How to Save Money in the Kitchen | Part 2: Eating & Living Well

I hope ya'll picked up some good tips from the Part I: Grocery Shopping and from my post on eating healthy at an affordable price. Today for Part II of saving money in the kitchen, I'm here to talk about eating and living well on a budget. One of the easiest ways to save money, is to use your kitchen! My dear friend (wishful thinking), Carrie, from Sex & The City not only eats out for every meal, but she uses her oven for storage – do not be Carrie Bradshaw in the kitchen! The last time I used an oven for "storage", I was a toddler and melted my brother's Hot Wheels car. Now that I'm an adult, I've discovered that kitchens aren't just for destroying toys and eating spoonfuls of sugar.

How to: Eat Healthy at an Affordable Price

Recently I went on my big grocery shopping trip to fill the kitchen with good food and to take advantage of sales. I always love loading up my cart with good deals, but I will tell ya, nothing will get you out of a grocery store faster than a 16 year old boy behind the meat counter hitting on ya. I'm sure my face turned as red as the raw meat and I ducked out of there so fast that I missed out on the $1.99/pound chicken breast sale. I would trade a compliment for a good deal any day. ;)

Recipe :: Lime & Red Pepper Chicken

"Awesome" iPhone Picture

You know your life is busy when the only time you have to eat is when you're driving in the car, multitasking at work or after 8pm. That may or may not have been a quick synopsis of my eating habits. I also have a strong feeling that I'm not the only one who eats like this, considering Americans are known for always being on the go. The other night, my husband and I finally had a little time on our hands and decided to make something new and delicious for dinner – we just didn't know what. The only thing we knew was that we were starving and had chicken thawed out in the fridge. I almost made our typical herbed chicken with wild rice meal, but my husband pointed out that he wasn't trying to eat healthy like me (ha) and he wanted some pasta! 

7 Reasons Why You Should Love Shoveling!

Living in Iowa has its advantages and its disadvantages. I love the fact that living expenses are cheap, the air is clean and the fact that we get to enjoy 4 seasons! That also brings me to a disadvantage – SNOW! I think the only people in the world who love snow are children, teachers (snow days) and people from warm, southern states that get snow once every 5 years. Don't get me wrong, I love snowy days where you can look outside and see your beautiful snow covered neighborhood and frost on your windows. But…I mean BUT, with snow comes shoveling. Unless you're fancy smancy and have a blower or plow, but us newlyweds are definitely not keepin up with the Joneses. We do have a beautiful forest green, plastic shovel passed onto us by my old roommate. I think I took a few winters off of it's life last snow storm though by trying to push it with my foot and I broke off the top edge, poor shovel. It wasn't my fault that it "felt like –21 degrees" and my cheapo plastic had to bust! While I could go on and on, what I'm here to tell you is why you should love shoveling! Okay, maybe love is an overstatement and should only apply to spouses and desserts, but I am here to tell you why shoveling is beneficial to you! 

Recipe :: No-Bake Granola Energy Balls

No-Bake Granola Energy Balls

Last week, a friend and I took the step to devote the next few months to the workout program p90x so we can get ripped! Just kidding, these wimpy noodle arms aren't going to be "swoll" anytime soon. Growing up my childhood best friend actually nicknamed me "Noodle," if that gives you any indication towards my body type. Regardless, after 90 days of p90x workouts, I guarantee you that I will be able to do a real pushup! Considering this intense workout program, I have also started to alter the food I eat in order to stay energized throughout the process. I've always been a hearty eater and I actually enjoy healthy foods like spinach, but I have one major problem…I have a terrible sweet tooth! I asked the dentist to remove it, but he said I have too many to pull. Therefore, a habit must be changed and the easiest way to change a bad habit is to find a healthier alternative!

I altered an "energy ball" recipe, of which most of us have heard of by now, thanks Pinterest. My variation provides the sweet munch, without a sugary punch (some other recipes have a ton more sugar). The best part about them? They're DELICIOUS! Seriously they can work as a pre-workout snack or as a substitute for a cookie-craving! The taste reminds me of the beloved no-bake cookie, but a much healthier version!