A healthier take on Beef Burgundy

Hi friends!  What does a cold and stormy November night call for other than snuggling on the couch watching movies??  Homemade beef stew, that's what!  This is a recipe for a healthier take on the French classic, Beef Burgundy.  The bacon is out and veggies are in, yay!!!!  I found this recipe in Good Housekeeping ages ago and just hadn't tried it yet..  It was perfect for this cold November night, very filling, delicious and simple to make.  Leave yourself time, it has to cook for about 90 minutes...  You'll need a dutch oven for this so if you don't have one, go buy one.  Or put it on your Christmas list.  Or borrow one.  Whatevs... 

What you need:

1 Tb olive oil

2 lbs boneless beef chuck (fat trimmed and cut into 1" pieces)

• I used pre-cut beef from the grocery store... for an extra $1.50, it was well worth the 30 minutes of cutting time it saved me...

3 large carrots cut into 1" pieces
4 cloves of garlic crushed with the side of a chef's knife, peels removed
1 large onion peeled and cut into 1" pieces
2 Tbs all purpose flour
2 Tbs. tomato paste
1/2 tsp ground pepper
3/4 tsp salt
2 cups dry red wine (I used a Shiraz but I think a Merlot would've been better.. maybe a cab?  Experiment with this!  Just don't forget to put the wine in the pot too....)
4 sprigs of fresh thyme (go to the store and buy fresh for a buck or two, it's well worth the flavor)
10 ounces mushrooms cut into bit-sized pieces.  I used Crimini mushrooms
16 oz frozen peas

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 325
2. In a 5-6 qt dutch oven, heat oil on medium-high until hot.  Add beef in two batches and cook 5-6 minutes per batch turning until browned on all sides.  Transfer to a medium bowl.
3. To drippings in Dutch oven, add carrots, garlic and onion.  Cook for 10 minutes or until vegetables are browned and tender, stirring occasionally
4. Stir in flour, tomato paste, salt and pepper, cook one minute stirring.  (It will be very dry at this point, that's okay...)
5. Add wine and cook until boiling, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen tasty browned bits
6. Return meat and juices to Dutch oven
7. Add thyme and mushrooms and heat until boiling
8. Cover and bake 1 hour and 20 minutes until meat is fork-tender.  Stir once!
9. Remove from oven, add peas and discard thyme sprigs
10. Cover and return to oven for 10 minutes

Serve with crusty bread and chow down.  This stew is incredibly filling, I couldn't finish mine and my husband could only eat one small bowl..  Try this out on your next cold and stormy night!  It's only the beginning of winter, I'm sure you'll have plenty of opportunity....

Enjoy!
KDH.

Nutritional info here

Sweet Cream Macchiato

Haaaiiiiii....  Friends, I have a new favorite thing and it would be just selfish to keep it to myself any longer...

Coffee fans, say aye.  (AYE!!!)  Your life is about to change..  I introduce to you.....

The SWEET CREAM MACCHIATO!!!!!  

(Or, at least that's what I'm calling it...)

Iced coffee with sweetened condensed milk. Yum.

Brew yourself a pot of strong coffee and chill in the fridge.

Fill glass with ice.

Fill glass with iced coffee.

Pour in about 1 tablespoon of sweetened condensed milk.  (more/less to taste)

Stir lightly.

Sip.  

MMMMMMmmmmmmmmmm.........  It's like this sweet, but-not-too-sweet, perfectly strong, cold coffee drink that I just can't get enough of.  And it's a macchiato because some of the condensed milk settles so you get these super-yummy slurps of extra sweet sauce sometimes and it's heavenly.

Word to the wise: Do not, I repeat, DO NOT buy the generic brand of sweetened condensed milk.  It tastes like the can.  Eagle brand is yummy and does not have can-flavor.  I bought 1 can of regular and 1 can of fat free and mixed them in a container for the cupboard.  Now I can enjoy my Sweet Cream Macchiato whenever I want to...which is often.....like right now......

Enjoy!  

KDH.

Quicky meals and kitchen tips

Hi friends!  I received notice from my little sister (Ali) that she and her husband (Ryan) are in a meal rut and she asked me for suggestions.  Happens to the best of us, right?  Of course!  The tricky part of this request is that neither she nor her husband spend much time in the kitchen (go here to see an epic quesadilla fail) and neither really enjoys cooking.  So they need help to get out of this rut, however her comment noted "simple" and "not too many ingredients" as stipulations.  After a couple of days of noggin work, I came up with some fantastic tips for simple, easy, on-the-go, or just-don't-wanna-spend-hours-in-the-kitchen meals.  (And honestly, who wants to??)

The biggest and most helpful part of simple cooking is this basic rule:  COOK ONCE, EAT TWICE. (or three or four times...)  This is a guiding rule in my home and I RARELY cook and only get one meal out of it; whats the point??  

Make BIG batches of chili and stew and freeze them into portions!  Make a HUGE pot of spaghetti sauce and freeze it into meal amounts for the next time you need sauce!  Make a GIANT pot roast and portion it out.  When you have these things handy, you don't have to cook, you just have to defrost and reheat...super easy.

(Note: Milk based items and sauces do not freeze well.  Example: beef stroganoff)

Another big help is keeping convenience foods handy.  No, not frankenfood, you know I don't like that stuff, but ready-to-go things like diced, canned tomatoes, frozen fruits and veggies, shredded cheese (grating takes forever) frozen pizza dough or puff pastry, etc.  One ready-food my husband and I love are these Chipotle Black Bean Garden Burgers from Costco.  They're in the frozen food aisle and come in a green box.  We cannot get enough of these and even my very-much-a-carnivore husband really enjoys them.  They make great burgers and amazing quesadillas and we eat them at least once a week..  Super healthy and very yummy. 

My favorite meal shortcut? READY.MADE.CHICKEN.

• Make a whole chicken, or a large pack of boneless skinless chicken breasts in the crock pot.  What could be easier??  Add garlic, rosemary, a chopped onion and a bit of (fresh if you have it) basil and thyme.  I love fresh herbs in chicken, they really make a difference.  Let the crock pot do the work while you go to work play and it's done when you get home!  
• SAVE THE BROTH!!! Save the water your chicken cooked in, that's supper yummy chicken broth and can be used for soups!!  Strain into a container and freeze.
• If you're really lazy short on time you can purchase cooked chickens from your local grocery store or Costco and separate out the meet into individual meals worth, and freeze.  This is great if you're super pinched for time, but can be costly.  You know me, I'm cheap so I prefer to make my own ready-chicken.....  

Things to make with your ready chicken: tacos, quesadillas, taco salads, taco soup, sandwiches, wraps, etc.  I also have a few favorite things I like to make with leftover chicken, recipes below:

Chicken flatbread:

 Image by Ellen Silverman, Recipe from Redbook Magazine

• Ingredients for each:
• 1 Naan flat-bread
• 1/2 cup Shredded cooked chicken
• 1/4 cup Cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
• 1 oz Mozzarella - fresh works best, diced (use more if you prefer.  I like more than 1 oz)
• 1-2 Tbs Low fat ricotta or cottage cheese
• 1 Tbs Parmesan cheese - fresh is better
• shredded romaine lettuce
• optional: diced shallot or red onion
• How to:
• Heat oven or grill to 450
• Brush naan with olive oil or a sauce of your choosing.  If you like a pre-made pesto or garlic sauce, feel free to use it.  Brushing with a little olive oil is great too though
• Top with chicken, tomatoes, mozzarella, ricotta or cottage cheese and onion if you used it.  Sprinkle with parmesean
• Bake or grill 8-10 minutes until Naan are golden brown and crisp and cheese is melted.  
• Top with shredded romaine lettuce for a crunch
• Customize your own personal Nann pizzas with whatever ingredients your like best!

Tortilla Soup

 Image from shermanqkinneys

This recipe is something I learned while visiting said little sister while she was studying abroad in Mexico.  She and her class (and myself, tagging along...) took a basic cooking class at a restaurant and the chef showed us how to make a simple tortilla soup.  I've made this a bunch of times and it remains one of my all-time favorite foods....  It's super simple to make and can be thrown together in a matter of minutes.

• Ingredients: 
• 4 cups chicken broth, store bought or homemade.  You may want more or less broth depending on how you like your soup
• 1lb cooked, shredded chicken
• diced tomato
• diced avocado
• juice from 1 lime
• queso fresco or sour cream
• tortilla strips (or just chips) homemade if you have an extra 15 minutes.  (seriously, take corn tortillas, cut them into strips and fry in oil.  Transfer to paper towels, done.)
• salt and pepper to taste
• Heat broth and chicken on stove until it boils.  Juice lime into broth and add salt and pepper to taste.
• Scoop into bowels, garnish with diced tomato and avocado, queso fresco or sour cream and tortilla strips.  

Chicken and Veggie Alfredo

If your chicken is cooked, Alfredo is super easy to make.  You can do it over pasta, of course, but I prefer mine over veggies.  Use a store-bought sauce, or make your own with literally 4 ingredients: 

• 1/4 cup butter 
• 1cup heavy cream
• 1 clove garlic
• 1-1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese.  
• How to: Melt butter over medium-low heat, add cream, simmer for 5 minutes, add garlic and cheese and whisk quickly until heated through.  Salt and pepper to taste.  

Steam veggies (or see my veggie tip below) and have chicken and Alfredo sauce over veggies.  While it's a bit high in fat and definitely a treat, you're also getting lots of delicious veggies and lean protein.  This is a great way to get kids/husbands/picky eaters to eat veggies they normally wouldn't because Alfredo makes everything delicious. 

Another thing I really love to do for easy meals is do the entire darned thing on the grill!  With no clean up, the dinner meal feels so much easier!!  Some of my favorite grilled dinners:

• Grilled chicken (of course) with asparagus and potatoes.  Marinate chicken for 30 minutes (I love the Lawrey's Herb & Garlic or Jamaican Jerk)  and pop on the grill to cook!  Toss asparagus with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and cook them on the grill until tops are almost charred.  Slice red potatoes about 1/4" thick, toss with olive oil, a bit of white vinegar, salt and pepper and grill until both sides have golden brown grill marks.  The entire meal is made on the grill so there's no clean up!  Make sure to grill up extras for the next night's dinner or to freeze!

• Grilled Steak!  Marinated or bare.  My fav marinade is so simple to throw together: Worcestershire, bbq sauce, dried onion, garlic, and parsley, and pepper.  Spread on both sides and let sit for at least 30 min.  Grill until desired done-ness and enjoy!  Slap an extra one on the grill to make quesadillas the next night!  

• Fish in a foil pouch:  I love fish... rinse fish and place on heavy-duty foil (2 layers if you want to be extra secure)  Add a little butter or olive oil, fresh rosemary, thyme, sage, or other herbs you love right on top of the fish, squirt with a little lemon juice.  Bring sides of foil up and fold edges down to make a tent over fish.  Fold ends in to make a pouch and place on grill.  Depending on how thick your fish is, you will need more/less time.  Check it after about 10 -12 minutes.  Fish should be completely opaque when finished.  Check often and refold foil to cook longer if necessary.

• Zucchini and yellow squash are great on the grill too!  Slice lengthwise or in quarters, spread a little olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice and grill on both sides for about 3 minutes until brown grill marks appear.  YUM

Veggie tip:  Broccoli, cauliflower and carrots all cook best in the microwave, if you can believe it.  Add a tiny bit of water to the bottom of your microwave-proof bowl, add veggies, sprinkle with diced dried garlic and onion and microwave on high, covered, 5 minutes per pound of veggies.  Broccoli is specially yummy like this. 

Chinese food tip:  Hit up the ethnic aisle at your grocery store and find the Chinese food seasoning packets.  The recipes on the back are all SUPER SIMPLE and only require a few ingredients!  (you may already have the cooked chicken or meat ready too...)  We love these packet recipes and eat them often especially in the fall.  Chinese food = lurve.


To my lovely, kitchen-challenged sister and bro-in-law... I hope this post is informative and gives you some yummy things to try and some easy tips to break out of your cereal rut!  I love you both!!

Enjoy!
KDH.

BIG Klondike Savings!!!

Well hello there....  Just thought I'd drop a quick note about a SWEET deal I found at Safeway, starting TOMORROW, Wednesday the 10th...

Klondike bars are on sale for 2.99 for a package of 6... And when you sign up for Safeway's Just 4 U coupon thingy online (totally free...) you can upload a coupon to your club card for $2 off one package... 

That's right, folks!  That's just 0.99 for a pack of Klondike bars!!!!  Amazing....  And super yummy!


Couple more good deals....
It may not be fall yet, but this is too good of a deal to pass up: 
Progresso soups, on sale for 1.11 with coupon from Safeway's weekly mailing.  Any flavor, limit 8.  I will definitely be purchasing 8...


Great coupon on the Safeway J4U site for laundry soap... Safeway brand, large bottle of detergent for just 8.99.  Not too shabby!

Fage Greek Yogurt on sale for $1 with your club card.  I love these yogurts, they're like the perfect mini-meal! 


12 pack of Coke B2G2.  I'm not a soda drinker, but this is a great deal to stock up for a party, bbq or camping..


That's all for today!  I'm off to go read more Harry Potter.. k thanks goodnight!


KDH.

The best omelet ever....

Morning friends!  Two posts in two days??  I must be crazy... I whipped up omelets this morning for the husband and I and just the idea of them sounded so yummy I wanted to share.  And, it's vegetarian!  So Erin!  Mom!  This is something you can make for the whole family and they'll all love it!  Even my meat loving husband (who believes no meal is complete without meat...) loved it and wanted it to stay in the breakfast rotation.  The ingredients are so stinkin' cheap and usually on hand, I know we'll be enjoying this again soon.  Hope you will too!

Here are my ingredients:

eggs (yes, those are green eggs... farm fresh and delicious!)

zucchini (from Kevin's mom's garden)

potatoes (from our garden)

onion (I used a walla walla sweet, but you can use whatever kind you want)

shredded cheese (your preference)

a little olive oil

What to do:

Dice the onion and julienne the potato.  Suatee in a little olive oil until cooked completely.  I added garlic, salt and pepper to taste.  When almost done, add julienned zucchini to mix and toss.  Cook for about 1-2 minutes until it's just heated through.  Transfer to a bowl.

Mix eggs (3 per omelet) in a bowl with a fork and add just a tiny bit of water.  (It makes the eggs fluffier...really....)  

Pour eggs into small skillet on LOW heat.  Do not touch your eggs or they will scramble in the pan rather than make a flat omelet.  Cover with a lid and cook until top is just slightly runny.  Flip if you can.  

Sprinkle grated cheese on top of omelet and add sauteed onion/potato/zucchini mixture....LOTS.  When cheese is melted, slide omelet onto plate flipping one side over the other. 

YUM, this was so delicious the husband requested I make it again.  And since it contains green veggies, I say that's a success!!!  

enjoy!

KHD.

Safeway Deals 7/28

Hi friends... how about some Safeway deals for the weekend, yeah?

Wishbone Italian dressing:

in store coupon $1.19 each (limit 3)

Join Safeway Just for U and zap a 1/1 coupon onto your card in their "coupon" section. 

If you buy just 1, you've paid only 0.19 for it...

Safeway Open Nature Bread - BOGO.

(this bread is all natural and delicious.)

Coconut Milk shampoo or conditioner - BOGO

Progresso Vegetable soups - 1.25 each. 

(It's not soup season, but this is a price worth stocking up on!!)

Safeway Eating Right Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts - 1.99/lb. 

(This is a rockin deal and the price at which I stock up.)

Hot Pockets or Lean Pockets

Coupon on Safeway J4U - 1.69 ea.

(You know I hate processed food, but these are quick and easy for the husband to grab once in a while for lunch when he's running late.  Hey, it's better than McD's or Jack in the Crack!)

Downey Fabric Softener

on sale for 4.99

Safeway J4U coupon - 1/1

Ice cream coupons on Safeway J4U:

2/1 any Klondike product

3/1 any Bryers Blast

2/1 any Starbucks pint

2/1 any Reeces Ice Cream Cup

(these are good coupons!)

And for another delicious (and healthier alternative...) 

3 Musketeers:

on sale B2G2

use .50/2 from 6/26 RP

Use Safeway Doubl'r for another .50 off

You paid $1 for 4 candy bars!!!  If you can get your hands on 2 of the RP coupon, SOME checkers will honor both....

NOTE TO MY LOYALS:  Don't be fooled by Safeway's S&W Kidney beans on "sale" for "10 for $10!"  That's a buck a piece.  That's NOT a good price for beans....  Don't fall for fancy store-sale-speak.

Not a ton of deals out there this week, but a few for sure!

Enjoy!

KDH.

Coupla Safeway Deals...

Hi friends!  Ran across a couple of deals I thought worth mentioning... these deals are only valid through 7/26 with Safeway so GET ON IT!  

Need a refresher of how these are spelled out?  Go here to see previous post.

Also, Safeway sends out a weekly mailer of their coupons and sale items.  In this mailing is printed a Safeway Doubl'r in which you can double 4 of your manufacturers coupons, up to 0.50 each.  USE THIS.  It's used in my deals below.  If you can get your hands on multiple ads, use more than one!  Ask friends, neighbors, whomever, if you can have their ad before it finds their recycle bin.....

Lets get ready to rumble......!!!!!!.......

Old Spice deodorant - fresh collection only

get 2 deodorants and 1 body spray, must be "fresh collection"

In-store coupon for deodorant # 3.49 ea

$1/2 from 7/3 P&G

buy 1 fresh collection deodorant, get a free body spray from 7/3 P&G

Safeway doubler coupon from store mailer -0.50

PAY: 5.50 for all 3

**  You MIGHT not be able to do this whole deal... the manufacturers coupons  MAY NOT be compatible to use together but it's worth a shot.  IF you can't, then you can nix the body spray and the coupon for a free body spray and just use the coupon for the $1/2 and safeway doubler to pay 5.50 for 2 sticks of deodorant, making them 2.25 each... almost half price!

Secret Deodorant - get 2

In store coupon 3.49 each

1/2 from 7/3 P&G

Safeway doubler -0.50

PAY: 5.50 for 2

Crest toothpaste

In store coupon for 2.49 each

$0.75/1 from 7/3 P&G

Safeway doubler -0.50

PAY: 1.25 for tube..   Must be 4-6oz toothpaste

Duracell batteries

In store coupon for $2/1 on the smallest (read:cheapest) pack you can get

$0.50/1 from 7/3 P&G

Safeway doubler -0.50

PAY: varies... but you're getting $3 off!

Tampax Pearl Tampons

40-ct on sale for 5.99

1/1 from 7/3 p&G

Safeway doubler -0.50

PAY: 4.49

**If you can get a smaller box on sale, you might get a better deal

Honorable mentions:

• BOGO Safeway smoked sausage
• B2G2 - 12 packs of select cans of soda  (great for stocking up for summer, not that I condone soda drinking..it's terrible for you.) and get a free pack of Oreo Cookies (also don't condone..)
• BOGO Fresh Gourmet Crunchy Toppings
• 2 for 5 - 6-16oz organic blackberries, blueberries, raspberries or strawberries.  (This is a pretty fantastic deal for organic!!)
• BOGO Nature Made or Nature's Bounty vitamins
• Buy 4 Save $4 on select items such as Pillsbury cake mix, Crisco vegetable oil, Folgers gourmet instant coffee, Folgers regular coffee, Jif To Go, Smuckers items.  Look for the "Buy 4 and Save" tickets on items
• Ranchers Reserve Beef Chuck 7-Bone Steak - 1.99/lb in extreme value pack.  This is a pretty good deal, but I prefer to wait until they have BOGO meat sales..

That's all for now, Enjoy!

KDH.

Where have all the Salem coupon deals gone???

Hi friends.  As you may know, I like a good deal.  Yes, I coupon.  No, I am not a freak with 10 transactions and hours spent at the store.  I like saving money, but I still have a full time job, a part time job and a life.  Usually I follow other coupon blogs to find my deals.  HOWEVER, it's come to my attention that the Salem and Portland coupon inserts NO LONGER MATCH so the blogs I used to follow to get my deals no longer line up.  And I've also discovered there is no coupon blog for the Salem area..............

Wait, wait wait... I know what you're going to say... "Kristen, you should write a coupon blog!!"  Why, yes that would be a fantastic idea, however did you miss in the first paragraph that I have 1.5 jobs and a life still?? I don't have time for a full time coupon blog!  But, my friends, I will still try to pass along deals I find in our area.. maybe someday I can have a super-cool full time coupon blog....

A quickie coupon lesson:

P&G = P&G Brand Saver

SS = Smart Source

RP = Red Plum

All of these come in the Sunday Paper

Deal listing: 1/2 means $1 off of 2 products... or .75/1 means $0.75 off of one product... 

Got it?  Ok, lets continue....

Also, if you've followed coupon blogs before, you know they count the store Catalina (the coupons the register spits out after your shopping is paid for) in your savings. I don't agree with this math.  If you have to put the cash out at the check stand, you're putting the cash out.  Period.  Just because the register spits out a coupon for your next visit or purchase, does not mean you're not paying money now.  I will NOT be counting Catalina savings in my deals.

While I was building my database, I came across this Pantene deal...two separate manufacturer's coupons so you can use them together....

Pantene Hair Care

7/3 P&G - 1/1

6/26 SS - 1/1

Both coupons are for $1 off any 2 products..so find two and use both of these coupons to get $2 off instead of just 1.  Like I said, if you find them on sale at your local store, even better...

Also, in the Red Plum from 6/26, there are two mail-in rebates for alcohol.  If you consume alcohol (responsibly, of course) these coupons are major saver and we've used them before.  One is for a $12 rebate from 2 bottles of various liquors, and another is for $2 off a 6-pack of various malt beverages.  Pretty sweet savings...  

That's all for now, I need to go make the hubby dinner....  

Enjoy!

KDH.

Vegetable Mac & Cheese...Minus the Mac

YUM to Mac and cheese only subsituting the 'mac' for 'veggies'.  Ummm..... "Veggies & Cheese" just doesn't have a good ring to it....ideas?  Name beside the point, this dish was delicious and packed full of good healthy stuff.  TONS of veggies, lowfat cheeses, what could be better?  It's super filling, the husband and I (who both love to eat...) could only eat one bowl.  I couldn't even finish mine which is a miracle!  (Thanks Body By Vi!)

Confession: I forgot to take pictures of all my steps....I suck......  sorry!  :-/

I adapted this from a recipe I found online but I like mine way better.  And let me just state here, on record, if you aren't ready to give up pasta, do halfsies!  Half pasta, half veggies...  It still ups your healthy quotient greatly.

Here's what's going down:

1 yam

2 medium red potatoes

Slice these, toss with a little olive oil and roast in the oven on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  400 degrees for about 20 minutes until they're about 3/4 cooked through; just a little hard in the middle still

Slice and prep these while the potatoes are roasting:

1 head broccoli

1/2 head cauliflour

3 medium-large carrots, pealed and sliced diagonally about 1/4" thick

1/2 cup frozen peas (no prep necessary besides cutting open the bag.)

Boil a large pot of salted water.  Add carrots and boil for 4 minutes.  Add broccoli and cauliflower and boil for an additional 2 minutes.  When finished, strain veggies and remove pan from heat.

While your water is coming to a boil.....

Whip up in a blender or food processor:

3/4 cup cottage cheese

1 package light cream cheese

1/2 cup hot water from boiling veggies

 1 Tbs. dijon mustard

1/4 tsp Tabasco or other hot sauce, or more to taste

salt and pepper to taste

You will also need about 2 cups shredded mozzarella, 1/2 to 1 cup shredded cheddar, and 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan for the top.

When veggies are cooked and potatoes are roasted, add all to the empty saucepan; stove should be turned off!  Cover with cheese sauce from the blender and mix well.  Stir in shredded motzerella and cheddar cheeses.  Place all in a greased 13 x 9 baking dish.  Sprinkle with shredded parmesean.  Bake at 400 for about 30 minutes until top is golden brown.  Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes to thicken before eating.  Eat with crusty bread of choice!

Husband approved, even full of veggies and containing no meat....

Enjoy!

KDH.

Mango Madness!!

Friends, tomorrow is the LAST day to score mangoes for just 50 cents each at Safeway!!  Eat them fresh! Add them to salsa!  Freeze them and use them for smoothies this summer!  Freeze them and add them to sangria, or juice for funky delicious ice cubes!  Toss them into a salad!  Wrap them into your....wrap! 

Want to know a great way to cut mangoes?  Check out these fantastic instructions...

Folks, there are a myriad of ways to enjoy these tasty tropical delights, might as well stock pile them while they're so cheap...

Enjoy!

KDH.

Safeway Score!

Hi friends!  I am so sorry to have abandoned you for the past two weeks, I've been busy, busy, busy! I hope all of you had a truly fantastic Easter!!  I was able to spend my holiday with my little sister and her family in Spokane and we had a blast...  You can check out some of our shenanigans here, including their recent foreé into the CamWow world... It's pretty hilarious... 

Now my husband and I are home and back to the daily grind...  We suffered through last week with zero food in the house...  I didn't want to go shopping and then be gone for 5 days and I just didn't have the time once we got home!  For those of you who don't know, I work super long days between 2 jobs but have 3-day weekends.  It's fantastic and I love my schedule, but Monday-Thursday are pretty much dedicated to work and everything else gets shoved into the weekend.  I was super excited with my Safeway shopping trip today and wanted to share with all of you!  Some of you out there know I'm a coupon fan and really work to find deals when I'm grocery shopping.  I haven't posted anything about couponing yet, but will get to that soon.


Disclaimer:  I am NOT a "super couponer."  I'm what I like to call a "average Joan couponer" meaning I do not spend hours of my time researching and building deals and I DO NOT go through the grocery check out with 8+ transactions; my limit is 2.  

So here is my Safeway trip today....

$129.83 worth of groceries for....$64.29!!!

Ahem, for those of you without a calculator handy, that's a 49.518% savings......

So I'm sure most of you are thinking..."well it's all packaged, unhealthy food," right???  WRONG.  Take a look for yourself....

Yes, some of this is stuff I normally don't eat but the husband does... Soda for example..I don't touch the stuff.  If you can clean a car battery with it, I'm not interested in ingesting it thankyouverymuch.  Also, white flour tortillas -- those are for the husband.  I prefer whole grain or whole wheat, but he's not on that tortilla bandwagon yet....  See all of those reddish-greenish things?  Those are MANGOS...  Mangos alone usually run between a buck (on sale) or two each!

Oh, see all that meat on the right?  Yep, that's included in my total of only spending $64.29.  The regular price on the meat alone would've been $74.06 if it weren't for my mad discount shopping skills!!  (And Safeway's BOGO meat sale......)  I always stock up when the BOGO meat sale is on.  AND, this week, through Tuesday, boneless, skinless chicken breasts are included!  For those of you who regularly shop the Safeway BOGO meat sale, you know chicken breasts are RARELY included.... What does all of this meat look like when I've broken it into freezer packs for individual meals??  Something like this....

 I would like to note, EACH of these containers is a 2 meal portion..I'm all about cooking enough once so we can eat twice, so each of these will serve 2 meals for us.  That's 20 meals worth of meat, baby!!

Alright, lets break this down so you can see where the savings are....

Family sized 90% lean ground sirloin - $23.20

Family sized Country style ribs pack - 18.32

BOGO, paid $23.20 for BOTH

This equals $11.60 for each pack... that means my 90% lean ground sirloin was only $2.47 per pound, and my country style ribs were slightly over $2.00 per pound.  Both of these are tremendous savings... at or above 50% off!

2 boneless, skinniness chicken breast packs:

One was $16.87, the other was $15.67.  

BOGO, paid $16.87 for BOTH... that's $8.34 per pack which equals less than $.99 per pound!!!

(When I'm doing BOGO, I try and find 2 packages that are closely matched in price..then you're paying one price and getting it for free instead of paying $23 for one pack of meat and getting a $13 pack for free.)

NOTE:  Safeway will give you the cheaper meat packs as the free ones (obviously).  So in this case, I had to do 2 transactions: 1 with all my groceries and my chicken, then another with just the hamburger and ribs. Who cares.

Soda - select varieties on sale for 1.79 per 2-liter, but only $0.77 cents each with store coupon.  I bought 4, that's a great price!  (side note: does anyone else remember when these were regularly priced at $0.50?? sheesh!)

Kraft salad dressings - on sale $0.99 each.  This is a HUGE savings... no coupon required!

Safeway Select 24oz salsa (which I LOVE) on sale for $1.79 each with store coupon

Tortilla chips - on sale for $1.99.  Not a great deal, but I love chips and salsa so I had to buy them to go with all the salsa I bought!

Safeway Eating Right whole wheat pasta - on sale for $0.99 - We don't usually eat pasta but like to have some on hand "just in case" or if the husband gets a craving.  I'm not much of a fan..

Kleenex Facial Tissue - 200 count, on sale for $2.00, $0.99 each with store coupon.. WOW.

MANGOS!!!!!!!  Mangos on sale for $0.50 each!  Friends, in my years of loving mangos, (um...10+?) I have never, NEVER, seen them this cheap.  I bought 12 and will be cubing and freezing them for smoothies (*cough*daiquiris-and-margaritas*cough*) this summer.  I might go back for more.  I'm undecided on the issue right now. 

So here are the biggest thing to remember when you're out there shopping:  

1.  Don't shop for what you want or think you need, shop for what's on a good deal or at the very least what's on sale.  My shopping list revolves around the deals I find, not about what I think I want to cook with...  You can google recipes using the foods you have on hand and I've come across things I never would've chosen or tried if I hadn't shopped sales! 

2.  Stock up.  If black beans are on for $0.30, BUY A FLAT OF THEM.  They're super healthy and nutritious and can be used in thousands of recipes.  Family sized meat packages on sale?  Split it up and freeze them into portions (picture above) or go in on the deal with a friend.  See my point??  I don't want to make hoarders out of you, but when you find a good deal on toothpaste, pick up a couple, you're going to use it eventually!  

I stumbled across a study a long time ago that has stuck with me for years.  I have no idea where it came from or who did it so don't' bust my (pork) chops...  It stated:  

A woman will buy a $2 item not because they need it, but simply because it's on sale for $1 and may need it someday.  

A man will buy a $1 item for $2 because they need it right now.

I don't know about you, but this is SO TRUE on our house.  My husband will wait until he's completely out of shaving cream to tell me he needs some or put it on the shopping list.  Um..guess you'll have some razor burn, honey!  However, when I find a killer deal on shaving gel, I buy him 5 at a time because I know he'll use it sooner or later.  When you do this, you only ever pay the sale price for things rather being in a bind and having to pay full price!!!!  A little planning ahead can save you some serious cash in the long run.  People are often shocked when I tell them our household grocery budget is $250 per month and we eat good, healthy food...  I have a single friend out there who spends over that just for herself!

Cheers to all of my lovlies out there, I hope you have a fantabulous weekend.  And get over to Safeway for some mangos and meat!!

Enjoy!

KDH.

Easter Candy Switch-Up

Easter is one of  my favorite holidays...  It holds a deep, spiritual meaning for me usually causing me to cry (grateful, happy tears) on at least one occasion each year.  This year I get to spend the holiday with one of my favorite people on the planet: this amazing girl, who writes this amazing blog.   Whether you get to spend the holiday with family, friends, kiddos, or strangers down at the local coffee shop, make it a special day for someone.  Skip the sugar and chemical laden treats this year and class up the event a bit.  We're so over foil wrapped bunnies that taste more like white sugar than chocolate, and sugary, gritty jelly beans with absolutely no flavor.  Candy is fine, but at least make the calories WORTH IT!  Try some of the following ideas for the people you get to celebrate with this year:

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

image

Just in case you missed my previous post on this favorite food of mine, you can check it out here.  I love, love, LOVE chocolate covered strawberries, and they are a GOOD sweet-treat!  Fresh strawberries are a delicious, low calorie fruit, and chocolate has antioxidants!  Remember, the darker the better, so go as dark as you can for the most health benefits!  These are super easy to make yourself, so don't waste the cash on buying pre-made ones.  You never know what kind of chemicals have been added, and when this is so simple to whip up, why bother?  Melt chocolate very slowly in a double boiler or in a microwave safe bowl.  Dip strawberries and let harden on wax paper for about 20 minutes. 



Jelly Belly Jelly Beans

image

Okay, so yes, Jelly Bellys are jelly beans, but they are DELICIOUS jelly beans, not gross, gritty, no flavor jelly beans.  And, they're lower calorie than chocolate candy bars filled with fat!  The best think about Jelly Belly's is mixing and matching... My personal favorite combo is Strawberry Daiquiri and Blueberry together in the same bite.... YUM!  http://www.jellybelly.com is offering 10% off all Easter orders over $35 right now (use coupon code: bunny) but these are also offered in Winco's bulk section.  Head over to Dollar Tree to find some cute little containers, wrap in cellophane and tie with ribbon, super cute little Easter gifts with a small price tag!  I would just like to interject here that the awesome girl from my intro to his post and I used to be so obsessed with Jelly Bellys, we were members of the Jelly Belly Taste Bud Fan Club when we were children.  Oh yes, you're jealous... I know.


Dark Chocolate Bunny

image

Swap out the sugary low quality chocolate bunny for a solid dark chocolate one.  Dark chocolate, as we already know, has health benefits in the antioxidants it contains.  Switching out milk chocolate for dark chocolate saves calories, fat and sugar in addition to getting some of your daily antioxidants.  I am a HUGE chocoholic.  It runs in the family.  Seriously.  And for me, the darker the better....  Check out the dark chocolate bunnies Amazon has on sale for you here.  It's not too late to order!



Chocolate Covered Dried Fruit

Image - Harry and David

Oh my gosh, I love Harry and David chocolate covered dried fruit.  It's amazing, one of the best foods on the planet in my humble opinion.  I heard Harry and David went bankrupt and is closing..this makes me sad.  Honey, maybe you should get me 10 boxes of these just in case.......


You can also pass the healthy on to your children starting with their Easter egg hunt...  Instead of filling eggs with chemical-laden, fat and calorie filled frankenfod "treats" that just reaffirm our poor food culture in this country, use healthy alternatives instead.  Try nuts, trail mix, large colored marshmallows (or bunny shaped ones!) blueberries, raspberries, chocolate covered sunflower seeds, raisins, dried cranberries, or coins instead of food altogether!

One other idea to skip the bad Easter treats all together: don't gift them!  When we were growing up, my mom used to get us fun bath stuff for Easter instead of unhealthy candy.  Well, there was a little bit of that too, but the big item in our baskets was a fun bath gel or lotion or scrubby.  Why not go for this foot soak, this body wash set, these dessert bowls, these super cute socks (or anything on sock-it-to-me).  Or perhaps you prefer jewelry??  Check out this AMAZINGLY TALENTED local artist at My Bellas Beads. 

See friends?  Going healthy for Easter is fun and easy... Get on it!

Enjoy
KDH.

Best Broccoli

Broccoli has a bad rep in our society...  In fact, for as much as I LOVE broccoli, I can think of little less appetizing than boiled, mushy florets staring up at me from a plate. 

Broccoli is PACKED FULL of nutrients and health benefits:

• Vitamin C - aids in iron absorption, prevents development of cataracts, and eases symptoms of a cold
• Folic acid - helps women sustain normal tissue growth
• Potassium - aids in battling high blood pressure 
• Calcium - battles osteoporosis
• and my #1 favorite thing.... it's full of fiber!  Why is fiber so good for you??  It enhances the gastrointestinal tract and helps to reduce blood cholesterol levels.  Fiber rocks.  (so will your BMs!  Yes, we talk about those here too...)

Broccoli is super cheap (bonus!) and it's one of the easiest items to find in the supermarket year round.  And, thankfully, it's also the easiest vegetable to cook (in my humble opinion...)  What is broccoli's friend in the kitchen??  The microwave!  Yes, throw out your preconceived notions about "microwaving kills nutrients in food" because it's just not always true.  In fact, tough veggies (carrots, broccoli, etc) release MORE nutrients when they're cooked...  So there.

Here's how I do broccoli:

1. 1lb of broccoli, stems cut off so they're like little trees
2. place in a glass microwavable bowl, rinse broccoli and drain
3. sprinkle (generously) with dried onion and garlic.  (Yes, dried.  works way better than fresh for this!)
4. Cover and microwave on high for 5-6 minutes.
5. Broccoli should be fork-tender and BRIGHT GREEN when finished!
6. (more than 1lb of broccoli?  up your time... 5-6 minutes per pound)

Enjoy!
KDH.

Amazon Sale!!

3 for 4

Attention foodies, chefs, and anyone needing some kitchen gear!  Amazon is having a sale on kitchen things, buy 3, get the 4th free (selected items)!  Look for the "4 for 3" image posted above on the Amazon Kitchen page and start shopping!  There is a great deal on a french press for only $19.95, a Bento Vaccum Lunch Jar (neat!) and LOTS of fun kitchen essentials like these mixing bowls (with grip on the bottom!), these angled measuring cups, and these super fun orange utensils.  There's even fun, non-practical stuff like this cupcake stand, and these ADORABLE dessert bowls.  Shop away and save!!!

Enjoy,
KDH.

Spinach Artichoke dip....redone

I love spinach dip... it's one of my favorite things...  My bff and I have a little ritual when she comes home from a visit, it includes wine, baguette, mozzarella, and store-bought spinach dip.  We know this isn't the healthiest ritual in the world, but we've been doing it for years and it's sooo delicious.  

Recently, when reading Redbook Magazine, I came across their column, "Restaurant Redo" where they had redone TGI Friday's Tuscan Spinach Dip.  I've never been to TGI Fridays and I've never had this particular spinach dip, but I've definitely ordered it at other restaurants.  I was horrified to read a cup of this creamy, cheesy, deliciousness packed 1080 calories and 70 grams of fat.  For those of you who are defending this atrocity by saying "well it's shared between the group!"  I say, even between 4 people, that's over 250 cals each...  For your appetizer...  Don't be stupid.  Redbook revamped this recipe to make it healthier and just as delicious...when I saw this, I knew I had to road test it.  I made it for a gathering with friends and it was a pretty big hit; and, once again, the husband loved it....  I tweaked a couple of things, of course....  Recipe and pictures below!

Revamped Tuscan Spinach Dip

yum.

Here's what you need:

 

1/4 c. all-purpose flour

3-1/4 c. protein and calcium fortified skim milk such as Skim Supreme (it's thicker...)

1/2 c. finely chopped onion

1/4 c. finely chopped red bell pepper

2 tsp minced garlic

3/4 c grated Romano cheese

1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese (plus a little more for topping)

     (ps...don't cheap out on cheese, use the good stuff....it melts better, it tastes better, it's real)

1 c. (about 1/2 a bag) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and dry

1/2 c. frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and chopped

1/2 tsp. each kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 small tomato

baguette/tortilla chips/crackers or whatever you wan to be the vehicle for the spinach dip

(recipe yields about 4 cups)

Here's what you do:

First of all, your spinach needs to be dry!  This can be difficult... some people say you can put the spinach in a towel, then squeeze the water out of it but this has never worked for me.  I thawed the spinach then spread it out on a towel and left it to dry overnight.  Then in the morning, changed out the towel and let it dry until I started cooking in the afternoon.  Yes, this takes a little planning and forethought, but it worked wonderfully and was super easy.

• In a large saucepan, whisk flower and milk until mixed
• Stir in onion, bell pepper and garlic 
• Turn on burner and bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly until it starts to bubble and thickens to the consistency of heavy cream.  
• Note: do this slowly!  Milk can burn or scald on the bottom then you will have yucky brown bits in your dip...not cool.

• Reduce heat to medium-low and whisk in grated Romano cheese
• Cook, stirring constantly until melted

• Stir in spinach, artichokes, salt and pepper
• Cook, uncovered, on low heat for 7-10 minutes until heated through and hot.

Spoon into a serving dish and scatter diced tomato and Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Serve immediately with  baguette, tortilla chips, crackers, veggies, or whatever else you want to be the vehicle for this yummy deliciousness.

Nutritional value:  1 cup is 327 calories and 11 grams of fat.... Share THAT between 4 friends and you're under 100 cals each for your appetizer.  MUCH BETTER!  Or, if you're me, this is dinner and you eat half of it *ahem* or all of it *ahem*

What do I love most about this recipe??  It's NATURAL FOOD.  Love that...  well, except for the flour, but you can use unbleached (my fav) or even whole wheat (love!) if you wanted to.  REAL cheese, spinach, artichokes, peppers, real, whole foods! Unprocessed!  No chemicals!  Yeah yeah, bread or whatever you're eating it on is a bit processed, but you can buy the artisan breads at your grocery store which are made in their bakery, or make some of your own.  You can even buy chemical-free tortilla chips and crackers at all grocery stores... read your labels!

Enjoy!

KDH.