Who Rocks the Coupons?: Heads-up and how to fake homemade cookies

Heads-up! Several sources suggest that Harris Teeter will be running Super Doubles next week. This means it's time to head over to the PrintableCouponDatabase and AFullCup to look for coupons that range in value from $1 to $2. Harris Teeter will normally double coupons that are 99 cents in face value or less, for up to $1.98 off an item; during super doubles, a $2 coupon doubles to $4 off an item. Keep an eye on those matchup sources I posted on Monday, because they'll start posting lists soon!

Now... on to the sneaky homemaker tip.

All right. I know I just posted yesterday about making a move away from prepackaged products, but I also said that the move from prepackaged to homemade is accomplished one step at a time. One product that sucks me in every time is refrigerated cookie dough, especially when I can get the package for under a buck... much less than the ingredients purchased separately, and there's a greater level of convenience involved.

The one thing I don't love about pre-made cookie dough? The fact that it looks pre-made. If you've ever broken apart the little squares of dough and plopped them down on the cookie sheet, you know what I mean. They always come out of the oven with that telltale shape on top.

Then I stumbled across this tutorial last week. The author intended it for folks who make cookies from scratch, but I discovered today that it works just as well for store-bought dough. Check it out:

I left one unaltered for comparison. The best part? It really doesn't take any time at all. I turned on the oven, and had adjusted all the dough on the cookie sheets before it had finished preheating.

Next up: Combining a prepared mix with what you have on hand for a custom recipe