TLC's Extreme Couponing

If you have ever evenly remotely thought about couponing it's likely you may have heard about the new show on TLC called Extreme Couponing. There's been a lot of discussion about the show in the couponing blogosphere but I personally haven't seen it yet so I can't really have an opinion either way. One thing I do know, though, is that it's a reality TV show so it's designed to be entertaining and sensational. My guess is that it would be interesting and entertaining to watch but it won't necessarily teach you the ins and outs of couponing.

HERE is a great article that brings a bit of reality back to Extreme Couponing. It was written by Rasha from A Full Cup which is an awesome resource for all things coupon related.

For some info about how to get started with some good old everyday couponing that the average family can use to save themselves on their weekly groceries, go HERE.

:)

Last Night's Veggies Cookies

Makes 20-24 cookies
Weird name for a cookie right? But that’s literally what these were. The first time I made Pineapple Pork Tenderloin I didn’t have peppers. Actually to be honest, I seriously needed to go grocery shopping and the only thing I did have was a big buttercup squash. So I made roasted squash with pineapple instead. We all ate it happily enough that night but none of us really felt like eating the leftovers. The frugal side of me couldn’t bear to throw them away so I made them into cookies. Normal people use their leftover dinner veggies to make cookies too, right? Regardless, we all loved them and these have since become a favorite cookie in our household. They are sort of like a pumpkin gingersnap but they're more cakey than crispy.

NOTE: If you are making something in your crockpot, you can chop up about a cup of winter squash/sweet potato and put it on a piece of tinfoil with about a cup of pineapple. Fold the foil into a pouch and stick it on top of whatever you're cooking. Obviously this wouldn't work if you were cooking a soup since the packet would sink. It only takes about 3 hours on low for the veggies to soften but you can leave it in there as long as your dish is cooking and just take it out at the end.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (I use King Arthur's White Whole Wheat flour)
• 1 Tbsp ginger
• 2 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ cup Earth Balance buttery spread or coconut oil
• ¾ cup canned pineapple, drained
• ¾ cup cooked winter squash/sweet potato
• 1 cup sucanat, divided
• ¼ cup molasses

ONE: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Set aside.

TWO: Puree the pineapple and winter squash/sweet potato together adding a small amount of pineapple juice if needed to create a puree the same consistency as canned pumpkin.

THREE: In a large bowl, cream together the buttery spread/coconut oil, pineapple-veggie puree, ½ cup of sucanat, and molasses using an electric or stand mixer. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until dough comes together. Chill dough for at least an hour.

FOUR: Preheat oven to 350 and pour remaining ½ cup of sucanat into a shallow bowl. Scoop out a generous tablespoonful of dough and roll it between your palms into a small ball, slightly smaller than a golf ball. Roll the ball in the sucanat until completely covered and then place on a cookie sheet. Using the bottom of a glass, lightly press the doughball to flatten. Repeat until all the dough is gone. Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are set. Cool about 2 minutes on the cookie tray before transferring them to a cooling rack. Don’t leave them on the tray for too long if you want them crispy.

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

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving (1 cookie) - 89 Calories (16 Calories from Fat), 2g Fat, 0g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 130mg Sodium, 17g Total Carbohydrates, 1g Dietary Fiber, 3g Sugars, 1g Protein, 17% DV Vitamin A, 3% DV Vitamin C, 3% DV Calcium, 5% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Pina Colada Dutch Baby Pancakes

Makes 6 servings
This recipe is modified from the Peach Dutch Babies that I recipe tested for the April/May 2011 issue of Clean Eating Magazine. The original recipe was so good I wanted to make it again the next day but was out of peaches. We love pineapple and coconut in our house and that was how this version was born.


A Dutch Baby is an oven baked pancake which is kind of a blend between a popover and a crepe. They are traditionally made with white flour and a TON of butter but Clean Eating Magazine of course found a way to make it JUST as delectable while still being good for you :) My very good friend, Martha, was the one who first introduced me to Dutch Babies (made the ton of butter way!) and she’s a bit of a connoisseur when it comes to this dish. As soon as I tried the Clean Eating version, I immediately sent it to her and she was blown away as well. She gives them her seal of approval :)

Ingredients:

• 3 large eggs
• ¾ cup low-fat milk
• 2 tbsp Agave nectar or honey
• ½ tsp coconut extract
• ¼ tsp plus a pinch sea salt
• Large pinch nutmeg
• ½ cup whole-wheat pastry flour (I just use King Arthur’s White Whole Wheat flour)
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 cup crushed pineapple packed in juice, drained and 2 Tbsp juice reserved
• 2 Tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut

ONE: Place a heavy, 12-inch oven-proof or cast-iron skillet in the oven and preheat to 425°F. (If you don't have an oven-proof skillet, you can use a baking dish. You'll need something a bit bigger than an 8x8 square pan but a 9x13 is about as big as you could go.)

TWO: In a large bowl, lightly beat eggs. Add milk, Agave, coconut extract, salt and nutmeg; whisk to combine. Add flour and whisk just until blended (a few lumps are fine).

THREE: Carefully add coconut oil to the skillet in the oven. Close the door, and allow it to melt, about 1 to 2 minutes. Wearing a heat-proof glove or oven mitt (I wear my Ove Glove), remove the skillet from the oven and pour the melted oil into the batter; whisk just until blended (do not over mix).

FOUR: Pour the batter back into the hot skillet and sprinkle evenly with the crushed pineapple. Carefully return skillet to oven and bake until edges are puffed and golden brown, 17 to 19 minutes.

FIVE: Meanwhile, toast the shredded coconut in a dry skillet over medium heat (the first time I made these I tried toasting the coconut in my toaster oven, forgot about it, and it caught fire… like billowing smoke fire. Oops.)

SIX: When the pancake is done, sprinkle it with the toasted coconut and drizzle with the reserved 2 Tbsp pineapple juice. It’s pretty impressive when it’s all puffed up fresh out of the oven. Call everyone to the table right away because it deflates pretty quickly. My boys like to peak through the window on the oven door to watch it puff up. They call this Magic Eggy Pancakes. I call it scrumptious :)

You won’t have leftovers but, if you did, you could freeze individual servings using the flash freeze method to feed your freezer stash.

NUTRITION INFO:
Per serving - 179 Calories (72 Calories from Fat), 8g Fat, 5g Saturated Fat, 107mg Cholesterol, 130mg Sodium, 22g Total Carbohydrates, 1g Dietary Fiber, 13g Sugars, 5g Protein, 4% DV Vitamin A, 8% DV Vitamin C, 5% DV Calcium, 6% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Healthy Sneaky Lasagna (with Spinach!) OAMC

Makes 10 servings
This is hands down one of our family favorites and we ALWAYS have some in the freezer. This recipe makes one pan but I always double it and make 2 at once because I figure I’m already making the pans dirty and heating up the oven, I might as well make it worthwhile :) I assemble the first one and pop it into the oven and I can usually have the second one assembled (and sometimes even get the dishes done!) so that when the first one is ready I can put the second one in and sit down to have the first for dinner.


You will see that this recipe has you making homemade spaghetti sauce which I really like to do when I have the time because then I know exactly what we are eating and can be sure that there are no random added ingredients. However, if I am crunched for time, I have used jars of premade sauce and then just browned the ground turkey and added it in. You will need about 4 1/2 cups of sauce to equal 6 cups total after adding in the meat. Just make sure you read the ingredients list really well when you pick a sauce. You would be amazed at the things that get added in to some.

Ingredients:
Sauce -

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, diced (2 Tbsp)
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 lb 93% lean ground turkey
• 28oz can crushed tomatoes
• 28oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 Tbsp dried basil
• 1 cup pureed cooked sweet potato (optional, but I always add it in because it gives the sauce a slight sweetness, which most commercial sauces achieve by adding sugar. When I first started adding it Matt said, “Wow. This is awesome! It tastes just like Chef Boyardee!” Thanks hunny, that’s totally what I’m aiming for. Homemade sauce that tastes like processed crap in a can, LOL. What he meant in his own goofy way was that the sauce was so good it tasted like it was professionally made… which he apparently thinks Chef Boyardee is…)

Filling and Pasta Layers -

• 1 lb fat-free ricotta cheese
• 3 cups reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (This is bolded because I ALWAYS forget to divide it!)
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 Tbsp dried basil (or ½ cup minced fresh basil)
• 1 large egg lightly beaten or equivalent of egg substitute
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1 12oz bag fresh spinach, roughly chopped or torn
• 12 whole grain lasagna noodles uncooked (not no boil noodles, just regular whole wheat noodles. The whole no boil thing is a scam, you don’t need to boil any noodles. My friend, Ariana, taught me that :) Before that I was preboiling all my lasagna, grrrr)

ONE: Combine the onion, oil, and ½ tsp salt in a large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until softened, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the ground turkey and cook until it’s JUST starting to brown, about 4 minutes.

TWO: Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and broth. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and measures about 6 cups, about an hour (the sauce might spit while it’s cooking so I always cover the pot with one of those mesh screen things that prevent splattering). Stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper to taste.

THREE: Dump the ricotta, 2 cups of the mozzarella, Parmesan, basil, egg, salt, and pepper into a large bowl and stir well.

FOUR: Preheat the oven to 375 and spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1 ½ cups of the sauce evenly over the bottom.

FIVE: Rinse 3 uncooked lasagna noodles under cold running water and lay them on top of the sauce spaced evenly apart. Place 1/3 cup of filling on each one and spread it out evenly over the entire noodle. Lay 1/3 of the bag of spinach over the top of the filling (this will seem like a big pile of spinach and will make the layers really tall but it will wilt during cooking and you won’t even notice it’s there).Spread 1 cup of sauce evenly over the spinach. Repeat this layering two more times, rinsing each lasagna noodle before placing it in the pan.

SIX: Lay the remaining 3 noodles over the top and cover with the remaining 1 ½ cups of sauce, making sure to cover the edges. Spray a large piece of foil with cooking spray and cover the lasagna tightly. Place the lasagna pan on a cookie tray (to catch any bubbling over sauce) and bake for 45 minutes.

SEVEN: Remove the foil and sprinkle the lasagna evenly with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella. Continue to bake, uncovered, until the cheese is bubbling and slightly brown, 10-15 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Let the leftovers cool completely in the fridge overnight. Slice into individual servings (one pan should yield 10 servings) and freeze using the flash freeze method to feed your freezer stash. Reheat in the microwave or thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the oven @ 350 for about 30 minutes.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving - 424 Calories (136 Calories from Fat), 15g Fat, 7g Saturated Fat, 90mg Cholesterol, 590mg Sodium, 38g Total Carbohydrates, 7g Dietary Fiber, 7g Sugars, 35g Protein, 181% DV Vitamin A, 60% DV Vitamin C, 50% DV Calcium, 21% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Crockpot Salmon with Pineapple-Mango-Strawberry Salsa and Orange Lentils

Makes 6 servings
This recipe was modified from a recipe that I tested for Clean Eating Magazine. I’m not a huge fan of fish that tastes like fish but I really love salmon. Go figure! And I love it even more when my crockpot cooks it for me :) This method yields delicious, moist salmon every time. The slightly sweet, citrus flavor of the lentils goes particularly well with the fruit salsa and gives the whole dish an island vacation feel. Plus any time dinner involves fruit my boys are very happy. I recommend using a larger crockpot (like 5 to 7 quarts) for this meal and purchasing salmon fillets that are about the same thickness to ensure even cooking. If you only have a smaller crockpot, you can either do fewer salmon fillets or layer them on top of each other using additional pieces of parchment. If you layer, you will need to extend the cooking time of the fish a bit.

Ingredients:

• 1¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup orange juice
• ¾ cup lentils (I use green)
• ½ cup carrot, finely diced
• ¼ cup red onion, finely diced
• ¼ cup celery, finely diced
• 1 tbsp honey
• 6 4- to 5-oz salmon fillets, scaled and pin bones removed
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Salsa:

• 3/4 cup finely diced pineapple
• 3/4 cup finely diced mango
• 1/2 cup finely diced strawberries
• 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint (2 tsp dried)
• 2 Tbsp orange juice
• 1 Tbsp lime juice
• 1/4 tsp salt

ONE: Combine everything except the salmon and lemon juice together in the crockpot and stir. Cover and cook on low heat for 5 to 5½ hours or until lentils are tender.

TWO: Place 1 sheet of parchment paper over the lentils in the crockpot. Season salmon lightly with salt and pepper and place it on the parchment (skin-side down if you have not removed the skin). Replace the lid and continue to cook on low for 25 minutes or until salmon is opaque in centre.

THREE: While the salmon is cooking, combine all of the salsa ingredients and set aside to give the flavors a chance to combine.

FOUR: Once the salmon is done, remove it by lifting out parchment. Stir the lemon juice into the lentils and season with salt and pepper to taste. To serve, place about ½ a cup of lentils on a plate and top with a salmon fillet and 1/3 cup of salsa.

Freeze leftover lentils and salsa using the medium/large portions method to feed your freezer stash.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving (1/2 cup lentils, 1/3 cup salsa, 1 salmon fillet) - 419 Calories (146 Calories from Fat),16g Fat, 3g Saturated Fat, 80mg Cholesterol, 203mg Sodium, 32g Total Carbohydrates, 9g Dietary Fiber, 14g Sugars, 36g Protein, 39% DV Vitamin A, 90% DV Vitamin C, 6% DV Calcium, 16% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Low Cost Weekly Meal Plan 4/11

I am SERIOUSLY psyched for this week's meal plan!! My kids LOVE mangoes and sweet potatoes and they are both on sale this week. Plus there's a sale on honey which always makes me do the happy dance. My great friend, Barb, and I are working on a very detailed report on natural sweeteners and honey is one of the best. Stay tuned for that article.

This week I'm particularly excited about the Salmon with Pineapple-Mango-Strawberry Salsa over Orange Lentils. I'll serve this with Kale Chips which are just too cool for words. The fact that you can make chips out of kale is up there with cauliflower becoming bread sticks. As far as the salmon goes, if you're not regularly cooking your fish in the crockpot, you are seriously missing out. You know I love my crockpot because it saves me hands-on time during the pre-dinner hour and doesn't heat up my kitchen. But in this recipe I love it even more because it makes perfectly cooked fish with lentils that my kids will happily eat. What could be better?! Plus, you can make the key ingredient for Last Night's Veggies Cookies while you're cooking the lentils. I know that sounds crazy but, once you see the recipe, you'll understand :)

Next up is seriously the most delicious Dutch Baby Pancake you've ever had in your life. My boys literally dance with joy when I make these. Then we're trying something new with the Moroccan Lamb Stir-Fry. As you may have noticed, I'm not all that creative when it comes to my protein sources. I rely pretty heavily on ground turkey and chicken breasts. This is something I've been working on and this week lamb is on sale so I thought I'd be a little adventurous and move out of my comfort zone. I think you'll like it. Finally, two of our family's tried and true (and willingly eaten by the toddlers) recipes: Lasagna and Sweet Potato Quesadillas.

As I mentioned last week, during the Summer I teach Survival Swim Lessons so I spend a lot of my day in the pool. I have an absolutely WONDERFUL helper, Danielle, who mommies my boys and helps me with the million and one other things that us moms do all day. She is one of the hardest workers I have ever met and I am eternally grateful for her help. Danielle is the ONLY reason I'll still be able to continue this blog during the summer so I would like to publicly shout, "Thank you, Danielle!!!! You are the BEST!!!"

Step 1: Find out what meat and produce is on sale for the week
This week at Publix Lamb and Salmon are on sale. In the produce section kale, sweet potatoes, celery, orange juice, strawberries, and mangoes 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 canned tomatoes, ricotta cheese, shredded mozzarella, honey, raisins, canned pineapple, and chicken broth.

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. To learn how to build your own freezer stash go HERE.

Step 4: Get all of the recipes together and make a shopping list of what you’ll need.
Meals-
Sneaky Lasagna (with Spinach!)
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quesadillas
Salmon with Pineapple-Mango-Strawberry Salsa over Orange Lentils and Kale Chips - Coming Soon
Moroccan Lamb Stir-Fry - Coming Soon

Healthy Breakfasts/Snacks/Desserts-
Pina Colada Dutch Baby Pancakes
Last Night's Veggies Cookies

Here is a shopping list for the complete list of meals (not including snacks and desserts) 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 Matchup List - Coming Soon
Non-Coupon Matchup List - Coming Soon

And the winner is.....

Two weeks ago I posted THIS giveaway for a coupon booklet containing over $58 worth of SC Johnson coupons. There were a LOT of great responses with tips on how to keep the house clean and I will be posting some of the most popular responses shortly. The winner of the giveaway was comment #25 from The Laverty's!!!! Congratulations Christy!! Here is Christy's tip:

"I have a laundry routine for during the week and vacuum every Friday. The other tip I have is: when we go on vacation or out of town for the weekend, I put a capful of pinesol in my toilets. When we get home, the house smells clean after being closed up."

Thanks to everyone who entered. Stay tuned for more giveaways!!!

:)

New Coupons on Coupons.com

Coupons.com has released a TON of new coupons including some for Easter Candy. As you know, we follow a very healthy diet but, if I am going to give my kids the occasional treat, like on Easter morning for example, you better believe I want it to be free or almost free :) Here are the new coupons:

Food & Beverage:

Buy 1 Get 1 Free Power Bar Harvest Bar, any variety
$2.00 OFF 1 Kentucky Legend Ham or Turkey Breast, or our NEW Premium Bacon
$1.50 OFF 1 Nestle Butterfinger 9.2oz Fun Size Bag
$1.50 OFF 1 Kahiki product 24 oz. or larger
$1.00 OFF 2 Mars Easter Products
$1.00 OFF 2 Land O Lakes Margarine
$1.00 OFF 2 Hanover Gold and Silver Line Frozen Vegetables
$1.00 OFF 1 Newman's Own Thin & Crispy Pizza
$1.00 OFF any 1 lb. of Land O Lakes Deli Cheese
$1.00 OFF 1 Kahiki product 13 oz. or smaller
$1.00 OFF 1 McCann's Irish Oatmeal product
$1.00 OFF 1 Hidden Valley Salad Kit
$1.00 OFF Power of Fruit Frozen All-Fruit Bars
$1.00 OFF 1 Truvia Sweetener
$1.00 OFF 1 Weight Watchers Frozen Novelty Carton
$1.00 OFF 5 Totino's Crisp Crust Party Pizza Products
$0.75 OFF 2 any flavor Yoplait Kids Yogurt
$0.75 OFF 1 Kix, Berry Berry Kix, or Honey Kix
$0.75 OFF 1 Chex Cereal
$0.75 OFF 1 Cinnamon Burst Cheerios cereal
$0.75 OFF 1 Kraft 2% Milk Singles Cheese product
$0.75 OFF 1 Roman Meal Bread
$0.75 OFF 2 Frozen Pillsbury Grands! Biscuits
$0.60 OFF 2 Pillsbury Toaster Strudel Pastries
$0.55 OFF 1 Nestle NestEggs (8oz or 10oz Varieties)
$0.55 OFF 1 Wonka Jelly Beans
$0.55 OFF 1 loaf of Wonder Smartwheat
$0.55 OFF 1 Original Cheerios cereal
$0.50 OFF 1 Hanover Frozen Soft Pretzels
$0.50 OFF 1 Newman's Own Product
$0.50 OFF 2 Pillsbury Rolled Refrigerated Pie Crusts
$0.50 OFF 1 any flavor 8 OZ. or larger Gardetto's Snack Mix
$0.50 OFF 1 package of Kraft Homestyle Macaroni & Cheese Dinner
$0.50 OFF 1 can of Diamond Crystal Sea Salt
$0.40 OFF Totinos Rolls Snacks
$0.30 OFF 1 can of Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
$0.30 OFF 1 French's Classic Yellow Mustard
1 Free bottle of Ujuice when you buy Two (2) Bottles of Ujuice
$1.00 OFF 1 So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage (64oz. or 32oz. )

Personal Care:

$3.00 OFF 1 HerbaShine Color Creme with Bamboo Extract Haircolor
$3.00 OFF 1 L'Oreal Paris Sublime Mousse by Healthy Look
$2.00 OFF 1 Rimmel Product
$2.00 OFF 1 Visine Product
$2.00 OFF 1 AmLactin Moisturizing Body Lotion (7.9 oz/225 g bottle)
$2.00 OFF 1 Purpose Skin Care Product (excluding trial sizes)
$2.00 OFF any 1 Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Blow Dry Perfector Kit
$2.00 OFF 1 Renu fresh or Renu sensitive multi-purpose solution (8 oz or larger)
$1.25 OFF 2 Degree Men or Degree Women Deodorant/Anti-Perspirants
$1.00 OFF 2 Suave Body Wash Products
$1.00 OFF 1 Kiss Artificial Nail Product
$1.00 OFF 1 Broadway Artificial Nail Product
$1.00 OFF 1 Kiss Premium Eyelash Product
$1.00 OFF 1 Triple Paste
$1.00 OFF 1 Garnier Fructis Shampoo or Conditioner
$1.00 OFF 1 Garnier The Brusher Clenser
$1.00 OFF 1 Garnier Fructis Style Product
$1.00 OFF 1 Sally Hansen Beauty Tool $2 or more

Pet Care:

$3.00 OFF 1 bag ProPlan Select Dog Food
$3.00 OFF 1 bag Hill's Science Diet Light (dog or cat)
$2.00 OFF 1 Wardley Advanced Nutrition Product
$1.50 OFF 1 Nutramax Pet Cosequin Product for Your Pet's Joints
$1.50 OFF 1 Nutramax Pet Dermaquin Product for Your Pet's Skin and Coat

Health Care:

$5.00 OFF 1 Non-Drowsy Claritin Allergy Product
$4.00 OFF 1 Cosamin ASU Joint Health Supplement
$3.00 OFF 1 Cosamin DS Joint Health Supplement
$3.00 OFF 1 Senokot Tablets or Senokot-S Tablets
$3.00 OFF 1 Colace Capsules or Peri-Colace Tablets
$3.00 OFF 1 Flex-a-min Product
$3.00 OFF 1 Non-Drowsy Claritin-D Allergy Product
$3.00 OFF 1 Children's Claritin
$3.00 OFF 1 Monistat Product
$3.00 OFF 1 Prevacid 24hr Product
$3.00 OFF 1 Miralax Product
$2.00 OFF any 1 Nasalcrom allergy product
$2.00 OFF 1 Aleve 40ct or larger
$2.00 OFF 1 Nature's Bounty Your Life Multi's Vitamin
$1.50 OFF 1 Bottle of Emetrol for Nausea
$1.00 OFF 1 tube of StaphAseptic, 1 oz. or 2 oz. size
$1.00 OFF 1 OmegaMint Heart Health Supplement
$1.00 OFF any 1 Citracal
$1.00 OFF 1 Phillips' Laxative Product
$1.00 OFF 1 Alka Seltzer Product
$1.00 OFF 1 Cortaid Product

Household:

$10.00 Off Bissell Big Green Deep Cleaner Rental at Lowe's
$4.00 OFF 1 Air Wick Freshmatic Ultra Starter Kit
$3.00 OFF 1 package of Huggies Diapers (60 ct. or higher)
$2.00 OFF 1 Air Wick Freshmatic Compact Starter Kit
$2.00 OFF 1 Depend Absorbent Product
$2.00 OFF 1 Depend Underwear in Prints & Colors
$2.00 OFF 1 Depend Guards for Men
$3.00 OFF 1 Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner Starter Kit
$2.00 OFF 1 Woolite Rug Stick
$2.00 OFF 1 Combat product
$2.00 OFF 1 any package of Huggies Diapers
$1.50 OFF 1 Seventh Generation Natural Liquid Laundry Detergent
$1.50 OFF Three Glade PlugIns® Scented Gel products
$1.00 OFF 2 Comet Mold & Mildew Stain Removers
$1.00 OFF 2 Comet Bathroom Spray or Comet Cream products
$1.00 OFF 2 Joe Boxer 3-pack socks
$1.00 OFF 1 Air Wick Double Fresh Warmer Unit
$1.00 OFF 1 Air Wick Scented Oil Twin Refill or 2 (two) Single Refills
$1.00 OFF 1 Air Wick Candle
$1.00 OFF 1 bottle of Woolite Heavy Traffic Product
$1.00 OFF 1 Seventh Generation Product
$1.00 OFF 1 Tilex Grout Pen or Tilex Mold & Mildew Remover or Tilex Mildew Root Penetrator and Remover
$0.75 OFF 1 Glade Fabric & Air Odor Eliminator
$0.50 OFF 1 Glade Carpet & Room Odor Eliminator
$0.25 OFF 1 Comet Powder product

Home Entertainment:

$3.00 OFF 1 Because of Winn-Dixie on Blu-ray
$3.00 OFF 1 Anastasia on Blu-ray
$3.00 OFF 1 Dr. Dolittle on Blu-ray
$3.00 OFF 1 Flicka on Blu-ray
$3.00 OFF 1 Marley & Me on Blu-ray
$3.00 OFF 1 Robots on Blu-ray
$3.00 OFF 1 The Sandlot on Blu-ray
$3.00 OFF 1 The Sound of Music on Blu-ray
$3.00 OFF 1 The Bible on Blu-ray
$3.00 OFF 1 The Robe on Blu-ray

Toys and Games:

$5.00 OFF any Vtech Toy ($19.99 or higher)

:)

Clean Eating Cucumber Tomato Bruschetta

Makes 8 servings
According to Wikipedi, "Bruschetta is an appetizer from central Italy whose origin dates to at least the 15th century. It consists of grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Variations may include toppings of spicy red pepper, tomato, vegetables, beans, cured meat, and/or cheese; the most popular recipe outside of Italy involves basil, fresh tomato, garlic and onion or mozzarella. Bruschetta is usually served as a snack or appetizer.” In our house, Bruschetta means my kids will eat raw veggies because they have a vinegary sauce on them and they’re served on little pieces of bread :) Whatever it means to you, this version is delicious and you should try it.

Did you notice I snuck a little chopped kale in there? It blends right in with the basil and oregano and you can't taste it because the other flavors are so strong. But it helps this "snack" pack a whopping 20% of your daily recommended intake of Vitamin A and 15% of Vitamin C.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup grape tomatoes cut into quarters (or other chopped tomatoes)
• 1 cup chopped cucumber
• 1/3 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped kale
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, sliced into shreds
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Whole grain baguette, crackers, or pita bread

ONE: In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except the bread/crackers. Toss well to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.

TWO: Let stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour but no longer than 3 hours. Serve over slices of toasted baguette, crackers, or pita bread triangles.

Raw tomatoes become mushy once frozen but you can still freeze the leftovers in half cup portions using the medium/large portions method to feed your freezer stash. Use the thawed tomato mixture in a dish where the mushier texture won't matter. I serve it as a salsa-type topping for chicken, mixed into some brown rice for a little kick, or inside an omelet.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving (not including bread) - 44 Calories (31 Calories from Fat), 3.5g Fat, 0g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 4mg Sodium, 3g Total Carbohydrates, 0.6g Dietary Fiber, 1.6g Sugars, 0.6g Protein, 20% DV Vitamin A, 15% DV Vitamin C, 2% DV Calcium, 2% DV Iron

:)

Great Deal on Silicone Bakeware!! Act Fast!!

You all know I love baking and I generally make some type of healthy baked treat every week. I've heard a lot of great things about silicone bakeware so I thought I'd share this awesome deal with you.


This is the 5-Piece Smartware Basic Silicone Bakeware Set. This set usually retails for $29.99 but is on sale on Tanga for $9.99 plus $4.99 shipping. That's a savings of $20 or 66%!! The set includes a 9 inch Bundt Pan, a 9 inch Loaf Pan, 2 9 inch Round Pans, and a Recipe Book. They are designed to withstand temperatures from 58°F below to 428° Fahrenheit—without warping, melting or flaking. The high gloss, non-stick finish will not retain odors or flavors. Silicone is also great for even heat distribution and quick and even cooling. Plus they are flexible so it's easier to get the baked goods out. Finally, they're oven, freezer, microwave, and dishwasher safe.

Act fast because this sale ends on 4/8 at 9:00 PM Central Time!!

Clean Eating Grape Zucchini Bread

Makes 16 servings
I know what you’re thinking… do grapes and zucchinis really go together? I’m here to tell you they do and the result is lovely. If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time you know I have a big crush on quick breads. Part of the reason is that my breadmaker has a quick bread setting so I just dump everything into the pan, push a button, and an hour and a half later it magically becomes bread. But even if you don’t have a bread maker, quick breads are easy to throw together. I also like them because you can put all kinds of different things in them but they’re usually slightly sweet which makes my boys think they’re getting a special treat when really they’re getting a good dose of whole grains. Plus they freeze really well. What more could you ask for?!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup green seedless grapes, halved
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• ¼ cup sucanat (can use turbinado/brown sugar but it won’t be “clean”)
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup shredded zucchini (about 1 large zucchini)
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I use King Arthur’s White Whole Wheat)

BREADMAKER: Dump everything into the breadmaker, adding the flour last. Run the breadmaker on the quick bread setting (I take a rubber spatula and run it around the edges after it's been mixing for a little while to make sure there's no pockets of unmixed flour). Remove from the bread pan and let cool on a wire rack before slicing.

OVEN:
ONE: In a bowl, blend flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sunflower seeds.Beat together egg, oil, honey, sucanat, and almond extract.

TWO: Add zucchini and grapes to egg mixture; gently stir in flour mixture. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9x5 inch loaf pan.

THREE: Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pan to a wire rack. Slice and serve.

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

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving - 147 Calories (51 Calories from Fat), 5.7g Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 12mg Cholesterol, 400mg Sodium, 22.7g Total Carbohydrates, 0.6g Dietary Fiber, 13g Sugars, 2g Protein, 1% DV Vitamin A, 3% DV Vitamin C, 1% DV Calcium, 4% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Coconut Brown Rice (OAMC)

Makes 8 servings, ¾ cups each
I love coconut and I love brown rice so you know Coconut Brown Rice is right up my alley :) This a a supremely delectable side dish that is not overpoweringly coconut. It makes for a nice change from regular brown rice (although if you make your brown rice like THIS it’s certainly not just regular!) but is just as easy to cook.

The idea for this recipe came from THIS post from the fabulous Gluten Free Girl but she made hers in a rice maker and I don’t have one of those. I know, you can’t believe there’s a kitchen appliance I don’t own since I’m ALL ABOUT my kitchen appliances doing the work for me. If you are lucky enough to have a rice maker, follow her instructions. If not, here’s how you can rock some pretty tasty whole grains using the oven method :)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups brown rice (Gluten Free Girl uses basmati)
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt (1/4 tsp regular salt)
• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper (I use 1/2 tsp because I’m wimpy and I think pepper is spicy)
• 1 cup light coconut milk
• Juice of 1 medium-sized lime (about 2 Tbsp)
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 2 cups water

ONE: Preheat oven to 375. Combine rice with curry powder, ginger, salt and pepper; spread in a medium sized baking dish (I use my big oval Corningware). Stir in lime juice.

TWO: In a small saucepan, combine water, coconut milk, and coconut oil and bring to a boil.

THREE: Pour water mixture over rice (don’t stir!) and cover baking dish tightly with a double layer of foil (I use the glass lid that came with my Corningware so I can skip the foil). Bake 1 hour or until rice is tender.

FOUR: Remove dish from oven and fluff rice with a fork. Cover with a dish towel and let stand 5 minutes. Uncover and let stand another 5 minutes before serving

Freeze leftovers in ¾ cup portions using the medium/large portions method to feed your freezer stash.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per ¾ cup serving - 273 Calories (107 Calories from Fat), 11.9g Fat, 9.5g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 154mg Sodium, 38.5g Total Carbohydrates, 2.4g Dietary Fiber, 1.1g Sugars, 4.3g Protein, 0% DV Vitamin A, 3% DV Vitamin C, 2% DV Calcium, 8% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Almond Crusted Mahi Mahi with Pineapple Salsa

Makes 4 servings, 1 fillet each
This recipe is modified from one that my super great friend, Martha, sent me forever ago. I’ve made it using pecans and almonds and it’s totally divine. My boys really love almonds so they prefer this version. Any recipe that leads to my husband and toddlers willingly eating fish is a winner in my book but this is so easy it’s like a double winner :) It’s really simple but fancy enough to serve to company. We like it over a spinach salad or with Coconut Brown Rice. Martha likes hers with Pineapple Salsa (see below).

Ingredients:

• 4 4oz Mahi Mahi fillets (or another white fish like Tilapia or Cod)
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds
• 1/4 cup of oats
• 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2 Tbsp ground flaxseed (can use an extra 2 Tbsp oats if you don’t have flaxseed)
• 1 egg white mixed with 2 Tbsp lite coconut milk (or water)
• Dash of salt and pepper

ONE: In a food processor or blender, combine the almonds, oats, coconut, flaxseed, and salt and pepper. Process until well combined and in small pieces

TWO: Rinse the Mahi Mahi fillets in running water and dry them off with a paper towel. Spread the almond mixture on a plate. Dip the fillets into the egg white mixture and then coat well with almond mixture.

STOVETOP: Heat 2 tsp olive oil to medium-high heat in a non-stick skillet. Add fish and cook 3 minutes or until golden brown. Flip and cook another 3-5 minutes until fish is white throughout and flakes easily.
-OR-
OVEN: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place fish in a baking dish and cook for about 10-13 minutes or until it is white all the way through and lightly toasted on the top.

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

Pineapple Salsa

• 1 cup of finely chopped pineapple (small cubes)
• ½ cup of finely chopped red onion
• ½ cup of minced cilantro
• 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• Juice and zest of one lime
• Salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients and let sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving so the flavors mix well.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving (just fish) - 246 Calories (110 Calories from Fat), 12.2g Fat, 4g Saturated Fat, 98mg Cholesterol, 201mg Sodium, 8.3g Total Carbohydrates, 3.5g Dietary Fiber, 1.2g Sugars, 26.5g Protein, 0% DV Vitamin A, 1% DV Vitamin C, 5% DV Calcium, 17% DV Iron

:)

Great Printable Coupons for Organic and Natural Products!!

Make sure to go HERE to check out the Mambo Sprouts Spring Messenger for some awesome information on organic and natural products. On the last page there are links to printable coupons for over $35 in savings!!

Coupons include:
- $1.25/2 Equal Exchange Fairly Traded Coffee
- $1.00/2 32 oz. or larger Blue Diamond Shelf-stable Almond Breeze Almondmilk
- $5.00/1 Garden of Life Raw Probiotics Product
- $1.00/1 Kashi Cereal
- $0.75/1 bag of Lundberg Family Farms Rice Chips
- $1.00/1 Country Choice Organic Product
- $3.00/1 Country Life Omega Surge
- $1.00/1 32 oz. or 64 oz. Naked Juice Smoothie
- $0.75/1 box of Stash Tea
- BOGO American Flatbread
- $0.50/1 Luna Protein Bar
- $1.00/2 32 oz. Lifeway Lowfat Kefirs
- $1.00/1 Organic Valley Omega-3 1/2 Gallon Milk

:)

Clean Eating Whole Grain Chocolate Chip Pancakes (OAMC)

Makes 10 servings, 2 pancakes each
I based this recipe on my friend Martha’s mom, Danette’s, Honey Oatmeal Pancakes. Pretty much everything Danette makes ends up delicious but these are seriously awesome. The only thing that could make them better would be if Danette came to my house and cooked them for me. But no, she wants to spend all of her free time seeing her own daughter and grandkids. The nerve ;-) Thankfully, these freeze ridiculously well so I can pull them out any old time and have delicious homemade pancakes without having to even look at the griddle. (But Danette, if you decided to come visit and wanted to make me some pancakes I certainly wouldn't stop you!)

My boys chow them down without syrup or anything. I quadruple the recipe and make 4 batches at once. I’m not going to lie, it takes a while. But most of the time is just waiting around for them to cook instead of doing anything hands on. I’ll make the first batch and we’ll eat them as we go and then, for the rest of them, I’ll set a timer and do other stuff while they’re cooking.


In the end we have 80-90 totally awesome pancakes which means lots of super fast, easy, and healthy breakfasts that the boys will feed themselves relatively quickly (why do toddlers eat so slowly?!?!?!). This is my go-to breakfast to give them when we need to get out of the house quickly in the morning and I’m rushing around getting all of our stuff ready. For the boys I pop them into the microwave or toaster oven quickly but Matt literally eats them frozen in the car on the way to work. He says it’s like a big, cold cookie. Better than stopping for donuts, right?

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup honey/sucanat/agave
• 1 1/2 cup milk
• 1/3 cup oil (I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Coconut Oil)
• 1 egg (could do 2 egg whites)
• Chocolate Chips (I guess technically chocolate chips aren't Clean since they tend to have white sugar in them. You could use carob chips or blueberries or bananas or something instead. I'm okay with the little bit of sugar from the chocolate since the rest of the pancake is so healthy and my boys think it's a really special treat. But I'm kind of obsessed with chocolate so I'm a little biased)

ONE: Combine all ingredients except for chocolate chips in large bowl. Mix well.

TWO: Pour batter by the 1/4 cupful onto hot griddle (I have an electric griddle and I set it to 350. Regardless of what type of griddle/pan you use, a good rule of thumb is that it's preheated when you flick a drop of water onto the surface and it imediately sizzles and dances around).

THREE: Drop 6 or 8 chocolate chips on each pancake in a circle with one in the middle. (I do it this way instead of mixing them into the batter because then I can space them out so each bite has just enough chocolate to seem indulgent. Plus everyone’s pancake has the same number of chocolate chips and no one fights for a particularly chocolatey one… Matt.)

FOUR: When the top is bubbly and almost set, flip and cook another minute or so until both sides are golden brown. (I could NOT make pancakes until after I had kids because I was never patient enough to wait for the bottom to be set before trying to flip them. Same thing with omelets. Apparently having two kids has made me more patient. Go figure.)

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

NUTRITION INFO:

Per Serving (2 pancakes) -  267 Calories (109 Calories from Fat) 12g Total Fat, 4g Saturated Fat, 23mg Cholesterol, 210mg Sodium, 34g Carbohydrates, 2g Dietary Fiber, 16g Sugar, 6g Protein, 2% DV Vitamin A, 1% DV Vitamin C, 14% DV Calcium, 11% DV Iron

:)