99 Cents Store

Organic veggies, juices, and a frugal/earth-friendly idea for organizing a stockpiler’s pantry!  Here are today’s finds:

1.   Earthbound Farms Organic Spring Mix, 5 oz.
2.   Organics Biologique Baby Arugula, 5 oz.
3.   Minute Maid Premium Peach Juice, 59 oz.
4.   Minute Maid Pink Lemonade, 59 oz.
5.   Mott’s 100% Vegetable Juice, 64 oz.
6.   Mott’s Applesauce, 6 pk.
7.   Back To Nature California Lemon Cookies, 9 oz. (also Ginger)
8.   Kraft Velveeta Pepper Jack, 1 lb.

I use the little cups of applesauce whenever I bake brownies or quick breads.  Applesauce can be swapped for oil to save on fat calories!  I do it all the time with boxed brownie mix & the applesauce is unnoticeable in finished products.  These little cups are handy because they’re about 1/2 cup & I don’t have to open a big jar of applesauce.  A frugal tip:  Maximize the energy it takes to power the oven.  If your main dish requires the oven, plan on also roasting some veggies and/or baking brownies or a banana bread.  I try hard not to cook a single item in the oven!

After we’ve eaten our organic veggies, I re-purpose the clear plastic boxes + lids!  The boxes work well in the pantry for rounding-up things like these NutriGrain Bars.  I have a stockpile of  NutriGrain Bars as a result of a Catalina offer of free milk.  As you can see, the boxes stack well.  I like that they’re clear so that family members can view the contents.  In organizing the stockpile of bars, I’ve placed them in order of expiration dates.  So, for a $1, I get my veggies and a pantry storage box, too!  To all the other moms who read TFF, have a Happy Mother’s Day!

This week’s shopping trip highlight was brought to you by Jolene, the  TFF 99 Cents Only Store expert! Find a 99 Cents Store location near you.  

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Cinco de Mayo’s around the corner & my menu plan is inspired by ingredients from the 99 Cents Only Store:

1.   Cacique Queso Fresco, 4oz.
2.   Knudsen Crema Mexicana Sour Cream, 16oz.
3.   Fresh Limes, 2 lbs.
4.   Whole Pineapple
5.   Organic Romaine Hearts, 3ct.
6.   Green Beans, 1 lb.
7.   Nabisco Fruit Thins Fig & Honey
8.   TGI Friday’s Loaded Chicken & Cheese, frozen 12oz.
9.   Ore Ida Ultimate Baked Potato & Cheese, frozen 10oz.

So, I’m planning Fish Tacos since Raley’s/Nob Hill has the frozen tilapia for $1.99 for a one pound bag (with E-coupon, thru’ today). The Queso Fresco, Crema Mexicana, and fresh limes will be excellent garnish … and I have organic guacamole in my freezer from last week’s trip!  I also want to try an amazing idea for corn-on-the-cob.  It involves a touch of butter, squeeze of lime, and a sprinkle of chili powder and cilantro. Fresh corn is 4/$1 at Fresh & Easy Market.

The Clayton Rd store has a small selection of adult clothing.  Upon reading the hangtags, I found that they are recycled, gently-used garments.  The labels includ Land’s End and Gap.  So, if you enjoy garage sales and thrift shops, you can see what the 99 Cents Only Store has to offer now, too.

This week’s shopping trip highlight was brought to you by Jolene, the  TFF 99 Cents Only Store expert! Find a 99 Cents Store location near you.  

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Here in the East Bay, it feels like we fast-forwarded from winter to summer, completely skipping spring!  First picnic of the year?  99 Cents Only Store has me covered with these essentials:

1.   Minute Maid Cherry Limeade, 1 gallon (!)
2.   Pepperidge Farms Stone Baked Artisan Rolls, frozen 8ct
3.   Oscar Mayer Oven Roasted Turkey Breast Fat Free, 10oz.
4.   Fresh Avocados, 2ct
5.   Cabo Fresh Certified Organic Guacamole, frozen 12oz.
6.   Back To Nature Natural Grahams, 10oz.
7.   Jell-O S’Mores Pudding Cups, 6ct
8.   Pop Tarts Strawberry Low Fat, 8ct
9.   Hormel Maple Bacon Sausage, frozen 12ct
10. Bananas, 2lbs

The gallon of Minute Maid was such a deal, I grabbed two.  I will use a portion of it to make DIY Slushies (ICEE).  The organic guacamole will go into the freezer until Cinco de Mayo.  With my fresh avocado, I like to use it in sandwiches as a mayonaise replacement.  Simply sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent browning.  And the Pepperidge Farms Stone Baked Artisan Rolls made me giggle.  Remember when Safeway offered these rolls as a Just4U Freebie, but we couldn’t find them in the store?!

This week’s shopping trip highlight was brought to you by Jolene, the  TFF 99 Cents Only Store expert! Find a 99 Cents Store location near you.  

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I braved a rainstorm to do my weekly hunt & gather at the 99 Cents Only Store! It was worth it —  Happy with these finds, all $1 each:

1.   PAM Nonstick Spray Olive Oil, 5 oz.
2.   Coffeemate Cafe Latte Creamer, 16 oz.
3.   Danimals Crunchers, 4 pk.
4.   Old El Paso Green Chiles, 4 oz.
5.   Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp Cheddar, 10 oz.
6.   Whole Grain Sandwich Flats (Thins), 12 oz.
7.   Nabisco Whole Grain Saltines, 16.5 oz.
8.   Butternut Squash, 2 ct.
9.   Broccoli
10. Yoplait Light Vanilla Yogurt, 32 oz.

There’s an amazing-looking recipe for Frozen Yogurt Dots that I’d like to try.  I wonder if the texture is like Dippin’ Dots?  So, part of my Yoplait will go towards that recipe.  I got an unbelievable deal on fresh strawberries yesterday (4 lb. box for 75cents @ Fresh&Easy), so with the remainder of my Yoplait, I can make parfaits or smoothies.  With the butternut squash, I’m planning to add chunks to Chili.  The PAM Olive Oil will be handy when spritzing veggies prior to roasting, or for making my own baked pita chips … I grabbed three PAMs!

This week’s shopping trip highlight was brought to you by Jolene, the  TFF 99 Cents Only Store expert! Find a 99 Cents Store location near you.  

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Inspiration ingredients for an Easter celebration meal at the 99 Cents Only Stores!  A splash of color for the table, compliments of these veggies in vibrant Easter egg hues.  What would you prepare with these ingredients?

1.    Chartreuse Broccoflower
2.    Purple Cauliflower (also, White)
3.    Asparagus
4.    Portabella Mushrooms, huge!
5.    Alouette Crumbled Goat Cheese, 3.5oz.
6.    Laughing Cow Cream Cheese Wedges, 8 ct.
7.    Avocados
8.    Cocoa Puffs Treats, 6 ct.
9.    Hershey’s Bliss Cocoa Choc/Raspberry, 5 ct.
10.  Chicken Broth, no msg added, 32 oz.

I like to have these big Portabella Mushrooms on hand if vegetarians are joining my table.  They are so meaty & taste great grilled and brushed with your favorite sauce.  Top it with melted cheese and it’s a winner!  The Laughing Cow cheese wedges make ideal appetizers alongside crackers (there were nice Pepperidge Farm crackers) & grapes.  And for the grand finale, a dessert using the 2 lbs. of frozen fruit.  Oh, and I made a quick stop at the Clayton Fresh & Easy, and picked up a whole pineapple on sale for only 99 cents!

This week’s shopping trip highlight was brought to you by Jolene, the  TFF 99 Cents Only Store expert! Find a 99 Cents Store location near you.  

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Today I’ll share two sections: Grocery & Non-Grocery items appearing now at the 99 Cents Only Stores.  First, here are the Non-Grocery finds from my Clayton Rd. store:

1.   K&Company Adhesive Chipboard Die Cuts (retail $4-$5)
2.   Circo Infant Hat with UPF 50+ Sun Protection
3.   Lysol Antibacterial Kitchen Spray, 22 oz.

With Spring Break coming up, it’s a good time to line-up craft projects for yourself & the kids.  These Chipboard Die Cuts are adorable, and they look/feel expensive!  Here are Creative Project Ideas using this product.  One of the die cut packs is themed Family Vacation.  Perfect for creating memory books of family trips.  I also spotted coordinating stickers and stamps from the EK Success brand.  If Spring Break includes travel to sunny locations, or for summertime swim lessons and sandbox time, pick up the Circo Infant Hat w/UPF 50+ Sun Protection to shade precious little heads!

Here are my Grocery finds:

1.   Butterball Oven Roasted Chicken, 5 oz. (also, Turkey)
2.   Jamba Juice Apple-Greens, 16.9 oz (looks seriously healthy)
3.   Jamba All-Energy Drink, 8.4 oz.
4.   Banquet Brown’N Serve Sausage Crumbles, 9.6 oz.
5.   Sourdough English Muffins
6.   Artisan Boston Lettuce
7.   Lentils, 1 lb.

Sumiko shared her Lentil Soup recipe recently on TFF.  My family loves Lentil Soup.  It’s a great way to use up all the odds & ends of veggies at week’s end.  Believe me, you can not mess-up on a soup recipe!  Soup is very forgiving!

This week’s shopping trip highlight was brought to you by Jolene, the  TFF 99 Cents Only Store expert! Find a 99 Cents Store location near you.  

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Sweet savings are Spring-ing up at the 99 Cents Only Store!  Oreo just celebrated a huge birthday, so there’s a surge of all-things-Oreo at the Clayton Rd store.  Stocked up on (and hiding) cookies for $1, no coupons necessary.

1.   Oreo Fudge Creme Cookies, 11.3 oz.
2.   Oreo Golden Fudge Creme Cookies, 11.3 oz.
3.   Chips Ahoy Chunky Cookies, 13 oz.
4.   Nabisco Grahams, 14.4 oz.
5.   Hot Pockets Snackers 12-pieces, 10 oz.
6.   Snapple Sweet Tea, 64 oz.
7.   Yoplait Greek Yogurt/ Coconut (my favorite), 4 pk.
8.   Cracker Barrel White Cheddar/Jalapeno Cheese, 10 oz.
9.   Philadelphia Cream Cheese Bar, 8 oz.
Not pictured:  Philadelphia Indulgences, 4 pk. and traditional Oreo Cookies

How about Breakfast Burritos using the White Cheddar/Jalapeno Cheese and the FREE breakfast sausage from Safeway this week.  The 99 Cents Only Store reliably stocks tortillas (regular & whole wheat), potatoes, eggs, sour cream, tomatoes, and cilantro.  Have you seen the new posts by The Seaside Baker?  Great recipe ideas using ingredients from our beloved 99 Cents Only Store — check it out!

This week’s shopping trip highlight was brought to you by Jolene, the  TFF 99 Cents Only Store expert! Find a 99 Cents Store location near you.  

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After too many cheese & cereal transactions at Safeway, I was relieved to shop at the 99 Cents Only Store today for a change of scenery.  My mom used to say, “When it rains, it pours” and this is certainly the case with the tons of grocery deals we’ve seen on TFF lately!  Here’s what I found for $1 at the Clayton Rd store:

1.   4 lbs. of Sugar Pears from WA
2.   Snapple, 64 oz.
3.   Martinelli’s Sparkling Lemonade, 25.4 oz.
4.   Luigi’s Rasperry Sherbet, 14 oz.
5.   Dole Fruit Crisp, 2 pk., shelf-stable
6.   Oreo Ultimate Icing, 7 oz.
7.   Mrs. Smith’s Pie Shell, frozen
8.   Whac-A-Mole card game by Mattel, age 5+
9.   Qwitch card game by Mattel, age 7+
Not pictured, but a great deal if you need them:
10.  Polly-O String Cheese Tomato/Basil, 12 pk.
11.  Cinnamon Burst Cheerios, 10 oz.
12.  Knudsen Cottage Cheese, 16 oz.
13.  Ritz Crackers

I’m thinking ahead to Easter celebrations already.  The Mattel card games would make nice Easter basket stuffers.  Use Mrs. Smith’s Pie Shell for an elegant quiche for brunch, or for desserts.  And Martinelli’s Sparkling Lemonade would be a special beverage for kids and adults alike at family celebrations.

This week’s shopping trip highlight was brought to you by Jolene, the  TFF 99 Cents Only Store expert! Find a 99 Cents Store location near you.  

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Water is the frugal beverage-of-choice, but we often crave something different.  So I was glad to find enhanced beverages today at the 99 Cents Only Store!  Great deals for us lunch-packing moms:

1.   Silk Pure Almond Chocolate Almond Milk, a 4-pk of 8oz single-serves!!
2.   Jamba O.N.E. Coconut Water Fruit Juice w/Boost, 16.9 oz
3.   V8 Splash, 1 qt
4.   Minute Maid Soft Frozen Cups, 12 oz
5.   California Strawberries, 8 oz
6.   Eggplant
7.   Gold Idaho Potatoes, 3 lbs
8.   Mountain High Natural Yogurt, 32 oz

The 4-pack of Almond Milk for $1 is especially well priced.  Safeway is selling ONE single-serve for $1.25.  My kids bring single-serve drinks in their lunch bag every day, so I’m always hunting down bargains for these.  {At Concord Grocery Outlet, I found single-serve MegaMoo milk priced 6/$1 & scored a case of 24 for $4.}  If you love smoothies, use Almond Milk in Julia’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Smoothie recipe.  This Almond Milk has 50%-more calcium than milk!  With afternoon temperatures soaring into the 70s here in the East Bay, a Minute Maid Soft Frozen Cup would be a welcomed afterschool refreshment.

I’m using my Gold Idaho Potatoes to make Smashed Potatoes for tonight.  The buttery gold color tricks our eyes into thinking that our Smashed Potatoes are swimming in butter, when it really isn’t.  Later in the week, I’ll use my eggplant, my cheap tofu from Whole Foods, & ground turkey from my freezer to make an Asian-inspired dish.  If anyone wants that recipe, let me know and I’ll share!

This week’s shopping trip highlight was brought to you by Jolene, the  TFF 99 Cents Only Store expert! Find a 99 Cents Store location near you.  

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Did you see Julia’s Lettuce Wrap Tacos?  Well, who knew, but there is a special lettuce designed especially for this purpose.  It’s called Artisan Romaine by Tanimura & Antle and it won Best New Product.  The leaves are cup-shaped and your fillings won’t fall out!  Check out more recipes for Artisan Romaine (the grilled Romaine sounds interesting) here.   This lettuce and more spotted today at the 99 Cents Only Store:

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Fresh veggies were the core of my 99 Cents Only Store trip. Maybe it’s because of the hint of spring in the East Bay today.  Have you ever seen a purple cauliflower?!  Today’s display of cauliflower (white & purple), broccoflower (bright green), and broccoli was reminiscent of colorful Easter eggs.  A delight for the eyes & your plate. Easy on the wallet at only $1 each:

1.   Purple Cauliflower
2.   Organic Romaine Hearts, 3 ct.
3.   Fresh Spinach, 5 oz.
4.   English Cucumber
5.   Roma Tomatoes, 8 ct.
6.   Quaker Oat Granola Cookies, 8 to-go packs
7.   Honey Maid Low Fat Cinn. Grahams, 14.4 oz.
8.   Minute Maid Premium Raspberry Lemonade, 64oz.
9.   Knudsen Cottage Cheese w/Pineapple, 16 oz.

Not pictured:  V8 V-Fusion + Tea, 64oz. on endcap, asparagus, Oscar Mayer deli meats, Pillsbury Crescents, Breakstones whipped cream cheese

I’m planning to make a Spinach, Potato & Ham Frittata using the spinach from today’s trip, plus the $0.69/dozen eggs from Lucky (Wednesday’s Deal). Frittata & a crisp green salad.  An easy swap-out for spinach, would be asparagus which is also available at the 99 Cents Only Store.  I love having the cottage cheese w/pineapple for an easy lunch on-the-go.  Have fun saving money on produce by shopping here first!

This week’s shopping trip highlight was brought to you by Jolene, the  TFF 99 Cents Only Store expert! Find a 99 Cents Store location near you.  

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The 99 Cents Only Store has me covered for Valentine’s Day.  I found all the ingredients for a DIY heart-shaped pizza like the Papa Murphy’s deal. Everything was $1 each, no coupons needed at the Clayton Rd store:

1.    Pillsbury Pizza Crust, 11 oz.
2.    Polly-O Mozzarella Cheese, 1 lb.
3.    Prego Pizza Sauce
4.    Armour Pepperoni, 3 oz.
5.    Polly-O Ricotta Cheese, 2 lbs (Sell by Feb 19)
6.    Oscar Mayer Turkey Bacon, 12 oz
7.    Dannon Pure Yogurt, 2 lbs.
8.    Artisan Butter Lettuce
9.    Mott’s Medley’s Juice, 46 oz.
10.  Pillsbury Ready-to-Bake Sugar Cookies, 1 lb.
Not pictured:  Happy shoppers were buying Valentine helium balloons & balloon bouquets!  They charge $1 per balloon + $.49 to fill with helium.

I’m hopelessly devoted to the 99 Cents Only Store!  I can get in, get out, and get a great deal consistently.  No coupons, no Catalinas, no hassle.  And the timing was perfect.  My kids will have heart-shaped pizza & Valentine sugar cookies as a special treat.  Frugal tip:  Whenever I use my oven to bake pizza or other main dishes, I try to bake at least 2 things to maximize the energy.  If the items require different oven temps, I bake one right after the other.

This week’s shopping trip highlight was brought to you by Jolene, the  TFF 99 Cents Only Store expert! Find a 99 Cents Store location near you.  We’re looking for a Winco store expert, could that be YOU?  If so contact me for more details. 

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Today’s trip to the 99 Cents Only Store helped me finalize this week’s meal plan.  I’ll share my strategy for dove-tailing my 99 Cent Only bargains with my mainstream store shopping.1.    Hunts Whole Tomatoes No Salt, 28 oz.
2.    Cilantro, 3 pk.
3.    Potatoes, 5 lbs.
4.    Brussels Sprouts, 1 lb.
5.    Kiwi Fruit
6.    Velveeta Chipotle Cheese Dip, 15 oz.
7.    Ritz Crackerfuls Big Stuff
8.    Ore Ida Sweet Potato Fries, 19 oz.
9.    LaCreme French Vanilla Creamer, pint
10.  International Delight Breve Creamer, pint
Not pictured:  Green Split Peas 1 lb, Gala Apples 1.5 lb.
Re-stocked for those who were searching:  Kelloggs cereal, and the toys that were posted around Christmas

I tend to use proteins as a springboard for meal plans.  Split Chicken Breast was $0.60/lb in a deal I spotted at Nob Hill/Raley’s.  It’s raining outside, but we’ve got a pot of Chicken Tortilla Soup simmering!  I simply added the Hunts Whole Tomatoes, cilantro, garlic, and whole wheat tortillas gathered from the 99 Cents Only Store!  So, my strategy was buying the protein from a mainstream store (Nob Hill) & buy the other ingredients from the 99 Cents Only Store.  About $5 for a pot of soup that’ll last us two meals!  Also from Nob Hill, I bought the Jennie-O Turkey Burgers with E-coupon + $2/1 printable coupon.  My find today of Sweet Potato Fries will pair well with those burgers.

A final example of dove-tailing involves Fresh & Easy Market.  Last month they offered half hams at only $0.49/lb.  I’ll make Ham & Potato Casserole using the potatoes from today’s trip, and Split Pea & Ham Soup as the final dish I’ll squeeze out of my ingredients!

This week’s shopping trip highlight was brought to you by Jolene, the  TFF 99 Cents Only Store expert! Find a 99 Cents Store location near you.  We’re looking for a Winco store expert, could that be YOU?  If so contact me for more details. 

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