tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8083111665353971152024-03-08T15:20:06.460-06:00The Frugal Mom's KitchenRecipes and shopping tips for getting the most value from your grocery budget.Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11971561946832534219noreply@blogger.comBlogger105125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808311166535397115.post-61362687015913071152011-08-03T22:15:00.000-05:002011-08-03T22:15:50.774-05:00Cooking the Deals: Aug. 4 - 10A light week deal-wise, perfect for eating from the pantry and freezer!
Jewel: sweet corn 3 for $.99, Oscar Mayer lunchmeat 2 for $6, Mountain High yogurt quart $2.50, Essential Everyday cereal $1.99, Mrs. T's Pierogies $3.49 buy one get one free, Brownberry bread $4.29 buy one get one free, Cinnabon or Sun Maid breakfast bread $1.69, Hormel Always Tender pork spareribs $1.99 lb, Purdue 93Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11971561946832534219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808311166535397115.post-10592421262076312542011-07-30T21:33:00.001-05:002011-07-30T21:33:07.412-05:00Cooking the Deals: July 28-Aug. 3Cooking the deals is taking the week off in preparation for a freezer/pantry challenge month. There is too much food in this house!Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11971561946832534219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808311166535397115.post-5361551159590039362011-07-22T21:21:00.000-05:002011-07-22T21:21:29.893-05:00Cooking the Deals July 21-27A decent week for chicken, steak, and ribs. A great week to grill and keep the heat down in your kitchen.
Jewel: peaches or nectarines $.99 lb, Perdue fresh chicken 33% off, Lay’s chips buy one get one free, cherries $2.99 lb, kiwis $.50, Sara Lee turkey or chicken breast $2.99 ½ lb, Dannon yogurt multipacks $2, Lunchables $2.50, Mott’s applesauce $3, Edy’s $3.50, Haagen Dazs $3.50, Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11971561946832534219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808311166535397115.post-16930557349935663582011-07-15T20:20:00.000-05:002011-07-15T20:20:24.532-05:00Cooking the Deals: July 14 - July 21Not a bad week! Time to stock up on meat if you had to dump your fridge and freezer after the power outage.
Jewel: blueberries $1.48 pint, $.28 head green cabbage, beef sirloin tip steak or roast $4.49 lb, Hormel pork tenderloin $4.99 lb, sweet potatoes $.88 lb, Blue Bunny ice cream $3, General Mills cereals $2.50 each buy 4 get $2 back + free gallon milk coupon, Arnold Italian bread $Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11971561946832534219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808311166535397115.post-5296631303138692712011-07-11T08:00:00.003-05:002011-07-11T08:00:12.752-05:00Peanut Butter Banana Split Sandwichesadapted from Joe's Farm Grill
2 pieces bread
handful mini chocolate chips
1.5 Tbsp peanut butter
⅓ banana, sliced
2 strawberries, sliced
a few pieces of diced pineapple if you have it
Toast bread, coat both sides with peanut butter, then add banana and strawberry slices (and pineapple if you had it) and sprinkle with chocolate chips.
These sandwiches have been a hit with my 3-year-oldKrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11971561946832534219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808311166535397115.post-70082255170549028002011-07-07T22:49:00.000-05:002011-07-07T22:49:31.520-05:00Cooking the Deals: July 7 - July 13This is a pretty slow week for deals aside from beautiful summer produce. Slow sales weeks don’t have to mean paying more for groceries. Slow weeks are a great opportunity to dig into your stockpile and use things up.
Jewel: green asparagus ($1.99 lb), Northwest cherries ($1.99 lb), Perdue roaster chicken or Jewel chicken, thighs or drumstricks ($.99 lb), Oscar Mayer bacon $3.99 (3 day Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11971561946832534219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808311166535397115.post-39235403474747926082011-07-01T23:23:00.000-05:002011-07-01T23:23:58.007-05:00Cooking the Deals: June 30 - July 5
Jewel: soda ($8 for 4 12-packs), watermelon ($2.98), baked beans ($1.67), corn on the cob ($.22 each), Oscar Mayer hot dogs ($.99 if you buy 10 participating items), brownie mix ($.49 if you buy 10), Nature Valley granola bars ($2.50 each, $7 off in Catalinas if you buy 4)
Dominicks: corn on the cob ($.17 each), Bush’s baked beans ($1.67), Breyer’s ice cream ($2.49), watermelon ($2.49)
Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11971561946832534219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808311166535397115.post-70967694856456090762011-06-24T20:39:00.000-05:002011-06-24T20:39:08.268-05:00Cooking the Deals: June 23-29Beautiful produce deals this week!
Jewel: bratwurst ($1.99 lb), green seedless grapes ($.99 lb), asparagus ($1.99 lb), Dannon yogurt ($2 each minus coupons + free milk if you buy 4), Brownberry bread (buy one get one free), Athenos Greek yogurt ($1 - coupons)
Dominicks: Fresh Express salads ($.99), peaches ($.99 lb), red and green seedless grapes ($.99), Beef Whole Flat Bottom Round ($Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11971561946832534219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808311166535397115.post-9033368548109348922011-06-17T12:51:00.001-05:002011-06-17T12:56:02.114-05:00Cooking the Deals: June 16-22Great deals this week on produce and meat! Click on titles to link straight to the recipes.
fruit and vegetables: strawberries, corn on the cob, canteloupe, tomatoes, Braeburn apples
meat: whole chicken, pork county style bone-in ribs
snacks: Blue Bunny ice cream, Juicy Juice juice boxes
Corn on the cob:
Corn chowder
Grilled corn on the cob
Ina Garten’s corn muffins
Elote
Whole chicken:
beerKrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11971561946832534219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808311166535397115.post-38965764501009808142011-06-13T18:39:00.003-05:002011-06-13T21:31:17.717-05:00Jewel Shopping: Freebies, Sales, and Catalinas = $$ SavingsThis week Jewel is running a promo: buy 5 Oscar Mayer items and get $5 off. Right now there's also a secondary Catalina on lunchmeat, but I took a look and decided to skip the Catalina. Instead, I bought:1 Deli Fresh Combo (Kraft First Taste free coupon)1 Deli Creations (Kraft First Taste free coupon)1 turkey bacon ($2.99 - $.75 coupon= $2.24)2 Lunchables with fruit ($2.79 x2=$5.58 - 2x $1 Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11971561946832534219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808311166535397115.post-83715944940019584932011-06-09T18:34:00.004-05:002011-06-11T19:00:35.974-05:00Cooking the Deals: June 9-15This week's deals include some wonderful fruits.
fruit and vegetables: raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, grapes, canned veggiesprepared foods: macaroni and cheese, pierogies, canned chili, taco seasoningmeat: ground beef, lunchmeat, turkey bacon, split chicken breasts or thighssnacks: yogurt, brownie mix, cake mix, fruit snacks, and Capri-SunFruit: ($.99 - 3/$5)fruit saladAlton Brown’s Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11971561946832534219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808311166535397115.post-64232228948450622752011-06-09T10:09:00.001-05:002011-06-09T10:10:30.808-05:00Did You Know? Sam's ClubDid you know that you can check prices on many items at Sam's Club through their website? It doesn't work for everything (bakery and most meat items especially), but it's a great tool for comparing prices of bulk staples like flour, frozen items like chicken breasts, and especially refrigerated items like eggs and milk.Just go to their website, type the item you're looking for in the search Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11971561946832534219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808311166535397115.post-49872011162941853982011-06-02T08:21:00.002-05:002011-06-07T08:47:26.803-05:00Cooking the Deals: June 2-8After last week’s grilling bonanza and with the summer’s heat suddenly upon us, you may be looking at your usual menus and want something new. Cooking in the summer definitely has its blessings, with a bounty of in-season produce at peak flavor and rock-bottom prices. It can also be challenging to cook meals that won’t leave your kitchen as hot as your oven. Both an outdoor grill and a Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11971561946832534219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808311166535397115.post-84478810276441613722010-05-04T17:32:00.001-05:002010-05-04T17:45:03.189-05:00April Groceries: Week 4Target was my downfall this week. We are still well under budget, but April was our highest month all year. The main culprits were diapers and ice cream.
Aldi:
10 lb potatoes, 2 lb bananas, 2 tubes biscuits, 2 boxes macaroni and cheese, gallon of milk
Total: $7.63
Target:
7th Generation dish soap, Off Clip-on, 4AA lithium batteries, 2 lb Italian sausage, can of black beans, box of Del Monte Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11971561946832534219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808311166535397115.post-17962097304972802922010-04-22T16:43:00.000-05:002010-04-22T16:43:25.607-05:00April Groceries: Week 3Week 3 brought more shopping trips, but still an overall low bill. I've gotten so spoiled having a large stash to work through, but it's also a bit daunting seeing that I really need to use up so much food. This week we ate lemon-pepper chicken breasts with rice and peas, braised and sauced barbecue pork ribs, homemade macaroni and cheese, and pizza with ham and pineapple.
Dominicks:
2 bags of Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11971561946832534219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808311166535397115.post-10985761244254593482010-04-22T10:03:00.000-05:002010-04-22T10:03:15.953-05:00How Accurate Is "You Saved $$$"?I always post the "you saved $xx.xx" printed on my receipt (although I add the value of any gift cards used as well), but what does this number really mean? Often, it means next to nothing.
This week, I bought two bottles of V-8 Fusion juice at Dominick's. The sale price was $2.99, with an additional $.50 off coupon if you spent $10 total. I also had a manufacturer's coupon for $1 off. That madeKrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11971561946832534219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808311166535397115.post-58387261053687004962010-04-16T20:51:00.000-05:002010-04-16T20:51:50.876-05:00April Groceries: Weeks 1 and 2With Easter and everything going on, I missed posting Week 1! Obviously we ate a lot of ham that week. I also tried my hand at freezer cooking twice. I made two batches of chicken pot pie and froze both, then I made two pans of lasagna. We ate one (amazing) and froze one. For those interested, Aldi carries 2 gallon freezer bags, which are great for freezing 9x13 pans of food.
Week 1:
AldiKrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11971561946832534219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808311166535397115.post-38043842008977951512010-04-06T09:30:00.000-05:002010-04-06T09:30:11.805-05:00March Groceries: Week 4March finished up with a trip to Sam's Club, which are never cheap. Our grocery spending has gone down with fewer trips to this mega-store. It's not because prices are high, but because each item ends up being so large.
Aldi:
cantaloupe, 5 lb bananas, 3 pounds butter, pie crust, jumbo biscuits, 3 tubs of ricotta, 2 gallons of milk, 2 bags of peanut puffs, confetti cake mix, 2 boxes macaroni andKrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11971561946832534219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808311166535397115.post-43803298386995921962010-03-22T19:37:00.000-05:002010-03-22T19:37:40.477-05:00March Groceries: Week 3Another week under budget, though not as much as before. I bought diapers and stocked up on some things. We ate pizza, corned beef at a friend's house, leftover chicken, pancakes, and "game food" (bagel dogs, mac and cheese bites, tater tots).
Target:
2 jumbo packs of Up and Up diapers, 5 lb red potatoes, 2 dozen eggs, moisturizer, deoderant, jolly rancher gummis (for Easter basket), 1 pack Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11971561946832534219noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808311166535397115.post-24754994352337609732010-03-18T12:51:00.000-05:002010-03-18T12:51:54.821-05:00March Groceries: Week 2Yet another light week of shopping here, and another week under budget. We ate pizza, baked chicken with rice and peas, chili, and homemade chicken pot pie.
Target:
AAA batteries, granola bars, vegetable bouillon, tortillas, dry kidney beans, canned black beans, Banquet chicken pot pie, frozen breakfast sausage, DiGiorno 200-calorie pizza (free), kid's toothbrush, toilet paper, birthday Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11971561946832534219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808311166535397115.post-57775733165431492092010-03-11T11:20:00.000-06:002010-03-11T11:20:24.009-06:00March Groceries: Week 1Another light shopping week here, well under budget. I am quite serious about reducing some of our stash of items. I deliberately did not shop very good Catalina deals this week because I don't have anywhere to put it all. Also, frankly, I haven't been feeling well for awhile and expect to continue feeling poorly for a while longer, which makes grocery shopping and cooking less appealing. For Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11971561946832534219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808311166535397115.post-53679719192286885042010-03-02T21:09:00.000-06:002010-03-02T21:09:51.138-06:00February Groceries: Week 4Well, this is a terrible cop-out, but I can't find one of my receipts from this week! I went to Target twice this week and can't find the larger of the two receipts. I know I bought a roast because I made beef barley soup, but other than that I'm drawing a blank.
Thankfully, mint.com tells me that I spent $36.43 this week, and the receipt I can find shows that I saved $5.98.
February Total: $Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11971561946832534219noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808311166535397115.post-40910552038168097512010-02-23T09:59:00.000-06:002010-02-23T09:59:33.541-06:00February Groceries: Week 3Well, no trouble staying under budget this week! We ate leftover pizza, smoked turkey noodle soup (made with stock I made weeks ago and froze), and homemade bacon macaroni and cheese. My wonderful husband also made me a fudge truffle cheesecake for my birthday, using ingredients we already had in the house.
This week we only shopped twice, both times at Aldi. Once was for milk and ingredients Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11971561946832534219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808311166535397115.post-19232176138934674662010-02-18T10:26:00.000-06:002010-02-18T10:26:23.605-06:00February Groceries: Week 2This is a bit late due to celebrating my birthday this week. We went a bit over budget as we had friends over for pizza, but that should be easy to make up this week. For dinners, we ate a lot of cider pork stew, some leftover pot roast, and pizza!
Target:
2 bottles toilet bowl cleaner, 8 8oz cans tomato sauce, bottle of apple cider vinegar, 1.5 lb sweet potato, 2 gallons of milk, half gallon ofKrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11971561946832534219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808311166535397115.post-65233738754337880752010-02-10T10:57:00.002-06:002010-02-10T11:05:47.792-06:00A Bad Day in the Frugal KitchenYesterday was just one of those days where just about everything went wrong. It happens, and when it does, it's important not to get discouraged. (I mean, seriously, when I was about 12 I mistook powdered sugar for flour and ruined a whole batch of stew.)
My first mistake was misreading a new recipe and putting in a Tablespoon of salt instead of a teaspoon. Luckily the dough (honey oatmeal breadKrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11971561946832534219noreply@blogger.com1