Penny Pinching Peach

For the semi crunchy, homeschool friendly and totally frugal!

Category Archives: Cooking With Coupons

This section is where you’ll find tasty recipes using each week’s best coupons & sales.


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Completely Healthy Cookies?? Yes, Please!!

Chocolate chip and cinnamon craisin

Chocolate chip and cinnamon craisin

I’ve been on the search for a cookie that had no sugar, no flour and only healthy ingredients I would have readily available, while still being the yummalicious treat that a cookie is meant to be.

Tall order? Yes, indeedy! Did I try a few oh-so-healthful recipes that didn’t cut it on the yummy side of things? You betcha! Have I finally tweeked and experimented until I came up with a sugarless, flourless, healthy handful of all things gooey and scrumptious about cookies? Yeah, buddy!!! 😉

These oatmeal banana cookies are extremely healthy, sweet, moist and delicious! I made them in two varieties- cinnamon raisin/craisin and peanut butter chocolate chip. (Okay, so there is a little sugar in the chocolate chips, but that hardly counts, right? ;))

These babies passed the husband test and the kid test with flying colors and were super easy to make. They also use only ingredients that I normally have on hand, and all of them are extremely inexpensive. I am just pleased as peaches to share this recipe with y’all!! 🙂

Peanut butter chocolate chip

Peanut butter chocolate chip

“Penny Pinching Peach is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com” There may be other affiliate links to help my family while helping yours!

Yummy Oatmeal Banana Healthified Cookies

3 bananas, extra ripe
1/3 cup canola oil
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, mash bananas with a fork until smooth. Stir in oil, peanut butter, milk and vanilla extract.

Next, mix in oats and chocolate chips until well coated.

Lightly spray cookie pan with cooking spray.

Drop dough by heaping spoonfuls on the cookie pan. Bake for about 15 minutes.

Variations: Add 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and 1/2 cup craisins or raisins in place of the chocolate chips and peanut butter. Add coconut and/or walnuts with or in place of the chocolate chips and peanut butter.

Makes about 16 cookies.

Enjoy! If you have any left by the time they cool, you could store them in an adorable cookie jar like this chalkboard cookie jar!

Love pure quality essential oils, but have a tight budget? I love Barefut Essential Oils, and they run some amazing specials on top of the usual great prices! https://barefut.com/?a=1116

This is a delicious cookie by regular standards. I won’t cook “health food” that tastes like crud on a stick, so trust this southern gal that these are yum-yum-yummy by the standards of those of us who are not well adapted to cookies tasting like tree bark. 🙂 You don’t even miss the sugar at all. It’s also such a simple enough recipe to whip up that it’s a great choice for cooking with kids. That’s huge for me, since my 4 year old loves helping Mommy whip up some goodies to share.

If you’ve been on the search for a kid approved, man approved, southern fried chick approved treat that happens to be extremely healthy and penny pinching friendly, this is the recipe for you! 🙂 What kind of goodies do you wish you could find a healthy and delicious version of? Are there any that you have tested yourself that passed the taste test as well as the health test?

Peanut butter chocolate chip close-up

Peanut butter chocolate chip close-up

Cinnamon craisin close-up

Cinnamon craisin close-up

Want more ideas? Check out my ideas for some fun Healthy Snacks and After School Snacks!

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Mexi-Mac

Mexi-Mac

Mexi-Mac

I must admit. This recipe was born from the same place many of my “recipes” are born from: It was simply a case of me wanting something quick and easy to make to fill up my family’s grumbly tummies with ingredients I had on hand. I actually had leftover mac and cheese when I first made this, and just scrounged around the cabinets for something different to make a dinner-in-a-dish with my leftovers. My kiddos really enjoyed this Mexi-Mac, but if you don’t like any spice at all, you could probably do it with plain diced tomatoes or half plain and half the kind with chilies. It would be good with ground beef added, as well. There are so many ways this could be changed up, and it would still be yummy. It’s really just up to your family’s tastes and what’s in your cabinets that day. I’m the queen of playing with recipes to make them work for my family better, or just to use ingredients I don’t have to run out and buy. 🙂

Mexi-Mac

1 10 ounce can Rotel mild green chili and diced tomato
1 16 ounce can black beans
1 box mac and cheese, prepared according to the instructions on the box
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix Rotel, beans and mac and cheese together in a 9X13 baking pan.
Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until everything is warmed through and cheese is melted.
Enjoy!

*keep reading*

Do you have any dishes that were inspired by leftovers? Does you family eat leftovers or turn up their noses to them? I know some folks hate leftovers, but we hate wasting ours! We often eat them just reheated, but almost as frequently we have leftover makeovers. Sometimes you wouldn’t even know what the original meal was. Yep, I’m that good! 😉

There are no coupons for these specific ingredients, but they are so inexpensive that it almost doesn’t matter. There is a coupon for frozen Hanover beans here, if you want to try those, though: http://www.coupons.com/coupons/Food-Coupons-107/

If you want to earn points toward gift cards while printing coupons, see my post here: https://pennypinchingpeach.com/2013/05/15/mypoints/

For more recipes, please click the Chef’s hat!


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Breakfast Burrito For One

Cheesy Spinach Breakfast Burrito

Cheesy Spinach Breakfast Burrito

Let’s face it. Sometimes we all want a warm, healthy breakfast that won’t break the bank, but we’re either too busy or too lazy to take the time to cook it up. This recipe is perfect for that kind of morning! It is one of my favorite super simple breakfasts to make when my hubby is working and my kiddos just want cereal or fruit. I came up with this while I was pregnant with my son. I needed to eat healthily even when alone with my toddler, but was unable to stand for more than a few minutes to cook without complications. I was also craving spinach morning, noon and night. This Cheesy Spinach Breakfast Burrito hit the spot! You can also use the same ingredients, multiply it by the ammount of burritos you need, and just cook it stove top like scrambled eggs. When I do that, I add sliced fresh mushrooms, since they cook better in the pan. (They’re good in the microwave, too, just slice thin.) If you’re like me, and want to keep it simple and snappy in the mornings, this is a meal for you! It literally is completely done, from opening the fridge to that first yummy bite, in less than five minutes. There are also some great coupons to go along with it this week. You can’t beat that! 🙂

How to make it…

Cheesy Spinach Breakfast Burrito

1 cup fresh spinach, torn or cut into smaller pieces

1 egg

1/3 cup shredded mozarella cheese

1 flour tortilla

1 Tbsp. sour cream

Spray a microwave safe bowl with cooking spray.

Place spinach, egg and cheese in the bowl.

Stir with a fork until everything is well mixed.

Microwave for one minute.

Stir contents.

Place tortilla on top of bowl and return to microwave for 15 seconds.

Spread the sour cream on the middle of the tortilla.

Dump the rest of the ingredients in the tortilla and fold like any other burrito.

Gobble it up and head into your day well fueled!

There are some good coupons to go with the recipe this week!

To print your coupons, please go to http://www.coupons.com/coupons/Food-Coupons-107/

Print coupons for Breakstones or Knudsons Sour Cream and Kraft Natural Shredded Cheese.

What are some of your favorite quick breakfasts for those hectic (or just plain lazy) mornings?

For more recipes, please click the Chef’s hat!


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Grandma’s Sunday Special Ritz Cracker Chicken

A Family Favorite!

A Family Favorite!

This is a treasured family recipe, dating back at least to my great-grandma. My mom told stories of going every Sunday to her grandma’s house for this Ritz cracker chicken and a good time with her huge, close-knit clan of kinfolks. This was one of her stand-by meals for our family growing up, and one we looked forward to every time. When I was dating my now-husband, I fixed this chicken for him. He had a fit over it, and insisted on taking me to his parents’ house and having me fix it for him. Maybe it brought on a proposal? 😉 He requests it from time to time, and my little Princess Peach and her baby brother are already in love with what she also calls Grandma’s Special Ritz Cracker Chicken. She thinks it is a “recipe from Heaven”, though, because it is so yummy and she knows it is a recipe I learned from her Grandma, whom she never met ’cause she went to live in Heaven before Princess Peach was born. This recipe has so many good memories attached to it for me, in addition to being delicious! I’m happy to share it with you, and hope you can make memories with your own family while feeding them this scrumptious chicken treat.

We don’t always make this with chicken breast, for the record. You can use any pieces you want. We just like breast meat better in our house, so I buy huge packs when we find it on sale. I also frequently add chicken liver, made the same way, in with our chicken breast. It stretches the budget, and  the hubby and I love liver. I usually serve this chicken with mashed taters and either green beans, corn, baked beans or mac & cheese, but it would go well with just about anything. It is truly that good! 🙂

With no further ado…

Grandma's Sunday Special Ritz Cracker Chicken

Grandma’s Sunday Special Ritz Cracker Chicken

♥Grandma’s Sunday Special Ritz Cracker Chicken♥

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into large strips

1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed

1 stick butter, melted

1/4 tsp. black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Mix crushed Ritz crackers, melted butter and black pepper until all is moistened.

Coat each piece of chicken well with the Ritz cracker mixture, and place in medium sized baking pan.

 Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cooked through and lightly browned.

Enjoy!

She was enjoying her chicken and wouldn't stop to pose. :)

She was enjoying her chicken and wouldn’t stop to pose. 🙂

This recipe doubles well, and I usually do at least double the recipe so we can eat it

Chewing his chicken with a cheesy grin

Chewing his chicken with a cheesy grin

multiple times. You just have to cook it a few minutes longer for the extra chicken. The pan shown is about double the recipe, for reference. We love it so much that we’re always happy to eat the leftovers the next day!

No coupons this week, but this is a super frugal main dish.

So, now that I’ve shared one of my favorite family recipes with you, what’s a dish your family has long term ties with? If you don’t have a recipe like that, what dish do you fix that appears to have the potential to become “Grandma’s special recipe” for your own future generations?

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Cheesy Spinach Enchiladas

When I Became a Spinach Addict

When I Became a Spinach Addict

As someone who is addicted to both cheese and spinach, and loves Mexican food, this is a fantastic recipe! I’ve been a lifelong lover of cheese, but spinach has become a consistent craving for me ever since I got pregnant with my now one year old son. Weird, random, but true, especially since I was barely a mediocre fan of all things green and leafy until then. I’m drooling right now just thinking about these Cheesy Spinach Enchiladas! I want these right now, seriously! This is an awesome meal for a vegetarian or someone like me who can do without meat easily…or the guy whose wife can sneak in a meat-free meal when there’s enough cheese and sauce involved. 😉 It’s also very inexpensive, so who can complain about this one? If you’ve got someone who can’t do without meat at even one meal, just add a sprinkling of shredded chicken to each enchilada (or just his), so everyone will be happy. If you want to double the recipe and freeze one before you finish cooking, usually enchiladas freeze well, although I can’t guarantee them, of course. There are also coupons available to go with this delicious dish, which makes an inexpensive dish even cheaper. Can we say woohoo here?? 🙂

~*~Cheesy Spinach Enchiladas~*~

1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup sliced green onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach , thawed, drained and squeezed dry
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
10 (6 inch) corn tortillas
1 (19 ounce) can enchilada sauce

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. Add garlic and onion; cook for a few minutes until fragrant, but not brown. Stir in spinach, and cook about 5 more minutes. Remove from heat, and mix in ricotta cheese, sour cream, and 1 cup of Monterey Jack cheese.

In a skillet over medium heat, warm tortillas one at a time until flexible, about 15 seconds. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the spinach mixture onto the center of each tortilla. Roll up, and place seam side down in a 9×13 inch baking dish. Pour enchilada sauce over the top, and sprinkle with the remaining cup of Monterey Jack.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until sauce is bubbling and cheese is lightly browned at the edges.

Go to this site: http://www.smartsource.com/smartsource/index.jsp?Link=MKRU3JAAR6CCY

Print these coupons: $1.00 off 2 Las Palmas Products and 50 cents off one Sargento cheese

I’m in love with this recipe, but I have a meat addict for a hubby, so I’d probably have to add some shredded chicken to mine, or at least make some beans with it. Does anyone else have a meat junkie in their household? Did anyone else crave something during pregnancy, and never lose the newfound love for a food which wasn’t a favorite before? My weakness is cheese. I could live as a vegetarian, if necessary, but being vegan would probably send me into withdrawals. 🙂

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Hot Dog Casserole

Hot dog!

Hot dog!

This is one of those recipes I love, because it has your veggies for the healthy appeal, your hot dogs for the kid appeal, and the ease of throwing it together for the busy person appeal! It’s also very budget friendly, which teetotally appeals to the penny pincher in me! The doggie in the picture isn’t exactly the kind that goes in this casserole, but I think she’s pretty cute! I hope y’all enjoy this recipe! I’d say it’s a keeper. 🙂

First comes the recipe…

♦ Hot Dog Casserole ♦

16 hot dogs , cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 (15 ounce) cans cut green beans with liquid
2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes with juice
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a 2-quart casserole dish, stir together sliced hot dogs, green beans with their liquid, and stewed tomatoes with their juice.

Bake in the preheated oven until the juice is thickened, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven, stir again, and sprinkle the casserole with mozzarella cheese. Heat the broiler of the oven, and place the casserole under the broiler until the cheese is melted, bubbling, and just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Keep an eye on it, as the broiler works quickly and could burn.

Now comes the savings…

Go to this site: http://www.coupons.com/coupons/Food-Coupons-107/

Print these coupons: Ball Park Lean Hot Dogs and/or Jennie O Turkey Franks

What’s your favorite way to eat hot dogs?


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Pineapple Angel Food Cake

 

Pineapple Angel Food CakeA couple of weeks ago I was scouring the internet, looking for yummy recipes to try out, when I saw an inviting recipe a friend had shared. It had two ingredients, sounded delicious and was even low fat! Color me intrigued! I saved the recipe for when I needed a dessert to share that was quick to prepare and easy on the thighs, and dug into the preparation. I must say, Princess Peach and I enjoyed making this one, and everyone enjoyed eating it. If you’re looking for a simple, quick and fun recipe to whip up with a small child, this one would work even for a child with a short attention span (or a big person short on time).

Now, on to the “whatcha need” and “how to” part of things! 🙂

One, Two, Tada!!

Two Ingredient Cake!

 

Here’s a picture of Princess Peach with the “whatcha needs”. Can you handle all those ingredients?? This is for real, folks! No water, no eggs, no anything other than angel food cake mix and a 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple. Easy peasy!! 🙂

“How To”…

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Next- wait for it– you dump them both in a big mixing bowl and stir them together with this high tech stirramajigger gadget otherwise known as a spoon. I don’t know how well you can tell in this picture, but the batter does this neato fizzy and fluffy texture that Princess Peach and I thought was pretty fun.

*Penny Pinching Peach is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Fizzin' and Fluffin'

Easy peasy cake batter!

 

Pour this fluffy fizzy concoction into a greased Wilton 9×13 Pan
, pop it into the oven for about 25 minutes or until the top is lightly brown and a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean.

This next step is optional, unless you are my little princess, then it is mandatory. While your cake is baking, lick the mixing spoon to taste test your latest creation. Go ahead! You know you wanna! 😉

This would be really good with some Cool Whip on top of it and maybe even some pineapple topping
, but it is also delicious plain. It was a definite hit with our family! It is moist and can even be eaten with your hands, which is a big plus for toddlers. Did I mention it is also low fat? Uh-huh, I said it! You can thank me later. 😉

What’s your favorite dessert? We love alot of different kinds at our house. My husband loves all things peanut butter, my daughter’s a strawberry fiend, and I love chocolate. Honestly, we just enjoy all things sweet just a little too much, I’ve gotta admit. This is a new one to add to our ever growing arsenal of delectability, for sure!

Why are you still sitting here??? Get to baking!! 🙂

Want another delicious tried and true recipe to try out? You must try my Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter Glaze Cake! Yes, it is as good as it sounds!

 


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Throw-Together Casserole

Diapered dude and discount diva proving frugal is cool!

Diapered dude and discount diva proving frugal is cool!

Lately life has been moving right along at a busy pace, and I don’t always have time to prepare alot of dishes, desserts or anything special at all. This one dish meal is very simple to throw together, though, along with having some great coupons to go with it this week. You mix it up in the casserole dish, too, so clean-up is quick and easy, as well. It covers all of the food groups in that one dish, too, so…woohoo for health! On the days when my kiddos are more-than-usually underfoot and thinking my every moment revolves around their every sneeze and whim, one dish dinners are almost literally lifesavers. 🙂 What more could a busy person want from a hearty family dinner?

Throw-Together Casserole

1/2 pound sausage, fried and drained

1/4 cup sliced black olives

1/4 cup  sliced green olives

1 cup whole kernel corn

1 cup chopped canned tomatoes

1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1 cup cubed Cheddar cheese

1 cup cooked white rice

~Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
~In a 2 quart casserole dish, combine all ingredients. Mix together well.
~Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.
There are a few coupons to go with this recipe. For the coupons, go to: http://www.coupons.com/coupons/Food-Coupons-107/
Print these coupons: Bob Evans Sausage, Hinode Rice, Contadina Canned Tomatoes
Who else is in love with one dish meals? I love the simplified preparation and snappy clean-up.


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Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups!

My daughter two years ago with a different cold sweet treat.

My daughter two years ago with a different cold sweet treat.

I just spent a good part of the afternoon putting plants out in our little yard garden. It’s warm outside, and the pollen count is at an ungodly high level. I would love to eat icecream right now, since I got quite warm & dusty and my throat is pretty itchy from that pesky yellow haze covering everything outside. I’m being a good girl and resisting temptation for the moment, but I’m sharing a tempting recipe that might make it difficult for y’all to keep from indulging. 🙂 What I’m sharing today is a frugal tip for fancifying that delectably cool warm weather treat: Homemade cookie cups filled with icecream. Mmm, mmmmmmm!!! 🙂 I’ve got savings to go along with it, which certainly sweetens the deal for me! 🙂

What you need: Cookie dough and a muffin tin, plus whatever you want to fill them with. I have always seen chocolate chip cookie dough used, but I’m sure other types would work and would like to try some other varieties this warm season.

What to do: Flip the muffin tin over, form the cookie dough around the cups instead of inside, then bake the pan upside down like that. Let the cookies cool, then pop them off of there and fill them with icecream or frozen yogurt of your choice, or even fresh chopped fruit with whipped cream on top, if you prefer.

Some flavor combinations that I think would be good to try: The classic chocolate chip cookies with vanilla, chocolate or peanut butter icecream. Chocolate chocolate chip cookies with peanut butter or strawberry icecream. Peanut butter cookies with chocolate icecream. Sugar cookies with strawberry icecream or fresh fruit & whipped cream. Your imagination is your limit! 🙂

Where to go for savings: http://www.coupons.com/coupons/Food-Coupons-107/

Which coupons to print: Pillsbury refrigerated cookie dough and Yoplait frozen yogurt.

Bonus savings: Saving Star has an additional $1 on Pillsbury refrigerated cookie dough that will go to your account there if you purchase at one of your registered stores using your store card! If you aren’t signed up for saving star, you can read up on it and then sign up by going to my post on Saving Star here:

What flavor combination can you come up with? Which do you think would taste the best? 🙂


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Picnic For Pennies

Playing Outside With Our Chickies

Playing Outside With Our Chickies

It’s a beautiful spring day here in Georgia, and wonderful weather for a picnic! With this in mind, I’ve gotten together a perfect picnic for pennies on the dollar. Not only is this a cheap menu, but it is both a simple and unique twist on classic picnic foods. We’ve got a main dish, side and dessert, all very easy to throw together and equally easy on your pockets!

A healthier version of corn dogs…

Quick & Crunchy Hot Dogs

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup prepared yellow mustard

1 cup cornflake crumbs (Total cereal may work, and it has a coupon)

1 (16 ounce) package all-beef Ball Park hot dogs

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a sheet of aluminum foil.

2.Stir together ketchup and mustard on a plate until mixed. Place cornflake crumbs in a shallow bowl. Roll each hot dog in the ketchup mixture, then roll in cornflake crumbs to coat. Place on prepared baking sheet.

3.Bake in preheated oven until the hot dogs are hot on the inside, and crispy on the outside, about 15 to 20 minutes.

An unusual side dish…

Awesome Brown Rice Salad

2 cups water

1 cup Hinode brown rice

1/4 cup diced red onion

1/2 cup diced celery

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing

1 tablespoon sugar

1.In a saucepan, bring water to a boil. Stir in rice, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 45 to 60 minutes, or until done (or use instant brown rice for quicker results).

2.Transfer rice to a serving bowl, and stir in onion, celery, cranberries, salad dressing and sugar. Cover, refrigerate, and serve cold.

And for dessert…

S’mores!

There is a rare coupon covering the three basic s’more ingredients- marshmallow, chocolate and graham crackers.

You can make them over a fire in the usual way. If it a backyard picnic, though, you can also put them together (without the top graham cracker) on a baking sheet and broil them until they are lightly browned and all puffed up, then just slap the top graham cracker on when you pull them out of the oven. Either way is a delectably gooey sweet treat to top off a nice spring picnic! 🙂

For your savings, go to this site: http://www.coupons.com/coupons/Food-Coupons-107/?pid=14505&nid=10&zid=py13
Print the following coupons: Big G Cereals, Ball Park Hot Dogs, S’mores, Hinode Rice

Love these savings!! 🙂

Our family loves spending time outdoors, especially this time of year when the weather is absolutely perfect for it! Eating outdoors is just one of many fun & frugal things to do in the springtime. There are so many things to enjoy outside for free or nearly free when it’s gorgeous out! What are your favorite picnic foods? Do you prefer to picnic at the park, in the woods, in a field, in your own yard, at a playground…what’s your preference?