Grocery Deals 3/27+

HEB        strawberries 1.47/lb (vs. 1.88 Randalls), pineapple 1.88, mangos .33, apples .98/lb, potatoes 1.98/5#, onions .98/lb, whole chickens .88/lb, fajitas 1.97/lb, ham 1.27/lb, clementine 5.88/5#, cake mix $1

Randalls  pork loin 1.99/lb

Sprouts    strawberries 1.50/lb, blueberries 1.50 (6oz), oranges .49/lb, (vs .98HEB), apples .99/lb, grapes 1.99/lb, broccoli .88/lb, avocados .88, tomatoes .88/lb, lettuce .88/lb, onions .49/llb, Blue Bell 3.99

Weekly Menu 3/30+

Saturday		enchiladas verdes black beans avocado
Sunday		Easter Dinner
April Fool's		meatloaf cupcakes peas brownies
Tuesday		pizza grilled cheese zucchini
Wednesday		ham & egg tacos fruit candy
Thursday		cowboy pie beans salad
Friday		grilled pork chops rice a roni asparagus pineapple

Grocery Deals 3/20+

Sprouts       clementines $4/5#, grapefruit .33, apples .99/lb., green bell peppers .33 (vs .78 Randalls), avocados .50 (vs $1.50 HEB $1.25 Randalls), roma .99/lb., lettuce .99, red bell peppers .99, spinach .99. boneless chicken 1.99/lb. 9vs 2.99 Randalls), spiral ham 1.99/lb., steak 5.99/lb., frozen foods all 20%

 

HEB           apples .98/lb., pears .98/lb., grapes 1.88/lb. (vs 1.99 Sprouts) asparagus 1,97/lb., roast 2.97/lb., legs/thighs $1/lb., pork chops 1.97/lb.

 

Randalls    roast 2.99/lb., cake mix .99, flour 1.99/5#, leg quarters .59/lb.,

strawberries $5/2# (Friday only)

Weekly Menu 3/23+

Saturday		buffalo chicken sweet potato fries cookies
Sunday		hamburgers tater tots strawberries
Monday		zitti w/sausage salad garlic bread
Tuesday		taco crescent bake green beans cantaloupe
Wednesday		shredded beef cheddar spirals
Thursday		grilled chicken rice peas
Friday		catfish tater tots fried okra

Tip Tuesday--Back to the Bags

I thought I'd share a couple of the comments I received about the bags...

This is the Garden...

This is the garden that L&S built.

Frugal Friday--Grocery Bags

March 1st it became official.

Stores in the City of Austin no longer have to provide plastic bags for their customers.  It's bound to be a great money maker for the stores because now the bags they used to provide for free they now can charge up to $1.99 for.  Or you can be like me and just decide that you'll balance all of your office supply purchases in your two hands and carry them out to your car.

But that brings up the big question... how do you remember to bring your bags into the store as you are going in?  Several people have asked me this question and I really didn't have a good answer.

It is funny, but when I go shop at Sprouts, I consistently remember because they give me a nickel back every time I do the 'right thing'.  I wonder if they have removed that policy now?  hmmmm.

This is where my bags live...

in the trunk of my car.  That's often where they stay when I go into the store because I forget to open the trunk until I'm putting my groceries in.

Idea #1: When you are headed to the store, put your purse or male carry-all (if you carry one of these) in the trunk of the car before you leave the house so when you get to the store you'll think, "Hey, where's my purse," and remember to get your bags out along with your purse.

Idea #2: Put your purse/male carry-all into one of the bags as you are leaving the house.  I do see one down side to this... Usually the grocery store is my last stop in a series of errands where I could see needing that carry-all before it's time for needing the bags in the first place.

Idea #3: Move the bags to the front seat (assuming no one sits there) and clip your list to the bag so you won't overlook the bags on the front seat and rush into the store without them anyway.  Hopefully you're using a list to shop with.  :)

One more item about the reusable bags.  L tells me they are huge harbingers of germs, especially if you have had raw meat in them, which makes sense.  Please wash them regularly so you don't accidentally poison your family.  So far I've been able to avoid meat purchases and reusable bags, but that day will no doubt come along.


I had three suggestions for remembering your bags, but would love to hear what YOU do, to remember and avoid paying the penalty.

Grocery Deals 3/13+

HEB         cantaloupe .98, tangelos .97/lb, asparagus 2.48/lb, chicken breast $1/lb, pork chops 1.97/lb, brisket 1.97/lb,

Sprouts   asparagus 1.67/lb (vs 2.47 HEB), cabbage .25/lb (vs .39 Randalls), red/green bell peppers .48, lettuce .88, blueberries 2.88 (pt), apples .88/lb, celery .88, spinach .88, avocados .88, roma tomatoes .88/lb, chicken tenders 1.88/lb

Randalls  85% lean ground beef 2.49/lb, corned beef 2.27/lb (vs. HEB 3.77), clementine’s $6/5#. Mayo/miracle whip 2.49, [with coupon: Grand’s biscuits .99, pasta .99, green salsa 1.49]

Weekly Menu 3/16+

Saturday		chicken spaghetti broccoli bread
Sunday		corned beef potatoes & carrots rainbow fruit salad
Monday		steak red potatoes green beans & corn
Tuesday		shake'n' bake stuffing ranch style beans oranges
Wednesday		carne guisada tortillas pico de gallo
Thursday		skillet chicken corn green beans
Friday		cheese pizza salad cookies

Small Scale Sailing

One nice thing about these incredibly windy days is that if you have a hankerin to build a sailboat out of random items you can then quickly go put the idea to the test.

Just so you know the idea was that the plastic parachute would open in the wind and carry the 'boat' across the water 'super fast'.  The rock filled spent cartridges were to provide balance and weight.  The cardboard was the flotation device and the pipe cleaners were for....  I don't remember.

And around here you can sometimes draw an audience to encourage you too.

Like Charli and her buddies

Or maybe they just happened to be thirsty.

The alien creature that was attached to the parachute didn't do a great job getting the parachute to utilize the wind the way the builder intended.  Either way, the craft successfully made it across the tank;

Twice.

And Then There Were None

This is our pen on Sunday evening.  

Grocery Ads 3/6+

HEB       strawberries 1.48/lb., apples .98/lb., tangelos .88/lb., pineapple 2.98, roast 2.97/lb., boneless chicken 1.99/lb., ham 1.27/lb.,

 

Randalls  roast 2.99/lb., pork chops 1.99/lb., legs/thighs .99/lb., oranges .79/lb., poptarts 1.88, with coupon: chili .99 

Sprouts     blackberries .99, cuties $4/5#, grapes 1.99/lb., apples .88/lb., red/green peppers .50, yellow/orange peppers .88, avocados .88, roma tomatoes .88/lb., lettuce .88

Weekly Menu 3/9+

Saturday		turkey burgers tater tots smores
Sunday		baked chicken baked potatoes broccoli peanut butter cookies
Monday		pork roast rice green beans
Tuesday		chili beans cornbread
Wednesday		heavenly meatballs fried potatoes broccoli
Thursday		pork lo mein egg rolls oranges slices
Friday		shrimp scampi angel hair spinach salad

The Show

Friday morning we checked in our hens, and found that almost everyone else brought roosters. Our friends who had their coop burn down last year had three enormous roosters.  They weighed in at 10 lbs the night before.  Goodness!  

We had everyone in their holding cage and waited until 1pm when it would be 'our turn'.  

The Show-er

Thanks for returning, there's a little more to the prep story that you need to hear.... 

I heard from someone who used to show chickens, that the night before we should bathe them in Woolite so that they were super white and clean.  Did you you know that people did such things?  Me either.

How do you go about washing chickens?  Naturally you do it in your kitchen sink.  But first you have to go out in the freezing cold pitch black dark of night when you get home at 8:30pm and re-sort your chickens.  Then so that they don't get eaten by whatever it is that is lurking out there beyond the edges of where the yard light reaches, or freeze to death away from the heat lamps, you take them first to your bathtub to have them wait in the warm house.

All weekend I've been calling this, "The Year of Ignorance".  This is probably the best place to start using this phrase, because honestly how to do you go about washing a chicken?????; personally... I was ignorant on the subject.

We filled the sink with warm water and a little Woolite.  I didn't want them to be too soapy.  We'll just say that the first time I didn't use enough soap.  Chickens are gross and dirty and disgusting and people should not bathe them in their kitchen sinks.  Just sayin.

Then you need to rinse them. 

L did get involved because he was not satisfied that things were getting clean enough.  My pull down faucet did come in handy, and the spray feature was used.  J was compelled to take a video, but I can't quite figure out how to get it uploaded.  Email me if you really want to see it.  I won't expect many takers.

Then you have wet chickens, and yes if they get scared as their foot slips down the disposal drain they flap their wet wings wildly.  Why yes, that does create quite a mess and you have to take a shower when it is all over.  

Naturally, you don't want to take a wet chicken back outside to the freezing cold so you bring the metal trough into your dining room, yes the very one that they wouldn't stay inside in the coop.  Thankfully chickens are more stupid than we are ignorant, and they think that cardboard laid over the top makes it impossible to get out.  Honestly, I wasn't so sure that would be the case during the night, but it all worked out.  There were no chickens roosting on the couch when I woke up Friday morning.

After the sink was cleaned and bleached I went back to see the damage that my bathtub and bathroom took as the birds awaited their turn at chicken spa.  Believe me when I tell you, you are thankful I didn't take a picture.  

They looked like wet rats when we 'put them to bed', but in the morning they were indeed beautifully white puffy clouds of well preened feathers. Show time... 

Show Prep Week

Last week was a crazy whirlwind.  On some days/nights it was truly very windy.  

As last week was coming to a close we were preparing for the livestock show on Friday.  The chickens, who are now no longer chicks by any stretch of the imagination.  But you can relive their growth spurt here.