Quick variation of "Lebanese rice" and chicken

1 packet Lipton (extra) noodle soup
1 packet mahatma saffron rice
2 c water
1 tbsp butter
Chicken breast, cubed
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Dried dill
Salt/pepper to taste

Bring 2c water to a boil, add butter, toss in saffron rice, mix, cover and reduce to simmer (about 20m) When there is approximately 9
Min remaining add soup packet. Stir to incorporate and re-cover.

Marinate cubed chicken in olive oil, lemon juice, and sprinkle with dull and salt and pepper. Cook a few minutes each side until juices run clear. Serve on top of rice, add a vegetable on the side, and enjoy:)

Balsamic chicken with artichoke basil pesto pasta and veggies

Another meal with similar ingredients to the last Non-allergenic meal I posted, but a different spin.

This time I made mini rotelle pasta, mixed it with an artichoke and basil pesto (no nuts) and tossed in some lightly sautéed zucchini, squash, halved grape tomatoes, green olives and topped it off with cubed balsamic chicken breast (marinated breasts in balsamic vinegar (about 1/4c, honey (about 3tbs), and olive oil (about 11/2tbs) and cooked stove top on the griddle.

Super easy, healthy, yummy and it went over well with the whole family.

Honey Dijon Chicken w/Israelli cous cous, sqaush and zucchini

My newborn has major food sensitivities and is exclusively nursed, which means I get to eat a special needs diet free of all dairy (including sheep and goat products), soy, and- at least for the moment-nuts (particularly peanuts).

Not fun. Or easy. And definitely requires thought, label reading, and planning out. I figured I'd document meals here to help others who may have need of a common allergen free meal option.

Tonight we had honey Dijion chicken breast served with isrealli pearl cous cous and sautéed zucchini and summer squash (with good extra virgin olive oil and a clove of garlic.)

It was good! And prep to plate 20 min or less.

I eyeballed about 3tbs of Dijion mustard, about 3tbs honey and two cap fulls cider vinegar and mixed together. Then I cut my chicken breasts into thin pieces for ease of cooking and covered them in my Dijion mix, sprayed my stove top griddle with a little cooking spray and cooked over medium heat about 4 min each side.

The cous cous I made according to instructions-11/4c water to 1c cous cous and a little salt, simmer 8min covered.

I sliced the squash and zucchini and threw them in my wok already heated with a healthy dose of evoo and 1clove minced garlic and sautéed them until the zucchini was a beautiful bright green-this makes them tender and juicy, but still firm.

I served the veggies over the cous cous and the chicken on the side and it was a hit with everyone, 2 year old especially!

Flash Freezing

I found this flash freezing tutorial on one of my favorite cooking blogs called "Yes, Divas Can Cook". At first I thought it may not be worth the hassle to flash freeze, but she sold me on it. Here's why:

1. It's healthier than frozen express meals you buy in the store. Less salt and preservatives.
2. It's cheaper to make your own. As she points out on her blog, one of those store bought express meals will feed 1-2 people, while making your own at home can feed 6-8 for half the price.
3. You can add your own ingredients. You're not limited to the what's available in the store. And with picky eaters, that's a plus. I can make a meal with veggies in one bag and omit them from the other.
4. I like the idea that I can make a few frozen meals while the kids are in school, then pull one out on days when I just don't feel like cooking. Heat for 10 minutes and serve.

I love that she takes these meals to her pregnant friends. What an awesome idea! :)

Pork Tenderloin with Mushroom Peppercorn Sauce

My Dad recently gave me this recipe for pork tenderloin. I have yet to try it, but it sounds easy and delicious.

Pork tenderloin (up to 3 lbs)

Garlic powder

Dry Ranch dressing mix

2 cans Campbell’s Golden Mushroom Soup

1 teaspoon brown mustard

¼ cup (or ½ a stick) of butter

salt

pepper

How to cook tenderloin: Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and dry Ranch dressing mix. Cover and marinate in refrigerator overnight.

Roast tenderloin at 375 degrees for approximately 25-30 minutes, depending on size. Internal temperature should be at least 160-165 degrees for doneness. Let meat rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing. Tenderloin should be a bit pink inside, otherwise the meat is overdone and can become dry.

For peppercorn sauce: Mix both cans of soup, brown mustard and 1/2 a teaspoon of black pepper in a sauce pan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Cut butter into small chunks and add to sauce, stirring constantly to incorporate.

Serve gravy over warm, sliced tenderloin.

Feb 10-17

Thursday-Oscar Meyer Angus dogs, to be exact. Chips and fruit.
Friday-Chicken tacos/fajitas with avocado
Saturday-Fettucine alfredo with asparagus
Sunday-Mediterranean chicken skewers with zucchini and saffron rice. For the chicken I'll just marinate it in lemon juice, olive oil and mediterranean spices. Then skewer them with sliced zucchini and broil.
Monday-out? I shouldn't have to cook on Valentine's Day, right? :0)
Tuesday-Homemade mac and cheese, broccoli and smoothies
Wednesday-Chow mein

Feb 1-6

Monday-chicken alfredo with cheesy garlic biscuits
Tuesday-meatloaf, mashed potatoes and salad
Wednesday-stir fry and rice
Thursday-sandwiches and smoothies
Friday-chicken fajitas. I recently discovered Gourmet Garden herbs and I love them. They make cooking so much easier.
Saturday-pizza or something out
Sunday-crockpot chili and cornbread

Back to It

Now that the holidays are officially over it's time to get back to meal planning. Yay. No better time to start than the middle of the week, right?

Wednesday: Sesame noodles with chicken and broccoli
Thursday: Raviolis and salad
Friday: Chop chop chow mein. This recipe has become a favorite.
Saturday: Pasta primavera and garlic bread
Sunday: Chicken tacos

Chop Chop Chicken Chow Mein

I'm always looking for recipes that are fast and easy. After spending time in Stockton over the Christmas break and gorging on delicious Asian food, I searched the internet and found this easy recipe for Chicken Chow Mein. I made it for lunch today and it was really good. It will definitely be one of my go to lunch/dinner meals. What's great about this recipe is that you can use any kind of meat you like. You can even make it vegetarian.

"Chop Chop Chicken Chow Mein"

Ingredients:

Chow Mein Noodles-You can use fresh or dry. I used dry because they were cheaper.
2 Tbs ginger, minced
2 Tbs garlic, minced
chicken breast or tenderloins, sliced
scallions, sliced
carrot, shredded
snap peas
shittake mushrooms
(Of course you can use any veggies you want, these are just what is used in this particular recipe. I omitted the mushrooms and added bean sprouts.)

For the sauce:

1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
2 Tbs sesame oil
2 Tbs rice vinegar
1 Tbs brown sugar
1 Tbs corn starch
1/4 water

Directions:

Cook noodles according to package. Drain and run under cold water. I also added a few drops of sesame oil to keep them from sticking. Set aside.

Add 2 Tbs oil into a hot pan. Cook ginger and garlic for a minute. Add chicken to brown. Add veggies. Stir fry for a minute or two. Mix together all 6 sauce ingredients. Add sauce to pan and stir to coat. Add noodles and toss. You're done!

Serves 4-6 people.

California Eggs Florentine

Tonight we had Brinner-Eggs Florentine style. So good. So fast (literally, 20 min or under). So easy. And cheap--at least for us, as we seem to always have bacon, eggs, and English muffins on hand. In fact, we usually also have avocado and tomato around the house, so not too many ingredients need to be picked up at the store.

California Eggs Florentine

English Muffin (one per person)
Eggs (two per person)
Spinach-Fresh baby spinach best
Bacon (two slices per person)
Tomatoes (I used 1 small Roma per person)
Avocado (1 should be enough for 4 people)
1 clove garlic
1tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp vinegar
packet Hollindaise mix
1 c milk
1/4 c butter
salt/pepper to taste
Tabasco to taste


Step 1: In a large skillet fill 2/3 way with water. Bring to a boil. Add 1 tbsp vinegar. reduce to a simmer. Crack eggs first into a small cup or container. Gently place in water. Cook about 3 minutes or until desired doneness.

Step 2: Place your bacon on a griddle and cook. (As many pieces as needed/desired per person. I use one slice per side of toast, split in half.)

Step 3: saute spinach with garlic and olive oil (you'll be able to do this while waiting for the egg water to boil)
Spinach-I used about 4 cups for two servings
1 clove, garlic
1 tbsp olive oil

Heat Olive oil in a small sauce pan. Add minced garlic and saute until the smells release then add in spinach. Saute until the color looks right for your preference. Set aside.

Step 4: While your spinach sautes and your bacon cooks start your Hollindaise sauce. I cheat and use a prepackaged mix. All it takes is 1 cup milk, the packet, and 1/4 cup butter. Whisk, bring to boil ,then simmer for one minute while it thickens. Make this last bc it is best fresh. (After you get this going it will probably be time to place your eggs in the water.)

Step 5: Slice tomatoes (I use Roma) and Avocado and toast the English muffins. As many as you need for the number of people you are serving. I used two slices of each per side of English muffin.

Step 6: Begin assembling the Eggs Florentine.Place English muffins on plates. Top each side with tomato, avocado, spinach, bacon, egg, and Hollindaise sauce.

I top it all off with a splash of Tabasco and a dash of salt and pepper.

And voila: pure yumminess that is sinfully good...even the baby ate one whole side!

O-M-GOOOOOODNESS

I'm nothing if not consistent: I didn't cook a lick all summer and into fall, but today is cold and windy with slight showers and I absolutely had the URGE to cook up a nice hearty feast, with a nod to the season of eating ahead. I even had the urge to cook meat-which I almost never do. (To date, that remains firmly planted in the hubby's territory.)

I made, if I do say so myself the most fantastic meal tonight (and I do...but the hubby confirmed it, and he wouldn't necessarily say he didn't like something, but he would eat only enough to be polite--and he cleaned his plate and asked for seconds).

Best part? It took 30 MIN (yes, that's right) from the start (as in washing veggies) to finish (as in my fork delved into this delish meal). And that included cleaning as I went for the most part.

I dived right into my latest Cooking Light magazine and made these Pork Chops (only I substituted cuts of small pork loin, cooked 4 min per side, quadrupled the portion of seasoning and oil rub per loin, adding a dash of red chili flakes into the mix and substituting a mix of dry Italian seasoning for fresh rosemary (bc I had it on hand)). I'm very pleased with myself because this was my first time EVER cooking lamb and it was PERFECT: soft-melt-in-your-mouth texture, juicy, not undercooked but no where near overdone, and super yummy flavor.

I also made the mashed "maple hazelnut sweet potatoes" featured in the magazine with the pork chops, only I used yams, slightly increased the amount of maple syrup, and added a quarter cup of shredded parma-reggiano, and eliminated the hazelnuts (opting to throw them in the salad instead)--SO creamy and delectable! Jacob, who claims not to like yams, practically licked the bowl clean after finishing his portion.

Maple Yams
Pierce 2 sweet potatoes with a fork, wrap with a wet paper towel and microwave until done. Let stand 5 minutes then peel skin, mash to desired consistency, add 1/4 cup milk, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup, 1/4 cup shredded parma-reggiano, 1 teaspoon sea salt. Combine and serve.

Then I whisked together an adapted version of the salad dressing recommended in the magazine, but put my own salad mix together:

Honey Dijon Vinaigrette (so good, so easy, so cheap)
1 1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 tablespoon cracked lack pepper
1/4 tablespoon salt
1 minced garlic clove
2 tablespoons olive oil (gradually whisked in)

Mixed Mediterranean Style Salad
I bought a tin of organic mixed baby greens and added 1/2 thinly sliced Fuji apple, 1/2 cup red Holiday grapes-halved , a little under 1/4 cup crushed whole dry roasted hazelnuts, 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese, and about 8 large spiced blood orange marinated green olives (available now at Whole Foods) and poured in the marinade into the salad before drenching with the salad dressing and mixing. Oh MY GOSH. SO. DANG. GOOD.

Try it. You'll be glad you did. It wasn't super cheap, but it wasn't super expensive. Admittedly I had the seasonings and grapes on hand, but the portion of food used for the meal was about $18 total. Though it cost more than that at the store for the lettuce and cheese particularly, I have enough of those left for at least 3 more salads.

Recommended preparation:
While the yams cook, prepare the seasoning and rub down the lamb, prepare the vinaigrette.

While the yams cool, cook the lamb, toss the salad, and finally, prepare the mashed the yams.

Finis!

Southern Food and Key Lime Pie

Yes, I've been slacking on my menu planning this summer also. But-I have been spending less on food. I've been trying to use more food storage and recipes that are cheaper to make. Though I've been taking advantage of the $7 meal deal at Albertson's, which includes one rotisserie chicken, a side of slaw or macaroni salad, 4 hawaiian rolls and a 2 liter of soda. I also like the $5 Friday deals at Von's. Sometimes it's pizza, other times rotisserie chicken or sub sandwiches.

This week we are eating leftovers from our Southern supper. That includes collard greens and chicken and dumplings. I usually use Paula Deen's recipes for Southern cooking.

I also thought I'd post the ridiculously easy recipe I use for key lime pie. It's so tasty and I feel guilty taking any credit for it. It's only 4 ingredients total. The recipe can be found on the back of Nellie & Joe's Famouse Key West Lime Juice bottle.

Nellie & Joe's Key Lime Pie

one 9" graham cracker pie shell (or you could make your own-I never do!)
one 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
3 egg yolks (no whites)
1/2 cup Nellie & Joe's Key West Lime Juice

Combine milk, egg yolks and juice until smooth. Pour into pie filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, until pie is set.

Let stand for 10 minutes before refrigerating.

Serve with whipped cream or not!

So easy. So good.

Dinner Menu-Small Mommy

I almost stuck to my pantry challenge last week. I broke down and bought some frozen chicken instead of using the canned because I wanted to make Christopher barbecued wings. But I don't feel too bad about it because it turns out he LOVED them. And that hardly ever happens!

So here are some dishes I will probably make in the next 2 weeks:

Chicken and white bean chili with cornbread

Meatloaf with loaded mashed potatoes and possibly fried okra. By the way, I figured out how to get Christopher and Nathan to eat meatloaf! I saw online that one mother cooked her meatloaf in muffin tins and covered them with barbecue sauce instead of ketchup. Well, it worked. Christopher loved it!

Barbecued chicken and red onion pizza on flatbread

Pasta primavera and garlic bread

Cheese enchiladas and salad

We bought an 11 lb box of medjool dates from our Palm Springs trip, so I'm going to try to find something to do with those.

I also bought a new blender today and I'm excited to start making milkshakes and smoothies.

Scalloped Tomatoes

Ok, so that doesn't exactly sound quite as good as it *looks.* I watched the Barefoot Contessa yesterday and she prepared the most yummy looking scalloped tomatoes that I just HAVE to try them. I plan to make them for dinner tonight, most likely paired with a Quiche Lorraine (unless I grow too lazy by the time dinner prep arrives, in which case we will have a simple cheesy/mushroom/bacon omelet) for an unexpected breakfast-but-hearty-enough-for-dinner combination.

Week 7: Tall Mommy's Menu Plan

Better late than never--this week has been crazy. This Sunday we are officially in charge of Primary and I have been running around like crazy trying to get organized!
So, here it is, my (lazy and totally non-impressive, but, hey, at least we're eating) menu plan:
Monday: Eat Out
Tuesday: Sloppy Joes (couldn't be easier-follow the directions on the back of McCormick's seasoning package for sloppy Joes and then I add a little sugar, a little chili powder, and finely chopped yellow onion and bella mushrooms).
Wednesday: Egg salad sandwiches, of course...what else is one to do with all those Easter eggs?! Random recipe, but oh so tasty. To get the perfect hard boil eggs (heat uncovered on medium until boiling then turn off heat, cover, and let sit about 10 minutes (prevents a green ring). Add a little vinegar to the water to prevent any leaking if they crack.)
Thursday: Jacob has a late basketball game, and he doesn't like eating big before a game, so I'm making my fabulous Quattro Leoni salad, and we'll probably have left overs later.
Friday: Pizza out.
Saturday: Maybe fish again, if we can find a nice cut (otherwise filet mignon) with rice pilaf and steamed brocollini.
Sunday: I have a meeting at church at 3; Jacob has one at 1:30, so I'll make my tried and true BBQ pulled pork so it's ready when we can eat it.

Week 6: Tall Mommy's Menu Plan

Can I just say I'm so glad we're doing this menu planning project? Because if we weren't, last week would have been when my noble goal coasted a little south, and this week would be when it died a slow and painful death. Seriously, if not for the menu plan last week we may have had cereal for every meal, every day last week for lack of food in the pantry and motivation to fix it...which, you know, isn't such responsible parenting for a growing one year old.

Gramme is here visiting tonight, tomorrow and going home Tuesday. We plan to celebrate accordingly with tasty eats...including making small mommy's yummy mascarpone dip and buying lots of fresh fruit with which to enjoy it.

Monday: FHE at the fountains, including Big Spoon frozen yogurt and who knows what for dinner? Something tasty and random, not eaten at home.

Tuesday: FatBurger, a no frills burger joint at the casino on the Indian Reserve. The Burgers are pretty yummy and the thick fries are to die for, with the shakes coming in a close second. Gramme wants to check it out...and she heard no complaints from us!

Wednesday: Something beef free! Quattro Leoni salad (my absolute favorite!) and loaded baked potatoes (creamy ranch sour cream, crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar, and chives).

Thursday: lighten it up with grilled fish, cous cous, asian slaw, and a vegetable.

Friday: I know we did take out twice already, but I'm breaking all the rules this week. I'm thinking chinese, or I'll let the hubby grab one of his (disgusting) fast food burgers, give the baby (her favorite) chef boyardi spaghetti rings, and I'll make (a very yummy) salad loaded with veggies and drizzled (err...drenched?) in a sweet and tangy asian sesame dressing.

Saturday: General conference all day, and Jacob has priesthood session in the early evening. I'll probably make sloppy joes for lunch, with left overs for either an early or late dinner and cereal or salad in between.

Sunday: EASTER! Dinner at the in-laws. Yummm.

Breakfast: smoothies, fresh fruit, boiled eggs (of course!)
Snacks: crackers, cheese, fruit
Lunch: pasta salad, grilled cheese, baked beans...keeping it simple and things I can make and serve both me and baby girl
Sweet treat: mascarpone dip, smores

Basic Crepe Recipe

Ok. Here it is-my basic crepe recipe...which isn't really mine, per se. I have no idea where it is from originally; it's been in my recipe book since I studied in Italy and a roommate made us crepes from scratch. Changed. My. World. So I learned how, and here it is for your enjoyment. So simple. So cheap. Sooooo yummy.

BASIC CREPE

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons butter, melted
2 large eggs
sometimes I add a little vanilla, sometimes I don't

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Combine milk, water, melted butter, and eggs in a blender. Add the flour mixture to milk mixture, and process until smooth. Cover batter; chill for 1 hour.

Heat an 8-inch nonstick crepe pan or skillet over medium heat. Pour 1/4 cup batter into pan; quickly tilt pan in all directions so batter covers pan with a thin film. Cook about 1 minute. Carefully lift the edge of the crepe with a spatula to test for doneness. The crepe is ready to turn when it can be shaken loose from the pan and the underside is lightly browned. Turn crepe over, and cook for 30 seconds or until center is set.

Place crepe on a towel; cool completely. Repeat procedure with the remaining batter, stirring batter between crepes. Stack crepes between single layers of wax paper to prevent sticking. These can be made several days in advance and stored in the fridge, between wax or parchment paper and sealed in a zip lock.

Once you have this down, you can make what you like. A favorite in our house is the tried and true Strawberry Nutella dessert crepe. We also like mascarpone and Nutella, chocolate and banana, apple and cheddar cheese, and many dinner crepes.

Enjoy creating your own sweet and savory crepe treats! Posted below is one of my favorite dinner crepes:

California Crepe

Yellow onions, thinly sliced
Green onion, sliced (about 1/2 cup)
Marinated artichoke hearts (about 3-4 per crepe)
Baby spinach (about 2-3 cups raw leaves)
Sea salt, freshly ground pepper
Sun dried tomato pesto
Sour cream
Avocado, sliced to squares
Cheese, any mix, shredded (I used asiago and mozzarella)
Chicken, coked and cubed

Saute yellow onions in medium skillet. Add salt, pepper and any other seasoning you desire. Add spinach. Stir until spinach wilted. Remove from heat and set aside. Slather crepe with sun dried tomato pesto, add avocado and artichoke hearts then heap spinach and onion mix on top. Sprinkle green onion and cheese (as much as desired) on top. Fold like a burrito and place on a cookie sheet, seam side down. Broil (low) in oven until tops of crepes slightly golden (about 1 minute). Remove. Serve with sour cream on side (I mix a small amount of oregano in mine for extra flavor)

Week 5: Tall Mommy's Menu Plan

Another busy week with too much to do and too little energy with which to accomplish it all...and we got our first gas and electric bill (yikes!) for the new place, so I'm feeling particularly sluggish AND frugal this week.

Monday: Costco-pizza slices, $1.50 each, $1.50 smoothies to wash it down. Perfect. Total cost? $6.

Tuesday: Picked up a frozen Margherita pizza from Costco, making it tonight. Chunks of buffalo mozzarella, large basil leaves, pesto marinara, and heirloom tomatoes. Yummm. $9.99. Picking up a pre-bagged caesar salad mix to go with it-$2.50. Total cost? You guessed it: $12.50.

Wednesday: Homemade mac n cheese with jarlsberg cheese-picked up a 2.2lb block for about $6. Serving with garlic bread. Actual cost of portions used for this meal should ring in around $5.

Thursday: Jacob has a basketball game at 9, so he'll probably eat a really late lunch and do take out post game (so none of it comes back up during all that running). I'm thinking of giving small mommy's chicken pot pie a try-hubby isn't too keen on the dish, so it's a perfect opportunity for me!

Friday: Ward Fiesta party at church! Yummy mexican food will be served. We're bringing a nacho bar or enchiladas...depends how lazy we get.

Saturday: No idea. Hubby will be meeting with the renters mid-evening and I think mom will be up to visit, so I think we'll play it by ear. I'm leaning toward rice pilaf (have tons of it in my pantry) some sort of grilled fish and caramalized tomatoes.

Sunday: Either peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or grilled cheese and tomato basil soup for an after church treat. Maybe loaded baked potatoes and split a filet mignon for dinner.

Breakfast: smoothies and eggs.

Lunch: fruit, mac n cheese, tofu, baked beans, sliced deli meat and cheese...mainly items on hand and maybe take out one day.

Snacks: fruit, cereal, bread and cheese

Sweet treat: Mascarpone and nutella crepes with strawberries and homemade whipped cream

Week #5 Small Mommy's Menu Plan

So, last week I veered from my original menu plan because I got sick. But we still had corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day, thanks to my wonderful husband. And it was really good too! ;0)

Alex doesn't get paid again until the end of next week, so this week is going to be a challenge as far as meals. I'm determined though. Let's see how well I can do no budget at all!It's really all about what we have on hand this week.

Monday: Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas-I'm using the recipe from Real Mom Kitchen. I don't have olives, but they are only about $1.50 or so.

Tuesday: Pasta Primavera and garlic bread-Just noodles, frozen California Blend veggies, olive oil, parmesan and seasonings. And depending on if I have time or not, possibly garlic bread. I will try this "Easy Peasy" recipe. Otherwise, it's store bought for $2.

Wednesday: Minestrone soup and cornbread-My own version of minestrone, anyway. I use chicken broth, spaghetti sauce or italian stewed tomatoes (which ever I have on hand), kidney beans (from food storage), carrots, onions, yellow squash (frozen), bay leaf, italian seasonings, a handful or two of whatever pasta I have on hand.

Thursday: Corned beef and cabbage-again! But we love it. I bought two corned beef pieces last week, one big one for St. Patrick's Day and a smaller one for only $2! I don't have cabbage on hand, but cabbage is about $1/lb.

Friday: Kid's choice. Maybe Costco. I've been loving Costco. For $8 I can feed all the kids and myself. If we still have $8 by then. If not, it will be something else!

So, total, if we do go to Costco, for the week will be $13. If not, $5!

Beefy Corn and Black Bean Chili w/ Cheesy Corn Bread

Both Cooking Light recpies; these come from their "5 ingredient, 15 minute cookbook"...love that magazine.

Beefy Corn and Black Bean Chili

1 lb ground beef
2 tsp salt-free chili powder blend
1 (14oz) package frozen seasoned corn and black beans (you can totally use canned varieties of both)
1 (14 oz) can fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
1 (15oz) can seasoned tomato sauce for chili (such as Hunt's)
Sour cream (optional)
Green onions, sliced (optional)

Combine beef and chili powder in a largepan/dutch oven. Cook over medium heat until beef is browned, stirring to crumble (around 6 min). Drain well.

Stir in corn mixture, broth, and tomato sauce; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 min. Uncover and simmer 5, stirring occasionally.

Serve, garnish with sour cream and green onion.

Cheesy Cheddar Corn Bread
2 c self-rising cornmeal mix
1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/4 c sour cream
1 large egg, lightly beaten
butter or butter flavored cooking spray

Prehat oven to 425

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; stir just until dry ingredients moistened. Pour batter into an 8 inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray or butter. Bake at 425 for 20 minutes. Remove from oven; coat top of corn bread with cooking spray or butter. Return to oven; bake an additional 3 min or unil a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean and corn bread is golden. Serve!