Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers

I just had one of these for the first time today. I had Grilled White Meat Chicken & Roasted Red Pepper Alfredo sauce with linguini and broccoli Florets.

I must say, this was FABULOUS!! I was VERY pleasantly surprised. I normally hate microwaved food, but this wasn't bad at all.

Now, I'm not a food snob, but I was raised by my grandparents and my Mommy (yes I called my grandmother Mommy)cooked 3 hot meals a day. FROM SCRATCH!!! So, I didn't get a lot of microwave stuff until I was out on my own and realized my mistake in racing from the kitchen everytime she tried to teach me to cook. You could tell the Cafe Steamers was a micro meal, but it was as close to gourmet/homecooked as a micro meal can get.

The meal was filling and not too hard on the budget. Now, I only bought it for today cause I have 4 kids at home for Fall Break and they ALL like PB & J sandwiches and that's just not a favorite of mine nor is it on my diet. So, this isn't something that I would normally buy, but on a rare occasion when the schedule demands quickness, I'll know that for less than the price of most kids meals at the local drive thru fat factories I can have something nutritious, delicious and FAST!!!

Grocery Update

Ok, I FINALLY made it to the grocery. Albeit, at 10pm!!! So, here I sit after spending my hard earned money at the store on ever increasing prices. I mean really a 4lb bag of sugar has went up 22cents in the last month and a half. That's just insane. Anyway I've meandered down yet another wild tangent. LOL!!

So, here I sit (Did I say that already?) with my grocery receipt and realize should have taken my own advice this morning. I went to the store to only get 2 days worth of groceries, cause I hate to grocery shop, I KNOW, I KNOW, I've mentioned that already, but Kroger was having LOADS of sales and I got about 8 days worth of groceries. Here's the part that's making me not so happy. I SPENT $134!!!!! OMG!! It's been ages since I missed my grocery budget. Plus, I have about $16 more of groceries.

Saving Money at the Grocery

With the economy the way it is and so many of my friends wondering how to spend less and save more I thought I post how I do what I do. LOL!! In town I'm legendary for spending NOTHING and getting LOTS.

Today is grocery day!! UGH!! I hate going to the grocery! Seriously, this is one of my least favorite chores. Unfortunately, my family demands dinner, so I must go.

There's a method to saving money.

1. Check out the ads!! Find out what's on sale where and for how much. TIP=If you're like me and you hate sales papers laying around, then check out your stores ad online!!!
2. Menu Planning!!! After you've perused the ads, make a menu including the items that are on sale. Making a menu is KEY to saving money. If you don't then you'll be going into the devil's lair without any preparation and you'll end up BURNED!! So make out a menu for a week, or 2 or heck even 4. TIP=The less you shop the more you'll save!!!
3. Generic v/s Brand Name!! If Special K bars are on sale for $2, that's great, BUT before you grab that box check out the generic brand. They taste the same and could save you as much as 0.50cents more per box.
4. Coupons!! Shopping the sales and buying generic is great, but coupons are where the money is. The Coupon Mom, www.couponmom.com, is a fabulous site that will help the virgin couponer. OH AND IT'S FREE!!! She has a whole system and you can watch a how-to video on her system here!

So, with all that in mind I'm off to check out the online sales ads. As much as I hate it, I've checked the fridge and there is NO putting it off. I'll be back later to show off my deals.