Week 2 - Shopping List

This week I doubt I'll be keeping within the $40 limit. I have absolutely no meat in the house so i have to stock up on that and I needed about a bagillion (yes that's a word) other things. So today I shopped at Kroger. They double coupons up to and including a $1.00. When I say I had a $2.00 off coupon it likely means it was a $1.00 coupon that doubled.... it's just WAY too much typing to put it all in there.

So here's what I got:

$5.99 Coppertone SPF 50 spray sunscreen - Minus $2.00 coupon = $3.99
$3.28 Kellogs Corn Pops - bought 2 - Minus 2 $1.40 coupons = $1.88 each
$3.09 Juicy Juice 8 pk - bought 2 - MInus 2 $1.10 coupons = $1.99 each
$1.99 Nabisco Wheat Thins Stix - MInus $1.98 coupon = FREE
$1.99 Huggies Wipes - Minus $1.00 coupon = $.99
$2.18 Vans Gluten Free Blueberry Waffles
$.99 Sunny Delight 16 oz - Minus $.50 coupon - $.49
$2.59 Danimals Yogurt - Minus $2.00 coupon = $.59
$2.49 V8 V-Fusion Tea- Minus 2 $2.00 coupon = $.49 each
$1.25 Parkay Margerine - MInus $1.00 coupon = $.25
$.99 Pepsi Max 20 oz - bought 2 - Minus 2 $.99 coupons = FREE
$1.25 Turkey Hill Diet Tea - bought 4 - Minus 2 $2.00 coupons = $.25 each
$2.99 All Detergent - Minus $2.00 coupon = $.99
$1.99 So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Milk 1/2 gallon - bought 2 - Minus 2 $1.99 coupons - FREE
$1.66 Kroger Eggs
$2.50 Cascadian Farms Organic Frozen Potatoes - bought 2 - Minus 2 $2.00 coupons = $.49 each
$6.53 Center Cut Boneless Porkchops - bought 2 - buy one get one free sale total $6.53 for two packages
$3.00 Jimmy Dean Sausage Crumbles - bought 2 - Minus 2 $2.00 coupons = $1.00 each
$1.67 Kroger brand shredded cabbage
$.88 Hershey bars - bought 6 - on sale buy 2 get one free. Used 2 $.88 coupons = $1.76 for 6

Okay my total was $33.83 (I used a $2.30 bottle deposit). But I didn't realize until I got home that I was charged $6.66 too much. First I bought 5 items in the Mega sale promo so I was supposed to get $5.00 off my order which would have made the juicy juice $.99, the Corn Pops $.88 and the Huggies Wipes FREE. But they didn't take the $5.00 off my order. Plus there is a promo that if you buy 2 Jimmy Dean Sausages you got a dozen eggs free, that also didn't come off my order. So my total should have been $27.17.

I am considering going to the Kroger near my house to see if they will issue a refund of the difference. I shop at a Kroger about 20 minutes away because they double coupons and I'm not sure if it's worth driving out there for that if the Kroger down the street will not do the refund. I'm annoyed that I didn't catch it while I was there. But as anyone who has shopped with smaller children knows it's nearly impossible to watch the register and your child at the same time.... especially when you're child is trying to climb in and out of the basket themselves or begging for the toys they so nicely put in the aisles to tempt young children and distract their mothers....

I still need chicken from Meijer and I have a somewhat long list of produce I'd like to get. So I doubt I'll be coming in under $40. At this point I'd be happy for $50.00... but even that might be a long shot!

The Week Continues

I've been doing well this week. I spent another $8 at Meijer picking up misc. things I had forgot. Like caraway seeds and cabbage (for yummy homemade and healthy coleslaw). Looking over next weeks ads though I'm not feeling too optimistic. I'm really trying to change the way my family eats and to eat more fresh food. And I'm trying to lose weight. I'm really struggling with it though. It's been really hard for me to stay on track.

I haven't seen the Kroger ad yet. I'm hoping they're having a fantastic sale, otherwise I don't see how I'll meet the $40 goal next week. I need A LOT of stuff too.... sooooo.... it probably isn't going to happen. Anyone know where I can some coupons for free fresh produce? And while you're at it maybe some fresh meat??? Next week will probably be bad....

Email Subscription is FIXED

In the past I know the email subscription button did not work. It should be fixed now. I tried it myself and it worked for me. So if you're interested you can subscribe and all the new posts will be delivered to your email everyday!

Starting Over - Shopping List Week 1

I'm testing the waters, trying to decide if I want to get back into doing this. My family is trying to eat healthier and I was having trouble committing to the $40 a week. But I'm going to try this again and see if I can do it. I think with summer coming it will be easier, since fresh fruits and veggies should be cheaper.

This week I shopped at Meijer. There is no picture since I seem to have lost my camera's battery charger.... I guess I get to spend my grocery savings buying a new camera charger. Wonderful.

So here is what I got. I only used two coupons, so mostly I just bought things on sale. Meijer is having a 10 for $10 sale with the 11th item free, so I did that deal twice. I do have a lot of boneless skinless chicken so I didn't need to buy much meat.

$.59 Gallon of water
$.99 lemon juice
$2.29 4 pack of vanilla milk boxes
$1.00 Meijer brand snack size baggies
$1.50 cantelope (I bought the biggest one I could find)
$1.25 6 pack of Meijer Splash (like Fruist2O)
$2.00 2 English cucumbers
$4.00 4 misc colored bell peppers (2 red, 1 yellow, 1 orange)
$1.00 Green Giant frozen green beans
$1.00 Green Giant frozen broccoli and carrots
$1.00 Earthbound Farms Organic baby carrots 1 lb bag
$2.00 2 cans of Bush's Garbanzo Beans
$2.00 2 cans of Bush's Black Beans
$1.00 Meijer Wheat Bread
$1.00 Combos
$1.00 Old El Paso fat free refried beans
$1.00 Sunny D - minus $.50 coupon = $.50 Total
$1.00 Dole bagged shredded lettuce
$1.00 Carando Salami
$1.00 Meijer Puff Corn
$1.00 Meijer cheese puffs
$5.98 2 lbs Purdue natural ground chicken

Minus a $1.00 off produce coupon

My total including tax was $31.25. Not too bag considering I only used 2 coupons. Plus I got a lot of fresh produce, so I'm happy with it.

My menu for the week in no particular order should be:

Stuffed Peppers
Chicken Tacos
Chicken Kabobs
BBQ Chicken
Hot Dogs/Burgers on the grill

Not too sure what I'll do on the weekend. I'm too lazy to plan that far in advance. I also plan to make a lightened up hummus to have with cucumber slices for a healthy snack. I've never tried to make hummus before, and this recipe is a bit different from the normal, so this may or may not be a huge failure. We'll see. I am really trying to cook more from scratch, because it is usually healthier and it's cheaper. I mixed up a big batch of gluten free trail mix yesterday to have for snacks as well. Yum!

Shopping List - Week 8

My shopping for the week is officially done. I shopped at Meijer and being that the sales this week were pretty bad I didn't use very many coupons. But I did get everything I needed.

Here's what I bought:

$.99 Meijer Paper Towels (bought 2)
$1.35 Ranch Mix
$1.64 Large Eggs
$2.54 2lbs Jasmine Rice
$3.79 Drink Boxes
$.79 Great Northern Beans
$.79 Chili Beans
$.89 Pancake Mix (bought 4) - Minus 2 $2.00 coupons = FREE
$.79 Swanson Chicken Broth
$.99 Chi-Chi Salsa (bought 2) - Minus 2 $.99 coupons = FREE
$.94 Taco Bell Taco Shells (bought 2)
$1.19 Helluva Chip Dip (bought 2) - Minus 2 $1.00 coupons = $.19 each
$1.35 La Choy Soy Sauche (bought 2) - Minus $.50 each (promo buy 3 La Choy save $1.50 instantly) = $.85 each
$1.79 La Choy Sweet and Sour Sauce - Minus $.50 = $1.29
$1.49 Taco Bell Queso
$2.00 Pam Spray (bought 2) - Minus 2 $.70 coupons and $1.00 Mealbox coupon = $.70 each
$1.50 Meijer Toaster Pastry
$.99 Kleenex - Minus $1.00 coupon = FREE
$1.33 Nestle Mint Chocolate Chips (bought 2) - Minus $1.00 coupon = $.83 each

So I didn't do great, and really I didn't need anymore of that chip dip.... but it doesn't expire until the end of February.... I'm sure it can get used by then. I didn't really need any meat this week. I have SO much leftover ham that I don't know how we'll finish it all, and of course I have some other stuff in the freezer.

My total spent was around $25.00 (again I bought a few things to bring to a party this coming weekend so I subtracted that from the amount spent). So I'm under budget, which is nice. I may wind up buying another bag of GF flour because I've been baking a lot and am already running low (there has not been anything posted about these baking ventures because they've all sort of failed in a big way.....*sigh*). I've been finding that I enjoy baking but have about 0 skill at it. Occasionally something turns out well.... buy accident I'm sure..... but other than that it all kind of flops. The bread I made yesterday collapsed on itself and burned on the top while the inside was still quite doughy. My children mocked me.... my husband smiled a smile that implied that I should have just bought a loaf of bread.... but you can't just BUY GF Banana Bread. It did smell nice.... my one consolation.

I think I need Martha Stewart or Ina Garten... or someone to give some serious baking lessons. I may be a lost cause.

Shopping List - Week 8

Here is my itty-bitty shopping trip of the week. We happened to be out and about and near VG's so I decided to stop in. They double coupons up to and including a $1.00.

Here is what I got:

$2.00 Kraft Cheese with a Touch of Philadelphia (bought 3) - Minus 3 $2.00 coupons = FREE
$1.50 Helluva Dip (bought 2) - Minus 2 $1.50 coupons = FREE
$1.67 Old Orchard Apple Juice - Minus $1.00 coupons = FREE
$1.99 Kellogg's Cinnabon Cereal (bought 2) - Minus 2 $1.50 coupons = $.49 each
$.75 Jingle Bells Candy

Total: around $3.00 (lost receipt and too lazy to do actual math)

The only thing I really needed was the cheese. The cereal is one of my daughter's favorite snacks, so she now loves me forever.

I still need to go to Meijer for the majority of my shopping. But my house is enveloped in sickness right now (thank you to my oldest daughter who seems to bringing one thing after another home from school), so the shopping is put of for the moment.

I'm just excited that it's Tuesday and I still have $37.00 left!

And I just realized that I'm 2 months into the challenge! How cool is that!

Cheesecake

This is my slow cooker cheesecake. Forgive the picture, but I forgot to take a picture until 1/2 of it was gone.... so I had to take a partial cheesecake shot.

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 cup crushed animal cookies (I used Mi-Del Arrowroot cookies) - For me it took about 2 cups of regular cookies to get 1 cup of crumbs....
3 TB melted butter
2 TB brown sugar

The Creamy Delicious Cheesecake Filling:
2 8 oz. blocks of cream cheese (use the full fat kind.... you're making cheesecake for crying out loud)
3/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 TB Flour (I used Bob's Red Mill GF Flour)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla

Use at least a 6 qt. slow cooker. Mine is a 7 qt. Find a heat proof baking dish that will fit inside the slow cooker. This is the hardest part. I ended up using a foil throw away pie pan I bought from the dollar store. Mix the crust ingredients all together and press into bottom of pan.

In separate bowl mix up all the filling ingredients with an electric mixer. Blend until creamy. Mine still had a few lumps but I didn't want to over mix. Pour into crust.

Add 1 cup of water to the bottom of your slow cooker. Put the cheesecake in. Cook on high about 3 hours. I would check on it before that to see how it's doing though. I propped my slow cooker open for the last hour or so and that seemed to help (my cooker was getting too wet inside). The cheesecake is done when you touch it and you finger doesn't get all cheesecakey. Mine was still jiggly in the middle (think jello). Chill for several hours. This is the most important step I think. I chilled mine about 2 hours and it was not long enough. The cheesecake was still decent but it wasn't firm enough. A few hours later it was SO much better and the next day was even better.

This ended up being really good. Of course it was better after everyone left my house and it had had a chance to firm up longer. So next time I will cook it the day before. And I think next time I'll try it in the oven, just because it would be quicker. It was nice this time though to cook it in the slow cooker, because my oven was full of 2 hams and a rack of stuffed potatoes.... so no room for a cheesecake.

I'll be making this again for sure. I haven't had cheesecake in over a year so this was a huge treat for me, and the first cheesecake I've seen that was GF. It was really easy to make too, which was a huge bonus.

Mini Rant

I'm pretty sure there is an evil conspiracy between all the grocery stores in the area to keep me from my weekly budget this week. I've looked at 3 ads and all of them have left me feeling depressed and annoyed. How is one to keep on a $40 a week budget when the grocery stores all have horrible ads the same week. They should seriously rotate bad weeks or something so I have somewhere to shop.

So far VG's is looking like the weekly winner, which is nothing to brag about this week. And even the stuff there isn't stuff I *need* at the moment. Like do I really need more cereal.....um....no... my pantry is starting to resemble the cereal aisle of the local party store. But it will be free..... so I guess I'm buying more. I'm sure we'll use it before it expires, but it's the last thing on my list right now. If there is ever some huge catastrophe everyone can head over to my place for some cereal. By this time I'll probably have amassed enough to feed a small country... it will have overtaken my pantry (which is somewhat large I might add) and the laundry room.... don't worry if you have a particular brand you like... I probably have it. Stupid cereal.... REALLY.

I think I have a bad attitude about it all this week. I was already having a bad week... and than I sat down to make my grocery list. A task which I usually quite enjoy. And I didn't get a paper this week cause the place I stopped to get one only had papers with NO COUPONS! Seriously BP gas station.... you're off the ball.... you're slacking.... you're lying to your customers, because the paper clearly states there is like $149 in coupons.... SO WHERE ARE MY COUPONS. BP gas station is now on my list. And it takes a LOT to get on my list. And since we were having company today I didn't have time to stop anywhere else. I had 2 hams to get in the oven and a cheese cake to get into the slow cooker. And yes, I cooked a cheesecake in my slow cooker and it was magical. Yes mom, magical. Even if you thought it was less than perfect. (A note to my mom.....I tried a bite after you left and it was MUCH better after it got colder).

So I guess is the end of my mini rant.... which is developing a mind of it's own and turning kind of long. My husband appreciates my couponing obsession.... but does not understand it.... so I needed a venue if you will to complain.

I'm off to relook at all the ads again in the hopes that something redeemable pops out of one....

What's For Dinner - Taco Soup

Last night I made Taco Soup. This was a new recipe and I loved it. It was fabulous. I changed up the recipe to fit what I had on hand but it turned out great. This is how I made it:

1 lb. 96% lean Ground Turkey
1 can Chili Beans
1 can Great Northern Beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can Corn (14.5 oz can)
1 packet of Ranch Dressing Mix
1 packet of Taco Seasoning
1 small/medium Onion, diced
1 can diced tomatoes (do not drain)

Brown the meat and the onion in a large pot. Once browned add the beans, tomatoes, corn, and seasoning mixes. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer about 20 minutes.

Top with cheese, sour cream, green onion, tortilla chips.... really whatever sounds good to you.

My kids both ate this without too much complaining (a big deal in my house). My husband wouldn't try it because *gasp* it contains beans. I loved it. There was enough to feed 4 easily. We have enough leftovers for 2 days for lunch. I wasn't too sure about trying this because it sounded a little weird, but the ranch and taco seasoning really added a lot of good flavor.

Now I just need to figure out what to make tonight!

Shopping List - Week 7

There is no picture. I just wasn't feeling it today. I wanted the groceries put away and out of my hair. It's been a LONG day.

I shopped at Meijer and here is what I bought:

$3.49 Benefiber Drink Mix - Minus $4.00 coupon = $.51 OVERAGE
$.99 Meijer Bath Tissue
$1.09 Chili Seasoning
$1.35 Ranch Mix
$1.59 Argo Baking powder - Minus $.60 coupon = $.99
$1.99 Sunflower Seeds
$1.99 Meijer Garbage Bags
$3.37 Planters Peanuts Jar (bought 2) - On sale Buy 1 Get 1 Free = $3.37 for 2
$1.00 Meijer Canned Corn (bought 2) - This was my first time buying canned veggies..... needed it for a recipe.
$1.31 Super Pretzels Stuffed Mozzerella (bought 2 packages) - Minus 2 $1.00 coupons = $.31 each
$2.69 Meijer Butter

Total: Approximately $19.00

I say approximately because I bought some other stuff (shirt for my daughter, stuff for entertaining, ect) that I didn't count, and I'm too lazy (did I mention it's been a long day?) to do the actual math.

So I made it budget wise this week, unless of course I really screwed up my math. I'm just happy to be back on track. I was feeling a little guilty ;)

I'm off to tend to dinner. I'm starving and started dinner early and it smells so good I'm having trouble concentrating! I'm trying a new recipe so hopefully it turns out okay. Taco Soup!

Shopping List - Week 7

Seven weeks in and I think this challenge is actually getting harder. For a while there I was feeling a little cocky... like this wasn't really that hard. And I don't know what changed but the last few weeks have been HARD! I'm hoping that now that I'm getting a stockpile back (it was dwindling, which is probably why there were a few easy weeks) that things will get better.

Today I shopped at Kroger and they double coupons up to and including a $1.00. Just a reminder that when I post that I used a $2.00 coupon, that probably means that I've used a $1.00 coupon that doubled. I'm just too lazy to type it all out correctly ;)

Here's how I did:

$1.00 Kroger Fruit Snacks
$.50 Hershey Bar (bought 2) - Minus $.50 coupon = $.25 each
$2.50 Pepperidge Farms Cookies (bought 2) - Minus 2 $2.00 coupons = $.50 each
$1.00 Toblerone (bought 2) - Minus $2.00 coupon = FREE
$1.99 Nestle Tollhouse Morsels (bought 4) - Minus 2 $2.00 coupons = $.99 each
$1.00 Kroger Paprika
$2.80 Covergirl Lipstick - clearance - Minus $2.00 coupon = $.80
$.80 Heavy Duty Sponge
$1.25 Philly Cream Cheese (bought 2) - Minus $2.00 coupon = $.25 each
$2.79 Star Balsamic Vinegar - Minus $2.00 coupon = $.79
$3.19 Thai Kitchen Red Curry Sauce - Minus $2.00 coupon = $1.19
$2.00 Franks Wing Sauce - Minus $2.00 coupon = FREE
$2.00 Franks Buffalo Sauce - Minus $2.00 coupon = FREE
$1.39 Schick Hydro Shave Gel (bought 2) - in clearance bin - Minus 2 $1.39 coupons = FREE
$2.62 Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Flour (AWESOME PRICE)
$1.00 Armour Lunch Maker
$1.00 Wonka Gummies Bag - Minus $1.00 coupon = FREE
$1.00 Kroger Cheese Balls
$2.19 Duncan Heinz Cake Glaze - Minus $2.00 coupon = $.19
$2.50 So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Milk 1/2 gallon - Minus $2.00 coupon = $.50
$2.49 Silk Pure Almondmilk Vanilla 1/2 gallon (bought 2) - Minus 2 $1.50 coupons = $.99 each
$3.39 Reynolds Parchment Paper - Minus $1.50 coupon = $1.89
$2.50 Hillshire Farms Little Smokies (bought 3) - Minus 3 $2.00 coupons = $.50 each
$2.50 Alexa Sweet Potato Fries - Minus $2.00 coupon = $.50
$8.23 Smithfield Ham - Minus $2.00 coupon = $6.23
$1.67 Roman Meal Wheat Bread (bought 2) - Minus 2 $1.67 coupons = FREE

Total $28.14

The ham, 2 of the Little Smokies, 2 of the chocolate chips, and the cream cheese are for entertaining. And yes I realize I just bought a ham for entertaining, but I need 2.

New total:

$18.35

Now we just have to invite everyone over to eat all the ham we have.... we haven't gotten that far yet!

Shopping List - Week 6

I am done shopping for the week and I think I got everything I needed. You'll notice that my total is over $40, but a portion of my grocery bill today was for entertaining and I'll exempt that at the end.

I shopped at Meijer and here is what I bought:

$1.24 Bonne Belle Lipsmackers (bought 2) - Minus 2 $1.00 coupons = $.24 each
$.94 New York Colors Mascara - Minus $.92 coupon = FREE
$.94 New York Colors Lip Gloss - Minus $.92 coupon = FREE
$.99 Canned Pumpkin
$1.00 Power Bar (bought 6) - Minus a total of $2.80 in coupons = about $.54 each
$1.19 Meijer Wheat Bread
$4.99 Udi's Gluten Free Bagels - Minus $1.00 coupon = $3.99
$1.19 Heluva French Onion Dip (bought 2) - Minus 2 $.75 coupons = $.49 each
$1.39 Chi-Chi's Flour Tortillas - Minus $1.00 coupon = $.39
$1.99 Smart Balance Lactose Free Milk 1/2 gallon - Minus $1.00 coupon = $.99
$2.81 McCormick Vanilla Extract - Minus $1.00 coupon = $1.81
$2.99 Gortons Tilapia Fillets - Minus $1.00 coupon = $1.99
$1.50 Yellow Onions
$1.67 Meijers Chocolate Chips
$2.00 Kraft with Philadelpia Cheese - Minus $1.00 coupon = $1.00
$7.99 Meijer Chicken Breasts 4lbs
$7.73 Cooks bone in Smoked Ham
$1.00 Green Giant Steamers Veggies (bought 2) - Minus $1.00 coupon = $.50 each

Total $38.00
Exempting the ham, chocolate chips, the frozen vegetables, pumpkin, and one of the french onion dips.

New total: 26.11

So I'm done for the week and under budget. My plan is to stay out of the store until next week! I should be stocked, my freezer cannot hold anything else. I had to work just to get what I bought in!

Shopping List - Week 6

After last week, I'm determined to stay on track for this week and so far it's going pretty well. I didn't get to the store today because the roads are terrible (at least to a snow driving wimp like me). So tonight my husband drove me out to Kroger. Seriously I'm a huge hater of driving in the snow.... I'm happy my husband's been working from home the past 2 days so that he could help out.

So here's what I got:

$1.67 Pop Chips (bought 2) - Minus 2 $1.67 coupons = FREE (never tried these before, so hopefully they're good)
$.50 Milky Way Bar (bought 2) - Minus $1.00 in coupons = FREE
$2.00 Celestial Seasonings Tea (bought 2) - Minus 2 $2.00 coupons = FREE
$.88 Birds Eye Frozen Veggies (bought 2) - Minus $1.50 coupon = $.13 each
$.88 Birds Eye Steam Fresh Frozen Veggies (bought 2) - Minus 2 $.88 coupons = FREE
$1.00 Jello Instant Chocolate Fudge Pudding (bought 2) No Coupon.... The Horror!
$1.88 Cheerios (bought 2) - Minus 2 $1.88 coupons = FREE
$3.99 Drink Boxes for school lunch
$.99 Cool Whip Fat Free (bought 2) - Minus $2.00 in coupons = FREE
$3.69 Maxwell House Internation Cafe Instant Coffee - Minus $2.00 coupon = $1.69
$2.50 So Delicious Coconut Milk 1/2 gallon - Minus $2.00 coupon = $.50
$.83 Gallon of Distilled Water
$1.00 Toblerone Bar (bought 2) - Minus $2.00 coupon = FREE
$1.00 Fleishman Pizza Yeast - Minus $1.00 coupon = FREE
$1.00 Fleishman Yeast - Minus $1.00 coupon = FREE
$1.00 Cheese Balls
$2.50 Alexia Frozen Sweet Potato Fries - Minus $2.00 coupon = $.50
$2.09 Krusteaz Cookie Mix - Minus $2.00 coupon = $.09
$2.50 Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage Crumbles - Minus $2.00 coupon = $.50
$2.50 Jimmy Dean Sausage Roll (bought 2) - Minus 2 $2.00 coupons = $.50 each
$1.69 12 Eggs - Minus $1.69 when you buy Sausage promotion = FREE

Total (including tax):

$12.34

Not too bad. I did get a lot of junk food though, which I'm not super proud of. But I'll ration it out to last a while. And I did really need some frozen veggies so I was happy about that. I'm excited to try the coconut milk, I've never had it but it sounds yummy! And I also got just what I needed MORE free cereal. I swear my pantry is stuffed with cereal. I'm trying to push it on my kids for all of their snacks!

Tomorrow should mean a trip to Meijers. I'm planning on getting the rest of the groceries there. For now I'm going to get back to the toasty fire my husband has going in the fireplace. It's so nice on such a freezing day.

What's For Dinner - Rigatoni

Ignore the fact that this doesn't really photograph well, it tasted pretty good. This is my, I don't feel like cooking and need something easy, Rigatoni and Lean Turkey Sausage.

It's made with:
1 package of Lean Sweet Italian Sausage
1 package of GF Rigatoni
1 small jar of pasta sauce
Cheese (didn't measure)

I used my dutch oven.... my new kitchen toy... to brown up the sausage (I sliced it into bite sized pieces first) in a little bit of extra virgin olive oil. In a separate pan I cooked the pasta according to the package directions. Once the meat was cooked through I added the sauce and let that all simmer together until the pasta was cooked. I combined it all in the dutch oven and mixed in a handful of cheese (I only had mexican cheese... so I used that). Than I topped it with a bit more cheese and put the lid on the dutch oven. I let that cook a while longer to melt the cheese and just to let it all combine a bit.

It was a hit with the family. And it was easy. I'm not one to make much pasta, but this was good and somewhat healthy being that I used turkey sausage (although the cheese kind of wrecked the health factor a bit). But, I'm sure it beat the takeout that I wanted.....

Fessing Up

Okay, since I was over.... I decided it didn't really matter what else I got. The week was already blown, right? So yesterday I made my husband drive me to Whole Foods (it's really not at all convenient and I would never drive myself there since I am directionally challenged) and I bought 2 loaves of Udi's Gluten Free Bread. That doesn't sound like much, but at $6.99 a loaf it adds up quickly. So I have to add $14 to my total for 2 tiny loaves of bread. So my week was really bad budget wise. This week will be better though. I have all that bread in the freezer, so I'm set for a while. It's kind of an indulgence in my house. My daughter and I never eat it, so it's a nice treat.

I'm going to be back on budget next week, FOR SURE. I'm starting to feel a little guilty!