GSO Foodie

On Hiatus

2010-05-12T17:19:00.003-04:00

Well, I put a call out for comments/emails and gave it a full week. I got a couple, but nowhere near as many as I'd hoped. But there was still some interest, and I'm not quite ready to give up on this little project just yet. Here's the compromise I've reached with myself.

I'm going on hiatus at least until the school year is over. After that, I hope to have more time to devote to daily blogging, as well as a renewed attitude and fresh food/dinner ideas. I'll email all my "followers" and everyone who has emailed me when I'm back to blogging.

Peace.

~GSO Foodie

Continuing the Foodie Blog?

2010-05-05T11:32:00.002-04:00

It's been a busy week around here and every time I've thought to myself that I needed to update the blog, I was in the middle of something else (or away from home entirely). It's been almost a year since I started this thing, as a refuge to get away from the idjits on the public board where it started. I got a lot of good feedback in the beginning, but over the past few months, none.

I'm left wondering if anyone is even still reading and enjoying. So now is your time to speak up if you are. Send me a comment or email to let me know it's worthwhile to continue. Otherwise I think I'm going to have to cross this off as something I don't have time for.

Thursday Dinner

2010-04-29T19:11:00.000-04:00

Salmon with Lemon-Cilantro Vinaigrette and Couscous

This is the second time I've made this recipe, which comes from Real Simple magazine. It's light and tangy and a perfect warm-weather dish. This isn't a new photo, it's the one I took the first night I made it. I wasn't fond of edamame for a side dish that night, so tonight I made sauteed spinach and it was a much better accompaniment. I just heated 1 T. olive oil in a large nonstick skillet, and sauteed 1 tsp. minced garlic over medium-high heat. I added in a 10 oz bag of spinach leaves (de-stemmed), and sauteed just until wilted. I seasoned with salt, pepper and a splash of lemon juice and served immediately.

Totals:

$3 - salmon (from Aldi - 4 fillets for $3.99)
$2 - fresh spinach
$1 - 1/2 box couscous
.50 - ingredients for lemon sauce

$6.50 for dinner for 3

Tuesday & Wednesday Dinners

2010-04-29T18:58:00.000-04:00

Tuesday night The Kid had a function, so the two of us had grilled chicken breasts (Perdue Perfect Portions, bought on meat markdown), and cleaned out the fridge of leftover veggies/sides. Cost, about $1.50 for the chicken.

Wednesday I served those Hatfield individually-portioned boneless pork chops that I blogged about last week. I marinated them in Lawry's Signature Steakhouse marinade, then grilled them on the George Foreman. The verdict - tasty, but very large (these were the "London Broil" cut), and a little dry since I overcooked them a bit. On the side we had onion roasted potatoes because I had a large bag of them about to go bad - and also because we love these potatoes. The recipe is on the side of Lipton onion soup mix and is one of the best "convenience foods" recipes ever, in my opinion. For a green veggie we had a Harris Teeter pre-packaged salad kit (also bought on markdown) that consisted of baby spinach, white balsamic-raspberry vinaigrette dressing, honey-roasted almonds and golden raisins. I added a little crumbled gorgonzola on my own because it seemed like a good pairing. The salad was especially good, although it came with way too much dressing - the spinach would have drowned had I used it all. So I poured the rest of it into a little plastic container to save for a future salad.

Wednesday Totals:

$2.40 - pork chops (3 out of 5 purchased for $3.99)
$2.29 - salad kit
.20 - onion soup mix (sale + triple coupons)
.80 - potatoes

$5.69 for dinner for 3

Monday Dinner

2010-04-26T22:23:00.003-04:00

Pork Chops Paprikash

I didn't take a new photo for tonight's dinner - the above pic is one I took the last time I made this dish. As I mentioned in that original blog entry, this recipe is one my mom used to make when I was growing up. I stumbled across it this winter and made a few changes for the sake of taste and convenience. In a nutshell, I brown a large sliced onion, then add boneless chops to the pan to brown. I remove the chops, deglaze with chicken stock, and stir in a little flour until thickened. When the onions are completely tender I stir in sour cream, dried dill, paprika, and caraway seed, then add the chops back. As you can see, I like to serve this over rice (although noodles are good, too).

Tonight's side dish was a little experiment. I usually braise red cabbage in apple juice for a sweet-sour taste, but the only juice I had on hand was a Cranberry-Pomegranate blend. I tried that instead and it was absolutely delicious.

Totals:

$2.12 - pork chops (meat markdown)
.20 - onion
free - sour cream
.20 - rice
.75 - red cabbage

$3.07 for dinner for 4

Weekend Dinners

2010-04-26T22:17:00.002-04:00

We were out of town visiting friends for the weekend, but got back Sunday afternoon. I didn't have time to thaw anything, and wasn't up for anything complicated anyway, so pasta fit the bill.

Harris Teeter had Barilla bagged tortellini on an eVic special back in February or March. It's not a product I normally buy, but it seemed like a good price to try it. I boiled up a bag of according to package directions, tossed in 1/2 a jar of Barilla Fire-Roasted Tomato sauce that's been in the fridge for awhile, and heated up some frozen sliced garlic bread. I've never tried dried tortellini before but I have to say I was impressed - the taste and texture was very good and the whole family (sister included) loved it. (The Kid isn't fond of red sauce, but instead drizzled on olive oil and topped the pasta with plenty of cracked pepper and grated parmesan.)

Totals:

$3 - tortellini
free - leftover sauce
.80 - frozen garlic bread

$3.80 for dinner for 4

Thursday Dinner

2010-04-26T22:09:00.003-04:00

Gnocchi with Ham, Mushrooms, Peas & Parmesan

One of my favorite dishes to make with leftover ham, so we usually get to have it at least once after Christmas and Easter (we've just about used up the last of the Easter ham now, but I'm proud of how far I stretched it). I sauteed 8 oz. sliced mushrooms in a little butter with garlic salt & pepper, then added about 1 cup diced ham. I boiled the gnocchi in salted water until done (according to package directions) and tossed them into the pan with mushrooms and ham. I added 1/2 a package frozen green peas, lots of cracked black pepper, and a good sprinkle of grated parmesan. (I covered for a few minutes to let the peas thaw.)

Totals>

$1.99 - gnocchi (from Trader Joe's)
$1.50 - mushrooms (from Aldi)
.50 - 1/2 package peas
free - ham
.25 - parmesan

$4.25 for dinner for 4, with leftover for 1 lunch serving

Wednesday Dinner

2010-04-21T19:47:00.003-04:00

Chicken Tamales

I've never made any sort of tamales before, but after finding this recipe in Food Network Magazine a few months ago, I decided to give them a try. (You should also go to the site to see a much more appetizing photo of them. I've said it before - I'm no food photographer, y'all.)

According to the article, they're a little more Caribbean than Mexican, which might be why this particular recipe sparked my interest. The traditional Mexican types never inspired me to make them myself. Check out the actual recipe for amounts and techniques, but the basic ingredients were 1 rotisserie chicken (meat separated from skin and bones and shredded), green salsa, cilantro, frozen peas, pimento-stuffed green olives, shredded cheese, and self-rising cornmeal, all wrapped up in corn husks and steamed.

The verdict: tasty, but a little dry. Next time, I'll have more green salsa to serve on the side (I used the entire jar in the recipe, so next time I'll buy 2). I might also use less cornmeal. Also, too time-consuming, what with getting all that meat off the chicken carcass. Next time I'll either boil & shred some boneless chicken breasts, or start with canned chicken.

The filling was delicious on its own before adding the cornmeal, so I might make that again to fill tacos.

Totals:

$4 - rotisserie chicken
$1 - 1/2 package shredded cheese
$2.50 - 1 jar green salsa
$1 - 1/2 package corn husks
.50 - remaining ingredients

$9 for 13 tamales (4 of us ate 8 for dinner, so the rest will be for lunches/snacks)

Tuesday Dinner

2010-04-21T19:32:00.002-04:00

I'm always looking out for inexpensive quick dinners for nights when I'm too tired and/or too busy to cook. I had a different meal entirely planned for last night, but was out running errands so late that I scrapped the plans. Instead, I picked up a deli pizza from Aldi because I was there anyway. These are the same sort of giant pizzas sold fresh (not frozen) and uncooked at Walmart, Costco, etc. I'd never tried the Aldi version before, but I figured it would make a decent on-the-fly dinner with a side salad.

The verdict: best pizza of its kind that we've tried, with a bonus of also being the cheapest. It's a little better than the Costco pizzas, and head & shoulders above the ones from Walmart.

Totals:

$5.99 - cheese pizza
$1 - lettuce & tomatoes for salad

$6.99 for dinner for 4 with leftover pizza for 2 lunch servings today

Monday Dinner

2010-04-19T22:26:00.002-04:00

I've run into some good Harris Teeter meat markdowns over the last few days. One to keep an eye out for is Hatfield pre-packaged pork chops. There are several varieties & cuts, all pre-portioned & individually wrapped, sold in 24 - 30 oz. bags. I've found marked-down short-dated packages at more than one store this week, in the $3.99 - $4.99 range (down from $8.99). All the packages have a $1 off coupon inside, so it's worth it to open the package when you get it home even if you aren't cooking the chops yet. (I'm freezing mine for future meals.) I'll carry these coupons with me in the hopes of getting an even better deal.

I took advantage of another meat markdown tonight - angus skirt steak, which I used for beef stir-fry. I just sliced against the grain into bite-sized pieces and stir-fried in a little hot oil until browned. I removed them from the pan and added in a bag of Birds-Eye broccoli stir fry veggies, and stir-fried until thawed. I prepared a packet of Sundown Beef & Broccoli stir-fry sauce according to directions (adding water & soy sauce), added it to the veggies and then added the beef back in. I served the stir-fry over Jasmine Rice (more of the Uncle Ben's Ready Rice pouches I have stockpiled), and served it with Kahiki frozen egg rolls.

The verdict: eh. I think it was too close to what I had for lunch for me to truly enjoy it. The rest of the family did, including my sister who ate with us. And The Kid concocted a special egg-roll dipping sauce (soy sauce, wasabi paste and sesame oil) that was delicious. In fact, The Kid heated another egg roll and made another batch of sauce as a bedtime snack. (These egg rolls are great - only 100 calories and 5 grams of fat, plus plenty of veggies.)

Totals:

$3.50 - beef skirt steak
.55 - stir fry veggies (after sale + coupon)
$1 - stir fry sauce mix
.4 - rice
.65 - egg rolls (triple coupons)

$5.74 for dinner for 4, plus leftover stir fry for another serving

Thursday - Sunday Meals

2010-04-18T18:05:00.002-04:00

Thursday night was a quickie sort of meal - frozen chicken taquitos and refried beans. The Taquitos were BOGO at HT the other week, plus I had $1 off coupons, which brought the cost down to about $2.25/box. The refried beans were something like .20 a can after triple coupons. (Y'all know I don't like to spend much on convenience foods. If I'm going to go over my nightly dinner budget I'd just as soon eat out.)

Friday was a close repeat of Monday's dinner because I guess I was out of steam and ideas. I marinated chicken breasts in Lawry's Signature Steakhouse marinade, then slapped them on the George Foreman. They ended up too thick for sandwiches because I hadn't pounded or butterflied them beforehand, so I sliced them thin on the bias and arranged the slices on bakery rolls. We topped them with sliced pepperjack cheese, lettuce & tomato and served with oven fries. Totals should be about the same for Monday, minus the edamame.

Saturday I boiled a 2 lb. bag of frozen EZ-peel shrimp with some Old Bay. I served them hot with rice, leftover collards, and a pan of cornbread. The shrimp was $5.98 (as cheap as it ever gets at HT), the rice was those Uncle Ben's Ready Rice microwave pouches I got for 4 cents apiece during triple coupons, the leftover collards were free, and the cornbread probably cost me less than $1 to make.

Sunday is The Kid's night at youth group, so we're cleaning out the fridge of leftovers.

Wednesday Dinner

2010-04-15T11:31:00.003-04:00

Last night's dinner was just what we needed after leaving the table unsatisfied on Tuesday. I made homemade mac & cheese and homemade collards. I confess it was the first time I tried making collards from scratch - I always just get Margaret Holmes or Glory Foods brands in the can (which are darned tasty). But I made them from scratch this time because I had that lovely ham bone left over from Easter and I couldn't bear to just throw it out. I always use the one from Christmas to make split-pea soup, but that's really a cold-weather dish. I searched out ways to use my ham bone in (that sounds vaguely dirty, doesn't it? LOL), and collards were just about the only non-soup recipe suggested.

Now, as to why I'd never made collards before. Well, it's largely because my cooking experience is far more high-end than low-end. That's partly because those are the recipes that always interested me most. And it's also due to having a Midwestern mother. I just didn't grow up with Southern foods like collards at the table. Now The Kid pointed out that my collards weren't "really homemade" because I took a shortcut and started with frozen, bagged collards instead of fresh. I said that was hair-splitting, like saying that homemade mac & cheese isn't homemade unless you make the pasta from scratch, too.

I cut as much of the leftover ham off the bone as I could and set it aside. (This is long after we removed the sliced ham and cut away the big chunks. This is just what was clinging close to the bone.) I placed the bone in a large stock pot, covered with water, and simmered over medium heat for about 3 hours, or until the bone was clean and made a rich broth. I removed the bone, strained out all the little solid bits, then added 2 bags of frozen collards to the pot. I brought to a boil for 3 minutes, then reduced heat and simmered for another 45. To season, I added lots of salt, about 1/4 cup sugar, several dashes liquid smoke, and several dashes hot sauce. At the very end, I added all the reserved ham, which I had chopped (about 1 cup). We passed vinegar and more hot sauce at the table. These came out AWESOME. Now I won't say I'll never go back to canned because I just can't see going to all this time and trouble on a regular basis. But I'll definitely be doing this again...and again...and again.

My mac & cheese is as basic as you can get, but I think it's about as good as you can get, too. I just melt 1/4 cup butter in a large saucepan or skillet, then add 1/4 cup flour. I cook the roux for about 4 - 5 minutes, or until it's fragrant and lightly golden, then add about 4 cups of milk. (I use 2% because that's what we buy.) I season with plenty of salt (although The Kid always says I don't use enough), pepper, dried mustard, paprika, and a little nutmeg, then bring the sauce to a simmer to thicken. I remove from the heat for about 10 minutes to cool a little, then stir in one 8oz bag of shredded sharp cheddar cheese. I fold the sauce in to my cooked macaroni (1 lb. box) in a large casserole dish. I top with Panko breadcrumbs - about 1/2 cup, mixed with 1 T. melted butter. Then I bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

Totals:

$3 - collards (2 bags, frozen)
.40 - macaroni (B2G3 free sale at HT)
$1.50 - cheddar cheese (BOGO sale at HT)
free - milk (free coupon from Kelloggs for buying cereal)
.25 - butter, breadcrumbs

$5.15 for dinner for 3, with leftover mac & cheese for at least 3 more servings, and leftover collards to feed an army

Tuesday Dinner

2010-04-13T18:36:00.003-04:00

Tonight's dinner was full of favorites, but nothing came out quite the way it should have.

First, I made my "Fake-Out" Lemon-Asparagus Risotto. I've gotten in the habit of making it with broccoli when fresh asparagus is out of season. Let's face it, that's most of the year. So I'd completely forgotten that The Kid didn't much care for it with asparagus. (I was reminded of that tonight after dinner was already on the stove and it was too late to change.) Second, my asparagus spears were so thin I was afraid they'd turn to mush during cooking, so I delayed longer than usual before adding them. As a result, they were undercooked and had a rather grassy flavor.

The solution? I'm going to change the recipe to "Fake-Out" Lemon-Broccoli Risotto and leave it at that. Turns out I like it better with broccoli, too.

The entree was baked salmon fillets, but those didn't turn out so great, either. Normally I just coat them liberally with Chef Prud'homme's Magic Salmon Seasoning and quickly pan-fry them. But tonight my big skillet was already in use for the risotto (I've never made them both together before). So I decided to bake the salmon instead. Since they didn't lose a lot of their seasoning while being turned (as happens during pan-frying), they ended up much too peppery/spicy.

So, all in all, good food that turned out....not so good. Oh well, you can't win 'em all.

Totals:

$3 - salmon
$1.29 - asparagus
$2 - remaining risotto ingredients (rice, lemon, onion, chicken broth, etc)

$6.29 for dinner for 3 (with lots of risotto left over - hopefully the asparagus will cook more fully upon reheating)

Saturday, Sunday & Monday Dinners

2010-04-12T22:40:00.002-04:00

Saturday was all about getting the garden planted. This year we're growing tomatoes (3 kinds), squash, bell peppers, arugula, bok choy, edamame, pole beans, romaine lettuce plus a heat-resistant lettuce blend of several varieties, and basil, chives, parsley and cilantro. It was a lot less work than last year because the raised beds were already in place, but I was still hot and tired by the time we were done. So I made it easy on myself and told everybody to clean the fridge out of leftovers. That also meant dinner was free, because I'd already accounted for the cost in other meals.

Sunday was a similar story, but this time we were busy running errands and ate a late lunch out. So everyone fended for themselves - the adults had leftover potato soup and The Kid had PB&J.

Monday I was back in the kitchen. We had grilled teriyaki chicken sandwiches on soft rolls, plus frozen french fries and steamed edamame. For the sandwiches, I butterflied thick chicken breasts, marinated in teriyaki sauce, and grilled on the George Foreman. Halfway through, I topped each with a pineapple slice, then served on buns with sliced monterey jack cheese.

Totals:

$1.50 - chicken
.75 - rolls
.30 - cheese
.20 - pineapple
.66 - frozen french fries
$1.66 - steamable edamame

$5.07 for dinner for 3, with leftover edamame

Friday Dinner

2010-04-10T05:29:00.002-04:00

Last night's dinner was a big pot of potato soup with ham, plus fresh fruit (strawberries & pineapple) and a loaf of cheese bread on the side. My soup recipe is the sort of thing I don't really measure, but the following amounts should be close:

I peeled & boiled about 8 smallish russet potatoes, then drained them and set aside. In the same big pot, I sauteed a large onion, chopped, in about 4 T. of butter. When the onion was tender and golden, I upped the heat and added 4 T. flour to make a roux. I cooked for a few minutes, then added about 3 cups of milk and brought to a simmer to thicken. Then I added about 2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth and the potatoes. I used a potato masher to break them up well into small chunks. I seasoned with plenty of salt & pepper, plus celery seed, ground mustard, and a dash of nutmeg. Lastly, I added about 2 cups chopped leftover ham, and heated thoroughly.

It was darned good - quite possibly the best potato soup I've ever made (and I've made lots over the years). The cheese bread comes from the Walmart bakery, and is a frequently requested purchase at my house. It's a bargain at $3 a loaf - my other favorite, La Brea Semolina Cheese Bread from Harris Teeter, runs about $4.50. Fresh strawberries ($1.25/lb at Harris Teeter) and fresh chunked pineapple ($2/each at WalMart) made a nice tart counterpoint to the richness of the soup and bread.

Totals:

$2 - soup ingredients (at most, with cost of ham accounted for at Easter)
$1.50 - 1/2 loaf of bread
$1.50 - pineapple & strawberries (about 1/2 of each)

$5 for dinner for 3, with about 1.5 quarts of soup left over

From the Bakery - Banana Praline Muffins

2010-04-08T22:14:00.001-04:00

My camera batteries are now dead, and I'm afraid there won't be any of these left by the time they've recharged.

So go here to get the recipe and make them yourself. They rock.

Thursday Dinner

2010-04-08T19:36:00.002-04:00

Crab Cakes with roasted asparagus, basmati rice, and hollandaise sauce

One-pound tubs of pasteurized (refrigerated) crabmeat are on sale this week at Harris Teeter. At $11.99/lb, it's still way out of my price range. But I tell you this because it's likely they've ordered extra for the sale, and that increases the possibility that they'll be overstocked and have to eventually mark some down. That's how I ran across several tubs of crabmeat marked down to - wait for it - $4 each. The store had 6 at that price, but I knew I couldn't use up that many so I only bought 3. They went straight into my freezer, but I plan to use them up fairly quickly anyway.

The crab cakes recipe I used is fairly standard. There are a zillion variations that call for onions, celery and/or bell peppers, but I really think simpler is better. On the side I served roasted fresh asparagus ($1.29/lb at Harris Teeter), hollandaise sauce (from a Knorr mix), and basmati rice (Uncle Ben's Ready Rice packages - only 4 cents each during triple coupons 2 weeks ago! I'm embarrassed to tell you how many I bought at that price). It was a wonderful dinner but I really wish crab cakes smelled as good as they taste, because now the kitchen fairly reeks of fish. Yuck!

Crab Cakes

1 lb. pasteurized crabmeat, picked over
1 egg
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tsp. mayonnaise (I used Hellman's Light)
10 saltine crackers, crushed
1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning

Combine ingredients and form into patties. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to "set up," then pan fry in hot oil for 3 - 4 minutes per side, or until nicely browned. Squeeze a fresh lemon wedge over before serving.

Totals:

$4 - crabmeat
.08 - 2 packages basmati rice (see above)
$1.29 - asparagus
.75 - hollandaise mix
.25 - additional ingredients (milk, butter, egg, etc.)

$6.37 for dinner for 3, plus leftover everything for lunch tomorrow

(For The Kid's lunch tomorrow I'm making a crabcake sandwich on a hamburger bun with lettuce, tomato, and light mayo mixed with more Old Bay. My lunch will be leftover rice and asparagus with hollandaise.)

Tuesday & Wednesday Dinners

2010-04-07T22:02:00.003-04:00

Do you ever just forget about a favorite recipe? That's what happened with Tuesday night's dinner. I did a lot of cooking before our mountain trip because I didn't want to show up at our friends' house empty-handed. While searching (in vain) for my signature chocolate cake recipe, I came across my old recipe for Asian Sloppy Joes. These are so delicious, easy, and a favorite of my late father's - but I can't remember the last time I made them. (Possibly not since his death 2 years ago.) I'm not sure why, I just forgot about them. But after rediscovering the recipe, I was determined to make them as soon as possible - and I did. (P.S. I never did find my recipe for Scotch Chocolate Cake, but a quick internet search turned up a recipe that was *almost* identical. Luckily, I knew my own recipe well enough to know where to make the changes.)

Along with the Asian Sloppy Joes I made on Tuesday, we had sweet potato fries, and Asian-style slaw. The sweet potato fries were frozen (triple coupons), the Asian slaw was just bagged coleslaw mix tossed with Kraft Toasted Sesame dressing and a can of drained Mandarin oranges.

Here's the recipe for Asian Sloppy Joes:

1 lb. ground turkey
1 tsp. minced garlic*
1 tsp. minced fresh ginger*
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
3 T. hoisin sauce
3 T. water
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. rice wine vinegar

Brown ground turkey with garlic and fresh ginger. Drain fat if necessary (I never need to). Add rest of ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve on heated buns.

* - if you don't have fresh garlic and ginger, add 1/2 tsp. garlic powder and 1/2 tsp. ground ginger with sauce ingredients.

Totals:

$1.19 - ground turkey (Aldi)
.59 - 1/2 package buns
.20 - can tomato sauce
$1 - 1/2 package sweet potato fries
$2 - bagged cole slaw mix
.70 - canned mandarin oranges

$4.68 for dinner for 4, with leftover sloppy joe mix for 1 - 2 more servings

__________

Wednesday was a fast-food fundraiser night for The Kid's school, so we ate out.

Monday Dinner

2010-04-05T23:09:00.002-04:00

Mainly a heat n' eat sort of dinner - leftover Easter ham, leftover yeast rolls, wild rice (Uncle Ben's), and frozen broccoli & cheese. (I have a little grocery shopping to do before I can start to get creative with the leftover ham.)

Totals:

ham & rolls were accounted for in yesterday's dinner, so the only additional expense was:

.25 - wild rice (after triple coupons awhile back)
.60 - broccoli & cheese (sale + double coupon)

.85 for dinner for 3

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T12:57:00.002-04:00

A view from the front porch
Floyd County, Virginia

Happy Easter, y'all!

Sorry I've been behind on my dinner posts. We spent Spring Break in the mountains and just got back last night. The above photo is the view from our friends' front porch - you can't tell, but that's a river winding through the valley down there. We can't wait to get back up there when the weather is a little warmer to do some serious 'tubing. (They're about 2 weeks behind us, season-wise. They had a warm week like we did, but everything still looks like winter up there. And that mountain water is COLD.)

After a nice, peaceful week in the mountains, I'm happy to be back in my own kitchen but have so much unpacking & laundry that I don't want to spend all day there. I won't post later today, but I already know we're having a easy-on-the-cook Easter dinner.

Spiral sliced ham ($1.59/lb at HT, + additional $2 off for eVic members)
Mashed sweet potatoes ($1.29 for large can, flavored with a little fresh orange zest & juice), Roasted spring asparagus (2 lbs at $1.29/lb)
Hollandaise sauce (from a Knorr mix - .75 after coupon)
Sister Shubert's Parker House rolls (.75 after BOGO + double coupon)
Edward's Key Lime pie ($5.99 after sale + double coupon)

Total $24.36 for a holiday dinner for 5, with lots of leftover everything (especially ham, which I plan to make into several meals to come)

Recent Dinners

2010-03-28T14:26:00.002-04:00

The spring weather has had me in a cleaning/organizing frenzy, plus I'm trying to get ready for a trip we'll be taking in a few days. Consequently, dinners have been more about convenience than usual.

Thursday night we had burgers & tater tots. The ground beef was practically free after some creative couponing. I had a coupon for $1.50 off ground beef with the purchase of 2 Classico pasta sauces. Harris Teeter had that brand BOGO last week, plus a sale on ground beef for $1.47/lb. So I picked up 2 jars of sauce for $2.69, plus another .33 for the ground beef (price on package was $1.83 for something like 1.25 lbs.) I served a can of peaches on the side.

.33 - ground beef
free - American cheese (some long ago deal - time to use this up)
.59 - 1/2 package Food Lion brand hamburger buns
.75 - 1/2 package Food Lion brand tater tots
.50 - canned peaches

$2.17 for dinner for 4 (sister joined us)

_____________________

Friday was the second-to-last fish night of Lent. (Thank goodness. I love fish and meatless meals in general but I hate being told what night I have to have them.) I served a bag of Gorton's Crunchy Breaded fish fillets with hush puppies (bagged, frozen) and a can of Del Monte green beans with potatoes. (OK, these have "ham flavor" added so they're probably not technically meatless, but I won't tell the rest of my family if you don't.)

$2.25 - fish fillets (BOGO + super double coupon)
$1.25 - hush puppies (BOGO)
$1 - green beans with potatoes

$4.50 for dinner for 5 (sister joined us & brought home leftovers for brother-in-law)

______________________________

Saturday night I heated up the last of the Jack Daniel's heat-n-serve entrees. If you remember, I got these for $3 apiece because of a Harris Teeter raincheck. I noticed that they're on sale this week BOGO, so you can stock up on them for about $4 apiece if you 're interested.

I served the pulled pork BBQ on hamburger buns. Tater tots and leftover corn rounded out the meal.

$3 - pulled pork
.59 - buns
.75 - 1/2 package tater tots
free - leftover corn

$4.34 for dinner for 4

Tuesday & Wednesday Dinners

2010-03-25T12:04:00.003-04:00

Chicken with Creamy Tomato-Spinach Rice

After an unlucky run of blah and just-plain-bad dinners, I was out of my "experimental" mode and determined to cook things I knew everybody liked.

Wednesday night I made the above, which is my own take on a recipe I found on Kraft.com. (I forget what they called it, but it was about as inspired as my title.) I've changed it enough to just post what I do:

Heat about 1/4 cup Kraft Sun-dried Tomato Vinaigrette in large non-stick skillet, and brown 1 lb. boneless chicken thighs or breasts (I prefer thighs). Continue to cook until almost all the liquid has evaporated from pan and dressing has cooked down to a thick, syrupy glaze on the chicken. (If you take chicken out when it's cooked through but the pan is still full of liquid, chicken will have no flavor at all.) Remove chicken from pan and keep warm. In same skillet, add 2 cups instant rice, 1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes, and 2 cups chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer until rice is tender - about 5 minutes. When rice is cooked, stir in 1/2 of a 8 oz. package of cream cheese, cut into chunks. Keep stirring until cheese melts and forms a creamy sauce for the rice. Add 1/2 of an 8 - 10 oz. bag of fresh spinach leaves. Cover pan for 3 -5 minutes, or until the heat has partially wilted the spinach. Stir spinach into rice, top with reserved chicken, and serve.

Totals:

$2 - boneless chicken thighs (from Aldi - $5.99/3 lb bag)
free - instant rice (after triple coupons)
.55 - canned tomatoes
.40 - 1/2 package cream cheese
$1 - 1/2 package spinach
.65 - chicken broth (1/2 carton)

$4.60 for dinner for 4 (+ sister) with leftovers for another serving (I used 5 chicken thighs)

We also had dessert last night - a Mrs. Smith's Dutch Apple Crumb Topped Pie served with Edy's Caramel Delight reduced fat ice cream. The pie was only $1.75 after sale + triple coupon, and Harris Teeter had Edy's ice cream on sale for $1.99 last week (so I stocked up as much as my full freezer would allow). Total for dessert was about .45 per serving.

__________

Tuesday was busy as usual for me, so it was more about putting a meal together than actually cooking. I made Veal Parmesan with Italian breaded veal cutlets from Aldi. These are a specialty item they don't carry all year-round, so now is the time to buy them if you're interested. (The High Point Road Aldi had plenty when I went on Monday evening.) At $6 for a package of 9 cutlets, they're also very economical.

After pan-frying, I topped the cutlets with mozzarella and baked in the oven to melt the cheese. I served them over spaghetti with jarred sauce (one of the 6 jars of Bertolli I got for free with raincheck and super double coupons). Frozen garlic bread rounded out the meal.

Totals:

$2 - veal cutlets
.50 - spaghetti
free - sauce
.75 - mozzarella cheese
.63 - garlic bread (HT brand - $1.68 for 8 slices)

$3.88 for dinner for 3

Recent Dinners

2010-03-22T20:16:00.002-04:00

I haven't made any nightly dinner posts since last Wednesday, so let me do a quick update:

Thursday afternoon was spent sleeping off a migraine, so I was in no shape to cook that night (nor did I have much appetite). So my family opened up a frozen bagged meal - Birdseye Steamfresh was the brand, in some beef, mushroom and pasta flavor. The funny thing is, I served this exact variety a few months ago and everybody (including sister, who was joining us that night) liked it. Not loved it, but liked it well enough for me to buy the same thing again. This time, however, we all thought it was terrible. Go figure. I don't recall exactly what I paid for it, but I think it was around $3 after sale & double coupon. Good thing it wasn't expensive, because we didn't even keep the leftovers.

Friday we ate out.

Saturday I roasted a Hormel Mesquite BBQ Pork Tenderloin in the oven. On the side I served sauteed pierogies and buttered cabbage. The pork tenderloin was only $3 (down from $8 or so) after sale + super double coupon. The pierogies only .75 a box after BOGO + $1 off coupon. And the cabbage was about $1 for a small head. So $4.75 for dinner for 4 (sister joined us) with leftover pork and cabbage left over. It was a nothing-special sort of meal, but everyone left the table satisfied.

Sunday is The Kid's night at youth group, so we heated a frozen pizza.

Monday night was the biggest disappointment of all. I found this recipe for Balsamic-Glazed Lam Meat Loaf in last month's Real Simple magazine and couldn't wait to try it. The verdict: The Kid liked it a lot, but both of the adults thought it was awful. The thyme called for in the recipe completely overpowered the flavor of the meat, even though I had cut the amount by more than half. (I've come to the conclusion that I just don't like thyme and won't be using it in any future recipes.) I would have thrown out the leftovers but The Kid wanted to save them for lunches. (I think I'll serve it on pita bread with lettuce and tomato, sort of gyro-style.) The only saving grace of the recipe was the red onion/red pepper/white bean mixture served on the side. We all really liked that and I'll be making that on its own again. (I purposely left out the thyme, and used jarred roasted red peppers because that's what I had on hand.) Luckily I didn't pay much for the ground lamb. Harris Teeter was the only store where I was able to find it, but I got it on meat markdown for $2 instead of the normal $6/lb. The cost of the rest of the meatloaf ingredients were negligible, and the total cost for the bean/onion/pepper mixture was about $2.

Wednesday Dinner

2010-03-17T23:01:00.002-04:00

Tonight's dinner was sort of a theme meal. We had something like a French picnic - chicken liver mousse/pate' served with a loaf of homemade bread, cracked wheat crackers, Dijon mustard, assorted cheeses, grapes and Granny Smith apples.

I won't go into a lot of details about the chicken liver mousse/pate' because I know that liver is one of those love it or hate it foods. My recipe is fairly standard and not unlike hundreds of others out there. I'm happy to share it if anyone wants it - just email me. The basic ingredients are bacon, chicken livers, onion, apple, brandy, and spices.

I won't price everything out individually, but it was very easy on the wallet - well under $5 with lots of leftover everything. Chicken livers are just about the cheapest meat around at $1.25/lb. A whole batch of pate' costs me less than $2. We always have crackers and Dijon mustard around anyway, and the fruit was what I had on hand for snacking and The Kid's school lunches. I can whip up a loaf of bread machine bread for under 50 cents. The cheeses would have been the most expensive part of the meal, but they were a freebie. If you're in Greensboro, you should really sign up with Earth Fare (Earthfare.com) to be on their email list. Every week they send out a printable coupon for a different free product - sometimes multiple free products! It really is the best deal going. This week's freebie was a 7 oz. block of Kerrygold Irish cheese with any purchase. The Kid and I each went armed with a coupon, so we got a block each of Irish sharp cheddar and a Gouda-like cheese called Blarney Castle. So we were able to add $7 worth of imported cheese to our meal for $0.

(NOTE: I love a good freebie like anyone else, but I don't like to feel that I'm taking advantage. Even though there's no minimum purchase required, I always spend at least as much as the freebie is worth. On this visit I got 2 lbs. of bulk dry soybeans for roasting, and The Kid bought a 1-lb container of organic dark chocolate peanut butter.)

Tuesday Dinner

2010-03-16T19:21:00.004-04:00

Salmon with Lemon-Cilantro Vinaigrette
(served with couscous and steamed edamame)

Today wasn't my normal busy Tuesday, so I spent more time than usual in the kitchen. After the Muffin Fiasco this afternoon, I turned my attention to dinner. Luckily this recipe turned out perfectly, even better than I'd hoped, because I would have really been bummed if this one had been a failure, too.

This recipe came from RealSimple.com, and it was a winner (even though recipes called 'vinaigrette' that contain no vinegar is one of my culinary pet peeves). The treatment of the salmon was nothing special - just pan-seared in olive oil - but the lemon-cilantro vinaigrette really elevated this dish to another level. It was tangy and fresh and green, and I'd love to try it on grilled shrimp or chicken next. On the side I served couscous, as suggested in the recipe. I was apprehensive because I haven't been overly fond of couscous in other dishes. (Although, to be fair, I'm most familiar with it in salads using ingredients I'm not crazy about to begin with - namely cucumbers.) This dish might actually convert me because it was delicious when drizzled with the herby lemon dressing, and its starchy blandness was a perfect balance to the tartness of lemon and the richness of the fish.

This dish really called out for some sort of fresh vegetables I didn't have on hand tonight. I served steam-in-the-bag edamame, which wasn't a great combination, although it wasn't bad, either. It just didn't seem like a good fit - Asian with Mediterranean. Next time, I think I'll try it with sauteed spinach or maybe some sliced oranges.

Totals:

$3 - salmon (3 frozen individual portions from Aldi, sold in bags of 4/$3.99)
$1.25 - 1/2 box couscous
.30 - cup chicken broth (to cook couscous in)
.33 - lemon
.30 - cilantro, green onions
.83 - steam-in-bag edamame (sale + coupon)

$6.01 for dinner for 3

Cherry Ricotta Muffins

2010-03-16T19:06:00.002-04:00

I spent way too long this afternoon making a batch of Cherry Ricotta Muffins with the last of my leftover ricotta. I'm not posting a photo of these because the photo that came with the recipe looked infinitely better than mine turned out. Those look golden brown and delicious, with big chunks of cherries throughout. Mine were pale and anemic (they just wouldn't brown for me), and all the cherries sunk to the bottom. Plus they stuck inside the paper muffin cups terribly, so they were all misshapen and weird when you pulled the muffin paper off. (There were other issues, too, like the batter being thin and runny and messy, and the fact that there was twice as much of it as there should have been, necessitating last-minute scrambling for more pans and paper liners, and so on.)

The verdict: yummy, but the results weren't worth all the trouble and expense. (Fresh cherries are out of season, and both canned and dried are very expensive. I went with dried, but I'm not sure I'd make these again even with fresh because of the time it would take to pit them.)

Monday Dinner

2010-03-15T19:17:00.002-04:00

Braided Ham & Spinach Calzone (top view)

Braided Ham & Spinach Calzone (cut view)

I had a little more than 1/2 a carton of ricotta to use up and not much time to do it - it spoils fast. I did some online searches for "leftover ricotta" and calzone recipes kept popping up over and over again. I culled the best ingredient and technique ideas and here's what I did:

1. I made pizza dough in my bread machine. After looking at 4 or 5 different pizza dough recipes, I concluded they're all pretty much the same, so use your favorite. (Mine had water, bread flour, salt, sugar, olive oil and yeast.)

2. While the dough is mixing, make the filling. Thaw a small box of chopped frozen spinach and thoroughly wring out all the water. (I use a clean dish towel for this.) In a medium bowl, mix spinach, 1 cup ricotta, 1/4 cup grated parmesan, 1 cup grated mozzarella, with salt, pepper and ground nutmeg to taste.

3. After dough has proofed, stretch out as large as you can without tearing, then use a rolling pin on floured surface to roll into a large rectangle. (Mine was about 12 x 15, and was a cross between a rectangle and an oval.)

4. Use the straight edge of your baking sheet to measure out a wide strip of dough in the center - about 5 - 6" wide. Use a paring knife to cut the dough along the sides into strips about every 1.5 inches. The whole thing should look something like this:

------l l-------
------l l-------
------l l------
------l l-------

Does that make sense? I hope so. The Kid called it a mutant spider.

5. Spoon the spinach-ricotta filling down the center portion of the dough. Top with about 8 oz. thinly sliced ham, chopped.

6. Now "braid" the strips over the filling. Start at the top, folding a right strip over the center, then a left, and so forth until the bottom. (This really is easy - don't be intimidated.)

7. Brush all over the top with beaten egg, then sprinkle with a little more grated parmesan.

8. Bake in 350 preheated oven for 35 - 40 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting into slices to serve. Pass heated marinara or pizza sauce at the table for dipping.

Totals:

.25 - ingredients for crust
$1.22 - chopped ham (Food Lion sale on deli ham this week)
.75- ricotta
$1 - mozzarella
.25 - parmesan
.66 - spinach
.10 - egg
.50 - leftover jarred marinara

$4.73 for dinner for 4, plus another serving leftover for lunch

$4.23

Saturday Dinner

2010-03-13T20:20:00.003-05:00

Mexican Gumbo

I got the idea for this dish from something similar served by Qdoba Grill. Basically, it's a big scoop of rice and meat with tortilla soup poured over. They call it Mexican Gumbo, so I'm sticking with that.

I made a quickie tortilla soup: Saute 1 chopped onion in a little canola oil for about 5 minutes or until translucent. Add 1 tsp. minced garlic and saute another minute or two until golden. Add 1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chiles (I use the 'Mild' variety), 1 can corn, drained, 1 16 oz. can tomato sauce, and 1 32 oz. carton chicken broth. Add about 1/2 t. ground cumin and 1 T chili powder, plus salt & pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until slightly thickened. (If I were serving as soup I'd stop now and top with shredded cheese and crumbled tortilla chips.)

To serve as gumbo, I put a big scoop of hot white rice in each bowl, then topped this with about 1/3 cup of the leftover shredded pork. I poured the hot soup all around, then sprinkled with chopped cilantro and diced avocado.

On the side I served cheese quesadillas cut into wedges. (It turns out we didn't need them - the gumbo was more than filling enough on its own. Next time I'll just serve tortilla chips for dipping.)

It was a delicious and hearty dinner. The soup was a bit spicy for the rest of my family (not me), but it was nicely mellowed by the smooth, buttery chunks of avocado. If I hadn't had that, I would have topped with a dollop of sour cream.

Totals:

free - leftover roast pork
.20 - rice
.78 - avocado
.30 - tomato sauce
.21 - canned corn (raincheck + sale)
$1.29 - chicken broth
.59 - Rotel tomatoes (purchased w/ Buy 2, get 1 free coupon)

.50 - tortillas
.66 - shredded Mexican blend cheese (about 1/3 bag)

$4.53 for dinner for 4 (sister joined us), plus leftover soup for another 2 - 3 servings (and we still have leftover roast, too)

NOTE #1 : I didn't use the full 16 oz. tomato sauce - I used an 8 oz. can tomato sauce and the 1/2 can left over from the other night. Also, I used reduced sodium chicken broth.

NOTE #2: I discovered something very interesting about Harris Teeter rainchecks the other day. I had a raincheck for their house brand of canned vegetables (corn, peas or green beans) for 3/$1. The week I used the raincheck, they were already on sale for .77, down from .89 each. So when the cashier ran the raincheck through, she manually marked the price of each can I bought to .33 each - then the computer automatically took off another .12 per can to reflect that week's sale. So I got 12 cans of assorted vegetables (the limit I could buy with my raincheck) for only .21 each!

Friday Dinner

2010-03-12T19:27:00.003-05:00

Tonight I was back to a heat n' serve sort of dinner, mainly because that's what I had on hand (and it's Friday, so it had to be fish or otherwise meat-free). So I served crunchy battered Gorton's fish fillets, hush puppies (bagged, frozen), and collard greens.

Totals:

$2.25 - Gorton's fish fillets (after BOGO + super double coupons)
$1.25 - bagged hushpuppies (BOGO)
$1 - Margaret Holmes canned collard greens

$4.50 for dinner for 4 (sister joined us) with leftovers of everything for 1 more serving

Thursday Dinner

2010-03-11T23:05:00.003-05:00

I was still in a cooking frame of mind tonight, but in the mood for something a bit more homey.

I made Ultimate Chicken Fingers (an oven-baked recipe from the side of the Bisquick box) - they're so buttery and good you don't need sauce for them. They're also 10 times better than frozen, pre-breaded tenders, with the added benefit of knowing exactly what went into them. (The only change I make from the recipe is I don't use the parmesan cheese.)

On the side I made orange mashed sweet potatoes and spinach with hot bacon dressing. Both went really well with the rather plain chicken and the flavors played nicely off each other. As a bonus, I was able to put both side dishes together well ahead of the entree, so I didn't have to time everything together perfectly at the last minute.

I've had a big can of sweet potatoes in syrup kicking around my pantry since Thanksgiving (I decided not to make them), and I thought they'd go well with the chicken. I brought the entire contents of the can to boil in a saucepan. Then I drained out the syrup, mashed the sweet potatoes with a fork, and added the juice and zest of 1 orange, a pat of butter, salt & pepper, and a dash of pumpkin pie spice. They were perfectly sweet and creamy without any additional sugar, and the orange flavor was wonderful and fresh. (I made them a little early, then reheated in the microwave for 2 minutes just before serving.)

For the hot bacon dressing, I diced 1 slice of bacon and cooked it until crisp in a large skillet. I removed the bacon from the pan and added the following to the bacon drippings: 3 T. each of cider vinegar and water, 1 T. of sugar, plus salt, pepper, and a dash of ground mustard. I did this part ahead of time and left the dressing in the pan. At serving time, I reheated the dressing until hot, then added 1/2 of a bag of fresh spinach and quickly tossed to coat. Sprinkle with reserved bacon and serve.

Totals:

$2 - chicken breast (frozen, bagged, BOGO)
$1.39 - sweet potatoes (always cheap around Thanksgiving)
$1 - 1/2 bag spinach
.50 - remaining ingredients (butter, orange, etc.)

$4.89 for dinner for 4 (sister joined us), plus leftover chicken and sweet potatoes

Wednesday Dinner

2010-03-10T18:45:00.002-05:00

Pork Carnitas with Pineapple-Avocado Salsa

I feel like flinging myself through a doorway and yelling dramatically, "I'm back!"

I honestly don't think it would be possible to make a better meal, for less money, than the one I made tonight. It would have been wonderful at 2 or 3 times the cost, but for as cheap as it was it was truly astounding.

It started with a pork shoulder - the other half of a larger piece purchased 1/2 price ("buy 1, get 1 free") at Lowes Foods. I'd had my butcher cut in half for me. We had the first half in Spicy Asian Pork on a snowy January weekend, and I froze this one. First, I made a rub out of Kosher salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and a few drops of liquid smoke. I rubbed it all over the roast and let it stand for about 2 hours. Then I dropped it in the crock pot, poured over 1/2 cup cider vinegar, and let it cook on low overnight. This morning the meat was falling-apart tender. I took it out of the liquid and let it cool to room temperature before shredding. Meanwhile, I refrigerated the liquid so the fat would rise to the top and solidify. Once I could spoon off the fat, I poured the liquid into a saucepan, added another 1/2 cup cider vinegar, 1/2 cup tomato sauce (1/2 of an 8 oz. can), 2 T. brown sugar and a few more drops liquid smoke. I brought to a boil, let reduce by about 1/3 until thickened, then strained to get any little bits out. I passed this sauce at the table - a sort of South of the Border BBQ sauce.

I can't take any credit at all for the Pineapple-Avocado Salsa recipe. It was 100% Melissa d'Arabian from Food Network's 'Ten Dollar Dinners.' She used hers on marinated fish, but I'd seen similar fruit salsas served with pulled pork, so I decided to give that a try. I used fresh pineapple instead of canned because I ran across a great price on fresh at Aldi, and I added a teaspoon of minced garlic, but otherwise I went straight off her recipe.

juice of 1 lime
squeeze of honey
drizzle canola oil (about 1 Tablespoon)
2/3 fresh pineapple, cut into small chunks (The Kid commandeered the rest)
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1 small fresh jalapeno, seeds and white membrane removed, finely diced
1 tsp. minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
1 avocado, cubed
1 small bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
salt & pepper

Mix lime juice, honey and oil together, add pineapple, onion, garlic, jalapeno, and salt & pepper. Mix well. Let stand at least 15 minutes. (I made mine the night before). Just before serving, gently fold in cubed avocado and cilantro leaves.

To assemble, I spooned the heated pork over heated flour tortillas, drizzled with a little of the sauce, and topped with a generous scoop of fruit salsa.

Totals (you won't believe it):

$2.30 - pork shoulder
.25 - dry rub + additional sauce ingredients

$2.55 for pulled pork shoulder for 8+ (we only served about 1/2 tonight)

$1.29 - fresh pineapple
.78 - avocado
.35 - 1/2 red onion
.09 - 1 jalapeno
.10 - cilantro
.33 - lime

$2.94 for big batch of salsa (we used about 1/3 of the batch tonight)

If I added in the cost of a full package of flour tortillas ($1.79), I could have served 8 people easy for under $8. Add some sides of rice and black beans (at pennies per serving), and a pitcher of Margaritas, and you've got a party. (You can put the money you've saved on the food toward a bottle of the really GOOD tequila.)

NOTE: I've found that WalMart is the cheapest option for specialty produce IF (and this is a big if) it's used in Mexican cooking. I think that's because Harris Teeter and Lowes Foods cater to an upscale clientele that occasionally dabble in ethnic cuisine., but WalMart caters to working-class folks who cook with it daily. A very small bunch of cilantro was $2.29 at Lowes Foods, and if I wanted to buy the cilantro concentrate in a tube (so it would go bad so quickly, I presume), I could have spent $3.99. I've seen similar prices at Harris Teeter. But WalMart sold HUGE bunches of cilantro for 79 cents. I couldn't possibly use it all before it goes bad, but at that price I don't care. (Although I have another dish using cilantro planned for later in the week.) Also, Lowes Foods didn't sell loose jalapenos at all, but WalMart had them for $1.38/lb. It's amazing how cheap this ingredient really is when you consider that you'll probably only need 1 or 2 peppers at a time - I paid 9 cents for mine.

Monday & Tuesday Dinners

2010-03-09T19:01:00.002-05:00

Sorry for the gap in postings, y'all. But in my defense, there really weren't any interesting dinners going on at my house over the past week. Lots of leftovers (I'm now deathly sick of turkey), and a night of cheeseburgers and fries was as good as it got.

I've missed cooking and would have been back in the swing of things Monday night, but The Kid had a function and we had to eat and run. I managed to get a quick dinner on the table with Trader Joe's Teriyaki Chicken, white rice, and steam-in-the-bag edamame. (This represented the last of my Trader Joe's stash, so it's about time to make another run up to Chapel Hill.)

Monday Totals:

$4.99 - teriyaki chicken
.20 - rice
$1.35 - edamame (BOGO)

$6.54 for dinner for 3, plus a full serving for lunch (which The Kid promptly claimed and brown-bagged)

__________

As I've mentioned, Tuesday is usually a busy day for me. Today was no different, so dinner was more about putting different elements together than it was about really cooking. I made meatball subs with a bag of frozen turkey meatballs, heated in jarred spaghetti sauce, sprinkled with shredded mozzarella, and served on soft bakery sub rolls. On the side I tossed a quick Ceasar salad with romaine, bottled dressing, a sprinkle of grated Asiago, and garlic-butter croutons.

Tuesday Totals:

$1.50 - meatballs (sale + HT super double coupon)
$1 - spaghetti sauce (about 2/3 jar purchased for $1.50 after sale + super double coupon)
$1.66 - sub rolls (4 out of package of 6)
.75 - mozzarella cheese (1/2 package)
.66 - romaine lettuce (1/3 of $2 package)
free - dressing (after triple coupons)
free - croutons (after double coupons)

$5.57 for dinner for 4 (sister joined us), plus leftover meatballs in sauce for another sandwich

Tuesday & Wednesday Dinners + Making Markdowns Happen

2010-03-04T15:28:00.003-05:00

Tuesday was another of my busy days, so I put together a largely heat n' eat meal when I got home. Jack Daniels Sliced Beef Brisket in BBQ Sauce (heat n' eat entree), packaged buttered noodles, and a combination of leftover veggies from the fridge. Nothing to write home about, but everyone was satisfied...plus there was Italian Love Cake for dessert.

Tuesday Totals:

$3 - beef brisket (rain check for BOGO)
.04 - Knorr/Lipton Buttered Noodles (after triple coupons)
.20 - butter and milk for noodles
free - leftover veggies

$3.24 for dinner for 3

_____________

Wednesday also turned out to be a busy day. The Kid was out of school (along with the rest of GCS students), so we took advantage of the free day and got a lot of shopping and errands out of the way (including a rather expensive trip to Michael's for social studies & science project supplies). A quick grocery trip to pick up a few essentials netted me some great meat markdowns (including ground beef), so I picked up buns and frozen fries for a Cheeseburger & Fries meal.

Totals:

$1.25 - ground beef
$1 - buns (1/2 package)
$1 - fries (1/2 package)
.30 - cheese

$3.55 for dinner for 3

______________

Make friends with the employees at your local grocery store, especially Harris Teeter. These people are invaluable for helping you get the best deals and special finds.

Case in point: This week I was browsing the imported/specialty cheese counter at a local Harris Teeter. I struck up a conversation with the employee behind the counter. She pointed to a basket with 2 large wedges of cheese in it and told me to always look in that basket for "Manager's Specials" - code for markdowns. I looked over the contents and remarked that $5 was still too expensive for me. She said, "Let me see the dates on those....how about $2 apiece?" I agreed, and she marked them down on the spot. Keep in mind these would have been $8 - $10 apiece at full price. So now we have some exceptional snacking cheese in the house for less than a package of store-brand American would have cost.

A Harris Teeter deli manager sold me a food-service sized bag of chipotle mayo at less than his cost after I commented on how much I loved it but couldn't find a comparable product on their shelves.

I offered to buy several marked down seafood items if the seafood manager could go a little lower on the price. He agreed because he'd rather see it sold than thrown away.

I got several good meat & seafood markdowns yesterday, but two were really exceptional deals: .50 for a nice piece of smoked salmon (regularly $4.99), and $4.25 for a $17+ boneless leg of lamb. The lamb went into the freezer and the salmon is going to be a snack with cream cheese and crackers this evening.

From the Bakery

2010-03-01T23:07:00.003-05:00

Italian Love Cake (modified)

I started with this recipe from Allrecipes.com, but I made a few changes. Most importantly, the original called for the cake to be topped with a chocolate pudding & Cool Whip mixture that I didn't think would do the recipe justice. I admit to loving me some Cool Whip, but it always seems rather low-end, 1970's housewife to me, and the rest of this recipe seemed to have some real high-end potential. So I made a simple chocolate ganache to go over the top. I think my instincts were dead-on. It was fantastic, and you'd never guess it started with a mix. If I baked it in a springform pan and served it whole and unmolded on a cake stand, you'd swear it came from a posh bakery.

The other changes I made were small ones, like increasing sugar and vanilla extract, using whole-milk ricotta instead of skim, and reducing baking time because it was done before the recipe said it would be. Here's the recipe in a nutshell:

1 box chocolate cake mix (I used Supermoist Chocolate Fudge), prepared according to package directions

Pour batter into greased 9 x 13" pan and set aside.

Combine 32 oz. whole milk ricotta cheese (one of the big containers) with 1 cup sugar, 2 t. vanilla extract, and 4 eggs. Mix well, then carefully spread evenly over cake batter, all the way to the edges.

Place in oven preheated to 350 degrees. Ricotta layer will sink and chocolate cake layer will rise to top while baking. Bake at 1 hr. 15 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of cake layer comes out clean. (Recipe called for 1 hr. 15 - 1 hr. 30 mins, but mine was done at 1 hr. 15.)

Let cake cool.

For chocolate glaze: heat 1/3 cup heavy or whipping cream in microwave until very hot but not boiling (about 2 minutes). Stir in 2 Hershey's Special Dark chocolate bars, broken into pieces, until mixture is smooth. Let cool for 10 minutes, then spread evenly over cake. Refrigerate several hours before serving (and store in fridge because of all that dairy).

Monday Dinner

2010-03-01T22:46:00.002-05:00

Pork Chops Paprikash

I came across one of Mom's old recipes that she used to make when I was growing up. There was a lot about it that I loved (mmmm...sour cream gravy) and a lot I didn't (pork chops cooked 1 hr. + until stiff as a board), so I modified it. The result tasted exactly as I remember, maybe even better - but I did it in less than 1/2 the time.

1 lb. thin-cut boneless pork chops
flour for dredging, seasoned with salt, pepper & paprika
1 T. vegetable oil
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 t. each: paprika, caraway seed
1/4 t. each: dill weed, garlic powder
1 8 oz. carton sour cream
Salt & Pepper to taste

Dredge pork chops in flour that has been seasoned with salt, pepper and paprika. Heat oil in skillet until hot, and pan-fry chops for 2 minutes on each side, or until nicely browned and cooked through. Work in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding pan.

Remove chops from pan and keep warm in oven.

Add sliced onion to pan - with a little additional oil if necessary - and saute for 3 - 5 minutes. Deglaze pan with chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits, and add spices. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, or until liquid has reduced by about half and onions are tender. (Add a little more broth as necessary.) Reduce heat, stir in sour cream and heat through but do not let it boil. Serve chops with generous spoonful of sauce over hot cooked rice or noodles. Garnish with a sprinkle of paprika.

We cleaned the fridge out of leftover veggies - green beans and collard greens - to make this a really economical meal.

Totals:

$2.20 - pork chops (meat markdown)
.25 - onion
free - sour cream (after super double coupons)
.20 - rice
free - leftover veggies

$2.65 for dinner for 3 (The Kid and I were extra hungry and both went back for seconds, but normally this dish serves 4 - 5, depending on how many chops you get to a pound.)

Sunday Dinner

2010-03-01T21:16:00.003-05:00

Tamale Pie

My late father really loved this recipe. I've never met anyone who didn't, really. It's rich and hearty so it's perfect for a cold winter day.

Tamale Pie

1 lb. ground turkey
1 packet Taco seasoning mix
1 14 oz can corn, drained (or 16 oz bag frozen corn)
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
2 8 oz cans tomato sauce
1 large can French Fried Onions (I think this can is in the 3 oz range)
1 package corn muffin mix, with milk and egg called for on package directions
1 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese

Brown turkey, drain fat if necessary (I never need to). Add taco seasoning, corn, tomatoes and tomato sauce. Cook, stirring constantly, until hot and bubbly. Stir in 1/2 can fried onions. Spread in 9 x 13" pan. Top with corn muffin batter that you've prepared according to package directions and spread evenly to seal edges. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes, or until cornbread is done. Sprinkle with cheese and remaining 1/2 can onions, return to oven for 3 - 5 minutes or until cheese melts and onions are lightly browned. Pass sour cream at the table. Serves 6 - 8. (We served 5 generously and had leftovers for lunch.)

Sunday Totals:

$1.39 - turkey
free - taco seasoning (after triple coupons)
.33 - corn
$1 - tomatoes and tomato sauce
$1.50 - fried onions (Aldi brand)
.50 - corn muffin mix
.25 - egg & milk
$1 - cheese

$5.97 for dinner for 5 (sister & husband joined us), plus leftovers for 2 - 3 lunch servings

Thursday & Friday Dinners

2010-02-28T12:05:00.002-05:00

Roast Turkey Breast

Thursday night I made what The Kid calls "Mini Thanksgiving" - roast turkey breast (brined, of course), Del Monte green beans with potatoes, cranberry sauce, and yeast rolls. And homemade gravy, Good God. I ran across a funny essay in a women's/mother's magazine a few years ago titled, "You Know You're Over 40 When..." The list item I most identified with is, "You have a definite position on how gravy should be made."

Well, I follow my mother's method for making gravy and can finally say - at 40-something years old - that mine comes close to hers. I always remember a line from the movie Twister, when referring to the aunt of Helen Hunt's character: "[her] gravy is legendary. It's practically a food group." That's my mom's gravy and - hopefully - mine, too, one day.

Thursday Totals:

$5.85 - turkey
$1.25 - cranberry sauce
$1.25 - green beans w/ potatoes
.40 - yeast rolls

$8.75 for dinner for 4 (sister joined us), plus plenty of turkey, gravy and cranberry left over

____________________

Because it is Lent (and, as I explained, other family members observe meatless Fridays), I cooked fish. It wasn't much of a hardship on me (although I sometimes pretend it is), because I love fish and will take any excuse to serve salmon. I coated fillets with Chef Prud'homme's Magic Salmon Seasoning (I've blogged before about this awesome stuff), and pan-fried them in a little olive oil until nicely browned. On the side we reheated some of the leftover ricotta-lemon-spinach spaghetti - and we still have plenty left, proving that the original recipe serves way more than 4. It was a bit dry, so I added in a drizzle of lemon juice and olive oil, and stirred in another spoonful of ricotta. That moistened it up nicely. I definitely think this dish works better as a side than as an entree.

Friday Totals:

$3 - salmon fillets (from Aldi - $3.99 for package of 4)
free - leftover pasta

$3 for dinner for 3

___________________________

Saturday we took a day-trip to the new Charlotte IKEA, so dinner was Swedish Meatballs, mashed potatoes, ligonberry jam, and assorted Swedish desserts (almond cake, Princess cake, and apple cake) in the IKEA cafe.

___________________________

I've been neglecting the Foodie blog lately and I'm sorry. I've been fortunate enough to take on a little temporary side work over the past few weeks and it's taken up a lot of my time and energy. Things should be getting back to normal as of this week, though - and I'll have both a fatter wallet and more time to cook, save money, and blog about it.

Peace.

Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday

2010-02-24T18:38:00.003-05:00

Spaghetti with Ricotta, Lemon & Spinach

Both spaghetti and ricotta cheese were on sale at Harris Teeter last week, and I had 1/2 a bag of fresh spinach and a few lemons to use up, so running across this recipe was serendipitous. It couldn't be more simple - boil spaghetti, drain, then toss the hot pasta with fresh spinach leaves, olive oil, a little of the pasta cooking water, and ricotta cheese to which you've added lemon zest, nutmeg, salt & pepper. (I added the juice of 1 lemon, too, although recipe didn't call for it.) The result was simple, tasty and good. I do think it's more of a spring/summer meal than a winter one, and I have a feeling we'll all be hungry again long before bedtime. So while I'll definitely be making this one again, I think I'll pair it with grilled chicken or shrimp next time.

Wednesday Totals:

.50 - spaghetti
$1 - 1/2 bag spinach
.75 - ricotta
.25 - lemon

$2.50 for dinner for 3 (with lots left over - recipe claims to serve 4 but I think it's more like 5 - 6)

______________

Monday and Tuesday dinners were nothing special because I was busy both days. Monday we had Wanchai Ferry (bag to skillet) Orange Chicken, and a box of frozen egg rolls. Both were purchased when Harris Teeter was doubling coupons up to $1.98, and I had a raincheck on the skillet dinner besides. Tuesday we just threw a couple of frozen pizzas in the oven - purchased BOGO + coupons.

Monday totals: $6.50 for dinner for 3

Tuesday totals: $4 for dinner for 3

Weekend Dinners

2010-02-24T18:23:00.003-05:00

Curried Coconut Chicken

You know the story on this one. In a few months this dish has gone from a totally unfamiliar flavor profile to one of my family's favorite recipes. The Kid does a fist-pump whenever I mention this is what I'm cooking.

Sunday Totals:

$3 - 1.5 lbs boneless chicken breast
$1.39 - can coconut milk
.55 - can tomatoes
.40 - 2 cans tomato sauce
.25 - onion
.40 - rice (double my usual recipe)

$5.99 for dinner for 4 (sister joined us) plus 2 lunch servings left over

__________

The Kid was away Saturday night. I knew in advance that it would just be the 2 of us for dinner, so I had my eye out for a good deal on a dinner for 2. Sadler Smokehouse brand has a line of heat n' serve "dinner for 2" sold at Harris Teeter. These are meat & side dish combos, sold in the packaged meat case. They're pricey at $7.99 each, but I had a $1 off coupon that doubled last week. Plus there was an additional $3 markdown because they were short-dated (I don't think they're selling too well), so for $1.99 it was quite a deal.

We had the Country Style Ribs (boneless pork tenderloin in BBQ sauce) with white cheddar mashed potatoes. It was quite good, but this is one of those meals that means it when it says "serves 2." Some you can stretch into a 3rd serving - this one, you can't. On the side I opened a can of collard greens - an Aldi house brand I'd never tried before. The verdict: OK, but not worth the .20 - .30 savings over Margaret Holmes brand. Rounding out the meal were a couple of Sister Shubert's individual heat n' serve yeast rolls.

Saturday Totals:

$1.99 - Sadler BBQ pork entree w/ cheddar mash
.69 - collard greens
.35 - rolls

$3.03 for dinner for 2

Friday Dinner

2010-02-19T21:27:00.002-05:00

Leftover baked spaghetti tonight (free), along with a box of garlic-cheese breadsticks I picked up BOGO + double coupon for 95 cents.

Thursday Dinner

2010-02-19T21:14:00.002-05:00

I've been shopping Harris Teeter's Super Double Coupons every day this week. (Due to their limit of 20 per day, because I keep finding new online coupons to print, and because they've been out of items.) Anyway, that's also given me lots of opportunities to scour the meat department for markdowns and I've made some great finds. (And missed out on some, too. I saw a woman with her cart filled with yellow-stickered lamb shoulder roasts and ground lamb, but when I got back to the department I found she'd cleaned them out.) Thursday night we had one of those great markdown deals when I made steak fajitas with skirt steak marked more than 50% off.

To marinate the mean, I used a packet of McCormick Mesquite BBQ marinade (just add cider vinegar and oil) that I've had for just about forever. (Way back when, it was also an almost-free deal after triple coupons.) After marinating the whole steak for several hours, I grilled it on the George Foreman for about 4 minutes, then let rest for another 5 before slicing thinly against the grain. I served on heated flour tortillas with carmelized onions and roasted red peppers (from a jar, because it was what I had on hand). We passed salsa, sour cream (free after double coupons), shredded cheese and guacamole (free after double coupons) at the table. I had thought I had a can of refried beans in the pantry, but couldn't find it so I was left scrambling for a side dish. We ended up with just tortilla chips (.50 a bag after double coupons) and salsa.

Totals:

$2.25 - skirt steak
.15 - marinade
.50 - onions & peppers
.80 - tortillas
.50 - cheese
.20 - chips

$4.40 for dinner for 4 (sister joined us)

Wednesday Dinner

2010-02-19T20:58:00.002-05:00

I don't abstain from meat for (Ash Wednesday and Fridays in) Lent, but other family members do, so I'll be cooking with them in mind during the season. Being Ash Wednesday, I planned in advance to serve fish. (And joked with my sister about it all week. I just typed the whole thing out then deleted it because it didn't translate into funny. I guess you had to be there.)

Harris Teeter recently had Gorton's Grilled Fillets BOGO and I had several coupons for them besides. It's HT's weird policy to only allow 1 coupon when buying 2 BOGO items (even though they ring up half price each, not 1 full price and 1 free). Some stores really enforce this, others don't. But since I saw on the shelf tag that the sale was good for 2 weeks, I just bought 1 box each on 2 separate trips and used a coupon each time. The end price was $2.25 for 2 boxes, 4 fillets total. Now I'm a little freaked out by the perfectly (unnaturally) square fish, but it's my understanding that's just the way it's cut (as opposed to being a "fish cake" of fish and by-products compressed together into that shape). At any rate, I've had many of the varieties of this product over the years (lemon, grilled, blackened, etc.) and I've always liked the flavor.

This one was no exception - we had the Signature Grilled Tilapia and it was very good. On the side I made steamed white rice, hollandaise (from a mix), and roasted fresh asparagus. Saints be praised, it's almost asparagus season! The regular prices are still high unless there's a sale (Lowe's Food had it $1.49/lb last week), but the quality is definitely that of in-season (tender, mild, sweet) as opposed to off-season (tough, strong, bitter). 99 cent a pound is just around the corner!

Wednesday Totals:

$2.25 - grilled tilapia
.20 - rice
$1.49 - asparagus
$1.50 - hollandaise mix + 1/2 stick butter

$5.44 for dinner for 4

Tuesday Dinner

2010-02-19T20:51:00.002-05:00

As I've mentioned before, Tuesday is one of my busier days. That's where my stockpiling comes in handy, because I have quick meals ready to go without any thought or effort. (I avoid making "Express Lane" dinner runs like the plague.) Tonight's dinner was good but nothing special - just baked spaghetti (pasta & jarred sauce, topped with cheese) and frozen garlic bread.

Tuesday Totals:

$1 - spaghetti
.66 - jar of Ragu (purchased during sale + triple coupons)
$1.50 - shredded mozzarella
$1 - frozen garlic bread (double coupons)

$4.16 for dinner for 4 (sister joined us) plus 4+ servings spaghetti left over

Monday Dinner

2010-02-15T20:05:00.002-05:00

Honey-Soy Glazed Pork Chops, Corn-Edamame Succotash, Yeast Roll

Here's my recipe for the easiest, most awesome glaze for pork ever. Ready? 3 parts soy sauce, 2 parts honey, 1 part balsamic vinegar. That's it. Seriously. The end result is so much more flavorful, rich and complex than you'd expect from 3 simple ingredients. (I use Tablespoons to make the sauce, which makes the perfect amount for 4 chops, but you can make as much or as little as you need as long as you keep the proportions the same.)

I brined the boneless chops in much the same way that I brine a turkey. I used most of the same ingredients, but I did it for a much shorter amount of time. (About 1/4 cup each Kosher salt and brown sugar, 1 t. black peppercorns and 1 bay leaf in 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then cool down with 3 - 4 cups of ice cubes. Strain into a large ziploc bag w/ chops and let brine for 4 hours.) Then I patted the chops dry and seared them in a hot pan with a little oil, cooking for about 4 minutes on each side before pouring on the glaze. I cooked for another minute or two, then served.

On the side I served yeast rolls (frozen, packaged, on sale), and Corn-Edamame Succotash - a recipe from Smithfield. One important note - I didn't have fresh thyme but substituted dried instead. Next time, I'll leave the herbage out of the succotash altogether. I thought it was overpowering and not a good compliment to the rest of the flavors. It almost ruined the dish for me. As it was, I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as (I suspect) I would have without it.

Totals:

$3.45 - boneless center-cut pork chops (Aldi)
$1.70 - corn and edamame (1 frozen bag of each after BOGO + coupon)
.40 - rolls (BOGO + double coupon)
.50 - remaining ingredients

$6.05 for dinner for 4 (sister joined us)

Wednesday & Thursday Dinners

2010-02-12T13:43:00.002-05:00

Salmon-Potato Cakes over fresh spinach
homemade honey-wheat bread

I make this dish more often in warm weather, but I had a taste for it this week.

Salmon-Potato Cakes

1 can salmon, drained, skin & large bones removed, flaked
2 - 3 cups cold prepared mashed potatoes (can use leftover homemade or instant from a mix)
1 egg
Garlic salt, pepper, dill, celery seed to taste
bread crumbs
oil for frying

Combine salmon, mashed potatoes, egg and seasonings and mix well. Form into patties and coat in breadcrumbs. Cook in about 1/8th inch oil in hot skillet about 3 minutes per side, or until browned and crispy. Don't over-crowd pan - cook in batches, adding more oil to pan between batches if necessary.

To serve, place 2 - 3 cakes over fresh greens and drizzle with salad dressing of your choice. We really like Kraft Tangy Tomato-Bacon on this, but honey mustard is also quite good.

Note: Flavored instant mashed potatoes, such as roasted garlic or sour cream & chives, work well in this recipe. If using instant, decrease amount of water called for in directions by about 1/4 cup. But make sure the potatoes are cold and stiff - the cakes won't hold together if potatoes are hot and fluffy.

Wednesday Totals:

$2 - can salmon
$1 - 1/2 bag spinach
free - packet instant garlic mashed potatoes (free after triple coupons)
$1 - remaining ingredients (including ingredients for bread machine loaf)

$4 - dinner for 4 (sister joined us), plus 1/2 loaf bread left over

__________

I read in one of those "quickie dinner" articles that a great shortcut broccoli & cheese soup could be made by combining canned cream of potato soup, milk, frozen broccoli and shredded cheese. I was pressed for time last night, so I thought I'd give it a try. The verdict: they lied. It was edible, but nothing I'd make again. My homemade broccoli-cheese soup still reigns supreme. (I think it might have been better if I'd used just plain ol' Campbell's cream of potato soup, which I like. Instead, I used their fancier Select Harvest potato w/ roasted garlic. I tasted the soup out of the can and didn't like it then, so that should have given me an indication that I wouldn't like the final version.)

On the side we had grilled turkey- pepperjack sandwiches on the last of the homemade wheat bread. The soup may have sucked, but these rocked.

Thursday Totals:

$1.45 - 2 cans Select Harvest potato w/ roasted garlic soup (BOGO + double coupon)
.50 - bag frozen broccoli (BOGO + double coupon)
.75 - 1/2 bag shredded cheddar
free - wheat bread (accounted for last night)
$1 - smoked turkey lunchmeat
.40 - pepperjack cheese

$4.10 for dinner for 3, with lots of soup leftover (oh joy)

__________

I'm out of town this weekend, but should be back in the kitchen by Sunday or Monday.

Monday & Tuesday Dinners

2010-02-09T22:58:00.002-05:00

Turkey Fajitas

It was a busy weekend for us filled with a concert and Super Bowl parties, but I was back in the kitchen Monday.

Last fall I ran across a great markdown deal on Tequila-Lime marinated turkey tenderloins ($1.25 apiece), so I bought all they had. I roasted one whole in the oven (according to package directions) and it was just so-so. We ate it, but nobody was really looking forward to having it again. Consequently, the rest have been sitting in my freezer, waiting for me to figure out something better to do with them.

I decided to try them in fajitas, so here's what I did: I cut the marinated turkey into 1" cubes and sliced a yellow onion into strips. I sauteed them both together in about 1T oil using a nonstick pan over high heat. I was able to get a nice brown/sear on the meat, which I think made a big difference in the taste. I served in heated flour tortillas with black beans, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, and guacamole. (Wholly Guacamole - from the produce section - frequently offers $1 off coupons, making the 8 oz. package free when Harris Teeter has super doubles. It freezes well unopened, so I stock up when this happens.)

The verdict: all the rest of the Tequila-Lime Turkey Tenderloins in my freezer are now destined to become fajitas. This was a really good meal, and didn't taste at all like something I was trying to use up.

Monday Totals:

$1.25 - turkey tenderloin
.20 - onion
.80 - black beans
.70 - tortillas
.55 - 1/2 package shredded cheese (BOGO sale + coupon)
free - guacamole

$3.50 for dinner for 4 (sister joined us), with leftover turkey & black beans for a lunch serving

__________

Tuesday was a busy day for me, shopping and running errands in the cold rain. I didn't get home until late and I wasn't in much of a cooking mood. Good thing I had several heat n' serve dinner options, so I was able to get dinner on the table in about 15 minutes. As a bonus, the only dishes I had to wash were the plates we ate from.

Tuesday Totals:

$3 - Hormel meat loaf (rain check + coupon)
.80 - Birdseye steam-in-the-bag broccoli & cheese (BOGO + doubled coupon)
free - Birdseye steam-in-the-bag red potatoes in butter-chive sauce (eVic special for .99, but .50 doubled coupon made it free)

$3.80 for dinner for 3

NOTE: I wouldn't get the Birdseye potatoes again. They were simultaneously mushy and undercooked, and the sauce was just weird. We all ate 2 bites then left the rest on our plates. I even threw out the leftovers, and I ALWAYS save leftovers, y'all. Oh well, good thing it was free.

Weeknight Dinners

2010-02-05T19:19:00.003-05:00

Spaghetti Bolognese

My quest for the perfect Bolognese sauce continues. Yesterday I spent the better part of the day making this version from Emeril Lagasse, which I served over spaghetti, with garlic breadsticks on the side. Verdict: very good, but something is still eluding me. Many years ago I had what I consider to be the best Bolognese sauce I ever tasted at Olive Garden, of all places. They took it off the menu soon after and it stayed gone for several years. When it came back, it wasn't the same sauce at all - I know, because I tried it and also made the recipe they now post on their website. So I'll keep looking and trying various recipes, although not too often because it's a pricey - not to mention labor-intensive - dish.

It's a dish with a long list of ingredients that I'm not going to price out one by one, but I estimate the pot cost me about $7 with bought-on-sale ingredients like eVic ground chuck and B2G3 free bacon. At full price, it probably would have been $12 - $14. At least it makes a lot - I was able to serve 4, send a plastic container home with my sister, and still have another 4 - 6 servings left over.

___________

Tonight I tried a new-to-me Trader Joe's dish - Saucy Scallops with Peas and Mushrooms. It's exactly what it sounds like - frozen scallops, peas and sliced mushrooms in a creamy cheese sauce. I served it over rice, with a loaf of Trader Joe's beer bread (from mix) on the side. The verdict: as always, the beer bread stole the show. But in this case, it wasn't difficult. The scallop dish was bland and blah. We ate it, but it was nothing special and I won't be buying it again.

Totals:

$4.99 - scallop dish
$3 - beer bread ($1.99 mix + beer & butter)
.20 - rice

$8.19 for dinner for 4 (sister joined us), plus 1/2 loaf beer bread left over

__________________

Note: I didn't post about Wednesday's dinner because it was a freebie - we ate a late lunch out and nobody was terribly hungry, so we picked at leftovers.

Monday & Tuesday Dinners

2010-02-03T10:51:00.002-05:00

Mexican Lasagna

While poking around the kitchen on Monday, trying to decide what to cook for dinner, I realized I had all the ingredients for Mexican Lasagna. This is one of my oldest recipes. It started out as something I tore out of a magazine, but then I lost the clipping and had to re-create it from memory. I've been making it "my" way for 10 years or more, to the point where I can do it with my eyes closed. It's also my go-to dish when I need to send a meal over to a neighbor or friend (death, illness, new baby, etc.) or bring to a potluck. I'm always, always, always asked for the recipe.

GSO Foodie's Mexican Lasagna

1 lb. ground turkey
1 15 oz. can corn, drained
1 t. chili powder
1 16 oz. can tomato sauce
1 16 oz. jar mild salsa (or 2 cups)
9 uncooked lasagna noodles (about 1/2 box)
1 8 oz. package shredded Cheddar or Mexican Blend cheese

Brown turkey, drain fat if necessary (I never need to). Add corn, chili powder, tomato sauce and salsa, and cook, stirring frequently, until hot and bubbly.

Pour about 1/2 cup into bottom of 9 x 13 baking pan, just enough to coat the bottom. Place 3 lasagna noodles on top, making sure they don't touch each other or the sides of the pan. You will think there's way too much room around them, but that's OK. Spoon over 1/3 of remaining sauce (make sure noodles are completely covered with sauce) then sprinkle on 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat layers 2 more times, ending with cheese on top. Cover baking dish tightly with a large piece of foil that you've sprayed on the underside with nonstick cooking spray (so the cheese won't stick). Bake at 350 for 1 hour, then remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes more. (Run it under the broiler for a minute or two if you like a crispy top.) Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting into squares. Pass sour cream at the table.

This dish isn't as rich or heavy as traditional lasagna, so you'll probably get 6 - 8 generous servings from a pan. It's even better reheated the next day.

Monday totals:

$1.19 - ground turkey (from Aldi)
.33 - can corn (HT 3/$1 sale)
.75 - 1/2 box lasagna noodles
.40 - tomato sauce (8 oz. cans 5/$1 at HT)
$1.26 - 2/3 of 24 oz. jar of salsa from Aldi
$1.10 - bag Sargento shredded cheese (BOGO + $1 coupon from HT)

$5.03 for a full pan of lasagna (Served 4 at dinner because sister joined us, with lots of leftovers for lunch)

NOTE: You don't have to spend more on "no boil" lasagna noodles because you don't have to boil ANY of them if you follow the steps I laid out. They'll cook perfectly in the liquid from the sauce and the steam it creates.

NOTE #2: Ground turkey sold in frozen chubs (plastic tubes) is usually much cheaper than fresh in the meat case. Aldi and Walmart both sell it this way, for under $1.50/lb.

NOTE #3: Never use aluminum foil to store tomato dishes. The acid in the tomato sauce can eat right through the foil after a few days.

__________

Tuesday I just heated up a bag of Trader Joe's BBQ Teriyaki Chicken, steamed some white rice, and made a steam-in-the-microwave bag of edamame.

Tuesday Totals:

$4.99 - Teriyaki chicken
.20 - white rice
.60 - edamame (BOGO + doubled coupon)

$5.79 for dinner for 3

Sunday Dinner

2010-02-01T17:37:00.003-05:00

Gnocchi with Bacon, Mushrooms, Peas and Gorgonzola

Finally, I have a decent dinner photo to post. This dish is an offshoot of one I usually make when I have leftover ham. In fact, I bought the gnocchi on a Trader Joe's shopping trip before the holidays, anticipating having leftover ham from Christmas dinner. Long story short, I didn't. But I thought I'd be able to make a similar dish with bacon instead, so that's what I tried.

I started out by dicing 4 slices of bacon and setting them to brown in my large skillet. When they were about halfway cooked, I threw in 1/2 of a large shallot, diced, that was leftover from a meal last week. After cooking for a few more minutes, I spooned out the excess fat, then added 8 oz. of sliced mushrooms (also leftover from a dinner last week).

As the bacon/shallot/mushroom mixture was cooking, I was also boiling water for my gnocchi. Unfortunately, everything sort of came to a head all at once and the bacon/shallot/mushroom mixture ended up a little overcooked and dry. I salvaged it by adding a splash of chicken broth to moisten it back up before tossing in my drained, cooked gnocchi. (That's why the pasta-potato dumplings have such a browned color.) I poured in 1/2 a bag of frozen peas and heated through. To finish, I seasoned to taste with salt & pepper, then sprinkled over about 1 oz. gorgonzola cheese crumbles. The cheese got all melted and creamy, and almost gave the dish a saucy consistency.

Next time, I'll try to time things a little better (and use lower heat under my bacon & shallot mixture), but I can't complain about the results at all. Delish!

Totals:

$1.99 - gnocchi
.50 - 1/2 package frozen peas
$1.49 - mushrooms
$1 - bacon, cheese, shallot

$4.98 for dinner for 3

Another Dessert

2010-02-01T17:33:00.002-05:00

I'd post a photo of the fabulous dessert I made over the weekend, but it was gone in the blink of an eye. The recipe contains a photo, though, so you'll see one on that site.

Decadent Peanut Butter Pie

This is a definite keeper - so rich and delicious, but quick, easy and relatively inexpensive.

Saturday Dinner

2010-01-30T20:08:00.002-05:00

Tonight I made Slow Cooker Sweet & Spice Asian Pork from this month's issue of Real Simple magazine. I would have taken a photo to post with the entry, but we were so hungry that we wolfed it down before I got a chance to break out my camera. That should tell you how good it was.

I always make a few changes to recipes, and this was no exception. I found that the original recipe didn't make enough sauce to cover the meat, so I doubled the sauce ingredients (soy sauce, brown sugar, chili-garlic sauce, grated ginger). Also, my slow-cooker just doesn't get hot enough, so when the meat was done I transferred everything to a skillet and cranked the heat to high to reduce the sauce to a thick, syrupy consistency. Then I added the bok choy and simmered for a few minutes until it was tender. I also doubled the amount of rice. The end result served 5 people, with seconds.

This recipe was a definite keeper.

Totals:

$2.07 - pork shoulder (BOGO at Lowes Foods - had my butcher cut a larger one in half)
$1.69 - bok choy
$1.50 - additional ingredients

$5.26 for dinner for 5 (sister and brother-in-law joined us)

Thursday Dinner

2010-01-28T19:13:00.003-05:00

Ain't they purty?

In case you couldn't figure out out from the photo, we had steak tonight - 2 thick, beautiful NY Strips (even though the markdown sticker mistakenly tagged them as ribeyes). Original price, $18.13 (for 1.65 lbs) - price after markdown, $5.27, which is roughly $3.19/lb. (Have I convinced you yet to always scan the Harris Teeter meat department for markdowns, even if you're just popping in for bread and milk?)

I marinated the steaks in Lawry's Signature Steakhouse marinade (on sale B2G3 free this week at HT), then threw them on the George Foreman until they were perfectly medium-rare. On the side I sauteed a thinly sliced onion and 8oz sliced mushrooms (also on sale this week at HT) in a little butter, then added in garlic salt, Smokehouse pepper, and a few dashes of Worschestershire. I also cooked a package of Knorr/Lipton Pasta Alfredo.

The steak was so tender you could cut it with a butter knife, the mushrooms & onions mixture was caramelized to perfection, and the pasta alfredo was surprisingly light (which is one reason I serve the mix instead of the "real deal").

I just love it when an ordinary weeknight dinner feels like a celebration.

Totals:

$5.27 - NY Strips
.40 - marinade (about 1/3 bottle)
$1.49 - mushrooms
.05 - pasta side dish (BOGO sale + triple coupon)
.40 - additional ingredients (butter, milk, onion, etc.)

$7.61 for a steak dinner for 3 (try finding a restaurant steak dinner for 1 for this price without using a time machine)

Wednesday Deals

2010-01-27T17:04:00.002-05:00

I know I haven't written about Wednesday deals in awhile. Frankly, I've been on the fence about posting them at all. On one hand, I'm able to cook the way I cook, on my budget, specifically because I shop Triad-area grocery stores for sales and deals. But on the other hand, there are so many sites for grocery sales, listing each and every deal and coupon that's out there. I can't compete with that and I shouldn't even try. So, from now on, I'll just write about the sales & deals that interest me because, ultimately, that's what I'm going to end up buying, cooking and blogging about in future dinner posts.

I should mention that I already did my Harris Teeter shopping today and found some fantastic meat markdowns on steak, so be sure to watch for those yellow stickers!

Harris Teeter Flier

eVic special:
2 lb chub ground chuck, $2.97 (limit 1 per VIC card household)

Other deals:
Large white eggs, .99/dozen (limit 2)
Fresh whole mushrooms, $2.97/lb

Buy 2, Get 3 free
Lawry's Marinade (I love keeping these on hand)

BOGO
Arnold or Thomas Bagel or Sandwich Thins (we love these for lunches)
Birdseye Steamfresh Meals for 2 (recent $1.50 coupon makes these $2.50/bag)
Breakstone 16 oz. sour cream (free when .55 coupon from last Sunday's paper doubles)
Blue Bunny Ice Cream
Cantaloupe
Whole Pineapple
Chex Mix (recent coupons for .50 off 2 will double)

Lowes Foods Flier

3-Day-Sale (Friday, Saturday and Sunday)
8 lb bag Russet Potatoes - $1.99
Kelloggs Frosted Flakes - $1.38 (look for recent coupons)
Blue Bunny Ice Cream - $1.99
Ore-Ida frozen potatoes - $1.88

Regular (all week) Sale items
Split bone-in chicken breasts - .99/lb

Food Lion Flier

I don't see anything to bring me in this week.

Tuesday Dinner

2010-01-27T16:19:00.002-05:00

I took photos of last night's dinner but they came out dark and unappealing, so I scrapped them. (I really like the idea of adding photos to the blog when I can, but the Foodie is not a photographer, y'all.)

Last night was strictly a heat 'n serve dinner. I wrote awhile back about Voila bag-to-skillet dinners on sale BOGO at Harris Teeter. (This is a product that goes on sale frequently.) In addition to the sale, I had a coupon, which brought the price to $3.65 for 2 bags. Some varieties are enough to serve my family of 3 with one bag, but our favorite flavor (Beef and Broccoli) is not. We need 2 bags of this to serve 3, although we usually have a little left over. We all really love this variety; I just wish the rice was packaged separately because it gets a little mushy, and the whole thing a big soupy, when heated with the meat, veggies and sauce.

On the side I served a recent Trader Joe's purchase - Mini Chicken-Cilantro Wontons. These come frozen, in a bag, and only require a little pan-frying/steaming. (First you stir-fry in a little oil, then add a bit of water to finish the cooking.) I followed the recipe on the back of the bag and whipped up a little dipping sauce with soy sauce, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar and sesame oil. They were absolutely delicious and an item I'll be putting on my "must buy" list for future visits.

The result: a dinner that, while it doesn't rival Chinese take-out, sure fulfills the craving. A bit more expensive than my goal (to average no more than $5 per meal), but worth the small splurge.

totals:

$3.65 - 2 bags Birdseye Voila Beef & Broccoli
$2.99 - Trader Joe's Chicken Cilantro Wontons

$6.64 for dinner for 3 (with 1 small serving Beef & Broccoli left over)

Monday Dinner

2010-01-26T11:45:00.002-05:00

Lobster Ravioli with white wine cream sauce, Romaine salad

The other day I mentioned that I don't pay much attention to the gourmet chicken sausages in the meat case because they're too expensive. Well, the same holds true of the fresh pastas in the dairy case. If I were only feeding 2 people, they'd be a reasonable splurge from time to time. But since I have to buy 2 packages to feed my family of 3, it never seems like a good value. (To me, a pasta dinner should always be less expensive than serving meat.)

A few weeks ago, I was looking at something next to the fresh pastas, and noticed a few packages had peel-off coupons for .75 off. I took one, thinking it might come in handy if the pasta were ever on sale. Lo and behold, it went on sale last week (making me wish I'd snagged 2 coupons, because there were no more to be found). The normal price of the pasta was $3.99 per package, but they were BOGO last week. After the .75 coupon doubled (this was Harris Teeter, after all), the price for 2 packages sunk to $2.49. Perfect! But now what to do with them?

I hunted around on the internet and quickly found the general consensus was to pair lobster ravioli with a light cream sauce. (Everyone seemed to be in agreement that ready-made sauces, especially tomato-based, were too heavy and overpowering.) So while the water was heating for the pasta, I whipped up a quick white-wine cream sauce. I sauteed 1/2 a large shallot in a pat of butter until softened and translucent, then added in about 1/2 cup white wine. I let the alcohol cook off for a few minutes, then added about 1/2 cup heavy cream. Once that had reduced and thickened over medium heat (about 3 minutes), I added salt & pepper to taste, then folded in the cooked and drained ravioli.

I knew the dish would need a green of some sort, but I couldn't come up with an appropriate accompaniment in my head. Asparagus? Perfect, but too expensive - not to mention bitter - this time of year. Artichokes? Yum, but too time-consuming for a Monday night (also hella pricey). Broccoli, or any veggies from the cruciferous family have too strong of a flavor. And so forth, until a simple salad of dressed romaine (which I already had on hand) seemed the only solution. So I whipped up a quick salad dressing of 1 T. diijon mustard, whisked together with about 2 T. balsamic vinegar (bought in a $3 jug on my last trip to Trader Joe's), and about 3 T. olive-canola oil blend, plus salt & pepper to taste. I drizzled this over my greens and gently tossed, and that was my side dish.

The verdict? I would have rather had meat. Oh it was very tasty (especially the dressing on the greens, which was the perfect counterbalance to the richness of the entree), but it just wasn't substantial enough for a work and school night dinner. The Kid loved it, and finished off the meager leftovers later in the evening, but that just goes to show that nobody was really satisfied. We all went snack-hunting in the kitchen within a few hours of dinner.

I'd make this exact dish again for a first course if I were the sort of person who had dinner parties served in courses. But I'm not. So I'll probably go back to ignoring the fancy fresh pastas in the dairy case.

Totals:

$2.49 - lobster ravioli
$1 - ingredients for sauce
$1 - romaine
.25 - ingredients for dressing

$4.74 for dinner for 3

NOTE: It doesn't happen often, but Harris Teeter sometimes has a regular, everyday price on an item that is lower than WalMart. Shallots are sold loose, in bulk, for $3.99/lb at HT - one large shallot cost me 75 cents. WalMart, on the other had, only sold shallots that were pre-packaged in little mesh bags (like the onions). A 4 oz. bag was $2.29, which works out to $9.16/lb. It pays to compare.

Weekend Dinners + Dessert

2010-01-24T20:46:00.003-05:00

Sauteed Bananas with Tangy Sweet Cream

Dinners this weekend were nothing special. Saturday night we ate out, and tonight the adults split a Palermo's Rustic frozen pizza because The Kid had youth group. (The Palermo's pizzas were BOGO the same week Harris Teeter had Super Double Coupons. The price worked out between $1.60 - $1.75 apiece, which is a fabulous price for an upscale, all-natural frozen pizza. So, needless to say, my freezer is full of them.)

Now let's get on to the good stuff - DESSERT!

I made this last weekend and it was so good I couldn't wait to make it again. The tangy sweet cream is especially wonderful - it would lend itself beautifully to other desserts, but is so delicious that I could eat it all on its own. (The Kid thought so, too, and snatched spoonfuls whenever I wasn't watching.) It's really a great budget-minded dish, because it starts with sour cream, which is cheaper than heavy cream. There are also frequent coupons for sour cream - I think this was less than 1/2 the shelf price after doubled coupons at Harris Teeter. Plus it keeps well, unlike whipped cream, which will deflate and "melt" eventually. The rest of the ingredients - brown sugar, cinnamon, oranges and bananas - are all things I already have and/or regularly buy anyway, making this a perfect "any night" dessert.

So after The Kid got home from youth group, I whipped this up and we had a nice dessert together as a family. Total cost was under $2 and it took me all of 15 minutes. Win!

NOTE: Since this was the second time I've made this dish I didn't really measure, but I estimate that I doubled the ingredients for the Tangy Sweet Cream. It's so good we all wanted an extra big serving this time.

Friday Dinner

2010-01-22T18:54:00.003-05:00

Teriyaki-Ginger Chicken Sausage with Pineapple, Rice, Stir-Fried Cabbage

I don't normally pay much attention to the gourmet chicken sausages because, at $4.99 - $5.99 per package, I think they're just too pricey. But during Harris Teeter Super Double Coupons week, I came across a good sale ($3) combined with a good coupon ($1 x double = $2 off) that brought them down to $1 a package. The sale price was good only on one specific variety, the Al Fresco brand Teriyaki-Ginger flavor, so that's what I got. I had no idea what to do with it, but the package gave some suggestions in that area, too. So tonight I sliced them up and threw them in a pan with a thinly sliced onion and sauteed for a few minutes, then added in about 1/2 can of pineapple tidbits and a little of their juice. For a side dish (and in another pan) I stir-fried half a head of shredded cabbage in a little oil, then added in soy sauce and a drizzle of sesame oil. I served the whole thing up with plain white rice.

The verdict: 2 out of 3 diners at the Foodie's house loved it. I was the fence-sitter on this one. I thought it was OK, but nothing special. For one thing, the sausage-pineapple dish was very pale and uninteresting. If someone else were going to make this dish for their family, I would recommend adding sliced green or red peppers for color. A little extra Teriyakki sauce wouldn't hurt, either. Now the stir-fried cabbage was another matter - we all loved that, even The Kid, who usually isn't a big fan of cooked cabbage. The cabbage was really just an afterthought, since it was at the use-it-or-toss-it stage. So I'm well-pleased with those results.

Totals:

$1 - Al Fresco brand Teriyaki-Ginger chicken sausage
.50 - 1/2 can pineapple chunks
.20 - 1 onion
.20 - white rice
.70 - 1/2 head cabbage

$2.60 for dinner for 3, with 1 large serving of everything left over

Thursday Dinner

2010-01-21T19:01:00.002-05:00

French Dip Sandwiches, Ceasar Salad

The above title is pretty self-explanatory. I split small bakery rolls (called "Brat Buns") and topped with roast beef and sliced baby Swiss cheese, then baked them at 350 for 10 minutes. They were small, so everybody had 2 (a whole package of each of buns and roast beef, plus 3/4 package of Swiss). For dipping, I made a packet of au jus gravy. A Ceasar salad (romaine, Wish-Bone brand Ceasar dressing, parmesan cheese and croutons) completed the meal.

Totals:

$2 - buns
$1.80 - roast beef (HT B2G3 free sale on deli meats & cheeses)
$1.35 - Swiss cheese (same as above)
.50 - gravy packet
$1 - 1/2 package romaine lettuce
free - croutons (sale + double coupons)
free - dressing (sale + triple coupons)

$5.65 for dinner for 3

Wednesday Dinner

2010-01-20T20:54:00.003-05:00

I wasn't much in the mood for cooking tonight. I didn't have a particularly busy day so I have no excuse other than I just didn't feel like it. But thanks to recent sales and super double coupons, my fridge, freezer and pantry are extraordinarily well stocked with heat n' eat type meals right now.

The entree was a ready-to-serve Jack Daniel's BBQ Beef Brisket. As I mentioned the other week, I had a raincheck for another brand of heat n' serve entrees that Harris Teeter discontinued, so they honored the raincheck on any brand in stock. This is one of the entrees that I chose and it was entirely new to us; we'd never tried this brand before. The reviews were mixed. One of us loved it, one of us merely liked it, and one of us got a particularly black-peppery piece and coughed and choked through the rest of dinner. So take that for what it's worth and be warned if you decide to try this brand.

On the side we had a package of buttered noodles from Lipton/Knorr. It's not that I can't boil noodles and add butter and parsley myself - y'all know that's not the issue. But this is a product that puts out frequent coupons. Also, and I'm not at all sure why this happens, but it always seems to be on sale BOGO during Harris Teeter triple coupons weeks. At that point it's either free or .04 - .07 per package, and y'all know I just can't pass that up. It's like a sickness. (grin)

Rounding out the meal was plain ol' canned corn, heated with butter, salt and pepper. I probably should have served something green, but I wasn't crazy about the choices I had in the house. Besides, something about BBQ cries out for corn to me.

Totals:

$3 - beef brisket (after rain check + super double coupons)
.05 - Knorr/Lipton buttered noodles side dish
.33 - canned corn (HT brand 3/$1 sale awhile back)

$3.38 for dinner for 3, with another serving of everything left over

Tuesday Dinner

2010-01-20T20:46:00.002-05:00

Are you signed up as an eVic customer at Harristeeter.com? Basically this means that you've linked you VIC card to your email address so that you can receive their weekly flier by email. In exchange for doing this, you're eligible for a different special each week, and sometimes several specials.

I mention this because one of last week's specials was a package of Hillshire Farms link sausages (assorted varieties) for $2. That's a great price on a product that's usually in the $3.50 range. I chose Beer Bratwurst, and pan-fried them until well-browned. I served them on potato rolls with heated sauerkraut and spicy mustard. On the side we had oven fries.

Totals:

$2 - bratwurst
$2 - buns
$1 - 1/2 bag fries
free - leftover sauerkraut (this stuff has been in my fridge for longer than I care to admit. Luckily it's already pickled/preserved.)

$5 for dinner for 4 (sister joined us), with 2 brats and 4 buns left over

Monday Dinner

2010-01-18T21:10:00.003-05:00

Citrus Shrimp with Rice and Sesame Broccoli

Citrus Shrimp has become one of my go-to recipes; it's easy, it's delicious and it's always a crowd pleaser. The plain white rice and sesame broccoli are the perfect accompaniments, so I don't mess with the formula for success.

I normally make it with just 1 lb of shrimp, but my sister was joining us tonight. Also, my freezer is so packed I really wanted to use the full 2 lb. bag instead of putting half a bag back. So the per-meal cost is a bit higher than usual, but there are leftovers for 2 lunch servings of shrimp, rice & sauce (a good thing since The Kid is out of school tomorrow).

Totals:

$5.98 - shrimp (pre-holiday Buy 1, Get 2 free sale on raw EZ peel shrimp from HT)
.85 - broccoli (steam-in-bag after BOGO + doubled coupon)
$1 - additional ingredients

$7.83 for dinner for 4, plus 2 lunch servings

Sunday Dinner

2010-01-18T21:07:00.002-05:00

We split a frozen pizza for Sunday dinner because The Kid had youth group and I didn't feel like cooking for just the 2 of us. (Besides, I got such a great deal on the pizzas during HT super double coupons that I have a freezer full of 'em.)

Total: $1.69 for dinner for 2 (pizzas were BOGO, and I used a $1 coupon on each, which doubled)

Weekend Dinners

2010-01-16T22:19:00.003-05:00

Remember last week when I had dry grilled chicken? Well, the leftovers got pushed to the back of the fridge and forgotten until I found them again yesterday. It was still OK to eat and I was loathe to throw out that much meat, so I decided to try to salvage it. To "fix" the chicken, I diced it up and threw it in a pan in which I'd just cooked a little bacon. (The fat was drained but the pan wasn't wiped out.) I sauteed the chicken for about 2 minutes, then added just a splash of chicken broth and cooked for another minute or so until it was absorbed. The result - moist, tender and juicy chunks of chicken that tasted better than the first night I cooked it. I used these to make spinach salads, also topped with crumbled bacon, gorgonzola cheese and dried cranberries. On the side we finished off the rest of the Trader Joe's beer bread and everyone had their salad dressing of choice. It was a wonderful meal, even though everyone was hungry again around 10pm last night. Oh well, lucky for us a friend gave us a big Hickory Farms box for Christmas, so we noshed on cheese, summer sausage and mustard.

Totals:

$1 - 1/2 bag of spinach (from Aldi)
$1 - gorgonzola, cranberries, bacon, dressing
free - leftover chicken and beer bread (accounted for in other meals)

$2 for dinner for 3

__________

Dinner tonight was one of the best I've made in a long time. I used one old favorite recipe, and made a new one that turned out to be a definite keeper.

Quick story, though: I needed diced tomatoes for my recipe and I was out. I usually get them at WalMart or Aldi, where they're .44 - .50 for a 14 oz. can. But tonight I ran to Harris Teeter because that's the closest supermarket. The cheapest canned tomatoes they carried were Harris Teeter house brand, at $1.19 per can. I would have been really angry at having to pay more than twice as much for the same product, but I noticed they had a national brand (Furmano's) on sale for $1.50 for the big 28 oz can. Just shows how much the price can vary between stores, and also that it pays to look at value rather than cost. (I ended up using the whole can in my recipe and I really liked the extra tomatoes.)

Here's the original recipe for our dinner:

Creamy Rice, Spinach and Chicken Dinner

Now I always tweak recipes according to my needs, so here's how I did mine:

Started with about 1.5 lbs boneless chicken thighs, and sauteed them in about 1/4 cup Kraft Sundried Tomato dressing. When chicken thighs were well browned and cooked through (about 15 minutes), I removed them from the pan and set aside. I added in another 1/4 cup of dressing, 2 cups instant rice, the whole 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes (undrained) and about 1 cup chicken broth. I brought to a boil, then reduced heat, covered, and simmered until rice was tender. Then I added in the fresh spinach leaves (about 1/2 a bag), covered and let wilt for 3 - 5 minutes. I stirred the spinach into the rice, then added 1/2 an 8 oz. package of cream cheese, cubed. I stirred the cream cheese until it melted into the rice and made everything creamy. Then I added the cooked chicken thighs back on top of the rice, covered and let stand for 5 minutes to reheat the chicken. This is one of our favorite dinners and always gets rave reviews (I've served it to company, too).

Dessert tonight was Sauteed Bananas with Tangy Sweet Cream, which was a recipe recently featured on Ten Dollar Dinners. This show airs on the Food Network on Sundays at 12:30pm and has quickly become one of my favorites. The host, Melissa d'Arabian, was my favorite contestant on The Next Food Network Star competition. I'm really pleased with the show the network has come up for her because the topic - good, homemade food on the cheap - is one that's near and dear to my heart. (FYI: The winner of the competition gets their own show for 6 episodes. After those 6 episodes, the network has fulfilled its obligation. Her show, however, was picked up for a full season after that - much to my delight, because I think she's just great.) I have every recipe from that episode bookmarked because they all looked so wonderful, but this is the first one I've gotten around to making. I give it 5 stars because it was simple, delicious and cheap - what more could you ask for?

Totals:

$3.50 - boneless chicken thighs (marked down from $5.50)
$1 - 1/2 bag of spinach
$1.50 - canned tomatoes
.30 - 1/2 package cream cheese (.59 package after super double coupons)
.50 - rice, dressing, chicken broth

$1.60 - bananas
.50 - remaining ingredients (sugar, butter, 1 orange, sour cream)

$8.90 for dinner & dessert for 4 (sister joined us) - with 1 large serving chicken & rice left over

Weeknight Dinners

2010-01-14T20:18:00.002-05:00

The Kid and I hit Trader Joe's in Chapel Hill on the way back from our weekend visit, so this week's dinners have relied heavily on the products we picked up.

Tuesday night was the big exception to the above, mainly because I had milk that I needed to use or toss because it was on the verge of souring. So I went to my old standby for that situation, which is homemade mac and cheese. My side dishes were canned Margaret Holmes brand collard greens (my favorite), and orange wedges. (Aldi has a great price on naval oranges this week, and $1.49 for a 4 lb. bag.)

Totals:

$3 - ingredients for mac & cheese
$1.20 - collards
.30 - oranges

$4.50 for dinner for 3 (with lots of mac & cheese left over - I've been having it for lunch every day)

__________

Wednesday was a busy day and I was out until just before dinner. I'd bought a bag-to-skillet entree at Trader Joe's that seemed like a quick dinner solution. It was called Chicken Chow Mein, but I've always understood Chow Mein to mean crunchy noodles and these were soft - more like Lo Mein. No matter, it was very good - chicken, noodles, broccoli, carrots, onions and red pepper, with a thick, slightly sweet soy-based sauce. My only complaint was the serving size. The package said it served 3, but I really think it was a dinner for 2. Luckily I had a side dish/starter to round it out, which was another great deal I got during HT's super doubles. Several varieties of Kashiki brand frozen Asian foods were on sale for $2.50 each, which brought them to .50 each after $1 coupons were doubled. I had more coupons than they had packages of egg rolls, so I literally cleared their shelves.

Totals:

$3.99 - Trader Joe's chicken chow mein
.50 - Kashiki frozen egg rolls (3 to a package)

$4.49 for dinner for 3

__________

Tonight I made a batch of beer bread from a Trader Joe's mix. Anything else I served was superfluous. OK, not really, but this bread is THAT good. I also pan-fried a vacuum-packed package of Trader Joe's Roast Beef hash. I made indents and cracked raw eggs into the hash, then covered and cooked until the eggs were set. Half a jar of chilled tropical fruit (also cheap after HT super double coupons) made a nice side dish.

Totals:

$3 - beer bread ($1.99 mix + beer & butter called for on package)
$1.99 - roast beef hash
$1 - 1/2 jar chilled fruit
.30 - eggs

$6.29 for dinner for 3, with 1/2 loaf bread left over

Recent Dinners

2010-01-11T22:15:00.002-05:00

The Kid and I were out of town visiting friends for the weekend, but I did cook last Thursday night and again tonight.

Thursday was another busy day, full of errands and super-double-coupons shopping, so I put together a strictly heat n' eat dinner that night. I know I've mentioned the value of Harris Teeter rainchecks in the past, and I have a perfect example of that to share. Back in 2008, Harris Teeter had a BOGO sale on a certain brand of refrigerated, heat n' serve entrees. They ran out, so I got a raincheck. Several months later, I noticed they were no longer carrying that brand so I asked the customer service manager about it. She said she'd honor the raincheck on any similar product that they carried. So, last week, I used my raincheck to get Hormel and Jack Daniel's heat n' serve entrees BOGO, even though they weren't on sale. Even better, I had $1 and $1.50 coupons for the Hormel entrees which were doubled. My total price after raincheck and coupons was $3 per entree, down from $7.49 - $7.99 each.

So Thursday's dinner consisted of a Hormel meatloaf, with pre-made, refrigerated mashed potatoes (bought with super double coupon) and green beans heated with a little chicken bullion (my trick for jazzing up canned green beans when I don't have the time or inclination to slow-cook Southern-style with fatback). The green beans were actually free because I agreed to take part in a survey about them. The company sent me a free can, I filled out a quick survey, and now they'll send me a check for $5. I guess I could say dinner was totally free because I recouped the $5 cost in the green beans, but that's going toward the "fun money" account, not the food budget.

Totals:

$3 - meatloaf
$2 - mashed potatoes
free - green beans

$5 for dinner for 3, with 1 full serving left over

__________

Monday I made grilled ham and brie sandwiches on crusty homemade bread (from the bread machine), and served them with leftover split pea soup.

Totals:

$1 - sliced ham
$1 - brie
.20 - homemade bread
free - split pea soup (accounted for in another meal)

$2.20 for dinner for 3, with plenty of bread left over

NOTE: Grilled ham & brie is awesome spread with a little apricot jam, but I didn't have any.

Tuesday & Wednesday Dinners

2010-01-06T20:11:00.004-05:00

Tuesday night I made my Fake-Out Lemon Broccoli Risotto along with boneless chicken breasts I marinated in olive oil, lemon juice and Cavender's Greek Seasoning. The risotto was awesome, as always, but the chicken was just OK. The chicken breasts were very thick and meaty, and I really should have pounded them before marinating. Since I didn't, they were really dried out by the time the thickest part was done. Also, the marinade just can't penetrate that far, so they were rather flavorless. They were also really too big for a single serving, so everyone just ate 1/2 their portion. So I have 3 bland, dry, half-chicken breasts in my fridge. I want to just throw them out, but the frugal part of my brain won't let me, so I'll see if I can salvage them in a salad or something.

Tuesday Totals:

chicken - $2.33
ingredients for risotto - $2

$4.33 for dinner for 3

Wednesday was a busy day for me that included getting caught up on my coupon clipping & sorting, because Harris Teeter has Super Double Coupons this week! I spent my afternoon shopping and I got some great deals, with lots of free and nearly free products. (Remember, super double coupons means that Harris Teeter will double all coupons with a face value of $1.98 or less, up to 20 per day. So search your stash for $1 and $1.50 off coupons for great deals.)

I knew I wouldn't be up for cooking when I got home (which was really late anyway), so we just had 2 Palermo Thin frozen pizzas, which are on sale BOGO at HT this week.

Totals:

$7.19 for dinner for 3 (2 frozen pizzas with leftovers for 1 lunch serving tomorrow)

Monday Dinner

2010-01-04T20:19:00.003-05:00

I'm still operating on the "too cold to go out if I don't have to" principle, so there's still not a whole lot of choices for dinner. Luckily, I still had the meaty hambone left over from the Christmas spiral ham, and I bought a bag of split peas on my last shopping trip.

Dinner tonight was Split Pea Soup with Ham, and homemade bread from the bread machine. I know that split pea soup isn't very well-known or popular in the South, but my parents were Midwesterners and I grew up on the stuff. Once you can get past the appearance (which I admit is green and gooey and not at all appealing), the flavor is delicious. Rich and meaty and so much more complex than the short ingredient list would imply. Plus it's simple and wholesome and as cheap as a meal can get. It's also a dish that is in line with my goals of eating real food (with ingredients my great-grandmother would recognize), and avoiding "edible food-like substances" (overly processed junk) as often as possible.

To make, I cover the ham bone with water in my big stock pot. I bring to a simmer and let cook for about 2 hours, adding more water as necessary to keep the bone covered, until the meat is falling off the bone and the broth is flavorful. (The liquid has usually reduced by about 1/3 by this point.) I take the bone out, scoop out all the bits of meat, and let everything cool until I can handle it without burning myself. I separate all the bits of meat from the bone and fat, which takes all of 5 minutes, then throw the meat back in with the broth. (The feral cat that we feed greatly appreciated the bowl of fat and scraps I set out alongside his dry kibble.) I add in a bag of dried split peas (rinsed and picked over), bring everything back to a simmer, and cook until the peas turn to mush and the soup gets thick. It's done after seasoning with salt & pepper to taste. (I also really like the addition of curry powder, an idea I got from Alton Brown of Good Eats, but I'm the only one in the family who does so I stopped adding it.) A wonderfully rich and hearty meal for a cold day, especially when served with hot, fresh, buttered bread.

Totals:

free - hambone
.66 - bag of split peas
.20 - ingredients for loaf of bread (stocked up during 99 cent bread flour sale in December)

.86 for dinner for 3, with lots of everything left over

Best Cookies Ever

2010-01-03T19:10:00.003-05:00

As I've mentioned before, I'm an avid baker. But I really like to cut corners where I can, so I especially like recipes that are based on a mix. Last night, on a whim, I made what turned out to be the best cookies ever. Betty Crocker Oatmeal Cookie Mix, prepared according to package directions (1 stick butter, 1 egg, 1 T. water), mixed with 1 package Heath Bits o' Brickle (bits of English Toffee, sold with the chocolate chips in the baking aisle). The entire batch (about 3 dozen) lasted less than 24 hours. They were THAT good.

NOTE: Microwave leftover cookies - these or others - for 20 seconds on high to get that fresh-from-the-oven goodness.

Sunday Dinner

2010-01-03T18:49:00.002-05:00

It was too darn cold to go out today if you didn't absolutely need do, so I convinced myself I didn't absolutely need to. So pickins' for dinner were a bit slim, but I made do. I made Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuits with a side of fruit. The biscuits were canned Grands, bought on sale + coupon (not sure if it was doubled or tripled) for about .50 per can. And I have a freezer full of bacon because it seemed to be on sale every other week last fall. I haven't kept track of what I paid for each package, but it all shakes out to about $1.50 apiece. The fruit was just a can of pineapple chunks (.85 each after sale + double coupon) mixed with a can of mandarin oranges (.60 each on sale), but it was refreshing and delicious.

The Kid especially likes this dinner because I make as many biscuit sandwiches as I have biscuits, so there's leftovers for breakfast (as opposed to oatmeal or cold cereal with milk, which is the school-morning norm). I refrigerate the extras wrapped individually in plastic wrap, and reheat them (still wrapped) at 50% power for 2 minutes.

Funny quote from my kid: "Mom, there's one piece of bacon left." (Puts up fists and narrows eyes...) "I'll fight you for it."

Totals:

.50 - biscuits (8)
.75 - 1/2 package bacon
.66 - 8 eggs
$1 - 8 slices cheese
.85 - pineapple
.60 - mandarin oranges

$4.36 for dinner for 3, plus 3 leftover biscuit sandwiches for breakfasts

Happy New Year!

2010-01-02T18:54:00.003-05:00

I've actually been back in the kitchen for the last couple of nights, but the dinners are so close to what I served just before Christmas that all you have to do is scroll down a little to get the complete cost breakdowns. (That's my polite way of saying I'm too lazy to do all the calculations tonight. But, as is always the case with non-holiday dinners, my goal is to average $5 or less per meal.)

Wednesday night we had Crunchy Shrimp Stir-Fry because I was craving something non-rich and non-creamy with lots of vegetables.

Thursday night was cheeseburgers and fries made with another package of hamburger that was free after triple coupons last month. (It's been in my freezer since then, obvs.) I sprinkled the patties with garlic salt and Smokehouse black pepper, grilled them on the George Foreman, then topped with sliced pepperjack cheese and served on potato rolls. The fries were oven-fries, also sprinkled with garlic salt.

I'm not much of a traditionalist when it comes to food, so New Year's Day was celebrated at my house with Curried Coconut Chicken, served over rice. (Sister joined us.)

And tonight, Saturday, I made steak soft tacos much like the steak fajitas a few posts down. I used the skirt steak I got for $1.19/package and marinated it in McCormick Mesquite marinade, prepared according to package directions. After grilling on the George Foreman, I let rest for 5 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain. This was served on heated tortillas with refried beans, salsa, sour cream and shredded cheese.

I hope everyone had wonderful holidays. :)

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-23T14:12:00.002-05:00

Between parties, holiday dinners, leftovers and travel, this is the last post you'll see from me for the next week or so.

I wish each and every one of you very Merry Christmas spent enjoying good food with loved ones.

Peace.

~GSO Foodie

Recent Dinners

2009-12-22T10:01:00.002-05:00

Saturday & Sunday night were "every man for himself" dinners. We were all busy with shopping and wrapping and general Christmas errands, so I told everybody to raid the fridge and pantry and make-do with that they could find.

Monday I was back to cooking but I wasn't feeling terribly inspired or creative, so I went with a lot of convenience foods. I pan-fried 3 Butterball Turkey Tenderloins and served them with cranberry sauce (leftover), a box of Zatarain's rice pilaf (almost free after sale + triple coupon), and a package of Green Giant creamed spinach (cheap after sale + double coupon).

Monday Totals:

$3.75 - turkey tenderloins ($1.25 ea. when purchased $4.99 for bag of 4)
.25 - rice pilaf mix
.43 - frozen spinach

$4.43 - dinner for 3

Friday Dinner

2009-12-18T19:39:00.003-05:00

Marinated, Grilled Skirt Steak for Fajitas

Fajitas, Spanish Rice

Tonight I grilled one package of the super-cheap skirt steak I scored at Harris Teeter last week. I didn't have any pre-bottled marinade, but I had a packet of McCormick Southwest marinade mix in my pantry, so I used that. After marinating the steak, I grilled it whole on the George Foreman for about 5 minutes, then I let it rest for 10 before slicing thinly against the grain and serving on heated tortillas with sauteed onions. We passed sour cream, cheese and salsa at the table, and a box of Zatarain's Spanish Rice (made with 1 can tomatoes) rounded out the meal.

Totals:

$1.10 - skirt steak (seriously!)
.25 - marinade mix (purchased after sale + coupon)
.70 - 1/2 package tortillas
.50 - onions, cheese, sour cream, salsa
.25 - rice mix (after triple coupons)
.50 - can tomatoes

$3.30 for dinner for 3

Thursday Dinner

2009-12-18T19:33:00.002-05:00

I've had a Macaroni Grill dinner kit kicking around my pantry forever, so I decided to give it a try last night. We had the Creamy Basil chicken variety and in my opinion it was just OK. The rest of the family, including my sister, thought it was delicious. (I admit I'm fussy about dinner kits that require you to add fresh chicken then simmer, because I think the chicken gets dry and tough that way. I seem to be the only one with that issue, though.)

I rounded out the meal with frozen garlic bread slices, and steam-in-the-bag broccoli that I jazzed up with butter, Mrs. Dash, and garlic salt. (My family also raved about the broccoli, but this time I agreed with them.)

Totals:

$2 - Macaroni Grill dinner kit
$2.33 - chicken breasts (bought on sale Buy 1, Get 2 Free)
.30 - steam-in-bag broccoli (BOGO sale + doubled coupon)
$1 - 1/2 box frozen garlic bread slices (after coupon)

$3.63 for dinner for 4 (sister joined us again)

Wednesday Dinner

2009-12-18T19:27:00.002-05:00

I didn't intend to have Asian meals featuring rice for two nights in a row, but that's just how it ended up because it was the quickest and easiest thing to serve after a busy day.

Harris Teeter had Birdseye Viola! brand bag-to-skillet frozen meals on sale BOGO last week. When combined with coupons for $1 off 2, the price came down to $4.15 for 2 bags. I've found that some varieties can serve 3 when you add in a few side dishes (like the Garlic Shrimp or Garlic Chicken) but others really don't stretch beyond 2 servings. Their Beef and Broccoli is one of those can't-stretch-it varieties, but it's really good so I buy it whenever I can get 2 bags for under $5.

We served the Beef & Broccoli with a box of Asian Sensations cream cheese wontons as an appetizer/side dish (purchased with a coupon, of course).

$4.15 - Beef & Broccoli (all-in-one meal contains rice)
$2 - cream cheese wontons (after coupon)

$6.15 for dinner for 4 (sister joined us)

Tuesday Dinner

2009-12-18T19:21:00.004-05:00

Crunchy Shrimp Stir-Fry

Let's get started on the back-log of dinner posts, shall we?

Tuesday night I made Crunchy Shrimp Stir-Fry, which I blogged about the very first time I "created" the recipe.

1 package Sea Pak popcorn shrimp, baked according to package directions. 1 bag Asparagus Stir Fry frozen veggies from WalMart, stir-fried according to package directions. 1/3 - 1/2 bottle Kikkoman Stir Fry Sauce. Toss everything together at the very last second, then serve over hot cooked rice and serve. (Dish won't re-heat well because shrimp breading will become soggy and fall off, so eat up!)

Totals:

$2.50 - shrimp (sale price and $1 coupon)
$1.69 - veggies
.80 - stir fry sauce
.20 - rice

$5.19 for dinner for 3

Monday Dinner

2009-12-15T12:53:00.002-05:00

Monday's meal was strictly heat'n'eat, although a little better quality than usual. I mentioned on Saturday that I got a great deal on some stuffed flank steak rolls from the Harris Teeter butcher case. They were filled with spinach and feta, and required only 30 minutes at 350. They were delicious - much more flavorful and tender than I had expected. Even if they had been only so-so, I couldn't have complained much after paying only $1.15 down from $9.90. On the side I microwaved a container of HT brand garlic mashed potatoes (also on markdown) and a box of Green Giant baby peas in butter sauce, which made for a very tasty meal.

Totals:

$1.15 - stuffed flank steak
$1.50 - mashed potatoes
.43 - peas

$4.08 for dinner for 3

Sunday Dinner

2009-12-14T11:07:00.002-05:00

The Kid had a holiday function last night, so we adults just had Reuben Sandwiches and oven fries. The Kid likes Reubens but won't shed a tear over missing them. You know how it is with kids - cooking something they really like on a night they aren't home can quickly turn into a Major Incident. So I just avoid all that noise and cook something The Kid won't mind missing. It used to be easier when The Kid was younger, because the dislike list was slightly longer. But my kid has always been a Foodie at heart; an adventurous eater with a surprisingly sophisticated palate.

The pastrami and baby swiss were on sale at Harris Teeter this week, buy 2, get 3 free. That brings the price to $1.80 per package, or $3.60 per lb. (I've already covered that using pastrami instead of corned beef technically turns my Reubens into Rachels.) The sauerkraut was already in the fridge, leftover from last week's bratwurst dinner. The steak fries were the (little less than) 1/2 package leftover from Friday's dinner.

The only thing I bought new & full price was the rye bread, which is one of those items I never, ever see on sale. Even when a brand of "wide-pan" bread goes on sale, it's only for the various wheat, white and whole grain varieties. Rye and pumpernickel are excluded for some reason. There also seems to be some price-fixing going on, because it's never less than $2.99 at the major grocery chains, and not much cheaper at $2.49 at WalMart. This concludes the long and useless explanation portion of the blog. :)

For the sandwiches, I smeared a little spicy brown mustard on my rye bread, then layered 1 slice swiss, 2 slices pastrami, sauekraut, and another slice of swiss so the cheese would block the soggy fillings from the bread on both sides. A little butter on the outside, then I pressed on the big silver griddle my mother received as a wedding gift in 1949. A toaster went with it, too, but that's long since gone to appliance heaven since you could get a replacement toaster anywhere. But this foldover griddle, I consider it a family heirloom if not an outright national treasure. To put it another way, it would be on my list of items I'd foolishly try to save in a fire.

Totals:

$1 - 1/2 bag steak fries
.80 - rye bread
$1.80 - 1/2 package each pastrami & baby swiss
free - sauerkraut (accounted for in previous meal)

$3.60 for dinner for 2

Harris Teeter Deals & Saturday Dinner

2009-12-12T20:10:00.004-05:00

Marinated Grilled Tuna Medallions, Jasmine Rice, Edamame

I was so busy today, I didn't think about dinner until 3pm or so. That's when I realized that although my freezer was packed, there wasn't a lot there for quick n' easy meals. Almost everything I had was time and labor-intensive, plus needed to be thawed on top of that. So I did something this afternoon that I almost never do. I made a quick "dinner run" to Harris Teeter. I thought I'd just pick up a frozen pizza and be done with it. But - lucky me! - I ran into a wealth of wonderful meat and seafood markdowns. The meat manager said he'd marked things down first thing in the morning, then marked them even lower for the evening so they'd move and he wouldn't have to throw them out.

I got a pound of fresh tuna medallions for $3.22 (down from $8.99 per lb), flank steak rolls stuffed with cheese and spinach for $1.15 (for the whole package!), plus boneless chicken thighs and Angus Reserve skirt steak. The skirt steak was an especially good find, because yesterday I got an eVic offer in my email for $3 off my total purchase if I bought Angus Reserve skirt steak or flank steak. The price of my 2 packages of skirt steak would have been over $12 at full price. But after markdown and the extra $3 off at the register, I only paid $2.38 total!

Harris Teeter had a lot of other good deals today with coupons. Texas Toast croutons were free after a .50 coupon was doubled. Green Giant boxed vegetables were .49 for the first one (eVic special), and .99 for others after that. A coupon for .60 off 3 was doubled, bringing the price to $1.29 for 3 boxes, or .43 each. Birdseye Voila frozen bag-to-skillet dinners are BOGO. Add a coupon for $1 off 2, and you can get 2 bags for $4.15 total.

So my quick "dinner run" turned into a major shopping trip, but I got a lot of good dinners for tonight and the next few nights.

For tonight, I marinated the tuna medallions in Ken's Steakhouse Sesame & Ginger marinade that was free after triple coupons a few months ago. (The bottle has been unopened, in my pantry.) I grilled the tuna on the George Foreman, made jasmine rice, and steam-in-the-bag edamame. The tuna needed just a little extra "oomph" at the table, so I mixed up a quick dipping sauce of wasabi paste and soy sauce.

Totals:

$3. 22 - tuna
free - marinade
.50 - jasmine rice
$1.33 - edamame (Pictsweet 3/$4 at HT this week)

$5.05 for dinner for 3

Friday Dinner

2009-12-12T20:04:00.003-05:00

Friday afternoon was spent running errands all over, so I knew I wouldn't have much time to cook when I got home. I decided burgers n' fries would be the quickest & easiest thing I had to put together, but I jazzed 'em up so they'd be GOOD burgers n' fries. After I thawed out another package of that ground chuck I got for free after triple coupons last month, I made 3 big patties and seasoned both sides with garlic salt and McCormick Smokehouse Black Pepper (both were also triple coupon freebies from awhile back). I grilled the burgers on the George Foreman, then topped with sliced pepperjack cheese, A-1 sauce, and served on toasted potato rolls. The fries were just frozen steak fries, oven-baked and sprinkled with seasoned salt.

Totals:

free - ground chuck
.75 - potato rolls
.60 - sliced pepperjack
$1 - 1/2 package frozen fries

$2.35 for dinner for 3

Thursday Dinner

2009-12-12T19:56:00.003-05:00

Turkey Enchiladas

Thursday night I used up the last of the Thanksgiving turkey (I'd frozen it). I can't take any credit for originality; I used this Turkey Enchiladas recipe from Campbell's. I thought the recipe was just OK, but the rest of the family thought it was delicious and gobbled down every bite. For a vegetable side, I opened a can of french-cut green beans and heated them in a little chicken bullion for extra flavor.

Totals:

free - turkey (leftover)
.60 - tortillas
.60 - can soup
free - can of green chiles (free after triple coupons)
$1 - cheese
.50 - remaining ingredients
.33 - can of green beans

$3.03 for dinner for 3

Tuesday & Wednesday Dinners

2009-12-09T20:32:00.003-05:00

Curried Coconut Chicken

Tuesday night was our new favorite, Curried Coconut Chicken. Harris Teeter had a great price on fresh boneless chicken breasts, and I already had everything else on hand, including a can of coconut milk with only 1/2 cup used because I made Banana Tres Leches Dessert for Thanksgiving. (Hint: use Cool Whip or whipped cream to top the cake, not frosting as called for in original recipe.)

Totals:

$2.33 - chicken
$1.19 - coconut milk
.20 - tomato sauce
.50 - diced tomatoes
.20 - rice
.20 - onion

$4.62 for dinner for 4 (sister joined us)

__________

Wednesday night we got caught in the big blackout. Our power went out around 1:45 this afternoon and stayed out until some time between 7pm and 8pm (while we were eating out).

Monday Dinner

2009-12-08T11:45:00.003-05:00

Citrus Shrimp with rice and Sesame Broccoli

Monday's dinner was a replica of one I've made many times before (the photo is from a previous night, too). Here is my original recipe, based on one I got from a personal chef:

Citrus Shrimp and Sesame Broccoli

However, since I'm always tweaking my recipes based on need or whim, I didn't make it quite like usual last night.

First off, I had a whole 2-lb bag of shrimp that had been in my freezer for too long and needed to go. (Usually I just use 1/2 bag and save the rest.) Second, I didn't have any fresh oranges. Third, I was lazy after peeling a whole 2 lbs of shrimp and wanted as many shortcuts as possible after that. So instead of fresh garlic, I sprinkled the shrimp all over with garlic salt. Instead of fresh juice and zest from lemons and oranges, I just used OJ from the fridge. The result: almost (but not quite) as good as the original. Nobody complained, and I don't think anybody wondered "what was wrong" but I just didn't get all the raves and lip-smacking that usually accompany this dish. So I'll probably do it the "right" way when I have the time, but know this is an acceptable fall-back.

Totals:

$6 - shrimp (2 lbs)
.50 - broccoli (BOGO + double coupon)
.25- OJ

$6.75 for dinner for 3, with 2 full servings of everything left over.

Weekend Dinners

2009-12-06T19:56:00.002-05:00

Friday night we ate out with friends.

Saturday was a busy day and I was exhausted and out of dinner ideas, so I relied on spaghetti, sauce from a jar, and frozen garlic bread. A ho-hum dinner if there ever was one.

Saturday totals:

.50 - spaghetti
$1 - Ragu sauce (sale + triple coupon)
.75 - 1/2 box garlic bread slices (double coupon)

$2.25 for dinner for 3

Sunday night I cooked some fresh bratwurst that I'd found marked down in the Harris Teeter butcher case for .84 (I got 2 packages at this price). I boiled the brats in a large skillet with a half-can of beer until all the liquid was gone, then let them brown. I served on potato buns with heated sauerkraut and spicy mustard, with onion-roasted potatoes on the side.

Sunday totals:

.84 - bratwurst
$1 - 1/2 package potato buns
.85 - can sauerkraut
.75 - package onion soup mix (for roasted potatoes)
.60 - about 2 lbs potatoes (purchased on sale for $2.99 for 10 lb bag)

$4.04 for dinner for 4 (sister joined us)

Great Deal Alert

2009-12-06T15:02:00.002-05:00

E-Z peel raw shrimp is Buy 1, get 2 free this week (thru Tuesday) at Harris Teeter. The price works out to $2.99 per pound, which is as cheap as it ever gets. And you don't have to buy all three 2-lb bags to get this price. You can buy just one bag for $5.98 if you'd like - but I suggest you stock up because the price only goes this low 2 - 3 times per year. I'm thinking ahead to holiday dinners and parties!

Thursday Dinner

2009-12-03T18:52:00.004-05:00

One of my all-time favorite dinners is fresh salmon, rice, roasted spring asparagus, and homemade hollandaise sauce. Tonight I made sort of a poor-man's, Thursday-night-in-winter version of that, with lemony salmon cakes, asparagus out-of-season, and hollandaise from a mix.

The salmon cakes were the best I've ever made, and a nice substitute for fillets. The fresh lemon made all the difference in the world. I just took 1 can salmon, drained and picked over, and added 2 eggs, the juice and finely grated zest of 1 lemon, about 1 tsp. Chef Paul Prud'homme's Magic Salmon Seasoning, and enough breadcrumbs to bind it all together (about 1/2 - 2/3 cup). I pan-fried them in a little oil until brown and crispy, and kept warm in the oven until serving.

Although roasted asparagus is just about my favorite vegetable in the whole wide world, tonight's version was a disappointment. Even though I loved the off-season price ($1.29/lb at Lowes), I didn't love the off-season flavor. The stalks were bitter and strong, as opposed to sweet and mild, as they are in the spring. So I'm going to try to keep this in mind and resist any too-good-to-be-true pricing until the real asparagus season comes around in March and April.

For special occasions, I'll make an honest-to-goodness hollandaise from scratch, using the blender method. But that's just too time-consuming (as well as too rich and calorie-laden) for everyday meals. So I've become very fond of hollandaise from a mix. McCormick and Knorr both make a very decent mix that you can pick up right next to the chili seasoning and gravy packets. Tonight it was a lifesaver because I don't think I'd have been able to eat the asparagus without it (although it just made the salmon cakes and rice that much yummier).

Totals:

$2 - 1 can salmon
.50 - eggs, lemon, breadcrumbs
$1.29 - asparagus
.20 - rice
$1 - hollandaise mix
.25 - butter for hollandaise mix

$5.23 for dinner for 3, with 1 serving of everything left over for lunch tomorrow

Wednesday Dinner

2009-12-02T22:28:00.002-05:00

Tonight's dinner was about using up some odds and ends before they had to be thrown out - 1/2 a bag of fresh spinach, gorzonzola crumbles, a can of french onion soup that got opened by mistake, french bread, etc.

I made French Onion soup topped with bread and gooey melted cheese - traditional "steak house" way. I served this with spinach salads topped with grilled chicken breasts, toasted pecans, dried cranberries, and gorgonzola cheese crumbles. Everybody had their dressing of choice at the table (Bleu Cheese and Honey Mustard being my favorites for this salad.)

I was out of bottled marinade (which I only buy when free or nearly free after sale + coupons), so I whipped up my own with a little OJ, the juice from some canned pineapple (another fridge leftover I'll need to get to soon), garlic salt & Mrs. Dash. I marinated them all afternoon, and grilled them on the George Foreman for about 4 minutes. They were tender and delicious, without being too strongly seasoned on their own.

Totals:

$1 - French Onion soup (Progresso brand, .50/can after sale + coupons)
$1 - French Bread & mozzarella cheese
$1 - 1/2 bag fresh spinach (from Aldi)
$1.50 - chicken breasts (BOGO frozen bags from HT)
.50 - misc. salad toppings

$5 for dinner for 3

Tuesday Dinner

2009-12-01T21:45:00.002-05:00

Tuesday is our busy day, and we don't get home until just before dinnertime. After looking through my freezer & fridge, I decided that steak was the quickest & easiest thing to make (after defrosting, of course).

I got the ribeyes on markdown at Harris Teeter for about $2 per steak. I seasoned them with garlic salt and Mrs. Dash, then grilled them on the George Foreman. While they were cooking, I sauteed up some fresh mushrooms in butter with fresh garlic, and a dash each of Worchestershire sauce and pepper. I also made package of instant mashed potatoes (loaded baked potato flavor - free after triple coupons), and threw a steamable bag of broccoli and cheese in the microwave. Dinner was on the table in about 20 minutes, with a minimum of fuss.

Totals:

$6 - ribeyes
$1.50 - mushrooms
.50 - broccoli & cheese (sale + double coupon)
free - mashed potatoes

$8 for dinner for 3

Monday Dinner

2009-11-30T19:18:00.003-05:00

Pizza with spinach, carmelized onions, mushrooms, and gorgonzola.

Pizza with bacon, pineapple, and cheddar/jack cheese (modified Hawaiian).

Passing by a display of ready-made pizza crust made me realize I hadn't made homemade pizza in ages. I knew I already had quite a few of the ingredients at home, so it was easy enough to just pick up the few items I needed.

I used a Mama Maria whole wheat crust (2 to a package, in the pasta aisle at WalMart) and Ragu Pizza Quick sauce for both. I probably won't buy the whole wheat crust again because it overpowered the other flavors, and was rather bitter. However, I've had good luck with this brand's "regular" crust in the past, so I'll go back to that.

For the first pizza, I made a modified Hawaiian pizza - modified because I didn't have any ham, but I had plenty of bacon. After spreading with sauce and topping with mozzarella, I layed on 4 slices of cooked, diced bacon and about 1/3 can drained pineapple tidbits. Then I finished with about 3/4 cup shredded cheddar & jack cheese blend.

For the second pizza, I thinly sliced a small onion and sauteed it in a little of the bacon fat leftover from the first pizza. When the onions began to carmelize I added about 1/3 of a 1lb package of sliced mushrooms and sauteed for a few more minutes. I spread the crust with sauce & mozzarella as I did above, then I layered on about 1/3 package of fresh spinach, the sauteed onions and mushrooms, about 1/2 cup more mozzarella cheese, and about 2 T. gorgonzola crumbles. I baked both pizzas together at 425 for about 18 minutes, rotating them from top to bottom rack about halfway through.

Totals:

$3.48 - crust
$1 - sauce
$2 - cheese
$2 - other ingredients

$8.48 for dinner for 3, with 1 serving leftover for lunch tomorrow

Sunday Dinner (anything but turkey)

2009-11-29T20:38:00.003-05:00

It feels good to be back in the kitchen, cooking ANYTHING besides turkey. After a weekend of T-day leftovers, I was craving something that wasn't rich, creamy, or bland. I went with Crunchy Shrimp Stir-Fry (Sea Pak popcorn shrimp, heated according to package directions, and tossed with Asparagus Stir Fry veggies and 1/3 bottle Kikkoman Stir Fry Sauce), served over rice.

Totals:

$3 - popcorn shrimp (after coupon)
$1.68 - stir fry veggies
.80 - 1/3 bottle stir fry sauce
.20 - rice

$5.68 for dinner for 3

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T13:41:00.003-05:00

I know it's a day early, but I won't be posting for the next few days due to the holiday (tonight we'll be ordering pizza, tomorrow is the big feast, and I'm sure we'll be living on turkey sandwiches for at least a few days after that).

Let me take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving.
I hope your day is full of good food shared with good company.

Peace.

~GSO Foodie

Monday & Tuesday Dinners

2009-11-25T13:29:00.003-05:00

The Kid had an activity Monday night, so it was a dine-n-dash sort of dinner. I just heated up a box of frozen taquitos, warmed a can of refried beans, and opened a bag of salad. I topped the salad with the last of the tortilla strips (bagged salad topping I got for free awhile back) and we passed sour cream, shredded cheese and salsa at the table.

Monday totals:

$2.25 - Taquitos (BOGO sale + $1 coupon at Harris Teeter)
.75 - can refried beans
$1 - 1/2 bag salad
.50 - misc toppings (cheese, salsa, sour cream, salad dressing)

$4.50 for dinner for 3

__________

Tuesday The Kid had another function, so it was another quickie dinner. I made pancakes, sausage, and fried apples (the latter being a can of Luck's). The pancake mix was one of my practically free after triple coupon deals - I think I paid .17 a box (and I have several boxes stockpiled at that price). The Jimmy Dean sausage was also a deal - sale + super double coupons brought it down to $1/roll. The Luck's fried apples were the only full-priced item, but they're an automatic "serve with" whenever I make a pancake dinner - they really complete the meal to me.

Tuesday Totals:

.05 - pancakes
$1 - sausage
$1 - fried apples

$2.05 for dinner for 3

Weekend Dinners

2009-11-22T18:17:00.002-05:00

I wasn't feeling well enough to cook on Thursday, and Friday The Kid and I went out to dinner before seeing "The Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles" at the Coliseum. But I was feeling better Saturday and up for some real cooking. So I made a chicken casserole and steam-in-the-bag baby peas with mushrooms.

The casserole is called Chicken Bruschetta Bake and it's made with chicken, tomatoes, and stuffing mix. The recipe, as I originally found it (and still make it) called for the diced chicken to be mixed with 1/4 cup Kraft Sundried Tomato viniegrette or other Italian salad dressing. I've never made it the "new" way, but I'm sure it's just as good.

Totals:

$2 - chicken
free - Stove Top stuffing mix (free w/ purchase of turkey at HT last week)
.50 - canned tomatoes
.50 - 1/2 package shredded mozzarella (full bag .97 on eVic special last week)
.50 - peas & mushrooms (BOGO + double coupons)

$3.50 for dinner for 4 (sister joined us) plus leftovers for 1 lunch serving today

Sunday I made my favorite comfort-food dinner for cold, rainy days - smoked sausage and cabbage, and au gratin potatoes.

Totals:

.50 - smoked sausage (BOGO + double coupon)
.50 - Simply Potatoes (BOGO + super double coupon)
$1.00 - shredded Swiss cheese
.75 - cream
.50 - cabbage

$3.25 for dinner for 3

Tuesday & Wednesday Dinners

2009-11-19T13:08:00.002-05:00

I'm dealing with some chronic pain issues this week, folks, and the necessary meds have zapped all my energy. So please bear with me if I'm late with postings...

Tuesday is a busy day for us. The Kid and I have a function right after school, so we don't walk in the house until 5:30pm or so. So dinner needs to be quick and easy. I have a stockpile of Hamburger Helper mixes that I've gotten for less than .50 each after BOGO, triple coupons, etc. With all the free and .12/lb hamburger I got during the last triple coupon binge, there's just no excuse not to use it.

Totals:

.50 - Hamburger Helper
free - hamburger
.33 - Grands biscuits (after sale + triple coupons)
.33 - green beans (HT sale)

$1.16 for dinner for 3

__________

I made a great roast chicken for dinner Wednesday. If I'd browned it beforehand to crisp up the skin (I didn't), it would have made a great dish for company. As it was, the skin wasn't crisp (so I removed it after cooking) and the chicken was too pale to look really appetizing. But it was still delicious.

For the chicken, I just melted about 2T. butter in a baking dish, added chicken thighs and turned to coat, then sprinkled all over with Cavendar's Greek Seasoning and the juice of 1 lemon. I baked at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes or until done. The pan juices in this dish are the best part - spoon them over rice or serve the pan at the table with crusty bread for dipping. I did both, as well as made steam-in-the-bag broccoli & cheese. ( If you browned the chicken first, and baked in a pretty crockery baking dish, this would be beautiful to sit in the center of the table for dipping.)

Totals:

$2.26 - chicken thighs
.20 - rice
.50 - lemon
.50 - homemade bread (bread machine)
.50 - broccoli & cheese (BOGO + double coupon)

$3.96 for dinner for 3

Monday Dinner

2009-11-17T12:35:00.003-05:00

Roast Beef, Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Asparagus

I had a very good excuse for not posting about dinner last night. The batteries in my camera died as soon as I took pictures, and I had to recharge them before uploading to my computer.

I roasted an eye of round beef roast in the oven (purchased at $2/lb from Lowes Foods awhile back), made a package of instant mashed potatoes (loaded baked potato flavor - free after triple coupons at Harris Teeter), and roasted fresh asparagus spears. Dinner was delicious - a special occasion meal on a nothin' special evening.

My roast was only 2 lbs, so I modified the High Temp roasting method. I roasted it at 450 for 20 minutes, then turned off the oven and let it continue roasting as the oven cooled. I used a meat thermometer to alert me when the center was 130 degrees (medium rare), which only took about 45 minutes. It was juicy and as tender as this tough cut is going to get, and tasted great with a little horseradish on the side.

Totals:

$3.80 - beef roast
$1.69 - asparagus
free - potato mix

$5.49 for dinner for 3 (with beef left over)

Thursday, Friday & Saturday dinners

2009-11-14T22:35:00.002-05:00

I've been letting this get away from me lately, but I'm going to try to do better about posting nightly.

Thursday's dinner was great comfort food for such cold, nasty weather. We had smoked sausage, cabbage, and au gratin potatoes. For the main dish, I just slice the sausage into rounds, brown lightly on both sides, then add 1/2 head shredded cabbage and about 1/2 cup chicken broth. Then I just simmer until the cabbage is tender - about 15 minutes. The sausage flavors the cabbage and it's delicious. On the side I made homemade au gratin potatoes - I've posted about these plenty of times before. I make with Simply Potatoes sliced potatoes and Swiss cheese and they're awesome.

Totals:

.50 - smoked sausage (BOGO + double coupon)
.60 - 1/2 head cabbage
.40 - Simply Potatoes (BOGO + super double coupon)
$1.50 - cheese & cream for potatoes

$3 for dinner for 3

__________

Friday: No real cooking going on tonight. I made hot dogs topped with the last bit of Cincinnati chili and baked beans.

$1 - hot dogs (BOGO + coupon)
$1 - buns
free - leftover chili
free - baked beans (from Harris Teeter meal deal)

$2 for dinner for 3

__________

Tonight I marinated some chicken breasts in Mrs. Dash marinade (Garlic & Herb with a touch of citrus), and made my favorite Lemon-Broccoli "Fake Out" Risotto. (I've posted about this many times before - look back for recipe or email me if you can't find it.) I had originally planned to make asparagus risotto, because HT has fresh asparagus on sale for $1.69/lb this week, but The Kid specifically asked for the broccoli version so I relented. (And agreed to have roasted asparagus later in week.)

$2 - boneless chicken breasts
.15 - marinade (whole bottle was .45 after triple coupons)
.50 - broccoli (steam-in-bag - BOGO + double coupon)
$1 - remaining risotto ingredients

$3.65 for dinner for 4 (sister joined us)

Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday Dinners

2009-11-11T20:29:00.002-05:00

Sorry, I've gotten a bit behind in my postings - the past few days have been rather busy.

The Kid had a function on Monday night, so I put together something quick & easy - Hamburger Helper. It's not my favorite, but I stock up for busy nights whenever sale price/triple coupons brings the price-per-box below 75 cents.

Combined with the triple-coupon ground beef, and fruit-in-gelatin for a side dish (both also bought on sale), and it made an incredibly thrifty meal.

Monday Totals:

.12 - ground beef (seriously)
.50 - Hamburger Helper BOGO + double coupon
free - jello (after triple coupons)
.50 - canned peaches

$1.12 for dinner for 3

__________

Tuesday afternoon was full of appointments, so we didn't walk in the door until almost 6pm. For a quick dinner, I heated up a Jimmy Dean skillet meal (sausage, onions, peppers, and potatoes), scrambled some eggs in the pan, and served with canned biscuits. Dinner was on the table in under 20 minutes.

Tuesday Totals:

$2.90 - skillet meal (after triple coupon)
.20 - 1/2 dozen eggs (sale price)
.50 - cheese
.33 - canned biscuits (after sale + double coupon)

$3.93 for dinner for 3

__________

I was craving veggies (and lots of them) tonight, so I made Crunchy Shrimp Stir-Fry. I heated a package of Sea Pak popcorn shrimp in the oven according to package directions, stir-fried a bag of Asparagus Stir Fry frozen vegetables with a little oil, then tossed them both together with about 1/3 bottle Kikkoman Stir Fry Sauce and served over hot rice. Yum.

Wednesday Totals:

$2.56 - popcorn shrimp (WalMart price + $1 peel-off coupon on box)
$1.69 - frozen vegetables
.60 - stir fry sauce
.20 - rice

$5.05 for dinner for 4 (sister joined us)

Weekend Meals

2009-11-08T20:00:00.002-05:00

Friday night I made country-style steak, gravy (from a mix), mashed potatoes and green beans. The meat was Harris Teeter silver label Angus beef, which I normally never buy because it's so pricey. But I got this during a BOGO sale, and it was marked down to boot, so it was very cheap. I have to say, we could really taste the difference. This was the most flavorful, tender country-style steak I've ever made.

Totals:

$2.14- cubed steak
.50 - gravy packet
.50 - mashed potatoes
.33 - green beans

$3.47 for dinner for 3

Saturday we had the rest of the Cincinnati-style chili, with spaghetti, cheese, and garlic bread.

Totals:

free - chili (priced the first night I made it)
.50 - spaghetti
.50 - cheese
.75 - garlic bread

$1.75 for dinner for 3

Sunday The Kid had youth group, so I just baked a Mystic Pizza frozen pizza for the 2 of us. Total - $2.20 for dinner for 2.

Triple Coupons Round 2

2009-11-08T08:21:00.002-05:00

The Foodie is not a morning person, y'all. But it can't be argued that the early bird does indeed get the worm. So I was up at the crack of dawn this morning to grab my Sunday paper, clip the good coupons, and head to Harris Teeter to get the free and nearly free items before all the other early birds cleaned them out. I was also able to use coupons on items I saw would be good deals yesterday, but I either hadn't printed the coupons or had met my 20-per-day limit.

Here's what I got this morning:

2 Martha White muffin mix - free (BOGO + coupon in today's paper)
Baker's Joy nonstick spray - .44 (coupon in today's paper)
Fleishmann's Yeast (3-pack strip) - free (coupon in today's paper)
2 Progresso Broth cartons - free (BOGO + 2 printable coupons)
4 cans Campbell's cream mushroom/chicken soups - $2.25 (BOGO + coupon in today's paper)
Crisco Oil - .60 (BOGO + coupon in today's paper)
Hungry Jack pancake mix - .32 (coupon in today's paper)
Pillsbury Frosting - .14 (sale price + coupon in today's paper)
Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Wild Rice - free (coupon in today's paper)
Pillsbury graham cracker pie crust - .60 (sale price + coupon in today's paper)
Starkist Tuna in pouch - free (already had coupon from previous Sunday paper)
Starkist sandwich-ready tuna salad in pouch - .39 (already had coupon)
Eagle Sweetened Condensed Milk - .49 (sale price + coupon in today's paper)
2 boxes Pillsbury Brownies - .69 total for both (BOGO + coupon in today's paper)
Approx. 2 lbs ground beef - 1st package free, 2nd package .20 (2 printable coupons)
Jimmy Dean Delights Breakfast bowl - .49 (already had coupon)
Marie Callender's al dente pasta entree (frozen) - .72 (printable coupon)
Country Crock spreadable butter w/ canola oil - .25 (BOGO + already had coupon)

Total before VIC card scan: $57.XX

Total after VIC card scan: $42.XX

Total paid after coupons: $6.16 - a personal best!

NOTE: Pillsbury Brownie mix is BOGO this week. Using the coupon in today's paper (tripled, of course), you could get 1 box completely free but I think it's a better deal to get 2 - you'll end up paying .35 each after coupon.

My Triple Coupon Trip

2009-11-07T17:10:00.003-05:00

Not everything shows up well in the photo, so here's the list of what I got:

Non-triple-coupon items:
Zesta Saltines, 2 boxes, BOGO minus $1 coupon (the only coupon that didn't triple)
Pillsbury Bread Flour, 2 5 lb. bags, 99 cents each (no coupon, just a great sale price)
HT Sugar, 5 lb. bag, 99 cents (eVic special this week)
HT Instant Iced Tea Mix (because I needed it - no coupon)

Triple coupon items: (price paid after coupons were tripled)
14 oz. Heinz ketchup - free
Comet rice - .59
2 boxes Minute Rice - $1 each
2 16 oz. boxes Mueller's pasta (1 spaghetti, 1 macaroni) - .17 each
Idahoan instant mashed potatoes - free
Betty Crocker Warm Delights dessert mix (2) - .39 each
Wishbone Salad Dressing - free
Kozy Shack rice pudding - .5
Country Crock spreadable butter w/ canola oil - .25
Starkist Tuna Salad pouch - free
Jolly Time Popcorn - free
Wacky Mac pasta - free
Kelloggs Poptarts (large box) - .85
Marie Callender's Al Dente pasta dinner (frozen) - .72
Tony's crisp crust party pizza (2) - free (both)
Ground beef - .12 for 1 package, .22 for 2nd package (On sale for $1.59/lb - I had 2 coupons for .50 off ground beef which tripled)

Total before VIC card was scanned: $69.XX

Total after VIC savings came off: $42.XX

Total paid after all coupons: $15.70

If you take out the items which didn't have triple coupons associated with them (tea mix, saltines, flour and sugar), I paid a little less than $7 for all the triple coupon items.

The ground beef coupon is FANTASTIC because you almost never find coupons for fresh meat. Coupon for .50 off ground beef will net you $1.50 off once it triples - combine that with the sale for $1.59 a pound and you'll probably never find hamburger this cheap again!

You can download and print it HERE
You will be asked to enter a code. Enter: A23568. When it asks for a store, choose "other" at the bottom of the pull-down menu, and manually type in Harris Teeter. That's it - just print!

Other printable coupons used in this trip can be found as follows:

.75 off Wishbone Salad Dressing (triples to $2.25 off, making product FREE)

Coupons.com for printable coupons for Warm Delights, Minute Rice, Starkist Tuna, and others.

Smartsource.com for printable coupons for Idahoan potatoes, Marie Callender pasta entrees, Wacky Mac, and more.

NOTE: Both Coupons.com and Smartsource.com have coupons for .50 off Progresso broth. I didn't have any with me today, but I saw that this product would be free after coupons so it's definitely worth printing. (I intend to print some tonight and head back tomorrow.) Bisquick is also a good price after triple coupon (about $1.20 for a 40 oz. box, I think), so print that as well.

The other coupons I used came from Sunday papers.