June already and the official start of summer is still three weeks away. Plenty of things to do and bargains to be had-

 

In the produce department I’m seeing good prices on corn on the cob, zucchini, berries, cherries, tomatoes, herbs and Vidalia onions ( I usually buy these in bulk and carmelize them and then use them in dishes and sandwiches, cheese is one of my favorites.) 

 

I haven’t  used this and not advertised any of my skills here but I stumbled upon this site last week and thought it was interesting just to check out if nothing else. Seems you can sell or buy something, even a skill for $5.

http://fiverr.com/

Arts and Crafts

Summer is the perfect time to check out all the arts and crafts sales going on around the country. You can get ideas for your own hobbies and even pick up some early holiday gifts too. Or maybe you want to sell your handmade items at one of these venues. Here’s a site that lets you type in your zip code and see what’s close by-

http://festivalnet.com/indexes.html?S_date_yr=&S_date_mo=&State_local=mn&City_local=&Sidelined=no&Entertainment=&Juried=&Types_music=&Prize_money=&Type=&zip=&miles=&per_page=   

The Humble Sardine

I told you I recently worked on a nutrition article and one food that was highly recommend as being good for you and cheap is the sardine. It has the lowest mercury level of all fishes too. My late father always love a sardine sandwich but here’s a link to a slideshow that shows you all the ways to put this bargain food to good use-

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/recipe_slideshows/healthy_sardine_recipes?slide=1#leaderboardad

Saving Money Is Also for Budget Smart Guys

Found this an interesting article, seems the men like to save money too-

http://supermarketnews.com/news/males_saving_0523/

 

Fourth of July

I know it’s hard to believe that the Fourth of July isn’t that far away. So what types of foods do you associate most with this holiday?  Probably hot dogs, hamburgers and anything cooked on the grill. Maybe for dessert it’s red, white and blue cupcakes, or strawberry shortcake. If holiday meals are getting just a little too predictable, causing guests to turn down your party invitation, it might be time to rethink the foods you serve to your family and friends.
While I have to admit grilling is a perennial favorite at my house, this year I’m thinking more picnic type foods. Items that don’t take forever to put together, and you don’t have to worry about keeping them warm. Here’s what I came up with-

Drinks

Instead of the standard ones like lemonade, try fruit flavored ones. Not mixes, but drinks you can easily put together yourself using real fruit. As strawberries and raspberries are in abundance right now try adding them to lemonade. You can put the lemonade into a blender and add about a cup of chopped strawberries and blend. And how about just adding some fruit, like blueberries, to a soda like 7-Up. If you get the wide topped one-liter containers you can just put the blueberries straight into the bottle. Let it stand in the refrigerator overnight and you’ve got a drink that’s changed color and added some natural fruit flavoring, try using raspberries too.

Appetizers

Sometimes my favorite items at restaurants are appetizers. They’re also great if you’re heading out to listen to a concert on the Fourth. Or maybe you’re going to watch the fireworks and need just a light snack to take with you. I also like to serve appetizers when guests are stopping by after they’ve been to another venue and already eaten. They’re not too filling and you don’t feel bad about not serving your guests something to nibble on. An easy one is to take a tortilla, spread it with cream cheese with chives, and add some slices of turkey or chicken, you can also add some fresh basil, roll it up, and cut into pinwheels. A couple of other easy ones are flavored cream cheese piped into cherry tomatoes, and mini quiches. You can also get ready-made mini fillo shells in your supermarket freezer. They cost less than $2 for 15 shells, and are made by a company called Athens, http://www.athens.com/ Their Web site has some great ideas. You can add just about anything to them and as they have a neutral flavor, they work well with both savory and sweet fillings. I like to add chicken, tuna, or egg salad to them.

It’s Picnic Time

If you’re heading out for the day, or even just staying at home, a great way to celebrate is with a backyard picnic. One way to save some time is to buy a large loaf of uncut bread, slice it in half horizontally and start layering it with herbed mayonnaise, mustard, cold cuts, cheese, tomatoes and peppers. You can leave it whole and have guests slice off what they need. If you are taking it out and about with you, I prefer to wrap everything individually and assemble it once we arrive at the picnic site. It prevents the usual soggy bread, and it doesn’t take that long to put it all together. If you’re having guests over and want to turn it into a real party, why not give each guest a ‘picnic’ box with their name written on it. Inside you can add a sandwich, maybe wrapped in some red white and blue paper, and cut in half to reveal the filling. Put in some of those red and blue corn chips, a little dish of salsa for dipping, and a cookie/brownie, or a container of fruit salad.

Desserts

Would any holiday celebration be complete without something sweet to finish off the day? One of my favorites, and an alternative to a pie, is a fruit pizza. You can use a regular pizza crust, and I know some people like to use crescent rolls as the base. The first layer is cream cheese sweetened with some powdered sugar. Then you just start layering on whatever fruit you want. Another dessert that’s really simple and makes an impressive centerpiece is Baked Alaska. Choose between pound cake and even brownies. And you can either make one large Alaska or individual ones. It’s basically a layer of cake topped with ice cream, some people also use a layer of fruit, and then the whole thing is covered with meringue. Here’s a link to a recipe in case you’re not sure how to make a meringue http://www.ehow.com/how_13800_make-meringues.htmlIt’s then placed in a 425-degree oven for about 10 minutes, or until the meringue gets slightly golden brown. And don’t worry, the ice cream doesn’t melt because the meringue protects it, or at least should protect the ice cream if you’ve sealed all the edges correctly, if not, you’ll have ice cream melting in your oven! Another important thing is to serve it straight away. You can experiment with different types of cakes and ice cream combinations to come up with your own unique Baked Alaska. I love dark chocolate cake and cherry ice cream. It’s also a great way to use leftover cake.

Travel Deals

It’s not only summer but travel season too. This article has some tips for finding bargains-

 

How long do you think you could go without spending money?

 

 

Best Beauty Buys

I liked this article and while some of the products mentioned aren’t cheap, the list does have some good buys-

 

One way to make your clothes last longer is to know how to wash and care for them so I thought this was a good article to check out-

 

 

Okay, what newsletter would be complete without a recipe or two? This month’s goodies come courtesy of the folks at Thai Kitchen http://www.thaikitchen.com/

 

 

Makes 4 servings.

   1 can ( 14 oz.) Thai Kitchen® Coconut Milk
   1 tablespoon Thai Kitchen® Premium Fish Sauce
   2 teaspoons Thai Kitchen® Red Curry Paste        
   1 cup medium mushrooms

   1 small zucchini or summer squash, cut into 1-inch chunks 

   1 small green or red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks 

   1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges 

   4 long bamboo or metal skewers 

 

MIX coconut milk, fish sauce and curry paste in small bowl until well blended. Set aside. Thread vegetables onto skewers. Place kabobs in shallow dish. Pour marinade over kabobs; turn to coat well. Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight for extra flavor. 

 

BROIL or grill kabobs over medium heat 10 to 12 minutes or until vegetables are tender, turning occasionally. Serve with Sweet Red Chili Sauce for dipping or kick things up a notch with one of their new Dipping Sauces try Spicy Thai Mango or Spicy Thai Ginger.

 

Thai Kitchen Tips: 

Soak bamboo skewers thoroughly in water for at least 30 minutes before threading with vegetables. This prevents them from burning when on the grill. 

 

Add chicken, shrimp, beef or a firm tofu, pair with Jasmine Rice and make this a well-rounded meal.

 

And some extra flavor with Thai Kitchens new dipping and all-purpose sauces. 

 

We recommend 

 

 

 

Prep Time:  15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

 

   1 cup Thai Kitchen® Sweet Red Chili Sauce, divided

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

   1 tablespoon soy sauce

   3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

   2 baby bok choy, cut lengthwise into quarters

   1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

   1 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into quarters 

   1 large ripe mango, peeled, seeded and cut into large pieces

   2 packages (8.8 ounces each) naan (4 pieces)

   Chopped peanuts and chopped fresh mint (optional)

 

Mix 1/2 cup of the chili sauce, peanut butter and soy sauce in small bowl until smooth. Mix remaining 1/2 cup chili sauce and 1 tablespoon of the oil in small bowl. 

 

Grill vegetables and fruit over medium heat 5 minutes or until tender, turning occasionally and brushing with chili sauce and oil mixture. Brush naan lightly with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Grill over medium-low heat 1 to 2 minutes or until grill marks appear on both sides. 

 

Spread peanut butter mixture evenly on each naan. Cut vegetables and fruit into bite-size pieces. Divide evenly among each naan. Sprinkle with peanuts and mint, if desired. 

 

Makes 8 appetizer servings.

 

Thai Kitchen Tips: 

Substitute whatever fresh vegetables are available to create a fresh, seasonal flatbread.