ALDI Deals 7/17/2017

So here are my ALDI deals for this week/next week!  Like I said I like to try to shop every 2 weeks which means fresh veggies one week, frozen the next!  It makes sense!  Shop once and use up fresh stuff week one , use frozen veggies the next week!  Always keep an extra $15 in your budget for fruit each week!  

Strawberries $1.89, Organic quinoa $2.89, organic ginger marinade 2.49, organic oatmeal $ 2.29, organic oil 3.99, rotel .45, zucchini pack $ 1.49, squash pack $ 1.69, assort peppers $1.49, avocados .89, green onion .99, organic black beans .89

Grass fed organic beef patties (6 pack, 5.3 oz each).  $9.99--Bubba burgers are $8.99-9.99 for grass fed 4 packs!

Sprouts deals 7/17/2017

So..here are my Sprouts deals!  Great store, very clean, fresh items, good prices!!!  I base my weekly/biweekly meals off of sales ads every week.  If its on sale, its whats for dinner!  These meats will provide 13 nights of meals! Total cost for this trip $91.96!  That included soaps as well!

Late July Chips $1.50, Brown cow yogurt .50, organic kale .98, electrolyte water .99, organic blueberries 1.98, organic maple syrup 6.99, organic peas and corn 2.00, Kerrygold butter 2.50

Sprouts soap 1.00

Grassfed beef $3.99 lb, organic ground turkey $2.50/lb, thick sliced deli bacon $2.99 lb, country ribs $ 2.49/lb, pork chops $1.99 /lb, skinless chicken thighs  $1.67/lb

JC Penney Deal

So I have been in the market for new bedding but was waiting for an awesome deal!  Saw the JC Penney ad last week which included a $10 off $25 coupon and decided to checkout what they had.  I found a bedding package that was $100, marked down to $49.  I used the coupon and ended up getting this for $42 out the door.  Deal! 

Main Street Thrift Store Finds

Wow, it has been sooo long since I have blogged anything but last night Justin reminded me that I need to get back to it!  I do enjoy it and I love sharing great deals, finds, etc with all my friends so here goes!

This week I visited my local thrift shop and normally I do not find a whole lot but when I do find something, its good!  Last time I was at this thrift shop which was about 1 month ago I found this awesome chair for my daughters room!  It was in mint condition and was a steal at just $9.99.

This week I found another great chair, plus a little salsa bowl that was adorable, a candle holder which fit perfectly in my bathroom, and a white storage box!  How much did I pay for all?  $12!  The chair that is classic and awesome was 1/2 off so I got it for $8, the candle holder was .99, the white Target brand storage plastic box was .99, and the salsa bowl was $1.99.  Score!!!

Whole Foods Deals

So today I was in Whole Foods getting some meds for myself and some for my new rescue dog in which I will blog later if it works out but for now I am sharing my deals on a few items I found on sale plus there was a store coupon for these items!  Double winner!

Organic greek yogurts $1.25 each - $1.50 off 3 = 1.00 each

365 Organic salsa $2.50 - .75 off = $1.75 each

So Coconutmilk creamer $2.99 - .75 Coupon = $2.24

4U PIZZA $9.99-2.00 instant coupon $7.99

Decorating on a dime!

Today I wanted to share a picture of my bedroom and bathroom.  Why you ask....because I love sharing great deals!  If your looking to revamp a room in your home, look no further than Macy's and Ross!  Now I don't always find something each time I visit my Ross store which is about once per week but when I do, it's a great deal!  Another tip is to take your time and purchase items over time.  You don't need to revamp the entire room in one day!  Start with the main focus, your bed!  Maybe you find a great deal on a comforter and purchase that.  Maybe in a few weeks you find some wall décor, etc.  No need to rush, especially if your trying to budget each month!

I was looking for a new comforter for our bedroom in June 2015.  I saw that Macy's was having a great sale on bedding sets (comforter, sheets, pillow cases, bed ruffle) for $29.99.  Now I love to change up my bedding each year so for this price if it lasted me a year through multiple washes it was well worth the $30 price tag!  Score!

The next item I found about a month later was the wall décor set.  It was a $20 for both!  Another great deal and they matched just perfect!

Last week I was at Ross and found this cool round rug.  I grabbed that up for  steal of $9.99.  Perfect little addition to the bedroom and the dogs love how soft it is....lol.

The same day I found the rug, I was actually looking to replace my shower curtain.  I found this ESPRIT brand curtain for just $9.99.  My bathroom is painted a gray/light purple shade so this was the perfect curtain for our bathroom!  The memory foam rug is from ALDI.  I got that while grocery shopping for $5.99.  Its feels amazing on your feet!  I bought 3....one for each of the dog's crates too!  It fits perfect!  Happy shopping friends!

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Shopping on a budget! Ross!

Hi, its been so long since I have blogged!  I have been so busy cooking and volunteering at the kids
schools!  I wanted to share this great find I got at Ross last week for $7.99.  Yes you heard that right!  $7.99.  I love a great deal and I love sharing with friends!!!!  It's warm here in Florida so I paired this dress with my old heels I have had for over 10 years!  When it gets chilly I would def pair this with leggings and my J Lo boots I got at Kohls a few years ago!  You don't need deep pockets to look great! 

Easy Chicken Broccoli Casserole (Paleo/Low Carb/Gluten Free)

Tonight I tried out this new recipe in hopes that it would be tasty.  I did choose to substitute the Coconut Milk or Organic Heavy Cream.  It was delish and easy to make!  I got the recipe from https://www.grassfedgirl.com/chicken-broccoli-casserole/.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp coconut oil divided

4 cups fresh broccoli florets

1 medium white onion

Sea Salt and pepper

8 oz sliced mushrooms ( I left these out since Justin does not eat mushrooms but next time I am adding them)

3 cups cooked chicken, shredded (I cooked my chicken in the crock pot, shredded very easy)

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup full fat coconut milk (Organic heavy cream will also work)

2 eggs

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Cooking Directions:

Preheat over to 350.  Grease a casserole dish with half the coconut oil and set aside.  Steam the broccoli until just barely cooked and set aside.  In  a saucepan  melt the coconut oil, brown the onions and season with salt and pepper.  Add the mushrooms, saute until cooked and move the pan  from heat.  Transfer the broccoli, mushrooms, onions, and shredded chicken to the casserole dish distributing evenly.  Mix the chicken broth, coconut milk (or heavy cream), eggs, nutmeg with a generous pinch of salt and pepper in a bowl with a whisk and pour it over the contents of the casserole dish.  Make sure the mixture is spread evenly and all the contents are covered.  Please the casserole dish in the oven and cook for 35-40 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!

Garlic Spinach

Here is a recipe I found on http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-garlic-spinach.    I love anything green and garlicy!  I made this tonight as an extra side to go with my philly stuffed peppers I made last night.  This was delish!  I would suggest doubling this recipe!

CLEAN EATING GARLIC SPINACH

(Makes 2 servings)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large shallot, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 cups fresh spinach

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place the shallot and garlic in a pan with the olive oil and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
2. Add the spinach and cook until it is properly wilted.

                                   

Philly Stuffed Peppers

Here is the recipe for Philly Stuffed Peppers.  I have made this before and honestly have no idea why I have not made it more often.  It is fairly easy, minimal ingredients, and tasty!

Philly Stuffed Peppers from http://www.primalblueprintpublishing.com/books/primal-cravings/

2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced ( I left these out since Justin does not care for mushrooms but next time I am using them !!!!)
1 pound ground beef
2 T hot sauce (I use 3 TBSP)
3T Worcestershire sauce
4 bell peppers, any color
4 ounces provolone cheese (optional)
Butter for the pan

     

1. Preheat the oven to 350
2. Cut each bell pepper in half lengthwise.  Remove the stems and pick out the white membrane and seeds.  Place peppers on a baking sheet and bake until tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, melt a T of butter over medium heat.  Add onions and mushrooms and sauté until the onions are slightly golden in color.  Remove from the pan and set aside.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
   
   
   
   
   
4. Add ground beef, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and salt to the sauté pan.  Cook until the meat is browned, making sure to let any liquid that releases from the meat evaporate.  Add onions and mushrooms back to pan.  Stir to combine.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
   
5. Remove any water that’s accumulated in the baked bell peppers.  Evenly stuff the ground beef mixture into each pepper half.                                                                                                                                                                                        
   
6. If using cheese, top each pepper with it and pop them back into the oven long enough to melt the cheese.                                                      
   

I served mine over Organic whole grain rice/quinoa blend which was delish!  When making my Quinoa, I use Organic free range chicken broth ($1.79 at ALDI) in place of water for added flavor!

What to wear.....

What to wear for $25

Dress from Forvever 21   $10.90 (Blue, Gray, and Black color options)

Shoes from Old Navy $12.94 (Tan, Black, Blue color options)

Pair this with a long necklace and bangle and your ready to go without breaking the bank!

Winn Dixie Deals

So I was at the beach planning my meals when I saw a facebook post about Winn Dixie's organic brand "Full Circle" having a closeout sale.  Since Winn Dixie was on my way home I decided to stop over.   I found some great deals on items we eat normally and the expiration dates are well into the future so nothing will be wasted!  Here is what I got for $48!

Every Item is Organic......

1 Oatmeal $1.59 each

3 bags Quinoa $1.57 each

Tortilla Chips .72 each

2 Cereal $1.74 each

1 Berry Cobbler snack bars .87 each

3 Baked Beans .37 each

1 can refried beans .89 each

2 jars of salsa $1.49 each

BBQ snack crisps $.94

1 jar of pasta sauce $.75

5  packs of applesauce .70 each

I also got 10 packs of cookies for 1.64 each bag!

Bath and Body Works Deals

So the Bath and Body Works Semi Annual sale is on!!!!  I went yesterday to pick up a few items..mainly candles and a few lotions!  I also had a $10 off $40 coupon!  Score!

Here is what I got:

3-Lotions/Body Wash $3.33 ea
3-Hand Soaps $3.00 ea
3-Med candles $3.33 ea
1-Large Candle $12.50
1-Large Candle Holder $4.50

Total $46 - $10 coupon = $36

Fresh Market Tuesday Deals

Today I changed things up a little and hit The Fresh Market for a few items.  I rarely ever shop there although they have several great deals each week including the Ground Chuck and Chicken Breast deal!  Here is what I got for $26............

Antibiotic Free Chicken Breasts $2.99 per lb!  I got 3.63 lbs = $10.86
Ground Chuck $2.99 per lb!  I got 3.97 lbs = $11.66

Squash .99/ lb (Great deal)
Fresh Salsa $2.99

Thai Cashew Chicken

Here is a Pinterest recipe I found almost two years ago and am just now making.  It was pretty good I must say!  I would suggest prepping  (chopping veggies and getting all of your stuff out).

Here is the recipe:  http://fastpaleo.com/recipe/thai-cashew-chicken/


                                   

                                   

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds of chicken breast, You can  use chicken tenders so they cook quickly 
• 2 heads of baby bok choy, slice into long strips
• 1 small head of broccoli, chopped
• 2 large or 4 small carrots, sliced in half moons
• 1/2 green pepper, diced
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1 cup of chicken stock, divided
• 1/2 cup of toasted cashews
• 1 Tablespoon of arrow root powder
• 2 Table spoon of coconut aminos - 1 teaspoon of thai chili powder or 1Tablespoon of red pepper flakes if you don't have the thai chili powder - Salt and pepper to taste - source of quality fat for cooking the chicken

- in a dry nonstick pan over medium heat toast up your cashews. This should only take about 5-7 minutes. Keep an eye on them, they will burn.
- in a large skillet heat 1 T of fat, I used bacon grease.
- salt and pepper your chicken and add it to the pan, cover and let it cook for about 5 minutes per side until cooked through and no longer pink inside
- take chicken out and set it on a cutting board.

slice chicken thinly against the grain
- in the same pan over medium heat add all your veggies
- add in the coconut aminos and some salt and pepper
- toss veggies and let them cook for about 7 minutes until they are crisp tender

                                 

- add 1/2 cup of the stock to the pan
- in a separate small bowl.

add the other 1/2 cup of stock and arrow root powder, stir till completely dissolved and add to the pan of veggies
- add in cashews, thai chili powder and chicken back into the pan to heat up again

- let cook and the sauce thicken for about 3 minutes
- the heat level is relative add more or less to your taste
- add salt and pepper to taste
- serve over cauliflower rice (I used Organic Quinoa).

 

ENJOY :)

 

  

Recipes, Meal Planning, and Grocery Shopping.....

 This post is about how I grocery shop, meal plan, etc.  I always "plan" each week but this time my goal was to plan even better, mainly dinners for this post.  

Tips:  Normally I try to purchase and plan 2 weeks worth of meals.  When I buy my fresh veggies, I tend to use those up the first 7-8 days and then rely on my frozen veggies for the other meals down the road. We do run out of fruit each week so I will put back about $10 for fruit out of my budget which usually consists of banana's, apples, and strawberries.

So first off I went through all of my recipes.  I have hundreds printed and 3 cookbooks I refer to.  I also try to find recipes that call for the same ingredients for the most part.  I usually do this Wednesday night.  Once I find everything I want to make over the next 2 weeks, I get my notebook out and start writing down all the ingredients I need.

Next I head out to Costco (or wherever you choose to go) and grab my meat/frozen veggies/frozen fruit.  I normally try to do this Wednesday afternoon or Thursday as its not very busy compared to Friday and Saturday.  Most times I just buy meat there but I def check out the frozen veggies/fruit for deals, etc.  Water is also cheaper there.  Paper goods are also a great deal when you combine with an instant manf cpn.  This time around I needed TP and Paper Towels.

Paper Goods/Cleaning $28.68

Toilet Paper $18.99 - $4.30 Instant Cpn = $14.69 (This will last 4 weeks) = $3.67 week
Paper Towels $17.79 - $3.80 Instant Cpn = $13.99 (This will last 8 weeks) = $1.74 week

My meat /egg/frozen fruit purchase:

Costco Food $102

24 Pk Organic Eggs $6.99 = $3.50 week(This will last 2 weeks)
4 packs Bacon $8.99 = $2.24 each pack (This will last me 4 weeks)
Boneless Thighs Organic $19.36 = 2 meals
Ground Beef Organic 4 lbs $21.99= 3 meals
Organic Strawberries  4 lbs $10.59 = $2.64 week (This will last 4 weeks)
Organic Chicken Breast  $18.51 - $3 instant man cpn = $15.51 = 2 meals
Pork Tenderloin $18.04 = 2 meals + 2 days of leftovers for Justin and I

Next, I hit Aldi for a lot of my produce and I always shop on Friday or Saturday.  I make sure I have my notebook and pen and get everything on my list.

Here are the veggies I picked up for my meals............

ALDI

Pineapple $2.19

2 bags of frozen broccoli florets (to use later down the road when my fresh veggies are all gone) $1.19 each bag

Organic Banana's $1.38

Lemons $.35 each

Bag of Mini multi colored peppers $2.49

2 pack bell peppers $.99

3 pack tomato .99

Blueberries $2.49

Strawberries $1.69

Mushrooms .99

Granny Smith Apples $2.99

Pack of 4 squash $1.69

Pack of 4 Zucchini $.99

Organic baby carrots $1.49

Pack of 5 sweet pot $1.99

Organic Chicken Broth $1.79

Total $27.23

Here are the dairy items I picked up.

ALDI-

Almond Milk $2.29

Moo Tubes $1.79

OJ $2.09

1/2 G 1% Milk $2.19

Van Yogurt $1.89

Greek Yogurt $3.89

Organic Arugula $2.49

Total $16.63

ALDI- WATER $2.49

Good luck with your shopping!