ALDI Deals, Starting 01/23/2013

Here are a few of the deals happening this week at ALDI...

• ednesday 01/23 ONLY: Fresh boneless skinless Chicken Breasts $1.69/lb
• Kitchen Living 6 Qt Programmable Slow Cooker $29.99 ea
• Kitchen Living Pizza Pan $2.99 ea
• Happy Harvest Chili Style Diced Tomatoes 14.5 oz $0.59 ea (Use to make this chili!)
• Kirkwood Chicken Wings 4 lb Frozen bag $8.49 ea
• Season's Choice Whole Onion Rings 16 oz $1.99 ea
• Vienna Beef Mini Bagel Dogs (frozen) 12 oz $4.99 ea
• Appetitos Frozen Dips 8 oz $2.49 ea
• Mama Cozzi's Rising Crust Pizza Spinach, mushroom and garlic Pizza 30.3 oz $3.99 ea
• Clancy's Cheddar and Sour Cream Ridged 9 oz or Buttery or White Cheddar Popcorn 8 oz $1.49 ea
• Clancy's Hint of Lime Tortilla Chips 13 oz $1.29 ea
• Clancy's Krinkle cut Kettle Chips Sea Salt or Sea Salt with Black Pepper 8.5 oz $1.79 ea
• Nature's Nectar Raspberry Lemonade All Natural 59 oz $1.99 ea
• Specially Selected Dark Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans 7 oz $2.99 ea
• Choceur Coffee to Eat Truffles, Assorted Varieties 4.23 oz $2.99 ea
• Primrose 4" $0.99 ea
• Celery $0.79 ea
• Baby Carrots 16 oz bag $0.69 ea
• Avocados $0.59 ea
• Grape Tomatoes $1.29/pint
• Broccoli 16 oz pkg $1.09 ea
• Cauliflower $1.09/head

For more information about ALDI, visit their homepage!

Tempt Your Tummy Tuesday: Apple Crumb Pie

In honor of National Pie Month, I wanted to re-post this delicious all-American apple pie recipe - Enjoy!

This pie is so yummy, and yet so simple to make, that it's kind of a non-recipe. 

I roll out 1 pie crust, I usually use this recipe, but sometimes I just use a pre-made refrigerated one.

For the filling I cook up 4-6 apples (depending on their size) that have been peeled and sliced with a couple tbsp of butter, a sprinkle of cinnamon, about a 1/3 c brown sugar, and a couple tsp of corn starch.  I let that cook until the apples are softened, then I pour it into the unbaked pie shell which I've placed into a pie plate.  For the topping I mix about 1 c quick cook oats with a couple tbsp flour, a couple tbsp cold butter, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and about a 1/3 c brown sugar with a pastry cutter.  Once it is incorporated nicely I sprinkle it on top of the filling, and bake  it in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until the topping and crust are a nice golden brown.  

I like mine warm with vanilla bean ice cream!

For more AWESOME temptations, visit Blessed with Grace!
Linking to Life as Mom!

Menu Plan Monday 01/21/2013

This week things should be nice and slow-paced around here, yeah!  I think my menu plan this week will use up a LOT of things from the freezers, plus Joe actually likes everything on the plan, which is always a plus!  Here's what's cookin'...

Breakfasts: Cold Cereal, Bagels

Lunches: Homemade Pizza, Buffalo Chicken Wraps, Leftover Pork Sandwiches, or Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Dinners:
Sunday - Salsa Chicken Bake
Monday - Crock Pot Roast Pork, Crock Pot Baked Potatoes, and a Vegetable
Tuesday - Leftover BP's fried with Onions, Eggs, Sausage, and Toast
Wednesday - Leftover Fried Potatoes and Onions, Pancakes, and Creamed Chipped Beef Gravy
Thursday - Grilled Burgers, Baked French Fries, and a Vegetable
Friday - Homemade Shrimp Alfredo with Linguine, Foccacia Bread, and Steamed Broccoli
Saturday - Out :-)

For more AWESOME Menu Plans, visit Org Junkie!

Pantry Challenge Update #3: 01/13-19/2013

Well, it's a new week, thank God, so I get the chance for a brand new start.  Hopefully this week will go a little better.  Joe and I are starting to feel like our old selves again, so I should have more energy to do some cooking.  We did use a good bit up from the freezers last week, but I want to make an even bigger dent this week!

Day #13: Sunday I had a slight stomach bug, so we slept in, and skipped breakfast.  We spent the afternoon enjoying the peace and quiet here at the museum, and watched our 2 free Red Boxes, as well as clipped some coupons (me) and played on the computer (Joe).  It was a nice day!

B - none

L - Waffles, Fruit

D - Leftover Pizza

Day #14: Monday I cleaned the house, and helped Joe straighten up his work room desk.  I also worked on organizing some paperwork, and filing coupons.  Overall we got a lot of work done, and managed to relax some in the evening and watch a movie.

B - Cold Cereal

L - Snacks

D - Baked Fresh-Takes Chicken Breasts, with Ranch Potato Wedges and Broccoli with Cheese.  We also finished off the cobbler for dessert.

Day #15: Tuesday Joe had a meeting to go to here at the museum, which I also had to attend, unfortunately.  And of course, instead of it being a 20 minute meeting, it was a 2 hour meeting, so dinner got scraped unfortunately.  Here's what we ended up eating.
B - Cold Cereal/Waffles
L - Fish Patties and Baked French Fries
D - Bob Evans, used a gift card from Christmas to pay, so it cost less than $8!

Day #16: Wednesday Joe and I had a viewing to go to for an older gentlemen's wife we flea market with.  He was very happy to see us, even though no one else knew who we were.  It was late in the evening for some reason, so we ended up doing some shopping afterwards, and brought home some chick-fil-a for dinner.
B - Cold Cereal/Waffles
L - Used the leftover chicken from Monday to make Chicken Parmesan.  I just melted provolone on top of the chicken, cooked up some spaghetti noodles, and heated up a jar of sauce.  It was very tasty, I wish I would have got a picture before we woofed it all down :-)
D - Chick-n-strips Salad with Ranch for me, and an Original Sandwich for Joe, we also shared a cookies and cream milkshake on the way home.

Day #17:  Thursday I thought I was going to die.  I had stomach cramps so bad I literally got light-headed.  After a call to the Dr, I have a Tuesday appointment, oh joy.  Later in the day the pain subsided some, but my stomach was still somewhat nausea from the earlier pain.  Meals were sparse to say the least.
B - Sausage Sandwiches for Joe (which he made for himself), crackers for me
L - Leftover Chicken Parmesan for Joe, Cinnamon Sugar Toast x 2 for me
D - Subs

Day #18: Friday I was still feeling not so hot; I will be glad when the sickness is finally out of this house for good.  Joe and I did manage to get a few things done around the house today, which is always a good thing; I'm even caught up on laundry.  It's a good day!
B - Bagel for Joe and Cold Cereal for me
L - Leftover over Spaghetti with Sausage for Joe, and
D - Burgers

Day #19: Saturday Joe and I took Joe's Grandfather, Pap, down to Easton so we could attend a memorial service.  It was actually a lovely and lighthearted service.  Pap treated us to our breakfast and lunch out since Joe drove us all down.  Joe and I stopped into the Amish Market while we were in Cockeysville, and picked up newspapers in Westminster, when we got home.  The rides down and back were lovely; it was a nice day!
B - Cracker Barrel with Pap, his treat (B. berry pancakes, bacon, and hash brown casserole for me, Joe had a large breakfast platter)
L - Holly's with Pap, also his treat (Joe and I each had some cream of crab soup, and split a shrimp salad sandwich with chips and pickles)
D - Joe had a frozen pizza, and I had some snacks since I wasn't very hungry

Linking up at Good Cheap Eats!

Weekly Spending Report 01/14-20/2013

This week I tried REALLY hard to stay out of the stores.  Here's how I did...

• Wednesday's CVS Trip: $1.97 oop

• Wednesday's ALDI Trip: $8.01 oop

• Wednesday's Rite-Aid Trip: $5.70, Earned $8 UP+Rewards

• Thursday's Shopper's Trip (Honey Crisp Apples): $2.96 oop
• Saturday's Amish Market Trip: $2.30 + $2.49 + $3.13 = $7.92 oop

• Saturday's Shopper's Trip (6 honey crisp apples and 2 newspapers): $10.16 oop

Total OOP: $36.72 - Earned $8 Rewards = Net OOP: $28.72

Linking up to Couponaholic. 

Frugal Finds Friday: Re-using Glass Bottles!

 

 A little spray paint can go a L-O-N-G way in making your pantry look more cohesive, and can make all of your reused glass bottles from spaghetti sauce, salsa, fruit, etc coordinate.  Once I started reading about all the bad things about plastic storage containers, I knew I wanted to start using glass for pantry items.  But who has the money to go out and buy all new glass containers for your pantry, certainly not this gal.  So I started saving glass bottles from items we regularly use, like salsa, pasta sauces, artichokes, and the like. 

1.) I wash them with dish soap and water, 

2.)let them air dry,

3.)and then spray paint the lids so they all coordinate, and make my OCD side very happy!  

I still have a few Ziploc Twist and Lock containers that I use in the freezer, but all my snacks, baking items, beans, extra pastas, are all in my nice reused glass containers.  Not only is it green, but frugal too!

How about you; what are some of your frugal finds for the week?

Linked to Works for Me Wednesday!

Linking up to Homemade Mondays.

ALDI Deals, Starting 01/16/2013

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

• Vanderwall Shower Caddy Assortment Satin Nickel or Bronze $9.99 ea
• St. Cloud PEVA Shower Curtain Liner 70x72" $5.99 ea
• Vanderwall Toilet Tissue Holder $7.99 ea
• Crane 36' Jogging Trampoline $24.99 ea
• Kitchen Living Panini Grill $19.99 ea
• Kirkwood Garlic and Herb Chicken Breasts 40 oz $6.99 ea
• Sistema Lunch Cube or Soup Mug To Go $3.99 ea
• Source Skincare Liquid Hand Soap Pure Protection, or Aloe Vera 7.5 oz $0.85 ea
• Yellow Onions 3 lb bag $0.79 ea
• Carrots 2 lb bag $0.79 ea
• Red Potatoes 5 lb bag $0.99 ea
• Navel Oranges 4 lb bag $1.89 ea
• Fuji Apples 3 lb bag $2.19 ea
• Pineapples $1.89 ea
• Season's Choice Frozen Strawberries 16 oz $1.99 ea
• Season's Choice Frozen Blueberries 12 oz $2.49 ea
• L'oven Fresh Sandwich Skinnys Multigrain, or 100% Whole Wheat 12 oz $1.99 ea

For more AWESOME Deals at ALDI, visit their homepage!

Frugal Finds Friday: Cereal Box Magazine Holders!

Spray Paint and Sealer

+ 

Used Cereal Boxes

=

Magazine Holders!

To make these, you simply cut the cereal box into the shape of a magazine holder.  Then you go outside, or cover the area you are going to spray paint on with newspaper, and open some windows, and then spray paint the entire cereal box (I usually focus on the outside, but you can do the whole inside too if you like).  Allow the cereal box(es) to dry overnight.  In the morning spray them well and evenly with sealer.  Allow the boxes to completely dry, I usually let them set a couple of days for good measure.  Then add a label and fill the holders with your magazines!  I love being able to use old things to make new more useful items!

Easy, green, and frugal organization!

Linking up to Works for Me Wednesday!

Pantry Challenge Update #2: 01/06-12/2013

This week has been crazy.  With the holidays being over and things so quiet here at the museum, I keep thinking about my mom, and how much I miss her.  It's hard.  I'm trying to keep myself busy, but I think that the flu has finally entered the Roger's house.  Joe and I have both been feeling pretty rough the past few days, and then Thursday we went to Joe's grandfather's house and worked our little tushies off there.  Here's how the pantry challenge has been going...

Day #6: Sunday Joe was really suffering for a head cold, which I guess I gave him - whoops.  Luckily we had a lot of leftover food from Saturday, so I reheated some hamburger helper for lunch, and whipped up some taco salads for dinner using the leftover chili.  We ate good and still had plenty of both left for Monday.

B - Cold Cereal

L - Leftover Hamburger Helper

D - Leftover Chili Taco Salads

Day #7: Monday Joe was still feeling pretty rough, but I managed to get the house clean and do some laundry and a little paperwork as well, and Joe spent most of the day resting in the recliner.  It was a nice day.  We ate more leftovers...
B - Cream of Wheat
L - Leftover Hamburger Helper - the last of it!
D - Leftover Chili

Day #8: Tuesday Joe and I worked on some things around the house, and finally had a break from leftovers and I made a pasta bake creation using 2 cups of leftover pasta sauce (1 marinara, and 1 vodka) from the freezer, along with leftover frozen cooked pasta, and a little cheese.  Paired with some frozen garlic bread (our last loaf), and it was quite the meal.  We did some sandwiches for lunch.

B - Cold Cereal

L - Sandwiches

D - Pasta Bake with Garlic Bread

Day #9: Wednesday Joe and I continued to recuperate and worked on some organizing at the house.  I opened up some Christmas ham from the freezer for lunch, and we splurged on some 5 Guys for dinner.

B - Cold Cereal

L - Ham and Cheese Omelets with Toast

D - 5 Guys Burgers and Fries

Day #10: Thursday Joe and I went to his Grandfather's house.  We got some kindling cut up and stored for his wood stove, and I worked on flea market stuff in the basement to get ready for our first flea market this year, next month.  We ate out with Pap for lunch and dinner, and he treated, so that was nice!

B - Cold Cereal

L - Soft Pretzels from the Amish Market

D - Chili's Baby Back Ribs!  :-)

Day #11: Friday we slept in, and Joe went to the gun show near Cockeysville.  I stayed home and got caught up on laundry, and some organizing projects I wanted to get done.  Meals were simple.

B - None

L - None for Me, PB and J sandwiches for Joe

D - Ledo's Pizza (with enough leftover for lunch tomorrow!)

Day #12: Saturday Joe and I went into the world and ran some errands, and did some shopping!  We got some great deals on some things we were in need of like probiotics and Kleenex from CVS, and milk, fruit, and snacks from Giant.  I also got to visit with my sister a little, and we picked up a $5 Little Caesar's pizza for dinner; it was quite yummy!  We spent the afternoon resting, and watching movies, while I clipped coupons.

B - Cold Cereal/Waffles

L - Sandwiches

D - Pizza, Pizza!

For more challenge updates visit Good Cheap Eats!

Menu Plan Monday 01/14/2013

I hope that this week goes better than last.  Last week Joe and I were sick, we were working at and around the house, and tiredness got the best of us both, and we ate a few more takeout pizzas than I wanted to.  But we did eat a good bit from the freezer, which is the point of this freezer challenge.  This week we have a memorial service to attend near the ocean, and we can hopefully get some more organizing done around the house.  Here's what's on the menu for this week...

Breakfasts: Cold Cereal, Cream of Wheat, or Sausage Sandwiches/Waffles for Joe

Lunches: Leftovers, Sandwiches

Dinners:

Sunday -  Little Caesar's $5 Pizza

Monday - Baked Fresh-Take Chicken with Ranch Potato Wedges and a Vegetable

Tuesday - Baked Crunchy Fish with Baked French Fries and a Vegetable

Wednesday - Ham, Pepperoni, and Cheese Stromboli

Thursday - Crock Pot Pork Roast with Crock-Pot Baked Potatoes and a Vegetable

Friday - Leftover Pork Sandwiches with Baked Potato Wedges and a Vegetable

Saturday - Memorial Service on the Eastern Shore with Joe's Grandfather, we'll probably get treated to Holly's for driving him down.

Extras: Apple Cobbler, and later in the week Homemade Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

For more AWESOME Menu Plans, visit Org Junkie!