Random.org chose #213
Here are your random numbers:213
Timestamp: 2009-01-07 22:02:59 UTC
Congrats to Donald and thank you to the over 900 readers who entered and over 200 who helped me spread the word about the giveaway (sadly I had to delete a few Anonymous comments with no contact information)!
I’ve got an adorable giveaway lined up for next week, so stay tuned! Did you catch the “adorable”? Seriously, you won’t want to miss it!
Thank you all for the prayers and well wishes! We are on the “up and up”. I’m getting back to normal and spent a fair share of the morning resting on the couch! I hope those of you who are also sick have found some time for rest and relaxation too. It is SO difficult when you’re sick and have to play nurse to kiddos that don’t feel well too.
Big THANKS to Erin from CouponCravings.com. She included the site in a recent media pitch and $5 Dinners was featured in the Fort Worth Star Telegram and the Taste section of the San Antonio Express News. I find it amazing that I grew up in San Antonio and went to college in Fort Worth and their papers were the ones to write the articles!
Ingredients
3 chicken breasts ($2.31)
Marinade
3 Tbsp olive oil (.25)
1/4 c lemon juice ($.05)
2 pinches salt and pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder ($.02)
1 lb pasta ($.99) I used rice pasta to keep this meal GFCFSF.
2-3 heads fresh broccoli ($1)
Sprinkles of lemon juice ($.05)
Directions
1. Prepare marinade by whisking together the olive oil, lemon juice, S/P and garlic powder. You could also shake it in a small tupperware container. Here is a lemon butter sauce/marinade that you could try too!
2. Place chicken breasts in glass baking dish. Pour marinade over chicken and let sit at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.
3. Preheat oven to 350. Bake chicken breasts 45 minutes - 1 hour (depending on thickness of the meat). Remove and let cool a few minutes before serving.
4. Cook pasta/rice pasta according to package instructions. (Optional) Add any extra marinade after the pasta has cooked to give the pasta little flavor!
5. Steam broccoli in steamer for 3-4 minutes. (Optional) After it’s steamed, sprinkle with lemon juice for a little flavor and continuity in the meal.
6. Serve lemon chicken over pasta with a side of steamed broccoli!
Cost $4.67
For more great and healthy recipes, visit Life As Mom’s Recipe Swap!
Just a note about using the marinade as a pasta sauce. It should be stressed to NOT use any marinade leftover from the chicken marinating unless it is boiled to kill bacteria. Making extra marinade to use on the pasta is fine however!
This one sounds great, it will be going on my menu next week!
Question. How did you manage to get 2-3 heads of brocoli for $1? and 1/4 c lemon juice for only $0.05? Where do you shop that you can achieve that? I use MANY coupons, shop at Aldi and Meijer and have never seen something that cheap.
Previously mentioned - but REALLY important to note - DO NOT use the same marinade that you used on the chicken in the pasta - this is very dangerous & can spread Salmonella - either save a small portion that you don't pour over the chicken or make a smaller, fresh batch.
Well, if you bake your chicken, in the marinade, as I did, there would be no worries
I then took the leftover juices and made a cream sauce out of it. I had some leftover whipping cream that needed to be used (I mixed with skim milk too, lol) and I am pregnant and craving bad stuff 
So I made the cream sauce. Holy cow this is such a great recipe! Few ingredients, delicious results! Oh yeah and I had some canned mushrooms so I added those and if I had capers, they would have been the perfect additions. Too bad I am out of those expensive little things! THANKS for sharing, always!
I just used bottled lemon juice (GV brand), which I am sure fresh would taste better, but oh well and I used some broccoli steamers that I had bought on a Smiths (Kroger) deal a while back.