Best Summer Purchase Everrrrr: Part Deux

Elias stealing one of his sister's cream pops.

Since I got those popsicle molds, sometimes that's all I wanna do: make popsicles. Unfortunately, most of the time we don't have what I want to make them. Most of the time, I don't wanna follow the rules and directions to do any of it…so I don't. Most of the time, that's ok.

It's been hot here in the East bay for the majority of July and right into mid-August. Triple digit temps. Gross. The only logical thing to do was bust out the handy dandy molds so all of the nuggets in my house could cool off. (Honestly, my crock pot has been doing the rest of the dirty work lately.)

I dubbed these "random crap" pops. Now, I'm very aware that the term "random crap" doesn't sound appetizing. I completely understand that. It's so fitting though. I don't know about your household, but people in my family really like to leave the very end of the carton of milk or the last few chips in the bag. They're freaking pros at it, actually. (My family is also good at leaving empty boxes of cereal, oatmeal packs, etc. in the pantry, too…::ahemThing1ahem::) I'm pretty sure it's their attempt at being considerate, but it actually just ruins my life. Anyway, about the term "random crap": the kids and I threw all of the little leftovers that they always leave…all of the random crap…into the cream pops! This means that each pop is not consistent in what it contains, which completely alters the flavor individually. The one I'm eating will not taste like the one you're eating. That breaks so many rules in the culinary world. Oh well! Thou shall not waste in my damn house.

Best part of these: no processed sugar added. I used raw honey and huckleberry honey!

Strawberry-Mango-Pineapple & Cream Pops

Yield: 8-12, depending on your molds, print recipe

3/4 c. strawberries, frozen
3/4 c. mango, frozen 
1/4 c. pineapple, frozen
1/2 c. cream (or half and half, though they won't be as creamy- that's what I had lyin' around)
1/2 c. ice cream (your choice, what's your flavor?)
1 tsp. vanilla

2 T   honey
2 T   huckleberry honey

Whatever odds and ends food that you find in your kitchen

I threw all of these in our new Ninja Master Prep Blender and let 'er rip. The honey stuck a bit because everything was hella cold, but we can't all be perfect.

What we had left this time.

I made vanilla-cinnamon ice cream the week before with my friend, Becky. We also made apricot jam! That's a whole other post though ;)

The contenders in tonight's Pop Battle

The tools!

Elias put chocolate covered blueberries, cherries, and coconut in his set. He later told me that he didn't even like coconut and didn't want to eat his own creation. Way to go, Kid.

Camryn added some huckleberry honey!

Mixed to a thick consistency, like soft serve.

Camryn said it sounded like someone was SCREAMING!!!!! (For ice cream?) (I had to. Don't judge me.)

Into the freezer we go. 4-6 hours, over night is best.

Things to remember: 
-Tip #1: TASTE! Always taste your food as you go along. If it's not sweet enough, add more honey. If it's not creamy enough, ADD MORE CREAM! Use your dome and your taste buds, they won't steer you wrong.  
Tip #2: Layering. If you throw the bits of coconut or whatever you've got in, the stuff'll sink right to the bottom (which is really the top). Fill molds halfway, freeze for an hour. Add other stuff. Fill to the top. Freeze normally. 
Tip #3: After you've filled your molds, give them a few taps on the counter. Air bubbles will be released and you'll be able to get a few more spoonfuls in there.

Ice Ice Baby,

Foodie Penpal: What I Sent: From the Bay to LA

So, the way Foodie Penpal works is kinda funny, but very efficient. You sign up, you're paired up with two people: one person you will be receiving a package from, and one person you will be sending a package. In the previous post, I revealed the packaged that I received from Peggy. Now, I'm gonna show you a little of what I sent off to Monique!


Funnily enough, Monique grew up in San Francisco and currently resides in Beverly Hills. I'm from the Bay Area, as you know, and I've worked in Beverly Hills in the past. I knew instantly that Trader Joe's would be out of the question since those are pretty plentiful in California and probably one right down the street from where she lives. (My initial instinct was to hook her up with some Boudin bread, but I knew it wouldn't last, not in my house nor in the mail. It's pretty blasphemous to not eat it fresh, honestly.) A few things about Monique that I learned:


- She's Italian
- She is a baker more than a cook
- No allergies…right on. Not having to worry about killing somebody is always a plus.


Okay, I'll stop talking now. Here's what I sent:

Full contents! L-R: McCauley Olive Grove Corn Nuggets, Skyflakes/Rice Crackers (#1 strawberry basket), Knox Gelatine, Nagaraya BBQ cracker nuts,  Primo's Spinach Dip mix, local honey sticks, and a bonus gift: little melamine spoon measures. :)

Skyflakes: plain crackers, but they're so much more buttery than Saltines. Rice crackers: The perfect combination of sweet, salty, and all Asiany flavors. (Yeah, I said "Asiany", so?)

Contents of basket: Local items like olive oil (from the orchard down the street), Spinach dip mix (from Tracy, CA), local honey sticks, and the bonus gift: melamine measuring spoons!

McCauley Olive Grove Corn Nuggets: Super sweet, but like the note says, "…like a mix between caramel popcorn and corn pops." Sounds like a freaking awesome combination to me. I like these especially because there's not crap stuck in my teeth afterwards. Apparently, she thought they had a garlic flavor to them (oopsies?), but thank God that wasn't the case. That'd been so weird. lol

Gelatin envelopes and a recipe!

Last, but definitely not least: Nagaraya BBQ Cracker nuts

I used berry baskets to contain everything in a neat little package, and twine/index cards to attach my notes. This was really fun to put together, and by the looks of Monique's blog post, she had fun receiving it! 


What a great first Foodie Penpal experience. Can't wait to do it again!

Foodie Penpal! From TX to CA

Apparently, Xenia keeps me in the know about a lot of cool projects: Blogathon Bash was sweet. Now, Foodie Pen-Pals!


This was right up my alley so I joined and was paired up with a lovely lady named Peggy from Kerrville, Texas (I later learned it's about 60 miles northwest of San Antonio). 


The gist of our initial emails were:

- This was our first swap! Noobs! :)
- I'm not allergic to anything, but dislike okra and raw bananas
- I'd love stuff that was local to Kerrville or surrounding areas

Not only was Peggy super sweet and pleasant, but she definitely delivered on the local goods…which obviously, I absolutely loved. She also sent along the cutest letter telling me all about herself, which was SO cool! Peggy is a retired mortician and bereavement educator, and runs numerous newsletters, as well as volunteer. Every email was a pleasure to receive from her and made for an even more enriching Foodie Penpal experience.

Here's the goods:

The contents of my Texas Foodie Penpal Package!

My favorite part: Truffle salt that was bottled in Texas

A recipe to go along with the salt :)

A cute surprise note in the bottom of the bag from Camp Verde General Store

Borracho Beans with Shiner Bock from HEB

Spices of India from Bittersweet Herb Farm

A wooden postcard from the Alamo (No basement…sad!)

Also, Peggy included a Brown Mustard Basil (pictured next to the Spices of India in the package picture) and a spice rub called tale Gator. She was thoughtful enough to include tons of literature on all of the places that she went to compile my package. 

I really appreciated that Peggy took the time to go to a bunch of different locations to come up with the best package she could. Receiving this package was just a friendly reminder that there are still cool people out there in the world. :)

Thanks so much again, Peggy. I told you that I was over-the-moon about my package, and I still am. I will definitely update (all of) you on the fun things I cook with all of my new fun spices and rubs! Can't wait.

Sincerely,

I sent a package out as well, stay tuned to find out what I shipped. Here's what my Foodie Penpal had to say about what I sent her! To find out more about Foodie Penpals or on becoming a Foodie Penpal visit: The Lean Green Bean

Cash Rules Everything Around Me (especially @ Disney)

Visited Disneyland for the Kid's graduation and Elias (Thing 1's kid) turns 5 in July, so we celebrated that, too!

We just got back from the land of Disney so obviously we have Mickey on the brain. We wanted to give you guys some tips before you go to save you some dough. 

First off, let’s get this straight: you can NOT have the mindset of saving money while on vacation. You can spend your money wisely, but you save money to go on vacation…not the other way around.

We go to Disneyland often (3-4 times a year), and try to go to Walt Disney World every 2 years.  My family and I have Premier Annual Passes to all Disney parks in America, (not to be confused with a Premium Annual Pass that can only be used in just Disneyland/DCA or WDW).  The reason we decided on the Premier Passes was because they were cheaper than buying a Premium Pass at Disneyland and 7 day-park hopper tickets at WDW (which is how many days we were planning on going anyway).

When to go: Time is MONEY! Plan to go in the off-peak season. Usually during September, October, first 3 weeks in November are great times to go for weather, price, and low-crowd reasons. (Except EPCOT- they've got the Food and Wine Festival going on then.)

Transportation: Book your flight within 5-6 months of the trip, if you plan to fly. Wait for deals, and book on a Tuesday or Wednesday. We rarely fly since we live in Northern California, but definitely for WDW. Southwest and JetBlue are the best airlines if you are flying from Northern California. Virgin also recently started doing nonstop flights to WDW from SFO. (BIG Tip: Sign up to get emails from airlines, they notify you of the great deals right when they are posted on the website!)

Hotels: I (Thing 1) touched on this in a previous post, but just in case you missed it:

• "When booking a hotel room, keep these things in mind: distance from the parks, amenities like free breakfast, and parking fees. For instance, if you are going to pay for a hotel room that is just alright, but have to pay 14 dollars for parking, you might as well book the moderate room that is 10 dollars more a night with free parking and breakfast. It'll save you money in the long run. I also use tripadvisor to view the rooms and get traveler reviews." 
• Again, I would definitely go during off-season. I use hotels.com a lot, too. I like them because they usually have great prices. When finding a great deal on hotels.com, always double-check the hotel website itself or call them. Sometimes they have specials and can be cheaper than hotels.com. When calling, mention you have AAA or you are an annual pass holder to see if there are any more discounts. Personally, I like to pay for my hotel room upfront so I don’t have to worry about it when it comes time for the vacation.

My personal recommendations:

• AAA discounts: Tropicana Inn and Suites- The location is amazing! Literally right out of the gates of Disneyland. They have big, clean rooms with refrigerators and microwaves (big plus for our BIG family). The pool is a bit small, but a heated pool nonetheless. Tip: If you will be traveling with a stroller, request a room on the bottom floor.
• Annual Passport Discount: Howard Johnson- They have a DEEP discount for pass holders! The location is awesome and about 2 city blocks from the park. They have refrigerators in their rooms, too. Tip: The pool is AMAZING! It has a pirate ship themed slide and kid area. Very clean and decent sized rooms. Definitely must stay there during the summer!

Side note: On occasion, you can find some pretty good deals with your pass at the resort hotels. But even with the discount, it can be pretty steep in price.

• With no discounts: The Anabella Hotel. We stayed there on our last trip for the first time. The hotel is a bit out of the way, but it is still in walking distance (You can walk behind DCA and enter through the Grand Californian Hotel). The room had a fridge, but unfortunately no microwave. The Anabella has a large pool area with tons of seating and hot tub. (P.S. They have a sick Happy Hour. Try the Citrus Night and ceviche!)

Tickets: Ticket prices just went up drastically! I'm not sure we can afford to buy the annual passes this year, but if you plan on going more than 7 days, you might as well. If you live in California, Disney offers a payment plan on Disneyland/DCA passes, so take that into consideration when you do make your purchase. Also, consider purchasing tickets at AAA. This is the only place now that gives a great discount. (If you don’t have AAA, I'd grab a membership. It pretty much pays for itself just on tickets alone. And really? What if your damn car breaks down?) Other ways can be kinda shady, like Craigslist, eBay or “renting” tickets. When buying tickets, keep in mind to plan long term. If you are going more than 7 days in a year to any park: buy a pass. (Be a thinker, not a stinker.)

Souvenirs: I buy t-shirts, stuffed animals, and other cool items at Disney Shopping before the trip and hide them so the kids don’t see them. They sell the same products that you would find in Disneyland at least 20% off. Always google “free shipping” coupon codes before submitting your purchase. It's always worth a shot.

Food: Must have food in Disneyland/DCA

• Churros (cart)
• Pineapple Dole whip (Adventureland next to the Tiki Room)
• Beignets (Jazz Kitchen in Downtown Disney)
• Plaza Inn fried chicken (Disneyland Main Street)
• Clam Chowder in a Boudin sourdough bread bowl  (DCA Pacific Wharf  Cafe or River Belle Terrace in DL)
• Chimichangas (Cart)
• Bengal BBQ skewers (Adventureland)
• NEW! Hand Dipped Ice Cream Bar (Clarabelle's Hand-Scooped Ice Cream on Buena Vista St. in DCA)
• NEW! Cozy cones: chili and chicken verde (Cozy Cone Motel in CARSLAND!)

Chili Cone Queso!

Thing 1 (left) and Thing 2 (right) with our cones.
(See? We really are asian!)

Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any questions, comments, and/or suggestions. I would love to hear from all of you.

A dream is a wish your heart makes,

aka Cinder-skrilla &



helped out a bit, as well.

We're going to see the Mouse!

Greetings from "The Happiest Place on Earth"!!! I wanted to share some time and money saving tips with ya that I have learned along the way. There are some websites dedicated to this type of thing, but can be so overwhelming.

Tip #1: Plan your trip, waaaayy in advance to get the best prices on hotels and airfare. Beware of packages, they cost more than buying everything separate. But if you need that free lanyard then by all means... Lol

Tip #2: When booking a hotel room, keep these things in mind: distance from the parks, amenities like free breakfast, and parking fees. For instance, if you are going to pay for a hotel room that is just alright, but have to pay 14 dollars for parking, you might as well book the moderate room that is 10 dollars more with free parking and breakfast. I also use www.tripadvisor.com Gto view the rooms and get people's reviews on it.

Tip #3: If you park far or you walked to the park, invest in a locker. You don't want to waste your time trying to go back to the car and/or hotel just to get your jackets or snacks. They are decent priced and available for your use all day. (I do suggest leaving jackets in hotels if you are going back to take a nap or for an afternoon swim!)

Tip #4: Fast passes are your friend. Use them wisely. Once you get one for a ride, you are not able to get another one until the time on the pass is up.

Tip #5: If you are buying coffee in the park, buy it at Disneyland's Marketplace on Main Street. Save the receipt and you will be able to get free refills all day. Also, for the coffee conisseur. Disneyland has its own blend.

Tip#6: Ride all of the rides in Fantasyland after the parade or fireworks. There will be short waits!

These are all the tips I have just used! Enjoy. I tend to go to Disneyland frequently. Like 4-5 times a year. If you have any questions, or need a specific tip on traveling with kids, teenagers, or adults...let me know. Don't be afraid to shoot me an email. I have also stayed in lots of hotels around the area, so ask away!

Supercalifragilisticexpialadope-shit,

Thing 1 in the hizzzouse! Holla!

Wuzzzup? Wuzzzup? Wuzzzzzzzzup!

Let me take the time to introduce myself. I am Thing 1: the older, louder, embarrassing Frugal Asian. I have 3 children with my husband of almost 10 years, 2 sisters, and a brother. We all live together! One BIG happy family! As Thing 2 has already said, we feed hella folks, but don't like to skip out on taste and quality. Same goes for what I will be posting: I like to have fun and have fairly nice things, but I don't skip out on quality of items/activities.

 I just don't want pay FULL price.

 I will be posting random tidbits of money saving tips. Some of them you may already know from just talking to me or following me on twitter, but bear with me, we have some newbies and I want them to save some dollars, too. :)  Let the money saving commence!

Tip # 1: Read EVERY post of this blog. Follow us on twitter @thefrugalasians!

I don't make dollars. I just make sense,

Best Summer Purchase EVERRRR

Popsicle molds!!

 My niece, Camryn, helped make watermelon popsicles a while back. It's so fun to do family projects, insanely cheaper than the boxed ones...AND BETTER FOR YA! Plus, the popsicle molds were really cheap (less than $8/pack of 6 and 4) and they're reusable.

Watermelon Popsicles

1/2 medium sized watermelon (like the size of your head), diced

1 lemon, juiced

2 tsp. sugar to taste, optional

Popsicle molds

Patience

Now, I'll tell you, this could've been a lot easier to do. Like, a lot freakin easier than I made it. I could've pulled out the blender and thrown all the stuff in and hit the puree button. But guess what?

THAT'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF NO FUN.

Camryn wanted to help, and in omitting the blender altogether, we made that possible. Our friend, Monica, was over and helped her "juice" the watermelon (pressed it through a collander into a bowl).

They had a lot of fun doing this, but I'm pretty sure they were incredibly unsanitary…I saw them sneaking bites. Brats.

As they pressed the watermelon (like you would grapes for wine), I added lemon juice. I ended up adding two lemons, but I went overboard. I should've tasted after the first one. Rookie mistake. (Sidenote: here's where you add the sugar if you want.)

Throw the tops on…(Goofballs)

Important things to remember:

Tip: Use a funnel and ladle to fill the popsicle molds. No one likes a messy and sticky kitchen. Also, make sure the lids are on tight and pour slowly!

Et voila!

Here are the molds we used: Rockets and the other ones were ice cream cones! SO. FRIGGIN. CUTE. Toss them in the freezer for at least 4 hours, but overnight would be better to ensure they're firm enough to stand on their own.

The half watermelon had tons of juice so we saved some for the next batch. (If I had to guess, it was about a quart and a half)

So, I'd love to show you a picture of the finished product, but wouldn't you know it- our damn refrigerator broke that same night! They never froze! So bummed. In other news, I'm pretty sure my little brother drank the juice even though the bag said not to. Cool.

We're gonna make them again once we get a new fridge this weekend. It's so hot outside, these things are necessary! 

Total for 25ish popsicles (that we would've made with the extra juice): $2.50! If we would've used the whole watermelon, we definitely could've made at least a million. Just saying. 

Enjoy your weekend, all! We are up in the few hundreds in views- so awesome, thanks! 

Sincerely,

Thing 2

P.S. Don't ever leave Mon alone with my phone again.

P.P.S Don't worry, Thing 1 is working on her posts…I think.

P.P.P.S Maybe this was a bad idea…Should've made it thefrugalasian.com lol 

Chicken Adobo & a Rant on Food Waste

One of my biggest pet peeves in life is wastefulness. More specifically, food waste. It's a waste of time (usually my time) and money, among other things. I come from the culinary world, and food waste meant time and hard earned money down the drain. Hard work should never go wasted.

One of the most crucial parts of cooking for so many people (8-12) at least 3 times a week is keeping food waste as low as possible. My main asset to the family is turning nothing into something. Majority of meals include a protein, a starch, and a vegetable. Luckily, we live in a straight farm town, and veggies are readily available. 

The day I came up with this blog, I was making Chicken Adobo in a crock-pot. My mom used to make this Filipino dish, and my Grandma before her. Everyone in our family has their own versions: chicken only, chicken/potatoes, adding hard-boiled eggs. All different, all great in their own right. You can do that, too! Change it up to make it yours. 

Chicken Adobo 

(can be substituted with beef*, pork**, etc.) 

-yields 20 servings (divide into 4 for a 5 person dinner)

My weapons of choice: 1 crock-pot, 1 cutting board (or two), 1 chefs knife, 1 really good peeler.

4 lbs. chicken thighs (boneless, skinless…will fit in the crock-pot better and faster cooking time!)

20 garlic cloves, crushed

1 yellow onion, chopped

1-2 c. vinegar (Heinz white distilled, not apple cider)

2-3 c. soy sauce (Kikkoman, the best and only brand I ever use. You can use their low-sodium if you want to cut down on salt)

5-7 bay leaves

5-7 medium Russet potatoes, peeled medium diced (smaller you cut 'em, shorter the cooking time) Pictured: Russets and reds. I had a few leftover so I decided to use them.

4-6 c. white or brown rice, cooked
Steamed vegetable of your choice, I chose broccoli!

Set your crock-pot to 6 hours on HIGH. Throw the garlic cloves and onion in. 

Add vinegar and let it warm up (about 7 minutes). Prep your chicken in the meantime; trim off all extra fat.

Add soy sauce and bay leaves. Taste. 

Sidenote: If it makes your eyes water, and clears your sinuses, you're going the right direction. (My family likes tart and tangy Adobo, so 1-2 c. is good for them. It may not be for you, so start with 1 cup. Go from there). 

Add chicken, stir it up, and make sure the liquid covers as much as it can. 
If it doesn't immediately, don't worry. It will. 

Add potatoes on the outside ring of the crock-pot. Cover and let it ride.

 About 3 1/2 hours in, give it one full stir. Serve with some rice and veg (suggestion: we are big broccoli eaters). 

* Cook on low for 8 hours, use stew meat if it's available ($15 per 4 lb. package)

** Cook on low for 8 hours

Important things to remember:

- Do not stir frequently while using a crock-pot. Doing so depletes the temperature by 25 degrees each time. Ever heard the saying, "A watched pot never boils"? YEAH. 

- Tip: Vinegar mellows out as it cooks. So, even though it's super eye-watering at first taste, it will turn out to be way smoother at the end of cooking time. You can always adjust at the end, too. That's the beauty of cooking! You can change things and make it seem like you did it on purpose :P

And hey man, clean up is easy. Remember you're working with poultry, so make sure your work area stays tidy and sanitary. Cross-contamination is not the business.

Total for this meal: $21.66 for 20 servings including starch and vegetable. That's two dinners for 8 people, which comes out to less than $1.50/person per night.


Print this recipe

Want the breakdown? I will post it if you want! Let me know in the comments :)

Hope you try this one out, it's forrealzies bomb. Let me know if you do!

Happy Cooking! (Sorry, Julia! Still working on it)

Sincerely,