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Consequently, the Confessions of a Coupon Queen blog has moved there as well.  You can sign up right on the home page to receive notifications of new blog posts. 

Here's a link to this week's Meal Planning Monday post: http://yourstrongtower.com/meal-planning-monday-farmers-market-2

CouponChief.com

              I really love shopping and I especially love shopping online!  In fact, I probably do more shopping online than in the stores.  With all the things I have to keep me busy – teaching Coupon Workshops, playing golf with my mom, financial coaching appointments, painting classes, etc. – it just seems like I don’t have any spare time to run to the mall.  Plus, I love getting packages in the mail…  It’s like Christmas in July!

            Being a Coupon Queen, I always make sure that I’m using coupons when I shop online or in the store.  I was delighted when I discovered a great source of online coupon codes at CouponChief.com!  This site has coupon codes for whatever I’m looking to buy, whether it be books (Borders), Iams cat food (Pet Smart), coupon binder supplies (Office Max), pink lipstick (Sephora), or lacy unmentionables (Victoria’s Secret).  There are coupon codes for hundreds of websites including such popular ones as Walmart, Target, Amazon, Old Navy and Macy’s.

            There are two reasons the CouponChief.com is going to be the first place I stop for online coupon codes from now on.  First, the website is very easy to navigate and isn’t cluttered with ads like many other coupon sites.  The second reason is that I can actually earn money for myself by sharing my coupon codes with their “Pays-2-Share” program! Here’s how it works.  You register on the site, upload your coupon codes for various websites, and CouponChief.com will pay you 2% of the sales when someone uses one of your uploaded coupon codes (see the website for details and limitations.)

        So, go check out CouponChief.com for yourself and start saving and earning money now!

            Don’t forget to become a fan on Facebook too: http://www.facebook.com/couponchief



Meal Planning Monday - Vacation!

             

              I just got home from a four-day road trip with my brother, Jim, to attend a family wedding in Buffalo (which actually has fantastic weather in July.)  Vacations are fun, but if you’re not careful you can blow a big wad of cash on meals when your family is travelling. This week I’m going to give you some great tips for eating well on the cheap when you’re out of town.

            Whether you are traveling by car or plane, it makes sense to pack your own snacks so you’re not paying an arm and a leg for them at airports and gas stations.  Snacks like granola bars, trail mix, pretzels, apples, and dried fruit are inexpensive at the grocery store (especially if you’re using coupons!) and they pack well.

            If you are travelling by car, make sure you’ve saved some space for a small cooler!  Instead of blowing $25 on a fast food lunch for your family, pack some sandwiches or wraps, cut-up veggies and dip, chips, and fruit.  Save room in that cooler for bottled water and soda!  You can purchase that at the grocery store for a fraction of the price you’ll pay at a convenience store.

            When you are booking your vacation reservation, consider staying at a hotel that includes breakfast with your room.  Depending on the size of your family, this can save you a ton of money!  If you travel frequently, make sure you’re signed up for your favorite hotel chain’s rewards program.  On this recent trip to Buffalo, my brother got a free room, plus discount coupons on meals and free drinks at the hotel’s bar/ restaurant for being a Holiday Inn Platinum member.  (Saving $ runs in the family!)

            One savings trick that my husband and I used last winter in Hawaii was to make lunch our biggest meal of the day.  Dining out is especially pricey in resort locations, but you still want to sample the local fare.  We would eat lunch at swanky restaurants around 1:30 or 2 PM.  The entrées were ½ to 1/3 of the price at lunch time, and the service was usually great because they aren’t as crowded as dinner time.  If we found ourselves getting hungry in the evening, we’d find a bar/ restaurant that had good happy hour specials and have some drinks and appetizers at a discount.  We also stick to water and rarely buy soda at restaurants.  You can easily add $2 - $3 per person to your tab before you even order any food with soda.  For a family of four, that could be as much as $12 - yikes!

            If you’re driving to your destination, take your cooler up to your hotel room.  Stop at a local grocery or drug store and buy your bottled water or soda there instead of at the hotel vending machines, where you’ll pay three to four times the amount.

            Finally, it may be worth your while to purchase an Entertainment book for your destination city for the restaurant and attraction coupons.  Entertainment books are usually deeply discounted by early summer.  I hope these tips help you to eat well without breaking the bank on vacation!  Use the money you save on food on drinks to do something fun, like an extra day at the amusement park, or a surfing lesson!  Happy Trails!

             

Meal Planning Monday ~ Delightful Desserts

This week’s post is by Leah Kelley.

            We've given you a few weeks of dinners, one post about snacks, and one about lunches.  I think we need to take a break from meals.  So let's talk about dessert.  Who doesn't love dessert?!  Sometimes our family has a "Backwards Dinner.”  It's where we have dessert first then dinner.  I remember it being such a big deal when I was a kid...  I thought I had the coolest parents ever!  Instead of a meal for each day, I’m giving you seven of my favorite thrifty desserts. 

Banana Pudding ~ This is so cheap and easy to make.  All you need is a box of Vanilla Wafers, box of instant vanilla pudding, and a few bananas.

Strawberry Shortcake ~ Find Bisquick and Strawberries on sale and you have a thrifty dessert.

Ice Cream Sundaes ~ What kid or adult doesn't love ice cream?

Brownies ~ Catch a good sale at Remke or Meijer and you can find brownie mix for FREE!!  Top them with icing or just throw them in a bowl with some strawberries and Cool  Whip.

Cookies ~ Chocolate Chip and Sugar cookies are the favorites around here.  During summer I'll make a batch of sugar cookies, spread about an inch thick of chocolate ice cream on one, then top with another cookie.  Easy homemade ice cream sandwiches.

Angel Food Cake with Berries ~ Whenever I can find marked down angel food cake I buy at least two of them.  I freeze one, then slice the other up and top with berries and Cool Whip.  (If you haven't noticed - I love Cool Whip!)

Fruit Salad ~ I use whichever fruits are in season, which makes this a cheap and tasty dessert option.  I use bananas, pineapple, tangerines, grapes, strawberries, box of vanilla pudding, and a splash of orange juice.  This makes a good breakfast also.

I say live it up once a week (or at least once a month) and have some dessert for dinner!

Meal Planning Monday ~ Brown Bagging It!

          My husband, Nick, started a new job at General Electric as an Electrical Machine Repair Technician several weeks ago.  It’s a great job with excellent pay and benefits and no travel!  However, because the job is second shift, it has thrown a big wrench into my Meal Planning.  Now when I’m making dinner, it’s just me. 

          Occasionally, all of us will have shifts and changes in our schedules that can affect our Meal Planning.  Job changes, going back to school, kids leaving for college, or taking care of an elderly relative can all cause interruptions to our best-laid plans.  The trick is not to abandon Meal Planning, but to adjust and get right back on wagon.  For those of you have been meal planning for a while, you know how much time, money, and stress it saves!  So I am trying to adjust and live by one of my favorite sayings: “Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape!”

          Some of the dinners that I like to cook make great leftovers for Nick to take to work the next day: turkey and gravy, spaghetti with meat sauce, chili, beef stew, and chicken soup.  Some of my dinners are best eaten freshly cooked, like grilled chicken and steak, so I am scheduling those on the weekends when we can eat together.  I’m also buying Nick some hearty convenience foods to pack and take to work, like Chunky Soup, Boston Market frozen meals, and Bob Evans mashed potatoes in individual serving bowls.

          This week I have a lot going on during the week (Coupon Workshop, golf lesson, ice cream party), so I won’t have much time to cook for myself….  So here’s my Meal Plan for Nick’s lunches at work.  Hopefully it will inspire you to break out of the “sandwich rut” for lunches and other meals on the go!

Monday ~ Shrimp Scampi Salad.  I found some steamable Shrimp Scampi at Kroger this past weekend for $2.99.  I’ll make a large green salad that Nick can put the shrimp on for a nice dinner salad.

Tuesday ~ Spaghetti with Meat Sauce.  I will cook this for my dinner on Monday.  There are always plenty of leftovers with this meal so I will freeze some for another time.

Wednesday ~ Campbell’s Chunky Chicken Soup and a “Dagwood” sandwich (ham, turkey, provolone cheese, lettuce, and tomato on whole wheat bread.)  Yes, it’s okay to have a sandwich, just not so often that you get tired of them!

Thursday ~ Roast Beef and Gravy with Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans.  (I use a good quality package of roast beef luncheon meat for this.  You can also cook a roast on the weekend or in the crockpot during the week for this meal.)

Friday ~ Boston Market Southwest Style Chicken dinner, with fruit and yogurt for dessert.

Saturday ~ Nick’s Birthday!  We’re having people over for a grill out (jalapeño cheese Mets and chicken sausages), then we’ll watch the UFC pay-per-view.  If you didn’t know, I watch cage fighting and I love it!

Sunday ~ Grilled Salmon with Potatoes and Salad

Meal Planning Monday - Snack Time!

This week’s post is by Leah Kelley.

          When I first started doing meal planning I never thought about snacks.  I just planned for dinner.  After seeing how well that went, I started planning all three meals.  I loved meal planning but something was missing.  I would go to the store get everything on my list and feel good knowing I had a plan.  

          Fast forward to the next day…  "Mommy, I want a snack.”  "I'm a little hungry.  Mommy, I need snack."  I completely forgot to factor in snacks!  If you have little ones you know the importance of snack time.  It's a small 15 minute slice of heaven for me when everyone is quiet.  Here's what we typically have for morning snack time:

Monday ~ Green and Red Peppers with Hummus

Tuesday ~ Graham Crackers topped with Peanut Butter and Sliced Apples

Wednesday ~ "Berries and Cheese" Raspberries, Strawberries, and Blueberries with Babybel Cheese

Thursday ~ Strawberry and Banana Smoothies

Friday ~ Cheese cubes, Crackers, and Sliced Mangoes

Saturday ~ We're taking the girls to the zoo.  We'll pack peanut butter crackers, bananas, frozen smoothies, and apples for them to snack on.

Sunday ~ Fake Popsicle and Cream Cheese Tortillas.

For the “Fake Popsicles” I just freeze yogurt cups.  I love the little Danonino cups.  I just stick a mini Popsicle stick in each cup and pop them into the freezer.

Meal Planning Monday - No Time to Cook Dinner?

         Everyone seems to be in a hurry these days, with schedules packed to overflowing – business meetings, soccer practice, girl scouts, softball leagues, to name a few.  I know that my schedule is packed for the upcoming week.  I have a 4 PM work meeting on Monday (which I doubt will be over by 5 PM!), a Financial Coaching appointment on Tuesday evening, golf lessons with my Mom on Wednesday, outreach with my church group on Thursday, and a painting class on Saturday.  Whew, I’m tired just thinking about it!

          I know many of you are just as busy, too.  Some people think because they are so busy that they can’t do Meal Planning and end up eating a lot of junk and fast food on the go.  Wrong answer!  Meal Planning is most valuable to the people with the least amount of time!  By investing a small amount of time into Meal Planning, you will save time, money, and energy.  Plus you will have healthy dinner options for you and your family.  

          First, be mindful of your family’s activity schedule when meal planning.  I actually put these activities and appointments on my meal calendar.  This way I will know to schedule easy, quick meals on these busy days, and save more labor-intensive recipes for leisurely days and weekends.

          Second, try some freezer cooking on your leisurely days, so you’ll have a few home-cooked meals in the freezer just waiting to be popped in the microwave or oven.  The easiest way to do freezer cooking is to double a recipe and freeze half of it for later.  This works great with soups, stews, chili, and casseroles.  

          Third, use convenience foods to your advantage.  It used to be that convenience foods were pretty unhealthy, but not anymore!  I frequently use plain frozen vegetables, 90-second whole grain rice, and pre-mixed salads to round out my meals and save on time.  I frequently find coupons for these items which saves me both money and time!  There are also some fairly healthy frozen dinners on the market now (I like Kashi and Lean Cuisine Spa Entrées), which I use on my busiest days, rounded out with a salad or some fruit.

          Finally, it is perfectly fine to eat out and take a break from the kitchen from time to time.  I have several local restaurants that I like to frequent for great food that is reasonably priced and won’t put a dent in my healthy diet.

So, what’s on the Luken Meal Plan for this week? 

Monday ~ Polish Sausage, Mrs. T’s Perogies, and mixed veggies.

Tuesday ~ Financial Coaching Appointment.  I probably won’t get home until after 7 PM, but I will still eat a good dinner, Turkey Slices and Gravy.  I use Louis Rich Carving Board turkey and heat it in a skillet with a jar of turkey gravy and a small can of mushrooms (drained).  I serve it over instant mashed potatoes or Uncle Ben’s 90-Second Whole Grain Brown and Wild Rice, with a side of frozen veggies cooked in the microwave.  This hearty dinner takes less ten minutes to make.

Wednesday ~ I start my golf lessons tonight!  I will have a Lean Cuisine and a salad.

Thursday ~ I have outreach night at my church, so I will stop for dinner at either Panera or J Gumbo’s for a cheap and tasty meal.

Friday ~ Fish Tacos, my new favorite meal!  (See the blog archives for this recipe.) 

Saturday ~ Grilled steak and chicken with boiled potatoes and green beans.

Sunday ~ Beef Stew in the crockpot.  Crockpots aren’t just for the winter!  They are great time savers all year round, plus they won’t heat up the kitchen the way an oven will.

Beef Stew in the Crockpot

1 pound of stew beef cut into bite sized pieces

5 medium sized potatoes, diced

1 cup of sliced carrots

2 ribs of celery chopped

¼ cup of onion, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

½ bag each of frozen corn and frozen peas (save the rest in a freezer bag for the next batch of stew).

1 can of beef broth

1 small jar of beef gravy

¼ cup of flour

1 teaspoon of paprika

½ teaspoon of salt

½ teaspoon of pepper

2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce

1 bay leaf

Place the stew beef in a plastic zipper bag with the flour, paprika, salt, and pepper.  Close and shake the bag to evenly coat the beef.  Pour into the crockpot.  Place all other ingredients on top.  Stir and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.  Use a crockpot liner for easy clean up.

My New Home Office



          My home office for Strong Tower, LLC is finally finished!  My handyman husband and I put together my desk and hutch from Office Depot (purchased at 60% off, of course).  It’s probably more accurate to say that I assisted Nick in putting it together, as I am NOT very handy.  After almost four hours of sweating and swearing, the desk was finished.  Note to self: Please pay the small surcharge to have Office Depot assemble furniture in the future!  (Sometimes I am too tight for my own good.)

            I purchased my desk accessories with much excitement.  I drove back to Office Depot, my favorite store here lately, and bought desk trays, a magazine holder, an in-box, and pencil cup.  (Good thing I’m earning rewards points on my purchases!)  I’m still on the hunt for a small lamp with personality. 

            I am looking forward to accomplishing many things here in my new creative space:  making training videos of my saving strategies, conducting Coupon Workshops via webinars, writing my next e-book, and conducting financial coaching sessions over the phone or via Skype. I am feeling very productive and inspired already!

            Now that my office is ready, the kitchen table can return to its rightful purpose as a surface to eat on.  Nick says it’s nice to not see stacks of books, papers, and coupons in the kitchen anymore.  However, the table looks a bit bare to me.  I’ve accomplished so much at my kitchen table.  Most of my blog posts and the majority of my e-book, “Confessions of a Coupon Queen” were written in that spot.  Change has always been a bit of a challenge for me, even when it’s a good one.  In fact, it seems that there’s a lot of change surrounding me and my family lately, which tends to leave me feeling a bit stressed.  My new office is very cozy and peaceful, so I have a feeling this will be my new sanctuary.  Most importantly, my cats, Peanut and Tiny, seem to approve of it as well.

            So tell me, where is your creative space in your home and what do you do there?

           

           

Meal Planning Monday - Magic Mushrooms

This week’s post is by Leah Kelley.

          On my quest to eat healthier, I decided to try out a new diet, “The 17 Day Diet.” …Well sort of try it out. It calls for no drinking alcohol for the first two cycles of the diet. I ignored that rule.  (Hey now- it's hard to go Memorial Day weekend without partaking in a least one drink!) The recipe this week is for Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms. If you didn’t know it, mushrooms are great for weight loss, especially when used in the place of high-fat meats.   

Here's what is on my dinner list for this week:

Monday ~ Buffalo Chicken Burgers

Tuesday ~ Egg Drop Soup (This is surprisingly easy to make.)

Wednesday ~ Turkey Meatloaf

Thursday ~ Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms ( I picked up Portobello mushrooms for a $1 each at my co-op.  They were so fresh they still had the dirt on the stem.)

Friday ~ MNO (Moms Night Out) - A few friends and I are going to Cheeseburger in Paradise to celebrate my birthday. 

Saturday ~ Date Night with the hubby.  Red Robin sent me a coupon for a free burger; I'll have their turkey burger so I can stick to the diet. 

Sunday ~ Family Dinner to celebrate my 30th, my nephew's birthday and Father's Day.

Three nights of no cooking...sounds good to me!

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

2 Large Portobello Mushrooms
1/2 onion, chopped
red pepper, chopped
garlic cloves, chopped coarse (I love garlic so I cut them in big chunks. I used 4 garlic cloves)
salt and pepper
Italian seasoning
Handful of fresh spinach
mozzarella cheese
olive oil

Preheat oven 400 degrees.
Sautee onion, red pepper, and garlic in olive oil.  Season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
Put spinach in mushroom caps, spoon onion mix over top, then top with cheese.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes.





Meal Planning Monday ~ Bountiful Berries!



Yes, I know it’s not Monday!  With this Monday being Memorial Day, I wanted to post the meal planning early and share a patriotic dessert with you – The “Red, White, & Blue.”  While you're enjoying the Holiday weekend, don’t forget to take some time to remember our military heroes.  Here is this week’s Meal Planning Monday.

  I love the selection of fresh fruit in the summer, especially berries!  When I was in grade school, we had raspberry bushes behind our house.  My brother and I always enjoyed helping my mom pick them.  Nothing feels more like summer to me than biting into fresh ripe raspberries!  Of course, I don’t discriminate…  I love blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries too!  The good news is that they are all super-healthy for you – low in calories and high in antioxidants and vitamins.    

I try to keep a container of berries washed and ready to go in my refrigerator during the summer months.  Since many people I know, myself included, are trying to eat healthy and slim down, I thought I would provide you with some low-calorie alternatives to berry favorites like strawberry shortcake and blueberry muffins.

This week I’ll show you how to add berries to every day of the week, whether it’s for breakfast, a snack, or a light dessert!

Monday ~ “ The Red, White, & Blue” Dessert.  Take a store-bought angel food cake and cut it into 1 inch square pieces.  Put in several dessert or martini glasses.  Add blueberries and cut-up strawberries to the glasses.  In a separate bowl, mix equal amounts of thawed Cool Whip and lemon yogurt.  Top the berries and angel food cake with a generous dollop of the yogurt mixture.  This is a light and tasty dessert that’s perfect for hot summer days.

Tuesday ~ Blueberry whole-grain pancakes with reduced sugar syrup.

Wednesday ~ Strawberries dipped in the leftover Cool Whip/ lemon yogurt mixture for dessert.

Thursday ~ Raspberry and Blackberry yogurt parfait with granola for a healthy snack.  Because of the sweetness of the berries, you can use plain low-fat yogurt.

Friday ~ Berry Waffles for breakfast.  Toast two multi-grain waffles.  Top with enough low-fat vanilla yogurt to cover the top of the waffle.  Add walnuts, blueberries, and raspberries. Another variation of this recipe is what I call “Hawaii Waffles”: use macadamia nuts and pineapple instead of the walnuts and berries.  Both variations are delicious!

Saturday ~ Add your favorite fresh berries to your oatmeal or cereal.

Sunday ~ Raspberry and Peach Smoothie (recipe below)

Raspberry and Peach Smoothie (From RaspberryRecipes.net)

Ingredients List:

½ cup of Apple juice.
          ½ cup of Low fat vanilla yogurt.
          1 cup of Partially frozen sliced Peaches.
          ½ cup of Partially frozen raspberries.
          1 ½ cup of Ice chips.

Directions:

Put all ingredients in a blender.
          Blend until smooth.



Adventures in Cooking



This week’s post is by Leah Kelley.

I've decided to be adventurous in the kitchen.  I'm going to pick one vegetable a week that I've never had and cook with it.  This week it's eggplant.  I'll admit I was a bit intimidated by it at first.  I kept thinking "How in the world and I'm going to cook this thing?", and "Will my family eat it?"  I'm making Eggplant Parmesan since my family loves Italian food especially Chicken Parmesan.  I'll let you know how it goes.  Here's what my week of meals looks like:

Monday ~ Eggplant Parmesan (See recipe, below)

Tuesday ~ Spaghetti (I'll use the leftover spaghetti sauce from Monday)

Wednesday ~ BBQ Chicken in the Crockpot, baked beans, and creamed spinach

Thursday ~ Taco Night

Friday ~ Derrick and I going on a date, so we'll be eating out.

Saturday ~ BBQ Chicken sandwiches, coleslaw, and potato salad (I'll use the leftover BBQ Chicken from Wednesday)

Sunday ~ We're going to a party so no cooking.

Eggplant Parmesan  (from Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 3 eggplant, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 4 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 6 cups spaghetti sauce, divided
• 1 (16 ounce) package mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

Directions

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2.    Dip eggplant slices in egg, then in bread crumbs.  Place in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes on each side.

3.    In a 9x13 inch baking dish spread spaghetti sauce to cover the bottom.  Place a layer of eggplant slices in the sauce.  Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.  Repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with the cheeses.  Sprinkle basil on top.

4.    Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until golden brown.