I'm off to War...

OK OK don't cry. I'm not really going off the the REAL War, but I will be playing "war" for the next 5 days. Off to the base I go! In the mean time, please enjoy the rest of the week filled with wonderful posts that I have lined up. Trust me, they are going to be fantastic. For right now, please enjoy this 80s gem of a video....and know that....I am.....a warrior!

Scandal |MTV Music

Italian Tomato soup!

When those little suckers up there were on sale last week at Walgreens, my buddy Suz joked in the comments section on here about using them up. And even though she joked, this "know-it-all" just had to leave her a recipe in HER comments section. Wanna know the recipe? Huh? Huh? Here it is...and yes, it's lazy mom-proof. Oh, yeah, it's delicious, too!

4 8oz cans of tomato sauce(hunt's seems like a fine one!)
1 can chicken broth(or 2 cups homemade)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder(optional, but recommended :oP)

Open all cans.
Dump in your crockpot.
Drop in the bay leaves and all seasonings.
Stir.
Turn on low for 6 hours or high for 3.
Take out bay leaves before serving.

So easy! Now, here's the fun part: This basic soup is great with any add-ins you want. Want pizza soup? Chop up some pepperoni and stir it in. Top each bowl with shredded mozzarella and parmesan, if you have it. We stir in the cheese once we sit down to eat, so it's nice and gooey.
Have leftover rice? Stir that into the soup once it's done cooking. This is a favorite around here.
Have a little bit of noodle left in their box? Add them to the soup during the last half an hour of cooking.
Want to make it a mexican soup instead? Replace the italian seasoning with chili powder and a bit of cumin. Top with shredded cheddar and crumble up tortilla chips for garnish. Yum!
Don't have cans of tomato sauce, but you have plenty of spaghetti sauce? Use it! Sometimes I use a jar of garden veggie sauce in place of the cans. It instantly adds more veggies to our meal, and it tastes great.

Hope you all like the recipe!

Meal Plan Monday!

Well, this isn't really going to be a great meal plan this week because I'm going to be gone most of the week for work. I'll cook monday and tuesday, but that's it. Hubby and Sonny Boy will eat some meals I made in advance for the rest of the week, plus any leftovers from monday and tuesday's meals.

Monday: "Krab" pot stickers with braised carrot ribbons
Tuesday: Slow cooker corned beef, cabbage and potatoes

Wednesday through Sunday: Boys are on their own! I left macaroni and cheese, no-fry mustard tenders, a few frozen pizzas(gotta have pizza on friday!), lots of fruits and veggies, and a big pot of soup. Along with the leftovers from Monday and Tuesday, they should be fine...until Hubby orders out. I know he will.

Soup of the week: Italian tomato soup(recipe will be up later!)
Bread of the week: Buttermilk Bread
Dessert of the week: Whatever they want!

Shop Rite deals 3/29- 4/4

This week they are having a great deal on GM and Unilever items: buy 50.00 worth, get a 25.00 catalina off your next order. Some rules do apply(50 dollars hast to be after store discounts and coupons, but before double coupons, etc.) but I'll update this post with the best scenarios once they come to light. Here are some of the items included that have coupons out for them:

lipton ice tea 92-100oz 35-38 qt yield 5.99
.75/1 coupon from 3/15RP doubled- 4.49
lipton tea bags 100ct- 2.99
.75/1 coupon from 3/15RP doubled- 1.49
lipton green tea 20ct- 2 for $4 (must buy 2)
.75/1 coupon from 3/15RP doubled- .50

skippy peanut butter 16.3-18oz any variety 2 for $3 (must buy 2)
.40/1 coupon from 1/18RP doubled- .70

hellmanns real mayonnaise 24oz squeeze or 30oz jar 3.29
.60/1 coupon from 1/18RP doubled- 2.09

lipton/knorr rice or pasta sides- 4 for 5.00
.60/2 coupon from 1/18RP doubled- .65 each

ragu 1lb jar or 26oz cheese creations-3 for $5 (must buy 3)
1.00/2 coupon from 1/18RP- 3 for 4.00

betty crocker cookie mix 17.5oz pouch- 1.66
.40/1 coupon from 2/8GM doubled- .86
betty crocker warm delights(excludes minis)-3 for $5 (must buy 3)
.50/1 coupon from 2/8GM doubled- .66 each
betty crocker frosting - 1.88
.50/1 coupon from 2/8GM doubled- .88
betty crocker specialty potato- 2 for $3
.40/1 printable coupon doubled- .70 each
banana nut cheerios 10.9oz -2.49
.50/1 coupon from 2/22SS doubled- 1.49(way too high for cereal, but whatever)

Suave hair care- 3 for 5.00(must buy 3)
1.00/2 coupon from 1/11RP- 3 for 4.00

Current scenarios:

3 Hellman's mayo
4 knorr sides
2 cans del monte veggies(you get these free when you buy 4 knorr sides)
4 skippy peanut butters
4 betty crocker cookie mixes
4 betty crocker frosting tubs
3 betty crocker warm delights
3 Banana Nut Cheerios Cereal
3 Suave Hair care products

Total OOP after coupons: 33.00 and get back the 25.00 catalina

Other good deals:
hefty foam plates or bowls- 1.97
1.00/1 coupon from 1/18RP- .97

Chi Chi's salsa- 1.99
.55/1 coupon from 12/07SS doubled- .89(coupon expires Tuesday!)

Dannon activia 4-pack- 2 for 5.00
1.00/1 coupon from 3/01SS- 1.50 each

Colgate toothpaste(regular, tartar control, baking soda, or mint)- .99
.75/1 coupon from 3/15SS or 3/29SS doubled- FREE

Sorrento Mozzarella 16oz part skin or whole milk- 1.98
1.00/1 coupon from 2/8SS- .98(great price for sorrento!)

Glade scented oil candle w/holder- 2.49
BOGO coupon from 3/15SS(excludes TRIO)- 1.24 each

Hefty cinch sak bags- 2.49
1.00/1 coupon from 3/8SS- 1.49

International delights creamers- .99
1.00/1 printable coupon- FREE

Mennen speed stick- 1.99(get 1.00 catalina when you buy 1)
.75/1 coupon from 3/29SS doubled- FREE

Great non-coupon deals:
Shop Rite shredded cheese- 3 for 5.00(great price if you need cheese)
Shop Rite gallon fat free milk- 2.49
Red, Black or Green seedless grapes- .99/lb(current rock bottom)
Shop Rite 18-ct large eggs- 1.48
Bottom round roast- 1.79/lb(rock bottom is 1.69, so this is a good price)

It's my Apple Pie...

Looks so good makes a grown man cry....sweet apple pie! This remix was bought to you by the 80s rock group Warrant.

Yes, I know they were talking about Cherry Pie...and not actual "cherry pie" but I digress. Last night, I did the unthinkable: I made my first apple pie. I've done Pioneer Woman's apple dumplings and I've sauteed apple slices with sugar and cinnamon, but I was scared to do the pie. To go all the way. I took the leap and it was heavenly! I used a recipe that was posted during a contest on Pioneer Woman, but I added some things that I felt it was lacking. When I read the recipe, I loved the process and how it was different than the usual way apple pie is made. And yes, it did make my "grown man" cry. Hubby announced that it was the "worst pie he's ever tasted" while licking the plate clean. No kidding. He then demanded(and he never demands) that I put a big slice in his lunch for tomorrow. By the way, please don't make fun of my lattice skills...I'm still a novice.




1 recipe for pie crust(I used PW's recipe, and just used 2 of the 3 discs)
1/2 cup unsalted butter
a pinch of nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
zest and juice of one lemon
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
8 to 10 Granny Smith apples: peeled, cored and sliced(I used 10)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Melt the butter in a saucepan and then stir in flour to form a paste.
Add the water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.
Place sliced apples into a bowl and toss with lemon juice, lemon zest, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Place the bottom crust in pan.
Fill with the seasoned apples, mounded slightly.
Cover with a lattice work of crust.
Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust(this was the awesome part!). Pour it slowly so that it does not run off.
Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees. Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.
Let sit for about half an hour...this is the hard part.
Cut up and enjoy your sweet apple pie!

A hamburger today....

Well, it's more like a hamburger last Saturday. While I was out "hounding" some deals last week, it hit me: a burger craving. Every once in a while, I get these cravings for a big, giant, juicy burger on a toasted bun, with just a dollop of ketchup as it's dance partner. Medium cooked, and all the way messy once bitten; that is heaven for me.

Now usually, when my craving attacks, we round up the posse and run to our favorite burger joints in the area, one being a place called Five Guys(our first lady is a big fan as well), but this time, I took a stand.

I saw I was on the road of my favorite, reasonably priced, grocery store and knew that I could run in, grab what I needed, and make my own hamburger. I stopped in, grabbed the ground beef that was on sale, the .99 bag of shoe string fries, and a clearance bag of sesame seed buns from the bakery. Also, to add insult to injury, I grabbed a bottle of full priced, yes I said full priced, 2 liter A&W root beer. I had a root beer float dancing in my brain, and vanilla bean ice cream waiting in the freezer.

After all was said and done, I ended up paying 7.09 for everything, the price of one burger and fries combo at our favorite burger joint(not including a fountain drink). I got home, got down to business, and we were eating GIANT(as big as my head) burgers with fries and root beer floats within 15 minutes.

I decided that since the whole meal was made and eaten on the same day, and we would have just gone out to eat usually, I took the money I spent from our "entertaining" allotment for the month. So, for 2.63 a person, we treated ourselves the same way we would have if we had ordered out. No tummy aches after, no hubby running to the fridge around 9pm because the take-out food just wasn't enough. It's amazing what a homemade "take-out" dinner can accomplish.

It can be hard sometimes to be so frugal; saving every penny, staying away from your favorite stores and restaurants, and seeing your money disappear to bills and debt as soon as you get it. Some get tired and end up treating themselves to something that they truly can't afford. Others get depressed and wonder when they'll be able to actually use the money they make. Sometimes, you just need a little "splurge." Whether that's a trip to the store to buy your all time favorite ice cream, or a trip to Marshalls, TJ Maxx or Target for a new shirt, it is necessary. So, when you feel the itch, scratch it. We did it somewhat frugally, but a treat's a treat no matter how you do it.

Save those pennies, but don't forget to live life a little. A hamburger today is what I say!


What about you all? What do you "splurge" on when you get the itch to treat yourself?

Pssst....look what I got today...

I had a lovely knock at my door just now and look what my mail carrier left for me! A full box of fiber one chocolate mocha granola bars and 10, yes 10, coupons for 1.35 off 1 box of chocolate mocha fiber one bars. Gotta love general mills!

If you haven't yet, please sign up to become a Pssst Member for Genreal mills. This is the second time I've received high value coupons from them, and the first time I've received actual product! Click here to check out what they are about and to get started as a member.

Now, I'm off to indulge in some chocolatey goodness...

Quotable Wednesday

"One secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes."

- Benjamin Disraeli

Cheap Eats: Potatoes and Onions

Have you noticed that potatoes and onions seem to always be on the cheap side at the stores? For the price, you really can get your money's worth in meals. I recently noticed that we've been having this combination as a side dish readily in the past few weeks, and when factoring the price and the shelf life, we really are getting our money's worth! Here are a few things I've been doing with them:

1. Cube up 6 potatoes and thinly slice one onion. Pan fry in a large skillet for abotu 5 minutes, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cover with a lid. Cook on medium heat for another 5 ot 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are cooked through. We ended up using this as a side dish for a dinner, and then a few days later as home fries for our Saturday breakfast.

2. Thinly slice potatoes and a few onions, toss with salt, pepper and paprika, then alternately layer in a casserole dish. Pour half cup chicken stock over the goodness and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

3. Just looking to use the onions? Slice 3 pounds of them(you gonna cry! you gonna cry!), put them in your slow cooker with a stick of butter or margarine. Cook on low for 12 to 14 hours and ta-da! Caramelized onions! I've done this so many times now. We use it on our pizzas and this week, we'll use them for our mashed potato buffet. The best part is that they can last up to a month in the back of your fridge.

4. Keep it simple: Cut the onion in fours, cut the potatoes in fours, rub with kosher salt and olive oil and roast at 375 to 400 degrees. If you place the pan in the oven and let it warm up before putting the veggies on it, they won't stick. Hubby could sit and eat roasted onions all by themselves. And, well, I could too.

5. Just looking to use up the potatoes? Try This. It'll knock your socks off.

What about you all? Any special things you've been doing with potatoes and onions to help stretch the budget?


*the Beautiful picture is from Adventures in Shaw

Time for Spring Cleaning!

Yay! It's that time again, folks! Time to get down and dirty and get that spring cleaning going! Last year, I created a spring cleaning tutorial that lists things to do week by week. When you are busy and don't really have time to take a whole weekend to clean your whole house, it helps to have something to follow throughout March and April to get your house in order. For those that missed the breakdown last year, here are the links to each week:

Part 1- The Bathroom
Part 2- The Bedroom
Part 3- The Living Room
Part 4- The Kitchen
Part 5- The Hallway, Closets, and Corridor

Since last year after I finished the series, I have been diligently following FlyLady.net to keep up with my housework and not get overwhelmed. I found her site not too long after I finished my spring cleaning, and I'm so glad that I did. I loved doing my series and then switching over to her plan. It was an easy transition! So, take a peek at what I did last year, and see if it's something that tickles your fancy. I'd love some feedback on the series, as well. Happy cleaning, everyone!

Make your own frugal scrub!

This is from the March issue of "LiveRight with Shop Rite," a monthly magazine that my grocery store puts out.

You know how much I love frugal ways to stay beautiful, so when I ran across this, I knew I had to share. Even if this isn't your "deal," these would make wonderful Mother's Day gifts. Take a peek at your local beauty supply store and find cute little jars to put them in.

Normal Skin: Mix 1 cup oatmeal, cornmeal, or wheat germ with 1 teaspoon light oil, such as almond or sunflower, in a blender or food processor until a coarse paste forms. Massage into damp skin, and rinse.

Dry/Sensitive Skin: Mix 1 tablespoon superfine Baker's Sugar or baking soda and 1 tablespoon canola oil into a paste. Rub into skin for 30 to 60 seconds. Remove with a warm, wet washcloth.

Oily Skin: Grind the peels from 2 to 3 oranges in a food processor and mix with an equal amount of cream of wheat, ground oatmeal, or cornmeal. Massage into damp skin, and rinse with cool water.

Aging Skin: Finely grind 2 to 3 almonds(or walnuts) into a food processor. Add 1 teaspoon honey and enough drops of milk to create a thick paste. Rub into damp skin, and rinse with warm water.

Body Scrub: Mix 2 tablespoons granulated salt or sugar with 2 tablespoons light oil. Massage mixture into skin from the neck down before bathing.

Meal Plan Monday!

Well, this week, the Mama has to have oral surgery....again. Last Tuesday, we had a scare where Hubby and Sonny had to rush me to the hospital at 2 in the morning. The pain was unbearable and my whole mouth felt like I was on fire. Turns out, I have a gum infection and after the dramatics at the dentist on Friday, I have to get a root canal to boot! Boy, that was a fun birthday week! Well, I have to make a meal plan where I can basically make most of it monday(my surgery is Tuesday) and just heat it up in the oven or microwave. I think by Thursday or Friday I should be back to normal, so the meals will reflect that.

Monday: Chicken fried rice
Tuesday: Baked Macaroni and Cheese with side of green peas
Wednesday: Erin's crockpot stuffed cabbage
Thursday: Mashed potato buffet: beef gravy, shredded cheese, caramelized onions, etc.
Friday: Mexican Pizza! Yum!
Saturday: Leftovers night
Sunday: Dinner out! My mouth should feel better by then :o)

Soup of the week: egg drop soup(again)
Bread of the week: Wheat
Dessert of the Week: Angel food cake with macerated strawberries

Shop Rite deals 3/22- 3/29

There haven't been too many good deals lately, but there are a few that I can list this week.

General Mills Bugles or Chex Mix- 4 for 5.00
.50/1 coupon for chex mix from 2/22SS doubled- .25 each

Frank's buffalo wing sauce- 1.39
.75/1 coupon from 3/1SS doubled- FREE

nestle nesquik milk- .99
.50/1 tearpad coupon doubled- FREE

kraft macaroni and cheese crackers- .99
1.00/2 coupon from 3/1SS- .49 each

nestle juicy juice- 2 for 5.00
.75/1 coupon from 1/4SS doubled- 1.00 each

Good deals:
broccoli crowns- .99/lb(rock bottom)
red delicious or granny smith apples- .99/lb


Deals to watch for:
eggland's best large brown eggs are going for 1.49 in some stores. Use the .50/1 coupon from 1/11SS doubled, and get a dozen eggs for .49.

Somerdale shoe string fries are .99. The store brand shoe string fries are usually 2.00 on sale, so this is a good price. Looks like it might be the regular price, as well!

Applebee's gift card winner!

The winner of the Applebee's gift card as selected by the random.org True Random Number Indicator is entry number 55. Who is entry number 55? None other than:

Flora at Shark89ten

Flora, darling, I sent an e-mail to you and I need you to get back to me by Monday, March 23rd with your information. If I don't get a response from Flora, I'll pick another winner.

Thank you all for entering!

Target and Quaker....What a deal!

Ok, I have to admit: I saw this deal last sunday and thought that it probably wasn't going to be a good one. Maybe I was jaded because we actually needed more granola bars and I didn't want to fall for a "sale" that really wasn't. Or, maybe it's because I hardly ever get the good deals that Target has because they either don't apply to my stores or all of the good stuff is gone by the time I get there. I'm glad I changed my mind! Thanks to frugalsuz for re-posting the deal on the grocery challenge. It was fun!

Here's the deal: Buy 5 select quaker products, and get a 5.00 Target gift card. The best part is, you can "roll" the deal! Keep buying in groups of 5, use your previous 5.00 gift card along with your coupons, and STILL get another 5.00 gift card back!

Trip 1:
2 boxes quaker true delight granola bars- 2.50 each
3 bags quaker mini rice cakes(it's a big bag!)- 2.00 each
1 juicy fruit gum- 1.02
coupons:
2 1.00/1 quaker true delights
3 1.00/1 quaker rice cake products
FREE wrigley's gum coupon

Total OOP: 6.30 Savings: 13.12 and got a 5.00 gift card

Trip 2:
2 boxes quaker simple harvest- 2.50 each
1 box quaker simple harvest oatmeal- 2.50
2 boxes quaker true delights- 2.50 each
1 juicy fruit gum- 1.02
coupons:
2 1.00/1 simple harvest granola bars
1 1.00/1 simple harvest oatmeal(home mailer)
2 1.00/1 true delights
FREE wrigley's gum coupon
used 5.00 gift card from trip 1

Total OOP: 2.57 Savings: 18.77 and got another gift card

Trip 3:
3 boxes simple harvest granola bars- 2.50 each
2 boxes quaker variety pack oatmeal- 2.50 each
coupons:
3 1.00/1 simple harvest bars
2 .70/1 quaker oatmeal packs
used 5.00 gift card from trip 2

Total OOP: 3.10 Savings: 17.60 and got yet another gift card!

I'm going back tomorrow to get some high fiber oatmeal packs. Hubby loves to take the oatmeal packets to work for breakfast on a cold morning.

Bartering is the new black....

What to know what the deal is with the red paper clip? Read this story!

For those of us that are somewhat new to the frugal lifestyle, bartering may seem like a great idea, almost too good to be true. But, I have to admit, it's pretty great.

I've recently seen a few frugal sites and articles mention the art of bartering, and I'm so glad that during these times, there is wonderful attention being given to it. It's almost like it's the "new black" of the frugal world.

Bartering isn't too hard to get started, but there are a few things to consider:

Do a little bit of research. Take a peek at sites like Freecycle.org and Craigslist.com. See what people are offering as trades or what people are desperately needing. If you know that you have those items in abundance, you're good to go. You'd be surprised with the correlation of items people are asking for and what you may have in your stockpile closet. Glucose monitors, anyone?

Make a list. This is great for those of us that do stockpile. Keep a running list of the items that you have in great amount. Also, list items that you may have stockpiled, but you know that you won't personally use(anyone remember the bald guyz promotion at Walgreens?). These are great bartering items, since you won't miss the item if it's gone, and getting something you need in return is an ultimate plus.
I tend to barter canned goods, processed items, and certain shampoos and conditioners that I got for free or a money maker. They are items that I know we can do without, and I love receiving fresh fruits and veggies in return. Which brings me to the next point...

Know what you want in return. I know that fruits and vegetables are great barter for me, and since I am near farmlands, I tend to receive these items. I also look for coupons for free things we need done, like oil changes at our local auto places, or free car washes. Another great bartering item are gift cards. You'd be surprised at the amount of people actually willing to trade their gift cards for items they need or aren't willing to splurge on.

Pay attention to the seasons. Depending on the time of year, you will obviously have offers that reflect the season around you. January and February will bring gift cards and gifts that won't be used by the recipient. Spring time may bring household items that couples might have gotten doubles of during their wedding. You may also see offers for an overflow of winter fruits and veggies that grew in someone's garden. Fall harvests will also bring more fruits and veggies, and even some summer items, like sun block, kid's beach toys, etc.

Don't get discouraged. Unlike Ebay, you won't find what you are looking for right away. Even though places like Craigslist is basically an online flea market, you do have to "visit" this market everyday to find the gems to barter. But beware: once you get started, you won't want to stop.

What about you all? Has anyone out there tried bartering in their area? Does anyone have any questions for me about bartering?

Welcome to the MSN Money Crowd!

I just wanted to give a warm welcome to all of you that are stopping by from MSN Money and from Donna Freeman's wonderful article "Free toothpaste for life!" Thank you, Donna, for interviewing me and allowing me to show how much of a geek I am about stockpiling. Coupon geeks, unite!

If you are new to 4 hats and frugal, please feel free to look to the right of the blog. The Best of 4 Hats and Frugal is a great starting place for my new readers.

Also, if you're in the mood for a contest, I'm giving away a 20 dollar Applebee's gift card in honor of my birthday, which is today!

Want to see the now-famous post about my 6,000+ dollars in savings I put away in 2008. Click here and bask in it's glory.

If you have questions and want to contact me directly, my email is amiyrah18@hotmail.com. I love questions, so bring 'em on!

Stick around for a while. I'm a weird bird, but I love my family, I love my job(s), I love to laugh, I love my readers(smooches, you all!) and I love to be frugal and stretch that buck in any way I can. I think in these economic times, that says a lot.

Quotable Wednesday- Birthday Edition

"Go shorty...it's your birthday...we gonna party like it's your birthday...."

-50 Cent


No serious quote today! It's my birthday! Yay!

Blog Spotlight- Living Life the Frugal Way

This week's blog is Living Life the Frugal Way by the wonderful Andie. Andie is a Cali girl, wife and SAHM in Orange County. She decided(like the rest of us) that being frugal is no longer just an option and has made it an important part of her family's daily life. Kudos to you, Andie!

I took a peek at her blog and immediately saw posts that made me giggle with frugal delight! Check out her posts about more uses for vinegar(you all know about my love affair with vinegar), frugal tips for your home, and homemade cleaners. Such great information and even a few things I didn't know about vinegar. I just love learnin' new thangs!

Andie, thank you from the bottom of my heart for following my blog. Keep up your informative posts and the great job you are doing becoming an expert frugal mama!

The Cadbury Egg Commercial....

There are a few things that point out the return of spring: new flower buds popping out of the ground, baby birds chirping in the trees, and even a quick bought of hay fever. But, for me, the return of spring is recognized by one simple thing....the cadbury egg commercial.

You know the one; they have different animals with bunny ears on a stage, trying to cluck like chickens(my favorite is the lion). It's preposterous, it's silly, it's cute,(it's not on you tube, dang it!) and it's the start of my spring fever.

Just like the M&Ms commercial with Santa(He does exist! They do exist!) gets me all riled up for Christmas, this commercial gets the blood flowing for Spring/Easter.

I had a wicked case of "the mondays" today. Just seeing that commercial for the first time this year, immediately took me out of it. I'm ready for spring!

There is one more thing that gets me going.....peeps. But, that's more of an easter "thang."

Meal Plan Monday!

Since this is my birthday week(yay!) we are having lots of my favorite meals. Since pizza and corned beef are already 2 of my favorites, that makes it pretty easy to put this week's meals together. We are also having 2 desserts this week because Mama is the queen, and the queen deserves two desserts for her birthday.

Monday: Meatloaf, candied carrot ribbons and mashed potatoes
Tuesday: St. Patty's Day! Slow cooker corned beef...Yum!
Wednesday: My birthday! My favorite meal...spaghetti and meat sauce(with ground turkey)
Thursday:"Krab" and cabbage pot stickers with Asian sauce
Friday: Homemade pizza day
Saturday: Leftovers buffet
Sunday: slow cooker rotisserie chicken with braised carrots and potatoes

Dessert of the week: applebee's blondies and french apple tart for mama's birthday
Soup of the week: Egg drop soup
Bread of the week: Honey wheat

Birthday Giveaway! Applebee's $20 gift card!

Hey all! Well, since this is my birthday week, I decided to do a giveaway that is close to my tummy. My friends and I call Applebee's out "hang out spot" when we just need to meet up, talk, eat, and giggle. We always have a good time there. Maybe it's just the Applebee's we go to, or maybe it's because we are cool chicks that are fun to be around(probably the first reason), but no matter what, we leave there in good spirits.

Now, I want to be able to provide that for you! Whether you use this to be part of the new 2 for $20 deal they have going on, or you're on a weight watchers diet and what to treat yourself and a dieting buddy to a night out with "real" food.....it's a great place to go! So, one lucky winner will get a $20 dollar gift card from 4 hats and frugal.

This contest will be open from Sunday, March 15th to Friday, March 20th at 11:59pm EST.

The winner will be picked on Random.org and announced on Saturday, March 21st.

Good Luck!

Friday Funny- Living on a Prayer

This is totally going to be me tonight! Tonight, to start my birthday celebrations, my friends are taking me out to a dance club that plays 80s and 90s music and they always play "Living on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi. It also helps that I the club is only a town from Jon's hometown. Oh....Living on a prayer!!

This one's dedicated to all my Jersey girls out there....

Quotable Wednesday

"Well-behaved women seldom make history."

- Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

Blog Spotlight- Frugality in the Making

Kristen over at Frugality in the Making makes me smile. I love her posts about her quick shopping trips, awareness of causes that may be close to her heart, and her weekly wrap ups. She's a fellow stop and shop hound, and I love to peek at her deals.

She's also a wonderful mother, so I love to read the great things that are happening in her and her baby boy's life. Ok, he's 12, but my boy will be 12 before I know it. Thanks for reminding me of that, Kristen :oP.

She pretty much says it all in her "about me" quip: "I am a married mom of a twelve year old son! I work full time in the travel industry and love to hunt for bargains, bake, and learn new things."

Check out Kristen's blog and leave her a comment on how well she's doing over there. Kristen, thank you so much for following my blog, and being an inspiration. Keep up the great work!

Random Stockpile picture- Cereal!

Oh boy! One of my favorite things to stockpile....cereal! It always seems like we have way too many boxes of cereal and then, all of a sudden, we're down to 5 and I get nervous. Up there, I have 17 boxes of cereal lined up on our small counter. 17! What's even more sad, is that I know for a fact that I didn't pay any OOP for half of them. Once a reach a certain amount of boxes, I only "buy" them if they are free or a money maker. And since Hubby takes a box of cereal to work for his breakfasts, I have to make sure we do have a good amount and some type of variety. Coupons and free samples of cereal make this task pretty easy.

There are times that I use cereal for cooking and baking, so I also have to make sure we have a proper stockpile for that. I use rice krispies as a panko bread crumb substitute in my no-fry tenders. I use raisin bran for raisin bran muffins every once in a while, when we need a healthy snack to go with lunch. I also use cheerios to make a pie crust, when we don't have graham crackers in the house.

So, I really don't feel too bad about having so many boxes of cereal. I also don't feel bad that I'm going to get more free boxes this week at the grocery store. That's the way the stockpile world goes 'round....

Shop Rite deals- 3/8 to 3/14

This is going to be pretty quick since I had military weekend and am finally back on track this morning. Here are the few things I see

Kellogg's cereals- 3 for 4.00(must buy 4)
use 3 .70/1 coupon from 2/22SS doubled- FREE CEREAL!
(these coupons will only work the the raisin bran, cookie crunch and corn flakes!)

Chock full o' nuts coffee- 1.49 each
use .75/1 coupon from 1/25SS doubled- .49 each

carolina rice- .99
use .50/1 coupon from 3/1RP doubled- FREE

meow mix cat treats- 1.00
use 1.00/1 coupon from 3/1RP- FREE(great donation item!)

Joint Juice 4 pack- 2.49
use 2.00/1 coupon from 2/22SS- .49 each

Mrs. T's pierogies- 3 for 5.00
use 1.00/1 coupon from 1/25RP- .66 each

Aquafresh toothpaste- 1.49
use .75/1 coupon from 1/4SS doubled- FREE
(buy the advanced or extreme clean)

Colgate toothbrush- 1.49
use .75/1 coupon from 2/22SS doubled- FREE

hormel compleats- 1.99
use .75/1 coupon from 2/8SS doubled- .49 each

spray 'n wash with resolve power- 2 for 4.00
use printable coupon for .75/1 doubled- .50 each

rice dream or soy dream milk- 1.99
use .75/1 printable coupon doubled- .49 each

Other good deals:
cabbage heads- .09 a pound(limit 8 pounds)
corned beef brisket- 1.89 a pound(limit 1)

I think I might have missed a few, so I will update as I make my grocery list for the day. Sorry for taking so long to get this up!

Meal Plan Monday!

I'm actually typing this a whole week before this meal plan is going to start. Since my military weekend is lurking, I figured I should get off my bottom and be proactive. Here's what I put together for this week:

Monday: Chili with homemade cornbread
Tuesday: No-fry mustard tenders with mashed potatoes and buttered corn
Wednesday: Baked Ravioli
Thursday: Faux crab cakes with side salad
Friday: Pizza night!
Saturday: Leftovers night
Sunday: Dinner out! Whoo Hoo!

Dessert of the week: PB&J cookies
Bread of the week: Italian Herb bread
Soup of the week: Chicken and dumplings

Recession brings a new truck...

At least in this house, it did! Hubby "surprised" my yesterday by buying me a new-to-me 2001 GMC Jimmy! I saw "surprised" because I actually was the one that found the car with a For Sale sign at a local auto body shop and nonchalantly told him about it last week. He had be looking for months for a new car for us. We were determined to not have any payments and get it for around $4500. With the recession, we were finding quite a few options.

Well, leave it to the wife who knows nothing about cars to find the perfect ones for our needs. I told Hubby that it "looked nice" and maybe he should go look at it. Little did I know, the next day he did look at it, test drove it, and put a down payment on it. Yesterday, he called me up(after being 2 hours late to get home) and told me that my new car was waiting for me. That little sneaky fox!

Ok, down to the frugal and financial aspects: the truck was purchased for $3900, $600 under the amount we were more than comfortable to pay for our next car. It has some mileage on it, but with the mileage, year of car and condition of it, it was supposed to be worth around $7500! So, all and all, we saved $3600 right off the bat, and still have the extra $600 in our car fund. When we asked the seller why it was priced so low, he admitted that he got it at an auction and knew the price of it on Kelley Blue Book. He purchased it for a very very low price and, because of the recession, wanted to sell it off immediately to make a quick profit. He does this all the time, he says. Well, I'll be darned!
Also, because the truck is pretty safe, our insurance only went up 20 dollars. Talk about savings!

I see now that hounding is definitely a sixth sense for me. I literally stumbled upon this truck and ended up getting us a $7500 truck for 48% less. If only there was a coupon for cars....

Egg Drop Soup

I haven't made this is such a long time, and it took me a few days to sit down and write out the recipe. I had put this together from watching a chef make it at the restaurant I used to manage, and I've had it in my mind ever since. When I found out that my then-fiance was a egg drop soup fan, I had to start making it for him. I think it made marrying me even better. Today, I share it with you. Enjoy!

3 cups chicken broth
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp minced ginger(fresh is best, but ground is good too)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 green onion, chopped(optional...you can use 1/4 cup yellow onion in a pinch)

2 tbls corn starch
2 tbls cold water

1 egg beaten
1 tbls water

Add the first 5 ingredients into a small soup pot, put on high heat and bring to a boil.
While the soup mixture is getting warm, mix the corn starch and cold water to make a slurry. Once the soup is boiling, pour in the slurry, turn the heat to low and stir constantly. Once you see the soup slightly thicken, turn off the heat.
Mix the beaten egg and the water together. Now, while stirring the soup(I use a chopstick to stir at this point), slowly pour the egg mixture into the soup. Keep stirring! This is going to make those lovely, eggy strings that we see in good egg drop soup.
Place the soup in bowls and serve immediately. Yum!

*sorry for not having a picture...Hubby ate up the soup before I could take a good picture of it. I'll have one up next week!

5 random things I learned this week...

1. There are over 120 members of the Osmond family

2. Only 1% of the world's rice production is grown in the U.S.

3. By 2050, at least 60% percent of women on Earth will be women of color.

4. Nicolas Cage(whose real name is Nicolas Coppola) is the nephew of Francis Ford Coppola.

5. Within every generation of my maternal grandmother's family, there has always been at least one frugal person. My grandmother was one, her father was one, my mom was the one in her generation and supposedly, I'm the one of this generation. Another weird but true fact: all of these "frugal family members" have gone on to own their own successful businesses.

Quotable Wednesday- Cooking edition

"Only bad cooks blame the equipment."
- Mario Batali

“They take great pride in making their dinner cost much; I take my pride in making my dinner cost so little.”
- Henry David Thoreau

“Never argue at the dinner table, for the one who is not hungry gets the best of the argument.”
- Richard Whately

Blog Spotlight- The Wandering Peanut

Boy am I late on this one! Cherie over at The Wandering Peanut is on the ball with deals and has a great following. If you are a Price Chopper or Stop and Shop Shopper, she does a wonderful job of giving match ups of the best deals each week. I now have a site to go to for Stop and Shop match ups instead of doing it myself! Whoo Hoo!

Her header says it all: "wandering through life, the internet and grocery stores." She's a hard-working mom and so far I am loving her blog. Keep up the great work, Cherie!

National Peanut Month!

Well, guess what y'all? March is National Peanut Month! I knew there was some type of correlation between my love of peanuts, peanut butter and my birthday, but I would have never thought it was because national peanut month is in march. Well, hot diggity dog!

Keep a look out for great sales on peanut butter this month. When you come across coupons for your favorite brand, keep it close. It just may be very cheap at the stores soon enough.

Also, if you wanna kick this month off with a bang, make these cookies. I promise ya....you're loved ones will treat you like the Queen of Sheba after they taste 'em.

Enjoy your peanuts, people!

Man, I wish I could find raw peanuts around here....I've got a craving for boiled peanuts now...

Meal Plan Monday!

Yay! Another week where it's an easy, yet filling, meal plan. I love weeks like this. With the great sales of shredded cheese lately, I feel the need for a mac and cheese night. Mmmmm....mac and cheese.

Monday: Taco night with all the (cheap) fixins!
Tuesday: slow cooker rotisserie chicken quarters with rice pilaf and green peas
Wednesday: Homemade macaroni and cheese with roasted tomatoes on a bed of lettuce
Thursday: mustard thyme tilapia with mixed rice and veggies
Friday: Pizza! If we have leftover mac and cheese, we'll have mac and cheese pizza
Saturday and Sunday: Mama's off to serve her country! The boys are to eat the leftovers

Dessert of the Week: Lemon cream cheese pound cake(didn't get to make it last week)
Bread of the week: Potato bread
Soup of the week: Egg Drop Soup(recipe will be posted on Friday!)

February monthly savings!

Boy, oh boy, did I do well this month! The amount I got back from rebates was almost as much as I spent on groceries. That's a first! It was a short month, but a month full of surprise deals. I can see now that March will be a month where I can actually live off the stockpile and not worry. Wow, that's big! Take a peek at how I did:

Total items purchased: 284
Total coupons used: 213
Total before coupons and discounts: 778.87
Total out of pocket: 173.25
Total savings: 605.62 or 78%
Total number of free items: 136
Re-usable bag credits: 1.05
Total amount received from rebates: 138.58

Organic items total before savings: 9.33
Organic items total after savings: 3.36
organic savings: 5.97 or 64%

Spending 173.25 but getting back 138.58 is fabulous! That's only 34.67 OOP, after it's all said and done. Hubby was wondering why we has so much money left in the account at the end of the month. Because I'm a deal seeking hound dog, baby!