*FRESH AND EASY* GROUND BEEF $1.99/LB

This week’s Fresh and Easy AZ ad (7/11 – 7/17) has 80/20 Ground Beef  advertised for $1.99/lb!!!

(sold in a 2 lb pack, $3.98 ea LIMIT 2)

I haven’t seen 80% lean ground beef under $2/lb in a LONG time

Boneless Skinless Chicken is also in the ad for $1.99/lb

You can use the $5/$25 fresh & easy in ad coupon to stock up on chicken and beef this week!!

Buy 9 lb of bs chicken @ $1.99/lb: $17.91

Buy (2) 2 lb packs of 80% ground beef @ $3.98/pk: $7.96

Total: $25.87 minus $5/$25 F & E coupon

$20.87 for 13 lb of chicken & beef or $1.61/lb

At this price, I plan on stocking up!!

*Belated* PRODUCE WEDNESDAY Sprouts, Walmart, Fry’s

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July yesterday!!

Seeing as yesterday was a holiday, I postponed my Produce Wednesday post but I did go grocery shopping at Walmart, Fry’s & Sprouts

Fry’s: $1.23

Sprouts & Walmart: $39.95

TOTAL OOP: $41.18

 

ITEMS PURCHASED & COUPONS USED

Earthbound Farms organic celery – 75¢ ebf (54¢ sprouts)

16 oz Driscoll’s organic strawberries – $1/1 driscoll’s IP ($1.99 Sprouts)

9 cucumbers – 9/99¢ (pm food city)

5 mangos – 5/99¢ (pm food city)

3 lb bananas – 3 lb/99¢ (pm el super)

1.5 lb white onions – 5 lb/$1 (pm food city)

1 lb green chiles – 2 lb/99¢ (pm food city)

1 bottle Klass chile powder – $1.50 no q

1 lb roma tomatoes – 2 lb/99¢ (pm el super)

1 seedless watermelon – $1.77 (pm safeway)

1 gallon milk – $1.57 (pm safeway)

6 pack zevia soda – $3/1 zevia (99¢ sprouts)

4.5 lb 100% organic grass fed ground beef – ($4.99/lb Sprouts)

5 lb boneless skinless chicken – $1.99/lb Sprouts

3 haas avacados – 3/$1 sprouts

Used $5/$40 Sprouts coupon (recyclebank.com)

received 10¢ off for using 2 reusable grocery bags @ Sprouts

100 ct bag kroger cotton balls – 99¢ (fry’s)

4 pc strainer set – $2.24 (fry’s)

32 oz blue diamond almond milk – $1/1 almond breeze blinkie ($1.49 fry’s)

2 airwick flip n fresh – $2/2 airwick IP (49¢ ea fry’s closeout)

2 bottles Sambazon organic juice – $1.50/1 sambazon IP (free fry’s)

2 loaves of fry’s brand bread – BOGO fry’s ecoupon ($1.25 for two)

25¢ eprize came off from the P & G game

Used a $2 daytona onyo & a $4 safeway onyo (post pebbles cat)

I will be posting a delicious dessert recipe tomorrow which includes the almond milk & bananas I purchased on this trip 🙂

HAPPY SHOPPING!!!

SAFEWAY $5 TRIP

I know, I know lol

I just can’t seem to stay away from Safeway

It’s truly a ♥, hate relationship 😉

But I couldn’t pass up 12¢ fruit snacks & I ran out of ground beef 😦

I had a $5 off $15 coupon & a $2.50 ONYO that printed out on my last trip (shown here)

Used these 2 q’s to get everything pictured for:

$5.09 OOP

And everything went super smooth @ checkout!! YAY!!!

COUPONS USED & ITEMS PURCHASED

6 simply lemonades (2 trans) – .50/1 simply

1 o organic tea – $1/1 o organic

4 ocean spray fruit snacks – .50/1 os

4 lb 93% lean ground beef – used $5/$15 + $2.50 ONYO

PREVIEW >>Pumpkin & Ground beef/Potato Empanada Recipe

Here’s a sneek peek @ pics of my homemade pumpkin empanadas & also my ground beef & potato empanadas…dinner & dessert! YUMMO!!!!

I will post the recipe for both tomorrow morning…kinda tired from being in the kitchen all day LOL

Pumpkin

Ground beef & Potato with toppings 🙂

FRY’S & TARJAY…UNDER $5 TRIP

Early this morning, Hubby got up & headed to the dollar store to get my Sunday newspapers!

When he got back he was all excited, “Guess what? All the papers I got had the 5 inserts you wanted!”

LOL…SWEET♥

I wasn’t hopeful that the Playskool insert would be in the paper & sure enough it wasn’t so I wasn’t disappointed since I had already forewarned hubby that it probably wouldn’t be in there 🙂

So I got to clipping the $8/2 covergirl q’s & the suave BOGOs and put together my q’s for a fry’s/TJ trip

However I wasn’t really in the mood for getting ready & going shopping…tons of laundry to do!

So I asked hubby if he wouldn’t mind doing the trip for me if I wrote a list out of what q’s to use & items to buy…His answer: NO WAY!

So I sweetened the deal: 30 min massage tonight before bed??…BINGO!!

He happily agreed and even took our girls with him!!

1 and a half hours & 5 phone calls later haha, he gets home with all the items pictured and only paid

$4.46 OOP!!

He did very well!! Even if he did call me every 20 mins hahaha

ITEMS PURCHASED & COUPONS USED

(4) suave for kids shampoos – (2) .50/1 (recyclebank) & (2) BOGO

(2) clorox2 pens – (2) $1.50 clorox2 (printable)

(1) 30 ct Hefty trash bags – $1/1 any hefty (peelie)

(1) transformers action figure – $5/1 transformers (mq) + $5/1 transformers target mobile q

(2) carmex – (2) .30/1 carmex

(4) covergirl blush – (2) $8/2 covergirl face product

(4) covergirl sponges – (2) $8/2 covergirl face product

(1) whisker lickins – $1/1 target q

(1) loaf fry’s bread

(2) doz fry’s large eggs – no q, used overage

(1) 3 lb chub 85/15 ground beef – no q, used overage

$5/$35 fry’s purchase e-coupon

Target gift card ($2.98 balance on it) free from Denizen on FB

Hubby’s on a roll today!! He did great so I may give him an hour massage instead LOL

Cooking Is Dandy With SANDY

Another Friday means another recipe

This week’s recipe: TACOS

 

I made ground beef and potato tacos with all the toppings YUM 🙂

Servings 4-6

Ingredients

1-1.5 lb 80% or higher lean ground beef

4 med/large potatoes

salt

pepper

garlic powder

onion powder

corn tortillas

vegetable oil

1/4 head of lettuce

8 oz cheddar cheese

3 roma tomatoes or 2 large tomatoes

2 fresh avacados or premade guacamole (I use wholly guacamole)

salsa (I use premade that I’ve frozen, will list recipe in another edition of Cooking Is Dandy with Sandy)

Utensils

Knife

2 pans

cheese grater (if cheese isn’t pre-shredded)

spatula

tongs

potato peeler

cutting board

2 mixing bowls

plate

paper towels

toothpicks

spoon

Directions

1. Peel and wash potatoes
2. Dice potatoes into small thin squares
3. Place pan on stove, turn stove on to low-med heat and add 4 TBSP veg oil (allow to warm up)
4. Add potatoes and season with salt (place lid on pan)
5. Turn potatoes over frequently with spatula so they don’t burn and cook thoroughly (they will be soft when done) This will be in ~20 min.
6. Place ground beef in bowl. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder & onion powder to taste. Mix
7. Just before potatoes are done cooking, add ground beef to the pan and cook until ground beef is cooked thoroughly (browned) ~10 min.
8. Remove pan from heat and set aside
9. Place other pan on stove on low heat and add 1/4 cup vegetable oil
10. Layer 3 paper towels on top of each other and place on the plate and in the bowl
11. Use tongs to grab a corn tortilla and deep fry it in the pan for ~2 seconds on each side of the tortilla then place the tortilla on the plate with the paper towels to absorb some of the oil
12. Place 4 TBSP ground beef & potatoes in the tortilla and close it up like a taco. Place a toothpick through both sides of the taco in the center to keep the GB & potato from falling out
13. With your tongs, place the taco back in the oil pan and deep fry each side for ~1 min or until golden brown and crisp
14. Place the taco in the bowl with the paper towels to absorb excess oil
15. Repeat steps 11-14 until you make the desired amount of tacos
16. Turn off stove when finished
17. Wash lettuce & tomatoes
18. Cut lettuce into thin strips, dice tomatoes into small cubes, peel, core and dice avacados into small slices (if using fresh avacados)
19. Shred cheese if not preshredded
20. Remove toothpicks from tacos and serve (don’t want people choking on toothpicks lol)
21. Guests/family can add the desired toppings to tacos (lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, salsa & guacamole/avacados)

 

Hubby doesn’t like his tacos deep fried so I just deep fry the tortilla a little bit and add the ground beef and toppings so if you’re like hubby, you can skip all that deep frying too 😉

I on the other hand don’t mind a good deep fried taco LOL

Disclaimer: Only adults should be making this recipe as it involves handling/using a knife, stove and hot food. I am NOT responsible for injury, illness or death as a result of consuming or preparing this recipe…Sorry, but I have to throw this in here since now a days everything seems to need a disclaimer.

 

COOKING IS DANDY WITH SANDY

TGIF!!

In honor of Labor Day weekend this edition of Cooking is Dandy with Sandy will revolve around easy to make BBQ type foods/snacks

Today’s recipe: NACHOS!!!

No, not the melted cheese and tortilla chip nachos. This is more of a 7 layer nachos recipe 🙂

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients

2 bags of corn tortilla chips (10-12 oz bags)

2 pounds ground beef

1 pound pinto beans (or you can use canned refried beans~ 2 cans)

4 avacados (or you can use premade guacamole, wholly guac is pretty good)

4 roma or 2 large tomatoes

1 pound colby jack or chedder cheese

1 jar/can of jalapeno nacho slices

3 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

16 oz sour cream (if making guacamole from scratch)

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp onion powder

1/4 cup vegetable oil (if making refried beans from scratch)

Utensils

Pan

Spatula

Blender/food processor

spoon

cheese grater

stew pot with lid

bowls

knife

cutting board

colander (if making refried beans from scratch)

sauce pan

bean masher (if making refried beans from scratch)

Instructions

1. Season ground beef with 1 tsp salt & pepper
2. Turn stove on to medium heat
3. Place pan on stove and add ground beef
4. Cook ground beef for 10 min or until completely brown
5. Turn stove off & set pan aside
6. Skip steps 7-20 if you are using canned refried beans and follow heating directions on can
7. Clean your pinto beans (remove debris that may be in the beans)
8. Place beans in colander and rinse in water
9. Add beans and 2 tsp salt into stew pot
10. Add enough water to your pot to completely submerge beans
11. Turn stove on to medium high heat and place pot on stove
12. Cover pot with lid
13. Allow beans to cook for 2 hours. If boiling over, reduce heat & check your beans continuously. If the water is running low, add hot water to your beans to completely submerge beans once again (otherwise you’ll have burnt dried out beans!)
14. You’ll know your beans are fully cooked when they are soft (~2 hours)
15. Set aside and place sauce pan on stove
16. Add 1/4 cup of vegetable oil to your pan and allow to warm up
17. With a large spoon add pinto beans with their water into the pan (WARNING: oil will most likely jump up due to the water in the beans so back away when doing this to prevent burning yourself with hot oil)
18. If your beans don’t have a lot of water left in them, you may add 1/2 cup hot water to prevent beans from coming out too dry. Add 1 tsp salt as well.
19. Mash beans with masher until they are an almost liquid consistancy
20. Allow beans to boil, then turn off stove and set aside
21. Skip steps 22- 25 if you are using premade guacamole like wholly guacamole
22. Dice your avacados in half and core
23. With a spoon, scoop the avacado out and place in your blender or food processor
24. Add your sour cream, garlic salt, onion powder and salt to the avacado and mix together
25. Turn on blender/processor and blend until all ingredients are completely mixed together
26. Pour your guacamole into a bowl
27. Shred the cheese if not preshredded
28. Wash & dice your tomatoes into small pieces
29. Open your bags of chips and place ~ 2 handfuls of chips into a bowl
30. Add 1/4 cup or 1 large spoonful of beans over your chips
31. Then add 1/4 cup or 1 large spoonful of ground beef over the beans
32. Add your guacamole next (2 tsp)
33. Add 2 tsp of diced tomatoes
34. Lastly, sprinkle ~ 2 tsp shredded cheese
35. Add jalapeno slices (optional) My kiddos obviously won’t be getting any of these on their nachos 😉

YUMMY!!!!

Makes a great alternative to just plain chips and liquid cheese—NOT that those aren’t yummy too 😉

Stay tuned…I might post more Labor Day goodies since the weekend will be long and full of yummy food!!!

Disclaimer: Only adults should be making this recipe as it involves handling/using a knife, stove and hot food. I am NOT responsible for injury, illness or death as a result of consuming or preparing this recipe…Sorry, but I have to throw this in here since now a days everything seems to need a disclaimer.

COOKING IS DANDY WITH SANDY

The past few weeks we’ve been having some killer deals on ground beef so I have a freezer full of it. The first thing I made with my ground beef last week was some good ‘ol lasagna. My fam ♥ lasagna so that dish didn’t require much effort since I make it a lot. For those that have never made lasagna, here’s my recipe

LASAGNA

Serves: 4-6 people

Ingredients:

• 2 lb ground beef
• Ricotta cheese or cottage cheese (16 oz)
• Spagetti sauce (2) 20 oz jars (you can make your own, but I don’t…easier for me hehe)
• 1 lb of your favorite cheese (I use cheddar/mozzarella or colby jack)
• Veggies (optional) I add pureed broccoli or pureed spinach to my spagetti sauce (simple way to get the kiddos to eat their veggies w/o them knowing)
• 1 box of lasagna pasta
• 1 tsp salt & 1/2 tsp pepper (to season ground beef)

Utensils:

• 11 x 7 x 2 in baking pan (may be larger or smaller depending on the servings you want to make)
• frying pan
• aluminum foil
• spatula
• large sauce spoon
• cheese grater (optional if you use pre-shredded cheese)
• large sauce pan or stew pot
  
• collander
  
• large bowl
• knife
  

Directions:

1. Steam & puree your veggies (if included) in a blender/food processor then add to your sauce
2. Boil the pasta in water until al dente then drain in the collander
3. Shred the cheese if not pre-shredded
4. Add salt & pepper to the ground beef and cook on med-high heat until completely browned (approx 10 min). Then set aside when done
5. Add some spagetti sauce to the bottom of the baking pan until bottom is completely covered. This will prevent the pasta from sticking to it
6. Add one jar of spagetti sauce to the cooked ground beef and mix together
7. Pour the other jar into a large bowl and dip your pasta into it to coat completely. Once coated, place the pasta into the baking pan side by side (should fit approx 3 rows)
8. Pour 1/2 of the ground beef onto the pasta and spread evenly with the spatula
9. Pour 1/2 of the ricotta cheese/cottage cheese over the meat and spread evenly
10. Add 1/3 of the shredded cheese on top and spread evenly
11. Pour some of the spagetti sauce on top, then add another layer of pasta over it
12. Repeat steps 7-10 for the second layer
13. Pour the rest of the spagetti sauce over the pasta and spread evenly
14. Top with the rest of the shredded cheese and cover the pan with aluminum foil
15. Set oven to 350° and let lasagna cook for 45 min – 1 hour depending on your oven & altitude
16. When lasagna is done, take the lasagna out (use pot holders!) and remove foil
17. Set oven to broil and place lasagna back in the oven for 3 min (makes cheese at the top a bit crispy…YUM!
18. Turn off oven, take out the lasagna (use pot holders!) and allow it to cool down for 15-20 min before serving

I made a side salad to go with our lasagna…the more veggies, the better I say!

Disclaimer: Only adults should be making this recipe as it involves handling/using a knife, stove and hot food. I am NOT responsible for injury, illness or death as a result of consuming or preparing this recipe…Sorry, but I have to throw this in here since now a days everything seems to need a disclaimer.