New Recipe: Corn and Avocado Salsa!

I received two ears of corn the other day, and unsure of what to do with them, I left them on the counter with bell pepper, onion, avocado, and tomato and went about my day.

Coming into the kitchen to make lunch, I glanced at my pile o’produce and realized that we had almost everything to make Corn and Avocado Salsa.

This is a quick, simple recipe- Enjoy!

Corn salsa

  • 1 cup fresh corn (removed from the cob with a knife) you can also use frozen corn defrosted
  • 1 bell pepper color of your choice, chopped (I used red)
  • 2 medium-sized tomatoes, de-seeded and chopped
  • 2 FRESH Jalapeños, deseeded, minced
  • 1/2 large onion, chopped (I used a sweet onion, but red/purple onions are tasty too)
  • 1 avocado, chopped
  • 1 14 ounce can of black beans, rinsed and drained
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • Approximately a handful of cilantro, minced (if you are like me and cilantro tastes like soap, use parsley instead)

Directions:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients, stir to combine.
  2. Place in refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours before serving. It’s best if it rests overnight before eating. This gives it time for the flavors to mingle and blend.

This is a very pretty, colorful dish. It is great as salsa or as a salad.  It’s great with chips, as a side, on tacos, in burritos. No lie, I ate some out of the mixing bowl. 10/10, would do it again.

If you don’t like black beans, good substitutes are white beans or pinto beans.

 

 

1/18/2021 Weekly Meal Plan

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgThe kids have off today for MLK Day, so we’re planning some socially distanced shenanigans (shell collecting at the beach, picnic lunch, and picking up our Dream Dinners order). The past few weeks have been so busy, and this week plans to be jam-packed as well.

My friend Brooke recently hosted a Dream Dinner Virtual Party, and I took advantage of one of the deals- 6 dinners (each dinner serves 2-3 adults) for $99.00. I’ll be posting more info and details in the coming weeks, but for those of you who want to meal plan, but don’t know if it’s for you, Dream Dinners is a great resource.

I did my weekly trip to the store yesterday for bread, milk, salad, and ice cream. The kids have requested chocolate chip cookies, I’ll try to make a batch tomorrow.

I’m trying hard to stick to our budget of $100/week for groceries and prepare dinners that are filling and hearty.  It can be a struggle, but I shop sales, discount grocery stores, and use my cashback apps.

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 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.

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.

No school tomorrow, but I think we’ll have a picnic while we’re out and about. The rest of the week it’s 1/2 days for the littlest bit, and full days for the big dude. This afternoon I need to pop over to the store and pick up some lunch goodies. Big kid takes his lunch to school, but little bit has lunch at home after school.

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:  Veggie Burgers on Salad (that’s what we ended up having, I had planned to do smoothies and caulifries too, but nah…)
  • Monday:  Pasta, Salad, and Garlic Bread
  • Tuesday:  Frozen Entrees & Salad
  • Wednesday: Protein shakes/smoothies, toast, and fruit
  • Thursday:  Dream Dinners Meal & Veggies
  • Friday:  Pizza Night!
  • Saturday: Dream Dinners Meal & 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?

New PinchMe Samples Drop 1/19/2021

Sample Tuesday is Coming 1/19/2021- Mark your calendars, set an alarm on your phone!

Don’t have any idea what I am talking about? PinchMe! Join PINCHme and receive free samples that you can provide feedback on.

PinchMe is awesome! Once you are signed up, they will email you reminders when new samples are about to drop, and remind you when it’s time to leave feedback.

Answer a series of questions about your household and shopping habits in the Member Profile. PinchMe learns what you like and offer samples just for you.

Here are the companies participating in the January Sample boxes:

Lumify® Redness Reliever Eye Drops
KübWipes 100% Natural Cotton Dry Wipes
Secret Light & Fresh
Biotrue® Multi-Purpose Solution
Living Proof Curl Trios for Wavy, Curly or Coily Hair
The Inkey List – Succinic Acid Acne Treatment
Heritage Store Rosewater Vinegar
Secret Completely Clean Invisible Solid
Heritage Store Black Castor Oil
Zhou Hairfluence
Heritage Store Rosewater Glycerine
Boiron Acidil® Meltaway Tablet
Ocean Spray Wave™
B1U Infused Water
Impossible™ Burger Patties 100% Free Gratuity Coupon
Life’s Grape Dark Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Classic Vine-Dried Grape Snack Variety Pack
Rascal + Friends Diapers
Hartz Oinkies Long Lasting Chew Bones Wrapped with Real Chicken
Various Purina Products

Once you’ve had a chance to try the samples, complete a short feedback survey to tell PinchMe what you think of the samples.

What are you waiting for? Sign up here and get on the free sample bandwagon! I’ve gotten all kinds of awesome sample/trial size items, as well as full-sized items to try out from PinchMe!

 

1/15/2021 New Coupons!

It’s the middle of January, and if one of your goals for the new year is to save money, check out the coupons below! I’ve been printing and clipping coupons for years (decades really0, and while the coupon values have dwindled over the past few years, I still manage to find some good ones to share with you a few times a month.

I’m all about keeping cash in your pocket!


Save $1.00 On any TWO (2) Juicy Juice® products (excludes 4-pack juice boxes)
Save $2.00 on any TWO (2) Good Earth Tea® Products, any variety
Save $0.50 on any ONE (1) Jif® Peanut Butter Product
Save $3.00 on any ONE (1) Sambucol Product
Save $1.00 any ONE (1) AVEENO® Facial Cleanser or Face Mask (excludes cleansers 2oz. or smaller, single use masks & Moisturizing Cleansing
Save $3.00 on any* ONE (1) NIVEA® Breathable Body Lotion Product *Excludes travel/trial sizes and any other NIVEA products
Save $6.00 on ONE (1) Abreva product
Save $5.00 when you spend $25 on Harry’s Razor handles and/or Blades (excludes shave gel, cream, balm and mist) You can score a free trial kit here and pay only $3 for shipping if you are new to Harry’s
Save $1.00 on any ONE (1) package of Green Giant® New Frozen Product, Any Variety
Save $1.00 on any ONE (1) package of Green Giant Veggie Spirals™
Save 35¢ On Any California Dairy Product That Carries The Real California Milk Seal (This is my favorite coupon ever)

1/15/2021 Friday Freebies and Deals!

bright boxes

It’s been one helluva week friends! Between phone calls, appointments, and chasing packages all over town, I’m ready for some down time! Let’s dive into Freebies!

Most of these freebies and deals are online. I am not encouraging anyone to go into stores or go out into public. Mask up, wash your paws, stay socially distanced!

Freebies:

Free Human Rights Equality Sticker
Free #AdaptAtHome Fitness Kit for Those with Disabilities
Free Back to the Roots Mini Mushroom Kit
Free Raising Cane’s Box Combo
Free Bundoo Bundles Sample Box
Free Pizza at 7-Eleven
Free CovCare PPE Samples
Free Sample of Sol de Janeiro Hair Repair Treatment
Free Samples of Vital Performance Supplement Products
Free Catit Stainless Steel Flower Fountain
Free Core Bar at Walmart
Score FREE Children’s Board Books in English & Spanish
Free NFL Fan Packs
Free Johnny Rockets Burger for Joining & On Your Birthday
Free Special K Keto Friendly Bars Chatterbox
Free Hello Lovely! Biotin Hair Gummy Vitamins
Free Medium Fries w/ Any $1 Purchase at McDonalds – Every Friday
Free Sample of SkinCeuticals Serum
Possible Free ZoZu Natural Hydrating Papaya Facial Sheet Mask
Banfield Pet Hospital – Free Office Visit & Consultation
Free SmartyPants Multivitamins Chatterbox
Free Lane Bryant Gift Card Giveaway
Free pH Balance Skincare Skin Moisturizing Duo

 

Deals:

3 Barrel Curling Iron Wand ONLY $29.99 (Reg $40)
Softsoap Liquid Hand Soap Fresh Breeze 6-Pack ONLY $5.88 Shipped
Microfiber Sheet Sets ONLY $9.74 at JCPenney (Reg $26)
Home Expressions Velvet Plush Blanket ONLY $17.24 (Reg $40)
Insignia 6-Slice Toaster Oven Air Fryer ONLY $69.99 (Reg $150)
Buffalo Plaid Sherpa Slippers ONLY $16.99 Shipped (Reg $45)
16 Clif Bars ONLY $14.48 Shipped with Coupon
Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer & Volumizer ONLY $28.99 Shipped
Disposable Face Masks 50-Piece ONLY $4.59 Shipped at Amazon
Dash Vegetable Mandoline ONLY $29.99 Shipped (Reg $50)
Cosmetic Case Organizer ONLY $19.98 (Reg $30)
Blackout Curtains ONLY $9.99 at JCPenney
Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron ONLY $13.99 (Reg $27)
Bath Towel Room Essentials ONLY $1.80 at Target
Clorox Disinfecting Cleaning Wipes 3-Pack $11.37 Shipped
Target has Coupon for 50% Off Shoes for the Whole Family

1/11/2021 Weekly Meal Plan

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgWe’re starting to get into the swing of our 2021 schedule, and this week is going to be my OMG busy week. Have you ever noticed that there is usually 1 week each month that is crazy busy? Lots of appointments, phone calls, errands, etc.? This is my week- Insanity.

I had some free time over the weekend, and I spent it in the kitchen doing some meal prep for this week. I made a lot of lunch stuff for the littlest kiddo and myself. I also prepared veggies and stuff for stir fry.

I’ll go to the store this morning and get some more fruit and veggies. And Milk. Always milk.

I’m trying hard to stick to our budget of $100/week for groceries and prepare dinners that are filling and hearty.  It can be a struggle, but I shop sales, discount grocery stores, and use my cashback apps.

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 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.

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.

The kids go back to school tomorrow! 1/2 days for the littlest bit, and full days for the big dude. This afternoon I need to pop over to the store and pick up some lunch goodies. Big kid takes his lunch to school, but little bit has lunch at home after school.

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:  Leftovers (we all had big lunches, so it was mostly light snacking)
  • Monday:  Salad and Soup (We’ve got leftover beef stew from a few weeks ago- I stashed the extras in the freezer)
  • Tuesday:  Chicken and Cauli-rice casserole (It’s a frozen meal from Birdseye)
  • Wednesday: Veggies Burgers, Veggies Nuggets, fruit, and chips
  • Thursday:  Stir Fry with Veggies and rice
  • Friday:  Pizza Night!
  • Saturday: Egg scramble (with veggies and cheese), Toast/Bagel, 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?

1/8/2021 Friday Freebies and Deals!

bright boxes

Woo Hoo- Our first Freebie and Deal Friday post of 2021! Since my birthday is next month, I’m going to start searching for new/different birthday freebies (last year’s post is here), and I’ll be posting an update in the next few weeks.

Most of these freebies and deals are online. I am not encouraging anyone to go into stores or go out into public. Mask up, wash your paws, stay socially distanced!

Freebies:

Free El Yucateco Hot Sauce
Free GoMacro Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip MacroBars
Free Triceratops Kits at Lowe’s
Free Kerastase Chronologiste Hair Care Products
Free Honey Mama’s Honey-Cocoa Bar
Free Freak Flag Organics Bone Broth
Free Korean Brand Products
Free Beauty Products & More with Topbox Circle
Free Seaworld Teacher Card
Free The Honest Stand Plant-Based Dip
FREE Amazon Baby Box Samples Back in Stock
JCPenney Portraits – Free 8×10 for Military Families
Free Stainless Steel Insulated Cups
New Sampler Samples – Axe, Abeille Serenity Kids & More
Free Incontinence Products
3 Free O3 Superfoods Flax Butter Samples
Free SuperLeaf Kratom Powder Sample
Free Walkie Talkie Set
Free SkinnyPop or Pirate’s Booty Products
Free SeaWorld + Aquatica Orlando Preschool Card
Free Infantino Grow With Me 3-In-1 Tummy Time Piano
Free Box of Vahdam Turmeric Herbal Tea
Free ONE Brands Maple Glazed Protein Bar
Free Movie Ticket to Fatale
Free Carlson Kid’s Probiotic Stix
Sephora – Free NARS, Laneige, Moroccanoil or Kerastatse Mini Set

Deals:

Aurora 8-Sheet Cross-Cut Paper Shredder ONLY $30.48 (Reg $70)
3 Free Months of Amazon Music Unlimited
Union & Scale Task Chair $69.99 at Staples (Reg $120)
Hair Waver Iron $25.47 Shipped at Amazon (Reg $40)
Alexa Clutch ONLY $13.99 Shipped at Jane (Reg $29)
Dial Antibacterial Deodorant Soap 8-Pack ONLY $5.03 (Reg. $10)
Scotch 5-Inch Kid Scissors ONLY $0.41 Each on Amazon
Toysmith Magnetic Dart Board ONLY $12.53 (Reg. $30)
Paper Mate Pink Pearl Erasers 12-Count ONLY $5.47 (Reg. $10)
Planters Salted Peanuts Resealable Jar 35-Oz ONLY $4.52 Shipped
Miracle-Gro Orchid Food ONLY $4.68 on Amazon (Reg. $11.44)
PURA D’OR Moroccan Argan Oil ONLY $12.99 (Reg. $25)
Nexcare Acne Cover 36-Count ONLY $4.18 (Reg. $8)
Hand Sanitizer In Stock – Large Bottle for $5.46
MUK LUKS Women’s Janet Boots ONLY $24.99 (Reg. $65)
BIC Xtra-Sparkle Mechanical Pencil 24-Ct ONLY $5.97 (Reg. $12)

Little Caesar’s $5 off First Deliver Order!

You read that right! $5 off your first Little Caesar’s Delivery with coupon code TRYDELIVERY6. This deal isn’t good forever: it’s only valid through 1/31/2020. Download the Little Caesar’s App wherever you get apps.

In addition to pizza, the small Roman (that’s what we call it around here) also has breadsticks, wings, and drinks!

Details/Small Print:

The $5 Off First Delivery Promotional Offer (“Promotion”): Between January 4, 2021 and January 31, 2021 (“Promotion Period”), customers who have never before ordered for delivery on the Little Caesars mobile app (“App”) or online at LittleCaesars.com (“Site”) will get a $5 credit (“$5 Credit”) on their first delivery of any pizza (“Qualifying Pizza Purchase”) when they order via the App or Site in accordance with these Terms and Conditions (“Terms”). To redeem the Offer, Eligible Customers (defined below in Section 2) must (i) obtain a valid promo code (“Promo Code”), which Sponsor will make available on in-store materials, TV and its social media platforms; (ii) place their Qualifying Pizza Purchase in the cart; and (iii) enter the valid Promo Code at checkout. The $5 Credit will be deducted from the Eligible Customer’s order for delivery at check-out. Promo Code numbers may vary depending on how they are communicated, but each Promo Code will entitle an Eligible Customer to the same $5 Credit regardless of the Promo Code number.
OFFER REDEEMABLE ONLY WITH ONLINE AND APP ORDERS FOR DELIVERY MADE THROUGH LITTLE CAESARS AND NOT REDEEMABLE ON IN-STORE ORDERS OR PIZZA PORTAL® PICK-UP ORDERS OR ON THIRD-PARTY ONLINE SITES OR IN ANY MANNER OTHER THAN PROVIDED HEREIN.

 

1/3/2021 Weekly Meal Plan

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgWe stayed home a lot last week, so I really need to hit the grocery store for snacks and lunch food today.

I batch cooked a few things yesterday, so we have ready to go dinners for two nights this week, but additional meals for later weeks.

I’m trying hard to stick to our budget of $100/week for groceries and prepare dinners that are filling and hearty.  It can be a struggle, but I shop sales, discount grocery stores, and use my cashback apps.

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 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.

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.

The kids go back to school tomorrow! 1/2 days for the littlest bit, and full days for the big dude. This afternoon I need to pop over to the store and pick up some lunch goodies. Big kid takes his lunch to school, but little bit has lunch at home after school.

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:  Hot Beef Sandwiches and salad (I cooked the beef in the crockpot yesterday during my batch cooking day)
  • Monday:  Spaghetti Bolognese, steamed veggies, and garlic bread (I made the bolognese sauce yesterday during my batch cooking day)
  • Tuesday:  Frozen Entrees and salad
  • Wednesday: Waffles and fruit salad
  • Thursday:  Chicken Satay, salad, rice
  • Friday:  Pizza Night!
  • Saturday: Leftover Shenanigans

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?

Neighborhood Produce Distributions for 2021

I’ve written about the San Diego Food Bank’s Neighborhood Distributions before. It’s a great way to stretch your food budget on what is usually the most expensive part of any family grocery trip: Fresh Fruit and Vegetables.

The 2021 schedule has been updated. The website has changed and now they publish a monthly calendar, which you can see here. As you can see, there is at least 1 distribution per week somewhere in the county all month long.

The Neighborhood Food Distribution Program distributes fresh produce and nonperishable food items at 19 distribution sites every month throughout San Diego County. The majority of the food distributed at these sites is fresh produce – fresh fruits and vegetables. ANYONE can receive food at a Neighborhood Distribution Program site. Identification cards ARE NOT required. There are NO INCOME restrictions for this program.

Most of these locations offer a drive-up/drive-through service. Pull in, queue up, and when you get to the front of the line, pop your trunk and volunteers will put the food into your car and you are ready to go.

If you have further need for food, there are many programs that can help you all over the county. Check out my post here for food resources in Central/South/Eastern San Diego County and here for Northern San Diego County.