Frugal Living Tip #21 - Manager Markdowns

Manager Markdowns

One of my favorite places to find deals on groceries is to look for manager markdowns. They can be a great savings on meats, produce, or bakery items. My mother-in-law was one of the first people to tell me about what she called "thrift aisle" at Ukrop's. I remember her telling me about getting up early to be outside of Ukrop's before they opened on Monday mornings at 7AM to see what was on thrift from the weekend. (For those of you not from Richmond, Ukrop's was a Richmond-based grocery chain that was family run and closed on Sundays.)

These items are generally a day or two away from their sell-by or best before dates. Sometimes the department got a new delivery and needs to get rid of the older product. It could also be that the box got crushed, or the can dented.

I obviously use common sense and my same criteria for buying something on thrift that I use with the rest of my shopping. I look to make sure the product is still usable - not stale, molded, or just looks generally "off". I evaluate if it is something that we will eat, can use in the next day or so, or if I am able to freeze it. I also keep my target prices in mind, just because it is markdown doesn't mean it is the best price.

It is important to keep in mind what your budget is for that trip, or week, or month. If it isn't something that you need, or can use, regardless of the deal don't buy it.

Do you regularly check out the manager markdowns?

 

Frugal Living Tip #13 - Menu Planning

Menu Planning

My very first tip was get organized. Menu planning requires some organization, but is a great way to help you save both money and time.

Menu planning is a great way to take advantage of what you already have on hand in addition to weekly store sales. When you have a plan for what you have on hand, you have less waste and save money.

I was surprised at how much easier my day seemed to go when I didn't have the what is for dinner question in the back of my mind all day long.

Meal planning is not intended to be something that causes you more stress so do what works for you. I generally plan for a leftover night and a dinner out once a week. Having meals or portions of meals already prepped and in my freezer also helps to make menu planning easy to do.

Here is an example of my weekly menu plan: (the dinner leftovers were planned for lunches this week)

• Sunday- Chicken Tortilla Soup (made extra and froze it for another night)
• Monday- Cheese Tortellini with peas and bacon crumbles
• Tuesday- Hawaiian Chicken (a meal from the freezer that cooks in the slow cooker) with noodles and steamed veggies
• Wednesday- Community Group - I am bringing Mac & Cheese for the kids
• Thursday- Taco Night
• Friday- Pancakes, Eggs, & Bacon with applesauce and fruit
• Saturday- Dinner Out

Do you menu plan? Please feel free to share any tips for how you plan and a favorite meal.

 

Frugal Living Tip #12 - Freezer Cooking

Freezer Cooking

I know the name may imply it, but freezer cooking does not mean that you are cooking your dinner in the freezer. What it does mean, if you are not familiar with the idea, is that you spend a little bit of extra time cooking extra and prepping items in advance and then putting them in the freezer for a future meal.

I cannot begin to tell you how much I love freezer cooking. It has saved us from take-out or delivery so many times. It has also allowed me to help out others when they are sick, had a new baby, or just to bless them when they have a lot going on. My favorite thing is that I make a big mess all at once and have less to clean-up on the other nights.

There are several different ways to freezer cook. Some people like to take an entire day and make enough meals to last entire month. Personally I like to take advantage of deals when I find them and prep and freeze the items. I always have ground beef and boneless skinless chicken breast frozen in meal sized portions (for us that is about one pound). When I find these items at my stock-up price I buy about 10-15 pounds at one time. I will clean-up the chicken and cut some of it into bite size pieces and strips so that it can easily be added to a soup or stir-fry.

You can make freezer cooking work for you based on what your family eats on a regular basis. I like to put several pounds of chicken in my slow cooker with barbecue sauce then shred it, and place it in several quart sized freezer bags. This allows us to have barbecue chicken sandwiches for a quick meal on a busy night or for a Saturday lunch. You can start off slow by just browning twice as much ground beef one night and freeze half. That is what I love about freezer cooking, it allows me to take advantage of a day when I have extra time and save myself some sanity on a day when I don't have extra time.

Do you utilize freezer cooking? Please feel free to share a favorite recipe or tip.

 

My Shopping Trip–5/11/12

I have not had a big personal shopping trip in a long time.  The deals I have been getting have been a fuelperks! deals here and there and perishable items that we need.  We have had a busy year, and we have been eating down my stockpile and eating out more than I would like to admit.

This afternoon after I picked up Natalie from school I took all three kids to MARTIN’S.  We started off our almost two hour visit by hitting the café and bathrooms.  (Those stops alone took up 45 minutes.)  After making sure that there wouldn’t be anyone asking to go to the bathroom when we had a cartful of groceries and on the other side of the store, or any cries for a snack because they were so hungry we got started on our shopping list.  Megan and Michael had a blast driving the “car shopping cart” and Natalie was the official list holder and proudly walked around telling me what to get and how many of each item.

So, here is a picture of my haul and a breakdown of the deals, prices are after sales & coupons:

• (8) Sugar Free Snack Packs = $8 (earned $0.20/gallon in fuelperks!)
• (2) Arm & Hammer Crystal Packs = $4.25
• (2) Push Pops = $1.30 (not pictured, but a reward for the girls being helpers in the store)
• (2) Mission Tortillas = $3
• (1) GIANT Brand Shredded Cheese = Free with purchase of 2 Mission Tortillas
• (2) GIANT Zip top Bags & (2) GIANT Brand String Cheese = $5.58 (Part of the Buy $8 of our brand items and get $3 off instantly)
• Disney Princess Tiana Barbie Doll = $4.35 (An Angel Tree or Toys for Tots gift for Christmas 2012)
• (2) Dole Butter Bliss Salad Blends = $1.90 (each bag had a $1 off store sticker and then there were $0.55/1 blinkies in the produce section)
• (9) Shadybrook Farm Ground Turkey (1.3lb) = $35.91 (earned $1.20/gallon in fuelperks!)
• (2) Value Packages (~3lbs each) of 90% Lean Ground Beef = $11.64  (The packages had been $12.05 and $12.13 each before the markdown!)
• (2) Edy Fruit Bars = $3.50
• (2) Nestle Drumstick Cones = $3.50
• (4) Coffee-Mate Creamers (16oz)  = $5.06 (I earned a $4 Catalina at checkout)
• Rotisserie Chicken = $4.01 (Manager’s Special, Usually $5.99)

Shelf Price (Before sales, coupons, or tax) = $158.62

Final Total (After sales, coupons, before tax) = $87

Total Savings = $71.62 (55%)

Total fuelperks! earned from this shopping trip= $1.50* = $30 in free gas!

*($1.40 from purchasing select items and $0.10 from hitting $100 in store purchases)

So, not a bad haul.  I may not have had a huge savings percentage, but when you take into account that I had a little over $50 in just meat, plus a $4 gift we did pretty well.  Now, I get to make oodles of turkey taco meat, turkey chili, and meatballs with the ground beef and turkey to stock my freezer for nights that I don’t have time to or just don’t want to cook.

Did you find any great deals this week?  Do you have any recipes for ground turkey that I can make ahead and stick in the freezer?  Please feel free to share.  :)

~Ann

Eating “Real Food” and Using Coupons–Can you do it?

I happened to check facebook while I was sitting in the car waiting for Steve Tuesday afternoon.  It was then that I had a friend of mine (in real life) make this comment in her status update. 

“Extreme couponing only works if you eat chemical laden, processed food. No thanks.”

I tried to reply as quickly as I could -

“Not true. There are coupons for items such as frozen vegetables and fruit on a regular basis. Organic manufacturers such as Stonyfield offer coupons on their website. I also use coupons regularly for toiletry items not just for my family but to also donate items to local shelters.”

There of course was a series of comments and one of them went on to say to me,

“I would like to see you do an experiment. Couponing while eating only real food (with real being defined as fewer than 5 ingredients I can both pronounce and identify).” 

Challenge accepted!

I decided to quickly go through my pantry, fridge, and freezer and look for things that I had on hand that I bought with sale and coupons that met the criteria for “real food”.

This is a sampling of what I had on hand:

 

There are more items that could have been included in the picture.  Let’s take a look at what I pulled out.

• Almonds
• Smart Balance Peanut Butter – this is a natural peanut butter the only ingredients listed are peanuts, evaporated cane juice, natural oil blend (palm fruit & flaxseed oils), salt, molasses
• Canned Vegetables
• Corn – Golden Whole Grain Corn, Water, Salt
• Diced Tomatoes – Tomatoes, Tomato Juice, Salt, Citric Acid, Calcium Chloride (the citric acid is added to the tomatoes for acidity and to prevent botulism, the calcium chloride is to maintain the firmness of the tomatoes)
• Canned Beans
• Sweetened Condensed Milk – just milk and sugar
• Canned fruit
• Sour cream
• Canola oil
• Olive Oil and Vinegar – lots of uses, but also work as a substitute for salad dressing and marinades.
• Spices, Herbs, and Extracts – I pulled out my salt, poppy seeds, and vanilla extract
• Oatmeal – just 100% whole grain oats
• Frozen vegetables – I don’t buy the ones with sauces, the only ingredient on the bag was green beans.  I actually prefer frozen vegetables to canned because they don’t have any salt added to them.
• String Cheese
• Blocks of Cheese –  I try to buy the blocks if I can find the type I want that way.  It is usually less expensive per ounce if you buy the block.  The shredded cheese also has other ingredients added to it to keep it from caking.  I also buy the white cheddar, the orange has food coloring.
• Butter
• Whole Grain Pasta
• Rice
• Whole Bean Coffee
• Tea Bags

I could have pulled out other things like flour, sugar, and other baking supplies.  By keeping these items on hand you don’t have to rely on mixes that are filled with other things.  (I do have my share of mixes in my pantry.  I keep them on hand to use in a pinch.)

I actually did not have any commercially frozen fruit in my freezer to grab.  The majority of my frozen fruit is from what we picked and stored while it was at it’s lowest price during the summer.  The same was true about applesauce.  You can buy natural applesauce with coupons.  I have gallons of of applesauce on hand because we make and can our own every fall.

I have purchased fresh fruit and produce with coupons. There is a coupon right now for $0.50/1 Dole Salad Kit (just join the salad circle).  I also got Cutie’s Clementines for less with a sale and coupon this winter. 

I also missed grabbing milk and eggs.  You can find coupons for organic milk from the manufacturers.  I just ran out of eggs or else I would have remembered to grab those – there are coupons available for Eggland’s Best the “regular ones” and the cage free eggs several times a year in the Sunday paper.

The bottom line is that you can shop with coupons for things that aren’t loaded with chemicals and preservatives and that are “real food”.  It is also possible that by purchasing these everyday pantry and fridge items on sale and with a coupon that you allow yourself enough wiggle room in your budget to buy things like organic produce or meat. 

I do want to end with this last thought.  We all have different priorities in what we buy, what we we feed our families (either at home or in a restaurant), and how we spend or save our money.  If you are going to leave a comment please be kind or else it probably won’t be published. 

Thanks for reading.  I know there are other things that are “real foods” and have coupons available that I didn’t include.  I would love to hear what other items you have in your home that would qualify. 

~Ann

Q: What are you going to do with 8 pounds of chicken breast? A: Freezer Cooking.

That is the abridged version of a conversation with a neighbor at a neighborhood gathering last Saturday.

I decided to cook both four pound packages of chicken that I picked up last week on sale for $1.99/lb instead of freezing in one pound portions.  I pulled out both of my slow cookers and put four pounds of raw boneless skinless chicken breast in each one.  I added barbecue sauce to one of them to make a batch of chicken barbecue and I added taco seasoning, Ro-tel tomatoes, and some other ingredients to the other one to make a chicken taco or burrito filling.  They both smelled great while they were cooking!

The taco/burrito filling is in the clear dish and the bowl is what I saved out for us for dinner. The chicken barbecue is in the black dish. I placed the bags in these dishes and then filled them with cold water and ice to safely cool them down before placing them in the freezer.

I had  found some bread on the “stale bread” shelf in MARTIN’s on Tuesday and had about one and one-half loaves left.  I had recently seen this post on Money Saving Mom about making homemade uncrustables for the freezer and making croutons out of the leftover crust.  I already had the Pampered Chef gadget and thought that it would be nice to have some ready made sandwiches for Natalie’s lunch. 

I tried making the sandwiches in the center of the bread, but because I wanted to save the crust for croutons I found it easier to just cut the bread first then press them together.

I wrapped the individual sandwiches in plastic wrap and then placed them all in a gallon sized freezer bag.

Yum! Butter, olive oil, italian seasonings and bread – what could smell better?!? We had a few more croutons before the picture. I had a few “quality control inspectors” passing through the kitchen when these were finished.

I also had several onions that I received in my produce box from Dominion Harvest that I wanted to chop up and freeze.  I ended up chopping up three and a half large onions and placing them in snack size bags so they are recipe-size portions.  I later wrapped the individual bags in foil, then placed them in a large storage bag and a freezer bag to keep the entire freezer from smelling like onions.

I really don’t like to chop onions so hopefully having this many onions ready in recipe-sized portions will make fixing dinner a lot easier.

I didn’t get everything finished that day, I had to go out to a parent’s night at school.  I did finally finish the last item on my agenda when I got a chance to cut up some of the beautiful peppers that I got in my produce box from Dominion Harvest.  I still had half of a large onion so I made portion sized bags of red and green peppers with onions for stir fry or fajitas and I chopped up one bag with assorted peppers and the rest of the onion to use for chili.

Cutting peppers is another chore I don’t like to do and hopefully this will make pulling dinner together easier and faster on busy weeknights.

 

What do you have stored in your freezer?  What are some ingredients that you keep on hand for quick weeknight meals?  Do you have a favorite fix double, triple, or quadruple and freeze the leftovers recipe?  Please feel free to share. 

Happy Cooking & Freezing!

~Ann

Blueberry Picking and “Day Old Produce”

 

A picture of all of the blueberries we picked and the “day old produce” they were selling at $0.50/lb.  We picked ~15 lbs of blueberries!

We took the kids out to Mt. Olympus Farm yesterday to go blueberry picking.  We have enjoyed apple picking and strawberry picking at other farms.  I didn’t find that either of those outside of being a fun family day was really a huge cost savings (the per pound prices were almost the same as the grocery store).  This was our first time blueberry picking and it was not only a fun family afternoon, it was almost half the price to pick my own as it was to buy them in the store!  The blueberries were $2.50/lb at Mt. Olympus(compared to $2 for 8oz at most stores this week) and I “liked” them on facebook for a code that gave me 15% off.  We realized when we got everyone out to the blueberry patch that we left the camera in the car.  Sorry, I don’t have any pictures of dirty blueberry stained faces.  Thank goodness they don’t weigh us before and after to see how many blueberries we ate while picking!

My next project – freezing most of the blueberries so that we can enjoy them all year long!

~Ann

Menu Planning with the MARTIN’S Ad–Kind of

Have you tried any of the recipes that I have posted?  Do you have a family favorite that you would like to share?  I made the Asian Lettuce Wraps (or at least a version that my family would like) last week.  I didn’t buy the sesame oil and I checked to see how much it was to have on hand for the next time I make the lettuce wraps – it was $5 for a 10oz bottle!  I will have to look in an Asian market.  They were really good and I definitely see us eating them again. 

I was really uninspired by this week’s MARTIN’S ad for recipes and thought that I would take the time to instead talk about freezer cooking.  I have talked about it several times in the past and I spent about 3 days working on preparing and freezing foods about 2 weeks before Michael was born this past summer.  I love having a freezer full of goodies that I can always go to and pull stuff together for a meal for us or someone else.  It is because I have a stockpile of frozen meat, vegetables, and even fruit among other items in my freezer that I can have shopping weeks like I had last week.  I want to share some of the things that I keep in my freezer and then a few recipes.

I actually have 3 freezers.  We have a refrigerator in our kitchen and one in our garage, it came with the house and after a year of me complaining about it I convinced Steve to get me a nice side by side during a tax-free weekend for my everyday use.  I also have a chest freezer in the garage.  I lose a chunk of space in that freezer for long-term storage of things like sliced peaches and apples I froze in the summer and fall, and baking ingredients like nuts and coconut.  I keep frozen vegetables, and frozen products like waffles, Texas toast, frozen pasta, and rolls in that freezer.  I keep most of my frozen meat, casseroles, sauces, and cheese in the refrigerator freezer outside.  I keep items that are getting ready to be used in the freezer inside.  Right now I have homemade baby food, and opened packages of things like frozen fruit, pasta, or waffles. 

I mentioned that I have casseroles in my freezer.  I know some people cringe when they hear the word casserole.  Yes, I did freeze a chicken casserole, but it is usually various pasta dishes that I have made.  When I buy large packages of meat I will routinely divide them into close to one pound portions and freeze them individually.  I also make things up to a certain point and then freeze them like meatloaf, meatballs, and sausage.  I like to keep things on hand like cooked chopped chicken breast, diced onions, and chicken broth.  Some family favorites that I either double when I am making them or they make so much I freeze the leftovers for quick meals are pork or chicken BBQ, pizza sauce, chili, and taco meat.

Pizza Sauce:

I enjoy making pizza at home.  My girls always want to help when I make homemade pizza and enjoy taking ownership in the part of the pizza they got to help with.  I found this recipe for pizza sauce or breadsticks dipping sauce and I try to double it because it is so good and easy to make and then pour the leftovers into a freezer bag for the next time.  It is something you can easily play around with and adjust to what you and your family like.  I freeze these flat so that after they freeze I can easily sit them upright in the freezer to conserve space.  If you want to make your own pizza dough try out this recipe it is really good and you can also bake just the crust and then freeze that for a quick meal.  It will taste better and is better for you than a DiGiorno pizza. :)

Chicken Broth:

I call it broth, but after looking for an on-line recipe I discovered that really I am making Chicken Stock.  (That explains the really rich flavor!)  I will freeze chicken bones from cooking bone-in chicken or if we have a rotisserie chicken.  When I have two “carcasses” I will add whatever vegetables I have on hand usually carrots and onions in addition to celery leaves and a few bay leaves.  I make mine overnight in the crock-pot and strain it and pour it into zip-top freezer bags the next morning.  Here is a link to a post I wrote about a year and a half ago about how I transfer the chicken stock to the individual bags.

How about you – do you have any family favorites you like to keep prepped and on hand in your freezer?  Do you have multiple freezers?  Do you like to save space for things like meat in your freezer so you avoid buying things like frozen pizzas and waffles?  Do you have any meals that are easy to make ahead or double and keep in the freezer for busy nights?  Feel free to share.  :)

Happy Cooking (and freezing)!

~Ann

Meal Planning with the MARTIN’S Ad

I want to start a new weekly post with meal ideas to help with your weekly meal plan using items from the weekly MARTIN’S ad.  Because I am planning on posting these on Wednesday or Thursday of each week these are items that will help you for the next week.  (I got hit with a stomach bug this week and it has pushed me back a day.) 

I have found that something as simple as taking 15 minutes early in the week to plan out meals for the week and making sure that have the ingredients on hand makes my life so much easier.  The key to menu planning is having some flexibility.  You have to be flexible enough to move things around for nights that you forgot to defrost your meat, got home later than you intended, or your husband surprises you with an unexpected sitter and meal out. 

I am going to focus on a few meals and try to give you some links or my own recipes with the majority of the items either coming from the sale ad or items I keep in my stockpile.  The Super Bowl is next week and there are already some deals on party foods if you are hosting a Super Bowl party so I am also including those this week.

 

Super Bowl Party Menu

Chips & Dip

• Lay’s Classic Potato Chips are 50% off (they were $1.99/bag at the store near me)
• Dean’s Dips – $1 or buy 2 and use this coupon and get them for $0.50 each.

Chips & Salsa

• Lissa shared that she found the Chi-Chi’s Salsa for $1.66 combined with the $0.50/1 coupon in the 12/12 SmartSource makes it only $0.66.
• Newman’s Own Salsa (16oz) is $2.   Use the $0.50/1 coupon in the 1/23 RedPlum Insert and get it for $1.
• Grande Tortilla Chips are $2.50.  Buy 2 and use the $1.50/2 coupon SmartSource Insert they will be $1.75 a bag.

Crock-pot Meatballs

• Mama Lucia’s Italian or Homestyle Meatballs (12oz) – Buy One Get One Free (I saw them for ~$3.98/box)
• GIANT Chili Sauce – $1
• Add either Grape Jelly (~16oz) or Jellied Cranberries

Mix the 2 boxes of meatballs, the entire jar of chili sauce, and either the grape jelly or the cranberries together in a crock pot.  Cook them on high for about 3-4 hours or low for 6 hours.  Make sure they are warmed through.

Weeknight Dinners:

Chili

• Fresh Ground Beef (73% lean) is available in 5lb packages for $4.95
• 3 lb of Yellow Onions for $2
• GIANT Canned Tomatoes are $0.59 a can.
• Sauer’s Chili Seasoning Mix – $0.79

If you don’t have a chili recipe here is a recipe. I haven’t made this one, but it looks like a good basic recipe to get you started.  You should be able to get a can of beans and tomato sauce for less than $1.50.  We like to have a little bit of cheese and sour cream on top of our chili.  They are also on sale this week.  GIANT sour cream is $1.29 (16oz) and you can get the Heluva Good brand cheese for $0.67 by using the $0.55/1 coupon in the 12/12 SmartSource Insert or this $0.50/1 coupon.  If you like it hot add some Tabasco sauce – free after sale and using this $0.50/1 coupon (must register).

This would be great for your Super Bowl Party.  Serve it with the tortilla chips I mentioned earlier or you can make this a meal with baked potatoes and salad.

• 5lb bag of Russet Potatoes - $2
• Dole Special Blend Salads or Complete Kits – $2

Slow Cooker Barbeque Sandwiches & French Fries:

I like to pick up a Fresh Whole Shoulder Pork Roast when they are on sale and just stick it in my slow cooker with a bottle of barbeque sauce.  Depending on the barbeque sauce I may add some brown sugar, soy sauce, hot sauce, or whatever I am in the mood for.  I cook it on low for 6-8 hours (varies with size of the roast), then I take it out and chop it.  Pick-up a bag of Ore-Ida French Fries for $2.50 and you have a carry-out meal without paying carry-out prices.  (You could also make you own potato wedges with the russet potatoes on sale.)  This usually makes lots of barbeque, more than we need for even two meals so I routinely freeze the leftovers.   The leftovers make a great quick weekend meal.

Sandra Lee’s Pork Ragu over Penne:

I saw Sandra Lee make this recipe on The Food Network and thought it would be really easy and with the Fresh Whole Pork Shoulder Roast on Sale this week for $0.99/lb it would be really inexpensive.  The diced tomatoes are on sale for $0.59 a can and GIANT pasta is on sale this week for $0.75 a box.  I really wanted to try out her Round 2 Recipe – Lasagna Roll Ups for the rest of the pork.  I love the idea of cooking once and getting two different meals.

Spaghetti & Meatballs:

How can you go wrong with spaghetti & meatballs – if you have a toddler in all white and no bib. :)  I feel guilty making spaghetti and meatballs because it is so easy to pull together, yet it goes over so well with my family. 

• GIANT Pasta – $0.75
• Newman’s Own Pasta Sauce – $0.89 (after using the $0.50/1 coupon in the 1/23 RedPlum Insert
• Mama Lucia’s Meatballs (12oz) – Buy One Get One Free ($3.98 at the store near me)
• Dole Special Blend Salads or Complete Kits – $2
• New York Texas Garlic Toast – $1.19-$1.39 with the $0.40/1 coupon in the 11/14 SmartSource Insert OR $0.50/1 coupon in the February issue of All You Magazine

Breakfast:

We love breakfast for dinner.

• Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix – $2
• Aunt Jemima Syrup – $2.50
• GIANT Sliced Bacon – $3.33
• Jones Golden Brown Sausage Links or Patties – Buy One Get One Free
• Bob Evans Breakfast Sausage Links or Patties – $2 when you use this $0.50/1 coupon
• Simply Potatoes Buy One Get One Free

A dozen eggs is about $2. You could round out the meal with a yogurt smoothie.  Buy 3 Stonyfield Yogurts for $0.50 with this $0.50/3 coupon (must register) and add in some fresh blueberries $2.50 (6oz) or a mango ($1.25) and whatever else you like.

 

These are just some ideas that I had.  I love reading recipes and trying out new things in the kitchen so if you have ideas or recipes to share please feel free to pass them on. 

Have a great weekend!

~Ann

 

 

Preparing for Baby #3 – Part IV

If you missed the first 3 parts of of my mini-series feel free to go here, here, and here, to read them.

One of the biggest decisions we had to make when we realized we were going from  a family of four to a family of five is where to put everyone.  We are fortunate to have a four bedroom house, but the fourth bedroom has always been a playroom for the girls.  We purchased a double bed for Natalie two years ago when we transitioned her from a crib with the thought that the room would serve as a guest room if needed.

Steve and I had decided that we wanted to move Natalie and Megan into the same room.  Natalie’s current room is now going to be a guest room, and Megan’s room is going to remain a nursery for “baby brother”.  Their new room is going to be the playroom.  We had already cleared out lots of toys that were missing pieces, not being played with anymore, or that they had outgrown.  We boxed up the toys that were gender neutral and would be appropriate for “baby brother”. We debated about what type of bed to get the girls for their new room.  The room isn’t small, but two twin beds would be rather tight.  We didn’t think that a double bed was a good idea, and we felt like the girls were too young for bunk beds.  We decided that a trundle bed was the best idea.  Steve found one for us on Craigslist that we were able to purchase at a good price.

The girls have enjoyed the trundle bed and getting to help pick out the bedspreads for their new beds and helping to bring over their clothes to the new room and organize everything. 

We are still working on “baby brother’s” room.  I have never been a mom that had a theme for the nursery.  I have also never had a true crib set for the crib.  I realized that I didn’t want the bumper pad, partially because of the SIDS risk, but also because it is easier to peek in on them without the bumper pad.  I also never used the quilt because we just swaddled up the little ones or put them in a sleep sack when we put them to bed.  The only thing I really used was a dust ruffle that a friend made for us when we were expecting Natalie.  I had a friend from church pass on some little boy curtains that work great with the colors we have in the room.  I have some pictures on the wall that will work for a little boy, and I just use white crib sheets.  I am always the one who sticks with white sheets because they can easily be bleached.  ;)

We have had to do other things besides set up new rooms for the girls and for “baby brother”.  We realized that we needed to break down and buy a mini-van.  Steve was driving a four door sedan that I had bought when I graduated from pharmacy school ten years ago.  I was driving a mid-sized SUV that we bought five years ago, before we even had any children.  The SUV can seat seven people and we can get a booster seat, a rear facing car seat, and a forward facing car seat in there, but it is going to be tight.  Steve knew that it would be difficult, especially for me,  to be alone with three kids and try to take care of daily errands and get everyone in and out of the car.  We had narrowed down our choices to either a Toyota Sienna or a Honda Odyssey.  We didn’t want to take on any debt with buying another vehicle, so we found a 2006 Honda Odyssey on Craigslist that was in the Richmond area.  We looked at it, talked to some people, researched it on-line, and prayed about the decision.  We were able to negotiate the price down a little bit more and decided that this was a good deal and that it was the vehicle that we were suppose to buy.  So, I am now a mini-van mom.  I didn’t think I would like driving a mini-van, but I have to admit it is easier to get the girls in and out of the vehicle.  I also like all of the remote open doors.  Mini-vans have come a long way from my parent’s 1988 Plymouth Voyager I grew up with and learned to drive. 

One other thing that I have been working on to prepare for the new baby is stockpiling and making freezer meals.  I worked on this last week.  I began this task by taking advantage of one of the “cooler” days.   I cleaned out and inventoried the contents of my freezers in the garage.  I took a few hours over the course of about 3 days to make and freeze several things.  Our church is always very thoughtful and generous to new moms and different families provide meals for the first two weeks that you are home from the hospital.  I figure that after those two weeks I will have enough meals to last us until almost October. 

Here is a picture of one of my days of cooking:

 

In this picture I have one batch of three cheese baked pasta that I divided into three small foil pans so each pan will work for one night.  I had leftover sauce that I made for the pasta that has Italian sausage and onions that will be great just to go with spaghetti one night.  I browned up a pound of ground beef and already added taco seasoning so we just have to pull it out, heat it up, and we have a ready to go taco night.  I also tried out a recipe that Savingourway sent me for individual macaroni and cheese cups.  I think these will be great for a quick lunch for the girls.

I spent another day cooking chicken.  I made a large chicken casserole and divided it among two foil pans.  I found some chicken breast on manager’s mark down in MARTIN’S on Saturday and baked them then pulled the skin off and the meat from the bone.  Steve helped me chop it up into chunks and divide it into about one cup portions and froze them.  I plan to use at least one batch of the chicken in these Spicy Black Bean and Chicken Enchiladas.  I already have one batch of these ready to go in the freezer that I divided into two foil pans.  I made an extra batch of waffles one morning and froze them.  (I am definitely stocked up on waffles now that I hit the Kellogg’s deal at MARTIN’S.)

I have also prepared one of my favorite freezer cooking tips.  I picked up an extra London broil last week and placed it in a freezer bag with a bottle of marinade that I had picked up earlier in the summer.  Now, I just have to pull out the meat let it thaw in the refrigerator and it will marinate while it thaws.  I have several pounds of ground beef and boneless skinless chicken breast that are uncooked and were frozen in one pound portions so I can pretty much with a little planning have a variety of meals just from “shopping” from my freezer.  I not only have my freezer stocked with meat and already prepared meals, I have plenty of frozen vegetables.  Now if I don’t have a chance to get to the store for fresh produce we can still have vegetables.

I am sure it won’t surprise any of you to hear that I also have a huge stockpile of diapers and wipes waiting for the little guy.  Megan is probably ready to potty train, but with a new baby on the way I am putting that off until we establish a new “normal” to our household.  I made sure to stockpile diapers for her as well.  If she potty trains before I run out I will just hold onto them for the little guy.

So, all in all we are ready for “baby brother”.  He still doesn’t have a real name.  There are things that I still would like to clean and organize.  But, if they don’t get accomplished he will have clothes, diapers, food, a place to sleep, and most importantly love.

Check back later in the week and hopefully I will have some pictures to share of the little guy and his big sisters.

Thank goodness I stocked my freezer!

I am so glad that I have an overflowing pantry and freezer!  The weather has been very, very hot in Richmond.  It was in the 90’s most of last week and all this week it is suppose to be in the 90’s again!  Add in being 32 weeks pregnant and I am really miserable.  (I am extremely thankful for air-conditioning as well.)  The heat has completely zapped me of what little energy I seem to have. 

I was on a huge “make twice as much and freeze half” kick about 2 months ago.  I had a feeling that I would appreciate it during the summer months.  I have begun “shopping” from my freezer for easy to prepare meals for us to enjoy.  It is amazing what you can pull together from the freezer with a few fresh on-hand ingredients.

Saturday night we were working on some cleaning projects around the house and before we realized it it was already 6 o’clock and we were all starting to get hungry.  I admit it was tempting to play the where do you want to order delivery from game.  Instead we had a complete meal ready in 30 minutes with little prep – the time it would have taken us to decide what to have and wait for delivery.  We ended up with Pork BBQ from the freezer on hamburger rolls I had picked up earlier in the week with some frozen french fries and fresh squash and onions that we had picked up earlier that day.

Tonight I have a baked ziti in the oven that I pulled out of the freezer.  I didn’t really defrost it so I made sure to put it in the oven around 4:30 so that it will hopefully be ready around 6.  I have some garlic bread in the freezer that I will heat up in the oven and round out our meal with either a green salad or some cucumbers with Italian dressing. 

I have several other main dishes that I am thinking I will pull out later in the week.  I have chicken and ground beef already cooked and seasoned with taco seasoning for a taco night.  I also have a batch of chicken and black bean enchiladas in the freezer.  I have some chicken barbeque for another night of barbeque sandwiches and ground beef already mixed with meatloaf ingredients for meatloaf.  I also look forward to pulling out the various meats that I have in the freezer that I froze with a marinade.

It is great to have these things already on hand and with all of the wonderful fresh vegetables the summer gives us it is easy to pull together a complete meal without spending the entire afternoon in a hot kitchen.

How about you - how do you stay cool in the kitchen during the summer?  Do you eat more salads for dinner, grill outside, or utilize your crock pot to avoid using the oven?

The Ukrop’s to MARTIN’S transition begins…..

I have to admit that although I didn’t grow up in Richmond, I fell in love with Ukrop’s about 14 years ago when I came to Richmond for pharmacy school.  My love for Ukrop’s took on a new level 5 years ago when I became a Ukrop’s associate.  They were such a good company to work for.  They may not have had the best pay all of the time but the little extras they provided their employees like a paid day off and a card mailed to your home with a $50 check on your birthday for full-time employees, the annual picnic at the family farm, knowing that I would always have off on holidays and Sundays – they were great. 

But, those days sadly ended early February when the company was sold to Giant Carlisle and it was announced that the stores would be remodeled this Spring and then reopened under the name of MARTIN’S.  Yesterday, I have to admit that I was sad to see the first ever MARTIN’S ad in the Sunday paper.  I looked at the ad and there are some positives – they are going to double coupons everyday, but only up to $0.50 – just like Kroger.  (There go all of the great deals I got with my $0.75 coupons.)  I plan to go to one of the new stores this week to check out some things and find out if with a buy one get one free if you really do have to buy 2 or can you get the one for half-price.

I did notice that MARTIN’s is not continuing the once daily deals that Ukrop’s started about a year ago.  I plan to hit Ukrop’s today (Monday) to get some of the 85% ground beef for $1.99 a pound.  I am going to buy extra to put in the freezer because that is a really good price. 

I am working on the match-ups for this week’s Ukrop’s ad, I may try my hand at some of the MARTIN’S match-ups.  I am still debating about whether or not I want to continue match-ups after the transition.  MARTIN’S has a much larger ad and I am not sure with baby #3 arriving in August if I want to take that much time away from my family and other necessary duties.  I will still be around, but maybe not my famous spreadsheets.  :)

A tip from Ann

I just started making and freezing my on chicken broth about 6 months ago. I wanted to pass on a tip for how I package it to go into the freezer. I had read about using ice cube trays, but I think this is a little bit easier.

Here is a picture of what you need to get started:

• your own homemade chicken broth
• a ladle
• a measuring cup (optional)
• zip-top freezer bags
• a permanent marker
• a tall mug, glass, or tumbler
• a cute helper (optional)

I label each bag with the marker before I start dividing up the broth. I label it with the contents, amount, and the date I froze it. I generally freeze it in 1 cup portions. That way it is easy to add to a recipe (or use for rice which is one of my favorites). You may ask why the tall glass? I use it to help support the bag so that I don't end up with chicken broth all over my counter. Here is a picture of what the bag looks like in the glass.

I have a wide ladle which can sometimes still be messy going straight from the bowl to the bag so I transfer my broth to a spouted measuring cup to make it easier to pour. The next picture is my finished product. (I had to cut Natalie out, she was making a "scary" face.)

After I get my broth in each bag I let out as much of the air as possible and lay the bags flat in the freezer. By laying them flat they don't take up very much space in the freezer and they are really easy to thaw when I need it. To thaw them I just put the bag in a bowl with some warm water for a few minutes and then it is ready to go.

I hope this technique is helpful. You can use it for any liquid or puree that you are going to store or freeze in a plastic zip-top bag.