Grocery Deals 10/24-30

HyVee

Wonder Honey Wheat Bread $1.19
Keebler and Sunshine Cookies and Crackers 50% off
Quaker Granola Bars $2.28
2lbs bag carrots .88
18 ct eggs $1.88
Prego Pasta Sauce $1.28
Farmland Pork Sausage Rolls .99
Charmin 12 double rolls $6.49 + $1/2 = $5.99
Tide Laundry Detergent $7.49 + $1/1 = $6.49
Speed Stick $1.99 + $1/1 = .99

Price Chopper

Birds Eye frozen veggies .79
Broccoli or Cauliflower Crowns .99
American Beauty Pasta .99
Best Choice 12-oz honey $1.99
Avocados $1

4-Day Sale 10/25-28

Vine Tomatoes .99 lbs
3-lb bag yellow onions .99

Hen House

Fresh Boneless Chicken Tenderloins $1.99 lbs
Farmland Bacon 2/$5 + .75/1 = $1.75 each WOW!!!!! (coupon says Lower Sodium AND Less Fat...but I used it just for the low sodium and it worked!)
Yoplait Greek Yogurt Cups .79 + .50/2 doubled = .29 each WOW!!!
Yoplait Yogurt Cups .50 + .50/8 doubled = .37 each


Aldi

Pomegranates .49 each
Bananas .29 lbs
Grapes .89 lbs

As always, my favorite coupon clipping website is Coupons By Dede.  I didn't do this today, but always do a google search for printable coupons before you go grocery shopping.  You never know when a great online coupon will pop up!

Weekly Grocery Deals 10/17-23

Price Chopper

Boneless, Skinless Chicken $1.69 lbs
Apple Totes .78 lbs
Farmland Bacon 2/$5 + .75/1 = $1.75 GREAT DEAL!!!!!
Frito Lay Variety Packs (we buy the baked pack for lunches!) $5.99 + $1/1cpn = $4.99
Best Choice 5-lbs Flour $1.49
Nature's Bounty Vitamins and Supplaments 50% off + $1/1 cpn
Mars Fun Sized Candy (think Halloween!) $1.88 + $1.50/3 = $1.38 each

Hen House

Red Grapes $1.28 lbs
Blackberries .99
93% lean ground beef $2.99 lbs GREAT DEAL!!!
Honey Nut or Multi Grain Cheerios $2.50 + $3/4 in store coupon + $1/3 = $1.40 box
Kellogg's cereal 2/$5 + $1/2 cpn = $2 box
Herbal Essence $2.49 + B1 Shampoo/G1 Conditioner or Styler = $1.25 each
Aussie or Herbal Essence $2.49 + $1/2 = $1.25 each
Capri Sun 100% juice $2.99

HyVee

Kidney Beans or Chili Beans .39
Zesta Crackers .99
Campbell's Chicken Noodle/Tomato .50 + B4G1 in store + .40/4 = .32 each
Life Cereal 2/$4
Tostitos Chips $2 + $1/1 (limit 1 per customer) = $1 per bag
Duracell Coppertop AA or AAA batteries, 16 count, B1G1 + .75/1 (use 2 coupons)

Weekly Grocery Deals 10/10-10/16

Well, I seem to be a day late and a dollar short this week.  This week has completely gotten away from me.  Sorry to not post yesterday.  If you order coupons today, you will still get them before the sales are over, but you will probably not get them by the Saturday sales.  Sorry!  Once again, my favorite coupon site is Coupons by Dede.  You may also want to do a google search for printable grocery coupons to see if there are coupons online that you can print and use.

Here are the deals that I found for this week:

Hen House

Honeycrisp Apples $1.89lbs...if you haven't tried honeycrisp yet, TRY THEM!  Yum!
Snickers/Twix/Milky Way Fun Size Candy $1.99 + $1.50/3 = $1.49 a bag (think Halloween!)
Pork Chops $2.49 lbs

1 Day Sale 10/13

1-lbs Strawberries $1.68

Price Chopper

Progresso Soups 4/$5 + $1/4 = $1 each
Purex Laundry Detergent $1.99

4-Day Breakfast Sale 10/11-14

Farmland Sausage $1
Hormel Bacon $2.99
Pineapple $1.79

HyVee

Cheerios 4/$6 + .50/1 = $1 a box!

3-Day Sale 10/11-13

Ice Berg Lettuce .48
HyVee Cottage Cheese .98
Kellogg's Cereals (specific items listed) $1.48 + $1/2 = .98 a box!
    (Rice Krispies, Corn Flakes, Froot Loops, Raisin Bran, Chocolate Frosted Flakes)
Sun Chips $1.88
Mr. Dell's Hash Browns $1.99

Meals Under $10: Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Here is the recipe you have all been waiting for...or, at least you WOULD have been waiting for it if you had ever tasted it before.  I'm here to tell you that this recipe will change the way you think of pork.  I, for one, am not a huge fan of pork.  I rarely, if ever, eat it.  I do make an exception for this particular pork.  It is so yummy that I could eat an entire loin!

Here is the cast of ingredients:

Marinade:

2 cups oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder

I like to marinade my pork in a heavy-duty ziplock baggie (that I put in a bowl before putting in the fridge.) I think this pork needs a couple of hours to marinade...but a minimum of 30-minutes.

And WHAT kind of meat would be complete without an amazing, yet deceptively easy, sauce to accompany it?  No respectable meat would be without it!

Sauce:

1/2 cup mayo
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce

Mix these ingredients up and stick it in the fridge to let the flavors marry...and let me tell ya, marriage never tasted so good!

When you are about ready to cook the pork, take it out of the marinade and sprinkle with Lawry's Season Salt and some pepper.  Put that baby on the grill and cook until done, about 20-minutes.  Because of the honey, you get a nice, yummy caramelization on your pork. Mmmmmm....

Let the pork rest for abut 10-minutes before you cut into it.  Serve it with a nice dollop of sauce on the side to dip your meat in.

I'm making my pork tonight with oniony potatoes and carrots.

I cut up about 3 potatoes, washed with skins on, and about 3 carrots, peeled.  I cut the potatoes into fairly small dices and the carrots into medium-ish dices.  I put them in a bowl and pour a little bit of oil onto them.  I typically use olive oil, but ran out of it yesterday.  Then I pour on a packet of onion soup mix and mix it all together.  I pour it into a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until the veggies are soft.

Time to tally up the cost of this meal:

• Pork, $2.82, (on sale at HyVee until Wednesday), I used 1 1/2 pounds of it.
• I already had all of the other ingredients for the marinade in my fridge or pantry...and I'm assuming most people have these as well.  But if I had to guess how much it cost me for them, based on how much I actually used, I'd say about $1
• I also had all of the sauce ingredients on hand, but I'd guess about $2
• Carrots, on sale last week for .99 and I used 1/4 of them, so .25
• Potatoes, on sale last week for .99, so .25
• Onion Soup Mix, $1

The grand total is...about $7.50 for a meal to feed 4-5 people.  Add a green salad for about $2 more, and you are still in under $10.  

I would love to hear what you think of the pork!  If you try it, let me know...but just so you are aware, if you don't like it, I will think you are crazy and that you just might need to be committed.

Grocery Deals 10/3-10/9

If you missed the canned tomato sale a few weeks ago...you are in luck!  There is an even better sale this week.  This week I will be posting a yummy salsa recipe as well as my super-duper delicious grilled pork loin recipe that you do not want to miss.  I think I will also be making roasted carrots for a side as well as some russet potato and cheese crisps.  Yum!  Now, on to the sales:

Price Chopper

Gala Apples .88 lbs
Campbell's Chunky Soups $1.25 + $1/4 = $1 per can
Healthy Choice Frozen Entrees $1.69 + .75/1 = .94
Kellogg's cereals (selected varieties) $2.50 + either $1/2 or $1/3
Charmin 9-big rolls 3.99 + $1/2 = 3.49

4-Day Sale 10/4-10/7

80% lean hamburger 1.99 lbs
Hormel Bacon 2.99 (sadly, I think this is the cheapest you will see bacon)
5lbs bag russet potatoes .99
Yoplait yogurts .39 + .50/8 = .33 each

Also, Price Chopper is running a sale where you buy $35 of P&G products and get a prepaid $10 Master Card via mail in rebate.  Here is a link to what products are P&G: P&G Products.

Hen House

Gala Apples .89 lbs (.1 more than Price Chopper, but I find that sometimes Hen House has better quality produce than other grocery stores.)
Kraft Shredded Cheese 1.69, just an okay deal.
Pork Chops 1.99 lbs
Pillsbury Crescent Rolls 2/$4 + .40/2 doubled = $1.60

Red Gold Tomatoes: Buy 10 Save $5
10-15 oz tomatoes .28
28-oz tomatoes .68
tomato sauce .28

HyVee

2-lbs bag carrots .99
Honey Crisp Apples 1.88 lbs
Campbell's Cream Mushroom/Cream Chicken Soups 4/$3 + .40/4 = .65 GREAT DEAL!
Hormel Pork Loin 1.88 lbs
HyVee Butter 1.69 (Thursday and Friday only)

As always, I use the couponing website CouponDede.com  Happy shopping.

Grocery Deals 9/26-10/2

Not much that is super great this week (and nothing from Hen House).  There are a few things that I am going to get, and those I have bolded for you.  Here is a link to my favorite coupon site, coupons by dede

Price Chopper

Honeycrisp Apples $1.79-lbs (my FAVORITE apples!)
Campbell's Chicken or Tomato Soup .49 + .40/4 = .39 each, limit 4
Campbell's Chunky Soup 1.67 + $1/4 = $1.42 (not a GREAT deal, but buy a couple of you need soup)
Prego Pasta Sauce $1.99 + .40/2 = $1.79 (not a GREAT deal, but buy a couple if you need them)

Buy 10 Get $10 off (prices show price if you buy 10...you can mix and match.  There are many more items to count towards your 10 so check your circular)

Oscar Mayer Meat Wieners .99
Velveeta Shells .99
Philadelphia Cream Cheese .99 (I will buy 10 of these and stick 9 of them in my freezer.  GREAT deal!)
Kraft Fresh Take 1.49 + .75/1 = .74 (I love these and this is a GREAT deal!)
Kraft Shredded Cheese 1.49

HyVee
2-Day Sale Thursday and Friday

Dozen Eggs .99
Wonder Bread .99
5-lbs flour .99
HV pasta .79

Aldi

Avocados .25 each
Pineapple 1.29 each
red grapes .79 lbs

$10 and Under Meals: Chicken Pillows

I love to cook.  It is a huge stress reliever for me to create something new and yummy.  I especially love it when I get to share my cooking with other people.  Nothing quite like the high you get from someone raving over whatever it is you have just prepared.  Unfortunately, cooking can be a fairly expensive habit.  I can't always make something over the top...my budget just won't allow it.  So, I've made it a kind of game to see how little I can spend while still making a yummy dinner for my family.  These are the recipes I will share on this blog.  Today's recipe is a family favorite: Chicken Pillows served with Caesar salad and sweet basil carrots.

Grocery List:

Crescent Rolls, $1.50 (Hen House w/this coupon)
Chicken, $1.49 lb (Hen House)
Cream Cheese, abt $1.50 at Walmart
Green Onions, abt .80
Bread Crumbs, use a couple of slices of bread you already have
Carrots, .99 (HyVee or Hen House)
Dole Caesar Salad Kit $1.66 (HyVee)

Total meal for 4 (or 5) people: $7.05

Chicken Pillows

1-lbs cooked and shredded chicken
8-oz softened cream cheese
1 stalk (not one bunch, but one bulb) green onion, chopped
pinch garlic powder
pinch paprika

Mix these ingredients all together.  The open up your crescent rolls and pull the dough apart into individual pieces.  Place a good spoonful of chicken mixture into center of roll and roll up like you would if you were making a crescent roll.  Place on a greased cookie sheet.

For your breadcrumbs, crumble up your slices of bread into find crumbs.  Season with a little bit of Italian Seasoning herbs.  Put into a bowl.  Press the tops of each chicken pillow into the bread crumbs and place back on to the cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 for about 10-12 minutes, or until browned on top.

Sweet Basil Carrots

Slice carrots and either put them into a steamer or just boil them.  Once they are tender, drain and return to the pot.  Put in a little bit of butter and melt to cover carrots.  Add a pinch of salt, some sugar and some dried basil.  Stir until everything is evenly distributed.

Grocery Deals 9/19-9/25

If you want to start on your 3-months supply of food storage, then you start by shopping the sales at your local grocery stores.  And if you can add coupons to that as well, all the better.  I'm planning on posting each week's grocery deals and any accompanying coupons so you can know when to buy what.

As far as coupons go, I never clip coupons...I always buy them.  In my opinion, it is the only way to go.  I always buy my coupons at Coupons And Things.  If I order my coupons on Wednesday, they get here by Saturday. They have always been very reliable.

I also plan on posting easy recipes that coincide with the weeks sale items.  Look for my super easy, super yummy salsa recipe coming this week (using canned tomatoes), as well as my chicken pillow recipe (using chicken and crescent rolls).

If I miss a sale that you have noticed, by all means, tell me!

Price Chopper

General Mills Cereal $1.79 + $1/3 (that is $1 off of 3 boxes) coupons = $1.46 per box
Keebler Cookies $1.49 + .55/2 = $1.21 per package
Best Choice Diced Tomatoes .49 (I think that is better than Aldi...but I'll have to double check)
Best Choice Canned Beans .49 (again, I think it beats Aldi)

If the tomatoes and beans beat Aldi, then I plan on buying at least 2 flats of each.  These are fantastic food storage items.   If you know Aldi is cheaper, let me know!  I know last time I went, their prices had gone up just a little on these items.

HyVee 

Campbell's Chunky Soup $1.18 + $1/3 = .85!  Stock up for the winter!
General Mills Cereal 3/$9 + $1/3 + get a coupon for $3 off your next shopping trip
Dannon Oikos Greek Yogurt $1 + .50/3 = .83
Skippy Peanut Butter $1.98, limit 2.  This isn't the best deal you can get, but it is a good one.  If you need peanut butter, then get 2 of these now.
Ore-Ida frozen potatoes $2.69 + B2G1 + $1/3 = $1.46 per bag
HyVee Apple Juice .99, limit 4

Hen House  (I love Hen House because they double coupons up to .50)

93% lean ground beef 2.99 lbs.  GREAT deal for 93% lean meat.
Post Cereals 2/$5 + either $1/2 or $1/1 =  $2 or $1.50 each
Fresh Bone-In Chicken $1.49 lbs
Pillsbury Crescent Rolls 2/$4 + .40/2 doubled = $1.60

Hen House 1 Day Sale, Saturday 22nd

5-lbs Bag Russet Potatoes .99
Farmland Roll Sausage .99
Best Choice Shredded Cheese .99 Tropicana Orange Juice $1.99
2-lbs Bag Carrots .99

In The Beginning...

Lately Todd and I have been watching this show called "Doomsday Preppers".  I'm not gonna lie, it is hysterical!  Oh my goodness.  The things these people do are certifiably crazy...BUT I think there is some method to their madness.  We are surely not going to learn Tagalog just so we can communicate with no one else knowing what we're saying.  Nor are we going to practice "sweeping" our home in the dark...with guns...while tapping morse code.  However, we are going to take action regarding our own emergency preparedness plan:

• 72-hour kits for the whole family, including evacuation plan
• 3-month food supply, including water
• long-term food supply 
• Financial security

Man...that is A LOT to think about!  It can be a bit overwhelming and easily discouraging.  But, it doesn't have to be.  I'm hoping to make this daunting, yet important, planning more manageable.  I find a lot of comfort in knowing that I am doing all I can to protect my family from what may come.  

I certainly don't have all the answers and would love to hear your ideas about things you do or thoughts you have.  You can leave comments here or email me at saraandsons@gmail.com.