tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62034484089985565002024-03-12T22:23:06.820-04:00My All You Grocery ChallengeFollow me as I track my progress in the All You Grocery Challenge 2011!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203448408998556500.post-84185850969702727162011-08-12T19:07:00.001-04:002011-08-12T19:08:50.342-04:00This Blog is CLOSED, Follow me at TheFrugalette.com!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="123" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AMcG0rjzU6A/TkWx7RaApHI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/-qvipXuHy-0/s320/frugalettelogo.jpg" width="320" /></div><br />
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I have a fabulous announcement, I will continue my grocery challenge blog at my new home:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thefrugalette.com/">www.TheFrugalette.com</a>! </div><br />
Please join me there! I never planned to become a blogger, but I guess most people don't? You never hear anyone saying "When I grow up I want to be a blogger!" This challenge changed our family in so many amazing ways, it even found me a new passion!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203448408998556500.post-91666942850942000902011-08-10T00:46:00.000-04:002011-08-10T00:46:51.393-04:00Wordless Wednesday- Filling My Shoes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YNIEOP_jma0/TkILueYdTsI/AAAAAAAAAGI/GLXj0Cy1Fsc/s1600/ww811.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YNIEOP_jma0/TkILueYdTsI/AAAAAAAAAGI/GLXj0Cy1Fsc/s320/ww811.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Happy Wordless Wednesday! Feel free to link up your pics!<br />
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One of the first steps in reducing your grocery bill, is to understand store sales! They sometimes read like morse code. Shaw's is part of the Super Valu national chain stores. You can check if your local grocery store is part of the Super Valu family <a href="http://www.supervalu.com/sv-webapp/retail/retail.jsp">HERE</a>.<br />
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The pic above is taken from the current Shaw's sales circular. If your store is part of the Super Valu family it may also be running this same sale give or take a week. This type of promotion comes around every 4-6 weeks. <br />
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From reading the ad, it seems pretty straightforward. If you pick any marked meat with the "Pick 4" sticker attached you will pay $20 for 4 packages of meat after redeeming the above coupon, regardless of what the individual prices say on the meat. For example, if you buy 4 packs of steak with the "Pick 4" sticker and each pack costs $7, after the coupon is scanned your total will go from $28 to $19.99. Right? Wrong!<br />
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While the sales ad says the price will be $20, the above is a coupon and has a total value worth of $5.17. How do I know? I've done this deal a couple times and the amount that gets deducted is $5.17, regardless of what meat you pick!<br />
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Using our previous example, if I were to buy $28 of steak and then used the sales circular coupon, I will end up paying $22.83, a $2.84 price difference. So is this false advertising? No, not really. Shaw's is taking an average amount that customers will probably pay and putting an average $5 deduction for the coupon. What does this mean for you? Check your receipts! If you see that you paid more then the advertised $19.99, simply turn around, head to customer service and they will refund you the price difference.<br />
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How do I take advantage of this type of promotion? I look for the cheapest meats available, usually beef stew. Since I know that regardless of what I buy, the coupon will still take off $5.17, I will go for packs that are not more then $2-$3 each.<br />
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If you buy 4 packages of beef stew at $2 a pack, it comes out to $8, and minus the $5.17 coupon equals $2.83 for 4 packs of beef stew! If you find this deal at a local grocery store, I'd be interested to know what the value of your coupon deducts. Let me know in the comments!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203448408998556500.post-51542086208288006272011-08-04T11:35:00.000-04:002011-08-04T11:35:59.630-04:00All You Health and Fitness Cover Model Search<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nskhm4VtAOg/TjqxD_CbHrI/AAAAAAAAAGA/MkRzBXwvyKE/s1600/allyouhealthcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nskhm4VtAOg/TjqxD_CbHrI/AAAAAAAAAGA/MkRzBXwvyKE/s1600/allyouhealthcover.jpg" /></a></div><br />
All You is looking for the next cover model for their special health and fitness issue on stands in January. What a great way to celebrate your success in losing weight, getting active or both! Fill out the form <a href="http://www.allyou.com/static/health-triumph/">HERE</a> and tell them your achievement, you have to also submit a photo. Hurry though you only have until August 24th to apply.<br />
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All You is the only magazine, I've seen, that goes out of their way to recognize their readers printing their picture and story. Just flipping through the magazine you will see lots of pictures and comments from real readers and subscribers to the magazine. It makes the magazine feel like a community project, rather then a bunch of made up models and "experts" no one can relate to. Let me know in the comments if you enter. Good Luck!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203448408998556500.post-55022741311938774422011-08-03T15:55:00.001-04:002011-08-03T16:01:41.912-04:00Wordless Wednesday- Babies Feeding Babies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3Lxz-D8-HqM/Tjmmi30J4xI/AAAAAAAAAF8/80ngwwoQGPQ/s1600/feeding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3Lxz-D8-HqM/Tjmmi30J4xI/AAAAAAAAAF8/80ngwwoQGPQ/s320/feeding.jpg" width="191" /></a></div><br />
I walked into the living room to find my 5 year-old feeding my 11 month-old. While I held my breath I quickly snapped this pic. I'd love to hear comments what you think is going through the baby's mind at this point. I have my own ideas. :)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203448408998556500.post-12232438369275793182011-07-31T22:29:00.000-04:002011-07-31T22:29:53.290-04:00Ikea Not Just For Furniture<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PhE5MffuJbE/TjYL1GCFk8I/AAAAAAAAAF4/wEFpmau2pTo/s1600/ikea.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PhE5MffuJbE/TjYL1GCFk8I/AAAAAAAAAF4/wEFpmau2pTo/s1600/ikea.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When you think of Ikea, probably two words come to mind: cheap and furniture. I went to this mega store yesterday and was surprised by the deals on their lesser known departments, like kitchenware (my weakness).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">They sell bakeware and cool kitchen gadgets for as low as .99! I found loaf pans and garlic presses for .99, and springform pans were only $2.99. These are unadvertised deals; the price is not featured on their website. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I loved this discovery as I'm a bakeware nut and love to buy new pans. On the other hand, it's also horrible because I have no room in my city apartment for all these cool gadgets. Next time you visit Ikea take a slow walk through their kitchen department and look closely at the prices. If you see a yellow tag hanging the price has probably been reduced on that product.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Happy shopping!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203448408998556500.post-13185985787019343682011-07-29T22:02:00.000-04:002011-07-29T22:02:16.548-04:00All You Grocery Challenge Top 10 Finalist<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AcmRBO04ZqE/TjNcXatDlZI/AAAAAAAAAF0/G_HDQ8T2UmI/s1600/topten.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AcmRBO04ZqE/TjNcXatDlZI/AAAAAAAAAF0/G_HDQ8T2UmI/s1600/topten.jpg" /></a></div>Yes, that means what you think it means! I'm one of the top 10 semi-finalists in the All You Grocery Challenge! I got the email yesterday and couldn't open it fast enough when I saw the subject line. I pinched myself...a couple of times... and then again this morning.<br />
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To be precise, my exact reaction went something like, '"AAAAHHHHHH!!!!" The whole family is so excited, and it's awesome to have made it this far. I've gotten some sweet notes of encouragement, thank you so much, it means a lot.<br />
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They requested my receipts, which I already mailed out and now sleepless nights until August 5th when they contact the winner and two runners-up.<br />
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I'm thrilled just to be nominated. I've always wanted to say that. Good luck to the other finalists!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203448408998556500.post-16163631855393294392011-07-28T22:28:00.000-04:002011-07-28T22:28:55.286-04:00Smaller Stores Offer Reduced Produce<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1j2U2CNhhXY/TjIYWifrTcI/AAAAAAAAAFw/nZyYUJ79WI4/s1600/reducedproduce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1j2U2CNhhXY/TjIYWifrTcI/AAAAAAAAAFw/nZyYUJ79WI4/s320/reducedproduce.jpg" width="191" /></a></div><br />
I'm always trying to find a way to reduce our produce budget, and I may have found it! I went to Shaw's, a big chain grocery store, but I went to a smaller sized one. At the beginning of their produce section, I found this interesting shelf..and check out all those beautiful colors!<br />
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It was filled with produce that was ripe or almost ripe and what a deal. Each package in this shelf was only $.99! I bought 3 avocados for $.99..that is an unheard of price around here. I also picked up 2 lbs. of potatoes, and 2 lbs of zucchini.<br />
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The guy filling up this shelf said the smaller sized grocery stores usually have some sort of reduced produce section as the selling rate is not as high as the bigger stores. It might be worth checking out in your local grocery store or at least asking if they have something like it.<br />
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Guess who ate guacamole tonight!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203448408998556500.post-24167004614704914032011-07-26T15:02:00.000-04:002011-07-26T15:02:47.102-04:00Catalina Promotions Equal Big Savings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i3CIq4X6UMA/Ti75nTq2l3I/AAAAAAAAAFs/fSm_ULlGW0s/s1600/catalina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i3CIq4X6UMA/Ti75nTq2l3I/AAAAAAAAAFs/fSm_ULlGW0s/s320/catalina.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> profit: $1.34</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>When you check out, have you noticed that little machine next to the cash register, it's called a Catalina Machine. Sometimes it spits out random, annoying ads, like getting an oil maintenance on your car, or an offer for a reduced newspaper subscription...really great stuff, right? In <a href="http://allyougrocerychallenge2011.blogspot.com/2011/06/day-5.html">Day 5</a> I posted a picture of one of my Catalinas, or CATs. <br />
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Well, occasionally there is great stuff, like this week. <br />
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This week there are 43 different CAT promotions happening at Shaw's (gasp). Since Catalina deals are national, there's a good chance you have some or all of the same promotions happening at your local big chain grocery store. If you are not familiar with Catalina promotions, I urge you to become familiar...NOW! Here is what I did:<br />
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4 single Viva paper towels $1.99 each<br />
2 Bailey's Coffee Creamers (it's an amazing, delicious, non-alcoholic, coffe-house style creamer, can you tell I love it?) $1.50 (regular, 2.50)<br />
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=$10.96 total<br />
- 4 $.85/1 viva coupons (shaws doubles, so these become $1.70...EACH)<br />
-2 $1/1 bailey's creamer coupons<br />
=$2.16 (this is how much I paid)<br />
now it gets interesting...stick with me folks...<br />
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There is a CAT promo on the Viva.<br />
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When you buy 4 rolls, that cute little CAT machine will spit out, no not a car check-up..but $2.50! Yes, it gives money, people! It will look like a coupon, but it is actually $2.50 to use on your next purchase, on ANYTHING you want in the store!<br />
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But, wait, there's more (I feel so late night infomercial), there is also a CAT promo on the Bailey's creamer. When you buy 2 Bailey's, the machine will print out $1!..Yes, it prints money, kind of..it's in the form of a coupon, but basically you're getting your money back!<br />
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So, let's recap...I spent $2.16, and I got back $3.50, so I made a profit of $1.34. They paid me to take home my favorite Irish Cream creamer. I love CATs! Can you say meow...<br />
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So, what are you waiting for...find your grocery store circular and get shopping!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203448408998556500.post-59363249130793096982011-07-25T12:59:00.000-04:002011-07-25T12:59:12.513-04:00Earth's Best Baby Food on Clearance at Target<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tg9TBDELRqY/Ti2ep8xq56I/AAAAAAAAAFo/ENwCyG35fv4/s1600/earthsbest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tg9TBDELRqY/Ti2ep8xq56I/AAAAAAAAAFo/ENwCyG35fv4/s320/earthsbest.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>When I can't make homemade baby food, I love Earth's Best organic! I found them on clearance at Target, not all were marked. The smaller 4 oz. size was $.68 from $.82, and the larger, stage 3, 6 oz. size was $.88 from $1.04. There are coupons on Earth's Best site for $1 off 7 jars <a href="http://www.earthsbest.com/node/311">HERE</a>. If you bought 7 of the small size, you could get them for as low as $.53 a jar! Great price!<br />
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These are the varieties I found on sale, if you find anymore let me know in the comments section!<br />
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$.68:<br />
<ul><li>Winter Squash</li>
<li>Pears & Mangos</li>
<li>Harvest Squash Turkey</li>
<li>Peas & Brown Rice</li>
</ul>$.88:<br />
<ul><li>Tender Chicken & Stars</li>
<li>Vegetable Beef Pilaf</li>
</ul>I also found Earth's Best teething biscuits on clearance, keep your coupons handy!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203448408998556500.post-17305100025180212312011-07-25T11:46:00.001-04:002011-07-26T01:00:43.659-04:00FREE Lunch Tote with Any Backpack Purchase at Toys R Us<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9MBx_uQjw40/Ti2Kr_qc8kI/AAAAAAAAAFk/pthQ6yPfKio/s1600/IMAG0317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9MBx_uQjw40/Ti2Kr_qc8kI/AAAAAAAAAFk/pthQ6yPfKio/s320/IMAG0317.jpg" width="191" /></a></div><br />
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I noticed when the kids have lunch totes that they picked out, they are eager to fill them up with snacks and water, which cuts down on the temptation to stop at fast food when we are out and about, and of course for school lunches!<br />
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Toys R Us just started a promotion, 7/24-8/27, buy any backpack $12.99 or more and get ANY lunch tote FREE (value up to $9.99). Toys R Us ran a similar promotion a couple weeks back, but this one is better because you can pick which lunch tote you want, in the previous promotion you could only pick the matching lunch tote with the backpack.<br />
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My son picked a Cars backpack (big surprise), and my daughter picked a Hello Kitty backpack (bigger surprise), and I picked arctic critter lunch totes, retail $9.99, worth more then the matching tote for the backpacks.<br />
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If you do the promotion, go early as the favorite characters sell out fast, also look inside the lunch totes for coupons. The ones we got had two coupon booklets in them. One with coupons up to $6 in savings on food and drinks and another by Scotch with coupons up to $10.50 in savings, including a rare coupon for $5 off Scotch Thermal Laminator.<br />
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If you get one, come back and let me know what you got!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203448408998556500.post-49062298005825432842011-07-23T09:26:00.000-04:002011-07-23T09:26:09.593-04:00And the Giveaway Winner is...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7IO5xjkbFWQ/TirJ8v4EC5I/AAAAAAAAAFg/Dp62PP3D1rw/s1600/rainbowwinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7IO5xjkbFWQ/TirJ8v4EC5I/AAAAAAAAAFg/Dp62PP3D1rw/s1600/rainbowwinner.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
Rachel! Congratulations, check your email from thefrugalette at gmail dot com! Thank you everyone for entering and checking out my blog! This is my first giveaway, but not my last. I'll be back before you can say 'frugalette who?' OK, maybe not <i>that </i>fast.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203448408998556500.post-54089881640245423372011-07-22T23:43:00.001-04:002011-07-22T23:46:42.766-04:00Santa Cruz Organic Juice Stockpile<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zVf_j2_bUWA/Tio8Wn9fo-I/AAAAAAAAAFQ/_mATvO1ITJ4/s1600/santacruz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zVf_j2_bUWA/Tio8Wn9fo-I/AAAAAAAAAFQ/_mATvO1ITJ4/s320/santacruz.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">total: $0 </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Contrary to popular belief, there are coupons and deals on healthy, organic food. I present to you this picture as evidence. In my <a href="http://allyougrocerychallenge2011.blogspot.com/2011/07/day-18.html">Day 18 </a>post I wrote about trying new stores to find deals on organic food. I visited my local Coop store here in Cambridge and was excited to find an organic food coupon booklet filled with high value coupons. One coupon that caught my eye was $.75 off 1 Santa Cruz Organic product. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Since they were manufacturer coupons and not store specific, I took them to Shaw's where they were on sale this week for $1.50. Since Shaw's doubles coupons, I got all these pretty bottles for FREE!</div><br />
Today Boston hit 103 degrees, first time in 85 years...perfect timing for a juice deal!<br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203448408998556500.post-10943024568290933982011-07-21T18:59:00.000-04:002011-07-21T18:59:10.549-04:00First Tomato Bud<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fl8mY-Jmf5A/TiisqbVHM6I/AAAAAAAAAFM/uG8E9jQVFeU/s320/tomatobud.jpg" width="191" /></div><br />
Do you see what I see! We woke up this morning to our first tomato bud! My first post of this blog, <a href="http://allyougrocerychallenge2011.blogspot.com/2011/06/day-2.html">Day 2</a> ,was about planting a tomato plant as a way to start the challenge. We had never gardened...ever! I was born in Chicago, raised in Los Angeles and now live in Boston...I have pure city girl blood in my veins.<br />
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We currently live in a cement jungle, but I really wanted to try gardening, and this was our solution; a topsy turvy plant hanging in our porch. I'm worried about that little guy growing as much as my own kids..well..almost as much. :P<br />
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If you have any space, even some small counter space you can start a little herb garden. No excuses my fellow city dwellers!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203448408998556500.post-64567092953866071382011-07-20T15:56:00.003-04:002011-07-21T18:46:45.964-04:00How to Tenderize Cheap Meat?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1kbpLFmzszc/Ticw7PBQebI/AAAAAAAAAFI/U0ObeiqVis0/s1600/cheapmeat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1kbpLFmzszc/Ticw7PBQebI/AAAAAAAAAFI/U0ObeiqVis0/s320/cheapmeat.jpg" width="191" /></a></div><br />
Meat is often the biggest budget buster (say that 10 times!). High quality steak and beef comes at a premium price. Usually you read to put it in a slow cooker and the 5-6 hours will often soften up any cheaper cuts of meat and make them tender. However, for those of us that are not big on a slow cooker, or decided 2 hours before dinner they want to make beef, slow cooker is not going to work.<br />
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My mom (are you reading) always taught me to put the meat in water, turn up the heat until it starts to boil, cover and turn down the heat to a low simmer for about 1 hour. Add fried onions, garlic, ginger (all natural tenderizers). After an hour, turn up the heat and let the extra water evaporate and add salt, pepper and any spices or flavor you want. It works so well!<br />
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Since I always have frozen spinach on hand, I'm going to add spinach to mine. Remember to add salt and pepper at the very end, as salt inhibits the meat from getting soft. Do you have any tips or tricks, other then the slow cooker for tenderizing meat? I'd love to hear them!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203448408998556500.post-12405668450432910252011-07-19T22:41:00.001-04:002011-07-28T22:37:41.752-04:00Cheap Eggs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XEuctI-afS8/TiY-TBRVCEI/AAAAAAAAAFE/Qc0jesnjimU/s1600/eggs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XEuctI-afS8/TiY-TBRVCEI/AAAAAAAAAFE/Qc0jesnjimU/s320/eggs.jpg" width="191" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I got cheap eggs, so what right? Well, yes and no. There is this idea that reduced dairy must be expiring that day or the next. These are Land O Lakes, cage-free brown eggs, usually cost around $3.xx, and their expiration was 8 days from the day I bought these...plenty of time to use a dozen eggs!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The lesson here is don't count out reduced dairy..check the expiration date, it may not be any earlier then others, the store might have just gotten overstock on them. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, now you're thinking, where do I find them? In our local Shaw's (Super Valu family) they keep the reduced eggs in the milk fridge on the bottom most shelf. People don't like to bend...I don't mind. :) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203448408998556500.post-39767697005559985122011-07-18T13:28:00.000-04:002011-07-18T13:28:03.923-04:00Let's Move Summer Program Fun and Free Food<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-60CTQkeBFVk/TiQk1MCauoI/AAAAAAAAAEw/rvGWf114He4/s1600/letsmove.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-60CTQkeBFVk/TiQk1MCauoI/AAAAAAAAAEw/rvGWf114He4/s1600/letsmove.gif" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The First Lady Michelle Obama created the Let's Move program to help tackle and prevent the threatening rise of childhood obesity in the US. This summer parks across the nation are participating in the Let's Move program by having sports and fun activities and giving FREE healthy lunches to all kids under 18! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The program is being promoted as a way to feed hungry kids who rely on school lunches throughout the year, however, where I live it's for ANY kid under 18 and it seems that's how it's now being promoted as the turnout has been much lower then expected. When we went my kids were the only ones there!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here are the details:</div><ul><li>Check <a href="http://www.letsmove.gov/">HERE</a> for more info and to find a local group.</li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Program runs M-F, June 27-August 12.</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Activities are from 10:30-11:30</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lunch is between 11:30-12:30</div></li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lunches are healthy and come with whole wheat bread, salad and fresh fruit. They are, however, giving chocolate milk with the lunch. I hope you find a park near you and try it out, feels good to support our local community programs. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203448408998556500.post-26184588600011500472011-07-17T12:04:00.000-04:002011-07-17T12:04:39.913-04:00All You Grocery Challenge Exit Survey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ItF2qf3R_S0/TiMFftnXUQI/AAAAAAAAAEs/YsGOM4e3t9g/s1600/exitsurvey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ItF2qf3R_S0/TiMFftnXUQI/AAAAAAAAAEs/YsGOM4e3t9g/s320/exitsurvey.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Check your emails! If you particiapted in the All You Grocery Challenge this year, you should be getting an email that looks like this. The Challenge officially ended yesterday, but the contest has just begun! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here are the next steps:</div><ol><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Fill out and submit the exit survey by Saturday, July 23rd.</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The top 10 finalists will be notified.</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The top 10 finalists submit their receipts for review.</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">By August 5th, the winner and 2 runners up will be notified.</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The top 3 winners will be featured in the Novemeber issue of All You! </div></li>
</ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Even though the challenge has officially ended I will continue to update this blog until the winners are announced. Last year 7000 people entered! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Personally, I think anyone who entered is really a winner for trying to save their family money and feed them healthier! Good Luck!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203448408998556500.post-47475802073224226742011-07-16T21:30:00.006-04:002011-07-20T11:08:09.281-04:00Day 28 and Today I Ate A Rainbow Giveaway!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wydOTwch9ZU/TiIcVLrGr_I/AAAAAAAAAEo/MZvEh6hcU8g/s1600/rainbowkit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wydOTwch9ZU/TiIcVLrGr_I/AAAAAAAAAEo/MZvEh6hcU8g/s1600/rainbowkit.jpg" style="cursor: move;" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"></div><div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Today marks the last day in the All You Grocery Challenge! I can't believe what a difference it has made in our family. Within the first couple days it became clear that my biggest hurdle would be to improve the eating habits of my almost 3 year old daughter, Salma. Her idea of a varied diet included different chicken nugget shapes and deciding between chocolate milk or chocolate ice cream. Then I had an inspirational moment to make it a game and challenge her to eat the rainbow everyday! She loved it and took to the "game" right away. The theme of our family's challenge became "eat the rainbow everyday."</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"></div><div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Imagine my surprise and excitement when I stumbled upon a whole kit to help parents teach their kids to eat the rainbow everyday! Kia Robertson, the brains behind this ingenious product, created the Today I Ate A Rainbow Chart to keep track of her daughter's eating habits and found it to be a fun and interactive tool to help her daughter make healthy, varied choices. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"></div><div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Kia generously sent me a kit to review and it is exactly what my family needed to motivate them and visually track how we were doing in eating the rainbow. With three kids' eating habits to track, it wasn't easy to know if they were all eating the rainbow! Kia's kit makes it super easy! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">I love that each kit comes with enough magnets to track up to 4 children. Salma quickly picked the star shape, Eissa wanted the triangle and I used squares for our 10 month old. The chart can be put on the fridge and with a quick glance I was able to check if the kids' were eating the rainbow and what color they were lacking in; surprisingly we were lacking in yellow and that was fixed easily with some bananas. Although I found the kit late in the challenge, it's going to be key in helping us maintain our new eating habits. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Kia has generously offered to give one lucky reader their own <a href="http://www.todayiatearainbow.com/">Today I Ate A Rainbow Kit</a>! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">One lucky reader will win the following prize package worth $25!</span></div><ul><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">1 Today I Ate A Rainbow chart</span></div></li>
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<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;">4 sets of magnets </div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;">4 achievement magnets </div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;">2 fridge magnets </div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;">1 color coded shopping list </div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;">1 The Rainbow Bunch book </div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;">1 Rainbow bookmark</div></li>
</span></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">This contest will end Friday, July 22, is open to residents of the US and CAN only. I'll announce the winner the next day. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Every participant can have up to 4 entries! For each method of entry make a new comment to this post letting me know you did. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>Mandatory entry</b>: Leave a comment below!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">1 entry: Follow me @thefrugalette on twitter-leave your twitter name in comment</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">1 entry: Subscribe to my blog via Google Friend Connect</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">1 entry: Follow my blog via Networked Blogs (click follow button on sidebar)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Good Luck!</span></div><div class="Apple-interchange-newline"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com51tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203448408998556500.post-21247516307191920312011-07-15T22:11:00.001-04:002011-07-18T23:22:43.344-04:00Day 27<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zga8K9P10yE/TiDqwH6y4BI/AAAAAAAAAEk/Cjd8t3GBxJU/s1600/budget.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zga8K9P10yE/TiDqwH6y4BI/AAAAAAAAAEk/Cjd8t3GBxJU/s320/budget.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The grocery challenge rules allow for $25 per family member, children under 1 are not included. We are a family of 5, but our youngest is under 1, so our weekly budget is $100 on all food, including eating out.<br />
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I'm calculating my budget one day early because tomorrow is the last day of the challenge and I have something very special planned..think giveaway..think theme giveaway. :)<br />
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Since we focused on homemade this week, shopping was spent at one store and we got way under budget! Yeah for stockpile cooking!<br />
This is how we did this week:<br />
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$100<br />
-$38.49 (Shaws/Starmarket)<br />
= $61.51 under budget!<br />
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This week we also recycled our soda cans that we started collecting at the beginning of the challenge, which gave us a small $1.25 credit. Some highlights from this week's shopping includes 4 boxes of granola bars, 4 cartons of refrigerated juice, 2 bottles of organic mango juice, organic pears, apples, bananas, milk, eggs and mushrooms for slow cooker beef stroganoff! I can't believe this is the last budget for the challenge, great way to end!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203448408998556500.post-26852290583402917252011-07-14T20:24:00.002-04:002011-07-14T20:31:20.374-04:00Day 26<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YxNbAbz1wgg/Th-F-j_vkeI/AAAAAAAAAEg/3Sq29rqsJqA/s1600/lunch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YxNbAbz1wgg/Th-F-j_vkeI/AAAAAAAAAEg/3Sq29rqsJqA/s320/lunch.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Since I'm focusing on everything homemade this week, I'd like to give a special nod to my husband. While homemade dinner was already standard around here; eating lunch was not. Before this challenge began, my dear husband used to regularly stop for lunch at Dunkin Donuts (a Boston icon). His idea of eating the rainbow consisted of white cream cheese on a golden bagel and a black coffee on the side; more like shades of the rainbow. In the beginning I was regularly making lunch for him and I even dropped lunch off at his work a couple times, not an easy feat with 3 jumping beans, I mean kids in tow. I was really trying to get him on board with not eating out, not just money-wise but health-wise also!<br />
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We rarely have leftovers from dinner, so lunches are made fresh daily. This morning I witnessed a first, he was making a sandwich for his lunch. I didn't remind him, I didn't take anything out of the fridge, on his own people! He is the one that suggested I write this post also. After what happened this morning, he better believe I'm going to write about it!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203448408998556500.post-26411059760911696902011-07-13T21:26:00.000-04:002011-07-13T21:26:52.821-04:00Day 25<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--xWgzpEDXRg/Th4xuOuy8FI/AAAAAAAAAEc/jnSIRMb_LqY/s1600/clafouti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--xWgzpEDXRg/Th4xuOuy8FI/AAAAAAAAAEc/jnSIRMb_LqY/s320/clafouti.jpg" width="191" /></a></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I used the last of our cherries to make this very easy Julia Child cherry clafouti! I had no idea what a clafouti was before this, but I had all the ingredients so this is what I made. It's a mix between a crepe and a pancake, and brought out the sweet and sour in the cherries. We couldn't wait to taste it and the part you don't see had a big piece taken out before I had a chance to take a picture of it; hence the odd angle.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="ingredient" sizcache="51" sizset="101"><span class="name">Julia Child's Clafouti</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="ingredient" sizcache="51" sizset="101"><span class="name"></span></span><span class="ingredient" sizcache="51" sizset="101"><span class="name">1 1/4 cups milk<br />
1/3 cup sugar<br />
3 eggs<br />
1 Tablespoon vanilla<br />
1/8 teaspoon salt<br />
1/2 cup flour<br />
3 cups cherries, pitted<br />
1/3 cup sugar<br />
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In a blender blend the milk, sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and flour. Pour a 1/4 inch layer of the batter in a buttered 7 or 8 cup lightly buttered fireproof baking dish. Place in the oven until a film of batter sets in the pan. Remove from the heat and spread the cherries over the batter. Sprinkle on the 1/3 cup of sugar. Pour on the rest of the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for about for about 45 minutes to an hour. The clafouti is done when puffed and brown and and a knife plunged in the center comes out clean. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="ingredient" sizcache="51" sizset="101"><span class="name">Julia Child famously said, "You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces-just good food from fresh ingredients." Agreed, Julia, agreed!</span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203448408998556500.post-3989787905916631092011-07-12T21:55:00.001-04:002011-07-12T21:57:13.118-04:00Day 24<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KGlJ0ZUgZTs/Thzu4lOkIoI/AAAAAAAAAEY/ThRpgUh0gF8/s1600/foodmill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KGlJ0ZUgZTs/Thzu4lOkIoI/AAAAAAAAAEY/ThRpgUh0gF8/s1600/foodmill.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Homemade is not just for big kids! With the whole family eating more organic and homemade, I didn't want our 10 month old feeling left out. Today I bought a brand new KidCo foodmill for $5! My neighbor got one as a gift and never got around to using it, I happily bought it from her. It's so simple and easy to put together. I already used it twice today, once with fresh cherries and then for lunch I mashed up rice and carrots. </div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It comes with a cool carrying case and I definitely plan to take it out with us. This is the first time I made my own baby food and I wish I had tried it before with my older kids. I always thought it would be so much work, but I just took whatever food we had in the kitchen and cranked it through the mill, voila, homemade baby food!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203448408998556500.post-40716901413982520192011-07-11T18:19:00.000-04:002011-07-11T18:19:45.383-04:00Day 23<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wNbi5J7anh4/ThtwEAl_7GI/AAAAAAAAAEM/qEoLxbbwkcc/s1600/cherryjam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wNbi5J7anh4/ThtwEAl_7GI/AAAAAAAAAEM/qEoLxbbwkcc/s320/cherryjam.jpg" width="191" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was going to wait and take a picture of the finished product; but seeing my son's enthusiasm for the process made me realize that's much more important. We are far from finishing, but homemade is not just about cooking in one's own kitchen, it's about being surrounded by your loved ones and trying your best to nourish them well, and love is part of that nourishment. Laughing, spilling, getting cherry juice everywhere, all of it is what makes something truly homemade. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Yesterday the kids helped make our first ever bread, and Salma, the girl who never eats bread, was asking for more! Sure, it tasted good, but I'm convinced it was the act of being a part of the process and seeing the family's excitement at tasting the bread that made her want to be part of the experience also. Homemade is not Home-easy..but it is Home-worth-it!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203448408998556500.post-87409616590565609992011-07-10T15:40:00.000-04:002011-07-10T15:40:09.146-04:00Day 22<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1sOLEhkZYBI/ThnjIhtsBsI/AAAAAAAAAEA/P232W3k32ms/s1600/bread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1sOLEhkZYBI/ThnjIhtsBsI/AAAAAAAAAEA/P232W3k32ms/s320/bread.jpg" width="191" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is the last and final week of the All You Grocery Challenge! While the past three weeks have focused on shopping, this week will be all about homemade. How creative can we get in the kitchen without going to the store? My bread maker came and I was excited to test it out. This is a picture of our first ever homemade bread, nothing fancy, but so wholesome. The smell of fresh bread baking in our kitchen was worth the price of the bread machine alone!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For me, the challenge began with a budget but is ending up in a lifestyle change. It was all about the money and not over spending, but here I am three weeks later baking bread and waiting on my canning kit to make cherry jam. I started this challenge resisting to change anything except our spending and the month became something much more profound. The first week opened my eyes to Salma's poor eating habits. The second week was an effort in shopping"outside the grocery store" and the third week brought organic produce into our home after years of buying only conventional. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I talked to my mom the other day and she reminded me about an age old quote, "It's not about the destination, it's about the journey." That was pretty sneaky of All You to disguise my journey in the form of a contest. ;)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What changes have you seen the past month? Good luck in the last week!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1