cheese

Checkout 51: SAVE on Real California Milk products!

Abby H.

Dairy loving peeps! Check out these sweet deals from Checkout 51! Earn Cash Back on cheese, milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, and ice cream—and feel good about it! When buying a product with the Real California Milk seal, you’re supporting Golden State farms and the farm families that run them. Now go dig into some dairy!

Checkout 51 is one of my favorite cash-back shopping apps! Most of the deals/cashback rebates are not store-specific, so I can save at stores that don’t accept coupons, like Grocery Outlet and 99 Cents Only.  You can also stack with store sales and other discounts!

  • Real California Milk Chunk/Block Cheese & Specialty Cheese $1.00 Cash Back
  • Real California Milk $0.50 Cash Back
  • Real California Milk Drinkable Yogurt $0.50 Cash Back
  • Buy 2: Real California Milk Yogurt $0.50 Cash Back
  • Real California Milk Cream Cheese $0.75 Cash Back
  • Real California Milk Sour Cream $0.50 Cash Back
  • Real California Milk Cottage Cheese $0.50 Cash Back
  • Real California Milk Ice Cream $1.00 Cash Back

And in addition to sweet deals on groceries, you can also save on gas at select stations. Information and specific participating stations can be found in their app.

To learn more about all of the Cashback apps I use, click here.

Recipe: Parm Crusted Grilled Cheese Sandwiches!

Abby H.

I posted this pic on IG and Facebook the other day, and tons of people messaged me for the recipe. It’s super EASY. And tasty. And slightly addictive.

Here’s the recipe. And you’re welcome.

Parm Crusted Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Ingredients:

  • 2 T. softened butter
  • 2 T. Kraft 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese (make sure your parm is 100% cheese. Some cheaper brands have cellulose filler)
  • 2 pieces of bread (I used Oasis Rosemary Sourdough bread)
  • 2-4 slices of cheese- I used sharp cheddar, but provolone is good too.

Directions:

  1. In a small bowl, mix butter and parm.
  2. Spread the butter mixture on 1 side of each piece of bread.
  3. Assemble sandwich in griddle/frying pan: bread (butter side out), cheese, remaining bread.
  4. cook on medium heat for 2-4 minutes, until the parm and the butter have formed a crust. Flip the sandwich and cook on the other side.

This sandwich is good on its own or good with soup. I recommend Roasted Onion and Caramelized Onion Bisque.

Recipe: Southwestern Chicken Stew

Abby H.

Easy, Quick, Hearty. Onto the recipe!

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb chicken (I used boneless, skinless breasts, but any kind of boneless, skinless cut of chicken will do- thighs are a good option), cut into bite-sized pieces.
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 2 ribs of celery, chopped
  • 1 clove of garlic, diced
  • 2T. avocado oil
  • 28 ounce can of fire-roasted tomatoes
  • 1 15-ish ounce can on salt-free canned corn (drained and rinsed), or 2 cups of frozen corn
  • 1 quart (4 cups) Chicken broth or stock
  • 2T. Arizona Dreaming Spice Blend
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • avocado slices and shredded cheese

Directions:

  1. In a stockpot, heat oil.
  2. Add onions and celery, cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add garlic and cook for about 5 minutes, until fragrant.
  4. Add chicken pieces and cook until no longer pink.
  5. Turn heat down to low, pour in tomatoes, corn, chicken broth/stock, Arizona Dreaming. Cover and cook on low for 30-45 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
  6. Serve topped with slices of Avocado and shredded cheese.

This soup freezes well and is very inexpensive. You can use any type of chicken. I’ve made this stew with both chicken breast, and with thighs. Both work well, but the thighs are better, as they are fattier, and give the stew a richer mouthfeel that offsets the spice of the Ancho pepper in the Arizona Dreaming Spice Blend.

You can add other veggies if you like a stew with more veg. Zucchini, Italian squash, carrots are all solid choices.

The spice blend is not spicy, but it has a little heat. If you like your food on the mild side, start with 1T. and taste the soup after it has a chance to cook for about 10 minutes. Add more as needed.

Family Recipe: Potato Cheese Soup

Abby H.

When I was a kid there was a local restaurant called Piret’s. They served delicious, fresh French food that was unpretentious. One of my favorite dishes to order was their Potato Cheese Soup. They published a cookbook, which my mom bought, and while she cooked a lot of things from the cookbook, the one that was most often made was their Potato Cheese Soup. In fact, to this day when you place the book on the counter, it opens to that recipe.

Today I present my take on Potato Cheese Soup. It’s easy to make, it’s filling, and it tastes sooooo good. Like most soups, it’s better the next day. It freezes well.

You can make it vegetarian by using veggie broth/stock. I do not recommend making it with non-dairy cheese (sorry vegans). You can make it Gluten Free by using GF 1-for-1 flour.

Potato Cheese Soup

Ingredients:

  • 8-10 cups chicken broth or stock (I recommend using stock-homemade is best, but I’m being extra)
  • 2 large yellow or sweet onions, peeled and diced
  • 4 Tablespoons butter, divided in half
  • 1/4 cup white wine (dry- don’t use sweet or cooking wine)
  • 4 large potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 2 Tablespoons AP flour
  • 1.5 cups whole milk
  • 4 cups cheese (I like medium cheddar, but you could use colby, or a sharper cheddar)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. In a large stockpot, melt 2 Tablespoons of butter and saute onions until clear and slightly browned.
  2. Add potatoes and cook for 5-10 minutes until potatoes are slightly translucent.
  3. Deglaze the pan with white wine, make sure to scrape off all the yummy brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
  4. Add all of the chicken broth/stock and bay leaves. Cover pot and cook on low for 20-30 minutes, until potatoes are cooked through.
  5. In a smaller pot, melt remaining 2 T. of butter. Sprinkle melted butter with AP flour and stir until a paste forms over a low heat. The paste should brown slightly- DON’T BURN IT!
  6. Pour milk into the flour/butter paste and whisk briskly. You do not want lumps. Cook over low heat until the mixture thickens. This may take a few minutes. As the mixture thickens and there are no lumps, add the cheese slowly, about 1/2 cup at a time, until it is incorporated/melted into the sauce. Once the sauce with complete, remove from heat.
  7. Add the cheese sauce to the soup mixture slowly, stirring constantly. Once it is fully mixed, remove the bay leaves, season with salt and pepper to taste.
  8. This step is optional but recommended. Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender (like this one) puree the soup. Put back on the heat, and allow to simmer without the lid for another 20-30 minutes. This will give the soup some time to thicken up.
  9. Serve Soup hot with crusty French bread. Resist the urge not to eat it all in one sitting.

Makes 6-8 Servings

Baking for the Holidays with Truly Grass Fed (Tryazon Party Opportunity)

Abby H.

Truly Grass Fed is back for the holidays with a new Tryazon Featured Party opportunity, featuring their distinctively creamy and uniquely delicious cheese and butter. No matter what kind of holiday baking you plan to do, Truly Grass Fed is the perfect addition. Because Truly Grass Fed doesn’t just pair with food, it #PairsWithYou.

They have 300 hosting spots open for this opportunity! Those chosen will receive a party pack with a variety of Truly Grass Fed products to showcase and sample with friends and family at an in-person or virtual party! Truly Grass Fed will be holding a competition for the best Holiday Baker too!  Learn more and apply here: https://www.tryazon.com/baking-for-the-holidays-with-truly-grass-fed-party/
If you haven’t heard of Tryazon, it’s a Word of Mouth Marketing company that partners with brands and individuals. I’ve hosted a few events with Tryazon before- it’s always a fun time!
I applied, and fingers crossed that I get this one! My family and friends love to cook and it would be a fun way to spend some time (even if we are socially distanced). Plus- Who doesn’t love cheese?

September 2020: New Month, New Coupons!

Abby H.

file000786402730Here is your monthly reminder!  A new month means new printable and electronic coupons!

Check out the following sites:

One of my favorite websites is the Sunday Coupon Review.  It helps me plot out scenarios in advance and I can email friends to ask for coupons in advance. Remember if clipping coupons isn’t your thing, but saving money is, check out my list of Smartphone apps that can save you the big bucks! New offers are added on the Smartphone Savings Apps all the time!

September is typically the time when lunch box foods and back to school items are on sale, so there are frequently coupons or app deals to go hand in hand. However this year, because of the current pandemic, there are far less. If you aren’t finding coupons for items you want, check the apps. Ibotta and Checkout51 frequently have offers for lunch box foods (juice boxes/bottled drinks, fruit snacks, lunchable type food kits).

Here are a few of my favorite new coupons:

Save $5.00 on any ONE (1) aden + anais™ essentials swaddles (minimum purchase of $15 required)

Save $5.00 on any ONE (1) HALO® SleepSack® (minimum purchase of $15 required)

Save $0.75 on any ONE (1) 6-pack Horizon Organic® Single-Serve Milk

Save $1.00 on ONE (1) Nestle Pure Life Fruity Water 8-pack

Save $1.00 on any ONE (1) Babybel® product

Save $1.25 on any ONE (1) Magnum® Ice Cream Tub

Save $1.50 off any FOUR (4) SMART ONES Products

Save $2.00 on ONE (1) 36ct or larger Advil or Advil Migraine or Advil Dual Action

Save $0.50 on any one (1) Pine-Sol® product, 40oz+

New Recipe: Baked Tortellini

Abby H.

00169 (1).jpgThis recipe is dead simple. Make it as complicated as you want. Use jarred sauce, make your own from scratch, or take a jar of sauce and church it up yourself. Whatever.

Frozen pasta, fresh pasta, heck, you can even use the shell stable/dried tortellini. You could use ravioli if you wanted.

You can make this Vegetarian, Vegan, Chock Full o’ Meat, Gluten-Free, it’s up to you.

This is one of those recipes that’s a big hit at potlucks too. It’s pretty inexpensive, and we always have the ingredients in one form or another to make a batch.

Baked Tortellini

Ingredients:

  • 6-8 cups of Red Pasta Sauce.  I usually make a big batch of this sauce and portion some out just for this recipe. If you use jarred sauce, I recommend  you add 3-4 cups of veggies (carrots, onions, celery, bell peppers, zucchini, chopped/diced tomatoes, etc.)
  • 22-30 ounces of Tortellini/Ravioli, cooked per the package directions (this will probably take a couple packages)
  • 2 Cups Italian Cheese blend

Directions:

  1. Cook the pasta per the package directions. Drain.
  2. Pour pasta sauce into a baking dish (I use a 9×13), toss cooked pasta in sauce.
  3. Sprinkle cheese on top.
  4. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-ish minutes until food is bubbly, and cheese is brown and delicious looking.
  5. Serve with hot French Bread or Garlic Bread and a green salad.

This serves 8-10 people as a main.

 

If you are vegan, substitute in filled pasta and cheese that works for you.

5/10/2020 Weekly Meal Plan!

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgI’ve started doing weekly meal planning on Sundays. It’s easier to do it while I’m writing up the kids at home learning schedules, and prepping the snack box for the week.

I’ve been buying snacks in bulk and only putting weeks worth out in the snack box. It keeps us out of the stores, and its healthier.

And I’ve been trying to visit the store once a week or less. I stocked up yesterday on stuff the kids love (and eat a lot of), so we should be good for the week.

For those of you that are new to meal planning, I’ve got an easy 101 style post here with super easy tips and steps. After you get that down, here is info about batch or freezer cooking.

I’ve gotten a pretty good inventory of the pantry, freezer, and fridge done (I update it after every shopping trip), so I’m able to plan meals and use up what we’ve got with little waste. If you are looking for kitchen inventory printable, I like the kitchen inventories here. They are great printables.

I only post our dinner plans for the week, because our other meals are usually the same each day: Right now our local school district is serving lunch for a drive-through service for kids 18 and under M-F. It’s great because it helps stretch our budget and it gets the kids out of the house for a few minutes. They also include a cold lunch (usually cereal and milk and a piece of fruit) for the next morning. Often times, the cereal ends up being a snack for late afternoon.

Breakfast: Coffee with 1/2 and 1/2  for me, and pancakes or something along those lines for the kids (they love the Kodiak Cakes Mix).  I also keep sandwich Ziploc bags of other frozen fruit on hand to make the kids smoothies when they request them (a few times per week). Berries, peaches, and mangos are pretty popular. recently the Big Kid has been on a protein shake kick in the AM.

Usually, I do a crockpot meal on Mondays, but now that we are home all the time, we’ve been having an odd combination of fully home-cooked, scratch meals, and frozen entrees and veggies. I have been posting our meal plans on Instagram too- As well as pics of stuff we are doing to keep busy.

We’re on week 4 of distance learning. It’s finally become a habit, and there are plenty of chances to play and get our wiggles out. I bought the kids a kiddie pool for the patio and that is totally helping them get out the pent up energy.

  • Sunday:  Cheeseburger Salad (It’s a cheeseburger served sans bun on a bed of greens). The kids will have chick’n nuggets as Big dude is a vegetarian, and Bitty doesn’t like red meat.
  • Monday: Cheesy Chicken Broccoli casserole, fruit salad, Texas Toast and leftover nuggets. The casserole has a very small amount of chicken, so I can scoop some out for the big kiddo and he can have some meat-free.
  • Tuesday: Bean, Rice, and cheese bowls with grilled veggies
  • Wednesday:BBQ chicken and veggie bowls (with rice)
  • Thursday: Pizza Night!
  • Friday: Leftovers
  • Saturday: Waffles and fruit salad

Please stay safe you guys! The sooner we flatten the curve, the sooner life can go back to normal- whatever that means.

Talk Back: What are you cooking for dinner this week?

4/13/2020 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgI went to the grocery store on Friday to stock up on essentials. I was hoping to go two weeks between trips, but the kids found the snacks. This time I’ve done a much better job of hiding them.

For those of you that are new to meal planning, I’ve got an easy 101 style post here with super easy tips and steps. After you get that down, here is info about batch or freezer cooking.

I’ve gotten a pretty good inventory of the pantry, freezer, and fridge done (I update it after every shopping trip), so I’m able to plan meals and use up what we’ve got with little waste. If you are looking for kitchen inventory printable, I like the kitchen inventories here. They are great printables.

I only post our dinner plans for the week, because our other meals are usually the same each day: Right now our local school district is serving lunch for a drive-through service for kids 18 and under M-F. It’s great because it helps stretch our budget and it gets the kids out of the house for a few minutes. They also include a cold lunch (usually cereal and milk and a piece of fruit) for the next morning. Often times, the cereal ends up being a snack for late afternoon.

Breakfast: Coffee with 1/2 and 1/2  for me, and pancakes or something along those lines for the kids (they love the Kodiak Cakes Mix).  I also keep sandwich Ziploc bags of other frozen fruit on hand to make the kids smoothies when they request them (a few times per week). Berries, peaches, and mangos are pretty popular. recently the Big Kid has been on a protein shake kick in the AM.

Usually, I do a crockpot meal on Mondays, but now that we are home all the time, we’ve been having an odd combination of fully home-cooked, scratch meals, and frozen entrees and veggies. I have been posting our meal plans on Instagram too- As well as pics of stuff we are doing to keep busy.

The Big Kid is starting distance learning this week, so I’m trying to use the downtime I’ve got to do food prep and keep up on household chores.

  • Monday: Italian Feast Night (I’m making a batch of meat and veggie sauce, that I’ll be serving with pasta, as well as garlic bread, steamed veggies, and leftover pizza for the big kid since he doesn’t eat meat)
  • Tuesday: Baked Potatoes, Soup/Salad
  • Wednesday: Frittata and Fruit
  • Thursday: Pizza Night!
  • Friday: Frozen Entrees & Veggies
  • Saturday: Leftover fiesta!
  • Sunday:  Baked Pasta & Veggies

Please stay safe you guys! The sooner we flatten the curve, the sooner life can go back to normal- whatever that means.

Talk Back: What are you cooking for dinner this week?

Weekly Meal Plan & How You Can Do It Too!

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgNow, more than ever, it’s important to plan meals and use what you have on hand. While the grocery store is still on “Ok to visit” list, it is important to limit our exposure to other people.

For those of you that are new to meal planning, I’ve got an easy 101 style post here with super easy tips and steps. After you get that down, here is info about batch or freezer cooking.

I’ve gotten a pretty good inventory of the pantry, freezer, and fridge done (I update it after every shopping trip), so I’m able to plan meals and use up what we’ve got with little waste. If you are looking for kitchen inventory printable, I like the kitchen inventories here. They are great printables.

I only post our dinner plans for the week, because our other meals are usually the same each day: Right now our local school district is serving lunch for a drive-through service for kids 18 and under M-F. It’s great because it helps stretch our budget and it gets the kids out of the house for a few minutes. They also include a cold lunch (usually cereal and milk and a piece of fruit) for the next morning. Often times, the cereal ends up being a snack for late afternoon. 

Breakfast: Coffee with 1/2 and 1/2  for me, and pancakes or something along those lines for the kids (they love the Kodiak Cakes Mix).  I also keep sandwich Ziploc bags of other frozen fruit on hand to make the kids smoothies when they request them (a few times per week). Berries, peaches, and mangos are pretty popular. recently the Big Kid has been on a protein shake kick in the AM.

Usually, I do a crockpot meal on Mondays, but now that we are home all the time, we’ve been having an odd combination of fully home-cooked, scratch meals, and frozen entrees and veggies. I have been posting our meal plans on Instagram too- As well as pics of stuff we are doing to keep busy.

  • Monday: Frozen Entrees & Veggies
  • Tuesday: Casserole (probably Chicken Tetrazzini)
  • Wednesday: Pasta with red sauce and garlic bread
  • Thursday: Frozen Entrees & Veggies
  • Friday: Breakfast for dinner: Bagels and cream cheese, smoothies, fruit
  • Saturday: Leftover fiesta!
  • Sunday:  Chicken Soup (from Scratch)

Please stay safe you guys! The sooner we flatten the curve, the sooner life can go back to normal- whatever that means.

Talk Back: What are you cooking for dinner this week?