Well.  We’ve been dealing with a bit of a crisis around here.  Remember my “Stock the Freezer” list?  Well, I’ve been busy the last few weeks stocking up our fridge freezer and our deep freezer.

So last night I noticed that the power light on the generic brand deep freezer (wish was just about stuffed to the gills!) was out.

Uh oh.

Checked all the electric, fuses, etc.  All fine and in working order.  Made some calls and “they” deemed the freezer broken.  Made some more calls and was able to get my money refunded.  Thankfully!

Made some calls this morning and learned we could have a new, brand name freezer for the SAME PRICE by Sunday.  Woohoo!

But, what to do with the food in the mean time?  I was NOT about to let $100s of dollars and a whole lot of kitchen time go to waste.  We made arrangements and the food stayed frozen and is safe.

Sigh.

All that to say, we’ve had a bit of a change in the menu plan this week.  My “fall back” meals are usually spaghetti or breakfast for dinner. Tonight, breakfast won.

In the freezer, I found English muffins (that contain dairy) for Hubs and myself to make Sausage Eggwiches.  Since the boys can’t have the English muffins, they had leftover pumpkin pancakes from the freezer, scrambled eggs and fruit. (I’ll share the pumpkin pancake recipe tomorrow!)

Since I only used half of the sausage for this meal, I browned the rest of it to make breakfast burritos for Hubs.

This recipe makes 6 eggwiches…since I had 6 English muffins! 

*Note: Extra eggwiches can be frozen.  Or sent to work for lunch the next day. Or reheated for breakfast the following morning!

Ingredients
6 eggs ($.60) On sale $1/dozen this week!
1/2 lb. natural pork sausage ($.50) Bought 1 lb. natural sausage roll on sale this week for $.99 after sale and coupon!
6 slices cheddar cheese ($1)
6 English muffins ($1.50) Bought on sale for 6/$1.50 and froze
Apple slices ($.50)
Cantaloupe wedges ($.75)

Directions
1. In skillet, spray with cooking spray and turn on medium high heat.  Crack an egg and let it fry.

Like this…But I prefer mine…

Eggs Over Easy…so that’s how I made them for these eggwiches.

2. In same skillet, brown the sausage. Slice sausage roll into 1/3 inch thick circles and fry in skillet until cooked through.
3. Assemble sandwiches. Place fried egg, cooked sausage patty and cheese onto bottom muffin part. Place in toaster oven or under the broiler for 3-4 minutes, or until cheese melts.

Add top muffin part.
4. Slice fruits.
5. Serve Sausage Eggwiches with Fresh Fruit.

Cost $4.85

Making breakfast for dinner once a week is a SUREFIRE way to bring your weekly meal costs and your overall grocery bill down a bit!  This dish would also be great for a brunch/potluck or weekend breakfast.  Just double the recipe and make in a 9×13-inch baking dish.

If you’ve got milk, eggs, bread, the spices and some apples in the fridge, you should totally make this. Like right now.

Ingredients
6 eggs ($.60)
1 cup milk ($.10) I used rice milk
1 tsp cinnamon ($.05)
1/4 tsp nutmeg ($.02)
4 medium or 3 large apples, peeled and diced ($1) On sale 4/$1 this week!
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted ($.40) I used a dairy-free margarine
1/4 cup brown sugar ($.20)
1 tsp cinnamon ($.05)
6 slices of bread, torn ($.30)
1/2 Cantaloupe ($.75) On sale 2 weeks ago for $1.49!
Syrup (optional…I thought it sweet enough and syrup unnecessary!)
6-8 Sausage Links or Turkey bacon ($1.49) We did not have these, but I’m including them in the cost because I think they would nicely round out this meal! Plus I’ve seen lots of coupons for sausage and bacon out recently!

Directions
1. In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs, milk, cinnamon and nutmeg.

2. Peel and dice the apples.  In a smaller mixing bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.  Toss with diced apples.

3. In a greased 8×8-inch glass baking dish, tear 3 slices of bread and add to the bottom.  Then add a layer of the diced caramel apples.

4. Tear the other 3 slices of bread and spread on top of the apples. 

5. Pour egg/milk mixture into the baking dish.  Cover with foil and let stand in the refrigerator for at least an hour (overnight, ideally!).  Preheat oven to 350.

6. Bake covered for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake another 15-20 minutes, or until eggs have cooked through.

7. Serve Caramel Apple Breakfast Casserole with fresh fruit and sausage or bacon.

Cost $4.97

This was a most delicious quiche!  Straight from the garden!

When it was time for dinner, I called the boys in from outside.  Bubby asked what was for dinner and I thought about it for a second.

Quiche.

No.  Don’t tell him that.  He won’t eat it!

“Egg Pie,” I told him.

“Yeah.  I like egg pie.”

And he runs inside to wash up.

By the time he gets to the table…”I love egg pie.”

And Cheeks was even saying, “I wu egg pie”…copycatting his big brother.

And they both ate it up!

Just like we call broccoli, “trees.”  So we now call quiche, “egg pie!”

Homemade Whole Wheat Crust.  Squash from the garden.  2 tomatoes from the garden.  And cheeseless.  Yet still delicious!

Oh yeah.  I intended to make this in a pie plate.  But after I saw how many veggies there were, I doubled my pie crust recipe to make enough crust for a 9 x 13.  What you see below in the “crust” portion is enough crust for a 9 x 13 or for 2 pie plates.

Ingredients
1 small onion, finely chopped ($.30)
1 medium yellow summer squash (free from the garden)
2 medium tomatoes, 1 chopped, 1 sliced (free from the garden)
10-12 whole basil leaves (free from the garden)
2 garlic cloves, crushed ($.10)
6 eggs ($.60)
1 1/2 cup milk ($.15) I used rice milk!
Salt/Pepper
Optional: 1-2 cups shredded cheese ($.75-$1.50)
1/2 canteloupe ($.72)

Crust
1 cup white flour ($.20)
1 cup wheat flour ($.28)
2/3 cup shortening or butter ($.50)
1 tsp salt
6-8 Tbsp COLD water

Directions

1. Slice 1 tomato.  Chop all other veggies.  Leave basil leaves whole.

2. In mixing bowl, combine both flours with salt.  Add shortening.

3.  Using a pastry blender, cut in the shortening.

4.  Add 4 Tbsp of COLD water.  Using a fork, mix to form a dough ball.  Add COLD water 1 Tbsp at a time until dough ball forms.  I used almost 7 Tbsp to form my dough ball.

5.  I laid the dough onto a long piece of plastic wrap.  Then put another piece of plastic wrap over the top and roll it out so that it will fit into the base of the 9 x 13.  (No extra flour necessary for this step!)

6.  Remove the top plastic wrap layer and flip over the dough into the 9 x 13 baking dish.  Remove the other plastic wrap.

7.  Press crust dough up the sides about 2/3 of the way.

8.  Load crust with chopped onions, squash and 1 tomato.

9. Top with whole basil leaves and sliced tomatoes.  Season with salt and pepper.

10. Whisk eggs and milk in mixing bowl.  (If you add cheese, whisk it in with the eggs and milk!) Pour into the crust over the veggies.  Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes.  Serve warm.

11. Cut cantaloupe into wedges or bite size pieces.

12. Serve Tomato Basil Quiche with Cantaloupe.  There was not much left from in the pan…glad that I made a 9 x 13, and not just a pie plate!

Cost $2.85 or $3.60 with cheese

Even if I had paid for the tomatoes and squash, this meal would still be under $5!  Especially with the great produce sale prices these days!!!

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I just love breakfast for dinner!  Maybe because it breaks up the meal planning monotony I sometimes feel…or because it seems to be quicker and easier to prepare!

Tonight we had Tricia’s (Once A Month Mom) Ham and Hashbrown Bake…(original recipe from Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer).  Remember our trade.

Hello, delicious! 

The boys ate earlier than we did.  It sorta happened by accident.  But I liked it!  We let them go from the table after they had finished eating…since they started before we did.  We did eat part of the meal together (’cause that is important!), but it really was nice to just sit with the Hubs and talk…while the kids played in the playroom.  Like a mini 10-minute dinner date!

The boys ate scrambled eggs, toast and fruit salad (this week’s version consists of watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple and peaches).  We also had some scrambled eggs, fruit salad and the Ham and Hashbrown Bake. 

I encourage people to add 1 “breakfast for dinner” meal into their weekly meal plan to help reduce overall weekly meal costs!  Eggs seem to be cheap everywhere these days…so base your meal around the protein packed egg and you’re set!

NOTE: Skillet is HOT when it comes out of the oven.  Do NOT attempt to grab the handle without a hot pad. Not that I have personal experience

Ingredients
4 slices bacon, crumbled ($.83)
8 eggs ($.80)
1/4 cup milk ($.03)
1 tsp salt and pepper, each
1/2 onion, sliced into circles ($.15)
2 tsp olive oil ($.05)
about 3 cups spinach (free from garden)
1/2 – 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese ($.75)
6 pieces of bread ($.40)
2-3 Tbsp (dairy free) margarine ($.20)
3 bananas ($.20)

Directions

1. In bowl, whisk bacon crumbles, eggs, milk, salt and pepper. 

2. In skillet, saute onions in 2 tsp olive oil.

3. Once brown, add a few tsp of water and cook another 1-2 minutes.

4. Add spinach and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, until it wilts.

5. Pour egg mixture over the spinach and onions. 

6. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, until…

7. Until the eggs have set around the edges. 

8.  Bake at 450 for 5 minutes.

9. Add shredded cheese to the top and bake another 1-2 minutes until cheese melts.  (I omitted this, but this is how I’ve done it before!)

10. Serve with toast and bananas.

Cost $3.41

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P.S.  Yes, I was distracted by 2 screaming toddlers and was not paying attention when I grabbed the handle without a hot pad.  I burned (first degree) all 4 fingers and part of my palm.  I’m taking good care of it, under the supervison of my sister who is an MD!  (So thankful she answered when I called!)

I do believe I have DIED AND GONE TO SALAD HEAVEN!  Seriously, it’s divine!

When I first saw this recipe last week, I wanted to reach through my computer screen for a taste!  PW is the most amazing food photographer and I love the way she photographs her recipes.

The made a few small modifications to her recipe, like using spinach from the garden, omitting the mushrooms (I’m not the biggest mushroom fan!) and adding pepper to my bacon, instead of buying the more expensive and already peppered bacon that she recommends.

Adding pepper to the bacon

Cooling hard boiled eggs in water instead of with ice (as PW suggests)…we have no ice maker in our freezer! Cold water does the trick too!

NOTE: I got the bacon on sale for $2.50 and will use it in this meal, the spinach bacon frittata on Thursday and the Crockpot Beans this weekend.  I also got a humongous red onion on sale for $.58 and will use half for this meal, and the other half in tomorrow night’s BBQ Chicken Pizza.

Here is the cost breakdown of her original recipe, plus what else we had for dinner!

Pioneer Woman’s Spinach Salad

3 eggs ($.30)
7 slices thick cut, peppered bacon ($.83)
1 small red onion (or 1/2 large onion) ($.29)
1 package white button mushrooms (about 12 mushrooms)  (omitted)
8 ounces baby spinach, washed, dried, and large stems removed (free from the garden)
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar ($.15)
2 teaspoons sugar  ($.04)
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard ($.05)
Dash of salt

Cook eggs: cover with water, bring to a boil, then turn off heat and allow to sit in water for 20 minutes. Drain off water and add ice on top of eggs.
Fry bacon until crispy/chewy. Remove to a paper towel. Remove 3 tablespoons grease and set aside. Add 2 add’l tablespoons of grease to a separate skillet over medium heat.
Slice red onions very thinly, then add to skillet. Cook slowly until onions are caramelized and reduced. Remove to a plate and set aside.
Slice mushrooms and add them to the same skillet. Cook slowly until caramelized and brown. Remove to a plate and set aside.
Chop bacon.
Peel and slice eggs.
Make hot bacon dressing: Add 3 tablespoons bacon grease, vinegar, sugar, and Dijon to a small saucepan or skillet over medium-low heat. Whisk mixture together and heat thoroughly.
Add spinach to a large bowl. Arrange onions, mushrooms, and bacon on top. Pour hot dressing over the top; toss to combine.
Arrange eggs over the top and serve.

Total for the salad: $1.66  (Yeah for gardening!!!)

We also had 2 cups of frozen corn (on sale for $.68/bag this week!!!), leftover meatloaf ($1.50) to round out the meal.  I didn’t think the boys would go for the salad…they had a taste and moved on to the rest of their meal.  They each had a hard-boiled egg as well the corn and meatloaf and a watermelon juice popsicle ($.25) for dessert.

Total Cost $4.09 (Not for him!  He’s priceless!)

Be sure to head on over to check out the PW’s full photo tutorial here.
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**Please leave your recipe link in the comments section…I’m not going to bother with Mr. Linky this week!

We used to make baked oatmeal for breakfast all the time when we lived in the Dominican Republic!  There are so many great ways to make baked oatmeal.  I thought I’d share my basic recipe, and you can mix in whatever you prefer…blueberries, strawberries, diced apples, dried cranberries, raisins…whatever! 

I made this in a 9×13 baking dish so that we would have leftovers for breakfast! You could half the baked oatmeal portion of the recipe and bake in an 8×8 baking dish.

Ingredients
2 eggs ($.16)
1/2 cup applesauce ($.20)
3/4 cup sugar ($.15)
1 cup milk ($.10)
3 cups of quick cooking oats ($1)
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp baking powder ($.05)
2 Tbsp brown sugar ($.05)
1 tsp ground cinnamon ($.05)
2 cup fresh blueberries ($2)
Vanilla or plain yogurt, or cream, or milk ($.50)

8 eggs ($.64) On sale $.89 a dozen!!!
1/2 cup milk ($.05) On sale for $.75 a half gallon!!!
Salt/pepper

Directions
1. In large mixing bowl, whisk 2 eggs, applesauce, sugar and milk.  Once creamy, add oats, salt and baking powder and mix through.  (If you wish to add in any fruits, add about 1 cup into the batter at this point.)  **Gluten free: Use certified GF oats.  They are expensive, but this dish would be worth it!
2. Pour batter into greased 9×13 baking dish. Sprinkle top with brown sugar and cinnamon.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Don’t wait too long, as you want to serve it warm! Top with your preferred topping: vanilla or plain yogurt, or cream, or milk.
3. Just before taking the baked oatmeal out of the oven, whisk together 8 eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Add to skillet over medium-high heat. Scramble to your likeness.
4. Serve warm Baked Oatmeal with Scrambled Eggs.

Cost $4.95

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I knew that today would be a BUSY day, so I planned accordingly.  Easy “breakfast dinner.”  I try to incorporate breakfast for dinner at least 2 or 3 times a month.  Helps keep the cost down and brings a little more variety to the table.  (Pun intended.) Plus, I was in no position to be whipping up a fancy meal after today’s media frenzy!!!

(Again…no photo.  I know these are an integral part of my posts.  Camera battery is charging and the camera will be back in action tomorrow!)

Ingredients
3-4 small potatoes ($.50) On sale this week $3/10 lbs
1 Tbsp oil ($.05)
8 eggs ($1.09)
6-8 flour tortillas ($.99) Use corn if gluten free (GF)
2 apples or small pieces of fruit ($.50) On sale AGAIN for 4/$1
Garnish: Salsa or shredded cheese ($.50-$1)

Directions
1. Peel and dice potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes. In small skillet, add oil and then diced potatoes. Set to medium and cook for about 8 minutes. Cover and stir 1 or 2 times while cooking. Season with salt, pepper and favorite “all purpose” seasoning.
2. In bowl, whisk eggs with salt and pepper. When potatoes have browned and softened, add eggs to the skillet. Scramble the eggs with the potatoes. Once eggs have cooked, spoon into tortillas. Place in warm oven until ready to serve.
3. Slice or dice apples or other favorite fruit.
4. Serve Potato and Egg Breakfast Tacos with Fresh Fruit. Garnish tacos with shredded cheese or salsa.

Cost $4.13

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When eggs are on sale for $.88/dozen for the Easter holiday and you score a LARGE loaf of pre-sliced French bread for less than $1, you just can’t pass up making a stuffed French toast dish!  And with milk on sale for $1/half gallon and cream cheese recently marked down. Plus, there have been some great fruit sales lately…so we’ll add some $.25 apples to this meal!

A “simple”-y delicious meal!

Ingredients
10 eggs ($.73)
1 cup milk ($.12)
1/8 cup favorite syrup ($.25)
1/2 tsp cinnamon ($.03)
about 12 thin slices of French bread ($.50)
2 “spotty” bananas ($.40)
4 oz cream cheese ($.50)
4 granny smith apples ($1)
Syrup ($.50)

**Use rice bread and rice milk for the dish if you are GFCF. And omit cream cheese…will taste great with just the bananas!

Directions
1. In large bowl, whisk eggs and milk. Whisk in syrup and cinnamon.
2. In KitchenAid or using hand mixer, blend bananas and cream cheese until smooth and creamy. (I had frozen some cream cheese a few weeks ago. It doesn’t thaw out into its original creamy texture, so I thought this would be a good meal for “thawed cream cheese.” I used brown spotty bananas that were really ripe.  Gave it a nice flavor!)
3. In 8×8 baking dish, pour about 1/2 cup of egg mixture into the bottom of the dish, just enough to cover the bottom. Place bread on top of egg mixture to cover as much of the dish as possible.

4. Spread banana/cream cheese over the top of the bread. Cover with a more bread slices.

5. Pour the remaining egg/milk mixture over the top of the bread and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, but all day or overnight would be ideal!

6. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
7. Slice apples or other favorite fruit.
8. Serve Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast with syrup and sliced apples.

Cost $4.03

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Breakfast for dinner is always a frugal option. And one that I tend to forget about!

Sorry. No photo again! Camera battery is recharging

Ingredients
10-12 eggs ($1.25)
4-5 small potatoes, peeled and diced ($.50)
1-2 Tbsp olive oil ($.10)
Salt/pepper
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese ($.38) Omit if GFCFSF
1 cup salsa ($.50)
8 corn or flour tortillas ($.69) Corn if GFCFSF
Canteloupe or pears or apples ($.75)
Banana Smoothie ($.50)

Directions
1. In large skillet, add olive oil and let warm for 1 minute. Add peeled and diced potatoes with salt and pepper to taste. Saute for 6-8 minutes, stirring often. (Add a little water to help them cook faster!) Season with other favorite seasonings if you like!
2. In bowl, whisk together eggs. Add a few dashes of salt and pepper. Pour over the potatoes after they have been cooking for 6-8 minutes. Cook eggs with potatoes and scramble them as they cook.
3. Warm tortillas in oven wrapped in foil or tortilla warmer (so they don’t get crispy!).
4. Cut canteloupe or pears or apples.
5. Make banana smoothie.
6. Serve potato/eggs with cheese and salsa in a warm tortilla with side of fruit and a banana smoothie!

Cost $4.67

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