Menu Planning Monday: My menu for the week of 11/8


If you’re new to my weekly post, our breakfasts are “on the go” – things like cereal, Pop Tarts, and waffles mainly with scrambled eggs thrown in there every now and then. I do try to cook “real” breakfasts on the weekends, but I am not always good about planning ahead for that. Our lunches are also “on the go” – sandwiches for my daughter and salads, leftovers, or frozen meals for me (my son eats at daycare and my husband fends for himself!)

If you have blogged a menu plan for the week (or even just a favorite recipe), please feel free to comment and share your link. I’m always looking for new ideas and inspiration and will be happy to share a link to your blog if we try your recipe!

If you need inspiration, check out the weekly meal plans from hundreds of other bloggers here at Organizing Junkie.

SUNDAY: Tuna noodle casserole – this is a quick, easy recipe and very kid-friendly

Ingredients:
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c. sour cream
3/4 c. milk
1/2 c. mayonnaise
7 oz. can tuna (I will use a tuna pouch)
1 c. grated cheese
2 T parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 T lemon juice
cracker crumbs (Ritz)
3 c. cooked noodles (your choice)

Combine all ingredients and pour into a 2 quart shallow dish. Top with cracker crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

MONDAYCreamy chicken noodle soup – We’ve got lots of “sickies” in our house this week, so this is a trusty stand-by and easy to make since I make it in the slow cooker

Ingredients:
3-4 chicken breasts
3 carrots (sliced)
3 celery stalks (sliced)
3 cans chicken broth
2 cans cream of chicken soup
Seasonings (to taste): garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and parsley
noodles (I use “Country Style” ones that are just like homemade ones!)

Place chicken breasts, carrots, celery, broth, and cream of chicken soup in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 5+ hours. Shred chicken breasts, and whisk everything together. Add seasonings. Cook noodles, drain, and add to the mixture. Let everything cook for 30 more minutes on low.

TUESDAYFree burgers at Whataburger (click here for the details) if we’re feeling up to it…otherwise, leftover chicken noodle soup

WEDNESDAYCrock pot chops and gravy – I found this recipe on Marci’s blog and have had it on my list to try for awhile now. We love pork chops around here and I’m very excited to try out this recipe!

Ingredients:
4 lean pork chops
4 T soy sauce
1/2 C sliced mushrooms (I added much more than this, maybe 1 1/2 c. and thought it was a good amount once they cooked down)
1/2 tsp pepper
2 T Worcestershire sauce
2 can cream of mushroom soup (I used 98% FF)
1 medium onion, sliced or diced
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp parsley (I used fresh and used 2 t)

Directions:
Place pork chops in crock pot. Lay onion slices over pork chops.
Mix the rest of ingredients in a bowl and pour over pork chops.
Cook on low in crock pot for 5-6 hours
I followed her tip below…
Note: After baking I remove the chops and strain the gravy. This way I have a smooth gravy and I reserve the onions (and mushrooms if you use them) for those who like them to put them on their chops.

THURSDAY: Tortilla casserole – This is a new recipe for us that was sent to me by my friend Jennie. My kids love “enchillallas” (as one of them calls them) a lot, so I think this will be a hit.

1 lb. ground turkey or chicken
1 8 oz plain yogurt
1 can cream of chicken (You can do the 99% fat free if you want)
Tortillas
Mexican shedded cheese
Rice

Brown the meat, breaking it into small pieces as you cook it. Mix the cream of chicken and yogurt in a seperate bowl. Add in cooked meat. Put some mixture in a tortilla and rollup. (Leave a little bit of the mixture for the top.)
Put some mixture on top and then put the cheese on top.
Cover with aluminum foil.
Cook for 30 minutes at 350.
Serve with rice.

Notes: I asked if they use corn or flour tortillas. They do theirs with flour, which is probably what we will do, too, but I’m sure you could do it with corn also. I think I might also add a little bit of enchilada sauce (haven’t decided if it will be green or red yet) to the mixture to give it a little bit of a kick.

FRIDAY: Bacon mushroom swiss meatloaf – this is a carryover from last week and comes from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients
* 12 ounces chopped raw bacon
* 1 small white onion, chopped
* 5 button mushrooms, chopped
* 1 1/2 pounds extra-lean ground beef
* 1 egg
* 1/4 cup evaporated milk
* 6 ounces shredded Swiss cheese, divided
* 1/2 cup corn flake crumbs

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Place bacon in a skillet and cook over medium heat until the pieces are browned. Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease. Stir in onions and mushrooms, and cook until soft. Remove from heat.
3. In a large bowl, stir together beef, egg, and milk. Stir in the onion and mushrooms. Mix in about 4 ounces of Swiss cheese, and all but 1 tablespoon of bacon. Stir in cornflake crumbs, and mix until well blended. Shape into a loaf, and place in a meatloaf pan.
4. Bake in a preheated oven for 1 hour. Drain fat, and sprinkle with remaining cheese and bacon. Return to oven, and bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

SATURDAYItalian Chicken Fingers – Steph at One Day, One Dollar at a Time posted this one week as her “recipe of the week” and it was a big hit with the kids.

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 c. Italian bread crumbs
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
Spaghetti or pizza sauce for dipping

Pound the chicken breasts to flatten. Cut into 1″ wide strips. Mix oil and garlic and dip the strips in this mixture. Mix bread crumbs and cheese; coat chicken. Place on greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until tender. Warm sauce and use for dipping. Serves 6.

$35 Jiffy Lube Gift Card Giveaway!


Need an oil change?? I am giving away a $35 gift card for Jiffy Lube (thanks to MyBlogSpark, MotorOilMatters.org, and Shell Lubricants!). Sign up for the $5 coupon here and the gift card combined with the coupon should pretty much cover the cost of a Signature Service Oil Change at Jiffy Lube.

A Jiffy Lube Signature Service Oil Change includes all of the following:

*5 quarts of quality motor oil and oil filter
*Clean exterior windows
*Vacuum interior floors
*Check tire pressure
*Check and top off the following fluids:
-transmission/transaxle fluid
-differential fluid
-power steering fluid
-windshield washer fluid
-battery water (excluding sealed batteries)

To make a trip to get your oil changed even more rewarding, Pennzoil® has partnered with the VH1 Save The Music Foundation through its “Play The Music. Save The Music” Campaign, and now through December 6, 2009 anyone can receive up to 46 FREE music downloads and up to a $15 service certificate back by mail, when they get their oil changed at Jiffy Lube and other Pennzoil® participating installers.

Here are the details on the giveaway:

The giveaway starts today and will end at 11:59 pm CT on Sunday, November 15th. I will announce the winner on Monday, November 16th. The winner will be chosen randomly using random.org. There are four ways that you can enter to win (see details below)

You will have 24 hours to provide me with your contact information (when you post to enter, you must leave your e-mail address or some other way for me to contact you!). Here’s how you can enter to win:

1. Visit MotorOilMatters.org and take the interactive quiz and share your score (mine was 85.71%) or share something interesting that you learned from the site (Here’s what I learned: Off-brand, no-name or discount oils that do not meet industry standards or the vehicle manufacturer’s requirements could cost consumers in the long run by potentially damaging the vehicle’s engine or possibly voiding the manufacturer’s warrant)

2. Sign up to follow my blog on Facebook (the link is on the right sidebar or you can click here). If you do this, you will still need to create a comment letting me know that you are now following on Facebook!

3. Subscribe to my blog (if you already subscribe, please post a comment to let me know that you have subscribed…your subscription needs to be “active” in order to win).

4. Create a post on your blog letting others know about the giveaway and link back to my blog or tweet about the giveaway on Twitter. Be sure to comment here with a link to your post!

Please create a separate post for each of your entries. If you win, you need to provide me with some way to contact you. (Remember, if you post a comment as “anonymous” you need to include some sort of identifying information or your entry will not be valid)

Thanks again to MyBlogSpark, Shell Lubricants, and MotorOilMatters.org for this giveaway opportunity!

GOOD LUCK!

Toys ‘R Us: Hot Toy & Gift Card Deals!


There are some great toy deals at Toys ‘R Us this week.

The “hottest” deal in my opinion this week is: Get a $10 TRU gift card with any Hasbro game purchase. There are some great prices on games to go along with the deal.

Pictured in the ad:

Candy Land, Chutes & Ladders, Memory, Hi Ho Cherry-O, Don’t Break the Ice, and Ants in the Pants – $3.99/each (there is a $2 rebate for each of these games here)

Rubik’s Cube/Rubik’s Magic/Rubik’s 360, Boggle Jr, Monopoly Jr, Clue, Scrabble Jr, Monopoly Deal, and Yahtzee – $7.99/each

Mouse Trap, Scrabble, Perfection, Connect 4, Boggle, UpWords, Guess Who?, and Hullabaloo – $9.99/each (there is a $3 rebate for Scrabble and Connect 4 here)

Prices for other games included on the rebate, but not listed in the ad:
Don’t Spill the Beans – $3.99
Cootie – $3.99
Topsy Turtle – $14.99
Candy Land Sweet Celebration – $19.99
Gator Golf – $14.99
Hungry Hungry Hippos – $14.99
Elefun – $14.99
Giraffalaff Limbo – $14.99
Scatterpillar Scramble – $14.99
Twister – $12.99
Trouble – $12.99
Operation – $12.99
Battleship – $12.99
Jenga – $12.99
Sorry – $12.99
Pictureka – $12.99
The Game of Life – $12.99
Monpoly – $12.99

Here’s a scenario:
Buy Scrabble – $9.99
Buy Candy Land – $3.99
Buy Chutes & Ladders – $3.99
Buy Memory – $3.99
Buy Don’t Berak the Ice – $3.99

(NOTE: You can buy any of the $3.99 games, but you only want to buy one of each title)

Spend $25.95 OOP, get a $10 TRU gift card, submit for rebates on the other 4 preschool games and Scrabble and get $11 back – total OOP = $14.95!

Also in the TRU ad, you get a $5 gift card to buy selected movies. Monsters Inc is one of these movies. There is an $8 printable coupon here. The online price right now is $34.99. I am not sure if it will be less in store. There is an overlapping promotion where you get a $10 TRU gift card when you spend $40 or more on ANY Disney movies. There are several titles that are $9.99-$14.99. So, buy 2 movies and get $15 in TRU gift cards.

Here’s how this deal works:
Buy Monster’s Inc – $34.99 (based on online price)
Buy another Disney DVD – $9.99

Use $8 Monster’s Inc printable

Spend $36.98 OOP, get a $10 TRU gift card and a $5 TRU gift card (you may want to take your toy book flier with you to show them the $10 gift card offer)

There is also a coupon for a $10 gift card with any $75 purchase in this week’s ad and in the TRU toy book flier. My plan is to combine the two deals mentioned above with this one.

Here’s the scenario I plan on doing:
Buy Mouse Trap – $9.99 (my daughter really wants this game)
Buy Hullabaloo – $9.99
Buy Don’t Break the Ice – $3.99 (ours is missing some pieces)
Buy Candy Land – $3.99 (will be donated)
Buy Monster’s Inc – $34.99 (based on online price)
Buy Disney Pixar Cars – $19.99 (ours no longer plays)

Use $8 Monsters Inc printable

Total OOP = $74.94, earn $35 in TRU gift cards: $10 gift card (Hasbro promotion), $5 gift card (for buying Monster’s Inc), a $10 gift card (for spending $40+ on Disney movies), and a $10 gift card for a purchase of $75 or more (total was $82.94 before coupons), I will also get $4 back in rebates from Candy Land and Don’t Break the Ice.

I plan on using one of the $10 gift cards to “roll” into the Hasbro deal again to buy more games to donate to Toys For Tots!

ETA: Up is listed as being $24.99 (for BluRay) in the ad. I am still hoping there will be a $10 printable coupon like there has been for other new Disney movies. If that is the case (I’m waiting until Tuesday to see), my scenario would look like this:
Buy Mouse Trap – $9.99 (my daughter really wants this game)
Buy Hullabaloo – $9.99
Buy Don’t Break the Ice – $3.99 (ours is missing some pieces)
Buy Candy Land – $3.99 (will be donated)
Buy Monster’s Inc – $34.99 (based on online price)
Buy Up – $24.99

Use $8 Monsters Inc printable
Use $10 printable (if there is one)

Total OOP = $69.94, earn $35 in TRU gift cards: $10 gift card (Hasbro promotion), $5 gift card (for buying Monster’s Inc), a $10 gift card (for spending $40+ on Disney movies), and a $10 gift card for a purchase of $75 or more (total was $82.94 before coupons), I will also get $4 back in rebates from Candy Land and Don’t Break the Ice.

Then, my plan is to do this:
Buy Chutes & Ladders – $3.99
Buy Memory – $3.99
Buy Hi Ho Cherry-O – $3.99
Buy Ants in the Pants – $3.99
Buy Scrabble – $9.99

Use $10 gift card from previous deal

Spend $15.95 OOP, earn $11 in rebates – total OOP after rebates = $4.95 – I will donate all these games!

Free food at Whataburger on 11/10


Tuesday, November 10th is “Orange Night Out” at Whataburger and you can get free food from 5-8 p.m. Dress up in orange and get a free Whataburger. Based on the information on the website, it does sound like you have to dine in, which could be a bit tricky. Click here for the details. I also recommend checking with your location beforehand to make sure that they are participating!

Beginning 12/1, Whataburger will also be starting a promotion called “12 Days of Whataburger.” If you join their e-mail list here, they will send you a coupon for a free food item every other day until December 23rd.

Target deals for the week of 11/8: gift card deals, toy deals and more!

At Target, you can use one Target coupon and one manufacturer’s coupon per item. The printable Target coupons now state “one per transaction” meaning you can only use one “like” coupon per transaction. The Target coupons from the inserts do not have this wording and neither do the Target toy coupons. You can read/print their coupon policy here.

The ad itself this week isn’t that great. Here are the highlights I saw:

MISC ITEMS:

Glad ForceFlex trash bags – $5.99 – $4.99/each after coupon!
$1/1 Glad Forceflex printable here

Johnson & Johnson baby care – $3.50 – $2.50 after coupon!
$1/1 Johnson’s baby oil printable here
$1/1 Johnson’s baby shampoo printable here
$1/1 Johnson’s baby bubble bath printable here
$1/1 Johnson’s head to toe baby wash printable here
$1/1 Johnson’s baby product -9-13 RP and 11-8 RP

Newborn mix & match body suits, hoodies, shirts, and pants – $3.50/each!

GROCERY DEALS:

Grapes – $.99/lb

Green bell peppers or cucumbers – $.49/each

Quaker granola bars – $1.99/each – $1.49/each after coupons when you buy 2!
$1/2 Quaker Chewy granola bars printable on redplum.com
$1/2 Quaker chewy granola bars – 10-11 RP insert

Smart Ones Frozen meals – 4/$9
$3/10 printable here – $1.95/each when you buy 10!
$1/4 printable here – $2 each when you buy 4!

Sunshine Cheez-It crackers – $2.50 – $1.75 after coupons!
.75/1 printable on snackpicks.com (you must register)

Tyson chicken nuggets – $2.49 – $1.94 after coupons!
.55/1 Tyson frozen breaded chicken, box – 9-13 SS2 insert

MOVIE DEAL:
Monster’s Inc on Blu Ray – $26.99 and Up on Blu Ray – $26.99 – click here to print a coupon for $8 off your purchase of Monster’s Inc. (I recommend printing this NOW because these are usually only available for a limited time). There is also a printable coupon here for $10 off when you buy both Up and Monsters Inc on Blu Ray (go to page 3). With these coupons, you can get both movies for $35.98. I’m still holding out hope that there will be a printable coupon for Up which would make these movies super cheap!

GIFT CARD DEALS:
Buy 5 selected Glade holiday items, get a $5 Target gift card (items are priced at $2.50/each) – includes PlugIns 1 pk, oil refill or starter kit, 4 oz candle, scented oil candle tin or 4 ct oil candle refills – you can find more details on this promotion here
**Save your receipt and submit for the $5 SC Johnson rebate

Buy 2 Huggies Snug & Dry diapers value boxes (192 ct sizes 1-2, 144 ct size 3, 126 ct size 4, 112 ct size 5, or 92 ct size 6) – $29.99/each, get a $10 Target gift card
$2/1 Huggies diapers printables here

Scrubbing Bubbles bath cleaners are priced at about $2.50/each (pricing may vary based on your area). There were .75/1 coupons in the 11-1 SS insert and there was also a coupon in some inserts where you get a $5 gift card when you buy 4 Scrubbing Bubbles products (this was a regional coupon, but I was lucky and my area got it!).

SCENARIO:
Buy 4 Scrubbing Bubble cleaners – $2.50/each

Use 4 .75/1 coupons (some people are also reporting that there are $2/2 peelies on some products)
Use $5 gift card when you buy 4 coupon
Use $5 Target card (hopefully you have one on hand from other deals)

Spend $2, get another $5 Target gift card

HOT TOY DEALS!

The best thing at Target right now is their toy deals. You can pick up their toy catalog with valuable coupons in the stores or print them here or here.

You can also price match competitor ads at Target. You have to check out like you normally would and then take your receipt and the competitor’s ad to customer service. They only only price match if it is the EXACT item in the ad. Some of these deals match up well with items in the Toys ‘R Us toy book and weekly ad (I’ll check out the Toys ‘R Us ad later today and post match-ups that I find).

Clue Secrets & Spies, Pictureka Flipper, and Guesstures are $23.99 regularly. Use the $5/1 Target coupon here and the $5/1 printable coupon here and get them for $13.99 (or wait for a sale and get them for even less!) (you can also price match the TRU price of $19.99 and get it for $9.99!)

*The Leap Frog Tag reading system is $39.99. Use the $10 manufacturer’s coupon here and the $10 Target coupon here and get it for $19.99!

*Leap Frog Tag Jr. is currently priced at $28.99. Use the $10 Target coupon here (people have reported on multiple blogs/message boards that this is working with the Jr. system because it does not specify) and the $5 manufacturer’s here and get it for $13.99!

*Leap Frog Alphabet Pal is priced at $19.99. Use the $10 coupon here and get it for $9.99. Ours has been through two kids now and both have LOVED it.

*LeapFrog My Puppy Pal is $14.99. Use the $5 Target coupon here and get it for $9.99!

The PlaySkool Step Start Walk’N Ride is on price cut for $17.79 (this is in the ad this week). There is a $5/1 coupon here, so you only pay $12.79!

The Playskool Tonka Scoop ‘N Scoot ride on toy is priced at $36.99. Use the $$20 off Target coupon and get it for $16.99!

What’s in Ned’s Head is priced at $19.99. Use the 50% off Target coupon and get it for $9.99.

Wow Wee Alive Minis Interactive Cubs are $19.99. Use the $10 Target coupon and get it for $9.99!

PRICE MATCH DEAL:
Trio King’s castle – The Target price on this is $74.99, but it is $59.99 at TRU. Use the $10/1 Target coupon and the $5/1 printable here, then take your receipt and the TRU book to customer service to price match and get it for $44.99!

A few other price-matching deals (thanks KC Penny Pinchin’ Mama)

Baby Alive Whoopsie Doll – This is priced at $34.99. The TRU price is $24.99. There is an $8/1 Target coupon making it $16.99!

Barbie & The Three Musketeers DVD – This DVD is $14.99 at Target. The TRU price is $9.99. Use the $5/1 Target coupon and get it for $4.99. Hip2Save also reported that some of these DVDs have peelie coupons for $5 off Barbie and the Three Musketeers and another title, including Barbie: A Christmas Carol (which is $9.99 in the TRU ad also)

Here’s how the deal works:
Buy Barbie A Christmas Carol (price match $9.99 price)
Buy Barbie & The Three Musketeers (price match $9.99 price)

Use $5/1 Target coupon
Use $5/2 peelie coupon

Spend $9.98 OOP for both movies!

Scatterpillar Scramble is priced at $19.99. The TRU price is $14.99. There is a $5/1 Target coupon making it $9.99 after price match!

Here are some links to the clearance deals online: (don’t forget to shop through Ebates to get 4% cash back)
*Toddler girls
*Girls (4-14)
*Toddler boys
*Boys (4-14)
*General clearance

Want to get on the Target mailing lists? This isn’t a sure thing, but it’s worth signing up here. (Thanks A Full Cup!)

Check out more Target deals here on Attention Target Shoppers!