Super Saving Saturday

I built up a great stock pile of necessities from couponing and rolling extra care bucks at CVS before Rose was born. After a year of concentrated couponing I experienced a little burn out and thus disorganization. I've only bought a couple of newspapers this year and haven't felt the need to get more. I am still using my extra care bucks every few weeks to replace things we need and have great success using printable coupons.

Another way my shopping has changed is a shift from coupons to shopping at Sam's Club. It is quite the extreme from what I had been doing. Sam's doesn't even accept coupons! I mostly buy basic staple type whole foods at a great price and cook up big batches of things we love! I have been pleased the last couple of months with this method. I find that we are eating well consistently and I think I am actually saving more and getting more food by not going in the stores as much. This seems to be working well for my family and frankly it's a relief to have a break from so many coupons. I am glad that I learned that way of shopping so that if I ever need to go back to it I know how. Abby has learned a lot as well. CVS-ing is great for basic math skills!

Purchased at CVS and Walmart:

• 40 trash bags
• 7 pounds pet food
• 2 boxes organic granola cereal
• 1 pack of huggies diapers
• 1 huggies baby wipes
• 1 Suave hairspray
• 1 cvs D vitamins
• 3 coffeemate creamers
• 2 Palmolive dish soaps
• 1 dozen eggs
• 2 loaves of bread
• 2 Vaseline lotions

Total Spent:

$8.87 in cash

$5.68 on my CVS gift card (I had a coupon printed on my last receipt for a $25 gift card for a new or transferred prescription, which we needed. The same coupon printed again after I paid for the prescription today!)

Used 14 Extra Care Bucks

Earned 9 Extra Care Bucks

There a many great deals to be found with printable coupons. I found mine today from the following sites:

Money Saving Mom

Southern Savers

The Centsible Sawyer

Amish Baked Oatmeal

I've made baked oatmeal once before and it turned out kinda cake-y and we didn't love it. I kept reading about people making it and making it regularly because it was really good. I came across this recipe again recently and it seemed different than what I made before and was described as "like a cookie". And because I don't turn down a cookie, it was a go!
Here is the original recipe. And the following is the recipe with adjustments and approximate cost:

• 3 cups old fashioned oats 0.75
• 1 cup brown sugar 0.50
• 1 cup milk 0.25
• 1/2 cup butter melted 0.50
• 2 beaten eggs 0.25
• 1 tsp. baking powder 0.05
• 1 tsp. salt 0.05
• 1 tsp. cinnamon 0.05
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract 0.10
• milk, nuts, fruit for toppings 0.50
• Total cost: $3.00, (and probably less, but I guessed on the high side)

Directions: Combine the ingredients and mix well. Spread evenly in 2 greased 13x9 baking dishes. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. (mine was done at 25m) Serve warm.

Everyone loved this. Some ate it with milk and fruit and nuts, some just plain. But, everyone loved this. I am serving a lot of oatmeal and this will be a regular on the menu.

I poured about an inch of milk in my bowl and warmed it in the microwave, then spooned in the baked oatmeal and topped with coconut and walnuts. YUM!

This post is a part of Frugal Friday.

Menu Plan

Dinners:
1. linguine with garlic sauce

2. ham and cheese sandwiches, broccoli slaw, carrot sticks with ranch

3. chicken enchilada casserole, rice, green salad

4. quiche-one ham and cheese, one spinach, rice pudding

5. homemade pizza

6. spagetti with meat sauce (from the freezer), green salad, garlic bread

7. chili, chips, cheese, corn casserole

Breakfast choices-oatmeal, granola cereal, Amish baked oatmeal, eggs/toast, cheerios and bananas, banana muffins

Lunch choices-egg salad sandwiches, pbj, potato soup and cornbread, fried egg sandwiches, leftovers, available fruits

deserts-preacher cookies, no-bake cheesecake(I won't make individual. just one whole pie or two;)

Menu Plan

Sunday-
B-oatmeal
L-grilled venison steaks, fruit, raw veggies
D-Memphis BBQ ribs (crock pot), rice, steamed carrots
desert-homemade chocolate chip walnut cookies
(cook stockpot of spaghetti sauce for the freezer)*done*

Monday-
B-fried egg sandwiches, applesauce
L-pink smoothies, pbj
D-baked chicken, rice, creamed peas(doubled for us and I use frozen peas)
cook bulk ground turkey for the freezer

Tuesday-
B-granola cereal
L-chicken soup with rice and carrots, cornbread
D-Alfredo sauce over penne pasta, green salad

Wednesday-
B- Amish baked oatmeal,(doubled and made with old fashioned oats)
L-cheddar quiche, apple slices
D-stuffed shells, corn casserole (make extra pan of each to freeze)

Thursday-
B-granola cereal (make egg salad)
L-egg salad sandwiches, carrot sticks
D-potato soup, cornbread
To do-get chicken out of the freezer

Friday-
B-scrambled eggs, toast
L-McDonald's
D-calzones with italian turkey sausage, ricotta and broccoli

Saturday-
to do-soak beans
Brunch-pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream
D-grilled trout, baked chicken, fried rice with mixed vegetables
to do-turn on crock pot of beans, get turkey out of the freezer

Sunday-
B-oatmeal with fruit and nuts
(Add meat and spices to chili before church)
D-chili, chips and cheese, salad
desert-brownies with ice cream

Another Kid Hits Double Digits!!!

These first two pictures are of Anna-Kate, three years ago today. She turned seven. She gets very excited about her birthday. She loves choosing the menu for dinner and her own special cake or desert!

This year, as she turns ten, I am watching another little girl quickly turn into a young lady. I am so proud of her. She is a very special young lady. She is so wonderful with her little sisters. I can always count on Anna to entertain Wendy and Lily. She has a way of keeping them occupied and happy. Which can be quit a chore for their ages!

Anna has such a sweet heart and gentleness about her. She will make a wonderful mother someday. It is certainly bitter sweet to see another kid enter double digits. I am so thankful that God gave her to us to enjoy and have the privilege to " train up in the way she should go".

I can't wait to see what the next three years bring for Anna and all that she can learn. One of her goals is to grow her hair long enough to cut it and donate to Locks of Love. Click on the link and watch the video to learn more about her goal! Anna is very excited about this!

Anna you are one special young lady. Happy 10th Birthday. We love you very much! Mama and Daddy

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

Who Needs IHOP...?

I'm always looking for ways to treat my family without breaking the budget! A meal out for nine people is just not practical when I could buy four or five bags of groceries for the price of one meal that only satisfies for a couple of hours. And frankly a meal out with a 1, 3, and 4 year old is not relaxing;) I do like a bit of a break from cooking once in a while though.

I have and answer to all of this with brunch on Saturdays. We hold off eating much until closer to lunch and whip up pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream. YUM! It doesn't take much effort to make pancakes from a mix that you only need to add water. EASY! The strawberries come frozen, clean and already sliced. I just sprinkle with a tablespoon or so of sugar and let them thaw into their wonderful topping goodness. YAY! And I don't even "whip" the cream. WOOHOO!
We eat 'til our hearts content and I don't even think about cooking again until dinner. Homerun for Mama!!
Here's the math:
All the ingredients for a month of Saturday Brunches....
From Sam's Club(rounding up prices)

• Pancake Mix(just add water)-$6
• Frozen Strawberries-$9
• 3 large cans of whipped cream-$7
• total of $22.00
• $5.50 per meal for all of us (if I could think of another word to cap and ! I'd throw it in here, wink, smile)

This post is a part of Frugal Friday and Weekend Fun Food.

A New Little Cousin!

Ella Madeline

January 20, 2009

9 pounds 3 ounces

Lo children are an heritage unto the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. Psalm 127