Couponing in Critical Times

Muir Glen Coupon

2009-12-26T10:01:00.001-05:00

RedPlum has released a new $1/1 Muir Glen Product coupon. There tomato paste will often go on sale at Kroger for $1, making it free with this coupon. There are some other great coupons on the list that you might also like to check out!

“Striking Gold at After Christmas Sales”

2009-12-26T09:52:00.000-05:00

Go here to read Nancy’s newest article on “Striking Gold at After Christmas Sales.” I was interviewed and quoted for her article.

Have you already made your way to the stores this morning? Included below are a few more tips that weren’t included in her article.

Go as soon as you can after Christmas to get the best deals.
Don’t waste your time on sales that aren’t at least 75% off. 75% off is my magic number, as the more drastically the items are reduced the less selection is available. 90% off is great, but if you can only pick from a few items that might also be damaged, it isn’t worth your time.
Make a list of people you need to buy for in the next few months. Think of ways that you can buy their presents for less by shopping after Christmas sales. What about a nice pair of warm pjs for your daughter’s February birthday? Would your best friend like a cashmere sweater for her January birthday?
Keep in mind the recipient's taste and style. If the item is hideous and if you wouldn’t like it, it doesn’t really matter how drastically reduced it is, does it???
Stores like Kroger might not be your first thought when searching for after Christmas sales, but they might have more selection and better prices than a store like Hallmark for paper plates or even Christmas cards.
If you do not have a place to store the item, if it will be forgotten in the holiday packing, or if it is not in your budget, don’t buy it. Like I always say, if something is wasted, it isn’t a “good deal”.

Have fun shopping!

Tip of the day

2009-12-26T06:28:00.000-05:00

Start looking for dramatic price reductions in holiday merchandise today. I try to pick up my holiday cards for next year’s Christmas as soon after Christmas as I can.

Lipsmacker Coupon

2009-12-25T17:16:00.001-05:00

Go here to print $1/1 Lipsmacker product coupon. If you wait for holiday sales you might snag some free lip product!

Thanks to Saving Your Cents for this great coupon info!

Tip of the day

2009-12-25T06:46:00.000-05:00

Take some deep breaths! On a busy and fun filled day like Christmas, it is especially important to take some time to yourself. Even if it is only for a few minutes, try and take a bit of time to focus on your breath and meditate on what today means to you. When I speak with people about meditation, they often think that they must sit cross legged and chant. On the contrary, meditation can take many forms—prayer, focus on nature, yoga or another form of exercise, guided imagery, listening to music, reading scripture or a devotional, etc. Do what works best for you. The important step is that it brings you back to your center, back to a focused place where you feel more balanced and whole. Try to stay in the moment today rather than fretting over when the ham will be done, when guests will arrive, or if your children will like their gifts. Ask yourself periodically, “What am I thinking about?” If it isn’t what is happening right at that time, try to refocus your energy. I know this can be tough, that is why it is called a mindfulness practice.

I hope that your Christmas is a very merry one. I hope that it is filled with many blessings for you and yours!

Merry Christmas!

Free Coconut Oil????

2009-12-24T19:43:00.000-05:00

Yes, you read correctly! Visit Coupon Mommie’s post to find out all the details. Hurry—the deal is only good today and tomorrow!

PawPaw’s Banana Pudding

2009-12-24T11:51:00.001-05:00

I told you all that my father has diabetes. This dessert has been a good alternative for him on special occasions. While it does contain carbs, the dessert is a much better option than others. I’ll warn you, there is artificial sweetener galore in this recipe so it isn’t in the least bit “holistic”. ;) There also isn’t a photo because my dad has already started enjoying the pudding!!

Ingredients

1 small packet of sugar free vanilla pudding made according to package directions

1 small packet of sugar free banana flavored pudding made according to package directions

1 small tub of lite or sugar free cool whip (Contain the same carbs) If you prefer and have the cream on hand, by all means whip your own and use Equal or Splenda to sweeten it

1 cup approx unsweetened coconut flakes

1 box of sugar free vanilla wafers (approx 2 cups)

3-4 bananas sliced

Layer—cookies, banana flavored pudding, coconut, bananas, vanilla pudding, and cool whip. Sprinkle with crushed wafers for garnish if desired and refrigerate for at least 1 hour prior to eating.

Earth Fare—more free!

2009-12-24T11:39:00.001-05:00

Earth Fare is really wanting you to stop in and give them a try. Not only did they send out a free ice cream with purchase coupon yesterday, but today they sent a BOGO pie coupon! I will warn you that when I clicked the link I could not find the coupon to print it. I’m hoping it is a glitch on my end and that you might have better luck.

What does this mean? You could visit Earth Fare, buy 2 pies and a tub of ice cream for the price of one pie! Note that the coupons do not expire until 12/29 so if you have your holiday baking accomplished already (as I do), you might pick these up for your New Year’s Eve celebrations.

Coupon Preview 12/27

2009-12-24T11:32:00.000-05:00

Go here to view the coupons scheduled for this Sunday’s paper. I wasn’t too impressed with the list, as Procter and Gamble is the only flyer. I’ll most likely take the week off for coupons. Did you catch any that looked like they might match with upcoming deals? If so, please leave a comment so that all might benefit.

Tip of the day

2009-12-24T05:27:00.000-05:00

Have a few extra items on hand for hostess gifts when visiting friends this holiday season. Boxes of teas, nice lotions, home canned goodies or homemade treats, a nice box of chocolates—just about anything small that you can keep ready for visiting will work. While no one expects these items, they always go over very well and show an extra appreciation for hosting you and your family.

Free Earth Fare Ice Cream with any purchase!

2009-12-23T08:46:00.000-05:00

Go here to print your coupon. Happy Shopping!

Tip of the day

2009-12-23T05:42:00.000-05:00

Don’t throw away those citrus peels! This time of the year many of us are enjoying fresh citrus fruits, and I encourage you to make sure nothing goes to waste.

If you want to zest the fruit, do so before you cut or peel it.
Zested fruit that is uncut will keep for at least another three days (more if it does not dry out).
Use the peels as an air freshener. Place the peels in a saucepan of water (add cinnamon sticks and whole cloves if desired) and leave on a simmer for a few hours.
Use the peels to freshen your garbage disposal. Grind a few peels at a time.
Peels are fine to add to your compost piles, but many worm composters recommend against use of peels for worm food. The acidity in the peels is not good for the worms.

Do you have any other uses for citrus peels? Leave a comment so that all might benefit.

Guest Post from Senior Care Consultants

2009-12-22T13:25:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, I am a social worker, and my preferred field is work with older adults. I receive a newsletter from Senior Care Consultants, a local geriatric care management program. I found the article below quite interesting, and I thought my readers might benefit from seeing it. I contacted Brenda Southerland for permission to post it here. I asked her to include the first paragraph, telling local readers more about the program and how to contact them if their services might be needed. Thank you Brenda!

Senior Care Consultants, Inc. (SCC) is a geriatric care management company that has been serving seniors and their families in the Knoxville area for over 10 years. Geriatric care management services consist of assessment of the older adult in their environment to determine needs and wants related to long term care services, followed by development and implementation of a care plan based on those identified needs and wants. SCC also offers consultation, long term care placement, daily money management, and serves as an agent under power of attorney for health care and/or finances. SCC offers the senior a one stop shop for local community resources, and offers the family a peace of mind. To learn more about SCC, go to the website www.seniorcareonline.net or call 865-579-5886. SCC currently has a promotional offer which consists of one hour of free in-office consultation, with no obligation to purchase additional services.

What to Look for During Holiday Visits with Older Relatives

For many of us, the holidays offer a once-a-year time to visit with older relatives who live at a distance. It offers a valuable opportunity to assess what assistance loved ones need, and any changes in cognitive and/or physical functioning that has occurred during the past year. Often times, these changes are not detected during phone calls, but become evident once the older adult is visited in the home. These changes may be even more obvious since you have not seen them in such a long period of time. Thus, you may detect changes or decline in the senior's functioning that those who see them on a regular basis may miss. The following are a few areas to assess:

Look for signs of self neglect such as poor hygiene or weight loss
Isolation has increased and senior no longer appears to be as active as previously
Bills are unpaid and services are disconnected
Increased confusion or difficulty concentrating
Depression and/or anxiety
Evidence of drug or alcohol abuse
Concerns expressed by neighbors, family, or church members
Senior seems to be experiencing increased difficulty performing activities of daily living

As a concerned family member who lives at a distance, it can be an overwhelming experience to note concerns regarding your older relative. However, there are some ways you can help:

If possible, schedule another visit soon so you can investigate local community resources to help with activities of daily living and provide needed support
Schedule an appointment with the older adult's physician so treatable causes of the problems can be addressed
If problems are severe and threatened the safety of the senior, contact Adult Protective Services at 1-888-277-8366

Hire a geriatric care manager. This professional can serve as your eyes and ears locally, assess for needs, develop a care plan, and keep you updated. To contact SCC, Inc for a home assessment, contact us by phone at 865-579-5886 or by email sencare@bellsouth.net.

Waffle House freebies, and a note about Saving Your Cents

2009-12-22T11:03:00.001-05:00

Thanks to Saving Your Cents for this restaurant freebie info:

You can go here to print out a coupon for a FREE sausage biscuit from Waffle House (you can even forward the page to friends and family at the bottom!).
While you're there be sure to click on the link to sign up for the FREE 2010 Waffle House Calendar!

If you haven’t checked out the Saving Your Cents site, I encourage you to do so. She often has information on freebies, shopping at Kmart, and other couponing info that you can’t find other places.

I had hoped to have more time on the computer this morning, but I’ve started my holiday baking and meal prep. I’ll try to post here and there when I have breaks. If you have any freebies or couponing info that you think readers would like to know about, please don’t hesitate to e-mail me at couponingincriticaltimes@gmail.com

Tip of the day

2009-12-22T09:01:00.001-05:00

Many of you will be hosting overnight guests this holiday season. Here are a few hospitality tips I’ve learned over the years:

Give your guests space. They may not want to be entertained the entire time they are at your home. Give them time alone. On their nightstand, place a few books or periodicals that you think they might like.
Stay in the guest room before your guests if possible. This will give you a better sense of what to include in the room. In the middle of the night did you stub your toe because there wasn’t a night light? Did you reach for a box of tissues only to find that it was empty? Did you need a lamp on the nightstand for reading?
The bed--Always have clean sheets. Have an extra blanket or quilt so that they can layer their blankets if needed. Have an extra pillow or two so that they can choose what type of pillow (firm, soft, feather, etc).
If you have a shared bathroom, put a few extra towels in their bedroom. They may not want to look through your cabinets to find towels.
Either in their bathroom or somewhere in their room, place some extra toiletries. Couponers could potentially place a crate of extra toiletries that we’ve “purchased” for free, but don’t go overboard. A toothbrush, toothpaste, razor, shampoo/conditioner, deodorant and lotion make a good combination.
Make sure there is a trashcan available in the room for their use.
If you have a shared television or one in their room, include a few general instructions on how to turn it on or how to use the DVD player.
Be upfront. If you do not allow smoking in your home, set up a spot outdoors where they can smoke.
Don’t have a guest bedroom? No worries. Add some of the same touches to the pull out couch, futon, or even some nice sheets on the couch.
The extras—I’ve found that a nice bouquet of flowers adds an extra touch to the room. In colder weather, an evergreen bough or swag of magnolia leaves looks nice. Adding a water pitcher, a few bottles of water, or a small coffeemaker in the room is a special touch. Or, go the 5 star hotel route, and add some chocolates to their pillows.

Breakfast--

Offering an assortment of things that will hold allows your guests to have breakfast when they are ready. Boiled eggs, pastries, fruit, lox and bagels, juices—these seem luxurious and people can enjoy them when they are hungry and ready to eat.
If you know when your guests are ready for breakfast, make ahead foods like strata, quiches, and breakfast parfaits mean that you are visiting with your guests instead of slaving away in the kitchen.

Most importantly, do not be so stressed about being the perfect hostess that you forget to be in the moment. The real blessing is that you have guests who want to spend time with you. Don’t miss out on that connection because you are worried about every little detail.

Today only 25% off everything Eddie Bauer stores!

2009-12-22T08:37:00.001-05:00

Go here to find a location near you.

Back in

2009-12-21T18:03:00.003-05:00

I've just arrived back from Memphis. We spent the weekend there helping begin the process of cleaning out my grandmother's house. We weren't sure we were going to be able to make the trip, as our daughter was sick last week, but it worked out that we were able to take the trip. I'm looking forward to a week of Christmas celebrations at home!

I hope to update the blog a bit in the morning. Have a great evening!

Meal Planning Monday—Christmas Time!

2009-12-21T10:12:00.000-05:00

Good morning all! I hope your Monday has been a spectacular one thus far. Did you know that Mondays are my favorite? There is something so refreshing about a new start and looking forward to what the week holds—crazy, I know.

This week, I thought I’d talk a bit about Christmas. As you already know, it rolls around the same time each year, and therefore we’ve been able to plan ahead. I’ve included the list of what we will be making and some notes on how we planned ahead. I hope this might give you some ideas for your holiday season either this year or next.

Christmas Dinner—this year we’ll be pleased to host my father as part of our Christmas celebration. With the passing of my grandmother, future holidays will all be different. Who knows what our new traditions will be, but this year we’ll be happy to be with “PawPaw”. My uncle and many of my cousins live in East TN, and we’ll most likely see them either on Christmas Day or afterwards.

The food

Turkey—When our local Kroger store was relocating, I purchased a turkey at half off, AND I had a coupon! This made our holiday bird cost about $5. Since we’ll use the turkey for this meal, leftovers, and I’ll make broth from the carcass, the turkey should feed us for many meals.

Sausage Dressing—Many Southern homes make dressing instead of stuffing. Based on what we have on hand, our family enjoys eggplant, mirliton, oyster, seafood, or sausage dressing. I purchased sausage on sale and with a coupon, making it less than $1 per pound. I had originally planned to buy local sausage from a farmer friend, but he ran out before I made it to the market. His sausage is amazing, and I’ll make sure to plan even further ahead next year so that we have it. I use celery, onions, green onions, parsley, and bell pepper in my dressing as well as cornbread. We have frozen bell pepper from the garden and still have green onions and parsley ready to pick. We have a few storage onions from earlier this year that will also be added in.

Ham—I bought a ham a few weeks ago at Kroger at a sale price with a coupon. The ham was the big purchase for this meal at $13. We will use it for the meal, leftovers, and I use the ham bone to make the black eyed peas for New Years Day.

Green Bean Casserole—I purchased canned green beans on sale at Kroger a month ago. I bought canned cream of mushroom soup on sale with a coupon at Walgreens and did the same with the French fried onions.

Corn—Our area didn’t have a great corn season, but we were able to freeze a few gallons this year. We have saved one gallon bag for Christmas Day. I sauté it with a bit of butter. I purchased organic butter half off at Kroger when our local store was relocating. The butter was around $2/lb which is an amazing price for organic butter.

Turnip Greens—while turnip greens are not a traditional food, they are ready to pick in our garden, and my father loves them. Since he has diabetes, this will be a healthy choice for him.

Sweet Potato—I’ll probably roast some sweet potatoes for my father and make Yum Yum Sweet Potato casserole for us. We purchased locally grown sweet potatoes. The farmer uses organic farming practices. These were much more expensive than the grocery store sweet potatoes, but the flavor is far superior. I bought these about a month ago and have stored them for Christmas.

Honey Whole Wheat bread—While this is not a perfect choice for my father, it is a better option than white bread or rolls. He will not be able to eat much. The fact that the whole wheat is freshly milled makes this a much healthier option for all to dine upon. As far as preparation goes, I purchased the wheat in January of last year. The honey was bought on sale (shame on me for not buying local honey, I know). The organic butter sale was mentioned above. If our daughter wants jelly on top, which she often does, we have some home canned strawberry, apple butter, and peach jam.

Relishes—We have home canned pickled beets, dill pickles, bread and butters, jalapeños, and onion relish—all but the bread and butters were from our garden and those were given to us by my sister-in-law. I bought some black and green olives at Walgreens on sale with a coupon a few months ago.

Cranberry Sauce—I bought this on sale at Kroger a few weeks ago. I’m not certain that we will use it since it is such a concentrated sweet, but we have it on hand just in case.

Gravy—Folks, I had in my hand a bag of gravy mix before I came to my senses. Really, gravy from a mix? We’ll have the drippings from the turkey and will cook down the turkey neck with the gizzards and some hard boiled eggs. Waste not, want not.

Deviled eggs—I’ll make these without sweet pickles so that my father can also enjoy them. I bought the eggs from a friend who owns chickens. I’ve been saving the smaller eggs from each dozen just for this occasion. I mix the yolks with a bit of Hellman’s Mayo (the ONLY mayo that I use if I can help it), minced green onion tops, chopped pimento olives, and Tony’s. How I wish we could splurge on some caviar to top these! I don’t know of any sales on caviar and have NEVER seen a coupon…alas!

Sautéed pears—I’ll take a quart of home canned pears and put them juice and all in a sauce pan. I’ll add a tablespoon of butter and a few dashes of cinnamon. This will cook down and the liquid will reduce until it makes a syrup. I’m not 100% sure I’ll make these, as they’ll be a major temptation for my father. It is in the plan, though, so I thought I’d mention it.

Desserts-- a sugar free banana pudding for my father made with sugar free pudding that was a filler item at Walgreens, sugar free cool whip free with a coupon, milk from our local dairy Cruze Dairy Farm, marked down bananas, and sugar free cookies (too bad those weren’t on sale!) Daughter dearest and I will make gingerbread men. I’ll either make homemade pumpkin pie or butternut squash pie. I have canned pumpkin and have the butternut squash puree ready in the freezer. I have some lard that a friend of mine gave me earlier in the year. (I use it for the pie crust, and I am aware that this will sound strange to folks in different regions of the country). I have canned evaporated milk that I bought free after coupons and Mega Sale at Kroger. I stocked up on sugar a few weeks back when there was a sale and I had some coupons. I’ll pour the cream off of our whole milk and whip it for the topping to the pie. If we are really needing more sweets, which is doubtful, I’ll make some rice krispie treats and cut them in Christmas shapes with a cookie cutter. (I bought the cereal at a great price with the $5/4 coupon at Walgreens a couple of weeks ago).

What will we be eating the rest of the week? Just like on the week of Thanksgiving, most of our meals before Christmas will be simple dishes that were made ahead from the freezer or quick meals from the pantry. Then after Christmas we will enjoy the leftovers, and I’ll make a big pot of vegetable soup with the turkey carcass and vegetables we put up from this year’s garden.

Yum Yum Sweet Potato Casserole

2009-12-21T07:07:00.000-05:00

For years I wouldn’t give this recipe out when friends asked. It was my mother’s recipe, but many women of that generation have either this same recipe or a very similar one in their repertoire. It is fitting that I post the recipe today, as it would have been her birthday.

Be aware that it is sweet and buttery—don’t make this if you are going to get on the scale the next day or have your cholesterol checked!

Ingredients

3 c. cooked sweet potatoes

1 c. sugar

½ c. butter, softened

2 well beaten eggs

1 T. vanilla

¼ t. salt

Mix the ingredients above together with a potato masher and place in a buttered casserole dish.

1 c. brown sugar

1 c. chopped pecans

1/3 c. flour

½ c. butter, softened

Mix the above ingredients with a fork or with your hands and sprinkle on top of the potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly and the top forms a crust. My recipe says 20 minutes, but it always takes longer than that for me.

Tips—ALWAYS bake sweet potatoes in the oven. Their sugars turn to starch when boiled, and they become stringy when microwaved. The potatoes that are small and round are naturally sweeter. You can bake the sweet potatoes the night before wrapped in tin foil and cool them in the fridge to make this process easier. Make sure to get the natural sugars out of the tin foil that drain out. I always add more vanilla. I do the Southern cook trick of just letting the vanilla run over the tablespoon measure.

Note—This was my mother’s recipe, and it is a family favorite. You can cut the butter back by about a tablespoon or two in each stick that is required for the recipe. You can also reduce the white sugar by at least 1/8 of a cup without any change in texture or quality. Make sure you put it in a casserole dish that is deep enough, as the butter will flow over the top. Enjoy!

Tip of the day

2009-12-21T06:03:00.000-05:00

This is the perfect time of the year to clean your oven. The heat from your oven will help to warm up the house.

The self cleaning oven setting is a very high heat. In order to save energy, set the oven to clean right after baking. When I make pita bread, the recipe requires that the oven be heated to 500degrees. Once I’ve finished baking the last of the pita bread, I close and lock the oven and set it to self clean. I’ve heard that clean ovens distribute heat more evenly when baking. I’m not sure if that it the case or not, but I know that I like having my oven fresh and shiny!

Tip of the day

2009-12-20T08:12:00.000-05:00

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle for the holidays--Please add to this list any tips you'd like to share about doing this for the holidays.

*Have one person assigned to picking up the "trash" while unwrapping presents. This is always Uncle Jeff in my family. I have no idea how he became nominated, maybe because he was married into the family. ;) He gets a big trash bag for all of the paper that can't be reused--this will be going to the recycling bin. The gals in the family sort through the ribbons, gift bags, boxes, and papers that can be reused for the next holiday or another gift opportunity.

*If your host family does not recycle, offer to take it for them when you leave.

*Have a compost bowl or bucket you can use while prepping food. No fats or animal products of any type. If you have a worm farm, watch using onions, egg shells, and breads.

*Put a bowl in the sink for rinsing vegetables or collecting water that is running off of vegetables for use outside.

*Make sure the leftovers do not go to waste. Ask relatives to bring their own take home bowls so that they can leave with food. Don't forget to save the ham bone to freeze for your traditional New Year's recipes (in our house they are black eyed peas boiled with the ham bone and cabbage rolls). The turkey or goose carcass makes an excellent soup the next day. If you are vegetarian, save the vegetable peels that have been rinsed thoroughly to make a vegetable stock.

A Happy Thought

2009-12-20T07:17:00.000-05:00

“Change your thoughts,

Change your world”

—Author Unknown

Tip of the day

2009-12-19T06:51:00.000-05:00

Wear your gloves! Want to save some money on lotion this winter season? Does your skin crack or tear more easily when dry? Do not forget to wear your gloves when you are outside. You will be amazed at how much it helps to reduce the dryness in your skin.

A little light reading

2009-12-19T06:43:00.000-05:00

Go here for some ideas on energy reduction/money saving when doing laundry.
Go here for a sweet post from Life as Mom on grieving around the holidays.
Go here for some homemade food gifts for the holidays.
Go here for a few ideas on staying warm.

Y’all have a fantastic weekend!

More free food at Puleo’s!

2009-12-18T11:57:00.000-05:00

Have you signed up for Puleo’s Grille Chef’s e-Club yet? If not, you might want to sign up and sign up as a Facebook fan. I received this e-mail a few moments ago:

We invite you to become a Puléo's Facebook fan and we'll treat you to either our Award Winning Chicken Chili Nachos or a dessert of your choice with the purchase of two entrees. Offer expires Feb. 28, 2010.

Go here to read my restaurant review. There are links for the e-Club.

Become a fan of your local Puléo's on Facebook, select the restaurant nearest you:

Puléo's Grille Knoxville

Puléo's Grille Cookeville

Puléo's Grille Murfreesboro