Thrifty Thursday - May 31

I'm going to change up the format for Thrifty Thursday for a while, to more of a narrative, rather than a breakdown. I'll tell you about any super deals I got, as well as still spell out the totals.

This week wasn't a really big shopping week for us. Publix didn't have a whole lot on sale that we like, but I did get FREE Cool Whip and stocked up on Mott's 100% Natural Apple Juice, which is absolutely delicious! We also had to get a few "needs" at Wal Mart though, so that cut into our savings a bit. So here's the final:

TOTAL SPENT: $34.60
TOTAL SAVED: $19.50

 

We Joined a Co-Op

If you've looked at my Thrifty Thursday blogs in the past month, you may have noticed a sudden lack of produce. Well, that is thanks to the fact that Jamie and I have joined a co-op. We pay $20, once a month, for a ton of food! It has helped us with our goal of eating healthier, eating foods we probably wouldn't normally buy AND forcing us to learn how to cook some things.

We forgot to take a picture of the first batch of produce we got, so here's a list: red apples, oranges, strawberries, bananas, kiwi, beans, cabbage, carrots, corn, cucumbers, cilantro, greens, lettuce, yellow onions, spring onions, red potatoes, sweet potatoes, yellow squash, tomatoes, zucchini, and mushrooms.

Now, if you know me, you know how much I loathe cooking. I will 'Pin' food and recipes all day long, but when it comes to actually making it... that's a different story. So, I'm proud of us for buckling down and making stuff. Granted, it's all pretty easy, if I can do it :-)

Besides the requisite salads, here are some of the other things we made.

These are greens that Jamie cooked.
I'm not a big fan of them, but Jamie loves them.
You'll have to ask him for the recipe!

Here's the recipe for our homemade salsa: From our produce stock, we used fresh cilantro, yellow onion and spring onion. We didn't have enough fresh tomatoes, so we drained a can of Hunt's diced tomatoes and a can of Rotel tomatoes with chilies. We chopped up the onions and cilantro, then added them with the tomatoes into the blender and made it smoother. "(The picture is before it was blended) For a final touch of flavor, we seasoned with garlic salt and oregano. It was delicious!

These are baked zucchini chips. Although they look rather large, they're actually very tiny. I used this recipe, with a couple of alterations: Baked Zucchini Chips. I would recommend using a slicer b/c I had a mix of crispy and soft due to the fact that I sliced them by hand. I also ended up baking them for an hour and a half. As far as seasoning, I would use a grinder. That was the only thing I could figure out that would not put too much. Let me know if you figure something else out. In any case, these were really good. Hopefully next time I can more to be crispy!

I got the recipe for this roasted squash from my friend Mamie's blog. I used spring onion instead of red onion, and I didn't have any fresh spices, so I used dried basil and dried minced garlic. I actually made this twice, once using coconut oil and once with canola. The coconut was better because somehow it didn't seem as greasy, plus it just gave it a little bit of added flavor. Also, make sure to cut the squash into bigger pieces than normal, since they will get much smaller when cooked!

I'm one of those people that like to put all kinds of things in my salads: veggies, fruit and nuts. One of my favorites to make is a strawberry salad. In this particular one, I used lettuce, tomato, mushroom, mandarin oranges, strawberries, sliced almonds and pistachios. Top with a raspberry walnut vinaigrette or some type of asian dressing, like sesame ginger. Yum, yum!

In addition to this, we made Baked Sweet Potatoes, had sliced cucumbers with soy sauce, cooked Corn on the Cob, made a strawberry kiwi salad, taco salad and cooked carrots.

Here is our new batch of produce we got yesterday. Leave any recipe ideas for these new veggies in the comment section!!

Friday Four

What I Watched: Duets premiered last night, and thanks to DVR, I am currently enjoying it. I can't say that I've seen the best singers on this show. However, I like watching Kelly Clarkson and John Legend, soooo that's all that matters :-)

I watched three movies this week: It's Complicated, Just my Luck and Click. They were good movies for helping me pass some time as I was organizing. I liked Click the best of the three (which isn't saying much!)

What I Listened to: I was really looking forward to listening to some things on my new Spotify IPad app, but streaming is only available to paying customers-- LAME! I'll try to find something interesting for next week.

What I Read: I finished 13 Little Blue Envelopes and started The Lovely Bones... two very different reads!!

Where I Ate: Mikino's (teriyaki chicken) after the cornhole tournament, Beezer's (t-bird) after church, and California Dreaming (chicken strips platter) for my birthday... and I was given a cupcake from Cupcake!

Thrifty Thursday - May 24

OP: Original price (individual)        SP: Sale price (individual)    Blue font: coupon


TARGET

(1) Mott's Apple Juice, OP: $2.69, SP: $2.25

(1) Reynold's Aluminum Foil, 85 ft, OP: $3.99, SP: $3.49

-$.75 off (1) Reynold's Aluminum Foil

Total Spent: $4.23 (plus $1 on GC)
Total Saved: $1.69  


PUBLIX

(2) Welch's Island Fruit Snacks, 10 ct, OP: $2.79, SP: $2.00

- $.50 off (1) Welch's Fruit Snacks (doubled to $1.00)

- $.50 off (1) Welch's Fruit Snacks (doubled to $1.00)

(2) Welch's Strawberry Fruit & Yogurt Snacks, 8 ct, OP: $2.79, SP: $2.00

- $.50 off (1) Welch's Fruit & Yogurt Snacks (doubled to $1.00)

- $.50 off (1) Welch's Fruit & Yogurt Snacks (doubled to $1.00)

(1) Dentyne Ice Spearmint, 60 pc, OP: $3.29

-$1.00 off (1) Dentyne Ice bottle

(4) Mott's Healthy Harvest Applesauce, 6 pk, OP: $2.39, SP: $1.67

(1) Filippo Berio Olive Oil, OP: $5.99, SP: $3.99

- $1.50 off (1) Filippo Berio Olive Oil

(1) Quaker Oatmeal Squares, OP: $4.89, SP: $2.45

- $1.00 off (1) Quaker Oatmeal Cereal

(3) V8 Splash, OP: $3.39, SP: $1.70

- $1.00 off (3) V8 Splash

(2) Premium Tomatoes, .97 lb, OP: $1.64, SP: $1.45

(1) Smithfield Low Sodium Hickory Smoked Bacon, OP: $5.49, SP: $3.34

(2) Kotex Natural Balance Pads, OP: $2.93

- $1.50 off (2) Natural Balance products

- $1.00 off (1) Kotex Pads (Publix coupon)

Total Spent: $29.55
Total Saved: $28.89


CVS

(1) Kotex U Liners, 60 ct, OP: $4.79, SP: $4.00

- $1.00 off (1) U by Kotex liners

- $3.00 off ECB

Total Spent: $0.00
Total Saved: $4.79
 

WALMART

(1) Loofah, OP: $2.00

(1) Wholly Guacamole, OP: $2.74

- $1.00 off (1) Wholly product

(2) Great Value Instant Grits, OP: $1.92

(1) Coffeemate Liquid Coffee Creamer, 15 oz, OP: $1.98

- $.55 off (1) Coffeemate Creamer

(1) Butterball Turkey Bacon, OP: $2.48

- $.35 off (1) Butterball Turkey Bacon

(1) Santitas Tortilla Chips, OP: $2.00

Total Spent: $13.28
Total Saved: $1.90

TOTAL SPENDING: $47.06
TOTAL SAVINGS: $37.27

Friday Four

What I Watched: One of my guilty pleasures, Sister Wives, started back this week, and it did not disappoint! I don't know why I find this family so fascinating, but I really do!
On the movie front, I watched The Help and North by Northwest. I think I need to stop watching movies so soon after reading the books though because I am analyzing them WAY too much. With that said, I did enjoy The Help and it touched me in all the right places. N by N is a classic Hitchcock film that I've never seen (I love Hitchcock movies) and I really liked it-- well worth my time.

What I Read: I started a new book this week called 13 Little Blue Envelopes and am already almost halfway through. It's very suspenseful, and so easy to read compared to what I was previously slugging through!

What I Listened to: I've had a very diverse mix this week, from Kelly Clarkson to Toby Lightman to Hanson to Adele. I've had music ADD :-)

What I Ate: Let's see, we went out three times last weekend since there was lots to celebrate. We went to Antai, with my mom, for some delicious sushi and spring rolls. On Sunday we went to Rockaway's after church (delicious fried zucchini and okra!), and then Fatz with Jamie's parents that night. 

Save "The Sing-Off!"

If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you probably know two things by now:

1. I was in a college a cappella group and love the musical form.
2. I love television.

3 years ago NBC put those two loves together and created "The Sing-Off," which I have also blogged about here numerous times.

Well, if you haven't heard by now, NBC has decided not to air the show again next year. It's stupid and understandable at the same time. Even if they didn't pick it back up for a full season like they did this year, then they should at least put it back in its three week miniseries form.

Anyway, here's where you come in. A petition has been started to save the show. There are currently over 12,000 signatures, but we need so many more! Even if you've only seen the show once or twice, if you enjoyed it, please sign! This series has been SO important to the spread and awareness of a cappella and they just produced their most marketable winner yet!

Here is the link to the petition: Save the Sing Off!

And if you are not yet a fan of a cappella, watch this video of this season's winners, Pentatonix. It is epic.

Here are some more reasons to celebrate "The Sing Off"-- Celebrating The Sing Off

What are you waiting for? Go sign!

Thrifty Thursday - May 17

OP: Original price (individual)        SP: Sale price (individual)    Blue font: coupon


TARGET

(2) Kellogg's Special K Cracker Chips, OP: $2.89, SP: $2.50

- $1.00 off (2) Kellogg's Crackers or Chips

Total Spent: $4.00 (used gift card!)
Total Saved: $1.78


PUBLIX

(3) Coca Cola, 8 pk 12 oz, OP: $4.49, SP: Buy 2 Get 1 Free

(5) Michelina's Beef and Peppers, OP: $1.25, SP: $1.00

-$1.00 off (5) Michelina's frozen entrees

(2) Emerald Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Breakfast on the Go, OP: $3.29, SP: $2.50

- $1.50 off (2) Emerald Products

(2) Blue Diamond Almonds, 6 oz, OP: $3.19, SP: $1.60

- $.60 off (2) Blue Diamond Almonds 6 oz cans

(1) Pepperidge Farm Baked Naturals Cheddar Cracker Chips, OP: $3.49, SP: $1.75

- $.75 off (1) Pepperidge Farm Baked Naturals product

(4) Lipton Naturals Green Tea, 20 oz, OP: $1.49, SP: $1.00

(2) Fresh Express 50/50 Spinach Spring Mix, OP: $3.99, SP: $2.00

(1) Planter's Peanut Butter, OP: $3.69, SP: $2.50

- $1.00 off (1) Planter's Peanut Butter

(1) All 2X Laundry Detergent, OP: $5.99, SP: $3.50

- $1.00 off (1) All detergent

(1) Simply Orange Juice w/Calcium, OP: $3.99, SP: $3.00

(3) Tasti Lee Tomatoes, 1.47 lb, OP: $2.48, SP: $2.19

(1) Seattle's Best Level 1 Coffee, 12 oz, OP: $6.99, SP: $5.99

- $1.00 off (1) Seattle's Best Coffee

(1) One a Day Vitacraves, 50 ct, OP: $8.79, SP: $6.59

- $1.75 off (1) One a Day multivitamin product

- $5.00  off purchase of $30 or more (Publix coupon)

Total Spent: $42.44
Total Saved: $39.94


CVS

(1) Claritin Liquigel, 24 ct, OP: $25.99, SP: $19.99

- $5.00 off (1) Claritin 24+ ct

(1) Crest Pro Health,  4 oz, OP: $4.99, SP: $3.39

- $1.00 off (1) Crest toothpaste

Total Spent: $18.43
Total Saved: $13.60 (plus $5 ECB!)  

TOTAL SPENDING: $60.87
TOTAL SAVINGS: $53.54

Friday Four

What I Watched: I would like to take this opportunity to talk about the finale of The Voice. HOW IN THE WORLD DID JERMAINE PAUL WIN THAT?!! I have nothing against him, as he is a good singer, but how he beat Juliet and Tony, I will never know. Out of the top 4, I feel that he will have the least success from here. Speaking of Tony, the vendetta that Christina Aguilera has against him is insane. I used to looooooove Xtina, from day one, through her 'dirrty' days and beyond. However, over the course of this season, I have increasingly lost respect for her. She clearly had it out for Tony, as was unnecessarily brutal. This may be a reason why: I'm just sayin' (click it)  So, for your enjoyment, here is Tony's blind audition.

Oh, and I also watched the movie Gran Torino this week and was very disappointed. Don't understand the hype! Horrible ending.

What I Read: I finally finished Jane Eyre yesterday! Onto other books after three months :-)

What I Listened to: I know this CD is at least a year old, but I'm really digging Selena Gomez and the Scene's When the Sun Goes Down. It's a good pop record without all the trash/electronic/auto-tune mess that is so popular these days. I am also still more than slightly obsessed with Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe." I found out yesterday that she is opening for Hanson on tour, so she just shot way up in my book :-)  Also, she is only a few months younger than me, but has that (mis)fortune of looking way younger than that. Check her out:

What I Ate: Only ate at Moe's this week after church. Hopefully will eat out more this weekend, as we have lots to celebrate!

Thrifty Thursday - May 10

OP: Original price (individual)        SP: Sale price (individual)    Blue font: coupon


PUBLIX

(1) Tai Pei General Tso's Chicken Entree, OP: $2.79, SP: $2.50

- $.55 off (1) Tai Pei frozen entree

(1) Eggo Pancakes, OP: $2.99, SP: $1.32
(1) Eggo Chocolate Chip Muffin Tops, OP: $2.99, SP: $1.32

- $.75 off (2) Eggo frozen products

(1) Edward's Pie Slices, 2 ct, OP: $2.79, SP: $1.40

(1) Coffeemate Italian Sweet Creme Coffee Creamer, OP: $3.89, SP: $2.50

- $.50 off (1) Coffeemate liquid creamer (doubled to $1.00)

(1) Cheez-Its, OP: $4.09

- $2.00 off (1) large or family size Cheez Its (Publix coupon)

(1) Tabasco Green Pepper Sauce, OP: $3.49, SP: $2.50

- $1.00 off (1) Tabasco Sauce

(1) Seattle's Best Level 1 Coffee, OP: $6.99, SP: $5.99

- $1.50 off (1) Seattle's Best coffee

(1) Emerald Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Breakfast to Go, OP: $3.29, SP: $2.50

- $1.00 off (1) Emerald Breakfast to Go

(2) Quaker Chocolate Chip Chewy Granola Bars, OP: $2.79, SP: $1.40

(1) Gain Laundry Detergent, OP: $7.29, SP: $3.99

- $1.00 off (1) Gain Detergent

(1) Charmin Ultra Strong Mega Roll Tissue, OP: $9.49, SP: $7.49

Total Spent: $30.38
Total Saved: $26.07


WALMART

(1) Good Seasons Zesty Italian Mix, OP: $3.28

(1) Pompeian Balsamic Vinegar, 16 oz, OP: $2.82 


(1) Pam Cooking Spray, OP: $3.28

(1) Crisco Pure Olive Oil, OP: $4.88

Total Spent: $14.26


TARGET

(10) Sobe Water, OP: $1.77, SP: $1.00

*I also bought Mother's Day presents I can't list here :-)

Total Spent: $10.00
Total Saved: $7.70 (plus I got a $5.00 Target gift card for buying 10 Sobes!)   

TOTAL SPENDING: $54.64
TOTAL SAVINGS: $33.77     

Friday Four

What I Watched: Most of our shows are new right now because May sweeps is starting, so lots of good stuff to be had! I've continued with my Veronica Mars watching and it has had so many cameos by actors known for other things: the actor that plays Schmidt on New Girl, Leighton Meester (Gossip Girl), Alyson Hannigan, Kristen Ritter (Don't Trust the B in Apt. 23), and even Jonathan Taylor Thomas :-) Speaking of old favorites (JTT), a dog on Suburgatory this week was dubbed "Hanson."

I also made a poor choice this week and watched Stomp the Yard... pretty much the time waster I thought it would be!

What I Read: I have actually made a LOT of headway this week on Jane Eyre, so hopefully I will be done in the next couple of weeks so I can move on to something easier!

What I Listened to: Just have had Kelly Clarkson in my car all week :-)  Here's one of my favorites:

What I Ate: We ate out quite a bit last weekend and I had some deliciousness: a tostada tapatia at Monterrey's, Oreo blizzard from Dairy Queen, California rolls from Inakaya, and a turkey sub from Beezers! Inakaya might have the best sushi, just fyi.

The Book Dispensary

Back in January, I bought a Living Social deal to The Book Dispensary. I didn't really know anything about the place (other than it was a used bookstore), but with a deal that only requires me to pay "$25 for $75 worth of books," I was sold! Anyway, as my deal expires tomorrow, I finally made the quick trip over to get my books!

The Book Dispensary is a nice little place. I was thankful that it was very clearly labeled and organized. Jamie and I spent a few minutes in the fiction section before we went straight to the children's section. After all, I was technically here to get books for (hopefully) my (future) classroom!

All paperbacks are 40% off the original price and hardbacks are as listed. My total, plus tax, came to $76.01. Therefore, I only paid $1.01 out of pocket. Plus the deal itself, I only paid $26.01 for over $120 worth of books!! Here's what I scored:

Thump, Quack, Moo  Doreen Cronin & Betsy Lewin
Freight Train  Donald Crews
The Teeny Tiny Ghost  Kay Winters
The Night Before Kindergarten  Natasha Wing
Just Grandpa and Me  Mercer Mayer
The New Baby  Mercer Mayer
The Little Old Lady Who was Not Afraid of Anything  Linda Williams
Froggy Goes to School  Jonathan London
Froggy Learns to Swim  Jonathan London
Froggy's Halloween  Jonathan London
Froggy Plays in the Band  Jonathan London
Froggy Eats Out  Jonathan London
A Visit to the Aquarium  Aliki
How I Became a Pirate  Melinda Long
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie  Laure Joffe Numeroff
The Little Rabbit  Judy Dunn
The Crayon Counting Book Pam Munoz Ryan & Jerry Pallotta
The Gingerbread Man Jim Aylesworth
Arthur's Eyes  Marc Brown
Tops and Bottoms  Janet Stevens
Animals A to z  David McPhail
Titch  Pat Hutchins
Can't You Sleep Little Bear?  Martin Waddell
Even More Parts  Tedd Arnold
Caps for Sale  Esphyr Slobodkina
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone  JK Rowling
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban  JK Rowling

**If you're interested in learning more about this cool little place, here is their website: The Book Dispensary

Has anyone else been here? What did you think?

Thrifty Thursday - May 3

OP: Original price (individual)        SP: Sale price (individual)    Blue font: coupon


PUBLIX

(3) Bird's Eye Frozen Vegetables, OP: $2.45, SP: $1.22

(2) Dole Pears in 100% Juice, 4 ct, OP: $2.83, SP: $2.00

- $.50 off (2) Dole 100% Juice Fruit Cups (doubled to $1.00)

(2) Dole Peach Parfaits, 4 ct, OP: $2.83, SP: $2.00

- $.50 off (2) Dole Fruit Parfaits (doubled to $1.00)

(1) Tabasco Green Pepper Sauce, OP: $3.49, SP: $2.50

- $.50 off any (1) Tabasco Pepper Sauce (doubled to $1.00)

(1) Mentos Spearmint Gum, 15 pc, OP: $1.49, SP: $1.00

- $.55 off (1) Mentos Gum 15 pc

(1) Ragu Green Pepper & Mushroom Pasta Sauce, OP: $2.19, SP: $1.10

(2) Nabisco Triscuits, OP: $3.39, SP: $2.50

- $1.00 off (2) Nabisco crackers

(2) V8 Fusion Green Tea, OP: $3.99, SP: $2.00

- $1.00 off (2) V8 Fusion + Green Tea

(1) Mott's 100% Natural Apple Juice, OP: $2.99, SP: $2.00

(1) Emerald Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana, 5 pk, OP: $3.29, SP: $2.50

- $1.00 off (1) Emerald Breakfast to Go

(1) Seattle's Best Level 1 Coffee, 12 oz, OP: $6.99, SP: $5.99

- $1.50 off (1) Seattle's Best Coffee

Total Spent: $27.70
Total Saved: $26.16


WALMART

(1) Gladware Minis, 8 pk, OP: $2.28

(1) Great Value White Bread, OP: $1.18

(1) Mission Tortilla Chips, OP: $2.98

(1) Butterball Turkey Bacon, OP: $2.48

Total Spent: $9.08

  
Total Spending: $36.78
Total Savings: $26.16

May the odds be ever in your favor...

Welllll... still can't quite say whether or not this applies to the movie adaptation of The Hunger Games. Jamie and I finally went to go see it this weekend.

As you all know, I LOVED the books, so I had incredibly high expectations that this would match the adaptation level of my other favorites: Harry Potter. While I didn't hate the movie, I can't say I loved it either, and here are some reasons why:

-- Gale was downgraded to a very minor character
-- They changed the origin story of the mockingjay pin (which had Suzanne Collins' blessing, but still)
-- There wasn't enough character development and backstory for District 12 in the beginning
-- They didn't effectively convey the danger Katniss faced whenever she was outside District boundaries
-- The Games themselves were not nearly as intense as they were while reading about them, plus they seemed so short
-- Haymitch should be fat and lazy, not Woody Harrelson
-- They left out the rest of Katniss' style team
-- The CGI effects left a bit to be desired, in my opinion
-- We aren't able to see the motivation behind the characters

All that said, I thought most of the casting was excellent. And if I hadn't read the book, I probably would have enjoyed the movie more. It was still quite action packed, and is evident that they really tried to please fans as much as they were able. I heard the director of this one is not coming back, so hopefully Catching Fire will be an improvement, as it is my favorite book of the trilogy. 

This review from Entertainment Weekly echoes my sentiments, if you care to delve further:
 Movie Review - The Hunger Games

Anybody else seen it? What did you think?