Grocery Outlet Score

I'm starting to gather supplies for a camping trip which means a trip to the Grocery Outlet was in order.  It was a good day for gluten free groceries at my local Grocery Outlet. The frozen section had a nice selection this go around; Ian's waffles, and mac and cheese for $2.99 a box, gluten free premade pancakes for $1.99 a box, Amy's meals and Gluten Free Cafe meals for $2.99. 

I did a serious double take when I walked past the large bag of Pamela's baking mix for just $4.99 and the small bread mix for $1.99. I also picked up for refried beans, Thai Kitchen noodles, crackers, and some snacks. Add in some basics like salt and pepper, paper plates, and canned beans, and for $30 I was out of the door. 

Disney on a Budget

I live on that fine line between sane and crazy, and leaned a little into the crazy when I decided to go to Disneyland on New Year's Eve. The place was packed by 9 AM and it just got busier. It's usually best for gluten free diners to order during a non-rush period, but that was not going to happen at Disneyland this time. I was prepared however.  For starters, pack your bag accordingly. They mainly care about weapons, and didn't say anything when they looked into my bag, but if they have any qualm just tell them you have special dietary needs.  We brought in several small ziplocs of homemade beef jerky, pretzels and peanut butter, a couple protein bars, trail mix, and bottled water. 

Then once you're in the park go over to the kind people at city hall and pick up a current gluten free dining list. They update them fairly often, but in general they have gluten free buns throughout the park, a gluten free pizza option, and so much more. Now here's where the budget comes into play.  We ate responsibly and shared a gigantic turkey leg for $8.99. Add in a soda and lunch was only $6.50 a person; that's less than any hamburger meal costs throughout the park. Hell, it would probably cost you more to buy a combo at Carl's Jr. Plus, the turkey leg was amazing; slow roasted in it's own juices. Tip: grab a fork and knife and a mustard packet and find yourself a seat. This is way easier to eat sitting down, even tough it was amusing to see others walking around eating this giant leg walking around.

In the afternoon we made sure to snack on our brought-in goodies, and for dinner we ended up at Rancho Del Zocalo. We ordered plain chicken tacos off the Celiac Friendly list. It was a huge plate that came with 2 tacos, (they used soft corn tortillas), rice, and beans, all of which came out of separate containers than the average order. And it was nice that the server knew exactly what to do- changed gloves, separate dish stack, separate everything. I wish all places trained their staff that well.  In any case, it was a lot of food, and we shared the meal for $16, which included a beverage, and a coffee. Plus cotton candy for $4.00 for dessert, thus dinner only cost $10 a person.  And truly, it was enough food for each of us; a whole plate each would have been too much.

This plate was probably some of the best Mexican food I have out in a long time. And not a single doubt in my mind...or gut, that it wasn't gluten free.

Now if you've been following along, that means we only spent $33 for 2 people to eat at Disneyland and it's not like we were only there for a little while.  We were at the park from 9 AM to 2 AM. That's less than if we had gone out to your average sit-down restaurant for dinner and we did not feel deprived in the slightest.

Earth Balance December Contest

Have you heard about the Earth Balance Holiday Bake Off? Earth Balance has become more of a staple in my house over the past few months.  They are running a contest through the entire month of December and each week has a different theme. I am planning on doing quite a bit of baking this month, so I just might have to put my thinking cap on and figure out which recipe I want to submit.

Slightly intrigued? Well let me peak your interest even more. The prize is a $400 gift card to Whole Foods!

So here are all the details.

"Your recipes should be your own original creations and contain one or more Earth Balance® products such as any of the buttery spreads, nut butters or soy beverages. The recipes must be plant-based (vegan) and free of any animal products (no dairy, eggs, meat, etc…). We will evaluate recipes based on appeal (50%), ease of preparation (25%) and creativity (25%). You can submit as many recipes as you like from November 28 to December 23, in the following categories:

Nov. 28th - Dec. 4th: Pies
Dec. 5th - Dec. 11th: Cakes
Dec. 12th - Dec. 18th: Cupcakes
Dec. 19th - Dec. 23th: Cookies

WEEKLY PRIZES – Made Just Right™ will select 2 recipes from each category for a total of 8 winners. Each winner will receive:
· A $400 gift certificate for Whole Foods Market.
· A 1 year supply of Earth Balance® products.
· An Earth Balance® gift pack featuring a bamboo cutting board and kitchen supplies.
· A copy of the book The Complete Idiot's Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition by Julieanna Hever
One of the 8 winners will be selected as the GRAND PRIZE WINNER!

GRAND PRIZE - Made Just Right™ will select one lucky winner to win:
· An additional $1,000 gift certificate for Whole Foods Market.

SPECIAL PRIZES – More opportunities to win! Made Just Right™ will also select 3 recipes from all submissions to win in the following categories: Best Photo, Most Recipes Submitted, and Most Creative Recipe. Winners will receive:
· A 1 year supply of Earth Balance® products.
· An Earth Balance® gift pack featuring a bamboo cutting board and kitchen supplies.

We will announce the 8 weekly winners, the 3 special prize winners and the 1 grand prize winner the week of January 9th, 2012! For complete contest rules, visit HOLIDAY BAKE-OFF CONTEST RULES. For specific questions about how to upload your recipe, visit the MADE JUST RIGHT™ FAQ.
 
http://www.madejustright.com/