budgetsmartgirl

Archive for June, 2011|Monthly archive page

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Mini Newsletter and another recipe

In Budget Smart Cook on June 30, 2011 at 5:42 pm

It’s been another busy week so thought as it’s leading up to a holiday weekend I’d combine this week’s recipe and article together. This time it’s sites and information I’ve had stored and bookmarked but never seem to find room in the newsletters to share it with you.

New Items at Target

A PR company sent with some information about the new products Target is offering called Kitchen Basics with Giada De Laurentiis. It’s a selection of items like Basil Pesto and Herb and Lemon Dipping Oil, these two items cost just $2.99 and sound perfect for summer grilling season. I haven’t tried them yet but I’m guessing they’ll make great gifts for the holidays too.

Water Savers

I’ve been installing new sod in the garden which means extra watering. Here’s a site offering tips on how to save on water inside and outside the house.

http://www.americanwater.com/49ways.php

One Stop Shopping

I found this site which has some links to deals, coupons, you name it-

http://www.shopathome.com/?IAFCG=joBkonRy2AgHqCJslve/vQ==

Sites for Coupons

Food prices are still on the rise which means coupons are a necessity when you head to the store. Here are some sites I found with lots of coupons and links to more.

http://www.bargainist.com/

http://www.couponalbum.com/new-coupons.htm

https://www.pgesaver.com/

Crazy Coupon Lady

Just the other day someone asked me if I’d heard about the Crazy Coupon Lady. I know the media’s been focusing on people who go to extremes with coupons and thought this might be another  one of those stories but it’s actually a wonderful site you should check out  (crazy is spelled with a K). I now have it bookmarked and intend to visit daily.

http://thekrazycouponlady.com/

Perfect Cookies

One of my guilty pleasures is chocolate chip cookies and I found this today, no more excuses for making mediocre ones.

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/10-tips-for-making-a-perfect-chocolate-chip-cookie-2502485/

Starting a Business?

I know lots of people are opting to start business when they lose their jobs and one hurdle is getting a loan. One requirement you need is a great business plan to show a bank or lender. This site has lots of resources for helping you put one together.

http://www.bplans.com/

Best Cleaning Products

I found this article yesterday on the Web. Nice to see some bargain priced items made the list-

http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/634/the-best-cleaning-products/

This Week’s Recipe- Parmesan and Blue Cheese Risotto Stuffed Tomatoes

I made this recipe for the first time last year. A couple of weeks ago I found some oversized tomatoes and decided to make it again. Once again it’s a recipe you can make using items sitting in the pantry, in this case rice, cheese, onions, stock. The blue cheese gives this dish a nice flavor and you can serve it as a main dish or with fish or chicken. If you serve it on its own I suggest pairing it with some Italian bread. Serves 4

8 medium tomatoes or 4 large ones

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup Arborio rice

2 cups boiling chicken stock

1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese

1/4 cup of crumbled blue cheese

Salt and pepper

more parmesan cheese and some breadcrumbs for topping

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray. Cut the tops off the tomatoes and remove seeds and core. Put the tomatoes into the baking dish.

Heat butter in a skillet and saute chopped onion. Add the rice and stir together. Slowly add the stock…about 1/2 cup at a time until it evaporates and then add the next 1/2 cup.

Cook and stir until rice is tender…about 15 minutes. Stir in cheeses and salt and pepper make sure everything is melted.  Put the rice mixture into each tomato and dust with some more cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake for about 20-25 minutes.

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The Blog-Create Your Own Sandwich

In The Blog on June 27, 2011 at 9:48 pm

I love to cook and create my own recipes and I noticed this contest sponsored by Mezzetta where creating your own sandwich recipe could net you $25,000. Here’s the link if you want to enter www.makethatsandwich.com.

 Even if you don’t check out some of the recipes on the site. Some great ideas for meals during hot summer days.

Some articles I found interesting on the Web this week-

Five Money Rules to Break-

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/5-money-rules-meant-broken-creditcards-2778398742.html?x=0

Dollar Store Beauty Finds-

http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/629/how-to-score-amazing-dollar-store-beauty-steals/

Great Summer Clothes for under $50

http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/625/15-styles-under-50-well-be-wearing-all-summer-long/

Money related…sort of, and an interesting read-

http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/113018/job-juggles-tightrope-nytimes

This week on Budget Smart Girl-Another recipe to try and some odds and ends of things I haven’t been able to fit into the newsletters.

Have a good week and a safe and happy Fourth of July.

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Recipe…sort of…Chicken Parmigiana

In Budget Smart Cook on June 24, 2011 at 2:29 pm

This week I thought I’d share one of my favorite desperation dinners with you. For those of you who run your own business or freelance, you know most days are spent marketing trying to bring in more work. Wednesday was that day for me. Most of the afternoon I tackled the task of sending out pitch ideas to editors and before I knew it, yep, it was dinnertime. I hate to even call this a recipe because it’s so easy to put together. One of my favorite treats at a local Italian restaurant is their eggplant parmigiana but it’s sometimes too time consuming for me to make at home, so this is the next best thing.

I used meatless patties but you can also use real chicken patties too. It serves 4 and is great paired with a salad and some ice cream for dessert.

1 package Boca ‘chick’in’ meatless patties

Half a 13.5 ounce box of spaghetti

1 14 ounce jar of spaghetti sauce

4 slices of sharp cheddar cheese

Chopped basil and Parmesan cheese as a topping.

Cook the spaghetti, toss with the sauce. Cook the patties and then place a slice of cheese on top of each one and broil or microwave until melted. Pour the spaghetti into a large serving bowl and top with the patties and then sprinkle with basil and more Parmesan cheese.

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Ways to Squeeze Organic and Natural Products into Your Budget

In Budget Smart Cook on June 22, 2011 at 6:09 pm

I have to admit I’m sold on organic products. They’re not as expensive as they once were but still can take a bit out your budget. However, I have found some ways to buy organic for less than you’d think-

Grow Your Own, Farmer’s Markets etc.

You’ve heard me say it many times but an easy way to eat organic foods is to grow your own. Another idea is to head to the local farmer’s market. They’re the best places to strike a deal if you buy in bulk and split the items with friends. And now that growing season is in full swing another option is to head to a farm where you can save money by picking your own produce.

Store Brands

 

One thing lots of people over look and that’s store brands. It’s a great way to afford all sorts of organic foods, like peanut butter and pizza and best of all the perfect way to buy organic veggies. Both of these bags of vegetables cost less than $1.90. I couldn’t buy that amount of food in the produce department for that small amount.

Warehouse Stores

I no longer have a membership to a warehouse store and I sometimes think it’s worth the cost just for all the organic foods I could buy there. Things like orange juice, field greens, cereal and cheese. See if you can tag along with someone with a membership. If you do buy organic produce in bulk either freeze it, use it quickly or share it with someone else because it tends to spoil faster. If you end up throwing it away it’s not a bargain.

Trader Joe’s

For those of you who’ve been reading Budget Smart Girl for years, you know how much I love a trip to Trader Joe’s. I always find lots of organic goodies there, great prices and even things like this shampoo which was $3.98. www.traderjoes.com Their Web site is fun too!

Online

I’ve found another way to buy organics on a budget is online. One place I always mention is http://www.vitacost.com/. If you type in organic food in a Google search you’ll probably find a whole bunch of other sites too.

Co-ops

I know prices at co-ops have been moving up rapidly too but I usually find bargains if I buy items in bags, like apples, pears and kiwis.

Bulk Bins

And you know another one of my favorite places to shop is in the bulk bin section of the supermarket. I buy everything from organic oatmeal to dried fruit there and at a fraction of the cost of prepackaged items.

What’s Important To You?

Like all things related to your budget, one way to afford what you really want is to know what’s important to you. For example, maybe you can cut back on soda and put the money toward some organic fruit or veggies.

Don’t Be Fooled By Imitations

One thing I’ve learned over the years (and as lots of companies have jumped on the natural bandwagon) is to check labels. Something might say natural or organic and still contain other non-natural or non-organic ingredients so don’t waste your money.

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The Blog-Saving the Foods of Summer

In Uncategorized on June 20, 2011 at 7:10 pm

One item on my list of things to do this summer is buy extra produce and can or preserve it. Last week while I was shopping I found something to give me a gentle reminder, a book/magazine titled Canning and Preserving. Here’s a link if you want to check it out http://www.hobbyfarms.com/popular-kitchen-series/canning-preserving.aspx

It costs $10.99 and if you’re new to canning or all the other methods of perserving foods (even if you’re not), it’s a great resource. After browsing through it I got the incentive to dry four pounds of strawberries and three pounds of nectarines which I hope to enjoy during winter. Next up for me, making strawberry and raspberry jams.

I’m planning to expand Budget Smart Girl this fall and one way I hoping to do that is to invite experts to offer advice. People who will blog or write an article at least once a month. I’m teaching three writing workshops this fall so I hope they can write something for the blog on the weeks when I’m busy.

I’m in the process of trying to find these people and thought I’d put the call out to you first. If  you know someone who’s an expert  in any of the following areas, fashion, make-up, couponing, decorating, feel free to have them contact me. As the site and blog doesn’t make any money, sorry to say it would have to be done on a volunteer basis but in return they’d get a link to their own site and buy link to any book they’ve authored.

This week on Budget Smart Girl-how you can afford organic and natural products on a budget and another recipe to try.

Have a good week.

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Recipe-Carmelized Onion, Cheese and Bacon Quiche

In Budget Smart Cook on June 17, 2011 at 5:13 pm

Here’s a recipe I created just this week from items I had in the fridge and freezer. A package of pie crusts that had been in the freezer since the holidays when I stocked up while they were on sale. Carmelized onions that I’d made from the five pound bag of Vadilla onions I bought a few weeks ago. The sweetness of the onions, the bite of the sharp cheese, plus the smokiness of the bacon combines together for a quick meal that’s easy on the budget too. It serves 4-6 and is ideal with a tossed green salad

1 ready made pie crust

4 eggs

1 cup milk (you can also use half and half too)

1/2 cup carmelized onions

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup chopped bacon bits ( I used jar bacon pieces for this)

Good pinch of salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and roll out the pie crust into a quiche pan or dish. Cook for about ten minutes and then let cool while you assemble the quiche.

Beat the eggs, add the milk, stir together and then add the onions, cheese, bacon and salt and pepper and make sure everything is well blended. Pour on top of the pastry and cook for about 25-30 minutes or until the center of the quiche is set.

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Ten Sites Offering Freebies

In Budget Smart Girl's Guide on June 15, 2011 at 7:37 pm

They say there’s no such thing as a free lunch but I’ve found these ten sites offering things just about anyone can use-

Weight Loss

If you’re trying to get in shape this summer and don’t have the money to join a weight loss program check out this site www.sparkpeople.com

In Case the Computer Crashes

It’s a nightmare when it happens and if you lose everything on your computer this site lets you back up all your work www.dropbox.com

Just Where Did I Put That?

Don’t know about you but I forget something each and every day and this site acts like your social secretary www.evernote.com

Take a Class

I only wish I had the funds to take more classes but this site gives you lots of suggestions on where to find free courses http://education-portal.com/article_directory/Free_Online_Courses_and_Education.html

Background Music

I always have music playing no matter where I’m at and this site let’s you pick and choose what you want to listen to www.pandora.com

Feeling Crafty

I know lots of you are crafters and this site offers lots of free stuff and advice www.freecraftfair.com

Growing Your Own Food

I found this site just the other day and if you’re not sure about when to plant things, visit this one www.sproutrobot.com

Free Greetings

You’ve seen the free greeting card sites, this one is takes it one step further www.animoto.com

Music to Exercise To

Can’t find suitable music to run or exercise to, then check out www.jog.fm.

Freebies

And finally, I stumbled upon this site http://www.heyitsfree.com/ the name says it all.

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The Blog-Save Those Receipts and Don’t Be Bashful

In The Blog on June 13, 2011 at 5:41 pm

When it comes to watching your pennies and getting value for your money, I couldn’t have wished for a better mentor than my late father. If he’d bought something that had a defect or didn’t live up to the hype, he had no problem returning it or phoning the company to tell them how disappointed he was with their product.  I’d often think if only I could be more like that. These days with things costing more I think it’s a necessary skill and one I put to use at the weekend.

On Friday evening I bought five rolls of sod for the front yard. Yes, I should have unrolled them and checked them out but I was tired, in a hurry and wanted to install them first thing on Saturday morning.  When it came time to do just that I noticed the first two rolls were brown and most of the grass dead. The other three rolls weren’t that great but I knew with some TLC I could coax them back to health. I’d kept my receipt and decided to phone the store to tell them about the problem. At first I thought I’d just take the two dead rolls back and ask for an exchange but after thinking about my trouble for doing that plus the fact that the other three rolls weren’t that great, I decided to be like my dad. I asked if I could bring back the two and if they’d give me an extra three rolls for my trouble. Yes, I had to speak to a couple of people to get them to agree but they finally said yes.  Lesson learned here, check the merchandise before you buy it because obviously stores aren’t doing it these days.

I just got assigned an article about free things we writers can use to help stretch our budgets. It got me thinking and for this week’s article I’m going looking for freebies just about anyone can use. Plus, another recipe.

Some articles of interest-

Even the well-to-do are looking for watching their pennies now-

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/2011-06-09-value-mania_n.htm

Best drugstore mascaras-

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/beauty/the-best-drugstore-mascaras-2493740/#photoViewer=1

Don’t waste money on your car-

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/112858/car-maintenance-overspending-moneywatch?mod=family-autos

Make Your Own Detergents

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/112897/make-simple-cheap-detergents-moneytalks

Have a good week.

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Recipe-Gazpacho (with grilled shrimp)

In Budget Smart Cook on June 10, 2011 at 2:47 pm

I started making this soup many years ago and I’ve gradually changed it to suit my own taste. Many recipes for this soup say you should add bread but I’ve found this one works just as well without.  I know lots of people don’t like the thought of a cold soup but this one is very refreshing on a hot summer’s day. The great thing is you get s good supply of vegetables and by adding items like tortilla chips and grilled shimp, you can turn it into a meal. It also relies on items that are in abundance and therefore lower in price during the summer months.

The original recipe used tomato juice but I switched to vegetable juice for even more flavor and nutrition.

Serve it in ice cold bowls that you’ve placed in the freezer for about ten minutes before serving. Some people also like to serve it on a bowl of ice to keep it cool while you’re eating it. This recipe serves 6 and it’s great with with sour cream and chopped avocado too.

4 cups vegetable juice

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 clove of garlic, chopped

1 medium cucumber, peeled and finely chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped onion (Vidalia onions are perfect for this)

1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper

Dash of hot sauce or pepper (optional)

Combine vegetable juice, oil, vinegar and garlic in a blender. Blend until all ingredients are mixed then pour into a large glass bowl and stir in vegetables and chill at least two hours before serving.

One nice addition is grilled shrimp, about four large shrimp per serving. Also, I’ve sometimes add warmed tortilla chips to which I’ve added a dusting of chili powder to them as they come out of the oven.

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Staying Cool in the Kitchen

In Budget Smart Cook on June 8, 2011 at 5:37 pm

You’ve heard the  saying if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen? I think I know how this one got started. So far this week we’ve broken two records for high temperatures. Yesterday was officially 102 degrees with some energy sapping humidity thrown in there too. I love cooking, but on these types of days, the kitchen is the last place I want to be. It’s very tempting to just head to the nearest restaurant, but there are ways to stay cool and still enjoy a great meal in your own home. The best thing about trying to stay cool is you often save money too.

Select Your Appliances

One obvious way to keep the heat out of the kitchen is to use an outside grill. The only problem is if it’s that hot, do you really want to be outside standing next to a super hot grill? A few years ago I invested in a tabletop style electric grill. It doesn’t take long to heat up and cooks just about everything in less than 15 minutes. Another appliance I really like is an electric steamer. Mine has three different containers you can pile on top of one another so everything can be cooked in one shot. It even has a special container for steaming rice. If you don’t have, or don’t want to invest in an electric steamer, there are some that go directly onto your stove top inside a saucepan and only cost around $5 and you can buy them at the supermarket. And let’s not forget the slow cooker. I know most of us associate it with cold weather meals, but it makes sense to use it during the hottest days of summer. And should you have an outside electrical outlet on your deck or patio, you can keep even more heat out of the kitchen by using these appliances outside.

The Brown Bag Supper

Sandwiches aren’t just for lunch these days. They make an ideal meal for a hot summer evening. Serve them with a fruit salad or fruit kabobs, or even a refreshing fruit smoothie. And if you like the sandwich/soup combo, soups don’t have to be hot. There are lots of great tasting cold soups like gazpacho that can really round out the meal.(this week’s recipe).

Salads and Platters

Salads are one of my favorite meals during the summer. Start with the basics, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers and then you can add some protein like chicken, fish, cheese, and garbanzo beans. Here are two sites I like- http://www.cooks.com/rec/ch/salads.html

http://whatscookingamerica.net/Salads.htm

Pick Quick Cooking Items

One food I like to keep on hand is couscous. You just boil the water for about five minutes, add the couscous, take it off the heat and let it stand for a couple of minutes. You’ve now got yourself a great side dish that goes with just about everything. You can buy boxes of seasoned couscous too. Some of my favorites are garlic and herbs, and curry.

Be a Sensible Cook

If you are brave enough to do some serious cooking during hot weather, cut things like vegetables into smaller and evenly sized pieces to speed up the cooking process. Stick with quick cooking proteins like fish. And defrost everything thoroughly before you cook it, and make sure you cover all the pans you use.

Keep Your Eye on the Weather

No matter what the season, it always pays to plan ahead. In the summer listen to the long-range weather forecast. If I know there are going to be some cool days, followed by a stretch of really hot ones, I’ll try and squeeze in a couple more hours in the kitchen to make a few extra meals that I can put into the freezer. Then when I can’t face the kitchen, I just microwave them and dinner’s ready.

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