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Spend Smart. Eat Smart. – With Friends!
Over the past few months we’ve heard from Christine’s mom, Katy’s friend, and Justine’s children. For the final blog in our interview series I talked with my friend and colleague, Kristin Taylor.
Banana Oatmeal Bread
Our September recipe of the month is a Spend Smart. Eat Smart. favorite – Banana Oatmeal Bread. We have had this recipe on the website for many years, but it needed an update. Below are some highlights from the updated recipe. I hope you find some time to make it yourself because it really is a great recipe for any meal or snack.
Spend Smart. Eat Smart. – With Friends
This month is our third blog in our interview series. I enjoyed hearing from Christine’s mom and Katy’s friend. This month we are going to take a different view of our interview questions. This blog is all from a child’s perspective. I interviewed my three children, Kenny (age 12), Eliza (age 10), and Miles (age 6). Before I asked them the questions, I asked one of the questions to myself – what is our go to meal that is easy and healthy? The answer was breakfast food and I was surprised to see that answer reflected in some of their responses below. I hope you enjoy reading my children’s perspective on eating healthy on a budget as much as I enjoyed interviewing them.
How do you like your zucchini?
My kids love zucchini…in cake that is! And their grandma (my mom!) enjoys making it for them when zucchini is in season. A couple of weeks ago Parker got to help grandma make zucchini cake for us. It was quite delicious with cream cheese frosting!
Salsa Fresca
Ripe tomatoes are everywhere this time of year. You may find an abundance of tomatoes at your farmers’ market, food pantry, food store, or even in your own yard. Ripe tomatoes taste so good, but it can be overwhelming to figure out what to do with them all. Our August recipe of the month is here to help you out.
Sharing Spend Smart. Eat Smart. – With a Fellow Mama!
Christine kicked off our newest blog series in June by interviewing her mom, Betsy. It was fun to read about her mom’s food memories and her favorite recipes!
Hydrate and Stretch this Summer!
Summer is in full swing and my kids are busy with sports camps and day camps. My son is doing a strength and conditioning camp and the first day after camp his legs were sore! I encouraged him to do some leg stretches to help loosen them up. I got to thinking there are lots of activities we do during the summer that might make our legs a bit sore. Going for hikes, riding bikes, playing sports, walking while sightseeing on vacation and more! A new physical activity video we have on Spend Smart. Eat Smart. that might be helpful when you have sore legs is our Lower Body Stretch. It can be done as a standalone stretch or done when the body is warmed up for a deeper stretch.
Sweet Corn Time
Each summer we have a window of time when sweet corn is fresh, ripe, and ready to eat. For me, that short window of time makes sweet corn a special food with many good memories attached to it. I smile when I think of times picking sweet corn with my family, eating a sweet corn meal around my parents’ and grandparents’ tables, and watching my children eat their first ears of corn. I even smile when I think about the bags and bags of sweet corn we froze growing up – it was a lot of work, but we always liked thawing a bag of corn for dinner in the winter.
Chickpea Salad
Our July recipe of the month is Chickpea Salad. This salad is ideal for these hot summer days with chickpeas, chopped vegetables, and a quick homemade dressing. The only problem is, I am not really a fan of this recipe. Like most people, there are foods I like and foods I do not like. Chickpeas are my least favorite type of bean and I only like mayo in certain recipes. Thankfully, my friend Christine loves this recipe and has been making it for many years. Below Christine shares her thoughts on Chickpea Salad.
Spend Smart. Eat Smart. – With Friends!
Today we begin a series we are calling Spend Smart. Eat Smart. with friends. We are each excited to interview someone close to us about the ideas we tend to feature here. Stay tuned for an interview blog each month through September. I get to go first!
Have a Berry Sweet Summer!
I grew up in Delaware and have fond memories of visiting a blueberry farm every summer with my family. We always left the farm with full bellies and big buckets of plump berries to take home. Our summers consisted of everything blueberry- blueberry pancakes, blueberry jam, and lots of blueberry milkshakes. My family’s love for berries has been passed down to our almost four-year-old daughter, Brynn, who on most days would prefer berries over ice cream as a sweet treat!
Canned and Frozen Produce Over Fresh? Give it a Try!
Last month Jody wrote a blog highlighting tips to help us save money at the grocery store. Recently I have found that some of the fresh produce I used to buy on a regular basis has started to increase my family’s grocery bill. To lower my grocery bill but still get the same nutritional benefits, I have found that swapping in canned and frozen produce options has worked out well for many recipes that my family enjoys. Below are a few tips for purchasing these options.