Shrimp Pasta

I like to use shrimp meat because it's a lot cheaper and in this pasta dish it would get cut up anyhow but I get 1/2lb larger shrimp too to grill and put on top. You don't have to but it does look pretty! Also, I can't believe its not butter lite cuts down the calories :)

220 calories for about 21/2 cups



I like to garnish with grilled shrimp, fresh basil, and shaved parmesan!

 

Quick Tip- Breakfast Sandwich

I don't know about you but I don't have a lot of time in the mornings but I do like to send my kids to school with a hot breakfast...well most of the time ;) I can make this sandwich in less than 3 minutes.

English Muffin-I like the w/w lite

1egg

shredded cheese

2 slices of ham

 

I also think it's way quicker and easier to baste your egg (a tip I got from my Mom). Basically fry your egg until the egg white is white 3/4 of the way cooked. Add a little bit of water (maybe 1/2 a cup) and cover. Once the egg is done top with shredded cheese & cover again. I will put the eggs on one side the ham on the other to save time and by the time the muffin is toasted the egg and ham are ready too!

 



Spicy Beans

These beans are super quick! I add black beans because I think it's a good way to get extra fiber. I like to add 5 or 6 chiles but if you don't want them too spicy start with 1 or 2. Make sure to take them out before eating! And don't cook them too long with the onion because if they blacken they have a different flavor.

160 calories per serving about one cup

Carne Asada

I think we have this almost every weekend in the summer! It's quick, easy, and delicious!

 

350 calories for 8oz. carne asada

160 calories spicy beans

 65 spanish rice

Quick Tip- Bananas

I hate to waste food and it always seem like my bananas start getting too ripe before we can eat them. So instead of throwing them out I freeze them. You can peel them and freeze them whole but if they are overly ripe they will stick together. I like to cut them, lay them on a cookie sheet and freeze them for about 2 hrs. Then I toss them in a Ziploc freezer bag. Great for making smoothies! Here's Bradley's favorite smoothie recipe...

1 frozen banana

2T crunchy peanut butter

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

 



Friendship brownies

My Sister in law makes the best brownies ever! Every time she has made them and I've been feeling down, well friendship brownies make it better! ;) Here's her recipe with my twist. Enjoy!

 

Any boxed brownie mix (I like the ones that say fudge)

1/4 cup brewed coffee

2 eggs

1t vanilla

1/4 cup oil

1 bag chocolate chips

1 container of chocolate icing (again I like fudge)

2T brewed coffee

 

Beat eggs, vanilla, coffee, and oil. Mix chocolate chips into brownie powder. Add egg mixture and mix until fully combined. Coat pan with Butter pam and coat with raw sugar. Bake according to directions. Cool. Add 2T brewed coffee to frosting and mix. Cover brownies with frosting and chill. :) They are very good cold!

 



Quick Tip-Grilled Asparagus

To save on calories but not on flavor I like to spray my asparagus with butter pam and lightly sprinkle w/ salt and Montreal Steak Seasoning. These I did in the broiler 2-3 minutes each side.

32 calories

BBQ Meatballs

This is quick and easy! I made grilled asparagus and salad with it and...dinner is served in less than 20 minutes!

Meatballs- 415 calories (about 5 meatballs)

Asparagus- 32 calories

Salad w/ Lite Caesar dressing- 50

 

Total: 497

Omelet by Bradley

This was cooked entirely by my 11 yr. old Bradley. He has been making omelets since he was 9 and when I showed him the blog I was starting he wanted to put his omelet on here :) I love the way he plated it with fresh strawberries and a fork! :)

2 eggs-Beaten

Salt & Pepper

2 Slices of ham-chopped

Cheese

1t milk

Beat eggs add salt, pepper, and milk. Beat until foamy. Spray pan with butter pam and heat. Add egg mixture. Let eggs cook med. heat. Add ham in a line down the center. Fold over one side, then the other, then flip. Sprinkle cheese across the top and cover with the lid for a few min. turning off heat. Serve.

 Calories: 174



Grilled Corn & Potaoes

Spray corn with Butter Pam. Sprinkle with Pico de Gallo Chile Powder, Salt, and Pepper. Grill.

10-12 small red potatoes (depending on size) Cut into bite size pieces.

1/2 red onion-Cut into thin slices

Butter Pam

1T EVOO

1t Pepper

1T Garlic Salt

1T Dried Basil



 



Boil potatoes for 10-15 minutes or until slightly soft. Don't overcook because they will fall apart on the grill. Drain and place on foil. Spray with butter pam and sprinkle evenly with spices. Add red onion and drizzle EVOO on top. Grill or Broil.

 

Corn: 65 Calories

Grilled Potatoes: 259 Calories

Grilled Pork Chop Marinade

I like to make my own marinade most of the time because it's a lot cheaper and it's totally easy to do! We change up the sides but this time I served  the pork chops with grilled corn and potatoes. I'll show the before and after pics. On nice days we'll BBQ but it can be done in the broiler as well.

Pork Chop: 242 calories (6oz chop)

 

Total Meal: 566



 

Grilled by Gene :)

Lettuce Wrap Recipe

This is one of our favorites! Quick, easy, and yummy! I like to serve it w/ Asian Salad & Mini Chicken Egg rolls (from Sam's Club). For 8oz portion of the meat mixture is 500 calories but that is a pretty large portion. Total dinner w/ Lettuce Wrap, Asian Salad, & Egg rolls = 750 calories

Quick Tip- Coffee

I like Starbucks but personally I think it's too expensive to go everyday. The trick with coffee is starting with a good coffee. Using cheap coffee and putting expensive creamers and sugars in it just makes a high calorie drink. I like Hawaiian Hazelnut, Vanilla Nut, and French Vanilla. I usually switch between which one is on sale. I also like to buy it in the big bag at Sam's club or Costco.

1/2 cup ground coffee- for 8cups

 

2 splenda packets

 

2 T coffee-mate

 

This breaks down to $.70 for your morning cup of coffee. Big difference! You'll save money and calories!

 

If you're thinking "iced" coffee add 1/4 cup more ground coffee, make your coffee the way you would normally (coffee-mate and splenda) and then pour over ice! If you want to make a thicker iced coffee (higher in calories and sugar) add 1 can sweetened condensed milk to 1 pot of coffee and chill.

Coffee- 125 calories    Iced Coffee w/Sweetened Condensed Milk-245

 

 

 



Follow me :)

Just added a "follow" button to my blog! Please follow me and I'll share quick tips and recipes :)

Fruit Dip

So easy but soooo good! For less calories you can use the low fat cream cheese and sugar-free coolwhip :) Less than 50 calories for 2T!

Quick Tip- Shopping

I like to shop for two weeks because it saves me time, gas, and money! I think it's helpful to write down a list of meals that I plan on making, looking at my recipe cards for all the ingredients so I don't forget anything, and asking the family what they feel like eating.  This is my list for the next two weeks, you can look forward to these recipes and pics to come :)

Quick Tip- Drinks

For a cheap fun drink for the kids I like to buy the Hawaiian Punch Singles with water. They are $.98 at Winco so it makes the drink $.20...and if you recycle it could be as cheap as $.15! And they are sugar-free with only 10 calories!

Bruscetta Sandwiches

This is definitely one of my favorite sammies! The bread is crunchy and the cheese is melted...omg soooo good!

 

 

Quick Tip- Waffles

So, if you're anything like me you're in a rush in the morning getting the kids ready etc. but it would be nice to send the kids off with a hot breakfast. I make a double batch of the Heart Smart Bisquick and put it in a pitcher. For regular waffles I like to add (1t Vanilla & 1T Cinnamon). This makes waffles take less time than frozen waffles! For my family the double batch usually lasts 3 days (but my boys are big eaters).

Fall waffles- I like to add (1 cup canned pumpkin, 1t Vanilla, 1T Cinnamon, and 1t Pumpkin Spice)

Springtime waffles- I like to top with (fresh strawberries & sugar-free cool whip)

Fast Salsa

Here is "Fast Salsa" I usually make the Spanish Rice at the same time that I make Fast Salsa so I buy the large can of Rotel and use 1/4 in the rice and the rest for the Salsa. Enjoy!

Spanish Rice

 

65 calories for 1 cup serving

I like to make homemade spanish rice. I think that it tastes a lot better, you can make more than what comes in the boxed rice mixes and it's a whole lot cheaper!

Todays Tip

I like to shop for two weeks because shopping is time consuming and when it's for food...um it's not real fun! So, I like to plan my dinners. I make a grocery list from my recipe cards that way I'm not buying stuff that I already have and I know exactly what I need so I won't have to run to the store and get something when I want to make it. Then I make a list of the dinners that I will be making and use it daily as a menu. This has really cut down on wasting food and I can give my family options like a restaurant ;)

Chile Verde Recipe Card

I like to garnish with cilantro and cheese! :)

My first dinner recipe...

Over the years I have tried 100's of recipes and learned many tricks. I think that "Chile Verde" is one of the quickest meals! If you have 30seconds in the morning, you can make this! It envolves opening 3 cans and pulling some frozen pork out of the freezer...and that's it! I will post the recipe card below so you can print it out or have it printed as a picture. I print all of mine as a picture and put them in a small album so I always have them on hand.

This is what mine looks like :) I'll add the "Recipe' front cover in case you want one that looks like mine! Hope you like it!

Hi there! Welcome to my blog!
I'm starting this blog to share recipes, cooking healthy tips (without loosing flavor), money savers, and basically anything else that pops into my head. :)
My name is Christina and I have been a stay at home Mom for 16 years! We decided that this would be the best thing for our children and in the process I have learned many creative ways to save money as well as take great care of my family! I have to thank all the other Moms, Grandmas, and friends that have shared their tips with me along the way!
So, for the past 6 years I have worked at my children's school as "the lunch lady". It's great because I have a small income but still get to be home with them after school. Also, working (even part time) has taught me that with our busy schedule there are always  ways to make healthy meals QUICK! I'm excited to share all the recipes that my family considers "keepers" because there have been quite a few...well.."Mom maybe you shouldn't make that one again" LOL I will share all the little tweaks I have made to recipes to make them great! I hope you enjoy!