This week in groceries

I suck at taking pics. Once again, I've got nothing to show. BUT, I got a ton done this week. Hyvee is having $1 sales this week. I have been waiting for MONTHS for some of these things to get to my price range. In another fit of blatant single mindedness I threw the receipts right in the recycle bin. But I can tell you I spent about $52 and change at 2 different Hyvee's (the closest one was out of some things already). I remember the highlights as follows:

Farmland bulk sausage $1/Lb. I decided as soon as my eyes landed on the ad that sausage is the new hamburg in our house. If I had more of a budget to work with I would totally have bought more. The $52 was stretching it already, and I put one thing back to get to that total anyway. Le sigh. Next time!
Next item. French bread $1 each. They were small. I have a bread maker (and I'm using it regularly so far). Passed that one up.
Eggs $1/doz. I have 3 dozen in my fridge so that one also got a pass.
Jumbo hot dogs $1/Lb. I gave that a pass too because they aren't very healthy and we have some in the freezer already.
Carrots (the whole kind without the leafy bits) $1/2Lbs. I snatched up 2 of these bad boys. Carrots keep almost forever and my produce bin was mighty bare.
Green onions $1/2 bunches. This pin explains it all. I only got one but I used it all up right away.
Bell peppers - green ones $1/2, colored ones ... I've forgotten but they were on sale too. More expensive though. My tip: spend a tad extra for Roasted Bell Pepper Strips in a jar. There is no waste and if you get the strips (as opposed to the ones that are cut into chunks) there is no cutting involved either. Most stores around here carry Mezzetta brand (16 oz), but Aldi has a smaller jar (12 oz) that they carry as a regular item. This is a good trade off IMO, as long as colored peppers remain high enough (you be the judge).
Spaghetti sauce $1/24oz. Hyvee actually had a better price than Aldi ($1.19/24oz). I was shocked! It doesn't happen often, particularly on pantry staples. I stocked up on these bad boys - 8 bottles. They had five or six of different flavors too. I am too used to only choosing between Aldi's 3 flavors.
Chicken parts $1/Lb - sometimes this is a good price, but mostly not. I bit on the drums anyway, and also a manager's special package of wings $6.xx/3ish Lbs.
Aspirin $1/100 count - when I got to the store it was marked at 88 cents. Bonus!
Boneless pork shoulder roast $1.77/Lb. I am hard pressed to find any kind of meat under $3/Lb - even hamburger (80% or leaner only). So this was a pretty good deal. Apparently this is the same thing as a "butt roast". Change the name for marketing I guess, it was marked on the package "Hormel Butt Roast". Anyhow, it is in the crock pot as I am writing (typing?) along with some potatoes and carrots also from this sale run.
Lasagna noodles $1.89/Lb - I haven't been keeping track. It seemed like a good deal at the time because DH requested it for supper and it was less than the name brands. A little.

There were some other good deals, and some deals on junk. (It's still junk even if it's cheap.) I don't know how it all adds up, this is just what I remember. Most of it got cooked up the next day. I'll be posting shortly about that. Until then, hasta la vista grocery budget! :D

Meatballs In Chipotle Sauce

1/2 lb Beef, ground finely
1/2 lb Pork, ground finely
1/3 c Onions, finely chopped
2 Tbs Flour
1 Tbs Cilantro, fresh minced
1/2 tsp Oregano, dried
1/4 tsp Cumin, ground
1 Egg, beaten
3 Tbs Vegetable oil

SAUCE
1 Tbs Vegetable oil
1 Onion, chopped
2 Garlic cloves, chopped
1 c Tomato sauce
2 Chipotles, canned in adobo sauce, stemmed and chopped
2 Tbs Adobo sauce (from chilis)
1/2 c Beef broth

TORTILLA CUPS
6 Flour tortillas (6 inch)
Vegetable oil for frying
Chopped lettuce

MEATBALLS: Combine all the meatball ingredients, except the oil, and mix well. Form into 1 1/2 inch balls. Brown the meatballs in the oil, remove, and keep warm.

SAUCE: To make the sauce, add the oil to the pan and saute the onion and garlic until soft. Add the remaining sauce ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the sauce is thickened. Place the sauce in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Return the sauce to the pan, add the meatballs, and heat through.

TORTILLA CUPS: To make the tortilla cups, pour the oil to a depth of 3 inches and heat to 375 degrees. Place a tortilla in the oil and let it float for a couple of seconds. Press the center into the oil with a can or ladle to form a bowl and fry until crisp, remove, and drain. To serve, place the lettuce in each of the tortilla cups, top with the meatballs, and serve.