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Don’t Waste Your Cash this Holiday Season

Five ways to save money when holiday shopping

By Rue Reynold

The season of celebrating joy, family and heritage is right around the corner, but for some would-be shoppers, the holidays can be a stressful time. Here are five tips to help you conquer the horrors of holiday shopping and save money in the process.

1Shop refurbished Opting for a used item rather than a brand new one sounds cheap, but can actually be the best deal. Refurbished products are thoroughly tested and brought to a “like new” state before being put on sale. They also often come with reasonable warranties or trade-in offers, just in case anything goes wrong. 2 Consider post-holiday shopping The prices of some products are sometimes raised to take advantage of the holiday season. If you and your loved ones don’t mind giving or receiving gifts after the formal celebrations are over, try shopping once prices have been discounted or reduced to normal.

3Don’t forget the discounts Whether it’s coupons, clearance or holiday sales, discounts can be found everywhere. Be sure to look at your options and whether any sales might be coming up before buying something at full price. 4 Be an early bird Make a list and check it twice for the things you need to buy and where you can find them at the best price. Consider the location, any sales that might be coming up and plan accordingly.

5Check out local community listings Sometimes priceless treasures are found right in your neighborhood at a fraction of the original cost — or even for free. Look at yard sales and community marketplaces to see what you’ll find.

Rue Reynold is the editorial assistant for Carolina Country.

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Seasonal Favorites with a Healthy Touch

Fill your holiday table with foods rich in taste and nutrients

Surprise your family with delicious meals fit for the season that are full of nutrients and antioxidants. Hearty yet light with a traditional touch, these dishes are simple to prepare, deliver on flavor and will add a pop of color to your autumn table.

Find your local farmer’s market at ncfarmfresh.com to pick up fresh sweet potatoes and carrots (typically in season through winter) to make these dishes sing.

Visit NCSweetPotatoes.com and Culinary.net for more holiday-inspired recipes.

—FamilyFeatures.com Carrot Cake This timeless treat is fit for the season and created using everyday ingredients. 2¼ cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon baking powder 1 cup vegetable oil 1¼ cups sugar 3 eggs 1½ cups carrots, shredded 1 cup crushed pineapple with juice 2/3 cup walnuts Frosting: 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese ¾ cup butter, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5½ cups powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In large bowl, sift flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and baking powder.

In mixing bowl, blend oil and sugar together. Add eggs one at a time. Gradually add in carrots and crushed pineapple.

Add dry mixture to wet ingredients and beat until smooth. Fold in walnuts.

Pour batter into two lightly greased 8-inch round cake pans and bake 25–30 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Allow cakes to cool completely. Remove cakes from pans and slice off tops to level cakes.

To make frosting: In mixing bowl, blend cream cheese, butter and vanilla together. Gradually add in powdered sugar and mix until smooth.

Spread two large spoonfuls of frosting over top of one cake and stack second cake on top. Frost entire cake with remaining frosting.

Sweet Potato Wedge and Purple Cabbage Salad

With poppyseed dressing This colorful side dish is effortlessly simple and combines crispy and smooth textures. 2 sweet potatoes ½ head purple cabbage 1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste 6 tablespoons poppyseed dressing, divided 1 tablespoon chopped parsley 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved 3 tablespoons feta cheese, crumbled Preheat grill to 400 degrees. Scrub and wash sweet potatoes. Cut each into six wedges. (If sweet potatoes are long, consider cutting wedges in half.) Parboil sweet potatoes 5 minutes; drain and cool 5 minutes. Shred cabbage into thin slices. Toss sweet potatoes wedges with olive oil and salt and pepper, to taste. Place sweet potato wedges on grill perpendicular to grates over direct heat; grill about 3 minutes on each side, or until tender-crisp with grill marks on each side. Remove from grill and set aside.

In zip-top bag or large bowl, toss cabbage with 4 tablespoons poppyseed dressing until coated. Add parsley and tomatoes; toss.

To serve, place sweet potato wedges on bed of dressed cabbage and drizzle with remaining poppyseed dressing. Sprinkle with cheese.

Serve warm or cold.