Sorry Ruffles, But I May Never Buy You Again!

One night I had a craving. A craving in a BIG way for some potato chips. And I can almost guarantee that in the last year, potato chips have sat in my cupboards maybe twice. So the likelihood that there was a bag in there was slim to none. I hunted on my favorite recipe site and came across this little lifeline to craving heaven.

Behold.....the homemade potato chip. Less grease...way healthier...super cheap...and tastes even better than the half empty, overpriced bag at the grocery store.

Homemade Microwave Potato Chips

If you'd like to share a recipe then step right up. Please make sure to include a link directly to your post, not your homepage, and please include a link back to the Grocery Cart Challenge from the body of your post.

Homemade Peanut Butter in 5 Minutes Or Less

***this is a repost. Hope you enjoy.

I wasn't so sure how this was going to turn out. It's been a long time since I could afford the all natural peanut butter. We've been surviving on Jiff for the last few years which tastes nice and sweet but it's killing me one spoonful at a time with all it's sugar, fat and chemicals.

Still tastes good though.

And then through web surfing and recipe searches I came across loads of homemade peanut butter recipes and decided to give it a try. I ended up tweaking the recipes until I got the right consistency and flavor for my family and this is the end result.

Homemade 100% Natural Peanut Butter In 5 Minutes Or Less!


You'll need....

a food processor
1 1/2 cups unsalted, roasted peanuts
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
Honey (optional) hey, we're just coming off Jiff.

Pour all ingredients in food processor and process until creamy. We added 2 tablespoons of local farmers market honey to sweeten it up a bit but if you're already used to the all natural peanut butter it tastes just fine without it.

And (drum roll please) the total cost for 11 ounces of all natural peanut butter?

$.98

I priced Smart Balance, Adams, Hearts and Minds, and Crazy Richards peanut butters and for the same amount and similar quality it would have cost between $3.08 - 3.96 to purchase it pre-made.

Besides the fact that homemade is incredibly cheaper you can also control the salt, sweetener, quantity, and texture of the finished product.

And if you prefer chunky texture, just hold out 1/4 cup of the peanuts until the very end and then add them to your creamy product and process until coarsely chopped.

For storage, keep in a cool airtight container in your fridge for up to 2 weeks.

For more WFMW tips go Here!

GCC Shopping Round Up

First, I have to apologize. My laptop isn't working...which holds my camera software, so I wasn't able to download my shopping photos. They are sitting there all nice and pretty and helpless, trapped on my camera until payday comes round and I can get my laptop fixed. In the meantime I'm feeling really guilty that I've been making my kids use this old crumbly S-L-O-W computer for the past several years. On the bright side I STILL have Internet access. Yahoo!

This week I had a fridge still full of fruits and veggies and plenty of root vegetables left in their storage areas. I even had the hamburger and turkey on hand so I had no need to purchase meat this week. And as for bread purchases, all they've had lately is the 100% whole wheat which only a few of us like so I still have lots of bread left. The kids prefer a lighter bread (dang their pickiness) but I refuse to buy more until the rest is used up. We just don't waste anything around here whether ya like it or not!

So here's how it went (just pretend there are pictures attached)

S & S Liquidators

2 boxes of brownie/cookie mix $1
3 cans tomatoes $1.17
3 cans tuna $1.77
5 roma tomatoes $1
carrots $.79

Grocery Outlet

Giant hot cocoa mix $4.99
2 jumbo cans nalley's chili $5.98

Win-co

2 cans nacho cheese sauce $3.56
2 lbs cheddar $5.47
Plastic wrap $1.83
large tub margarine $1.98
Ketchup $2.79
Gallon milk $2.33
1.33 lbs powdered milk $3.42
1.45 lbs oats $.61
3 lbs bananas $1.69
1.27 lbs mini chocolate chips $3.14
Tater tots $1.48
shredded cheddar $1.79
.43 lbs pearl barley $.17
1 lbs lentils $.79
8 oz cream cheese $,98
Frozen orange juice $1.17
2 cans mushrooms $.96
Top Ramen $3.98

Grand Total $54.84

Would you like to share your shopping trip or super deal? Please make sure to include a link directly to your post, not your homepage, and please link back to The Grocery Cart Challenge from your post.

Menu Plan Monday

We had a great Christmas at our house this year and I'm looking forward to the nice mellow months ahead. If you recall,at Thanksgiving I found a great turkey deal and stuffed a few in my freezer. I'll be pulling one of those out this week and also be having a few kids pleasing, junk food-ish, meals this week.

Here's how it looks...

Breakfasts

Peanut butter toast and fruit
Amish Baked Oatmeal with milk and sauteed apples
Ham Breakfast Casserole
German pancake with Blueberry sauce
Fresh orange muffins and banana smoothies
Pumpkin pancakes with cinnamon syrup
Leftover muffins or pancakes

Dinner

Hot dogs and tater tots
Hamburger Barley Stew and buttery bread machine rolls
Brown rice and lentil casserole and green salad
Roast Turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli and pumpkin roll
Homemade soft pretzels and veggie tray
Turkey noodle soup and rolls
Leftover Buffet

For more great menu plans go HERE.

New Column Running Today

Hi Everyone! I just wanted to pop in and let you know that my newest column came out in the paper today. You can read the online version here. It will give you some yummy ideas for Christmas morning breakfast.

I'll be checking out for a bit to fully soak in the Christmas season. There will be no recipe swap this Friday because who the heck is going to need recipes on Christmas day, right? But I'll see you again on Menu Plan Monday because it will be back to normal in this house by then.

Have a wonderful Christmas Season. There is so much to be thankful for!

GCC Shopping Round Up

Can you believe that there is now only one more shopping week left of the year? It would be interesting to go back and add up every weeks totals and see what I spent this year. Maybe when I get some spare time...(chuckle, snort).

I found some great produce deals this week. Here's how it went...

Franz Discount Bread Store

4 loaves and 1 bag of bagels $4.70

S & S Liquidators

4 heads of garlic $1
3 green peppers $1
4 white onions $1
3 cucumbers $1
15lbs potatoes $1.99
1 cantaloupe $.99
2 avocados $1.18
2 cans refried beans $.98
2 cans pineapple $1.58
7 lemon/limes $1
enchilada sauce $.99
2 stove top stuffing $.98
diced tomatoes $.39

Grocery Outlet

TP $2.99
Tortillas $2.29
Olives $.79

Win-co

3 dozen eggs $2.94
2.22 lbs granny smiths $2.18
cottage cheese $1.98
whipping cream $2.98
3.6 lbs bananas $2.09
shredded cheddar $1.69
yogurt $1.78
2 cream cheese $1.96
butter $1.48
lettuce $1.78
3 lbs tangerines $2.98
large pack ground beef $6.18
3.5 lbs red delicious apples $2.38
marshmallows $.88
2 graham crusts $3.76

Grand Total $61.89

Would you like to share your deals? Please link directly to your post, not your homepage, and please include a link back to The Grocery Cart Challenge from the body of your post.

Holiday Deal at Save-A-Lot

It's time for a feast and if the cost of that scares you, I've got a deal for you. Save-A-Lot contacted me to let me know of a great deal they have going on. You can get a holiday dinner for four for $15.

Go here to print a $5 off coupon to use when you spend $20 at Save-A-Lot. You can use it to buy your Christmas ham or anything else you need for your Christmas meal.

This is how you can do it...

Shank Portion Ham 9 lb average @ 0.99 lb $8.91
Fresh Jumbo Sweet Potatoes 2 lbs /$ 0.78
Fresh Express Garden Salad Mix 12 oz bag $0.99
Portmann’s Salad Dressing 16 oz bottle $1.29
Wylwood Canned Corn, Peas or Green Beans 2 / $0.98
Assorted Varieties Libby's Pineapple 20 oz can $0.99
So-Cheezy Shells & Cheddar 12 oz box $1.39
Grissom's Brown 'N Serve Rolls 12 count $0.99
Mrs. Smith's® Apple or Cherry Pie 27 oz pkg $2.99

Total $19.31
-$5 Coupon

Total $14.31 Plus tax where applicable

So if you haven't already done your grocery shopping this looks like the place to do it.

*Post sponsored by Save-A-Lot stores.

Menu Plan Monday

It's here! Christmas week. I'm finally ready for it to be here. Shopping is done. Christmas cards and letters are sent. Presents are under the tree and stuffed in stockings.

I had to be ok with not doing some things that I normally do. I didn't do any cookie trays for friends. Gulp. I need to be ok with that. I didn't do gingerbread houses with the kids. Still ok. I didn't take the kids to pick new Christmas tree ornaments this year. Yep.....we are all still ok. But we do have lots of fun things planned involving hot cocoa, Christmas lights, presents, multiple feasts, movies, games and special Christmas stories.

I'm realizing that there are just going to be some years where life gets too busy and it's time to shave off the to-do list and rest in less.

Less is good.

Less is not near as stressful.

Less is much more simple.

So here's what this weeks menu looks like.

Breakfast

Peanut Butter toast and fruit

Blueberry Blast Breakfast Smoothies

Oatmeal with fruit and milk

Apple French Toast Casserole

Pineapple Cottage Cheese Rings

Blueberry Pancakes with syrup

Leftover Pancakes

Dinners

Turkey Vegetable Soup, Peasant Bread

Christmas Party - Apples with Toffee Dip, Pumpkin Cream Cheese Roll

Thanksgiving Memories Casserole

Burrito Pie, green salad

Christmas Party - Two French Silk Pies, Buttery Rolls

Eggs, hash browns, toast

Leftover Buffet

For more great menu plans go HERE.

Wooops!

Ok. I woke up early this morning, eyes popping wide open, and realized I forgot to put up the recipe swap?

Hello? Psycho Last Minute Christmas Shopper Here!

So here you go ladies. Inspire me with all your yummy goodness. Better late than never, right?

right?

Repost: The Cure For Common Leftovers

While I'm spending all my energy trying to not freak out about the fact that Christmas is in 9 days and I'm more unprepared then I've ever been, I thought I'd pull out an old post. There might be some new readers out there who haven't dug deep into the GCC archives yet. So over the next few days you'll be reading some oldies but goodies. We'll still have the recipe swap on Friday so have those recipes ready!

I don’t know about you, but after cooking 21 meals each week (breakfast, lunch and dinner) I wind up with a big stack of leftovers in my fridge. They are usually one serving of each different leftover, clearly not enough for a whole meal for all six of us. So my answer to not wasting all that food is to have a buffet night once a week.

I line up all the leftover casseroles, soups, breads, and meats on my kitchen counter and then we dish up our own plates with our weekly favorites. My kids just think this is the coolest. I have no idea why. But it not only cleans out my fridge and keeps us from wasting perfectly good food, but It’s one night a week I don’t have to cook.

What do you do with your leftovers?

GCC Shopping Round Up

Ooh I forgot to mention yesterday in my menu plan that I'll also be buying the ingredients for a yummy apple tray with toffee dip. I have a girls Christmas party on Tuesday that I'll be bringing it to and it's a great recipe if you need an appetizer for a party this Christmas season.

Here's how the shopping went.

Franz Bread Store

(obviously bread is the answer to my desire to NOT cook much this week)

4 loaves of bread 1 pack of english muffins $4.70

3 bags of bagels $5.00

2 FREE bags of English muffins

S & S Liquidators


2 packs of TP $3.98

2 cans pineapple slices $1.38

2 cans spaghetti sauce $1.38

2 cans tomato soup $.98

2 boxes linguine $.98

garbage bags $1.99

2 cartons soy milk $.98

dishwasher detergent $1.99

dish soap $.79

Grocery Outlet

Jumbo bag of hash browns $2.99

3 bars soap $.99

6 lb whole chicken $6.06

Win-co

Milk $2.33

2 tubs yogurt $3.56

cream cheese $.98

.82 lbs bulk granola $1.30

heath bits $2.18

sausage $1.98

green beans $.58

hair dye $3.38

3.17 lbs bananas $1.84

cheddar cheese $4.47

2.92 lbs green apples $2.28

2.92 lbs red apples $1.99

1.73 lbs bulk powdered sugar $1.16

Grand Total $62.22

If you'd like to share a great deal, a super coupon, or just what it takes to feed your family go ahead and link up! Please make sure to link directly to your post, not your homepage and please include a link back to The Grocery Cart Challenge from the body of your post.

Menu Plan Monday

This season is such a busy time for all of us and I find myself not wanting to do any time consuming cooking. I've got so many other things that I want to do. And a little confession.....I haven't done any Christmas shopping yet. Well, except for some stocking stuffers. And that alone is freaking me out because it's only days....DAYS until Christmas. That makes me break out in a cold sweat and want to sit in a corner, rocking and sucking my thumb.

deep breath.....

So I sat down to do my menu plan tonight and though, "Ugh," I don't want to think about cooking, I don't want to cook, and I really need to stop eating so much anyway. Maybe I'll just drink diet coke all week. Then I'll lose weight and still have the caffeine high to get everything done.

No?

Well, I guess since I have to feed 5 other people in this house I better cook. But believe me, this isn't the week to judge the quality of our well balanced menu's because if you're new here, it's not about balance until after the New Year. Right now it's "make sure they have some sustenance so I can get stuff done."

I bet they could survive just fine on Twinkies and Dr. Pepper for a week don't' you?

Breakfast

Omelets made by the dynamic duo (teens)
Smoothies and bagels
French Toast
Oatmeal with fruit and nuts
Blueberry muffins (I bet I'll change my mind and not do these)
Yogurt, Granola, and Blueberry Parfaits
Leftover muffins

Dinners

Leftover soup from the freezer and rolls
Grilled cheese, tomato soup, sliced apples

Spaghetti and green beans

Crock pot chicken, baked potatoes, veggies and dip

Scrambled eggs, toast, hash browns

MORE soup from the freezer with rolls

Leftover night

For more (and probably much more inspiring) menus go HERE.

Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap

Saturday night I'm going to a Christmas party where we will be having a cookie exchange. I found this great recipe that is not only freakishly easy but I had all the ingredients on hand so I made up a test batch for the family. They vanished in a nanosecond! These are some seriously light and buttery cookies which I of course promptly dipped in chocolate. If you need a simple recipe for Christmas treats you've come to the right place.

Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookies Dipped in Chocolate

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a mixing bowl, cream butter, vanilla and sugar. Gradually stir in the flour. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 3 min. Roll to about 1/4 inch thick and cut out with cookie cutters. Place 1" apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 300 degrees for 14 minutes or until bottom begins to brown. Cool for 5 min. and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. When completely cool, dip halfway in melted chocolate and let dry on waxed paper.

If you'd like to share a recipe please link directly to your post, not your homepage and also include a link back to The Grocery Cart Challenge from the body of your post.

Thanks!

Menu Plan Monday

The first of many Christmas parties starts this week which means there's one night where I won't have to cook dinner. When you're preparing 21 meals per week, a night off is almost like a vacation.

Yeah for Christmas!

Breakfast

Omelette's and toast

Crunchy Apple Rings

Yogurt, granola and fruit parfaits

Irish Steel Cut Oatmeal with brown sugar and nuts

Harvest pumpkin apple bread

French toast

leftover pumpkin bread

Dinners

Dinner at a Christmas party

Taco baked potatoes

Freezer soup and rolls

Turkey and Dumplings, veggies and dip (made with leftover turkey and broth)

Scrambled eggs, toast and hash browns

Hot dogs and tater tots (I'm off to a girl party so this is for hubs and kids)

Leftover Buffet

Check back tomorrow to see how my $60 stretched for the six of us. And for more menu plans go HERE.

Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap - Chai Gift Mix

I like to recieve food gifts at Christmas and I love to give them too. It's like sharing a little bit of homey comfort with the people in your life. It can also be a family project to pack cozy baskets with seasonal treats and warm drink mixes and then have a family delivery night.

So here's a yummy drink mix that you can make for the people on your list. To keep costs down even further check the bulk bins for some of your ingredients.

Creamy Chai Tea Mix

1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1/2 cup powdered vanilla coffee creamer (dry)
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened instant tea (dry)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Mix all together and place in pretty airtight container or jar and attach these instructions:

For each serving, place 3 to 4 heaping teaspoons mix in a cup. Fill with 1/2 cup very hot water and 1/2 cup hot milk.

Do you have a recipe you'd like to share? Please link directly to your blog post and please include a link back to The Grocery Cart Challenge.

Thrifty Table Settings

When you eat lots of home cooked meals your dishes show some wear and tear after awhile. Add to that a house full of kids that unload the dishwasher, occasionally cook or rinse off the dirties and you can easily break a dish a week. AND if you consider the fact that your family might have six people in it, like ours, you're using 18 plates a day....well, are you following my train of thought? We could be buying a new 12 piece place setting every month just so we have enough to eat off of.

So one day I decided enough was enough. I bought one set of cream colored dishes and one set of clear glasses and every time a dish broke and I needed a replacement I bought just a few more clear glasses and cream colored dishes. Sometimes I'd find them on sale or at a liquidators and other times I'd find them at the dollar store or yard sales. And the cool thing was that they didn't have to be the same style. The only thing they had to have in common is that they were cream colored or that the glasses were clear. Sizes didn't matter, shapes didn't matter...in fact it sort of enhanced my collection and gave my dinner table some character. And a simple white or cream is always easy to find.

So pretty soon I had this creative collection of plates, mugs, and juice glasses that looked like it was an intentional thing...like something out of those beautiful spreads of mismatched dishware in Country Living magazine.

Ta Da!

Problem solved.

So no more throwing out the three red plates from the old set so I can replace them with the pile of dishes from the new blue set. And the new neutral color scheme goes with every tablecloth, napkin and holiday that comes up.

That saves me money and works for me!

For more great works for me Wednesday tips, go HERE.