In A Pickle

A sandwich just isn't a sandwich without a pickle. I have been out of pickles for a week. It leaves my sandwich so blah.  I went to the pickle aisle of the grocery store and stared at the price of my beloved jar of Vlassic Stackers pickles. $2.50  for a little jar.  I couldn't bring myself to pick it up.  I know I can get it for less than $1.50 with coupons at Publix, once they go on sale. ugh... what to do?  I mean, geez, it's only a dollar difference!  C'mon, what's a dollar?

I will tell you what a dollar is:

A dollar is 40% of the total cost! If you were going to buy a large item, such as a t.v. Would you pay $500 for one, or would you wait for it to go on sale for $300?  It's only $200, after all.

A wise man once told me, "It's not what you earn, it's what you save."  Those little dollars add up quick. If I spend a dollar on pickles, I spend another on something else. And it continues on.  I can wait for those pickles to go on sale.  I must, I must! But, for now, I will get some Mt. Olive pickles at Publix that are buy one get one free, which makes them about $1.40 a jar. They will do for now....while I'm in a pickle...until Vlassic goes on sale. :)

Go ahead and laugh. Say I'm crazy. I don't care. :-p

Videos

http://www.youtube.com/user/nutnwithoutgod



I've made some videos about my coupons and stockpiling... enjoy!

blueberry + cream= heaven

Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

It is sooo good! We made the full fat version and it is heavenly.  I want to eat all of it!

 First, I prepared the blueberry sauce with the frozen blueberries we stashed away in May.

1/4 cup sugar
 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
 1/4 cup water
 1/2 cup and 2 tbsp fresh or frozen blueberries
 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
  
 In small saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch.  Gradually stir in water until smooth.  Stir in blueberries and lemon juice.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.  cover and refrigerate until chilled.  




 Then I made the graham cracker mixture:

1 cup and 2 tbsp graham cracker crumbs
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, melted

In a large bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, sugar and cinnamon.  Stir in butter.  Pat into an ungreased  baking pan.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool completely on a wire rack.  

I didn't put it in a pan that big because the recipe was too big for my ice cream  maker so I halved it. These measurements are good for a 1 1/2 quart ice cream maker.  Do you know how tempting it was to eat these cracker crumbs by themselves! ?

 So, then I was ready to make the ice cream!

In a large bowl whisk the ice cream ingredients.  

 

Ice Cream ingredient mixture:

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 (3.4 oz) package instant cheesecake or vanilla pudding mix (i used cheesecake)

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

 

Fill ice cream freezer cylinder.

Crumble graham cracker mixture in bottom of container. ( I only had a bowl handy)

Then, the icecream mixture, and then the blueberry mixture go on top.

 Keep layering the crumbs, blueberries and ice cream. 

Then you swirl it ( I used a butter knife) and put it back in the freezer. 

 It was SOOO YUMMY! 

Austin gave it thumbs up! 

Now, I'm thinking about changing it up.  I'm trying to figure out a lactose free version...and maybe a low fat one too.  I've read that goat milk is lower in lactose, maybe that would be good too. No matter how it's changed, I'm sure it will be good... after all it's ICE CREAM!

 

Mailbox Freebies

I love checking my mailbox! I'm getting all kinds of free stuff this week! Good thing too because the sales aren't that great this week.

I got these coupons from www.kraftfirsttaste.com and I don't have to buy anything to get them free!

 I got this free recycled bag from Green Giant, and was surprised when they also sent a coupon for a FREE  5 lb bag of potatoes!

I got all this stuff free in my mailbox a couple weeks ago... lots and lots of coupons, and free pack of gum.

 More free gum Brian picked up for me yesterday while at Wal-Mart.  He used  eight $1 coupons from 6/13 SS newspaper. 

FREEEEE GUM, now that's something to chew on! ;)

Out with the BAD, and in with the GOOD

"Where the heart is willing, it will find a thousand ways. Where it is unwilling, it will find a thousand excuses."

~ Arlen Price 

"The best way to predict the future is to create it." ~Unknown

Today and every day from now on, I am throwing out the excuses.  The past two years have been full of nothing but excuses.  So, it's out with the bad, and in with the good.  It's time to be with people who will find a thousand ways to be there for me, like I have been for them. It's time to stop making people a priority, who only make me an option.  LET THE HEALING BEGIN! 

PUBLIX

 **oh I almost forgot to tell you about the Kraft rebate! If you buy $30 worth, you get $10 back.  Even your free item qualifies for this, since it rings up on your receipt and then deducts it back off.  So, my Nabisco cookies, Planters Trail Mix ,Athenos Hummus and  A-1 steak sauce qualifies for this. I also had bought two bags of shredded cheese too.  So, my receipt shows that I spent $30, but because of bogo's I actually only spent $15. Then I will get back $10....which means I only spent $5 for $30 worth of food!! Thank you Kraft!

Love to shop here. Love to save here. I love their motto. :)
Spent $75.52 and Saved a total of $109.43!
Some of these deals require your Publix to accept Target as a competitor. Check with your store to be sure. 


(6) El Monterey Tornado -2 for $4
 used  six $1/1 coupons 5/9 SS
=$1 each

(6) Jose Ole Taquito- bogo 4.99
used six $1/1coupon 4/25 SS
=$1.50 each

 (4) Planters Trail Mix- 2 for $3
 used  two $1/2 coupon 3/7 SS
AND one target coupon buy 3 Planters get 1 FREE
=.63 each

(4) A-1 Steak Sauce-bogo $3.95
 used one target coupon buy 2 get 1 free
 = .99 each

 (8) Hefty One zip baggies- bogo 2.29
 used four $1/2 printable coupons from HERE & HERE (2 COUPONS FROM EACH SITE)
 = .65 each

 (4) Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Pasta- bogo1.79
used two $1/2 from HERE
 =.40 each

 (4) Athenos Hummus - 2.99
used two buy one get one from HERE AND
 used two $1/1 coupon from 4/25 SS
 = $1 each!

(4) Nabisco Chips Ahoy cookies - 2.99 bogo
used one buy three get one free Target coupon from HERE
 = .94 each

 (3) Dr. Pepper 8 pks - 3 for 10
used  Publix buy two get one free coupon from their Yellow Advantage Flyer
=$2.22 each

(2) Grape tomatoes bogo 2.99
 =$1.50 each



 And then I always add a coupon to the end of my final total.  I usually use Albertsons $5 off $50 total. But, this time I used Winn Dixie's $5 off $30 total.

A couple days after the shopping trip, I ran across a couple more coupons and we used those too!

.42 each!

 Mott's Medley's- bogo 2.95

 used four $1/1 coupon found in Publix's Summer Savings booklet.  (the store had these coupons stuck to the bottles already!)

=.42 each

FREE!!

 Wayyy back in February, this lady in Sweetbay Supermarket was handing out Fisher nut samples and giving away coupons. She gave me three $1/1 coupons. I kept them until I found a deal! 

(3)Fisher Fusions Snacks- 2 for $2

 used three $1/1 coupons I had been holding for a very long time. :)  

 WOOHOO! It's been a great shopping week! 

 Publix's BOGO sale ends here in Tampa Bay Area on Wednesday.  So, Thursday starts the new week! And I already know I'm getting FREE Morningstar veggie patties! YAHOO.

If you want to score some of these deals and have questions. Drop me a line!!! :-D   I would love to help!

Week of Good Deals

TARGET

 Deals good thru 5/29
All this for $3.61

RP- RED PLUM

SS- SMART SOURCE

PG- PROCTER AND GAMBLE 

We did really good at Target this past week.

Bounty paper towels-.99
- used three $1 coupon on one found in 5/16 RP
= FREE

Tide trial size soap-.99
used six $1 coupon on one found in 5/2 PG
=FREE (going to put these into a gift basket)

Benadryl itch sticks-2.29
used $5 off 2 coupon found in 4/11 RP
=FREE +overage

KC Maserpiece bbq sauce-1.42
used two $1 off one coupon found in 5/9 SS
= .50 each

Hydro Schick razor-6.99
-used one $5 off one from 5/9 SS AND stacked with Target's $1 off one found on their site.
=.99

Bounce dryer sheets 45 ct.-1.94
-used two .25 off one coupon found in 5/2 PG AND stacked with two Target's .75 off one found on their site.
=.94 each


**Deals  are good until May 29! **

  I found all these good deals by reading  www.hip2save.com You can find more deals there!

My final total was $3.61 for all this stuff. I saved $24.47.  Not too shabby!

Now, on to Wal-Mart.  The cashier almost didn't take the coupons. She said there has been a  lot of fake printed coupons coming through their store. She checked with her manager and it was approved. YAY! No fake coupons here! Here is what we got from there:

 Three items for .47!

Bic Pens- $1 off one package coupon from HERE  It is a bricks coupon, so you just hit your back button and print out another coupon for a total of 2!  If you have more than one computer you can print extras!
=FREE

Armor All- use $2 off one coupon found HERE.
=.47

Not sure how long these deals are good for.  I found them on hip2save site . See link above.

I LOVE CHECKING MY MAILBOX!! Look what I found in it this week!

3 Tomato Basil Wheat Thins
3 Vanilla Caramel Latte (Maxwell House)
1 coupon for FREE Kraft Macaroni Cheese Dinner
1 coupon for FREE Kraft Deli Deluxe Cheese

Yesterday, I checked my mail and got:  ***I got these from facebook***
1 coupon for FREE Hood Simply Smart milk
1 coupon for FREE Bailey's coffee creamer

What do you find in your mailbox?