Knock-off Jamba Juice

My kids love Jamba Juice - as do my husband and I, but I don't love that it costs a family of 4 ten dollars to get smoothies.  So when my kids ask for it I take out some of my frozen stash and whip it up at home!  You can really add anything you like, here are some of our staples:

Strawberries
Blueberries
Blackberries
Raspberries
Mango
Orange
Apple
Yogurt - any flavor
OJ
Milk

When fruit starts to turn "over ripe" I stick bananas in the freezer, slice strawberries and freeze them, and freeze any type of berries.  Then I keep them in the freezer ready to go, this makes things easy and VERY cost effective when I need them in a snap.  Here is what we made ours with today: frozen strawberries, frozen banana and milk.

Blend up in the blender and pour into cups! Happy Mommy and happy customers!

Easy & Quick Vegetarian Dinner

If a recipe is easy and quick AND my kids love it - I consider it a keeper! I found this recipe years ago and have had it tucked away in my recipe binder.  When we changed our diets (and food budget) and started eating more vegetarian meals I found it and tried it out.  I admit I wasn't super confident that the kiddos would go for it, or that I could bake it correctly I mean come on a corn & cheese souffle?? Anything with the word "souffle" scares the crap out of me, but after trying it the first time I was pleasantly surprised and overjoyed when both kids gobbled them up! A success! (*photo from shape.com)

Sweet Corn & Cheddar Cheese Souffle

Serves: 6

Cook Time: 20 min.

Ingredients

1	T	unsalted butter
1 1⁄2	T	fine bread crumbs
2	T	olive oil
4		scallions, thinly sliced
3	T	all-purpose flour
1	c	lowfat milk
4		large eggs, separated
1⁄3	c	fresh corn kernels (from 1 cob) - I exchange frozen corn thawed
1⁄4	c	grated sharp white cheddar
1⁄4	t	salt
1	pn	cayenne pepper - I omit for the kids
1	pn	freshly ground black pepper
1⁄4	t	cream of Tartar
2	t	chopped chives

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease six 6-ounce ramekins with butter. Divide bread crumbs among ramekins, turn to coat, and gently shake off excess. Place on a rimmed baking sheet; set aside.
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Toss in scallions and saute? for 2 minutes or until soft. Add flour, stirring constantly for 3 minutes. Add milk and raise heat to medium high (do not boil). Whisk for 4 minutes or until the mixture thickens slightly; remove from heat.
Lightly beat egg yolks in a large bowl. Stir in a spoonful of the hot milk mixture, then pour in the rest. Stir in corn, cheese, salt, cayenne pepper, and black pepper; set aside.
In a small bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until they form peaks. Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the corn mixture. Add remaining egg whites; mix gently (a few streaks of white should remain). Divide among ramekins and bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until tops are puffed and golden brown. Sprinkle with chopped chives and serve immediately.

Applesauce Cups

My kids love applesauce, and like most kids they love when they have it in those tiny disposable containers.  I don't like the price, so I cut a couple corners to make me, my budget and my picky kids happy :)

I prefer to but all-natural (no sugar added) or organic applesauce - which is even more expensive! Typically a 6 pack of pre-packaged applesauce runs about $2-3 dollars (I'm stretching the $2 price - that's on sale or with coupons) but I can buy an entire jar for about $2.  So I take out my trusty mini Tupperware cups (measure out at 1/2 c.) and fill em' up and toss in the fridge.

 They're easy, they're convenient, they're even kinda cute.  Plus we re-use the Tupperware so we lessen waste.  I can usually get at least 8 cups out of a 33oz jar which comes out to $.25 a cup whereas the pre-packaged run us about $.42 a cup.  Savings + happy kids = happy mommy and money in the bank!

Oatmeal Packets vs Bulk Containers

We all love oatmeal in my house - especially when the weather starts to turn chilly! Its a great start to the morning not to mention nutritious! We used to buy the boxed instant oatmeal packets with the variety of flavors, that you just add water and stick in the microwave. Yum. Pricey.  We would spend about 3-6 dollars per box which contained about 8 packets.  So figure we guesstimate the price out to $4.50 per box which lasts 8 feedings (not even a weeks worth if we all eat it) comes out to about $.56 per packet.  It's a little bit less to buy in bulk from Costco - about $.50 per packet.  Plus we buy the large 42oz containers of oats for recipes, granola, homemade power bars, etc.  So altogether we contribute a lot of our small grocery budget to oats!! We since we need to cut that budget down, I attempted to make my own "packets" and guess what - they are awesome!!!

First thing - hen I see large containers on sale I swipe up at least 2, I have found them at my store for $1.88 (store brand). Then I measure out 1/2 cup of dry quick oats (HAS to be quick oats not traditional) and add my flavor - we love the brown sugar and cinnamon, so I add to my Tupperware cup of oats 1 tbsp of brown sugar and 1/8 tsp. of cinnamon.  

Slap on a lid with mixing directions (see side of oatmeal container) and toss in the cabinet.

Now whoever needs oatmeal can add water right to the Tupperware (microwave safe of course) and eat it out of the same bowl too! Plus if the hubs is running late he can put the lid right back on and take it to go.  Fan-stinkin-tastic! And the breakdown price wise is: $.06 per packet - plus the sugar and cinnamon which I always have on hand. Way cheaper than the boxed variety and stopping at Starbucks for theirs.

Short Hiatus...and free workouts

I am completely guilty of neglecting this blog :( But I figure at this point I have no followers so no harm done right? But I'm back in the game and getting my entire list (yes although I've neglected posts, I've been keeping a list) online asap. Promise.
So this trick is a goodie, especially if you are super busy like me.  I have a gym membership, its great, its inexpensive, it rarely gets used.  By the time I clear out time to get everyone ready, drop the kids at the play gym, and get started I really should be back at home working on my things to do today list.  So, while browsing shows to DVR one day I discovered I have free access to Fit TV through my cable package, score! Each month my cable company (comcast) rotates amazing workout series from yoga to cardio to dance for free! And you can select how long of  workout or what area you'd like to target.  AMAZING! Plus being a type-A/OCD/ADD woman I get bored super easy so new programs every month keep me interested.  So when I have time in my day, I put the kids down for a nap or a movie and get in my 30 minutes without leaving the house.  Fan-stinkin-tastic.

Day 9 - Real CA Dairy, Milk & Cheese Coupons

I wouldn't say I am an extreme couponer...but I definitely take advantage of them when I can - they can save $$ on your grocery bill! There are those special coupons that come along here you can print and re-print and re-print! Score!! This is one example.  If you buy Real CA cheese, milk and or dairy products this is a treat for you.  On the Real CA website you can print .55 cent coupons for each as many times as you want! This is such a great way to save, so for example if you buy 2 gallons of milk and 2 blocks of cheese with a .55 cent coupon per item (can only use one per) that s a savings of $2.20 on items that don't usually go on sale. WOO-HOO!

http://www.realcaliforniamilk.com/for-californians/coupons/

Day 7 - Wine, beer & spirits oh my!

If you are like us, a portion of the grocery bill goes to wine, beer or some sort of alcohol.  To be clear, I do not encourage any type of drinkings, especially to underage individuals!!! But it is definitely part of our weekly routine to have the occasional beer or glass of wine a couple times a week...(or everyday of the week) but hey who's counting! But it can cut into your budget...enter the BevMo 5 cent wine sale!! Woo-Hoo, its like Christmas in a wine crate :)

It can really help to stock up and take advantage of this sale - plus do not disregard these beverage stores for holidays, parties, etc.  They stock a heck of a lot more than grocery stores so their markdowns can be great!! Click here for more details! PLUS, right now if you go to their website you can pint a $2 off coupon when you spend $10! What more could you ask for.

Day 6 - Iced Coffee Starbucks Style

My family is self proclaimed Starbucks addicts!! It's really bad, even the kids have jumped on the caffeine rich, scone frosting, chocolate milk boxed, cake popped train.  We love the coffee of course and decided after a hefty realization of how much was being spent monthly to enjoy the special brew that we would buy the beans and make it ourselves.  This in itself has saved us a TON - seriously hundreds of dollars a month (told you it was an addiction).  But after brewing and pouring over ice (we love it iced) we noticed it got really watered down and wasn't quite Starbucks equivalent, but we kept doing it cause we were saving.  Then we noticed that at Starbucks they don't ice it straight from the coffee machine, they keep it refrigerated in a pitcher!!! Of course!!! So we started pouring (a cooled) pot of coffee into a pitcher and keeping it in the fridge to use, and its fabulous!! And honestly a pot will last my hubs and I 2 days, so that eliminates brewing a new pot every morning! Double Yeah!!

Who says you can't have coffeehouse quality at home..shame on you. (and yes that is a beer pitcher!)

Day 5 - Fruit Cups To-Go

They get me every time, I stroll through the grocery store and I find the cute little prepacked fruit cups in the produce section.  They look so fresh and delicious and packed up so cute, just screaming; "eat me".  Sold....till I flip it over and see the $4.99 price tag. What the!!! No way - back on the shelf he goes.  But I love having them and when our budget was non-existent sure, throw in 4-5 of those little tasty devils for the week. But these days, five bucks better buy an entire meal! Soooo, I started packing my own and these suckers fly off the fridge shelf!!

I just take small size tupperware - or in this case reusable, sealable containers from Whole Foods (no that wasn't a plug - I just happen to love that store....and the fact they pack stuff in reusable, sealable containers) cut up what I want/ whats in season and they are ready to grab and go to work for a snack, to the park, or in the car pack to run errands (see more on car pack later).  We love them and they are a healthy snack, not to mention a major money saver for us.  Enjoy!

Day 4 - Summer PJs

So i can't speak for everyone, but in this house we go through a lot of pajamas.  My kids hang out in them eat in them - completely destroy them at breakfast, and thus they get washed tons.  And although kids pjs are pretty cheap (I've found them as low as $4 a set at Walmart - total score) My kids don't have a huge growth spurt between winter and summer, so to save a tiny bit of shopping money I just cut them into summer pjs! Since all the pjs my kids wear are cotton knit, they don't fray not here is no need for any hemming whatsoever.  Ya, they sometimes look a little "Huck Finn-ish" with cutoff pjs, but who the heck cares!!! They're pjs for crying out loud!! The kids are going to slop oatmeal and smash blueberries on them! Behold,

Before:

And After:

SOOO easy and free - my favorite combo :) Nighty-night!

Day 3: Save it - Tomato Paste

One of my biggest pet peeves - even before this money saving revolution is wasting food.  With the cost of groceries plus the cost of gas to get to the grocery store, it can add up quick.  So we make a valliant effort not to throw anything (or realistically very minimal) away.  One thing I always end up wasting is tomato paste, because recipes only seem to call for 1 or 2 tbsp., and then what to do with the rest???

So, I did a little bit of research and found that you can indeed save it! Woo-Hoo!! So here's what you need to do: Measure out 1 tbsp. paste each onto a plate covered in parchment paper till can is empty.  Place in the freezer overnight.   

And the next morning mounds will be frozen.  Place into freezer bag and save for next time :)

YEAH! I love when I can save food (and a little "green" for my "picket fence" fund)

Day 2 - Grocery & Meal Planning

They say don't go to the grocery store hungry or tired, I say don't ever go without a plan!!! In my experience every time I think I can "wing it" or "pick up the basics" it results in takeout dinners and at least 3 additional trips to the grocery store; but plenty of triscuts and ice cream.  So I started organizing my grocery purchases by 2 things: 1. What meals am I making for the next 7 days and 2. Whats on sale? By browsing the ads I can see what stores (I rotate 4 different ones weekly by what they have on sale) have what that week and base my meals around that.  Easy.  So if jumbo packs of chicken breasts are on sale my family can assume we are having at least 2 dinners and a lunch based around chicken.  That way I'm not really paying full price for any meals.  There are a couple other standbys I incorporate:

• If an item we eat alot is on a major sale (ie: 50% or more off regular price) I stock up and freeze or store (as long as it fits into the budget)
• Check your coupons - I've found produce, *dairy and meat coupons when I least expect to. Combining coupons with a sale makes for a fantastic deal
• Incorporate 1-2 vegetarian meals a week - this will save you BIG time
• Only buy items you and your family actually eat.  If everyone hates mushrooms, don't assume they will convert just because you got them on sale
• Make sure to buy enough food/ beverage that you cover all meals for 7 full days - the point is to eliminate trips to fast food, delis, etc.
• STAY ON A BUDGET!!! Have 1 lump sum per week (we do $100) and take it out in cash, you'd be surprised how much a few dollars every week adds up.  If you have any leftover bank it for a holiday meal, potluck, etc where you might need extra money for food products not pertaining to your weekly meals 

* you can find unlimited (yes unlimited) free printable Real CA dairy milk, cheese and dairy product coupons here until 12/31/2011.  I use one per gallon of milk I buy weekly and per block of cheese, so usually saves me about $2.75 weekly just on milk & cheese.

That's it - those are my rules for this house, and its working.  I take the leftover paper cash and store it for the next holiday or birthday party coming up, and the extra coins (change) I stock in a jar to be changed in every other month (more on this later).

Happy grocery day!!

Day 1

Day 1 is the hardest.  Sort of like getting out of first gear.  I think it's just out of the norm for us as we are used to spending pretty much whatever, whenever we want - but if we want to have room to play in terms of finding "the" house in "the" location, we have to make sacrifices.  So, I'm averaging 1 money saving tip per day should cover our tracks (at least hopefully).  So what did I save on today?? Well energy bars of course!! These are my all time favorite, and most of the ingredients are on hand and they are pretty simple to make and sugar free (bonus!) and delicious (double bonus!) I got the recipe from Sunset Magazine years ago and have adapted it a few times here and there with other dried fruit, nuts, etc. so play with it, they're sooo good and a much better deal than paying $1 - $2 per energy bar.  Might even entice me to get out for a run....ok probably not.

Cranberry Go-go Bars

Ingredients

• Cooking-oil spray
• 1 cup regular rolled oats
• 1/3 cup oat bran
• 3 tablespoons flax seeds
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped roasted salted peanuts
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup finely chopped dried Mission figs
• 3/4 cup natural chunky peanut butter
• 1/4 cup low-fat milk
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup honey
• Finely shredded zest from 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preparation

• 1. Line a 9- by 13-in. pan with plastic wrap, leaving an overhang on the 9-in. sides, and coat with cooking-oil spray. In a large bowl, stir together oats, oat bran, flax seeds, flour, baking powder, salt, peanuts, cranberries, and figs until well blended.
• 2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together peanut butter, milk, egg, honey, lemon zest, and lemon juice until well blended.
• 3. Add flour mixture to peanut butter mixture and beat until completely blended. Scrape dough into pan and, with wet fingers or a rubber spatula, pat to fill pan completely and evenly (dough is sticky, so you may need to wash your hands a few times). Chill dough until firm, about 30 minutes.
• 4. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 300°. Invert pan onto a work surface, lift off pan, and peel off plastic. Using a bench scraper or knife, cut straight down lengthwise through middle, then crosswise to make 16 bars, each 1 1/2 in. wide. Place bars about 1 in. apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment.
• 5. Bake bars until lightly browned and somewhat firm to touch, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
• Make ahead: Store airtight up to 2 weeks or freeze.