Orange Muffins

(This recipe was first posted in conjunction with the Meijer Ad Week of 1/28/12-2/4/12)

These muffins are the perfect coffee-time treat.  The orange spread makes a large amount, enough for two batches of muffins.

Easy Pork Dinner

(This recipe was first posted in conjunction with the Meijer Ad Week of 1/28/12-2/4/12)

This easy, tender pork entree is a nice change from the typical beef roast.  Throw it all in the crockpot in the morning, and forget about it until suppertime.  Delicious and family-friendly!

Basic Cracker Dip

(This recipe was first posted in conjunction with the Meijer Ad Week of 1/28/12-2/4/12)

This recipe uses only basic ingredients, but it's full of flavor. 

Pork Barbeque Sandwiches

(This recipe was first posted in conjunction with the Meijer Ad Week of 1/28/12-2/4/12)

Pork barbeque is a delicious way to use up that leftover pork!  Leftovers from this recipe (is that leftovers of the leftovers?) freeze well.

Waste Not, Want Not: ScrapPasta Salad and More

What to do with this week's leftovers:

Peppers, mushrooms and green onions (left over from making Chicken Primavera) are my favorite kind of leftovers because you can do so many things with them!  Saute and use for:

1.  French Dip Sandwiches

2.  Omelets

3.  Quesadillas or Fajitas

4.  Smothered steak or chicken

5.  Pizza topping (you don't even have to saute them for this)

Waste Not, Want Not: Introduction

One of the easiest ways to reduce your food spending is to reduce your food waste!  Now, I'm not recommending that you consume spoiled or expired food just to save money...but I AM recommending that you find a way to use it BEFORE it spoils or expires.  The theory is a no-brainer, right?  But the practice and the follow-through take a little work and planning.

Easy Cheesy Broccoli Soup

(This recipe was first posted in conjunction with the Meijer Ad Week of 1/22/12-1/28/12)

This thick and hearty variation on the classic cream of broccoli soup is similar to the Panera Bread version.

And The Winner...

...of the Modular Mate Giveaway is...

...Denise, who posted the following comment:

"I have liked you on Facebook!  Excited to see what this page will have to offer :) "

Congratulations, Denise!  Please contact Lindsay at linzschim@yahoo.com to claim your Rectangle 2 Modular Mate container. 

Thanks to all of you for your entries!

I'm hoping to host more giveaways in the future, so stay tuned!

Chicken Primavera

(This recipe was first posted in conjunction with the Meijer Ad Week of 1/22/12-1/28/12)

This pasta dish looks and tastes gourmet, but it's really quite simple!  The sauteed vegetables add tons of flavor, so it calls for only minimal spices.

Best Ever Brownie Sundae Dessert

(This recipe was first posted in conjunction with the Meijer Ad Week of 1/22/12-1/28/12)

So basic, so simple, and oh-so-good!  I would happily eat this every night of the week!

Sausage Swiss Biscuits

(This recipe was first posted in conjunction with the Meijer Ad Week of 1/22/12-1/28/12)

Who needs a Sausage Biscuit from McDonalds when you can grab one of these instead?  These muffins are great for breakfast on the go, or try serving them with soup for supper.

Setting Expectations

In the past few days I've had an unbelievable amount of traffic to this blog!  (Would a certain giveaway have anything to do with that???  That's OK, we all like free stuff!)  I honestly did not expect it to snowball like this!  With that in mind, I'd like to set a few expectations...just so that you aren't disappointed!

[For more information about what you can expect to see here, please read this and this.]

First:  I'll do my best to continue posting great recipes, but I have to say, I'm a little intimidated by the list of REALLY GOOD COOKS who have signed up as followers and/or email subscribers, or liked this page on Facebook! I look at your names, and I think that I should be following YOUR cooking blog, not the other way around! But ya'll jumped on the bandwagon with me, so don't worry, I won't drop you off after only a few days :)

Clarification on the Giveaway

OK, I'll try not to be bossy here, but I think some of you might have missed part of the giveaway instructions.  Sorry if I was not clear enough! 

After you complete one of the seven "entry tasks",

you MUST comment on the giveaway post

and mention which task(s) you completed.  Some of you HAVE submitted a comment per the instructions, but I have also noticed a lot of people liking this blog on Facebook or joining the blog as followers, and then not posting a follow-up comment under the giveaway.  I DO appreciate the likes, subscriptions, recipe comments, and followers (feelin' the love!), but I'm guessing many of you are liking, subscribing, and following because you want to enter the giveaway.  I'm not trying to make things difficult for you, but per the giveaway instructions, you MUST post a comment under the original giveaway post to be included in the drawing.  This will ensure that all of the entries are in the same place...I don't want to miss anyone  :)

Thanks!
Lisa

A Modular Mate Giveaway!

{This Giveaway is now closed.  Congratulations to Denise, who won the Rectangle 2 Modular Mate Tupperware Container}


I'm excited to announce that Cooking Up a Sale is hosting a giveaway, sponsored by

Tupperware Consultant Lindsay Schimmel!

One Cooking Up a Sale reader will win a FREE Rectangle 2 Modular Mate container with a seal color of their choice!!! 

Who Knew? (And How You Can Be In The Know)

Wow!  This is crazy!  I never imagined my fun little experiment would take off like this!  Who knew that cooking with on-sale ingredients was such a hot topic?  An amazing number of you have signed up as followers, subscribed via email, checked out this humble little blog, and posted about it on Facebook. 

Stock-up Alert: French Fried Onions

I stumbled on an un-advertised deal at Walgreens in Jenison.  Sorry, but I do not know if other Walgreens stores in our area have the same deal going on right now.  (If you happen to find the same deal at a different Walgreens, please let everyone know by posting in the comments!)

Almond Bars

(This recipe was first posted in conjunction with the Meijer Ad Week of 1/15/12-1/21/12)

These bars have almost the same taste and chewy consistency of their more expensive siblings, but they are fairly cheap to make because they use almond extract instead of almond paste. 

In My Kitchen: Modular Mates

Disclaimer:  I took the pictures for this post at night, so I had to use flash...and there's glare on almost all of the pictures!

I'll admit, I'm kind of a Tupperware junkie.  I own a lot of it, and I use it all!  All of their products are practical and sturdy, and I've never been disappointed with anything I've ordered.  Part of the reason I love my Tupperware is the lifetime guarantee that comes with almost every one of their products:  if it breaks, cracks, or doesn't seal properly, they'll replace it for free.  If your item was discontinued, they'll replace it with something similar instead.  Tupperware products will generally be more expensive than something you can pick up at Target or Meijer, but the replacement clause makes Tuppeware worth the money.  You can't go wrong with Tupperware!  

If I had to pick my all-time favorite Tupperware product, I'd pick

Modular Mates.  

Their airtight seals keep everything fresh for a long time, and the clear containers mean that I can see when I'm running low on something.  And guess what?  I picked Modular Mates for the first "In My Kitchen" post because

Modular Mates are 40% off until January 27! This is an awesome deal!

Parmesan Chicken Breasts

(This recipe was first posted in conjunction with the Meijer Ad Week 1/15/12-1/21/12)

I have a lot of chicken recipes, but this is one of my favorites...partly because the prep time is so short, and partly because it always turns out juicy, tender, and flavorful.  I've been told that this "tastes like something from Carrabbas!"

French Toast Bake

(This recipe was first posted in conjunction with the Meijer Ad Week of 1/15/12-1/21/12)

This breakfast dish is so yummy it could almost be dessert!  A friend brought this over after our 4th child was born, and it was such a hit with our family that I had to ask for the recipe.  I've made it for breakfast as well as supper, and it would also make a great coffee-time treat.

Frozen Lime Dessert

(This recipe was first posted in conjunction with the Meijer Ad Week of 1/15/12-1/21/12)

This refreshing dessert is sort of "summery", but we enjoy it year-around. 

Easy Ravioli Bake

(This recipe was first posted in conjunction with the Meijer Ad Week of 1/15/12-1/21/12)

This casserole is ready for the oven in less than 20 minutes...and that includes waiting for your pot of water to boil!  It's nothing fancy, but it's hearty and delicious.

Promises, Promises

I Promise To...

...post a variety of delicious recipes on a weekly basis. Unless I'm on vacation. Hey, everyone needs a break, right?

...be clear and detailed in my instructions, and include as many tips, tricks, and hints I can think of for each recipe.

...tell you from where (or from whom) each recipe came.

...answer any and all questions you may have about my recipes.

...update this list of promises if I think of more things!

Start Here!

Menu plans, cookbooks, recipes, grocery store ads, and coupons.  Those items cover my kitchen table for an hour each week as I plan our meals and make my grocery list.  I love to make food, but if I cooked whatever I felt like cooking, we'd go broke!  Instead, I try to use ingredients that are on sale each week in an effort to keep our grocery bill down.

So, is it possible to bring down your grocery bill, and still cook a variety of delicious foods for your family and friends?  In my opinion, YES! Take a look around here, and I think you'll agree!