Re-inventing the atom...er...newton

My kids take snacks to school everyday and the 2 boys at home need lots of snacks to keep their energy levels up. ;-) But snack foods KILL my food budget! Not to mention that most of them are filled with preservatives and sugar and....(fill in the bad stuff of choice).

So, in keeping with my perspective for 2012--always try to make things homemade if possible--I decided to start researching snack items that I can make myself. In addition to including nuts and raw veggies/dip in our snack regime, I found several recipes for healthy (or healthier) bars and cookies.

The first one I tried was homemade fig newtons. Our whole family LOVES fig newtons, but I DO NOT love the price! Plus, they are way too sugar-y and filled with preservative junk. I researched online and found a relatively easy recipe for them.

With a little healthy tweaking and some experimentation in the kitchen, I think I have perfected an easy little snack for my kids.

Homemade Fruit "Newtons"

Filling:
1 cup finely chopped dried Black Mission figs
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup apple juice
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 t. grated orange zest

*Note: I did not make this filling....I just used some organic strawberry preserves that I had on hand. When I DO make it, I will cut down (or out) the sugar.*


Cookie Dough:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar (I used less)
1/2 t. grated orange zest
1 large egg white
1/2 t. vanilla extract
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 T. ground flax (I added this for extra texture/fiber)

1. Make the filling. Combine the figs, water, apple juice and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook at a bare simmer for 1-2 hours, until the figs are soft and spreadable.

2. Transfer to a food processor or blender, add the orange zest and process until smooth. Remove from the food processor and allow to cool.

3. Make the dough....Cream together the butter, sugar and orange zest in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, for 2-3 minutes on medium speed. (I just used a hand mixer, since I still live in the Dark Ages...) Scrape down the bowl and paddle. Add the egg white and vanilla and beat in. Scrape down the bowl and paddle again. Add the flour and beat on low speed until the dough comes together. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.


4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Make sure rack is in the middle of the oven.

5. On a floured surface, roll the dough out to a 12x16 rectangle. Cut into 4 equal strips, each 12x4 inches. Spoon a line of filling down left side of each strip--fold dough over and pinch edges together. Place on the parchment-lined baking sheets.

6. Using a serrated knife, slice each log on the diagonal into 10 cookies. Bake, rotating the sheets halfway through, for 12-15 minutes, until golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a rack.


*These are obviously not going to be EXACTLY like the real thing, but they DO make a yummy, easy snack.*

Randomness gathered in one place :-)

I had some *odds & ends* of thoughts about kitchen stuff, but didn't want to wait until specific posts on each topic......so I am gonna dump it on you all at once. And if it doesn't make sense, all jumbled up, then read one a day or something. ;-)
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{1} I make awholelotta coffee. (Yes, that IS a word.) Therefore, we go through awholelotta coffee filters. And it can get expensive! But yesterday, I found the answer to the world's.....oh, wait......MY coffee filter problems: a reusable gold-mesh filter. It cost $4.99 at King Soopers, as opposed to the $3.99 box of 100 filters that I buy 4 times a year. If this thing even holds out for 6 months, I will have totally saved money!

{2} I have found that if I whip regular-old-store bought chocolate fudge frosting with about 3 T. of coffee granules, my husband will eat anything I put it on. I think I could smear it on liver and he quite possibly would ask for seconds. Just a tip.......if you want to make an ordinary cake or pan of brownies rock*star*fantastic, spread some of that frosting on it and you will have no end to the compliments.

{3} I think I have shared this tip before, but since I have some new readers, I will share it again.......add some chopped fresh cilantro to any store-bought salsa, and it will taste like you just had your Latino chef stop by and whip up a batch of the homemade stuff for you. Ok, perhaps not quite that tasty, but it is darn good. My friend's husband (as well as mine) refused to eat Pace Picante before this, but now that we add cilantro, they are changed men.
(Remember: cilantro is our friend. It pretty much makes EVERYTHING better......at least, that is my philosophy.)

And that is it.......enough random thoughts for today. I am sure I will have more for you soon!

Bargain Meal of the Week: June 2-8, 2010

This time of year is always busy for us (as I'm sure it is for many of you). Between backyard bbqs, graduation parties, and vacation plans, I am worn out on the nights that we are home.
A simple meal is a blessing to prepare.

Some of the items in this week's ad are perfect for a quick summer supper!

Tuna Salad Sandwiches with Doritos and Fresh Watermelon Slices

Chicken of the Sea Light Tuna--$0.59/can
King Soopers Old Fashioned Bread--$1.77 (use 8 slices--$1.18)
Doritos--$2.18 (eat 1/2 the bag--$1.09)
Pureheart Personal Size Watermelons--2/$5 ($2.50)

Est. Cost: $5.36

You CAN have your cake and eat it too!!!

Ok, so here is my dilemma.....

I love to make birthday cakes for my kids. Store-bought cakes are much too expensive (and many times disgusting). Plus it is kind of fun to do it yourself--makes it more meaningful!

But I reeeeeeally cannot stand the taste of store-bought frosting. It tastes like sweetened chemicals, hidden in fluffy goo to me. :-) Kind of like when my mom would give me a nasty, bitter pill but shove it into a spoonful of ice cream. (That helped Mom, thanks!) Not a fan......

I have tried a few home-made frosting recipes but they were all too sweet. I am a cream cheese frosting/cool whipp-y texture kinda girl. And they all were way too heavy for me, especially when you are trying to decorate with them!

So here is where YOU all come in.......do you make homemade frosting? If so, is it yummy and non-sickening-sweet? ;-) You need to share your recipe with me, so I can continue make frugal birthday cakes......and now they can be ones that I myself would actually eat.
Help a girl out, won't ya?!

Happy birthday to......ME!

I celebrated another birthday last week, and as I have done in years past, I did it by getting myself some free food. What more would you want for a birthday present than free food? lol

Most restaurants (especially chain ones) have websites where you can sign up for email alerts. If you become a fan or member of their online club, you can benefit from specials and coupons that the "common consumer" will not know about. Aaaand....you will get free stuff on your birthday!

Here is the run-down on my freebies this birthday:

* Free gourmet burger from Red Robin (my favorite place!)
* Free entree at Noodles & Co. (up to $9 value).....I even got my drink thrown in--I just had to pay the $0.70 overage.
* Free shake from Del Taco (chocolate, vanilla or strawberry)
* Free dessert shooter from Applebees
* Free buffet at Souper Salad (my kids are excited about this one--it's their favorite place)

(Note: all of these expired anywhere from a week up to a month after my birthday, so you do have to pack alot of free food into a small amount of time.)

So get out there and sign up for all of your birthday treats!
I LOVE getting free meals.
Now if I could just get a free membership to the gym........ ;-)

It doesn't come naturally!

As I have mentioned before, I am slowly trying to convert our eating habits. We have never eaten THAT BAD but there are areas that I know I could be healthier in. One way is to eliminate products with tons of preservatives. My husband thinks I am wacky, but it just makes sense to me that our bodies work with as little "extra" stuff in them as possible. (I know many of you are with me on this! ;-)

The problem for me: we do not have any room in our budget to buy more expensive organic products right now.
I have heard all of the speeches--"It is not that much more expensive", "It pays to buy healthier products in the long run", etc., etc. I understand all of that, but I really cannot stretch our budget any more than it is already stretched. Therefore, I need to buy healthy products that are reasonably priced for the common man. ;-)

Here are a few items that I have begun buying.....ones that are lower in sugar or preservatives (not necessarily "organic" though--I am not to that point yet).

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Mountain High Yoghurt: It contains only 7 ingredients (all natural ones), and I can get coupons for it by signing up on the website. I usually buy it for $1.50 for a large carton!


Kashi Cereals: This is one of the few organic products that I can afford. You can find coupons for their cereals quite often (I just bought a box for $1.88 today!)

Agave Nectar: I use this to sweeten my coffee, and am planning on experimenting with other uses. It is a low glycemic index sweetener, so it absorbs more slowly into the body, preventing spikes in blood sugar. I buy it in a two-pack at Costco.


Florida's Natural Fruit Nuggets: These are the only fruit snacks I buy for my kids now. They contain no dyes and no artificial sweeteners. Plus, they are often on sale at Target for under $2 a box. My kids love them......

We also eat whole wheat bread--King Sooper's brand was $1/loaf this week on an in-store special! Target carries a whole-grain white bread in their store brand, that is under $3 a loaf. And I have stopped buying processed lunch meat, and am experimenting with cooking turkey and chicken breasts and slicing them thinly to use in sandwiches. If this is too much work, look for a store that carries Boar's Head lunch meats...they are all-natural and often on sale at my local organic market.

So tell me--what ways do you eat organically or naturally on a frugal budget?

Bargain Meal of the Week: March 10-16, 2010

My husband's doctor told him he needs to lower his cholesterol--high cholesterol runs in his family.
Which means that I ought to be cooking heart-healthy foods for the guy......yeeeeeaaaaahhh. I have been a bad wife and have not researched heart-healthy cooking like I should. I mean, really--how hard is it to pick up a Mediterranean cookbook at Borders?

In an effort to look like a caring wife, I am going to be trying out a heart-healthy recipe once a week. Hopefully, I can find ones that he will enjoy or this whole "helping my hubby eat better" thing might not go over so well. ;-)

Here is the first one I am trying.....enjoy!

Spicy-Crusted Salmon Over Spinach with Rice (serves 4)

*Kroger Value Fish Fillets (Salmon)--$3.99/lb.
(need 4 pieces=$4.00)
*Private Selection Organic Baby Spinach--$3.99
(need handful=$1.00)
*Zatarain's Rice Mix--10/$10
(pick a lower sodium one=$1.00)

Est. Cost: $6.00
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Remember to check out the Grocery Gathering for local deals
and King Sooper's homepage for coupons!