yummy

Copycat Recipe: Souplantation Cheesy Garlic Foccacia Bread

Abby H.
It’s so good, it practically evaporates.

When my big kid found out that Souplantation (or Sweet Tomatoes, depending on where you live up) had closed permanently due to the pandemic, he cried.

When you have food texture aversions, you rely a lot on your favorite standby foods and restaurants. I was on a mission to try and recreate one of his Souplantation favorites, which was the Cheesy Garlic Focaccia Bread.

I started with my pizza dough base (the recipe can be found here). And here’s where it gets crazy (and by crazy I mean this is not super healthy, so don’t eat it daily). The remaining ingredients are:

  • 1/2 cup melted butter (that’s 1 stick)
  • 2T. granulated garlic
  • 1t. of each of the following: dried rosemary, dried tarragon, dried oregano, dried basil
  • 2cups+ Italian cheese

Directions:

  1. Make dough as directed here. I only let it rise once for this recipe.
  2. While dough rises, combine melted butter, garlic, and herbs. Set aside.
  3. Once the dough is down rising, turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead for about 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
  4. Separate dough into two pieces and roll out to fit onto your pizza pan (I use a cookie sheet that is covered in tin foil and sprayed with spray release).
  5. Spread half of the herbed butter onto the dough, top with cheese. Repeat for the other half of the dough.
  6. If there is any butter left, drizzle it over the bread.
  7. Bake at 450 degrees for 11-14 minutes.
  8. Remove from the baking sheet and slice into long skinny pieces to mimic the Souplantation feel.
The garlicky, herby, buttery goodness….
Cheese and more buttery goodness. Into the oven it does!

7/5/2021 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgYesterday we saw family and friends we haven’t seen in over a year. There were lots of hugs and the kids played (and shot archery). There was a lot of good food, and homemade cider. Today is a holiday here in the US. It’s the observance of Independence Day, so there are a lot of places that are closed (including banks and post offices).

The kids have been digging the free school lunches- It’s a great way to encourage them to try new foods. That’s great because the price of groceries has gone up exponentially over the past few months. We’ve been eating less meat to save money, and I’m leaning more on stores that have good deals like Grocery Outlet, and using my cashback apps like Fetch Rewards. I’ve been cashing out Fetch rewards for Target Gift Cards. I’ve been combining the Target Gift Cards with grocery sales and deals in the Target app, and picking up via curbside pick up. It’s a great option if you’ve got kids and you’ve got a busy summer.

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

We usually get a CSA box on Mondays, but I am skipping this week. We still have a lot of veggies and fruit from last week, and I’ll be using the fruit up this week in a fruit salad, and the veggies will be in our Chef Salad, and the pasta bake (which I’ll be posting a recipe of later this week).

Veggies and fruit are delivered each Monday 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’m doing some meal prep today: A batch of cookies, roasting veggies, and cooking bacon in the oven.

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 I’ll be posting them for sale in my Etsy Store later this week.

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: We pick up free school lunches during the summer for the kids, I also 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.

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: Family BBQ/potluck dinner.
  • Monday: Chef Salad (We’ve got a lot of salad fixings to eat up)
  • Tuesday:  Breakfast for Dinner (Waffles, bacon, eggs, and fruit salad)
  • Wednesday:  Nugget night: Nuggets, crackers, cheese, fruit
  • Thursday:  Baked Pasta- I’ll be posting the recipe later this week.
  • Friday:  Takeout Night
  • Saturday: Leftovers, fruit, salad

Please stay safe you guys!

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

July 2021: New Month, New Coupons!

Abby H.

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

Check out the following sites:

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!

June is here! It’s National Picnic Month, and it’s also time for Canada Day (July 1), American Independence Day (July 4th).  There will be deals on summer Sports Equipment & Craft Supplies (things for families to do together), picnic/outdoor foods. Examples include beverages, Hot dogs, Ground Beef, BBQ sauce, Ketchup, Mustard, Ribs (Often times there are some really great rebates WYB beer or soda)

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 $1.50 when you buy ONE (1) Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut Oats
Save $2.50 on any TWO (2) JUSTIN’S® Spreads products 12 oz or larger (any variety – excludes peanut butter)
Save $2.00 off ONE (1) Banana Boat® Sun Care Product (excludes 1 oz., 1.8 oz., 2 oz., lip balm & trial sizes)
Save $1.00 on ONE (1) 10oz to 34oz Bottle of Germ-X® Hand Sanitizer (excludes trial & travel sizes)
Save $1.00 on any ONE (1) package of Green Giant Veggie Spirals™
Save $1.00 on any ONE (1) package of Green Giant® New Frozen Product, Any Variety

Family Recipe: DIY Salad Bar

Abby H.

The post is dedicated to Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes… RIP.

One of our family favorite restaurants pre-pandemic was Souplantation. So many great veggie and salad options all in one place. This summer I’m trying to find easy, simple lunch options for the family, so this week I’m making a salad bar.

It might sound like a lot of work, but I spend about an hour a week prepping veggies as soon as the CSA box arrives, so it’s just a slightly different prep this week.

First I got out our Rubbermaid reusable containers and lids, and I chopped the various ingredients. At lunchtime, I’ll set all of the containers out, and put the salad greens in a large bowl that is nestled in a baking dish full of ice to keep the greens crisp.

If you are having a salad bar for your July Fourth celebration, consider using a cold ingredient caddy like this one.

It keeps the components cold and at their preferred temperature for an extended period of time.

Here are just a few of the ingredients that we’ll be featuring in our DIY salad bar:

  • Salad greens (spinach, romaine lettuce, butter bibb lettuce, mixed greens, kale)
  • Radishes
  • Brocolli
  • Cauliflower
  • Carrots
  • Cucumbers
  • Celery
  • Red onions
  • Green apples
  • Strawberries
  • Beets (raw or pickled)
  • Bell pepper or other sweet peppers
  • Pickled veggies
  • Capers
  • Nuts
  • Dried fruit
  • Hard-boiled eggs
  • Cheese cubes (or crumbled feta or goat cheese)
  • Diced ham or diced turkey breast lunchmeat
  • Croutons
  • Salad Dressing- I like this vinagrette, and this one, and this ranch.

What do you like on your salads?

6/27/2021 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgThis week have some fun afternoon plans: Swimming, hanging out with friends, a trip to get fro yo, and our weekly library trip. We’re working our way across the county libraries.

The kids have been digging the free school lunches- It’s a great way to encourage them to try new foods. That’s great because the price of groceries has gone up exponentially over the past few weeks, so I’m leaning more on stores that have good deals like Grocery Outlet, and using my cashback apps like Fetch Rewards. I’ve been cashing out Fetch rewards for Target Gift Cards. I’ve been combining the Target Gift Cards with grocery sales and deals in the Target app, and picking up via curbside pick up. It’s a great option if you’ve got kids and you’ve got a busy summer.

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

The CSA Box comes tomorrow AM, but they send out a preview email over the weekend. It is very helpful for menu planning.

Veggies and fruit are delivered each Monday 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’m doing some meal prep today: A batch of cookies, roasting zucchini, defrosting and marinating chicken, and defrosting ground beef so tomorrow I can make a big batch of red sauce.

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: We pick up free school lunches during the summer for the kids, I also 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.

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: Pulled BBQ chicken, rice, salad.
  • Monday: Spaghetti with red sauce (I am making some without meat for my vegetarian kiddo).
  • Tuesday:  Breakfast for Dinner (pancakes, bacon, and fruit-probably melon)
  • Wednesday:  Nugget night: Nuggets, crackers, cheese, fruit
  • Thursday: Italian Herb and Lemon chicken, rice, salad, roasted corn
  • Friday:  Takeout Night
  • Saturday: Leftovers, fruit, salad

Please stay safe you guys!

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

Mid-Month Coupon Round Up June 2021

Abby H.

I was cruising my favorite coupon sites this morning and I found some great stuff. This is a little late, but there are some pretty cool coupons to share.

The two sites I use the most for printable coupons are:

Here are a few coupons that have me kinda stoked:

Save $1.00 On any ONE (1) Sun-Maid® Chocolate Raisins, Any Variety (7 oz Bag)
Save $0.75 on any ONE (1) Finish® JET-DRY® 3in1 Rinse Aid 8.45oz.+, OR Finish® Dishwasher Cleaner 8.45oz. or 3ct tab
Save $2.00 any ONE (1) NEUTROGENA® Sun Care product (excluding trial and clearance).
Save $1.00 on any ONE (1) package of Green Giant® New Frozen Product, Any Variety

6/21/2021 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgThis week marks the first week of summer school for the big kid and a reading summer program for the little one. I’m excited for them to get out of the house and be with other kids.

We hit up the county library last week and picked up our summer reading stuff and checked out a huge stack of books.

Last weeks’ trip to the grocery store combined with the free summer lunches meals that I didn’t have to go to the grocery store over the weekend for this week. That’s great because the price of groceries has gone up exponentially over the past few weeks, so I’m leaning more on stores that have good deals like Grocery Outlet, and using my cashback apps like Fetch Rewards.

We usually get a CSA box on Mondays, but I opted to skip this week because we have so much leftover from last week.

Veggies and fruit are delivered each Monday 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 did a little meal prep over the weekend, mostly cutting up melons, making salads, and cooking a batch of beans and rice for lunch 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 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: We pick up free school lunches during the summer for the kids, I also 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.

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: Burgers and fries
  • Monday: Spinach Salad, Chicken Tikka Masala, rice
  • Tuesday:   Pulled BBQ chicken, roasted veg, noodles
  • Wednesday:  Meal o’ snacks: Fruits, crackers, cheese, granola bars
  • Thursday: Breakfast for Dinner (pancakes, bacon, and fruit)
  • Friday:  Takeout Night
  • Saturday: Leftovers, fruit, salad

Please stay safe you guys!

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

Freebies: Lip Gloss and Protein Bars!

Abby H.

These freebies are pretty sweet- This must be the summer of freebies.

Free Rejuva Minerals Organic & Vegan Lip Gloss colored with minerals and plant-based ingredients including beautiful crushed red rose petals and cocoa! No carmine or FD&C dyes. Infused with cool and refreshing organic peppermint oil. Just click the ‘Apply to Try’ button and if you’re selected you will get a Free Organic & Vegan Lip Gloss!

Sign up for a chance to get Free Rowdy Bars! High in protein, low in carbs, low GI, and deliver hard-to-find plant prebiotics from Yacon Root. They’re also dairy-free, gluten-free, non-GMO, and an awesome way to fuel up. Just click the ‘Apply to Try’ button and if you’re selected you will get Free Rowdy Bars!

 

 

If neither of these freebies tickles you, check out Try Products. Try products for Free, tell us what you think! Sign up to try hundreds of wonderful products from brands who want to provide consumers with cleaner, greener, more natural, better for you choices, that you can feel good about putting in your body & home! It’s 100% Free. No credit card required EVER!

6/14/2021 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgThis week is our first full week of summer vacation! This week both kids are free, meaning no summer school or structured learning. We’ll be playing and swimming all week long. I’ve got a bunch of errands and phone calls to get done.

Yesterday was my big trip to the grocery store. The price of groceries has gone up exponentially over the past few weeks, so I’m leaning more on stores that have good deals like Grocery Outlet, and using my cashback apps like Fetch Rewards.

The CSA emails us in advance to give us a heads up as to what may be in our boxes each week, and that really gives me an upper hand when it comes to meal planning for the week.

Veggies and fruit are delivered each Monday 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 didn’t do any meal prep yesterday, so I’ll be doing it after the CSA box arrives this morning. Next week we’ll be taking a hiatus from the CSA box. We eat less when it’s hot out, and I don’t want any food to go to waste. It’s going to be hellaciously hot this week, so the meal plan reflects that with lots of cool/cold food.

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: We pick up free school lunches during the summer for the kids, I also 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.

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: Soup, Salad, and  Toast
  • Monday: Salad, Protein shakes, and Texas Toast
  • Tuesday:   Breakfast for Dinner (pancakes, bacon, and fruit)
  • Wednesday:  Meal o’ snacks: Fruits, crackers, cheese, granola bars
  • Thursday:  Roasted Veg, chicken, potatoes
  • Friday:  Takeout Night
  • Saturday: Leftovers, fruit, salad

Please stay safe you guys!

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

6/7/2021 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgThis week marks the end of our school year. Woo Hoo? Big kid is doing ESY (extended school year aka summer school) so it’s no big thing for him. Also this week our Bitty Bird turns six! We’ll be having a socially responsible party this coming weekend with friends and family in our bubble.

I went to the grocery store Friday while the kids were at school. 99 Cents Only and Grocery Outlet had tons of great deals, and I was able to stock up for the week (and beyond) and stay on budget.

The CSA emails us in advance to give us a heads up as to what may be in our boxes each week, and that really gives me an upper hand when it comes to meal planning for the week.

Veggies and fruit are delivered each Monday 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.

Over the weekend, I did some meal prep: I prepared the last of our CSA veggies to roast, and a big salad with all the fixings.

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: Kids take lunch to school. I eat leftovers. Everyone rejoices.

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: Beans, Rice, roasted veggies, fruit salad
  • Monday: Chicken with Floretine sauce, roasted veggies, potatoes
  • Tuesday:   Frozen Entrees, Salad, Texas Toast
  • Wednesday:  Nugget night (nuggets, fruit, crackers, milk)
  • Thursday:  Skillet Casserole, Salad
  • Friday:  Takeout Night
  • Saturday: Soup, Roasted Veg, Texas Toast

Please stay safe you guys!

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