Eggplant With Panko

We buy a lot of produce at a local Hispanic market because of the wide variety and low prices. Oftentimes, there is a bargain bin of fruits and vegetables that are ripe or close to ripe. This past time shopping, we picked up some eggplant.

We have chopped eggplant and put it in stews and sauces. We have also made eggplant parmesan. This time, I opted for the eggplant parm without the pasta.  

The steps are simple. 

1. Heat frying pan with vegetable oil.

2. Slice the eggplant. 

3. Dip the slices in a bowl of milk. I'm using evaporated milk. 

4. Coat the soaked eggplant in panko.

5. Slide carefully, the coated eggplant in a heated pan of vegetable oil. 

6. Dry slices on paper towel. 

7. Serve and enjoy!

I seasoned them with salt and pepper before serving. They could be served with marinara sauce to add some more flavor. 

Shopping at CVS

There are deals to be had at CVS. CVS has their own coupons and rewards if you have an ExtraCare card.

This week Hershey's Layer Crunch Cookie bars were on sale for 99¢ (regularly priced $1.25 each).

For this tasty transaction, I used a CVS coupon for 74¢ off a Hershey's bar. I stacked the CVS coupon with a manufacturer coupon: $1 off 2 bars. 

I paid 24¢ for 2 bars (or 12¢ each)!

Money Saving Apps: Plenti

Another way to save money is to check out programs offered at retailers. 

I discovered Plenti when I was eating at Chili's. They also partner with Macy's where I shop periodically. They also partner with Mobil so filling up can save you money!   

Since joining a few months ago, I have $3.24 that I can put towards my next purchase at these retailers. 

Here are the partners where you can score more points. 

More on redeeming reward points: 

Hair Hacks: Dry Shampoo

My lovely stylist friend (same who did my hair here) challenged me to wash my hair a few times a week instead of every day. I really didn't like the sound of this idea. I've been accustomed to washing my hair once or twice a day for decades. 

She introduced me to dry shampoo which can turn a limp hairdo into a newly styled do. She sticks her salon with a variety of products for her clients. Reluctantly, I purchased a spray can of dry shampoo even though she showed me how to use it. 

I'm now able to see if my hair needs a rewash or just a restyle. Saves me time some mornings when I can restyle. This dry shampoo concept is amazing!  Why didn't I know about this before?

Shopping at Publix

I like to grocery shop at Publix because they have such great sales and a great coupon policy. They have hundreds of items for sale including tons of BOGOs. BOGOs are the key to success when combined with coupons.

For this shopping trip, I used manufacturer coupons in addition to Publix coupons. I had a few rebates with MobiSave. I was looking for brands like International Delight creamer, Hershey's caramel syrup, Welch's juice, Ken's salad dressing, Cottonelle bathroom tissue, Screamin' Sicilian pizza, and Arnold's bread.

My total before coupons is $109.12. The total after coupons is $61.77 which means I saved $47.35.

Faith & Abraham

Many people credit Abraham with having monumental faith that moved mountains, this includes the author of Hebrews. He did have faith. He was also just a man. A man with faith is still a flawed man. So am I. So are you.

Can we have that same mountain-moving faith? Galatians lists the fruit of the Spirit. Faith is on that list. We can have faith because God supernaturally downloading it into our system. He is the author and perfect or of our faith. Since he is the author of faith, that tells me that faith comes from on high.

Jesus talked a lot about faith during his short time on earth doing ministry. He told many that they were healed by their faith. He was also the one who pointed out those were of little faith. Faith in him and his father was a priority for him. He said that if we had faith of a mustard seed (Matthew 17:20), we could move mountains by our word. That's what I'm talking about!

I saw this shirt in the toddler clothing section at Target. I thought it was cute. Then, I thought to myself "why don't they have these for adults?"  Adults need encouragement, too.

We need to have faith. We need the Lotd Almighty to help us with our faith and in our unbelief.

Our small group discussed faith recently. In preparation, I felt that we needed a reminder. I put together the mustard seed scripture and a quote and packaged it with a mustard seed. We can have a mustard seed to look at as a gentle nudge that faith sustains us in the tough times and smooth times, too.

Couponing: How to Organize in the Store

While I have posted a lot about coupon apps and deals, I am asked questions about organizing the shopping. 

I used to compile a list with symbols indicating quantity, which type of coupon applies, and which rebate apps apply. 

When I'm shopping at Publix, I utilize their app. The app has the ability to show the current ad and other products. If you select the exact store, it will tell you where to locate each item. 

In the weekly ad section, you can search for an item or look at the categories. Each item has a plus (+) sign to add to your personal shopping list within the app. 

Once you select an item, you can see it in your shopping list. The shopping list is customizable. You can add the quantity and notes. This is where I make notes about manufacturer coupons, store coupons, competitor coupons, and rebate apps. 

 That's my secret. Not so classified but very practical. 

Shopping at Target

Nothing like a Saturday morning at Target shopping alone before the crowds come. I had a mission complete with a list and a bunch of coupons (paper coupons along with coupons and discounts on the Target Cartwheel app--see my post on this app here). 

My list was established before I left the house, but as always, I found other bargains! 

I wanted popcorn kernels and the store brand had a 5% discount on the app. Once I was at the store, I found that it was also on sale!

I had a coupon for $1.25 off of 2 boxes of Lipton tea. The app had 20% off.

Celestial Seasonings tea was 30% off on the app and I had a $1 coupon off of 2 boxes. At the store, I found boxes on clearance for $1.17 (50% off of the original price of $2.34). Each box was 81¢ each. Déjà vu: I had a similar shopping experience a month ago (more here).

We go through a lot of razors in our house. The total for these would be $37.95. I paid $18.55 after coupons and app discounts.

This shop would have retailed for $123.60. I paid $94.77 after $22.25 in coupons and $6.58 in app discounts for a total of $28.83 in savings.

In addition to the $28.83 in savings, I got $10 back in Target gift cards. A $5 for Gain (quantity 2 of the 42 count) and $5 for Advil (quantity 3 of 100 count). For the Advil, I got boxes that had an extra 15 pills. Another bonus!!!

I have had some couponing expeditions that ended in the store paying me, free items, or drastic discounts. While this shopping trip did not end that way, it was still a success. Lots of savings and gift cards!

Grilled Fish Dinner

We eat a lot of fish and seafood. We typically prepare salmon, red snapper, or mahi. While grocery shopping, we went to our usual seafood market and decided to buy whiting because it is low in mercury.

One evening, I seasoned the fish with Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute, salt, and pepper. We buy our fish whole with the head and fins. For this dinner, I grilled the tail by placing it in a folded foil pouch. Once it was done, I split the tail by gliding the knife along the bone in between the filets. We each had a tail filet.

Next, I boiled red and purple potatoes (they have more health benefits than the traditional white potatoes) then drizzled them with olive oil and chives.

Finally, a salad to round out our dinner. I like a loaded salad. This time I opted for a leafy lettuce, tomato, carrot, chayote, green onion, avocado, almonds, shredded parmesan, and dried cranberries. 

Simple to prepare and healthy. Not to mention delicious!

Shop Your Way Rewards

Sears has a rewards program called Shop Your Way (applicable at Kmart, too). I make purchases at Sears sporadically and try to time it according to any bonus promotions. 

While at the Sears Outlet a couple months ago, we made a purchase that gave 20,000 points as a bonus which equates to $20. These points expire after a set amount of time. 

In effort to benefit from the bonus points, which is my main objective using the rewards, I went to the local Sears store to check out clothing. I found 2 tops, 1 pair of earrings, and 1 necklace, on clearance or on sale. With the sales, my total would have been approximately $36 before bonus points applied. After bonus points my total was $16. The savings from the sales and bonus points combined was just over $100!

How else could I purchase 2 tops, a pair of earrings, and a necklace for $16?

The receipt reflects sale prices, not original.

Sweet Potato Dinner

I'm guilty of having a fridge full of food and seeing nothing to eat. I need inspiration to guide me in the kitchen. 

One of my inspirations comes from the least logical places: Facebook. There is a trend of people sharing cooking videos. I like to watch them to see if it would be something appealing for us. 

A video caught my eye involving sweet potatoes as the base of a chicken fajita dish. Since we are meatless at home, I knew some modification would be needed. Fortunately, I had all the ingredients already.

Here's the ingredients I put together: 

Stuffing:

1 large sweet potato

1 can Pinto beans

1/2 can chopped chiles

1/2 large tomato diced

1/2 large onion diced

1/2 chayote diced

4 cloves of garlic minced 

Lime

Fresh cilantro chopped

Shredded cheddar cheese

Guacamole:

1 avocado

1/2 can chopped chiles

1/4 large tomato diced

1/4 large onion diced

2 cloves of garlic minced 

Lime

Fresh cilantro chopped

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven 350°
2. Bake sweet potato in microwave for 6-8 minutes.
3. Mix chopped chiles, diced tomato, diced onion, minced garlic, and chopped cilantro with avocado for guacamole.
4. Add lime juice, salt and pepper to taste to guacamole. 
5. Set guacamole aside. 
6. Cut baked sweet potato in halves,
7. Scoop out sweet potato stuffing and set aside.
8. Mix all the stuffing ingredients in a bowl. 
9. Fill sweet potato skins with stuffing mix.
10. Bake for 20 minutes.
11. Add shredded cheese on top of sweet potatoes and bake another 10 minutes.
12. Scoop guacamole on top of sweet potatoes.
13. Sprinkle cilantro and squeeze lime on sweet potatoes.
14. Serve!

This dish is both delicious and filling. An idea that came from social media that is a good one!

Money Earning Apps: Cash Back From ibotta

Getting money back on something you're going to buy anyway is such a bonus! All the apps I use to save money that give me money back have really accumulated since I started 18 months ago.

I already mentioned the fruit of my shopping with SavingStar. Ibotta is another app that has yielded the biggest results for me. l featured the ibotta app in this post. To date, I have earned $87.50. I cashed out in the form of an Amazon gift card which was added to my Amazon account for safe keeping. 

Some time after, my husband expressed a need for new soccer cleats. He knew the specifics of the Puma cleats he wanted which gave me an idea. We could order them through Amazon.com.

Here are the cleats (after much use).

Couponing With My Mom

My mom has a great sense of humor. She can see something funny in most situations which makes everyone around her laugh. She's known in many circles as the comedian of the group. 

My mom has been gracious enough to support my couponing endeavors by sending me her coupons in the mail. The first envelope I received, I was so excited to add to my coupon stash. 

As I looked closer to the coupons she sent, I noticed her handwriting on it. It caught be off guard, frankly. At a closer inspection, it was a coupon for pads for those who are incontinent. The back story is that we were shopping one time and both laughing hysterically to the point it was questionable if we could make it to the restroom. 

I have since received several packages from my mom with other coupon commentaries. 

I save them because they make me laugh and think about how many funny times I have had and continue to have with my mom. 

Florida Snow

This is a flower called "Florida snow" that covers the ground like snow. Some view it as an evasive weed while others are delighted by a blanket of flowers. 

Officially, it is classified as Richardia grandiflora is native to South America. Some how it made its way to Florida. 

I think the flowers are pretty. Not exactly like snow though.

Space Saving: Refrigerator

Part of the challenge we have in our home is stocking the fridge and cupboards in a way that it all fits. It is difficult to arrange tomatoes, carrots, celery, cucumbers, zucchini, and so many other things in a way that they are accessible and not hiding one another.

I've considered bins of some kind but have not moved in that direction quite yet. I have found a couple tricks to overcome our space challenge while keeping produce fresh. 

I place fresh cilantro and green onions in a glass with water. They stand up, save space, and stay fresh!

Smoothies

One of the benefits of couponing is having more money for fresh produce. Our dinners consist of lots of vegetables such as veggie pizza, salad, Brussels sprouts, and fried plantains to name a few. 

Periodically, especially after going to the gym, we make smoothies. I like to make them from juice, yogurt, and a combination of fruits. The key to a good blend is the right tool. I, personally, use a Cuisinart stick blender. 

While I like the the fruit-yogurt-juice combination, I have been hearing that other ingredients may be more healthy and beneficial. I tried a new combination with my usual orange juice, strawberries, and bananas. This time, I added almond milk, vanilla essence, and coconut oil. 

Pretty delicious this time!

Light Dinner

After working all day and needing to grocery shop, a light dinner that did not involve a lot of preparation was in order. So many choices now that our fridge is full, so little energy. 

The solution: put together a bunch of random and easy things. 

The result: tomato basil soup, fried plantains, and sliced avocado. 

Dinner was easy, quick, healthy, and delicious!

Money Earning Apps: Cash Back From Savingstar

I use a variety of apps that help us save money on groceries, dining, and other shopping. The SavingStar app has allowed me to earn $54.35 in approximately 18 months. If I was shopping for a large household, I could potentially earn a lot more.

I have cashed out in the form of PayPal to purchase things online as well as Starbucks gift cards. 

Morning breakfast courtesy of SavingStar! Hearty blueberry oatmeal with assorted nuts and a dark roast brew with almond milk.

Attiéké For Dinner

We found a local African woman who sells African dry goods (mostly). We purchased a couple boxes of attiéké (among other things).

Fermented cassava likened to couscous.

Add water enough to moisten the grains.

Season the fish and cover the grains to keep them moist. Chop raw onions and tomatoes or other vegetables to mix with the grains.

Heat water and place a strainer over the hot water. Place the grains in the strainer and allow it to steam enough to soak in the water. 

Dinner is served!