I had the privilege of spending time with these lovely ladies, and the doughboy of course, at the Smuckers headquarters in Orrville, OH., on Wednesday and Thursday.

From left: Me , Shannon, Tanya, Jenny, Nicole, Nikki, Jennifer, Mandy and Stacy, and I think you all know the Doughboy!

The invitation to join the Smuckers family was extended to us and I’d like to extend that further to you! 

We started our fun filled Thursday at the Smuckers Store.

Breakfast with 4th Generation Smucker Family CEO, Richard Smucker

Hearing from 5th Generation Smucker Family Member, and President Mark Smucker

The Jelly Wall…

And the Strawberry Jam Chandelier

Hanging out with the Doughboy.  My belly is a smidge larger than the last time I saw the doughboy! Oh, and did you know he dances?

For breakfast, we had my Cinnamon Butternut Squash Muffins, made with Whole Wheat Hungry Jack and Crisco Oil.

Interesting Fact: J.M. Smucker began the business in 1897 selling homemade apple butter from his horse drawn cart around the city and countryside.

After breakfast and the store, we went to a panel to learn about their Crisco oils and olive oil.

What’s in the blue glass? Olive oil!  We had an olive oil taste testing.  Learned what to look for in terms of smell and flavor of the different types of olive oil. There really is a difference in flavor between extra virgin olive oil and pure olive oil.

The lovely Jenny swirling her olive oil…warming it up to be tasted, then schloshed around and spit out.

Our mid-morning snack: Sampling different parts of the Thanksgiving meal using a variety of Smuckers family products…including turkey that was deep fried in Crisco Peanut Oil. {licking lips}

The 5 Generations of Smuckers

After our mid-morning snack and a food photography session, we went over to the original Smucker’s home for lunch.  We toured the home.  Above is a photograph of the 4 generations.  The little baby, Tim, now co-CEO, shared some kind words with us over lunch.

Replica of J. M. Smucker’s Desk

For whatever reason, I am intrigued by old product packaging…

And how it changes over the centuries!

When asked why the Smucker’s family has been able to maintain such strong core family values through the years, while establishing and growing their small apple butter business into a company that cranks out 600 jars of jelly a minute, Tim Smucker quoted the above Scripture from Galatians.

Plant Tour

Imagine with me.

A truck comes to dump apples into a large cement container just outside the jarring and packaging plant.  A steady stream of water floats the apples and they float out a little door at the base of the container, into a canal that runs under the street into the plant facility.  The apples are washed by machine, then sorted by hand.  The apples are shuffled along by large machinary and crushed.  The “leftover pulp” is spit out of the crushing machine into barrels that will become animal feed (they don’t let anything go to waste!).  The apples are then stewed and cooked with sugar into apple butter.  Once cooked, they are added into another large container that runs the apple butter down stairs to the jarring and packaging part of the plant.

Downstairs, glass jars are sent through a sterilization machine.  They come out a hole in the wall and are run through a circular drum that fills the jars (600/minute!).  They run down the conveyer and slip through another machine that twists on the lids (600/minute!)…then on to the computerized labeling machine that labels when and where they were packaged.  Then onto the paper labeling machine, where the front and back labels are glued on to the jar.  The jars then group together into 12’s and a box from underneath pops up under the groups of jars and gets glued around the jars.  Then the boxed group gets wrapped in plastic and shuffled overhead to another location to be placed on the palates…ready for the trucks to come and take them to the grocery store.  Where they eventually end up on the shelf, ready for you to purchase.

And that’s just the apple butter.

Nevermind the train cars that bring in the sweeteners.  And the thousands of barrels of frozen fruit that are housed in a ginormous freezer at -10 degrees.  Waiting to be thawed and cooked into jams and/or jellies.

Plants and factories just fascinate me.

It was quite the impressive production!  I have such an appreciation for what goes into making a product after seeing it all in action.  Will make me think twice when I pull that next jar of jelly off the grocery store shelf!

Oh.  The smell.  I haven’t mentioned the smell.  Of apple butter cooking in the plant. Heavenly.

A Few Other Highlights

After our initial lunch in downtown Cleveland on Wednesday, we stopped in to the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame for a VIP tour.  I didn’t take too many picts because of their no photograph policy!

Wednesday evening, we enjoyed a delightful dinner at Ken Stewart’s Lodge, complete with roasting Smores…at the table!

2nd Grade

And I’d really like to go back to 2nd grade.  So I can carry around this SUPER STELLAR lunch box!  I’d be the coolest girl in the school.  For sure!

With that…Welcome to the Smuckers family, y’all!

Next week, I’ll share a little about the food photography session!

Disclosure: This was an all-expense paid blogger’s event. You can read more about the $5 Dinners Disclosure Policy here.

It’s time to introduce you to Steve.

Hi, Steve! {Everyone wave}

Hey everyone!!! {Steve waving back}

Steve is “The Hubs.”  Back when I started this adventure, it was common practice to not name family members for security purposes.  But that has changed for us now.  Since his name is forever etched onto the first page of the cookbook, I figured it was high time for an e-introduction.

Steve appears here and there.  I try to share his “reactions” to the meals.  Whenever they are good!  Of course. Like “oh my goodness, this soup tastes like that stuff we had at the Wolfgang Puck restaurant in the St. Louis airport.”

I digress.

Sunday Night Meetings

What are they?

Every Sunday night, Steve and I meet to talk.  We have a short devotion and prayer time.  We talk about the events on the calendar for the upcoming week.  We talk about who needs to do what. We talk about finances…current account balances, planning the week’s purchases, and a review of long term financial goals.

Why we do them?

Back in July I shared how I switched back to an “all cash” grocery shopping strategy after spending the first half of the year shopping at Walmart on the gift cards that I won.  In September, we decided it was time to go “all cash” for EVERYTHING.  And by EVERYTHING, I mean everything! (We do keep a debit card for online purchases, such as airfare.  That’s about all we need it for!)

By sitting down together each week, we are able to stay within our budget and achieve our long term financial goals. One week at a time. 

How the meetings have helped us manage our finances?

When we both “see” what is in our accounts each and every week (instead of imagining or guessing without knowledge of what the other has spent/is spending!), we can plan what and how much we will need to spend on groceries, gas, repairs, and other miscellaneous needs.  We also anticipate “major” purchases and decide when the best time to make those purchases.  No impulse spending allowed!!! 

Being proactive and involved in our finances on a weekly basis has helped us stay focused on our long term financial goals, be accountable to each other with our spending, and to really evaluate what and how wer are spending our money each week.

I will say.  I was a bit hesitant at first. I kinda liked “guessing” how much money we had.  Ignorance is bliss, right?

Not when it comes to finances!  I can now say that Reality is Bliss.

Once I got past the “oh this is gonna be really hard” part, I find that there is no other way for us to meet our long term financial goals than to have these weekly “check-ins,” and to stay accountable.

Plus: We’ve just added a new feature.  The “parenting” feature!  We take a few minutes to talk about what the kids are up to, how we’d like to handle certain things.  Having a plan ahead of time really helps when you’re “in a bad behavior moment”!!!

Basic communication.  That’s all our meetings are.  But I know how easy it is to lose that basic communication in this hyper-speed world that we live in! 

I share this to encourage.  To let you know what is working for us.  And I hope you find this concept useful!

Hey all!

Same great site here.  Just with a new and updated look!  I ask that you please pardon the dust as I iron things out and get things where they need to be. And get acquainted with the new theme…and how it “works.”

If you’re reading in a reader or receiving the email, please click through the post title and take a look at the new and updated site!

My favorite new feature: the drop down menus, that will help you better navigate the site. 

A HUGE thanks to Lisa B, Amy and Heather for their help in redesigining and making this transition happen!

I shared with you #bakingday Part 1.  And here is part 2 and 3.

Saturday

I spent several hours on Satruday whipping up all sorts of stuff in the kitchen!

See?

Here’s the complete list…sorta:

1. 4 Holiday Recipes – which I PROMISE to share in plenty of time for the holidays! Yes, including the pies pictured.

2. 18 Sausage and Cheese Breakfast Burritos for the Hubs (All-natural sausage plus scrambled eggs with cheese…wrapped in whole wheat tortillas!)

3. Breakfast muffins…recipe coming Monday

4. Roasted 3 pie pumpkins

And then there was this.  I didn’t have the heart to ask the Hubs to help with these.  Because he was outside raking leaves (we have 48 trees on our property!) the entire time I was in the kitchen.  I typically “do the dishes as I go,” but I just had too many things going on at once, I couldn’t keep up!

Tuesday

The list for today was a bit shorter.

• Drop biscuits
• Lynn’s Cinnamon Rolls
• Mini Pizza Crusts

And with that. I’m done. Freezer couldn’t be any more full than it is.

I’m going to sit on the couch for the next 2 weeks.  Well, not really.

But really.

Thanksgiving is my favorite meal of the whole year.  I love every part of it…

• the colors of the trees outside
• the piles of leaves in the street that await the leaf sucker-upper
• the rock bottom prices in the grocery stores
• the insane number of coupons that are released during November
• the fantastic Thanksgiving deals that can be found matching up coupons with sale prices 
• the many fragrances that fill the house as the oven roasts the turkey and bakes the pies

Ahhh.

It will be a bit different for us this year.  With a very small newborn, I couldn’t imagine preparing the whole feast, as I’ve done in years past!  So we’ll be feasting with family.  And if I can manage to whip up a side dish, I will!

I wanted to share a few reminders on how to reduce the overall cost of your Thanksgiving meal.

1. Plan. Rework the plan. Finalize the plan.

Make a plan.  Dig through those recipe cards, browse the magazines.  Make your plan. But only pencil it in!

Then rework your plan as time gets closer and you see things on sale, or another recipe you’d like to experiment with.

On Sunday before Thanksgiving, finalize the plan and get to work!  By then, you’ll have seen all the products that are on sale, what the lowest prices are and you’ll be able to carve the plan into stone.

2. Prices.

From my experience in years past, the LOWEST prices on all the Thanksgiving favorites…like green beans, sweet potatoes, pecans and walnuts, cranberry sauces, etc…are found during Thanksgiving week.  And possibly the week before.

It’s a tricky game to play, but if you have a plan and you see something on your list for 60-75% less than regular retail price the week before Thanksgiving, go ahead and get it.  Or wait and hope it’s still on sale for Thanksgiving week.  But if you wait, it might not be on sale the next week.  Trust your instincts.

3. Coupons. Coupons. Coupons.

Over the next few weeks, there will be an insane number of coupons released both online and in the newspapers.  Many of which are for the most popular products used during the Thanksgiving meal.

Clip them. Use them. Match them with the products on sale!

4. Turkey Prices.

Watch those circulars.  I already see whole turkeys advertised in my store for $1.49/lb.  But I know it will be half that price come Turkey Day! 

Shop around.  Pay close attention to all the store’s prices in your area.

How big of a turkey should I get?  Rule of thumb: 1 lb. per person attending your feast. Depending on how much meat you need/want for leftovers!

And don’t forget…this is a great time to get an extra turkey, perhaps a smaller turkey breast, that you can cook up in the slow cooker and use the meat for multiple meals.  Prices won’t be this low until Thanksgiving 2010!

Enjoy your feast!  And revel in the fact that you spent as little as you could on your Turkey Day Feast!!!

What other tips do you have to share for saving $$$ on the Thanksgiving meal???

I really enjoyed reading through all your ideas and ways you involve your kiddos in the kitchen, how you enjoy snuggling with your little ones, and ways to create a healthy environment with your kiddos.

Mod Mum Sling

If you are interested in purchasing a Mod Mum Sling, use the coupon code TENOFF to get $10 off your purchase, including sale items!  Great idea for holiday gift.  Coupon code expires 12/30/09.

#339 – Denise 

Curious Chef Cooking Sets

#208 – Joanna

Land of Nod Breakfast in Bed Set

# 483 – Jennifer L.

Happy Baby Book

#185 – Amy

Congrats to all the winners!  Be on the lookout for an email from me!

I found a jar of apricot preserves in my pantry.  And there’s not a better way to use it up than this!

I used the Apricot Chicken recipe from the Make it Fast, Cook it Slow Cookbook!

Hello, delicious.

Ingredients
3 large or 4 small chicken breasts ($2.57)
About 2/3 cup apricot preserves ($.75)
1 tsp dried minced onion flakes ($.05)
1 Tbsp dijon mustard ($.05)
1 Tbsp soy sauce ($.05)
1/4 tsp ginger ($.02)
1 cup white rice ($.20)
1 small spaghetti squash (about 2 lbs.) ($1.03)
Butter and brown sugar/honey ($.20)

Directions
1. Place chicken breasts in the base of the slow cooker.
2. In small bowl, stir together the apricot preserves, onion flakes, dijon mustard, soy sauce, and ginger. Pour over the chicken. Set the slow cooker to low and cook for 8 hours.
3. About an hour before dinner, bake the spaghetti squash, just as you would bake a butternut squash. Scrape out the flesh and combine with butter and brown sugar or honey.
4. In small saucepan, add 2 1/4 cup of water. Bring to a boil. Add 1 cup white rice, and return water to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for 15-20 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork before serving.
5. Serve Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken with Sweet Spaghetti Squash and Rice.

Cost $4.92

Kroger

It was the 10 Item Mega Event again this week.

But I screwed it up!!! I miscounted. I only had 39 items, not 40.  So I missed out on another $5 in savings.

I knew my total should have been right around $80…or a little over.  So when it came out to be $86, I knew something was amiss.  I didn’t figure it out until I got to the car.  Too late. UGH!

It was still a great trip.  My final “stock-up.” It’s just too difficult for me to push a cartful through the store at this point.  So I’ll just be bopping in for produce and milk/eggs in the next few weeks.  Post-baby.

Free – 7 packets of tuna (both Bumblebee and Starkist), Playtex gloves, 4 cans Rotel, and butter spray

For $1 or less – 4 Smart Balance (dairy-free) butters, pads and pantiliners, pomegranate, 6 bags chocolate chips, 2 granola bars, 2 bread loaves, yogurt, 6 boxes Kleenex, 1/2 gallon milk, 1 lint roller

Produce – $1 Pomegranates was the only highlight! Oh, and the $2 pineapple, thanks to coupon found here!

Coupons Used - $40 worth!

Total spent at Kroger: $86.67

Way over my $60/week budget…but I have no doubt that I’ll just be spending $20-$30 the next several weeks…or longer!

My grocery store’s ad scan!

Want healthy and inexpensive meal ideas, the hottest coupons and other money saving tips delivered to your inbox??? Sign up for the FREE $5 Dinners Email Newsletter!

Tonight’s guest recipe comes from Susie at Susie’s Homemade.  She is a thriving stay-at-home mom of two wonderful girls (5 and 19) and a caretaker of my 67 year old live-in mother. On her blog, Susie’s Homemade, she shares her adventures in baking, cooking, gardening, homemaking and entertaining.

Ingredients
1 lbs Chicken Breast
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Butter
2 Garlic Cloves, minced or crushed
2 cups of Water
1 Can (10 3/4 oz.) Cream of Chicken Soup
1 Can (10 3/4 oz.) Cream of Mushroom Soup
2 cups of Instant Rice
1 cup Frozen Peas

Directions
1. Pound chicken flat and season both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Heat oil, butter, and garlic to a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until you get a golden brown color in the garlic. Add chicken and cook until the chicken is also golden brown (about 5 minutes per side). Cook until no longer pink in the middle. Set cooked chicken on a plate.
3. Deglaze the pan with the water. Whisk in the soups and heat to a boil.
4. Stir in rice and peas and top with chicken.
5. Cover and cook over low heat for 5 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
7. Serve Garlic Chicken over Creamy Risotto and Peas.

Serves 4.

Get the soups on sale and this meal is sure to be under $5!

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
__________________________________________________

Have a Frugal and Healthy Recipe to share?

Post the recipe on your blog and then add the link below. Other guidelines can be found here. To make it easy for other readers to find your recipe, please leave the link that leads directly to your recipe post. Any links that lead to your homepage will be deleted. If you don’t have a blog, feel free to leave your recipe in the comments section!

Want healthy and inexpensive meal ideas, the hottest coupons and other money saving tips delivered to your inbox??? Sign up for the FREE $5 Dinners Email Newsletter!

UPDATE: This giveaway is now closed!

The new book HappyBaby: The Organic Guide to Baby’s First 24 months is filled with eco-friendly parenting tips, green cleaning tips, lots and lots of homemade organic baby food how tos and recipes, and countless other tips and tricks for providing your baby with the safest, greenest, and healthiest first 2 years of life!

I needed a breast-feeding “refresher” and the book contains a thorough section on breastfeeding from start to finish. And for those who are unable to breast feed for whatever reason, the book offers advice and encouragement for selecting the best and healthiest formula for your baby. The bulk of the remainder of the book offers feeding advice for starting solid foods and building a healthy foundation for the rest of baby’s life. I’m looking forward to using the recipes when I make baby food for little guy #3!

Also, the book contains coupons for Seventh Generation diapers, free offer for Happy Baby food product, as well as coupons for a variety of other green and organic baby products!  Gotta love a book that comes with coupons!

Giveaway Details

1. Contest ends Tuesday, November 3rd at 10 pm EST. Winners will be announced back here on this post, and notified via email with further instructions.

2. Entry #1: Leave a comment just saying you want to win.

3. Entry #2: Leave a SEPARATE comment telling me in what way you promoted this contest (i.e., posting it in a forum, posting about it on your blog, Tweet about it, emailing all your friends, and/or subscribe to my feed by email or in a reader).

4. Entry #3: Share ANY tip or trick that you found helpful in creating the safest, healthiest and greenest environment for your little ones.

5. Winner will be selected by Random.org.

**NOTE: If you receive the email newsletter and wish to enter this giveaway, click on the title of this giveaway to get to the site and leave a comment on the site with your name and email address to be entered!

*Disclosure: I did receive a copy of the book in conjunction with this giveaway.  Opinions given are my own.