Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Homemade Christmas: Whipped Body Butters, Two Ways


It's official: body butter is my new favourite "anyone can do this" DIY personal care product. Especially the delicious Chocolate Orange version I just cooked up (must.not.eat.body.butter).

Today I'm going to share two different ways to make body butter. The first one is the more extravagant Chocolate Orange version and then I'll fill you in on my friend Kerry's easy Whipped Coconut Oil Body Butter.

Chocolate Orange Body Butter
I made a batch of this earlier today so I could photograph it for this post and I'm having trouble not sneaking back into the kitchen to continuously slather myself with this (or at least give it a good sniff and admire its fluffy rich texture).  While the chocolate orange scent smells delicious, the sweet orange essential oil is also known to have a number of health benefits, including boosting your mood (and who couldn't use a bit of that in the middle of winter?). Below is the recipe I used and then I'll tell you how you can adapt it to suit your own tastes. Using an unrefined cocoa butter will give the final product a more intense chocolatey scent.

Ingredients:
4 oz jojoba oil
4 oz cocoa butter (unrefined if you can get it)
4 oz mango butter
4 oz coconut oil
20-25 drops sweet orange essential oil

In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine all of the ingredients and cook over low heat until totally melted (give it a good stir at the end to make sure the oils are thoroughly blended).

Place the pot in the fridge on a trivet or cork mat to cool for about half an hour. Add the essential oil, then transfer to the freezer and let cool for another 15-20 minutes or until it is starting to solidify on top but NOT all the way through.

Remove from the freezer and beat on medium-high speed with an electric mixer until it changes to a light, fluffy consistency. Return to freezer for about 5 minutes or until it is fairly firm but not rock-solid (i.e. it will still yield slightly if you give it a poke). Beat the butter again to a smooth consistency then transfer to storage containers (try not to touch it while transferring it, or it will melt under the heat of your fingers - I used a combination of spoon and spatula to get it all packed into jars).

This recipe will make 3 to 3 1/2 cups of body butter. When I costed it out with the ingredients I used, it came to around $27.50 for the batch. That's fairly pricey in my world, but it will yield you 6 half-cup jars to give as gifts with a little bit extra to keep for yourself. That's about $4.60 per gift, which is really reasonable even for a frugalista like me. If you want a more extravagant gift, you could add some homemade scented bath salts or a sugar scrub, hard lotion bars or lip balm, face scrub or a personalized tea blend, all of which are very inexpensive to make!

You could lower the cost of this recipe by using another oil in place of the jojoba, like grapeseed or olive. You could also use any combination of solid fats you like, as long as the ratio of solid to liquid fats is 3:1. If you don't want a chocolate scented body butter, you could use shea butter in place of the cocoa butter or use twice as much each of the mango butter and coconut oil (6 oz of each rather than 4).

If this (admittedly fabulous, but somewhat pricey) body butter isn't in your budget, here's another quick and easy option that only uses two easy-to-find ingredients.
 
Kerry's Easy Whipped Coconut Oil Body Butter
My friend Kerry Turcotte shared this recipe with me. She is a whiz at DIY personal care products, and runs workshops on how to make everything from sugar scrubs to cold process soaps - check out her events HERE if you're in the Hamilton area!

Ingredients:
7 oz coconut oil
3/4 oz beeswax
essential oils, if desired (about 10-15 drops)

Melt the beeswax and the coconut oil together in a small saucepan (or in a glass dish in the microwave).

Place in the fridge for half an hour to cool, then transfer to freezer until it starts to firm up but is not rock solid. Beat with an electric mixer until it has a light and fluffy consistency. Transfer to storage jars.

This recipe should only cost you about $3.00 or so, depending on the coconut oil you use (even less if you use cosmetic grade rather than food grade coconut oil). It doesn't make quite as much body butter, either (I'd say less than 2 cups), so you might want to double it if you want to have enough to give to several people.

Where to get the ingredients to make body butters:
I bought my mango and cocoa butters from Mountain Rose Herbs, but as I mentioned before, their shipping rates to Canada are pretty steep. So, if you're in the U.S., I'd definely recommend Mountain Rose, but if you're in Canada,  a better option may be Saffire Blue, especially if you're in Ontario. They have a FANTASTIC deal on cosmetic grade coconut oil and you'll find all the other butters and oils you need to make these recipes as well.

You can usually buy beeswax from a local honey producer (or, failing that, the health food store). Mountain Rose sells it as well, although you should be able to find some locally for the same (or even lower) price.

I buy most of my essential oils from Well.ca - I find the Aura Cacia brand reasonably priced and good quality)

 If you missed the earlier installments of my Homemade Christmas series, check out Create Your Own Tea Blends and a lovely Lavender & Calendula Face Scrub. For even more holiday ideas, you can find my whole Christmas on a Dime series HERE. 

Note: The links to Mountain Rose are affiliate links and I will receive a commission from them (at no cost to you) for any purchases you make after clicking these links.

Mountain Rose Herbs. A herbs, health and harmony c 
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Monday, November 25, 2013

Weekly Menu Retrospective #122

Welcome to my weekly roundup of the past week's eats. I prefer to report what we ate in the last week, rather than what we're planning to eat in the coming week. Why? The reason is pretty simple: although I usually have a general idea of what we're going to eat in the next week or so, life often unfolds a little differently than planned, and I adjust my menu plan on a near-daily basis to accommodate leftovers and other not-possible-to-plan-ahead circumstances. I find this is the easiest way to ensure that I minimize our family's food waste. I'm also willing to admit that I'm a rather spontaneous cook, given to preparing foods that strike me as the most appealing thing to eat right here and now!

If you'd like a whole book full of inexpensive, quick and kid-approved recipes,
check out my book, Cheap Appétit : The Complete Guide to Feeding Your Family for Less Than $400 a Month (While Eating Better Than You Ever Thought Possible) on Amazon (Amazon.com, Amazon.ca and Amazon UK) and Barnes and Noble.  It's gotten multiple 5 star reviews!! I've included page references to recipes that are in the book in my menu plans so you can locate them quickly. For more details about the book, go here. 

 
Breakfasts:

Granola (p. 92) with (homemade) yogurt, Aloha Muffins (p. 99), Orange Cardamom Oatmeal Scones (recipe coming soon!)

Lunches: 
leftovers, sandwiches, pizza, quinoa & scrambled eggs with veggies

Dinners:


Monday:  Chickpeas with Potatoes and Peas (p. 138)

Tuesday: Spicy Pork Alfredo (variation of this recipe), green beans

Wednesday: Black Bean Chili (p. 160), cornbread (p. 212)

Thursday: Indian-Spiced Honey Garlic Chicken (p. ), Coconut Rice (p. 199), green beans and carrots

Friday: Broccoli and Cheese Egg Puff (variation of the recipe on p. 181), hash brown potatoes
  
Saturday: Out at my dad's for his 70th birthday party!

Sunday: Roast chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, roasted carrots, Apple Crisp (p. 220)

In keeping with my local and organic challenge, I'd also like to note the local and/or organic items on this week's menu:

Organic: coconut (in granola), coconut oil (in granola), raisins, sunflower and pumpkin seeds (in granola), flax seeds, quinoa, blueberries, lemons, coffee (locally roasted and delivered by bike!), cornstarch, mustard, tamari, oregano, basil, parsley, Fairytale tea, peppermint tea, lemon balm, oatstraw

Local: potatoes, onions, carrots, red peppers (from the freezer stash), cucumbers, apples, salsa (home-canned), chicken, ground beef (from VG Meats), honey (unpasteurized), sour cream
 
Local AND organic: 
oats, milk (used to make yogurt), eggs (not "certified organic", but real free range and fed organic feed), apple cider vinegarwhole wheat flour, cornmeal, *green onions

*from our backyard veggie garden 

Want to know more about the specific food products I use and where I buy them? Check out my "What's In My Pantry" board on Pinterest.  I will keep this board updated with current information on what products we use, where we're buying them, and how much we're paying. It's a work-in-progress, and you can find it HERE.

For more great meal ideas, check out Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com. 


Mountain Rose Herbs. A herbs, health and harmony c 
SOUTHERN ONTARIO READERS: Tired of figuring out what to make for dinner? Want ALL the best weekly deals, plus menu plans and grocery lists based on what's on sale and in season? I just launched a new weekly budget menu plan service, featuring the best weekly deals and seasonal foods in Southern Ontario. I have a free sample available that you can read here! It's super-affordably priced, too - more details are here.  

Love what you read here? Click HERE to see the ways you can help support this blog (many of them won't cost you a thing!) 

Want to stay connected in between blog posts?

Click HERE to sign up for my Cook with Karen newsletter (max 2 emails a month)

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Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Homemade Christmas: Lavender & Calendula Face Scrub

 
I'm back with another DIY Christmas gift suggestion this week. This lavender and calendula scrub rocks on many levels: you can whip up a batch in minutes, it's perfect for all the ladies on your gift list, it's extremely inexpensive to make, and oh-my-goodness, what it does for your skin. Especially in the middle of a Canadian winter :)

I have been using one variation or another of this scrub on my face for a couple of years now instead of any type of commercial cleanser or soap product, and I've never looked back. It's very similar to those pricey "cleansing grains" you see in upscale cosmetics boutiques. Apparently my skin still has a dewy, youthful glow as a stranger told me a couple of weeks ago that she thought I was about 26 - you should have seen her jaw drop when I told her I had a 16 year old son!

But I digress...

Seriously, I don't think you'll be disappointed if you make this face scrub. It lends itself well to lots of variations (for example, you could use rose petals and rose essential oil instead of lavender for another spin on the floral theme). I would definitely keep the calendula in the mix, as it's used more for its healing properties than as a contributor to scent or colour.

I specifically went with the lavender-calendula combo so I could pair it with this lavender-calendula lip balm!

I use a spice grinder to grind all the ingredients - don't use your coffee grinder or your scrub will smell like coffee and your coffee will taste like lavender :)

Ingredients:
1/3 cup white rice flour
1/4 cup finely ground oats
2 tbsp finely ground coconut
1 tbsp ground lavender flowers
2 tbsp ground calendula flowers
10-20 drops lavender essential oil

Instructions:
Combine the rice flour, oats, coconut, lavender and calendula flowers. Add the lavender essential oil and stir until evenly incorporated into the scrub.

That's it!!

To use: Put about a teaspoon of scrub in the palm of your hand and add enough water to make a thick paste. Gently rub on face in a circular motion, then rinse off (I find it easier to use it in the shower rather than trying to rinse off in front of the sink).

Where to find dried herbs for making scrubs:
If you have a local health food store with a bulk section, check there first! My local store carries both lavender and calendula flowers.

If you don't have a good local source of bulk herbs, I highly recommend Mountain Rose Herbs. They have great prices on high quality organic herbs (as well as culinary herbs and spices, tea blends and many other wonderful things!) Their shipping costs to Canada are fairly steep, but their prices are so good that the overall cost is still lower than anywhere else I've found for comparable quality products.

If you missed the first installment of my Homemade Christmas series, check out Create Your Own Tea Blends. For even more holiday ideas, you can find my whole Christmas on a Dime series HERE. 

Note: The links to Mountain Rose are affiliate links and I will receive a commission from them (at no cost to you) for any purchases you make after clicking these links.

Mountain Rose Herbs. A herbs, health and harmony c 
Love what you read here? Click HERE to see the ways you can help support this blog (many of them won't cost you a thing!) 

Want to stay connected in between blog posts?

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Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Homemade Christmas: Create Your Own Tea Blends


I'm finding it hard to believe, but Christmas is just 6 weeks away!

Even thought I feel like I haven't planned for the big day as well as I usually do (largely because I didn't hit all that many yard sales this year, one of my main sources for great gifts at super low prices) I do feel like I have things pretty well under control and I already have everyone on my list covered except my immediate family members.

That's mainly because I have some great DIY gifts up my sleeve. I'm going to share a bunch of them with you over the next few weeks so you can make them, too! These are all going to be quick and easy to make (as well as being easy on the budget). And those of you that are on my gift list, no peeking on these posts unless you don't want any surprises under the tree!

I'm kicking things off with this post on how to create your own custom tea blends. You can make your own herbal teas using high quality organic herbs for *much* less than it costs to buy the boxed varieties! For example, you can buy 4 oz of organic peppermint leaf from Mountain Rose Herbs for just $3.25 (that amount is enough to almost fill a quart jar and lasts me for months!)

I think an herbal tea blend is a perfect gift for the holidays for many reasons:
  • it's easily customizable to the recipient
  • it takes literally minutes to mix together
  • just about everyone will appreciate a hot cup of tea in the middle of winter!
  • unlike many other food gifts, instead of contributing empty calories, it's likely to have health benefits (depending on what herbs you use in your blends)
As noted above, the actual act of blending a few herbs together doesn't take long at all. The more time-consuming part of preparing this gift will be researching what herbs you want to include (if you don't want to use any of my suggestions!) I think good blends for winter are those that include warming spices (such as chai teas), those that include a floral element such as rose, hibiscus or lavender (hints of beautifully coloured flower petals in the middle of winter will boost anyone's spirits!) and those that contain mint (a flavour we already associate with the holidays, and a helpful digestive aid as well as a general pick-me-up).

Here is the floral tea blend I will be making for gifts this year (pictured above). It's from the Book of Herbal Teas by Sara Perry and is very similar to the Hibiscus High Tea blend offered by Mountain Rose Herbs.

Floral tea blend:
1 part hibiscus flowers
1 part lemon verbena
1 part dried orange peel
1 part rosehips
1 part peppermint

Many recipes for herbal blends call for "parts" instead of specific measurements. This means it's really easy to customize the amounts to suit whatever quantity you want to make. I used one cup of each herb to make a large batch for multiple gifts, but you could use 1/4 cup of each or even 1 tbsp of each to make a much smaller amount.

Some other ideas to get you started:

Relaxing blend: lemon balm, chamomile and oatstraw

Lemon Lovers: lemon balm, lemon verbena, lemon grass and dried lemon peel

Lavender mint: 1 part lavender to 4 parts mint

Chocolate mint: 1 part cacao nibs to 4 parts peppermint

Beat the Winter Blues herbal tea from Frugally Sustainable

New Moon Tea (raspberry leaf, chamomile and lavender) from At Home Om

Calming Herbal Tea from Country Living Magazine

Lemony Chamomile Spearmint Tea from Fiskars

Tea Blending Guide from Mountain Rose Herbs

To brew a cup of tea, use 1 tsp of herbal tea blend to 8 oz boiling water.

If you create a particularly pleasing blend, I'd love to hear about it!

Where to find dried herbs for making teas:
If you have a local health food store with a bulk section, check there first!

I buy most of my herbs for tea making from Mountain Rose Herbs. They have great prices on high quality organic herbs (as well as culinary herbs and spices, tea blends and many other wonderful things!) Their shipping costs to Canada are fairly steep, but their prices are so good that the overall cost is still lower than anywhere else I've found for comparable quality products.

Note: The links to Mountain Rose are affiliate links and I will receive a commission from them (at no cost to you) for any purchases you make after clicking these links.
Mountain Rose Herbs. A herbs, health and harmony c 
Love what you read here? Click HERE to see the ways you can help support this blog (many of them won't cost you a thing!) 

Want to stay connected in between blog posts?

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Monday, November 11, 2013

Weekly Menu Retrospective #121

Welcome to my weekly roundup of the past week's eats. I prefer to report what we ate in the last week, rather than what we're planning to eat in the coming week. Why? The reason is pretty simple: although I usually have a general idea of what we're going to eat in the next week or so, life often unfolds a little differently than planned, and I adjust my menu plan on a near-daily basis to accommodate leftovers and other not-possible-to-plan-ahead circumstances. I find this is the easiest way to ensure that I minimize our family's food waste. I'm also willing to admit that I'm a rather spontaneous cook, given to preparing foods that strike me as the most appealing thing to eat right here and now!

If you'd like a whole book full of inexpensive, quick and kid-approved recipes,
check out my book, Cheap Appétit : The Complete Guide to Feeding Your Family for Less Than $400 a Month (While Eating Better Than You Ever Thought Possible) on Amazon (Amazon.com, Amazon.ca and Amazon UK) and Barnes and Noble.  It's gotten multiple 5 star reviews!! I've included page references to recipes that are in the book in my menu plans so you can locate them quickly. For more details about the book, go here. 
 
Breakfasts:

Granola (p. 92) with (homemade) yogurt, Blueberry Streusel Muffins (variation of this recipe on p. 97)

Lunches: 
leftovers, sandwiches, pizza

Dinners:


Monday:  Leftover Buffet

Tuesday: Chicken & Cheese Quinoa Skillet (variation of this recipe with chicken instead of ham)

Wednesday: Black Bean Chili (p. 160), cornbread (p. 212)

Thursday: Pork and Apple Stew (p. 156)

Friday: Apple & Bacon Baked Beans (p. 177)
  
Saturday: Macaroni & Cheese (p. 174), peas

Sunday: Lime & Garlic Chicken (p. 184), Easy Oven Fries (p. 194), carrot sticks, Old Fashioned Butterscotch Pudding (p. 233)

In keeping with my local and organic challenge, I'd also like to note the local and/or organic items on this week's menu:

Organic: coconut (in granola), coconut oil (in granola), raisins, sunflower and pumpkin seeds (in granola), flax seeds, quinoa, blueberries, lemons, coffee (locally roasted and delivered by bike!), cornstarch, mustard, tamari, oregano, basil, black pepper, parsley, Fairytale tea, peppermint tea, lemon balm, oatstraw

Local: potatoes, onions, carrots, red peppers (from the freezer stash), cucumbers,  apples, salsa (home-canned), ground beef (from VG Meats), honey (unpasteurized), sour cream
 
Local AND organic: 
oats, milk (used to make yogurt), eggs (not "certified organic", but real free range and fed organic feed), apple cider vinegarwhole wheat flour, cornmeal, *green onions

*from our backyard veggie garden 

Want to know more about the specific food products I use and where I buy them? Check out my "What's In My Pantry" board on Pinterest.  I will keep this board updated with current information on what products we use, where we're buying them, and how much we're paying. It's a work-in-progress, and you can find it HERE.

For more great meal ideas, check out Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com. 


Mountain Rose Herbs. A herbs, health and harmony c 
SOUTHERN ONTARIO READERS: Tired of figuring out what to make for dinner? Want ALL the best weekly deals, plus menu plans and grocery lists based on what's on sale and in season? I just launched a new weekly budget menu plan service, featuring the best weekly deals and seasonal foods in Southern Ontario. I have a free sample available that you can read here! It's super-affordably priced, too - more details are here.  

Love what you read here? Click HERE to see the ways you can help support this blog (many of them won't cost you a thing!) 

Want to stay connected in between blog posts?

Click HERE to sign up for my Cook with Karen newsletter (max 2 emails a month)

Click HERE to follow me on Pinterest 

Click HERE to follow me on Twitter

Click HERE to like Abundance on a Dime on Facebook and get updates and tips on living frugally

Click HERE to like Cheap Appétit on Facebook and get updates and tips on frugal eating and cooking

Thursday, November 7, 2013

RECIPE: Mustardy Pork with Roasted Vegetables


Pork and roasted vegetables smothered in a creamy mustard sauce? This is one of those meals that has that super-satisfying Sunday dinner taste, but is quick enough to prepare on a busy weeknight. Hurray for that on a cold, dark Wednesday night in November :)

You can easily adjust the amount of roasted vegetables to accommodate your family's appetite; just make sure you use a baking dish that's big enough to spread them in a single layer so they will roast evenly.

Ingredients:
8 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
6 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
4 onions, peeled and cut into large chunks
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 lb pork roast or chops, cut into 1" chunks
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1/2 cup light (10%) cream
1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Instructions:
  • Combine the potatoes, carrots and onions in a glass baking dish large enough to spread them in a single layer (I use a 9 x 13" pan). Drizzle olive oil over top and sprinkle with salt and pepper; turn to coat evenly.
  • Roast vegetables at 425F for 30-45 minutes, or until golden brown on the outside and tender in the middle, stirring 2-3 times during cooking time.
  • While vegetables are roasting, in a medium skillet, saute the pork in 1 tbsp olive oil until cooked through. Add butter and stir until melted, then add flour and stir until evenly coated with fat. Slowly add the cream, stirring to prevent lumps from forming. Add the milk and mustard and cook over medium-low heat until sauce is thickened (add more milk if it's too thick for your liking).
  • When vegetables are done roasting, pour pork and sauce over top and stir until evenly combined.

Serves 4

Mountain Rose Herbs. A herbs, health and harmony c 
  Love what you read here? Click HERE to see the ways you can help support this blog (many of them won't cost you a thing!) 
 
Want to stay connected in between blog posts?

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Monday, November 4, 2013

Weekly Menu Retrospective #120

Welcome to my weekly roundup of the past week's eats. I prefer to report what we ate in the last week, rather than what we're planning to eat in the coming week. Why? The reason is pretty simple: although I usually have a general idea of what we're going to eat in the next week or so, life often unfolds a little differently than planned, and I adjust my menu plan on a near-daily basis to accommodate leftovers and other not-possible-to-plan-ahead circumstances. I find this is the easiest way to ensure that I minimize our family's food waste. I'm also willing to admit that I'm a rather spontaneous cook, given to preparing foods that strike me as the most appealing thing to eat right here and now!

If you'd like a whole book full of inexpensive, quick and kid-approved recipes,
check out my book, Cheap Appétit : The Complete Guide to Feeding Your Family for Less Than $400 a Month (While Eating Better Than You Ever Thought Possible) on Amazon (Amazon.com, Amazon.ca and Amazon UK) and Barnes and Noble.  It's gotten multiple 5 star reviews!! I've included page references to recipes that are in the book in my menu plans so you can locate them quickly. For more details about the book, go here. 
 
Breakfasts:

Granola, peanut butter toast, yeasted waffles,Blueberry Clafouti (p. 223)

Lunches: 
leftovers, sandwiches, pizza

Dinners:


Monday:  Curried Beef Pocket Sandwiches, Creamy Cucumber Salad (p. 205)

Tuesday: Kusherie (Egyptian Lentils and Rice), peas

Wednesday: Turkey and Vegetable Curry (sub turkey for chicken in this recipe on p. 136) served over quinoa

Thursday: Crispy Pork Cutlets, peas and carrots, noodles with Alfredo sauce

Friday: Southwestern Beef & Pasta Soup (p. 166)
  
Saturday: Spinach, Mozzarella and Bacon Egg Puff (p. 181), hash brown potatoes

Sunday: My son Noah's birthday dinner (he is 16 on Monday!) Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Shells (I stuffed pasta shells with the filling for my Chicken Enchiladas, then topped with the spicy red sauce and cheese), tossed salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette, Pull-Apart Parmesan Breadsticks (no garlic because my dad can't eat it!; p. 214), Black Forest Cake (made by my 88 year old grandmother by special request of the birthday boy!)

In keeping with my local and organic challenge, I'd also like to note the local and/or organic items on this week's menu:

Organic: coconut (in granola), coconut oil (in granola), coconut milk, raisins, sunflower and pumpkin seeds (in granola), flax seeds, quinoa, blueberries, lemons, coffee (locally roasted and delivered by bike!), cornstarch, mustard, tamari, oregano, basil, black pepper, parsley, Fairytale tea, peppermint tea, lemon balm, oatstraw

Local: potatoes, onions, carrots, red peppers (from the freezer stash), cucumbers, zucchini (from the freezer stash), apples, salsa (home-canned), ground beef (from VG Meats), honey (unpasteurized), sour cream, milk

Local AND organic: 
oats, milk (used to make yogurt), eggs (not "certified organic", but real free range and fed organic feed), apple cider vinegarwhole wheat flour, cornmeal, *fresh herbs (parsley, basil, chives, oregano), *green onions

*from our backyard veggie garden 

Want to know more about the specific food products I use and where I buy them? Check out my "What's In My Pantry" board on Pinterest.  I will keep this board updated with current information on what products we use, where we're buying them, and how much we're paying. It's a work-in-progress, and you can find it HERE.

For more great meal ideas, check out Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com. 

Mountain Rose Herbs. A herbs, health and harmony c 
SOUTHERN ONTARIO READERS: Tired of figuring out what to make for dinner? Want ALL the best weekly deals, plus menu plans and grocery lists based on what's on sale and in season? I just launched a new weekly budget menu plan service, featuring the best weekly deals and seasonal foods in Southern Ontario. I have a free sample available that you can read here! It's super-affordably priced, too - more details are here.  

Love what you read here? Click HERE to see the ways you can help support this blog (many of them won't cost you a thing!) 

Want to stay connected in between blog posts?

Click HERE to sign up for my Cook with Karen newsletter (max 2 emails a month)

Click HERE to follow me on Pinterest 

Click HERE to follow me on Twitter

Click HERE to like Abundance on a Dime on Facebook and get updates and tips on living frugally

Click HERE to like Cheap Appétit on Facebook and get updates and tips on frugal eating and cooking
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