Garlic Clam Pasta - $5.00

2 (6.5 ounce) cans minced clams, with juice   $3.00

¼ cup butter

¼ cup Olive Oil

2 Tsp minced garlic (or more if you're like me!)

1 Tbs dried parsley

Black pepper to taste

¼ Tbs dried basil

1 (16 ounce) package pasta of choice               $1.00

Grated Parmesan Cheese

Total                                                                   $5.00

(Added $1 total to count for misc items)

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile prepare the sauce. Combine clams with juice, butter or margarine, olive oil, minced garlic, parsley, basil, and pepper in a large saucepan. Place over medium heat until boiling. Remove from heat and add grated parmesan to thicken sauce to desired consistency.

Serve warm over pasta.

California Rolls - $5.50

Roll:
1 Avocado                                      $1.00
4 Sheets of Seaweed                    $1.00
Seasame Seeds (optional)
1 Cucumber                                   $1.00
Crabmeat                                       $2.00
Wasabi
Soy Sauce
Rice:                                               $0.25
1 cup short grain rice
1 cup water
1 Tbs rice Vinegar
2 Tbs Sugar
1 Tbs Salt
Total                                              $5.50
(inclueds $0.25 for misc incrediants)
For Rice:

Place the rice into a mixing bowl and cover with cool water. Swirl the rice in the water, pour off and repeat 2 to 3 times or until the water is clear.

Place the rice and 1 cup water into a medium saucepan and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, uncovered.

Once it begins to boil, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cover. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.

Combine the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl and heat in the microwave on high for 30 to 45 seconds. Transfer the rice into a large wooden or glass mixing bowl and add the vinegar mixture. Fold thoroughly to combine and coat each grain of rice with the mixture. Allow to cool to room temperature before using to make sushi.

For Rolls:

Cut avocodo into small chunks, slice avocodo into toothpick type pieces, and flake apart crab.

Squeeze the lemon juice over the avocado to prevent browning.

Cover a bamboo rolling mat with plastic wrap. Lay out 1 piece of dry seaweed onto rolling mat. Wet your fingers with water and spread about 1/2 cup of the rice evenly onto the seaweed. Sprinkle the rice with sesame seeds. Turn the sheet of nori over so that the rice side is down. Place 1/8 of the cucumber, avocado and crab sticks in the center of the sheet. Grab the edge of the mat closest to you, keeping the fillings in place with your fingers, and roll it into a tight cylinder, using the mat to shape the cylinder. Pull away the mat and set aside. Cover with a damp cloth. Repeat until all of the rice has been used. Cut each roll into 6 pieces. Serve wasabi and soy. sauce.

BBQ Pork Ribs

3 lbs Pork Ribs            $6.00
1 Bottle BBQ Sauce    $1.00

Total                          $7.00
Rub:
3 Tbs brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbs paprika

1 1/2 Tbs ground black pepper

1 Tsp garlic powder

1 Tsp ground mustard

Mix rub and use on ribs.  Let sit overnight.

To cook preheat oven to 300.  Place ribs in pan and coat in BBQ sauce.  Cover pan with foil and bake 1 hours.

After 1 hour flip ribs and add more BBQ sauce if needed.  Recover and cook for an additional hour.

Remove from oven and let cool.

Homemade Pizza - $4.50

2 Boxes Jiffy Pizza Crust Mix       $2.00
1/2 Jar Spagehtti Sauce                $0.50
1/2 lb Cheese                               $1.00
1/2 Onion
1/2 Bag Peppers                          $1.00
Total                                           $4.50

Preheat Oven to 425.

Grate Cheese and chop onion (optional).

Prepare Pizza Crust based on Jiffy Box instructions and add ingredients as directed.

Oven Roasted Corn - $2.00

4-6 Ears of Corn          $2.00
4-6 Tbs Butter
Garlic Salt (to taste)
Black Pepper (to taste)
Paprika (to taste)
TOTAL                       $2.00

Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees.

While Oven is heating tear 1 large piece of foil for every ear of corn.  Our kids will not eat a full ear of corn so we cut/break them in half first but cook the entire ear together.

Place Corn in the center of the foil diagonally and sprinkle corn with Garlic Salt, Pepper, and Paprika.  Put in 1 Tbs of butter with corn.  Fold corners of foil around ends of corn and roll corn in foil (seal tightly!).

Bake in oven for 45 minutes.

Hot Dogs and Beans - $3.25

1 Pack all Chicken (or Turkey) Hot Dogs       $1.00
2 Can Pork N Beans                                      $2.00
1/8 Cup Brown Sugar                                    $0.25
Total                                                             $3.25

Cut hotdogs into small chunks and add to medium pan with 2 cans of Pork N Beans.

Cook over medium heat.  While cooking add Brown Sugar (if desired) and cook until boiling.

Remove from heat and serve with Veggie.

Stuffed Chicken Parmesan - $5.00

6-8 Breaded Chicken Patties               $3.00

½ Jar Spaghetti Sauce                         $0.50

½ Pound Mozzarella                            $1.50

TOTAL                                                  $5.00

I usually get my chicken patties at Costco – a box of 40, but I showed the price as if you got a small box at any grocery store (on sale usually 2 for $5 or 2 for $6).

Preheat oven to 350.

Take frozen chicken patties and put in microwave until unthawed (usually about 1 minute).

While chicken is unthawing cut half a pound of mozzarella cheese into small slices or shred cheese (I prefer shredded cheese)

Cut a “pocket” into each patty and stuff each pocket with mozzarella cheese.

In a dish place each stuffed chicken piece and cover with half a jar of Spaghetti Sauce.  Sprinkle any remaining cheese on top and put in oven for 15-20 minutes.

Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches - $5.00

3 lbs of chicken (any kind)                 $3.00

1 Bottle BBQ Sauce                             $1.00

Sliced Bread or Buns                           $1.00

TOTAL                                                $4.00

Take chicken and lightly salt/pepper each piece. Place in slow cooker (no additional liquid needed) on low for 4 hours.

After 4 hours add half a bottle of BBQ sauce and rotate chicken. Cook an additional 4 hours on low (won’t hurt if you need to leave it in longer).

Remove chicken from slow cooker and remove any bone if you did not use boneless chicken.  The chicken should fall right off the bone.

Use large forks to shred the chicken and add more BBQ sauce as you prefer.  Serve warm on bread/buns.

A Blog Makeover

I posted about why things have changed for us when it comes to the meal part of our lives.  So I sat trying to figure out how to break it down.  I want to give you WHAT we are eating HOW MUCH it cost and HOW to make it, but that would make for an awfully long blog post every week.  So instead I think I will post the recipes I use here and then use here and then post the meal plan on my other blog with links.  That way you can still use this to find recipes.  Good idea? Well I hope so because I’m stubborn and since this is how I’m starting I will most likely keep it this way.

So take this as your warning.  Recipes here we come!

Not all meals are “healthy”.  Because honestly healthy is relative.  It really all depends on what type of diet you want.  The recipes I’ll be sharing are what is good for our family needs.  I hope you find them helpful.