Limes - 10 for $1.00

Mangoes - 2 for $1.00

Hass Avocados - 2 for $1.00

Roma Tomatoes - $1.99 for a 2-pound bag

Yellow Onions - $.99 for a 3-pound bag

Jumbo Pineapples - $2.99 each

Pure Nature Organic Edamame - $7.99 for a 6-pound bag

Sea's Gift Organic Roasted Seaweed Snack - 2 for $1.00

Remember -- Grocery Outlet does not take manufacturer coupons; however, you can often find a great selection of cheap vegan and organic food items.

Zulily has a ton of great sales going on right now, but one that may be of particular interest is the Frenchy Baby Organics sale that runs through May 5.

Frenchy Baby Organics is an organic clothing line for babies and toddlers, and you can save up to 65% when you shop this sale through Zulily.

My guy and I both love applesauce, and it seems like I am always picking up a jar or two at the store. Even though we buy all-natural or organic applesauce, and the container is recyclable, I always get that little pang of guilt when I grab the jar off the shelf. You know the one -- that little voice that says I should be making this myself and storing it in a reusable glass jar that won't leach chemicals and will last me the rest of my life (or at least until I break it, which I will).

Whenever possible, I like to make things myself anyways. That way I know it's vegan, I know there aren't any weird chemicals in it and I know that it isn't coming from some company that supports animal testing or uses animal products.

So, I finally got motivated to figure out how to make applesauce a couple of years ago when a friend gave us a big bag of apples. Had I known making applesauce was so darn easy, I would have been doing this a long time ago.

The hardest part of making your own all-natural applesauce is coring, cutting and peeling the apples. And, really, that isn't even that hard -- it's just time consuming. Of course, if you have one of those handy apple corer/slicers or an apple peeler it's much easier, but I don't, so I did it the old-fashioned way.


What you need:

A large pot with lid

A bunch of apples

Water

Cinnamon (optional -- but totally recommended)

Vegan Sweetener (optional)

Container for storage

Something to use for stirring and mashing



What you do:

1. Wash, core, peel and cut your apples into small chunks.

2. Place the apples in the pot with about an inch of water.

3. Add about 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and 1/2 cup vegan sweetener (if desired).

4. Cover and bring to a boil.

5. Reduce heat to get a nice simmer, then simmer (with occasional stirring) until the apples are soft.

6. Mash them up with your stirring spoon or a potato masher (I used a potato masher).

7. Serve warm or cold, or store for later use.

Notes:
1. If your applesauce ends up too watery, you have two easy options - either strain the applesauce through a sieve or simmer on low, uncovered, until the unwanted water has evaporated out.

2. I have no idea what kind of apples I used since there were a bunch of different kinds of apples in the bag and some I didn't recognize. But, some were sweet and some were sour, which leads me to the conclusion that whichever kind of apple you have on hand should work - you just might need a tad more sweetener.

3. If you aren't sure how sweet you want it, start out with a small amount of sweetener - or no sweetener. You can always add more.

What is your favorite applesauce recipe?

This super-simple vegan juicing recipe is perfect for when you are in a hurry or just don't really feel like juicing.

Carrot-Ginger Juice Recipe

5 carrots
3/4-inch chunk of ginger

That's it. See? I told you it was quick and easy. As an added bonus, it tastes awesome.

This is one of my all-time favorite juicing recipes.

Tomato-Spinach-Garlic Juicing Recipe

4 tomatoes
2 garlic cloves
1 handful of spinach
1 sprig oregano (about 15 leaves)
About 15 basil leaves

I really enjoy the two cloves of garlic in this one, but my guy thinks the garlic flavor is too strong. So if you are not a huge garlic fan, you might want to use just one garlic clove.

I actually was not excited about adding the spinach the first time I made this juice and did so only for the nutrients. I was sure that it was going to take away from the awesomeness of the basil-garlic-tomato combo, but I was rather pleasantly surprised that it ended up tasting great.

Vegan Cucumber-Spinach Juicing Recipe

1 cucumber
1 handful of spinach
4 celery stalks
1 green apple

Keep in mind that celery is higher in sodium, so if you are watching your sodium intake, you might want to use less celery or leave it out completely.

If you are using conventional cucumbers (as opposed to organic), I would recommend peeling the cucumber before juicing it.

Yesterday's vegan juicing recipe was super simple and super delish!

Okay, so here's the deal: I was trying to go through some random produce I had before heading back to the store to stock up for the next few days of juicing. Yesterday, that meant throwing together some roma tomatoes and onion. I considered adding some kale to increase the nutrients in vegan juice, but I decided to pass on it in order to enjoy some pure tomato-y bliss.

There are very few ingredients in this juicing recipe, and a wider variety would have increased its nutritional value significantly...but it was damn good!

Tomato-Onion-Basil-Garlic Juice Recipe:

4 roma tomatoes
1/4 of a medium white onion
About 20 basil leaves
1 tsp of minced garlic

I now use a Vitamix for all of my juicing needs, but before I made that investment, I had a cheap juicer that had a hell of a time making leafy greens into deliciously drinkable juice. It took me a little trial and error, as well as helpful recommendations from others, to figure out how to get the most juice out of my greens, so I thought I would share three quick tips that will come in handy for folks new to juicing.

Juicing Leafy Greens Tip #1
When juicing leafy greens, such as kale or spinach, put them in the juicer with a solid, longer vegetable -- like a celery stalk or carrot. The greens will sort of get wrapped around the solid vegetable, and you will end up with a lot more juice out of them.

Juicing Leafy Greens Tip #2
If your vegan juice recipe calls for spinach, oregano, basil or other smaller leafy greens and herbs, you can get more juice out of them by stuffing them inside another item that you are juicing. For example, if your recipe also has a tomato or apple in the mix, you can stuff the leafy greens or herbs into the hole you make when you core it or cut out the stem.

Juicing Leafy Greens Tip #3
Kale has definitely made it to the top of the list as a powerhouse in the juicing-for-health world. If your juicer has a tough time turning kale into juice, leave the kale leaves on their stalks. A lot of people already do this, but since many folks remove the stalks before cooking with kale, it is also common to remove the stalks before juicing with kale. Leave those stalks intact to make it easier for your juicer to process the kale. If all else fails, follow Juicing Leafy Greens Tip #1 and just throw your kale in the juicer with a carrot or celery stalk.

These are just three of the ways that worked for me when trying to coax my cheap juicer into cooperating.

How do you get more juice out of your leafy greens?

This green and purple juice might not be that pretty to look at, but it tastes delish and is packed with nutrients that will get your day off to a great start!

3 carrots
4 celery stalks
1 cup purple cabbage
6 kale stalks/leaves
1 apple
1 one-inch piece of ginger

If you aren't a big fan of ginger, you might want to use about half of that amount. I like the kick that it gives the juice and wanted to get a little extra detox action, which is why I used a larger piece than I normally would.

I wasn't feeling so hot today, so I decided an abundance of kale was in order. I was expecting this juice to taste super healthy and maybe not all that awesome, but it actually turned out to be really, really good.
Here you go...

All-Green Vegan Juicing Recipe

1 bunch kale (about 15 leaves/stalks)

2 celery stalks

1 handful of spinach

1 green apple

I know the ingredient list might make this look a little too green for some folks, but give it a try - I think you will like it much more than you might expect!