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.

Walgreen's Deal of the Week

Walgreen's has Colgate toothpaste on sale this week for $3.29. There are a few coupons out there for this that you could use to reduce the price, but unfortunately I didn't have any. However, I purchased just the toothpaste in my first transaction and it printed a register reward for $3.50. This covered the entire purchase price, plus tax. I paid for this transaction with my gift card. I used that register reward to pay for the next transaction. I bought 2 small boxes of Ritz crackers - buy one at $1.99 and get one free. I also had a coupon for $2 off two packages of crackers. I also picked up some Axe hair paste for $5.99(for Kenneth), and some generic headache relief gelcaps $2.99. Both of these items have MIR this month. The Sprite ($3) I just wanted. So in total I spent $12.80 on my gift card, but I will get $9.88 back on my gift card for the MIR products. Net for this trip was $2.92 - which is less than the Sprite cost.

Weekly Menu Plan

Sunday:
Candy Chicken, Cheesy Vegetable Chowder, Homemade Bread

Monday:
Homemade Mini Pizzas (thanks for the great idea, Kimber), Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad, Potato Chips

Tuesday:
Chicken Noodle Casserole, Green Salad, Cornbread Muffins

Wednesday:
Cashew Beef Stir Fry, Rice

Thursday:
Slow Cooker Chicken with Dumplings, Mixed Veggies

Friday:
Fettucine Alfredo, Broccoli, Shrimp

Sunday Thoughts

I love 1:00 church!! I know that sounds weird, but I have really enjoyed it this year. I am able to take my time in the morning and not feel rushed. Today I enjoyed a lazy morning of laying in bed and reading articles from the March Ensign. I don't subscribe to the magazine for two reasons - first, I can read it all online for free and second, I am not using additional paper products that I don't know what to do with after a few years - should I hoard it or get rid of it???

As I was reading I came across this article from Elder M. Russell Ballard on becoming self -reliant. It is a good reminder that we need to prepare physically, but also spiritually. I think the reason it stood out to me is at our Ward Conference a few weeks ago, our bishop spoke on this same topic. Perhaps that means I should pay special attention to the topic. I know that at our house, we focus on the temporal preparations a lot - like getting our food storage in order, water storage, 72-hour kits. That is all great, but we need to focus more time and energy on preparing ourselves spiritually.

Elder Ballard divides this topic into five different areas.

1. Find Answers Through the Spirit

2. Appraise our Lives and the Needs of Others

3. Choose Between Good and Evil

4. Think Straight

5. Seek the Lord's Guidance

There are also some good suggestions to use for a family home evening lesson. I found this article to be a great reminder that we need balance in all things in our lives.