Taking it slow

Things will be moving a little slow around the Osborne ranch for the next few days. My husband had surgery yesterday so I have assumed the roll of care taker, taxi driver, and pretty much anything else that is thrown my way.
Just after that we are off to Christmas vacation with the family in Arkansas. I will try to post as much as possible and show some fancy recipes.
In the mean time try to stay warm and frugal!

Today’s Blog hop!

 Its Tuesday and that means there is a blog hop going on somewhere :0)! Click on the image above if you want to link up.
If your here for the first time, Welcome and I hope you come back for some awesome recipes and tips on staying healthy on a budget.

Need a new printer?

I don’t normally do this but since The Pioneer Woman is my daily shot of blog espresso I thought it would be fun to share.
She is having her annual Christmas giveaways and today is an HP printer. This thing is amazing. If you would like to enter in this giveaway click on the link below to sign up.
Good Luck!
Click here to enter

My favorite meatloaf – skinny version

I love this recipe and it has become a house favorite. Again this is another one where I’m sure the regular version is melt in your mouth good and if I ever had the Pioneer Woman cook it for me I would probably swear off eating healthy all together! Since that is never going to happen I will settle for the lighter version of this. See below my conversions to make this dish a little on the skinny side:

Instead of:	I used:
Whole milk	1% milk
Regular white bread	Low calorie honey wheat bread
Regular ground beef	93/7 lean ground beef
Fresh parmesan	Reduced fat parmesan

Everything else remains the same.

The complete recipe and original version can be found on The Pioneer Woman’s website here.

Monday Menus

I am struggling lately to make a two week menu plan with my husband home. So I am just taking it one week at a time. This is what I plan for the week.
Sunday – My favorite meatloaf (original version here curtsey Pioneer Woman but see my lean version here), with mashed potatoes and green beans ~~ 2 pts (because of the bacon slices – otherwise it would be 0 points)
Monday – Leftovers ~~ same 2 pts
Tuesday – Grilled stuffed burgers (use lean ground beef) and baked fried potatoes ~~ 4pts (Crumbled bacon bits, Hamburger bun and shredded cheese)
Wednesday – Homemade chicken noodle soup with grilled cheese sandwiches ~~ 5pts (1/2 egg noodles and a slice of cheese)
Thursday – Leftovers ~~ same 5pts
Friday – Taco Night ~~ 1 pt for two tacos!
Saturday – Buffalo chicken wraps and onion potatoes ~~ 4 pts for flour tortilla and shredded cheese

Three cheese stuffed shells

So night before last I made my husbands newest favorite dish, compliments of The Pioneer Woman (Three cheese stuffed shells) but the “healthy version.  Click on the link above to get the full fat version. Below are the conversions I used to knock this down a notch!

Instead of:	I used:
Whole milk ricotta cheese	Part skim milk ricotta cheese
Regular parmesan cheese	Reduced fat parmesan cheese
Regular Romano cheese	Reduced fat Romano cheese
Regular Italian sausage	Reduced fat ground sausage
Regular sugar	Splenda
Regular mozzarella cheese	Fat Free mozzarella cheese

Some might say that this takes away from the ewey gewey goodness but I didn’t feel like I was missing out on a thing!
I also made a baguette loaf and some bruschetta Fresca and you can click here to get that recipe. It is also so yummy!

100~~Almost there!

 I know in the blog world many people have surpassed me but today is my adventure. I am almost to 100 followers woohoo!!! It is a major milestone in my blogging extravaganza. So please link up and join me today to blast through this number.
If you are here for the first time, Welcome and come back soon for some amazing recipes and tips on losing weight and saving money!

Yummy Enchiladas (3pts)

(printable recipe link)

Are you looking for a yummy dinner that is not loaded with fat.
Try Beef enchiladas with fat free refried beans and Uncle Bens Santa Fe rice.
The whole meal only ends up being 3 points.


This is a perfect example of how to take a perfectly normal recipe and turn it into a very healthy choice. 

See below for the adjustments:
Use Lean ground beef 97/3 (or the closest you can find to that)
Soft fry corn tortillas with either Pam spray or Olive oil.
Use Fat free or 2% shredded cheese
Use the Santa Fe rice from Uncle Ben’s that has a brown rice mixture.
Use Fat Free refried beans and top with the same cheese mentioned above.
Top with Fat free sour cream  and black beans if desired.

I haven’t had “full fat” enchiladas in a long time but I bet your bottom dollar that these taste just as good if not even better. By the way, this was my dinner last night~~ yum!

When the new year rolls around

In January, everyone will make their new year resolutions and on the top of that list will be loosing weight. I’ve been there and actually did that!
Now that my life is back to normal for a while I am going to dive back into posting menu plans, shopping trips and daily tips on keeping you thin and saving you a buck or two (or three or four) along the way. Stay tuned for new things in the new year!
In the mean time, enjoy the break from traditions and the random postings of my chaotic mind of the times.

When to start over on a diet?

This seems to be the biggest question I get asked and the biggest question I ask myself. This year I’ve struggled more than last year to stay on top of being in control of eating. I’ve let parties and pies get the best of me. Each week I say “This is it. I’m gonna make it the whole week” By Wednesday, I say fagettaboutit and chuck the food tracking paper in the trash.
Tip of the day:
No matter how many times you “start over” just do it! Its a struggle to lose weight and keep it off believe me but I am here for ya. Just have faith in yourself and know that you deserve the hard work and effort you are putting into it and it WILL pay off.

Today's Blog hop brought to you by…

Its Tuesday! Time for another blog hop. If you are interested in finding awesome blogs, click on the image above.
If your here for the first time, Welcome and I hope you come back often.

Two Christmas parties and a pear tree…

I had two Christmas parties this weekend. Party #1 I was a guest. It was great, amazing, fun, relaxing and the food was good (but the wine was better!). My husband and I were both there and his duty was to take pictures. It was his camera that we took so of course he would take the pictures. He also is a camera hog. Once you give it to him you ain’t gettin it back. So, I thought great idea. He loves to do this and we will get some great photos. Annnnnnt. wrong! Not only did he not take any good photos, the only ones he did take were of the interior decorations of the house! Not one, not one photo of the guests, the host or even the Christmas lights! I was speechless and shocked to say the least.
So we come to Christmas party #2 which I was hosting at my house. Again another night where my husband has the camera and is sure to take lots of pictures because, um well we are at our house. Again, epic failure! He did snap 4 (FOUR) photos and one looong video of the gift exchange game. Despite the lack of proof of the event, it was a major success. Everyone had a fabulous time and the food was superb. I can’t wait to do it again next year.
I was able to snap one photo of my furbaby after everyone left and the house was clean. To say the least, this is what I wanted to do after I realized that the day was over and there were no pictures of the entire weekend ~~ curl up and try to remain incognito!

Manic Mondays

Good Morning Blog Hoppers :)! I love finding new blogs to read. If you would like to join this blog hop click on the image above.
If you are here for the first time, well then Welcome, take your coat off and stay for a while!

Friendly Friday

Happy Friday to ALL! Today is a great day. Its the end of the working week. Its one day closer to Christmas and its FUN FOLLOW Friday! YaY. If you want to jump on the blog hop click on the picture above.
If your here for the first time, Welcome and stick around to find out some tips for eating and saving money!

Take me by the hand…

I am very excited to start the beginning stages of taking my experience to a whole new level. I want to reach out and help more people on a personal level. I am going to offer a new program to anyone who really has the desire to loose weight with the added bonus of learning how to save money at the same time. There will be a fee for my service but it will be worth every penny.
I get so many people that ask me on a consistent basis about how I lost weight and successfully keep it off (giving myself a pat on the back for two successful years). You will get a special 3 hour session with me to personally show you step by step how to get started down the path to loose weight and save money once and for all.
If you live in Central Florida and are interested in getting more information and setting up an appointment please email me at skinnyonadime@yahoo.com or leave a comment with your email address.

Bloggers block!

What do you blog about when your mind is blank?
I wish I had words of wisdom today but all I hear is **crickets**.
I wish I had a great shopping trip to tell you about but my wallet is empty.
I wish I had a good recipe to share but we had homemade soup for dinner.
This morning is dragging for me so hopefully the afternoon will be better but it isn’t looking pretty from here.
I am only thrilled about one thing today and that is that I have Thursday, Friday and Saturday to look forward to!
Hope you have better luck with your day today.

What can you get for $1?

Last night I stopped by Publix with the original intention to get a turkey and a few other things for a dinner party I am hosting on Saturday, which is a miracle all by its self! Anywho, I didn't find the turkey and ended up getting chicken for my soup tonight for dinner.
When I got to the register I wasn’t sure if I’d met the requirement to use my 5/25 coupon but I had just enough and even pulled out change to pay for my total bill!
When I got home I pondered the question of what really does a dollar get you these days? Well, lately in my house it gets me this~~

I spent $1.03 and saved 35.09! I used 4 quarters and three pennies!
Here is the breakdown for all of you wondering how -

Qty	Item	cost	coupon used
1	Lettuce	0.99	1 - $1produe/target
1	Red pepper	1.8	1 - $1produe/target
3	bananas	0.68	1 - $1produe/target
2	green onion bunches	1.19	1 - $1produe/target
1	yellow pepper	1.68	1 - $1produe/target
1	tomato	0.85	1 - $1produe/target
1	cucumber	0.65	1 - $1produe/target
2	Kraft cheese	4	1-$1 target 1 - $2.5 manufacture
2	Crescent rolls	2	2 - .75 manufacture
2	chicken noodle soup	0.99	1 - $1 manufacture
2	Theraflu	7	1 - $3 manufacture 1 - $5 Store
1	chicken breasts	2.74	1 - .50 store
1	Snicker bar	0.89	n/a
			** Used $5/25 on total

Time for Tuesday!

Today’s blog hop is hosted by Busy Mom’s tips and more! Click on the image below to join. Its a fun way to find new blogs.

If your joining me for the first time, Welcome and I hope you find something interesting.

A break for friends

Today is a new blog hop I just found and its a great way to find and read new blogs. If your interested in joining click on the image and add your name to the list.

If your here for the first time ~ Welcome and I hope you will come back soon!

Turkey day blues

Its the Monday after Thanksgiving

and the question is…..

Did you beat yourself up for everything that you ate?

Did you step on the scale to see if you gained any weight?

Or, did you just enjoy the ride and decide to take it one slice of pie at a time!!

Well, the hardest thing we can do for our weight loss journey is beat ourselves up over enjoying our ever-so loving comfort foods. Of course I say this after I had a talk with myself in the mirror this morning and it wasn’t pretty let me tell ya! I am my worst critic when it comes to criticism.

Even after loosing weight I still struggle on an almost daily basis to control my obsession of food. I can’t help it~~ I LOVE FOOD! The kind that leaves you one size larger before you leave the dinner table.

Easy fix right? Well I hope so. One holiday down and two to go.

Best advice is to keep doing what you do minus the holiday. One day (or two or three) isn’t going to destroy months or years of hard work. Now make that a month or two then we might have a problem.

Back to the beginning

This is a repost of my original welcome message. I get so many people asking me how I lost weight and how I keep it off. Here was a glimpse of my journey that lead me to my blog. I hope you find it useful and if you have questions let me know.

Welcome to Skinny on a dime!
I am very glad you are here. You might not realize it but I need your help and support just as much as you need mine.
So here is my story in a nut shell and the reasons why I've decided to put this little blog together.
A little over a year ago, I was at my largest weight ever in my life. I was headed for a road of depression and sadness. I wasn't used to being the size I was and I wasn't sure how I'd ended up there. Every time I would grow out of a size I would just say to myself "Well when I get to a size... I will have to start working out!" and it just never stopped. I became comfortable in the size I was in. I told lies to myself to try to believe that I wasn't as large as I was. I'm not really sure what my breaking point was that made me win the battle but whatever it was I am so thankful for now.
In June of 2008, a coworker offered me an opportunity that changed my life forever. A very well known weight loss company was teaming up with a local college to do a study for a new program they wanted to launch the following year. I said to myself "What else do I have to lose!" so I join with a very close friend of mine. I qualified for the study and decided that I would set a goal to lose 50lbs during the process. I wasn't sure how it would all work out but I was willing to give it a try.

So everyone asks, "What’s the secret, what did you do different?". I am here to tell you that there are no secrets, gimmicks or tricks. My success came from changing what groceries I bought and how I prepared my food. I also had to exercise but not near as much as you would think. In my next few blogs I will lay it all out on the table. I will give you every resource that I have. I will also show you along the way how you can save money buying the things that will keep you healthy. So join me if you have the same desire to be .....

Skinny on a dime!

Publix (x4)

spent $1.89 and saved $45.72

 











spent $2.23 and saved $32.90

For some reason, (quite possibly my last trip that was $1.51 for $109 worth of groceries maybe??) my store stopped allowing me to use more than one certain coupon (5/25) at a time.

So, I had to either:

A – go to the publix by my work (which involved me shopping with a rather large stack of coupons at 5pm and that wasn’t gonna happen)

or

B – split my list up into 4 trips.

I chose B which worked out much better in my favor.

The first picture was shopping trip #2 where I spent $1.89 and saved $45.72! The second picture was shopping trip #3 where I spent $2.23 and saved $32.90! I have one last trip to make either today or tomorrow and all the shopping will be complete. (The first trip is in a previous post.)

Preparing a Feast

I love Thanksgiving and Christmas. I love them more than any other holiday in the year. I love the spirit in the air, the smells that come from the foods, the weather, and most of all the lights! I could drive around for hours looking at Christmas lights – no joke.

Since we moved to Florida I had to learn how to prepare these big holiday dinners all by my lonesome. I enjoy doing it though so its not a big burden. I go all out, way over the top. People could come to my house and eat for the rest of the week and I would still have leftovers for work on Monday.

If for some reason we decide to go home for Thanksgiving this year though I will be cooking along side some wonderful cooks that do this year after year. Even though I really love doing this myself, I would love the chance to go home but in the event I don’t this is what will be on my plate come Thursday:

Smoked Turkey ~I don’t know why but my husband loves to smoke a turkey so every year he pulls up his pants, slaps on an apron and gets the smoker going!

Baked ham with pineapples

Macaroni and cheese ~ this is probably my favorite thing of all time

Chicken and dumplings ~ my grandma’s recipe, she always had a pot ready at the drop of a hat

Cornbread turkey and dressing ~ for all you southerners, this is the best stuff around

Candied yams

Cabbage ~ most southern family’s usually make some fashion of greens and I don’t really care for them but I can throw down on cabbage

Giblet gravy

Pasta salad

Sweet potato pies

Lemon meringue pies ~ courtesy of my 13yr old

Cheese balls with crackers

Homemade salsa with chips ~ I gotta have things out to keep the guys out of the kitchen until the food is ready so I started serving appetizers on the counter.

If I can roll myself off of the couch on Thursday I will post some pictures of the event and even along the day on Wednesday when I prepare most of my food.

Friendly Friday

Friendly Friday is a fun way to find new blogs. Click here to join.

If you’ve found me from Friendly Friday then Welcome. I hope you find something interesting to share.

Publix or bust

I truly love Publix.

Using coupons at this store has been a saving grace for my family recently. My last trip there was on 11/13 where I spent a total of $8 and saved $107!

I am starting to buy things for Thanksgiving just incase we decide to stay here instead of traveling home. If we do decide to go home for Thanksgiving well I won’t have to do much shopping to cook for Christmas.

Meeting New Friends

Now that I am trying to get back into blogging after a short break, blog hopping is a fun way to find new blogs and share ideas with some really cool people.  Go here to get started!

Bi Weekly Menu (a tency bit late)

Wednesday – **My Favorite Meatloaf  with mashed potatoes and some type of vegetable
Thursday – Leftovers
Friday – Breakfast for dinner – yeah! I love breakfast for dinner. Pancakes, bacon, eggs, cheesy grits~~ you name it.
Saturday – Sweet and Tangy Fish with Wild Rice and Salad (I cut out the fish recipe from a magazine, I will add it when I get a chance)
Sunday – Hot Tortilla Soup (love love love this!)
Monday – Leftovers (Freeze the rest for later)
Tuesday – **Crock Pot Pulled Pork & coleslaw Sandwiches with chips
Wednesday – Leftovers (freeze whatever pork is left)
Thursday – Thanksgiving! Either I will be cooking or eating lol. We haven’t decided whether we are going home or not so I will finish the week as if I were at home.
Friday – Leftovers
Saturday – Leftovers lol

**Both My favorite Meatloaf and Crockpot Pulled pork come from The Pioneer Woman’s website. I reference her recipes a lot if you haven’t noticed!

Now I Remember why I bring my lunch!

When it gets busy at election time around here our lunch room fills up so much that its standing room only. Most days I end up going out to eat just to get away from the noise and stress. This proved to be not so good for the wallet or the hips!

Now that everyone is gone I am getting back into my old habits of packing a lunch everyday. So far this week I’ve saved myself around $21 and its only Wednesday! Also, I have cut out a lot of unnecessary fat from my diet because I prepared the food I ate at home. 

Great tip – Pack your lunch whenever you can and remember it doesn’t have to be a salad or a sandwich everyday. When you cook dinner the night before, make extra for the next day. Or make a big pot of Hot Tortilla soup or Chili, then freeze it and take it out to eat for lunch whenever you need an idea. Try making homemade spaghetti sauce, freeze that also and pour over pasta for a hot lunch.

Each day the quietness sets in…..

First off, the election is over! Yay! and NO "R" words (recounts).  This part I am truly thankful for. It has been a long year with everything going on. Finally I can get back on track with eating healthy and staying focused on my life goals.

On a sad note though, the wonderful people that used to fill our office with laughter, tears and food are all gone. Friday was their last day and it was an emotional roller coaster. The best group so far we have ever had in our department has departed. Walking in Monday morning was strange. There was no buzz of gossip, no invites to donuts and no coffee brewing in the back of the office. Today was even more somber. The reality of them being gone has set in. Some of them, I’m sure, will be back from time to time and even a few of them will return for 2012. For now though its just quiet, slow days at the office.

I intend to dive back into blogging (call me crazy~~I like sharing random facts of the day lol) and back into eating healthy and living frugally on a very very tight budget for the next few months.

I will start back up with dinner picture postings and random sightings and trip extravaganzas and savings. Until then though, have a happy week and enjoy the rest of your day!!!

My favorite time of year

                 

I love love love fall. It has the best weather, best food recipes and best sports events of all time, the SEC! I have been overwhelmed lately with work but it will soon be coming to an end. The results will be tallied and the winners chosen. In the midst of all of this I've been trying to keep up with my undying passion of college football. Not just any ole college football BUT Razorback football! I am the biggest HOG fan this side of the MISSA-SIPPI! I am so proud of them this year! Unfortunately I don’t get to see all of their games on tv because they don’t all get aired on regular cable but I watch as many as I can and make sure I’m always at home for the LSU game when its a home game.

I won't be at home this Saturday for the game (preplanned trip) but if I get a chance I will post a wonderful touchdown recipe that you can share at your tailgate parties.

Overload!

I have really been busy at work and haven't had time to post ANYTHING :(  but I am reaching out today because I will be without child for a while and I just might have to finish off that pint of Starbucks ice cream I'd been saving and eating a spoonful here and there! 

Just to keep y'all all positive, there will be days like this that happen and you will have to use points on things you didn't expect you would but use them and get over it, that's all you can do!

On a side note, I have made a couple of trips to Publix that I hadn't had a chance to publish so if I get some free time now that I have some, I will put them up.

Biweekly meal plan ~~ a day late

So I decided not to do anything yesterday other than eat and watch fireworks! Yay me. So today I'm adding the meals I should've added yesterday.

Since I'm busy at work I will probably start relying heavily on crock pot recipes or casseroles that I can just come home and reheat so if you have any good ones and would like to share, please do!!!

Have an awesome two weeks!

Sunday - Grilled Stuffed burgers and hot dogs with Tomato and Cucumber salad
Monday - Balsamic chicken and peppers with Uncle Ben's Jasmine rice
Tuesday - Tacos
Wednesday - Meat loaf with mashed potatoes and a veggie (havent' decided on that one yet)
Thursday - Left overs
Friday - Chimmichangas (note* I use lean ground beef or chicken instead of turkey because turkey is NOT free) with Uncle Ben's Santa Fe Rice and Fat Free Refried Beans
Saturday - Grilled Tilapia with Roasted Veggies
Sunday - Chicken Parmesan Bundles with pasta
Monday - Taco casserole (homemade recipe so I will add this when I make it)
Tuesday - Left overs
Wednesday - Buffalo Chicken wraps with oven fried potatoes (this is homemade as well so I will add it when I make it)
Thursday - Breakfast for dinner!
Friday - Homemade chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese sandwiches (and this too lol hence the homemade)
Saturday - Leftovers

I'm sorry, so sorry......

I will apologize way in advance because I will be very sporadic in the next few months on posting. It is my busy time at work and I don't get much time for a personal or social life until November. I will still stick to my food plans and meals and counting away of the points as much as I can and if you have questions I will be glad to answer them. I will still post my meal plans on Sundays and you might see the occasional complaint lol.

If and when I get a free moment in the days ahead I will try to add tips and tricks to help you along the way too. I am still here for ya just more in spirit momentarily that's all!

On a happier note, I hope you all have a Happy 4th of July.

Welcome Wednesday

I have been really enjoying all of the blog hops lately and I've found another one. This is the first time I'm joining Welcome Wednesday hosted by take it from me. Click on the link to read the rules and join in on the fun!

Don’t Believe the Hype

Most people believe that eating salads, skipping meals, or cutting certain foods out of your meals are good ways to loose weight.
Please don’t believe that.
I guarantee you that I leave NOTHING out of my diet. I eat my breads, carbs, starches, meats, veggies, fruits, snacks, and sometimes the ice creams, pies and cookies!
I don’t really like salads and I sure can’t live without potatoes. So, if you had a salad or a skimpy meal last night for dinner, take a look at what I had, then try to argue with me that you have to eat leaves to loose weight.
Beef Enchiladas with Refried Beans -  3pts for the whole meal (and that does include the cheese) and if you need rice add the Santa Fe rice from Uncle Bens

Food overload

I have been so busy at work this week that I completely forgot to add pictures and updates on the meals for the week. I did pretty good on the meal plan up until Friday because by then I was beat and didn't feel like cooking a thing. 

So to back track:
Sunday and Monday we did the pulled pork sandwiches and everything in this recipe is free free free and if you use your free bread that is free too! Add chips and salsa or dip if you choose too (just remember to count your points for that).

Tuesday we had the Buffalo chicken pizza. It is so easy to make and good too. It is not free but its only 2pts per slice so not bad for a pizza. To make it this low in points I use Fat free mozzarella cheese instead of regular and fat free ranch dressing.

Wednesday we had Chicken and rice tacos. These are only 1 point because I use corn tortillas but the chicken, rice, beans and mexi corn are free. 

Thursday I changed things up a bit and we had hamburger patties. Now on mine I sauteed mushrooms and added a piece of cheese on top. I made roasted veggies to go along with it. For my son's portion, I made brown gravy to top his off. My meal was only 2 pts because of the slice of cheese. His was 2 pts because of the brown gravy. The picture is of his because I was too greedy to wait to take a picture lol.

Friday is where I completely went sideways. I made a frozen pizza for the kiddo and I had some of the Tortilla soup that I'd frozen from some of the leftovers. The tortilla soup is only 3pts if you use baked tortilla chips, fat free sour cream and cheese for topping. If you don't like those toppings you will have yourself a FREE meal!

Today I am getting back on track and yes I am making those grilled cheese stuffed burgers so for now I bid you good night because my stomach is growling!

2 awards, 2 days!

WOW is all I can say. I am so new to blogging that I was shocked to discover that I'd won two awards in two days. They are both the same type of award but from two completely different wonderful blogs!

So here it goes

Award #1 comes from:

A Cuppy Cake Life

Award #2 comes from:
Ingenue Mom

Both of these blogs are amazing and they were one of the first few I started following when I did start to blog. I love them both for their versatility (lol).

So the rules are I must share 7 things about myself and then award 5 new followers this award.

Seven things you didn't know about me:

1.  I love anything pink and girly even though I might not come off as the girly type.

2.  I love the Twilight series books (not the movies).

3.  I love love love to coupon and I only started a year ago.

4.  I wish the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season would last all year long.

People are just nicer during this time of year :~)

5.  I have 12 pairs of flip flops and 2 pairs of dress shoes.

6.  I love the smell of freshly cut grass.

7.  I lost 50 pounds and have successfully kept it off for 2 years now

(which is the exact reason I started my blog in the first place).

Now my awards go to:

Far from Calm :)

KJ's Deals and More

Mommy2TwoGirls

Chubby Cheeks Thinks

Healthy Home Blog

I hope you all enjoy their blogs as much as I do!

Thanks again to Ingenue Mom and A Cuppy Cake Life!!!!!

New Friend Friday!

I have had such a hectic week at work that I am just now getting around to posting today. I am signing up agian for New Friend Friday yay! So if your new to blogging and would like to find some new blogs to follow and meet some great people click here to learn more.

The busy life of a teenager

This was so funny I just had to share it. My son's to do list for the day! He has such a hectic schedule during the day he had to make a to do list lol!

Snack time is happy time

I get asked a lot about what I do for snacks and I have to admit this is a tough one for me. Through trial and error I've come up with some really good snacks that I fall back on and some favorites I have around all the time. I generally try to stick around the 3 point margin for a snack or dessert but sometimes its hard not to go over. Some of my favorite snacks are

"Free Snacks"

Fresh Fruits

Fiber One yogurts (or any light flavored yogurt)

Fat Free Jello and Jello puddings

Toast with Fat Free cream cheese instead of butter

All unsweetened canned fruits

If those just don't get the job done then how about these

(Around the 3pt value)

Most 100 snack packs from different name brands (I haven't come across one that was more than 3 points)

Betty Crocker warm delights (the small individual one - yummy)

Whole wheat English muffin with fat free cream cheese

100 calorie popcorn (94% fat free)

And one recipe website that I like to go to a lot for great snack ideas and whatnots is Hungry Girl and today I received an email about the new Smooth and Dreamy Ice cream treats from Breyer and this delicious treat is only 4 points! I would give up an extra point for this one!

Hopefully these tips with help you make it through your day!

Follow Me back Tuesdays!

Again another day to meet great people and read great blogs. Its Follow me back Tuesdays. Click here to learn more.  Welcome all new readers to Skinny on a Dime. I'm so glad you've stopped by.

Groceries for the Week

I decided to not do a Publix trip last week and I’m so glad I waited until this week’s sale to go. It was so much better than I hoped it would be!

I got all of the food pictured about for a whopping $25 (and saved $105!) Of course the cookies, cakes and chips are not part of my health plan, but they do come in handy when you have a teenager sitting at home during the summer time so yay for BOGO Chips a Hoy!  (The Starbucks ice cream is my cheat for the week-er maybe month)

Since I didn’t purchase any meat products at Publix I still had to stop by Wal-Mart but, but because of my email I sent to corporate about their inability to understand coupons properly, I was given a $25 gift card for my troubles :)  I faired pretty well there too. I got all my meats and a few extras and I paid OOP $20!

Meet and Greet Monday!

I keep finding these awesome blog hops to find great new blogs. If your new to blogging or just want to find new followers click on the link below to get started!

Meet and Greet Monday

~~Biweekly Menu~~

If your just starting out reading my blog you will soon discover that I menu plan for 2 weeks at a time. Its an old habit that I started way back before I started couponing. This is what I “plan” on cooking for the next two weeks!
Sunday – Crockpot Pulled pork and coleslaw sandwiches
Monday – Leftovers and freeze whatever is left
Tuesday – Buffalo Chicken pizza (there are two recipes in the link but I’ve only made this one)
Wednesday – Chicken and rice tacos
Thursday – Upside Down pizza loaf (I will add this one when I make it)
Friday – Breakfast for dinner! Chicken and waffles with hash browns
Saturday – Bacon, onion and cheese stuffed burgers on the grill – YUM
Sunday – Ground Beef enchiladas, Santa Fe rice, and refried beans
Monday – Leftovers
Tuesday – Foil pack Bruschetta Bake (that I didn’t make last week) and Zucchini cakes
Wednesday – Southwestern Chicken and Roasted smashed potatoes
Thursday – Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Quesadillas
Friday – Crockpot tacos (I will add this recipe once I cook it)
Saturday – Grilled hotdogs or Dumplings (my son has been asking and asking for these??)

Hot Tortilla Soup

Before you judge this recipe, let me tell you that words cannot describe the yummyness that comes out of this soup! I first started making it this past winter and it was a fabulous soup for the chilly nights we do get here in Florida. It also has ended up being a great summer soup too, but again, this is probably my love of anything with a Mexican flair to it lol.

Ingredients and recipe
1 medium bell pepper – diced small
1 medium red onion – diced small
8oz. cooked chicken breasts cut or shredded into small pieces
2 (10oz) cans of Ro-Tel Diced tomatoes and Green chilies
1 (4oz) can chopped green chilies
1 (15oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14 1/2 oz) chicken broth
1 1/4 cup water
1/2 cup salsa
1 tsp each cumin, basil, oregano
1/2 tsp each cilantro, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper
1 oz Baked tortilla chips
1oz Fat free or Low fat Cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp Fat free sour cream

Add all ingredients listed above in a large pot and heat on medium-high, stirring occasionally, for about 15-20 min. Reduce heat to low (simmer) and allow to cook a minimum of 1 hour. The longer it cooks, the better the flavors blend.
To serve, crush 1-2 oz (to be precise it’s about 14 chips if your counting for your points)of baked Tostitos in the bottom of the bowl pour soup on top of chips and top with shredded cheese and sour cream if desired.

**I got the recipe from someone at work so I’m not sure if its a Weight Watchers official recipe or not but it is from one of their group meetings a few years back.

Free Shoes?

About 7 or 8 months ago I signed up to be a shoe tester with New Balance. Let me just say that I love this program. So far I’ve received 3 pairs of shoes from them to test.
This is how it works. You fill out the application and if they need shoe testers with your shoe size in your area they will start signing you up for test projects. They will send you a new pair of shoes to test for about 3 months. Once the test is over, you do have to send the shoes back but they provide all of the materials to send them back. I don’t mind sending them back because its like getting new shoes and sending them back once your done with them! It also is a great way to make sure I walk most days because I want to get the full use of the shoe.
If you are interested and want to see if you qualify click here.

New Friend Friday!

I love new friend Friday! I’ve found so many new blogs and meet some great people!
Join in on the fun here!

Taco Night

Last night, I think I made the final change to my  meal plan schedule lol. Instead of the chicken fajitas (which I'd cooked last week), I made tacos, yay! I love tacos, well I really love anything Mexican, but I do love my tacos.

My son can devour about 4 of them. I usually can only handle two. This is the easiest thing in the world to make and one of the first things I started to cook when I switched to the new food plan. I tell people all the time that ask me that I still eat the same foods I ate before I started and I guess they just don't hear me or care to give it all a try but it is so easy.

My taco version (very similar to yours I bet!)

Lean ground beef 93/7 or 97/3 depending on which one your store sells. I've seen them both in the store. Really it just means to buy the leanest cut of ground beef you can find. Yes I know its expensive but with the money I save on using coupons, I can afford to spend extra on healthy cuts of meat and I usually try to go organic.

So ingredients are:
Lean ground beef
Taco seasoning
Corn tortillas (not soft flour and not corn tortillas from a box)
lettuce
tomato
low fat or fat free cheese
fat free sour cream

cook regular like any other taco recipe and add your favorite toppings. Serve with chips and salsa or fat free refried beans.