Finding creative ways to eat healthfully doesn’t have to be time-consuming or stressful. Zucchini pizza is one of our family favorites, and it’s so simple to make!
We love gardening, and even if you don’t have a garden, zucchini and tomatoes are in season so this meal is doubly inexpensive. You can find the original recipe and cooking instructions here.
And here’s an easy step-by-step tutorial:
*This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are genuinely my own.*
I love easy and fresh eating. Here are some easy mason jar recipes that our family is loving. There’s nothing like eating healthy and fresh for summer!
BREAKFAST SMOOTHIE
This recipe is healthy and sweet, and there’s two servings of veggies (but you’d never know it!)
Blend all ingredients together until smooth. Serve immediately. I usually boil several beets at a time and reserve the rest of the mango for smoothies the next day!
SIMPLE FRIDGE PICKLES
Canning can be quite a process, but these fridge pickles (found here) are super easy to create and lasts for months in your fridge.
EASY PASTA SAUCE
I love a simple pasta dinner.
Flash boil the tomatoes for 3 minutes. Put in cold water and peel off skins. Core and blend until smooth in a food processor. Add to a pot with a 1/4 cup sugar and spice packet (or desired spices). Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 25 minutes. Put in cans in fridge for up to 1 week or put in ziplock bags, lay flat, and freeze for up to 1 year.
I hope you give some of these recipes a try! Happy eating!
*This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are genuinely my own.*
My family likes to eat healthfully and as naturally as possible (no we aren’t perfect), and our grocery budget for the week averages around $90 for three people. For everything. Here’s how I achieve those savings and don’t have to spend a lot of time. ‘Ain’t nobody got time for extreme couponing!
1) Meal Plan: This is the single most important element of saving on groceries. Sit down with your store flyer (or find them online) and find what meat is on sale (provided you eat meat). Plan everything around that main dish. Chicken on sale that week? Grab your favorite recipe and make sure you have all the ingredients. I have our family’s favorite recipes in a recipe binder so I can easily meal plan and I know the go-tos that everyone will love. You can see more on meal planning here.
2) Go meatless once a week. This give huge savings in and of itself. Get creative with beans, mushrooms, peppers, cheese. There are lots of yummy meatless meals out there that will save you at least $7-10 on your grocery bill every week. Here are a few of our favorites.
3) Stock up on good meat discounts: If there are really great meat markdowns, buy a few and freeze some, that way when chicken isn’t on sale, you have a stash of meat on hand. No coupons required. Just a small amount of advance planning. Check when your grocery store does markdowns. There will usually be a daily markdown, and a big weekly markdown (I usually aim to go to the store this day). We store extra in our deep freezer. You can see how I organize our stash here.
4) Download the FREE ibotta app. There are TONS of cash-back rebates on fresh produce (not joke) and other products you were probably going to buy anyway (lots of natural options.) You complete an easy task (like answering a poll, watching a 30 second video) and after scanning your store receipt, they credit your account with cash, and you can get giftcards, or straight up cash to paypal. I have been using this app for years and I have earned hundreds of dollars in savings. There isn’t any prep work. Just have your phone in store with you as you shop, and do it as you go. No extra time required. Click here to get the app!
5) Shop by BOGO. We plan most of our grocery trip around By On Get One (Free) sales. And word to the wise: you don’t have to buy two at most stores to get the savings! Lots of times you will find that these BOGO sales align with what is already on ibotta.
6) Stacking. Here’s where you can get a little fancy if you want. I don’t extreme coupon, but I do bring in 5-7 store coupons for additional savings (many that I can stack with what is on ibotta).
HOW TO GET COUPONS
8) Stock up for 6-8 weeks. More sales will be there. I promise. The next time the store has a sale (in about 6-8 weeks) you are ready to stock up again. And buy what you are actually going to use and eat. Otherwise you aren’t saving, you are just spending. See my point? There is always another deal and another day.
I hope this was helpful to you so you can see how I meal plan and get the most bang for my buck. Here is a video that walks you though how I use ibotta and stacked deals with coupons this shopping trip:
*YouTube has been such a blessing and I am fortunate to get to work with many brands that I love and use daily! I have been using Ibotta since 2013 and have saved hundreds using this app, so when the company approached me wanting me to share my rebates and grocery savings, I was really excited. Thanks to Ibotta for sponsoring this post and video. As always, all opinions are genuinely my own.*
I LOVE this pico de gallo inspired salsa. It’s probably one of my favorite meals of all time. I always go for 2nds (and 3rds!) You could add jalapenos if you wanted a little extra kick, but this combination of flavors is so sweet (yet somehow savory), you really don’t need it! It’s perfect for hosting summer get togethers because it’s so easy and fresh….and a total crow pleaser!
** CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PRINTABLE RECIPE! **
*This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are genuinely my own.*
Making lunches can be a pain (I mean really…we have to do it EVERY DAY??), and making healthy choices is even more time consuming. Washing, cutting, peeling, prepping. That’s why I’m loving my salad in a jar. They are so easy to prep at the beginning of the week, so you can eat healthfully all week long but not have to worry about the time commitment.
Here is how I prepare and serve them along with my favorite home-made Italian Dressing.
Italian Dressing
*This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are genuinely my own.*
As the days start to get warmer and sunnier, it’s time for ice pops! I was so excited when I saw Dollar Tree sells and ice pop mold, and I was quite impressed with the quality.
Making your own ice pops is so easy (and healthy). Whisk the following ingredients together and pour into ice molds!
Watch the video to see the tutorial in action and for some cooking with Carson:
I love sharing recipes with you guys. I know most you come to my blog and channel for organizing videos, but this is probably one of my favorite recipes of all time. It hits all the boxes: budget-conscious, healthy, and NO CLEAN-UP. Okay, so let’s be real, the no-clean up part is what makes you most excited. Yeah, me too ;).
**CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE RECIPE!**
Please share with me if you try it! Come follow me on Instagram and join the party!
P.S. Don’t like Tilapia? Try this recipe with salmon or scallops!
Happy Valentine’s Day! In honor of this day of love, I want to share with you our love of food and easy week-night recipes!
*CLICK HERE TO PRINT THESE RECIPES!*
Here are two easy, go-tos for busy weeknights in your slow cooker. Just 10 minutes to prep. Really. It’s that easy! Enjoy!
After I shared this Mexican shells in bulk recipe, you asked for more. Here’s an easy way to make your morning simpler (I’m all about that….our mornings are always so hectic over here!)
We love the Quaker oatmeal quick-heat packs you can buy, but they are expensive. And honestly not all that healthy. For the convenience without the price and additives, you are going to LOVE these DIY Oatmeal Packs that you can use with your Keurig! Breakfast in 30 seconds and no hassle!
I originally got the idea on from A Few Short Cuts blog here. Here’s a breakdown of the recipe (it makes about 12-15 servings):
10 cups of quick cook oats (6 cups whole, 4 cups powdered)
1 tsp salt
3 tsps cinnamon
1.5 cups brown sugar
1 cup coffee creamer or powdered milk
Mix ingredients together and put in snack baggie or disposable cups. Put 6 oz of water in your Keurig or put it on the 6 oz setting. Put oatmeal into the cup and run a water cycle. Mix and let stand for 2-3 minutes. Instant oatmeal!!!
See how I make and store them here (all on the cheap of course!)
I love this recipe so much. It’s healthy. It’s meatless. And it’s budget friendly. Here’s how you make it, and you can download the recipe from Real Simple here. It truly is simple!