Low Carb: Chicken with Pepperoni Marinara Sauce

This past week, my hubby tweaked one of my favorite Cooking Light recipes for me - Chicken with Pepperoni Marinara Sauce. For most of you, the official recipe will fit in to your carb allowance. But I'm only allowed 25 carbs per meal, so it was just a tad out of my range. Here's how we tweaked it:

Rather than broiling, my hubby decided to bake the chicken. So into a ceramic casserole dish they went. He used his handy dandy baking thermometer to let him know when the chicken breasts were halfway-done. Then he added light scoops of the pepperoni sauce mixture (his version was Chunky Mushroom Ragu sauce with chopped pepperoni added) and just a little bit of cheese. Both of these helped cut down the carbs. Back into the oven the meal went, until the thermometer said they were done.

He had extra sauce and cheese on the table for the rest of the family. A side of pasta for the munchkins and steamed veggies for the entire family. It was super delicious and I didn't miss my chicken being drowned in sauce. My youngest son, who really doesn't like spaghetti sauce, preferred this recipe version. He scraped off the sauce, ate the cheese with it and said the chicken breast just had a hint of extra flavor.

However you choose to make Chicken with Pepperoni Sauce, it will be a winner! Enjoy!

Low Carb Bell Pepper "Sandwich" and a Giveaway Winner

I recently had to change my diet - per orders of the doc. Low carb. Gasp! All my fave foods will now be a very rare indulgence. Thankfully, with the help of many fabulous friends, I am discovering new yummy foods. Today, I'm sharing a sandwich option I never even considered!

The Bell Pepper "Sandwich"

1 bell pepper, halved and deseeded
Meat salad of your choice (tuna, chicken, etc)
Toppings (onions, celery, pickles, shredded cheese, nuts, etc)

Simply fill each half of the bell pepper with your meat salad. Add your toppings and enjoy!

I made mine with tuna and celery salad, then topped it with onions and pickles. It was super delicious and surprisingly very filling. My kids even tried it and most them really liked it.


Sweet Confections Cover Reveal Giveaway Winner

A huge sincere thank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway. Thank you for all your comments, tweets and Facebook messages. I'm super excited to share the rest of the journey of my book release with you. And now, the winner of the $10 Redbox gift card and advance ebook copy of Sweet Confections is . . .

Destiny Shackleford! Congrats!!!

Creamy Delicata Squash Soup

Each fall, I crave one of my favorite dishes from my time as an exchange student in France - creamed vegetable soups. Carrots, pumpkins, squash . . . choose your favorite for the base, then add in onions, celery, butter, cream. If you learn the basics, then these delicious soups will become a go to meal at your house. It's also a great way to get munchkins to eat their veggies.

Today, I'm going to share a simple squash soup. The first thing to decide is which type of squash you're using for the soup. I love Delicata Squash. They have a soft outer skin and have wonderful flavor.


 Creamy Delicata Squash Soup

Ingredients:

2-3 Delicata Squash, cut in half length-wise and seeded
1 onion, chopped
3 cups of vegetable stock or chicken stock
1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream
2 Tablespoons butter
salt to taste
pepper to taste


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place the squash in a 9x13 baking dish, cut sides down. Add water until the bottom edges of the squash are covered (about 1/8"). Cover with foil and bake for 40-45 minutes. Remove from over and let cool.

2. In a large saucepan, melt butter. Then add the chopped onion and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally. You want the onion to be soft, but not browned.

3. Scrape the squash out of the flesh and add to the onions. Add the stock and heavy whipping cream. Cover the mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 25 minutes. The squash will be stringy for about the first 20 minutes. Then it will break down and become smooth.

4. Puree the soup in a blender or food processor. Pour back into the large saucepan. Season with salt and pepper, then serve immediately.


If you're like me and love the results of cooking, but don't like the process so much, you might consider making extra to freeze for later. Simply double or triple the soup, then after it is seasoned, let the portion you want to freeze cool completely. I like to pour my soup into Ziploc bags (double bag it), then lay it flat in the freezer. Be sure to label and date it. The soup is good for up to 3 months.

Enjoy!

Almond-Lemon Shortbread Cookies

Have you ever found a recipe you liked, then tweaked and tweaked and tweaked it some more until it was AMAZING? That's how these shortbread cookies evolved. They started off as okay, but now they are buttery, flakey with a hint of almond and lemon that just makes your taste buds burst with pleasure. Fabulousness in a simple bite.

 
Almond-Lemon Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients

3 sticks of butter at room temperature
1 c. sugar, plus a little extra for sprinkling
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
zest from 1/2 of a lemon
3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. sea salt

Directions

1. In a large bowl, use hand mixer to cream the butter and sugar together. Then add the vanilla, almond and lemon zest. Mix together well. Add salt, then gradually add flour while mixing on low-medium speed. The dough mixture will be dry and possibly a bit crumbly. Continue to beat until all the ingredients are well combined.

2. Use your hands to shape the dough into a ball. On a clean, floured surface, reshape the dough into a flat disk about 3 inches thick. Cover with plastic wrap, then chill for 20 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove the chilled dough and roll out on a floured surface until it's 1/2 inch thick. You can either cut it into fingers (pictured), circles, or use large shape cookie cutters. If cutting into fingers, I prefer to use my pizza cutter and make them about 3"x1" rectangles.

4. Place cookies on a baking sheet lined with either a Sil-Pat or parchment paper. Sprinkle the cookies with sugar, then bake for 20-25 minutes until the edges begin to brown. Let the cookies cool for 5-10 minutes before moving.

Makes about 30 finger shortbread cookies.

Happy baking!

Misty's Incredible Fruit Salad

We recently had a BBQ with my friend Misty and her family. My kids requested she bring two things - Doritos & a fruit salad made with Cool Whip. And let me tell you, did she ever come through on both counts!

The fruit salad was not only incredibly delish, but also gorgeous! Misty was kind enough to share the recipe for my blog. Thank you, Misty! And blogger friends, get ready for an amazing fruity sugar rush!

Misty's Incredible Fruit Salad

Serves 18-24

Ingredients:
1 8oz package Philadelphia cream cheese
3 tubs Cool Whip
1 package Strawberry Banana instant jello
2 bags of miniature marshmallows
4 Bananas
4 Fuji Apples
1 carton of fresh strawberries
2 cans of mandarin oranges drained well
2 Tbsp sugar
Lemon juice

Directions:

Take the cream cheese out of fridge to soften. Once softened, put in mixer and mix on high. Add 2 Tbsp sugar and 2 tsp lemon juice and mix. Add 1 container of cool whip and mix well.
Add strawberry banana jello mix and again, mix well. Fold in one package of mini marshmallows. Set aside in refrigerator.

Open mandarin oranges and drain, then let set in drainer.
Put a small amount of lemon juice in the bottom of two separate bowls. Slice the bananas and coat the slices in the lemon juice. This helps keep the bananas from turning brown. Core the apples and then slice into bite-sized chunks and place the chunks in the other bowl of lemon juice and coat well. If you don't want the apple peel you can remove the skin before you core the apples. Chunk the strawberries and set them aside.

In a large glass bowl begin layering. The first layer will e the mixture from the fridge of cool whip, jello mix, cream cheese and marshmallows. Next make a strawberry and banana layer. Next, a layer of cool whip. Then a small layer of marshmallows. Then add a layer of apples and oranges. Continue with the layering until you have used all of your ingredients. On the top use the rest of the cool whip then cover with the rest of your marshmallows. I did this so that when I covered it, the cool whip wouldn't stick and make a mess when uncovered.

Thai Sticky Rice with Mango Dessert

My friend Kelly and I went out for Thai this past weekend. I absolutely love, love, love Pad Thai with chicken and shrimp. Yum! But this was my very first time trying a Thai dessert. My taste buds were in heavenly delight as I enjoyed Cocunut sticky rice with mango slices on the side. Oh my! I discovered this recipe below. I'm going to try it out this week and can't wait to see if it lives up to the scrumptiousness I experienced the other night.  

Thai Sticky Rice with Mango Dessert

by Stick a Fork in It blog

Ingredients:
1/2 cup jasmine rice or other sweet asian rice
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk (you can use the light kind if you want, it just makes it a little less rich)
1/2 cup sugar
1 mango, sliced

Directions:
1.) Rice: Cook rice according to package directions, but substitute coconut milk for half of the water, and add half the sugar.
2.) It should be fairly dry when you finish cooking it, without any liquid visible in the pot.
3.) Sauce: In a medium saucepan, boil the rest of the coconut milk with the second half of the sugar.
4.) Keep this at a full boil until the rice is cooked, or until it reaches a thick, syrupy consistency.
5.) Presentation: Arrange the cooked coconut rice in a bowl or plate with the mango slices in some kind of pretty formation and pour some of the sauce over the whole thing. You can top it with a few sesame seeds.

Homemade Wheat Bread & Honey Butter

I'm not the best baker in the kitchen. And honestly, yeast terrifies me. I've definitely had more than my share of deflated, misshapen, Frankenstein worthy loaves of bread. I finally found an excellent recipe that I've successfully made several times now.  I don't know the lady's name who gave it to me, but I met her at my church's emergency preparedness fair. She deserves a huge hug!

The bread recipe uses a bread machine to make the dough - which is essential for bakers like me.  =)  I checked out YouTube and found a great video to learn how to knead and shape the dough before putting them in the pan. If baking bread makes you nervous, don't worry. This is the easiest recipe & directions I've ever found!

Wheat Bread

* Makes 2 loaves

1 1/2 c. warm water
3 Tbsp butter
2 tsp salt
2 c. white flour
2 c. wheat flour
4 tsp dry milk
2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp yeat

Add warm water to the bread machine pan. Add salt & butter in cut up pieces. Add both flours, milk & sugar. Make a small well in the flour, then add the yeast. Snap pan into your bread machine. Set for the dough setting and press start.

Grease & flour 2 bread pans. Preheat oven to 190 degrees.

After the bread machine is done with the dough, then divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Knead dough into 2 loaves. SEE VIDEO BELOW FOR DIVIDING AND KNEADING THE DOUGH.



Place the dough into the bread pans. Fill a small casserole dish with hot water and place it on the bottom rack of the over. Cover bread pans with a towel and place in the oven. Allow to rise for 25-30 minutes.

After rising, remove water and towels. Turn oven to 325 degrees and bake for 30-35 minutes.


Whipped Honey Butter

 1/2 c. butter at room temperature
1/4 c. honey

Whip the butter with a mixer until fluffy. Then gradually add in honey and mix until well blended. Chill until ready to use.

*If using when butter is cold, I usually microwave it for 10 seconds to soften the honey butter up a bit. It makes it easier to spread on the bread.


Enjoy!

 

Ratatouille Recipe

My hubby and kids really enjoyed this recipe. The flavors were so, so yummy! The recipe came from my farm co-op.

Ratatouille

1 eggplant, peeled, cut into 1/2" cubes
2 zucchini or yellow squash, 1/2" slices
1 tsp. Salt
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 green peppers, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
Salt & Pepper to taste
4 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

1. Place eggplant and squash slices in a bowl and toss with 1 tsp. salt. Let stand for 20 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
2. Heat 2 Tbsp oil over med heat in a large pan. Saute eggplant and squash, one layer at a time, until lightly browned. Set side each browned section on a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
3. In the same pan, add the remaining oil and cook the onions and green peppers until tender. (about 10 minutes). Stir in garlic and season with salt and pepper.
4. Add half the tomatoes and parsley, then all of the squash and eggplant, followed by the remaining tomatoes and parsley. Do not mix the layers. 
5. Turn down the heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Variations:

• Serve as a main dish sprinkled with cheese

• Add grilled sausage or sliced keilbasa

This dish can be frozen and reheated. Enjoy!

Pasta & Awesome Sauce

A few weeks ago, my friend Renae had my hubby and I over for dinner before a presentation I was giving at her church. She made the most fabulous meal! Pasta and Awesome Sauce (so dubbed by my hubby).  It's so delish - I had to share the recipe with my bloggy friends.

Awesome Sauce Recipe

1 red bell pepper, remove seeds & slice into strips
1 orange bell pepper, remove seeds & slice into strips
1 yellow bell pepper, remove seeds & slice into strips
1 container of sliced mushrooms
1 lb hamburger
1 roll Jimmy Dean's Italian Sausage
1 family size jar Ragu's Chunky Mushroom spaghetti sauce
1 regular size jar Ragu's Chunky Garden Combination OR Super Vegetable Primavera spaghetti sauce


Instructions

This sauce requires a large saucepan. Cook the hamburger and sausage together until crumbled and browned through. Use a strainer to drain & lightly rinse. Then set the meat aside in another bowl. Spray the pan with cooking spray, then saute the mushrooms and pepper slices until they are tender - about 15 minutes. Once the veggies are at your preferred tenderness, then add the meat back in. Mix this up a bit, then add the sauces. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, then serve over pasta. Add a side of salad and garlic french bread and you have the perfect delicious meal!

I recommend making 2 lbs of spaghetti or other favorite pasta. This is perfect for when you have guests because it makes TONS! Even with our family of 6, we can have a few guests and we still have leftovers for lunches.

If you have a small family, you can make this sauce, then freeze the leftovers for another meal. Be sure to use it within 3 weeks of freezing.

Enjoy!

Spiced Praline Pecans

Crazi Beautiful Women has an incredible recipe for Spiced Praline Pecans on their website right now. Doesn't that picture just make you drool and want to run to the store to buy all the ingredients and get cookin'? Yum!

I hope you're enjoying the holidays!

Christmas Treats: Buckeyes

One thing I love about Christmas is all the yummy treats. It's so much fun to make yummy stuff for my family and friends. I enjoy getting surprise visits on my doorstep from friends bringing by some of their favorite treats, too. It's just one of the fun traditions for this time of year.

This year, I discovered a new recipe on Walmart.com, of all places. This recipe is for Buckeyes. I have no idea why you would ever call something so yummy and pretty a nasty name like Buckeye, but not everyone is creative. A guy must have named them. =) So, here's a fun recipe for everyone out there in the middle of their baking frenzy, too.

There is only one thing I would change about this recipe: I made it with Ghiradelli Semi-Sweet chips - but the chocolate flavor was too strong with the peanut butter center. I suggest trying milk chocolate chips instead. I did make a small batch with white chocolate chips for my hubby - who's not a chocolate fan - and he loved them.

Buckeyes

Ingredients

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cup confectioners' sugar
1-1/4 cups semisweet chocolate morsels (1-1/4 cups = 7-1/2 oz)
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening


Directions

1. Blend peanut butter, butter, salt and confectioners’ sugar together in medium bowl with an electric mixer on low speed. Mixture will be stiff. Line sheet pan with wax paper. Roll peanut butter mixture into small, bite-size balls, about 3/4-inch round. Refrigerate until set; about 30 minutes.

2. Place morsels and shortening in top of double boiler with simmering water in the bottom. Melt ingredients over medium low heat; blend well. Remove from heat. ***I microwaved mine according to the package instructions.

3. Insert wooden pick into top of chilled peanut butter ball. Dip into melted chocolate, leaving only the top 1/4 of peanut butter ball uncovered for typical Buckeye appearance. Place coated side on prepared sheet pan. Repeat until all pieces are coated. Refrigerate until chocolate is set, about 30 minutes. Place in airtight container; keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

A Bit of Randomness

This week I am focusing on editing and putting the finishing touches on some chapters for the LDS Storymakers First Chapter contest. While I'm busy working away at my computer, I may not get to post anything really in-depth and thought provoking for a while. I know, I know. You'll be dreading the rest of the week without me . . . LOL! :)

Just a couple of quick updates . . .

This week begins the third week that I've been exercising 5-6 times per week. Some of my girlfriends and I have been meeting 3-4 times a week to use our various Walk Away the Pounds and other exercise videos. The other two days, I either walk outside if it's nice enough (which hasn't been very often yet) or I pop in one of my own Walk Away the Pounds DVD's. My favorites so far are the beginners 1 & 2 mile Walk at Home & the 5 Day Slim Down. I've also been reading Leslie Sansone's Walk Away the Pounds book. It has excellent health and walking info. I just love Leslie's positive, upbeat attitude - and her curvy body. She's not some stick-like chick. She's fit and curvy. I love it! I've been feeling really good - and not so sore that I never want to see another exercising video in my life. I just feel good!!!

Isaac is back at school and doing fabulous! He's caught up with his other friends very quickly and from what I understand, his behaviors have been great! He's been able to recognize when he's getting frustrated and calm himself down before getting upset. Very cool. I'm glad the surgery made such a huge difference for him.

Yesterday, John asked me to make Baked Potato Soup for him. He and the girls love it. So I thought I'd share the recipe with you. It was given to me by my girlfriend, Amy Fields.

Baked Potato Soup

4-6 Large baking potatoes (I use 6, because I like it to be thicker and full of potatoes…helps it go further. I also use the skins of half of them, and peel the other half)

2/3 Cups butter

2/3 Cups flour

6 Cups milk

¾ tsp. salt (I don’t follow this measurement…I add tons to taste, since potatoes don’t have much flavor on their own, and need a little added flavor)

½ tsp. pepper (I add to taste as well)

4 green onions, chopped and divided

12 slices bacon cooked, crumbled and divided ( I take the easy route, and buy it off the salad bar, already prepared. I also use more than the recipe calls for, again to my liking)

1 ¼ Cups shredded cheddar, divided ( I use more than the recipe calls for)

1- 8oz. carton sour cream

Wash potatoes and bake in the oven at 400 degrees for about 1 hour until done. Don’t overcook and make them too mushy. Let cool before cutting. Scoop out insides of potatoes and set aside.

Melt butter in a heavy kettle over low heat. Add flour-stirring until smooth. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Gradually add milk, stirring constantly over medium heat until mixture is thick and bubbly.

Add potatoes, salt, pepper, ½ of green onions, ½ of bacon, and 1 cup of cheese. Cook until thoroughly heated. Stir in sour cream.

Add extra if necessary for desired thickness.

Serve with remaining onions, bacon and cheese.

I hope everyone is doing well! I'll post again . . . soon!

Traditions: Turkey Leftovers

Thanksgiving was fantastic. I enjoyed visiting with family and stuffing myself full of turkey and all the trimmings. This year, we went to Grammy Thompson's, so we don't have any leftovers. But normally, we have tons of turkey lurking in our fridge.

What do you do with all that meat?

We'll, here's what I do. I bag about half of the leftovers into quart-sized freezer bags, label with Thanksgiving Turkey, and (you guessed it) I freeze it. Amazing concept, eh? Over the next three months, I will pull the turkey out for sandwiches, soups, casseroles, stir-fry recipes, etc.

The day after Thanksgiving (or Christmas), I usually put together a Turkey Vegetable soup in the crock pot. Bake up some rolls, and you have an easy and delicious meal ready.

I also love to make Hot Turkey Sandwiches. My very favorite layering technique is (from bottom to top):

Gravy, slice of bread, turkey, gravy, slice of bread, turkey, gravy, slice of bread, gravy.

Mmm . . . Add a side of potatoes, pop it in the microwave until it all toasty and warm and you're in Turkey Leftover Heaven.


If you're looking for something a little lighter, try these delicious wrap recipes. Just replace the chicken with turkey.


I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving. Now I'm off to start my Christmas decorating!

Traditions: Thanksgiving Feast Recipes

Growing up, my family's holidays were centered around a huge extended-family feast.

On Easter, it was ham baked in pineapple and brown sugar. Thanksgiving and Christmas we had a wild turkey thanks to my hunt-a-holic brothers and a store-bought turkey, each roasted to perfection. The dining room table would be piled high with side dishes galore. And the side bars were lined with pecan pie, shoo-fly pie, fruit pies, and pudding pies. Once the prayer's Amen was heard, we'd all descend on the food like we hadn't eaten in years. We'd eat, and eat, and eat some more until we were gorged to the point of unbuttoning and unzipping our pants for comfort.

If there is one tradition I have passed on to my children, it's this one - only on a smaller scale. Since we don't have a lot of extended family nearby, our feast has less variety. I admit I do miss the three different types of corn and two different stuffings. But we aren't feeding 30-40 people. (Thank goodness!)

I'm really excited to share some of our family's favorite Thanksgiving recipes. Enjoy!


Sweet Basil Rub (for the Turkey)

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp Salt
1/2 tsp Granulated Garlic
1/2 tsp Granulated Onion
1/2 tsp Paprika
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 tsp Black Pepper
2 Tbsp Whole Basil
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Mix salt, sugar, garlic, onion, paprika, and lemon juice together. Next add pepper, basil, and olive oil. Mix until well blended. Rub all over the outside and inside of turkey. Bake according to the turkey instructions. The drippings make an incredible gravy!



Great Aunt Erma's Baked Stuffing

Ingredients:
1 loaf of Bread
1/2 cup Onion
3/4 cup Celery
1 Egg
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
Salt
Pepper
Parsley
Milk (or rice milk & water)

Saute onions and celery in butter.
Grease a 9x13 casserole pan.
Break up bread into small chunks in a large mixing bowl. Add onion and celery; mix together. Sprinkle parsley, salt, and pepper on top of mixture until top is well covered; mix together.
Mix milk (about one cup), egg, and baking powder in a small bowl. There should be enough liquid to lightly moisten the bread mixture. If needed, you can add more milk. Add 1/2 to bread; stir gently. Add remaining liquid; stir gently until bread is lightly moist.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or brown on top.



Great Aunt Erma's Creamed Mushrooms

Ingredients:
1 box/container of fresh Mushrooms
3/4 cup Milk
1 Tbsp Flour

Slice mushrooms and cook in a skillet with butter until all water is cooked out.
Add milk and flour. Constantly stir until the sauce thickens. Serve hot.



Fabulous Fruit Salad

Ingredients:
1 can (29 oz.) sliced peaches, drained, with juice reserved separately from other juices
1 can (20 oz.) pineapple chunks, drained & juice reserved separately from other juices
1 c. mandarin oranges, drained & juice reserved separately from other juices
3 whole or 4 whole bananas, sliced
1/2 jar maraschino cherries, drained
1 whole egg
1/2 c. sugar
1 tbsp flour
3/4 c. peach juice (from drained canned peaches)
3/4 c. pineapple juice (from drained canned pineapple)
15 large marshmallows


1. Mix peaches, pineapple, oranges, bananas and cherries together in 1. a bowl. Set aside.
2. In saucepan, mix egg, sugar, flour, peach juice* and pineapple juice*.
3. *Add reserved mandarin orange juice, if necessary, to make 3/4 c. peach juice and 3/4 c. pineapple juice.
4. Cook until soft custard stage, stirring almost constantly.
5. Remove from heat. Add marshmallows.
6. Stir until blended. Pour dressing over fruit. Chill.
7. Store salad in refrigerator overnight.
Serve Chilled.

Budget Update & Wrap Sandwiches

It's officially been one pay period, and I'm here to give you an update on my progress.

Since my last budgeting blog, I went to the bank to get cash for my two-week budget. I separated the cash into different envelopes, which I labeled with categories (groceries, diapers, date night, babysitting, play money, etc). Then, the tracking began.

We had an unexpected birthday party invitation, which any other time would have messed up my budget. This time, I pulled some cash out of the Play Money envelope and took my four-year-old shopping for a gift. I told him how much he could spend, and he did a great job staying within those boundaries. There were a couple of times I worried, as he found neat presents that were too much. But when I'd tell him how much the item was, then I'd ask him if that was more or less than the amount he could spend. I was really impressed as he figured that out on his own and kept moving on to see other toys. He kept track of which items were okay to buy, then after finding several he chose which one he wanted to purchase for the birthday girl. Can I just say how very impressed I am with my four-year-old? He did a MUCH better job than me. I would have seen a neat toy and thought, "Well, it's not that much more . . . " I'm so proud of my little guy!

Before I left for Utah, I pulled out what we had left of our cash and made sure John knew where it was, just in case he needed something. Our new two-week budget started while I was out of town. When I got home, one of the first things I asked John was if he had used the money I left for him or if he had used the debit card. He still had the cash, and he hadn't used the card.

Score! We stayed in budget and still had $10 left over!!!

So, Monday after preschool, I took the $10 and a bit of the Play Money and made a McSonic run. Rob & Anna had McD's Happy Meals & I had a treat from Sonic. After-all, we all need little rewards, right?



I read an interesting article in my last Prevention magazine. I can't remember the article's name, or the author - and since my hubby did some cleaning while I was gone, I'm not sure where the magazine disappeared to.

The article talked about adding more whole grains into your diet, and also cutting your calories as you work to lose weight. One suggestion was to switch from using white bread to whole wheat or corn tortillas. Each of these as enough grains to count as two servings towards your daily grains. I know I don't ever come close to meeting my healthy whole grain servings, so I thought I'd give it a try.

I purchased Li'l Guy Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas (10 count) and Li'l Guy Thick Style Corn Tortillas (36 count) - each for about $2.50. I also purchased romaine lettuce, avocados, tomatoes, fat-free refried beans, Miracle Whip Light, and light cream cheese.

My first attempt at a wrap sandwich started with a wheat tortilla. I spread a little bit of the Miracle Whip Light on it. Next came the Romaine lettuce, some thinly sliced tomatoes, and about half of a ripe avocado. I rolled it all up . . . and it was soo yummy! Since enjoying that wrap, I've looked up a few other healthy recipes. Enjoy!

Li'l Guy Sauteed Chicken Wrap
4 Li'l Guy Whole Wheat Tortillas
1 lb. Diced Chicken Breasts or tenders
3 c. chopped iceberg lettuce
1 c. shredded cheese
1/2 c. diced onion
1/2 c. diced tomato
1 Tbs. olive or vegetable oil
salt & pepper

In a large skillet, heat oil on medium high heat. Add chicken and diced onion. Saute until chicken is browned and cooked all the way through. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Seperate into four even portions and set aside to cool for five minutes.

Heat tortillas in microwave or in skillet. Place chicken mixture on tortillas and garnish with lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese. Top with salsa, ranch dressing, or light mayo. Roll up each wrap and serve.



Tuna (or Chicken), Avocado, & Bacon Wrap

4 slices bacon
1 (6 ounce) can solid white tuna (or chicken) packed in water
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
1 tablespoon minced red onion
1/4 teaspoon paprika
black pepper to taste
1 avocado - peeled, pitted and sliced
1 tomato, sliced
2 slices provolone cheese
2 lettuce leaves
2-4 Wheat or Corn Tortillas

Cook bacon in the microwave on a paper towel-lined microwave safe plate until crispy, about 4 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir together tuna, Dijon mustard, horseradish, relish, and red onion. Season with paprika and pepper. Divide this mixture between the tortillas. On each tortilla, place 1/2 an avocado, 1/2 a tomato, 1 slice provolone cheese, 1 lettuce leaf, and 2 slices bacon. (If making four smaller corn tortillas, adjust measurements appropriately).



Turkey Vegetable Wrap

2/3 cup mayonnaise, light or regular
1/4 cup NAKANO® Seasoned Rice Vinegar - Red Pepper or Roasted Garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 (8 inch) flour tortillas, warmed
6 lettuce leaves, curly or red leaf
1/2 pound deli sliced turkey, plain or smoked
1 1/4 cups julienned jicama
3/4 cup julienned carrot
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Alfalfa sprouts, chopped green onions or cilantro (optional)

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, rice vinegar, cumin and salt; mix well. Spread one tablespoon dressing over each tortilla; top with a lettuce leaf. Divide turkey, jicama, carrots, cheese and sprouts evenly among tortillas. Drizzle additional dressing over ingredients on each tortilla. Fold bottom of tortilla over filling; roll up burrito style.

The Grocery Dilemma

With all the price hikes in gas, I've seen quite an increase in the price of my groceries, too. It's more common every week to get through the check-out stand, see the total, and just cringe. My poor pocketbook.

I tried to keep it all balanced, but found as I was using my debit card that instead of keeping a better track of how much I spent while shopping, I'd end up over-spending and killing my weekly budget. My hubby and I finally sat down, went through our spending for the last few months, and came up with a few solutions to try.

First, we switched to using cash for our grocery budget. I used to budget with cash when we lived in Utah. After moving to Kansas, we chose to keep our bank accounts with our totally awesome credit union back in Utah and only open a savings account locally. So it's a little tricky, but we've got a system worked out that seems like it will work. When I previously used the cash system for groceries, I was much better at keeping to my grocery list and adding up my purchases as I shopped. This helped me to make better choices before splurging for that bag of Oreos and also nixed any unpleasant surprises at the check-out stand.

(Although, I think it's really sad when you hand money over to the teenager manning the register, and they get wide-eyed because you actually carry cash. Do kids even learn how to handle cash anymore? So maybe my budgeting system will keep our kids from going totally techno-crazy. Probably not, but it's a slight possibility.)

Second, we canceled our Dream Dinners appointment. This was really sad for me, cause not only do I love the Dream Dinners meals, but the owner is just so much fun. She's one of those people who really takes the time to get to know her customers. Anytime she saw me outside of Dream Dinners, she knew my name and asked about various activities we had talked about at my last session. But alas, it was an expense I needed to cut out. Sigh. I'm really going to miss visiting with her each month.

Third, we decided to start making meals that would be easy to double, then freeze the extra portion for a meal later in the month. This past Sunday, we made a nice size turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing for dinner. Then we took the left over turkey, divided it up into three bags (about 1-1/2 lbs each), and put them in the freezer. Later this month, I'm planning to use one of those bags to make Turkey Vegetable Soup (see recipe below). Another bag will be for a simple Turkey, Rice, and Veggie Stir-Fry. Monday night, we had meatloaf for dinner. I bought enough hamburger to make two, then put the extra in a disposable tin pan, and into the freezer it went to be pulled out later this month. I've already seen good results from doing this. Even though I bought more meat than I usually do, I watched for sales and was able to purchase the meat I needed, and still have budget left over. And since those meals were doubled, I have less I need to purchase from my next budget check. Which makes my money go further and I feel less cramped. Which always makes me a happy girl. :)

Turkey Vegetable Soup (crock pot)

1 lb Turkey, cooked & cut up
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, with liquid
2 cups of chicken broth
2 potatoes, cut up into cubes
3/4 to 1 c. dried minced onion
15 baby carrots, cut into thirds
1 can (15 oz) green beans, with liquid
1 can (15 oz) corn, with liquid
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients into a greased crock pot (I like to use the crock pot liners so the clean up is easier.) Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low 6-8 hours. Serve with rolls or corn bread muffins.

I have a really hard time coming up with recipes that work well to double, then freeze. I purchased a book last summer that teaches you how to do all your meals for the month over a weekend. Of course, then you freeze the meals and pull them out during the week. It's called Girlfriends on the Go by Suzie Roberts. I got mine in the Cedar Fort Online Outlet.

I also asked some of my girlfriends for recipes and their wise-shopping tips.

My friend, Amy, had a great tip. When her grocery budget got squishy, she went on the prowl for good deals on meat. She discovered that two of the local food chains put their meat that is close to the "sell by" date out early each morning in a special section. You have to get to the store early - like 8:30/9:00 am, but you can find some really great deals. I asked Amy to show me the ropes, and I found a whole cut-up chicken for $1.25. I kid you not! Is that like a FABULOUS deal or what?

My sister had another great tip. She does some of her shopping through Angel Food Ministries. "With a heart to help others and a generous spirit, Joe and Linda Wingo founded Angel Food Ministries in 1994 to provide food for friends and neighbors who were struggling financially. Today, they are still doing the same thing. The Angel Food program now is helping provide food relief to more than 500,000 families each month."

Basically, how it works is you place your order and pay up-front. Then, because the food is ordered in bulk, you get incredible discounts. For example, this month's menu Regular Package includes:

1.5 lb Top Sirloin Strip Steaks

2 lb. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast

3 lb. Breaded Chicken Chunks

1.5 lb Boneless Pork Fillet

20 oz. Supreme Pizza

1 lb. Ground Turkey

1 lb. Cheddar Cheese Bratwurst Sausage

1 lb. Green Beans

1 lb. Stir Fry Vegetables (Broccoli & Bell Peppers)

35 oz. Crinkle-cut Fries

32 oz. Borden 2% Reduced Fat Shelf Stable Milk

7.5 oz Macaroni & Cheese

15 oz. Pork & Beans

7 oz. Chicken-Flavored Rice & Vermicelli

1 lb. Pinto Beans

One Dozen Eggs

One Dessert Item

This package is supposed to be enough to feed a family of four for one week. You get all of this for the low price of $30. After purchasing the Regular Package, you can also add on other packages for $20 each. For more information or to see if there's a ministry near you, check out the link above.

So, my friends, here's to my first month of trying to be a budgeting queen. (Don't choke on that candy bar! I'm really going to try!) I know, it's going to be hard for a spender like me. But hopefully with these new strategies and tips, it will work out well. I hope some of this info has been helpful for you as well. Happy grocery shopping, one and all!

My New Chocolate Addiction . . .

Oh my goodness. About two weeks ago, I was grocery shopping with my seven-year-old daughter. While in the cereal section, she pointed out all the cereals she wanted to try. I told her to pick just one. Her choice? Cocoa Krispies.



My first thought? Ugh! How disgusting - chocolate flavored cereal! But I did tell her it was her choice, so we got it. The next morning, my daughter ate THREE bowls! Not to mention that my three-year-old son and one-year-old daughter joined the band wagon, too. Then a couple days later we had a casual "eat whatever" dinner, and my seven-year-old asked for Cocoa Krispies. We finished that box up in three days!

Out of curiosity, I decided to see what all the hype was about. And let me tell you, that was the most delish cereal I've had in a long time! It even beat out my long time favorites Captain Crunch and Lucky Charms. Let me tell you, if you like hot chocolate like I do - then you'll really like Cocoa Krispies. This week, I made sure to buy four boxes of Cocoa Krispies . . . I wonder how long they'll last?

Here are some yummy recipes from the Kellogg's website:

Chocolate Marshmallow Crisps



Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 36
Ingredients
1 package (11.5 oz., 2 cups) milk chocolate morsels
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup almonds , coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots or raisins
2 cups Rice Krispies®
or 2 cups Cocoa Rice Krispies®

Directions
1. In 2-quart saucepan, melt chocolate and shortening over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from heat.

2. Stir in remaining ingredients, mixing until well coated. Spread mixture evenly in 8 x 8 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Refrigerate. Cut into 1 1/4-inch squares. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

MICROWAVE DIRECTIONS: In medium microwave safe bowl, heat morsels and shortening. Microwave on HIGH 2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring after each minute. Follow Step 2 above.


Chocolate Marshmallow Madness

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 16
Ingredients
1 package (12 oz. 2 cups) semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
3 cups Cocoa Rice Krispies®
2 cups miniature marshmallows

Directions
1. In 3-quart saucepan, melt chocolate and shortening over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from heat. 2. Add KELLOGG'S COCOA KRISPIES cereal and marshmallows to chocolate mixture. Stir until well coated.

3. Spread mixture evenly into 8 x 8 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Chill until firm. Cut into squares. Store covered in refrigerator.