Crockpot Pork Chops

Again, I unabashedly share my sister's recipe. It's awesome.

*4-6 good sized, boneless pork chops

Roll in mustard and flour then brown.

*1 family sized can of Cream o' Mushroom
*1 family sized can of Cream o' Chicken

Put browned chops in crock pot and cover with soups.
Let cook in crock pot on high 4-6 hours and serve over white rice.

Easy Chili

Okay, everyone has their favorite way Chili is made. Richard and I like spicy and hearty, but unfortunately, that doesn't always agree with our tummies and our kids won't go near it. My sister shared this one with me and we love it. (For we poor IBS victims, this is as good as it gets. LOL) You can always add more to make it spicier, but it has plenty of flavor.


*1 lb Ground Beef (browned and drained)
*1 can of Bushes CHILI BEANS (NOT KIDNEY BEANS)
*2 8 oz cans of tomato sauce

Blend, heat to a boil and serve with cheese, crackers, or what ever else tickles yer fancy.

this feeds our family of 4 just about right. So if you have big eaters or more people, double the recipe.

Cheddar Studded Turkey Burgers

This was originally a Rachael Ray recipe, but her ingredients are pricey and often too much for my kids to handle. I tinkered and this is the poor man's version. We like it better anyway. :)


*1 lb ground turkey
*cubed Cheddar cheese (I do about 1/3 in.)
*Cumin and/or chili powder
*onion

Combine these and divide into patties


*Ranch Dressing
*Garlic powder

I never actually had a recipe for this, so I do it to taste. blend and use for topping on the cooked patty.


*Buns

Pasta Necklaces: Math patterning at home

*Rogatoni noodles
*1/4 C rubbing Alcohol
*food coloring
*Yarn

Put Pasta, alcohol, and desired amount of food coloring into a zip loc bag.

Close and shake.

When color is evenly distributed, empty contents onto a cookie sheet and let air dry.

use the yarn to make necklaces and encourage the youngin's to use patterns.

Edible Play Dough

I have seen this recipe (or various versions of it) all over the internet- and it is fun. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Play Dough

•1 18-oz. jar creamy peanut butter
•6 tablespoons honey (you can also use Karo Syrup)
•3/4 cup non-fat dry milk

Instructions for the project-Mix all of the ingredients together, using varying amounts of dry milk for desired consistencies. Kids also enjoy adding other foods like M&M's or peanuts for , mouths, etc. It is important to note that when you are not using this play-dough it must be stored in an airtight container.

Bell Peppers!

I don't know about anyone else, but our family LOVES Bell Peppers and I use them in so many things. So if you like them here's a little tip. Buy a bunch of them when they go on sale. Sometimes I find them 3 for a dollar. When you get home from the grocery store, wash them and chop them up and put them in a big zip lock baggie and put in the freezer. Next time you want to add them to spaghetti or what have you just pull that baggie right out. My kids will eat them right out of the freezer too. =-D kinda like grapes. lol

Chicken Rotini Casserole

1 pkg prepared Rotini
2 cups shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1 Can Hunts Chunky Vegetable Spaghetti sauce
2 cups chopped bell pepper (colored not green)
2 boneless skinless chicken breast cooked in your favorite seasonings and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Once Rotini is done and drained, mix all ingredients in greased casserole dish and put in oven for 20 minutes until warm all the way through.

Eat with some french bread and you're good to go!

Green Chili Enchilladas

1 Can Cream of Chicken (unmade)
1 Can Green Chili Enchillada Sauce
8 Tortillas Soft Taco Size
2-3 Cups grated Cheese
1 1/2 pounds boiled and shredded chicken
1/2 cup sour cream (optional - makes sauce mixture creamier)
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

once chicken is boiled and shredded. Mix Cream of Chicken, Green Chili Enchillada sauce and sour cream. heat just to boil making sure the ingredients are mixed well.

warm the tortillas so they are easier to roll. In each tortilla roll in chicken, cheese and bell pepper if desired. Place in a 9X13 pan that has been sprayed with cooking oil. Once all enchiladas are rolled, pour sauce over the top. Make sure to get it between each enchilada. Finish by topping with left over cheese. Grate some more if you need.

Place in oven uncovered for about 15 to 20 minutes. You will know it's done with cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling.

My kids LOVE this recipe. Make sure you get the green sauce that says mild, not medium as it may be too hot for your kids.

Italian Chicken and Potatoes

2 boneless chicken breasts

1/2 c. Italian dressing

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/2 c. parmesan (the kind in the green can)

4 potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges

place chicken in the bottom of a crock-pot.  Sprinkle half of the Italian dressing, spices and cheese.  Put the potatoes on top or around the chicken.  Sprinkle with remaining spices and cheese.  Cook on low 6-8 hours.

Note: I double this for my family.

Marinated Ham Steaks

1/2 c. ginger ale

1/2 c. orange juice

1/4 c. packed brown sugar

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 1/2 tsps. white vinegar

1 tsp. ground mustard

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

4 individual boneless fully cooked ham steaks (about 5 ounces each)

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first eight ingredients.  Add ham steaks; seal bag and turn to coat.  Refrigerate for 8 hours overnight.  (I would recommend marinating overnight)

Heat grill to medium heat.  Drain and discard marinade.  Grill ham, covered, over indirect medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side or until heated through.

So easy and delicious!  My kids gobble this up like crazy!  It is one of my favorite recipes to make in the summer.

Christmas Salad

This is a large recipe and I usually cut it, but for the sake of being accurate here it is in full scale.
Salad:
12 cups baby spinach
2 cups sliced strawberries
2 cups honeydew melon balls
2/3 cup Gouda cheese diced
2/3 cup broken pecans (optional)

Dressing:
1/4 lime juice
1/4 cup honey
2 tbls veggie oil
1/4 - 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground Cinnamon
dash ground nutmeg

PB&J

A couple of fun ideas with PB&J:

My favorite: Make your basic PB&J sandwich and for a change grill it like you are making grilled cheese. Even easier, if you have a toaster over pop it in for regular medium toasting time. Crispy, warm and delicious.

PB&J Roll Ups: Pull out the left over tortillas from the pantry bought for burrito night and spread on a thin layer of Peanut Butter. Next add just a small dollop of your favorite jam to the middle and pile on some fruit (such as sliced up apples, pears, bananas, raisins or grapes etc). Finally wrap up like your making a burrito and enjoy. My experience - kids love these ... especially if they get to pick the fruit.

Fancy PB&J Egg rolls: I did this for a party. Kind of an upscale kids dish to look pretty next to the grown up dishes. Admittedly the grownups liked them as much as the kids. Start with store bought won ton wrappers (surprisingly they are usually in the produce section, but sometimes in the frozen foods). To prevent them from drying out during assembly prepare all other ingred's first and then open the pkg right at the end. Stuffing's- PB&J, peanut butter and Nutella (spreadable chocolate), peanut butter and bananas, and/or peanut butter and raisins or sweet dried cherries. Egg white wash or plain water in a glass to seal the sides.
-Lay a won ton wrapper out, pile a small amount of select ingred's in the middle, brush the sides with water and roll like making an egg roll. Assemble all rolls and then fry in 2 inches of veggie oil or place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 until golden brown. Serve warm.

Brainstorming Tip

Sometimes I get tired of the same old meals and have a hard time coming up with anything different. That is why I love the Kraft Foods Website. It has so many options to help you brainstorm your dinner ideas. One feature I love is the dinner helper where you can enter a list of ingredients that you have in your house and it will pull up recipes using those ingredients. It's pretty awesome.

Also, it has a section called 1 bag, 5 dinners, which is actually pretty cool. It has a shopping list of everything you would need to buy for one weeks worth of dinner. It also gives you the recipes for those meals. (Plus there is a picture of every meal so you know what it is supposed to look like!)

Check it out:

www.kraftfoods.com

Easy mini kisses choco-cherry pie

Ingredients

1	baked (9-inch) pie crust, cooled
1-3/4	cups (10-ounce package) HERSHEY'®S MINI KISSES® BRAND Milk Chocolates, divided
1-1/2	cups miniature marshmallows
1/3	cup milk
1	cup (1/2 pint) cold whipping cream
1	can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling, chilled
	Whipped topping Directions: 1. Place 1 cup chocolate pieces, marshmallows and milk in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 1-1/2 to 2 minutes or until chocolate is softened and mixture is melted and smooth when stirred; cool completely. 2. Beat whipping cream in small bowl until stiff; fold into chocolate mixture. Spoon into prepared crust. Cover; refrigerate 4 hours or until firm. 3. Garnish top of pie with cherry pie filling, whipped topping and remaining chocolates just before serving. Refrigerate leftover pie.

Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf

Preparation time: 20 Minute(s)
Cook time: 0 Minute(s)
Servings: 6

CHEESE-STUFFED MEAT LOAF

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 lbs. ground beef
• 1 jar (1 lb. 10 oz.) Ragu® Chunky Pasta Sauce
• 1 large egg, slightly beaten
• 1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (about 8 oz.)
• 1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In large bowl, combine ground beef, 1/3 cup Pasta Sauce, egg and bread crumbs. Season, if desired, with salt and ground black pepper. In 13 x 9-inch baking or roasting pan, shape into 8 x 12-inch rectangle.
2. Sprinkle 1-1/2 cups cheese and parsley down center leaving 3/4-inch border. Roll, starting at long end, jelly-roll style. Press ends together to seal.
3. Bake uncovered 45 minutes. Pour remaining Pasta Sauce over meat loaf and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake an additional 15 minutes or until sauce is heated through and cheese is melted. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

TIPS: Molding the meat mixture onto waxed paper helps make rolling easier. Just lift waxed paper to curl the meat over cheese filling, then carefully remove meat from paper. Continue rolling in this manner until filling is enclosed in roll and meat is off paper.

Photo Copyright 2006 Publications International, Ltd. Used with permission.

Onion Baked Pork Chops

1 envelope Lipton Golden Onion Soup Mix
1/3 c. Plain dry bread crumbs
4 pork chops 1 inch thick (I've done more that were thinner and it worked just fine)
1 egg well beaten

Pre heat oven to 400

Roll chops in egg and then in mixed dry ingredients

Place on greased baking dish/sheet

Bake uncovered 20 min, turning once.

Apple Pie Chimichangas

The kids love these! Occasionally we'll make them for breakfast or a special dessert.

Apple Pie filling (about 1 can)

2 Tbs. butter

1/3 cup fine-ground toasted almonds (optional)

8 flour tortillas

Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Powdered sugar

Whipped cream for garnish (optional)

Toothpicks

In a heavy saucepan, combine apple pie filling with butter and almonds. Heat on medium heat until hot and butter is melted. Set aside to cool.

Warm the tortillas for a few seconds in the microwave so they are easier to roll.

Spoon one-eighth of the fruit mixture onto the center of a tortilla. Fold the sides in and then roll up into a tight package, securing the chimichanga with toothpicks. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and fruit.

Pour at least 3 inches of oil in a heavy, deep skillet. Heat the oil to 365°F. Fry the chimichangas, one or two at a time, until light golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Let cool slightly, then serve topped with spoonfuls of whipped cream if desired. Makes 8 serviings.

Tip: You can use any kind of pie filling. We've tried blueberry with good results, also...

Naked Burritos

1 can black beans drained
1 can corn
1-2 cups rice
shredded cheddar and spicy jack cheese
salsa

Make rice according to pkg. Add corn and black beans to a medium sized sauce pan and heat through. Shred cheeses.

Combine a scoop of each ingredient into a bowl and enjoy.

The first time Jeff made this for me I was a bit sceptical but what can I say...I love it. It is tasty, cheep and takes about 7 min to make. I recommend adding everything from the beginning. On my first go I held back and didn't add salsa, but it is best with everything!

Chicken Chili

A left-over make-over: When faced with chicken left overs.

Costco boneless, frozen spicy breaded chicken strips or wings (chopped)
-Or any chicken leftovers diced or shredded
Caned spicy chili beans (your favorite brand)
Caned diced tomatos
Canned or Frozen corn
Onion
Garlic
Chili Powder
Cayenne Pepper (If you like it extra spicy)
S&P to taste

If you don't have Chili Powder Combine...To make your own:
Cayenne Pepper or red pepper flakes
Paprika
Cumin
Onion Powder (not salt)
Garlic Powder (not salt)
Crushed dried Oregano (just a pinch)
Crushed dried Cilantro (just a pinch)
S&P or a couple shakes fo steak seasoning

Saute Onion and garlic in a pan. Throw in diced up chicken left overs. Heat through and add all canned/frozen ingred. Bring to a simmer and taste. If you used light or unflavored beans (or just like it extra spicy) add chili powder, cayenne pepper and S&P here. Chili is ready in 30min but you can let it simmer all day on the stove top, or throw everything in the crockpot ahead of time. The longer this one sits the better it gets so it's great for freezing!

Serve with shredded cheese and chips. We like Frito scoops.

In my house the honest truth is I never make two dishes the same simply because I may be working with left overs, cleaning out the pantry or fridge, feeling adventerous, or simply because I've never written the recipe down. Soooo....if you try this or any others I might post please take note, it is from faulty memory and when in doubt make it your own with ingred's you like. :-)

Celery Tip

Richard's Grandma showed me that cutting up your celery and putting it in a Mason jar of water in the fridge doubles and can even triple the life of your celery. She adds carrot sticks in with hers, I don't usually do that.

Hamburger Tip

I'd rather not handle raw meat if I can avoid it, but we use a lot of hamburger and I tend to buy it in bulk. This means I either end up freezing it all in one clump and have to thaw the whole thing and use it in a hurry, OR I dig my hands into the goo and separate it into 1 lbs baggies.

I have a friend who gave me a great tip:

There are very few recipes you need raw hamburger for (i.e. meatloaf) and most need to have browned and drained hamburger. SOooooooo,

When you come home from the store, pull out a skillet and brown the whole thing of hamburger with some onion in a skillet while you unload the grocery bags. Drain and cool, and then put them in baggies for the freezer.

This works great for chili, spaghetti sauce, taco meat, etc. I pull it out and save myself 20 min in thawing and cooking by just dumping it in and heating.

Cheesy Burger Casserole

1 large bag Tater Tots
1 can Campbells Cheese Soup
1/2 lb (or more) hamburger

Start by spraying a glass baking dish with non-stick spray. Make a layer of Tater Tots on the bottom. (about one tater thickness is usually good) Put this in the oven to start baking. About 375 degrees. (I say this because the tots are frozen, and if you wait to put it in the oven- it will take a really long time to cook.)

While the bottom layer of tots are heating, Season and brown your hamburger. Feel free to brown with onions, if you want. (Use your favorite seasonings- I sometimes use, onion flakes or powder, seson- all, or garlic salt)

Drain meat.

Pull out warmed tots and sprinkle cooked hamburger over tot layer.

Open can of cheese soup and spoon uncooked soup all over tot and hamburger mixture. Be sure to spread cheese soup over entire surface. (use an extra can if coverage is sparse)

Top this layer with another layer of Tater Tots.

Bake another 1/2 hour- 45 minutes, until tots are cooked through (they start to brown slightly), and soup has melted.

Serve with favorite veggies or salad.

Brownies with a kick

1 box of brownie mix
1 pkg Andies mints pieces

Make Brownies like it says on the box and melt the Andies Mints on top when you pull them out of the oven.

Great with a side of ice cream :)

Hamburger Roll- Ups

I have to admit- I stole this recipe from my sister Janice.

Use Bisquick (or favorite biscuit recipe) and prepare a batch of biscuit dough. (You can also use the store bought stuff in a tube if you want) Instead of forming biscuits, take dough and using flour, roll it out flat as if you were making a square pizza, or cinnamon rolls.

Open a can of Cream of Mushroom Soup, uncooked. Spread even layer on top of dough.

Brown approximately 1/2 lb hamburger. Sprinkle meat on top of soup layer. (feel free to season the meat with your favorite seasonings- I sometimes use Season-All or a little bit of Garlic Salt)

Add another layer, using grated cheese. (probably about a cup or two- we like lots of cheese, so we always use more)

Gently lift one side and roll entire mixture into one long roll. Think "cinnamon roll" technique here.

Cut roll into 1/2 to 2 inch sections. Place sections in a glass baking dish and bake at about 350 degrees until biscuit dough is cooked through, soup is cooked through and cheese is melted. (normally about 20 minutes)

You can make a gravy to pour on top of these, if you want, by taking a can of cream of mushroom soup and diluting it with milk.

Serve with favorite vegetables or salad on the side.

The quickie pizza

English muffins or a Baguette
Pizza sauce
Shredded Mozzerella
Optional pizza toppings

For fast mini pizzas, slather the pizza sauce and grated cheese on an English muffin or two and nuke it till the cheese is melted.

French bread pizzas are almost the same but you slice the baguette in halves or fourths and then bake with toppings till cheese is melted at about 350.

Lunches the dilemma

Lunches are tough for me. Half the time its just myself and the girls and what's the point in cooking anything significant? The other half, Richard comes home for a short while and wants something significant and I had no idea he was coming home till he's home for 30 min, hungry and in a rush. Hmmm....

What to have on hand for these days? Left overs are good, when we have them. But when time is tight and we've eaten the same leftovers for a couple of days or don't have any, I tend to cheat and have Richard go pick something up for everyone on his way home. This is bad for business, since it now costs about $15-$20 for fast food or take out for our family.



For the girls when its just the three of us, I have my standbys:

the dreaded Mac and Cheese

PB & J

Peanut Butter and Bananas on raisin bread

Can of soup

Hot dogs/corn dogs

Fish sticks/fillets

Grilled cheese

--You get the point.

When Richard comes home for lunch, its usually after not having breakfast, and a corn dog just ain't gonna cut it, you know?

Suggestions? What's fast and hearty?

Beef Stroganoff ala Courtney

1 lb. ground beef
8 oz. mushrooms
1 onion, chopped
1 c. sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 Tb. worcestershire sauce
2 Tb. ketchup

Brown ground beef and onion and drain off fat. Saute mushrooms. Combine the sour cream, soup, wor. sauce and ketchup. Mix all together in skillet over medium heat until heated all the way through. Serve over rice or noodles. (I like brown rice with this)

What's the Stroggie Story?

Since being married, I've noticed that everyone seems to have a different Stroganoff recipe. What's yours? I don't know why there's so many variations, but I seems to enjoy them all and like the variety. If you've got one, post it as a comment or create a post and label it "Stroganoff."

Here's ours:

*1 lb Stew meat cut into small chunks (Canned beef chunks work well too)
*1/2 tbsp dried onion
*2-3 cans Cream of Mushroom
*about 1/2 cup sour cream
*1/4 cup Beef Broth
*Worcestershire (a few shakes)
*Cooked egg noodles


Cook the meat all the way through in the onion
Drain any access grease or water
Add soup, sour cream, broth, Worcestershire and stir on med heat till hot
Serve over Cooked egg noodles.

Quesadillas

I LOVE HOMEMADE QUESADILLAS!!!!!

I didn't get a lot of variety in my comfort food upbringing. Plus as a kid I was super picky. In High School, my mom started making the plain cheese quesadillas and then later added Salsa. Now that I'm on my own and have expanded my pallet in many, many ways, I still revert to the now "fancy" Quesadilla. It now has chicken, salsa, cheese, guacamole, and sour cream.

Cake Mix Cookies

Warning: these are addicting. You can't beat the taste, price, or convenience factor.

1 box cake mix, any flavor (I have used Devil's Food Chocolate, Cherry Chip, or Lemon, but any flavor will do)
1/3 cup of oil
2 eggs

Mix thoroughly. Roll into one inch balls then roll balls into powdered sugar. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees, for 6-9 minutes.

You could also skip the powdered sugar and opt for frosting instead- but I don't always have frosting and powdered sugar is quicker.

Tip: buy the cheap cake mix- it really doesn't matter in this recipe. Just make sure it's not the sugar free variety- the cookies didn't taste right when we tried it.

Chile Verde Soup

You should try Chile Verde Soup! I got the recipe from my sister, Lisa, and like every other thing out of Lisa's kitchen it is shamefully tasty.

2 cans chunked chicken (Costco or deseret both work, or you can cook and shred if

you're fancy.)

1-2 16 oz cans of green enchilada sauce

1 can drained black beans

1 can drained corn

1-2 Cans chicken broth

onion and cilantro optional and to taste

Dump and stir till hot in a large pot

Pour in to bowls and top with shredded mozzarella, dollop of sour cream and tortilla chips. (Yes you stir the chips into the soup.) Then you eat.


DISCLAIMER: My kids call this "throw up soup." Lisa has encouraged them to call it "Shrek Soup" instead. LOL They love it and it is one of the few soups that all of us will eat, but it does look kinda gross. Once you taste it though, you don't care what it looks like. Imagine a smothered burrito and heaven put into a soup. :)

Chicken Stuffing Stuff

I know that title sounds less than appetizing, but its appropriate, I promise.

1 box Chicken rice-a-roni

1 box Chicken stuffing

1 can chicken chunks (or a few chicken breasts, cooked and shredded)


Follow the directions on the boxes (I add the chicken Chunks in the water with the rice) and stir together for a light lunch-like casserole. It makes enough for leftovers and I like that I can put those left overs in ziplocks and chuck them when we're done. :)

If your kids are big eaters (mine aren't) you might want to double the recipe.

Side suggestion: Green salad, or baby carrots

Bow Tie Salad

I think that this is an offspring of a Pampered Chef recipe, but I'm not sure. I got it from my big sister in NY. I don't ever measure, I just add more of my favorite stuff. I'm sure you could add and remove what ever veggies your family would eat/whats in season and it would still be good.




Ingredients:
2-4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 Bag or box of bowtie noodles
2-4 Small zuccini (I like to use 1-2 green
1-2 yellow for color.)
1-2 Bell peppers, diced (I like to use different colored ones to be prettier, but it doesn't really matter.)
2 Tomatoes
1 Tbsp Olive oil
Parmesan cheese to taste
Minced onion as desired
Garlic salt as desired

Directions:
Cut Chicken and fry in olive oil with minced onion and Garlic salt.
Cook noodles while you wait.
add peppers to pan, till desired amount of crispiness

Scoop meat and veggies into bowl

Put sliced zuccini in skillet and brown it slightly (You may need more olive oil.)
add Zuccini and noodles to bowl and stir till evenly mixed.
Then last add sliced tomatoes (Don't let the tomatoes get mushy.)
Strain noodles and toss in contents of frying pan.
Sprinkle parmesan cheese and mix it up. And you're done.

Number Of Servings:A lot of servings I'd guess 8-10 adult ones

Preparation Time:35-60 min.

Savvy Shopper

As a lot of you know,Richard works for Utah Valley's paper, The Daily Herald. He is the emedia producer there and videographer. one of his recent projects were the Savvy Shopper videos. He filmed them and edited and posted them. then he came home and said "We gotta try this!" They are fairly long, I think the first one is about 20 min. But every time you finish a video its good for Richard and the tips are great too. :) Check it out!

http://www.savvyshopperdeals.com/

Crock-pot Chicken Cacciatore

*Boneless, skinless chicken (a in as many as you can fit)
*Marinara (I use newman's) 2 cans
*Bread crumbs
*Taco blend of Shredded cheese (abt. 4 cups)
*parmesan

In layers, pour ingredients in, covering the surface of your Crockpot. Repeat till all of your needed chicken is covered.

Sauce
cheese
chicken
Bread crumbs
Cheese
Sauce
cheese
chicken
Bread crumbs
Cheese

You get the point.

4-6 hours till chicken is cooked through, serve over noodles.

What we try to do to be frugal

Richard and I are often too spendy. We love different foods and are both prone to be lazy, resulting in eating out a lot. A LOT. On the weeks we are on the ball and prepared, here's what we do....

1. Make a menu. I use 2 different kinds of menus. some times one works, sometimes the other.
menu 1-- list 14 dinners, lunches and breakfasts.
Highlight the ones that need to be eaten sooner, eat the meals you are in the mood for
Menu 2--Schedule day to day B, L & D

2. Use your food storage. I walk in and go "Wow, I have a lot of cream of mushroom. What else do we have to use some of that?" or "That vegetable soup needs to be eaten soon. add some bread and there's a lunch." Then I add that to my menu.

3. Shop with the weekly ads. I got a turkey breast at .99/lb a few weeks ago. Then planned a meal around it. Actually two meals, since we use the meat for sandwiches the next day.

4. Stretch your meat. At least twice a week I make a roast, ham, chicken or turkey and use the leftovers to make something else. Most can be sandwiches, ham can be made into a cheesy potato casserole, Roast into stew... you get the point.

5. Pork chops are cheap! use 'em. Zatorain's is cheap. Spaghetti is cheap. All are hearty and filling.

6. Spaghetti sauce. I spice up the canned cheapies. a few spice, some hamburger and you're set. How may kinds of noodles are there? None are lavishly expensive. my kids don't care that the sauce is the same, change the noodles and its a new meal to them. We have some form of spaghetti at least once a week. (usually for lunch as Richard is not as easily fooled.) add some garlic bread one day, mozzerella the next, some chicken chunks the next. Happy family for a few dollars a day.

7. have a food budget. Make it reasonable. I know I use somewhere between $80, and $120 a shopping trip on food. We budget $120 every two weeks and I keep the leftover money for the days I don't want to cook and for the little extra pocket money I usually end up needing.

8. Mom's and Grandma's. Once or twice a month, isn't it nice to go visit family? That sure helps us on food. LOL

9. Day old Bread Store. Love it, live it, use it. its cheap, tastes the same and my family goes through it before it goes bad anyway. If you have a big freezer--which we don't--even better! freeze the bread, snacks, etc.

10. Eat before you shop. I need to heed to this better. I vear from my shopping list when I'm munchy.

That's off the top of my head, and we still need a lot of work on our food expenses.

"Panchetta"

Make box of noodles as directed.

Add cooked, chopped bacon or panchetta meat to it and serve with a side salad.


One box makes enough to feed our family of 4, but our kids aren't big eaters. I'd suggest 2-3 boxes for a big family.

BBQ Pork sandwiches

My Mom sent me a bunch of food storage a couple of years back. Among the many things I didn't know what to do with was canned pork chunks. These ones were canned by my mom at the LDS church store house.

One of our family's faves is BBQ pork on rolls.

1 can pork chunks

BBQ sauce of your choice.

Dump into a sauce pan and stir and heat to boiling. We dump it on Judy's rolls or sandwich bread in a pinch. I like mine with sliced cheese on it but I'm the only one.

It takes about 10 min. Serves 4

Black Bean Soup

*2 cans GOYA black bean soup
*Cooked white rice
*Cumin and/or Chili Powder
*Sour cream

Optional side: Tortillas

Heat black bean soup and season to taste. Serve over white rice and top with sour cream.

Options: We have served it in a bowl with fresh tortillas, or we've also stirred it all together and ate it burrito style.

Time: about 15-20 min. Serves 4-6 Cost: under $10

Creative Advertising

I have 3 very picky eaters living in my house. I am always looking for "kid-friendly" recipes, but the truth is you can only make so many butterfly sandwiches and "bumps on a log." (otherwise known as celery with peanut butter with raisins on top) We have found that 1/2 the battle is in our advertising. If we can make it sound exciting- we usually have a better chance of getting them to eat it with minimal screaming.

For example:

PITA POCKETS are really BOATS (Can you bite a hole in the bottom and make it sink?)
PENNE PASTA are really TUBES (Look, they look just like the slides at the playground... Can you eat a slide?)
CHICKEN POCKETS or CALZONES are really PILLOWS
BREADSTICKS are really SWORDS or SPEARS (No fighting at the table, though!)
BOW TIE NOODLES are sometimes called BUTTERFLIES
BROCCOLI are really miniature TREES
MASHED POTATOES & GRAVY are really MOUNTAINS with LAKES
BURRITOS are really SLEEPING BAGS

Are we just crazy or does anybody else rename their food to make it more appealing?

Why the blog?

I have friends with recipe blogs that I visit and sometimes contribute to as well. The problem is, a lot of the recipes are things my kids won't go near, or that aren't cost effective. Easy is nice, but in these times, food storage friendly or especially budget friendly is key.

For example, if i have a recipe that only costs $10 to feed my soon to be family of 5, yet the kids don' eat it and the food goes to waste, what's the point? Some times the kids have to deal, but in the case of Zatorrain's, which i love and is dirt cheap, I'm the only one who eats enough of it to make it worth while.

Also, I'd like to use the labels to make my menus. So if I need to make something fast and easy with chicken, I click the chicken label or the easy label and get my recipe and ingredients right there. Kinda handy.

I'm also looking for bargains and coupons etc. to help out. So any links or tips would be great. I'm inviting all of you as authors, so add and label your additions to share. Thanks guys!