ALDI Deals, Starting 12/18/2013

Here are some of the AWESOME deals this week at ALDI...

• Weds. 12/18 ONLY: Tyson Fresh All Natural Pork Loin Roast $2.49/lb
• Weds. 12/18 ONLY: Fresh USDA Choice Sirloin Tip Roast $2.99/lb
• Russet Potatoes 10 lbs $1.99 ea
• Yellow Onions 3 lbs $0.79 ea
• Sweet Potatoes 3 lbs $1.19 ea
• Mandarins 3 lbs $3.69 ea
• Pineapple $1.49 ea
• Navel Oranges 4 lbs $1.99 ea
• Country Side Creamery Butter Quarters Salted or Unsalted 16 oz $1.69 ea
• Puraqua Purified Drinking Water 24 ct $2.29 ea
• Specially Selected Cream Puffs or Chocolate Dipped Cream Puffs 10.6 oz $3.99 ea
• Specially Selected Torino Cookies Mint or Double Chocolate 7-7.5 oz $1.99 ea
• Specially Selected Spicy Gouda 8 oz $3.49 ea
• Simms Garlic Summer Sausage 16 oz $2.99 ea
• Tuscan Garden Stuffed Queen Olives Assorted Varieties 7 oz $3.99 ea
• Little Salad Bar Hummus Chipotle, Tomato and Basil, or Spinach Artichoke 8 oz $1.69 ea
• Nature's Nectar 100% Vegetable Juice 64 oz $1.99 ea
• Clancy's Foccacia Sticks or Italian Toast 4.75-5 oz $1.99 ea
• Clancy's Big Dippers or Chili Cheese Corn Chips 9.25 oz $1.19 ea 
• Carlini Olive Oil Cooking Spray 5 oz $1.49 ea
• Happy Harvest Canned Sauerkraut 14.5 oz $0.65 ea
• Happy Harvest Green Beans Cut or French 14.5 oz $0.49 ea
• Auto XS 35" Snow Brush Black or Red $3.99 ea
• Auto XS Folding Trunk Organizer $4.99 ea
• Easy Home Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier $24.99 ea
• Easy Home Fan Heater $9.99 ea
• 6" Poinsettias Red or White $3.99 ea

For more information about shopping at ALDI, visit their Homepage!

Monday's Giant Trip

It felt so good to do a little coupon shopping, it feels like it's been forever since I've gone to the grocery store.  Pregnancy sickness, and tiredness is probably to blame for that.  Those symptoms are not completely gone, but I do feel better, and can eat a little more!  Here's the deals I stocked up on...

6 Betty Crocker Cake Mixes $1.79 ea - $0.54 ea Sale - $0.85/2 MC doubled, - $0.75/2 MC doubled x 2 = 6/$2.80 ($0.47 ea!)

1 dozen Large White Giant Eggs $2.49 - FREE wyb 5 Betty Crocker Items store promo = FREE

2 bags Florida Crystals Raw Sugar $2.99 ea - $0.50 ea Sale - $0.55/1 MC doubled x 2 = 2/$2.78

1/2 lb VA Baked Deli Ham $3.43

2 pkgs Simply Mashed Potatoes $3.69 ea - $1.70 ea Sale - $0.75/1 MC doubled x 2 = 2/$0.98

2 pkgs Kraft Fresh Takes $3.19 ea - $0.20 ea Sale - $0.99/1 MC doubled x 2 = 2/$2.02

4 bottles VO5 Shampoo $0.99 ea - $0.10 ea Sale - $1/4 MC = 4/$2.56 ($0.64 ea!)

+ $0.22 Tax

Total OOP: $40.36 - $25.79 Savings/Coupons = $14.79 oop, Savings of 64%!!!!

Christmas Tour - 2013

This year we decided to take the whole Christmas decorating a little easy.  With being well into my second trimester, I felt like decorating a lot, but I wasn't sure how I'd feel tearing everything down come the end of January.  But the house feels Christmasy enough for us, and that's all that matters.

First off is the kitchen, I put my gingerbread garland over the sink...

 Changed the table linens, and candle topper, and added a snowman my mom made to the wall.

 You can't see it very good in the photo, but I added some berry bunches inside the china cupboard, and put my Christmas magnets on the fridge.

 At the museum, every year during the Christmas tours, we have a different theme.  They also have an ornament to go with the theme.  Joe and I have one for each year he's been here as the caretaker.  Right now they are all on this wreath, but I think we are going to have to upgrade before next year; it's pretty full!

 I switch out the 'art' in this frame for every holiday/season to keep things fresh.

 We decided to just do a 3 foot tree this year to keep things simple and easy to put away later.  Since I'm pregnant, we decided to decorate it with our baby ornaments from when we were little.  It turned out adorable!

 Tree shot #2

 Lastly, I added some poinsettias to my old bucket, and put my Christmas hippo out, he is definitely my favorite!

I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday season so far, I know we are!  Now, off to bake more cookies!  :)

Menu Plan Monday: 12/16/2013

This week ends the Christmas tours here at the museum.  I'm off from work until the 2nd of January, then I go back 7 days a week until April - Ouch!  Hopefully everything with the pregnancy will cooperate.  I have some more cookie doughs to make this week, and lots of baking to do.  Wednesday I am cutting my niece's boyfriend's grandmother's hair, hopefully that will go smoothly.  I'm used to buzzing guys hair, so we'll see, she wants a straight cut, so hopefully it will turn out.  I am loving the snow fall here in MD, and hopefully it will stick around so we can have a white Christmas!  I'm also hoping to get my Christmas cards out this week.  It should be a fairly low-key week, with a little relaxing!  Here's what's on the menu plan...

Breakfasts: Pop-Tarts, Bagels with Butter or Cream Cheese

Lunches: Leftovers, or Sandwiches with Chips

Dinners:

Sunday - Out with a Friend, her treat :)

Monday - Out for our 1/2 Anniversary (using a coupon and gift card at Texas Road House)
Tuesday - Crock-Pot Lasagne with Foccacia Bread

Wednesday - Homemade Pizza #1

Thursday - Homemade Pizza #2 or Stromboli

Friday - Crock-Pot Chili/Taco Salad made with Chili instead of Taco Meat (Joe prefers chili and crackers, I like it on salad)

Saturday - Leftover Chili and Salad

Extras: Homemade Cookies

For more AWESOME Menu Plans, visit Org Junkie!

Weekly Spending Report: 12/08-14/2013

This week I did my big December shopping trip for baking supplies, as well as the things we will need for Christmas dinner.  We also needed some things which we had run out of like tea bags, bottled water, milk, and cold medicine.  Joe also used 2 $10 Kohl's coupons to get me 3 Christmas presents!  Overall I'm please with what I got for the price I paid.  The rest of the month will be a lot easier on the budget.  Here's what we ended up with...

• Monday's Giant Trip (no picture, Milk, Chips, and 2 boxes Hot Cocoa): $9.42 oop
• Monday's ALDI Trip (no picture, lots of baking supplies - eggs, margarine, flour, sugar, shortening, morsels, PB, and lots of cheeses we were out of - Parmesan, Ricotta, Shredded Mozzarella and Cheddar, as well as things for Christmas dinner like Green Beans, Sour Cream, and Onion Soup Mix, and snacks like Pop-Tarts and Granola Bars for Joe): $56.35 oop
• Wednesday's Giant Trip (no picture, 2 Ketchup, 4 boxes Tea Bags, and 1 bag of Chips): $10.79 oop
• Wednesday's Dollar Tree Trip (no picture, just 2 bottles of 'Robitussin DM'):  $2 oop
• Saturday's Shopper's Trip (no picture, 2 cases H2O, 2 Newspapers): $13.13 oop
• Saturday's Kohl's (no picture, 3 Christmas Presents, used 2 $10 coupons): $10.57 oop

Total OOP: $102.26, that's a lot for us, but I'm also done all my baking supply shopping for the season, and I have everything I need for Christmas dinner, but the ham, which Joe's grandfather buys every year.  The rest of the month should be much easier on the budget :)

For more AWESOME shopping trips, visit the Couponaholic! 

ALDI Deals, Starting 12/11/2013

Here are some of the AWESOME deals this week at ALDI...

• Weds. 12/11 ONLY: Family Pack Fresh Chicken Breasts $1.49/lb
• Potatoes 10 lb bag $1.99 ea
• Yellow Onions 3 lb bag $0.79 ea
• Sweet Potatoes 3 lb bag $1.19 ea
• Mandarins 3 lb bag $2.69 ea
• Pineapple $1.49 ea
• Naval Oranges 4 lb bag $1.99 ea
• Friendly Farms Milk Gallons $1.99 ea
• Goldhen Eggs $1.29 ea Limit 6 per customer
• Baker's Corner Granulated Sugar 4 lb bags $1.49 ea Limit 6 per customer
• Baker's Corner All-purpose Flour 5 lb bags $1.39 ea Limit 6 per customer
• Sweet Harvest Cranberry Sauce Jellied or Whole Berry 14 oz $0.89 ea
• Clancy's Popcorn Kernels 32 oz $1.69 ea
• Happy Farms Cheese Ball Sharp Cheddar or Port Wine 10 oz $2.49 ea
• Country Side Creamery Butter Quarters Salted or Unsalted 16 oz $1.69 ea
• Bake House Creations Pie Crusts 15 oz 2 count $1.49 ea
• Friendly Farms or Fit and Active Whipped Topping  8 oz $0.89 ea
• Baker's Corner Sweetened Condensed Milk 14 oz $1.19 ea
• Baker's Corner Confectioners or Light Brown Sugar 32 oz $1.19 ea
• Baker's Corner Baking Morsels Semi-Sweet, Milk, White, or Butterscotch 11-12 oz $1.29 ea
• Happy Harvest Whole Kernel or Cream-Styled Corn 14.75-15.25 oz, or Cut or French-Style Green Beans 14.5 oz $0.49 ea
• Sweet Harvest Canned Pineapple Slices 20 oz $0.89 ea
• Season's Choice Steamable Vegetables Broccoli Florets or California Medley 12 oz $1.09 ea
• Season's Choice Chopped Spinach 10 oz $0.99 ea
• Season's Choice Steak Fries 28 oz $1.69 ea
• Kitchen Living 6 piece Red or White Wine Glass Set $9.99 ea
• 6.5" Premium Poinsettia Assorted Colors Metal Pot Included $4.99 ea

For more information about shopping at ALDI, visit their homepage!

Menu Plan Monday: 12/09/2013

This week is going to be a little crazy.  We are open for Christmas tours here at the museum, so I'll be working a few days this week.  My morning sickness has returned, unfortunately, which makes eating, and being productive hard.  I also have two baking orders for friends due early next week, so I need to get my dough made up so it has some time to rest before baking it up this weekend.  But luckily I got all our Christmas decorating done this past week, including the tree (pictures to come), and I only have one more gift to buy, and I'm all done shopping for the year (except grocery store trips).

Breakfasts: Pop-Tarts, Bagels with Butter or Cream Cheese

Lunches: Leftovers, Sandwiches

Dinners:

Sunday - Crock-pot Pork Roast with Baked Potatoes

Monday - Leftover Pork with Baked French Fries

Tuesday - Italian Shake and Bake Chicken with Jasmine Rice

Wednesday - Crock-pot Lasagne with Garlic Foccacia Bread

Thursday - Leftover Lasagne and Bread

Friday - TBA, maybe out?

Saturday - Museum Christmas Dinner :)

For more AWESOME Menu Plans, visit Org Junkie!

Menu Plan Monday: 12/02/2013

Well, I wasn't sure my pregnant self was gonna make it, but I did.  My husband Joe and I hosted Thanksgiving for our families, a total of 11.  Then on Friday my sister took me Black Friday shopping and to a delicious Cracker Barrel lunch.  Saturday other than a couple of errands, I was finally able to rest.  My toes were like little sausages after the prior two days, so some time in the recliner with my feet up was just the ticket!  Good thing since Sunday was my first baby shower!  We are so blessed to have the amazing friends that we do!  And we were definitely blessed with all of the wonderful baby presents we received!  This week things settle down a little bit.  I go to the Dr. on Tuesday, so we'll get to hear the heartbeat again - Yeah!  We open for Christmas here at the museum at the end of the week, and I plan to get our apartment decorated for Christmas before then.  But, other than that, this week is gonna breeze right by, hopefully :)  Here's what's cooking this week...

Breakfasts: Bagels with Cream Cheese or Butter

Lunches: Leftovers or Sandwiches

Dinners:

Sunday - Leftover Turkey and Fixings

Monday - Leftover Turkey and Fixings

Tuesday - Leftover Turkey and Fixings

Wednesday - Crock-pot Lasagne with Garlic Bread

Thursday - Leftover Lasagne with Garlic Bread

Friday - Homemade Pizza

Saturday - Stromboli

Extras: Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies

For more AWESOME Menu Plans, visit Org Junkie!

Tempt Your Tummy Tuesday: Crock-pot Pot Roast with Carrots, Potatoes, and Onions

 

 Pot Roast is a delicious and simple meal that only requires a few minutes of prep before it cooks slowly all day in the crock-pot and is ready and waiting for you when you get home from work.  Here's how I do Pot Roast...

1. I like to put my potatoes and carrots underneath my roast, so all those good meat drippings get on them.  So first I wash, peel, and dice my potatoes and carrots, and add them to the crock-pot.
2. After your roast is thawed, salt and pepper it on both sides, and brown it on both sides in a little oil.  Then add your roast on top of your vegetables in the crock-pot.
3. In the same pan I browned the roast in, I saute a sliced onion in a little butter.  When the onion is softened, I add about a cup a beef broth to de-glaze the pan.  Then I pour the onions and broth over the roast in the crock-pot.
4. Cover with the lid and cook on Low 6-8 hours, or until your roast is done.
5. I serve my roast sliced with a large helping of potatoes and carrots, with a little broth drizzled over it all -- yum-o!

*Refrigerate any leftovers

*Leftover over broth makes wonderful gravy to top a leftover sliced pot roast sandwich, just sayin' :)

Linked to Homemade Mondays, and One Project at a Time!

Menu Plan Monday: 11/25/2013

This week is going to be very crazy.  I baked some pies for some friends, in exchange for some cash money to spend on all the great Black Friday deals this week!  I having Thanksgiving this year for my family and my husband's; there will be 11 of us.  Since I'm 21 weeks pregnant, I'm going to try and do as much as I can prep-wise on Tuesday and Wednesday, so hopefully I don't fall asleep in my mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving ;)  I kept things pretty simple on the menu as well...

Breakfasts: Bagels with Cream Cheese or Butter

Lunches: Leftovers, or Sandwiches

Dinners:

Sunday - Beef Pot Roast with Carrots, Potatoes, and Onions in the Crock-pot

Monday - Leftover Potatoes, Carrots, and Onions with Baked Chicken Breasts

Tuesday - Homemade Pizza

Wednesday - Out :)

Thursday - Turkey Day!  Smoked Turkey with all the fixings, and pie!

Friday - Leftover Turkey and sides

Saturday - Leftover Turkey and sides

For more AWESOME Menu Plans, visit Org Junkie!