10 Super Coupon Tips for Grocery Shopping

 

Are you throwing money away? If you are not taking advantage of coupons, you may be tossing away savings that could be applied towards your next grocery bill. Everyone wants to save money, but many people just don’t get around to clipping coupons. By clipping coupons ahead of time for items you normally shop for, you should be able to have a stack of coupons ready to use when the time is right. The following tips will give you tips on how to use these coupons.

1. Match coupons with items already on sale. Look through your weekly flyer and find items on sale. Match the coupons you have with these sale items to further reduce your final bill.
2. Combine deals. Some stores allow customers to redeem both store and manufacturer’s coupons together. Another way to combine deals is to find items that offer a rebate, and then apply a coupon for double savings.
3. Look online for coupons. With the decline of printed newspapers, the coupon section is not as large as it once was. However, the Internet provides plenty of websites that offer great deals.
4. Be open to a different brand. Shoppers have brand loyalty and will always buy the same brands.  Consider a different brand if you can use a valuable coupon instead.
5. Sign up for loyalty programs. Most grocery stores or drugstores have some type of loyalty program. Walgreens has Register Rewards, CVS has Extra Bucks, and most grocery stores offer a savings card.  Even though you do not typically buy groceries at a drugstore, they often have deals on some of the staples.
6. Compare prices without a coupon. Although it is a good idea to use coupons, always compare prices on different products with and without the coupon to determine the best brand to buy.  Another product may be cheaper without any coupon required.
7. Look for stores that offer double the coupons. This is a little more difficult to do, since not many stores offer double coupons. With a little research, you can find the stores where you can redeem coupons for double savings.
8. Stock up on non-perishable items. If you find valuable coupons for non-perishable items, this can save you a lot of money. Plus, you won’t have to worry about running out of the product for awhile. Not everyone has the storage to take advantage of this, but if you can find room, stock up!
9. Sign up for coupon sites. Instead of spending hours looking for deals online, sign up for the site’s newsletter. Do this for 2 or 3 sites and you will get great deals directly in your inbox. Often times, you will get a few insider deals and tips for signing up as well.
10. Shop at superstores. By shopping at large superstores, like WalMart and Target, you can take advantage of the coupon deals and save time with one-stop shopping. These stores are generally cheaper to begin with than most grocery stores.

Although the average person does not have the time to strategically plan a grocery trip or participate in extreme couponing, these simple tips can help you take advantage of coupon savings the simple way.

Source:  Article reprinted with permission from Live in Nanny

Cook’s Corner: White Bean Chicken Chili For A Fall Day

INGREDIENTS:

1. 4 slices turkey bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4 inch strips
2. 2 green and/or red bell peppers, diced
3. 1 medium yellow onion, diced
4. 1 Tablespoon chili powder
5. 1 Tablespoon marjoram
6. 1 Tablespoon oregano
7. 1 Teaspoon cumin
8. 1 teaspoon garlic powder
9. 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
10. 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
11. 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
12. 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
13. 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
14. 6 cups rinsed and drained canned great Northern beans
15. 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
16. 1 teaspoon lemon juice
17. 1 boneless skinless chicken breast (8 ounces)
18. 1/2 teaspoon jerk seasoning
19. 1 teaspoon olive oil
20. To garnish: low fat sour cream, pico de gallo and cilantro

 

PREPARATION:

• In large saucepot, cook turkey bacon over medium high heat 4-5 minutes or until crisp, stirring frequently.  Reduce heat to medium. Add bell peppers and onion, and cook 5-4 minutes, stirring frequently.  Stir in chili powder, marjoram, oregano, cumin and garlic powder, and cook 1 minute.  Stir in flour, salt, cayenne pepper and black pepper.
• Add tomatoes, beans, broth and lemon juice and heat to simmering; simmer 20 minutes stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, sprinkle both sides of chicken with jerk seasoning.  Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Add chicken and cook 3-4 minutes or until deep brown in color, turning once.   Reduce heat to medium, and cook chicken 5-6 minutes longer or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees, turning occasionally.  Cut chicken into 1/2 inch pieces.
• Ladle chili into serving bowls and top with chicken.  Garnish with sour cream, pico de gallo and cilantro, if desired.

Serving Size: ( 1 1/3 cups)

305 calories, 3g fat, 1g saturated fat, 15mg cholesterol, 530mg sodium, 46g carbohydrate, 10g fiber, 22g Protein

Source: Nutritious & Delicious

Favorites at Christmas

 

Now that Thanksgiving is over, I’ve started thinking of Christmas.

One of my favorite dishes is Cranberry Relish made with fresh

cranberries and fresh oranges.  (This is delicious at Thanksgiving too.)

My favorite Christmas movie is Miracle on 34th Street with Natalie Wood. 

What are your favorite Christmas dishes and favorite Christmas movies?

Grocery Store Musical

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Let’s Talk Turkey from Cooks Corner with a Crustless Pumpkin Pie

Happy Thanksgiving to friends, relatives and colleagues –near, far and from across the globe—safe traveling and to have fun eating too.

 

(Reprinted From:  “Blog:  A Dietitian’s Perspective” Thanksgiving Sunday, November 22, 2009)

 

 

Preparing Thanksgiving dinner is enough of a pressure cooker, never mind having to do math in your head just to get it right.  Here are  some of the numbers to have a safe, worry-free and meaningful Thanksgiving Day dinner. 

 

 

 

 

 

Turkey

For turkeys under 16 lbs., estimate basically 1 pound per serving (this accounts for bone weight.)  For larger birds, a bit less is fine;they have a higher meat-to-bone ratio.  However, if your goal is plenty of leftovers, (that turkey sandwich with mayo and cranberry sauce to boot) aim for 1 1/2 lbs. per person whatever the turkey’s size.

 

• For 8 people:   purchase a 12 lb. turkey
• For 10 people: purchase a 15 lb. turkey
• For 12 people: purchase an 18 lb. turkey
• For 14 people: purchase a 20 lb. turkey

The Thaw

Technically, the safest way to thaw a frozen turkey is in the refrigerator.  Figure about 24 hours per 4-5 lbs. of turkey.  Another method would be to put the turkey is sink filled with cold running-water.  Change the water every 30 minutes, and plan for about 30 minutes per pound.

Holiday Hot Lines plus, a click-a-way

• Crisco Pit Hotline: 877-367-7436
• Butterball Turkey Talk-Line: 1-800-butterball or www.buterball.com
• Empire Kosher Poultry Customer Hot line:  1-717-436-7055 or www.empirekosher.com/index.html
• Fleischmann’s Yeast Baker’s Help Line: 800-777-4959 or www.breadworld.com/help.aspx
• Foster Farms Turkey Helpline: 800-255-7227 or www.fosterfarms.com
• General Mills: 800-248-7310
• King Arthur Flour Co Bakers Hotline: 802-649-3717
• Nestle Toll House Baking Information Line: 800-637=8537 or www.verybestbaking.com
• Ocean Spray Consumer Help Line: 800-662-3263 or www.oceanspray.com
• Perdue consumer Help Line: 800-PERDUW or www.persue.com
• Reynolds Turkey Hot Line: 800-745-4000 or www.reynoldskitchens.com
• US Department of Agriculture Meat and Poultry Hotline: 888-674-6854 or www.fsis.usda.gov/Food_Safety_Education/Ask_Karen/

LITE ‘n EASY CRUSTLESS PUMPKIN PIE

Ingredients:

1. 2 Tbsp. water
2. 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
3. 2 1/4 cups Carnation Evaporated Low-fat 2% Milk
4. 1 15oz.can Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin
5. 1/2 cup of packed brown sugar or low calorie sweetener equivalent
6. 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
7. 1 tsp. vanilla extract
8. Light whipped topping
9. Fresh Fruit (optional)

Preparation:

1. Coat 1” deep-dish pie plate with non-stick Cooking spray.
2. Place water in a medium bowl; sprinkle gelatin over water. Let stand 5 – 10 minutes or until softened. Mixture may be firm.
3. Bring 1 cup of evaporated milk to boil in saucepan. Slowly stir in hot evaporated milk into gelatin. Stir in the remaining evaporated milk, pumpkin, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla extract.
4. Pour mixture into prepared pie plate. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set.
5. Garnish with whipped topping and fresh fruit, if desired.

Enjoy!

Makes 8 servings; Adapted from Nestle Carnation

Southern-Style Herb Roasted Turkey

Please enjoy this video!

Herb Roasted Turkey

What is your favorite item(s) for Thanksgiving Dinner? 

Mine is stuffing and gravy; yum! 

Thanks for viewing,

-Anthony

Sharing my dinner with you!

Hi everybody:

Thought Id share my great dinner with you from Applebees Restaurant, which is a Bruchetta Salad.  Good and healthy, also delicious.  Have a wonfdrful night.   Anthony

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Kiwi & Strawberry Medley

Today I peeled 4 kiwi and mixed 2 cups of strawberries with it. Added a drizzle of vinegar. This is so very delicious! Please try. Enjoy , Anthony :)

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Applebee’s Provides Veterans Free Meal Today

 

Thank you for your service.  What a beautiful world we live in because of your service and your sacrifice!

Who says that there’s no such thing as a free lunch—or even a free dinner?   Today, Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill and Bar Restaurants around the country are offering a free meal for veterans and military active-duty personnel.

With the 3rd years of this kind of promotion and with that in mind, restaurants are in “all-hands-on-deck” mode.  The restaurants have been completely decorated in patriotic themes, and all staff will be wearing read, white and blue.

To qualify for the free meal, customers must bring military identification, such as a Uniform Services Identification Card, Uniform Services Retired Identification Card, current leave and earnings statement, veterans’ organization card, a photograph in uniform, a DD214 form, a commendation. Or, just wear their uniforms.

How to carve your turkey

Butterball: Mobile

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Dr. Christine Gerbstadt, MD, RD, CDE: “Cure Your Cravings”

 

 

Dr. Christine Gerbstadt, MD, RD

 

Eating The Right Amount of Lean Protein Every Day Literally Keeps Your Mind Off Snacking.  If you’re trying to maintain a healthy weight—and who isn’t?  You know that food cravings can be your biggest enemy.  Often striking mid-morning or-afternoon, they make you more susceptible to packaged snacks, which are loaded with sugar and salt.  She reveals that a recent study at the University of Missouri found that eating adequate amounts of protein can make you feel satisfied throughout the day (protein is metabolized more slowly than fats or carbohydrates.) and actually reduced signals in your brain that control what experts call “reward-driven” eating, otherwise known as “why did I eat the whole thing?”

Here’s what protein can do for you and how you can obtain the right amounts at your meals:

• Build a strong efficient body
• Eat about 20 grams per meal or snack
• Choose lean protein and
• Avoid “high-protein” diets

Power Up:  Lean protein, like a 3 oz. roasted fillet of salmon helps to make us feel full and energized.  Therefore, reducing the urge to binge between meals.

Source: Diabetes Talk, Fall 2011.

Thanks Dr. Christine.

Happy Halloween! Chicken Tortilla Soup

Prep 15 minutes
Cook time 20_25 minutes
Yield 12, 1 cup servings

2 cans reduced sodium chicken broth
1 can green chili enchilada sauce
2 cans no salt added diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp. Chopped jalapeno peppers
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1 whole chicken skin removed,diced
1 bag of sweet corn
1/2 cup cilantro chopped

Combine first 5 ingredients in stockpot, cook over medium heat until simmers. Reduce heat to med.low. Add chicken & corn. Simmer15 minutes. Add cilantro; stir. Simmer another 5 minutes & serve.
Source: Weis Healthy Bites

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Cook’s Corner: Oatmeal Pecan Waffles (or pancakes)

A Fun & Healthy Breakfast!

 

 

 

For waffles:
1 C whole-wheat flour
½ C quick-cooking oats
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. sugar
¼ C unsalted pecans, chopped
2 large eggs, separated (for
pancakes, see note)
1½ C fat-free (skim) milk
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
For fruit topping:
2 C fresh strawberries, rinsed, stems
removed, and cut in half (or
substitute frozen strawberries,
thawed)
1 C fresh blackberries, rinsed (or
substitute frozen blackberries,
thawed)
1 C fresh blueberries, rinsed (or
substitute frozen blueberries,
thawed)
1 tsp. powdered sugar

 

Preparation:
1. Preheat waffle iron.
2. Combine flour, oats, baking powder, sugar, and pecans in a
large bowl.
3. Combine egg yolks, milk, and vegetable oil in a separate
bowl, and mix well.
4. Add liquid mixture to the dry ingredients, and stir together.
Do not over mix; mixture should be a bit lumpy.
5. Whip egg whites to medium peaks. Gently fold egg whites
into batter (for pancakes, see note below).
6. Pour batter into preheated waffle iron, and cook until the
waffle iron light signals it’s done or steam stops coming out
of the iron. (A waffle is perfect when it is crisp and well-browned
on the outside with a moist, light, airy and fluffy
inside.) (Batter also can be used to make pancakes; see
note below.)
7. Add fresh fruit and a light dusting of powdered sugar to
each waffle, and serve.

 

10 minutes
cook time:
30 minutes
yield:
4 servings
serving size:
3 small (2-inch) or 1 large
(6-inch) waffle (depending on
waffle iron size) or pancakes
each serving provides:
calories 340
total fat 11 g
saturated fat 2 g
cholesterol 107 mg
sodium 331 mg
total fiber 9 g
protein 14 g
carbohydrates 50 g
potassium 369 mg
vitamin A 8%
vitamin C 60%
calcium 30%
iron 6%

Source:  Deliciously Healthy Meals

Food Facts label—What changes should be made?

Food Facts label?  What Changes Should be made?

Here’s a link; what do you think?

http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Regulation/What-changes-should-be-made-to-the-Nutrition-Facts-panel

With a Heart of Gold-Registered Dietitian, Michelle Angarita: Conquers!

 

Michelle Angarita, MS, RD, LDN

 

Michelle Angarita MS, RD, LDN is a mother, registered dietitian, chef and food lover.

Her passion for food began when she was a child helping out in her mother’s kitchen in the western suburbs of Chicago. This passion led Michelle to begin her culinary studies. At the age of eighteen Michelle was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. This was a shock to the young college student, but left Michelle with a desire to learn more about health, wellness and how food impacts one’s health.

After receiving a clean bill of health Michelle completed her bachelor’s degree in food science and nutrition. She also completed culinary training on vegan and raw food cooking. Wishing to gain greater knowledge on the topics of food and health, Michelle completed a dietetic internship and achieved the status of registered dietitian. Most recently Michelle completed her master’s degree in management.

Michelle’s studies on food and its direct impact on health led her to remove animal products from her diet and follow a more conscientious lifestyle.

Today Michelle is the Head Chef with Vegin-In, a vegan food company, and provides personal dietetic services. Her focus is on continuing to educate people on how to achieve a healthier lifestyle through proper food choices. Her goal is to inform the public that a well-balanced vegan diet can be fulfilling for both the body and soul. Michelle currently lives in Middle Tennessee with her husband and one year old son.

 

 

© Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Recipe Developed and Reprinted with Permission of Michelle Angarita.

Vegan Lentil Pumpkin Chili

Yield: 6 Cups; (1 cup each)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 bell pepper

1 clove garlic, mined

1 ounce dried wild mushrooms (morel, shiitake or porcini would all work)

8 oz Seitan cut into pieces

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomato

1 (14.5 oz) can red kidney beans

2 cups (14.5 oz can) pumpkin puree

1 cup vegetable broth

1 1/2 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 tablespoon cumin

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Cayenne pepper to taste

 

Directions:

Boil one cup of water and soak the dried mushrooms for thirty minutes. Put the soaking water to the side, do not discard.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium- high heat.

Sauté onion, bell pepper, sweet potato and garlic until tender, about ten minutes.  Stir in tomatoes, beans, mushrooms, pumpkin, seitan and broth.  Season with chili powder, cumin, pepper, salt and cayenne. Add half of drained soaking water, cook for about five more minutes.

Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes until you achieve consistency desired.  Serve topped with cheese. Enjoy :)

 

Please stop by and visit Michelle: 

michelleangarita.blogspot.com