Late Meal Plan

I'm feeling really lazy. I don't want to do my daily chores this morning so I'm just going to post my meal plan and watch New Moon before going to work. I like being able to have mornings like this.
We have a weird week with James having rehearsals two nights and concerts two nights this week, so you'll see lots of quick meals.

Tuesday - turkey tortellini soup

Wednesday - tuna steaks and baked potatoes

Thursday - turkey Alfredo

Friday - spaghetti

Saturday - turkey enchiladas

Sunday - crock pot BBQ pork sandwiches

In case you didn't notice, we have some turkey to use up!

Quick trip

Just picked up two items.
Total OOP = $3.66

Sausage

No picture today, sorry. James loves the Jimmy Dean heat and serve breakfast sausages. I don't usually purchase them because he goes through them so quickly and due to the expense. I did purchase a package at CostCo for him on Friday since we had a coupon.

Total OOP = $5.49
Total saved = $2.50

Guest coming trip - getting my turkey

We don't do a traditional Thanksgiving dinner in our household. I could eat turkey all the time, but don't like many of the traditional side dishes. James is not a huge fan of turkey, but would eat the sides. So when we got married, we decided we would just cook whatever we wanted to eat that day. Additionally we usually run in the local 5 mile Turkey Trot which takes up the morning by the time you include driving time. This year we have company for Thanksgiving, but we are still sticking with our tradition, just modifying it a little bit.

Yes, you see a turkey there!!! We are making a huge pot of chili for Thanksgiving, but still going to have some bird as well. James is going to smoke up the turkey the night before and then we will eat on it the next couple of days, as well as chowing down on the chili! Best of both worlds.

The turkey was normally $0.89 a pound, but with a $10 purchase went down to $0.58 a pound. Since we needed to get eggs, drinks for the guests, tortillas for freezer breakfast burritos, and corn chips for frito pies, we were able to snag a 10 pound turkey for $6.30 ( a really good deal around here ).

Total OOP = $19.46
Total saved = $8.03

Pillsbury Cinnamon French Toast Bake

I saw the recipe for this dish on a show on the cooking channel that was recapping old Pillsbury BakeOff recipes. This one just kind of stuck with me. It is called Cinnamon French Toast Bake. I cut the recipe in half and baked it in an 8x8 metal pan. I really liked the top of this dish, so cinnamony and crunchy. The bottom however was soggy and less appealing to me. I am not a huge fan of bread pudding for this very reason, and this recipe reminded me of the pudding a little bit. I will definitely make the recipe again, but with a few changes. Instead of having butter on the bottom of the pan and then putting in the cut-up rolls, I am just going to spray the bottom of the pan. I also might cut the syrup in half and add it to the custard mixture instead of adding it on top.

We are going to try to warm the leftovers up in a skillet this morning to see if we can crisp up the bottom a little more. Happy eating to all!

Bzz Report: Tom's of Main Wicked Fresh Toothpaste

As part of the BzzAgent program, I recently received one full size tube of Tom's of Main Wicked Fresh Cool Peppermint toothpaste and several smaller samples to test out. I gave one sample to my mom and another to my wonderful friend Stephanie.

The Bzz pamphlet about the toothpaste stated that the toothpaste:

* Provides long-lasting fresh breath, naturally
* Comes in two minty fresh flavors, Cool Peppermint and Spearmint Ice
* Contains fluoride to help fight cavities
* Does not contain alcohol or any artificial ingredients
* Suggested retail around $4.19 for a 5.2 oz tube

Tom's of Maine also stated" "Wicked Fresh! toothpaste combines a patent-pending boost of botanical extracts and great-tasting natural mint oils to fight bad breath germs for hours." Tom's also does not test it's products on animals, uses sustainable practices, uses no artificial colors, flavors, fragrance, or preservatives and use as much recycle content as possible.

After a week and half of using this toothpaste exclusively, I have mixed feelings. I do feel that it does a good job of cleaning my teeth. I also feel very good using it because of all the measures Tom's of Maine uses to help the environment. However, the toothpaste has a very bitter, chemically test that takes a little bit of getting used to. I don't know if the mint oils are just super strong, or if I am accustomed to the artificial sweeteners put in other commercial toothpastes. I am also not pleased with the price. Since I get most of my toothpaste for either free or up to $0.50, I would be hard pressed to spend $4.19.

Overall, I will probably not purchase this product, based mostly on the flavor. My friend Stephanie said that after the first use, and the bitter taste, that she would not use the toothpaste ever again. I didn't think it was that bad and will finish out the tube.

Keep in mind that I was given the samples from Bzzagent and that all opinions are mine or those of my friends. You should always try something on your own to garner your own opinions. Happy Brushing!!

No picture

Quick stop at the store today to pick up a half gallon of milk and a small container of heavy cream.

OOP = $3.37

Some quick stops

I was watching a show on the Cooking Channel yesterday in which they were baking recipes from the past Pillsbury BakeOff contests. One of the recipes was for Cinnamon French Toast Bake. It looked so good that I knew I needed to try it this week. Oh, I can't wait!!

Walmart: OOP = $2.55 (I will be able to use the Half and Half for something else as well.)

I also made a quick stop at CVS to get some mostly free gum!
Total OOP = ZERO ($3.04 on GC)
Total Saved = $19.58 plus I have a $1 ECB

Menu Plan Monday: 11/15/10-11/21/10

I can't believe it is already the middle of November. We just got back from our Big Bend backpacking trip and I am still trying to get in the swing of things. We got some bad financial news...or potential bad news, so we are starting to tighten down again. I also might be looking for a second job, but we'll see how things go.

Monday - Crockpot pork loin with potatoes

Tuesday - BBQ pork wraps and chips

Wednesday - Crockpot baked potato soup (Oh, I love how comforting this dish tastes!)

Thursday - LO

Friday - Breakfast for dinner

Saturday - Tuna steaks and rice

Sunday - Pasta

Let's see how this goes for the week.

Back from our trip and groceries!

We just got back from a week at Big Bend National Park. Three and half days and three nights of which were spent backpacking the outer loop. By far it was the most physically demanding thing we have ever done. But, despite our deepest desires to stay there, we are back home and trying to get into a routine again. We did a little grocery shopping and since my mind wasn't completely back in the frugal mindset, we had a bunch of splurges. I hope it doesn't make things too tight at the end.

CostCo - OOP = $40.81 (My only consolation is that these will last us a little while.)

HEB:
Total OOP = 45.48
Total saved = $16.31

Walgreens:
Total OOP = $2.97
Total saved = $2.40

My 75 pound lap dog

Marshmallow has recently decided that instead of occasionally getting into a chair with people, that he thinks it is acceptable all the time. That makes him our 75 pound lap dog.