Oats all dressed up!

Every Tuesday morning, I have to go in to work late and I don't get home til a bit later either. As such, I actually eat lunch before I leave in the morning and then eat my dinner a bit earlier than usual. This is a go-to meal for my Tuesday mornings.  I eat oats and dress them up any way I can. I keep a basket on top of my microwave of nuts, dried fruit, and other tasty snack-able items. This is where I find what to throw in my oatmeal of the day.

I am also finding that I measure less and less when I cook, so I will try my best to impart measurements when I talk about my favorite recipes.   My oatmeal recipe consists of the following...

Ingredients 

2 handfuls of Oldfashioned quick-cooking oats
1/2-1 cup water

Optional Ingredients

Honey
Brown Sugar
Raisins
Sunflower Seeds
Almonds (flavored almonds really shine here)
Craisins
Dried Apples
Pecans
Maple Syrup
Any other dried fruit or nut; use your imagination!



 Directions

Put the oatmeal in a microwave safe bowl. Add the water and microwave on HIGH for 1-2 minutes.  I find that it is usually good at the end of 1 minute, but microwaves may differ.

Add any and all fixings to your oats after they are cooked, mix in and enjoy!  There are a lot of nice things about this meal. It is quick, cheap, and you can eat it fast.  Also, it rarely tastes the same because you can switch it up by mixing in different items. The version you see to the left has sunflower seeds, cinnamon sugar almonds, craisins and raisins.

The next time you have about 15 minutes before dashing out the door and you want a hot meal, reach for the oats and have at!

Pasta for lunch!

Remember the really delicious pasta dish that cost under $6?  It will make plenty for a nice lunch the following day and that is just what I did today!

Pepper Jelly Pot Roast

Okay, so this was supposed to be a yummy dinner for my hubby tonight, but he called and said that the crock pot didn't turn on properly so it was only half cooked. He cooked it anyways, but there will be no eating it tonight.  I also made rice in the rice cooker, which did turn out, but there is no yummy pot roast to go with it.  So, here is the recipe...

Ingredients

Pork roast (3 lb)
1 jar red pepper jelly
1 can mandarine oranges
3-4 carrots chopped
2 Tablespoons Soy sauce
Sprinkle of ginger
Sprinkle of white pepper
Sprinkle of garlic salt

Directions

Add pork to crock pot, pile everything else on top (spreading jelly over pork). Cook on low at least 6 or 7 hours, or on high for 2-3 hours and then on low for another 2 hours, or until pork is thoroughly cooked.

Budget Friendly Pasta

Okay, so this dish is not only cheap to the extreme, but it is quick and easy too.

1 box whole grain rotini pasta ($1.00)

1 jar tomato sauce ($1.49 on sale)

1 package ground turkey ($3.55)

pepper and salt to taste (already in pantry)

That's right, this meal only costs about $6.00 and it will feed a family of up to 6!

Boil 3-5 cups water, add pasta (whole grain pasta makes this dish healthier) and a pinch of salt and cook for 10 minutes, or until pasta is al-dente. While pasta is cooking, add turkey to a skillet on medium heat and begin breaking up with fork while cooking (the turkey is a bit cheaper than sausage or beef and adds another healthy twist). By the time the pasta is done, the turkey is also done. Drain pasta, add sausage to pot that held pasta.  Tip: use slotted spoon to transfer turkey to pot from sauté pan to minimize grease. Sprinkle sausage with ground pepper and add tomato sauce. Mix together and then add pasta, mixing all ingredients thoroughly. Serve hot.

Slow Cooker Chicken & Stuffing

My new goal is to start hunting down budget friendly recipes. After buying a house last year, our dine-out budget has gone way down and so has our budget for shopping for food. As a result, I have begun scouring websites and cookbooks to find tasty and budget-friendly creations.  I am amazed at the resources available and am a firm believer of customizing recipes to meet your own needs or unique tastes.

Although the picture may not be all that flattering, I swear by this recipe. It is cheap, quick, easy, and perfect for anyone with an on-the-go lifestyle.  It also came not from any online resource, but from my friend Paula’s test kitchen. Next time I make it, I will post a tempting photo. In the meantime, if you make this recipe, feel free to take pictures and post!

3-4 chicken breasts (I have put in as many as 6)

1 package sliced mozzarella cheese

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 container Stovetop or other instant stuffing mix

1 stick butter

1.5 cups water (can also use chicken stock)

1 chopped onion (optional)

In slow cooker, place chicken breasts on bottom with sliced onion. Layer mozzarella cheese slices on top, then layer cream of mushroom soup. Pour stuffing on top of soup and add water or chicken stock. Slice butter and place slices throughout top of dish. Turn crock-pot on low and cook at least 6 hours. I left mine go all day and cooked for 9 hours and it was still delicious and moist.  Also, the original recipe states to melt the butter first, but this is not necessary if you are a hurried cook like myself.