Are you staying frugal?

What I've been eating lately:
Cashew crusted chicken w/veggies, chicken fajita salad, bbq ranch salad, maple walnut crusted salmon, pistachio crusted chicken salad, cauliflower crust for pizza.

Frugal doings lately:
> I've been rinsing and crushing all of our egg shells to use in my garden boxes in hope of deterring slugs.
> Brought home used espresso grounds from my second job to use in the blueberry bushes patch.
> Used a code several times to watch a few Redbox movies for free.
> Used up some bread that was nearing its end by making French Toast for J and D.
> Ordered a pair of prescription sunglasses for myself, as well as for J, from Zennioptical and spent only about $25 total.
> Was tempted several times to buy iced coffees but waited until I got home and made my own.
> Bought a two piece ice cube tray set that makes tiny cubes for $2.50 (was delighted to read they were made here in the USA). While this is $ spent, it beats buying bags of ice every couple of weeks.
> Bought 4 boxes of cat litter for half their normal price using manufacturer and store coupons.
> Was gifted a springtime scarf from one of my employers as a thank you for being present when the health inspector came through. She also gifted me a bottle of daiquiri mix and two mini bottles of rum.
> Bought a couple bags of dark chocolate M&M's for 50% off after Easter.
> Discovered how to use a grocery store rewards card at the gas station and saved an extra 15cents per gallon on top of the 5cents per gallon saved from a discount card.
> Arranged for my two personal days off from work. They are "use them or lose them". I will aim to go for a frugal lunch out with J the first day as he has an afternoon appointment in the nearby city. The second one I will aim to use to get my gardening rolling along.
> I swept and hand mopped the kitchen floor. Not really frugal, I guess. But it felt great to get it done! (Used a drop of $1 dish soap in the bucket of water - does that count as a frugal doing?)
> J and I bought my mother flowers for her birthday. Rather than spending an arm and leg at our local greenhouse, we were in the nearby city and stopped at a large grocery store and bought two bunches for $10 and used a vase that I already have at home.
> Doing walking videos several times per week for the past few months. It feels great to be able to do these free workouts.
> Picked up a 30 load bottle of OxiClean detergent with a "try me free" rebate sticker on it.
> Bought two 18oz boxes of Target brand Cheerios-type cereal for $1.12 ea. after coupon and cartwheel. Was sad to find the second of this coupon only after I'd returned home - half hour away from store.
> Was gifted about 2-3lbs of espresso beans from J's mom. She didn't like them. Me neither. But J does.
> Added a "Friday Freebie" coupon for a bottle of kefir to my store grocery card which I'll hopefully get to redeem in a couple of days. That particular grocer is in the nearby city. I did this for a free single serving bottle of milk about two weeks ago.

Cauliflower "Potato" Salad

No, contrary to the former post, I haven't given up on low-carb eating.  I got to thinking about how I did things when I first started out eating this way and I lost weight compared to what I changed and only maintained weight.

1.  Back then I wasn't relying on artificially sweetened things so much.  While I had them, it was only occasionally, it then became regularly.  For instance, my somewhat daily cup of coffee became daily.  While that in itself was okay, the fact that I switched from xylitol or stevia to a vanilla syrup sweetened with Splenda was not.  Another example is that I was perfectly content with the malitol sweetened Hershey candy, then later started having other sugar-free candy, such as Werther's or Nips to be specific.  Truth be told, I'm not even sure what those two are sweetened with.  Just goes to show how careless I got.

2.  As much as I hate to admit this... Journal.  Back then I kept this online account of what I was eating each day.  Then I got busy (i.e. lazy) and just didn't.

3.  I measured things out.  Don't think that needs explaining.  But I'll give an example: I would measure my Dreamfield's pasta, or potato/rice.  Then I began to "eyeball it". 

4.  Relied on the same 'ol things over and over.  Gets a little boring, right?  Same fried eggs each morning.  Same pasta and sauce and meat and veggie...  Started getting a little lax with those things by adding regular ketchup unlimited or a sauce that was a little higher in carbs, etc.

Of course the fixes are easy, right?  Or, at least, to know what I need to do in order to fix things.

1.  Cut back, or out completely, my use of artificially sweetened items.  For example, when we are out to eat or picking up fast-food and all the restaurant offers is Diet This-or-That, get a cup of water or go without until we get home.  Continue to feed my sweet tooth with the formerly approved candies and sweeteners.  I'll have my cup of coffee, darn it!  But I will go back to xylitol, h&h and a splash of vanilla/spice/other flavoring.

2.  Recording what I eat each day may continue to be a problem.  Due to time constraints and my lack of discipline.  I'll likely have the hardest time working this fix out.  But it's as simple as this: Just do it.

3.  Measure.  (Note to self - "Duh. Keep it simple, stupid."  Thanks for that line, Dave Ramsey.) 

4.  Experiment.  There are so many wonderful sounding low-carb recipes to try that there is no excuse for getting bored with what we eat.

Which brings me to the recipe that I tossed together this morning, while my previously posted sugar bars were cooling...  It's something that I normally have wrinkled my nose at.  But just like we've all told our kids, you won't really know until you try it whether or not you will like it.  Also known as, "Don't knock it 'til you've tried it."  Could you imagine if I had some bacon on hand right now?  That'd be great to add, too!  Tastes great - I don't think I'd ever miss the real stuff.

Cauliflower "Potato" Salad
(adapted from seeing the ideas of it all over online)
1 - 16oz pkg frozen cauliflower florets
5 hard boiled eggs
1/4c mayonnaise
1 Tbsp yellow mustard
3 tsp dill relish
s&p

Thaw half of the florets in a strainer on the countertop.  Cook the other half just until tender, drain and rinse to cool.  (I think this gives a little variety in texture since I was out of celery/onion.)  Dice all into desired size pieces.  Add diced eggs (pushing them through a cooling rack works so quick and easy), mayo, mustard and relish.   Either add s&p to taste to entire bowl or do so when serving individually.  Gently mix and refrigerate.

Catching up to... how many days has it been already?!? 118

I've made a couple of things that have turned out pretty good recently.  The chicken in the photo below was not one of them though.  (I think that that was due to the cheapo Italian dressing that I used in the marinade.  I'll keep working on that one.)  I'm talking about that little yummy-gooey pile just beyond the chicken.

Cauliflower & Broccoli Gratin
(from Cooking Club magazine, Winter 2012 issue)
5c cauliflower florets (about 2 lb)
5c broccoli florets (about 1 3/4 lb)
2c whole milk
1/4c plus 1Tbsp butter, divided
1/3c flour
2tsp dry mustard
3/4tsp salt
1/4tsp black pepper
dash cayenne pepper
1/2c Panko crumbs
2c shredded Gruyere, Comte or Manchego cheese, divided

Heat oven to 425.  Spray 13x9 pan with oil.  Cook cauliflower in boiling water for 3mns, broccoli for 2mns.  Place in ice water to stop cooking.  Pat dry and place in prepared baking pan.  Microwave milk for 2-3mns or until steaming hot but not boiling.  Melt 1/4c butter in saucepan over medium heat.  Whisk in flour until smooth, cook for 30 seconds, whisking constantly.  Remove from heat and gradually whisk in hot milk.  Return pan to medium heat, bring to boil while whisking.  Reduce heat to low and simmer 5mns or until thick.  Remove from heat, add mustard, s&p and cayenne.  Microwave remaining Tbsp of butter in small dish until melted, add panko and toss to coat.  Sprinkle cauliflower and broccoli with 1c of cheese, top with the sauce, then the last 1c of cheese.  Sprinkle Panko mixture over all.  Bake 30-40mns or until golden brown and bubbly.  Makes 8 servings, as directed, at 21.5g carbs each.

*I used a frozen mix of broccoli & cauliflower of about half the amount called for.  I baked mine in an 8x8 square pan, omitted the salt, used heavy whipping cream & water in place of the milk, and substituted only mozzarella  and a little sprinkle of provolone for the cheese.  This was absolutely divine... and I'm not much of a broccoli or cauliflower eater.  Trust me, this is marvelous. 

Day 13 on BFC and Cauliflower Casserole

Breakfast> 1 slice Ezekial with peanut butter, tea (s/c=3/2)
Lunch> 1/4c mac'n'cheese, 1 small can salmon, tea (s/c=3/2)
Snacks> 2 mini sugar-free Reese's cups (s/c=0/1)
Supper> baked chicken, salad, cauliflower casserole (s/c=2/1)
Total s/c for today - 8/6

Recipe modified from here.
Cauliflower Casserole
10 oz. cauliflower, steamed until tender                         
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tsp lemon juice
4 oz pepper jack cheese, shredded

Mix all, except pepper jack cheese, with a hand mixer until well combined and cauliflower is like the size of grains of rice.  Dump into a greased baking pan, spread out, then top with shredded pepper jack cheese.  Heat in the oven at 350 degrees for 15-25 mns, depending on your oven, but until hot and bubbly and pepper jack starts to brown.

Five of us ate the above recipe, in small servings.  Though one person (no names... Dad) had a bit more.  Much to his surprise at some point... maybe when he gets around to reading this, he will discover just what he ate.  He says he doesn't like cream cheese and can always tell "if there's trickery afoot".  Picture is before going in the oven, of course.  We ate it all before I realized I hadn't take a photo of it once it came out of the oven.