Menu Monday: 6/1 - 6/7

I know I said I was going to start my healthy weekly menus today…but that was until I decided to clean out my pantry. After throwing away some things that expired in the beginning of 2009 and seeing multiple open containers of the same thing, I decided that it might be time for a pantry cleanout.

I’m challenging you, and myself, to cook this week’s meals using ingredients from your pantry. If you’re like me and stockpile when you see a good deal, you should have plenty to eat. : ) The only things I’ll be buying at the grocery store this week will be milk and salad veggies like lettuce and tomatoes.

Here are some great links for pantry meal planning…

Living out of Your Pantry: Meal Plans – Mom Advice

Find Recipes based on the Ingredients in your Pantry.

Meal Planning and Taking Stock of What’s in Your Pantry – Life As Mom

Save Money by Eating Out of Your Pantry

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Googly Eyes

This might not be the most intricate page I have done, but it's definitely the most fun I've had after finishing a page! It's all because of the googly eyes! I made them out of some baby food jar lids and packaging from some scrapbook embellishments. The button 'pupils' move around whenever the page is moved and I seriously can't stop shaking the page!!

Of course I want to share all the fun I'm having! So I'm including a small tutorial at the end of the post.

But, before we get to the instructions...here are some close-ups of the page...

I used some foam adhesive to give one of the flowers a little lift.

 Close up of the googlies. hee hee!

I also used the foam adhesive on the buttons to help them stand out a bit more.

Now to the fun part...

I started with two baby food jar lids,

two small plastic packages that some brads and embellishments came in,

Aleene's clear tacky glue,

two buttons,

paper

First, I cut out two pieces of paper to fit the inside of the lid and two pieces of the packaging for the outside of the lid. This is what will hold the button inside the lid so make sure it is a tad bit bigger than the diameter of the lid.

To assemble the eyes, just glue the paper to the inside of the lid,

set the button on the paper,

put a line of tacky glue around the lip of the lid (try not to let it drip into the lid because you might end up accidently gluing your lid to the jar).

Place the plastic circle onto the lid and let the glue dry.

To cover up the lid lip, I just went around the edge of the plastic circle with a black marker. Plus this helped give some definition to the eyes. If you want to cover up the sides of the lid, a small strip of ribbon works perfect!

Finish it up by adhering the eyes to the page with some regular sized glue dots and your googlies are ready for a good shakin'!

Menu Monday - Weekly Menu for May 18-May 24

Tuesday, May 18
Beefy Broccoli Pie (Recipe Below)
Salad

Wednesday, May 19
Easy Broiled Pollock
Rice Side (I'm using Uncle Ben's Ready Rice because I have a coupon for a free package)
Green Beans

Thursday, May 20
Coffee-Sauced Rump Roast (Seriously, this is awesome!!)
Roasted Potatoes and Carrots

Friday, May 21
Enchiladas
(Recipe Below for flour tortillas)

Saturday, May 22
Mushroom Alfredo (I usually make this homemade, but I got some alfredo sauce at a great price so I'm just going to add some mushrooms into it)
Salad
Garlic Bread

Sunday, May 23
Grilled Hamburgers
Homemade Fries

Monday, May 24
Broccoli Beef Lo Mein (Recipe Below)
Egg Drop Soup


Recipes

Beefy Broccoli Pie
(From Taste of Home: Ground Beef Cookbook)
1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 package (10 ounces) frozen cut broccoli, cooked and drained
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
2 tubes (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls, divided
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

In a skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add broccoli and soup; mix well. Unroll one tube of crescent rolls. Press into a greased 13x9 in baking pan. Seal seams and perforations. Top with meat mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Unroll remaining crescent dough and place over meat mixture; seal seams and perforations. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 6-8 servings.


Flour Tortillas
2 Cups flour

1 tsp honey
2 Tablespoons soft butter
2/3 Cup cold water

Mix flour, honey and butter with pastry cutter or fork. Add water a little at a time til dough sticks together. Pinch off golf ball size pieces and roll out very thin on a floured surface. Fry on ungreased griddle or pan (cast iron works great) until several large bubbles rise. Turn and cook 30 – 45 seconds until LIGHT brown spots appear. Do not overcook. Leftovers should be lightly wrapped and stored in refrigerator.


Broccoli Beef Lo Mein
1 pound ground beef
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 jar (4-1/2 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained
6 ounces vermicelli or thin spaghetti, cooked and drained
2 to 3 cups broccoli florets, cooked
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons ground ginger

In a large skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add mushrooms. cook and stir for 3-5 minutes. Stir in the vermicelli, broccoli, soy sauce and ginger; toss to coat. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 4-6 servings.

♡

5/16 Sunday Coupon Preview

According to Sundaycouponpreview.com, there will be a Redplum and a Smartsource coupon insert in this Sunday's paper.

5-16 Redplum coupon insert


Regional coupon inserts & value differences are to be expected!



(x) before coupon = multiple of same coupon

ETS = excludes trial sizes


3 Muskeeters Brand Truffle Crisp, Mint or Original Save $0.25/1

All Liquid Laundry Detergent 28 load or larger Save $1.00/1

All Oxi Liquid Laundry Detergent 28 load or larger Save $2.00/1

Aunt Millie’s Bread Save $0.55/1

Aunt Millie’s Hamburger or Hot Dog Buns Save $0.55/1

Aunt Millie’s Slimwiches Save $0.55/1

Aussie Shampoo or Conditioner Aussie Styling product B1G1

Aveeno Sun Care products Save $1.50/1 ETS

Band-Aid Dryfit Save $0.50/1

Bar-S 16oz Franks or Bologna Save $1.00/2

Benedryl Topical Save $1.00/1

Bengay Save $2.00/1

Bestlife Buttery Spread or Buttery Spray Save $1.00/1

Blink Tears or Blink Gel Tears Lubricating Eye Drops Save $2.00/1

Blink-N-Clean lens Drops or Blink Contacts Lubricant Eye Drops Save $1.00/1

Centrum Save $1.00/1

Centrum 200ct or larger box or Centrum Kids 150 ct or larger bottle Save $2.00/1

Centrum Kids Save $1.00/1

Citrucel Bulk Fiber Therapy Save $3.00/1

Complete Multi-Purpose Solution w/ Free lens case inside – 12oz or larger Save $2.00/1

Contac, Sominex, Nytol, Feosol, Debrox or Massengil Save $2.00/1

Contessa MicroSteam or on the Stove Meals Save $1.00/1

Dial Body Washes Save $1.00/2

Dial for Men Body Wash Save $1.00/1

Dovebar Miniature Ice Cream or Dovebar 3-Pack Ice Cream Save $1.00/2

Ecotrin Aspirin Therapy Save $2.00/1

Gaviscon Antacid Save $2.00/1

Gillette Antiperspirant/Deodorant Up to $4.99 B1G1

Gillette Clinical Antiperspirant/Deodorant Save $3.00/1

Gillette Odor Shield Antiperspirant/Deodorant Save $2.00/1

Herbal Essences Shampoo, Conditioner or Styler products Save $1.00/1

Hillshire Farm Smokes Sausage Save $1.00/2

Jerky Treats Dog Snacks 6oz or 10 oz pkgs Save $1.00/1

Johnson & Johnson Red Cross Product Save $0.75/1

L’Oreal Cleanser Save $1.00/1

L’Oreal Haircolor Save $3.00/1

L’Oreal Moisturizer Save $1.00/1

L’Oreal Sublime Save $1.00/1

Listerine Antiseptic Mouthwash 1L or larger Save $0.50/1

Listerine Pocketpacks 24 ct or larger, Listerine Pocketmist, Plax Rinse or Listerine Essential Care Toothpaste Save $0.50/1

Listerine Smart Rinse Anticavity mouthwash or Listerine Agent Cool Blue Tinting Rinse 500 ml or Reach Kids Toothbrush Save $1.00/1

Listerine Whitening Rinse 16 oz or larger Save $1.00/1

Meaty Bone, Chew-lotta or Denta-Delicious Dog Treats Save $2.00/2

Neosporin Save $0.50/1

OsCal Calcium Supplement Save $3.00/1

Perdue Perfect Portions Boneless, Skinless Chicken Save $1.00/1

Phazyme Anti-Gas Save $2.00/1 ETS

Pup-Peroni dog snacks – 4.8 oz or larger Save $1.00/1

Purell Save $1.00/1

Purina Chef Michael’s Canine Creations Can Dog Food Up to $1.19 B1G1

Purina Chef Michael’s Canine Creations Dry Dinners Save $3.00/1

Reach Dental Floss, Reach Access Flosser or Reach Toothbrush or Value pack Save $1.00/1

Reach Total Care+ Massage or Reach Total Care Multi-action Toothbrush – B1G1

Rembrandt 2 Hour Kit or any Rembrandt Whitening Toothpaste Save $2.00/1

Renuzit Crystal Elements Save $3.00/1

Restoring Listerine Anticavity Mouthwash or Listerine Total Care Anticavity Mouthwash 1L or larger Save $1.00/1

Scotties facial tissues 1 Multi or 3 Single Packs Save $0.50/1

Smuckers Toppings Save $1.00/2

Snausages or Snaw Somes dog snacks 9.75oz or larger Save $2.00/2

Surf Laundry Detergent Save $2.00/1

Tagemet Heartburn Relief – Excludes 6 count Save $2.00/1

Uncle Ben’s Plain White or Brown Rice Save $1.00/2

Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice Save $1.00/1

Vivarin Alertness Aid Save $2.00/1

 
 
5-16 Smartsource coupon insert


Regional coupon inserts & value differences are to be expected!



(X/X) after coupon = expiration date

() before coupon = multiple of same coupon

ETS = excludes trial sizes

DND5 = coupon states Do Not Double, but barcode starts w/a 5


Air Wick Aqua Mists BOGO up to $3.29 value (6/27)

Air Wick Freshmatic Compact i-Motion Starter Kit Save $4.00/1 (6/27)

Air Wick Scented Oil 1 Twin Refill Pack or 2 Single Refill Packs Save $1.00/1 (6/27)

Air Wick Warmer Unit FREE wyb any Air Wick Scented Oil Refill Save up to $2.19 (6/27)

Athenos Feta Save $1.00/1 (6/30)

Atkins Shake 4pk Save $.50/1 (7/31) DND5

Bob Evans Frozen Breakfast item Save $.75/1 (7/18)

Bob Evans Refrigerated Side Dishes Save $.50/2 (7/18)

Bob Evans Sausage items Save $.50/2 (7/18)

Chiquita Bites Singles, 3 any size OR any 1 10oz+ Save $1.00/1 (7/11) DND5

Colgate PRoClinical Toothpaste, 4.0oz Save $1.00/1 (6/5)

Command Picture Hanging Product Save $1.00/1 (6/30)

Curad Comfort Fabric or Sensitive Skin Bandage Save BOGO (6/30)

Depend Guards for Men Save $1.00/1 (6/27)

Depend Underwear in Prints & Colors Save $1.50/1 (6/27)

Digiorno Deep Dish Pizza Save $1.00/1 (6/30)

Digiorno Flatbread Melts or Small Pizzas including traditional and thin crust Save $1.00/2 (6/30)

Dulcolax Balance bottle Save $4.00/1 (8/31)

Dulcolax Laxative Tablets Save $1.00/1 (8/31)

Dulcolax Stool Softener Save $1.00/1 (8/31)

Fancy Feast Appetizers, 2oz tray Save $1.00/2 (8/15)

Frito-Lay Variety Pack, 20 or 22 ct Save $1.00/1 (6/30)

General Foods International Save $.75/1 (7/31)

Heluva Good Dips Save $1.00/2 (6/30) DND5

Herr’s Kettle Chips, 8oz+ Save $1.00/1 (8/31)

Hershey’s Milk Chocolate 6pk AND Honey Maid Grahams, 14oz+ AND Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallows, 10oz+ Save $1.00 off wyb ALL 3 (6/30) DND5

Hidden Valley Farmhouse Originals Save $1.00/1 (7/15)

Huggies Little Swimmers Disposable Swimpants Save $1.00/1 (6/13) ETS

Huggies Little Swimmers Sun Care product Save $1.00/1 (6/13)

Huggies Pull-ups Flushable Moist Wipes Save $1.00/1 (6/12)

Huggies Pull-ups Training Pants, jumbo pack+ Save $2.00/1 (6/12)

Jack Daniels Barbecue Sauce Save $.55/1 (7/31)

Jack Daniels Barbecue Sauce, 28 or 40oz Save $.75/1 (7/31)

Jack Daniels EZ Marinader products or Barbecue Sauce Save $1.00/2 (7/31)

Jergens Natural Glow Moisturizer, excludes 2fl.oz body moisturizer Save $2.00/1 (7/18)

Kemps IttiBitz Ice Cream, 5fl.oz/2.9oz Save $1.00/4 (6/30)

King of Shaves product Save $2.00/1 (6/30)

Kotex Liners or Security Tampons Save $1.50/2 (6/27)

Kotex Pads Save $2.00/2 (6/27)

Kraft 100 Calorie Pack Cheese Bites Save $1.00/1 (6/13)

Lance Sandwich Crackers or Cookies, 8ct+ Save $1.00/2 (8/31)

Land O Lakes Deli Cheese products Packages Save $1.00/2 (7/31) DND5

Land O Lakes Deli Cheese products, 1lb+ Save $1.00/1 (7/31) DND5

Land O Lakes Eggs Save $.50/1 (7/2) DND5

Lloyd’s Ribs or Tub Save $.75/1 (7/12)

Marcal Small Steps Towel, Bath Tissue or Facial Tissue Single Roll FREE or $1.00 Marcal Small Steps Towel, napkin, Bath Tissue or Facial Tissue Save $1.00 (6/12)

Marzetti Salad Dresssing in produce section Save $.50/1 (8/31)

Maxwell House Coffee, 10.5oz+ Save $1.00/1 (7/31)

Mrs Dash Seasoning Blends Save $1.00/2 (6/30)

Mrs Dash, save on beef Save $1.00 off wyb both (6/30)

Nabisco Crackers Save $1.00/2 (7/25) DND5

Off! Clip-On Mosquito Repellent Refill Save $1.00/1 (6/26)

Off! Clip-On Mosquito Repellent Starter Save $2.00/1 (6/26)

Off! Personal Insect Repellent Save $.55/1 (6/19)

Olay Definity Facial Moisturizer Save $3.00/1 (6/30)

Olay Facial Moisturizer or Facial Cleanser Save $1.00/1 (6/30)

Olay Regenerist Facial Moisturizer Save $3.00/1 (6/30)

Oscar Mayer Deli Creations Sandwiches or Cracker Combinations Save $1.00/1 (7/11)

Oscar Mayer Hot Dogs Save $1.00/2 (7/11)

Oscar Mayer Lunchmeats Save $1.00/2 (7/11)

Pillsbury Toaster Strudel Pastries Save $.55/2 (8/7)

Pledge Muli Surface product Save $1.00/1 (7/11)

Poise LIners Save $1.00/1 (6/27)

Poise Pads Save $1.00/1 (6/27)

Post Cereals Save $1.00/2 (6/27)

Post Kids Cereals Save $1.00/2 (6/27)

Purina Dog Snacks Save $1.50/2 (8/15)

Purina Dog Snacks Save $4.00/4 (8/15)

Purina Friskies Cat Treats or Whisker lickins Cat Treats Save $1.50/2 (8/15)

REynolds Wrap Foil, excludes 20,25,30 sq.ft Save $1.00/1 (6/30)

Reynolds Wrap Non-Stick Aluminum Foil Save $1.00/1 (6/30)

Scotch Easy-Grip Packaging Tape Dispenser Save $2.00/1 (7/31)

Scotch Packaging Tape Save $.50/1 (7/31)

Slim Jim Meat Sticks, 16ct canister Save $.75/1 (7/16)

Stella D’oro Baked Goods Save $1.00/2 (6/30)

Stride Shift gum FREE wyb any Stride Gum Save up to $1.49 value (10/31)

Texas Toast Croutons Save $.50/1 (8/31)

Texas Toast Tortilla Strips Save $.50/1 (8/31)

Tyson frozen Grilled & REady Chicken or Beef product Save $.55/1 (8/16)

Tyson refrigerated Grilled & Ready Chicken or Beef product Save $.55/1 (8/16)

Valio Real Goodness Lactose-Free Milk, 32oz/quart Save $.50/1 (8/15)

Valio Real Goodness Lactose-Free Milk, 64oz/half-gallon Save $1.00/1 (8/15)

Wacky Mac, any size Save $.50/1 (12/31/10) DND5

Weight Watchers 6oz Yogurt Cup Save BoGO (6/30)

Yoplait Delights Yogurt Mulitpack Save $.50/1 (7/10)

Yoplait Fiber One Yogurt Multipacks Save $.50/1 (7/10)

Yoplait Yogurt Cups, includes: original, light, thick & creamy, whips, or original or light smoothie Save $.40/6 (7/10)

Yoplait Yogurt Cups, includes: original, light, thick & creamy, whips, or original or light smoothie Save $.50/8 (7/10)

Zantac 75 8ct+ Save $2.00/1 (8/31)

Zantac, 8ct+ Save $1.00/1 (8/31)

Ziploc Brand Bags Save $1.00/2 (7/1)

Ziploc Brand Bags Save $.40/1 (7/10)

Ziploc Brand Container Save $.55/1 (7/10)

Ziploc Brand Containers Save $1.50/2 (7/10)

Zone Perfect Single Bar or Multi-pack Save $.55/1 (7/31)

Weaving Ribbon

One of my all time favorite sites - ScrapbookSteals.com - is gearing up for another online crop on May 21st. Usually they post challenges for us to work on during the crop, but this time they posted some challenges early! I L-O-V-E these challenges because it gives me that extra little kick in the behind to get my scrap on!

I don't need many excuses to use ribbon, so I jumped right on the ribbon challenge! I wanted to do something a little different with it though, and I thought weaving some of my American Crafts ribbon would be perfect for this layout...

I started by tracing and cutting the circles, letters, and number. Then I layed out the ribbons going in one direction on the back side of the paper and secured them using mini glue dots. *Here's a little tip - don't adhere the ribbon until you are sure of the placement...those little dots have a lot of sticky power! Once the first set of ribbons is in place, you can start weaving. I just used my fingers to pull the ribbon up and under, but tweezers would've saved a bunch of time!

Once you have all your ribbon weaved and placed where you want, go ahead and secure the ends down with some more mini glue dots.

This is what your weave should look like when you turn your paper over...

Just trim away the excess ribbon and embellish however you want. Here are some close up pics...

As you can see, the ribbon weave works great with any kind of shape.

I ended up with a 2 page layout so I could show some journaling. I used basically the same technique with the ribbon weaving on the top and bottom of the page, just with some larger American Craft ribbon.

I would love to see some of your designs using the ribbon weave technique! Just post a link in the comment section to your pictures. :)

♡

Crunchy? No - but maybe a little crispy.

I had never even heard of the term 'Crunchy Mom' until I started looking into using cloth diapers. I haven't seen an actual definition yet, but apparently it's someone that leads a truly natural lifestyle (homebirth, breastfeeding, co-sleeping, attachment parenting, chemical-free, cloth diapers, organic, etc). Want to know how Crunchy you are? You can take a quiz here to find out. I am 'Pretty Crispy!' but I was only a couple points away from 'Mmm! Love that whole grain crunch!' LOL

Anyway...back to why the whole 'Crunchy Mom' thing came up...

Yep...we're officially switching to cloth!! I am so tired of constantly changing diaper brands because of rashes. Hubby and I have mentioned using cloth before...but more in the 'If I had to do it, I would" context. Then the whole new Pampers scare finally pushed me over the edge! I did a bunch of research, joined a couple cloth diapering boards, and talked to the one (yep 1) person I knew in my state that uses cloth. We finally settled on a trial pack from Jillian's Drawers. They had a great variety and we can try the diapers for 21 days. If we don't like them, we can return them and we're only out $10. The picture above is everything that came in the pack. (By the way, they have awesome customer service! I realized we didn't get the sample pack of flushable liners so I sent them a quick email. They got back to me right away and had my liners in the mail that day!)

Obviously, these are not our grandmothers' diapers!! No pins or nasty rubber pants. Just lots and lots of fluffy cuteness!! Even hubby likes them! Look for more adventures in cloth diapering soon!!!

♡