New Follow-Your-Heart Dairy-Free Cheese Shreds (plus coupon and contest!)

If you live dairy-free, you may still be on the hunt for that cheese substitute that brings you closest to that melty, ooey-gooey bubbly goodness that we used to know!

There are lots of cheese substitutes out there and I have probably tried them all. Some are better than others, but between funky texture issues, odd flavors and a host of melt ability and ingredient issues, it just doesn’t seem worth the trouble, so I mostly do without.

A couple of weeks ago, Follow-your-Heart contacted me and asked if I would like to try their new Vegan Gourmet Cheese Shreds.

 

 

Follow-your-heart products are a staple in my house. I have used their Vegenaise for near 10 years now as our only “May0”. Not because of any kind of restrictions, but because we just love the flavor of it!

A few months ago their diary-free cream cheese and the dairy-free sour cream have joined our list of staples. Follow-Your-Heart just have this way of making non-dairy so tasty!

In addition to being dairy free and cholesterol free, their new shredded cheese alternatives are also lactose free,  soy free (!), gluten free, Non-GMO Project verified and contain no preservatives or trans fats!

So, of course I jumped at the chance to try their new cheese shreds!

I got to play with 3 flavors, the cheddar shreds, the mozzarella shreds and the fiesta blend shreds.

Of all three flavors, the cheddar shreds were probably my favorite. They seemed to be closest to the “real” thing! Does it taste exactly like cheddar cheese? No. But close enough for me, especially when incorporated in recipes!

Do they melt? Oh yes, they do! They take a tad longer than regular cheese, but they melt beautifully!

It is more of a soft melt and reminds me more of a melted American cheese kind of consistency, rather than other kinds of melted cheeses! It works beautifully in cheese sauces!

 

 

And in these Grain-free Cheddar Bacon Spinach Muffins:

 

 

{I replaced the parmesano regiano with 2 tbsp. of nutritional yeast.)

 

And it took this Dairy-Free Mexican Queso Dip/Sauce to a whole new level!

 

 

And it brought these Quesadillas back into my life.

 

 

Since the cheese shreds melt a tad differently to “normal” cheese, I adopted a different way of preparing the Quesadillas when using the vegan shreds. It’s a quick and easy way to a perfectly melty Quesadilla!

 

I sprinkle the cheese shreds in the warm pan first, and let them melt.

 

 

Then I cover it with a tortilla and press down a little. The melted cheese shreds will no adhere to the tortilla and are already mostly melted.

 

 

Now turn the tortilla around, add the shredded chicken/meat/veggies (or just nothing like my kids prefer it,) spread the quesadilla sauce on the remaining tortilla and cover the fillings with it.

 

 

Now let it cook for about one minute, then flip it around to cook the other side and you have the perfectly crispy Quesadilla, complete with lovely melted cheese inside!

 

 

One other, quite delightful little thing I discovered about these shreds, is that, unlike ANY other cheese substitute I have tried, these cheese shreds actually turn into that slightly golden brown and crunchy cheesy goodness when you melt it/cook it long enough. Just like real cheese!

 

Those little crispy cheesy bits taste the most like real cheese to me! I have so far refrained from just sprinkling the cheese shreds in the pan and letting them all become crispy, cheesy little nuggets, but I think the day when I will do just that is not far off!

 

If I would have to find one con, then it is that the shreds are just a bit on the salty side for our liking. I find I can adjust most of my recipes to accommodate that, but for some recipes it may be harder to do so!

 

You can try the shreds for yourself with this $1 off coupon from Follow-Your-Heart here.

 

 

Follow-Your-Heart  are also running a recipe contest until the middle of September to launch their new shreds  and you will receive a higher coupon value after you submit a recipe to the contest.

Check out all the great recipes that have already been submitted!

Not to mention the fantastic prizes for this contest! Go check it out! And let us know if you enter one of your recipes to the contest, so we can all go and vote for it!

 

If you feel like voting for my entry,  it’s the Dairy-Free, Grain-Free Cheddar Bacon Spinach Muffin.

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Falling Behind - Catching Up On Project Life

That is how I started Project Life - yep, by catching up!

Sometime in the middle of last year, I decided that I would like to do Project Life! I had two choices. Either I would just start and let the 2012 album start wherever it may, or I would start the album AND catch up the rest of the year.

I decided on the latter. So my initial experience of Project Life was staying on top of the current month, as well as trying to  catch up on, or in some ways, recreating the earlier months of that year.

It’s a good thing I like to challenge myself, otherwise this may have seemed a little overwhelming!

Then later in the year, my Project Life got behind again as the “crazy months” hit (from October through to January usually around here) and I really wasn’t staying all that current for October and November. However, that time around I was a little more seasoned on the whole catching-up thing and I had a few things in place that would make it easier for me.

 

So, today I’d like to share a few tips and tools with you that will make catching-up a lot easier!

First of all, I think we probably need to define what stage of “behind” we are talking about:

 

1.) There is the stage that is the quickest and easiest to remedy - the moderately behind.

You have most of your slots filled, you have all the photos off your camera and mostly printed, you just need to catch up on some journaling (which you have a note of somewhere) and stick a few more embellishments on and then you can call it done! There are some unfinished parts, but you are keeping up with it and you are interested and motivated in finishing it!

This is the kind of stage that happens to even the most dedicated Project Lifer at some point. Life gets busy, you or the kids get sick, the holidays take over, etc. Life happens and things fall behind!

 

 

Much like the above. There were several pages that had slots, journaling and photos missing at that stage.

The remedy here is to just finally, carve out some time,  sit down and get it done! Plain and simple!

 

2.) The Mega Behind!

That is pretty much the stage where you find yourself sort of doing Project Life, but there is just SO much to catch up on!

Those are the weeks and month that I started with initially. I think I started in June with Project Life, and I found I was really liking it and then decided to catch up on the rest of the year too!  There were January, February, March, April and May where I had NOTHING! But I was motivated and I knew I wanted to do it!

This is not the happiest place to be in terms of feeling done and accomplished as a Project Lifer, for sure, but don’t panic. You can do it!

The most important part is probably not to get overwhelmed and take it step by step! More on that a little later!

 

3.) The “I haven’t even started” kind of behind.

Not to worry - it’s never to late and we can get you started! Read on!

 

With being majorly  behind, or with just getting started, I think, the most important thing is to figure out a few things. First of all - do you really want to do Project Life? It may seem a bit of a “duh” kind of question, but really. Do YOU want to do it? Or did you get swept up in a trend, or did your mother think it might be nice for you to do it?

If the answer is yes, you do want to do it, then read on.

How much time can you realistically carve out to do this? Be very clear that even though this is quicker than traditional scrapbooking and there are various levels of how involved you get in it, it is still something you do have to set some time aside for. It’s likely not something you can fit in an already overfull time table. If this kind of memory keeping is a priority to you, then you need to find the time somewhere!

{You may also want to decide if you want to do Project Life with the folders and the protectors and cards and all that, or if you prefer to go the digital way. You definitely have options here!! All have their advantages and disadvantages. My album is definitely hybrid. }

For this post, I’ll be mostly talking about the paper kind of Project Life, with physical product and printing and cards and albums to put it all into.

 

Of course there are also many different ways to approach this Project Life memory keeping.

The way that I do it is probably a little more elaborate and involved than many others, but I’m a scrapper and I enjoy this part of the process very much. If you are looking for quick and easy, the Core kits are definitely the way to go!

They are designed to make this whole process easy to manage and if you have little time, are a total beginner at all this or a lot to get through, the core kits are awesome.

You can see an example of how to set up an album with a core kit here.

And here’s a story of somebody who managed to do 9 years worth of photos and memories in just 5 months with the Core Kits! Amazing, right?

Oh, by the way, I am in no way affiliated with Project Life or Becky Higgins - they don’t even know I exist. I am just sharing my opinions, tips, tricks, experiences and recommendations here in regards to Project Life!

Anyway, I have been toying with the idea of maybe do a core kit version of the kids earlier years myself, while I still remember all the little things! Hmmm, I have more thinking to do on that!

 

So, let’s get to the tips to keep you organized, even if you are falling behind.

1.) Keep your photos organized.

I generally download my photos fairly regularly and put them in monthly folders. I do this even when things are VERY busy. Partly because I’m paranoid that I might accidently delete them or that the  card will give up the ghost, but one way or another, I do it regularly. This habit has served me well while doing Project Life too.

 

 

Many people doing project life are doing them by weeks rather than months. I haven’t. I go by month and that is how I have my photos. However, you also always have the option of organizing your photos my weeks too!

Now, in addition to that, I also work my way through the photos I want to use, edit them and then save them in a folder within that month, so when I do get to printing and doing that week/month/ day, I can just pull it out of there and go.

I use Paint The Moon Actions for ALL of my photos and it not only takes my photos quite often from “oh dear I’m really not much of a photographer” to “Oh, that is a lovely shot” but it makes the work flow quick and easy! My most used actions are “The Essentials”, “Miracle Makeover” and my latest obsession/fav, the Luminosity set. Totally amazing! I don’t think there’s been a single photo of mine that hasn’t benefited from several of Annie’s actions in the last several years!

If you are in the market for Photoshop/Photoshop Elements actions at all, do give Annie’s a try - they totally rock! She often has free actions and templates on her site or on Facebook too, so you can try her out! And no, I’m not affiliated - just LOVE the product!

 

Now, you might think that printing all your photos is the next step in catching up and you may very well end up doing that. Personally, I print my photos as I work on the event/week/month. I am not planning my layouts/cards very much, so I tend to decide what photo in what size and what orientation I need at the time and I don’t really like reprinting everything, just because I changed my mind! So, in the interest of saving time and money, I have all my photos ready to go in the edited folder, but I only print when I’m ready to use them!

 

2.) Keep notes!

There are of course many different ways to keep notes. You can either have a physical little calendar, where you note all the things that later end up in your PL album, or your can have a voice recorder, a dairy kind of app on your computer or phone, post it notes all over the place - whatever way works for you!

For me, what has worked best the last few months, is a free app/website called Evernote. It works great!

 

 

I have it synced with my computer and my tablet and basically I can make notes as I go.  I have a Project Life folder in Evernote, also organized by month.

It takes a few minute here and there to make sure I record something, but it’s time well spent, as it becomes my main reference when catching up on Project Life. If you have a smartphone, the Evernote app even let’s you record your voice, so you can literally just talk to it while you drive and save it, or have it transcribe it to text. Totally cool, right?  Oh and you can snap/add photos to your Evernote content too.

Anyway, it’s free and it’s a cool little app - and useful for so much more than just Project Life!

 

And, when it comes to retracing events, don’t forget your calendar or appointment books, be they online or offline!

So, even if you fall behind, do make sure you keep up with the photos and the notes. It doesn’t have to be much, just little reminder notes on your calendar, or in evernote, or whichever method you decide on. And the odd snapshot of daily life!

 

 

 

3.) Use Social Media as source and reminders!

If you are active on Facebook and Twitter, go back there too when you are catching up. I often post funny little things my kids say, and even though I try and also make a note of them in Evernote, I sometimes forget. But my Facebook timeline provides me with a dated record! Also good if you’re just starting and trying to backtrack what you did when, etc. Every once in a while I also include a little print out of a post or conversation I had on facebook and add it to my Project Life.

 

 

Blog posts are a great way to remember what you were doing too, and something you may on occasion include in your Project Life album as well!

 

 

4.) Enlist your kids/spouse/friends/pets to contribute to your project life album.

Not only does it help you, it provides a real snapshot of your life! I often give my kids a 6x4 piece of paper/card stock and ask them to write or draw something they would like to go in the album. Sometimes they even come and ask now! I love their contributions!

 

5.) Don’t fall behind while catching up!

It is so easy to get swept up in “catch-up” mode and filling those gaps, that you might fall behind on the current stuff!

So, my objective has always been, do something for the current period of Project Life, then fill a gap or three. That way you are not playing catch-up the entire year!

Work quickly and efficiently on the catch-up pages, you want to get them done, but you also want to have fun and get back to the present as quickly as possible.

 

5.) Keep it simple!

When you are behind or you are just starting out, keep it simple. You will develop your style and preferences over time, but for now it’s just important to get going (again.) So, go with as quick as possible and as simple as possible! As I have mentioned before, the Core Kits are a great way to not only get you started, but also prompted and on your way in a very efficient and pretty looking way!

So, get some premade cards/inserts, do your journaling in the, for you, simplest way possible. You can always add more to embellish things at a later date, if you really want to, but for now you are getting it done and that is the objective!

 

Keeping it simple also means, having a few tools, that keep your life and workflow uncomplicated. Those will be different things for everyone. For me they are the following:

 

1. Fiskars 12-inch Paper Trimmer .

 

 

I use this thing all the time! It’s precise and I can trim my cards, photos, paper strips and whatever else I need neatly and most of all ... it’s straight! From very small stuff to 12x12 papers, I can do it all on this!

 

 

2. The Glue Glider and the Micro Glue Dots .

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I can’t even tell you through how many adhesive applicators I’ve gone in my crafting years. Most of them left me from somewhat wanting to downright furious and frustrated.

About a year ago I found the Glue Glider and I haven’t looked back. I LOVE that thing!!!  Such easy and precise application, bi-directional gliding and it has never let me down on the gluing front!

And, the easiest of all - the refill is a cartridge. No threading, no winding, no nothing when it is time to refill the glider. Just pull it out and insert the new one. Done!

The refills are easily available online and if you are an ebayer, keep an eye out there, as you can often get deals on 2 or 3 pack refills for much less than in the stores!

 

And then there are the Micro Glue Dots .

They are my go to for adhering embellishments  and anything else small. They are quick, easy and reliable!

 

3. I already mentioned the Paint The Moon Photoshop Actions! Definitely a favorite tool of mine.

 

4. My vintage typewriter.

Ok, I still can’t get over that a smith corona typewriter from the 80s is “vintage”. That makes me feel somewhat vintage too! But I digress. I got this machine on ebay. It’s not particularly pretty to look at, not like some other vintage type writers, but it was affordable, it works pretty well and the typewriter ribbon it uses, is still available for purchase!

I do a lot of my journaling on that machine. I love the typewriter look, mistakes, white-out and all!

I also do journaling on my computer and then print it on cards, particularly when I need the writing to be small and there is a lot of it!

Of course you can always just hand write it all! I am not all that fond of my handwriting, and even though I include it, I tend to use the computer and the typewriter the most when it comes to journaling. Not least of all because they are a lot faster and much less strenuous on my hands!

 

5. Grid Cards.

 

 

 

Even though I don’t use core kit cards in my ongoing Project Life album, I do use the 3x4 and the 4 x 6 grid cards. A LOT! I just love them.

Not only are they a great base for both journaling and embellishment, I love that I can slide them right in as they are. Oh and yes,  I am just ever so slightly obsessed with the grid pattern! You may have noticed.

Oh and just a heads up - these sell out fairly frequently, so if you are into them too, stock up!

 

6. A good roller date stamp!

 

I got  this one when I first started with Project Life and it’s still my most frequently used date stamp, even though I have accumulated a few more since, I like this simple one the best!

 

So, what do you think? Can you get caught up? Or just get started? I hope some of the above proofs helpful to you! Just make a start and then keep going! You can do it!

And don’t forget - enjoy the process!!

 

I’ll be back tomorrow with a few more of my favorite things when it comes to the Project Life kind of scrapbooking! Until then, have fun!

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Halloween/Fall Cluster Digi Freebie

I’ve put together 2 cute clusters for your scrapping pleasure! One for general fall and one for your Halloween scrapping!

 

You can find the download link for the freebie on Studio Rosey Posey’s blog. Enjoy!

 

You can find Awe-ful Little Witch in Rosey Posey’s Studio and today (Sunday 30th) is the last day for the $3.49 bargain!

 

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Awe-ful Little Witch And a Freebie

Studio Rosey Posey teamed up again to make Awe-ful Little Witch!
Finding My Way was so much fun for us to make, so we just carried on and this little miss has found her way into a witch costume!
The kit which includes 74 elements, 7 papers and an alphabet is just $3.49 this weekend only!
Make sure you don’t miss it!

And here are the elements:

And the papers:

  

So, that’s my latest adventure in digi scrapping land!

And there will be a few more things over time. I’m having such fun with  being back in Photoshop, that I’m finding it hard to stop! Yay! What a difference an extended break can make!

We’re off to a kids birthday party this afternoon, so excitement is running high around here!

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Finding My Way!

*~*~*And the winner of the kit is lucky #4, Loralynn! Congratulations! Please email me to claim your coupon code for your Finding My Way Kit!*~*~*

I have some news!! I’ve been bursting to tell for a few days and now I finally can!
I give you a little  hint!

Ok, so that was a pretty massive hint. Actually it wasn’t a hint at all, it was giving the whole game away!! Obviously the concept of hinting is somewhat lost on me!

So yes, I’ve been dusting off Photoshop and got to design a kit with Lor, a.k.a. Studio Rosey Posey!

As most of you know, I've been out of digi-scrap designing for a while now! As many of you, who follow my blog also know, I have continued to be creative, but in quite new, to me, avenues!
I ended up really getting into the hands-on art journaling, paper scrapping and Project Life! Not only that, I started dabbling in drawing! Yes, me ... the one who could barely do a stick figure!

The other day Lor asked if I might want to do a collab kit one of these days and I jumped at the chance! I was so ready to crank up Photoshop again!

And who better to do it than sweet Lor, who's style and products have always been some of my favorites and who's seemingly never-ending creativity is an inspiration!

So, we just ran with it and it certainly seemed like we just happened at the right time, as the topic, the color scheme, all just happened so naturally and fell into place readily!

As you can see, my style has changed a little and you find a few of my recent hands-on projects reflected in this kit. Not only that, when I decided to stop digi-designing at the time, it was in no small part because I wanted and needed some time to find my way - mostly to myself!
For that reason alone, this kit is very near and dear to my heart, as it also reflects a lot of my personal journey and transformation!

I really enjoyed digi designing again and had so much fun putting this kit together with Lor! I am so grateful for her inspired timing in encouraging me to dust off Photoshop and for her amazing creativity!
I hope you all have as much fun scrapping with this kit as we had making it! It has been a blast! Thank you, Lor!

Let me show you some of what we created together!

You can purchase this as either a bundle (all of it!) or as the Finding My Way kit (main papers, elements, word strips and alphas.)

Here are the elements:

The papers:

The alphas:

The word strips, typed on my vintage typewriter:

Then we also did some clusters:

And some extra art papers:

And just look at all the gorgeousness the crew and the Studio Rosey Posey team put together!

And, yes, there is a coupon!

I really hope you enjoy this kit! I had a blast making it and can’t wait to see what fabulousness you all create with it!

Oh, and I’ll also having a little contest:

Leave a comment on this post to be entered to win a FREE copy of the Kit!
Winner will be chosen at random on Saturday, Sept 15, 2012!

***The contest is now closed. Thank you for participating!***

Happy scrapping!

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These are a few of my favorite things ... Cost saving tips for specialty-diet, online shopping!

Since I’ve mentioned that I shop online for some of the more specialty ingredients in my “Super-organized August” post, people have shown some interest in what my favorite places/deals are for the more expensive  ingredients, that are often just not that affordable locally, especially when you are trying to feed a whole family on those items!

This list will be a mixed lot as a lot of specialties, so not everything is going to be useful to everyone, but some might just find something they need!

 

1.) Ancient Harvest Quinoa Organic Pasta Gluten Free(Pack of 12)

This is our favorite pasta! Not only is it delicious, it is organic, gluten-free, nutritious (super-grain) and it cooks up really quickly (4-6 minutes) My kids love this pasta!

The only issue with this pasta can be that you might overcook it if you’re used to cooking pasta longer, but you can get used to this really quickly! Make sure you really only cook it aldente (so it still has a little bit of a bite to it) and you will have a perfect pasta dish!

 

They come in several varieties too. Elbows, Veggie Spirals (one of our favorites), Spaghetti, Rotelle and Pagodas

 

I linked you to the Amazon product above as there tends to be a consistently cheaper bulk price, but I also check out VitaCost regularly as they often have really good deals on this particular pasta. The added advantage is that Vita Cost has a flat shipping rate (or free shipping over $49) and you can order as much or as little of each variety as you want, if you don’t want to get the bulk box of 12.

• VitaCost Ancient Harvest Quinoa Pasta.

And I get almost all our Vitamins and Supplements from VitaCost too (WAY cheaper than anywhere else and really good quality!) so that usually works out really well for us.

 

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2.) Which brings me to another one of my favorite things/places. VitaCost!

 

 

We’ve been getting our supplements there for many years now and it has never disappointed in price or quality! They have crazy low prices on supplements, which has really made a big difference in our Vitamin and Supplement budget, so it might be worthwhile checking them out if you use a lot of vitamins, minerals and supplements. ‘

They also carry beauty products, herbs, specialty foods,  homeopathic products, nutritional items ... well you get the picture.

They are worth a look, really! I keep on coming back to them over and over, especially since I have purchased a few things only to smack my head later finding that VitaCost does actually carry it - AND much cheaper! So these days, I check them first!

As I already mentioned above, they also have a fast array of specialty foods. Gluten-free, low-carb, organic, vegan, etc. just to mention a few. With their great prices, frequent sales and flat rate shipping (or free , they are a regular place for online shopping for us!

 

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3.) I already let you know about my favorite place for Organic Palm Shortening.  Our family usually goes through two gallons of this stuff a year, so I generally wait until they have their sale on, as it makes it a really good deal, especially with free shipping!

 

 

Incidentally, they also carry a whole array of healthy oils, including the Extra Virgin Variety of the Palm Shortening, pretty much all varieties of Coconut oil and even the Coconut C0ncentrate. They also have lots of organic food offerings, raw honey,  an extensive library on healthy oils and health benefits, as well as a great Recipe section for all sorts of healthy recipes, so it’s definitely a site worth checking out!

 

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4.) Bulk Erythritol. I get it on ebay. Yes, ebay. It’s often worth a look for specialty or bulk food items! I got 25 lbs. of erythritol from a bulk seller a year ago. It worked out to something like $3.50/lb. which is a third of the price compared to local prices and it has been a really good quality. Unfortunately the seller I used is no longer there, so I can’t link you, but the principle still applies!  Look on Ebay!

Speaking of Erythritol. If you are a frequent user you will know that it’s very hard to dissolve. Powdered erythritol usually works better, but it is also more expensive. Well, often when you buy bulk erythritol it can clump, which is really not a huge deal. But another big cost saver is to just grind your own powdered erythritol. A coffee grinder will do the job just fine and you simultaneously get rid of clumps and powder it ready for use! You are saving upwards of $1.50 on every pound that way!

The other place that has the next best price on Erythritol is nutrition.com. Also a great place , especially for specialty ingredients. Also a place with low flat-rate shipping, which is always a huge bonus!

 

 

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5.) My most favorite, best money saving place for online shopping in general is however ... who can guess? Yep, not difficult, right?

You will find sooo many things on my blog linked to Amazon.com. Not so much because I am an affiliate, but because it’s my favorite place to shop. It’s because it has been my favorite and best money saving place to shop for many years, that I became an affiliate. Subtle but important difference, right?

Anyway, shopping on Amazon.com is not only fast and convenient, it can be a real money saver! Amazon Prime membership comes with so many benefits, which are great, but the “bestest” one of them all is the free 2- day shipping!

Their Subscribe & Save program has to be my second favorite thing!

I admit that Amazon wasn’t always first on my list to check for grocery items. But in the last couple of years their array of grocery items has not only grown, but it has become really competitive in terms of pricing, especially if you are a Prime member and you don’t pay for the shipping!

It’s a great way to save money on bulk items and you can totally control the frequency. Oh, if you’ve never tried it, just a little tip. Whenever you have a Subscribe & Save item, you get the choice of regular check-out or Subscribe & Save checkout. You can safely click Subscribe & Save . It will give you more money off your order and if you find that you don’t like the item or you don’t like it on a regular basis, you can just go into your account and cancel it before the next delivery! There is no obligation which is really neat!

 

So what kind of things do I get there? How does it work out cost wise? Let me show you some examples.

• Lipton Tea Bags, Decaffeinated Family Size 48-Count, 10.5 Ounce Boxes (Pack of 3) 48 family sized tea bags per box, times 3 gives us 144 family sized tea bags. We pay $17.24 for those.

If I bought the same amount of tea bags at Wal-Mart, I pay around $22 (including sales tax) And I don’t get it delivered to my door, which is an added bonus of online shopping!

• Lipton Green Tea, Decaffeinated, Tea Bags, 40-Count Boxes (Pack of 6) We pay $19.79 for that. So that’s  $3.29/box.

This is often about the same price at Wal-Mart, IF we can find it as they are frequently out of stock and elsewhere it is more expensive. However, we still pay sales tax on top of that, so for us, having a steady supply of the tea we drink every single day, is worth it!

Now occasionally a coupon will come around for Lipton teas, and if those work out cheaper, I will get them locally and delay the Subscribe & Save delivery for the appropriate amount of time.

 

• Gold Mine Kelp Noodles, 16-Ounce (Pack of 6)

Love, love, love these noodles! Tasty, so many different ways to prepare them (flavor and texture wise), they are raw and really nutritious. And very filling, low-carb, gluten-free and low-calorie!  A lovely change from the zucchini noodles for me!

But, even if I can find them locally, which is rare, they are VERY expensive. Around here upwards of  $6/16 oz. On Amazon I pay $19.23 for 6, which makes it $3.20 per pack.

Incidentally, the second best non-bulk price I know of is at VitaCost, so again, worth checking that out!

 

I would also highly recommend checking out the Subscribe & Save cereals. Unless you buy the no-name cereals, which would be cheaper, the Subscribe & Save cereal boxes can often be much cheaper, especially for the gluten-free cereals!

And speaking of gluten-free, check out those items too, especially if you use Bob’s Red Mill. I also get the Gluten Free Whole Grain, Rolled Oats and Gluten Free Oat Flour from them.

And of course Amazon.com is pretty much one-stop-shopping on so many items, so it’s not just for groceries or book anymore either! It always helps when you can combine things!

 

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6.) Last but not least, don’t forget to look at

 

for specialty items.

 

I know, it’s again not the first place that comes to mind for gluten-free, organic or even vaguely healthy food items, but you might be surprised. In the last 2 years or so, Big Lots seems to have more and more specialty food items, which is great. Of course you can’t count on them always being there - that is the nature of Big Lots. They buy liquidation lots and sell them and once it’s gone it’s gone. However, you can find gems and stock up big time. A couple of weeks ago Big Lots had a huge blow-out on Bob’s Red Mill items, amongst them about 5 gluten-free items. Amongst them the whole-grain oats! They were 50% or less per package of the usual retail price! So it’s well worth checking out Big Lots every once in a while!

 

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So, this has been a somewhat more product rich and elaborate post, but I hope I gave you some places to explore, some new ideas and some ways to save some money on the specialty items on your grocery lists!

 

I would love to hear of some other places people have found great deals at, so don’t be shy about letting us know in the comments! Have a fabulous day everyone!

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Birgit Kerr Handmade

So, as you know, I’ve really been getting into the whole Project Life thing and I found that I am really having fun doing all sorts of Project Life related projects! And while I was doing that, I just got so many ideas and inspirations, that I ended up making lots and lots of stuff and I’m still going!

After I posted some of my embellished journaling cards there was quite a bit of interest and lots of people contacted me asking if I would consider selling them. Well, I considered it and it was a resounding YES!

So, I expanded my little store on Big Cartel and whenever the crafting bug gets a hold of me and I just keep on making things, I will put them in the store and you can choose from there.

I put a few things in there right now. All of them are sized to work for Project Life, but they are also a great addition for general scrapbooking, crafting, embellishing, card making, party decorating and favor making and a lot of things in between!  Take a look, you might find something you like!

A lot of items in that store won’t be there regularly - many are one of a kind and once they are gone, they are gone!

This is a whole new concept for me too, having been used to digital designs. But, the upside is that everything stays fresh and new!

 

Here are a few of the things that reside in the store right now:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have a few more things coming over the next week or so, but that’s what is in the store for now!

Have a fabulous day/evening everyone!

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