Month: November 2015

Turkey, and Cheepie Out!

This week is odd because of the holiday, so I won’t be catching you all up on the ads until later in the week.

If you’re still wondering where the heck to buy a turkey, fear not! You can buy one, thaw it if frozen, and still have time to ponder the age-old-inside-or-out stuffing dilemma as all Americans have done since deciding to pull the guts out of the bird before cooking.

Fiesta:

       Jennie-O frozen turkey 10-16lbs                  43clb   limit 1 w/$25 purchase

   Jennie-O fresh turkey 10-16lbs                    $1.79/lb

HEB:

       HEB frying turkey, frozen, seasoned            $1.47/lb

Randalls: (both deals limit 1)

      Honeysuckle turkey, 8-24lbs, frozen           59c/lb w/$20 purchase

                                                                                         39c/lb w/$50

      Honeysuckle whole turkey breast, frozen    $1.99/lb, B1G1

Sprouts:

        fresh free-range organic turkeys                    $3.99/lb

Trader Joe’s:  

        All Natural Brined fresh turkeys, 12-16lbs or 18-22lbs.     $1.99/lb

        Glatt Kosher turkeys, 12-16lbs.     $2.49/lb

Screen shot 2015-11-23 at 11.16.24 PM

Happy Thanksgiving, Cheepsters. Thanks for sticking around and making my weekly numbers non-zero. It’s been a good year and I’m looking forward to growing even more.

 

Links in case you’re looking for turkey info, confused, or snoot-full of Beaujolais Nouveau and bored:

http://www.traderjoes.com/digin/post/turkey-roasting-guide

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/blog/last-minute-turkey-tips-expert

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/blog/your-thanksgiving-questions-answered

Want to chat with a person about your particular turkey problem?

http://www.butterball.com/contact-us

Are you a Martha, way deep down?

http://www.marthastewart.com/274491/how-to-roast-a-turkey/@center/1009014/thanksgiving-turkey-main-dishes

Do you miss picking up Reader’s Digest as a kid and thinking you were cool because you could roll with what the grownups were reading? No? Just me? Moving on…

http://www.rd.com/funny-stuff/funny-thanksgiving-help-line-calls/

Safe travels, good food and fellowship for all.

Happy Ad Wednesday!

It’s time again. Lots of holiday sales on roasts and produce, not just turkeys!  I’ve been trying to cook from the freezer to make space for the new deals–it’s always much easier to do when the weather is cooler.  Stew, curry, and stocking up on stock are all somehow easier for me when the weather gets at least a bit autumn-ish.

 

Autumn_tree (4)

You feel better now, don’t you? Fall is good!

I’ll be cooking up a lot of potatoes on the cheep this week! 19c for a pound of comforting starch? Sign me right up for that!

I’ll also be getting the super-cheap frozen turkey at Fiesta, possibly two. Other things on my list are cranberries, celery, pineapples and cereal.

 

Randalls  (through 11/26)

pork loin roast, bone-in center cut                        $1.99/lb

Honeysuckle turkey, fresh, 8-24lbs                       $1.49/lb

Honeysuckle whole turkey breast                          $1.99/lb, B1G1 (limit 1)

Honeysuckle turkey, frozen, 8-24lbs                   39c/lb w/$50 purchase, 59c/lb w/$20 purchase (limit 1)

Russet potatoes, 8lb bag                                            $1.49/ea

Blue Bell, selected half -gallons                              $3.99/ea

Fri-Sun ONLY:

80% lean ground beef, value pack                           $1.99/lb (limit 2)

Owens sausage rolls, 16oz.                                         2/$4 (must buy 2)

yellow onions, 3lb sack                                               99c/ea

Triscuits, Wheat Thins, Ritz                                      3/$5 (must buy 3)

Cap’n Crunch or Life cereal                                      $1.49/ea (must buy 4)

 

Sprouts  (through 11/26)

pineapples                                                          98c/ea

navel oranges                                                    48c/lb

cranberries, 120z bag                                      98c/lb

celery                                                                    48c/lb

organic carrots, 5lbs                                        $2.98/ea

fresh turkey, all natural, 10-24lbs              $1.59/lb (order online for pickup)

bulk raisins                                                         $1.99/lb

Sprouts stock, 32oz                                           $2/ea

Mountain High yogurt, 32oz                          $2.50/ea

8″ apple or pumpkin pie                                 $2.99/ea

 

HEB (thru 11/26)

sweet potatoes                                                                 20c/lb

CM organics baby spinach, spring mix, 16oz         $3.88/ea

MacIntosh or Granny Smith apples                           99c/lb

Smithfield shank portion ham                                   $1.27/lb

HCF split chicken breasts                                             $1/lb

Boston Butt pork roast                                                  $1/lb

 

Fiesta (through 11/26)

russet potatoes, 10lb bag                                        $1.99/ea

celery                                                                             50c/ea (M-W only!)

pork picnic, whole                                                      97c/lb (Fiesta limit)

Jennie-O frozen turkey, 10-16lb.                           43c/lb (limit 1)

Sugardale smoked ham, butt or shank                  $1.39/lb (Fiesta limit)

bscb, value pack                                                              99c/lb (Fiesta limit)

Land O Lakes butter, 16oz                                           $2.50/ea

Crisco vegetable oil, 48oz                                           $1.99/ea (limit 2)

Cajun Injector brand peanut oil blend, gal             $6.99/ea

 

Wheatsville (through 11/24)

organic Granny Smith apples                                       $1.99/lb

 

Celery is on sale everywhere. Wheatsville still lists their price by the pound, which I might have to visit with them about because seriously, that makes zero sense.  While I’m talking to them I might bring up the fun fact that celery was once the caviar of the vegetable world.

What? You didn’t know that celery, now the humble ranch-to-face delivery system, lived once in expectation of single task glassware?  Fancy folks of a Victorian sort would put celery in a vase on the table, thus conveying their rareified air to people of a similar fancy.  Cheepie wants you to know this sort of thing, in case you wind up a time traveler. I don’t want you to blow your cover because you laugh when you see the celery vase on the table. 

Screen shot 2015-11-18 at 2.24.57 PM

Gotta have one? Want to buy me one? Here’s a whole storeful! The more you know. Cheepie cares.

Happy shopping, Cheepsters!

Weekly Flyer Links

Happy Ad Wednesday!

It’s $2 cheese time! I love $2 cheese time!

Sprouts had cheese for this price for several weeks back in the spring. How do I know it was spring? Because I just looked at the block of pepper jack I thawed out to see what the label said!  I stocked up, because if it’s one thing that will convince my kids to eat something it’s to pile some cheese on top of it.  

In the spring, there was one type on sale each week, alternating among colby-jack, pepper-jack, ordinary-jack and cheddar. For storage, frozen cheese will keep just fine, but it’s crumbly after thawing so not great for slicing.  

I’m hopeful this is the start of a few weeks of this special!

one for you, one for me, one for you, two for me...

one for you, one for me, one for you, two for me…

And now, off to the races…

Fiesta

frozen Jenni-O turkey, 10-12lbs                                    57c/lb (Fiesta limit)

pork sirloin chops, bone-in, family pack                     97c/lb (Fiesta limit)

white potatoes                                                                    59c/lb

Roma tomatoes                                                                   44c/lb

Texas juice oranges, 5lbs                                                     $2.50/ea

green cabbage                                                                     25c/lb

Gala apples, 3lbs                                                                  $2.49/ea

large avocados                                                                    $1/ea

celery                                                                                        88c/ea

Randalls

frozen Honeysuckle turkey, 8-24 lbs.                                  59c/lb (limit1 w/$20. while supplies last)

Safeway frozen meatballs, 22-26oz.                                $4/ea

Del Monte canned vegetables, 11-15oz, selected          47c/ea (buy 6)

Land o Lakes butter                                                                  $2.50/ea

Chex or Kelloggs cereal, selected                                             3/$5 (buy 3)

Sprouts

blackberries, 5.6oz                                                               88c/ea

Hass avocados                                                                     50c/ea

squash: acorn, butternut, spaghetti                                  88c/lb

boneless skinless chicken thighs                                      $1.49/lb

bulk oats: quick, steel or rolled                                         50c/lb 

colby jack cheese                                                                 $1.99/lb

HEB

Smithfield shank portion ham                                                                $1.27/lb

HCF chicken drums or thighs, value pack                                        $1/lb

seasoned boneless chix thighs for fajitas                                          $1.97/lb

Pink Lady apples                                                                                     97c/lb

kiwi                                                                                                               25c/ea

grapefruit                                                                                                   25c/eaScreen shot 2015-11-11 at 12.09.00 PM

Halo mandarins, 5lbs                                                                                     $4.77/ea

Whole Foods

organic Yukon Gold, Russet or Red potatoes        98c/lb

organic cucumbers                                                           98c/ea

Gulf shrimp, 31/40                                                             $7.99/lb ($3 off)

Wheatsville

organic Fuji apples, 3lb bag                                             $4.99/lb

As a last note, I’d like to let Wheatsville know that this ad really bugs me. Who buys celery by the pound? It’s an ‘each’ item. Screen shot 2015-11-11 at 12.48.45 PMUnless you’re okay with me tearing up celery bunches to get the weight I want you should price it as an each.

Weekly Flyer Links

Cheep Cheep!

Happy Ad Wednesday!

Happy November Cheepsters! We’re here, we’re cooking, we’re ready to turkey!

Cranberries_with_leaves

Cranberries look like this before Ocean Spray                        jams them in a can!

I just want to make it clear I’m kind of a fan of all things turkey and Thanksgiving. I will find the turkey deals. I will tell you about them. I will obsess about cranberries and the yam/sweet potato wars.

In the meantime, Sprouts is all over the applewars with a 88c/lb for 14 varieties sale. 14! Surely you like one of those, so get over and stock up.  

Other deals I like this week are avocados, vegetable oil and ice cream. Let me know what you like, too!

HEB

Hass avocados                                                            50c/ea (no size indicated)

Honeycrisp apples                                                      $1.47/lb

green cabbage                                                             33c/lb (grackle only)

organic Fuji apples                                                      $1.97/lb

Country Pride chicken leg quarters, 10lb bag     29c/lb (limit 2)

Fiesta

Roma tomatoes                                                                       44c/lb

bscb                                                                                         $1.49/lb (Fiesta limit)

Texas juice oranges, 5lbs                                                          $2.49/ea

Thurs & Fri ONLY:

pork shoulder, whole cry-o-vac pack                                      87c/lb (Fiesta limit)

Fiesta vegetable oil, gallon                                                         $3.99/ea

pineapples                                                                                         99c/ea

russet potatoes, 5lb                                                                                 99c/ea

onions, 3lb                                                                                               88c/ea

Gold Medal AP flour, 5lb                                                                       $1.33/ea

Tortimasa masa mix, 4.4lb                                                                    88c/ea (limit 2)

Randalls

Honeysuckle turkey, 8-24lbs, frozen                              59c/lb

bscb                                                                                     $1.69/lb

russet potatoes, 5lb. bag                                                 $1.49/lb

Oak Farms ice cream, half gallon                                   $2.99/ea

Cereal/Fruit Snacks/Granola bars, buy 4                        $1.69/ea  (check ad for brand info)

Sprouts

apples, 14 varieties                                                                88c/lb

eggplant                                                                                 99c/ea

Halos mandarins, 2lb                                                         $2.48/ea

HassAvocados                                                                     48c/ea

chicken breast tenders                                                         $1.77/lb

assorted pork chops, bone-in                                                $1.77/lb

organic carrots, 5lb bag                                                      $2.98/ea

organic Russet potatoes, 5lb bag                                       $2.98/ea

Weekly Flyer Links

Once a Month Cooking

There are a lot of sites out there for bulk cooking. Once a Month. Paleo Once a Month. 30 Meals in a Weekend!   But when I started looking, a lot of them weren’t…complete. There would be a list of meals, and a vague plan.  Or a detailed list of meals and recipes, but no shopping list.  And then there were the sites that wanted $12 for a OAMC meal plan (Once A Month Cooking)(It’s kind of a cult)(Not really, but with a bit more oomph it could take off)(Maybe I could be their Leader!).

So I researched, and thought, and planned.  

I’m the only person in my family that will eat casseroles. These meal plans are separated into the ‘crock-pot’ and ‘casserole’ versions, so with the rest of my pack in slow.cooker.03mind, I focused on the crock-pot versions.  These mostly involve a lot of raw meat going into ziplocks, followed by various things that cause the meat to be either ‘Buffalo Chicken’ or ‘Teriyaki Chicken’.  

After scanning several different plans, I came up with mine.  I had a list of 14 meals, and there was a shopping list to make. Then I’d need a chunk of time to assemble everything.

Here’s the list I came up with after taking everything into consideration. There are 7 chicken meals, 3 pork, and 4 beef.  All involve just getting the ingredients into the bag to be labeled and frozen. No browning, no pre-cooking. All have a halfway decent shot at being liked by 3/5ths of the pack here at Rancho del Cheepie.

I found these at Who Needs A Cape? which has a much more elaborate 40 meal plan (which does have the list, recipes, and instructions!). I wasn’t quite ready to jump in that far! Their recipes were simple, and avoided most of the ‘add three cans of cream of this to two cans of chopped that and you’re good’. 

Green Chili Pork

BBQ Apple Pork

Maple Dijon Pork

Beef Fajitas

Beef tips & Gravy

Beef Stew

Mongolian Beef

Buffalo Chicken

Teriaki Chicken

Cilantro Lime Chicken

Chicken Tacos

Island Chicken

Chicken Cacciatore

Orange Chicken

I can’t tell you how excited I am for Island Chicken! It’s either going to be a hit or a PB&J night, for certain. Stay tuned later this week for the assembly post, shopping list, and costs.