10 Minute Mexican Pie

Mexican Pie

1 Can Chicken
1 Can Low-fat Refried Beans
1 medium jar of Salsa
4 - 8 oz of shredded cheese (half a bag)
1 package burrito size tortillas, corn or flour
1 microwave safe pie plate
SaranWrap

This is SO EASY! Place a tortilla in the bottom of the pie plate; it will fold up the sides a little, like a pie crust.  If you're concerned about the tortilla ripping, pop the plate and tortilla into the microwave for 10-15 seconds.  This will make the tortilla more pliable.

Layer chicken, salsa, beans, and cheese. Add another tortilla. Layer other ingredients again. Optional: Top with third tortilla. Cover entire pie plate with SaranWrap. Microwave for 8 minutes.

Optional: For a crispier top, remove SaranWrap and put under broiler for 2 minutes.

Cut into slices and serve warm. To keep with the pie theme, put dollops of sour cream on each slice. For extra pizazz, sprinkle diced tomatoes, lettuce, and cheese over the top of the pie.

Variations

• Hate canned chicken? Use hamburger instead. For extra flavor, turn it into a taco meat pie.
• Make a 7-layered burrito inspired pie! This can be vegetarian, chicken, or hamburger. Cook Mexican dirty rice according to package or make your own with this recipe. The tortilla layers will be the same; but for the inside layers, layer refried beans, rice, cheese, chunky salsa, diced tomatoes, and meat (if used). After cooking, dollop the top of the pie with sour cream and guacamole and sprinkle shredded lettuce over the top
  
• Use your bean! Use black beans, pinto beans, or ranch-style beans instead of refried beans.
• For a spicy pie, use a can of Rotel tomatoes instead of (or in addition to) salsa or regular diced tomatoes. The easiest way to spread Rotel tomotes is to mix them in with the meat.
  
• Use prepared cresent rolls or bisquick mix instead of tortillas. Also, try crushed tortilla chips or Fritos.
• Try nacho cheese or left over queso dip inside the pie instead of shredded cheese. (Think Cheesy Beef and Bean burrito!)
  

This is a new family favorite because it's so fast and so GOOD! I also love how easy it is to switch up without added too much time.

Got your own Mexican Pie recipe? Share it!

Easy Baked Chicken with Gravy

Baked Chicken with Gravy
1 - 1.5 lbs of Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or strips
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
3/4 cup milk or water
Garlic salt (or Garlic powder), to taste
salt and pepper, to taste

In a bowl, mix soup, milk (or water), and seasonings. Place chicken in a lightly greased (or buttered) baking dish. Pour soup mix over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 - 45 minutes (up to 1 hour), or until chicken is fully cooked.

Serve over rice or mashed potatoes.

Variations

• Brown Gravy is a yummy addition. Mix in a packet of Brown Gravy with your Cream of Mushroom Soup to change it up.
  
• Mushroom Gravy could also be used instead of cream of mushroom soup.
• Hate mushrooms? Try cream of chicken soup! Be really crazy and try Cheese Soup or Cream Spinach!
  
• Many soups have MSG. Look for a soup that doesn't include this ingredient, like Cambpell's Healthy Request soups.
  
• Pan fry or quick grill the chicken first to brown the outside. The chicken will cook fully in the oven.
• Throw in a bag of colorful fresh vegetables from the beginning (or frozen vegetables when 20 minutes are left) to add a greater healthy twist to this meal.
• Class it up! Mix 1 pkg Onion Soup mix and 1 small container of soup cream into the Cream of Mushroom Soup. Use chicken broth instead of milk. Quick fry Chicken in a little cooking sherry (or butter and chicken broth) with Basil and Parsley, in addition to the other seasonings. Outside of chicken should be browned. If inside of chicken is not cooked through, it will finish cooking in oven. Put chicken in a buttered casserole dish, cover with soup mixture. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes to 1 hour. Serve with (or over) Wild Rice.
  

This meal really takes you about 3 minutes to prepare, especially if you are using box mashed potatoes or minute rice. Serve with steamed broccoli or carrots...or add salad to bring some crunch and color.

This meal gives you amazingly moist, seasoned chicken. I cannot explain how happy I was to try this recipe.

Got your own quick baked chicken dinners? Share your comments and recipes below.

Healthy, Quick, and Easy Snacking!

It's been awhile, I know. I cook the same things a lot, so I didn't want to repeat myself.

However, recently, I've discovered a few new products that I absolutely love that are pretty healthy and cost effect.

Del Monte® Fruit Chillers
A smooth, individually packaged sorbet that is a great healthy great. Made with real fruit, it's fat-free and has 3/4 servings of fruit per cup. One package contains 4 individual cups, sells for about $2.15. You pick these up in the canned fruit aisle and freeze overnight. Currently comes in four flavors: artic strawberry, polar raspberry, glacial mango, and frosty peach. I've tried Polar Raspberry and it reminded me of fruit roll-ups!

Kraft Bagelfuls
Four individually wrapped, cream cheese filled bagel "sticks." These are a great alternative to a full size bagel. Keep in the freezer and pop in the microwave before eating OR keep in the fridge and eat on the go, toast, or microwave. Toasting gets the bagel part all crispy but leaves the cream cheese inside nice and chilled! Comes in multiple flavors: Regular cream cheese, Strawberry, Cinnamon, Whole Grain, and Chive. I've tried Cinnamon and Regular (only 200 calories per bagel). Whole Grain only has 180 calories per bagel. These are currently selling for less than $2 a box!

Walmart fresh fruit cups
I'm horrible because I can't remember the name brand, but Walmart is currently carrying individual fresh fruit cups. For about $2, you can pick up a single serving of pre-cleaned, fresh pineapple chunks, pineapple and mango chunks, green and red apple slices with caramel dipping sauce, or strawberries with chocolate dipping sauce. I still like to pick up larger selections of pineapple, mango, etc...but these apples and strawberries with dipping sauce are GREAT! The sauces are amazing. Every now and then you find a soggy apple in the cup or a strawberry with a bruise, but overall they have great quality control. Makes healthy snacking quick and easy!
Walmart also carries fruit trays and boxes for 2, 4, or "more." While I love picking up my own apples, peaches, and apricots, I don't know what to do with melons or pineapple. These trays are great because the fruit is already cleaned and cut slightly larger than bite size. No pre-order needed with a caterer or deli...these are always handy in the fridge section of the produce aisle.

With options like these becoming the norm, there is no reason to down an entire bag of potato chips! Caramel or chocolate dipping sauce!!! Pre-cut, hassle-free fruit selections!!! SORBET!

What are your quick and easy snacking tips? Feel free to share below!

Southern Baked Beans

Jen's Baked Beans

I should warn you know that Baked Beans are an example of my family's cooking at its most ingenious. I told you all in my first post that if it wasn't easy and fast that I didn't want to do it.

Main Ingredients:
2 cans Pork and Beans

Throw Ins:
Ground hamburger, cooked
Cooked ham or bacon
Couple big squirts of ketchup
Big squirt of mustard
Medium squirt of steak sauce
1/2 cup or so of BBQ sauce
palmful of brown sugar
onion, finely chopped


Just like the fruit salad, this is SUPER EASY! It's nothing but Variations.

Step 1: Open the Pork and Beans, pour into a pot or Dutch Oven
Step 2: Add whatever throw in ingredients you have on hand that you like
Step 3: Bake all ingredients at 350 for an hour OR let simmer on medium-low until ready to eat!

Easy Pasta Salad

Super Easy Pasta Salad
1/2 lb uncooked pasta
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 large bottle Italian Dressing
vegetables of choice (broccoli, bell pepper, olives, etc), chopped

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cooked ten minutes, or until tender. Drain and pour into a large dish. Let cool. Add tomatoes and other vegetables. Pour half bottle of Italian Dressing. Stir to coat noodles and veggies. Let sit in fridge at least 2 hours.

After two hours, do a taste test. If everything tastes fine, then this is ready to serve. It may, however, need more salad dressing. Add as much salad dressing as needed, stirring to coat. Serve chilled. May be refrigerator overnight before serving.

Variations

• Use Your Noodle. I like using spiral noodles, plain or tri-colored for this recipes because they "grab" the dressing, but any kind of noodle will do. Penne pasta is also a good grabber, and I've seen this done with fettuccine noodles.
  
• Going low carb? Who needs noodles anyway?!? Do this same recipe with just the veggies! Use tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, broccoli, and bell peppers mixed with Italian Dressing for a crunchy, zesty side dish.
  
• Don't like plain Italian Dressing? Whisk 1/2 cup of mayonnaise in with the salad dressing before coating the noodles for a creamier salad. Or try Zesty Italian or a vinaigrette.
• Try adding cubed cheese or Parmesan cheese to the mix.
  
• Class it up! Serve on a bed of lettuce, with sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and capers.
  

Got a different Pasta Salad recipe? Share it with me!

Summertime Drinking

Whether your hot because you live in the hot and humid South or because you've been outside boating, playing baseball, and generally living it up for summer, a good drink is going to be on your mind.

Sure an ice cold Coke or beer is going to hit the spot right after that big game or for dinner of fried fish, hush puppies, and fries...but getting enough canned drinks for a crowd can be expensive and then you have half open cans all over the place and there's always that one person who doesn't do caffeine or alcohol.

Cheap and easy drink are easy to come by in the summer. For your next get together, offer Sweet Tea, Kool-Aid or Lemonade, and filtered ice water in cute pitchers. Variety is key and nostalgia will keep people coming back for more.

JEN'S EASY PARTY TIP: Even if you buy a gallon of tea, a 2 liter bottle of lemonade, and a gallon of filtered water from the store, pour part of each of the drinks into a pitcher and chill. Even cheaper, plastic pitchers are better for most get togethers than setting out the original bottles. (I am also one of those people who buy frozen pies and put them on a pie plate...presentation is half the battle!)

Sweet Tea
For 2 quarts:
4+ small bags or 2+ Family size tea bags
Sugar to taste
cold water and ice

We're not talking Sweetened Iced Tea here, people. We're talking Southern-style Sweet Tea that your serve in Tea Glasses filled 2/3 to the top with ice. McDonald's, Arby's, and Popeye's all make pretty authentic Sweet Teas. So if you're unfamiliar with this beverage, 99 cents will get you pretty good taste test.

Do you have a Mr. Coffee Tea Maker? If so, you're set. If not, you can also brew tea in the sun, with a regular coffee pot (washed well so that your tea does not taste of old coffee), on the stove, or in the microwave.

Jen's Microwave Sweet Tea: In large microwave-proof bowl, add 4 or so cups of cold water and lay your tea bags around the edge of the bowl. Microwave for 8 minutes on high, turning bowl 1/2 turn after 4 minutes. Remove from microwave and let sit for 3-5 minutes. In a pitcher, add your sugar (or sugar substitute), then the liquid in the bowl. Make sure you hold back the tea bags so that they don't fly into your pitcher. Fill your pitcher to the top with cold water.

Jen's Personal Tea Recipe: 7 small or 4 family size Lipton Tea bags, 1.5 - 2 cups sugar (or Sugar substitute), cold water to fill pitcher. This recipe makes me 2-3 quarts of strong, very sweet tea.

Substitutions/Variations:

• Tea and Lemonade Half and Half
• Light (vs strong) tea with infusions of herbs (mint is fabulous)
• Light tea with light infusions of fruit and/or fruit juice -- ever squeezed a lemon into your tea? try blueberries, strawberries, peach, even kiwi

Got your own Sweet Tea recipe? Blog all about it below.

Easy Sparkling Raspberry Lemonade

• 1 (12 ounces) can frozen raspberry lemonade concentrate
• 3 cups water
  
• 3/4 teaspoon lime juice
• 1.5 - 2 cans lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage
• 1 cup crushed ice
• 1 cup fresh raspberries, garnish

In a large punch bowl, combine raspberry lemonade concentrate, water and lime juice. Stir in lemon-lime soda and crushed ice. Garnish each glass with a fresh raspberry and a mint leaf.

Substitutions/Variations:

• Can't find Raspberry Lemonade concentrate? Double the recipe and use a 12 ounce can of frozen lemonade and a 12 ounce can of Raspberry (or rasberry mixed) concentrates. OR use a fruit juice and lemonade combo, like cran-raspberry and lemonade or white grape/raspberry and lemonade
  
• Feel free to use sparkling water or Ginger Ale instead of water and lemon-lime soda. OR for an Adults Only party, substitute in some Hard Lemonade, Vodka, or other favorite alcohol for one of the ingredients.
• Like it sweet and tart? Add some fresh lemon juice and a teaspoon or so of sugar!
  
• Mint is a fun and fabulous summer garnish. Don't forget to garnish with raspberries, lemons, mint, etc. Don't have time to garnish each glass? Garnish the pitcher/punch bowl

Keeping it Cold
Sure, ice keeps drinks super cold for those long, hot summer days...but it's not the only thing. Read on below for some ideas for keeping your summer drinks chilled and keeping your guests guessing.

• Use frozen fruit. Fruit is a beautiful (and tasty) garnish. Add a few frozen raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries to any drink. For example, if you were had some regular lemonade on hand, you could add chilled lemons rings and frozen strawberries. You've just taken your everyday lemonade to Get Together level
• Make ice out of whatever you are drinking. I love ice but I don't love having a watered down drink. Just pour a little of your tea, kool-aid, lemonade, etc into an ice tray. For fun, add pieces of fruit or mint sprigs to the center of each ice cube.
  
• Make ice out of something else you like to drink. Remember how we mentioned a Tea and lemonade half and half drink and Sweet Tea with infusions of juices? Try this with different flavored ices instead (i.e. lemonade, white peach juice, raspberry). As the ice melts, your drink takes on a whole new attitude.
• Freeze your whole drink. You know you've seen this at weddings. If you are using a punch bowl, feel free to make an ice ring out of your drink. It's easy, it's cold, and it won't get watered down as it melts.

Share your own Summer Drink ideas below!

Summertime in the Suburbs

Let's face it. I'm from the South...the real South, where Summertime means Sweet Tea, Fried Chicken, Porch Swings, and Mosquitoes as big as your hand.

Summer is HOT, HUMID, and exhausting... take a day to spend out on a lake and GRILL OUT!

So I've decided to start a series on Summer Foods! I've already done a blog on the easiest fruit salad in the world. Now that I'm gearing up for picnics in the park, BBQing by the lake, and grilling on Memorial Day, what better way to remember all my recipes than to share them with you.

So, be prepared to see the following recipes:

Super Easy Pasta Salad
Easy Potato Salad
Southern Baked Beans
Jen's Awesome Sweet Tea

There will be others. By the time I finish this series, you will have all of the recipes in hand to throw the biggest, most delicious (semi) homemade Grill Out for your friends and family.

And always remember...if I can make it, you can make. Quick and easy is the name of the game when I'm gearing up for dinner.

Shopping Guide - Part 3

Shopping Guide

The Pantry

I always have certain things in my pantry and fridge. It's how I know what to buy each week, how I figure out if I can make spaghetti for dinner or grilled cheese for lunch.

Freezer
1 bag Frozen mixed vegetables (great for soups)
1 bag Frozen stir-fry (or California) vegetables
1 Pizza
1 box toaster waffles or pancakes
Ice Cream

Fridge
Gallon of Milk
Water, bottled or gallon
Other drinks: prepared lemonade, soft drinks, G2
Soy Sauce
Worcester's Sauce
Pancake Syrup, regular and sugar-free
Cream Cheese
Margarine
Sour Cream
Salsa
2 lbs hamburger meat
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken or pre-cooked chicken strips
32 oz Velveeta cheese, to be used until it's gone
1 bag Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Lunch Meat
Sliced Cheese
Mini candy bars

Pantry
Angel Hair Past
Macaroni Noodles
Regular Spaghetti Noodles
Jar of Spaghetti Sauce
2+ cans diced tomatoes (plain and/or flavored)
1 can Rotel tomatoes
2 (small) cans tomato sauce
1 can Ranch style beans
2 cans Cream of Chicken soup (Healthy Choice)
2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup (Healthy Choice)
1 can Tomato soup
Various canned fruits and vegetables
2 cans Chicken Broth
2 cans tuna fish in water
1 can chicken
Rice (boil in the bag minute rice, to save time)
Mashed Potatoes
Jif Peanut Butter
Bread
Bagels
Various small bags of cereals
Cookies
Chips

Seasonings
McCormick Taco Seasoning
Garlic Powder
Salt
Powder
Gravy Mixes
Italian Seasoning

See, I told you guys that I never go hungry. Any night I don't plan for I can fix grilled cheese with chips and fruit, chili with sour cream and rice, spaghetti with garlic bread, vegetable soup, stir-fry....the list goes on and on. I try to plan a few meals a week so the same things all the time, but just in case I decide I don't want BBQ Pork sandwich leftover, I can make something else.

This week we spent about $40 on food for the week. Most of the things I needed to make the meals we wanted were already in my kitchen. I started small. When we first moved in, I would buy exactly what we needed for the week, plus one or two extra cans of something. Like if I was making Tuna Casserole, I'd pick up a Cream of Chicken soup AND a Cream of Mushroom soup. Then I'd pick up 2 cans of tuna instead of just 1. It added less than $1 to my bill and slowly I had a full and ready pantry.

What's in your pantry? Share your Shopping Secrets!

Fast and Easy Chicken Rotel

Chicken Rotel
6-12 oz pasta, cooked
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can Rotel Tomatoes
1 - 1.5 lbs cooked chicken, in bite sized pieces
8 oz Velveeta, cubed

Mix all ingredients. Heat until all Velveeta is melted and mixture is creamy and heated through.

Variations

• 
  
  Buy Tyson trimmed and ready boneless, skinless chicken strips for a quick cooking chicken. I throw them in a pan with salt, pepper, and garlic. Then cover with Chicken Broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Cover and let simmer 5-10 minutes. Then cut into bite size pieces. This method works for any boneless, skinless chicken but the time will vary based on the size of your chicken
• 
  
  Use your left over chicken from last night OR boil a whole chicken, covered, for about 40 minutes instead of the method above.
• 
  
  Don't like Chicken? This recipe is good without it.
• 
  
  Boil your noodles in chicken broth instead of water for that homemade, took all day flavor.
• 
  
  Rotel Tomatoes too spicy? Leave 'em out! Don't use any tomatoes...or try a different flavor. Italian tomatoes are different and yummy in this.
• 
  
  Cream of Mushroom Soup can be used instead of Cream of Chicken Soup. Healthy Choice soups are "soupier" than regular soups.
• Want to really blow people's minds? Cook the chicken and pasta, then pour everything into a casserole dish and bake at 350 until bubbly (about 20 minutes). They'll think you boiled the chicken for 40 minutes, too. Heck, if your baking a casserole, you probably did boil the whole chicken.
  

Thanks for the Header

I'd like to give a shout to KAT who did my cool new Header!!! Check out her work by following the link to Katz Tails.

Shopping Guide - Part 2

I thought I'd share what we bought this week and how that corresponds to food.

Breakfast:
We have 2 toaster waffles left, 3 or so bagels (and cream cheese), and plenty of cereal... so no need to buy anything but milk

Lunch:
Take left-overs of dinner

Dinner:
1. Left Over BBQ Pork from Saturday night
2. Use Pork that wasn't BBQ-ed. Pork with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy?
3. Sloppy Joes
4. Chicken Rotel
5. Stir-Fry
6. Taco Night
7. Grilled Cheese sandwiches
We're actually ahead of the game this week. Usually, I only plan for 4 or 5 nights with Grilled Cheese as a back up. We just have a lot of left-over pork. I recommend buying a pork roast...it was only about $4.50 and it's going to feed us for about 3 days.

What I bought:
Store Brand Milk, $3.75
24 pack water, 3.88
Store Brand Bread, 1.16
Ground Beef, 2.27 (already had 1 in Freezer)
Boneless, Skinless Chicken strips, 4.96
Tyson Pre-Cooked Steak strips, 2.50
Sunbelt Granola, 1.66
Mini Snickers 8 pack, .97
1 box Store Brand Pasta, .88
Soy Sauce, 1.63
McCormick Sloppy Joe Seasoning, .98
McCormick Pork Gravy Mix, 1. 04
G2 120z, 4.98
Store Brand Pasta Sauce, 1.25
Store Brand Chunky Mixed Fruit, .88
Store Brand Diced Italian Tomatoes, .48
Store Brand Diced Tomatoes, .48
Healthy Choice Cream of Chicken Soup, 1.25
Rotel Tomatoes, .98
Swanson Chicken Broth, .98

Total for food: $37

Okay...so how what I bought translate to this weeks menu.

In Red is what I bought today and in Blue is what I already had in my pantry.

Milk, bread, and water are a given. Every week you just need more. Save money in the long run and buy yourself a water purifier for your kitchen sink. Instead of soda, this week we're trying the new G2 drinks.

The Ground beef I have will be use with the McCormick Sloppy Joe Seasoning. It also requires 1 can of tomato sauce, which I already have in the pantry.

The new Ground Beef will be used for Spaghetti or Taco Night. I always have a Taco Seasoning or Taco kit in the pantry AND I always make sure I have the fixings for Spaghetti night. That's why I picked up 1 can Diced Italian Tomatoes and 1 can of Spaghetti Sauce.

The Chicken Strips will be used for Chicken Rotel. I bought an extra box of pasta just to make sure I have enough. It also requires 1 can of Rotel Tomotoes, 1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup, and Velveeta Cheese. I will cook the the pasta in the Chicken Broth.

The Steak Strips and Soy Sauce will be used for Stir-Fry. I usually have some fresh veggies on hand or a bag of stir-fry veggies in the freezer.

The Pork Gravy is going to be used with the left over pork. I will serve it over rice or mashed potatoes. I will probably also heat up some rolls (about $2 for 15) and some green beans.

The Granola and Snickers bars are our fast snacks. I also like to pop open a can of Chunky Mixed fruit and keep it in the fridge for a quick snack (see Fruit Salad recipe).

The only thing not accounted for is 1 can of regular diced tomatoes, and honestly, I was just out and always try to have at least 1 can on hand. I can use that can in a quick chili, spaghetti, noodles with tomatoes, veggie soup....

Also, some things I buy can be picked up even cheaper, like the seasonings, soy sauce, and soups. However, I specifically look for items that do not contain MSG. Often, these items cost a few cents more than their counterparts.

Happy Shopping!

Jen's Shopping Guide - Part 1

How I Prepare

When people hear how little I spend a week on groceries ($55-85) to cover my husband and myself (and any guests we get throughout the week), I always get asked

• What do you buy?!
• Are you just cheap?
• Do you only get store brands?
• Do you have enough food?

We buy lots of stuff...junk food, healthy food, brand names, store brands. We always have enough food for the week, and usually we have left-overs for me to take for lunch the next day. We are cheap. We're tightwads. We semi-plan before we go to the store so that we kind of know what we need. That's step 1.

Jen's Basic Steps:

1. Basically know what you need before you get to the store. This doesn't mean you have to take a list or that you can't just decide to pick up those new chocolate chip cookies. But if you don't know what you need, then you'll forget something AND maybe spend money on something you already in your pantry. I just take a quick look right before I leave. Am I low on milk, mental note...didn't like that salad dressing...buy new dressing.
2. Know how you shop. Do you organize by food type? Frozen foods, canned foods, fruits and veggies. Do you have your grocery store aisles memorized? I organize by meal. In every aisle, I mentally go through what I know I need for the week to make what I want. This goes back to knowing what I need before I get there.
3. Plan your meals. This step also goes right back to step 1. Some people cook everything for the week on Saturday. Others make 30 meals in 2 days and then freeze them. One way is to have the Spaghetti every Monday, Tuna Casserole every Tuesday, etc. If one of those works for you, GREAT! They don't work for me. I come up with 4 or 5 meal ideas that I would like to make and then check the pantry for what I already have.
4. If you don't shop at a low price store (Walmart, Aldis, etc), join the grocery store's price club. Often, you can get Walmart-like prices without ever facing those crowds. At Kroger, it's just a minute to fill out the "application" and the little card goes on your keyring.
5. Check your store's price match deals. Many grocery stores now compete by matching the advertised deals of other grocery stores and Walmart. Be a little wary of dollar deal stores -- that Hunt's spaghetti sauce for $1 is really only 87-97 cents at Walmart.
6. Don't forget the coupons. I don't use them often, but if it's something I haven't tried or a 3 for the price of 2 deal, I'm not above getting out my scissors.
7. Try the Store Brand at least once. I can't stand one store's shredded wheat cereal but their pizza pockets are ten times better than the name brand. Some store brands are even manufactured by the Brand Name company and just given a different label, so you get almost the exact same product for a fraction of the price.
8. If you hate crowds, shop weekend mornings or weeknights.

Be on the lookout for other shopping tips. I plan on adding a section on what I buy each week and how that translates into meals.

Feel free to add your own shopping and grocery planning tips. Is there something that really works for you? I need to know :) I'm always revamping my routine, trying to find the perfect, efficient way to get in, get out, and get cooking.

Quick and Easy Fruit Salad

Quick and Easy Fruit Salad
Base:
1 can No Sugard Added Chunky Mixed Fruits (15 oz)
1 can chunky pineapple in juice

This is SO easy. It's nothing but Variations. Drain the can of Mixed Fruit and put in bowl. Drain half of the liquid from the pineapple. Add pineapple and rest of juice to Mixed fruit. Add other fruits and chill.

What to Add and Variations

• Add whatever canned fruit you like. Really like it? Add a large can. Not sure sure? Add one of those little, personal cans. Some canned fruits that work well are canned peaches, pears, mandarin oranges, and cherries. Peach, pears, pineapple, and cherries will be in the mixed fruit but feel free to add more of your favorites.
  
• Don't forget the fresh fruit. Real orange slices and Granny Smith apples hold up really well.
• Frozen fruits can be added, too. Make this in the morning and by the time you serve it for lunch or dinner, the fruit will be thawed. Frozen strawberries are great! Frozen peaches also work very well.
  
• I caution against using berries (besides the strawberry) in this fruit salad, but don't be afraid to make a separate Berry Fruit Salad. Yum!
• For a thicker, richer (but higher calorie) fruit salad, add 1 can of pie filling. Peach and cherry pie filling lend themselves to the overall flavor of the fruit salad.
• Can't find Chunky Mixed Fruit? Use a can of Fruit Cocktail. I like Chunky Mixed Fruit because the fruit is "chunky" and closer to the same size as the other fruits that I add to my salad
• I caution against bananas. I love them, but this salad is too wet for them and they get soggy. Ewww.

I love this recipe because it is so very healthy. I would prefer to eat fresh pineapple and melon everyday, but who has the time to break into those bad boys and then cube them? This fruit salad can be made in about 2 minutes and is a holiday (and everyday) hit with my family. If you choose to add the pie filling, this is a great addition to store bought pound cake.

Got your own quick fruit salad? Know a great fruit dipper? Share your ideas.

Hamburger with Gravy

Hamburger with Gravy
1 - 1.5 lbs of ground hamburger (or ground chuck)
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
Worcester's Sauce
Garlic salt (or Garlic powder), to taste
salt and pepper, to taste

Fry hamburger, like if you were frying for spaghetti or taco meat. After meat is fully cooked and drained, add soup. If soup is too thick, add a splash of milk to thin. Season with Garlic, salt, and pepper. Add Worcester's sauce, about 1 turn around the pan. Stir everything together and heat until warmed through.

Serve over rice, mashed potatoes, or toasted bread.  Turn it into Beef Stroganoff by serving over wide Egg Noodles.

Variations

• I got this idea from my favorite homemade burgers. You don't have to crumble the hamburger meat. Crumbling the meat is just faster. This recipe is just as great if you add the salt, garlic, and Worcester to the meat and then form into patties. Serve with gravy on thick, toasted buns.
  
• Going for burgers instead of the meat with gravy? Add some steak fries on the side.
  
• Brown Gravy is a yummy substitution. Try frying some onions with garlic and butter, then adding the meat and then the brown gravy. Heaven!
• Mushroom Gravy could also be used instead of cream of mushroom soup.
  
• Many soups have MSG. Look for a soup that doesn't include this ingredient, like Healthy Choice soups. Just remember to add salt and pepper for your tastes.

This meal really takes about 10 minutes, especially if you are using box mashed potatoes or toasted bread. Serve with broccoli, carrots, or a salad to add some crunch and color.

Without significant sides, this only serves 2-3 people. With sides, you can comfortably feed 4 or more.

Got your own quick hamburger dinners? Share your comments and recipes below.

Easy Chicken and Dumplings

(Beyond Easy) Easy Chicken and Dumplings
1 - 2 cans Chicken Broth  OR 1 can Chicken Broth, 1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can cooked chicken
1 can biscuits
1 - 2 Tablespoons butter
Pepper

Bring chicken broth to a boil. While waiting, open and drain chicken. Open canned biscuits and cut each biscuit into quarters or strips. Add butter, biscuit pieces, and chicken to broth. Pepper to taste. Boil for 10 - 15 minutes. Dumplings will be ready when biscuits are "done" on the inside (they will look bread-y).


The starch from the "dumplings" will make the broth thick.

Edit:
To keep the chicken from sticking and burning to the bottom of your pot, put in the biscuits first and then put the can of chicken on top. The chicken will hold the biscuits down and will eat up from the cooking biscuits.

Also, covering speeds up the process. And, do not touch the pot once it's covered. I used to have to stir several times as this cooked, to keep the chicken from sticking, but then I found the gem of advice above that I have passed on to you guys.

Variations

• Hate canned chicken? Reminds you of tuna? Use your left over chicken from last night or boil up some boneless, skinless chicken breast/strips in about 15 minutes and then cut into chunks. OR boil a whole chicken, covered, for about 40 minutes.
  
• Use cream of chicken soup and 3/4 c water instead of chicken broth for really thick dumplings. Some people even just use milk and flour for the sauce.
  
• No biscuits? No problem. Use a box of lasagna. No noodles? Use 1 package of tortillas. Just cut the tortillas into strips and drop into the boiling chicken broth. Once their soft, they are ready to eat.
• For a SUPER fast dumplings, heat your favorite soup to boiling and drop in quartered biscuits; cover and let simmer/boil for about 10 minutes. Vegetable soup with Chicken lends itself to this. For me, though, this is not really Chicken and Dumplings....but it is good eats.
  

I really like this recipe because it's really easy and really fast. This is another one of those comfort foods. I always use plenty of pepper for flavor and serve with green beans or peas and carrots.

Have your own Chicken and dumplings recipe? Are your dumplings more noodle than dumpling? Do you know a quick and easy "handmade" dumpling recipe? Leave some comments.

Jen's Take on Cooking

I'm no Rachel Ray. I don't make fabulous, gourmet quality, ready to serve at parties type meals in thirty minutes.

I am just a tired Administrative Assistant who tries to find a few minutes every night to make dinner for my husband and myself after we fall onto the couch and watch CSI reruns and before new episodes of House come on.

I'm serious about being tired. By the end of the day, I've been up since 6, worked from 8-4:30, driven home in traffic, taken a mile or so walk with my dog, and then find myself in the kitchen. I admire people with kids who look sane. I don't know how they do it.

When we first got married, we both were used to eating sandwiches and Ramen noodles. For a year or so we survived on that with Hamburger Helper thrown in a couple times a week. Now we both have our own diet restrictions. He's got juvenile diabetes. I've got persistent migraines and also need to drop a couple of pounds. Hamburger Helper doesn't cut it anymore.

I believe you should be able to cook your favorite foods in under an hour and still have great tasting, healthy food.

I believe that cooking for a crowd shouldn't take more time than cooking for my family.

I believe that you should be able to have fruits, vegetables, meats, grains, and snacks AND still live on a budget.

I believe everyone should invest in a cute lunchbox and plasticware. Take leftovers to work for lunch and save yourself the money and the calories.

I believe that food affects our overall being. Comfort food really makes you feel better when your sick, sad, depressed. Light, healthy food brings in the Summer. Thick Chili warms you in the Winter. Why "diet"? Why fill up every night on Turkey and Cheese sandwiches if you don't even like them? Why spend money on cheap burgers? (Don't get me wrong...I love McDonalds...my first was fries...but not every night. And I can make 4 juicy burgers and a big batch of fries and side salads for about the same price as 2 meals from a fast food place)

I believe you should eat the foods you love and love the food you eat. And, boy, do I love food.

Soooo...I'll be posting some of my quick and easy (and often very cheap) recipes. Many are variations I've come up with from traditional long cooking meals; others are my mom's, mom-in-law's, or friend's. I will try to let you know when the recipe isn't mine.

Feel free to add your own versions of the recipes. Share your comments, variations, soup choices, whatever. Did you try the recipe? Love it? Hate it? Know a faster, cheaper way to make one of the meals I post? Share with me.

Super Easy Chili

Mom's Easy Chili
1 - 1.5 lbs ground hamburger
1 can kidney beans
2 cans tomato sauce
1 can crushed (or diced) tomatoes
Chili powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
rice, optional
sour cream, optional
cheese, optional

Fry hamburger meat and drain. Drain beans and add to meat. Add tomato sauce and tomatoes. Add chili powder -- I usually sprinkle the whole top of the mixture with chili powder, then stir, and repeat. Heat through. Serve with rice, sour cream, and cheese.

Variations

• Why use hamburger meat? Use ground turkey or sausage. Go meatless. It your super easy chili, eat it how you like it.
• Kidney beans are traditional but in no way the only chili bean. Pinto beans work well. Ranch style beans (pre-seasoned pinto beans) add a little extra something. Use a combination of beans or no beans at all.
• Feel free to throw whatever is in your pantry into your chili. Got some leftover fried potatoes? Need to use up some plain macaroni? Really love corn?
  
• Use Rotel tomatoes instead of regular diced tomatoes for some real kick.
• Leave out one or both cans of tomato sauce for a thicker chili.
• Serve your chili over mashed potatoes instead of rice to switch it up a bit.
  

I really like this recipe because it's really easy and really fast. Chili is so easy to change up that it is a staple food in the winter AND it really tastes better the second day, so there's always a reason to make extra.

Love it? Hate it? Got your own variation? Post your thoughts.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

I'm having to follow this strict diet for a month to see what foods trigger my migraines. I'll share the list at a later date...let just say that it takes all the fun out of food.

So, I've had to update several of my favorite recipes to fit the diet restrictions. Then we add that I hate taking more than 45 minutes to make a meal. I'm only cooking for 2 and most nights I have a headache, so I don't want to stand over a stove and handle hot and/or sharp objects.

I've decided to share the recipes that I update so that others can enjoy them too. Tonight, I'm sharing a comfort food staple. This recipe will feed 4-6 people.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

• 10 oz can cream of mushroom soup
• 8 oz (1 box) macaroni noodles
• 1.5 cups of of milk
• 4 - 8 oz Velveeta cheese
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Cook noodles according to box. Cube Velveeta. Add soup, milk, and cheese to drained noodles. Heat through (until cheese is melted). Serve with favorite vegetable for a quick meal.
Can be cooked by stove top, microwave, or oven.

Now my favorite part.

Substitutions/Variations

• Many soups have MSG. Look for a soup that doesn't include this ingredient, like Campbell's Healthy Request soups. Just remember to add salt and pepper for your tastes. Also,  these soups are sometimes "soupier" than the original.  Adjust liquids to compensate.
• No Cream of Mushroom? Use Cream of Chicken. In a pinch Cheese soup will work.
• If you don't have tuna (or don't like it), use chicken instead.
• Feel free to substitute any type of noodle for macaroni, like shells or broken spaghetti. Egg noodles are especially good for Tuna Casseroles.
• No Velveeta? Use American cheese slices (about 8). Or use half Velveeta and half American cheese. If you can eat aged cheeses, experiment with your favorite cheeses.
• If you like a crunchy topping, try crumbled buttery crackers (like Ritz) or French fried onions.
• Need a veggie?  Throw in some frozen peas when you add the cheese or add canned peas just before everything is finished.  Green beans are also accompany this really well.
• Use low carb or gluten-free pasta, low fat/low sodium soup, low fat Velveeta, 1-2% milk, and tuna packed in water for a healthier version of this dish.

I love this meal because it's really easy to prepare and super fast to cook. In a pinch, add a can of green beans or open a bag of salad, and you have a complete meal. I also love that it can be made in a healthier way. Personally, I use Healthy Choice soup (then add salt), 2% milk, full fat Velveeta, and Tuna in water....I guess I'm splitting the difference.

Edit:
After months and months of cooking this, I've figured out that you don't need the milk unless your casserole is thick. Also, a couple of drops of Worcestershire mixed in with the cheese is yummy!
Got your own quick Tuna Casserole Recipe? Feel free to share!