Just some stuff.
First up, UTCanner is the winner of the Swagbucks giveaway. Congrats! Your 5000 Swagbucks should already be in your account.
_____________________________________
My deck railing currently looks a little different than it did in yesterday's photos.
I'm super grateful two of my girls were feeling well enough to go play in the snow for a little while.
Zoe even managed to make a small snowman, despite the powdery consistency of the snow.
We couldn't come up with anything for the eyes until I spied an avocado skin in the compost bucket and realized with a little trimming, it would make perfectly good eyes.
And Zoe had the great idea to use the avocado skin trimmings to make a cute mouth.
________________________
If you follow me on Instagram (I'm thefrugalgirl), you know I just discovered puddle pictures.
(seriously so much fun.)
I tried it with my real camera yesterday, though, and decided it's a little more difficult with something other than a point and shoot.
__________________________
I made two loaves of French bread on Monday.
We used one for Beef au Jus sandwiches (I had some in the freezer, so, yay!), and the other became the base for panini last night.
French bread tastes stupid delicious for how few ingredients are involved and it has so many uses. I've made it countless times, which means I can do it completely from memory at this point.
_______________________
When I was in Aldi the other day, I picked up their latest flyer and saw this:
Mahhhvelous.
Also, I saw promises of even more organic products, which is freaking fantastic.
_______________________
Lastly, yesterday afternoon I wrote about Schoola's Pass the Bag challenge, which they're running to encourage us all to donate our outgrown, unused clothes to help support schools.
Donating is super easy and it costs you nothing to mail your items in. Go read all about it!
Plus, Schoola is offering a new something-something in the spring, which you can read about in the post.
(Psst....Reese! Based on your comment yesterday, you're going to chuckle at what the new thing is. You were already ahead of them. ;))
________________________
That's enough from me on this hump day...how's your week going?
Share some stuff in the comments! I love hearing what's happening with you all.
That is probably the cutest snowman I have ever seen made. and I've made your pizza dough recipe to many times I know that one by heart! 😉
But MSG is pure umami!
Seriously, though. Are people still worried about MSG? I thought the FDA ruled the symptoms in people as being simply the placebo effect.
True that msg is one way to get the richness in umami however, it still has adverse effects for many, including myself, as it is chemically related to soy, usually, and soy is one of the top ten allergens. I am very happy to see the change in Aldi. Now if only the one near my house was half as good as Kristen's.
I love the versatility of that bread, too. It makes the best French Toast, but it seldom lasts long enough around here to make it to breakfast time. I have to plan ahead and stash a loaf away before it disappears.
It's brutally cold up here in the Northeast, which means it's a great time for baking--helps heat the house up. I think I'll go make some bread...
P.S. I'm so, so glad that at least some of you are well enough to make cute snowmen!
Just one more reason to shop at Aldi! I have been looking for a resource on GMO produce and ingredients in their products. I have found inconstant information. Was there any info on GMOs in the flyer? My local flyer was different than the one that you showed.
Trader Joe's promises no GMO's in their store brands (Trader Joe's, Trader Jose's, etc.). It's not Aldi's, but if you've got one in your area, it's an option.
Here is an interesting article about Trader Joe's
http://foodbabe.com/2013/08/07/what-is-trader-joes-hiding/
As far as Whole Foods, they to have a few things that I personally don't care for: 1: they were caught in the act falsifying information of such to customers (was it intentional or were the employees simple not informed?) 2. Not until 2018 will Whole Foods require all venders to have verified listing on labels so that customers can decide for them self if they wish to purchase said item. As mentioned, in the article I listed, many companies do their own testing. I find this in itself a bit backward because history has shown us time and time again that when it comes to money and profits our best interest, such as in the case of tobacco, is not always the best motivator for huge companies. Also many of the smaller companies are being swallowed up by those very same companies that fight to keep us in the dark about how "natural" our foods really are.
I haven't read the Food Babe article but I do tend to raise a suspicious eyebrow whenever she pops up because she tends to be reactionary, sensationalist, and not always scientifically-based.
She does a lot of research as do I. Only on rare occasion have I ever not found what she states not to have verifiable information. Many a time the people who advocate food and saving our planet from destructive practices are the very people who get condemned for doing so....at least until what they have been talking about become unavoidably true. All one needs to do is get out of internet scuttle and into scientific studies to see....especially when looking outside of the USA. There is a reason many countries do not allow certain substances within their nations. It is not due to fear, it is due to their independent studies.
I can take a peek, but I don't remember. The good thing is that as far as I know, organic products cannot contain GMOs, so the rise of organic offerings at Aldi would be good news for you on that front.
Make sure that if you purchase organic that it has certifications, there are many however the USAD Organic is what comes to most peoples mind. There is also many others that certify/verify; these run state to state and there are also some that are international:
http://www.organicguide.com/listing/guide/resources/usda-accredited-certifying-agents
Personally I choose food based on quality not quantity because I would rather spend money on nutritious food instead of paying high medical bills down the road because I was eating wood pulp and chemicals.
Here are the standards for carrying any organic certification:
https://www.organicconsumers.org/newsletter/organic-bytes-206-2010-year-eating-organically/how-identify-real-organic-food
No Aldi's out here in rainy Portland, and no snowmen either (we're in the 50's this week and I'm going to do my "fall" garden cleanup this afternoon).
As far as bread baking, I'm in love with "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day." It truly is just minutes to mix it and minutes to prep it for baking! For best results it takes a little planning ahead, but over the weekend I baked some without letting it sit overnight, and it turned out fine.
A couple of years ago, we had a bake sale, and I baked about 20 small loaves on a Sunday morning before church! It was that quick. And people loved a non-sweet option at a bake sale.
Another good/easy bread cookbook is "No Need to Knead." It's my go-to focaccia recipe...takes a little under 2 hours start to finish. There's also a good baguette recipe, plus ciabatta and others. (Can you tell I like bread? It's what I craved during my pregnancies.)
Have a happy rest of your week!
I really need to get off my duff and try the whole no knead thing. I've never done it, believe it or not!
Alton Brown's no knead sourdough is a standard at my house. It's one of those super easy recipes to make and it makes your yeast last longer as you use less of it. 😉
It's really amazeballs when made with Sir Lancelot flour (which is the Hi Gluten flour from King Arthur that they sell in 50lb bags to bakeries and pizza shops)
Yes, we made the exact small snowman yesterday! The snow was too powdery to hold together but we managed and my 4 year old was happy with it. So cute!! Ours fit on top of the frozen bird bath!
Also, I made my first Aldi's trip this past weekend - LOVE IT!!!! Great deals! They did not have everything I had on my grocery list, but the items they did carry were so inexpensive. Blackberries for 79 cents?? Are you kidding?! You never find that elsewhere! We moved about 6 months ago and discovered one 15 minutes away from the new house. I could easily re-route my way home from work to fit this one in my schedule once in awhile. Definitely worth it. And thanks to all of the Aldi advice, I was prepared with my own shopping bags and a quarter for the cart! Yay
Yay! So glad that you've found a convenient Aldi location.
I've noticed an interesting phenomenon regarding shopping at Aldi over this past year. When I first started going there, I had nearly the same amount of items on my list that I needed to buy elsewhere, as the number I actually did buy there. Not anymore! Now, is it because Aldi is offering more items, or have I become more in tune with what they carry, and only make meals based on what they have? Or a combination of those things?
I am taking a sandwich tray to work tomorrow for a co-workers birthday. ( I'm the designated office caterer.) On this tray will be chicken salad sandwiches on whole grain bread, cream cheese-walnut tea sandwiches on cinnamon raisin bread, mini skewers of cheese cube, cherry tomato. and a kalamata olive,brushed with italian dressing; "crack dip" which is sour cream, shredded cheddar, ranch mix and bacon, with wheat crackers, and a garnish of artisan lettuce leaves around the edge of the tray. Every single ingredient came from Aldi.
Funnily enough, I was just thinking that when I shopped this week!
In just the few years I've been shopping there, I can definitely say that their product selection has changed for the better. Every year, there's more produce and more fresh foods and I'm over the moon about that.
One of the greatest regrets of my life is that there are no Aldi's where I live (L.A) but we have Trader Joe's and Fresh and Easy. I really recommend Fresh and Easy for all natural and organic. Plus they have a clearance section that has produce, dairy and meat....my freezer is stocked.
Seeing snow pictures is always a little surreal to me. The high today is 82 where I live. I realize that this is not normal but snow is always something that seems a little movie like.
82 DOES sound lovely right about now...
Just a word about so called organic/non gmo food; recently Consumer Affairs unleashed an article about one company that proves that their claims are false. Said company state right on the package that no gmo are used and that their product is completely natural. Yet the test preformed by CA showed as much as 75% (and more in some cases) are in fact GMO product. Anyone who is doing their best to eat correctly will not be eating GMOs. They have been found to cause intestinal problems, neurological problems (especially in children and elderly), tumors and the list goes on. I have a rule of thumb: if a company is willing to call them self and natural and good source of food than they best be willing to release a full list all their ingredients, including if it is GMO, to the consumer. Buying local and actually speaking to farmers is a good start to see what you are actually eating. Just my opinion about food and what is claimed.
That's an adorable snowman! Avocado peels, who knew? We have some rocks along the side oof the hosue that we used last time, but there might be too much snow over them now to use those from now on...
Sometimes we use coals from the fire pit, but sadly (or not?) I cleaned it out and painted it this summer, so it's super clean right now!
I just gotta say: That is the most adorable snowman I have EVER seen! Totally made me smile seeing that this afternoon. 🙂 Great work, ladies!!
Ah, thanks! I passed your compliment on to Zoe. 🙂
I have seen several articles about Aldi's in the last week or so. I think of you every time I read about their wonderful-ness. I wish I had one in my world (SF Bay Area), but I do pretty well with 99 Only, Grocery Outlet and Costco.
Last week we were in Palm Desert, CA. We arrived late, so we shopped at the nearest supermarket (Stater Brothers). I was gobsmacked at the prices! Literally standing in the aisle with my mouth open. Then a staff person with a mop tried to push me out of her way. Seriously, you charge these kind of prices and expect the customers to move out of your way? Wow, it was an expensive and eye-opening experience. OTOH, it was cheaper than eating out, but what a different universe!
I'm glad some people at your house are starting to feel better! Very cute snowman, and good use of on-hand supplies 🙂
Sorry I am behind on emails, but I wanted to thank you. I won the 5000 swagbucks (UTcanner), and I was so excited! I wondered at first why my total had jumped. lol I have ordered a gift card, and it will help me buy some diapers for my baby granddaughter. And maybe something fun for myself. 🙂
Kiddos look so much older, all bundled up.... I wish we weren't so sick that we can play in our snow...