No, I did not fall off the face of the earth. Baking day did not go as well as hoped yesterday and I let everything else pile up, so today is catch up day for me and I am taking the day off of blogging. I’ll be back tomorrow. And don’t forget my giveaway!
Baking Day Rule #1-MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ALL INGREDIENTS AT HOME BEFORE STARTING BAKING DAY!
I do not have enough flour, oil, eggs, baking soda, or salt to make all my recipes. I can’t believe it! Those are staples I usually restock often and now I will have to run out to the store before finishing all my baking, bummer! I started with the “6 week bran muffins” which took 5 cups of flour and now I can’t make anything else. However, it did make a HUGE bowl of batter, so I’ll have plenty of muffins to last a looooooooooooong time! :) I’ll post the recipe and photos a little later. In the meantime, I’m off to the store…
Are you baking anything today? I would still love some more frugal breakfast recipes!
Don’t forget about my giveaway!
Well, I really enjoyed last week telling you my fantastic deals and hearing yours! This week I held back and just bought what we needed to make it to another pay day. So, no deals to list for you this week, but I’d love to hear how you did, please leave a comment!
So, that all leads me to the question…what do you do when you are almost at the end of your grocery budget for the week/month? It just about kills me to pass up the great deals this week, but I know I need to save money for next week. Do you skip the deals or take the money from somewhere else? Please leave a comment with your opinion!
Also, don’t forget about my giveaway, ends Friday!
In my quest to be frugal and get all the great deals, I have been trying to figure out how to get the most coupons without spending the most money. My sister called me the “coupon queen” the other day, but I am so far from it! I still feel like a newbie. :) I found a couple of inspiring, entertaining, and interesting posts on getting coupons. I hope you enjoy!
If nothing else, check out this one for the funny photo!
So, how’d I do last week for dinners? Did I spend less than $50? Let’s see:
Monday-crispy parm. chicken strips (approx. $3-$4)
chicken flavored rice (approx. $.75)
green beans (froz. approx $.50)
rolls (I have no idea….let’s say $1) =max. $6.25
Tuesday-cheesy beef stroganoff ($5.89)
peas (we only eat LeSeur canned $1.18)
rolls (again, no idea….$1) =$8.07
Wednesday-teriyaki pork roast (approx. $4.50)
mashed potatoes ($1) I was gone & I don’t think hubby made anything else :) =$5.50
Thursday-LEFTOVERS=FREE
Friday- pigs-n-blanket ($3.75)
tater tots ($1)
fruit ($1.50) =$6.25
Saturday-change of plans, we ate more leftovers & sandwiches =FREE
Sunday-change of plans, kids ate PB & J & adults had a cooking date after kids were in bed
Adults made chicken parmesan, strawberry salad, garlic french bread, & chocolate covered strawberries….NO IDEA THE COST (approx. $10-$12).
TOTAL FOR THE WEEK: $26.07 + cost of date night dinner = under $40
Verdict: We made it well under $50 and have been for awhile, I will make my new goal under $45 and see how I do. And I need to keep better track of the cost involved, its hard when I pull something out of the freezer and don’t know how much it cost at time of purchase. I will figure out a good system. 
Would you believe that all the recipes I’m using this week are already on the blog? Yippee! So, not much to post today. If you want to see the recipes they are all linked from my menu plan for the week. Enjoy!
By the way, I will be doing another “baking day” tomorrow. Want to join me? Get everything together and meet me back here tomorrow. I will be making:
-super power muffins
-zucchini bread
-strawberry bread
-6 week bran muffins
Leave a comment with your list for tomorrow…it will keep you accountable!
When freezing your meals for your freezer cooking club/co-op or just for yourself, you definitely need to use the right storage materials.
Here are the things we’ve found that work:
-for casseroles, use 9 x 13 aluminum pans and cover with heavy duty aluminum foil OR divide casserole into 2 8 x8 aluminum pans covered with heavy duty aluminum foil
-for meatloaves, use a loaf size aluminum pan covered with heavy duty aluminum foil OR wrap in heavy duty aluminum foil and place in a large Ziploc freezer bag
-for pot pies or shepherds pies, use aluminum pie plates covered with heavy duty aluminum foil
-for stromboli, wrap tightly in heavy duty aluminum foil
-for anything scoop-able or pour-able, use gallon or quart size Ziploc freezer bags, be sure to squeeze out as much air as possible and freeze these completely flat
On exchange day, everyone in our co-op brings their meals in a cooler to trade (the meals, not the coolers). Some of the gals in my co-op love this tote at Sam’s Club because all the meals frozen flat in Ziploc bags line up real nicely in the bag.
You can win this thermal tote this way:
#1-Leave a comment on this post with your best tip for storing freezer meals.
#2-Promote this giveaway on your blog, facebook, or twitter and leave a separate comment letting us know what you did.
Giveaway closes at 5pm eastern on Freezer Friday, May 1.
Here is a list of all the posts that show this week’s deals at various stores, hope this helps you stay frugal!
Here is my menu plan for this week. You will notice that there are 2 items I didn’t make last week that are carrying over to this week. A menu plan really helps save money and helps with shopping, but sometimes you just can’t follow it exactly. :) When that happens, I just carry over the meals to the next week.
Monday-chicken brushetta w/garlic toast, salad
Tuesday-sweet & sour pork, rice, peas
Wednesday-chicken tortellini soup, bread, salad
Thursday-LEFTOVERS
Friday-ham & cheese pockets, tater tots, fruit
Saturday-honey chicken, rice, corn on the cob
Check out OrgJunkie’s Menu Plan Monday for more great menu plans!
Check back later today for a list of all the deals this week and my new giveaway will be posted this afternoon!
