My Lazy Mama's Guide to Couponing

My recipe binder, and where the week begins

Meal planning is one of those things that seems really overwhelming to a lot of people. For me, it's like a comfortable anchor in my week that I've come to look forward to. A few months ago I added some subtle couponing to the mix and have been really surprised at the difference it has made.

Once a week I put on my comfy pants, make a cup of coffee, and go to town. It makes the daily hustle a little less painful and avoids the 5 p.m. dance of screaming hungry children. (Note: it's less of a dance and more of an unbridled meltdown, just in the essence of full disclosure).

Here's my method.

1. First I go to this website and see what is on sale at Publix, our local grocery store, for that given week. We only shop at Publix and Costco. While I'd love (LOVE) to have a closer Trader Joe's or Whole Foods, it's just too difficult for me to get there right now. I base my list fully off of what's on sale that week. And here's the real shocker- I only do printable coupons. I don't get the newspaper and spend hours cutting and storing them. I print what I need for the week and that is it. This site makes it incredibly easy, and I always save at least $25.

2. After making a list of what's on sale that I'd like to buy, I take a look in my freezer/pantry and see what else we need to make meals for the week. I browse Pinterest, my cookbooks (favorites: 1,2,3,4), and a list I keep in my recipe binder of our favorite go-to meals. I try to cook really simple things with few ingredients and I always take our schedule into account. Wednesdays and Fridays are busy for us, so these days are always leftovers or a crock pot meal.

3. I try to buy the majority of our produce at the farmer's market either on Friday or Monday. I find the cost just slightly lower than at the store, but since we eat very few processed foods I like knowing the produce we consume isn't coated in waxes and nasty chemicals.

4. I also check these sites for coupons. One offers a good variety of natural and organic options and the other focuses on Amazon, which I love so much I would marry if given the chance.
http://thegreenbacksgal.com/
http://jungledealsandsteals.com/

5. I also check Costco's coupons. Our goal is to make one trip there a month and stock up on gluten-free granola, organic chicken, organic eggs, cheese, frozen organic berries, fish, and other dry goods (paper towels, Lara bars, stuff like that).

I then post our menu both in a weekly calendar on the fridge and in my planner.

For me, it's worth the hour of work in cost savings. But as you know, my time is incredibly important to me and if it took any more than that, I'd likely stop. I'm never going to be the person that can only spend $60 a week at the store. I have to growing children who both eat more than I do, and eating organic is extremely important to me. But, any little bit I can save is a win for us.

I am far from perfecting this process, but I've definitely found what works for us. We still eat out once a week, and there is always one night a month that gets too crazy and we wind up eating pizza, and that's ok. It's about Grace Not Perfection, ladies.

This Week's Menu

 

 

barbecue chicken/pizza

 

 



Healthy kid snacks

I wanted to do a quick post about healthy snacks for kiddos, mostly because it's something that is important to me but also because I think it's something moms struggle with.

In our house, the kids want to eat all.the.time. and if I'm not prepared with something I'm quickly being turned on, and it isn't pretty.

So here are a few no-fail snack options that my kids love. I don't buy "junk" food so it isn't even an option. If they get something out of a box it's almost always Annie's bunnies and that is usually for my comfort more than theirs (i.e. a roadtrip or while shopping at Target- two places I do not want to deal with a fussy child). They also get treats on the weekends, at school, or when they are with their grandparents. I'm not super strict- I want them to live- but I do want to make sure 90% of what they eat helps their little bodies and doesn't hinder them.

1. Sliced almonds. This is not an obvious answer, but it's a great one. I discovered one day while baking that my kids love these and I make sure we always have them on hand. These are great car snacks too because they don't make a lot of crumbs.

2. String cheese. Any cheese really. I joke with Madelyn that one day when she turns into a piece of cheese she'll have to live in the refridgerator. She thinks this is hilarious.

3. Lara bars. These are delicious and are literally just fruit and nuts. No preservatives, no artificial coloring, nothing.

4. Fruit fruit fruit. Apple sticks (thinly sliced apples cut up like little french fries), strawberries, bananas, anything. My kids would eat fruit all day long if I let them.

5. Roasted sunflower seeds with dried cranberries. Again, random, but healthy and delicious!

And just so you know that I'm human, I'll tell you that we spent Monday afternoon having treats at Dunkin Donuts to celebrate the start of a good week at Madelyn's school. I think we can all agree that sugar, in small doses, just does you good every now and then ;)

This week's menu

I am a meticulous menu planner. I sit down every Saturday or Sunday, plan the week, and make one trip to the store to cover everything. It's the only way we stay out of the Chick-fil-a drive through which we still admittedly end up visiting several times a month.

I thought I'd make a weekly effort to share what we're having in hopes it helps inspire you as well.

Bon Apetite!

Recipes: Greek turkey burgers/Buffalo chicken lettuce wraps

The rest are my own recipes, but if you'd like them let me know and I'll share :)

Recent Kitchen Successes

In the event that you, like me, are always looking for something new to make for dinner, here are a few dishes I've made recently that we've found quite enjoyable.

Dig in!

1. Grits' crock pot pulled pork- super delicious, super easy. We made this with the accompanying quick slaw recipe and my classic corn casserole and ate the leftovers for three straight days with no complaints.

2. Roasted corn risotto from this post by Kate. Love her Menu Monday posts and this dish was a total hit. We served it with hamburgers and a big salad.

3. I've now completely hooked Matt and Madelyn on these cookie balls and have to make them every single week. They are delicious, totally healthy, and thankfully all you do is throw everything into the food processor and freeze.

4. Pepperoni pizza quesadillas. I didn't say these were all going to be healthy, folks. 

5. And lastly, peach salad with basil oil. Make this tonight and you will thank me tomorrow.

This week's menu

I thought I'd share our weekly menu incase anyone is looking for inspiration. Nothing too fancy, but all tried and true except for one new pizza recipe. Enjoy!

Sunday: Gluten-free sour cream enchiladas (these are delicious)

Monday: Maple salmon, jasmine rice, spinach and strawberry salad

Tuesday: Leftovers

Wednesday: Sausage, spinach, and provolone pizza

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Grilled chicken with strawberry feta salsa (shown above), grilled corn on the cob, caesar salad

Oh, and I'm also trying to sneak in a little fruit cobbler just for good measure. I'd hate for all that abundant summer fruit to go to waste.

Carbs and Cheese...and some other stuff too

I thought I'd share a few recipes I've made in the last few weeks. The first two were for a family potluck on Sunday for which the theme was Mexican. I was asked to bring a rice dish and an appetizer. You should know that these were delicious and had not ounce of nutritional value.

1. Tortilla roll ups- little bite-sized morsels of cheese/salsa/sour cream/ranch/cheese and a little more cheese.

2. Mexican sour cream rice - Again, the perfect mixture of carbs, melted cheese, sour cream, green chiles and corn. I omitted the chicken since this was just a side dish, and in my defense I did use all low fat ingredients. Not that it matters.

3. Salsa chicken soft tacos - these were super super delicious and even easier than I anticipated. In lieu of the tortilla I ate this in a bowl with a little corn and beans mixed in. I was still in a bit of a carb-induced coma from Sunday.

4. Honey dijon overnight chicken recipe- the flavor was right on here but I tried to cook them in the crock pot instead of the oven. Don't do this. I imagine if you followed the directions you'd be enjoying a delicious meal while I carved through chicken that was way too dry.

5. Bethenny's BBQ Bleu burger - Loved the flavor in these but mine completely fell apart for some reason. I hadn't broiled burgers before and I think this may have been the problem. I used feta instead of bleu cheese and ate this without the bun.

I found out yesterday that based on my last blood test at the doctor my hemoglobin is low, which explains why I've been so darn tired lately. So in the coming weeks we'll be adding more red meal to our diets. Given that we rarely eat red meat, I'm looking for good recipe suggestions. If you have any send them my way pronto.

A morning with Gwyneth

So I broke down and bought My Father's Daughter last week. I've been trying to really cut back on any extra spending but when I received an email from Borders for $30% off an item, and they already had it marked %50 off, that was a deal I just couldn't refuse.

I have to say, it has yet to disappoint. I spent Saturday morning making a few recipes from the book and we tried out another last night. It seems she can actually cook. But what I love most about the book are the gorgeous pictures and narrative dialogue throughout. In the beginning she talks about ways to safely and productively get your children involved in the kitchen, her bout with a macrobiotic diet which she now says was subconsciously her way of trying to heal her cancer-stricken father, and encourages you to clean as you go and drink while you cook (amen, sister).

The ingredients are, for the most part, simple and fresh. She is above all a mother, and her goal is to feed her children the healthiest food possible while still making the process enjoyable and tasty. The first thing I made (no surprise here) were the blueberry muffins- the most carby thing I could find within the covers. I LOVE them, and the only sugars in the recipes are maple syrup and agave nectar. They're dense and delicious, and include 2.5 cups of blueberries. Of course, Madelyn won't eat them. I have no idea why. I think it may be because I used frozen instead of the fresh blueberries the recipe called for making the muffins turn blue, or "smurf muffins" as Matt affectionately referred to them. Either way, that just leaves more for me and baby boy. Score.

So far I've made her standby vinaigrette which is truly so good I've sworn off store-bought salad dressing forever, her homemade turkey sausage patties, the smurf muffins, peach bbq chicken, teriyaki salmon and kale chips. The only recipe not in the book is the peach bbq chicken which you can find here along with a few other non-published yummies I plan to make one of these days. Strawberry shortcake sliders? Yes please.

It's been really refreshing to find a healthy cookbook with recipes that use very few ingredients, are truly easy to prepare, and come out delicious. And from a mom who could easily afford to hire someone to feed her family for her, but chooses to approach the process together with them.

You can find a few other recipes, including the blueberry muffins, here.

Eat up!

Gluten-free goodies

For some reason I've had gluten on my mind so much lately I keep hearing Snoop singing "aint nothin but a G thang" in my head. I think it's a nice spin on the original meaning.

Anyways, it seems I am one of the lucky few pregos who develops a gluten and dairy intolerance as a result of pregnancy. It doesn't affect me in the digestive system like most people, instead it manifests itself as a red rash around my mouth. And my friends can tell you, my two favorite food groups are carbs and cheese, so the past few weeks have been quite a transition for me. In fact I spent the weekend in sheer denial that this was happening, ate whatever I wanted, and spent Monday morning layering concealer all over my inflamed face.

Since today's Tea on Tuesday at Grey Umbrella is about FOOD, what better time to share my new finds than now!

I refuse to give up my yummy carby-items so I'm learning to make them without gluten or dairy, and I've beeen shocked at how good they are! Here are two of the recipes I've adjusted slightly for happy rash-free consumption.

1. Smitten Kitchen pumpkin muffins- these came out sooooo good. All I did was replace the regular flour with brown rice flour. They are moist, flavorful, and even Madelyn can't stop eating them.

2. Bethenny's banana bread- I've made the traditional version of this several times with great results, but this time I again added brown rice flour instead of regular white or wheat and added an extra 1/2 a banana. It was just as delicious, which Kristin's hubby affirmed for me over brunch on Sunday. I find the boys are often the toughest critics when it comes to healthy food, so this was all I needed to hear.

As someone who is brand new to this way of eating (and admittedly a little bit bitter about it), I've found several great sites that make it a little bit easier to navigate this lifestyle.

Crockpot 365- if you have a crock pot, you need this site. Most of her recipes are gluten-free (but not necessarily low-sugar...don't say I didn't warn you) and use everyday ingredients. I've only made two or three and they came out well.

Elana's pantry- I haven't made any of these yet but I have quite a few on my radar. I especially love her suggestions for an Easter brunch. Oh, and maybe these.

Batch Cooking = Easy Week

This weekend decided to employ my almost two-year-old sous chef and try a new approach to cooking.

Our weeks are crazy. I rush home from work, try to get something decently tasty and healthy on the table for dinner, rush to clean up, do the nighttime routine with Madelyn, then melt onto the couch. I'm sick of rushing.

So we are trying batch cooking, also sometimes referred to as freezer cooking. So far, so good. Granted, cooking with Madelyn is a very messy and often patience-trying exercise, but well worth it to see the fun she has.

Here are a few of the things we whipped up. I do have a few pictures but I'm too lazy to get up and download them. Sorry. Lazy bum here.

First we made this white chicken chili. Madelyn and Matt both loooove this. I put half of it in the fridge for dinners and lunches this week and froze the other half in a ziploc freezer bag for later on in the month. All I'll have to do is move it to the fridge the morning we want to eat it and not rush over to the microwave to heat it up. Brilliant.

Next I made a batch of these muffins using fresh blueberries. Again, I kept half in the fridge for breakfasts and froze the other half. This blog has a TON of freezer recipes, tips, meal plans, etc. This wonder woman actually does all of her cooking for the month in one day. I find this staggering but inspiring.

Then we made this pasta bake. I love this because Madelyn gobbles it up-spinach and all.

I also seasoned some ground turkey for salads and tacos. These items along with what we already had in our freezer (tilapia, ground beef, veggies, potstickers,etc) should get us through the next few weeks. With our new budget challenge I'm trying to use everything we have before we make another big trip to the grocery store.

I also have a few other recipes on my radar I'd like to make in the coming weeks to freeze and reheat.

Christi's taco soup and homemade granola

Spinach feta turkey burgers

And a whole bunch of pre-marinaded chicken that you just have to thaw and grill. This would be great to have on hand for salads, fajitas, wraps, etc.

Oh, and maybe some pineapple zuccini bread from Katie Lee's first cookbook that I LOVE.

Happy Bellies

Here's what we have on our docket for this week's yummies. As always, trying to keep us away from as many processed foods, especially considering the twizzler-fest I was on last week courtesy of the jumbo bag Matt left me before he left town. Speaking of twizzlers if you haven't tried the new CHOCOLATE version you are seriously missing out. They are ridiculous. So good.

This week is a bit of an homage to my favorite TV personality Bethenny. I bought her cookbook for super cheap off of Amazon and I am loving it. It's comprised of very basic meals but each recipe has a chart of variations giving you tons of different options. I also love her emphasis on natural foods as I'm always trying to find ways to make Madelyn healthy food that she'll actually eat.

Monday/Tuesday breakfast: Boo Boo Banana Bread. Delicious healthy banana bread with tiny bits of chocolate in it. I think this little brown treat is becoming a recurring theme in my life. Probably not a good theme for my waistline though. Anyways, we'll also snack on this later on the week, but Madelyn (understandably) doesn't like to eat the same thing for breakfast every day. If I had enough bananas I would have made a few of these so I could freeze them, but I'll probably do that before Matt leaves town again.

For my lunches: Cranberry almond chicken salad. This is really yummy over a bed of mixed greens,. You don't even need dressing.

For dinner tonight and tomorrow we're going to have a mango baked salmon with lightly pan-friend okra, but for the second half of the week we're having baked ziti. And can we just talk for a minute about how Madelyn loves okra? She's such a little southern belle in training.

Other recipes I have on my *coming soon* list:
Easy stuffed peppers
Oatmeal Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies (woah)

Hope ya'll have a great week!

Have baby, will travel

This past weekend we trekked it up to the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains so that my brother-in-law Luke could marry his love Lacie and give me a sister-in-law! While the weekend was a bit abbreviated by Matt's work schedule, we had a really nice time and are so excited for Luke and Lacie. Being at a wedding always reminds me how lucky I am to have Matt...and of course, the little monkey :)

Unfortunately, I was so busy chasing said monkey around I didn't get one single picture! Not one! I estimate I probably lost 5lbs from sweating though, so I still consider the day a success ;) Luckily I'm expecting a few pics to pop up on facebook in the next few days so I'll be sure to share those. Madelyn rocked a pink bubble dress with a big bow on the front and gold sandals. She was definitely on the best-dressed list.

We spent Sunday morning cooking and playing with Madelyn and then Matt had to leave us again. Luckily he'll be back on Friday for two weeks. We're definitely counting down.

I made a few yummy treats for Madelyn to take to school (and by school I mean daycare) this week that I thought I'd share. They come from a website called Weelicious which was started by a mom to help show other moms how they can feed their kids better. Needless to say, I love it. She shares my love of cooking local, organic foods, uses agave nectar and honey as her sweeteners, and has some amazing ideas in the "lunch box" section of her facebook page. She's also a gorgeous model, but try not to hate her, I watched a few of her "how to" videos and she seems likable enough ;)

First up: lemon poppyseed muffins. Yum. Second, oatmeal on the go bars. These will be perfect paired with a little fruit for the days that Madelyn has to eat breakfast at "school". I'm pretty sure they're better than the apple jacks and danishes that the daycare center offers up.

I also have a few other recipes on my radar I'm hoping to try shortly:
Blueberry cream cheese french toast
Chinese chicken salad and
Chicken lettuce wraps

Hope ya'll have a great week!

Website Rave

Lately, cooking for me has been all about efficiency. Madelyn is ready to eat dinner just after 6 p.m. so whether I work from home or the office, that doesn't leave me much time. I'm also more conscious than ever about what we're eating because I want to make sure she gets a protein/whole grain/ and fruit or veggie with each meal.

This sounds easy, but I assure you, even for a compulsive planner like myself it can get very difficult.

Lately I have been Loving this website, You've Got Supper. They have tons of healthy recipes with very few ingredients that cook up in no time at all. If you sign up, they'll also send you a weekly list of recipes with shopping list.

Here are a few I've tried and some others that are on my radar- enjoy!!

Proven delicious:

Cheesy sausage strata

One pot pork tenderloin and crispy potatoes

Couscous with golden raisins and pine nuts

Pineapple rice

In my lineup for the next few weeks:

Caesar salad and pepper shrimp

Grilled chicken caprese salad

Apricot almond chicken

Our Menu This Week

As I said earlier, after weeks of absolute craziness, I am cooking again. Matt is stifling his excitement because he's trying to be sweet and act like eating leftovers/ready made food all the time is fine with him, but I know he's looking forward to some fresh ingredients. We were lucky enough that after having lunch with Matt's family on Sunday they sent us home with lots of leftover barbeque. I Love barbeque. Seriously, love. So eating it for several days in a row is A-OK with me. Therefore, that took care of tonight and tomorrow.

Wednesday, I'm looking forward to this Martha Stewart Everyday recipe for Sauteed Chicken in Mustard Cream Sauce. I think this sauce would be delicious on salmon and may try that instead if it is on sale this week. I love a simple sauce with white wine and can always use an excuse to pick up an extra bottle at the store ;)

For the second half of the week we'll be having these yummmy turkey burgers, also from my Martha Stewart Everyday Food cookbook. These have become a favorite in our house. I don't even eat mine with a bun, they are that good (and I'm not usually one to shy away from the carbs :)

The cookbook I'm referring to is the one pictured below. It is full of very good, simple recipes with few ingredients and quick cook time. Totally do-able even when you're busy.

Hope you all have a great week!

Yummy, Easy, Cheap Dinner

Asparagus Carbonara from Rachael Ray Magazine

I made this recipe for dinner last week and got rave reviews from Matt. It was super duper easy, fairly healthy, and cheap! I also threw in 15 shrimp because they were on sale at Publix and they were definitely a nice addition to the dish (they were pre-cooked so I just sauteed in white wine and butter for a few minutes to heat up).

Ingredients:

2 large eggs
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 pound spaghetti
1 bunch asparagus, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 slices bacon, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine
Salt and pepper

Directions:

In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and cheese. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente, adding the asparagus during the last minute of cooking. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Add the hot pasta and asparagus to egg mixture; toss to coat.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, stir in the garlic. Add the wine and cook until slightly reduced, about 1 minute. Stir the bacon mixture into the pasta, adding enough of the reserved pasta water to moisten; season with salt and pepper.

Soul Food

When my mom worked in downtown Orlando she discovered this tiny hole in the wall soul food restaurant called Johnson's Diner. It was in a less-than desirable part of town but had the best southern food you've ever tasted. Pretty soon mom was not only a regular customer but Johnson's Diner was catering our family holiday dinners. Aside from our obvious favorites like macaroni and cheese and greens, our standout favorite was the corn casserole. We'd eat this stuff for days afterwards as it was even better leftover. When my mom found the recipe in the newspaper a year ago it was like we'd struck gold! I made this for Matt's family as my contribution to Easter on Sunday and it was just as well received as the original. I highly suggest you try it next time you're craving something sweet and savory :) Sorry I don't have a picture, I forgot to take one before it got demolished...

Johnson's Diner Corn Casserole
*I halved this recipe and it still made a full 9x13 dish

6 cans cream-style corn (I recommend the sweet kind)
8 oz sour cream
1 stick melted salted butter
1/4 C sugar
4 large eggs
1 box Jiffy cornbread mix

1. Heat oven to 350; coat a 9x13 pan with Pam
2. Combine all ingredients and pour into pan
3. Whip ingredients well
4. Bake for 30 minute or until mixture is firm (you'll likely have to bake longer than this)

Enjoy!

Giada at (Your) Home

I am such a sucker for the Food Network, and last night I caught an episode of Giada's new show "Giada at Home". It's showcases her love of "California-style entertaining" and in this episode, she threw a block party in her neighborhood. I don't know if it was seeing the warm, California weather, or beautiful scenery that made this recipe look so appetizing, but either way I plan to make it for dinner one night next week. What really did it for me was the use of lemon to give it a fresh, clean taste, which then lead me to search out the second recipe below- lemon biscuits. yummmm.....Ingredients

1 pound orecchiette or other short pasta
1/2 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
12 ounces Swiss chard or mustard greens, stemmed
12 ounces baby spinach leaves
1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups small cherry or grape tomatoes
8 ounces ricotta salata cheese, crumbled
2 teaspoons lemon zest
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the garlic and discard. Add the Swiss chard and cook until wilted. In batches, add the spinach and cook until wilted. Add the beans and tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the pasta, 1/2 of the cheese, and lemon zest. Toss well and thin out the sauce with a little pasta water, if needed.
Transfer to a large serving bowl and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and serve.

On the lemon theme, I also saw this recipe for Nonna's Lemon Ricotta Biscuits that made my mouth water. I haven't made homemade biscuits before, but these might be worth the effort... They would be delicious served with Katie's Homemade Strawberry Preserves.

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar or more as needed for sprinkling
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/3 cup thinly sliced almonds

Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat 1 cup sugar, butter, and lemon zest in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the ricotta. Beat in the egg, lemon juice, and almond extract. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until blended (the batter will be thick and fluffy).
Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle the almonds and then the remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar over the muffins. Bake until the muffins just become pale golden on top, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yummy (and easy) Turkey Burger Recipe

I made these turkey burgers for dinner one night last week from an old Weight Watchers recipe and they came out great. Matt raved about them, so I also consider them "guy-approved."

Ingredients
1 egg white or 1/4 cup egg substitute
1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp Teriyaki sauce
2 Tbsp fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
20 ounces 93% lean ground turkey
*If I wasn't pregnant I'd probably also add in a little bit of feta, but since I couldn't I threw in a handful of shredded mozzarella which added a nice touch- you can never have too much cheese in my opinion:)

Mix first 6 ingredients in a bowl until well blended. Mix ground meat into egg mixture, just until mixed being careful not to overmix (or else you'll wind up with tough burgers). Shape into 6 patties. Grill or freeze promptly.

The Food You Crave: Balsamic Chicken with Spinach and Cous Cous

I love watching Ellie Krieger on the Food Network. Ok, I like watching anything on that channel, but I particularly appreciate her healthy yet non-restrictive approach to cooking and eating. So, I decided to get her cookbook. I have a compulsive disease that drives me to buy cookbooks when I barely even use those I already have! It's terrible! My new years resolution is to scour my existing collection for recipes and quit buying new ones! Anyways, I digress...

I cooked this for dinner tonight in our new kitchen while listening to the "Somethings Gotta Give" soundtrack (mostly French music) and felt very gourmet :) Below is the recipe. This probably took me 20 minutes to prepare and is a great, healthy way to kick off the new year :) Apologies in advance for the lack of a picture...

Enjoy!


Ingredients:

3 T. olive oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1/4 t. salt, plus more to taste

pepper to taste

3 cloves garlic, chopped

8 oz. baby spinach

2 T. balsamic vinegar

1/2 C. low sodium chicken broth

1 cup canned diced tomatoes, with their juices

2 cups hot cooked cous cous (preferably whole wheat) *I added pine nuts to mine- it was delish



1. Heat 1T. oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Cook until browned and just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Remove to a plate.

2. Add 2T. oil to the pan and add the garlic. Cook for one minute. Add the spinach and cook until just wilted. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl.

3. Add the vinegar, broth, and tomatoes to the pan and stir, scraping any browned bits off the bottom. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce is slightly thickened.

4. Divide the cous cous between 4 serving plates. Top with some of the spinach, then a piece of chicken and the balsamic-tomato sauce and serve.

It's that time again....

Time for yummy fall soups and chili!

Here is my standby chili recipe. It's actually a Weight Watchers recipe from a while back, but it is by far the best chili I've ever made. It uses brown sugar which gives it just enough sweetness. I usually make it with my southwestern cornbread(recipe below).



Crock Pot Brown Sugar Chili
8 Servings
240 Calories 4 g. Fiber 6 g. Fat ; 5 points/cup

1 lb. extra-lean ground beef
½ c. brown sugar
2 T. prepared mustard
1 medium sized onion, chopped
2 cans (14 oz. each) kidney or red beans
2 c. low-sodium tomato juice
½ t. salt
¼ t. pepper
1 t. chili powder

Brown ground beef and onion in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and mustard.

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.

Cover. Cook on HIGH 2-3 hours. If possible, stir several times during cooking.

Serve with cheese, sour cream, and diced tomatoes on top if you like.


Southwestern Cornbread

1 box Jiffy cornbread (plus necessary ingredients noted on box)
1 can southwestern veggie mix: corn, pinto beans, green chiles- you can really use whatever you like here, just peek around the canned veggie aisle to see what combinations are there

Prepare all cornbread ingredients as noted on box

Drain the southwestern veggie mix and slowly fold into the cornbread mixture

Cook as directed and serve with butter and honey!