Garbage Cookies

 When I first read about this idea for a cookie in Food Network Magazine back in early May, I knew I had to make them. Well six months has passed and I constantly thought about making them but never really quite got around to them.

I finally made them after Christmas and they were a big hit. I call them garbage cookies because I basically took the left overs from my holiday baking ingredients and made them into a cookie.

These cookies can be made with anything really but my favorite version (I have made them more than once since Christmas...) has pretzel M&M's, Heath bar toffee pieces and Ghiradelli's dark chocolate chunks. You may be able to tell from the red and green that I used M&M's from the Target Christmas clearance aisle : )

Here is the extremely easy and extremely delicious recipe.

Food Network Inspired Garbage Cookies

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 sticks of unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 to 2 cups of pretzel M&M's (I used most of the bag)
• 1 cup dark/bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks (I just used the rest of the bag)
• 1 cup of toffee pieces (again, I just used what I had left in the bag)

1. Cream butter and both sugars. I used my stand mixer but you could use a hand one too.
2. Beat until light and fluffy.
3. Add salt, vanilla and eggs. Beat until well combined.
4. Add in the pretzel M&M's. Mix (in stand mixer with paddle attachment, I wouldn't try with a hand beater) to slightly crush M&M's.
5. Slowly add in flour and baking soda on low speed until just combined.
6. Stir in (by hand) the chocolate and the toffee pieces.
7. I used a cookie scoop to make tablespoon sized balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (toffee can get really sticky and make a huge mess if you don't use parchment)
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

Let them cool before transferring them to a wire rack.

Enjoy!



CVS Trip 1/4: Saved 85%

It's been a few weeks since I have felt the need to hit up a CVS sale but with the possibility of free lip balm I had to stop by my local store and check out the deals this week. I only ended up spending $4.37 out of pocket for $28.51 worth of stuff. It was a good week for me to start off with because I already had $2.50 in ECB from my quarterly rewards from last Oct.-Dec.

Here is how my two transactions broke down.

Transaction #1 $2.20

Transaction #1:

• 4 Nivea Lip Balms: retails for $3.39 each
• On sale for $2.50 each- Made it $10.70 total
• Used two $3/2 coupons from the 1/1 RP
• Used my $2.50 quarterly rewards ECB's
• Made it $2.20 out of pocket
• Earned $5 ECB's for spending $10 in Nivea products

Transaction #2: $2.87




Transaction #2

• 3 Aussie/Herbal Essence Shampoos, retails for $3.99 each
• On sale for $9.99/3 or $3.33 each
• Used three $1 off coupons from the 1/1 P&G
• 2 cans of Bumble & Bumble Tuna, retails for $1.49 each, on sale .59 cents each
• Used a $1/2 coupon from RecycleBank.com
• Used my $5 ECB's from transaction #1
• Made it $2.87 out of pocket with tax

Finally Trying Spaghetti Squash

I have been wanting to make our own spaghetti squash for a really long time. I first tried it at my friend Carrie's wedding and I was amazed at how good it was. We finally got around to making it this week and it was as good as I remembered. It is also something that you can make a lot of different ways so I am looking forward to making it again soon.

We had to look around to find spaghetti squash at a decent price. We ended up buying ours at a local vegetable stand because they had the freshest looking squash and the best prices.

Here is how we did it:

1. Cut your squash in half. It was really hard to cut but chopping off the ends made it a little easier.

2. Clean out the seeds and the insides with a spoon.

3. Brush insides with olive oil and I seasoned mine with Italian seasonings. You can also season with a little brown sugar.

4. Roast for 45 mins to an hour at 400 degrees. Edges will probably get golden brown and the insides should pull away easily with a fork.

5. Use a fork to shred/pull the insides away from the skin. They should form spaghetti like strands.

6. We tossed ours with a little butter, olive oil, Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese.



Serve warm. Enjoy!

First 2012 Publix Trip

This week's Publix trip did not turn out like I planned it but I am definitely still happy with the outcome. I was very excited to hit up the "New Year's Resolution" sales but for some reason the Publix I went to (usually my favorite) had alot of strange sales going on that didn't really match up with the advertised sales. I seem to be stuck at 70% savings (which is fine with me) as I saved 71% this week.

My shopping list probably looks a little weird because it is a really random assortment of things. I found a lot of last minute deals with my coupons so I decided to take advantage of them. I had hoped to get some chicken for $1.99 a pound but my Publix had some strange BOGO chicken sale that I had never seen before and I was too overwhelmed to do the math and figure out if it was still a good price. I will probably go back this week and get some as well as some of the ground beef on sale. For now, we will continue to work on the frozen meat we have from stocking up before the holidays.

Make sure you check out my giveaway of Simply Delicious Inspirations booklets!

Here is the breakdown of this week's trip:

Total retail value: $107.20

Total spent: $30.63

Total saved: $76.57

Percent saved: 71%

Here is the list with coupon match ups:

• 4 boxes of Nancy Frozen Appetizers, retails for $3.99, on sale for $3.50 each
• Used four $1 off coupons from 12/4 SS
• Used two Target coupons (from a newspaper insert) for $5 off any two Nancy's products
• Made them all FREE
• 4 package of Zephryhills water bottles, retails for $2.99 each, on sale BOGO ($1.49 each)
• Used two $1/2 coupons from the Simply Delicious Inspirations booklet
• Made them .99 cents each
• 2 cans of Muir Glen organic tomato sauce, retails for .89 cents each
• Used two .85 cents off coupons from bettycrocker.com
• Made them .04 cents each
• 1 package of Kashi waffles, retails for $3.39, on sale for $3.00
• Used a $2 off Kashi coupon from RecycleBank.com
• Made them $1.00
• 2 bags of Pop Chips, retails for $2.99 each, on sale for $2.50 each
• Used a BOGO free coupon from WW magazine
• Paired with a $1 off printable from their facebook page
• Made them .75 cents each
• 2 bags of Family Size Tostitos and a jar of Tostitos salsa, chips retail for $4.99 each and salsa retails for $3.49
• Chips were BOGO ($2.49 each)
• Used a Publix store coupon for $2.00 off salsa when you buy 2 family size bags of chips
• Paired with a tearpad coupon for a free jar of salsa when you buy 2 bags of chips (my store let me combine them)
• Made it $2.99 for both bags and the salsa
• 3 cartons of Cystal Farms All Whites egg product, retails for $2.50, on sale for $2.00
• Used three AllYou.com printables for $1 off
• Made them $1.00 each
• 2 packages of Slim Fast ready to drink shakes, (I am attempting to find something easy and that I like to eat for breakfast...) retails for $5.99 each
• Used a BOGO free coupon from the 1/1 SS
• Paired with a $1.60 off two coupon from Target.com
• Made them $2.20 each
• 2 Lean Cuisine frozen entrees, retails for $3.59 each, on sale $2.00 each
• Used a $1/2 printable coupon from Target.com a long time ago
• Made them $1.50 each
• 4 boxes of Ronzoni Healthy Harvest and Whole Wheat pasta, retails for $1.89 each
• Sadly no more coupons left in my binder for Ronzoni
• BOGO made them .94 cents each
• 2 cans of Quaker oatmeal, retails for $2.93 each
• BOGO made them $1.47 each
• 2 tubs of Digiorno cheese, retails for $4.79 each
• BOGO made them $2.39 each

This week's sale cycle runs through next Wednesday so you have plenty of time to shop.

Did you find any good sales? Comment with deals and questions. Also make sure you check out my giveaway of Simply Delicious Inspirations booklets!

Last Publix Trip Of 2011: Saved $100!

My last Publix shopping trip of 2011 was an amazing one. I had a decent amount of high value coupons that all expired on 12/31 so I decided to take advantage of some of those and get a few things. There were also some good deals combining coupons from the Publix savings booklets with some manufacturer and Target coupons that I had so I was able to get trash bags, toilet paper, Clorox wipes and some more Solo cups for the stockpile too. Thanks to some great sales on chicken, eggs, milk and frozen veggies in the last few weeks we didn't need any real fresh items so I was able to spend more of my weekly grocery budget (I like to be under $50 for the week) on other items.

Since this will be my first January couponing, I am really excited to take advantage of the beginning of the year sales and coupons on fresh and healthy products. I am also excited for coupon inserts to reappear in our papers this Sunday.

Here is the breakdown of this week's trip:

Total Retail Value: $145.09
Spent: $44.36
Saved: $100.57
Percent Saved: 70%

Here are the highlights with coupon match ups:

• 4 packages of Clorox wipes, retails for $2.99, on sale for $2.00 each
• Used four $1 off manufacturer coupons from the Publix All The Trimmings booklet
• Stacked with two $1/2 coupons from Target.com
• Made them .50 cents each
• 2 Febreeze Set & Refresh Air Fresheners, retails for $2.99 each, on clearance for $1.50 each
• Used two $1 off manufacturer coupons from the Home Made Simple mailers
• Made them .50 cents each
• 2 Febreeze Air Freshener Sprays, retails for $2.99 each, on clearance for $1.50 each
• Used two $1 off manufacturer coupons from the Home Made Simple mailers
• Made them .50 cents each
• 2 tubes of Bengay Cold Therapy, retails for $8.99, on sale for $5.99
• Used two $5 off manufacturer coupons from the 9/11 SS
• Made them .99 cents each
• 2 (150) count bottles of Tums, retails for $4.77, on sale for $3.50 each
• Used two $1.50 off Publix coupons from the Winter Family Savings booklet
• Stacked with a $1/2 manufacturer coupon from 11/13 RP
• Made them $1.50 each
• 4 packages of Wholly Guacamole, retails for $3.59 each, on sale for $2.99 each
• Used two BOGO free coupons from the Wholly Holiday promotion
• Paired with the two $1 off coupons they sent with those BOGO coupons
• Made them .99 cents each
• 2 jars of Pace Salsa, retails for $2.79 each, BOGO ($1.39 each)
• Used a .55/2 printable coupon
• Made them $1.12 each
• 4 bags of Chex Mix, retails for $2.59 each, BOGO ($1.29 each)
• Used two .50/2 coupons from the 12/11 SS
• Made them $1.04 each
• 4 assorted packages of Solo Cups, retails for $3.29 each, BOGO (1.64 each)
• Used four .75 cents off coupons from the 12/4 SS
• Paired with two $1/2 Publix coupon from the Winter Savings booklet
• Made them .39 cents each
• 2 bottles of A-1 steak sauce, retails for $3.39 a bottle, BOGO ($1.69 each)
• Used two $1 off coupons from CookingWithKraft.com
• Made them .69 cents each
• 1 carton of Crystal Farms All Whites egg product, retails for $2.50, on sale for $2.00
• Used a $1 off manufacturer coupon from the January Issue of All You Magazine (see sidebar for info on that magazine, tons of coupons!)
• Stacked with a .75 cents off Publix coupon from the Publix Winter Savings booklet
• Made it .25 cents
• 1 package of Glad Trash Bags 78 count, retails for $11.79, on sale for $9.99
• Used a $1.50 off Catalina that printed at Target
• Used a Publix coupon for FREE Glad Sandwich bags when you buy Glad trash bags from the Publix All The Trimmings booklet
• Also had a $2 off any trash bags purchase when you buy Angel Soft toilet paper
• Made them $6.49 plus FREE sandwich bags
• 1 packages of Angel Soft toilet paper, retails for $6.15, on sale for $5.00
• Used  .50 cent off coupon from the 11/13 RP
• Made it $4.50 (plus I got $2 off my trash bags)
• 1 bag of Publix salad, retails for $3.09, on sale for $2.00
• 10 Yoplait yogurts, retails for .67 cents each (not on sale but we needed them)
• Used a $1/10 manufacturer coupon from the 11/13 SS
• Stacked with a $1/10 Target.com printable
• Made them .47 cents each

Hope that you are having an amazing end to 2011! I promise to get back on track with regular blogging once the craziness of the holidays ends next week : )

Weight Watchers Inspired Honey Crunch Oven Baked Chicken

I have tried alot of recipes for oven baked chicken and while many of them have been good none of them really end up being that crispy. This recipe is simple, delicious and stays surprisingly crunchy. I am also amazed at how juicy the chicken stayed. It has very simple steps and ingredients and it is something you can adapt in alot of different ways. 

Weight Watchers Inspired Honey Crunch Oven Baked Chicken

• Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
• Corn Flakes or any types of flake cereal, can be tried with a Fiber One type cereal too
• Light Honey Mustard Dressing (I used Newman's Own)

1) I pounded out the chicken breasts to make them easier to cook.

2) Coat the chicken in the honey mustard dressing. Shake off excess dressing.

3) Bread the chicken in crushed up corn flakes.

4) Bake at 350 degrees until the chicken is cooked all the way through. If the corn flake coating starts to burn before the chicken is fully cooked try covering it in foil while it finishes cooking. 

5. I topped the chicken with a little dressing for more flavor. 

Enjoy!

Saved Almost 70% At Publix This Week

Wednesday's Trip: Spent $17, Saved $49, or 74%




Thursday's Trip: Spent $11, Saved $13


Since there was no new Publix ad this week, I decided to hit up the store to get a few left over sale items I didn't get last week or wanted to stock up on a little more of. I only spent $29.70 total (in two trips) this week and most of that was on items to add to our stock pile so we can start 2012 with lots of chicken, veggies and milk.

Here is the breakdown of my two trips to Publix this week:
Total Retail Value: $92.14
Total Spent: $29.70
Total Saved: $63.17
Total Percent Saved: 69%

Here are the highlights with coupon match ups:

• 2 bottles of Sundown Naturals B6 Vitamins, retails for $3.19 each
• Used two $3 off Publix coupons from the Green Advantage Flyer
• Stacked with two $1 off coupons from coupons.com
• Made them each FREE plus .81 cents each in overage
• 4 boxes of Ritz Crackers, retails for $3.89 each, on sale BOGO ($1.94 each) and 2 boxes of Triscuts, retails for $3.69, on sale for $2.50
• Used two B2G1 free Nabisco crackers printable coupons from coupons.com
• Paired with three $1/2 printable coupons (since I bought 6 boxes total)
• Made each box .73 cents
• 2 half gallons of Smart Balance Milk, retails for $3.99 each on sale for $2.50
• Used two $1.50 off printable coupons from coupons.com (zip code 45401)
• Made them $1.00 each
• 4 bags of Birds Eye Frozen Veggies, retails for $1.99 each, on sale 50% off (.99 cents each)
• Used four .55 cents off coupons from the All The Trimmings Publix booklet
• Made each bag .44 cents
• 1 box of Birds Eye Frozen Chopped Spinach, retails for $1.39, on sale 50% off (.69 cents)
• Used a .55 cents off coupon from the All The Trimmings Publix booklet
• Made it .14 cents
• 1 box of Lipton tea, retails for $1.99
• Used a $1 off printable coupon
• Made it .99 cents
• 2 packages of Sorrento Fresh Shredded Mozzarella, retails for $4.49, on sale for $3.79
• Used two $1 off Publix coupons from the Winter Family Savings booklet
• Stacked with two $1 off manufacturer coupons from the 12/11 SS
• Made them $1.79 each
• 2 two pound bags of Purdue Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts individually frozen, retails for $8.29 each, on sale for $5.99 each
• Used a $2/2 printable coupon
• Made them $4.99 each
• 2 bottles of Zephryhills Sparkling water, retails for .99 cents each, on sale for .89 cents each and BOGO
• Made them .45 cents each
• 2 one pound boxes of Domino Powdered Sugar, retails for $1.29 a box
• Used a .50/2 coupon from the 12/4 RP
• Made them $1.04 a box

I am looking forward to a new Publix ad starting December 26th. Merry Christmas!