Long Time No See!

So I've been away for a little bit. I've had lots going on for weeks/months now, and the blog has taken a back burner. The main development was after a long journey trying to conceive number two, we finally did it! I'm more then halfway done with the pregnancy even! As such, I've been thinking a lot about this blog and what I want it to be. If you've been following on Twitter, you've probably seen more then a couple giveaways for cloth diapers! That's just one more step our family has taken toward a more frugal and provident lifestyle. We mainly got into it for this next little one, but since my 2.5 year old daughter is refusing to potty train, we decided to try them out on her, and I got to say I am in absolute love. It's way easier then I ever imagined, and wish I had started it from the beginning.

So in other exciting news, I've become an affiliate with my favorite cloth diapering site, Diaper Junction. They have had some awesome sales and have awesome customer service. They also have a cloth diaper trial program if you aren't ready to dive the whole way in yet. Also for a limited time: Shop Diaper Junction to save $5 off your first $50 order - Use coupon AFL550 - Some restrictions apply. They also have an awesome giveaway going on right now that you can find HERE. They also have an awesome Twitter party coming up where you can win all sorts of goodies including an xbox kinect pack. You can find out about that HERE.

You've probably also noticed I haven't had a lot of trip posts. That's mainly because I just haven't found anything I need to rush out and get. Maybe it's me, but the sales haven't been great lately. When I have gone to the store, it's usually only for one or two items if it's Publix or the staples if it's at BJ's.

Also fun and exciting was this was the first week we got our CSA produce box, and I have to say the $30ish a week it costs is well worth it. This week we got: one avocado, five tomatoes, a big bunch of scallions, one egg plant, one bag of beet roots, a big bunch of cilantro, a huge bunch of kale, a huge head of lettuce, a big head of broccoli, and a big bunch of arugula. Even better is it is all organic! Obviously this comes with a few challenges because some of these foods I've never used before (kale), but hey it will be fun to expand my recipe collection to include more produce!

Things I'm already planning for this week menu wise: sloppy Joes (to finish up some produce I already had), eggplant parmigiana, zuppa toscano, and some sort of mexican dish if the avocado finishes ripening. Anyone have some good uses for kale?

So what's happening with the blog? Well I'll probably use it to post some cloth diapering adventure stuff, new recipes, as well as some recipes for things I've started to make instead of buy. All the old stuff will still be around, but not so much of a schedule anymore. :-)

Publix Trip 11/17/11

I spent $61.51 for $183.55 worth of groceries, saving $122.04 or 66.5%!

Here's the long list of match-ups:

(6)Dr. Pepper BOGO $1.89

   -(3)B1G1 Dr. Pepper 10

(2)Sierra Mist Cranberry BOGO $1.89

(2) Ocean Spray Juice BOGO $3.79

(2)Nabisco Crackers BOGO $3.79

   -(1)$1/2 HERE

(4) Ragu BOGO $2.59

(4)Mueller's Whole Grain BOGO $1.69

   -(2)Free Pasta wyb 2 Ragu from 11/13/11 RP

(2)Lay's BOGO $4.29

(2)Celery BOGO $1.69

(2)Baby Carrots BOGO $1.69

(2)Rondele Cheese Spread BOGO $4.59

   -(2)$2.50/1 HERE

(1) Turkey (about 21 lbs) @ 59¢/lb $12.87

(2)Publix Soda 2/$1

(2) Gold Medal Flour $1.99

   -(2)25¢/1 HERE

(2) King Authur Wheat Flour $3.99

(1)Ocean Spray Sparkling 2/$5

   -(1) Free wyb 2 Ocean Spray Juices HERE

(1)Dixie Crystals Sugar $2.99

   -(1)75¢/1 HERE

   -(1)55¢/1 from Winter Savings Booklet

(2) Publix Bread $1.39

(2) Pepperidge Farm Stuffing 2/$4

(4)Cracker Barrel Cheese 2/$6

   -(2)$1/2 HERE

   -(2)75¢/2 Target HERE

(1)Reynold's Oven Bags $2.19

   -(1)50¢/1 from 11/13/11 SS

(2)Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce 99¢

   -(1)$1/2 HERE

(1)Hungry Jack Mashed Potatoes $1.69 (I use this to make rolls and breads)

(1)Kraft Mini Marshmallows $1.29

(1) Bag Yellow Onions $2.99

(1)Bag Potatoes 2/$5

(1) Pepper ($1.49 lb) 75¢

(1)Zucchini (99¢/lb) 36¢

(1) Green Beans $1.50

(4) Sweet Potatoes (39¢/lb) $1.40

-$10/$50 Sweetbay Coupon from Sunday paper

-$3/$30 from Publix sweepstakes entry

Love getting most everything I need for Thanksgiving (and then some) on sale!

Meal Plan Monday

Monday- Cheesesteaks
Tuesday- Pasta with Chicken Sausage, Tomatoes, and Broccoli
Wednesday- Burgers, Fries, Veggie
Thursday- Pork Chops, Couscous, Veggie
Friday- Sloppy Joes, Mac and Cheese, Veggie
Saturday- Chicken Parmigiana, Pasta, Veggie
Sunday- BBQ Chicken, Rice, Veggie
What's your menu for the week?

Don't forget to link up or leave a comment with your meal plan or recipe below!

Publix Trip 11/3/11

I spent $19.19 for $51.83 worth of groceries, saving $32.64 or 63%!

Here's the match-ups:

(4) Swanson Broth BOGO $2.69
   -(2)$1/2 HERE

(2)Country Crock BOGO $2.69
   -(1)$1/1 from Novemeber All You
   -(1) 40¢/1 HERE

(2) Gingerale BOGO $1.89
   -(1)50¢/2 Target coupon HERE

(1)Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast ($1.99/lb) $8.42


(1)Grapes ($1.69/lb) $4.90
(1)Tomato ($1.69/lb) 95¢
(1)Broccoli 2/$5
(1) Asparagus ($2.99/lb) $2.60

Meal Plan Monday

Monday- White Chicken Chili
Tuesday- Kielbasa, Mac and Cheese, and Veggie
Wednesday- Pork Chops, Mashed Potatoes, Veggie
Thursday- Burgers, Guacamole and Chips, Baked Beans, Salad
Friday- Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice Casserole
Saturday- Pizza, Salad
Sunday- Breakfast
What's your menu for the week?

Don't forget to link up or leave a comment with your meal plan or recipe below!

Frugality: Why You Shouldn't Feel Bad Watching Extreme Couponing

If you haven't seen Extreme Couponing on TLC, I don't recommend it, or if you do watch it, I recommend not taking it as anything close to reality. I've had more then one person both online and real life mention how they've felt bad because they just can't reach those savings. Well here's a list of why you shouldn't feel bad.

• Remember it is reality tv, and that means it's all about the ratings.
• Realize that when the stores sign on to do this show, they are doing it because they want to look good.
• Because they want to look good, the store will give the show producers very advance notice of upcoming sales because the show producers only want the really good savings.
• Because of the advance notice of sales, they can then in turn give the "couponers" on the show lots of time to get coupons.
• The couponers never count the cost of the coupons they buy in their totals. While often these coupons are cheap, they still cost money.
• Because the producers only want the best totals, the people are not going to buy anything they might actually need like bread, milk, meat, and produce because the goal is to get close to $0. They can buy that stuff when they aren't on camera.
• They are also going to buy more then they probably ever do because again the goal is to get as close to $0 as possible while making the savings amount huge.
• Some stores have admitted they have bent their policies to make themselves look better. This might be doubling coupons over the value they double, allowing more then their quantity limits, allowing overage when they don't normally, or similar.
• Some of the couponers have actually been caught being allowed to do illegal things like using coupons for something other then it is for. For example, one couponer was seen using coupons for yoplait multipacks on single cups and coupons for items 16 oz or larger on items that were under 16 oz. This is coupon fraud, and is technically punishable by fines and jail.
• Other illegal things include stealing papers from in front of people's houses because the person hadn't brought them in yet, also in some cities it is illegal to dumpster dive.
• It's also very staged on the show. So when you see them just throwing a whole display in the cart, they aren't really just doing that. The producers wanted them to, and the store arranged for there to be a display with the exact number they need.
• A few of the stores have come out to say they wish they didn't do the show.
• The result of the show is that a lot of people have gotten into couponing, but either they have no idea what is allowed or they easily burn out because they can't reach those savings. The result from the stores is they are changing coupon policies and being more vigilent when you do use coupons.

So all in all, this reality tv is not reality, it's managed reality. Real couponing is saving more money then you used to spend on items you buy. There is no magic amount you should be saving or a magic grocery budget you should have. It all depends on your personal situation. A person with dogs, cats, babies, and teenagers will spend more then someone who is just a family of 2. If someone has a special diet or food allergies, their budget will be more then someone who doesn't. It also depends a lot on where you are at in your couponing journey. If you have months of coupon inserts, tear pads, booklets, etc., then you will probably save more then someone who just started. If you have a stockpile and are now in maintenance mode, you'll probably save more then someone who is just starting and still has to buy regular meals while building their stockpile.

Want to know the best way to see how you are doing? Compare what you are spending now to what you were spending before you started. Don't get discouraged because of Extreme Couponing or something you see on a show and tell blog post. I use the blog posts I see as a way to see what deals are out there, but don't compare yourself to them. If you are saving money on your family's needs, you should feel good. :-)

Meal Plan Monday

Monday- Oven Ranch Chicken, pasta, veggie
Tuesday- Breakfast for Dinner
Wednesday- Beef Stir-Fry
Thursday- Out
Friday- Cheeseburger Loaves, Mashed Potatoes, Veggie (For some reason this hasn't happened the last two weeks because something keeps coming up, I'm determined to make it happen this week)
Saturday- Easy Chicken Parmigiana, Spaghetti, Veggie
Sunday- Leftovers/DIY
What's your menu for the week?

Don't forget to link up or leave a comment with your meal plan or recipe below!

Meal Plan Monday

Monday- Lazy Nachos (Learned this from a friend a couple years ago. You put some chips on a aluminum foiled tray. Top with your favorite nacho toppings like meat, beans, and cheese and bake for a couple minutes at 350. Transfer the foil to the plate and top with other toppings like sour cream, guacamole, and salsa. Little to no clean-up because the plate stays clean too.)
Tuesday- Turkey Burgers with avocado, fries, veggie
Wednesday- Hotdogs, Mac and Cheese, veggie
Thursday- Stuffed Peppers
Friday- Cheeseburger Loaves, Mashed Potatoes, Veggie (never actually happened last week, long story)
Saturday- Breakfast for dinner
Sunday- Leftovers/DIY
What's your menu for the week?

Don't forget to link up or leave a comment with your meal plan or recipe below!

Publix Trip 10/6/11

I spent $2.92 for $46.94 worth of groceries, saving $44.02 or 94%! I'll also get a pink bakeware set by mail in rebate.

Here's the match-ups:
(4)Publix Soda 2/$1

(2)Limes 3/$1

(4)Hass Avocado 4/$5
   -(1)B3G1 Printable, automatically rang up as $1.50 off (no longer available)

(2) Olay Regenerist Cleanser $3.99 (after $3 off sale)
   -(2)$3/1 from 10/2/11 P&G
   -(1)$2/2 Target Coupon from 9/25/11 RP
   -Eligible for Bakeware Rebate

(4)Covergirl Eye Shadow $2.99
(2)Covergirl Blushes $3.59
  -(3)$8/2 from 10/2/11 P&G
  -Eligible for Bakeware Rebate

Meal Plan Monday... A Day Late.

We are currently in the process of having a fence put in, so it's been a little hectic around here. In the craziness, I forgot to post yesterday!
Monday- Chick-fil-a (Their new calendar is out!)
Tuesday- Turkey Burgers, Mac and Cheese, Salad
Wednesday- Pork Chops, Couscous, Veggie
Thursday- Stirfry with Brown Rice
Friday- Cheeseburger Loaves, Mashed Potatoes, Veggie
Saturday- Enchiladas
Sunday- Leftovers/DIY
What's your menu for the week?

Don't forget to link up or leave a comment with your meal plan or recipe below!

Publix Trip 9/29/11

(Not Pictured: Mushrooms)

I spent $22.63 for $63.97 worth of groceries, saving $41.34 or 65%!

Here's the match-ups:
(2)FreshExpress BOGO $3.99
   -(1)Free Product Q from Vocalpoint

(8)Green Giant Frozen Veggies BOGO $1.99
    -(2) $1/4 HERE

(2) Ragu Pizza Sauce BOGO $1.49

(4)Kraft BBQ Sauce BOGO $1.65

(2)Pantene 2/$7
   -(2)Free Product Q's
   -(1)$1/2 Target from 9/25/11 RP (Might have been SS, not quite sure)

(2)Country Time $3.79
   -(2)$2 off wyb 2 Kraft BBQ Peelie

(4)Del Monte Fruit Naturals 10/$10
   -(2)B1G1 Coupon from Vocalpoint

(1)Hotdog Buns 99¢

(1)Bag Apples $2.99

(1)Mushrooms 2/$5

And the Winner is...

And the randomly selected winner of the Betty Crocker Giftpack provided by MyBlogSpark and Betty Crocker is....

Sheila W!
Congratulations! Be looking for an email from me shortly.

Thanks again to everyone who entered!

Meal Plan Monday

Monday- Kielbasa, Mac and Cheese, Veggie
Tuesday- Hotdogs, Fries, Veggie
Wednesday- Pork Chops, Couscous, Veggie
Thursday- Chicken Parmigiana, Pasta, and Salad
Friday- Beef Stroganoff, Veggie
Saturday- Pizza and Salad
Sunday- Leftovers/DIY
What's your menu for the week?

Don't forget to link up or leave a comment with your meal plan or recipe below!

Meal Plan Monday

We're going out of town this week, so instead of a meal plan we're just eating from the fridge.

 So instead of my meal plan I would love if you link up or comment with your meal plan or recipe below!

Friday Favorites- Giveaway!

So if you know me, you know I love to bake! It's one of my favorite hobbies, and I think I'm quite good at it. So when I was contacted by MyBlogSpark for this Spark, well I was definitely excited.

Those that know me know that I am a pretty big on baking from scratch. I think it tastes better, I know what is in it, and it's much more fun to do. However, there are times where you're asked to bring a dessert to some potluck or event last minute and need to whip something up real quick. Betty Crocker Milk Chocolate Brownies solve that dilemma. They have just the right touch of milk chocolate flavor, and traditional homemade brownie taste (although homemade is still better in my book ;-) ) On top of that, they can be ready in three easy steps!

MyBlogSpark and Betty Crocker hooked me up with an awesome prize pack, which includes a box of brownies, a Betty Crocker apron, a mixing spoon, and a brownie pan (mine was Wilton, which made me squeal with delight, lol.) What's even cooler is they want to give one to one of my lucky readers as well!



To Enter:

Required Entry:

1. Leave a comment telling me who you'd love to make these brownies for (yourself counts, lol).

Bonus Entries:

1. Subscribe to the Frugal and Provident feed or email, and leave a comment saying that you did.
2. Follow Frugal and Provident via Google Friend Connect (found in the right side-bar), and leave a comment saying that you did.
3. "Like" Frugal and Provident on Facebook, and leave a comment saying that you did.
4. Follow Frugal and Provident on Twitter.
5. Share this giveaway somewhere, and leave a comment saying where.
6. Like Betty Crocker on Facebook or on Twitter, and leave a comment on this blog saying which you did.

This means you can enter up to 7 times! Please be sure to leave a comment for each form of entry! The winner will be chosen using random.org on 9/28/11 around 10pm. Emailed comments and those left on Facebook or Twitter will not be counted.

Disclosure: Betty Crocker and MyBlogSpark provided me with info and a prize pack for me and my winner. All comments and opinions are my own.

Meal Plan Monday

This is a little late today, but better late then never:

Monday- Chicken Tenders, Mashed Potatoes, Veggie
Tuesday- Pierogies, Veggie
Wednesday- Burgers, Fries, Veggie
Thursday- Pork Chops, Couscous, Veggie
Friday- Spaghetti and Meat Sauce, Veggie
Saturday- Out
Sunday- Leftovers/DIY
What's your menu for the week?

Don't forget to link up or leave a comment with your meal plan or recipe below!

Publix Trip 9/8/11

I spent $23.97 for $54.78 worth of groceries, saving $30.81 or 56%!

Here's the match-ups:

(2)Ocean Spray BOGO $3.99

(1)Frito-Lay Multipack $5.99

(6)Goldfish 10/$10
   -(2)$1/2 Extra-Chocolate from "Storm Essentials" Booklet

(4)Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls 10/$10
   -(2)$1/2 HERE

(1)Publix Pizza Sauce $1.19

(1)Rasberries 2/$4
   -(1)50¢/1 Driscoll's Printable (not sure where from, was in my binder)

(1)Grapes $4.16
   -(1)$1 off Produce wyb Frito-Lay Multipack

(1)Sirloin Tip Roast $6.90

$5/$25 Save-a-lot

Not the most stellar trip ever, but it included meat and produce, so I'm ok with the totals.

Frugality- Ditching the TV

Last week I talked about trying to spend more time with family, and recently we ditched our satellite service. Don't get me wrong, we love tv, but when we really sat and looked at it 95% of the shows we like to watch are available somewhere for absolutely nothing. A good portion of them come on local channels (Fox, ABC, NBC, CBS), which with over air digital receiver, we can watch them all for free.

I then discovered this website, where all you do is type in the name of the show you like to watch and it will tell you where it is available online. A lot of times it is free, but sometimes it will be on itunes or Amazon to pay for. I'd say all but one or two of the shows we like to watch were available somewhere to watch for free. If we want to watch the shows on our regular television, we just plug in my computer with an HDMI cable. The added advantage is my computer has a blu-ray disc drive, so we can also get Blu-Ray movies to watch.

The third thing we did was buy a Roku. This is teeny-tiny device that connects to the tv. Through it you can stream Netflix, HuluPlus, Amazon on Demand, and other things. These are all pay services, but they all run fairly cheap compared to pay tv. We're doing a free trial of HuluPlus right now, we'll see how we feel. As well as having those channels, it has many other "channels" that you can add to it. For us we could add BYUTV, which is a channel that plays a lot of great programing on matters of our faith. We also have the Pandora channel for when we just want some music on. The newest version of the Roku actually has a remote that works like the Wii remote, and they are adding games all the time. If you like Angry Birds, it comes pre-loaded on the device.

Everything else we make up for with Rebox and the Library.

The only downsides are that there is a bit of an upfront cost for things like the over air antenna, HDMI cables, and Roku if you choose to do it, but I think for us that would only equal a few months of satellite. Also, you'd need one for each tv you have, or have the patience to move things to different rooms.

Even with upgrading our internet, we are paying significantly less. Thankfully the "phone" company around here has stand alone dsl internet, and it is soo much better then Comcast's. We also still get 911 access on our home phone, and people can still call us, we just can't call out. If we agreed to sign a contract with them for the internet we'd get a lower rate, and since we love them so much, we agreed.

This is just some food for thought. We really started to look into it when we realized we really didn't watch a lot of tv anymore and that sooo much of what we like to watch was available for free online. It may not work for everyone, but it works for us.

Meal Plan Monday

Monday- Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Corn on the Cob, Potato Salad, and Baked Beans
Tuesday- Pierogies, Veggie
Wednesday- Chicken and Broccoli
Thursday- Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Veggie
Friday- Pizza
Saturday- Pork Loin, Potatoes, Carrots
Sunday- Leftovers/DIY
What's your menu for the week?

Don't forget to link up or leave a comment with your meal plan or recipe below!

Meal Plan Monday

Monday- Popcorn Chicken, Fries, Veggie
Tuesday- Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, Veggie
Wednesday- Grilled Chicken, Couscous,Veggie
Thursday- Pork chops, Pasta, Veggie
Friday- Out
Saturday-Breakfast
Sunday- Leftovers/DIY
What's your menu for the week?

Don't forget to link up or leave a comment with your meal plan or recipe below!

Publix Trip 8/25/11

I spent $15.78 for $64.17 worth of groceries, saving $48.39 or 77%!

Here's the match-ups:
(4) Scott Tissues BOGO $1.25
   -(2)$1/1 from Facebook Promotion (no longer available)

(4)Del Monte Fruit Cups BOGO $2.53
   -(1)Free Product Coupon
   -(1)$1/1 Homemailed

(2) Thomas English Muffins BOGO $3.89

(3) Ore Ida Potatoes $3.75
   -(1)Free sweet potato fry coupon
   -(1) B2G1 from Yellow Advantage Buy Flyer
   -(1)$2/2 Target Coupon

(1) Publix Hand Sanitizer $1.99
   -(1) 50¢/1 in Newspaper

(4) Sundown Vitamin B Complex $3.99
   -(2)$6/2 from Green Advantage Buy
   -(2)$3/2 Printable

(1)Martin's Wheat Rolls $3.69

(1)Wheat Tortillas $1.39

(1) Jif to go $2.19
   -(1)Free Product Coupon.

(1)Green Pepper 90¢
(1)Onion 42¢
(2) Potatoes $1.49
(1)Zucchini 50¢

So Here's Where We're At...

Long time no see! A lot has been going on here. First, there was the whole computer. Then my daughter was sick, then I was sick. Crazy!

So I've been doing a lot of soul searching about this blog, I don't want to stop blogging, but I've been trying to spend more time with my family. I also work part time at night online. The best way for me to reconcile all of this is to change from a set weekly schedule to posting in the areas I normally do, just not weekly. I'll probably still post my meal plan because, well, we still got to eat, lol! I feel like this is the best way to still post about everything I love, but not miss out on everything else I need to be doing!

I'll be posting my shopping trip later today, so be looking for that!

Publix Trip 8/11/11

I spent $4.12 for $86.83 worth of groceries, saving $82.71 or 95%! I'm also eligible for the ConAgra back to school $10 g/c rebate!

Here's the match-ups:
(4)Banquet Chicken BOGO $4.99
   -Eligible for $10 G/C Offer
 
(2)Cheez-it BOGO $4.19
   -(2) 70¢/1 HERE

(2)Toufayan Pita BOGO $1.29

(4)Chips Ahoy BOGO $3.69
   -(1)B3G1 Target HERE
   -(2)75¢/2 from 8/7/11 SS

(4)Ronzoni Garden Delight BOGO $1.89
   -(4)$1/1 from Morningstar Farm Booklet

(4)Whiskas Cat Treats BOGO $1.50
   -(2)$1/2 HERE 

(2) Soft Scrub BOGO $3.29
   -(2)$1.50/1 from 8/7/11 RP

(2)Herbal Essence 2/$5
   -(1)Free Product Q
   -(1)$1/1 from 8/7/11 RP

(4)Publix Soda 2/$1

(1)Mushrooms $1.69
(1)Grapes $3.52
(1)Asparagus $2.45

-$5/$25 Save-A-Lot Coupon
-$5 G/C
-$14.16 G/C       

Recipe- Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns

I'll be honest, I haven't made this recipe yet, but I do consider myself fortunate in that I can read a recipe and tell if it is going to taste good, and this recipe looks amazing. I'm excited to try it in the very near future.

One thing that has always driven me insane is that whole wheat versions of any product at the store costs significantly more then the white version. This is odd to me since technically white products require more processing, but the reason is simple the demand is there for processed over whole foods. Simple supply and demand means the thing that is demanded more will often be cheaper. So that being said I am always searching for ways to make the whole grain version of foods.

Some people cannot stand whole grain products, but the more you eat them the more you will wonder why you ate the bland white products before. White products often require the addition of lots of sugar and/or salt to give them flavor, while whole grains have a natural flavor. We've come to love wheat bread over white, brown rice over white, whole grain pancakes, pizza crust, and muffins over the regular alternative, now eating the regular just doesn't seem as tasty.

Final Giveaway Reminder

 Today is the last day to enter, so get your entries in!

Here's your reminder for the great giveaway!
Hallee the Homemaker is hosting an awesome giveaway, which makes me super excited. It's for the grain mill I've always wanted!




A grain mill is a great thing to have with food storage because it really widens the amount of things you can store and make.

I'll try to remind you daily to go enter!

News

It's been a little crazy around here. My husband surprised me with a getaway to Orlando this past weekend, and it was absolutely wonderful. It was a nice trip away from the daily grind and it was a nice break from technology (I'm not one to drop $4.95 for an hour of internet). As you can guess, grocery shopping was not even on my radar for last week.

So that was the good news, the bad news however is that my computer (which was purchased in January), stopped working last week. AHH! It turned out to be that my hard drive inexplicably died. :-/ It is thankfully under warranty, so it will be repaired for free, but I will be without it for 2 weeks. Thankfully I have my husbands computer to work with, but it makes it a little more difficult in life to get things done. As such, the posts will probably be sporadic this week as I both get back to reality after my break and because of the lack of my personal computer.

Some other good news is a few months back BzzAgent offered me a one year free trial to Trend Micro's SafeSync, which happens to be an automatic back-up service, so I haven't lost anything from my computer. I can also access it from other computers, so I can at least still access things I need these next few weeks. If anybody is interested in trying SafeSync go here and use the code BZZ20 to get a discount off the price.

Recipe- Whole Wheat Tortillas

This is yet another awesome recipe from Hallee the Homemaker. I'm all about changing my grains from white to wheat, so I love finding recipes to do so. I love mexican food, but I honestly hate how unhealthy most tortillas are, so I was excited to find this recipe.

Definitely go check them out!

Monday Giveaway Reminder

Here's your reminder for the great giveaway!
Hallee the Homemaker is hosting an awesome giveaway, which makes me super excited. It's for the grain mill I've always wanted!








A grain mill is a great thing to have with food storage because it really widens the amount of things you can store and make.

I'll try to remind you daily to go enter!

Friday Giveaway Reminder

Here's your reminder for the great giveaway!
Hallee the Homemaker is hosting an awesome giveaway, which makes me super excited. It's for the grain mill I've always wanted!







A grain mill is a great thing to have with food storage because it really widens the amount of things you can store and make.

I'll try to remind you daily to go enter!

Recipe- Corn on the Cob

There's nothing like corn on the cob, but even better is perfect corn on the cob. Hallee has a great method for cooking corn on the cob.

Photo Credit: Hallee the Homemaker

I don't really have anything to add to it because the method is exactly what I do.

Recipe- Pizza

Hallee has a great recipe for pizza. I love homemade pizza and wheat crust. I've come to love it more then any other kinds of pizza.

Photo Credit: Hallee the Homemaker

Here are my tweaks:

• Add lots of veggies. I like to add onion, green pepper, mushrooms, and olives to my pizza depending on what I have on hand.
• I like to use whatever cheese I have that works for pizza, so mozarella, Italian, Romano, Parmesan, etc.
• I brush the edge of the crust with olive oil.
• I haven't tried Hallee's crust, but wheat crusts in general are yummy!

Thursday Giveaway Reminder

Here's your reminder for the great giveaway!
Hallee the Homemaker is hosting an awesome giveaway, which makes me super excited. It's for the grain mill I've always wanted!




A grain mill is a great thing to have with food storage because it really widens the amount of things you can store and make.

I'll try to remind you daily to go enter!

Wednesday's Giveaway Reminder

Here's your reminder for the great giveaway!
Hallee the Homemaker is hosting an awesome giveaway, which makes me super excited. It's for the grain mill I've always wanted!




A grain mill is a great thing to have with food storage because it really widens the amount of things you can store and make.

I'll try to remind you daily to go enter!

Recipe- Cream Cheese Frosting

I recently made carrot cake for my husband's birthday (and before anyone thinks I'm mean, that is specifically what he asked for!), and of course with carrot cake comes cream cheese frosting. I searched for awhile to find a recipe that sounded good, and this one was perfect.

Photo Credit: Hallee the Homemaker

This recipe would also work for icing zucchini or pumpkin bread or red velvet cake, or any cake that you like cream cheese frosting on. 

Tuesday's Giveaway Reminder

Here's your reminder for the great giveaway!
Hallee the Homemaker is hosting an awesome giveaway, which makes me super excited. It's for the grain mill I've always wanted!



A grain mill is a great thing to have with food storage because it really widens the amount of things you can store and make.

I'll try to remind you daily to go enter!

Recipe- Hard Boiled Eggs

You'd think hard boiled eggs would be easy, but for many people they aren't. I love hard boiled eggs, and it took me awhile to fine tune cooking them. Sometimes I'd cook them for too short a time, and the inside was still runny, and others I'd cook them so long they were impossible to peel. Hallee uses a similar technique that I do, and it's quite simple. Check it out here.

Photo Credit: Hallee the Homemaker

Here are some things I would add:

• To cool the eggs quicker add ice to the water.
• To make eggs easier to peel tap the egg so one of the ends cracks while they sit in the cold water.
• Make a bunch. They're good for making egg salad, a quick snack, or quick breakfast.
• To store the eggs, don't peel until you need them and store in original container, or peel and store in a bag.

News for the Week

Because of Hallee's awesome giveaway and because this week is my anniversary, and we have also are meeting up with some family this weekend, the regular schedule for the week will be changed to just giveaway reminders and recipe posts.

I'll of course still post any Publix Trip I make.

Also, in other exciting news. Frugal and Provident is officially on Twitter. User name is FrugalProvident, so come on over and follow me there. :-)

I hope everyone enjoys their week!

Recipe- Herb Roasted Potatoes

One of the ways to enter Hallee's giveaway is to share recipes of hers that you've made. This is one of my favorite potato recipes, I've made a similar one for quite some time, and this one is just as great.

Photo Credit: Hallee the Homemaker



Here are some tweaks I have:

• I like to cut mine smaller into about 1 inch pieces
• I prefer red potatoes
• I like to add dill to the spices.
• I like fresh chopped garlic and onion to add to the flavor. (You could use garlic or onion powder if you don't have fresh)
• I like to use seasoned salt for this recipe.

Now if only potatoes would go on sale sometime soon...

Your Daily Giveaway Reminder

Here's your reminder for the great giveaway!
Hallee the Homemaker is hosting an awesome giveaway, which makes me super excited. It's for the grain mill I've always wanted!



A grain mill is a great thing to have with food storage because it really widens the amount of things you can store and make.

I'll try to remind you daily to go enter!

Meal Plan Monday

Monday- Ravioli, Veggie
Tuesday- Undecided (It's our anniversary)
Wednesday- Burgers, Mashed Potatoes, Veggie
Thursday- Chicken Sausage and Pasta Bake, Veggie
Friday-  Beef Stroganoff, Veggie
Saturday- Out
Sunday- Breakfast
What's your menu for the week?

Don't forget to link up or leave a comment with your meal plan or recipe below!

Today's Giveaway Reminder

Here's your reminder for the great giveaway!
Hallee the Homemaker is hosting an awesome giveaway, which makes me super excited. It's for the grain mill I've always wanted!




A grain mill is a great thing to have with food storage because it really widens the amount of things you can store and make.

I'll try to remind you daily to go enter!

Publix Trip 7/30/11

I spent $20.76 for $99.65 worth of grocery, saving $78.89 or 79%! I also got a $5 g/c to use next time.

Here's the match-ups:
(2)Yoplait Go-Gurt BOGO $2.59
   -(1)Free Product Q

(6)Eggo Waffles BOGO $2.69
   -(2)$1/3 HERE

(4) Mueller's Whole Grain BOGO $1.53
   -(4)$1/1 from 7/10/11 SS

(2)Wise Potato Chips BOGO $3.99
   -(2)50¢/1 HERE

(3)Publix Milk $3.89
   -(3)$2 off Milk wyb 2 Eggo Products

(2)Ziploc Bags 2/$5
   -(1)$1/2 HERE
   -(1)$1/2 Target HERE

(4)Oreos 2/$5
   -(2)$1/2 from 6/19/11 SS
   -(1)$1/1 from Stocking Spree Booklet
   -(1)B3G1 Target HERE

(1)Natural Instincts $5.99
   -(1)Free Product Coupon

(3)Herbal Essence Products $2.79
   -(2)$1/1 from 6/12/11 RP
   -(1)$3 off Styler wyb 1 Shampoo or Conditioner
   -(1)$1/2 from Stocking Spree Booklet

(2)Always Pantiliners $1.25
   -(2) 50¢/1 from 6/5/11 PG
   -(1)$1.50/1 from Stocking Spree Booklet
   - Eligible for $5 g/c wyb 3 Participating Products

(1)Crest Toothpaste 2/$5
   -(1)75¢/1 from 6/5/11 PG
   -(1)$1/1 from Stocking Spree Booklet
   - Eligible for $5 g/c wyb 3 Participating Products

-$5/$25 Save-a-lot coupon

How'd you do? Link-up below with your trip or leave a comment below.

Giveaway Reminder

Here's your reminder for the great giveaway!
Hallee the Homemaker is hosting an awesome giveaway, which makes me super excited. It's for the grain mill I've always wanted!



A grain mill is a great thing to have with food storage because it really widens the amount of things you can store and make.

I'll try to remind you daily to go enter!

Bonus Friday Favorite: Recipe

While we are on the subject of Hallee the Homemaker, I wanted to share one of her awesome recipes. This recipe is for white chicken chili. I'm not a big chili fan, but I loved this chili. It had just the right amount of spice for me. It's not really chili season right now, but soon enough it will be!

Photo Credit: Hallee the Homemaker

She has a ton of great recipes especially for homemade (healthy!) breads. If you haven't checked out her site, it really is worth it!

Great Giveaway on Another Site

Hallee the Homemaker is hosting an awesome giveaway, which makes me super excited. It's for the grain mill I've always wanted!




A grain mill is a great thing to have with food storage because it really widens the amount of things you can store and make.

I'll try to remind you daily to go enter!

Friday Favorites- Website!

I recently discovered this wonderful website called Parenting. Illustrated with Crappy Pictures. I find t to be a really entertaining look at parenting. The writer illustrates common parenting moments through funny stories and pictures that could easily been drawn on MS paint. For parents out there, it will make you feel like you are not alone in the weird things you go through.

This is one of my personal favorites.

If anything, the site will give you a good laugh. Enjoy!

Frugality: To "Green" or Not to "Green" and Other Popular Phrases

I'm not very old, but I know that there is always some sort of catch phrase going around when it comes to food and other things you buy. Words like "light" and "low-fat" used to be big, then came "low-carb," now it's things like "all natural" and "green." Now not all the time do these words mean something bad. Something that is low carb can be good for you, as can something that is green. So how do you know what is good and what is just marketing?

• Read the label. Sometimes in order to make something low-fat, light, or low-carb, they actually add things like tons of salt, artificial sweeteners, or the infamous "natural/artificial colors and flavors." Those things themselves can be kind of scary.
• When it comes to the words all natural or green, those really don't have a lot of backing. You can say something is all natural, but think about what things are "natural." Sugar is natural as is salt, but thinking about cleaners a lot of things naturally found are not necessarily safe. My adage to remember is "even arsenic is natural." If you want natural food, stick to the outer aisles of the store, where you find produce, meat, and dairy. For cleaners, stick to vinegar, lemons, baking soda, etc.
• For the term green, always weigh the price to what it is. I'm sorry, but a hybrid gigantic SUV just does not make any sense, you pay a ton more to get a few extra miles. A lot of things will claim to be green, which really aren't any different then they used to be, and somethings don't make the claim and are more green then the ones that do.
• Organic. Organic is a good thing, but to truly be organic at the grocery store it needs a USDA label. When it comes to the farmer's market, ask how the farmer grows his food.  A lot of times local farmers do grow things organic, but cannot afford to be certified. Also, organic does not mean good for you. Organic sugar is just as unhealthy as regular sugar. An organic cookie is just as bad as a regular cookie.
• Whole grain. Whole grains are good for you, but if it's whole grain Chef Boyardee, you'll probably still find trans fat in it. Also, corn is a whole grain, but really it's not the best kind of grain to have. Really you want wheat, rice, barley, etc. Don't buy something that says whole grain without reading the whole label.
• 0g of Trans Fat per Serving. Here's the thing if there is less then 0.5g of trans fat in the food, the company doesn't have to list it on the nutrition label. However, if you read the ingredients you'll still find it. It will be listed as either fully or partially-hydrogenated oil. You'd be surprised what you'll find it in. Also, with the reality that most people don't eat just one serving of many foods, it can be concerning that the company can fool you into thinking you are not eating any trans fat.

Really what it comes down to is read the label and do research. Remember the company is trying to sell you something, they will not tell you the bad, only the good. It's up to you to be informed.

Emergency Prep: A Checklist

A lot of people work really well when they have a list to go by. There are a lot of things to remember when it comes to preparing, and you really don't want to forget any of it.

The American Red Cross and FEMA has put out this checklist that goes through everything you need, from supplies needed to making plans. It even has blank "rooms" for you to draw escape plans for a fire in your home. It also has a "home hazard hunt" section where you can look for things that could be potential hazards to your home.

It's 4 pages, and I highly encourage you to print it out and go through the list, even if it takes a few days. Remember if you are prepared, you will not fear.

Clever Tricks for Getting and Keeping Your Home Liveable

Notice I didn't say clean in the title? I'm a firm believer that if your house is always absolutely perfect, then you probably are missing the important things in your life, like spending time with your family, and that kids are missing out on being kids. I'm not a perfect housekeeper, and there are days when my daughter makes a mess of the whole living room with her toys or days when my coupons take over the table. I try to only do laundry once or twice a week. How do I do that? We have enough whites and colors to last two weeks, and we rewear our jeans and khakis (they're meant to be worn that way). Also, by waiting to have full loads of laundry, we cut back on the energy and water used to wash them. I try to keep the main living area (kitchen, family room, and dining room) presentable, but worry less about bedrooms and the office because not too many people go in there, ya know?

First, here's a resource for getting your house to a maintainable level and being able to keep it. It is called Fly Lady. She can really help you to develop habits that you can then keep.

Second, the best way to avoid total chaos is to organize your house in the first place. If everything has a home, it's a lot easier to put it away. That also means purging anything you don't want or need from your life.

Third, try to follow the touch it once rule. For example, when you get the mail from the mail box immediately sort the junk into the recycling, the bills where you pay bills, file the things you need to file, and anything you need to do put in your to-do pile. This keeps the mail from piling up all over the place.

Fourth, try never to leave a room empty handed. Chances are there is something in the room you are in that belongs in the room you are going to, so you might as well take it with you.

Fifth, decide how often things need to be done around the house based on your family's needs and situations. If you have kids, you may need to do things more often. Perhaps you only need to run the dishwasher every few days instead of everyday. Maybe you're really good at eating your leftovers, so cleaning out the fridge only needs to be done occasionally.

Finally, come up with your own housekeeping plan based on that. It doesn't have to be fancy or even day specific. Perhaps you just need a list of things that need to be done every week, and you choose one to do whenever you have a chance, or you like to have specific things to do each day. Remember, what works best is what works for you, and that you will keep up with.

Remember to keep it simple. Your home is your home, not a museum, it's supposed to look like people live there. There will be dust, there will be dirt, there will be fingerprints, and there will be clutter at times. Like I said before, I'd rather spend time with my family or spend some time for myself then making sure my house looks immaculate, besides if anybody puts a white glove to your house, you probably shouldn't be friends with them. LOL.

Meal Plan Monday

Monday- Stuffed Shells, Veggie
Tuesday- Lazy Nachos
Wednesday- Pork Chops, Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Veggie
Thursday- Leftovers/DIY
Friday- Hotdogs, Mashed Potatoes, Veggie
Saturday- Cheeseburger Loaves, Couscous, Veggie
Sunday- Pretzel Chicken Nuggets, Pasta, Veggie
What's your menu for the week?

Don't forget to link up or leave a comment with your meal plan or recipe below!

Publix Trip 7/23/11

I spent $18.73 for $102.98 worth of groceries, saving $84.25 or 82%!



Here's the match-ups:
(4)Morning Star Farms BOGO $4.19
   -(2)$2/2 from Morning Star Farms Booklet
   -(2) $1/2 HERE

(2)Nabisco Grahams BOGO $4.09
  -(1)$1/2 from 6/26/11 SS

(2)Gerber Graduates $2.19
   -(2)$1/1 HERE
   -(2) $1/1 from Ooh and Aah Booklet

(2)Gerber Pasta Pick-Ups 2/$3
   -(2) 55¢/1 HERE
   -(2) $1/1 from Ooh and Aah Booklet

(2)Earth's Best Snacks $2.19
   -(1)$1.50/2 Homemailer
   -(2)$1/1 from Ooh and Aah Booklet

(4)Frosted Flakes 50% off price- $2.44
(2) Frosted Mini Wheats 50% off price- $2.32
(2) Crunchy Nut 50% off price- $2.04
(2) Special K 50% off price-$2.10
   -(2)$5/5 printable (no longer available)

(1)Special K Protein Bars $6.49
   -Free wyb (2) Special K Cereals Peelie

Strawberries $2.50
   -(1)$1.50 off strawberries wyb 2 Special K tearpad
Blueberries $2.50
   -(1)$1.50 off blueberries or rasberries wyb 2 Kellogg's Products tearpad
Bananas $1.66
   -(1)$1.50 off fruit wyb 2 select Kellogg's Cereal from New School Year Booklet
Watermelon $1.88
   -(1)$1.50 off fruit wyb 2 select Kellogg's Cereal from New School Year Booklet
Apples $2.95
   -(1)$1.50 off fruit wyb 2 select Kellogg's Cereal from New School Year Booklet

-$5 g/c from last week

I fully took advantage of the 50% off sale to stock up on cereal and get a ton of fresh fruit. There were some other things I wanted, but unfortunately my Stocking Spree Booklet has not come yet, anybody else still waiting to receive it?

I'm sure you noticed my lack of posts this week. If you follow me on facebook, you probably saw that I wasn't feeling too great. I'm feeling a little better, but not the best. Since I was going shopping on Saturday, I also fully took advantage of Thursday to go to the beach, even if I didn't feel that great, it was still fun. Everything should be back to normal next week!