Recipe Round-up (Meijer Ad 9/30/12 - 10/6/12)

Check out the format and guess what kind of day I am having :)  I'm also spending some time writing posts for my October series, so here's the abbreviated form of "what's on sale is what's for dinner":

Caramel Apple Brownie Sundaes

[This recipe was first posted in conjunction with Meijer Ad week of 9/30/12-10/6/12]

I can hardly believe I'm suggesting an alternative to the classic brownie sundae.  After all, it's a staple in my diet!  But after I made Apple Brownies, it (of course) made me think of a brownie sundae.  This recipe is for those of you who want something other than chocolate for dessert.  It's definitely going on our list of fall favorites!

Apple Brownies

[This recipe was first posted in conunction with the Meijer Ad week of 9/30/12-10/6/12]

I tend to associate different seasons with different foods, and of course, what would fall be without apple recipes?  I love the cinnamony-smell that wafts through the house when I'm baking these deliciously soft-yet-chewy bars.  They're quick to throw together, and they're perfect for lunches.  Oh, and your house will smell wonderful while they're baking!  Enjoy!

31 Days of Saving Money in the Kitchen

Every October, bloggers all over the internet participate in a "31 Days" link-up.  Basically, they pick a topic and then blog about it for 31 days in a row.  Little bloggers like me also get to link up at larger blogs, which (hopefully) brings more readers to our blogs and makes all that posting and writing worthwhile.  I really want to take part in this project, because I have plenty to say :)  So I'm throwing my hat in the ring, and starting Monday, I'm going to spend all 31 days in October** talking about Saving Money in the Kitchen!

Survey Wrap-up and Giveaway Winners

Let's take care of the most important thing first....the winners of the spice packs!

The 3 winners I drew, using www.random.org's Random Number Generator were:

A Giveaway...and a Survey

**Update:  This giveaway is now closed.**

Dear Readers,

I'm trying to decide what direction to go with this blog, and I need your help figuring it out :)  I'd love for you to spend a few minutes answering some questions.  To thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, I'm sponsoring a giveaway.

I love buying spices at the Shipshewana flea market.  They're cheap, and they're every bit as good as what you'd find at the grocery store.  My favorite spices to buy from the flea market are poppy seed and sesame seeds...because I use them a lot, and because they're rather expensive at Meijer (especially when you use tablespoons at a time!).  I know you'll like them just as much as I do, so I'm giving away THREE sets of spices.  Each set will contain one 4.5 oz jar of poppyseed and one 4.5 oz jar of sesame seeds.  (Both are completely sealed and unopened...don't worry!)

Recipe Round-up (Meijer Ad 9/23-12 - 9/29/12)

I'm trying something new this week.  Partly because I'm in a hurry, and partly because there are just TONS of ingredients on sale this week.  First, I'm going to sort the recipes by categories.  Second, I'm not going to list out all of the sale ingredients after each recipe.  You'll just have to trust me that there are enough sale ingredients in the recipe to justify cooking it up this week :)

Oh, and don't forget to enter my giveaway!

No-Bake White Chocolate Cheesecake

[This recipe was originally posted in conjunction with the Meijer Ad week of 9/23/12-9/29/12]

This is a killer dessert recipe!  Not only does it taste amazing, but it comes together in a snap.  The orange zest adds fresh, unexpected flavor to the creamy white chocolate filling, and it's all topped off with the berry of your choice and a drizzle of more white chocolate.  

Technical Difficulties

I just checked my email subscription list, and had a small panic attack.  All of my email subscribers have disappeared.  I'm sure that not all 145 of them decided to "unsubscribe", so I'm assuming there is a problem with Feedburner, the program I use for email newsletters.  I'm not sure how long this has been going on, or how long it will continue...but I'm hoping that all of the email addresses will be reinstated soon!  I have no way of retrieving the email addresses since they were automatically stored in Feedburner's database. 

The most ironic part of all of this is that I have no way of notifying my email subscribers that there is a problem...because they won't receive the new blog posts in their email.  The only way they'll find out is if they happen to click over to my blog!  I suppose it's possible that the email newsletters are still being delivered...but since all of the addresses have disappeared, it's not likely.

I hope to have this resolved soon!

Thanks for reading,
Lisa

Recipe Round-up (Meijer Ad 9/16/12 - 9/22/12)

Menu-planning around sale items is a great way to spend less money on groceries!  Here are a few things you can make with what's on sale this week:

Chicken Breasts in Wine Sauce

[This recipe was first posted in conjunction with the Meijer Ad week of 9/16/12-9/22/12]

The cooler weather predicted for next week makes me ready for some comfort food!  This was my all-time favorite chicken dish when I was a kid.  Chicken breasts are smothered in a rich sauce and simmered in the oven until fork tender. 

Stock-Up Alert: Kraft Shredded Cheese for 88 cents!

Meijer has Kraft shredded cheese on sale (ad price valid 9/9/12 - 9/15/12) for $1.88 per 5-8 oz bag.  

The sale on shredded cheese coincides with a Catalina deal:  if you buy 10 participating Kraft products (and yes, shredded cheese is a participating product), you'll get a coupon for $10 off your next shopping order.  This means that if you buy 10 bags of shredded cheese, you'll get the cheese for 88 cents per bag! 

According to other blogs covering this deal, the Catalina DOES roll...meaning that you can use your $10 coupon to buy another 10 bags of shredded cheese, and you'll receive ANOTHER $10 coupon for that transaction. 

CLARIFICATION:  The current sale is on the 5-8 oz bags, but the Catalina is only valid on 8 oz bags...so make sure you grab 8 oz bags (the basics like cheddar and mozzarella come in 8 oz bags).  Thanks to my sister-in-law Sarah for catching this!

Shredded cheese freezes well, so you can bet I'll be filling my freezer with cheese!

Recipe Round-up (Meijer Ad 9/9/12 - 9/15/12)

Here's a list of what else you can make with what's on sale at Meijer this week:

Mediterranean Couscous

[This recipe was first posted in conjunction with the Meijer Ad week of 9/9/12-9/15/12]

It's time to break out of your cooking rut...and try couscous as an alternative to rice or potatoes.  Couscous is considered healthier than white rice because it is a more complex source of carbohydrates, it's higher in protein and fiber, and lower in calories.  It comes in plain and whole-wheat versions, and cooks up just as quickly as instant rice.  I combined this healthy "grain" with red pepper, spinach, and feta, and we loved the deliciously unique side dish!

Pull-Apart Herb Biscuits

[This recipe was originally posted in conjunction with the Meijer Ad week of 9/9/12-9/15/12]

An easy combination of herbs and spices transforms plain biscuits into something special! These biscuits are oven-ready in five minutes, and are a delicious accompaniment to any meal.  In my house, they're cause for arguments over who gets the last few pieces!

Pepperoncini Beef

[This recipe was originally posted in conjunction with the Meijer Ad week of 9/2/12-9/8/12]

Two ingredients are all you need to make this delicious sandwich filling!  Serve it on a bun and top it with cheese for a quick weeknight meal, or wrap it in a tortilla for a nice change from ham-n-cheese-for-lunch-again.