28 August 2012

NetFlix Potato

My kitchen was starting to look more like a mad scientist lab gone wrong, than a proper kitchen.  So I NetFlixed a couple episodes of Hoarders to help get me moving.

Only my plan failed because Miss Wiggy had a better idea.







27 August 2012

I Got to Work the Oven

This past weekend I got to work the oven all by myself and it was kick-ass good fun.  Challenging as well because the head cook (oven worker), has to keep mind on the window (we have a drive up window), register, counter, customers names, cooking times and oversee the line.

I only did it for a bit, but man alive was it frickin' fun.

I loved it.

Loved it, loved it, loved it.

Meanwhile, dig this.  Not only did I get all of the first group for FREE, but the store paid me $1.01 to take each item.  Then ... I used all that overage (along with more coupons), to get the second batch of goodies FREE as well.

I love couponing.  And cooking.











22 August 2012

My Big Splurg

A big-ass container of caramel macchiato creamer.  Great in coffee or tea, this baby clocked in at three bucks, and was the second highest priced item in my cart.  No coupon.

But look how happy it makes my thumb.





15 August 2012

My Sad Thumb

Chopped off a wee bit of my thumb and nail.  Now I have a sad little thumb.  Actual thumb photo to your left.

But in good cooking news, it's Julia Child's 100th birthday.  Even better if she were still alive.  However, for me at least, she'll always be a force.


13 August 2012

I Could Live at Wegmans

I love Wegmans.  So many fun organic ingredients and a huge cafe. 

Yesterday Tim wrote while I scored nearly 38 bucks worth of freebies, along with the best organic spinach (not free), and a groovy new Wegmans travel mug.

Loved having the same day off.

Then I opened the pizza shoppe today and it was a kick butt good day.  When I open I get to make calzones, specialty pies, bread, pizza balls and lots and lots of regular pizzas.

I love opening.  So much fun.
 
And, it's getting easier to enjoy (still don't love it), working nights, now that I'm busy creating three formulas for the baking contest.  It's a lot of fun to work on them.

That's about all from here.  We're about to eat and then Tim games and I'm fixin' to coupon from the couch.  I got me eight newspapers worth of sales.  Woohoo.

Hope you all had a good Monday.  Cheers and boogie boogie.

Gusto



12 August 2012

Up for the Challenge

I love days off and even more fun if I get to share them with Tim.  And this weekend, I got a surprise with my work schedule and landed a FREE Sunday.

Hot dog.

What are we going to do?  No idea.  Don't care.  Just happy to have the same day off as Tim.  Love it, love it, love it.

In baking contest news, Friday I worked on another draft of my banana chocolate chip muffin formula.  The trick is to stay within their guidelines for fat and nutrition.

I'm enjoying that challenge.

You guys have a great one.  Boogie boogie.

10 August 2012

Freebie Friday

It's Freebie Friday, here at the Manor.  Check it out.

Register at Earthbound Farm, and each week you'll receive a coupon worth $0.75 off ANY Earthbound organic produce.  If your store doubles, you might even land some FREE.

Please note that the coupons read for a specific organic item, however, they print for ANY organic Earthbound produce.  Here's to saving on organic goodies.

 $1.50 Tops sale for a bag of organic carrots
-$0.75 Earthbound coupon
-$0.75 coupon doubles
---------
 FREE item

Now toothpaste (almost always FREE)

 $1.50 Giant Eagle - Colgate large toothpaste
-$0.75 manufacture coupon
-$0.75 coupon doubles
---------
 FREE item

Next up, pantiliners and pads (sorry gamer geeks)

 $0.99 Wegmans price for Carefree pantiliners
-$0.50 manufacture coupon
-$0.49 coupon doubles (register adjusts coupon)
---------
 FREE item

 $1.99 Wegmans price for Stayfree pads
-$2.00 manufacture coupon
-$1.99 (register adjusts coupon)
-------
FREE item

And that wraps up Freebie Friday.  Next week I'll talk about overage and how to make money couponing.

Until then, Happy Couponing and boogie boogie.

07 August 2012

Baking Contest

Check it out. Tim left me a link on his computer this morning for a Baking Contest.  Bought to you by King Arthur Flour.

Enjoy & Happy Baking.

PS: Contest ends Friday the 28th of Sept. 5PM Est.

02 August 2012

My Two Big Splurges

Organic butter and flour.  And for one of them, I didn't even use a coupon.

Nope.

It's been six months since I used this flour and by gosh, I wanted to use it for the banana chocolate mini muffins that I made yesterday.

And you know what? I loved it.

Good ingredients makes all the difference.  And organic butter out does crappy butter, any day.  Thankfully though, I had a coupon and a store sale.  And get this, my $1 coupon doubled to 2 bucks, thanks to an in-store promotion.

If you want to give Organic Valley a try, click organic butter coupon.  There you'll find a few other organic goodies as well, including a $1 off organic eggs. 

But if you want to make your own butter, check out my girl Niki's blog.  She made butter.  How frickin' cool is that?

So frickin' cool.

Scroll down her page to find the butter.  She also made her own soap, and she's an excellent photographer as well.

Cheers all, and boogie boogie.

No cloned cows were used in the making of this butter.

01 August 2012

Cookbook? What Cookbook?

Did I say I was going to write a cookery book? I think I just might have.  Only the start of that project feels very long ago.  But now that I've gotten into the groove of my ping pong pizza shoppe schedule, it's time to get back to work.

And it's a brand new month.  I love that.  Fresh clean start.  So today I worked on my food writing and you know what?

It feels pretty damn good.

Today I baked banana mini muffins with Ghirardelli chocolate.  I wish you could smell my kitchen right now because it's heaven.  And the muffins themselves are super duper moist.  I keep sticking my nose in the container to take a whiff.  Only each time I do, I eat one.

I should probably stop doing that.

I also worked on another draft of organic brown orzo and homemade cream of chicken sauce.  It's not ready for the book but it's coming along and I'm enjoying the draft writing.

If you want to give the organic brown pasta a try, click Delallo Pasta, and you'll get a dollar off coupon.  They even make white pasta, for those interested.

Near me, this imported pasta runs upwards of 3 bucks a bag.  Too rich for my blood.  But thanks to a local store sale and a dollar coupon, I scored them for a buck a bag.

Not too shabby.

Cheers & boogie boogie.