Coupon Queen!! (Well, maybe I'm entering the court!)

Two blog posts in one day???  Could it BE?!?!  There is an urgency to this blog that made it mandatory to post TODAY!!

I have recently taken on a new endeavor - coupon-clipping!!

While visiting home in Wisconsin for Christmas, I had the JOY of spending an entire day with my best friend Becky.  I've referred to her before in this blog as Becky-Homecky!!  :D  Becky is amazing at all things domestic, and she is a GREAT teacher.  While I spent time just "doing life" with Becky, she was excited to open her pantry and show me "all this great stuff I got for basically nothing or FREE!"  Becky had recently begun coupon clipping and was thrilled with the results.

Now, I remember Sunday afternoons growing up - I would frequently enjoy sitting with the Sunday paper and clipping coupons with my mom.  But as I got older and ventured out on my own, I tried to do the same and found myself frequently discouraged.  Many of the coupons I clipped were for items I would never need, and really, how far can "25 cents off" go anyway?  I was disenchanted, believing that coupons were just a marketing ploy to get you to buy things you don't want or need, so I decided it was a waste of time.

Well, as Becky opened my eyes to - that 25 cents off coupon can go REALLY far if it's used wisely and with the right timing.  She opened my eyes to a few "secrets" of coupon clipping...

1.  Coupons don't expire as soon as you think.  Manufacturers coupons in the Sunday paper (the typical inserts are RedPlum, SmartSource, and P&G) often last several months, so if you organize your coupons well, you can WAIT and PLAN to use your coupons - you don't have to just run out and use them that week.  She actually suggested organizing them by the month of expiration, not just the type of coupon, to help keep track of expiration dates.

2.  Many stores will also accept internet coupons.  If you get to know your favorite stores coupon policy, you may be able to combine a manufacturers coupon found in a Sunday flyer AND an internet coupon for a better deal.

3. MOST stores have days or weeks that are "double coupon" days - again, look into your grocery stores coupon policy to find out when the double coupon days are and to see if there are any restrictions on double coupons (for example:  Ingles has double coupons every day, but will only double a certain number of coupons per amount of money spent, ect).

4.  The BEST way to use coupons is to use a coupon when an item is already on sale.  This is where the weekly store ads come in handy!  Comparing the store ads to the coupons you already have clipped can help you save the MOST!

Phew!  Sounds like lot of work, huh?  Well, thankfully for the internet, there are HUNDREDS of people around the country who are already doing all of the work for you - you just need to find the best sites for your particular stores!!  Many of these people are basically "professional coupon clippers" and know ALL the secrets to getting the best bang for your buck!  You simply go to their blog each week, click on your store of choice, and they will list the best deals that week, combining coupons and store sales, FOR you!  Many also list the stores coupon policy right on those pages as well.

My current personal favorite coupon blog is Swappin' Spoons.... I like it because it features all of the grocery stores (in addition to WalMart AND Pharmacies - which also have some FANTASTIC deals)  and she really lays out the information in an easy-to-use format.

Depending on your area and what stores are available to you, you may need to do a bit of hunting at first to find your ideal blog to follow for great coupon deals, but Money Saving Mom has a great list of stores and blogs to follow for those stores.  It's a great place to start.

OH - and did I forget to mention - the reason why I HAD to post this blog this week is that...

THIS WEEK IS TRIPLE COUPON WEEK at INGLES!!!

That means that the great deals you can get with your coupons are even BETTER this week!  So it's a GREAT week to try it out!!

To get you started, if you shop at Ingles, here are this week's deals from Rebecca at "Swappin Spoons!"

HAPPY COUPONING!!!  :D

Chi Chi's Tortillas, 16-17oz., $1.98--On sale buy one get one free ($0.99)
Use $0.50/1 coupon from the 1/16 Smart Source insert
Free after coupon 

French's Mustard, $1.33
Use $0.50/ coupon from the 1/23 Smart Source insert
Free after coupon triples!

Tabasco Sauce. $1.29
Use $0.50/1 printable
Free after coupon triples!

Hambuger Helper, $1.39
Use $0.50 printable (print limit leach)
Free after coupon triples!

Blue Diamond Nuts, 1.5oz., $1.25
Use $0.50/1 printable
Free after coupon triples

Franks Redhot Sauce 4.5 oz., $1.25
Use $0.50/1 coupon from the 1/23 Smart Source insert
Free after coupon coupon triples!

Carefree Liners,22count, $1.49
Use $0.50/1 coupon from the 1/09 Smart source insert
Free after coupon triples

Halls Cough drops, $1
Use $0.50/ coupon from the February or March All You Magazine
Free after coupon

Scotties Facial Tissue, 60-132 ct., B1G1 at $1.28 (64¢)
Use $0.50/1 printable
Free after coupon

Lever 2000 Bar Soap, 2 count, $2 --on sale buy one get one free ($1)
Use $0.25/1 Lever coupon from the 1/30 Red Plum insert
$0.25 after coupon

Buy 6 Dannon Single Serve Yogurts, 6 oz., at $0.50 each
Use $0.40/6 coupon from the 1/30 Smart source insert
$0.30 each after coupon triples

Cake Mate Candle $1.99
Use $0.50/1 Cake Mate printable
$0.49 after coupon 

Breakstone's Sour Cream 16 oz., $1.99
Use $0.50 printable
$0.49 after coupon triples

Minut Rice, $2.10
Use $0.50/1 coupon from the 1/23 Red plum insert
$0.60 after coupon

Heluva Good Dip $2.39
Use $0.50/1 printable
$0.89 after coupon 

Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes, 14 oz.,  $3.78--On sale buy one get one free ($1.89)
Buy 2 and use $1/2 Frosted Flakes cereal printable 
$1.39 each after coupon


WORTH MENTIONING:

Nissin Bowl Noodles, 3.27-3.36 oz., $0.80--on sale buy one get one free($0.40)

Laura Lynn Gravies, .75-1.25 oz., $0.66--on sale buy one get one free ($0.33)

Sweet Onions, $0.98 

Peppers, $0.98

Tyson Thighs or Drumsticks Family Pack 98¢ 

Braeburn or Fuji Apples, 3 lb bag, $1.98 

Florida Strawberries, 1 lb, $2 

Tyson Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Family Pack $1.98 lb 

Carolina Pride Select Slices Lunchmeats, 9 oz., $2.98--on sale buy one get one free ($1.49) 

Carolina Pride Smoked or Polska Rope Sausage, 16 oz., $3.58--on sale buy one get one free ($1.79) 

Sometimes, Frozen Pizza is Perfect.

So I've been bad about posting once again (has it really been over a MONTH?!?), mainly because I am never home these days... the theater company I'm involved with has been busy busy once again getting ready for shows (one of which we've already rehearsed and performed since my last post!), my husband is back in school, and all other time is spent at work or cleaning up the mess I leave behind in our house.  This has not left much time for blogging, or even for really cooking for that matter!

In all honesty, during weeks like these, I sometimes feel like a bad wife.  I'm never around, always busy, and struggle to find time to grocery shop, much less cook!  (That being said, the busy routine of our life works for us right now - It just looks different than other peoples lives!)

Last week Friday, I got home from work and had a free night.  Although I was tired, I just had an itch to cook something fabulous for my favorite guy.  I found a recipe for his favorite - Sweet & Sour Chicken - and decided to give it a shot.  I made a list, hopped in the car, and went to WalMart to go grocery shopping.  I got to the checkout about an hour later... exhausted and hungry, and as I handed my credit card to the cashier, my attention was suddenly diverted to the elderly couple in line behind me.

The sweet old lady was hanging on her beau's left arm and they were smiling lovingly at each other.  You know those kinds of couples - those people who have obviously been together for years, but still are madly in love?  He was talking softly and sweetly to her, and seemed quite contented by her presence.  In his right hand, he held a WalMart ready-to-bake pizza, a bottle of Dr. Pepper, and a movie.  Suddenly, I had a craving - to just spend time with my hubby.

So, I took my groceries out to the car and walked back into WalMart, grabbed a pizza and a bottle of Diet Pepsi and got back in line.  Sweet & Sour Chicken can wait.  Time with my sweet husband, however, could not.  :)

Sometimes, Frozen Pizza is perfect.

Snow Day!! (complete with comfort food!)

My husband and I recently moved to Georgia from Wisconsin.  This move meant a lot of change; the change I was most excited about was warmer weather and potentially a lack of winter altogether.  

Well, little did I realize how much I loved the winter and took it for granted until I experienced the boring "brownness" that accompanies winter in the south.  The seasons still change, the leaves fall, and the grass turns brown-ish... the biggest difference in the weather is that temperatures tend to hover above 40 degrees,  a welcome change from the -20 degree winter temperatures I'd become accustomed to in wintery Wisconsin.  At the same time, however, I found myself getting jealous of the snow that was falling so consistently on my home state early in the winter.  Don't get me wrong, the snow gets old, too... but I was aching for one good snowfall here in the Georgia mountains.  Imagine my glee when I opened the shades yesterday to see over 7 inches of the white stuff, and the snow kept falling all day!

(if you look closely, you can see the mountains in the background of al of these pics - SO PRETTY - I'm sad my camera is not really a high enough quality to get a good picture of any of this stuff!!)

Now, because we live in the mountains and many people live up on top of mountain roads in this area, when it snows like this, EVERYTHING shuts down.  Today is my second day home from work, which is a huge blessing, although we could surely use the money.  But I think that yesterday may have seriously been my first snow day EVER.  I was so excited.  We went for a walk in the snow, I went for a drive in the snow (probably not the smartest thing - I get why they cancel school - they don't plow the roads!) and today, I intend on building a snowman!!

So what's the perfect food for a snowy day?  Chili of course! When it's cold and wintry outside, you want comfort food - something that will warm you up and stay with you.  That's why yesterday I made a big pot of one of our new favorite meals - White chicken chili.  This is another one of those recipes that sounded so intimidating to me at first, but after making it once, I realized how simple a food like chili could be!!  I got the recipe from a coworker and have made a few of my own modifications.  I really recommend it!!   Easy and SOOOOOO yummy!!

White Chicken Chili

4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts

chili powder 

cumin

1 lg onion, diced (you can use more or less depending on how much you like onion)

1/2 stick butter (unsalted is best)

salt & pepper

1 or 2 cans green chilies (depending on how spicy you like it!)

2 cups half & half (I use fat free)

1/4 cup flour

1 cup chicken broth 

1/2 cup monteray jack or mexican style cheese

2 cans white chili beans

tortilla chips, sour cream, and cheese for toppings

1.  Coat the chicken in chili powder.  Grease a medium sized skillet & cook chicken, making sure to get a good crust on both sides.

2.  Remove chicken from skillet and shred (I use a fork and knife and pull it apart into small pieces.  It's pretty easy once you get the hang of it).

3.  Cook onion in the same skillet you cooked chicken in, until soft.

4.  Melt 6 tsp of butter in a large pot.  add flour and whisk for about 3 minutes.  Add cooked onions.  Whisk in chicken broth and half & half.  Cook about 5 minutes or until thickened.  

5.  Add 1 1/2 tsp of chili powder, 1 tsp of cumin, and salt and pepper (I use more of these spices, but I do it slowly and taste in between until I get just the right flavor.  Don't overdo it right away!  That's harder to fix!!)

6.  Add chilies, shredded chicken, and cheese.  Simmer about 20 minutes.  Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream, and cheese.

Oh, yum... I can hardly wait to eat it again at lunch!!!

My one problem yesterday was that when I went to pull out all of the ingredients... I was all out of chili powder!!   How can you make chili without chili powder!?

Well, one of my favorite things about the internet and cooking is that you can search for substitutions!!  Any time I'm missing an ingredient, I'll just type in "______ substitute", and all of the cooking geniouses in the world return with ideas of what to substitute.  In this particular instance, I was advised to use a mixture of cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, oregano, and garlic powder.  It worked GREAT!  Who knew, huh?  :)

So the next time you have a snow day (sorry all you up-north folks!) pull out a new recipe and go at it!!

Next time, I'll be writing about my newest housewife adventure - coupon clipping!!  :D

Holiday Hosting #2

As you read below, my Thanksgiving meal was truly a blessing and a success.  However, true to form, I did experience my own little Thanksgiving day cooking disaster.

Awhile back, I found a fabulous recipe for an apple pie.  It is fabulous because it is simple, but everyone who tries it insists it is the most delicious apple pie they've ever eaten.  :)  So, I decided to make this pie as one of my Thanksgiving desserts.  My husband LOVES his pie warm, so I waited to bake it until everything else was done.  I placed the pie on the rack in the oven and baked it as directed, not realizing that sugar drippings were oozing from the pie to the oven floor below.  I also did not realize that my dear husband, trying to be resourceful, had placed tin foil on the bottom of the oven to catch any renegade food particles that would potentially fall to the bottom of the oven.  Well, the tin foil was successful in catching the pie drippings, but...

...after we had consumed our delicious pie and everyone was in the living room watching "Elf", I decided I was going to bake the rest of my homemade rolls so that we would have them ready for turkey sandwich leftovers.  I turned the oven to 350 degrees and put the rolls in the oven while my hubby set to work on the dishes.  Five minutes later I heard him yelling from the kitchen - "HEATHER!  COME QUICK!"  I rushed into the kitchen to see the oven-bottom tin foil, engulfed in flames.  Oh dear.  Instantly in my head, I saw images I'd seen on the news of holiday house fires caused by improper use of ovens and stovetops.  Fortunately, it only took a moment for the fire to completely consume the tin foil, and the fire was out in a matter of minutes.  

I did learn from this experience, however, that maybe leaving dirty tin foil on the bottom of an oven isn't a great idea.  And also, I figured out why my mom always put a small cookie sheet on the rack underneath her apple pies when she cooked them.  Then, when the pie is done, you can take the cookie sheet and wash away any flammable sugar drippings.  :)

Ah yes, and the fabulous apple pie recipe?  Here ya go!  Just please don't burn down your house!  I would feel horrible!

1 store-bought pie crust (top and bottom crust)

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 teaspoon corn starch

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 bag Granny Smith Apples - peeled, cored, and sliced (a good husband job!)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Melt the butter in a saucepan.  Stir in the flour to form a paste.

2. Add water & sugars, bring to a boil.  Reduce to simmer.

3.  Place bottom crust in pan.  Fill with the apples, allowing them to mound in the pie crust. 

4.  Cover with a lattice work crust (great directions here!)  

5.  Slowly pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust, making sure much falls into the lattice holes.

6.  Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven.  Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for 45 minutes, or until apples are soft and pie crust is browned.

My pie, before it was baked and caused the fire.  :)

Again, this recipe is GREAT because it is soooooooo simple!  And a lattice work crust makes your pie look professional and BEAUTIFUL, but it's really quite simple!!

So please learn from my mistakes and your pie will be a huge success!!

Till next time,

Heather

Holiday Hosting #1...

Sorry it's been so long since I've written... it's actually been so long since I've written that I have so much I could write about.  But, staying with the spirit of the season, I'm going to devote my next two week's entries to holiday happenings!

First, I should tell you about my Thanksgiving hosting experience - the triumphs and disasters.  :)  This will set the stage for the rest of my holiday entries.

We hosted Thanksgiving at our house this year - I volunteered to make everything except the Turkey.  Ambitious?  Yes.  But surprisingly, everything turned out pretty well and came out at the SAME TIME.

How did this incredibly inexperienced non-domestic first-time Thanksgiving hostess do it?  With some careful planning and creative utilization of my space, I would probably call my first Thanksgiving cooking experience a success!

First things first, hosting a successful holiday meal requires careful planning.  As much as I am a person who usually walks into situations blind, I forced myself to take some time a couple of days before Thanksgiving to get myself organized.  I printed up all the recipes I was planning on making and laid them all out on the table in front of me.  I made a shopping list from my recipes, physically checking the items off of the ingredients lists as I went through the recipes (otherwise I KNOW I would've missed something!). I looked at cooking temperatures and times, and I wrote out a timeline for myself of what would need to get done when.  I also determined which recipes could be made the day before or early on Thanksgiving morning, and once I had numbered my recipes in order of when they would be started, I three-hole punched them and placed them in a binder.  I sent my husband to the grocery store to take that stress off of my plate (bless him!) and pulled out my pans and pots and made sure I had enough cooking & serving dishes to cover each recipe.  All in all, I spent about an hour planning - in the end, it was WELL worth it.

I also purposely looked for recipes that could be cooked a variety of ways, rather than everything having to be in the oven at one time (a virtual impossibility, even with my fabulous double-oven).  In addition to the oven, I used my stovetop, vegetable steamer (I really need to write an "ode to my vegetable steamer" one of these days), and crockpot (both the big one and the little dipper).  This made "sharing space" incredibly easy, and everything could easily cook at once.  :)

One of my favorite discoveries this season (and a true hit at our holiday table) was a stuffing recipe that could be made in the crockpot!!  Stuffing is a MUST HAVE at our Thanksgiving AND Christmas meal, and although I was skeptical about this recipe (it was risky to try something like this on such an important holiday) I don't think I will ever go back to oven or bird-cooked stuffing!  I highly recommend using your crockpot friend to save time and space with this incredible recipe!!

Slow Cooker Stuffing
(as adapted from allrecipes.com)

1 cup butter
2 cups chopped onion
2 cups chopped celery
2 cups carrots, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parskey
12 cups dry bread cubes (I bought the pre-bagged bread cubes in the grocery store - go cheap!)
1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups chicken broth
2 eggs, beaten

1.  Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Cook onion, celery, carrots, and parsley in butter, stirring frequently.
2.  Spoon cooked vegetables over bread cubes in crock pot.  Season with sage, thyme, marjoram, salt, and pepper.  (And savor that SMELL!!)  Pour enough broth to moisten, and mix in eggs.
3.  Cook on high for 45 minutes, then reduce to low and cook for 4 to 8 hours (mine was beautiful in 6 1/2 hours!)

No matter how domestic or non-domestic you may be, I really believe that with careful planning and creativity, you can host a successful holiday meal!!

Look out next time for my Thanksgiving disaster - on the same day as the fabulous meal!!!  :)  Don't worry, it has a happy ending, and you will learn from my mistakes!!

Remembering a Classic Kitchen Disaster...

Every new cook has stories which will stick with them forever.  They aren't exactly things they're "proud" of, but they are stories that were either so noteworthy or so traumatic that they live on in their memories and teach them valuable lessons that carry on FAR into their cooking experiences.


For example, the first time I attempted to cook stir-fry for my husband, I tried to go exactly by the book.  I heated the oil until it was nice and hot, then added the chicken.  One mistake.  I heated the oil a little TOO nice and hot, and I dropped the chicken from too far up while my husband stood a little too close, eagerly awaiting his dinner.  The result?  Nearly 3rd degree burns on my overly-trusting husband's arm.  He bragged for weeks to his buddies about how his wife "scalded" him in the kitchen.  Oops.


Beyond all of my kitchen disasters, however, one distinct memory takes first place in my mind.  I even wrote a blog about it, back in the day.  That blog entry was the first inspiration for this entire blog.


So, just because I'm in a funny mood, I am going to copy and paste that blog entry below, purely for education purposes.


Without further ado, I bring you:


"Why You Should Never Put Pyrex on a Hot Stovetop: The Case of the Exploding Brownies"


Once upon a time, my roomate Kati, friend Kristen, and I decided we really had a hankerin' for some brownies.  So I decided to bake some.  I whipped up some batter, put it into my pyrax baking pan, threw them in the oven, and sat down to read my systematic theology.  While the brownies were baking, Kati (who hadn't eaten yet) made herself some dinner on the stove top.  She ate her dinner and sat down in the living room.  After awhile, we could smell that the brownies were probably near done, so I went into the kitchen and took them out of the oven, setting them on the stove top to let them cool.  However, I was unaware that my dear, sweet roomie had forgotten to turn off the stove when she was done making her broccoli, and after a few minutes, Kati remarked, "Hon, did you take the brownies out of the oven yet?  It smells like something's burning." 

"Yes," I replied, "I put them on the stove top to cool."

Suddenly, Kati jumped up.  "Oh NO!  The Brownies!!"  She ran into the kitchen and suddenly there was a scream and a crash.  I ran in to see this sight:


Oh no!!!


The stove...


And the floor!!!  Poor brownies!!  :(

Kati had picked up the glass pan of brownies off of the burning stove top just in time for the cool air to cause some sort of reaction that made the the glass pan (and the brownies) explode and fly all over the kitchen.  The brownies were literally sizzling on the floor, countertop, and stovetop.  We found glass everywhere!  We could not stop laughing as we cleaned up the mess, and needless to say, not much studying got done last night... after all, there was a second batch of brownies to make!  Oh well... that's what happens when you live in Jenkins 2T.

The moral of the story:  Well, I think you can figure it out.  :)

TRUE STORY!!

Now, recently, someone told me that my story could not possibly be true, after all, pyrex was indestructable.  So I set out on a mission and found this website:

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/p/pyrex-explodes.htm

May my cooking mayhem serve as a lesson to all non-domestic housewives everywhere.  Beware of exploding pyrex!!  :D

(The best part of the story is perhaps that my roommates later would gift me with a set of pyrex bakeware and a box of brownie mix as a bridal shower gift!)

Keeping the Kitchen Safe,

Heather  :)

Be Our Guest!!

Exciting news....  We have houseguests this weekend!!!

Many of you know that my husband and I recently moved across the country, leaving our beloved hometown, family, and friends behind.  Although this has been a really difficult transition for us, we are so blessed that many of our family and friends have promised to visit!!  (And, we have an open invitation - family and friends, VISIT US!!!)

Luckily, our new home has a GUEST ROOM!!  :D

I was really excited about the prospect of a guest room initially, and as a people-person, was thrilled at the prospect of having friends come to visit.  But then one day I realized that having guests meant...

I have to play HOSTESS!!  :/

Now, let me tell you about my best friend Becky.  Becky was born to parents who own a bed and breakfast.  Becky can cook and clean and do woodworking and sewing AND play the guitar - Becky is AMAZING.  Growing up, her friends called her Becky-home-eckie, and it's not hard to see why.

Becky has the gift of hospitality.

I do not.

You see, it doesn't come easily for me to have people in my home.  I love to cook and have a clean house, and I love inviting people into my life, but I don't think of the things like offering them a cup of tea or making sure they have matching towels and a huge breakfast waiting when they wake up in the morning.  I am NOT one of those people whom, after leaving my home, you feel like you've been treated like a queen.  I'm more of the "Make yourself at home - here's the fridge, here's the bathroom, and let's go have fun" type.  So, while I LOVE having people visit me, the idea of having HOUSE-GUESTS kind of stressed me out a little bit.

On the other hand, I love the idea of making people feel really important and welcome and comfortable in my home.  I guess what I'm trying to say (with way too many words) is, it doesn't come easily to me.  I'm a work in progress.

However, about a year or so ago, I was visiting a friend of mine and discovered a very small thing that made me feel EXTREMELY welcome in her home without the full bed and breakfast treatment.  It was a small basket sitting on the nightstand with a few toiletries in it and a note that said, "if you need it, take it.  be our guest."  And guess what?  I had forgotten toothpaste.  But I didn't have to have grungy teeth or ask my friend to borrow hers.  I could simply and quietly take the toothpaste in the guest basket.  BRILLIANT!

So, the first thing I did when we started putting together our little guest room was... you got it!  Buy a little basket!!  Then I raided the toiletries section at Walmart and... TAH-DAH!!!

Isn't it SO CUTE!?!?  And it was such a SIMPLE thing to throw together, but it's definitely a practical way to welcome people into our home!!  (I LIVE for practicality!!)

All you need to do this yourself is a small basket, and then a bunch of travel-sized toiletries. I used toothbrushes, toothpaste, body wash, hairspray, feminine products, shampoo, conditioner, downy wrinkle release, razors, and deodorant!   Finish it off with a guest book and some wash cloths and you have a guest basket for your own guest room!! 

All that to say, I may not have the "gift" of hospitality like my best friend Becky, but I have a comfy, welcoming guest room and a kitchen with enough cereal and milk to go around.  You're welcome to be our guest!!

Have a great weekend,

Heather