Saturday, June 30, 2012

Breakfast for dinner!!!

So this is one of mine and Abbey's favorite recipes. Our grandmother used to make it for Christmas brunch every year! You can make it with bacon or sausage (or both) or without meat in it. Enjoy one of our favorite recipes!

You will need the following:
15 slices of breaf
2 sticks of margarine, melted
4 cups of milk
1 cup grated cheese
12 eggs
Bacon or sausage

Place the bread in the bottom of the casserole dish. If you are using bacon or sausage, place that on top of the bread. Mix the milk, cheese, and margarine and pour over the bread and meat. Beat the eggs and pour over the rest of the mixture. Cover with foil and refrigerate (for best results, refrigerate overnight), if not, refrigerate for at least a few hours. Bake for 1 hour at 300 degrees.

Friday, June 29, 2012

CrockPot Roast Beef

Crockpot Roast Beef- SO easy!

This was sent to me by my friend Marissa Joyce. She is published in her church COOKBOOK!



1 Beef Roast- like a pound or so.
1 Can Cream of Mushroom
1 Envelope Dry Onion Soup Mix

Spray the Crockpot with Pam and put the roast in. Stir together cream of mushroom and onion soup
mix, spread over roast. Put on Low all day. Yum. Great with Mashed Potatoes. You can also stick 4 or
so red potatoes in the crockpot with the roast- at the end of the day they will be cooked! Voila- dinner
AND sides!

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Chicken Poppy Seed Casserole

CHICKEN POPPY SEED CASSEROLE

This was also sent to me by Marissa Joyce. I made this one night and it is delicious!!

1 whole chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 c. sour cream
1.5 cups chopped frozen broccoli
2 tbsp. poppy seeds
1/2 tube Ritz crackers, crushed (they crush easily if you smash them BEFORE you take them out of
the wrapper!
1/3 c. melted butter

Combine soup, broccoli, and sour cream with chicken. Put in a greased casserole dish. Combine
crackers, poppy seeds and butter and put over chicken mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Makes a small casserole.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Yam Soup

Yam Soup-

This delicious recipe was sent in by Becca Fowler!

Serves: 8

Time: 45 min

Ingredients:

•8 C vegetable (or chicken) stock

•2-3 tbsp olive oil

•1 sweet onion, diced

•6 tbsp minced ginger

•4 large cloves of garlic, minced

•1 tbsp ground cumin

•2 tbsp ground coriander

•1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (more to taste)

•1 tsp paprika

•2-3 tsp salt

•1 red bell pepper, diced

•1 yellow bell pepper, diced

•4 medium yams (or sweet potatoes if you’re in the States), chopped

•1 14-oz. can pineapple tid-bits or crushed

•3 ripe tomatoes, chopped (or 1 can of crushed tomatoes)

•5-8 tbsp smooth peanut butter (more or less to taste)

•2 tbsp almond butter

•1 bunch cilantro, chopped

•juice of 2 limes

•favorite hot sauce, to taste

Directions:

1.Heat the stock on a back burner so it’s ready go when you need it and doesn’t slow you down too
much.

2.In a stockpot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and a pinch of salt and saute for about 10
minutes or until onions are golden and soft. FYI, using a cheese grater to dice your onions helps
them break down and cook faster and prevents those big chunks of onion in your sauce or soup.

3.Add garlic, ginger, and spices and continue to saute until golden.

4.Stir in peppers, yams, and salt and continue cooking, stirring occasionally. Once the veggies start
to stick to the pan, add stock until everything is covered. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer
until yams are tender.

5.Add pineapples with juice, tomatoes, peanut butter, almond butter, and remaining stock and simmer 30 minutes. If you prefer your soups chunky, just let it go at that. If you prefer them
smooth, puree this puppy up.

6.Season to taste with more salt, pineapple juice, peanut butter, and/or hot sauce.

7.Just before serving add chopped cilantro and fresh lime juice.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Brown Rice with Asparagus and Almonds

Brown Rice with Asparagus and Almonds

Submitted by Becca Fowler!

Serves: 4

Time: 20 min

Ingredients:

•1 C brown rice

•2 C vegetable stock

•1 bunch asparagus (16-18 stalks), woodsy ends removed, cut into 1 inch pieces

•1/4 – 1/3 C toasted sliced almonds

•2 cloves garlic

•1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

•1 tbsp butter

•salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1.Cook brown rice in vegetable stock until all moisture is absorbed.

2.Steam asparagus or drizzle with olive oil and broil.

3.Toast almonds on low heat until they are slightly browned. You’ll know they’re close when they
start popping and smell really good.

4.Sauté garlic in olive oil and butter on low heat until light brown. Be careful — don’t let it burn.

5.After the rice is cooked add asparagus, almonds, and garlic with the e.v.o.o. and butter. Mix well
and add salt and pepper to taste.


Monday, June 25, 2012

Cheesy Chicken Crescents

Hey friends!  Will you join us?  Add us to your favorites!

Cheesy Chicken Crescents

Ingredients:
2 Cups chopped, cooked chicken breasts
1 can crescent rolls (8 count, 2 per person)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 Cup shredded cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350* F
2. Prepare cream of chicken soup as directions call for, keep warm on the stove.
3. Place a spoonful of chicken in middle of a crescent and sprinkle some cheese
on top. Wrap up the chicken and cheese, sealing the crescent around it.
4. Place in a square baking dish about an inch or 2 apart.
5. Spoon half of the soup around the crescents, filling in the gaps so you don’t
see the bottom of the pan.
6. Bake at 350 for about 20 min or until golden. A few minutes before they’re
done, sprinkle more cheese over the tops of the crescents and continue
baking.
7. Serve with a spoonful of the soup drizzled over top.

Variations:
1. Add your favorite vegetables like broccoli or peppers.
2. Vary the flavors of cheese you use, texmex is a fun one!
3. Cooked hamburger, plain or w/ taco seasoning, could be yummy!

Friday, June 22, 2012

Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti

Hey guys, some quick housekeeping and we'll get you the recipe real quick!  A of all, do you like us?  Then will you "follow" us?  We would love for you to join our following.  We love a good party and love seeing your lovely faces on the right side :)  B of all, do you have a recipe?  Please share with us!  We will give you credit and link your blog over here.  C of all, We don't have a bajillion hits everyday, but I will tell you, in the last week and a half since we launched, we've had over 250 hits!!!  So now is a great time to join the party- wanna get featured, email us and we can trade buttons!!  Okay, we are done and back to normal broadcasting.


Hey friends, Emily here.  This recipe is from one of my college buddies, Marissa.  Enjoy!

SPAGHETTI SQUASH SPAGHETTI

1 medium spaghetti squash

1 small onion

3 garlic cloves

cherry tomatoes

1 squash

1 zucchini

mushrooms- sliced

olive oil

Italian seasoning

Red wine/balsamic vineagar

1 T pesto (optional)

Pine nuts, or if poor, sunflower seeds

Poke holes in spaghetti squash, microwave for 5 minutes. Slice in half and place in baking dish, sliced

side facing down. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

In a large saucepan bring olive oil to a simmer, add garlic and onion, and simmer until tender. Slice the

veggies and add all of them, stirring occaisionally. Add vinegar, pine nuts, seasoning, pesto, salt and

pepper, and whatever other seasonings you want. Continue to sauté until all veggies are tender and the

juice reduces to make a sort of sauce.

Once spaghetti squash is done, rake it with a fork to get the meat out of the rind, it will come out stringy

kind of like spaghetti. Use this as the pasta, and spoon the sauce over top. Yum.

I like it with yeast rolls. Yay carbs.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken

Hey friends!  Emily here, this recipe came from one of my girlfriends, Rebecca.


crockpot buffalo chicken - 4 chicken breasts, one bottle buffalo sauce, one packet ranch dressing mix.  (chicken can be frozen - just extend cooking time) put in crockpot on high for 4 hours or so.  shred.  eat.  couldn't be more simple.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Taco Casserole

1 1/2 cups rice
1 pound ground beef
1 tomato
1 onion
1 jalapeno
cilantro
taco seasoning packet
2 cups cheese
1 avocado
sour cream

Hear the oven to 350.

Cook the rice. cook the ground beef according to the directions on the taco seasoning packet. chop up the tomato, onion, jalapeno, cilantro and avocado. Place avocado to the side.

In a casserole dish, combine the rice, beef, tomato, jalapeno, cilantro and cheese. Place in oven for 10-15 minutes.

Serve with avocado and sour cream as a garnish.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Mushroom Stroganoff

This is my take from a recipe I heard on the Food Network. I start watching these cooking shows and get so into them, I forget to write down the recipes so I end up making an Emily Fox version of them.

1 bag of egg noodles
4-5 portabello mushrooms
Green onions
12 ounces Beef broth
1 tablespoon flour
salt and pepper
8 ounces sour cream
2-4 ounces of cheese (feta, goat, Gorgonzola, etc)

Cook the egg noodles per the directions on the back of the bag.

Slice up the portabello mushrooms and place in a frying pan with butter. Cook the mushrooms down until they are really soft and appear almost burnt. Add in almost all of the green onions and some salt and pepper. Then add the flour and stir in the beef broth. Stir occasionally until the sauce thickens up.

Stir in the noodles with the mushrooms and then add sour cream and cheese. 

Place the rest of the green onions in the mixture and serve!






Monday, June 18, 2012

Taco Chili

Hey friends, Abbey here.  I wanted to share this recipe with you.  It's one of our favorites.  One of the many reasons I like it, is that I don't have to remember to take the chicken out of the freezer the night before AND it's a crock pot recipe.  You should know how much I'm obsessed with my crockpot by now {grin}.

Taco Chili:
1 onion, chopped.
1 16oz can of the following:

  • black beans
  • kidney beans
  • diced tomatoes (rotel)
1 can of corn (or corn salsa)
1 can of tomatoe sauce

1 tbs of cumin AND chili powder
1 package of taco seasoning
1/4 cup of cilantro

Sides:  Corn bread or rice

Throw all the indregients in the crockpot (except the cilantro and chicken).  Stir and then place chicken on top of everything.  Cook on high for 4 hours.  30 minutes before serving, removed chicken and chop (I put it in the food processor), put back into crockpot and stir it in.  At this time, you will add in the cilantro.
*this could easily be a vegetarian dish, just don't add the chicken!!

Serve over corn bread.  I have served it over jasmine rice, but the corn bread is just better!  Don't forget the sour cream :)

Serves 4 adults.

Enjoy!

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Trader Joe's quick dinner

Hey friends, Abbey here.  I wanted to share this super quick, cheap and easy meal.  It made me want to have it again the next night and the next.  But I refrained because when I do that, my hubby gets mad.  Boo.

Here we go:
~Trader Joe's goodies~
Frozen veggie burgers
Frozen Sweet Potatoes
Frozen organic broccoli
Flat burger buns

I steamed the broccoli, baked the fries according to the package (well, a little longer because we like them crispy) and I cooked the patties on our griddle.  I buttered the buns and thew them on the griddle also.  It was so cheap and somewhat healthy.  Of course we added pickles and mustard and ketchup.  The tomatoes I had went bad, but that was the plan to have them with the burgers.

I really need to start taking pictures for you guys!!

Enjoy.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

BBQ Chicken

I don't know the "real" title of this recipe nor where it came from.  My sister told me about it and her  best friend told her.  I have told all my friends and it's so easy.  It sounds really weird, but TRUST ME when I tell you, it's a conversation stopper!

Here you go:
Chicken (however much you need for your family)
1 bottle of BBQ sauce (i have used the trader joe's brand and the sweet baby rays, both are awesome)
1 jar of salsa

Put everything in the crockpot for 4 hours.  Serve over rice.  I also serve a side of broccoli or salad.

Yes, it's that easy and I know it sounds weird, but just do it!!  You can thank me in the morning!

Friday, June 15, 2012

Creamy Chicken or Beef Enchiladas

1 tub of Sante Fe Philadelphia Cooking Cream Cheese
1 pound of ground beef or chicken
1 taco seasoning packet
Shredded Cheese (to taste)
Jalapenos (to taste)
1 small onion
1 can or diced tomatoes
8-10 Tortilla Shells

Preheat oven to 350. Cook the chicken or beef in the skillet following the cooking instructions from the taco seasoning. Sautee the onions and jalapenos. Add in the chicken or beef, the diced tomatoes and Sante Fe Cooking Cream Cheese and a handful of shredded cheese. Stir until cheese is melted.

Grease a casserole dish and then fill the tortilla shells with the above mixture. Once the casserole dish is full, sprinkle cheese on top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15-20 minutes. Serve with sour cream!

Mashed Potatoes

Mashed Potatoes- This came from my friend Marissa Joyce.

6-8 red potatoes, chopped up into 1 inch cubes (I don’t peel the skins off- other people do.)
½ to 1 cup milk
2 T Ranch Dressing OR
½ c Sour Cream or Mayo
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Boil potato cubes about 10 minutes until you can mash one just by smooshing it on the side of the pot.
Drain water out, and then mash up the potatoes. The should mash up pretty dry and mealy. Add the
milk and stir, you should be getting creamier. Then add the ranch or SC (or both- it’s really whatever
you want!) and season. They should be mashed potato-ey.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Quiche

The recipe called for meat, but I didn't use any.  I wanted to have vegetarian that night and bacon at trader joe's is not in the budget right now.

Here's the list:
1 pie crust
1 medium onion
1 1/2-2 cups of chopped broccoli AND spinach
8oz of grated cheese
1/2 cup of milk
4 eggs

Like I said, the recipe called for meat:
1 cup of bacon
4 slices of ham, chopped
1 cup of mushrooms

*I used frozen broccoli and spinach

Bake the pie crust for 10 minutes at 400 degrees.  In the mean time, beat the eggs and add in the milk and cheese.  Saute the mushrooms and onions.  When the crust comes out, put the veggies and meat in the crust, pour the milk/egg/cheese mixture over the veggie/meat.  The cheese will rest on top.  Bake for  15 minutes at 400 degrees, then turn down to 350 and bake for 25 minutes.

*I needed to cook it for longer, about 10 minutes longer.  When I pulled it out the first time, it was really runny, so I put it back in there for like 10 minutes and kept checking on it.  The cheese should look like a pizza (a little brown).

Enjoy.

(the source of this recipe is unknown)

Welcome!

Hey friends!  My sister and I are always calling each other to get ideas for dinner.  This idea was born from a crazy idea that maybe we can help other women who are also doing the same thing but don't have a sister to call, or they don't have time to call a friend.  Maybe they are such a tight budget that they need super cheap ideas that will go a long way!  Feel free to email us with ideas that you have or "ruts" that you are in that we can share with each other.

Here is what you will find on this blog:

  • Tasty food that is budget friendly.  I mean seriously, let's save the cash for date night, right?
  • A series called "two for Tuesday"  Where we will share recipes for one night, use the left overs to make something different the next night.  I mean, how many times can you eat leftovers without getting sick of them!
  • Recipes that are not 19 ingredients long.
  • Most of the recipes will be things that you already have in your pantry or will easily get with coupons or pick up at target.
  • Most of the recipes you can easy turn into organic or you can make vegetarian.
We would love your feed back, so let's get the emails flowing and the tweeting started!!

Much love,
Abbey and Emily.