Almond Joy Green Smoothie

I would venture to say that it is no secret to my regular readers and followers that I have a crazy mad sweet tooth.  I have been making strides to eat healthier more often, but I do try to live by a moderation and not deprivation rule as far as my daily diet goes. To curb and satisfy those frequent sweet tooth cravings, I like to create a few lower calorie and lower fat versions of some of my dessert favorites. 

And one of my fave ways to do this is with simple & creamy green smoothies. 

While there are a handful of candy bars that I crave, Almond Joys often top my list.  Creamy coconut & crunchy almonds coated in sweet milk chocolate...

I am pretty happy to report to you all that my Almond Joy Green Smoothie comes pretty close to the real deal. ;)

Perfect for when you need a sweet treat without overindulging...

Salted Caramel Mocha Popsicles

Okay, all... so it is hot in the south! I am not complaining, but I am so happy that Melanie from Melanie Makes is taking over the blog today with these amazing & frosty Salted Caramel Mocha Popsicles!  I could use one (or maybe three!) of these right about now. ;) Be sure to pop over & check out her blog, you all. I am in lurve with her awesome food photography skills and in awe of how many delicious recipes she shares on her blog each week...

I'm definitely not what you would call a coffee person.  I tried drinking it for a semester in college but I was putting so much stuff in it to make it drinkable that it pretty much defeated the purpose.  Then a year ago while leaving a favorite drink establishment, one of the employees offered me a caramel mocha that was a duplicate for an already filled order.  I took it to be polite figuring that once I walked out, I could pawn it off on my coffee loving husband to drink.

But the whipped cream cloud on top drizzled with caramel seduced me into taking a sip.  And I was a goner.  It turns out that I'm totally fine with mochas as mocha = chocolate! With the weather becoming warm, I've been treating myself to several iced mochas but I wanted something that I could enjoy at home. 

These popsicles are the answer! A mocha popsicle flavored with caramel and chocolate syrups, caramel creamer and whipped topping.  Even better?  One recipe makes enough popsicles to create a stash in my freezer, ready at a moments notice. 

Raspberry Rose Sorbet in Floral Ice Bowls

Hello all! I am so thrilled to have Prudy from Butter Basil & Breadcrumbs sharing this truly elegant recipe for her Raspberry Rose Sorbet in Floral Ice Bowls. Yes, folks... Floral. Ice. Bowls!

How cool are these?? And this sorbet sounds like the perfect refreshing treat for a hot summer day...

I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to be writing this guest post for Carrie…and when she asked if I’d be interested, there was absolutely no hesitation before I said yes! I immediately knew that I wanted to make something refreshing and summery for her.  It didn’t take me long to decide on Raspberry Rose Sorbet in Floral Ice Bowls. Sorbet is one of my favorite things to make during the summer- it’s quick and easy and always a special treat no matter how many times you serve it! 

And now with the warmer weather finally here, we will all be craving and searching for something that is refreshing, possibly something icy to help us cool off on those hot days. This sorbet is not only the perfect cure for those hot days, but it’s so, so delicious. Honestly? I have eaten more raspberry sorbet in the last couple of months than I care to admit, but I’m not sorry for it. It’s just that good!   

Swirly Cinnamon Banana Bread

Good morning, friends! You all are going to love Danielle from Busy Mom's Helper, and I am so happy to have her here on Frugal Foodie Mama today sharing her recipe for this Swirly Cinnamon Banana Bread. :) If a cinnamon roll and banana bread had a baby, it would pretty much be this recipe right here...

Hey, Y'all! I'm Danielle from over at Busy Mom's Helper, and I'm so excited to be taking over Carrie's blog today (in the nicest way)! Although I originally was going to share a different recipe, our ripened-faster-than-we-could-blink bananas had their own agenda. And what's the best thing to do with overripe bananas? Bread, of course! But this is a step BEYOND the norm...Swirly Cinnamon Banana Bread!   

Hubby was so excited when I mentioned making this (he was about to throw those dang bananas out...how dare he!). And guess what? The entire loaf didn't even last three hours. Yes, we shared with the kids (a little), but the rest we just downed ourselves. Yup, it's that good!   I mean, just look at that cinnamon swirly! 

Basil Infused Strawberry Lemonade

Can I get a show of hands from everyone who is ready to sip something refreshing and fruity on their back decks and patios already? I think I have been ready since about two months ago!

We are currently in the midst of redecorating and updating our back deck, and I am so looking forward to hosting friends and family for cookouts and drinks in our pretty new outdoor space.  I am already dreaming up fruity & refreshing beverages to be sipping out of mason jars while relaxing on the back deck on a warm summer evening...

Last summer I became obsessed with making my own flavorful infused simple syrups.  Simple syrups are such an easy way to sweeten and add flavor to your favorite beverages be it iced tea, mojitos, and of course, lemonade.  For this Basil Infused Strawberry Lemonade recipe, I used a homemade basil infused simple syrup.

A Mad Scientist Party {A Guest Post from Simply {Darr}ling}

I am happy to have Kendra from Simply {Darr}ling on the blog today sharing her fun ideas for a Mad Scientist Party for HalloWonderful Week!  Being a Big Bang Theory fan myself, I find this idea to be pretty cool.... ;) 

Hello Frugal Foodie Mama Fans! I'm Kendra from Simply {Darr}ling and I'm happy to be joining in with HalloWonderful week! I've gotten to know Carrie over the past year or so and she always comes up with such fun ways to celebrate the various holidays throughout the year!

The Top 3 Halloween Must-Do's at Walt Disney World Resort {Guest Post}

I am so thrilled to have Erica of Pixie and Pirate Destinations on the blog today chatting with us all about what is on her short list of must-do's when visiting Disney around Halloween.   After reading through her recommendations, I may be hitting her up to help us plan a little trip to the Magic Kingdom for next Halloween... ;) 

Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year at the Walt Disney World resort.

We’ve been lucky to have had great weather for the trips we’ve made in the fall- it’s a great time of year!

DIY Easy Jet Packs {A Guest Tutorial from Busy Mom's Helper}

Hey Ya'all! I'm Dani from over at Busy Mom's Helper, and I'm so glad to be here again at Frugal Foodie Mama. Carrie is, seriously, one of my absolute FAVORITE bloggers, and her stuff is always just top notch - so I know you're all here expecting something amazing. Hopefully you'll love what I have to share with you today.....

Easy Jet Packs

Yup, these are so EASY, and just so dang adorable. Plus, the kids LOVE them! So come on over to visit me at Busy Mom's Helper today (or anytime, I love visits!), and check out how to make them really quick!

What Are Horse Brasses? {Check Out Lisa's Guest Post & Find Out!}

It's great to be hanging out with Carrie again!  We took a brief hiatus to deal with food allergies, a dead water heater, and a cranky car, it's nice to do something fun :)

Today's project centers around our collection of horse brasses.  Horse brasses, you say?  Never heard of them...

Horse brasses, as the name implies, are made of brass and were designed to adorn the tack of large-breed horses, much like the famous Budweiser Clydesdales.  Here's an example:

source

So what do you do when you're half-English and have a collection of horse brasses that you want to show off, and don't have a huge draught horse in the back-yard to put them on?

If you live in our house, you drag out a piece of left-over wood from another project and get creative.

First things first:  get your horse brasses and dust them off (because they've been sitting in the garage for a month waiting for you to put them up).  They will look bright and shiny when you're finished:

Next, lay them out on your board and figure out the spacing.  I wouldn't get all technical and pull out the yardstick and t-square.  Trust your judgement and go with what looks good to you.  Find some pretty ribbon to hang your brasses from.  Ours came from the clearance bin at Michael's for $1.

Once you're happy with your arrangement, slide the brasses off and flip the board over.  Get your staple gun (you do have a staple gun, right?) and staple the ribbon to the back of the board.  Keep a hammer handy, just in case you need to tap the staple in.

Easy peasy.

We found it easier to start at the center and work our way out.  Keep going until all of your brasses are attached, flipping over each time to check for placement and spacing.  

We hung our collection over the book-cases, attaching it with a couple of wood scraps so that it would stand out from the wall.

Ta da!  

Horse brasses can be found on eBay and in antique stores.  We can find them at some of our favorite haunts for $3 - $5 each, although some of the rare and collectible brasses can fetch considerably more.  

In case you're wondering, the brass forks are also English.  They're toasting forks, used to toast bread over the fire place.  

So there you have it - a quick lesson on English collectibles and an inexpensive decorating idea!  We're getting back into the swing of things over on our blog, so stop by and see what's happening.  Here's a hint - there's nothing like the threat of company to motivate you on a bathroom face-lift.

Thank you, Lisa for another fabulous guest post!  Now I am going be on the outlook for horse brasses when I visit thrift shops and yard sales- how about you? ;)
Make sure you visit Lisa over at her blog, Paintbrush and Screwdriver and say hello!

Jessica From Frikken Duckie is Talking Guam Fiestas {& a Giveaway!}

Okay, so I have another fabulous blogger/sponsor stopping over this week to share a little about her local foodie life AND to giveaway away some island goodies from her home to one of you all! :)  Jessica (aka, Duckie) lives on the island of Guam, and I am fascinated with this because my mother lived there as a kid for a couple of years while her father was in the Air Force and was stationed there.  I can still remember my grandmother pulling out their projector and showing us a slide show of their life there. :)  Please say hello to Jessica from Frikken Duckie and get yourself entered to win some spicy yummies! 

Hey all you Frugal Foodie Mama readers!

I'm Duckie, a 20-something island girl blogging over at Frikken Duckie from the island of Guam.

I'm so excited to be able to share my love for local Chamorro/Guamanian food with you today! Here on Guam, the best place to eat at is at a Chamorro fiesta, or party.  There is always an abundance of food and fun at a fiesta - it's what every foodie dreams of!

Some of the dishes you would typically see at a fiesta are Red Rice, Titiyas, Lumpia, Pancit, barbecued meats, Fritada, various seafood dishes, Kelaguen, Tamales Gisu, roasted pig, and Finadene.

Here are a few photos of a fiesta table:









Looks good, doesn't it?  And that's only two of the tables!  A typical fiesta spread consists of a main table, a seafood and salad table, a table for the pig and other large meats/poultry, and a dessert table.

It is typical for people to have several plates full of food - I always have at least 3 - and fiestas tend to last all night so the food is kept in warmers or on ice to keep from spoiling.

If I could, I would send you all a plate of food, but I think most people prefer to eat food that isn't spoiled or have mold growing on it, right?  What I can do however is give away a large ad space on my blog for one month plus this super awesome finadene sauce set to one of you lucky readers!

Finadene is a kind of sauce that local Chamorros use with just about everything.  Basic finadene consists mainly of soy sauce, vinegar, onions, and peppers.

This set is made by Everything Guam and comes with a bottle of finadene, plus two types of dinanche (smashed peppers).  The dinanche adds that extra kick for all you spicy food lovers out there!

Good luck to all of you who enter and thanks Carrie for having me!

♥ Duckie. 
 *This giveaway is open internationally. Please be sure that you are doing what you are claiming in the Rafflecopter. All of the winner's entries will be checked and verified, so no funny business. ;) Please see the additional Terms & Conditions in the Rafflecopter widget below.    a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Few Budgeting Tips From Rambling Momma {& a Giveaway!}

I would love to introduce you all to my Friendship Bread sponsor for the month of January, Terri from Rambling Momma.  I quickly discovered that Terri and I had something in common- we are both trying to revamp our finances and budgets with the Total Money Makeover principles of Dave Ramsey.  I have actually been reading his book for the past couple of months, and my husband and I are presently working on Baby Step #1- the emergency fund.  Check out some of what Terri and her husband have already learned about financial freedom, and then be sure to enter to win your very own copy of the The Total Money Makeover courtesy of Terri! :)

Hi there ya'all, I am so glad to be able to come over here and guest post for Carrie.

I blog over at Rambling Momma...

So it's a New Year... how about some changes?

I used to be a big spender...$$$$$$

It was nothing for me to spend as much money as I felt like it. I remember one week I bought 9 pairs of shoes- YES I AM CRAZY.  

If I am having a bad day, I would go shopping. Some people eat chocolate.  I shopped. It has caused many arguments between my husband and I. But since moving here  I have CHANGED Oh yeah... thanks to  Dave Ramsey and his money management skills.  

In fact, my pastor teaches his course at a college here and he has been giving us hints and tips here and there.  I have never before wanted anything to do with a budget or saving money. I wanted to spend, spend spend. I have noticed a significant drop in our arguing, and we get along so much better. Yes, it is hard to get used to following a budget. You cannot just punish yourself - well you can but it wont work well. Allow yourself to eat out. But BUDGET for it. Take lunch to work with you- it isn't that bad to eat leftovers, salad or a sandwich... Give yourself a weekly allowance and if you use it all before the start of a new week, do not take more money out.  Wait til the week begins, or learn to not spend right away. :P  Don't go grocery shopping without a list- you buy more then you ever need. I also have started menu planning- even if you don't plan to cook every night, plan something for every night.  I promise you... coming home from work will be less stressful when you have something in the crock pot or something quick and easy to fix.  I used to get super stressed over what I will make for supper each day...not anymore.  I know what I am making for the next 14 days and if there is a day we go out to eat, then I will make that for the next day.  I write my list based on what's on the menu.  I buy just what I need for those meals- then there is no running to the store every day to get what you need for a meal. You buy it all at once.   Of course if you buy in bulk- soon enough you wont have to spend as much money and you can buy shoes or clothes instead :P This Christmas I found myself looking for the cheapest presents for people (not because I am a scrooge, but because I want do more saving than spending).   Fill your gas tank on pay day, and it is proven that you will spend less gas if you fill up completely.  Every dollar we spend is now budgeted for and what a difference! In this past month we have saved $1000.00- yes it is quite easy to do, that is with a vacation and Christmas separate...we have cut our eating out to once per week and sometimes not even that.  Ready to get your own finances in order once and for all?  Terri is giving one lucky reader a copy of Dave Ramsey's The Total Money Makeover!  Just enter using the Rafflecopter below. *This giveaway is open internationally.  Please be sure that you are doing what you are claiming in the Rafflecopter.  All of the winner's entries will be checked and verified, so no funny business. ;) Please see the additional Terms & Conditions in the Rafflecopter widget below. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~Thai Chicken Flatbread Pizza~ A Guest Recipe from Mom's Test Kitchen

You all are just lucking out left and right this week.  (Well, maybe I am...) Because two of my favorite foodie bloggers are sharing my little space over here to bring my readers some delicious recipes!  Yesterday we had Julie from This Gal Cooks sharing her recipe for delicious Curry Crab Stuffed Mushrooms, and today Jaime from Mom's Test Kitchen is here with her how-to for a yummy Thai Chicken Flatbread Pizza...

(Pssssttt... Make sure you check out my Big 300 All Treats Giveaway while you are here!  Lots up for grabs, including a $25 Restaurant.com egiftcard & a $10 Starbucks gift card from Miss Jaime herself!)

Hey y'all! I'm so excited to be here at Frugal Foodie Mama sharing a delicious & simple dinner idea! Well first I guess I should introduce myself! I'm Jaime, the wife & momma behind Mom's Test Kitchen, my little space in the blogosphere where I share the recipes I make for my family. I also occasionally like to branch outside of my kitchen and share the fun little educational activities that I do with my Princess P.

I have to tell y'all how much I love Carrie's blog!  As a stay at home mom, I'm always on the hunt for budget friendly recipes & I love what Carrie comes up with!!  One of our favorite low-cost meals is pizza, but not the frozen out of the box kind!  We love flatbread pizza!!  And we love Asian food so I knew I had to try out an Asian inspired pizza!!  It was absolutely delicious!  This is definitely a pizza we'll be making again!!

*If you're not a huge fan of spicy, use less hot sauce in the recipe ~ it does have a nice kick to it :)

THAI CHICKEN FLATBREAD PIZZA

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 can (5 ounces) chicken
• 1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 cup frozen 3 pepper & onion blend, thawed
• 1/2 cup fresh spinach leaves, roughly chopped
• 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup hot sauce (I used Frank's)
• 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
• mozzarella cheese
• flatbread

LETS COOK:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
2. Place the peanut butter, hot sauce, teriyaki sauce & cilantro in a food processor, blend until smooth.
3. Spread the sauce onto the flatbread - use as much or as little as you would like
4. Top the peanut sauce with the chicken, crushed pineapple, onions & peppers, & spinach. Top with mozzarella cheese.
5. Bake for 3-5 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

NOTES:

*I gave the measurements for the pizza topping ingredients that I started with but I did not use those full amounts on the pizzas - I was only making two pizzas so I had plenty leftover, especially of the sauce      

RECIPE INSPIRED BY: Frank's Red Hot 

If you like this recipe, I hope you'll stop by & check out some of my others! You can also stay up to date on my newest recipes by joining any of my social network communities!

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A Little Sunday Potluck- 10~13~12

Happy Sunday morning all!  Today I am doing a little something different for my ~A Little Sunday Potluck~- I am not the one hosting it! ;)  Sarah from Spoon Fed Baby is!  Sarah was kind enough to hop on over here and share with you all her top 5 blog finds from this past week while I am healing from a couple of corneal scratches courtesy of my baby girl.  Thank you so much, Sarah! :)

Hi new bloggy friends! I'm Sarah and I blog over at Spoon Fed Baby, and am super-duper excited today to be a part of Carrie's Sunday Potluck this week! I am a proud Mama to a 14 month old boy who is {thankfully} not walking yet (I fear though that when he learns, he will be running), and an awesome husband who {sometimes} reads my blog (hee-hee). You can usually find me click clacking away at my lap top about homemade baby food, sensory play ideas, and the occasional DIY. I am constantly pinning, clipping, and bookmarking my fave blog posts from recipes to play time ideas, so coming up with some awesome blog posts for The Sunday Potluck was a piece of cake. I hope you enjoy my great finds for the week! #1 comes from Aimee at Barns and Noodles (don't you love that name?). One of my most favorite "I can come up with an excuse to drink it anytime" drinks is chai tea! In this post she combines pumpkin and chai tea in the crock pot to make a wonderful fall drink. I can smell it simmering right now.

Going right along with the pumpkin fall theme #2 comes from Wholesome Baby Food Guide. This blog was my bible when it came to introducing baby food to my little guy. Maggie tells us how to make a pumpkin dip for kids that can be used for anything from a dip for apples to a spread on flat bread. So many options I don't know where to start!

My #3 fave post this week is from Katie at Playing with Words 365. She is my go to girl when it comes to my son's speech and language development. This week she shared some great gross motor activities that tie in language. My son is a bit young still but I bet some of you would love this especially because it's something to do indoors when the fall weather is too chilly outdoors.

#4 comes from one of my new favorite Mommy Blogs. Cassie from Two in Diapers writes about a "birthday reflection" as her son turns 3, and puts it perfectly into words how our love grows for our children with each passing day! Very touching (smile).

And last but certainly not least, #5 is from Your Kid's Table. This blog is truly a blog after my heart seeing that her posts are mostly about feeding young children and sensory play! Hello! Her latest post about the surprising amount of sugars in some kid's foods prompted me to switch out a few things. Granted, I still eat the sugary stuff, but at least my little guy doesn't!

Thanks again to Carrie for allowing me to put my 2 cents in about some awesome bloggy posts this week. I hope you find them just as wonderful as I did!

How Being a Veghead (Even Just Part-Time) Can Cut Down On Your Grocery Bill

I am happy to be hosting a guest post today from the lovely Christa of Crisduh, where she blogs about everything from food to fashion to vespas. (Yes, you heard me right.  Vespas. ;) ) It is not a big secret that I am not a vegetarian, but we do eat meat free at least two times a week (but not always on Mondays ;) ).  Pssssst... Christa is letting us all in on a little secret.  Eating vegetarian at least a few times a week can really cut down on your grocery bill.  
I will let Christa take it away....

People always ask me if it's terribly challenging to not eat meat, which is surprising to me because I find my diet particularly easy and on top of that, it's affordable. We probably spend $50-$70 per week on groceries for the two of us, which includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Here are my 3 favorite vegetarian-friendly recipes that are incredibly easy to make, affordable, and delicious: 

1. Chickpea Tacos I use chickpeas a lot when I cook and when I came across this recipe, I was thrilled to find one more way to use them. Courtesy of the Happy Herbivore website, this recipe is quick, tasty, and easy to multiply if you have company or if you're just super hungry. Ingredients:

• 15 ounces chickpeas ($0.99)
• 1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce (have on hand)
• 2 tsp lemon juice ($0.30/lemon)
• 1 recipe taco seasoning($1.19)
• 8 whole taco shells ($3.50)

Total cost = $8.98 Serves 3 - 4 ($2.20/person) Click here for the full recipe

2. Tofu Tikka Masala Tofu is great in Indian dishes because they are so full of flavor to be absorbed by the tofu. This is by far one of my favorite dishes of all time. There was a while there when we ate it more than once a week.

• 1 pound extra firm tofu ($2.00)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (have on hand)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (have on hand)
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger ($0.50)
• 2 cloves garlic cloves, minced ($0.50)
• 1 cinnamon stick (have on hand)
• Spices: 1/2 teaspoon chile powder, 1 teaspoon garam masala powder, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder (have on hand)
• 1 (15-ounce) can organic tomato sauce ($0.99)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (have on hand)
• 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup (have on hand)
• 1 cup fresh or frozen peas ($1.99)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened light coconut milk ($2.50)

Total cost = $8.48 Serves 6 ($1.41/person) Click here for the full recipe 

3. Spiced Black Bean Burger I wasn't always a fan of black bean burgers, but this one was an instant hit. I love cumin, so I think that is what makes me dig it the most. I add whatever veggies I have around the house to this, like corn. You can definitely modify this to your taste and I usually double it so that I have leftovers for lunch or to put on top of a salad.

• 1 15- to 16-ounce can black beans ($0.99)
• 1/3 cup chopped red onion ($1.00)
• 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs ($2.50)
• 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup bottled chunky salsa ($3.00)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin (have on hand)
• 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (have on hand)
• hamburger buns or salad

Total cost = $7.49 Serves 2-3 ($2.50/person) Click here for the full recipe So there's the proof! A meatless diet can be affordable, easy, and yummy. For more of my favorite recipes and food ideas, click here. Note: I am technically a "pescetarian," which means that fish is a part of my diet, but I love sharing these plant-based recipes with people because they are the most affordable and easiest to make. Bon appetit!