Franny Frugal

I've Moved!

2013-10-28T13:53:00.000-06:00

Please join me at my new location:

OurProvidentHome.blogspot.com

More to be Thankful For

2011-10-04T09:11:00.000-06:00

7. A freezer and pantry full. The harvest from my tiny garden has added so much to our stores.

8. We've had weeks and weeks with no need for air conditioning. I love fall temperatures.

9. One of the Zillions of road projects around our house is finally completed.

10. I walked the girl's home from school the other day. So fun. They were very chatty about their day. I could get used to that...and the exercise.

11. A little boy of mine turned four.

12. We sold our puppy. The kids and I learned a lot from having a pet, but in the end we discovered we are just not a "dog family."

13. Hubby was willing to sit down and help me brainstorm.

14. A weekend conference full of inspiration and peace.

Menu Plan

2011-09-26T09:01:00.001-06:00

I think we will try concocting a Swedish Meatball recipe this week. It should be interesting. I have a white sauce recipe/shortcut I use all the time and I'm planning on using that with some beef bouillon, herbs and spices for the gravy. I'll share a recipe if it turns out. If not, well, maybe I'll just share my white sauce recipe. The sauce is very versatile and can be used in several different dishes. I love it because it is quick and it always turns out perfectly.

That's the plan for the TRY this week, here's what we will be eating:

Monday: Pulled Pork Tacos, Chips & Salsa, Beans & Rice

Tuesday: Spicy Chicken Skillet, Rice

Wednesday: Swedish Meatballs, Egg Noodles, Green Beans

Thursday: BBQ Beef Sandwiches, Oven Fries, Veggie Plate

Friday: Stew, Cornbread Muffins

Saturday: Simple Supper

Sunday: Off to Grandma's we go...

I'm linking to OrgJunkie's weekly menu roundup. Check 'er out!

Bunch of Carrots: A Garden Update

2011-09-22T09:39:00.000-06:00

Photo Credit: The Fishographer

This bunch of carrots became part of our dinner on Sunday. Aren't they lovely?

You can just see the "Attack of the Killer Tomato Plants" in the background. I need to find a better way of supporting those buggers next year. The cheap little tomato cages I have just aren't cutting it.

I find it extremely fun to wander out to the backyard, gather a bunch of veggies, head back into the house for a quick wash and prep, and then to serve super fresh food to my family.

Not only is it fun, but I think we have almost broken even on this years cost for seeds and plants. I've estimated I spent right around $40 for all my seeds and plants. According to my spreadsheet we are up to $31.97 in harvested produce, and that's not even counting any of the herbs I've collected.

Tracking and pricing the herbs is turning out harder than I thought. Often I will run out and grab a few leaves to throw into whatever is planned for dinner, and forget to measure or write down what I took. Plus, I have harvested basket-fulls of herbs to dry for later use. Do I use a cost for fresh herbs or dried herbs? Any thoughts on how I can track my herbs better?

In any case I think the first year of the garden project is going splendidly and I'm already planning and scheming for next year. How did your garden go this year? or Are you planning one for next year?

Marvelous Meatballs

2011-09-20T17:01:00.000-06:00

I know I promised this post last week, but life happened as it generally does. So, here it is ... better late than never right?

Marvelous Meatballs

8 ounce can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups dry italian style bread crumbs
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup dehydrated, chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
4 pounds ground beef

In a large bowl, combine first five ingredients. Add ground beef and mix well. The best way to do this is with your hands. Shape into balls roughly the same size (a small cookie scoop would be great for this step, but I do not own one) and place on jelly-roll pans.

Baked uncovered in 375 degree oven for 30 min. Remove from pan and place meatballs on a couple of paper towels to remove some of the grease.

Now, you can either place meal size portions in bags and freeze, OR you can flash freeze them separately on another pan then transfer them to a large freezer bag. I like the second option because we can use as much or as little as we want for each meal.

To serve, thaw completely and reheat with your choice of sauce. Here are some we have tried:

BBQ Meatballs - Throw the desired number of frozen meatballs in a baking dish. Drench with bottled, or homemade, BBQ sauce. Toss in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 min. Serve with mashed potatoes and peas.

Spaghetti and Meatballs - Thaw desired number of meatballs and toss in sauce before heating. Ladle over hot spaghetti noodles and serve with salad and breadsticks.

Some other ideas I may be trying soon are:

Swedish Meatballs - A white-sauce/gravy served over egg noodles.

Sweet & Sour Meatballs - Served with rice and maybe some stir fried veggies.

Meatball Soup - A simple Vegetable, Meatball and Beef Broth soup.

Cocktail Meatballs - This mysterious recipe includes chili sauce, grape jelly and mustard. I have no idea what to serve it with.

Freaking Amazing Sauce Balls - If you know the restaurant I'm referring to you'll know the sauce.

I'll add more pictures of these different options as we try them.

Menu Plan

2011-09-12T14:29:00.001-06:00

For the past few years we have gone as an extended family and purchased a beef. This year, I got 1/4 and we were able to pick it up on Saturday. Goodness my freezer is full. As a result my menu plan for the next little while will be heavy on the beef. (More info on the cow, what we ended up paying and what we ended up receiving in a future post.)

Here's our meal plan:

Monday: Beef Tacos, Beans & Rice, Chips & Salsa

Tuesday: Sweet & Sour Chicken

Wednesday: Pizza

Thursday: BBQ Meatballs, Mashed Potatoes, Peas

(Look for a Recipe and Meatball Method post this week.)

Friday: Anna's Mac & Cheese, Ham, Green Beans, Rolls

Saturday: Simple Supper - Momma and Papa OUT!

Sunday: Salisbury Steak, Boiled Potatoes, Sweet Carrots, Rolls

I'm linking to Org Junkies weekly round-up of menu plans. Check them out!

Processing the Garden Harvest

2011-09-08T16:52:00.000-06:00

Today's Harvest...Yes, that is a couple of purple carrots!

I spent most of the day processing my garden harvest. There was the collection above plus tomatoes, jalapeno peppers and more green beans from last week. I also gathered this beautiful batch of thyme.

Thyme

The thyme is currently chilling in my dehydrator. I'm pretty sure I collected my years supply plus some. When they're completely dry all that's left to do is strip the leaves from the stems and bottle them up.

The beans are all snapped waiting to be blanched and frozen. I'll finish that up tonight when it is cooler. I would love to can them, but I don't own a pressure cooker...yet. I've got my eye on this one:

Presto 1755 16-Quart Aluminum Pressure Cooker/Canner

All the tomatoes are basking on my window sill. We need some for a party tomorrow and I'm going to can the rest.

I sliced the jalapeno peppers and spread them out on a tray to freeze. After another hour or two I'll slip them into a zipper bag and they'll be ready to scoop into our favorite salsa recipe.

The carrots have been scrubbed and sliced. All ready to be snacked on or slipped into lunches.

Not a bad days work.

I've also updated all my garden totals in my spreadsheet so you can see just what we've been able to harvest from our little starter garden.

Gratitude

2011-09-06T13:27:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite bloggers Modobject at Home regularly lists items she is thankful for. Right now she is at around 435. She is thankful for things like a backed up sewer line because she doesn't have to do laundry. For bits of encouragement. Her baby's "wake-up morning curls."

I love the idea of noticing small and simple things in our everyday lives for which we can be grateful. Not only is it showing Our Creator we appreciate his blessings, but it also helps us to avoid The Want's. If we are not focusing on the things we want we are less likely to spend our money on stuff we do not need.

Distractions are sometimes necessary when you get tired of your frugal journey. So, I have decided to join the party and start listing some things I am grateful for. They are in no particular order.

1. A husband who is willing and able to fix the roof.

2. Tomatoes on the window sill.

3. A child who is loving learning his ABC's.

4. A kitchen garden expansion that is coming along nicely.

5. Two and a half more weeks of the girl's riding the school bus.

6. The internet. Whenever I wonder how to do something or why it is I can always look it up and find the answers instantly.

Free Cascade

2011-09-02T14:20:00.000-06:00

This is another one of those thank-goodness-I-get-multiple-copies-of-the-Sunday-Paper posts. Sorry, but I really like my newspaper subscription. Here's the details:

For the last couple of months we have gotten a $1.00/1 ANY Cascade coupon in the P&G insert. One P&G insert per month. I've been taking that coupon and buying these little trial size packets for $.97 at Walmart. The coupon covers the cost of the packet plus some. There is a limit on the coupon of 4 like per transaction so it takes a couple of weeks to use all I have. I average 6 or 7 copy's of the paper so that's a lot of free dishwashing detergent.

If you'd like to get in on all the super fun coupon action send me an email and we can get a class set up for you (frannyfrugal @ gmail.com). For subscription deals to the newspaper check out this post.

Cost of Food: According to the Government

2011-08-30T13:56:00.000-06:00

Did you know the government has figured out just how much money it should cost to eat healthy?

"The Food Plans represent a nutritious diet at four different cost levels." They are based on Dietary Guidelines and MyPyramid recommendations and updated to current dollars by using the Consumer Price Index.

I figured that for my family of six I should be spending $765 a month on food. That's on the Thrifty plan. The cheapest option.

Maybe we aren't eating enough, because we spend a lot less than that. I know, I know most people do not shop and store the way I do, but it does make you think.

Cost of Food

Check it out and see how your family compares.

Menu Plan

2011-08-29T09:18:00.000-06:00

I ran out of money in the grocery budget this week, it's not an unusual occurrence at the end of the month for me, so our meals this week are fairly simple. Just what we have on hand. One of the great benefits of having a stocked pantry is that we hardly notice when I skip a week of grocery shopping. My baby will miss his bananas, but maybe I can convince him that the canned peaches are just as good.

Monday: BBQ Chicken, Cheesy Potatoes, Green Beans, Rolls

Tuesday: Pork Barbacoa, Black Beans, Rice, Chips & Salsa

Wednesday: Hot Dogs, Potato Chips, Carrot Sticks, Dip

Thursday: Spaghetti, Breadsticks, Peas & Carrots

Friday: Crock-pot Scalloped Potatoes w/Pork Chops, Green Beans, Rolls

Saturday: Simple Supper/Leftovers/Out to Dinner (haven't decided yet)

Sunday: Grandma's

For more great menu plan ideas check out Org Junkies weekly round-up of menu plans.

Gathering Seeds

2011-08-26T14:26:00.000-06:00

Coriander Seeds, harvested from my garden yesterday.

One of the aspects of gardening that is currently tickling my frugal fancy is the idea of gathering my own seeds. I've been propagating flowers by dividing them for a while now (it's the only reason I have the yard I do now), but gathering seeds then storing them for the winter and planting in the spring is getting me excited. Sure, it's a lot more work than buying a seed packet or a seedling from the nursery, but it is an almost free way of growing flowers and food.

Some seeds are easier to gather than others. The little coriander seed forms after the plant bolts and starts to flower. You simply wait for the little green fruits to turn brown and gather them up. A carrot rarely produces seed the first year of growing. In my climate, where the ground freezes over the winter, we will have to carefully pull up and store a few roots then replant them in the spring. Get this, they'll sprout new green tops, flower and produce seed. Sounds complicated, huh!

I am so amazed at the beauty and order God has created for us. So many plants are available to us and with a little work on our part and sunshine on His we could technically never go hungry or pay for food again. I think it is absolutely amazing, and I am so grateful.

No, I will not be converting my entire 1/6th of an acre to food production, but it is nice to know I'm learning the skills to provide for my family if we're ever cut off from the food supply. Plus, saving us a little money in the process. Plus, I think it's really fun.

Our Frugal School Lunch Plan

2011-08-25T14:09:00.000-06:00

Since it is back to school time here, and around the blogosphere, I thought I'd share our plan for lunch at school this year.

My girl's are fairly picky when it comes to food. The oldest one rolls her eyes, but will eat almost anything. The younger one refuses to eat unless she's forced. I'm afraid they inherited their pickiness from me. Sorry mom, now I know.

So, when faced with a strange meal everyday they aren't happy. Don't get me wrong, I believe it is good for them to struggle and experience new things. Maybe if they are starving they'll try something new and love it. They react the same when they get a brown bag from home every day. "But all the other kids get pizza..."

I also have concerns with them just having school lunch every day. School lunches have a tendency to be rather processed. My girl's probably waste any foods they don't like leaving them to eat whatever's left. Cost is also huge. The lunches at our school are $1.50 and I'm fairly confident I can pack them something for less than $.50.

Taking everything into consideration, included the kiddos favorite foods, we came up with a plan. I am not going to advertise this as the only way you can do school lunch with your kids, but it is how we are doing it. I feel like it has a nice balance of cost and ease.

To avoid confusion we will be sticking to this basic plan:

Mondays -

Tuesdays -

Wednesdays -

Thursdays -

Fridays -

Any of the sandwiches can be made on any variety of bread, buns or tortillas (just depends on what we have on hand). I'll also include a partially frozen water bottle for cooling/drinking purposes.

You may have also noticed I don't include snacks/juice/chips/pretzels a.k.a. junk food. I'm not against them. I'll include them if and when I can find them at a good enough price. But, at our house those items are available for only rare or special occasions, it's not an everyday occurrence. Just trying to keep it consistent.

To Do: On Sunday afternoon read through lunch menu with girl's and have them initial the meal they want that week.

Buy these great divided containers, with a coupon of course, next time I'm at Wal-mart.

So, that's our plan for this year. I really hope it will work as well as I hope. What are your school lunch plans? (for those of you with school-age kiddos) and/or What was your favorite/least favorite part about school lunch growing up?

Note: This post does contain my Amazon Associate link and I linked up to Org Junkie's Menu plan Roundup.

Vegetable Garden

2011-08-23T14:22:00.000-06:00

This Morning's Harvest!

We planted our very first Vegetable Garden this spring. I love my flower gardens and have enjoyed planting and caring for them, but food is a completely different animal. After I presented the first little batch of green beans to the family at the dinner table I felt a very strong mixture of emotions. I felt pleased, happy, strong, content, proud, secure, giddy, loved, joyful, obedient and some I don't have words for.

Next year will be better. I've learned a lot of very important lessons. For example: don't let the dog out unsupervised until we have a fence around the veggies. Not pleasant. I will be expanding and staggering my planting so hopefully we can get a larger yield for my tiny planting area. Thank goodness for the internet, I'll be doing a ton of research this winter while my yard is under snow.

I'm also very interested in how much money can actually be saved by planting a garden. As such, I have been keeping track of just how much produce we have harvested from our little plot. I've also computed about how much I would have spent at the grocery store for the same amount of produce. You can check out the spreadsheet here:

Garden Harvest 2011

Next year I want to track my expenses as well to see if I break even. But, even if I don't the pleasure of providing food which we have grown ourselves far outweighs any difference in expense.

Menu Plan

2011-05-23T10:26:00.000-06:00

I am officially back in meal planning mode. This week and next are crazy busy with all the school activities end of year brings. We are also planning a little camping trip for this weekend. The whole car issue is going to be a challenge. I'm planning easy, well known meals till school gets out. Nothing new or fancy here.

Monday:
   Sweet & Sour Chicken, Salad

Tuesday:
   Black Bean & Corn Chicken Quesadillas, Chips & Salsa

Wednesday:
   Homemade Pizza, Salad

Thursday:
   Penne w/Cheese, Ham Steaks, Green Beans, Rolls
   (I'm out of macaroni but have lots of penne, we'll see how it works.)

Friday:
   CAMPING - Hot Dogs over the fire, Chips, Veggie Tray

Saturday:
   CAMPING - Spaghetti, Garlic Bread, Salad

Sunday:
   Grandma's House
   (Why is it always Grandma's house? Grandpa lives there too...)

I'm linking to Orgjunkie's weekly menu plan roundup. Check out all the great meals and recipes planned for this week. Hopefully I can find some new recipes for when school gets out.

The past few weeks

2011-05-03T13:31:00.000-06:00

April was insanely busy for us.

A spring break camping trip to Moab. Including pulling the trailer out from storage and getting it cleaned and ready for all the summer trips.

Our Relief Society made food bags for 72 hour kits and I organized and bought all the stuff. That was a fun Costco shopping trip. I think that might be the first time I have ever wished they had larger carts.

Easter came and I foolishly chose to make dresses for the girls. Then finished them a week after the holiday.

Two of my kids had birthdays. Yes, they're born on the same day six years apart. No, it was not planned. I had enough cake/cupcakes at my house for two army's. Thankfully my neighbors love treats.

The fishographer has been busy transitioning into a new management position at work, busy taking the dog to obedience training, and busy helping to reorganize wards in his church calling. So, we haven't seen him a lot during the week.

I went way over my grocery budget and way over my dining out budget. Why do those always go together? Especially when we get busy?

There is a monster pile of coupon inserts and ads sitting on my kitchen table waiting to be clipped and sorted. And, I haven't used a single coupon in several weeks.

It's time to slow down, get back into our routines and start being more deliberate with how we spend our time and money. No more running around like chickens...

Menu Plan

2011-04-11T09:10:00.000-06:00

We are going on a little camping trip this week so the menu plan is really very simple. Since we are traveling with family we share the food responsibilities. I'm taking a breakfast and a dinner, my mom is taking a breakfast and a dinner, then we will do a cereal bar for one breakfast and out to eat one dinner. Lunches are just sandwiches or snacks.

I love how easy this method of planning is. We don't have to remember to pack everything for a ton of different meals. Plus, I only have to cook twice the entire trip!

Here's the plan:

Monday:
   Anna's Mac & Cheese, Grilled Chicken, Green Beans, Rolls

Tuesday:
   Vegetable Chowder, Bread

Wednesday:
   Camping Trip - Out

Thursday:
   Camping Trip - Mom

Friday:
   Camping Trip - Me (Spicy Chicken Skillet, Salad)

Saturday:
   Breakfast for Dinner

Sunday:
   Grilled Chicken, Cheesy Potatoes, Peas & Carrots, Rolls

I'm linking to OrgJunkie's weekly menu roundup.

Menu Plan

2011-04-04T08:10:00.000-06:00

Have you checked out the case lot sales yet? I spent half my months grocery budget this past weekend, but that's okay. I hit Costco for milk, cheese, yogurt and chocolate chips. Then I went to the bread store and filled my cart with bread, buns and bagels. Next I grabbed several "case lot" deals at Maceys: popcorn, black beans, tomato soup, ketchup and cake mixes. Finally, I picked up tomato sauce, fruits and veggies at Smith's. Four stores is a bit much for me. I like to keep it to one or two a week. Hopefully there will be a couple of times this month I'll only head to the store for fresh fruits and veggies. That's the way I shop. By the end of the month it will all even out.

Here is our meal plan for this week:

Monday:
   Sweet & Sour Chicken, Rice, Spinach Salad

Tuesday:
   Pizza

Wednesday:
   Anna's Mac & Cheese, Grilled Chicken, Green Beans, Rolls

Thursday:
   Vegetable Chowder, Bread
   (we didn't get to it last week)

Friday:
   Hot Dogs, Chips, Dip & Carrot Sticks

Saturday:
     Breakfast for Dinner

Sunday:
   Chicken Cordon Bleu, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Peas & Carrots, Rolls

I'm linking to OrgJunkie's menu plan roundup.

Spring has Sprung

2011-03-31T15:17:00.001-06:00

Today is absolutely gorgeous outside; 60 degrees, blue skies, and lots of sunshine. Did I mention it was snowing on Monday? Welcome to Spring in Utah.

Speaking of Spring, I've been catching up on my deep cleaning the past couple of days so I haven't been on the computer a whole bunch. Sometimes it is nice to take a break from cyber space, but I didn't want you to think I'd forgotten about you. So here are a couple of links I've found interesting:

Be Prepared for Emergencies by Life as Mom - A few things to think about when preparing for the unexpected.

72 Hour Kits: Emergency Preparedness on a Budget by The Krazy Coupon Lady - It seems I'm not the only one learning some lessons from the disaster in Japan.

Extreme Couponing Tip: weigh produce and save 10% by The Krazy Coupon Lady - I have never even thought to weigh the single price produce. I always try and pick the largest head of lettuce, but never weigh it. Very Interesting.

a four letter word starting with D by The Minimalist Mom - She's talking about Debt of course. I totally agree. We always skirt the issue with each other.

Tis the season for case lot sales. Maceys and Smith's started their deals yesterday and are ending on the 12th. Check out the list of WOW deals here. Thank you Savvy Shopper Deals!

And don't forget to enter the Taste of Home Cooking Show Giveaway either.

Menu Plan

2011-03-28T13:19:00.000-06:00

Photo Credit: Tammy's Recipes

Last week instead of tacos I found this really yummy quesadilla recipe. Grilled Chicken Quesadillas w/Black Beans and Corn. My kids had seconds, one star. All the ingredients were cheap and on hand, one star. They were super easy and quick to make, uh duh quesadillas, one star. And they tasted delicious, one star. Four out of Four stars. I think this recipe is going in the rotation. I need to find more recipes like this to replace all the soups and stews that will soon be disappearing from my dinner plans.

Since one minute it is snowing outside and the next it is warm with sunshine I'm planning a lot of warm comfort food this week. Gotta eat it while I can. That's one thing I'll miss about the cold weather.

Monday:
   Beef Stew, Cornbread Muffins

Tuesday:
   Pizza

Wednesday:
   Penne with Marinara & Meatballs, Salad, Breadsticks

Thursday:
   Vegetable Chowder, Green Salad, Bread

Friday:
   Sloppy Joes, Chips, Dip & Carrot Sticks

Saturday:
   Leftovers

Sunday:
   To Grandma's House

I'm linking this post to OrgJunkie's weekly menu roundup.

Soda and Car Update

2011-03-25T15:49:00.000-06:00

Well, it has been almost a month and a half since I broke the soda habit, 42 days to be exact, and I am happy to report I'm still soda free.

Except for a Root beer float a week or so ago, but I can't decide if that should count or not.

I've had to fight the peer pressure from my 3 year old. He has to point out the Dr. Pepper everywhere we go and, he cries if we don't go to the gas station on the way home from taking the Fishographer to work. {sigh} I'm hoping he forgets about it soon. He will right?

Some days have been hard, but overall it is getting much easier. I'm also finding it easier to stick to my grocery budget. I know $6-$7 a week shouldn't make that big of a difference, but I suspect there's more to it than the numbers. I feel like I'm being blessed for making a better choice.

In other news.

We sold the Jeep exactly 6 months ago becoming a single car family, and I have to say I don't really miss it. Well, I miss the Jeep. I don't miss the two car thing.

The days I'm stuck at home are so nice. I can focus on taking care of the house and the family. When I have a car once a week I'm all over the place running errands. At home I can't interrupt my day and go to the bank or a store. I have to put it on a list for a car day. Sometimes errands are erased from the list because I decide they aren't all that important after all. That, in and of itself, is saving us money.

With all the nice weather we've been having (HA I just looked out the window and it is SNOWING!) we'll be able to walk to more places and get some good exercise. Even now in the bad weather I have been bundling the boys up and tossing them in the stroller for walks and to visit neighbors. They love it. My hips love it too.

We spend more time together as a family. Wether it is going to pick up the Fishographer from work, or a little shopping in the evening. The girls grab their books and get extra reading in while we drive or we put on a Primary CD and they all practice their singing. Fun times!

I think the Fishographer would really like to get a little commuter car because gas is *killing* us right now, but other than that I am pretty content with the situation.

Looking back and seeing how far we've come on our goals is so motivating to me. I can't wait to start working on something else to help us save money and reach our financial goals.

5 Ways to Save Money on Groceries, Part 2

2011-03-24T16:25:00.000-06:00

Last week I started this series by talking about comparing price per pound. Now I'll share the rest of my favorite ways to save money on groceries.

Cook from Scratch

Stick to a List

Ad matching Sites

Savvy Shopper Deals

without

Stockpile

STOCKPILE

Those are my top ways to save money *without* using coupons. What types of things do you do to keep the grocery bills low?

Free Pasta

2011-03-23T09:56:00.000-06:00

There has been an awesome sale going on at Smith's. Even if you don't subscribe to the newspaper you can get some free pasta until the 29th. Here's how:

::Ronzoni Boxed pasta is currently on sale for $.99 a box.

::This pasta is also part of the Buy 10 get $5 deal. Simply put, you buy any 10 items that are part of the promotion and you'll get an instant $5 off your order. So, that's like $.50 off per item. Just make sure you buy in batches of 10 so you get the $5 off. If you need filler items the Powerade ends up being $.39 no coupons needed.

::Use the $1/2 and $1/1 Ronzoni Pasta coupons from the January 23rd Smartsource coupon insert. Or print coupons from these links.
(3) $1/2 coupons Here
(3) $1/2 coupons Here
Each of those coupons can be printed twice, just press the back button on your browser, for a grand total of 12 coupons or 24 boxes of pasta.

::That's it.

The above 20 boxes cost me -$2.20. I bought some bananas to cover the overage. I just feel funny about having a cashier pay me to take product out of the store. When the Fishographer heard about deals like this the first time he said "that's stealing," but I assured him it is totally legal.

Menu Plan

2011-03-21T09:37:00.000-06:00

Photo Credit: The Fishographer

The recipe for the Mediterranean Lemon Chicken Penne last week came from the back of the Ronzoni Garden Delight Penne Rigate box. I'm giving it 3 out of 4 stars. One star because the kids devoured it fairly quickly, one star because it was super quick and easy to make, one star because the ingredients were cheap and on hand. The last star, of which this recipe lacks, is for yumminess. There wasn't enough flavoring on the pasta for me. I'm sure with some tweaks we can make it work.

For this week, this is what we have planned:

Monday:
   Hamburgers, Chips, Dip & Carrot Sticks

Tuesday:
   Homemade Pizza

Wednesday:
   Spicy Chicken Skillet, Rice, Spinach Salad

Thursday:
   Chicken Penne Alfredo, Caesar Salad, Breadsticks

Friday:
   Tacos, Beans, Rice, Chips & Salsa

Saturday:
   Stew, Cornbread Muffins

Sunday:
   Grandma's House

I'm linking this post to OrgJunkie's roundup of weekly menu plans.

Quick Tip: Paper Towels

2011-03-18T15:25:00.000-06:00

To make paper towels last twice as long: I simply tear them in half.

Perfect size for a simple lunch. Or quick clean-up.