I posted this on Facebook a few days ago, but now that my order arrived I wanted to share it here. I bought the book, Things Cooks Love: Implements, Ingredients, Recipes off Amazon because it was so cheap I couldn't pass it up. I'm so glad I did! The book is gorgeous. It's a hardcover from Sur la Table. It has 330 pages. It's all about different kitchen gadgets like cast iron skillets, tagines, braisers, dutch ovens, mattones and a whole bunch of other things I've never heard of but now want to own. 

Pardon my sub-par photography

The book is broken down by Asian, Mexican, French, Indian, Italian, Iberian and Moroccan cuisines. Each section has recipes with what to make with the various cooking tools. I'll definitely be copying a few things before I give it to her! The price has already gone up since I bought it, but having it in front of me I can definitely say it's worth the current $4.09. I had something else to buy so it shipped free. Even with the free Super Saver shipping, I ordered it Wednesday and it was delivered today. It was such a bargain, I feel I can even splurge on a cute apron or something similar.

*Affiliate link

Shop the Bulk Bins and Be Green | Frugal Friday

I know that shopping from the Bulk bins is a money saver. The bins are one of the things I like most about shopping places like Henry's. I get a lot of things pretty regularly: Phil's sunflower seeds, granola for Tyler, a variety of trail mixes, pretzels and some dried fruits. The savings buying in bulk as opposed to traditional packaging is noticeable. But I started to feel guilty about all the plastic bags I was bringing home so I cut back a little. Luckily I subscribe to every daily deal site out there and a few weeks ago I took advantage of one from Deal Pulp for two sets of reusable produce bags. I love them! I'm kicking myself for waiting so long to invest in them.

I bought 2 sets of 6

They are from Esse and so far are holding up perfectly. I haven't had to wash them yet. If they fall apart I'll let you know. I get compliments and questions every time I use them. While I'm no where near the family who generates almost zero consumer waste, we are trying to be more mindful and those plastic bags were a real sore spot with me. I have my own reusable bags for grocery's and have almost completely cut out bringing plastic bags home from store. Now I can continue to save at the bulk bins and feel that I'm still doing my part for the environment.

Do you have any more green grocery tips for me?

UPDATE: Score! There's another daily deal site I just read about, SaveMore, that is offering a $10 credit for new sign ups. They have Esse bags $20 for $8! These could be free with your credit depending on what you order (just pay $3.95 shipping). Fantastic! I bought two of the Produce 6 Packs at $11.95 ea. So, for just under $8 you can get two great teacher gifts. Buy two $10 grocery cards and you have two gifts for $14 each!

Thanks, My Frugal Adventures!

*Not a sponsored post. I think the bags are great. If you plan to order your own bags from Esse try code DEALPULP25 for 25% off. I don't know how many people can use it, but it was printed on my receipt to share.

Questions Kids Ask

This morning Tyler asked me, "Mom, is Zoe a mammal?" I wasn't even out of bed yet, let alone fueled with my first cup of coffee. I had to reach way back and try to remember the technical definition of a mammal before I could respond. 

Our Fur Baby

Of course, after I dropped him off at school I turned to Google to make sure I'd given him the right answer. 

What out of the blue questions have you gotten lately?

Mexican Lasagne (or Burrito Casserole) | A Crockpot Win

Because of Tyler's hockey schedule, I have no choice but to dust off the crockpot and get organized with meal planning. We're out until odd hours and when we get back home everyone is starving, especially Tyler.

Last night I decided to try a recipe on Stephanie's A Year of Slow Cooking. I like Mexican food and I was able to do this almost entirely with things I had on hand. I modified Stephanie's recipe because I wanted it to be even more of a one pot meal. I also cut the recipe about in half. We're not that good with leftovers and so many crockpot recipes make huge portions. Phil re-named my version Mexican Lasagna. Below is Stephanie's recipe with my notations after.

Bean and Cheese Burrito Casserole

Ingredients

1 small onion, peeled and diced

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (4-ounce) can roasted green chiles, undrained

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

8 flour or brown rice tortillas (brown rice tortillas are GF; read packing carefully)

4 cups cooked pinto beans (three 15-ounce cans, drained)

4 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese

Optional garnishes: sour cream, sliced avocado, etc.

Directions

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. If you only have a large one, that's okay--but reduce cooking time a few hours.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, chiles, and spices.

Put a layer of tortillas into the bottom of your cooker---you may need to tear them a bit to get good coverage. Add a scoop of the onion/tomato mixture and layer on a healthy spoonful of beans and then a layer of cheese. Repeat layers until you've run out of ingredients. Top with a healthy dose of cheese.

Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours (if using a 6-quart, do 3 to 4 hours on low, then let it click over to warm--there's nothing really to cook--you're just heating thoroughly and getting the cheese to get that yummy crust).

My Changes

I did not use an onion, pepper or green chilies. I only used one can of tomatoes (because all of us don't care for whole tomato). They were Mexican style with onions and chiles, the store brand equivalent of Rotel. 

I used two 15 ounce cans of beans and partially drained one (to make up for the missing liquid from the second can of tomatoes). I only used 4 tortillas. My crockpot is just the size for Mission's medium soft taco size tortillas. The tortillas were just barely too big. I did use a lot of cheese, but maybe only three cups of shredded taco seasoned cheese. 

Now for my biggest changes: I bought one 6 ounce package of Tyson grilled chicken strips and two packages of Lipton Fiesta Sides Taco Rice. I made both packets according to directions but cut the water to 3 cups. I diced the chicken into pretty small pieces.

I layered the ingredients: tomato, rice, beans, chicken, cheese. The top was tortilla to keep the moisture in. Since the rice and chicken were already cooked, I only had this in the crockpot on low for an hour just to warm it through. I didn't use all the prepared rice in my dish. There's about 1 1/2 cups leftover. I still think I'd make two packages; using only one would make the meal skimpy unless I doubled the chicken.

Please excuse my lack of food photography skills

The results: we loved it. I cut it into four really good sized triangles and served everyone a wedge. Tyler could barely finish. This is very filling! The only change I'll make when I prepare this again is to add some salt. The brand of tomatoes I used made the dish sweeter than I like Mexican food to be.

If you're in need of crockpot inspiration, definitely take a look at Stephanie's site. I've had good luck with her recipes. Which food site do you have good luck with?