The double BOGO

If you shop at Publix pretty often like I do, then you are probably pretty familiar with the buy one get one free items that they have.  They are on a regular rotation, so typically every 4-6 weeks you will see the same items go BOGO.  Well, usually the BOGO items are convenience packaged foods, and my husband consumes a lot of that stuff- corndogs, chicken patties, frozen pizzas, etc since I work late several nights per week.  I was reading on the internet about how you can buy coupons off of ebay, and I had never thought to check there before.  Lo and behold, I found a lady that was selling 10 coupons for buy one get one free Curly's pulled pork.  I remembered that I had bought it BOGO before from Publix or Winn Dixie (I sometimes shop there for BOGO items.)  Here is where the double BOGO comes in- if the item is already BOGO at the store, and you have a BOGO coupon, then you actually get both items free.  So for 99 cents, I bought 10 of the BOGO Curly's coupons.  I was taking a risk because they expire June 30 and I wasn't sure if the Curly's pulled pork would go on sale during that time.  Luckily, Wednesday came around and I saw that Curly's was BOGO at Winn Dixie.  I got my coupons in the mail Thursday night, went to Winn Dixie Friday morning, and picked up 20 containers of Curly's pulled pork for FREE.  At $5.99 each, it was a significant amount of savings.  I bought a few other BOGO items while I was there just so that my total would be a positive number.  All in all, I spent $17.05 and walked away with $150 worth of groceries.  The pulled pork came in handy for Memorial Day weekend, and I now have tons of meat in the fridge and freezer.  I won't do this often, but if it's a product I could really use and have the storage for it, I think it's a great way to stretch your budget.

Buttery Lemon Spinach

Ingredients

• 2 (10 ounce) bags pre-washed fresh spinach
• 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions

Rinse the spinach and place the leaves into a microwavable serving dish. Add the butter, garlic and lemon juice. Cover with plastic wrap. Steam in the microwave until the butter is melted and spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap and toss to distribute seasoning before serving.

3 weight watchers points per serving, makes 6 servings

Fettucini Alfredo with Bacon

This recipe came from Cooking Light, and is definitely less fat and calories than traditional Alfredo sauce.

1 (9-ounce) package refrigerated fresh fettuccine (REALLY important to use fresh! Note: we used fresh tri-color tortellini instead because we had that on hand)
2 slices applewood-smoked bacon, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup 1% low-fat milk
2/3 cup (about 2 1/2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (I left this out)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. While pasta cooks, cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 4 minutes or until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings. Add garlic to drippings in pan; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Sprinkle flour over garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly; cook 2 minutes or until bubbly and slightly thick, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low. Gradually add cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in salt and reserved 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Add hot pasta to pan; toss well to combine. Sprinkle with bacon, parsley, and pepper.