Let's Eat (On A Budget)-Spinach and Egg Casserole

I would like to share one recipe each week that meets the following qualifications:

• Taste's Great
• Doesn't break the bank (Under $2 a serving)
• Is Easy

This week's recipe comes from Kalyn's Kitchen and is a dish I made this week for a mom's group I'm a part of. It was very easy and doesn't require too many ingredients and it tasted great too!

Here are the details:

Spinach and Mozzarella Egg Bake
(Makes 8 servings; recipe created by Kalyn.)

Ingredients:
5 oz. organic fresh spinach (4 cups packed)
1-2 tsp. olive oil (depending on your pan)
1 1/2 cups low-fat mozzarella (I used a low-fat mozzarella blend from Costco with 6 grams of fat in 1/4 cup.)
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
8 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. Spike seasoning (or use any all purpose seasoning mix that's good with eggs)
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375F.  Spray an 8 1/2 inch by 12 inch glass or crockery casserole dish with olive oil or nonstick spray.  

Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add spinach all at once, and stir just until the spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes.  Transfer spinach to the casserole dish, spreading it around so all the bottom of the dish is covered.  Layer the grated cheese and sliced onions on top of the spinach.

Beat the eggs with Spike Seasoning (or other seasoning mix) and salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.  (I use only a tiny pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper.)  Pour the egg mixture over the spinach/cheese combination, and then use a fork to gently "stir" so the eggs, spinach, and cheese are evenly combined.

Bake about 35 minutes or until the mixture is completely set and starting to lightly brown.  Let cool about 5 minutes before cutting.  (The egg bake will settle down some as it cools.)  Serve hot.  This is good with light sour cream.  I also like a little Green Tabasco Sauce sprinkled on the top.

This can be cut into individual servings to keep in the fridge and microwaved for a quick breakfast during the week.  Don't microwave longer than 1-2 minutes or the eggs can get slightly rubbery.

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So, the total cost for this recipe comes under $7, which comes to about $.80 a serving! AND it's not high in calories. We are headed to the mountains in a month or so and I think this will be a great dish to serve while for breakfast one morning while we are there :)

I hope everyone is having a great Wednesday!

New Recipe Friday

Today's recipe is from the Six Sisters website again. We all loved it! And I'm pretty sure Doritos are like Bacon...they make almost anything taste better. 

Friday's Favorite Recipes

My husband has started a workout program over the past week and is also following the nutrition guide that goes along with the plan. The basic idea is low carb, and if you know me at all you know that, to me, eating low carb is up their with water boarding...

Anyways, last night I made sweet potato fries and waldorf chicken salad sandwiches.

Sweet Potato Fries:

Ingredients:

1. Two Sweet Potatoes
2. 2 TB of olive oil
3. Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Peel and cut your sweet potatoes and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle the olive oil over them and mix them around to make sure all the fries are covered. Top with salt and pepper. Bake them for 20 min at 450 degrees and then broil them for another five minutes.

Chicken Waldorf Salad: (enough for 6-7 sandwiches)

Ingredients:

1. Two chicken breasts, baked and cut into bite size pieces
2. 1/4 cup of  chopped walnuts
3. 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt
4. 15 grapes, halved
5. 1/2 an apple
6. salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Combine all the above ingredients in a bowl and serve. We used those thin bagels, but it would also work well on crackers or a croissant.

This recipe was based on the one from the T-25 recipe book but I added the Greek Yogurt.

Tomato, Basil and Parmesan Soup

I found this recipe on Pinterest and knew it would be tasty. I made it last night and it is so, so good!

A great meal for days when you need the crockpot. I served it with homemade biscuits but am thinking some homemade bread would also be tasty...maybe next time.

Enjoy!

We are heading to the mountain house this evening for the weekend...so hopefully next week we'll have some good before and after photos for you!

Homemade Pretzel Bites

I brought home some pretzel bites yesterday from the mall, after John finished them he wanted to make more...so today we took on that task. Here's what you need to know before taking on this little "project":

1. You'll need time! It takes about 2 hours from start to finish (An hour of that is waiting for the dough to rise)
2. You'll need a kitchen aid mixer (There may be recipes that don't require one, but this one does)

This recipe makes about 75-100 pretzel bites...which is A LOT! I decided to use only half he dough and I froze the other half so that I can make more later.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tbsp light brown sugar
1 package active dry yeast
3 oz. unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 tsp salt
4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil
3 quarts water
3/4 cup baking soda
1 whole egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water

Directions:

1. Add water, sugar, yeast and butter to your mixing bowl. Using the hook attachment, blend these ingredients. Then, let the mixture stand for 5 minutes.

2. Add the salt and flour to the mixing bowl. Mix on low until all is combined and a ball of dough is formed.

3. Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured surface, add some flour to the ball of dough if it is too sticky. 

4. Place the dough in a large oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with a towel and let it sit for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 

5. After your hour is up, take it out of the bowl and separate it into 8 smaller balls.

6.  Mix the 3 quarts of water and 3/4 cups of baking soda in a big pan and bring to a boil. .

7. Take one of the balls and roll it into a long thin tube of dough. Cut the tube into inch-size pieces, then pinch them into shape.

8. Mix your egg with the 1 tbsp of water in a small bowl. 

9. Now that your water it boiling, drop 5 "bites" at a time in the water and let them boil for 30 seconds (time it!). 

10. Remove the bites using a slotted spoon and drop them onto a greased cookie sheet. Space them about 1 inch apart from each other. 

11. Bake them 13-15 minutes. Cover the sheet with tin-foil for the last five minutes so they don't get too browned. 

12. Enjoy! Serve with a cheese sauce, or mustard :)

The original recipe I used can be found here. I tweaked it a bit but it's basically the same. It took a long time but they turned out really delicious! I think it would be a fun activity to do with kids too!

Post-Virus Crock Pot Recipe

Life in our house is getting busy...and I have a feeling that it's not going to slow down any time soon. So, I've been on the lookout for some good, easy crock pot meals.

We tried this one last night and it was great! Here are some reasons why:

• Not too unhealthy
• Only 5 ingredients!
• Easy!
• Yummy

Click here for the recipe, it is from the Six Sisters blog...they have a ton of slow cooker recipes and they are organized really well-y'all should check it out.

This is also an excellent recipe to make just after having a stomach bug in your house...I'm fairly sure that at this point most of south-eastern Virginia (including our home) has come down with this bug...so if you just so happen to have a large supply of 7-Up and chicken broth...here's what you can do with it!

I'm looking forward to this weekend for a few reasons, most important is that it is supposed to be in the 60's! Yay for March! Yay for warm weather!

I'm also getting my hair highlighted today...I love this picture I found on Pinterest....We shall see.

What are your weekend plans!?

E-Meals

                                                                              

First of all, don't miss out on the $25 Amazon Gift Card I'm giving away this week...to enter, simply like my Facebook page by clicking here. 

Now...onto some yummy food news. Did you know E-Meals offers a breakfast option? Well they do! And it's only $3 a month and will work at any grocery store! But, I have a discount for you guys! Use the code Breakfast30 to receive 30% off! That means a year's worth of Breakfasts for only $25!



And remember, the breakfast meal plan includes five meals complete with grocery list.  The breakfasts are meant to give you a wide range of options and get you out of the cereal and milk rut! (Which we have all been in at some point I'm sure!)

To get you in the breakfast mode...here are a few recipes I found on Pinterest this week that sound both good for you and good eat!

                                                                    "Breakfast Hash"

Spinach Artichoke Egg Casserole



















                                           
                                                    Waffles with Ham and Eggs

Crock Pot Brussel Sprouts

First of all, don't forget to enter this week's giveaway for a charm pack of Marmalade fabric

Last night we had the following recipe for dinner, along with brown sugar baked chicken....It was so good!

Crock-Pot Brussel Sprouts: (My own concoction) 

Ingredients:

1 pound brussels sprouts

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon Dijon mustar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/3 cup water

1/2 Tablespoon of maple syrup

Directions:

Wash and trim your brussel sprouts. Cut them in half and place in your crock pot. Add butter, mustard, salt, pepper, syrup and water. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours.

Such an easy recipe and they were so good! They were just browned enough around the edges and the maple sugar added a nice sweetness. I think brussel sprouts are my new go to vegetable :)

Pork Tenderloin Recipe

I picked up some pork tenderloin from Costco last week but wasn't quite sure what to do with it.

The picture above shows what the package looks like. There are four chunks of meat, the total price for all four was $16.60.

After browsing my cabinets, and deciding that I wanted to use the crock-pot  I came up with the following recipe. I wasn't sure how it would turn out, so it was kind of a gamble...but it was so good! Me AND the Mr. loved it...which is a high compliment because we basically don't like any of the same food...

Ingredients:

• 1 package of pork (enough to serve four people)
• 3/4 cup of water
• 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar

Directions:

Place the pork in the crockpot and turn it to low. Mix together the remaining ingredients and pour over your tenderloin. Cook for 6-7 hours on low heat, turning the roast every 1-2 hours. 

How easy is that?! It came out so moist and juicy. I served it with some brussel sprouts and it was a great, fairly healthy, meal. And the total cost per person was $2.00! 

Cold Weather Recipes

While here is Virginia we are experiencing temperatures in the sixties this week...I assume that somewhere in the country it is actually winter-time. So whether it is actually cold where you are...or you are just hoping it will be...here are some great "cold-weather" recipes to warm you up.

1. Spinach and Garden Souffle: This recipe is from House Beautiful. I love souffle's and this one looks especially tasty!

2. French Onion Soup: Nothing beats the chill like french onion soup...but some days you just want to eat in your pajamas snuggled up by the fire instead of making the trip to Panera right?

3. Dumpling Squash with cream and sage: This recipe sounds unique and easy, only a few ingredients!

4. Ground Beef Not-Potpies: This one is from Rachel Ray and looks quite yummy. A little different from your average pot-pie. 

5. Black Bean Pie: This reminds me of a Mexican pot pie...looks so yummy!!

E-Meals?

I have 1 day left of work before I can officially relax. I know I've been bad at posting over the past week or so but it's about to improve. I'm very excited about being able to relax and focus on crafting and sewing :)

I did come across something interesting this week though, it's called E-Meals. Have you ever heard of it? Have you ever used it?

I haven't heard of it or used it but a friend of mine on Facebook mentioned it so I looked into it. It definitely sounds interesting. Basically you pay about $7 a month and they will send you a grocery list based on the stores you shop at as well as a monthly meal plan. I'm thinking about doing it but was wondering if anyone has had any experience with it, what are the pros and cons?

I am HORRIBLE about shopping with more than 24 hours in mind and I know that I spend more money than I should because of it. I'm thinking using e-meals for a few months would be a great way to begin the new year and for $7 a month? Not a bad price.

So, leave a comment, tell me your thoughts, are you going to try it?

Grilled Cheese Mania...

Don't forget to check out this week's giveaway! Click here for more info on that!!

So if you're in or around Harrisonbug one day and you're hungry you need to check out Grilled Cheese Mania.  A friend of a friend started this company within the past month and it is BOOMING! My mouth waters just looking at the awesome sandwiches on the menu...like this one for example.



So since they've opened I've had grilled cheese on the brain and have made a few variations over the past few weeks. For one, I used pear and feta cheese...YUM! And for another I threw on some avocado with cheddar and sliced turkey, also a success.

Here's a quick grilled cheese recipe that y'all can make this week. Pair it with some tomato soup and you've got yourselves a quick, low cost autumn meal!

Bacon Pear Grilled Cheese

• Two slices of bread-your choice
• Butter
• Gouda Cheese
• Sliced Bacon
• Sliced Pear of your choice
• Pesto Sauce (1 TB basil, 1 TB sugar, 2 TB olive oil)

Spread your butter on one side of each of the slices of bread. On the other side of each slice, spread your pesto sauce. Place one piece of bread on the pan and then pile on the gouda cheese and sliced pear. Grill your bacon separately and place that on as well. Be sure to have cheese touching both slices of bread, the pear and bacon should be between the two layers of cheese. Cook on medium until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted.

Serve your sandwich with some tomato soup. Because I love things that are simple I usually just add 1 can of campbell's soup to 1 can of milk. Then i had 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese and cook on medium until the cheese is melted. Before serving I sprinkle in some parsley and basil as well.



Enjoy!

Pumpkin Roll

This is one of my favorite things to make during the fall. Below is my recipe:

Ingredients: 

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3/4 cups flour

Ingredients for the Filling:

• 8 oz of cream cheese, softened
• 4 tablespoons of butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

(There ends up being more than enough filling for just one. When I do this again i think I'll make two cakes and use the filling to fill both of them. There is also just enough pumpkin in a can to make two so this way your extra pumpkin isn't going to waste)

Directions:

1. Combine all Ingredients for the cake portion and mix well.
2. Line a cookie tray with tin foil and then spray with Pam, then lightly flour the tin foil with flour.
3. Pour your batter onto the tray, spreading evenly. Cook for 15 minutes on 350.
4. While your batter is cooking, mix together your filling ingredients
5. Remove the cake from the oven and flip it onto a towel that has been sprinkled heavily with powdered sugar.
6. Remove the tin foil and roll the cake up using the towel (the towel will be rolled together with the cake), sprinkle more powdered sugar over the top of the cake before you roll.
7. Allow the cake to cool (about 30 minutes)
8. Once its cool, unroll your cake and spread your filling on. You don't need to get close to the edges because as you re-roll, the filling with just seep out if you get to close.
9. Re-roll your cake with the towel and place it in the fridge or freezer for 1/2 an hour.
10. Cut off the edges which probably aren't to pretty, and then slice it and serve. Sprinkle with more powdered sugar to give a nice look.

A few yummy recipes...

This afternoon we are heading to the mountains for a week. I'm so looking forward to it!!! Scarves, sweaters, apples and cider here we come! So this week I've been trying to use up our food in the fridge since we won't be here for a week and I found the following recipe on Pinterest.
















I already had all the ingredients except for two: corn flakes and almond slices. BUT...don't be alarmed because I did just so happen to have Fiber One...WITH ALMONDS! I substituted this instead of the corn flakes and it was awesome.

In preparation for a week in the mountains I made this yummy peanut butter popcorn for our trip:

I'd never made popcorn on the stove before and it was a lot easier than I anticipated.  Also, there were almost NO un-popped kernels, unlike the packaged popcorn bags. I tried a few pieces and it's very yummy as well.

What do 'all have going on this weekend? Any special fall activities?

Chicken & Mushroom Pasta

Unfortunately for you guys we recently purchased mushrooms at Costco. Because of this decision I've been trying to come up with creative ways to use all these mushrooms before they go bad. So. Many. Mushrooms. The first recipe I concocted was for Crab Stuffed Mushrooms. Today's episode of Mushroom Madness post, is for a Chicken and Mushroom Pasta dish I came up with for dinner a few nights ago...

Ingredients: (This will serve two people)

• 1/2 a medium onion; chopped
• 4 Large white mushrooms; remove stems and slice
• 2 TB olive oil
• 2 TB butter
• 2 TB white wine
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (Our Chicken breasts are also from Costco and therefore are from chickens that would have fit nicely in Gulliver's Travels, you know-when he was a giant) for those of you who purchase your chicken breasts from other establishments and therefore from normal sized chickens..you may need three instead of two.
• 1 cup of Parmesan cheese
• Penne Pasta (I just eye-balled this and used what I thought the two of us would eat)

Directions:

1. Cook the Penne Pasta according to the directions
2. Meanwhile, saute your onion and mushrooms in your oil, butter and wine for 5 minutes. Add your chicken and saute for another 5-10 minutes until the chicken is cooked all the way through. Add your cheese and stir until melted, then pour over your drained pasta. I sprinkled mine with parsley at the end...just to provide a little extra color. 

Enjoy!

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms!

I've never concocted my own recipe before...It always seemed kind of scary to me. (Now I HAVE frequently guesstimated when measuring...it's a rule of mine to not bother measuring anything under a tablespoon or to leave ingredients out because I don't have them and am too lazy to run to the store...but alas this is not the same as creating my own recipe..or is it?)

But...I gave it a shot with these crab stuffed mushrooms.

Ingredients:

• 12  Large White Mushrooms
• 1 egg
• 1/2 lb of lump crab meat
• 2 TB of butter
• 1/2 TB of Old Bay
• 1/2 TB of Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/2 Cup of Parmesan cheese
• 2 TB of Mayo

Directions:

1. Cut the stems off of your mushroom and discard.
2. Spoon out the center of the mushroom so that you have enough room to stuff them, save what you spoon out and place in a mixing bowl.

3. Combine the mushroom pieces with the remaining ingredients until mixed well.
4. Stuff your mushroom!

5. Cook at 350 for 15 minutes, then broil at 450 for 5 minutes
6. Enjoy!

Both me and the Mr. thought they turned out really well! Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Fall Recipe Roundup!

Saturday was the first day of fall! (I know this because I celebrated by attending a "First Day of Fall Party")

In honor of the first week of fall I've put together a fall recipe roundup. Below are some great recipes I've come across from some of my fellow bloggers that are PERFECT for these chilly evenings. We're heading to the mountains in 10 days (and will be apple picking!) and I can't wait to try some of these out while we're there! Hope you enjoy them as well...



Pumpkin Granola




Caramel Apple Cheesecake



Cinnamon Swirl Pumpkin Bread



Apple Cider Spice Cake



Pumpkin Spice Latte



Caramel Apple Munch Mix

Glazed Poppy Seed Ham and Swiss Rolls

First of all, don't forget to enter into this week's fabric giveaway! Click here for more info, the photo below is the fat quarter bundle you could win!

This is one of my all time favorite recipes. I'm planning on making it for Lilly's birthday party this weekend and whenever I've made them before they've disappeared quickly. I've made them for dinner before also and just paired them with soup...a great fall meal :)

Ingredients:

• 24 dinner rolls (go with potato rolls)
• 1 package of sliced deli ham
• 1 package of sliced Swiss cheese
• 3/4 cup of butter
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1/3 cup of brown sugar
• 2 TB Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 TB mustard
• 2 TB poppy seeds
• 1/4 cup of chopped sweet onion

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Slice the rolls so that they open up but aren't sliced completely in half
3. Line your 9x13 pan with aluminum foil
4. Place all rolls on the pan and place 1 slice of ham and 1 slice of cheese in each roll
5. Mix the remaining ingredients in a saucepan on the stove and bring to a boil
6. Spoon the sauce evenly over the rolls
7. Bake covered for 20 minutes
8. Remove foil and bake uncovered for 10 minutes

Enjoy!!

Mmm...Amazing Crab Dip!

This is one of my all time favorite recipes, my mom used to make it as a child and it was one of the first things I made for the Mr. when we were dating...(mainly because it was so easy that I couldn't really mess it up).

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of lump crab meat (Don't get imitation. Don't get canned. Go with the real thing)
• 1 lb of Velveeta cheese
• 1/2 lb of butter

I know what you're thinking...and yes, it's basically the most unhealthy recipe EVER, but it is oh so good that it'll be worth it and keep in mind that you are making this as an appetizer...for a group of people. It is not meant to be eaten entirely by you in one sitting :)

Directions:

• Melt the butter in a pan on medium, once melted add the crab meat and stir. Then cut up your cheese into about 8 pieces and add those to the pan as well. Once all is melted, serve with pita chips or tortilla chips.

I made this Saturday night for a game night that we had at our house and as always it was a big hit (except for those who don't like seafood...tisk tisk) I love how easy it is, and of course you can't beat the taste. 

Enjoy!