$4.60 Turkey Chili

We love Chili. We love easy. My friend Crystal gave me this super easy turkey chili recipes. I love recipes that are "a can of this...a can of that..." The ease of not needing one measuring cup made this a great recipe! It also made the house smell fabulous, is quite healthy and tasted great too!

By the way, have you heard of Slow Cooker Liners? These things make my life so much more pleasant. Clean up takes seconds and there is no scrubbing of cooked on food. To me, the added expense (about $2 for 4) is worth the saved time. Time is money! Right? Reynolds makes them and they are available at Wal Mart and other stores near the aluminium foil, etc.

Ingredients:

• 1 lg. ground turkey $1.79
• Taco seasoning $0.33
• 1 lg. can crushed tomato $0.79
• 1 lg. can kidney beans $0.79
• 1 lg. can chili beans $0.79
• 1 onion, diced $0.11 ($1.49/bag/13 onions in bag)
• Total = $4.60

Directions:

1. Place turkey in Crock Pot
2. Cover with onion, beans, tomato and seasoning.
3. Stir to mix, using side of spoon to break up turkey
4. Cook on high 6-8 hours*
5. Serve with dinner rolls $2.50/15 rolls = $0.17 each (Dinner gets slightly more expensive when you leave the bag of rolls on the table and the dog steals the bag and eats 5)

*If the turkey is frozen chili needs to cook more than if it is not.

$5.00 Crock Pot Chicken "Stir Fry"

I love Chicken Stir Fry. It is an easy and healthy meal. However, out of curiosity I wanted to see if there was a way to mimic the flavor in the Crock Pot - therefore making it even easier. I found this recipe for an Asian inspired Crock Pot Chicken. Using the user comments on the recipe I adapted the recipe.

The night before I prepared the sauce to make a quick fix in the morning. If you make the sauce in advance, be sure to stir it well in the morning as the brown sugar will separate out. The sauce probably has a few more calories than regular Chicken Stir Fry, however you are saving fat from not using oil to fry the chicken. I also saved calories by replacing the Sprite with lemon and lime juice. If I had Sprite Zero or Diet Sprite this would have been a good choice as well.

Below I have calculated the approximate cost of both the main dish and a side salad.

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts with rib meat, large $2.70 ($8.11/lg. package divided by 3 meals)
• Frozen stir-fry vegetables $0.99
• Brown Rice $0.56 ($1.69/box divided by 3 meals)
• Total = $4.25

Pantry Items:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2/3 cup vinegar
• 1/4 cup Lemon and Lime juice (about 1/8 cup each)
  
• 3 -4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
  
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
  
• cornstarch

Directions:

1. Place chicken in crock pot.
2. Pour frozen vegetables over chicken.
3. Mix all pantry ingredients and pour over chicken.
   
4. Cook on low for 6 hours.
5. Break up chicken with spoon.
   
6. Add cornstarch to thicken sauce a bit. A shake or two will do.
7. Serve over cooked rice.
8. Enjoy!

Side Tossed Salad

2 bags chopped lettuce $4.98 ($2.49 x 2)
4 tomatoes $3.49
2 cucumbers $1.58
Total = $10.05

Obviously, buying a head of lettuce would have been less expensive, however the store did not have any available while we were shopping. I used the ingredients to make one large salad in a covered bowl. This will save time throughout the week as all I’ll have to do is serve out a small side salad with several meals. I expect to use this salad for at least 5 meals. This makes each day about $2 or $1 per person.

Getting Back To It...

Around the time this blog came to a screeching halt...I found myself pregnant with an aversion to raw food and cooking! Well, she's here (February 3rd) and I'm ready to start cooking again. My objective is to have relatively easy, low-cost and low-calorie meals. My husband is a type 1 Diabetic and getting a pump soon, meaning we need to be extra careful with our carb counts.

I'm also madly in love with shopping at our new store, Price Rite. The entire shopping list for this week's dinners and also lunches and breakfasts came to less than $80!

Here is the plan for this week:


Monday – Chicken Stir Fry w/salad
Tuesday – Turkey Chili w/rolls and salad
Wednesday –Pasta with pesto and chicken w/salad
Thursday – Marinated Pork roast w/potatoes and carrots
Friday – Pork chops w/cous cous and broccoli w/salad
Saturday –Ham steak w/pineapple, rice and veggie w/salad

Baked Stuffed Zucchini

I've been cooking quite a bit with Zucchini recently. I've made Zucchini bread, stir-fry, pancakes, battered and fried, grilled and I'm sure I'm forgetting something. This idea was given to me by a friend and came out quite delicious.

Ingredients:

• I used this one zucchini, under normal circumstances it probably about four.
• 

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 4 servings brown rice ( cooked according to package directions)
  
• Seasonings to taste
  
• 1 jar tomato sauce
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella

Procedure:

• Brown the beef and add your choice of seasonings. I used onion powder on it all and added fresh peppers to some of the beef. (I hate peppers, but my husband likes them.)
• Mix the browned beef and rice.
• Cut Zucchini lengthwise and hollow out the seeded portion with an ice scream scoop.
• Fill with beef mixture
• 

• Place filled Zucchini in a glass baking dish.
• Cover with Tomato Sauce and sprinkle cheese over entire dish
• Bake at 350 for an hour covered. Uncover and cook 15 minutes more.
• Check Your Zucchini frequently for tenderness as thickness may vary.
• 

Chicken Surprise

Tonight I made Chicken Surprise. The surprise being I had no idea how it would turn out! Due to our pathetic snow storm yesterday I did not get to the store to buy meat that I needed. As a result, I had fun throwing random things in the Crock Pot over some chicken. It was pretty darn yummy too!

Chicken Surprise

Ingredients (from what I remember...)

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 onion, chopped
• Some button mushrooms, about a pint
• Handful baby carrots
• Can of cream of mushroom soup
• Can of water
• Garlic powder
• Cajun Seasoning

Procedure

• Place chicken in Crock Pot
• Cover with the veggies
• Pour on soup and water
• Cover the top with garlic powder and then the Cajun Seasoning

Snow Ice Cream!!

My friend Emily posted this awesome recipe online. It is so fast, so yummy, and perfect for a snowy day! Who doesn't love a nice cold bowl of ice cream when it is snowing outside?

Snow Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• SNOW!
  

Mix together until blended.

Then add snow until it is an ice cream like consistency (5-6 cups usually)

Scoop and enjoy!

You can add chocolate syrup, fruit, etc to make it flavored as well. (I mixed in hot chocolate mix)

Freeze for up to 5 days for later use.

Potato and Canadian Bacon Slow Cooker Chowder

If you've been reading my blog, you know that I love a good chowder on a cold day. I've tried a few corn chowders and this time it was a delicious potato chowder. However, I would add in corn to this recipe next time! It was also my first time cooking with barley and I love the consistency of the chowder as a result. It was flavorful, warm and soothing on a very busy day! This is a Weight Watchers recipe addition, with a few changes by me (of course).

Potato and Canadian Bacon Slow Cooker Chowder
From WeightWatchers.com

Ingredients

• 2 cup(s) potato(es), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  

• 1 large carrot(s), diced (I chopped up a handful of mini carrots)
  

• 1 cup(s) leek(s), chopped, white part only
  

• 1 medium garlic clove(s), minced
  

• 4 cup(s) fat-free chicken broth
  

• 1/2 cup(s) uncooked barley
  

• 1 piece(s) bay leaf
  

• 1/4 tsp dried thyme, crushed
  

• 1/4 tsp black pepper
  

• 4 oz Canadian-style bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (I used sliced ham -- same thing right?)
  

• 1/2 cup(s) fat-free milk

Procedure

• In a slow cooker, combine potatoes, carrots, leek, garlic, broth, barley, bay leaf, thyme, pepper and bacon; cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
• Stir in milk and heat until it is warm.
• Note: The original recipe calls for evaporated milk and fat free half and half. I just used milk and I thought the chowder was perfect. Click through to the original if you want to make it "authentically".

Sloppy Joes Italia

Who doesn't love Sloppy Joes? Adam Sandler's "Lunch Lady Land" always comes to mind...Sloppy Joes, Slop, Slop, Sloppy Joes! These Sloppy Joes from Fix it and Forget it Lightly are easy, filling and quite healthy! I used less turkey, but kept the other ingredients the same. We had less servings, but each one was more packed with veggies! I did not brown the turkey in advance as the original recipe says, instead increased cooking time.

Sloppy Joes Italia
From Fix it and Forget it Lightly

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey (I only used 1 lb.)
• 1 cup onions, chopped
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 2 Tbsp. Splenda
• 2 Tbsp. Italian Seasoning
• Hamburger buns
• Shredded Mozzarella

Procedure

• Combine turkey, onions, sauce, mushrooms, spelenda and Italian seasoning in slow cooker.
• Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
• Serve over bun and topped with mozzarella cheese.

Menu Planning -- February Week 2

I forgot to post this on Sunday! Ooops! I've already strayed..

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday
Super Bowl!	Sloppy Joes Italia, Fix it and Forget it Lightly , pg. 42	Turkey Meatloaf , Fix it and Forget it Lightly , pg. 40	Potato and Canadian Bacon Chowder
Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Rosemary Chicken, Fix it and Forget it Lightly, pg. 11	Beef Stroganoff, Fix it and Forget it Lightly, pg. 57	Pizza of some sort…

Southwestern Layered Bean Dip

It is Super Bowl Sunday!! We are going over to my parent's for the game, but it will just be my husband, my mom and myself. My mom is making chicken wings and some other dishes. I'm bringing this dip and a salad. Low key and yummy!

Last year I did a search for "Healthy Super Bowl Recipes" and this one came up. It was super fantastic and so I'm making it again. I've eliminated the olives because my husband hates them and I feel like being nice today. I sprinkled in some Cajun seasoning in honor of the Saints! I've also eliminated the jalapeno slices since I hate all peppers! (You'll notice that theme in my cooking.)

Southwestern Layered Bean Dip
From: www.eatingwell.com

Ingredients:

• 1 16-ounce can nonfat refried beans”
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
• 4 scallions, sliced
• 1/2 cup prepared salsa
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack, or Cheddar cheese (I used "macho taco")
  
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1 medium avocado, chopped

Procedure:

• Combine refried beans, black beans, scallions, salsa, cumin, and chili powder in a medium bowl. Transfer to a shallow 2-quart microwave-safe dish; sprinkle with cheese.
• Microwave on High until the cheese is melted and the beans are hot, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Spread sour cream evenly over the hot bean mixture, then scatter with lettuce, tomato, avocado
• To make ahead, c0mplete the first step and refrigerate. Cut up the veggies and store in a separate container. When ready to serve continue the recipe.

Oh and my mom wanted to share her beautiful arrangement of Shrimp Cocktail...

Pesto Pizza

I made this one up all by myself! It was so yummy, my husband complimented it without me even saying "Did you like it?" And he was like "Is there another pizza?"

Pesto Pizza

Ingredients:

• Homemade Pesto with half the oil
• Pizza crust (I used a whole grain one)
• Toppings of your choice: I used pre-cooked chicken, tomato and black olives
• Mozzarella Cheese

Procedure:

• Spread Pesto on crust.
• Top with toppings.
• Cover with cheese.
• Cook on 350 until heated through.
  
• Enjoy!

Cheeseburger Soup

I had this recipe for Cheeseburger Soup from WeightWatchers.com, but didn't like that it would only be in the Crock Pot for 2 hours and there was way too much prep. I made some adaptations, eliminated the milk, and cooked it all day. Here it is:

Crock Pot Cheeseburger Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 med onion, chopped
• 1 medium stalk celery, chopped
• 1 pound uncooked lean ground beef
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 8 oz. cheese of your choice
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• tortilla chips

Procedure:

• Put garlic, onion, celery, beef, flour, broth, paprika in slow cooker.
• Cook 6-8 hours on low.
• An hour before serving, mix in cubed cheese.
• Serve topped with tortilla chips crushed.

Crockpot Chicken Stroganoff

I don't know if this really qualifies for my blog, since technically my husband did most of the preparation because I've been under the weather. That said, I did find the recipe, make the shopping list and wrote down the directions for my husband. Then, when he realized he'd bought Cream of Mushroom in stead of Cream of Chicken soup -- I let him know that would be okay!

To give myself some credit, I did stir the meal when I got home and added in the pasta!

I found this recipe by searching "Weight Watchers Crock Pot Recipes," because I'm contimplating starting WW again and would want to make sure my Crock Pot addiction could continue. I found this site http://hubpages.com/hub/Weight_Watchers_Crockpot_Recipes with several recipes. This dish comes in at about 4 points a serving before adding pasta (that was all me).

CrockPot Chicken Strogranoff

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken
• 1 container (16 oz) fat free sour cream
• 1 packet powdered onion soup mix
• 1 can fat free cream of chicken soup (or cream of mushroom if that is what your husband buys)
  
• 1 small can mushrooms

Instructions

• Add all ingredients to crock pot. Cook on low for 6 hours.
• About an hour before serving, stir in a bag of egg noodles and about 2 cups of water to cover.

Menu Planning -- February Week 1

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday
Subway	Crockpot Chicken Stroganoff	Dinner with friends	Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Soup
Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Potato and Canadian Bacon Chowder	Sloppy Joes Italia, Fix it and Forget it Lightly , pg. 42	Sloppy Turkey Meatloaf , Fix it and Forget it Lightly , pg. 40