Looks like there are a few good deals this week at Ridley's. Happy shopping!
Fritos or Cheetos 3 bags for $5.00
Farr's Ice Cream $3.88 each
2 liters of Shasta soda (assorted varieties) $.64 each
W.F. (8 pack) hamburger or hot dog buns $.72 each
Cantaloupe $.48 pound
Red seedless grapes $.99 pound
Cucumbers 3 for $1.00
Green peppers 2 for $1.00
Limes 10 for $1.00
W.F. dozen large eggs $.99 each
W.F. (16 oz) sour cream $.88 each
Don't forget Harper's Homemade Bread (all varieties) are still 4 for $5.00!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
Yellowstone National Park
This post doesn't share any fabulous frugal tips for traveling, but I just wanted to share some of the highlights of our family trip to Yellowstone National Park last weekend. This was quite an event, considering the last time we took an actual family trip that required a hotel stay Child #4 was 5 months old! Most of our family fun consists of day trips, fishing, and camping (which is frugal), but Child #1 is seventeen and on the verge of being a Senior and Dear Hubby and I realized our time to spend making memories with him are dwindling. Therefore, we dipped into the slush fund, threw caution to the wind (literally), and spent some time making memories with our kids!
Here we are in the gift shop at the Bear and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone, Montana (forgive Child #3's taste in wardrobe; he's going through his Hill Billy phase):
We saw Buffalo about 5 miles into the park! It was amazing! They were just laying on the sides of the road. This one was so close to the Suburban that I could have reached my hand out of the car window and touched it (but I didn't).
There were also a ton of baby Buffalo, as well! Only a face a mother could love, in my opinion!
We also saw elk. Which, made Dear Hubby (a.k.a. The Great White Hunter) very, very excited!
Our next stop was Old Faithful. I wish we would have spent more time exploring here, but it was 38 degrees and over cast. Needless to say, convincing the troops to take a hike did not happen.
The troops much preferred playing Tic Tac Toe in the Snow Lodge gift shop instead!
I did convince them to go inside Old Faithful Lodge (which is the oldest log built structure in the United States) to take a look! You can see all five stories to the roof from the center of the lobby!
The troops were just appeasing me, of course. They know I have a "thing" for old architecture (here they are on the second floor balcony).
We also tried to picnic at the rest area by the Lodge, but it was so cold outside that we froze out. My fingers started turning purple and going numb while I was slapping sandwiches together, so
we finished our meal in the Suburban! After lunch, the troops decided to take a little siesta (I think they were really in a Root Beer, Oreo, M&M coma), but it was gloriously quiet (something that is rarely achieved in a car full of cold, wet children) and I wasn't about to complain (plus moods improved greatly after a little shut eye).
We couldn't resist going to see Yellowstone Lake. Can you believe there is still snow in the mountains?
In fact, there was still snow in the parking lot of the Yellowstone Lake Visitors Center! The troops wanted to have a snow ball fight, but I put my foot down on that suggestion!
On the way home we drove past the Grand Teton mountains. They were quite a sight to behold!
We also stopped in Jackson Hole, Wyoming for dinner (Bubba's BBQ here we come!!!), but we took a minute to take a picture of the antler arch at the entrance of the town square. Jackson Hole is right next to the National Elk refuge, so they have a constant supply of replacement parts!
It was definitely a fun, entertaining, fabulous (and exhausting) weekend!
Here we are in the gift shop at the Bear and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone, Montana (forgive Child #3's taste in wardrobe; he's going through his Hill Billy phase):
We saw Buffalo about 5 miles into the park! It was amazing! They were just laying on the sides of the road. This one was so close to the Suburban that I could have reached my hand out of the car window and touched it (but I didn't).
There were also a ton of baby Buffalo, as well! Only a face a mother could love, in my opinion!
We also saw elk. Which, made Dear Hubby (a.k.a. The Great White Hunter) very, very excited!
Our next stop was Old Faithful. I wish we would have spent more time exploring here, but it was 38 degrees and over cast. Needless to say, convincing the troops to take a hike did not happen.
The troops much preferred playing Tic Tac Toe in the Snow Lodge gift shop instead!
I did convince them to go inside Old Faithful Lodge (which is the oldest log built structure in the United States) to take a look! You can see all five stories to the roof from the center of the lobby!
The troops were just appeasing me, of course. They know I have a "thing" for old architecture (here they are on the second floor balcony).
We also tried to picnic at the rest area by the Lodge, but it was so cold outside that we froze out. My fingers started turning purple and going numb while I was slapping sandwiches together, so
we finished our meal in the Suburban! After lunch, the troops decided to take a little siesta (I think they were really in a Root Beer, Oreo, M&M coma), but it was gloriously quiet (something that is rarely achieved in a car full of cold, wet children) and I wasn't about to complain (plus moods improved greatly after a little shut eye).
We couldn't resist going to see Yellowstone Lake. Can you believe there is still snow in the mountains?
In fact, there was still snow in the parking lot of the Yellowstone Lake Visitors Center! The troops wanted to have a snow ball fight, but I put my foot down on that suggestion!
On the way home we drove past the Grand Teton mountains. They were quite a sight to behold!
We also stopped in Jackson Hole, Wyoming for dinner (Bubba's BBQ here we come!!!), but we took a minute to take a picture of the antler arch at the entrance of the town square. Jackson Hole is right next to the National Elk refuge, so they have a constant supply of replacement parts!
It was definitely a fun, entertaining, fabulous (and exhausting) weekend!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Softening Corn Tortillas
Sorry, I didn't spend a lot of time blogging last week, but our family took a little trip to Yellowstone National Park (which, I will post more about later). I'm trying to recuperate from spending several days stuck in the car with 4 children (5, if you count Dear Hubby)! As I was planning out this week's menu (using this week's Bountiful Basket items; which included more corn tortillas), I remember this handy tip for softening corn tortillas without using oil (Dear Hubby and I are both trying to shed a few pounds). My family loves soft tacos and enchiladas, and corn tortillas are a healthier option than white flour tortillas, but they are very difficult to handle straight out of the fridge. I was taught that you soften them by frying in hot oil for a few seconds (very yummy, and very fattening!). After some experimenting, I have discovered that if you lay 2 - 3 tortillas on a paper plate, cover them with another paper plate, and microwave them for 20 - 30 seconds in the microwave the steam created between the paper plates softens the tortillas enough to make them easy to roll up. Another bonus is that there is not a greasy mess to clean up either!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Ridley's (Associated Food) Deals 6/8 - 6/14
There weren't a whole lot of great deals in the Ridley's ad this week. I guess some weeks are just like that!
W.F. (5 oz) Albacore tuna $.94 each
W.F. (12 count) regular or sugar ice cream cones $.99 each
White Satin (2 pound) bags brown or powdered sugar $.94 each (this is a stellar deal and worth stocking up on!)
Fritos or Cheetos 3 bags for $5.00
Cantaloupe $.59 pound
Kiwi fruit 4 for $1.00
Cucumbers 2 for $1.00
Happy Shopping!
W.F. (5 oz) Albacore tuna $.94 each
W.F. (12 count) regular or sugar ice cream cones $.99 each
White Satin (2 pound) bags brown or powdered sugar $.94 each (this is a stellar deal and worth stocking up on!)
Fritos or Cheetos 3 bags for $5.00
Cantaloupe $.59 pound
Kiwi fruit 4 for $1.00
Cucumbers 2 for $1.00
Happy Shopping!
Monday, June 7, 2010
How Does Your Garden Grow?
I have to tell you I am a country girl at heart. That is saying a lot, considering I was born and raised a city girl. In my world meat came from the grocery store. My only experience with gardening was being sent to Grandma's house to weed (and occasionally glean) the garden. It wasn't until I married a country boy (who had come to the city to work and attend school) that I gained an appreciation. It was quite an education to realize that you can grow and hunt your own meat, and that vegetables don't miraculously sprout on their own. It has taken a few years (and I'm still not all that crazy about wild game....shh! Don't tell my husband), but I love being able to grow and can my own vegetables.
When we bought our first house, we planted our first real garden. It was huge; mainly because the yard was lacking in lawn, and growing a garden on half the lot was cheaper than covering it in sod. We had also drained our savings purchasing our (very little) house of dreams, and growing our food was much more economical than buying it. Unfortunately, as our little brood increased we quickly out grew our starter home. Dear Hubby and I decided to buy a house that our family could grow up in close to schools, and work. Our house has fit the bill, except for the yard(it is not very big). It has made gardening a little more challenging.
I have learned that you have to use all available space:
I am lousy at growing flowers (I kill them), so I planted tomatoes, peppers, and strawberries in my flower beds. I also have discovered that even though landscaping fabric is not the most frugal option it is definitely my friend (and it can be rolled up at the end of the season and be saved to use the next year).
In areas of the garden where the plants won't fill in and choke out the weeds; black landscaper's fabric cuts down on the weeding, big time! Roll it out, and stake it down or hold it down with pieces of wood or landscaping pavers (which I got at a discount at the Home Improvement store, because they were chipped). If you notice the white plastic pipe and sprinkler heads along the fence; Dear Hubby rigged a sprinkler system to easily water the garden.
Cut out holes where you want to plant your veggies. Pots help keeps the plastic blowing away in the wind, and they are great for planting herbs in.
Pieces of fence stretched between fence posts make great trellis' for beans, winter squash, cucumbers, and melons. Anything that vines can be trellised. Two years ago I trellised banana squash, and I had an 18 pound squash that hung off the fence with out falling off. It was amazing!!! If your accident prone or have kids (that would be me on both counts) cut a slit in old tennis balls and place over the tops of the fence posts to protect against potential accidents.
As you have probably noticed the garden runs along the backyard fence. To utilized my garden space I use the Square Foot Gardening method in areas where I want to grow smaller plants, like carrots, beets, spinach, onions, and lettuce. The landscaping pavers divide out the areas I have planted, and giving me some place to stand when I am weeding or gleaning the garden( they also act as a weed barrier). Our main garden space is 5 feet x 175 feet. I am able to grow enough produce in it to feed my family, the neighbors, and can enough to tide us over in the winter. This year I have planted: tomatoes, green peppers, jalapeno peppers, yellow summer squash, zucchini squash, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, cucumbers, green beans, broccoli, beets, carrots, onions, spinach, leaf lettuce, basil, parsley, dill, and basil.
When we bought our first house, we planted our first real garden. It was huge; mainly because the yard was lacking in lawn, and growing a garden on half the lot was cheaper than covering it in sod. We had also drained our savings purchasing our (very little) house of dreams, and growing our food was much more economical than buying it. Unfortunately, as our little brood increased we quickly out grew our starter home. Dear Hubby and I decided to buy a house that our family could grow up in close to schools, and work. Our house has fit the bill, except for the yard(it is not very big). It has made gardening a little more challenging.
I have learned that you have to use all available space:
I am lousy at growing flowers (I kill them), so I planted tomatoes, peppers, and strawberries in my flower beds. I also have discovered that even though landscaping fabric is not the most frugal option it is definitely my friend (and it can be rolled up at the end of the season and be saved to use the next year).
In areas of the garden where the plants won't fill in and choke out the weeds; black landscaper's fabric cuts down on the weeding, big time! Roll it out, and stake it down or hold it down with pieces of wood or landscaping pavers (which I got at a discount at the Home Improvement store, because they were chipped). If you notice the white plastic pipe and sprinkler heads along the fence; Dear Hubby rigged a sprinkler system to easily water the garden.
Cut out holes where you want to plant your veggies. Pots help keeps the plastic blowing away in the wind, and they are great for planting herbs in.
Pieces of fence stretched between fence posts make great trellis' for beans, winter squash, cucumbers, and melons. Anything that vines can be trellised. Two years ago I trellised banana squash, and I had an 18 pound squash that hung off the fence with out falling off. It was amazing!!! If your accident prone or have kids (that would be me on both counts) cut a slit in old tennis balls and place over the tops of the fence posts to protect against potential accidents.
As you have probably noticed the garden runs along the backyard fence. To utilized my garden space I use the Square Foot Gardening method in areas where I want to grow smaller plants, like carrots, beets, spinach, onions, and lettuce. The landscaping pavers divide out the areas I have planted, and giving me some place to stand when I am weeding or gleaning the garden( they also act as a weed barrier). Our main garden space is 5 feet x 175 feet. I am able to grow enough produce in it to feed my family, the neighbors, and can enough to tide us over in the winter. This year I have planted: tomatoes, green peppers, jalapeno peppers, yellow summer squash, zucchini squash, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, cucumbers, green beans, broccoli, beets, carrots, onions, spinach, leaf lettuce, basil, parsley, dill, and basil.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Stretching Fabric Softener
I promise I did not fall off the face of the earth! It has just been a busy (insane) week. Child #1 decided he was Johnny Rambo while paint balling with his friends (it was their way of celebrating the last day of school). He ran up a gravel incline, and jumped over the top, not realizing it was a small cliff on the other side. Being a genius 17 year old, he used his right arm to catch himself. He is now the proud owner of a cast and sling!!!!!! The garden has turned into quite a project, too. I have had to plant between rain storms, so it is still a work in progress!
Now on to the real subject.......Fabric Softener! I really like using liquid fabric softener, but it is kind of expensive. So, I have been experimenting with ways to make it last longer. After much trial and error (and Dear Hubby complaining about static y underwear), I have discovered that if you mix it half softener and half distilled white vinegar it works just as well, and lasts twice as long. Vinegar has anti static properties; I tried using it all by itself, but the clothes still came static y. The vinegar smell dissipates in the dryer, so the clothes just come out soft, static free, and smelling springtime fresh!!
Now on to the real subject.......Fabric Softener! I really like using liquid fabric softener, but it is kind of expensive. So, I have been experimenting with ways to make it last longer. After much trial and error (and Dear Hubby complaining about static y underwear), I have discovered that if you mix it half softener and half distilled white vinegar it works just as well, and lasts twice as long. Vinegar has anti static properties; I tried using it all by itself, but the clothes still came static y. The vinegar smell dissipates in the dryer, so the clothes just come out soft, static free, and smelling springtime fresh!!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Ridley's (Associated Foods) Deals 6/1 - 6/7
Looks like there are quite a few good deals at Ridley's this week! It is definitely worth stocking up on a few things for summer!
White Satin (5 pound) bags of sugar $1.98 each
White Satin (25 pound) bag of sugar $9.99 (limit 2)
This is a great deal on sugar, so stock up for summer jam making and canning!
Roma tomatoes $.69 pound
Yellow onions $.69 pound (a very good price on onions right now)
Leaf or Romaine lettuce $.79 each
Spinach bunches $.99 each
Medium avocados 2 for $1.00
Seeded watermelons 4 pounds for $1.00
Pictsweet (14-16 oz) select varieties frozen vegetables $.79 each
W.F (15 oz) assorted varieties of diced tomatoes $.48 each
W.F.(48 oz) spaghetti or elbow macaroni 2 for $5.00 ($.84 pound)
Kellogg's (Corn Pops, Froot Loop, Apple Jack, Mini Wheat) cereal $1.49 each (first 4)
Keebler cookies (select varieties) $1.58 each (first 4)
W.F. (2 pound) bags shredded cheese $4.99 each
W.F. (1 pound) package butter $1.87 each
W.F. (16 oz) container cottage cheese $.99 each
W.F. (24 oz) container sour cream $1.19 each
W.F. 1 dozen large eggs $.77 each (great price for eggs)
W.F. (6 0z) assorted varieties of yogurt $.29 each
Big Buy (16 oz) packages bacon $1.49 each
80% lean ground beef $1.59 pound
Boneless, skinless chicken breast $1.59 pound (sold in 20 pound box for $29.80)
W.F. (96 oz) bleach $1.09 each
VO5 (15 oz) select varieties shampoo $.84 each
Happy shopping!
White Satin (5 pound) bags of sugar $1.98 each
White Satin (25 pound) bag of sugar $9.99 (limit 2)
This is a great deal on sugar, so stock up for summer jam making and canning!
Roma tomatoes $.69 pound
Yellow onions $.69 pound (a very good price on onions right now)
Leaf or Romaine lettuce $.79 each
Spinach bunches $.99 each
Medium avocados 2 for $1.00
Seeded watermelons 4 pounds for $1.00
Pictsweet (14-16 oz) select varieties frozen vegetables $.79 each
W.F (15 oz) assorted varieties of diced tomatoes $.48 each
W.F.(48 oz) spaghetti or elbow macaroni 2 for $5.00 ($.84 pound)
Kellogg's (Corn Pops, Froot Loop, Apple Jack, Mini Wheat) cereal $1.49 each (first 4)
Keebler cookies (select varieties) $1.58 each (first 4)
W.F. (2 pound) bags shredded cheese $4.99 each
W.F. (1 pound) package butter $1.87 each
W.F. (16 oz) container cottage cheese $.99 each
W.F. (24 oz) container sour cream $1.19 each
W.F. 1 dozen large eggs $.77 each (great price for eggs)
W.F. (6 0z) assorted varieties of yogurt $.29 each
Big Buy (16 oz) packages bacon $1.49 each
80% lean ground beef $1.59 pound
Boneless, skinless chicken breast $1.59 pound (sold in 20 pound box for $29.80)
W.F. (96 oz) bleach $1.09 each
VO5 (15 oz) select varieties shampoo $.84 each
Happy shopping!
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