Easy Cheap Dinner #2

Black Bean and brown rice tortilla's! This is such a cheap and easy way to feed your family. It takes no time at all and is super healthy. Can't get much better than cheap, healthy and a quick meal!!!!

Ingredients:
Whole Wheat Tortilla's
Fat Free plain greek yogurt (this is in place of sour cream, adds more protein to the meal and is much better for you than sour cream w/all its bad ingredients!)
Black Beans
Low-Fat shredded cheese (whichever kind you prefer)

Directions:
Cook brown rice. Place black beans on stove and warm up. Slightly warm tortilla's in microwave. Put together tortilla by spreading yogurt over middle of tortilla. Put brown rice over yogurt, then add the black beans and cheese. Roll up, serve! Place toothpicks in tortilla's to help hold together if desired.

*I served these tortilla's with peas, a side of more black beans and carrots with hummus. Delicious meal!

Moist Oatmeal Raisin Bars

I made these for a women's evening group that I am in (PEO). They are a little healthier for you than the typical dessert, yet still sweet enough to help with that sweet tooth. These are great for dessert or for a snack. I baked them in the oven for 30 minutes and they are def. on the VERY moist side. They still taste great, but just a warning...they fall apart easily! Try baking them longer and let me know if they harden up some. Enjoy!


Ingredients:
▪ 3 cups old-fashioned oats
▪ 1 cup all-purpose flour
▪ 1 cup packed brown sugar
▪ 1/2 cup canola oil
▪ 1/2 cup applesauce
▪ 2 eggs
▪ 1/4 tsp salt
▪ 1/2 tsp cinnamon (heaping!)
▪ 1 1/2 cup raisins
(Add a couple T. of flax seed if you desire!)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray 9″ X 12″ baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine ingredients until smooth.
4. Spread batter in prepared baking pan and bake for approximately 35 minutes until bars are cooked all the way through.
5. Let bars cool completely in pan before cutting.

Easy Cheap Dinner #1

I have 3 easy and cheap dinner posts for you coming up! First up is my version of the Cracker Barrel veggie plate. When I go to Cracker Barrel (yum!), I typically order the "veggie plate." The veggie plate comes w/4 of their awesome sides and biscuits...yum. I typically get mac n'cheese, green beans, creamed corn and some other type of bean. I wanted a cheap, super quick, and healthy dinner the other night so replicated the good ole Cracker Barrel favorite.

We had whole wheat biscuits (from the can, doesn't get much easier than that) w/apple butter spread on top, black beans, creamed corn, green beans and Trader Joe's mac n'cheese. This was delicious, STUPID easy since most of this came from a can and overall pretty healthy. The hubs and I had never tried TJ's mac n'cheese, but it was great. I highly recommend it (in the freezer section!). It's also a perfect amount for two people. I don't do cheese well (stomach issues and I don't love it anyway), so I know it's a winner when it taste good to me and sits well on my tummy.

Wondering what to cook tonight? Do this, it won't disappoint...even non-cooks can make this!

Easter Sunday

We had a lovely Easter Sunday. The morning started off with a nice walk with the pups. Then, the hubs and I met my parents and brother, Stephen, for church at 11:00 am. It was a great service! After church we came back to my parents house for an amazing Easter lunch. We had salad, deviled eggs, lamb, asparagus, mashed potatoes, sweet potato biscuits and lemon meringue pie. My Mom made everything from scratch (as she always does) and it was all soooooo good. The lemon meringue pie was my fav! We all loved this...it was the perfect dessert for Easter on a hot day, nice and light. Hope you had a Happy Easter!

Chicken and Mushroom pesto pasta

I'm not a huge pasta eater, but once in a while a craving strikes! I was oddly craving whole wheat pasta with ingredients we had on hand at home...therefore, this recipe evolved. When I first made it, I didn't add the pesto in. Both the hubs and I thought it needed more flavor. We had tons of leftovers, so the next time we ate it for dinner I had 1/2 container of pesto in the freezer. I thawed this pesto and threw it in w/the rest of the pasta. Just what it needed...a little umph!

Ingredients:
3/4 pound chicken tenders
1/4 cup all purpose flour
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup fat free plain greek yogurt
1 cup fat free chicken broth
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
Garlic (as much as this as you like, we like lots!)
1/2 pound dried whole wheat fettuccine or whatever pasta you have on hand
1/2 container pesto

Directions:
Put chicken, flour and salt and pepper into a large bowl and toss to combine. Set aside. Melt butter in a skillet with olive oil. Add chicken and brown on all sides. Stir in yogurt, broth, mushrooms, paprika and garlic. Cover and simmer on low heat for 15 to 20 minutes. Prepare pasta according to package instructions. Drain well, then transfer to bowls and spoon chicken and its sauce over the top. Heat up pesto and pour that into pasta mixture. Mix well, serve!

*I didn't get a picture of this, oops!

Low Country Shrimp Boil!

There is nothing better than a low-country shrimp boil. While at my parents house in Pawleys Island, SC, we made this (as always). This dish is a tradition of my family, and Daniel's family! Here is a link to a posting of the recipe. The only changes we made this time was to add more salt. In my original post I say that not much salt is really needed. Well, I am told I am wrong on this and that salt is the way to go (the hubs is the main chef on this dish!). It really did make a difference! We also had fresh right off the boat shrimp we got in Georgetown, so this of course helped make the dish even better. This is a messy meal, traditionally thrown over a table covered in newspaper. The point of this relaxed meal is that you peel the shrimp and throw the peeling right on the newspaper...eat the corn and throw the cobs on the newspaper, etc. It's a messy meal, but that's what makes it so fun and such a perfect beach dinner. Go grab a beer, get your hands dirty and make this this summer!

Do you have any family traditions? Do tell!

Quick Chicken Curry

It's been a super busy past couple weeks, so my apologies for the lack of postings. This past weekend I was a bridesmaid in my friend, Annie's wedding in Greenville, SC. It was a perfect weekend and a beautiful wedding! This weekend, I am the Matron of Honor in my best friend's wedding in Kiawah, SC. Therefore, the hubs and I are currently in Pawley's Island this week in between the weddings enjoying my parents beach house to the fullest. We have the pugs with us and are having the most relaxing and enjoyable time...much needed.

With that being said, last night was the first night that I have cooked in a while! I made a simple, quick chicken curry and it was delish. Enjoy the recipe below.

Ingredients:

1/4 c. chopped onion
1 T. butter
3 T. flour
2 T. curry powder
1/8 t. ginger
1/2 t. salt
1 c. fat-free chicken broth
1 c. fat-free milk
1 c. chopped cooked chicken
1/2 c. raisins
1 apple, chopped
1/2 c. peanuts (if desired)

Directions:

Saute the onion in butter until soft. Add the flour and spices. Stir in the milk and the chicken broth, bring to a boil until thickened. Add the chicken, raisins, apple, and peanuts. Cook until heated through.

Serve over rice.

Servings: 4


*Tonight the hubs and I are making our traditional beach Shrimp Boil, yum!