Peanut Butter, Banana, and Chocolate Protein Cookies

I workout now.  Seriously.  Planks, crunches, squats, and now even jumping jacks.  I haven't worked out since I was forced to while I was in the military.  We have three kids and got a pool last year.  My poor tummy has seen better days.  I told my workout buddy (i.e. the girl who texts me to stop being a baby when I whine about our routines we do on our own time) that when I bend over to touch my toes my stomach hangs down like my very own udder.  Welcome to heifer-dom.

I'm at a healthy weight, I'm just way out of shape.  The problem with all of this working out is that I'm starving.  Constantly starving!  I also got rid of any junk food we had to tempt me so now the hubby and kiddos insist that they're starving.  Thank God for Pinterest.  There are soooo many recipes for healthy crap on there!  The first one I came across was this one.  Mine came out NOTHING like the picture so I had to tweak it into my own recipe.  Big surprise.

Bratty Protein Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease your pan.

In a bowl smash two ripe bananas.

Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and 2/3 cups of unsweetened applesauce.  You can add a little honey, too, if you want added sweetness. Then mix in 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter.

In a separate bowl (or on top of your banana mix if you don't want to dirty another dish) mix 1 1/2 cups of oatmeal, 1 scoop of vanilla flavored soy protein powder, and 1/3 cup of dark chocolate chips.  Mix everything together until it looks like (duh) cookie dough.

Drop spoonfuls of your dough on to your pan and then pat them down into cookie shapes.  My first batch I left as little balls thinking they'd spread like typical cookies.  Wrong.  I had funny little lumps instead.

The original recipe said to cook for 30 minutes but mine were done within 15.  Let them cool and then remove from pan.  Makes about 2 dozen--don't eat them all at once.  :)

Healthy Schmealthy

Running a blog pretty much sucks.  It takes time that as a stay at home mom to three kiddos is something I have very little of.  It takes cool ideas and nifty writing skills.  So, I kind of shied away from Bratty Budgets.  I was more concerned with keeping the house clean (didn't work out), organizing my life (yeah, right), and focusing on life beyond my laptop (so far so good).  Buuut, I miss Bratty Budgets.  So, I'm back.  I figure I'll have a few sporadic posts here and there and it'll just have to suffice.

Anywho, update time.  I'm out of shape and my comfy jeans are too tight.  Button those babies up and I've got some serious muffin top overhang going on.  I'm cool with the extra weight but it'll be summer pretty soon and I plan on spending a lot of time in the pool.  This means sucking it in won't be good enough.  My family is now miserable as I have yanked all the unhealthy crap out of the cupboards and replaced them with fruits and veggies.  I read that you can eat veggies all day, as much as you want, and it's good for you (meaning the overhang shouldn't multiply like it would eating a whole bag of Ruffles).  The hardest part about this is fruits and veggies aren't for lazy people (me).  It also means the older kid's spend twice as long packing their lunch for school.  So I tried to make it easier.

I made a snack drawer in the fridge.  So far it consists of individual baggies of cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, and grapes.  I've also thrown in string cheese and a few cups of fruit.  I also have lots of other fruits and veggies but I'm not sure how to incorporate them into the snack drawer or the cabinet.  How long does kiwi last once you slice it?  What about clementines after they're peeled?  If you know, please pass it on to me. Otherwise I'll be doing some more googling.  For now, this is a good start.

If it's free I want it!

By now you all know that I'm friggin' addicted to free stuff.  I can now say that I no longer request things I don't need...like samples of wood...but little alarms seem to sound if my eyes pass by the words "FREE."  Luckily for my fantabulous readers I enjoy passing on the freebie deals.  Granted I don't post them on here near enough but I actually found a few minutes today to both read my free subscription to All You magazine (thanks to my magazines.com e-gift from Valued Opinions) and to let you know about some pretty cool things I found in here! I'm not sure if you already have a subscription to this magazine but you need to.  Not only do they have awesome articles but it's also full of coupons.  Score!

The first article that caught my eye was a Q&A about working from home.  They had a few companies on there but I thought I'd mention what I've done (and occasionally still do).  If you know how to transcribe you should check into Scribie.  The best part is you get to pick and chose which dictations you want to transcribe.  The downside is sometimes they don't have many available.  Any good at writing articles?  Look into Yahoo! Voices and submit your best.  If they like it they'll pay you for it.  I also take surveys.  Lame, I know.  But hey, $20 is $20.

Okay, now on to the fun free stuff.  They had a lot to chose from, along with some I've already posted on prior posts.  A new one I didn't know about? Going to the movies for free!  Apparently you can sign up at advancescreenings.com and go for free.  I haven't actually looked into it yet, but I will. 

Books? Well, Amazon and Nook readers probably already knew about the thousands of free e-books but just in case you didn't you need to check out amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com to find them.  I only read free e-books on mine and I absolutely love my Kindle!  One of my best friends has a Nook and we've been known to hunt and share free titles together.

You can also get a ton of free magazines.  I've posted many links before but my favorite by far is to Rewards Gold.  You can take a short survey and then in turn pick out a free subscription.  Right now they have Martha Stewart Living, The Wall Street Journal, and Latina. 

Lastly, I've noticed a Coastal.com freebie has been floating around on Pinterest and also showed up in All You.  They have a one time promotion where you can get a free pair of prescription glasses.  This means I need to hurry and get my eyes rechecked since my prescription has expired.  Oh how I love free.  :)

Taco Casserole

Guess who found a taco casserole recipe on Pinterest!  And then guess who's internet was acting stupid the night I was going to make it!  Yep.  Me.  Luckily I was determined (OK...I had 4 hungry kiddos, a hungry husband...and a hungry me...all wanting taco casserole.  My 8 year old daughter put on her apron and we made our own version. It came out AMAZING!!!

Recipe:

1 lb hamburger
31 oz can refried beans
3 tomatoes
1 bell pepper
2.25 oz can sliced olives
Chunky salsa
Taco seasoning (make your own or buy some)
1 pkg fiesta mix shredded cheese
Tortilla chips

Cook your hamburger, add a 1/4 cup of water, seasoning, your bell pepper (sliced) and 2 tomatoes (diced). While letting that simmer pour your baked beans in a 8x10 dish and smooth. Crumble a couple handfuls of tortilla chips over it along with a light layer of cheese. Then pour your meat and veg mix and smooth. Next add more crumbled tortillas, cheese, the last tomato, diced, any bell pepper left, and the olives.

Place in the oven at 350 for 15-20 minuted. Serve and enjoy!

And just a side note, I apologize for the pics being out of order.  I'm trying out the blogger app and I'm still figuring it out. :)

Insanely simple chicken sandwiches

We haven't eaten very healthy this weekend and we're suffering.  I can actually feel how if affects me.  My husband was even complaining about how sluggish he feels after eating pizza, greasy bratwurst, and chips.  I believe I'm flattered!

So after a quick rundown of the fridge and cabinet stock I came up sesame buns, chicken tenderloins, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, and a bell pepper.  Chicken sandwiches it was! 

There is no recipe by the way. Just cook your chicken, throw everything on the bun, and eat it.  Granted I did cook baked beans and some fries, but hey, it went well with a beer. Hehe.

Cheesy Mac and Ham

We had some super nasty storms yesterday.  I'm talking trees being ripped out of the ground, buildings loosing their roofs, no power, and hail.  Yuck.  Anyway, this morning it was gorgeous (like it usually is after a terrible storm) and while driving down the road I see people coming together to clean up the mess.  Since moving to the South, that is one thing that has really dominated this area.  People truly come together during the bad times.  I associate this with homemade macaroni and cheese.  I guess comfort and the South make my mamaw come to mind and this woman is the true epitome of comfort, love, and the best homemade macaroni and cheese ever.  EVER.

Now I can't feed a family of five a dish of macaroni and cheese (no matter how awesome it is) but I can feed them mac and cheese with ham...or just combine it all together and make an awesome dish of Cheesy Mac and Ham.  So that's what I did.  I skipped a lot of steps that people take when making homemade macaroni and cheese, but I think it still tastes awesome.

Cheesy Mac and Ham Recipe:

16 oz bag of elbow macaroni, cooked

1 lb of ham, diced

4 cups of finely shredded cheddar cheese

12 oz evaporated milk

Mix all ingredients in a large pot.  Pour in to an 8x11 inch pan (lightly greased) and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until golden.  My daughter also asks that I add the step "lick the spoon" as soon as you finish mixing all the ingredients.  Hehe.  I love her.

Spicy Rice and Beans

Lately just about everything I have been cooking seems to be begging a tortilla to snuggle up in.  Granted foods don't have feelings or crave a warm blanket/tortilla to curl up with, but sometimes it's easier to blame the food than my own laziness.  So yes.  I've been cooking easy food and rolling it up as a burrito or folding into a taco.  No forks needed (i.e. less dishes to be washed).

The newest creation is basically rice and beans but with a twist.  It stays within the strictest of budgets, gives you plenty of leftovers, and isn't the plain old rice and beans that are so boooorrrrring.  Did I mention it's easy?  Like beyond easy?

Spicy Rice and Beans:

4 cups cooked brown rice
2 cups fiesta mix cheese
1 can rotel tomatoes with chilis
2 cans pinto beans
1-2 small tomatoes, diced
Tortillas

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, heat up, and throw on a tortilla.  Told you it was easy!!  ;)

Hello Pinterest!

It's official. Find Bratty Budgets on Pinterest here. Not much to it yet, but it's a start.

As you were.  ;)

Birthday Freebies

© Photographer Jinyoung Lee | Agency: Dreamstime.com

I'm on kitchen strike today.  The hubby grilled a late lunch for us so that is a good enough reason for me to encourage the kids to eat leftovers or scrounge the cabinets if they want something else.  There's nothing wrong with PB & J every once and awhile.  :) 

So if I'm not eating (or thinking about eating...or cooking...or baking) then I'm looking for a good deal or a freebie.  And since my lovely birthday is coming up (August 30th...I'm giving you all plenty of time to come up with some nifty gifts for me) in just a few months-just under half a year mind you-I believe it's time to get ready for reaping in the birthday freebies.  The following links are mainly made up of places around where I live but I will gladly add on to it if anybody has any they know of.

Enjoy!

Academy Sports - Sign up for their email to get a $5 gift card on your birthday.

Ace Hardware

Arby's

Captain D's

Chicken of the Sea - Don't judge.  You get a coupon. 

CVS - Seriously!  You usually get $3 in rewards!

Dippin' Dots

Firehouse Subs

Great American Cookie

Kmart - You won't get anything, but your child(ren) will get a $5 gift card!

Ihop

Old Navy

Sonic

Starbucks

Vera Bradley - Apparently most Vera Bradley stores will give you $20 off on your birthday as long as you bring id.  I'd call ahead to be sure but WOW! 

Waffle House - You guessed it--a free waffle!

Wendys

Wingstop

For real?!

So a couple of my recipes made it to Pinterest.  Oh.my.goodness.  My views skyrocketed which was a pleasant surprise.  I've neglected my poor little blog but with all this new traffic I believe it's time to start cooking and finding freebies. It feels good to be back!

The Mostest Bestest Chicken and Broccoli Casserole...ever....

The kids and I love chicken.  Josh loves broccoli.  We all love cheese.  Needless to say, this recipe was bound to be a family favorite.  So far my seven year old daughter and one year old son love it.  My eldest son just likes the chicken and the chips (and just to make it clear, there are no chips in it).  The hubby works a crazy shift so he's not up yet.  Hopefully he'll like it, too.

The original recipe came out of one of those budget cook books we bought a few years back while at the check out.  Part of it didn't sound so awesome, other parts involved ingredients I didn't have on hand, and then we added a few more ingredients.  So maybe I'm cheating?  Regardless, it's friggin' awesome.

 

 

 

Ingredients:

 

Olive oil

8 oz of sliced fresh baby portabella mushrooms

2-3 stalks of celery, finely sliced

1 can (10 3/4) cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

5 chicken tenderloin strips, cooked and shredded

Broccoli (the more the better in my house)

8 oz can of water chestnuts

2/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar

1/3 cup shredded colby jack

3 oz bag/can of French-fried onions

 

After cooking and shredding chicken with the olive oil, throw the mushrooms, broccoli, and celery in with the chicken and saute.  In a large bowl combine the soup, milk, salt, pepper, and the water chestnuts.  Mix chicken and veggies in with soup mix and pour into a casserole dish (mine was a 9x9x2).  Top with the shredded cheese and cover with foil.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Cover with French-fried onions and cook another 10-15 minutes.  Let sit for a few minutes and then serve.  

Crock Pot Apple Sauce

I know, I know.  It's not fall yet.  So why am I indulging in fall foods?  Because I can.  I also really really really love fall.  Combine that with needing new ideas to make healthy foods from scratch that the kids can consider a "treat" and you (well, me) come up with homemade apple sauce.  Since I have I toddler wreaking complete havoc on the house and our maid (me) was on strike yesterday (she's pretty lazy and tempermental when she finds it best suits her) I thought it would be best to use the crock pot. 

I started with 6 gala apples finely chopped and thrown into the pot.

In a small bowl I added 1/2 cup of water, one tablespoon of brown sugar, 1/2 tablespoon of cinnamon, and nearly a 1/2 tablespoon give or take of vanilla extract.  Stir it up together and then pour over the apples.

 

 

Throw the lid on a cook on low for 4-5 hours.

 

I then spoon it into the food processor until it reached the consistency I wanted. 

 

Then the kids and me ate about half of it before pouring the rest into a jar.  :) 

 

 

 I imagine it would be super pretty and festive with a bow or a flower or something, but in all reality this jar is going in our fridge so there's no point.

The applesauce should last a few days in the fridge but next time I might double the batch and put it in some freezer bags and freeze (it'll last about three months). 

Entire cost to make this? No more than $5.  :)  Enjoy!

Stupid Pinterest. Leave me alone.

Oh...my...gosh.  I have once again been sidetracked.  Not pretty, shiny, glittery kind of things.  Not even I-must-have-those-shoes-and-forever-store-in-my-closet kind of things.  No.  This could be awesome.  Or, this could be a complete failure (meaning I'll plan the whole deal out and then either forget about it or no longer feel motivated to actually do it).

But anyway, we have a few logs cut up beside our fire pit in our backyard.  Obviously these logs are for the fire pit, but I just had to get on pinterest and find this:

Source: yololsm.com via Tim on Pinterest

Is that not awesome?!  I've seen others put a stump upright and plant some flowers that way, but this is awesome.  Not to mention it would look awesome with some succulents or some hardy sort of plant that I could leave out all year long! 

Okay, I need to go get groceries which means I probably need to actually brush my hair (dang!).  Wish me luck on my could-be-might-happen-keep-your-fingers-crossed project!

Back to School! Finally!

Okay...so I've totally slacked off big time on this whole blogging thing.  I'd apologize but I'm not sure if I'm actually sorry about it.  On the bright side I have been posting on Brattybudget's Facebook so techinically I haven't totally slacked off (right?).

Sadly I have made some pretty awesome meals but there's no pictures and I haven't even attempted to post them on here.  Lucky for you all, school is starting Monday and two out of three of my babies will be out of the house for a few hours a day (meaning toddler's naptime will be dedicated to Brattys, cooking, a little cleaning, possibly a shower...and maybe just a nice rest in the recliner.  Pfft).

So, maybe I am a little sorry I haven't been on here (my itchy fingers are soothed by typing this up already! Poor talkative hands!).  I forget how  good it feels to just...write (er, type).  Until then, check out Bratty's Facebook, find me some budgeted meals, and keep an eye on your money--or lack thereof.

Much love!!

Kiddo Sandwiches

This really shouldn't count as a recipe at all, but if you have kids who are at that age where they want to make their own food then this is something you may want to try.  It'd be great for lunch with some sliced apples on the side or maybe for dinner with a homemade soup.  Regardless, it's quick and gives the kids a sense of independence and accomplishment.  And keeps them busy...hehe.

This is basically a sandwich made out of lunchmeat, cheese, and a hamburger bun.  I like turkey, swiss cheese, and a little pepper jack.  I'm not going to waste our time with a recipe, but make this a little yummier by putting the oven on broil and throwing your so-called sandwich in there until the cheese is melted and the buns are toasty and warm.  I put mine on aluminum foil so I would waste any pans or cookie sheets.  I'm lazy like that.

Shelly's Craft Shack

I'm a browser.  And I'm pretty nosy.  So one day in my browsing nosiness I came across some pretty cool pages and such on Facebook.  Mainly it was a bunch of things I wanted but can't afford.  After awhile when I was close to giving up on finding anything that I could either buy or make myself (this translates into my baby was probably crawling way too close to a cabinet door or about shove a handfull of paper into his mouth or diaper so I had to get off the computer) I finally came across a picture.  This picture:

I thought...hmmm...this sounds like my family.  I clicked on the seller's profile and found myself chuckling, ooohing, and a bit of aaaahing.  She has a little bit of everything and after sending her a few emails I was able to learn that she is just as wonderful as her work.

Shelly began crafting at the age of 15 with her grandfather, their specialty being clocks and furniture.  I was quite jealous to hear this as I'm really not a "dangerous tool user" kind of gal.  When I was 15 I signed up for a woodshop class in highschool.  As soon as the teacher came in the first day he took me to the side and asked me to please, please, please transfer to something a bit "safer."  Shelly's story is much more sentimental than mine. 

After Shelly's grandfather passed away she stopped the woodworking.  When she was pregnant with her twins she worked for a company called Miss Martha's Originals, painting little figurines from home.  Now that her children are grown and Shelly is taking care of her mother, who has alzheimers, she has begun her new project, Shelly's Craft Shack, as a hobby.

Every item I have seen by Shelly is adorable.  As a bonus she's thrify.  A lot of what she makes is made out of scraps.  This helps her keep her prices super low (I've yet to see anything over $10!).  The best part?  Every time you purchase something from Shelly she will donate 20% of it to the Alzheimers Foundation.  This is something Shelly does with heart as she has lost her Granny, an aunt, and an uncle to alzheimers and is now helping her mother as she suffers from it.

For the time being Shelly can be contacted on her Facebook page, Shelly's Craft Shack.  Thank you Shelly for sharing your work and story with us!







Goulash (that's actually good)

Goulash seems to be one of those words that strikes fear in people.  It just sounds...nasty.  I suppose a lot of parents would combine whatever they could find in their cabinets, mix it together, and call it goulash hoping their kids would believe it was a real meal and eat the crud.  That doesn't fly in my house (or on my plate).  If I won't eat it then I don't expect my kids to eat it.  I'm a firm believer that kids need to eat balanced meals that aren't just meeting their nutritional needs.  It needs to TASTE good, too.  So, here comes my goulash.  I took the original recipe from a Kraft magazine I think, but changed it up to meet my requirements. 

Recipe:
1 lb ground beef
1 can low sodium tomato soup
2 cans diced tomatoes (no salt added, don't drain)
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 bag of egg noodles
onion powder (or a real onion if you like, but Josh isn't a fan of onions)
garlic salt
pepper

Cook hamburger, drain.  In a large sauce pan add soup, tomatoes, bell pepper, and seasoning into hamburger and let simmer.  Meanwhile, cook the egg noodles.  Drain and mix with hamburger mix. 

That's it.  Not only is it good, but it probably takes 20-30 minutes to make and everyone likes it (well at least in our family.  Even the baby had two servings!).

6/20/2012 freebies

Family Fun Subscription - 20 issues

Free Febreze Air Freshner

Free U by Kotex samples and clutch

Chomp Soap Industrial Hand Cleaner (All natural) free sample

POW/MIA poster - I'm getting these for my kids for sure! Forever thankful for POW/MIAs.

Find Your Bliss Bath Product Samples

Garnier Sleek and Shine Sample

Caswell-Massey lotion sample

Tyka's Blackberry Wine Cake

Winos beware!  I have found our newest weakness!  Or at least mine.  My wonderful friend Tyka sent me a cake recipe and I tell you, I was a gonner.  The best part was that she sent it to me during summer break for the kids.  Now, I love them more than ever, but sometimes silence and a glass of wine feel like my only route of survival.  I can now have a slice of wine cake with my glass of wine.  Too much?  I think not.

Don't forget to lightly grease and powder (a tablespoon of the cake mix will be better than flour) your bundt pan...or you'll be looking for creative ways to show off your marvelous cake without

giving away that there is in fact a huge chunk missing.

Tyka's Recipe:

For Cake:

1 white box cake mix
1-1/2 cup of blackberry wine (about 1/2 the bottle...the other half is to drink while the cake is baking....)
1 box of blackberry jello (I had to use black cherry but it still tasted AWESOME)
4 eggs
1 cup of veg oil
 

Combine cake mix, oil, eggs, jello and 1 cup of blackberry wine mix well pour in bundt cake pan bake on 355 degrees for 45-55 mins. When cake is done place on cake plate and take a fork and poke holes all over the top of cake so icing can soak down into the cake.

For Icing:

1 cup of powered sugar
1/2 cup of blackberry wine
pour over cake while cake is hot
 

Better-Than-Applebee's Quesadillas

No offense to Applebees.  I LOVE everything on their menu.  Well, almost everything.  Josh's favorite thing to get there is the quesadilla.  I rarely get it because if I chose something else I always have the option to steal part of Josh's quesadilla when he's preoccupied (i.e., looking away or in the bathroom). 

A couple months ago I found one of those copycat recipe websites and they happened to have Applebee's quesadillas featured on it.  It sounded pretty good and we tried it.  It tasted nearly identical but since then we have altered it to our own preferences.  It's not nearly as greasy, the chicken isn't as dry, and the taste doesn't seem so...generic?  Anyway, it's not hard to make and you can probably get away making it under $10.  I can make 8 of them with 4 chicken breast tenderloins.

The how-to's:

Flour tortillas
4 chicken breast tenderloins, cooked and shredded
2 tomatoes, diced
8 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled (cook it in the microwave and blot any extra grease)
1 pkg of shredded pepper jack cheese
1 pkg of shredded cheddar cheese
Tabasco chipotle sauce
Butter

Melt butter in skillet/large pan on medium.  Place tortilla in pan.  Brush a small amount of chipotle sauce on tortilla (I usually just cook the chicken in a good amount of chipotle but it's all personal preference).  On half of tortilla add some chicken, tomato, bacon, and cheese and then fold in half.  Cook both sides until golden and cheese is melted.  Once done you can blot with a papertowel to remove any extra grease and then slice in half or fourths.

6/12/12 freebies

It's been awhile since I've posted some free things.  Yes...I'm such a slacker.  But I'm pretty darn cute so it all works out.  And since I'm feeling so generous I've rounded up all the latest free magazine subscriptions.  Keep in mind a lot of them will have you do a survey or questionaire, but hey, it's worth it.

Living the Country Life Magazine - free subscription

Latina Magazine - Free subscription -some of you may not be able to get it depending on what kind of job you have.  I can get nearly any magazine off of here when I use "blogger" as my occupation, or a freelance writer. 

Ebony Magazine - 11 issues

Maxim Magazine - 1 year subscription

Forbes Magazine - 1 year subscription

Newsweek Magazine - 1 year subscription

Town & Country Magazine - 3 year subscription

Seventeen Magazine - 3 year subscription

Chicken Pot Pie

I have succesfully made a pie only once.  It was a delicious apple pie that everyone in the family loved.  The crust was perfect!  Since then, I haven't made anything that needed a crust unless it was store bought.  I am TERRIFIED of ruining a good meal because I trashed the crust.  This of course means that I have never made a chicken pot pie until I gave up the ideals of it being completely homemade.  So this pot pie is my first attempt and it came out really well.  Store bought crust is never as good as a homemade one, but it did it's job and the family enjoyed dinner.  I suppose it's time that I practice making a good pie crust but until then store bought will suffice.  Get over it.

Recipe:

1 refrigerated pie crust/shell, top and bottom (or homemade for you show offs)
1 to 2 cups of shredded or cubed chicken
2 cans of chicken gravy (or one jar)
2 stalks of celery, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
3 potatoes, cubed
veggies of your choice -- we were actually out of frozen peas which is what I wanted so I made do with just frozen corn and black eyed peas.  Kind of weird, but hey, it was still good.

In a large pot boil all the veggies until tender.  Drain.  Add the gravy and chicken and season as needed.  Lightly grease a casserole dish and place the bottom crust into the dish.  Pour gravy mix into the crust and top with upper pie shell.  Pinch upper and lower together and fork.  Brush a small amount of butter over shell and then cut a few slits.  Cook as directed for crust.

Vegetarian Tex-Mex Burritos

This is so simple to make that kids can probably make it completely on their own (depending how old they are of course).  I made it on the stove top but that was because Josh won't eat anything vegetarian so I had to add some shredded chicken to his portion.  Otherwise this could easily be mixed together and heated up in the microwave.  The recipe can also be doubled easily for a quick leftover lunch the next day.

Recipe:

1 can of black beans, drained
1 can of corn, drained
1 can of diced tomatoes with peppers
1 cup of shredded pepperjack
1 1/2 cups prepared rice (we used white but I bet this would be good with brown rice, too)
Flour tortillas

Mix everything together in a bowl and put in the microwave until warm and the cheese is melted.  Put mix onto a tortilla and roll into a burrito. 

Easy Jumbo Pizza Rolzone

Pizza, pizza rolls, hot pockets, calzones...I'll eat it.  I love pizza.  I'm even a bigger fan of calzones.  In my attempt to make a calzone I discovered I was better at combining a calzone with a huge pizza roll.  I have named it "The Rolzone."  Laugh if you want, but this thing is awesome.  You can make it in a matter of minutes and if you have kids it's a great thing for them to help out with.  All you need to do is roll the dough out, cut it in squares, cover with sauce, and let the kids put their chosen toppings on them.

My recipe:

1 refrigerated pizza dough (this will make 5-6 pretty decent sized ones)
1 jar of pizza sauce
shredded mozarella and cheddar cheese
pizza toppings

Preheat the oven as directed for the dough.  Roll the dough out, cut it into squares, spoon the sauce into the middle.  Throw whatever pizza toppings you'd like into the middle.  Roll the dough up into a tube and then pinch the sides closed.  Lightly brush some olive oil on the dough and sprinkle a little garlic salt on it if you like.  Put the rolzones on a large piece of aluminum foil, place in oven, and bake until golden and the dough is cooked through. 

How to cheat at enchiladas

I love mexican food.  Love it.  I also love lean, muscular, mexican men with their shirt off at the beach...offering me a beer.  Since I'm already married and no where near a beach (and my gorgeous hubby will gladly hand me a beer with or without his shirt), I'll have to stick with mexican food.  I prefer to eat it if someone else has made it since I don't have much experience cooking it but a couple of days ago I decided I just HAD to have some enchiladas and was determined to make them myself if I needed to.  And I did.  But I cheated.  I really really cheated.  But hey, they cost under $10 to make, it was easy to put together, and they tasted pretty dang good. 

You'll need:

1 to 2 lbs cooked hamburger
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cheddar cheese soup
1 packet of taco seasoning
chopped green chiles (optional)
1 pkg shredded mexican cheese
8-8 inch flour tortillas

Mix the hamburger, cream of mushroom, half the packet of taco seasoning, a little cheese, and a few green chiles together.  Pour the mixture down the middle of each tortilla, roll up, and place seam down into a lightly greased dish.  Pour the cheddar cheese soup over the tortillas, sprinkle a little more taco seasoning, chiles, and shredded cheese on top.  Put in the oven at 350 for about 20 minutes.

6/4/12 freebies

I'm sick.  I don't feel good.  I want a nap.  But since I can't I figured I'd browse around for free samples.  You're welcome.


Free Personalized Father's Day Card   Coupon Code LUVDAD2!

Free Sample of Stayfree with Wings

2 year subscription to SmartMoney

Free Sample of Finish Quantam Dishwashing Detergent

Tide with Febreeze Sample

3 ingredient lemon squares

Popsicles may be the ultimate epitome of summer, but anything citrus comes in at a close second.  I was thinking lemons...and easy enough for the kids to do.  Hence the lemon squares. 

All you need are a 13x9 pan, greased, a box of angel food cake, a can of lemon pie filling, and some powdered sugar.

It's so easy even little Johnny thought he should lend a hand.

 How to:

1.  Mix cake mix and lemon filling in a bowl.  Pour into pan. 

2.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

3.  Sprinkle powdered sugar and let cool before serving.

Popsicle time!

My favorite thing about popsicles is when my two older kids each get one and then go outside to eat it...while I stay inside and peep out the window.  Hehe.  In all seriousness, popsicles just scream summer, and with the kids just being let out for summer break we decided we need popsicles.  Did we take the easy way out and just go buy some?  Nope!  Did we make kool-aid and freeze them in ice cube trays?  Not this time!  What about orange juice?  Well, kind of. 

The possibilities are endless when it comes to being creative for popsicles.  We only made four different kinds today but maybe after reading this you'll get new ideas and make your own (like banana and peanut butter pudding pop!).

The first one we did was cookies and cream pudding pop.  So easy.

You'll need:
8 oreos (crush them up)
1 packet of instant vanilla pudding
2 cups of milk

Use a whisk to mix the pudding mix and milk until it starts to thicken.  Stir in the oreos.  Pour in a mold and freeze for about 5 hours.

Next was chocolate and peanut butter pudding pop.

1 packet of instant chocolate pudding
2 cups of milk
2 heaping spoonfulls of peanut butter (heat until runny)

Make the pudding as above and then stir in the peanut butter.  Freeze.

Then we went on to berry yummy yogurt pops (cheesy much?).

Add one cup frozen strawberries, one cup of frozen rasberries, and one cup of fat free vanilla yogurt to the blender.  Blend it well, pour into molds, freeze.  You can eat it before it's too hard and it's basically frozen yogurt (duh....).

And lastly, we filled our molds (mini plastic cups...Elora had to sing "white solo cup" about fifty times while making these) with chopped pineapple and poured orange juice over it until full for summer chill pops.  Freeze and enjoy. 

Whole Wheat Pancakes

We are a pancake family.  I think this translates as "we have kids therefore we eat pancakes."  Usually we just get the boxed mix and add water or milk or occasionally buy the frozen kind.  But then I discovered whole wheat pancakes.  There are recipes EVERYWHERE for whole wheat pancakes.  I of course combined recipes, added a little of this, took away a little of that, and came up with my own.  The result was an incredibly yummy (and healthy!) pancake...if not a little on the flat side.  Nothing terrible...I suppose they came out 'normal' but we tend to have huge fluffy pancakes normally.  I may convert to these new ones.  They don't sit heavy on your stomach like you'd expect but they are filling.  The best part is the kids will eat them without caring that they're healthy.  To them it's just pancakes.

My little girl also mastered how to make pancakes today as a side note.  I'm so proud!  She was even able to pour them, wait for the perfect time to flip, and even flipped them!  Yay Elora!

On to the recipe:

2 eggs
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups whole wheat flour
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Whisk the first four ingredients until frothy.  In a seperate bowl (or carefully on top of the liquids and sugar mix...I hate doing extra dishes) combine the dry ingredients and then mix into liquids mix until relatively smooth.  Don't over stir.  Then cook them like usual.  This makes about 18 pancakes.  We always freeze the leftovers for easy access when the kids want more pancakes and I don't feel up to making them.

5/29/12 freebies

I received my free Atkins diet kit today from my 5/17 freebies post .  It came with three Atkins Bars (I've tried two and they taste better than the protein bars Josh has come home with), a carb counter and acceptable foods list, and some coupons.  The carb counter book was awesome because it had your everyday foods and told you the carbs, fats, protein, etc. that a lot of popular foods are.  I realized that if I was to go on a diet that it wouldn't be the Atkins diet, but the kit was pretty cool.  Mainly the carb counter (time to cut back on the soft drinks again, ugh). 

Okay, the point of this was that when I opened the mail box I realized that I haven't posted any free samples lately.  Oops!  Here's four for now. 

TriCalm lotion

Prilosec samples again!

Free Digital Sample from All You Magazine plus a coupon


5 free country songs from itunes

Homemade Sloppy Joes

Sloppy joes are one of those super easy meals that I think everyone likes.  If you don't like them, there's probably something wrong with you.  Just saying.  We used to just buy the pre-made canned kind where all you did was dump it in a pot along with a pound or two of hamburger and heat it up.  Recently I came across two different recipes that sounded really good, but made completely different.  I'm not one for being patient so I combined the two to make Super Homemade Sloppy Joes.  All they need now are man-tights and a matching cape.

Recipe:

1 to 2 lbs of hamburger (I just used one pound)
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 cup ketchup
1 cup barbecue sauce (I used hickory smoked)
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
Season to taste (I used garlic salt, onion powder, chili powder, and cumin)

Brown and drain the hamburger, add all the ingredients and mix.  Bring to a boil and then let simmer for at least 20 minutes.  You could also make this in a crockpot on low for probably 5 to 6 hours.  Don't forget to warm your hamburger buns in the oven before serving!