budgetsmartgirl

Archive for July, 2012|Monthly archive page

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It’s Meatless Monday-Grilled Eggplant and Tomato Sandwich with Olive Mayonnaise

In Meatless Mondays on July 30, 2012 at 7:36 pm

This week’s recipe is once again one that I hate to even call a ‘recipe’. After picking up the CSA box I thought about how I could use some of the ingredients, and what type of meal would get me in and out of the kitchen in record time.

This is what I came up with. A sandwich using both the eggplant and heirloom tomatoes. I also added some carmelized onions I’d made the day before. Apart from grilling the eggplant everything else needs no cooking.

I let the slices of eggplant marinade for most of the day in the following-

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

good pinch of pepper

2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning.

Just make sure all the slices are covered in the marinade.

The slices just need a couple of minutes on each side on the grill.

The olive mayonnaise is simple too. 1 cup mayonnaise to about 1/3 cup chopped olives and mix together.

I also used some homemade bread and put everything on a platter for a help yourself style meal.

You could also add some feta cheese too.

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Friday Freebie-Graphics to Make A Flyer

In Friday Freebies on July 27, 2012 at 6:42 pm

A fellow writer told me about this site that’s worth checking out. If you’re thinking about making a flyer for an event or party this might come in useful. I haven’t used it yet but plan to-

http://www.smore.com/

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CSA Box-Week 7

In csa box on July 26, 2012 at 7:27 pm

I found lots of goodies in the CSA box last week including-

Beets, parsley, cherry tomatoes, red slicer tomatoes, carrots, onions, potatoes, broccoli and Asian eggplant.

Parsley, I dried this as soon as I got it home. The flat leaf variety is one of the best for drying and it only takes about an hour or so in my dehydrator.

You saw the dish I made using the broccoli. I usually just serve it as a side dish but it’s shown me a whole new way of cooking with it. It’s also a good example of when things get too routine and yes, boring when you’re on a budget, search online or look through some cookbooks and see what else you can make.

The beets…well I was trying to save them to pickle and can them but the other week I got a craving for roasted beets to put on a salad. They’re great cut into quarters, tossed with some olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted at about 375 degress for twenty minutes. The CSA flyer also suggested Googling chocolate beet cake. Anything with chocolate gets my attention and I found lots of recipes. I haven’t selected the one I want to make but when I do, I’ll let you know how it turned out. Anyone else used beets for making a chocolate cake? Not sure if it counts as one of the five fruit and vegetable requirements but I’m guessing they make a moist and naturally sweet treat.

The tomatoes…my favorite time of the year for these goodies. I use them on salads and toasted cheese sandwiches.

Carrots..these I steamed and tossed with some butter and a sprinking of the dill I’d dried from previous CSA boxes. Steaming them seems to bring out their natural sweetness.

Onions…another one of my favorite this time of the year as they’re sweeter and not so hard on the eyes when you chop them. I used these in just about every dish I made last week.

Potatoes…just steamed them and we ate them as is. I had a few leftover and not really enough for potato salad so I sauted them and had them with a veggie burger for lunch.

Asian eggplant…I first tried these last year at a local farmstand and have to say I prefer them to the regular ones. Only drawback is they cost more. However, if you make them the star of the meal I think it’s worth the extra money. Plus, they have more flavor so a little goes a long way. So how did I use them? Usually toward the end of August I make a big batch of ratatouille and freeze it for fall eating…one of my favorite treats after raking leaves. This time I decided to make some now and served it with some French bread. More about this in a future Meatless Monday feature.

This last week I’ve been making salsa and jam and canning everything. It got me thinking that while summer is the season most likely to be connected with preserving the harvest, it’s budgetwise to can, dry,  and freeze extras all year round. Definitely something I’ll keep in mind now.

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It’s Meatless Monday-Velvety Broccoli and Feta Pasta

In Meatless Mondays on July 23, 2012 at 3:23 pm

Each week in the CSA box there’s a flyer that contains two recipes. Last week I saw this one and thought it was a great way to use the broccoli. I checked out the site the recipe came from and it’s called thekitchn. Definitely worth visiting and browsing as it has lots of wonderful recipes and photos that make you feel hungry.

I used this sauce on spaghetti and it turned out perfectly. And what a good way to get children to eat something like broccoli that they usually hate.

http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-velvety-broccoli-and-fe-46428

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Friday Freebies-Free Garage Sale Listing

In Friday Freebies on July 20, 2012 at 5:12 pm

Some experts say that you should always place an ad for your garage sale. However, that can eat into your profit, but here’s one site that lets you list it for free. I’ve never used it but if anyone has, or uses it in the future and has any feedback to offer I’d love to hear about it.

http://www.yardsalesearch.com/yss_newevent.jsp

Have a good weekend.

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The CSA Box-Week 6

In csa box on July 19, 2012 at 3:52 pm

Week 6 had lots of goodies including carrots, cauliflower, zucchini, hot peppers, tomatoes, dill, basil, chard, leaf lettuce and garlic.

One thing I’m learning is there are so many varieties of each vegetable. I also didn’t know vegetables like chard are available in the summer and also the fall.

A valubable lesson I’ve learned is that once herbs are cut they don’t last long…or at least they don’t when it’s hot and humid. I tried putting them in the fridge or placing them in water like you would flowers but some don’t survive either method. Now I dry them as soon as I bring them home using my dehydrator…more about this in coming weeks.

I dried both the basil and dill and have been using them in recipes throughout the week. If you’ve never tried dill in scrambled eggs, do. I can’t believe what a great combo that is.

The lettuce, tomatoes cauliflower and carrots we ate as is. In fact, with the weather being so hot I decided to steam almost everything and found it’s quicker, keeps the kitchen cooler and best of all, the food tastes better too…could also be that all the veggies are so fresh!

The garlic and hot peppers I used to make salsa that I’ve canned. I spent most of Sunday canning. Not the best thing to do when it’s hot but now we have ten jars of salsa ready for winter eating.

The chard I couldn’t resist making the enchildas again. When the fall crop arrives I think I’ll make another batch and freeze them.

The zucchini I used in the grilled veggies for Monday’s Meatless Monday feature.

One good thing about receiving this box of veggies each week is you not only think about what you can make right now, but how you can save the food to eat later when prices go up…and you know they will.

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It’s Meatless Monday-Herb and Grilled Vegetable Wrap

In Meatless Mondays on July 16, 2012 at 4:13 pm

One thing I’ve learned to do when it’s hot is cook lots of items in one shot. Not only does it save time but it’s avoids the need to turn on the oven every day. I’ve been oven roasting some of the veggies from the CSA box and decided to turn them into today’s Meatless Monday meal. It’s simple, and once you’ve got the vegetables roasted, it’s a breeze to put together.

1 package of whole wheat tortillas

1 eight ounce package cream cheese

Handful of herbs, such as oregano, basil etc or you can use dried

Good sprinking of both onion powder and garlic powder

Dash of milk

Assorted veggies, your choice. I always use an onion, not only for flavoring, but for getting some carmelization on the other vegetables too

Salt and pepper and some oil

Chop or slice the vegetables and place them in a roasting pan, sprinkle with some salt and pepper and drizzle with oil. Mix everything together and oven roast for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

While the veggies are cooking, place the cream cheese, garlic and onion powders and herbs, along with a dash of milk, into a food processor. Blend until everthing is incorporated.

You can place everything on a plate for people to help themselves, or make each wrap before serving. Spread each tortilla with about three tablespoons of the herbed cream cheese, pile on about half a cup of the roasted vegetables, roll up the tortilla and cut in half.

They’re perfect as is for a lunch or combined with a salad and ice cream for dessert to make a quick dinner during these very hot days of summer.

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Friday Ramblings

In Budget Smart Girl's Newsletter, Uncategorized on July 13, 2012 at 3:02 pm

The CSA box feature will be back next week as we didn’t have a delivery last week because the pick up date fell on a holiday. Also, I’ve had a busy couple of days so the Friday Freebie will be back next week too.

So this week I thought I’d show you my mini veggie garden.

I bought the container back in the spring and everything I planted in it was started from seed. I have cucumbers, tomatoes, broccoli, green peppers, and some radishes and carrots. I never had time to plant a bigger vegetable garden this year so this is my experiment and I’m learning as I go. If you want to check out the container it costs just $28.95 plus shipping, and the best thing is you can move it around to catch the sun all day.

http://www.lakeside.com/Garden/Planters/Deluxe-Vegetable-Patch-Grower/prod121023.jmp?sorted=Y&navAction=push&fm=topnav&categoryId=cat52159&navCount=0

And thought I’d share with you some great news that the Budget Smart Girl blog is finally going to be a book. I’ve been trying to find a home for it for about three years. I’ve had lots of people approach me about writing it and then they’ve disappeared into thin dust. It’s prove that hard work pays off and never give up on something! Anyway, more about the book in the coming months.

And it’s vacation time and I was sent this article that I thought you might find useful if you’re doing any traveling this summer-

Five Websites Help Anyone Save BIG $$$ When Traveling

By Terrance Zepke

Everyone likes to save money, but it is especially important in these economic times. The only way many of us will be able to travel this year is if we stick to a strict budget. After years of globe-trotting, I have learned many tips, tricks, and strategies for saving money on any type of travel.

Here are five helpful money-saving websites:

1. www.Gasbuddy.com. While gas prices have decreased slightly, the cost remains more than $3 a gallon (closer to $4 in some parts of the country), which makes it a major expense that has to be factored into your summer vacation budget. Go to their website or load this FREE app onto your phone (Android, iPhone, Blackberry). It will find the nearest gas station with the lowest prices no matter where you are in the United States. GasBuddy even provides additional information, such as per gallon price averages nationwide and detailed maps leading you to the station with the lowest-priced gas. This tool can save you up to twenty-five cents a gallon, which really adds up after a few fill-ups.

2. www.Restaurant.com. Feeding the family is another major expense while on vacation. Buy discounted gift cards to great restaurants to save big money. Participants can choose from 18,000 restaurants (and growing) in popular tourist cities, such as Las Vegas and New Orleans. Here’s how it works: pay $4 and get a $10 gift card or pay $10 and get a $25 card or pay $50 and get a card valued at $100. This equals savings up to 60%. Just go to their website, place your order, and the cards are shipped to any address with no shipping fee.

3. www.Bing.com/travel. This is a great tool that most folks do not know about. It allows users to search multiple travel sites, check price predictions, compare rates, and even book travel directly with the supplier of choice. The best thing is that it will give you an accurate forecast as to whether fares will go up or down, which means you’ll know whether you should grab the current fare or wait for a lower rate.

4. www.Citypass.com. Citypasses are available for many major cities and tourist hot spots, such as Hollywood, New York City, Toronto, Atlanta, San Francisco, and Chicago. The pass bundles admission to popular tourist destinations, including aquariums and zoos, museums, tours, and other attractions. The savings can be as much as 50%.

5. www.Traveltribe.com. This is a good resource for anyone needing help planning their trip. You can connect with other travelers who have “been there and done that” and expert travel agents who will help you, free of charge.

If you want the best rates, beware of these common mistakes:
Don’t rely on popular travel sites.
Don’t try to book your own cruise.
Don’t ignore social media. 
Don’t let “hidden costs” ruin your budget.
Don’t call the toll-free central reservations number when booking a hotel room.

By following these tips and strategies, you’re guaranteed to save money when traveling. It may even be enough savings to add another day or two (and another round of margaritas) to any trip.

Terrance Zepke is an award-winning writer/photographer and the  author of The Encyclopedia of Cheap Travel: Save Up To 90% on Lodging, Flights, Tours, Cruises, and More!, numerous travel references, and several other books. Learn more about her and her books at www.terrancezepke.com.

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Summer Savings with Georgine

In Georgine Saves Blogs on July 10, 2012 at 2:10 pm

Some summer saving ideas from Georgine-

Summer is in full swing now that it’s July. It is a time to save on outdoor furniture and patio items, barbecue grills, and home appliances. Look for clearance sales on utensils and any other type of picnic or outdoor tableware and table cloths that can be put aside until next year. Patriotic paper goods can be used for Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day.

As far as clothing is concerned you can grab some great deals on apparel that the whole family can wear for a couple of more months. Think back-to-school. Lots of summer fashions can be layered to make trendy fall styles.

Gym memberships will be cheaper too because due to vacations and other extra activities, gyms are slower during the summer. They want to keep their quotas and also entice new members. Try to find trial or FREE membership offers to find the right one for you.

In the grocery store look for outdoor grilling items at special prices. Hot dogs, ground beef, hamburger and hot dog buns, salad dressing, ketchup, mustard, and relish too. Of course, everyone wants to cool off with ice cream and popsicles. If you have a large freezer it’s a good idea to take advantage of the lower prices and stock up for those warm fall days when school starts. There will be many deals on soda and bottled water to keep our thirsts quenched chips to munch on while we wait for the grills to heat up! Always combine your coupons with the sale price for extra savings.

Summer is here and that means lazy days reading at the beach or while on vacation. Lots of us have e-readers for convenience. There are lots of FREE e-books for your enjoyment. Depending on the brand you have NOOK (Barnes & Noble), Kindle (Amazon.com) or Apple’s iBooks, just type in the word free or $0.00 in the search of those online bookstores. You will find literally (no pun intended!) thousands of selections.

Keep cool, enjoy the warm weather, and save!

www.georginesaves.com

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It’s Meatless Monday-Orange-Ginger Tofu and Mushroom Kebabs with Couscous

In Meatless Mondays on July 9, 2012 at 3:07 pm

When the weather turns warm I make lots of salads but there’s only so much cold food you can eat during the week.before boredom sets in. I have a couple of stand by dishes that don’t heat up the kitchen too much and are simple to make. One ingredient I love for summer eating is couscous. Just five minutes boiling the water or stock, throw in the couscous, wait five minutes more and you have a side dish.

For this Meatless Monday recipe I used mushrooms that can be purchased for a dollar or less and stand up well to grilling, and a favorite standby, tofu.

If you follow my tip about freezing it, defrosting it, and letting it marinade either all day or overnight, it becomes an ingredient that even die hard meat eaters won’t mind eating now and then.

In this recipe I speeded things up by cooking the tofu, onions and mushrooms before putting them on skewers.

1 12 ounce container of extra firm tofu

1 10 ounce box of mushrooms, cleaned and if they’re large cut in half

1 onion cut into quarters

1/2 cup of orange juice

1/3 cup soy sauce

pepper

2 teaspoons of sesame oil, you can cut this down to one teaspoon if you don’t like it’s pungent taste or use canola oil

1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoon of onion powder

If you want a spicy kick to this dish add some red pepper flakes

Cut the tofu into cubes and place in a glass casserole dish, add the mushrooms and onions.

In a bowl mix the rest of the ingredients together and pour onto the tofu, onions and mushrooms. Cover and place in the refrigrator for at least six hours.

Heat some oil in a skillet and add the tofu and cook until browned and has a crispy crust. (As the tofu can easily break when it’s cooked like this I use a separate skillet to brown the onions and mushrooms). Let everything cool and place the veggies and tofu on skewers. Keep any remaining marinde for brushing onto the tofu/veggies while they’re broiling.

Heat the broiler and place the skewers under the broiler for about 2- 3 minutes. Serve on top of bed of couscous which is simple to make-

1 cup of couscous

1 cup or water or stock

1 tablespoon of oil

Heat the stock/water and oil in a saucepan to boiling. Remove from heat, stir in the couscous, put a lid on the saucepan and let the mixture stand for five minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork and it’s ready.

This recipe serves 4.

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