Harris Teeter Deals - Week of 3/7/12

A new Harris Teeter sale week has begun. While it's not a special week like Super Doubles or Triple Coupons, there are still a number of interesting promotions and good deals to be had. The list below is a sampling of the deals I find most enticing. To see a full list of deals and coupon matchups, visit Southern Savers.

Remember, Harris Teeter will double up to 20 coupons per day. They will double up to three identical coupons per transaction and double only two identical internet printable coupons.


Pillsbury Deal - buy 10 participating items, receive $4 instant savings (I've listed the best coupon matchups)

• Pillsbury Crescent Rolls 4ct $1.25
  $0.50/2 Pillsbury Crescent Dinner Rolls printable
  $0.50/2 e-Vic Coupon
• Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls 5ct $1.25
  $0.30/1 Pillsbury Sweet Rolls or Grands! Sweet Rolls, exp. 4/28/12 (GM 02/05/12)
  $0.30/1 Pillsbury Sweet Rolls or Grands! Sweet Rolls, exp. 3/31/12 (GM 01/08/12)
  $0.60/2 Pillsbury Sweet Rolls or Grands! Sweet Rolls printable
  $0.60/2 Pillsbury Sweet Rolls or Grands! Sweet Rolls printable
  $0.40/2 e-Vic Coupon 
• Pillsbury Golden Layers Biscuit 10ct $1.25
  $0.30/2 Pillsbury Refrigerated Grands! Biscuits, exp. 4/28/12 (GM 02/05/12) 
  $0.30/2 Pillsbury Refrigerated Grands! Biscuits, exp. 3/31/12 (GM 01/08/12) 
• Pillsbury Grands! Biscuits 5ct $1.25
  $0.30/2 Pillsbury Refrigerated Grands! Biscuits, exp. 4/28/12 (GM 02/05/12)
  $0.30/2 Pillsbury Refrigerated Grands! Biscuits, exp. 3/31/12 (GM 01/08/12) 
• Pillsbury Pizza Crust $1.79
  $0.40/2 Pillsbury Refrigerated Pizza Crust, Breadsticks, Loaves or Dinner Rolls, exp. 4/21/12 (SS 01/29/12 R) 
• Pillsbury Bread $1.79
  $0.40/2 Pillsbury Refrigerated Pizza Crust, Breadsticks, Loaves or Dinner Rolls, exp. 4/21/12 (SS 01/29/12 R) 
• Pillsbury Ready to Bake or Refrigerated Cookies $2.50
  $1/3 Pillsbury Refrigerated Cookie Dough, exp. 3/31/12 (GM 01/08/12 R)
  $0.75/2 Pillsbury Refrigerated Cookie Dough, exp. 3/31/12 (GM 01/08/12)
  $0.75/2 Pillsbury Refrigerated Cookie Dough printable
  $1/2 e-Vic Coupon

Deal Ideas: 

Buy 4 Pillsbury Crescent Rolls = $5

Buy 6 Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls = $7.50

Total = $12.50. 

Use 2 $0.50/2 Crescent printables and  $0.50/2 e-vic

Use 2 $0.60/2 Cinnamon Roll Printables

Use 2 $0.30/1 insert coupons and $0.40/2 e-Vic coupon

Get $4 off instantly = $2 for all 10 = $0.20 each!

Buy 4 Pillsbury Crescent Rolls = $5

Buy 4 Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls = $5

Buy 2 Pillsbury Cookie Dough = $5

Total = $15

Use 2 $0.50/2 Crescent printables and $0.50/2 e-vic

Use 2 $0.60/2 Cinnamon Roll printables and $0.40/2 e-Vic

Use 1 $0.75/2 Cookie Dough coupon and $1/2 e-Vic coupon 

Get $4 off instantly = $3.20 for all 10 = $0.32 each

Kraft Cheese and Dairy Catalina Coupon Deal


Buy 3 Kraft Cheese or Dairy Items - receive a $2.00 catalina coupon, good on your next order
Buy 4 Kraft Cheese or Dairy Items - receive a $3.00 catalina coupon, good on your next order
Buy 5 Kraft Cheese or Dairy Items - receive a $4.00 catalina coupon, good on your next order

Deal Idea:

Philadelphia Indulgence Cream Cheese Spread - $1.67

- $0.75 coupon (newspaper insert) x 2 (doubled) 

Final Price: $0.17

So...buy three tubs of Philadelphia Indulgence, pay $0.51, receive a $2.00 catalina = $1.49 Money Maker!

Thought the Philadelphia Indulgence offers the best deal, other participating items include:

• Kraft Singles
• Kraft Parmesan Cheese
• Kraft Natural Cheese (blocks, shredded, sticks, cubes, slices)
• Kraft String Cheese
• Kraft Cracker Cuts Cheese
• Velveeta
• Cracker Barrel Natural Cheese
• Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Cooking Cream or Pure Indulgence
• Cheez Whiz
• Breakstone’s/Knudsen’s Sour Cream and Cottage Cheese 16 oz
• Kraft Fresh Take Breadcrumb Mix
• Kraft MilkBite Bars

Other Deals:

Quaker Soft Baked Bars – $2.00
– $0.75/1 coupon (2/19 insert) x 2 (doubled)
- $0.75/1 E-VIC coupon (my account did not have this coupon, but yours might)
Final Price: FREE + $0.25 overage

Land O Lakes Eggs – BOGO – $1.74 each
$0.75/1 printable coupon x 2 (doubled)
Final Price: $0.24

Kellogg’s Raisin Bran Cinnamon Almond Cereal – BOGO – $2.14 each
– $0.70 printable coupon x 2 (doubled)
- $1.00 off two Kellogg’s Raisin Bran  E-VIC coupon (link to store card)

Final Price: $.24 each when you purchase two and use two printable coupons AND E-VIC coupon

Kellog's Crunchy Nut Cereal - BOGO - $1.92 each- $0.70/1 printable coupon x 2 (doubled)
Final Price: $0.52 

Nearly Wordless Wednesday

Snapshots of a Tech Savvy Baby

 

Aldi Produce Deals - Week of 3/7/12

Citrus fruit deals abound in this week's Aldi ad (Durham, NC). Check out the low prices on items like grapefruit, oranges, and pineapple! Keep in mind, sale items and prices vary regionally. If you live outside of the Durham area, be sure to check the Aldi website to view your local sales.

  

Turning Deals Into Meals - Spinach Stuffed Pasta Shells

My adventures in freezer cooking continued with tonight's main dish, Spinach Stuffed Pasta Shells.

This recipe was adapted from What's Cookin' Chicago? - omitting meat, making sauce from scratch, and like yesterday's meal, heating half today and sending the rest straight to the freezer.

The meal was a bit time intensive, though it could definitely be less so if you were to use jarred pasta sauce. I was able to use some of my stock piled canned tomatoes to whip up a marinara sauce, and I also used deal items for the shell filling - $0.97 eggs from Harris Teeter and $0.69 spinach from Aldi. As you plan your own meals, remember to keep sale ingredients and items you already have in the house in the front of your mind. Create meals around the deals!

As you read the recipes below be aware that I'm not a precise cook. When I create a sauce, I throw in ingredients and adjust to taste. I've given approximations, but I'd suggest tasting and adjusting to your taste.

Spinach Stuffed Pasta Shells (half for today, half for freezer)

Ingredients:
18-20 jumbo pasta shells

Filling:
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 bag fresh spinach (can substitute 1 cup thawed, frozen spinach)
1 palm dried basil
1 palm dried oregano
16 oz ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella or Italian blend cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

• Cook pasta shells according to package directions. Be sure to follow directions given for baking after boiling. Barilla brand is ready in 9 minutes. Drain, set aside, and cool.
• Heat large pot or skillet over medium heat. Add spinach and water to cover bottom. Cover and cook 3-5 minutes, until wilted. Drain. Squeeze spinach to remove excess water.

• In a large saute pan, add the olive oil, minced garlic and diced onion. Saute until onions have softened. 
• In a large bowl, combine filling ingredients, including drained spinach and sauteed onions. Set aside.

• Prepare sauce as directed below (or open jar :) ).
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add a thin layer of sauce to an 8 x 8 baking pan.
• Use a spoon or ice cream scoop to place filling into the jumbo pasta shells. Place half of the filled shells in the pan. Spoon ~1 cup of sauce over shells and sprinkle with shredded cheese. 

• Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes.

For Freezer Portion: 

Fill remaining shells with cheese filling. Place on a cookie sheet or in a pan. Cover and put in freezer. Once frozen, remove and place in a labeled freezer bag. Add remaining sauce to a freezer safe container and freeze. When ready to use, defrost shells and sauce. Add to pan and bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes.

Ready to be covered and put in the freezer.

Sauce:

1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic minced or pressed
1 can diced tomatoes

1-2 T tomato paste 
1/2 - 1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes (depending on desired consistency)
dried basil (to taste)
dried oregano (to taste)
red pepper flakes (to taste)
"splash" of balsamic vinegar 
1/2-1 tsp sugar (to taste)


Directions:

• Heat olive oil in skillet over medium to medium high heat. Saute onions and garlic until translucent. 
• Add remaining ingredients, stir, and reduce heat to low. Allow to cook at least 30 minutes. Taste and adjust spices.

Little Love liked dinner too. :)

Turning Deals Into Meals - Moroccan Chicken + Curry Roasted Cauliflower

Mark night #1 of my freezer cooking experiment as a success.

Moroccan Chicken, from What's Cookin' Chicago? was a relatively easy meal to prep, turned out delicious, the right combination of sweet (golden raisins) and salty (kalamata olives). I paired the Moroccan Chicken with couscous and curry roasted cauliflower (yummy - recipe follows). AND...I now have a future meal stashed away in the freezer, without any extra cooking effort!

I followed the recipe from What's Cookin', using the same measurements and ingredients, but when it came time for cooking, I put half the food into the slow cooker and the other half into a freezer bag for later use.  When I make this meal again, I might actually consider breaking it into three meals - one to eat immediately and two freezer meals. The chicken thighs I bought at Harris Teeter were gigantic. The hubs and I both ate one for dinner, leaving two leftover. 

In the directions below, I will explain how to make one meal to eat now and one to freeze. 

Moroccan Chicken 

recipe adapted from What's Cookin' Chicago?

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground coriander
salt and ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 bone in, skin on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds), trimmed of excess fat
1 large onion, halved and sliced thin
2 tablespoons water
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
1 cup low sodium chicken broth (2 cups if making entire meal at one time)
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 (2-inch) strip of lemon peel
1-2 tablespoons juice from 1 lemon (3 T if not making half a freezer meal)
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions:

• Combine paprika, cumin, ginger, coriander, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large bowl. Pat dry the chicken thighs with paper towels, then place in the bowl with the spices. Coat chicken with the spices.

• Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add half of the chicken thighs, skin side down, and cook without moving until lightly browned. Flip chicken and continue to cook until second side of golden. Transfer browned chicken to a plate and set aside. Repeat with remaining chicken thighs. Place 4 cooked chicken thighs in a slow cooker/crockpot. Place four cooked chicken thighs in a gallon sized freezer bag.

• Add onion and water to the same skillet and return to medium high heat. Cook, scraping the brown bits on the bottom until the onion has softened and begins to brown. Place half the onions in the slow cooker/crockpot and half into the freezer bag.

• Add half the minced garlic, bay leaves, raisins, lemon peel, olives and ALL chicken broth to the crock pot. Add half the minced garlic, bay leaves, raisins, lemon peel, olives to the freezer bag. DO NOT add chicken broth to freezer bag! 

Raisins and Olives measured into 1/4 cup portions - put one of each into the slow cooker and freezer bag.

• Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 2-4 hours.
• Seal freezer bag. Label and put in freezer.

I double bagged. 

• To serve, add lemon juice to slow cooker and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Plate with couscous. Pour sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with parsley or cilantro.

* To Make Frozen Meal - When ready to prepare, defrost completely. Place contents of freezer bag in a slow cooker. Add 1 cup chicken broth to the slow cooker and cover. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 2-4 hours. To serve, add 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice to dish and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with parsley or cilantro.

 Curry Roasted Cauliflower

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon curry powder
Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• In a large bowl, mix salt, pepper, curry powder, and olive oil.

• Add cauliflower and mix to coat.
• Spread cauliflower evently in a single layer on a baking sheet on in a roasting pan. Be sure that florets are not crowded or touching.

Before Roasting

• Roast for 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway through roasting. 

This recipe is linked up at Dishing It Up Recipe Hop!

Free Redbox Rental - 3/8/12

Redbox has reached their goal of two million 'likes' on Facebook, and as a thank you to fans, they are offering a FREE movie rental this Thursday, March 8th. Use the code 'THANKS2U' when checking out.

Meal Plan Monday - A Freezer Cooking Experiment

As I was browsing Pinterest this weekend, I came across a fabulous food blog, What's Cookin' Chicago?. I spent the better part of Nolan's afternoon nap clicking through recipe after recipe. The blogger's ideas for freezer cooking really caught my eye. I've been interested in the concept for a while but have found recipes that just don't match my cooking style. What's Cookin' Chicago? changed that.

All of the recipes on What's Cookin' appear to feed four or more people. I only need to feed two adults and baby. I'm planning to make the dishes as directed in the recipes, not cutting them in half. I'll cook half  for dinner on a given night and freeze the other half for a future meal.

I know that this isn't exactly how many approach freezer cooking - spending a few hours on one day, cooking up a storm and freezing everything that's made - but it seems like a way to build a little stock pile of meals, while testing to see if freezer meals work for us.

After surveying the fridge and pantry, I picked out a few meals that would minimize the groceries I'll need to pick up. I've planned more meals than I'm likely to make in one week, but I like to have backup plans incase we don't go out for dinner on Friday or Saturday. Here's a look what's for dinner at our house this week. The freezer meals have been starred.

Meal Plan for the Week of March 4th

Sunday's Meal - Chicken Cacciatore - I threw this crock pot meal together during Nolan's morning nap. I knew I wasn't going to feel like cooking come dinner time, and crock pot cacciatore was a simple solution using ingredients that were already in the house.


*Smothered Pork Chops - This recipe uses bacon and mushrooms, which I happened to stock up on during sales at Harris Teeter and Aldi. You can pick up Oscar Mayer Bacon for $0.49 at Harris Teeter (until Tuesday evening) by linking a $3.00 e-vic coupon to your store card.


*Spinach Stuffed Shells - I bought a few bags of spinach at Aldi, where's it's on sale (at least in Durham) for $0.69/bag. I also have Italian blend cheese and the ingredients to make some sauce, but I'll need to pick up jumbo shells and ricotta. I plan to skip the Italian Sausage and make this a meatless meal.


* Balsamic Fig Chicken - This is a freezer recipe that heats in the slow cooker. I have the ingredients in the house, except for dried figs. Honestly, I'm not sure what a dried fig looks like or exactly where in the grocery store I'd find one. In the produce section with the nuts??


Spinach and Bacon Pasta - This seems like an easy way to use up the leftover spinach.


Fajitas - I have everything in the house to throw this meal together.


Tofu in some form - The recipe that's linked is more or less the way I often prepare tofu, but I might try something new and pair it with quinoa and greens as suggested. I'll be using tofu that I stocked up on during Harris Teeter Super Doubles.


*Moroccan Chicken - The picture of this meal was drool inducing...and it's made in the slow cooker. Even better. I'm thinking about pairing this with roasted cauliflower (on sale for $0.89 at Aldi).



Reader Response: What's for dinner at your house this week?

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