Items are with $20 minimum purchase - which I normally don't go in for, but here's Dominicks policy regarding that:

What does "minimum $10 (or $20) purchase required" mean?
To use store coupons that include a minimum purchase requirement, you must spend a minimum dollar amount on that shopping trip. You will reach the minimum purchase amount based upon total purchases before your Club Card discount is applied. This total will include the coupon item's regular price, not the discounted price. For example, the regular retail price of a box of Cheerios (before coupon and before Club Card discounts) will count toward the minimum purchase required in order to use the Cheerios coupon.

Found at: www.jillcataldo.com

Please check individual store for pre-sale price of items listed below.

$.88 Fritos/Cheetos (limit 4)
$.79 Doninicks apple juice 64 oz. (limit 3)
$2.33 12 pack Coca-Cola product (limt 3 - must buy 3!)
$1.99 Honey Bunches of Oats 14.5 oz. - must by 3 (limit 20)

2/$1 lbs. Bartlett Pears


Also: over at SuperTarget

Printable Targert coupons on the following items:
Duncan Hines Baking product $.50 off any one (cake mixes come to $.47 each)

General Mills cereal - $1/2, also there are $1/2 printable/newspaper insert coupons, pair this with Monster cereals for $.99 a box. Hey, that's cheaper than generic!

$1 off Skippy Peanut Butter - prices average around $2.04 a jar, some take home some cheap pb after coupon!

All Target printables are unlimited, but beware at the store, some cashiers may limit you to one per transaction. That's when you split your order up, or bring friends/famiyl with you to shop - more couponers, more fun!

Maybe it's all the talk of colds and flu going around, but I've been a little off my game lately - so I plan on keeping the menu simple, light, and satisfying.

Monday - Cream of Mushroom soup, crackers, salad
Tuesday - Pork chops, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, biscuits
Wednesday - Mushroom and cheese omelet, hashbrowns, toast, juice, fruit
Thursday - Chicken salad sammies, garden/spinach salad (we'll see which is cheaper), apple slices
Friday - Pizza Blanco with chicken, roasted garlic, mushrooms, and black olives, salad
Saturday - Helping a friend move - not planning a meal
Sunday - DH night to cook


Dessert of the week: Brownies - thanks to the abundance I stocked up on at Jewel!

Lunch of the week - Leftover shredded chicken, canned soup, sandwiches (chicken salad, tuna, roast beef, or ham).

Breakfast: yogurt, granola/Nutragrain bars, cereal, toast, french toast, poptarts, juice, fruit

This is soup and crackers/bread kind of weather and thanks to the deals I've been getting - I'm plenty stocked up on all the goodies to make soup night a quick, easy, and flavorful dinner!

Nabisco snack crackers $.99 a box, limit 4
The great thing about this is - you can use your expired coupons on it - like those $1/2 Nabisco snack cracker coupons from the booklet Nabisco put out around August (back to school booklet with yellow cover).

I've grabbed my first set of 4 boxes, but by no means will this be my last!

Nabiscoland - here I come...

Monday - Eggs over easy, wheat toast, bananas, juice
Tuesday - $2 angus burgers at Colonial Cafe
Wednesday - Grilled cheese and tomato soup
Thursday - Mushroom and swiss frittata, hash browns, apple slices, wheat toast
Friday - Ravioli with hearty tomato-basil marinara
Saturday - Italian-style chicken salad sammies, chips, smoothies
Sunday - Ground turkey enchiladas

Dessert of the week: Nutty Spice Bars, Apple Crisp
Lunch of the week: Oven roasted chicken (leftover from the weekend), soup (Campbell's sale last month), or chicken caesar salad with rolls.

I've always loved autumn, especially here in the Midwest. The leaves turning their vibrant colors, that crisp tang of the first frost in the air, and that seasonal favorite - apple cider. Nothing wrong with appel juice, but the rich, deep flavor of smooth, sweet cider for me simply cannot be beat. Ang, to make my favorite drink even more irrisistable - apple cider donuts.

Having had them for the first time this year, I have to be grateful that there are no donut shops directly on my way home, and I strongly rely on that unwillingness to travel out of my way to get the sugary treat. Though, I don't think my laziness will prove as effective as I'd like it to be. Even now, I'm imagining the smell of the crisp, juice apples combined perfectly with the decadence of doughnuts. Whoever came up with that combination was both brilliant and evil, tohugh my thighs are screaming that it's pure devilry and my taste buds are dancing with brilliance.

Now, this year, I'm going to get even more brave than I have been in the past, and this weekend I'll make my first attempt at homemade doughnuts, with - what else - apple cider doughnuts. Though, the pumpkin spice doughnuts I tried from Country Doughnuts were quite heavenly, too. But, one cooking (or frying) experiment at a time. In a year when I've expanded my cooking repertoire so much, that I've more than doubled the recipes I've created, and had food from across the globe, I'm still nervous about experiment with breads, pastries, and anything deep-fried.

If anyone out there has an easy recipe for homemade doughnuts, could you please share it with me - your resident fraidy-cat? I'm determined to dunk the doughnut, perfect the pastry, and bedazzle with breads this year and there is no time like this weekend to get started! Who's with me?!

I just returned home from my 4th wedding anniversary trip. This year, DH and I have done so well with our saving, that we treated ourselves to a trip to Savannah, Georgia. I've grown up hearing the stories of this magnificent, old, southern wonder and finally, I got my chance to walk her historic streets, see the shrimp boats slowly trolling the waters, and watch wild dolphins playing in the surf. Being a northern girl, with the Windy City and Minnesota being my hometown(s), this trip was nothing short of a treat.

We woke up to 80 degree weather, walked under the bright, southern sun, and walked on the beach. With that unmistakable tang of salt water in the air, it was impossible not to fall in love with Savannah. As the waves washed over the sand, there were little air holes that popped up, and just like my mama taught me, I turned to DH and told him, "There are clams under there." He looked kind of dubious, so I went on to explain that the clams needed the airholes to breathe, and that the pants called "clam-diggers" were made so you didn't have to roll up your pants while going out clam-digging. That seemed to make more sense to him.

We saw a single sanddollar on the shore, still wiggling. For a moment or two, we stopped to look at the little guy, before carefully walking around it and continuing on down the beach. Naturally, I was scouting for shells, but forgot to bring a bag to load them in, so DH graciously offered to put them in his pockets. In no time at all, his pockets were filled with shells, our feet coated in sand, and I was in heaven.

For dinner, we stopped at a kitchy, riverfront restaurant called The Shrimp Factory for some shrimp - after all, you don't go to the coast and not have some kind of seafood. The shrimp were advertised as fresh off the coast and the flavors certainly didn't disappoint. The shrimp were tender, sweet, and succulent - the remoulade sauce added a bit of tang, and the atmosphere was amazing.

All along River Street are shops, restaurants, bars/pubs, even 2 candy shops were - what else - salt water taffy are made in more than a dozen different flavors right before your eyes! The sugary sweetness of pralines filled the shops, and samples were offered everytime we walked through. If you love people-watching, bird-watching, and seafood-eating - this is an absolute haven.

After 4 wonderful days of fun in the sun, we reluctantly returned to Chicago and 40 degree temperatures. Though, a few days later, the scent of saltwater lingers on, even though the taffy is long gone. What I did take away from that trip - besides memories of hanging out with my cousins (yes, I only have 2 of those, so I get excited to see them!) and a longing for the beach is a new dish to try! Here's my version of that decadent Remoulade Sauce. Goes great on chicken...

There's nothing like going on vacation to make meal planning easier! I had a great time in Savannah, GA and came back with loads of new meal ideas that I just can't wait to try! I'm going to be looking for an adaptable recipe for Remoulade (the Shrimp Remoulade were heavenly!).

Monday - dinner at DaMama's
Tuesday - Spaghetti and meatballs, salad, french bread
Wednesday - Roast Beef and Swiss cheese paninis, salad, tomato basil bisque
Thursday - Chicken Parmesan (using leftover noodles and sauce from Tuesday)
Friday - Chicken, Bacon, Cheddar Wraps, cheesy quesadillas, taco salad
Saturday - Ground Turkey Tacos, refried beans, Mexican rice
Sunday - Grilled chicken, sour cream and chive mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, salad, tortillas