It's Begining to Look a Lot Like Christmas...

There are only 27 days until Christmas.  The big tree went up in our living room this morning, and tonight I put up my small candy themed tree in my room.

I'm trying to go without sugar until Christmas.  If I can't eat it, at least I can look at it! :)

Black Friday Survival and Holiday Shopping Tips

So this week has been so busy with preparing for Thanksgiving and Black Friday.  Black Friday is one of my favorite days of the year.  My mom and I go every year.  I know some people hate it, but I couldn't love it more.  The deals are amazing, the adrenaline is fun and the way people go crazy is something you wont see any other day of the year.

Yes, that clock is A.M.  I woke up at 2:40!

Overall I got amazing deals....

• Cannon SX120 camera - Regular $229 - I paid $125 and got a $10 gift card
• Wii Fit - Regular price $99 - I paid $67 and got a $10 gift card
• Quilted Corduroy jacket from Kohls - Regular price $80 - I paid $4
• Hamilton Beach Immersion Food Chopper - Regular $40 - I paid $7 (and I'm getting a 10 dollar rebate meaning I'll be getting paid $3 to buy it!)
• Food Network 3qt Food processor - Regular $40 - I paid $7 (and I'm getting a 10 dollar rebate for this too meaning I'll be getting paid $3 to buy it!)
•  4 gb flash drive and 4gb memory card - Regularly $15 each, I paid $8 each
• Super soft lined hoodie - $10 at Taget
• Toaster - $3 dollars

Now on top of that, after all day shopping I ended up with $45 in Target gift cards in my pocket!  I love getting paid to shop.  I got lots of other small things too, but these were my best deals.


So, with the Christmas season now upon us (only 27 days until Christmas!) here are my top shopping tips:

1. Check the ads, there isn't usually a huge price difference in items, but all stores are going to offer different incentives like gift cards with purchases, etc...  It pays to shop around.
2. Keep your recent, all major stores (Target, Walmart, Kohls, etc..) do price adjustments so if yo buy something and it goes cheaper within 7 days you can get your money back on the difference
3. Don't buy anything you don't love.  It's only a good deal if you want/need it.
4. Make sure to take breaks for eating (we all make bad decisions on an empty stomach) and stay hydrated.  I always carry a bottle of water around with me when shopping.
5. Use coupons!  The majority of stores have tons of coupons out right now.  A lot of them also allow you to combine coupons with current sales.  It may take a few minutes to read the fine print on your coupons but it is well worth the savings to find out if you can use your coupons.
6. Keep receipts for everything.  You may be sure you love it, but you never know if you'll find a better deal somewhere else.  I recommend keeping all receipts in one envelope (another great tip is making a note of the person the item is for on the top of the receipt for easy sorting).
7. If you have trouble with sales, coupons, prices, etc.. don't be afraid to ask for someone else.  During the holiday season there are a lot of new hires who aren't properly trained so dont be afraid to ask for further clarification or help.
8. And most importantly, have FUN.  It is the Holiday season after all.

Product Review - Deep Chocolate Vitatops

I've been hearing good things about Vitamuffin brand Vitatops for a long time, but could never afford to order them online.  The Targets near me recently started carrying them and I decided to finally give them a try and boy am I glad I did!

Stats:

100 calories

1.5 grams of fat

9 grams of fiber

4 grams of protein

I've done my fair share of attempting to make low fat baked goods and they're usually ok, but not great.  These do not taste low fat, high fiber or diet in any sense.  They are so rich and chocolately.  Not huge, but definitely a very decent serving for the calories. 

These are also great because they're made without additives or preservatives, which is great for the health conscious.  For this reason they're always sold in the freezer section.  I've paid 3.99 and 4.29 for a box of 4.  Not exactly cheap, but for someone with a huge sweet tooth these are definitely one treat that is worth the extra cost.  another factor that helps me determine their worth is quality of ingredients and unlike some diet sweets (like hostess 100 calories packs which are made with beef fat and other unmentionables) these are made with whole ingredients.

Pair a vitatop (heated in the microwave for twenty seconds) with a cup of sugar free cocoa and you've got a decadent dessert anyone would love!

Christmas Goodies & Shopping Tips

First let me start off by proclaiming my love of Paperchase.

I'm particularly fond of what I call their "cute food" products.  They have a line of stuff with all kinds of happy vegetables and cupcakes all over many assorted products and I find them irresistible.  I have a large all purpose bag I use for school, and a double decker pencil case both in this pattern:

The Holidays are my favorite time of the year.  You'll be hard pressed to find anyone who gets more gleeful about Christmas (I give everyone a daily countdown once we're a good 6 weeks - 2 months away).  i love everything about the Holidays, so when I saw these little goodies at Borders I had to snatch them up.  Paperchase makes some of the most adorable gift items I've ever seen.

My finds today almost fall into the same cute food category (though there are ornaments and presents and trees with cute faces too).  I personally think cute things make life better, and more fun.

First this mug, which I got with a 33% off coupon for 5.82  It is absolutely precious and the perfect size for hot cocoa.  I tend to have tons of different size bowls, plates, coffee cups, etc..  This is because the bigger the plate or cup the more food/drink you'll want.  Having the right shape or size makes every drink, snack or meal more satisfying.

This next goodie is actually a pencil case.  My mom bought it for me as an early Christmas present for around 5 dollars (she had a coupon as well).  I just loved the adorable faces and the festive, happy designs.  Am I going to use this as a pencil case?  No, actually its already in my purse with all the small random stuff that floats around the bottom (pens, pills, hand sanitizer, band aids, etc..)  Its lightweight, sturdy, has a zipper and a Velcro pocket on the front and back and was a steal!  I definitively recommend thinking outside the box occasionally.  I often use things for something besides what they're marketed as (and usually times getting a cuter item like this, and they are almost always cheaper).

View from the front.  It has a cute Velcro flap pocket on the front too.

View from the side so you can see the width and the adorable penguin zipper pull.

So tips for today:

• Always shop with a coupon, almost every store sends out e-mail coupons in mails or circulars as long as you can wait a day or two
• Don't be afraid to buy things in multiple transactions - the same stores who send these coupons out often only allow one per transaction so I often buy several things over a week period so I can use a coupon every time, or have my mom buy one for me (Kohls, Michaels, Jo-Anns, Cost Plus World Market, etc... all have similar coupon policies).  This may not be ideal for everyone but if you have the time and inclination, or really need to, you can save a ton of money this way
• Shop in every department - you'd be surprised what items are truly multi purpose
• Treat yourself - as much as I bargain shop, occasionally when you just fall in love with something that you know will bring you joy - its worth every penny

Eating Tips - Smaller Silverware

I often find that I eat too fast, or take bites that can be too large.  This is especially true when I'm very hungry.  I have to actively remember to eat slowly and take smaller bites, because the eating slower is not only more satisfying it is better for your digestion.

I've found something that helps immensely (and is a little bit fun!)...using tiny silverware.

I got agreat set of stainless steel coctail silverware at Kohls (and even better with sales and coupons I only paid 2.50 for all12 pieces!)  I put it next to a normal sized fork to give a good idea of the size.

These would also be great for kids who often have trouble with large silverware.  Another use is for lunches.  I've been packing my lunch to take to school all week and these tiny pieces fit great inside a small lunch container, very convenient and eco friendly because you're not throwing away plastic silverware.

Cooking - An Early Thanksgiving Meal

I wanted to make my fiance and I something delicious and comforting for dinner tonight so I made roasted turkey breast with gravy, green beans with bacon and onion, and baked potatoes with light sour cream and green onions.

I took some pictures to share how I made the green beans, something I'm always surprised to learn people have never tried!

First you dice up the bacon and cook all the way through.  Do not cook it with the onion or it wont get crispy.  I only used about 1 piece of bacon for two very large servings of fresh green beans.  You could obviously use more but a little goes a long way for flavor.

Next step is to take out all the bacon and bacon grease (essentially draining the bacon).  Then you're going to want to dice up the onion about the same size as the bacon.  I do about 1/2 an onion for every two people.  I also use vegetable broth to help cook the onions because one key step is that the onions cannot be crunchy in this recipe they need to be well cooked before you add the green beans back in.

Next you're going to add in your green beans.  You can use canned if you want/need.  I personally think fresh make a world of difference but its all availability and preference.  I used fresh (so obviously I boiled them first).

Season to taste with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. You definitely want to let this cook for 15-20 minutes to let the flavors meld.

The last step is to add the bacon just before serving.  If you add it earlier it will get soggy and chewy and look raw.

The last step....enjoy!

Product Review - Trader Joes Asian Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette

A few months ago I was in a salad rut.  I love salad, it is one of my all time top favorite foods.  That being said the dressing selection for healthy dressings sometimes gets monotonous.  I was eating Newman’s Own Light Balsamic almost every day.

Then I was in Trader Joes and I saw this dressing and decided to give it a go.  

Serving - 2 TBS

Calories - 70

If you love anything butter, with an Asian flair (and a subtle kick) then this is for you.  The dressing is spicy and sweet and the peanut butter.

Here is a salad I actually had for breakfast yesterday.  I chopped some lettuce with carrot and cabbage, topped with 2 TBS of dressing, a chopped up teriyaki chicken breast, thinly sliced zucchini and the last touch – some dry roasted slivered almonds and sesame seeds.  Delicious!

So I'm definitely on a kick with these lunches.  I don't know that you can truly call them Bento yet, but I'm practicing.  I was fairly pleased with the turn out today considering we were running out of everything and I had to scrape together enough stuff for the roll-up and used almost all our vegetables (thus why the symmetry isn't perfect, I didn't have much food options).

The one on the left is my mom's who requested a low-carb lunch so the top has some turkey pepperoni and block olive picks.  Diced pickles and chicken salad.  The bottom has sugar free jello (in the star mold), cauliflower, carrots and bell peppers.

The second is mine...another roll up on top.  Then I've got cauliflower, a few bell pepper strips, baby carrots, pickle skewer, olive and turkey pepperoni skewer and the ugly little container has yogurt kefir ranch.  I'm still on the hunt for a small condiment container so I had to use a tiny jelly jar.  It worked but lacked the cuteness factor.

Then tonight I was bored and wanted to prep a few things.  The other day at the craft store I picked up mini Christmas cookie cutters for my lunch and wanted to try them out.

Here is a plate of "Bento desserts" made out of protein bars.  A few slim fast bars, gluten free brownie bars and gluten free apple bars.  There wasn't too much left over scraps after using the cookie cutters but I ate them so they didn't go to waste! ;)  Each bar yielded about 3 pieces with a small amount of left over edges.

Then I was having so much fun with my little cookie cutters that I decided to use them on flat fruit leathers.  These were much harder to cut so my hands hurt a little but they are so cute!  There are about 3-4 shapes per fruit leather.

Not a long post today (12 hours of Christmas shopping wore me out!), but I used my nifty little bento box for lunch today again.  Same roll-up, different "side".

While Christmas shopping my mom came across an amazing insulated lunch bad with separated compartments (in the bag) as well as a great size BPA free plastic lunch container with, get this, separated compartments!  I've been looking high and low for one and haven't found anything and this one was an online order that had been returned so I got it 75% off.  I'll probably post pictures tomorrow or the next day with a review of the product.

Adventures in Bento

So I'd been looking up Bento boxes and accessories all over the internet but was a bit dismayed at cost or shipping, and was unable to find any stores around me that sold anything.  Then I realized that I didnt need to find stuff meant specifically for Bento.  I went to Cost Plus World Market and got several shapes and sizes of silicone baking cups (way more quantity and way less cost compared to the silicone cups you find for Bento anywhere else).  I also found a stainless steel "Tinder Box" in the Indian food section and fell in love since I'm tying not to buy any new plastic products unless they are BPA free (and almost all Bento boxes are NOT BPA free unfortunately).

Here is everything together, including some cute little tart pans.

The piece comes apart into two separate compartments for food with a very tight fitting lid.

I got these cute flowers, little stars and miniature green ones.  There are tons more too.

My very first Bento lunch!  Nothing super fancy but I was pretty proud of it.

I took this lunch to school with today and I was very impressed with the container.  Nothing really moved, the lid had a tight seal and the stainless steel really kept the wrap and apple so very fresh.

Musings on Mindless and Emotional Eating

I would never spend money if I didn’t know whether I had it.  

I do not charge things on my credit card unless I know I can pay them off in full.  I do not make large purchases unless I know I know I will be ok financially now and in the near future. I like to plan ahead and I’m pretty frugal...but more importantly responsible.

That being said, I’ve noticed a trend in my eating habits the lately (oh you know the last 6 months at least, the last few weeks for sure) that leans towards the exact mindset.  Sure I’m eating foods that great for me, dried cherries and blueberries, flax muffins, watermelon, etc... But too much of anything CAN be a bad thing.

Tonight, after ending the day in the red again I realized something.  I worked so hard to adjust my eating habits more towards a lifestyle change instead of a diet that I went too far the opposite.  I had counted obsessively and become too controlled and tried to loosen up, and in the process have now gotten way too lax.   I now eat healthfully of course, watch portions all day, but realized that I have been sabotaging myself in the afternoons and evenings by eating and tracking at the end or just hoping that once I’ve eaten something I won’t have gone over my daily caloric goal.

And then a light bulb occurred to me and I realized I would never go until the end of the month and then spend a bunch of money hoping I’d be ok until next month.  I would never charge something on my credit card without any idea of how it cost.

With money it makes sense – don’t spend more than you have and plan ahead…but doesn’t the same thing makes sense with food?  So why am I just hoping it will all end up ok at the end of the day instead of planning it all out?  It’s like they say, you can’t do the same thing over and over and expect different results.

I want so much to be able to eat however I want, when I want and not re-gain all the weight I spent years losing but the scale and my body say otherwise.  I'm doing what I've been doing, but hoping for new results without any new behaviors.  

I think its time for a change.

Product Review: Kefir Ranch

There is just no way I cannot rave about a new product when it is this good!

If you love Ranch you really must try this.  I adore ranch, but had mostly given up because most bottle ranch dressings aren’t as good as home-made and the light versions are never as good.  My fiancé loves ranch though and we’ve started buying it again and I knew I had to find something more calorie friendly for me (the kind he loves is 170 calories for 2 TBS! Ouch!)

So the other day at the store, with coupon in hand we picked up this new Yogurt line of dressings by Lighthouse called Kefir ranch.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with kefir it’s a thick yogurt beverage with tons of probiotics and this dressing even boasts live and active cultures (like you find in kefir and yogurt).  The cincher though was the nutritional stats:

2 Tbs

60 Calories

5 Grams of fat

The really funny thing is the dressing isn’t marked as lowfat or light.  But now what you guys really want to know…how did it taste?  SO GOOD.  I am officially hooked.  It’s got a slightly tangy kick but it’s thick and has all the flavor of full fat ranch.  I am absolutely in love and just had to share it!