Recipes on a budget

Roast beef

2009-02-12T17:44:00.000-08:00

This is an easy one. If you have a small roast and are not sure it will be enough that's ok with this one it will be. As I stated we have been getting alot of food from angel food. The quality is great but the roasts are an average of 1 to 1 1/2 pounds and of course cook that and it looks like nothing, but I am creative!!

Cook the roast in the crock pot.
Take out once roast is cooked to the point of falling apart. It's ok since you did it in the crock pot it will still be moist.
Saute an onion
add a few seasoning (whatever your family likes)
I added a few dashes of hot sauce and a few of worchestshire sauce
Add roast to frying pan make sure it is shredded
cook until roast starts to crisp a little bit
serve on rolls!!

They will love it and you might end up with left overs!!

2009-02-12T17:43:00.000-08:00

Sorry it's been a while. As I said before I lost my mother this past year. Well yesterday was her birthday and in 6 weeks it will be the aniversary of her death. I know for a blog it's not good to be on and off but hey it's been a tough year. So if you'll bear with me it will get better. Life always does it just takes time..........

recipes

2009-01-25T18:50:00.001-08:00

This one is so easy and your kids will love it!! Everyone hates giving their kids soda but they love it, especially at parties.

100% Juice that is concentrated
Seltzer water

That's it just use seltzer water in stead of tap water and call it soda juice. My kids liked this better then real soda. They didn't have a clue!! I use juicy juice most of the time I like it because you can find it not frozen. The concentrate is in the regular juice isle. So if you don't have alot of freezer space it's great!!

Recipes

2009-01-24T21:29:00.000-08:00

Ok again end of the month trying to figure out what to put together.
I had boneless chicken, so I mixed this up and they LOVED it!!

Boneless Chicken breast
Red pepper flakes
Cajun seasoning
Worcestershire sauce
salt, pepper
mustard powder
chicken bullion

I didn't measure I just put the thawed chicken in a baking dish that has a lid sprinkled away mixed it all up and let it sit in the fridge for a couple of hours then I poped it in the oven at 350 for about an hour and wala!

Etsy

2009-01-18T11:31:00.000-08:00

We work from home. As I stated before my husband is an artist not just a tattooist! I finally figured out how to ad our etsy store to our blogs!! Yes I know it took me long enough but I'm learning!! So please take a moment of your time and check out our store! You may find something you love if not maybe you'll find what your looking for in someone else's store. We sell handmade jewelry, vintage items, wire tree sculptures etc... Everything except for the vintage items are handmade by us!! Turns out I have some talent as well!! There will also be original artwork by my husband for sale. Currently there is only one for sale. The drawings take alot of time.

Well Thanks!! Talk to you tomarrow!

recipes

2009-01-18T11:00:00.000-08:00

Sweet potatoes are so healthy they have fiber and vitamins and they taste great too! Growing up I wouldn't even try them. One night we went out to dinner and my husband ordered one it smelled so good I couldn't not try it!!
However many medium sized (or just all similar sized sweet potatoes) you need
cinamon
brown sugar
healthy butter subsitute (smart balance)

spray foil with non stick spray wrap potatoes (after cleaning them) in foil
bake in a 350 degree oven until they feel soft not squishy. Roughly one to two hours depending on size. Carefully remove from oven open foil. Cut about a one inch section of skin from top slice potatoe up in skin. Very carfully! Add cinomin, brown sugar and butter to taste!! That's it. Everyone in my house including the kids loves them. Before this like me the kids would never eat sweet potatoes!!

Recipes

2009-01-16T06:04:00.000-08:00

This recipe is called chicken pastene, however I don't use pastene noodles I use egg noodles!

1lb boneless skinless chicken breast
1 14oz can diced tomatoes
sliced jalapeno peppers
1 package egg noodles
1 box chicken broth 32 oz
Parmesan or locatelli cheese

Easiest recipe!!! Cook the chicken you can either chop it up and cook it in a frying pan with a little cooking spray or just pop it in the oven. Whatever you prefer. In a blender mix the tomatoes (you can use a bigger can of tomatoes it really depends on your taste) with the chicken broth a little of both at a time. If everyone in your household likes spicy then toss in the jalapenos if not just top individual bowls with them.
Pour the mixture into a sauce pan heat through. Boil noodles just until tender. Put noodles into a bowl pour sauce then top with chicken and cheese. Your done! I guarantee your family will go back for seconds. This really is an easy recipe it's another one that is versatile just have fun. Do the ingredients according to your budget and your family's taste!!

Angel Food Ministries

2009-01-16T05:54:00.000-08:00

Angel food ministries is an incredible program. They offer good food at discounted prices. I think I have talked about them before but now I have been using the program for a couple of months and can honestly say the food is really good. For $30 you get roughly enough food to feed a family of four for a month. That is there regular box, then they have special boxes. They offer a produce box that you can't beat it is usually $21. The contents differ each month but you cannot buy that quality produce in that amount for the same amount of money. You do have to carefully look at each menu and compare it to what your family will eat. I did not order last months produce box since it did have enough in it that we would not have used. The program is open to EVERYONE all levels of income. No income verification or anything else required. You simply contact a distributor in your area to find out what day to order on and what day to pick up. You go on order day which is in the beginning of the month place your order pay for it then the end of the month you pick it up. The meats are individually packaged and frozen. Sometimes the first month is a little difficult since you pay and don't receive the food until the end of the month. The fist month I did not order alot, then the next month I was able to order more. They do accept food stamps. I cannot encourage you enough to look into this program. I today's economy everyone needs to save money whenever and wherever they can.
Check it out on line. Again this food is top quality not seconds!
angelfoodministries.com

2009-01-13T20:54:00.001-08:00

Hi, well I know I dropped the ball the past couple of months. This was the first holiday season without my mother and frankly it was just hard. But I'm back now. I will be posting alot more frequently. I have more ideas and have been experimenting with more dishes. I have recently started baking my own bread!! It wasn't that hard and everyone loves it. Of course I need to make more but It will have to wait for about a week since my husband did more ink on me. It is on my lower arm no way to kneed without getting it on my ink. Yeast and fresh ink not a good mix. Well good night for now, I'll be back again soon with more tips and recipes!!

Check out my husbands blog nightmareinamerica.blogspot.com

recipe

2008-11-18T18:52:00.000-08:00

This is the easiest fudge ever!! Pretty much no fail as well
1 can condensed sweetened milk
18 oz chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla

In heavy saucepan heat chips and condensed sweetened milk until smooth ad vanilla. Pour mixture into square baking pan lined with wax paper. Refrigerate. After 3 hours take out and turn over slice fudge. Done it's that easy!!

Have fun with it use different flavored chips.
for instance use white chips and ad crushed candy canes for pepermint fudge

Peanut butter chips
so forth and so on come on be creative!! No one has to no how easy it is!!

recipe

2008-11-10T18:38:00.000-08:00

1 box yellow cake mix 8oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 C. butter, softened powdered sugar

In large microwave-safe bowl, microwave the butter and cream cheese until very soft. Mix in the cake mix. Roll into 1/2" balls and put on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle warm cookies with powdered sugar. Store in refrigerator.

your done!!

One more on Grocery day

2008-11-10T18:36:00.000-08:00

Ok I forgot about this one. After you make your meatloaves and meatballs take the leftover ground beef and cook it then freeze it. Say you like to make tacos well the longest part of the process is cooking the ground beef. This way when you get home from work and your tired just pull it out plop it in the pan and away you go. Or since it is already cooked you can defrost it carefully in your microwave.

Grocery Shopping Day!!

2008-11-02T15:00:00.000-08:00

Ok shopping day what a drag. I like to shop especially when Im saving money, but I hate coming home and putting it all away!! However with a little extra effort it is well worth the while. I do not shop big shop every week. I do this about twice a month.
When you find boneless chicken breast on sale for 1.99 a pound you need to cut it up and clean it. Yuk!! Well pop it in the freezer for a couple of hours first. Not so gross now. I usually pop it in the freezer then pull it out and cut it up. Think about what you are going to do with it. I like to cut it up into smaller pieces instead of the whole breast so it will cook faster. Now adays most things are about how quickly can we get them done.
I also take some of them and put them into big zip lock bags with marinade!! This way its ready to go. Just pull and bake!!

Now Ground beef. I like to make meatballs and meatloaf. I take some of it and turn it into meatballs you can either cook and freeze or freeze raw. (recipe to follow).
Meatloaf , mix it all together form it and freeze it!! Again when you decide you want to make meatloaf just pull it out and pop it in.

Steak, in the summer months you can almost always find London Broil on sale for again $1.99 a pound. They are great but marinade is an absolute must, the longer the better. When you bring the steaks home simply pop them in a plastic zip lock bag (generic brand from walmart) add marinade and pop them in the freezer. They marinade while freezing and while thawing. It works great!!

Again a little more effort on a dreaded day but well worth it in the end!!

Turkey Tip!!

2008-10-27T18:37:00.000-07:00

Ok we all know the holidays are just around the corner. So here come the holiday tips.

This one I discovered by accident. It was pretty funny. I thought I had ruined thanksgiving dinner. I opened the oven took my turkey out and well it looked like it had completely cooked away!! I didn't see any breast!! I started to panick it didn't make any sense I have been cooking turkey's now for about 20 years!! What was in the pan was moist so how could I have cooked it away!!! Well I started digging around in the pan hoping to at least come up with enough meat to feed my family and to my suprise the breast was on the bottom!! I had put the turkey in the pan breast side down!! Hey we can all get a little frazzled when doing the holiday dinner thing..
Well it turns out it was the best turkey yet! Since I had cooked it upside down in the pan all the juices continuously ran into the breast!! It was great!!

First thing with cooking a turkey DO NOT BASTE!!! This drys it out!! Put your turkey in the

pan season it ad a little bit of water and let it cook! I set my temp to 350 degrees. Doing it

this way the skin will cook and create a shell holding all the moisture in. In my 20 years of

cooking turkeys I am proud to say I have NEVER had a dry turkey!! When I take the

turkey out and slice it I also dip the slices in the juice before I put them on the platter.

Even without doing that it is still moist. I remember my first christmas with my husband he just

didn't get it. He kept following me around but you have to baste, no I don't now leave my kitchen.

He just knew it was going to be the worst turkey he had ever had. He spent the rest of the

evening appologizing and raving about my turkey. He just couldn't get over it.

I put it in the oven and forget it!!! I will not go into how long to cook your turkey because

it depends on the size of the bird and even individual ovens vary temp wise. I always use a

popup thermometer. If your bird doesn't have one you can buy them cheap.

So this year give it a try. Turn your bird upside down put it in the oven and relax!! Pretty

much everything else can be made at least the day before. I even make my mashed potatoes

the day before. Always mash them do not boil them and put in the fridge to mash later, to much

starch.

So take the day to relax and enjoy your family and friends.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh and I also do not buy expensive turkeys, whatever is on sale wins. But do buy the biggest one you can afford the smaller ones have less breast meat so not such a great value.

Keep checking back I have lots of tips and short cuts on great holiday dinners!!!

One thanksgiving I did everything in advance so thanksgiving day I popped my turkey in the

oven and went off and enjoyed a nice hot bubble bath!!!

Recipes

2008-10-18T13:35:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Waffles with Cranberry Syrup.
Prep Time: 15 minutes , Cook Time: 30 minutes

1 1/2 cups (375ml) all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups (310ml) whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup (60ml) sugar
2 tsp. (10ml) baking powder
1 tsp. (5ml) baking soda
1 tsp. (5ml) allspice
1/2 tsp. (2ml) ground ginger
1 1/2 cups (375ml) lowfat buttermilk
1 tsp. (5ml) orange peel1/2 cup (125ml) orange juice
1 cup (250ml) cooked pumpkin puree*
1/2 cup (125ml) honey
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tbsp. (15ml) canola oil
1 tsp. (5ml) vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a large bowl whisk together flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice and ginger.

2. In medium bowl combine buttermilk, orange peel, juice, pumpkin, honey, eggs, oil and vanilla.

3. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture; whisk until smooth. Let waffle batter stand 5 minutes.

4. Cook waffle batter in waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions. Keep waffles warm on baking sheet in oven.

5. For Cranberry Syrup: In small saucepan combine 1/2 cup (125ml) cranberry juice, 1/4 cup (60ml) orange juice, 1 cup (250ml) cranberries, 1/4 cup (60ml) brown sugar, 1 tsp (5ml) grated orange peel and 1 tsp (5ml) ground cinnamon. Simmer until sugar dissolves and cranberries burst to thicken syrup. Serve warm syrup over waffles.
Serves 6.

* For pumkin puree: Halve pumpkin; remove seeds and stringy insides. Microwave on HIGH 7 minutes per pound. Once cool enough to handle, scoop out flesh; puree or mash until smooth. For best results, allow puree to drain overnight. Canned puree can be substituted.

Photo

2008-10-11T21:25:00.001-07:00

You might wonder why I chose a tattoo as my photo. Well it's mine. I love tattoos. Yes I am a stay at home mom and I have lost count of my tattoos. My husband is a tattoo artist so that helps alot. I chose this one since it is a memorial to my mother. She passed in March after a 9 month battle with cancer. Very proud and strong woman. Tough shoes to fill. My daughter often wondered why my mother was so hard on her. Now she gets it. She is a female more is expected of her. It has been six months now and it still isn't getting any easier. You know what they say one day at a time. At least we had the privlage of living with her for the past 4 years. No it wasn't always easy sometimes it down right sucked. Grown woman living with your mom not easy. But I wouldn't trade that time for anything in the world except maybe having her back.

Laugh at yourself

2008-10-11T21:18:00.000-07:00

Ok so this isn't a recipe. But laughter is a good health tip especially when you can laugh at yourself. Tonight I was looking at other peoples blogs through Elli who subscribed to my blog. Well to show how computer illiterate I am . I ended up adding myself to my own blog!! I look at all these other blogs with music graphics and other stuff. How do you figure it all out! I have been trying and just don't seem to get it right. I'll keep at it though. Someday I'll get it right. I wanted to just list my recipes on the side and have articles and whatever under posts. Haven't figured that one out yet either!! Well it's late and I'm tired. So good night for now!

Thank you Elli it was a good feeling to see that someone was following my blog. You put a smile on my face!

Easy health tips

2008-10-07T15:32:00.000-07:00

If your really in the mood for a cheeseburger go ahead just top it with raw onion to help your body with the cholesterol.

Following a healthy diet doesn't mean giving everything up. As a matter of fact that sets you up to fail. Make gradual small changes. Read about nutrition so when you have to have that certain item you can make it better for your body.

My husbands trygliceride count is down by 200 points!!! Yes he is on medication but medication alone will not do it. After a year on the medication it only went down 100 points. But with both diet and medication he is now in a safe range. These are the types of things I did to get it down. Let's face it burger is cheap. Ground turkey not so cheap. No you can't put a price tag on your family's health but you also only have so much money to work with.

Recipe

2008-10-07T15:25:00.000-07:00

Ok this one is super easy. The other night we had company and well it was down to the end of the month so things were a little thin. Looked around my kitchen to see what I could pull together.

I had Boneless chicken breast
3 very ripe tomatoes from my garden
1 small can of mushrooms
Garlic powder
Italian seasoning

Spray rectangular pan with non stick cooking spray. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees
Put chicken in pan top seasonings. No definate amount just a couple of pinches. Add tomatoes (canned are fine if that's what you have) and mushrooms. Bake for about an hour. Use common sense don't over cook it so it's dry but check and make sure it's not pink in the center. I usually cut my chicken up about half way through just to speed the cooking process.

Everyone loved it!!

Recipe

2008-09-24T19:16:00.000-07:00

Home made Pizza

I like keeping ingredients in for this for those I don't feel like cooking nights. Since you are making it yourself you can make it very healthy.

1. Dough, lets see, whatever tickles your fancy!
Italian bread sliced in half
pita bread
Tortilla bread
English Muffins
Pretty much whatever you can think up or whatever is on sale that week.

2. Part Skim Mozzerella
Sometimes I shred my own to save money. Just shred it when you get home and toss it in
the fridge.

3. Tomato Sauce
I use spaghetti sauce, or you can use pizza sauce. Pizza sauce is a little thicker so less chance
of the bread turning soggy.

4. Seasoning
I use garlic salt and oregano

5. Veggies of your choice
I like tomatoes, purple onion (sliced thin), sweet peppers, muchrooms (canned workds best)
Green peppers (sliced thin.)

If you are using italian bread or english muffins toast them in the oven first 350 for a few minutes keep a close eye on them so they don't over toast.

Add Sauce, then cheese, then veggies, and then finally veggies!

I put it in the oven broiler this cooks the cheese brown and bubbly! It only takes 5 to 10 minutes. Depending on your choice of "dough" just keep a close eye on it!!

Enjoy!

Recipes

2008-09-24T19:09:00.000-07:00

Blueberry Shake

Ok for this one I'm not giving exact amounts. Just play with it and adjust to you and your family's tast.

1. Blueberry pomegranite juice - I usually buy the minute maid brand, I have found it is the
least expensive. Yes it's a little more then most budgets would allow but considering the
health benefits this is one of those things I do splurge on.

2. Vanilla Yogurt around a cup

3. Bananas - one or two

4. Frozen berries

5. Splash or drizzle of honey

put all ingredients in blender and blend. There you have it. You may want to make it a little sweater by adding some canned fruit in light syrup. Play with it. have fun!! Enjoy and hey no guilt! Packed full of vitamins, nutrients, and fiber!!

Cinnamon and Blueberry's very Healthful!!

2008-09-24T18:44:00.000-07:00

Reasons to love Cinnamon:
1. Is believed to help lower blood sugar levels. A specific chemical (MHCP) found in cinnamon
mimics the action of insulin in your body and helps control blood sugar levels.

2. In studies Cinnamon has been shown to help reduce triglycerides and bad cholesterol.

3. Peps up digestion. Adding some cinnamon to your meals could help relieve frequent
Indigestion.

You don't need large quantities of cinnamon to get it's benefits. About 1/2 tsp a day will be enough.

You want to try not adding it with alot of sugar. I know the recipe I posted is for a sweat treat, but hey we all need them sometimes. Just sprinkle it on your toast in the morning, on your cereal, in your yogurt, on some meats. Be creative.

Benefits of Blueberry's

Antioxidants are thought to help protect the body against the damaging effects of free radicals and the chronic diseases associated with the aging process. Fresh fruits, including blueberries, and vegetables contain many of these naturally occurring antioxidants such as Vitamins C and E. Blueberries contain 14 mg of Vitamin C and 0.8 mg Vitamin E per 1 cup of blueberries. In addition, blueberries contain anthocyanins and phenolics that can also act as antioxidants. Based on data from the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (Boston, MA), blueberries are among the fruits with the highest antioxidant activity. Using a test called ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity), researchers have shown that a serving of fresh blueberries provides more antioxidant activity than many other fresh fruits and vegetables.

This article is from US Highbush Blueberries Council web page

The health benefits associated with blueberries include improved eyesight, stronger blood vessels,reduced risk of heart disease, reduced risk of urinary tract infections, better memory performance.
Blueberries are also great for reaching and maintaining a healthy weight level. They are considered low calerie.

These are all things I have read and learned over the years. Adding these types of food to your diet is very healthy and can help you. However this is not medical advice! If you have any condition adding these foods with your doctor's permission can help, not replace what you are currently doing. Of course if you don't have any medical condition, being aware of what you eat could help keep you from developing one. Again I am just a stay at home mom. I have been reading about nutrition for years. I believe very much in homeopathic remedies. These are just my beliefs. Yes I know this little note is sort of like caution coffee is hot and may burn you! But you know how it is now a days!

Recipe

2008-09-24T18:33:00.000-07:00

Easy Blueberry Muffin Rolls

1 12.4 oz package (8) refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing

1 cup frozen blueberries, thawed and well-drained
1/3 cup blueberry preserves
1 tsp finely shreddred lemon peel

1. Lightly grease sixteen 2 1/2 inch muffin cups. Remove cinnamon rolls from package, set icing
aside. Cut each cinnamon roll in half crosswise. Press a roll half in bottom and about 1/2 inch
up the side of each muffin cup.

2. In a small bowl stir together blueberries, preserves, and lemon peel.
spoon filling into muffin cups.

3. Bake in a 375 degree oven about 12 minutes or until golden. Cool in muffin cups on wire rack
for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups and place on wire rack. Cool for 5 minutes.

4. Place icing from the package in a small bowl. If neccessary, stir in a little milk to make icing of
drizzling consistency. Drizzle icing over rolls. serve rolls warm Makes 16 rolls.

Heart Healthy Cooking

2008-09-24T18:32:00.000-07:00

Heart Healthy Cooking TipsBy: Dev.

Taking care of the old ticker requires exercise and a decent diet. There's simply no substitute for either. We'll leave the aerobic concerns to more informed minds and stick to the stuff that goes in the gut, namely the heart healthy foods everyone needs to stay fit, and the heart healthy cooking techniques that keep them that way. There's no substitute for either of those either.Low saturated fat, low cholesterol dishes are what we're after here, and hold the butter and other added fats. The unhappy fact is that certain ingredients and preparation methods can add unwanted saturated fat and cholesterol to your food.One can bake without fear, broil to the heart's content and microwave all day (just don't stand too close). Poaching is cool and steaming is even better. Seafood, chicken and vegetables are all good candidates for grilling. Lightly stir-frying or sautéing foods in cooking spray, small mounts of vegetable oil or reduced sodium broth are other healthy options. When roasting even skinless meats it's wise to place meats on a rack so fat can drip away.There are lots of ways to cut out unwanted saturated fat and cholesterol in your diet that don't take the fun and flavor out of meal time. Butter is not your friend, what with its 8 grams of saturated fat and 11 grams of fat per tablespoon. Salsa is your good buddy though, with 0 grams of saturated fat and 0 cholesterol found in 1/4 of a cup. Creamy salad dressings are notoriously loaded with the bad stuff, while a reduced fat Italian sports only 2 grams of fat and tastes just as good.There are many fine and tasty herbs, spices and condiments that can add zest to some of the more bland heart health dishes. Herbs include oregano, basil, cilantro, thyme, parsley, sage, rosemary. Cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper and paprika are all acceptable spices. Along with the reduced fat or nonfat salad dressing and salsa there are old standbys like mustard, catsup, horseradish, reduced fat or nonfat mayonnaise, reduced fat or nonfat sour cream, reduced fat or nonfat yogurt and reduced sodium soy sauce. That's to say nothing of Parmesan cheese, fruit preserves and simple red pepper flakes, none of which will harm you heart.And there you have it. With a little planning, a bit of knowledge and a smidge of extra effort anyone, can eat right for their heart without giving up a healthy enjoyment of food.
Article source http://articles411.com

Recipe: Layered Italian Casserole

2008-09-16T20:15:00.000-07:00

1 lb Italian Sausage 1 15 oz container ricotta cheese
6 oz. Rotinit or penne pasta 1 cp 4oz shredded mozzarella cheese
1 6oz can tomato paste 1 egg beaten
1 14.5 oz can italian diced tomatoes 2 tblsp italian seasoned bread crumbs
2 15oz. cans crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp rosemary crushed 1 tbl spn melted butter (or Smart Balance)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a large skillet, brown sausage; drain off excess fat (and rinse for extra drainage!)
3. Stir in dry pasta, tomato paste, italian diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes and rosemary; heat through
4. Spread half mixture in the bottom of a 2 quart casserole.
5. In a small bowl combine the ricotta cheese, 1/2 cp mozzarella cheese and egg; spoon over tomato mixture.
6. Spread remaining sausage mixture on top
7. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes
8. Combine breadcrumbs and butter
9. Uncover casserole and sprinkle with remaining cheese and breadcrumbs
10 Bake and additional 5 minutes to melt the cheese
11. let stand 5 minutes before serving.

makes about 10 servings.

I usually buy my canned tomatoe products at the dollar store, about half the cost of at the grocery store even when on sale!
Store brand bread crumbs are fine.

Time Saving Tips for Dinner

2008-09-12T18:13:00.001-07:00

Time savings tips for dinner timeBy: Debbie Madson
Many families are in a hurry to get dinner on the table and the quickest resort seems to be eating out or ordering in. When it comes to meals, preparation is important and can really save you money.One of the key factors to successful meals is to have an organized kitchen. This will help you to get meals done quicker when everything is in its place and kitchen items are easily accessible. Organize your kitchen in stations to ease in baking and preparing meals. Place all baking items in a cupboard next to the mixing bowl. Place serving spoons, spatulas and serving dishes close to the stove in a cupboard. For serving utensils a crock or jar on the counter makes for easy access.After grocery shopping do any prep work that you will need through the week. Cut carrots and celery in sticks and store in a bowl of water in the fridge. Even onions can be diced and stored for later use. Cheese can be grated and sauces made ahead of time.When planning your meals for the week, plan for making extra. If you make a little more when cooking it can be frozen for later meals or lunches to go. Find recipes that are freezer friendly and double them to use for another busy night.The crock pot can be a great help when in a hurry. Prepare your dinner in the morning and cook on low throughout the day. There is little work that needs done so these meals are great for nights when you have very little time. You can also buy crock pot liners or line your crock pot with tin foil for easier clean up.Your family dinners don't have to be lacking in flavor, excitement or fun. Plan ahead and you will save money and time in the long run.
Article Source http://articles411.com
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Double Duty Pork Roast

2008-09-12T17:11:00.000-07:00

2 lb pork roast (boneless) on sale for 1.99 lb alot!
Season with salt and pepper
Whatever other seasoning fit the taste of your family
I like to cook it in salsa!! I just pour about half a normal size jar in with it.
Slice up some potatoes and put them in.
The salsa adds alot of flavor to the potatoes.

I cook this in a crockpot. It is best to start it early in the morning and cook on low all day. You can speed it up by cooking on high.

Serve with corn or green beans.

Night #2

Now this is the night my family really likes it. Sometimes I skip serving it from the crockpot. I simply take it out of the crockpot and devide it into 2 nights servings put one in the freezer.

1/2 of the pork from the crock pot. crumbled
1/2 large onion chopped
salt
pepper

I take the pork roast and shred it. This is easy when you cook it in the crock pot.
Spray large frying pan with non stick spray. Ad pork to pan dab with some of the smart balance butter. Ad onion. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. I fry it all together until the meat starts to get a little brown and crispy.

Serve on hamburger rolls.
Serve with bagged salad, and baked beans!!

Hot Wings!!

2008-09-12T16:56:00.000-07:00

4lbs chicken wings (you can either cut your own or buy the frozen sections, thaw first!)
1 12oz bottle Texas Petes Hot Sauce (or whatever brand you like)
3tbl spoons Smart Butter
about 4 shakes of Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce (depending on your preference)
2 tbl sp Honey
chilli powder
Crushed Red Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Stean wings for about a 1/2 hour. (this helps remove some of the fat) While wings are steaming sprinkle them with the chilli powder and crushed red pepper. If you like them hot go to town! for milder just gently dust them.

While they are steaming in a saucepan mix all ingredients. Bring just to a boil lower heat and simmer for about 5 minutes (make sure butter is melted and mixed).

Put wings in sauce and mix around. Completely coat them. You will have to do this a few at a time.

Arrange wings single layer (this is important for crisping) in baking pan. If you have a rack for your baking pan use that. bake at 350 degrees for half hour. Remove from pan and put them back in the sauce, again completely coat. put the wings back in the baking pan and roast for another half hour. At this point they are cooked. Now if you want them crispier remove them, sauce them up again and return to the oven for another half hour. Do not pour the remaining sauce in the baking pan. This would make crisping very difficult.

This is a time consuming recipe however the results are well worth it!! My husband loves hot wings and he says these are the best he has ever had!! When he doesn't like something he simply does not comment, if it's just so so he says this is good. When he raves he really does love it!!

Organic Food Coupons By Ian Pennington

2008-09-10T19:59:00.000-07:00

Organic Food CouponsBy Ian Pennington

All-organic meals may come as more expensive than a regular protein-carbohydrate combo one. And yes, it's more difficult to find fiber-rich and organic foods sold at lesser prices. But with organic food coupons, you can enjoy a considerable amount of savings. Quite a few manufacturers are open-minded about giving out coupons as they are still soliciting ample resources to cater to the market's escalating needs. If you are bold enough to communicate with the bigwigs of sellers and re-sellers, there is a greater possibility of acquiring coupons from them. How much more when they learn that you are a die-hard fanatic of organic foods?
Other consumers believe that acquiring some organic food coupons would entail more efforts. At present times, the trend of qualifying organic foods as part of the product lines is growing among several food makers. Brands like Campbell's, McCormick, Grape Nuts and Chips a Hoy are embracing the idea of going organic with their food selection. While it is realistic that finding coupons for natural food purchases can be a bit hard, it doesn't suggest that no companies would be open to handing out coupons. It only goes to say that you need to allocate and assert more work to find them online. By browsing the Internet pages, you will eventually learn which companies are actually distributing food coupons.
Shoppers nowadays are becoming choosier in their way of purchasing foods. This reality tends them to resort to the idea of shopping with the use of organic food coupons. The advantage of those who actually buy on a budget is that they can wisely pick the items needed while saving big bucks. What's so good now is that there are quite a number of websites that actually offer food coupons. Newspaper circulars released on Sundays also have coupons inserted. Before availing of the coupons, you must verify through the websites if the coupons are acquired directly from them or by other means. SCO Juice, Coleman Natural, Mambo Sprouts, Stony Field Farms, Organic Valley and Shop Nature Oasis are among those who offer special food coupons for organic and natural foods.
The market tells us that there are two accepted ways wherein organic food coupons can be obtained. There are certain manufacturers that actually provide coupon booklet through the retailers every quarter. You can also print coupons directly from the manufacturer's website. Mambosprouts.com has coupons that can be printed. During holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, these food coupons are widely distributed and mailed directly to shoppers. Just so you know which websites to go for you to get the coupons, you can begin exploring the search engine. That's the best option there is to embrace so that you get your coupons in perfect timing.
Ian Pennington is an accomplished niche website developer and author.
To learn more about organic food, please visit My Organic Markets for current articles and discussions.
Article Source: Ezine Articles by Ian Pennington

Another very helpful site!!!

2008-09-10T10:13:00.000-07:00

Eatingonabudget.com offers frugal recipes, money saving tips, product reviews and more to help you stretch your budget. http://www.eatingonabudget.com

Baked Chicken Cutlets

2008-09-09T19:36:00.000-07:00

This one I love!! Everyone eats it!! You can almost always find boneless chicken breast on sale for $1.99lb. That's all my family will eat.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (store brand)
1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 egg
2 tsp dijon style mustard (if you dont have this don't worry about it. It just adds a little zing)
1/4 tsp black pepper

1 Spray baking sheet with cooking spray (I use store brand canola or olive oil spray) set aside. Combine parmesan and bread crumbs on a piece of plastic wrap (easy clean up) or you can do it on a large plate. Lightly beat the egg and mustard in a bowl.

2 Season the chicken with the pepper. Dip each chicken breast into the egg mixture and then dredge in the bread crumb mixture until evenly coated. Shake off any excess bread crumbs.

3. Place the chicken on the prepared baking sheet and lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray. Bake until golden brown and cooked through, 20 - 25 minutes. Chicken is cooked through if juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a knife or fork.

Serve with baked french bread brush them with a little olive oil and some crushed garlic or garlic powder. For a vegie either bagged salad or I like the steam in bag veggies now that you can get them in store brand. They are still more expensive then regular frozen veggies but I really can't cook veggies. So the steam in bag works for me. Your not saving any money if no one will eat them. Broccoli always goes good with chicken.

2008-09-09T19:25:00.000-07:00

Chilli
1lb ground beef preferably 80% or higher (80% and lower is usually on sale somewhere)
2 packages McCormick chilli mix
2 cans kidney beans (store Brand)
2 cans dice tomatoes (store brand)
Opptional
1green pepper
1/2 medium onion
peperchini peppers
peper rings

In a stock pot, brown ground beef, while beef is browning chop peppers and onions. Drain the ground beef in a colonder and rinse with hot water, this takes even more fat out. Rinse the pot with hot water. Return beef to the pot add remaining ingredients. Bring to a light boil reduce heat and simmer until the kidney beans are soft and start to open. Stirring occasionally. Becareful that it doesnt stick.

The money savers with this one are using less meat. Yes you are still using one pound (who wants to make a small pot of chilly) but you double the beans and tomatoes. To stretch it even further you can serve it over rice.

Serve with a loaf of bread maybe some shredded cheddar on top. I use new york extra sharp store brand. This has more flavor so you can use less!!

Recipes on A Budget

2008-09-09T12:20:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Christine I am a stay at home mom. As with many familys now we live on a very sticked budget. It seems harder and harder to feed my family healthy. I search for recipes and most are stuff my family would never eat!! I have two teenagers, 16 year old boy and a 13 year old girl. Yes I can see your faces now!! Try getting them to eat anything other then pasta, pizza and chicken nuggets. Good Luck!! I buy books and there are 2 maybe 3 recipes that we can afford and that my family would actually eat. So there goes money down the drain, and garbage disposal!! So I have decided to try and start my own site with recipes and tips. We all have different nutritional needs in my house. So that complicates things even futher.

Alot of the recipes I will offer are ones that I have simply adapted over the years to meet our needs and likes. I try very hard to keep our food budget at around $150 per week for a family of 4.

I have been to so many sites for SLASH YOUR GROCERY BILL IN HALF! Well good luck with that. I use coupons, sale shop, I follow all of the little tricks and still the lowest I can go is around $150. Some weeks it's better some its worse. Grocery day is just that at least 3 hours going to the different grocery stores in our area and only buying what is on sale. They also recomend stocking up when items are on sale. Yes in theory this is a very good idea. However when you are on a tight budget that makes it hard. Say chicken is on sale for $1.99 a pound. Is your family going to eat chicken for a month. I don't think so. If you stock up on the meat that is on sale then you don't have anything left for other meals. It does work for items like cereal. However not usually for the healthy ones. My daughter has high triglicerides so I try to feed her the high fiber lower sugar cereals. Well that doesn't always fit into our budget. So I adjust other areas of what she eats.

My husband and I both have high cholesterol. So again good luck on a budget. My husband as alot of husbands out there is very much a meat and potatoes kind of man. So I do spend extra money on things like Smart Balance "butter" and Oil. I also do things like buying the double fiber breads. You can find them on sale alot. Little things like that can make a big difference over time and not kill your budget.

The really hard one is me. I have fibromyalgia and diverticulosis. So my diet should be high fiber low fat and here is the real kicker all organic. Not going to happen on a budget. I try the best I can though. I do like salad however I don't like fat free dressings to much sugar. Don't like the taste or consistancy. So I go with the low fat instead and I put my dressing on the side. You would be surprised how much less you use when you dip instead of drown your salad. That's a tip I learned years ago when I was doing Weight Watchers. Wonderful program by the way for anyone trying to loose weight. I went from a size 16 to a size 3!!! No not over night no magic pills, it took time and effort. My body does better with protein verses carbs so I ad meat and cheese. Take bagged salad, like Salad Express, it goes on sale alot. So I buy that and mix it with meat, cheese, peppers, pickles, and hard boiled eggs. I love it.

Well I guess that is enough to start with. Now I'm off to my recipes so I can actually post some of them. As my blog progresses I will be adding links to coupon sites, etc. Please bare with me as this is the first time I have ever done this. Html is definatly a foriegn language to me. So this is very much trial and error.

Please check back often. Subscribe and post comments. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.