Mom's Lemon Chicken

 My mom 

makes the most insane lemon chicken!!!

It is amazing and incredibly satisfying anytime of year. She has been making it since my brother and I were little and I recently had the opportunity to get the recipe.

Begin by pounded 3-4 chicken breasts flatten them out nice and good so they will cook evenly.  

Then place 1/2 cup of flour in a pan with some salt and pepper.  Then crack a couple of eggs into another pan. 

Then begin to zest 3-4 lemons into another dish.  It may seem excessive, but I assure you it is totally worth it !!

Dredge the chicken through the eggs and let all the excess drip off then dredge it through the flour.  Then pour 2 tbs of olive oil into a frypan.  Place each chicken breast in the pan and brown it on both sides.   Then place the browned chicken into a baking dish.  Then add 3 tbs of brown sugar on top of each chicken breast.  Then add all of the lemon zest on top. 

Bake it in an oven for 20 minutes at 350 and you will have one happy family !!! 

Enjoy !!!

pesto wonder

Basil is so cheap right now it's wonderful.  Basil being so cheap right now means one thing and one thing only pesto, lots of pesto, and more pesto !!! 

Pesto when made properly is heavenly.  I adore it. 

Plus it is so insanely easy to make as well.  When basil is so cheap it's great to make and freeze after for a later date as well. 

You need the following items:

• Basil and lots of it.  Maybe a good 2-3 cups
• 1/2 cup of Parmesan 
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup of pine nuts 
• olive oil 1/4 cup or so 

And that's it !!! 

Whiz it up in a food processor then mix it into some freshly cooked pasta preferably the swirly kind like see below.  It's amazing !!!!!!!

Life can't get any better than that.  Some fresh pesto pasta and grilled chicken !!! 

Enjoy !!!

Frugal Meal Planning and Guest Post from Creative Kristi !!!

Hi all! My name is Kristi and I blog over at Creative Kristi. I blog about life, frugal living, crafts and DIY home renovations!


When Kaleena asked me to guest post about my frugal menu planning I was really excited. I did two posts earlier this year about how I feed my family on $140 every two weeks but I didn’t really touch on how I choose my recipes or where I find them online.  Just a note: We eat almost entirely organic or natural and I shop mainly without coupons.


I have a couple ‘go-to’ cookbooks that I use: Betty Crocker Cookbook: Everything You Need to Know to Cook Today, 10th Edition and Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food but 80% of the recipes we (Military Man-aka Hubby & I) use come from free sources online.


Here is a sample menu plan from the beginning two weeks in March of this year:

Menu Plan:We use a simple calendar printed from Microsoft Word and filled in with the recipes that I choose for the two weeks that I shop for groceries.


Week One:

Monday March 1- Northern Beans & corn bread

Tuesday March 2- Aloha Chicken & a veggie (From Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food)

Wednesday March 3- Baked Potato, a veggie & Stove Top stuffing

Thursday March 4- Taco Night with homemade refried beans & homemade taco seasoning

Friday March 5- Homemade pizza (dough recipe from Betty Crocker Cookbook: Everything You Need to Know to Cook Today, 10th Edition)

Saturday March 6- Pasta noodles with from the jar sauce and a veggie

Sunday March 7- Breakfast for dinner (whole wheat pancakes from Betty Crocker cookbook, turkey bacon & scrambled eggs plus fruit) You can also find whole wheat pancakes at The Happy Housewife too.

Week Two:

Monday March 8- Mexican Chiken Skillet (this is one of my favorites!!)

Tuesday March 9- Southwest Brown Rice/Black bean burgers with homemade hamburger buns (this is a new recipe for us to try)

Wednesday March 10- Cream Of potato Soup (again a new recipe to try)

Thursday March 11- Homemade Mac & Cheese (from Deceptively Delicious cookbook)

Friday March 12- Tuna salad sandwiches (from Deceptively Delicious cookbook)

Saturday March 13- Sloppy Joes made with ground turkey (from Deceptively Delicious cookbook)

Sunday March 14- Moroccan Spiced Chicken (can not find the link online- I'll post the recipe below it's really simple)

Week Three: (oh yes we are entering week 3 on the same $140 budget)

Monday March 15- Turkey Chili (from Deceptively Delicious) This one is a favorite among Hub's Army co-workers when we make way to much and he has to bring the extra to work.




Here is the list of recipes and where they came from (with links if appropriate):


 Veggie Lasagna


Black Bean/Brown Rice Burgers


Zucchini Garlic Pasta


Tacos-pretty self explanatory (lettuce, refried beans, tomatoes, taco seasoning, sour cream, taco shells)


Spinach Bacon Quiche


Potato Soup


Veggie Pasta Shells


Pizza-from Betty Crocker (or since it’s summer Pizza on the Grill)


Shipwreck


Mac & Cheese- from Deceptively Delicious (there are plenty of recipes online though)


Mini Meatball Sandwiches


F.F.Y. Night (Fend For Yourself Night)- this is where we eat up leftovers or make our own sandwiches, etc.


Tuna Macaroni Casserole

If you clicked on any of the links you will notice that there are the ‘big 3’ websites I use most frequently: The Happy Housewife, Prudence Pennywise and Frugal Family Recipes. I also use: About.com, Blissfully Domestic, The Pioneer Woman and when in doubt I Google “cheap dinner recipes” or some other similar phrase.


I didn’t find these websites by accident- I actively searched for frugal recipes. I had to because sometimes (well most of the time if I’m honest) the big ‘food’ websites have recipes that just have ingredients that are very expensive. Once I found one website I would click through the links they put up when they would say “Recipe Adapted From” and then I would search around that site.


The key is to find a website that ‘matches’ up with your lifestyle. For example I love Pioneer Woman but she doesn’t cook things that I usually cook/eat. The Happy Housewife does, so I usually stick with her recipes and just throw in PW’s recipes every once in awhile.


So to summarize how to find frugal recipes online:


1. Google frugal dinner recipes


2. Find a site/blog that does mainly recipes and follow it (e-mail subscription, Google Reader, etc.) Here’s a hint: you are reading this post on one such site- you might want to subscribe now while you are here!


3. Follow the links from that site/blog to other sites and search around for food recipes.


4. Most of the cheapest meals don’t involve meat. Unless you find a killer sale at the grocery store make sure you only plan one or two meals a week with meat- the rest should be meatless. So do more searches for vegetarian recipes then for ‘chicken’ or ‘beef’ recipes.


In addition to the above websites here is the quick and fast list of links I peruse regularly looking for frugal organic recipes: Simple Bites; it’s sister site: Simple Organic, Smashed Peas &; Carrots, AllRecipes.com and Nourishing Days. Here’s a great post on organic groceries on a budget.


If you want to know more about how I menu plan-without coupons and what I make from scratch please go read my previous posts on the topic: Frugal Menu Planning


Thanks Kaleena for having me over to guest post!


Please Check out Creative Kristi, she has a lot of great advice and information on how to frugally shop not only for food, but to improve and implement techniques in your home you can do yourself.  It's definite must read !!!

Enjoy !!!

Vegan Tamales and Guest Post from The Crafty Owl !!!

       


I have been making vegan tamales since I became a vegan years ago. I Love tamales not just because they are delicious but for many other reasons too.  Tamales are a traditional Hispanic meal. On Holidays and special occasions the entire family will participate in making tamales. It is considered a family tradition in the Hispanic culture. 


I appreciate and admire their culture very much. Being born and having lived in California for 20 years I was exposed to a lot of  authentic Mexican food and miss it very much. One of my favorite smells is the smell of steaming tamales filling my home. Isn't it awesome how certain smells can trigger past memories. So making tamales is my way of remembering and reminiscing the amazing food and experiences I had in California. 


Tamales are fairly easy to make but you should plan on spending a few hours in the kitchen because they are time consuming. I guess by now you may be be wondering why I am doing a cooking blog on cooking when my blog is centered on crafts. Well my friend Kaleena asked me if I would do a guest post for her on her cooking blog and I loved the Idea. So I would like to say 


Thank You to Kaleena for letting me share my favorite recipe her and her followers. I hope you enjoy making tamales as much as I do.

You will need 

• Corn Husks
• A few large bowls
• A large/tall steamer pot

Or if you don't have a steamer insert  you can do it the Mexican way and use a large/tall pot and a disposable aluminum casserole pan flip it upside down and punch a bunch of holes in it with a fork or knife. Personally I like to use a knitting needle. Hows that for being crafty and frugal in the kitchen! P.s. don't throw it away you can save it and use it to steam practically anything!


For the Masa
4 cups Masa Herina or Masa Flour
1 cup softened vegan margarine
1 tbs baking soda
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
salt to taste
approximately 3 cups HOT water

For the Filling
1 box Spanish rice and diced tomatoes
1 jar tamatillo salsa
1 package of Soyrizo  ( I used Melissa's)
1 package of Field Roast Mexican Chipotle style sausage (Chopped)
2 cans chopped green chilies


(makes approximately 30)

 Directions


       First you will need to boil  6-8 cups of water. While you are waiting for the water to boil you will want to separate and clean your corn husks. I usually only use about half of the package. Once you have them separated and cleaned place them in a large bowl and pour the boiling water over them. You will want to let them soak for at least an hour. ( Tip: Often the corn husks will float above the water level so I will place another large bowl on top of them and place a few  canned goods in the top bowl to way it down. This will ensure that all the husks get submersed in the water.) Set aside.


       To prepare the filling you should start by making the Spanish rice according to directions. In another large bowl or pot you will want to add all the filling ingredients and mix together. Once the rice is finished cooking you will add that to the filling and mix well. Set aside.

       To prepare the masa  you will want to start by adding the cup of softened butter to a large bowl. Personally I like to mix in the butter with the masa flour first. it will get crumbly. Then I add the spices and baking soda and Hot water but add just one cup of water at a time. I enjoy using my hands to mix the masa but you can use a spoon or a mixer.  ( Tip: You may not need to use all the water the end result of the mix should the the consistency of really thick peanut butter and easy to mold.)

        To assemble the tamale you will want to take a corn husk and lay it flat. You can spread on the masa with a spoon or you can use your hands. Again I prefer my hands though. You will want to use about 2 tbs of masa mix and spread it from the top but leave room at the bottom to fold.  You will want the mix to cover about 2/3 width wise. Then you will add a scoop of the filling and fold the husk. (see pictures below.)

         ( Tip: Some of the corn husks are smaller you can take two small corn husks and layer them together to form a bigger husk. Don't get to technically thought they do not each have to be identical with exact measurements. You can make every one a different size it does not matter.)
Once you have all of your tamales assembles you will want to place them in the steamer pot. Leave at least an inch of space between the tamales and the water level in the pot. You do not want them to touch the water. Cover pot with a lid but leave room for steam to escape and steam for 1 hour and 15 minuets to and hour and a half. Once done you should allow to sit for at least a half hour before eating! Enjoy

         



Enjoy !!!

what 4 people can do in 4 days

Back in July my brother, husband, good friend Kat, and I ascending on Montreal.  The trip was planned to see Tim Minchin  

Tim Minchin is one of the most talented entertainers I have seen or have had the pleasure of being in the presence of.  He is a talented musician from Australia that is highly intelligent and utterly amazing. 

So when we realized he was going to be in Montreal and that we were only about 4-5 hours from being there we new we had to get tickets.  Tim Minchin was schedule to be at the Just for Laughs festival and I don't even think we thought for more than just a second about booking tickets. 

The show was unbelievably.  He is so talented.  I can't say enough to justify how amazing it was.

We even were able to meet him afterwards it can't get any better than that !!

Part of the reason why I wanted to post about this weekend was our sushi experience and some of the other weird food finds we were able to see.  These were some delicious cheese bits we found at a local IGA.  That was one of the best things we did while in Montreal to save money.  We went several times to local IGA's to shop for lunches in ended up saving us a lot of money.

The next best thing we did was go to one of the best sushi restaurants I had ever been too.  It was the type of sushi restaurant that has the belt loop going around the restaurant and whatever you wanted to choose from it you take then pay accordingly.  It is the best thing to do if you want to try several things and never had the guts too.  

I saw a fruit sushi pizza on the menu and I totally wanted to try it.  It wasn't horrible it wasn't great, but I was happy that I tried it. 

The sushi belt was amazing.  It was great we saw something roll by that we wanted and we just took and tried it.  

The veggie rolls were the best !!! 

Next on our stop was the alternative comedy show at midnight.  It was suppose to start at midnight, but didn't until about 1 in the morning so we ended up getting home at 3:30am but it was amazing.

We saw greats like Kyle Kinane

Todd Barry !! 

Noel Fielding 

Mr. Paul F. Thompkins 

That's my tired husband with Kenny from Kenny vs. Spenny !!

  

We had about a 4-5 hour trip on our way back to Maine when we left Montreal.  When we had exited Canada we ended up coming across this massive lake outside of Eustis, Maine.  We couldn't resist stopping to take a swim. It was like we were in a movie from the 50s it was fantastic.  

As you can see we were pretty happy as Kat took a picture of us in the lake. 

I have nothing but love for this trip.  Almost a month later all I want to do is recreate and go back.  I don't think its possible.  This trip will always be such a clear memory for me.  It was the most amazing trip I have had with 4 people in a short 4 days.  

Enjoy every moment !!! 

Breakfast protein muffins !

Adapted from: Annie's Eats 

My all time favorite breakfast is multi-grain toast with peanut butter and banana on it.  So when I came across this recipe I knew I had to try it. 

I wish I could have one of these muffins for breakfast each day and there was an endless supply of them in my freezer.   I think I should get on it and get baking.  I need to bake 30 or so of them at a time and then I would always have one if I wanted it for breakfast.  It is an all encompassing muffin that has everything you need.  Protein, dairy, fruit, and pure goodness for a breakfast on the go.  It's utterly perfect !!

You begin by incorporating the following items into a bowl.

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
  

Then you must combine your wet ingredients into a separate bowl.

• 2tbsp. applesauce
• ¾ cup light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup mashed banana (about 3 bananas)
• 6 tbsp. creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup low-fat buttermilk

Then mix your dry ingredients with your wet ingredients and mix thoroughly. Then set your oven for 350 degrees and prepare your muffin cups.  This muffin mixture will make about 18  muffins.

Then spoon your mixed up batter into the muffin pan and get ready to pop those bad boys in the oven !!!

Bake them for about 18-20 minutes and you will have yourself one of the most healthy and delicious breakfasts that is not only filling, but you can honestly feel good about eating it.

When you take them out of the oven they will look something like this below.

Then to complete your amazing breakfast frost that muffin with about 1 tbs of peanut butter and top it with some fresh banana or any kind of fresh fruit you have and holy bananas you have yourself one amazing breakfast !!!

Enjoy !!!

Insane Tequilia Lime Chicken

Adapted from: The Pioneer Woman 

This tequila lime chicken is unreal.  It's fabulous and I really want to make it again this week.  I am deeply in love with this whole meal and it was certainly a hit with my husband as well.  It's so good I am not going to waste any time talking it up and I am going to just get to it, because you need to make this tonight !! 

Begin by combining the following ingredients into your food processor this will make up your marinade that you must marinate overnight.  

• 3 whole limes, juiced
• 5 cloves of garlic, whole
• 1 tsp of salt 
• 1 whole jalapeno
• 1/2 cup of cilantro 
• 1/2 cup of tequila 

The next day, after marinating your chicken overnight, combine the following items in your rice cooker or saucepan to make some delicious spanish rice.

• rice about 1/2 cup 
• 1 can of fire roasted canned tomatoes 
• 4 tbs of garlic, minced 
• 1 onion, minced 
• 3 bayleaves, take them out when you serve it up
• 1 tsp of cumin, more to taste 

This recipe was originally for the grill, but being that I am an apartment dweller I figured broiling it in the oven would turn out just fine.  So I set my oven to 500 degrees and cooked it about 9 minutes on each side until the juices ran clear.

Then I made up some quick refried beans.  They were not technically how I think they are made, but they were delicious.  All I did was heat them up in a saucepan, add in about 1 cup of pico de gallo or some more fresh salsa, then puree them a little with a hand blender.  They were amazing and such a good side to this meal.

The original recipe I found also said to melt montrary jack cheese on top of the grilled chicken once it was cooked.  I thought this was going to be a little excessive, but it was unreal !!! 

So here it is, beautiful Tequila Lime Chicken, some Spanish Rice, some fake Refried Beans, and an Avocado and Tomato salad on the side.  It was heavenly and amazing !! 

There was also so much that was made with this delicious meal that we both had leftovers for lunch the next day and it was even better the next day for sure !! 

Enjoy !!!