Clean Eating Apple Cake (OAMC)

Makes 20 servings, 1 square each
I have this amazing (and hysterical) friend, Mandy, and she makes a totally awesome apple cake. And I don’t just think it’s awesome because she baked it and delivered it to my door so that I woke up to fresh delicious apple cake (don’t you wish you had a Mandy?!). Everyone else thinks it’s awesome too. In fact, I’ll admit that I hid while I was eating it and didn’t share any with my kids. Don’t judge, you know you’ve done that too (like maybe when you were eating THESE). Since this cake was so delicious, I asked Mandy if she would mind me trying to clean it up and she of course said yes. However, if I was going to pick something that was worth eating white flour and white sugar for, it would be Mandy’s original recipe :)

How I “healthified” it:

• The originally recipe used white flour. I know Mandy used King Arthur’s White Whole Wheat instead and so did I. But you could also use whole wheat pastry flour.
• The original recipe used 1 ½ cups of white sugar. I used 1 cup of sucanat and ½ a cup of honey.
• The original recipe called for 2 eggs. I substituted 3 egg whites.
• The original recipe used 1 cup of chopped nuts. I reduced it to ½ cup and used sliced almonds. Then I substituted ½ of the vanilla extract with almond extract for a little extra almond flavor.
• Mandy’s version is topped with a caramel sauce which, although completely heavenly, is not exactly clean. I came up with two different drizzles for you to try instead (although I won’t tell anyone if you use Mandy’s caramel one, hehehe).
• The results - A decrease in calories, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, and sugars

Ingredients:
Cake -

• 4 medium apples, chopped into small pieces
• 1 cup sucanat
• ½ cup honey
• 3 egg whites
• ¼ cup of olive oil
• ¾ cup of applesauce
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (I used King Arthur’s White Whole Wheat)
• 2 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• ½ cup sliced almonds

Cream Cheese Agave Drizzle -

• ½ cup low-fat plain cream cheese
• 2 tbsp light agave nectar
• 1 lemon, finely zested and juiced, divided

OR

Peanut Butter Drizzle -

• 1/3 cup natural peanut butter
• 1/3 cup agave nectar
• ½ cup milk
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp plain greek yogurt

CAKE - 
ONE: In a large bowl, stir together the apples, sucanat, honey, egg whites, oil, applesauce, and extracts. In a separate large bowl, blend together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nuts.

TWO: Pour the liquid-apple mixture into the flour-salt dry mixture. Blend well with your spoon until ingredients no longer have any dry spots. The dough will be thick.

THREE: Preheat the oven to 350. Generously spray a 9x13 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes.

FOUR: Remove from the oven and assemble your chosen drizzle (or eat as is!)

AGAVE CREAM CHEESE DRIZZLE -
ONE: In a small bowl, heat cream cheese on high in microwave until slightly warm, about 10 to 15 seconds.

TWO: Remove from microwave and use a rubber spatula to stir agave into cream cheese until smooth.

THREE: Add a pinch of lemon zest and 2 tsp lemon juice and continue to stir. Slowly add 2 Tbsp water, a bit at a time, until mixture is consistency of thick cream.

OR

PEANUT BUTTER DRIZZLE -
Whisk together all the ingredients until the mixture is smooth and lump free. Add a Tbsp or so more of milk if it seems too thick.

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

NUTRITION INFO:

Original Recipe Per serving - 250 Calories (95 Calories from Fat), 11g Fat, 4g Saturated Fat, 34mg Cholesterol, 226mg Sodium, 37g Total Carbohydrates, 1g Dietary Fiber, 30g Sugars, 3g Protein, 4% DV Vitamin A, 5% DV Vitamin C, 3% DV Calcium, 4% DV Iron

“Healthified” Recipe Per serving (plain cake) - 154 Calories (36 Calories from Fat), 4g Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 162mg Sodium, 28g Total Carbohydrates, 2g Dietary Fiber, 11g Sugars, 3g Protein, 2% DV Vitamin A, 5% DV Vitamin C, 2% DV Calcium, 5% DV Iron

Per serving (with agave cream cheese drizzle) - 172 Calories (44 Calories from Fat), 5g Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 3mg Cholesterol, 190mg Sodium, 30g Total Carbohydrates, 2g Dietary Fiber, 13g Sugars, 3g Protein, 3% DV Vitamin A, 5% DV Vitamin C, 3% DV Calcium, 5% DV Iron

Per serving (with peanut butter drizzle) - 200 Calories (55 Calories from Fat),64g Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 167mg Sodium, 34g Total Carbohydrates, 3g Dietary Fiber, 16g Sugars, 4g Protein, 2% DV Vitamin A, 6% DV Vitamin C, 4% DV Calcium, 6% DV Iron
:)

Green Eggs and Ham (without the ham) (OAMC Eggs)

In my house, my boys call these Dinosaur Eggs and I make them 2 or 3 times a week (we alternate having Overnight Oatmeal and Green Eggs and toast every other day). I love them because they are happily eating a whole serving of spinach and they love them because... well... they're fluorescent green. I make them for myself too because, if I just put the spinach inside the omelet, it sometimes slips all over the place and is hard to eat. Plus every now and again I'd get a bite that was almost all spinach and I'm not a fan of cooked spinach. With it pureed right into the mix, I barely taste the spinach :) Since I'm also not a big fan of corned beef, this is our favorite healthy St. Patrick's Day meal. A great alternative to corned beef and cabbage if you ask me. 

Did I mention they were fluorescent green?

Before I had children I absolutely could NOT make pancakes or omelets. I was never patient enough to let the bottom cook to the point where it was firm enough for me to flip it. I always rushed it and made a big mess. Now I have no problem. Funny how that works :)

Open wide!

Ingredients:

• Two eggs (or 4 egg whites)
• 1 cup spinach
• 2 Tbsp 50% reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese

ONE: Place the eggs and spinach together in a mini food processor or blender. Puree until smooth.

I got this Sunbeam Kitchen Assistant for $2 at WalMart :)

TWO: Spray a small non-stick pan with cooking spray and pour the egg mixture in. Cook over medium-high heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until the top is almost set, about 3 to 5 minutes.

THREE: Sprinkle the cheese on top of one half and, using a heat proof rubber spatula, carefully fold the egg in half. Cook an additional 2 minutes per side until the egg in the center is cooked through and the cheese is melted.

Sometimes I will make one for the boys to share and then, since the pan and everything are already dirty, I'll make a few more quickly while they're eating. You can freeze them using the flash freeze method to feed your freezer stash.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving (using whole eggs) - 189 Calories (113 Calories from Fat), 13g Fat, 5g Saturated Fat, 431mg Cholesterol, 265mg Sodium, 2g Total Carbohydrates, 1g Dietary Fiber, 1g Sugars, 17g Protein, 68% DV Vitamin A, 14% DV Vitamin C, 21% DV Calcium, 15% DV Iron

Per serving (using egg whites) - 110 Calories (26 Calories from Fat), 3g Fat, 2g Saturated Fat, 8mg Cholesterol, 344mg Sodium, 2g Total Carbohydrates, 1g Dietary Fiber, 1g Sugars, 19g Protein, 58% DV Vitamin A, 14% DV Vitamin C, 17% DV Calcium, 5% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Crockpot Chicken and Apple Toss

Makes 8 servings, 1 cup each
This recipe is a spin off of my Crockpot Rosemary Balsamic Glazed Chicken (which you should also try because it is totally awesome and delicious if I say so myself). I was visiting my in-laws and I wanted to throw something into the crock so that we could all eat dinner together without anyone having to take any time away from their visiting to cook. My Mother-In-Law didn't have all of the ingredients for the Rosemary Chicken recipe so I improvised (this is BIG for me, I never cook anything without a recipe, LOL) and this dish was the result. We all liked it so much I thought it was post-worthy. So here you go :)

Just like the other recipe, this is especially fast if you already have diced veggies from your freezer stash. Plus, the chicken doesn't have to be defrosted. You can throw it right in frozen solid and it will still be perfect come dinner time. This is great for me because, even though I always have a meal plan for the week, I never seem to remember to take the meat out to defrost the night before.

Ingredients:

• 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into big chunks (about 1 1/2 lbs, can use thighs)
• 1 large apple, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks
• 1 medium onion, cut into chunks
• 1 head of garlic, peeled and separated into cloves
• 3-4 cups of roughly chopped veggies (I used one bag of frozen Italian mixed veggies [red and green pepper, zucchini, yellow squash, and mushrooms] and about 1 1/2 cups of chopped broccoli, baby carrots, and grape tomatoes that I picked out of a salad my MIL had made for the previous night's dinner, LOL)
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp honey
• 2 cups finely chopped leafy green veggie like spinach (or kale)

ONE: Spray crockpot with cooking spray and place chicken pieces on the bottom.

TWO: Dump veggies (except for spinach), onion, garlic, and apple into the crockpot on top of the meat.

THREE: In a medium bowl whisk together vinegar, cinnamon, soy sauce, and honey. Pour over the veggie chicken mixture.

FOUR: Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5. Thirty minutes before serving, stir in the spinach and replace the cover (do this one hour before if using kale). Serve over brown rice or quinoa.

Freeze leftovers in 1-cup portions using the medium/large portions method.

NUTRITION INFO:
Per Serving: 68 Calories (4 Calories from Fat), 0g Fat, 0g Saturated Fat, 8mg Cholesterol, 74mg Sodium, 12g Total Carbohydrates, 2g Dietary Fiber, 7g Sugars, 5g Protein, 63% DV Vitamin A, 86% DV Vitamin C, 4% DV Calcium, 5% DV Iron

Clean Eating Salmon Patties (or Burgers or Croquettes)

Makes 8 Servings, 1 Patty each
These are AMAZING! The first time I made them I was visiting my mom and I got started on them a little late so I fed the boys something else for dinner while they were cooking. When the patties were done my mom and I decided to test one out before dishing up the rest. We ate the whole patty in about 2 seconds flat standing at the kitchen counter. I'm not gonna lie, there was definitely a fork mini-duel for the last bite. 

We put the rest on plates and sat down to eat them in the living room while the boys were playing. Before we knew it we were being swarmed. It was like those seagulls on Finding Nemo how they say, "Mine, mine, mine," over and over... except the boys just kept repeating, "Bite, bite." LOL. At one point I got up to get a drink and Colwynn snatched a whole patty off my plate and ran. I caught him red handed next to Theron, who was holding a contraband green bean fry. Needless to say, this meal was a success :)

Salmon is generally considered a Super Food from a nutritional stand point. It's a really great source of protein and amino acids. It's also high in Omega-3 fatty acids which, among other things, have anti-inflammatory benefits and support fat-loss. But did you know it's also high in Vitamin D? So have yourself a salmon patty and it will soothe your aches and pains, help you lose weight, and stave off osteoporosis :) Plus it tastes good and is easy to make. What more could you ask for?

Each patty is only 149 calories but packs 13g of protein! While I was researching recipes, I kept misspelling "salmon" and instead was writing "slamon", hehehe. But I have to say, with those stats, these patties are some mighty slammin' salmon :) (I know, I'm weird. I'm okay with it.)

UPDATE: A year later and my 3 and 5 year old literally cheer and do happy dances when I tell them I'm making these for dinner. It always bugged me a little that they fall apart sometimes, though. This summer my swim season Nanny, Brier, was making these for us and misread the recipe and added the egg whites into the mixture. We shrugged our shoulders, added in the flour and breadcrumbs that we would have breaded them with, and stirred it all up and the resulting patties were WAY better than the original; faster to make and no more falling apart!! It's the only way we make them now :) I am adding the instructions for the new version below. You rock, Brier!!

Ingredients:

• 1 ¼ lb salmon fillets, skinned, any bones removed (can substitute a 14.75oz can)
• ¾ cup plus 5 Tbsp whole wheat panko or fine bread crumbs, divided (I used finely ground unfrosted miniwheats)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• ¼ cup finely minced onion
• 2 Tbsp fresh parsley leaves (2 tsp dried)
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp mayonnaise
• ¾ tsp salt
• 1 ½ Tbsp lemon juice
• ½ cup whole wheat flour
• 2 egg whites

Updated Method:
ONE: Chop salmon into ½ inch pieces. In a medium bowl, combine the salmon, all of the bread crumbs, olive oil, onion, parsley, mustard, mayonnaise, salt, lemon juice, flour, and egg whites; mix well.

TWO: Scoop out a generous ¼ cup of the mixture and, using your hands, form it into a ¾-inch thick patty. (The mixture should be fairly moist and easy to form into a patty. The patties should hold their shape and not crack when they are being formed. If they don’t hold their shape, the mixture is too wet so add a Tbsp or two of bread crumbs. If they crack, the mixture is too dry so add a Tbsp or two of water.)

THREE: Lightly oil a non-stick pan with 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 3 minutes. Add the patties and cook over medium-high heat until golden brown on both sides (about 5 minutes per side). Serve hot.

Original Recipe:
ONE: Chop salmon into ½ inch pieces. In a medium bowl, combine the salmon, 5 Tbsp panko/bread crumbs, olive oil, onion, parsley, mustard, mayonnaise, salt, and lemon juice; mix well.

TWO: Scoop out a generous ¼ cup of the mixture and, using your hands, form it into a ¾-inch thick patty. (The mixture should be fairly moist and easy to form into a patty. The patties should hold their shape and not crack when they are being formed. If they don’t hold their shape, the mixture is too wet so add a Tbsp or two of bread crumbs. If they crack, the mixture is too dry so add a Tbsp or two of water.)

THREE: As you form the patties, place them on a wax/parchment lined baking sheet. Once they are all formed, pop them in the freezer for about 15 minutes until the tops are no longer moist.

FOUR: Meanwhile, spread the flour on one plate, pour the egg whites on another, and spread the remaining ¾ cup panko/bread crumbs on a third. Dip the chilled salmon patties in the flour to coat, shaking off the excess. Dip them into the egg whites, again shaking off the excess, and then finally dip them into the panko/bread crumbs, covering completely

FIVE: Lightly oil a non-stick pan with 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 3 minutes. Add the patties and cook over medium-high heat until golden brown on both sides (about 5 minutes per side). Serve hot.

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

Notice Colwynn trying to shove the ENTIRE stolen Salmon Patty into his mouth...
I guess if they're going to snatch food and run, I'd prefer it to be the healthy food, LOL

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving - 149 Calories (69 Calories from Fat), 8g Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 30mg Cholesterol, 330mg Sodium, 6g Total Carbohydrates, 1g Dietary Fiber, 1g Sugars, 13g Protein, 1% DV Vitamin A, 2% DV Vitamin C, 2% DV Calcium, 5% DV Iron

Clean Eating Healthy Green Bean Fries

Makes 8 servings
Are you excited?!?! I'm excited :) I'm not a big fan of green beans and they are one of the only veggies my kids won't eat. This never bothered me all that much since they're not really one of the powerhouse veggies.... except they are SUPER cheap here in Florida during the summer. Not only are they usually on sale at the grocery store but you can get huge piles of them for an obscenely low price from local farm stands. Now, if you already like green beans and so do your kids, then this will be just one more (totally awesome) way for you to enjoy them. But for us, it opens up a whole new inexpensive side dish option. The boys call them Dinosaur Fries :)



Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 2 cups whole wheat bread crumbs (I made my breadcrumbs with unfrosted miniwheats and they were AWESOME for this because they grind into really fine crumbs and are very dry so they stick really well)
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp parmesan cheese (optional)
• 1 cup whole wheat flour

ONE: Fill a big bowl halfway with water and lots of ice. Set aside.

TWO: In a medium saucepan, combine the green beans and water, cover, and bring to a boil. Cook until the beans are bright green, about 4 minutes. Drain and dump into the bowl of ice water. Set aside.

Cooked, cooled, and drying

THREE: In a bowl, whisk together the egg whites and milk. On a plate, mix the bread crumbs and seasonings. Dump the flour into a gallon-sized ziploc bag.

FOUR: Drain the green beans and pat them dry with paper towels. Throw them into the flour bag and toss to coat, shaking off excess flour. Dip the beans into the egg mixture and then into the bread crumbs, coating thoroughly. (I put the breadcrumb mixture into a gallon bag. Then I dip the beans and drop them in one by one, shaking the bag a little each time. Once I have about 8 coated beans in there I pick them out and lay them on the baking sheet. I repeat this until all the beans are coated. This gives them more of a complete coating and makes the process go faster.)

FIVE: Preheat the oven to 375. Spray a large cookie sheet with olive oil spray and lay the beans on it so that they aren't touching. Bake for 25 minutes.

Freeze leftovers using the flash freeze method and reheat in the oven or toaster oven.

Theron grabbed a Green Bean Fry and ran....

...Right over to Colwynn who was hiding around the corner
eating a stolen Salmon Patty. This is his "innocent" face.
It might work on Daddy but Mommy knows better :)
Colwynn on the other hand is too busy inhaling his
salmon patty to bother trying to look innocent. LOL

NUTRITION INFO:

Per Serving - 172 Calories (17 Calories from Fat), 2g Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 375mg Sodium, 28g Total Carbohydrates, 5g Dietary Fiber, 6g Sugars, 7g Protein, 9% DV Vitamin A, 15% DV Vitamin C, 14% DV Calcium, 13% DV Iron

Clean Eating Pear Oatmeal Cookies

Makes 18 regular cookies or 36 mini-cookies
Since we don't use white sugar or white flour, I'm always in search of baked goods that use healthy ingredients but still taste indulgent. One great way to naturally sweeten baked goods is by using fruit. Both of my boys love pears and, since they were on sale THIS week, I thought I'd try them out in a cookie. I found a recipe and "healthified" it. They were definitely different but we were all happy with the results. They are more of a cakey cookie (just how you like them, Mandy!) and we all thought they got better and better the longer they sat there. I think the flavor of the pears absorbed through the rest of the cookie as they sat or something. Because they're made with fresh fruit, you should probably store them in the fridge.

Bet you wish you could reach through your screen and grab one :)

Another plus is that these are resilient enough that your kids can help you make them. You know all those recipes where you have to use like 10 separate bowls and cream stuff together first and then sift the flour? I don't play that game. Maybe because I'm not a very sophisticated cook so I don't understand the benefit of mixing all the things separately. I'm just a Mom in a kitchen with one kid hanging on her leg and the other trying to eat the flour out of the bowl. I dump everything into one bowl and just stir it up. Sometimes that doesn't work but I let my boys and my crazy nephew help make these and they mixed.... and mixed.... and mixed the ingredients and they (amazingly) did not become hockey pucks when baked. They were soft and cakey and oh so good :) Enjoy!!

How I "healthified" it:

• The original recipe called for 1/2 a cup of butter. I used 1/4 cup of olive oil and, since mashed fruit can be used in place of oil/fat in baked goods (usually you see applesauce as an oil substitute), I rounded out the 1/2 cup with 1/2 a mashed pear.
• The original recipe was sweetened with 1/3 cup of honey, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 2 pears. I increased the honey to 1/2 a cup and made up for the lack of brown sugar by adding an extra pear; half mashed as mentioned above and half diced. I also put a few chocolate chips on some of ours... but mainly because I just think everything is better with chocolate :)
•  The original recipe used white flour. I substituted an equal amount of whole wheat flour (I like to use King Arthur's White Whole Wheat when I'm making baked goods).
• The Results - A decrease in calories, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium and a slight increase in dietary fiber and protein.

 Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 medium pears, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 a pear, mashed (about 1/4 cup)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla (my mom didn't have vanilla so I used coconut extract. Awesome if you like coconut!!)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 cup whole wheat flour (I recommend King Arthur's White Whole Wheat)
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• Chocolate chips (optional)

ONE: Dump the mashed pear, olive oil, honey, egg, vanilla, salt, baking powder and nutmeg into the bowl. Stir well.

TWO: Dump the flour and oats in and mix until it forms a dough (or for like an hour if there are three toddlers helping you and everyone wants a turn to mix... twice).

THREE: Add in the diced pears and fold it into the dough until evenly distributed. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls (rounded teaspoonfuls for mini-cookies) onto an ungreased baking sheet. Press 4 chocolate chips onto the top of each cookie (2 for mini-cookies). (I do this instead of mixing them into the batter because then everybody's cookie has the exact same number of chocolate chips and there's no fighting over who got more).

FOUR:  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes or until the edges are light golden brown. Cool on a cookie rack and store in the fridge or freeze using the flash freeze method.


NUTRITION INFO:

Original Recipe (1 cookie) - 180 Calories (56 Calories from Fat), 6g Fat, 4g Saturated Fat, 25mg Cholesterol, 134mg Sodium, 28g Total Carbohydrates, 2g Dietary Fiber, 13g Sugars, 3g Protein, 4% DV Vitamin A, 1% DV Vitamin C, 3% DV Calcium, 6% DV Iron

New "Healthified" Recipe (1 regular cookie) - 151 Calories (38 Calories from Fat), 4g Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 12mg Cholesterol, 96mg Sodium, 26g Total Carbohydrates, 3g Dietary Fiber, 11g Sugars, 4g Protein, 0% DV Vitamin A, 2% DV Vitamin C, 3% DV Calcium, 6% DV Iron

New "Healthified" Recipe (1 mini-cookie) - 75 Calories (19 Calories from Fat), 2g Fat, 0g Saturated Fat, 6mg Cholesterol, 48mg Sodium, 13g Total Carbohydrates, 2g Dietary Fiber, 5g Sugars, 2g Protein, 0% DV Vitamin A, 1% DV Vitamin C, 1% DV Calcium, 3% DV Iron

This is where my Mom put my niece while we were baking, LOL!!! Not at all related
to the recipe, but don't you think her expression says, "Hey, where's my cookie...
...and why are you all laughing at me in my cardboard box?"

Check out other sweet treats like these on Sweet as Sugar Cookies :)

Driscoll's Berries Coupon!

It's pretty rare that there is actually a coupon for fruit so head on over to Driscoll's HERE and sign up for their rewards program to print a $0.50 off coupon. Casey says that they let her sign up again and print it even though she had already signed up once before. Thanks, Casey!!

Freeze Your Way Fit Just Passed 5,000 Pageviews!!!

I am just completely in shock but, after being live for less than a month, my little blog has received over 5,000 pageviews!!! Thank you to all of you who have taken an interest in Eating Better, Working Less, and Saving More :) I never realized how much time actually went into writing a blog but it makes it all worth it knowing that it's helping every day families make better food choices.

Special thanks to all of you who have written wonderful guest posts for me. And speaking of guest posts, if you are reading this and you have a GREAT recipe that you'd like to share, send it on over. Or if you have a favorite family recipe that isn't quite as healthy as you'd like it to be, share it with me and I'll clean it up for you.

Thanks again for reading!!!!!

Grocery Game at Walgreens and CVS 3/13 - 3/19

Back by popular demand, Casey, who saves a TON of money each week at Walgreens and CVS, has her top picks of the week for us. She always laughs about how they pay her to take stuff out of the store. Now you can follow in her footsteps and laugh right along with her :) There are a ton of deals at both stores each week but the deals listed below are exclusively what Casey, the coupon queen, feels are at a worthy stock-up price.

Walgreen Deals 
How to Shop Walgreens 101
Full Ad with Match-Ups
Register Reward Rolling Scenario


Casey's Picks for the Week - 

Ajax Dish Liquid
Use the in Ad coupon first which makes it $0.89
Use $0.50 off any Ajax Dish Liquid from the mailsouth Home mailer (Comes in your mail usually on Wed. or Thurs.)
Makes it $0.49

Assorted General Mills Cereals $1.99
(picture shows Wheaties, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Cheerios)
$1/2 General Mills Cereal Smart Source Insert 3/6/11
$1/2 General Mills Cereal (printable)
$1/2 General Mills Cereal (printable)

Clorox Wipes, Tilex, Pine-Sol, Clorox Toilet Cleaner $1.99
$1/1 Tilex Product (printable)
$1/1 Pine Sol Product (Printable) Makes it $0.99

Dial Gold Liquid Hand Soap
Use the in Ad Coupon first making it $.99
$0.35/1 Dial Bar Pack or Liquid Hand Soap Red Plum Insert 3/13/11
Makes it $0.64

Dial NutriSkin Lotion $4.99 With $3 Register Reward back
$1/1 Dial NutriSkin Lotion Red Plum Insert 3/13/11
Makes it $0.99

Herbal Essence $2.99 with a $1 Register Reward back
Buy 1 Herbal Essence Product get 1 Styler Free Smart Source Insert 3/13/11

CVS Deals
How to Shop CVS
Full Ad with Match-Ups
ECBs Rolling Scenario

Casey's Picks for the Week -

Crest or Oral B Pro Rinse, Certain Crest Toothpaste or Glide Floss $3.49
Get back $2.50 ECB’s
There have been several coupons in the paper, but I personally don’t ever buy toothpaste unless it is free or a money maker. So I personally would only buy it if you have the following coupon:
$1 off Crest from the 2/27 P&G Insert

Clean and Clear Body Wash $2.99
$2/1 (printable) (You can print twice by hitting the back button)
$2/1 (printable) (You can print twice by hitting the back button)
I usually get body wash for Free to $.99 so great deal especially if you are starting out!

Maybelline Spend $10 Get $4 ECB’s
Prices I see:
Eyeshadow $3.99
Mascara $5.29
Eye Studio $9.99
$1.50 off any Eye Studio Product (printable)
$1 off 1 Maybelline Mascara 3/6/11 Redplum
$1 off 1 Maybelline Eye Shadow or Mascara 2/6/11 Red Plum
Not that great of a deal in my opinion b/c this past week you could get free makeup by Rimmel at Target but go for it if you like Maybelline

Thanks again, Casey! You Rock!! 
:)

Super Fast Clean Eating Peanut Sauce Stir Fry

Makes 4 servings
This is my go-to meal when I really don't have time to cook because I know my kids will eat it without complaint and I can basically throw whatever random veggies and protein I have lying around into it. This is more of a method than a recipe so you can easily make it your own. I’ve added 12 oz of cubed extra firm tofu, cooked diced chicken, or cooked diced pork and used brown rice or quinoa from my freezer stash instead of pasta. This meal is plenty filling with just the veggies and peanut sauce but, if you have a lean protein readily available, go ahead and throw it in. 

This was included in my weekly meal plan for THIS week and baby portabella mushrooms were on sale so I threw a package in with my stir fry veggies and used leftover Pineapple Pork Tenderloin as my protein.

Ingredients:

• 1 box whole grain spaghetti 
• 1 16 oz bag stir fry veggies (about 4 cups)
• ½ cup chicken/vegetable broth (can use frozen cubes from your stockpile)
• 1 cup Perfect Peanut Sauce 

ONE: Spray a large wok or non-stick skillet with cooking spray and dump the veggies in. Cover and cook on medium-high heat for about 10-12 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so to prevent sticking.

TWO: Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to the directions on the package. Drain and set aside.

THREE: If the peanut sauce is frozen, microwave it for a minute until mostly defrosted. Once the veggies are tender, add the chicken broth and peanut sauce to the pan, turn the heat to low, cover and cook until warmed through.

FOUR: Once the spaghetti is done, place individual servings into bowls (about 1/2 to 1 cup each, you should have a little bit left over). Stir the peanut sauce-veggie mixture and divide it evenly amongst the bowls. 

Freeze the remaining spaghetti in ½ or 1 cup portions using the medium/large portion method to add to your freezer stash.

:)

Clean Eating Perfect Peanut Sauce

Makes about 1 cup of sauce
This really is as good as the name sounds and very easy to make. I could eat this every single day and never get tired of it :) If you’re really pressed for time, you can even just combine all of the ingredients and heat in the microwave. I usually quadruple the recipe to make a big batch and then freeze it in 1/2 and 1 cup portions for a quick throw together meal.

Perfect Peanut Sauce over pasta and veggies

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup smooth natural peanut butter
• ¼ cup light coconut milk (or skim milk and 1 tsp coconut extract or even just plain milk/water if you don't like coconut)
• ¼ cup water
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp sucanat/honey
• 1 Tbsp lemon or lime juice
• 1 clove crushed garlic

ONE: Throw everything into a small saucepan (or medium if you're making more than one batch at once) and whisk well.

TWO: Heat over medium heat until sauce begins to bubble and thicken. You only want the sauce to thicken slightly until it just starts to coat the back of a spoon because it will thicken quite a bit more while it stands and once you've poured it over your pasta or whatever you're serving it with. If it gets too thick, thin it with a little bit of chicken broth or skim milk.

JUST coating the spoon... as soon as you see this get it off of the heat ASAP :)

Freeze using the small portions method to use as a dip or medium/large portions method to use as a sauce. Serve hot or cold.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per 1/4 cup - 150 Calories (104 Calories from Fat), 12g total Fat, 4g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 152 mg Sodium, 9g Carbohydrates, 2g Dietary Fiber, 6g Sugars, 5g Protein, 0% DV Vitamin A, 4% DV Vitamin C, 1% DV Calcium, 4% DV Iron

:)

Crockpot Pineapple Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Red Potatoes and Pepper Strips

Makes 4 – 6 servings
Pineapple and pork just seem to go so nicely together :) I got the idea for this dish from THIS recipe and have made it several times with rave reviews. One thing I really like about it is that the pork gets very tender but doesn't totally fall apart. I use pork tenderloin but you could easily use a pork roast instead. It might be cheaper and will still be moist and tender thanks to the magic of the crockpot. Tender meat is big in our house because I have two toddlers and they have difficulty chewing meat sometimes. When that happens it makes dinner take FOREVER. Not the case with this dish.

The first time I made this I didn't have pepper strips or potatoes so I used chunks of buttercup squash instead and the next day I turned the leftover veggies into cookies. Is that weird? My point is that you can mix and match whatever veggies you want and it will probably still be great.

Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 lbs pork tenderloin
• 1 cup diced onion
• 20 oz can pineapple chunks packed in juice
• 2 Tbsp sucanat or honey
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ cup whole wheat flour
• 2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced
• 4 medium sized red potatoes, scrubbed and sliced thin 

ONE: Sprinkle the diced onions into the bottom of a crockpot. Place the tenderloin on top.

TWO: Drain the pineapple and reserve ½ cup of the juice. Whisk the sucanat/honey, ginger, salt, flour, and soy sauce into the juice; pour over the tenderloin.

THREE: Place the pineapple, pepper slices, and potatoes in the center of a sheet of tin foil and wrap them up to form a pouch.

FOUR: Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. Remove the tenderloin and let it rest for 5 minutes or so before slicing. Open the foil packet and drain any juices into the sauce in the bottom of the crockpot; stir well. I serve this over brown rice drizzled with the sauce but it would also go well with pasta.

NUTRITION INFO -

Per Serving - 356 Calories (33 Calories from Fat), 4g Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 69mg Cholesterol, 459mg Sodium, 51g Carbohydrates, 5g Dietary Fiber, 23g Sugar, 29g Protein, 25% DV Vitamin A, 164% DV Vitamin C, 3% DV Calcium, 17% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Sneaky Chicken Enchiladas (OAMC)

Makes 6 servings, 2 enchiladas each
These have all the sinful gooeyness and flavor of a Mexican Restaurant without the white flour or processed cheese. Plus the sauce is so flavorful no one will ever know there’s almost a whole bag of spinach hidden in it! This recipe was modified from a recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks, Cook's Illustrated The Best Light Recipe.


There are two schools of thought for freezing enchiladas. I like to make them and have them for dinner and then freeze the extras. Other people like to assemble them and freeze them prior to baking them and then defrost and bake them prior to serving. Instructions for both methods are below. If you are not going to be baking them right away don’t bother preheating the oven to 400. Also, for less hands on time, see the alternate cooking method for making the filling in the crockpot/slowcooker.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion cut into slices
• 1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and sliced
• ½ tsp olive oil
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 medium garlic cloves, minced (1 Tbsp)
• 3 Tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp honey
• 1 cup water
• 3 cups raw spinach leaves (3 big handfuls)
• 2 - 8oz cans tomato sauce
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 large breasts), trimmed of excess fat
• 2 cups 50% light cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 - 4oz can chopped green chiles, drained
• ½ cup minced cilantro
• 12 6-inch whole wheat tortillas

ONE: Throw the onions and peppers into a large saucepan with the oil and salt. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the onion has softened, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and honey and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

TWO: Pour the water into a blender or food processor and add spinach; puree. Add the tomato sauce and spinach-water mixture to the saucepan, bring to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

THREE: Cut each chicken breast in half and plop them into the sauce so that they are fully covered. Reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 10-12 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate; set aside to cool. Using a slotted spoon scoop the veggies out of the sauce (or pour it through a medium mesh strainer); set the veggies aside.

FOUR: Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, use two forks and shred it into bite-sized pieces. Toss together the shredded chicken, cooked onions and peppers, ½ cup of the enchilada sauce, 1 cup of the cheddar, drained chiles, and cilantro.

FIVE: Preheat the oven to 400. Pile the tortillas on a plate. Place about 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of the top tortilla. Tightly roll the tortilla around the filling and place seam side down in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. You’ll have to snuggle them pretty closely together in the pan to fit them all in but it’s doable. Otherwise you can use two baking dishes. (TIP: If the tortillas are too stiff or start to crack, place them on a plate between two damp paper towels and microwave them for about 30 seconds to soften.)

SIX: Lightly spray tops with cooking spray and pour 1 cup of remaining sauce over them covering them thoroughly, especially the edges. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheddar down the middle.

SEVEN: Cover the baking dish with foil and bake until the enchiladas are heated through, 20-25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheese browns, about 5 minutes longer. Serve with the remaining sauce.

TO FREEZE: Freeze the remaining sauce using the small portions method. Freeze the enchiladas using the  flash freeze method. Reheat in the microwave and serve one enchilada with 2 cubes worth of sauce. Alternatively, do not preheat the oven and complete the steps up until laying them in the baking dish. Use a disposable baking dish and freeze the rolled, unbaked enchiladas in the dish. Freeze the sauce and cheese separately. Defrost pan, sauce, and cheese overnight and follow remaining instructions.

**Alternate Cooking Method:
Throw everything except the cheese, chiles, cilantro, and tortillas into a crockpot and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. If possible, vent the lid during the last hour of cooking by placing a wooden spoon between the lid and the crock. This will help thicken the sauce. Remove the chicken and set aside. Strain the sauce as described above. Shred the chicken and continue to assemble the filling as directed above. If your sauce is still fairly liquidy simmer in a saucepan uncovered on the stove while you shred and mix the chicken, about 8-10 minutes.

Follow the above directions for assembly and baking. This method significantly cuts down on the hands on time and is good if you are going to be busy all day and want to be able to throw dinner together relatively quickly. You will lose some of the texture from the peppers and onions, though, as they will be very soft from being in the crockpot.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving (2 enchiladas) - 465 Calories (102 Calories from Fat), 11g Total Fat, 4g Saturated Fat, 68mg Cholesterol, 1239mg Sodium, 58g Carbohydrates, 10g Dietary Fiber, 7g Sugar, 37g Protein, 78% DV Vitamin A, 74% DV Vitamin C, 42% DV Calcium, 27% DV Iron

NOTE: Based on the nutrition analysis tool I use, this recipe is VERY high in sodium. When I make it I use plain tomato sauce with no salt added and a whole wheat tortilla with very low sodium. I know that my version doesn't have nearly as much sodium as listed above but I'm limited on the ingredients I can choose on the nutrition analyzer. If you are worried about your sodium intake, make sure that each ingredient you choose is low in sodium.

Clean Eating Low Cost Weekly Meal Plan 3/14

There are a few good lean protein options on sale this week including a nice sale on salmon. Since I’m cooking for my super picky nephew this week, I tried to include some especially kid friendly options. I’m very excited about the green bean fries in particular because I really don’t care for green beans but they’re usually on sale a lot over the summer. It’s funny because, for a lot of kids, green beans are the only veggie they will eat. In our house, green beans are the only veggie my kids usually WON’T eat. I’m hoping this variation will make green beans a more pleasurable option for all of us.

Step 1: Find out what meat and produce is on sale for the week
This week at Publix Pork Tenderloin, Chicken Breast, and Salmon are on sale. In the produce section red potatoes, yellow and zucchini squash, green beans, apples, pears, and baby portabella mushrooms 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 pasta, frozen veggies, pasta sauce, and Arnold’s Whole Grain Sandwich Thins. I have peanut butter and oatmeal in my pantry plus diced onions and peppers 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. This week in particular I am determined to remember not to eat meat on Friday since it’s Lent and we’re Catholic. Luckily I’m really looking forward to the Salmon Patties so I’m hoping this will help :)

Step 4: Get all of the recipes together and make a shopping list of what you’ll need.
Meals-
Crockpot Pineapple Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Red Potatoes and Pepper Strips 
Sneaky Chicken Enchiladas
Super Fast Peanut Sauce Stir Fry
Salmon Patties with Green Bean Fries
Apple Chicken Crockpot Toss

Healthy Snacks/Desserts-
Pear Oatmeal Cookies
Mandy’s Awesome Apple Cake Cleaned Up

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
- 4 Onions
- 1 Red Bell Pepper
- 2 Green Bell Peppers
- 4 Medium Red Potatoes (5 lb bag, $2.99)
- 1 Head of Garlic plus 4 Cloves
- Spinach
- Cilantro
- Parsley (or 2 tsp dried)
- 1 lb Fresh Green Beans ($1.29/lb)
- 5 Apples (Fuji Apples, $1.49/lb)
- 3 Pears (Barlett Pears, $1.29/lb)
- 3-4 Cups of Assorted Veggies (broccoli, zucchini and yellow squash [$1.29/lb], baby carrots, whatever you like)

Grocery
- Aluminum Foil (Publix Aluminum Foil 12 in 50 to 75 sq ft, $2.19)
- 20 oz can Pineapple Chunks Packed in Juice
- 2 8oz cans Tomato Sauce
- Ragu Pasta Sauce 16 to 26.3 oz, BOGO $2.19
     Free Pasta wyb 2 Ragu Pasta sauce up to $1.25 3/13/2011 RP Insert (exp 4/10/11)
     $0.75/2 Ragu Pasta Sauce products, Kroger “Fast Track Daytona 500″
- 1 4oz can Chopped Green Chiles
- 12 6-inch Whole Wheat Tortillas
- 1 box Whole Grain Spaghetti
     Mueller’s Pasta 12 to 16 oz, BOGO $1.39
     $1/1 Mueller’s Coupon (printable)
     Free Pasta wyb 2 Ragu Pasta sauce up to $1.25 3/13/2011 RP Insert (exp 4/10/11)
- Chicken Broth
     Swanson Natural Goodness Broth, 2/$4
     $1/2 Swanson Broth Rolling (printable)
     $0.40/2 Swanson Broth 1/9/2011 SS Insert (exp 3/31/2011)
- Low Sodium Soy Sauce
     $1.00/1 – Kikkoman Products – (printable)
     $1.00/1 – Kikkoman Soy Sauce – (printable)
- Olive Oil
     $1.00/1 – Pompeian Olive Oil or NEW OlivExtra Plus (printable)
     $1.00/1 – Pompeian Olive Oil (printable)
     $1.00/1 – Filippo Berio Olive Oil (printable)
     $1.00/1 – Filippo Berio Olive Oil – (filippoberio.com)
- Sucanat
- Honey
     $0.55/1 – Sue Bee Honey, Any Bottle (printable)
- Whole Wheat Flour
- Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
- Natural Peanut Butter
- Light Coconut Milk
     $0.75/1 – Silk Pure Coconut Coconutmilk (printable)
- Lemon Juice
- Lime Juice (can use lemon)
- Whole Wheat Panko/Bread Crumbs
- Dijon Mustard
     $1.00/1 – French’s Dijon Mustard (printable)
- Mayonnaise
     Kraft Real Mayonnaise, 30 oz, BOGO $3.99
     $1/2 Kraft Condiment Items TARGET coupon Target.com (exp 4/15/2011)
- Apple Cider Vinegar
     $0.50/1 Heinz coupon (printable)
     $0.55/1 Pompeian Vinegar (printable)
- Vanilla Extract
- Almond Extract
- Baking Powder
- Rolled Oats
- Chocolate Chips
     $0.50/2 Nestle Toll House Morsels (printable)
     $1.00/2 – Nestle Toll House Morsels, 10oz or Larger (printable)
     $1.10/3 – Nestle Toll House Morsels (printable)
- Applesauce (Mott’s Apple Sauce 6 pk 23.4 to 24 oz cup, 3/$5)
- Baking Soda
     $0.50/2 Arm & Hammer (printable)
- Sliced Almonds

Spices
- Ginger
- Salt
- Chili Powder
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Italian Seasoning
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg

Meat/Seafood
- 2 ½ lbs Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (Perdue Boneless Chicken Breast, $3.99/lb)
- 2-3 lbs Pork Tenderloin (Whole Pork Tenderloin, $4.99/lb)
- 1 ¼ lbs Salmon Fillets (or 14.75oz can) (Salmon Fillets, $5.99/lb)

Dairy
- 2 cups 50% Light Cheddar Cheese, Shredded
     $1.00/1 – Cheese, Any Brand Made in the USA, 2lbs or More (printable)
- Eggs
     $0.75/1 – Organic Valley Eggs (printable)
- Skim Milk
     $0.75/2 – Organic Valley Milk, 1/2 gal. or 1 gal. (printable)
Frozen
- 1 16 oz bag Stir Fry Veggies (Publix Vegetables 10 to 12 oz, 10/$10)
     OR
     Green Giant Frozen Vegetables 7 to 10 oz, BOGO $1.79
     $0.50/1 Green Giant Vegetables Rolling (printable)
     $0.50/1 Green Giant Frozen Vegetables Rolling (printable)
     $0.60/3 Green Giant Frozen Boxed Vegetables (exp 4/2/2011) (printable)
     $0.60/3 Green Giant Frozen Boxed Vegetables 2/13/2011 GM Insert (exp 4/9/2011)
     $0.50/2 Green Giant Boxed Vegetables Rolling  (printable)

Non Coupon Match-Up List – Coming Soon
Produce

• 4 Onions
• 1 Red Bell Pepper
• 2 Green Bell Peppers
• 4 Medium Red Potatoes
• 1 Head of Garlic plus 4 Cloves
• Spinach
• Cilantro
• Parsley (or 2 tsp dried)
• 1 lb Fresh Green Beans
• 5 Apples
• 3 Pears
• 3-4 Cups of Assorted Veggies (broccoli, zucchini, yellow squash, baby carrots, whatever you like)

Grocery

• Aluminum Foil
• 20 oz can Pineapple Chunks Packed in Juice
• 2 8oz cans Tomato Sauce
• 1 4oz can Chopped Green Chiles
• 12 6-inch Whole Wheat Tortillas
• 1 box Whole Grain Spaghetti
• Chicken Broth
• Low Sodium Soy Sauce
• Olive Oil
• Sucanat
• Honey
• Whole Wheat Flour
• Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
• Natural Peanut Butter
• Light Coconut Milk
• Lemon Juice
• Lime Juice (can use lemon)
• Whole Wheat Panko/Bread Crumbs
• Dijon Mustard
• Mayonnaise
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Vanilla Extract
• Almond Extract
• Baking Powder
• Rolled Oats
• Chocolate Chips
• Applesauce
• Baking Soda
• Sliced Almonds

Spices

• Ginger
• Salt
• Chili Powder
• Cumin
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• Italian Seasoning
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg

Meat/Seafood

• 2 ½ lbs Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 2-3 lbs Pork Tenderloin
• 1 ¼ lbs Salmon Fillets (or 14.75oz can)

Dairy

• 2 cups 50% Light Cheddar Cheese, Shredded
• Eggs
• Skim Milk

Frozen

• 1 16 oz bag Stir Fry Veggies

Kids Eat Free at Chili's Tonight....Again!!

It's back!! Another coupon for a free Kid's Meal at Chili's! If you missed this last time, here's your chance to cash in. This is only good for March 14th (my little sister's birthday... Happy B-Day, Kays!!!). Here are my thoughts on Chili's:

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!!