Nacho Chicken Bake

March 15, 2012 in in the kitchen, recipes with 3 Comments

Nacho Chicken Bake is the result of dinner time sneaking up on me! A few weeks ago,  5:30 rolled around way too  fast! I had laid out chicken and pinto beans for chicken tacos but with a crying baby and moody toddler, I didn’t feel like making homemade tortillas or cutting up and frying the meat.

I had to get creative!

I decided to boil the chicken and turn the pintos into refried beans.

The result was this easy and yummy Chicken Nacho Bake:

Ingredients:

Chips
Refried Beans
Shredded Chicken 
Rotel Tomatoes

Directions:

Layer chips on a pizza stone/baking dish. Add layer of refried beans over the chips, layer on chicken, top with rotel and cheese and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Really this is one of those recipes that has endless possibilities.

Use black beans instead of refried beans. Replace the chicken with steak or taco meat. Instead of Rotel, use fresh tomatoes, salsa or pico de gallo. Once baked you can top with any favorite fresh vegetables or sour cream! {We were wishing we had an avocado to slice and put on the top!}

Quick, easy, frugal and yummy, the type of dish I love!

Baby Weston

March 14, 2012 in baby with 14 Comments

Sweet baby Weston enjoying being outside on a warm and beautiful day!

Linked to: Wordless Wednesday

Grocery Budget: Week Two

March 13, 2012 in healthy living, in the kitchen with 13 Comments

I’m sharing a real glimpse into our grocery budget and meal planning during the month of March. Last week, we spent $89.04 of our $200 budget which is more than I like to spend at the beginning of the month but $33.54 of that was for 5 pounds of local cheese which should last another 3 or 4 weeks.

Groceries for this week:

  • Bananas $.65
  • Salsa (2) (organic) $5.98 (-$1 coupon) $4.98
  • Chickpeas (2) (organic) $1.78
  • Diced Tomatoes $.89
  • Peanuts $1.99
  • Molasses $3.19
  • Pineapple $2.50
  • Maseca $2.19
  • Tortilla Chips $1.69
  • Potato Chips $1.29

Total: $21.37

  • Vanilla (organic) $6.98
  • Dried Papaya $2.42
  • Onions (organic) $3.49
  • Dried Pineapple $5.04
  • Banana Chips $2.09
  • Olive Oil (organic) $10.98
  • Sour Cream (organic) $3.49
  • Milk (organic) $4.88

Total: $41.84

We also purchased a 5 pound bag of  potatoes for $5.70 and local honey for $13.65.

Grand Total: $82.56

{$28.40 left in the grocery budget for the month of March.}

Meal Plan

Breakfasts:
Homemade Granola
Fruit
Oatmeal

Lunches:
Leftovers

Snacks:
Cheese
Nuts
Fruit
Hummus & Chips

Dinners:
March 12: Steak with Baked Potatoes
March 13: Ham with Mashed Potatoes, Cranberries & Whole Wheat Rolls
March 14: Leftovers
March 15: Leftovers/Snack Supper/Possibly Dinner with a Friend
March 16: Chicken Tacos
March 17: Buffalo & BBQ Chicken Pizza
March 18: Chicken Soup
March 19: Mexican  Casserole*
March 20: Veggie Soup*

*These were on last week’s menu but had leftovers one night and pizza another night so I moved these meals!

Questions:

  • How do you plan your menu? I plan my menu based on what I already have and then purchase things that I need to fill in the gaps. I never come up with a menu plan without looking in our freezer, pantry and fridge first. When I’m grocery shopping, I pick up the items we need for the menu that week and will stock up on sale items or items we frequently use.
  • What does your grocery budget include? My grocery budget is only for food. We have a medical category that we use to purchase supplements, etc. and a miscellaneous budget for everything else.

Related Posts – Grocery Budget: Week One

Packing Organization: Part Two

March 7, 2012 in organization, simplify with 4 Comments

Packing Organization: Part One

Having a master packing list is the key to packing organization.

Think about the time that’s wasted coming up with a packing list each and every time you travel. You always bring your toothbrush, toothpaste, undergarments and other necessities. Instead of writing those things out on a list for each trip, have a master list that you can refer to for the basics and then customize it for special trips.

Our master packing list*:

Rachel:

-Outfits

-Extra top

-Undergarments {panties, undershirts, bras, socks,nursing pads}

-Pajamas

-Shoes

-Deodorant

-Toothbrush/toothpaste

-Contact solution/case/glasses

-Shampoo

-Brush

Paxton:

-Outfits

-Pajamas

-Socks

-Shoes

-Teddy/Baby Doll/Blanket

Weston:

-Outfits

-Pajamas

-Socks

-Burp Cloths

Diapers:

-Pocket Diapers

-Wet Bags {large & medium}

-Detergent

-Wipes

Other:

-Snacks

-Chargers {cell phone, computer}

-Computer

When it comes time to pack, just pull out your list and add quantities specific to your trip. And the “other ” category can be used to customize for different types of trips such as to the beach where you’d add swimming suits and towels or a ski trip where you’d add coats, gloves, hats and scarves.

Here’s an example from our trip this past weekend:

Paxton:

-Outfits (4) {2 for the days we’re gone and 2 for accidents since he is 22 months!}

-Pajamas (1 pair)

-Socks (3)

-Shoes (boots) {He’s wearing his tennis shoes on the drive up}

-Teddy/Baby Doll/Blanket

Where to store your  master packing list:

  • Typed on your computer. Print a copy off and check off the items as you pack.
  • Written out on your planner. Just go straight down the list to make sure you have everything.
  • A laminated copy. Keep it on the fridge or your home management binder. When it’s time to pack, grab the list and a dry erase marker and check off as you pack.
  • As a note on your smartphone/tablet. Just pull out your phone and pack!

Do you have a master packing list? Do you think a master packing list will simplify packing for trips?

*I excluded my husband since his is similar to mine but he is included on my actual list!

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