Capsule Closet for Kids!

The Capsule Closet craze runs rampant across blogs and Pinterest, but many people don't think about using it with their kids. I don't know about you, but at one point my daughter's closet seemed to overflow with an excess of "great deals" and well-intentioned "hand-me-downs."

How it saves you time:
1. LESS LAUNDRY!!
2. LESS OPTIONS = LESS BATTLES
3. Streamlines the morning rush!!
4. Capsule closets work best for seasons and the constant outgrowing of clothes!

You NEED 10-14 outfits, so that you don't lose your mind if you can't do laundry one weekend!

Girls:
1. 1 Casual Dress (Red is great as it works for lots of holidays)
2. 1 Sweater Dress
3. 1 black skirt
4. 1 patterned or tuille skirt
5. 1 Denim button down shirt or jean jacket
6. 1 solid color hoodie (Fall/Winter/Early Spring)
7. 2 Pairs of Jean Jegging, Black Pants (Preferably athletic style), Navy or Khaki Pants (4 Pants)
8. Black and/or Navy Leggings, Patterned Leggings (3 Leggings)
9. 5 - 7 Tunic length or long shirts (tunic length will last all year even if they grow taller)
10. 1 Puffy Vest in a solid color for cool days.

Note: Don't send your kids to school in shorts until 4th grade. Protect those knees! Capri leggings are great!

Note: Use layers! A short sleeve shirt with a hoodie and a puffy vest on a cold day!

Creamy #Budget Mushroom Soup #DairyFree #Gluten Free

Ingredients

16 oz mushrooms. Sliced
1/2 Sweet Onion
1 cup chopped carrots
Optional: Diced raw chicken or sausage

1/2 can Coconut Milk (add after cooking)
1/2 TSP salt (add after cooking)
1 Egg Yolk

4 cups water
1 Bay leaf
1/2 TSP black pepper
1 TSP Coleman's powder mustard
2 TBS balsamic vinegar
1 TBS light soy sauce
1/4 cup cooking sherry, white wine,
(or 1/2 cup beer or 1 cup chicken broth)

Optional if you have it
1 TBS Mrs Dash
1/4 TSP celery salt (or 1 stalk Diced celery)
1/4 TSP paprika
1/2 TSP nutmeg

Alfredo Sauce. Gluten and Dairy Free.

As someone who is completely dairy-free and gluten free, I still crave rich creamy comfort foods.

I found that most of the #Alfredo recipes relied on a roux to thicken the sauce rather than authentic egg yolks.

Also, I am not vegan, just dairy free, and since I raise my own pasture fed hens, I love recipes that use eggs. Egg yolks are a great binding agent, especially since they are a way to thicken sauces without flour. #glutenfree #dairyfree

Ingredients :

3 tbs oil

1 Clove garlic

salt and pepper

1/4 cup wine

1/2 cup dairy free milk

1 cup cashew cream

2 egg yolks

1 lemon

Directions:

1.  In the morning, put half a cup of raw cashews and 1 cup of water in your bullet blender (but don't blend yet). Let this sit till you are ready to cook tonight. Blend just before cooking.
2. If you want to make Broccoli Alfredo, start by sauteing onions in a little oil in a deep skillet. Once onions are translucent, add in your broccoli to the pan and stirfry till the color changes. Transfer to a bowl. (I used Cascadian Farms Frozen Broccoli - organic frozen vegetables go on sale frequently). Alternate: You could microwave the broccoli and omit the onions.
3. Separate 2 egg yolks into a dish. Beat.  (Put egg whites aside, so you can make your breakfast later). Then add 1/2 cup dairy free milk. Mix.
4. Add 3 tbs of mild oil to your deep skillet on medium heat. Use a garlic press to crush garlic into your pan. Fry 1 minute.
5. Add 1/4 cup white wine or sherry. Add juice of 1 lemon. Stir.
6.  Add cashew cream. Stir till heated.
7. Add egg yolk and milk mixture while stirring quickly. Sauce will thicken. Add salt and pepper. If needed add additional milk to adjust thickness.
8. Stir in Broccoli.
9. Stir in noodles of choice. I use gluten free.

Budget Saver: Canned Salmon Patties. Quick

Preheat Oven to 350.

Beat egg in mixing bowl then add all ingredients. Form into 4 patties and place on tinfoil lined baking tray that you have sprayed with oil. Bake aprox 20-25 minutes.

• 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/3 cup Oatmeal (blend in bullet)
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 can (14-3/4 ounces) salmon, drained
• 1 tsp dill

You can stretch this to make 6 patties by adding more oatmeal and additional vegetables like green peppers. Add olive oil and lemon if needed to provide moisture. 

Serve with roast vegetables that cook in the oven along with the patties. 

#CouponTip

Publix frequently puts coupons for .75 off canned salmon in their in-store coupon magazines. 

Inexpensive #DairyFree #GlutenFree Dinners

While I am a big couponer, I often find the most inexpensive meals come from whole foods. Here is a week of budget friendly menus that are both friendly to Gluten & Dairy Free diets.

Be sure to buy your veggies at a vegetable stand to save money. And remember make your meal plan for the week based on the sales that week;-).

1. Baked Tilapia, Yellow Grits in Rice Cooker , Roast vegetables. Cucumber salad. (Tilapia frequently goes BOGO).
Note: Simple homemade cucumber dressing is quick. Vinegar, Sugar, Oil, Salt, Pepper.

2. Salmon Patties (using canned salmon), Coleslaw with homemade dressing, Corn on the Cob.
Note: Throw oatmeal in your bullet blender for quick budget friendly yet Gluten-free bread crumb substitute. ( I personally can not bring myself to buy expensive Gluten-free flours.)
Note: Publix frequently has coupons for canned salmon.

3. Ham and bean soup. Cornbread. (Soup can be served over rice).
Note: An instapot pressure cooker allows me to cook with inexpensive dry beans that come out perfect everytime.
Note: Smithfield ham steaks are frequently BOGO, which work great in this recipe.
Note: Cornbread mixes often go BOGO. If you have an actual gluten allergy, there are Gluten free corn bread mixes too.

4. Venison or 1/2 lb Ground Meat Burritos/Tacos (Corn Tortillas) with leftover beans and leftover coleslaw.
Note: Pick up peppers for cheap at a Mexican grocery or Veggie stand. Sautee peppers and onions to add to ground meat to stretch half a pound for a full meal.
Note:  For big families, add potatoes to meat mixture to stretch it further. Potatoes are actually really good in burritos.
Note: I don't use taco seasoning packets but you can. But DIY Taco seasoning is very simple to make a big batch of. 

5. Spaghetti with 1/2 lb meat. I usually add veggies  to jarred sauce.
Note: Ground Breakfast sausage also works great in Spaghetti sauce for tight budgets.
Note: I fix gluten-free noodles only for myself if I have them.  In a pinch, I just eat the sauce over rice while my family eats regular noodles. Or I eat the sauce over Zucchini if I'm being xtra good).