Our Favorite Cookie

I'm trying to cook more things homemade, starting with cookies. I adapted this recipes from the back of a chocolate chip bag to make it healthier. Try this first

Oatmeal Squash Cookies

1 c. all purpose flour

1 1/4 c. oats (I use the instant kind)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 stick butter, softened

1/2 c. pureed squash ( I make my own, but you can use baby food or applesauce)

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. M n M candies

Preheat oven to 350. Grease cookie sheets. Mix flour, oats, salt & baking soda, then fold in remaining ingrediants. Drop by tablespoon fulls on cookie sheet and bake 10- 15 minutes. Yields 3 dozen.

This is just one variation. Try chocolate chips, raisins, peanut butter, white chocolate chips & nuts, cranberries, or just plain. My kids love them and never know they have a vegetable in them! My next homemade tackle will be bread. If you know a good, easy starter recipe, let me know.

I have got exactly $100 to spend on groceries, household products, and diapers for the month of October. Talk about a scary month (ha ha) I will be gone to Mexico for 1 week though on a mission trip so Rocky will be eating out of the pantry and freezer, & the girls will be with my mom. We have enough groceries to make it until the 20th I think so we should be good. We'll see!

Free Pert Plus Shampoo

Pert Plus in on sale at Walgreens for $3.49. In the October Easy Saver is a coupon for $2.50 off a bottle. Then use the $1.00 off coupon from recent inserts to get it FREE!

Menu Planning Monday

Sunday-Taco Soup (made from leftover beans), Tortillas, Cheese

Monday- Eat at DH grandmas for his Bday

Tuesday-Chicken & Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans

Wednesday- Eat at church before services

Thursday- Porcupine Meatballs, Brown Rice, Peas

Friday-Meatball Subs (from Thursday's meal), chips, pickles, cinnamon rolls

Saturday-Homemade Macaroni & Cheese & BBQ Weiners

Dessert for DH birthday

These are so yummy, I just had to share the recipe. I add chocolate chips to the filling in mine. DH can't wait to eat them tomorrow!

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cream-Cheese-Squares/Detail.aspx

Just thought that I'd share the book I'm reading for my Wednesday night class.

$91.49 @ Country Mart & Walmart. Set for 2 weeks

Wow, this looks like lots of groceries, and it is because it will last us 2 weeks, but somehow I feel there should be more. I did splurge on a few things & bought things I don't normally buy (more on that later) First here are the good deals I got

Walmart-
2 South Beach Diet Frozen Pizzas $2.67 -2/$2 coupons = .67 each
24 pk Nestle Bottled Water $3.88 -1/$1 coupon=$2.88
Coalgate toothbrush .88 -1/$1 coupon =FREE
3 Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls $1.46 -3/$1 coupons= .46 each
3 Green Giant Steamer Frozen Veggies $1.87 each -3/$1 coupon= .87 each ( I could have gotten the plain ones cheaper, but I really wanted to try the cheesy varieties.)

Country Mart-
Farmland Bacon $2.50 -$1 doubled=.50
Farmland Sausage $2.99 -$1 doubled=.99
Farmland Lunchmeat $2.89 -$1 doubled =.89
2 Ronzoni Pasta Meals $2.67 each -2/$1 doubled =.67 each
2 Easy Mac Cups .95 each -2/$1 doubled =FREE
4 Quaker Oatmeal boxes $2.50 each -4/$1 doubled = .50 each!
2 Kotex $2.84 each -2/$1 doubled = .84 each


Now for the things I don't usually/rarely buy that spiked my bill

Cat Litter -$7.46
Pullups-$8.99
Stuff to fix Guacamole & salsa for church sunday night-$8.30
New cash organizer -$5.88
Fixings for Hubby's birthday dessert & razors for gift-$8.30

Total of Extras-$38.93 -ugh that kills me! But the cats & kid need to pee, got to bring food for church, and the hubby wants dessert for his bday.

This is m first time participating in Menu planning Monday sponsered by http://orgjunkie.com/ . I keep a monthly calendar on my fridge with a list of what I have to fix on the back.

Breakfast-I leave at 7:00 am to go to school so I either take cereal or a breakfst bar with me. Youngest DD eats at the babysitters & DH & oldest DD are on their own since they don't wake up till 7:30. He usually gives her cereal or frozen waffles for breakfast.

Lunch-Rocky eats a sandwich every day, I either take Lean Cuisines, leftovers, or eat at school, Oldest DD takes a sandwich or Lunchable, and Youngest DD eats at the babysitters

Dinner- Sunday-Leftovers & Clean Freezer
Monday-Spaghetti, Sauce, Garlic Crescent Rolls
Tuesday-Shepards Pie ( I h ave to work a football game so this will be in the fridge for DH to heat up. It's not my favorite so I don't mind missing it)
Wednesday-Eat at church (It's my week to cook & I'm fixing Pigs-in-blanket, hasbrown casserole, salad, & Sopapilla cheesecake for about 50 ppl.)
Thursday-Pinto beans, fried potatoes, cornbread
Friday & Saturday- Will be going out of town

Sunday's Verse

I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, [and set me] in a large place. The Lord [is] on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?Psalm 118:5-6

$22 left for the month in groceries :(

I didn't do so hot shopping yesterday. I had to buy diapers & cat food which was $13 at Walmart. And we were out of ground beef and pop so I spent $11 at Country Mart including Vlasic pepper rings for .29 & 2 pkgs hot dogs for .59. I'm taking the girls to have pictures made at Walmart today so that will be $4.99 plus tax. Here's our menu for today

Breakfast-Scrambled Egg Sandwiches
Lunch-Bierocks, Cheese, & Steamed Peas
Dinner- Leftovers (meaning we need to clean out the freezer)

Walgreens for September 14th-19th

2 Coalgate Maxfresh toothpaste on sale 2.99 each - $2.00 off each Walgreens coupon stacked with 1/$1 & 1/.75 coupons = .25 for both!

Glade scented candle $1.99 -1/$1 coupon -$1 rebate =FREE

Glade Scented Oil Warmer $3.99 -1/$4 coupon -$1 rebate = FREE

2 Glade Classics Warmer $1.99 each -B1G1 coupon -$2 rebate = FREE

2 Glade Scented refills $1.99 each -B1G1 coupon -$2 rebate = FREE

Twin pack Lady Speed Stick $3.75 -$2 Wal coupon -1/$1 MC = .75 for both!

Hannah Montana Water Mix In- $2.00-not on sale

Total OOP after rebates =$3.00! for all this stuff.

$9 @ Country Mart & Walgreens! WOW!

All of this for $9.00! I'm so excited!

1st-Walgreens
2 boxes South Beach Snack Bars-on sale 2/$5 used 2/$2 coupons

Total-$1.45 (and I paid with a gift card)

2nd- Country Mart

Hot Dog Buns-on sale $1.05
2 pkgs Country Gravy- on sale 2/.79
2 Bertolli Pasta Sauce-on sale 2.29 each used 2/$1 coupons-doubled
Old El Paso Dinner Kit-on sale $2.00
Old El Paso Refried Beans-on sale $1.00-used $1/2 coupon-doubled
4 Crescent Rolls-on sale 2/$4-used 4/$1 coupons-doubled
Lean Cuisines-B1G1 free-used 2/$1 coupons-doubled

Total- $7.51
My receipt said I saved $18.00 or 74%. Wow! That still leaves us $92.49 for the rest of the month & we've got enough groceries still for about 12 days. Thanks to moneysavingmom.com for the tips!

$4 groceries at Country Mart!

We have a local grocery store that doubles up to $1.00. Most of my internet coupons say DO NOT DOUBLE so I wasn't sure if they would. I decided it was worth a try and guess what? It WORKED!

3 Diet Dr Pepper 2 Liters- on sale .79 each
3 Birds Eye Frozen Peas-on sale .88 each used $1/3 doubled
3 Betty Crocker Muffin Mixes- on sale .79 each used 3 .45 off coupons that were doubled
1 Yoplait Yogurt- on sale $2 used $1 coupon that was doubled
1 Fast Fixins Chicken Patties on sale $2 used $1 off coupon doubled (I would have got more but they were out)

Grand Total was $4.06! Wow! I can't wait to go back with my BC Potato coupons & the Pillsbury coupons.

$7 at Walgreens

This trip didn't turn out quite as good as I expected (I was hoping to make money off it) but it is still good for $7.00.

4 bags Chex Mix on sale for .99 had 2/$1 coupons & 2/.50 coupons
Aluminum Foil 2 for $1 on sale
Robittusun Cough Syrup on sale $3.99 had $3 off 1 coupon
Crest Pro Health Mouth wash $4.49 - $4.49 RR = FREE!
Simple Sleep Tylenol $3.49 had $1 off Wal coupon stacked w/ $2 off MC
Dora Lunch box reg. $9.99 marked down to $2.49.

I plan on going back to get more cough syrup even though it's not free it's a good deal at .99 a bottle. And the Progressi soup is 3/$4 + I have a $1.10/1 coupon. Will post this transaction later. And I may get more aluminum foil