January 9, 2012

by Lisa Viger · Published January 9, 2012 · Updated October 3, 2019

Breakfast

Deviled Avocados

serves 2 ~ $1.81 per serving

3 avocados ($3.57)

1 tablespoon mustard ($.05)

1 teaspoon paprika

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon macadamia mayo*

My
local store has had excellent prices on avocados over the last few
months, sometimes as low as seventy-eight cents each. The prices are
going up again so I thought I’d do some things with the last of the
lower priced avocados. Getting to know your produce manager can help you
save money … they are who will know what’s coming in season, what’s
going on sale, etc. Also, you can arrange bulk purchases with them for
some produce items.

I
used to love the mustardy taste of deviled eggs. This isn’t identical,
probably doesn’t even qualify as a “faux food,” but it’s still mustardy
good. Prepared mustard isn’t raw … mustard powder to taste can be
used instead.

In
a bowl, mash one avocado until mostly creamy but still slightly
chunky. Mix in the mayo, mustard, paprika, salt and pepper. Cut the
remaining avocados in half and fill with the mixture. Sprinkle with a
pinch of paprika.

* macadamia mayo

1 cup macadamia nuts

3/4 cup water

1 teaspoon agave

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Blend
the macadamia nuts, water, and salt until smooth and creamy, which may
take a minute or two. A personal or bullet type blender can be used
for this. 

calories: 523

fat: 45 gr
carbs: 26 gr
protein: 4 gr

 

Lunch

Carrot Pear Soup

serves 2 ~ $1.40 per serving

2 pears ($1.40)

6 carrots ($1.00)

1 tablespoon onions, chopped 

2 tablespoons olive oil ($.40)

1 clove garlic

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Pears
are looking good right now, and are priced well, too. This is really
simple and comes together in just a few minutes, with the blending
taking the most time.

Peel,
core, and chop the pears. Peel and chop the carrots. Process all
ingredients in a blender until very smooth. This may take several
minutes if using a regular blender.

calories: 297

fat: 14 gr
carbs: 45 gr
protein: 3 gr

 

Dinner

Grapefruit Pear Salad

serves 2 – $2.50 per serving

1 grapefruit ($.50)
2 pears, sliced ($1.40)

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 head romaine, chopped ($1.90)

1/4 cup walnuts ($.50)

dressing

2 tablespoons lemon juice ($.20)

3 tablespoons olive oil ($.30)

2 tablespoons agave ($.20)

pinch nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

The pears and grapefruit made this a nice summery salad that reminded me warmer weather isn’t too far away.

Cut the grapefruit by first slicing off
about 1/4″ off the top and bottom. Stand the grapefruit up on a cut
side and slice along the outside curve of the fruit, cutting away the
skin and pith. Use a sharp knife to cut each grapefruit section away
from the membrane.
Slice the
pears and onions, and chop the lettuce. Toss together and sprinkle the
walnuts on top. Whisk together all the dressing ingredients and drizzle
over the top.

calories: 304

fat: 17 gr
carbs: 40 gr
protein: 5 gr

 

 Dessert

Chocolate Orange Mousse

serves 2 ~ $.99 per serving

1 ripe avocado, chopped ($.88)

2 bananas, chopped ($.30)

3 tablespoons cocoa or cacao powder ($.60)

 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted

2 tablespoons agave ($.20)

1/2 dropper liquid stevia

1/4 teaspoon orange extract

This wasn’t the most photogenic dish I’ve ever made, but the orange and chocolate went together so well.

Combine
all ingredients in a food processor fitted with an “S” blade and
process until very smooth. Add coconut oil to room temperature or warmer
ingredients only, otherwise the coconut oil will harden into little
lumps before it has a chance to blend. Chill for at least a half hour
before serving. Top with a few orange sections and/or pieces of fruit
and a pinch of orange rind, if desired.

calories: 321

fat: 16 gr
carbs: 41 gr
protein: 5 gr

Total cost for the day: $6.70

total calories: 1,445

total fat: 92 gr

total carb: 152 gr
total protein: 17 gr

Product Reviews

Hurraw!

 

Hello, my name is Lisa and I’m a balmoholic. Seriously. I haven’t gone a day without lip balm since I was about thirteen & would probably rather walk out the front door naked than without lip protection. So I was really happy when Hurraw! sent some of their all vegan ~ and raw! ~ lip balms to try! 

The balms, which are downright luxurious but not at all greasy, come in an oval tube rather than round. I found that not only did they stay put in a pocket, they didn’t roll off my desk, either. I wasn’t a big fan of the chocolate (it was a bit too vanilla-ish for me), but the orange and other citrusy flavors are favorites and are super light and fresh. All the flavors smell and taste totally natural. I didn’t detect a false note in the bunch.

And the price is great at $3.29 a tube. These seem to last a long time … I’d say I would use about a tube per month, maybe even less. At one tube per month, the cost is just $.11 per day. That’s some economical lip smacking!

 

That’s It!

That’s it! sent us a box of fruit bars, which were much enjoyed. These aren’t raw, but they’re made of just fruit. Which explains the company name. Each bar is made of one dried fruit paired with another. One apple and one pear … one apple with 10 cherries (my favorite!), and so on. That’s it. The taste and texture is a lot like a really thick and chunky fruit roll up, but without any kind of processed taste or feel. It’s all fruity flavor explosion.

At first blush, the cost seemed like it might be on the high side, but the bars are about $2.00 each and contain the equivalent of two pieces of fruit. That’s really not much more, if any, than I could make something like this for myself.

I thought these were fun, very convenient, fresh and super tasty … and not prohibitively expensive.

 

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