Restaurant Favorites

    Do you ever go to restaurants because you love something they cook?  Have you ever wondered if you could save money by just cooking it yourself?
 
    You all know that I do.  I very rarely go out, unless I have a great deal from the restaurant website, a groupon, a living social or some other great deal or coupon. 
  
     Sometimes I do get a craving for certain things and it just never occurs to me that I can actually make it myself.  Plus I can adjust ingredients to please my family.
   One of the things I really liked was the Panda Express Orange Chicken.  I did make it and we of course ate it up.  Another item I made was the chocolate shell for putting on a chocolate dipped ice cream.  I of course used that recipe for other things.  Okay, just don't tell anyone, but it taste good all by itself.
 
   I used to always search the Internet for recipes to try to duplicate some of our favorites and then stumbled across this website.  I won't say it's the end all be all, but it sure has made my life easier by "suggesting" foods that I don't always remember. 
 
     It's called Copycat Recipes.  I subscribed to the newsletter but I haven't used their recipe box.  I'd probably forget about it anyway. 
  
   Some of the recipes use ingredients that I don't use such as boxed cake mix.  I adjust the recipe for those or make substitutions.  I already have a great healthy recipe for pop tarts, and the dough is whole wheat. For that recipe click here   It really reminds me of the little tarts we made as kids.  Dough with jelly, fold it over and bake.  Either way, homemade,  in my opinion is always healthier than store bought.  You have control over what artificial flavorings, dough conditioners, soy products you don't need to add. 
 
     I find Copycat Recipes website a great idea starter to get me going on making a healthier version of some fun foods.  I find many of them make for a special treat. 
  

Have You Changed One Thing This Week?

 

     You already know this, saving money isn't just using coupons.  Wow, I wish that was all there was to it. 
Using coupons isn't always a healthy choice, even if it's free, it could cost later with poor health or cause problems with your dental health.  Sure, we can get a lot of things for cheap, even some of them for free. 

     It wasn't all that long ago that I was coming home and adding up the dollars, sometimes hundreds of dollars that I had saved.  My pantry was overflowing.  I no longer use most of the things that I used to bring home.  And you know what?  I still save a lot of money, because I'm not buying any of those items.  An added bonus is I don't have rows of canned goods taking up space on my pantry.  I do have rows of "jarred" goods.  My pantry has changed so much over the last few years that sometimes I feel like I'm looking at someone elses. 

    Of course this didn't happen overnight.  It was a step by step process, sometimes fast, sometimes slow.  . 

   I remember thinking that I would never buy some of the very products that now sit on my pantry.  Little by little I have been changing what I buy and what I cook.   Over time I've learned a lot of ways to make it possible to buy healthier foods.  In the process, I've also learned a lot of what constitutes a healthy food product.  I've bought a few things along the way that I would never touch now if you paid me.  There is just no way we wake up one day and know exactly what to buy at what price and which one is a healthier option.  I've also learned to make many products myself which helped to save money.

     My question is, what one thing have you changed?  This week, this month, this year?  If you are really serious about trying to save money you have to sometimes make some hard decisions to give up something.  If I was to make a list of things I have changed or given up it would fill a lot of space.  Some questionable things that I haven't given up though is easier.  Sugar is one.  I have changed it though.  I buy sucanat or organic raw sugar.  Sometimes I use molasses, honey, or organic maple syrup for sweetener.  Another thing I haven't given up is chocolate.  I mostly use cocoa for my baking now, but I do like to buy the chocolate chips at Winco.  I'd like to be able to buy certified organic pure cocoa or cocoa nibs or vegan chips.  I find them to be way over my budget, and I feel the price doesn't always warrant the product.  If it was a food I was eating for my main diet I'd probably be more concerned. 
  
    Pick something to give up or change.  Giving things up such as television which is a huge cost, giving up using paper towels will add up a little or giving up going to the gym and replacing it with your own exercise program.  Each thing has to be weighed out.  Or just change something in your life that will improve your health.  Make your own pancakes and never buy a mix again, make your own bread, your own cake, your own taco mix. 
  
     You know, the list is really endless on what we can change.  My most recent change is to not have more than a few oils in my house.  It wasn't a conscious thing really.  Over time I learned more about different oils, how they are processed, and how they should be used. 
   
     The opening picture by the way is one of those things we changed a while back.  My son had bought these cookies with filling.  They were dyed red, yuck!  One of my daughters decided to show that she could make a healthier version. 

     Start thinking about it, just about everything you do every single day, every single thing you eat, every thing you wear, everything you buy can all change.  Do we want to change everything?  Probably not, but if you start viewing your lifestyle in that light it will be easier to consider ways to save money and have a healthier life for you and your family.

Interrupting My Regular (Late) Post With A Deal I Like

     If you're switching to a healthier alternative to grocery store oils, then I suggest hightailing it to Amazon.
It's posted on Moneysaving Mom, and Heavenly Homemakers.  I've not only checked out the deal, I bought it.  Here are the two deals going on now.
 
     The first is a two-pack of 15-ounce tubs of Nutiva Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil for $17.30.  Click on Subscribe and Save and you'll get it for $14.70, once you click on subscribe and save, you'll need to sign in if you haven't done so yet.  Then you'll be at the next screen that has a little space for applying Gift Card and Promotional Codes.  In that spot put NUTIVSEP and you'll get another discount.  The final cost will be $14.70, and that includes shipping.  You are allowed at the very first screen to pick how often you want this deal.  I usually put six months unless I'm sure of when I want it. 

    The other good deal on coconut oil is the one I purchased, Nutiva Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil in the 54-ounce two-pack.  It will say $46.86, but with subscribe and save it's down to $39.83.  I love it that much!  I just finished off one of the smaller sizes making a quick chocolate fix last night. 

   If you haven't made a switch in the oils you use in your home this is a good time to try it.  If you like coconut you will love this.  It did seem a bit odd when I first started using it.  Pretty soon I was wanting to use it on everything, potatoes, eggs, vegetables, you name it.  It could get a bit expensive, so I did end up buying a large bucket of expeller pressed coconut oil from Tropical Traditions. 

    I know, what kind of chocolate fix did I make myself?  Oh, and for everyone else.  I took a dollop of the Nutiva coconut oil, I guessed about 1/4 cup but I didn't measure.  I dumped in about a cup of chocolate chips and tossed it into my unsafe microwave that was not run by solar power.  I melted them while stirring off and on.  Once it was a nice stirrable consistency, (if not, add a bit more coconut oil) and all melted I stirred in shredded coconut and oatmeal.  I tried not to eat it while I did this.  I kept adding those two ingredients until it was thick with it and evenly coated.  I then (in the interest of reuse) used a empty cereal bag, the waxed kind and opened it up onto my freezer tray and was going to make little bites, but again, my craving got in the way and I just dumped the whole thing onto the waxed bag.  Smoothed it out, froze it and then ate some.  And then ate some more.  Then tried to stop myself, but ate some more.  Then, really did stop myself since I didn't want to take a bottle of tums to bed with me. 
   This recipe was not made as intended.  The original recipe was a copycat for a chocolate coating to put on your ice cream, to make it like a Dairy Queen dipped cone.  It's used with butter which is also sinfully delicious.  Just don't do what my husband did.  He mistakenly thought it was hot fudge and put a huge pile of it on top of his ice cream.  It then hardened up into this funny looking sculpture on the top of his ice cream.  It did make for some entertainment value though.  Oh, and keep it in the refrigerator or freezer after you break it into pieces.  It does melt if left out. 

   Back to the coconut oil.  Try it sometime, it is one of the healthier alternatives to vegetable oil.  I don't buy vegetables oil at all, nope, no Crisco in this house, no canola or any of the usual kinds in the market.  At one time I didn't think I could live without Mazola in my house.  And now I can't imagine having it in my house.  I don't regret it one bit, in fact, I love it. 
  I'm looking forward to writing more on this topic and giving you more insight on why I've changed my "oil" use.