Pary Moppins

Albertson's Deals 2/15-2/21

2012-02-15T06:47:00.000-06:00

Thanks to Practically Virtuous for these deals!

International Delight Coffee Creamer (16oz) $1.79
Use $.75/1 from 1/8 SS

$1.04 after coupon

Red Gold Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilis $0.44
Use $.75/1 printable

FREE after coupon

Good Day Bread $0.79

If you would like to see more deals head over to

Please be respectful of copyright. You may use this list for your personal use. Please do not republish it as your own or print copies for non personal use without permission.

Brookshire's Deals and Matchups 2/15-2/21

2012-02-15T00:00:00.089-06:00

These are the best deals this week for the North East Texas area Brookshire’s. The Anna, Canton, Forney, Longview, Marshall, Paris, Seagoville, and Weatherford, TX Brookshire's double one coupon per item up to $.50 and triple one coupon per item up to $.39. For example, if you buy 2 products and have 2 of the same coupons, they will double/triple the first but take the second at face value. The Marshall Brookshire's now doubles/triples up to FOUR like coupons!

Check out the Brookshire's Catalina and Brookshire's E-Deals pages for the latest offers.

The $.05 reusable bag credit is back! Yea! So for every reusable bag you bring to use, you will receive $.05 off of your total bill.

Don't forget to load your UPromise & SavingStar eSavings.

Please be respectful of copyright. You may use this list for your personal use. Please do not republish it as your own or print copies for non-personal use without permission. If you would like to include these match-ups on your blog, please contact me. Thank you.

The Real Big Deal @ $11.99
Buy 96oz. Food Club Lasagna get:
FREE Food Club Dressing
FREE Food Club Croutons
FREE Pillsbury Brownie Mix
FREE Food Club 2ltr.
$2.40 each

Boneless Top Sirloin $2.99lb.

Brookshire's Whole Chicken $.79lb.

Hormel Always Tender Boston Butt Pork Roast $1.57lb.
Use $1 printable
Final price unknown

Sweet Potatoes $.79lb.

General Mills or Post Cereal or Treats $1.89
Use $.75 Dulce de Leche Cheerios (if included)
or $1 Multi-Grain Peanut Butter Cheerios (if included)
or $1/2 General Mills
or $1 Honey Bunches of Oats Fruit Blend (if included)
or $1 Honey Bunches of Oats
or $.50 Honey Nut Cheerios
or $.50 General Mills Treats
or $1/2 Cheerios from 1/22 SS
or $1/2 Post Cereals from 1/15 SS
$.89 - $1.39 each after coupon

Red Seedless Grapes $1.99lb.

3lb. bag Red Delicious Apples $2.99

Red Onions $.79lb.

Green Cabbage $.44lb.

5lb. bag Potatoes $2.99

Fresh Express Salad $1.99

10 piece Dark Fried Chicken $5.99

Bar-S Franks $.89

Hillshire Farms Smoked Sausage $2.50
Use $.55/1 from 1/29 RP
$1.95 after coupon

3lb. box Bar-S Corndogs $3.99

Foster Farms Chicken $4.99
Use $1/1 from 1/29 SS
$3.99 after coupon

Tennessee Pride Sausage $2.69
Buy 2 use $1/2 printable
$2.19 each after coupon

Marie Callender's Frozen Dinner $2.50
Buy 3 use $1/3 printable
$2.17 each after coupon

Sargento Cheese $2.50
Buy 2 use $.50/2 from 1/22 SS
$2 each after coupon

Jell-O Refrigerated Gelatin $2.50
Use $.60/1 from 1/8 SS
$1.90 after coupon

Silk White Wave Milk $2.99
Use $.75 printable
$2.24 after coupon

Jose Ole Appetizers $4
Use $1 printable
$3 after coupon

Ocean Spray Juice $2.50
Use B1G1 printable
$1.25 each after coupon

Food Club Mac & Cheese $.50

Campbell's Chunky Soup $1.50
Buy 2 use $.50/2 printable
$1 each after coupon

Tony Chachere's Seasonings, Coatings, or Mixes $1

Nabisco Premium Crackers $1.79
Buy 2 use $1/2 printable
$1.29 each after coupon

Chock Full O' Nuts Coffee $3.99
Use $.75/1 from 1/22 SS and $.75 SavingStar edeposit
$2.49 after both coupon and edeposit

Hills Bros Coffee $3.99
Use $1 printable
$2.99 after coupon

Food Club Tomatoes $.69

Jiffy Cornbread Mix $.50

Food Club Canned Pinto Beans $.79

La Victoria Salsa $2
Buy 3 use $1.50/3 from 1/8 SS
$1.50 each after coupon

Clorox Wipes $2.89
Buy 2 use $1/2 printable
$2.39 each after coupon

Kleenex Facial Tissue $1.50
Buy 3 use $.50/3 from 2/12 SS and $.50 savingStar edeposit
$1 each after coupon & edeposit

Phillips' Milk of Magnesia $2.87
Use $2/1 from 1/1 SS
$.87 after coupon

Top Care Cough Drops $.88

Mucinex $8.88
Use $1 printable
$7.88 after coupon

Secret Deodorant $3.99
Use $1 from 2/12 RP
$2.99 after coupon

Food Club Tomato Paste $.33

Food Club Gelatin or Pudding $.50

Food Club Cooking Spray

Buy Food Club Laundry Detergent get FREE Food Club Fabric Softener Sheets

Bayer Aspirin $1.99
Use $1/1 from 1/29 SS
$.99 after coupon

Pedialyte $5.49
Use $1.50/1 from 10/2 SS or printable
$3.99 after coupon

PictSweet Cream Corn $1.25

Stride Gum $.99
Buy 2 use $1/2 from 2/12 SS
$.49 each after coupon

Perfectly Practical #98 - Red Napkins

2012-02-14T08:56:00.039-06:00

I have had such fun lately teaching frugal living/coupon classes with Kristan from Practically Virtuous and Cricket from Thrifty Texas Penny. I always learn something new or hear something that I had never before thought about.

Last month, while extolling the virtues of cloth napkins, Cricket brought up the point to use red napkins. Not only are they pigmentally (yes, I made that word up) appropriate for February, July, and December, but they don't show signs of pasta sauce, barbecue sauce, ketchup, and a myriad of other common stain producers. What a great idea!

We have white cloth napkins for general use but wouldn't you know that at an estate sale this weekend, I found a whole box of red napkins. And yes, I snatched them up.

Thanks Cricket for the idea!

This is part of Works for Me Wednesday.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T07:48:00.000-06:00

I hope your day is filled with hugs and kisses and jewelry and flowers and fancy dinners and chocolate, lots and lots of chocolate.

Engineer if you are reading this, I'll be happy with jewelry...and chocolate. ;)

Madly In Love

2012-02-13T07:24:00.004-06:00

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and I have two Valentines.

One is my best friend and the one who takes my breath away.

The other is my joy and my most treasured gift.

They both propel me forward in every possible way and I feel so blessed to have these two very special Valentines.

Happy Valentine's Day EM & DM! 1-4-3!

Menu Plan - Pantry Challenge Week 7

2012-02-12T09:51:00.021-06:00

This past weekend we held a Sunday School brunch at our house. It was lovely to visit with those ladies outside of Sunday School. The best part was that my only responsibility was to clean the house, make a breakfast casserole, and provide the coffee. No problem. ;)

I also helped with a frugal living class this week which is always fun.

Engineer is studying for his P.E. (Professional Engineer's) licence. Oh will the endless piles of books, highlighters, and postie notes on my dining room table ever end?

I love February and March. They are two months back to back where our schedules all seem to slow down a little and we can have more flexibility in our lives. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that Valentine's Day and our anniversary fall in those two months. ;)

Here's what we will be eating this week:

Sunday - Stromboli & Salad
Monday - BBQ Sliders, Green Beans, Sweet Potato Fries
Tuesday - Steak, Baked Cream Corn, Braised Radishes
Wednesday - Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Greens, Cornbread
Thursday - Sausage & Applekraut
Friday - Date Night - Penne w/Prosciutto & Peas and Salad
Saturday - Leftovers

This is part of Menu Plan Monday.

Dishing It Up Recipe Hop

2012-02-09T10:00:00.024-06:00

What's Cooking?

2012-02-09T07:31:00.001-06:00

Sauteed apples are one of those dishes that get overlooked. They are so easy and tasty and kids love them. The other night I decided to try something a little different with them and we liked the results. They go great with ham or bacon sandwiches or even in a grilled cheese sandwich.

Sauteed Apples

Apples, sliced
Bacon Grease
Demerara Sugar (or brown sugar)

After you have cooked some bacon in your cast iron skillet, leave some of the grease in the skillet. Throw in the apple slices and toss them around a bit to coat them with the grease. Then, sprinkle a little sugar over the top of them and cook the apples through. Serve immediately.

I said these were tasty I didn't say they were healthy. ;)

Albertson's Deals 2/8-2/14

2012-02-08T12:10:00.001-06:00

Thanks to Practically Virtuous for these deals!

Folgers or Millstone Coffee K-Cups $6.99

Use $1/1 from 11/13 RP

$5.99 after coupon

Albertsons Large Eggs (dozen) $0.99

Johnsonsville Smoked Chicken Sausage $3.00

Use $1/1 from 01/01 SS

$2 after coupon

If you would like to see more deals head over to

Please be respectful of copyright. You may use this list for your personal use. Please do not republish it as your own or print copies for non personal use without permission.

Brookshire's Deals and Matchups 2/8-2/14

2012-02-08T00:00:00.078-06:00

These are the best deals this week for the North East Texas area Brookshire’s. The Anna, Canton, Forney, Longview, Marshall, Paris, Seagoville, and Weatherford, TX Brookshire's double one coupon per item up to $.50 and triple one coupon per item up to $.39. For example, if you buy 2 products and have 2 of the same coupons, they will double/triple the first but take the second at face value. The Marshall Brookshire's now doubles/triples up to FOUR like coupons!

Check out the Brookshire's Catalina and Brookshire's E-Deals pages for the latest offers.

The $.05 reusable bag credit is back! Yea! So for every reusable bag you bring to use, you will receive $.05 off of your total bill.

Don't forget to load your UPromise & SavingStar eSavings.

Please be respectful of copyright. You may use this list for your personal use. Please do not republish it as your own or print copies for non-personal use without permission. If you would like to include these match-ups on your blog, please contact me. Thank you.

The Real Big Deal
Buy 96oz. Food Club Lasagna get:
FREE Food Club Dressing
FREE Food Club Croutons
FREE Pillsbury Brownie Mix
FREE Food Club 2ltr.

Pork Chops $1.79lb

Brookshire's Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Fillets $1.99lb.

Fresh Express Salad $2.50

Food Club Corn or Green Beans $.69

Mrs. Baird's Bread $1.50

Red Baron Pizza $3.33
Buy 2 use $1/2 from 1/22 RP
$2.83 each after coupon

Food Club Olive Oil $2.99

Oreo Cookies $2.50

Cottonelle Bath Tissue $6.48
Buy 2 use $.50/2 from 1/15 SS and $.50 Savingstar edeposit
$5.73 each after coupon

Viva Paper Towels $6.48
Use $1/1 from 1/15 SS
$5.48 after coupon

Premium Strawberries 1lb $2.99

Fresh Leaf Lettuce $1.50

California Oranges $.99lb

Celery or Green Onions $.79

Dozen Roses Valentine Bouquet $18.99

Rotisserie Chicken $5.99

Brookshire's Deli Salad 1lb $1.99

Hershey's Valentine Candy $3
Buy 2 use $1.50/2 from 1/22 SS
$2.25 each after coupon

Ball Park Franks $1.79
Buy 2 use $1/2 printable
$1.29 each after coupon

Armour Lunchmakers $.99

Fast Classics Entree $5.99

Lloyd's BBQ B1G1
Use $1/1 from 1/15 SS
Final price unknown

Sea Best Lobster Tails w/ Butter $14.99
Use $.75/1 from 1/8 SS
$14.24 after coupon

Dannon Yogurt $.60
Buy 6 use $.40/6 from 1/29 SS
$.47 each after coupon

Coffee-Mate Creamer 32oz. $3.50
Buy 3 use $1.85/3 printable
$2.88 each after coupon

Blue Bell $4.50
Use $1 printable
$3.50 after coupon

Marie Callendar's Pie 32-45oz. $5
Use $1 printable
$4 after coupon

Pillsbury Refrigerated Cookie Dough $2.50
Buy 2 use $1/2 from 12/4 SS
$2 after coupon

Food Club Texas Toast Pizza $2

Food Club Steamin' Easy Vegetables $1.25

Smart Ones $2
Buy 10 use $3/10 from 8/7 SS
$1.70 each after coupon

Progresso Soup $1.25
Buy 4 use $1/4 from 1/8 or 2/5 GM
$1 each after coupon

Food Club Crackers $1.19

Kellogg's Cereals $2.50
Buy 2 use $1/2 printable
$2 each after coupon

Brookshire's Best Coffee $5.99

Food Club 2ltr. Soft Drink. $.69

Baker's Chocolate $2

Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks $2
Buy 2 use $.50/2 printable or from 1/8 or 2/5 GM
$1.50 each after coupon

Fritos, Cheetos, or Frito Lay Dips $2.50

Del Monte Fruit Cups $2.50
Buy 2 use $1/2 from 1/8 RP
$2 each after coupon

Kibbles N' Bits Dog Food $9.99
Use $1/1 from 1/8 RP
$8.99 after coupon

9Lives Cat Food 4pk $1.50
Buy 3 use $1/3 from 1/8 RP
$1.17 each after coupon

Axe Body Spray $3.99
*DEAL ALERT* Buy 2 Axe products save $3
Buy 2
$2.49 each after deal

Perfectly Practical #97 - Knowing if a CSA Is Right for You

2012-02-07T07:23:00.002-06:00

Tender Greens, Green & Purple Kohl Rabi, White & Red Scallions, Broccoli, 2 types of Lettuces, and Easter Egg Radishes all from last week's basket

The New Year usually drags with it the previous year's resolution of eating healthier. We all start out with good intentions...and gym memberships. People get fired up about a new way of eating, Organic Whole Food Paleo Fruitarian Juice Fasts and such. So it's totally understandable that CSA enrollment would go up at the beginning of the year. But is it the right choice for you?

A CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Farm is an agricultural set up whereby a farmer or group of farmers sells stakes or "shares" in their farms. The participants or "shareholders" in turn receive vegetables as "dividends."

I mentioned before that I couldn't boil water when we got married and it wasn't until we moved to J.O.E. (that's Jolly Olde England) that I learned how to make anything at all that could be considered edible. We always loved eating food but it wasn't until we found a CSA there that I actually started loving to cook food.

We have participated in CSAs both here and abroad so obvious we feel it is worth it. Here's a list of pros & cons for you to decide for yourself.

Benefits:

Healthy - Let's just go ahead and state the obvious shall we? No chemicals or preservatives or waxes on this produce.
Seasonal - I believe God designed our bodies to most efficiently absorb the goodness from the foods that grow seasonally. Why else would the food grow in seasons instead of growing all year round? (Watch there be some botanist out there with the answer to that rhetorical question.) ;)
Fresh - You are getting vegetables at their peak ripeness.
Low Food Miles - The veggies are picked that day or maybe the day before you get them. The food miles are low since most CSAs only have a customer radius of about 50 or 60 miles or so.
Stimulating the Local Economy - I like buying locally when I can and I know that the farmer also buys his supplies locally so it goes even further than just my purchasing decisions.

Sink full of greens

Green Option - The local flora loves CSAs since they pour richness into the ground and the leftovers either get composted or given to the local fauna. (The cows in the pasture next to our CSA love the spent rutabagas especially.)
Networking - Because generally likeminded people are a part of CSAs, you learn about other local folks who may have bee hives, or chickens, or grass fed cattle, that you may have the opportunity to buy into as well.
Creativity - Eating seasonally does mean that there is some amount of creativity called for in the kitchen. I really enjoy the challenge and the expansion to our palates that it brings.
Teachable Moments - I love the relationship between the land and the farmer and my food. I love the smell of my vegetables with soil on them. I love that my child knows where lettuce comes from and that it doesn't grow in a bag on the grocery store's shelf.

Drawbacks:

Monotonous - Because you are eating seasonally, whatever is growing at that time is what you get in your basket. If something has a particularly long growing season, then you will be eating that item for weeks on end and you may be tired of eating greens or radishes or whatever the item is.
Time Sensitive - The veggies in your basket are super fresh but to keep them that way, you need to deal with them immediately and sometimes that is inconvenient.
Time Consuming - Preparing the veggies takes a good while especially when you are dealing with...

Remember this guy?

Dirt, Bugs, & Critters - Engineer always says that no matter how well I wash my lettuce, there is still some grit in the salad and he is always the lucky recipient of it on his plate. And I may have had one or two instances where a tiny caterpillar goes crawling across my plate. During the summer especially, my kitchen is like a menagerie of ladybugs, various beetles, lacewings, and even that guy pictured above after I get my vegetable buckets.
Inconvenient - Farming is a very volatile business. You are trusting of the weather and the quality of the seed and that feral hogs don't come crashing through your patch. That being said, you don't know what crops will take off and which ones will flounder. That means that the shareholder can't always meal plan around what's going to be in the box or even if you will get a box that week.
Forces You Into the Kitchen - If you aren't great in the kitchen, then it can be a problem. If you have never seen romanesco, kohl rabi, celeriac, etc. then you may not know what to do with them and may not have time to learn. What happens if you have a houseful of picky eaters? There could be a lot of waste involved if no one eats what's been prepared.
Expensive (Potentially) - If your family is happy to eat vegetarian meals then a CSA is probably not that expensive in comparison to buying Organic food in the grocery store. However, if there is lots of waste then a CSA will be a very expensive option. Most CSAs will let you buy a 1/2 share or go in with a friend on a whole share.

The compost pile will be happy.

Only you can decide if a CSA is right for your family. We choose to participate in our CSA because to us, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks...even when an anole scares the ever loving life out of you.

This is part of Works for Me Wednesday.

Madly In Love

2012-02-06T07:33:00.001-06:00

Engineer is the official put-to-bedder and waker-upper at The Little Pink House.

Diva gets tucked in all snugly-like by her Daddy and they say their Night-Night Prayers every night first before I come in for round two of cuddles and kisses. No matter what has happened that day, good or bad, they have a few minutes, just the two of them, to unwind and settle in.

Every morning, Diva gets awakened by her Daddy in some slightly mysterious way. I say mysterious because when I go to wake her up, I've been told by both parties that I don't do it correctly. :)

When Diva's eyes open, it's her Daddy - her strength, her stability, her comfort, her protector, her champion, the first man who ever loved her - standing over her ushering her into a new day. And when she gets ready to travel to the Land of Nod, it is he who prepares her for the journey.

Oh, and he puts me to bed and wakes me up too. He is the official put-to-bedder and waker-upper after all.

1-4-3 EM!

This is part of GratiTuesday.

Menu Plan - Pantry Challenge Week 6

2012-02-05T07:13:00.047-06:00

Officially, the pantry challenge is over. You must be thinking that there is no way that I have the ingredients to make the meals I list out without going to the store. Well believe it sister. Nobody is more surprised than I am, except for maybe Engineer.

The funniest part is that my stockpile is not housed in a basement or extra bedroom, it's not that big. This has been a great lesson in finding out how much our household actually consumes and at what rate. (Wish I would have started a spreadsheet at the beginning...)

Really what sustains us is the weekly vegetables from our CSA.

Last month along with the pantry challenge, I set a personal goal of spending less than $100 on all household sundries that fall under my grocery budget. It will also continue although I am not going to be quite as strict.

This past week we started off with meetings and I'm not sure that the meetings ever stopped all week! How can a housewife have so many meetings?! :) I wanted to have a week of nothing so that I could do a little clearing out and a little re-evaluation and to catch up on paperwork (again, as a housewife, why do I have so much paperwork?) The week was a little half and half. Just as I started getting into the groove, I would have another bloomin' meeting. ;)

This week, I'm teaching another frugal living class with Cricket & KK; this time, it will be in Tyler. Our Sunday School Class is hosting a brunch on Saturday so I am very much looking forward to that. My part is only the coffee, cream, and sugar (which I am all too happy to oblige) and breakfast casseroles. Oh, and to clean the house since it will be here. ;)

Here's our menu for the week:

Sunday - Fried Chicken, Greens, & Black Eyed Peas
Monday - Quiche, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, and Kohl Rabi Salad
Tuesday - Burgers & Fries
Wednesday - Hot Dogs, Baked Beans, Chips & Hot Sauce, and Spinach Salad
Thursday - Pumpkin Soup & Rolls
Friday - Date Night - Parsnip Risotto & Salad
Saturday - Leftovers

This is part of Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday.

Walgreens Coupon Matchups 2/5-2/11

2012-02-04T06:59:00.004-06:00

Thanks to Thrifty Texas Penny for these deals!

Sheets Energy Strips 10 pk $3.99, get $4 RR
Price after RR = FREE

St. Joseph Enteric Aspirin 81 mg. 36 ct.$2, get $2 RR
Price after RR = FREE

Dozen Eggs $.99 limit 3

If you would like to see more deals and scenarios head over to

Please be respectful of copyright. You may use this list for your personal use. Please do not republish it as your own or print copies for non personal use without permission.

Azure Standard in Our Area?! Ooooh Goody!

2012-02-03T15:20:00.001-06:00

Have you heard of Azure Standard? If you have read much over at Heavenly Homemakers then you definitely have heard of them.

They are a bulk (healthy) food supplier and they only have drop offs in certain places. Guess who is getting enough interest generated to have a drop off....that's right, East Texas! Tyler to be exact.

The way it works is that you order online a minimum of a $50 order (with a combined drop off location total of $550.) If you don't think you could use 20lbs. of organic apples yourself, split the order with a friend or two. :)

If you are an interested party, please contact Mrs. Wood at mrsjosephwood (at) gmail (dot) com and let her know. The more people interested the better. My hope is that there will be enough people in Longview or Marshall to get a drop a little closer to home. But, Tyler is better than Dallas so I will not complain.

Menu Ideas From the Brookshire's Ad

2012-02-03T11:45:00.061-06:00

A meal plan is a great way to save money and not waste food.

I want to show you that as long as you are intentional in your shopping and cooking, you will save money on your grocery bill regardless if you use coupons or not. Generally, the cost of the whole meal will be less than or equal to the tip you would leave at a restaurant.

These ideas are taken directly from the Brookshire's circulars. If you want to check out potential menus from other stores try

This week is all about the game day food:

Pizza & Salad
Use: DiGiorno Pizza x 2, Fresh Express Salad

Buffalo Wings, Ribs, (from the deli) & Roasted Tomatoes
Use: Tyson Wings x 1lb (save the other 1lb.), 1/2 Rack Ribs, NatureSweet Tomatoes x 2

Nachos, Guacamole, & Chili
Use: Rico Chips, Rico Nacho Cheese Sauce, Hormel Chili, Wholly Guacamole

Taquitos & Refried Beans
Use: Jose Ole Taquitos, Old El Paso Refried Beans x 2

Fried Chicken & Baked Tomatoes
Use: Deli Fried Chicken (1 box save other box for later), Roma Tomatoes x 2lbs

Chicken Tacos, Black Beans
Use: Leftover Wings (meat pulled), Mission Tortillas, Bush's Beans, Leftover Salad, Kraft Cheese

Chicken Sandwiches & Salad
Use: Leftover Fried Chicken (Meat Pulled), Mrs. Baird's Buns, Fresh Express Salad

That's 7 Meals for around $49.94 - $60.58. That's $7.13 - $8.65 per meal or $1.78 - $2.16 per person per meal.

Dishing It Up Recipe Hop

2012-02-02T10:00:00.048-06:00

I am so pleased to present to you the Dishing it Up recipe hop along with this fine group of ladies: Thrifty Texas Penny, Mama's Money Tree, Deals From Ms. Do, Saving Myself Silly, Dearly Domestic, 20 Something Saver, The Happy Lil' Homemaker, and Eating With MiMi.

Recently we have started a Dishing It Up website. That's right, all recipe links all the time. :) Come by and check us out.

This month we will be looking at freezer recipes.

Food from the freezer has saved my hiney-bo many a time. Two or three times a year I have a massive baking day and will make all manner of breakfast foods for my peeps. The food from that will feed Engineer and Diva several month's worth of breakfasts.

One of our favorites is Mrs. Wilma's Oat Muffins. I was first introduced to these when my family visited some Canadian friends. We stayed in their condo and Mrs. Wilma had a freezer full of these muffins for us to grab, microwave, and go. I have fond memories of that trip and these muffins.

They have never come out the same way twice. I have used whey or a milk/yogurt mixture instead of buttermilk. I have used fruit, nuts, seeds, and chocolate chips in various combinations. No matter how I fix them, they are always yummy.

What's Cooking?

2012-02-02T07:30:00.001-06:00

I often put Sausage & Potatoes as an option on my Menu Ideas from the Brookshire's Ad post since it's such an easy and frugal dinner. I made some myself the other night and it went great with some homemade sauerkraut! Here's the recipe:

Sausage & Potatoes

White Potatoes, chopped in small pieces (you probably could use a mixture of both white and sweet if you wanted to)
Sausage, sliced (you could use Italian or bratwurst, I used smoked sausage)
Onion, roughly chopped in biggish pieces
Fresh Thyme, chopped (you could use rosemary)
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Put a little olive oil in a Dutch oven then put in your potato and onion chunks. Season them and give the whole thing a good toss in the oil. Throw in your sliced sausage and thyme and toss them with the other ingredients. Put the lid on the Dutch oven and put in the oven at 375F for about 45 minutes or until the potatoes and sausage are cooked through.

*NOTE* You could do the same method but use a baking sheet to cook them on instead. This will make for crispier potatoes and sausage.

Albertson's Deals 2/1-2/6

2012-02-01T11:32:00.010-06:00

Thanks to Practically Virtuous for these deals!

Hamburger/Hotdog buns $0.69

Blue Bell Half Gallon $3.99
Use $1/1 printable
$2.99 after coupon

Totino's Party Pizza 4/$5
Use $1.10/5 Totino's Party Pizza Printable
$.98 each after coupon

If you would like to see more deals head over to

Please be respectful of copyright. You may use this list for your personal use. Please do not republish it as your own or print copies for non personal use without permission.

Brookshire's Deals and Matchups 2/1-2/6

2012-02-01T00:00:00.110-06:00

These are the best deals this week for the North East Texas area Brookshire’s. The Anna, Canton, Forney, Longview, Marshall, Paris, Seagoville, and Weatherford, TX Brookshire's double one coupon per item up to $.50 and triple one coupon per item up to $.39. For example, if you buy 2 products and have 2 of the same coupons, they will double/triple the first but take the second at face value. The Marshall Brookshire's now doubles/triples up to FOUR like coupons!

Check out the Brookshire's Catalina and Brookshire's E-Deals pages for the latest offers.

The $.05 reusable bag credit is back! Yea! So for every reusable bag you bring to use, you will receive $.05 off of your total bill.

Don't forget to load your UPromise & SavingStar eSavings.

Please be respectful of copyright. You may use this list for your personal use. Please do not republish it as your own or print copies for non-personal use without permission. If you would like to include these match-ups on your blog, please contact me. Thank you.

The Real Big Deal @ $9.99
Buy Texas Meat Packers Seasoned Fajita Meat get:
FREE Dr. Pepper 2ltr.
FREE Mission Flour Tortillas
FREE Pace Picante Sauce
FREE 3lb bag Yellow Onions
$2 each after deal

Pilgrim's 3lb bag Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast $5

Hormel Baby Back Ribs $2.99lb.

Roma Tomatoes $.99lb.

Hass Avocados $1 each

Nabisco Snack Crackers $2
Buy 2 use $1/2 from or printable or here
$1.50 each after coupon

Lay's Potato Chips and Dips $2
Buy one of each use $.55/2 from 1/22 SS
$1.73 each after coupon

DiGiorno Pizza $4.49
Buy 2 use $2/2 from 1/29 RP
$3.49 each after coupon

Folgers Coffee 10-11.3oz $3.99

Scott Bath Tissue $5.50
Buy 2 use $1/2 from 1/15 SS
$5 each after coupon

NatureSweet Sunburst Tomatoes $2.50
Use $.55 printable
$1.95 after coupon

Wholly Guacamole $3.99
Use $1 printable
$2.99 after coupon

Fresh Express Iceberg Garden Salad $1.49

Buy 2lbs Tyson Wings from the deli get FREE Half Slab of Deli Ribs
Use $2 printable
Final price unknown

8 Piece Mixed Fried Chicken B1G one for $1

Tide to Go Stain Remover $2.49
Use $.50/1 from 1/29 PG
$1.49 after coupon

Cascade Dishwasher Detergent $4.49
Use $.50/1 from 1/29 PG
$3.49 after coupon

Eckrich Smoked Sausage $2

Pilgrim's Buffalo Style Chicken Wings $5.99
Use $1 printable
$4.99 after coupon

Rosina Meatballs $5.99
Use $1/1 from Dec '11 All You magazine
$4.99 after coupon

Country Style Pork Ribs $2.29lb.

Jimmy Dean Breakfast Sandwiches $4.99
Use $.55/1 from 1/8 RP or printable
$4.44 after coupon

Kraft Cheese $2.50
Buy 2 use $.55/2 from 1/15 SS
$2.23 each after coupon

Stouffer's Party Size Entree $10.99
Use $2/1 from 1/29 RP or printable
$8.99 after coupon

Philadelphia Cream Cheese $1.50

Farm Rich Appetizer $4.50
Use $.75/1 from 1/15 SS
$3.75 after coupon

Jose Ole Appetizers $3
Use $1/1 from 1/15 SS or printable
$2 after coupon

New York Brand Texas Toast $3
Use $.50/1 from 1/15 SS
$2 after coupon

Frank's Hotsauce $2
Use $.75/1 from 1/22 SS
$1.25 after coupon

Ken's Steakhouse Dressing $1.99
Use $1/1 from 1/8 SS
$.99 after coupon

Mission Tortillas $1

Old El Paso Refried Beans or Taco Shells $1.25
There is reported to be a $.50/1 coupon from the 1/29 SS but I didn't get it, if you did that would be
$.25 after coupon

Hormel Chili $1.50
Buy 2 use $.55/2 from 1/15 SS
$1.23 each after coupon

Nestle Hot Cocoa Mix $1

Orville Redenbacher Microwave Popcorn B1G1
Buy 2 use $.75/2 from 1/22 SS
Final price unknown

Duncan Hines Cake Mix $1

Food Club Tomatoes $.69

Bush's Best Beans $1

Pedigree Dog Food $11.99
Use $1/1 from 1/1 RP
$10.99 after coupon

Whiskas Cat Food $11.99
Use $1/1 from 1/22 SS
$10.99 after coupon

Whiskas Cat Food $.50
Buy 4 use B3G1 from 1/22 SS
$.38 each after coupon

Dove Hair Care Products $2.99
Use $1/1 from 1/29 RP
$1.99 after coupon

Alka-Seltzer Plus $2.97
Use $2/1 from 1/1 SS
$.97 after coupon

Dove Men's Deodorant $2.99
Use $1/1 from 1/29 RP
$1.99 after coupon

Food Club Parchment Paper $2

Food Club Foam Plates or Bowls $1.25

Tums Antacid $3.97
Use $1 printable
$2.97 after coupon

Miralax $9.97
Use $1/1 from 1/29 SS
$8.97 after coupon

$1 OFF Rico Chips wyb Ricos Gourmet Nacho Cheese Sauce
Use $.50/1 from Jan '12 All You magazine
Final price unknown

Cheez-Its $2.50
Buy 2 use $1/2 from 1/29 SS & $1/2 Savingstar e-coupon (exp 2/1)
$1.50 each after coupon and e-savings

RoTel $1
Buy 2 & a RoTel Chili Sauce use B2G1 from 1/22 SS
$.66 each after coupon

Pace Picante Sauce $2.50
Buy 2 use $.75/2 from 1/22 SS
$2.13 each after coupon

Mrs. Baird's Buns $1.50

Lit'l Smokies $2.50
Buy 2 use $1/2 from 1/8 SS
$2 each after coupon

Kraft BBQ Sauce $1.25

Kraft Dressing $2
Buy 2 use $.75/2 from 1/22 SS
$1.63 each after coupon

Planter's Peanuts $2.89
Buy 2 use $1.50/2 from 1/29 SS
$2.14 each after coupon

Crystal Light $2
Buy 2 use $1/2 printable
$1.50 each after coupon

Velveeta $3.79
Use $.55/1 from 1/22 SS
$3.24 after coupon

Purex & Jockey Winner

2012-01-31T15:27:00.002-06:00

New winner drawn due to time sensitivity.

Congratulations to Ms. Trish Brown (trex3b at gmail dot com)!
Please contact me at parymoppins at ymail dot com within the hour (around 5:30pmCST)...things are moving very quickly today my friends. :)

FLASH Giveaway - Jockey Sports Bra & Purex Crystals - EXPIRED

2012-01-31T08:00:00.005-06:00

~~I have a giveaway beginning at 8am (CST) 1/31/12 and will end 3pm (CST) that's the school day TODAY!!!!!! You have to be super speedy to jump on this one. :)~~ *EXPIRED*

The lovely folks at Purex (my go to detergent when I'm not using my own) have sent me a bottle of their Purex Crystals fabric softener and the lovely folks at Jockey sent me a sports bra both products to review.

AND...

They want to send one of each of these products to one of my readers too! All you have to do is to leave a comment and your e-mail address and that's it. You will be entered into the drawing. Please make sure that whatever e-mail address you leave me, you check regularly because this is a FLASH giveaway and I have to have the winner's name into the sponsor by the end of the day today.

I've told you how much I love the Purex crystals: they smell great without being overpowering, they are 92% natural, and they don't coat the fibers. That simply means that flame retardant clothes stay flame retardant and towels and athletic wear both wick away water like they should.

The sports bra...uh hem,... held everything in place just as it should. I made sure to use it while scrubbing floors, playing Just Dance 3 with Diva, and just general daily activities. I felt very well supported. I also didn't feel clammy. The sweat was wicked away very quickly so I always felt dry. That's a huge plus in my book. My one issue was maybe that is was a little too snug. Even if you don't win, the folks at Jockey still want to make it easier for you to try out their sports bra by giving you a 20% off coupon.

Well there you have it folks, a super fast giveaway that starts RIGHT NOW! Good luck! :)

*I was sent both products to review. All opinions are my own.

Perfectly Practical #96 - 10 Baby Steps to Frugality

2012-01-31T07:30:00.179-06:00

You've seen the first four posts in this series and now you are fired up on how to be frugal.

There are so many aspects of life that need can be frugal-ized: clothes, cars, gas, household goods, gifts, etc. Where do you begin?

First of all, the number one rule that encompasses everything ever in life is don't panic. You don't have to change everything all at once. Little consistent changes will make the most impact over time.

Here are 10 mostly painless baby steps to get you started:

1. Turn off what you aren't using - That means lights, computers, anything that sucks down electricity and teach your kiddos (and spouse) to do the same.

2. Pack lunches for work/school - If everyone's lunch costs $15 a day for a family of four (your numbers may be more or less) and you decided to pack your lunches, it would cost you around $25 a week. That's an $50 savings per week or $2600 per year! Depending on where you are in your journey towards debt-freedom, that could pay off a credit card, be a great start on an emergency fund, be split and put into two IRA accounts, pay for the taxes and insurance on your house, or pay for a vacation. Think about this, if you put that savings directly onto your mortgage every month for a year, will save around $7,503 in interest. That's 3 times your $2,600 investment with a guaranteed return! If you continued this trend for the life of the mortgage, you could potentially save around $ 46,700 on interest alone not to mention the years you will take off your mortgage. (Thanks Cricket for running figures for me.)

3. Combine your trips - Run as many errands as you can in one car trip to save gas and time.

4. Use coupons - You don't have to be an extreme couponer to see the savings by using coupons. When you see those little slips of paper just think of them as cash. Really, they are even better than cash because in Texas, they come off of your total pre-tax and when you go to a store that doubles/triples that $.35 coupon = $1.05!

5. Don't buy "dry clean only" clothes - If you do buy dry clean only clothes, wear them more than once before you have them dry cleaned again.

6. Go meatless - One day a week, choose a vegetarian option for supper. Or choose to use meat as a seasoning rather than the main course.

7. Make a plan, stick to the plan - That means a budget, a grocery list, etc. If you don't tell your money where to go, it will tell you where it's going. If you don't make a grocery list, you'll buy anything that sounds good at the moment. Make a plan and stay focused.

8. Go out to eat less - Make going out to eat a treat instead of the norm. Everyone will appreciate it more and so will your pocketbook.

9. Rejoice in small victories - Don't be too hard on yourself, spending habits, like all habits, die hard. If you followed your plan, used your coupons, and saved 30% at the store, that is fantastic! Before, you were willing to pay 100% and now you only paid 70%! Next time, you can try for a savings of 35%. Remember, these are baby steps.

10. Don't buy stuff - That's pretty self-explanatory. But just in case, here is a little video to get the point across:

This is the last part of this series on frugality. If you missed one, here are the others in the series:

Part 1: So, You Want to Be Frugal
Part 2: Frugal vs. Cheap
Part 3: Simple Does NOT Necessarily Mean Easy
Part 4: Thrifty is NOT the Same as Settling for Less

This is part of Works for Me Wednesday.

Purex + Laundry = One Happy Girl

2012-01-30T15:58:00.001-06:00

www.freesamplepurex.com

As a member of the Purex Insiders, I have the privilege of trying out some of their products before they hit the market.

Recently, I have been sent a bottle of the Tropical Splash Purex Crystals, Purex Triple Action Liquid, and Purex UltraPacks to sample and review.

I have reviewed the crystal fabric softener before and really like them. The fresh smell stays on your clothes for a good while without being overly perfumey. And this yellow type is like sunshine in a bottle - perfect for those dreary winter days. Plus, they are made of 92% natural ingredients that don't coat the fibers of your clothes like regular fabric softeners do. That's especially important for people who wear flame retardant clothes for their job.

I love free and clear laundry detergent and both the Triple Action and the UltraPacks laundry detergent are so simple to use and again, they come in free & clear. The bottom line is does the product do what it says it will do. As far as I'm concerned, it is a resounding yes! I have told you before that I make my own laundry detergent and I do like it. However, my whites do not come out gleaming and bright like I would like them to and that's where the Purex comes in. I tried it on some white napkins and tablecloth and they came out super white. It was rather impressive.

Here's the deal, those UltraPacks are like the 3-in1 sheets that I am infatuated with for the simple reason that they are pre-dosed with soap. How perfect is that for when you travel or for teaching kids to do laundry? For that matter, how perfect is that for teaching hubs to do laundry?!
Right now, Purex is giving away free samples of their Triple Action Liquid Laundry Detergent on their site www.freesamplepurex.com. In a few weeks they will be giving away sample of their UltraPacks. The samples are one per household so if you sign up for one, you will have to wait until next year to sign up for another one. Do sign up for one or the other though, they are truly great products.

*I was sent products from Purex to review. The opinions are all my own.

Madly In Love

2012-01-30T08:06:00.001-06:00

Diva gets tutored in math by our friend, Veggie Girl. The tutoring isn't because she is incapable, but because she is capable but not confident.

Diva and VG were discussing graphing and as a fun exercise, she made coordinates and had Diva plot them and connect the dots. The finished picture was Diva's name. Diva was obviously delighted and wanted to create coordinates for VG to plot and connect.

The room was very quiet for a long time. Diva finished her extensive list of coordinates and VG dutifully plotted the numerous dots before connecting them. The whole time Diva was jiggling with excitement and anticipation.

Once they were all connected VG looked at it, slightly puzzled, and Diva could no longer bare the wait and blurted out, "It's the Tower of the Americas!"

I am madly in love with my little Diva because she can connect the dots and come up with some surprising results.

1-4-3 DM!

This is part of Heavenly Homemaker's GratiTuesday.

Pary Moppins

Albertson's Deals 2/15-2/21

Brookshire's Deals and Matchups 2/15-2/21

Perfectly Practical #98 - Red Napkins

Happy Valentine's Day!

Madly In Love

Menu Plan - Pantry Challenge Week 7

Dishing It Up Recipe Hop

What's Cooking?

Albertson's Deals 2/8-2/14

Brookshire's Deals and Matchups 2/8-2/14

Perfectly Practical #97 - Knowing if a CSA Is Right for You

Madly In Love

Menu Plan - Pantry Challenge Week 6

Walgreens Coupon Matchups 2/5-2/11

Azure Standard in Our Area?! Ooooh Goody!

Menu Ideas From the Brookshire's Ad

Dishing It Up Recipe Hop

What's Cooking?

Albertson's Deals 2/1-2/6

Brookshire's Deals and Matchups 2/1-2/6

Purex & Jockey Winner

FLASH Giveaway - Jockey Sports Bra & Purex Crystals - *EXPIRED*

Perfectly Practical #96 - 10 Baby Steps to Frugality

Purex + Laundry = One Happy Girl

Madly In Love

FLASH Giveaway - Jockey Sports Bra & Purex Crystals - EXPIRED