Couponing Scenario Using Coupons from Many Sources

I found when I first started couponing that it really helped me to see exactly what other people were buying and what coupons they used to get great deals. Coupon Queen Casey had an awesome shop this week and was nice enough to write it all up and share the details with us.

This gives you an idea of all the different coupon sources there are and how the really savvy couponer can pull things from a bunch of different places all into one shop. Thanks, Casey!!!!

Okay...so you might not have all of these these coupons but I basically used the Publix post on http://www.addictedtosaving.com/

Bought	Used
2 5.3oz Voskos Greek Yogurts ($1 each)	2 $1 MQs
2 YoPlus Yogurts (BOGO)	2 $1 MQs
4 Sargento Shredded Cheese (2/$4)	4 $1.50 PQs and 2 $1/2 MQs from this Winn Dixie Book found in stores
1 Muir Glen Tomato Paste ($1.09)	1 $0.75 MQ
1 Muir Glen Tomato Sauce ($0.89)	1 $0.75 MQ
2 28oz cans Tuttorosso Diced Tomatoes (BOGO $1.87)	$1 blinkie I had from a while back
2 28oz cans Tuttorosso Crushed Tomatoes (BOGO $1.87)	$1 blinkie I had from a while back
4 Lysol Cleaners (BOGO $2.69)	2 $2 Winn Dixie Qs from this Winn Dixie Book found in stores
Mission Tortilla Strips Chip ($2.79)	1 free product coupon from their Facebook page
2 Boxes Of Kelloggs Rasin Bran Crunch (BOGO $4.29)	2 $0.70 MQs and 2 $1 CVS coupons that printed when I scanned my Extra Care card in CVS last week
Bananas ($0.97)	$1 off produce when you buy 2 Kellogs peelies from some boxes a while ago
2 Planters Granola Bars (BOGO $2.99)	2 $0.75 MQs 1/2/2011 SS
2 Pure Protein Bars	BOGO coupon
Marzetti Dressing (BOGO $3.49)	2 $1 MQs
$50 Shell Gas Card	$10 off any $50 gas card when you spend $25 on groceries PQ in the Publix Weekly Ad found in stores

I also had a $5 off a $50 order coupon which printed out last time I shopped at Winn Dixie.
I paid $44 OOP which was less than the value of the gas card!!!!!

Woo hoo, Casey!! Great shop! And thanks for writing it all up for us. You're the best :)

Grocery List without Coupon Matchups for Weekly Meal Plan 3/7

Produce
- Naval oranges
- 12oz bag of Spinach
- Strawberries
- 2 Lemons
- Garlic clove
- 1 Red or yellow bell pepper
- 1 Cup bean sprouts
- 1 Bunch of cilantro
- 1 Green onion
- 1 Yellow or white onion
- 1 Red onion
- 2 Mangos
- 2 Peaches
- Orange juice
- ¼ cup fresh parsley (or dried)
- ¼ cup fresh mint (or dried)
- 2 Medium carrots or 1 sweet potato

Grocery
- Balsamic vinegar
- Honey
- Olive oil
- Dry roasted peanuts
- Chocolate chips
- Rolled or instant oats
- Wheat germ
- Toasted or puffed whole grain cereal
- Creamy natural peanut butter
- Vanilla extract
- 2 cans of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
- Tahini
- Fine cornmeal
- Tomato paste
- Soy sauce
- Red/white wine
- Yeast
- Whole wheat pastry flour (Can use King Arthur White Whole Wheat)
- Brown rice
- 1 or 2 small cans chopped green chilis
- 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
- Lime juice
- 1 ½ cups quinoa (look for it in the organic section of the rice aisle)
- 2 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
- Chopped walnuts
- Roasted unsalted sunflower seeds
- 1 2/3 cups raisins
- Unsweetened dates
- Dried unsweetened cranberries

Spices
- Salt
- Cumin
- Cayenne
- Cinnamon
- Dried Parsley (or fresh)
- Dried Mint (or fresh)

Meat/Seafood
- 4 tilapia filets
- 1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1 lb boneless pork loin chops

Dairy
- 2 cups reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 ½ cups shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup cottage cheese or plain greek yogurt
- Egg whites

Frozen
- Chopped broccoli

Grocery List with Coupon Matchups for Weekly Meal Plan 3/7

Produce
- Naval oranges ($0.89/lb)
- 12oz bag of Spinach
- Strawberries (16 oz pkg, 3/$5)
- 2 Lemons (2/$1)
- Garlic clove
- 1 Red or yellow bell pepper
- 1 Cup bean sprouts
- 1 Bunch of cilantro
- 1 Green onion
- 1 Yellow or white onion
- 1 Red onion
- 2 Mangos
- 2 Peaches ($1.99/lb)
- Orange juice
     Simply 100% Apple, Grapefruit, Orange Juice or Blend, 59 oz, 2/$6
- ¼ cup fresh parsley (or dried)
- ¼ cup fresh mint (or dried)
- 2 Medium carrots or 1 sweet potato

Grocery
- Balsamic vinegar
     -$0.50/1 Heinz coupon (printable)
     -$0.55/1 Pompeian Vinegar (printable)
- Honey
- Olive oil
     Pompeian Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 16 oz, BOGO $7.09
     -$1/1 Pompeian Olive Oil (exp 4/2/2011)
     -$1/1 Pompeian Olive Oil (exp 4/2/2011)
- Dry roasted peanuts
     Planters Peanuts 16 oz can, 2/$4
     -$0.50/1 Planters Nuts TARGET coupon Target.com (exp 4/15/2011)
- Chocolate chips
- Rolled or instant oats
     -$1.00/1 McCann’s Irish Oatmeal Product (printable)
- Wheat germ
- Toasted or puffed whole grain cereal
- Creamy natural peanut butter
- Vanilla extract
- 2 cans of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
- Tahini
- Fine cornmeal
- Tomato paste
- Soy sauce
     -$1.00/1 Kikkoman Soy Sauce (Printable)
- Red/white wine
     Beringer Founders Estate Wine, 750 ml, $4.99
- Yeast
- Whole wheat pastry flour (Can use King Arthur White Whole Wheat)
- Brown rice
     Minute Rice 14 oz, $1.89
     -$0.50/1 Minute Rice Product 2/27/2011 SS Insert (exp 5/21/2011)
     -$0.50/1 Minute Rice Product 1/23/2011 RP Insert (exp 4/16/2011)
     -$0.50/1 Minute Rice All You Feb 2011 (exp 4/30/2011)
- 1 or 2 small cans chopped green chilis
- 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
- Lime juice
- 1 ½ cups quinoa (look for it in the organic section of the rice aisle)
- 2 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)

Publix Dried Fruits, Nuts, and Snacks, 3.9 to 19.2 oz pkg, 25% off
- Chopped walnuts
- Roasted unsalted sunflower seeds
- 1 2/3 cups raisins
- Unsweetened dates
- Dried unsweetened cranberries

Spices
- Salt
- Cumin
- Cayenne
- Cinnamon

Meat/Seafood
- 4 tilapia filets ($6.39/lb)
- 1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast ($3.99/lb)
- 1 lb boneless pork loin chops (Pork Sirloin Chops, $2.69/lb, Pork Loin Chops, $3.79/lb)

Dairy
- 2 cups reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
     Sargento Shredded Cheese, 5 to 8 oz, 2/$4
     -$1/2 Sargento Cheese MQ Winn Dixie Spring Forward Booklet
     -$1.50/1 Sargento Classic Shredded Extra Sharp Cheddar 7 oz (printable)
     -$1.50/1 Sargento Classic Pepper Jack 8 oz (printable)
- 1 ½ cups shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup cottage cheese or plain greek yogurt
     Breakstones Cottage Cheese 4 ct, BOGO $2.89
     OR
     Friendship Cottage Cheese
     $1/1 Friendship cottage cheese 7.5 to 24 oz.
     (Publix Coupon in the Yellow Advantage Buy Flyer)
     -$1/2 Friendship Cottage Cheese or Sour Cream 16 oz. blinkie (exp 3/31/2011)
     -$.55/1 Friendship Item Rolling (printable)
     OR
     Voskos Greek Yogurt 5.3 oz cup, 10/$10
     -B2G1 Voskos Yogurt Tearpad
     -$1/1 Voskos Tearpad
     -$0.75/1 Voskos Greek Yogurt (printable)
     -$0.75/1 Voskos Greek Yogurt Varieties (IE) Rolling Printable (FF) (printable)
     -$1/1 Voskos Product Rolling (printable)
- Egg whites
     Egg Beaters 15 to 16 oz, 3/$5
     -$1/2 Egg Beaters All You Jan 2011 (exp 3/27/2011)
     -$0.75/1 Egg Beaters Gasparilla Booklet Publix Coupon

Frozen
- Chopped broccoli
     Birds Eye Frozen Vegetables, 7.5 to 32 oz bag, 50% off ($.64 to $1.84)
     -$1/2 Birds Eye Steamfresh or regular frozen vegetables 7.5 to 18 oz.
     (Publix Coupon in the Yellow Advantage Buy Flyer)
     -$1/3 Birds-Eye or Steamfresh Varieties (IE) (exp 3/31/2011) Printable (FF)
     -$2/1 Birds Eye WYB Kamp’s or Mrs. Paul All You Feb 2011 (exp 3/18/2011)
     -$1/3 Birds Eye Steamfresh 1/23/2011 SS Insert (exp 3/31/2011)

Foil Packet Clean Eating Orange Honey Tilapia (OAMC) over Strawberry Walnut Salad

Serves 4
This is the combination of a salad that I make at least twice a week for lunch in the summer and a great fish recipe I found HERE that I modified just a tad. The fish is cooked in a foil packet which is excellent for making-ahead and freezing.  I always buy extra fish and double the recipe. I make a few packets for us for dinner and then assemble a few more while I already have all of the ingredients out. I throw them in the freezer and I can have quick, delicious fish with no prep time.

I always make this salad when my friend, Arianna, is here because it’s her absolute favorite. She calls it that-strawberry-salad-you-make-for-me-that-I-really-like. With the addition of the fish it makes a great dinner salad. My toddlers love it because it involves fruit and honey and the fish is really tender so it's easy for them to eat. Sometimes they struggle with the salad part so I serve their fish over cooked brown rice with the spinach torn into little pieces and mixed in. Theron likes the strawberries, nuts, and cheese mixed in while Colwynn likes them in a little bowl on the side. All that matters to me is that it eventually gets into their mouths :)

I also really like this recipe because it's a great example of retraining the way you think about "healthy eating". You'll notice that a serving of fish and salad is over 400 calories. That's actually not that many calories for a complete dinner but, at one point in my life, I thought anything over 200 calories was a lot. The difference is that all of these calories are nutrition packed fuel for your body. This is the type of meal we SHOULD be eating for dinner and would be a much better choice than a diet TV dinner, like a Lean Cuisine or something, with fewer calories.

Ingredients:

• 4 tilapia filets (can be frozen)
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar plus extra for salad dressing (I like to use raspberry balsamic)
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 2 naval oranges, peeled, separated into segments, and then sliced in half
• 8 handfuls fresh spinach
• 1 cup chopped strawberries
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• ½ cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
• Olive oil

ONE: Use a large slow cooker. Lay out a big piece of foil and place the fish directly in the middle.

TWO: Drizzle the fish with 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar and honey and place a handful of orange slices on top.

THREE: Fold over foil and crimp the edges to form a packet. Put the foil packet into your slow cooker, and put the lid on. You can also make each fish fillet into an individual packet.

FOUR: Cook on high for two hours, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. If your fish was frozen, it may take another 30 minutes or so, but you should still check it after two hours.

FIVE: Place 2 handfuls of spinach each into 4 bowls. Add ¼ cup of sliced strawberries, ¼ cup of chopped walnuts, and 1/8 cup cheese. Top each salad with a fish fillet and orange segments and drizzle with the honey-balsamic mixture in the packet. If you need extra dressing, add 1 tsp olive oil and 1 tsp balsamic vingar. Season to taste with some salt and pepper at the table.

Strawberry Walnut Salad before being topped with fish
(except this one has almonds since my mom was out of walnuts, LOL!)

OVEN COOKING INSTRUCTIONS: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the packet or packets on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 – 20 minutes until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.

MAKE AHEAD (OAMC) INSTRUCTIONS: Follow the instructions above to make individual packets. Freeze the sealed packets in a gallon ziploc bag labeled with the cooking instructions. To cook, follow the heating instructions above but you may need to increase the cooking time a little bit depending on the thickness of your fish fillets.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving – 423 Calories (204 Calories from Fat), 24g Fat, 4g Saturated Fat, 64mg Cholesterol, 211mg Sodium, 24g Total Carbohydrates, 6g Dietary Fiber, 15g Sugars, 33g Protein, 118% DV Vitamin A, 138% DV Vitamin C, 27% DV Calcium, 19% DV Iron

Per serving (tilapia only) - 171 Calories (18 Calories from Fat), 2g Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 56mg Cholesterol, 61mg Sodium, 16g Total Carbohydrates, 2g Dietary Fiber, 13g Sugars, 23g Protein, 4% DV Vitamin A, 81% DV Vitamin C, 5% DV Calcium, 5% DV Iron
:)

Clean Eating Healthy Homemade Granola Bars (No Bake)

These are amazing. I have one every afternoon and I look forward to it all day long :) I’m not kidding, every afternoon except maybe 5 for the past 2 1/2 years. Think I’m crazy? That’s cause you haven’t tried them yet. Matt will come home and I’ll be cranky and he’ll say, “We ran out of granola bars didn’t we?”… and he’s usually right.


This is definitely my signature recipe. The instructions might seem kind of long but there’s really a certain technique to getting them to stick together in firm bars verses crumbling into granola. In other words, if you don't do it EXACTLY as written or you skip some of the mixing, your bars WILL crumble. I’ve made them so many times now that I like to think I have it down to a science.


Don't get scared when you look at the calories. These are packed with protein, whole grains, and healthy fats. They are a great combo of complex carbs and protein and will keep you feeling full and satisfied, all in a neat little package you can throw into your purse. And the smidgen of chocolate is just enough that they taste like an indulgence. If you really want a lower calorie snack, you can always cut them into 20 bars instead of 16. They will still be more than satisfying.

Heaven in a bar :) :)

Ingredients:

• ½ cup dry roasted peanuts or other nuts
• ½ cup roasted unsalted sunflower seeds
• 1 2/3 cups raisins or other chopped dried fruit
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips
• 2 cups rolled or instant oats
• ¼ cup toasted wheat germ (optional)
• 2 cups toasted or puffed whole grain cereal (I use Arrowhead Mills Puffed Millet. You can use Rice Krispies in a pinch but they are not whole grain)
• ½ cup creamy natural peanut butter or other nut butter
• ½ cup honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

ONE: Coat a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray. Combine peanuts, sunflower seeds, raisins, chocolate chips, oats, cereal, and wheat germ in a large bowl. Mix well.

TWO: Combine peanut butter and honey in a large microwaveable bowl (tip: Use a 2 cup glass measuring cup. Pour the 1/2 cup of honey in first and then just drop plops of peanut butter in until the level reaches 1 cup. This saves you from measuring out the ½ cup of peanut butter and making another utensil dirty).

THREE: Microwave on High for 1 minute, stir well, and microwave for an additional minute or until bubbling. Add vanilla and stir until blended.

FOUR: Pour half of the peanut butter mixture over the dry ingredients and mix it for a good 5 minutes until it's almost completely coated. I've found that the best way to mix it is to use the side of a large stiff rubber spatula and cut through the mix over and over while rotating the bowl. That breaks up all the clumps of moistened ingredients so that any remaining dry ingredients can be incorporated (I’ve tried using my hands before but so much of the sticky stuff gets stuck to them that my bars end up crumbly).

FIVE: Once it's totally mixed, pour the other half of the peanut butter mixture in, scraping every last drop out of the measuring cup. Repeat the slicing and mixing again. The mixing is so important because anything that is not sticking together going into the pan will likely not stick to the bar coming out.

SIX: Once the mixture has formed into a fairly solid ball, transfer it to the prepared pan. Press down firmly (it helps to coat your fingers with cooking spray). Really put some muscle into it because the harder you press the mixture down, the firmer the granola bars will be (I actually stand on a little stool to make me higher above my counter so that I can put more of my body weight into it. I don’t mess around on the pressing part).

SEVEN: Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to harden (I always let mine stay in the fridge overnight) and once firm, cut into bars (works best if you cut them into 16 short, fat bars instead of long, skinny bars).

If making 2 batches at once, measure and mix the first batch separately, press into the pan, and then place a layer of wax paper over the top. You can then measure and mix the second batch and press it into the pan on top of the first.

Individually wrap the bars as soon as possible so they don’t dry out and crumble (Glad Press n’ Seal works really well) and keep in the fridge or at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Freeze wrapped granola bars in a freezer bag. I put a week's worth in the fridge at a time and keep the other individually wrapped batches in gallon ziploc bags in the freezer. Once the fridge stash is gone I transfer another week’s from the freezer to the fridge and they are thawed and ready to eat when I need them.

Tip: I recommend cutting and wrapping your granola bars when your kids are napping because, if they're anything like mine, they will have what we call G-Bar Radar. My boys can smell a batch of granola bars a mile away and will flock to the kitchen and stand there begging for bites :)

Is that Granola Bars I smell?!?!

I can alllllmost reach.....

Success!!

Totally worth the effort :)

NUTRITION INFO:

Per 1 bar serving (cut into 16 bars)- 293 Calories (95 Calories from Fat), 11g Fat, 2g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 5mg Sodium, 44g Total Carbohydrates, 5g Dietary Fiber, 22g Sugars, 9g Protein, 0% DV Vitamin A, 1% DV Vitamin C, 3% DV Calcium, 11% DV Iron

Per 1 bar serving (cut into 20 bars)- 234 Calories (76 Calories from Fat), 9g Fat, 2g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 4mg Sodium, 35g Total Carbohydrates, 4g Dietary Fiber, 17g Sugars, 7g Protein, 0% DV Vitamin A, 1% DV Vitamin C, 2% DV Calcium, 9% DV Iron
:)

Joan's Clean Eating Healthy Homemade Hummus

My family lives on this. In fact hummus was one of Colwynn’s first words… Dada, clock, hummus… not Mama, even though Mama was the one MAKING the hummus, but anyway :)


This recipe comes from another one of my great friends, Joan. She runs this amazing workout class for moms in Jacksonville called Stroller Strength and I’m proud to say I was one of the original members. If you live anywhere near Jacksonville, FL you should definitely check it out. When I was pregnant with Colwynn, I gained 34 lbs and could barely walk at the end. It took me almost 6 months to feel like myself again. I started Joan’s class when Col was a year old and got pregnant with Theron a few months later. Fast forward nine months and I gained 18 lbs, ran 2 miles the day before he was born, was only in labor for 2 hours (I’m not kidding, Theron was almost born in the car), and ran an 8 ½ minute mile 3 weeks later. Her class is that amazing.


So what does this have to do with hummus? Well this is Joan’s recipe and everything she touches is magic, that’s what :) I usually triple or quadruple it and make a huge batch. It’s a very sad day in our house when I reach into the freezer and find out that the hummus is all gone. This is also great to whip out for unexpected guests.

Ingredients:

• 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground cumin
• Pinch cayenne
• 3 Tbsp juice from 1-2 lemons
• ¼ cup water
• 6 Tbsp tahini, stirred well
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

ONE: Put chickpeas, garlic, salt, cumin, and cayenne in a food processor; process until fully ground. Scrape down sides with a spatula.

TWO: With the machine still running, slowly add the lemon juice and water and continue to process for one minute. Scrape down the sides with a spatula again.

THREE: In small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the tahini and 2 Tbsp oil. With the machine still running, add the oil-tahini mixture in a steady stream through the feed tube. Continue to process until smooth and creamy, scraping down sides as needed. Transfer to a bowl and, if desired, top with some reserved chick peas and drizzle with olive oil.

Freeze using the small portions method. 2 cubes equals one serving. Reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds on full power, stir, and heat another 5-10 seconds. If it seems a little dry, just stir in a tiny bit of olive oil.

Clean Eating Thai Chicken Pizza

Makes 8 servings, 1 slice each
This is from the March/April 2010 issue of Clean Eating Magazine. As you all know, I'm slightly obsessed with CE magazine and I have pretty much loved everything I've ever made out of it but I think this might actually be our favorite recipe. And not just because I recipe tested it and got my quote and picture in the magazine (not that I'm bragging or anything... pg. 37!!) The sauce is delicious! I always make extra to use on wraps and sandwiches.

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp fine cornmeal
• 1 lb ball of Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
• 1 ½ cups shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese, divided
• ½ lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and thinly sliced
• ½ medium sweet bell pepper (red, yellow or orange), thinly sliced
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• ¼ cup cilantro sprigs, coarsely chopped
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Pad Thai Sauce (Makes ¾ cup) -

• ½ cup dried unsweetened dates, pitted and chopped, soaked in 3 tbsp hot water for 10 minutes
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 3 tbsp tamari soy sauce
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced

ONE: Pour dates, tomato paste, soy sauce, lemon juice and garlic into a small food processor (or blender) and purée until smooth; set aside.

TWO: Sprinkle cornmeal evenly onto a cast iron pan, pizza stone, or perforated pizza pan. Roll out the dough according to the instructions in THIS post to a 12 to 14-inch diameter and place onto the prepared pan.

THREE: Preheat oven to 475. Spread the Pad Thai Sauce evenly on the pizza dough. Top the sauce with half of the mozzarella, chicken, and pepper. Top with the remaining mozzarella.

FOUR: Bake the pizza in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the mozzarella is melted. Remove from the oven and slice into 8 wedges (definitely slice it first before sprinkling with the other ingredients otherwise it's next to impossible to cut). Sprinkle entire pizza with bean sprouts, cilantro, green onion, and peanuts. Serve immediately.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per slice - 225 Calories, 7g Fat, 1.5g Saturated Fat, 28g Carbs, 4g Fiber, 10g Sugars, 14.5g Protein, 221mg Sodium, 19.5mg Cholesterol

Diane’s Awesome Homemade Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

I have been lucky to have a lot of really awesome women in my life and my good friend, Diane, is no exception. She saw me through two deployments and two babies in two years and has always been a role model for me on how to be a really great mom. In fact, a few months after we found out we were pregnant with Colwynn, Matt was chatting with Diane at a party. After talking to her he came up to me and said, “I want you to stay home with our kids if it means they would be even half as great as Diane’s.” I was more than happy to oblige :)


Another great thing about Diane is she cooks really great food. When I was first learning to change the way we ate I got a lot of tips and tricks from her. She also makes insanely good peppermint bark which is not healthy but totally worth all the fat and calories. But that’s a post for another day. Here’s the recipe for Diane’s awesome pizza crust. For those of you breadmaker lovers like me, the instructions are at the bottom ;)

Ingredients:

• ½ cup of red/white wine
• ½ cup of warm water
• 1 Tbsp fresh yeast
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 cups of whole wheat pastry flour, divided (King Arthur White Whole Wheat would work too)

ONE: Mix together the wine, water, and yeast until the yeast is dissolved. Add the honey, 1 Tbsp olive oil, and salt. Mix together well.


TWO: Add 1 cup of flour and mix it up until well blended. Add 2 more cups of flour and, when it's too tough to mix by hand, knead for about 6-8 minutes.


THREE: Roll the dough into a ball and put it in a bowl coated with the remaining 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Let it rise for 1 ½ hours in dark place covered with a towel.


You can use it for one thick crust...or split it in half to make two thin crusts. You can let it rise more or just use it from there.


Rolling Out the Dough - 

ONE: Lightly dust your work surface with whole wheat flour. Place the dough ball onto the floured surface and, using your palms, flatten into a 6 to 8-inch circle, about ½-inch thick.


TWO: Using a floured rolling pin, flatten the dough in 1 direction, moving the rolling pin back and forth, to give you an oval shape.


THREE: Flip the dough over and rotate it clockwise a quarter turn so that it lays horizontally. Add flour to your work surface and the dough, as needed, to prevent sticking and tearing. Roll again, back and forth, to even dough into a circle.


FOUR: Repeat steps Two and Three until desired thickness and diameter are achieved – about ¼-inch thickness for a regular crust or about 1/8-inch for a thin crust. Using a fork, pierce the dough repeatedly about 1-inch apart over entire surface.


TO BAKE: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Roll out dough with a rolling pin and place it on parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Cook the crust for about 12 minutes or until a little raised and brownish, then take it out, turn it over and put the sauce, cheese and whatever toppings on. Return it to the oven for about 8 more minutes.


The BEST way to enjoy this pizza is on the grill. We take it out, it cooks wicked fast like in a wood-fired oven, and tastes delicious! But in the winter in Germany, we cook it in the stove. I use as many organic ingredients as I can...but the wine you can play with. I use sweet, but you can test different ones. The red makes the crust pink, but it was really good anyway!

Thanks, Diane!!! Those of you who know me know I am physically incapable of kneading dough but you can totally make this in the breadmaker. Add all of the liquid ingredients to the pan followed by the salt and flour. Add the yeast on top of the flour and run your breadmaker on the dough setting.

:)

Clean Eating Healthy Cheesy Chicken and Brown Rice Bake (OAMC)

Makes 6 servings
I love this recipe because it feels like comfort food but it's totally not sinful. Also, it’s a complete meal all in one dish; protein, whole grain, and green veggie. It makes me very happy when I don’t have to cook side dishes :) It makes my kids very happy when their dinner involves cheese.

This dish freezes really well before or after you cook it. If I have a bunch of brown rice and cooked chicken, I’ll throw a few together, make one for dinner, and freeze the others for another night.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked brown rice (or other whole grain)
• 1 ½ cups shredded reduced fat Cheddar cheese, divided (NOT fat free… unless you like the sensation of eating plastic)
• 1 ½ cups cooked, chopped chicken breast (I use poached chicken like THIS)
• ½ cup cottage cheese or plain greek yogurt
• ½ cup finely chopped onion
• 1/3 cup egg whites
• 1 cup chopped broccoli
• 1 tbsp chopped green chilis, drained (optional)
• ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro (optional)

ONE: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine rice, 1 cup cheese, chicken, cottage cheese/yogurt, onion, egg whites, green chilis, and cilantro in a large bowl; Mix well.

TWO: Spray an 8x8inch glass baking dish with cooking spray and dump the rice mixture in. Top with the remaining ½ cup of cheese.

THREE: Bake 45 to 50 minutes until the cheese on top is melted and bubbly.

Freeze leftovers in individual portions using the flash freeze method to feed your freezer stash.

MAKE AHEAD (OAMC) METHOD:
Assemble as directed above in a disposable baking pan but do not bake. Freeze the entire pan. On cooking day, defrost overnight in the fridge and bake 60-70 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per Serving - 280 Calories (75 Calories from Fat), 8g Total Fat, 4g Saturated Fat, 48mg Cholesterol, 317mg Sodium, 27g Carbohydrates, 2g Dietary Fiber, 1g Sugar, 25g Protein, 11% DV Vitamin A, 24% DV Vitamin C, 29% DV Calcium, 6% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Healthy Crockpot Pork Chops and Fruit Salsa over Citrus Quinoa

Makes 4 - 6 Servings
We LOVE quinoa in our house. It cooks fast, is fun to eat, and it’s a complete protein all by itself so it’s very filling. This is a very versatile recipe that takes full advantage of fresh summer produce and pairs well with a variety of different proteins, meat or otherwise. This can easily be made into a vegetarian recipe.

My kids love this dish because they are getting to eat fruit for dinner and I love it because I can throw it in the crockpot and forget about it and it doesn’t heat up my whole kitchen. You can even prepare a bunch of it ahead of time and freeze it to make what I call a dump-n-go meal; dump the frozen raw ingredients into the crock in the morning and cook on low all day. This is especially good for me when I’m teaching 40 lessons a day in the middle of the summer and I don’t have any time for prep work.

Ingredients:
Pork Chops and Salsa

• 1 lb boneless pork loin chops (or boneless skinless chicken breast, turkey cutlets, or cubed firm tofu)
• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
• 2 mangos, chopped
• 2 peaches, chopped
• ½ cup diced red onion
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup coarsely chopped/torn cilantro
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp lime juice
• 1 small can chopped green chiles, drained (optional; this makes it pretty spicy so I of course don't put it in. You know I'm wimpy about spicy)

Citrus Quinoa

• 1 ½ cups quinoa, rinsed until water runs clear
• 2 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
• 1 cup orange juice
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ c fresh parsley, minced (or 2 Tbsp dried)
• ¼ cup fresh mint, minced (or 1 Tbsp dried)
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ c chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup dried unsweetened cranberries
• 1 cup finely chopped carrots or sweet potatoes
• Generous handful of fresh spinach, chopped (optional at end)
• 1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (optional at end)

ONE: Spray a large sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray. Lay the pork chops on the foil. In a small bowl, combine the salsa ingredients and pour evenly over meat. Seal the foil into a pouch (instructions HERE).

TWO: Combine all of the Citrus Quinoa ingredients except the spinach and beans in the crockpot. Lay the foil pouch on top.

THREE: Cover and cook on low 4-6 hours or on high for 2-4. The quinoa is done when most of the water is absorbed and the grains (or actually seeds, did you know that?) have started to uncurl like ribbons. If the quinoa is uncurled and tender but there’s still too much liquid in the pot, vent the lid of the crockpot for the last 15 minutes of cook time with a chop stick or the handle of a wooden spoon.

FOUR: Fluff the quinoa with a fork and add the spinach and garbanzo beans (if using). Replace the lid and cook on high for 20 minutes until the spinach is wilted. Stir to distribute. If the pork chops aren’t fully cooked when the quinoa is done, you can reseal the foil pouch and pop it in the oven at 375 for 10 or 15 minutes.

DUMP-N-GO INSTRUCTIONS: Combine all of the quinoa ingredients and dump into a gallon freezer bag. Assemble the foil pouch of meat and salsa as directed above. Put the sealed pouch in another freezer bag (or you could try freezing it resting on top of the quinoa ingredients. It might require some finesse as your putting it into the freezer. Or you could freeze them separately and then throw the foil packet on top of the quinoa stuff after it’s frozen).

On cooking day, dump the frozen solid quinoa mixture into the crockpot and place the frozen solid foil packet on top. Cover and cook on low 5-7 hours or on high 3-5 hours. Just make sure that when you freeze the quinoa ingredients, you are freezing it into a shape that will fit into your crockpot. Otherwise you’ll have to chisel away the sides to jam it in there… not that I speak from experience or anything ;)

NUTRITION INFO:

Per Serving (pork chops and salsa) - 212 Calories (67 Calories from Fat) 7g Total Fat, 2g Saturated Fat, 41mg Cholesterol, 173mg Sodium, 20g Carbohydrates, 3g Dietary Fiber, 16g Sugar, 18g Protein, 22% DV Vitamin A, 48% DV Vitamin C, 4% DV Calcium, 6% DV Iron

Per Serving Citrus Quinoa (1/6 of recipe without spinach or beans) - 259 Calories (72 Calories from Fat), 8g Total Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 237mg Sodium, 39g Carbohydrates, 5g Dietary Fiber, 10g Sugar, 8g Protein, 70% DV Vitamin A, 51% DV Vitamin C, 5% DV Calcium, 16% DV Iron

:)

:)

Kids Eat Free at Chili's Tonight!!

Over the past few years, Chili's has made some changes to their menu, mainly with the addition of the Guiltless Grill items. It's now one of the few places that we can go for dinner and I actually feel good about what we ate and don't have to bring a meal for my kids. As long as you order something sensible, you could easily have a dinner out here that doesn't blow your Clean Eating lifestyle.

I always order my kids the grilled chicken sandwich from the kid's menu with a side of steamed broccoli or fresh pineapple. I have them put it on a whole grain bun and make the broccoli without any seasoning. I usually get one with broccoli and one with pineapple and chop them both up together so each boy gets  a pineapple broccoli mixture. I love the Grilled Salmon with Garlic and Herbs. They even have a vegetarian menu, you just have to ask.

If tonight was one of your night's off in your weekly meal plan you should definitely give Chili's a try. Make sure you bring THIS coupon with you so your kid's eat free. Enjoy!!

Clean Eating Low Cost Weekly Meal Plan 3/7

Again, it’s not Monday but that’s okay because I’ve changed the name of the post to Weekly Meal Plan instead of Meal Plan Monday, LOL. I think all of the fruit on sale and the warmer weather has gotten me in a summery mood. You will see that a lot of this menu revolves around fruit and fruit juices. Also, my kids love fruit and when they get to eat it for dinner they get very excited.

Step 1: Find out what meat and produce is on sale for the week
This week at Publix Pork Loin Chops, Chicken Breast, and Tilapia are on sale. In the produce section strawberries, lemons, oranges, peaches, broccoli, and salad are also on sale.

Step 2: Take an inventory of your pantry and freezer, check out what other items are on sale, and pick several recipes that use those ingredients.
There are good prices for cottage cheese, shredded cheese, frozen veggies, peanuts, triscuits, dried fruit, and nuts. At Walgreens this week there is a good sale on honey. I have quinoa, brown rice, and assorted vinegars in my pantry plus diced onions in my freezer.

Step 3: Take a look at your calendar for the week and see which nights you’ll have more time to cook and which nights you won't and plan your menu accordingly.
This will be different for every family but, in general, I cook 3 or 4 nights a week and we eat something from our freezer stash the other nights.

Step 4: Get all of the recipes together and make a shopping list of what you’ll need.
Meals-
Orange Honey Tilapia over Strawberry Walnut Salad 
Clean Eating Thai Chicken Pizza on Diane’s Awesome Whole Wheat Pizza Crust 
Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bake
Crockpot Pork Loin Chops with Fruit Salsa over Citrus Quinoa

Healthy Snacks-
Joan’s Homemade Hummus and Crackers
Best Ever Homemade Granola Bars

Here is a shopping list for the complete menu based on you having nothing in your pantry or freezer. You will obviously omit the items that you already have. Go HERE for an explanation of the couponing abbreviations. The top list has all of the coupon matchups. There is a second list at the bottom that just lists the items with no match-ups and is a little easier to read.

Coupon Match-Up List –

Produce
- Naval oranges ($0.89/lb)
- 12oz bag of Spinach
- Strawberries (16 oz pkg, 3/$5)
- 2 Lemons (2/$1)
- Garlic clove
- 1 Red or yellow bell pepper
- 1 Cup bean sprouts
- 1 Bunch of cilantro
- 1 Green onion
- 1 Yellow or white onion
- 1 Red onion
- 2 Mangos
- 2 Peaches ($1.99/lb)
- Orange juice
     Simply 100% Apple, Grapefruit, Orange Juice or Blend, 59 oz, 2/$6
- ¼ cup fresh parsley (or dried)
- ¼ cup fresh mint (or dried)
- 2 Medium carrots or 1 sweet potato

Grocery
- Balsamic vinegar
     -$0.50/1 Heinz coupon (printable)
     -$0.55/1 Pompeian Vinegar (printable)
- Honey (on sale at Walgreens)
- Olive oil
     Pompeian Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 16 oz, BOGO $7.09
     -$1/1 Pompeian Olive Oil (exp 4/2/2011)
     -$1/1 Pompeian Olive Oil (exp 4/2/2011)
- Dry roasted peanuts
     Planters Peanuts 16 oz can, 2/$4
     -$0.50/1 Planters Nuts TARGET coupon Target.com (exp 4/15/2011)
- Chocolate chips
- Rolled or instant oats
     -$1.00/1 McCann’s Irish Oatmeal Product (printable)
- Wheat germ
- Toasted or puffed whole grain cereal
- Creamy natural peanut butter
- Vanilla extract
- 2 cans of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
- Tahini
- Fine cornmeal
- Tomato paste
- Soy sauce
     -$1.00/1 Kikkoman Soy Sauce (Printable)
- Red/white wine
     Beringer Founders Estate Wine, 750 ml, $4.99
- Yeast
- Whole wheat pastry flour (Can use King Arthur White Whole Wheat)
- Brown rice
     Minute Rice 14 oz, $1.89
     -$0.50/1 Minute Rice Product 2/27/2011 SS Insert (exp 5/21/2011)
     -$0.50/1 Minute Rice Product 1/23/2011 RP Insert (exp 4/16/2011)
     -$0.50/1 Minute Rice All You Feb 2011 (exp 4/30/2011)
- 1 or 2 small cans chopped green chilis
- 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
- Lime juice
- 1 ½ cups quinoa (look for it in the organic section of the rice aisle)
- 2 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)

Publix Dried Fruits, Nuts, and Snacks, 3.9 to 19.2 oz pkg, 25% off
- Chopped walnuts
- Roasted unsalted sunflower seeds
- 1 2/3 cups raisins
- Unsweetened dates
- Dried unsweetened cranberries

Spices
- Salt
- Cumin
- Cayenne
- Cinnamon

Meat/Seafood
- 4 tilapia filets ($6.39/lb)
- 1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast ($3.99/lb)
- 1 lb boneless pork loin chops (Pork Sirloin Chops, $2.69/lb, Pork Loin Chops, $3.79/lb)

Dairy
- 2 cups reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
     Sargento Shredded Cheese, 5 to 8 oz, 2/$4
     -$1/2 Sargento Cheese MQ Winn Dixie Spring Forward Booklet
     -$1.50/1 Sargento Classic Shredded Extra Sharp Cheddar 7 oz (printable)
     -$1.50/1 Sargento Classic Pepper Jack 8 oz (printable)
- 1 ½ cups shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup cottage cheese or plain greek yogurt
     Breakstones Cottage Cheese 4 ct, BOGO $2.89
     OR
     Friendship Cottage Cheese
     $1/1 Friendship cottage cheese 7.5 to 24 oz.
     (Publix Coupon in the Yellow Advantage Buy Flyer)
     -$1/2 Friendship Cottage Cheese or Sour Cream 16 oz. blinkie (exp 3/31/2011)
     -$.55/1 Friendship Item Rolling (printable)
     OR
     Voskos Greek Yogurt 5.3 oz cup, 10/$10
     -B2G1 Voskos Yogurt Tearpad
     -$1/1 Voskos Tearpad
     -$0.75/1 Voskos Greek Yogurt (printable)
     -$0.75/1 Voskos Greek Yogurt Varieties (IE) Rolling Printable (FF) (printable)
     -$1/1 Voskos Product Rolling (printable)
- Egg whites
     Egg Beaters 15 to 16 oz, 3/$5
     -$1/2 Egg Beaters All You Jan 2011 (exp 3/27/2011)
     -$0.75/1 Egg Beaters Gasparilla Booklet Publix Coupon

Frozen
- Chopped broccoli
     Birds Eye Frozen Vegetables, 7.5 to 32 oz bag, 50% off ($.64 to $1.84)
     -$1/2 Birds Eye Steamfresh or regular frozen vegetables 7.5 to 18 oz.
     (Publix Coupon in the Yellow Advantage Buy Flyer)
     -$1/3 Birds-Eye or Steamfresh Varieties (IE) (exp 3/31/2011) Printable (FF)
     -$2/1 Birds Eye WYB Kamp’s or Mrs. Paul All You Feb 2011 (exp 3/18/2011)
     -$1/3 Birds Eye Steamfresh 1/23/2011 SS Insert (exp 3/31/2011)

Non Coupon Match-up List –

Produce
- Naval oranges
- 12oz bag of Spinach
- Strawberries
- 2 Lemons
- Garlic clove
- 1 Red or yellow bell pepper
- 1 Cup bean sprouts
- 1 Bunch of cilantro
- 1 Green onion
- 1 Yellow or white onion
- 1 Red onion
- 2 Mangos
- 2 Peaches
- Orange juice
- ¼ cup fresh parsley (or dried)
- ¼ cup fresh mint (or dried)
- 2 Medium carrots or 1 sweet potato

Grocery
- Balsamic vinegar
- Honey
- Olive oil
- Dry roasted peanuts
- Chocolate chips
- Rolled or instant oats
- Wheat germ
- Toasted or puffed whole grain cereal
- Creamy natural peanut butter
- Vanilla extract
- 2 cans of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
- Tahini
- Fine cornmeal
- Tomato paste
- Soy sauce
- Red/white wine
- Yeast
- Whole wheat pastry flour (Can use King Arthur White Whole Wheat)
- Brown rice
- 1 or 2 small cans chopped green chilis
- 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
- Lime juice
- 1 ½ cups quinoa (look for it in the organic section of the rice aisle)
- 2 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
- Chopped walnuts
- Roasted unsalted sunflower seeds
- 1 2/3 cups raisins
- Unsweetened dates
- Dried unsweetened cranberries

Spices
- Salt
- Cumin
- Cayenne
- Cinnamon
- Dried Parsley (or fresh)
- Dried Mint (or fresh)

Meat/Seafood
- 4 tilapia filets
- 1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1 lb boneless pork loin chops

Dairy
- 2 cups reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 ½ cups shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup cottage cheese or plain greek yogurt
- Egg whites

Frozen
- Chopped broccoli