Cheap and Easy Cooking

Back to the Subject of Food: Banana Muffins

2010-04-13T20:16:00.004-05:00

We've been having a food crisis of sorts around here. No one seems to know what they want for breakfast any more. It could be because most of us ate cold cereal usually but the milk here just doesn't taste the same. I brought back pop tarts on my last trip to the US and even though they are not so nutritious, they are definitely well loved in our house. Poptarts are gone now so we're on to something different. Planning to transition into muffins so I am going to highlight a few muffin recipes over the next few days as things we either loved before, or are trying now.

How to Make Banana Muffins

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Polish President Wife, and Dignitaries Die in Plane Crash

2010-04-10T03:59:00.001-05:00

Polish President Lech Kaczynski and a number of dignitaries traveling to the site of the 1940 Katyn massacre have died in a plane crash

http://bit.ly/b2w5L3

Posted via email from MaggieRay's posterous

Pacquiao Beats Clottey

2010-03-13T23:50:00.001-06:00

Wins by decision - Preparation for Mayweather?

http://bit.ly/G3Ayp

Posted via email from MaggieRay's posterous

Watch Oscars Horror Movie Tribute on line

2010-03-07T21:55:00.001-06:00

If you missed it on the Oscars, watch the Oscars Horror Movie tribute on line a http://www.mahalo.com/oscars-horror-movie-tribute

Posted via email from MaggieRay's posterous

Waiting for the Oscars

2010-03-07T18:25:00.001-06:00

Watching the Red Carpet and waiting for the Oscars. If you can't get them where you are, follow coverage with live posting of the event on Mahalo. http://www.mahalo.com/oscar-live-coverage

Posted via email from MaggieRay's posterous

Oscars Red Carpet Live Coverage

2010-03-07T16:18:00.001-06:00

Not gonna be at the TV to watch the Red Carpet today? Minute by minute coverage of who's crossing the carpet can be seen on http://www.mahalo.com/oscar-red-carpet-live-coverage. Find out who's wearing what before the awards event begins

Posted via email from MaggieRay's posterous

Teach Your Kids to Cook

2010-03-07T15:44:00.001-06:00

Some of our best memories with our older children, now college aged and on their own, are from time spent in the kitchen. Living in multiple states, and in overseas countries on various military assignments, having the stabilization of familiar family meals and traditions was important. Teaching them to cook those meals was important too. It's important that our children learn the basics of cooking so they can pass on those family favorites to their kids and keep traditions alive....and well of course feed themselves without having to live in restaurants and on fast foods! Find more tips on helping your child learn to cook at http://www.mahalo.com/how-to-teach-your-children-to-cook.

Posted via email from MaggieRay's posterous

Pork and Bean Casseroles

2010-02-05T21:12:00.002-06:00

Pork and beans are a fantastic staple to keep on hand when the grocery budget has taken a hit. They can be a main course meal or a side dish. You can even buy them in the gallon sized can, make three different casseroles and freeze two to cut the cost even further. One of our favorite things to do with pork and beans is to make beanie weenies. The kids love them and just a pot of beanie weenies with a pot of rice makes dinner for my bunch. Everyone makes theirs different I am sure but this is how we make beanie weenies.

How to Make Beanie Weenies

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Using Leftovers

2010-02-04T15:59:00.003-06:00

Using leftovers from one meal to prepare another helps keep food cost low and cut the grocery budget. Sometimes it is useful to even prepare extra of certain portions of a meal to use in another meal simply because it saves time as well as the energy it takes to cook the item. A good example of this would be making a double batch of mashed potatoes. Cook one portion to go with the meal for today, and an extra batch to use for shepherd's pie or loaded potato casserole. Double the batch of cornbread for tonight's dinner and use the leftovers to make cornbread dressing later in the week.

Cutting good cost often just means staying out of the store. It's easy to spend to much when you go to frequently. Plan what you need, get it and get out of the store. I try to go in with a list and stick to it. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't but I always try.

On the leftover item use, how about broccoli potato soup? You can adjust your ingredients to match what you have in left overs. Keep reading for info on how to make this soup for a cold winter day

How to Make Broccoli Potato Soup

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Corn Casserole

2010-01-25T16:02:00.003-06:00

I didn't grow up eating corn casserole so the first time I had it, it kind of took me by surprise. We ate corn regularly because it was something we grew in several gardens a year, but the concept cf combining it into another dish (other than soup!) had never really occurred to me. Corn casserole is an excellent winter food. It holds the heat of cooking well and is warm and comforting. I can make it a meal just as is, but I know since it doesn't always have meat that would not be the case for everyone. Here's a simple step by step instruction on making corn casserole. If you do yours differently, feel free to leave a comment and I'll give yours a try too

How to Make Corn Casserole

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What's on your Meal Plan?

2010-01-24T17:49:00.002-06:00

In order to think about reducing grocery costs, you really have to think about planning meals. I know for me, going into a store to grab something for tonight's dinner usually means I wind up buying other things I really didn't need. The number one way for me to cut grocery costs is to just stay out of the store! Meal planning doesn't have to be difficult. In a simple form it can just be jotting down what's going to be for dinner in the empty block on the calendar. Doing this for a weeks time lets you think about what you don't have on hand before you make your grocery trip. It also let's you think about what you have on hand that needs to be used up.

If you bought to many bananas last week and they are going bad, this week you may be eating banana muffins for breakfast. Maybe you have some of last night's taco meat left and need to remake it to another meal, or there's to many mashed potatoes left from the last meal. Leftovers can help reduce your grocery bill for this week if you find a way to serve them so you are not repeating the same meal taste to often.

It's Monday and that means the new week is off to a start...what will you have for dinner this week? Grab a pen and survey the cabinets, fridge and freeze and develop a plan. As the week goes on, I'll post a few ideas on how to use leftovers you may have on hand.

For today thought, here's an inexpensive ground beef casserole you can try.

Hamburger Casserole

1 pound ground beef
1 cup water
1 16 oz. jar salsa
2 cups uncooked pasta, elbow mac or shapes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
Cook beef in skillet until brown; drain.
Stir water, salsa, uncooked pasta and salt into beef.
Heat to a boiling; reduce heat.
Cover and simmer 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender. Stir in sour cream; cook just until hot

My kids love this one and it reheats easily for lunches too.

Not Food but a True Golden Girl

2010-01-23T20:12:00.001-06:00

Gotta Love Betty White!

Clicking the picture should take you to the TwitPic in full size.

Adding Cabbage to the Meal Plan

2010-01-18T16:52:00.002-06:00

Cabbage is a very inexpensive vegetable here year around. As a kid I remember eating cole slaw and occasionally smelling the sauerkraut cooking but I never thought of eating cooked cabbage. Fast forward to my military days and I encountered people eating cabbage soup for a diet plan. I tried it, didn't lose any weight but the soup was ok. Then when I married the other half he mentioned cabbage and bacon. That was ok too and we still eat it occasionally. So upon arrival here I thought, I'm not so sure cheap cabbage is going to help since it isn't that appetizing. I was wrong. Add a little ground pork, soy, garlic and a variety of seasonings and you would be surprised what cabbage can taste like. It can even be the basis a a few casserole type items you can add to a meal plan for not a lot of money. The embedded widget below gives information on cabbage casserole, why not try one out?

How to Make Cabbage Casserole

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Filipino Lechon

2010-01-17T01:18:00.002-06:00

Today we drove to a close by city where the specialty is Lechon. The place is called La Loma Lechon in Quezon City. We've still not found the camera charger since we took Christmas vacation so we were not able to make pictures this time.

Lechon is the Spanish word for pig and in LaLoma you'll see store after store of roasting pigs (the whole thing) on a wood stick over a charcoal fire. The pits are large enough to hold 10 or more pigs roasting at the same time.

We bought a few kilos to bring home, and have enjoyed them as a late lunch already. We'll use the leftovers for some sandwiches and maybe make soup or beans with the bones. Hopefully we'll make another trip back for some pictures but for now, you can see them on the Pinoy Travel Blog.

Taco Rice

2010-01-16T02:16:00.002-06:00

When we were in Japan, we bought a rice cooker and began the part of our dinner life that still stays with us 15 years later. The rice cooker is amazingly still going strong and yes we still eat rice most evenings for dinner. In combination of a TexMex and rice style, we enjoy taco rice. I captured how we make this meal in a How to document on Mahalo where I have been writing for a couple of months.

How to Make Taco Rice

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In honor of the looming Roses and Chocolate Day

2010-01-14T23:50:00.001-06:00

Valentine's Gift Basket

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Need a Party Appetizer?

2010-01-06T21:15:00.000-06:00

How about a Shrimp Dip?

How to Make Shrimp Dip

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Going Low Carb to Lose Weight?

2010-01-01T02:11:00.001-06:00

How to Make Low Carb Pizza

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No Need for Fast Food Stops

2009-12-28T09:11:00.000-06:00

How To Make an Easy Dinner

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How to Use Leftover Turkey

2009-12-25T21:45:00.001-06:00

How to Use Leftover Turkey

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Making Apple Pie for the Holidays?

2009-12-13T16:27:00.000-06:00

How To Make An Apple Pie

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Gift in a Jar Recipes

2009-11-13T18:34:00.003-06:00

As the holidays grow closer you may be considering what kinds of gifts to give to friends, teachers, bus drivers, coworkers. If the budget is tighter this year, consider making something homemade as a gift. Jar Mix Recipes are great ideas and give the recipient a food item to enjoy with their family. You can do cookie mixes in a jar, brownie mix in a jar, or soup mixes. The ideas are endless.

I wrote a couple of articles on gifts in a jar with instructions on how to put them together.

You can view How to Make Gift in a Jar Soup Mix to see my instructions on making Friendship Soup Mix.

My instructions for How to Make Gift in a Jar Brownies contains a video from YouTube which shows some examples of decorated jar mix containers.

Just click the article names for each of these to be taken to the instructions.

How to Make Hash Brown Casserole

2009-11-08T03:36:00.002-06:00

Hash Brown Casserole is one of my favorite Thanksgiving side dishes. There are many ways to make it and variations also include methods of cooking. I have not made a crockpot version yet but may try one for a potluck we'll be attending. Looking for step by step instructions on making the casserole and links to other recipes? Continue reading here.

Thanksgiving Potluck?

2009-11-03T18:28:00.001-06:00

Are you hosting a large group? Planning to have the entire family over and wonder how to get it all done in time to serve the big meal?

Potluck ideas always come in handy when there is a crowd to feed and Thanksgiving dinner is the perfect time to host one. Having an easy potluck style Thanksgiving dinner means no one spends hours doing all the cooking for everyone. A little planning in advance goes a long way to making a potluck Thanksgiving dinner the perfect holiday meal.

Read more at How to Plan a Thanksgiving Potluck Dinner

Liquid Diet time?

2009-10-28T21:33:00.002-05:00

Has the flu hit your household? Or maybe you have dental surgery scheduled. Whether your diet needs are from the flu, to clear your digestive system for a test, or as a result of dental surgery or injury adapting to a liquid diet requires preparation to insure proper nutrition. This guide provides information on how to eat on a liquid diet.

Read more on How to Eat on a Liquid Diet here

Crockpot Roast

2009-10-21T01:14:00.002-05:00

Hoping to resurrect my long dead blogs this month. It was actually slated to be my Sept project but I never got to it!

I bought a new crockpot since mine died just after moving here. There are so many great crockpot recipes I kept missing having one. I love a good roast in the crock pot. You can do them so many different ways.

I summed up a few of my favorite slow cooker roast beef recipes on a recent Mahalo.com How to Article. If you are not familiar with Mahalo, take a look at these recipes and then click on the flower at the top of the page and see what Mahalo is all about

How to Cook Crockpot Roast

Ham and Potato Chowder

2009-03-22T08:57:00.001-05:00

This is one of my favorite cold weather meals.

Ham chowder
4 large carrots,diced
4 stalks celery,diced
4 large potatoes, peeled and diced
1 small onion, diced
5 c. water
2 to 3 cups diced cooked ham
2 TB. butter
Salt and pepper
6 TB. flour
2 1/2 c. milk
Cook celery, carrots, potatoes and onions for 18 to 20 minutes in the 5 cups of water. Add the ham, butter and salt and pepper to taste. Combine the flour and milk, shake till no lumps remain. Stir this into the vegetable mixture, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Cheap Easy Chicken Recipes

2009-03-15T22:24:00.004-05:00

Chicken is such a versaltile food. You can have chicken made so many different ways you can have it on your weekly meal plan several times in the week and it's not like repeating the meal. We've been eating chicken adobo and chicken chow mein since we moved to the Philippines. Eventually I will learn to cook those well enough to share recipes. In the mean time I used some of the recipes I have enjoyed over the years with our family to put together a cheap chicken meal plan. You can see the full meal plan here

The meal plan gives four recipes that can use leftover chicken, or use chicken you cook when you find a great sale. If you are not sure what to do with what you find on sale, cook it, shread it and freeze it for future meals.

The recipes on this meal plan include:
Cheesy Chicken Shortcakes
Chicken in a Shell
Night Before Chicken Casserole
Chicken A la King Toast Cups

If you have a favorite cheap chicken recipe feel free to link your blog in the comments section.

Meal Planning in a new location

2009-03-01T20:32:00.003-06:00

Debating on meal planning a lot lately. It is tough because I dont know what I can find when, and sometimes it depends on which store we go to. We're using up a lot of the stock we bought with us so I need to be replenishing things in the pantry but have not gotten used to being a cash only shopper yet. I sure miss my checkbook!

This week I think we have everything on hand to make each of these items:
1. Chicken Noodles and Vegetables
2. Goulash
3. Ham and Egg Pie
4. Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo
5. Tuna Noodles
6. Southwestern Stroganoff
7. Honey Orange Crockpot Chicken

I don't need 7 meals for the week though so we'll decide which ones to make as the week goes on. There are more pasta meals in this than I like in one week so a couple of those wont be done. It will just depend on whether I am in a chicken mood or a tuna mood when I am ready to cook.

I dont have a crock pot any more, it broke the first time I used it, so I plan to try the honey orange chicken in the oven.

Recipes are found here

Green Eggs and Ham

2009-02-27T01:53:00.002-06:00

Monday March 2nd would have been Dr Seuss' 105th Birthday. I love Dr. Seuss. He has inspired so many children to read over the years. As my kids were growing up there were different Dr. Seuss activities in school. Several times the schools had green eggs and ham for lunch. What a neat thing for the kids to experience. Why not make some green eggs and ham for your kids next week?

Read the book, print out some coloring pages, do a word search have fun with the day and remember a fantastic author Dr Seuss!

Links to Word Searches:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1515990/dr_seuss_word_searches.html

Links to Coloring Pages:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1516064/dr_seuss_coloring_pages.html

Links to Green Eggs and Ham recipes:
http://www.seussville.com/titles/greeneggs/recipes.html

Free Banana Bread, IHOP Pancakes and Tacos

2009-02-23T00:35:00.003-06:00

Quite a combination huh? You can read the details for each of the items here

I've been trying to adapt the cooking for the family to what items I can readily find here in country. It has been a challenge at times but we are eating different things and are doing fine. We got some fish from the seafood market last week and that's always good for us as we love different seafood meals. I have a few more meal plans in the works, will post links to them in the next few days

Back to the Easy cooking days

2009-02-06T03:35:00.002-06:00

Cheap, Easy Cooking. Gosh it is easy to stray away from something when you get busy. That has been the case for me. I strayed from my blogs while I was in the midst of a recent household move. Although I have not been blogging I have been scoping out things that are considered cheap easy cooking in my view. Now that I am in a different country shopping is different for me so I am having to adapt my ideas of what to have for dinner. I have to admit, the easy part isnt quite as easy but not having convenience foods has made it healthier. One thing that I would encourage anyone looking for increasing the ease of their meals to do, is invest in a rice cooker. We have had ours for about 10 years now and use it almost every day. Rice, even with the recent rise in costs, is still one of the main staples of cheap easy cooking. Watch the widget on the blog for meal plans as I continue to post them on Associated Content. If you would like to find some of the older ones, just visit my page for all of the articles I have written.

Thanksgiving Leftovers

2008-11-29T14:14:00.003-06:00

Turkey day has passed, are you sick of turkey sandwiches yet?

How about a way to remake the turkey and ham to something else?

Thanksgiving Leftovers Crustless Quiche

1 Dozen eggs
2 cups heavy/light cream or half & half (or combo thereof)
2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, swiss, mozzarella, monterey jack)
1 to 2 cups of cooked turkey or ham(Thanksgiving leftover meats)
chopped onion to taste (optional)
broccoli or other cooked veggie (Thanksgiving leftover from the veggie tray)

Steam the left over veggies.
Whip up the eggs and cream.
Fold in other ingredients.
Spray pan with non stick spray.
Pour in a 9x13 inch pan or into 12 muffin tins.
Cook at 350 for 35 minutes.. Let cool before cutting.

More leftover recipes are found here.

Need Low Cost Menu Plans?

2008-11-23T08:33:00.004-06:00

It's been a busy month here as I am trying to make a military move. All the extra tasks to do with getting a house ready to rent have limited my blogging time. I'm still in cheap and easy cooking mode though. Right now I have next to nothing in my cabinets so I am thinking in terms of one meal at a time. This is definitely different for me as I am typically a menu planner. I find it easier to cut my grocery budget when I menu plan and take advantage of larger packs of meat or the ability to recycle left overs. I have several meal plans on Associated Content which may give you an idea of how to cut grocery costs by menu planning.

View my article with three weeks of dinner meals for $75 here

Fourteen Days of Cheap Dinner meals can be read here.

Cheap Pasta Meal ideas are found here.

I'll be working on more as I set up a new household and start back with grocery shopping based on a menu plan.

Low Carb Thanksgiving Side Dishes

2008-11-11T12:34:00.004-06:00

Low carb is definitely a better way of eating for me. Note I said "LOW" carb, not "NO" carb. My body doesn't handle starchy carbs well. I know that, but boy do I love them. It's hard to give them up but I've learned in the process there are other vegetables that I love as well. I'm a Calulflower fan. I can eat it pretty much any way it is prepared. With Thankgiving around the corner if you are low carb living, or maybe have guests coming whose diet is low carb based, consider adding some low carb side dishes to your table. This is one of my favorites:

Scalloped Cauliflower

Instead of Scalloped Potatoes serve Cauliflower.
Scalloped cauliflower can be made from either frozen or fresh. If using frozen, use 2 bags thawed before use and for fresh use the flowers of a large head which has been steamed. Lay half the cauliflower in a casserole dish. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. If your low carb plan allows you to have onions you can sprinkle chopped onions over the cauliflower also.

Using a half stick of butter, slice into pats and drop onto the cauliflower. Top with a cup of shredded cheddar cheese and repeat the layers.Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Makes 10 servings.

Low carb side dish count:4 net carbs per serving

You can find a couple of other low carb side recipes here

Green Giant Steamers

2008-11-05T18:08:00.003-06:00

Green Giant outdid themselves this time. I love the Steamers line. Since it's just two kids and me needing dinner meals right now, I've looked for easier means of filling the menu without destroying the budget. The Green Giant Steamers have helped. We love veggies and these are perfect. Each bag has about three servings so it works out great as a supplement to whatever main meal item we are having. We've had the Broccoli and Cheese, the one with rice and broccoli and our favorite, the broccoli, carrots and caulifower. All of them have a cheese sauce and they are very easy to do. Just stick the bag in the microwave and tear the top off when done. Texture, flavor, and taste are all great. It doesn't get any easier than that, and the cost is only about $2 a bag. That's less than I would pay to buy the fresh veggies and I dont have to cut them up. If you want to see the nutitional value on the Broccoli, Carrot, Cauliflower one, see my AC product review here.

Cheeseburger Baked Potatoes

2008-11-03T07:15:00.002-06:00

I love fall. It's time to bring out the recipes of the warm comfort foods. What better comfort food than potatoes? And baked potatoes are especially easy to do. Here's a great recipe for a stuffed baked potato that is easy to make and not very expensive.

CHEESEBURGER BAKED POTATOES
1 lb. ground beef (leaner is better)
1 lg. clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
4 lg. baking potatoes
1/3 c. hot milk
2 tbsp. butter, soft
1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

Heat garlic and oil in skillet. Add the beef. Cook until browned. Add salt and pepper. Using potatoes you already baked, cut a thin slice from top of each. Scoop out the potatoes, leaving a 1/4 inch shell. Place potato in a mixing bowl. Arrange shells on baking pan. Add milk and butter to potato. Whip until smooth and fluffy. Stir in half the cheese. Fill potato skins with cooked ground beef. Press potato mixture over the meat. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees until cheese is melted.

Shepherds Pie

2008-10-29T09:17:00.004-05:00

My kids love Shepherds Pie. They would eat it every week if I made it that often. The good thing is it is cheap and definitely an easy prep meal. Here's my version, your's may be different. If so please leave a comment and tell me how you make it.

Shepherds Pie Using one pack of browned ground beef (I brown ahead and freeze it) , add in some beef broth for flavor. I usually add about a quarter cup. Bring to a boil. Then take a little corn starch dissolved in cold water and when the broth is boiling add it as a thickener. Put in a 9X13 dish. Top with the can of green peas, and then add 2 ½ cups mashed potatoes. Bake for about 15 min to heat it through, you can add cheese to the top if you want.

Want more cheap beef recipes? see my Associated Content article with more recipes here

Menu Planning - Fourteen Meals $5 each

2008-10-28T06:21:00.004-05:00

One of the best ways to reduce your grocery bill is by adding cheap dinner meals to your menu plan. Menu planning is important to get the most benefit of what you are buying. Meals can still be made for under $5 but you must plan ahead to buy what is needed for these cheap dinners meals. This menu plan covers fourteen dinner meals for less than $50 total with one meal as a backup. Each of these meals is designed to feed four for dinner and is based on cost in northern Florida in 2008. While you may have to adjust the costs upward for a larger family or because of a higher cost of living in your area, you should still find these meals to be lower in cost than other possible dinner meals.

Meal 1 Chicken Salad Wraps
Meal 2 Chicken Quesadillas
Meal 3 Chicken Casserole
Meal 4 Chicken Primavera
Meal 5 Tuna Dogs
Meal 6 Tuna Fritters
Meal 7 Tuna Potato Cakes
Meal 8 and 9 Chicken Thighs - Two different marinades
Meal 10 and 11 Shepherd Pie
Meal 12 Spaghetti
Meal 13 Blackeyed Pea Soup
Meal 14 Hamburger Pie

Find recipes, cost breakdown, and grocery list here

Slow Cooking Thursday - Sloppy Joes for a Crowd

2008-10-23T09:57:00.003-05:00

Got plans for a get together and need something easy and quick to make? How about Sloppy Joes in the Crock pot?

Slow-Cooked Sloppy Joes
3 lb. lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1(12-oz.) bottle chili sauce
1(6-oz.) can tomato paste
2 to 3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon pepper
21 sandwich buns, split
Yield: 21 sandwiches
In large skillet, brown ground hamburger beef, onions, celery and bell pepper until beef is thoroughly cooked. Drain.
Place ground beef mixture in 3 1/2-to 4-quart slow cooker. Stir in all remaining ingredients except buns.
Cover; cook on low setting 3 to 5 hours, stirring occasionally. Serve on toasted buns

Crock pot/Slow cooking is a life saver for me when work and home schedules are busy. Have a favorite slow cooker recipe? Add it to your blog and link back to Diary of a SAHM

Pasta and Veggies - Another Easy Inexpensive Meal

2008-10-23T09:08:00.005-05:00

Noodles are almost always cheap. If you watch the sales, you can get them on buy one get one free sales which can lower the cost to less than 50 cents a pack. But who wants to eat spaghetti day in and day out? Here's an idea to use those spaghetti noodles and add some veggies to your diet too. This meatless cheap dinner is a favorite in my house. If you have a family of meat eaters you can add canned chicken or chunky ham to this recipe.

Pasta and veggies

Cook one bag of spaghetti, cook one bag of frozen veggies.
Make a white sauce for the veggies.

White Sauce
1 c. milk or Half and Half
2 tbsp. butter, softened
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper

Bring the milk to a simmer in a 2-quart saucepan over moderate heat. In a small bowl, blend the butter and flour together with a spoon to form a smooth paste.
Using a wire whisk vigorously beat the butter-flour mixture, 1 rounded teaspoonful at a time, into the hot milk.
Cook, stirring constantly, over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the sauce is smooth and thick.
Season with the salt and pepper. Makes 1 cup.
Add Parmesan cheese or substitute chicken broth for half of the milk to add more flavor
Add white sauce to the veggies then lightly toss with the spaghetti.

Costs: Veggies, $1.00; Spaghetti, .80; milk, .50; other ingredients assumed to be on hand. Total Costs: $2.30

See other inexpensive meal ideas

Make a Halloween Pep-o-Lantern

2008-10-22T16:45:00.003-05:00

Halloween is a fun time for kids but often the decorations and food preparation are not easy enough for them to take an active part. Easy, yet fun to make, Halloween foods can make the holiday even more fun for your kids. Carving a jack-o-lantern isn't easy enough for little kids and winds up being a Halloween project mostly done by the parent. Consider carving Halloween pep-o-lanterns with your kids for an easy, fun food project this year. Pep-o-lanterns are fun to make, and are easy enough for even a small child to work with their own pepper.You can make your Halloween Pep-o-Lantern with any type of stuffing you want. You can use a standard pepper stuffing (the ground beef and rice recipes you easily find by a quick Internet search). Or you can make them even more fun for the kids by making Pizza Pep-o-Lanterns. A Halloween Pizza Pep-o-Lantern is an easy, fun, kid's Halloween project. Each child can choose the pizza fillings they like since each pepper is done individually. Click here the steps to making Pizza Pep-o-Lanterns.

Monster Nacho Bar - Teen Halloween Party

2008-10-21T10:13:00.008-05:00

Having a teen Halloween party and wondering what to feed the goblins? How about a Monster Nacho Bar? It won't cost you any more than feeding them pizza and is easy to do.

A Monster Nacho bar is simple to put together. For your shopping list you will need the following:

Plenty of nacho or tostado type chips
Ground Beef, plan ¼ lb per teen attendingTaco seasoning mix 2 large blocks Velveeta cheese, one regular one Mexican style
Chopped tomatoes
Chopped onions
Chopped green chilies
Halloween plates

The afternoon of the party, place the Velveeta cheeses in a crock pot together. Set the crock on low for several hours so they melt before the party. Brown the ground beef, season with the taco mix and place in another crock pot to keep it warm until the party. Just before the teens are ready to eat, heat up the chips. Place the chips in a large bowl, so they can build their own monster nacho plates with the toppings of their choice.

Read more tips for a teen Halloween party here

Got Hot Dogs?

2008-10-19T20:15:00.004-05:00

Hot dogs are an item that Grocery stores seem to run on sale frequently. They may not be the most nutritious food but with the pinch on to cut grocery costs, hot dogs may be a meat that can be increased in the meal plans. Just having a dog on a bun gets old though so here's a simple hot dog recipe that my bunch likes

Hot Dog Noodles
1 lb Hot Dogs, chopped into bite size pieces
4 cans of tomato sauce (8 oz) or one large spaghetti sauce
1 lb bow tie noodles
8 oz Mexican type shredded cheese
Onion power or flakes

Preheat oven to 375°F
Chop up hot dog, add to sauce, and sprinkle with onion powder.
Cook noodles according to package directions.
Put noodles in baking dish.
Pour sauce over noodles and stir.Sprinkle cheese on top.
Place in oven and heat until cheese is melted.
This usually takes about 10 minutes.

You can read a few other hot dog recipes here.

No Cook Day - Taco Dip

2008-10-18T16:06:00.003-05:00

Fall brings busy days with hectic schedules. Many times this means spending money at a restaurant since it may be to late to cook by the time your day ends. Make this taco dip ahead of time, buy a few bags of chips and enjoy this along with a bowl of soup as an evening meal.

Ingredients:
One Can refried beans (15 oz)
One cup sour cream
One cup mayonnaise
1 packet of Taco seasoning mix
1 can green chilies
1 bunch green onions
1 tomato
1 pack southwestern flavored chicken strips
2 cups shredded Mexican flavored cheese

The night before you want to have this meal, you will make this dip. It is much better if it sits over night. I make this in a 9X13 Tupperware dish that has a lid for cover. Empty the can of refried beans out into a bowl and stir them until the lose the stiff consistency. Spread them in the bottom of the 9X13 container. Use the bowl to mix the mayonnaise and sour cream along with the taco seasoning. Add the seasoning gradually so it doesn't clump up in your mix. Spread this on top of the beans. Shred up the chicken into small pieces or strips and place it on the top of the mayo and sour cream mixture. Remember this is a dip, so the chicken cannot be in huge chucks or it will break off the chip.Next add the green chilies to the dip. If you like black olives you can add those too. Chop up the green onions, to include some of the green stem. Chop the tomatoes into chunks. Spread the tomatoes and onions over the chicken. Sprinkle the entire container with shredded cheese. Place the lid on and refrigerate over night.My family likes this dip with Fritos or Doritos type chips but you could also use tortilla strips.

See more no cook meals here

Pasta Meals - Spanish Macaroni

2008-10-17T06:29:00.002-05:00

Pasta meals are great for new cooks and are easy on the budget. Many pasta dishes can be prepared as the primary meal item for less than $5.00 and make enough to feed the entire family. Here's one we love:

Cheap Pasta Meal #1: Spanish Macaroni
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups water
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (28 ounce) can tomatoes (or 2 1-pound cans)
1-1/2 cups macaroni, not cooked
1 tablespoon chili powder

Cook the ground beef in a frying pan.
Drain the fat. Add all the other foods and mix with the meat.
Bring to a boil. Then turn the heat down to low.
Cover. Cook on low heat until the macaroni is done (about 10 to 15 minutes).
Stir 1 or 2 times so the macaroni will not stick to the pan.
Cost: Ground Beef, $1.50; Green Pepper, .50; onion, .50; tomato sauce, .40; tomatoes, 1.50; macaroni .50;

See More Cheap Pasta Meals

Freezer Food Friday - BBQ Dump Chicken

2008-10-17T06:11:00.002-05:00

When life gets busy in this house (always seems that way!) I like to be able to rely on what I have premade in the freezer for meals. Freezer Food Friday always has a good recipe to consider ever week. Don't forgot to look at links to other bloggers adding their Freezer Food Friday ideas also. My recipe this week is definitely cheap and easy. Grab drumsticks or thigh pieces when they are on sale, or pick up a bag of chicken leg quarters and prepare them for the freezer as Dump Chicken. Doesn't sound pleasant but Dump Chicken gets its name because you dump the chicken with your marinade into a freezer bag, remove all the air and freeze until you need it. Remove from the freezer the night before cooking, and dump in a pan to cook. You can do as many pieces as you want. I find it best to marinade them in Quart size freezer bags so they get plenty of marinade around all pieces. Here's a Dump Chicken Marinade I use frequently:

3/4 cup Ketchup
3/4 cup Blackberry Jam
1/8 cup vinegar
1 Tsp Worchestershire
2 Tsp chili powder
1/8 Tsp salt

Mix all ingredients together, place 4 to 5 pieces of chicken in a quart freezer bag and pour marinade in the bag. Remove air from the bag and seal. Freeze until needed. When you are ready to use for a meal cook at 350 for one hour. If you use boneless chicken instead of full pieces, reduce cooking time to 25 minutes.

Crockpot Potatoes- Slow Cooking Thursday

2008-10-16T12:15:00.003-05:00

Crockpot Potatoes

1 can cream of mushroom soup
Dash of garlic powder
16 ounces of Velveeta cheese cut into cubes or a jar of Cheez Whiz
2 pounds bag Southern style hash browns
1/2 stick butter or margarine
Mix in crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

You can add onions or green peppers to this if you want.

I've read blogs for recipes off and on for a couple of years. Slow Cooking Thursday has some great ideas for Crock Pot meals.

To Busy to Cook today?

2008-10-16T11:52:00.004-05:00

Fall brings football and soccer practice, band and drill meets, sports events in the evening hours and additional days of hurricane season. Hurricanes and sports, you might wonder what is the relationship. It's simple. Both events preclude you from being able to have a good hot home cooked meal. Without proper planning, when these times come around you may find yourself at the local fast food drive up window, or standing in line to grab a cold sandwich from the Red Cross or Salvation Army after the storm hits. Not having the time to cook, or the power to cook, doesn't mean that you have to eat bland flavorless meals, or get them from somewhere other than home.

Find out how to handle no cook meals here:

Cheap and Easy Tuna Meals under $5.00 each

2008-10-15T20:34:00.004-05:00

Food prices are soaring and even tuna, which used to be sold for less than fifty cents a can, has risen in cost. Even though you need to watch for a sale to get it for less than .75 a can, tuna is still one of the cheapest ways to fill your table with a nutritious yet inexpensive meal. Tuna can be added to a variety of items for making a meal.

Read more