Garden Update!

Teresa over at Money Saving Maine-iac is doing Garden Thursdays. So here is what my "garden" looks like this week.  I planted a bunch of seeds the end of March.  I swore myself off tomatoes because I killed them all last year - but like most things in life, I didn't do what I said I was going to do - but that's good, because this year, my tomatoes are doing  great!  I added Green Beans to my mix of stuff I'm trying to grow.  The husband wanted jalapenos so I did those as well as some Green Peppers.  I also have some watermelon (which I'm not too sure about) and marigolds.  I'm probably going to pick up some various plants too when the time comes to plant outside. 

I live near Boston.  Last year, I planted on Mother's Day (about May 13th).  We had a freakish frost a few days later.  This year, Mother's Day is May 9th - so I think I'm going to hold off until the following week to plant.  I think the guaranteed last day of no frost is May 20th - but I get all impatient and stuff like that.  I actually usually just copy my Polish neighbor and he planted the day before Mother's Day last year. 

I'm also going to do a little "project" with my kids and give them each their own garden.  It's actually for selfish reasons - I have a raised garden box that the previous owners left here - so I'm just going to try a raised garden and give them each a section.  I'll buy soil from Lowe's or whatever to fill it in - I kind of just want to see what plants do better. 

BJ's Rebate Received?

Hey!  Thanks to a comment, I realized I never got my BJ's/Unilver rebate back in the mail (see original post HERE).


I know for a fact I mailed mine in the early 20s of February - and it said it could take up to 8 weeks.  So it's been 9 weeks for me.  Just checking to see if anyone who participated in this rebate actually got their $40 gift card in the mail yet.  Or if you participated and DIDN'T get your card, I'd love to hear from you too! 

Thanks for the comment anonymous reader!

.30/1 MFC for Yoplait's New Greek Yogurt

Click HERE to print off a coupon for .30/1 MFC for Yoplait's Greek Yogurt.  This will probably go on sale for $1 and this coupon will double to .60.  You can print this twice. 

Since I'm some sort of Suzy Homemaker in the making, I'll let you in on something I did over the weekend.  I actually substituted Plain Greek Yogurt & vinegar for mayo in Tuna Macaroni Salad.  It was kind of gross to make as I don't like stirring yogurt and vinegar together (I thought I was going to vomit a little in my mouth - this "cooking" crap is hard sometimes) - but the end result is fabulous and I can't even tell it's not mayonnaise in the salad. 

The Power of the Raincheck!

Just wanted to throw a little tidbit out there for everyone - remember - if Shaw's (or most other stores) is out of a certain sale item, walk yourself over to the service desk for a raincheck!  I'll be honest - most of the time I am too lazy to actually get rainchecks - but now that we're eating a heck of a lot better and we try not to shop the junk anymore, when "good" stuff goes on sale, I like to stock up.

How has my mentality changed?  Well just a couple months ago, I'd just eat any old spaghetti.  I didn't care.  Now - it has to have 4 grams of fiber in it per serving or more.  Call me a food snob, but I'm not going to buy just regular pasta anymore - it's all Ronzoni Smart Taste or whole wheat crap.  So with the Ronzoni Smart Taste on sale this week, if they are out, I'll raincheck it up.  2 oz of fiber enriched pasta is only 3 points on WW where as regular pasta is 4.  I'm not going to waste a point on "regular" pasta!!  I love how Weight Watchers tricks you into eating healthier...

Free Eggs & Butter by logging into Stop & Shop

Erica told me about a good deal - log into your Stop & Shop account online and get coupons for free eggs and butter.  Check out Erica's blog, "Just Call Me Cheap" HERE.

I wasted about 10 minutes of my life with Stop & Shop today.  I went to log in to get my coupons.  I couldn't.  Said the name didn't match the account (but I had no problems registering my school with this card back in September with their A+ program).  So I called the number.  Was on hold for 5 minutes and talked to some numb nuts who sounded like he just smoked a blunt and told me that my account is registered to someone else with a different address.  He told me to call a different number and so I got a pen - he gave me the number I just called to get him.  So he goes, "Oh yeah, you have to press a different selection."  So I said "Well I pressed Technical issues with your account, is there something more specific for Screwed up Accounts?"  So he told me to press "2" and not "3".  So I recall the number and press "2" only to have some fu-fu message tell me they are only there Monday - Friday.  Why would that stupid guy tell not tell me that? 

Anyways - another good reason to go back to Shaw's.  Mama needs some cheap broccoli slaw anyways!

Shaw's Healthy Deals for 4/23-4/29

Shaw's is representing with the healthy stuff this week.  I think their online coupons have disappeared!  But they do seem to have some email set up.  I just signed up so I'll keep you abreast with what Shaw's delivers in my inbox. 

$1 Produce
Cameo Apples - $1/lbs
Navel Oranges - $1/lbs
Grapefruit - $1 ea
Green Onions - $1 per bundle
Eat Smart Slaw (MY FAVORITE!) - $1 per pack
Celery - $1
Radishes - $1
Fresh Garlic - $1
Avocados - $1
Organic Carrots - $1

Other Deals

Shaw's Bottom Round Roast or Steak - $1.88/lbs

Pork Sirloin Cutlets - $1.88/lbs

Fresh Express Salad Blends - BOGO Free

Red Seedless Grapes - .99/lbs

Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta - $1.19 (Print a .75/1 MFC HERE - which will double = Money maker of .31 cents.  You can print this twice)

Ronzoni Healthy Harvest - $1.19 (Print a $1/2 MFC HERE)

Tropicana & Trop50 - $2.49 ($1/1 MFCs for Trop50 & $1/2 MFCs for both in the paper recently)

Chesapeake Bay Low Fat Crab Cakes - BOGO Free. (If I found the correct nutrition info online, one crab cake would be 1 WW point.  I'm not sure how big these suckers are, but I might buy them).

Select GM Cereals - $1.88 (I can't find any of the high value coupons on the known coupon sites - but there is a $1/2 at Coupons.com)

Hebrew National Hot Dogs - BOGO Free (I love the Reduced Fat ones (blue package) that are 2 points, the Fat Free ones are so-so (green package), but they are only 1 point)

Tribe Hummus (16 oz. - bigger tub) - $3.99 ($1/1 MFC from paper recently)

Shady Brook Farms Ground Turkey - BOGO Free.  Check the nutrition info though - I've found with this WW stuff that certain ground turkeys are kind of high in fat.

Arnold Whole Grains Bread - $2.49 (there was a $1/1 MFC out a while ago from the paper - but I've had $1/1 MFCs spit out at me at Stop & Shop recently)

StarKist Albacore Tuna - $1 ($1/2 MFC from this month's All You magazine, sign up at Starkist.com to get a coupon for $1/5)

Birds Eye frozen Vegetables - $1 ($1/3 MFCs in paper recently)

Del Monte Fruit Naturals - $1 ($1/2 MFCs in paper recently)

Hunt's Canned Tomatoes (28 oz - the big can) - $1 ea (a good stock up price if you use canned tomatoes)

Deals To Skip

Lays - $1.99
Breyer's Ice Cream - $2.49
Jose Ole Taquitos - $4.99 ($1/1 MFC from Red Plum this week) (I recently made homemade taquitos - they were absolutely delicious and had only a small fraction of the fat in these suckers)
Drakes Coffee Cakes - BOGO Free


What about you?  Find any great Shaw's Healthy finds in your journey?
 

FREE 5X7 Flip Book at Snapfish.com

Starting tomorrow (4/23), snag a free 5X7 Flipbook at Snapfish.com by entering code ALLYOUMOM.  This is only good for the first 10,000 orders.  Good Luck!

5-point Dinner Using Hillshire Farms Turkey Kielbasa (BOGO at Stop & Shop this Week)

I love meat.  All meat.  In this Weight Watcher nonsense of mine, it is not chocolate that tempts me.  It is not cake that tempts me.  It is not cookies that do it either.  It is meat.  It is that 1/2 lbs. of salami in the refrigerator that is constantly calling my name.  It's the 1.88 lbs of steak I bought recently and just threw in the freezer.  It's Big Macs.  By the way, I tried a "Big Mac Snack Wrap" on the whim about a month ago (I was hungry, the kids were hungry, it was raining and the drive-thru was just oh so easy).  Yeah - it was delicious in my book - but I think it  was also 8 points.  I should have just spent the 16 or whatever it is on a real Big Mac.  Such a tease, but such a good tease.

Anyways - check out this simple and delicious dinner I'm making tonight:

In my crockpot, I put 2 cans (15 oz) of flavored diced tomatoes.  I also cut up a ring of my Turkey Kielbasa and threw it in the crockpot and will be cooking it on high for 2 - 3 hours. 

Now what I did with the Kielbasa - it is 14 oz and 2 oz is a serving (2 points).  So I cut 7, 2 oz. pieces using my WW scale.  Then I took one and cut it in 7 pieces.  It was pretty good.  So I cut them all in 7 pieces.  Now, when I go to eat tonight, I know I can have 7 pieces of Kielbasa on my plate for a serving.   

When we're ready to eat, I'll cook my Ronzoni Smart Taste (has 5 grams of fiber per 2 oz., so it brings the point value from 4 to 3 - whole wheat pasta usually has enough fiber to boost it down to 3 points from 4 points of "conventional" pasta as well).  I ran these three ingredients through the Recipe Builder at WW.com and it's 5 points a serving.  You can boost it  up a little too by adding some diced red peppers to it and even cut up mushrooms.  This wouldn't affect the points value unless you add like 3 lbs of either and you probably aren't doing that. 

Now if you love meat like me - you can score this Hillshire Farms Turkey Kielbasa pretty cheap at Stop & Shop this week.  How?  It's Buy One, Get One Free at $4.39 ea.  Then, there have been a ton of $1/2 MFCs in the paper recently.  So use that on 2.  You get 2 rings for $3.39.  I was going to buy the Low Fat Beef Kielbasa - but it's nutrition wasn't as good as the Turkey one.  The turkey one is 90 cals per 2 oz. with 5 g. fat and no fiber.  The low fat was something like 150 cals. with 3 g. fat or something - but I knew it was 3 points and not 2....so Turkey Kielbasa it is!

Stop & Shop Trip

Now I know why I never take a picture of my groceries on the counter top...

Total Before Savings:  $171.25

Total S&S Savings:  $59.70

Total Coupon Savings:  $15.75

Cash OOP:  $95.80

Highlights:

4 Hillshire Farms TURKEY Kielbasa - BOGO Free @ $4.39 ea (2 $1/2 MFCs) $$1.70 ea (2 oz. equals 2 WW points)

3 Sargento Cheeses - $2.50 ea (1 $1/2 MFC and 1 $1/1 MFC)

20 Yoplait Yogurts - .50 ea (3 FREE MFCs & a $2 CAT for buying 20)

Dole Apple Crisp Thing - $2 in the fruit isle ($1/1 MFC from paper) $1.  This is AWESOME!  I love apple desserts.  3 WW points.

2 Weight Watcher Ice Cream Cups - $2.50 ea (.75/2 MFC from WW book some week...this DOUBLES) $3.50 for 2 packs

Weight Watcher Cream Cheese - $2 ($1/1 MFC from Weight Watchers booklet) $1

Trop50 OJ - $3 (2 $1/1 MFCs from paper) $2 ea

Jiffy Pop Healthy Pop - $2 ($1/2 MFC from WW booklet) $1.50 ea (1 point per bag)

Dole Fruit Cups - $2 ea ($.75/2 MFC from All You Magazine DOUBLES) $2.50 for 2

3 Weight Watchers Yogurts - .75 ea (B2G1 Free MFC from Weight Watchers Book) .50 cents ea (1 point ea)

I bought 8 packs of "meat" that had coupons on them.  My favorite find was some Spinach and Feta Chicken Sausage.  Each link is 3 points.  Combine 1 link with 2 oz. dry whole wheat (or high fiber pasta) and 1/4 cup of tomato sauce or other vegetable based thing, then you have an awesome dinner that's about 7 points. 

So I was really happy with my first major Stop & Shop purchase.  I bought mostly "good" crap as I have for the past few months.  I don't know if Mondays are magic days - but there were SO MANY packs of meat with $2 peelies on them.  A lot of them were like $3.something - so it was like a dollar and some change for meat.  I just weigh it and ziploc baggie it up and stick it all in the freezer when I get home.  Obviously I don't buy meat that looks all skanky - but a lot of it looks fine.  Something to keep your eye open for if you are out and about. 

I'm Too Passionate About Composting (and the closest I'll get to being famous...)

Not sure if any of my garden people still read this blog (I'm not sure if anyone still reads this blog....).  Anyways - I gots my name printed in the Boston Globe Magazine.  I feel so Brookline right now it's not even funny. 

So I wrote to the Boston Globe magazine a few weeks ago.  Why?  I read some article about mandating composting.  In summary, the article was just trying to make a case for mandatory composting in and around Boston.  You know - like how we separate our recyclables.  Some people think the government should mandate composting.  Anyhow - so they published my babbling.  For reals...  Someone Thought I Typed Something Semi-Intelligent

Well I won't go into all that "real" heart-of-the-matter crap that the article was actually about.  I just got my panties in a ruffle because of one quote from the author:  “scattered households with compost heaps won’t make a dent in this problem.”  Honestly, it's been so long I forgot what "the problem" was - I think reducing methane gases in the atmosphere or some crap like that.  Anyhow - I love composting.  It's easy as pie.  I changed up my system this year to three individual piles that I'm working "down the line".  This is my third summer with my "garden" and I have to say - between composting and laying the grown with shredded newspaper last year, my soil quality has improved dramatically.  So take that Mr. Boston Globe Magazine writer!  Sure, I might not make any impact of your desire of saving the ozone layer with my small heap of produce trash in my backyard - but I'm going to have some kick-ass tomatoes and cucumbers this year!  Yeah!!  I think I'm the real winner here...

So yeah, if you compost - give me a shout out!  Love to hear how you do it and how it works for you.  I think most people think it's nasty and stuff - but honestly, it's not that bad.  And this is coming from someone who grew up in Connecticut.  I'm not some farm-loving, tree-hugging, hippie lady.  If I can do it, anyone can.

Going to Stop & Shop Today...

I'm really kind of sad - I have to go to the grocery store today and matching up my coupons to sales last night during Army Wives, I realize that Stop & Shop is just better for me this week.  Gasp!  It's mostly due to better sales on produce & meat for what we eat.

So I'm writing this - begging Shaw's really, to hook us up with a great Catalina to lure me back in there.  I have lost my excitement for Shaw's and that's kind of sad...

The 99 - Kids Eat Free...

I don't like the Red Sox.  But I like when I get free kid meals the day after they win!  The 99 brought back their Red Sox promo.  How it works?  It's easy.  If the Red Sox win, the next day, you'll receive a free kids' meal with the purchase of an adult meal. 

Just note - that it has to be an even purchase.  If you have 1 adult and 2 kids, you'll only get 1 kids' meal for free.  If you have 2 adults and 2 kids, both kids' meals are free.  2 adults and 5 kids - you're out of luck - you'll still have to pay for 3 kid's meals.  Get it?  

Shaw's Healthy Deals 4/16-4/22

So Shaw's is kind of blah in general.  Their ads are small and weak.  But guess what?  I still love Shaw's and grocery shopping must go on! 

If you are watching the junk in your trunk shrink, here are somethings that you may like:

1 lbs Strawberries - $1.69/lbs

Broccoli Crowns - .99/lbs

Prince Pasta - .88 (I'm not sure if the whole wheat or other varieties are included - I only buy pasta now that is pumped with fiber so I can eat 2 dry ounces for 3 pts. instead of 4 pts.)

Kraft Mac & Cheese - .50 (great deal!)

Hood Ice Cream - $2.49 ($1/2 MFC at Hood.com)

Coke 12 packs - 3/$10 (get a free 8 pack of Powerade with in-store coupon)

Yoplait Yogurts - .50 (a couple random MFCs from the paper on these)

Hormel Natural Choice Deli Meat - BOGO Free

Lawry's Marinades - .99 (I used to be a BIG marinade person - but I'm finding that I'm using more spices now)

Iceburg Lettuce - .99

Hood Cottage Cheese - $1.99 (.50/1 MFC at Hood.com)

Freihofer's Country or Hearty Bread - BOGO Free

Cains Salad Dressing - .99


If you go shopping at Shaw's on Saturday, April 17th - snag yourself a free 2 liter of Sunkist soda.  They say that there are more savings in the store - which really doesn't help us people who like to match up coupons with sales.  Best of luck on your grocery shopping adventures this week!


Check out Becentsable's Grocery Gathering!

I'm Giving Up!

I think I'm giving up this budget crap.  I'm so far behind and so beyond my "budget" it's not even funny.  So yes, I'm a quitter.  I'm proud to be a quitter!

I'm still going to blog about misc. bargain crap at Shaw's and other places I find of interest.  Just my personal shopping is not something anyone should be copying now.  If I have stellar Shaw's trips - I'll totally post those (saving lots of money gives me a high that I can only relate to cocaine - even though I've never done cocaine or any other hardcore drug of that nature). 

Hope everyone had a happy Easter and for us New Englanders - hope you're enjoying the crazy warm weather we've been experiencing!  Now I must read next week's Shaw's flyer and start a "real" blog post!  Take care my friends!