School Deals and Shopping at Office Depot

Hubby is so sweet. He went by Office Depot for me to grab these:

3 Compass, $0.10 each
10 Gluesticks, $0.20 each
He paid $2.40. And was excited to get 40 glue sticks for only $2!

There are still lots of fab deals to stock-up for school. Of course, set aside some for gifts and charities and Teacher appreciation days.

My fave picks are:
Office Max penny items- crayons and protractors
and Office Depot dime deals- compass for $0.10, glue sticks for $0.20


See Hip To Save's list for even more, including Staples deals.

Super Shopping at CVS 8-30

After Church, I did my usual CVS run. And still no luck on the missing Aveeno products. The cashier told me that the manager can pull the video and see what just might have happened. A part of me is happy to hear and another is apprehensive. What if I am as absent-minded as I suspect and ended up taking it home and somehow lost it here in plain sight. But I'm not going to worry about that right now.

CVS is pretty well-stocked today so you can easily do these deals too. If they are sparse, remember to ask for a raincheck and when the truck will come in to restock. Here is the breakdown of the shopping trip:

*The sale prices are listed here & in my shopping plan.

---------------------
First Transaction:

1 Lora Boone Cookies, 4 Fig Newton
Used $2 Q so paid $0.40each, got $1 ECB

2 Planter's Peanuts
Used $1 Q so paid $2.50 each, got 2 ECBs

2 Welch's Jelly
Used $1.50 Q so paid $1.25 each, got $2 ECBs

3 Progresso Soup
Paid $2 each, got $2 ECBs

2 Planter's Trail Mix
Used $1 q, paid $2.20 each
*will return this, it's the CVS brand on sale for 2/$3

2 V8 Splash
Paid $2.99 each, got $2 ECBs

Subtotal is $35
-$5 off $25 Q from CVS survey
-$6.17 manuf Q
Paid $23.88 OOP and get $9 ECB back


--------------------
Second Transaction:

Glade Soy Candle, 10 oz
Used $4 Q so paid $2.99, got $6.99 ECB

Bounce Dryer Bar, $3.99
Use $2.50 manuf Q from Vocal Point- didn't work
*will have to return it

Softsoap Ensembles Pump and Refill , Paid $3
Used $2 CVS Q and FREE refill peelie Q on pump
*I told the cashier the refill was $0.99 twice but she said $3.99. And she couldn't take my other $3 off 2 Q so I just left it alone.

SoftSoap Serum, $4.69 (forgot the $1 Q in today's paper!)
Used $1.50 Q, paid $3.19, got $2 ECB

Johnson Soft Lotion, $5.99
Used $3 Q, paid $3, got $2 ECB

Listerine Cool Agent Blue
Paid $1.47 since I forgot the $1Q

Newspaper, had 3 coupon inserts! Paid $1.50

Bath sponge, donated to new Navy ship fundraiser
Paid $1.99 (I used ECBs to donate!)

Subtotal is $34
-$14.50 Qs
-$11 ECBs
Paid $4.11 plus $2.52 tax, Got $12 ECB

Other CVS Bargains

Don't forget to ask your pharmacist about the Automatic Refill Coupon Book. The $2 off $10 oral care would go great with the Sensodyne and Aquafresh sales, and also all the clearance items.

At Innerarity, I saw these:
Orajel Toothpaste, $1
Listerine Agent Cool Blue, $1.47
*Use $1 internet coupon to make $0.47!
75% off some Colgate toothbrushes



UPDATE: On Sunday, I saw the Skin Effects Souffle for $15.99. It's a moisturizer with SPF not sunscreen. So the $3 off $15 sun care will not work. There is also a $6.99 cleanser that is part of the deal. With this updated scenario you'll only spend $1:

DEAL: Buy $19.99 Skin Effects, Get $5 ECB
Buy Skin Effects Souffle Moisturizer SPF 30, $15.99
Buy SE Cleanser, $6.99
- two $2 off SE from Reinventing Beauty Magazine
*Q expires tomorrow!
-$4 off $20 Facial Skin Care from Auto Refill booklet
-$4 off $20 from same booklet
-$5 off SE Souffle SPF 30, CVS Q
Pay $6 OOP, get $5 ECB
Only $1 after savings!

Also, there are lots of products for $19.99 each. I don't know if they will let you use the $4 off $20 coupons since it's a penny under $20.
Buy 1 item for $19.99
-$2 off SE from Reinventing Beauty Magazine
-$4 off $20 Facial Skin Care from Auto Refill booklet
-$4 off $20 from same booklet
-$5 off SE Souffle SPF 30, CVS Q
Pay $5 OOP, get $5 ECB so still FREE!

Possibly FREE Skin Effects Scenario:
Buy $19.99 Skin Effects get $5 ECBs
I'm not sure how much these are but I assume I'd buy 2

There are a few coupons I can use for this deal:
*I got these from the price scanner & could be used
-$5 off Skin Effects Souffle SPF 30*
-$ 3 off $15 sun care products*

two $2 off SE from Reinventing Beauty Magazine
-$4 off $20 Facial Skin Care from Auto Refill booklet
$5 off $25 or $4 off $20 from survey and booklet

That makes $20 or $21 in Qs. Plus get $5 ECB, for a $4 moneymaker!


Possible $0.50 Scotch Lint Roller or Refill
These are on sale buy 1 get 1 half off. Prices start at $1.99. If you kept the Publix Smart Summertime Savings, there is a $1 off 1 Scotch Q.

Here is the scenario:
Buy 2 Scotch Lint Roller
$1.99 for the first, then $1 for the second
Use two $1 off 1 Q
Pay $0.49 for 2

CVS Deals for August 30-Sept 5

Lots of deals are going on at CVS this week. Take notes from Money Saving Mom and The Thrifty Mama. For all the deals with coupon match-ups, visit I Heart CVS.

Some lingo used: ECB=extra care bucks, you can use on anything; OOP+Out-of-pocket cost; Q= coupon; manuf Q=manufacturer coupon (can stack with CVS coupon); peelie=Q sticker found on product; Vocal Point=sign-up to get Q's in the mail.

Here is my own shopping scenario:
First Transaction:
Glade Soy Candle or Reed Diffuser, $7.99
Use $4 peelie Q found at Wal-Mart
Pay $2.99 OOP and get $6.99 ECB back.
This is already FREE with ECBs, so any coupon used is extra money for you!

Bounce Dryer Bar, $3.99
Use $2.50 manuf Q from Vocal Point
Pay $1.50 OOP and get $1 ECB

Buy Softsoap Ensembles Pump for $7.99, get Refill for $0.99
Use two $2 CVS Q from Reinventing Beauty Mag
Use $3 off 2 manuf Q from junk mail
Pay $2 for 2 OOP

Johnson Soft Lotion, $5.99?
Use $1 Internet Q; use $2 CVS Q printed on last week's receipt
Pay $3 OOP, get $2 ECB
Only $1 after discounts

If I buy all of the above, my subtotal is $26. Using $16.50 in Q's, plus $5 off $25 from here, to pay $4.50 with previous ECBs.
So I'll pay $0 OOP. And get $8 ECBs!



Second Transaction:
Planters Trail Mix, 2/$3
Buy 2. Use $1 Manuf Q

Lora Boone Cookies or Fig Newton, $5 for 5
Buy 5. Use two $1 off 2 manuf Q from the Nabisco Q booklet*
Pay $3 OOP, get $1 ECB. ($0.40 each after ECB)
(*There is a $20 Rebate in this booklet. You have to buy 10 Kraft drinks and 10 Nabisco products. But even 4 oz cookies qualify.)

Planter's Cocktail, 2/$6
Buy 2. Use $1 off 2 Manuf Q
Pay $5 for 2, Get 2 ECBs back

Welch's Jelly, 2/$6
Buy 2. Use two $0.75 Q from coupon.com
Pay $1.25 for each, Get $2 ECBs back

Progresso Soup, 3/$6
Get $2 ECBs

Subtotal for this transaction is $26 if I bought all of the above.
I'd use $5 off $25 Q first before all the other Q.
Pay $15.50 OOP and get $7 ECB back

Target Deals, August 30-Sept 5

Looks like there are a few notable Target deals this week!

Check out the weekly ad for yourself here. Go here to print Target Q's. And see Hip to Save for more Target deals.

Have you price-matched at Target? Here is a great deal to try out:
CVS has Bounce Dryer Bar for $3.99.
Use $1.50 Target Q from last Sunday
Stack it with $2.50 Q from Vocal Point.
It will be FREE after the Q's!


Right on the front page of the ad is a favorite deal:
Buy 2 Tostitos chips get free Salsa. Use $1 off chips and dip from All You and pay $4 for everything.


Some Special K cereal and bars are on sale at $2.39 (Berry flavor maybe?)
Buy 4 & get $5 Gift Card. Use two $0.50 Kellogg's Snack Target Q and $1 off 2 Manuf. Q to get these down to 4/$0.56 or $0.14 each.
(Note: at our Target, if $1 off 2 manuf. Q is used, it can be stacked with only 1 Target Q. The total would be 4/$1.56... don't ask me why. They're not quite in-love with couponers.)


Buy 2 Nutrigrain (8count) get FREE Milk! Use two more $0.50 Target Q as above. Pay only $3.80 for all 3.


If you went to Walgreen's two weeks ago, you may have received $1 off Pampers wipes with your other catalinas. Since this is a manuf. Q, you can use it at Target too. Pampers wipes are on sale for $1.99, making them only $1 after the Q.


Huggies wipes are also on sale for $1.99 and you may be able to use the $1.50 off diaper product internet Q (but not available anymore). This makes 1 tub of wipes only $0.50!


Also, last time I was at Target, I noticed some of the $5 movies had stickers saying coupons were available online. I searched and searched for this and finally found the post about it at Hip to Save. Go here to print the coupon. These don't expire until the end of October. According to the comments in the post, many have been able to use the coupons for most any $5 movie, not just the ones listed in the printout.

Super Shopping, August 23-29

Not too many coupon deals for me this week. We needed staples like meats and produce. We spent $87 and got $8 ECBs from CVS. And it took me until Saturday to go to CVS. The trip was great except, I lost 3 Aveeno Cleansing Pads ($27 Retail). While hyperventilating, since I still can't find them, I just keep reminding myself that it only cost me $1.46. And that, my dear reminds me of a Filipino story... keep scrolling down (it's at the very bottom) to read it.

Tuesday for Toys at Kmart
I used the Transformers BOGO coupon from coupon.com They were $3.99 each before the coupon. I'm not sure if these are still available. And I used $5 off $20 KMart Toy Purchase. So my total was around $8 with tax. I don't think my son needs any more cars and he's never even watched Transformers. But these are great novelty gifts at only $1.30 a piece after savings.



Tuesday at the Thrift Bakery.
Each of these cost $0.79 because they were the manager special. This is more that enough for 1 month's worth of breads. And were about $9.50.



Tuesday at Winn-Dixie
Cost before savings: $64.20
Cost after savings: $19.56
Savings of 70%

Two of my Vocal Point Coupons did not work: The Free Rice Krispies and $1 off the same. The cashier's boss was not too nice about it.
I did get FREE milk, eggs and $0.29 for the Craisins. I used a Kellogg's coupon from the booklet at the store, Save $2 off Craisins when you buy 2 Mini-Wheats.

Wow! These cheese are a bargain at $1 each. I did not even need a coupon. Only the Mexican blend was on sale. That's fine by me.

Mrs. Paul's were BOGO at $6.99 for 2. Smart Source coupon for $3 off 1 so each makes each box $0.50. And the brown rice was on sale for $1.79 each.

Wednesday at Wal-Mart
Cost before savings? Except for the oatmeal and wheat germ, I price-matched everything. And for the most part, these were great sale prices. My total came out to $32.86. Not too bad for 10 pounds of fresh produce and 11 pounds of ground beef. Plus wheat germ which was $4.28 by itself.
$0.98 per pound for: zucchini, squash, green beans, red potatoes, pluots and nectarines.
3 pounds for $1 for cabbage
$1.68 per pound for ground beef

Saturday at Wal-Mart
Just went in to grab two cantaloupes for $2.50 and two Ronzoni Healthy Harvest linguine. I used $1 off 2 coupon that was on the pasta (just the lingune). Also, as I was reading the ingreadients label, it says that this is a whole wheat blend. So who knows how much whole wheat flour is actually in it. Not that I'm complaining. It tastes like some good nutrition is in there. And it was on sale for $1.18, so $0.68 after the coupon.

Hubby also bought two flour tortilla packages at $1.07 a piece this week for the breakfast burritos I plan to freeze. And I grabbed a pack of Skittles for a pick-me-up for him. A real slurge at $0.64, since Target across the street has them for free with coupon. But sometimes you just have to live in the moment!

Saturday at CVS
Well, you are probably shaking your head. How could she lose 3 huge jars of cleansing pads. Hmmm. I myself am puzzled and resisting an anxiety attack. That is why there is no picture. I did learn about this great deal scenario from Hip To Save. I found these in the back wall with all the other expensive cleansers I am too cheap to buy.

First Transaction
3 Aveeno Positively Ageless Cleansing Pads, $8.99 each
-$4 off $20 CVS purchase*
-$4 off $20 facial skin cleansers*
*(Both of these are from the coupon booklet you get for asking about the automatic refills. I was suprised and elated to be able to use both at the same time- that's $8 off!)
-$8.98 ECBs
Final cost was $0.03 plus tax ($1.43) plus got $10 ECBs

Second Transaction
6 Glade Scented Oil Candle Refill $2.50 each
1 Glade Lasting Impressions $5
2 Caliber Glue Sticks (had raincheck), $0.99 each
-$4 off $20 CVS purchase (you get 2 of these in the auto-refill coupon booklet)
-2 FREE Candle Refill (I found these coupons in the boxes of others I bought before)
-$3 Lasting Impressions coupon found in old box too
-$10 ECBS from 1st Transaction
Final Cost was $0.18 plus tax ($1.67) plus got $2 ECBs

So, on to that Filipino story:
The National Hero of the Philippines is a man named Jose Rizal. Legend has it that one day he went out fishing. And to get to the pond, he had to cross a bridge over a stream. You may not know this, but back then all they wore were flipflops, mostly anyway. (I think that's why young Filipinos refer to themselves as FLIPs, don't quote me on that, though.) While walking his one flipflop fell into the stream. Thinking for a moment, he threw the other one in also. When he came to the fishing hole, his friends asked what happened to his flipflops. He told the story. They asked why he got rid of the other. He said, if someone finds just the one it's no good to them, it's just trash. But with both, maybe someone will find it and they could actually use it to wear. This is the best I can remember of this story I heard in grade school. But the lesson is as clear to me as it was then. We lose and find things for a reason. So when it is beyond comprehension, keep yourself from mourning the loss. Instead pray for the person who will find it. And rejoice over the blessing you've "accidentally" given them.

Super Shopping, August 16-22

Yesterday was another great Publix trip. I would have spent $47.33 without sales or coupons but walked away paying only $5.21. That's a savings of almost 90%. I saw a friend there and she gave me $1.35 MQ's for Fiber One Yogurt. She got them from Vocalpoint. I was only getting 2 so I ended up with 6 for $0.10! While there, I spotted $1 off 2 Ronzoni peelies on the Minute Rice boxes and they did not say you had to buy the Rice to get the Q. So I took 2 and used them at later Winn-Dixie, my next stop.

Sometimes the peelies say you get the savings for buying that particular box, so read it first to appease your conscience. And please be sensible by taking only a few and leaving the rest for others. Or you might end up in an awkward postition like I did when the vendor who works for Kellogg's asked me why I was taking the peelies off that she just put on the boxes!

At W-D, I spent $6.98 for 7 items. So it's not bad considering I bought 4 bozes of whole wheat pasts and two 2%natural cheese. They were charging me $18.14 without sales or coupons. So I saved 62% just for using a couple of coupons and my W-D card!


MQ= manufacturer's coupon, Q=coupon, wyb=when you buy

Here is what I bought at Publix:
Paid $1 for 4 Uncle Bens (BOGO sale, used 2 Print Q)

Paid $1 for 2 Yoplait Yo-Plus yogurt
(BOGO sale, used 2- $1 Print Q, also here)

Paid $0.10 for 6 Yoplait Fiber One Yogurt
(BOGO sale, used 2- $1 MQ and 4- $1.35 MQ)

Paid $0.66 for 6pk Mott's applesauce (3/$5 sale, used $1 Print Q)

Paid $4 for 2 Cascadian Farms Cereal
($2.50 each, used $1 Print Q- left one at home!)

Paid $4 for 2 Eggo Waffles (on sale $2 each)

FREE 2.23 lb plums (Q was $2 off fruit wyb 2 Eggo waffles from this booklet I saw at Winn-Dixie)

I used $5 off $25 Rite Aid Q before handing over other Qs.
Thanks to I Heart Publix for the coupon links!
My total was $5.21




A quick stop at Winn-Dixie for the following:
Winn Dixie bleach (on sale for $1)
2 Kraft 2% natural cheese (2/$4; used 2- .55 Q from Publix booklet)
4 Ronzoni pasta (BOGO sale, used 2- $1off 2 Q)
My total was $6.98

Publix Deals, August 19-25

Frugal for You is proud to be part of the Grocery Gathering! It is a collection of the best deals in national and local grocery and drugstores. You will also find Frugal For You's Food World, and Winn-Dixie Deals in the Grocery Gathering. You may also view Publix's ads at their website for a complete list of BOGO items and Essentials.

This week has lots of great sales! It is a bit overwhelming for me to type it all up right now. ButI don't want you to miss out. So check out the weekly ad with match-ups from I Heart Publix.

Publix Essentials make staples very affordable. Click here for the list of products.

Publix has lots of BOGO items here.

Winn-Dixie Deals, August 19-25

Frugal for You is proud to be part of the Grocery Gathering! It is a collection of the best deals in national and local grocery and drugstores. You will also find Frugal For You's Publix and Food World Deals there. See the Winn-Dixie ad for all the deals here. They have coupons here too!

Here are the best deals that I see this week:
10 for $10 Deals (You can buy 1 or 10 for $1 each)
$1 Bird's Eye Vegetables, regular or Steamfresh
$1 Rice-A-Roni or Pasta Roni
$1 Chef Boyardee 15 oz can
$1 Gatorade 32 oz
$1 Dasani Essence 18.5 oz
$1 Glaceau Vitamin Water 20 oz
$1 Smart Water 1L
$1 Winn-Dixie Orange Juice, 64 oz
$1 Winn-Dixie Sour Cream 16 oz
$1 Bounty 1 roll paper towel
$1 Winn-Dixie Beach 128 oz
$1 Broccoli Bunch
$1/lb Apples: Granny Smith, Red or Golden Delicious
$1/lb Green Grapes
$1 each Tilapia, Flounder, Salmon, Scallops, 4 oz
$1 Kraft Easy Mac or Velveeta Cups or Stove Top Quick Tops

$2.50 Smithfield Smoked Sausage, Beef, Original or Polish Kielbasa
$2.50 John Morrell ham or Turkey Off the Bone 9 oz
$2.50 Land O' Frost Bistro lunchmeat, 6 oz
$2.50 Oscar Mayer Beef Franks
$2 Nabisco snacks, including 100 cal packs
3/$5 W-D Apple Juice 64oz
BOGO Mrs. Paul Fish Fillets or Sticks (2/$7.79)
BOGO Kahiki entrees (2/$3.99) potstickers, egg rolls
BOGO Ronzoni Pasta ($1 each)
BOGO Chock Full of Nuts coffee (2/$4.79)
BOGO General Mills Cereal
(11.25 oz. Cookie Crisp, 12 oz. Fruity Cheerios, 12.2 oz. Cookie Crisp with Sprinkles, 12.9 oz. Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, 15.25 oz. Total Blueberry Pomegranate or 17.2 oz. Frosted Cheerios)



Buy 4/$10 Kellogg's Products and get FREE W-D 1 gallon Milk and dozen eggs
Participating Kellogg's Products are:
12.5-18 oz. Keebler Chips Deluxe
16 oz. Vienna Fingers cookies,
3.8-4.7 oz. Special K
6.3 oz. Fiber Plus bars,
11 oz. Jumbo Krispies,
12 oz. Rice Krispies,
15 oz. Mini Wheats Little Bites,
16-20 oz. Mini Wheats
17 oz. original or gold

Locked-In Low Price Until October 7:
$2 Kraft Cheese 5-8 oz shreds, cubes, crumbles (including Kraft Naturals!)
$2.50 Yoplait Fiber One, kids yogurt drinks, Go-Gurt
3/$5 Intl Delight Coffee Creamer
$4.99 Gorton's Fish sticks, fillets, or tenders
$2.50 Jell-O 6pk pudding or gelatin
$2.50 Purex detergents, powder 44 load, 24-32 2X liquid
$5.50 Bounce dryer sheets, 100-120 count
$5.50 Downy fabric softener 41-51 oz
BOGO Planters peanuts (2/$1.99)
BOGO Beech Nut baby cereal (2/$3.19)
$2.50 Windex or Fantastik

Food World Deals, August 19-25

Frugal for You is proud to be part of the Grocery Gathering! It is a collection of the best deals in national and local grocery and drugstores. You will also find Frugal For You's Publix and Winn-Dixie Deals in the Grocery Gathering. You may also view Food World's ads at their website.

Here are the best deals I see this week:
Meats
$1.79/lb Fresh Ground Chuck, family pack, 5lb or more
$1.49/lb Asstd. Pork Chops, family pack
50% off Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
$1.49/lb Center Cut Pork Loin Chops Bone-In, family pack
$3 Hillshire Farms Ultra Thin or Hearty Slices Lunchmeat, 8-9 oz
$5.99 Hillshire Farms Ultra Thin or Hearty Slices Lunchmeat, 1 lb container
$2 Jimmy Dean Premium Sliced Bacon
$2.50 Bryan Smoked Sausage
$2.99/lb Wild Caught Salmon Fillet

Produce
$0.44 Cucumber
$1.88 Whole or Sliced Mushrooms, 8 oz
$1.88 each Green Giant Romaine, Red or Green Leaf Lettuce

Pantry
$1.69 Kraft Salad Dressing
$0.39 each Campbell's Pork & Beans
$0.50 each Campbell's Chicken Noodle or Tomato Soup 10.75 oz
$0.99 Food World Bread or Buns
3/$5 Kellogg's Pop Tarts 6pack

Others
$3.59 Charmin Ultra Bath Tissue 4pack
$7.99 Luvs Jumbo Pack size 1-6
$0.50 each Beech-Nut Baby Food Stage 1 Jar
$4.99 Blue Bell Ice Cream

Greer's Weekly Deals- August 19-25

Greer's is on Hwy 98 at Bauer Road, before Lillian AL. Call them at 850-455-2719 for directions. I've been there once or twice. It's a small, clean, and tucked away grocery store. Their vegetables and meats are typically a great value.

However, I usually price-match their sales at Wal-Mart instead of shopping there. Print their weekly ad if you plan to do this. Their ad may also be in the newspaper this week.


Here are the best deals that I see this week:
Meats
$1.88/lb Bottom round roast or rump roast, boneless
$1.18/lb Split Fryer Breast, family pack
$2.99/lb Boneless Top Sirloin Steak
$1.28/lb Pork Chops, family pack
$0.78 Bar S Franks 12 oz
$2.50 John Morrell Off the Bone Meats, 9 oz Turkey or Ham

Produce
$0.98/lb Peaches or Nectarines
$3 Best Choice Russet Potatoes 10 lb bag
$2 Yellow Onions, 3lb bag
$1.58 each Fresh Broccoli Bunch

Pantry
$1.50 Always Save Flour 5 lb, self-rising or regular
3/$5 Always Save Sugar 4 lb
5/$2 Always Save Vegetables, 15 oz can (corn, peas, green beans)

Fall Gardening

Since we were away for a week, I prayed hard like Elijah for rain. Sunny Florida scorches plants so readily. And when we came back, our plants were just fine. The tomatoes and peppers have fruit on them. And the sweet potatoes are growing wild. The herbs are even doing fine. Hooray for answered prayer.

Our seedlings, though, have only been indoors and a friend kindly watered them for me. They are now ready for transplanting. So far we have radish, spinach, cabbage, lettuce, parsley, basil, and tarragon. The chives and rosemary are not really coming up. We also have flowers growing outside: zinnia, cosmos, and marigold. We'll start other seedlings too: peas, carrots, and cherry tomatoes.

Starting plants from seeds is a major accomplishment for me. My fear of failure has kept me from using seeds for a long time. I've only bought plants that are already at least 5 inches tall. Ever since that first plant we bought died on me, I've become a very insecure gardener. I remember that aloe vera plant well. One day it just fell off the dang pot! Rolled right off. Who kills aloe vera?

Gardening is more rewarding that I expected. We only have a few pots to manage but still harvest enough to use for at least one meal a week. Since the weather here is conducive to year round gardening, I am looking forward to trying out new vegetables to plant. Maybe by next spring, I'll have enough to even give away!

Lentil Stew

UPDATE: This is my fave recipe right now. Check out others at URS. Another great lentil recipe is from Giada here.

I'm not sure what it is about lentils that I like so much. Maybe it's the name- reminds me of Lent and my Catholic childhood. There's certainly enough protein (5 g) and fiber content (11 g) per serving to make a hearty meatless dish for the Lenten season. And cooking time requires only 30 minutes without pre-soaking. It's great paired with brown rice and a very small amount of meat (beef, sausage or flaked fish) for a simple stew that takes less than 1 hour of simmering. Yesterday I made lentils with sausage. With our rainy weather, it was a very nice, comfy dish. Here is the recipe of what I made:

Lentil Stew with Sausage
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
5 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
1 c brown rice
*I used 1/2 plain, 1/2 brown rice medley (Trader Joes)
1/2 c lentils
3.5 c water
1 Tbsp Tone's chicken stock base
4" of Coneccuh sausage, diced (any kielbasa type ok)
1/2 c baby spinach, torn


1. Saute garlic and carrots in 1 Tbsp olive oil for 2 mins in a skillet.
*Fresh garlic is great for the body. The oil helps it release it's nutrients.
2. Transfer into a bowl. In the same skillet, heat the rice and lentils for 2 mins. This is helps from keeping it mushy later. Do this for other rice pilaf recipes.
3. Add the water and soup base. Bring to boil then simmer 15 mins.
4. Return carrots and garlic. Add sausage. Simmer for 15 mins more.
5. Turn off the pot and add spinach. Let stand for 5 mins before serving. This is great served with crusty bread. Enjoy!

California Love

*I'll upload pictures later!*

Some of you may have noticed my l-o-n-g absence on the blogging scene. We were away on vacation for 8 days in California. This was the first of many firsts for my kids: first family vacation, first airplane trip, first time in California, first Disneyland visit, first Filipino restaurant meal and first time vegging in front of the t.v. for hours. I think that last part was their favorite. They asked each morning if their dad and I were going on a date so they could stay home with Lola (their Grandma). And for the first time since they were born I let go of what they ate and did for 8 days. Most days I saw them munching on blueberries and cherries on the couch after downing pretzel sticks and goldfish crackers. I tried to get them to eat off the couch in vain. Then after a few days I would just cringe and walk away. My mom did not mind and it was her couch after all! To be spoiled, such is the life of grandchildren.

Although I would have preferred that my children experienced California, I'd be hard pressed to get a 4 and 6 year old to appreciate the beauty of the mountains or all the nice luxury cars on the freeway. The most WOW factor went to watching cable t.v. in their room during bedtime. Second would be to Lolo's cool car (their Grandpa) and 3rd maybe to shopping at Target and getting cool toys. Of course these were all things we could have done at home but never would be special unless grandparents were involved.

The best part of our trip for me was hanging out with my hubby without kids hanging on me: we stayed overnight at Monterey; we drove 90 miles of Big Sur (which I will NEVER do again); and we met the best martial artists in the world, including a former student of Bruce Lee. Only my husband was supposed to go to California to attend a two-day Eskrima seminar. But thanks to all the money we have saved from being frugal, we all got to go! It's true, frugality pays high dividends!

Tired as I was everyday with zipping here and there, I felt rested from my mothering responsibilities. I was sorely in need of refreshment. And I think the kids needed a break from me too. We did not see as much as we could have but we accomplished a lot in what a vacation is really supposed to be about: rest, relaxation, adventure, and family bonding. And yes, I would come back to California in a heartbeat!

Menu Plan Monday- August 17

I haven't posted menus for a couple of weeks because we were on... Vacation! First time in 6 years. More on that later. So I am still unpacking. Yesterday I finally finished washing our laundry. And today I am trying to avoid procrastinating on making a menu. It just seems so hard to commit to cooking for a week when I was just enjoying not cooking a few days ago.

Monday- Brown rice, lentils and breakfast sausage
Tuesday- Chicken and carrots
Wednesday- Coneccuh sausage sandwiches (Lucy Buffet inspired)
Thursday- Beef roast
Friday- Leftovers
Saturday- Chicken sandwiches
Sunday- Homemade Rice-A-Roni

As you can see, these are the easiest things I can think of making from the top of my head. I plan to just survive lunch and serve cereal and smoothies for breakfast. We are also easing into our homeschool schedule this week. So my goal is to make sure we get something in our tummies and that's about it!

I'll try to be more creative..mmm... in September.

Food World Deals August 5-11

Frugal for You is proud to be part of the Grocery Gathering! It is a collection of the best deals in national and local grocery and drugstores. You will also find Frugal For You's Publix and Winn-Dixie Deals in the Grocery Gathering. You may also view Food World's ads at their website.

40% Off Sanderson Farm Chicken (same brand sold at Winn-Dixie, I think)
$2.19/lb beef cubed steak
$0.99/lb peaches, plums, nectarines or Granny Smith apples
$0.99/lb zucchini, squash, green beans or vine-ripe tomatoes
$0.99 each cantaloupe
$1.25 each mango
$2.99 Russet potatoes 10 pound bag

Winn-Dixie Deals August 5-11

Frugal for You is proud to be part of the Grocery Gathering! It is a collection of the best deals in national and local grocery and drugstores. You will also find Frugal For You's Publix and Food World Deals there. See the Winn-Dixie ad for all the deals here. They have coupons here too!

$0.99/lb Red or Black Seedless Grapes
$0.99/lb Peaches or Nectarines
$0.99 Iceberg Lettuce
$1.29 Broccoli bunch or Celery
$1.59/lb Bell Peppers

WIC Alert! BOGO Corn Pops 12.2 oz (other kid cereals on sale)
$1 Oscar Mayer Lunchables
$2 Kraft Salad Dressing 16 oz
$0.99 Kraft BBQ Sauce 16 oz
$2 Kraft block cheese (even Naturals)
$2.50 12-ct Kellogg's Pop-Tarts
*Buy 2 Pop-Tarts above get $2 off 1 or 1/2 gallon milk
BOGO Goldfish 6.6 pz (2/$2.19)

Publix Weekly Deals August 5 - 11

Frugal for You is proud to be part of the Grocery Gathering! It is a collection of the best deals in national and local grocery and drugstores. You will also find Frugal For You's Food World, and Winn-Dixie Deals in the Grocery Gathering. I love finding the coupon match-ups there... less work for me. Try I Heart Publix to know where to look for the coupons. You may also view Publix's ads at their website for a complete list of BOGO items and Essentials. For great coupon match-ups, visit I Heart Publix!

Publix Essentials make staples very affordable. Click here for the list of products.

Publix has lots of BOGO items here. The ones I like are listed below.

WIC Alert! BOGO Honey Bunches of Oats Cereal
$1.99/lb Red Cherries
$2.50 Honeydew
BOGO Grape Tomatoes, 1 pint (2/$3.09)
$0.99/lb Chicken thighs or drumsticks
$0.99/lb Perdue Chicken Roaster
$1.99/lb Pork Sirloin Cutlets or Cubed Steaks
$0.99/lb fresh whole pork picnic

BOGO Crisco Extra Virgin Olive Oil(2/$6.49)
BOGO Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Pasta (2/$1.79)
BOGO Fiber One Toaster Pastry (2/$2.29)

BOGO Baron Pizza (2/$5.79)
BOGO Breyers Ice Cream (2/$5.13)
3/$5 Kraft Block Cheese, 8 oz or Singles 12 oz

$2.89 Dove Hair Care 7-12 oz
$2/50 Clorox Green Works Cleaner, Dishwashing Liquid or Wipes

BACK-TO-SCHOOL Deals
3/$1 Crayola Crayons
3/$1 Dixon #2 Pencils
3/$1 Elmer's Glue 4 oz
3/$2 Elmer's Glue Stick, 3 count
BOGO Sharpie 8 ct (2/$6.99)
BOGO Friskar's Scissors for Kids (2/$2.49)