Savings for Sisters: June 2016

Happy 4th of July, Sisters!

You know those long, crispy, insanely expensive cinnamon pastries the kids are always begging for at fairs, ball games, or other outdoor summer events? If you don't know what I'm talking about, here's a picture:

Does this ring a bell? It's called a Churro, and my son, Dylan, is crazy for them. One of our favorite family stories is a time when it became apparent that he wasn't paying attention while instructions were being doled out, and his excuse was a dreamy, "I'm sorry--I wasn't listening. . . I was thinking about Churros!" Well a kid like that deserves a Churro once in awhile, even on his mission, so I figured out a way to send him a reasonable substitute. It's called Churro Chex Mix, and it's perfect for packing up and shipping off to lands afar (or San Diego, as the case may be). It's pretty addicting, so be sure to send enough for the companion as well. I sent mine in a large Rubbermaid canister that I don't care if he throws away. I think it will stay fresh a lot longer than cookies. It's sweet, cinnamony, and not too messy, which qualifies it as a desirable take-along treat for summer events--the fireworks, road trips, camping, or whatever is on the agenda for your gang. And since it's technically cereal, it could even masquerade as a church snack packed for the toddler when you actually plan to sneak a few crunchy bites yourself between Sunday meetings. (Not really. I would never suggest such a thing).

By the way, if you plan to send this to your missionary, make two batches, as you'll want to send half and keep half for the rest of the fam. See the amazingly easy instructions below, and have a safe and fun holiday!

(These are the faces of two happy elders after opening their Churro Chex Mix. Mine is on the right.)

Churro Chex Mix

One 12 oz box Corn Chex

1 cup packed Brown Sugar

1 stick Butter
1/4 cup Corn Syrup
1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 teaspoon Salt
2/3 cup White Sugar
2 teaspoons Cinnamon

First, turn oven to 350 degrees, and pour the box of Chex into a large bowl.

Spray a cookie sheet or hotel pan with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, mix the Cinnamon into the White Sugar and set aside.

Now measure out your Brown Sugar, packing it into the cup.

In a saucepan, melt the Butter and stir in the Brown Sugar and Corn Syrup.

Stir together and boil for one minute.

Have the Salt and Soda pre-measured into a small bowl, and add into the pan, stirring well.

Now pour the syrup mixture over the Chex.

Stir to coat evenly.

Pour this out into your prepared pan.

Spread out evenly in the pan and sprinkle with 1/2 of the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and flip with spatula the best you can. (By the way, if you don't have a hotel pan, I would suggest it as your next kitchen purchase. I have four of these, which may be a bit excessive, but they have so many uses that I really don't know how I'd get by without at least one. In this case, it makes it so much easier to stir the Chex mixture without it falling over the sides).

Now sprinkle on the rest of the cinnamon-sugar.

This may seem like a lot of cinnamon sugar, but use it all. Now place back in the oven and bake another 8 to 10 minutes.

Dump into a large bowl to cool. (Note: If you leave it in the pan you cooked it in to cool, it might stick and be hard to remove without crushing it. You could put it back into the same bowl you mixed it up in, but be sure to wash and dry the bowl first so it doesn't stick). When it is completely cool, place in a container with a lid.

But first, hide some away for yourself!

First, I want to apologize for neglecting to inform everyone that I would be out of town last week. Lots of people probably didn't even notice, but for those of you who did, I'm sorry I didn't mention it in the post from two weeks ago. Before I left, I tried a new recipe I want to share with you called Southwest Skillet Supper. Made and served in the same pan, this tasty combination of ingredients features a product I had never tried, Eckrich Smoked Sausage. They had a Buy one Get one FREE on this the other day, plus I had a coupon, so I came up with an easy recipe to use it in that turned out really good. It's a pretty hearty dish for this time of year, but summertime activities, whether work or play, can give folks quite an appetite when evening finally rolls around. Here's what the sausage looks like if you go looking for it at the store:

I'm big on combining convenience items with fresh ingredients to save time in the kitchen, so this product fits the bill, especially since with the BOGO and my additional coupon, I bought it for a fraction of the full price, around $1.47.

Storage Item of the Week

Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce Smith's is having their Buy 6 Save $3.00 sale again this week, and one of the items is Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce for $.99 when you purchase 6 participating items with your Fresh Values card. What this means is that you can buy six bottles of the sauce, or you can choose other items (see Smith's listings below). This is a good price for a versatile storage food, and you'll be glad to have some on hand this summer.

Here are some of the best grocery deals for the week of June 20, 2016. My favorites are highlighted in Green.

Macey's
Pint pkg Blueberries - $2.00
WF 7 oz shredded Cheese - $1.50
Macey's 5 qt Ice Cream - $4.99
Tyson Boneless Chicken Breasts - $1.99/lb
93/7 Ground Beef - $2.99/lb
2 Liter Coke Products - $.77 (with purchase of 6)
7 oz Sun Chips - $1.77
WF Canned Tomatoes - $.50
Jiff Peanut Butter - $2.00
Dole Salad Blends - $1.50
WF Cream Cheese - $.99
Kraft Salad Dressings - $1.99 (with digital coupon download)

Lee's
Fill it Fresh Mix or Match Produce Sale
(Fill a bag with the following items for $10.00)

Pineapple
Pkg Red or Gold Grape Tomatoes
2 lb bag Carrots
Red or Green Bell Peppers
Red Delicious or Gala Small Apples
Navel Oranges
Cucumbers
Zucchini
Jumbo Yellow Onions
Idaho Baker Potatoes

Smith's
Asparagus - $1.97/lb
Boneless Petite Sirloin Steaks - $3.49/lb
Cilantro - $.50
Yellow or Zucchini Squash - $.98/lb
Jumbo Raw Shrimp - $6.99 (must buy a 2 lb pkg)
Tyson Cornish Hens - $2.50/ea
Angus Ground Beef Patties - 8/$8.00
Wild-Caught Split Lobster Tails - $5.99/ea
Northwest Red Cherries - $1.88/lb
Heritage Farm Whole Chicken - $.88/lb
Heritage Farm Drumsticks or Thighs $.88/lb
Mountain Dairy Gallon Milk - $1.85
Nathan's Beef Franks - $2.99
Kroger Deluxe Ice Cream - $2.50
Kroger 24 oz Sour Cream or Dip - $2.00
Yoplait Yogurt - $.50
Duncan Hines Cake Mix - $1.00
Kroger Frozen Fish Fillets - Save 25 percent
Boneless Pork Sirloin Roast - $1.39/lb
Kraft Salad Dressing - $1.99
Bush's Baked Beans - $1.67
Lay's Chips - $1.99 (when you buy 3)
12-16 oz Kroger Cheese - $3.49
Flat Iron Steak - $6.99/lb (See recipe for Carne Asada HERE)

Buy 6 Save $3.00 - Mix and Match Participating Items. Prices reflect the Savings

Ore-Ida Frozen Potatoes - $2.49
Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage - $2.49 (Note: This could be used for the recipe below)
Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce - $.99
Hormel Black Label Bacon - $3.99
Best Foods Mayonnaise - $2.99
Kraft American Cheese - $1.99
Kraft Slices - $1.99

Southwest Skillet Supper

1 pkg Eckrich Smoked Sausage, sliced
1 large Green Bell Pepper, chunked
1 large Onion, coarsely chopped
3-4 Large Garlic cloves, minced
3 cups cooked Rice (about 1.5 cup before cooking)
1 large can diced or 1 quart home canned Tomatoes, drained
1 small can whole Green Chilies, drained and diced
1 cup frozen Corn (or one can, drained)
2 teaspoons Chili Powder
1/2 teaspoon dried Oregano Leaves
1/3 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese
Chopped Cilantro if desired

First get your rice cooking. Follow the direction on your package of rice, making enough to equal three cups cooked rice. I like to use my small sized rice cooker for this, but you can definitely just do it in a saucepan if you don't have a cooker.