Even Better Bomb Ass Blueberry Muffins!

I'm back, bitches!

So, a while back I had written a recipe for Whole Wheat-ish Blueberry Muffins (read all about it here). Well, this weekend, our cousins came over for brunch (hey BriAnne!) and they brought over blueberry muffins (every.single.time. I type "blueberry" I type "blueverry" instead...it's really starting to get to me). They were very good, but also probably very fattening. Anyways, I wanted one, so I whipped up a lower calorie batch (about 155 calories each by my calculation compared to probably around 600). This is a variation on my previous recipe, just tweaked a little bit.

A great way to keep these cheap and organic is to buy frozen organic blueberries which are $2.69 a bag here in Boston.

I cut the calories by using applesauce instead of oil and cinnamon sugar topping instead of crumb topping. I also upped the healthy factor by adding more whole wheat flour. You could even add 1/3 c. ground flax if you wanted. I was too lazy to grind some up. And now I'm feeling bad about myself. Learn from my mistakes, children.

Here's the recipe:

Bomb Ass Blueberry Muffins
makes 9

1 c. organic whole wheat flour ($.23 Whole Foods of course)

1/2 c. organic white all purpose flour ($.13)

2/3 c. organic sugar ($.39)

2 t. baking powder ($.08 - please triple check this and don't use baking soda on accident!)

1/2 t. salt (<$.01) (excuse the formatting from here...I'm stuck with a messed up keyboard - trust me it's worse for me than it is for you)

1/3 c. organic homemade applesauce made by ME! ($.30...?)

1/2 c. milk or yogurt (organic - $.19)

1 egg (organic - $.29)

1 cup frozen blueberries (organic - TJs - $1.08)

2 T. organic sugar ($.07) + 1 t. cinnamon ($.06) = topping = ($.13)

Total: $2.83...that's $.31 each...NICE! It only cost us $.30 to make them organic, too. Isn't that great?

1. Preheat oven to 400 and prepare muffin tins by greasing them or putting in muffin cups.


2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.


3. In a measuring cup, measure applesauce and add the egg. Then fill with yogurt or milk to make 1 cup. You should need about 1/2 c. That's how much I needed.


4. Add the applesauce mixture to the dry ingredients and stir slowly until JUST combined. If you over stir muffin batter, you will make your muffins tough. So, stir them as few times as absolutely necessary.


5. Toss the blueberries with the flour. This is done so that they don't sink. This batter is so thick that they won't sink, anyways...but I also do it to keep the blue color from bleeding too much (even though it still will a bit). Toss anything that you plan to put in a muffin in flour first so they don't sink.


6. Fold in the blueberries carefully and spoon the batter into cups.


7. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar or just plain sanding sugar, or nothing, if you'd prefer.
   
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Mine took 25.
   

I hope you like them! Mike, baby Dylan, and I sure do :).

Freezermeal Friday! $5 Organic Red Beans and Broccoli

Good evening, all! This week's Freezermeal Friday is Red Beans with Broccoli. My mom would make this all the time for us when I was younger. It packs quite the nutritional punch, with high fiber beans, broccoli, and whole wheat pasta along with tonssss of anti-oxidants! Nice.

Red Beans with Broccoli

serves 6

5 c. organic red beans (I made mine from dried, if using cans you'd need about 3 - $2.79)
4 c. organic broccoli (on sale $1.99/lb at Whole Foods this week - $1.00 - about 4 c. of florets)
1/2 medium onion, chopped ($.04)
3 cloves chopped garlic ($.06)
2 T. olive oil ($.24)
2 t. dried basil ($.06)
1/2 t. black peper ($.03)
1 T. salt ($.01)
1/2 lb. organic whole wheat penne (Trader Joe's - $.65)

Total: $4.88 or $.81/serving. Not bad, people!

1. Saute garlic, onion, olive oil, basil, and pepper over low heat until onion is translucent.
2. Add beans and sauteed onions, garlic, etc. to a large saucepot and fill with about 10 c. of water (you need enough in there to cook the pasta). It should cover beans by about 3 inches, it depends on the pot you're using!
3. Add salt to the water with the beans, cover, and bring to a boil.
4. When boiling, add the pasta, and cook until just tender.
5. Add broccoli and cook for 5 more minutes.
6. Remove from heat, pour into freezer container, allow to cool to room temperature and freeze.
7. When you're ready to eat it, rinse it with hot water to free it from container, and defrost in a large saucepot over low heat.

scrimpyTips:

- This would be great with white beans, too.

- You could use frozen broccoli, easily, or replace the broccoli with spinach.

- This would be good with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

- You could replace the whole wheat penne with any macaroni you like.

- If yours turns out too watery due to too much water used to cook the pasta, you can take out a cup or two and puree it, then return it to the pot to thicken the dish.

(30...well, 35) Minute Meal Thursday!

Hey all! Cooking while Dylan is awake is always a challenge, so I usually wait until he goes down at 6 to prepare dinner for Mike and me. However, with the time change and the summer coming up, we've been trying to keep him up later, so that we can enjoy him more. This means I'm stuck cooking dinner while he's awake (unless I've prepared it throughout the day, which I sometimes d0). There are tons of meals you can throw together in 30 minutes on a weeknight that are both satisfying and healthy. The following recipe for lentils and rice is a great example of that!

Mike and I eat dinner around 7 or 8 because it's enjoyable to sit and relax once the baby's down. With the baby staying up later, quick meals are great because I can put them together in almost no time at all, and still be eating at a reasonable hour. A little aside: Mike and I started eating later when we started putting Dylan down at 6, but it's turned out to be a great little change to our routing. Eating dinner later causes us to be too full to snack all night, saving us calories and money! Nice.

I found this recipe online, but I think lentils take a little longer to cook than 30 minutes...I guess we'll see...I'll tell you the result after the recipe, because I'm writing this while it cooks. How do I know it will be good? No clue, but I'm sure it will be. Hopefully.

Lentils and Rice

makes 8 servings

1 lb. lentils (organic - $2.39 - WFs)

1 t. salt (<$.01)

1 1/2 c. dry brown rice (organic - $1.20 - WFs)

1 medium onion ($.07)

4 medium carrots, finely chopped, about 2 c. ($.64 - organic)

2 cloves garlic ($.04)

1 1/2 T. olive oil ($.36)

1 t. salt (<$.01)

1 dash black pepper ($.01)

1/4 t. red pepper flakes ($.02)

1 t. dried basil ($.06)

1 T. red wine vinegar ($.06)

1 t. salt for brown rice water ($.01)

Total is $4.88. That's mostly organic and serves 8 people. Lentils are also amazing for you. That's $.61/serving, which is so cheap for an organic meal.

1. You're going to need 2 pots of boiling water. One medium-large one that can accomodate 1 pound of lentils. The other pot can be smaller, it's for the rice.
2. Fill one pot with 10 c. water and the other with 3 c. water 1 t. salt, set both on high.
3. When the water boils, add the lentils to the big pot, and the rice to the small pot.
4. Turn lentils to medium heat and rice to a low heat.
5. Simmer the lentils until tender (about 35 minutes) and the rice until cooked (about 30 minutes).

To make the vegetables:

1. Chop onion, and finely chop carrots and garlic.
2. Add 1 1/2 T. olive oil to pan over medium heat.
3. Let oil heat, and then throw the carrots, garlic, onion, basil, 1 t. salt, dash black pepper, red pepper flakes, and dried basil.
4. Cook until onions are translucent and carrots are tender. Leave a top on if possible, as this keeps the moisture in the vegetables.
5. When lentils and rice are done combine them with the vegetables and add about another 1 t. of salt, or to taste.
6. Serve and enjoy!

This is a great recipe. It's delicious as a vegan or vegetarian main dish or a side dish to meat or fish. We ate it as a main dish with a small spinach salad. Taste before serving and add more salt if necessary.

scrimpyTips:

- This is great for a cold lunch salad.

- This can be made with barley and short pasta.

- Mushrooms would be really great in this. I may buy some and add them in tomorrow.

- This is a good make ahead, just prepare the rice and add premade lentil-vegetable mix.

Sorry this is a 35 minute meal. It's worth the extra time, though! Let me know what you think :).

Whole Foods Pick of the Week!

My Whole Foods Pick of the Week is Arrowhead Mills Flax Seeds. At $2.99/lb, these are quite the nutritional value. A great source of fiber, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids, flax seeds make a welcome addition to baked goods, oatmeal, smoothies, and yogurt. Flax is an amazing thing to add to your diet, and is the most cost effective way I've found to get omega-3s. I'm not too much of a fish eater (I know, I know..."but it's so good for you"...but it's SO expensive! Not exactly in the budget right now, although if anyone in the city needs a sushi date...) so this $2.99 Flax is a great alternative. Between my $4.29/lb walnuts from TJs and my WF $2.99 Flax I'm good to go on omegas!

The nutrients in flax are MUCH better absorbed if the flax is ground (or else it stays a little seed in your belly!) so I always grind mine fresh. You can buy it ground up, but it's best to grind it as you use it...kind of like coffee.

Try it, you'll like it! I love eating it throughout the day, a little sprinkled here and there.

Oh! The baby loves it in his food too! Try mashing a banana up with a tablespoon of flax for a fiber, iron, and omega boost for your baby. Here's a link to the benefits of flax for babies, and some guidelines on its use. You shoudn't give the baby too much, as it can have laxative effects.

And there you have it ladies and gentlemen...My Whole Foods Pick of the Week. Stay tuned for more Whole Foods best buys!

-Add them to muffin batters, breads, and cookies

-Sprinkle by the tablespoon full over cereals, oatmeal, and yogurt

-Mix up in a smoothie

-Sprinkle in baby foods

Sausage Skillet Recipe (made with $2.99/lb fresh sale sausage at Whole Foods)

DISCLAIMER: This is a 20 Minute Meal (17, actually!).

As promised, I've written a recipe using the amazing sausage that's on sale at Whole Foods this week (until Tuesday). This can obviously be made with any sausage, but Whole Foods makes their's fresh, and it's just about the most beautiful sausage I've ever seen. I don't even really eat meat, but this stuff is top of the line. I always take sausage out of the casing before cooking with it, and this sausage just has huge chunks of fresh pork in it. It's actually really impressive, and I never even knew that this is what sausage is supposed to look like. Plus, they're huge. They're 6 oz. each, which is the equivalent of two normal sausages.

awesome price

awesome sausage

So, since these are such a steal, I decided to use them in 2 recipes. If you're a sausage person, I would buy a few pounds of these and freeze them. They'd be great on the grill. We chose hot, but they have sweet and herb, as well. These are originally $4.99/lb and are on sale $2.99.

The recipes I've written are Hot and Spicy Sausage Skillet and Sausage, Mushroom, and Bean Meatloaf. I will share the first recipe, but not the second one (meatloaf). The meatloaf was good, but I haven't perfected the recipe yet. The point is, you can buy a pound of these sausages, a pound of mushrooms, and a can (or 1/3 bag dried) of beans and make 2 dinners that serve a bunch of people.

Hot and Spicy Sausage Skillet
serves 5-6 hungry adults

12 oz. spicy sausage (about 2 1/2 c. for those without a scale - 2 links from WFs - $2.24)

1 c. organic red beans ($.55 - TJs)

3 1/2 c. quartered white button mushrooms ($1.50 - Haymarket)

2 T. olive oil ($.24)

2 cloves sliced garlic ($.04)

1 t. salt (<$.01)

1 t. dried parsley ($.06)

1 t. dried basil ($.06)

1 dash black pepper (<$.01)

4 c. organic whole wheat penne ($.85)

Total is $5.50 for a meal that serves at least 5. That's $1.10/person. Not bad.

1. Bring large pot of water to a boil, with 2 T. salt.
2. While that heats up, quarter a 10 oz. package of mushrooms, which will yield about 3 1/2 c. mushrooms. Quartering means cutting into 4 chunks. Not 4 slices. I should've taken a picture of that, sorry. It's like cutting a cross in the top of the mushroom. OK. It's not that difficult. Also, while the water is heating:
   Squeeze the sausage out of the casing into bite sized chunks. Also:
3. Slice 2 cloves of garlic.
4. Add 4 c. penne to boiling water and stir.
5. In a LARGE skillet, over medium high heat, add 2 T. olive oil and let it get hot for a second. Then add in the sausage chunks, salt, parsley, and basil, and brown over medium-high heat until cooked (6 minutes or so).
6. Once cooked, add mushrooms, garlic slices, and beans, along with 2 ladlefulls of pasta water. Let it simmer over medium-high heat while the penne finishes cooking.
7. Once the penne is done, add that to the skillet (about half of the pasta water should've evaporated and cooked the mushrooms) and toss (still over medium-high heat). This helps the pasta absorb the sauce.
8. Serve and enjoy.

scrimpyTips for this recipe:

- You can use chicken or turkey sausage also.

- This would be delicious with some fresh grated cheese on top.

- You can make the sausage topping ahead of time, and then just reheat it with some pasta water. Toss with fresh pasta and you're good to go.

Ten Minute Meal Thursday...ok, like 15 (but that doesn't count the time it takes to boil the water...this is active prep time)

UPDATE: I've added pictures, and changed a couple of things...the cheese was a tiny bit more expensive than I had thought, so I updated the price, and the meal took a little over 10 minutes. That doesn't count the 5 minutes the water takes to boil, though. I'd prep the garlic and tomatoes while the water boils.

Here's the first Ten Minute Meal Thursday Recipe. I'm trying to incorporate a sale item from the area, which would be the organic cherry tomatoes over at Shaw's. Stay tuned next week for another Ten Minute Meal using the $2.99/lb pork sausage at Whole Foods!

Tomato Basil Toss
serves 4

- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes ($2.99 organic on sale @ Shaw's starting 2/27)
- 2 T olive oil ($.24)
- 2 cloves garlic ($.04)
- 1 t. dried basil ($.06)
- 1/2 t. salt (<$.01)

- 1 dash black pepper (<$.01)

- 1 lb. whole wheat or plain spaghetti or linguine (organic whole wheat @ Trader Joe's $1.29)

-1/2 c. grated fresh Romano cheese (I really don't know exactly what this costs, since I haven't bought it in so long, but I'm pretty sure that at TJs it's around $9.00/lb which would make a half cup (which weighs 1.3 oz) cost $.73)

Total: $5.37 for a mostly organic dinner for 4! Not bad.

1. Put on pot of boiling water and salt it well (with, like, more salt than you'd think, about 2 T./pound of pasta).
2. Slice garlic cloves into thin slices and cut tomatoes in half.
3. In a large (preferably nonstick) skillet, heat garlic, oil, basil, salt, and pepper all together at the same time on medium low (if you add garlic to a hot pan it will burn on the outside and stay raw on the inside). You could sprinkle in some red pepper flakes here if you're looking for spice (1/4 t.)
4. Your water should be boiling now, so put in the whole package of pasta.
5. Once garlic is just barely golden, add the tomatoes. Cook for about 3 minutes over medium high heat, or until they start to soften a bit.
6. Ladle out 2 or 3 ladlefulls of pasta water into the skillet and allow that to simmer together on medium until the pasta is done.





7. When the pasta is done, drain it and add it to the skillet (turn off heat), tossing to coat with tomatoes and oil and such. You can add the cheese during this final toss, or add it to each bowl after it's served.

scrimpyTips:

- If you garden in the summer (I'm doing containers on the fire escape!), this is a great go-to meal. It'd be even better with fresh basil from the garden :).
- Reserve some of the pasta water, and if the pasta looks a bit dry try adding another ladlefull of pasta water.
- Taste this before taking it out of the pan, the recipe may under-do the salt. I figure everyone has different taste and you can always add a bit more in the end (however, it's always important to try to season your food to your taste while it's cooking, because salting something while it's cooking brings out and enhances the natural flavors of ingredients, whereas adding salt at the end mostly tastes salty).
- This is delicious leftover and cold, perfect for a microwave free lunch
- You can slice the garlic and tomatoes beforehand and store them separately so they're ready to go when you are
- This is easily made vegan with the omission of the cheese

- Add the cheese in very last, if you add it in while the skillet is hot it gets stringy

The next Thursday meal is going to be a 20 minute meal. I'm going to include the time it takes to make the pasta...10 minute meal is actually a little misleading...

Buying and Using Frozen Fruits and Vegetables

Hi my friends, good morning! It's Thursday, which is good because:

1. The office and 30 rock are on...oh, and Kath and Kim, that's show's OK too (especially the episode where they're obsessed with Winona)
2. Friday is tomorrow
3. If you're in college, you don't have class, and you can go out and get drunk tonight
4. The garbage gets taken out
5. Um, that's it

I wanted to talk to you all about the benefits of using frozen fruit and vegetables. During the winter months here in the Northeast, there is really no way to get a variety of fresh, local, organic vegetables. Sure, there are some things that are at Whole Foods that are from the area, but there isn't much. What's a Bostonian to do? We have 2 options:

1. Pay out the you know what for vegetables and fruits that have been shipped who knows how far (very bad for the environment, and not that good for us, either because the nutrition degrades as they sit and sit)
2. Buy frozen fruits and vegetables (which are a steal no matter what month it is, really...)
   
   I'm going with number 2 and here's why:
   
3. Frozen fruits and vegetables are frozen at the peak of ripeness and then sent to the store. This means that you are getting optimal nutrition and flavor from what you're purchasing.
4. Buying frozen makes it much, much more affordable to buy organic. I get 12 oz. bags of frozen organic wild blueberries for $2.69 at Trader Joe's. Buying that many fresh organic during the winter would easily cost 3 times as much.
   
5. Frozen fruits and veggies don't go bad as quickly as fresh, meaning you can keep them on hand longer and stock up on them when they go on sale. They will get freezer burn, though, so try to use them within a month or two of purchase.
6. Frozen vegetables are great for a quick meal in a pinch.

Here's some ideas for using frozen veggies:

• You can throw a medley in a pan and have a delicious stir fry (I'll share my recipe with you) in no time at all. Throw atop some whole wheat spaghetti or soba, and you have quick, easy, and CHEAP organic noodle bowls. Trader Joe's also carries Thai rice sticks for $1.99. SO GOOD.
• You can also just throw a whole bag in a steamer and have an instant side dish to make sandwiches into a dinner.
• I'll buy a corn, pea, carrot medley and use it in pot pie filling. I just saute onions, garlic, oil, and spices, then add flour and milk to create a white sauce. Dump in the frozen veggies, and voila! Veggie pot pie filling.
• You can also toss bags of frozen vegetables into soups and stews
• They are great for making baby food. I toss a12 oz bag of organic365 WF sweet peas ($1.99) in my steamer and have more than a week of peas for Dylan after tossing them in the food processor. You'd pay over a dollar for one small jar of organic pea baby food.

Ideas for using frozen fruit:

• You can easily make peach, blueberry, or strawberry pies using bags of frozen fruit (so much cheaper than fresh!)
• Toss them in the blender or magic bullet or vitamix (these things sound awesome...I want a vitamix!) with some soymilk and water for a delicious smoothie.
• Toss frozen blueberries in pancake mix and muffins.
• Snack on frozen cherries, berries, or mango chunks. This is great for those on a diet, because they're frozen and take a while to eat, and you can have a huge cup for under 90 calories.
• Cook with sugar and make toppings for pancakes, cakes, and ice cream.

When using frozen fruits and vegetables, the possibilities are endless. I hope I've motivated you to use your imagination and see what you can come up with. It'll save you a ton of money, and hopefully get you eating more organic fruits and veggies!

What's your favorite thing to do with frozen fruits and veggies?

Shaws Sales 2/27-3/5

Hey guys,
I just figured I'd peek at Shaw's to see what's good on sale. If you live in this part of town (Back Bay, South End, Mission Hill even) I'd recommend dividing your shopping up between Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and Shaw's. Whole Foods generally has better prices on organic and natural stuff, but Shaw's has some good sales on "normal" things. Trader Joe's doesn't carry everything you need, so you need to supplement. The great sales are in RED and the OK sales are in black. These prices start tomorrow. I didn't want to write a whole post on sales that are done today, you know?

Crest toothpaste 2/$5.00

Um, Shaw's Huge PAIL of ice cream is $5.99. If you're a big ice cream eater (or frequently have the munchies), this one's for you. That's a great deal on ice cream.

Breyers Ice Cream is buy one get one free. Since I don't know how much they cost, I'm not sure if it's a better deal than "THE PAIL".

Bumblebee Tuna Solid White Albacore 4/$5. $1.25/can. Not bad, it's usually about $2.00. Just go easy on it, because of the mercury. The Chunk Light is on sale 10/$10 if you prefer that kind.

Smucker's Jelly $2.99. That's a good price. I love me some Smucker's.


Healthy Choice Frozen Entrees 5/$10. That's a really good deal, and although I'm a strong advocate of making and bringing your own fresh lunch...and these have some crap in them...Full disclosure here

Boticelli Olive Oil $9.99. OK, here's the deal with this one. It says sizes range from 68 oz. - 102 oz. I'm assuming the Extra Virgin will be the most expensive, and this the smallest. The best price around for Extra Virgin Olive Oil is $7.49-$7.99 at TJs and WFs, respectively (which is $.22-$.24/oz). This comes out to be $.15/oz. This is a great deal. I'm going to take advantage of this one, because I feel like I'm buying olive oil at the beginning of every month. What I'll do, though, is save my old bottle and decant from the huge bottle into my more manageable bottle and keep the big thing of oil in the cabinet. Make sure you get the extra virgin.

Skippy PB 2/$4. I know it's not the all natural kind but I just love it...It's great for cheap sandwiches for lunches. They do, however go on sale 3/$5 at CVS.

Poland Spring gallons 10/$10 That's a great deal.

ok. so I'm at an impasse. A few of these items that are on sale really should be bought organic. There are high pesticide residue foods from the dirty dozen. That being said, it's better you eat conventional lettuce than no lettuce at all, so here are some really great deals on conventional produce:

Fresh Express salad blends or baby blends are buy one get one free (Go with the baby blends, and aim to at least have some romaine in there. Try to stay away from iceberg (no nutrition)...but, if you love it, try mixing it half and half with a baby blend ;D).

Shaw's Apples 3lb bags 2/$4. That means you're getting 6 lbs of apples for $4 which means you're paying $.67/lb. You could also just but 1/$2. If you have trouble using up all those apples, you can cut them and freeze them and use them in muffins and pies. I'll write a post about freezing fruit soon.

ORGANICS:

Potatoes 5 lb. bag/$4.99: great deal...potatoes are on the dirty dozen list, so you should buy them organic

Organic frozen fruit 25% off

Organic frozen veggies 2/$3

Broccoli Crowns $3.49/lb. Not a great deal. Last week or the week before I think they were on sale at Whole Foods...which is generally where you're going to find the best prices on organics.

Cherry Tomato Pint $2.99 This is an OK deal. These are great tossed with pasta. I'll write a recipe for you for that.

Whole Foods Product of the Week

I think that I will start posting a few of my favorite Whole Foods deals. I used to be totally against Whole Foods. I thought it was such a waste of money to shop there, and thought that everything there was ridiculously over priced. However, with a little investigation, I've found that there are several (countless - really) products that are an incredible value.


Whole Foods has a great website that highlights their services. My favorite feature is that you can call up at 617-723-0004 and ask for Serena Hsu and schedule your own tour of the store. They also have pre scheduled trips through the store to highlight certain values. I'm sure they go through the baking aisle and show you how cheap the flour is.


Anyways, the store is full of overpriced goods, but is also full of healthy values. (And if you can afford the nice expensive stuff - you can be sure it's preservative free).


My pick of the week is the organic 5 lb. carrot bag for (drumroll please) $3.99. Uses for these bad boys include:

- making fresh carrot sticks. This is a place where you can avoid a processing step and do it yourself, thus saving money. In the beginning of the week, I cut up an entire container of sticks. To save even more time, you could put them in individual containers or baggies (you're better off reusing a glass container to avoid throwing away all the plastic bags) and just grab and go throughout the week. I use them in Mike's lunches and we snack on them before dinner. They're so healthy and they really fill you up and curb your appetite before dinner.

- making baby food. Dylan goes crazy and loves him some carrots. I take aforementioned sticks and chop them up, but them in my steamer pot and steam until softened. I then pop them in the magic bullet (you can use the food processor or even the blender - but have fun cleaning the blender...I hate cleaning the blender) and voila! Baby food, fresh and organic. Just a note about making your own carrots...there is some concern over making your own carrots for baby food dur to nitrate content. To avoid this and make your own carrots safely, don't worry, just don't add the steaming liquid to make the puree, add fresh water...and use organic carrots, of course. I think all baby food should be made with organic food because babies' little bodies are much more sensitive to all the pesticides.

- roasted as a side dish or vegetarian main dish. Just drizzle them with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper (and dried parsley, or oregano, or garlic powder) and roast in the oven at 350 until golden on top. These can be made into a vegetarian main dish by adding brown rice or quinoa and a salad.

- it's always great to have carrots around to make a soup. You just add celery and onion, and you have your own little base for a soup (more on that this week).

- they're just great to snack, snack, snack on! When reheating leftover soup, I sometimes throw some fresh carrots in so that they are nice and crisp in the soup (when you reheat soup, the original carrots can be pretty soft).


These carrots are one of the most affordable organic options at Whole Foods, and one of the most versatile vegetables I use. I buy a bag a week and enjoy every single carrot. Go buy a bag and let me know how you use them up!

(By the way, Mike just told me I was going "blog wild"...that's a good one).

Organic and conventional can coexist!

While writing my CVS sale circular post I realized that this blog may contradict itself a bit. While I enjoy doing things as naturally and green as possible, I also understand that not everyone can afford to do that. That is why I will alert my readers when something goes on a great sale, green or not. Because of this, I feel like my blog doesn't fall into the "green" category, which sucks, because I don't think being green is an all or nothing endeavor. Furthermore, I think that people living a completely "green" lifestyle often scare everyday people away, because people think you have to transform your whole way of life. I try to strike a perfect balance between natural and cheap. Usually the two can coexist peacefully with a little work, but occassionally, I'm making the non-organic tuna noodle casserole with the Campbell's soup, ok? Even a little arsenic won't kill you, so I'm assuming that my family will be okay.

More of my life would be greened had it not been for me stocking up on amazing sales, but for now, I have plenty of laundry soap left and I'm not just going to throw it out to buy some environmentally friendly product. What I will do, however, is buy a different brand (or make my own) once that runs out. I just did the same thing with my $.99 Palmolive dish soap. I waited until all the soap I had ran out, and then went to Whole Foods and purchased a Method product (there's a cheaper one there for $3.39 for 25 oz.). I purchased the Method because I had a coupon from this season's Whole Foods circular and it came to a total of $3.49. I paid the extra $.10 because the Method one had a vitamin E type of thing in it to hopefully help my hands (even though I'm not such a believer in that kind of stuff).

I also encourage buying everything you can possibly afford organic, but for us it's just not 100% possible. However, I am working towards that goal every shopping trip. In fact, last week, I had my first entirely organic shopping trip. I spend a total of $32.23 (actually it was $29.23, I had a $5 coupon from my neighbor...so I added that because I know you don't have that coupon) and got:

- A gallon of organic whole milk (for yogurt making - costs half the price of buying organic yogurt) ($5.99)
- 2 half gallons of organic 365 soy milk (one vanilla and one plain) ($3.39 each)
- one pound of organic 265 black beans ($1.99)
- one 12 oz. bag of frozen organic 365 spinach ($2.19)
- one dozen organic eggs (used my coupon from the circular to save $1) ($3.49)
- 24 oz bag of organic pacific rim blend coffee (lasts us about 2 1/2 weeks - we DRINK coffee...a lot of it - this would probably last someone normal a month) ($9.99)

So, I walk home from the store - spring in my step - feeling pretty good about myself. I get home, and what do I realize? THE MILK ISN'T ORGANIC. It's plain Garelick (antibiotic and hormone free at least) and it was a DOLLAR more expensive than it is downstairs at CVS (to add insult to injury). Anyways, I amended my list for you to reflect what the price WOULD have been had I not been an IDIOT. What makes this even worse is that last week, Mike (my fiance) left our SIX DOLLAR GALLON OF MILK in the stroller and forgot about it. I still made yogurt out of it when I found it the next day because I couldn't stand to waste it, and it didn't make me sick, but it also didn't make me look forward to eating that yogurt. Ehh...

My point is that I'm not judging you! Buy what you can organic, and make the rest of your food from scratch with fresh ingredients when you can. Either way, eating carrots (organic or not) is better than eating baked Lay's. Fact.

When a deal is too good to pass up, I will let you guys know, and if you're already using a more natural, green product, and you can afford it, than of course that's always best. But since I created this blog to help all of us living on a tiny budget, I think it's important that everyone be aware of the sales going on! I know not everyone can afford to be totally green, all we can do is our best, right?

The good news is that since we've made the switch to more organic grocery shopping, I've noticed a change in our consumption. First of all, we buy less because it's more expensive. Second of all, because we buy less, we usually wind up using it all, and not letting any go to waste. When I would spend $20 on conventional produce, you could be sure I'd waste about $5-$7 of it, but when I spend $15 on organics I am sure to use them all. This has caused our grocery bills to remain close to where they were before we purchased anything organic.

And, overall, when I dread paying organic prices, I think of what I am actually paying for. I'm paying for food that has not been genetically modified, that has not been sprayed with poisons, that tastes better, and that is healthier and more nutritious for me, my family, and the earth. That helps, too.

Putting the Creme in those Puffs!

So, I've shared with you how to make the actual puff. Now, I need to fill you in on how to fill them in...ha!

Vanilla Pastry Creme (Creme Patisserie)

makes about 2 cups (I just feel like this book overestimates the yield...I don't think I got 2 cups from this...)

1/3 c. sugar ($.10)
2 T. all purpose flour ($.02)
2 T. cornstarch ($.13)
4 large egg yolks ($1.16 - organic)
1 1/3 c. milk ($.48 - organic)
3/4 t. vanilla extract ($.13)

1. Pour milk in a small saucepan and bring milk to a simmer.
2. Meanwhile, beat sugar, flour, cornstarch, and egg yolks on high speed until thick and pale yellow (about 2 minutes). It's crazy, it seems like it's all dry ingredients, and then it's a pale yellow cream.
3. Gradually pour about 1/3 of the milk into the egg yolk mixture, whisking to combine. Scrape egg mixture with milk back into saucepan with the rest of the milk. Whisk constantly and scrape the bottom and corners to prevent scorching.
   
4. Keep whisking until the custard is thickened (only a few minutes - happens way faster than you expect) and beginning to bubble. Then continue to cook and whisk for 45 to 60 seconds. Using a clean spatula (without raw egg yolks on it) scrape custard into a bowl.
5. Stir in vanilla extract.
6. Cover surface of custard with plastic wrap (to prevent a skin from forming) and allow it to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate before using.

Total: $2.02 (and that's with organic milk and eggs...not bad!)

To fill creme puffs with the creme (I like spelling it "creme" better than "cream"...it's like, dainty and sounds more sophisticated and fancy):

Fill a pastry bag with creme and pipe in to puffs. If you don't have a pastry bag, put the creme in a ziploc bag and snip the tip off (be careful not to make the whole too big) and pipe it in to puff through the steam hole you created.

I like to top the puffs with confectioner's sugar...ha, like I make these everyday. What I should say is the one time I made them, I put confectioners sugar in a strainer and tapped it over the puffs. It created a beautiful, snowy effect, and a delicious mouth feel!

scrimpyTips:

- This keeps in the fridge for 2 days.
- Make sure you whisk well, because the eggs can cook and leave it lumpy and gross.
- This is the first time I had ever made it and it came out perfect, so it's easier than it seems.
- Even though it's more expensive than the plain whipped cream (recipe follows), it's so much better and is really what you're supposed to fill the creme puffs with. **The whipped cream actually turns out to be more expensive if you don't have a use for the rest of the heavy cream, because then you've spent $3 and only used $1.50 worth. Therefore, it's not really cheaper if you're not using up the rest of the cream.**
- Another option is to fill with ice cream, and since it was on sale for $3.50 at CVS, that was an option, but the pastry creme really turned out cheaper!


You can go for plain vanilla whipped cream. This is as easy as it gets, but if you're using this I would advise cutting the puffs in half and spooning the cream in and placing the top on. This cream isn't "stabilized" it can weep or deflate...and you don't want that. Here's the recipe:

Sweetened Whipped Cream
(also from The Joy of Cooking...can you tell I'm scared I'll get in trouble from using recipes from someone's book?)

makes 2 - 2 1/2 cups

1 c. cold heavy cream ($1.50)
2 T. confectioners sugar...or to taste (anywhere from 1T-4T) ($.10)
1/2 t. vanilla ($.09)


Total: $1.69

In a chilled bowl with chilled beaters, at med-high to high speed beat the cream until thickened. Add sugar and vanilla and beat to desired consistency. It gets too thick quickly. Ideally you stop when it's the consistency of cool whip. If you beat it until it's very stiff, it gets reallllly rich. So if that's what you're going for, keep on beating, but if you want a soft dollop, don't overdo it.

scrimpyTip:
- You can use this the same way you'd use whipped cream, and it's cheaper than most store bought varieties.


All said and done, the creme puffs cost $4.06. This makes from 15-30 puffs, so that's an average of $.23/puff. I want to go to the bakery and see what they cost each there. But I bet it's at least $1.25 each.

Bananaberry Blasts

This is a great smoothie recipe that uses 3 ingredients. It's full of anti-oxidants from the soy milk and blueberries, comes together in a flash, and looks very cool, too (it's Blueish-Purpleish).

- 3/4 c. TJs organic frozen wild blueberries ($1.35)
- 2 organic bananas - Haymarket ($.22)
- 1 1/2 c. organic soy milk ($.63)
- 1 1/2 c. water

1. Blend all ingredients until smooth.
2. Serve with a straw

scrimpyTips:

- If you have a magic bullet, you can just do this in 3 batches. Add 1/4 c. blueberries, about 1/2 a banana, 1/2 c. soy milk, and 1/2 c. water and blend. The magic bullet is great for smoothies.

Organic for every man!

If you can afford to, buying every, single, thing organic is ideal. But for most of us on a budget, that is not in any way a possibility. Shopping on a shoe-string doesn’t mean you can’t purchase high-quality organic produce. I’ve taken the time to do some research and what I’ve come up with is this:

· There are 12 fruits and vegetables that we should all aim to buy organically. These are considered the dirty dozen. The good news is, however, that I have some tips on how to purchase these foods without breaking the bank.
· If possible, buy frozen. These vegetables are frozen right at the peak of their ripeness, and are as nutritious as fresh (sometimes even more so, since they haven't been on a plane from Ecua-cali-venez-ico). Whole Foods offers amazing value in their 365 brand of frozen vegetables, as does Trader Joe's.
· Fruits with thick skins and peels can be bought conventionally grown. Which is great for us here in Boston. I go over to Haymarket and purchase beautiful navel oranges (don't be put off if they're not as NEON orange as you're used to...Sunkist and other brands actually dye them) for 4/$1.00. This way, I can eat oranges all week long for $3.

scrimpyTips for buying "dirty dozen" produce:

Peaches: available frozen organic at WF.
Apples: WF usually has a variety on sale at least twice a month for $1.29-$1.49/lb. I buy a few lbs. of whatever is on sale, and chop and freeze what I don't use.
Sweet Bell Peppers: WF stocks organic frozen versions of these, but they don't really replace fresh. You're better off buying these in season at the store fresh, and they will be a little pricey, sorry.
Celery: Celery is already so cheap that buying it organic will cost you about twice as much, but that's still not even a lot. However, TJs has a *much* better price for it than WF.
Nectarines: I'd just sub. frozen peaches since I haven't seen frozen nectarines.
Strawberries: Great price on these frozen @ TJs, $2.29 for a 12 oz. bag.
Cherries: I would suggest buying in season and saving these for a special occasion.
Pears: Shop WF for occassional sales.
Grapes: Buy organic raisins @ TJs for the antioxidants ($2.39/1 lb bag). Otherwise, buy them on sale and in season fresh.
Spinach: Buy @ TJ (cheaper) or WF organic frozen ($2.19). Works just as well in pretty much all recipes except for salads. Make sure to drain it before use.
Lettuce: TJs has 3-pk organic romaine hearts for a great deal - $2.79.
Potatoes: Again, TJs leads the race with a 4lb organic yukon gold bag for $3.99

So, there you have it. My recommendations for eating the "dirty dozen" on a budget. As far as I'm concerned, these should be bought organic no matter how much money you allow for your grocery budget. When you buy frozen, they can be very affordable.

As for everything else going forward, I try to purchase and use organic. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't. So bear with me. Everything I give the baby is organic, most of the stuff I give myself is, too ;).