frugal

3/19/2021 Friday Freebies and Deals!

Abby H.
bright boxes

Spring break starts on Monday. I am not ready. I’m hoping to take the kids to the zoo, Safari Park, and maybe the tidepools or the beach (but not go into the water because it’s still FREEEEZING cold). We’re keeping it frugal and socially distanced!

A new year means new birthday freebies. I put together a list for 2021. Check it out here.

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 Clinique Moisture Surge Sample
Free Sample of Ce de Peau Cleanser
Free Softsoap Gently Lavender
Free Freak Flag Organics Bone Broth
Free Timberland Products
Free Origins Checks & Balances Scrub
Possible Free $10 Gift Card
Free Purina Pro Plan LIVECLEAR Cat Food Package
2 Free Toners + $25 Amazon Gift Card
Free $5 Off $5 at Ace Hardware = Free Item
Free Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit at Wendy’s
Free Lane Bryant Gift Card Giveaway
Free Sample of Estee Lauder Futurist Primer
Free Midea Window Air Conditioner or WIFI Cube Dehumidifier
Win an Amazon Gift Card from MySavings Instagram
Free Hallmark Card Every Month
Free Hayneedle Bed
Free Perfect Bar at Walmart
Free Copies of the Eagle Books Series
Possible Free $100 Canned & Frozen Foods Research Study
Free Mommy’s Bliss Baby Multivitamin + iron
Free Frozen Fruit Bars
Free Maxi-Cosi Or Safety 1st Baby Product
Free Infantino Narwhal Pat & Play Water Mat
Free Ink Cartridges
Free Baby’s Busy Day: Being One is So Much Fun! Book
Free Maison Margiela Replica Match a Méditation Travel Spray
Free Flourish Spatula, Pancake Mix, Amazon Gift Card & More
Free Bushmills Whiskey Pour or Cocktail

Deals:

How To Train Your Dragon 3-Movie Collection $14.99 (Reg. $40)
The Land Before Time Collection Box Set $16.99 (Reg. $36)
Free Felt Dog Toy Bin and Free Shipping from Super Chewer
Hape Doll Family Mansion ONLY $119.99 (Reg. $200)
Thomas & Friends Super Cruiser Train Track Set $15 (Reg. $40)
Pet Naturals of Vermont Cat Chews ONLY $2.85 (Reg. $6)
Funko POP 10-In Mandalorian ONLY $29.96 Shipped (Reg $40)
MUK LUKS Women’s Marl Pom Hat ONLY $9.99 (Reg. $22)
The Tale of Peter Rabbit Story Board Book ONLY $3.99 (Reg. $7)
Easter Books Under $5.00 on Amazon

Amelia Sunnies Sunglasses ONLY $12.99 (Reg $25)
Lysol Disinfecting Wipes $3.66 on Amazon
Wireless Sound Bar ONLY $34.79 at Walmart (Reg $183)
Adidas Kid’s Shoes on Clearance at Kohl’s
Bella Pro Series Analog Air Fryer 2qt ONLY $17.99 (Reg $40)
Double Buckle Strap Slides ONLY $20.99 (Reg $50)
COVERGIRL So Lashy! blastPRO Mascara ONLY $3.61

Family Recipe: Fruit Salad

Abby H.1 Comment

The other day I was chatting online with a group of friends and I mentioned making fruit salad. One of my younger friends asked, “Can you send me the recipe for that?”

I’ve never really thought about writing a recipe for fruit salad, since I’ve been making it since I was a kid. It was always a staple at family dinners with my maternal grandparents. My Grandma was known to make a literal punchbowl of fruit salad for parties.

This recipe does not make a punchbowl full.  The nice thing about fruit salad is that you can put any kind of fruit into it, and if you don’t eat it all in one meal, it keeps in the fridge for a few days.

I change it up based on what comes in our CSA box each week, and based on which fruits are in season.

Grammie’s Fruit Salad

Ingredients:

  • 2 Apples (any kind but red delicious, those are awful)
  • 2 oranges
  • 2 bananas (not overly ripe or they fall to mush)
  • 3 cups berries, your choice (I recommend 2/1 ratio, sliced strawberries and blueberries)
  • 1 ripe pineapple, cored and skinned. You can also use a can of pineapple tidbits in juice (juice drained off and fed to a kid) if fresh pineapple isn’t available.

Optional, but tasty when in season:

  • 1 cup fresh peaches, skin removed
  • 2 kiwis sliced, skin removed
  • 1 mango, peeled and removed from the pit/core

Note: I don’t like melon in my fruit salad. If you do, add 1-2 cups of your favorite melon (Cantaloupe or Honey Dew hold up well in a fruit salad).

Directions:

  1. Clean, Chop/slice all of your fruit (not needed for blueberries). I try to make each kind of fruit bite-sized, but a different shape. That way it makes for a nice presentation.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the fruit. If you omit the oranges, add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and toss the fruit to coat. This keeps the apples from browning.
  3. Serve fruit salad cold as a side dish for any meal. If you like it spicy, serve it with Tajin on the side.
  4. Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days in a covered container.

Talk Back: What are your favorite fruits to include in Fruit Salad? 

Easy Recipe: Homemade Pico De Gallo (Fresh Salsa)

Abby H.
Time to Salsa!!

With the massive amount of super tasty local veggies and fruit we’ve been getting, I decided to make Pico de Gallo (fresh salsa) since we had all the ingredients in this week’s box.

This recipe is super simple and takes about 10 minutes from start to finish.

Pico de Gallo (Fresh Salsa)

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups chopped and deseeded tomatoes
  • 1 jalapeno, seeds and white membrane removed, diced
  • 1/2 red/purple onion diced
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro, chiffonade (that means cut up into small ribbons)
  • Salt and Pepper

Directions:

  1. Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl.
  2. Toss all ingredients until the lime juice coats all of the veggies.
  3. Transfer into a container with an airtight lid.
  4. Store in the fridge for at least 4 hours. This gives the flavors to meld, and the salsa to chill.
  5. This salsa stays good in the fridge for 4-6 days, but it won’t last that long.

I love this salsa with zucchini chips or tortilla chips. Or in an omlet.

 

 

Free Food Resources for March 2021 (San Diego County)

Abby H.

I’m sorry this is a little late coming for March. Fear not, you haven’t missed out! There are still many free Neighborhood Distributions for this month!

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

Neighborhood Distributions for March 2021:

These Distributions are primarily produce/fruits & veg, however, some locations may also distribute canned goods, dairy, and bread.

Super Pantry Locations can be found here (this listing is countywide).

If you have a child attending public school in San Diego County, check to see if your school distributes free lunches daily.

In Eastern San Diego County, Grossmont Union High School District schools are distributing lunches to kids ages 2-18, Monday through Friday at various times  (Check your closest school to find out exact times and locations within each school). They also do Pizza Fridays, where each kid receives a pizza, drink, salad, plus food to be eaten over the weekend. It is definitely more than enough food to keep kids fed over the weekend.

Forgive the blurriness of this picture, but Grossmont Union High School District will be giving out two family meals over their Spring Break. Monday, March 15, 2021 and Monday March 22, 2021. The offers vary by week, but it’s a great chance to pick up some extra food to feed the kiddos. Yes, I know it says March 2020, but it is for this year.

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

3/8/2021 Weekly Meal Plan!

Abby H.

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Our second CSA Box is being delivered today! To learn more about Yasukochi Family Farms and our first box, click here. A lot of our meals this week are going to be veggie-heavy. We eat a lot of produce anyway, but now we’re eating more local produce!

I hit up the grocery store over the weekend for some much-needed bread, milk, and butter. I’m waiting for the grocery ads to come out for this week to see if I can find some deals on chicken or beef. I really would like to make a meatloaf to have for lunch this week (and meatloaf sandwiches for another lunch).

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.

Lunch: The little kiddo and I usually have something quick and filling (I’ve been prepping bean and rice bowls on Sundays for us to have during week) so we can get back to our adventures.  Big kid takes his lunch to school.

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: Badas Burgers (it’s an amazing food truck that’s taken up residence across the street from our house- so dangerous!)
  • Monday: Salad, Nuggets, fries
  • Tuesday:  Entrees & Fruit Salad
  • Wednesday: Breakfast for dinner: Pancakes, Eggs (scrambled with veggies and cheese), fruit
  • Thursday: Skillet casserole, roasted veggies
  • Friday:  Pizza Night!
  • Saturday: Leftover Fiesta

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?

3/5/2021 Friday Freebies and Deals!

Abby H.
bright boxes

We had sudden mid-week rain, and it was a great opportunity to stay indoors and get some cleaning done!

Do you have a birthday coming up? Check out my list of birthday freebies for 2021 here.

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 Pennington Fertilizer
Free What Do You Meme? Family Game Night Party Pack
Free Alt National Park Service Clean Up Kit
T-Mobile Tuesdays – Free Stuff Every Week
Free JLab Wireless Earbuds at Micro Center Stores
Free 2021 Ruralite Wall Calendar
Free SMN Sampler Samples
Free AMET BioCore Self-Care Package for Those with Covid
Free Ruvi Boost
Free ASPCA Pet Safety Magnet & Window Decal
Free The Wind Stickers
Free Black Box Wines Magnet, Koozie & More
Possible Free $200 Skincare Research Study
Free New Orleans Saints Fan Pack
Free Sample of Derma E Scar Gel
Ulta – Free Mario Badescu Facial Spray for Your Birthday
Epic Games Class Action Settlement – Claim $50 or 13500 V-Bucks
Free Vaporizer or Humidifier
Free Bestway Slide into Spring Break Party Pack
Free Whamisa Deep Rich Toner
Free Subscription to Cosmopolitan Magazine
Free 2-Pack of Vont Blaze Tactical LED Flashlights
Free Beast Men’s Personal Care Products
Free Samples of Mane n’ Tail Haircare
Free Sample of My Eye Cream
Free Coffee Wednesdays at Dunkin
Free Subscription to Whisky Advocate Magazine
Free Acana Pet Food
Free Subscription to ELLE Magazine
Possible Free Box of Cookies + $20 Amazon Gift Card
Free ZenWise Products
Possible Free $100 Streaming Services Research Study
Free Project Purple Face Mas
Possible Free PlantFusion Complete Plant Collagen Builder
Lane Bryant Covert Client Program – Free Clothes, Points & More
Panera Members – Free Bagel Everyday in March
Possible Free $125 Pregnant Women Research Study
Free Sample of Estee Lauder Futurista Foundation
Free Facial Exfoliator

Deals:

Castle Magnetic Blocks 40-Piece ONLY $24.99 (Reg. $60)
Krazy Glue Super Glue 2-Pack ONLY $1.77 (Reg. $4)
Where the Wild Things Are ONLY $5.00 on Amazon
New ShopDisney 50% Off Clearance Sale
LEGO Friends Andrea’s Bunny Cube ONLY $9.99
Bella Egg Cooker ONLY $7.99 at Best Buy (Reg $15)
Criss Cross Ankle Buckle Sandals ONLY $17.99 Shipped (Reg $25)
Pink Crystal Pendant & Necklace ONLY $1.45 Shipped
MUK LUKS Nerissa Sandals ONLY $12.99 (Reg. $39)
Coleman Gas Camping Stove ONLY $43.88 (Reg $80)
Fruit of the Loom Men’s Tanks 5-Pack ONLY $9.39 (Reg $16)
KitchenAid Odor Removal Bar ONLY $6.99 (Reg $11)
Keurig K-Classic K50 ONLY $69.99 Shipped (Reg $120)
Seamless Spandex Shorts $6.99 Shipped (Reg $16)
Women’s Mid-Rise Leggings ONLY $6.50 at Old Navy (Reg $13)
Bentgo Kids Brights Lunch Box ONLY $19.99 (Reg $40)

New Recipe: Banana Bread in a Cake Pan!

Abby H.
These bananas are perfect for making banana bread!

I’ll admit: I don’t have a loaf pan. I did, but it died. It was metal, and after 10+ weeks of weekly use… ::Sad Trombone:: I know I should buy a glass one (I have my eye on this one), but until then, I’m making do with what I’ve got.

And what I’ve got is a glass cake pan. Specifically a 9×9 glass cake pan, like this one. I looked online for some ideas about baking times and temps and reworked my usual recipe. The best part of this recipe is that the bread is moist, fluffy/airy with a good crumb.  It is not dense or heavy at all.

Banana Bread

Ingredients:

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, spray 9×9 glass baking dish with spray release.
  2. In a small dish, mash up bananas, set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter/coconut oil for about 30 seconds-1 minute until light and fluffy.
  4. Add sugar, beat until combined and fluffy.
  5. Beat in eggs one at a time.
  6. Add bananas and vanilla, and blend until the wet ingredients are all incorporated.
  7. Add baking soda and Kodiak Mix. Stir to combine.
  8. Pour into the prepared 9×9 glass baking dish.
  9. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Test with toothpick in the center of the bread for doneness.

This recipe makes 1 9×9 cake pan, which is approximately 9-12 servings, depending on how big you like the pieces.

My kids like this bread toasted with either butter or cream cheese. It never lasts long.

Q-insights Survey Grocery Shopping Survey Pays $75

Abby H.

QI-logoNOslogan.png

Q-insights is another company that I do research groups, focus groups, and online surveys to earn extra money.

They have a lot of stuff in South Orange County, and less often San Diego County. These days they are doing most of their studies online via chat or online surveys.

Right now Q-Insights is recruiting for an upcoming online study:

Males and females ages 18-70 in California for an upcoming survey regarding grocery shopping.

The survey would involve making a grocery shopping trip to a particular store that they will ask you to go to and to record your trip using an app that they will provide for you on your smartphone. The total trip should take less than 1 hour.

If you are interested in participating, please fill out your information here.

If you qualify and complete the survey, you will receive $75 payment in the form of a digital VISA card, physical VISA card, Amazon Gift Card, or a choice of 91 other gift cards for national retailers. Payment will be emailed to you within about 1 week of survey completion.

3/1/2021 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

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I’m up to my eyeballs in soup! Looking through the freezer to do the meal plan for this week, I discovered that I’ve got 3 different kinds of soup in the freezer.

So on Tuesday we’re having beans and rice OR soup to go with our quesadillas. The kids will probably pick the beans and rice.

I went to the grocery store on Friday for milk, eggs, cheese, and bread. We were still good on everything else. We’re almost out of meat in the freezer, but the meat sales aren’t too great during Lent. I’ll keep my eyes open, but we may be eating more meat free meals until after Easter. That’s part of shopping and meal planning around what is on sale, rolling with the punches, and eating what’s on sale and in season.

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.

Lunch: The little kiddo and I usually have something quick and filling (I’ve been prepping bean and rice bowls on Sundays for us to have during week) so we can get back to our adventures.  Big kid takes his lunch to school.

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:  Flavors of East Africa (we’re getting take out)
  • Monday: Salad, Black Bean Burgers on rolls
  • Tuesday:  Quesadillas, and beans and rice OR Soup
  • Wednesday: Nugget Night with veggies, fruit salad, and cheezits
  • Thursday: Quiche, toast, and fruit salad
  • Friday:  Pizza Night!
  • Saturday: Leftover Fiesta

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?

2/26/2021 Friday Freebies and Deals

Abby H.
bright boxes

This week was chill compared to the last three weeks. I’m looking forward to a slow, quiet weekend full of play time and naps (at least for me).

My birthday was earlier this month and I rocked a bunch of freebies. Wanna check out my list of goodies? Check it out here.

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 Cool Beans Frozen Wrap
Free Philips Products
Free Subscription to Men’s Health Magazine
Old Orchard Fan Club – Earn Free Juice, Gifts & More
Free Bitsy’s Good Cookies
Free Best Face and ClarityRX Day Creams
Free Sample of Alia Superfood Energy Powder
Free SOS Hydration Electrolyte Drink Mix
Free Ananda Hemp CBD Full Spectrum Softgels Samples
Free Goodnites Underwear Sample
Free Parks & Nash Bone Broth Soup
8 Free Jade Bloom Essential Oils
Free Autographed Holly Clark Hero Card
Free Coffee Wednesdays at Dunkin
Free Danodan Hemp Flower CBD Shot Samples
Free Innisfree My Real Squeeze Masks
Free PetSafe Pet Products
Free Morning Brew Rise & Grind Swag
Free Febreze Plug-In at Kroger & Affiliates

Deals:

3 Layer Freshwater Pearl Necklace ONLY $1.40 Shipped
Ecovacs Robot Vacuum ONLY $169 Shipped (Reg $550)
Toddler 3-Piece Pajama Sets ONLY $6.49 at Walmart (Reg $13)
Adventure Academy 62% Off – ONLY $3.75 per Month
Sargent Art 400-Count ONLY $17.34 (Reg $37)
Gibson Home Bakeware Set 5-Piece ONLY $22.49 (Reg $30)
Ultrean 4.2-Quart Air Fryer ONLY $59.49 Shipped (Reg $96)
Aukey Wireless Earbuds ONLY $23.79 (Reg $34)
Two Months of ABCmouse ONLY $5.00 (Reg. $20)
Nuby Floating Purple Octopus ONLY $6.89 on Amazon
My First Library Board Book Block 12-Book Set $9.59 (Reg. $16)
Disney Electronic Reader Hardcover ONLY $19.00 (Reg. $33)
3-Piece Husky 144-Tooth Ratchet Set ONLY $49.97 (Reg $70)
Atomic Marvel Crisis Protocol Game ONLY $68 (Reg $100)
Nature’s Miracle Litter Box Odor Destroyer ONLY $3.99 (Reg. $12)
Melissa & Doug Mega Race-Car Carrier $16.60 (Reg. $30)
Disney Princess Sing & Shimmer Ariel Doll $19.10 (Reg. $30)