Most of us at the beginning of a new year make an effort to try to make our lives simpler and more organized. One of the ways I personally keep myself (and my checkbook) in check when it comes to grocery shopping is to make a plan BEFORE I even step into the store. I find I spend a lot more money when I go unprepared. When I just pop in to pick up "a few things" I but more impulse items and spend a lot more money than when I have a list and a plan. I am going to give you a few tips and tricks that I use to help on that unwanted spending, while you are eating better and healthier.
Some people say that eating healthy is way more expensive, which totally seems reasonable when you have only a certain amount of money to shop with to feed your family. Organic is too expensive is something I have also been hearing from people for years. My opinion is this, I would rather spend 50 cents more on something I know  is good, and maybe give up something processed , then spend that money in the doctors office later because I am sick. Once again, if you have a plan, it is possible to feed your family for a smaller amount of money and eat better than ever! I usually budget around $250-300 a month to feed the two of us. There are so many websites and blogs with tips and tricks to help organize and save it is overwhelming. Even if you think you don't have the time, find one or two blogs (this one is rather nice) to follow and pick maybe only one thing you can do to help make things easier in your own life. Since I have not been able to work, I especially have to look for ways to make my life easier, especially on the days when I don't feel good. I guess on the other hand I  am blessed to have the ability to stay home which does allow me a little more free time, but like I said there are days when I can hardly function or walk so I need to plan ahead in all I do for home stuff including meals.
I have always been a "planner" and a "list maker" so some of this comes naturally for me- for some people it might require a little more discipline. I spend an hour or two at the beginning of the week before I know I have to shop with a notebook, my favorite cookbook and my phone so I can go online to look for new recipes and coupons on my favorite websites. I go somewhere and have a nice coffee or tea, sometimes with the hubby for his input as to what he wants to eat for the week, he has his favorites, or as he likes to say when I try a new recipe "put this into regular rotation" LOL  I know the regular things I keep in my pantry as "go-to" items so when I can't cook something more complicated, I can throw some beans and grains together with some tofu or a quick stir fry with some veggies and pasta or rice. Might not be as fancy but it tastes just as good! I look at what I want to cook for the coming week or so, and write them down. Then I go thorugh the ingredients list and see what I have at home already. There are certain things I always have, garlic, olive oil, beans of all kinds, grains of all kinds and frozen veggies make a great meal in a snap. ( Look on the right for my list of pantry basics) Then, I make a list of the ingredients that I know I will need to pick up. I go as far as to organize my shopping list by department at the store- which might be a little  much for some people...laughing again!
One of my favorite new websites I visit almost daily is 5dollardinners.com. (there's a link on the left under blogs I follow )She is amazing with recipes, tips and tricks to saving time and money with better shopping and couponing too. If you visit this website you can go to the orintable planners section and print out a grocery list as well as a calendar for putting what meals you want when. I mix and match them not always staying exactly with the calendar, at least you have a general idea of what you want to eat and when. Like when I know we will be gone, I use my slowcooker. So you can plan your work, school, etc calendars with your meal calendars together to make life way more easy.
Okay.... enough for today. I hope this gives you a little help getting started. I am putting the pantry staples list as well as a list for knowing when to buy organic.  (look on the links on the right of the page for these)
Also look below for the recipe for the amazing spinach enchiladas we made last week. I got the recipe on the 5 dollar dinner website, it was for chicken/spinach enchiladas but I tweaked it to make it vegan. =)
Blessings for a good week everyone! See you soon!

VEGAN SPINACH ENCHILADAS

Ingredients Needed

8 oz. container vegan sour cream (Sour Supreme is the brand my local store carries, you can use regular if you don't want to use the vegan)

10 oz. boxes frozen spinach, cooked and well drained

2 cups vegan cheese (daiya is the brand but you could use regular cheddar too if you want)

2 Tbsp minced onion

2 tsp minced garlic

2 tsp ground cumin

Salt and pepper

8 whole grain tortillas

The original recipe calls for canned enchilada sauce but I didnt like the ingredients so I whipped up my own in my blender using a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes a can of green chiles and added some cumin, garlic, oregano, chile powder & onion powder until it tasted right

2 avocadoes for garnish, or make your own guacamole for a topping

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease 2 9×13 glass baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the sour cream, spinach, 1 cup of the cheese, minced onion and garlic, cumin and some salt and pepper.

Spread about 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of your baking dish

Spoon the spinachmixture into each of the tortillas. Roll, and place the tortillas seam side down in the baking dish. (I can generally fit 8 to 10 enchiladas in a pan, depending on how full they are and how tight they are rolled.) Then pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the pan.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and begins to golden, and sauce is bubbling.

The original recipe came from 5dollardinners.com you can find it if you look up chicken spinach enchiladas makes enough for 2 casseroles so you can freeze one for later- planning ahead haha! I didnt do this but wish I would have, if you want to just double everything, wrap the casserole in plastic wrap and then foil to seal it and pop into your freezer for that quick no cook night when you're tired)

One thing I did like about this recipe was the simplicity of it and the fact it has lots of possibilities: you could add mushrooms, change the cheeses, I thought about adding tofu with the spinach for a creaminess and different texture.

Serve with some a nice salad of mixed greens with a light dressing and avocado and you're all set!



Welcome to a New Year!

Now that I have your attention... This first post of the year may not seem to really have anything to do with health or recipes at first glance but if you hang with me you will see that it does. It is just a culmination of the things that have been on my mind and the things God has been working in me. The calendar tells me that we are almost a week into a new year....but even more than just dates on a calendar this new year of 2012 holds so much more. More possibilities, more adventures on our journeys, more to live, learn and be thankful for ! We have all made "resolutions" in our past... I don't believe they are bad really, but most people make these huge beyond even accomplishing promises to tackle in the coming year and are left disappointed and even cynical because they fail. We are set up for failure before we even try... because it is really all in our minds whether we move forward or stay stuck. It requires being fearless and living outside of ourselves and our comfort zone and changing... not those around us, but ourselves. Which I personally have to say.... is terrifying! I am terrified of failing.... but I am more terrified of staying where I am. I am more frightened of the "what ifs". The "what if "I don't open my mouth to pray for someone and they could have been healed or their life changed, the "what if" I didn't open my mouth to share something about my knowledge that God has given me about health and someone stayed sick and never got better? This is a very selfish place to live.... and my "resolution" so to speak this year is to step outside of me... realize that my God is way, way bigger (to truly get this in my heart) and to change myself as well as others around me. To realize that I am worthy, valuable, and I do have a mission and a purpose. I was talking with a friend on New Year's Eve about this... and some words of wisdom he gave me.... instead of sitting around waiting and asking for God to tell me what He wants me to do, find out what I want to do and then to just take a leap and find something I like and if it is where HE wants me He will guide me further. What do I want to do? I know the things I don't want.... to be scared of my disease to the point of paralyzing myself and never moving forward, to live in fear of others opinions of me, to never live a life outside of myself and never help others. We all go through certain things and we have a choice to use them for our advantage, or sit around and wonder why we are put through it.... we are put through our trials so we can help others, to give them comfort where no one else can.... I cannot tell you the numerous people I have helped through the loss of a parent, or through dealing with cancer, or abortion, or now MS.
My goal through writing this coming year is to help you try new things: foods that you never tried (such as quinoa or even scarier to most people: tofu!) Things that might have scared you in the past, but we know now that being scared leads us nowhere, and when you step out you might just find something great and exciting that you never knew. To help you learn more about a new lifestyle (not a diet, which we all know fail most of the time), and to give you resources to help incorporate them into your daily life to help you live a longer, fuller, more enjoyable life, learning that it takes a lot less effort than you think it does.
With that said.... moving forward into this new year and new season and journey we are on, you will definitely be hearing a lot more from me whether you like it or not! =)