A Break from Couponing and A Darn Good Breakfast Casserole

When I began faithfully couponing several months back, I was disappointed to learn that coupons were rare or nonexistent on Holiday weekends. Happily, I've recovered from that trauma and learned to plan my grocery shopping and menu planning around the Holidays. I may have to drop by the store to pick up some milk and bread, but I've got plenty of "stock" to get us through at least the next week. I plan on taking some of the time that would have otherwise been spent searching grocery deals and doing the actual shopping to throw out my expired coupons, reorganize and plan my budget for the first few months of 2010.
I hope to also experiment this week with some of the new kitchen gadgets that I was given for Christmas! My mom loves that I've started cooking so much and gave me many fun things that I can't wait to use. My goal is to create some dishes without using a recipe. It won't be easy; I'm definitely a recipe kind of girl. But, I've found that I'm quite capable of throwing a few things together and coming up with some pretty successful combinations.
Take, for example, the breakfast casserole I put together early Christmas morning when we decided we were far too hungry to only eat cinnamon rolls. Here's the recipe. Give it a try and tell me what you think. We LOVED it!

Christmas Morning Breakfast Casserole

1 bag frozen cubed hash brown potatoes
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar, pepper jack or colby/jack blend cheese
8 frozen Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage patties, cooked and cut into bite size pieces
5 slices thick cut bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled
8 eggs, slightly beaten
3 cups milk
Salt, pepper and seasoning salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350.
Lightly grease 9 x 13 casserole dish.
Place potatoes in an even layer in bottom of dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper or seasoning salt.
Sprinkle with cheese.
Top cheese with sausage and bacon pieces.
Combine eggs and milk. Season with additional salt and pepper or seasoning salt and pour over other ingredients.
Bake, uncovered for 45 - 55 minutes, or until eggs are set and knife inserted in middle of casserole comes out clean.
Let sit for 5 minutes before slicing.
Serve with salsa and sour cream, if desired.

The Best Lasagna Ever... Only Better!

Those of you who know me know that I'm obsessed (not in a creepy way, of course) with The Pioneer Woman. If you enjoy cooking or want to learn, her blog is the one to visit. Her lasagna recipe is, by far, the best lasagna ever. And, she knows it... Take a look:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/the_best_lasagn/

We're getting ready to sit down and have some for dinner. I couldn't be happier! The kids are pretty excited too... I made a few very minor changes to her recipe to suit our family's tastes. You might enjoy them too...

Instead of canned whole tomatoes (too chunky for my picky eaters), I substituted Del Monte Petite Diced Tomatoes with Basil and Olive Oil... Yum.. And, instead of the Kraft can o' parm, I used refrigerated, shredded Italian blend by Sargento. I've never been the patient type, so I use no cook lasagna noodles that don't require boiling before they're layered in with the other ingredients. Subtle changes, but they made a big difference. If your family enjoys lasagna, try this recipe. You'll love it... I promise.

This Week's Grocery Game Success...

This week's grocery excursion took me to Albertsons, King Soopers and Safeway. I was able to purchase $278.69 worth of groceries for $123.53 by combining coupons and store sales. Here's a run down of some of my favorite bargains from this week:

Albertsons

Krusteaz Bakery Style Cookie Mix
Original Price: $3.59
Sale Price: $1.79
Coupon: $1.00 off
Price at Checkout: $0.79
Savings: 78%

Orville Redenbacher Microwave Popcorn
Original Price: $3.79
Sale Price: Buy One Get One Free
Coupon: $0.40 off (Doubled to $0.80 off)
Price at Checkout: $1.10 each PLUS coupon at checkout for FREE Redbox movie rental with purchase of 2 boxes of popcorn. Guess what my family is doing tonight?!
Savings: 65%

Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese (8 oz.)
Original Price: $2.99 each
Sale Price: 10 for $10
Coupon: $1.00 off 3
Price at Checkout: $0.67 each
Savings: 78%

King Soopers

Oroweat 100% Whole Wheat Soft Family Bread
Original Price: $1.99
Sale Price: $1.49
Coupon: $0.55 off (Doubled up to $1.00)
Price at Checkout: $0.49
Savings: 74%

Betty Crocker Pouch Potatoes
Original Price: $1.29
Sale Price: Four for $5.00
Coupons: $0.35 (Doubled to $0.70 off) AND Cellfire coupon $0.40 off
Price at Checkout: $0.15
Savings: 88%

Kraft Singles Cheese 12 oz.
Original Price: $2.49
Sale Price: Three for $5.00
Coupon: $0.50 (Doubled to $1.00 off)
Price at Checkout: $0.67
Savings: 73%

Safeway

Nivea Kiss of Moisture Lip Balm (Purchased 4)
Original Price: $3.05 each
Sale price: Buy One Get One Free
Coupon: Buy One Get One Free
Price at Checkout: $1.14 each
PLUS
Coupon: Buy 3 lip balms, get lotion free (up to $6.64)
Savings: 94%

If that's not exciting enough to ruffle your feathers, I can't begin to imagine what might do it for you...

Qdoba.... Yum...

Kids under 12 eat free this weekend at Qdoba... AND, they've expanded their kid's menu to include some items that kids actually like.

Enjoy!

Everybody's Preggers!

Am I the only one who had found myself suddenly surrounded by pregnant women? Thanks to one of my favorite blogs, Springs Bargains, I stumbled across a great deal for a fun and practical gift for yourself or a friend who is or will be nursing their baby. Hop over to

uddercovers.com

Plug in promotion code CHRISTMAS for a $32.00 credit on one of their beautiful nursing covers. That means it's free. Just pay $8.95 for shipping!

Take a look at SpringsBargains.com for some great local money saving tips!

Great Deals on Magazine Subscriptions at Amazon.com

I love magazines. One of my very favorite things to do is read a magazine while I'm taking a nice, hot, bubble bath. Aaaahhhhh...... Take a look at some of the magazines that Amazon is offering:

Amazon.com

Family Fun and Oprah are being offered for $5.00 for a one year subscription. Can't beat that deal!

Mexican Lasagna

It's been a long time since I've made this dish, but it used to be one of our favorites. I came across the recipe today and wanted to share it with you all. Let me know what you think!

Mexican Lasagna

1 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. dry taco seasoning mix
1 C water
12 (6") corn tortillas
1 C green chilie salsa (or salsa of your choice)
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 15 oz. can corn, drained
1 4 oz. can green chilies
1 C shredded colby/jack blend cheese

Preheat oven to 375.
Brown meat; add seasoning and 1 cup water. Cook until thickened.
Spray 9" x 13" pan with cooking spray. Place 6 tortillas on bottom of pan, overlapping if necessary.
Mix salsa and tomato sauce; set aside.
Top tortillas with half the meat, corn and chilies.
Pour half the salsa and sauce mixture over top and sprinkle with 1 cup cheese.
Repeat, finishing with cheese.
Bake 30 minutes.