2 For 1

I am still trying to figure out exactly how I want to write my blog. Do I write something daily, a couple times a week, once a week or a couple times a month?  I guess I will write as topics or ideas come and see where that goes.

So here's another idea I had and I am calling this entry 2 for 1 because this is a recipe I was able to stretch into two dinners. I came across this chicken recipe and I think someone had called it Cilantro Lime Chicken, but I have put my own twist on it, of course!!

Crock Pot Cilantro Lime Chicken

1 Whole Chicken (buy when they are under $1/pound)
Fresh Cilantro Sprigs
2 Whole Limes
Minced Garlic or whole garlic cloves
Salt & Pepper
Paprika or Smoked Paprika
1/4 Onion, sliced

Take the whole chicken and rinse, remove any neck & giblets from cavity.
Place in Crock Pot.
Place minced or whole garlic cloves in cavity (about 4-5 cloves or 2 tsp minced)
Pierce 1 lime and place in cavity.
Stuff with some of the Cilantro sprigs.
Take 2nd lime and squeeze the juice over chicken.
Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper and paprika to taste, then place onion and more cilantro around chicken.
Cook in crock pot for 6-8 hours on low.

When it's done, I take the skin off and the meat falls off the bone. I serve this with black beans and rice or Spanish rice. 
The reason I call this a 2 for 1 is because I use the leftover meat from this chicken in Chicken Enchiladas or another chicken dish.  
I have made a variation of this chicken with lemon and Rosemary sprigs, so play around with this recipe. I used the leftover lemon chicken in a penne pasta with pesto dish a few days later or you can make homemade pizzas using the leftover chicken meat.
I love picking these whole chickens up when they are on sale, so I can get a chicken for about $5, which is a great deal. But then to make 2 meals out of it is awesome!!
My friend Marianne had told me about picking up a Rotisserie chicken from the local supermarket deli, honestly I had completely forgotten about that.  You can do the same thing with that, and then stretch your chicken even further to make chicken stock out of the carcass. Just add an onion, garlic, celery, salt & pepper and maybe even some white wine.  Then freeze that for another time.

That is my idea for the day! Enjoy!!


 

What's for Dinner?

I don't know how you feel about that question, but it's like nails on a chalkboard to me.  That question and the ordeal that ensues frustrates me to no end.  But there is hope, I believe, to this age old dilemma and my family and I have combined our resources to make this a question of the past.  Now maybe this isn't an issue for you and if that's the case, YAY!!!! But for us it has been a source of tension to say the least.  
Here is what my husband and I came up with and so far it has worked beautifully and no more tears (on my part that is). Usually on Sunday our family likes to watch a movie or one of our favorite shows we may have recorded, but before we turn on the T.V. I bring out my recipe box, recipe binder and various cookbooks and have everyone pick at least two dinners to put on the list that will be on the fridge for the next couple weeks.  Once I see what everyone is in the mood for, I create my shopping list off of those menu ideas.  I don't attach any particular day or date to that recipe because I then look at the local grocery ads to compile my shopping list.  I just have a running list of ideas and then make sure I have shopped prior to putting that list up so I am sure we have all the ingredients necessary for that meal. Once we have that meal, it is crossed off the list. Super simple!!
Now someone may have already come up with this idea, but for us, it has been so nice for me to be able to look at the list and not drum up ideas when I have had a long day or know I will be running all day. It has also saved us money on our groceries and gas as I am trying to limit my runs to the store, which I know drives up our grocery spending.
So that is my tip for the day, hope it helps and please share your ideas with me, I love to be able to share ideas!! As my dear friend Marianne says, "You inspire me"!

HAPPY 2012!

I am not usually one to encourage people to buy into the New Years resolution thing, but in this case I am jumping on the ban wagon.

I admit that the New Year naturally gets me thinking about goals and things I want to accomplish in the coming year so I have decided to blog about being "fashionably frugal".  I am by no means a coupon clipper, yet I do get inspired when I watch an episode of "Extreme Couponing."  I am equally inspired to de-clutter when I watch an episode of "Hoarding: Buried Alive"...as well as wanting to buy stock in a variety of cleaning products! As I come across ideas, recipes or great deals, I will share those with you in my blog.  I realize there is a wonderful website called Pinterest, and I do like it.  But I haven't exactly figured out how to navigate through all the visuals nor can I figure out how to find a recipe.  I only see the pictures.  So this blog may not be of interest to some of you, which is perfectly fine, but hopefully it will save you a little time or even better money!
I know I said I was tired of turkey but here is a recipe my family just loves on a cold winter day and it makes a ton of leftovers to put on baked potatoes for another meal.
I use ground turkey because I find I like the texture better and can usually find it on sale.

Here is my recipe of the week, Enjoy!

Turkey Chili

2 lbs lean ground Turkey
1/2 Onion diced
3 cloves minced garlic (the kind in the jar works great too!)
2 cans Black Beans (drained & rinsed)
2 cans Pinto or Kidney Beans ~ you choose (drained & rinsed)
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes (you can use all crushed tomatoes if you prefer)
2 14.5oz cans petite diced tomatoes
2 Tbs Chili Powder
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper (to add a little kick, very optional)


Brown ground turkey, onion & minced garlic in pot.  Drain well.
Drain and rinse beans. Add beans and all remaining ingredients to pot. 
Simmer on low for at least an hour or place in crock pot for 6 hours on low.
Serve with shredded cheese and whatever else you like on your chili.
Chili is even better the next day!


I would love to hear what you think, how you might have tweaked this recipe or any tips or tricks you have discovered.




 

No more Turkey, Please!!

So if you are like me, I have had a little too much turkey in the last week or so, I thought I would share a couple simple recipes that DO NOT involve turkey or chicken for that matter!

First I have a wonderful Pork Carnita (that's what I call it anyway), I got this from a friend so I thought I would share it.

Crock Pot Pork Carnita
1 3lb boneless picnic pork roast (again, you can usually find these on sale for around $2 a pound)
1 lb dried pinto beans
Water
1 can diced green chiles
1 Tbs. Cumin
2 Tbs. Chili powder
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Oregano
2 cloves minced garlic

Place pork roast in crock pot, sprinkle dried pinto beans around roast and cover with water. Be sure all pinto beans are completely covered in water.
Add remaining ingredients.
Simmer in crock pot 8 hours or more on low.
Before serving, shred pork and stir.
Serve over corn chips, lettuce and top with cheese, sour cream and your favorite salsa.

On that same theme, I threw together something my family just loves and it was just because I had so much leftover rice.
Just following Dave Ramsey's advice of eating beans and rice to curb our food budget (don't know about Dave Ramsey, check out his amazing financial advice!!).


Beans and Rice (side dish)

3+ cups leftover cooked rice
1 can beans, drained (I used black beans, but you can use any type you prefer)
1/2 cup or so of your favorite salsa
Shredded cheese

Warm first three ingredients in the microwave until hot, top with cheddar cheese and that's it!

Enjoy!!

You Asked For It!!

O.k. ladies, you asked for it, so here it goes.
You were all so encouraging today and I just want you to know how wonderful each of you is and what amazing Mom's you are!! I am blessed to know each of you.
So here is one of the recipes that I shared with you today, but did not write down. I really don't know what the name should be...maybe Pulled Pork!

Pulled Pork
3-4 lb Boneless Picnic Pork Roast
1 packet Good Seasons Dry Italian Dressing Mix
Favorite BBQ Sauce

Place Pork Roast in Crock Pot (frozen or thawed)
Sprinkle Italian Dressing Packet over the whole thing.
Place lid on Crock Pot and cook for 8+ hours, the longer the more tender it will be.

Shred cooked pork with a fork and add your favorite BBQ sauce for pulled pork sandwiches or sliders.
Serve on Hamburger buns or Slider buns. Add a salad and a veggie and you have a quick, fairly inexpensive dinner with hopefully some leftovers.

It really is that simple. I usually watch for this type of roast to go on sale for about $2 to $2.50 per pound. Winco has it on sale at times in a bulk package. If you get 6 lbs or more, split it and put half in the freezer to use with the Pork Carnita Recipe I gave you.

Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Life Just Got a Little Simpler...

Okay, here is a wonderful little tool I thought I would share with you in case you are finding your head swimming, trying to keep track of everyone's schedules. We all have our systems, unfortunately the "system" in my house was to just ask Mom what events were coming up, I seemed to be the only one who knew. There would be tension in the house because I got super tired of everyone asking ME...I'm not a computer for goodness sakes!!
So here is a great resource one of my friends suggested and I wanted to pass it along to you.
This is a free online calendar and mobile app called Cozi: http://www.cozi.com/
Just click on the link and you can set up this free application that your whole family will have access to through their mobile devices or computer. My kids have Ipods and my husband and I have smartphones so it is perfect for everyone to view and add their events to, but you can also use your computer. Cozi will generate email reminders if you want it to, for each member that has an email address. How sweet is that??
I especially love this tool because I can create shopping lists for each store we visit and then I just text my husband to stop by a particular store on his way home, he accesses the store shopping list and voila', we have communicated very efficiently!!
It has also created a more peaceful and harmonious home for us in that, now when I am asked "What's our schedule look like?" I simply reply: "Did you check our calendar?" Yay, Mom is way less stressed and everyone can take responsibility for their own schedules!!
I LOVE THIS APP!! Thank goodness for technology!

Making our Mark...

There is a lot of pressure to be successful. According to the worlds standards, being successful is about the car we drive, the house we live in, the "toys" we possess and the job we work at. I have had family members comment on our decision for me to stay home and not use my college degree. I was asked one day, "Don't you think you wasted your time in college getting a degree you will never use". Okay, that's an interesting perspective! Dave and I were talking about the idea of success and making a mark in this world the other day. It is funny how the world can distract us from our original goals. When we decided I would quit my job and "sacrifice" the monetary rewards that come from both of us working, we had other goals in mind. Our goal was to raise up kids that would be strong, confident, have a heart for God and be influential in impacting others for Christ. Seemed like a simple enough goal, but little did we realize the challenge we would be up against. Each decision was a personal one, for our family alone. I never thought...oh, everyone should do what we are doing. That is the cool thing about God, he is a very personal, individual God, who wants us to pursue Him the way we were designed to, with our own gifts and talents.
In the course of parenting our three really great kids, I have, at times, lost sight of our original goal; to raise up kids who are strong, confident, have a heart for God and will be influential in impacting others for Christ. It isn't about the material, they will not be able to take it with them nor will a new car or bigger house help them to influence others for Christ. Those things are the distraction in so many ways.
What got us talking, was Dave realizing he had become distracted from our original goal by the lure of climbing the corporate ladder at his job, he realized that by pursuing other positions within his company, he could possibly be sacrificing what he had set out as a goal...influencing and coaching our kids. Now, don't get me wrong, getting a better job or changing jobs or better pay is nice and helpful in this economy. But for us, it became a distraction, the new job could potentially take Dave away from home more often and for longer periods of time. In this season of parenting, the kids still need us, our time and attention, our coaching and guidance, it is very different than when they were younger, but they still need us.
So for now, the mark we are making may not seem very glamorous, but Dave and I need to keep our eye on our original goal, we need to be content with where God has us and content with the path God has us on in this parenting journey. Who knows what the future will look like, but if our mark is 3 kids that go out and influence and change their corner of the world, that is going to be an incredible ripple effect to be sure!
Just more thoughts on this thing called parenting!