing fetch, snuggling, and taking walks with his little human.

He is completely potty-trained. Up to date on vaccinations.  And just a lovable little guy looking for his forever family.  Please head on over to Midwest Dachsund Rescue's website, mwdr.org, to fill out an application to adopt him!  Or check out MWDR's facebook page to see some more available doxies looking for their forever homes.


CVS Shopping Trip

CVS is one of my favorite places to shop. For nearly a year, I was completely oblivious to potential savings that were right in my backyard. The CVS in my neighborhood was just built last summer, though not technically in my backyard, it is less than a mile away. When we aren't experiencing a heat wave (or in a few short months-snowdrifts) it would probably be a nice walk or bike ride. So, today's shopping trip:
2 Deodorants for DH and 6 Milky Way bars for trick-or-treaters
Precoupon Total                   $    8.76
 minus                                  $      2 /2 Right Guard
 minus                               2-$      1/2 Milky Way
 minus                                  $      .75/2 Milk Way
 minus                                   $   3.75 ECB(Extra Care Bucks-Yay!)

 Total...drumroll.................   $ .26!

And I received a back the $1 Green bag ECB...stay tuned for a post on the wonderful green bag program at CVS.

Friday, July 20, 2012

Challenge Accepted

Breaking news: I am returning to my life as a work-at-home mom! Just 10 more days until I can hang up the my bread-winner slacks and get back to my beloved yoga pants. My DH commented, "I think its going to take you awhile to get back in your groove.". Hmmm? Sounds like a challenge. Or maybe that is his sneaky attempt at reverse psychology. Well, whatever his intentions, I have accepted that challenge and am raring, to-do list and schedule in hand, to embrace my new life at home. Bring on the yoga pants!