Tuesday's Talk - Plan Your Meals Around Sales.

This one makes a lot of sense if you have started exclusively purchasing items on sale with coupons. You might think that some of the things are sort of weird, but what you will find is that the cycle from season to season. For example, for the the month of January, the Quaker Oatmeal has been on sale. So, for breakfast, we have had instant oatmeal. We have had Oatmeal Pancakes once a week for lunch.

This is actually a challenge to me to find meals that go along with what's on sale. I also get excited when the new cycle starts for sales. Potatoes have been really cheap lately, so this week, I plan to put up my favorite Potato Soup Recipe for the Crock Pot.

It becomes a money saver, if you only purchase things on sale, with coupons, and use them to plan your meals. After awhile, there will be some of your family favorites, that they will even help you spot when you are in the store.

Here are some of my ideas for items that go on sale:

• Milk - Egg bakes, baked pancakes, white sauces
• Oatmeal - cookies, baked oatmeal, oatmeal pancakes, snack on instant packets - it's good for you.
• Fruit - cut up and serve in small dishes with yogurt & granola on top
• Chicken - precook 10-20 pounds in a Nesco cooker with water, onion, spices - freeze cooked meat in casserole size portions.
• Bread - freezes well, french toast, Peanut Butter & Jelly French Toast, Toads-in-a-hole
• Spaghetti Sauce canned - spaghetti, baked spaghetti, use for pizza sauce
• Pasta - baked pasta, tuna/ pasta salad, tips & gravy over noodles
• Eggs - egg bakes, egg sandwiches, egg salad, deviled eggs
• Cereal - besides the obvious, energy bars, chex mixes, trail mix

Obviously, this is not everything, but at least it gets you thinking. I would love to hear any of your ideas or if you would like recipes, let me know & I can post them soon.