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Dream Dinners La Mesa: Heart Health Workshop & Dinner

Abby H.

Dream Dinners La Mesa has an awesome upcoming Heart Healthy Workshop! Presented in partnership with Wellness Workshop by Sonia’s Healthy Corner and featuring dinner provided by Dream Dinners.

February 27th, 6:00 pm
at La Mesa Dream Dinners

Led by expert nutritionist and Health Coach, Sonia Cervantes from Sonia’s Healthy Corner, this workshop will help you to foster a joyful relationship with food. Learn to love foods that love you back and make your culinary journey a source of pleasure and well-being.

Here’s what you can expect:

  • Practical advice on crafting a heart-healthy diet tailored to your lifestyle
  • Guidance on incorporating superfoods into your meals for maximum health benefits
  • Tips for managing portion sizes and making mindful food choices
  • Strategies for enhancing your overall well-being through nutrition

Enjoy a delectable dinner provided by Dream Dinners as you mingle with fellow attendees and soak in all the valuable information shared during the workshop.

Space is limited, so RSVP at your earliest convenience to secure your spot. We can’t wait to see you there and embark on this journey towards a healthier, happier you!

For more information call/text 619-460-6800 or email  lamesaca@dreamdinners.com

La Mesa Dream Dinners: Wellness Workshop!

Abby H.

Our friends at La Mesa Dream Dinners are helping us start 2024 off right! I am excited to share this with you. I love the community at Dream Dinners. Marsi and her team are innovating new ways to eat healthy and save you time!

La Mesa Dream Dinners has teamed up with local nutritionist and Health & Wellness Coach, Sonia Cervantes, CHC to bring you a new Health and Wellness series for 2024. Together, they have curated a series of courses designed to empower you with the knowledge and skills to enhance your well-being. This series encompasses cooking classes and easy meal prep sessions that you can easily replicate at home. Beyond the kitchen, they aim to provide lifelong lessons on positive thinking, intentional planning, and self-care, emphasizing that your family’s health begins with you.

What to Expect in Each Session:

  1. Healthy Tips: Receive valuable insights and tips for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
  2. Interactive Activities: Engage in activities that promote positive thinking and intentional planning.
  3. Cooking Activity: Enjoy a hands-on cooking experience featuring healthy meals. Learn, cook, and savor the delicious results during the class.

Join them on this journey to empower yourself through self-care, community, and nutritious food. They believe that by making small, positive changes in your lifestyle, you can pave the way for a healthier and happier life. Take charge of your well-being, and let’s embark on this transformative experience together!

Sign Up today!!

Your journey to a healthier and more fulfilling life starts here.

For more information, contact La Mesa Dream Dinners call/text 619-460-6800 or email lamessaca@dreamdinners.com

Happy Holidays Y’all!

Abby H.

As you can tell from the lack of blog posts and social media posts/shares lately, I’ve been swamped. Getting ready for time off school for the kids, traveling to visit friends between Christmas and New Year, shopping, helping family, and busting out my end-of-year to-do list has been exhausting.

I did not do a New Year’s Resolution series this year, but I have done them in the past, and you can find that series of articles here. It includes the top ten NYR’s including saving money and getting organized.

I’ve been using a lot of Canva‘s really great templates for my new organizing stuff (Yes I have paper copies- the ADHD folks in my house need the reminders). It’s free and it’s so easy to use. In addition to the organizing sheets, I’ve made pantry and freezer inventory sheets, calendars, stuff for my day job, birthday party invitations, tutorials- Canva is pretty amazing. And it’s free!

 

Have a wonderful holiday season, whatever you celebrate. After the first of the year, there will be a Target Gift Card giveaway!

It’s Soup Season! Southwestern Chowder Recipe

Abby H.

It’s Soup Season y’all! I recently made this soup for the first time after craving something full of veggies, but a little more comforting than a minestrone or Tuscan Sausage soup.

This soup is easy to make and is perfect with cornbread or garlic bread (which many of you know is a staple in my house). I served it with a variety of toppings as well.

Paired with a simple green salad, this is a great fall dinner.

Southwestern Chowder

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons butter or neutral oil (I like Avocado Oil)
  • 1 cup diced onions
  • 1/2 cup peeled and diced carrots
  • 1/2 cup diced celery
  • 2 cups potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces- I used red-skinned potatoes and left the skin on, but if you use russets or Yukon gold (basically any brown-skinned potato), peel them.
  • 1 15 oz. can of corn or 2 cups of frozen corn
  • 1 small can Ortega chilis
  • 2 cups chicken, cut up into bite-sized pieces (leftover rotisserie chicken is great for this or use leftover Turkey!)
  • 4 cups Chicken Stock or Bone Broth
  • 1 can of evaporated milk
  • 1 bay leaf
  • garlic powder, salt, pepper

Directions:

  1. In a large stock pot, saute onions, carrots, and celery in butter/oil over medium, until onions are translucent.
  2. Add in bay leaf, potatoes, corn, and stock/broth.
  3. Cook over medium/low, with the lid on the pot for about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender.
  4. Add in all remaining ingredients and simmer, stirring occasionally for 15-20 minutes.
  5. Add salt, pepper, and garlic to taste/as needed throughout the simmering.
  6. Ladle into bowls and top with cheese crisps, tortilla strips, sour cream, chives, hot sauce (your choice)
  7. Serve with bread of your choice.

Serves 6-8.

Notes:

  • This soup freezes well, and is great for potlucks!
  • If you prefer your chowder thicc, add 1/2-3/4 cup of potato flakes to the soup and stir to combine about 5 minutes before serving.
  • This Soup is naturally gluten-free.
  • To make this recipe vegan, use vegetable broth, omit butter (sub in oil), use plant-based faux chicken, like this from Sweet Earth), and use plant-based milk or cream in place of evaporated milk. I’ve heard good things about Cashew Cream.

Here are a few of my favorite cheese crisps:
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Score a Free Dinner From Dream Dinners!

Abby H.

As you are all aware,  Dream Dinners is one of my favorite ways to save time and get tasty, healthy meals on the table in 45 minutes or less!

If you haven’t tried Dream Dinners yet, now is the perfect time! They have lowered their minimum orders to three meals, and new customers can score a free dinner. When you order 3 or more dinners, they get a free medium Cashew Chicken and Noodles with code SHARE at checkout.

There are over 70 Dream Dinners locations throughout the US, but if you don’t live close to one, fret not! There is a deal for you as well! New Guests can get free shipping on their first box of 4 medium dinners as a special offer just for you. Use this code at checkout: FREESHIP.

 

November 2023: 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 it’s full-size products, not just a tiny sample.

Social Nature has rounded up available products 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:

  • Sunflower Nut Butter by Wild Friends
  • Kids’ Juice Drinks (4-Pack) by PLEZi (We tried these recently- they are really tasty)
  • Organic Mac & Cheese by Jovial Foods
  • Barley Milk by Golden Wing

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.

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

FTC Disclosure: As with some offers I post, I receive payments for clicks, purchases, and/or registrations made through affiliate links in this post.

2023 California Climate Credit- Savings on Your October Utility Bill!

Abby H.

It’s that time again! On your April California Utility Bill (Which includes PG&E, SCE, SDG&E, Bear Valley, Liberty, and Pacific Power), you will receive a California Climate Credit. For SDG&E customers, the amount is $60.70.

The California Climate Credit is part of California’s efforts to fight climate change. This credit is from the California Cap-and-Trade Program, which requires power plants, fuel providers, and large industrial facilities that emit greenhouse gases to buy carbon pollution allowances. The credit is designed to help utility customers during the transition to a low-carbon future.

Given the increase in natural gas prices, the CPUC accelerated the distribution of gas and electric climate credits for 2023 to provide some winter bill relief to customers.

This year, SDG&E® customers received their gas climate credit in February and their electric climate credits in March and October. The credits show up on your utility bill these three months as the “California Climate Credit.”

And if you are looking for more ways to save energy and money, check out Ohm Connect! We’ve been using Ohm Connect for 5+ years and we’ve saved thousands of dollars on our power bill, and earned thousands of dollars in gift cards and cash via PayPal!

Italian Meatball Soup Recipe

Abby H.

I posted about this soup earlier in the week on Instagram. It’s easy to make and is super filling. The best part is that you can make it as simple or elevated as you want, and as your budget allows

If you like to make everything from scratch, make your own meatballs and tomato soup. On a financial or time budget- use premade. I double-checked and all ingredients are available at Dollar Tree, so even the tightest budget can try it!

Italian Meatball Soup

Ingredients:

  • 8-12 meatballs (I used these Smithfield Power Bites)
  • 1 can/jar Tomato Basil Soup (I used Rao)
  • 1 14.5oz can salt-free diced tomatoes
  • 6 Oz (half of a 12 oz. bag) frozen onion and pepper blend (I used my slap chopper to make the onions and peppers much smaller pieces)
  • 1T butter or oil
  • 1T minced garlic 
  • 2T chopped sun-dried tomatoes and 1T of the oil 
  • 1c. pasta shape of your choice (I used medium shells)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • parmesan cheese

Directions:

  1. In a deep pot, warm oil and saute the frozen onion and pepper until the onions are translucent and fragrant about 10-15 minutes.
  2. Add in garlic, and sundried tomatoes and it’s oil and stir frequently, until garlic is fragrant.
  3. Add in the soup, bay leaf, meatballs (mine were frozen), and canned tomatoes.
  4. Allow soup to cook covered on medium/low for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Pour uncooked pasta into soup, turn to low, and cover again. cook on low for about 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf and serve.
  6. Top each serving with parmesan cheese as desired.

This recipe makes 4-6 servings. It can be easily doubled or tripled.

Tips:

  • It freezes well also.
  • It can be made vegan or vegetarian. Use vegan/vegetarian meatballs and soup.
  • GLUTEN FREE: Substitute GF Meatballs and Pasta

It’s Souptember- Soup Recipe Round up!

Abby H.

It’s September! Cooler weather is ahead- and while it’s still hot here, I’m ready for soup. To celebrate Souptember, here are just a few of my favorite soup recipes:

Family Recipe: Albondigas (Meatball Soup)
 Veggie Cheese Tortellini Soup
Crockpot Chili Recipe 
Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Broccoli Cheese Soup
Colonial Chowder
Veggie Soup 
Chicken Fajitas Soup 
Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup
Potato Cheese Soup
Hearty Veggie Soup
Chicken Tortellini Soup
Veggie Tuscan Soup
Homemade Chicken Soup
Zuppa Tuscana Soup CopyCat Recipe
Chicken Corn Chowder
Roasted Onion and Caramelized Onion Bisque
Butternut Squash Bisque
Beef Stew
Harvest Veggie Ravioli Soup

 

San Diego, CA-Upcoming Dream Dinners Cooking Class!

Abby H.

This landed in my inbox last night, and I thought I’d share it. With Summer Break coming up, I’ll be leaning on Dream Dinners a few times a week to get us through the summer for those days we are busy.

I don’t get paid when school is out (surprise- teachers and school staff don’t draw a paycheck over the summer months unless they work summer school or opt to spread their paychecks out over 12 months- and some districts don’t offer this), so I really need to be cost-conscious over the summer. Dream Dinners is a great way to have restaurant-quality meals in the comfort of our home for 50% (or more) savings compared to restaurant prices.

And the June Dream Dinners Menu has a bunch of my family’s favorites- Mongolian Beef & Broccoli with White Rice (my fav), and Spinach and Artichoke Ravioli Bake (The kids’ fav) were the top two on my list.

FREE* Dream Dinners Cooking Class

Thursday, June 8th at 5:30

Learn how easy it can be to make Dream Dinners at home. During the class learn how to prepare quick, easy healthy, and delicious meals. In this class, you will learn basic cooking skills you can use to make all types of different meals at home. Save time, save money, and have fun!!

This Month’s Featured Entrée will be the Nashville Chicken served with Summer Grilled Veggies.

Sign up for June 8th Class Here

Call/Text 619-460-6800 for more information. La Mesa Dream Dinners will begin offering a series of cooking classes each month. To stay up to date on our classes, go to lamesadreamdinners.com.

 

* No Fee for class, Minimum Purchase required – 3 meals.