A New Post

So, as I lay here on the couch after a nice day at church (minus the part where I had to speak), I am enjoying the sounds of Mike teaching Kenneth how to cook a new dish. I realize how lucky I am to live the life I do, and I really want to remember times like this, so I better start blogging again - because that is the only medium I seem to use to record stuff like this (that was a serious run-on sentence). Hopefully I will be encouraged to blog frequently.

Last Day of School

Kenneth was pretty excited for the last day of school (last Thursday). I can't believe that he is already done with 6th grade!!! Time just seems to be flying. He did well in all of his classes this year. He wasn't too excited about his shop class - he was glad he only had it for one trimester. However, he found that he really enjoys history, and he started playing percussion in the school band - he loves it!

Dove Kit

I received this Dove kit in the mail last week. There is a full size dove ultimate deodorant (that smells really good) along with 25 coupons booklets for $2 off. There are 2 coupons in each booklet. This product was just introduced last week and should be in most stores sometime in May. If you are interested in some free coupons - just let me know.

Big Foot Award

Kenneth came home from school the other day with an award!!!

They measured their feet at school (not sure why, the details are a little fuzzy to me) and Kenneth won the Big Foot Award.....look at the size of those things! He wears a mens 9.5 - and he is only 11 years old. He has always had big feet - we keep thinking that some day he will grow into them. The award had been floating around the kitchen for a week and I asked Kenneth if he wanted to keep it - sure enough he wants to save that puppy - he is pretty proud of the award!! hahaha - what a funny kid....

Piano Recital

Kenneth played in a piano recital last night - he did awesome!!!! He performed Fur Elise by Beethoven. He was pretty nervous, but he said once he got up there - something just took over and his hands just started to move.....we are very proud of him. Normally he would have played the same peice for festival - but since he broke his arm in February and couldn't play for 6 weeks - he didn't have time to learn and memorize 2 different pieces. He was so bummed he didn't get to do festival........NOT!!!

Kenneth with Grandma Davis - he is very excited about his reward - an ice cream bar.

Grandma Jensen, Kenneth and Grandpa Jensen - enjoying the ice cream....

Dad, Mom, and Kenneth

Kenneth had lots of support at this recital - we didn't get pictures of 2 aunts, 1 uncle, and 4 cousins that were also able to come. Thanks for supporting him!!!

Whew!!! - Now we have the summer off from lessons - Kenneth is pretty excited.

Free Food at KFC

Oprah is working on a bunch of different "hook-ups" for people across the country. Go to this link and you can download a coupon for a free 2 pc Grilled Chicken meal at participating restaurants. This includes 2 pcs of grilled chicken (manager's choice), 2 individaul sides, and a biscuit - all for FREE!!!

Oprah's website says: "Coupon download available from 9 a.m. CDT on May 5, 2009, to 9:59 p.m. CDT on May 6, 2009." So get it done quick! I was able to print 4 coupons from my computer.

Smith's has 1 lb cartons of strawberries on sale this week for $1.29. I have been watching prices for a couple of weeks, and this seems to be one of the lowest prices I have seen. I need to make some more jam - but I have been waiting for a great price. Have you seen a better price - if so, where????

Albertson's has a couple of great sales this week! My favorite is on the front page of their sales flyer. When you spend $10 on participating products, save $4 instantly. My favorite picks are the Ritz, Wheat Thins and Triscuit crackers for $1.20/box, Jello-O Cheesecake with topping for $1.50/box, and Bagelfuls for $1.50/box.

This is an example of how to maximize your savings:

Buy 4 Bagelfuls @ $2.50 each = $10

Less $4 instant savings = $6

Less 4 $1 coupons from Kraft = $2

I can handle paying $.50 per box for a quick snack item to use on busy days. These are a frozen product, so they will last a while.

Albertson's Coupon Doubles

Today I had a great time at Albertson's. I had 3 coupon doublers from the Sunday paper to use. I used a Tree Top $1/2 coupon and 2 Right Guard coupons - $1 each. Then I used the 3 coupon doublers. Final price was $.18 (the tax)! The cashier was so surprised that she actually had to look back through the transaction to make sure that it was correct....hehehe...

After the purchase a catalina printed out for a free gatorade up to $2.50 - I paid $.12 in tax for a big bottle of gatorade. At this point, the cashier was really stunned....the lady behind me wanted to know what I bought ..... it was great!

So, if you think that doublers aren't worth it - think again....you just have to be creative!!

This will be added to my stockpile for future use.

Where Have I Been???

The last week has been crazy busy for us!!!

Last Thursday, Mike had to have sugery on his mouth....ouch!!

He had an infection in his gum above his front teeth, and it was eating a hole in his gums. So we had to go to a specialist and he created a flap in his upper gum....I will spare you the details. Then I drove him to another specialist that cleaned out the infection, did a root canal on his front tooth, filled it with some stuff and then we were sent back to the first specialist we saw. He ended up doing a gum graft to cover the hole and he changed the little tissue thingy that attaches your lip to your gums. I know that all sounds so technical - but I didn't want to know any more...eeewwww!!!

It took about an hour for them to stitch him up. Then they glued a bandage over the surgical site that is suppose to remain there until next Monday. It is driving him nuts!!!

This picture was taken while we were waiting at the second docs office. He wasn't so happy to have his picture taken...but you can see some of the swelling. When it was all done, his top lip stuck way out from his bottom lip and it looked like a bad botox job!!

In total it took about 3 1/2 hours to get all the work done and travel back and forth. We are just glad it is done and he is recovering pretty quickly. He is just really uncomfortable with the bandage in his mouth. He can feel a few of the stitches which are also bothering him. The swelling has mostly gone away now that it has been 5 days....he just tends to be swollen in the morning when he wakes up. We go back next Monday for a follow up appointment and to have the bandaged removed.

We are hoping for good news and to know that the problem has been resolved - keep your fingers crossed for us!!

My New Addition

I work at home sometimes and I have been using 2 folding tables as a "desk" for the past couple of years. Well, Mike felt bad that he had such a nice desk to use for playing around with his computer, and I was still working on crappy tables. I found it really difficult to stay organized with the make-shift "desk" and no drawers, so my office was usually a mess! So my sweet husband has been looking for a good desk at a great price.....not so easy to find. I didn't know he had been looking - but he showed me a picture of one the other day and it looked pretty good. He found it on Craig's List and we went to pick it up a couple of weeks ago. I am so excited!!!

The only problem we had is trying to fit it through my office door. They had to take it apart. This is Kenneth helping to put it back together. He is much smaller and able to fit under the drawers much easier than Mike could. He was more than happy to help...of course!

THIS IS IT!!!

My new setup gives me a ton of desk space and now I have 4 drawers to use...which is wonderful!!!!

How sweet is Mike for doing this for me???

Ahhhh....

Money Saving Madness

I like to play the guessing game at my house - so I am constantly asking Mike - "How much do you think this cost?" Honestly, he could care less - but once in a while he humors me.

So - since I don't have a willing participant at home - I will ask you - how much do you think all of this cost?

ANSWER: I spent $7.57 + 3.40 in tax = $10.97

Thanks for playing the guessing game!

Walgreen's Deal of the Week

UPDATE:

There is another location to print a $1 coupon for this deal. Go to RedPlum and don't forget you can print this coupon twice - more toothpaste that will make you money!! Walgreen's has Colgate Total Toothpaste on sale for $3.49 this week. When you purchase it, a register reward will print for $3.50 off your next transaction. This means you only end up paying for the tax. Not too bad!!!

If you want to make the deal even better, go here and print a coupon for $1.00 off Colgate Total. You can only print one coupon - but that is still a pretty good deal!

Just remember, only purchase 1 toothpaste per transaction to get the register reward to print. Also, you cannot roll the register rewards at Walgreen's. You have to buy something other than the toothpaste to use the register reward.

Weekly Menu Plan

Sunday:

Broiled Chicken, Broccoli, Green Salad, and Mashed Potatoes

Monday:

Tacos

Tuesday:

Shake-n-Bake Chicken, Crazy Beans, Cornbread

Wednesday: Kenneth's Night to Cook

Hamburger Helper and Peaches

Thursday:

Yummy Potatoes

Friday:

Tin Foil Dinners - Beef with Potatoes and Carrots

Saturday: Mike's Day to Cook

Free Coupons!

I have eleven Post coupons leftover from the great sale this week. I have purhased all the cereal we need for the next year. So I am happy to pass these along. If you would like them, just be the first person to leave me a comment. The deal only runs through the middle of next week, so this offer is only valid for locals that I don't have to mail to.

Free coupons - they will save you $11 on good cereal!!

Potato Bread Recipe

I had a request for my bread recipe that I talked about here. It is nice to know that people are actually reading this blog!!! (Thanks, Wendi)

White Potato Bread

3 cups warm water

1/8 cup oil

6 cups flour

1/6 cup sugar

1 T salt

3/4 cup potato pearls

1 T yeast

Combine ingredients in breadmaker according to your breadmaker directions.

(If you make the mix shown in the previous post, I put all of the dry ingredients in the mix except for the yeast. Then all you have to do is put water, oil, bread mix, and yeast in - it is a big time saver.)

Set breadmaker on dough cycle. I always check about 30 minutes before the cycle is over and punch the dough down. On lightly floured surface, separate dough and knead into 2 loaves. Place in baking pans and let rise. Bake at 350 for 42 minutes. Remove from pans and lightly spread butter on top of loaves.

The original recipe called for mashed potatoes - which works great if you have some leftovers, but I found that the potato pearls work great.

I have also made this recipe using my Kitchen Aid mixer using the dough hook. It works, but I like the convenience of the breadmaker.

Holy Cereal Batman!!!!

I made my first trip to Albertson's today for cereal - and it was great!!! I purchased 10 Trail Mix Crunch - the only flavor they had was Cranberry Vanilla - but it is good! I also picked up 5 boxes of Honey Bunches of Oats. I did this in three transactions - that is why you see 3 receipts.

Transaction #1 - 5 Trail Mix Crunch. Total with tax was $8.85. I used (4) $2 coupons from here for a total of $8 off. Out of pocket I paid $.85. Then after I paid I received a catalina for $5 off my next purchase.

Transaction #2 - Repeat the first transaction again.

Transaction #3 - 5 Honey Bunches of Oats. The total with tax came to $8.85. I used a catalina from the previous transaction and only paid $3.85 out of pocket. Then another catalina printed out.

So..... I spent $5.55 out of pocket, and walked away with 15 boxes of cereal and $10 in catalinas to use on my next trip.

I am waiting for some coupons I ordered on Ebay to get here before I go buy more (the Select varieties). I took my sister with me to show her how it works and we ended up with a great cashier (at the Rexburg store) who knew exactly what to do and it went pretty quick. Between the two of us we had 9 transactions. If you are going to do this I highly recommend that you use cash to speed the process up.

What a great way to start the week!!! Has anybody else tried this yet?

Sunday Thoughts

Feeling Sour?

Squeeze in some time for others .

Kindness and service bring sweetness to your life.

This is so true!

I found myself having a pity party a couple of weeks ago. So I put together a daily plan for myself. It is a quick worksheet that helps me to outline my day. One of the sections of the page is for service. I have found that there are many opportunities to serve that don't take a lot of time. I made bread a few days ago and I wanted to give a loaf away. I wasn't sure who to give it to - so I got in my car and just drove around my ward until I felt like I was in the right place - it didn't take long to know where I should make my stop.

Service can be a variety of things. It could mean making an effort to smile at a stranger that day. Sometimes you don't plan service, it just happens. Like helping a mom at the grocery store with her 3 young children that are tired and cranky. It only takes a moment, but to that mom it could be a life saver. A quick phone call or email are both great forms of service that can help others to realize that people care about them. Another form of service that I have been trying to focus on is service to my family. Making sure that I go the extra mile to do nice things for them.

Making sure that I include at least one service oriented task every day for the last couple of weeks has really helped me to have a better attitude.

Great Cereal Deal

Check your Sunday paper for details on a great cereal deal at Albertson's this week. Select Post cereals will be on sale for $2.07 - but if you buy 2 - then the price drops to $1.57. The deal gets better - if you buy 5 boxes, you get a $5 catalina on your next purchase.

This is how the math works out - buy 5 cereal - 4 @ $1.57 and 1 @ 2.07 = $8.35. After you do your transaction you will get a $5 catalina which basically makes the cereal $.67 per box before tax.

I bought 20 coupons on Ebay that will deduct $20 for purchasing 40 boxes. So I am looking at some pretty cheap cereal. There were lots of auctions for Post coupons still available - check it out!

There is also a coupon here that is for $2 of Post Trail Mix Crunch.

Thanks Kimber for a heads up on this deal!

Weekly Menu Plan

Sunday:
Chicken/Broccoli/Rice Casserole

Monday:
Chicken and Bow Tie Pasta with Broccoli/Raisin Salad

Tuesday:
Meatloaf, Baked Poatotes, and Green Beans

Wednesday: Kenneth's Night to Cook
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Crackers and Tomato Soup

Thursday:
Shake-n-Bake Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, and Peaches

Friday:
Sheppard's Pie

Saturday: Mike's Day to Cook

Easy Bread Making Tip

I read a blog a while back that gave me this great idea...I just wish I could remember which blog it was so I could give appropriate credit.

Anyway.....this suggestion has made my life much easier. Every time I want to make bread I have to pull all of the ingredients out which is time consuming. The last time I made bread I filled 2 additional containers with all of the dry ingredients. Since I already had everything out, it only took about 2 minutes. Then I made a label to go on the container that lists any other ingredients that need to be added. When I am ready to make some homemade bread, I just grab the container, dump it in the bread maker, add water, oil and yeast and it is good to go!!! So easy - and such a time saver.

I found that the best container was a 2 quart container that is easy to wash and has a large opening, which makes filling easy and no need to use a funnel. I found this plastic Rubbermaid container at Wal-Mart and it was only $1.88 - so I bought 2 of them.

If you want the recipe for the best homemade bread EVER - just leave a comment - and I will add it.

Look What Came in the Mail Today!

Back in January, Pepsi ran a promotion for pop and chips - just in time for the Super Bowl. I had to buy 2 Pepsi products and 3 Frito-Lay products (I think - it has been a while). Then I had to save my receipts and clip the UPC label from the products. I then mailed them in with a short form and that was it! Today I recieved (5) $2 coupons good an any Pepsi product and (2) coupons for Frito-Lay snack/dip products. It probably took me less than 30 minutes all together and I ended up with $15 in coupons that we will definately use. So when you see these kind of promotions - read about them before you dismiss the idea - some might really work for you! I also did an Oil of Olay promotion at the same time and received a $15 Visa gift card. Let me know if you hear of any promotions like this!!

Albertson's Preview

You can see a preview of the Albertson's ad that starts tomorrow through hot coupon world - here. This is for the northwest region. They have a select variety of Kellog's cereal on sale 3 for $5. You can also get free milk when buying the cereal - see the bottom of the front page for details.

Select Nabisco crackers are part of the spend $10, save $3 instantly. This makes Ritz and Wheat Thins $1.75 per box - not too bad!

They also have a variety of meat on sale for $1.88/lb.

Grocery Deals of the Week

The best deal I see at Albertson's this week is cheese. They have assorted varities of 2 lb. bricks on sale for $3.99. The picture shows medium cheddar, colby jack, and mozarella. Cheese will last a long time in the fridge if unopened. When a good deal like this comes along, I like to buy a couple bricks of each flavor and shred them, using my kitchen aid. I package them in about 8 oz servings in freezer bags. Putting them in smaller packages makes it quicker to thaw, and I have already measured it so I can just toss it in when ready. This is a big time and money saver.

Smith's ad this week has the mega sales event still going. When you buy 10 mega savings items you save $5. You can buy 30 items per transaction for a total of $15 savings per transaction. One example of a good deal - they have 32 oz Powerade on sale for $.49.

Festive Treats

I made some quick treats using a cake mix today and they were easy and yummy! I have a couple of cases of cake mixes after the great Albertson's sale a few weeks ago. This recipe uses a yellow cake mix, butter, eggs, quick oats, and pecans. Since it is St. Patrick's Day I added some green food coloring and they turned out great! They taste like pecan sandies from the store, except they are soft and moist.

Old Navy Summer Clothes

Old Navy is running a promotional website - Old Navy Weekly - that is updated every Thursday with new coupons and discounts. The good coupons disappear within a matter of minutes, but there are smaller coupons available all week long. This past Thursday, I checked the website often and I actually got in right when they had updated the coupons. I ended up getting a coupon for $75 off a $100 purchase - YEAH!!! Kenneth was in need of new summer clothes - not much fits him from last year. So we headed off to our local Old Navy today - and this is what we got:

4 shirts, 3 pairs of shorts, a cute dress (for a niece - requirement for the coupon) and a clearance lipgloss as a filler. We ended up paying just over $27 for all of this. I was thrilled!

Applesauce at Target

Target has 6 pack Mott's Applesauce for $1.69. You can stack a Target coupon and a Mott's coupon to get these for only $.14 each!!

Print the Target coupon for $1.00 here

Print the Mott's coupon for $.55 here

Food Storage Items of the Week

UPDATE: I went Saturday to check on the pasta - and they had it in stock!!! I was pretty shocked. They do have a limit of 30 to a customer, but I understand that. They still had plenty of spaghetti, but the other types were pretty much gone by the time I left. The cashier said that they have more coming in the first of the week and to check back if I wanted more....duh, of course I want more!! I ended up with 30 lbs of pasta for only $15.

I was pretty excited to see the Smith's ad this week. They have American Beauty pasta on sale for $.49 for a 16 oz bag. They also have extra lean hamburger on sale for $1.89/lb. I went to the store on Thursday and was very disappointed - they were out of pasta already. They said a few people came in and totally wiped them out. They did tell me there was another shipment coming in and to check back. However, the sale is limited to 30 items per purchase - so they are going to try and limit each customer to only 30 items so that everyone can have a chance to get some. I am going to check again tomorrow to see if they have any in stock - if not I will check and see if they will do a raincheck for me. Milk and cheese are also a decent price - but you can get a 2 lb block of cheese at Fred Meyer for $3.99 - limit 2.

Food Storage Item of the Week

I had never been to Smith's Food and Drug until tonight. I have heard people talk about them, but I haven't found much positive information about the store in Idaho Falls. So I thought I would check it out for myself. I was pleasantly surprised with the store....I thought it would be old and rundown, but it appeared to be a very nice store. We wandered around for a bit just so I could see what they offered. I did go for one item in particular. They have boneless, skinless chicken breasts on sale for $1.69/lb. I still have chicken in the freezer, but for this price, I couldn't pass it up. (I keep telling Mike that we need to get another freezer, but he doesn't agree.) I aksed the cashier how I could get a fresh values card, and he said that they were out and waiting for more to come in. However, he was more than happy to scan a card he had at the register so that I could get the advertised price on particalar items. I think I will have to start watching their flyer closer now for good deals.

They also have milk on sale for $1.89/gallon.

What Is Special About Today?

Did you know that today is Ark Day?

Go here to learn all about it.

My Family

I was sorting through my pictures that are saved on my computer and I ran across this classic picture......how can you not love them.....???? It just confirms my theory that Mike has too much time on his hands!

Tasty Tuesday

I tried a new recipe tonight - and it is a keeper! It sounded a little different but, we loved the cashew beef sitr-fry recipe that came out of the Feb/March 09 Taste of Home magazine. It was simple to make and you could eliminate or add any vegetable that your family prefers. I got the cashews and broccoli for free, which made this meal really inexpensive - I figure it cost us less than $3.00 - which is great for a meal with meat in it. It fed our family of 3, and there are plenty of leftovers for lunch tomorrow. If you would like the recipe.....just leave a comment, and I will add it to the post.

Here is the recipe:

Cashew Beef Stir-Fry
Taste of Home - try a FREE ISSUE today!
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups cold water
4 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
1 bunch broccoli, chopped
3 medium carrots, julienned
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 pound boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into thin strips
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 medium green peppers, cut into strips
2 medium sweet red peppers, cut into strips
2 medium onions, halved and sliced
1 yellow summer squash, sliced
1-1/2 cups salted cashews
Hot cooked rice
Directions: In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, water and 2 tablespoons soy sauce until smooth; set aside. In a very large skillet or a wok, stir-fry broccoli and carrots in 1 tablespoon oil until vegetables begin to soften. Add the beef, garlic, pepper and remaining soy sauce; stir-fry until meat is no longer pink. Remove and keep warm. In the same pan, stir-fry the green and red peppers, onions and squash in remaining oil until crisp-tender. Return beef to the pan. Stir cornstarch mixture and add to the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in cashews. Serve with rice. Yield: 7 servings.

Do I Laugh or Cry?

We have been working on completing our basement since we moved in 3 1/2 years ago. We were able to trade for almost all of the labor to complete the basement. The only thing we had to hire out is the drywall......which we paid a pretty penny for - but it was well worth it. Well, tonight Mike brought me the bad news....Jenny was chasing her ball that someone kicked and she ran into the wall and did some pretty big damage. I am not to the laugh or cry stage yet - I am still fuming about how much it will cost us to have it repaired. It is right at the bottom of the stairs, so it is not like we could just push a couch in front of it to hide it for awhile....it is very noticeable. Hopefully the killer death rays will quickly cease shooting out of my eyes. Mike said he will call the drywall guy tomorrow and see what can be done.