Crock Pot Shredded Chicken

Super cheap, super delicious way to make shredded chicken for burritos, sandwiches, etc .... and it's in the crockpot so fast and easy ....

thinly slice an onion and a bell pepper (whatever you have on hand) and place them on the bottom of the dish.

on top of that, lay 4 chicken breasts (thawed if frozen)

then mix together

1 can tomato soup

1 can chicken broth

1 can water

pour over chicken and you are done!

Set on high until cooked through.

Great Tips from Sheryl

If you shop at Walgreens and do their rebates, get the refund on a gift card. They give you and extra 10% back on the card. You can even reuse the cards. While filing out the rebate form put the gift card number on the form. That way you only need to carry one around. If you send in the rebate and they send you a check, you loose 10%....

register online for diapers, formula etc for babies/toddlers. most companies will send you coupons (some start great and fade to ok, but they still save some cash). I know enfamil started with $10 off and went to $2 but it was something! some stores will not accept internet coupons-have them sent to your home via snail mail

some restaurants offer kids eat free. I know Chevy's offers it on tuesdays and in the paper last week there was a coupon for a meal $3.99 when purchased with one regular meal. Chick-fil-A has family night on tuesday. That means when you buy one meal, you get a childs for free. There is a secret too; if you keep your toy and trade it in unopened, they will give you a free ice cream.

Don't forget Children's Orchard clothing exchange. They send emails that when you bring in clothes, they will give you a percentage off your next purchase. I've been a few times, but not bought anything, so I don't really know what the discount is.

Check your long distance too. we never use our house phone for long distance. We have the minutes on our cell phones and it is actually free for us to call Texas and Boston.

get rid of your water bottles! they are not good for our planet or our wallets. We save $35 a month not getting our Arrowhead delivered. We don't buy plastic water bottles (except for the earthquake kit) we use refillable aluminum bottles (they are eco friendly). for great tasting water we get a filter for our fridge water approx $80 for 6-8 months.

watch for target offers. sometimes they offer a $5 gift card when you purchase certain items. Last time I got breakfast bars they offered $5 if you got 3. With the coupons for the 3 boxes, they paid me to take the bars!

we started composting our organic waste-it is good for my garden and good for the earth too-(kind of fun).-oh and plant a garden. nothing tastes better than fresh tomatoes!

Money saving tips from Mimi w/ recipes

Mimi had some great tips to help us along our money saving adventure.....

let me share a little of how i save and make meals. dont get me wrong, i still take my family out when i dont feel like cooking but waaaay less often.

1. find out when the local 99 cent store gets shipments and shop there first before you go to the local grocery store. they have fruit and veggies, bread and even frozen stuff. i get most of my produce there. you just have to use it faster than normal. buy for the week. along with my produce, i buy yogurt, name brand 100% whole wheat bread, bagels, tortillas (wheat, flour and corn) regularly.

2. buy kids snacks and crackers at the 99 cent store, dollar tree and big lots. they are MOST TIMES cheaper than even with a coupon.

3. sally's beauty supply carries a brand called GENERIC. I use the Paul Mitchell products that I love and the ingredients are exactly the same and listed on the back for $4.99 - $6.99.

4. water down the kids juice! half to a quarter of juice and the rest water! it is better for them also.

5. only order water when you go out to dinner.

6. buy an entertainment guide and use it when you go out. there are also store coupons in the back. there are even movie coupons! use your 20% off coupon and buy it at bed bath & beyond for $20!

i wish i could stay and write more. i will later but here are some ideas to share. i hope you like them. they save this stay at home mommy LOTS of money! here is a cheap and easy casserole that taste like a corn dog and goes a long way!

cheap and easy casserole

1 large can of baked beans (like 20 oz or so)

1 package of good tasting hot dogs ( like nathans) it makes a difference

1 box of corn bread mix ( i buy the cheap trader joes one)

put layer of beans at the bottom of a casserole dish. cut the hot dogs in small round slices and layer them over the beans. after making the wet cornbread mix with all the ingredients, spread it over the top gently. bake in the oven according to the bread time or until brown. its yummy! let me know when you try it!

ok, here's one more...

we call this spaghetti / fideo at our house. it is so healthy and kid friendly.

1 package of fideo noodles (like broken angel hair pasta)

1 soda can size V8 juice

1 can of chicken broth

2 garlic cloves

1/4 onion

season salt like Lawry's

brown the noodles in a pan with about 1 TB oil. add broth, V8, and season salt (about 1 tsp). throw in the whole garlic cloves and whole onion. stir gently. bring to a boil. bring to a simmer and cover for about 10 minutes. that's it! get your bagged salad from the 99 cent store and your favorite salad dressing and you have a meal!

love and savings,

mimi