Coupon Holder

I've recently been trying to get into using grocery coupons more. I clip them every week, but it seems like I stash them away in various places throughout the house and can't find them later when I want them or I just forget them when I go grocery shopping. To help myself out I went to Walmart and got a check organizer and labeled each section to correspond to the type of coupon, for example I made a Dairy section, a Meat section, a Baking section, etc. Then when the paper comes I just pull out the coupons, grab my little organizer and a pair of scissors and go to it. When I go grocery shopping I just pick up the entire organizer with all of my coupons and I head out. I made sure to leave the very back pocket empty with a blank tab, because when I'm at the store I put the coupons I'm using in that section as I grab the item off the shelf. That way, when I get to the register there's no sorting necessary, I just take the stack from the back pocket and hand it to the cashier. There's actually a product on the market, called the Jokari EZ coupon holder that has extra velcro on the flap so you can attach it to the handle of your shopping cart (see picture). I find this extra functionality totally unnecessary, but some people might really like it.

Coupons

Here's a run-down of my 3 favorite coupons & samples sites.

Have you ever checked out the free sample section of the Walmart website? You can request FREE samples of various products. The offerings change frequently so check back regularly. This link is for a free coupon booklet with $17 worth of savings, all you have to do is fill out the form and your booklet will be in the mail.
Free Coupon Booklet

Target offers in-store coupons that you can print from their website and use in their stores. They seem to have better savings than manufacturers coupons and you can select only the ones you want to print. Target Coupons

Smart Source sends out those lovely coupons that come in the newspaper. They also have a website with printable coupons for additional savings.

P&G e-saver

Okay, this is seriously cool. P&G has a page on their site where you can sign up and register your customer loyalty cards (those lovely little key fobs that grocery stores require you to use to get the sale prices on items) to get e-coupons. The coupons are automatically linked to your customer loyalty card and the discount is applied when the cashier at the participating store scans your card. That means no clipping coupons, no remembering coupons, and no chance of losing coupons!! What a great idea!

Here's the link to sign up and register your loyalty cards:
P&G e-saver Program

Orange Julius Recipe

I was randomly thinking about the famous mall drink -- the orange julius and I thought I'd post a quick recipe for everyone to make at home.

Ingredients:
3 oz frozen OJ mix
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
2 TBSP sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
7-9 ice cubes

Directions:
1.) Combine all ingredients except for ice cubes in a blender.
2.) Add ice cubes 1 at a time and blend until smooth after each addition until the desired consistency is reached.
3.) Drink!

My Iron Chef Challenge

Ingredients:
-Whole mushrooms
-Leftover baked chicken
-Zucchini
-Leftover marinara sauce
-Garlic
-Red Pepper
-Parmesan cheese (yes, the kind in a can)
-onion

My meal: Italian stuffed mushrooms
I shredded the zucchini, then sauteed it in a frying pan with diced leftover chicken, garlic, some diced onion, and diced red pepper. I seasoned the mixture with salt and pepper then stuffed it into mushroom caps. Marinara sauce and parmesan cheese topped the mushrooms and the whole thing was baked at 375* for 20 minutes. The end result was delicious! It just goes to show that anything crammed into a mushroom cap is instantly fantastic.