Welcome, New Readers!

Hello New Readers,

Welcome to Cooking Up a Sale! I hope you find plenty of good food and good information here.  If you're coming over from Bargains to Bounty or Meijer Madness, then we already have something in common...a desire to save money on groceries! 

Since you're new here, please take a minute to read this, this, and this. You can also find Cooking Up a Sale on Facebook, and/or sign up to be notified via email when something new is posted on the blog. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me (dblisamarie{at}gmail.com), or post a comment.  If you try a recipe and like it (or even if you don't care for it!) I'd love to hear from you...so feel free to comment on any recipes to let me (and other readers!) know what you think.

To my regular readers:  Stop by Bargains to Bounty and Meijer Madness and see if you can find me!  At Bargains to Bounty, I'll be providing recipe links for Jolyn's weekly Meijer Ad Matchup.  Over at Meijer Madness, Jen will be posting a few recipes and a link to the Recipe Round-up every week.  Thanks to Jen and Jolyn for hosting recipes and links from Cooking Up A Sale!  I'm looking forward to getting to know them better.

Happy Cooking!
Lisa

Stock-up Alert: Kraft Cheese Products

Head over to Saving Addiction to check out this amazing deal at Meijer!  By combining two deals (overlapping Friday and Saturday) and a few coupons, you can snag bags of shredded cheese for $.73, cans of parmesan cheese for $1.54, and boxes of cream cheese for just $.29.  Even if you can't find or print the coupons, these deals are still fabulous! 

Lauren and Giselle do a great job of explaining how the deal works, so check out their post, gather up your coupons, and then head over to Meijer on Friday...see you there!

Oven-Roasted Asparagus

This recipe was first posted in conjunction with the Meijer Ad Week of 2/26/12 - 3/3/12)

This is one of the fastest vegetable sides ever...preps and bakes in no time for those busy weeknights!

Orange-Glazed Pork Loin

(This recipe was first posted in conjunction with the Meijer Ad Week 2/26/12 - 3/3/12)

This easy entree can be cooked either in the crockpot or the oven.  Pork loin is usually a huge piece of meat, so this feeds a crowd! 

Recipe Round-up (Meijer Ad 2/26/12 - 3/3/12)

Need a little more inspiration for your menu plan this week? Here are some "old" recipes that use on-sale ingredients from Meijer (sale ad 2/26/12 - 3/3/12). Maybe you used one or more of these recipes when the ingredient(s) went on sale last time, and you're ready to make the same one(s) again...or maybe you haven't had a chance to try any of them yet! But either way, here are some match-ups.

Fruity Lettuce Salad

(This recipe was first posted in conjunction with the Meijer Ad Week of 2/26/12 - 3/3/12)

This summery salad is so easy to throw together.  It's the perfect accompaniment to almost any entree, from burgers and chicken to pizza and casserole.

Waste Not, Want Not: Fruit Salad and more

What to do with this week's leftovers:

Bacon, leftover from making Spinach Salad:

Put all leftover pieces on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Put in the oven, then set temperature to 400 degrees. (Yes, put the bacon in while the oven is still cold!) Bake 17 minutes or until slightly under-done. Drain and blot grease, cool, and then freeze. When frozen, transfer to ziploc freezer bags and return to the freezer. When you are ready for a few strips of bacon, microwave the frozen strips for 10-20 seconds, depending on how crispy you like them and how many strips you are microwaving at a time.

Cream Puff Dessert

(This recipe was first posted in conjunction with the Meijer Ad Week of 2/19/12 - 2/25/12)

If the thought of making cream puffs makes you panic, try this "cheater" version of a cream puff instead.  Great for a crowd, easy, and delicious!

Stock-Up Alert: Zaycon Foods Meat Sale

I am taking a chance and posting about something that I've never tried before!  I just ordered 40 pounds of boneless, skinless, chicken breast for $1.69/lb from Zaycon Foods, and I'm going to pick it up on Monday. 

Zaycon Foods is a reputable company, and is recommended by both Saving Addiction and Sarah's Deals.  Zaycon Foods hosts "savings events" and they are coming to West Michigan next week.  I ordered the chicken breast, but Zaycon Foods is also including competitively-priced lean ground beef ($2.99/lb) and bacon ($2.99/lb) in this event.  We eat a LOT of chicken, so I'm excited to get this price on chicken breast!  The cheapest I have seen it at our local grocery stores lately is $1.79/lb...and that's a rare occurence! 

In My Kitchen: Vidalia Chop Wizard

The Vidalia Chop Wizard is one of those "As Seen On TV" gadgets that actually works!  Not only does it work, but it's easy to use, easy to clean, and inexpensive...and it saves me lots of time! 

Recipe Round-up (Meijer Ad 2/19/12 - 2/25/12)

Need a little more inspiration for your menu plan this week?  Here are some "old" recipes that use on-sale ingredients from Meijer (sale ad 2/19/12 - 2/25/12). Maybe you used one or more of these recipes when the ingredient(s) went on sale last time, and you're ready to make the same one(s) again...or maybe you haven't had a chance to try any of them yet! But either way, here are some match-ups.

Island Chicken Sandwiches

(This recipe was first posted in conjunction with the Meijer Ad Week of 2/19/12 - 2/25/12)

On our recent California vacation, we ate supper at the home of our friends.  They served these delicious chicken sandwiches, and after one bite, my husband said "You HAVE to get this recipe!"

Spinach Salad

(This recipe was first posted in conjunction with the Meijer Ad Week of 2/19/12 - 2/25/12)

I've tried quite a few different spinach salad recipes, but this basic one is still my favorite!

Italian Macaroni and Cheese

(This recipe was originally posted in conjunction with the Meijer Ad Week of 2/19/12 - 2/25/12)
 

Don't let the kid-friendly name of this delicious casserole fool you...although it IS kid-friendly, it has enough of an adult taste to keep everyone happy!

Make It Or Buy It? English Muffin Bread

English Muffin Bread is something our family really enjoys...but it's so expensive to purchase at the grocery store!  (For example, Family Fare has it on sale this week for $2.99 per loaf.)  That's why I was excited to find a simple, easy recipe for English Muffin Bread on one of my favorite websites, Simple Organized Living.  (Please note, the link to the recipe will take you to a recipe for Ham, Egg, and Cheese Sandwiches on English Muffin Bread...so the bread recipe is in the middle of the sandwich recipe somewhere.)  Andrea of Simple Organized Living is a local blogger who posts great recipes, in addition to her many informative posts on organizing, time management, and much more. 

I made the bread for the first time earlier this week...and it was super easy, as well as delicious!  We like the bread toasted, with the same kind of toppings you'd put on an English Muffin...peanut butter and jelly, or butter and cheese. 

Recipe Round-up Meijer Ad 2/12/12 - 2/18/12)

Here are some "old" recipes that you can make this week using on-sale ingredients from Meijer (sale ad 2/12/12 - 2/18/12).  Maybe you used one or more of these recipes when the ingredient(s) went on sale last time, and you're ready to make the same one(s) again...or maybe you haven't had a chance to try any of them yet!  But either way, here's some match-ups.

Restaurant-Style Grilled Sandwiches

As I planned my dinners this week, I found that the Meijer ad was not particularly helpful or inspiring  :(  There weren't a lot of good, cheap ingredients that I could put together....at least, not for the kind of food that I like to make!  {Oh, sure, there was chuck roast on sale...but you all know how to make a roast, so I wasn't going to post a recipe for that!} 

Anyways....when this happens, I try to use ingredients from my pantry (bought weeks or months ago when they were on sale!) rather than pay full price for other ingredients. But another favorite solution to uninspiring sale ads is grilled sandwiches.  There are so many delicious ways to make these sandwiches, and I'm willing to bet that you have most (or all) of the components for these sandwiches in your refrigerator, just waiting for you to use your imagination!   The result usually tastes like something you could order from Applebees...and in less time than it takes to drive there and pick up a to-go order!

Thou Shalt Not...

Saturday night during family devotions, my husband took a moment to explain something about the text we were reading.  He wrapped up his explanation by saying "So that's why, in church, on Sundays, we hear "Thou shalt not..."

Before he could finish his sentence using one of the Ten Commandments, our almost-5-year-old son filled in the blank for him.

"RUN!"

Well, yes.  That IS what he hears on Sunday...because every Sunday after the worship service, we tell him not to run in church!

Strawberry Cake

(This recipe was originally posted in conjunction with the Meijer Ad Week of 2/12/12 - 2/18/12)

 

 

I love to make dessert, and this moist strawberry cake always gets rave reviews.  I've even had guests ask for seconds of this!

Chicken Elegant

(This recipe was originally posted in conjunction with the Meijer Ad Week of 2/12/12 - 2/18/12)

Here's another one of my mother's awesome chicken recipes!  The ingredients are pretty basic, but the combination is mouth-watering!

Broccoli Apple Salad

(This recipe was first posted in conjunction with the Meijer Ad Week of 2/12/12 - 2/18/12)

A friend brought us this yummy salad as part of a post-baby meal.  We all loved it, which meant that I had to get the recipe!

Beef Fried Rice

(This recipe was originally posted in conjunction with the Meijer Ad Week of 2/5/12 - 2/11/12)

Stir-fry is a great way to stretch meat!  This fresh-tasting dish uses only one pound of beef, but the rice and vegetables add enough bulk to feed at least six adults.

Welcome, Saving Addiction Readers!

Hello New Readers,

Welcome to Cooking Up a Sale!  I hope you find plenty of good food and good information here!  If you're coming over from Saving Addiction, then we already have something in common :)  Also, if you're coming over from Saving Addiction, you've already seen the recipe for chicken spaghetti.  But I've also posted two more recipes based on this week's Meijer ad...and I plan to post one or two more later this week.

Since you're new here, please take a minute to read this, this, and this.  You can also find Cooking Up a Sale on Facebook, and/or sign up to be notified via email when something new is posted on the blog.  If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me, or post a comment! 

Happy Cooking!
Lisa

An Exciting Announcement!

Saving Addiction is on my "Recommended" list for good reason!  If you haven't already checked out this great resource, now is the time.  Every week, they post a sale/coupon match-up for Meijer, as well as match-ups for CVS, Rite-Aid, and Walgreens.  These match-ups list all the best sale items, along with where to find the corresponding coupon(s).  (I use their Meijer match-up every week while I plan meals and make my grocery list.)  They also post other great deals that can be found in our area, AND they offer free classes on how to lower your grocery budget.  Saving Addiction saves me a lot of time and a lot of money!  And that's why I'm excited to announce that...

I get to work with Lauren and Giselle over at Saving Addiction!

Taco Soup

(This recipe was first posted in conjunction with the Meijer Ad Week of 2/5/12 - 2/11/12)

This soup could easily be labeled "Dump Soup" because that's about how it's made.  Just fry up the ground beef and dump in a bunch of other stuff.  Super fast, and super delicious!

Feta Pear Salad

(This recipe was first posted in conjunction with the Meijer Ad Week of 2/5/12 - 2/11/12)

I can't see pears and bagged lettuce on sale together without thinking of this salad!  If you make this for company, be prepared to give out the recipe!

(Not Your Average) Chicken Spaghetti

(This recipe was first posted in conjunction with the Meijer Ad Week of 2/5/12 - 2/11/12)

The twist in this delicious chicken spaghetti recipe is the Mexican blend cheese.  It lends a unique flavor to the classic casserole.