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

Coupon Organization–Everyone has a method what is yours?

 

I had a comment from Jennifer asking for help with organizing her coupons.  Here is her question if any of you want to chime in:

I have been using the insert method of organizing my coupons but I am finding it more and more difficult to use that method when out shopping. Do you have any special tips for someone starting off with the binder method? I have seen people write what date and what insert the coupon came from. Is there any benefit to do this and if so, what is it? Just seems like a lot of work to me.

To answer Jennifer’s question – I don’t know why people would write the date and source of a coupon the printed unless they were using their own coupons to write a blog and needed the source or so that they could match-up their coupons with those posted in a blog or coupon forum.  I agree with you – it sounds like more work. 

I have tried several different methods of coupon organization over the years and I really think that the key is having and finding the system or pieces of each system that works best for you.  I have highlighted what I feel are the pros and cons for the three most common systems. 

Insert Method:

Pros:

• You can always check your inserts to see if you got the coupon that you read about on a blog or coupon forum.
• You don’t have to clip, sort, and file coupons every week for products that you may or may not use.
• You only clip the coupons you are going to use and some that you will probably use (for me that is something like diapers).

Cons:

• It is not very convenient to take into a store.
• You may miss a deal because you don’t have other coupons with you when you shop.
• It can be time consuming to check for expiration dates.
• You still need a way to organize printable coupons.
• You still need a system to keep the coupons you are going to use together.

Binder Method:

Pros:

• You always have all of your coupons with you so that you can get great unadvertised specials.
• You can organize your coupons within your binder to correspond with the lay out of your favorite store or by categories like meat, dairy, frozen foods, etc.
• You can easily flip through and check expiration dates.

Cons:

• You have to clip, sort, and file lots of coupons.
• You may have to fold your coupons to fit in the holders (most people like baseball card sheets).
• Although it looks pretty – the organization can be overwhelming and time consuming.  Depending on how organized you want it you could be working on it daily.
• The binder can get heavy and awkward to carry around.

Coupon Wallets:

Pros:

• These are great if you want to clip and file only a few coupons (it works great with the insert method).
• It is easy to carry around with you or leave in your purse (or man-bag).
• You can sort your shopping lists by store and divide them in the different sections.
• Can be great if you want a system that you can keep things like CVS Extra Bucks, Catalinas, or Walgreens Register Rewards in one place.
• Can be a great method for keeping all of your internet printables and coupons you find in the store from blinkies, tearpads, or winetags together.

Cons:

• Not large enough if you want to keep all of your coupons together.
• You have to sit down and sort and purge expired coupons on a somewhat regular basis.
• You can’t organize into subcategories like you can with the binder method.

 

I was a hard core binder person. I loved my binder, it went everywhere with me. Then I had a few weeks in a row where I didn’t have time to sit down and organize my binder. It became too overwhelming for me to clip, sort, and organize all of my coupons. I also like to have things organized and then sub-organized and then sub-sub-organized. I wasn’t happy with having a mustard coupon in just the non-perishable grocery section, it had to be in the condiment section on a separate page for just mustard. I know I am a little OCD.

I transitioned myself to the insert system and although there are deals I may miss because I haven’t clipped every coupon, it is easier for me to manage right now. I also can contain it so that I don’t have to worry about any of my little ones getting into my coupons and pulling them out.

Here are some pictures of how I organize my coupons:

I start off with a file folder and write the date of the insert on the tab.  You can see from all of the scribbles to the left of the visible date that I recycle and reuse the folders.

I keep all of my file folders together in a tote bag (I actually got this bag for free a few years ago from L.L. Bean.  I had redeemed my Pampers Gifts to Grow Points for a gift card to L.L. Bean and this is what I found at the outlet in Williamsburg.)  I like the tote bag versus a filing cabinet because it does make it portable.  I have taken this bag with me on lots of trips.  It is a little heavy, and I don’t usually carry it with me into a store. 

I file all of my folders in chronological order.  I generally go through my inserts about once a month and pull the inserts that are older than three months.  I still flip through all of those before I let them go to see if there is anything that hasn’t expired that I want to clip and hold onto.

I have a small plastic box that I put things like coupons for restaurants, coupons I receive in the mail, coupons that I cut out of product boxes, coupons for stores, and rebate forms.  These generally end up in the coupon wallet, but this is the holding area.

I keep my internet printable coupons in a separate folder.  That folder is in the front of my tote bag.

My coupon wallets.  I am not using the red one at the top right now.  I was using that more when I was really hitting multiple stores in one trip.  I would write out my list clip and sort the coupons that went with the list and then separate them by store in each of the accordion files inside. 

I am only using the clear envelope right now.  I like it that it is longer and most of my coupons fit in there without having to fold them.  It is just the right size for me to take the coupons I want to use into a store with me (especially if I have all three kids with me) and I can keep things like my catalinas, CVS Extra Bucks, and other things together.  I usually have any blinkies or tearpads in there because I have this with me when I find them in a store.  I will sometimes keep receipts in here as well, especially if I need to obtain a certain dollar amount for something like a rebate.

I hope I have helped Jennifer out and given any of you struggling with the same issue some ideas of how to organize all of your coupons.  I really feel that the more unorganized your coupons are the harder it is to find the great deals.  I would love to hear back from all of you about how you keep your coupons straight.  Remember what you think is obvious to you may be a new concept to someone else.

Happy Couponing!

~Ann

Edit 8/22/11 - I met Anjie (The Frugal Freelancer) about a month ago at a luncheon for frugal bloggers.  She has been couponing since I was in elementary school (maybe longer).  She has just created a new system for filing coupons.  Remember the key to having your coupons organized is finding the system that works for you.  Thanks for the tip Anjie!

Free Antibiotics at MARTIN’S

As a mom of three little ones and a pharmacist I am well aware of how expensive it can be when someone gets sick or gets hurt and needs to see a doctor.  I have been to the doctor every Friday for the last 3 weeks.  Once for Michael’s 4-month check-up.  The other two were unplanned visits. 

This past Friday, Natalie and Megan were playing outside in the snow.  I was watching them from the window and feeding Michael when Megan started crying and Natalie started saying “I didn’t mean to, it was an accident!”  Megan came inside and I found out exactly what had happened.  Natalie was playing with a plastic shovel and was “shoveling” the sidewalk.  She was really swinging the shovel full of snow up into the air and letting it fall on her head.  Megan got too close and the shovel hit her in the face, across her eye.  I was looking at her eye after she calmed down, and it was still red she was also having trouble opening up her eye.  I wasn’t sure if some of the ice in the snow had scratched her eye or not.  I don’t like to take chances with eyes – you only have one set.  I decided I would pack everyone up and head to the pediatrician and have them check her out.  I was glad that I did because she did end up having a small scratch on her eye.  Thankfully it wasn’t anything major.  The pediatrician and I decided to be cautious and treat her with some antibiotic eye drops.  I went to MARTIN’S to get her prescription filled and expected to pay the $10 generic co-pay.  I was pleasantly surprised to find out the eye drops were one of the free antibiotics that MARTIN’S Pharmacy offers – and it is sad that I didn’t remember that since I am a MARTIN’S pharmacist. 

Being able to get your antibiotic for free is really nice after you had to pay for a doctor visit and then sometimes need to buy an over-the-counter item in addition to your prescription.  There are only select antibiotics that are free.  To view the list go here and if you have any questions feel free to call your local MARTIN’S pharmacy.  One last thing -  don’t forget that MARTIN’S also has a $4 for a 30-day supply and $10 for a 90-day supply on select generic drugs. 

I do want to put out a disclaimer that I was not asked to write this post nor was I given anything for writing this post.  I am a part-time MARTIN’S pharmacist and I just thought it would be nice to remind my readers about another way to save money during the cough and cold season.

~Ann

I’ve been fighting a war – against laundry stains

It appears that no one in our house, including myself, is able to keep their clothes clean.  My pregnant belly is just a huge stain catcher.  Add in a four-year-old and an almost two-year-old and you have a recipe for disaster.  Evidently being a stain catcher is contagious because in the last few weeks I have had to double check all of Steve’s clothes.  In his defense it is not always his fault.  He became Megan’s napkin the other night when we were out to dinner with his parent’s for Mother’s day.  He had a nice jelly handprint on his shoulder.  :) 

Here are some ways that I have been able to treat and remove most of our stains:

• Pre-treat the stain as soon as possible.  I have had lots of success with a Spray ‘n Wash Stain Stick or Shout Advanced Gel.  I keep a stain stick upstairs so that we can try to remember to treat the stain when we change our clothes.  (I really like the Shout product because it is in a spray bottle and can really saturate the stain.  All you have to do is spray it on, rub it in, and let it sit and do it’s magic.)  I have successfully removed strawberry stains with the stain stick and grease spots with the spray gel.

 

• Soak the clothing.  There are some things that my girls get on themselves that I just need to soak right away.  I actually keep a bottle of detergent upstairs.  When I need to soak something and laundry day is a few days off I just pour a little bit of detergent on the opposite side of the stain and rub it in.  I then just let the clothes soak in a bathroom sink for at least a day or until the next laundry day.  (I have double sinks in both of our upstairs bathrooms so it isn’t a huge inconvenience to lose a sink.)

 

• Let the really dirty or just dingy looking clothes soak overnight.  My washer doesn’t have a soak cycle, so I created my own.  I sort the laundry that has been treated or that needs to soak.  The night before I am going to do the laundry I fill my washer with the water, the laundry detergent, and Tide Stain Release liquid.  When the washer is almost filled to the water level I selected I add the clothes.  I close the lid for about a minute so that all of the clothes can get pulled into the water with the agitator then I open the lid to stop the cycle and let them sit overnight.  The next morning I just close the lid and let the cycle finish.

 

• If I have a small load of mixed colors I add a Shout Color Catcher to the load.  I have found that I can successfully wash lights and darks together without the colors bleeding onto each other if I use the color catcher. 

 

• I always double check the clothes before moving them to the dryer.  I always give everything a double look to make sure that it looks clean before I move it over.  If I am unsure if something came out, like a grease stain, I just let the item dry on a drying rack.  That way the heat doesn’t set the stain or make it harder to remove on the next round of laundry.

 

If all else fails here is a sure-fire stain removal tip from a friend of ours who has spent 30+ years in the dry cleaning business.  “Get a pair of scissors and cut out the stain.”  :)

How about you - do you feel like you are always fighting a stain war?  Do you have any stain fighting products that have worked wonders on stains?  Do you have any special techniques that work for removing stains?  Feel free to share any tips that work for you.

**The products that I mentioned are all products that I have purchased and use per the package directions a regular basis.  I have not received any sort of compensation for reviewing or using these products.**

$1 off Kellogg’s Fruit Snacks

I just came across this link for Kellogg’s Clever Kid’s Letter Bites and Number Bites Fruit Snacks.  You may need to register with Kellogg’s in order to print the coupon but it is good for $1 off any Kellogg’s Fruit Snacks (6 count or larger).  They are on sale this week at Ukrop’s for $1.66.  That means if you combine the deal with this coupon you can get them for only $0.66!  (I have to go into mom mode and say that these are not something that I buy or let my girls have on a regular basis, but they are a decent option compared to candy or to use as a reward.  They are not as a substitute for real fruit. :))

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.