Author Archives: Tiffany

About Tiffany

Tiffany is a frugal foodie, balancing the desire to feed her family healthy food while being a good steward of her finances. She realizes it's possible to eat good food on a small budget if you make baby-sized changes. She works hard at mastering real food without going broke and shares her journey at Don’t Waste the Crumbs and on Facebook.

Apple Pie Smoothie_400px

High Protein Apple Pie Smoothie (No Powder!)

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Apple pie is a favorite dessert when the weather turns cold. Slightly sweet apples mixed with cinnamon, nestled between two flaky, buttery crusts is the perfect way to end a meal with fresh, seasonal fruit.  

Unfortunately, meals seem to be a bit bigger and a bit heavier this time of year and tummies often don’t have enough room after dinner to fit even a small slice of pie. 

Plus, if we’re being honest, we’ve probably already eaten more than our fair share of homemade cookies!

Instead of skipping dessert, or over-indulging in too many sweets, why not have apple pie for breakfast?  This smoothie tastes just like dessert, and as a healthy bonus, it has over 20 grams of protein! 

This high protein apple pie smoothie is from my new eBook, High Protein, No Powder:  Protein Bars and Smoothie Made with Real Food.  High Protein, No Powder. 

My healthy cookbook explains the dangers of processed protein powders, teaches you how to make protein bars and protein smoothies with real food. 

It also offers over 30 delicious recipes to get you started as soon as you get rid of the fake powders.

High Protein, No Powder will be officially released in January, but you can get a sneak preview with this apple pie smoothie recipe.  Now you can indulge in dessert any time of day!

 

High Protein Apple Pie Smoothie

1 cup kefir
1/2 tsp vanilla extractCover 3D 200px
1/2 cup white beans
1 cup loosely packed spinach
1/2 cup banana
1 1/2 cups peeled apple
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup coconut water or whey (optional)

Add the ingredients in the order listed to a blender and process.  Repeat if necessary to ensure smooth consistency.  Serves 1.

Have a blessed day!  Tiffany @ Don’t Waste the Crumbs

Butternut Squash French Fries 2

Roasted Butternut Squash “French Fries”

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Warning:  This recipe is not French, nor fried, and there are no potatoes in sight. 

In fact, it is made up entirely of a single orange vegetable with a strange name and nothing else.  But I’m willing to bet your kids, and hubbie, will eat it up as if it were otherwise!

I stumbled upon this phenomenon known as “French fried (insert food here)” earlier this year when I asked my daughter what she wanted for lunch. 

She gave her standard answer (chicken nuggets and French fries with ketchup) and I gave my standard answer (we don’t have nuggets or fries, and you can’t have just ketchup for lunch).

I wondered though… Could I make something else, call it a French fry and still earn smiles at the table?  Perhaps involving the kids in a small game of pretend by even serving ketchup?!

Sure enough, my hunch was right.  Follow this simple formula for getting kids (and picky parents) to eat their veggies without anyone questioning your motives:

  1. Slice any vegetable into strips
  2. Toss in oil, season and roast them in the oven
  3. Serve it to the family
  4. Call it a (insert food) French fry
  5. Ask if they would like ketchup with their fries

Of course this method works for potatoes too, but why not branch out and try to get the family to eat a variety of vegetables?  Use this pocket guide to purchase seasonal vegetables, put this easy side dish on the menu each week and aim to serve a different color.  Any vegetable would pair perfectly with delicious Panini-style grilled sandwiches – a frugal way to enjoy a sandwich and fries, any time of year!

INGREDIENTS
1 medium butternut squash
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
Coarse salt & pepper

METHOD
Wash and scrub the squash with all-natural produce wash.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Cut off the long, skinny neck of the squash, just where it meets the large, round base.  Trim off the tough outer skin of the squash.  (If the squash is awkward to handle, try cutting the long neck in half first.)

Cut the squash in quarters length-wise, and cut the remaining pieces into thick strips (similar to potato steak fries).

Scoop out the seeds from the round base of the squash, trim off the tough outer skin and cut this portion into thick strips as well.

In a large bowl, combine squash with olive oil and coat thoroughly.  Generously grind salt, pepper and Italian seasonings and stir to combine well.  Spread evenly over a cookie sheet and roast at 400 degrees for approximately 30-40 minutes, turning every 10-15 minutes, until the squash is cooked through.

Note:  Turning the squash encourages even cooking.  The squash will likely not be crispy and firm, so use caution.  You want them to remain intact for the “French fry” effect!

Have a blessed day!  Tiffany @ Don’t Waste the Crumbs

Healthy Frugal Spinach Salad 2

Healthy and Frugal Spinach Salad

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Church potlucks are not known for their healthy fare and there’s a reason.  When you’re making a dish that serves 15-20 people, the cost of ingredients quickly add up. Quality produce and meat can be expensive, so we trim those out. 

Pasta and rice are inexpensive, so we add those in.  Plus, there’s the unwritten tradition that potluck dishes are baked and smothered with cheese. 

What we end up with is a very long table, lined up with orange 9″ x 13″ rectangles and everyone playing the “guess what’s inside” game.

I strive to bring a vegetable to every potluck, but I’m often low on frugal ideas that feed the masses.  My luck turned one day when I flipped over a bag of kale from Costco. 

The recipe on the bag was inspiring, but honestly, it used expensive ingredients:  sun-dried tomatoes, bacon and pine nuts?  Those are too rich for my potluck budget. 

With some easy substitutions and using ingredients I usually have on hand, I’ve created a healthy and frugal salad that is just as tasty with plenty of nutrition!

  • Spinach is a nutrition powerhouse, can be purchased in bulk and extras can be used at home in smoothies. 
  • Sunflower seeds are a good source of protein and more affordable than many cuts of meat. 
  • Onion adds a bit of crunch and jazz, while sweet, juicy tomatoes add a bit of fun. 
  • A sprinkle of Parmesan cheese adds a touch of class!

Be a rebel with me and break the rules.  At the next potluck, let’s bring something that’s completely opposite of tradition:  fresh, frugal,  green and delicious!  This spinach salad is just what every potluck table needs.  And who knows – maybe this one will spark a new tradition!

Healthy and Frugal Spinach Salad

4 cups of spinach, washed and dried (use this frugal, all-natural produce wash)
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 red or white onion, sliced thinly
1 cup cooked, chopped bacon (only if the budget allows!)

Dressing
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 Tbsp lemon or orange juice
1/2 cup olive oil (guide for buying/testing quality oil)
salt & pepper

Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl.  Combine the salad dressing ingredients in a glass jar and shake together vigorously, or in a shallow bowl whisk together well.  Saturate the salad with the dressing and allow to stand for 15-30 minutes for the dressing to permeate the salad.  Toss again before serving.

Have a blessed day!  Tiffany @ Don’t Waste the Crumbs

Mandarin Orange Cheesecake

Mandarin Orange Cheesecake

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Every wife should have a stash of “go-to” recipes she can make for whenever a certain occasion arises.

The one recipe that I believe trumps all other recipes in the arsenal is the cheesecake. This light, creamy dessert compliments all genres of food and pleases nearly every palate.

Crusts can range from crushed cookies to chopped nuts or skipped altogether.  Fillings can be “classic” or dressed up for a unique twist.  Toppings can be thin, thick, mixed with the batter or left off for a strawberry puree topping instead.

After many failed attempts, this mandarin orange cheesecake is a simple variation of my official go-to recipe.

With two minor changes, this can become a delicate vanilla bean cheesecake.  A slightly different swap creates a strawberry key lime cheesecake.  The substitutions are easy and limitless, making this the perfect cheesecake to add to your collection.

Mandarin Orange Cheesecake

Crust
1 cup nuts (any combination)
2 Tbsp butter, melted

Filling
24 oz full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
4 mandarin oranges, zested and juiced*

Topping
1 cup full-fat sour cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and lightly flour the bottom and sides of a 9″ springform pan.

In a food processor, pulse nuts until finely chopped.  Add melted butter and pulse until ingredients are combined well.  Press the nut mixture evenly into bottom of prepared springform pan.  Bake  crust for 10 minutes; cool on a wire rack.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese on low until very creamy, taking care not to whip air into the cheese.  Scrape down sides and add sugar, beating on low until smooth.  Scrape down the sides and add one egg at a time on low, beating until fully incorporated and smooth.  Finally, add mandarin orange zest and juice, beating on low until smooth and fully incorporated.

Pour filling into cooled pie crust.  Place unbaked cheesecake in the oven and cover with a cookie sheet; bake for 20 minutes.  Uncover the cheesecake and continue to bake for 20-30 minutes, until center is set but slightly jiggly like Jell-o.  Remove cheesecake from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. 

In a small bowl, combine sour cream and sugar.  Spread over still warm cheesecake and bake for 5 minutes.  Cool to room temperature before storing covered in the refrigerator. 

Cheesecake is best when prepared the day before.

*Substitute all of the juice and zest for another fruit or extract to create your own family favorite flavors!

Have a blessed day!  Tiffany @ Don’t Waste the Crumbs