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Saturday, June 25, 2011

Lose weight by drinking more water!


First, you are probably wondering what this has to do with eating on the cheap. That is easy. When you are well hydrated, you eat less. If you eat less, it costs you less. Also, when you lose weight, you will be less hungry – thus saving money. So, without further delay, how do you lose weight with water?

It is important to note that you can lose tons of weight simply drinking water. People are surprised when they hear this! Generally they don't know that their body is retaining water due to their lack of water consumption. You see, we are built for survival. If you don't drink enough, your body will retain water for “just in case”. With this in mind you can see how water can actually help you lose weight!

You don't have to drink plain water. However, avoid sugar and caffeine as these can be counter-productive. You may want to consider drinking green tea as it possesses some extremely healthy effects (including evidence that it can aid in weight loss). If you combine green tea with increased water consumption, you just may be amazed at how well your weight loss begins to progress.

Also, remember to lower your sodium consumption as this will dehydrate you and cause you to retain more fluids (as well as do other damage to your health).

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Chicken Stuffed Tortilla - Video Recipe!!!

Okay - so this is my first attempt at making a "video recipe" for you all to enjoy! I am so excited, and I hope you all like it! The Chicken Stuffed Tortilla recipe is one of my favorites because it is so versatile. Formally known as "Stuff" to my family and friends, this recipe has taken many forms over the years. If you want to sneak healthy things such as mushrooms or avocados in the recipe, all you have to do is puree them and stir them into the mix.

So without further delay, here we go!


Monday, June 20, 2011

Quick/Easy/Cheap Dessert - Instant Chocolate Cake

Sorry for the two days off folks - things came up... I will make up for it though!  How does cake in minutes sound?  Delicious? I thought so!
 
Instant Chocolate Cake
Serves 2
Start -2- Finish: 10 minutes
“Work” Time: 10 minutes
Cost Per Person: $1.15



Ingredients:
1/4 cup flour
5 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
dash of vanilla extract
dash of salt


Directions:

    * Mix all ingrediants in a coffee cup
    * Microwave for 2 minutes

Serving Suggestions:
Add Chocolate chips, mint chips, walnuts, or so on...

Friday, June 17, 2011

Quick/Easy/Cheap Recipe - Honey Mustard Chicken

Honey Mustard Chicken
Serves 2
Start -2- Finish: 60 minutes
“Work” Time: 15 minutes
Cost Per Person: $1.00
Ingredients:
2 - Frozen Boneless-Skinless Chicken Breast
½ Cup - Creamy Honey-Mustard Sauce (See Below)


Creamy Honey-Mustard Sauce
2 parts yellow mustard
1 part mayonnaise
4 parts honey
Alter to taste

Directions:
  • Preheat oven to 400°F
  • Rinse Chicken
  • Spray chicken lightly with cooking spray (to prevent drying)
  • On broiler pan, bake chicken for approximately 30 minutes (until juices run clear)
  • When chicken is done, remove from oven and place on plates
  • Top with Creamy Honey-Mustard Sauce
  • Serve


Serving Suggestion:
Serve with baked potato or mixed veggies

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Father's Day FREE Gift Idea!

So Father's Day is Sunday, and I am sure many of you have not yet gotten anything for that special man. Now, I am aware that this is not meal related, but then again, if you don't have to pay for a Father's Day gift, you can spend more money on food ;-) right?


So what is the deal?  You can get a FREE 8×10 Collage Print from Walgreens!  Just use coupon code: 1FREEBIE at checkout through Saturday, June 18, 2011.  If you choose pick up in-store, you can avoid shipping fees (and to get it by Father’s Day!). Just remember, there is a limit of one free offer per customer.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Quick/Easy/Cheap & Healthy Dessert - Chocolate Pudding

 Healthy alternative to traditional chocolate pudding. Decadent, sweet, and delicious. Also very affordable. This tastes just like traditional chocolate pudding, however it is dairy free and very low in fat. Also, this is very high in vitamins and minerals.
Chocolate Pudding
Serves 4
Start -2- Finish: 10
“Work” Time: 10
Approx Cost Per Person: $1.00
Ingredients:
1 avocado
¼ c raw sugar
¼ c cocoa powder
¼ c water
2 t vanilla extract
¼ t sea salt


Directions:
  • With a sharp knife, Slice avocado around, twist and separate
  • Remove seed and using spoon scoop avocado from skin. Be sure to remove the stem
  • Place avocado in blender/food processor
  • In microwave safe bowl, microwave water for approx 1 min.
  • Add sugar, stir until dissolved. Place mixture in blender/food processor
  • Add cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt to blender/food processor
  • Blend/mix until smooth. If not mixing well, add 1additional TBSP water at a time, and work mixture away from edges (make sure blender is off)
  • Place in bowl(s) and refrigerate atleast 30 minutes
  • Serve and enjoy


Serving Suggestions:
You can variate as you would with traditional chocolate pudding by adding mint or making larger batch and making pie, ect.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Real meals for $1 a person? Yes! It is possible!

So tonight at dinner, my boyfriend asked me how much dinner cost. When I told him, he sat back, blew out a long breath, and said "You should blog about that."

Plain and simple: dinner was delicious, healthy, and cheap. So what was it? Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage, buttered brussels sprouts, biscuits, and herbed garden vegetables. I fed two adults and two children for $4. Oh yea - and I was able to cook dinner in under 20 minutes.  Funny thing is -- we eat like that all the time. So how do I do it?


Simple!

First, the Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage was on sale for $1.95. The buttered brussels sprouts and herbed garden vegetables were 10 for $10 & 11th free at Meijer - making them 90 cents each.  The biscuits were a simple homemade recipe easily costing no more than a quarter.  See, that is the ticket - watching out for sales and stocking up when you can. From my grocery shopping last week I have a save $3 coupon. Meijer recently added a save $2 coupon to my MPerks card - so the 1st $5 I spend on my next shopping trip will be free.  And so goes my usual shopping trips. Whether or not you choose Meijer to shop is not important. What is important is finding an affordable grocery - and if possible one with a customer card and a major plus is one that doubles/triples coupons.
 

You can easily do this too!

A little planning can save you BIG! On average I save about 1/3 with coupons and in-store deals.  What could you do with an extra $84.84?