Eat Cheap at Arby's

Arby's is really promoting their new Roastburger sandwich. I tried the bacon-cheddar one at lunch today and thought it was quite good. You can print a coupon here for a free roastburger with the purchase of a drink, or sign up to join the Arby's Extras and they'll email you a coupon for a free one. We also got lots of good Arby's coupons in the mail this week and were able to combine those with the printable for a really cheap lunch out!

Grocery Shopping

We went to Aldi and Kroger today and spent most of what was left in this week's grocery budget. At Aldi we bought:
2 8oz blocks of cheddar cheese 2.58
ricotta cheese 1.59
mushrooms .69

And at Kroger:
4 12-packs of Big K sodas 7.08
2 jars Kroger apple juice 2.88
2 cans Del Monte low-salt corn 1.60-.75 coupons (doubled to .80, so they were free!)
8 apples 2.00
Oscar Meyer beef hot dogs 4.39 (we had a coupon from Kroger to get these FREE!)
1 lb beef stew meat 4.55

Total spent today was $18.83, leaving $5.88.

The coupon for the free Oscar Meyer hot dogs came in the mail, along with several other coupons. Kroger direct mails coupons to their customers based on your buying preferences. If you shop there regularly, this is a really nice perk!

Diaper coupons--High Value

This doesn't deal with "eating cheap", but it's a great deal if you need some diapers. There are some good Huggies coupons available in the coupons.com sidebar. It's over on the left side of the page, just click at the top where it says "See all coupons." I was able to print one for $5 off any Huggies Gentle Care product and one for $3 off any Huggies Natural Fit product. If you haven't used coupons.com before, you'll need to install their coupon printer but the process is quick and easy.

Wal-Mart

Edward ran to Wal-Mart today for some household items, and also spent $4.87 on a few groceries.

Seapack shrimp poppers (6 oz) $1.32-$1 printable coupon
Over the Moon milk $2.97 - $1 coupon
avocado .58
Oreo cakesters 100 calorie packs (2) $4.00-$2 coupon

There was also a rebate offer with the milk coupon, so we can choose to get the $1.97 back or get three more $1.50 coupons.

We have $24.71 left in this week's grocery budget.

Aldi shopping

Our first shopping trip this week was to Aldi, where we spent $10.42, leaving $29.58 in this week's budget.

tortillas .99
corn chips .99
egg noodles .99
pork chops 3.96
frozen corn .95
pretzels 1.29
dessert cheese ball 1.25

The dessert cheese ball was a real impulse buy. It was marked down and just seemed to be screaming my name. Edward thought it was pretty tasty, but Kenton and I weren't impressed. Maybe the disappointment will teach me to stay away from those impulse buys!

Menu Plan Monday

At least three of our dinners this week should make enough for leftovers, so I've only planned four lunches. I'm fortunate to work close enough that I can come home and eat lunch with my family most days. I try to keep lunches really simple (sandwiches and heating up leftovers work really well), since I don't want to spend my lunch hour cooking. Hubby is wonderful and does lots around the house, but cooking is not his thing! :-)

BREAKFASTS
Sausage & egg on English muffins
Cold cereal, applesauce muffins
Oatmeal
Peanut butter on English muffins
Biscuits and bacon

LUNCHES
Nachos w/ black beans, cheese, avocado & salsa; apples
Tuna salad on English muffins, pretzels, grapes
Cheese quesadillas, Mexican rice, grapes, carrot sticks
Lightlife mushroom burgers on English muffins, pretzels, carrot sticks

DINNERS
Pork chops with corn stuffing (slow-cooker), green beans, salad
Paprika beef over egg noodles, steamed broccoli & carrots
Mixed grain pancakes, bacon, apples
Mushroom-barley soup, beer bread
Omelets w/ cream cheese, avocado, bacon & salsa; English muffins; grapes

For lots more menu ideas and recipes, visit Menu Plan Monday.

Pork Chops with Corn Stuffing

This weekend I decided to go searching for some new slow-cooker recipes and found this one in an old Pillsbury cookbook. I already had everything but the pork chops, so decided to put it on the menu this week. I think it sounds great--hope it turns out well!

Pork Chops with Corn Stuffing
4 (4 oz) boneless pork chops
4 cups cornbread stuffing mix
1/2 c chopped celery
1/4 c chopped onion
1/4 tsp dried sage (I used poultry seasoning)
1 can (14 oz) chicken broth
1 (11 oz) can of mexi-corn, drained (I'm going to use frozen corn and diced bell pepper since that's what I have on hand)
1 egg, beaten

Heat a lightly-oiled skillet over medium heat. Add pork chops and cook just until browned on both sides. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. In a large bowl, combine all remaining ingredients and mix well. Spoon stuffing mixture into 3-4 quart slow-cooker coated lightly with nonstick spray. Arrange browned pork chops over stuffing. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours, or until pork is no longer pink in the center.

UPDATED 3/2: We had this for supper tonight and it was great! It was quick and easy, just like good slow-cooker food should be. I threw everything in my 4-quart crock when I was home for lunch and it was done perfectly when I got home this evening. The pork was super-tender and the stuffing was moist and tasty. If I make it again, though, I'll probably leave out the bell pepper (just use plain corn). Hubby found it to be a little overwhelming, and it would be fine without it. I think a chopped or coarsely grated carrot would also be a nice addition.

Visit Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tasty Tuesday for more great tips and recipes!