This turned out to be a super cheap and delicious meal!
2 Chicken breast boneless and skinless (I bought a pack of 11 breast for $15.00 and divided them into smaller bags) $2.72
bread crumbs (I always use my left over stale pieces of bread and turn them into bread crumbs and season them as I go) or you can buy store bought Italian seasoned. $0.80 (if using store brand)
egg beaten with a splash of milk $0.30
1/2 bag of shredded mozzarella cheese (I got mine on sale 3 for $5 store brand) $0.84
Grated Parmesan cheese ( i always have this on hand.) $0.85 (is a guesstimate)
1 box angel hair pasta (store brand) $0.86
1 Jar (or can) of spaghetti sauce $1.12
preheat oven to 350
Pound the chicken breast out with a meat mallet until it is about doubled in size (not too thin!) (it makes a large piece which can be cut in half when serving)
Coat the chicken in the egg and milk allow excess to drain
In another bowl mix the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese leaving enough cheese to sprinkle over the tops of chicken (if plain or home-made mix in your seasoning, I use oregano, basil, garlic and salt)
Coat the chicken with bread crumbs make sure to pat the crumbs in and get a good coating, to be sure that I have a good coating I double dip/coat mine)
place coated chicken breasts on a baking sheet and allow to sit for 3-5 minutes so your breading doesn't fall off in the skillet
in a skillet heat a couple TBSP of olive oil
Fry chicken pieces just until browned
place in a dish and cook for 35-35 minutes or until done (add your mozzarella cheese and Parmesan to the tops of your chicken 10 minutes before they are done (this way you don't brown the cheese and it doesn't all melt off into the dish)
Meanwhile warm your sauce in a pan on the stove top
10 minutes before taking chicken out of the oven boil pasta according to package directions.
Plate noodles, then chicken then sauce and top with a tad more cheese if desired!
Monday, January 11, 2010
Bad Banana
I couldn't help but hop on and share this recipe with you. It seems with the current economic struggle and busier families desserts are nonexistent (well at least homemade desserts).
So I always have bananas in the house, but sometimes the kids just can't eat them before they turn black, I ALMOST threw them out yesterday and I said "Hey why not banana bread!" This recipe is so super simple, and you are bound to have all the ingredients right in your pantry! I love this recipe because all you need is a bowl and wooden spoon, and your imagination, it is so versatile you can add just about anything that you like!
3 or 4 ripe bananas and by ripe I mean black
1/3 cup melted butter
3/4 cup sugar (or sugar substitute)
1 egg beaten
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups flour
(you can spice it up if you like with some cinnamon or nutmeg)
(you may also add walnuts or raisins what ever you like!)
Mash your Bananas in a bowl add the melted butter, then the sugar mix with spoon, add eggs, then vanilla, then salt then baking soda. After all ingredients have been stirred together add flour and stir. (if you are adding nuts or raisins add them after the flour)
Pour into a buttered loaf pan cook on 350 for 1 hour!
Patches ( and a super simple killer roast beef)
I don't have too much to talk about today, and if you know me in real life, then that must come as a shock to you! I am rarely without words. I do want to talk just a little bit about my day yesterday, so kindly bare with me and then I will share a recipe for some yummy easy pot roast!
Yesterday I was going about my normal Sunday routine, cleaning and laundry. I put a load of whites in the washer and went to switch the load over when I heard the washer stop. I didn't think it had been long enough to finish a load but I was busy and thought I had lost track of time. I opened the washer to find it was still full of water! Great just what I need, I had at least 5 more loads to wash and we are by no means in a position to buy a new one. I kicked the washer, unplugged it and plugged it back, turned the dial a couple times hoping it would start again, it didn't. Then I realized that there must be something that tells the washer that the lid is shut so it will spin. Sure enough there was and it was broken.
I once met a man in the valley that swore all you needed was a Phillips head screwdriver, vice grips, pocket knife and duct/electrical tape and you could fix anything. Well it was a good thing because that was about all I could find! So I pulled the little mechanisim out and looked at it studied it, I realized what I needed to do. I needed a rubberband and vice grips STAT. So I patched the washer, it works, but I soon realized that it wouldn't work forever, it was only patched.
Often in life we do the same thing, we patch our life with something that makes it better for the time being, when fixing it right the first time is so simple. It is so simple to just take a couple minutes from your hectic day and talk to God. Ask him to be in your life. That is a permanent fix.
Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken...
1Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you...
Sunday dinner!
This is SO super simple and it just melts in your mouth!
1 roast (any cut will do, but don't get one too lean the fat helps keep the meat juicy! Rump roast is my fav)
5 red potatoes peeled (or unpeeled if you prefer) and quartered
small bag of baby carrots
1 onion peeled
1 brown gravy pack (any brand will do)
Worcestershire sauce
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
put roast in a skillet with a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce, sear on all sides.
Put carrots, potatoes and onion ( I use a whole onion b/c I am the only one that eats it, you can quarter it if you like) in bottom of crock pot. place seared roast on top(fat side Up VERY IMPORTANT). Sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, add the packet of gravy mix. Put enough water in the pot to come no more than halfway up on the roast. (I put water in the skillet and get all the good juices that were seared in the pan). Turn your crock pot on low and cook about 10 hours (if I need to cook it faster I put it on hi-lo auto shift), the longer and lower you let it cook the more tender and juicy it will be.
I was going to add a picture for you but the family dug in so fast I didn't have time to :)
Tonight we are having Chicken Parmesan YUM!
Yesterday I was going about my normal Sunday routine, cleaning and laundry. I put a load of whites in the washer and went to switch the load over when I heard the washer stop. I didn't think it had been long enough to finish a load but I was busy and thought I had lost track of time. I opened the washer to find it was still full of water! Great just what I need, I had at least 5 more loads to wash and we are by no means in a position to buy a new one. I kicked the washer, unplugged it and plugged it back, turned the dial a couple times hoping it would start again, it didn't. Then I realized that there must be something that tells the washer that the lid is shut so it will spin. Sure enough there was and it was broken.
I once met a man in the valley that swore all you needed was a Phillips head screwdriver, vice grips, pocket knife and duct/electrical tape and you could fix anything. Well it was a good thing because that was about all I could find! So I pulled the little mechanisim out and looked at it studied it, I realized what I needed to do. I needed a rubberband and vice grips STAT. So I patched the washer, it works, but I soon realized that it wouldn't work forever, it was only patched.
Often in life we do the same thing, we patch our life with something that makes it better for the time being, when fixing it right the first time is so simple. It is so simple to just take a couple minutes from your hectic day and talk to God. Ask him to be in your life. That is a permanent fix.
Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken...
1Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you...
Sunday dinner!
This is SO super simple and it just melts in your mouth!
1 roast (any cut will do, but don't get one too lean the fat helps keep the meat juicy! Rump roast is my fav)
5 red potatoes peeled (or unpeeled if you prefer) and quartered
small bag of baby carrots
1 onion peeled
1 brown gravy pack (any brand will do)
Worcestershire sauce
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
put roast in a skillet with a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce, sear on all sides.
Put carrots, potatoes and onion ( I use a whole onion b/c I am the only one that eats it, you can quarter it if you like) in bottom of crock pot. place seared roast on top(fat side Up VERY IMPORTANT). Sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, add the packet of gravy mix. Put enough water in the pot to come no more than halfway up on the roast. (I put water in the skillet and get all the good juices that were seared in the pan). Turn your crock pot on low and cook about 10 hours (if I need to cook it faster I put it on hi-lo auto shift), the longer and lower you let it cook the more tender and juicy it will be.
I was going to add a picture for you but the family dug in so fast I didn't have time to :)
Tonight we are having Chicken Parmesan YUM!
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Football, Food, Family & Fat
It's funny the things that run through my mind when thinking of my next blog entry. I come up with all these ideas and things I want to post but none of them really go together.
So today is Saturday and it's playoff season (Go Dallas!! I know, I know don't give me too much crap over it) I remember growing up and watching football with Dad, he was and still is a Redskins fan, I liked the Redskins for a long time because after all I was a Daddy's girl. My preference in teams changed about as fast as my taste in clothes. It all depended on either who was good, who my friends liked etc. Some where a long the line I settled on Dallas and it stuck. I have been a fan for years now, and I have managed to corrupt my oldest in to a Dallas fan as well. I tried with the girl, but as said above "daddy's girl". She cheers no matter who is playing and says "SCORE! GOOOO REDSKINS" I have to admit that it is cute, just wrong team, princess.
So this is where we turn to food, with the playoffs on and the house is filled with my Husbands friends, in and out all coming for some great food and football. Now I have never, ever been one to like the boxed or processed foods, just not my style. If you were coming to Mama's house to eat you brought a huge appetite because it was good (yeah I will toot my own horn) and there was enough to feed an army (literally). So today is a lazy day and we ran over to the Walmart to get some groceries and the Husband wanted some "dip". Now this "dip" is the easiest thing in the world to make, but it does have a WHOLE block of processed cheese (hang on arteries we are clogging up). The guys eat it all day long and it is so filling that it gets me out of supper (and dishes for that matter). So I figured what the hey, I am starting the big "D" on Monday with some girlfriends so lets have one last HOORAH.
Now for this recipe you need the following.
1 Block of processed cheese
1-2 lbs of ground beef (depends on how you like your meat to cheese ratio)
a can of Rotel tomatoes with Chiles (the guys here like the hot but I like the mild and add a little bit of Cumin and cayenne pepper spice to mine)
Brown and drain your ground beef dice the cheese into cubes open the can of tomatoes throw it all in a crock pot and wah-lah the guys are fed!
Now if you leave the lid on or leave it on high for too long it will get watery, just either remove the lid or cut the heat down and it should thicken back up for ya. (and I drain some of the juice off my tomatoes but you don't have to)
Another good one I like to serve is a nice little easy recipe I picked up from my Nanny. These are great and get eaten up quick! (you also have to forgive me, I am one of those cooks that "eyeballs" measurements, I will have to do better for you guys!)
Flour tortillas
Soft spread butter or a stick softened
Jar of pimentos (drained)
Cumin
Monterrey Jack Cheese (shredded)
Cheddar Cheese (or Colby if you like the milder cheeses)
heat your oven to (and I am guessing again sorry) I would say 375
Mix your cheese and pimentos (or green chiles or whatever you like) a sprinkle of cumin (it is more potent than you think)
Spread butter on each tortilla and pop in the oven (not very long you have to watch them) until they start to bubble up and brown just a tad.
take them out and sprinkle your cheese mixture on them (don't get too close to the edges or it will melt over)
Pop them back in the oven and bake just 'til the cheese is melted
Cut with a pizza cutter into 1/4s and there you have a cheap, easy snack sure to please!
Now back to our trip to Wal-mart and the big diet on Monday. Eating Healthy can be expensive! Also as I mentioned before, I like home-made good ole southern cooking. I once had the best brown beans of my life by a lady in the valley, she put and I quote "2 scoops of lard" in her beans, my heart probably couldn't take but so much but man, my mouth could eat them ALL DAY! Just about everything I cook, is breaded, fried, buttered, salted, cooked in side meat etc.. I am going to attempt to eat some chicken breast (not fried of course) some salmon and a lot of veggies. So I went through the store and got some goodies and walking through the produce section a country gal just can't pass up a nice looking bundle of kale. Now I hesitated a minute because can you really cook a healthy pot of kale? I picked up 2 bundles and decided, there has to be a way! So over to the tater (I said tater just for you Steph) aisle I go and I see this "Wiley's Healthy Southern Classic Green seasoning" Now I think well There ya go! So at .98 who can pass it up right? So I get home and start putting the groceries away and think what does this wondermuss concoction contain? ingredient #4 Dehydrated rendered bacon fat..seriously? That CAN NOT be healthy?!? I mean what made a guy say "this is "healthy" lets fry up some bacon, save the grease and dehydrate it!" Now it claims to be fat free (how?) and cholesterol free so we will try it out and then blog about it later :P)
Hopefully this Diet works out for me, I am not trying to lose a ton of weight, but tone up and drop a few (20) pounds from pregnancy. I will when I have a good recipe share it with you guys!
So until tomorrow!
God bless!
So today is Saturday and it's playoff season (Go Dallas!! I know, I know don't give me too much crap over it) I remember growing up and watching football with Dad, he was and still is a Redskins fan, I liked the Redskins for a long time because after all I was a Daddy's girl. My preference in teams changed about as fast as my taste in clothes. It all depended on either who was good, who my friends liked etc. Some where a long the line I settled on Dallas and it stuck. I have been a fan for years now, and I have managed to corrupt my oldest in to a Dallas fan as well. I tried with the girl, but as said above "daddy's girl". She cheers no matter who is playing and says "SCORE! GOOOO REDSKINS" I have to admit that it is cute, just wrong team, princess.
So this is where we turn to food, with the playoffs on and the house is filled with my Husbands friends, in and out all coming for some great food and football. Now I have never, ever been one to like the boxed or processed foods, just not my style. If you were coming to Mama's house to eat you brought a huge appetite because it was good (yeah I will toot my own horn) and there was enough to feed an army (literally). So today is a lazy day and we ran over to the Walmart to get some groceries and the Husband wanted some "dip". Now this "dip" is the easiest thing in the world to make, but it does have a WHOLE block of processed cheese (hang on arteries we are clogging up). The guys eat it all day long and it is so filling that it gets me out of supper (and dishes for that matter). So I figured what the hey, I am starting the big "D" on Monday with some girlfriends so lets have one last HOORAH.
Now for this recipe you need the following.
1 Block of processed cheese
1-2 lbs of ground beef (depends on how you like your meat to cheese ratio)
a can of Rotel tomatoes with Chiles (the guys here like the hot but I like the mild and add a little bit of Cumin and cayenne pepper spice to mine)
Brown and drain your ground beef dice the cheese into cubes open the can of tomatoes throw it all in a crock pot and wah-lah the guys are fed!
Now if you leave the lid on or leave it on high for too long it will get watery, just either remove the lid or cut the heat down and it should thicken back up for ya. (and I drain some of the juice off my tomatoes but you don't have to)
Another good one I like to serve is a nice little easy recipe I picked up from my Nanny. These are great and get eaten up quick! (you also have to forgive me, I am one of those cooks that "eyeballs" measurements, I will have to do better for you guys!)
Flour tortillas
Soft spread butter or a stick softened
Jar of pimentos (drained)
Cumin
Monterrey Jack Cheese (shredded)
Cheddar Cheese (or Colby if you like the milder cheeses)
heat your oven to (and I am guessing again sorry) I would say 375
Mix your cheese and pimentos (or green chiles or whatever you like) a sprinkle of cumin (it is more potent than you think)
Spread butter on each tortilla and pop in the oven (not very long you have to watch them) until they start to bubble up and brown just a tad.
take them out and sprinkle your cheese mixture on them (don't get too close to the edges or it will melt over)
Pop them back in the oven and bake just 'til the cheese is melted
Cut with a pizza cutter into 1/4s and there you have a cheap, easy snack sure to please!
Now back to our trip to Wal-mart and the big diet on Monday. Eating Healthy can be expensive! Also as I mentioned before, I like home-made good ole southern cooking. I once had the best brown beans of my life by a lady in the valley, she put and I quote "2 scoops of lard" in her beans, my heart probably couldn't take but so much but man, my mouth could eat them ALL DAY! Just about everything I cook, is breaded, fried, buttered, salted, cooked in side meat etc.. I am going to attempt to eat some chicken breast (not fried of course) some salmon and a lot of veggies. So I went through the store and got some goodies and walking through the produce section a country gal just can't pass up a nice looking bundle of kale. Now I hesitated a minute because can you really cook a healthy pot of kale? I picked up 2 bundles and decided, there has to be a way! So over to the tater (I said tater just for you Steph) aisle I go and I see this "Wiley's Healthy Southern Classic Green seasoning" Now I think well There ya go! So at .98 who can pass it up right? So I get home and start putting the groceries away and think what does this wondermuss concoction contain? ingredient #4 Dehydrated rendered bacon fat..seriously? That CAN NOT be healthy?!? I mean what made a guy say "this is "healthy" lets fry up some bacon, save the grease and dehydrate it!" Now it claims to be fat free (how?) and cholesterol free so we will try it out and then blog about it later :P)
Hopefully this Diet works out for me, I am not trying to lose a ton of weight, but tone up and drop a few (20) pounds from pregnancy. I will when I have a good recipe share it with you guys!
So until tomorrow!
God bless!
Friday, January 8, 2010
1 year ago today.
First let me just say HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD, I LOVE YOU!
It is funny, the days that stay burned in your memory. I can't tell you what day my graduation was or the day that I bought my house. I can vividly remember the days I found out I was pregnant and the day that my husband swept me off my feet.
One day that is burned in my memory until I die is January 8th, 2009. On that day not only did I find out that my youngest was a bouncing baby boy, but I found out that he had Spina Bifida, hydrocephalus, and possible Arnold Chiari II. Now God has worked in my life many many ways, but on this day, laying in a cold room, looking at my baby boy on a huge flat screen TV, God walked in and took my hand. The Doctor entered the room again, and told us she couldn't give us a prognosis and was sending us to a pediatric Nuero surgeon. She gave me a grim outlook. She began to offer abortion, I declined before she could even finish. She offered amnio, I again, declined. My baby boy was going to be just fine.
I am proud to say that on May 11th I gave birth to a gorgeous baby boy. He is now almost 8 months old and after 2 surgeries and a lot of TLC and even more Prayer he is doing wonderful and has exceeded all of the Doctors expectations. Believe in the power of prayer friends, it is amazing!
There are many times in our lives where we talk to God, but only when we need him. 4 years ago, that was me. Then things happen in life and God pushes you to trust him. It is strange how the easy way out most time is the wrong way. Being the bigger person, taking the high road, doing what is right, is usually the hardest thing to do. I cannot tell you the relief that you feel, when you are laying in a floor crying not knowing what to do and then you cry out loud, LORD I GIVE IT TO YOU, IT IS IN YOUR HANDS, DO WITH ME WHAT YOU WILL. I have been there, many, many times, and sometimes it doesn't work how you plan, because it isn't what we want...it is Gods will. I can promise you what ever God brings you to, he will bring you through.
I try so hard to explain the way I feel knowing that God is in my life, and it is something that is inexplicable, something you have to feel for yourself.
With all of that being said, I hope none of you have to experience a time so hard as I did, but I urge you, if you don't know the Lord, there is no better time than now to find him....
***a special thanks to some special friends that helped me get through, and a wonderful family I love you all***
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Where to start...
I have wanted to start a blog for a long time, but there are so many things that spark my interest that I just couldn't choose one. So lucky for you this blog will contain ramblings, hence the name. I hope to bring you great money saving tips, recipes and ideas as well as getting to know me along the way.
So a little about me. I am a not so young, but not so old Mother of three beautiful children. My oldest will be 9 on the 19th, time flies so fast! He plays football and is great at it! My middle child the "princess" more like the princess of drama is 2, she is a mess as I am sure you will soon find out, if you care to follow my boring blog :). My youngest, well he is my hero (all of my children are but G, he is in a different way) G was born this past May with Spina bifida and hydrocephalus, I am glad to report that God has healed him in more ways than I can explain and has taught me some lessons along the way. It is still a battle at times, but he is doing well at 8 months old! None of my children ever cease to amaze me.
I love to knit, and I have started my own Etsy store, I got a ton of orders over the holidays and I am still working on some!!! I hope to be adding some summer dresses and some tutus and purses this spring! I also love to cook, and I am really excited to start blogging about my new found recipes (and disasters for that matter) along with some healthy and money saving tips!
So a little about me. I am a not so young, but not so old Mother of three beautiful children. My oldest will be 9 on the 19th, time flies so fast! He plays football and is great at it! My middle child the "princess" more like the princess of drama is 2, she is a mess as I am sure you will soon find out, if you care to follow my boring blog :). My youngest, well he is my hero (all of my children are but G, he is in a different way) G was born this past May with Spina bifida and hydrocephalus, I am glad to report that God has healed him in more ways than I can explain and has taught me some lessons along the way. It is still a battle at times, but he is doing well at 8 months old! None of my children ever cease to amaze me.
I love to knit, and I have started my own Etsy store, I got a ton of orders over the holidays and I am still working on some!!! I hope to be adding some summer dresses and some tutus and purses this spring! I also love to cook, and I am really excited to start blogging about my new found recipes (and disasters for that matter) along with some healthy and money saving tips!
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