{$5 Dinners - Rice and Beans Budget Board} I discovered lentils when we lived in the Dominican Republic. I don't think I'd eaten them ever in my life before moving down there. At first, I wasn't too sure about them...as they way we cooked them while in the DR, they were still fairly bland. But I've since learned that if you give them enough flavor and … [Read more...]
When Life Gives You Craziness, Respond by Making…
{Imagine a countertop with 10 gallon size baggies. If you're curious, they look like this.} In order to prepare for all the craziness that will become my life in the next 4 weeks, I've decided to take the stress out of at least 1 area of my life...dinner. Between the contracts, earnest money checks, meetings, inspections, bubble wrap and packing tape, there's the last week … [Read more...]
Slow Cooker Goulash
Last week I decided to tack onto my batch cooking plan...doubling up on browning some ground beef. I ended up doing spaghetti for dinner one night and saved the other half of the beef I ground. I thought I'd use it later this week or next week...but ended up making this goulash over the weekend. I had all the other ingredients on hand...and it was perfect for a chilly, dreary … [Read more...]
Burrito Cups
We've all seen (or had) the 7 layer dip cups to serve at parties. But what about dinner in a cup. Specifically, burrito dinner in a cup. Sure burritos, require tortillas...but what if you can't eat tortillas. We have a kid who is currently off gluten (and a number of other foods) because of some chronic respiratory issues that are not being resolved with medication. Being … [Read more...]
Spinach Orzo Soup
The pantry sweep out and the freezer sweep are almost complete. I've emptied the freezer and it will be making its way to its new home here in Dayton tomorrow. And I'm almost finished clearing out the "back shelves" where I store most of my stockpile items and non perishable pantry items. My goal is to have that cleared out by the end of February. This moving thing is really … [Read more...]
Buffalo Chicken Blue Cheese Enchiladas
I have distinct memories of blue cheese lingering on my taste buds. The flavor has been lingering for a few weeks...every since the Spicy Chicken Chili. In clearing out the freezer, I found 2 baggies of chicken breasts that I had frozen with Frank's red sauce as a marinade. Trying to figure out how to use it up in a fun, clever way wasn't too hard. These blue cheese memories … [Read more...]
Taco ‘Taters
Last week before our spontaneous camping trip (more on that tomorrow), I was on a mission to clear out the fridge and use up items from the pantry and freezers. And come Friday night, there wasn't much left to choose from. I went digging in the freezers and I found the a bag of my favorite taco meat, some shredded cheese...and then pulled out the potatoes from the … [Read more...]
Pasta with Kale, Lemon and Parmesan
The last couple Fridays, I've shared some grilling ideas and grilled pizza recipes. But this Friday, it's all about the light. the tasty. the refreshing. And simple too. It's a "boil the kale, boil the pasta, then toss with some lemon and Parmesan" kind of simple. Serve like this...or with some fresh fruit...or with a side of grilled chicken slices. Whatever … [Read more...]
Easy Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix Recipe
Whisk up these homemade spice blends to save money, starting with this easy Homemade Ranch Dressing mix recipe! I love, love, love my homemade taco seasoning mix. It's convenient, cheap and oh-so-tasty. And I'm mixing up a new homemade seasoning mix today...this time for ranch dressing! This past weekend I planted some lettuce and other cold weather veggies. I … [Read more...]
Curried Quinoa with Chicken and Peas
So here we have it. The curried chicken quinoa with peas recipe that I will be making 3 times a week, just for Tyler. Well, maybe not that often...but it's certainly one I will be adding to our regular rotation! Tyler, Tyler, Tyler. I normally give him small portions, about 1-2 tablespoons in size, at a time. And if I were to give him more, he'd end up dumping it … [Read more...]