Guest Post: What To Do With A Bag Of Carrots

I always have extra carrots around. They are cheap and every time that I go to the store I think that we need some. So here is a post by Tight Wad in Utah on what to do with carrots. I really think that the glazed carrots look super good.

What to do with a Bag of Carrots

I used to hesitate before buying a bag of carrots because I knew I would end up throwing some of them out. I suppose if we ate more salads this wouldn't be an issue, but even if we did I usually leave them out anyway because my cutting skills make them sail across the room. So to avoid the hassle, I avoid the carrot. No more, my friends! I have been converted to the carrot, and if you cut them in spears they are less likely to end up under a couch. :)

I found 3 recipes that I LOVE! And they can all be put in the freezer so you can make them in bulk and eat at your leisure. I used 4 pounds of carrots to do all 3 recipes, and that only got me 2 meals worth of glazed carrots. NOT ENOUGH.

- Glazed Carrots

- Carrot Cake Freezer Jam

- Homemade Carrot Baby Food

CHOOSING YOUR CARROTS - Be sure to buy carrots that don't look like they're growing. If they are sprouting from the top, or have a lot of hair, they have probably been sitting around awhile. Also I personally don't buy peeled and cut carrots because I don't think they taste as good.

1. Glazed Carrots

I've loved this recipe for a long time, but just recently realized that they can be frozen. (duh)

Here is the basic recipe, you can double, triple, etc.

3 medium carrots

1.5 T butter

1.5 T brown sugar

salt or garlic salt to taste

Wash carrots and cut into spears. The smaller they are, the faster they'll cook.

Put them in a pot with a small amount of water.

They are done when tender (according to your preference)

Melt butter and sugar in pan --I love this picture, it looks like art....maybe just to me :)

Add carrots

Mix them around until they are well coated

Let them cook on lower heat for about 5 minutes

After they cool, separate them into serving sizes and put in labeled freezer bags

These freeze great! Reheat in microwave or on the stove.

Now you'll have a good side dish at the ready, because let's face it.....after you've made dinner, who has the energy for a side? Well, I never do, which is why we go through a lot of frozen peas. :)

2. Carrot Cake Freezer Jam

I just happened upon this recipe. They said it was an award winner so I gave it a go. It's AMAZING! This could be Christmas gifts this year!!

1 1/2 c sugar

1 package ball simple creation freezer jam pectin

1/2 t ground cinnamon

1/4 t ground cloves (the only ingredient I didn't already have)

1/4 t ground nutmeg

1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks in juice

2 c shredded carrots (about 3)

2 c chopped apples (about 1 large, I also peeled mine)

Stir sugar, pectin cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg until well blended and set aside.

Drain pineapple, reserve 1/2 cup pineapple juice, set aside

Combine juice, carrots, and apples in a medium saucepan

Bring to boil, stirring occasionally

Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes

Add pineapple

Transfer into blender (half at a time) this is much easier than using a potato masher!!

Let cool 15 minutes

Add pectin mixture to fruit

Stir 3 minutes

Ladle jam into jars to fill line

Let stand until thickened - 30 minutes

Refrigerate up to 3 weeks or freeze for a year!

Makes 40 ounces

This is seriously good! Slap a bow on it and it's an awesome gift!

3. Homemade Baby food (use whatever carrots you have left)

I would suggest using organic carrots for baby food. If you don't, make sure to wash and peel them, and of course wash any equipment you use.

Peel carrots (I even did with organic)

Cut carrots into spears (do this the same time as the glazed carrots)

Steam carrots. I don't have a steam basket so I just put my colander over the pot. Fill the pot with water just under the colander and boil. (Carrots shouldn't be in the water)

---If you are doing the glazed carrots you can also throw those in here as well to get them both done.

Let steam until tender

place in blender (don't fill blender more than half way, unless yours can handle it better than mine:)

add water (NOT the reserved carrot water, use new water!!!)

Place in an ice cube tray(s)

Cover with plastic wrap, freeze

After it freezes solid transfer to freezer bag.

Label it with a 2 month expiration date

Reheat in microwave, put in a plastic bag and submerge in hot water, or let it thaw in the refrigerator

Then enjoy :)

Guest Post:: The Origins and Life of a Coupon

I found this really interesting blog post from Savvy Spending. I thought that it was very fun to learn more about coupons (and a bit educational). Thanks a bunch Savvy Spending!

The Origins and Life of a Coupon

This is an article I've been wanting to write for a long time and finally sat down to do it!
When I first began couponing, I was really curious as to what happened to my coupon was the cashier put it in her drawer. How and when did it get sent... and where exactly did it get sent to? Was there someone at each store in charge of counting all the coupons and matching them up with the transactions in which they were used? What if I returned a product? Does the store still get reimbursed for that coupon? And what about when I put a product back on the shelf but forgot to take the coupon out of my pile- was the store going to lose money from my mistake?
So, I began doing some research, and I was actually really fascinated by what I learned (I'll warn you- this may not fascinate you, but... well, I really dig coupons, so it did me!)

History of the coupon:

Did you know that the first coupon was actually created by Asa Chandler, one of the partners of the Coca-Cola company back in 1887? He began handing out handwritten tickets for a free Coca-Cola. Then his coupons began appearing in the mail and in magazines. By 1931, it is estimated that 1 in 9 Americans had received one of these free Coca-Colas! His ingenuity worked-- by 1895 Coca-Cola was being served in every state!
The next big coupon to hit the public came in 1909 when C.W. Post offered a 1 cent savings on his Grape Nuts Cereal! In the 1930's, many American clipped coupons out of necessity; they couldn't afford groceries without them! By 1965, half of all American households were clipping coupons!
In 1957, the Nielson Coupon Clearing House was started to maintain coupon redemption (more about that later!)
Nowadays, with the availability of Internet coupons, many new "couponers" are emerging. However, we still are not taking advantage of coupons like we ought to! In 2009 there were $528.5 billion dollars worth of coupons available; only $3 billion dollars worth of coupons were redeemed.

The Life Cycle of a Coupon:

So, how is a coupon "born" and when does it "die"?
First, manufacturers decide what coupons they want to produce and usually has a design agency who creates the coupon.
Next, the coupon is sent to the public= either in the Sunday inserts, direct mail, or Internet.
Then, Savvy Shoppers (like yourself) clip the coupons and redeem them at the store.
Lucky for us, that is the end of the road for us and that coupon; now the hard work begins! The store will tally up the coupons at the end of the night and make sure their drawer balances by treating coupons like cash. The coupons are then all put together- usually in a pouch or bag- and sent to the corporate office. This is sometimes done once a week or once a month.
When the corporate office gets the coupons from all the different stores, they ship them to a third-party clearinghouse. The clearninghouse then has the job of separating coupons by manufacturer and between scannable coupons and damaged or torn coupons. Coupons that can be scanned are placed on a conveyor belt that scans the UPC codes and tallies the amounts. The total value of each manufacturers' coupons is tallied (the damaged coupons are tallied by hand) and then the coupons and an invoice are sent to the manufacturer.
Now, either the manufacturer will reimburse the clearninghouse and the clearinghouse will reimburse the store, OR the manufacturer will send a check directly to the store and then pay the clearninghouse. The stores get an addictional $0.08 per coupon for shipping and the clearinghouse is paid a certain fee by the store.
Whew!! A lot of work goes on behind the "coupon scene", doesn't it?

Does the store lose money?

In most cases, No. They will get reimbursed for each coupon- even the damaged ones. The store doesn't have to send in any receipts or lists of what was purchased with the coupons- they just send back the coupons. So, unless the store is submitting more coupons for a product than the number of product they ordered, they will most likely be reimbursed. So, even those times when you used a coupon for Tide but you accidentally bought ALL (and Yes, sometimes the coupon will scan and not beep even though you didn't buy the product), the store will still get reimbursed.
Same situation if you return a product. You never get the coupon back, right? And the store isn't going to go through all their coupons to find the one you used for the item you returned. They will still get reimbursed for it, even though you returned the product. (which is why you should get the full amount back). You should never make a habit of using coupons for products you didn't buy or buying things with coupons and returning them at full value, because that is considered coupon fraud and is punishable by law. But you shouldn't fret that the store will lose money.
The only times a store will "lose" money is when they choose to double your coupons. For example, my Meijer store doubles $0.50 and under coupons everyday. They choose to do that to get your business, but the manufacturer isn't paying for that extra $0.50-- Meijer is. The same thing is true with "store" coupons- no one is reimbursing the store for coupons they put out-- but they do it in the hopes that you'll spend your money at their store, rather than somewhere else. However, remember that the stores are getting the product at a very deeply discounted price and should they decide to pass some of those savings onto you (through a coupon), they are still making money on the sale!

I hope that was fascinating to you and didn't put you to sleep! Now you know the origins and life cycle of a coupon! Don't you feel better? :)

Guest Post: Handmade VS Couponing: Cooking

Southern Savers did this great post on whether it was better to make things that were homemade verse using coupons to get things. I really liked it so I thought that I would share it with you. A big thanks to Southern Savers.

Do you buy convenience items to save time? To save money? Or just because you never learned to cook from scratch? The real question is, does it really make a difference in your budget? By couponing, you can can often find killer deals on pricey convenience items, but would you still be better off making them yourself? As with homemade household cleaners, you may be the only one who can make that decision for your family based on the following considerations.

Considerations:

• Honestly evaluate whether or not you have the time to cook from scratch. It doesn’t take as much time as you might think, but it does take more planning. How much time can you afford to spend cooking? Are there ways to save time (i.e. cooking ahead, once a month cooking, etc.)?
• Evaluate the “hidden costs” of convenience items, for example preservatives and additives that should be avoided for health reasons.
• Evaluate the time you spend deal hunting. Could you have just as easily made the item from scratch in that amount of time?
• As always, if you can get an item free, the comparison is easy! Take advantage of those freebies, even if you just end up giving them away to someone else who needs them.

Definitely a Deal

• Deli Pre-made Tea 1 gallon $1
  Homemade: $.04 per gallon

Tetley Tea Bags, 24 ct., 40¢
Lipton Family Tea Bags, 24 ct, 24¢
24 ct package will make at least 6 gallons of tea

Considerations - you can add sugar to taste, no high fructose corn syrup, no preservatives, you can add your own flavors like lemon or mint, definitely tastes better! (in my opinion)

• Store-bought Bread, 20 oz loaf, $1-$2 on sale
  Homemade: $3.27, 41¢ per loaf

From Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day
6 cups water
3 tbs./3 packets granulated yeast ($1.79 for 3 packets, cheaper if purchased in bulk)
3 tbs. kosher or other coarse salt (5¢)
13 c. all purpose white flour ($1.43 at 44¢/lb.)
Yields 8 one pound loaves

Considerations - no high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, or soy products; great flavor and smell, very easy (you make the dough ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake); you might need to buy a few kitchen tools (baking stone, container for the dough, etc.) but they are a good investment and you’ll definitely make back what you spent

• Idahoan Mashed Potatoes, 4-4.1 oz., 37¢
  Homemade: $1.66-$1.94, 27¢ -32¢ per serving

5 lbs. Russet Potatoes, $1.50 at 30¢/lb. (based on Bi-Lo’s price this week)
1 cup milk, 16¢ (based on $2.50/gallon)
1/4 cup butter or margarine, FREE-28¢ (margarine is often free with coupons)
makes mashed potatoes for 6 (at least!)

Considerations - taste is unsurpassed, much healthier (just do a little research), I have never seen one of those little packages yield enough for more than one person and they aren’t as filling as homemade potatoes

You Make the Call

• Ragu Pasta Sauce, 26-26.3 oz., 28¢
  Homemade: $8.50, $1.70 per 24 oz. container

Prices may vary based on store or local sales and coupon deals. For example, many of these canned items are frequently found B1G1 and there are often coupons.

3 cans crushed tomato, $3
1 can diced tomato, 50¢
1 can tomato paste, 50¢
1 lb. ground beef, $2.50
spices - less than $1
onion and garlic - $1
Yields aprroximately five 24 oz. containers.

Considerations - no preservatives, can use fresh ingredients from a garden to bring down the price, can leave out meat, you can freeze or can your own

• Nabisco Chips Ahoy! Cookies, 9.5 to 15.25 oz. pk., 89¢
  Homemade: $3.89-$5.01, 8¢-10¢ per cookie

recipe from the Betty Crocker Cookbook
3/4 c. sugar (21¢)
3/4 c. brown sugar (36¢)
1 c. butter or margarine, softened ($1.12 for butter, margarine FREE-$.50 with coupons)
1 tsp. vanilla (25¢)
1 large egg (8¢)
2 1/4 c. flour (25¢)
1 tsp. baking soda (less than 1¢)
1/2 tsp. salt (less than 1¢)
1 bag (12 oz. or 2 cups) semisweet chocolate chips (approximately $2 regular price, but can be found on sale)
makes about 4 dozen

Considerations - no preservatives or additives, you can beat the taste and smell of a warm homemade cookie

• Lawry’s 30 Minute Marinade, 12 oz., 44¢
  Homemade: $4.31, $1.61 for a 12 oz. serving

Chicken Marinade
1 1/2 cups vegetable/olive oil (99¢ based on sale on Pompeian at Bi-Lo this week)
3/4 cup soy sauce ($1.20)
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce (FREE at Bi-Lo last week, $1.50 per bottle regular price)
1/2 cup red wine vinegar (68¢)
1/3 cup lemon juice (24¢)
2 tablespoons dry mustard ($1)
1 teaspoon salt (less than 1¢)
1 tablespoon black pepper (less than 1¢)
1 1/2 teaspoons finely minced fresh parsley (20¢)
Yields 4 cups of marinade

Considerations - no preservatives or additives, made with pantry staples

In the end, most “from scratch meals” are healthier and you can save on the ingredients by working common cooking items into your stockpiling deals. Stay stocked on these regularly called for items just as others would stay stocked on the convenience versions and you will have low cost meals.

Guest Post "The Hand That Feeds You"

Amber over at Fabulessly Frugal had a few thoughts about Albertson's Twice the Value Coupons being used at Walmart and she says how I feel so perfectly.


"The Hand That Feeds You"

In my I-think-I’m-a-couponer-because-I’ve-clipped-a-coupon-and-then-watched-as-it-gets-crumpled-and-expires-in-the-bottom-of-my-purse days, I was a Walmart shopper. And why not? It truly was one-stop shopping. I could walk in for a loaf of bread and walk out with an ottoman, a fishing pole and a $2 copy of Overboard. The problem was/is I dislike everything about Walmart except their prices. Their customer service is awful, their cashiers worse and the store itself makes me crazy. I even hate the lighting. And then I leave with an ottoman, a fishing pole and a $2 copy of Overboard that I have no use for.

But I shopped there all the time because I didn’t know any different. And then I began to coupon. I pulled into Albertson’s parking lot and never looked back. Their stores were cleaner. Homey even. Their cashiers were friendlier. Their managers were readily available. And while I have had a few rotten experiences there, most of my overall shopping trips are actually enjoyable.

Now I’m sure you’ve heard that Walmart is now accepting Albertsons Twice the Value Coupons. And I’m sure many of you, eager to use 15 in ONE transaction, will be headed that way. I will not. Period.

Please don’t misunderstand. There is nothing illegal, unethical or immoral about it. You will certainly save money by taking advantage of this new policy, and we are obviously all about saving money here. But I would urge you to use caution. To look at the big picture.

Albertsons is bending over backwards to make their stores coupon friendly. As a corporation, they are really trying. And we are so grateful for all the opportunities they give us to save money. A LOT of money. Their profit margin shrinks each time we walk into their stores. But they do make money on us. And they need to continue to make money on us or couponing at Alberstons will be a thing of the past.

So while I will not be venturing back to Walmart anytime soon, I am not asking you to boycott the joint. I am, however, asking that if you choose to use Albertsons doublers at Walmart, you to continue to support Albertsons as well. Let’s not bite the hand that feeds us!

(A Great Big Thanks to Amber and all the ladies at Fabulessly Frugal!)


What does everyone else think about this?