Tobins' Tastes: March 2013

Friday, March 29, 2013

Weekly Shopping Totals Link Up: Saved $75 on Easter Dinner at Publix



After over a week of not shopping, I hit Publix and Target today to get everything I needed for Easter dinner and Easter baking. I also grabbed some super deals and used a few expiring coupons too. Even though we have a boneless ham half in the freezer, we wanted a spiral ham for Sunday's dinner. So that ended up being almost 50% of my entire total. 

I also grabbed some baking basics since despite my stockpile of them, I always try to grab some when it's on sale. I am so excited to be making Something Swanky's Better Than Easter Carrot Cake this weekend so I grabbed a few random items for that too. 

Even though I spent over my normal $50, I was still very happy with my trip since I had so many fresh things and a $25 ham included in my totals. As always, I used two $5/$30 Winn Dixie coupons to help keep my totals low.

Breakdown of today's Publix trip:
Total retail value: $134.99
Total spent: $57.82
Total saved: $77.17
Percent saved: 57%

What I got with sale/coupon match ups:
  • Twelve pack of Diet Coke, retails for $5.49, on sale for $4.00
  •  2 packages of Sister Shubert Rolls, retails for $3.65 each, on sale for $3 each
    • Used two .50 cents off coupons from the 3/24 SS
    • Made them $2.50 eachhttp://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9140183534820703900#editor/target=post;postID=4609568942165904212
  •  5 pound bag of potatoes, retails for $4.09, on sale for $2.99
  •  2 bottles of Wesson Vegetable Oil, retails for $4.35 each, on sale BOGO ($2.17 each)
  •  2 tubs of Rondale Cheese Spread, retails for $4.89 each, on sale BOGO ($2.44 each)
    • Used a $3/2 coupon from the man. website
    • Made them .94 cents each
  •  1 tub of Cool Whip Frosting, retails for $2.99, on sale for $1.50
  •  1 lemon for .67 cents
  • 6 Voskos Green Yogurts, retails for $1.25 each
    • Used three .50/2 tearpad coupons
    • Stacked with two $1/3 Publix coupons from the Happy Easter Advantage Flyer
    • Made them .66 cents each
  • 5 pound bag of Gold Medal Flour, retails for $3.19, on sale for $1.99
  • 5 pound bag of Domino Sugar, retails for $4.17, on sale for $2.49
    • Used a .50 cents off coupon from the 3/17 RP
    • Made it $1.99
  • 1 box of Betty Crocker Carrot Cake Mix, $1.89
  •  2 boxes of Duncan Hines Cake Mix, retails for $2.09 each, on sale BOGO ($1.04 each)
  •  2 Duncan Hines Frosting Creations packets, retails for .99 cents each
    • Used two try me free peelie coupons on the cake mix boxes
    • Made them both FREE
  •  2 bags of Texas Toast Croutons, retails for $1.69 each, on sale BOGO made them .84 cents each
  • 2 bags of Publix baby carrots, retails for $1.79 each, on sale for .99 cents each
  • 1 tub of Cottonelle Wipes, retails for $2.37, on sale for $1.79
    • Used a .50 cents off coupon from the 3/17 SS
    • Made them $1.29 
  •  2 tins of Planter's Cashews, retails for $4.99 each, on sale BOGO ($2.49 each)
  •  3 Chobani Greek Yogurts, retails for $1.25 each, on sale for $1 each
    • Used three .30 cents off coupons from the man. website
    • Earned .50 cents from an Ibotta deposit
    • Made them .53 cents each
  •  1 package of Publix butter, retails for $3.85 each, on sale for $2
  • 1 tub of Philadelphia Whipped Cream Cheese Spread, retails for $2.99 on sale for $1.50
  • 1 pound of Asparagus, retails for $3.76, on sale for $3.05
  • 2 tubs of Fresh Attitudes Baby Spinach, retails for $3.09 each, on sale for $2.69 each
  • 9.5 pound Publix Honey Spiral Sliced Ham, retails for $37.18, on sale for $25.07
 How did you do this week? Inspire me (and everyone else) with your amazing savings and deals this week. Please link up directly to your specific post. Do not link up to your blog's home page, giveaways, or etsy shops please. You can also "like" Couponing & Cooking on Facebook too! I would love it if you would link back to this post or grab my button from the sidebar : )


Click below to link up your posts!


Monday, March 25, 2013

Green Giant Has A Giant Surprise: Veggie Chips!


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I love chips. While you may think that based on what you see on this blog, I am more of a dessert person, but what I really crave are crunchy, salty, snacks like chips. And as someone who likes chips as much as I do, I am always trying to find chips that are a little bit better for me than the usual salty snack.


That's where Green Giant's Giant Surprise comes in. They now make an amazing line of Veggie Chips. These new chips are not just delicious but they are also better for you than your typical potato chips. Finally a salty snack that I can feel a little less guilty about eating. Check out all the goodness packed into these chips:

Product Information
  • The Green Giant™ Roasted Veggie Tortilla Chips – Zesty Cheddar Flavor are made with real vegetables, 17 grams of whole grain per serving (48g are recommended daily), and are naturally flavored.
  • The Green Giant™ Multigrain Sweet Potato Chips – Sea Salt Flavor are made with real sweet potatoes and made with 14 grams of whole grain. Plus, they contains 40 percent less fat than regular potato chips*!
  • *Green Giant Multigrain Sweet Potato Chips (6g per 28g serving) have 40 percent less fat than regular potato chips (10g per 28g serving).
I was so excited when Clever Girls offered me the chance to try out these chips. I had seen them advertised and was actually planning on looking for them at my local grocery store when I got the opportunity to participate in this campaign. Justin and I were so excited to try them out that I actually had to hide them so we would wait to tear into them until I could actually take some photos.


We could not stop eating these chips. They were so good. Like for every photo I would take, I think that Justin and I would each eat two chips. I was actually afraid we would run out of chips to photograph.

Our personal favorite were the Multigrain Sweet Potato Chips with Sea Salt but we both also really liked the Zesty Cheddar Tortilla chips too. I am even wondering if I could use them to make my Lightened Up Taco Pie even more lightened up.

Want to try these out for yourself? Green Giant even has an .85 cents off coupon for you to try them out and save a little too!

A chip that is better for you deserved a dip that was better for you too so we whipped up our favorite version of spinach dip to snack on too. We simply mixed a packet of our favorite dressing seasoning with sauteed baby spinach, 3/4 cup fat free Greek yogurt, and 3/4 cup fat free sour cream. It was the perfect compliment to the Veggie Chips.


As if the makers of my favorite frozen veggies now making chips wasn't a surprise enough, head on over to Green Giant's Facebook page and YouTube channel to check out even more surprise talents Green Giant has unearthed.


Thank you to The Green Giant™ for being a sponsor. Show the Giant your surprise talent at www.facebook.com/greengiant

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Mealtime Monday Recipe Link Up & Features {#47}

Couponing and Cooking
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Sorry this post is up later than usual. We went out of town this weekend to kick off my Spring Break and then once we got back in town we went straight to my cousin's birthday party so I am just now sitting down the the computer for the first time since Friday :  )

I hope you are all having a fabulous weekend here are a few things to check out on the blog this week:

Make sure you enter to win a set of four $5/$30 Winn Dixie coupons. They are one of the many ways I save money at the grocery store each week (most Publix's accept them too!). 

Are you ready for Easter this week? Check out my Easter dessert round up and get some ideas for some sweet treats to finish off your Easter meal.

    
Now for the features!


 

 

Grilled Corn Guacamole recipe 


You can also check out my Pinterest board for Mealtime Monday Features where I will be pinning the original links to the items featured here each week as well as my Facebook page which will have even more features too!
If you were featured you can feel free to grab a button from my sidebar.
As I teacher, I enforce rules all day so I am going to call these my suggestions.



I would love it if:

  • You would link back to this post/blog. You can do so by grabbing my button (upper right hand corner), linking back to this post in your post, or by adding this blog to your list of places you link up to/party at on your Link Parties page. The more people who link up the better it is for all of us : )
  • Please follow this blog through GFC, Linky Friends or Blog Lovin.
  • As an added bonus you can become our Facebook friend too!
  • Please only post directly to your recipe link. No giveaways, etsy shops or anything not family friendly.
  • Please do not link up to posts you have already linked up to before. Also, the recipe needs to be something you made with photos of your own and should give credit where credit is due : )
  • Pretty please visit at least two new blogs and show them some love.
  • By linking up you give me permision to use these photos (with proper link backs) in my features and on my Facebook page
  • Come back next Monday and link up!

Ready, set, make me hungry!
 

Friday, March 22, 2013

Huge Easter Desserts Round Up- 25+ Sweet Treats for Spring


You know I am a sucker for desserts of all kinds but I am especially in love with holiday themed treats. And there is something about Easter and Spring desserts that make me ridiculously happy. Maybe it's the pastel colors, or the assortments of festive sprinkles, or maybe it's the adorable animal and chick themes. Whatever it is I am in love with Easter treats and here is a major dessert round up to prove it!




























Still looking for more ideas? Check out my Easter Desserts pinboard for these and so many more spring desserts!

Weekly Shopping Totals Link Up: Saved 60% at Publix



This week has been crazy. It as the last week of classes before Spring Break which naturally brings lots of grading and little bit more rowdy than usual students. Yesterday was Justin's birthday and I rushed to Publix after work to do a shopping trip and grab a few things for having our families over for dinner, cake and ice cream.

I was rushing through unpacking my groceries to get a photo and I ended up leaving a bag in the car so that is the second photo below. In the hustle of putting things away and getting ready for everyone to come over my receipt and shopping list apparently got thrown away.

Rest of the stuff that got left in the car and discovered after the original picture.

So I have no prices or specifics for you this week. But I do know that I spent $55.03 and saved around $80 so I saved around 60%. I spent a little more than I usually do but since I grabbed a few extras for Justin's birthday dinner and stocked up on butter products, dairy, flour and oil. 

As usual I used two $5.$30 Winn Dixie coupons. Make sure you enter my giveaway of these coupons HERE!

Most of my deals were BOGO's with coupons. Below are the few deals I could remember. 
  •  2 two packs of Maybelline Eye Liners, retails for $2.49 each
    • Used two $1.50 each coupons
    • Stacked with two $2 off Publix coupons from the Publix Green Ad. Flyer
    • Made them both FREE plus a $2 total MONEYMAKER
  • 2 cartons of Breyers Ice Cream, retails for $4.99 each, on sale BOGO, made them $2.50 each
  • 2 Rondale Cheese Spreads, retails for $3.99 each, on sale BOGO ($1.99 each)
    • Used  two $1 off coupons from a tearpad in the front of the store
    • Made them .99 cents each
  •  2 Breakstone Sour Creams, retails for $2.59 each, on sale BOGO, made them $1.30 each
  • 2 boxes of Triscuts, retails for $3.69, on sale for $2.50 each
  • Duncan Hines Cake Mixes, retails for $1.83 each, on sale BOGO, made them .92 cents each
  •  2 packages of Chinet White Plates, retails for $6.39 each, on sale BOGO ($3.19 each)
    • Used two $1 off coupons from the email club
    • Made them $2.19 each
  •  1 half gallon of Silk Almond Milk, retails for $3.35, on sale for $2.50
    • Used a .55 cents off blinkie coupon
    • Made it $1.95
  •  2 boxes of Magnum Ice Cream Bars, retails for $4.49 each, on sale for $3 each 
    • Used two .60 cents off coupons
    • Stacked with two $1.50 coupons from the Publix Easter Advantage Flyer
    • Made them .90 cents a box
  •  2 bottles of Sunlight Dish Soap, retails for $1.39 each
    • Used two $1.25 coupons (Savings Club members only)
    • Made them .14 cents each
  •  2 bags of Gold Medal Flour, retails for $2.97 each, on sale for $1.99 each
 How did you do this week? Inspire me (and everyone else) with your amazing savings and deals this week. Please link up directly to your specific post. Do not link up to your blog's home page, giveaways, or etsy shops please. You can also "like" Couponing & Cooking on Facebook too! I would love it if you would link back to this post or grab my button from the sidebar : )





Click below to link up your posts!

    Wednesday, March 20, 2013

    Easter Cake Mix Cookies With Cheesecake Filling


    Whenever Justin and I go to our favorite frozen yogurt shop (you know, the kind with a toppings bar), I am always faced with the tough choice of cake batter versus cheesecake. I love all things cake batter and usually that is my go to ice cream/frozen yogurt flavor. But their cheesecake flavor is so good too and I can never seem to choose one over the other. Since I am always afraid of regretting my decision, I usually just mix the two and call it a day.


    That is exactly what I did with these cookie sandwiches. Traditional cake mix cookies filled with a cheesecake cool whip icing made for a decadent at home dessert with very little fuss.

    I have really been keeping it pretty easy when it comes to Easter desserts because I feel like there have been so many holidays one right after another from Thanksgiving right on through. Especially with St. Patrick's Day and Easter being so close this year. I actually spent about three hours on St. Patrick's Day photographing bunnies, and chicks and Easter treats. You feel me fellow food bloggers? I cannot wait for two whole months without a major holiday.


    If you are getting a little dessert lazy like me, then these cookies are perfect for you. They were like those famous cookie sandwiches you can get at the mall kiosk without actually having to get dressed and get in your car : )


    My sister is obsessed with those mall cookies and she actually inspired me to turn the cookies into icing filled sandwiches. She is going to be mad at me for saying this but I am pretty sure she ate two (maybe three) of these babies in one day. 


    And honestly, I can't blame her. I forced myself into self control by only keeping one of these at my house while packing off the rest to my family and the fire station. Because they were that good. And because I have three more Easter recipes on my "to bake list". April 1st can't get here fast enough!


    Easter Cake Mix Cookies with Cheesecake Filling
    • 1 box of yellow cake mix
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 2 eggs
    • 1/2 cup oil
    • 1 cup Easter M&M's
    • 1 tub of Cool Whip
    • 1 small package of cheesecake pudding mix (I used sugar free)
    1.) Make the cake mix cookies using this recipe here.

    2.) Let cookies cool completely.

    3.) While cookies are cooling, stir the cheesecake pudding mix into the tub of Cool Whip and mix completely.

    4.) Spread a generous amount of the Cool Whip filling in between two cookies, sandwich together and enjoy!

    Make sure you stop by this week's Mealtime Monday and link up any amazing recipes you have been working on lately.

    ***Depending on the day this post may be linked up to any of these fabulous linky parties.***

    Do you host a weekly party? If so, make sure to visit my party page and add yours so we all can join in the fun!
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