Oatmeal. Nothing sticks to your ribs quite like it. What a great breakfast for kids who otherwise get hungry, um, about 5 minutes after they are done. These make-ahead packets are healthy and frugal, not to mention yummy! For each, measure dry ingredients into plastic containers or ziplock bags. It makes a huge bowl so I will probably halve the recipe next time around. The varieties are endless, but I can't replicate the tiny eggs hatching into candy dinosaurs that my oldest kids still pine after. Maybe someday I'll add some sprinkles for a special surprise.
Cherries and Cream Oatmeal (otherwise known as Eric's Oatmeal)
1/2 c. quick-cooking oats
handful of dried cherries (the original recipe calls for 1/4 c. dried blueberries)
2 t. nonfat milk powder (I used Organic Valley)
1 t. brown sugar
pinch of salt (I leave this out)
Maple and Brown Sugar Oatmeal
1/2 c. quick-cooking oats
1 t. nonfat milk powder
1 t. brown sugar
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
If desired, you can also add 2 T. chopped pecans.
After cooking, add maple syrup to taste
To prepare packet: Use ziplock bags or small plastic containers and add ingredients. When ready to eat, add 1 1/4 c. boiling water, or 1 c. water and microwave on high for 1 1/2 min. Stir vigorously for 30 sec. Packets can be stored in airtight containers for up to 4 weeks.
Showing posts with label special diets on a budget. Show all posts
Showing posts with label special diets on a budget. Show all posts
Monday, September 12, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
I know, I sound like a commercial
Here's a great deal on Cars 2 tickets, if you like Juicy Juice and shop at Meijer. Until the end of June, when you buy 4 bottles of Juicy Juice, you will receive a coupon at the checkout for $5 off a movie ticket. Making the deal even sweeter this week, you can also print off a coupon at Meijer Mealbox to save $2 off 4 bottles, and it is on sale for $2.5o a bottle.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
move over, Dairy Queen
Ah, it's summer, the time of year to enjoy a dripping, refreshing ice cream cone on a hot summer night. Unfortunately, it's hard to find an ice cream parlor that caters to the dairy-free sect. When I saw this recipe for coconut ice cream, I couldn't wait to try it for Josiah. It's much cheaper and more delicious than anything we have ever bought pre-made. A few substitutions were in order since he can't tolerate raspberries, but the result was still mouth-watering.
Thanks, Dad and Mom, for digging out your ice cream maker! Josiah loved this.
Mango-Banana Coconut Milk ice cream
Ingredients
2 14 oz. cans of unpressed coconut milk ($2.46) (I used a can that said "first pressing"--Thai Kitchen)
1 mango, cubed ($1)
1 container baby food bananas
1 tsp lemon juice ($.03)
1/2 tsp vanilla ($.03)
1/2 cup sugar ($.20) (Substitute agave syrup or honey if desired)
Directions
1. SHAKE the coconut milk cans. Milk must be nice and mixed!
2. Blend frozen or fresh (and cold) mango, baby food banana, lemon juice, vanilla, and sugar with 2-3 Tbsp of the cold coconut milk.
3. Quickly add COLD fruit puree with COLD coconut milk into the spinning ice cream maker. (I just mixed everything together and put it in the freezer for 15 min. to get it cold.)
4. Let “churn” for 20-30 minutes, or according to the instructions of your ice cream maker.
5. Once it forms an ice cream like consistency, transfer it quickly to a freezer safe container. Freeze for at least 2 hours before serving.
Cost $3.72 for 2 pints of coconut milk ice cream
Taken from $5 Dinner Mom website
We will have to try this with raspberries, too, for the rest of us!
Thanks, Dad and Mom, for digging out your ice cream maker! Josiah loved this.
Mango-Banana Coconut Milk ice cream
Ingredients
2 14 oz. cans of unpressed coconut milk ($2.46) (I used a can that said "first pressing"--Thai Kitchen)
1 mango, cubed ($1)
1 container baby food bananas
1 tsp lemon juice ($.03)
1/2 tsp vanilla ($.03)
1/2 cup sugar ($.20) (Substitute agave syrup or honey if desired)
Directions
1. SHAKE the coconut milk cans. Milk must be nice and mixed!
2. Blend frozen or fresh (and cold) mango, baby food banana, lemon juice, vanilla, and sugar with 2-3 Tbsp of the cold coconut milk.
3. Quickly add COLD fruit puree with COLD coconut milk into the spinning ice cream maker. (I just mixed everything together and put it in the freezer for 15 min. to get it cold.)
4. Let “churn” for 20-30 minutes, or according to the instructions of your ice cream maker.
5. Once it forms an ice cream like consistency, transfer it quickly to a freezer safe container. Freeze for at least 2 hours before serving.
Cost $3.72 for 2 pints of coconut milk ice cream
Taken from $5 Dinner Mom website
We will have to try this with raspberries, too, for the rest of us!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
$5 dinner mom--mmm...., yummy!
I've been enjoying my new $5 Dinner Mom cookbooks, and so have my kids. Tonight we had our favorite recipes...they are so delicious and well-received here, I thought I'd share.
Baked Parmesan Chicken Fingers
1 1/2 pounds chicken tenderloins
1/2 c. fine cornmeal
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese (leave out if you have milk allergy)
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 large egg
2 T. milk or milk substitute
1 c. spaghetti or marinara sauce for dipping (I used pizza sauce, recipe to follow)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9x13 inch glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In small mixing bowl, whisk together egg and milk. In another small bowl, toss together the corn meal, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Dip each tenderloin into the egg-milk mixture and then coat with cornmeal mixture. Place coated tenderloins into the prepared baking dish. Bake in preheated oven 25-30 min. or until cooked through. Serve with sauce for dipping.
Homemade pizza sauce
1 can tomato sauce
1 t. oregano
1 t. dried basil
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. onion powder
2 t. extra-virgin olive oil
In a small saucepan, whisk the tomato sauce with spice and olive oil. Simmer for 6-8 min. Store any extra sauce in freezer for next time!
My oldest has always had a thing for lemon, even more so than chocolate. We are once again trying gluten with good success (we are wondering if MSG or some other chemical is responsible for his digestive issues). He loves this recipe (in spite of the coconut, which you could leave out but why would you?) so I double it to freeze the extra loaf. He can take the extra one with him to Niagara Falls next week.
Lemon Coconut Bread
3/4 c. sugar
4 T. butter or margarine
2 T. canola oil
2 T. baby pear sauce (for FG stage 1 kids like Josiah) or applesauce
2 large eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. lemon extract
2 t. lemon juice
2 1/2 c. flour
1 T. baking powder
1 t. salt
1 c. sweetened coconut flakes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. In bowl of stand mixer, stir the sugar, butter or margarine, oil, pear or applesauce, eggs, vanilla and lemon extracts, and lemon juice until smooth. Then mix in flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir until a batter forms. It will be thick. Stir in coconut flakes. Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 45-55 min., or until a toothpick comes out clean from center. Let cool before serving.
Baked Parmesan Chicken Fingers
1 1/2 pounds chicken tenderloins
1/2 c. fine cornmeal
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese (leave out if you have milk allergy)
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 large egg
2 T. milk or milk substitute
1 c. spaghetti or marinara sauce for dipping (I used pizza sauce, recipe to follow)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9x13 inch glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In small mixing bowl, whisk together egg and milk. In another small bowl, toss together the corn meal, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Dip each tenderloin into the egg-milk mixture and then coat with cornmeal mixture. Place coated tenderloins into the prepared baking dish. Bake in preheated oven 25-30 min. or until cooked through. Serve with sauce for dipping.
Homemade pizza sauce
1 can tomato sauce
1 t. oregano
1 t. dried basil
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. onion powder
2 t. extra-virgin olive oil
In a small saucepan, whisk the tomato sauce with spice and olive oil. Simmer for 6-8 min. Store any extra sauce in freezer for next time!
My oldest has always had a thing for lemon, even more so than chocolate. We are once again trying gluten with good success (we are wondering if MSG or some other chemical is responsible for his digestive issues). He loves this recipe (in spite of the coconut, which you could leave out but why would you?) so I double it to freeze the extra loaf. He can take the extra one with him to Niagara Falls next week.
Lemon Coconut Bread
3/4 c. sugar
4 T. butter or margarine
2 T. canola oil
2 T. baby pear sauce (for FG stage 1 kids like Josiah) or applesauce
2 large eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. lemon extract
2 t. lemon juice
2 1/2 c. flour
1 T. baking powder
1 t. salt
1 c. sweetened coconut flakes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. In bowl of stand mixer, stir the sugar, butter or margarine, oil, pear or applesauce, eggs, vanilla and lemon extracts, and lemon juice until smooth. Then mix in flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir until a batter forms. It will be thick. Stir in coconut flakes. Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 45-55 min., or until a toothpick comes out clean from center. Let cool before serving.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
coupons, anyone?
The $5 Dinner Mom has this great data base. You just type in the coupon you're looking for, and it there's one out there it will tell you how to find it.
Please pray for Micah, who is sick again. It looks like he's back to dairy free for now.
Please pray for Micah, who is sick again. It looks like he's back to dairy free for now.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
GF granola bars
Today I received my first ever shipment of gluten free rolled oats. It's been months since Rachel has had a granola bar, and our favorite recipe has peanut butter which Micah most certainly will not eat. So I searched the web and found this recipe, and adapted it to our GF needs. While I would have preferred to add chocolate chips, we were out, so golden raisins took their place. Delicious!!!
Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups GF rolled oats
1 cup all purpose GF flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp GF vanilla
1 cup butter or margarine, softened*
1 cup honey
Add-ins: 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1 cup chopped walnuts, 1-2 c. dried fruit such as raisins, cherries, etc.
Lightly butter a 9×13-inch pan. In a large mixing bowl combine butter and honey first. Then add all ingredients except add-ins. Beat hard until combined. Stir in add-ins. Press mixture into pan — really jam it in there so your bars don’t fall apart. (You can use your hands!) Bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into bars. Let bars cool completely in pan before removing and serving.
Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups GF rolled oats
1 cup all purpose GF flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp GF vanilla
1 cup butter or margarine, softened*
1 cup honey
Add-ins: 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1 cup chopped walnuts, 1-2 c. dried fruit such as raisins, cherries, etc.
Lightly butter a 9×13-inch pan. In a large mixing bowl combine butter and honey first. Then add all ingredients except add-ins. Beat hard until combined. Stir in add-ins. Press mixture into pan — really jam it in there so your bars don’t fall apart. (You can use your hands!) Bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into bars. Let bars cool completely in pan before removing and serving.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
GF snacks that won't break the budget
I was able to shave quite a bit off our last grocery bill...hooray!! Now we'll see if that continues. It always helps when I have a week I don't have to buy meat.
Specialty snacks for a gluten free diet are not cheap, but there are a quite a few naturally gluten free foods or homemade snacks that help keep us within budget. Here are a few ideas:
Fresh fruits and vegetables, especially those that are in season. I just discovered my youngest will eat carrots if I cut them in circles--we call them carrot coins. He even tried peanut butter and celery when I chopped the celery into smallish pieces. My daughter loves to make a baked potato for herself in the microwave. And of course, pears, bananas, and other fruit are always a hit.
Homemade treats like granola bars, cereal bars, cookies, etc. Gluten free flours and oats are more expensive, but making my own snacks with these is still less than buying something premade.
Popcorn and Nuts--really, what's cheaper than popcorn? Nuts are more expensive...grr!!
Canned fruit, applesauce, we even buy baby pear sauce for FG stage 1.
Potato chips: We can do Lays, Kettle Chips, Fritos, Tostitos, and there are many others as well.
If you do have to buy something pre-made, Envirokidz and Enjoy Life have a nice line of products that are a little more reasonable than most.
Finally, these aren't exactly inexpensive, but the snacks on this website are a special treat: www.allergygrocer.com. You do have to mix these up and make them yourself. I spent our savings last week at this website, so we'll see if it was a worthwhile splurge. We are so hungry for things like pretzels, donuts, bagels, graham crackers, and biscuits! Hopefully in time I will even learn how to make these on my own.
Specialty snacks for a gluten free diet are not cheap, but there are a quite a few naturally gluten free foods or homemade snacks that help keep us within budget. Here are a few ideas:
Fresh fruits and vegetables, especially those that are in season. I just discovered my youngest will eat carrots if I cut them in circles--we call them carrot coins. He even tried peanut butter and celery when I chopped the celery into smallish pieces. My daughter loves to make a baked potato for herself in the microwave. And of course, pears, bananas, and other fruit are always a hit.
Homemade treats like granola bars, cereal bars, cookies, etc. Gluten free flours and oats are more expensive, but making my own snacks with these is still less than buying something premade.
Popcorn and Nuts--really, what's cheaper than popcorn? Nuts are more expensive...grr!!
Canned fruit, applesauce, we even buy baby pear sauce for FG stage 1.
Potato chips: We can do Lays, Kettle Chips, Fritos, Tostitos, and there are many others as well.
If you do have to buy something pre-made, Envirokidz and Enjoy Life have a nice line of products that are a little more reasonable than most.
Finally, these aren't exactly inexpensive, but the snacks on this website are a special treat: www.allergygrocer.com. You do have to mix these up and make them yourself. I spent our savings last week at this website, so we'll see if it was a worthwhile splurge. We are so hungry for things like pretzels, donuts, bagels, graham crackers, and biscuits! Hopefully in time I will even learn how to make these on my own.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
my favorite gluten free flour mix
6 c. rice flour (I use 3 c. white rice and 3 c. brown rice)
2 c. potato starch flour
1 c. tapioca flour
Mix in tall container and store in freezer. (Gluten free flours have a shorter shelf life than regular flour.) Add 1 t. xanthan gum or guar gum for every cup of flour used. I wait and add the xanthan gum when I'm mixing a recipe. You can use this flour to replace regular flour in any recipe, and it tastes great!
Check websites like Amazon and Vitacost for some good prices on gluten-free flours.
2 c. potato starch flour
1 c. tapioca flour
Mix in tall container and store in freezer. (Gluten free flours have a shorter shelf life than regular flour.) Add 1 t. xanthan gum or guar gum for every cup of flour used. I wait and add the xanthan gum when I'm mixing a recipe. You can use this flour to replace regular flour in any recipe, and it tastes great!
Check websites like Amazon and Vitacost for some good prices on gluten-free flours.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
GF and Feingold on a budget
Josiah is like a different child eating a natural diet, and we have seen Rachel's joint pain and other symptoms are directly linked to consuming gluten and casein. A new way of eating is here to stay.
But our grocery bills have been absurd lately! Now that we are well-established in eating gluten free and avoiding food additives, it's time to ponder what I could do to help save some money. Here are a few ideas I have come up with:
1. Budget a set amount to use on food.
When it's gone, we're done (but hopefully not hungry!) It helps me to really evaluate how badly we really need a pre-made, processed treat versus making something from scratch.
2. Make a list of favorite, low budget meals.
For those meals that cost more, what could I do to bring costs down and within budget? Several recipes for low budget meals (including some that are allergy friendly), can be found if you check out this link: http://www.5dollardinners.com/.
3. Make a list of favorite, low budget snacks.
Most specialty-made gluten free foods and snacks are fairly expensive. But there are some natural alternatives like fresh fruits, vegetables, soups, and chips that are more budget-friendly. I do buy Envirokidz bars for Rachel from time to time because they are the cheapest of the gluten free snacks I can find. I've also splurged for gluten free oreo-type cookies, but I've found I could make these myself, too: http://truebluexf.blogspot.com/2011/02/oreosgluten-free.html!
4. Get creative.
There are a few places where I can find coupons for the foods we use, and Amazon is a great place to order GF flours. Kroger and Meijer both have great sales and coupons online, so when I find a good buy, I can stock up.
As I make these changes, I'll share some tips and recipes. Some of them may help any budget whether gluten-free or not. Not only that, cooking from scratch is healthier than most things that are pre-made!
If anyone else has tips to share, please leave a comment!!
But our grocery bills have been absurd lately! Now that we are well-established in eating gluten free and avoiding food additives, it's time to ponder what I could do to help save some money. Here are a few ideas I have come up with:
1. Budget a set amount to use on food.
When it's gone, we're done (but hopefully not hungry!) It helps me to really evaluate how badly we really need a pre-made, processed treat versus making something from scratch.
2. Make a list of favorite, low budget meals.
For those meals that cost more, what could I do to bring costs down and within budget? Several recipes for low budget meals (including some that are allergy friendly), can be found if you check out this link: http://www.5dollardinners.com/.
3. Make a list of favorite, low budget snacks.
Most specialty-made gluten free foods and snacks are fairly expensive. But there are some natural alternatives like fresh fruits, vegetables, soups, and chips that are more budget-friendly. I do buy Envirokidz bars for Rachel from time to time because they are the cheapest of the gluten free snacks I can find. I've also splurged for gluten free oreo-type cookies, but I've found I could make these myself, too: http://truebluexf.blogspot.com/2011/02/oreosgluten-free.html!
4. Get creative.
There are a few places where I can find coupons for the foods we use, and Amazon is a great place to order GF flours. Kroger and Meijer both have great sales and coupons online, so when I find a good buy, I can stock up.
As I make these changes, I'll share some tips and recipes. Some of them may help any budget whether gluten-free or not. Not only that, cooking from scratch is healthier than most things that are pre-made!
If anyone else has tips to share, please leave a comment!!
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