Posts Tagged ‘grocery shopping’
Hello Friends and Happy Fri-Yay!
You’ve heard me say this before, “we eat so much chicken that I’m afraid one day we’ll wake up with feathers!” No seriously, I cook chicken or turkey at least 3 times a week and it’s not that we tire of it, it’s just I have to find new ways to make it differently. There are times when I am too tired to cook from scratch so I’m always looking for products that makes meal planning easier.
Betty Crocker, the maker of Hamburger and Tuna Helpers recently introduced Chicken Helpers and we loved it. After dicing up skinless *Chicken Breasts, I followed the directions on the box to make the Sweet and Sour Chicken. While the chicken cooked I boiled a pot of Jasmine Rice, dinner was done in less than an hour, tasted better than Chinese Takeout and there were no leftovers!
TIP: grab a few extra bags from the produce department to use as a shaker bag
Grocery store sales coupled with coupons from the Sunday paper and the Betty Crocker website is incentive enough for me to keep a few boxes of Chicken Helper in the pantry!
Have a fantabulous day!
* According to a recent report (see here), it’s more sanitary NOT to wash raw chicken as it spreads more bacteria, just cook it thoroughly.
- In: Food
- 4 Comments
Hello Friends and Happy Fri-Yay!
This week’s Foodie Feature is a 4 ingredient but less than 40 minute meal. I was in 3 different grocery stores last week, Sunday at Safeway with hubby for the major shopping, then after work on Tuesday at ShopRite and again on Wednesday at Food Lion with my son who needed to get supplies for a BBQ on Friday.
In Shoprite I was looking for ingredients to make the Turkey Tacos and noticed the Veetee Thai Jasmine Rice, my men really like Jasmine Rice so I bought a pack to try. In Food Lion the Campbell’s Skillet Sauces were on sale and even though I didn’t have my coupons I got it to use with chicken I had in the frig.
Ingredients
- Chicken
- Veetee Thai Jasmine Rice
- Campbell’s Skillet Sauce (Thai Green Curry)
- Vegetable or Olive Oil
Heat 1 Tbls oil then add 1 lb of chicken breast, slice or diced according to your preference
Cook until no longer pink, 10-12 minutes then add Campbell’s Skillet Sauce
Reduce heat, cover and cook an additional 5 minutes
Microwave Thai Jasmine Rice for 2 minutes
Spoon chicken over rice and serve
It’s a bit spicy but my men loved it and I was out of the kitchen quickly!
Have a fantabulous Friday!
Summer Snacks From Super G
Posted on: June 21, 2013
- In: Food | Snacks
- 8 Comments
Hello Friends and Happy Fri-Yay!
Today is officially the first day of Summer 2013, and school has ended for both my husband and son so let the summer snacking begin! Small children aren’t the only ones who like to snack during the day, my guys are always in and out of the frig or looking in the pantry trying to find something to eat. During a recent grocery shopping trip to Giant/Super G, I found a few new snacks that I think will hold them over between meals.
Fruit is always a great snack and I like to have a variety on hand, grapes, cherries, bananas, apples or grapefruit. I recently began purchasing Mini Sweet Peppers from Sunset Grown which can be eaten raw, in a salad or stuffed with a soft cheese like Laughing Cow. Laughing Cow Lite Creamy Swiss is only 35 calories per wedge and are a great snack with the mini peppers or with a piece of fruit.
Sunset Gourmet Tomatoes are an easy grab-and-go snack and they also add variety to a salad.
Crackers another great snack and these Ritz Crackerfuls are available with Peanut Butter or Cheddar Cheese filled. There are 6 individually wrapped packs in each box, these are made with real peanut butter and 6g of whole grains which to me makes it a healthy snack.
Jello has made several changes over the years and not just to their standard flavors of Chocolate and Vanilla puddings. They have added new flavors with toppings like this Turtle Sundae, a more grown-up option. Unfortunately the packaging has also changed from 6 containers per package to 4, and these new flavors contain only 2.
Dole brand, a leader in fruit snacks have recently introduced Fruit Squish’ems! As you can see these Apple Strawberry fruit pouches aren’t just for tiny toddler’s hands, big teenager hands grab them too! Made from fresh apples in the USA they are only 60 calories each and also make a great grab and go snack.
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A new product by Hormel are these REV Snack Wraps which come in 8 varieties including Pepperoni, Ham & Cheese, Meat Lovers Pizza, Spicy Italian Style, Peppered Turkey, Italian Style Ham and Hot Pepper Ham. I tried one and felt it needed a little mayo or mustard and could have used a few seconds in the microwave to soften the flatbread.
When waiting for dinner is “just too long” these microwavable Hormel Compleats Cafe Creations fill the bill. With a variety to choose from including Chicken Chipotle Pasta and Creamy Chicken Carbonara, no one should have to “starve to death” waiting for dinner!
Last but not least are these new Lunchables Uploaded. I hadn’t purchased a Lunchables since my sons were were in Elementary School, but I had a $1.00 off coupon so I decided to give it a try. Included in this package are the ingredients to make a 6-inch sub; a few slices of Oscar Mayer Lean Turkey, and Kraft cheddar cheese, a packet of Kraft fat free mayo, a 6-inch sub bun, a 10 oz bottle of Spring Water, a Kool-Aid Tropical Punch Single pack, a Pringles Snack Stacks Potato Crisps and 2 Hershey’s Kisses, not bad for $2.50!
What kinds of snacks do you have in the house?
I’ll be on the lookout for more because these won’t last the week!
Linking up with Living Better Together – come on over and join in on the fun!
Have a fantastical day – Smooches!
- In: Dinner | Food | Kraft Foods | Recipes
- 9 Comments
Hello Friends and Happy Fri-Yay!
You know that during the week I don’t get home until after 6:00 p.m. so I’m always on the look out for ingredients to make dinner an easy-breezy meal. I shop on Sunday’s for fresh meats and veggies and using coupons I’ll purchase pantry items such as Kraft Fresh Take Cheese & Breadcrumb Mix. We don’t eat a lot of red meat and chicken and turkey can easily become boring so it helps to have something like this at the ready that is quick, easy and good.
Kraft Fresh Take Smokey Mesquite BBQ Cheese & Breadcrumb Mix
Chicken Tenders
Separate packet to mix cheese and seasoned breadcrumbs
Rinse chicken in cold water
Spray pan with cooking spray
Coat chicken with mixture, sprinkle extra on top
Bake in preheated oven at 375~ for 15-20 mins or until done
I chose to serve with BirdsEye Steamfresh Rice Blends
Dinner was ready in less than hour
Meal was served on my grandmother’s plate
Kraft Fresh Takes can also be used on fish and pork.
The Freshman 15 is nothing compared to the Menopause 20! In college I could skip a meal and lose 5 pounds, now if I look at a piece of bread I gain 5 pounds.
The Personal Summers were handled with portable fans and cotton clothing;
The absence of menses was happily welcomed and handled;
The dryness was handled with personal lubricants like KY, Poise and a patient hubby;
The mood swings were handled with red wine and an understanding family
The weight gain is NOT BEING HANDLED WELL
A woman’s body is constantly going through changes, some of them good, others not so much. I’m in the 4th year of menopause and was handling it well until the extra pounds began to increase my body mass index (BMI). Initially I blamed it on the stress of caring for my grandmother before her death in 2009; then I blamed it on kicking a 30-year smoking habit; then on the snow storm of 2010, and the chips I ate while watching the flakes fall. Next it was the long commute, 3 hours a day back and forth to work. I would walk in the afternoons and on the elliptical in the evenings but it wasn’t enough to burn the necessary calories or speed up my metabolism. Zumba is fun but I haven’t lost a single pound, I did however, twist my knee and realize that I’ve lost all of my rhythm!
I used Sensa, lost 10 lbs, put it back on, joined NutriSystem, lost 20 lbs, put it back on, cleansed with lemonade laced with cayenne pepper, went carb and sugar free – I hate the bathroom scale! I’ve gone to the doctor, had my thyroid checked, drink shots of ACV with water after each meal but the pounds refuse to leave. I’ve tried eDiets, me diets, ABC diets with no success. To say it’s frustrating would be an understatement and I’m getting desperate to lose the “Menopause 20”, and refuse to give up the challenge!
Medical reports state that weight gain during menopause is not uncommon or even my fault, that it’s hormonal and I need to increase the intensity of exercise, (where is Richard Simmons when you need him), and decrease the intake of certain foods and beverages. So no more Sriracha flavored chips and beer, Triscuits and Cabot cheese or Mexican and Chinese takeout, a sacrifice that I am willing to make. Tomorrow I fill the grocery cart with lots of fresh fruits, veggies and fish in an attempt to rid myself of the Menopause 20 – wish me luck.
Is weight loss a challenge for you, if so, what is your strategy?
Fashion and Fun after Fifty 