How I Pinch A Penny

Please check your local flyer to be sure they are running the same deals as my paper. Need help with the abbreviations? Click HERE to see what the HECK I am talking about!!

Here is my coupon match up list for Giant Food stores. I am using an ad from South Central Pa. As always check your local flyer for participation. Also There are a lot of match ups for Martins. There are some great printable coupons! We also are earning those gas rewards points again! We all love those!

**ok I figured out a small ‘glitch’ in the coupon policy. I am sure I am the only one who didn’t realize the next bit of info but here goes just incase.:

They will not double multiple coupons! ex. You have $.75 off juice. It will double to $1.50 but if you had a second or third of the SAME coupon they will not double it in the same transaction. So be aware and do multiple transactions to maximize your savings!…but watch the deals where you MUST buy X in a single transaction to get the savings.

This week I am thinking Thanksgiving.  The items in ORANGE I will be stocking up on in preparation for Thanksgiving.  Just a suggestion!

• Jif Peanut Butter 3/$5   MUST BUY 3
• .55/1  10-11-09 RP use 3
• 3/$2.78

• Country Crock Delux Side Dish $3.49
• $1/1 09-13-09 RP
• $2.49 each

• Buitoni Filled Pasta  2/$6 MUST buy 2
•  $1/1   10-04-09 SS use 2
• 2/$4

• Folgers Ground Coffee 22-35 o. can $5.99
• $1/1  11-08-09 RP
• $4.99 each

• V-8  V Fusion Juice  2/$5
• $1/1 Printable found HERE  Print 2
• 2/$3

• Dole Fruit Jars  24.5 oz  3/$5  MUST buy 3
• $1/3  11-08-09 SS
• 3/$4

• Progresso Classic Soup  10/$10
• $.50/2   11-08-09 SS
• 2/$1

• Prego Pasta Sauce 3/$5
• $.75/3   10-04-09 SS
• 3/$3.50

• Progresso broth   32 oz. box  2/$3
• $1/1 10-04-09 SS use 2 or $.50/1 printable found HERE Print 2
• 2/$1

• Pop Tarts  3/$5
• $1/1 09-13-09 RP use 3
• 3/$2

• Select General Mill Cereals 2/$4
• $1/2  11-08-09 SS
• 2/$3

• TombStone pizza  3/$10 MUST buy 3
• $1/2 10-04-09 SS
• 3/$9

• Breyers Ice Cream 2/$5 MUST buy 2
• $1/2  10-18-09 SS
• 2/$4

• Haagen-Daz  Bars or Pints 2/$5 MUST buy 2
• $1/1 Printable found HERE  print 2  use 2
• 2/$3

• Lysol Antibacterial cleaner or Toilet Bowl cleaner 2/$4
• $.40/1  11-08-09 SS (use 2 only 1 will double)
• 2/$2.80

• Purex Complete 3-in-1  $4.99
• $1/1  10-04-09 SS
• $3.99 each

• Welch’s Juice Cocktail 2/$5
• $1/1  printable found HERE print & use 2
• 2/$3

• Tetley Tea Bags  2/$5
• $1/2  09-20-09 SS
• 2/$4

• Rhodes White Dinner Rolls  $3.49
• $.75/1  printable found HERE  Print 2
• $1.99 each

• Carnation Evaporated Milk $5/5
• $.50/2  11-01-09 RP
• 2/$1

• Naturally Delicious Salad Dressing  2/$4
• $1/2  11-08-09 SS
• 2/$3

• Vanity Fair Napkins  $1.79
• $.50/1  08-09-09 RP
• $.79 each

Please check your local flyer to be sure they are running the same deals as my paper. Need help with the abbreviations? Click HERE to see what the HECK I am talking about!!

Here is my coupon match up list for Giant Food stores. I am using an ad from South Central Pa. As always check your local flyer for participation. Also There are a lot of match ups for Martins. There are some great printable coupons! We also are earning those gas rewards points again! We all love those!

Giant Split chicken breasts .99 lb

• Birds Eye vegetables  3/$4
• $1/2  09-13-09 SS (use 3)
• 6/$5

• Giant Butter 3/$5

• Nabisco snack crackers 2/$5
• $1/1 printable found HERE (Print 2)
• or HERE (print 2)
• 2/$3

• Campbell’s V-8 Splash 2/$4
• $1/1 printable found HERE (Print 2)
• .50/2  9/20/09 SS
• 2/$2 or 2/$3

• hunt’s Canned Tomatoes 4/$5
• $1/4  10-04-09 SS
• 4/$4

• Herr’s Potato chips 2/$4
• $1/1 BAKED CRISPS  10-04-09 RP(use 2)
• 2/$2

• Skippy Peanut butter  3/$5
• $1/2 10-04-09 RP (use 3)
• 6/$7

• SPAM  $2.19
• .35/1  09-20-09 SS
• $1.49 each

• Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice  3/$5
• $1/1 Printable found HERE (print 2)
• $1/3  09-13-09 RP
• 2/$1.33 or 3/$4

• General Mills..honey nut cheerios, Lucky charms, Cookie Crisp, Trix 2/$4
• $1/3   10-04-09 SS (varies by area)(use 3)
• 6/$9

• Healthy Choice Complete Meals 5/$10
• $2/1 Printable found HERE 
• 1/FREE

• Freschetta Naturally Rising Pizza $5.99
• $1/1  - 09-13-09 SS
• $4.99

• Red Baron 12″ Pizza $4.99
• $1/1   09-20-09 SS
• $3.99

• Tony’s Pizza $2.99
• $1/2  10-04-09 SS
• 2/$4.98

• Gorton’s Frozen Fish Sticks  $3.99
• $.40/1  09-13-09 SS
• $3.19 each

• Aunt Jemima Pancakes 2/$4
• $1/2  10-04-09 SS
• 2/$3

• Tropicana OJ  $2.99
• $1/1 09-13-09 RP
• $1.99

Please check your local flyer to be sure they are running the same deals as my paper. Need help with the abbreviations? Click HERE to see what the HECK I am talking about!!

Here is my coupon match up list for Giant Food stores. I am using an ad from South Central Pa. As always check your local flyer for participation. Also There are a lot of match ups for Martins. There are some great printable coupons! We also are earning those gas rewards points again! We all love those!

• Scott Mega 6 Roll Paper Towel.  $4.99 Lowest Price of the Year
• $1/6 09-13-09 SS
• $3.99 each

• Stouffer’s Lean Cuisine  6/$10
• $1/3 09-13-09 RP (varies by area)
• 3/$4

• Suave Shamopp or Conditioner $.75 each Limit 5 Lowest Price of the Year
• $1/2 08-02-09 RP (varies by area) (use 2)
• 4/$1

• Birds Eye Vegetables and Sauce or Steam Fresh  $.69 each lowest Price of the Year (limit 10 per transaction)
• $1.00/2  09-13-09 SS (use 5)
• 10/$1.90

• Kleenex Facial Tissue $5/5 (MUST buy 5)
• $1/4 08-02-09 SS
• 5/$4

• Buy a Buitoni Family size Pasta and get a Buitoni sauce FREE
• $1/1 printable found HERE (Print 2)
• $2 off a Pasta and a Sauce

• Chex Mix Select 2/$4
• $1/2  09-13-09 SS
• 2/$3

• Juicy Juice 2/$5
• $1/1 printable found HERE (print 2)
• 2/$3

• Ragu Pasta sauce 4/$5 (MUST buy 4)
• $1.25/3   09-13-09 RP (varies by area)
• 5/3.75

• Buy any 4 Kellogg’s cereals get $4 off your order. (not real sure if it is off THIS purchase or if it will print out a coupon for NEXT purchase)
• $1/ speical K printable found HERE (print twice!)
• $6 total off your purchase!

• Pillsbury brownie mix 2/$3
• $.40/1  09-27-09 RP (use 2 and they double)
• 2/$1.40

• Betty Crocker Fruit Shapes  2/$3
• $1/3  09-13-09 SS (varies by area)
• 3/$3.50

• Dole Fruit Bowls 2/$4
• $1/1  09-13-09 SS (varies by area) (use 2)
• 2/$2

• Lean Cuisine  6/$10 LOWEST PRICE OF THE YEAR! Limit 6
• $1/3  09-13-09 RP use 2
• 6/$8  YIPPIE!

• TIDE 2X laundry detergent  $10.97 LOWEST PRICE OF THE YEAR!
• $1/1  09-27-09 PG
• $9.97 each

• Dawn Ultra Dish Washing Detergent  $2.29
• $.25/1  08-30-09 PG
• $1.79 each

• Suave Shampoo/Conditioner  $.75 LOWEST PRICE OF TH YEAR
• $1/2 printable found HERE (Prints in spanish)
• 2/$.50

This is my interpretation of a Jalepeno Jelly found on Tasty Kitchen by The Pioneer Woman. HERE is the original recipe and link.

I have a bunch of friends who LOVE jalepeno pepper jelly.  Spread it over a brick of cream cheese, serve along side some wheat thins and WHALA! You have a super easy super tasty snack or appetizer.

Start with some jalepeno peppers.  Mine peppers got left on the plant a little too long and they turned red.  I also threw in a Poblano pepper that turned red as well. I have 15 jalepeno and 1 poblano peppers in this recipe.

Get a box of liquid pectin.  You are going to need BOTH pouches for this recipe.

Some recipes have you deseed and  and devein the peppers. I decided not to because I wanted the jelly to have a bit more kick.  I just chopped them up and threw them in the food processor.  If you want a milder jelly cut out the seeds and the membranes.  BUT BE SURE TO USE GLOVES.  Last time I didn’t use gloves my hands were on fire for 3 days!

Give them a whirl until they are a fine paste.

Measure out 6 cups of sugar.  See why I think it needs a bit extra kick?  SO MUCH SUGAR!!  It all balances out.

Measure out 2 cups Apple Cider vinegar.  I think it would be ok to use regular white vinegar in a pinch.

Toss the sugar, pepper pulp and vinegar in a pot.

Bring to a boil but don’t walk away or this will happen!  This was a HUGE pain in the butt to clean up.  Plus it is dangerous to have a pot of boiling sugar over boil onto an open flame.

Once you have a nice boil to to incorporate all the sugar ( and hopefully it doesn’t boil over on you like mine did!) pour BOTH of the liquid pectin pouches into the pot.  Bring back to a full boil and stir for 1 minute.

Fill your jars with the hot jelly and leave them with 1/4″ head space and process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Top it with a label and you are read for gift giving season!!

I love Chick-Fil-A.  If you do not have one close to you, I am so sorry.  They didn’t invent the chicken…just the chicken sandwich.  Through Twitter I found out that they are having a Chicken Wave.  It is a digital wave ( think football games ) where you are able to personalize your cow and stand up and cheer for your favorite food… the chick -Fil-A sandwich.  PLUS there are prizes!!  We all love prizes!!

Come join me and stand up and cheer for Chick-Fil-A.  I am wearing the pink jersey, I have blonde piggy tails on my bovine face  and I am waving a #1 foam finger and clutching a Coca-Cola Zero.  Yeah Chick-Fil-A!!!

I got my BJ’s Membership Savings Book and BJ’s journal in the mail late last week.  Over the weekend I pulled out all the BJ’s coupons that would apply to products my family would use.  After all a coupon is no good to you if you aren’t going to use the product!  Then I went to my coupon binder and pulled coupons that would match up with the coupons I had just pulled.  THIS is exactly why I like to get 2 papers on Sundays.  It is so worth it when you are going shopping at a big box store and are going to be stacking your coupons.  Did you know that you can stack your coupons at BJ’s?!  It is true!!  As long as the product is shrink wrapped together and could other wise be sold separately you can stack your coupons.

Ex.  Soft soap hand pumps come in a pack of 4.  If you are able to find 4 coupons for single soft soaps you can use all 4 PLUS the coupon from BJ’s.  YIPPIE!!

When it was all said and done I got:

• 4 pk of Soft soap hand pumps
• 6 pk of Kleenex tissues
• 3 boxes of Cheerios (2 bags per box)
• 1 box of hot pockets (12 ct.)
• 2 boxes of Kraft Mac and Cheese (12 boxes per Big box)
• 3 pack of Edge sensitive shave gel
• 3 pack of Soft Soap body wash
• 2 boxes of pop tarts (48 per box)
• 1 box of nature valley granola bars ( 60 ct.)
• 1 box Capri sun 100% juice (40 ct.)
• 1 box Nutri Grain bars (48 ct.)

My sub total was $139.

After all my BJ’s coupons PLUS my manufacture coupons stacked on them my total was: $89.30

For a total savings of $49.70 or a savings of 36%.

I don’t know about your mint patch but mine is in full bloom.  I love this time of year.  Sweet mint tea during the day and mojitos  at night by the fire pit.  Ahhh… I love summer!  There is just something about that fresh mint being crushed for the mojito or hitting the boiling water for the tea that just makes me love breathing.  So fresh.  So crisp. So….. minty.  

Before the heat of summer makes the mint wither and before it goes to seed I want to save those lovely leaves for mint tea in the winter.  Every now and then I have a craving for a taste of summer in the dead of winter.  It is hard to make mint tea when you have no mint….so this is how I will solve that problem!

First, pluck the leaves from the stalk of the plant.  Be sure just to take the mature leaves.  Leave the baby leaves so they can mature and give you more mint in the coming days.

See the baby leaves?  Just pluck the leaf on the right.

This is what a stalk looks like when I am done with it.  Looks kind of scrawny but in a few days it till fill back in with mature leaves.

Next tuck the leaves into ice cube trays.  These are the same trays I used when I made my girls baby food.  See, I was a penny pincher even back then!  Each of the cubes will hold 7-12 leaves.  This is the amount I use for each pot of tea.  If you use more put in more.  If you use less put in less.  There is no right or wrong amount.

See the pretty leaves?

Next, cover the leaves with water.

After all the leaves are covered with water (unlike this picture) pop them into the freezer and freeze solid.  Once solid, remove them from the trays and store them in a freezer bag.

When it comes time to make tea just take out a cube and defrost in the microwave.  The ice will melt and any dirt will come off.  Pop the leaves into your boiling water and steep away!

It is Wednesday in June so that means you get something FREE from Arby’s…Of course it varies by location and restrictions apply BUT here is what you can get TODAY!

June 3: FREE FruiTea with any Sandwich purchase

Transaction 1

Skintimate shave gel: $2.99
RR: $3

Chap Stick: $1.99
RR: $2

Scrunchi Elastics:$2.00
RR: $2

Out of Pocket with tax: $7.40

Transaction 2

Crystal light on sale: $1.99
coupon B2G1F
$3.98 for 3

Colgate Kids Toothpaste $3.49
coupon $1/1
Total: $2.49

Chex Mix on sale $.99

Skippy Peanut Butter $3.29
in store sale B1G1F
coupon for $1/2 ( use 3 coupons)
Total: $1.15 each

Loriel mens lotion On clearance for $2.69
$1/1
Total:$1.69

Use $7 worth of RR from transaction #1

Out of Pocket with tax: $11.52

total savings $41.35

I did check out at the cosmetic counter so the front registers could be freed up for those who had to be out in a hurry.

If you recall I got a fabulous deal on cilantro earlier this week at Weis.  Check out the post HERE.

So I brought it home and set to preserving my treasures.  First thing I did was wash the cilantro. Cilantro is grown in sandy soil.  Often there is all sorts of grit hidden in it.  Nothing is worse than crunching down on a few granolas of sand.  ICK!

Then I plucked al the leaves off the stems.  You could just twist off the excess stems.

I put the leaves in the food processor and pulse till your desired consistency. 

This is the consistency I did mine too.

Then I filled ice cube trays with the pulsed cilantro and topped them with water.  There is a generous tablespoon in each cube tray.  Now I have chopped, portioned cilantro ready to go at a moments notice!  And it was bought at a penny pinching price.  :)

Here is the cilantro cubes out of the ice cube trays.

And here I vacuum sealed 6-8 in each packet.  See my raves about vacuum sealing HERE.