Watermelon Fruit Basket

Who says fruit has to be boring? Presentation is everything;)

I remember this fun watermelon fruit basket from when I was a kid. I'd always see it at cookouts, and family get-togethers. There was something so appealing about it, and needless to say, my kids think it's the coolest thing.

We are celebrating my sons birthday and I needed something fun, and easy transport for the pool party. This was the first thing I thought of. It's healthy, festive, and perfect for these hot days.

Watermelon Fruit Basket:

Ingredients:

-watermelon

-cantaloupe

-grapes

(You can add tons of different fruits, I find that blueberries, strawberries, and pineapple work great too.)

First you will need to decide where to cut your watermelon. I made a 2" band down the center for the "handle" of the basket, then made a straight cut horizontally to make the openings in the watermelon, and removed the 2 large chunks. Then it was easier to make the decorative border by cutting small triangle wedges.

Once the watermelon basket is cut, you can use a melon baller (I just used a tablespoon used for measuring and it worked great) Use the melon baller, or tablespoon in my case, to scoop out the cantaloupe. Add the grapes, or other fruit you choose. Cover and refrigerate until' time to dig in. Enjoy:)

FREE Lunch Tote from Earthfare!

I know I keep posting about Earthfare, but I LOVE Earthfare:) Now until' September 17th, you can signup and redeem a coupon for a free insulated lunch tote!

We all know that bringing your lunch with you is better than going through a fast food restaurant, and it's even better when you can reuse your lunch tote.

Click on the link below, fill out a bit of info, and bring your coupon to Earthfare and redeem for a free lunch tote. Now you just need to decide what to pack for lunch;)

http://www.earthfarechallenge.com/

Double Your Savings

Yes, it is totally possible to save money and eat natural and organic food too. Occassionally, grocery stores have "double" or "triple" coupon event. Here in the Charlotte area, Harris Teeter will have a double coupon event August 11-August 17, 2010. Harris Teeter will double coupons everyday up to $.99, but this event is really great because they will double the amount of your coupon up to $1.98. So if you have a coupon for a product that is $1.50, then that will double to $3.00 off your item! Double your savings!

Check out Harris Teeter's website for their store policies regarding coupons:
http://www.harristeeter.com/promotions/online_coupons/coupon_policy.aspx

Some places to find coupons:
-Your sunday newspaper
-Earthfare Grocery Store has a coupon booklet at their stores called "Mambo Sprouts", and have tons of great organic/natural food coupons
-Printable coupon websites- coupons.com; smartsource.com
-Also visit your favorite food websites, they will sometimes have printable coupons.

Don't lug all of your coupons to Harris Teeter and do your matchups in the store... trust me, with my kids in tow, it's nearly impossible;) Instead see what the price of an item is easily by visiting Harris Teeter's website, under their Express Lane link. You can search for different items and see if it's on sale or not. Much quicker and easier than trying to locate it at the store.
http://www.harristeeter.com/shopping/express_lane/express_lane.aspx

Below I've matched up some great deals. The link below will bring you to the website that you can print the coupons. You can typically print 2 per computer. Please note, this is in the Charlotte area. Prices and participation may vary.

-Arrowhead Mills Organic Flax Seeds $2.85 - $1.00 coupon= $.85
http://print.coupons.com/couponweb/Offers.aspx?pid=15046&zid=uw18&nid=10

-Blue Diamond Almond Breeze-Almond Milk $2.79- $1.00 coupon= $.79
http://www.earthfare.com/HealthySavings/coupons.aspx

-Grande Tortilla Chips $2.99- $1.00 coupon = $.99
http://www.earthfare.com/HealthySavings/coupons.aspx

-Kind Fruit & Nut Bar $1.67- $1.00 off 2 coupon= $1.34 for 2
http://www.earthfare.com/HealthySavings/coupons.aspx

-Kiss My Face Kids Toothpaste $3.49- $1.49 coupon= just $.51!
http://www.earthfare.com/HealthySavings/coupons.aspx

-Organic Valley Organic Cream Cheese $2.59- $1.00 coupon= $.59
http://www.organicvalley.coop/coupons/

-Organic Valley Organic Heavy Whipping Cream $2.35- $1.00 coupon= $.35!
http://www.organicvalley.coop/coupons/

-Apple & Eve Juice Boxes $2.99- $1.00 off 2= $3.98 for 2
http://www.appleandeve.com/coupon.php

-Stonyfield Farm Yogurt - Yo Kids Organic $3.99- $1.00 coupon= $1.99
http://www.stonyfield.com/coupons_offers/index.jsp?utm_source=msn&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=coupons&utm_campaign=corporate

If you have any great deals to share, or questions, feel free to post in the comment box below. Happy Savings! :)

Banana Zucchini Bread/ Muffins

Do you have an over abundance of zucchini from the summer harvest? Try this tastey Banana Zucchini bread/ muffin recipe, compliments of veganbess at vegweb.com
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=28286.0

... yes, their vegan;)

Don't be put off because it's a vegan recipe though. You probably won't even be able to tell, once you taste these muffins. Why try vegan recipes? I like to limit my intake of dairy and animal products when possible... the cost of local eggs can be pricey so why not save them for when you really need them? Go on, give it a try, hopefully you will be just as pleased and me.

Now for the ingredients. I like to use wholewheat flour, and honey in place of sugar... but here are the ingredients from the original recipe:
1 cup grated zucchini
1-1/2 over-ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup oil
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)


Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 9" bread pan or 6-muffin pan.

2) Stir zucchini, bananas, oil, sugar, and vanilla together. Mix with hands if necessary break up banana chunks.

3) Add the remaining ingredients and stir well.

4) Pour batter into bread pan or muffin tin and bake 50-60 minutes for bread, 30 minutes for muffins.

Serves: 1 loaf or 6 muffins

Preparation time: 30 mins

Voila! Yummy muffins:) Like I mentioned before, you can save tons of time if you double the recipe, and freeze the extra batch. So next time you want a muffin you don't have to start from scratch, just pull it out of the freezer and let it thaw for a bit. Quick and easy.


Time Saving Tip:
If you're like me you have tons of zucchini, thanks to my father's awesome gardening skills;) So I like to shred all of my zucchini at once(in a food processor) and freeze what's left over. Just make sure to defrost the zucchini before use.

Now when the colder months roll around, I still have some zucchini to make more yummy bread. There is nothing like warm bread, and the scent of cinnamon lingering in the air.

To Market, To Market

Fresh air, and local fresh produce.
There is nothing quite like it. A morning out to your local Farmer's Market. There are so many colors, scents, sounds and tastes to experience. Tables full of delicious fresh produce, homemade soaps, a local duo playing wonderful music, colorful flowers, homemade pastries, and sometimes even live cooking demonstrations.






Not only is it an eventful morning out, but I love being able to support local farmers. Those farmers are some of the hardest working people out there... it takes so much dedication, and I absolutely admire that. Plus, I love to get my family super fresh local produce. Often times the produce was picked within the last 24 hours, sometimes even the morning of. Doesn't get much fresher than that!


When you shop at the grocery store, you don't know where the produce was grown, what pesticides it was sprayed with, or what farm it came from. But when you go to your local farmer's market you are able to ask questions about the food, and often times I've found they follow organic practices, but have chosen not to get organic certification just because it can come with a hefty price tag.

There are some Farmer's Markets that will only sell items made, or produce grown in the area (within x amount of miles) but I've found other markets that don't have those same restrictions, and sell the same produce you'd find at the grocery store. So basically just ask tons of questions so you can find what products you want to buy.

Don't know where a local Farmer's Market is by you? Check out www.localharvest.org There you can search for markets in your area.

I like to bring my own reusable bags to carry my produce in, and the kids even help out;) So, grab your bags, and head out to your local farmer's market and support your local farms while getting the best quality food for your family.

Save $ at Earthfare

I know many believe that eating healthy is expensive... but it doesn't have to be. There are many ways to save, especially with coupons. Earthfare has a great incentive to sign up for their emails. They will often have great promotions, and really great store coupons. Often times the coupon is for a free item, and there is sometimes a minimum purchase. I love it especially when it is for a product that I haven't tried before, that way I can see if I really like it. Especially if I am brand loyal to a product, this is a great way to try something new without breaking the bank. Plus, 9 times out of 10 I end up liking the product so much, I start adding it to my weekly shopping list;)

This week they are giving away a dozen natural eggs with a $5 minimum purchase! Click on the link below to see the coupon, and at the bottom of the page, you can sign up to recieve the Earthfare Newsletter and coupons.
http://www.earthfare.com/HealthySavings/EmailCoupon_3.aspx

Kids Eat FREE at Earthfare

There's nothing better than grabbing a bite to eat while out and about, especially when your kids eat for free. It's even better when you know you are eating high quality food, that's delicious and nutritious.

Did you know that kids can eat for free at Earthfare? Thursday nights from 4pm-8pm and with the purchase of an adult meal of $5 or more. For those of you with large families this is really great because for each adult meal you purchase can get up to 6 free kids meals. It's really a great deal!

I brought my kids there one Thursday night when they first offered this. I picked out a tasty sandwich and blue organic chips and each of my kids picked out a kids meal. So me and 3 kids all had dinner for under $10! That's a steal! My kids enjoyed choosing their sandwiches and sides, and there are plenty of options too.

Earthfare is known for being the first grocery store to totally give the boot to High Fructose Corn Syrup, that means that out of all the hundreds of thousands of items they sell, not one contains high fructose corn syrup! This gives me such peace of mind and I'm so glad to see that they have such high standards for food. Earthfare also offers tons of organic products as well. Their blue organic chips are delish.

So next time you need a break from cooking but don't want to break the bank while trying to feed your family high quality food, bring them by Earthfare on Thursday between 4-8pm and let the kids eat free.

Go here for the details: http://tomatotalk.earthfare.com/2010/05/13/kids-eat-free/

Check out Earthfare.com to find a location near you:)