Christmas Shopping with the Chinook Book

In our Christmas present shopping this year, we tried to buy local and use Chinook Book coupons as much as possible. Miraculously, we never set foot in a mall during the Holiday season.

Here's a quick rundown on where we shopped.

The Hub Bicycle Coop: hit up one of our favorite bike shops for bike lights. We used two coupons here for $20 in savings.

Egg|Plant Urban Farm Supply: tried out this place for the first time to get garden tools. Savings: $5.

Mississippi Market: kind of strange location for gift shopping, but they had great "Locally Grown" t-shirts and other locally made gear. Savings: $5.

Aaron's Green Cleaning: setup some cleaning sessions for my parents. Estimated savings: $50.

Patina: this is usually our go-to spot for wedding gifts, but it's also great for fun stocking stuffers. Savings: $10

Moss Envy: last summer we checked out this store and were disappointed that they didn't have anything branded with their logo. After reading our blog post about it, they added various gear online and we finally got around to ordering some coffee mugs. There is a coupon for Moss Envy, but it wasn't applicable to our purchase. Savings: $0.

Total savings on Christmas shopping: $90.

Oui, Oui Monsieur

After some holiday feasting, we hosted brunch for Eli and Ryan. Off to St Paul Cheese Shop once again. Unfortunately their coupon is only for the Signature Chevre (highly recommended) so no savings but what we lacked in discounts, they made up for in deliciousness. A little Croque Monsieur a la Pip. Still dreaming about it!

Christmas is Awesome

In anticipation of our upcoming trip to Mexico, the tree was topped with a Luchador angel.

Had a great time with the in-laws at the British Ad Awards at the Walker (an annual tradition) and thankfully my hands were kept warm by Santa's gift of handerpants.

$99.99 in Savings

I was ready to celebrate reaching the $100 in savings mark, but we're a penny shy. In any case, as of December 18, 2011 we've saved $99.99 using 25 Chinook Book coupons (16 print and 9 mobile coupons).

Happy Holidays!

Webster's, I mean Riverview Wine Bar

For whatever reason, every time I refer to Riverview Wine Bar, I first call it Webster's Wine Bar. If you went to college with me, you will likely understand. So we hit up the Riverview before a Christmas party and had drink and a flatbread pizza. Great spot at the bar and tasty drinks/eats. I think I want figs on my pizza every time.

Right to Left: Like, Like, Didn't Like, Like
Coupon: $5 off $20
Total Savings: $5
Yes, recommended!

Breakfast at its Finest

If you haven't been there yet, Blackbird is so good. Especially for Brunch. Norske Scrambler.

And the Colleen Obrien...

Coupon: $5 off a purchase $20
Total Savings: $5

Beer, Brownies and Chess

Kate ditched me last night to go out for a girls night, so I called up my friend Dan and headed over to one of our local establishments Tracy's Saloon to grab a beer and play some chess.

As Heavy Table has attested, Tracy's has been upping their game over the last couple years. They have a great selection of local beers and their food is really quite good. The last time I was here, I had their wild boar shepherd's pie, which was outstanding.

Last night, I just ordered a brownie not expecting much. Instead, we got a huge (at least 4''X4'') brownie with a liquor frosting that was amazing. We devoured it so quickly that it was gone by the time I thought of taking a picture. Washed down with a Surly Bender, it was a great night (plus I beat Dan twice!).

No coupon, but if you're in our neighborhood (Seward), I'd definitely recommend Tracy's for a drink or a quick meal.

Taking in the NYC Sights

So Twinkly

New York, New York

Just because, we went to NYC for a long weekend in December. In the spirit of this Blog, we ate and ate and ate and spent all of our Chinook Book savings.

Here's the skinny on what we did:

NoHo Star for drinks and apps in NoHo

Abistro for french/senegalese dinner in Brooklyn

Brooklyn Art Museum for first Saturday free admission in Brooklyn

Walked Central Park with Allison

Red Rooster for brunch in Harlem

Checked into Le Parker Meridian to see the Ginger Bread Houses 

Took in a Christmas Tree in Rockefeller Center

Walked the High Line in Chelsea

Spotted Pig for Dinner in Chelsea

Pink Berry for Dessert in Upper East Side

Johns Pizza for lunch in the Village

I enjoyed everything we did and all the food we ate. I would recommend it all. Of these things, Pink Berry for frozen yogurt is one of my favorite things but not unique to New York, so if you are passing bye might be worth a visit. I would go back to Abistro, because it was delicious and not something one can find easily outside of New York. If I was there again on the first Saturday of the month, I would plan better to take full advantage of the show. Lastly, a walk on the High Line was a very relaxing way to see Chelsea and some urban renewal.

Hope thats helpful!

Kate

PS. I love New York.

Travail Kitchen and Amusements

Well we resisted for quite a while. Reports of a two-hour wait in Robbinsdale were enough to keep me away from this joint, in spite of all of its glowing reviews. Long and short, we were wrong to wait so long to go here. This "small plates of awesome food at affordable prices" thing is a trend I hope to follow into 2012 and beyond.

Emily joined us on a Thursday at 6 so that we could avoid the wait. For the blog, here are a few items to discuss...

1) Tiny amuse bouche of foie gras. Disclaimer: I did not know anything about how this stuff is made nor did I do any research on Travail's practices.

2) Steak Tartare under cellophane. Here is Emily to explain...

3)  Tiny bacon bite with blue cheese foam and a drip of balsamic vinegar served on the bottom of this tiny metal cup

4) Reinvented lunch tray complete with a pack of ketchup

Good! You should go too but stick to the weekdays so you don't get pissed off about the wait.

Turkey

I was on turkey duty this year. A job that I enjoy but that carries a fair amount of pressure. After several years of mostly savory recipes, I thought I'd add a little sweetness to this year's bird.

First things first. I ordered a 16lb fresh Wild Acres turkey through the Birchwood Cafe, which meant that I only had to walk one block to pick up the turkey. Keeping it local.

Okay, back to adding sweet to a typically savory dish. A decided to make an apricot-glazed turkey (see recipe on Epicurious). An interesting element of this recipe is that the gravy includes no flour--just blended onions and leaks for thickening.

While carving the turkey, I took a bite and it tasted delicious. Unfortunately it was the only bite I was going to have all evening. It was a rather large piece, and being distracted with slicing, I didn't it chew it enough before swallowing. A moment later, I realized that it got stuck in my esophagus. I won't add any more details, but I spent the next three hours in the ER and went to bed without supper.

All reports have indicated that my first impression was accurate--the turkey was delicious. I definitely recommend the recipe. So tonight, I look forward to eating the leftovers I wasn't able to enjoy yesterday.

However, my project for the afternoon is making turkey stock (ingredients: turkey carcass, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, bay leaf, white wine, parsley, thyme and of course water).

Ngon Bistro

For good measure, I will make sure to add a little something about every place where a coupon was spent. We have not proved to be as formulaic as last time with our 2nd but every place should get some kind of shout out, right?

Last weekend, we hit up the Fitz for John Hodgman and the Witz. Honestly not as funny as we had hoped. Before hand, we went to Ngon Vietnamese Bistro on University. Tasty Bun and Pho plus these spring rolls, which were a tad too lettucy for Pip's liking. Check it out if you are in the mood for some Vietnamese or just want to support University Ave businesses during the light rail construction.

Coupon: $5 off a purchase $25
Total Savings: $5...I'm noticing a trend here Chinook.

Last Harvest of the Season

Brussels Sprouts in a bowel make a great photo. 

Brussels Sprouts sauteed accompanying mashed sweet potatoes and steak from our recent 1/16 grass fed cow purchase makes a great meal.

The Change of Seasons

Chinooking lead us back to Mother Earth last weekend. With the first snow of the season on November 19th came this lovely winter arrangement. See how it brightens up my back door as you drive up from the river.

And, equally exciting, this adventure included our first mobile app redeemed. Check out Pip's post for instructions. I have never been more excited to see an animated gif in my life.

Coupon: $5 off a purchase of $25 or more.
Total Savings: $5

PS. This cost $50 if you're curious.

Ugali

Tom and Sue have been hosting Macalester students for quite some time...I believe ever since I left the nest. By hosting, I mean inviting to dinner from time to time, not acutally living with them unless you mean my japanese brother from another mother Hiroki Matsui. Anyways, Tom decided to cook John from Kenya some typical Kenyan dishes recently. In the spirit of writing about eating, I wanted to include this meal.

We wonder if John really liked it but he said he did and I think I believe him. After all Ugali, a kenyan starch dish like mashed potatoes, only has two ingredients, Corn Meal and Water.


Photo note to self: When taking photos of black people holding white dishes, pose with the light in the foreground so as to illuminate the face.

The Ugali accompanied a bowl of Kenyan beef stew served with apples, shaved coconut, and peanuts. Who knew apples would be so delicious along side beef stew? It was GREAT. I hope Tom makes it all again.

Crispy Pig Ears

Victory 44 in North Minneapolis is my new favorite restaurant. We have been three times since August and think about going most nights. A good eating story is the one about the time that we ordered marrow and were served a femur, cut in half vertically...then we scooped out the fatty jelly marrow from the inside and spread it on toast, and ate it.  Here I am with my crispy pig ear.

 

So this place has no coupons, it's just good. Small plates great for sharing and ordering many different things. Traditional burgers for the less adventurous types. Not particularly veggie friendly.  Great atmosphere, typically crowded with little to no wait. and not too spendy. We eat/drink/dessert for $60-70. Great date night, especially if you are looking to broaden your palate a bit.

 Victory Salad

 Skirt Steak

 Ahi Tuna

 Short Rib Dumplings

Peanut Butter and Jelly

What do you think of the Hair?

We are growing out Pip's hair. I say we as I am the hairdresser and he is the client, this is how it's been for at least all 4+ years of marriage. I am sick of shaving it short, letting it grow and then repeating the same thing month after month. Enough!

Jack (my paid, trained hair stylist) has been coaching me through next steps during our bi monthly visits.

When really exciting things happen, like Pip's experience loading the Magic Coupon Loader, here is what he looks like. With any luck the months ahead will yield a new look for Pip.

This Ode to Joy video might give you a glimpse into the future of our journey. 

Such a Nice Little Place

Working our way through Chinook brings us back to some spots that we haven't hit since staycation. Today Trotters in St Paul was one of those spots. Pip and I joined Otto, Iris, and Sarah for pre-thanksgiving lunch. Otto had a peanut butter and honey sandwich with cinnamon. I did not ask him to lick his lips for the picture, that's just how good this place was.

Don't forget to stop by your tasty local sandwich shop from time to time.

A Trotter's bonus...Nice Ride gives out coupons to new members so it was double coupon lunch today!

Coupons = 25% of any Menu Item (Nice Ride) and 25% of any Menu Item (Chinook)
Savings = something like $5

PS. Sarah of course had a chinook coupon too!
PPS. Although Iris didn't enjoy the food, we sure enjoyed her company.

Android App

Last week, Chinook Book announced the release of the App for Android phones. The iPhone App had been out for a while (go figure) and Kate has been using it.

However, when I went to download the app, I kept running into error messages. Turns out, I needed to update my phone's operating system. Who knew? I can't believe I waited more than a year to upgrade to the latest Android platform.

Phone upgraded and the app installed, I was treated to a surprise. As one of the first 10,000 people to download the app in the Twin Cities, I got a free set of coupons valid for 90 days!

You can get both the Android and iPhone apps at: http://msp.chinookbook.net/mobile/

In case you're curious how to use a mobile coupon, the good folks at Chinook Book have created a short video:

Chinook Books on Sale!

The 2012 Chinook Book went on sale today. Normally $20 a book, it's now only $15 at stores like the Seward Coop. The books are also on sale online for $17 with free shipping at: http://msp.chinookbook.net/online-store/

And then there were two. The sale runs until December 31. If you've been thinking about getting one, now is the time.

BOGO Wine

We enjoy wine, but we are not wine people. In other words, we know the deference between a Shiraz and a Malbec, but that's about the end of the story. Tannins, oak, nose...no idea. Given that fact, we tend to buy bottles of wine in the $8-$14 range and only buy more expensive bottles if they're on sale.

This week we stumbled into Haskell's fall sale where they had multiple bottles on sale for buy one get one free. And not just cheap bottles, so we decided to take the opportunity to sample a higher grade wine. We bought three different types (a Rioja, a Shiraz and a Pinot) and have tried two so far with friends.

The verdict is that they are great. I couldn't tell you much more, but I will say go to Haskell's for their wine sale. It ends on November 19.