I Got It At ALDI

I was a little doubtful about having quinoa cold, but this salad was amazing! I am using the leftovers on top of baby spinach as an actual salad, but I served it last night as a side with soup. The original inspiration recipe can be found at Allrecipes.com I made quite a few tweaks to keep it vegetarian and 100% ALDI, so I figured I better write down what I did before I forgot. The picture does not do it justice at all, so keep an open mind. Some of these ingredients are only seasonally available at ALDI, so stock up when you get the chance. Serves 6, $.79/serving

 Ingredients (*) ingredients available USDA organic at ALDI 2 c. vegetable broth or stock (or chicken if you don't need it vegetarian)* 1 clove garlic 1 c. uncooked quinoa, rinsed* 1 large red onion, diced (or 1/2 yellow onion) 1 green bell pepper, diced 1/2 c. chopped kalamata olives* 4 oz. crumbled feta cheese (omit if you want vegan) 2 T. dried parsley 1/2 tsp. sea salt juice of 1 lemon 1 T. balsamic vinegar* 1/4 c. …

I spotted it this week at my NE KS ALDI! $3.39 for a half gallon of organic milk. It is offered in skim and 2%. Can we please get whole? And a more competitive price as this is more expensive than Natural Grocers? (But thanks for the progress!)

This is a family classic that was my dad used often when he was in charge of the dinner plans. There are a lot of variations of Shepherd's Pie out there, but this one is my favorite. We always put an initial or shape in the top of the mashed potatoes just to make someone's day.
Ingredients 1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained (I like the organic grass-fed at ALDI) 1 can cut green beans, drained 1 can condensed tomato soup 5-6 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered (If you are in a hurry, you could use instant mashed potatoes- wouldn't fly at my house:) 4 T. butter - approx. 1/2 c. sour cream - approx. salt and pepper Directions 1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Boil potatoes until fork tender. Drain and return to pot. Mash with butter and sour cream. Salt and pepper to taste.  2. Brown and drain ground beef. Set aside. 3. Preheat oven to 350* 4. In a casserole or 9 x 13, layer ground beef at the bottom, green beans on next, and pour condensed soup on the top.  5. Spread…

These lunch cubes are back at ALDI and are priced at $3.99! These save me a small fortune in sandwich and snack baggies with sending my kid's lunch to school nearly everyday. They are closer to $6 at other stores. 

1. Organic Whole Milk
2. Organic Block Cheeses (I saw you brought the shredded organic cheese back, but I am still waiting for wedges or blocks. I have a thing about cellulose on the ingredient list.)
3. Whole Wheat Bread with shorter ingredient list
4. Cage-Free or Free Range Eggs
5. Organic Unsalted Butter
6. Cayenne Pepper
7. Bay Leaves (Thanks "T")
8. Whole Wheat Tortillas (Thanks Erin!)
9. Corn Tortillas - bring 'em back
10. Organic Chicken!  (Thanks ALDI- the new chicken you rolled out is pretty close!)

*Have some more ideas? Please post in the comments!

I purchased one of these bathmats at ALDI last time they were available. I have been very happy with it overall. It is still cushy, it cleans up well in the washing machine, and does a great job at containing drips and sloshes from my boys' bathtime. I am planning on purchasing another for our second bath. My complaint/tip is that water gets trapped underneath and then has nowhere to go. (This only seems to happen when my boys have been having a bath. Hmmmm....)  I have learned to flip the mat over the side of the bathtub to dry the backside of the mat and the floor. Similar bathmats are priced at Target $14.99 for the 17"x 24" and $19.99 for 20" x 34" so at $5.99 and $9.99 this week, these are a steal!

It only took my about six failed attempts to figure out how to adjust my nana's recipe for waffles to a "real food" version. Finally, I have a waffle batter recipe that skips the more processed oils and uses whole wheat flour! My family loves these for "Breakfast for Dinner" night. I also think they freeze really well. We reheat them in the microwave and use them for a quick breakfast on school days. If you want to amp up the protein you can also use them to make peanut butter waffle sandwiches. Ingredients 1 3/4c. Whole Wheat Flour 1 T. Baking Powder 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt 1 1/4 c. Whole Milk  1/4 c. Coconut Oil (melted) 2 Eggs Real Maple Syrup Directions 1. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. 2. Mix in the milk and oil. (The coconut oil will go back solid when it hits the cold milk, so mix as you pour in the oil.) 3. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and then fold into the batter. 4. Preheat waffle iron. (I like to wait to preheat the waffle iron so that the…

I purchased this juicer from Aldi approximately two years ago. I was planning on doing a juicing detox (spare me the criticisms please) and I wasn't ready to purchase some of the more expensive juicers that can run so much more. I felt this was a great buy if you aren't sure if juicing is going to be a long-term interest. I am sure you can find more bells and whistles on the pricier juicers, but this has suited me perfectly for the times that I use it. I have also loaned it out to friends that are interested in juicing. Everything is still working like new, but I haven't put a lot of mileage on it. My one complaint is that it can be difficult to clean as some of the parts are hand-wash only. I think this is probably true of most juicers. Overall, a great buy at $34.99!