$200 a Month Grocery Challenge

Spring is here!

Which got me thinking...

Summer is just around the corner, and with it come all sorts of fun (and usually expensive) activities. 

BBQs, weekend getaways, lunches on sunny patios across the city...

To prepare my budget for the fun ahead, this month I challenge myself to spend only $200 on groceries and household items this month. 

That's only $50 per week!

Our typical grocery budget is $300 to $350 per month. We also add an additional $20 for household items like toilet paper, bleach, etc.. We try to eat organic whenever possible, so it makes grocery shopping pretty expensive.

With luck, I'll have a nice stash of cash left over at the end of the month for concerts, hiking trips and more!

I started my challenge today, with trips to my neighborhood Albertson's and QFC. 

Here is a picture of my haul:

The retail price for all of this (without discounts and coupons) would have been $75.87.

Total spent: $27.85!

Not bad for a new couponer ay?

BEST deals:

The Starbucks Refreshers were FREE with a coupon from this weeks newspaper.

The Bayer Advanced retails for $4.50. I bought it for $.25!

The SeaPak coconut shrimp retails for $8.40 EACH, and I purchased them each for $2.20. They were buy 1 get 1 free with a $1.00 coupon that doubled to $2.00 off. 

Organics products:

oranges, bananas and milk

Do you clip coupons?

Small but Mighty: The Chia Seed

 The Chia Pet dominated the stocking stuffer and gag gift markets of the 90s.

Did you ever own one?

Turns out, the chia seeds of these sweet little ceramic critters are considered superfoods because of their complex nutritional profile. 

Chia seeds are said to have 2x the protein of any other seed or grain.

3x more iron than spinach.

5x the calcium of milk.

They are also a fantastic source of fiber.

*5 times the calcium of milk, plus boron which is a trace mineral that helps transfer calcium into your bones,

*2 times the amount of potassium as bananas,

*3 times the reported antioxidant strength of blueberries

*3 times more iron than spinach

*copious amounts of omega-3 and omega-6, which are essential fatty acids


Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/022468.html#ixzz1k835Njfu

Chia seeds can be easily incorporated into a lot of dishes. They have a mild and pleasant flavor. 

You can add them to smoothies, bake them into your favorite cookie recipes or sprinkle them into oatmeal. 

Organic chia seeds are very reasonably priced, and a little goes a long way.

We get ours in bulk at the local co-op, but good deals can easily be found online.

So be liberal in your chia sprinkling. Go nuts!

 

Chia Seed Maple Pudding 

(adapted from www.whatscookinggoodlooking.com)

Makes 6 dessert size portions.

A great sweet treet for any time of day, chia seed pudding is similar to tapioca pudding in consistency but it is packed with all of the nutritional value chia seeds have to offer.

4 cups of almond milk (I used vanilla, but plain is probably good too)
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1/4 cup of maple syrup (you may want to add a bit more if you have a sweeter tooth)
3/4 cup of chia seeds

bananas, blueberries, strawberries (optional)

In a large bowl, mix together the almond milk, vanilla extract and maple syrup until combined. Gently stir in the chia seeds. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, to allow the chia seeds to gel and firm up. Spoon into individual dishes, top with fresh fruit and serve!

Snowpocalypse 2012 and Avocado, Spinach and White Bean Enchiladas

Day #3 of "Snowpacalypse" in the Pacific Northwest.

The snow has finally stopped, but the roads are still frozen solid.

I guess you could say the cabin fever is setting in...

We took a break from the jigsaw puzzles and movies to take a long walk through the winter wonderland.

Our town was blanketed with 6" of snow.

It was so quiet. So peaceful.

With no cars braving the roads, we danced in the middle of the street!

Cadence brought her tennis ball. She always carries it with her no matter how long the walk. 

The beach was abandoned, but beautiful, covered in snow.

After the cold walk, we had a hankering for spicy Mexican food. 

I made Avocado, White Bean and Spinach Enchiladas with homemade enchilada sauce. 

This dish is totally vegan, but can easily become a carnivore's delight!

Please forgive my food photography skills...this dish tasted much better than it looks in this photo. 

Avocado, Spinach and White Bean Enchiladas (Vegan)

Adapted from The New Enchanted Broccoli Forest by Mollie Katzen

Preparation time: about 15 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Serves 4

½ cup fresh lemon or lime juice

3 medium-sized ripe avocados, diced

1 cup cooked white beans

1 cup frozen corn thawed

1 cup packed fresh spinach

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, minced, plus more for garnish

3 medium-sized tomatoes, diced

6 scallions (both green and white parts), diced

tortillas of your choice (I used organic corn tortillas)

Red Enchilada Sauce (see recipe below)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

3 medium cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 

2. If you are using frozen tortillas, defrost them first--fully wrapped--to prevent their drying out.  

3. Prepare the sauce (see below). 

4. Place lemon juice in a medium-sized bowl. Peel and pit the avocados, cut them into small dice and add them to the lemon juice. Toss lightly. 

5. Add remaining ingredients and mix gently.

6. Moisten the tortillas. Katzen has a great summary of the three methods:

   a. Sauté them briefly on each side in a little oil ("Very briefly" means approximately 10 seconds.).

   b. Dip them briefly in the sauce ("Briefly" means a dunking, not a bath). I used this method.

   c. Dip them just as briefly in water (least desirable, however easiest).

7. Assemble the enchiladas by placing a few tablespoons of filling on one side of each tortilla and rolling it up. Pour a small amount of sauce into a shallow baking dish, add the enchiladas and pour the remaining sauce over the top. Cover with foil, and bake for about 30 minutes.

For the Red Enchilada Sauce

5 medium-sized tomatoes, diced

1 large red bell pepper, minced

1 tablespoon salt

5 large cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1. Place all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat, partially cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. 

2. You can leave it chunky of puree in a food processor or blender (I used an immersion blender). For extra smooth sauce, pass the puree through a fine strainer or sieve (I did not do this).

A few things...

1. Today I visited Waterfront Antique Mall  

in an effort to avoid the Black Friday mobs at the mall.

The antique mall is very eclectic. 

A friend of mine has attended their auctions and found some incredible deals.

I absolutely love vintage restaurant ware. 

I snagged this heavy duty restaurant ware plate from the YWCA for just a few bucks!

2. Design*Sponge Online published a book this fall.

I check the d*s website religiously for their latest postings about home decor, food and life.

The book is beautifully designed. It lives on our coffee table so I can drool on it whenever I see it.

Grace Bonney (the adorable gal in the picture) is one of the creators of the website, and her home is featured in the book.

  The design aesthetic is funky --much of the homes are designed with mid-century touches.

The book also has a large section of DIY projects for all skill levels and budgets. 

I want to make these hand towels!

And these place mats!

Toward the back of the book there is a wonderful illustrated "How To" section for all of those intimidating craft projects like rewiring a lamp or reupholstering a chair. 

  I keep seeing awesome craft projects like these but just never stop and take the time to try them out.  

 A New Year's resolution of the crafty sort, I pledge that I will complete (and post about) one new craft project per month in 2012!

3. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars. Leftover pumpkin puree is a great excuse for these delicious bars. Mr. Living Lovely on Little (Mr. LLL) pondered whether these bars were part of my plan for world domination.

No, they are not. I actually borrowed the recipe from Elizabeth LaBau of SugarHero.com.

My apologies for the not so pretty food photos. Man, taking pictures of food is HARD! Please refer to Elizabeth's gorgeous pictures--I promise you they didn't actually look like a chunk of sod!!

Slow-Roasted Tomatoes with Quick Ricotta Gnocchi (or my FIRST food post!)

I'll admit it. I am an addict.

Addicted to food blogs that is, with one in particular.

Molly Wizenberg is a foodie, a blogger, journalist, author and now restaurateur with her husband Brandon Petit. Molly was responsible for one of the best-loved food/life blogs around, Orangette (http://orangette.blogspot.com/).

Two years ago the couple opened Delancey (www.delanceseattle.com), a woodfire pizza spot in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood. She is funny, candid and her recipes hit the spot. Basically, Molly is a food blogger goddess and I worship the counter on which she bakes.

In her book, A Homemade Life, Molly shares her recipe for slow-roasted tomatoes.

I just had to try it because:

A) the recipe calls for 4 ingredients,

B) tomatoes are cheap and in-season and

C) I am Sicilian and 2/3 of my body is literally a mixture of olive oil and tomatoes. It's genetic.

This is a weekend recipe, as it takes 4 to 6 hours to complete,

but it is WELL WORTH THE WAIT!

This recipe makes a LOT. You'll be surprised how many dishes you will want to which you'll want to add some of these sweet little guys. In the last few days we have added them to burritos, eggs and pasta salad. They are a great way to spruce up an otherwise "blah" dish.

Rinsing the tomatoes, just like my momma taught me.

Tomatoes sliced in half and tossed lightly with olive oil.

Tomatoes spread on a cookie sheet, sprinkled with sea salt and fresh ground pepper.

Sure, these little guys don't look pretty, but they are absolutely irresistible.

As you can see, many of them disappeared before I could take a picture.

To highlight the sweet flavor of the tomatoes, I made a recipe from another favorite blog, Budget Bytes. This was the first gnocchi recipe I have tried. It was easypeasie (is that how spell that?).

http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2011/08/easy-ricotta-gnocchi-258-recipe-065.html

Mmmm...slow-roasted tomatoes

with ricotta gnocchi, fresh Parmesan cheese and basil from the garden.

$1.29 Ticket to Paradise

Do not adjust your computer screen.

Yes, that is actually BACON on a MAPLE BAR!

Has someone lost there mind?

They said the same thing about other heroes--Christopher Columbus, Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein...the founders of FROST Doughnuts in Mill Creek.

Hello GORGEOUS!

A bit more expensive than your average doughnut from the grocery store,but seriously, do we even need to question the return on investment here?

Visit www.frostology.com for more details and a list of their other flavors including the Red Velvet and the Bananas Foster Fritter.

Oh yes people, miracles DO come true!

Cheaper than a full breakfast at a restaurant, paired with a good cup of coffee this was a kinda special way for my boyfriend and I to spend a rainy Sunday morning.

I hope you'll have a chance to do the same.