Mayo-free Tuna Salad (with avocado)

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Everyone in my house loves tuna. Tuna is cheap and easy. But, mayo is gross. Actually, I love the taste of "real" mayonnaise, but there is nothing real about the (yummy) gloopy white stuff that comes in the convenient little jars at the grocery store. I think doing away with store-bought mayo may have been one of the hardest real food conversions for me. Homemade mayo is delicious, but the eggs make me worry about sending it in Little Bear's lunch. My solution has been to make tuna salad with olive oil and a bit of vinegar (plus the typical tuna salad accoutrements). It's ok. But, not great. 

How to make it great... Let's try avocado! {spoiler alert, it was amazing!}

Scoop one avocado into a bowl.

Add a few tablespoons of unrefined olive oil, a good squeeze of lemon or lime, and whatever spices and mix-ins you like in your tuna (today I just did salt, pepper, garlic powder and dill).

Smoosh it all together, making the mixture as smooth as possible.

Add tuna and mix with the avocado mixture while flaking the tuna.

Eat.

Yum!

I measured, but tuna is so dependent on the brand, draining, and type that you'll probably have to play with the proportions to make it just perfect. As a starting point, 1 avocado + 2 tablespoons oil should be good for 2-ish cans of tuna or 4 of the single-serve packets.

Apples to Oranges {to raspberries to carrots to...}

I was in the produce section of the grocery store this afternoon, and was faced with a perplexing dilemma... Both the organic apples AND the organic oranges were on sale! What to do?!?

I held up a 5-pound bag of each and (innocently) asked Little Bear to pick one. He hesitated and muttered, "uhm, uuuuhhhhmmm, uhm." Then, realizing the obvious hilarity of my request, giggled out loud and said, "I know, dude, it's like choosing between apples and oranges!" Hee hee hee. I'm so funny. The other Kroger shoppers gave me "really?" Looks out of the corners of their eyes, but at least I amuse myself, right?

We ended up getting both, because can one really compare apples to oranges?? {yep, still funny}

Ok, so, there is a reason for this rambling.

Didja know... A quick post-purchase, pre-refrigerator water-vinegar rinse (like 4-to-1) kills mold spores on the surface of fruits and veggies and prolongs their shelf life? {it is especially helpful for berries!}

Save the Stems & Make Broccoli Slaw!

It's no secret that organic foods are more expensive than their conventional counterparts. I'm usually incredibly frugal and am certainly not easily convinced to spend more money when there are cheaper options. My food and my beauty products are two major exceptions. I invest in my health and the health of my family, even if it means spending more on groceries and body products. In the spirit of frugality, however, I am always looking for ways to stretch my dollar without compromising.

As a great way to get more use out of fresh broccoli (throwing away the stems disposes of over half of what you've paid for!) and to sneak extra veggies into unassuming dishes, I've started grating the stems and stirring them into various meals.

Broccoli stems actually have a killer nutritional profile (check out the full nutrition facts here). They are packed with vitamin C, calcium, protein, folate (important during pregnancy), iron, and tons of other vitamins and minerals. YUM!

Here we go...

Start with fresh broccoli (I realize that these pictures are overkill for such a simple how-to, but I've been working on weaning myself from the automatic settings on my SLR, and broccoli was my food model this week).

Chop off the florets (this is the part we actually like eating).

What was left after the great broccoli massacre of 2013.

Wash the florets and set aside for whatever recipe you're using them in.

Wash the stems. If you will be having broccoli again in the next week or so, you should be able to save these in an air-tight container in the fridge and combine the stems from multiple days to conserve even more time.

Use a cheese grater or a food processor with a grater attachment to grate the stems (the food processor is way faster and easier than the hand grater). I read today that you should peel broccoli stems before using them, but I had no trouble grating them with the stems intact, and I have no desire to add extra, unnecessary steps...

The grated stems can be mixed into almost anything! This time I used them raw in a cold broccoli salad, but I've also stirred them into pasta sauce, stir-fries, garden salads, etc.

Single-Serve Garlic Cubes

I'm a huge garlic fan. It goes in just about everything I cook, but I hate peeling/chopping/grating it. Plus, I'm always game for a new time-saver!

Here's how I keep my garlic fresh (in the freezer) and on-hand for instant garlicification:

I buy the big tubs of pre-peeled garlic from Costco. I've seen the same type of garlic sold in most grocery stores, too.  {note:  stay away from anything with more ingredients than just 'garlic,' because they probably have unnatural preservatives and a strange taste}

Fill your food processor, mini chopper, or blender with garlic cloves, and cover the cloves with unrefined olive oil. Add a little bit of salt. Turn your pulverizer of choice on and run until the mixture is smooth-ish and evenly blended.

Spoon the mix into a clean ice tray. If you can't easily spoon it, add a little more oil and blend again. {I didn't measure the oil-to-garlic ratio, so just keep adding oil until you get a texture that you're happy with}  Tap the trays on the counter to settle the mixture and remove any big bubbles.

Put the filled trays in the freezer for several hours, or until the garlic is totally frozen.

Put about an inch of hot water in a pyrex-type pan (tap water hot, not boiling hot). Set your ice tray in the hot water for about 30 seconds. Turn the tray over and twist *gently.* The cubes should fall out. If they don't, put the tray back in the water for another 15/30 seconds and try again. {I twisted the tray straight out of the freezer and it completely shattered all over the kitchen, so don't do that}

Because I didn't want the cubes refreezing in a big stuck-together ball, I laid them out on a plate and put them back in the freezer to completely reharden before I stuck them in a zipper freezer bag.

 

When you need to add garlic to any dish, just drop a cube or two into the pan, and voila!

Keeping the Kitchen Stocked

I'm a firm believer that a cook is only as good as her (his) pantry.  The first line of defense against food apathy is your shopping cart.  You are going to eat (and feed your family) what you bring home from the store - it's as simple as that!

I run a solo law practice with a 2-year-old and no hired help - trust me when I say, I understand busy!  Fortunately, eating "for real" does not mean hours in the kitchen or even a meticulously crafted food schedule (because who knows what day you'll come home with literally 15 minutes to throw dinner together?!).  It really comes down to appreciating your food for what it is and making a commitment to keeping it real.

Check out my pantry organizing blog here!

With that being said (or would it be typed?), here's what I always keep on hand in my pantry/refrigerator for emergency meals - rather than typing "organic" 100 times, let's just assume that everything listed is organic/non-GMO):

Canned Goods
I try to stay away from cans as much as possible (they're lined with BPA), but I keep these on hand for emergencies.

• Whole beans (pinto, kidney, garbanzo - whatever you like)
• Canned salmon without bones and skin
• Canned tuna
• Crushed tomatoes
• Diced tomatoes
• Tomato paste

Boxed Goods

The keys here are organic and whole-wheat.  

• Whole wheat crackers (Ak-mak is our favorite!)
• Lower-sugar cereal (Little Bear's favorite is CF Fruit O's)
• Chicken, beef & vegetable stocks
• Coconut milk
• Spaghetti-style whole wheat pasta
• Elbow whole wheat pasta
• Rotini whole wheat pasta (love jovial einkorn pasta)
• Wheat-free, whole-grain pasta (love the corn/rice/quinoa/amaranth blends!)

From the Bulk Aisle

Buying in bulk saves tons of money and keeps healthy choices on hand.

• Dried beans (pinto, kidney, navy, etc.)
• Brown rice
• Whole wheat bread crumbs (or homemade)
• Quinoa
• Whole-grain (with the germ) corn grits/polenta
• Oats (whatever type you like, it's mostly all wholegrain)
• Popcorn (for late-night munchies!)
• Whole wheat pastry flour (for making roux)
• Various nuts & seeds
• Raisins
• Chia seeds
• Turbinado sugar

Bottled Ingredients

Find your favorite oils, vinegars & sweeteners and keep them stocked for quick sauces and dressings.

• Unrefined olive oil
• Unrefined coconut oil
• Unrefined sunflower oil (I recently found this really cheap at Walmart!)
• Unrefined, toasted sesame oil
• Raw, local honey
• Organic maple syrup
• Franks red hot (or other hot sauce)
• Balsamic vinegar
• Apple cider vinegar
• Lemon/lime juice
• Non GMO mayo
• Peanut butter

Freezer

Frozen fruit/veggies will usually be cheaper than fresh, and they are healthier than canned.  A quick sauté or broil will pull a side dish together super quickly.

• Frozen mixed veggies
• Frozen diced onions
• Frozen fruits
• Frozen spinach
• Frozen whole wheat ravioli
• Various types and cuts of meat, rewrapped into individual portions

Produce

It's so important to just buy what is locally in-season, but these gems are almost always available organic and tend to be pretty cheap.

• Potatoes
• Sweet potatoes
• Onions
• Bananas
• Apples
• Carrots
• Greens
• Pre-peeled garlic (without added preservatives)

Dairy

Adding a touch of cream or cheese to almost any sauce makes the meal instantly seem richer and more thoughtfully prepared.

• Sour cream
• Half & half
• Whole milk (raw or low-temp pasteurized, if you can)
• Cream cheese
• Greek yogurt
• Several cheese choices (freeze what you aren't using right away)

Extras

Keep these little extras on hand to add quick pizzaz to any dish.  Costco has a great selection of organic dried herbs & spices.

• Dried basil
• Dried oregano
• Dried rosemary
• Smoked paprika
• Onion powder
• Granulated garlic
• Ground cinnamon
• Ground ginger
• Cocoa powder
• Cumin
• Chili powder

Other
Just because it isn't 100% healthy, doesn't mean we don't occasionally need a quick sanity-saver!

• Whole-grain tortilla chips
• Cookies for Mommy (Anna's ginger thins & Late July "Oreos")
• Cookies for Little Bear (Arrowroot Maple Cookies)
• Chocolate bars (dark & milk - yum!)

Am I missing anything?  What are your secret cooking weapons?

One Ingredient Crayon Remover!

As random as this post is... it works!  Little Bear took some creative license with the concept of "coloring book" and graffitied up his play room.  and the kitchen.  and the living room.  and the master bedroom.  and... yeah.  I learned that you really can color on carpets if you desire.

While there was no removing the crayon from the walls (thank goodness for the can of touch-up paint that we hold on to), and the carpets came clean with one run of the shampooer, the doors and white leather sofas were not such an easy clean.

After several trials and errors, I stumbled into a magical crayon remover:  almond oil!  

I wish I had better pictures for you, but it was pretty dark in the house, and by the time I was able to successfully remove all of the crayon (he's an efficient little graffiti artist...), I was too apathetic to finagle with the camera settings to get a better shot.  Maybe mommy needs photography lessons for Christmas, hint, hint :)

Before

After

It actually worked on all of the harder to clean, non porous surfaces, too (doors, tile, etc.)!  It also did a number on the scuff marks that were all over the back of the sofas from when they were moved into the house.  I was curious, so I tried different oils after I realized that the almond oil was such a good cleaner.  I had zero luck with olive, coconut and vegetable oil, though.  There really is something magic about the almond oil!

Do you have a stumbled-upon cleaning/housekeeping secret to share?

Pantry Tip!

I saw these shoe organizers at the store for around 5 bucks, and thought they'd make great pantry organizers! All of my favorite bottles, jars, and spices are really easy to access, plus I cleared tons of pantry shelf space for other things!

Supermom Crib Sheet Trick

I *think* I read about this in a product review comment before Little Bear was born.  Regardless of where the idea came from, it's saved me tons of sanity over the past year and a half!  I've only done it with crib sheets, but I don't see why it wouldn't work on a toddler bed or even a twin-size mattress.

I seriously feel like a supermom when I have to change the sheets and can do it in less than 15 seconds!

What you'll need:

• 4 fitted crib sheets
• 1 mattress protector
• 3 crib pads (mine aren't full-length, but I wish they were)

What you do:

1.  Take the mattress out of the crib, and put the mattress protector on it.

2.  Put a crib sheet over the protector.

3.  Lay a crib pad flat over the sheet.

4.  Layer another sheet over the pad.

5.  Repeat steps 3 & 4 with the remaining pads and sheets.  I use 4 sheets, but you could do more or less, depending on what works best for you.

When you're layering, you'll want to start with the tightest-fitting sheet and work your way out to the loosest-fitting one.  I found that the jersey-type material was stretchier than the sateen or regular cotton sheets.

Now, when your little one wets through a diaper or spills a water cup in the crib, you just have to remove the top sheet & pad, and you're all set to go with clean sheets! 

I promise that when you have a late-night accident, you will really feel like supermom when you can do a sheet change that quickly & easily.  I can't even imagine having to take the mattress out of the crib and start from scratch every time Little Bear had an accident!

Easy Oil Pouring

I've been doing this for a while, and it's super handy! 
You can use liquor pourers on your oil & vinegar bottles to get a quick, clean & easy pour.  They make adding oil to a pan mostly dripless and don't require removing a cap every time you pour (it's the little things that make cooking less frustrating!).

 

Just remove the cap and push a pourer right in the opening.  Voila!

Taco Shells Tip

Quick tip for today:  Before you serve crispy taco shells, turn them upside-down on the oven rack, and heat at 350 degrees for a couple of minutes.  It'll crisp and warm them!  Make sure you put a piece of foil in the bottom of the oven, though, because there will be a puddle of oil that drips off... (EW)!

I forgot the foil, and you can see the puddle of burned oil in the bottom of the oven...

Save the Bread! (Homemade Breadcrumbs)

Last week we repurposed over-ripe bananas.  This week we're saving your bread!

Instead of throwing out over-toasted bread (I seriously stink at making toast...), stale bread, or the heels of a loaf, save them for breadcrumbs.  Just throw the unusable pieces in a gallon zipper bag and store them in the freezer. 

When you get a couple of bags saved up, lay the pieces in single layers on a cookie sheet.

Toast them in the oven at 250 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until the pieces are completely dried out, but not darkened.

Break the slices of bread into small pieces, and leave them out in a bowl on the counter overnight.

Place the pieces in a food processor and pulse until they are completely ground-up.

Store the crumbs in a zipper bag in the freezer and use them as needed.

I started with 3 mostly full gallon bags of bread slices, and ended up with about 9 cups of organic bread crumbs.

Organic store-bought bread crumbs run around $6 for about 2 or 3 cups, but this is totally free! I haven't bought bread crumbs in years!

Bananas!

Little Bear loves bananas.  Like, LOVES bananas.  I keep two bunches in the house at all times.  I'd hate to see the day when we run out of bananas at breakfast time...

But, even still, we occassionally have a stray banana or two that is about to go bad and won't be eaten.  I usually don't have enough bananas going bad at once to make banana bread, but I really don't like throwing food away. 

Solution:  Peel the bananas and freeze them.  I just keep a gallon freezer bag of bananas in the freezer and add to it as I get additional extra ripe banans.  You can use them in smoothies or thaw them out once you have several saved up and use them in a recipe.

Saving Money While Saving Money

It's Tip-sy Tuesday!

I print a lot of coupons, mostly because I hate clipping, and there are usually not enough natural/organic products in the papers for it to be worth the time.  So, to save trees and money, I have a couple of little tricks:

When you're only printing one or two coupons, turn the paper around and reload it in the printer the next time you have a coupon to print.  Always make sure that you have it inserted in the printer so that the new coupon will print on the back, because sometimes they'll print as full-page coupons with ads and it'll ruin your original prints.

Change your printer's default settings to a lower print quality.  It'll be different in different printers, but on mine it's called a "fast" print.  This will use less ink and will speed up the print time.  If you're printing something that needs a better print quality, you can manually change it for individual prints.  Because most printed coupons use programs that automatically print to the default printer with the default settings, you aren't able to reduce the print quality just for coupons.

You can also set your printer's default to black and white to save your more expensive color ink.

When you cut the coupons, save the long strips that are left at the bottom of the page for writing lists, notes, or for the kiddos to color on.  I'm a perpetual list maker, so these strips come in handy and save me from having to constantly buy little note pads.

How do you save money when you print coupons?  I'd love to grow my list!

Baby Food Pouches - Take II

I finally found time this morning to mix-up a few new batches of pouched baby food.  As a follow-up to the original post, I want to quickly share the new recipes!  This post is less detailed, so if you’re missing anything,  just refer back to the other post.
 1.  I started with a super simple fruit puree:
 - In a blender, combine

• 2 pounds frozen peaches, thawed
• 1 pound frozen berries, thawed
• 1/3 cup chia seeds, milled

 - Turn the blender on medium-high and blend until everything is well-combined.
 - Pour the mixture in a condiment bottle and fill your clean pouches.  Store the excess in plastic zipper bags & freeze!
  2.  Instead of hiding the veggies in a fruit puree, I went with a full-flavored savory blend this time.  If you make this recipe and your kiddo isn’t really into it, this blend can be added to jarred pasta sauce for an extra veggie boost and a super tasty dinner!
 - Heat 2 tablespoons unrefined oil (I used sesame) in a skillet.  Add 4 cloves of crushed garlic.  Sautee until the garlic smells toasty and is slightly browned.
 - In a blender, combine

• 1 pound fresh spinach, lightly steamed (this helps prevent some of the oxidation that makes the puree spoil faster)
• 4 cups pumpkin or squash (frozen, canned, or fresh cooked)
• 4 ounces tomato paste
• 1/3 cup chia seeds, milled
• garlic and oil from the previous step

 - Turn the blender on medium-high and blend until everything is well-combined.
 - Pour the mixture in a condiment bottle and fill your clean pouches.  Store the excess in plastic zipper bags & freeze!
Cost breakdown (will vary by season, store, and location):
Fruit mix – Peaches, $4; Berries, $3; Chia - $1 = $8 = $.67 per 4 ounce pouch

Veggie mix – Spinach, $4; Squash, $3; Garlic, $.25; Oil, $.25; Chia, $1 = $8.50 = $.60 per 4 ounce pouch

Tearless Onion Chopping

Before I share this tip I want you to know that (1) I realize how ridiculous I look, and (2) I don't care.

I hate cutting onions.  Hate, HATE cutting onions.  My eyes have always been super sensitive and tear up so badly that about half-way through an onion I usually can't even see the cutting board anymore.  My undergrad major was chemistry for a few years, so I had a pair of lab goggles lying around one day and figured it could only help, right?  It did!


I learned the hard way that they are not dishwasher safe :(  So, I bought a new pair a few weeks ago.  You can get them on Amazon for around $8 (8 bucks well spent).  Make sure you get the kind without vents!

Tortilla Warming

Today's Tipsy Tuesday Tip:

When you're making a dish that uses tortillas, warm them on a splatter screen over your already-being-used skillet (that you are heating beans, sauce, meat, etc., in).  It will get them softer than the microwave and do it faster than the oven!  Once they are steamed, they will be much easier to roll for enchiladas, tacos, etc.

If you've got a tip to share, I'd love to hear it!

Pricey Pouches? Not for This Mama!

I'm not sure if it's is a universal baby/toddler obsession, but Parker is absolutely nuts over baby food pouches.  Although he doesn't eat other baby foods anymore, these pouches are a great way to make sure he's getting enough fruits and veggies, plus they make a super convenient snack.  However, at a buck each on super sale, feeding his addiction is very expensive!
So, I set out to find DIY pouches.  I googled and googled and googled but could not find reusable pouches that fit the bill (Any patent attorneys want to help me out here?  I think I'm sitting on a golden idea...).  Determined not to give in, I decided to try just refilling the disposable pouches - SUCCESS!  Here's how it's done:

Since the Happy Tot spinach, mango & pear pouches are our favorite (Parker loves the flavor and I love 3g protein + 15% DV Iron), I stuck with this for my first recipe.  I used about 2 pounds of organic pears (skin on, seeds out), 1/2 pound of organic baby spinach (slightly steamed to help avoid oxidation and spoilage), 1 bag of frozen organic mango chunks (thawed), 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and 1/3 cup milled chia seeds.  I included chia seeds because (a) I love chia and (b) the Salba that is in the Happy Tot pouches is actually a pricier variety of chia.  To mill whole seeds just put them in your coffee grinder or other small chopper, and run until they resemble the texture of graham cracker crumbs.
Step 1:  Save the empty pouches and lids from whatever brand your little one eats.  As you use them, rinse well and store in a bag in the fridge.  When you've collected several, soak the dirty, empty pouches and lids in a bowl of hot soapy water.  Use a  plastic condiment bottles (also available at any grocery/superstore) to squeeze hot soapy water into each pouch.  Shake the soapy water around on the inside of the pouch to remove any residual baby food bits.  Rinse with clean water until soap bubbles stop running out of the pouches.
Step 2:  Combine all the ingredients in a blender, and turn the blender on medium-high.  Slowly add organic apple juice to get the stuff mixing.  Add more apple juice if the texture seems too thick.

Step 3:  Pour the baby food into the plastic condiment bottles.  Snip the tip of the bottle if the baby food doesn't squeeze out easily.  Any baby food that doesn't fit in the bottles, can be stored in zipper baggies in the freezer.

Step 4:  Put the tip of the condiment bottle into the clean, empty pouches and squeeze.  Replace the lid and store in the fridge.  Makes about 56 ounces of food (14 x 4 oz pouches).

Cost breakdown (will vary by season, store, and location):  Spinach - $2; Pears - $3; Mango - $2.50; Chia - $1 = $8.50 = $.60  per 4 ounce pouch

Not only are you saving tons of money by making these yourself, but you know that the food your little one is eating is as natural and pure as possible!  As an aside, I couldn't believe the color difference between my homemade pouches and the store-bought ones.  They must cook the heck out of the manufactured ones, because the color of mine was a hundred times brighter!