Okanagan Fun!

So like I said I have company until Tuesday so I have been a busy bee here in the Okanagan taking my family site seeing and having fun. Here is a little slide show of what we have to do in Kelowna it is absolutely amazing and beautiful! Everything shown in these pictures has cost zero dollars! It was all completely free all we needed to do was bring sun block, snacks, and water! We had an amazing time!

Stretch That Chicken!

So as promised I have stretched my deli chicken into a few more meals. I was able to make us all a chicken salad sandwich the next day and then used the carcass and some veggies to create a nice stock and soup base. So who knows how many meals this is making an appearance in. I like adding chicken stock cubes to a lot of different foods for extra flavor. And the price is unbeatable. 12.00 and I got numerous healthy meals. How far can you stretch your chicken?

I have my brother visiting from High Level, A.B. so I may be a little absent the next week. I will try and pop in as much as I can. Have a fun week!

Baby Comfy Nose Aspirator Review and More...

 

I am very impressed by this product. I have a 7 month old baby boy and when he gets a stuffy nose I feel just horrible. I have tried those little bulbs that you squeeze and its supposed to suck the snot out, those really just irritate my little guy because they don't have an extended sucking period. Its just a quick burst of suction and you have to do it over and over. Not my idea of a good time. Then there is another I tried by another company which  makes a product that is similar to this one but the tip of the aspirator that you put in babies nose is really small and not very soft, and then the filters are small disks that you need to buy over and over unless you want to digest your babies infected snot... um yuck.

 

 So the BabyComfyNose is actually way up there in performance! The tip that you place in baby's nostril is the correct size and super comfy and you use tightly wadded tissue as a filter so you don't need to spend money on more replacement filters. Not only that but the BabyComfyNose aspirator comes with an awesome mesh storage pouch so your sure to have a clean dry aspirator after each use and still be able to put it away. Overall this product is amazing, with just the simplest and most necessary changes and additions it blows competitors out of the water. I highly recommend you check out www.babycomfynose.com for a video demonstration of the better snot sucker!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

I recently read a post online about being able to stretch one of those rotisserie chickens into more then one meal so I am going to try and do the same. I spent 12.00 all together on a chicken, breadsticks, and 2 deli salads and my grandma stopped by yesterday with some fresh peas and cucumbers so I am going to see how far I can stretch just those ingredients. Tonight we had the basic meal, chicken, breadsticks, salad, and peas. I will share my next meal from this list of ingredients tomorrow. 

As well I believe it is time for a garden status update. I have tomatoes, strawberries, lettuce, corn, peppers, cucumbers, dill, parsley, and basil. My cucumbers and peppers have been attacked by some little pests so they aren't doing well but the rest looks great! I just harvested some lettuce to help stretch my chicken meals. 

I also took a hand at making my own baby food. I ran out of my little jars I had gotten when my baby was born and I tried doing my own carrots... It is so easy and fun I am going to keep it up. All I did was boil some baby carrots, strain them and throw them in the blander with a little formula to help loosen it a bit. and then put it in ice cube trays. I served my boy what was left in the blender after I filled my trays and he devoured the whole bowl! So now I have some carrots made and all I need to do is take a cube or two out when I need them and pop them in the microwave. Easy as pie! What a funky and frugal day! :) 

My Favourite Recipe! Sausage, Gravy and Perogies!

We all have our favourite foods and recipes. My favourite recipe is one of the only things my mother handed down to me that's worth anything. I have tweeked it here and there with seasonings and style and it is perfect. It is farmer sausage with a cream gravy drizzled over delicious perogies. Here is the recipe:

1 package of Farmer sausage (Winkler is a good one)
1 500 ml carton of whipping cream
1 package of your fave perogies
onions (optional)
salt, pepper, garlic powder

1. Brown the sausage on med heat until it is cooked through. At this stage if you like add some chopped onions do so. Then pour in the whipped cream and let it simmer, stirring occasionally.

2. Boil your perogies, I like mine crispy and not soggy but I don't like pan frying them because it takes too long so when my perogies are done and floating in the boiling water I place them on a baking sheet and brush them with margarine and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Then pop them in a 350 degree oven for about 5 mins on each side. 

3. After about 20 mins of a steady simmer your whipping cream gravy should be thickening to a nice consistency. Put your perogies on a plate then pour the sausage and gravy over top. Serve with your favourite veggies. 

This recipe is delicious on egg noodles and rice as well. Its a super fun recipe and very versatile you can play with seasonings and add ins. Its not for those on a low cal diet that's for sure. I think one day I am going to try and make homemade perogies. I think this dish would be even better with homemade perogies!

$15.00 Tim Horton's Gift Card Giveaway

I have been super tired lately and  not keeping up with my posts so I have decided to share with my loyal readers a chance to win some coffee on me! Just enter the rafflecopter form below! Open worldwide!

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Sweet Deals!

I love well.ca I always get excellent service, super fast shipping and find some great deals. Plus I get to avoid going to the grocery store as often during the busy summer months. And right now they have some pretty amazing deals. 60% OFF some items! Check them out!

 

And I have a coupon code you can use to get $10 OFF on any order of $40 or more! Use coupon code funkyfrugal on your order. **code only good for first time customers! I hope your all enjoying summer as much as I am.

Coconut Oil Brownies

And I am still learning how to use coconut oil so this morning before the house gets hot by the crazy hot Okanagan sunshine I made some brownies. Here is the recipe for you:

• 5 tablespoons canola/veg oil
• 5 tablespoons coconut oil (unrefined!)
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

 Melt the oils, sugar, salt and cocoa powder together. Do this by combining them all in a bowl and throwing it in the microwave for a minute. Once it's nice and hot, mix it together until it's very well combined - you don't want to see any lumps. It'll be pretty grainy at this point! Line your pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil and preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Mix in the vanilla, eggs and flour. Pour into a pan and spread with a spatula then bake for 30 mins. After 30 minutes is up, pull it out of the oven, and check the doneness with a toothpick. You should see a little crumb on the toothpick, and the top should be matte and starting to crackle a little.
Let the brownies cool on a wire rack until the pan is cool enough to handle, and then use the foil/parchment paper to pull them out and let them cool for a little longer. (You really do want to cool there for a long time if you want them to cut nicely... otherwise, just go for it. Eat them with your hands if you must!)
Once they're cool, cut them into small squares and serve!

I got this recipe from instructables.com here!

Baby on the Way - A Guest Post from Katie Moore!

Baby on the Way?  What’s Worth the Splurge and What’s Not!

Bringing a new child into the family is incredibly exciting, and it seems

like you will never be ready for it!  There’s so much to prepare and so

any things you need to have – but which ones are worth the extra 

money and what can you save your pennies on?  Some things will

depend on your personality, but others are important for every mom. 

Here are a few examples that I learned throughout my pregnancy!

Splurge: A Good Nursing Bra!

I can’t emphasize enough how important a good bra is.  

You need support, comfort and most definitely ease of use.  Y

ou can’t just use an old bra; you need one designed for nursing.   

I highly recommend you buy these in person, not online.  Every 

woman’s body is different and you need a bra that fits you correctly.

Splurge: Cord Blood Banking

I learned about cord blood banking after my pregnancy with Lily.  

The process is easy and is a simple way to save umbilical cord stem cells from your newborn.

There are both public and private options available, each with its own benefits.  

Talk to your doctor and do some research before making your final decision.

Save: Baby Clothes

Baby clothes.  There are some amazing choices out there and most of them 

come with equally amazing price tags.  Resist the urge to spend a fortune 

on clothes for your little one and go with simple outfits that are easy to put 

on and washable.  Check thrift stores if you want something special and you’re 

likely to find a good selection.  Why?  Because most kids only wear a dress-up outfit once before they outgrow it.  Save your money for more important things!

Save: Baby Toys

This is the same principle; kids outgrow things very quickly.  Use hand-me-downs from family and friends, or shop at thrift stores, but don’t skip the safety 

check.  Before you buy a toy, look for snags, sharp edges or anything broken.  

You can disinfect most plastic toys by running them through the dishwasher 

or washing them carefully by hand.  Avoid used stuffed animals, or cloth items 

your baby might chew on and are difficult to sanitize.

As a mom, I know how easy it is to get wrapped up in everything baby! 

Just keep the basic premise in mind: splurge on safety and comfort, save 

on decorative and fleeting.  If you have questions about certain items, ask 

friends for their opinions and talk to other moms.  Worry less about spending a 

fortune and enjoy the time with your new baby!

Katie Moore has written and submitted this article. Katie is an active blogger who discusses the topics of, 

motherhood, children, fitness, health and all other things Mommy. She enjoys writing, blogging, and meeting 

new people! To connect with Katie contact her via her blog, Moore From Katie or her twitter, @moorekm26