• Love It – Cuisinart CPB-300 Compact Portable Blender & Chopper

    My husband bought me a Cuisinart Blender a little over a year ago and I LOVE it!  He got me a Cuisinart CPB-300 SmartPower 15-Piece Compact Portable Blending/Chopping System and it has been a huge hit with the whole family.  The best part is it is compact and comes with four 16 ounce single smoothie cups as well as a bigger blender.  I will often whip up a quick smoothie for myself for breakfast or a snack as I am walking out the door.

    I have used this blender A LOT and it has held up very well (its still in great condition).  Before this one I went through 2 KitchenAid Blenders which were much bigger and I didn’t use them nearly as often because it was harder to clean.  I cannot say enough good things about this blender.

    I have made a lot of different recipes with this Cuisinart.  The fruit smoothies are my favorite!  I have enjoyed experimenting with smoothies and  have discovered how easy it is to make smoothies at home.

    The girls will often request a smoothie for a special treat or snack too (so I am not the only one who loves the Cuisinart Blender).  I have included some of our favorites smoothie recipes.

    Smoothie Recipes

    Product Specifics

    • Sleek electronic touchpad with LED indicator lights
    • Powerful 350-watt motor
    • High, Low and Pulse controls
    • Standby mode; safety interlock and auto stop features
    • BS housing with stainless steel front pane
    • BPA-free Tritan 32-oz. blender jar, 8-oz. chopping cup, and set of four 16-oz. travel cups
    • Patented ultra-sharp stainless steel blades
    • Two interchangeable blade assemblies: blending blade and chopping blade
    • Recipe Book
    • Dishwasher safe
    • Limited 3-year warranty

     

    Blender

     Are you ready for a smoothie?

    “Love It” is a series of posts on items that I use regularly in my household that I love!  There are some items in our daily lives that make life more enjoyable, efficient, or just plain fun.  I will be sharing with you some of the products that have been given to us (or to me) that have made it to the top of my list.  It’s my way of giving a huge thumbs up!

  • Love It – BluApple

    I am very excited to share with you a little item that has saved me a lot of time, energy, and money over the past year while helping our family eat healthier! I have been asked many times how I can purchase marked down fresh vegetables and fruits without them going bad within a day or two…..well, I am going to share my little “secret” with all of you.  If you love to eat fresh fruit and vegetables, but wish they would stay fresh longer I have stumbled upon something that will really brighten your day! 🙂

    When I got the BluApples I was a little skeptical, to say the least.  How can these little blue apples really help extend the life of my fresh fruits and vegetables?!  Do they really work?  Is it worth the cost?  And many more similar questions.

    I waited for a few weeks and found an amazing deal on these little BluApples.  I was able to get these free (only had to pay $3 shipping).  Unfortunately, I haven’t seen that deal again otherwise I would stock up on some for my family and friends.  Either way these little apples have more than paid for themselves MANY TIMES OVER!

    Our family loves to garden, buy fresh fruits and vegetables, however, when our fridge is full of produce sometimes fruits and vegetables would go bad before we had a chance to eat everything.  The BluApples extend the life of our fruits and vegetables (even ones that I buy which are already on the “edge”) for weeks!  These BluApples really do preserve the produce and help the items last much longer!

    I used to clean out my fruit and vegetable drawers out about once a week.  Now I do it once a month and sometimes longer because the items in the drawer are staying fresh. Enough of my raving, here are some more facts about this neat apple:

    • 2 Bluapples – Last for 3 Months Each – Additional Absorber Refills Available Separately (Our BluApples lasted longer than 3 months, typically lasted 5 to 7 months)
    • Prolongs freshness and storage life of fruits & vegetables
    • Made In USA
    • Put in refrigerator crisper drawers
    • Place in the fruit bowl on the counter or anywhere you keep fruit
    • Pays for itself dozens of times over in the the first year alone
    • Extend storage life of your produce (up to 3 times longer)
    • Average household can save up to $600 per year

    How Do The BluApples Work?

    • Ethylene gas is given off naturally by fruits and vegetables as a signaling mechanism in order to coordinate uniform ripening. However, once concentrated in your refrigerator or other storage areas, the presence of ethylene gas continues to speed up ripening and hasten spoilage.
    • The BluApple is designed to provide effective ethylene gas absorption for three months in a typical home refrigerator produce bin or storage container.
    • The active ingredient does not “wear out”, but continues to absorb ethylene until it has reached its capacity.

    This would be a wonderful gift for any cook in your family.  It really does WORK (and BluApple is not paying me to say it either).  Your Mom, wife, sister, friend will probably come back to you in a couple months thanking you again for this gift.  Hey, they even make you a special meal out of some the fresh produce just to say thanks!

    You can pick up the BluApple Ethlylene Gas Absorbers – Starter Pack of 2 – Refrigerator Fruit & Vegetable Preserver on Amazon for around $9.95 with two packs of or many major retailers. If you have a Swagbuck Amazon Gift Cards you can even get this it for free!  You’ll love it!

    “Love It” is a series of posts on items that I use regularly in my household that I love!  There are some items in our daily lives that make life more enjoyable, efficient, or just plain fun.  I will be sharing with you some of the products that have been given to us (or to me) that have made it to the top of my list.  It’s my way of giving a huge thumbs up!

  • Fresh & Healthy: Fall Harvest – Community Supported Agriculture (Week 2)

    We are enjoying our Fall Harvest with our Local Farm with Community Supported Agriculture program.  The Fall harvest is 10 weeks long through our farm.  We were thrilled to get the produce and fresh eggs.  In our recent batch of eggs we had several that were huge with double yolks which the girls thought was really neat.  Our family is doing a half share for this harvest.

    Fall Harvest Week 2 of Fresh Goodies from our CSA!

    Fresh goodies from our Local Farm!

    Items in our Basket this Week:

    • 1 bundle White Radishes (with edible greens)
    • 1 bundle Pink Radishes (with edible greens)
    • 2 Butternut Squash
    • 3 Green Peppers
    • 1 Red Pepper
    • 3 Eggplants
    • 3 large Beets
    • 1 Half Dozen Fresh Eggs

    I am looking forward to eating these goodies this week!  Anyone have a great recipes for Radishes or Beets?  Thanks everyone for the delicious Recipes!  To find out how you can be a part of a local CSA check out this post – Fresh & Healthy:  Community Supported Farms

  • Heart Reflections: Stretching Towards the Sun

    Our family has recently planted a garden.  Since it had been getting cool at night we started the seedlings inside.  Every day I have watched and nurtured those little plants.  Some of the seeds popped up quickly while others never came up.  As I watched the plants growing each one stretched out their leaves towards the light.  Once they were big enough we transplanted them outside in our garden.  Shortly after planting them we had a night of heavy wind, rain, and even hail followed by a frost on the ground a few days later.  Even though it was “safe” for us to plant the garden outside there are still risks and dangers.  Many of the seedlings survived the tough few weeks of new growth, however, some did not make it.  Although, our hope was that every plant would thrive we know that nature will do some natural pruning especially in the weaker plants.  For whatever reason some plants didn’t make it (something caused the undesirable side effect…maybe the roots were too shallow or wet / dry or too much shade / sunny or bugs or a number of other factors) .  On the other hand some plants thrived despite all the challenges they faced.

    While I was thinking about the plants it occurred to me that the analogy can be applied in some ways to our own lives.  We should be looking towards the Son at all times, the one who created us.  We all grow at our own pace, some of us may have sprouted quickly while others are delayed but have a more solid root structure.  Even though life may not be perfect and we may experience seasons of drought, hail, or disease we still have a choice of where to focus our attention.  Once we decide where we will focus our energy we will experience a variety of ripple effects (sometimes the effects are positive and other times they can can be less desirable).  When we are in stressful situations do we continue to grow or do we wither under the pressure of life? We all want to continue growing, thriving and producing a beautiful fruit.   The big step is making sure our root structure is strong and secure.  We do this through continually cultivating a relationship with our Savior.  Yes, this will take our time, energy and nurturing, but in the end it is worth it.  We all want to feel loved, appreciated and valued yet so often we look towards our earthly relationships to provide that fulfillment whether it is through our spouse, children, serving at church or whatever fills that void.  Instead we should look to our creator who made us, never fails, and loves us unconditionally.  As we notice flowers and plants stretching towards the sun, let that remind us of the importance of reaching towards the Son in our own lives as well.

    “Heart Reflections” is a series of thoughts and encouragement that come directly from my heart.  Life has a way of throwing us extra challenges and when our focus is pulled away from what is truly important we tend to feel the pressure of stress in our lives.  This series is created to remind us that we are part of something so much bigger than ourselves.  We don’t have to face the pressure of life on our own.  We can trust that our prayers are being heard.  He alone knows what’s best for us and gives us the appropriate strength to get through each day as it is set before us.

    Photo by Stig Nygaard

  • Family Recipe: Mom’s Beef & Broccoli

    In honor of my Mom’s birthday this week I picked one of my favorite recipes that she makes.  My Mom is a great cook and I actually made Beef & Broccoli last weekend so thought I would share it with you as well.  I love this recipe and it is delicious!

    Mom’s Beef & Broccoli:

    • 3/4 lb fresh Broccoli
    • 1 lb lean boneless Beef Steak (top round, flank, or sirloin work well)
    • 2 tablespoon Soy Sauce (I used low sodium soy sauce)
    • 1 clove of Garlic, minced or pressed
    • 1/4 cup Salad Oil (or olive oil)
    • 2 tablespoon of Water
    • 1 1/2 tablespoon Corn Starch
    • 1/4 teaspoon ground Ginger
    • 2 tablespoon cooking Sherry
    • 1 1/4 cup regular strength Beef Broth
    • Dash of Red Pepper

    Cut broccoli and set aside.  Cut beef with the grain into 1 1/2 inch wide strips then across the grain in 1/4 inch slices.  In bowl mix beef, soy sauce and garlic.  Let marinate 15 minutes.  Prepare cooking sauce corn starch, ground ginger, dash of red pepper, cooking sherry, and beef broth.  When wok is hot add 1 tablespoon of oil, add half of the meat mixture.  Stir fry until browned (about 2 to 3 minutes).  Repeat with second half of meat and 1 more tablespoon of oil.  Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and stir in the broccoli for about 1 minute.  Add water cover and cook about 3 minutes.  Add cooking sauce to meat and stir until the sauce has thickened.

    When I made this dish last weekend I added in some mushrooms and onions that I needed to use up.  I cut back on the oil and didn’t have the Sherry so that was eliminated however since I added the additional juicy vegetables it was still tasty.  This recipe is amazing as is but feel free to add in extra items that your family enjoys eating.

    Photo by gkdavie

  • Save A Lot: Deals for the week of April 6 – 12, 2011

    The Save A Lot deals are similar to the ones from last week so if you haven’t had a chance to stock up on these deals you can do it this week.  The weekly ad deals are listed below for your convenience.   Sign up for the Smart Shopper Club, by doing so you will get a $5.00 off of $25.00 coupon!

    Meats and Seafood

    Frozen Chicken Leg Quarters (10 lb Bag) – $0.39 per lb

    Bone In Shank Portion Ham – $0.99 per lb

    Beef Eye of Round Roast – $2.99 per lb

    Bone In Pork Sirloin Roast – $1.29 per lb

    Schooner Tilapia Fillets (12 oz) $2.99

    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

    Imperial Spread Margarine (16 oz) – $0.50

    Fairgrounds Jumbo Hotdogs (16 oz) – $1.00

    Oscar Mayer Bologna (12 oz) – $1.00

    Banquet Family Size Entrees (26 to 28 oz) – $2.00

    Portside Battered or Breaded Fish Fillets – $2.99

    Hillshire Farm Sausage – $1.99
    Use $1/1 printable coupon from Hillshire Farms
    $0.99 each after coupon

    Goldleaf Deep Dish Pie Shells – $1.99

    Creamy Whip Whipped Topping – $0.89

    World’s Fair Ice Cream – $2.49

    Crisp Not from Concentrate Premium Orange Juice – $2.69

    Mrs Smith’s Fruit Pies – $2.49

    Household

    Colortex Big Mopper Paper Towels (6 pack) – $3.99

    Solutions Window Cleaner – $0.99

    First Force Pine Cleaner – $1.00

    Axis Liquid Bleach – $0.99

    Clorex Disinfecting Wipes – $2.49

    Sparkle Paper Towels – $0.99

    Solo Laundry Detergent – $1.79

    Produce

    Seedless Red or Green Grapes – $0.99 per lb

    Yellow Onions (3 lbs) – $1.49

    Fresh Iceburg Lettuce – $0.99 each

    Grocery

    Ralston Cereal – $1.50

    Shelby Grove Sliced Peaches (29 oz can) – $1.00

    Maxwell House Wake Up Roast Coffee (34.5 oz can) – $4.99

    Portside Chunk Light Tuna – $0.53

    Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix – $0.45

    Wylwood Vegetables – $0.49

    Wylwood Crispy Onions – $1.99

    Kaskey’s Cream of Mushroom Soup – $0.69

    Kaskey’s Onion Soup Mix – $0.79

    Kaskey’s Chicken Broth – $0.59

    Potatoes on the Side Instant Mash – $1.39

    Libby’s Pineapple – $0.99

    Ginger Evans Cake Mix – $0.99

    Ginger Evans Graham Cracker Ready Crust – $1.29

    Ginger Evans Brown or Powdered Sugar – $1.49

    Ginger Evans Cherry Pie Filling – $1.99

    Nabisco Snak-Sak Cookies – $1.29

    Kool-Aid Jammers – $1.79

    Taco Bell Taco Dinner Kits – $1.59
    Use $1/2 coupon from February ALL YOU Magazine
    $1.09 each after coupon

    Bubba Soda (2 liter) – $0.69

    Diet Mountain Holler (2 liter) – $0.69

    Diet Crisp Zero, Diet Mountain Holler, Bubba Zero, and Bubba Caffeine Free (12 packs) $2.29

    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: Community Supported Farms

    The past few weeks I have been reading about ways to eat healthier and along the way I discovered CSA’s (which stands for Community Supported Farms).  Although I have heard a little about them a couple times this was the first time I seriously considered joining one.  As I was researching more about the local farmers and various programs I decided to contact a couple in our area and find out more information.  It was interesting because some farms I never heard a word back from and others I have had several emails back and forth.  After much thought and research we decided as a family to try a CSA program this year and see how it goes.  I am VERY excited to participate and learn even more.  The girls are thrilled they get to go spend some time on a local farm and eat fresh veggies.  I am still growing some veggies in our garden at home, but I am really looking forward to getting fresh local produce from an area farm.

    What is a CSA? It stands for Community Supported Agriculture and has been around for about 20 years.  CSA allows consumers to buy local, seasonal and fresh produce directly from the farmer.  The farmer gives “shares” to the public (ie box, bag, or basket of vegetables, fruit, eggs, and a variety of other farm products).  Consumers prepays for shares or a partial shares for that years crops.  The consumers then receive a box of seasonal produce weekly throughout the season (usually around 20 weeks for the summer and 10 weeks for the winter season in our area).

    Why is it beneficial?

    • Fresh locally grown produce for your family
    • An adventure in trying new produce and recipes
    • The seasonal produce you receive will be fresh and ripe
    • The opportunity to visit the farm where you produce is grown
    • Fresh and healthy produce for your family to enjoy
    • Organic farming (if this is important to you please confirm with the farm you chose before committing, each farm is different)
    • Educational for the kids to see the produce being grown
    • Direct connection with a local farmer
    • More variety of produce on the menu and at the family table
    • Farmers can market and sell their crops before production
    • Increases the cash flow for the farm during planting season
    • Some farms include eggs, bread, meat, cheese, flowers, local honey, and more.
    • Most farms allow you the opportunity to pick what size of share you want (Whole Share, Half Share, Quarter Share, etc…)
    • Many farms have multiple drop off locations and times as well.
    • And more great benefits!

    The benefits really are mutual between the farmer and the consumer.  I hope to share more of the benefits of being involved in a CSA as we have the opportunity to experience more.  Right now our farm has several items planted and we are just waiting for them to grow so we can enjoy the delicious food!  One of the reasons we made the decision to join a CSA is we looked over a budget and realized that some weeks we were spending more than half of our grocery money on fruits and vegetables since we are trying to eat healthier.  When we spread the cost of a CSA over a season we would actually be saving money as a family.  This is our first year so we haven’t discovered exactly how everything works but we hope to share our experience with you!

    Are there any risks? It wouldn’t be fair to share the benefits without warning you of the risks as well.

    • Shared Risk – you are investing in a crop prior to the farmer raising it so there is a possibility that they could have drought, flood, hailstorm, or insect issues during the season, however, most farms plant a variety of crops so you’ll most likely just get more of another produce, but there is no “guarantees”  At the same time they could have a bountiful production year!
    • The farm will probably not raise every produce your family eats (ie. if your family likes mushrooms but the farm doesn’t grow mushrooms you’ll still have to purchase those items in the store)
    • Most farms are family run so if there is something unexpected in the family it could affect you as well.
    • Some of the produce may be “unique” or unlike the items you buy in the grocery store.  If you like trying new items this is a benefit but if you only like 5 different kinds of veggies or are really picky it may not be the best fit for you
    • When you get different types of produce you’ll have the opportunity to try out new recipes, this could be a huge benefit for some people but if you are not comfortable cooking or trying new recipes make sure to consider that as well.

    If you are interested in joining or learning more about a CSA in your areas you can learn more about it at Local Harvest and click on the CSA tab.  Under the map on the right side of the page you can enter your zip code and find local farms in your area.  Another wonderful feature that was beneficial for us in deciding which farm to consider was the reviews on the local farms participating.  It is always good to know that other customers have been satisfied before spending your money.

    We are excited about the local farm we picked to join.  If you are in Upstate, South Carolina area and are wanting to do this as well let me know which farm you chose in a comment below or send me an email and we may be able to coordinate pick up from week to week to save each other a little extra on gas.  Have you ever been part of a CSA program?  What did you like / dislike about the program?

    Photo by Nick Saltmarsh

  • Living on a Budget – Groceries $40 for 4

    SaveALot | RiteAid and Walgreens

    I made it through my second week of doing my new cash budget system – Groceries $40 for 4 and I have to be honest with you, it didn’t go well at ALL.  It was a super busy week and I decided at the beginning of the week to totally revamped my menu for this week.  The good news is the menu included a bunch of new healthy recipes, however, since we have been cutting back on our grocery shopping the last few weeks we had to rebuild our fresh fruit and veggie stockpile.  Although I was able to get a lot of great deals on veggies (Thank You Aldi’s) it still added up quickly.  My grocery store shopping this week was spread out and sandwiched in between appointments which made it even more hurried and less organized.   I am still learning how to operate on the cash grocery system (even though I blew it this week).  Hopefully, we can continue trying to utilize the food we already have in our pantry and freezer along with adding in extra fresh fruits and veggies.  I did learn a lot about the mistakes I made this week (hopefully I can refrain from repeating them).  What I learned this week from some of my grocery shopping mistakes:

    • It is important to make the time to go shopping and not try to squeeze it in between appointments (rushing through doesn’t always work well even with a list).
    • Forgetting some of my coupons made a huge difference ( I didn’t have the time or desire to use extra gas to go back for them)
    • Shopping early morning is much better than in the middle of the day (not as many markdown items)
    • Fresh items are more expensive (it is okay to substitute in some frozen ones too).
    • Completely altering your menu once the week has already started causes unnecessary stress
    • There are certain times of day it is not smart to take the whole crew with you to the store (right after school when they are restless and very HUNGRY)
    • It is very difficult sticking to a $40 grocery budget when I had numerous hiccups in my process

    Pictured above is my Walgreens and SaveALot | Rite Aid trip.  Sorry I was not able to get a picture of my Aldi’s and BiLo trips it took everything in me just to put the stuff away (actually, I still have a few cans sitting on the counter still waiting for me to put them in the pantry).   I didn’t separate out my household and grocery items at Aldi or BiLo either so I don’t have the exact totals but to be completely honest I more than double my grocery budget for this week.  Here is what I spent at the two stores pictured above and what we bought:

    • $5.05 at Walgreens for 2 cans of Cashews
    • $19.23 at SaveALot | RiteAid for Milk, Parmesan Grated Cheese, Yogurt, Carrots, Cheese, Mushrooms, Stew Meat, Hamburger Helper

    Life was spread out and busy this week.  My grocery shopping and house shows the ripple effect of it too. It was our second week of the challenge – Groceries $40 for 4 and we more than doubled our grocery budget of $40.   I was disappointed in myself for making so many silly mistakes (and I knew better too) in my rush to pick up groceries and feed the family.  I did get to use some coupons, bought clearance items, and utilized weekly ad discounts to help save us a little extra on our grocery budget even though the savings wasn’t enough.  I really hope to be more organized and do better next week.  We’ll see how I do!

    I hope 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.  I hope by taking the extra time to watch my grocery spending it will allow us to feed our family, enjoy life, 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.

  • Recipe: Broccoli Rice Hot Dish

    I made a new recipe this past weekend from one of  Taste of Home’s “Guilt Free Cooking” Cookbooks and the entire family loved it.  I received thumbs up from everyone, several please make this again, and the kids even asked for seconds.  What was leftover of the casserole was eaten the next day so it didn’t go to waste either.  The best part is it was a “healthier” dish and was easy to make. I am not a huge egg person so I had a little hesitation in trying it because I didn’t want something that had a heavy egg flavor.  In the end I was super happy I tried it because I couldn’t even taste the eggs because it had so much flavor in the dish.  As I am trying to eat healthier and cook better food for my family (not that we don’t have a couple of pizza nights a month) I am looking for new, easy, inexpensive and tasty recipes to try.  I bought this cookbook when it was on clearance for $2.50 before Christmas and this weekend as I was sitting on the front porch glider leafing through it while watching the kids play in the yard this recipe jump off the page begging for me to try it out, glad I did too.  It was a hit with the family and it included ingredients that I can easily have on hand.  I used it as our main meal but since it is meatless you could have it as a side as well.

    Broccoli Rice Hot Dish

    • 2 cups hot cooked Rice
    • 3/4 cup shredded reduced fat Cheddar Cheese
    • 1/2 cup Egg Substitute OR (1 egg)
    • 3/4 teaspoon Garlic Salt

    Filling

    • 1 pkg (10 oz) frozen chopped Broccoli, thawed
    • 4 oz chopped fresh Mushrooms
    • 1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper (we choose to not add the red pepper)
    • 1/2 medium Onion, chopped
    • 1 cup Egg Substitute OR (2 Eggs)
    • 1/2 cup Fat Free Milk
    • 1/2 teaspoon Onion Salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon Pepper
    • 1 cup (4 oz) shredded reduced fat Cheddar Cheese

    In a large bowl, combine the rice, cheese, egg, and garlic salt.  Press firmly into a 2 quart baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

    Meanwhile, place the broccoli, mushrooms, red pepper, onion in a steamer basket over 1 inch of boiling water in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil, cover and steam for 5 minutes or until crisp-tender.

    In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, onion salt, and pepper; stir in vegetables.  Pour over crust.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Bake, uncovered, at 375 for 25 to 30 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

    Do you have easy, inexpensive and tasty recipes to try?  Send me an email and I may post it on my blog or put a link to your blog in your comment.  As a family of 4 with a busy schedule having a stash of great healthy recipes on hand is very beneficial!

    Photo by Taste of Home

  • Life Simplified: No Grocery Shopping (Update)

    We are now well  into week four of my no grocery shopping challenge for the month of January 2011.  It is time for me to give you an update so you can continue to keep me accountable.  Last week was an easy one for us because we were not at home, my husband and I had the privilege of going on a cruise with extended family and the girls were staying with friends. We did take food over with the girls but we didn’t have to buy any essentials or perishable items while we were away.

    Before leaving for vacation we ate the leftovers and most of the perishables in our refrigerator.  This week was the first time this month I had to pick up several perishable items.  Other than a gallon or two of milk a week we have been doing really well.  So far we have purchased 5 gallons of milk for the month of January.  Thankfully all the groceries I purchased this week were marked down except for the gallon of milk I paid $2.99 for at Save A Lot.  Here are the groceries I bought this week at Save A Lot | Rite Aid to restock the perishables in our fridge:

    • Ground Hamburger – $6.39 markdown to $3.18
    • Cube Steaks – $3.14 markdown to $1.59
    • 2 Yogurts – $0.50 markdown to $0.25 each
    • French Onion Dip – $1.29 markdown to $0.64
    • Cottage Cheese (24 oz) – $2.25 markdown to $1.12
    • Flour Tortillas – $0.99 markdown to $0.49

    I spent a total of $7.52 including tax.  By only purchasing the markdown items I was able to save over $8 on the perishable items we needed for our family.  With the exception of the french onion dip everything would meet my criteria of a necessity for our household.  Every home has different perishable items they need to keep in stock; meat and diary fit into that category for us (within reason), although, I have been trying to cut down on the amount I purchase to make sure we really do use the items already in stock.  Fruits and veggies are ones I would consider necessary too (in moderation), however, we are still using up the ones we had from several weeks ago as well as those we froze from the garden this summer.   The french onion dip is one I felt the most “guilty” about buying but since it was $0.64 for a large container and we are going to a Super Bowl party outside our home it technically falls under my criteria of  “for Someone Else outside of my household” (I may be stretching that criteria a little). Even though it was a good bargain and it is for people outside of my home I probably could have made something from scratch with the items already in my pantry.

    I am hoping these will be the last items we have to purchase for the month of January (with an exception to milk) and maybe even into February if I am really lucky.  These groceries should last at least a couple weeks when we put them together with the food we already have in our freezer and pantry!  So far I haven’t done too bad with the challenge.  I have had to pass up on a couple really great deals, but the point is to use the items in stock before buying more.

    I will continue to share with you the challenges, successes and what I had to purchase so you can keep me accountable or even go through the journey with me by participating  and sharing your story.  I would love to extend this goal into February if I can make our pantry stretch!

    Life Simplified is a series on getting rid of the extras in our life while learning how to enjoy what God has given us so we can continue to be a blessing to others.  Our homes can quickly start are bursting with “stuff”  and if you are like us we just have too much.  I am doing a series on ways we are learning to simplifying our food, homes, and lives.  When our hearts, lives, and homes get too cluttered we may start missing out on opportunities to serve and bless the people around us.