This recipe came about when we were having guests and I pulled a pork loin roast (well, actually two small pork roasts) out of the freezer and then challenged myself to make something with the ingredients I had on had. I love to cook this way, I discover the best taste combinations and have built up a repertoire of dishes I come back to time and again. This is just  such a dish. As a bonus, it is inexpensive (when the pork is on sale especially), it is easy, and you can marinate the pork before putting it into the freezer if you choose to!

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I’m headed out of town this weekend for a conference. And while I know my husband plays a wonderful Mr. Mom when I travel, I like to make it as simple as possible for him to get dinner on the table for himself and the kids! (There’s that simple word again.) Usually, there isn’t a whole lotta time to spare from the time he walks in the door from work and when the kiddos bellies start growling for dinner. So, the faster and easier for him, the better for everyone!

I’ll be away from Thursday to Sunday, so I’ll plan to leave 2 “slow cooker packs,” sausage and eggs for a simple “brinner,” and they can go out to eat on a “daddy date” this weekend!

Slow Cooker Packs

• Sweet Potato and Chicken Curry
• Beef Roast with Apples, Carrots, Red Potatoes and Pearl Onions (except I’ll use stew beef cubes instead of roast, because that’s what I have on hand!)

What do you do for your spouse when you leave town for a few days or go out for the night? Make it simple for them? Let them fend for themselves? Order in?

One more great restaurant coupon for you this week…join Logan’s Roadhouse free Nut-E Club and receive a $5 off coupon for your next purchase.  Plus, be entered to win a trip for 2 to the 2012 Men’s College Basketball Championship! 

See more Restaurant deals for this week here.

Free restaurant food is always nice when we decide to treat ourselves and eat out.  Visit Smashburger’s Facebook page and print a coupon to get a FREE entree when you buy a chicken sandwich. Coupon expires 3/11/2012, but print it soon, since they could remove the offer at any time.

Thanks, Surviving the Stores!

Do your kids have a hard time waiting when you are out for dinner?  Check out a few creative ideas including this Tic Tac Toe game over on How Does She.

Deals on Amazon

• GoGo SqueeZ Apple/Strawberry 48 packs are on Manager’s Special (so act quick!). Use the Subscribe and Save option and get them for around 42 cents/each. I believe that this is a better price than buying them at Costco.

• Clip a coupon for 35% off Baby Gourmet Organic  baby food. No Subscribe and Save option needed!

• Save on Happy Baby Organic Baby Food in 16 packs which are on Manager’s Special as well. Use the Subscribe & Save option and get the each pouch for $1.05 each. The price could go up at any time.

• Save up to 35% off Kashi products again this month! Plus save even more when you use the the Subscribe & Save option!

• I am just discovering Amazon’s coupon section. There are great coupons for several organic and natural products like Ezekiel 4:9 products, stevia, chia seeds, various Glutenfreeda products as well.

Confused on the Subscribe & Save option? The Subscribe & Save option allows you to order an automatic delivery at a regular interval of your choice. The best part of the option is that you get FREE shipping  plus an additional 15% off. Don’t want another delivery? Cancel your subscription after your initial order has shipped.

Daily Deal Sites

• Save 70%  on Halo Organic Sleep Sacks over at Zulily. Each sleep sack is $8.99.  Zulily has several lines currently of organic clothes for both children and women including this adorable newsboy hat from Urban Smalls. Score FREE shipping on any orders today after you place your initial order.Try the code: ZURETAIL467 to possibly score $5 off a $50 order.

Organic & Natural Printable Coupons

• It’s a new month so be sure to print off the reset Whole Foods store coupons, Stonyfield Organic Dairy coupons and Earth’s Best Organic Baby Food Coupons.

• Over at Coupons.com, print $1.25 off one Alexia item, save $1 on two Cascadin Farms organic products and $1/off McCann’s Irish oatmeal  and more!

• At Mambo Sprouts, there are several new organic coupons as well.

For many of us the kitchen is the central hub of our home, so why not have our goals in that same area?  Check out this crafty goals board from Home Stories A 2 Z.

Congrats to the 5 winners of The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook …and the $100 worth of groceries winner too!

In case you haven’t heard…every month we give away 5 cookbooks to active subscribers…3 from the daily email subscriber list, and 2 from the Weekly Meal Plan subscriber list. You too can be entered to win one of my latest cookbooks by signing up for free email updates from $5 Dinners!

You can sign up for the Daily $5 Dinners Email to be entered to win the $100 or 1 of 3 cookbooks, or the Weekly Meal Plan email to be entered to win 1 of 2 copies of the cookbook!

Winner of the $100 Worth of Groceries

• lynnehass@

(Winner will be paid by Paypal only.)

Cookbook Winners from the Daily $5 Dinners Email List

• shopping.jam@
• candacebryant93@
• fromkt2u@

Cookbook Winners from the Weekly Meal Plan Email List

• jtsheehy@
• luci.malloy@

Congrats again to each of you and thank you so much for your continued support of $5 Dinners!

All winners have been contacted via email with further instructions.

If you are looking for some coupons and freebies to to help you save on dinner on the town, date nights, and for when you need a break from cooking, then you’re in the right spot!

While we certainly know that eating out is more expensive than eating in, it is nice to treat yourself and your family every now and again to a meal out on the town. Our family eats out 2 or 3 times a month, and we’ve been able to do so for less than $60 for the month…in part because of all the great coupons, daily deals, and other offers from restaurants in our area.

Check out the latest coupons that will help you spend less on your next “out to dinner” night!

Restaurant Coupons

• Evos Coupon – Buy 1 Value Meal Get 1 Free (exp: 2/14/2012)

• Marble Slab Coupon – $1 Off Any Waffle Bowl Sundae (exp: 2/29/2012)

• Marie Callender’s Coupon – Buy 1 Entree and 2 Beverages Get 1 Entree 1/2 Off (exp: 2/29/2012)

• McAlister’s Deli Coupon – Buy 1 Entree and Receive 6 Valentine’s Coupons for Free Kids Meal WYB 1 Entree (exp: 2/14/2012)

• O’Charley’s Coupon – $5 off $20 purchase (exp: 2/9/2012)

• Planet Hollywood Coupon – $10 Off $20 Food & Drink Purchase (exp: 6/30/2012)

• Quiznos Coupon – Buy 1 Sub or Salad Get 1 Chip or Cookie and Fountain Drink Free (exp: 2/8/2012)

• Souper Salad Coupon – $5.79 Buffet (exp: 2/14/2012)

• Subway – $5 any Footlong for the month of February (no coupon necessary)

• Tumbleweed Coupon 1 Small Queso, 2 Tex Mex Dinners, and 2 Margarita Sundaes for $20 (exp: 4/15/2012)

• Villa Fresh Italian Kitchen Coupon – Buy 1 Cheese Slice Get 1 Free (exp: 2/29/2012)

Restaurant Freebies

• Bruegger’s Coupon – 3 free bagels via Facebook (valid February 9th only!)

• Chili’s – Sign up for the Chili’s Email Club and receive exclusive offers and print a coupon for FREE order of Skillet Queso & Chips.

Kids Eat Free

• Bob Evans – Kids eat free on Tuesdays with adult entree purchase

• Earth Fare – Thursdays from 4 – 8 pm, with $5 adult purchase

• Ikea: Kids eat free on Tuesdays

• McAlister’s Deli Coupon – Buy 1 Entree and Receive 6 Valentine’s Coupons for Free Kids Meal WYB 1 Entree (exp: 2/14/2012)

Thanks to Savings Lifestyle, Coupon Cravings, Common Sense with Money, Surviving the Stores, and Stretching a Buck for helping us compile this list!

::: Download the FREE $5 Dinners Toolbar – never miss a recipe, coupon, deal or meal plan! Learn more. :::

A

This is one of those “oops…I forgot to start the slow cooker” meals! I had the roast, I had planned to slow cook the roast. (This is the meal I was intending to make!)

But I forgot to put my slow cooker on the counter the night before…so I completely forgot to get our dinner started.

I’ve learned that about myself over the past few years…if I can have a “clue” out on the counter about dinner, then it’s much easier for me to fit dinner prep into my afternoon, early evening schedule. As I dance in and out of the kitchen throughout the day, I spot the “clue” and that helps me formulate my plan for when to start (and usually photograph) our meal. This has really helped me avoid the whole “open-the-fridge-at-5pm-and-wonder-what’s-for-dinner” thing!

Sometimes the “clue” is a can of tomatoes and spices. Other times it’s a box or package of pasta. Occasionally the bread machine (yay for homemade pizza dough!).  And this time it was supposed to be the slow cooker. So I’d remember to start dinner, right after breakfast. Doh.

Thankfully, the Dutch oven works as a wonderful backup to the slow cooker.

Braise the roast, toss it into the Dutch oven with a bunch of onions and let it cook over low heat for 2 hours. Instead of 8!

We enjoyed this beef with some Sister Schubert’s rolls and frozen vegetables! (Sister Schubert’s $.50/1 coupon, and other Sister Schubert’s coupons!)

Note: My never pay more than price for a chuck roast is $2.49/lb.

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