food

San Diego, CA Area Consumer Research Project Earn $150!

Abby H.

This is a brand new study- I got this email earlier this evening, and I have to share it.  I’ve never done a study with this company before, but it looks super fun!

Open to: San Diego Residents – Local to Oceanside (20 miles)

Focus Group Connection is looking for Men and Women to participate in an In-Person Focus Group. This study will take place at local restaurants in Oceanside CA.

 

This will be a unique study where the discussion will take place at 2 different restaurants. The interviewer will meet you at the restaurant. It will be a fun discussion, but you will be asked to taste alcoholic beverage for the purpose of research.

Due to this, they are asking that you travel to the 1st restaurant using a ride-share or dropped off by a friend or family member. From restaurant 1 to restaurant 2 they will have you ride as a team via bus and you are required to Uber home following restaurant 2. In addition to the incentive, meals, drinks, and any paid ride service (bus, uber) will be paid for also. They will ask you to invite two friends also. All of you must be willing to consume alcoholic beverages. Each of you will be paid $150.00 for your time and insights.

If you’re interested in participating, please click the link below to fill in the pre-screen here. 

Please note – Not everyone will qualify to participate and not everyone will receive a call-back.

 

Family Recipe: Making Your Own Cordials and Liqueurs

Abby H.

I love making cordial and liqueurs. I’ve been making them for over 20 years, and they can take a little time and effort, but I promise you the end result is definitely worth it.

A few weeks ago I posted on Instagram about a cherry cordial that I had just started.

I know a lot of people think of cherry cordial they think of those Queen Anne’s chocolates with the goo in the middle and the maraschino cherry. And I promise you this is not that.

Ingredients/Supplies:

750ml (aka a fifth) bottle of mid-grade vodka or brandy. I like vodka because it usually doesn’t have any flavor of its own or has a very mild flavor. You want mid-grade because you want something that tastes ok on its own, but isn’t too cheap or too expensive.

3lbs. Fresh, Ripe Fruit– I prefer cherries, strawberries, pineapple, chopped into bite-sized pieces. With cherries, poke holes in the cherries with a knife, or if you have a cherry pitter, pit your cherries(not necessary, but it’s cool). You can use most fruit, stone fruits are great! The only two that I’ve made that turned out gross were banana and kiwi.

Sweetener- About 1 cup, but it can vary based on your desired level of sweetness. See below.

A clean jar with a screw-on lid. I washed my mason jar (this size) in the dishwasher.

Directions:

Before you start: It is crucial that you wash and dry the jar and both pieces of the lid (band and flat lid). Everything needs to be clean and free of bacteria- otherwise, this can turn funky.

  1. Pack the fruit into the jar, and pour alcohol over the fruit. The fruit needs to all be covered by the liquor. Why? Otherwise, the fruit will rot. Ewww.
  2. Screw the lid on tightly and place the jar in a cool dry place- I use the cupboard over the fridge. Give it a shake about once a month. After about 6 months, give it a taste. It may need to sit for up to a year to fully develop the full fruit flavor.  Sometimes the alcohol will leech the color from the fruit. This usually happens with strawberries.
  3. Once the fruit flavor is imparted to your liking, strain the solids off, press the excess liquid from the fruit and discard the solids.
  4. Wash and dry the jar and lid. Add the liquid back to the jar and sweeten as desired. I use simple syrup, but you can use honey or straight white sugar. I like simple syrup because it easily incorporates with the liquid. Whereas if you use honey or plain straight white sugar, you can end up with the sweetener sinking to the bottom and not fully incorporating. I start with a 1/4 cup, mix, taste, and adjust as needed.
  5. Allow this mixture to mellow and age at least 6 weeks. At this point, your fruit liqueur/cordial is ready to drink!

How do I drink Cherry Cordial? Usually with coke, but it’s good with all sorts of mixers. It also makes a great gift!

My next liqueur recipe will be for my award-winning Irish Cream. This stuff puts Bailey’s to shame! I’ll post it later this week.

8/9/2021 Weekly Meal Plan!

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpg9 days until school starts. I need to get on the stick and head over to JCP and get the kids some socks and scour the mark down sections. They both need shorts, and unfortunately, most stores already have cold weather clothes out. We won’t be ready for those for a few months.

Over the weekend I picked up half a share from Porchlight- My friend Brooke split a share with me, and it’s honestly the best month spent. We got all kinds of great food, definitely more than a weeks worth.

And I’ve been getting a lot of really great freebies from Social Nature lately too. It’s fun to try new foods.

I also went out to the Hillcrest Farmers Market yesterday and met Farmer Donald from Yasukochi Family Farns. I picked up some amazing strawberries, watermelon, corn, green beans, and brocolli. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen my meal prep pics yesterday. If you are looking for an amzing deal on produce, check out their CSA box!

Veggies and fruit are delivered by Yasukochi Family Farms CSA. For $25, it’s a great deal. I don’t have to pick anything, go to the store, or carry it upstairs. I can’t go to the store and get the same amount we get weekly for $25. Seriously. It’s a deal. I spend about an hour on Monday afternoon cleaning and prepping veggies for the rest of the week.

I meal prepped a bunch of fruit, veggies, and rice yesterday. I also cleaned out the fridge and re-arranged the freezer. We are all set for the week. I chose easy to cook meals that don’t require the oven. We are expected to have temps in the 90’s for most of this 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 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. If you are looking for a kitchen inventory printable, I have made my own and you can find them for sale here on my Etsy Store.

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. The Ancient Grain bagels from Einstein Bros. are the current family favorite. I pikc them up on Mondays when a dozen is only $7. I slice them and freeze them to keep them from going bad too quickly.

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 kids are digging leftovers from dinner, or quesadillas.

Dinner: 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.

  • Sunday: Chicken Chili over rice, beans, veggies
  • Monday: Fritatta, watermelon, sourdough toast
  • Tuesday:  Pesto Ravioli, garlic bread, roasted veg
  • Wednesday:  Nugget night: Nuggets, crackers, cheese, fruit
  • Thursday: Waffles, eggs, fruit
  • Friday:  Takeout Night
  • Saturday: Leftovers, fruit

Please stay safe you guys!

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

Heads up for Vons, Pavillions, Albertson’s Shoppers!

Abby H.

As I’m sure you’ve noticed, the app has changed and updated, and our familiar, beloved app is gone. However, in an email earlier this week, it was announced that there are more changes afoot and they are seemingly positive.

Just for U® is becoming Vons for U (or Pavillions, or Albertsons for U, depending on the store in which you shop). Members get the same great perks plus a whole lot more.

New Perks Include Free Birthday Treat, Free Monthly Items, Easy, All-in-one App!

We’ve been assured that our old favorites will remain, such as Personalized Deals, Earn Points and Redeem Rewards, and Digital Coupons.

To tell you the truth, I haven’t been a big Vons/Albertsons shopper for years as their prices are a lot higher than other stores in our area, but with the freebies that have been offered lately, it’s worth a peek into the app (and store).

Let me know what you think about all of these changes. Will it draw you into the store or keep you a loyal shopper?

8/6/2021 Friday Freebies and Deals

Abby H.

Hey Gang! It’s Friday and that means it’s time for some freebies and deals.

It’s 100% Back to School Season at our house! School starts in 2 weeks and we are knee deep in cleaning out our closets to see what kind of new clothes are needed (socks, the answer is socks), as well as checking backpacks and lunch bags to see what needs to be replaced.

This will be the last week that I post these links, as most of these programs are ending in the next week or so:

If you are looking for birthday freebies, fret not! I put together a list new for 2021- Check it out here.

Most of these freebies and deals are online. I know y’all are vaxxed and ready to party, but I’m trying to keep you safe. Keep up the social distancing with strangers, wash and sanitize your hands, and cover your mouth and nose if you are going to be around strangers. The kids and I still mask up when we go out, and I’ve got hand sanitizer at the ready.

Freebies:

Free Hair Boost Serum
Free Donut Wednesdays at Dunkin
Free Sample of Orgain Protein Powder
Free Bath Bombs
Free Celltrient Cellular Health Supplement Packets
Free Sample of Breathe Right Extra Clear Nasal Strips
Free noops Organic Oatmilk Pudding
Free $5 Off $5 at Ace Hardware = Free Item
Free WaterWipes Sample Pack
Free Ancient Nutrition Bone Broth Protein Chocolate
Free No7 Pure Retinol Night Cream or Eye Cream
Free Sample of CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser
Free School Bus Bookends from Home Depot
Free Marsh Wear Stickers
Free Subscription to Vanity Fair Magazine
Free AHA Sparkling Water For Heat Wave Affected Cities
Free Spotlight Oral Care Whitening Strips Sample
Free Pizookie at BJ’s
Free Subscription to Harper’s Bazaar Magazine
Free Patchology Hero Status Roll Model Roll-On Eye Serum
Free Alpha Foods Breakfast Sandwich
Free Sample of Valentino Voce Viva Fragrance
Free Ocean’s Halo Organic Soy-Free Dressing
Free Sample of Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gio
Free Ellenos Real Greek Yogurt
Free Sample of Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue
Free $5 Target Gift Card with COVID Vaccine
Free Democracy Now Sticker
Free Ayn Rand Novels for Teachers
Free MyHeritage Ancestry Tools

 

Deals:

Ozark Trail Stainless Steel Water Bottle 3-Pk $10.74 (Reg. $35)
Infantino Sensory Balls Blocks & Buddies ONLY $9 (Reg. $25)
Persil 100oz Laundry Detergent ONLY $8.39 Shipped
Play-Doh Builder Ice Cream Stand ONLY $4.99 (Reg. $11)
6-in-1 Happy Rainbows Backpack ONLY $10 (Reg $40)
Disney Minnie Mouse Oh So Chic Floral Festival $8.78 (Reg. $15)
Insulated 24-Can Cooling Lunch Bag ONLY $19.99 (Reg $40)
Home Expressions Cotton Print Duvet Set ONLY $27.99 (Reg $55)
KLUTZ Make Your Own Mini Erasers Toy ONLY $9.63 (Reg. $22)
Calvin Klein Multi-Stripe Dress Socks 4-Pk ONLY $4.96 (Reg $24)
70% Off Draped in Kimonos & Ponchos + Extra 10% Off at Checkout
Claim $10 Cash in the Windex Class Action Settlement
70% Sandals by Dansko + Extra 10% Off at Checkout
3-Person Family Outdoor Waterproof Tent ONLY $24.99 (Reg $57)
Mario Boys Backpack 5-Piece Set ONLY $15.99 (Reg $42)
Paris Minuit 2-Pc Reversible Comforter Set ONLY $29.99 (Reg $80)
Bella Round Nonstick Electric Skillet ONLY $21.99 (Reg $45)
Coach Addie Crossbody ONLY $98.40 (Reg $328)
Gerber Baby Girls’ Flannel Burp Cloths 8-Pk ONLY $6.29 (Reg $18)
Wellue Pulse Oximeter ONLY $20.39 (Reg $60)
65% Off Betsey Johnson + Extra 10% Off at Checkout
$1.00 Personalization on Backpacks & More at ShopDisney
Muk Luks Snake-Embossed Sandals ONLY $9.56 (Reg $40)
4-Tier Slim Storage Rolling Cart ONLY $23.96 (Reg $40)
Kate Spade Patrice Sailing Stripe Satchel ONLY $99 (Reg $359)
EVA Footbed Sandals ONLY $13.49 with Extra 10% Off at Checkout
Nike Shoe Clearance – 50% Off Sneakers & Sandals + Free Shipping
30% Off Coupon for Yankee Candle
50% Off ZOOGS Kids Boots + Extra 10% Off at Checkout
Up to 70% Off Bic Pens on Amazon

Sprouts Farmers Market Monthly Freebies!

Abby H.

Sprouts is hooking us up and helping us stay healthy! Every month on the Sprouts app in the Digital Coupon section, there are between 4-6 free items (they are marked “SAMPLING PROGRAM”).

Quantities are limited on the app, so if you are interested in any of these, I recommend that you add these coupons (by opening the Sprouts app, click on digital coupons, and click on each coupon in the lower corner where the little green circle is) to you app ASAP.

This month the following items are available:

  • Hungry Buddha Triple Chocolate or Lemon Blueberry Bar.
  • Root’d Sparkling MULTI Drink Mix Packet
  • Siete Foods Serrano Sea Salt and Vinegar Potato Chips
  • Kitu Plant-based Super Coffee
  • Lightlike “chicken” Fillets or Tenders
  • Jojo’s Goes Hawaiian Bites

Not all Sprouts locations will stock all of these items. I recommend going to a larger Sprouts location to redeem these offers.

8/1/2021 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgWOO- 17 more days until school starts! Not that I’m counting, but the big kid yesterday was lamenting that it was *still* summer vacation and that we wanted to go back to school.

For the most part, summer lunch distribution is over, and we’re using up coupons and other freebies to stretch our end-of-summer frivolity.

There are a few events that we are going to this week, including this one.

I went to the grocery store on Friday and stocked up on snacks, and we also did a big Costco Trip to stock up on some staples that we were running low on (and a rotisserie chicken, because, YUM).

And I’ve been getting a lot of really great freebies from Social Nature lately too. It’s fun to try new foods.

We are skipping our CSA box this week, we’ve still got a lot left from last week.

Veggies and fruit are delivered by Yasukochi Family Farms CSA. For $25, it’s a great deal. I don’t have to pick anything, go to the store, or carry it upstairs. I can’t go to the store and get the same amount we get weekly for $25. Seriously. It’s a deal. I spend about an hour on Monday afternoon cleaning and prepping veggies for the rest of the week.

I meal prepped over the weekend and got lots of veggies roasted, rice for lunches, and the rotisserie chicken broken down. I may be making some soup this week too.

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. If you are looking for a kitchen inventory printable, I have made my own and you can find them for sale here on my Etsy Store.

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.  The kids are nuts about pancakes. The Big Kid has been on a protein shake kick in the AM.

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 kids are digging leftovers from dinner, or quesadillas.

Dinner: 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.

  • Sunday: Chef Salad (lettuce, spinach, bacon, hardboiled eggs, carrots, corn, leftover roasted veggies)
  • Monday: Chicken Arabiatta, chopped salad, garlic bread
  • Tuesday:  Breakfast for dinner (Pancakes, eggs, fruit)
  • Wednesday:  Nugget night: Nuggets, crackers, cheese, fruit
  • Thursday: Impossible Burger taco salad
  • Friday:  Takeout Night
  • Saturday: Leftovers, fruit

Please stay safe you guys!

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

Free Food Resources for August 2021 (San Diego County)

Abby H.

A new month means that it’s time for the monthly update of free food resources in San Diego.

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

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 August 2021 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.

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.

Super Pantry Locations can be found here (this listing is countywide). The San Diego Foodbank website also has resources for Diaper banks, free food resources for seniors, and more.

Here is my 2021 Free Summer Lunch for kids post. It’s got all sorts of great info on where and when to pick up free lunches for kids all summer long. Most kids start school within the next few weeks, so these distributions are coming to an end.  However, kids will be able to get free lunches at school throughout 2021/2022 school year without having to apply or reside in a low-income home.

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

August 2021: New Month, New Coupons!

Abby H.

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

The printable coupon market is slowly coming to an end. Smartsource no longer offers printable coupons, and you may notice that there are fewer coupon inserts in your Sunday newspaper. This is in favor of more offers available on apps. But if you love printable coupons….

  • Coupons.com (printable coupons, e-coupons, and a cashback app)

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!

August is back to school time! Deals on School supplies, lunch food, kids clothes, and electronics. Ibotta has a great cashback deal right now on school supplies and lunch food, check my post here. 

For a complete list of types of foods and items that will be on sale, check out this post on the cycle of sales.

Here are a few of my favorite new coupons:


Save $1.00 on ONE (1) DANIMALS® 6pk Smoothies
Save $2.25 on ONE (1) Chameleon Whole Bean Coffee, Ground Coffee, or Cold Brew Concentrates – Shelf stable packs
Save $1.00 on ONE (1) Undercover Snacks 2 oz pack of Quinoa Crisps
Save $1.00 on ANY TWO (2) Clorox® Cleaning or Laundry Products (*excludes $1, trial size and travel size).
Save $1.50 on Any ONE (1) Finish® Quantum® 22ct+, Finish® Max-In-1® 24ct+, Finish® Deep Clean 38ct+ Dishwasher Detergent, Finish® JET-DRY®
Save $2.00 on ANY ONE (1) MAUI MOISTURE® Shampoo or Conditioner (excludes all Travel & Trial Sizes)
Save $1.00 on ANY ONE (1) Garnier® Fructis® shampoo, conditioner, treatment or styling product. (exclusions apply)

Free School Lunches for ALL California Students 2021-2022 School Year!

Abby H.

I read about this last week, got busy, and forgot to share this!

The state of California is joining cities like Chicago and Boston in offering free school lunches and breakfasts to students.  Previously students families had to meet certain income requirements to qualify for discounted or free school meals.

I’m so glad that this is now available to everyone. There are a lot of people who didn’t qualify but are facing food insecurity.

For more information, The NPR acrticle here has some deets. Be on the look out for information coming from your school district in your email or as a flyer in your kids backpack the few day of school.

Santee School District sent out an email earlier this week.