pasta

The 5 Best Pasta Makers

Janae Spinato — Wed, 17 Jun 2015 09:00:13 +0000

Pasta is a major staple in any kitchen because of its versatility and filling nature. Making pasta is not that hard, but making good pasta is a talent that goes underappreciated.

The next time you’re eating good pasta from an Italian restaurant thinking to yourself “Man, I wish I could make pasta this great,” remember one important thing: The pasta you’re eating probably hasn’t come from a box. There is a good chance the people in the kitchen have hand crafted those ravioli on your plate and you can taste the difference. And the good news is that you don’t have to go without that difference, because you can have a simple pasta maker right in your own home.

What Is a Pasta Maker?

Sometimes called a “pasta machine,” a pasta maker does just what its name promises: it makes delicious, fresh pasta. It rolls out dough chunks into flat sheets or whatever the desired shape is based on the kind of pasta maker you have. They come with a crank on the side since it requires rolling by hand, but if that doesn’t sound appealing. If you’re making something like lasagna, you can leave the flattened sheet of dough whole, or you can cut it up if you want to make something smaller like ravioli. Most past makes come with the ability to make many varieties of pasta.

Top 5 Pasta Makers

CucinaPro Imperia Pasta Machine

One of the top rated pasta makers on Amazon, the CucinaPro Imperia Pasta Machine promises amazing looking, even better tasting pasta made fresh right in your home. The roller is about 6 inches long, the maker is 8 pounds heavy, and is made of chrome-plated steel, giving it a formidable sturdiness.

Along with being able to roll sheets, the CucinaPro comes with attachments to make fettuccine and spaghetti. If there’s a kind of pasta missing from this possibility arsenal, then there are additional purchase options to bring those home as well. On top of all this, if you’re not sure where to begin with making pasta at home, the CucinaPro comes with a small cookbook to get you started.

Currently $69.85 on Amazon

Atlas Electric Pasta Machine With Motor Set

If the idea of hand-cranking pasta seems like a bit much, the Atlas Electric Pasta Machine might be what you’re looking for. It weighs a hefty 8 pounds and lets you make three kinds of pasta: fettuccine, lasagna, and spaghetti round. The maker itself is made of chrome and nickel for strength and comes with a motor that can be detached and used with other Atlas attachments. The maker itself comes with nine settings for thickness to give you the perfect size of pasta for your needs.

With the Atlas Electric Pasta Maker, you get a clamp to help fasten the machine to the table, leaving both hands free to help the pasta roll through since the big rolling work will be taken care of by the 220v motor. Though a few customers complain that the motor is slow for their tastes, many people find it just the right speed to get cooking done in reasonable time. This set also comes with a small pasta recipe book to guide your imagination in creating spectacular pasta dishes in your own kitchen.

Currently $223.55 on Amazon

Meglio Pro Traditional Style Pasta Maker

For a cheaper option that won’t break the bank, the Meglio Pro Traditional Style Pasta Maker is a great option for those who still want fresh pasta. The Meglio Pro is about 8” long and has a roller that is 6” long. Stainless steel was the material used to make this particular model. With what it comes with, it can make spaghetti, fettuccine, lasagna, and ravioli. The rollers are adjustable for thickness so you can make the pasta perfectly sized for whatever dish you choose.

If you’re thinking about using the Meglio Pro outdoors or indoors, you’re in good hands because it comes with non-slip feet to keep it from getting knocked around too much. Since this option is one of the more frugal on this list, it might not be the best option for anyone who has had experience with pasta makers before and is looking for a chef-quality product. The Meglio Pro is a great option for anyone looking to give home pasta-making a try without having to purchase the more intense, higher priced makers.

Currently $24.99 on Amazon

Roma 6-Inch Traditional Style Pasta Machine

The Roma 6-Inch Traditional Style Pasta Machine has the biggest variety of pastas on this list that can be made without extra attachments: spaghetti, lasagna, linguine, and fettuccine. The thickness ranges from 1-9, giving the greatest variety of choices. It comes with a 1-year manufacturer warranty and is made of chromed steel.

Some owners have complained of issues with the hand crank or some instability of the product, which is expected since the parts are made slightly less sturdily to keep the price low. It comes with a C-clamp to reclaim some of its sturdiness and a recipe book to help you figure out what to do with all the choices having this pasta maker comes with.

Currently $35.10 on Amazon

Marcato Atlas Wellness 150 Pasta Maker

Another top Amazon pick, the Marcato Atlas Wellness 150 is a stainless steel powerhouse in the kitchen when it comes to dishing out great pasta. This is a manual crank pasta maker that comes with nine varieties of thickness for the pasta you create, ranging from 0.3mm to 2.5mm. Possibilities straight out of the box include tagliolini, fettuccine, and spaghetti. The body is made from chrome plated steel and the rollers are made from anodized aluminium, meaning it should last a long time. Those rollers are better for grabbing at the pasta, making it easier to roll the sheet through without worrying about tearing.

On top of this, the fact that the rollers are not made from heavier metals makes them a healthier option than chrome or nickel. A recipe book comes included, as well as a clamp to keep it still on the table. If you’re feeling for other kinds of pasta, attachments to make linguini or ravioli can be bought separately.

Currently $89.95 on Amazon

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This article is from Janae Spinato of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

11 Crazy-Good Crock-Pot Pasta Recipes

Ashley Marcin — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 15:00:08 +0000

Want pasta tonight without the boiling or fuss? Use your slow cooker to simmer up dinner with little effort. There are a number of delicious pasta meals you can make in the pot. The hardest part is finding a recipe. Lucky for you, we've done that work already. Now all you have to do is fix it and forget it. Oh, and then gobble it up! (See also: 13 International Crock-Pot Recipes That Are Out of This World)

1. Veggie Lasagna

Making vegetable lasagna in your slow cooker is much like making it in your oven. You'll create a cheese mixture, combine a jar of sauce with veggies, and layer noodles with everything to the top of the pot. Cook on low for four to five hours.

2. Chicken Spaghetti

You'll want to whip up this creamy chicken spaghetti every night. Start by cooking a pound of boneless chicken in broth for four hours until done. Then shred chicken, return it to the pot, and add your noodles, cream cheese, and some shredded cheese. Let warm for 45 minutes before serving.

3. Baked Ziti

There's nothing actually baked in this baked ziti recipe, but the flavor and texture is all there. Coat your slow cooker with some olive oil or cooking spray to help with cleanup. Place half your ziti in the bottom of the pot and cover with sauce. Then add veggies, meat, and cheese. Repeat another layer before cooking for four to five hours on low.

4. Cheesy Tortellini

Dinner for six is easy with this cheesy tortellini. The recipe calls for ground beef, but if you're vegetarian, feel free to leave it out or replace with veggies. The rest is tomato sauce, cheeses, and a tasty package of your favorite refrigerated three-cheese tortellini.

5. Veggie Spaghetti

Fill your slow cooker with veggie spaghetti goodness. The ingredients call for onions, garlic, green and red pepper, mushrooms, and more. I might even experiment using some seasonal vegetables from our CSA share this year. Add the basil and parsley right before serving.

6. Pasta e Fagioli

Have you ever wondered what pasta e fagioli means? I'll tell you: pasta and beans. The rest of this soup is made up of diced onion, celery, carrots, tomato, and garlic. Cook for six hours on low and you've got yourself a classic Italian dish.

7. Mexican Lasagna

Add some heat to dinner with this Mexican lasagna. It's made much like the more traditional lasagna recipe above — just with some different ingredients. You'll use refried beans, salsa, ground beef, sour cream, cream cheese, olives, green onions, and more. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

8. Mac and Cheese

No pasta roundup would be complete without a killer mac and cheese recipe. The author notes that you'll want to skip the whole wheat pasta — it doesn't jibe with the Crock-Pot. Otherwise, the secret is in the cheese sauce. You'll use American, Gruyere, and cheddar mixed with mustard, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg.

9. Chicken Broccoli Alfredo

The author of this chicken broccoli alfredo recipe boasts it comes together in less time than it takes your kids to brush their teeth. Pay attention to the directions, though. You need to cook the chicken first and add the broccoli only for the last hour. Otherwise, it'll get too mushy.

10. Manicotti

Stuffed pasta in a slow cooker? Yes, please. This manicotti recipe is teeming with ricotta and mozzarella. You can use your favorite store bought sauce to make the meal even faster. I imagine this same process would work great using stuffed shells in place of the manicotti.

11. Spaghetti Squash

For those of you who aren't into noodles, here's how to make perfect spaghetti squash in your Crock-Pot. You'll place your squash and two cups of water in the pot. Cook eight to nine hours on low before letting cool and discarding the water. Then top with your favorite sauce or follow the rest of the recipe in the post for a Thai "noodle" bowl.

What's your favorite slow cooker pasta recipe?

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This article is from Ashley Marcin of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Oodles of Noodles: 25 Ways to Prepare Pasta

Camilla Cheung — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 11:36:33 +0000

Pasta is one of the most versatile ingredients in your pantry. It can be whipped up in a couple of minutes for a quick weeknight meal, or it can be elegantly prepared for a dinner party. It's perfect for potlucks, can be prepared ahead of time and frozen, and tastes great microwaved the next day. I've divided this collection of pasta recipes into different sections — Quick and Easy, International, Classic Pasta Dishes, Impressive Dinners, and Up for a Challenge? — for easy reference.

Quick and Easy

A friend of mine who is a mother of four takes this easy shortcut to making dinner — at the beginning of the week, she boils up a big pot of pasta, drains it, and stores it in a large container in the fridge. During the week, whenever she needs a quick meal (emergencies happen when you’ve got four kids), she whips up a sauce to serve with the pasta, stirs in some frozen spinach, and calls it a meal. Pasta dishes are the easiest main dishes to cook in a flash, especially if the pasta’s already done. Most of the below recipes serve two to three, so double if cooking for a family.

1. Spinach, Ham, and Artichoke Pasta

In a little olive oil, sauté 2 handfuls of baby spinach and 3 slices of ham until warmed through and spinach is beginning to wilt. Add a few spoonfuls of artichoke antipasto (or tapenade, or prepared pesto) and 2-3 cups cooked penne, and stir until heated through. Add a couple tablespoons of water if sauce is too thick. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

2. Stovetop Tuna Casserole

In a large pan, heat a can of Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom or Cream of Chicken soup, stirring until smooth and creamy. Add a drained can of tuna and 1 cup of frozen vegetables (carrots, peas, and corn). Cook until veggies are thawed and heated through. Add 3 cups of cooked ziti, penne, or other large pasta, and stir into sauce. Season with salt and pepper and serve topped with grated Parmesan.

3. Pasta Primavera

In a tablespoon of olive oil, sauté 1 thinly sliced zucchini, 1 bell pepper, and ½ cup frozen peas with a clove of minced garlic until cooked through. Add 2 handfuls of baby spinach and cook until they begin to wilt. Add a jar of marinara sauce and season with salt and pepper. Cook until sauce is heated through. Toss with cooked pasta and serve.

4. Black Pepper Chicken Pasta

This Asian-inspired pasta is easy and quick to make. Sauté ½ chopped onion until softened, then add 1 diced chicken breast and 1 sliced zucchini. Cook until chicken is cooked through and zucchini is softened. Add 2 heaping tablespoons Lee Kum Kee Black Pepper Sauce (available in the Asian grocery aisle) and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce. Mix well until sauce coats chicken and vegetables. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve over cooked spaghetti.

5. Quick and Easy Couscous Tabbouleh

Couscous is one of the easiest pastas in the world to make — no cooking required! And it truly is a pasta, made of semolina flour, NOT a grain. For this quick salad, dice up 1 English cucumber and 2 tomatoes and place in a large bowl. In a separate, heat-proof bowl, mix together ½ cup whole-wheat couscous and ½ cup boiling water. Let couscous sit for five minutes, and then fluff with a fork. Let couscous cool while whisking together a vinaigrette of 4 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper, and 1 teaspoon dried basil or parsley. Toss together cooked couscous, vegetables, and some of vinaigrette to taste; adjust seasonings. Serve with a grilled chicken breast or other protein.

6. Cheater’s Chicken Pho

Pho, the quintessential Vietnamese rice noodle soup, typically takes hours to make when you’re simmering the stock. This quick version of chicken pho takes all of 15 minutes. Simply soften the rice noodles in hot water, and then add them to pre-bought chicken stock doctored up with five-spice powder, lime juice, fish sauce, and shredded rotisserie chicken.

7. Lemon-Basil Ricotta Pasta

Cook ½ pound penne in a large pot of water. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water. In a skillet over low heat, melt 2 tbsp of butter. Add 1 cup fresh ricotta cheese, salt and pepper, and the zest and juice of 1 large lemon (or 2 small). Mix together until sauce is bubbling — add a little pasta water if sauce is too thick. Add ½ cup of chopped fresh basil and the penne, and toss together until ricotta sauce coats pasta. Serve!

International

Pasta and noodle dishes from around the world can add variety to your repertoire.

8. Mango-Shrimp Summer Rolls

Pasta goes light with these Vietnamese summer rolls: vegetables, rice noodles, shrimp, and mango wrapped up in rice-paper rounds.

9. Egg-Topped Soba Noodles With Asparagus and Prosciutto

Soba, Japanese buckwheat noodles, are the delicious and healthy base for this egg-topped noodle dish, which combines crisp asparagus and savory prosciutto with the creaminess of a fried egg. A delicious easy lunch or weeknight dinner recipe!

10. Chinese Fried Noodles

My mom used to make this fried noodle dish for a quick Saturday lunch. In a small bowl, stir together 2 tbsp ketchup, 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce, ½ cup chicken broth, 2 teaspoons sugar, and 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over med-high heat. Stir-fry 1 sliced bell pepper, a cup of thinly sliced broccoli or cauliflower, and 2 cloves garlic until cooked through. Add 1 tomato, sliced into wedges, and cook until beginning to soften. Push vegetables to side of pan and add 2 beaten eggs. Scramble until cooked through. Add ½ package cooked, drained spaghetti and toss with vegetables and eggs. Add the sauce you mixed earlier and stir the whole thing together until hot and coated with sauce. Taste for seasonings and serve.

11. Singapore Curry Noodles

Classic Singapore rice noodles are fried with yellow curry and various vegetables. The rice noodles are easily cooked by soaking in warm water, and then all you have to do is stir-fry the rest of the ingredients for an easy curry dish.

Classic Pasta Dishes

Sometimes you just crave those comforting classics.

12. Prize-Winning Noodle Kugel

Sweet pudding and pasta in one? Yes, please! This honey-sweetened noodle kugel recipe reportedly won first prize at the Yiddishkayt Festival in Los Angeles, so it must be delicious as well as authentic.

13. Spaghetti Bolognese

My sister’s fabulous mother-in-law shares this recipe for spaghetti Bolognese, with a delicious, slightly sweet sauce simmered with olives and bay leaves for a hearty, stew-like texture.

14. Eggplant Lasagne With Parsley Pesto

This white lasagna is made with vegetables and a béchamel sauce instead of a traditional meat sauce, but it’s just as tasty and provides a nice alternative for vegetarians. You can substitute a prepared basil pesto instead of the parsley pesto to make this recipe a little faster to put together.

15. Cherry Tomato Orzo Salad

A good orzo salad is an essential dish for parties and potlucks. This one includes sweet cherry tomatoes, feta, and a light vinaigrette. Simple and sweet.

16. Beef Stroganoff

A good friend of mine makes this excellent Beef Stroganoff. The finishing touch is plenty of fresh dill. Brown 2 pounds of stew beef in a hot skillet in a little olive oil. Remove meat from pan. Add 2 onions in chunks and cook over medium heat until beginning to soften. Add 2 cloves minced garlic and add the meat back into the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Add 2 tablespoons ketchup and 2 tablespoons sweet barbecue sauce. Pour in enough beef broth or water to just cover the chunks of meat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 1½ hours. Add 1 pound sliced mushrooms and simmer another half-hour. Add chopped fresh dill to taste, and serve over egg noodles.

17. Baked Ziti

Sausage baked with tomato sauce, cheese, and pasta in this comforting baked ziti casserole is perfect for a filling meal or for bringing to a potluck. You can even make this ahead of time and freeze it for those nights when you don’t feel like cooking.

Impressive Dinners

Pasta can be an impressive main course, even at a formal dinner, when paired with the right ingredients.

18. Linguine With Clams

This easy clam pasta with a tomato-parsley sauce is surprisingly easy to make. Just steam the clams open with tomatoes and herbs, and toss the liquid with the pasta. You’ll impress your dinner guests, but you’ll still have time to sit down with them and enjoy the company.

19. Lobster Mac and Cheese

If this lobster mac and cheese is good enough for the Barefoot Contessa’s guests, it’s sure to be elegant for your dinner party. Bring up the luxe factor of classic macaroni and cheese by adding silky lobster meat and then baking the pasta in individual gratin dishes topped with breadcrumbs and cheese.

20. Chianti-Braised Chicken Thighs on Egg Noodles

When in doubt, add wine. These stuffed chicken thighs are a classy company meal, served on top of egg noodles and accompanied with a good bottle of Chianti. This recipe isn’t difficult, but it does take time, so you might want to save it for impressing the in-laws.

21. Baked Manicotti With Sausage and Peas

More elegant than lasagna but simple to put together, this baked manicotti can be prepared and then left to cook in the oven while you entertain your guests.

Up for a Challenge?

Yes, dried pasta from a package is easy and delicious, but making your own pasta from scratch really kicks things up a notch. The following recipes are for those who like to experiment in the kitchen, but the recipes really aren’t that difficult to master. You’ll feel an immense sense of accomplishment when you taste your own gnocchi, spaetzle, and other pasta.

22. Basic Gnocchi

This basic gnocchi recipe from Smitten Kitchen is an easy place to start if you’re not experienced making pasta. Gnocchi are dumplings that are basically composed of mashed potatoes mixed with flour, so they’re pretty simple to make.

23. Sweet Potato Gnocchi With Fried Sage and Shaved Chestnuts

When this recipe for sweet potato gnocchi appeared in Gourmet magazine in 2009, it spawned a plethora of inspired blog posts around the Internet as home cooks tried — and loved — the flavorful, pillowy gnocchi. This recipe is a bit of a process, but the results are rewarding in the end.

24. Homemade Trofie al Pesto

Trofie is a rustic handmade pasta from the Ligurian coast of Italy, and it doesn’t need to be rolled out with a pasta machine. All you need are your hands, some flour, salt, and water, and you can make this pasta. And if your pasta turns out looking like little worms rather than rustic corkscrews, it’ll still taste delicious.

25. Homemade Ravioli

Learn how to make your own ravioli with this ravioli tutorial from AllRecipes. Or you could take a short-cut and use pre-made wonton wrappers to wrap up mixtures of ricotta and spinach, butternut squash, mashed green peas, and other easy ravioli fillings.

What's your favorite pasta recipe?

This article is from Camilla Cheung of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Frugal Gluten-Free Living: Homemade Gluten-Free Noodles

Sonja Stewart — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:00:02 +0000

I live in a place without a Trader Joe's. I know. Torture. Especially when they are the most cost effective carrier of all things gluten-free. So, if you live somewhere isolated, as I do, or just feel like saving money and having fun making your own delicious gluten-free noodles, this will help you on your way.

These gluten-free noodles are easy to prepare and they can store inside your refrigerator for up to a week and a half. The greatest part is, once they're done, it only takes a few minutes to cook since they're fresh. And trust me, your gluten grubbing friends won't be able to tell the difference. They aren't sticky and lack that annoying texture that most rice noodles have.

I took a gluten-free noodle recipe from Gluten Free Sox Fan and adapted it to make my own version.

Just to remind you, the gluten-free all purpose flour mix is:

3 Parts Cornstarch
3 Parts Brown Rice Flour
2 Parts Soy Flour
1 Part Masa Flour

Mix up a bunch of this stuff and have it handy for recipes like this and others I'll be throwing at you. I try to buy in bulk and mix it all in a big 25 gallon airtight container. Just be sure to mix the flours pretty thoroughly.

Gluten-Free Noodles

1 cup gluten-free all purpose flour mix
2 Teaspoons xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
2 Eggs (lightly beaten)

Throw it all in your mixer for a few minutes. I don't use the dough hook because I find it doesn't get it all mixed as well as I like. I use the paddle looking thing with holes. Then I take the dough and knead it around in my hands a bit. If this is your first time working with gluten-free dough, you'll notice the texture is considerably more sticky than you'd like. That's okay. With practice you'll get used to working with it. Use a little of the gluten-free all purpose mix to dust the dough. You'll want to take your dough ball and divide it into four smaller balls for the pasta machine.

**If You Don't Have a Pasta Machine

Don't be discouraged. Just roll out the dough until it gets as thin as you possibly can make it. Then take a pizza cutter and cut nice long noodles. They won't be perfect, but hey, you'll still be able to have your noodle and eat it, too. Remember to use a spatula to scrape away the dough, and be generous with your flour sprinklings.

Then take your pasta machine. Set it up so it's nice and firmly attached to your clean surfaced area. Press the small dough ball through the machine on the lowest (thickest) setting. It will come out in clumpy blobs and you'll want to throw it all away and give up. But trust me. This will work and you're not a failure...not yet.

Put the lacerated-looking dough on a plate and do your best to make a flat area, and don't worry about the gaping holes. Use a good spatula to scrap it off the plate if it sticks. Remember a good spatula is your greatest asset in gluten-free cooking.

Put it through the pasta machine again. This time it will seem less like a horror film. There will still be holes, but fold it over and run it through again. You'll notice with each run through the machine, your dough will look more consistent. Just refold before each run-through.

Turn up the knob (for a thinner noodle), until you reach the desired consistency. (By the way, young kids are perfect helpers when it comes to cranking the knob.) Then run the dough through the noodle slicer. I chose the fettuccine style for this batch.

Throw the noodles in boiling water for about three minutes, depending on how thin you made them. Don't overcook them. I drain them in a colander and spray cold water over to prevent them from cooking any more.

Remember how much you loved noodles? Seriously, these are divine. I usually double or triple the recipe and throw the extras (before cooking) in the refrigerator in a container with a lid. Then we've got noodles all week for when the kids are begging for “Nearly Mac N Cheese.” I'll leave you with the recipe. Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Nearly Mac N Cheese

One batch of Gluten-Free Noodles
One cup of milk
One cup of shredded cheddar cheese
One tablespoon gluten-free all purpose flour.

Mix the milk, cheese and flour in a saucepan over medium heat. Heat until barely bubbling and until it reaches the desired consistency. Add noodles. Enjoy. Get ready for kids to ask for seconds.

Yummy "Nearly Mac N Cheese"!

This article is from Sonja Stewart of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Safeway Savings Rally - How I got 9 bags of groceries for $13

Xin Lu — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 01:01:47 +0000

Right now Safeway is having an event called Savings Rally which lasts until February 26th. The deal is that you get a dollar off coupon for buying a number of items off a list of 2000 participating items. If you buy 25 or more items you will get a coupon for $20 off the next purchase. If you buy 20 to 24 items you get a coupon for $10 off the next purchase, and if you buy 10 to 19 items you get a coupon for $5 off on the next purchase. This is a very good deal since Safeway has many 10 for $10 items and it is possible to chain the coupons. For example, purchase 25 items and get a $20 off coupon and then visit Safeway again and use the $20 for 20 free items and get a $10 coupon, then do it again for 10 free items and get a $5 coupon for more free stuff.

I checked it out today after preparing a batch of coupons. An especially useful coupon right now is on Smartsource.com for Rice-A-Roni or Pasta-Roni Nature's Way products. It gives you 50 cents off per box. I was able to print out four since it allows 2 prints per computer. I do not recommend copying the coupons since it is coupon fraud and each coupon has a distinct bar code. However if you do have multiple computers it is okay to print out more than one. The 10 for $10 items I targetted were: selected varieties of Colgate toothpaste, Pasta-Roni and Rice-A-Roni, and Del Monte canned tomatoes. Additionally I also printed out the Flat Earth chips coupons at Smart Source since they are a promotional freebie.

With my coupons in hand I set out to the first Safeway and bought 21 boxes of Rice-A-Roni and Pasta Roni, 4 tubes of Colgate toothpaste, and 3 bags of Flat Earth chips. The total was $23, and I was supposed to get a $20 coupon, but the stupid machine only spat out a $10 coupon. So I went to customer service and asked for help. At first the lady at the register said it is because I used coupons on the Rice-A-Roni and maybe the machine did not think it counted. I then calmly pointed out that their promotion did not state that customers cannot use manufacturer's coupons, and the manager gave me $10 in cash back. This brought my purchasing total down to $13.

I drove to the second Safeway with my $10 coupon in hand and scooped up 10 cans of Del Monte tomatoes. These are useful because my husband loves to cook Italian food and some of his Filipino soups also have a tomato base. I paid with my $10 coupon and the machine correctly printed out a $5 coupon. The man at the register said, "Wow that was nice wasn't it?" I smiled, nodded, and went on my way.

Finally, I went to a third Safeway store and I had $5 to spend on anything I want. I really wanted some juice so I bought two half gallons of Dole juice for $5 and paid with my last coupon. The man at the cash register read the coupon very carefully as if no other customers have ever used it before, and said, "that is a nice deal!" I replied, "yup it is."

The final tally: I got 21 boxes of Rice-A-Roni and Pasta Roni, 10 cans of Del Monte canned tomatoes, 4 tubes of Colgate toothpaste, 3 bags of Flat Earth chips, and 2 half gallons of Dole juice for $13. I am sure some of you could do better, but I was quite proud of my nine bags of groceries. I hope noone goes overboard with this promotion and buys 200 items, but we are totally stocked up with Rice-A-Roni now for the nights when we have no time to cook!

This article is from Xin Lu of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread: