Trading Up Downtown

When storing winter coats or outfits for special occasions, I cover each item with an old (but clean) pillowcase to protect it from dust and dirt. I just cut a hole in the closed end and slip it over the hanger. Viola!

A pillowcase also prevents mildew from forming because moisture isn’t trapped inside, which sometimes happens with plastic covers.

Trading Up Downtown Giveaway

Thanks to everyone who entered this week’s giveaway! Here’s your winner: 59!

59. Jill E., on June 23rd, 2010 at 3:48 pm Said:

i add use nutritional yeast on my mac and cheese to beef of the cheese taste while using less cheese. also i love adding peas, or broc (100) or spinach all work really well.

Congrats, Jill! Please email me at thaupert@nuval.com with your full name and mailing address to claim your prize!

One of my favorite pastimes is dining out at new restaurants. However, my wallet isn’t always a fan of this activity. Restaurants can be very expensive!! So, my love for dining out compelled me to find ways to save money, but still enjoy one of the things that I like best. Here are some of my top tips:

• Buy a gift certificate: Have you heard of Restaurant.com? If you enjoy dining out, you need to visit the website immediately! You can purchase gift certificates to tons of different restaurants for a reduced price. For instance, you can purchase a gift certificate that’s redeemable for $25, but only costs $10. Cool, right?
• Take advantage of happy hour specials: Quite a few of my favorite restaurants offer happy hour deals that allow me to enjoy the experience of dining out, but for a reduced price. Typically, the happy hour menu is an “edited” version of the full menu, so the food is almost always as delicious.
• Get smart about menu tricks: Did you know that how you read the menu can influence how much you spend? For instance, if the restaurant doesn’t print dollar signs with the price (i.e. 18 instead of $18), you might end up with a more expensive bill. According to the Culinary Institute of America, you’re more likely to spend more if you don’t see the dollar sign next to the number. Be sure to try to imagine that they are there!
• Make a reservation with Opentable.com: Even if you don’t need to make a reservation at your favorite restaurant, using Opentable.com, a free booking service, earns you points toward dining gift certificates. You can then redeem these at any of Opentable’s partners.

What’s your favorite tip for saving money when dining out?

P.S. Don’t forget that NuVal is on Facebook! Make sure you are a fan!

Mmm… pancakes. Nothing starts my day better than a tall stack of light, fluffy, cake-like pancakes. But, I recently learned that many store-bought pancake mixes don’t score very high on the NuVal scale. For instance, Bisquick Original Pancake Mix only scores a 2. There are a few pancake mixes that score in the mid-20’s on the NuVal scale, but I’m always trying to increase the nutritional profile of my meals.

The other day, I traded-up the nutrition of my usual pancake recipe with a special secret ingredient: Chobani Vanilla Greek yogurt, which scores a 73 on the NuVal scale and adds a light sweetness to my pancakes.

Trading Up Downtown Giveaway

In honor of good mornings and special ingredients, I’m hosting a giveaway on Trading Up Downtown today! You can win a box of Bisquick Heart Smart Pancake and Baking Mix (NuVal score: 23) and a cafe-style hand-towel and potholder set. Adorable, right?

To enter: Leave a comment about a nutritious “secret ingredient” that you’ve recently added to one of your meals/snacks. If you include a NuVal score with your comment, I’ll add a NuVal t-shirt to your prize! I’ll randomly pick a winner on Friday morning.

Good luck!