I've become emboldened by the chatter on the pound, and did some searching for specific coupons yesterday, and after my 5th try, I hit the jackpot. Vlasic brand relish was on sale at Ultra-Foods, a small IL & IN chain that often has good deals. Well, I was on a mission to see what could be bought for free, as Ultra was having a 12 for $10 sale. got out my calculator, that comes to $.84 per item and it included eggs, bread, condiments, Pringles, Chef Boardee - 2 pages of their ad was devoted to this sale! Well, that was a good deal on eggs in my book, so I figured if I'm going there for eggs, let me see what else I can find for FREE - or at least really cheap. My vlasic coupon was for $1.00 off any pickle, relish, etc. so I grabbed 5 jars of relish (potato salad anyone?) for.....FREE! I love free, it's my favorite price. Here's how the trip went:

5 jars Vlasic relish - $.84 -$.84 Q = Free
http://www.crunchinthefastlane.com/
4 dozen eggs at $.84 each
1 loaf French bread $.99
1 pkg. Little Debbie $.84
2 2Liters Dr. Pepper $.84 each
1 bag Malt-0-Meal cereal $1.99 - $1 off Q = $.99
2 1lb. pkgs. Bar-S smoked sausage -$.25 Q off each
OOP = $11.34
Savings = $18.65

Cherry-picking is a time honored profession, one to which I was born. A cherry-picker is someone that goes into a store (any store) and buys only what is on sale. Last night was triple stop cherry pick for me. I started off at Dominicks (Safeway to most of you) for their deal on boneless rib-eyes. Also noticed tons of mark-downs throughout the store, probably because there were so few shoppers. We only noticed 2 other shoppers during our stop and the register was manned by the store manager. More on that later.....
Next we stopped at Jewel, another quick cherry-pick. Yogurt on sale 10 for $6 with a $1/any 4. Will try to find that coupon again, think I found on someone's blog and printed off 2 (the limit), then had DH print off 2 more from his job. The coupon is good til 10/14/2008, so this will be fabulous for hounding.
Finally, decided to wrap it up with Caputo's and more $.99 lb. brats, some tortillas (A staple in my house), and some chips.
Here's how my totals breakdown:
Dominick's
8 Safeway pudding at $.22 each = $1.76
7.25 lbs. rib eyes @ $1.99/lb. = 14.44
Total (including tax) = 16.48
Saved = $23.35 or 59%

Jewel (2 separate transactions)
4 Yoplait yogurt = $2.40
$1/any 4 Q - $1
Total OOP = $1.44
Savings $1.76

Caputo's
6 lbs. brats $5.94
2 bags chips $3.98
1 pkg. tortillas -$1.19
Total = 11.30
Savings = $18.60

Total spent this week = $30.66
Total saved this week = $45.47

Cheesy Potatoes
1 can cream of mushroom soup
8 oz. sour cream
8 oz. grated cheese (cheddar and mozzarella, or your favorite blend)
salt & pepper
2 lbs. frozen hashbrowns

Preheat oven to 375.
Grease a 13x9" baking dish.
In a large bowl, stir together all ingredients til well blended.
Bake uncovered for 1 hour.

Last night I decided to give a relatively new store a second chance. Caputo's recently joined our area, it's marketed as an ethnic market/supermarket, with a large variety of ethnic foods. I only went in once before, during the grand opening, and had been less than impressed with their pricing, though the store was neat, clean, bright, and the merchandise plentiful and fresh. On the advice of a friend, I went in last night and was so glad I did! Here's how the shopping went:
12 lbs. brats @ $.99/lb. - $11.88
8 pkgs. gravy mix 2/$1 - $4.00
1 red bell pepper ($.69/lb.) - $.26
2 cloves garlic ($.69/lb.) - $.48
Vidalia Onion ($.79/lb.) - $.54
Cilantro 3/$1 - $.33
Total OOP (including tax) $17.75
Saved $36.36
Percent Savings 67%

Butter Pecan Cookies

1 pkg. butter pecan cake mix
1 egg
1/3 C. milk
1 tsp. almond extract
1/4 C. margarine
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 C. white chocolate chips.

Preheat oven to 350.
Grease 2 cookie sheets.
Combine cake mix, egg, liquid, and margarine until well blended. Stir in final ingredient(s). Drop by rounded spoonful onto prepared cookie sheet.
Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Yield - 3-4 dozen

My last trip to Meijer's was amazing, the self-checkout register actually paid me to shop! Here's a breakdown of what I got and how this happened. (most of it was off the 10 for 10, get the 11th item FREE Sale).
7 pkgs. Bar-S bun-sized hot dogs - $1 each -$.25 Q for each (printable - manufacturer website)
9 jars Meijer brand pasta sauce - $1 each -$.50 Q for each (from Meijer mealbox)
3 pkgs. Meijer Organic mushrooms - $1 each - $.50 Q for each (Meijer mealbox)
7 boxes Rice-A-Roni chicken rice - $1 each - $.50 Q for each (coupons.com printable)
1 pkg. premade veal patties - $1 each (no coupon)
3 pkgs. Betty Crocker Pizza Crust mix $.89 each (no coupon, it's cheaper than premade crust)
1 small purse (beach tote) - $3.74 (clearance from $14.99)
2 pkgs. Velcro Dots (craft project) - $2.12 each
1 pkg. Tie Wraps (craft project) $.99 each
2 bags Dove chocolates $2.00 each (BOGOFree Q)

-$5/$25 purchase
-$3 off your next order (OYNO)
-$20 OYNO (brought in coupon with prescription for that)
Total = -$1.38
They paid me $1.38 to take all that stuff! Can you believe it?!?!?!

I had to come up with some way to use the pasta sauce (veal parmesan, pizza sauce, etc.) since I make my own pasta sauce from scratch. Will be giving much of this stuff to family members, or will donate what isn't needed.

I never would have believed this was a lowfat recipe if I was told that, but I found this recipe in a cookbook called Low-fat and loving it, but I have modified this from it's original form. If you like onions, feel free to add more than I have listed, I like the flavor of the onion, but dislike large hunks of it, so I have triple the mushrooms and omitted much of the onion called for in the original recipe. I typically serve this with corn on the cob and a simple salad. A warning though: I have never had leftovers from this recipe.

Beef & Potatoes in a Creamy Mushroom Gravy

2-2.5 lb.s boneless beef round steak, cubed (salt & peppered)
1-1.5 lbs. fresh mushrooms, sliced thin
1-2 packets of onion soup mix
1/4 medium onion, finely chopped, or 3 T. dry minced onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup (10.75 oz.)
Water
1/4 C. corn starch dissolved into 1 1.4 C. water
1 tsp. garlic (optional)
prepared mashed potatoes, any flavor except cheese

In crockpot, layer ingredients in the following order: beef, mushrooms, soup mix, onion til all ingredients have been used. Top with cream of mushroom soup and 2-3 C. water. Cook on low 6 hours. Remove 2 C. liquid from the crockpot and on stove heat liquid to boiling (about 1-2 minutes - it happens fast!). Pour in corn starch mixture and stir til mixture reaches desired consistency. Add in garlic, if desired. Pour gravy into crockpot to cover meat mixture or serve it on the side. Serve with mashed potatoes. Enjoy.

I snagged a great deal at WAGS yesterday. They had Bic pens (8 pk.) 2/$1. Online and in the Sunday inserts there was a coupon for $1/2. That was great, FREE pens. They also had Hershey's Bliss chocolates on sale $3 a bag, with in store coupon of $2/2 bags, plus manufacturers coupon of $1 a bag. Total = $1 a bag. So I walked out happy with 4 bags of chocolates and 12 pkgs. of pens for.....$4.61. I'll put most of the chocolates away for Christmas stocking stuffers. I still have 4 coupons left for the chocolates, so if I have time on my way home from work, I'll pick up some more (didn't want to be too greedy the first time through).

I'm planning a quick hounding tomorrow at WAGS (Walgreens for short). I have oodles of coupons for $1/any 2 BIC stationery items, and BIC pens are 2/$1. I smell (picture bassett hound with it's nose in the air, sniffing for the scent) FREE! Also they have Hershey's Bliss chocolates on sale, which I have some $1 off Q's for. On sale 2/$4, minus $1 off = $1 a bag. Great deal on Christmas stocking stuffers. My favorite gifts to give are gift baskets - I just love doing baskets of little things people need/enjoy/love/can use. Christmas stockings and Easter baskets are some all time favorites for me. I'm going to check their website and see if I missed anything good, check back with ya later-

Well, I was pretty impressed with last month's grocery totals.
Total Retail Value - $818.88
$ in Coupons Used - $416.15
Total Savings - $713.15
Total OOP - $105.73
Number of Items purchased - 430
Number of FREE Items - 74
Not the greatest at figuring my percentage of savings, but here goes
Savings Percent - 88%
(I keep chasing after that elusive 90% savings marker.)
I'm gunning for it this month!

A simple, classic Italian soup, made from whatever favorite veggies you have on hand.
1-2 cans diced or crushed Italian-style diced tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
4 C. water
2 cans beef broth - optional
3 T. corn starch, dissolved in water
1 red bell pepper, roasted and finely chopped
8 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced thin
1 can butter beans, drained
1 lb. cooked carrots
1 large zucchini, finely chopped
3 medium potatoes, cooked and diced into small pieces
1 T. basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 box rotini or small shell pasta, uncooked

Add all ingredients to crockpot except pasta. Cook on low for 8-12 hours. Let sit overnight for 8-10 hours. Cook on low for 4 hours or til hot, add noodles, cook an additional hour. The longer you let it cook, the more the veggies will thicken into a hearty rich broth. If you need helping thickening the broth, add additional corn starch or instant mashed potatoes.

Serve with Italian bread and sliced/cubed cheese.

Just a little twist on the classic chocolate chip cookies. Great to entertain with, look far more impressive than they actually are!

Tuxedo Chip Cookies
1/2 C. brown sugar
1/2 C. granulated sugar
2 T. each unsweetened applesauce and softened margarine
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp baking powder dissolved in 1 T. hot water
2 C. flour
1/2 C. each semisweet and white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375.

Mix well sugars, margarine, and unsweetened applesauce. Stir in egg and extract, mix well. Stir in dissolved baking soda, stir in flour 1 C at a time, mixing until well blended. Stir in chips. Drop by rounded spoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 9-11 minutes, longer for a crunchy cookie.
Yield - 2-3 dozen.

Cappuccino Bars


1 pkg. vanilla cake mix
2 eggs, minus 1 yolk
1/4 C. coffee, cold
1/4 C. brown sugar
1/4 C. unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp. each vanilla nut extract & almond extract
1 C. cappuccino chips
1/2 C. sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 375. Grease 13x9” pan.
Mix well all, but final 2 ingredients. Stir in chips and 1/2 of almonds. Spread evenly in pan.
Top with remaining almonds.
Bake 24-27 minutes, cool and cut.

Caribbean Dark Chocolate Bars


1 pkg. devils food or dark chocolate cake mix
2 eggs, minus 1 yolk
1/4 C. unsweetened applesauce
1/4 C. water
1/2 C. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. coconut extract
1 tsp. each almond extract, rum extract, saigon cinnamon, cinnamon
1/2 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 C. white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375.
Grease a 13x9" baking dish.
Mix well all but final 2 ingredients. Stir in chips.
Bake for 24-27 minutes.
Cool and cut.

Meal In One

1/2 lb. browned ground beef or turkey
1 can each (10-11 oz.) veg beef soup and cream of mushroom soup
1 can each (10-14 oz.) green beans, carrots
Salt & pepper to taste
2 C. prepared mashed potatoes
8 slices American cheese

Mix well meat, canned ingredients, and salt and pepper. Top with prepared mashed potatoes and layer cheese over top. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or til cheese is melted or cook on high in microwave for 10-15 minutes til cheese is completely melted.

White Chocolate Biscotti
1 pkg. classic white cake mix
1 C. flour
1 pkg. white chocolate pudding mix
2 eggs
1/4 C. each applesauce and margarine
1 tsp. almond extract
1/2 C. white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375.
Grease 2 cookie sheets.

Mix well all but chips. Stir in chips. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a 9x3" log, slightly flattened on top. Bake for on prepared cookie sheets for 20-25 minutes or til lightly golden on top. Remove from cookie sheet and cool 5-10 minutes. With a serrated-edge knife, cut the dough into 16-20 slices, roughly 1/4" to 1/2" thick. Place cut side down on cookie sheet and bake 15 minutes or til lightly golden brown. While warm, top with drizzle.

Yield - 32 - 40 cookies

Drizzle:

1/3 C. milk
1/2 tsp. extract
1/2 C. powdered sugar

Mix well, mixture should be thin. With a spoon, lightly drizzle over warm cookies. Cool and store in an air-tight container.

Sweet Spice Cookies

1 pkg. spice cake mix
1/3 C. apple juice
1 egg
1 tsp. rum extract
1/4 C. margarine, softened
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg, optional
1/2 C. raisins roughly chopped
*optional 1/4 C. walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350.
Grease 2 cookie sheets.

Combine cake mix, egg, coffee, extract, spice, and margarine til well blended. Stir in raisins and nuts. Drop by rounded spoonful onto prepared cookie sheet.
*optional - dust with powdered sugar*
Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Yield - 3-4 dozen

Creamy Mocha Cookies
1 pkg. chocolate (any variety except devils food) cake mix
1/3 C. coffee, cold
1 egg
1/4 C. margarine, softened
1 tsp. brandy extract
1/2 C. mini chocolate chips or cappuccino chips, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 350.
Grease 2 cookie sheets.
Combine cake mix, egg, coffee, extract, and margarine til well blended. Stir in chips. Drop by rounded spoonful onto prepared cookie sheet.

*optional - dust with powdered sugar*
Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Yield - 3-4 dozen

Fruity Summer Cookies

1 pkg. strawberry cake mix
1/3 C. orange juice
1 egg
1/4 C. margarine, softened
1 tsp. strawberry-banana (or banana) extract
1/2 C. white chocolate chips
1/2 C. chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350.
Grease 2 cookie sheets.
Combine cake mix, egg, juice, extract, and margarine til well blended. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by rounded spoonful onto prepared cookie sheet.
Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Yield - 3-4 dozen

For a while now, shopping for deals has been referred to as hounding in my family. As in, sniffing out the good deals. My last visit to cvs was certainly no exception. Armed with Coop (My coupon organizer that folds into an orversized-looking clutch) and my hubby, I grabbed 6 boxes of Kleenex, 6 CoverGirl foundations, Bic 3 razors, shaving cream, and Speedstick for men. Total OOP for 2 separate transactions: $11.38. Not my lowest total, but I'm getting better.

Apple Nut Bars

1 pkg. spice cake mix
2 eggs, minus 1 yolk
1/4 C. unsweetened applesauce
1/4 C. apple juice
1/3 C. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanialla nut extract
1/2 tsp. rum extract
1/2 C. chopped walnuts, plus 1/8 C. - rough chopped
2 medium apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced
2 T. cinnamon sugar

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 13x9" baking dish.
Mix well all ingredients except fruit and nuts. Stir in final ingredients.
Spread evenly into prepared baking dish, top with additional nuts.
Dust with cinnamon sugar.
Bake for 24-27 minutes.
Cool and cut.

Nothing can beat this treat in the steamy, sticky summer days. Goes great with ice cream or as a stand alone dessert. Dust with powdered sugar for a decadent look, or drizzle with a sweet simple syrup flavored with lemon.

Sweet Lemon Almond Bars

1 pkg. lemon cake mix
2 eggs - minus 1 yolk
1/3 C. brown sugar
1/4 C. unsweetened applesauce
1/3 Juice blend
1 tsp. lemon extract or 2 tsp. lemon imitation extract
1 C. sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 13x9" baking dish.
Mix well all but nuts. Stir in nuts.
Spread evenly into prepared baking dish.
Top with additional nuts, if desired.
Bake for 24-27 minutes.
Cool and cut.

Luscious Rum Bars

1 pkg. classic white cake mix
½ C. brown sugar
¼ C. unsweetened applesauce
¼ C. pineapple juice or pineapple juice blend
2 eggs, minus one yolk
1 1/2 tsp. rum extract
1/8 tsp. coconut extract
1 C. golden raisins, coarsely chopped
½ C. pecans or walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 13x9” pan.
Mix well all but last 2 ingredients. Stir in final ingredients.
Spread evenly in pan, top with additional nuts (if desired).
Bake 23-26 minutes.
Cool completely and cut.
Yield = 36 bars
3.5 grams of fat

Lemon Coconut Bars

1 pkg. lemon cake mix
½ C. brown sugar
¼ C. unsweetened applesauce
¼ C. fruit juice (orange, strawberry, banana)
2 eggs, minus one yolk
1 tsp. lemon extract
½ tsp. vanilla nut extract
½ C. sweetened, flaked coconut, plus 2 T.
¼ C. sliced almonds
¼ C. white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 13x9” pan.
Mix well all but last 3 ingredients. Stir in final ingredients.
Spread evenly in pan, top with 2 T. of flaked coconut and additional almonds (if desired).
Bake 23-26 minutes.
Cool completely and cut.
Yield = 36 bars
1.5 grams of fat

I don't know about you, but spaghetti is my all time favorite dish. It doesn't hurt that I have 20 tomato plants planted around my house, or that I scored 26 boxes of pasta (1 lb. each) for free last time they were on sale. I'll explain the bargains later, but on to the sauce, because the Sauce is Boss!
Creamy Spaghetti Sauce
2 cans 14.5 oz each Italian style diced tomatoes
2 cans each 8 oz. tomato sauce
2 cans each 6 oz. tomato paste
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 C. light sour cream
1/2 lb. browned ground turkey
1 lb fresh mushrooms (cremini or white button) finely chopped
*1 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped
*1/4 C. red wine
* 1/4 C. parmesan or mozzarella cheese
1 C. beef broth
1 T. dry minced onion
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. basil
1 tsp chili powder
*1 bay leaf
* optional ingredients
Add all ingredients to crockpot, cook on high for 1-2 hour, reduce heat to low, cook 2 hours. Serve over noodles, with salad and garlic bread.
Yield - 8-12 servings

Basic Bars

1 box any flavor cake mix, except pound and angelfood cake
2 eggs - minus 1 yolk
¼ C. each unsweetened applesauce & any liquid (water, juice, coffee,etc)
1/3 C. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. extract, any flavor (or mix and match your favorites)
½ C. nuts, chips, or fruit (dried or fresh/frozen)

Preheat oven to 375. Grease 13x9” pan.
Mix well all ingredients, spread evenly in pan.
Bake 24-27 minutes, cool and cut.

You can frost them or dust with powdered sugar, but I seldom do – these go great with anything.
My favorite variation uses: vanilla cake mix, coffee, brandy extract, and cappuccino chips for Latte Bars!
Another popular variation: lemon cake, lemonade, lemon extract, and almonds and coconut stirred in.
Always the crowd pleaser - vanilla cake mix, apple cider, rum & almond extract, raspberries and white chocolate chips - Yummy White Chocolate Berry Bars

Basic Substitutions:

Butter - substitute an equal portion of unsweetened applesauce
Ground Beef - substitute an equal amount of ground turkey
Egg - substitute 1 T oil, 2 T baking soda, 1 T. water
French onion soup mix - substitute 1 T dry minced onion & 1 1/2 tsp. beef bouillon
Chicken broth - substitute equal amount of water with 1 chicken bouillon cube (per cup)

OK, figured I should list this recipe here, but it can also be found at groceryhoundcoupon.blogspot.com.

7lbs. (7-8 lbs. is usually good for one BBQ) pork n beans or vegetarian baked beans
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
6 oz. turkey bacon, divided
1/3 C. brown sugar, packed
1/4 C. molasses
1-2 T. Tabasco sauce
1/4 C. worchester sauce
2 T. ground dry mustard

In medium skillet, fry 6-7 slices of turkey bacon with finely chopped onion.
Preheat oven to 350.
In 13x9" baking dish, combine all ingredients except raw turkey bacon. Cut raw turkey bacon into 1" strips, top with cut turkey bacon. Bake at 350 for one hour or until bacon is fully cooked.