Five Finger Discounts

A couple nights ago, my husband and I watched Jamie Oliver’s new show “Food Revolution”. It’s a very inspiring show starring UK’s well-known chef Jamie Oliver. The show focused on Jamie’s efforts of going into a school in Huntington, West Virginia and trying to change the food that is given to the kids from processed to real food. The reason why he picked this area was because it was reported to be America’s unhealthiest and most obese city in the entire United States of America.

I wasn’t surprised at all by the resistance that he encountered from the cafeteria ladies, the children or the media. Unfortunately, change is hard for many and it’s normal to put up some resistance when you are pushed into something new. I think it’s all about education. We need to educate our kids, the cafeteria ladies, the media, the parents, etc. We all need to learn more about the food we are eating and this way we can make educated decisions for our families. All those overweight kids you see are overweight because their parents are allowing them to eat food that is fattening and unhealthy for them. It’s much easier to pick up fast food on the way home than it is to stand in the kitchen and make a meal with real food after a long day at work. We’ve all done that and unfortunately all we are doing is hurting ourselves and our families.

The schools aren’t helping to teach about nutrition by offering poor food choices to the children. Unfortunately, the food that the schools buy on their tight budgets, is heavily processed. Between the food fillers and tons of preservatives that are added to keep the food from spoiling, the end result is unhealthy food.

The part of the show that did shock me was when Jamie brought some kids in to his kitchen and showed them how chicken nuggets were made. He started off by cutting the chicken into pieces and explaining what each part was- the chicken breasts, drumsticks, thighs, etc. He was then left with the carcass that had very little chicken meat on it. He then proceeded to put the carcass in the food processor and ground it down to what looked like “ground chicken”. That’s when he put a little breading on it and fried the nuggets….and that’s when I wanted to throw up! How disgusting is that? How in the world can they put the chicken carcass into the food processor and allow people to eat bones that have been ground up? How can the FDA approve this as “food”? WHAT is going on with the food industry?

It’s has been 4 months since I’ve eaten any fast food. After seeing this, I doubt I will ever eat it again. Four months ago I saw the movie Food Inc, and now the TV show Food Revolution. Both are MUST SEES for any family still eating at Fast Food restaurants.

I’m sure we are going to be hearing a lot more about Food Revolution as parents start to research healthy food choices for their kids. In the meantime, you can go to Jamie Oliver’s website and sign the petition that will be presented to President Obama and First Lady, Michelle Obama when Jamie visits the White House. I was number 96,737 to sign the petition. This is your opportunity to be part of something new, something healthy, something that America has needed for a VERY LONG time….a FOOD REVOLUTION!

Did you know that Ziploc now makes “Bisphenol A Free” containers? I was so excited to find them this week at Harris Teeter.

I only use plastic containers for storing dried foods like cereal, coffee, flour and nuts. If I’m warming up food in the microwave, I always use my Pyrex glass containers. I’ve heard a lot of negative things about using plastics in the microwave, so I don’t ever use them in there. I’m very happy to see that a company that I love so much is making the switch over to Bisphenol A Free products. That is very important to me. I will definitely switch all my existing containers over to these new ones little by little.

The Ziploc containers I purchased this week were a steal!

Ziploc Containers- BPA Free on sale for $2.50 (normally $3.49)
Used a $0.75 coupon which tripled
Final Price = $0.25 for a set of 4

I’m not going to run out and replace them all at once because that would be very pricey. I’m going to keep my eyes peeled for great deals like the one above and little by little I’ll replace a couple different shapes and sizes. I LOVE Ziploc bags and can’t live without them but when it comes to containers, I really do prefer glass. However, a few of these BPA Free containers on hand, will be good to have.

Make sure to look for the “BPA Free” symbol when you are purchasing these containers in the future.

As I mentioned to you yesterday, Harris Teeter has awesome weekly specials! I went back again today to use some more coupons. Tripling coupons can save you tons of money. I focus on using all my $0.75 coupons, as they are valued at $2.25 when tripled.

I got 11 items for less than $2 today! Woohoo!

Here is how I did it:

Sara Lee Soft & Smooth Whole Grain Bread is on a B1G1 Free sale for $1.19 (normally $2.39)
Used a $0.55 coupon which tripled
Final Price = $0 FREE

Ziploc Containers- BPA Free on sale for $2.50 (normally $3.49)
Used a $0.75 coupon which tripled
Final Price = $0.25

Dannon Dan Active Yogurt $2.50
Used a $0.75 coupon which tripled
Final Price = $0.25

Chinet Comfort Cups on sale 2/ $5.00 (normally $2.99)
Used a $0.75 coupon which tripled
Final Price = $0.25

Did the above deal twice

Mentos Gum on sale for $0.99 (normally $1.49)
Used a $0.55 coupon which tripled
Final Price = $0 FREE

Sea Salt on sale B1G1 free $1.99
I bought only 1 for $0.99
Used a $0.50 coupon which tripled
Final Price = $0 FREE

Bumble Bee Premium Albacore on sale for $1.99 (normally $2.89)
Used a $0.55 coupon which tripled
Final Price = $0.34

McCormick Neon Color Dye on sale for $2.50 (normally $4.65)
Used a $0.75 coupon which tripled
Final Price = $0.25 FREE

McCormick Black Pepper Grinder on sale for $2.00 (normally $2.79)
Used a $0.75 coupon which tripled
Final Price = $0 FREE

McCormick Salt Grinder on sale for $2.00 (normally $2.79)
Used a $0.75 coupon which tripled
Final Price = $0 FREE

Total retail price of these 11 items before sales and coupons= $30.96
Total price for ALL 11 items after sales and coupons = $1.59

Total savings of 94.86%

You still have time to take advantage of triple coupons and the other weekly deals that I mentioned at Harris Teeter through Tuesday, March 30th.

Happy Shopping…and SAVING!!

Note: Most of the coupons I use are from the Sunday newspaper, but I also print some from Coupons.com

Disclosure: Coupons.com is an affiliate link.

Harris Teeter has awesome weekly specials. This week, they are tripling coupons valued up to $0.99. I used up a bunch of my $0.75 coupons as they were valued at $2.25 each to score lots of freebies. Can you believe I got EVERYTHING in the above picture for less than $1?

Here is how I did it:

Earth Grains Whole Wheat Bread is on sale for $2.50 (normally $3.49)
Used a $0.75 coupon from their website which tripled
Final Price = $0.25

I did the above deal twice.

Lysol cleaner is on sale B1G1 free $2.99
I bought only 1 for $1.49
Used a $0.50 coupon which tripled
Final Price = $0 FREE

Breakstone Sour Cream $1.99
Used a $0.60 printable coupon which tripled
Final Price = $0.19

Barrilla Whole Grain pasta is on sale 4/ $5.00 or $1.25 each (normally $1.50)
Used a $0.55 coupon which tripled
Final Price = $0 FREE

Barrilla Piccolini pasta is on sale 4/ $5.00 or $1.25 each (normally $1.50)
Used a $0.55 coupon which tripled
Final Price = $0 FREE

Kosher Salt $0.99
Used a $0.30 coupon which tripled
Final Price = $0.09

Sea Salt on sale B1G1 free $1.99
I bought only 1 for $0.99
Used a $0.50 coupon which tripled
Final Price = $0 FREE

McCormick Vanilla Extract on sale B1G1 free $3.99
I bought only 1 for $1.99
Used a $0.75 coupon which tripled
Final Price = $0 FREE

McCormick Black Pepper $1.85
Used a $0.75 coupon which tripled
Final Price = $0 FREE

No Yolks Noodles $2.29
Used a $0.75 coupon which tripled
Final Price = $0.04

Total retail price of these 11 items before sales and coupons= $26.07
Total price for ALL 11 items after sales and coupons = $0.82

Total savings of 96.85%

You still have time to take advantage of triple coupons and the other weekly deals that I mentioned at Harris Teeter through Tuesday, March 30th.

Happy Shopping…and SAVING!!

Note: Most of the coupons I use are from the Sunday newspaper, but I also print some from Coupons.com

Disclosure: Coupons.com is an affiliate link.

What’s wrong with this picture? Why is the 2008 chicken so plump? How come chickens grow so much faster these days?

Well, the answer is an easy one. We now inject chickens with tons of hormones to plump them up quickly and antibiotics to fight disease and infections that occur as a result of their deplorable living conditions. Journalist Michael Pollan, a food expert featured in the movie Food, Inc. says the chicken has been “re-engineered through breeding and diet to produce the breast meat consumers want. Compared to 50 years ago, chickens are now raised and slaughtered in half the time and grow twice as big.” The problem with that is that when people need to use those same antibiotics because we are sick, our bodies will be immune to them.

When I began purchasing organic chicken breasts I noticed 3 things that were very different from the conventional chicken breasts I was used to buying.

1. They are MUCH smaller.
2. They are VERY expensive.
3. They are soft and tender.

However, I also realized that we don’t need a 10 oz. chicken breast. A 5-6 oz. breast is big enough for a person to enjoy without overeating.

The price is steep now because the demand for organic chicken is still low. People look at price first and then realize they are better off with conventional chicken. Eventually, as more and more people realize the importance of organic food and their health, they will switch over. When people start to buy more organic food and less conventional, the prices will eventually drop as more companies will switch over as well to try and keep their businesses going.

Without the hormones that stiffen up the chicken breasts, the meat is so much softer. It actually tears when you hit it with the mallet/meat tenderizer. I like very thin chicken breasts. I used to pound away on conventional chicken breasts and it handled my beating without a problem. Now, I have to take it easy because the tender meat separates from the breast easily leaving me with tiny bite size pieces if I’m not careful.

I suggest you think twice about the antibiotics and hormones that you are putting into your body by buying conventional chicken instead of organic. Paying a little more now for healthy food will save you a lot of money on your health bills later. And more importantly than your health bills is your overall health. You only live once, so take good care of your body and feed it right.

YOU have a choice, as you aren’t a chicken:)

A couple months ago, I began the process of “can elimination” at our house. This was after reading all about the BPA lining in the cans. This is unhealthy for us and I don’t want to keep purchasing unhealthy items so cans are out except for canned tomatoes. The reason why I’m giving in to the canned tomatoes for now, is because I can’t seem to find them in jars. If a company starts putting them in jars, I will stop buying the cans. For now, I’m only buying the tomatoes, which is a big difference from where we began. I used to buy all kinds of veggies in cans- especially corn and green beans. I now buy them fresh or frozen. I have a couple cans left in my pantry, but once they are gone, I won’t be buying them again.

Well, soda cans are no different. I looked around for bottled Coca-Cola and could not find it at my local grocery store. I finally found it at Super Target. One small 6pk of 8oz. bottles was $4! Can you believe that? But, I bought them anyway, as we don’t drink too much soda and I really wanted to stop purchasing cans. A few days later, I went to Costco and while shopping, I saw that they were selling cases of the large 12oz. bottles. It didn’t have the price by them, but I decided to buy them anyway as the 12oz. bottles were a better size for us (comparable to the cans). It turns out that I paid $18.29 for the 24 bottles! Yikes!!

Let’s forget about the price for a minute and focus on the bottles. Every time I have a bottle of Coca-Cola vs. a can, I tell my husband how I enjoy the flavor from a bottle so much more. And finally, I realized why. This Saturday, we bought some pizza and when we have pizza, we HAVE to have Coca-Cola. I looked at the calories and realized my bottle of Coke had more calories than the can of Coke. I then went to the fridge and took out a can and compared the ingredients and nutrition label. I was floored when I saw that the Coca-Cola ingredients from a bottle were different than those in the can. The can has High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) where the bottle contains sugar! Below are pictures of them both. No wonder the bottled Coca-Cola tastes better.

I don’t know if this is the same for the small bottles that I bought originally at Target because I didn’t look at the ingredients assuming they were the same. These bottles from Costco actually say “Producto de Mexico” – Product of Mexico. And as I recall from visiting the Coke area in Epcot many moons ago, Coca-Cola makes different tasting sodas for different countries. So, this might be the case for these bottles only as they are imported from Mexico. I will have to check out the ones from Target the next time I go. This might also be the reason for the STEEP price of $18.29 for the case.

Although the price is outrageous, I will continue to buy the bottles from Mexico over the cans from the USA. Why? Because I would rather drink sugar than HFCS. In my opinion, it is healthier, it is natural and it tastes better. I know sugar is not good for me, but I prefer a natural “not good for me” product over an unnatural “not good for me” product. I am also happy to be eliminating cans and the BPA in their lining. Now I just wish I could get them for the same price as the cans:)

Remember a few weeks ago when I told you about a bunch of organic and natural companies that would send you FREE coupons if you requested them? Well I’ve continued to email them and I have being receiving some wonderful coupons!

Today, I received 4 coupons from Apple & Eve for their organic juices. Two were valued at $0.50 each and the other two were for $1.00 each. My daughter loves their juice boxes, so I’m thrilled to have some new coupons for those.

I also received a bunch of coupons from Amy’s. Amy’s has an entire line of natural and organic foods ranging from burritos to enchilada’s to lasagna and cakes. I actually haven’t had any of their foods before, so I look forward to trying them. They sent a coupon book which contained five $0.75 coupons and one $0.50 coupon. They also sent me one $0.55, one $0.75 and one $1.00 coupon. That’s a total of 9 coupons just for asking! They were extremely generous with their coupons.

Last week I also received a couple $0.55 coupons from Arrowhead Mills. I have not tried them before either but look forward to their breads.

Clif sent me a sample of their “Clif Kid Organic Twisted Fruit”- strawberry flavor which Emma ate up within seconds of receiving:)

Mrs. Meyers was generous with 5 samples. 4 dish washing liquid soaps and 1 baby shampoo.

And last but not least, I received two $0.75 coupons from Rudi’s Organic Bakery.

Special thanks to Amy’s, Apple & Eve, Arrowhead Mills, Clif, Mrs. Meyers and Rudi’s Organic Bakery for these wonderful coupons!

You can access my original list of “Organic and Natural Food Companies” here.

Rumor has it that Harris Teeter will be doing “Triples” from March 24-30. This is the perfect time to use all the high value coupons you’ve been printing out.

For those of you that are new to couponing, “Triples” means that they will triple any coupon valued up to $0.99. However, the upc barcode on the coupon must begin with a number 5. If it begins with a 9, the coupon will NOT triple.

I don’t remember ever seeing a coupon for $0.99, but I’ve seen and used plenty of $0.75 coupons. Now is the time to look through all your coupons and pull out all those valued between $0.50-$0.75. The $0.50 coupons will become $1.50 and the $0.75 ones will become $2.25. That means really cheap or free items in many cases.

You will want to have these handy when you visit Harris Teeter beginning next Wednesday. Remember that you are only allowed to “triple” 20 coupons per day with your VIC card. If you have more than 20 coupons, plan on making a second trip.

HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY!!!

Earth Fare is giving away a 7 oz. block of Irish Cheese with any purchase, in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day! Make sure you sign up for their newsletter so that you can access their weekly coupons.

This coupon is valid from 3/17 -3/23.

According to Maria Rodale, CEO & Chairman of Rodale Inc. there are 4 organic foods worth the extra money. Earlier this month she came out with a book called “Organic Manifesto: How Organic Farming Can Heal Our Planet, Feed the World, and Keep Us Safe.”

Here is a list of the 4 foods that she feels you should buy organically.

Meat/Poultry:

Organic beef comes from livestock that eats an organic diet, and in June, new FDA regulations will mandate that they spend at least 30 percent of their lives grazing on pasture grasses. That’s important, because studies show grass-fed meat has 60% more omega-3s, 200% more vitamin E, and 2 to 3 times as much of a cancer-fighting fat called CLA that might even help you lose weight.

Likewise, organic chicken is healthier than non-organic chicken. One study found that it has 28 percent more omega-3 fatty acids.

Milk:

Studies show that organic milk has 50% more vitamin E, 75% more beta-carotene, and 70% more omega-3 fatty acids than regular. It also has more than double the amount of certain antioxidants that have been shown to keep your eyes healthy as you age.

Organic milk is also free of commonly used growth hormones, which increases infertility in cows and has been linked to prostate and breast cancers in humans.

It costs about a dollar more per half-gallon, but it’s worth it. Plus you can generally cut costs by getting coupons online. Stonyfieldfarm.com, for instance, offers printable coupons on their site.

Eggs:

Organic chickens, like cows, spend a portion of their life grazing. That means that, along with their organic feed, they have access to the chicken’s food of choice, which is a cocktail of worms and grubs. And when animals eat their favorite foods, humans benefit. According to a study from Penn State, eggs from grazing chickens have twice as much vitamin E, 40 percent more vitamin A, and 3 times as many omega-3s. Plus they taste better!

Compared to mass-produced conventional eggs, organic usually costs a couple extra bucks per carton. But again, that’s a small price for the health of your body and planet.

Fruits and Vegetables

“Dirty Dozen”

According to estimates by the Environmental Working Group — the agency that developed the “Dirty Dozen” list — you can reduce your pesticide exposure by 80 percent simply by choosing organic versions of these 12 fruits and vegetables: peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, kale, lettuce, imported grapes, carrots and pears.

As a general rule towards fruits and vegetables, when it comes to edible skins you’d be wise to choose organic.

“Clean 15″

These 15 fruits and vegetables were the lowest in pesticides, so it’s not as important to buy organic versions of them: onions, avocadoes, sweet corn, pineapples, mangoes, asparagus, sweet peas, kiwis, cabbage, eggplants, papayas, watermelon, broccoli, sweet potatoes, tomatoes

Most of these fruits and vegetables are protected from pesticide contamination by thick skins.

Special thanks to 10Connects for this information.