At first thought, making your own deodorant may seem far fetched, but believe me — it’s not. Odds are good that you already have most, if not all, of the ingredients for this simple recipe in your kitchen cupboards!
Guest post from Elise of Frugal Farm Wife
I remember the first time I bought deodorant after I got married. I found myself cringing as I shelled out dollars for a tube of the natural, aluminum-free variety, and then apologizing profusely to my husband for spending so much on a single tube of deodorant.
I need not have worried. We’re both cheapskates, but if anything, my husband is more health conscious than I am, so he had no problem spending a bit extra on the good stuff.
It was the last time I ever bought deodorant, though.
When that bottle ran out, we tried using a deodorant stone for a while (with limited success), and then I stumbled across some homemade deodorant recipes online, and we were hooked!
We have been really impressed by the effectiveness of this deodorant, and not only that, but everybody we’ve talked to loves it as well!
There is one drawback to using homemade deodorants; while they are very effective odor inhibitors, they are not technically anti-perspirants. The cornstarch (or arrowroot powder) does absorb perspiration, significantly reducing, but not eliminating moisture.
While homemade natural deodorant may cost a bit more than the coupon and sale savvy shopper pays for the drugstore variety, making your own deodorant is by far the cheapest and most effective way we’ve found to go natural.
Ingredients for Homemade Deodorant
- 1/4 cup baking soda
- 1/4 cup cornstarch or arrowroot powder
- 2-4 Tablespoons coconut oil (at room temperature)
- 10 drops of essential oil such as tea tree, lavender, or rosemary (optional*)
*NOTE: Essential oils are not completely necessary, but antibacterial oils do provide extra protection against odors — to say nothing of how nice they smell!
How to Make Your Own Deodorant
1. In a small bowl, thoroughly mix baking soda, cornstarch, and essential oil.
2. Stir in coconut oil, a little at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
3. Store in airtight containers to prevent drying out.
The type of deodorant container you use will determine the consistency that you need your deodorant to be.
You can make your deodorant super thick and pack it into an empty deodorant tube so that you can apply it just like any other deodorant, or you can make it a bit thinner, and store it in a small container or jar to rub in as a lotion.
Homemade Natural Deodorant
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup baking soda
- 1/4 cup cornstarch or arrowroot powder
- 2-4 Tablespoons coconut oil at room temperature
- 10 drops of essential oil such as tea tree lavender, or rosemary (optional*)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, thoroughly mix baking soda, cornstarch, and essential oil.
- Stir in coconut oil, a little at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
- Store in airtight containers to prevent drying out.
Notes
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Elise is a God-follower, wife, mom of two munchkins, and dairy goat enthusiast, who blogs about affordable gluten-free living, making things from scratch, and farm life at FrugalFarmWife.com
My Morning Routine: Day 4
How’s your new morning routine going? I’m encouraged at the slow and steady progress I’m making each day in following my New Morning Routine. I might not be following my routine perfectly by any stretch of the imagination, but I’m getting a lot more done and staying a lot more focused.
Here’s how Day 4 went for me:
6:30 a.m. — My alarm goes off. I’m tired so I make the decision to sleep for another hour.
7:30 a.m. — My alarm goes off a second time. I get up and turn on my laptop as I have a project with an early morning deadline and it needs just a few finishing touches before it is done.
(As much as I’m trying not to turn on the laptop until my morning routine is done, you sometimes just have to do what you have to do — even if it means veering from the ideal. The good news? I was disciplined this morning and only stayed on for 15 minutes — just enough time to finish what had to be done. That’s progress, right??!)
7:45 a.m. — Project done, I shut down the laptop and head downstairs to the kitchen to clean up a small mess leftover from the evening before (we’d gone over to one of our friend’s houses for dinner and had brought some of the food… we’d gotten home late, so I just pretty much dumped the plates, bowls, cooler, and utensils in the kitchen and gone to bed. Yep, that’s how I roll sometimes!).
8:05 a.m. — I gather the dirty laundry from the bedrooms, sort it, and start some laundry.
8:11 a.m. — Silas is up so I help him get some breakfast. Jesse and I decide to let the girls sleep in for a bit since we were out late last night. Jesse and I chat a bit while I make coffee.
8:29 a.m. — I sit down in the living room with my coffee and read my Bible, write in my Blessings journal, and read 3 short chapters from Pursue the Intentional Life — I’m really being inspired and blessed by this book!
9:00 a.m. — I answer a few texts from friends — one asks me for prayer requests, another wonders if we can chat on the phone to catch up this afternoon or evening. I’m so blessed and thankful to have such wonderful friends in my life!
9:05 a.m. — The girls wake up and saunter down to the kitchen to get their breakfasts. I help Silas take a quick bath and get dressed.
9:12 a.m. — I switch the laundry and then sit down at the kitchen table with everyone and read one very long chapter from The Saturdays with the kids while they eat breakfast. Silas and Kaitlynn ask Jesse if he can help them make apple/carrot juice. So while I’m reading, he pulls out the juicer, helps them chop and wash the produce, and makes juice for them.
10:00 a.m. — We’re finally finished with the chapter and breakfast. Jesse sends the girls upstairs to get ready for the day and I delay my run and shower for a bit and instead open up my laptop to get started on my Morning Computer work.
This morning, I pretty didn’t follow the outline of New Morning Routine at all, but that’s life sometimes. You get home late the night before. You give yourself grace when you’re tired. And you just jump in where you are and do the best you can do!
How did you do on your morning routine on Day 4? Let us know in the comments!
Q&A: How can a non-morning person have an effective morning routine?
Q&A: How can a non-morning person have an effective morning routine?
I am definitely not a natural morning person at all and really struggle with the morning. How do you suggest a non-morning person use the morning versus staying up at night? Right now, I am really not using either effectively. I go to bed early (by 10 p.m. at the latest) and wake up late (between 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.) depending on my work schedule (I currently work a variety of shifts during the week). I find it really hard to get anything done after putting our daughter in bed (I feel so tired after our bedtime routine) or in the a.m. before work (prying myself out of bed is so hard). -Allison
Hi, Allison!
Such a great question! I’d encourage you first of all, to make sure that you’re not telling yourself “I’m not a morning person” and then acting in that belief.
You see, I’ve found that when I tell myself “I’m not _____” it restricts me and confines me. What you believe is how you live. So make sure you’re not allowing yourself to believe something that’s not the truth.
If you’ve read my running story, I share about how for years, I believed “I’m not a runner” and I let that belief rule how I lived. But when I stopped letting that belief dictate my lifestyle and I actually started doing Couch to 5K, I realized that I actually loved running. But first I had to get up, make myself do it over and over again, to discover that my statement of “I’m not a runner” wasn’t true.
Yes, I may not be a fast runner and I may not be a long-distance runner, but I can run. And this has motivated me to stop the belief that “I can’t do _____” or “I’m not _____” hold me back from success in my life.
You mentioned that you are getting a lot of sleep but you are still feeling so tired. You may have a really demanding job that is contributing to this, but I’d also encourage you to consider getting your bloodwork done and thyroid checked to make sure that there’s a not a physical problem that’s contributing to your tiredness.
Also, be sure you’re taking care of yourself — eating a balanced diet, drinking enough water, and getting some exercise — as this will give you more energy and also help you sleep better at night. For some suggestions here, I encourage to read my series on 15 Ways to Have More Energy.
Step back and examine your life and goals. Do you have a few things you’re pursuing/working on that are exciting you? It’s amazing what a difference it can make when you have some things you’re doing that make you feel alive. And when you have these in your life, they’ll probably give you extra motivation to get up in the morning.
Finally, I encourage you to start small. Set your alarm for a little bit earlier than you’d usually get up and commit to getting up then and doing two small things every morning for three weeks. See how you feel and if it makes a difference in your day and energy levels. If it does, try adding a few more small tasks to your morning.
Having said all this, I want to remind you to do what works for you. Don’t feel like you need to get up really early in the morning or have a strict morning routine and get 15 things done every morning before you go to work. What works for me and others, won’t necessarily work for you. Focus on what is best for your family, schedule, energy levels, and situation.
I’m cheering for your success, Allison! I hope you’re able to find a morning routine that starts your day off well!
What advice and suggestions do the rest of you have for Allison? Share them in the comments.
ALDI: Make 25 Meals for a Family of 4 Under $150!
So yes, I sorta, kinda, really like Aldi. You may have noticed that. 🙂
At any rate, I was pretty excited to see that I Am That Lady had put together a complete menu with 25 meals for less than $150! This menu plan includes main dishes, side dishes, and vegetables for a family of four.
Get the complete menu and shopping list here. (You can purchase the printable pack for $1.97 if you’d like to have all the details on the menu plan and shopping list. However, all the basics you’ll need to know are in the blog post free of charge.)
My Morning Routine: Day 3
How’s your new morning routine going? I’m encouraged at the slow and steady progress I’m making each day in following my New Morning Routine.
Here’s how this morning went this morning:
5:45 a.m. — My alarm clock goes off. It’s raining outside and I’m still tired, so I lie back down to sleep “for a few more minutes” (ahem).
6:13 a.m. — I roll over and look at the time and realize that “a few more minutes” was actually almost 30 minutes… oops! I get up and go downstairs to the kitchen to make some coffee. While the coffee is brewing, I unload the clean dishes out of the dishwasher and re-load a few dirty dishes that were left in the sink last night.
6:30 a.m. — While I’m thinking of it, I gather the dirty laundry from the various hampers (everyone has a hamper in their room) and start a load of laundry.
6:43 a.m. — How did 30 minutes already go by?? I read my Bible, write in my Blessings journal, and read 4 chapters from Pursue the Intentional Life (the chapters are short, so that’s not as ambitious as it sounds!)
7:21 a.m. — Jesse arrives home from the gym. I head upstairs and wake the kids up. While they get up and around, I make our bed, clean up our room, and do a quick clean of our bathroom.
7:35 a.m. — The kids and I sit down at the kitchen table and I read a few pages from Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing to them, as well as a chapter from Brother Andrew: Behind Enemy Lines. Jesse makes bacon and eggs while we’re reading.
8:00 a.m. — I head out to the garage to run on the treadmill. I read a chapter from Love Idol while doing my walking warm-up and then listen to Romans 1 on the YouVersion Bible app while running.
8:23 a.m. — I come back in and get some water to drink and notice Jesse has a plate of bacon and eggs set out for me (yes, he’s such a great guy!). He’s already sent the kids upstairs to take baths, get dressed, and do their morning chores. We chat about the day while I eat breakfast and then I head upstairs to take my shower and start my morning computer work.
It feels good to get so much done by 8:30 a.m. and I’m excited because I manage to keep the laptop off until after 8:30 a.m. today. Yay!
How did you do on your morning routine today? Let us know in the comments!
This Week’s Menu + One-Hour Freezer Cooking Plan
Breakfasts
Oatmeal, Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, Granola, Cereal, Flaky Biscuits, and/or Fruit
Lunches
Pizza Pockets
Brown Sugar Meatloaf, blueberries, cucumbers
Snack-y lunch {veggies, cheese, fruit, crackers, etc.}
Sack Lunch at the Park with Friends: PB&J, carrot sticks, apples
Leftovers x 3Snacks
Fruit/veggies
Popcorn
Boiled eggs
Homemade Energy Bites
One-Hour Freezer Cooking
Million Dollar Spaghetti
Slow Cooker Cowboy Beans
Homemade Energy BitesDinners
Meaty Monday (A local family coordinates this every week & they were so gracious to invite us to be apart — it’s a weekly informal gathering of friends — each family brings some kind of meat for the grill and some kind of side.)
Slow Cooker Cowboy Beans, brown rice, steamed veggies
Pasta Salad Bar, fruit
Homemade Pepperoni Pizza
Steamed Cabbage With Beef
Million Dollar Spaghetti
Dinner Out
What’s on your menu this week? Tell us in the comments or leave a link to your menu plan post.
12 Months to a Healthier You Challenge: Week 23 Check-in
Are you joining us for the 12 Months to a Healthier You Challenge? If so, it’s time for our weekly check-in to post our progress.
June’s Challenge:
We’re focusing on developing the habit of a better morning routine. I encourage you to create a simple and doable morning routine and to stick with it.
New to this challenge? Read more details on the plan for this year here.
My Morning Routine Challenge for June
I created a new morning routine (see it here) and am blogging daily about how it’s going for me. See Friday’s update on my morning routine here.
I’m also hoping to keep up with January’s habit of exercising at least 4-5 times every week, February’s goal of eating a big salad at least six times a week, March’s goal of drinking 8 glasses of water a day, April’s goal of cutting back on sugar, and May’s goal of getting at least 7.5 hours of sleep every night.
This Week’s Progress:
I’m making some good headway on my morning routine. And it’s making SUCH a difference!
Also: I slept at least 7.5 hours five nights. I hit my water goals five days, exercised four days, ate a salad five of the days, and had dessert just once. Progress!
How Are YOU Doing?
Leave a comment telling us how you did on your exercise goals this past week. If you’re blogging about this challenge, leave the direct link to your blog post about the challenge below. Are you on social media? You can also share your progress on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter by using hashtag #12MonthstoaHealthierYou.
Our First Trip to a TN Library = Success!!
Yesterday, we took our first trip to the Williamson County library and it was a HUGE success! We’d heard great things about the library here and we were so happy that the library lived up to everything we’d been told and more!
We were incredibly impressed with all the great books they have. My kids were especially stoked to find so many Adventures in Odyssey books/DVDs!
I’ve been so happy to see my kids in various parts of the house with their noses stuck in books today. As a lifetime lover of books myself, it just makes me so happy to see my kids becoming such bookworms. 🙂
Related: 7 Ways to Save By Using the Library
My 10 Goals For This Week
It was so good to be home all last week! I even ended up having a few days where I stayed home all day long — which was a nice change of pace after almost two months of lots of activities and travel.
We’re excited to have another week at home this week! I think we’re starting to really feel settled in here in TN and we’re starting to get on a good schedule, too. That’s helped me not only feel a little more organized but also helped me be able to get back to accomplishing more of my goals!
This Week’s Goals:
Marriage/Mothering/Homemaking Goals
1. Read 4 chapters of Brother Andrew: Behind Enemy Lines aloud to the kids.
2. Take the kids to the library.
3. Write a love note to Jesse.4. Finish embroidering quilt square for my sister’s baby quilt. {I made some progress on this, but didn’t get it all done — hopefully this week!}
Personal Goals
5. Work on memorizing & reviewing Romans 1:1-29.
6. Make a hair appointment(I’ve been putting this off ever since we moved — finally got one scheduled for this Tuesday!)7. Finish reading The Traitor’s Wife, Breathe, I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn’t), and The Measure of Success. {I did a lot of reading this past week, but didn’t even up finishing any books — hopefully this coming week I’ll have more progress to report here!}
Business Goals
8. Work on writing a new ebook. {I decided to shelve this for a week since I wasn’t feeling inspired for it!}
9. Write one guest post for another blog.10. Shoot one video for my YouTube channel.
This Week’s Goals:
Marriage/Mothering/Homemaking Goals
1. Finish reading Brother Andrew: Behind Enemy Lines aloud to the kids. Read 4 chapters of The Saturdays to the kids.
2. Go to the Farmer’s Market.
3. Write a love note to Jesse.
4. Finish embroidering quilt square for my sister’s baby quilt.
Personal Goals
5. Work on memorizing & reviewing Romans 1:1-30.
6. Exercise 5 times.
7. Finish reading Breathe, Mom’s Night Out, Love Idol, Pursue the Intentional Life, and The Measure of Success.
Business Goals
8. Work on writing a new ebook.
9. Work on launch plan for a new product we’re releasing in a few weeks.
10. Shoot one video for my YouTube channel. {I’m determined that this goal is actually going to happen this week — since I’ve put it off for the past few weeks!}
How did you do on last week’s goals? What are your goals for this week? I’d love to have you share your progress on last week’s goals and your goals for this coming week in the comments. Of, if you’ve blogged about it, leave your direct link below. Let’s cheer each other on to live purposeful and productive lives! You can download a free customizable weekly goal-planning sheet here.
A Peek Into Our Week: Cousins, Krispy Kreme, Home Depot Kid’s Workshop, and a new morning routine!
A Peek Into Our Week: Cousins, Krispy Kreme, Home Depot Kid’s Workshop, and a new morning routine!
We had a much more laid back week this week — which was so nice! We started the week off by having my brother, sister-in-law, and their two girls here. Our kids were so excited to get to see their cousins!
We visited some historic sites in Franklin, including the site of the Civil War Battle of Franklin.
We also visited the McGavock Confederate Cemetery.
Learning more of the history surrounding the Battle of Franklin was fascinating — and made us want to read and learn all we can about it and other historical events in this area now that we live here in TN.
Later that evening, we went to Sweet CeCe’s for an ice cream treat!
The summer activities began this week for our kids! To keep it simple, each child got to choose one sport/lessons to participate in.
Silas chose soccer, Kaitlynn chose ice skating, and Kathrynne chose swimming. It’s so fun to watch them throwing themselves wholeheartedly into something they love and to see their determination, endurance, and perseverance being built in the process.
{By the way, for those of you who asked to see a picture of my new bag from Charming Charlie, you can see it in the picture above.}
This week, I worked on making a new morning routine a habit (see the new routine here, if you missed my post on it). I’m going to keep blogging about my morning routine every day this coming week to help me (hopefully!) make it more of a habit… because I need all the accountability I can get!
Wednesday, I practically floated home after my grocery shopping trip… because I stayed under budget and found some pretty good deals (see everything I bought and the prices I paid in this post here)! Not anything downright and utterly amazing, but SOOO much better than my first TN shopping trip.
I’m making headway — huzzah!!! Next week, I might just be brave enough to try using coupons at Publix!
On Thursday, Jesse and I did a little cooking in the kitchen together. You can find the recipe links for what we made and lots more pictures here.
It was National Doughnut Day on Friday and we celebrated by getting FREE Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Because who can resist free Krispy Kreme??!
Today, our kids enjoyed another Free Kid’s Workshop at The Home Depot! These Kid’s Workshops are the first Saturday of every month and my kids LOVE them. They get to create some sort of fun project, all the supplies and tools are provided, and it’s completely free!
So that was our week in a nutshell. How was YOUR week? Anything interesting or exciting happen at your house? Tell us about it in the comments!
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12 Books I Plan to Read in June
As I shared in January, I’m changing the way I’m approaching my reading goals in 2014. Instead of picking books for the whole year, I’m just choosing books a month at a time.
I’m probably being overly ambitious with my book list for June, but since we’re heading into summer and life has settled down for us a lot more now that the move and my busy travel season are behind us, I’m really hopeful I’ll have time to get back to more reading. We’ll see!
At any rate, I’m going to attempt to read 12 books in June (some of these are carried over from my April and May lists since I didn’t get much reading done those months). Here’s my list of what I’m hoping to read:
12 Books I Plan to Read in June
- I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn’t)
- Breathe
- Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook
- The Measure of Success
- The Traitor’s Wife
- Rhinestone Jesus
- The Nesting Place
- Carry On, Warrior
- Mom’s Night Out
- Love Idol
- After the Boxes Are Unpacked
- Pursue the Intentional Life
I also am reading through the Bible using the plan in my Blessing Journal and reading one devotional from Jesus Today every day.
3 Books I Plan to Read Aloud to My Kids
What books are you planning to read in June? Leave a comment and let us know — and then you can come back at the beginning of July to tell us what you ended up reading and what you thought of the books you read!
My Morning Routine: Day 2 Update
How did your morning routine go this morning? I had a much better morning this morning than yesterday.
It’s still not right in line with my Planned Morning Routine, but little bit by little bit I’m making headway. And I’m hoping to continue slowly moving in the right direction.
Here’s how my morning went:
6:15 a.m. — Wake up, read Bible, read Pursue the Intentional Life, write in my Blessings journal.
6:35 a.m. — Silas wakes up. I snuggle with him and invite him to be apart of my morning prayer time (I’ve really been working on not viewing my children as “interruptions” to my quiet time, but instead, encouraging them to participate in it with me if they get up early!)
6:42 a.m. — I bring Silas out to the garage with me and have him play with the basketball while I run on the treadmill. I listened to my Scripture memory work on my Bible app on my phone while running.
7:00 a.m. — Start a load of laundry. Open the box of toilet paper from Amazon and organize it in the hall closet.
7:10 a.m. — Hop on and check something online really quickly (I know, I know… I’m still working on not doing this until after 8:30 a.m.!)
7:25 a.m. — Jesse gets home from the gym and helps Silas get his breakfast while I hop in the shower.
7:45 a.m. — I get Silas ready for soccer camp and pack a snack for him.
7:52 a.m. — Jesse takes Silas to soccer camp, the girls get up and around, while I finish getting my hair fixed and makeup on.
8:00 a.m. — I make our bed, clean up our room, and do a quick clean of our bathroom.
8:15 a.m. — Then, I head downstairs and make some breakfast (fried eggs — leftover from yesterday’s breakfast, blueberries, and Flaky Biscuits — made last night — with Apple Butter that my sister-in-law made and canned for us).
8:30 a.m. — While the girls are finishing getting their morning chores done, I clean up the kitchen, load the dishwasher, do a few dishes that don’t fit into the dishwasher, and switch the load of laundry to the dryer.
And then it’s time to start my Morning Computer Time. It feels so good to have gotten so much done before I turned on the computer!
How did you do on your morning routine today? Let us know in the comments!
Frugal Fun: Free Krispy Kreme doughnuts!!
It was National Doughnut Day today and we celebrated by getting FREE Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Because who can resist free Krispy Kreme??!
It did my heart good to see so many other local folks crowded into Krispy Kreme getting their free doughnuts, too. And the staff at Krispy Kreme was doing such a fantastic job of warmly serving all the customers who were waiting in line to get free doughnuts. Based upon how many people who were there when we were, it had been a very busy day for them.
Did you stop by Krispy Kreme or Lamar’s for free doughnuts today??
Brigette’s $77 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6
Brigette’s $77 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6
Note from Crystal: My oldest sister, Brigette, lives in South Carolina with her husband and four young children. I asked her recently if she’d start sharing her shopping trips here since she’s an amazing bargain-shopper and has some different stores in her area than Gretchen and I do. Enjoy!
(Note from Brigette: I generally try to stay around $50/week for groceries, but this week my brother and his family of 4 will be staying with us for 3 days, so I gave myself a little extra in the budget!)
Aldi
1 bag frozen boneless Chicken Breasts – $5.99
2 packages Butter ($2.49 each) – $4.98
3 dozen Eggs ($1.35 each) – $4.05
1 jar Salsa – $1.69
1 5-lb bag Flour – $1.55
2 42-oz containers Old Fashioned Oats ($2.29 each) – $4.58
2 24-oz cartons Cottage Cheese ($2.29 each) – $4.58
1 jar Olive Oil – $2.99
2 Avocados ($0.79 each) – $1.58
1 Cucumber – $0.39
1 package Baby Carrots – $0.99
2 3-pk Colored Peppers ($1.99 each) – $3.98
1 3-ct package Romaine Hearts -$1.99
1 8-oz package Baby Mushrooms – $0.99
2 packages Grape Tomatoes $0.99 each) – $1.98
1 bunch Bananas (2.84lb @ $0.44/lb) – $1.25
1 10-lb bag Potatoes – $3.49
1 12-oz package Chocolate Chips – $1.59
1 box Honey Wheat Puffs – $1.79
1 box Corn Flakes – $1.49
1 box Frosted Flakes – $1.49
1 can Black Olives – $0.99
Total: $54.40
BI-LO
5 8-oz packages Oscar Meyer Oven Roasted Turkey (B1G1 free) – $7.45, plus receive a $4 catalina wyb 5 – $0.69 each (I realize these aren’t the healthiest choice ever, but with out-of-town company here, I thought these would be great for quick, easy lunches! :))
2 64-oz cartons So Delicious Coconut Milk ($2 each) – used $0.55/1 So Delicious Dairy Free Product (doubled) – $0.90 each (I am dairy-free right now since dairy doesn’t agree with my nursing baby!)
1 box (30-ct) gallon Freezer Bags – $1.59 (not a good deal – we just needed these!)
1 package Foam Plates – $1.21, used $1 off any paper plate purchase (BI-LO catalina coupon) – $0.21 after coupon :
Total after Sales and Coupons: $11.05, plus receive $4 catalina back
Harris Teeter
3 boxes Annie’s Mac and Cheese (B1G1 ) – $3.28, used 3 $0.35/1 Annie’s printable – $0.39 each after coupon
1 8-oz Daisy Sour Cream – $1.00
2 bags Utz Multigrain Tortilla Chips (B1G1) – used 2 $0.75/1 Utz Chips (doubled) – $0.24 each after coupons
1 Eggplant – reduced to $.60
1 family size bag Pictsweet Green Beans – $1.84, used $0.50/1 Pictsweet Product from Red Plum insert 03/02/14 (doubled) – $0.84 after coupon
Used $4 catalina received from previous BI-LO purchase (Yes, Harris Teeter is AWESOME about taking OYNO catalina coupons from other stores – even Walgreens register rewards!)
Total after Sales and Coupons $0.09 (!)
Sunbeam Bakery
(I love stopping at this factory outlet store – it’s right on the way to other grocery stores, and they almost always have reduced-price bread! Several of these loaves will go straight to the freezer.)
3 loaves Sara Lee 100% Whole Wheat Bread ($0.50 each) – $1.50
1 loaf Sara Lee Honey Wheat Bread – $0.50
1 package Sara Lee 16-ct Hot Dog Buns – $1.00
Total: $3.00
Local Farmer’s Market
(I’m SO happy it’s fresh peach season here in SC! Yum!!)
1 box Green Beans (11 lbs) – $5.00
Tomatoes ($0.99/lb) – $1.50
Peaches ($0.99/lb) – $2.42
Total: $8.92
Total for all Groceries for the Week: $77.46
Menu Plan for This Week
Breakfasts
Scrambled Eggs, Toast, Fruit, Homemade Granola, Cereal, Banana Muffins, Freezer-Friendly Baked Oatmeal, Smoothies
Lunches
Turkey Sandwiches, PB and J Sandwiches, Macaroni and Cheese, Baked Potato Bar, Fresh Raw Veggies, Fruit
Dinners
Homemade Pizza, Tossed Salad, Pineapple
Grilled Chicken, Steamed Broccoli, Homemade Freezer Biscuits, Fruit Salad
Haystacks, Green Beans
Venison Roast in the Crockpot, Baked Potatoes (I always use olive oil and sprinkle with additional spices such as rosemary), Steamed Carrots, Pull Apart Oat Rolls
Three Cheese Baked Spaghetti, Homemade French Bread, Green Beans, Tossed Salad
Cheesy Hamburger Potato Soup, Banana Muffins, Fresh Veggie Plate
Leftovers
Snacks
Chewy No Bake Granola Bars, Fruit and Veggies, Smoothies
One-Hour Freezer Cooking: Pizza Pockets, Pepperoni Pizza, and Flaky Biscuits
One-Hour Freezer Cooking: Pizza Pockets, Pepperoni Pizza, and Flaky Biscuits
I did a One-Hour Freezer Cooking session today while Jesse was making dinner. It was so fun for the two of us to be working in the kitchen together!
I ground some whole-wheat flour first since I was running low on flour.
And had a little spill with the flour mill… whoops!
After grinding up some flour, I made a batch of Freezer-Friendly Pizza Dough.
I used half of the Freezer-Friendly Pizza Dough to make Pizza Pockets.
I basically just put a little pizza sauce (leftover from something I made last week) and some pepperoni and shredded cheese (also leftover from another recipe — I’d stuck the extras in the freezer last week) and then folded them up and baked them.
I used the rest of the dough, pepperoni, pizza sauce, and shredded cheese to make a pepperoni pizza.
Finally, I made a batch of Flaky Biscuits. I had found this recipe earlier and wanted to try it since it seemed so simple.
It was SO easy — and I was really happy with the end results. For all whole-wheat biscuits made with coconut oil, these were delicious. {I used regular milk instead of Silk since that’s what I had on hand.}
While I was cooking on one side of the kitchen, Jesse was working on the other side making a new recipe he found for Bell Pepper Nachos.
I was very impressed with how this recipe turned out. They were flavorful, easy to put together, and very nutritious.
Most of all, it was just fun to hang out in the kitchen with my husband — and to also have his help with clean-up (my least favorite part of cooking!) I feel so blessed that our new lifestyle here in TN is giving us opportunities to slow down and just live everyday life together like this!
Recipe Links:
- Freezer-Friendly Pizza Dough — used this as the base for Pizza Pockets & Pepperoni Pizza
- Flaky Biscuits
- Bell Pepper Nachos (These weren’t for the freezer but for dinner tonight!)