Publix Trip for the week

This week I didn’t get to head to Publix until last night. I will say again that I am at a huge stockpile stage so I rarely need a lot of groceries. It has become a weekly challenge to get my bill large enough to make me get up and go to the store. Since I know the fundamentals on saving money its not really worth my time if I can’t save 60% or more when I shop.

I did very very well this week. I replaced some meats and bought a few more hot dogs than I expected but they were FREE and I can cook them and give them away to the kids in the neighborhood.

The guys were excited to see the Oreo’s but my thighs were crying out for help….help!

I will refrain from eating the whole package! I will refrain from eating the whole package!

Not as large as previous trips but the bill told a different story.

My total was $10.69 and I saved $111 (One hundred Eleven dollars).

I have pork chops, skinless thighs, and lean ground beef.

Deli ham and turkey meat, turkey and premium hot dogs.

Cheese, red peppers and tomatoes

Personal hygiene, cleaning supplies and more!

If you are interested in learning more about living a healthy lifestyle on a budget I’m here to help.

Wonderful Wednesday!

Today is a wonderful day! Its Wednesday woohoo! The week is almost over and it is the day to find new blogs and make new blogger friends. If you are here for the first time, welcome and I hope you stay a while. Thank you to all of my returning readers, I love you more than brownies :)….

If you want to join in on the blog hop click here or on the image above.

Have an awesome day!

Beef and Bean Burritos ~ skinnyfied

A lot of people ask me how do I eat so well on a diet. Well first let me clarify, I am not on a diet. I never looked at myself as being on a diet and I think this is a great contributor to my success. I just changed what types of products I cooked with. I have a thing now for finding regular recipes and making them as healthy as possible without loosing the flavor. Yes I know some of you will say how in the world can you ever replace butter and fat and….butter! Oh but you can and the results will be amazing! For example, one of my favorite recipes to cook is 16 minute Beef and Bean burritos from The Pioneer Woman’s website (love her btw!). They are simple and flavorful and they follow the Mexican theme that we tend to gravitate to in my house, hehe!

This is what I do to change from the original but still have the same,

if that makes any sense at all!

Adjusted Ingredients:

• 1lb Lean ground beef
• 1/2 can El Pato Mexican tomato sauce (very, very hot)
• 1 can Fat Free Refried Beans
• Fat Free or reduced Fat cheddar cheese or a mixed blend (whichever I have in the fridge really)
• Small Flour Tortillas or Low fat/Low Carb tortillas
• Cilantro
• Salsa
• Fat free sour cream
• Cilantro Lime Rice ~ on a good day :0)

Brown your ground beef, season to your liking and add in some onions if you wish.

Once the meat is done add the 1/2 can of the tomato sauce.

If you think you can handle it or if you are using 2 lbs of ground beef then be my guest and use the whole can!

While you are letting the meat simmer for about 10 minutes, warm up your tortillas  in the oven.

I like to do this because it makes them more flexible to work with. Wrap them up in aluminum foil and throw them in the oven for about 10 minutes.

In a separate pot cook your beans.

Another one of my adjustments is using Fat Free Refried Beans.

When they are done, add cheese to them and stir, mmm.

Layer your tortilla with beans, meat and cheese. I like to add a little something extra to mine so I chop up cilantro and throw in some salsa but you can add whatever you like.

Roll them up into a burrito and add more cheese on top.

Pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to melt the cheese and whammo, dinner is served!

You can also top it with fat free sour cream.

If I’m feeling frisky I will whip up a pot of Cilantro Lime Rice and add that to them as well but usually its just the burritos with extra beans on the side!

If you want to print out the original recipe from the Pioneer Woman, click here.

Ultimate Blog Party

I just did this the other day and decided to use this for a FUN Blog hop I just read about!

How fun is this! The Ultimate Blog Party! I love to find new blogs to read and get great tips and recipes.

If you are just joining me here are a few random things about me.

I hope you will click around and find a few things that interest you!

I saw this on another blog and thought “What a great idea?!?” A few years ago on facebook, this list went around for you to post 25 random things about you. I probably will be changing my mind in about 5.2 minutes but for now I love it. I love reminiscing on things past and am a lover of all things old fashioned! For those of you that know nothing about me except that I love to cook and eat…. and eat and cook, lol, here are a few, well 25 to be exact, random things about yours truly, with a few minor adjustments from the original list.

1. BirthdayAlarm.com was the greatest invention ever ~ until smart phones were invented!
2. I didn't realize how difficult it would be to live so far away from all of my family.
3. I never did like the invention of the Nextel radio. 
4. I am socially challenged when it comes to meeting new people and making small talk. 
5. I wish we would have spent more time looking for our first house.
6. I have two tattoos and they both hurt…..really really bad!
7. I love to cook anything and I love being the host of a party.
8. I am the sports fanatic in my family ~ GO HOGS!
9. I realize there are things that have happened in my life that I can't explain or change and have to work at accepting that everyday.
10. I always oversleep even with three alarms screeching in my ears!
11. I am the only girl in a family full of boys, even the dog is male!
12. I love fashion but I just can never relay those looks to my own style. They just don't turn out the same-lol!
13. My true passion is medicine. I started out my college years to get a degree in Physical Therapy but now I would just enjoy being a nurse and work with children.
14. I didn't like crab legs until I moved to Florida!
15. It takes a lot to make me think outside the box. My thought process is very black and white with very little room left for the grey areas.
16. The first time I flew on an airplane I was 26 years old and I was scared to death the whole time.
17. The first time I watched Lost I was a scared chicken! I gave it a second try and watched it faithfully all the way to the end.
18. I am a daddy's girl, always have been and always will be, no matter how old I get.
19. The only book I fully read in high school was The Catcher in the Rye. I wasn't much of a fan of reading then but now I can finish a good book in a day!
20. I have OCD about the strangest things like I can't eat bread crusts on regular sliced bread, I collect pencils and never sharpen them and if a guest fills my dishwasher I will readjust everything in it after they leave.
21. I thrive as a multi-tasker. An idle mind is a wasted mind in my opinion. I can’t even sit still to watch the football game, I have to be doing something.
22. Deep in my heart somewhere, I am a girly girl, I just know it!
23. I love watching old episodes of Will & Grace.
24. If macaroni and cheese were erased from the food chain, I would die-lol!!
25. I despise the word LULL-It should be removed from the dictionary!!!!!

Monday Weekly Menu

Now that I am sadly getting back to a scheduled routine, I made a weekly meal plan that hopefully we can follow this week. Since I didn’t do a lot  any cooking last week I really don’t need to do a lot of shopping this week….. yay! I am planning a light and easy cooking week because I just haven’t gotten my mojo back lol. Being off is a great thing and a not so great thing. This is what I plan for the week starting with today since last night I stuffed my face with a corn dog and a funnel cake!

Monday – Tacos ~ 1pt if you eat 2 tacos

Tuesday – Buffalo chicken wraps and roasted onion potatoes ~ 3pts

Wednesday – Quesadillas ~ 4pts

Thursday – Chicken with balsamic veggies ~ 0pts

Friday – Pizza Night (the tradition continues!) ~ 4pts for one thin slice of cheese pizza

Saturday – Grilled stuffed burgers, tomato cucumber salad and roasted onion potatoes or chips and salsa ~ 4pts if you use a regular hamburger bun

**My points may vary slightly depending on how much cheese I decide to use. I LOVE cheese so some days I pile it on and some days not so much.

Enjoy the rest of your week!

CVS = LOVE

One of the many places I love to get great deals is at CVS for a number of reasons but this week I found a new reason to Luuuuv CVS!

 

See that arrow with the heart ~ the thing it is pointing to is my new love! Physicians Formula Mineral Wear correction thingy. I love it and I got it for FREE!
A few weeks ago, a CVS coupon printed on my receipt for $6 off any Physicians Formula product. They are all 40% off this week AND several days ago there was a link for a manufacture coupon of $5 off. I was able to score two products for the whopping low cost of ....... FREE! I had two of the $5 off coupons and with the combination of the $6 off CVS coupon I paid nothing for these two beauties and they both went towards the Beauty club that CVS just started, which will eventually give me more ECB's, woohoo!
I also was able to get three spin brushes and 4 air fresheners for $2.50 after coupons, taxes and ECB's.

For those of you that are new to couponing, ECB stands for Extra Care Bucks that CVS gives you when you puchase certain items. You can use these like cash towards other things in the store. They basically give you free money to shop with at their stores.

I love CVS!

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Well I did cook one thing at the beginning of this week
but it is long gone now ~
Pulled Pork sandwiches and I cooked them in none other than ~~
the crock pot!
Yep, the crock pot!
I also continued my lax in taking pictures and only have a few to share but the recipe is very simple
and if you are counting points with me, the BBQ itself is 0 points.
If you eat it on reduced calorie bread instead of a hamburger roll it is still
0 points, woohoo!
I had baked lays with it so it was a very low point meal!

You will need:

• ½ cups Ketchup
• ⅓ cups Cider Vinegar
• ⅓ cups Packed Brown Sugar
• 6 ounces, weight Tomato Paste
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons Yellow Mustard
• 1-½ teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
• 3 pounds Pork tenderloin, Cut Into 3 Pieces
• 1 package hamburger Buns or reduced calorie bread if you want to keep it a free meal

1. Combine all of the ingredients except the pork, into a bowl and mix well.
2. Once you have the pork cut into pieces, place them into the crock pot.
3. Pour the mixture over the pork, making sure all pieces are covered well.
4. Set crock pot on low for 8 hours.

 

Once it is done, take out the meat and shred it into pieces.

After you shred the meat, return it to the crock pot and mix it back with the sauce.

Pile it on a bun or bread of your choice

Enjoy!

For your own printable recipe, click here.

Where did the time go?

Let's be honest shall we!
I'm on vacation and I haven't cooked a darn thing lol :).....
I've gone out to eat more that I care to count
I've slept in and stayed up way past my bed time too many nights.
I pwamise I will get back to a regular schedule of cooking and saving and counting as soon as I stop enjoying my free for all days, hehe!

Good Afternoon All

I would just like to take a brief moment and give my condolences to a great friend and her family today. They are dealing with a loss of a loved one and that is never easy.

I know we all come from different corners of the world and are different believers in religion but today I pray that you all will come to know your Savior.
I am often conflicted on how to offer my help and support to those in pain but I do pray with all my might that they find peace amidst the pain.

Weekly Menu Monday

Since I'm on vacation and not really on a time schedule, I wanted my week to be easy as pie. I have a few favorites and fun vacation foods for the week.
Sunday - Grilled Chicken and Roasted onion potatoes
Monday - Slow cooker BBQ sandwiches, tomato cucumber salad and Baked Beans
Tuesday - Chicken Quesadillas
Wednesday - Fajita nachos
Thursday - Chicken, rice and black bean tacos
Friday - Chicken Tortilla roll-ups (I will post the recipe when I make them)
Saturday - Beef Enchiladas

I decided to pretend that I'm out of town and I am not going to write down points! I will be watching what I eat and will be cooking with lean meats and all the normal fat free, low fat products but I didn't want to stress this week with points. So take the week off too if you like. Let's all go on vacation!

Enjoy your week everyone.

VACA ~~ Woot Woot

I'm on vacation woohoo! I have been waiting and waiting on this day to come since forever it seems like! I already live in the sunshine state so we didn't plan a big trip out of town but I am going to enjoy some much needed R & R. I will still do daily posts.
I do have a few shopping trips to brag blog about so I will put those up later.
I hope you all get to enjoy your week, oh and I do have a weekly menu I will put up before the day is over! Since I'm at home the whole week, I planned every meal because I didn't want to have overkill on extra points and I didn't want to spend unnecessary money.

Update: I am still running :0). The whole gang actually got out and ran this morning. The guys kicked my butt, but it was fun to be out together.

Publix Shopping Trip

Now for my Publix shopping trip. Lately I haven’t had a very big grocery list so its been a little challenging to try to find ways to save money. Since I coupon I don’t really like to run to the store just to buy the few items on my list. I want to stretch that dollar as far as it can go, meaning instead of just spending the $30 for my short list I want to add more without spending more than my original $30 . This is how I save money for my family in the long run. I used some combinations of coupons this week to get some much needed cleaning supplies for my spring cleaning week!
 My trip included:
Pine Sol, Clorox, and glad bags
Chicken quarters roast and produce
Ketchup and salsa
Chips, cheese and more!
Grand total ~ $30 and saved $70! Not my biggest shopping trip but definitely worth every penny!
This is the roast I made on Sunday. I will post pictures of this meal later. It was so yummy!
If you want to learn more about using coupons and staying healthy, shoot me an email.
If you want to learn more about just using coupons, check out http://www.centralfloridacoupons.com/ to get started!

Publix and CVS ~ I love them both!

Over the weekend, I went grocery shopping. Some of you that are new to couponing might find it strange that I do some of my shopping at CVS and Walgreens but with their own store coupons and manufacture coupons, I really save so much more money! Here is why:
CVS first!
I went to CVS to get sodas because we were out and they were having a decent sale on them. But, to my surprise, my deal got even sweeter as the cashier went along!
 I purchased these 6 items for $3! Yes, three dollars!
When I scanned my CVS card, a $5 off any Revlon eye makeup coupon printed out and they were on sale for $7.49 and you get $4 ECB back. I paid $2.66.
Next, the cashier only rang up 2 of the sodas  @ $5 and I had a $1 off Pepsi coupon so with the ECB I paid nothing. After scanning my card again, he accidentally rang up the next customer (before coming back to me) who was purchasing an allergy medicine which printed out a $5 ECB (even though I didn’t purchase this, the other customer did and the cashier gave it to me! plus it had my name on it so I could use it, right?!)
Then, he rang up the other two sodas @ $5 so I used the free $5 ECB to get these paying ZERO and giving me $3 ECB.
Lastly, my lotion was $3.20. I used the last ECB on the lotion only paying, 42 cents. My grand total was $3.08!!  See why I love CVS!
I’ll post my Publix trip tomorrow :)    Have a great day!

Sweet and Spicy Citrus Tilapia

 
I cut this recipe out of a magazine and new I had to try it. My family loves fish and we are always looking for different ways to cook it so that it doesn’t have an overpowering fishy taste ~ if that makes any sense at all!
At the end I will type out the entire recipe for you so that you can try it for yourself. It is really easy to prepare and make.
Aha! This time I remembered to take a photo of the ingredients, so go gather all of these things:
 
Some how the fish swam away from the photo but you will need 4-6 (6oz) of tilapia!
 
You will combine the first 10 ingredients from the recipe into a bowl and mix it really well.
 
Next you will pour the liquid mixture over the fish and let it marinate for 15 minutes while your broiler heats up. Yes, your broiler.
 
Before I left for work that morning, I threw these in the crock pot. This is seriously the easiest way I’ve found to make a perfect baked potato every single time.

Also get some asparagus going or whatever other type of veggie floats your boat.
I told you I’m having a wonderful loving relationship with asparagus right now!
Once your broiler is ready, pop the fish in and let it cook for about 15 minutes.
When it comes out drizzle the reaming sauce on top of the fish and serve.
Here is the complete recipe:
Sweet and Spicy Citrus Tilapia
(printable recipe link)

Ingredients:

• 4-6 (6oz) Tilapia filets
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 3 TBS lime juice
• 1 TBS brown sugar
• 1 TBS extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground red pepper
• 2 Garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 tsp paprika

Directions:

1. Arrange fish in a single layer in a shallow roasting pan coated with cooking spray. Combine orange juice and next 9 ingredients (through garlic); pour over fish. Let stand for 15 minutes.
2. Preheat broiler.
3. Sprinkle fish with paprika; broil 15 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Drizzle sauce over fish.

To get the “baked” potato recipe, click here.
To get the Asparagus recipe, click here.

Blog Hopping Wednesday!

I like Wednesdays!

I like them because there are only two days left in the work week after this day is finished.

I like them because it means Survivor comes on tonight!

I like them because I get to blog hop woohoo!

If you are here for the first time, Welcome and I hope you come back again and again.

If you want to join in on the blog hop, click on the image above or just click here.

Have a great day y’all!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Last week I made a new recipe from Skinny taste, Chicken Cordon Bleu. I’ve always seen this on menus but never tried it.

I was very pleased with the results, and so were the guys!

Again I forgot to take pictures of the ingredients but this is what you will need to get started:

• 4 chicken breast halves
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp water
• 3/4 cup seasoned whole wheat breadcrumbs
• 12 slices thin lean deli ham
• 12 slices reduced fat Swiss cheese
• salt
• spray oil
• toothpicks

I wasn’t going to show you the first picture of the raw chicken on the cutting board because it kind of grossed me out but…

Gina did it! So will I!

First, you want to layer the chicken with ham and Swiss cheese. (Bad picture but I’m getting there!)

Roll it up and keep it held together with tooth picks.

Next you dip the chicken roll up thing in your beaten eggs and water mixture.

Roll it around in the breadcrumbs. Coat it really well.

Place the finished products on your baking rack or cookie sheet and slide them in the oven that you already heated to 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.

When they come out, they are golden brown and melted to perfection!

I am so in love with asparagus lately that I had this as a side item. They were made for each other.

For me, this whole meal is only 2 points! Yay!

To print out your own copy of the chicken recipe, click here.

To get a copy of the asparagus recipe, click here. (I just prefer it on the stovetop instead of the oven.)

Enjoy!

I did it!

Whew, this morning was tough! When my alarm went off, I pushed the snooze button (hangs head in shame).

I looked out the bedroom window, saw complete darkness and said to myself ~ I will sleep until 5:45 and then get going. So when the alarm when off at 5:45, I threw the covers back, swung my legs off the bead and got motivated. My hubby (I think I’m gonna start calling him Gramps because he would not stop complaining about how old we he is getting, because I don’t feel a day over 25!) Honestly, I reminded myself of your wonderful comments yesterday and remembered the stories I read that helped me move right along.

It was a little chilly this morning, which always excited me because Spring doesn’t last very long here in Florida so I am glad that we are beginning now and I get to enjoy these nice crisp breezy mornings. It was still dark outside so we didn’t get to record or photograph our journey but we will soon.

My legs were starting to burn half way through so I ended up making it a half jog/half walk adventure this morning but my goal is to be able to run the whole way and add miles as I go along. I also only have about 30 minutes that I can fit in right now. I hope that eventually this will change and I will be able to work up to 45 minutes or an hour even!

I won’t bore you guys with my daily details lol but I will post from time to time on my progress and tips for motivation but THANK YOU so far!!!

Run with me!

For a while now, the urge to run has been tugging at my heart! I’ve never run before (well at least not on purpose anyway!) so, this is a new adventure for me. All I can see are images of a contestant a few years back on the biggest loser running on the beach and it makes me want to run!
Since I’ve lost weight, my biggest struggle is maintenance. With work, school, mommy and wife duties my body sometimes starts to pay the price. I really cannot afford to gain back any weight (money and health wise).
Right now my husband is a big motivator to me. He is erking with the same desire to get up and get moving. When he moves our whole family moves for some reason. I am going to jump on this opportunity to grab my sneakers and ipod and hit the road with him every  most mornings before heading to work (lets be honest shall we).
I would love to workout when I get home but I have an hour commute each way so to workout and try to eat dinner before 8pm is impossible. It also leaves us little time for family time so I am forging ahead with a.m.
This is a HUGE step for me anyway because let’s just say that I’m not someone you want to meet before mmmm, 8am! I never have been a morning person and I don’t think that will ever change ha!
I have bigger visions for this soon but right now its just me and the hubs hitting the pavement one step at a time! I’ve added a tracker on the side to keep me accountable and motivated (I hope). Click on it if you would like to add one to your blog.
I found some great blogs today about running which have aided in my desire to run on Lets move it mammas! Check them out and you will be inspired too!

Monday ~Weekly Menu

I was feeling a little homesick over the weekend and really wanted something that made me feel safe and warm. It happens from time to time.

Being so far away from our family stings a bit but when the sun comes out and its 70 here instead of 40 there, reality bites right back and I’m feelin just fine!

For Sunday though, I started a pot roast before we left for church and made cornbread and cabbage when I came home, mmm!

This is what I plan for the rest of the week (easy week)!

Sunday ~ Pot Roast with cornbread and cabbage ~ 10pts (see why homesick food makes you feel better!)

Monday ~ Leftovers ~ 10pts

Tuesday ~ Roasted Tilapia with Crock Pot “Baked” Potatoes ~ 0pts

Wednesday ~ Beef and Bean burritos with FF refried beans ~ 3pts

Thursday ~ Chicken with Balsamic peppers and Jasmine Rice ~ 3pts

Friday ~ Pizza Night or a Dinner party

Saturday ~ Chicken Sabroso (I’m thinking of making this with chicken breasts instead) with Onion roasted potatoes ~ 0pts

Have a great week everyone.

I will post my shopping trips and a few recipes later on.

I am also planning a big suprise for all you fabulous readers so if you haven’t “liked’ me on facebook ……… you probably should, just sayin!!

Love Love Love

By my title I’m sure that you can gather that I have love for what I am about to display!

These past few weeks at my home front have been completely off schedule.

I live by schedules.

I can’t function very well without them.

So you can imagine how my mind is at the moment ~ frazzled!

I didn’t cook a lot this week either and I still cannot figure out why?

I did enjoy dinner at one of my ffff~ ffff~ favorite places

I could eat here at least once a week! I love this place for many reason.

1. They have the best rice!

2. Their food is very fresh and natural.

3. I get as little or as much as I want.

4. The have the best rice!

When it comes to going out for lunch there aren’t too many choices that don’t include grease, fat and more grease.

So I go here and get:

1/2 cup of Rice ~ 3pts

chicken ~ Free

Black Beans ~ Free

Mild Salsa ~ Free (double scoop btw)

Maybe a Tbs of sour cream and cheese if I’m feeling lucky! (Which I give about 2pts for both)

You can see why I love this place.

I get a great tasting meal without feeling like I can’t eat dinner.

*Chipotle is not paying me to say this, I just really love their food! And I think we all need options right?

Wednesday Blog hop day

When I woke up this morning, I didn’t expect today to be as busy as it has been. I am just now getting around to some fun blog hopping.

If you are here for the first time, I hope you stick around and thanks for stopping by. Click on the link to learn more about the blog hop!

Have a great afternoon!

Jerk Chicken Pasta

I came across this recipe on a blog that I read and was surprised at how easy it was to make.

The hardest part was trying to figure out how to make a substitute for the half and half. I’ll get into that in a few!

Here is the ingredients to gather and my adjustments:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 Tbs butter
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup half-and-half - substitution made with 1% milk and butter (see below)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon herbs, of your choice, rosemary, marjoram, oregano
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup stalk asparagus – cut into 1 inch pieces
8 ounces sliced mushrooms, pieces and stems
3 tablespoons parsley, crushed
salt and pepper, to taste
8 ounces bow tie pasta

I think the only thing missing from this picture is the chicken, which was already cooking by the time I remembered to take a picture. Oh and oregano because the recipe says to use an herb!

Get your pasta boiling, your gonna need this in a little while.

You start by cooking your garlic then adding the cayenne pepper and chicken. The recipe instructs you to cook it in 1/2 cup butter but I am always readjusting my recipes to be as healthy as possible so I added 1 Tbs butter and Pam cooking spray. It turned out just fine to me.

**Warning ~ This will set you on fire! I am not afraid to use cayenne pepper but when I saw that the original version of this recipe called for 1 Tbs, I cried!

Yes, I’m a wimp and I am not ashamed to admit it! I only used 1 tsp.

After you get your chicken cooking, you will need to create your sauce. This is where the milk and butter come into play in the ingredients. I looked online to find a substitute for half and half. You can use 1 cup of whole milk and 4 Tbs of butter. Well, I used 1 cup 1% milk and 3 Tbs butter, melted. I mixed those two together and carried on with the recipe just as I would have.

You will add the half and half substitute, chicken broth and corn starch to the same skillet you cooked the chicken in. Let this come to a boil and get a good consistency. After about 3-4 minutes add the herbs, parsley, mushrooms and the asparagus (which you boiled in another pot. You did. I saw you!) Once this boils for another 3-5 minutes add your chicken and let it simmer for about 5-10 minutes.

After your pasta is done and the mixture has simmered, combine all ingredients in a large pot to stir it all together. Pour in a serving dish to serve or just serve it right out of the big pot!

To get the original version of this recipe and print one out for yourself, click here.

Enjoy!

Meet{me}on Monday

I’m trying something new.

Because it’s Monday

Because I need a good kick in tha ……

Because I like trying new things.

So here’s the deal. I generally only do blog hops on Wednesday but I ran across a different type of blog hop. It’s funny because most bloggers (including myself) blog about intimate things, personal things that we wouldn’t normally admit to face to face.

When we have the screen protector we are able to let it all out! So I’m gonna give this a whirl and invite you in a little deeper to my world. If you want to join in click on the image or just click here and here we go……

Five honest answers to five crazy questions!

1. What is your favorite way to eat potatoes?

Since we are being completely honest here, I could pretty much eat potatoes any shape, form or fashion! And to pick a favorite is complete and utter torture but I have a love/hate relationship with French fries. Once I start eating them I MUST finish them off. Then I run 500 miles so I can still fit in my skinny jeans.

2.  What was the last package that was delivered to your house?

I got my big box full of party stuff for my house party!!

If you’ve never heard of house party, its a company that you can sign up for the become a “host” and host a party for new products that a company is advertising. You get awesome stuff for free and to hand out. Click here to learn more if you are interested.

3.  What is your favorite scent that you love to smell?

Can I make a list? It would be ongoing!

No? Okay. Fine!

Food is my number one favorite smell. Since there are too many types of foods to list I will just make it general. I love to smell food cooking or baking. I love to eat it too!

4.  Do you smoke?

You know, funny thing about smoking. I went my entire teenage and young adult life, despising my parents for smoking until one devilish of a day I tried it and was hooked, line and sinker. But I am very proud to say that I am a non-smoker for almost 2 years now! Woohoo!

5.  Are your parents married or divorced?

My mom and dad are still hitched. After raising two daughters and fighting the up and down battles of marriage they still wake up next to each other every day. Now if you ask them if they are still happy, I cannot guarantee you that the answer would be pleasant but they seem to work it out somehow.

Monday ~ Weekly Menu

I had such an off week last week. I had three days where we ended up going out for dinner instead of cooking at home. I’m not complaining or anything believe me but it just kinda threw me off.

Threw me off on my points

Threw me off on groceries

Threw me off on sleeping….lol …. not really but you get the idea!

Anyway, this week started off on a weird note too. We ate dinner out last night and I will save you the details of my melt down but the guys are probably glad we did because I’m not sure if we would’ve ended up with sour cream burgers or chicken cheese cake! HA!

My plan for the week is this:

Sunday ~ Dinner out

Monday ~ Jerk Chicken Pasta ~ 5pts

Tuesday ~ Dinner out (I have to work late so everyone is on their own!)

Wednesday ~ Taco night ~ 2pts

Thursday ~ Savory Herb Chicken with Onion Roasted Red potatoes ~ 0pts

Friday ~ Pizza Night

Saturday ~ Balsamic Chicken with Roasted Veggies ~ 0pts

Everyone have an awesome week! I’ma gonna try to!!

Super savings ~ Spent $30 saved $110!

On an average lately, I am spending roughly $30 at the grocery store which is awesome all by itself. I did my weekly shopping trip and again spent around $30 with a total savings of $110! A lot of people assume that you have to buy no name brand things or 20 of something to save that much. This is never really the case with me. I buy what I need and what needs to be replenished in my stock pile. Yes, I have a stock pile and this is usually where I “shop” when I need something. Stock piling allows me to make these monster savings on a weekly basis.
An overall view of my trip:

This includes:
Bananas, apples, and peppers
Sandwich meat, bread and cheese
Soups, pasta sauce, Alfredo sauce and pasta
Veggies and rice
Doritos and Pepsi
Stouffers lasagna (2) ~ for nights I don’t have time to cook :)
Milk, plastic cups and hand soap
Most of all there is a Flank steak in there which is about $6.99 lb!
There is so much more here but this just goes to show you that you can eat well on coupons!
If you are interested in learning how to eat well on a budget leave a comment or email me, or if you just want to get introduced to coupons head on over to www.centralfloridacouponers.com!

Chicken Quesadillas

I love chicken quesadillas. Well, really I love anything with a Mexican flare.
There are a few things I could eat almost everyday.
One is seafood and the other is Mexican food!
Skinny taste has an awesome recipe for chicken quesadillas if you are in the mood. It is quick and easy and really doesn’t need anything to go with it except for maybe some homemade salsa or guacamole and chips!
I am trying to remember to take pictures of the whole process,
really I am but….
this is my first photo ~ red onions and red peppers, not the ingredients!

You will need to use the red peppers and onions but first you will need to get the chicken going so how about starting off a little like this

Cook the chicken breasts in a skillet, seasoning them with salt, pepper, cumin and oregano. Use generously!
Once the chicken is done, cut it into strips or chunks,
whichever you prefer.
Cut up your red pepper and onion for sautéing.

I also added mushrooms to mine, mmmm!
In the same skillet, add your veggies and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook until desired tenderness.
Once they are done, begin grilling your tortilla in a different skillet, layering it with cheese, chicken and vegetables and top with another tortilla. Flip and grill the other side.
Serve with fat free sour cream. Add some chips and salsa or guacamole if it is something you can’t live without ~ like me ~ and enjoy!

To get the complete recipe and print one out for yourself, click here.

Welcome Wednesday Blog Hop ~ Yay!

Hi all! Today is a great day in blogger world. It’s the day I get to meet people and find new exciting blogs. It’s blog hopping Wednesday.
I join up with Take it From Me who does a great weekly blog hop.
If you are here for the first time, take a few minutes to look around and enjoy.
For all of you coming back again and again, I thank you and love you. Its because of you that I share everyday :) !
If you want to join in on the hopping click on the image above.
Have a great day everyone!

Tuna Noodle Casserole

This is the recipe that seemed to run every time I planned on making it. I was finally successful Sunday night. The guys liked it and I thought it was pretty good too.
I would make it again, not all the time, but again for sure.
I also was in such a hurry and forgot that I want to start taking pictures of the entire process so I didn’t get a photo of the ingredients.
To get the step by step instructions click here.
I pretty much stuck to all the ingredients that is required.
Skinny Taste is right up my alley when it comes to the types of foods I cook with :)

After sautéing and mixing, you eventually combine the ingredients in the skillet and simmer until thick.
Once they are a thicker consistency, you add the noodles and cheese and mix until well combined.
Pour contents in a 9 x 13 casserole dish and cook in the oven at 375 for 20-25 minutes.
When it comes out it’s nice and crisp and ready to eat!

It is a good casserole to make if you are having company or just want to make a meal for a couple of days. It probably freezes well too!