GCC Shopping Round Up

It was so nice to grocery shop this week without the mad rush of Thanksgiving shoppers crowding the aisles. We have one more celebration this week as my one and only daughter turns 15 so you'll see some ingredients I don't normally have on my list. Here's what I got:

Win-co (*picture coming soon....my 16 year old is sucking up all my internet-juice with his downloads.)

4 loaves of bread $3.80
Graham crackers $1.58
Parmesan $1.88
Frozen peas $.88
whipping cream $3.58
2 cans spaghetti sauce $1.96
Coffee mate creamer $3.18
canned green chilies $.69
canned white beans $.68
2 bags frozen ravioli $4.64
mushrooms $1.88
2 bags frozen mixed veggies $1.76
4 boxes cream cheese $5.00
Bulk pasta $.90
apples $2.47
cheddar cheese $5.98
tomatoes $1.31
Oranges $2.42

Grand Total $46.47

Would you like to tell us about 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 Monday

I hope you all had a tummy full of good food and great family times over the Thanksgiving holiday. And now comes one of my favorite foodie weeks of the year. The week AFTER thanksgiving when all those leftovers get re-created into scrumptious new meals. I have a freezer FULL of homemade turkey stock and I'm ready for some good meals this week. We also have our final birthday of the year on Sunday. My only daughter, who happens to be a vegetarian, turns 15.

So here is what's cooking this week.

Breakfasts:

Pumpkin Muffins, pancakes, fruit or smoothies

Dinners:

Creamy Turkey Soup and Homemade Rolls
Turkey Pot Pie with Stuffing Crust
Quick Turkey Tetrazzini
Egg Salad Sandwiches and veggies with dip
White Chili and cornbread
Leftover Buffet
Birthday - Cheese Ravioli in Marinara, green salad, garlic bread and Cappuccino Cheesecake.

Menu Monday

Well this is the week that all those freezer meals and frozen leftovers I've squirreled away pay off. We'll be eating creatively but well the first few days of the week so that I can focus my money on our delicious Thanksgiving feast. Then, it's smooth sailing on yummy leftovers the last part of the week. So really, all I have to do is cook one and a half (I cook a lot the day before)days this week. Here's what's stocked up in the freezer and cupboards....

Baked Potato Soup
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Chili
Muffins
Pancakes
Loaves of bread

The pantry is full of tuna, home canned applesauce and pickles. The fruit and veggie drawers are full of salad fixings and fresh fruit.

This Thanksgiving I'm responsible for the Roast Turkey,(already purchased last week) crock pot stuffing, gravy, buttery bread machine rolls, peanut butter pie and make ahead mashed potatoes.

Check back tomorrow for the big shopping trip.

GCC Recipe Swap - Oreo Turkeys

Tomorrow is our last day of Co-op and I'm hoping with that off my plate, I'll have a little more extra time on my hands. In honor of Thanksgiving we are making Oreo Turkeys and some candy airplanes (since I'm teaching a Willy Wonka candy class). The turkeys are a great project for the kiddos just in time for the upcoming holidays.

Here's the link to them. Enjoy!

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.

Homemade Christmas - Hopscotch Rug

I love this idea just for the sheer simplicity of it. Where we live, the kids learn to play indoors at least half of the year and what a great way to keep them active and away from all the screens (tv, computer, video games) for a while. So if you're looking for a creative Christmas toy to give the kids this year, I think this one could be lots of fun and also pass on the heritage of the simpler things that we used to do to amuse ourselves when we were little. My guess is that if you scope out Goodwill or discount stores you can keep this project under the $10 mark.

So head on over to Sewing Dork to check out this Hopscotch Rug.

GCC Shopping Round Up

I've been holding off from getting my turkey until the rock bottom sale price hits. This week they hit 58 cents a pound and the turkey is in da house! I also picked up a few exotic ingredients for the upcoming Thanksgiving festivities. Here's what we got this week.

Win-co

Chocolate syrup $3.58
2 gallons milk $5.06
Irish Cream syrup $5.81
grape juice $.88
2 cans tomato paste $.88
2 cans diced tomatoes $1.16
2 cans sweetened cond. milk $2.18
2 bags hot dog buns $1.98
texas toast $2.68
rye bread $1.88
red wine $2.78
2 white bread $3.16
whipping cream $3.38
2 cream cheese $1.76
pears $1.59
bacon $2.48
garlic bread $1.98
tomato sauce $1.09
sausage $1.98
2 boxes butter $5.00
cheddar $5.48
tomatoes $1.63
apples $2.18
2 frozen fries $1.96
cucumber $.78
bulk spaghetti $1.88
2 hot dogs $1.28
2 cans tomato soup $1.18
sugar $5.64
20.63 lb Turkey $11.97
Hash browns $2.55
bag lettuce $1.88

Grand Total $89.70

Would you like to tell us about 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 Monday

I had one of those Mondays that was crazy and busy and stressful. It took me all day in between orthodontist appointments, haircuts, school presentations and all the everyday stuff and I STILL couldn't think of a darn thing for my menu plan. So I called in reinforcements and asked everyone in this house what they wanted to eat this week.

5 minutes later the job was done. (Why didn't I just do that in the first place?)

So here is our menu for the week.

Breakfasts:

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins, oatmeal, fruit



Dinners:

Spaghetti with sausage, steamed broccoli, garlic toast (hubs)
Eggs, sausage, rye toast and hashbrowns (hubs)
Loaded baked potato soup, salad, french bread (teen daughter)
Grilled cheese and tomato soup (teen daughter)
Hot Dogs, fries (teen son)
Homemade Pizzas (teen daughter)
Leftover Buffet (me....whew)

GCC Recipe Swap

I am frantically trying to put some finishing touches on some crafty goodness in preparation for a bazaar tomorrow as well as fill in my husband on co-op details since he will be taking all the kids tomorrow while I'm gone. My mind is SO not on a recipe right now. But I know yours is! So everyone just jump right in with your delicious goodies and share your favorite recipe. I'll stop back in tomorrow night after all is said and done to see what kind of yummies you have for me.

Have a great weekend!


(Please make sure to link directly to your post, not your homepage and please include a link back here to the Grocery Cart Challenge.

Homemade Christmas - Super Hero Fort Kit

Christmas shopping is upon us and I don't know about you, but I have a tight budget this year. So that requires me to get a little creative with the gift giving. A lot of times you mention the word "homemade" in conjunction with gifts and people cringe. But that doesn't have to be the case. I'm hoping to give you some ideas over the next few weeks for gifts that will not only be happily received but easy on the budget. So keep your eyes peeled for posts about unique and fun Christmas ideas.



The first one is for a Super Hero Fort Kit from Meg + Andy. It's an adorable bag filled with everything your little boy would need to have his own super hero fort. So head on over and check it out. With some creative shopping at the dollar store and local thrift stores I'm thinking this could be put together for $10 or less.

Check back for more Homemade Christmas ideas in the coming days.

GCC Shopping Round Up

Before I get started with my shopping trip I want to let you know that I'm putting together some homemade Christmas gift posts that I think you are going to LOVE! I'm kind of excited about it. The crafty Christmas bug has bitten me this week so I've got all kinds of ideas up my sleeve.

In the meantime, here is what I bought this week at the grocery store.

Win-co

Enchilada Sauce $.92
ketchup $3.92
diced tomatoes $.58
lemon juice $1.88
5 dozen eggs $5.48
mustard $.53
green chili's $.69
cheddar cheese $5.45
bulk penne pasta $1.04
frozen corn $.88
kale $1.28
chicken breasts $5.98
frozen french fries $.98
taco chips $1.28
bulk taco seasoning $1.32
taco shells $1.00
tortillas $1.94
brown sugar $1.38
spinach $1.78
scallops $6.58
milk $2.53
frozen spinach $.72
chicken broth $.50
2 sweetened condensed milk $2.18
celery $.61
garlic $.88
bananas $1.94

Grand Total $54.28

Would you like to tell us about 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 Monday

I'm trying something new this week. I've been craving seafood so I've added a scallop recipe to the menu. I have no idea what the cost of fish is nowadays so if I get to the store and hyperventilate over the price I just might change the menu for that day. Here's what's cooking.

Breakfast:

Pancakes, oatmeal, or fruit

Dinners:

Party: not at home
Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup
Oven Fried Scallops and steamed broccoli
Lemon Garlic Chicken
Crockpot Chicken Taco's
Greek Penne Pasta (meatless night)
Leftover Buffet

GCC Recipe Swap- Fudge Crinkle Cookies

Today in my Willy Wonka cooking class at our homeschool co-op I though I'd pull out a tried and true from my recipe file. With a package of cake mix (which I can get at Win-co for 88 cents) you can make some crazy-good fudgy cookies.

Fudge Crinkles

1 (18 1/4 ounce) package of Devils Food Cake Mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
powdered sugar for rolling

Preheat oven to 350. Stir cake mix, oil and eggs in a bowl until dough forms. Shape dough into 1 inch balls and roll in powdered sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until center is just set. Remove from pans after a minute and cool on wire racks.

Do you have a recipe you'd like to share with us? 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!

Guest Post: Six Frugal Meals

Frugal living requires changes within the entire household. In order to live frugally, one must be willing to change their overall spending habits. One thing to do is to modify your eating habits. Dining out should be done as little as possible. It is acceptable to indulge from time to time, but for the most part, meals should be eaten at home. In addition, you must prepare meals that are inexpensive and plentiful. The following are examples some very frugal meals:

1. Spaghetti
Spaghetti is one of the cheapest meals out there. A plain serving of spaghetti only requires two items: the spaghetti and the sauce. Most grocery stores sell packages of spaghetti for under $2. A generic can of sauce costs about the same amount. If you want to add some flair to the meal, you can add Italian sausage, meatballs, or chicken. The total cost for this meal is under $10. A large enough pot of spaghetti can stretch for three days.

2. Hot Dogs and Baked Beans
There is nothing like hot dogs and baked beans to fill the belly. Beans contain a high amount of protein. They are not only healthy for you, but they also taste delicious. Stores have a wide variety of flavors so you can tailor your meal to your liking. Add bacon for flavoring and maybe even some mustard. Discount \ grocery stores sometimes offer packages of hot dogs for under $1. One large can of beans costs approximately $2. Three packages of hot dogs and three cans of beans can provide you with nine servings. Nine servings can cover dinner for three nights.

3. Chicken and Dumplings
Chicken and dumplings is a wonderful dish for both beginners and frugal individuals. A large pot of this meal can stretch for approximately 4 days. For chicken and dumplings, you will need one package of chicken, flour, baking powder, and chicken broth. You can manipulate the cost of the meal according to the type of chicken you want to use. The total bill for this delicious dinner is approximately $12.

4. Fried Cabbage
Fried cabbage is a nice alternative to cabbage soup. You can get creative with this meal by adding things such as bacon, potatoes, and onions. How you create your cabbage dinner depends on what you like and how fulfilling you want the item to be. The dish requires a stick of butter and your ingredients. You can prepare in about fifteen minutes and it will stick to your ribs.

5. Salmon and Rice
Any type of fish is always an excellent choice because fish is high in protein. High protein foods tend to fill the stomach more than other items. For this meal, you can go with canned salmon or you can purchase a larger quantity fresh from the seafood section in the grocery store. You can purchase a large bag of rice for approximately $2. Fresh salmon will cost you approximately $4 per pound. People have a tendency of putting more salmon on their plates than is required. It will definitely fill you up and stretch for a decent amount of time.

6. Liver and Such
Liver is very inexpensive and it is also quite healthy to eat. If you are looking for a meaty taste for not too much money, then liver is the way to go. Of course, liver is an acquired taste, but if you and your family enjoy it, you will probably eat it very frequently. Add veggies and potatoes to complete the meal. Bags of veggies and potatoes are very inexpensive as well.

Guest Poster Ginny Arckley likes to write about nutrition, fine dining & Mint.com Promo Deals

A Good Idea to Evaluate

I had a reader comment the other day that really made me stop and think...


"Love your site! I don't want to be critical, but running the dishwasher three times a day?!! wow, I get mad at my family (of 6 also) for filling it up once a day! I agree with Jennifer, I make my kids use the same cup all day and even a plate gets reused if it only had a sandwich on it. BUT. . .I would run the dishwasher more if we had a sickness going around or were extremely busy, which could be your reason."

It made me wonder if I could be doing things different. It's always great to take some time and re-evaluate your methods and routines to see if it's worth it to make some adjustments. So today I kept an eye on my dishwasher to see just what I was filling it with. Here's how it looked.

At breakfast I whipped up some apple muffins so I filled the dishwasher with: a few dishes from last nights dinner that wouldn't fit in, two muffins tins, two giant mixing bowls, 6 plates and cups, a spatula, measuring cups and spoons, a knife and the pieces to my food processor.

Load 1

At Lunchtime everyone had leftover spaghetti so we had 6 big dinner plates, 6 more cups (cuz gross, we don't re-use cups unless it's just water) utensils and empty tupperware.

At dinner time I made homemade mac and cheese (skillet, pasta pot, 2 mixing bowl, utensils, casserole dish, food processor) green beans (another pan and lid) and PB and J cupcakes (muffins tins, mixing bowls, frosting piper, and various utensils.

Load 2

We had guest for dinner so we had 8 plates, glasses and sets of utensils, and various pots and pans that wouldn't fit in the previous load. Still some space left to be filled with late night snack dishes.

Which will be Load 3


With all six of us home most days (hubby has a home office) we tend to have two to three meals around the table as a family....with actual place settings. We like it like that. Plus cooking from scratch for generally two meals of the day requires lots of bowls and tools that need to be washed before I can cook again. Since time needs to be balanced too, I'm not willing to hand wash all those dishes (or assign it to a kid). So in evaluating, I'm ok with two to three loads per day.

Do those of you that are home all day, cooking from scratch find that your dishwasher is always full?

GCC Shopping Round Up

There a few great coupons that came out in my area mail this week. Make sure you didn't throw them away. One was for FREE 18 medium eggs from Grocery Outlet and the other was a FREE 3 liter jug of Langers apple juice from Win-co. No purchase necessary. Man, I LOVE all the November/December grocery deals!

Here' what I got this week.

Dollar Tree

Paper napkins
4 bottles The Works (best thing yet for soap scum and CHEAP)
2 conditioner
2 shampoo
cotton swabs
3 packs of muffin liners
bleach

Subtotal $14.00

Winco
TP $6.68
Dishwasher detergent $2.39
Pork Loin chops $9.92
cake mix $.88
dish soap $.88
milk $2.53
Reese's chips $1.88
2 cans green beans $1.30
sweetened condensed milk $1.18
margarine $.80
tomatoes $.90
Cheddar cheese $5.48
avocados $3.12
strawberry jam $1.75
bananas $1.60
carrots $.98
bulk macaroni $1.45
bulk spaghetti $1.93
Parmesan $1.88
broccoli $3.98

Grand Total $65.51

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