This week, I shopped at Fred Meyer and Trader Joe’s. I really enjoy looking at people’s grocery hauls. I’m curious about what other people are buying and eating (it might be weird to some). I do like it when some bloggers give product reviews, share their meal plans and how they save when they do their groceries. I rarely coupon now a days, most of the coupons available right now are not what I want my family to eat. I do try to provide healthy and whole foods for us to consume. I’m still using meat from our freezer so I didn’t buy any this week (except for some meatballs). I really like Trader Joe’s meatballs, they are flavorful and perfect for a quick lunch or dinner. Happy Shopping and Savings friends!
We had this cheesecake when we had St. Patricks day dinner with our friends and my goodness this was so decadent! I’m not really into baking and measuring so the Hubs did most of the “work” making this dessert. We found this recipe on food.com and it got good reviews so hubs was convinced right away! I like the Baileys part:) This was even good the next day,we gave a piece to my MIL and she really liked it too, because she requested that for her birthday this coming June. We’ll have to make this for her! I really liked the flavor but it was too dense for me (I like my cheesecake creamy and fluffy!). Based on our family and friend’s reactions Hubs will probably make this again and this recipe is a keeper.
making of the crust!cream cheese and other yumminess!chocolate chips galore!off to the oven it goes!cooling off!Finish product!
Crust
1/2 cup toasted pecans, cooled and crushed
2 cups chocolate Oreo cookie crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons melted butter
Filling
2 1/4 lbs cream cheese, at room temp
1 2/3 cups sugar
5 eggs, at room temp
1 cup Baileys Original Irish Cream
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Coffee Cream Topping
1 cup chilled whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
chocolate curls or Skor English toffee bit, for decoration on top
Directions:
Crust:.
Mix all ingredients.
Press into a 10″ spring form pan and up the sides one inch.
Bake at 325 for 7-10 minute.
Filling:.
Beat cream cheese with electric mixer until smooth.
Beat sugar in gradually, and then add eggs one at a time.
Blend in Bailey’s and vanilla.
Sprinkle half of chocolate chips over crust.
Spoon in filling.
Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips.
Bake at 325 degrees approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes or until puffed, springy in center and golden brown.
Place a pan of water on bottom rack of oven while baking to keep it moist. Cool cake completely.
Coffee Cream Topping:
Beat all ingredients and spread over cooled cake.
Top with chocolate curls or Skor bits.
*NOTE: Be sure to make and refrigerate at least one day before serving.
Here we go, Food we ate for the last 2 weeks (I wasn’t able to post last week)..
mung bean soup (with pork belly)steak with blue cheeseroasted broccoli and steakspizza,chicken wings,salad (we invited my inlaws for dinner)thai iced tea and pear smoothiewedge saladchicken cordon blue and roasted veggiesstir fry noodle(with chicken and liver)corned beef (dinner at my In laws for St.Patricks)potatoes and cabbages (perfect together with the corned beef)pulled pork and rice
We went out/ate out couple of times too:
Foccasia sandwich at RAM issaquahAmerican burgerSnoqualmie Casino “Fall Buffet”King Crab legs galore!Jimmy John’s sandwich (so fresh,we love it)Take out from Agave Cosina restaurant! steak nachos is our fave latelycloser look!
This is my Grocery Haul this week! I shopped at Fred Meyer(Kroger affiliate) and Trader Joe’s. We still have milk and bread from last week, so I didn’t buy any this week. Most of the items are on sale and I only used 1 coupon (for the eggs). We try to eat organic meat, milk, and eggs, but for baking I use non-organic eggs.
all produces were organic(all sale);Paid $15.80Trader Joe’s Haul! Paid $10.58
I hope you’re having a great friday evening friends! Hubs and I are watching Sherlock ( british series).
Last month, The Hits Deep Tour with Toby Mac and friends visited Seattle and I just had to watch it! Toby Mac is one of my favorite Christian singers and I love most of his songs (steal my show, speak life, lose my soul, city on our knees to name a few). Matt Maher (another fave of mine),Matthew West, Brandon Heath, and Mandisa were also there to perform. It was such a great event. A night full of worship and fun! It was such a blessing to hear my favorite Christian music live and see the artists perform. Thank you Lord for that wonderful experience:)
what a great group of artists!love it!TM!finale!with my hubs!
This is my grocery haul this week. I got lucky this time because most of what I wanted to buy had marked prices. Even the cashier said that “you sure are in the right morning to shop!”. My favorite find was the steaks, which we already ate last night and were delicious! I’m always on the look out for natural/organic meat and chicken because they’re really pricey and if my store has it on reduced price I will most likely put it in my cart. Second favorite was the organic bread,they’re normally $3.49 for a loaf so I got excited to see that they’re reduced too (they are now in our freezer). I shop at Fred Meyer because it’s so close to my gym. I usually shop on Monday morning when it’s not crowded and less people are in the checkout area.
I paid $56 for this haul (regular price:$83)Jackpot!After pic of the steaks with blue cheese!My hubs prepared this last night!my fave lately,roasted broccoli (i splurged and bought organic)After my Fred Meyer trip, I stopped at Walgreens to pick up pineapple juice(they’re onsale this week 2/$4.). I paid $13 for this. The soap and sweetener will be shipped to the PI.
Hope you had a good Thursday family and friends! Happy shopping and savings:)
corned beef sinigangsauteed pork bellycrockpot pork afritadapork belly in tomato sauce with potatoes and carrotszach made egg salad sandwichflatbread pizza (sausage,olives,artichoke)baked salmonYUM!Thai food takeoutPad See ewSouffle Pancakes:I put nutella and banana,hubs had apple sauce and cinnamonyummy salad with roasted chickpeasroasted chickpeasleft overs for sunday dinner (aside from the salad)
I shopped at 4 stores this week, Grocery Outlet, Walgreens, Bartells, and Fred Meyer. I didn’t drive all over the place because 3 stores are in the same area. I wasn’t able to take pictures of my Fred Meyer haul because most of the items were produce and milk, which I put right away. My favorite haul this week was Grocery Outlet’s because I didn’t use any coupons and still saved.
Regular Price:$85,after sale I paid $37Bartells:after coupon I paid $13 ( I had BOGO coupons for the nutella,they’re onsale for $3)
My furry son Riley in the picture is not very happy when I told him that he can’t have nutella because his Vet forbid him to eat chocolate!
It’s been a long week for us, both the hubs and I are sick this week and we are still recovering from this cold or whatever it is that hit our home. I cannot wait to be healthy again and have a good night’s sleep. Anyways, here’s what we ate this week:
Calamari saladcalamariorganic chicken soup(all ingredients are organic)greek saladlentil soup with pork bellysalad,pork chop,loaded potatoebeans,asparagus,pork chopdried fish,egg
We ate out a couple of times this week too(we set a budget for this every month,so it will not affect the challenge this march/no spend)
I’m joining the No-Spend Challenge at the Living Well Spending Less FB page. It’s great because a lot of families are joining too. I’m grateful that my hubs earns decent money and we are secure financially but with the times right now, one will never know! I really want to increase our emergency fund and savings, this challenge will help us in that area. We have expenses in the coming months, as a homemaker I’m in charge of our budget thus I want to be prepared. My husband is not on board in this challenge yet, and it’s OK. He asked that we still have a budget for eating out because he really enjoys that. The only thing I asked from him is that he will help me STICK TO THE DINING OUT budget. I’ve already given up Starbucks this year and I’m doing well. I had Starbucks last Valentine’s day from the hubs and thats it. I still drink coffee but I make it at home. I’m excited and looking forward to this challenge!
