Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Recipe Catch-Up :)

So I have a few new recipes to share that have been successes and are really easy to make! All of them, except this first one, are from healthy magazines or websites as well.

Pizza Pasta: serves 8
My sister sent me this recipe and I've made it twice so far (the second being tonight for a group of friends). The recipe is actually for two pans so that you can freeze one for another night.
-2lbs ground lean beef -1 onion, chopped
-2 jars spaghetti sauce -1 16 oz box of whole wheat rotini pasta, cooked
-4 oz mozzarella cheese -8 oz sliced pepperoni

Cook beef and onion in skillet (I season with Italian seasonings and garlic); drain. Stir in sauce and pasta. Transfer to 2 9x13 pans. Sprinkle top with cheese and arrange pepperoni on top. Bake uncovered at 350 for 25 -30 minutes.

Wild Rice Turkey Bake: serves 6
My in-laws brought a turkey for Easter so I tried out this recipe. It was so easy and I actually made it on Saturday, then froze it for lunch after church on Sunday.
-3 c. cooked wild rice -3 c. chopped cooked turkey
-16 oz. pkg french cut green beans -17 oz. jar alfredo sauce
-1/2 c. bread crumbs

Preheat over to 350. Mix rice, turkey, green beans, and alfredo sauce in large bowl. Place in 12x8 glass baking dish and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes until casserole bubbles at edges and crumbs are browned.
*To freeze: undercook rice by 10 minutes. Don't thaw green beans. Mix all ingredients and place in dish. Can freeze up to 3 months. To thaw and reheat thaw casserole overnight. Sprinkle crumbs and bake at 350 for 50-65 minutes.

Skillet Pasta Florentine: serves 6
-3 c. whole wheat spiral pasta -1 egg, beaten
-2 c. (16 oz.) 2% cottage cheese -1 1/2 c. low fat ricotta cheese
-1 pkg (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach -1 c. shredded skim milk mozzarella
-1 tsp each: parsely, oregano, and basil -1 jar (14 oz) spaghetti sauce
-2 tbsp parmesean cheese

Cook pasta and thaw spinach. Meanwhile, in large bowl, combine egg, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, spinach, 1/2 c. mozzarella, and herbs. Drain pasta. Place half of sauce in a large skillet; layer with pasta and remaining sauce. Top with cheese mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce; cover and cook for 25-30 minutes. Sprinkle with parmesean and remaining mozzarella; cover and cook 5 minutes longer. Let stand 5 minutes.

Cheeseburger Pasta: serves 4
-1 1/2 c. uncooked whole wheat penne pasta -3/4 lb. lean ground beef
-2 tbsp chopped onion -1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
-2 tbsp dill pickle relish -1 tsp steak seasoning
-1/4 tsp salt -3/4 low fat shredded cheese
-2 tbsp of condiments (your choice): mustard, ketchup, mayo, honey mustard, etc.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat; drain. Drain pasta; add to meat mixture. Stir in tomatoes, relish, mustard, ketchup, steak seasoning and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese.

There they are! :) Hope you all enjoy!

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Great Deals at Aldi

Some of you may have noticed a new store called Aldi being built near you. There are new ones all over DFW. My sister has one near her and thought it had some great deals, and I got a flyer with some impressively low prices listed on it (10lb of potatoes for $1.29!) so I decided I would try it out.

This morning I went to the one close to me and I agree it has some pretty great deals. Here is my impression of the store; it is small which is nice because you can get in and out quickly and it is well organized and easy to navigate, but that also means they don't have a large variety of items or everything you need. One nice thing about the one near me is that it is right next to a walmart so I was able to swing by there to finish off my list. They have low prices on staple items and produce (especially the frozen foods);
frozen peas for 0.95 (1.39 at walmart)
baby carrots 0.49 (0.99 at walmart)
pineapple 0.99 (2.50 on sale at walmart)
avocados 0.39 each (on sale for 0.79 each at walmart)
taco seasoning 0.35 (0.72 at walmart)

They don't provide bags which would stink if you didn't have any of your own and had to buy them on the spot, but is good for the environment. You have to bag your own food (again, best for small trips I think). They have almost all store brand items with a few name brands mixed in, which I don't mind, but may bother some people. And, if you are going to try it out, make sure you have to have a quarter to get your cart (which you will get back when you return your cart).

I will certainly be returning to Aldi for certain items and be watching for their flyers. I'm a lover or produce and frozen foods, so this is a good fit for me because those items seem to have the best deals. So, if you don't mind shopping at more than one store I highly recommend trying an Aldi near you!

Friday, April 2, 2010

Free Easter Fun at Michaels! :)

This Saturday, April 3rd from 10:00-1:00, Michaels is hosting a free knack event. Take your family and decorate your own Easter pail. I've checked to make sure the Michaels closest to me (in Keller on 377) is participating but if you need to check another location, just go to www.michaels.com and click on "find a store". A list will come up and to the right you can check out "this store's events" for the store closest to you. Even though Gracie isn't old enough to do an egg hunt yet, I'm still going to make one to use as decoration this year and then she'll have one ready next year!

Thanks saveathomemommy!

Sundance Square Coupons

Just in time for the Main St. Arts Festival!!! For my fellow Ft. Worthians (?) :), if you join the Sundance Insider, you receive newsletters with upcoming events and coupons. I just got mine and there are great coupons for our trip to the Arts Festival: 20% of at Cabo Grande, free appetizer with purchase of drink at Simply Fondue, $15 off any 50 min massage at Parfumerie Marie Antoniette and Spa, BOGO free strawberry shortcake at Marble Slab, and lots of others! All the coupons are good through April 30 and, of course, the Arts Festival is free! Get out, enjoy some culture, and I'll see you there! :)

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Woman's Day Planner Giveaway!

www.orgjunkie.com posted a free giveaway by Chaos Simplified. It is a day planner that has split pages so that you can see your monthly planner at the same time as your weekly planner! Truly brilliant!!! Just go to this site, leave a comment, and you could be picked to get it for free. (Even if you don't win, it's only $28) :)

http://orgjunkie.com/2010/04/chaos-simplified-the-womans-day-planner.html

Good luck!