Category: Food

Being Mama, Family, Food, Frugal

Crunch Wraps For The Win

veronica

I’m seriously into food. I love it. It makes me happy. A while back I went to a restaurant with a girlfriend and neither of us was fully satisfied with the offerings. As soon as the waiter left our table after taking our orders we both began rummaging in our bags. She came up with REAL butter and I with my secret stash of tea. We know what we want when it comes to eating and weren’t taking any chances.

That being said I also live a great on the go meal. This crunch wrap is what a busy moms dreams are made of. Portable. Self contained. Good now and still good later. AND….It freezes well! Heaven sent I tell ya!

But the true test is will they eat it? Um, if they like Taco Bell they will hands down like to see this guy in their lunch boxes.

So here is the skinny….

You’ll need:

Ground beef -2 lbs will get you roughly 6 wraps so expand or decrease according to your need

Tortillas- one for each wrap

Shredded cheese- about 1 tbsp for each wrap

Salsa or sauce of your choice ( optional)

Large frying pan

First cook and drain the beef then assemble like so…. Tortilla, meat, cheese, sauce

Then you will need to get a large pan on medium heat to fry these guys

If you have non stick you probably can get by with no oil added, otherwise just add a scant amount to prevent sticking

Now the folding….

Continue all the way around until you have something like this

Press your palm into wrap to keep the tortilla from unfolding and place it fold side down in pan

It is important to keep the folds down when placing it in the pan. As it cooks press down gently to help the cheese to melt and “glue” the wrap together.

Flip and cook until golden brown on both sides ( if you plan on eating these immediately I would cook them just a bit longer to thoroughly heat it through. My kids will be reheating these at school so I cook them just enough to hold together )

Here is the pressing- make sure you do this if your wraps have to be carted to school or work- it ensures your wrap is not going to unwrap itself

I got these ones a little toasty but after they cool I’ll toss them in baggies and into the freezer for a quick grab and go lunch!

Yum!

Hope you liked this!

What are your favorite quick meals?

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DIY, Food, Frugal

Fun in the Kitchen

veronica

Here’s a fun little afternoon in the kitchen for you.  I had some oranges ready to be used up and it got my wheels turning.  I knew of at least three ways to use them up and I decided to make a video to show how we used each part of the orange for a kitchen project.  I always feel a bit like a depression era mama when I cook up these little DIYs but it makes me happy to use what I have to the fullest. What can I say, I’m an old soul!

 

Coffee, Food, Health

Adventures in Eating

veronica

Adventures in Eating

I am back on the THM (Trim Healthy Mama) wagon and very happy about it!  I have been needing to take a good long look at my eating habits for a while. I am a pig if you must know.  I have been blessed with a high metabolism but as I *ahem* mature I have noticed that it is  less speedy.  Also, sugar and gluten aren’t friendly to me- ever. I love them but they do not love me back and so I’m ending our relationship before anything drastic happens.

One of my morning go-tos is bulletproof coffee.  If you haven’t tried it you should at least once.  It’s creamy and frothy and YUM! It does require using a blender which can be an extra step that some people don’t have time for in the morning but it can hold it’s own against any fancy $5 drink and it’s GOOD for you!

This morning as I was putting the finishing touches on my coffee the blender seemed a bit off… not quite right…very bouncy and loud…

Hmmm… upon further investigation I could see nothing noticeable about the contents of my blender so I poured out my big cup of love and took a big ol’ swig.  Strange…it’s a bit chewy??? I quickly spit out a solid piece of something.  It was a chunk of black rubber.  I know I live on a farm and things can get misplaced very easily when you have 4 outbuildings each with their own belongings, not to mention 5 different people moving those items about… but really! Trying to save my cup of perfect deliciousness I grabbed a fine mesh strainer to strain out all the rubber bits.  It almost worked.  If I only looked at the beautiful frothy top I could not see the black flecks below!  But my better judgement took over and I realized that it’s probably not a good idea to drink inedible things.  Well, I guess I could always make another cup- but this time I’m writing down exact quantities so I can replicate my little cup of heaven!

 

Basic Bulletproof Coffee:

1 cup of freshly brewed coffee

1/2 tsp. coconut oil

1/2 tsp. butter

stevia to taste

sprinkle of salt

1 tsp. collagen

flavoring of your choice

blend on low for 30 seconds to 1 minute until fully emulsified and frothy

Drink up!

 

If you liked this article leave a comment below 🙂

Food, Frugal

My Grocery Strategy

veronica

My grocery strategy

Today I’m going to share my grocery budget tips! I LOVE saving a bit of $ wherever I can and here’s what I found works for me. I’m pretty fussy about doing things how it works best for me. I have tried other methods but I can’t make them stick. One thing I forgot to mention in the video is to use cash whenever possible! This makes my budget so much more real to me. I know, I’m weird but I’m saving money so it’s all good!

 

 

Food, Project Feed Me! #hungrymama

Project FEED ME chicken tacos #hungrymama

veronica

This meal was actually made for dinner but I had leftovers for lunch the next day. It was so stinkin’ fast (and good) that I’m thinking it might need a permanent spot on my regular weekly menu.

First off, my Wednesday schedule leaves me with very little time to make a meal. We had instituted “pizza night” for Wednesday and that was awesome but now that we are cranking down on the budget the pizza had to go. Sad, so very sad.

Here is my Wednesday:

6:30 wake up, do chores, eat breakfast, COFFEE, not kill anybody while trying to get everyone out the door and to school on time. Yes, I go to school too. (I’m a teacher though);)

3:00 School is over! Go directly to daughter’s allergy shot appointment.

4:00 (ish) Home we go! I have a whopping hour and 30 minutes to make food, feed people, make sure everyone is appropriately dressed and stay sane 🙂

5:30 Go to practice followed by church.

9:00 (ish) Go home,and go to bed….*ah*

So when I whipped these chicken tacos together I was shocked, amazed and astounded to find that I was EARLY to practice! It’s true! ( even if there wasn’t anyone there to witness it!) I didn’t keep tabs on the time but I’m certain it was less than 30 minutes in all. Of course, I did precooked the chicken.

The stars of this meal are…

The amazing, incredible time saving wizard…it’s the INSTANT POT!!!

I prepped my chicken in the morning so it was all cokked when I got home from the allergist.

The modest but multitasking jem of the kitchen…it’s the KITCHEN AID!!!

I tossed the cooked chicken in my trusty Kitchen Aid. I set the mixer to low. In about a minute I had shredded chicken. Yesssss.

It chops! It dices! It minces! And more….it’s the ECOCHOP!!!

Cilantro, lettuce and onions each got their turn in here. It takes less than a minute to chop with this thing. Im not a gadget person but I LOVE this one! You can contact me if you would like more info or look up ecochop from BONcook.

Now all I had to do was crack open a can of rotel and set out the, sour cream and shredded cheese. Oh, and taco shells!

Ready for assembly!
Don’t mind if I do…do…do…
Food, Project Feed Me! #hungrymama

Project FEED ME tilapia #hungrymama

veronica
Tilapia, mango chutney, sautéed kale

Yesterday’s lunch was tilapia with mango chutney and sautéed kale. I like the single serve fish filets because they are so fast! If I get salmon I can cook that up quick too if I have it thawed before hand. The mango chutney was really just frozen mango chunks that I combined with leftover rhubarb freezer jam and a bit of water and cooked up in a saucepan. My favorite was the kale though…I know, I’m weird. But seriously it was pretty yummy. I chopped it fine in my ecochop and sautéed it with smart balance and a bit of Chipotle seasoning. I’ll definitely be doing that again!

What is your favorite “fast food”?

Food, Project Feed Me! #hungrymama

Project FEED ME #hungrymama

veronica
Quesadilla with bbq sauce and elk meat. A glass of water with lime 🙂

I am currently making my lunches at home. I know it sounds like a lot of work to do on lunch break. However,  I have noticed some serious benefits already!

Real food people, it’s REAL FOOD!

It’s HOT food (not the same as a cold salad or sandwich)

I get to eat sitting down and not in a car or at my desk! Like real adults!

I eat healthier.

I look forward to planning my meals as I am a planner at heart.

I feel like I am caring for myself. Certain things mean more than others to each person. (Love languages) I guess food is my love language!

I am happier.

No weight lost but I feel thinner.

I get to invite friends to my home to join me 🙂

I can make full use of what I have on hand. My meals must be quick so that means what I have in the fridge (or cupboards) gets used up and we have less waste.

It’s very budget friendly !

I feel more rested and satisfied after a real meal. Frozen burritos are not really my thing…

Well, there you have it. I think I’ll continue my meals at home as often as possible.  If you are free for lunch come on over!

Food, Project Feed Me! #hungrymama

Potato Soup (the abbreviated version)

veronica

On one of my lunchscapades I started tinkering in the kitchen. It was a cold and blustery day so soup was on my mind. I had some leftover mashed potatoes in the fridge and I thought I’d make a quick potato soup. The fact that I had a bit of leftover bacon from breakfast may have influenced my lunch choice as well! This was a fast substitute for what usually takes hours of simmering. Without further ado, I give you Potato Soup, the abbreviated version.

2 tablespoons butter in crock pot on high

Add in 1 tablespoon minced garlic (I get the jarred kind not the dried stuff)

Add desired spices- generally salt and pepper suffice but I added a dash of no salt Greek blend, a teaspoon of “soul food” blend and about a teaspoon of parsley

Mix spices into melted butter and add about 2 cups mashed potatoes. Mix well and turn crock pot to low.

Add about 1 cup heavy cream. Mix well

Thin with milk to desired consistency and turn crock pot to warm. Add chopped bacon and mix well.

I was careful about my crock pot as it runs hot but you may be able to get away with keeping the temp higher. My “keep warm” temp is the perfect eating temp so that’s where I kept it. With milk based sauces and soups higher temp can “break” it so I erred on the side of caution.

I’d give you a picture but it’s gone. As in I ate 4 bowlfuls  gone…oops!

Food, Friends, Project Feed Me! #hungrymama

Lunch Oasis

veronica
Today’s meal consisted of fried mashed potatoes with eggs and summer sausage. Country comfort food!

In an effort to make my day less like a perpetual to do list I have decided to try using my lunch break more like a dinner party. The goal is to build in a bit of down time into my day so that I’m less frazzled at the end of it. Not to mention it saves money and is probably a lot healthier.

Today was another “do” day where I ran around and did all the things that needed doing. That’s all great and stuff but I’m getting sooooo tired. I can’t spend my life rushing through projects and lists. It’s not healthy and I think it may even be counter productive sometimes.

So I’m going to take the time to make myself a nice meal. Yes. I’m going to COOK on my lunch break. Not because I have to but because I want to. It feels nourishing and it’s almost a luxury. I happen to love cooking just a bit more than I love eating. I get that I’m weird and that many people would prefer a drive through meal over cooking. I just feel like cooking for someone is a wonderful way to love them. Why not love myself a little then?

Care to join me for lunch? 🙂

DIY, Food, Health

 Trying to Stay Healthy with Fire Cider Tea 

veronica

I had made fire cider in the past and even blogged about it. Its basically a bunch of good for you ingredients steeped in apple cider vinegar for a few weeks. It is to be used as a health tonic to build up your immunity. Instead of eating whole cloves of garlic and smelling like an italian restaurant from a mile away you drink a small amount of this and still get the benefits. The ingredients : horseradish root, ginger root, lemon juice and garlic (plus a few spices) make up my fire cider tea. Here’s where I tweaked the original recipe. Normally these ingredients will steep in the vinegar FOR.EV.ER. and I’m not patient. So I decided to can the ingredients in boiling water like a tea and see if that sped up the process. It actually worked pretty well! I’m not sure if it affects the properties of the ingredients but it still has the same firey  bite to it so I’m thinking it’s about the same. Oh, and I add the vinegar to my glass before taking it.

My main ingredients: ginger, garlic, horseradish, lemon
Chopped ingredients ready to go along with rosemary, cinnamon, cayenne pepper and lemon juice

Here lay the humble beginnings of my fire cider tea. Chopped and ready to be canned up.

Into the jar you go!
All canned up:)

After canning I gave it a few day to steep and then tried it out. It seemed just like the regular version that takes weeks so I’m pretty happy. Stay healthy!