food

Looking to add Fiber to your Cookies??

Abby H.

One of my goals for the year is to get more fiber into myself and the kids. The average American adult consumes about 15-16 grams of fiber per day, significantly less than the recommended daily intake of 25-38 grams (source).

Besides fruits, veggies, lentils and beans, oats also have fiber.

Making Oat flour can be done at home by pulsing rolled oats in a blender until they are a fine, smooth powder. If you don’t have the time or inclination, Quaker sells oat flour.

Here is the recipe I came up with based on my favorite cookie recipe.

 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oat Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup salted butter
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1.25 cups brown sugar
  • 1.25 cups white sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp. baking soda
  • 2 cups oat flour
  • 2.5 cups AP flour
  • 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and peanut butter.
  3. Add sugars one at a time and mix until fluffy.
  4. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until incorporated fully.
  5. Mix in baking powder and flours. Once all are blended into the dough, add chocolate chips.
  6. Drop tablespoon-sized dough balls on cookie sheets that have been greased or are lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking pad.  I prefer silicone baking pads.
  7. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.  Let cookies rest 1-2 minutes before transferring to the cooling rack.

This recipe makes approx. 6 dozen cookies. If you are allergic to peanuts, you can substitute sunbutter or your favorite nut butter. Do Not use Nutella- It contains a lot of sugar and other ingredients that will throw off the chemistry of the recipe and you won’t get yummy cookies.

April 2025: New Healthy Freebies From Social Nature!

Abby H.

 If you are into Organic/Natural/Healthy products, then Social Nature is right up your alley. Sign up and apply to sample products that you are interested in. I usually receive 4-6 offers/freebies per month, sometimes more if I have time to shop. And most of the time it’s full-size products, not just a tiny sample.

In addition to the offers where they mail you a coupon for a free product, Social Nature has started offering 100% cash-back, similar to Ibotta and Fetch Rewards. I love this because I can select exactly what I want, Social Nature tells me which local stores have it, and I can add it to my next shopping list.

And it’s just as easy as Ibotta and Fetch Rewards. Snap a pic and upload it. You can select Venmo, Paypal, or an Amazon Gift Card for your rebate.

Here are just a few of the offers available now:

    • Small Batch Pasta Sauces by Sauz
    • Double Cold Brew Latte by Pop & Bottle
    • Gluten-Free Whipped Feta by Athenos
    • Natural Cleaning Solution by Cleanery
    • Mental Performance Shots by Magic Mind
    • Gluten-Free Twin Bar by Schär
    • Gluten-Free Cookies by Schär
    • Korean Chile Sauce by Mother-In-Law’s
    • Italian Protein Pasta by BRAMI

Where do I find good, quality freebies?

Abby H.

I’m always on the lookout for good, quality freebies. What I mean by that is items that have value. Not just monetarily, but items that I will use. That can be anything from free food to a brand new washing machine and dryer.

A lot of of the freebie programs I have used in the past are no longer around (Example Tryit berged with Influenster), so those are not included in my list; however, here are some that I use today and recommend to others.

This list does not include rebate apps or anything where there is any sort of out-of-pocket where you are reimbursed later.

JCPenney All-Star advisors: While this program is around, I don’t think they are currently accepting any new members. I couldn’t find any info online about how to sign up or join their waiting list.

Home Tester Club is pretty cool. They are one of my new favorites. You sign up to review items, and they send you something. A lot of the time, they don’t notify you prior to shipping. you’ll get a package in the mail, and a few days later, you’ll get an email notifying you that you were selected and a link to the survey to complete once you have sampled the product. I’ve received all sorts of great skincare, cosmetics, food, and clothing from Home Tester Club.

Tryazon: The kids and I have been participating in Tryazon events for 5-ish years. We’ve gotten to try all sorts of fun toys, games, organizational products, and food.

Influenster: To get all of the products and free stuff offered by Influenster, you have to download the app.  When they send an offer for a free product, you have to jump on it right away. Their offers go fast! I’ve gotten clothing, cosmetics, perfume, and household appliances through Influenster.

Ripple Street: this company rebranded recently and was previously known as House Party. You can learn about them here. 

Smiley360  is a Word of Mouth (WOM) marketing website. Sign up for campaigns and you will receive samples to use, and coupons to share with friends. Report your sharing and earn points! I’ve received Laundry detergent (full-sized bottles), vitamins, supplements, tampons, and razors in the past.

If you are looking for apps or companies that offer 100% rebates on food, check my post here.

Talk back: What is your favorite website for getting free stuff?

March is frozen food month: What kind of food can you freeze?

Abby H.

It’s true: March is frozen food month. In previous years, there were deals and sales on frozen foods that you just couldn’t be beaten. But with the changing economic climate, a lot of these offers and deals have sort of dried up.

That brings us to what you can freeze. A lot of us are taking advantage of what little sales we can find, stocking up on pantry staples, and making sure that our pantries and freezers are full of food and ingredients. Freezing food is also a great way to keep leftovers that you may not want to eat within the next two or three days after making them.

I freeze a lot of stuff. When I make batches of soup, I tend to freeze 2 to 4 portions of it so that we can have a meal later, and all I have to do is defrost and heat.

When we have fruits and vegetables that are getting a little too ripe for us to eat, I will chop them and put them in Ziploc bags in the store in the freezer.

Here are other things that you can freeze with a little bit of prep work:

Shredded or grated cheese. Blocks of cheese tend to crumble when defrosted.

Milk: Unopened gallons of milk, can be stored. I recommend you open and pour off/drink about a quarter of a cup before you put the lid on tightly and put back into the freezer. This step is not needed with paper curtains. 

Bread/muffins/tortillas: Make sure you put it in a freezer-safe Ziploc container/bag to keep it from getting freezer-burnt. 

Most fruits and vegetables can be frozen. I recommend cutting everything up into bite-size pieces and storing them in zip-top/Ziploc bags. I do this with vegetables that I can put into soups and stews or casseroles and fruits that could be incorporated into smoothies later. Making sure everything is cut up into bite-size pieces means that it will cook more uniformly, and smaller pieces of fruit blend a little easier. Spinach and some heartier leafy greens like kale can also be frozen!

Soups: As previously stated I freeze portions of each batch of soup I make so that we can have a quick easy meal later on down the road. Just make sure that it is cooled it to room temperature before you put it into the freezer. 

Casseroles: Did you accidentally make too many potatoes? It’s OK, just store them in a airtight freezer safe container, and you could have leftovers down the road. When you reheat it just defrosted it in the refrigerator and then heat like you normally would. 

Pizza: You can freeze leftover pizza. Not that that happens very often to my house, but I have been known to put pieces of pizza between parchment paper in a Ziploc bag and toss it in the freezer. 

Pizza dough: Speaking of pizza, you can also freeze pizza dough or bread dough. I tend to make a triple batch of pizza dough, and once it has had its first rise, I punch it down, knead it, and separate it into greased Ziploc bags. You can either butter the inside of the bag, or you can spray it with spray release.

Once you’re ready to make pizza, just take the pizza dough out of the freezer, leave it in the bag on the counter, and depending on the ambient temperature of your kitchen, in about 4 to 6 hours. The pizza dough will be at room temperature. You can give it one last knead before you roll it out and bake it.

Now that you know how to freeze all sorts of things, you too can keep your freezer well stocked and cut down on food waste.

Recipe: Marry Me Cannellini Beans

Abby H.

Maybe you’ve seen videos or recipes online for marry me chicken. It’s a creamy Tuscan style dish that can be served with noodles or by itself.

Here is my version, but instead of using chicken, I substituted Cannellini beans. Why? Because I had cannellini beans, and I didn’t have any chicken.

If you want to use chicken, substitute about a pound of either boneless skinless trimmed thighs or boneless skinless trimmed chicken breasts for the beans.

Ingredients 

  •  2 tablespoons salted butter
  • 2 tablespoons your favorite cooking oil (I used the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes)
  • One small, yellow onion, diced
  • 2 15.5 ounce cans of Cannellini beans, drained, and rinsed
  • Three cloves of crushed garlic/3 tablespoons of Jarlic
  • 2/3 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes 
  • 2 cups of chicken broth 
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 
  • 4 cups fresh spinach
  • One cup evaporated milk, or half-and-half (choice) 
  • 3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese (use the freshly grated variety, not the powdered variety)

Directions

  1. In a large skillet, melt butter and mix oil in with butter.
  2. Sauté onions over medium heat until translucent, about five minutes.
  3. Add in garlic and stir frequently until garlic is fragrant.
  4. Add in rinsed and drained beans, sun-dried, tomatoes, broth, Italian seasoning. Cook on medium, stirring frequently until mixture comes to a boil.
  5. Using the back of a spoon or a potato masher gently mash up about half of the beans. This will add thickness to the sauce or without adding any additional ingredients. 
  6. Once a thickened mixture simmer for about 15 minutes, add in milk/half-and-half, spinach,  and about a half a cup of the grated cheese. 
  7. Stir and turn stove down to low. Simmer on low for 5 to 10 minutes until mixture has thickened. 
  8. Serve with noodles of your choice, or serve mixture in a bowl with toasted/crusty Italian bread. Top each bowl with some of the remaining cheese.
  9. I prefer to serve this in a bowl and eat it with a toasted/crusty bread. 

Substitutions:

  • To make this recipe vegetarian, substitute chicken broth for vegetable broth/stock. 
  • To make this recipe vegan, substitute as above, and additionally substitute milk/half-and-half with your favorite dairy free variety, as well as your favorite dairy free variety of “Parmesan” type cheese. 

Fetch Rewards: Earn up to 10,000 Points!

Abby H.

This is a BIG DEAL. If you use Fetch Rewards, you could earn up to a 10,000-point bonus! Check your email for this offer!

Refer 5 friends by 3/19/25 for 10,000 extra points—on top of the 2,000 points for each friend who snaps a receipt.

Signing up is quick and easy if you aren’t already using Fetch Rewards! You learn more when you check out my post here. Find the Fetch Rewards app in your app store, and when you download it and scan any receipt, use my code ND2TB when you sign up, and you’ll score 2,000 bonus points. I scan all of my receipts (grocery, mass merchandiser, gas receipts, restaurants, you name it) and take advantage of extra point offers- the points really rack up!

 

FINE PRINT: In order for you to qualify for the 10K referral bonus, you must refer at least 5 friends and have them complete a valid receipt now through 11:59 PM CDT on 3/19/2025. Max of 50K bonus points. Bonus points will be awarded on or before 3/21/2025.

3/14/25 Weekly Freebies and Deals

Abby H.

There is a whole smattering of freebies and deals this week! And I’ve updated my list of freebies for birthdays in 2025, which you can find here.

My comprehensive list can be found here if you are looking for free food resources.  It is focused on San Diego County, but additional resources are outside my area.

Let’s get onto the Freebies!!

FREEBIES:

FREE Sample of KNEMO Microtip Spot Patch for Blemishes
FREE Sample of Pataday Once Daily Relief Eye Allergy Itch Relief
FREE Sample of Nutree Brazilian Bondox or Afro Hair Mask
FREE Sample of e.l.f. Liquid Poreless Putty Primer
Get Free Condom Samples Online and In-Person From Your Favorite Brands
FREE Sorion Cream or Soraresal Cream Sample
FREE Sample of Jiva Botanicals Shilajit Gummies
FREE Creed Eladaria Fragrance Sample
FREE Donna Karan Cashmere & Vanilla Essence Fragrance Sample
T-Mobile Tuesdays – 8×8 Photo Book at Shutterfly, Digital Costco Shop Card, $3 Panera Unlimited Sip Club & More
FREE Terre d’Hermès Eau de Parfum Intense Fragrance Sample
FREE Sample of Comfort Zone Skin Regimen LX Tripeptide Gel Cream
FREE Kids Meal with the Panda Express Read with Me Program
Free Food at Burger King for Perks Week: Today Free French Toast Sticks
FREE Donut at Krispy Kreme When You Wear Green on March 15th – 17th
FREE Mini Bucket, Puppy Plushie & Shoe Charms at Lowe’s – Reserve Yours Now
FREE Gutzy Organic Prebiotic Fruit Pouch

Deals:

Home Expressions Reversible Comforters ONLY $20.99 (Reg $50)
JCPenney Home Sale – Up to 50% Off + Extra 30% Off w/ Coupon
National Pi Day Deals You Can Score on March 14th – Today
One Day Sale – Up to 60% Off Sitewide at Macy’s

3/8/2025 Weekly Freebies and Deals

Abby H.

There is a whole smattering of freebies and deals this week! And I’ve updated my list of freebies for birthdays in 2025, which you can find here.

My comprehensive list can be found here if you are looking for free food resources.  It is focused on San Diego County, but additional resources are outside my area.

Let’s get onto the Freebies!!

FREEBIES:

FREE Products with Fur Buddies – New Mission
Free Amazon Prime for Students for 6 Months
FREE Full-Size BONKERS Purrpops Cat Treats
FREE Glade PlugIns Air Freshener Warmer After Walmart Cash
T-Mobile Tuesdays – FREE Large Slurpee at 7-Eleven, FREE Chicken Sandwich at Wendy’s, 30% off Crocs & More
FREE Movie Ticket to Brothers After War
FREE National Park Pass for 4th Graders
FREE Sample of La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Dark Spot Serum
FREE Leprechaun Lemonade at Raising Cane’s
FREE Pair of Avia Running Sneakers at Walmart After Cash Back
FREE Febreze Fabric Refresher After Walmart Cash
FREE Bulgari Cologne Au The Vert Fragrance Sample
FREE Sample of TEMPTATIONS Cat Treats
Free Creed Millesime Imperial Fragrance Sample
FREE Hartz Delectables Squeeze Up Treats or Oinkies Tender Dog Treats
FREE e.l.f. Blemish Breakthrough Stick It to Zits Pimple Patches
Prime Members Score GrubHub+ FREE ($120 Value a Year)
FREE Duracell Batteries at Office Depot & Office Max
FREE 2025 Defend the Flock Chicken Calendar
FREE $10 for Signing up for JCPenney Rewards
FREE Sample of Grown Alchemist Restorative Hand Cream
FREE Velveeta Queso Blanco Dip Chatterbuy Kit
FREE Cone Day at Dairy Queen on March 20th
FREE NeilMed Sinus Rinse Kit or NasaFlo Neti Pot
FREE Medium Fries at McDonalds – Every Friday
FREE Copy of the Jiffy Mix Recipe Booklet

 

DEALS:

Women’s Clothing Clearance at JCPenney – Some as Low as $2.99!
Kohl’s Cash Ultimate Giveaway – Starts TODAY March 7th
Amazon No-Rush Credits: How to Use Amazon Digital Rewards Effectively
Free Sandwich at Arby’s with Any Purchase
Buy 3, Get 3 FREE Bath & Body Works Body, Skin, & Hair Care
Easter Basket Filler Items from $0.60 – Cheaper Than Dollar Tree

Fetch Rewards: 4000 Points for Every Referral through 3/12/2025!

Abby H.

Woo Hoo! Fetch Rewards is hooking us up with points out the wazoo! Earn an extra 4,000 points when you invite a friend to Fetch and they snap a receipt. Head to the app and share your referral code now through 3/12/2025!

Signing up is quick and easy if you aren’t already using Fetch Rewards! You learn more when you check out my post here. Find the Fetch Rewards app in your app store, and when you download it and scan any receipt, use my code ND2TB when you sign up, and you’ll score 2,000 bonus points. I scan all of my receipts (grocery, mass merchandiser, gas receipts, restaurants, you name it) and take advantage of extra point offers- the points really rack up!

For you to qualify for the increased referral bonus, your friends must enter your referral code and complete a valid receipt now through 11:59 PM CDT on 3/12/2025. After 11:59 PM CDT on 3/12/2025, the referral bonus will expire.

2025 Birthday Freebies

Abby H.2 Comments

My birthday was last month, and I did score some pretty good freebies. Not as many as years past, but I’ve been really busy with work and kids.

If you are on the hunt for birthday freebies, one suggestion is to search “Birthday Freebies” + your state. One of my favorite places to look is MySavings. Their Freebies on Your Birthday list is pretty long. There are a lot of great options for those of you outside of California.

For those in CA, OR, FL, NY, SC, AZ, WA, and NV,  check out eBirthdayClub. There are TONS of great freebies on this site.

Non-food Birthday Goodies:

  • Members of the Cost Plus World Market Explorers program get a surprise birthday gift, among other perks; you will also get a 10% off coupon upon enrollment.
  • Torrid– Members of the DivaStyle Club will receive $10 off their next purchase of $10+
  • Dave & Buster’s: $10 in free gameplay for those in the D&B Rewards Club.
  • Free goodies at Sephora (It changes every year)
  • DSW Shoe Warehouse – $5 off birthday coupon
  • Hot Topic-  Hot Topic Rewards members receive a $5 coupon for your birthday every year.

Free Food Birthday Goodies:

  • Red Robin:  FREE burger on your birthday and all the latest Red Robin news.
  • Starbucks – Download their app and get a free birthday handcrafted beverage of your choice on your birthday only.
  • Denny’s: Free Grand Slam for your Birthday. They also email out other freebies and coupons.
  • Dunkin Donuts Birthday Club will kick down with a free coffee.
  • Bj’s Brewhouse– Rewards members receive a free Pizookie for their birthday.
  • Jersey Mike’s: Free Sub for your Birthday! (No matter what you read online, there is no Subway or Submarina birthday Freebies- Those deals are DEAD)
  • Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt: When you sign up for a Smile-age Account, you’ll score a free Fro Yo for your B-day!  (I love Menchie’s!)
  • Nothing Bundt Cakes: Join their email list and receive a FREE Bundlet on your Birthday. (look for the link at the bottom of their website)
  • Sbarro Rewards Club: Free piece of pizza for your birthday when you purchase a drink. You’ll also get a coupon for a free slice when you sign up.
  • Bruegger’s Bagels gives you three free bagels for your birthday. SCORE! Our family eats tons of bagels, so this is a sweet deal.
  • Mary’s Donuts– East County peeps know what I’m talking about! Free drink and TWO Donuts! 
  • Habit Burger Grill’s CharClub Score a free Charburger on your birthday.
  • Panera– Sign up for MyPanera and get a free pastry or sweet on your birthday.
  • Buffalo Wild Wings- Sign up for Blazin’ Rewards to get six free birthday wings during your birth month
  • Cinnabon- Download their app and sign up for Cinnabon Rewards to get a free iced coffee on your birthday and a free order of BonBites for signing up.
  • Edible Arrangements- Join Edible Rewards to receive a birthday reward (it varies).

And as always-

There are tons of other birthday freebie lists, but they may include offers that are not available here or may include stuff that I don’t consider worth it (like a free Rice Krispy treat when you buy an entree that’s $10+, looking at you Noodles & Co.  That’s a hard pass from me, or the Aveda “freebie”- pay $10 and receive a product valued at $23+… No thanks.)

Another deal that everyone and their mama go nuts about is Benihana Japanese Restaurant – a complimentary meal up to $30 when you purchase an Adult meal at Regular Price (You must sign up for The Chef’s Table club). This used to be a FREE meal, no strings attached, but it has changed to basically a BOGO. That’s a no-go for me, but it may still get you excited.

I have not included Ulta in my list because you have to make a purchase the year previous (and it needs to be a certain amount- I’ve been told different amounts by various Ulta Employees, anywhere from $5-$50), so for me, that’s not a freebie. If I have to buy something to receive something, that’s a BOGO deal.

Remember to read the fine print for these offers. Most of them are for adults, ages 18+ (19 in some states). Some offers require the coupon/offer to be printed out, and for some, you can just show your phone.