Chick Pea Chocolate Chip Cookies

March 6th, 2014 | Posted by Alison Spath in Healthy Snack Attack - (10 Comments)

I am so excited to tell you about these cookies, you just won’t BeANlieve it!

Gluten Free Chick Pea Chocolate Chip Cookies

OK, so that pun was really bad, but these cookies are really good!  They’re made with chick peas – as in garbanzo beans – STOPMAKINGTHATFACE!  They’re good! It’s true.

I have no problem making and eating “healthy” cookies or treats (like Secret (Spinach and Carrot) Brownies, Banana Oatmeal Cookies or Black Bean Brownies) but if it’s so healthy that it tastes healthy and no one will eat them but me (like White Bean Blondies), then there’s just no point.  Read more...

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Muesli (with Pumpkin Seeds!)

February 25th, 2014 | Posted by Alison Spath in Breakfast - (5 Comments)

I’ve been on a muesli kick for the last two weeks or so.

Museli Mix

And just in time, because pumpkin seeds are on the list of healthy, affordable foods – and pumpkin seeds go great in muesli!

Pumpkin Seeds or Pepitas

If you aren’t in the know, muesli is a cereal combo (usually) made with oats, nuts, seeds and dried or fresh fruit.  Bananas have been my fresh fruit of choice lately, but frozen, thawed strawberries have been known to make an appearance in my bowl too.

Top with Banana  Read more...

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Italian Sausage and Tomato Soup With Kale

February 17th, 2014 | Posted by Alison Spath in Dinner Time - (4 Comments)

If you eat kale, do you remember a time when you didn’t eat kale?

I sure do.  Kale was totally a “No, thank you” food as a former only-iceburg-lettuce-eating lady.  But then I tried kale chips sometime in 2008 or 2009, and my love for kale began.  I’m fairly sure that kale chips are the gateway drug to dark leafy greens.  If kale seems dark and scary to you – try it in chip form.  It’s hard to say “No Thanks” when it’s warm and crispy and delicious after being baked in a little oil and salt.  Read more...

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Cottage Cheese in Da House!

February 10th, 2014 | Posted by Alison Spath in Healthy Snack Attack - (3 Comments)

Today we’re going to look at cottage cheese as an affordable health food option because it’s on The List.

Honestly, I rarely buy cottage cheese.  I like it, but it’s not what I would call My Most Favorite Thing Ever.  I try to buy organic dairy products (not always, but most of the time) and organic cottage cheese always seems kind of expensive to me… with a $4.99 price tag (!!) on a 16 oz container of Organic Valley cottage cheese, this is one item I only buy when I’ve really got a hankering for cottage cheese.  (i.e., not that often.)

Organic Valley 2% Cottage Cheese  Read more...

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Oatmeal is Cheap (and this post is random)

February 7th, 2014 | Posted by Alison Spath in Breakfast - (11 Comments)

(It’s Friday night and I’m writing about oatmeal.  See –> “this post is random.”)

With all the reading and blogging I’ve done about eating less grains and cutting down on carbs, I have a confession to make.

I still love oatmeal.

I know, I know, who cares!  It’s just oatmeal.  The world has much bigger problems than this.  But it sort of feels like a dirty carb secret.  I READ GRAIN BRAIN!  I’VE READ THE PALEO BOOKS!  I’m not supposed to like oatmeal anymore!

But I do.  I admit it.  Sometime I eat oatmeal.  Love me.  Read more...

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Sweet Potato Hash

January 28th, 2014 | Posted by Alison Spath in Lunch - (3 Comments)

Today we’re making sweet potato hash.

Sweet Potato hash

And by we I mean *I*, and by today I mean *yesterday*.

Whoever, whenever – sweet potatoes are cheap, healthy and delicious.  One of the best things about this series of affordable healthy foods is that it’s encouraging me to find new ways to prepare a bunch of my favorite foods so I don’t bore us all to tears with the same old, same old.

Well cry not my potato loving friends!  Sweet potato hash is new to me and was a welcome change from my default roasted sweet potatoes that I always make.  (If sweet potato hash is not new to you – then here, have a tissue.  And I guess I did still roast them, but still – THIS IS DIFFERENT!)  Read more...

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Red Pepper and Cauliflower Bisque

January 26th, 2014 | Posted by Alison Spath in Dinner Time - (12 Comments)

This was supposed to be post #9 of 44 into this series of Healthy Eating on a Budget.  Cauliflower was on today’s agenda.  Unfortuantely, it wasn’t until after I made, photographed, devoured and sat down to write this post about Red Pepper and Cauliflower Bisque that I realized cauliflower is NOT on the list of affordable healthy food items under a $1 that I’ve been working from.

Can you hear me groaning from here?  Planning fail.  Well guess what!  I’m going make a case for cauliflower anyway, because that list of 44 healthy foods is not the boss of me.  More importantly though, this soup was too delicious to not share.  Read more...

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Spinach: Keeping the Green in Your Wallet

January 22nd, 2014 | Posted by Alison Spath in Breakfast - (2 Comments)

This is the container of spinach I typically buy from Wegmans.

Spinach Container

For $3.99 you get 3.5 (2 cup) servings.  $3.99 divided by 7 cups of spinach works out to be $0.53 cents per cup.  This is in line with the spinach price listed in the 44 Healthy Food Items Under $1.

Spinach and kale are among the dirty dozen – I rarely make an exception when it comes to buying leafy greens, I feel strongly about sticking with organic when it comes to spinach, lettuce, kale and the like.  Conventional greens are said to be highly sprayed, spinach alone is covered with 48 different pesticides and chemicals.  (ACK!)  Read more...

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Potluck Lentils

January 20th, 2014 | Posted by Alison Spath in Party Time - (6 Comments)

I’ve blogged about this recipe before (it’s one of my favorites!) but today we’re going to talk about the cost break down of this giant pot of Coconut Curried Red Lentil Chili.

I made this yesterday to take to a winter (indoor!) picnic with a bunch of our homeschooling friends.  This is one of my go-to potluck meals because it’s inexpensive, it’s “something different” while also being delicious and healthy.  All of my favorite adjectives in one big pot!  Another reason I like this chili for a potluck is because it’s a good option for people with dietary restrictions – it’s gluten free, nut free and made without any animal products for our vegetarian and vegan friends.  Read more...

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Broccoli and Cheese Mini Frittatas

January 18th, 2014 | Posted by Alison Spath in Breakfast - (5 Comments)

Broccoli shows up at #37 in the list of 44 Healthy Foods Under a $1 and this is at least true for conventional broccoli – organic tends to be more expensive.

Broccoli is at low risk for pest invasion so it’s supposedly sprayed less than other vegetables, but the Environmental Working Group puts broccoli right in the middle list of their list of Fruits and Vegetables with Pesticide Residue (ordered from worst to best) – what’s a semi-paranoid produce penny pincher to do?  Read more...

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