food

December 2022: 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 get probably 1-2 products to sample each month. And most of the time it’s full-size products, not just a tiny sample.

Social Nature has rounded up products that are available to try at a local grocery store or mass merchandiser near you.  Apply to Try the products that interest you to see if you’re a match here.

Here are some of the new sampling opportunities:

      • Lactose-Free Sour Cream by Green Valley Creamery
      • Specialty Nut Butters by Wild Friends
      • Sustainable Dog Treats by Shameless Pets
      • Veggie Pasta by Veggiecraft Farms
      • Dips & Spreads by Litehouse
      • Fresh Frozen Dog Food by Nom Nom

And More!

And one of the things I love about Social Nature is that they don’t leave our friends with food allergies out.

There are sampling offers for Gluten-free, nut-free, and meat-free foods frequently.

Canadian Friends- You are in luck, there are sampling opportunities for you too! So if you love trying new products, check out Social Nature!

12/16/2022 Friday Freebies and Deals

Abby H.

I have some pretty exciting news coming up next week. It’s going to change some behind-the-scenes stuff for the blog.

Christmas and Hannukah are next week, and I know a lot of you have already started your New Years Resolutions, including how to save money. I’ll be posting a series of articles starting next week!

Don’t forget all of the 2022 Birthday Freebies! Make sure to check this article out and sign up for birthday freebies at least 2-3 weeks before your birthday. I will be updating for 2023 mid- January.

Freebies:

Free Tootsie Roll Pops at Select Stores
Free Custom Tabby Alert Pet ID Tags
Free Redbox DVD Rental
Free or Nearly Free Bottle of Wine
Verizon Up Rewards – Free $25 Verizon Gift Card
Free Stitch Your Own Penguin Pillow at JCPenney
Free Nina Ricci Fleur Fragrance Sample
Free Wildwonder Sparkling Drink After Rebate
Free Fixodent Sample
Free Snowball Game from Home Depot
Free Erborian CC Cream
Free 9oz Bag of Orgaanika Coffee
Free Glade Product
Free Element Eight Face Cream
Free Sample of Truvia Natural Sweetener
Free Sample of Seomou Moisturizing Face Mask
Free Energize Energy Pills
Free Sample of Downy Unstopables at Sam’s
30 Free Disney Movie Insiders Points
Free Ithaca Squeeze Hummus after Rebate

Deals:

Free Medium Fries w/ Any $1 Purchase at McDonalds – Every Friday
Austin 4-Piece Hardside Luggage Set ONLY $99.99 (Reg $300)
Victoria’s Secret 40% OFF Sitewide + Shipping Deadline
Kate Spade Tinsel Flap Crossbody 79% Off
Kate Spade Flash Glitter Crossbody ONLY $59 (Reg $279)
Kate Spade – Up to 75% Off + Last Day FREE Shipping Deadline
Save up to 70% Off Boots at DSW + Free Shipping
Kohl’s 60% Off + Last Chance to Order in Time for Christmas
Coach Outlet 70% Off + 20% Off & Free Shipping in Time
Famous Footwear BOGO 50% Off & Last Chance Free Shipping
Last Day to Order – 2022 Christmas Gift Shipping Deadlines
Today ONLY: $3.97 Women’s Holiday T-Shirt at Old Navy

Coupons & Samples from Betty Crocker and General Mills!

Abby H.

If you are like me, one of the ways you save money is with printable coupons and free samples. I love free samples because they usually come with high-value coupons.

If you love to bake, check out these sweet offers from Betty Crocker and Pillsbury! Get exclusive coupons (up to $250 per year in savings), access to free samples (quantities limited – one per member), the hottest recipes, and more.

12/12/2022 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgI’m pausing our  Yasukochi Family Farms CSA box subscription until January as we have a lot going on, and I’m having a hard time cooking all the veggies each week.

Over the weekend I made roasted veggies using Urban Accents Veggie Roaster seasoning blends. I use the Citrus pepper for green beans, and carrots, Italian Squash, and onions. For the baby Brussels Sprouts I use the Balsamic Onion kit. 

I also made spiced apple sauce, which is a kid favorite.

We’ll be having those throughout the week with our dinners.

I cleaned out the fridge and reorganized the freezer, and this really helped me see what we have on hand.

We’ve been trying a lot of new foods lately, thanks to the really great freebies from Social Nature lately too. It’s fun to try new foods.

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 try to update it after every shopping trip), so I’m able to plan meals and use up what we’ve got with little waste.

I only post our dinner plans for the week, because our other meals are usually the same each day.

Breakfast: Coffee with 1/2 and 1/2  for me, and pancakes or something along those lines for the kids. They are also into fruit and bagels for breakfast. Lately, the big kid has been digging protein shakes in the morning. This is his favorite kind. 

Lunch: I have a plastic tote in the cupboard full of self-serve snacks. I buy treats and snacks in bulk and fill up snack-sized zip-top bags. The big kid brings his lunch from home every day and the littlest buys her lunch at school about half the time. In California, all public schools provide breakfast and lunch for free.

Dinner: This week looks to be on the slower side, but we’ve still got a lot of holiday fun stuff going on. It’s cold here at night (for California), so I’m turning the oven on to make dinner with greater frequency.

  • Monday: Chicken Pot Pie (recipe later this week), roasted veggies

  • Tuesday:  Baked mac and cheese, Spiced Apple Sauce

  • Wednesday: Nuggets, fruit, crackers, and cheese (the typical Wednesday night dinner)

  • Thursday:  Shakshuka, Sourdough toast, fruit salad

  • Friday: Takeout night!
  • Saturday: Breakfast for dinner (egg and veggie scramble, toast, fruit salad)
  • Sunday:  Leftovers

Free Food Resources for December 2022(San Diego County)

Abby H.

A new month means a reminder about all of the free food options there is here in San Diego County.

Because of the upcoming holidays, you may notice that some locations will be advertising additional distributions or special Thanksgiving or Winter Holiday meal giveaway events. As information about these events becomes available, I will be sharing them.

Keep in mind there are still supply chain issues, so there may not be a lot of food at some distributions, especially those that serve a large portion of the community.

I recommend showing up a little early with a bottle of water and a book and waiting in line. Time passes quickly in these lines, and it’s a great time to learn from others about community food options. Remember to socially distance and follow local masking regulations.

You can find resources here for Central and East County, and Here for North County.

The Rock Church, which has many locations all over San Diego County has a food and diaper pantry distribution at many of its locations throughout the month. More info can be found here.

Our friends at Faith Chapel are super ahead of the game and sent out information regarding their 2022 food distributions early on in the year.

If you are located outside San Diego County, call 211. If you are not familiar with 211, here is their website and it can point you in the right direction.

San Diego Food Bank Distributions for December 2022 can be found here. Enter your address (or just your zip code) and the map will show you all of the distributions in your area or closest to you. You can filter by the days of the week to find food when you are available. If there is an income requirement/limit to participate, each location/listing will say such. You can learn more here about the Feeding San Diego Together Tour.

Neighbor distributions are intermixed with the San Diego Food Bank Distributions, however, they have no income requirements, and you come as you are. These Distributions are primarily fruits & veg, however, some locations may also distribute canned goods, dairy, and bread.

If you know of other resources, please leave a comment! And feel free to share this post with anyone you may know in need.

11/29/2022 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgOur  Yasukochi Family Farms CSA box arrived yesterday and it’s a jumbo this week. I spent a lot of time roasting veggies last night.

We’re having a lot of veggie-based meals this week to make as much of our CSA box as possible.

We’ve been trying a lot of new foods lately, thanks to the really great freebies from Social Nature lately too. It’s fun to try new foods.

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 try to update it after every shopping trip), so I’m able to plan meals and use up what we’ve got with little waste.

I only post our dinner plans for the week, because our other meals are usually the same each day.

Breakfast: Coffee with 1/2 and 1/2  for me, and pancakes or something along those lines for the kids. They are also into fruit and bagels for breakfast. Lately, the big kid has been digging protein shakes in the morning. This is his favorite kind. 

Lunch: I have a plastic tote in the cupboard full of self-serve snacks. I buy treats and snacks in bulk and fill up snack-sized zip-top bags. The big kid brings his lunch from home every day and the littlest buys her lunch at school about half the time. In California, all public schools provide breakfast and lunch for free.

Dinner: This week is packed as far as appointments, so I’m leaning on stuff that’s easy and tasty. I prepped fruits and veg over the weekend and made up the last Dream Dinner and portioned it into lunch-sized servings.

  • Monday: Chicken Tetrazzini, roasted veggies

  • Tuesday:  Breakfast sandwiches (eggs, cheese, sausage), fried potatoes with onions and peppers, fruit salad

  • Wednesday: Nuggets, fruit, crackers, and cheese (the typical Wednesday night dinner)

  • Thursday:  Baked pasta, salad

  • Friday: Takeout night!
  • Saturday: Potato Cheese Soup.  Best Salad Ever, garlic bread
  • Sunday:  Leftovers

Give the Gift of the Farm with the Yasukochi Family Farms Black Friday Sale!

Abby H.

On Tuesday I posted about practical gifts for busy families. Little did I know that Yasukochi Family Farms was having a sale this weekend!

This is an amazing sale!

This sale is only good today, FRIDAY, 11/25, and ends on Sunday, 11/27! To learn more or order, check out their website.

One month of CSA Boxes your choice of regular box or Jumbo box. and 1 bottle of olive oil. I love this olive oil, it’s the best I’ve tried.

I get a Regular sized box each week, and it’s good for a family of 4 or smaller. A Jumbo-sized Box is perfect for larger families or for families that are vegetarians or vegans.

 

11/25/2022 Friday Freebies and Deals

Abby H.

I’ve been busy this week with family stuff, the kids being off school, and getting posts up about upcoming deals (and some yummy recipes too).

Don’t forget all of the 2022 Birthday Freebies! Make sure to check this article out and sign up for birthday freebies at least 2-3 weeks before your birthday.

 

Freebies:

Free Rise Brewing Co. Nitro Cold Brew Coffee
Free CHKP Plant-Based Yogurt After Rebate
Free Garnier Whole Blends Products
Free Valvoline Patches, Cards, Stickers & More
Free Tena Sample Kits
Free Red Clay Hot Sauce or Hot Honey After Rebate
Free Bag of Daily Crunch After Rebate
Free Nature Mary’s Bath Teas Sample
25 Free Disney Movie Insiders Points
Free Jazz Bath: The Bath Bomb Sessions CD
Free Jean Paul Gaultier Le Beau Fragrance Sample
Free Sample of EltaMD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF46
Free SiriusXM Listening Event
Free Macy’s Fragrance Samples
Free Jimmy Choo I Want Choo Forever Fragrance Sample
Free Sadler’s Smokehouse Brisket Burnt Ends or Pulled Chicken
Free ASPCA Pet Safety Magnet & Window Decal
10,000 Free Marvel Insider Points
Free HBO, Cinemax, Starz, Showtime & Epix Channels Preview
Play Star Citizen for Free

Repurposing Leftovers: Turkey Soup!

Abby H.

Leftover Turkey. It’s coming. Here is my favorite way to repurpose leftovers and make a really yummy soup.

The best part is that you can add anything you’ve got left over and it’s yummy.

Turkey Soup

Ingredients:

  • 8-10 cups of turkey stock (I use the recipe here and substitute the turkey for chicken)
  • 4-ish cups of leftover turkey chopped into bite-size pieces
  • 2-3 cups of leftover roasted veggies (Or if you don’t have any: 2 carrots, peeled and chopped, 2 ribs celery, chopped, 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces)
  • 1-2 cups turkey gravy (optional, but makes the soup thick and richer)
  • Optional, but yummy: 1 cup uncooked Noodles/pasta. I like Rotini or Elbow Macaroni.

Directions:

  1. In a large stock pot, add stock, meat, and veggies. Simmer on medium until the soup has reached a gentle boil, and if using fresh veggies the veggies are fork tender.
  2. Add in noodles/pasta, and allow to simmer 10-ish minutes, until pasta is cooked.
  3. Now it’s gravy time. Gently pour in the gravy, and bring the soup to a gentle boil, stirring frequently.
  4. Serve soup immediately. It’s really good topped with reheated leftover stuffing/dressing.

This soup reheats well and can be frozen for future meals.

How to Repurpose Thanksgiving Leftovers

Abby H.
Everyone loves leftovers!

At this point, your 2022 Thanksgiving Meal is already cookin’. And if your dinner is anything like ours, there are leftovers. Lots and lots of leftovers. Which, don’t get me wrong is great, but, after a few days, you may get tired of eating leftovers.

Here are a few ways you can repurpose your Thanksgiving leftovers and make something tasty (and different).

1- Let’s start with the star of the show- The Bird.  I recommend taking the carcass and a few cups of meat (I use dark meat) and make stock. Here is my basic recipe, substitute the rotisserie chicken in the recipe for your turkey. And the best part is that you can do it in the crockpot overnight! Once you have a rich stock, you can make- SOUP! I’ll have a great Turkey Soup recipe up in a bit.

When packing up leftovers, I cut all of the remaining meat up, so there aren’t HUGE CHUNKS. This makes the meat easy to serve for future meals.

2- Gravy. Don’t ditch the leftover gravy! I add my leftover gravy to my Turkey Soup. Admittedly, I make a lot (8 cups+) of gravy.  Not a thick soup fan?

  • It’s turkey pie time! It’s a take on shepherd’s pie.  Take 1 cup of gravy, 2-3 cups of bite-size pieces of turkey, and 1 cup of frozen carrots and peas (or if you have leftover veggies from dinner). Mix all together, and pour into a greased baking dish. Then, top with 2-3 cups of leftover mashed potatoes. Cover with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes. I like to top with 1/2 cup of sharp cheddar cheese about 10 minutes before it’s done, remove the foil, and allow the cheese to melt and get all bubbly.

3-Mashed Potatoes. Don’t ditch the taters, they have lots of life in leftovers! In addition to the turkey pie above, Mashed potato cakes are a good choice, and they are super easy to make!

  • Mashed Potato Cakes start with 2 cups mashed potatoes, 1 egg, 1 cup AP flour, 1/2 c grated or minced onion, salt, and pepper. Mix all of these ingredients together and form into patties. Fry the patties in 1 cup oil (your choice), drain on paper towels prior to serving. If you like cheese, add 1/2 cup cheese of your choice.  These are great for breakfast with eggs.

4- Cranberry Sauce/Jelly. I like topping toasted leftover rolls with it, or putting it on toast. It’s also good on turkey sandwiches. Thirsty Whale has a great cocktail recipe using Cranberry Sauce.

Talk Back: How do you repurpose your holiday leftovers?