Deals $$$

So I got an email from a dept store that I love to shop at and they sent $10 off a $20 purchase coupon.  Well the only gifts I had left to buy were for the teachers and it just so happens that what they want/need they had at this store!  Score!  Poor Kendra's teacher has a purse that is just about to break in half so I got her a new purse.  Trent's teacher loves the Gators and I got her a great Tervis cup w/lid.  Perfect for carrying around at school!

The purse was $64.00, marked down to $19.20, had to buy a bracelet for $1.40 so my total was over $20.  Used my $10 off and spent $11.35 tax out the door!

The Tervis Cup was $19.99, had to buy another bracelet for $.98 so my total was again over $20.  Used my $10 off and spent $11.74 tax out the door!

Of course they sent me another $10 off to use tomorrow only so who knows what I may use it on!

Leftover Turkey Soup?

So today I finally got out my frozen turkey bones, meat, etc and make Turkey broth!  Yum!  Next step was to make Turkey Soup!  I had looked at a few recipes online and decided to make up my own!  I found a few good ones that I incorporated with others! Here is what I came up with!

1 lb green beans
leftover turkey meat
1 tomato chopped
1/2 onion chopped
1 bell pepper sliced
2 garlic cloves minced
1 cup chopped celery
2 cups snack size carrots
salt to taste
pepper to taste
garlic salt to taste


Combine everything and simmer for 3 hours.  Enjoy!

Turkey Broth

So I love making my own broth!  Chicken, turkey, etc it's all good!  And so easy!  Just save those bones!  Today I made some turkey broth!  Yum!  Just threw the bones in the pot with some celery, carrots, and onion.  Simmered for a few hours and done!

ALDI Deals

Today my last stop was ALDI......here is what I picked up:
Spent $15.90

 

Tomatoes $1.59

Cheese $1.49 (my kids LOVE cheese)

Limes .15 each

Avocado's .79 each (YUM)

Banana's 2.68 lbs = $1.18

Apples $2.19 a bag

Almonds $3.99

Veggie Straws $1.69

Pretzel Crisps $1.89 --Great for dipping in Hummus--Kids love these too!

 

 



Target Deals = clothing 70% off

So the Holiday bells are going to start ringing and I always get a feeling when Target has their 70% off clearance out.  I went by there today and picked up some great deals on some shirts for Justin and  new bikini for Kendra which we don't allow her to wear often BUT this one is a tank that covers her belly so I am ok with that.  I also found a few shirts for Justin to wear out on the weekend casually that are super soft cotton and were a steal.  He NEVER buys himself anything so I thought these would be great lil surprise for Christmas!

Bathing suit was $4.48
Green work out T shirt $2.98
Coral, Blue, and Black button front shirts $3.88 each

I almost forgot I picked these up for myself!  New earrlings for date night this Friday!

Super Target = Grass fed beef deals

Today I went browsing at Super Target which is not real close to my house.....Usually I head over there once  a month.  I was off and kids are in school so why not?  Target has a great selection of beef and chicken that is minimally processed and I have found chicken each time I visit with $3 off coupons attached!  Score!  Today I was surprised to see they had a great new selection of Grass fed beef by Thousand Hills Cattle Co.  They had burger patties, steaks, all kinds of cuts for a decent price.  I found that the grass fed ground beef was $6.99 a pkg plus $3 off coupons on each one.  I bought all they had which was 5 @ $3.99 each pkg.  Double Score!!!!  I also got Kendra some hummus as they had the family size 17 oz on sale for $3.14 which is a great price!

Publix Grand Opening....Deals

Today was the Grand Opening of a brand new Publix near home.  I was so excited to go AND use my $5 off coupon + get my FREE flowers which were $12.99!  Here is what I got....

Gummies, Skittles $1.14 a bag (These are ALL for Halloween)
Peanut Butter Cheerios $1.49
Quaker Oatmeal Bowl $1.00
Pop Tarts $1.12 (my kids fav)
Banana's $.71 (they were .39/lb)
Muir Glen Organic Marinara $2.19
Muir Glen Organic tomato paste $.59
Green Valley Fresh Steamer Veggies $.79
Nathan's Franks $1.64
Kilbasa $1.89
Sausage $1.89
Claussen Pickles $2.84
Nestle Cookie Dough $.85 (I bought 4 packs since were having a dinner w/ friends soon)
Pillsbury Cresent Rolls .75
Tombstone Pizza $1.54 (my kids love frozen pizza)
Butter $1.15
Mac n cheese 2 pack  $2.45
Snuggle Fabric Softner $2.49
Glade candles $1.75
Whole 5 lb chicken $4.53
Premium Flower Bouquet FREE ($12.99 value)

I bought more that is not pictured like Tilapia which was 6.99 lb which I am using for fish taco's tonight.  Organic carrots were $1.69 a bag.  I spent $122 and saved $99!

Paleasagna

I got this recipe from loriontherun.  It was pretty good...I had no idea how good it would turn out as I really like traditional Olive Garden style lasagna to be honest but this was good and healthy!  The hubby even gave it 8 out of 10 stars.

1 white onion, diced
1 pound of extra lean turkey, or ground sirloin
1 15oz can diced organic fire roasted tomatoes
3 tbsp organic tomato paste
3 tbsp Italian spice blend
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 pound of zucchini and/or yellow squash, cut into medallion rounds (frozen ok)
1/2 cup raw goat cheese, shredded (If you don't like goat cheese use Mozzerella)
2 cups Greek yogurt
1 head broccoli, roughly chopped
1 egg

In a large skillet or sauce pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add the diced onions. Sautee on medium-high until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add the ground turkey, canned tomato and tomato paste, spices, salt, pepper, and crushed garlic. Continue to cook all ingredients until the turkey is cooked through. Set aside when done.

In a medium bowl, combine raw goat cheese, Greek yogurt, broccoli pieces, and egg. Mix well.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease the bottom of a 13 x 9 Pyrex glass baking dish. Place a layer of zucchini and squash rounds evenly across the bottom, making a sort of liner.

Add a layer of turkey-tomato sauce on top of the zucchini. Top that with some of the broccoli and yogurt mixture, as shown above. Continue with this layering process until you have used all of your ingredients.

Top the entire dish with more shredded goat cheese or mozzerella cheese, if desired.

 





Bake for 45 to 60 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!

  

Paleo Chicken w/ grilled cashew nuts and bacon

This was a dish I got from Fastpaleo!  Great website!  I honestly would rename this dish to Curry Cashew Bacon Chicken..you need to like curry to make this one!  It was delish and better the next day!  WOW!  Must try!

2 Bell peppers (any color chopped)
1 Onion  sliced
Tiny pieces of bacon (I used 4 pieces of turkey bacon)
Pieces of Chicken breast (I used 3 large breasts and cut them up into 1 inch pieces)
Cashew nuts (1/2 cup)
Garlic (2 cloves)
Curry powder 1 tbsp or whatever you like
Paprika 1/2 tbsp or whatever you like
Pepper
Salt
Coconut milk 3/4 of a small can
Mushrooms sliced

Cut all the vegetables, the chicken, the bacon (if it’s not already sliced)
- Put some salt and pepper on the chicken

1. Start with grilling the cashew nuts till they have a nice color and set aside (2 - 5 minutes)
2. Fry the bacon till every piece has a nice color and set aside (2 - 5 minutes)
3. Then put some olive oil in a wok or large pan
4. Use a garlic press and add garlic in the wok/pan
5. Right after that put the chicken in the wok/pan & when the chicken is cooked
6. Put all the vegetables in the wok, add the herbs and pour some coconut milk and stir-fry everything.
7. When everything is cooked add the bacon & stir-fry for a minute.
8. Then add the cashed nuts.
9. Dinner is ready!

 
 

Cauliflower Crusted Pizza by Jennifer

So my cousin who lives right here in Tampa is very into her fitness and her food!  She posted a pic of a yummy looking pizza and I had to try this out!  Her man even said it was good so I decided to try it out as tonight was our family pizza making night!  I took the kids to Publix and they picked out their crust, toppings, etc.  Fun Friday night for the Fam!  Woo hoo!  Here is the recipe:

(This is for one personal size pizza, double this for reg size)
1 egg (I used cage free)
1 cup Mozzerella cheese
1 cup Diced (FINE) cauliflower
Mix well and spread on greased pizza pan
Add spices (garlic, onion, crushed red pepper)--spices make the crust to add spices!
Bake @ 450 for 15-20 min (Depending on oven, so watch it-it still has another 8 min of cooking coming)
Take it out and add toppings...I used fresh garlic, turkey pepperoni, black olives, onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, etc
Bake another 8 min
ENJOY!

Here is a pic of the kids making their pizza's!  How fun!

 Here are the kids pizza's after they were cooked!  Yum!  They used reg crust!

 

So here is my pizza!  This is after I baked the "Cauliflower crust" for 15 min @ 450.

Here is my pizza after I added toppings and baked for additonal 8 minutes!  Yum!  Now mine did not turn out like traditional hard and crispy pizza crust but this was not soggy either.....plus it's not your traditional pizza crust anyhow so don't expect that!



 

ULTA deals!

Today I got an email from ULTA...$5 off a $10 purchase good today through Saturday!  Well I ran out of blush today so that came in handy!  The blush was reg $12 and the eyeshadow was $12....both were on sale, 2 for $10 plus the $5 off....total w/ tax $5.35!  WOW!  Great deal! 

 

 

 

 

Grocery Deals

Today I did my grocery shopping for 2 weeks.  Of course I will need to go back for milk and maybe a veggie for two.  This picture is just a few things I got at ALDI.  I was never a big fan of ALDI but a few months ago I visited and found great deals on fruit and veggies.  I will say I am very pleased with the freshness and quality of their items.  This is what I got there today for under $38:

Cheese 1.99
carrots .99
tomatoes 1.19
water 2.29
3.5 lbs banana 1.50
3 lb bag of apples 1.99
milk 2.19
coffee creamer 1.49
apple juice 1.49
cinn rolls 1.49
OJ 1.89
bag of 9 onions .99
Danimals smoothie .59
32 pack fruit snacks 3.49
strawberries 1.99
Bell peppers 1.99
12 pk pop tart 2.69

My next stop down the road about a mile was The Fresh Market.  They had their Sirloin steaks for 50% off and fresh Mahi Mahi for 9.99 lb.  I also found some green beans at 1.49 lb and organic salad at 2.50.  With the steaks I was able to make up 4 kabobs and save 2 nice cuts for grilling out steaks next week, all for $10.99.    I just love shopping there, it smells like fall and is SO clean but pricey so I save that trip for special treats and deals when I see them.

My last stop was Sweetbay which was about 2 miles from The Fresh Market.  They had their ground beef and chicken on sale.  I bought a cart full of stuff but here is the main deals I found:

With the chicken I will def take the skin OFF prior to cooking!  I have a few new recipes I am making up soon so I will post them when I do!

Chicken was .99 lb

Lean Beef was 1.99 lb (I got 3+ lbs)

I will be able to make 4 meals with the chicken (the pieces are HUGE) and 2.5 meals with the ground beef.

Crock Pot Chicken What the Heck

Today I threw some frozen chicken breasts and lots of veggies in my crock pot with 2 cups of chicken broth and some seasonings.  I slow cooked it on low all day and it turned out pretty good!

3-4 Chicken Breasts (use as much as you need)
squash sliced
tomato chopped
jalepeno chopped
bell pepper chopped
bag of small snack size carrots
chopped yellow onion
chopped green onion
garlic cloves chopped

Sea salt
pepper
paprika
cayenne pepper
garlic powder
poultry seasoning

Place chicken in crock pot w/ 2 cups chicken broth.  Sprinkle seasonings over chicken.  Add all chopped veggies and add a lil seasoning to the veggies.  Cover and cook on low all day.

Walgreens Deals-Friends and Family!

Normally I am not a big shopper of Walgreen's but it is right across the street from Publix so if I do shop there, I do it right afterwards to save on gas!  I am all about saving where I can =)  I got an email from Walgreens about a friends and family discount of 15%..hey it's not much but I'll take it!  I saw that they had these items for a great price and paired with 15% off it made the deal sweeter!

Charmin was $3.30 a pack
Water was $1.99 a pack
Purex all natural high eff detergent was $1.69 each

Total $ 15.67

Earth Fare Deals-Pantry Revolution

So as soon as I got done shopping at Publix I got an email about Earth Fare's Pantry Revolution..all 5 products for just $5!  Can't beat great Organic products for a $1!  I am TOTALLY a fan of Earth Fare!

Publix Deals

Today I grabbed some great deals at Publix.  Mind you, there are a few items here that are totally unhealthy BUT my kids just love ice cream (which I rarely buy due to it's price). ... Plus I have family visiting this weekend!   My kids also love cinnamon rolls as these are a treat on Saturday mornings =)

TOTAL SPENT $18.96

Here is the breakdown:

Motts Totts 8 pk $1
Tortilla Chips .01 (PENNY ITEM)
Rolls $1
Ground Beef FREE (Since I bought the rolls and guac,I got the beef FREE)
Guac $3.49 (no savings here but the beef was free and I love guac)
Chex Mix $.83
Pickles $.60
Reynolds Foil $2.10
Planters nuts $1.20
Silk Protein Drink $1 (Kendra's fav)
Soft Scrub cleanser $1.50
Pillsbury Cinn Rolls $.60
Sargento cheese $1.50
Breyers Ice Cream $2.00
Vitamins $.17 (I never pay more than that for vitamins, sometimes they are FREE)

Greek Meat Surprise Snacks

I found this recipe on fastpaleo.com  I was already planning to make burgers for dinner so I figured I would use part of the meat to try these out.  I used a mini cupcake pan but you could also use a reg cupcake size.

Ingredients

• 1 lb uncooked meat (pork, beef, lamb, combination of whatever!)
• 2 eggs
• 1 can of whole pitted black olives
• 1c of feta cheese (I used fat free since it was on hand)
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 red onion
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• bunch of cherry tomatoes
• pinch of sea salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 350.
Stick the onion, black olives and garlic in the food processor and whizz them ’round to chop.
Add in your herbs, salt and pepper and eggs.  I added a little feta to my meat mixture.
Pour all this into a big bowl and mix it up with the minced meat until well combined.

Cut your cherry tomatoes in half and scrap out the seeds/insides using your thumb or finger nails. Don’t waste that bit – just stick the seeds and insides in with the minced meat filling.

Cut the feta into tiny pieces and stick an itty bitty block inside each cherry tomato half.
Spoon (or scoop with your hands – whatever!) the meat mixture into silicone muffin cups.

Press the cherry tomato halves on top.

Cook for about half an hour in the oven. Your time might vary –
These actually taste even nicer once they’ve cooled. So good to keep in the fridge for snacking on!

Publix Deals

Here are my publix deals for this week!  Thankfully one of my "guys" were working the register this week...for some reason they never question or have issues with my coupons..unlike the awful mean lady I got last week!  Note to self--always go to a man's register ;) 

Motts 8pk Juice Boxes (I got 3 packs--super deal) $1

Shave gel $1.25

Aquafresh toothpaste $FREE

Hefty Freezer bags $1.39

Publix cheese Pizza $0.01

Lunchables $1

Chips a hoy $1.19

Gluten Free Chex Cereal (I got 3 boxes) $.84

Cinn Toast Crunch Cereal $.84

Schick Intuition Razor $2.70

Feta Fat Free Cheese Crumbles $1.70

Seattles Best Coffee (I got 2) $2.49

Reynolds Recycled Alum Foil 50 sq ft $2.09

Cover Girl Eye Shadow $.99

Colgate Tooth Brush $FREE

Organic Extra Virg Olive Oil $2.33



Spent $34.55...............Saved $66.45

Spice it up Salmon

This recipe I got from Everyday Paleo!  I checked it out from the library and found SO many great recipes!  This one was pretty easy as I had all the ingredients on hand!  I tweaked the recipe a bit!

2 wild caught salmon fillets
2 pinches of sea salt
ground black pepper to taste
1 tbsp fresh thyme (I was out so I skipped this one)
1/4 tsp ginger **I used 1 1/2 tbsp ginger**
2 pinches of cayenne pepper (I used crushed red pepper)
2 pinches of cumin
olive oil – enough to make a paste (3 tbsp aprox)

In a small bowl mix together all of your spices and olive oil.  Be sure to really smash your garlic...Justin was not home to do it for me so mine was a lil chunky but still good.

Take a baking dish or cookie sheet and place the salmon fillets skin down on a large sheet of tin foil.   Rub the spice mixture on top of the salmon fillets.

 Cook at 350 for about 30 min depending on how big your salmon is making sure it comes out moist and flaky.  Enjoy!

Pork Carnita's

Tonight I made Pork Carnita's...I found this recipe a while back online. It is very good!

　
1 (5-7 pound) pork shoulder
2 tablespoons coarse salt
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
4 whole cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 c. bone suckin sauce
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup orange juice

Place pork shoulder in crock pot and add all other ingredients.  Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 5 hours (in my case I got mine in kind of late so therefore I used the high option-Low is better).

Next, use 2 forks and shred the pork.  I put all my spices on top of my pork therefore it looks really dark in this pic!

Place shredded pork back into crock pot and mix well.  I use large romaine lettuce leaves to eat my carnita's.  Enjoy!

My shopping trip today!

Today I decided to actually shop for myself!  After months of not buying one piece of clothing, today was MY day!  I had gotten an email from LOFT about the 40% off sale (the entire store) which included sale and reg priced items.  I was so excited to go and check it out!  About  a year ago I decided that anytime I buy clothing it needs to really be great for church, work (preschool teaching) and going out to dinner/date night.  With that in mind I actually found a few great pieces!

I really loved this classy outfit!  The top was a new arrival and the skirt was on sale (11.99)..I was thrilled!  I also found a few great sleeveless tops that I can wear with just about anything under the sun and speaking of sun....I hear the weather is hot in Florida...just saying!  This white top is a flutter style top and I LOVE it!

Now my next purchase I can blame the hubby for.....he sent me to GAP to buy a few of his fav t shirts
(Best Crew) and today GAP had 30% off everything in the store...well I had no intentions of buying myself anything as I really don't fit into their clothes well (they seem huge...as if they are making styles bigger and bigger) anyhow I did browse the GAPFIT area and I REALLY liked the style of their stuff...so I tried on a few running shorts and tanks and they fit GREAT!  I was totally surprised and their stuff is really cute, esp at 30% off!   

Well...that is all the shopping for me for a LONG time!  It was fun!

Broccoli, Bacon, and Cashew Salad

Tonight I made one of my fav paleo side dishes to go with dinner.  It's easy, cheap, and quick to make!

You will need:

1 broccoli, cut in florets (or use steamfresh broccoli florets)
5 pieces of bacon, cooked and diced
1/2 c toasted cashews
Sea Salt
Pepper

Cook bacon  in frying pan for 4-5 min or until crispy .  Remove bacon from pan, dice and place in serving bowl. 

Boil broccoli in water on high heat for 5-7 minutes until tender and cooked through (or use steamfresh broccoli and cook in microwave according to directions)

While Broccoli is cooking, toast cashews for 3-4 min on low/med.

Toss everything in serving bowl.  Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Enjoy this yummy salad with some Pork Shoulder Country Style Ribs! 

Our shopping trip today

Today I decided after 3 months to finally go shopping and use a gift card I got from one of my students.  We headed to Brookwood Village and the kids really loved the "mall" there as it was quite different from the Galleria Mall that they are used too.  They really got a kick out of the parking garage between Belks and the other stores....go figure?!?  We actually found some really great deals and cute stuff and did not spend a whole lot which was even better! 

I found a great pair of shoes that I had been wanting for months on sale for about 70% off.  These shoes are so comfy and great for work, church, and going out to dinner!    I was so thankful to see them on sale in my size...what luck?!?  They were $89.50 and I got them for $29.75!  Score!

I found a few swim shirts for Trent which were a great deal at $4.49 each.  Trent is very pale and he won't go  to the pool/beach without one on so I was thankful to find these as well! 

Kendra begged me to take her into this girly store with all these fancy dresses called Monsoon and of course I did after seeing the 70% off signs...and I am glad I did.  She got a bathing suit for $7.20

(reg $25) , a dress for $14.40 (reg $68), a cute top for $7.40 (reg $28) and some hair clips for $2.10.  She was quite the happy girl with her finds!

I also got my Clinique Bonus which was perfect timing as I was almost out of Foundation and Mascara....this bonus came with a chubby pink/nude gloss stick, tinted moisturizer w/spf, moisture gel, a small mascara, eyeshadow/blush duo, and toner.  Hey, any gree gift w/purchase is nice!