What I'm Buying - Smith's 12/30

It's time again for the Smith's semi-annual P&G promo sale! Buy 4 items, get $4 off!

Here's what I picked up yesterday:
(again, I apologize for the horrible pictures - it's the same camera phone I've been using for almost two years now, and if you scroll back to posts from a year ago, the picture quality is great, but something has happened over the last 6 months and they are terrible now and getting worse, and our point-and-shoot camera died this month as well...grrr)



(3) Quaker Granola bars, clearanced to .79
(1) Quaker instant oatmeal, on sale 1.99 (.99 after coupon)
(1) Real Salt fine grind, clearanced to 3.79
(1) Ziplop holiday print bags, clearanced to 1.79
(2) Silk PureAlmond milk, on sale 2.99 (1.99 after coupon)
(1) Mountain Dairy whole milk, on sale 1.99
(1) Charmin 12ct Double Rolls, on sale 6.99 (5.99 after promo, 2.99 after coupon)*
(2) Gillette body wash, on sale 3.50 (2.50 after promo, .50 after coupon)*
(2) Pantene large conditioner, on sale 5.99 (4.99 after promo, 3.49 after coupon)*
(2) Pantene small shampoo, 3.82 (FREE after coupon, with purchase of conditioner)
(2) Herbal Essences stylers, on sale 2.79 (1.79 after promo, 1.29 after coupon)*
(2) Aussie stylers, on sale 2.79 (FREE after coupon, with purchase of stylers above)*
(2) Old Spice deodorant, on sale 2.19 (1.19 after promo, .69 after coupon)
(2) Old Spice body wash, on sale 3.50 (2.50 after promo, but FREE after coupon, with purchase of Old Spice deodorants)
(8) Secret deodorant, on sale 2.39 (1.39 after promo, .89 after coupon)
(1) Crest ProHealth toothpaste, on sale 2.98 (1.98 after promo, .98 after coupon)

I used (1) 2.00/2 coupon for the almond milk (see SS-10/17), (1) 3.00/1 eCoupon for the Charmin (see Smith's eCoupons), (2) 2.00/1 coupons for the Gillette body wash (from previous product packaging), (1) 3.00/2 coupon for the Pantene conditioners (see P&G-12/26), (2) free coupons for the Pantene shampoo (see P&G-11/28), (2) .50/1 coupons for the stylers (see RP-11/14), (2) free coupons for the other two stylers (see P&G-12/26), (1) 1.00/2 coupon for the Old Spice deodorant (see P&G-11/28), (2) free coupons for the Old Spice body wash (see P&G-12/26), (8) .50/1 coupons for the Secret (see P&G-11/28 and P&G-12/26) and (1) 1.00/1 coupon for the toothpaste (from a P&G coupon mailer).

I got (5) $4 off promo credits.

Total: $35.94

wikiHow's topic of the day: How to Make Gluten-Free Cheesecake Crust

How to make gluten-free cheesecake crust:

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Gluten-Free-Cheesecake-Crust

Santa came early to my house!!!

Santa came early to my house! His name is Ron Tucker, otherwise known as "The Fruit Guy". He sells local fruit here in the south end of the valley, and I have to tell you, it is some of the very best stuff I have ever tasted - SERIOUSLY!

I've been waiting for him to come back through our area since July, and he was finally back today! Hooray! (I didn't have to wait - I could have called him and he would have made arrangments to bring me more fruit at any time, but I hated to have him make a special trip just for me, so I waited.) Here's what he brought:

Juicy, bright, peak-of-perfection, dripping-all-over-juicy seedless oranges - to die for!

Perfectly crisp, sweet and juicy Fuji apples - my new favorite loves!

Big, hearty, starchy Russet potatoes the size of a large shoe, made for some serious baked potato usage - awesome!

(I haven't tried the Granny Smith apples yet, but I can only imagine that they are just as fabulous as the rest of this lot.)

Honestly, it is easy to like healthy fruits like this when they are SOOO darn good!

I wish I knew his secrets. I don't know if he grows them himself, or where they come from (I know the apples are local - I don't know about the oranges and potatoes - I'm guessin' Idaho on the potatoes, thanks to the box, but not sure on the oranges, can we even grow them here in Utah?), or how they are so darn good, but truly I am not one to question the how's and why's of manna from heaven. I just know it is darn good stuff - even the hubs agrees.

The Fruit Guy distributes in the Herriman, Riverton, Eagle Mountain, Highland and Alpine areas. The fruit is available (grapefruit too) in 1/4 bushel, 1/2 bushel, 3/4 bushel and full bushel. What I got in the picture above is 3/4 bushel - half of that in oranges, and the other half in apples, split equally between Fuji's and Granny Smith's. The potatoes are a half-box order (about 25 lbs).

Fruit, 3/4 bushel - $29.00
Potatoes, 25lb half-box - $17.00

Total: $46.00

It seems like a lot, but trust me, this stuff is worth every penny - HONEST! I know for a fact that 8 of the oranges and 2 of the Fuji apples are already gone, and we only just got the fruit at about 1pm this afternoon. (Did I mention that he brings these to your door?!?) Yummy!!!

Stuff...

It's a pretty mellow week as far as grocery sales go, and I'm feeling like I need a break, so I'm not hitting any sales this week.

I ran into Walmart on Tuesday to grab a few things for stockings, and I picked up a few produce items because I just didn't have the time, or the energy, or the desire to stop anywhere else.

I got 2 heads green leaf lettuce (1.88 ea, OUCH!!!), 8 cucumbers (.50 ea, gonna make some pickles), a bag of carrots (1.50ish), a 60ct bag of corn tortillas (about 1.25ish) and 3 raspberry vinagrette dressings for my hubs (who has been known to go through 1 a week...about 1.62 each).

I've found some really great ideas for neighbor gifts (some probably won't even make it out the door of my house they look so good)...

Holiday Gifts from the Kitchen, from Our Best Bites

...and then ran into this little recipe this morning that I am just simply going to have to try out this afternoon:

Spiced Sweet Potato Mini Loaves

...and just a reminder that there are not expected to be any coupon inserts in the Sunday paper this week. There is scheduled to be a P&G insert on the 26th, though. But what you REALLY want to make sure you don't miss is the first Sunday in January, when there will be THREE inserts! (Five for those of you who get RedPlum in the newspaper still.)

Trip to Augason Farms Outlet Store

I went to the Augason Farms outlet store yesterday (formerly Blue Chip Group). They are having a sale on some of their food storage items - whole powdered eggs and pancake mix are both Buy 1 Get 1 Free.

That is a KILLER deal on the powdered eggs! 2 for $16.99, which makes them $8.50 a can. There are 56 servings in each (the equivalent of 56 large eggs). The cans are usually about $13 at their cheapest (during the food storage sales at Macey's).

The sale goes through today only, December 10. (Sorry, I only found out about it a few days ago.)

Here's what I picked up:


(8) whole powdered eggs, on sale B1G1 Free (ends up being 8.50 each)
(4) buttermilk pancake mix, on sale B1G1 Free (ends up being 4.24 each)
(4) Morning Moos chocolate dairy drink, clearanced to 5.00 each (normally $13.27)
(1) bananas slices, 8.29
(1) dehydrated corn, 18.99
(1) tapioca pearls, clearanced to 3.00

Total: $139.26

The oulet store is located at 3431 S 500 W SLC, UT 84115, and is open Monday-Friday from 9am to 5pm. (They may have extended holiday hours...)

I don't know if the B1G1 sale is for in-store only. They do ship items, and they may apply the B1G1 to shipped orders as well - you'd have to check (for those of you out of state). [The shipping fees on their website are VERY low - between 4.99 and11.99 for the whole order, looks like.]

Auguson Farms website

What I'm Buying - Fresh Market 12/9

I truly, truly apologize for the crappiness of this picture. I pulled out our "real" camera to use instead of my phone's camera, and guess what?!? The "real" camera is apparently broken and is taking worse shots than the dumb phone camera...ARGH!!!

Anyway, don't look too closely 'cuz it's so blurry it will hurt your eyes, but here's what I picked up at Fresh Market today:


(1) 10lb WF unbleached flour, on sale 2.50 (1.99 after store coupon)
(2) Pillsbury brownie mix, on sale .79 (.59 after store coupon, .09 after manufacturer coupon)
(2) Pillsbury brownie mix, on sale .79 (.29 after manufacturer coupon)
(8) Guittard baking chips, on sale 1.67
(2) bunches bananas, .59/lb
(2) green leaf lettuce, 1.39
(7) roma tomatoes, .99/lb
(1) Dole spinach, 2.39

I used two store coupons from Fresh Market, (1) for 1.99 for the flour (limit 1) and (1) for .59 for the brownie mix (limit 2). I also used (2) 1.00/2 manufacturer coupons for the brownie mixes [see RP-11/7].

Total: $26.29

What I'm Buying - Smith's DOUBLE COUPONS 12/6

I cannot believe it, but I TOTALLY spaced the big double coupon event at Smith's this week! I didn't even remember until noon on Monday, and by then I knew many of the best deals would already be gone, especially since the double coupons actually started on Sunday.

So, I hurried to make a list, threw the 3-yr-old in the car and off we went about 2pm on Monday. It was INSANE! The store was packed (even my beloved, out-of-the-way honey-hole Smiths that is NEVER busy and RARELY out of anything) and it was a little crazy.

There were quite a few things on my list that they were out of, but that's okay - none of it was critical. I'm just happy with the deals I was able to find still in stock!


(5) New York Texas Toast croutons, on sale 1.49 (.49 after coupon)
(10) Betty Crocker cookie mix, on sale 1.50 (.50 after coupon)
(2) Martha White muffin mix, on sale .79 (FREE after coupon)
(4) Krusteaz cookie mix, on sale 1.49 (.99 after promo, FREE after coupon)
(4) Tabasco hot sauce, on sale 1.49 (.49 after coupon)
(2) ClabberGirl baking powder, on sale 1.69 (.69 after coupon)
(3) Kleenex tissue, on sale 1.49 (.99 after promo, .66 after coupon)
(2) Idahoan potatoes, on sale .94 (FREE after coupon)
(1) Wesson mixed oil, on sale 2.49 (1.99 after promo)
(2) Reynolds baking cups, 1.29 (.29 after coupon)
(2) C&H brown sugar, 1.69 (.69 after coupon)
(1) Kikkoman soy sauce, 2.09 (1.09 after coupon)
(1) Kroger cream cheese, on sale 1.00
(3) Carmex lip balm, on sale 1.00 (FREE after coupon)
(4) Ivory soap 4pk, 1.69 (.69 after coupon)
(2) Yoplait Greek yogurt, 1.19 (.19 after coupon)
(4) Land O Lakes half-n-half, 1.79 (.79 after coupon)
(1) 3lb Clementines, on sale 3.99 (2.99 after coupon)
(2) BirdsEye SteamFresh vegetables, on sale 1.66 (1.16 after promo, .16 after coupon)
(2) cucumbers, .59 ea
(4) Hormel pepperoni, on sale 1.00 (FREE after coupon)

I used a TON of coupons, but I won't post them here since the double coupon sale ended Wednesday. I also got $5 off for the Mega Event promo.

Total: $37.50

One Down, One More to Go

This is batch #1 of the canned chicken from that 40# box. My canner holds 16 pint jars, and that used up about 18lbs of chicken.

Most of this was done raw pack, but I also did 4 jars of cubed chicken as an experiment. The raw pack comes out like shredded chicken, and there are some recipes where I really need to have cubed chicken. So, I cut up some of the raw chicken into small cubes and then browned it in a skillet before adding it to the jars. It seems to have held up very well, so now I just need to try it in a recipe.

I only have 14 more empty jars, so 14 jars will get processed tomorrow and the rest of the chicken will be vacuum packed and put in the freezer.

Food Storage Saves Dinner!

It was one of those days when you look at the clock and it's 9am, and then you look at the clock a few minutes later and its suddenly 4pm and you have no dinner plans and kids are getting home from school and husband is getting home from work, and everyone is starving and wants food NOW...and we've done far too much fast food lately, so that was not an option tonight. What's a girl to do?

Food storage to the rescue!


[I've REALLY got to stop using my phone's camera for these shots...they're terrible!]

FOOD STORAGE NACHOS

Bag of tortilla chips (food storage)
Block of Velveeta cheese (food storage)
Shredded cheddar cheese (from fridge, but had previously been in freezer as part of food storage)
Can of Rotel tomatoes (food storage)
Hamburger, 1lb (pre-cooked and canned, from food storage)
Refried beans (food storage - except my can of dried refried beans from the cannery seems to have gone stale, so the batch I made tasted strange and we ended up not using it on nachos - I think the can is about 7 years old, so we're dumping it and will open a fresh can next time)

Garnished with:
olives (food storage)
sour cream (from fridge)

I didn't have to cook any of, except to stick everything on the tray and then stick it in the oven for 10 minutes to heat up and melt the cheese. Not bad for a food storage meal... ;)

[I cooked the nachos at 350F for about 10 minutes for the plain cheese ones, and about 15 minutes for the 'grande' ones. If I were doing the hamburger from raw, I would cook it with some onions, a little bit of garlic powder and some oregano, for even more flavor.]

Additional items for the car kit

I stopped by Ikea today to pick up some containers for my pantry, and I spotted a couple of items I thought would be great for my emergency car kit:


This is the IRMA fleece throw. It was all of $2.29 - that's it. It is 51 x 67 inches. Sure, it doesn't have fancy edges or frills or designs, but this is going to stay packed in a bag in the trunk/back of the car, so who needs those extra details?

I, unfortunately, have personally experienced the joys of being stuck in a blizzard, at night, on a country road, with my car in the ditch, and not having any emergency supplies with me, and it wasn't fun. [Side note: If you ever get stuck in the snow, and have to turn your car on in order to keep warm, make absolutely SURE that your exhaust pipe is fully vented to the surrounding air and not covered or blocked by snow or snow drifts. If it is, DO NOT TURN THE CAR ON.]

If you want to save a little more space, you can substitute a mylar emergency blanket or emergency sleeping bag. They are super small, super lightweight, and just as cheap. (I think I found some of the solar blankets in the camping section at Walmart for about $2.00. And I think Emergency Essentials had the mylar sleeping 'bags' for about $5.00.)

And this is the FIXA 17-piece tool kit. It was $7.99. It includes a hammer, pliers, wrench and a screwdriver with multiple bits. It comes with it's own case, but I think I'll just put the tools in my car kit bag without the case, to save some room.

Other items I will be looking to add to my kit: folding shovel, flares or reflective triangle, water, food, winter gloves, duct tape, tire flat repair spray...The list will probably grow or change some as I tweak it a bit. I have extra fuses in my glove compartment already and a full first-aid kit in the back of the car, so while those are technically part of my "kit", they don't have to be included in the bag with everything else.

What I'm Buying - Smith's 12/2

Smith's has yet ANOTHER Mega Event sale this week! They must be working out pretty well for them, because they are becoming a fairly common occurrence. That's okay - no complaints from me! :)

Here's what I picked up this morning:


(1) Gain laundry detergent 50oz, on sale 4.99 (3.99 after ecoupon)
(2) Silk PureAlmond milk, on sale 2.49 (1.99 after promo, .99 after coupon)
(5) Kellogg's PopTarts 12ct, on sale 2.99 (2.49 after promo)
(3) Kleenex tissues, on sale 1.49 (.99 after promo, .82 after coupon)
(1) Gardetto's snack mix, on sale 1.99 (1.49 after promo, .99 after ecoupon)
(1) Chex snack mix, on sale 1.99 (1.49 after promo, .99 after ecoupon)
(1) Bugles snack mix, on sale 1.99 (1.49 after promo)
(7) Pringles, on sale 1.49 (.99 after promo, 2 were .49 after ecoupon)
(1) 3lb Cuties oranges, on sale 3.99

I used (1) 1.00/1 ecoupon for the laundry detergent [see link in GrocerySmarts list for all ecoupons], (1) 2.00/2 coupon for the almond milk [see SS-10/17], (1) .50/3 coupon for the Kleenex [see SS-11/7], (1) 1.00/2 ecoupon for the Multigrain Pringles, (1) .50/1 ecoupon for the Gardettos and (1) .50/1 ecoupon for the Chex mix.

I thought I had an ecoupon for the Bugles, but apparently not. And there was supposedly a Catalina deal for the PopTarts, but no one has been able to confirm the date that the Cat ended. I didn't get one this morning, so I'm thinking the promo has ended.

Total: $34.49

My original plan did not call for any of the PopTarts, and only had (2) Pringles, no Bugles and a Wesson canola oil. But they were all out of the canola oil, and the 3 yr old wanted PopTarts, so I caved and got her some in place of the oil, and then thought I'd get enough to see if the Catalina was working, which meant I had to get an additional group of 10 items, hence the Bugles and the additional Pringles...

What I'm Buying - Fresh Market 12/2

Not a lot of 5-star deals on the Fresh Market list this week, but I just couldn't pass up the chicken! It has been almost a year since I got my last big batch of chicken, and it's time to can some more. You'll be happy to know that you do NOT have to buy the chicken in a 40lb box (like I did) - the price is valid on any of the smaller SuperSaver packages as well.

Plus, if you've signed up for the Fresh Market weekly coupon deals, those are almost always a really good buy. This week's coupons are for 8 rolls Bounty paper towels for $3.99 and 24 count Charmin bath tissue for $3.99.

Here's what I picked up:


(1) 40lb box boneless skinless chicken breasts, on sale $1.49/lb (it's just under $60 for the 40lb box)
(1) 8 roll Bounty paper towels, 10.99 (3.99 with store coupon, 3.74 after manufacturer coupon)
(1) 24 roll Charmin bath tissue, 10.99 (3.99 with store coupon, 3.74 after manufacturer coupon)
(3) Betty Crocker corn bread mix, on sale .38
(1) ShurSavings whole milk, FREE (with $50 purchase)

I used the two store coupons for the paper products, plus (1) .25/1 coupon for the paper towels and (1) .25/1 coupon for the bath tissue [see P&G-11/28 for both coupons].

Total: $70.60