Confessions of a Wanna-Be Coupon Queen

Posted on July 18, 2011 by kissmybroccoli

So it seems I’m not the only one who gets excited over finding a good deal! I loved how vocal you guys were regarding Thursday’s couponing adventure. Many of you asked where I get my coupons and also mentioned how discouraging it can be to try to find the “good ones” so I decided to throw together a little coupon post featuring my favorite websites and links!

Mambo Sprouts:

I discovered this website a few years ago and it is now one of my “go-to” resources when it comes to bargain hunting. If you sign up for The Messenger which is sent out five times a year, you get a little e-book full of product information, healthy living articles and e-coupons!

Money Saving Mom:

This is a new-to-me blog. I have named it the “motherload” of all money saving info! You can find just about anything here…shopping tips and tricks, coupons, freebies/giveaways, and even recipes! Oh yeah, Crystal really knows what she’s talking about!

Sample Stuff:

Speaking of freebies, this site is one of my favorites when it comes to scoring free samples! Plus, if you like them on Facebook, you never have to worry about missing a deal!

All-You:

The BEST resource for free samples! If you sign up for their daily email notification, you get one email a day for samples ranging anywhere from foodstuffs, to beauty aides, to dog food! I can’t tell you how many products I’ve been able to try by using this!

Coupons.com:

You kinda have to weed out the pointless coupons featured on this website, but every now and then they surprise you! Like right now, you can get coupons for Voskos yogurt, Athenos feta cheese, and Starbucks Natural Infusions coffee (which by the way is INCREDIBLE)!

Favorite Brands:

And last but not least, don’t forget that most of the companies out there have coupons available on their websites. Here are some of my faves:

…just click AND print! 🙂

 

Hope this helps some of you to get out there and score some deals! Oh, and I have absolutely NO idea why this post decided to be half black and half green…just think of it as a theme based on all the money you’ll be saving! 😉

If you guys have any other websites you’d like to share, feel free to include a link in your comment!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Confessions, Shopping, Tips & Tricks | Tagged , , | 24 Comments

The Non-Dairy Princess

Posted on July 17, 2011 by kissmybroccoli

G’mornin everybody! Hope you are all having a fabulous weekend!

I wish I could say that I’m sorry for being MIA for the last couple of days, but I’m not. I’ve been out having fun and making the most of my weekend…pup walking, sushi eating, movie watching, and barbecue grilling…and not a single picture for documentation! Sometimes you just have to let loose and enjoy life, right? Right! 😉

This morning I woke up with an “I don’t want to think” mindset but with a craving for pancakes…even my subconscious knows when it’s time to celebrate!

Solution = Blogland

I’ve been doing a bit of blog stalking lately. My unsuspecting victim? Sarena aka “The Non-Dairy Queen.” If you’ve been reading my blog long, you know that I have an absolute fascination obsession with her “coconut cream” recipe…I swear you could put that stuff on a stick and I would eat it! 😉

So as soon as I saw her recipe for Fluffy Banana Pancakes, I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed…

[source]

Topped with Mighty Maple (thinned with almond milk) and carob chips

Hit.the.spot!

 So fluffy, so banana-y, so delicious!

Oh yes, but the blog stalking didn’t stop there…actually, it didn’t even begin there…it began with these beauts:

Baked Cauliflower Falafel

Before the other day (ok, it was like 2 weeks ago, but when you live in the south, everything happened just the “other day” ;)), I had never had falafel, but after seeing it on Sarena’s blog and spying my sad looking cauliflower in the fridge…

See?…sad!

I knew it had to be mine!

So I got to work! And as many times as this has happened to me, you’d think I would’ve learned my lesson by now, but I guess it was just time for another reminder:

Note to self: Read ALL of the recipe ingredients BEFORE starting!

I thought I had everything I needed, but that was before I remembered that the hummus I had bought SPECIFICALLY for making these, started looking mighty good on some pretzels…and in salads…and on a spoon…

Even with my tub of roasted red pepper hummus, there was still no way I was getting TWO cups out of this!

Enter the understudies:

¡Tres Amigos!

Doesn’t get any easier than that!

Mmm, good stuff!

According to Sarena, these freeze really well.

I wouldn’t know…I made the full recipe…

and they were gone in a week and a half.

No lie, every time I opened the fridge, I popped one of these babies in my mouth…they’re excellent with a schmear (um yeah, that is TOO a word Mr. Spellcheck) of sunflower seed butter!

And they take a Greek salad from dab…

To fab! Especially with a drizzle of tahini and balsamic vinegar! 🙂

Now to give some of her ice cream recipes a try so I can finally break open this guy!

What’s a recipe that you’ve fallen in love with recently?

What has been the best thing about your weekend so far?

Posted in Breakfast, Entree, Pancake Sunday, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tagged , , | 12 Comments

I Went To The Store For Milk and Yogurt

Posted on July 14, 2011 by kissmybroccoli

…and I came home with this:

But there was a sale!

And I had coupons!

Look! Look!

Total savings=$26.25!

Oh, and then I got this:

Sahweet!

Ok, let’s review…

  • Puffins x 3 (2 original, 1 cinnamon) $2.99 each
  • Yogurt (Stoneyfield & Chobani) FREE with coupon
  • Yogurt (Dannon Greek) on SALE for $0.69
  • Putney Pasta Chicken Piccata on CLOSEOUT for $4.19 (regular $8.99)
  • Luna Bars x 7 on SALE for $1 each
  • Organic Garbanzos…ok, not on sale, but I neeeeeeded them! 😉
  • LiteLife Italian Style Veggie Sausage COUPON $1 off
  • Starbucks Natural Caramel Coffee COUPON $1.50 off*
  • Organic strawberries on SALE for $1.79! What?!
  • Locally grown cuc…hmm, not sure HOW that got in there! Haha!

The rest of the items were on a “Mega Event” sale…purchase 10 qualifying items and save 50 cents per item on top of sale prices! Cha ching!

  • *Starbucks Coffee………………………………………$7.99 before coupon
  • Hunts No HFCS Ketchup……………………………$1.26
  • Purity 2% Cottage Cheese…………………………..$1.79 each
  • Silk Unsweetened Almond Milk…………………$2.39 each (won’t lie, Blue Diamond holds my heart, but Silk was cheaper AND it keeps me from drinking it straight from the carton!)

Yes, you did see that right…I bought SIX tubs of cottage cheese. 

Promise I’m not crazy

They don’t expire until September…and I’m thinking they will last me…oh about 2 weeks! 😉

Actually, after last night’s dinner…maybe less!

Peanut flour oats topped with cottage cheese, BBQ seasoning, and FROG preserves.

Mmm, mmm, mmm!

Come to mama!

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have an open box of Puffins and a carton of Blue Diamond vanilla almond milk to finish off…

Oh yeah, I’m classy.like.that!

PS, this post made me feel kinda like an extreme couponer! Lol

Do you ever go to the store for one or two things and come out with an armload?

Do you use coupons when you shop?

 

Posted in Shopping | Tagged , , , , | 39 Comments