J.C. Penny has their Christmas decor and toys clearanced out at least 75% and most of it that I saw was 80% and some 90% off.  If you used your Pennys card, you got another 15% off.

I bought some great ornaments that were marked down to .97 cents.  These were over 90% off as many of the price tags were marked $16.99 and $13.99.  They had some really great vintagey looking, large glass ornaments!

Pennys also had their toys marked 80% off.  They had Thomas and CARS toys.

Hobby Lobby had several aisles of 80% off Christmas decor.  I’m not thrilled with Hobby Lobby prices.  The original prices on their Christmas wreaths, fake flowers, swags are astronomically overpriced if you ask me….but at 80% off they end up being a good deal.

It was homemade soup and bread week around here.  We are finished with our first week of January 2012.   I spent an enormous amount of time in the kitchen cooking and creating and not so much time on the rest of the house.  Not only are homemade soup and bread the ultimate home comfort foods, but it is very inexpensive to put together a hearty meal on the cheap while providing something filling and healthy.

Our meal menu this week consisted of a lot of soups and breads.  Here are some of our lunches and dinners this week:

1. Vegetable soup and cornbread
2. Sausage Vegetable soup and rolls
3. Chicken and dumplings with rolls
4. Chicken and rice with steamed broccoli and rolls
5. Pizza calzones and minestrone soup
6. Tomato Soup and grilled cheese sandwiches

I started by making a basic starter soup from which I created the vegetable soup, the sausage soup, the minestrone soup and the tomato soup.

In the “Tomatoee” soups  used:

1. Broth:  vegetable and chicken broth that I made.  The vegetable broth was made from the vegetable scraps and added vegetables and the chicken broth was made when I boiled the chicken for the chicken meals.  After the chicken was finished cooking, I took as much meat off of it as possible and put the bones and skin back in a pot of water with more vegetable scraps and lots of herbs to simmer over night.  I used this broth for the minestrone soup I made the next day.  Save your vegetable scraps and turn them into broth!
2. Garlic:  I buy a big bag of garlic at Costco a couple of times a year.  I mince the garlic and take the scraps from the minced garlic and throw them in the vegetable broth pot.  No waste!
3. Onion:  I use a lot of onion.  For soups… I chop it.  I also throw the scrap onion pieces in the broth pot.
4. Tomato paste:  I buy tomato paste cans for under .25 cents a can and keep it stocked in the pantry.  It’s very versatile and useful when making soups
5. Parsley, oregano, basil, salt, pepper:  I use a large amount of herbs and seasonings into my soups!  Tasty and Yummy!

For the vegetable soups, I added chopped carrots, potatoes and celery.  I added a bag of frozen corn and peas or green beans.  I chopped cabbage and added it near the end of the cooking time.

For the sausage soup, I took the leftover vegetable soup from the day before and chopped up more vegetables, added more broth and added 2 lbs of sausage!  The sausage flavored the soup fabulously!

For the minestrone soup, I made the same vegetable base, but added noddles, garbanzo beans and kidney beans.

TIP:  I usually add a little bit of maple syrup or sugar to cut down on the sharpness of the tomato.

In the Chicken Soups, I used:

1. Chicken broth
2. Spices:  salt, pepper, sage, bay leaf
3. Garlic, Onion
4. Chopped carrot and celery
5. pinch of cayenne, cumin
6. Chopped chicken

I made a big pot of chicken soup for lunch and then turned it into chicken and dumpling soup with rolls for dinner.  The dumplings in chicken soup are always a hit around here!  I used organic, pastured whole chickens and the broth off these birds was amazing.  The meat was great too.  I chopped up the meat for the chicken soup and the dumplings.

I used a variety of recipes for different yeast rolls and cornbreads that I found on Allrecipes.

• Sweet Dinner Rolls:  These ended up being very good.  I used half whole wheat flour and half white flour.
• Quick Yeast Rolls:  I substituted the shortening and used butter.
• Sweet Corn Bread:  yummy and easy.   I used honey instead of sugar.
• Grandmother’s Buttermilk Cornbread:  another great cornbread recipe using buttermilk.

There is a really cool, free, Aldi app for iPhone, iPod Touch and Android users.  If you shop at Aldi regularly, this could really come in handy.

Here are the features:

• Weekly Special Buy Updates: Check out each week’s deals with one easy click.
• New Low Prices: This feature will enable you to see the latest price reductions on the items you already love.
• Weekly Ads: Get your low prices even faster with our weekly ads.
• Create a Shopping List: Use the shopping list tool to create your list of must-have special buy and new low price items with just a few easy clicks.
• Store Locator: This GPS-enabled tool will show you the ALDI stores nearest to your current location. Get addresses, directions, maps and store hours.

How to download the iPhone App.

1. Go to the iPhone App. Store
2. Go to search and enter ALDI
3. Select the free App. and press install

How to download the Android App.

1. Go to the Android Market
2. Go to search and type ALDI
3. Select ALDI App. then install

If you have a Publix Store nearby…. you can really stock up your pantry by shopping their BOGO deals.  BOGO meaning buy one, get one free!  And then add coupons… Wow..what a combo!

I’ve recently adjusted my grocery shopping strategy and have been mainly using Aldi grocery stores, Costco and Publix.  I only shop the sales at Publix.  They run decent to pretty good deals each week.

This week they had a great deal on Welchs grape juice which they have priced at my Publix for $3.91  (other stores it is priced around $3.51).  This week it was BOGO $3.91 which was a great deal….but the deal was sweeter with the Welchs coupons I had and Publix store coupons for free Welchs grape jelly when you buy 2 Welchs juice.  I bought over $30 worth of juice and jelly for about $7.  I was pretty pleased with that.

I also stocked up on Solo plastic cups and plates….BOGO $3.29 minus the coupons.  Paying about $.89 cents for each package of cups and plates isn’t too shabby.

I also was able to score napkins, greek yogurt, and Dove chocolate for a fraction of the cost by combining sales with coupons.

I’m looking forward to putting sales and coupons and Publix together next year for a ravishingly good time

I’m still working on my goals.  I usually split my goals up into sections.   This year I have 4:

• Personal — discipline, exercise, healthy diet, reading list
• Home — schedule, projects, meal planning
• Homeschool — schedule, child-by-child educational outlines
• Blogging — schedule, redesign

In each of these sections, I’ve listed things that I would like to do and things I need to work on.  I’m very excited about my goals this year.  Last year was so difficult for me.  I’m looking forward to changing up some things around here and enjoying the journey as we go.  I’ll share some more specific goals with you later.

I absolutely love this daily planner printable…Check it out:  DAILY PLANNER PRINTABLE

We’re very excited about starting off on a new, fresh year.  May God bless you as you plan and organize your new year!

I’m focusing on stocking up the pantry in the new year 2012.  I’ve started early.

With all the Christmas sales and holiday clearance finds, I’ve been able to get a good start on stocking up my pantry with some basic canned food.

Look for these canned food items now:

• canned pumpkin
• canned chicken broth
• canned milk
• canned veggies:  corn and green beans specifically
• canned milk

I found chicken broth clearanced out at Walmart for $.25 cents a can!  The good stuff that was normally over a $1 a can.  I bought a big case of it for $6.

I’ve seen several grocery stores run excellent deals on canned vegetables.  Walmart  and Kroger had canned corn and green beans for $.44 cents a can as an unadvertised deal last week.

Many stores will be clearancing out their holiday stock now.

As the year comes to a close, look for clearanced out holiday themed food items.  Check out this Christmas Clearance Prep List for more tips on stocking up on clearanced holiday themed items at Target.

Many New Year’s resolutions are things that people think they should be doing but don’t really have the desire to really do it.  There are several ways you can guard against, New Year resolution failure.  Turn your New Year resolutions into real goals with a thought out plan of action.

SMART goals are much more likely to be achieved.  Try some of these strategies for planning your New Year’s goals.

Specific, Strategic

DO NOT set general goals.  Set specific goals that you write out on paper (or in electronic form).  The goal needs to be clear and unambiguous; no vagueness.  Set a specific goal and strategically map out how you intend on reaching that goal.

Ask these five “W” questions of specific goals:

• What: What do I want to accomplish?
• Why: Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal.
• Who: Who is involved?
• Where: Identify a location.
• Which: Identify requirements and constraints.

Measurable, Meaningful

The second term is measurable.  You need concrete criteria for measuring your progress towards accomplishing the goal.   If your goal is not measurable, then it is not possible to know whether or not you are making progress towards reaching that goal.  Measuring your goal will keep you on track and will help encourage you as you meet the mile markers on the path to achieving your goal.  Is your goal really meaningful to you?  Do you really want to reach the goal or does it just sound like a nice idea?

A measurable goal will usually answer questions such as:

• How much?
• How many?
• How will I know when it is accomplished?

Attainable, Achievable

Attainable and realistic goals.  Make sure your goal is not extreme.  The goal should not be out of reach…nor should it be below standard and non-challenging or meaningless.

An attainable goal will usually answer the question:

• How can the goal be accomplished?

Relevant, Realistic

Make your goals relevant to your life.

A relevant goal will usually answer the questions:

• Does this seem worthwhile?
• What does the end result look like after this goal is reached?

Time-Bound, Trackable, Tangible

Ground your goals with a time frame.  Give them a target date of completion.  For smaller goals, you may set a date of completion.  For larger goals, you will need to set check-in points or break down the goal into pieces.  Stay committed to a deadline and work within the time frame allotted.   A time-bound goal is intended to establish a sense of urgency.  Also, be willing to reevaluate your time frame.  As you get into the year, you may realize the goal you have set needs to be broken down into smaller goals first.

A time-bound goal will usually answer the question:

• When?
• What can I do 6 months from now?
• What can I do 6 weeks from now?
• What can I do today?

Strategically planned goals have a much better chance at actually being achieved.  Vague goals often get lost in vagueness and are never reached.  Give your goal a name.  Make it specific and set up a strategy on how you intend on reaching your goal.

Happy Goal Setting!

I have recently become a fan of the Aldi grocery store.  For the last few months, I’ve been shopping at Aldi for several grocery items where the savings on these items has significantly added up.   Not only have I been saving money on groceries, but I’ve been very pleased with the high quality of these items.

For the new year, I intend on adding Aldi to my grocery shopping store list.

Here are some things you need to be prepared for when shopping at Aldi:

1. Bring a quarter to “rent” the grocery buggy.  My kids think this is one of the greatest things.  You will get the quarter back after you return it to the buggy return.
2. Bring cash…or use a debit card.  No credit cards accepted.
3. Bring bags.  They do not bag your groceries.  I actually prefer boxes and usually have a few boxes in the car specifically for my Aldi trip or will collect a few of the empty boxes in the store to pack my food in.
4. They do not accept coupons.
5. If you are not satisfied with the Aldi product, they will replace it and give you your money back.
6. They have a regular seasonal and household discounted goods that they offer each week.  I’ve bought several things that I’ve been very pleased with.

I don’t buy all my groceries at Aldi, but I have been able to cut my grocery bill by buying several items that I use to buy at a regular grocery store.   Here are some things that I’ve found this month:

1. $1.99 butter –  cheaper than Costco and the quality is great.
2. $1 a dozen eggs.  While I don’t buy store bought eggs normally, when my hens aren’t laying in the winter and with all the extra baking, I found the $1 a dozen eggs an excellent option. (The egg cartons even had Scriptures on them!?)
3. $.89 cents cream cheese.  I used Aldi cream cheese to make my Christmas pumpkin cheesecake and it was delicious.
4. $49 cent celery stalks – excellent quality.
5. $1.99 for a 10 pound bag of potatoes!
6. $1.99 for 3 pounds of pears
7. $1.99 for 3 pounds of oranges
8. $.99 cents for 3 pounds of carrots
9. $.69 cents canned milk.  I always keep canned milk in my pantry.  Aldi has it cheaper than anyone.

There were a lot of other significant price differences in toilet paper, paper plates, chips, cheese, bread, other dairy products and baking goods.  Aldi also has excellent prices on stocking up on canned foods for your pantry.

I found the quality of the items I bought to be excellent.  I also found the store to be very neat and clean and the cashiers very nice.  Another positive is that the store wasn’t a crazy, packed mad-house like other grocery stores.  I’ll be using Aldi a lot more in the future!

You can sign up for their weekly flyer here:  Aldi Foods

I’m in planning for the new year mode right now.   New Year’s Resolutions or New Year’s Goals…which ever you choose… it’s a good thing to set goals and strive to reach them.  New Year’s Resolutions aren’t just for adults. The new year is a great time to help your kids set goals and teach them how to reach them.

This week our family focus is writing down our accomplishments from last year and preparing for the new year with new goal setting.  Our entire family participates in goal setting.  Those who don’t know how to write yet… well, I write their goals down for them.  Even if their only goal is “learning how to read this year” or “learning how to tie my shoes this year”… it’s a goal worth setting and striving for!

Then, on New Years Eve, we have a party.  We celebrate the year by letting each person share their accomplishments for the past year and tell their goals for the new year.  It’s a fun time.

Here are some tips for helping kids set goals:

1. Make the goal specific.
   Instead of writing down, “Save my money”  – write down a specific amount of money you would like to save. Have your child think about ways that he is going to get the money he wants to save.
2. Make the goal reasonable.
   Help your child write down goals that are reasonable for his age and abilities, but also allow for challenge.  Writing down realistic, attainable goals will help keep your child motivated.  Think of reasonable goals that interest your child.  Have your child think of chores or skills he might like to become more self-disciplined in.  Set goals around those things.  

3. Make the goal accountable.
   Keep accountable to one another by having regular goal meetings during the year.  A monthly goal update meeting where you talk about your progress or your lack of progress is helpful to keep those New Year’s resolutions in the forefront of your thinking.  If you don’t make your goal accountable, it will get lost in the busyness of  life and you’ll be sitting next year trying to remember what your goals were?  Help your child reach his goals by having family get together times where you encourage each other to reach your New Year’s goals.
4. Write down your New Year’s Resolutions and Goals…on paper or in electronic form.
   Write your goals down and look at them often throughout the year!  If your child can not write yet…write down their goals for them.  Help them come up with just a few goals that they can be excited about working on.  Older children should write down their own goals.  Keep goals in a location where you are able to look at them often.

It feels good to accomplish something you’ve set out to do, no matter how old you are.  Write a few goals, one goal or a page full of goals.  Children will learn beneficial life long skills with New Year’s Goal setting and achievement.  Make goal setting a family affair this year!

Did you make Christmas fudge this year?

I did!

Christmas fudge, chocolate fudge, peanut butter fudge, mint fudge…..  I could go on and on.  I love fudge!

Fudge is a holiday favorite.  Don’t let the thought of making fudge overwhelm you… it’s not that hard!  I’ve been making some fudge and wanted to share this easy fudge recipe with you.

Happy Fudge Making!!!!!

I followed this recipe for super easy fudge:

EASY FUDGE

2 sticks of butter
1 can of evaporated milk (do not use the sweetened condensed milk..not the same thing!) 
5 1/2 cups of sugar  (some recipes call for 6… I used 5 1/2 and it was fine.)

Mix together and slowly bring to a boil in a sauce pan.  Constantly stirring with a whisk, let it boil for 6 minutes.  Be careful—it’s very hot and will burn you!

After 6 minutes of boiling, remove from heat and add:

18 oz of chocolate chips (which is one full bag and another half of a bag)
1 jar of marshmallow cream (7 oz)

Stir together and then pour into a pan.  However, I found that if you use those flexible silicone baking pans, you can get your fudge out in nice cut pieces.  If you use a glass dish… well, that fudge will stick to the dish and will be difficult to impossible to get out in nice neat pieces.

I used the silicone flexible pans and was able to easily get the fudge out!

Here is a great tutorial with pictures on how to make this fudge: Easy Fudge How-To