A big thanks to Justine for sharing this recipe with me! I tossed in some diced ham I had in the freezer.

Easy. Quick. Delicious!

And by quick.  I mean less than 15 minutes quick!  Just get the pasta boiling and work on the rest while the pasta is cooking.  15 minutes.  That’s it!!!!

This would be fantastic with leftover holiday ham! If you’re planning/thinking that far ahead!!!

Ingredients
1 pound bow-tie pasta, but I used fusili because its what I had! ($.50) Bought recently with $1/2 coupon when on sale for $1
1 Tbsp vegetable oil ($.05)
1 bunch broccoli (about 1 lb) florets ($.76)
1 Tbsp minced garlic ($.05)
2 cups chicken broth (free if homemade!)  **See my note below
2 cups cooked, diced ham ($1.50) **This was not in the original recipe!
1  15 oz. can of cannellini or white beans, rinsed ($.79)
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice ($.05)
1/4-1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese ($.25)
16 oz. bag of frozen corn ($.88) On sale this week!

**I used water instead of broth because I used ham.  I figured the ham would give the water some flavor and didn’t want the chicken and ham flavors to clash!  If you want a vegetarian version, then use vegetable broth and omit the ham.

Directions
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook according to package direction.
2. While pasta cooks, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add broccoli and garlic; stir over medium heat 3 to 4 minutes until broccoli is bright green. Add broth (or water) and cook 2 to 3 minutes until broccoli is crisp tender. Stir in diced ham, beans and lemon juice.
3. Drain pasta and put into a warmed large serving bowl. Add broccoli mixture; sprinkle with cheese. Toss to mix well.
4. Cook frozen corn as indicated on package instructions.
5. Serve Pasta with White Beans and Broccoli and Corn.

**I only sprinkled the cheese into Steve and mine’s bowls. Easy to keep this meal dairy-free by omitting the cheese!

Cost $4.83
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Beans. Beans. The Magical Fruit.  Beans. Beans. They make you…

Alright, Alright.

I couldn’t help it.  I’m surrounded by little boys who think that saying the word “toot” is the FUNNIEST thing…EVER!

There really isn’t anything funnier than a little boy giggling after saying “toot.”  That word invokes a special giggle.

And I can’t help but laugh when I hear this “toot-y” giggle. Such is the life as a mom of boys!

No really, beans are good for your heart.  And they are magical.

They are loaded with good fiber and when paired with other foods that are incomplete proteins, they are an excellent source of complete protein.

I love them because they are so inexpensive…and nutritious!

If you’re intimidated by cooking dried beans, let me help…

Place 1 lb. bag of beans into large bowl.

Sift and sort through the beans and remove any pieces of dirt and broken beans.

Fill bowls with HOT water to cover bowls at least 2 inches. Remove any beans that float to the top when soaking.

Beans will at least double in size.  Soak in HOT water for at least 2 hours, but ideally, soak overnight.

After soaking, drain beans and rinse with cool water.

Place in large pot and cover with at least 2 inches of water.

Place the lid on top with a slight crack. Bring water to a boil.  (I crack the lid at the start because I find that when I put the lid on all the way and move onto another task in the kitchen or around the house, the water will be boiling over and make a mess on the stove!  So I crack the lid to avoid the spillage.)

Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and then cover completely.  Let cook another 1 – 1.5 hours, or until beans are soft.

Drain beans.

Use in favorite recipe. 

Or place into freezer baggies in 1, 2 or 3 cup portions to use in future meals.

I find that making up a big batch and freezing them helps reduce cooking time in future meals.

There you have it!

Cost Effectivness

Cost of cans: at least $.79/can

Cost of dried beans: $.97 for 1 lb. bag; makes approximately 8 cups of beans; or 4 cans worth.  So less than $.25 “per can”!

Time in preparation: The total time to prepare dried beans is at least 4 hours, between soaking and cooking.  The actual hands on time is probably a total of 10-15 minutes for the sorting, rinsing and draining!

Of course, cans are more convenient!  But, be sure to read the label and look for no salt added cans and those with no additional preservatives!

I’m all for the healthiest and least expensive option!

Jeannine emailed this great gluten free Black Eyed Pea Casserole recipe to me a few weeks ago and I knew we had to try it! It’s not dairy free, but the cheese could certainly be omitted, or just added to individual servings!  And although we are not eating entirely gluten free at the moment, I do try to keep the gluten to a minimum! 

It’s so easy to get in a rut or feel like “there’s nothing to cook” when dealing with food allergies and tolerances. I enjoy trying new GF and dairy free versions of recipes like this one!

And Jeannine suggests adding a dollop of sour cream to each serving!

Ingredients
1 cup dried black-eyed peas, cooked and drained ($.50)
1 lb ground beef ($1.39)
1/2 yellow medium onion ($.15)
1/2 green pepper, diced ($.25) I diced quite a few and froze them when they were on sale for $.50!
1 cup white rice ($.20)
1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes with roasted garlic ($.67)
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded ($.60) Omit if dairy free!
1 tsp garlic powder ($.05)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 heads broccoli ($.79)
Leftover cornbread from last night

Directions
1. Soak the black eyed peas in bowl of HOT water for at least 2 hours, or ideally, overnight.  Drain soaking water, rinse and add to large saucepan with 6-8 cups of water.  (The peas should be covered by at least 2 inches.)  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1-1.5 hours.  In a time crunch? Substitute with 2 15 oz. cans of black eyed peas. When beans are soft, drain cooking liquid and place black eyed peas into 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. In small saucepan, cook 1 cup of rice in 2 1/2 cups of water.  Bring water to boil, add rice and return to boil.  Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for 20 minutes.  Fluff with fork and then add 1 1/2 cup to the glass baking dish with the black eyed peas.  (I saved the leftover cup for tomorrow’s breakfast: Rice Pudding!)
3. In medium saucepan, brown ground beef with chopped onion.  Drain, rinse and add to 9×13-inch baking dish with the black eyed peas and rice. Add un drained canned tomatoes, shredded cheese, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir together.
4. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese melts and sauce bubbles. Season each serving with salt and pepper, to taste.
5. Steam broccoli in stovetop steamer or in microwavable bowl covered with plastic wrap for 4-5 minutes.
6. Serve Black Eyed Pea Casserole with Steamed Broccoli and leftover Cornbread.

Cost $4.60

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Tonight’s recipe comes from Jennifer!  She has a great recipe for a soup that serves 12!  For only $8!!!

Jennifer is a homeschooling mother of two who has been married to her husband for 16 years. She loves to write, blog, cook, craft, and spend time with her family. She blogs at For Such A Time As This.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 can green chiles
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 boxes of chicken broth (or you can use your own stock)
2 cans of great northern beans
2 bone in chicken breasts boiled and shredded
2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Sour Cream, for garnish
Cilantro for garnish

Directions
1. Put oil in the bottom of soup pot.
2. Add onion. Cook until tender.
3. Add garlic and green chile. Cook for 1 minute. Stir so you don’t burn garlic!
4. Add cumin, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Cook for 1 minute. Stir so as not to burn the garlic.
5. Add chicken broth and beans.
6. Add shredded chicken and 1 cup of the monterey jack cheese.
7. Add salt and pepper to taste.
8. Let simmer on the stove for about 30 minutes. Then enjoy!
9. Garnish with fresh cilantro and sour cream. Add a pinchful of the remaining cheese to each bowl.

Cost $8.00 for 12, or just $.75/serving

Side dish suggestions: Fresh homemade baked bread, corn cobs or other favorite vegetable.

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
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Ingredients
1 small yellow onion, chopped ($.20)
2 cloves garlic, crushed ($.10)
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing ($.20)
4 cups water
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained ($.80)
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained ($.65)
1/2 cup quick-cooking barley ($.40)
Handful fresh basil, chopped (from the garden) or use 1 tsp dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 medium green pepper, chopped (from the garden!!!)
Dollops of sour cream (optional) Omit if dairy-free!
2 cups frozen corn ($1)
Homemade Wheat Rolls ($.50) I had some stashed in the freezer

Directions
1. In large saucepan, cook onion and garlic in dressing in large saucepan on medium heat 5 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring frequently.
2. Stir in all remaining ingredients except green peppers and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Remove from heat and stir in green peppers. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.
5. Top each bowl with dollop of sour cream.
6. Cook frozen corn according to the directions on the package.
7. Make homemade wheat rolls, or serve with store bought bread.
7. Serve Tomato Black Bean Barley Soup with Corn and Wheat Rolls.

Cost $3.85

Today is Thursday.  That means I’m doubling up the dinner recipe and putting half in the freezer!  I plan to do this every Thursday until baby boy #3 arrives.  I chose Thursday because its my “lightest” day and I can spend some extra time in the kitchen.

This recipe from Carrie at Carrie’s Cooking called for a ground beef, green peppers and onions mix…so I decided that I’d kill 2 birds with 1 stone and brown up some extra ground beef mix and freeze it for an easy spaghettti sauce or a skillet dinner post-baby…or even pre-baby!!!  And what’s even more perfect…green peppers were on sale (their lowest price around here!) for $.50 each this week! 

So tonight I was able to get an extra meal, plus 6 portions of ready-made ground beef mix into the freezer!

The recipe below is the “single” dinner recipe for 4.  I noted the freezer directions below as well.

Ingredients
1 pound lean ground beef ($1.39)
1/2 yellow onion, chopped ($.15)
1 green bell pepper, diced ($.50)
1 cup frozen corn, thawed ($.33) On sale for $1/16 oz bag this week!
1 15 oz can tomato sauce ($.59)
2 teaspoons chili powder ($.05)
1 teaspoon garlic powder ($.05)
1 teaspoon ground cumin ($.05)
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup dried black beans ($.10) Bought on sale with coupon and store promotion!
8 burrito size flour tortillas ($.69) Bought on sale with coupon and store promotion!
2 cups of  shredded Mexican cheese blend (Omit if dairy free!) ($.85) Bought on sale with Kroger store coupon!
1 tablespoon butter or dairy free margarine, melted ($.10)
Shredded lettuce ($.20)
1 tomato, diced (From the garden)

**Note: CVS brand spices are on sale this week!

**Variation: Substitute tomato sauce and spices for a 10 oz. can of Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies…new coupon available here!

Directions
1. Soak beans overnight or for at least 2 hours in HOT water.  Drain, rinse and then add to saucepan and cover with 2 inches of water.  Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to medium.  Cook for 1.5 - 2 hours, or until beans are soft.  Drain juices. Substitute 1 15 oz. can of black beans if prefer.
2. Brown the ground beef with green pepper, onion and corn.  Drain.
3. Stir in the tomato sauce and chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper.  Cook for 4-5 minutes, allowing flavors time to mingle.  Add cooked black beans.

4. Lay the tortillas flat and spread the meat and bean mixture onto each of the tortillas. Top with shredded cheese.
5. Roll up the tortillas, and place them seam-side down onto a baking sheet.  Brush the tortillas with melted butter.
6. Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes, or until tortillas turn golden brown.
7. Serve Beef and Bean Chimichangas with Lettuce and Tomato Salad.

For the Freezer: After rolling up the tortillas place in freezer safe container and place in freezer. When ready to cook defrost in refrigerator overnight, then brush with melted butter and bake as directed above.

Cost $5.05

I love experimenting with rice and beans.  They don’t have to be boring, as their reputation generally suggests!  These were excellent.  The pineapple juice gave just enough sweetness to balance the coconut milk.  We will certainly have this again!

I also cooked up some extra beans and I put them into the freezer so I can quickly incorporate them into a future meal! 

Ingredients
1 15 oz. can of lite coconut milk ($1.39) Used coupon in this week’s newspaper for Thai kitchen products!
About 1/3 cup of pineapple juice from a can of pineapple ($.25-ish)
1/2 cup of water
1 cup uncooked white rice ($.20)
Salt/Pepper, to taste
2 cups cooked pinto beans ($.40)
4 carrot sticks, peeled and cut into circles ($.40)
Honey drizzles ($.25)
2 broccoli heads ($.74) On sale for $1.48/bunch this week!

Directions
(1/2. Cook about 1 cup of pinto beans in 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium high. Cover and cook for 1.5 -2 hours, or until beans are soft. Remove from heat, drain liquid.)
1. In medium saucepan, bring coconut milk, pineapple juice and water to a rolling boil. Add 1 cup of rice and return to boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium low and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand for 5 more minutes (do not uncover!). Fluff with fork before adding the beans.
2. Combine beans and rice in saucepan.
3. Steam carrots in steamer, or cook in 1/2 cup of water in small saucepan. Drizzle with honey to sweeten them up a smidge!
4. Steam broccoli in stovetop steamer or in microwavable bowl covered with plastic wrap.
5. Serve Coconut Rice and Beans with Honey Sweetened Carrots and Steamed Broccoli!

Cost $2.24

So if I were to make pan roasted corn 2 days in a row, does that make me obsessed??? I pan roasted some fresh corn kernals (just like last night) to put on tonight’s taco salad!  They just taste that good!

Ingredients
1 cup rice ($.20)
1/4 cup store bought salsa ($.25)
About 3/4 iceberg lettuce head ($.58)
4 small tomatoes (from the garden)
Kernals from 2 corn cobs ($.38)
1 tsp olive oil ($.05)
Salt and Pepper
3/4 lb. cooked ground beef ($1.07) Used up the rest of the package from this meal
1 tsp ground cumin ($.05)
1 tsp garlic powder ($.05)
1 tsp chili powder ($.05)
1 Tbsp store bought salsa ($.05)
Handful of corn tortilla chips, crushed ($.25)
Pinchful of shredded cheddar cheese for each salad ($.25)
1 can vegetarian refried beans ($.69) On sale this week plus e-coupon match!

Salsa Vinaigrette
3 Tbsp canola oil ($.10)
2 Tbsp white vinegar ($.05)
1 Tbsp store bought salsa ($.05)
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions
1. In small saucepan, cook 1 cup white rice with 2 1/4 cup of water. Bring water to boil, add rice and stir. Once it returns to a boil, reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes. Once cooked, add 1/4 cup store bought salsa.
2. Wash and cut lettuce with plastic lettuce knife. Wash and dice tomatoes.
3. Cut kernals from corn cobs and then add to skillet with olive oil, salt and pepper. Cook for 7-10 minutes over medium high heat, or until corn starts to brown.
4. Combine cooked ground beef with ground cumin, garlic powder, chili powder and store bought salsa and reheat in the microwave.
5. Assemble salad with lettuce, tomatoes, pan roasted corn, taco beef, crushed tortilla chips, and shredded cheese. To make salsa vinaigrette, whisk canola oil, vinegar, salsa and salt and pepper in small bowl. Pour over the salad. (It doesn’t take much dressing, as there is already lots of flavor in just the salad!)
6. Heat refried beans.
7. Serve Taco Salad with Salsa Rice and Refried Beans.

Cost $4.12

I {heart} rice and beans!  Mostly because they make SUCH cheap meals!  Even larger families or families with older children could make a meal with rice and beans that’s less than $5!  I encourage everyone to incroporate a rice and beans…or other vegetarian style meal into their weekly meal plan.  Just an easy way to save a few bucks each week!

I {heart} my slow cooker!  I really, really do!  Probably not quite as much as Steph {hearts} hers, but I do love it! 

Here’s the sitch…whenever I’m making something “new” in the crockpot, I always stop to see if Steph (aka the Crockpot Lady) has made something similar…and what tips or tricks she might have!  So I stopped by here this morning…because I’ve not made rice and beans in the slow cooker before…and of course, she had!  I wanted to do black beans and rice with diced tomatoes…and her recipe was pretty similar!  I learned that the rice would cook faster than I thought, so I didn’t start this until just before lunch!

Here’s my version. 

Ingredients
1 cup black beans ($.40)
1 Tbsp olive oil ($.10)
1 cup brown rice ($.40)
2 garlic cloves, crushed ($.10)
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes ($.59)
1 tsp ground cumin ($.05)
Salt/Pepper
3 corn cobs ($.51) On sale last week for $.17 an ear… And I bought 20 ears…thinking we’d eat them at the kebab party…but we didn’t, so now I’m stuck with a LOT of corn to eat!

Directions
1. Soak beans overnight in water.  In the morning, drain and rinse.  Cook soaked beans for an hour in a saucepan with at least 2 inches of water over the beans.  (I prefer to cook my beans before adding them to the slow cooker.  You can certainly cook them in the slow cooker…details here!)
2. Place olive oil into slow cooker. Stir rice around in the olive oil. Add cooked black beans (substitute 2 15 oz. cans), diced tomatoes, garlic cloves, ground cumin, salt and pepper AND 2 cups of water. Set on high for 6 hours. I set mine for 6 hours because I used brown rice. If you use white rice, set it for 4 hours.  This would be DELICIOUS topped with some monterrey jack cheese…or even cheddar.  Since we’re dairy-free, I would have…but think that would be delish!
3. Boil corn in large saucepan for 4-5 minutes.  Serve with butter, if you like.
4. Serve Slow Cooker Black Beans and Rice with Corn Cobs.

Cost $2.19

(It doesn’t get much cheaper than that y’all!)

P.S. I’m whisking away to San Antonio for some cookbook business…I’ll be back Friday. I’ve got a delicious treat for you all tomorrow!

A few photos from our weekend!

On Saturday night, we BBQed at a friends house…burgers, 7-layer salad and MUCH more!

7-Layer Salad made by my friend with lettuce, green onions, cheese, bacon, tomatoes, cucumbers and dressing.  Scrumptious!

My strawberry rhubarb pie plus my brand new gardening expert friend (who should expect LOTS of emails from me about this and that brought a Rhubarb Pudding Cake (recipe here).  You would NEVER have known there was anything that was originally tart or bitter in the cake!  Heavenly!

See that RAMEKIN!  A gorgeous ramekin sitting on Chinet.  It struck me funny…so I asked our host and grilling extraordinarie why in the world his beans were in ramekin.  His response, “It keeps the beans from being unruly!”…meaning it keeps the bean juices off the buns and other food.  Who would’ve thought!  A genius idea, really?  Although, I’m not sure about a ramekin on Chinet!??!!??!  Perhaps some of those plates with dividers next time?!?

I get VERY little drama (girl drama, that is!) in my life with 2 toddler boys, so watching the girls was a delight for me!  Hmmm…wonder what they are up to…

Summer means two things…rosy cheeks and sweaty curlz!

Bubby is not so sure about this new slide!

And Cheeks is ALL for watering the “plants” like his mommy does!

And then there’s keeping the lawn mower spotless.

Plus an outdoor shower.  By the child who SCREAMS when the tub shower accidentally comes on?!?

And Memorial Day wouldn’t be complete without grilled corn (more on that later!)…Yes, it is SO not fair that boys get the great eyelashes!

Today the boys are off to the Reds baseball game in Cincy while I stay home to work on the cookbook manuscript!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and start to a fun filled summer!!!  A special thanks to all those who serve in the armed forces and those families who have lost a loved one in the line of duty!  We are DEEPLY grateful for the sacrifices you make for our freedom!