I had to go out last night in the snow to get a few grocery items, and I really wanted to try out theibotta and Checkout 51 apps.  There was a .50 coupon for a gallon of milk.
Before I go shopping, I always check the grocery sale ads in my area.  Since I live in a very remote area, there are only a few stores around.  After I plan my list, I take it to Walmart so I can price match.  I found milk on sale here:

...and I couldn't believe it!  This is the lowest price I've seen in a long while.  We usually buy 1% or 2%, but whole milk is a treat every once in a while, right?
I also bought Halls cough drops and price matched them at .99 and submitted it for a .50 through Checkout 51. Although I have to get up to $20.00 before I'll get a check and it might take several weeks, I think it's a great thing.  Have you tried the apps yet?

Checkout 51 and ibotta

I just learned about Checkout 51, and I think it's awesome for saving money.  If you have a smartphone, you can download the app.  Every Thursday they list the offers for that week.

It couldn't be easier to use!

1) Browse your offers
2) Purchase
3) Take a snapshot of your receipt
4) Get cash back in the form of a check!
The only downsides I see is you have to wait to accumulate $20.00 before they'll send you a check BUT you get $2.00 with your first receipt of $20.00 or more.  Also, I don't really like the idea of sending a pic of my receipt because it lists the last four of my credit/debit card numbers.  I guess I can always pay cash for those items.

I've had ibotta on my phone for several months now, but never used it.  They've got some pretty good offers that aren't only limited to grocery items so I really should be taking advantage of it.  With ibotta, you can get your payout in the form of a gift card, redbox, or cash through PayPal.

Sodastream / Superbowl / House Party

I was given the opportunity from House Party to try out Sodastream and I held a Superbowl party yesterday.  I've got to tell you how excited I am about Sodastream!
If you're like me and love soda, but don't like lugging the 2 liter bottles and cans nor making so much waste....

...then you'll love the Sodastream!  All you have to lug home is the flavored syrups.  Each bottle is about 16.9 ounces and makes 12 liters!  That's about 33 cans of soda.  It's so much more convenient - not to mention it gives me a good feeling that I'm not creating more trash.
I bought some flavored syrups from Walmart (they're sold just about everywhere - not just Walmart), and we had fun creating different flavors by combining the flavors.  I made a rootbeer float that didn't have any calories!  I mixed Diet Root Beer with a splash of vanilla extract, and it tasted like I was indulging!
I think Maggie's favorite was the Kool-Aid Tropical Punch, and the teens liked the Regular Cola.  Of course all Blake wanted was the Diet Fountain Mist - he said it was identical to Mountain Dew.
You can adjust the amount of carbonation too.  I like lots of carbonation, but some people don't.  With the Sodastream, you can pump only once for a little fizzy, or up to three times for full fizzy.  Some of my guests had plain carbonated water.
After the party was over (and there was only ONE bag of trash to go out), I thought of other flavor combinations like chocolate cola using a splash of Torani chocolate with cola.  The possibilities are endless!  I'm so glad I have the Sodastream.  I can see my family using it a lot.  If you want more information on Sodastream or House Party, I encourage you to check them out.  Sodastream has several items at 50%.

I made lots of Buffalo Chicken Sliders and my Super Soft Hamburger Buns in a mini size for all the kids.  They were gone in seconds.  One of the teen boys said he didn't want any because he didn't like Mystery Meat.  I assured him it was made of ground chicken.  I found the recipe here, and it's going into my permanent recipe file.  They were THAT good and so easy to put together.

A sampler of just some of the many flavors

 Pre sodastream party

 Blake (making a C for Conaway) and Chris were the soda makers.  They had fun making the bubbly combinations

 A few of the kids 

 This girl can play the guitar!  She plays a mean Deep Purple

 Smoke on the water....fire in the sky.

 I think Hank really wanted the Broncos to win.  When the final score was announced, he resorted to his bed to sulk with his team colored toy.  I'm sorry Hank.

I don't know if it's nationwide or regional, but Walgreens has Progresso soup on sale 4 for $5.00 with your Walgreens card.  Pair that with a   .50 off 2 coupon and get 4 cans of soup for $4.00!
I like to have these on hand for an after school snack on these icy-cold days, or for busy weeknights when I'm too busy to cook.
Progresso soups are very flavorful.  They've got every flavor imaginable!  Maggie likes Chicken Noodle the best, and my favorite is their High Fiber Three-Bean Chili with Beef.  What's your favorite?

Super Soft Hamburger Buns

I made these buns earlier this month, and they were a hit!  They went super fast because they were so dang good.

I found the recipe here:

I halved the recipe because I didn't want to make THAT many:

4 c All purpose flour (I used bread flour)

1 T salt

1 T sugar

1 1/2 t active dry yeast

1 1/2 c warm water

1/6 c vegetable oil

1 egg

I have made these twice now, once by hand using my Kitchen Aid mixer, and once in my bread machine.  I guess they keep in the freezer well - I've frozen them but for only a total of 5 days because we keep dipping into them.

Let me know if you try it, and what you think.

Well, my menu plan definitely changed up a bit from what I planned.  Life happened, and my son moved out permanently.  I had intentions of posting a picture of each dinner I made but I wasn't able to.
For the first time ever in my life, I cooked a whole turkey!  I am so proud of myself that I finally conquered my fear of it and did it.  Will I do it again? Definitely NOT.  It's something about tucking the wings back, and tying the legs together that really creeps me out!

Excuse my oven - it could use a cleaning but the cleaning lady never comes anymore...ahem.
I coated the turkey with melted butter mixed with Rosemary and Thyme.  I also threw in some poultry seasoning and a little salt and pepper.  It roasted with quartered potatoes, onions and cut celery and carrots.  I was surprised that it came out very tender and juicy.

January Menu Plan

I found a blog written by a wonderful woman named Bobbie Jo who wrote up an Aldi menu plan.  She actually has two meal plans and I thought I would incorporate it into my menu planning.  I am so glad I found Aldi because their prices are awesome. Some of the products aren't tasty at all, and that's no prob because they have a great money-back guarantee.  If you don't like it, they'll refund your money.  I purchased almost everything from Aldi for my dinners, with the exception of meats.

Most of the recipes here are from Bobbie Jo's blog, and some are my own.  All my dinners are served with steamed vegetables and a freshly chopped salad (with the exception of brinners).  These dinners serve me, my 18 yo son and my 11 1/2 yo daughter, as well as leftovers for mine and Maggie's lunch the next day.

With that being said, here is my menu plan for the month of January:

Cheesy Chicken and Rice- crockpot

Meatball sliders/ sweet potato fries

Roasted Turkey/ stuffing/ mashed potatoes

Red Beans and Rice/ cornbread

Chicken and Potato Bake

Breakfast Burritos/ fruit
Brown Rice, Chicken, Black Bean Bake
MYO Pizza x2

Minestrone Soup/ breadsticks

Chicken Parmesan

Balked Ziti/ cheese biscuits

Turkey Enchilada casserole- using leftover turkey

Chicken salad sammies

 Shrimp Alfredo/ breadsticks

Turkey soft tacos/ beans and rice

Chicken Stir Fry/ Garlic bread

Turkey, broccoli and cheddar roll-ups- using leftover turkey

I would like to share a picture of each dinner when I make them, but I can't promise I'll do it. I've provided the links to Bobbie Jo's dinners.