Many of my friends have been asking me how I keep up with kids, housework, pets, etc. and still have time to cook?  It's actually not the easiest thing in the world because some days I am super lazy and have ZERO motivation.  However, I am in charge of finances in our house, and it's become more of a commitment to saving money and eating at home and enjoying family time.

Typically, once a week I sit down and plan out what sounds good to me to eat.  Most of the time if I don't want to spend money at the grocery store, I plan around what I have at home.  If you don't have much of a pantry, then choose what you'd like to eat, recipes you want to try, and write that list out.  Then, once I've made my list, I look at my calendar and input the meals into whatever day is convenient for them.  For example, if I'm super busy one day, I'll throw a crock pot meal on that day or something that is a simple to prepare.

Once you have your meal plan set up, it's time to make the grocery list.  Go through the recipes, and look through your pantry and make sure you list all the items you need from the store.   This is the best way to do it, since you're not running out to the store every day because you don't have what you need on hand.

Be flexible!  There's no need to freak out if something happens and you eat out one day or if something doesn't sound appealing that particular day.  Swap stuff around, or have a backup option just in case.  It takes a little bit of time, patience, and practice, but you'll get the hang of it!

If you have other questions, please e-mail me and/or ask me.

If you want me to send you one of my weekly meal planner sheets as a template, please e-mail me. (I haven't figured out how to post a link up to download it online).

Creamy Easy Stroganoff

So, I absolutely LOVE comfort food and this is one of those delicious meals that the whole family loves.  We enjoy eating it and it's perfect and we sometimes have leftovers which are great for the hubby to take to work!  You can totally make your own variations... for instance, if you don't like mushrooms you can leave those out.  If you don't like onions, (you just aren't right... just kidding!) you can totally substitute for onion powder or leave it out.  I have also made this without meat, it's great either way.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

·         1 lb ground beef (or ground turkey)

·         8 oz Sour Cream

·         1 can cream of mushroom soup

·        1 small onion, diced

·        1 tbsp minced garlic

·        1 can sliced mushrooms

·        1 pkg egg noodles

·        ½ stick butter

Directions:

1.      Brown meat until no longer pink

2.      Sauté onion, garlic, and mushrooms in butter until tender

3.      Cook egg noodles according to package directions

4.      Combine meat, sautéed veggies, soup, and sour cream and heat on medium

5.      Once sauce is bubbly, add drained egg noodles and mix well

6.      Serve immediately

Huevos Rancheros

Today, I was craving Huevos Rancheros.  I absolutely LOVE mexican food and could honestly eat it every day.  My husband and I came up with this recipe, and since I'm on a mission to lose weight, we tried to make it healthy.  I used what I had on hand, thus the reason for banana peppers, but I would use green chiles instead of the banana peppers in the future.  If you like extra heat, add some chopped jalapenos!  This recipe is pretty mild, though.

Huevos Rancheros
6 servings per recipe
160 calories per serving, 16 carbs, 6 fat, 11 protein (I used myfitnesspal to calculate recipe)

Ingredients:
1 7oz can of sliced mushrooms (drained)
1 small onion (diced)
1 medium tomato (diced)
2-3 cloves garlic (minced)
2 oz Banana pepper rings (I would use canned green chiles in the future)
1 15.5oz can of Black Beans (low sodium) rinsed and drained
1 Tbsp Cilantro (fresh or the squeeze tube found in the refrigerated produce section)
1/2 tsp Chipotle Powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp parsley
salt & pepper (to taste)
6 eggs

Make sure you use a deep dish skillet with a lid!
Sautee mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, and garlic until translucent and tender.  Add the rest of the ingredients except eggs.  Cook on medium heat for a few minutes until bubbly and beans are tender.  Make six "bowls" in the beans and veggies using a spoon, and crack 1 egg in each "bowl".  Cover with lid to allow steam to cook the eggs, approximately 5 minutes.

*I like this topped with a little bit of shredded cheese, sour cream, and salsa.  (add calories accordingly)

(I will try to post a prettier picture the next time I make this.  I was too busy eating to think about taking a picture of it on my plate!)