Recipe: White Chili

This chili is delicious, hearty, satisfying, and good for you! It's also adaptable to what you have on hand and how spicy you want it to be.


White Chili
Serves 8-10


4 tsp canola oil
2 large onions, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups (32 oz.) chicken broth (less sodium)
3 tablespoons (plus more to taste) green hot pepper sauce (like Tabasco)*
   *alternately, I did not have any Tabasco sauce but I did have a jar of green salsa so I used about 1 cup of that 
1 tsp kosher salt
2 lbs. (approximately) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup cornmeal
2 19-ounce cans cannellini or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup sour cream (or plain yogurt)
2 green onions, thinly sliced
lime wedges, optional
tortilla chips, optional


Heat oil in a Dutch oven (or other heavy-bottomed pot) over medium heat. Add chopped onion and garlic to pan; cook 5 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring occasionally. Add broth, hot pepper sauce, salt, and chicken to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove chicken breasts from broth; cool. 
Add cornmeal and beans to broth mixture, stirring with a whisk; simmer 15 minutes. Mash about 1/4 of the beans against the side of the pan. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and put back into the dutch oven; simmer 5 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken. Stir frequently to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pan. Stir in half the sour cream or yogurt, reserve the rest for people to top their chili with. Serve with sliced green onions, lime wedges, and crushed tortilla chips, if desired.


Recipe slightly adapted from Cooking Light

A fantastic deal on Living Social Today

I love shopping at CVS. When done correctly, I typically get 70-80% retail value. And that is seriously typical.
If you waltz in off the streets and try to grab something off the shelve, you will think I am crazy and don't know what I am talking about. However- when you go in prepared, CVS card, coupons, and Extra Bucks in hand, you can score some AMAZING savings.

Today on LivingSocial.com you can get a $20 CVS voucher for only $10. Automatically a 50% savings. Combine that with a sale on organic shampoo or makeup, add your coupons, and you can get ORGANIC for pennies to the dollar.

This is one I wouldn't pass up.

GRAB this deal HERE.

This is my personal link, so I may get credits if you purchase through this link.

**THIS DEAL IS SOLD OUT. **

Watch FRESH online for free, Jan 26-Feb 1!

Watch FRESH online for free, Jan 26-Feb 1!

This is a great little film to help you understand why it's so important to care about what you are putting in your body and where it is coming from. I LOVE it!

The difference between a Monsanto Mandarin and a Mandarin from the backyard

On the left we have a store bought Mandarin, a Monsanto variety. I picked a small one, but the truth is the rest were twice this size. They are specifically grown to be bigger and weigh more so that they can charge you more, while the bigger size makes you think you are getting more fruit, when you are actually just getting more water. The biggest difference is obviously the pigment. The one from the backyard tree is dark and rich in color. Guess how it tasted? The color absolutely correlates to the intensity of flavor in the fruit. Washed out color, washed out taste. Deep orange color, vibrant tangy taste. Guess which one has more vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium, potassion, magnesium, and fiber? You guessed it. The deeper pigment also means a higher density of nutrients.
So you can have your enlarged water Mandarin from Monsanto. Or your nutrient dense, flavor rich, all natural Mandarin from the your backyard. Unless of course, Monsanto gets their way, in which case it will be illegal for you to grow your own food.

Natural Peanut Butter with Honey on Sale on Amazon.com

You can get a great deal on Skippy All Natural Peanut Butter with Honey today on Amazon.com
A six pack is only $13.13 when you use the $1 off coupon (make sure you click on it) and check out with Subscribe and Save. This makes the jars only $2.19 a piece.

Skippy All Natural Peanut Butter has no preservatives, no artificial colors or flavors.
The ingredients are: Roasted peanuts, palm oil, peanut oil, salt, sugar, and honey.

I consider this one of my transition items. It's not quite organic, but it's a step in the right direction. We are getting used to being label conscious, looking for healthier alternatives, and being mindful of our budgets.
If you don't want the honey, the other varieties are also on sale, but the deal isn't quite as good.

Thank you to HIP2SAVE.com

Organic Humor

10 Hardcovers Children's Books for $16.98 Shipped!

This is too good not to share!
You can order The All Star 10 pack of hardcover books from shoptasteofhome.com for only $16.98 using CODE LS105

This makes them only $1.70 EACH.
I am going to use them for baby shower gifts and easter baskets!

For some people the price is already coming up as $14.99 plus $1.99 shipping so there is no need to use the code. I needed the code though. So I guess it just depends.

Grab your books HERE

Thank you to Hip 2 Save for this great deal!
They are one of my top 3 coupon sites I follow. I suggest you follow them too.

hip2save.com

A good time to try Method Dish Soap

Target has Method Dish Soap for $2.99.
They have a printable coupon for $1 off Method HERE
Combine that with the $1 Method coupon from the 1/8/12 Smart Source (SS)
And you can get a bottle of Method Dish Soap for just $0.99!!

I picked mine up today. I've never tried it before.
The bottle is from 100% recyled materials and the soap is biodegradable.
Does anyone use this product? What's your review?

Produce Coupon for Safeway!

Log in to your Safeway Just 4 U account and make sure you click on your $3 off a $10 produce purchase. If you stick to the $10 mark, that is 30% off. This will make your organic purchases the same prices as regular produce items. I bought apples, zuchini, squash, and kale. I admit it-- this is the first time in my entire life I have ever purchased kale. Anybody know what I am supposed to do with it????

safeway.com

It's Wednesday- that means NEW ecoupons at Raleys.com

Raley's is the same as Nob Hill and Bel Air. The coupons even have all 3 names at the top of them, so need to worry about a grumpy store clerk refusing your coupons.

This week you will find a Barbara's Cereal coupon for $1.99
Full Circle Soy or Rice Milk Buy 1 Get 1 Free
Full Circle Organic Berries $1 off
Endangered Species Chocolate 2/$3

In addition you can print a coupon for Raley's Bagels 6 ct for FREE with $20 purchase.

Check out the other coupons as well. These are just the ones I printed.

Raley's eCoupons

Resource: A guide to safe products based on a scientific ratings

I found this very website today I thought you would be interested in.


http://www.goodguide.com/

This website has a large assortment of products and rates them best to worst based on the health risks associated with their ingredients. It's well known that I am a total nerd- so perhaps-- it's only me-- but I had a good time browsing around and seeing who came out on top.

You can look up catagories or specific name brands. I noticed several products lines were incomplete with no rating because of "partial data". That's a little annoying. Still a good resource if you are trying to find better alternatives and want to know how they stack up against each other.

Organic at Trader Joe's

I just love shopping at our Trader Joe's. I enjoy the atmosphere, the unusually friendly staff, and the surprisingly low prices on many food items.

They have an impressive produce section for such a small store and pretty good selection of organic produce. Here are a few of my purchases from the other day:

Organic Russet Potatoes, 5 lb. bag, $3.49 ($0.69/lb.)
Organic Sweet Potatoes, 3 lb. bag, $3.69 ($1.23/lb.)
Organic small Fuji Apples, 2 lb. bag, $2.49 ($1.25/lb.)

I could have bought a lot more but I practiced restraint!

Amazon: Charmin Toilet Paper Deal

Charmin Ultra Strong

Right now if you sign up for 'Subscribe and Save'* on Amazon for a 24-pack of MEGA rolls of Charmin toilet paper you will pay $22.05 to have it delivered to your door in about 2 days! That is $0.92 per Mega sized roll.

There is also a $0.25 coupon toward your order on this page you can click and 'clip', just scroll down to Special Offers and Product Promotions.

If you go through toilet paper as fast as my family does and you enjoy the fancy Charmin brand then this is a great deal. This also beats the Costco Charmin price, in case you were wondering.

*'Subscribe and Save' is a great way to get the cheapest price on different products through Amazon. You can change the frequency of how often you would like things delivered or you can just cancel after you sign up to take advantage of a deal. Sometimes the prices fluctuate so it is wise to check on their current price before receiving your next order to make sure it's still a good deal!

Parabens: What are they? Where are they? Why should I care?

You may have seen Parabens in the news lately and no doubt you will be seeing them again. Parabens are currently under investigation as one of the causes of breast cancer, as well as other types of cancer.

Parabens are chemical preservatives added to products to serve 2 purposes.

1-      They are an anti-microbial, so they keep your product from spoiling.

2-      They keep the product from separating, so the ingredients stay uniform for the duration of the shelf life.

The 4 common types of Parabens are Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, and Butylparaben.

They are found in many common personal care items like lotion, soap, deodorant, cosmetics, chap stick, shampoo, sun block, etc etc. On a rare occasion they are found in food items, but for the most part, they are in nonfood items.

Parabens are classified as Endocrine Disruptors. And they are absorbed into the largest organ of the body—your skin. Once inside your body, Parabens have a habit of mimicking estrogen. Estrogen promotes tissue growth and is a known instigator of breast cancer. In several different breast cancer studies Parabens repeatedly showed up in the cancer cells of breast cancer patients at a near 100% rate. They have yet to determine if the Parabens caused the cancer or why the Parabens would be found within the cancer cells. Studies also indicate that cancer cells with Parabens are harder to kill with cancer treatments, leading to extended exposure to radiation, and longer recovery times. Parabens are also being investigated for their effect on the male reproductive system, thyroid function, ovaries, and the growth and development of fetuses and children.

While we don’t know for sure just how bad they are—I’ve chosen to err on the side of “better safe than sorry.”

The good news is Parabens are easy to avoid! They are many options out there that do not contain Parabens—all it requires is that you take a quick look at the ingredients list on your products before you buy them.

I don’t suggest going through your bathroom cabinets and tossing out everything that has a Paraben. I wouldn’t be able to afford to replace all those items at once.  As those items are used up, however, I am choosing to purchase Paraben free. So far my biggest loss has been Cetaphil soap. I love that product because it is so mild and doesn’t cause any reactions for my sensitive skin prone family. I am still researching which sun block to buy. (That is one hot topic in itself that I’ll tackle another day). Chapsticks seem to be about 50/50. Banana Boat was a No. Nivea lip balm was a Yes.

 My favorite article on this subject is Brenda's Blog A Guide To Surviving Breast Cancer

She lists all the studies with links and explains the dangers in an easy way to understand.

http://www.breastcancersisterhood.com/_blog/Brenda%27s_Blog/post/Do_Parabens_Cause_Breast_Cancer

   This next article is fantastic because she clearly makes the case against Parabens, but I don't see any reference materials, so just note that she is stating the theories about Parabens as facts.

Dangers of Parabens by Sabrina Fox

http://ezinearticles.com/?Dangers-of-Parabens---5-Facts-You-Need-to-Know!&id=1434158

      Any interesting look at Parabens in Deodorant by Kathleen Doheny

http://gma.yahoo.com/does-deodorant-ingredient-affect-breast-cancer-risk-140412050.html

 Basic information about Parabens by Breastcancerfund.org

http://www.breastcancerfund.org/clear-science/chemicals-glossary/parabens.html

Causes of Cancer The Estrogen Controversy by Dixie Mills

http://www.womentowomen.com/breasthealth/estrogenbreastcancer.aspx

       

 Thank you www.freedigitalphotos.net

Whole Foods Deals of the Week 1/20/12

Whole Foods issues store coupons that can be combined with Manufacturer's coupons. This really makes buying specialty products like organic and gluten free affordable. They also offer a much larger selection of organic produce so you will see items there that are not in your typical grocery stores.

I'm a pretty new shopper to Whole Foods. I went there a few weeks ago, coupons in hand, and spent a good amount of time wandering around like a lost puppy. Some of my coupons were for items I'd never heard of before. I don't know how much time I spent looking for a Snikiddy. And I didn't want to ask and give myself away. I never did find it. When I checked out I had $60 worth of product in my cart and only paid $25 for it though. And it was all things I could feel good about feeding to my family.

I encourage you to go check them out if you haven't before. Pair up your coupons and bring your reusable bags.

Here is the current list of Printable Whole Foods Coupons

The Frugal Find has matched up the best deals of the week with these coupons as well as available Manufacturer's coupons.

Kashi Cereal for as little as $1.19 a box!

Stacey's Pita Chips $2.39

And their milk is only $2.50.

To see the full list of deals head on over to The Frugal Find

And thank you to The Frugal Find for letting us reference your information. You are a great resource!

Recipe: Double-Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Last night I was having a major cookie craving after the kids went to bed. I knew these cookies would be my best and fastest option. They are chewy and chocolatey and I only have to wait about a half hour to get one into my face. Perfecto!

Did I mention they have oats and whole wheat and antioxidant rich cocoa powder? Also, the recipe only calls for one egg, remember these chocolate delights for those times when you need to bake but only have a lone egg left in the fridge.

Double-Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

1 stick butter

½ cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1 ¼ cups flour (I used whole wheat)

3 tablespoons cocoa

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 ¼ cups oats (I used rolled)

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Cream the butter and brown sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the egg and vanilla.

Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.

Add flour mixture to butter mixture and mix well. Add the oats until completely moistened and then stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop heaping tablespoonfuls onto a baking sheet (flatten slightly with your fingers as these cookies don’t spread while baking). Bake for 9-11 minutes. I would say closer to 8 or 9 minutes—DO NOT OVERBAKE, the cookies will still be very soft. Let them finish baking on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before letting them cool completely on a wire rack.

Makes 18 cookies.

Recipe from Chocolate Never Faileth

Organic Coupons Available through Mambo Sprouts

Head on over to Mambo Sprouts and sign up for their free coupons. These are actually Manufacturer's coupons so they can be used anywhere. The Stonyfield Oikos coupon and the Nature's Path Coupon look like good ones. The Frugal Find has the complete list of available coupons if you want to check them out before setting up a profile. She is also going to pair those coupons with Whole Foods coupons and show you how to stack them for the best deals. I will have those up tomorrow.



Thank you www.thefrugalfind.com

Organic from Costco

I have been impressed lately with the amount of organic food items I can buy at Costco now, and at a fair price. Here is what I bought yesterday:

Baby Spinach-$3.59/1 lb.

Fuji Apples, 5.5 lbs.-$6.99 ($1.27/lb.)

Whole Carrots, 10 lbs.-$4.49 (I thought they were less before but still only $.45/lb.!)

Brown Eggs (not pastured but I'll take what I can get until I get my own chickens)-$6.29/2 dozen ($3.15/dozen)

Tortilla Chips (not pictured)-$4.29/2.5 lbs.

I will continue to post my organic finds at Costco with each trip. Stay tuned!

Raley's Coupons are Up

Every Wednesday Raley's posts new coupons for the week. Make sure you read the fine print as some of these are only good for Friday- Saturday- Sunday. Raley's coupons can be used at Nob Hill and Bel Air, although I don't know of any Bel Air grocery stores in the Bay Area.
There are 2 great things about Raley's coupons:
1- They always have a FREE item with purchase, typically a $20 purchase. The $20 is BEFORE coupons. This week it is 3 lbs of apples free. They aren't organic, but they are free.
2- Raley's coupons are store issued coupons which means you can combine them with Manufacturer's coupons and use 2 coupons for the same item. For example, if the Raley's coupon is for $2.49 for Tropicana and you also have a $.50 off Manufacturer's coupon, you can use both and get it for $1.99.

Go to www.raleys.com and create a profile. In your profile it will ask you to select an area of the grocery store you are most interested in. Each week they will give you an extra coupon specifically for your area. For example this week if you choose Fresh Meats you will see a coupon for $1 off Meat. If you choose Organics you will see a coupon Cedarlane Enchiladas. You can always print one, change your profile, and print the other. I keep mine on Organics and then wait for www.thefrugalfind.com to post Raley's best deals for the week. If she posts a coupon in another area of the market, I might go back, change my profile, print it out, and then change it back. Otherwise I just keep it at Organic. I don't have the time to go change it to each section and see if a different coupon I might want pops up.

This week 4 or 5 of the coupons are all for the Natural Food aisle. Take a look and see if anything peaks your interest.

www.raleys.com

Organic Apples and Bananas on Sale at Safeway

Safeway has 3 types of Organic Apples on sale this week.
Gala
Red
and Golden

All for $1.49 a lb. This will be cheaper than most of the regular types of apples- so you are getting organic cheaper than non-organic. Score!

If you keep apples cool and eat the ripest ones first -- apples can easily last 3 weeks in your fridge.
So try buying enough for 3 weeks. Then you won't get caught buying them next week for $3.99 a lb.

Safeway also has Organic Bananas on sale for $0.79 a lb. Isn't it crazy how expensive bananas have become? 18 months ago I was appalled at paying $0.39 a lb. The cheapest I have seen any banana lately is $0.69 a lb and that was for a regular banana. For only $.10 more a lb you get organic! Since you don't eat the peel of the banana this is one of those foods where you might choose to forgo and instead buy more apples! The choose is yours.

Other deals of note:

Organic Broccoli $1.99 a bunch
Organic Fingerling Potatoes $2.99 for 1.5 lbs
Open Nature 100% Natural English Muffins 2/$4
Van's Organic Waffles $2.49
"Like" them on Facebook to print off a $1 0ff 1 Van's product and get these for $1.49



photo from freedigitalphotos.net

Roasted Carrots

Carrots are naturally sweet and when roasted become even sweeter. They couldn’t be easier to prepare.

I try to make healthy eating as fun as I can for the kids so we take turns naming our food at dinnertime (a la ‘I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato’).

My kitchen assistants

Preheat oven to 400° F. Plan for at least two medium-sized carrots per person. Wash and peel carrots.

For Sliced carrots (a.k.a. ‘carrot buttons’ in our house)

Slice carrots to 1/8”-inch thick.  (These went over like gang busters on Christmas. People were exclaiming things like "I don't usually like carrots!", thought you should know.)

For Peeled carrots (‘carrot ribbons’)

After peeling outer skin off carrots just keep on peeling lengthwise on one side of the carrot to form “ribbons”. Arrange loosely on the baking sheet.

For Whole carrots ("Eh, What's up, Doc?")

            Trim ends, done!

For Carrots, Parsnips, and white Sweet Potatoes

Slice carrots. Wash and peel parsnips (slice parsnips lengthwise and quarter them at the fat end so they end up around the same size as the carrot slices). Wash and dice sweet potatoes small so they will cook as fast as the carrots and parsnips. 

Place prepared carrots on a cookie sheet. Generously sprinkle carrots with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Go ahead and add any spices you would like—fresh or dried thyme is really excellent or throw some Creole seasoning on if you really want to live! Drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil (you can get in there with your hands to make sure they all get coated, go for it!).

Bake for 15-20 minutes, stir them around and continue baking another 10-15 minutes or until desired doneness. The longer they go the more caramelized and tender they will become.

I buy organic produce whenever I can and carrots are sometimes just as affordable as non-organic. Costco sells a 10-pound bag of organic carrots for under $4 at certain times of the year! It lasts us a few weeks. 

The Dirty List- Which produce you should buy organic based on pesticide residue

It’s hard to go Organic—we know it’s good for us, but it’s just so expensive! Sometimes our budget only allows for 1 or 2 organic items a week, so how do we choose what to buy?  There are a lot of lists floating around and here is a list I liked because it gave actual statistics with the foods. To read the article in it’s entirety go here:  http://gourmetfood.about.com/od/slowfoodorganiclocal/a/organicproduce_2.htm

It lists the top 10 dirtiest foods –thus making them the top most important to buy organic.

Not only do I enjoy knowing that I am exposing myself to less chemicals from the pesticides and fertilizers, but I also like to think about all the fossil fuel I am conserving by them not producing that pesticide and fertilizer—and then think of all the farm workers you are saving because THEY are not being exposed while applying these nasty products. So really- we are eating better food, conserving energy, AND saving people’s lives. Wahoo! I’ll take a bite of that apple!

1.               Pears – 94.4% of pears sampled were found to contain pesticides.

2.               Peaches – 93.7% of peaches sampled were found to contain pesticides.

3.               Apples – 91% of apples sampled were found to contain pesticides.

4.               Cherries – 91% of cherries sampled were found to contain pesticides.

5.               Strawberries – 90% of strawberries sampled were found to contain pesticides.

6.               Imported Grapes – 86% of imported grapes (i.e. Chile) sampled were found to contain pesticides.

7.               Spinach – 83.4% of spinach sampled were found to contain pesticides.

8.               Potatoes – 79.3% of potatoes sampled were found to contain pesticides.

9.               Bell Peppers – 68% of bell peppers sampled were found to contain pesticides.

10.           Red Raspberries – 59% of red raspberries sampled were found to contain pesticides

 

The general rule is the thinner the skin the more it has absorbed. If you are going to eat the skin- it should be organic. Yes- you could peel it—but then you are losing a good portion of the nutrients from the fruit. Better to just go organic.

Here is the list of the Top 10 LEAST contaminated produce. Notice that most of these are food where you remove the skin before consuming. If you have to choose between them these are the ones you can buy non-organic.

·                        Asparagus

·                        Avocados

·                        Bananas

·                        Broccoli

·                        Cauliflower

·                        Corn (However, almost all corn is genetically modified)

·                        Kiwi

·                        Mangoes

·                        Onions

·                        Papaya

·                        Pineapples

·                        Sweet Peas

The broccoli and cauliflower surprise me, they must have some pretty tough skin.

If this is a subject that interests you, here is another interesting article:

http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/Dirty-Dozen-Foods#fbIndex1

Photos of Veggies from freeimages.co.uk

Melinda tries a Larabar

One of the gems of the Safeway Just 4 U program is the FREE products they sneak into your Personalized Price lists. They don't announce it with fanfaire and neon lights, they just sneak it into the middle of your list and see if you catch it.

Last week I saw I had both a Coke Zero and a Larabar for free. And since they are food items-- you don't even have to pay taxes. Wahoo! I love when they do this because it allows me to try something I would never have spent money on. And who knows, maybe I'll find my new favorite.

I found the Larabars near the Vitamins. I thought they would be in the health food section, but it was near the protein bars and atkins diet bars.

The label read Larabar The Original Fruit and Nut Food Bar
Fruit and Nuts? What? There has got to be some chocolate somewhere.
Aw yes. Cookie Dough. That will work.

The next day I found myself itching for a snack between meals and thought it would be a perfect time to try my new product. I ripped open the wrapping. I admit, I was a little surprised by it's appearance. It looked alot like fruit and nuts.

I took a bite.

Chocolate. Check. Cookie Dough. Check.

Fruit and Nuts? Also Check.

My mouth was so full of competing flavors I didn't even know what to think. Who puts fruit in a chocolate chip cookie? Despite the fact that I really had no idea if I was intrigued or repulsed I took another bite. The texture was good. Not grainy or powdery like some of the other health bars. It was smooth and chewy with the nuts and chips providing a nice contrast. However- I have to say the mash up of a fruit and nut bar with a chocolate cookie dough bar is strange and a little alarming. It's like Sandra Bullock and Jesse James.  A small part of you is surprised and delighted and hopes for the best. But deep down, you know it's plain wrong.

Organic Fingerling Potatoes at Raley's or Nob Hill

Raley's and Nob Hill and Bel Air are all the same store. Just FYI. The coupons for one work at the other 2.

This week Organic Fingerling Potatoes are on sale 2/$5.
I just paid $5 a pack at Safeway 2 days ago so I kind of want to stomp my foot and roll around on the ground in a little fit.
Instead- I am just going to go to Raley's and get these ones too. If kept in a cool dry place, potatoes will keep quite nicely, so I am going to stock up.





Sometimes we can't afford to buy ALL organic. My suggestion is to start with the produce that absorb the most pesticide and toxins. If you can just buy these ones organic you are making a huge difference in the health of your family and their exposure to harmful chemicals.

The general rule is Thick Skin Ok. Thin Skin Go Organic. Thin skins would be apples, strawberries, potatoes, carrots. Anything that grows under ground is absorbing more pesticide. Anything where you are eating the skin is also on the "dirty list".

Things like avocado, oranges, watermelon, bananas, where you do not eat the skin and peel it away are safer.

I'll post the "dirty list" later.  It's very helpful.

Saving in one place Pays for Another

Today I shopped at CVS and got $65 worth of stuff. They were on sale for about $35. I used $25 in ecbs and had a $10 CVS cash card. I paid $0. They gave me back $14.32 in another CVS cash card and ecbs. I purchased paper towels, laundry detergent, medicines, candies, feminine products, etc etc. All useful stuff. I buy them on sale so when I need them I have them and don't have to run down to the store and "pay the price." Not only am I buying items I need at a better price, but saving all this money on non-food items, means I now have more money to spend buying what I really want: Organic Fruits and Vegetables. If I've just saved $65 at CVS, it makes it alot easier to spend a little extra on organic carrots and potatoes.

This week at Safeway the regular Baby Peeled Carrots were $1. The Organic Baby Peeled Carrots were $1.50. Only $.50 more. I can afford that $0.50 because I saved so much stinking money at CVS.
I love CVS!

I am a dedicated follower to www.thefrugalfind.com She has taught me a great deal about what I know about couponing. I see no reason to reinvent the wheel so head on over to her site and learn all you can. I especially encourage you to watch her free videos. She has videos on how to coupon, how to organize your coupons, and goes through each store separately, showing you how to shop at that store. You'll learn all about ecbs at CVS.

Organic Produce from Living Social

Did you see the deal on Living Social today?
A voucher for $30 worth of organic produce (Alameda, CA) for only $15.

If you are not a member of Living Social, I really recommend it. They have great deals like this all the time, plus deals on movie tickets, restaurants, vacations, etc etc.

To view today's deal go here:
http://www.livingsocial.com/cities/44-oakland/deals/53799-30-to-spend-on-organic-groceries-and-more

Chobani Yogurt on sale at Target this week

Target has Chobani yogurt on sale for $1 each. They normally run $1.69 in the grocery stores. You can buy them in bulk at Costco for $0.92 each. BUT Chobani currently has printable coupons on their website and you can't use coupons at Costco. So print your coupons and take them to Target and score some Chobani for only $0.70 each.

http://www.chobani.com/coupons/

Are you eating a well balanced diet?

My friend posted this on facebook and I thought it deserved to get passed along. I am not saying we all need to go to the extremes this guy has gone too-- but I think it's a good reminder to check the ingredients of the foods you eat and to consider buying more REAL food and less CREATED food.

The 3 So Called Healthy Foods to Stop Eating by Mike Geary

http://www.truthaboutabs.com/3-foods-to-stop-eating.html

Grocery Outlet has Organic Yogurt on Sale

I went to the Grocery Outlet today to take advantage of an amazing sale on cheese -- of course-- they were out. I was going to call the trip a failure until I saw they had Stonyfield Farms Organic yogurt and Brown Cow All Natural Yogurt on sale 2 for $1. They had quite a few flavors as well.

I am always surprised by the organic food I find at The Grocery Outlet. There are some real gems.

And just a note- they do not accept coupons, so the deal needs to be great as is.

I picked up milk and pasta while I was there as well. If you haven't been inside before, I would suggest taking a trip to check out their selection and prices. I go about once a month and typically save 60% off the regular prices of Safeway and Nob Hill.

**Update** Now that I've tasted both, I have to say that Stonyfield has my vote. The texture is so creamy and smooth. It might even rival Chobani.

Organic Valley Coupons

Organic Valley currently has 3 coupons available on their website.

http://www.organicvalley.coop/coupons/

You can also enter a drawing for a year's worth of dairy products.


If you know of coupons available on your favorite websites, let me know below in the comments and I'll post them. Thanks!

Arrowhead Mills Coupon

Arrowhead Mills has a coupon for $1 off one of their breakfast products.
Wait for your favorite to go on sale or go to Safeway and buy Arrowhead Mills Puffed Wheat cereal for $1.79.
Only $0.79 after coupon!
The boxes aren't as big as the sugar cereals, but it's a great price for a natural cereal product.

Thanks to www.thefrugalfind.com for this deal!

Go to www.coupons.com to snag your Arrowhead Mills coupon.

Safeway Just 4 U and FREE Larabar

I got my weekly email from Safeway this morning and my Just 4 U has a free Larabar coupon inside. Sweet.  I love when they do this because it gives me a chance to try a product I normally would not buy. Who knows-- maybe it's my new favorite.
If you haven't already, sign up for the Just 4 U program at Safeway.com. You'll get a FREE dozen eggs just for signing up. Then each week you can go through their coupon list and load the coupons directly onto your Safeway Rewards card. They have 2 sections for coupons-- the first is manufacturer's coupons. These can not be combined with paper coupons. The second section is personalized deals just for you. I have found some true gems in there and when combined with paper coupons, I've been able to get All Natural Peanut Butter for .37 and Barbara's cereal for under $1.50, for example. The 3rd section is a list of all the items on sale at your local Safeway. It's always good to check these prices, you might have a coupon to match up with something that turns into quite a bargain.

Many people feel Safeway is very expensive. And it's true-- if -- you don't shop the sales and use your coupons. If you shop the opportunities, you will find you spend more and more time at Safeway. Unless you live near a Winco and then I am just jealous. I purchase about 70% of my groceries at Safeway. I go to Raleys / Nob Hill about 20% of the time when they have items I really want on sale or have enticing coupons (they issue new online coupons every Wednesday). The last 10% of my grocery shopping is spread out between The Grocery Outlet, Target, and Lucky.  I only go to those stores when they have an advertised special I simply can't pass up.

So first step:
Sign up for Just 4 U
at
www.safeway.com

Muir Glen Coupon

Muir Glen is actually owned by Campbell's. I like supporting Muir Glen because I think it sends a message to Campbell's that we want more organic foods and we want them in BPA free cans.  Pretty much every can you buy has BPA in it. BPA lines the can to keep the acid from the food from eating away at the can. While it might protect the can-- trace amounts of BPA are leeching into your food. BPA has been shown to cause cancer in tests rats. In humans it has been linked to cardivascular problems, diabetes, and is catagorized as an endocrine- disruptor.

 Leeching is even more prevalent in the more acidic foods -- like tomatoes. I prefer to buy my tomatoe products in glass jars, but if I have to buy them in cans-- I buy Muir Glen. Muir Glen is BPA free.

People who consumed one can of soup a day had 1200% more BPA in their system than people who ate fresh soup. It's important to note that this would happen with regular canned food and organic canned food just the same. The can is poisoning the food, regardless of the quality of the food inside.

Here is the study in more detail for those who are interested:
http://news.yahoo.com/bpa-levels-spike-eating-canned-soup-study-210405683.html

My hope is that if we support Muir Glen, Campbell's will see it as profitable to go BPA free and then they will expand the line to include all of their products.

Coupons.com currently has a coupon available for $0.75 off One Muir Glen Item. You should be able to print out two.

www.coupons.com