Chicken and Pinto Tostadas

1 1/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken
1/2 cup salsa
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp. taco seasoning
1 can pinto beans, drained
8 tostada shells, heated if desired
additional toppings

1.  Place chicken in a crock pot.  In a small bowl, mix salsa, water, and taco seasoning mix; pour over chicken.
2.  Cover; cook on low 8-10 hours.
3.  Remove chicken from crock pot; place on cutting board.  Use 2 forks to shred the chicken.  Return chicken to the crock pot.  Stir in beans.  Increase heat to high.  Cover; cook 15-20 minutes.
4.  Spoon chicken mixture over tostada shells.  Top with desired toppings.
Makes 8 servings 

Sour Cream 'n Chive Mashed Potatoes and Marinated Broccoli and Carrot Salad

Sour Cream 'n Chive Mashed Potatoes

- 3 lb. small red potatoes

- 8 oz. chive-and-onion cream cheese spread

- 12 oz. sour cream

- 1 1/2 tsp. salt

- 1/4 tsp. pepper

- 3 Tbsp butter, melted

- 1/2 cup French-fried onions

1.  Spray 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray; set aside.  In large pot, place potatoes; add enough water just to cover.  Cover and heat to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer covered 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are tender; drain.

2.  Mash potatoes until no lumps remain.  Add cream cheese, sour cream, salt, and pepper; mix until well blended.  Spoon into pan.  

3.  Heat over to 350 F.  Drizzle butter over potatoes.  Cover and bake 30 minutes.  Sprinkle onions over potatoes.  Bake uncovered 15 minutes longer. 

Makes 16 servings

Marinated Broccoli and Carrot Salad

- 1 1/2 cups broccoli florets

- 1/4 cup sliced carrot

- 3 Tbsp. Italian dressing

1.  In saucepan, heat 1 inch water to boiling.  Add broccoli and carrot.  Cover and heat to boiling; reduce heat.  Cook 10 to 12 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender; drain.

2.  Toss vegetables with dressing.  Cover and refrigerate about 1 hour or until chilled.

Makes 2 servings

Easy Chicken and Garden Veggies and Summer Citrus Fruit Salad

Easy Chicken and Garden Veggies

4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 1/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

1/4 tsp. ground pepper

1/4 cup water

8 oz. fresh green beans, trimmed (only used 4 oz.)

1 medium yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 medium plum tomatoes, cut lengthwise in half, then sliced (didn't use these)

1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing or Italian dressing (used Italian dressing)

1  In 12-inch skillet, cook bacon over medium heat 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp.

2.  Sprinkle both sides of chicken with garlic salt and pepper.  Add chicken to bacon in skillet.  Cook 3 to 5 minutes or until browned on both sides.  Discard excess bacon drippings if necessary. 

3.  Add water and green beans to skillet.  Cover and cook over medium-low heat 8 minutes.  Stir in bell pepper.  Cover and cook 3 to 5 minutes, turning and stirring vegetables occasionally, until chicken is done.

4.  Stir in tomatoes and dressing.  Cook uncovered about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are thoroughly heated.

Makes 4 servings

Summer Citrus Fruit Salad

1 cup vanilla yogurt

1 Tbsp. mayonnaise

1/4 tsp. grated orange peel (didn't use)

2 Tbsp. orange juice

2 cups strawberries, sliced

1 kiwi, peeled, cut up

1 small bunch seedless grapes, cut in half

1 can (11 oz) mandarin orange segments, drained

1.  In large bowl, mix yogurt, mayonnaise, orange peel and orange juice.

1.  Gently stir remaining ingredients into yogurt mixture.  Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour but no longer than 4 hours.

Makes 8 servings

Honey-Mustard Chicken Sandwiches, Chessy Garlic Potatoes, and Raspberry-Banana Yogurt Salad

Honey-Mustard Chicken Sandwiches

1/4 cup Dijon Mustard

2 Tbsp. honey

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/8 to 1/4 tsp. ground red pepper 

1 1/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders

4 buns

1.  Heat grill for heat.  In small bowl, mix mustard, honey, oregano, and red pepper.  Brush on chicken.

2.  Cover and grill chicken over medium heat 15-20 minutes brushing frequently with mixture until chicken is done.

Makes 4 servings

Grilled Cheesy Garlic Potato Packet

1/2 tsp. olive or vegetable oil

8 oz. Yukon gold potato, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 tsp. chopped fresh chives

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

1.  Heat grill for heat.  Spray large piece of foil with cooking spray.

2.  In small bowl, pour oil over potato pieces; toss to coat.  Add chives and garlic salt; toss to coat.  Spring with cheese; toss to coat.

3.  Place potatoes on foil and fold foil creating a packet.  Grill for 15-20 minutes until potatoes are golden brown and tender.

Makes 2 servings

Raspberry-Banana Yogurt Salad

 3/4 cup boiling water

1/2 package sugar-free raspberry-flavored gelatin

1 container (6 oz.) red raspberry yogurt

1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

1 small banana, sliced

1.  In a small bowl, pour boiling water over gelatin; stir until dissolved.  Stir in yogurt; gently stir in raspberries and banana. 

2.  Refrigerate about 2 hours or until set.

Makes 2 servings. 

July 6th-July 15th Menu

In an attempt to stay on track with eating somewhat healthier and streamlining the amount we spend on going out to eat, I am going to start posting our weekly menu.  Making a weekly menu is something I have done since David and I got married a little over 8 years ago.  It really helps with the "What's for Dinner?" question that is posed everyday.  It also helps me with grocery shopping.  All of that being said, we sometimes do not stick to the menu and that's okay!  I hope to share new recipes with pictures on nights that we try new things.  Check back often and hopefully I can inspire some of you with your daily question of "What's for Dinner?"

Friday July 6th- Honey Mustard Chicken Sandwiches, Cheesy Garlic Potatoes, and Raspberry-Banana Yogurt Salad

Saturday July 7th- Easy Chicken and Garden Veggies and Summer Citrus Fruit Salad

Sunday July 8th- BBQ Pork Chops, Marinated Broccoli and Carrot Salad, and Sour Cream and Chive Mashed Potatoes

Monday July 9th- Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings and Corn

Tuesday July 10th- Toasted Turkey Sandwiches and Sweet Potato Fries

Wednesday July 11th- Chicken and Pinto Tostadas and Mexican Rice

Thursday July 12th- Cheesy Potato Soup and Rolls

Friday July 13th- Hamburgers, Garlic Oven Fries, and Fruit

Saturday July 14th- Hungarian Goulosh, Rice, and Greenbeans

Sunday July 15th- Steak Fajitas and Corn on the Cob 

More Grocery Bill Slashing

I haven't posted in a while, but that doesn't mean I haven't been couponing!  School is out for the summer so I figured I would really try and see what I could stock up on now so I don't have to do so much once school is back in!  This is just an example of what I got this week at 3 different stores:

Publix:

2 boxes of Froot Loops, 1 box of Apple Jacks, 1 side of Mashed Potatoes, 1 side of Macaroni and Cheese, 1 box of Great Grains Cereal, 4 boxes of Betty Crocker Potatoes, 1 deodorant, 2 bags of Wacky Mac Pasta, 1 package of Bagel Thins, 2 Hormel Kid Meals, 2 packs of Chicken Nuggets, 4 bags of Frozen Pasta (ravioli, stuffed shells and tortellini), 2 boxes of Cheddar Bites

Total before discounts/coupons: 75.64

Discounts and coupons: 51.29

Total paid: 24.35

Percentage Saved: 67.8%

Bi-Lo:

4 containers of Nuts, 6 boxes of Hamburger or Chicken Helper, 1 bag of Tostito Chips, 2 packages of Cheese, 4 Gallons of Milk, 1 carton of Eggs, 2 packages of Smoked Sausage, 5 peaches, 1 container of Dip

Total before discounts/coupons: 78.82

Discounts and coupons: 43.82

Total paid: 35.00

Percentage Saved: 55.6%

Ingles:

2 boxes of Raisin Bran, 2 packages of Oatmeal with Fruit, 1 bag of Sugar, 6 containers of Peanut Butter

Total before discounts/coupons: 32.42

Discounts and coupons: 17.56

Total paid: 14.86

Percentage Saved: 54.2%

Week 3-Part of Week 5 of Slashing the Grocery Bill

Thanks to Southern Savers again,  I was able to do pretty good the past couple of weeks shopping.  Here is my Bi-Lo trip:

 Price before coupons/discounts: $42.06

Price after coupons/discounts: $18.12

Total savings: $23.94

What I got: 3- 8 pack Lance crackers, 2 packages of pads, 2 boxes of tampons, 2 jars of spaghetti sauce, 1- 4 pack disposable razors and 1- 3 pack Jell-O Temptations

 

My new favorite store, Publix:

 Price before coupons/discounts: $52.76

Price after coupons/discounts: $11.27

Total savings: $41.49

What I got: 2 bottles of salad dressing, 1 box cheese sticks, 6 containers of yogurt, 2- 4 pack kid's yogurt, 2 tubes of toothpaste, 3- 6 pack Propel water, 2 bottles Trop50, 2 containers of almonds, and a bag of dog treats

 

I can't seem to get the hang of it but still go to CVS:

Price before coupons/discounts: $14.72

Price after coupons/discounts: $4.80

Total savings: $9.92

What I got: 1 box of Q-tips, 1 bottle of laundry detergent, 3 containers of Pringles

 

Last, but not least, Ingles:

Price before coupons/discounts: $51.40

Price after coupons/discounts: $17.13

Total savings: $34.27

What I got: 4 cans of corn, 4 cans of green beans, 4 boxes (76 tubes total) powdered drink mix, bottle of mustard, 2 packages of hot dogs, 1 bottle of BBQ sauce, 1 package of napkins, 1 bottle of marinade, 2 packages of cheese

Week 2 of Slashing the Grocery Bill

Well, I spent most of Tuesday night stalking the Southern Savers website waiting on all of the local store ads to update.  When they were all updated I did a little cheer and grabbed my coupons and came up with a plan.  A plus to David being home now is that I can do more shopping in the afternoon and not worry about having to rush to get the boys from daycare.  I went to 4 different stores this week and feel like I did pretty good overall. 
First stop was Ingles:

Price before coupons/discounts: $34.20

Price after coupons/discounts: $13.36

Total savings: $20.84

Next up was Publix:

Price before coupons/discounts: $28.98

Price after coupons/discounts: 9.79

Total savings: $19.19

Then I went to Bi-Lo:

Price before coupons/discounts: $18.33

Price after coupons/discounts: $8.46

Total savings: $9.87

Last stop was CVS:

 Price before coupons/discounts: $10.28

Price after coupons/discounts: $2.28

Total Savings: $8.00 + $1 ECB

Overall I spent $33.89.  I know I could have done a lot better had I had some coupons, but I think I did fairly decent with it being my 2nd week.  I did learn that you have to watch the coupons while things are getting rung up.  I went through the self-check out at Bi-Lo and realized later that one coupon did not double like it was supposed to.  A mistake I will not make again.  Also, they were out of the soap at CVS I was hoping to get for free.  Can't wait to see what next week holds! 

Slashing the Grocery Bill

I always thought of myself as a savvy shopper when it came to groceries.  I meal plan week to week and then I shop for the big bulk stuff at Costco and the other stuff I just get at Wal-Mart with coupons when I have them cause you know...Wal-Mart is cheaper...right?  Well, we found out almost 4 weeks ago that David was getting laid off the end of April.  What a total shock to us!  While I am very thankful that I still have my teaching job, we all know that there is no way I could support our family of 4 (still hoping for 5 someday) very long and keep up our current lifestyle. 

After having what I now call our week from hell, which included losing electricity one night/morning, hitting a deer and needing a new bumper for the van, and an ER visit for Jonas, I decided I needed to start figuring out more ways to save money NOW.  Thankfully I have friends there to help and teach me.  I have quickly learned that Wal-Mart is not the cheapest place to get all things!  I actually went shopping at Publix for the first time ever today.  I thought it would be fun to post every week about my savings.  Now, I am currently building up my coupon stock (please let me know if you would like to contribute) so it may take a while, but I already have a shopping trip I am proud of!  Check it out: 

Price before coupons/discounts: $13.45

Price after coupons/discounts: $2.74

TOTAL SAVINGS: $10.71

I actually ended up getting paid 25 cents for the razors!  I don't plan to turn into one of those crazy people who can feed an army for several years on what they have stockpiled, but I do hope to be able to buy things that my family will eat for little to no money!  I am actually looking forward to the challenge ahead of me!  Stay tuned for next week's savings!

Golden Chicken and Noodles

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 2 10 3/4-oz. cans broccoli cheese soup
• 2 cups milk
• 1 small onioin, chopped (I will probably leave this out next time)
• 1/2-1 tsp. salt
• 1/2-1 tsp. dried basil (I didn't use this)
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 4 oz. macaroni noodles, cooked

1. Place chicken pieces in slow cooker.
2. Combine remaining ingredients except macaroni noodles.  Pour over chicken.
3. Cover.  Cook on High 1 hour.  Reduce heat to Low.  Cook 5-6 hours.
4. Before serving, mix macaroni noodles into mixture.