Fresh & Healthy
Fresh & Healthy: Fun Fall Lunch Box Meals
It is always fun to add a little extra touch to the kids lunch box for school. In the Fall I put these crazy items in the girls lunches. The Holiday bags help brighten their days. Thankful for the opportunity to pack the girls lunches and that they enjoy the little surprises.
Lunch Goodies:
- PB&J Sandwich (one was an Almond Butter & Jelly Sandwich)
- Bag of Popcorn
- Cutie Citrus Fruit with a pumpkin face drawn on it
- Bag of Mini Sweet Peppers
- Homemade Halloween Sugar Cookie
- Capri Sun
- Water Bottle
Do you have special items you add to your kids lunches?
Fresh & Healthy: Lunch Box Meals
It has been a busy few weeks and I think we are starting to get into the school groove now. Per a few requests I am going to try to update more regularly again regarding what items I pack for the kids school lunches. We try to pack a variety of items for the girls to eat. They have a snack in the morning, lunch, and an afternoon snack that needs to go into their lunches. Almost everyday of the week we have something right after school so we make sure they have enough to get them to dinner.
Lunch Box Meal
- Peanut Butter & Jelly Tortilla & One is actually a Soy Butter & Jelly Tortilla (peanut allergy)
- Fresh Cherry Tomatoes
- Raisins
- Pistachios, Cashews, and Almond Mix
- Oreo Cookies
- Fresh Red and Green Grapes
- Vanilla with Oreo Cookie Topping Yogurt & One with Soy Blueberry Yogurt (dairy allergy)
- ABC or Animal Crackers (one with non-dairy)
- Strawberry Fruit Nuggets
- Chocolate Milk & One with Simply Orange Juice
- Water Bottle
The girls pack their lunches at least once or twice a week. Since they have so much going on at school plus homework I try to pack their lunches for them on the other nights. It gives me a chance to help them out and after homework if they have any extra free time I want them to be able to relax, read, play, or do something fun (be a kid). I am thankful they are still excited about bringing their lunch to school because I know they are eating a variety of food.
The items in their containers (grapes, oreos, nuts, raisins, tomatoes).
Karlie’s lunch is ready to go!
Longan Dragon’s Eye Exotic Fruit
Longan Dragon’s Eye Exotic Fruit sliced open and ready to be peeled.
Jake brought home a Longan Dragon’s Eye Exotic Fruit for us to try. One of his co-workers brought the fruit to work. It is an Asian fruit. The outside has a light brown skin that feels like leather. The white inside fruit tasted like a sweet grape. There is a dark black seed in the center. The white fruit and black seed are what gives it the “Dragon’s Eye” nickname! The girls thought it was great! It’s suppose to be really healthy for you too!
Peeling the Dragon’s Eye
The Dragon’s Eye fruit and the skin!
Here’s the dragons eye, ready to be eaten!
The seed!
Living on a Budget: How to Save on Fresh Meat & Produce
There are many ways you can save on groceries. I have had a lot of people ask me for recommendations for ways to save without using coupons or for stores that typically do not allow coupons. One of the complaints I have heard a number of times is that they find it hard to locate coupons for items that they purchase regularly like fruits, vegetables, bread, milk, and meat.
I have three easy and simple ways to help you save on groceries and it doesn’t matter where you shop, you can buy organic or not, and you don’t have to find, cut, or bring coupons to the store either! Are you ready to start saving?!
- Snap by Groupon – I learned about this way of savings on groceries from my friend Ashley at Reflecting on the Simple Things in Life just this week and have already saved over $3.00 in two grocery store trips. The money saved was for staple items that we needed in our house like milk, bread, fruit, and vegetables!!! How it works – Go to the Snap website and sign up or you can download the Snap app for your iPhone or Android device. You can either look through their current offers or go to the store and check their website or app when you are there or when you get home. I typically get what I need and then check to see if there are any additional savings for anything I purchased. Once you have purchased your items “snap” a picture of your receipt, pick the items with savings on the website, and you get cash put into your account. You will get an email immediately confirming that your receipt is being processed and in about 48 hours you get another email confirming that the money is in your account. After you get at least $20 in your account you get a check! Based on my experience this week it will not take long to get enough money in the account to get your check. Even though I have just started using Snap by Groupon it is very similar to a program I have been using for awhile now that works really well which I will share with you next!
- Checkout 51 – is one I have been using for awhile now. I have continued to purchase my normal groceries at all the stores I like to shop at and having been earning extra savings along the way. It really doesn’t take long at all to accumulate your $20 and the extra money back on items I am already purchasing is always nice! Right now I have am about halfway to getting my next check. I noticed that some of the items for both Checkout51 and Snap by Groupon are the same so I get extra money back from both sites on the same item which is makes it even better. How it works – Go to the Checkout 51 website and sign up or you can download the Checkout 51 app for your iPhone or Android device. Look at the current offers either before or after you go to the store. Upload your receipt using Checkout 51’s website or app, select the items you purchased, and you will get money added to your account. You will first receive an email stating they are processing your receipt and usually within a few minutes to hours the money you earned is credited to your account. Once your balance reaches $20 you cash out and get a check. The Checkout 51 deals run from 12:00 am Thursday (in each timezone) until the next Wednesday at 11:59 pm. This is an easy way to get extra money back on your groceries for items you already purchase no matter what store you go to and you don’t need to have any coupons with you, plus based on my experience it adds up pretty quickly.
- Shop the Clearance Racks for meat,produce, dairy, and other items – When I am in the store I always walk the outer aisle to check out the fresh produce, dairy, meat and more. A lot of times the stores will mark down perfectly good food that is near expiration date. Most of the time if you use it within the next few days or freeze the items they are fine. Make sure you look over the items and if they appear to be in good condition go ahead and try it!
Example of how I saved using these three methods on my most recent grocery trip to Aldi’s:
- 2 pomegranates – $0.49 each
- 1 Muller Greek Yogurt + Blackberry and Raspberry – $0.49 (was marked down on clearance)
- 1 Acorn Squash – $1.29
- 1 Loaf of Bread – $0.89 (Received $1.00 back from Snap by Groupon which is more than the price of the bread)
- 1 pound Sweet Mini Peppers – $2.29
- 8 Roma Tomatoes – $1.49 total (Received $0.25 back from Checkout 51)
- 2.43 pounds All Natural Ground Beef Sirloin (90% Lean) – $7.15 (was $11.15 and marked down $4.00 on clearance)
- 2.09 pounds Bananas – $0.92 (Received $0.25 back from Checkout 51)
- 2 pounds Carrots – $0.79 (Received $0.25 back from Checkout 51)
- 3 pounds Gala Apples – $1.98 (Received $0.50 back from Snap by Groupon)
- 2 pounds Bartlett Pears – $1.58
- 2 pounds Gold Russet Pears – $1.58
- 2 pounds Red Grapes – $1.98
On this shopping trip I spent $23.64 at Aldi’s and saved an additional $7.25 on this specific shopping trip on items already on my shopping list between Snap by Groupon, shopping for items on clearance, and Checkout 51.
Introducing Febreze Fall Home Harvest Collection – #FebrezeFall
The Fall Season is just around the corner! Even though Fall officially starts on September 22, 2014 it is already starting to cool down in our area. The leaves are falling, apples are ripening, and animals are scurrying around to finish stocking up for the cooler months. Recently we received a package and this adorable barn was inside from Febreze, Walmart, and SheSpeaks! Let’s just say the kids were as excited about seeing the barn box as I was about getting all the amazing fall Febreze scents and goodies!
One of my favorite parts about Fall is all the amazing Fall smells from toasted nuts, pumpkins, fall harvest, apple picking, pears baking, and more amazing scents of the season. What are your favorite Fall Scents? Febreze has come out with their Fall Home Harvest Collection! Have you already tried the Febreze Home Harvest Collection? If not it is a great way to get you ready for the upcoming Fall season! They have some perfect Fall scents to get your house and car ready! Some of the scents you might want to check out this Fall season are Vanilla Latte, Autumn Harvest, Spiced Pear, Toasted Almond, Sugared Cranberry, and more.
We opened up our Febreze Fall Home Home Collection barn box and were pleasantly surprised with all the cool scents, goodies, and activities included. What a great way to get excited and prepared for the Fall Season! Febreze truly eliminates odors so your guests will only notice the freshness of fall when they enter your home.
We received a Febreze NOTICEables Warmer with two NOTICEables NOTABLES. One was the Autumn Harvest which is a blend of sandalwood and chai – smells amazing! The other NOTICEables NOTABLES was the Vanilla Latte which is a blend of vanilla and sugar – absolutely love the smell of this one! Reminds me of a fresh hot cup of coffee on a cool Fall day! Febreze even took care of bringing Fall to our car! They sent us a Febreze Car Toasted Almond vent clip which lasts up to 30 days and smells delicious! Even the teachers have commented that they really like the scent when I pick the kids up in car line at school.
The barn yard is complete with the awesome Febreze Fall Home Harvest Collection, activity cards in the scentspiration box, a gift card from Walmart, and cute decorative picket fence, wagon wheels, and hay bales!
They thought of everything! Included are some delicious Fall Recipes, fun Fall Activities to do with your family, and Fall Home Decor to get your home ready for the Fall Season! We will share a few of the ones we have done so far below.
We are already enjoying the Febreze NOTICEables Warmer with NOTICEables NOTABLES Vanilla Latte!!! Makes the house smell amazing! Do you like having a different fall scent in each room or one scent filling the whole home?
One of the recipes that Febreze included that will make your house smell like Fall – Oven Baked Smores:
What you need: A graham cracker, marshmallow, and chocolate bar per Smore and an appropriate baking sheet to fit all the Smores you are making.
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place graham crackers on a baking sheet.
3. Press marshmallows between your fingers to make them a little flat, then place them on the graham crackers.
4. Bake until the marshmallows have puffed up and the edges turn a light, caramel brown color.
5. Remove tray from oven, and firmly press a piece of chocolate down into the marshmallow. You want the warmth of the marshmallow to melt the chocolate. Enjoy!
Delicious Oven Baked Smores! You can put another graham cracker on top if you want as well. You can probably use a little less chocolate too, but we enjoy the extra sweetness!
Febreze Fall Activities – Whistle with an Acorn Top
What you need: An acorn top. I recommend washing your acorns with water first to make sure they are clean and bug free.
Directions (once your acorn is washed):
1. Make a fist with your hands, then place your hands together with your fingers touching.
2. Place the acorn top on the top of your index finger.
3. Put your thumbs on top of the acorn top, angling them so that the tips of your thumbs make a “V” shape.
4. Blow over the top of your thumbs, and you’ll hear a whistle!
Our whole family tried the various acorn tops for whistles. Jake won the contest for the the loudest and most shrill whistle! These were a little more difficult than we expected, but if you got your fingers and acorn top just right you can get a really loud whistle which brings smiles to the kids faces. Do you have any of the great scentspiration activities you would like to share?
Febreze Fall Home Decor – Acorn Centerpiece
What you need: Acorns, leaves or flowers or ribbons, a vase, Febreze Air Effects
Directions:
1. Gather lots of acorns.
2. Take the vase of any shape and size and fill it to the top with acorns.
3. Add colorful leaves or flowers if you want to cover the top of vase.
4. Lightly spray the top of the arrangement with your favorite scent from the Febreze Fall Harvest Collection for a unique final touch, and then put it on display.
Do you decorate your tables with seasonal decor? Have you ever used Febreze to add an extra festive touch to your home or used Febreze scents to enhance your home décor?
I would love to hear how your family prepares for the Fall Season:
• Have you ever tried making toasted almonds?
• Have you ever tasted sugared cranberries?
• What is your most popular pears dessert recipe?
• Do you have another version of one of the recipes, decorations, or activities that I shared today?
• I would love for you to share any pictures of the Fall scentspiration activities you have tried.
• Are there any scents or designs that help inspire the ideas for you?
• What new ideas do you have to get your home fall-ready?More information about Febreze:
- Like Febreze’s Facebook Page
- Follow Febreze’s Twitter Feed
- Pick up your favorite Febreze Fall Home Harvest Scent at your local Walmart
A special thanks to SheSpeaks, Febreze, and Walmart for sponsoring this post! Any specific product information was provided by Febreze, Walmart, and SheSpeaks, however, the opinions expressed in this post are our own. We received a complimentary products for sharing information and our family’s experience.
Healthy & Easy Way to Wash Produce
A sink full of fresh produceOur family eats a lot of fruits and vegetables so I love it when I find a great deal on produce. We have one large drawer full of vegetables, another one full of fruit, and we have a fresh fruit basket on the counter. One problem I had with produce in the past was it spoiling too fast. Also, the produce needs to be washed to remove any germs, sprays, mold, or other spores that that tend to spoil or contaminate the produce more quickly.
I have found the best way to rinse and clean the produce is to put everything in a clean sink, fill the sink with cold water, add approximately a half of cup of white vinegar, and let the produce soak for about 10 to 20 minutes. After the produce has soaked drain the water and rinse thoroughly before putting it away. You will be amazed at how much stuff comes off the produce (the sink is usually covered with a film, dirt, and little particles after I drain the water). Some of the items in the sink for this rinse – pineapple, mango, strawberries, kiwi, red delicious apples, granny smith apples, golden delicious apples, grapefruit, blackberries, oranges, clementines, cucumbers, tomatoes, celery, and a few other items.
One other way we have found that prolongs the life of our fruits and vegetables is the BluApple. The BluApple absorbs the ethylene gas is given off naturally by fruits and vegetables as a signaling mechanism in order to coordinate uniform ripening. We stick one BluApple in the vegetable drawer and another in the fruit drawer to prevent the produce from ripening as quickly. Between rinsing the produce with vinegar water and using the BluApples the life of the produce is extended 2 to 7 times the normal shelf life (at least for our family). A container of strawberries will last 2 to 4 weeks (if they last that long and are not eaten before that time) in our fridge. We have been doing this way for over a year now and it has worked very well for our family, hope these tips are a huge blessing to you too!
The clean sink starting to fill up with water (and three tomatoes).
Draining the dirty water
Up close picture of all the “stuff” floating in the water after washing the produce! Yikes!
After draining the water there is always a film around the sink with bits and pieces of produce, dirt, and other particles stuck to it. If you look closely you can even see the water line.
Quick Tip – Recipe on the Bowl
Recipe written on a bowl with a dry erase marker!
The other day while Jake was making a meal he prepped another meal for the following day. Since he prepped the meal and I was the one who was going to make the meal the following day he wrote the directions with a dry erase marker on the outside of the stainless steel bowl holding some of the ingredients. When I opened the fridge the next day I saw the bowl with all the directions on it. It was awesome pulling out the bowl, following the directions, and enjoying a delicious meal with the family. After dinner all I had to do was wash the bowl and all the dry erase marker came right off. Thankful for a husband who is thoughtful, creative, and willing to help around the house. It was a great meal too! Thanks Babe!
Fire Ball Applesauce
I made a change to my crockpot applesauce recipe, I added 12 fire ball candies instead of cinnamon with the apples and a touch of brown sugar in the crockpot. The applesauce turned out delicious and a beautiful pink-red color! It’s a super easy recipe!
Fire Ball Crockpot Applesauce:
- 10 to 12 Apples (I just filled the crockpot)
- 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
- 12 Fire Balls
1. Wash the apples. Core and cut your apples into slices. You can also peel the apples if you want too.
2. Put the apples in the crockpot. Sprinkle the brown sugar on top of the apples. Place the 12 Fire balls on top.
3. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 6 hours. Stir every hour or so until the apples are the consistency you want (we like ours a more chunky so it was a little over 3 hours in the crockpot).
4. Mash them with a potato masher, fork, or blender.
4. Cool and store in an airtight container or bag in the refrigerator or freeze to enjoy at a later date.
Lunch Box Surprises: A Banana with a Name
Karlie & Brina’s bananas for lunch
When I make school lunches for the girls I try to put in something fun or interesting into their lunch boxes. Usually they don’t see what surprise I have added until they open their lunch box at school. I use a variety of different notes, treats, and special items for their lunches. One of the treats I have been doing this year is tattooing their bananas before sticking them into their lunches. They have gotten a real kick out of seeing tattooed bananas appear in their lunch boxes!
I love discovering new and easy ways to add a little spark to their meal! Both girls enjoy bananas and will take them in their lunches plus we typically have a variety of tattoos from random places around to put to use. These tattoos were from the girls last visit to the eye doctor.
One day as I was tattooing their bananas Jake suggested adding their names to the bananas too. I took a butter knife and lightly scratched their names into the bananas and drew a heart around their tattoos. As the scratched parts became exposed to the air the lettering began to darken and this is what it looked like a short while later. Our family usually packs lunches the night before so these went in the lunch boxes and fridge at night; the next morning when I added the ice packs the bananas looked the same as pictured above. The girls thought these were awesome!
Red, White, & Blue Smoothie
Are you ready for a smoothie now? Here’s a picture of the one the girls call our “red, white, and blue” smoothie. It is tasty, healthy, and easy to put together! Perfect for the July 4th Holiday.
Red, White & Blue Smoothie
- 1/4 cup Blueberries (fresh or frozen)
- 1 cup whole Strawberries (fresh or frozen)
- 1 Banana
- 1/4 cup Vanilla Yogurt
- 1 cup Milk
Blend all the ingredients together and enjoy. You can add more or less of the fruit or dairy if you prefer. This recipe is for a single serving so if you want it to serve more you will want to double or triple it.
