A few years back, I wrote this post, which I update about once a year with information on Food Banks/Food Pantries and food co-ops in San Diego County. Considering san Diego County is larger than some New England states, I decided to dedicate a post purely to North County food resources, as I have been getting requests for those lately. Thanks to my friends Elizabeth, Kate, Yvonne, and Stephanie for assisting me with the research!
North County Neighborhood Distribution Sites 2020
There are of course the Neighborhood Distribution sites from The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank. There are no requirements or proof of need (no ID either). Just bring a few reusable bags or a cart to carry your food home.
Learn more about Neighborhood Distributions here. The 2020 Calendar of Neighborhood Distributions can be found here.
The Community Resource Center has Bread distribution and other food distributions several times a week. More information can be found here.
In Vista:
North County’s Food Bank 1175 Melrose Way, Vista, CA, 92081 (760) 761-1140 The Emergency Food for Individuals program is direct food assistance available to needy individuals. Program is available every first, third and fifth Monday of the month.
Food Distribution at Lamb of God Food Bank 1120 Highland Dr, Vista, CA 92083(760) 458-4655 every Tuesday and Thursdays, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
In San Marcos:
Summit Church 292 E. Barham Dr., San Marcos, CA 92078 760.471.6267 or office@summitsanmarcos.comArrive: 11:00 am, food distribution: 12:00 p – 1:00 pmSummit hosts a farmers market-style free food outreach 2x per month!
Every 2nd & 4th Tuesday of every month, they give 25 lbs of food to anyone
in need in the front parking lot. Everyone is welcome; there are no requirements!
In Ramona:
Ramona Food and Clothes ClosetEach 3rd Friday of the month, a truck will bring perishable food items like produce to the store for distribution. You do not need to qualify for this program. Patrons are asked to line up before 9:00 AM in an orderly fashion and wait their turn.
Each person will receive approximately 20-25 pounds of food per family. It is a first-come, first-serve basis. You will need to bring your own bags or rolling carts.
Feeding American San Diego has a map on their website of various resources in the San Diego area, many of them require no proof of need or paperwork.
If you have any food resources to share, please leave a comment!
They are back! The Harlem Globetrotters are coming to town, well our town, and probably yours too!
I can’t wait to take the kids. First, we will definitely have to watch some episodes of Scooby Doo from the 70’s!
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All-New Harlem Globetrotters Pushing The Limits World Tour
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The 5th Quarter – The game isn’t over after the final shot! Meet your favorite Globetrotter courtside after the game to get an autograph and photo.
Don’t miss out – get your tickets today and save SAVE 25% for ALL Harlem Globetrotters Games with promo code FUNFAM (Must purchase 14 days before Game Date).
Today is my birthday, we will be redeeming a lot of my birthday freebies with this week. Little Girl and I will be enjoying a free lunch many times, as we can still share an entree.
My shopping week for this week was small:
Cheese
Avocados (Always on the shopping list)
Milk
Fresh Rolls (The local Food4Less makes incredible rolls and at .25/each, they are a tasty bargain)
I’ve gotten a pretty good inventory of the pantry, freezer, and fridge done (I 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 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: You may notice a lot of plant-based meals- We are not vegetarian (well, the big kid is, but the rest of us aren’t), but I am trying to get more veggies into our diet. I do a lot of cooking from scratch- I find it easier to get veggies and fruit into recipes that I can have 100% control over.
Breakfast: I’ve gone back to a protein shake or coffee with a scoop of protein powder and a few pumps of Sugar Free Syrup for me, and pancakes or something along those lines (Dave’s Killer Bagels are also a popular request for breakfast) for the kids (they love the Kodiak Cakes Mix). I also keep sandwich Ziploc bags of other frozen fruit on hand to make the kids smoothies when they request them (a few times per week). Berries, peaches, and mangos are pretty popular.
Lunches are leftovers, salads, or soups for me and Bitty. The big kid takes his lunch to school, but once in a while, I can convince him to buy his lunch. Usually on pizza day.
For dinner, when we’ve got busy days (like Mondays), I’ll try and put something in the crockpot in the morning, or pull something I’ve already prepped out that can be quickly cooked. We’ve got a bunch of stuff in the freezer, as I’ve been portioning out 2-3 adult-sized entree portions from several meals a week and freezing them for later meals.
Monday: Birthday Dinner (Not quite sure what this will entail)
Tuesday: Vegetable Soup- We’ve got a lot of little bits of veggies in the freezer and fridge- Time for soup!
Wednesday: Frozen Entrees
Thursday: Roasted Chicken and Veg
Friday: Veggie Stir Fry & Brown Rice (We didn’t end up having this last week)
Saturday: Pizza
Sunday: Leftover fiesta!
Talk Back: What are you cooking for dinner this week?
Have you tried the new Beyond Burgers? We had them for dinner a few weeks ago and they are really good.
Denny’s is offering a FREE Beyond Burger with the purchase of any beverage at all participating locations on January 30 from 11am to 10pm, while supplies last. As the first restaurant group within the family dining category to offer a 100% plant-based protein option made with Beyond Meat to its menu, Denny’s is meeting guests’ desire to move toward a flexitarian diet.
The Beyond Burger at Denny’s features a 100% plant-based “meat” patty topped with sliced tomatoes and onions, lettuce, pickles, American cheese, and All-American sauce on a multigrain bun. If you want it vegan, skip the cheese, sauce, and bun and have it lettuce wrapped!
Not all locations are participating, so I suggest calling the location you plan on visiting in advance to double-check. For more information about this deal, click here.
Froyo, Frogurt, Frozen Yogurt, whatever you call it, however you top it, it’s good stuff!
National Frozen Yogurt Day is my favorite “nonholiday” holiday. I love FroYo. The truly free freebies have dwindled, but there are still some deals afoot.
Yogurtland is giving away FREE 5 oz. cups of frozen yogurt (or ice cream) Thursday, February 6th from 4pm to 7pm for your FREE 5 oz cup. In-store only at participating Yogurtland stores, while supplies last. Not valid for Drinkable Creations or cones.
Menchie’s has a buy-one-get-one-free deal on February 6 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The offer is valid all day at participating locations. This offer cannot be combined with any other offers.
This is a brand new list for 2020. I’ve gone through and verified that all of these are still valid!
I’ve been sharing birthday freebies since 2007! As I live in Southern CA, all of these freebies are specifically for those of us in that area. 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+… That’s a hard pass from me, or the Aveda “freebie”- pay $10 and receive a product valued at $23+… No thanks).
I recommend signing up for these freebies at least a month before your birthday, so there is enough time for you to be added to their list. I have included only the freebies that I have signed up for and personally received, so there is no bunk.
DSW Shoe Warehouse – $5 off birthday coupon, plus 500 points for signing up for their loyalty club.
Members of the Cost Plus World Market Explorersprogram 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+
bareMinerals (cosmetics)- The birthday freebie changes each year. Last year it was lip gloss, this year it’s eye shadow!
Old Navy: Sign up for their email list and they’ll send you a $5.00 off coupon to use in store. You can also sign your kids up too! Scroll all the way to the “Sign up and Save” box at the bottom of the page.
Ace Rewards members score a $5.00 coupon for their Birthday (Ace Hardware)
Dave & Buster’s: $10 in free game play for those in the D&B Rewards Club.
This is a BOGO, but I know a few people who have done this and they said it was fun- Free Trip to Catalina Island! Freeround-trip travel for two with the purchase of one full fare Adult ticket on your birthday
My Aunt told me about this one! Join Passport to Provence to score a FREE birthday gift from L’Occitane en Provence. Also, you can score $20 off your first purchase at L’Occitane here!
Join the Sally’s Rewards Club and score a $5 coupon on your birthday, as well as tons of other super sweet perks!
Free Food Noms:
Red Robin: FREE burger on your birthday and all the latest Red Robin news.
Panera– Sign up for MyPanera and get a free pastry or sweet on your birthday.
El Pollo Loco: Sign up for Loco Rewards to get a FREE birthday meal (2pc Chicken Meal or Classic Chicken Tostada Salad.)!
Food, but not a restaurant offer. Like Yogurt? Join the noosa Yoghurt fan club, Cream of the Crop, and they will mail you a coupon for free yogurt for your birthday!
Some of the offers that I have been told about but no longer exist include free tokens for the b-day kid at Chuck E. Cheese, free cheeseburger at Fuddruckers (now it’s a BOGO), Free cake at Corner Bakery Cafe (It’s a free dessert WYB an entree). Another deal that everyone and their mama go nuts about is Benihana Japanese Restaurant – 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.
Talk Back: What is your favorite birthday freebie?
I realized the other day when searching for my chili recipe on my blog so I could share it with someone on Facebook, that I have not posted my chili recipe, ever! Which is weird, because I make it at least once a month.
What I love about making chili in the crockpot is that you can use either fresh, frozen, or canned veggies, it really depends on what you have in your house, and what your budget is.
Because I get vegetables and fruit twice a month at our local co-op, frequently I will have fresh vegetables that I have diced or prepared and put into Ziploc bags to store in the freezer. It ensures that we have nutritious vegetables with no additives at our fingertips throughout the month.
Another great thing about this chili recipe is you can make it vegetarian, you can put meat in it, or you can make a vegan! This recipe is naturally gluten-free.
1 pound of meat (optional) I usually use ground pork, but other good choices include ground beef, ground chicken, ground turkey, or bite-sized pieces of stew meat. If you want a meat substitute, I like these crumbles from Beyond Meat.
One can black beans, drained and rinsed
One can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
3T chili powder
1t cumin
Salt and pepper as needed
Optional, but delicious:
1 cup corn niblets. If you use canned corn, drain and rinse it prior to adding.
If you do not care for black or kidney beans, you can swap in Northern beans, or navy beans.
Directions
Personally, I like to brown the meat on the stove prior to adding it to the slow cooker. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch Oven, heat avocado oil and brown meat until thoroughly cooked/browned.
Add onions and peppers, cook until onions are clear and fragrant, about 10 minutes.
Add garlic, and cook, stirring often until garlic is fragrant about 5 to 10 minutes.
If your pan has a lot of brown food remnants on the bottom, I recommend taking 2 to 4 tablespoons of liquid (you can use water) and pour it in the pan stirring and scraping all the yummy brown stuff off the bottom. This is where all the flavor lives.
Pour all of the ingredients from the pot into your slow cooker.
Add remaining ingredients, place lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
I love serving chili with cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips.
This recipe is incredibly versatile.
If you don’t have fresh onions and peppers, you can grab a bag of fajita mix out of the freezer (which is pre-chopped onions and bell peppers).
If you don’t have fresh tomatoes (which let’s face it a lot of us don’t) you can use canned tomatoes. You can use whole canned tomatoes you can use diced, you can use chopped, whatever kind of tomatoes you have in your cupboard.
Use whatever kind of canned beans you have on hand. One time I made chili and I used chickpeas! And it turned out delicious!
If you don’t have cumin and chili powder in your cupboard but you have chili seasoning, use that instead.
I find the chili is a great go-to meal for when you are at the end of the month, and you are low on funds but you have lots of canned goods and frozen veggies.
If you were strapped for time, you don’t have to brown your meat, you can just put it in the crockpot and pour all the other ingredients over top, cook it, and let it cook. Just make sure to break up the meat (if you’re using ground meat) with a spoon prior to serving.
I am looking forward to this weekend! I’ve got some time to myself and I am going to go to the gym and drink coffee, although not at the same time.
A few years back, I wrote
They are back! The Harlem Globetrotters are coming to town, well our town, and probably yours too!
Today is my birthday, we will be redeeming a lot of my birthday freebies with this week. Little Girl and I will be enjoying a free lunch many times, as we can still share an entree.
Menchie’s
It’s that time of the week- Friday! Let’s get started with some awesome freebies, deals, and events!
Hewes Family Fun 