GCC Shopping Round-Up

Since I've got a fridge and freezer full of leftovers and frozen stuff that needs to be used up I just did a light shop this week. I thought I'd stop by a local Safeway while I was out and about since I only had a few things to get and it was close by. 5 dozen eggs were nearly $11 and two gallons of milk were on "sale" for $4.35. Hello?!? I skedaddled out of there and went straight back to Winco. This is what I got.

cream of chicken soup $.83
milk $1.98
bulk baking powder $1.37
Generic Bisquick $1.98
brown sugar $1.36
cotton swabs $.98
2 cranberry sauce $2.16
10 lb potatoes $1.98
bulk powdered milk $.92
apples $1.60
bananas $1.89
sugar substitute $1.80
vegetable oil $1.99
5 dozen large eggs $6.40

Grand Total $27.24

Would you like to share your shopping trip? Please link directly to your post, not your homepage, and please include a link back here to the Grocery Cart Challenge.

Set Reasonable New Year's Goals

I have plenty of verbal gaffes that plague me at random moments. There was the time that I exclaimed with joy over a friends obvious pregnancy and I very quickly learned that she wasn’t pregnant at all. Or the time where I let my bawdy sense of humor (which I normally try to reserve for friends and family) out at my husbands office Christmas party. And even though those moments happened years ago, they can pop up at unexpected quiet times in my head bringing with it a cringe just as potent as when it first happened. And I’ve realized that I don’t like the feeling of living with regrets. Now is the time of year where it’s traditional to examine the last 12 months of our lives and implement some changes for the upcoming year. It’s a time where regrets can hit hard if we let them, unless we choose to look at them a different way; a way in which they spur us on to change in the next year.

Many people make New Year’s resolutions and most of us set the bar too high only to end up defeated. It’s the little changes that stick. Whether it’s finances, relationships, or our health we can all make lasting changes if we know how to make reasonable goals. Here are some things to get you thinking about how to make small changes in the New Year that you’ll be able to follow through on and have no regrets.

Finances

When you look at your spending habits over the last year did you save as much as you wanted? Did you increase your debt? Don’t regret your mistakes just make some small changes. Make a decision to cut up one of your credit cards and pay it off this year. How about building your savings up by purposing to set aside a percentage of each paycheck. Nothing’s too small. You could start with 2% of a $2500 per month income and have yourself a $900 nest egg by the end of the year to be used for a vacation, emergency fund or a debt free Christmas. Or you could try making a budget for 2011. Stretching yourself a bit is great. Expecting yourself to save 50% of your paycheck when it’s your first time trying to save is only going to make you frustrated and ensure that you are not going to reach your goal. So make sure you’re setting yourself up to win.

Relationships

When you look back over your year did you spend as much time with your kids as you wanted to? Did you let people know how much they meant to you? Was your marriage strained and in need of a little more TLC? We get so busy at our house with sports and school and work that it’s hard for us to eat a meal together. We’ve decided that we won’t let a day go by without sitting around the table for at least one meal as a family. Whether that means breakfast, lunch or dinner, we are going to make an effort to eat, talk and look each other in the eyes for at least that 15-30 minutes every day. Maybe you need to make sure that you have a regular date night with your spouse or have a family game night once a month. Or when you think nice things about someone, speak up. Give them a call or send an email to let them know rather than keeping it to yourself. Those are simple, doable things that you can accomplish this year.

Health

Diet and exercise are the biggies when it comes to New Year’s Resolutions. Ask any diet company or exercise teacher when their busiest time of the year is and they’ll probably tell you January. But the majority of us tend to set huge goals in this area and then fizzle out after a few weeks. Why not set some realistic goals? Decide to take a 30 minute walk three times a week. Make a point of drinking eight 8oz glasses of water everyday. Exchange your late night soda and chips snack with a piece of fruit and a glass of sparkling water. Any one of these changes will improve your health. It doesn’t have to be a drastic change to have a positive impact on your body.

Simple changes for the New Year can bring about a much more realistic outcome than grandiose schemes can. With a little bit of self examination and some realistic changes our lives can improve from year to year. So take a few moments to look back and see what you’d like to do different and then take small steps forward. Improvement is something you’ll never regret.

Menu Plan Monday

I think I'm going to skip the big shop this week and just use up leftovers which we have PLENTY of. I've got hamburger and two WHOLE turkeys in the freezer, ham leftover from Christmas and I still have fruits and veggies that if they don't get used this week, are going to go to waste. Can't have that! I'll probably get just a few staples tomorrow at the store. So here's what's cooking this week.

Breakfasts:

Oatmeal, pancakes or fruit smoothies (freezer is empty of baked goodies so it's all fresh this week)

Dinners:

Plantation Ham Pie
Ham and Bean soup with cornbread
Spaghetti with steamed broccoli
Meatloaf, baked potatoes, corn
Roast Turkey, mashed taters, gravy.....(New Years Eve)
Leftovers and.....
Leftovers again!

On my list this week to make:

More homemade 409 (I do about 8 recycled bottles-full at a time)
A batch of Yogurt
Freezer muffins

Win a $25 Gift Card

So, you all know I'm not real experienced at this coupon thing. There's so much fine print and I'm a little bit worried that by the time I've found the right size and the right item, that when I get to the checkout I'm going to be one of those people that reads the coupon wrong and holds the line up for an hour while everyone glares at her. But when Blogher and Proctor and Gamble contacted me offering me a gift card to shop at my local Kroger store (which happens to be Fred Myer) I jumped at the chance to try. P @ G is running this new promotion where you buy 4 of their items and get $4 back so I figured this would be a great chance to ALSO grab a Sunday paper because P & G had a new sale flier out with lots of buy one, get one free coupons. See how my frugal mind works? I'm thinking I'm going to make that gift card stretch and get the few (I'm normally a generic kind of girl) brand name things that I love to use. So with flier and gift card in hand I set out to save some money. I got Tide ($1 off coupon), 2 Pantene conditioners (save $3 on two), Aussie conditioner and hairspray (BOGO Free) Cascade ($.25 off) and Crest 4D toothpaste ($.75 off) for $27.09.


Seasoned couponers, please have mercy. I'm well aware of the fact that you would have figured out a way to get all that stuff and have them pay you to take it out of the store.

So I'm waiting for my magical buy four, get $4 back thing to kick in at check-out but when I'm looking at the receipt all I see are my coupon deductions. "Maybe it comes in the mail?" I think as I'm driving away. But then how in the world would they know to send it to me. (Doesn't this scream newbie?) So I drive home and re-read the promo. Guess what! You have to have the Grocery Store's Rewards Card....which I don't.....but I do now. So I didn't actually get the $4 back but I know you could SERIOUSLY do a better job of that than I could.

So my challenge to you is this....

Go down to your local Kroger store and I give you full permission to kick my butt and then come back and gloat about it. Use those coupons from the Sunday paper and then get your $4 back and "neener, neener" me.

And while you're at it, go HERE and you can be one of 25 people who will win a $25 gift card to your local Kroger store.

On your mark, get set, GO!

Merry Christmas!

The nerf bullets and remote control cars are zooming around our house already. We couldn't wait until tonight to open gifts. The pizza is in our tummies and we've stayed in jammies all day. No cooking for me. Tomorrow will be the feast and stockings with my side of the family. Hoping that you all enjoy this holiday with friends and family and that we can take some time out to remember the true gift that this season represents.

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

GCC Shopping Round-Up

I survived the crazy rush at the grocery store yesterday with my sanity intact. I took back-up though and brought my husband along. Here's what we got.

Win-Co

2 bags chocolate chips $3.80
Bulk almonds $5.08
2 soy milk $2.56
vegetable juice $2.06
4 boxes butter $7.92
whipping cream $2.85
TP $5.98
2 gallons milk $3.96
3 cans green beans $1.68
2 cans black olives $1.90
apples $2.18
Tabasco $1.49
bananas $2.10
green olives $1.98
pickled okra $3.39
strawberry topping $1.98
2 powdered sugar $1.96
10 lbs potatoes $1.97
Ham that must have a golden bone in the middle $23.10n (not pictured)

Grand Total $77.94

Would you like to share your shopping trip? Please link directly to your post, not your homepage, and please include a link back here to the Grocery Cart Challenge.

Menu Plan Monday

This is it....Christmas Week. The countdown begins at our house for the first of three Christmas celebrations. Because of all the cooking involved and massive amount of food that my fridge has to hold, we'll spend the first part of the week eating from the freezer and using up whatever is in the fridge. Time to clean out all those saved leftovers and make room for more! It also allows me a little break before I have to shift in to high cooking gear. We have Christmas on my husbands side where I"ll be bringing an appetizer and dessert. Next is Christmas eve with just us and the kids. It's tradition around here to NOT cook, just order takeout and stay in our new Christmas jammies all day. And Christmas day is a big feast at our house. So here's what's cooking this week.

Breakfasts:

From the freezer: Pancakes, muffins and using up any saved berries for smoothies

Dinners:

Italian sausage and lentil soup & italian bread (all from the freezer)
Thanksgiving Memories Casserole (freezer: turkey meat and broth)
Spaghetti and Broccoli
Party: Deviled Eggs and Chocolate Torte with Strawberry sauce and whipped cream
Pizza Night
Christmas: Ham and all the trimmings.
Ultimate Leftover Buffet

check back tomorrow to see how the shopping trip went. I'm dreading the Christmas grocery crowds.

Check Out Blogher!

I'm not sure if you've been over to the Blogher site yet but there are some great articles to check out.

Ways to "Green Up" your child's gift exchange.

12 Days of Holiday Cookies. Today's was Chocolate Peppermint Whoopie Pies. I'm drooling

and a great article on budgeting during the holidays, just to keep you on the right track as you wrap up your shopping.

They are also having a Giveaway each week for the next three weeks. This week you can win a Full Conference pass to Blogher 2011 in San Francisco. You can go HERE to enter.

That's just a smattering of what goes on over at Blogher. So go check it out. It's a great place to read articles from other blogging women in the community.

GCC Recipe Swap!

I can't believe how many requests I've had for this recipe lately! So to all you wondering, here it is. It's like caramel corn but made with corn puff cereal. You'll never go back to regular popcorn again.

Caramel Puff Corn

Do you have a recipe you'd like to share? Please link directly to your post, not your homepage, and please include a link back here to the Grocery Cart Challenge.

Have a great weekend!

GCC Shopping Round-Up

Hit Win-co today. I'll be cooking an extra meal to take to a family with a newborn but the rest is for us. This is what I brought home.

Cascade Dishwasher gel packs $4.27
whipping cream $2.85
2 soy milk $2.56
2 gallons milk $3.96
4 rolls of crescent rolls $3.92
bulk popcorn $1.59
ground beef $8.44
trash bags $6.84
Italian sausage $1.98
2 cans chicken $3.96
4 cans chicken broth $2.20
2 cream of chicken soup $1.66
bananas $1.33
2 cream cheese $1.96
2 lbs cheddar $4.49
3 onions $1.10
apples $2.11
2 cans diced tomatoes $1.16
olive oil $3.40

Grand Total $62.78

Would you like to share your shopping trip? Please link directly to your post, not your homepage, and please link back here to the Grocery Cart Challenge.

Menu Plan Monday

This week I'll be taking a meal to a family with a newborn. I'll just ramp up one of our dinners a bit and double it for the other family. Here's what's cooking at our house.

Breakfasts:

Oatmeal, fruit and yogurt smoothies, or muffins that my daughter made.

Dinners:

Chicken Crescent Roll Casserole, green salad, Caramel Chocolate Bars
Hamburger Stroganoff, green beans
Spaghetti and steamed broccoli
Carrabba's Sausage and Lentil Soup, Italian bread
Turkey Pot Pie
Blueberry Pancakes
Leftover Buffet

Check back tomorrow for the shopping trip!

101 Stocking Stuffer Ideas

A stocking hanging on the fireplace mantle is a long standing Christmas tradition steeped in history. As one legend goes, a poor man had three beautiful daughters. He had no money for their dowry and he was worried what would happen to them after his death. Saint Nicholas was passing through and heard the villagers talking about the girls. He wanted to help, but knew that the old man wouldn’t accept charity so he decided to help in secret. He waited until it was night and crept through the chimney with three bags of gold coins, one for each girl. As he was looking for a place to leave them he noticed the girls stockings hung over the mantelpiece to dry. He put one bag of gold in each stocking and off he went. When the girls and their father woke up the next morning, they found the bags of gold coins and were overjoyed. The girls were able to get married and live happily ever after and to this day we continue the practice of stuffing stockings full of gifts.

Some of my fondest memories centered around pulling endless stream of tiny presents from the recesses of the homemade stockings my Mom made for us. And I’m happy to now be the Mother who gets to stuff my own children’s stockings on Christmas eve. So if Santa has designated you to be the stocking stuffer in your family, here’s a list of 101 ideas, some more frugal than others, to fill up those stockings this Christmas Eve.

Garden seed packets
Homemade coupons ie: back rubs, dessert before dinner, no chores for the day,
Candy
Card games
A Charcoal briquette as coal for those on the naughty list
A thrift store spoon dipped in melted chocolate and wrapped for a flavored coffee stir stick
fingernail polish
Single flavored tea bags
Single-load boxes of laundry detergent for kids home from college
Bubble bath
Candles
Prints of favorite photos
A homemade cookbook or set of recipe cards
Scratch off lottery tickets
Favorite spices for the cook
Copies of old home movies
A hand written love letter
Homemade chocolate lip balm
Bottle of Pain Reliever
Homemade Play Dough

Homemade gingerbread men
A paperback book
Gumballs
A roll of quarters for laundry
A Keychain with a first set of house keys for your pre-teen
A new toothbrush
A letter from Santa
Golf balls
Tire gauge
A favorite magazine
Nuts
Batteries
Body sprays
Scented soaps
Vitamins
Flavored coffees
Character band-aids
Coloring books
Lint brushes
Crayons
Granola bars
Gift cards
Cd’s
Mittens
A piece of exotic fruit
A Scarf
Flavored popcorn seasoning
Packets of cocoa
Fishing lures
A bottle of hot sauce for those who like it spicy
Stickers
Water paints and brushes
A poster
A jar of homemade cinnamon syrup

Calculator
Puzzle
Homemade Sidewalk chalk
Camera memory cards
Magnets
Maps for the traveler
Small picture frames
Chapstick, lip gloss or lipstick
BBQ or fireplace lighters
USB flash drive
Laptop power cord
Decorated notepads and pens
Personalized return address labels
Perfume samples from the cosmetics counter
Personalized stationary
Crossword or Sudoku books
Ornaments
Paper dolls
Doll clothes
Action figures
Baseball or other trading cards
Fun socks
Small lego sets
Special Coins or Currency ($2 bill, $1 Presidential Coins, State Quarters)
Hair accessories
Temporary tattoos
Juggling balls
Flashlight
Desk calendar
Cell phone cover
Book marks for the reader
Fun pencils
Cookie cutters
Measuring spoons
Pet treats
Crochet hooks
Knitting needles
Tape measure
Padlocks
Car air fresheners
Pedometer
Small baking mixes
Stamps
Personalized M & M’s
Silly putty
Ear warmers or muffs
Rolled up t-shirt

GCC Recipe Swap!

It's been kind of quiet around here this week as I studied and took finals but I'm done...(deep breath) and have three weeks off school. All I want to do is be Mom again and cook and organize and all that good stuff. I'm thinking it's going to be a productive few weeks.

This week we are doing our Christmas baking and homemade gifts. I'll be making some gift mixes and packaging them up to take to friends. Here are mix ideas that you might want to use.

• Package up some homemade laundry soap with directions.
  
• A spa package with some Green Tea Bath Salts, add a loofah and a pretty washcloth.
• Add some cute mugs to a basket with a mix of homemade chai tea, gingerbread coffee creamer or some candy cane hot cocoa.

Or do a whole meal basket of ready made mixes with...

• Minestrone soup
• Beer Bread
• Chocolate cranberry cookies

Have fun making and giving your goodies!

Do you have a recipe you'd like to share? Please link directly to your post, not your homepage, and please include a link back here to the Grocery Cart Challenge.

GCC Shopping Round-Up

The deals on baking supplies are starting thanks to the holidays. It's a great time to find REAL butter on sale and stash it away in the freezer. Butter can be frozen up to 8 months without any change in texture. Just thaw it in your fridge for a few days before you need to use it. I bought my limit today at Win-co.















Win-co

2 vanilla soymilk $2.56
4 boxes of butter $7.92
ground beef $3.53
hot dog buns $.93
onion buns $1.98
hot dogs $.68
29 oz tomato sauce $1.05
3.18 lbs apples $2.48
2 bags chocolate chips $3.80
bulk quick oats $.62
shredded mozzarella $6.54
cottage cheese $5.88
brown sugar $1.36
Parmesan $1.86
5 lbs bananas $2.35
Artificial Sweetener $1.64
BBQ sauce $1.24
tomato paste $.40
5 dozen eggs $6.40
large margarine $1.98
tomato soup $.50
2 gallons milk $3.96
tomatoes $2.11
chocolate syrup $3.58

Grand Total $65.35

Would you like to share what it takes to feed your family or the great deals you found? Please link directly to your post, not your homepage and please include a link back here to the Grocery Cart Challenge.

Menu Plan Monday

Today we went out for breakfast, ran some errands and went Christmas tree shopping. We came home and dug out the decorations. While hubby made hot cocoa, we listened to my favorite Harry Connick Jr. Christmas Album and finished the tree. Ahh...Christmas time has arrived.

The Christmas parties and celebrations that come with our December are starting so I'll have a few days off from cooking. It's also finals week and our 16th wedding anniversary. Here's the eats for this week.

Breakfasts:

Kids made their own oatmeal, fruit and yogurt smoothies, eggs and toast

Dinners:

Christmas Party
Leftover BBQ pork sandwiches from the freezer
Crock pot Lasagna, garlic bread, green beans
Grilled cheese and tomato soup
Anniversary Cooking Boycott
Thanksgiving Memories Casserole
Leftover Buffet Night

One Of A Kind Gifts

I love giving gifts to people that are unique; that aren't mass marketed and found on a Wal-mart shelf. It just makes them so much more special and it's fun to have something that you know nobody else has. Couple that with the fact that I prefer to online shop rather than brave the crowds and the parking and the long lines plus the luxury of having it delivered to my door is a huge perk. So I've found this cute little online shop founded by a gifted mom who makes amazing one of a kind items. She has unique kids clothes and one of a kind purses, handbags, totes, and pooch purses made with mouth watering fabrics.

I've chatted with her a few times and she's as nice as she is gifted. So if you need a one of kind gift for someone, go take a look and check out her things. They are all ready to ship and arrive by Christmas!

GCC Recipe Swap!

It's that time of year when the goodie maker in all of us comes out. I like to give goodie bags to friends for Christmas. I'd rather give everyone a vacation but the budget dictates that goodies are the better choice. One year when our budget was bigger I bought Peppermint Bark for a crazy price from Williams and Sonoma and gave it to friends. (What was I thinking?) Here is a SUPER simple recipe that makes a decadent looking treat for a fraction of the price. And in my opinion it tasted much better (fresher) than the stuff I paid an arm and a leg for. I usually stack them into a clear cellophane bag and tie it with a ribbon and a tag. They turn out beautiful.

Chocolate Peppermint Bark

12 ounces white chocolate
12 ounces dark chocolate
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy

Line a 9x12 pan with waxed paper. Melt the dark chocolate in microwave (cook 30 seconds in a heat-proof bowl) stir and repeat until you have a smooth consistency. Pour the melted dark chocolate on the parchment paper, spread the chocolate out until it is about 1/3" thick. You can do this by hitting the pan on the counter top repeatedly, or you could use a spatula to spread the chocolate. Melt the white chocolate, using the steps above. After the chocolate is smooth, pour it on top of the dark chocolate - trying to make the layers the same thickness. Crush the peppermints and while the white chocolate is still melted sprinkle on top. Let the chocolates harden in the refrigerator for 2 hours, then break the candy into pieces. Store in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

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

Give The Gift Of Memories

I love to watch my kids eyes light up when they rip the paper off their presents on Christmas eve. I put lots of thought and effort, time and money into those gifts just so they will have that effect. But as my kids get older and their wish lists lean more towards the latest toy or gadget or technology I feel like I’m just buying them another thing that will disconnect them from the family. We’re all so busy and scattered nowadays with jobs, sports, friends and other activities that it’s an effort to sit down, all six of us, and look each other in the eye. I don’t have the kids clambering for my attention like they did when they were littler. “Mommy, can I sit on your lap?“ or “Will you read my another story?“ or “Mommy will you hold me?“ Sadly, I’m not the center of their world anymore and my little boys have quit asking for my hand in marriage. And while we still get the gadgets, I like to make sure that I’m also giving them the gift of memories and fun moments with their family. Because sooner than I realize they will be out of my home and it will be even more of an effort to get us all together again.

So how can we make sure this holiday season that our gifts are bringing us closer? With a little ingenuity we can give a family gift that will make memories that last well beyond their years at home. Here are some ideas.

• In a basket or fun box put a new puzzle, some microwave popcorn, instant hot cocoa and a new Christmas CD. Spend the evening putting together the puzzle and having snacks and singing along to the songs. You can even have a vacation photo turned into a personal puzzle.

• Have a cookie decorating night. Buy some rolls of prepared sugar cookie dough, sprinkles, and frosting and go for it.

• Put together a game night. Buy a few new board or card games and snacks and have a little competitive fun.

• Wrap up some new sleds to put under the tree and a package of hot cocoa. Make a homemade gift certificate for a day in the snow. Hold a “best snowman” contest where everyone wins.

• Wrap up a new video recorder and attach a paper describing an upcoming family talent show. Take funny videos of everyone doing their own thing. Or wrap up a script and give everyone a part while you record the play.

• Buy a funny book and have a read aloud night…with voices. Let the kids eat snacks while you read them a story.

These are some ideas to get the creative ball rolling. Tailor your gift around your families own interests, just make sure that it’s an idea that connects you and is fun. These would be great ideas to give to other families on your gift giving list too. Have fun creating lifetime memories this holiday season.