Facing the Dawn Book Review

 I was excited to read another book by this author because I have enjoyed the other books.  Facing the Dawn by Cynthia Ruchti is a stand alone novel. Mara is a facing the world by herself and trying to make it through the rough times while facing the dawn of a new day.

 

While her humanitarian husband Liam has been  bdigging wells in Africa, Mara Jacobs has been struggling. She knows she's supposed to feel a warm glow that her husband is nine time zones away, caring for widows and orphans. But the reality is that she is exhausted, working a demanding yet unrewarding job, trying to manage their three detention-prone kids, failing at her to-repair list, and fading like a garment left too long in the sun.

Then Liam's three-year absence turns into something more, changing everything and plunging her into a sunless grief. As Mara struggles to find her footing, she discovers that even when hope is tenuous, faith is fragile, and the future is unknown, we can be sure we are not forgotten . . . or unloved. With emotionally evocative prose that tackles tough topics with tenderness and hope, award-winning author Cynthia Ruchti invites you on a journey of the heart you won't soon forget.

I knew nothing about the book when I started so I wanted to figure it out as I read it. At first I was trying to figure out the home dynamic with Mara struggling to be a single parent even though she had a husband who was away for a four year well digging mission in another country. Mara was falling apart because she had no one to help her with the house or the kids.  She was trying to work while managing the house and her family and everything was falling apart including her.  She was trying to stay positive but it was very hard. Then it got even more hard because she got the call that her husband was killed and she wasn't sure what she was going to do to get through.  She was home from work but that meant that she wasn't getting paid and she was loosing hope. I knew that I couldn't put this book down at this point because I was totally connected to Mara and hoping that she pulls through and doesn't fall apart.  I know that this story is going to have lots of ups and downs so I was ready to keep going and find out what the next challenge was going to be. I hope that you check out this book and relate to trying to make it through to the next challenge.

*I received a copy of the book for my review but all opinions here are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review.

My Kind of Wonderful Book Review

I was enjoying the new series and got to read straight through the Cedar Ridge series because I got them all out of the library.  The first book and the last book were on the shelf before the library closed so I was grateful to get them. I just had to reserve this one which was the middle of the series.  My Kind of Wonderful (Cedar Ridge, 2) by Jill Shalvis is the second book in the three part series.

 

UNEXPECTED AND UNDENIABLE . . .
Bailey Moore has an agenda: skiing in the Rockies, exploring castles in Europe, ballroom dancing in Argentina. Now that she has a second lease on life, she's determined not to miss a thing. What she doesn't realize is that item #1 comes with a six-foot-one ski god hot enough to melt a polar ice cap. She doesn't want to miss out on him either, but Hudson Kincaid isn't the type of guy to love and let go. And as gorgeous as Cedar Ridge is, she's not planning to stick around.

As head of ski patrol at his family's resort, Hud thinks he's seen it all. But never has he run into someone like Bailey. She might look delicate, but her attitude is all firecracker. And her infectious joy touches something deep within him that he's been missing far too long. Now he'll just have to convince Bailey to take a chance on her biggest adventure yet . . . something rare and all kinds of wonderful.

I thought that this was a great book to follow Hudson Kincaid and get us back to the family that we are just getting to know in the last book. Hudson was a little bit of a mystery after the last book so I was eager to get to know what was going on with him. But I was immediately drawn to Bailey Moore, who has decided to live her fullest life. With a long list of things that she wants to do now that she has gotten the all clear on her health, Bailey is set that she is going to live life to the fullest . However, Bailey meets Hudson at the ski resort where she has signed up to do a mural and her definition of what that might be changes.  The two of them have to work together and they feel themselves being drawn together.  Bailey feels that she wants to travel the word and find out what she has been missing while spending years in the hospital. Although neither of them is looking for a relationship, they decide that they should enjoy their lives together while they have the chance. Neither is willing to say that they have changed because they both want the other person to be happy. I know that I enjoyed the ups and downs and you have to pick up the book to find out more about all of the different family members and things going on with the whole family. I hope that you check out this book and the rest of the series.  I know that you will enjoy it as much as I have. Another book where it is super hard not to read the preview at the back of the book for the next book in the series.

Menu Plan Monday 3/29

 

 

Spaghetti with sausage sauce (Penne with garlic bread for my son)

Lemon Chicken Skillet with Rice and Orzo (Hashbrowns and Bacon for my son)

Chicken Paninis with tater tots

Ground Beef Tacos with corn bread

Homemade Pizza (Pepperoni, Garlic Chicken, Buffalo Chicken and Pizza Knuckle Roll Ups)

Steak and Twice Baked Potatoes

Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and Homemade French Fries

Last week we had Orecchiette pasta with sausage sauce on Monday with garlic bread pizza.  I have started making lightly cooked pizza dough with the extra pizza dough that we have on Friday night so I use that to make garlic bread pizza on Monday and lunch during the week for my son and I.  Super helpful to have it done and not waste any dough.  I used to use it to make fried dough and donuts but my son was getting sick of those options. Tuesday brought the Spicy Stir Fry Chicken with rice which I created to use up some Terriyaki sauce that has been in my pantry that my husband didn't like but this new one is super yummy and I topped it with extra sesame seeds from some nuts that we had also in the pantry. Wednesday was my barbecue chicken sandwiches with tater tots and freezer fries. We don't really like BBQ sauce and I have a few that I wanted to use up so I mixed it with some seasoning from my spice cupboard that has been sitting there and grape jelly which we also don't eat.  It was really tasty the first time so we have had this once a month on grilled rolls with melted cheese. Thursday, I made chili and cornbread with enough leftovers so that froze and plan on using next month for a yummy dinner. Friday was homemade pizza night. Saturday was Fried Rice with egg rolls and pot stickers. Although it is a dinner that takes up all of the burners on the stove, it is fun and tasty.  I used a bunch of leftovers and actually make myself a lo mein with the leftover spaghetti and fried rice for my husband.  There was lots of leftovers for lunch the next day. Sunday was Chicken Wraps and homemade fries which is a staple in my house because it is easy and my son's favorite dinner.

On for another week of yummy food.  I have the whole menu plan set for April and I am ready to move into some more warm weather food which usually means more grilling and less dishes.  Fingers crossed that the weather stays nice!!  What do you have on your menu for this week??

Menu Plan Monday 3/22

 

 

Spaghetti with sausage sauce (Penne with garlic bread for my son)

Spicy Brown Stir Fry Chicken with rice (Hashbrowns and Bacon for my son)

Grilled Chicken Paninis with tater tots

Chili or Chicken Enchiladas with corn bread

Homemade Pizza (Pepperoni, Garlic Chicken, Buffalo Chicken and Pizza Knuckle Roll Ups)

Fried Rice, Egg Rolls, Pot stickers, and Edamame

Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and Homemade French Fries

 

I can't believe it is already the end of another month and I have to start the next month meal planning.  The great thing is that we are really well stocked on lots of different things and I look forward to changing up the menu a little more with what we are going to eat since the weather is getting nicer.  I really like the nights where were have grilled chicken because it tastes great and makes much less dishes which is always a bonus in my book!!  What fun meals do you start having because the weather is nicer?

Second Chance Summer Book Review

 I was excited to find a new series and got to start at the beginning with book 1.  Second Chance Summer (Cedar Ridge, 1) by Jill Shalvis was set in a small town in Colorado so I was excited to get to know these new characters and this new setting.  It seemed very familiar but I wasn't sure where I had read one of the stories before.

 

Lily Danville's life is crumbling around her. With no money and no home, her only choice is to go back to the one town she swore she'd never see again: Cedar Ridge, Colorado. Back to the memories of her sister's tragic death. Back to the place where, ten years ago, she shared an unforgettable kiss with Aidan Kincaid-the man her sister once loved.

A new job at the town's hottest resort is just the fresh start Lily has been looking for...until she discovers the resort is owned by none other than the Kincaid family. How can she possibly see Aidan every day without feeling as if she's betraying her sister? But as secrets from the past come to light and Lily starts to realize the truth, she can only hope it's not too late to find love, family, and forgiveness.

Lily is going through a lot of emotions now because her life is not turning out as she expected and she is heading home.  She didn't think that she would ever go back to the small town of Cedar Ridge but she couldn't find a job anywhere else. She is headed home to face her sisters death that she has been running from for 10 years. Lily took the job with a friend and didn't know that it was going to be at the resort owned by the Kincaid family who she had some incredible times with Aidan Kincaid and then left town without another word.  There is a lot of drama in this book with the issues that Lily is dealing with but I was always energized that she took the chance to move forward and try for a better life.  I know that you will enjoy the ups and downs in this book and I don't want to give away anything. I hope that you check out this book and the rest of the series and see how you like it.  I am looking forward to the new book which I am starting soon!! Stay tuned for the next book in the series soon.

The Blended Quilt Book Review

 I was excited to get to read another book by this great author duo and enjoy this new book in the series.  The Blended Quilt by Wanda and Jean Brunstetter was another addition to the series about the Amish group of friends that went to Hawaii. I am not sure what number this is in the series but I remember reading the other books in this series and I know that you will too!!

 

 

Will pursuing Sadie’s dreams mean leaving a romance behind?
 
Sadie Kuhns has a lot happening in her life. She is creating a unique quilt by blending a traditional Amish pattern with a Hawaiian pattern as a tribute to her time spent in the islands, and she is working on a self-published book. But her relationship with Wyman Kauffman has stagnated after six months of courtship. He can’t seem to commit to a profession that would secure a future, and he is jealous of the time Sadie gives to her own pursuits. Is there really any reason to drag this courtship out? Only time will tell in this new novel from New York Times bestselling author Wanda E. Brunstetter, writing with her daughter-in-law Jean Brunstetter.

I hope that you check out this book and the great series that it goes with it for yourself.  I really enjoyed the other book set in Hawaii but this book felt a little whiny with people not getting what they wanted.  Sadie was mostly positive but there was some negative attitude about her boyfriend. Wyman complained about everything including his job, how others treated him and about how Sadie isn't making him the center of her world.  It was hard to make it through for me because it didn't seem like there was any growth and that the complaining continued. It was interesting to go through the book and see if things were going to change. Then towards the end of the book, Sadie and other family members were negative about a variety of things which I thought was a lot because they said they were trying to get over it but they didn't really move forward. It finally changed and resolved on the last page of the book.  I am not a fan of resolutions like that and prefer growth throughout the book instead.  Although I enjoyed the story, it wasn't my favorite book. I think that there was a better way to get across the story that they were looking without resolving on the last page. Let me know if you have read it what you think.

Mulberry Moon Book Review

I just finished the last book and was on to the next in the series which is Mulberry Moon (Mystic Creek) by Catherine Anderson.  The third book in the series was just as wonderful as the last two and it was hard to put down this quick read. I love books that keep you in the same town and getting to know more of the characters and this is exactly what this series promises.

After a career on the rodeo circuit, Ben Sterling longs to settle down on his farm and start a family like his brothers. He’s searched all over for the woman of his dreams. Yet the only one to spark his interest is the new owner of the local café. Getting her attention, however, won’t be easy.  Sissy Sue Bentley has worked hard to make it on her own, and she doesn’t need another man in her life. From her alcoholic father to the men she’s dated, who were after only one thing, they are nothing but trouble. Except Ben keeps showing up whenever she really needs help. Sissy struggles to deny her growing feelings for him—but soon Ben’s tender concern has her hoping for a happier future. Then her past comes barreling back into her life, and it will take more than the love in Ben’s heart to hold them together. 

Ben Sterling is coming back to the small town where he grew up and trying to make a life for himself.  He has been on the rode working with the rodeo for years and he wanted to settle down and raise a family.  He was immediately taken with Sissy.  Sissy has worked to make her own life without the need for a man in her life.  Sissy is busy running a restaurant where she is working all hours to make it work and to take care of her customers. Ben helps her get her chickens back in their coop after they escape and then makes a deal to make her a new chicken coop with enough room for all of the chickens that she has bought. Although Sissy realizes that Ben is always there when she needs him and finds him hard to resist.  She might need more help then she knows fighting off the attraction that she feels. It was a great story and you have to pick it up to find out what Ben does to win her over.  It is a great story and you will be pulling for a happy ending through all of the ups and downs.  I hope that you check out this book and the rest of the series. I have really enjoy it and I got the next three in the series from the library.  They sat on my shelf for awhile because I had so many new books that I got at the same time so I was excited to get back to the series so quickly after reviewing. Super excited again to get into this great series!

New Leaf Book Review

I am not even sure how I started on this series but I was glad that I was reading it.  New Leaf : A Mystic Creek Novel By Catherine Anderson is the second book in the series. I was glad that I had the second from the library to start as soon as I finished the first one.  It is the last of the books from the library that I got before they closed to pick up only.  I was glad to have some books on the shelf to enjoy.

When Taffeta Brown was viciously betrayed by her wealthy husband, she lost everything—including custody of their daughter, Sarah. Now that Taffy has moved to Mystic Creek, Oregon, to start over, she unexpectedly meets the one man who might help her get Sarah back.
 
Barney Sterling, a local lawman, finds himself drawn to the lovely, guarded Taffy, but he’s stunned by her proposition—that they marry immediately to improve her chances of regaining custody of her daughter. Barney takes marriage too seriously to commit himself to a woman he hardly knows. Yet soon his sympathies fall with the desperate Taffy, and pretending to be in love becomes the easiest part of the plan. But they have no idea what they’re up against, or what they’re willing to risk to make a miracle come true in Mystic Creek.

 A perfect book to follow the first which had me reading most of the night have having trouble putting it down.  I was excited to find Barney the brother that we were following in this book.  This was a great story and Barney decided that he would marry Taffeta so that she could get her daughter back from her husband because she was afraid that her daughter was being abandoned. She thought it was the best solution to have a chance at getting her daughter back since her husband had lied about her and she had a record now. Taffeta and Barney work together and end up finding out that they have a lot more in common and pull together in their relationship through their work to get Taffeta's daughter safe. It was a great story about the love of the child and each other which you have to pick up to find out what happens. I hope that you check out this book and the rest of the great series for yourself.  I am sure that you will enjoy it as much as I have. I read this in February and promptly forgot to post the review.  I posted all of the other reviews of the books that I read after but this was still in my drafts so I decided that I better catch up. It was a great reminder of looking up other books by this great author.

Menu Plan Monday 3/15

 

 

Spaghetti with sausage sauce and Garlic Bread Pizza (Penne with garlic bread for my son)

Spicy Sweet and Sour Stir Fry Chicken with rice (Hashbrowns and Bacon for my son)

Salsa Sloppy Joes with mac and cheese and corn bread 

Chicken and Rice Casserole

Homemade Pizza (Pepperoni, Garlic Chicken, Buffalo Chicken and Pizza Knuckle Roll Ups)

Herb Butter Whole Chicken with sides

Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and Homemade French Fries

 

Last week went mostly according to plan but my husband had a dentist appointment on Tuesday so we skipped the stir fry that I was planning and had breakfast for dinner instead.  I am moving the stir fry to this week so that we can have some yummy stir fry instead of the tacos that I planned.  I have to do a freezer reorganization to make sure that I am ready for the end of the month inventory because stocking up this month and changes to the plan have made the freezer upstairs a mess.  I am sure that I have enough to get through this month and probably lots for next month too.  I am excited to switch to the summer menu soon or at least partly as the weather is getting better!!

Holidate Book Review

 I was excited to read this book because I watched the movie with the same name so I was interested to see if it was the same.  Holidate (Dating) by Monica Murphy was a holiday book about trying to make it through the holidays without someone else in your life. It was an interesting title and caught my eye so I was ready to find out what it was about.

 

Candice Gaines loves Christmas. Not only does she bask in the twinkling lights, sing Christmas carols, and go crazy with the decorations, she’s also in the giving spirit - donating much of her time and wealth to various charities in the local area. 

Charlie Sullivan despises Christmas. Though it keeps his family afloat, considering they own Sullivan Family Christmas Tree Farm, the main provider for Christmas trees on the Monterey Peninsula. He’d much rather work among the trees than have to deal with people. But Charlie’s parents are taking on more philanthropic projects - and as their oldest child, they want him to be their official public representative. He just has to play nice, and convince everyone he’s not a total holiday hater.

When Charlie’s mom asks Candice to accompany him to a variety of holiday parties and events, she reluctantly agrees. She thinks Charlie is a big ol’ Grinch, but is determined to change his mindset and help him spread Christmas cheer. Charlie finds Candice is too chatty, too sweet, too much. Do people like her really exist? Why yes, yes they do. The more time they spend together - along with a few kisses under the mistletoe - the more they start to like each other. Hopefully Charlie can convince Candice he doesn’t have a heart that’s two sizes too small before the ball drops on New Year’s Eve.

I thought that this was a great book and once I got started it was hard to put down. This book was totally different then the whole movie but enjoyed the story. Candice loves Christmas and was excited to celebrate the season again. She is asked by Charlie's mom to help him through the holiday season and agrees under duress and possible concussion.  It is very important that Charlie take over as the head of his family company and they own a Christmas Tree Farm so the Christmas season is obviously very important. Although it started out reluctantly on both of their parts, Charlie and Candice have so much time to spend together and get to know each other that they learn that they like the other person more then they expected.  You have to pick up the book to read the ups and downs that their relationship goes through and whether it can survive the hectic Christmas season.  There are so many things to do and so many stresses that the season brings. I loved the heartwarming Christmas season and all of the different events that they went to which made this big city seem to have all the charms of the small towns. I hope that you check out this book and enjoy it as much as I did.

Winter's Proposal Book Review

 I was ready to read the next book in the series and I had it already in my book pile. Winter's Proposal (Adams Dynasty) by Sherryl Woods is the 3rd and 4th book in the series.  The first two stories were so fun that I couldn't pick up anything else but the next installment in the Adams Dynasty series.

 

In White Pines, Texas, family comes first.

The Cowboy and His Baby

A year and a half ago, a tragic mistake cost single mother Melissa Horton her one true love—and a father for her baby girl. Now Texas rancher Cody Adams is back, shocked to discover he is a parent and determined to make Melissa his wife. But with newfound independence, Melissa has surprised herself—and him—by being unwilling to settle for a marriage of convenience.

The Rancher and His Unexpected Daughter

Widower Harlan Adams has plenty of experience raising boys. But when a rebellious teenage girl steals his truck and goes for a joyride, Harlan is baffled. Then he confronts her intriguing, sassy mother, Janet Runningbear, and is totally thrown for a loop. While he might not know anything about girls, he thought he knew everything about women. Until Janet makes him realize he still has a lot to learn!

The first story was The Cowboy and His Baby which was about the last brother, Cody.  Cody walked into the local bar and saw his girlfriend and best friend together and decided that he was going to leave the small town where they both grew up.  He left for Wyoming and lived on a ranch out there until he got news that his mother died which was the only thing that could have brought him home.  Once home, he found out the big secret, Melissa was the mother to his baby.  He was shocked that she would keep such a secret from him but then starts to understand how hurt she was by his leaving.  He decides that he wants to be in his child's life as well as make a life with Melissa together. It is a uphill battle to get Melissa to see that he isn't going to run out again when things get tough. You have to pick up the book to find out all of the ups and downs they go through to see if they belong together.

I was wondering how there could be a fourth story since all of the brothers were already married but super excited to see that it was about Harlan Adams. He is in town and someone steals his truck.  When he chases them down after they crash it, he realized that it was a rebellious teenage girl.  Harlan went to confront her mother, Janet Runningbear, to see what she was going to do about her daughters mistakes. Janet is the new lawyer in town and Harlan is immediately interested in spending more time with her.  He decides to offer to have her daughter work at the ranch to pay off the money that she owes from crashing the truck and he agrees not to press charges. He hopes to get through to both of the women and win them over but you have to pick up the book to find out how he works to make that happen.

I hope that you check out this book and the rest of the series and enjoy it as much as I have. It was a great conclusion to the series of stories about the brothers and their father. Super fun series which I was glad to have found through a Christmas book staring these wonderful characters in this family.

Christmas at White Pines Book Review

 I was excited to get to the beginning of this series with Christmas at White Pines (Adams Dynasty) by Sherryl Woods. This is the first book in the series and I was excited to get back to the beginning after finding the other book in the series that I got to read. It was two books in one so I was glad to start these great stories.

A Christmas Blessing

Widowed Jessie Adams was about to give birth, and she needed help—fast! Unfortunately, the closest ranch in her small Texas town belonged to her late husband’s brother, Luke, who didn’t know a thing about delivering babies. And though this charismatic rancher was her only hope, he was the last person Jessie wanted to be stranded with in her time of need.

Natural Born Daddy

Jordan Adams proposed a marriage of convenience to single mom Kelly Flint because he thought it was time they each settled down with a perfectly compatible, always dependable partner. After all, they’d both learned the hard way that love only leads to heartache. But to his surprise, Kelly made it clear marriage would be anything but platonic, and her young daughter kindled fond feelings of fatherhood in his heart. Now he had to convince Kelly that he was not only a natural born daddy…but also the perfect husband she’d been waiting for all her life.

The first story was about Jessie Adams who was pregnant with her dead husband's baby and looking to start her life over on her own. She decided to go back to visit her husband's family for the holiday because she was invited and she had no other family to spend the holiday with.  She was driving there and felt strong pains and her water broke.  She was in the middle of a winter storm and far away from where she was going towards and had no choice but to go to her brother in law, Luke's ranch. Luke blamed himself for his brother's death and hadn't spoken to Jessie since his accident. Now Luke doesn't have a choice when Jessie shows up on his front porch and ready to deliver her baby. You have to pick up the book to find out what happens but I promise it is a great story!

The next story is about Jordan Adams who has been through many failed relationships and has decided that he wants to get married. After his last relationship ends, he decides to go home and propose to his best friend, Kelly. He proposes to her after arriving there and Kelly tells him that he is crazy.  Kelly has a hard time not agreeing because she has been in love with Jordan her whole life but she knows that it will be hard to be married to someone that isn't in love with her. She decides that she needs to make Jordan work for it and in the process realize that he wants more in the relationship then he is acknowledging. It is a funny story where Jordan doesn't know what to do when he is normally in control of everything that he does in business.  I know that you will enjoy this story if you pick it up and see where it is going to go. I hope that you check out this book and the rest of the series for the super great characters and great small town.

February Month End Spending for Groceries and Eating Out

 We have a monthly budget of $160 for groceries and $40 for take out. We have found that if we save on eating out that it is nice to splurge on some things for the grocery budget. The two budgets are interconnected for us and it is easier to manage them together. I make sure that I work as hard as I can to be under $200 for the month on both.

Normally, I shop sales and use coupons to stretch my budget the farthest. It has been harder during the pandemic because we have limited time in stores and more limited deals. I have been going to the store mainly once a month and getting all of the things for the month. It is tough with my son doing virtual learning at home and needing help which limits when I can leave the house. I have enjoyed having the stockpile of supplies in the house but things are getting low now so it will be interesting to see what shopping is going to look like in the coming months.

Below are the things that I got at the store during the month with a picture and description of all the items that I have gotten. It also gives you all the prices that I spent on the items and my totals.

Target $42.04

 

I put in an order online at Target because they discontinued my son's favorite vitamins and we needed a replacement so we got the Flintstones Sour Gummies. We also found out that they just discontinued his Calcium Vitamins and they were only available at one local Target.  My husband ran out and grabbed them at night so that I wouldn't have to get it during my busy shopping day.

Harris Teeter $45.67

 

I went to Harris Teeter and got lots of fun things which had coupon deals and sales.  I got Quaker oatmeal for my husband because he was out of the one that was his favorite and it was on sale. The Cheez Its are my son's and husband's favorite snacks and they were on sale.  I got the Capri Sun because there was an electronic coupon for $1 off and it is one of my son's favorites so $1.89 seemed like a good price. I grabbed Pringles for my son because they are his favorite chips which he ate very quickly after he cheered after I brought them home. I got two bags of 8 lb potatoes so that we had 16 pounds for the month which we used all of through the month. The Heinz Ketchup was on sale for $2.50 and if you bought $10 then you got $2 off so it was $2 a bottle which is the normal sale price and we didn't have any in the pantry and we have been using Lidl ketchup through a lot of pandemic because it is closest to Heinz that we have found.  My family can't tell the difference (although my husband claims to but we switched back and he hasn't noticed). I got a can of Rico's Nacho cheese which we enjoyed last month to dip with chips and it was on sale for $2.00. We were out of our favorite Ortega taco seasoning and it was on sale for $2.99 for the big jar.  I have found that I can use 3 tbsp instead of 4 tbsp and stretch the seasoning farther. I had a coupon to get the Lipton tea for $1.44 so that I could make my daily iced tea. The yogurt was free after electronic coupon. I got the Tums for my husband because we were out and I got Act for my son to rinse with his braces.  Both were on sale and I used coupons. I got a Suave Shampoo for my son for $0.50 after electronic coupon and sale.  I got the evic eggs which were $0.77 a dozen and I got three. McCain potato products were on sale for $2 and there was a buy one, get one free coupon so they ended up being $1 each bag.  I also got a $0.99 head of lettuce for the month. Mission tortilla shells were $0.97 after coupon so I got two packages for my husband. The last deal was the Dum Dums which were $1.14. The best part of this is that I got an electronic $5 off $30 purchase and then I used a competitor coupon for $5 off my purchase too.

Aldi $8.23

I went to the store to grab ice cream bars because they have been hard to come by and I got two jars of salsa because my son has decided that he only like Aldi salsa and not the Lidl salsa that I just purchased. My husband also said he wanted more crackers even though he still had most of a box left but I grabbed it because it was only $0.75. He still hasn't touched the other crackers so it is still sitting in the pantry.

Lidl $14.10

I went to Lidl and grabbed a free chocolate bar for my birthday bonus on my Lidl account. I used a coupon to get the tea bags for $1.09. I got three bags of Cheese Puffs which were on sale for $1.09 each.  My son loves these tortilla chips so I got 2 bags for $0.92 each. I got the apple juice for $0.95 because my son had already finished the one in the fridge and it is only $0.95 at Lidl. I got the penne pasta for $0.75 each. The Goldfish were still in stock from the earlier sale for $7.49 and a favorite of my son's too.

My husband was out of turkey lunchmeat because the one that I had gotten from Lidl before was bad when he opened it even though it was well before the date.  There was such a horrible fight to get the turkey lunch meat for free because the cashier didn't know and the manager had to come over and still didn't know what to do.  I eventually got the free lunch meat and my money back but it wasn't the best experience and certainly harder then Aldi exchange.

Aldi $21.89

I went to get the celery because it was on sale for $0.65.  I went to the other store on the other side of town and it wasn't on sale for the same price so I had to go to my normal store to get it for $0.65 each. The sugar was something we needed and it was $1.93 for the 4 lb bag and we needed 2 bags for the month. I got the gallon of skim milk for $2.41. I got a bag of white round chips because they were $0.79 so I thought we would try them again. I got one honey mustard because those are hard to find and only $0.89. I got one package of turkey lunch meat.  I got my husband hamburger rolls so that he could have some of his frozen hamburgers which he has been enjoying on the store $0.59 rolls. We were out of the other pot stickers and they don't have these often and they are $3.99 and my husband loved the dipping sauce in this package last time. I got another container of store oreos for my son and myself for $1.29. Then we always need more cheese and Aldi is a bargain at $1.25 a block which is an amazing deal.

 

Safeway $0

I went to the store to get this because it was free after coupon.  I actually couldn't reach it because it wasn't pushed forward so I had to ask one of the employees to reach and grab it for me. I like to use this in bread and baking when I don't have other milk so that I don't use my son's milk.

Harris Teeter $57.22

I went a little crazy at the store and I knew that I was going to be over my grocery budget when I went but I was on a mission to get a bunch of things and save lots of money.  The Coke products were on sale for $2.47 limit 4 so I got some soda for all of us. The chicken was on sale and we were running low so it was on the top of my list to look for.  Bonus is that they were really stocked up so I got 4 packages which was a little over 20 lbs. In the back hidden behind the chicken is the HT Penne which was on sale for $0.49 per box so I got them to see if my son would like them and he did so I will be looking for that sale since I haven't gotten free coupon pasta in a long time. There was a sale on frozen veggies so I got them for $0.77 each. I got the Cabot cheese for $1.50 after sale and coupon. The HT Margarine was on sale for $0.49 so that was less then Aldi so I grabbed 6 packages. I got 20 pounds of potatoes because the 5 pound bags were on sale for $1.99 each and they looked better then the 8 lb bags that I have been buying at nearly the same price per pound. I got another head of lettuce because we were running low. I got the big bag of rice for $1.50. Hidden behind the rice is a two pack of Philly cream cheese which I got to enjoy on homemade bagels and it was $1 per package. I got a bag of Cheetos for free with coupon that I got in the mail so we did a taste test comparison and my son was the only one that preferred it over Lidl. I got two boxes of Barilla Orecchiette pasta for $0.59 which is the tasty like home made pasta so I thought it would be nice to have. I was happy to use a $10 off $50 coupon that was in the newspaper that I saw before I left the house.

 

Total Retail $382.02

Total Savings $192.87

Total OOP $189.15

I was over the grocery budget by $29.15 but totally under my eating out budget so I was still happy with my crazy spending this month.  I also set myself up for a great month next month with the stuff that I got at the end of the month. I know that I didn't make the healthiest purchases this month but those are often the months with little take out to make sure every one in the house is super happy. We have been making lots of things at home like bread, rolls, bagels, muffins, quick bread, cookies, cakes and more so that we always have more things then are pictured here and lot of food in the freezers.

I am super excited that we finally cleaned out the freezer so we have tons of space to rearrange things and get a better idea of what we have.  I found a few applesauce and banana containers to make bread with and tons of pumpkin puree that I have made in past years. We did eat a lot of our chicken broth with recipes that I have made and not replaced because we haven't had a lot of whole chickens to make more broth. I was super glad to get the updated inventory to do the monthly meal plan. Ready to make use of my new cleaned out freezer to easily find things...okay I can always find things but no one else can so I am the only one to go down and get things out. Yeah to a clean freezer!!

Eating Out/Take Out Budget

We only got take out once this month and we had a gift card so we spent no money to get one pizza from Pizza Hut which is my son's favorite.  We got it one night that I was exhausted and didn't want to make dinner so my husband kindly picked it up and we really enjoyed it with one free Book It Pizza and one large pizza.  It has been super fun to get the Book It pizzas to enjoy a little deep dish pizza with the hand tossed we normally get. We will be getting another one next month when we go to get pizza.

Menu Plan Monday 3/8

 

 

Spaghetti with sausage sauce and Pizza Bites (Penne with garlic bread for my son)

Spicy Sweet and Sour Stir Fry Chicken with rice (Hashbrowns and Bacon for my son)

Chicken Paninis with tater tots (Chicken Fries for my son)

Ground Beef Tacos with corn bread

Homemade Pizza (Pepperoni, Garlic Chicken, Buffalo Chicken and Pizza Knuckle Roll Ups)

Fried Rice with Egg Rolls and Pot Stickers

Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and Homemade French Fries

 

Last week went according to plan but I think that I forgot to post the menu plan. We had Meatball sandwiches with penne and garlic bread Monday. Tuesday was Hashbrowns, Bacon and we also had waffles and pancakes but we didn't eat them.  Wednesday was Spicy Honey Mustard Chicken Nuggets with mac and cheese.  Thursday was supposed to be Rosemary Chicken and Potatoes but I was also trying to process all the new chicken that I bought and I made the potatoes in the oven and then we grilled a bunch of chicken but it took a lot longer to grill so it was a little like when I was a kid and my dad was in charge of cooking dinner and we ate the food in shifts. Friday was Homemade Pizza and Movie night.  We had Steak and Bacon and Cheese Twice Baked Potatoes Saturday. Sunday was Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and homemade french fries. 

It was a tasty week and I got a bunch of things done including cleaning out the freezer which has been on the list for over a year.  It was a cold and messy task but happy to start off the organization before doing my monthly shopping trip.  I packed the freezer back up with lots of new chicken and other food. I still have a little organization to do to move around the things in the other freezers but it was amazing to have more room.

Looking forward to another week of yummy food.  Planning on making some cookies, chocolate chip muffins, and pizza bites to enjoy this week.  I also think that I am going to make some applesauce bread and lemon pound cake too. I guess we will see what else has to be made for the week. What do you have on the plan for your family?