Thursday, September 11, 2008

My favorite easy winter recipe and a tale of how low I will go to save a buck

Let's start with the recipe so that I can save myself humiliation for a little longer.

Taco Soup or Santa Fe Soup, whichever you prefer. This is a common recipe that I am sure many of you already make, but I LOVE it when it is cold outside and there is football on tv and a fire in the fireplace. So cozy. Plus it makes a huge batch and freezes well. It doesn't get much better than that.

2 lbs ground beef
2 cans stewed tomatoes
2 cans pinto beans
1 can ro-tel tomatoes
2 cans shoe peg corn
1 pkg. ranch dressing mix
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix

Cook ground beef. Dump all ingredients in a large pot or crock pot, and cook until heated through. Serve with sour cream, cheese, and corn chips (I prefer fritos scoops--yum, yum).

Just typing this recipe makes me want to cook this soup, and it's hot outside!!

For more slow cooker recipes, check out Diary of a SAHM.

And here is the sad, sad tale of frugal little me trying to save a few pennies.

I am fairly new to the whole couponing thing, and I have read in multiple places that to get lots of coupons, I need to go to the local recycling center. In my mind, I think I pictured nice stacks of newspapers ready to be recycled, you know something, well, dignified. So earlier this week, I googled Henry County recycling center, I got directions, and off Ada and I go, happy as can be, with visions of lots and lots of saved money in my future. Turns out, the recycling center is just a row of big dumpsters, and to retrieve these wonderful coupons, I have to dig into the dumpster in hopes of finding what I am looking for. So the first day I go, I get out of the car, leave it running with Ada still buckled in, and I grab what I can reach. I get home, and I have nothing good. All of the coupons that I did manage to find were expired months ago. Defeat.

Well, I decide to give it another go, and Ada and I headed back to the recycling center today. When we pulled up, there were several men a few dumpsters down, most likely bringing things to recycle. I briefly debated if I should leave, rather than "dumpster dive" in front of these men, but I decided to swallow my pride, and I got out of the car ready to find some great coupons. Again, I walked away with NOTHING. Has anyone else used the recycling center as a place for free coupons. Am I doing this wrong? I am not ready to give up, but I can only dig through that dumpster so many times with nothing to show for it before I say forget it.

7 comments:

The Slagleys said...

I am impressed, I have not gone dumpster diving... yet. Probably because I know if I got my big pregnant self in, I couldn't get out! I have been wondering where all of the unsold Sunday papers go with all of the great coupons in it. There has to be some other way than actually reaching into a dumpster. If I find it, I will let you know, and if you find it, please let me know. Sounds like a valiant effort!

Sandra said...

Recipe sounds sooooo good, thanks for sharing :)

We had a great recycle center at our previous base, you could find ANYTHING in there and really good stuff. Never searched for coupons though.

Pennies In My Pocket said...

Oh that sounds like too much work! You'd probably spend more in gas to get a few pennies off. Just stock up on sales. Our grocery store has been having some insane sales...I have a LOT of peanut butter, jiffy cornbread, bread, and all sorts of other regular goodies we get.

The recipe sounds fabulous! I'll have to try it.

~melody~

Ashley said...

HI Stranger! I found your blog via Facebook and had to fill you in on a tip I learned today. Expired coupons are still worth there weight in gold! One of my BFFs, turned stay-at-home mom of three, said that CVS, Walgreens and Rite-Aid all honor expired coupons. She also said that Wal-Mart will not accept them. Also, there are great coupons on the mid-week free paper that ends up on your driveway. My third and final tip that I have read, but not attempted, is finding day old Sunday papers at a dollar store--for half price! Let's try to get together sometime soon for a frugal lunch!

Renee said...

Wonderful recip! Thanks for sharing.

I didn't do coupons till after my hubby stopped delivery bulk store newspapers. Oh, the free coupons we would have had!! Try to make contact with the Newspaper and see who their independent contractors are that delivery the newspapers to stores and businesses - they may let you go through their left over coupons/newspapers.

Renee'
http://rmboys2.wordpress.com/

ROXY said...

Yum I will have to try that one next week!!

Milla said...

I love love love love love this soup. Oh it's our favorite winter-time dinner!!