Baked BBQ wings with Blue Cheese Dip and Roasted Red Potatoes

Between the house, the kids, the dogs and coupons, I am exhausted! I did manage to make a nice lunch for my husband and his sergeant today. They have training after their shift tonight so I thought I would make a nice big lunch to hold them over.

Baked BBQ wings with blue cheese big
The Illustrated Kitchen Bible

2 lbs chicken wings
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp light brown sugar
1 shallot finely chopped
! garlic clove, crushed
1/2 tsp red hot pepper sauce

Blue cheese dip
2/3 cups sour cream
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 tbs snipped chives
1 tbs fresh lemon juice

*the chicken can be coated in the mixture and refrigerated for up to 6 hours.

Season the wings with salt and pepper. Process the oil, tomato paste, oregano, brown sugar, shallot, garlic, and hot pepper sauce in a blender and blend until smooth. Combine the wings and the sauce in a large self-sealing plastic bag, and coat the wings with the sauce. Let stand at room temperature for no more then 90 minutes. (I just let it sit in the refrigerator, I'm really picky about letting my meat sit out.)

Preheat the oven to 375. Spread the chicken on an oiled baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. turn the wings and bake for 15 more minutes. Turn the wings and bake for 15 more minutes, until the wings show no sign of pink when pierced at the bone.

Meanwhile, mix he dip ingredients in a bowl. Serve the chicken wings hot with the dip on the side, and a bowl to collect the bones.
* The wings were good but I think they would be better on the grill.

Roasted Red Potatoes
Kraft magazine

1/2 cup Ranch dressing
1/2 cup finely shredded Italian style five cheese blend
1/4 cup bacon
2 lbs small red potatoes
1 tbs chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350. Mix dressing, cheese and bacon in a large bowl. Add potatoes and toss lightly
spoon potato mixture into a greased 13x9 baking dish
Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Sprinkle with parsley.

Walmart trip 4/26/11

I decided to venture out and go to walmart tonight. Not a good idea. The kids were crazy in the store and it's really hard to keep track of kids and everything the cashier is ringing up making sure she is getting all my coupons and price matches. anyway, my total trip cost $223.59. There was alot on my list I needed that didn't have coupons or a sale but there were some things that I got a descent price on.

These are the things I got for a decent price and I needed them or will need them any way so I thought why not stock up since I could get a good deal on them.

Loreal Hair color- Price: $7.97 I paid $3.97
Jelly Belly freeze pop- Price: $2.88 I paid .59$ a box
Kotex panty liners- Price: $1.24 I paid .24$ a box
Finish- Price: $2.77 I paid $1.77 a box
Barilla Spaghetti- Price: $1.18 I paid $1.00 a box
Cream cheese- Price $2.08 I paid $1.00 a box
Frozen veggies- Price $1.00 I paid $2.25 for 3
Sara lee deli turkey Price $15.26 I paid $13.26 for 2 lbs

Total bought: $72.50
Total Paid $39.15

I have been getting so discouraged lately because I feel like I have spent so much time on all this couponing thing and it's not getting me anywhere. I have to keep reminding myself that there is still stuff we need in order to survive. I also have to remember that I don't have much of a stock pile and it will take some time getting that. I have started one though and I am thankful that for the next few weeks/months there are things that I won't need to get at the store because I stocked up when they were super cheap. I guess I just have to be patient and remind myself that I am just starting out and the longer I do it the better I will get.

coupon codes

$/$$-dollars off when you buy x amount of dollars

$/x-dollars off when you buy x number of items

Blinkies-In-store Smart Source coupons (come from little machine next to product)

BOGO/B1G1-Buy one, get one free

Catalina-coupon printed from a special machine at the register after a purchase; usually handed to you with your receipt.

CNP-Coupon Near Product–usually a coupon found in the store next to the product.

Competitor’s Coupon-A store coupon from one store that is used at a competing store.

Double Coupon-Coupon that the store doubles in value.

ECBs-Extra Care Bucks (from CVS stores)

FAR-Free After Rebate

GM-General Mills (newspaper insert)

IP-Internet Printable

K-Kellogg’s (newspaper insert)

MFR or MQ-Manufacturer’s Coupon

MIR-Mail In Rebate

OOP-Out of Pocket

P&G-Proctor & Gamble (newspaper insert)

Peelie-A coupon attached to a product that you can use immediately

Q-Coupon

RP-Red Plum (newspaper insert)

RR-Register Rewards (from Walgreens stores)

SCR-Single Check Rebate (rebate system at Rite-Aid)

SS-Smart Source (newspaper insert)

Stack-to use multiple coupons for a single item.  At most stores you may use 1 store coupon and 1 manufacturer’s coupon per item.

Store Coupon or SQ-a coupon published by a specific store to be used at that store.

Tear Pad-a stack or pad of coupons or rebates located near a product in the store

UP+-Up Reward (Rite Aid Stores)

WYB-When You Buy

Making my weekly grocery list.

I said in a previous post that I wanted to start grocery shopping weekly and using only the sales ads. Wishful thinking. I have a long list and not everything on that list has an amazing deal or a coupon. I seen on livingwellspendingless.com Ruth bought $176 worth of groceries and paid NOTHING! I want to be like Ruth! Anyway, we will see how my shopping goes this week.
Some of the deals I am going for are:

WALMART

Kotex U Liners, 18 ct - $1.24

I have a $1/1 coupon for Kotex U Liners, exp. 5-28-11
Final price: $0.24

Finish Quantum, 10 ct - $2.77

I have a $1/1 coupon Finish Quantum, exp. 5-22-11
Final price $1.77

Philadlphia Cream cheese 8oz

Jewel has cream cheese on sale for $1.50

Walgreens has a $1.00 off coupon with the purchase of 2

At walmart you can price match and use 1 $1.00 coupons from walgreens

Final Price: $1.00 for 2

Pamolive dish soap

walgreens has pamolive 10oz for .89$ and also has a coupon for .25$ off 

I can price match the .89$ at walmart and use the .25$ off coupon

Final Price: .64$

Birds eye steam fresh vegetables

i'm not sure of the price of them at walmart but Dominicks has them for $1.25

I have a save .75$/3 coupon

Final price $1.00 each

I will be checking walmart to see if they have them cheaper

WALGREENS

I will be doing 2 transactions

#1 - Stayfree Maxi Pads $2.99

registar rewards $2.99 good on your next purchase

final price: FREE!

I will be paying for my second transaction with my registar rewards

#2 - Colgate total toothpaste 4oz $2.79 Buy one get on free

I have a save $1.00 coupon

Because it's a buy one get one (BOGO) I can use 2 $1/1 coupons (for for each item)

Final Price: .40$ a piece

Captian crunch cereal $1.99

I have a $1/2 coupon plus a .50$ off one box

Final Price: $1.24 each

The whole registar rewards thing confuses me so I will post back once I figure out what my total savings is. It should be close to nothing though! :) If I am right my total should be close to .50$ but knowing my luck i'll get to the store and everything will be long gone! 

My grocery list is much bigger then this but these are the things I found I could get really good deals on and I would be buying them this week anyway, so why not do a little research (a lot in my case being a newbie) and get it cheaper? 

4/23 trip to walmart

I was really trying hard to hold off on going to the store. Usually I go grocery shopping every 2 weeks when my husband gets paid. I am now going to try going to the store weekly and only shop from the sales papers. This is probably going to be tricky at the start condsidering there are things we need because we are out of EVERYTHING at the moment. I had to make a trip to walmart today to hold us over for a few days until the new sales papers came out. I bought $85.15 in groceries and paid $75. 81. I was really bummed by this. A "professional coupner" could have gotten all this for like $15.00 or less. I guess I do need to take into consideration that we were out of a lot of things and not everything that I needed had a huge sale or a coupon. All in good time I guess.

I am excited because I knew that walmart took other store coupons but on walmart's website, their coupon policy says that they only take other store coupons that give an amount....like....crest tooth paste $1.00. I had target coupons for carefree panty liners for .01$. Yea...that's right 1 cent. I checked target the other day and they were completely out. So I though why not give it a go at walmart. They took the coupon and one of the managers said they take all competitors coupons, even coupons that say amount off....like....crest toothpaste $2.00 off. I was like WHOOT WHOOT! plus walmart price matches....this will save a lot of time for me running from store to store.....so without further ado.....here's what I bought at walmart with target coupons...

I got this for .03$! It's not a whole lot but....I would have spent  $4.82 but I didn't, and $4.82 is $4.82. :)

No coupons this sunday due to Easter

Don't forget there will be no coupons in this Sundays paper due to Easter!

Great articles

asavvylife.com had 2 really great articles about couponing. It talks about extreme couponing and the new TLC show. I don't have cable so I haven't seen the show but I have watched some clips. I think the articles make a really good point and some of these people are out of hand. The point of stock piling is to have enough to last until the next sale, not to stock up and have enough to last you a year or longer...I seen a clip where this lady bought a whole cart full of butter fingers. Really!? Are you seriously going to eat all those? Anyway, take some time and check out the articles. I have attached the links.



http://www.asavvylife.com/2011/04/update-i-am-not-extreme-couponer.html

http://www.asavvylife.com/2011/04/i-am-not-and-extreme-couponer.html