Budget Friendly Florals and Greenery

I really enjoy having fresh flowers in my home.  There is something about flowers that can totally brighten a space and make it feel more inviting.  While I consider fresh flowers in my house to be an indulgence and not a necessity, I am totally addicted to the look of fresh flowers in my house (so I obviously choose to indulge).  As a result of my admitted flower addiction I had to have an honest moment with myself and set a few boundaries.  I have been on a mission to find florals that would have the least amount of impact on my wallet (which meant both in price and longevity).  My findings?  There are actually quite a few flowers and/or greenery that fit the bill!  

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Favorites include:

  1. Hydrangeas-  With a cost of $5.99/3 stems at Trader Joes.  These flowers must be taken home and cut under standing water immediately and then placed in a vase with the base of the stem exposed to a minimal amount of oxygen.  Following this technique you can expect to have these flowers live for about 3 weeks!   They are full in body and gorgeous in appearance.  A classic for sure!
  2. Carnations-  This might just be the most underrated flower.  I used to consider the carnation to be the classic filler flower in an arrangement.  It was the flower that we used to receive in elementary school from our Valentines so I never really gave it much thought beyond that until recently.  I was in my favorite local flower wholesale store and saw the most gorgeous bouquet of deep pink pom-poms and realized quickly that they were in fact, Carnations!  The bouquet of about 12 stems cost $5.99 and ended up lasting 3 weeks in my living room with maybe only 1 or 2 water changes!  Needless to say, I no longer consider them to be just a filler flower.  They are a fabulous budget friendly floral option. 
  3. Myrtle- I had never heard of myrtle before spotting it in my local flower wholesale store.  Myrtle comes in a pretty sizable bunch at a cost of $3.99.  This is a very fragrant variety of greenery with wonderful height.  The best part?  I have had the same bunch of greenery sitting in the windowsill of my bedroom for a month and a half and it is still thriving!  Have I changed the water? Nope!!  Myrtle can last roughly 2-3 months and is a great accent for carnations in a bud vase or simply used by itself in bud vases!  Love love love Myrtle!
  4. Queen Anne's Lace (aka "Baby's Breath") - Again, another former "Filler Flower" that I have now grown to love and adore.  I recently used this flower to create a winter white themed centerpiece.  It was lovely!  At a cost of $4.99 for a sizable bunch, it was the perfect addition to my table decor.  In keeping with the theme of this article, this is another flower with a long lifespan (approx. 3 weeks!).  

These budget friendly flower options are certainly regulars in my weekly floral repertoire (as you can see above in the extensive….excessive flower slide show).  Of course I still indulge on occasion, but keeping these 4 budget friendly floral options in regular rotation has really been the reason why I can maintain this weekly luxury.  

Lemon Basil Cocktail

Looking for a refreshing cocktail to serve at your next get together or for a post work happy hour at home?  Try making this Lemon Basil Cocktail.  It's easy to make, refreshing, packed with flavor but also low in sugar.  This skinny cocktail is great for keeping to those healthy New Years Resolutions, but also shines during the spring and summer months (it is really refreshing).  Cheers to the New Year! 

Ingredients (Serves 4)

Instructions:

  1. Stir together Citroen Vodka, Sparkling Water and  Meyer Lemon Juice
  2. Place 1-2 flavor infused ice cubes in each glass
  3. Pour Vodka mixture evenly into 4 glasses
  4. Garnish with Sliced Lemon and fresh basil

Flavor Infused Ice Cubes

One thing that I have recently started doing is infusing my ice cubes and water with different natural flavors.  I try to stay hydrated throughout the day, but lets be honest, the taste of plain water can get a little boring at times.  Adding fresh fruits and herbs to my water has made it significantly more exciting to get those "8 Glasses" in each day. I have also started expanding to flavor infusing my ice cubes using this fantastic silicone ice cube tray, which has been great not only for water consumption and adding an extra delicious splash of flavor to my cocktails, but its also a great way to use up that extra produce before it spoils.  Below is a "How To" for lemon-basil ice cubes, but I also have a list of different fruits, veggies and herbs that would work great for ice cubes, water or both!

Lemon Basil Ice Cubes

  • Zest of 1 Lemon divided into 4 piles
  • 8-10+ Fresh Basil Leaves Julienned 
  • Filtered Water

Directions:

  1. Zest 1 lemon using a microplane (or equivalent zesting tool) and divide into 4 piles
  2. Thinly slice or julienne 8-10+ fresh basil leaves and divide into 4 piles
  3. Add a pile of lemon zest and a pile of julienned basil leaves to each cube well
  4. Once zest and basil have been added to each well, fill the wells with filtered water and place tray in the freezer.

Flavored Ice Cube Inspiration:

  • Fresh Currants, Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Strawberries
  • Sliced Meyer Lemons, Clementines, Key Limes, Limes
  • Grapefruit Zest and Juice
  • Herbs- Rosemary, Sage, Basil, Mint (be sure to cut herb before placing in cube tray so that the natural oils from the herb can be released) 
  • Lemons and Thyme
  • Pomegranate Seeds

Flavored Water Inspiration:

  • Pomegranate Seeds and Sliced Clementines (Pictured Above)
  • Sliced Cucumbers
  • Lemons, Oranges, Grapefruit, Limes, Key Limes
  • Sliced Pineapple
  • Watermelon
  • Currants
  • Raspberries, Blackberries, Blueberries, Strawberries (combine all, some or just one)

Crowd-pleasing Baked Chicken

This chicken dish has been a favorite in my family since as long as I can remember.  My siblings and I used to call this dish "Moisty Chicken" simply because it is just that!  As I got older and more into cooking I amended the recipe to kick up the flavor and make it slightly healthier.  This was one of the first dishes I made for my now husband when we first started dating.   It's easy to make and takes less than an hour to cook including prep!  This recipe is perfect for a weeknight dinner or in my case, first home-cooked date night dinner!  

Ingredients

  • 1/2c Light Mayo
  • ½ c Plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 Tbs Dijon Mustard
  • 1Tbs Horseradish
  • 3 shakes Tabasco
  • 1c Panko
  • 1c Italian Breadcrumbs
  • ¼ c Parmesan Cheese
  • 4 Chicken Breasts rinsed and patted dry
Sliced on the diagonal and served with whole wheat cous cous and steamed haricot verts. 

Sliced on the diagonal and served with whole wheat cous cous and steamed haricot verts. 

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven 350 degrees and line baking dish with aluminum foil (Non-stick and easy clean-up)
  2. Trim any fat, bone, tendons, etc. from chicken breasts. Then rinse chicken breast under cold water and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels.
  3. In a small to medium oblong dish - Mix the mayonnaise, greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, horseradish and Tobasco and set aside
  4. In a separate small to medium sized dish – mix together panko, Italian breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.
  5. Dip and coat your chicken in the wet mixture and then transfer to your dry mixture and generously coat.  Once coated in dry mixture, transfer to your aluminum foil lined baking dish. 
  6. Repeat Process for remaining breasts and then cook in 350 degree oven for about 35min
  7. Once your chicken has reached an internal temperature of 170 degrees (meat should be opaque in the center and feel firm throughout), remove from the oven and allow chicken to rest for 10 minutes.
  8. Slice on the diagonal, garnish with fresh chopped Italian parsley and serve over a bed of wild rice pilaf.

Healthy Berry Smoothie

I am a huge fan of working out in the morning.  I like to get up, have coffee and a small bite to eat and then go straight to the gym for a good run and my Good Morning America fix (I am a huge Robin Roberts fan).  Post gym, I am always in need of a refuel before heading to work.  One of my go-to breakfast options has become this berry smoothie recipe.  It’s very filling and full of protein, calcium and vitamins, but not too calorie dense.  For me, this smoothie hits the spot and gives me boost I need to start my day. 

Ingredients

  •  1c Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
  • ½ c 0% Plain Greek Yogurt
  • ½ Scoop Vanilla Whey Protein Powder (I like the 365 Brand sold at Whole Foods but any brand is great)
  • ¾ c Frozen Mixed Berries

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until mixture is smooth.  Serves 2.

 **Note- This is not a very sweet recipe (which I like), however, if you prefer a sweeter smoothie Blue Agave Syrup, Honey, Turbinado Sugar, Truvia, Splenda, etc.. all work great.