I keep thinking my life is going to slow down and I am going to get my family on a lovely schedule. I am not sure if I hang on to this vision because I am optimistic or delusional. While I would love to have orderly evenings with plenty of time to cook three course meals, it isn’t happening. So on busy nights I content myself with feeding my family “Real Fast Food” – meals that are made of real ingredients and that come together faster than the local pizza company can deliver pizza.

If I make time on one day to Batch Grill or Batch Broil some chicken, it allows me to put together a satisfying salad in a short amount of time. I also wash my greens as soon as I bring them in from the garden or home from the store, so I don’t have to waste precious minutes washing and drying veggies with four pair of starving eyes staring at me.

This recipe is great for repurposing leftover Orange Sesame Chicken!

How about the ooey-gooey cheese-ness of your favorite burger coming from INSIDE the burger?!?

Yes, please!

And for those watching calories…serve it on a Sandwich Thin…I liked it better than the bulky buns!!!

(And one more thing I like about the Sandwich Thins…they freeze really well. That, and they are just 100 calories per thin!)

Ingredients
1.4 lb. ground chuck ($2.37) Recently on sale for $1.69/lb
1 Tbsp steak seasoning (Free) $1 coupon with $1 sale price
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce ($.20)
4 slices cheese ($.75) I made cheese-less for the kiddos
4 Sandwich Thins ($.50) Bought on sale with coupon for $.99
Lettuce, ketchup and mustard ($.25)
Fresh fruit ($1) (We ate this with cantaloupe wedges and orange slices)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the ground chuck, steak seasoning, and Worcestershire sauce.  Form into 4 balls, then divide each ball in half.  Form the “bottom” patty.

2. Place the cheese in the middle and place the other half of the patty on top.  Pinch the edges together, unless you want cheese oozing all over your grill!  Sprinkle with a little more of that steak seasoning.

3. Grill until meat has cooked through, or the cheese is oozing all over your grill!!!

4. Serve on sandwich thins with favorite hamburger fixin’s…in our case, Romaine lettuce, some ketchup and mustard.

5. Enjoy the Grilled Inside Out Burgers with favorite fresh fruit.

Cost $5.06

These didn’t stay on our plates very long!

Ingredients
1 cup water
1 Tbsp olive oil ($.10)
1 tsp salt
1 cup whole wheat flour ($.28)
2 cups white flour ($.40)
1 tsp garlic powder ($.05)
1 tsp Italian seasoning ($.05)
1 Tbsp sugar ($.05)
1 package yeast ($.25)
1 cup spaghetti or pizza sauce ($.50)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese ($.50) Using up that $.99/bag Kraft cheese
About 40 pepperonis ($1)
1 Tbsp olive oil ($.10)
Couple shakes of garlic salt (free) Used $.50 coupon doubled to $1 with a $1 sale price
Fresh fruit – 4 clementines and 1/4 cantaloupe ($1.50)

Directions

Place the first 9 ingredients into bread machine on dough cycle. By hand instructions for pizza dough can be found here.

1. Once the dough cycle is complete, place the dough on a clean, floured surface.

2.Knead into a ball.

3. Divide the dough into 2 balls.

4. Further divide into 4 balls.

5. And divide one more time into 8 little dough balls.  (From here, I took 2 of these dough balls and made them into 4, so that I could make “mini-calzones” for the boys.)

6. Roll out the dough balls into rectangular-oval-ish shapes.  Place onto greased baking sheets.

7.Place a few pepperonis onto one half of the dough.

8. Top with some sauce, cheese and more pepperonis. (I made cheese-y ones for Steve, and dairy-free ones for the rest of us!)

9. Fold the other half over.

10. Pinch the edges together.

11. And mash the edges together with a fork.  (This step is not necessary, but I like to do it to prevent the sauce from leaking out!)

12. Brush the top with olive oil.

13. Sprinkle garlic salt on top.

14. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

15. Serve Pepperoni Calzones with Fresh Fruit.

Cost $4.68

PLUS, there were 2 leftover for Steve to take for lunch!

P.S. These are totally freezer friendly and would be great for OAMC or Freezer Cooking! Freeze after baking.

I started to make this meal in the 9×13 baking dish, but them switched to the smaller baking dish because I didn’t want there to be any leftovers…and I know that with a 9×13, we’d have lots of leftovers.  And from my past experience, baked french toast meals and egg casserole meals just taste better right out of the oven.

And not leftover.

So I went with the smaller 8×8 baking dish and heavy on the fruit!

Ingredients
6 eggs ($.60)
1/2 cup milk ($.05)
1/4 cup maple syrup (free with Swagbucks from Amazon)
6-8 slices of bread ($.50)
1 cup chopped walnuts, divided ($.50) Bought on sale over the holidays!
Butter and syrup ($.75)
Fresh Fruit ($1.50) We had cantaloupe and clementine oranges

Directions

1. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and maple syrup.

2. Place a single layer of bread slices in the base of the baking dish.  Top with about 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts.

3. Pour about 1/2 of the egg mixture over the bottom layer.

4. Pour enough to cover the bottom layer.

5. If necessary, move the bread slices around so that they are completely covered with eggs.

6. Place another layer of bread and the other 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts on top of the first layer of bread and eggs.

7. Pour remaining egg mixture over the top layer.

8. Cover the top layer with the eggs, just as you did the bottom layer.

9. Again, press the bread slices around so that they are covered with the egg mixture.

10. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

11. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes, or until begins to golden on top.  Prepare fresh fruit while it’s baking.

12. Serve baked Walnut French Toast with Fresh Fruit.

P.S. This easily doubles into a 9×13 glass pan.

Cost $3.90

Here’s our “breakfast for dinner” this week.  I ended up doubling this recipe and freezing a batch!  Still working on my “Freezer Stock Up” list for post-baby…Hoping to get it posted next week

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups wheat flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 t pumpkin pie spice
1 pinch salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 3/4 cups milk *I used rice milk
1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips ($1)
4 tablespoons margarine melted and cooled (All waffle ingredients $2.25)
1 Orange and 2 apples ($1.25)
Butter and Syrup ($.50)

Directions
1. Make waffle batter (all above ingredients minus the fruit/butter and syrup) in blender or in mixing bowl with hand mixer. Place on greased waffle iron. Cook until steam stops escaping from the waffle iron.

2. Cut oranges and apples.

3. Serve Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Waffles with Fruit.

Cost $5.00

It’s been a while since we had “Breakfast for Dinner”! Here is a quick and easy old favorite!

Ingredients
10 eggs ($1.01) 
1/2 cup organic black bean salsa ($.50)
1 cup shredded cheese ($.45)
Couple slices bread or tortillas ($.25) 
2 Apples ($.99)
2 Oranges ($.38)

Directions

1. Scramble eggs. When eggs are just about finished cooking, add black bean salsa. Stir through. Quickly top with cheese (omit if GFCFSF). Let cheese melt over the top.
2. Make toast or warm tortillas in the oven.
3. Slice fruit.
4. Serve eggs over toast or tortilla with side of fruit.

Cost $3.58

Last week a bowl of fruit inadvertently ended up on my dinner table. It’s been lurking around there ever since. I don’t really have a “winter” centerpiece that I use. Christmas centerpiece has been put away and I just can’t seem to get my spring stuff out yet!

Directions
1. In non stick skillet, add oil and juice from 2 oranges and couple dashes of cinnamon. Place pork chops in skillet and let marinate 10-15 minutes. Turn on high heat. Cook on each side 4-6 minutes (depending on thickness of the chop!). Orange juice will turn into a glaze. Coat pork chop with glaze.
2. Slit sweet potatoes. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes in foil covered glass baking dish with 1/4 inch of water. Serve with cinnamon and butter if you like. Cooking sweet potatoes in this way makes them taste sweeter than if you were to cook them in the microwave.
3. Steam green beans as directed on package.
4. Serve pork chop with sweet potatoes and green beans.

Cost $5.03

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I was so unprepared for this dinner. Not enough eggs, so we didn’t have eggs. Not enough white flour, so I used all whole wheat flour (which makes “thick” waffles)! Not that that’s bad, I like to mix white and whole wheat flours! To the grocery store I go…tomorrow!

A simple dinner after a busy day! (Ssssshhhhhhh…don’t tell anyone…since I had $.50 to spare, I added some mini chocolate chips that I got at Walmart for $.98 last week! Yep Nestle! The chocoholic part of my brain forced me to do it! Pumpkin chocolate chip waffles…MMMMM! Guess I’ll just have to whip up another batch of Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins with the rest of the choc chips and pumpkin!)

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups wheat flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 t pumpkin pie spice
1 pinch salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 2/3 cups milk
4 tablespoons butter melted and cooled (Guesstimate of all waffle ingredients $2.25)
1 Orange and 2 apples ($1.25)
Butter and Syrup ($1)

Directions
1. Make waffle batter. Place on greased waffle iron. Cook until steam stops escaping from the waffle iron.

2. Cut fruit and serve with waffles.

Cost $4.50 (or $5 if you include the chocolate chips, but Ssshhhh, we’re not telling anyone we had chocolate chip waffles for dinner!)

Can you guess whose plate this is?!?!

This meal is inspired by my brother in law. We went to visit them in Chi-town this past Labor Day weekend. He cooked up a storm! It was such a joy to watch him take on the same role as his dad! Host and chef! Also, want to say a quick congrats to my BIL for running the Chicago marathon and doing so in honor and memory of your dad!

Read about my horrifying experience this morning and to see how I did on my monthly grocery budget!

Ingredients
2 medium or 1 large zucchini ($1.01)
1/2 onion ($.20)
10 eggs ($1.59)
1/4 cup milk ($.05)
1/2 cup cheese ($.42)
2-3 T oil ($.05)
1 pear and 1 orange (or other favorite fall fruit!) ($1.29)

Directions
Disclaimer: If Hubs had made this meal, the omelets would have come out perfectly! He is much more patient than I have been or ever will be! My version turned a little scrambly!
1. Thinly slice or dice zucchini. Finely chop onion.
2. Whisk eggs and milk with a little salt and papper.
3. Heat skillet on high. Add 1-2 T oil. Add egg mixture and let cook a little. Add zucchini, onion and cheese. Once eggs have cooked mostly through. Flip the omelet over and cook another 1-2 minutes. Fold and serve with sliced fresh fruit.
Evidence that I TRIED to make omelets in the cute little omelet skillet!

Cost $4.61

PLEASE If anyone has any tips on omelet making, do let us all know!