Fresh & Healthy
Save A Lot: Deals for the week of March 21 – 27, 2012
The Save A Lot weekly ad deals are listed below for your convenience. It is a great time to stock up on some Save A Lot deals. Sign up for the Smart Shopper Club, by doing so you will get a $5.00 off of $25.00 coupon!
Meats and Seafood
Fresh Whole Roasting Chicken – $0.99 lb
Beef Bottom Round Roast – $2.99 lb
Corned Beef – $3.29 lb
Bone-In Shank Portion Ham – $1.29 lb
Boneless Beef Chuck Roast – $2.99 lb
Family Pack Cube Steak – $3.49 lb
Family Pack Stew Meat – $2.99 lb
Schooner Imitation Crab Meat or Salad Shrimp (4 to 8 oz) -$1.00
Boston Butt Roast – $1.69 lb
Chicken Drumsticks or Thighs – $0.99 lb
Chicken Leg Quarters (10 pounds) – $6.89
Schooner’s Salmon Filets (12 oz) – $3.99
Schooner’s Cod Filets (12 oz) – $2.99
Cooked Cocktail Shrimp (40 to 60 count) – $4.99
Pick 5 for $19.99 promo on going! Pick any 5 specially marked packages of your favorite cuts or types of meats, vegetables and more. Here are a few of the specials they have going on with the Pick 5 for $19.99 this week (each item approximately $3.99):
Fridge and Freezer
Pillsbury Buttermilk Biscuits (6 count) – $0.50
Use $0.35/3 coupon from insert 1/8 General Mills (Expires 3/31/12)
$0.38 each after couponBlue Bonnet Spread Quarters (16 oz) – $0.69
Murry’s Popcorn Chicken or Chicken Sticks (7 oz) – $1.00
TJ Farms Sweet Potato Fries (12 oz) – $1.00
Bird’s Eye Sweet Kernel Corn or Mixed Vegetables (10 oz) – $1.00
Farm Fresh Refrigerated Hash Browns (14 oz) – $1.00
Murry’s French Toast, Original or Cinnamon (7 oz) – $1.00
Mantia’s Pepperoni French Bread Pizza (11.3 oz) – $1.99
World’s Fair Ice Cream, Chocolate, Vanilla, or Neapolitan (56 oz) – $2.79
Save A Lot Today Orange Juice – $1.99
Michelina’s Pizza Rolls (30 count) – $1.99
Stouffer’s Lasagna with Meat Sauce (57 oz) – $9.99
Use $2.00/1 coupon from insert 1/29 Red Plum (Expires 4/30/12)
Use $0.75/1 printable coupon from Nestle Family
As low as $7.99 each after couponTake & Bake Pizza, Pepperoni or Supreme (33 to 36 oz) – $5.99
Take & Bake Cheese Pizza (33 oz) -$5.49
Produce
Green Cabbage – $0.33 lb
Vine Ripe Tomatoes – $0.99 lb
Klondike Gold or RosePotatoes (5 lb) – $3.00
Carrots (2 lbs) – $1.29
Parker’s Baking Potatoes (10 lbs) – $3.99
Onions (3 lbs) – $1.29
Household
Wrightware Napkins (250 count) – $1.69
Save A Lot Today Liquid Detergent (45.4 oz) – $1.99
Save A Lot Today Cleaners, Assorted Varieties (32 oz) – $0.99
Gib Ultra Dish Liquid (24 oz) – $1.99
Dove Moisturizing Soap (2 pack) – $3.49
Grocery
Maxwell House Wake Up Roast Coffee (11.5 oz) – $1.99
Hi-C Drink Boxes (10 count) – $1.99
Quaker Chewey Granola Bars, Assorted Varieties (6.72 oz) – $2.00
Libby’s Vegetables, Assorted Varieties – $0.69
Use $1.00/4 coupon from insert 11/13 Red Plum (Expires 3/31/12)
$0.44 each after couponPotatoes on the Side Flavored Mashed Potatoes, Assorted Varieties (7 oz) – $1.00
Bugles, Assorted Flavors (4.1 oz) – $1.00
Portside Chunk Light Tuna (5 oz) – $0.69
Del Pino’s Pasta with Meat (14 to 15 oz) – $0.79
Mantia’s Pizza Sauce (14 oz) – $0.99
Mantia’s Pizza Crust (6.5 oz) – $0.49
Ginger Evans Deluxe Brownies (19.8 oz) – $1.69
Ginger Evans Cookie Mix, Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter (17.5 oz) – $1.99
Ginger Evans Angel Food Cake Mix (16 oz) – $2.19
Ginger Evans Instant Pudding, Chocolate or Vanilla (3.4 oz) – $0.50
J Higgs Buttery Round Crackers (16 oz) – $1.99
So Cheezy Stream’in Cheese (8 oz) – $2.59
Morning Gems Corn Flakes (18 oz) – $1.79
Chocolate Peanut Butter Puffs Cereal (13 oz) – $2.29
Ginger Evans Graham Ready Crust (6 oz) – $1.49
Save A Lot Today Sandwich Creams, Assorted Varieties (12 oz) – $1.19
Country Treats Glazed Yeast Raised Donuts (19 oz) – $3.19
Save A Lot Today Toaster Pastries (11 oz) – $0.99
Pet
Trooper Dog Food (17.6 pounds) – $7.49
Remember you can use the $5/$25 printable coupon to sweeten these deals! Plus you can earn up to 5 additional $5 off $25 coupons for sharing the coupon with your friends. For more information about Save A Lot’s coupon policies go here. If you find additional deals or savings please let me know and I will add them to the list.
Fresh & Healthy: School Lunchbox Meals
Brina’s lunch
Last year for their birthday a friend gave the girls monogram lunch boxes. Both of the girls still pick those lunchboxes to use almost everyday. Occasionally they will change it up a little bit but they love having a lunch box with their name on it. They know it is theirs and are responsible for cleaning it out everyday after they get home from school. Every once in awhile if they start smelling I will go through and give it a more thorough cleaning. I always find a good stash of “love notes” from me in each of their bags which makes me smile and confirms that taking the time to write the sweet notes for the girls really does mean a lot to them.
- Homemade Chicken Salad Sandwich
- Fresh Green Pepper Slices
- Fresh Green Grapes or Fresh Apple Slices
- Strawberry Jello
- Vanilla Yogurt
- Chocolate Covered Cherries
- Goldfish
- Mrs. Field’s Oatmeal Cookie
- Bottle of Water
Karlie’s school lunch
Recipe: Seasoned Bok Choy
Seasoned Bok Choy
One the newest vegetables our family has gotten hooked on is Bok Choy! It was first given to us their our Community Supported Agriculture group and after cooking it a few different ways we decided it was one we wanted to eat more often. Jake came up with a couple different recipes that our whole family enjoys. Our favorite way to eat Bok Choy is grilled, but over the winter since it was cooler and we weren’t grilling as much he came up with another tasty recipe.
Seasoned Bok Choy:
- 12 fresh Bok Choy Leaves
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1/2 Onion
- 1/2 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon Garlic (or 1 clove)
- 1/4 teaspoon Sesame Seeds
Remove the bok choy leaves from the stock. Rinse and cut up into about 1 inch lengths. Fill a bowl full of ice and water then place the leaves inside the bowl to cool. In a pan begin to heat up the olive oil on medium after a minute add the onions and garlic. Saute the onions for a couple minutes then add the cooled bok choy and soy sauce for about a minute just enough to make the leaves more tender and blend the flavor. Remove from heat and stir in the sesame seeds.
Gearing Up for the Garden Season!
Brina’s “Rainbow of Vegetables”
There are so many reasons why I love to garden! This is the last haul from our garden last year. I went out and picked everything I could in mid-November (yes November, we live in South Carolina and had a late freeze this winter) before our first major freeze and these are the vegetables that were still in the garden or producing. Brina helped me wash all the vegetables and as we were sorting I was pulled away by a phone call, she continued sorting and made a “Rainbow of Vegetables” (see picture above). She was quite pleased with her handiwork and I was pretty impressed too!
Most of the items left that I picked that day were ripe and ready to eat. A lot of the tomatoes were still pretty green but that isn’t a problem because we have containers that keep them fresh for quite awhile plus we have a couple of green tomato recipes. I love that the girls will ask to eat a banana pepper or a whole tomato like it is an apple! It was wonderful having fresh vegetables throughout the winter months too.
Another reason our family enjoys gardening is that it gives us a wonderful opportunity to share with others. Whether it was taking baskets of goodies over to our neighbors or sharing it with family and friends we really had a blast sharing the produce. It was a great way to teach our children the joy of giving to others. When we planted the garden our family decided that we would try to use half of the produce to feed our family and give the remaining half away to family, friends, neighbors, and others within our community. While I cannot say how many pounds or the exact number of each produce we gave away or the exact amount we ate this past year I do know that our garden (despite my black thumb) produced more then it ever has in the past!
To get us in the gardening mood, my sweet husband went out and bought a few seed packets. He put the packets in various places throughout the house for us to find. The girls have really been getting excited about starting the garden and trying out some of the new produce we have discovered over the last few months (like Bok Choy). They love being outside, in the fresh air, playing, planting and picking the produce. The only thing they don’t enjoy is the weeding, but I don’t know anyone that gets too excited about that piece. As we gear up for another gardening season there is a lot to think about…..what to plant, where to plant each type, how many and so forth. Do you have a family garden? What are your favorite items to grow?
Save A Lot: Deals for the week of March 14 – 20, 2012
The Save A Lot weekly ad deals are listed below for your convenience. It is a great time to stock up on some Save A Lot deals. Sign up for the Smart Shopper Club, by doing so you will get a $5.00 off of $25.00 coupon!
Meats and Seafood
Fresh Whole Roasting Chicken – $0.99 lb
Beef Bottom Round Roast – $2.99 lb
Corned Beef – $3.29 lb
Bone-In Shank Portion Ham – $1.29 lb
Boneless Beef Chuck Roast – $2.99 lb
Family Pack Cube Steak – $3.49 lb
Family Pack Stew Meat – $2.99 lb
Schooner Imitation Crab Meat or Salad Shrimp (4 to 8 oz) -$1.00
Boston Butt Roast – $1.69 lb
Chicken Drumsticks or Thighs – $0.99 lb
Chicken Leg Quarters (10 pounds) – $6.89
Schooner’s Salmon Filets (12 oz) – $3.99
Schooner’s Cod Filets (12 oz) – $2.99
Cooked Cocktail Shrimp (40 to 60 count) – $4.99
Pick 5 for $19.99 promo on going! Pick any 5 specially marked packages of your favorite cuts or types of meats, vegetables and more. Here are a few of the specials they have going on with the Pick 5 for $19.99 this week (each item approximately $3.99):
Fridge and Freezer
Pillsbury Buttermilk Biscuits (6 count) – $0.50
Use $0.35/3 coupon from insert 1/8 General Mills (Expires 3/31/12)
$0.38 each after couponBlue Bonnet Spread Quarters (16 oz) – $0.69
Murry’s Popcorn Chicken or Chicken Sticks (7 oz) – $1.00
TJ Farms Sweet Potato Fries (12 oz) – $1.00
Bird’s Eye Sweet Kernel Corn or Mixed Vegetables (10 oz) – $1.00
Farm Fresh Refrigerated Hash Browns (14 oz) – $1.00
Murry’s French Toast, Original or Cinnamon (7 oz) – $1.00
Mantia’s Pepperoni French Bread Pizza (11.3 oz) – $1.99
World’s Fair Ice Cream, Chocolate, Vanilla, or Neapolitan (56 oz) – $2.79
Save A Lot Today Orange Juice – $1.99
Michelina’s Pizza Rolls (30 count) – $1.99
Stouffer’s Lasagna with Meat Sauce (57 oz) – $9.99
Use $2.00/1 coupon from insert 1/29 Red Plum (Expires 4/30/12)
Use $0.75/1 printable coupon from Nestle Family
As low as $7.99 each after couponTake & Bake Pizza, Pepperoni or Supreme (33 to 36 oz) – $5.99
Take & Bake Cheese Pizza (33 oz) -$5.49
Produce
Green Cabbage – $0.33 lb
Vine Ripe Tomatoes – $0.99 lb
Klondike Gold or RosePotatoes (5 lb) – $3.00
Carrots (2 lbs) – $1.29
Parker’s Baking Potatoes (10 lbs) – $3.99
Onions (3 lbs) – $1.29
Household
Wrightware Napkins (250 count) – $1.69
Save A Lot Today Liquid Detergent (45.4 oz) – $1.99
Save A Lot Today Cleaners, Assorted Varieties (32 oz) – $0.99
Gib Ultra Dish Liquid (24 oz) – $1.99
Dove Moisturizing Soap (2 pack) – $3.49
Grocery
Maxwell House Wake Up Roast Coffee (11.5 oz) – $1.99
Hi-C Drink Boxes (10 count) – $1.99
Quaker Chewey Granola Bars, Assorted Varieties (6.72 oz) – $2.00
Use $0.75/2 coupon from insert 2/5 Red Plum (Expires 3/17/12)
$1.63 each after couponLibby’s Vegetables, Assorted Varieties – $0.69
Use $1.00/4 coupon from insert 11/13 Red Plum (Expires 3/31/12)
$0.44 each after couponPotatoes on the Side Flavored Mashed Potatoes, Assorted Varieties (7 oz) – $1.00
Bugles, Assorted Flavors (4.1 oz) – $1.00
Portside Chunk Light Tuna (5 oz) – $0.69
Del Pino’s Pasta with Meat (14 to 15 oz) – $0.79
Mantia’s Pizza Sauce (14 oz) – $0.99
Mantia’s Pizza Crust (6.5 oz) – $0.49
Ginger Evans Deluxe Brownies (19.8 oz) – $1.69
Ginger Evans Cookie Mix, Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter (17.5 oz) – $1.99
Ginger Evans Angel Food Cake Mix (16 oz) – $2.19
Ginger Evans Instant Pudding, Chocolate or Vanilla (3.4 oz) – $0.50
J Higgs Buttery Round Crackers (16 oz) – $1.99
So Cheezy Stream’in Cheese (8 oz) – $2.59
Morning Gems Corn Flakes (18 oz) – $1.79
Chocolate Peanut Butter Puffs Cereal (13 oz) – $2.29
Ginger Evans Graham Ready Crust (6 oz) – $1.49
Save A Lot Today Sandwich Creams, Assorted Varieties (12 oz) – $1.19
Country Treats Glazed Yeast Raised Donuts (19 oz) – $3.19
Save A Lot Today Toaster Pastries (11 oz) – $0.99
Pet
Trooper Dog Food (17.6 pounds) – $7.49
Remember you can use the $5/$25 printable coupon to sweeten these deals! Plus you can earn up to 5 additional $5 off $25 coupons for sharing the coupon with your friends. For more information about Save A Lot’s coupon policies go here. If you find additional deals or savings please let me know and I will add them to the list.
Fresh & Healthy: School Lunchbox Meals
School Lunchbox Meals
Part of the problem with doing lunchbox meals everyday is making sure you have a variety of ways to not only keep it appealing but also healthy for your family. The girls love getting “surprises” in their lunchboxes. Every once in awhile I will stick something special in their lunches that I find to keep it healthy and fun.
- Peanut Butter and Homemade Strawberry Jam
- Fresh Pepper Strips
- Fresh Green Grapes
- Gold Fish
- Cherry Jello
- Vanilla Yogurt
- Chocolate Covered Cherries
- Mrs. Fields Oatmeal Cookie & Chocolate Covered Raisins
- Pink Lemonade
Packing lunches for the kids
Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4
I thought maybe this week would a little calmer, but it has yet to slow down. In between appointments I was able to make a quick stop at the grocery store. Nothing fancy or amazing this week just picking up a few items before the next wave of crazy begins, ha! Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.
Groceries from Ingles and Dollar Tree
Ingles Groceries:
- $35.02 at Ingels for 2 loaves Bread, 1 container Cottage Cheese, 2 jars Planters Peanut Butter (on sale), 1 package Ground Beef (on clearance), 1 box Danimals Yogurt Sticks, 1 container Philadelphia Italian Cream Cheese Spread (on clearance $0.99), 1 container Strawberry Cream Cheese, 1 bag English Muffins, 1 bag fresh Oranges (on clearance for $0.99), 1 can Biscuits ( on clearance $0.50), 1 bag Blueberry Bagels. (everything was marked down, on sale, or clearance today at Ingles).
Dollar Tree Groceries:
- $1.00 for 1 box Toast’em Poptarts
We were able to get a few items this week. Thankfully, I was able to make it by the store and pick up some items that we’ll need over the next couple of weeks. Thanks for helping keep me on track even in the midst of this busy season!
This week I spent $36.02 on groceries. I was under on my budgeted amount for the week, yay! I was happy to find a few items marked down on clearance. I hope that next week we can come under budget!
It is my goal to give you regular updates on this budget section so you can celebrate the good weeks with me and thump me on the bad weeks! As always you are welcomed to join the journey with me. I would love to hear your story and how you are doing too. The purpose of our family doing this it to watch our grocery spending while allowing us to feed our family, enjoy life, share with others, and yet stay on track with our budget.
Living on a Budget is a series of ways our family uses a budget to help keep us accountable with our finances. Life doesn’t always go as planned. We have used some of the ideas I will be sharing for years while others are ones we are just starting to implement as we continue finding ways to be creative and have fun with what we have been given. Having a plan in place allows us the freedom to be smart with what we have been given, get more creative when it is a tight (week, month, year or a season) and when necessary live a much more simplified life. A budget helps us stay on track so we have more opportunities to enjoy the many blessings we have been given as well as share what we have with others. There is so much more to life than having all the stuff. We may not have the newest or greatest items in our house, we drive used cars, and wear hand-me-down clothing…..however, if our family is taken care of and have love for each other and others we have more than all the riches in the world.
Making Apple Chips for a Tasty Snack!
Fresh apple slices with a little bit of lemon juice and cinnamon & sugar
When you have extra apples and want a great snack you can make apple chips. Slice up the apples add a touch of lemon juice, sprinkle a little bit of cinnamon and sugar then place in the dehydrator.
Dehydrated Apple Chips
Dehydrate the apple chips until they are crispy and enjoy. The girls love taking these to school in their lunches. The apple chips will last much longer, we typically keep them in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator.
Apple Chips in a snack bag
Save A Lot: Deals for the week of March 7 – 13, 2012
The Save A Lot weekly ad deals are listed below for your convenience. It is a great time to stock up on some Save A Lot deals. Sign up for the Smart Shopper Club, by doing so you will get a $5.00 off of $25.00 coupon!
Meats and Seafood
Bone In Pork Sirloin Roast – $1.39 lb
Beef Sirloin Tip Roast – $2.99 lb
Split Chicken Breast – $0.99 lb
Schooner Fish Fillets (12 oz) – $2.99
Cooked Cocktail Shrimp (40 to 60 count) – $4.99
Portside Popcorn Shrimp (8 oz) – $1.99
Family Pack Cube Steak – $3.49 lb
Family Pack Stew Meat – $2.99 lb
Pick 5 for $19.99 promo on going! Pick any 5 specially marked packages of your favorite cuts or types of meats, vegetables and more. Here are a few of the specials they have going on with the Pick 5 for $19.99 this week (each item approximately $3.99):
Redi-Serve Chicken Patties (35 oz)
Redi-Serve Chicken Nibblers, Original or Chicken & Cheddar (30 to 36 oz)
Redi-Serve Chicken Strips, Original or Hot ‘n Spicy (36 oz)
Redi-Serve Charbroiled Rib Patties (26 oz)
Signature Pick 5 Pizza, Pepperoni or Supreme (26 to 28 oz)
Signature Pick 5 Seasoned Potato Wedges (2.5 pounds)
Signature Pick 5 Sausage & Biscuits (12 count)
Signature Pick 5 Onion Rings (2 pounds)
Signature Pick 5 Corn on the Cob (3 pounds)
Signature Pick 5 Corn Dogs (25.6 oz)
Signature Pick 5 Shrimp Poppers (24 oz)
Extra Value Boneless Pork Patties (22.4 oz)
Extra Value Country Fried Steak (20 oz)
Extra Value Breakfast Fritters (24 oz)
Extra Value Pork Chop Fritters (24 oz)
Extra Value Chuckwagon Patties (24 oz)
Extra Value Boneless Pork Patty Rib (24 oz)
Extra Value Beef Meatloaf Patties (22 oz)
Extra Value Beef Salisbury Patties (22 oz)
Extra Value Beef Pepper Patties (22 oz)
Farmland Pork Roll Sausage (2 pounds)
Sugardale Smoked or Polish Sausage (3 pounds)
Smithfield Thick Sliced Bacon (20 oz)
Sugardale Jumbo Hotdogs (3 pounds)
Fridge and Freezer
Tortino Pizza Rolls, Combo or Pepperoni (40 count) – $2.50
Freshchetta Pizza – $4.99
Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice (58 oz) – $2.99
Produce
Russet Potatoes (10 pounds) – $2.99
Navel Oranges (8 pounds) – $4.99
Mixed Apples & Oranges (4 pounds) – $2.99
Red or Gold Delicious Apples (3 pounds) – $1.99
Green Cabbage – $0.25 lb
Fresh Tomatoes (6 pack) – $1.99
Broccoli – $1.50
Cauliflower – $1.50
Household
Pert Paper Towels (8 count) – $4.99
Pert Toilet Paper (24 rolls) – $4.99
Save A Lot Today Paper Towels (1 roll) – $0.50
Save A Lot Today Glass Cleaner – $1.00
Save A Lot Today Cleaner with Beach – $1.00
Save A Lot Today Pine Cleaner Spray – $1.00
Save A Lot Today Soap Scum Remover – $1.00
Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner – $2.39
Use $0.50/1 printable coupon from Lysol
$1.89 each after couponClorox Kitchen Cleaner – $3.89
Go Ultra Liquid Dish Detergent (24 oz) – $1.99
Grocery
Folgers Country Roast Coffee (34.5 oz) – $6.99
Wesson Vegetable Oil (48 oz) – $2.99
Kelloggs Cereal, Assorted Varieties (17 to 23 oz) – $2.99
Use $1.00/3 coupon from Kelloggs
$2.66 each after couponStarkist Chunk Light Tuna (5 oz) – $0.79
Betty Crocker Tuna Helper, Assorted Varieties (5 to 6 oz) – $1.00
Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice, Assorted Varieties (64 oz) – $1.98
Hunt’s Pasta Sauce (24 oz) – $0.88
Cheez-Its (7 to 9 oz) – $1.79
Use $1.00/2 coupon from insert 1/29 Red Plum (Expires 3/25/12)
$1.29 each after couponSo Cheezy Family Size Shells & Cheddar (24 oz) – $1.99
Remember you can use the $5/$25 printable coupon to sweeten these deals! Plus you can earn up to 5 additional $5 off $25 coupons for sharing the coupon with your friends.
For more information about Save A Lot’s coupon policies go here. If you find additional deals or savings please let me know and I will add them to the list.
Fresh & Healthy: Lunch Box Meals
Lunch box meals for the kids school lunch.
Our girls are starting to get more efficient in packing their lunches. Yes, they are a little more generous with the peanut butter or meat on their sandwiches (but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing). It works best for us if we pre-pack the majority of the items for the girls lunches (and any work lunches) the evening before. After packing the next days lunches we put them into the refrigerator so we can grab them, pop in an ice pack and go the next day.
- Ham & Cheese Sandwich
- Fresh Green Beans
- Pita Chips
- Vanilla or Peach Yogurt
- Strawberry or Lemon Jello
- Homemade Applesauce
- Reduced Sugar Fruit Juice
- Homemade Cookies
Homemade applesauce and fresh green beans are one of the girls favorites to take to school.
