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!

Brandy's Bagel French Toast Bake

A friend of mine posted this recipe and it sounds friggin' awesome.  So in honor of her I'm posting my first guest recipe.  Sounds like a future kid favorite in my house (a grown up favorite, too!).  Thank you Brandy!



Bagel French Toast bake:

 6 to 7 mini bagels(so prob 3 or 4 regular size) broken into pieces. In a bowl mix 4 eggs, 2/3 cup milk, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1 tablespoon vanilla. Put pieces of bagels in it drench them and cover overnight. In morning spray an 8x8 baking dish, put bagel pieces in it sprinkle all over with cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes. Sooooo good. Serve with syrup if you want.

No Mayo Tuna Casserole

I hate hate HATE mayonaise.  I mean, not as much as Josh, but mayo is gross.  Ew it's gross.  The problem is that I love tuna casserole.  It's good, it's cheap, and it's quick.  But I had to make it without mayo in order to get Josh to eat it after he found out how you usually make it.  :)  So we've been making it this way no. 

Boil one bag of egg noodles and about 1 cup of frozen peas.  Once they're done mix in 3 cans of cream of mushroom, 3 cans of tuna, and a handful of shredded cheddar.  Pour into a 13x9 pan and crumble saltine crackers on top.  Then throw a little more shredded cheese on the crackers, throw it in the oven at 350, and take out when cheese is melted.  That's all.

Cadillac Cake

So I just made the cake of all cakes.  Jefe de jefes.  The Cadillac Cake!  I took two of my favorite guilty pleasures (chocolate pudding and red velvet cake) and combined them.  I've seen recipes with similar ideas but they never had the cake I wanted.  Well, now I've got my own stinking recipe.  My butt may be the size of a silver bullet trailer home by the end of this year, but you know what?  It'll be worth it.

Recipe:

First make the red velvet cake.  If you want to cheat, I'm not going to stop you.  But I used this recipe.

Use three bowls.  In the largest beat the following:
3/4 cup veg oil
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
mix in 2 tablespoons red food coloring

In the second bowl mix:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoon cocoa powder

In third bowl mix:
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda
After mixing those two, add 1 cup of milk and 2 teaspoons vanilla

Add the third bowl to the first bowl and mix.  Mix in the dry ingredients of the second bowl last and stir until smooth.  Pour into a buttered cake pan and cook at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

After taking the cake out, add two cups of milk to chocolate pudding mix and whisk until blended.  Poke several deep holes into the cake and pour the pudding on top of it, smoothing it out.  Cover loosely and put in the fridge until the entire cake is cold.  Cut yourself a hunk of cake and watch your butt grow to epic proportions. 

5/17/12 Freebies

Since we had grilled cheese sandwiches last night I'm not going to bother posting it's recipe.  We do have a "free for all" food night weekly where we typically have sandwiches.  Some nights we've even had cereal.  It may sound bad, but you can't tell me you've never done the same.  Not to mention on those nights the kids make their own food.  So maybe I'm just teaching them how to be independent.  :) 

So in honor of sandwich night, I've found more samples in lieu of a new recipe. 

Emergen-C sample

Stayfree Sample

Atkins Quick Start and 3 free bars

Milk-Bone trail mix sample

There you go.  A whole whopping four today. 

Pre-game Chili

Softball season has started and Josh's first game is tonight.  This is also Johnny's first time going to Josh's games so we're all super excited (the camera is charging as we speak!).  My only role for softball is cooking Josh a "manly meal."  Tehehe.  Sounds funny.  Anyhoo, he loves my chili and he agrees it's be selfish to keep the recipe to myself.  That and his boss calls it "rocks-off chili" which is kind of weird, but apparently it's that good.  The best part?  It's so easy.  I kind of feel like I'm cheating.  So to all you others out there, embrace your meal making cheatability!

Recipe:

2 lbs hamburger
3 cans chili beans (don't drain)
3 cans chili ready ready diced tomatoes (don't drain)
1 can of tomato sauce (small can)
1 packet of chili seasoning
Chili powder, garlic salt, onion powder, cumin, and cajun seasoning (however much you want)

Cook the hamburger.  Dump everything in a crockpot and cook it on low for 6 hours.  Done!

Tater Tot Casserole

Funny story.  My husband taught me how to make tater tot casserole as I had never had it before and I was instantly a fan.  I change the ingredients around and it soon becomes a family favorite for all of us.  We could seriously eat this for dinner once a week and not complain.  Love it.  A few years later Josh lets it slip that if it wasn't for his ex-girlfriend teaching him how to make it then we'd probably have never had it.  So, to whomever this ex-girlfriend from nearly ten years ago is, my family and I thank you.  :) 

Here's how we make it now:

2 lbs hamburger
2 cans cream of celery
1 bag of tater tots
shredded cheese
Lawry's seasoning

Cook hamburger, mix with cream of celery, stir in a little shredded cheese, pour into 13x9 glass dish.  Layer tater tots on top of hamburger mix and sprinkle a little Lawry's on it.  Cook in oven as directed on tater tots bag.  Just a couple of minutes before it's done, take it out and sprinkle some cheese on top of the tots.  Put back in oven and let the cheese melt.  Omygosh, eat it.  It's awesome.

Brownies

So brownies are pretty dang good, and super easy when out of the box.  I've never cared for any recipes I've searched for, but finally...one has been discovered.  I had to change it around a bit to make it exactly how I want it, but shouldn't all recipes be like that?

What you need:

1/2 cup butter (melted, either in sauce pan or in microwave)
1 cup sugar (don't use powdered sugar, even if you are out of granulated sugar...seriously, bad call)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons milk
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Combine all wet ingredients, mix dry ingredients, stir into wet ingredients.  Pour into greased/powdered round pan (use cocoa powder silly gooses).  Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.  You can top it with your favorite chocolate glaze or frosting while the brownies are still warm if you like, too. 

Smoked Sausage with veggies and rice

This is one of my favorite recipes.  It's so easy, tastes good, and it's so much healthier than most typical supper yummy foods.  I consider it a good late spring/early summer meal.  Best part is that I think it costs us about $7 to make it and feeds all of us (and usually enough leftovers for Josh to take to work for lunch).

Recipe:

Smoked Sausage
1 bag of frozen veggies (we get the kind with green beans, peas, carrots, and corn)
rice (however much you expect to eat, we do about 2 1/2 cups of rice)
1 1/2 tablespoons Instant Smoke liquid (optional)

Slice the sausage and throw in a large skillet with a little olive oil.  Once it's heated through, mix in the veggies with a quarter cup of water.  Put lid on and cook at medium, stirring occasionally, until veggies are done.  Add in instant smoke and simmer 5 minutes.  Serve over rice.

Now how hard was that? 

5/11/12 Freebies

I've been pretty busy trying to push out a couple articles for Yahoo! so I've really slacked on my blogging.  Sorry guys!  I'll throw up, er, post...a new recipe tonight if all goes well.  If not, well, I have no excuse other than I'm being lazy (or the kids have knocked me out, tied me up, and thrown me in a closet). 

Free subscription to Baby Talk

Free SHAPE work out music download

Garnier Fructis Sample (did I already put this on here? Oops!)

Free Redbox Movies (they text you one free code a month)

Tofurky Tuesdays-Vegetarians Magazine and Info -- you pledge to eat meatless meals once a week, which will help the grocery bill!! :)

Free Subscription to Martha Stewart Living --you have to take a survey about breakfast foods. 

Free sample of Parent's Choice Formula

Let them eat cookies....

I'm a junk food junkie.  I admit that after my middle child told me that stomach looks like a butt when I lean forward that I felt inclined to cut out some of the junk food.  It sucks, but when I do eat something terribly horrible for me it just tastes that much better.  Moderation.  I can do it.  Pfft.

So in honor of my butt-stomach slowly fading, I'm posting two cookie recipes just for the heck of it.  Be kind to your tummy and share some cookies! 

Easiest Peanut Butter Cookies Ever

Mix 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, and 1 cup of crunchy peanut butter.  Drop by spoonfulls, flatten, crisscross with fork, bake at 375 for 10 minutes, sprinkle with sugar.  Ta dah!

My Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

1 cup butter
2 large eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 cups oats
1 1/2 cups raisins

Mix all ingredients but flour, salt, soda, oats, and raisins. Stir in flour, salt, soda.  Add in oats and raisins.  Cook 10-12 mins on greased pan at 350.

Super Duper Easy Stroganoff

I could care less about stroganoff.  It looks gross and it's just pretty...well...just looks gross.  But Josh and the kids love it so I've learned to tolerate it.  I'll actually get seconds now since I've discovered this recipe.  It's still an under $10 meal and fills up the whole family (and it's soooo easy).

This is the whole recipe--if it's too hard for you than you probably shouldn't be cooking in general.  Tehehe.

Ingredients:

1-2 lbs frozen meatballs
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup
milk
egg noodles

Add soup and milk to crock pot and mix with a whisk until you get the consistency you want.  I like it just a tad bit thicker than gravy.  Add the meatballs, stir, put the crock pot on low for 8.  Right before serving boil the egg noodles.  There.  That's it.  Not too bad, right?

Save some stinking money 5/8/12

I know this blog is primarily recipes made on the cheap, but why not give you some tips on saving money in other areas, too?  I've learned how to save money the hard way so I might as well take that hard earned knowledge and share it.  Some tips may seem obvious, some you may not not be willing to try, but hopefully some will be just what you needed.  Worth a shot.

1.  Get rid of the home phone!  Do you really need it?  I'd rather save $20 bucks a month and stick with my cell.  That's $240 a year people.  Think about it.

2.  Quit riding your brakes!  I'm serious. Gas costs way too much money to waste and those of you that are constantly braking are losing gas.  Once your car is going, inertia keeps it going, and you're not using gas.  But once you start tailgating grandma in front of you, you're going to be hiting those brakes and in turn hiting the gas to speed back up.  Find a good speed and keep it (just keep it safe).

3.  Do you really need cable or satellite?  We don't even have either one.  We get netflix and hulu plus on our tv which costs about $15 a month.  We get all the shows we want.  The downside is Josh doesn't get all of his sports so we will be getting satellite soon, but for now I'm enjoying not paying that bill.

4.  Grocery Shopping?  Bring a list and don't go hungry.  I'm serious.  Only buy what is on your list.  It's way too easy to grab a little extra here and there or assume you need a new bottle of ketchup (and then go home and find a full bottle hiding behind an old bottle of grape juice). 
          *Give the clearance aisle a try.  Something on your list may be there.
          *See what's on sale.  If it's something you use and has a long shelf life (canned foods as an example) it's a good idea to stock up.
         
5.  Screw the Joneses!  Not literally mind you.  But if you find yourself forking out extra cash to impress the Joneses then you're being dumb.  Yep, I said it.  Dumb dumb dumb.  But money buys you happiness you say?  Wrong again!  Freedom from debt or other financial stresses can bring you happiness. 

Okay...that's all my tips for today.  I'll post more as they come to me.

Feel Good Hamburger and Biscuit Stew

It's like a million degrees outside but it's cloudy and dreary looking.  It appears to be a cold, winter day...as long as you stay in the house under the a/c.  So due to the rain and my need to stay in sweats all day I thought my family should have a nice comfy feel good stew.  It's also a good way to get rid of the almost empty bags of frozen veggies stashed in the back of the freezer.  We don't waste food people! 

Actually, I do waste food.  I used to at least.  I'm so not a fan of leftovers.  There are very few meals I will eat the next day.  Luckily Josh is sort of like a garbage disposal of leftovers.  He's pretty nifty.

Once again, I'm just going to give you the basic ingredients you need.  If you have different preferences (or different veggies) then go for it.  It's a stew.  Hard to go wrong.

The recipe:

1 lb ground beef
2 tomatoes, diced
8 ozs tomato sauce (you can substitute the tomatoes and sauce for a can of diced tomatoes, undrained)
1 jar of beef gravy (or you can buy the seasoning to make your own brown gravy)
2 potatoes, diced (skin on or off-up to you)
1 medium sized carrot, thinly sliced
1/2 cup frozen lima beans
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup frozen green beans
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 can refrigerated buttermilk flaky biscuits

Cook hamburger, add all ingredients except biscuits in a large saucepan.  Bring it to a boil and then let simmer at least 20 minutes (the bigger the potato chunks the longer it'll take to cook).  While it's cooking take the bicuits out and cut each biscuit in half.  Then pour the stew into a 9x11'ish glass pan.  Take each biscuit and stick to the sides of dish, cut side down.  Bake at 350 for 15-20 mins or until bicuits are done.

All done!

5/7/12 Freebies

It's Monday.  Mondays suck.  How about some free stuff? 

Sample box of Quaker Oatmeal Squares (my kids actually like them!)

TRESemme sample--you have to watch a short video

Meow Mix sample

Mango Pineapple tea sample (Lipton's new flavor)

Arm & Hammer toothpaste-sample size  This link may not work.  Try typing http://tryahsensitive.com/ rather than clicking on link.

Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed peppers are one of the family favorites, and it can be made for under $10 if you buy your veggies in season (or even better if you grow your own veggies!).  It's not all that hard to make, either.  This is my recipe, so feel free to change it however you like (for instance, most people put onion in there's.  Josh doesn't like onions but prefers mushrooms...which I'm not putting in this recipe.)  Make it yours.

Ingredients:

6-8 bell peppers
1 lb ground hamburger
1 can tomato soup
2-3 diced tomatoes
8 ozs tomato sauce
2 cups rice, cooked
seasoning of your choice (garlic salt, pepper, etc.)
shredded cheese

Cook meat, drain.  Add seasonings, tomato soup, sauce, and diced tomatoes.  Let simmer.  Meanwhile, cook peppers until tender.  Drain.  Stir rice into sauce mixture and then stuff in to peppers.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Bake until bubbly at 350.

5/5/12 Freebies

I have an addiction to free things. I really can't help it. Luckily, free things are good things to be getting (unless it's something you don't want...like a free cold. But that's dumb, and I'm not posting links to free colds...I'm just pleading my case...and digging a hole a bit deeper as you truely see my inner geek-or outer geek for those who really know me).

So at least once a week I'm going to put a few links up to freebies that I've already applied for. But there's some basic guidelines to getting freebies.

1. Don't use your everday email. I have a "spam" email, and a personal email. Sometimes you need to verify via email to receive a freebie but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

2. Yes, you have to give them your real address. How else are you going to have it sent to you, silly?!

3. If it sounds shady or they want you to buy something else with it, don't do it. Not worth it.

4. And the last, don't be greedy. If you end up with 10 posters of Tony Hawk telling kids not to smoke (I asked for 2...and got 10...it happens) then pass them on to other parents or teachers or anyone else who can make use of them. If you applied for a size 2 baby diaper and received a newborn then don't throw it away. Pass it on to someone expecting a baby or stick it in a bag of clothes you'll be donating. A lot of times coupons come with the samples. Every little bit helps.

Those are my personal rules. Use your head people. :)


May 5, 2012 freebies

Prilosec OTC sample


Purex Detergent sample


1 year of Shape Magazine. Small survey about yogurt required!


Color Scents Garbage Bag sample (free is free!)


Harley Davidson Dark Custom Sticker

Bodacious Botato Knock-Off

When I was 21 I was stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana.  I absolutely loved it there.  The culture, the nature, the new foods, the swampy areas, the terrible storms, the streets that flooded within 5 minutes of said storms...it was amazing.  Granted I was 21 and to me, Louisiana is a happy medium of the speed of California and the humbleness of the South.  And it was there I saw my first daquiri drive-thru shop.  Amazing.

Also, just down the road from the base in Bossier City is a little restaurant called Bodacios Bar-B-Q.  My best friend, Trinity, and I would go there for something they called a "Botato."  It was love at first site.  Long lasting love at that.  No one can make a botato quite like their's, but I have been making a few since I've moved in memory of  the Bodacios Botato.  It's under $10 dollar to make enough for the family, and if you buy a whole bag of potatoes you're obviously left with future nights of mashed potatoes, fried potatoes, baked potatoes, baked fries...well, a lot of potatoes. 

On to the recipe.  Make it.  Eat it.  Show it the love and affection it deserves (until you scarf the poor thing down and suffer indigestion shortly after...and find yourself cursing that poor botato). 

What you need:

6 potatoes, already baked (I did mine in the microwave)

1 1/2 lbs of shredded BBQ pork (we used a tub of Lloyds)

Shredded cheddar cheese

Sour Cream and BBQ sauce if needed

Cut open the potatoes, stuff them full of the pork, top with shredded cheese, and then put in the oven at 350 for about 20 mins.  Top with extra sauce and sour cream.