2.10 - 2.16.10

Hello SUNSHINE!!  Boy have we missed you! We have been enjoying the sun even with sick kids. We have been planning our garden, making sure we have the seeds we need, and got some seed starter to fill our little green houses with. The girls are very excited!  Bo is too, but he doesn't know what he wants to plant this year. He is going to narrow it down soon I hope. I hope you all don't get information constipation from these emails!

Budgeting.. oh yuck. I hate that word.. "BUDGET".. to me means, don't make one, then you won't know if you can or can't afford it. When in actuality, I have to have one. If I didn't have kids I wouldn't worry about it so much. Someone gave me a great site to help me figure out where my money is going. It shows you how much is going where, and gives you hints on where you could save. Now when I started this little section of this email I never intended to bring up this site, but it just popped into my mind (divine inspiration!).  It is free!  What I am hoping you will work on this week is figure out your budget. It's always a good idea to know where you stand financially (even if it is not on good ground).  So, here is the site, check it out, you might like it.    http://www.mint.com 

The ground is soft and ready for you to start turning it over and getting it ready to plant soon. Grandpa told me to start turning the soil in March at the latest and keep turning until the second or third week in April. Then let it rest for 2 weeks before planting.  Wish he would have told me when to fertilize and when to plant certain crops.. owell, I'll learn. We are actually getting more dirt for our garden, and then we will be planting beets and onions.. The rest will wait for a bit warmer weather.


I can not emphasize urgently enough how I feel about preparedness. For a few years now I do not feel like we have any time to waste. We need to listen to what the Prophets have told us and get our 5 years supply. Yes 5 YEAR supply. Sure now you hear 3 months (at least), but did you know it started out with 5 years? I am not going to ask you to try.. I am going to tell you to DO.  Really it isn't hard to get caught up. I am not talking about doing a major purchase, although yes, 2 years ago we did do that, but you know what, we saved the  money up and canned a lot of dry pack (at home!!).  If you make your list and need 1 or two of something, get 4 if you can afford it. Do you really need those store bought cookies when you can make 4 times as much from scratch for half the price (or less)?  I am still learning but so you know, Russ taught me how to use a sewing machine, how to change a cloth diaper, how to talk to a baby (of all things!!), how to pray and listen. I've also learned to cook and bake. I have attended classes to learn to water bath can and pressure can. I learned from Harry how to make bread. I started a garden and eat from it. I am still learning things, but I am willing to learn more. I won't say exactly how much food storage we have, I know it is not even close to enough.. but we are building it up! 

When is canning season?????? You're kidding right? Obviously when the fruit and veggies are coming into season in Summer. Duh..,, NOPE!!!  There isn't a true canning season! You can can year round! Sure during summer you are more likely to do what is in season from gardens and farms and farmer's markets and such. But the rest of the year you can put up meat, soups, stocks, and beans and more! My poor husband is getting upset with me, as soon as he puts my canner away I haul it back out!  Did you know on Thanksgiving day, after dinner I threw all the leftover meat into jars, with some canning salt and boiling water and processed them?  Yup, so during dessert it was a little loud and rather warm with my canner going and a nice hot fire, but hey, I didn't eat leftover turkey for a week!  And the next day I processed quarts of turkey stock! Awesome!  Guess what the first thing was I ever pressure canned.... chili!   Have you ever had Pear butter? Banana butter? zucchini jam? home canned chicken? it is sooo yummy and you know exactly what is in it, and none of the words use every letter in the alphabet!  Have you ever made jellies or jams with out using Sure-jell or Certo??  Wow the flavor is so different! BULK canning lids, I am looking into ordering some, do you can? Need lids? let me know so I can figure out how much to order, when I do.These will NOT come in nice little 12-pk boxes, these will most likely come in a big box that we hand separate OR in sleeves.

Sorry so much to say, so much to share, so little time!

Please remember these prices are with the card or your phone number :)  IF coupon is required I'll let you know. Looks like SFWY wins with the deals this time. Wow.  

Albertson's

Bumble Bee tuna chunk light 2/$1.00

Albertson's chuck cross rib roast $1.99/#

Farm stand carrots 1 pound $0.79

Yellow onions medium size $0.59/#

Hunts diced or Fire roasted tomatoes OR Rotel diced tomatoes $0.89/can

Star Olive oil (17 oz) select varieties $3.99

Nature made vitamins (12 - 500 ct)  select varieties Buy One Get One (BOGO)

Kiwi 2/ $1.00

SELECT VARIETIES 10/$10.00:

   Snow's Clams (6.5 oz) chopped or minced

   American Beauty pasta (12 - 16 oz)

   Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta (14.5 oz)

   Hunt's Spaghetti Sauce (26 - 26.5 oz)

   Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Pasta (13.25 oz)

CostCo:

Jasmine rice elephant  $14.49/ 25#

Homai California Cal-rose  $12.69/ 25#   $23.99/ 50#/

Conagra flour $13.99/ 50#

Table Salt non-iodized  $3.95 / 25#  

Granulated Sugar $6.15/ 10#    $14.99/ 25#

Brown Sugar $3.25/ 4#    $16.49/ 25#

Red Star Brand yeast  $3.89/ 32-oz

Red Star baking powder $8.99/ 5#

Arm & Hammer baking soda $5.99/ 13.5#

Ambrosia Chocolate Chips $16.99/ 10#

Crisco shortening $6.99/ 6#

Canola oil $6.99/ 5-qt

Kirkland REAL Vanilla $6.49/ 16 fl.oz.

Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce (Bug juice) $6.49/ 20-fl.oz (2)

Tabasco $4.65/ 12-oz

Johnny's Garlic Seasoning $5.45/ 18-oz

S&W tomato sauce (15 oz)  $7.45/ 12 cans

S&W tomato paste (6 oz)  $5.99/ 12 cans

Rosarita Refried Beans (16 oz.) $6.59/ 8 cans

White distilled vinegar (2-gallons) $3.59

Cheerios (37-oz) $5.69

Honey Nut Cheerios (40-oz)  $7

Jiff creamy PB $7.99/ 48-oz (2-pk)

Adams crunchy PB $6.99/ 80-oz

Silverbow Honey $10.99/ 6#

Grapenuts (64-oz) $6

Oreos (52.5-oz) $6.39

Honey Graham Crackers (57.5-oz) $7.29

Saltines (3#) $4.69

Ritz (48-oz) $6.85

Cheez-its (48-oz) $7.39

Fish crackers (58-oz) $7.59

QFC:

Certified Angus Beef NY steak or roast $5.99/#

Large Del Monte Gold Pineapple $1.99 EACH

Meow mix 16-pounds $13.99

SFWY:

Pork Shoulder blade roast $1.29/#

Foster Farms (FF) Chicken breast with rib OR thighs OR drums $0.99/#

SFWY variety breads $0.99 EACH

Bumble Bee Tuna SOLID white can (5-oz) OR LIGHT pouch (2.5-oz) $0.88 each

Betty Crocker Cake or Traditional Brownie MIX $0.69 EACH

Boneless Chuck pot or shoulder roast $1.99/#

Rancher's Reserve London Broil beef $2.99/#

SFWY Chicken thighs, drums or leg qtrs $0.99/#

SFWY canned veggies (11 to 15.25-oz)  $0.79

Banquet Brown n Serve Links or patties 10/$10.00

SFWY Frozen Potatoes (22.5 - 32-oz) 2/$5.00

BUY ONE GET ONE (mix and match) Select Varieties:

   Foster Farms Thin Sliced Lunchmeat 9-oz. Tubs.

   Foster Farms Variety Pack Lunchmeat 9 to 16-oz. 

   Hormel Fully Cooked Entrées 17-oz. 

   Jennie-O Turkey Store Lean Ground Turkey Breast 20-oz.

  Jennie-O Turkey Store Turkey Breast Tenderloins 24-oz.

  Ball Park Meat Franks 16-oz.

   Oscar Mayer Basic Lunchables 3.3 to 4.5-oz.

  Johnsonville Smoked Sausage 14 to 16-oz

  Fletcher's Original Stak Pak Bacon 20-oz. Or Maple or Peppercrust.

   Oscar Mayer Sliced Bacon 12 to 16-oz.

   Johnsonville Breakfast Sausage Links or Patties 12-oz.

   Hormel Marinated Pork Tenderloin 1.15 or 1.7-lb. Loin Filet

COUPON:

   Tyson breaded Chicken selections $3.99 LIMIT 4

   Nabisco Oreo or Nutter Butter (9.6 - 18-oz) $1.99 LIMIT 3

SAT thru TUESDAY SALE:

   Braeburn or Jonagold Apples $0.58/#


WinCo:

Bulk spices !!  Just because it says $7/# doesn't mean you need that much! Refill your containers at home, buy your spices in bulk and SAVE BIG $$$  Prices vary at winco for spices, but this is where I get my gluten flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, garlic powder, onion powder, dried minced onions, dried minced garlic, quinoa, triticale, oatmeal, italian seasoning, poultry seasoning, bay leaves, paprika, chili powder, and more!!

  

What to add to your food storage this week??? Canned VEGGIES and or canned seafood.  We don't eat canned seafood as we have allergies, but if we did, we would use 2 cans of minced clams a month. We would use 10 cans of solid white tuna a year. We currently use 4 cans or more of some kind of tomato product a month. So if you need tomatoes they are on sale. So are veggies and seafood.  Amazing how quickly you can stock your pantry by buying 1 or more EXTRA of something you need when it is on sale. Or if you see something on sale that you eat, add a year supply to your food storage :)


REMEMBER, Fred Meyer and Walmart sales are from Sun to Sat. Everyone else is Wed to Tues. Kind of a pain in the neck.  Also just because it says 10/$10 at safeway (SFWY) doesn't mean you have to buy 10. Although if it is something you will eat, check the dates when you are buying it, will you use that much or more in a year or before the expiration date?? Think yearly, not weekly or monthly. IF we ate tuna, 10 cans would be good for 5 to 10 months for us. But we don't, we can and eat our own chicken :)  What about other conveniences?? Spices? buy in bulk!  IF you are looking to save money, sometimes making things from scratch is cheaper than buying convenience foods.