Kale and Quinoa Egg Muffins

This post is about breakfast, the most wonderful meal of the day. Sunday, also known as prep day, is spent making breakfasts for the week, snacks, and dinner plans. I am not a very organized person and I am on the lazier side so spending an hour or two on Sunday afternoons ensures that my husband and I are not stopping for fast food breakfast/dinner, eating too many calories and spending extra money.

I'm sure that you have seen many pins on Pintrest featuring egg baskets or mini frittatas, its the same concept, but I call them egg muffins. I called them mini frittatas and my husband looked at me like I was crazy.  You can really make these any way that you want. Today I made 2 types: Kale and Quinoa with Ham and Ham and Cheese. My husband loves the Kale and Quinoa muffins, because there is plenty of protein for him after he leaves the gym in the morning and helps keep him full for at least a few hours. Hey, my man likes to eat! Just kidding, he is very active during the day at work so he needs lots of fuel. These muffins really will keep you full until lunch time.

I purchased all the ingredients at Sam's Club. Once I purchase everything needed for this meal it is enough to last 1 month. Total cost was $24. If you only eat this Mon-Fri for 4 weeks, that is $1.20 per day!  I usually purchase the Path of Life Kale and Quinoa mix at Sam's Club. If you don't have a Sam's Membership, that's ok. Per the manufacturers web site it is also sold at Publix and Wal-Mart. You can enter your zip code for store locator www.pathoflifebrand.com/store-locator/
 It really is worth the purchase, because it is easy to make and the mix can be used with lots of different meals.

Ingredients: Kale and Quinoa Ham Egg Muffins (makes 24 medium muffins or 48 mini muffins)
1 cup egg whites (equivalent to 12 egg whites)
1/2 package deli ham (i used Oscar Meyer smoked ham) diced into small pieces
1 bag Path of Life Kale and Quinoa mix


Get Cooking: Prep: 5-10 min Cook: 15-20 min (oven preheat 400 degrees F.)
The Kale and Quinoa cooks in the bag in the microwave for 4 min. Spray your muffin tin with cooking spray and place diced ham in tins. Spoon 1 TBS of cooked Kale and Quinoa mix onto ham. Pour egg white over mix to the top of tin. Place in oven and cook 15-20 or until eggs are firm. There is no need to season with salt as the Kale and Quinoa is pre-seasoned with sea salt and the ham provides great flavor.

I store the muffins in zip lock bags (3 medium muffins or 6 mini muffins per bag) and keep them in the fridge for up to a week. Each morning just pop the bag open and microwave for 30-45 sec. Don't worry about microwaving the muffins in the bag the super foods Kale and Quinoa counter act the plastic toxins and protect you from any worrisome carcinogens.

Like I said before, you can add anything to the muffins. I made 12 muffins that had ham and shredded cheese only. You could add peppers and mushrooms, or even spinich. If you dont have access to the Path of Life Kale and Quinoa mix, don't worry. Quinoa is very easy to make and it adds great fiber and protein to your meal.

Per 3 muffins:

calories 193
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 2 g	3 %
Saturated Fat 0 g	2 %
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 10 mg	3 %
Sodium 763 mg	32 %
Potassium 0 mg	0 %
Total Carbohydrate 6 g	2 %
Dietary Fiber 1 g	2 %
Sugars 0 g
Protein 31 g	62 %
Vitamin A	11 %
Vitamin C	15 %
Calcium	2 %
Iron	5 %

Cajun Chicken Alfredo with Zucchini Noodles

So it has a been a while since I put on my wordsmith apron and let you peak into what we are eating for dinner. The lack of posts are a culmination of reasons, the most predominant reason being, life. I still cook most nights of the week. I still look for a bargain anywhere I can find a deal. And most importantly, I love to try something new. At work almost everyday I ask everyone what they are making or what they have made for dinner. I do this not only for general conversation, but also to get tips and ideas from everyone else. There is no way that I would be able to plan an elaborate meal every night. I work full time, most weeks over time. I have an elementary aged child with homework every night. Spring sports are about to gear up, of which my husband is a coach. And I am a wife that likes to enjoy the company and down time of her spouse. What keeps me sane in our busy life is cooking easy, delicious, low budget meals!
With that being said most recipes that I try usually have limited ingredients, limited prep time, and limited cook time. At my house we love spicy foods. Our dog is even named Spicy (that was actually her name when we adopted her.) I find a lot of recipes on Pintrest and ultimately modify them depending on what ingredients I have on hand or to add the heat (remember, we like spicy foods).

In general I make two meals on Sunday nights, one for dinner and one for the next night. My husband always takes left overs for lunch so I try to cook a meal in advance. That way diner is ready when I get home (anywhere between 5:30-6pm). Also, my husband will start to warm dinner up when I am on my way home. This is easier in my household. We typically eat dinner by 6-630pm, complete homework, baths, and then I cook the next nights dinner around 7 or 8pm. Then its time to catch up on the DVR.

Now here is the reason that you have read this blog.... or if you are like me, you have bypassed the entire post and have gone straight to the recipe. Its ok, I understand.

Cajun Chicken Alfredo with Zucchini Pasta
(I have made this with Fettuccine noodles and it is as delicious, but I have a Vegetti that was getting dust on it, hence the Zucchini Pasta). We are currently trying to incorporate more vegetables and less carbohydrates into our dinner meals.

Ingredients (I shopped at Aldi and Sams for the meat, total cost for entire meal was about $8)
1 lbs chicken breast
3 medium Zuchinni/ or Fettuccine noodles if you prefer, but not both
1 cup grape tomatoes (halved)
1 jar Alfredo sauce
Cajun seasoning * or you can use: salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin*

1. Cut washed Zucchini in vegetable slicer. I have a Vegetti from the As Seen on TV section and it works great. Place sliced zucchini on paper towel and press to remove excess water.
2. Pound out your chicken into thin breasts (i used a rolling pin--- this helps the chicken cook faster and more evenly) and season chicken with Cajun seasoning. This amount depends on how spicy you want your chicken.
3. Cook chicken in oiled skillet over medium heat. Cook until well browned and then flip and repeat. (the darker, the more flavorful)
4. Remove chicken breasts from heat and add zucchini noodles and cut tomatoes. Saute in skillet while slicing cooked chicken.
5. Add jar of Alfredo sauce and sliced chicken. 
6. Simmer on low for 5 minutes
7. Enjoy your delicious dinner. 

The time to make this meal was less than 30 minutes. And did I mention that I cooked it all in one pot also! Now since this is tomorrows dinner, I set some aside for my husbands lunch and the rest will be ready when I get home tomorrow night.

My husband lunch for tomorrow

Zucchini noodles 

Chicken browning... make sure it gets lots of color for more flavor

Zucchini noodles and tomatoes soaking up the seasoning from the chicken

Add the Alfredo Sauce and Sliced chicken!

Easy Chicken and Dumplings

Alright, so I haven't take the time to blog in a VERY, VERY, VERY long time. I have still be using my crock pot pretty frequently and I am always looking for new easy and cheap recipes.  I still have a budget for groceries. I now go to the Grocery store twice a month and I can feel the irritation emanating from the cashier when i put all by food on the conveyor belt. I feel compelled to always over share and tell them how much I loathe the grocery store, and that I wont be back for 2 weeks.

I have read some of the blogs that say 30 days of meals for $100 or dinner for $2.00 per night. Now Im pretty cheap, but Im not looking to eat rice and beans every night. My goal budget is to spend $100 per week. This includes breakfast, school lunches, and dinner for at least 6 nights per week. For a family of 3 this allows me to make some yummy meals throughout the week. Spring sports season is starting up and I always like to have my meals planned out for the next two weeks. This not only keeps us from eating out, but also helps my hubs get anything started before I get home from work.

When I found this recipe for chicken and dumplings and I knew that I wanted to try it! I live in the south and we call it "Dumplins". I grew up eating chicken n' dumplins as a kid. My aunts can whip up an awesome pot (shout out to Aunt Donna and Aunt Lisa) which is always available during the holidays. Well, Im not one for slaving away during the week making dough and cleaning up a big ol' mess. This meal took a less than 30 min to make so Im sure I will keep this one in the rotation for sure.

Ingredients:
2 cans of canned biscuits (I used Great Value butter milk biscuits 10ct. a pack of 4 was $1.78)
3 cooked chicken breasts cut or shredded (I boiled 3 frozen chicken breasts you get in a 3lbs bag for $7)
1 32oz chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Cut biscuits in quarters. Bring your chicken broth to a boil and add uncooked biscuit dough stirring frequently for 10-15 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add cream of chicken and stir. Add cooked chicken and salt and pepper to taste.

And that's it... We added Brussels sprouts to the side and it was so darn good. There is always plenty left overs for my husband to take to lunch the next day, so that covers another meal.

One useful tip to make this cook faster is planning ahead. You can pre cook chicken breasts on Sunday or even buy a rotisserie chicken. Either way this meal is very easy to make and just as yummy to eat.

Homemade Ganola Bars

So i know that it has been a few months since my last post. I know I have been a super slacker, but this summer has been CRAZY! We bought a new home and moved, there has been T-ball games and practices, baby showers, birthday parties, and cook outs. Now that we are settled in and school will be starting soon (yay!) I hope to send out some new recipes to all those who care.
One thing that I love to prepare on Sundays are breakfasts for the week. My husband leaves the house around really early o'clock (im not sure when he leaves all I know is that it is still dark outside). And I am the type of person that has the absolute minute planned out as to when I get out of bed and still get to work on time. I have a grumpy kid who hates to get up in the morning so he usually wears his next days clothes to bed to save time in the morning. (Dont judge me) Yes, hitting snooze 2-3 times is worth it to me. I dont care about your data that says you do not get any more sleep by hitting the snooze button. Even so, we have getting up and out of the door in 20 minutes down to a science in my house. To avoid grabbing fast food or pop tart I have found and slightly tweaked a delicious home made granola bar recipe.

Disclaimer: If you have a peanut allergy I want to sincerely apologize that I have likely got you so excited about a yummy granola bar; however, this isn't for you unless you want to risk Anaphalaxis.


What you need:
1 jar of peanut butter (we are PB snobs and always have Jiff Natural)
1 12oz Honey
1 bag of Granola (I by Nature Valley oats and Honey but the Bear Naked brand is good too!)
1 3/4 cup of Protein powder (My husband always has protein powder so this time it is Chocolate Peanut butter, but you can pick different flavors too)











Directions:
Mix the honey and peanut butter together and microwave for 45-60 sec. Mix granola and protein powder together. Fold in the honey/peanut butter into the granola mixture. Press into a lightly greased pan and chill for 1 hour. You can cut the bars in the pan and it will make around 20-22 depending on how you cut it. We keep the bars in the fridge all week because if they get too warm they are a little crumbly.











Per MyFitnessPal 1 serving is
                      Cal     CHO     Fat    Protein    Na   Sugar

Per Serving:

369

34

21

17

153

20

The upfront cost for this is a little pricey seeing as though the protein powder will run you between $18-20, but it lasts for several recipes. The breakdown is about $0.50-0.75 per bar which is pretty cheap once you compare it to the Cliff Bars and Supreme Bars.

Hopefully I will get another post soon. Im currently planning a Minecraft birthday party for less than $100 and have some other budget friendly meals to share. 

Slow cooker Beef Rotini

One of my favorite go to meals is spaghetti. I love spaghetti as left overs and I love how easy on the budget spaghetti is. The only bad thing is that it can get old very quickly! I have tried it all different ways- baked spaghetti, spaghetti-spaghetti squash and it is all very good. In attempts to cook the tried and true but make it a little different I used rotini noodles.

Ingredients: Serves 4-6
1 can Hunts Spaghetti sauce (use whichever you prefer, but this is a good buy at $1 per can... Im not a sauce snob)
1 lbs of cooked ground beef
1 box of Barilla White Fiber Rotini (This is SOOO good and Kroger often has is on sale for $1, but you can use any brand that you prefer)
1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese

You obviously do not have to freeze this meal before you make it; however, I still prefer to have everything prepared before the week starts. I freeze the sauce and beef and defrost the night before. Since the meat is already cooked, you are merely warming the sauce. I cooked on high for 2 hours or you can do low for 4 hours and then set to warm. On the stove boil your pasta. I bought the Barilla White Fiber Rotini because #1: it was $1 per box and #2: the nutrition is very comparable to whole wheat pasta. Stir in the pasta and 1/2 cup cheese. Then you are ready to eat!

You can pair this meal with a side salad or garlic bread. Hope you enjoy this easy-budget friendly slow cooker meal! (The leftovers are the best part in my opinion).

Slow cooker Italian Chicken

I have come across several recipes called Italian Chicken, but this one is a little different that what you will typically find. My sister in law shared this recipe with me and is a big hit at our house. When I make my slow cooker menu I typically have both Italian Chicken and the Slow Cooker Roast recipe because they both take similar ingredients but have different tastes.

Ingredients: Serves 4-6
2-3 chicken breasts
2 packets of dry italian seasoning
1 jar of pepperoncinis

Sometimes I buy the bags of frozen chicken and add the frozen chicken breast to the slow cooker and then add the italian seasoning and full jar of pepperoncinis (juice and all). Or you can prepare it in a freezer bag ready to defrost when you need it.

Cook the chicken on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours

Once the chicken is done remove and shred. I will also typically cut up a few peppers and add back to the slow cooker. Throw away any remaining peppers that you dont need.

This time we added the chicken to slider buns and topped with Siracha Cream sauce (see my recipe on the Siracha Taco Recipe) Slow Cooker Siracha Pork Tacos

This is defininatly a great recipe and easy to make. Let me know if you have tried this before and how you served it (on rice, or did you eat it straight from the slow cooker because it is so darn good!)

Slow cooker sweet pepper beef roast

This meal is a frequent visitor in my house. It is so delicious and so simple to make. We make this with beef roast; however, we have made it with pork as well. My favorite is beef but if one or the other is on sale then I will go with whichever is easier on the budget.

Ingredients:
2 lbs beef roast (i dont get a particular cut, whichever is on sale)
1 dry ranch dressing mix
1 dry italian dressing mix
2-3 small peppers (i buy a jar of pepperoncini)
1 stick of butter (i buy the vegetable spread- Blue Bonnet)

In your freezer bag place the roast, and the dry ranch, dry italian, and dry gravy mix and freeze (obviously). I defrosted the meat the night before and added the peppers and the stick of butter on top. DO NOT ADD ANY FLUID. Cook on low for 6 hours.

Typically I serve this on buns topped with mustard. The meat will shred in the slow cooker in a delicious gravy. I think it would be good with cole slaw on top too, or even on a baked potato. This usually does not last long in the house. My husband with go back several times and get more meat before he realizes that he is already stuffed.

On the night we made this meal, I had met a group of girls from church for Lifegroup. So my husband was in charge and he made steamed cabbage and broccoli to go with the beef roast. When I walked into the house it was the worst smell ever. (Dont ever cook cabbage and broccoli on the same night- trust me!)

I also usually make the beef roast when I make Italian Chicken because they both call for dry italian mix and pepperoncinis. Make for easier shopping trip! Check out the Italian Chicken post!