Heaven's tu Betsy the best brownies EVER!

I have become such a blog (or food) stalker of the spunky coconut! I have been making a lot of her stuff today for my new diet and all I can say is YUM! I am listing *my* version of her brownie recipe on here for you to try. The only reason I used my version instead of her's is because it was cheaper to use mine...so I did. The brownies I made today (recipe below) turned out cake like (because I used the baking soda-won't do that again) so I used Spunky Coconuts ganache on top (my version) to help make them gooey! Eat up, there good for you!

Faith

Flourless Brownies:
(gluten-free, casein-free, sugar-free):

Set oven to 325 degrees
Add to Bowl:
1 cup almond butter
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
2 teaspoons vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon stevia mixed
1/2 cup xylitol
1/2 tsp baking soda, for low altitude (may not be necessary at high altitude - I don't need it here)
1/4 cup cocoa powder (no more than 1/4 cup - or they will be dry)

Beat with electric mixer.

If the batter appears too dry add 2 to 4 tablespoons of water.
Pour into square greased cake pan. Spread slightly (it will even itself out).

Bake on the middle rack for 25 minutes.

Ganache:

1 Can coconut milk
1 bakers unsweetened chocolate bar chopped(these are made on machines that have had milk on them)
3Tbls cocoa or carob powder
1 fist full xylitol or to taste- I pray to get my taste buds to learn to enjoy 1/2 a fist full or less someday

Heat the cream add the chocolate bar (chopped up) and the two are whisked together. Of heat stir in xylitol and cocoa powder and pour over brownies. Enjoy!

Menu Plan Day

My Meals for the week:-I have links to recipezaar below but I use America's Test Kitchen cookbooks.

Chicken Pot Pie
-Salad
Mustard Pork Chops
-crispy cabbage
-cornbread
-mashed potatoes
Mexican Chicken Soup
-Mexican rice
-Mexican re-fried beans
Tomato-Basil Pasta with fresh Mozzarella
-Salad
-Rolls
-Corn
Cincinnati 5 way chili
-rolls
-salad

Check back tomorrow to see what I purchased. Also check out orgjunkie for other menu plans.

Latte

Shopping Day Adventures $50/$50 challenge

I am actually going to make this post my new $50/$50 challenge launch off. As my followers may know I am trying to buy all groceries (toiletries like toilet paper, shampoo, make-up ect are included in groceries) for $50.00 each week and buy all other house hold necessities (AOHHN) for $50.00 each week. If you have a challenge like this that you post or want to start your own (does not have to be $50/$50 it could be $60/$60 or $60/$40 or what ever you like just so long as it's x amount for groceries and x amount for all other necessitates.) sign the mr linky below. Please follow the directions below on how to post your link.

It is probably not a bright idea to post this week and my launch week at the same time as it is a bad week. See the first 3 weeks of this challenge seemed so easy...I should have known something was up. Well I went to my credit card account to see what I might have been missing (after my husband mentioned the total was a bit high) and sure enough I had missed some of the house hold items. I just forgot that those items are no longer in a separate budget. I am going to lay them all down here today and then start fresh this week with $50/$50

Don't Forget to Check out The Grocery Cart Challenge for more shopping day adventures!


So my shopping totals and my missed purchases:-highlights of my deals are in red

CVS:
Vitamin 2.99
Razor 7.99
Mouth wash .99
Make-up 16.95
2 Cascade soap 6.00
Candy .35
Razor .75
Total 36.00
-Coupons 10.00
-CVS cash 12.98
Total 13.92

Total of all items: 36.00
-Coupons 10.00
-ECB's 12.98
Total OOP 13.92
0 ECB's left

Walgreen's:-forgot to use my Colgate coupons-duh!

Colgate toothpaste 3.29 (earn 3.50 Walgreen's cash)
Wal-zyr allergy tabs 3.99 (rebate item)
Revlon eye shadow 4.99
Revlon eye shadow 4.99
4 mentos gum 1.69x4=6.76
Axe Shampoo 5.99 (rebate item)
-4.99 BOGO Revlon eye shadow sale
-2.00 Revlon coupon
-2.00 Revlon coupon (off the free one, cool huh)
-4.00 mentos coupons (4/$1.00)
Total: 18.11 (paid for with rebate gift card from last months purchases)
Total OOP 0.00

Total of all items: 25.02
-Coupons 8.00
-Gift Card 18.11
Total OOP: 0.00
Rebates earned: 9.98
Walgreen's cash: 3.50

Walmart:
Band-aid Bandages 1.18
2 Gillette Shampoo 7.00
2 Neosporin 1.50 (on clearance for .75 each!)
J & J Gauze Pads 1.56
Gillette body wash 3.50
Total: 14.74
-1.00 neosporin coupon
-1.00 neosporin coupon
-1.00 band-aid bandages
-1.00 J & J gauze
-2.00 Gillette coupon
-2.00 Gillette coupon
-2.00 Gillette coupon
Fireproof movie: 20.00
Total: 24.74

Total 34.74
-10.00 coupons
OOP 24.74+ tax

Target:
Cascadian organic granola bar 2.58
Kashi bars 2.50
Kashi bars 2.50
Kashi bars 2.50
Soup .54
Soup .54
Revlon nail 1.98 (clearance)
Revlon nail 1.94 (clearance)
Revlon nail 1.94 (clearance)
Revlon nail 1.94 (clearance)
Revlon lipstick 2.52 (clearance)
Revlon lipstick 2.52 (clearance)
Revlon lipstick 2.97 (clearance)
Revlon lipstick 2.97 (clearance)
2 Head and shoulders trial shampoo 1.94
Total 35.68
-10 $2.00 off Revlon coupons 20.00 (some only rung up 1.94 off)
-3 $1.00 off Kashi 3.00
-1 $1.00 off Cascadian 1.00
- .50 Target soup coupon .50
-2 1.00 Head and Shoulders 2.00
Total: 9.15
-5.00 gift card from last weeks transaction (toilet paper deal)
Total OOP: 4.15

Total for all items: 35.68
- Coupons 27.50
- Gift Card 5.00
Total OOP 4.15

Grand total: 42.00


Eating out: In town shopping all day-13 hours
McDonald's 4.20
Burger King 11.00ish
Village in 20.00 (had coupon BOGO or it would have been 8.00 more)
Grand Total: 35.22

Home School Swim and Gym:
Grand Total 6.00

Birthday gifts/food:
Food 4.46
Gift 30.00
Birthday eat out total: 18.02
Grand Total: 52.48

Missed house hold items:
$5.00 seed catalog for 4-H
$2.50 e-bay purchase for coupons
4.00 health bars
Grand Total: 11.50


Grand Total Groceries: 79.68
Grand Total AOHHN: 67.50
Grand Total for both 147.18 over 47.18!

Okay if you have a post or want to start one where you list a $50/$50 deal similar to mine (does not have to be $50/$50 deal just x amount for groceries and x amount for all other house hold necessities.) please sign the Mr. Linky below. Make sure to only link to your post on your deals and not your blog homepage. Also please link in your post back to me so that others can see this and other great challenges.

Latte

My Great Deals this week, saved $100.00!

Well my total on Friday for all items (well most all) being on sale or clearance $122 but I actually only paid $22! The deals were not as good as I had prayed they would be and I could not get some online coupons cuz they were gone but me still thinks me did pretty good overall!-especially considering I took my husband and kids on this all day shopping spree!

Okay here is the breakdown of what I got: (simple breakdowns are in red)

If you leave the Revlon deal out of transaction # 3 out my total OOP would have been 5.37 perfect for this CVS $5.00 challenge





CVS: -Had no ECB's (CVS cash) when I went in. OOP means Out of Pocket

First Transaction:
CVS vitamin D 2.99
OOP 3.19
Earned:
ECB 2.99

Second Transaction:
Gamer Razor 7.99
-4.00 coupon
-2.99 ECB from first transaction
OOP 1.07
Earned:
ECB 4.00

Third Transaction:
Act trial size mouth wash .99
5 cover girl eyeshadow
-5 $1 off cover girl coupons
-4.00 ECB from second transaction
OOP 9.55
Earned:
ECB 5.00
ECB .99

Fourth Transaction
Cascade 2.99
Cascade 2.99
-.50 coupon
-.50 coupon
-5.00 ECB
OOP 0.00
Earned:
0.00

Loaded car went back to get boys who were in the clearance isle and well they found some good deals so:

fifth transaction:
Disney suckers: .35
Schick quarto razor .75
-.99 ECB from third transaction
OOP .11

Total of all items: 36.00
-Coupons 10.00
-ECB's 12.98
Total OOP 13.92
0 ECB's left




Walgreen's:-forgot to use my Colgate coupons-duh!

Colgate toothpaste 3.29 (earn 3.50 Walgreen's cash)
Wal-zyr allergy tabs 3.99 (rebate item)
Revlon eye shadow 4.99
Revlon eye shadow 4.99
4 mentos gum 1.69x4=6.76
Axe Shampoo 5.99 (rebate item)
-4.99 BOGO Revlon eye shadow sale
-2.00 Revlon coupon
-2.00 Revlon coupon (off the free one, cool huh)
-4.00 mentos coupons (4/$1.00)
Total: 18.11 (paid for with rebate gift card from last months purchases)
Total OOP 0.00


Total of all items: 25.02
-Coupons 8.00
-Gift Card 18.11
Total OOP: 0.00
Rebates earned: 9.98
Walgreen's cash: 3.50





Walmart:
Band-aid Bandages 1.18
2 Gillette Shampoo 7.00
2 Neosporin 1.50 (on clearance for .75 each!)
J & J Gauze Pads 1.56
Gillette body wash 3.50
Total: 14.74
-1.00 neosporin coupon
-1.00 neosporin coupon
-1.00 band-aid bandages
-1.00 J & J gauze
-2.00 Gillette coupon
-2.00 Gillette coupon
-2.00 Gillette coupon
Total: 4.74

Total 14.74
-10.00 coupons
OOP 4.74+ tax




Target:
Cascadian organic granola bar 2.58
Kashi bars 2.50
Kashi bars 2.50
Kashi bars 2.50
Soup .54
Soup .54
Revlon nail 1.98 (clearance)
Revlon nail 1.94 (clearance)
Revlon nail 1.94 (clearance)
Revlon nail 1.94 (clearance)
Revlon lipstick 2.52 (clearance)
Revlon lipstick 2.52 (clearance)
Revlon lipstick 2.97 (clearance)
Revlon lipstick 2.97 (clearance)
2 Head and shoulders trial shampoo 1.94
Total 35.68
-10 $2.00 off Revlon coupons 20.00 (some only rung up 1.94 off)
-3 $1.00 off Kashi 3.00
-1 $1.00 off Cascadian 1.00
- .50 Target soup coupon .50
-2 1.00 Head and Shoulders 2.00
Total: 9.15
-5.00 gift card from last weeks transaction (toilet paper deal)
Total OOP: 4.15

Total for all items: 35.68
- Coupons 27.50
- Gift Card 5.00
Total OOP 4.15

Grand total for the day:

Total's for all the stores 122.00
-Coupons 55.50
-Gift Cards 23.11
-Store Cash 12.98
19.41+tax= 22.00



I also got a movie and a birthday gift but I will be putting that on my 50/50 deals tomorrow.

Latte

how frugal will I be!?!

Okay today I am going to go shopping and my list total comes to just over $200.00 dollars. But my amount to spend is just over $9.00 dollars!

Come back on Monday and see how well I actually did!-oh and there might be a giveaway on my frugal blog involved!


Faith

$5.00 Dinner Challenge

This is where I try and make an entire dinner for 4 for $5.00! My meal Potato Soup and Tuna Sandwiches. Thanks 5dollardinners!

Sandwiches:
2 can tuna drained and chopped
2 T lemon juice
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 celery rib minced
2 T minced red onion
2 T minced dill
1 garlic clove minced
2 T minced parsley
1/2 cup mayo
1/4 Dijon mustard
Total $1.50-$2.00

Mix all ingredients except tuna in a bowl add to tuna serve on toast!

Soup:
3 C chicken stock (free if you make your own from left over bones)
3lbs potatoes
3 C milk
salt
pepper
1 onion chopped
1 T flour
1 T butter
Total $2.00-2.50

Melt butter in large dutch oven cook onions on med until very tender add flour, lightly brown. Add chicken stock milk and potatoes, simmer until potatoes are tender stirring often.

Bread
3 3/4 cup flour
2 t salt
1C water
2 T butter
3 T honey
2 1/4 t instant yeast
Total: $1.00

add all dry ingredients to mixer (or bread machine-follow directions on bread machine) mix wet ingredients in a bowl and add slowly to mixer when dough comes together increase speed to med for about 10 minutes make sure to check and ad flour when needed. Place dough in warm oiled bowl and cover for 40-50 min press dough down roll out into a 8 inch square. roll up and pinch seam together place into a grease 9x5 loaf pan cover and rise 20-30 minutes bake in 350 degree oven (with a pan of water for steam) for 40-50 minutes

Grand Total: $5.50

Menu Plan Day and Shopping Day Adventures

Don't forget below Menu Plan Day I show you how we live on $50.00 a week for groceries (that include personal care, toiletries and kitchen necessities) and $50.00 a week for all other house hold necessities (that include shoes, clothing, home school supplies, car filter and oil, etc)

I also have my total's for weeks past below along with my weekly average.

I have not started my candida diet yet. I think it's best to plan out my meals for the week (more than just the soup!) and make sure they are similar to my families meals. This way I am not tempted. I will keep you updated on when I start and how it's going.-I should be starting next week!

All recipes below will be substituted for all natural and or organic ingredients. I also use America's Test Kitchen recipes because our family just loves them.



Menu Plan Monday:

Breakfast:

Fluffy Dinner Style Omelet
French Toast
Strawberry Scones x's 2
Organic Cereal x's 2
Organic Oatmeal (vanilla and cinnamon)

Snacks:

Organic Popcorn
Brownies
Banana Bread


Dinners:

Korean Fried Chicken, rice-squash-rolls
General TSO Chicken, mixed veggies-rice
Skillet BBQ pork chops, squash- rolls
Pulled Pork Sandwiches, veggies, -fries
Chili, croissants
Tuna Salad Sandwiches, fries
leftovers

Need to make:

rolls x's 2
bread for tuna sandwiches
buns for pulled pork sandwiches
croissants

How my shopping week went:

This week will be bad for 2 reasons, #1 I found 2 receipts in my wallet from the past and we ate out once this week.


$50.00 for groceries:


The found receipts:
Sonic 5.39
Walmart: 3.92
Total: 9.31

Woods Grocery Store:
Grocery:
Navy Bean 1.25
Natural White Flour 3.59
Meat:
10lb Leg Quarters 3.90
1.28lb Gizzards 1.28
Produce:
1.48lb Grapes 1.32
Green Onion .59
Garlic .50
2.09lb Squash 2.05
Cilantro .99
8lbs Oranges 3.98
Banana's (day old) 1.56
Dairy:
2-1lb Butter 4.58
1 Dozen Eggs (running low on free range) 1.25
1lb cottage cheese 2.39
Frozen:
3lb corn 2.99
Total: 33.74

Eating Out:
Taco Bell 2.98
McDonald's 4.94
Sonic 2.12
Total: 10.04

Prairie Grove Farms:
Raw Milk 3.50
Total: 3.50

Price Cutter:
Organic Caesar salad dressing clearance .99
2 Gallon OJ 5.18
Steaks 4.49
Total: 11.07

Wal-Mart:
3 Johnson Ez grip soap 2.91-3.00 coupon (made .09 cents)
Shout gel clearance 2.68
Binder for coupons clearance 2.00
Gauze Pads 1.56-1.00 coupon .56
Total: 5.71
Grand Total for Groceries: 73.37


$50.00 for all other household necessities:

Well this week I actually put some 'grocery' items on here. I did so because I had to buy 50.00 worth!

Target:
Jet Dry 3.54
Jet Dry dishwasher cleaner 3.54
2 Cascade 2n1 20packets 8.00-$2.00 coupons
2 16pk mega roll (128 reg rolls) Charmin Toilet Paper 31.98-.25 coupon (got $5.00 gift card)
Total: 47.82+5.00 gift card for next visit

Wal-Mart:
Windshield wiper fluid for truck 1.50
2 Windshield wipers for truck 10.00
3 month Air Filter for house 4.58
Total: 17.24
Grand Total: 65.06

Overall Grand Total: 138.43
Over for the week: 38.43

I will try to make up that 38.43 next week.

First week:
47.73 groceries
60.00 spelling power book
Grand Total: 107.73

Second week:
49.72 groceries
40.00 shoes ( I did not include tax here because I did it on the jackets below since they were bought together)
Grand Total: 89.72

Last week:
53.83 groceries
56.30 jackets and car oil
Grand Total: 110.13

This week:
73.37 groceries
65.06 toilet paper, dishwasher detergent/cleaners, truck wipers
Grand Total: 138.43

My average over every week is: 11.50

If I only spend $46 total next week I will be caught up. Do you think I can do it?


Don't forget to see other menu plan mondays check out orgjunkie and to see shopping day adventures check out The Grocery Cart Challenge.

Latte