Showing posts with label Healthy Couponing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Healthy Couponing. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Why I Never Buy Sour Cream

Today is the STARR writing test here in Texas. Little miss is off to school and ready to go. This year she will get the help she needs, since she has been diagnosed with dyslexia. However, this is the hardest test for her since she she will be graded on writing along with spelling. Spelling is the most difficult for children with dyslexia, since they may know all the letters that make up a work but are unsure what order they go in. We were able to write her a letter letting her know we believe in her and her abilities and not to worry about this silly test. If you can say a little prayer she does well today.

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Healthy Couponing

Sour Cream 

There is a ton of junk food out there you can get with coupons or great deals on junk food. I am not going to say I never buy junk food. I do buy some things because I think it is OK for a small treat every once in awhile. Everything in moderation. I want them to understand you can eat certain food like cookies and ice cream, but only on occasions. Just like cake I don’t have it everyday, so that when it is served I can have a piece and not feel guilty about it. These are treats and should be considered as such.



I started to research how can I provide similar tastes of products that aren't as healthy, but with more nutrition for my growing kids. I am always looking for way to add calcium, protein and additional vitamins to their diets. Protein tends to stick with you and make you feel full longer than empty sugar calories.  If I am providing a high carb meal I see if there is a way I can sneak in more protein and not change the overall quality or taste of the food.



One switch I have made is using plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream or regular yogurt. Greek yogurt has 8grams of protein per one cup serving compared to sour cream only 6grams. I add this to a lot of breakfast items we eat. This gives more protein in a carb packed breakfast such as pancakes or muffins. We also use this instead of sour cream to top tacos, taco soup and anything else delicious you would normally add sour cream to. Where ever you can use sour cream you can use plain Greek yogurt. It is very similar in taste and texture. Whenever there are coupons for Greek yogurt I always make sure I print these healthy coupons.


I cannot always find coupons for plain Greek yogurt. There is a store here in the Dallas area called Sprouts that run sales all the time on Greek Yogurt. I make sure I buy enough to make it last until the next sale. I will make sour cream recipes like stroganoff or tacos when these are available. If I don’t have the greek yogurt we normally don’t have these dishes. That way we still get to enjoy these family favorites, we just do this around sales. That is the secret to reducing your grocery budget. Reviewing what sales are going on to see what items you can purchase on sale and make your meals around those items. By do this, you will greatly reduce your grocery budget every week and still buy healthy items.

Have you tried Greek yogurt before? How do you cook with Greek Yogurt?

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Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Homemade Enchiladas & Sauce

I have been couponing for a year and I haven't seen enchilada sauce go on sale nor have I seen a coupon for it. To be honest I haven't been searching too hard for it either. I have been craving some enchiladas lately, since they are so easy to make and freeze great. Instead of buying enchilada sauce for $2.00 a can, I even saw one for $4.00 and it was not organic, my frugalness came out, I researched how to make it. I knew I had a ton of tomatoes that had to be the main ingredient. 

I had some smoked chicken in the freezer I needed to use. Traditionally chicken enchiladas are made with a white sauce, but I decided to be different and wanted red sauce for these. This is also a great Stockpile Recipe.

The original recipe was found on All Recipes app on my phone however I adapted to what I thought would be a better sauce. If you haven't figured out by now. I rarely use a recipe I find exactly. It is modified to what I have on hand.


Miz Helen’s Country Cottage
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Red Enchilada Sauce


Ingredients:
1 Tbl Olive Oil
2 Cloves Garlic
1 tsp. Onion - I added a little more
1/2 tsp. Oregano
2 1/2 tsp. Chili Powder
1/2 tsp. Basil
1/4 tsp. Cumin
1/4 cup Salsa
1 14.5 can Diced Tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste


1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and onions and saute until the onions become translucent. Add Chili powder, Oregano, Basil, Cumin, Salsa, Tomato Sauce and salt and pepper to taste. 


2. Mix together. Bring to a boil. Then with an immersion blender, blend all ingredients in sauce pan. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 min. 

Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:
1/2 Chicken
Enchilada Sauce from above
14 or so corn tortillas
Cheese


1. Make the enchilada sauce above.



2. Pull chicken off bone and shred with two forks. Place in a bowl.




3. Take a skillet and heat on med high heat. Place corn tortilla on skillet for 1 minute and flip for 1 minute. Remove from skillet. This makes the tortillas easier to roll.




4. Place two tablespoons of shredded chicken in the center of tortilla and roll. This should be easier, since the tortilla is warmed. 




5. Spray a 9X13 baking dish. Place enchilada seem side down in dish.




6. Repeat steps 3 -5 until baking dish is full or chicken is all used. 




7. Pour enchilada sauce over the top of all enchiladas.




8. Top off with cheese and bake at 350 for 30 min.



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This becomes a dance to warm the tortillas in the skillet and keep the assembly line going with chicken. Sometimes I talk to myself to remind me to put the tortilla on the skillet while I am making the other one. It makes the build process easier if you have an assembly line going. 


Let me know if you try this awesome dish. I loved the flavor and freshness of these. I served it with some re-fried beans and Spanish rice. Have you ever made enchiladas?


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