I've been very financially cautious with my grocery shopping lately and I have been comparing prices on all these stores such as Food 4 Less, Save Mart, Winco and even my local Farmer's Market. In my opinion, Winco for grocery shopping has topped them all on budget-friendly pricing and definitely have to keep going to the Farmer's Markets for your in season vegetables and spring time florals for your home.
Here are two Asian recipes that can add pizzazz to your weekly dinner menu and each recipe only cost me less than $15.00 to $25.00 total when shopping at Winco.
BABY BOK CHOY ASIAN SALAD with DRESSING
Ingredients (feel free to add/modify): For the salad - 4 bunches of bok choy- chopped, 1 carrot - grated, 1 red bell pepper- thinly chopped, 1 bunch of green onions - chopped, 1/3 cup of slivered almonds, 1/2 cup of packaged chow mein noodles. For the dressing: 1/2 cup of olive oil, 1/4 cup of white vinegar, 1/3 cup of white sugar and 3 tbsp. of soy sauce.
Directions: For the salad - combine the bok choy, green onions, red bell pepper, grated carrots, and slivered almonds in a large bowl. Top with the chow mein noodles. For the dressing - mix together the olive oil, white vinegar, sugar and soy sauce. Mix with the salad when ready to serve.

ASIAN TURKEY BURGER w/COLESLAW
Asian Coleslaw with Dressing ingredients:
1 bag of coleslaw mix (green, napa and red cabbage); 2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced; 2 carrots, thinly sliced; 6 green onions, chopped; 1/2 cup of chopped fresh cilantro; 6 tbsp. each of rice wine vinegar, vegetable oil, and peanut oil/marinade; 3 tbsp. each of soy sauce and brown sugar; 2 tbsp. of fresh ginger root, minced; 1 1/2 tbsp. of garlic, minced
Directions: For the dressing, in a medium bowl, mix well together the rice wine vinegar, oil, peanut oil/marinade, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic. For the coleslaw, in a large bowl, mix the coleslaw, red bell peppers, carrots, green onions, and cilantro. Toss with the dressing mixture when ready to serve.
Asian Turkey Burger ingredients: 1 1/4 lbs. of ground turkey, 1/3 cup of steamed jasmine rice (optional), 1/4 cup of panko, 1/4 cup of thinly sliced green onions, 1 large egg, 1 tbsp. of soy sauce, 1/2 tsp. of sesame oil, 1 tbsp. of soy sauce, 1 Thai or Serrano chile (optional), 1 tsp. of sugar, salt and pepper, 1 tbsp. of peanut oil, and 4 to 6 whole wheat hamburger buns.
Directions: Mix the ground turkey, rice, panko, green onions, egg, sesame oil, soy sauce, chile, and sugar very well. Make into 4 to 6 patties. Season with salt and pepper. Heat the peanut oil in a large grill pan over medium-high heat and saute the burgers thoroughly for about 6 minutes on each side (longer if needed if burger patty is thick).
Don't forget the special mayo! It's optional of course but here are the ingredients: 1/2 cup of mayonnaise and 1 tsp. of horseradish, that's it! Mix this well and use as the spread for your hamburger bun.
Lastly, this doggie cookie recipe was very fun to make for your furry companions! What inspired me was finding the perfect cookie cutter of my favorite dog breed, a dachshund.
Ingredients: 1 cup of uncooked oatmeal, 1/4 cup of margarine, 1 1/2 cups hot water, 1/2 cup of powdered milk, 4 oz. or more of grated cheddar cheese, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1 egg - beaten, 1 cup of cornmeal, 1 cup wheat germ, and 3 cups of whole wheat flour.
Directions: Pour the hot water in a large bowl over the uncooked oatmeal and melted margarine, let it stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the powdered milk, grated cheese, salt and egg. Add the cornmeal and wheat germ, mix well. Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Knead the dough for 3 to 4 minutes, adding more flour if necessary to make a very stiff dough. Roll the dough to a 1/2 inch thickness then cut into any shape cookie cutter you have on hand. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees for one hour. Turn off the heat and then leave in the oven for another hour or more.
This recipe made 3 lbs. of doxie and bone cookie treats which will definetely last for a month for my pups to enjoy!
Favorite Freebie of The Month: I'm always pleasantly surprised when visiting my local Farmer's Market on Saturdays. I was offered a free purple gladiola flower when purchasing three small bunches of calla lillies for my centerpiece vase. The simplest things can make me happy!
My Latest Frugal Find: I'm not an extreme couponer, but I do love a bargain! When your grocery bills are actually higher than your gas bill then you need to take a second look at your spending habits such as what, how often and where. I'm happy to know where to go after discovering this month that Winco Foods is my go to for our household's weekly dinner essentials.
Again, I am open to your suggestions and other ideas. Please feel free to send me an email to share your thoughts at [email protected] and receive $5.00 off any purchase from my eBay online shop: shopninnalu.