Louie's P & R Vouchers Are Available Again!

Louie's P&R  vouchers are available again for a limited time through mytownhalfprice.  For $10, you can score a $20 voucher that can be used between September 9 and December 9, 2013.  They run out quickly, so the sooner you purchase one, the better. My family loves their deli sandwiches and salads.  I also like to stock the freezer with their quality meat.  If you haven't been there before, put it on your "must try" list.  Louie's is an important part of Herrin's Italian heritage.  

The link to mytownhalfprice is here:

www.mytownhalfprice.com/share/maracuya87/save-50-at-louies-pr-3

Louie's P & R is located at 120 E. Walnut in Herrin, Illinois.  Their phone number is 618-942-3394.  

If you want to get regular updates on their specials, text "LOUIES" to 866-77.  Although vouchers purchases today are not valid until Monday, this weekend's specials are bacon for $2.89 lb and homemade bratwurst for $2.49 lb.  

Helped Hamburger: An Economical One Dish Meal

We had this last night for a quick meal after football practice.  We had plenty for seconds, enough for my lunch today, and a container to freeze for another quick meal.

This is the ingredient list with notes on their cost in parenthesis:

1 pound ground beef ($1.15 by purchasing on sale for $2.29/lb and using a $20 savings voucher previously purchased for $10 to use at Louie's P & R)

1 box of Barilla rotini (was on clearance for 49 cents at Kroger.  Wheat rotini was recently on clearance for 29 cents per box)

1 can of Progresso Meal Starters Sun Dried Tomato Sauce (50 cents per can at Dollar Tree)

1 can of Butterball chicken broth (previously on sale for 50 cents with coupon at Walgreens)

1 empty can filled with water

About half a jar of the Ragu Double Cheddar pasta sauce (previously purchased at Kroger during Mega Event for around $1.20 = about 60 cents worth used)

A handful of dehydrated, minced onions

Mexican oregano to taste

Italian seasoning to taste

Directions: 

Combine tomato sauce, chicken stock, and water in a pan. Add the dehydrated onions and bring to a boil.  Add the entire box of rotini for about 12 minutes or until desired tenderness with a bit of the oregano and Italian seasoning.  Reduce heat and add the cheese sauce.   Brown the ground beef with the remaining spices.  Add the browned beef to the pan Andover thoroughly.  

I did not drain the pasta.  By using only enough liquid to cover the rotini and boiling a bit longer, it made a good sauce when combined with the cheese.  

The entire pan, which made two meals for my family of three and my lunch, was less than $3.50.  

Meat Specials This Weekend at Louie's P & R!

This weekend, Louie's P & R in Herrin is featuring fresh ground beef at $2.29 per pound and their famous Italian salameats at $2.69 per pound.  If you took advantage of their most recent Daily Special through the Southern Illinoisan and still have one of the $20 vouchers that were offered for only $10, you save a LOT.   

Just think about it.  If you paid $20.61 plus tax for 9 pounds of ground beef, not including tax, you would basically be paying $10.61 plus tax for 9 pounds.  That's only $1.18 per pound of FRESH ground beef!  If you have a freezer, it might be time to stock for hamburgers, chili, meat loaf, and all of the other things you will eventually make with ground beef.  Plus, you can't just find salameats everywhere.  

You can also check out their meat bundles and Italian Deli sandwiches/salads via the link below:

http://louiespnr.com/market.html

You'd Better Shop Around...

Sometimes it really pays to do a price comparison on groceries.  Recently, Dollar Tree has started carrying a couple varieties of the Progresso canned Meal Starters at 2/$1.00.  The exact same item at Kroger goes for over $2.00 per can.  Occasionally, there are coupons out as well, which would pretty much get you a can for free or very little at Dollar Tree.  

With this particular item, I like the sun-dried tomato option but am trying the basil-Parmesan variety.  They seem to work well with pastas.  

Please keep in mind that these should have a decent shelf life and would also make nice pantry donation items :)

Kroger Mega Event Week(s)

Kroger is currently having one of their Mega Events in which you take $4 off your total if you buy 4 participating items.     Digital Kroger coupons, peelies, and coupons--especially ones that double--can really increase your savings.  If you are a Plus Card member, don't forget to scan your card and bring those coupons they send to you in the mail.  I got a FREE razor valued around $10.99 via a Kroger coupon.  

I was fortunate to find a peelie on Finish Dishwasher that doubled to $1.00 at my Kroger making it $1.99 with the Mega Event pricing.  Tonight, I found Lawry's Marinade for 99 cents in the Mega Event with a 50 cent coupon attached to some bottles that made the bottle that I got free after it doubled.  Keep your eyes peeled for those peelies...

Free Video Rentals for "A" Grades on Report Cards

Family Video stores are offering this reward to students again this year.  Your child can bring in his or her report card and and earn free rentals for "A" grades between now and June 30, 2013.  Last year, our local store honored "S" and "pass" grades as "A" grades.  

http://clients.criticalimpact.com/vm2/ac9ac9acbf73139b/24897/d2d89f50ca0b808f3947229f28c3afba

Herrinfesta Italiana 2013: An Overview of Food Prices

Sometimes it's good to know what kind of prices will be at an event before you arrive.  It's never fun to promise your kids cotton candy only to arrive and find that it costs an arm and a leg.  A few years ago,  we went to Six Flags and discovered that soft drinks were around fifteen dollars each.  Needless to say, that trip budget fell apart quickly.

Fortunately, most of the soft drinks and shake-ups at the festa seem to run between $2 and $4.  Corn dogs are running around $4 as well.  Not so fried options like chicken and pork chops start around $6 and $8.  Turkey legs are $8 while cheese sticks and ravioli are about $6 each.  I did see a sign for deep fried pickles and deep fried pb&j.  As this is an Italian festa, there are of course options like Italian beef, tiramisu, mostaccoli, risotto, and gelato.  

Probably some of the best values are the Paulette's refillable soft drink cup with lid and straw for $5.  Refills are $3, and they will allow refills in the same cup at the DuQuoin State Fair.  The make your own slushy stand also offers refillable options. The one that lights up is $10.  

Here are some prices from this evening:

Bottled water:  $2-$3

Corn dogs:  $4

Cotton Candy: $3-$5

Taffy:  $5-$8

Taco in a bag:  $4.50

Loaded potato: $4.50

Funnel Cakes:  start at $6

Turkey legs:  $8

Cheese sticks:  $6

Ravioli: $6

Dippin' Dots:  starting at $4

Snow cones:  starting at $3

Fried pickles:  $3

Italian sausage:  $7

Steakburger:  $5

French fries:  starting at $3

Gelato & Sorbetto:  starting at $3

Corn Dog Sale at Sonic 5/23/13

Sonic is selling their corn dogs for only 50 cents today to celebrate National End of School Day.  If you get a corn dog or two AND have saved one of the Sonic receipts (with your validation code) for a free Route 44 drink, you can spend less than $2!  

Budget Stretcher

When you are getting groceries, keep on mind that some things are often cheaper at Sam's Club.  Not all things are cheaper, but there are some good values.  It does require a membership or guest pass to shop there.  I've found that I do actually save enough throughout the year for the membership to be worthwhile.  

One of the best values I've found has been potatoes.  Today, I paid $2.45 for a 10 pound bag.  There are a lot of ways to use potatoes--regular mashed, cheddar smashed, garlic & Parmesan smashed, roasted with herbs, potato soup, stews, veggie soups, and on and on and on...

Some of the other groceries that often seem to be a good value at Sam's Club are limes, bags of garlic, milk, heavy whipping cream, some spices, and some meats.  I tend to look for the orange tags that say "reduced for quick sale."  

I don't have a Plus Membership, but I did notice that some packages of meat were an extra $3 off right now with that type of membership.  

Grape Tomatoes, Eggplant, and English Cucumbers...

Kroger has a 10 for $10 sale through this Saturday that makes many things only $1 each.  I was very happy to find the grape tomatoes included in the sale as they are normally at least twice that amount.  Since I am what I refer to as a "tomato snob," I prefer only to eat ones picked in season or full of flavor.  During winter and other non-producing months, I tend to get the grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, or Campari tomatoes.  These don't seem as tasteless and mealy to me as some of the hothouse ones out there. I'm debating getting another box to make  and freeze ahead some sofrito...

English cucumbers and eggplants are also includes in the sale.  My son loves cucumbers as much as my daughter loves tomatoes, so this made both kids happy--and healthy.  The eggplant is for me to experiment a bit...

Check for Produce Clearance

Our local Kroger stores have started a clearance rack in produce.  Granted, these are things that are near the end of their shelf life.  However, if you are using them quickly or freezing them, you can save quite a bit.  I routinely check for peppers as these can be quite pricey.  When I find a bag of three red or orange peppers for 99 cents, they often go into the shopping cart.  If I'm not using them in salsa fresca or something else, I freeze them to use later in fajitas, stir fry, or whatever the need may be.  Sometimes I can find a small bag of the little red potatoes for 99 cents or bananas for 39 cents.  Onions are a no brainer, and so are citrus fruits if the peel is still in good enough shape to zest.  

Besides produce on clearance, the Kroger stores in my area also have clearance carts for bakery goods and non-perishables.  If you are fortunate enough to have a coupon that matches something on clearance, you can save even more!  

Save BIG on Meat, Deli, and Italian Specialty Groceries!

Today only, while quantities last, you can purchase up to three $20 vouchers to spend at Louie's P & R in Herrin, Illinois, for only $10 each.  This is an awesome deal for purchasing meat, deli sandwiches and items, even Italian specialty foods that may not often otherwise be on sale.  If you use your voucher when they run a sale on hamburger or toward a meat bundle, your savings are even greater. 

Louie's P & R, a genuine Italian deli established in the 1890's is a treasured piece of Herrin's history.  The service and products are wonderful.  

Don't miss out!  

$3 Off Flowers at Kroger

Just in time for Mother's Day! Currently, there is a Catalina generating at Kroger stores for three dollars off of a floral department purchase when you buy two Freschetta frozen pizzas. The pizzas are still on sale (at least through today) for $3.99 a piece. If you have any coupons for that brand you might even get them cheaper. So, if you basically spend $8 on two pizzas (cheaper than carry out...) you get $3 back in the form of a floral department Catalina making each pizza only $2.50 a piece. You would need to buy the pizza in a separate transaction than the flowers in order to use the Catalina.

A Few Favorites Still on Sale Today at Kroger

Kroger still has a sale going on through today in which you get $5 off if you buy five participating items. Among my favorites are the Planter's Peanut Butter for 99 cents, Arm & Hammer Liquid Laundry Detergent for $2.99, and select jars of Vlasic pickles for $1.99.

The Reach dental floss Catalina is still printing as well. Go to coupons.com and print a couple of the coupons for $1.00 off of two Reach dental flosses. You can normally print two per computer per month. The dental floss is currently priced at $1.00. If you buy four, a Catalina prints at check out for $3.00 off of your next grocery purchase. Mine is valid through mid-April. If you buy four Reach flosses for $4.00 and use two coupons, it brings the cost down to $2.00 for four Reach flosses. When you get the Catalina back, you end up making a dollar to spend on something else the next time you go grocery shopping. Even if you don't use dental floss, hygiene productions are good donation items.

Save on Necessities Today at Walgreens

I don't remember reading these in the sale ad, but my family went to Walgreens today and discovered that the Sunny brand individually wrapped big toilet paper rolls and paper towel rolls are on sale for two rolls for a dollar. Eggs are also on sale for a dollar a dozen--but hurry if you need eggs because they are rather sparse today...

Personally, I prefer to buy the individually wrapped big rolls of toilet last just as long as the cheaper packages containing four rolls. Plus, they just seem more sanitary for storage.

This would be a great opportunity stock and donate :)

A Frugal and Somewhat Southern Meal

I experimented with cooking collard greens tonight at my daughter's request. Yes, my ten year old daughter asked to try collard greens. We were checking for produce clearance when we went Krogering the other day, and she picked up a fresh bag of collard greens marked down to 99 cents. She likes kale chips, so it didn't surprise me that much.

So, I decided to build a meal around them. Combining suggestions from friends and online research, I used pieces of bacon, garlic, onion, Sweet Smokey Sand (our house rub,) brown sugar, and a bit of chicken broth. The bacon was actually clearanced as well. I paid less than $4 for 1.5 pounds of brown sugar bacon that normally retails near $8. I only needed to use 2 slices. Not bad! Even the onion was in a bag of about 4 marked down to 99 cents.

For our protein, I used the large pork chops we bought at Louie's P & R. First, I marinated them for about half an hour in a can of guava nectar, freshly grated ginger root, and freshly chopped cilantro. Then I added just enough water to cover them and about two tablespoons of the Sweet Smokey Sand. After their little guava bath, they were patted dry with a paper towel so that I could rub on more Smokey Sweet Sand. The pork chops were actually very inexpensive because I purchased them with a local savings voucher. I paid $10 for a $20 voucher. With the voucher, I ordered a $22 mini meat bundle containing 2 pounds ground beef, 2 pounds bacon, 2 pounds of pork chops, and 2 pounds of pork steak. For all 8 pounds, I only paid $12.23 out of pocket, or $1.53 per pound! Three huge pork chops ended up only costing $3.06. I usually get the Jumex guava nectar under 50 cents a can at Walmart. Of course, I had to serve the pork chops with my trusted bottle of Salsa Lizano on the table...

I also found ears of corn on sale for only 30 cents per ear. I wrapped them in foil and baked them in the oven. Once they were done, I peeled back the husks to form a handle and the tassel pulled right off. Frozen basil pesto (frozen in an ice cube tray from our summer crop) was the base for the spread. I mixed a couple thawed cubes of the pesto with some softened butter, mayo, a pinch of sweet smokey sand, a shot of hot sauce, and a bit of agave nectar for sweetness. After spreading this on the corn ears, they were sprinkled with shredded Parmesan cheese. My nine year old son ate two ears of this...

I must admit, I cheated on the Mac 'n Cheese. While I was Krogering, I spotted a container of Bob Evans brand Mac 'n cheese marked down to $1.99...

So without figuring in the Sweet Smokey Sand, butter, mayo, and similar things we keep on hand, I'd say the break down for 3 people--with some leftovers--roughly went like this:
Collard Greens $1.20
Pork Chops $3.50
Corn on the Cob $1.80
Mac 'N Cheese $2.00

By freezing things when I can either buy them on sale or grow them combined with using fresh clearanced or sale produce, I spent less than some "value meals" cost to feed my family plus leftovers.

$20 Grumpy's gift card for only $10

Hurry! They only have a few of these left...

Today's Deals



http://thesouthern.upickem.net/r/8VJ3K3Hsqru





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* When 3 of your friends buy this deal you get your money back! Refund can only be earned once per deal.

"Fire and Ice" Ceviche with Bay Scallops

I originally posted this on my old blog site. I'm in the process of moving a few favorites to Coupons to Cupcakes.


Recipe: “Fire & Ice” Ceviche


Spicy ceviche on a bed of limon ice

Ceviche "Fire" Ingredients:

small pack of bay scallops

assorted peppers, including sweet italian and jalpeños

small red onion

handful of cilantro

pinch of sea salt

pinch of coarse ground pepper

juice of 3 clementines

juice of 3 key limes

juice of 2 lemons

lemon zest

Directions:

1. chop all peppers, onions, & cilantro

2. combine with the citrus juices,lemon zest, salt, & pepper in a bowl and set
aside

3. thaw and season the bay scallops with a little salt and pepper

4. grill the scallops for about 3 minutes on the George Foreman grill

5. mix in with the other ingredients in the bowl

optional: add a few drops of Tabasco sauce or use hotter peppers

Limon/lemon “Ice” Ingredients:
juice of approximately 5 lemons

juice of approximately 5+ key limes

approx. 3 tblsp sugar

approx. 1 cup water

Directions:

1. mix all ingredients in a shallow pan, such as a medium Tupperware FreezerMate

2. freeze uncoverd but use a fork to “flake” the ice every half hour or so

Assembly:
1. place the limon/lemon ice into the bottom of a bowl, sherbet dish, margarita
glass, etc.

2. add a few spoonfuls of the ceviche on top of the ice

3. garnish with lemon zest and cilantro

Save Through Local Voucher Programs

I recently purchased vouchers through mytownhalfprice.com for $10 to be used toward a $20 purchase at Louie's P & R, our local Italian deli. I was excited to find that they also sold meat bundles already designed to save the customer money. The smallest bundle, the Mini Meat Pack, was only $22 for 2 pounds each of ground beef, pork steak, pork chops, and bacon. This was already a good deal, but when I applied the voucher, I ended up only paying a total of $12.23 for eight pounds of meat. It came out to be around $1.53 per pound!

Our local newspaper, the Southern Illinoisan, also had a similar program that features savings for businesses such as restaurants and bowling. Take time to see what is available in your area and sign up for email alerts. You could save big!