Sunday Supper--Chicken Fried Steaks

1. 1 package of chopped beef steaks
2. 2 or 3 cups crushed cracker crumbs
3. 2 or 3 beaten eggs
4. 1 teas.garlic salt or powder
5. salt and pepper
6. olive oil for cooking
7. For this recipe I do it in a assembly line,it makes it easier,I put the cracker crumbs in a pie pan, put the beaten eggs and spices in a pie pan also, dip each piece of meat in the egg mixture and then dip them in the cracker crumbs, packing it on like a crust, In a pre heated pan with the olive oil, place the meat in carefully, I cover the pan, they seem to cook better. Turn over when browned.  This is my sons Favorite supper, I also cook mashed potatoes and gravy, a salad and vegetables. I hope you will enjoy this too.

Enjoying The Weather

Ever since my son and I moved to Arizona, we have just been loving the weather here. We moved here last July, and yes it was a bit hot, but not much hotter than where we came from, but I have just loved the winter so far,mostly sunny everyday and some days have even made it to 70 degrees:) and NO snow. And with weather this good it gives you lots of time for outdoor activities, such as walking, going to the parks, taking drives, going on picnics, which most of these can be done with little to no cost to do, and when you re a single mom on a budget anything helps:) Well I hope you all have a fun filled weekend.

Pizza Burgers...Kids will love these:)

1. 1 lb.of ground beef or ground turkey
2. 2 small cans of tomato sauce
3. 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
4. 1/2 tsp.oregano
5. 1/2 tsp. each of salt and pepper
6. 1 1/2 tsp.of chopped, fresh or dried onion
7. 1 or 2 bags of hamburger buns
8. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together very well, separate the buns and lay them out on cookie sheets with the inside of the buns facing up, place about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of meat mixture on each bun and bake at 350 for 30 mins. These are SO good, my mom made these for us as kids and I have made them ever since.:)

Money Saving Tip # 3

I don't know about all single moms, but I know that as long as Ive been a single mom, I have used lots of coupons and I have saved hundreds of dollars. I LOVE using coupons and I don't mind the time it takes to look for them and to cut them out, because I know in the long run, I will be saving money :) I look for coupons EVERY where, in news papers, in magazines, on the Internet and from family and friends. I only take coupons that I know I will be using, and depending on what town you live in alot of stores offer double or triple coupon days, so that saves you even more money, to be able to do more things with you re children, such as going out to dinner or to a movie.

Time flys by

Another beautiful weekend in Arizona:) Today I was just thinking about how fast time goes by, mainly how time gets away from us spending quality time with our children. I remember when my son was a baby, two months early, weighing a whopping 4 lbs.2 oz. and all the fun I have had with him, but hes 15 now and LOL doesn't want to spend to much time with mom, so times we are together, I do try to make it special, special foods he likes and just time spent laughing and trying to stay HIP,  Hopefully he will look back and remember the fun we had. Be Blessed and Have a great weekend.

Money Saving Tip #2

I pray everyone is having a blessed week so far.:) As a single mom I'm always looking for ways to save money, especially on food. I do use coupons all the time, because every little bit helps.When we go shopping, I buy regular sized packages, because its just my son and I, but what I do is, on a pound of meat, such as ground turkey, I cut the meat in half and make two meals out of 1 package. And the reason for doing this is, I don't know about you, but I know that over the years we have ended up throwing so much food away, so this way there is just enough for our meal that day, and we don't waist any food. Also, like if bread is on sale, I buy extra and freeze it and yes, I have even froze milk, 1 of our stores here always has milk on sale cheap, so I will buy a couple extra gallons, I open them up and take about 2 to 3 cups out, because it will explode other wise. And when we are out of milk, I'll take out a frozen gallon, put it in the sink to thaw, when thawed, shake up and it still taste great. I hope these ideas help you also.:)

Sunday meal

Its been a beautiful day here in Arizona and I am thankful to the Lord for that. I really enjoy cooking and Im blessed that I learned at a very young age. One meal that I cook alot is "Hearty Vegetable Barley Soup"

and heres the recipe:

1 lb. ground beef or ground turkey

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

5 cups water

1 14 1/2 oz.can whole tomatoes,undrianed, cut into pieces

3/4 cup Quaker quick barley

1/2 cup sliced celery

1/2 cup sliced carrots

2 beef bouillon cubes

1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed

1 bay leaf

1 9 oz.bag of frozen mixed vegetables

In a large,deep sauce pan or dutch oven, brown the meat. Add onion and garlic,cook until onion is tender.Stir in remaining ingredients, except the frozen veggies. Cover the pan, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, simmer 10 mins. Add frozen vegetables, cook for another 10 mins. or until vegetables are tender.

This is such a good, hearty soup, my son and I both love it:) I always make corn bread with this too. Enjoy:)

Money Saving tip #1

 

Being the oldest of 7, I have great memories of going to the thrift store. I loved going to the thrift store and I still do to this day, and  Ive even worked  for 3 of them:). And yes, of coarse you cant buy everything at the thrift store, but almost everything:). Its a BIG way for my son and I to save money, we have bought furniture, clothes, and many of the clothes we have found have been new, with the tags still on them. We've bought household items, games, kitchen items, such as Pampered Chef, I just enjoy knowing that I am a smart shopper and I am saving money, each time we go. My son loves going to the thrift stores also, it has taught him to be mindful of how he spends his money too:)

Homemade Egg Rolls

1. 1 lb.ground beef or ground turkey (we use ground turkey)
2.  1 package of egg roll wrappers,
3.  1 or 2 packages of bean sprouts, (depending how many people you are serving)
4. 2 or more cups of shredded cabbage
5. soy sauce
6. Cook meat in a large frying pan, when meat is done add, sprouts, cabbage and soy sauce, cover and cook until sprouts and cabbage are wilted, taste to see if you need more soy sauce, if more is needed add more. Open egg roll wrappers, I turn mine to look like a diamond shape, when their in the package they look square, just turn them sideways, I put about 2 or 3 tablespoons of meat mixture in them,then take the point at the bottom, fold it to the middle, take the right point and bring it to the middle, and repeat with the left side, and then finish rolling the egg roll tightly, place them on a large plate or the counter top, after you've rolled all the egg rolls, heat a large frying pan or large flat griddle, with oil, when hot start placing egg rolls in the oil, be careful not to get burned, you need to stay right with them, they cook fast, turn over when you see sides getting browned, place on paper towels  and enjoy:) Our whole family love these egg rolls, oh yes, we usually dip them in ketchup or sweet and sour sauce.

My Favorite cleaning product

Well its Monday again and my sons back to school, after a longggg Christmas break. And its time for me to get busy and I want to tell you about my favorite cleaning product its called "OdoBan" this stuff is amazing, Ive used it for years, you can use it on anything, Ive even used it on our carpet, our dog had a accident, so I put some in a small bowl with warm water and scrubbed it up and after it dried there was no smell at all. I use this in the kitchen, on counter tops and I also mop the floors with it, it smells SO clean. Its also great for the bathroom, from the toilet to the bath tub and shower and the sinks. I should be their spokes person , I love it so much. If you've never tired it, I highly recommend it. Have a great week.

Happy New Year

Well I'm finally back, my son and I went to Reno,Nevada for Christmas, we had alot of fun, but man what a drive. I'm praying everyone had a blessed Christmas and that the Lord will bless you richly in the New Year. And now that I'm back, Ive got to get busy and get to work on my blog :) I'm still learning, so please hang in there with me ok? I have so many ideas and plans, and I know there are many single moms out there like myself, that could benefit by living a simpler life, while spending more time with their children. So enjoy you're week and check back soon for new ideas.Thanks, Debbie.:)