Anyway, these sales are for the area of Southeast Michigan where we live. Remember to stock up on items you could barter with in a SHTIF situation. These should be items you and your family aren’t that crazy about eating. Aldi’sAldi’s is starting out strong with baby carrots at $.79 a bag and celery at $.99 each bunch. Kirkwood Chicken wings either bbq or buffalo flavored are $4.99. These three things go great together. Their take and bake pizzas are $4.99 with a variety of toppings. Chips are $.99 per bag. Their chips are good. Appetizers are $1.79 for the cheese sticks or stuffed jalapeno. Deli salsas are $1.99 each. Emporium Selection Fresh Mozzarella Ball or Pre-Sliced Log $2.39 each. This is a pretty good price. Italian sausage or Bratswurth is $2.49 their rolls are always $.85 for the regular rolls. They do have fancier rolls and I guess with Super Bowl you may want to go all out. Can we talk about onion rings right quick? Their brand of onion rings is pretty good. They can be compared to Burger King’s onion rings. At $2.19 for a 16 oz bag is not bad. The fries are good as well. When I can pick up the spiral ones I grab them. Mama Cozzi’s pizza rolls are as good as Totinos at $2.59 they are just as good for less money. Specially Selected Garlic Cheese Flatbread $2.19. If you are new to Aldi, Specially Selected is their gourmet line. They do have a nice line of foreign beers. https://www.aldi.us/en/weekly-specials/our-weekly-ads/
KrogerLet’s start with frozen appetizers. Of course, I do recommend making your own if you can and have time. If not then Krogers has your back. The items for 25% off of the shelf tagged price. They do have DiGiorno pizzas on sale for $7.29 but I feel like you would be better of getting the pizzas in the deli for what you are getting. The 12 or 8 packs are on sale 4 for $11 only on Coke, Pepsi, or Verners. They do have the DiGiorno Pizzeria style pizza on sale for $1.99. Also, the Tombstone Pizza is on sale for $2.49. If you are having a small Super Bowl get together than these pizzas would be okay. However, for a large crowd, go for the pizzas in the deli. Hillshire Smoked Sausage is on sale for $1.88. Not bad. This is the digital four-day sale. Deli chicken is $6.99 with a Kroger card. Italian Sausage or Brats are 2/$7. https://www.kroger.com/weeklyad?StoreCode=00578&DivisionId=018
MeijerMeijer is started out strong as well. Mangos or Avocadoes are $.99 each. A 5-pound bag of Navel Oranges or Grapefruit is buy one get one free. The frozen pizza sale isn’t that great so just skip them and go to the deli. They also have Coke, Pepsi, and Dr. Pepper 24 packs on sale for $5.99 (plus $2.10 for MI deposit). They have the same Hillshire brand of sausage for 2/$5. It’s February so it’s Paczki season. They have them for $2.99. https://www.meijer.com/weeklyad.html
My favorite item at Taco Bell is the Mexican Pizza. The crisp tortilla shells with the beans and beef on the first one. The sauce and cheese on the second tortilla. YUM! However, what I don’t like is the fat in it. So here is a lighter version you can make at home. If you live in the North as we do, you don’t always want to get out in the snow, ice, and bone biting cold. Here are the directions.
Mexican Pizza
2 tortillas
Refried beans – use your families favorite version.
Leftover ground beef if you are using it.
Taco sauce your family likes.
Cheese to your families liking.
Take one tortilla and lay it on whatever you will be cooking it on. Place about a ½ cup of meat to beans. Put a little bit of cheese. Place the second tortilla on top and put about ¼ cup of sauce. Spread it around and cover with cheese.
Place in oven then let it cook until the cheese is melted and the edges are toasted.
Enjoy with whatever toppings you and your family enjoy!
So far today we got laundry done before noon. That includes putting it away. I went through blankets and sheets we haven’t used in two yrs. I gave them to someone who could use them.
As for my kitchen, I got a spot on the ceiling cleaned. I haven’t a clue of what was on it. Cleaned the fridge out and the floor. 💞🌷
That is not a joke people. There is a war on our foods. Our government has decided that we not only don’t have the right to know what is in our food, but we are too stupid to understand. Seriously! Throughout the 90s I watched these awful GMOS get rolled out and shoved down everyone’s throat rather we wanted them or not. After all, we are too stupid to know if we want them or not. So the government decided for us. The state of California is pushing through a law that would make Vegan diets MANDATORY. Think about that for a minute. The officials in California are telling citizens that they MUST adopt a vegan diet (Arellano, 2018). If you want a vegan diet great. Go For It! But do it because you see the benefits to it not because officials of a state tell you have to.
Now let’s look at Bill Gate’s solution for the problem with beef. Yes! The man who took full credit for Microsoft, has a solution. Shocking! He is backing a quest for the ‘Super Cow’. So now not only will they produce milk, they will produce ‘Super Milk’ and other ‘Super Dairy Products’. I’ll believe it when I see it. The problem is that when the Gate’s got involved with something outside their expertise, the results were tragedic. Young girls across the world were vaccinated for an illness that didn’t exist and were damaged for life. So do we really want them involved with our food system? Hell no!
In 2018 Yale’s Climate Connection reported that U.C. Berkeley students were creating fake meat. What? Fake meat, I’ll pass. Because we don’t have enough products on the market, they want to add more fake food products with chemicals that we probably will never be allowed to know about. This science experiment took place at San Martin’s Alternative Meat Lab. While I do agree that shipping culinary products across the world are bad for the oceans and the environment, which is why we should be buying local, not foreign. I also try to stay within a 50-mile radius of our location. During the summer we are going to experiment with growing vegetables. We need to relearn these skills and I am happy to say, many people are.
The bottom line, we should be standing up and saying no to fake food and GMOs. Except people aren’t. Just like when the crazy gun restrictions went into place in California, nobody raised their voices. The laws like Mr. Arellano reported on are going to go into effect across the country eventually. Count on it.
Anyway, these sales are for the area of Southeast Michigan where we live. Remember to stock up on items you could barter with in a SHTIF situation. These should be items you and your family aren’t that crazy about eating.
Aldi’s
This week at Aldi’s they have California Navel Oranges for $1.99 for a 3-lb bag which isn’t bad. Strawberries are $1.99 for a 1-lb box. Mushrooms are $.99 for an 8-oz bag. They have their Mama Cozzi’s pizzas on sale for $4.99 for the supreme these are excellent pizzas. We are talking 16’ pizza here. Comparable to what you get in a deli section. Washington Pink Lady apples for $3.79 for a 3-lb bag. Hass Avocados are $.39 each. If you are doing a super bowl party, you might want to stock up here for Guacamole. They also have Mama Cozzi’s Dip in Strips. This is basically pizza bread. How did I miss these? They look delicious. At $5.99 they might be worth the time. Of course, we have had a pizza each Friday this month so we are over pizza. Meatballs galore! They have beef with mushroom and swiss cheese or Buffalo Chicken for $5.49. Their Taquitos are very good so you might want to add those to your buffet with the cheese sticks.
Kroger Adorbs Clementines little oranges are $2.97 for a bag. Use your card and get 3x the fuel points. I always forget to mention the fuel points for Kroger. As I said above, if you are doing a super bowl party here is your best bet for soda. Coke, Verners, and Pepsi 24 packs are 2/$5.99 (plus deposit if you are required to pay it). Friday and Saturday are when you want to get your Tyson and FarmRich appetizers for $3.99. I know Antonia will want their cheese sticks. If you are doing sandwiches for super bowl party then Kroger Private Selection is $7.99 per pound which they would usually be $8.99. When you buy 5 of these products with your Kroger card. They also have their Land O’ Frost Premium Lunch Meat for $2.99 which would give you more money for chips and maybe a cake. They have a 10/$10 sale on a few items.
Chicken legs are $.99 a pound. Fresh Atlantic Salmon for $6.99. Kroger does have salmon for $9.99. Pick your battles. Russet Potatoes are $1.99 for a 5-lb. Black Bear or Eckrich Ham, Turkey or Chicken or Cabot Cheese $5.99lb. This is a better deal than Kroger and will leave you with more money for a nice big super bowl cake. Their deli chicken is $5.99 for an eight-piece. Kroger is $7.99. Or you can get a Meijer 4-piece for $3.49. Not bad. Add a couple of small sides and you have dinner for less than a restaurant. They do have some pizza’s on sale but honestly, Mama Cozzi’s are your best bet. For the price.
I got what we needed for the rest of the month and plus a few items for February meals. I spent around $71 to $75 on it all. I did as the title says, I went to both Aldi’s and Wal-Mart.
Aldi’s
4 Nuefantel Cheese instead of cream cheese. 2 Almond milks unsweetened and no vanilla. We cook with this milk mainly. Mozzarella and 2 packages of turkey pepperoni. I also picked an impulse buy of shredded Gouda. I got Antonia her popcorn she likes that is the organic brand and it’s under $4. Awesome. Tortilla chips and Bugles. I loved these as a kid. Turkey bacon. Antonia keeps at me to eat healthier. Ramen of course. The food which powers teens and college students. Actually, that’s all college students can afford. Lime and lemon juice. Heavy whipping cream for $1.55 compared for a smaller one at Kroger is more than that for less. Dressing for salads three. One of this is a very expensive dressing if I get it elsewhere. Tub of ice cream. 2 blocks of Irish butters. There brand taste exactly like KerryGold. And tub of butter for cooking.
Wal-Mart
This was a small haul. Great value apple juice. A huge container for under $2. It seems that the great value is the only brand of apple juice I can drink. Croutons because I forgot them at Aldi’s. Either way, they were under a dollar. Iced coffee because Aldi’s was out. Vegan butter because Antonia asked for it and it was cheaper at Wal-Mart compared to Kroger. Large conversation hearts. I love these candies. I didn’t really have an appetite for them last year but this year I do. I also got a Dr. Pepper.
We are into week 2. It’s going as fast as 2019 did. Yesterday ended week 1 with Heather, and hope y’all enjoyed her video because I did. First chance I get I am making that Rosemary Thyme Balsamic Jelly. Leisa starts week 2 out on a spicy note with Smoked Jalapeno Powder that Leisa and her husband Phil made. I will give you the link to her esty.com store if you would like to purchase the powder.
Leisa also has other items in her store you can purchase.
Leisa shows how to cut the Pork Roast up to roast it off in a cast-iron skillet in her oven while she is making the broth. Leisa is excellent at sharing the science behind the techniques she uses as best as she understands them. If there is something she is not sure she will look and get back to you. Leisa goes through the process of filling each jar. She didn’t de-bubble on camera. She went through the process of cleaning the jars and checking them to be sure they all sealed. Great news, NO siphoning….
Angie did a pizza sauce using Mrs. Wages’ Pizza Sauce. In her video she used her Ball Electric water bath canner. Angie takes you through the process of filling the jar and placing them in the canner. I don’t currently have an electric canner for water bath canning. I would like one. You can also make other thing is in like chili, soup, and stock. While it would be nice to have but I have a water bath canner. Actually, two because I can also use my pressure canner as a water bath canner which I can also cook in.
The little jars are adorable. Looked so beautiful once Angie got them filled and out of the canner.
Jar It Up January
Week 2
Canning Crisper Apples
Whippoorwill Hollar
Mrs. Lori Diane Brown showed how to ferment apples prior to canning them. I have played with the fermenting process myself and it’s interesting to watch how food ferments. It takes about, depending on the food item, 12 to 24 hours. The cider was beautiful almost gold color. Very rich in probiotics and vitamin c.
The end product was beautiful. Looked better than what you would get in store. Lori showed her Apple Butter, Apple Pie and the Apples she fermented. Her husband Mr. Brown liked it which means she will be doing this again. I will be trying it myself. The apple slice she showed was nice and crispy. They weren’t mushy at all.
I will be doing this for both channels because of the health benefits of apples.
Jar It Up January
Week 2
Huckleberry Jam
2LeeLou Creates
2Lee shares her steam canner. This had been a no-no prior to the last couple of years. It was June 24 2015 which it gained approval. You use less water than a water bath canner which makes wonder why did it take so long to get approved.
2Lee goes into detail with the process of making jams and how to sterilize jars in her steam canner. 2Lee shows how to tell when you are to the point you need to be at with the steam canner. The jam looked delicious. I think I will look into the steam canner only because it does use less water then the water bath canner.
This is a pressure canning project, ONLY! Meat has got to be pressure canned depending on the size of jar you use. Pint is 75 minutes and Quart is 90 minutes. Mandy is great about sharing details of her canning projects. As well as the process of canning itself.
This recipe sounds delicious. You could taylor it to your liking. You could go spicer or less spice. The product looked beautiful.
Jar It Up January 1-16
Butternut Squash White Bean Soup with Rosemary & Tomatoes
Prepper Potpourri
My favorite herb on earth is Rosemary. It smells so good. Taste is fantastic. This is a pressure canning recipe. Because the beans and squash are a low acid food.
Hint: As food sets in a jar spices will intensify..
Prepper goes through her recipe one more time before canning. Prepper did give a tip with peeling your squash. I found that putting in an electric pressure cooker for 5 minutes high pressure to be effective.
The soup was beautiful in the pot as she cooked it. Prepper went through the process step-by-step. They were beautiful.
Jar It Up January 1-17
Freedom Homestead
Canning Low(er) Carb Venison Stew
Tangie makes adjustments to the stew which she discuss right off the bat. Tangie goes through the process of filling the jars. And how she used the leftover products. Remember: Debubble! Leave 1 inch head space. That is the space between the top of the product and the top of the jar.
Pints are processed for 75 minutes and quarts are 90. Meat and beans now have the same time.
Jar It Up January 1-18
Paul’s Rule of Thumb
HP Sauce
While living in London, England, Paul had this wonderful sauce on pretty much everything. The folks in England use this sauce like we use ketchup.
Once Paul got this sauce all blended it was beautiful. The sauce had a beautiful deep chocolate color. Paul is always very thorough about the process he uses. Paul made some adjustments for his and his husband’s taste. He did talk about it and if you make this you don’t have to. He goes over directions for alternate ways to store it.
Paul used the small jam jars (4 oz). I will give you the link so you can decide if you want to make for yourselves. He got 12 jars. I was really a beautiful chocolate color and I bet it’s just as delicious.
Jar It Up January 1-19
Home Canning Pot Roast
Mouse Toes
Mouse used The All New Ball Book of CANNING AND PRESERVING page 275. This book has a whole section called Simple One-Jar Vegetables. Of course, you would can this for meat times being pints 75 minutes and quarts at 90.
Mouse goes through step-by-step of packing the jar so there is no air trapped in. This was a beautiful stew. I will consider making it in the future. Mouse is an excellent teacher for canning I have been watching her for two years almost.
Jar It Up January 1-20
Ground Beef in Onion Soup Au Jus
The Kneady Homesteader Heather
Heather takes you through the process of browning the meat and making the soup. This project could not be any easier. Brown your ground beef, and then load in a jar with onion soup.
Ground beef in a jar can be rather appealing. Trust me. I will do this process the next time I can ground beef. It looked so much better. Heather went through the process of filling her jars and of the process of using her All-American Canner.
Welcome to Scratch Kitchen! 