A Better Tuna Salad

Have you got the word? Tuna (healthy) Salad (healthy) is NOT so healthy! With those gobs of calorie-packed mayo , you're left with one UNhealthy meal. Try this version for a flavorful alternative-


Inpired by the recipe from the article on Men'sHealth about foods we SHOULD be eating. http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/essential_power_foods/Power_Food_Celery.php

A Better Tuna Salad
1 Can tuna
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1 finely chopped apple
1 T mayo- try a healthier version like fat-free or made with olive oil!
Dash of pepper
2 T sunflower kernels- optional
Celery stalks cut in half or thirds
Now mix everything up except the celery and spoon onto the celery- Enjoy!
I also like this salad with chunks of cucumber right out of the bowl.

Use What You Have- Really

Ever heard someone suggest you use up what you already have? And think they were crazy, as if you don't already do that? If you still think that's crazy, I'd guess you haven't tried it. I too thought that was a strange idea when I first heard it- "Of course I use the food I've already bought!", I thought, almost insulted. But I've since tried it and consider it worth doing, especially on a tight budget week. Make the decision to plan meals around the items you have in your freezer, pantry, and fridge- not only to help things not go to waste, but to cut down on the week's grocery bill. Go on a scavanger hunt in your own kitchen, and start creating a new dish around that can of garbanzo beans you find. Plan to only buy absolute necessities at the grocery store if you go at all. Sometimes I get stuck on taking out some meat and planning around it. But be inspired by something different or at least try adapting a recipe. You don't always need every ingredient exactly as stated to have a successful dish. To cook for your family most days takes dedication, some time, and creativity. Your family shouldn't expect a perfect 3 course meal each evening. Get them involved in being creative with ingredients with you, and they won't be as picky with less-than-perfect meals. Vow to use (or at least plan around) what you already have for a week, and you'll save money, feel good about utilizing your own resources, and maybe stumble upon -or create-something awesome. 

Please Tell Me You're A Regular Roaster...

If you don't often roast vegetables, then you are surely missing out in my opinion. Roasting seems to bring out the natural sweetness in carrots, a great nutty flavor in broccoli, and tones down that "raw" taste that some don't like. Though eating raw veggies has great health benefits that any type of cooking can take away, it may not be reasonable for you to serve vegetables in a raw form every day. We all enjoy variety, and roasting is a very easy cooking method that requires few ingredients or work. If you live in a colder climate, it may be very welcome to turn on your oven often, but if not, you can also use the bbq. I decided to roast some veggies last night, for instance, because I was using the oven already. Living in sunny Southern CA with summer on its way, I will probably need to switch to the bbq soon.


Roasting vegetables is very easy and practically fool proof. Throw them on a pan, then into the oven, and call them done when you're finished making the rest of dinner- OR be more deliberate~ Caress the veggies in olive oil, sprinkling delicately with salt, and perhaps some herbs, and place them into the pre-heated oven at exactly some degrees for exactly some time. Either way, I think you'll have success. Really, I've roasted on various temperatures, and usually don't set the timer. My family and I like when they get a little brown, but you may like them slightly less done. Whatever your liking, I'd certainly recommend you try roasting your favorite veggies for a really easy, healthy side to any meal.

Good veggies for roasting:

Root vegetables work best~
Carrots
Broccoli -(I cut in pieces beforehand)
Potato chunks
Sweet Potato chunks
Onions
Asparagus
Zucchini
Cauliflower
Squash
and more!

Ok so some real tips if you really are new to roasting, use a pan with a rim, don't over crowd- do one layer. Toss them around at least half-way through cooking, and I've heard that using oil will cut down the cooking time some. Be careful to have similar sized pieces as your veggies may require different cooking times. And your roasting will probably take at least 30 minutes and expect to use a high temperature (like 400) for best (quicker) results. If your chicken dinner requires 350, then by all means don't burn your chicken for sake of roasting, just plan to roast for longer.

Double Up On the Oven

(from an earlier post date)
As I put some pineapple chicken into the oven at 9:20 this morning, I realized what I wanted to share with you today. In my sometimes obsessive desire to conserve energy (money), I have thought many times about what else I could bake or cook in the oven when I knew I'd have it on for something else. Even if I didn't want to do them at the very same time, the oven would already be very hot and ready to go as soon as I was. So as I baked my scones (no, not typical-my first time!), I put together the very fast and easy recipe I've posted before- pineapple chicken. Then as soon as the scones were done, I put in the chicken. Now you may be wondering why making dinner at 9:30 a.m. is something to consider. Well, I'm actually making this dish for the freezer, intended for a couple meals down the road on a frantic night of "what's for dinner". Spending time when I have a little extra, can save us from ending up going out for dinner and spending money again. Sometimes on Saturdays or free evenings, I make something that can be put in the freezer for later use. Even if that's just putting some wild rice in the rice cooker- I end up eating that for lunch with a couple things from the fridge relatively often.


So lastly, coming back to oven-talk again, I also choose times when the weather is cooler. Again the evenings and early morning unless its winter. It's amazing that I can even think to turn the oven on the last day of July here in Orange County, CA, but as this summer is so blissfully cool and there is a lovely breeze right now, it isn't a problem. Using the warmth of the oven on those cool nights can help warm the house as well as the belly. I often partially open up the oven when the cooking is done (and its off) to help all that leftover heat come into the house.

Be strategic about your timing and make use of things in more than one way. Now off I go to pack up my scones.

B.Y.O.D

Bring your own drink.  Simple as that.  You could be saving big bucks if you added them up by preparing your own coffee in the morning to bring along with you, or preparing at work; by having bottles of water available at work for days you run out or forget; and by preparing yourself your drink of choice during the day.  By bringing your gatorade, soda, crystal light, or chocolate milk (etc.) and NOT allowing trips to the vending machine, trips inside a liquor store, or a fast-food place for your favorite thirst-quencher, you can really save money.  Being able to purchase these drinks on sale at a store that doesn't regularly mark up 10x for convenience, you can control the budget of your drinks as well as control what you consume regularly.  i.e.- don't allow sodas as a regular all-day drink.  If this is an area you usually loose the battle on, then challenge yourself to improve, and soon it will become a habit.  Not only will it help your wallet, but it can help you make healthier choices too.  If you're actively trying to loose weight, be sure you aren't drinking your calories!

Join the Club

Have you joined the mailing list or email club of your favorite stores yet?  Sure you may think you can't stand yet another email or piece of junk mail, BUT would it really be junk if they were offering you discounts and coupons you know you could use?  It just might be worth a moment to think of where you'd love a coupon for now and then, go to their website, and see what they have to offer.  You won't know until you try! 

Target Hot Deals

Did you know? The Target website has coupons to print out right off their site. Go to their website www.Target.com then go over to the right side and click "see more". You'll find a big list of many other things, one being 'coupons'. Click on 'coupons' and you'll find pages of coupons with 6 each page just waiting to be printed. Just click on the ones you'd like to print. Then you can print the coupons and it will do 3 to a page.  Choose an economical/fast print method on your printer and you can save some ink too.  You may have to install a plug-in the first time, but that's very quick. You can also find their coupon policy on the coupon page, which I've mentioned before- they will accept one Target coupon AND one manufacturers coupon ALSO for the same item, as long as one doesn't prohibit it.


Enjoy saving money and happy shopping at Target!

Take Note

Do you have some favorite recipes?  Ever made a modification to a recipe?  Ever want to remember to never make something again?  If you cook much at all, you're probably saying yes to at least one of these.  Seeing my mom make notes in her recipe books all my life has made me think it was natural and to do so myself.  Others looked wide-eyed at me when they saw that I wrote in a book, but why not?  It's my book, and why shouldn't I take down my notes.  I'd love to know that this indeed was the recipe I tried about a year ago and we all loved... or that I should add only a teaspoon of salt instead of a tablespoon like the recipe originally suggests.  Cooking is an art and though the final product can look slightly different each time, there's no reason to make the same mistakes, or to forget good adjustments.
Happy cooking (and note-taking)!

The Internet Can Save You Money

As most of us have figured out by now, there are countless ways that the Internet is able to save us money.  One way I wanted to remind you of today is forms and statements.  If you need some kind of bank statement for instance, see if you'd be able to simply download it from your Online banking options.  Not too sure about it?  At least try asking!  If you find yourself being told there will be a fee for what you want, try asking if there's a way to get it from the Internet.  As they say, it never hurts to ask.  It IS worth a try.  Don't add to your debt by wasting it on bank fees.

Veggies In the Gravy

Ok, so I have no idea to what degree I'm inventing this.  It could be so over-done and I'm behind.  Quite possible in fact since this was actually my first attempt at making gravy.  But since its different from what my recipe said, and its only adding good things- including flavor, I thought I'd share the idea in case its new to you too. 
While roasting an extra turkey today from the plentiful turkeys on sale at Thanksgiving, I threw in some carrot and celery pieces as mentioned in my turkey roasting recipe.  Nothing new there.  But, instead of straining the gravy and trying to push a bit of veggie through, I took out the veggie pieces with a little gravy for liquid and took my immersion blender to them! Then I had tiny veggie chunks which I added back into my gravy for flavor.  Got to say, tastes Great to me!
Why waste good vegetables and throw them out?

Believe It Can Be and Make It Happen

Like Pastor Rick Warren said today- 'If you believe you can do it, you can.  If you believe you'll fail, then you will.  If you think you'll stay in debt forever then you will.'  -- Almost a quote.  If you think you'll [fill in the blank] forever or never be able to [fill in the blank], then you're right!  Those that doubt will always find excuses and reasons why they will fail.  Those that believe it can happen work towards that goal, don't let problems stop them, and finally achieve.  Both will encounter 'bumps' in the road, but both react to them very differently. 
So what are you going to do with this information?  Play it off as some rambling or "preaching", then I already know what your outcome will be-(and I don't want to join you).  Give this some real thought and go for what you really want, and I believe you will have amazing results.  Perspective is an amazing tool.
Thanks for the great pep talk today Pastor Rick!