I stumbled upon another great online deal (for me anyway)! Some of you may be familiar with Annie's and their Annie's Homegrown and Annie's Naturals products. They make boxed pastas (organic, natural and gluten free varieties), organic salad dressings and other condiments, organic fruit snacks (with no high fructose corn syrup!), cookies, gluten free cookies and the infamous Cheddar Bunnies, cute little crackers made with organic wheat flour. My local stores carry only a very small handful of Annie's products, and I was thrilled to find I can purchase their products online directly from their website. If you visit the Our Coupons tab on Annie's Facebook page, you can see the current online coupons that are available--right now they have instant $1.00 off coupons for organic pasta with creamy cheddar sauce and five varieties of organic salad dressings! You can use as many of them as you like in one order.
When you check out, you have the option to purchase from other manufacturers in the Alice Marketplace (Annie's is "powered by" Alice). They carry a wide array of household products--cleaning products, diapers, baby food and formula, laundry supplies, cosmetics, health and beauty aids, hygiene products, pet supplies and paper and plastic products--the list goes on. They also have many instant coupons available, and while I didn't need anything this time around, I most definitely saw some great deals on products we use.
They also have a fairly good deal on shipping. You only need to purchase six items OR $50 worth of products to receive free shipping. I purchased six Annie's items for a grand total of only $21.54 and received free shipping! The best part is that if you don't need six items from Annie's, you can purchase any item/s from the other manufacturers in the Alice Marketplace, and that will count toward your six item minimum as well.
I received notice that my order shipped less than 24 hours after I placed it and was provided with a tracking number. I received my order in three days, and it included a cute little free sample gift bag with samples of a natural laundry detergent and three all natural drink mixes. My glass bottles were properly wrapped and protected, and everything made it in one piece.
While I can get some Annie's products a little cheaper on Amazon and use my gift card balance if I've got it available, there are some products I just don't need a case of six of, such as organic versions of mustard, Worcestershire sauce and salad dressings, and the instant coupons available on select products from Annie's will make them cheaper than Amazon. I always have more than enough items saved in my Amazon cart to use any gift card balance on, so I most definitely won't be spending money needlessly if I get things elsewhere. I am going to be a repeat Annie's/Alice customer for sure!
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
My Favorite Amazon Grocery (and Non Grocery) Deals
I was asked in my Saving Money With Amazon.com and Giveaway post for some of the items I have found that are good deals. These are just some of my favorites, items that happen to be much cheaper via Amazon than locally or simply unavailable locally for me. Since this will really vary depending on the items you like to buy and where you are at, make a list of your own often-used items and look them up--there is everything from flour and sugar to cereals, rice, pasta, honey, granola bars, cookies--countless grocery items and almost anything else under the sun you could need. I purchased a case of laundry detergent for a great deal, got a free Pack n Play for my youngest a little over a year ago thanks to the gift cards I earned from Swagbucks, get most of my textbooks from Amazon and have also recently paid nothing for cloth diapers, a grill basket for fish, canning supplies, a two-pound jar of honey, a flat iron (for hair), a replacement gasket for my blender, a protective floor mat for under the baby's chair, a closet doubling bar, a hanging closet organizer--I could go on and on...... :)
There are several grocery products that require the purchase of a case, which has typically been between four and six items per case for the products I have been purchasing. Don't get scared by the word "case"--most items I buy are in fairly small packages and really don't take up much room at all. If it's something you don't use much of and don't have the room in the cupboard, pantry or freezer for, then clearly paying the bit extra for one item at the grocery store is the more sensible option you. But if there is an item you are really interested in and can't get it locally, don't dismiss Amazon just yet--talk to local friends and family to see if some of them might want to split a case with you!
Note: make sure you are looking closely at package sizes so you are accurately comparing prices!
(Typed this part after finishing the whole post) There is a lot of info here already, so I will stop where I am at and maybe make this a regular feature as I come across deals on new items! And I apologize--until I can figure out if there is a way to do it so that it shows up correctly, I had to take off information I typed under each item regarding the lower Subscribe and Save price plus how many packages and what sizes come in a case if applicable. I had it all nicely laid out, and then when I previewed the post, it looked like a big mess! So the Subscribe and Save price is actually going to be lower than the price you see on the pictures--it will be clearly visible on the product's listing on Amazon.
You already know thanks to my Bob's Red Mill Giveaway post that I love their products and respect them as a company making an effort to give their customers healthful, natural and/or organic grains and other foods. My favorite grocery store has a growing number of BRM products, but there is still much I can't get there. Every BRM product I have checked on Amazon so far is cheaper than at my grocery store, but if it's not something I use much of, I am happy to pick up one package at the grocery store versus a case on Amazon. I love their Organic Oat Bran Hot Cereal. The organic version is not available in my grocery store, and the organic version on Amazon is actually cheaper than the regular version in my grocery store. We go through a lot of quinoa, and buying a case of four packages through Amazon with Subscribe & Save saves me $10 over the price in my grocery store! We haven't gone wrong with any of their pancake mixes, and I especially like the organic high fiber mix. I grind/chop my own flaxseed (necessary to be able to digest them for your body to use) and throw it in granola, pancakes, bread, any baked goods, on oatmeal/hot cereal, in yogurt, even many main dishes. They are a great source of omega-3 essential fatty acids, lignans and fiber.
I never knew just how many Kashi products there really are until I went to a larger grocery store out of town! I was quite displeased to see I had been missing out on Cocoa Beach, an amazingly delicious chocolate coconut granola cereal! As soon as testing for gluten issues is done in our house, we'll be going back to gluten free and making my own chocolate coconut granola with gluten free oats, but I am enjoying this in the mean time. I picked up a box the first time I saw it (they are small boxes!) at that other grocery store, but it is much, much cheaper on Amazon than it was there (almost $5 a box!), especially with Subscribe & Save. GOLEAN Crunch Honey Almond Flax was another favorite, and that too is much cheaper with Amazon's regular price and more so with Subscribe & Save than the regular price at my store of $3.99 per box.
If you eat gluten free, you know it can be very expensive. Right now we have had to bring gluten back so my husband can undergo testing, and as miserable as it is making everyone, especially my youngest two kiddos, I do have to say my grocery bill has been just a little lighter! I try to stay away from as much processed foods as possible anyway, but sometimes we want to enjoy sugar cookie s'mores around the campfire, a pizza crust that actually tastes familiar, a fresh baked loaf of whole grain bread or whip up some quick pancakes! There are some items I can actually find and get a little cheaper at my grocery store, but these items I have highlighted are priced well below what I can get them for locally. I use a lot of gluten free rolled oats in my homemade granola, in baking recipes and as breakfast for the kids, and buying a case of four packages from Amazon (I always need at least two packages on hand anyway) saves me $10 over my grocery store's price!
If you do a lot of baking, there are some really great deals to be had. You can get 25-lb bags of flour (I use organic 100% whole wheat flour in my non-gluten free baking) or four 5-lb bags. I haven't found large packages of yeast yet locally, so I already added a case to my Amazon cart. And I had no idea Bob's Red Mill produces baking powder and baking soda, so those are in my cart as well. I use a lot of organic unsweetened coconut--for granola, other baking and making my own coconut milk, and buying a case through Amazon saves me $19.48 over my grocery store's price!
I am all about shopping locally and do so whenever I can, but I live in a not-really-big town, so I don't have a lot of options for shopping when it comes to non-grocery natural/organic/"green" items. I pack lunches for my oldest two children to take to school, and I needed something in addition to our reusable sandwich and snack bags, something that could hold the "wet" items but that was not plastic. I finally decided on the LunchBots Duo stainless steel containers, and they are PERFECT! One side is plenty big enough for a main dish for them, and the other side can hold a couple different items. Or I can put two different finger foods on each side, whatever they feel like that day! I am also getting a couple small round stainless steel containers for the really wet/liquid items like applesauce, salsa, yogurt, really juicy fruits, etc. that I wouldn't want to get on anything in the larger container, just in case. Amazon's price was much cheaper than anywhere else I found online, and with my Amazon gift card balance thanks to the sites mentioned in my previous post, I got two of the LunchBots Duo containers FREE! I also just ordered a FREE Kleen Kanteen 12 oz stainless steel water bottle for my oldest son (you can even get them with sippy lids for younger children!), and while I haven't quite decided on the smaller food containers yet, there are a few in the running, and whichever set I choose, it too will be FREE! I am working on replacing all of our plastic food storage containers with glass and stainless steel, even tough my husband thinks I have finally gone off the deep end! ;)
There are several grocery products that require the purchase of a case, which has typically been between four and six items per case for the products I have been purchasing. Don't get scared by the word "case"--most items I buy are in fairly small packages and really don't take up much room at all. If it's something you don't use much of and don't have the room in the cupboard, pantry or freezer for, then clearly paying the bit extra for one item at the grocery store is the more sensible option you. But if there is an item you are really interested in and can't get it locally, don't dismiss Amazon just yet--talk to local friends and family to see if some of them might want to split a case with you!
Note: make sure you are looking closely at package sizes so you are accurately comparing prices!
(Typed this part after finishing the whole post) There is a lot of info here already, so I will stop where I am at and maybe make this a regular feature as I come across deals on new items! And I apologize--until I can figure out if there is a way to do it so that it shows up correctly, I had to take off information I typed under each item regarding the lower Subscribe and Save price plus how many packages and what sizes come in a case if applicable. I had it all nicely laid out, and then when I previewed the post, it looked like a big mess! So the Subscribe and Save price is actually going to be lower than the price you see on the pictures--it will be clearly visible on the product's listing on Amazon.
Bob's Red Mill
You already know thanks to my Bob's Red Mill Giveaway post that I love their products and respect them as a company making an effort to give their customers healthful, natural and/or organic grains and other foods. My favorite grocery store has a growing number of BRM products, but there is still much I can't get there. Every BRM product I have checked on Amazon so far is cheaper than at my grocery store, but if it's not something I use much of, I am happy to pick up one package at the grocery store versus a case on Amazon. I love their Organic Oat Bran Hot Cereal. The organic version is not available in my grocery store, and the organic version on Amazon is actually cheaper than the regular version in my grocery store. We go through a lot of quinoa, and buying a case of four packages through Amazon with Subscribe & Save saves me $10 over the price in my grocery store! We haven't gone wrong with any of their pancake mixes, and I especially like the organic high fiber mix. I grind/chop my own flaxseed (necessary to be able to digest them for your body to use) and throw it in granola, pancakes, bread, any baked goods, on oatmeal/hot cereal, in yogurt, even many main dishes. They are a great source of omega-3 essential fatty acids, lignans and fiber.
Kashi
I never knew just how many Kashi products there really are until I went to a larger grocery store out of town! I was quite displeased to see I had been missing out on Cocoa Beach, an amazingly delicious chocolate coconut granola cereal! As soon as testing for gluten issues is done in our house, we'll be going back to gluten free and making my own chocolate coconut granola with gluten free oats, but I am enjoying this in the mean time. I picked up a box the first time I saw it (they are small boxes!) at that other grocery store, but it is much, much cheaper on Amazon than it was there (almost $5 a box!), especially with Subscribe & Save. GOLEAN Crunch Honey Almond Flax was another favorite, and that too is much cheaper with Amazon's regular price and more so with Subscribe & Save than the regular price at my store of $3.99 per box.
Gluten Free
If you eat gluten free, you know it can be very expensive. Right now we have had to bring gluten back so my husband can undergo testing, and as miserable as it is making everyone, especially my youngest two kiddos, I do have to say my grocery bill has been just a little lighter! I try to stay away from as much processed foods as possible anyway, but sometimes we want to enjoy sugar cookie s'mores around the campfire, a pizza crust that actually tastes familiar, a fresh baked loaf of whole grain bread or whip up some quick pancakes! There are some items I can actually find and get a little cheaper at my grocery store, but these items I have highlighted are priced well below what I can get them for locally. I use a lot of gluten free rolled oats in my homemade granola, in baking recipes and as breakfast for the kids, and buying a case of four packages from Amazon (I always need at least two packages on hand anyway) saves me $10 over my grocery store's price!
Baking Supplies
If you do a lot of baking, there are some really great deals to be had. You can get 25-lb bags of flour (I use organic 100% whole wheat flour in my non-gluten free baking) or four 5-lb bags. I haven't found large packages of yeast yet locally, so I already added a case to my Amazon cart. And I had no idea Bob's Red Mill produces baking powder and baking soda, so those are in my cart as well. I use a lot of organic unsweetened coconut--for granola, other baking and making my own coconut milk, and buying a case through Amazon saves me $19.48 over my grocery store's price!
Miscellaneous Non-Grocery Items I Can't Find Locally
I am all about shopping locally and do so whenever I can, but I live in a not-really-big town, so I don't have a lot of options for shopping when it comes to non-grocery natural/organic/"green" items. I pack lunches for my oldest two children to take to school, and I needed something in addition to our reusable sandwich and snack bags, something that could hold the "wet" items but that was not plastic. I finally decided on the LunchBots Duo stainless steel containers, and they are PERFECT! One side is plenty big enough for a main dish for them, and the other side can hold a couple different items. Or I can put two different finger foods on each side, whatever they feel like that day! I am also getting a couple small round stainless steel containers for the really wet/liquid items like applesauce, salsa, yogurt, really juicy fruits, etc. that I wouldn't want to get on anything in the larger container, just in case. Amazon's price was much cheaper than anywhere else I found online, and with my Amazon gift card balance thanks to the sites mentioned in my previous post, I got two of the LunchBots Duo containers FREE! I also just ordered a FREE Kleen Kanteen 12 oz stainless steel water bottle for my oldest son (you can even get them with sippy lids for younger children!), and while I haven't quite decided on the smaller food containers yet, there are a few in the running, and whichever set I choose, it too will be FREE! I am working on replacing all of our plastic food storage containers with glass and stainless steel, even tough my husband thinks I have finally gone off the deep end! ;)
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Happy Eating This Labor Day Weekend!
Hope you are all enjoying this traditional "last hurrah" of summer, though I for one am not letting go of summer just yet! There are so many things I still want to do before the weather gets cooler, so we'll try to squeeze it all in over the next few weeks!
When I think Labor Day weekend, naturally I think food. Tonight we are going to enjoy my Cheesy Tomato Basil Burgers on 100% Whole Wheat Buns along with a new recipe you will see tonight, Slow Cooker Baked Beans! Not sure what we will have tomorrow, but I am betting it will be grilled over charcoal!
I hope you all have a super fun and safe long weekend! Thanks so much for hanging around! :)
Nissa
When I think Labor Day weekend, naturally I think food. Tonight we are going to enjoy my Cheesy Tomato Basil Burgers on 100% Whole Wheat Buns along with a new recipe you will see tonight, Slow Cooker Baked Beans! Not sure what we will have tomorrow, but I am betting it will be grilled over charcoal!
I hope you all have a super fun and safe long weekend! Thanks so much for hanging around! :)
Nissa
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Saving Money With Amazon.com and Giveaway!
I am admittedly an Amazon.com junkie. Not only have I earned well over $500 worth of gift cards from a few sites in the last year to spend on Amazon, but I can get so many food items I can't get locally or that are much more expensive locally. Some items do come in cases with 4-6 items per case, but it's worth it for me since they are items we use on a regular basis and have room for. There are many ways to save on Amazon, and I have compiled my strategies below.
Amazon did not ask me to write or compensate me in any way for this post, I really am just that much of a junkie! ;)
Subscribe & Save
There are many items on Amazon eligible for Subscribe & Save. If you choose the option, you receive a % discount (15% off grocery items, up to 30% on other types of items) and free shipping in exchange for setting up automatic delivery of that item every 1, 2, 3 or 6 months. You receive free shipping and the % off the listed price on all future shipments as long as your subscription is active, and you are not charged until each order ships. The great thing is that if you really do not want automatic delivery of that item, as soon as you are finished checking out, you can go into your account, choose "Manage Subscribe & Save Items" and cancel it. Or, you can keep it active and adjust the time in between shipments, skip a shipment or add a shipment at any time as well--it really is a handy feature for items you use regularly! Eligible items will clearly show the S& S price after the regular price in the listing.
Amazon Prime
Subscribing to Amazon Prime ($79 per year) gives you unlimited free two-day shipping without the usual $25 minimum for free standard shipping and $3.99 per item one-day shipping on eligible items. If you are an avid Amazon shopper (they have everything under the sun!) and are like me and sometimes don't need to break that $25 free shipping minimum, this is a great deal. I also find the free two-day shipping priceless for my textbooks and other emergency purchases that pop up on occasion! You also get free release date shipping on video games, movies and book, unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows and quick and easy 1-Click ordering. If you have not been a Prime member in the last 13 months, you can go the the Prime Free Trial Page and sign up for a free trial. It will ask you for a valid card, but if you are not interested in upgrading to the paid membership when your trial is over, click on "Manage Your Prime Membership" under your account and then click "do not upgrade" at any time before your trial is up. I have done two free trials and had no issues when it came to cancelling them--super easy.
Amazon Mom
If you are a primary caretaker of an infant through toddler-age child, check out Amazon Mom! You automatically get three free months of Prime Membership, and that is extended by 1 month every time you spend $25 or more in the Baby Store, and you can extend it that way up to one year. I use cloth diapers and wipes, so I can't comment on how great of a deal it is, but diapers and wipes are 30% with subscribe and save--a great way to get necessities, pay no shipping and extend your Prime Membership!
Amazon Student
If you are a college student with a valid .edu e-mail address, you can qualify for Amazon Student. Enjoy six free months of Amazon Prime Membership, and then each year after that for up to four years is half off, only $39 per year. My free Amazon Student period ended today, and I upgraded right away. Even the $79 per year for the Prime membership would be well worth my while, as I very often need textbooks as quickly as possible and have gladly paid $3.99 many times to get them here the next day ($17.98 without Prime) or especially enjoyed the free two-day shipping that automatically comes with Prime for that reason as well ($11.98 without Prime).
Sites I Use to Earn Amazon Gift Cards
These are the three sites I am actively using to accrue Amazon gift cards. If you are aware of any others, please feel free to mention them in the comments!
Opinion Outpost: This is the site I earn the most Amazon gift cards through, and it is also the quickest to accrue for me. You can qualify for surveys, with each survey giving you a predetermined amount of reward points that you can redeem for not only Amazon gift cards, but a check, Red Cross Donation, Citi gift card, etc. I have earned $75 in just over a month, and I could most definitely be putting in more effort.
Swagbucks: Earn virtual bucks (Swagbucks) for activities such as using their search engine, taking a daily poll, printing and redeeming coupons, surveys, etc. I don't put in as much effort as I used to, but I still get at least three $5 Amazon gift cards per month, sometimes four or five. You are not limited to Amazon gift cards, there are many, many other prizes to redeem your Swagbucks on such as other gift cards (Target, Starbucks, etc.), $ in your PayPal account and apparel, games, music and much more.
Crowdtap: I am fairly new to this one but really like it so far. It does not require much effort, so far I have been answering some "quick hits," which are super short polls and taking part in some longer discussions. There is also opportunity for sampling products (at no cost to you) and sharing your thoughts, the two I have seen so far being Old Navy flip-flops and Old Navy Jeans. I believe with both of those, they also gave you two free product coupons to share with friends too. When you get to $9.99 in rewards, you can cash out at any time, and 5% will go to the charity you choose from their really great list when you sign up (Crowdtap also matches that 5%), and you can either choose to donate the rest to that charity or have an Amazon gift code e-mailed to you.
Did you think I'd ever get to it?! ;) The winner of this giveaway will receive a $20 gift card to Amazon.com. Like the Bob's Red Mill giveaway (don't forget to enter before the deadline of 8:59 pm central Thursday September 8th), all you have to do to enter is answer a simple question on the quick and easy form below to be entered, and there is opportunity to earn extra entries as well. Deadline for this one will be 8:59 pm central on Monday, September 26th. Winner will be drawn at 9:00 pm.
Amazon did not ask me to write or compensate me in any way for this post, I really am just that much of a junkie! ;)
Subscribe & Save
There are many items on Amazon eligible for Subscribe & Save. If you choose the option, you receive a % discount (15% off grocery items, up to 30% on other types of items) and free shipping in exchange for setting up automatic delivery of that item every 1, 2, 3 or 6 months. You receive free shipping and the % off the listed price on all future shipments as long as your subscription is active, and you are not charged until each order ships. The great thing is that if you really do not want automatic delivery of that item, as soon as you are finished checking out, you can go into your account, choose "Manage Subscribe & Save Items" and cancel it. Or, you can keep it active and adjust the time in between shipments, skip a shipment or add a shipment at any time as well--it really is a handy feature for items you use regularly! Eligible items will clearly show the S& S price after the regular price in the listing.
Amazon Prime
Subscribing to Amazon Prime ($79 per year) gives you unlimited free two-day shipping without the usual $25 minimum for free standard shipping and $3.99 per item one-day shipping on eligible items. If you are an avid Amazon shopper (they have everything under the sun!) and are like me and sometimes don't need to break that $25 free shipping minimum, this is a great deal. I also find the free two-day shipping priceless for my textbooks and other emergency purchases that pop up on occasion! You also get free release date shipping on video games, movies and book, unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows and quick and easy 1-Click ordering. If you have not been a Prime member in the last 13 months, you can go the the Prime Free Trial Page and sign up for a free trial. It will ask you for a valid card, but if you are not interested in upgrading to the paid membership when your trial is over, click on "Manage Your Prime Membership" under your account and then click "do not upgrade" at any time before your trial is up. I have done two free trials and had no issues when it came to cancelling them--super easy.
Amazon Mom
If you are a primary caretaker of an infant through toddler-age child, check out Amazon Mom! You automatically get three free months of Prime Membership, and that is extended by 1 month every time you spend $25 or more in the Baby Store, and you can extend it that way up to one year. I use cloth diapers and wipes, so I can't comment on how great of a deal it is, but diapers and wipes are 30% with subscribe and save--a great way to get necessities, pay no shipping and extend your Prime Membership!
Amazon Student
If you are a college student with a valid .edu e-mail address, you can qualify for Amazon Student. Enjoy six free months of Amazon Prime Membership, and then each year after that for up to four years is half off, only $39 per year. My free Amazon Student period ended today, and I upgraded right away. Even the $79 per year for the Prime membership would be well worth my while, as I very often need textbooks as quickly as possible and have gladly paid $3.99 many times to get them here the next day ($17.98 without Prime) or especially enjoyed the free two-day shipping that automatically comes with Prime for that reason as well ($11.98 without Prime).
Sites I Use to Earn Amazon Gift Cards
These are the three sites I am actively using to accrue Amazon gift cards. If you are aware of any others, please feel free to mention them in the comments!
Opinion Outpost: This is the site I earn the most Amazon gift cards through, and it is also the quickest to accrue for me. You can qualify for surveys, with each survey giving you a predetermined amount of reward points that you can redeem for not only Amazon gift cards, but a check, Red Cross Donation, Citi gift card, etc. I have earned $75 in just over a month, and I could most definitely be putting in more effort.
Swagbucks: Earn virtual bucks (Swagbucks) for activities such as using their search engine, taking a daily poll, printing and redeeming coupons, surveys, etc. I don't put in as much effort as I used to, but I still get at least three $5 Amazon gift cards per month, sometimes four or five. You are not limited to Amazon gift cards, there are many, many other prizes to redeem your Swagbucks on such as other gift cards (Target, Starbucks, etc.), $ in your PayPal account and apparel, games, music and much more.
Crowdtap: I am fairly new to this one but really like it so far. It does not require much effort, so far I have been answering some "quick hits," which are super short polls and taking part in some longer discussions. There is also opportunity for sampling products (at no cost to you) and sharing your thoughts, the two I have seen so far being Old Navy flip-flops and Old Navy Jeans. I believe with both of those, they also gave you two free product coupons to share with friends too. When you get to $9.99 in rewards, you can cash out at any time, and 5% will go to the charity you choose from their really great list when you sign up (Crowdtap also matches that 5%), and you can either choose to donate the rest to that charity or have an Amazon gift code e-mailed to you.
GIVEAWAY!!!!!
Did you think I'd ever get to it?! ;) The winner of this giveaway will receive a $20 gift card to Amazon.com. Like the Bob's Red Mill giveaway (don't forget to enter before the deadline of 8:59 pm central Thursday September 8th), all you have to do to enter is answer a simple question on the quick and easy form below to be entered, and there is opportunity to earn extra entries as well. Deadline for this one will be 8:59 pm central on Monday, September 26th. Winner will be drawn at 9:00 pm.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Slow Cooker Wild and Brown Rice Soup
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| Yep, we like ours so thick it looks like oatmeal! |
I have been back in school since January, but this semester is the first time I have had a class actually on campus as opposed to online. Even with that class meeting only twice a week (for 2 1/2 hours a pop), it zaps my ambition, and even though I am a firm believer in not using time as an excuse for not serving my family healthful meals, I am having a hard time feeling like getting in the kitchen after class some days. I got a great new slow cooker several months ago and had been using it quite a bit (check out the Slow Cooker Recipes link over on the right hand side of the page), but it's time to get it out again. Now I swear I am in no hurry for winter, but I do enjoy fall very much, and I love breaking out the stews, soups and chili recipes when the weather turns cooler, and I especially love using my slow cooker for them.
Here is my reasoning behind leaving the brown rice uncooked but using cooked wild rice in the recipe: wild rice is not really a rice, it is the grain of an aquatic plant/grass. When it's cooking, it most definitely smells like grass, and I would not want that flavor in my soup. I did find a quick cooking variety at my grocery store that has already had some of that rawness cooked out of it, and you can also buy it canned (yes, really!). I love wild rice in soups and side dishes, so I often cook up a large batch and freeze some in 1 or 2 cup portions, saving me time when I need it another day. I leave the brown rice uncooked in this recipe so that as it cooks, the starch it releases helps thicken the soup and gives it a creamy texture. I like to keep this fairly light (I have a traditional chicken and wild rice soup recipe that calls for a stick of butter, 3/4 cup flour and 2 cups of half and half--my arteries clogged just typing that out!), and since it gets a nice, creamy consistency during the cooking process, I just use milk, though half and half or even fat free half and half could be used too. Today I used unsweetened almond milk.
There are opportunities for variation in this recipe. It's really easy to divide or multiply amounts if you need more or less. I love mine really thick, but if it's too thick for you, add more stock as needed. You'll find that if you keep it in the slow cooker for awhile, such as during a gathering, you might have to periodically add a bit more liquid. If you aren't a wild rice fan or can't find it, skip it and add a bit more brown rice. We don't eat pork, but you could substitute cooked ham for the chicken (a popular addition to many wild rice soup recipes), and if you are not a meat-eater, the soup is still wonderfully filling without either!
Slow Cooker Wild and Brown Rice Soup
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped/shredded
2 cups wild rice, cooked and rinsed
2/3 cup brown rice, uncooked
3 carrots, sliced (abut 1 1/2 cups)
2 stalks celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 small onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
6 + cups homemade vegetable stock (or any vegetable or chicken stock)
1 cup milk or half and half
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
1 Tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
1/2 tsp dry mustard (if you don't have dry, just skip it--do not use prepared mustard!)
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: sliced/slivered almonds for garnishing
Directions: Place all ingredients except milk/half and half in slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Ten minutes before turning slow cooker off, add milk/half and half and stir well, replace lid and heat for remaining ten minutes. Check for seasoning and serve, garnishing each bowl with sliced/slivered almonds if desired.
Cost:
Brown rice (organic): $3.29/2 lb package, used 1/6 = $.55
Wild rice: $3.99/12 oz package uncooked, used 1/4 =$1.00
Chicken (no antibiotics, veg-fed): On sale for $4.99/lb boneless/skinless thighs, used 1/2 = $2.50
Celery (organic): $.99 after sale and coupon, used 1/4 = $.25
Carrots (organic): $1.98/2 lb pkg, used 1/5 = $.40
Onion (farmers market): $.50 each large onion, used 1/2 = $.25
Almonds: $3.99/10 oz bag, used 1/6 of bag = $.67
Almond milk: $3.29/half gallon, used 1/8 = $.41
Vegetable stock: Homemade Freebie
Almond milk: $3.29/half gallon, used 1/8 = $.41
Vegetable stock: Homemade Freebie
Total Cost: $6.03
Six Servings: $1.00 per serving
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Spinach and Tomato Alfredo Pizza
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| I used red grape tomatoes and little yellow tomatoes shaped like pears--I love all of the bright pops of color against the white alfredo sauce! |
Once in awhile I like a pizza that is a little less traditional, as in a red tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese, and this one fits the bill perfectly. Instead of a tomato sauce, I make a homemade alfredo sauce, and instead of gooping the top with mozzarella, I use the alfredo sauce as sort of a thin layer of cement for the spinach and tomatoes and just garnish with a bit of grated parmesan after it comes out of the oven. I like keeping this vegetarian, but it tastes great with shredded/diced chicken added as well.
Spinach and Tomato Alfredo Pizza
1 12-14" prepared pizza crust (try my 100% whole wheat pizza crust)
4 oz neufchatel or cream cheese, cubed
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved (or larger tomato/es, diced)
1 cup baby spinach, torn into bite-sized pieces if necessary
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup homemade vegetable stock, milk or any vegetable/chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste
Step 1: Place stock/milk and garlic in a small saucepan over low heat. Heat for 5 minutes, being careful not to let it boil or even simmer. Stir in neufchatel/cream cheese, 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese, salt and pepper until cheeses are melted smooth. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
Step 2: Spread cheese mixture on crust. Top with tomatoes and then spinach, pressing them down into the cheese mixture. If using my crust, after the crust is pre-baked, bake at 450 degrees for 7-10 minutes. If using another crust, bake according to package directions. When pizza is removed from oven, sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese.
Cost:
Cream cheese (organic): $1.99 per 8 oz pkg, used 1/2 =$1.00
Parmesan cheese: $2.99/5 oz, used 2/5 = $1.20
Vegetable stock: Homemade Freebie
Crust (homemade): $1.04
Tomatoes: Garden Freebie
Baby spinach (organic): $1.50/pkg after sale and coupon, used 1/4 = $.38
Total Cost: $3.62
Eight Slices: $.45 per slice
Crust (homemade): $1.04
Tomatoes: Garden Freebie
Baby spinach (organic): $1.50/pkg after sale and coupon, used 1/4 = $.38
Total Cost: $3.62
Eight Slices: $.45 per slice
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
100% Whole Wheat Pizza Crust
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| I wish I had taken a picture that didn't look so greasy! I swear I only used 3 oz of organic mozzarella on a 14" pizza, but there was turkey pepperoni too! |
Like many other things in life, pizza crust is something many people seem to really be passionate about as far as the type they prefer. I'm not a huge fan of the thick, bread-like pizza crusts--I like a thinner, crispier crust, but still chewy on the inside. It's probably no surprise I also like to make my crust with 100% whole wheat flour. I use only the basic ingredients you will find in most traditional Italian brick oven-style crusts--flour, water, yeast and salt. No sugar, no oil. You might find the flavor a bit basic as well if you are used to crusts made with white flour, sugar/honey and oil/lard, so rely on high quality, flavorful toppings to really make it pop. If you do make this with a non-whole wheat flour, use the same proportions of flour, yeast and salt, but you may need to cut back on the water a bit.
I wrote this recipe with convenience in mind--it makes more than one crust (the exact number depending on the size you want them), one to use the day I make it and one or two to freeze for a quick meal another day. And like my 100% whole wheat buns recipe, you can choose to let the dough rise in the refrigerator overnight or even up to two or three days and work with it when you need it (I actually found the crust a bit tastier when I used dough that had risen in the fridge for a couple days). If you want to get even more convenience-minded and have the room in your freezer, make a couple batches up through the point of pre-baking, wrap well and freeze.
For me, this will make two 12"-15" crusts or three 9"-12" crusts, depending on how thick/thin I make them. If I feel like a cracker-thin super crispy crust, I will divide it into three parts and make them about 10", if I am doing our usual 14" crust that's crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, somewhere between cracker-thin and original/hand-tossed, I will divide it into two parts. You could also make three or four personal-sized pizzas with a bit thicker crusts or even more with thinner crusts. You are probably tiring of me telling you to experiment/play around with recipes, but this is another basic recipe that has many options for you depending on your needs/likes.
100% Whole Wheat Pizza Crust
4 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp active dry yeast (about 1/2 of a .25 oz pkg)
1 3/4 cups warm water
1 1/2 tsp salt
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and salt and make a well in the middle. Add water, sprinkle in yeast and mix until dough is smooth and comes together in a ball. It's okay if it's a little tacky, you want a well-hydrated dough.
Step 2A: Cover bowl and let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
OR
Step 2B: Cover bowl and let dough rise in refrigerator overnight or up to 2 or 3 days.
Step 3: Punch dough down well and form into 2-3 smooth, tight balls. If you are going to freeze some, wrap it well (I use plastic wrap and then place it in a heavy duty freezer bag) and freeze at this point. Dust remaining ball/s very lightly with flour on the outside, cover with damp towel, plastic wrap, etc. and let rest for one hour. If it's going to be longer than an hour before you will cook the crust/pizza, let it rest in the fridge and then let it come to room temp before rolling it out.
Step 4: Punch dough down well and roll, press or pull ball/s into desired shape, using flour where necessary to prevent sticking. Poke holes in crust with a fork. Depending on how thin you get it and what you cook it on, you may wish to bake it before adding sauce and toppings. A preheated pizza stone will probably not require pre-baking, but I always do if I am using a baking sheet or pizza pan. I pre-bake it at 450 degrees for about 5-7 minutes. I also bake my topped crust at the same temperature.
To use frozen dough: Remove dough from plastic wrap and cover lightly with flour. Let thaw and rest under plastic wrap, a damp towel, etc. for about two to three hours. You can also thaw it slower in the fridge, letting it come to room temp before rolling out whichever thawing method you use.
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| This was after pre-baking. It's about 14", and I made the outer rim a bit thicker than the inside. |
Cost:
Whole wheat flour (organic): $2.84/2 lb bag, used 4/7 = $1.62
Yeast: $1.39/3 pk, used one = $.46
Total Cost: $2.08
Two Crusts: $1.04 per crust
Three Crusts: $.69 per crust
Four Crusts: $.52 per crust
Total Cost: $2.08
Two Crusts: $1.04 per crust
Three Crusts: $.69 per crust
Four Crusts: $.52 per crust
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Coupon Alerts!
Van's Natural Foods: Visit their Facebook page and click on the Breakfast with Benefits tab to print a $1 off coupon for one of their frozen breakfast products--waffles, pancakes, french toast sticks and muffin crowns. Hurry, this is a rare one! Note: secure browsing must be turned off in order for coupon to print.
MamboSprouts.com: They still have some coupons I have alerted you to before such as $.75 off Organic Valley original or vanilla soy creamer and a few brands of of teas. New are $1 off one Arrowhead Mills breakfast product and $1 off one Country Choice Organic product.
Kashi: Swagbucks and coupons.com have three different Kashi coupons available to print: $1 off any TLC crackers, $1 off any 3 GOLEAN bars (singles or multipacks) and $1.50 off any two boxes of TLC bars. If you do Swagbucks, remember to print your limit from there first so you get your Swagbucks after redeeming the coupon.
MamboSprouts.com: They still have some coupons I have alerted you to before such as $.75 off Organic Valley original or vanilla soy creamer and a few brands of of teas. New are $1 off one Arrowhead Mills breakfast product and $1 off one Country Choice Organic product.
Kashi: Swagbucks and coupons.com have three different Kashi coupons available to print: $1 off any TLC crackers, $1 off any 3 GOLEAN bars (singles or multipacks) and $1.50 off any two boxes of TLC bars. If you do Swagbucks, remember to print your limit from there first so you get your Swagbucks after redeeming the coupon.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Cooked Salsa
I am more of a fresh salsa girl because I love the crunch of fresh veggies, but my husband likes both fresh and cooked. I got a great deal on some roma tomatoes at the farmers market this morning, and since there were some in there that were really, really ripe and not great for a fresh salsa, I am also doing a cooked one today. I also got some long green chilies, strong onion and a jalapeno at the market since I only had one from my garden to use and used it on the fresh salsa I made earlier.
Note: this is NOT formulated for canning safely!
As with the fresh salsa, you can use any variety of tomato you like. I prefer roma, as they are firmer and create a less watery salsa, decreasing the cooking time a bit. Since the tomatoes will cook down, you'll need to start with more tomatoes than you think you'll need, so don't worry if it looks like a lot. You will want to peel your tomatoes for a cooked salsa, and you will find instructions for that at the end of this post. Whether or not you seed your tomatoes is totally up to you. I usually don't seed mine beyond what falls out on its own, but some prefer their salsa without the random tomato seeds.
The tomato paste really is an important part of the recipe, in case you were wondering if you could get by without. When you cook the salsa, you draw out a lot of water and deplete a lot of that fresh, ripe flavor--the tomato paste tightens the salsa up a bit and adds necessary flavor.
Cooked Salsa
3 cups tomatoes, peeled, cored and chopped (I used about 12 roma tomatoes)
1 1/2 cups onion, chopped
2 large long green chilis (mild) or two medium bell peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup tomato paste (about 1/2 6 oz can)
Salt to taste
Optional: chopped jalapeno or other hot chili to taste
Optional: juice of 1/2 a lime, or to taste
Directions: Place tomatoes, onion, chilis/peppers, garlic and salt in a saucepan over medium high heat. Heat to boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add tomato paste, parsley/cilantro and lime juice if using, simmer for another 5 minutes and remove from heat. When cooled, serve or chill in fridge.
Cost:
Tomatoes (farmers market): $3/large crate, used about 1/5 = $.60
Long green chilies (farmers market): $.25 each, used 2 = $.50
Onion (farmers market): $.50/each large onion, used 3/4 = $.38
Jalapeno (farmers market): $.25 each = $.25
Tomato paste (organic): $4.99/6 oz can, used 1/2 = $.50
Lime: On sale for $.69, used 1/2 = $.35
Parsley/Garlic = Garden Freebies
Peeling Your Tomatoes
Step 1: Bring a pot of water to boiling and fill a large bowl with cold water.
Step 2: Score the bottom of the tomato with an X using a paring knife. Some varieties will peel without being dipped in water if they are ripe/soft enough. If you are pulling of small pieces or pulling too much flesh off with the skin, they will need to be dipped in the boiling water.
Step 3: Place the tomatoes in the boiling water for 30 seconds to a minute. Remove and place in bowl of cold water. Most of the skins will split, but don't fret if some don't.
Step 4: When cool enough to handle, peel the skins off.
Step 5: I find coring much easier and handling the tomato much easier as well when I cut the peeled tomato in half and then cut a notch/wedge to remove the core.
Step 6: Seed the tomatoes if you wish and chop.
Fresh Salsa
I love fresh salsa, and it's even better when I use fresh-picked ingredients from my own garden or from local growers at the farmers market. I picked tomatoes from my garden this morning, but since my onions are so small still, I picked up some nice strong white ones at the market along with some big ol' long green chilies. The long green chilies are mild, but thy do have a bit more "zip" than a bell pepper, according to the lady I bought them from.
This is really less of a recipe and more of a guide. If there are certain flavors you like, add more, if there's something you don't care for, add less or omit it. We like our salsa really onion-y, so the recipe as written may be a little onion-heavy for some people. My husband reminded me to add a lot of onion before I started in on this recipe, as we are always fighting to fish out the few and very elusive onions in the salsa at our favorite Mexican restaurant! If you aren't a lime fan, leave it out or add just a little. It's not rocket science--you can mix it up however you like!
As far as the "heat" of the salsa, it's written as mild with the optional addition of hot chilies if desired. If the kids are eating the salsa, I stick to one jalapeno. If it's just me and/or my husband, I would probably add two jalapenos, one cayenne or even a bit of a habanero (as I did to some salsa I canned a couple days ago).
Fresh Salsa
2 cups tomato, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
1 large long green chili (mild) or medium bell pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
Juice of 1/2 a lime
Optional: Chopped jalapeno or any hot chili to taste
Salt to taste
Directions: Place all ingredients in a bowl and gently stir until combined. Serve immediately or chill before serving.
Cost:
Tomatoes/Garlic/Parsley/Jalapeno: Garden Freebies
Onion (farmers market): $.50 each for large onions, used 1/2 =$.25
Green chili: $.25 each large chili = $.25
Lime: On sale $.69 each, used 1/2 = $.35
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