Friday, December 11, 2015

New liquid sucralose sweetener

I was just catching up on Low Carb Friends when I ran across a mention of a sweetener called SucraDrops. It's only half as concentrated as Sweetzfree but the price is very reasonable and they have free shipping in the US. I love using Sweetzfree but sometimes you only need a tiny bit to sweeten coffee, etc. and a single drop can be too much at times. I still have a full spare bottle of Sweetzfree in my pantry but I will keep SucraDrops in mind when I need to re-order. 

You can buy SucraDrops HERE. They also sell it on Amazon but the price is a little higher and you'd have to pay shipping on orders under $35.

Bear in mind that I haven't tried this product myself yet. If you have tried this sweetener, please leave a comment.




 

Sunday, August 30, 2015

New Recipe - DelhiBelli's Butter Chicken

BUTTER CHICKEN

I added a new recipe to my main website that was posted on Low Carb Friends by DelhiBelli. Click HERE to see the recipe.
 

Friday, August 21, 2015

Good deal on almond flour at Aldi

Just a quick note to mention that my Aldi store has marked down their almond flour from $7.99 to $4.99. I splurged on two bags today. It was nice to pay the Trader Joe's price for almond flour and get blanched instead of unblanched. Maybe other Aldi stores have marked theirs down as well.
 

Saturday, August 1, 2015

New Recipe - Stromboli



Jimmy Moore sent me a copy of the new low carb cookbook that he co-authored with Maria Emmerich. It's called "The Ketogenic Cookbook" and it's a beautiful book with full-color photos of every recipe. You can buy the book on Amazon, HERE


 
One recipe jumped out at me the first time I looked through the book and that was the Stromboli on page 198. It doesn't call for too many unusual ingredients and I just happened to have everything on hand to make it. I haven't bought coconut flour in years but I still have a small container of it in my freezer. I also have a container of ground pork rinds in the freezer from when I was eating them regularly. I used to save the bits at the bottom of the bag and grind them up to use for breading fish, etc. Anyway, other than those two somewhat unusual items, the recipe only calls for mozzarella cheese, butter, egg, seasonings and salami. I had a package of giant pepperoni in the freezer so I used that instead of the salami.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started making this. The photo in the book looked very bread-like but my "dough" mixture looked like a pile of gooey cheese. Fear not! Once it has baked, the cheese "crust" gets all crunchy and browned and delicious. Jerry also gave it a thumbs up and I will make this again. We ate ours while it was still pretty hot but I found that the crust actually gets crunchier after it cools a bit. I cut the stromboli into about nine pieces. We ate this for dinner and we each had two slices and it was very filling. We'll find out tomorrow how well it reheats.


UPDATE: This reheats quite well in a toaster oven. It's greasy so I suggest setting it on a baking sheet or a piece of foil. Watch it closely because it gets dark very quickly.

UPDATE: I just discovered that the recipe is posted on the All Day I Dream About Food blog HERE.


UPDATE: The original Up Late Anyway recipe is back online again HERE. She has step-by-step photos showing how to make it. Bear in mind that the recipe is slightly different than the one that I made from the cookbook. Instead of almond flour, the one I make has ground pork rinds. I haven't tried any other version yet because I like the results that I get with the pork rind version. Also, on the blog she mentions that you need to use 2% mozzarella cheese. I just use the pre-shredded regular "part skim" kind and haven't had a problem.
 

Below are some photos showing the process of making the stromboli:


Rather than measure the length of my strips of dough, I placed the pepperoni slices down the center first and used them as a guide.




 

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Shopping list

I've reached the point where posting my shopping list is becoming a bit of a chore so I'm not going to do it anymore. I won't shut down my blog but I will only post occasionally when I try a new recipe or product and that sort of thing. I might also occasionally feature an old favorite recipe or mention what I've been cooking.
 

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

No shopping list this week

I won't be posting my shopping list this week. I did my regular grocery shopping this morning but didn't have time to take photos before we went out for the day. 
 

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Tuesday's Shopping



 I was just looking over the new Aldi ad for this week online and I see that they've got a new product. It's blanched almond flour. They're selling it for $7.99 for a one pound bag. That's not a bad price so I might give it a try.



Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Shopping List for July 12 - July 18

TUESDAY'S SHOPPING
 
FOOD TOWN (Tuesday):
Bacon - $1.77
Garlic - $.48
2 steaks @ 3.99lb (marked down) - $8.06

TOTAL - $10.31

SPROUTS (Tuesday):
3 green peppers @ .48 each - $1.44

TOTAL - $1.44

HEB (Tuesday):
Shower spray - $2.24
3-pack tissue - $3.57
Cheese balls - $1.00
Ice cream - $4.48

TOTAL - $11.75

WALMART (Wednesday):
Vinegar - $.56
Soy sauce - $2.28

TOTAL - $2.84

ALDI (Wednesday):
2 packages cookies @ .99 each - $1.98
Bread - $.85
2 x dozen eggs @ 1.99 each - $3.98
Bagels - $1.69
Pepper-Jack cheese - $1.59
2 x 8 ounce jalapeños @ .39 each - $.78

TOTAL - $10.87

KROGER (Wednesday):
Ice cream @ 2.50 (minus 10% discount) - $2.25
24 ounce cottage cheese @ 2.29 (minus 10% discount + .40 coupon) - $1.66
2 x cream cheese @ 1.00 each (minus 10% discount) - $1.80
2 x 8 ounce shredded cheese @ 1.99 each (minus 10% discount + .65 coupon) - $2.93
3 x 3 pound ground beef @ 1.99lb (minus 10% discount + 1.50 coupon) - $14.61

TOTAL - $23.25

GRAND TOTAL - $60.46 (over budget by $10.46)

WEDNESDAY'S SHOPPING
 

I did my shopping today instead of tomorrow. I went over budget again this week but I was running very low on ground beef in the freezer and Kroger had a good deal that I couldn't pass up. Food Town hasn't had any marked down in a few weeks. Kroger has their 3-pound rolls of ground beef for $1.99 pound this week which is a very good price. On top of that, I got the 10% senior discount plus I had a coupon good for $1.50 off one roll. I was only going to buy two rolls but at the last minute decided to go ahead and splurge on a third one. I paid $1.62 pound after the discounts.

When I got home I first made a batch of Bread & Butter Pickled Jalapeños and then browned up six pounds of hamburger. I'm going to freeze it in plastic containers and then use it for my breakfasts. I've been eating hamburger patties for breakfast for a while but I've only got five cooked patties left and I decided that browning it was easier than making six pounds of hamburger patties in my Nuwave oven.

I was happy to see that the price of eggs is gradually starting to go down again at Aldi. I wasn't planning to buy the jalapeños there today but went ahead and got some when I saw that the price was lower than it's been for a while.

The steaks that I got marked down at Food Town on Tuesday were originally just over $9.00 per pound and I paid $3.99 pound. They look like bone-in ribeye steaks.




Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Tuesday's Shopping



I got a pretty good deal on those two steaks. They were marked down to $3.99 pound which is less than half price according to the stickers. Gone are the days of finding ribeye steaks marked down to $1.99 pound and 99-cents pound marked down hamburger. Beef has more than doubled in price over the past few years.

I bought the green peppers at Sprouts this morning to make Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers. I'm heading to the kitchen right now to make them. 

SLOPPY JOE STUFFED PEPPERS


Thursday, July 9, 2015

Shopping List for July 5 - July 11

TUESDAY'S SHOPPING

FOOD TOWN (Tuesday):
Boston butt pork roast @ .99lb - $3.99
12-pack toilet paper - $3.99

TOTAL - $8.11

HEB (Tuesday):
4 pounds frozen Tilapia - $10.98
Crisco shortening (marked down) - $1.00
Honey buns (marked down) - $.75
1 pound brown sugar (marked down) - $.50
Lemon cookies (marked down) - $.50

TOTAL - $13.73

ALDI (Thursday):
2 packages cookies @ .99 each - $1.98
2 x 8-ounce cheese @ 1.59 each - $3.18
Dozen eggs - $2.19

TOTAL - $7.35

WALMART (Thursday):
Ham pieces - $4.33
Hand lotion - $3.42
2 x shampoo @ .75 each - $1.50
4 pack ink pens - $2.77

TOTAL - $12.65

KROGER (Thursday):
Ice cream @ 2.99 (minus 10% discount) - $2.25
Peanut butter @ 1.79 (minus 10% discount + .45 coupon) - $1.16
Sugar @ 1.89  (minus 10% discount) - $1.70
Mayonnaise @ 2.59 (minus 10% discount + .50 coupon) - $1.83

TOTAL - $6.94

GRAND TOTAL - $48.78

THURSDAY'S SHOPPING


I made Houston Chicken for dinner last night and boy was that tasty. I had some super smoky bacon pieces to use up so I scattered the extra ones around the chicken and it got all crispy while the chicken cooked. I ended up having to broil the chicken instead of baking it to get the thick bacon fully cooked but it came out perfect. Tonight we get to have the leftovers. I made two huge chicken breasts and we split one of them last night. 

I took today's photo with the light in the kitchen turned off and no flash. It's rather dark but still better than if I'd had the bright ceiling light turned on. 
 

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Tuesday's Shopping



Low carb on one side and not so low carb on the other. I found a few bargains in the clearance bin.



Thursday, July 2, 2015

Shopping List for May 28 - July 4

TUESDAY'S SHOPPING

FOOD TOWN (Tuesday):
Boneless chicken breasts @ 1.77lb - $14.72
Celery - $.99
Onions @ .39lb - $.68

TOTAL - $16.39

HEB (Tuesday):
Shower spray - $2.24
Pint heavy cream - $2.38

TOTAL - $4.80

KROGER (Tuesday):
Pork loin roast @ 1.77lb - $5.39

TOTAL - $6.07

WALMART (Thursday):
Hairspray - $1.24
Face scrub - $1.97
Pizza sauce - $1.14
4 ounce can green chiles - $.68

TOTAL - $5.29

ALDI (Thursday):
Strawberries - $.79
2 packages cookies @ .99 each - $1.98
Bread - $.85
Dozen eggs - $2.19
Bagels - $1.69
Pepper-Jack cheese - $1.59

TOTAL - $9.09

KROGER (Thursday):
Ice cream @ 2.50 (minus .40 coupon) - $4.50
2 x ice cream @ 5.79 each (buy 1/get one free sale) - $5.79
4 x frozen vegetables @ 1.00 each - $4.00
Pint half & half - $1.59
Sambal oelek - $1.69
Plastic wrap - $1.87
2 x napkins @ .79 each - $1.58

TOTAL - $18.90

GRAND TOTAL - $60.54 (over budget by $10.54)

THURSDAY'S SHOPPING
 

I'm still having hard time taking good photos of my groceries. There's apparently not enough light in the kitchen with the light turned off. They're a little better without the light on but they won't be as good as they used to be anymore. There is probably a setting I could change on my camera but I have no idea what to do. I just set it to "point and shoot" and never bother with the settings.

I stocked up on some staples at Kroger today so that I could get the buy one/get one free deal on the Private Selection ice cream. You had to spend at least $10.00 and I didn't need enough stuff this week to make $10.00 without buying a few extra items. So, I stocked up on some frozen veggies, the sambal oelek, plastic wrap and napkins.

HEB was out of the quarts of heavy cream once again but I went ahead and bought a pint. I'm not eating yogurt for breakfast at the moment so I don't really need that much cream on hand. I also use cream to make quiches for my husband but I decided to save some money and use half & half instead. I've got enough heavy cream on hand to make whipped cream for the strawberry shortcake.

As I mentioned on Tuesday, Kroger was out of the .69lb bone-in chicken thighs so I bought a small pork loin roast that was on sale instead.

Although I'm no longer posting my weekly menus, I thought I'd mention a few things that I'm planning to make over the next week. Tomorrow I will make a low carb pound cake and will use it to make strawberry shortcake for the 4th of July. I had a bag of frozen strawberries which I will add to the fresh ones that I bought today. That was a super price on them at Aldi. They were advertised as $1.19 this week but there was a "manager's special" at my store.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

I'll also be making pizza, Italian Meatball Burgers, Houston Chicken and Cauliflower & Ham Salad.

DEEP DISH PIZZA
ITALIAN MEATBALL BURGERS
HOUSTON CHICKEN
CAULIFLOWER & HAM SALAD

 
I will only make the cauliflower salad if they have a good price on cauliflower at Food Town next week.



Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Tuesday's Shopping


 
I took today's photo with the kitchen light turned off and no flash. It's a lot better than last week's photo with the bright fluorescent light washing out the picture.

Just as I feared, Kroger was out of the 69-cents pound chicken thighs. I bought that pork roast instead. My husband prefers "white meat" chicken and pork so I stocked up on boneless breasts too while they were on sale.
 

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Shopping List for June 21 - June 27



ALDI (Thursday):
2 packages cookies @ .99 each - $1.98
4 x 8-ounce cheese @ 1.59 each - $6.36
Cream cheese - $.99
Tortilla chips - $.85
Potato chips - $.75
1 can mushrooms - $.59

TOTAL - $11.52

WALMART (Thursday):
Toothpaste - $.85
Toothpaste - $1.00
Air freshener - $.97
10-pack Dial soap - $4.88
Liquid soap - $3.97
Liquid Stevia/Erythritol - $2.74

TOTAL - $14.89

KROGER (Thursday):
2 cans tuna @ .78 each - $1.56
Cottage cheese @ 1.00 (minus 40-cent coupon) - $.60
Dozen eggs - $2.67
Frozen cauliflower - $1.00
Sugar free pickle relish - $1.87
Decaf coffee - $3.50
2 16-ounce shredded cheese @ 2.99 each - $5.98

TOTAL - $17.18

GRAND TOTAL - $43.59

I didn't do any shopping on Tuesday this week because there wasn't anything that I really needed from the stores that I go to that day. Instead we went to the Treasures of the Heart charity shop and I bought a pair of jeans, a pair of shorts and six tops for just under $30. Included in the price were also a couple of books for Jerry and three blue and white plates that were a dollar each. I hadn't been to the charity shop since back before Christmas.

I actually would have spent a bit more this week if I hadn't forgotten about buying the chicken that was on sale at Kroger. I know that I had it written down on the rough draft of my shopping list but it somehow missed getting on my final list. It's a shame because 69-cents pound is a very good price on bone-in chicken thighs. I don't really want to make another trip to Kroger just for chicken so I might stop by there next Tuesday while I'm out and it will be the last day of the sale. Unfortunately, the cost of the chicken will count toward next week's shopping bill.

I noticed something odd on my Walmart receipt. For some crazy reason, there is tax on bar soap but not on liquid hand soap. Also, there's no tax on toothpaste.

I'm going to try Kroger's sugar free pickle relish and see if I like it. I bought their brand once several years ago and didn't like it as well as Mt. Olive's. But, Mt. Olive has apparently changed the flavor of theirs and I don't like it anymore. I'm hoping that Kroger's is better than the new Mt. Olive formula. It's a shame because I've been buying Mt. Olive relish for years and years and liked the flavor of it. Why do companies have to mess with products that people like as they are?

We had to replace the fluorescent light bulbs in the kitchen the other day and I found out today that I can no longer take nice photos of my groceries like I used to get with the old bulbs. The new one is very bright and bluish and the photos came out washed out and the colors are all wrong. I did what I could to fix up the photo in my graphics program but there's only so much I can do. Next week I will try taking the photos without the light on and see if that works. Since I don't use a flash, I'm not sure if there's enough light in the kitchen with the ceiling light off but we'll see.



Monday, June 15, 2015

No blog this week

My son borrowed my camera this week while he's on vacation so I've decided to just take the week off from blogging since I can't take any photos. See you next week.
 

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Shopping List for June 7 - June 13

TUESDAY'S SHOPPING

FOOD TOWN (Tuesday):
Onions @ .39lb - $.93
5 cans tomato sauce @ .20 each - $1.00

TOTAL - $1.93

HEB (Tuesday):
3-pack tissue - $3.57
Hamburger buns - $.88

TOTAL - $4.74

ALDI (Thursday):
2 packages cookies @ .99 each - $1.98
8-ounce cheese - $1.59
Dozen eggs - $1.39
Coffee - $2.69
Ice cream - $2.69
Cream cheese - $.99

TOTAL - $11.33

WALMART (Thursday):
Coffee filters - $1.78
2 Roma tomatoes @ .98lb - $.57
1 green pepper - $.50

TOTAL - $2.99

KROGER (Thursday):
Ice cream - $2.99
5 CARBmaster yogurt @ .40 each - $2.00
Boston butt pork roast @ .99lb/$10.45 ($2.00 coupon) - 8.45
5 cans diet Vernors ginger ale (marked down) - $1.19
Frozen spinach - $1.00
Kroger liquid Splenda - $2.79
2 jars peanut butter @ .99 each - $1.98
Parmesan cheese - $2.99

TOTAL - $23.39

GRAND TOTAL - $44.38

THURSDAY'S SHOPPING

I got a great deal on the pork roast at Kroger. They were on sale for 99-cents pound this week plus I had a coupon good for $2.00 off a $10 or more meat purchase. Luckily, they had one roast that was just over $10.00. The rest of them were all just under that. 


I'll be using the green pepper and tomatoes to make Undercover Chicken tonight. It's simple to make and we both love it. Instead of Italian dressing, I use HEB's Creamy Garlic Caesar dressing.

I grew up in the Detroit area in Michigan so, when I saw the marked down Vernors ginger ale in the clearance bin at Kroger, I had to buy it. It was a special treat to have a glass of Vernors during the holidays and other family gatherings. Back then, you didn't drink "pop" every day like people do now. If you've never heard of Vernors, HERE is a Huffington Post article about it. Until I read that article just now, I'd totally forgotten about Boston coolers. Oh boy, were those ever yummy. They were also a Detroit creation. A Boston cooler is just like a root beer float but with Vernors ginger ale instead of root beer. A Boston cooler is a hundred times better than a root beer float and I loved those too.





Thursday, June 4, 2015

Shopping List for May 31 - June 6

TUESDAY'S SHOPPING
 

FOOD TOWN (Tuesday):
Ground beef @ 1.99lb (marked down) - $19.47
Bacon - $1.77

TOTAL - $21.24

HEB (Tuesday):
Shower spray - $2.24

TOTAL - $2.42

ALDI (Thursday):
2 packages cookies @ .99 each - $1.98
8-ounce cheese - $1.59
Dozen eggs - $1.39
Coffee - $2.79
Butter - $2.19
Dry onions - $.99
Ice cream - $2.69
2 cans tomato paste @ .39 each - $.78

TOTAL - $14.40

KROGER (Thursday):
Ice cream @ 2.50 (minus 10% discount) - $2.25
9 CARBmaster yogurt @ 3/$1.00 (minus 10% discount) - $2.73
Napkins @ .97 (minus 10% discount) - $.87
Frozen Asian vegetables @ 1.00 (minus 10% discount) - $.90
3 x 16 ounce shredded cheese @ 2.99 each (minus 10% discount + .65 coupon) - $7.42
2 candy bars @ .25 each (marked down) - $.50

TOTAL - $14.78

GRAND TOTAL - $52.84 (over budget by $2.84)

THURSDAY'S SHOPPING
 

 The "Kobe" ground beef that I bought on Tuesday made very tasty hamburgers. The meat seemed to have a little more flavor than the cheaper ground beef that I usually buy. It wouldn't be worth paying more for though. The cheap kind tastes just fine and has more fat in it.

I have no idea why but Kroger gave me the senior discount on the Turkey Hill ice cream that I bought there today. Maybe the company is owned by Kroger or something. The CARBmaster yogurt is on sale this week 3/$1.00. It has been years since they've had it on sale but 40-cents isn't a bad price.

 

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Tuesday's Shopping



Today was definitely "meat day". Food Town had several packages of ground beef marked down to $1.99lb. Usually for that price they only have the regular "ground beef". But, today they had an assortment. I got some ground beef, some ground chuck, ground sirloin and one package of "Kobe Beef of Texas". I put all the smaller packages in the freezer right away. The "Kobe Beef of Texas" is in the larger 2 1/2 pound package and I'm going to use it to make burgers tonight. I'm curious to see what's so special about it.



Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Shopping List for May 24 - May 30

WEDNESDAY'S SHOPPING

HEB (Wednesday):
1 quart heavy cream - $3.98
Shower spray - $2.24

TOTAL - $6.40

ALDI (Wednesday):
16 ounce shredded mozzarella - $2.99
16 ounce shredded cheddar - $2.99
3 x 8 ounce cheese @ 1.59 each - $4.77
Bread - $.85
2 packages cookies @ .99 each - $1.98
Chicken thighs @ .89lb - $3.84
4 ounce can mushrooms - $.59
Bagels - $1.69

TOTAL - $19.70

WALMART (Wednesday):
Wine vinegar - $1.46
Dish gel - $2.97
Celery - $1.14

TOTAL - $5.81

KROGER (Wednesday):
Ice cream @ 2.50 (minus 10% discount + .40 coupon) - $1.85
7 CARBmaster yogurt @ .40 each (minus 10% discount) - $2.52
1/2 gallon milk @ 1.25 (minus 10% discount) - $1.12
Frozen cauliflower @ 1.00 (minus 10% discount) - $.90
16 ounce American cheese @ 4.19 (minus 10% discount) - $3.77
Unsweetened coconut @ 1.29 (minus 10% discount) - $1.16
2 cans tuna @ .78 each (minus 10% discount) - $1.40
Peanut butter @ 1.79 (minus 10% discount) - $1.61

TOTAL - $14.33

GRAND TOTAL - $46.24

Because of the huge storm and flooding that we had here on Monday night, I didn't go out on Tuesday. Also, they're predicting rain all day for tomorrow so I did my weekly shopping today while the weather was nice.

I was disappointed to find that Aldi has finally raised the price of eggs. I was going to buy some if they were still 99-cents. But, their cheese price has gone down so I stocked up on that instead. It went from $1.79 for 8 ounces to $1.59. The 16-ounce bags of shredded cheese were also a bargain this week at $2.99.

Two weeks ago I bought American cheese at Aldi because it was so much cheaper than Kroger's. It was $2.79 vs. $4.19. As you can see, this week I bought it Kroger. Aldi's isn't very good and my husband complained that it was extremely salty. It has an odd watery consistency too. All American cheese has water as the first ingredient but I could tell that Aldi's had a lot more than Kroger's.

I bought the milk because I'll be making pancakes for my husband this weekend. I still have enough Bisquick and syrup on hand and only needed some milk to make the batter.

I've got an update on my acid reflux issue. Last week I bought a different type of over-the-counter pills from Walmart and they seem to be working much better than what I'd been using. I can't say that I've had no reflux at all but I've hardly been bothered by it. I suspect that I'd been using the other kind for so many years that it stopped being effective. The kind I have now is the generic version of Pepcid AC and it's actually cheaper than what I'd been buying. Way back when I started buying the other stuff, the knock-off Pepcid was a lot more expensive.

 

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Shopping List for May 17 - May 23

TUESDAY'S SHOPPING
FOOD TOWN (Tuesday):
Ground beef @ 1.99lb (marked down) - $9.64
Pork sausage - $2.49
Italian sausage - $2.49
Cilantro - $.42
Garlic @ 2.99lb - $.45
Anaheim chile @ .99lb - $.15

TOTAL - $15.64

HEB (Tuesday):
4 green peppers @ .47 each - $1.88
Shower spray - $2.24

TOTAL - $5.86

WALMART (Thursday):
Salsa - $1.58
Toothpaste - $1.00

TOTAL - $2.58

KROGER (Thursday):
2 ice cream @ 2.50 (minus 10% discount) - $4.50
7 CARBmaster yogurt @ .40 each (minus 10% discount) - $2.52
Tissue @ 1.00 (minus 10% discount) - $.90
Kitchen trash bags @ 2.99 (minus 10% discount) - $2.69
3 8-ounce packages cheese @ 1.88 each (minus 10% discount + .50 coupon) - $4.57

TOTAL - $15.48

GRAND TOTAL - $39.56

THURSDAY'S SHOPPING




Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Tuesday's Shopping

 
I'm making chicken fajitas tomorrow and the cilantro and Anaheim chile will be used to make Cilantro Pepita Dressing to go on them. I love that sauce on fajitas. The green peppers are also for the fajitas.

I got very lucky on the marked down ground beef. A woman got there just seconds before me and she was grabbing packages off another shelf. I spotted those two down below and grabbed them before she did. Close call! I got just under five pounds at $1.99lb which is better than nothing.  Food Town had no green peppers at all and their color peppers didn't look very nice. Thankfully HEB had really nice, huge peppers for 48-cents each.
 

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Shopping List for May 10 - May 16

TUESDAY'S SHOPPING

FOOD TOWN (Tuesday):
Bacon - $1.77
12-pack toilet paper - $3.99

TOTAL - $6.05

HEB (Tuesday):
Quart heavy cream - $3.98
Shower spray - $2.24

TOTAL - $6.40

ALDI (Thursday):
2 packages cookies @ .99 each - $1.98
4 x 8-ounce cheese @ 1.79 each - $7.16
Bread - $.85
3 pounds onions - $.69
2 8-ounce fresh mushrooms @ .69 each - $1.38
16 ounce American cheese - $2.79
Tortilla chips - $.89

TOTAL - $15.74

WALMART (Thursday):
Fajita marinade - $1.38
Parmesan cheese - $4.48

TOTAL - $5.86

KROGER (Thursday):
2 ice cream @ 2.50 (minus 10% discount + .40 coupon) - $4.10
7 CARBmaster yogurt @ .40 each (minus 10% discount + .40 coupon) - $2.12
Peanut butter @ 1.99 (free coupon) - $.00
Parmesan cheese @ 2.99 (minus 10% discount) - $2.69
Napkins @ .97 (minus 10% discount) - $.87
Foil @ 1.99 (minus 10% discount) - $1.79
8 ounce sour cream @ .99 (minus 10% discount + .40 coupon) - $.49
Butter @ 1.99 (minus 10% discount) - $1.79

TOTAL - $14.07

GRAND TOTAL - $48.12

THURSDAY'S SHOPPING
 

I'm going to stop posting my menus at least for a while. I'm will be making very boring food for myself and I might make more high carb dishes for my husband because he won't want to eat what I'm eating. The reason is because I've been dealing with acid reflux for many years and it's gradually getting worse. It started back when I was pregnant with our son over 30 years ago. I've been taking generic over-the-counter pills for it but they're not working as well as they used to and I don't like taking them because I don't think that they're very good for me. So, I'm going to try eating mostly plain meats, eggs and cheese with very little seasoning or sauces. I'll have to stay away from diet soda, coffee and other beverages except for water and I won't eat any tomato sauce, chocolate or spicy foods that make the reflux worse. Frankly, all foods seem to cause it lately but some foods are worse than others and I can't go without food completely. All I know is that I need to do something because it's making me miserable and I can't afford to take more expensive medication for it. Surgery is out as well because I can't afford anything like that. One other thing that I might try is eating very small amounts of food spread throughout the day instead of eating three regular size meals. I read that tip for acid reflux online somewhere.
 

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Shopping List for May 3 - May 9

TUESDAY'S SHOPPING

FOOD TOWN (Tuesday):
2 x laundry detergent @ 1.99 each - $3.98
Bacon - $1.99

TOTAL - $6.26

HEB (Tuesday):
4 x nasals strips @ 1.00 each (marked down) - $4.00
Chocolate chips - $1.88

TOTAL - $5.88

ALDI (Thursday):
Baking soda - $.49
Cookies - $2.29
4 x dozen eggs @ .99 each - $3.96
4 x 8-ounce cheese @ 1.79 each - $7.16
Coffee - $1.79
Decaf - $1.69
Bread - $.85
Bagels - $1.69

TOTAL - $21.92

KROGER (Thursday):
Ice cream @ 3.99 (minus 10% discount + .75 coupon) - $2.84
7 CARBmaster yogurt @ .40 each (minus 10% discount) - $2.52
Tissue @ 1.00 (minus 10% discount) - $.90
Peanut butter @ 1.99 (minus 10% discount) - $1.79
Frozen vegetables @ 1.00 (minus 10% discount) - $.90
Coconut @ 1.29 (minus 10% discount) - $1.16
2 x pork sausage @ 2.49 each (minus 10% discount) - $4.48

TOTAL - $14.66

GRAND TOTAL - $48.72

THURSDAY'S SHOPPING

I thought for sure that I would go over budget this week because I bought some things that I hadn't planned on buying. I bought a package of cookies for my husband and I bought four dozen eggs instead of just one. I didn't think that eggs would still be 99-cents at Aldi, but they were, so I bought four dozen in case the price goes up next week.

As I mentioned on Tuesday, I bought the last four packages of marked down nasal strips at HEB on Tuesday and they were only a dollar each. The regular price was $6.88 so I saved a total of $23.52 on the four packages. They were the large size ones but I tried on last night and it worked just fine. I normally buy the medium size.

 

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Tuesday's Shopping


 
I bought the last four marked down packages of nasal strips at HEB today. They're the large size but I'll find a way to make them work. I couldn't pass them up for the price.
 

Friday, May 1, 2015

Menu for the week of 5/3 thru 5/9

UNDERCOVER CHICKEN
NACHO TACO

 SUNDAY:
CARBmaster Yogurt and Coconutty Crunch
Leftover Tijuana Quiche
Leftover Nacho Taco (see my comments below)
Leftover Philly Cheesesteak Melt
Undercover Chicken
Cheese Biscuits (aka Almond Cheese Rounds)

MONDAY:
CARBmaster Yogurt and Coconutty Crunch
Ham & Cheese Quiche

TUESDAY:
CARBmaster Yogurt and Coconutty Crunch
Italian Casserole

WEDNESDAY:
CARBmaster Yogurt and Coconutty Crunch
Leftovers

THURSDAY:
CARBmaster Yogurt and Coconutty Crunch
Leftovers

FRIDAY:
CARBmaster Yogurt and Coconutty Crunch
Seoul Chicken
Rice for Jerry?

SATURDAY:
CARBmaster Yogurt and Coconutty Crunch
Leftovers
SEOUL CHICKEN
 The "Nacho Taco" on my menu is a concoction that I came up with a couple weeks ago on the fly. When I make it this time, I will try to remember to take photos and write up the recipe to post on my website. It's basically ground beef seasoned with taco seasoning and I mixed in a couple of batches of my Quick Nacho Cheese Dip. I also added some chopped onions and tomatoes. This time I'm going to serve it with guacamole and sour cream.


UPDATE: I just added the Nacho Taco recipe to my website.


Thursday, April 30, 2015

Shopping List for April 26 - May 2

TUESDAY'S SHOPPING

FOOD TOWN (Tuesday):
Diet Cherry Pepsi - $3.99
Ground beef @ 1.69lb (marked down) - $19.92

TOTAL - $24.20

HEB (Tuesday):
Quart heavy cream - $3.98
Shower spray - $2.24
5 x nasals strips @ 1.72 each (marked down) - $8.60

TOTAL - $15.00

WALMART (Thursday):
Toothpaste - $1.00
8 ounces mushrooms - $1.64

TOTAL - $2.64

KROGER (Thursday):
Ice cream @ 2.50 (minus 10% discount) - $2.25
7 CARBmaster yogurt @ .40 each (minus 10% discount + .40 coupon) - $2.12
Roma tomatoes @ .68lb - $.37
8 ounce sour cream @ .99 (minus 10% discount) - $.89
8 ounce Colby cheese @ 1.99 (minus 10% discount) - $1.79
8 ounce Monterey Jack cheese @ 1.99 (minus 10% discount) - $1.79
16 ounce American cheese @ 4.19 (minus 10% discount) - $3.77
2 8-ounce cream cheese @ 1.00 each (minus 10% discount) - $1.80

TOTAL - $15.18

GRAND TOTAL - $57.02 (over budget by $7.02)

THURSDAY'S SHOPPING
 

I went a little over budget this week because I had to take advantage of a couple of good deals on ground beef and nasal strips. I was down to only four pounds of hamburger in the freezer so I needed to stock up. I could have bought even more than I did but decided not to be greedy.

The nasal strips were a bargain that I couldn't pass up. They were marked down from $6.88 per package to only $1.72 each. So, I got about a 5-month supply for not much more than I usually pay for one month's worth. I bought all five packages that they had left. HEB hasn't discontinued their brand of nasal strips but for some reason they had those tan ones on clearance and I'm pretty sure that they never had that kind before. If you recall, I bought one package of them last week for $3.44 and wondered why they were so cheap. Apparently they were marked down and this week they marked them down again even more. I usually buy the clear ones and they still have those at the usual price.


As you can see, HEB finally had quarts of heavy cream back in stock.