What do you *do* all day??

Well, I know this doesn't completely convey what it's like, but it'll give a good idea!

Free Dr. Pepper 20 oz. coupon today only!

Check it out: Dr. Pepper coupon

New staple at our house!

Okay, so my hubby is *NOT* a big soup fan. Believe me... I've tried. I keep trying. I'm stubborn that way. LOL! Other than the occasional bowl of chicken noodle (like mom's, please...), David has just not been a fan of soups. However, last night I made one that had him licking the bowl and telling me that it was to be a staple in our household! LOL!

The original recipe, I found on the Miserly Mom's website. However, in typical Alicia fashion, I completely altered it - which fit better with our dietary restrictions. I'll give you the original, then my alterations.

Original:

Frugal Recipe #173 - Potato Chowder

3-6 slices of Honey Ham
3-4 small potatoes already cooked previously
1/4 cup corn
1/4 cup of butter
1/4 cup flour (thickener0
2 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste
1-3 Garlic Cloves
1/2 small onion
dash of paprika

Chop all ham and potatoes (cubed is nice). Next, in your blender, puree onion and garlic together with about 1/4 cup of water. In medium saucepan, melt butter on medium heat (so it doesn't burn), and saute your puree in this for 1-2 minutes. Gradually add flour to the butter so that it incorporates smoothly. Next, gradually add milk so you don't end up with lumps. Next, add your corn, ham, and potatoes. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes - or until corn is cooked through. (the notes say this has a bit of a sweet taste due to the corn and honey ham.) Serves 4.

Okay... I did this:
Can't eat ham, corn, and didn't have fresh garlic (I know... cooking sacrilege!)

Microwave 4 potatoes for about 4 minutes. Long enough to be tender, but not squishy/mashed. Think potato salad firmness. Peel, cube, set aside. (you may want to cool them a bit before peeling - lol)

I *think* I had close to 1/4 cup of butter, but I didn't measure. Just used what we had left of a stick on the counter. I put that in a saucepan on medium heat to melt. Added about 1/4 - 1/2 cup of frozen chopped onion (thanks Kroger for the .58 sale!) I also dumped in about 1 or 2 tsp. of the following spices; garlic powder, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, and smoked paprika. I threw in some salt and pepper. I let that cook until the onions were clear.

I added about 1/4 cup of water, then a few tablespoons more. Same with flour - and stirred using a whisk. This made a paste at the bottom of the pan. I slowly - and I do mean slowly - whisked in a total of 3 cups of milk. If you add it slow enough, it should make a nice thickish base.

Then, I dumped in about 1 cup (maybe a bit more) of chicken I had pulled off of the bone from a few days before. Added the potatoes, and about 1/2 cup of broccoli. I let this simmer for about 10 minutes, then threw in 4 slices of american cheese. Simmered another 10ish minutes.

You may need to adjust the spices depending on your family's tastes.

Restaurant.com code exteneded, JCPenney coupon or online code

Here is a printable 10.00/25.00 JCPenney coupon, or use the code JCP online.

Deal extended! Save 80% at Restaurant.com with the code SURPRISE. Pay only $2 for a $25 certificate. Code expires Monday 11/24. These make great holiday gifts and don't expire for a full year. You can buy a $100 certificate for only $8!

Some stuff I promised to post regarding Kmart

Nov 11 - Dec 8 Ad - this is the monthly ad, the one for the week of doubles should be showing up soon.

Check out this link - look near the top banner for a place to sign up for 5.00/50 purchase email coupons.

New SCJohnson Promo until 12/08 (thanks Chrrrrris & BKleenex for starting the list, and everyone else for adding to it!)

Buy Select Holiday Glade, Ziploc & Saran Items and save up to $5.00 off your next order. Purchase dates: Buy select holiday SCJ brands between 9/21 and 12/08.

Saran Holiday
Zip Loc Holiday
Glade Holiday

Spend $10-$14.99 get $2
Spend $15-$19.99 get $3
Spend $20 or more and get $5

One cat per transaction.

25700 34575 Ziploc Gallon Freezer bags, 15 count
25700 16305 Ziploc Easy Zipper Gallon Storage bags, 15 count
25700 53617 Ziploc Quart Storage bags, 25 count
25700 34574 Ziploc Quart Freezer bags, 20 count


46500 13074
46500 15710 apple cinnamon candle
46500 15716 french vanilla candle
46500 15737 creamy custard and blushing apple candle
46500 15874 Glistening snow candle
46500 15876 cranberry delight and everlasting pine candle
46500 16257
46500 21749
46500 21764
46500 22970 French Vanilla wisp candle
46500 61425 Dewberry dreams 3pk candle refill
46500 61552 Apple Cinnamon 3 pk candle refill
46500 61554 Glistening Snow Scented oil candle refill
46500 61577 French Vanilla 3pk candle refill
46500 61935 Apple Cinnamon Wisp candle
46500 70065
46500 70268
46500 70289Cinnamon Gingerbread Candle
46500 70346 Cinnamon gingerbread scented oil candle refill
46500 70655
46500 88362
46500 23398 Holiday scented oil candle holder only (blue box)

Coupons people are ordering:

There seem to still be plenty of these on Ebay:
Revlon $2
LIfesaver $1
Tums $1/1
Tic Tac $1/1

Getting scarce or expensive:
Ronzoni pasta $1
Dove hair care $2
Healthful life $1 (BTW this one expires on the 30th)
Tbonz $1.50 (hint search both Tbonz and T bonz)

Here is a spreadsheet someone put up with potential good deals and coupon match ups:

Spreadsheet - use 'slickdeals' and 'slickdeals' for login

restaurant.com code - expires today! hurry!

Almost forgot to post this! Hope this comes in handy for ya'll! This works great on their monthly dinner deals too!

Save 80% at Restaurant.com with the code SURPRISE. Pay only $2 for a $25 certificate. Code expires Thursday 11/20. These make great holiday gifts and don't expire for a full year. You can buy a $100 certificate for only $8!


ALSO - if you go through Ebates.com, you get 15% back! Plus, if you use this link to sign up for ebates, you get $5.00 added to your account - see the website for more details!

More mailables...

Arm & Hammer Baking soda 1.00/2
Excedrin Migraine 2.00 (is there a rebate for this one too?)
Crest Spinbrush 2.00 (good stocking stuffer?)
Complete Multipurpose contact solution 2.00 (good deal next week at CVS too) printable link
Neutrogena makeup product 1.00 printable link - must register
Bayer Heart Advantage 2.00
Delmonte Fruit cup 1.00 - have to register

Thanks Aunt Paula & Jennifer!

Coupons and stuff

Warning... Walmart brag ahead...

We had a bookclub meeting tonite - Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol". Right across the way was a Walmart, so I decided to stop there since we needed a couple things...

I got:
3 bags of Green Giant Steamers - they were 2/2.00 - had a 1.00 coupon
4 Zantac @4.23 each (.25 more than my other Walmart!!) - had a coupon for 5.50 (overage!!)
1 10# bag of potatos
5.84 # of sweet potatos (.25/lb)
3 pkgs of Goody hairbands for Bekka (2.00 coupon)

OOP - 5.29 (3.10 of that was tax!) The cashier - totally awesome dude (should've known since his name was David...lol) - was like "wow, that's awesome - that's like just the potatos - the only thing you didn't have a coupon for!" Tee hee hee... it was funny because he kept saying "hey, we might owe you money" as he was ringing me up. I soooo like this cashier!

Link to the Goody coupon is HERE It prints pretty big, but I manage to get 3 on a page by printing the first one, folding the top 3rd down and reprinting on the page, then reversing and folding the bottom 3rd over... I hate wasting paper! I also pring in b&w so I don't waste ink - but some cashiers think that any coupon that is in b&w must be photocopied, and it's difficult to convince them otherwise! There are a lot of these items for slightly over 2.00 in the stores, and for the rest of this week Walgreen's has a 2.00 coupon in their Easy Saver booklet for 2.00 off of a hairbrush. Combine the 2 coupons and get a hairbrush for .99!

I've been trying to get some mailable coupons because of Kmart's Super Doubles coming up (Nov. 30-Dec 6) Some of the IPs are mailable if you can't print them, and since they are mailed on security paper my Kmarts will take them! So far, here are the one's I've received in the mail! Now, for the coupons that say you have to register, make sure that you disable your printer first. When the print screen comes up, look for a help link. If you don't see the help link on the bottom right, then go ahead and click print. It should tell you it couldn't print, so then you can get the help link on that page. When you click the help link a new box will pop up that should ask for your mailing info. Hope that helps!

Clean and Clear 2.00
Friskies 2.00
Purina 4.00 - I think Walmart/Target has regular sales on this or has a cheap bag for slightly more than 4.00/5.00ish - you have to register for this one
Fruit of the Loom underwear - 1.00/2 how often do you get underwear q's?)
First Response 2.00
Johnson's moisture care 1.00
Johnson's Gift Set 3.00
Johnson's Take Along Gift Pack 1.00
Johnson's Baby Skin Care 1.00
Johnson's Bedtime gift set or 2 bedtime items 2.00>
Johnson's Head to toe body wash 1.00
Desitin 1.00
Johnson's Buddies 1.00 Use these on the buddies bars, and you get free bar soap that has a nifty easy grip covering on it - great for folks who have hand issues (or kids...lol) Plus, I believe I read that there are 3.00 off of 3 catalinas that print when you buy 3 in a transaction. Lots of free soap! Good donation item, btw!
Gas-X 1.50
Free Clorox Disinfecting Wipes wyb 2 Clorox products - You have to register for this one. It goes well with other clorox q combos. When you get to the printing stage, look for the "help" link - click on that instead of print, and it should pop up a box to type your mailing info.
Pledge Multi Surface Duster 2.00, Fantastik 1.50, Windex 1.50, Pledge Wipes 1.50, Scrubbing Bubbles Fresh Brush Toilet Cleaning System 2.00, Scrubbing bubbles Toilet Cleaning Gel 2.00, Scrubbing bubble Mega Shower Foamer 2.00, and the Scrubbing bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner 10.00 ALL IN ONE LINK HERE
Chinet Cut Crystal Cups 9 or 14 oz 1.00 (good combo with Target's $3.00 off of 15.00 partywear purchase)
chinet Classic white product 1.00
Juicy Juice 1.00 - you have to register for this one also.

Well... that is it for now for the mailable links.

Here are some good sites to get printables from - and lots of good printables now because of the holidays! Look for a Honeysuckle turkey coupon! May come in handy for those after Thanksgiving sales too!

www.coupons.com
www.couponbug.com
www.smartsource.com

Thinking about God

Well, I don't write theologically nearly as often as I should. I've been ruminating about a series that I want to write, so we'll see how that may materialize over the next few weeks.

We had some great sermons today. I wish I could just retype what our pastor said - he does it so well!

I am just constantly amazed at how little I know about such a majestic God. Our pastor today was talking about the gospel, and he pointed out that often the only gospel people hear is that Jesus died on the cross. While that is indeed good news, it's really only part of the good news!

I know I won't repeat it as well as he said it, but it really had me thinking. The gospel includes the Trinity. It is how God the Father chose his people in eternity past, how Jesus Christ the Son redeemed his people by living the perfect life and dying the perfect death, and how the Holy Spirit works in calling, sanctifying, and preserving the saints. And ultimately, it is always for the glory of God. It is just an amazing thing to think about and realize. It is amazing how deeply and richly God loves his people!

There is so much more... hopefully I can go deeper into some discussion after thinking about things for a day or two!