Recipes Archives - Saving Time & Money l SamiCone.com

Easy Crock Pot Brownie Recipe

March 20, 2013 By sami

I didn’t anticipate just how many of you were intrigued by the easy crock pot brownies I made recently, so I’m fulfilling your request to share this crockpot brownie recipe!

I never knew you could make desserts in a crock pot, much less brownies, but my friend Matt said he had just made some amazing fudge coconut brownies (adapted from the Crockin Girls) and mentioned how easy and delicious they were. Not that I doubt his cooking abilities, but I figured if he could make crock pot brownies, anyone could

So I bribed the kids by saying if they woke up right when their alarm went off for school, they could help me make the brownies in the morning (aka lick the spoon)…it worked!

We put them on at 7am and they were done by 10 (although, I think I could have stopped them about 15 minutes earlier).

Here is what I did:

Easy Crock Pot Brownie Recipe

Ingredients:
*Box of brownie mix
*2-3 eggs (Depending on whether you want them cake-like or fudgy…we used 2)
*1 cup chocolate sauce (like Hershey’s)
*1 cup boiling water

Directions:
1. Turn crock pot on High

2. Make brownie mix according to package directions

3. Grease Crock Pot (or I’m sure you could use a slow cooker liner)

4. Pour in brownie mix

5. Mix chocolate syrup & boiling water

6. Pour over brownie mix in crock pot

7. Cook on high for about 3 hours (or 2:45)

8. Let sit for at least 10 minutes with lid off before serving

Again, my friend said he added nuts & coconut, but I haven’t personally tried anything so fancy just yet.
I did learn a few things I wanted to pass on for people wanting to try this recipe themselves. Here is my synopsis:

Benefits to the Crock Pot Brownies

*Mix, pour, cook, eat…truly so easy!
*Very hard to overcook. I realize I said I let them go a little long above, but they were still the most MOIST brownies I’ve EVER had. I NEVER know when to pull brownies out of the oven. This took all the guess work out of the cooking process.
*Again, very moist and fudgy

Critiques of the Crock Pot Brownies

*The chocolate syrup mixture seemed to settle on one side a little more than the other, and the part I let drip on the side tasted burnt
*Harder to pick up and eat than a regular brownie…much better eaten warm with ice cream & a fork (Ok, I guess that’s more of a benefit than a critique!)
*My daughter said “I like regular boxed brownies better” – but she’s not much of a brownie/chocolate fan in the first place, so I wouldn’t listen to her. Every other child at dinner DEVOURED these (and the adults too!)

Have you ever tried to make desserts in the crock pot? If so, what’s your favorite?

Filed Under: Food, Recipes Tagged With: brownie, crock pot, dessert, easy, recipe

An Easy Food Soup Swap: Talk of the Town Video

February 26, 2013 By sami

This month on Talk of the Town Appearance, I shared what my friends and I have just discovered to help cut back on our grocery budgets AND our cooking time in the kitchen: A food swap!

Since this was our first go-round, we decided to keep it easy and start with soup.

Here were the basic ‘rules’:

-Fill two gallon bags (approx 3/4 full) of soup for each family and then freeze flat

-Use the most natural ingredients possible (e.g. butter, not margarine; no artificial sweetener; no processed ingredients, etc).

-If possible, attach any necessary directions (probably not a big deal for our soup round) and add a recipe card so we can re-create your delicious offering

We did this with our small group, so at one meeting we came up with some mutually agreed upon soups to try to start out. They were:
Potato soup
Beef Vegetable soup
Chicken Tortilla Soup
White Chicken Chili
Chicken Tortellini soup
and of course, my Easy Lentil Soup Recipe

We meet every two weeks, so we decided to have everyone bring their soups to our next meeting. Taking into account that not everyone eats at home every night of the week and you’re going to want to eat some other things besides soup, we thought these would see us through about two weeks.

The beauty of this is that when you find something that’s on sale, you’re able to buy enough of it to feed all the families in your group and you don’t have to search for as many sales to fill out your weekly meal plan!

Here are some other soups we wanted to try but didn’t get assigned this time:
Pasta Fagioli soup
Italian Wedding soup
Broccoli cheese soup
Chicken Corn Chowder
Chili
Vegetable soup

Here’s the video from today’s show in case you missed it:

In our next food swap round, we’re hoping to try more main courses. We also discussed going to a restaurant supply store to get disposable food trays to freeze the dishes in.

It’s just great to know that you can spend one night cooking and end up with meals that will last your family almost two weeks! Of course the key here is to find enough people who you trust to ‘follow the rules’, deliver on time and stick with the program.

Have you ever tried anything like this?

I share my Meal Plans every week here on SamiCone.com, but keep in mind many of my dinners are based around eMeals (although they now offer breakfast & lunch plans too!).

Filed Under: Food, Recipes, TV Tagged With: Food, recipe, soup, swap, talk of the town

Individual Veggie Lasagna Recipe: Pasta-Free, Easy & Healthy!

January 22, 2013 By sami

On my latest Talk of the Town Appearance, I shared an easy, healthy AND kid-friendly veggie lasagna recipe….oh, and did I mention it’s pasta-free?!

So even if you’re not gluten-free, you might want to give this a try. It’s also just as easy to make a full pan for dinner (or to freeze for later) as it is to make individual portions in ramekins that the kids will love.

It’s important to note that the exact recipe isn’t as important as the technique: feel free to add meat to the sauce, add or subtract veggies or even make it with pasta if you like.

Product note: This recipe will be much easier with a mandolin. You don’t have to get an expensive one (a friend found me the one below at Goodwill for 99 cents), but you can also find them at most grocery stores for under $5. It will help you create even slices that otherwise would be hard to re-create with a knife.

Bonus tip: Instead of traditional linguine or spaghetti, we also like to stack the zucchini slices after we use the mandolin and cut them in thin slices lengthwise to create ‘noodles’ that are great to eat with meatballs or simply sauté with garlic & olive oil.

Once you get your zucchini or eggplant slices, you’re going to layer them in the 9 x 13 pan. Or, if you prefer to make individual portions for the kids, you can layer them in a ramekin like so:

When adding the vegetables to the sauce, make sure to season them well. This is also the stage where you could add additional vegetables or even ground beef or tofu if you prefer:

While the sauce is cooking, prepare the cheese mixture. After you’ve combined the egg, shredded cheese, ricotta, salt & pepper, you can start creating your layers.

Start by adding water to the jar to loosen the leftover sauce and then pour over the bottom of the pan just enough to coat. Start with layering the zucchini or squash slices. Next, add a thin layer of the vegetable sauce. Then, smooth a layer of the cheese mixture. Repeat until all ingredients are gone.

Finish by covering the dish with the remaining shredded cheeses.

Cover loosely with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove foil and then broil to brown the cheese for about 5 minutes.

Let sit for 10 minutes to allow layers and flavors to set properly, then slice:

You can check out the exact ingredient list and full recipe here:

Pasta-Free Veggie Lasagna Recipe

Ingredients

1 Eggplant
2 Medium Zucchini
1 jar Marinara sauce (with garlic, onion & peppers if possible, or some combination of)
1 package frozen spinach (thawed)
1 package frozen bell pepper & onion blend
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
4 oz shredded parmesan cheese
1 container (16 oz) ricotta cheese
1 Egg
1 T Italian Seasoning
1 T salt

Cooking Directions

(Day before preferably): thaw and drain spinach
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Using a mandolin (or sharp knife), evenly slice thin strips of the eggplant or zucchini (whichever vegetable you prefer to use for your \'noodles\'). Set aside.
In a large pan on medium, heat olive oil then add chopped garlic as well as peppers & onions. Sautee for 5-7 minutes until soft. Add jar of sauce and combine with veggies. Once incorporated, add thawed spinach, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Bring to a simmer than cover and let sit over med-low heat for ten minutes.
In a medium bowl, stir together ricotta cheese, egg, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and 1 cup of the parmesan cheese, along with salt & pepper to taste. Set aside.
In a 9 x13 baking dish, ladle in your sauce until bottom is covered. Then add a layer of veggie \'noodles\'. After that, spread a layer of the cheese mixture and then cover that layer with more sauce. Continue to repeat each layer until you reach the top of the dish.
On the very top, cover the last layer of sauce with the remaining shredded cheese. Lightly cover the baking dish with foil and bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until heated through thoroughly. Remove the foil for the last 5 minutes of baking to brown the cheese. Let rest for a little while after pulling out of the oven so that the cheese doesn\'t run everywhere when it\'s cut!

One of the things that makes this recipe so easy is taking advantage of all the help you can, especially when it comes to pre-chopped frozen vegetables like the ones I used courtesy of Whole Foods Market Green Hills (Nashville). Their 365 Everyday Value brand makes it easy for anyone to get great quality vegetables, including organic, at an amazing price (under $2 a bag).

The Whole Foods 365 Everyday Value brand goes beyond vegetables and includes everything from Spices and Syrup to Olive Oil. Check out my video series if you’re looking for more everyday ways to save at Whole Foods!

I created this recipe because our nutritionist thought it would be beneficial for our family to try following a more Paleo style diet for a little while. If you want some help with meal planning, I’m a fan of eMeals. Not only do they have every type of meal plan you can think of (choose based on the stores you shop at or based on the way you eat), but it is SO affordable and easy. You’ll find the majority of my Meal Plans are based around eMeals dinners (although they now offer breakfast & lunch plans too!). Plus, save an extra 15% off right now with the code NEWYEAR.

I hope this recipe has inspired you to try something new with your family in the New Year!

Filed Under: Food, Recipes, TV Tagged With: gluten free, lasagna, pasta, recipe, talk of the town, veggie

Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes

November 21, 2012 By sami

Photo Credit: SimplyRecipes.com

If you’re looking for the best Thanksgiving turkey recipes to make your Thanksgiving dinner extra special this year, look no further! I put my personal virtual assistant,Time Dog, to the task of finding the best Thanksgiving turkey dinner recipes around the web, and they delivered!

Whether you’re cooking Thanksgiving dinner for the first time at your house, or simply want to shake your standard turkey recipe up a little bit, why not try one of these turkey recipes and let me know if you think they deserve the title of “Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe”!

Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes

Butter-Basted Roast Turkey with Mushroom Gravy (from delish.com)
Apricot-Glazed Turkey with Fresh Herb Gravy (from delish.com)
Citrus-Marinated Turkey (from delish.com)
Southwestern Rubbed Turkey
Herb-Roasted Turkey
Apple-Shallot Roasted Turkey
Lemon-Garlic Roast Turkey and White-Wine Gravy
Roast Turkey with Pears and Onions
Smoked-Paprika-Rubbed Turkey with Madeira & Shallot Gravy
(All the recipes above are from Delish.com)
Maple-Roasted Turkey with Sage, Smoked Bacon & Cornbread Stuffing (from CookingChannel.com)
Homestyle Turkey, The Michigander Way (from AllRecipes.com)
Mom’s Roast Turkey (from simplyrecipes.com)

Which of these turkey recipes sound the best to you?

Filed Under: Food, Recipes Tagged With: best, dinner, recipe, Thanksgiving, turkey

Healthy Thanksgiving Comfort Food Recipes

November 20, 2012 By sami

Just because we’re trying to eat healthy this Thanksgiving doesn’t mean that we don’t want a little comfort food too!

So I called upon my friends at Time Dog to help find the best Thanksgiving Comfort Food Recipes.

Here are the best healthy Thanksgiving comfort food recipes that Time Dog compiled for me (and if you have a request you’d like Time Dog to complete for you, just ask them for FREE at the widget on the right!).

Photo courtesy of Self.com

Healthy Thanksgiving Comfort Food recipes

Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Shallots (from Spyrliving.com)
Corn and Cheddar Spoon Bread (from Spyrliving.com)
Sweet Potato Casserole with Meringue Topping (from Spyrliving.com)
Mashed Roots with Buttermilk & Chives (from EatingWell.com)
Vermont Cheddar Mashed Yukon Golds (from EatingWell.com)
Cornbread & Sausage Stuffing (from EatingWell.com)
Maple-Roasted Sweet Potatoes (from EatingWell.com)
Roasted Butternut Squash with Apples (from Self.com)

With everything going on in getting ready for the holidays, I don’t have time to scour the web for tasks like these, that’s why I put my personal Virtual Assistant, Time Dog,to work on my behalf!

If you want more ways to save time & money this Thanksgiving, check out my top tips I shared on Fox 17 TN Mornings this week. Read and watch the show here.

Filed Under: Food, Recipes, Time Dog Tagged With: comfort, Food, healthy, recipe, Thanksgiving, time dog

Re-inventing your holiday recipes with Silk Coconut Milk

November 8, 2012 By sami

0 93887 634880073601182935 Re inventing your holiday recipes with Silk Coconut Milk

Most of you know by now that I have gone Paleo when it comes to eating. While it’s been challenging, it’s been rewarding to see the health benefits.

But it seemed like as soon as the calendar flipped to November 1st, I started freaking out about what I would do for the next two months…what would we eat at Thanksgiving? How can we go without Christmas cookies? And most importantly, how will we make our famous Cone Cranberry Salad?

Yes, the Cone Cranberry salad. It’s that good.

It’s actually the only recipe I’ve picked up from my husband’s side of the family that I actually make better than the original (his words, not mine!) and we look forward to it every year. In fact, we make batches upon batches of it from the first time we see cranberries in the grocery store until the last bag of frozen cranberries is gone well into the New Year.

But the key ingredient to the Cone Cranberry Salad is heavy cream that is whipped to perfection. So when we started thinking about how we could still make this favorite family recipe but keep it in line with a Paleo diet, we came up with a simple, yet brilliant, solution: Silk Coconut Milk!

To truly make the recipe below Paleo (& a bit healthier), omit the marshmallows and replace the sugar with Xylitol natural sweetener.

I hope your family enjoys it as much as we have!

Cone Cranberry Salad

INGREDIENTS:
1 bag fresh cranberries (12 oz)
1 1/2 cups sugar (or Xylitol)
1 pint Silk Coconut Milk
15 oz (2 good handfuls) of seedless red grapes, halved
5 oz (half a bag) of regular marshmallows, pulled into quarters (can omit)
3 oz of pecan halves, broken up into small pieces

DIRECTIONS:
1. Wash the cranberries and spread them out to dry on a dishtowel (preferably overnight, but not necessary).

2. Put the cranberries into a food processor and pulse until fully chopped, but not pureed.

3. Transfer chopped cranberries to a medium size mixing bowl and add the sugar.

4. Incorporate fully and set in the fridge overnight (again, not necessary, but optimal).

5. Beat the Silk Coconut Milk with an electric mixer on medium speed until it forms stiff peaks (stands on its own and becomes the consistency of whip cream); this should take about seven minutes.

6. Gently fold the Silk Coconut “Cream” into the cranberry/sugar mixture.

7. Incorporate the grape halves, nut pieces and marshmallow pieces into the cream/cranberry mixture.

8.Chill to allow to set up and enjoy!

Have your own Silk Holiday Recipe to share? If you do, you could WIN BIG!

Enter Silk’s Facebook Recipe Contest for a chance to win a KitchenAid Mixer and Silk for a year (exactly what you need to make the Cone Cranberry Salad!!!).

Entries will be judged in one of three categories:
-Best Drink
-Best Entree/Side
-Best Dessert

So what are you waiting for? Go share your Silk Holiday recipe and add flavor and health to your family’s favorites this season!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.

Filed Under: Food, Recipes Tagged With: coconut milk, holiday, recipe, silk

Best & Easy Lentil Soup Recipe Kids Love

September 11, 2012 By sami

If you’re looking for an easy lentil soup recipe that kids will love, I think this is the best one out there!

I may be a little biased because it’s my mom’s lentil soup recipe that I’ve been eating since I was a kid, but it is SO easy to make and SO good for you, that you have to try making it at least once – especially with fall quickly approaching.

I even keep it in the original recipe book we made together before I went to college (did anyone else used to have a love for covering things in fabric & puffy paint? No? Just Me? Ok then…)

Lentil Soup

Ingredients

1 T Butter
1 Small Onion, diced
2 carrots sliced
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 pack lentils (soaked overnight)
2 Beef Bouillon Cubes (get good quality!)
5 cups water
1 T Worcestershire sauce
to taste salt & pepper

Cooking Directions

(Soak lentils overnight in water)
Melt butter.
Add onions, carrots & celery. Saute over medium heat until tender (about 5 minutes)
Drain lentils and add into veggies
Stir bouillon into water and add to pot
Season with Worcestershire sauce, salt, & pepper.
Simmer (with cover) until tender - about an hour.
Use hand blender to puree & thicken (leave thick, just no big chunks of vegetables).

Now the one thing you won’t find in the recipe that I think makes this Lentil soup recipe complete is Hebrew National Hot Dogs cut up and added in the individual bowls just before eating. They add just a bit of saltiness and it’s similar to those recipes that cook their lentil soup with sausage. I also added some thyme to the vegetables the last time I cooked this and it was Delish!

Filed Under: Food, Recipes Tagged With: best, easy, freeze, healthy, Kids, lentil, Love, recipe, soup

How to make a Virgin Mojito Recipe

June 25, 2012 By sami

Have you ever wondered how to make a Virgin Mojito or even been looking for a Mojito recipe? Did you even know a Virgin Mojito existed??

I didn’t until my stay at Club Med Sandpiper Bay this week!

As someone who doesn’t enjoy the taste of alcohol, sometimes I feel left out during social hour, especially when the price of drinks are included at events or on vacation (like at Club Med!). However, I’d always heard that if you don’t like alcohol, you might like a mojito.

With it’s fresh mint and add-ins like pomegranate and berries, Mojito’s have greatly increased in popularity over recent years.

So when Nick held “Bartending School” for us bloggers and announced he was making a Watermelon Mojito, I thought I’d give it a shot.

While it looked beautiful, it was still WAY too strong for this girl.

Seeing Sprite next to him, I asked why it was there. He told me he had heard there were some “non-drinkers” in the group (were we that obvious?), so it was to make a Virgin Mojito!

<Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!>

We couldn’t believe it! A fun AND fresh drink for those of us who would rather be considered ‘cheap dates’ than ‘party poopers’? Our answer, “YES PLEASE!!!!!”

So Nick whipped up a delightful concoction that I only wish I had discovered YEARS ago. And so here it is, the Virgin Mojito Recipe as prepared by Nick the bartender at Club Med Sandpiper Bay:

Virgin Mojito Recipe

Ingredients

.5 oz Simple Syrup
5-7 Mint Leaves
3 slices Lime
Fill cup with Ice
Sprite

Cooking Directions

Put first three ingredients in glass and \"muddle\" (it\'s the stick that looks like a mini-rolling pin used to pulverize the mint and limes)
Fill glass with ice (it\'s especially fun when you use crushed ice, plus it keeps your drink cooler, longer...if it even lasts that long!)
Fill to the top with sprite
Pour into shaker tin and shake to incorporate
Pour back into glass and enjoy!

A few variations you may want to try:
* To make it a “Skinny” Virgin Mojito, use Splenda or Stevia instead. I’ve even heard Agave works well!
* If this version is too sweet, use half Sprite/half Club Soda
* Mix in berries, watermelon or other fresh fruit when you “muddle”

I guarantee this will be one of your new favorite drinks that EVERYONE in the family can enjoy together!

Filed Under: Food, Recipes Tagged With: club med, drink, how-to, mojito, recipe, virgin

Healthy Recipes for Busy Moms: Talk of the Town Video March 2012

March 20, 2012 By sami

Talk of the Town Frugal Love Sami Cone 300x225 Healthy Recipes for Busy Moms: Talk of the Town Video March 2012

Watch the Talk of the Town video from today’s show: White Chicken Chili Crock-Pot healthy recipe for busy moms on the go:

Today on Talk of the Town (March 20, 2012) I shared how busy moms can still cook healthy recipes even when they’re on the go! Busy moms often find themselves in a conundrum: how to find the time to not only cook for your family, but how to make those meals healthy!

Well the answer may be older (& closer) than you think: your crock-pot!

For some reason I always used to associate crock-pots with casseroles (which I’m not a fan of)…but that couldn’t be farther from the truth!

Here are just a few reasons why your crock pot should be your friend (whether you’re a mom or not):

They use less energy than the oven, saving you money on electricity
The slow-cooking process adds more flavor without adding extra fat and calories that come with traditional cooking methods
You can plan (& start cooking) your meal WAY in advance of the dinner hour, when it’s more convenient for you….even putting food in overnight after the kids are asleep!
You can cook enough to last beyond one meal and re-purpose the rest for a dinner later in the week (for example, cooking a whole chicken for dinner, but then using the rest to shred for salads, fajitas, etc)

My latest favorite recipe is one that you can literally toss all the elements into the night before and end up with a perfect & healthy meal for dinner the next day. It’s White Chicken Chili, and you just might be surprised at what’s used to thicken it up…

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

Ingredients

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 (16-ounce) bag dried Cannellini Beans
1 (16-ounce) bag frozen Sweet White Corn
1 (16-ounce) bag frozen fajita blend (peppers & onion), pulsed in food processor
1 head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into small florets
2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 teaspoon garlic salt
Suggested toppings: sour cream, shredded cheese, cilantro, chopped red onion

Cooking Directions

Arrange chicken in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
Top with beans, corn, poblanos, cauliflower, onion, broth, cumin and chili powder.
Cover and cook on low until beans are very tender and cauliflower has fallen apart, about 10 hours

Adapted from Whole Foods Market Slow Cooker White Chili recipe

This is less than 300 calories and under $1 per serving. We make a big batch and usually have enough left over to freeze for an additional 2 dinners! Serve with cornbread or crackers to round out the meal.

If you don’t yet own a crock-pot or slow cooker, check out some of my favorite crock-pots for every need!

Filed Under: Deals & Freebies, Food, Recipes, TV Tagged With: busy, frugal, healthy, mom, recipe, talk of the town, video

Budget Meal Planning around the Whole Deal: Whole Foods Market Green Hills

January 19, 2012 By sami

I’m partnering once again with Whole Foods Market Green Hills to teach you budget meal planning around their Whole Deal.

Our ‘Everyday Ways to Save at Whole Foods Market” posts were so popular last year that we’re back to help you save even more money in 2012!

One of my favorite savings tips is to make use of the Whole Deal: not only does it always have fabulous health tips and tons of money saving coupons, but they also feature a weekly meal plan!

Watch the video here:

So if you missed any of those details, let me break it down for you here.

Since the Whole Deal comes out 6 times a year, you can’t rely on it for your weekly meal plan, but you can use the recipes you’ll find in their meal planner as a template.

Essentially, what you want to do is take a piece of paper (or a spreadsheet) and break it down into 7 columns, one for each day of the week. Then, instead of assigning a recipe to each day, I want you to assign a category of food. For instance, here’s what we did in our family (as seen in the video):
Monday: Soup night
Tuesday: Mexican night
Wednesday: Asian night
Thursday: Breakfast for dinner
Friday: Appetizer/Family Fun Night
Saturday: Pizza Night
Sunday: Leftovers

Just take a look at the spread for a week’s worth of meals I created that was inspired by the Whole Deal:

Now, on to the recipes!

Monday: Slow Cooker While Chili

Monday night is a great soup night for us, especially during the winter months. We love finding recipes that we can throw in the slow cooker and walk away until dinner time, like this Slow Cooker While Chili from the Jan/Feb Whole Deal. The greatest thing about this recipe is that you can alter it to your preferences. For instance, I added a frozen pepper/onion blend because it offered a better value. It’s easy, hearty and nutritious – a real crowd pleaser!

Tuesday: Tequila Lime Chicken

Tuesday in our house is known as “Taco Tuesday”, but really, we serve up all kinds of Mexican food on Tuesdays! Of course we love our tacos and salads, but it’s fun to mix in those Mexican flavors with some more traditional dishes, like with this Tequila Lime Chicken recipe. The actual Whole Foods recipe calls for salmon, but since I’m allergic to salmon, we just swapped it out for chicken (plus it makes it more kid friendly too!).

Wednesday: Miso Soup & Gyoza

Our kids LOVE Asian food and would eat us out of house and home if we let them when it comes to Japanese food in particular. That’s why I love the 365 Everyday Value Organic Miso Soup: It’s less than $3 for 4 servings (when you’d pay that for just one bowl at a restaurant!). I paired it with some gyoza (Japanese dumplings, also known as potstickers) that we picked up in the freezer section at Whole Foods Market. This is great for midweek if you don’t want to spend all night in the kitchen, or if you’d rather make homemade gyoza, you can use my gyoza recipe

Thursday: Waffles with Kefir

Another fool-proof favorite in our family is breakfast for dinner. When I saw the coupons for waffles & kefir in this issue of the Whole Deal, I jumped on it! We also love just cooking eggs, grits and bacon too. It’s a great way to make a playful dinner and breakfast is almost always a great value (especially when using the Whole Deal coupons!)

Friday: Warm Spinach Cheese Dip

Fridays are always family fun night in the Cone Home, so we LOVE to watch a movie in the living room and make a dinner out of finger foods and appetizers. A new favorite in our house is this recipe for Warm Spinach Cheese Dip. You’ll actually see the recipe is for a Warm Broccoli Cheese Dip, but I didn’t have any broccoli on hand, so I pulled out some organic spinach I try to keep on hand in the freezer and it turned out great! This week we paired it with some tortilla chips, the yummy Whole Foods Market guacamole and 7 layer dip that I picked up in their prepared foods section and Voila! Dinner is served!

Want to win everything you see above?

One person will win a free pantry makeover that will include the ingredients to make all the amazing meals you see above…plus you’ll win a one-on-one value coaching session with me (total value over $300)! All you have to do is enter at Whole Foods Market Green Hills between now and February 2, 2012. Then, show up for my live workshop and value tour on 2/2/12 at 7:30 to see how to shop from start to finish and save even more at Whole Foods Market.

You don’t have to be present at the workshop to win, but if you are, you’ll also win a $25 gift card (on top of all the other prizes!)

So what are you waiting for? Find out more details about my “Saving with Sami Cone” workshop and get entered to win today!

Filed Under: Deals & Freebies, Food, Meal Plans, Recipes, Whole Foods Tagged With: budget, dinner, Food, Grocery, meal, plan, save, video, whole deal, Whole Foods, Whole Foods Meal Plan Budget Nashville

Easy Crock Pot Brownie Recipe

Easy Crock Pot Brownie Recipe

Benefits to the Crock Pot Brownies

Critiques of the Crock Pot Brownies

An Easy Food Soup Swap: Talk of the Town Video

Individual Veggie Lasagna Recipe: Pasta-Free, Easy & Healthy!

Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes

Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes

Healthy Thanksgiving Comfort Food Recipes

Healthy Thanksgiving Comfort Food recipes

Re-inventing your holiday recipes with Silk Coconut Milk

Best & Easy Lentil Soup Recipe Kids Love

How to make a Virgin Mojito Recipe

Healthy Recipes for Busy Moms: Talk of the Town Video March 2012

Budget Meal Planning around the Whole Deal: Whole Foods Market Green Hills

Monday: Slow Cooker While Chili

Tuesday: Tequila Lime Chicken

Wednesday: Miso Soup & Gyoza

Thursday: Waffles with Kefir

Friday: Warm Spinach Cheese Dip

Watch My Adventures:

Keep up with me on Instagram: @TheSamiCone