Menu Planning

  • Save A Lot: Deals for the week of February 22 – 28, 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

    Family Pack Rib Eye Steaks – $6.99 lbs

    Assorted Pork Chops – $1. 79 lbs

    Family Pack Cube Pork – $1.89 lbs

    Port Side Tilapia (16 oz) – $3.99

    Cooked Cocktail Shrimp (40 to 60 oz) – $4.99

    Butterball Turkey Bacon (6 oz) – $1.00
    Use $0.55/1 coupon insert from 1/15 Smart Source (Expires 2/16/12)
    $0.45 each after coupon

    Carolina Ground Turkey (12 oz) – $1.00

    Pick 5 for $19.99 promo on going: Pick any 5 specially marked packages of your favorite cuts of fresh, frozen or smoked meats and pay just $19.99 (about $2 per pound).

    Fridge and Freezer

    Banquet Breaded Chicken, Patties, Tenders, or Nuggets (25 to 26 oz) – $2.99

    Hot Pocket Singles, Pepperoni, Ham & Cheese, Breakfast (3 oz) – $0.88

    Marie Calendar’s Chicken Pot Pie – $2.29

    Oscar Mayer Wieners (16 oz) – $1.00

    Oscar Mayer Bolagna (12 oz) – $1.00

    Oscar Mayer Lunchables – $1.00

    Save A Lot Today Chicken Strips or Meatballs (7 – 8 oz) – $1.00

    Banquet Brown ‘n Serve Sausage Links, Maple or Original (6.4 oz) – $1.00

    Gwaltney Pork Sausage (12 oz) – $1.00

    Budding Deli Cuts, Ham, Turkey, Chicken, and Roast Beef (3 – 4 oz) – $1.00

    Hormel Sliced Pepperoni or Hard Salami (3.5 oz) – $1.00
    Use $1.00/2 coupon insert from 1/15 Smart Source (Expires 3/15/12)
    $0.50 each after coupon

    Hinsdale Corn Dogs (3 count) – $1.00

    Fisher Boy Fish Sticks (6 oz) – $1.00

    Fisher Boy Shrimp Poppers (4 oz) – $1.00

    Tortino Pizza Roll, Pepperoni or Cheese (15 count) – $1.00

    Tony’s Crispy Crust Pizza, Pepperoni or Supreme (9 – 10 oz) – $1.00

    Banquet Dinners (4 – 9 oz) – $1.00

    Buyers Best Crinkle Cut French Fries (32 oz) – $1.00

    Pillsbury Grand Biscuits (16 oz) – $1.00
    Use $0.30/2 coupon insert from 12/4 Smart Source (Expires 2/25/12)
    Use $0.30/2 coupon insert from 12/11 Smart Source (Expires 3/3/12)
    Use $0.30/2 coupon insert from 1/8 General Mills (Expires 3/31/12)
    Use $0.30/2 coupon insert from 2/5 Smart Source (Expires 4/28/12)
    Use $0.35/3 coupon insert from 1/8 General Mills (Expires 3/31/12)
    As low as $0.85 each after coupon

    Sunny D Orange Mango or Orange Strawberry (48 oz) – $1.00

    Produce

    Roma Tomatoes – $0.99 lb

    Seedless Grapes, Red or White – $1.49 lb

    Mini Carrots – $1.00

    Dole Salad Mix (12 oz) – $1.00

    Celery – $1.00

    Yellow or Red Peppers – $1.00

    Jumbo Navel Oranges or Red Grapefruit – $1.00

    Klondike Rose Potatoes – $1.00

    Household

    Angel Soft Bath Tissue (4 pack) – $0.99

    Sparkle Paper Towels – $0.99

    Grocery

    Crystal Bottled Water (24 pack) – $2.99

    Hargis House Chili with Beans (15 oz) – $1.39

    Kaskey’s Chicken or Beef Bouillon Cubes (3.25 oz) – $1.89

    Marcum Gravy Mixes – $0.57

    Mantia’s Wide Egg Noodles (12 oz) – $1.39

    Shelby”s Grove Sliced Peaches or Fruit – $0.99

    Mantia’s Garlic Toast – $2.29

    Save A Lot Today Sandwich Cremes (12 oz) – $1.19

    Libby’s Tropical Fruit Salad (15 oz) – $1.29

    Sundia Fruit Cup – $1.00

    Chef Boyardee Canned Pasta – (14.5 – 15 oz) $1.00

    Betty Crocker Hamburger Helper or Chicken Helper – $1.00

    Progresso Vegetable Classic Soup (19 oz) – $1.00

    Nissan Souper Meals (4.3 oz) – $1.00

    Hormet Micro Cups (7.5 oz) – $1.00

    Chicken of the Sea Chunk White Tuna (5 oz) – $1.00

    Knorr Sides (4 – 7 oz) – $1.00
    Use $1.00/3 coupon insert from 1/29 Red Plum (Expires 2/26/12)
    Use $0.50/2 coupon insert from 1/29 Red Plum (Expires 2/26/12)
    $0.77 each after coupon

    Betty Crocker Flavored Mashed Potatoes (4 – 6 oz) – $1.00

    Kraft Mac & Cheese Cups or Boxes (2 – 7 oz) – $1.00

    Malt O Meal Cereal (10 – 12 oz) – $1.00
    Use $1.00/3 printable coupon from Malt ‘O Meal (coupon no longer available)
    $0.77 each after coupon

    Kool-Aid Bursts (40 oz) – $1.00

    Hawaiian Punch, Assorted Varieties (32 oz) – $1.00

    Mrs Freshley’s Buddy Bars, Oatmeal Cream Cookies, Swiss Rolls & Honey Buns – $1.00

    Nestle Candy Bars (2 – 3 oz) – $1.00

    Wylwood Cut Green Beans or Whole Kernel Corn (28 – 29 oz) – $1.00

    Diane’s Garden Tomatoes (28 oz) – $1.00

    Red Gold Ketchup (36 oz) – $1.00

    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 Goodies

    School lunch box goodies for the kiddos!  Today the girls picked out some delicious items for their lunch.  After they went to bed I made them a homemade chicken salad sandwich and put it in a pretty princess bag for them.  Here’s what they packed:

    • Homemade Chicken Salad Sandwich
    • Fresh Banana
    • Fresh Cauliflower
    • BBQ Chips
    • Yogurt
    • Shared a Honey-bun
    • Juice Bag

    Always something fun to eat in the lunch box.

  • What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan

    It is a super busy week with a lot of additional activities going on but I have a menu planned out to make the evenings flow even more smoothly for the family.  Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:

    Our Weekly Menu Plan

    • Monday (Beef Entree):  Special Event
    • Tuesday (Seafood or Pork Entree):  Lemon Pepper Salmon, Fresh Fruit
    • Wednesday (Chicken Entree):  Spinach Chicken Bake, French Bread
    • Thursday (Pasta or Vegetarian Entree):  Special Event
    • Friday, Saturday, & Sunday:  Leftovers, Family Preference, and Hosting

    I have a general pattern I try to follow for my weekly Menu Plan (for example Monday we have a beef entree, Tuesday a seafood or pork entree and so forth).  It is my goal, at least in the beginning, to have at least the main dish and one side planned.  I will put together the remaining side dishes (veggies / fruits) based on the food items that need to be used up first and compliment the main entree.

    Setting a weekly menu plan helps me utilize my time better, thus freeing up extra time to spend with my family.  On the days that I am working longer hours I can prep the meal in advance so it will be easier to pull together once I am home.  As I go through the menu planning process I will try to share some of our favorite family recipes.  If there is a specific recipe you would like please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate (some recipes are a toss together meal and I do not use any set measurements).

    As a family of four our life can get busy.  What’s for Dinner is our weekly menu planning series and one of the ways to help keep us organized, on schedule, and within budget.  Our family typically eats 6 to 7  dinner meals at home a week.  We do try to go out to eat at least once a month as a special treat.  Breakfasts are eaten at home before work and school, lunches are eaten at work, school, or home, so dinner is our main meal together as a family.  Dinner is our time to reconnect, share, and enjoy being together after a busy day.  Our weekly menu plan covers Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday only because the weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) is our time to spend with family and friends.  The weekends tend to be more spontaneous and my husband (who is the better cook) likes pitching in therefore we keep the menu open for variety.  We use up the leftovers throughout the week for our lunches and on the nights that we are busy or can’t cook.

    Photo by Liz

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Last week we celebrated the girls 7th birthday (a wonderful highlight to our week)!  The upcoming week it full of extra activities, but hoping to make a lot of progress with my goals as well.

    Here is the update on last weeks goals:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday
    3. Have each girl read 1 book to myself or Jake 5 days this week
    4. Go on our Date Night with Jake
    5. Celebrate Valentine’s Day
    6. Celebrate Brina & Karlie’s Birthday
    7. Spend time together as a family

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
    2. Go to bed by 10:30 pm or earlier Monday to Thursday – with the extra activities this didn’t get done
    3. Finish reading When Work and Family Collide by Andy Stanley – haven’t even started it yet….
    4. Read and listen to the next section of  Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper (our church Community Group is going through this book together).
    5. Packing “To Do” List – working on it

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
    3. Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
    4. Dinner ready by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday) – had a couple later nights with appointments
    5. Spend time re-organizing and de-cluttering the downstairs Bookshelves / Desk / Dressers – started but not finished

    Business Goals

    1. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
    2. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    3. Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk
    4. Write a Guest Blog Post
    5. Finish 2011 Business Taxes – items at Accountant so waiting for them to wrap up their piece

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests – didn’t get this done with all the other activities this week
    2. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses – working on it
    3. Complete our personal 2011 taxes – almost done, waiting for our business taxes to be completed before finishing
    4. Put money aside for upcoming trips – was able to do some
    5. Put cash aside for 1 year of Jake’s College Classes – put some aside

    Here are my goals for the upcoming week:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday
    3. Have each girl read 1 book to myself or Jake 5 days this week
    4. Go on our Date Night with Jake
    5. Spend time together as a family

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
    2. Go to bed by 10:30 pm or earlier Monday to Thursday
    3. Finish reading When Work and Family Collide by Andy Stanley
    4. Read and listen to the next section of  Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper (our church Community Group is going through this book together).
    5. Travel “To Do” List

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
    3. Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
    4. Spend 30 hour a day de-cluttering the house

    Business Goals

    1. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
    2. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    3. Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk
    4. Finish 2011 Business Taxes

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses
    3. Complete our personal 2011 taxes
    4. Put money aside for upcoming trips
    5. Put cash aside for 1 year of Jake’s College Classes

    I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us.  I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true.  When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals.  Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick).  Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.

    Why Share My Goals?

    • To keep me accountable
    • To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
    • To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
    • Create healthy habits in my life
    • To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn

    How did you do this week on your goals?  Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.

    The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results

  • Recipe: Swedish Baked Potatoes

    I had the family’s Valentine’s Day Dinner celebration pretty much planned out based off the items that I had in the refrigerator and pantry (steak, baked potatoes, fresh stir fry vegetables, fresh fruit salad, cherry limeade fruit punch from the girls birthday party, poppy seed french bread, and cheesecake).  Since I had gotten potatoes on clearance at the grocery store earlier I wanted to do baked potatoes to go with the steak but was hoping to try a different recipe.  I adapted this recipe from SeasaltwithFood and it turned out really well!  Everyone in our family LOVED these potatoes (including the kids)!  The girls even wanted to know if they could take the leftover potatoes to school for their lunches the next day they like them so much.  The best part is they were pretty easy to do.  They had much more flavor than regular baked potatoes plus we didn’t add any additional butter or toppings because they were so tender and tasty (which means they were probably healthier for us too).  This one has become family favorite already!

    Swedish Baked Potatoes:

    • 4 large Potatoes
    • Garlic Seasoning
    • Olive Oil
    • Sea Salt

    Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Place the potato on a cutting board and make thin slices down the whole length of the potato (each slice should go almost all the way through the potato).  Put potatoes on a baking tray or in a baking dish.  Sprinkle Garlic seasoning over each potato. Make sure some garlic seasoning gets down in between a few of the potato slices on each potato for extra flavoring.  Spread butter over the tops of each potato with a butter knife.  Brush olive oil on over the butter.  Sprinkle the sea salt on top of the potatoes.   Bake for 20 minutes on convection oven or 40 minutes if baking regularly (bake until potatoes are tender).  When done the potatoes will be soft on the inside and the skin will be crispy.

    You can put butter, sour cream, bacon pieces, and cracked pepper out as additional toppings for those wanting more flavor.

  • Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    We had a birthday party celebration for the girls and Valentine’s Day this week but in between the fun I was able to make a quick trip to the grocery store.  Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.

    Groceries from Ingles, Dollar Tree, and Save A Lot | RiteAid

     Ingles Groceries:

    • $10.16 at Ingles for 2 bags Laura Lynn Bread, 1 container Portabella Mushrooms,  1 container whole fresh Mushrooms, 1 container fresh Strawberries, 1 loaf Poppy Seed French Bread, 1 bag fresh Bananas, 1 bag Romaine Lettuce, and 1 box Jimmy Dean’s Sausage & Biscuts. (All the items were on clearance, marked down or on sale.  The produce was marked down on clearance.)

    Dollar Tree Groceries:

    • $14.00 at Dollar Tree for 2 jars Strawberry Jam, 3 boxes Applesause, 2 boxes Toast’ems, 1 Chocolate Frosting, 1 Vanilla Frosting, 2 containers Sprinkles, 1 can Canola Cooking Spray, 1 jar Vanilla Extract, and 1 bag Marshmallows.

    Save A Lot | RiteAid Groceries:

    • $7.76 at Save A Lot | RiteAid for 2 gallons Milk and 1 box Dannon Yogurts (yogurt was on sale).

    We were able to stock up on some great items this week.  Although we had the girls birthday party celebration and Valentine’s Day we were able to keep it within reason! 🙂

    This week I spent $31.92 on groceries.  I was over on my budgeted amount for the week because of the busy week with traveling, appointments, and upcoming celebrations so thankfully I have a little extra to cover the groceries this week.  I was happy to find fresh eggs and great produce on sale that we can use for several meals.  I hope that next week is better week, back to normal, and 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.

  • Family Activities: Celebrating Valentine’s Day

    Valentine’s Day Heart “Attack” surprise for the girls

    Our family had a blast celebrating Valentine’s Day together!  Jake and I went out the Saturday before Valentine’s for a Date Night and to celebrate.  On Valentine’s Day I took goodies and helped at the girls class party as well as celebrated with the family that evening.  It was a fun relaxing time together.  The girls loved having an extra special dinner together in the candlelight as a family.    For dinner we a fun conversation as we ate steaks, baked potatoes, fresh vegetables, bread, fresh fruit salad, Cherry Limeade punch, and cheesecake.  Here is a little tidbit from our Valentine’s Day celebrations:

    Heart shaped cinnamon rolls for breakfast

    Valentine’s Day Breakfast

    Valentine’s Day “love” notes on the girls bedroom door

    Valentine’s Day fun for Brina & Karlie (looking from their room out to the hallway)

    Brina’s Goodies’ from Grandpa & Grandma

    Karlie’s goodies from Grandpa & Grandma waiting on her barstool at breakfast

    Hugs & Kisses Tigers

    Karlie’s Valentine goodies from her classmates.  (With the word “Bushta” written across the front too, silly girl)

    Brina’s Valentine envelope full of goodies from her classmates

    Jake’s dinner plate – stick of dynamite with little heart notes….

    You’re the bomb!

    You’re the extra spark in my life!

    You ignite my heart!

    My heart explodes with love for you!

    You light up my world!

    The girls loved Daddy’s sticks of dynamite made out of rolos and love notes, they couldn’t wait for him to see them!

    One of the girls plates for Valentine’s Day Dinner with the family

    Our Valentine’s Day Dinner table


    Be My Valentine decoration hanging from the ceiling fan over the dinner table

    Conversational hearts center piece

    Valentine’s Day Dinner table

    Brina & Karlie worked hard on their Valentine’s Day Cards!

    A stack of love notes for Jake to take with him on his next trip……one note for every day we are apart!

    “I Love Jacob” written in hot pink lipstick on the mirror (the girls wanted to know if it would clean off the mirror or be permanent)

    Heart balloons with love notes attached and flower petals to make the room more romantic

    It was a wonderful Valentine’s Day with our family!  We had a great time decorating, talking, celebrating, and enjoying our time together as a family.  Thankful for days when we can relax and celebrate our love for each other.  Although, we spent time this week to focus on our love it is important that this isn’t just a once a year activity.  Taking the time to celebrate our love regularly is just as important.

  • Save A Lot: Deals for the week of February 15 – 21, 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

    Family Pack Rib Eye Steaks – $6.99 lbs

    Assorted Pork Chops – $1. 79 lbs

    Family Pack Cube Pork – $1.89 lbs

    Port Side Tilapia (16 oz) – $3.99

    Cooked Cocktail Shrimp (40 to 60 oz) – $4.99

    Butterball Turkey Bacon (6 oz) – $1.00
    Use $0.55/1 coupon insert from 1/15 Smart Source (Expires 2/16/12)
    $0.45 each after coupon

    Carolina Ground Turkey (12 oz) – $1.00

    Pick 5 for $19.99 promo on going: Pick any 5 specially marked packages of your favorite cuts of fresh, frozen or smoked meats and pay just $19.99 (about $2 per pound).

    Fridge and Freezer

    Banquet Breaded Chicken, Patties, Tenders, or Nuggets (25 to 26 oz) – $2.99

    Hot Pocket Singles, Pepperoni, Ham & Cheese, Breakfast (3 oz) – $0.88

    Marie Calendar’s Chicken Pot Pie – $2.29

    Oscar Mayer Wieners (16 oz) – $1.00

    Oscar Mayer Bolagna (12 oz) – $1.00

    Oscar Mayer Lunchables – $1.00

    Save A Lot Today Chicken Strips or Meatballs (7 – 8 oz) – $1.00

    Banquet Brown ‘n Serve Sausage Links, Maple or Original (6.4 oz) – $1.00

    Gwaltney Pork Sausage (12 oz) – $1.00

    Budding Deli Cuts, Ham, Turkey, Chicken, and Roast Beef (3 – 4 oz) – $1.00

    Hormel Sliced Pepperoni or Hard Salami (3.5 oz) – $1.00
    Use $1.00/2 coupon insert from 1/15 Smart Source (Expires 3/15/12)
    $0.50 each after coupon

    Hinsdale Corn Dogs (3 count) – $1.00

    Fisher Boy Fish Sticks (6 oz) – $1.00

    Fisher Boy Shrimp Poppers (4 oz) – $1.00

    Tortino Pizza Roll, Pepperoni or Cheese (15 count) – $1.00

    Tony’s Crispy Crust Pizza, Pepperoni or Supreme (9 – 10 oz) – $1.00

    Banquet Dinners (4 – 9 oz) – $1.00

    Buyers Best Crinkle Cut French Fries (32 oz) – $1.00

    Pillsbury Grand Biscuits (16 oz) – $1.00
    Use $0.30/2 coupon insert from 12/4 Smart Source (Expires 2/25/12)
    Use $0.30/2 coupon insert from 12/11 Smart Source (Expires 3/3/12)
    Use $0.30/2 coupon insert from 1/8 General Mills (Expires 3/31/12)
    Use $0.30/2 coupon insert from 2/5 Smart Source (Expires 4/28/12)
    Use $0.35/3 coupon insert from 1/8 General Mills (Expires 3/31/12)
    As low as $0.85 each after coupon

    Sunny D Orange Mango or Orange Strawberry (48 oz) – $1.00

    Produce

    Roma Tomatoes – $0.99 lb

    Seedless Grapes, Red or White – $1.49 lb

    Mini Carrots – $1.00

    Dole Salad Mix (12 oz) – $1.00

    Celery – $1.00

    Yellow or Red Peppers – $1.00

    Jumbo Navel Oranges or Red Grapefruit – $1.00

    Klondike Rose Potatoes – $1.00

    Household

    Angel Soft Bath Tissue (4 pack) – $0.99

    Sparkle Paper Towels – $0.99

    Grocery

    Crystal Bottled Water (24 pack) – $2.99

    Hargis House Chili with Beans (15 oz) – $1.39

    Kaskey’s Chicken or Beef Bouillon Cubes (3.25 oz) – $1.89

    Marcum Gravy Mixes – $0.57

    Mantia’s Wide Egg Noodles (12 oz) – $1.39

    Shelby”s Grove Sliced Peaches or Fruit – $0.99

    Mantia’s Garlic Toast – $2.29

    Save A Lot Today Sandwich Cremes (12 oz) – $1.19

    Libby’s Tropical Fruit Salad (15 oz) – $1.29

    Sundia Fruit Cup – $1.00

    Chef Boyardee Canned Pasta – (14.5 – 15 oz) $1.00

    Betty Crocker Hamburger Helper or Chicken Helper – $1.00

    Progresso Vegetable Classic Soup (19 oz) – $1.00

    Nissan Souper Meals (4.3 oz) – $1.00

    Hormet Micro Cups (7.5 oz) – $1.00

    Chicken of the Sea Chunk White Tuna (5 oz) – $1.00

    Knorr Sides (4 – 7 oz) – $1.00
    Use $1.00/3 coupon insert from 1/29 Red Plum (Expires 2/26/12)
    Use $0.50/2 coupon insert from 1/29 Red Plum (Expires 2/26/12)
    $0.77 each after coupon

    Betty Crocker Flavored Mashed Potatoes (4 – 6 oz) – $1.00

    Kraft Mac & Cheese Cups or Boxes (2 – 7 oz) – $1.00

    Malt O Meal Cereal (10 – 12 oz) – $1.00
    Use $1.00/3 printable coupon from Malt ‘O Meal
    $0.77 each after coupon

    Kool-Aid Bursts (40 oz) – $1.00

    Hawaiian Punch, Assorted Varieties (32 oz) – $1.00

    Mrs Freshley’s Buddy Bars, Oatmeal Cream Cookies, Swiss Rolls & Honey Buns – $1.00

    Nestle Candy Bars (2 – 3 oz) – $1.00

    Wylwood Cut Green Beans or Whole Kernel Corn (28 – 29 oz) – $1.00

    Diane’s Garden Tomatoes (28 oz) – $1.00

    Red Gold Ketchup (36 oz) – $1.00

    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

    School Lunch!

    The girls are good at helping put together their lunches.  They know that we get a protein, fruit, vegetable, dairy, drink and snack.  Here’s what they had today:

    • Peanut Butter & Homemade Strawberry Jam
    • Fresh Tomatoes
    • Pita Chips
    • Yogurt
    • Applesauce or Yogurt Raisin
    • Cheesestick
    • Bottled Water and Reduced Sugar Juice
    • Sugar Free Cherry Jello
    • Protein Bar or SoyJoy Apple Granola Bar

    Lunch Box Goodies

  • Be My Valentine: Valentine Cake Batter Rice Krispies

    Valentine Cake Batter Rice Krispie Treats

    The girls have to bring a goody for their school Valentine’s Day party.  When I asked them what they wanted me to buy or make they both said to bring the Valentine’s Cake Batter Rice Krispie treats with “extra sprinkles”!  I made this recipe earlier for another event so they were excited to try it out before their party.

    Heart shaped Cake Batter Rice Krispie Treats with sprinkles

    The girls loved making this little Valentine Rice Krispies.  We added a little bit of cake batter, a drop of red food coloring, and some sprinkles than used cookie cutters to make the hearts.

    Having fun making designs with the Valentine Cake Batter Rice Krispie hearts

    We had fun making different designs with the treats.  Their favorite design was the flower.  Since we were taking them to more than one party we were able to have some fun getting creative with the treats.

    Rice Krispie Hearts of different sizes

    The big heart cookie cutter was cute, but we did more of the small heart to make sure everyone had a rice krispie treat to enjoy.  Thankful that the girls requested a pretty easy treat to share with their friends.  Do you have to bring treats for your kids classroom?