Red Boiled and Baked Potatoes

Great dish we did the other day:  Red Potatoes, boiled whole and then baked with other toppings.  Here's how we did it:

3-4 Red Potatoes:  $1
Frozen Corn:  $.50
Shredded Cheese:  $.50
Plain Yogurt:  $.50
Various Spices:  $.50
Shredded Ham (From Lunch Meat):  $.50

This meal fed my wife and I as a whole meal, with almost all of the food groups (couldn't quite fit fruits into this one).  Prep was pretty easy, and the longest parts were letting the potatoes boil and bake. This cost around $4.50 for this meal.

3-4 Whole Red Potatoes
1 Cup Frozen Corn
1/4 Cup Cheese, Shredded
1/4 Cup Yogurt
2 Slices Lunch Meat, Shredded Up


Boil Whole Red Potatoes for about 45 - 60 minutes.
Preheat oven to 300 Degrees.
Place potatoes on cookie sheet and split open.
Cover with Corn, cheese, yogurt, and lunch meat.  If desired, top with various spices.
Let bake for about 20-30 minutes.


This was pretty flavorful, and made for an easy and cheap dinner for us.

Crock Pot Split Pea

I tried this yesterday, and it went really well!  I don't have exact measurements, so you may need to experiment around with it a bit.

Chicken: $1
Peas: $2
Great Northern Beans: $1
Ramen Noodles Package: $0.25
(Optional)
Plain Yogurt: $0.50
Cheese:   $0.50
Spices:  $0.25

This can feed 2 people with leftovers.  The great northern beans are especially filling. The cost to feed us for dinner: $4.50 - $5.50


1 Piece of Chicken, cut up
1 Cup Peas
3/4 Cup Dry Great Northern Beans
1 Package Ramen Noodles
4 Cups Water
(Optional)
Spices, as desired for taste
1/4-1/2 Cup Plain Yogurt (add as desired for taste)
2-4 Tablespoons Shredded Cheese (also for taste)

Put Chicken, Peas, Northern Beans, Noodles (I just threw away the seasoning pack), and Water into a Crock Pot and let cook on High for 4 hours.  Add spices, stir, and then place in bowls.  Sprinkle shredded cheese over soup.  Add Plain Yogurt (or sour cream) for taste.

Pretty quick prep time for this recipe, as the crock pot will take care of the cooking.  Of course, with any crock pot recipe, you'd want to start it well in advance. However, it is great to be able to have a nice meal cooked without much other effort than throwing it in something and ignoring it till it's done. :)

Excellent Idea for a Healthy Salad Dressing

Brooke and I tried out something awesome the past week for some different salads that has tasted excellent!
Instead of store bought salad dressings (some of which are loaded with fat, others with salt, etc. to add to the flavor of the dressings), we've tried some different juices.

Some juices used so far?
-Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice (really great flavor for a salad!)
-Lemon Juice
-Orange Juice (This one tasted great, although the sugar in the orange juice concentrate was something I had to be careful on)

Overall, all of these citrus juices added excellent flavors to the salad and were extremely enjoyable.  You may even experiment with some juices on your own.  The extra benefit to juice is that it's an even healthier feel and taste than store bought dressings.

Some other ideas?
Why not try lemon and olive oil with some pepper? This gives a nice healthy oil and an overall zesty flavor.
How about poppy seeds and apple juice with some cinnamon and nutmeg for extra spice?

Let us know if you find any neat and delicious combinations!

Chicken Noodle Salad

Another Noodle Salad dish, this only takes a little while to make as well.  It ends up being very filling and is very flavorful.

Noodles:  $1
Chicken:  $2
Corn: $.50
Craisans: $.50
Plain yogurt: $.50
Pumpkin Pie Spice and other ingredients: $.50

This meal that can feed 2-3 people with leftovers (Brooke, her mom, and I ate this the night before I brought leftovers into work) and costs about $5.

2 Cups of Noodles (I used whole wheat)
2 Pieces of cooked chicken
1/2 Cup of Corn
1/2 Cup of Craisans
1/2 Cup of Plain Yogurt
3 Tablespoons of Agave (or sugar)
2 Teaspoons of Pumpkin Pie Spice

Cook and drain the noodles (however you are supposed to for whatever noodles you are using) :)
Add Corn, Craisans, Yogurt, Agave and Pumpkin Spice and stir in. (Measurments are approximate:  feel free to add more or less based on personal tastes)
Add Chicken and stir in.

This has a great taste with the pumpkin pie spice and craisans.  It made my co-workers jealous. :)  It was pretty filling, and-as already stated-this fed three people, plus I had left-overs for my co-workers to be jealous about.

Sweet Suddenly Salad

This is a quite tasty and filling recipe for pretty cheap.  It is really quick to prepare as well, taking only around minutes.  If chicken is desired for protein, it takes a bit longer to prepare the chicken, but overall pretty quick and easy.

Suddenly Salad Mix and Ingredients: $1.50
Frozen Corn: $1
Craisins:  $.50
Sugar (or Agave):  $.50
Chicken (if desired): $2

For a meal for two people (including the aprox. minimal costs for the smaller ingredients like craisins and such):  $5.50

Suddenly Salad Mix (Classic works well)
1/2 Cup Frozen Corn
1/4 Cup Craisins
1/8 Cup Sugar (or Agave)
2 Pieces of chicken

Make Suddenly Salad as stated in directions.  Mix in Corn, Craisins, Sugar (or Agave), and cut up pieces of cooked chicken.

The flavors are delicious and go very well together!  This is a very filling meal and contains all the food groups except for dairy.

Lemon Pineapple Chicken

This recipe is a Chinese flavored chicken recipe using a sauce that is similar to sweet and sour. We used Agave juice instead of sugar, and the main sweetness from the sauce came from the natural sweetness of the juices used in the cooking of the sauce.  With the rice, chicken, and fruits and veggies we are only missing the dairy food group, and it is delicious, both fresh and warmed up later.

Chicken $2
Pineapples $1
Rice $1
Bell Pepper $1
Vinegar, Lemon Juice, Soy Sauce, Sugar (or Agave), and peanuts $2

Cost for a good sized meal for 2: $7 (I ended up taking in leftovers to work the next day.  My friend Chris thought it was wrong that Brooke and I should be able to make something this delicious).

Ingredients:
Two good sized pieces of chicken
1 Bell Pepper
1 Can of Pineapples
2/3 Cup Crushed peanuts

2 Cups of rice (cooked)

2/3 Cup of Pineapple Juice (from can of pineapples)
2/3 Cup of Lemon Juice
1/3 Cup of Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
1/3 Cup Sugar (or Agave)


-Thaw chicken if frozen overnight (microwave can work too to thaw)
-Preheat oven to about 350 degrees.
-Grease glass pan (abt 11" pyrex type pan.  Brooke and I use olive oil to grease the pan because of how healthy it is)
-Cut up chicken, bell peppers, and pineapples and place in glass cooking pan
-Put Pineapple juice, Lemon juice, Vinegar, and Soy Sauce, and Sugar (or Agave) in medium saucepan and bring to a boil, then let simmer for about 15 min. or until sauce has thickened
-Poor sauce over chicken, peppers, and pineapples
-Sprinkle some nuts over top of mixture
-Bake in oven for approx. 15-25 minutes or until chicken is thouroughly cooked

-Cook Rice as directed from package

-Serve Chicken mixture and sprinkle remaining nuts over mixture.  Place a side of rice and, if desired, pour excess lemon/pineapple sauce over it.

Total Preperation Time: about 35-45 minutes.

I would suggest making extra of this and putting in the fridge to reheat, as it tastes as good reheated as it did fresh.

A picture of what this looked like soon to come!! :)

Introduction

I went on a diet several years ago to loose a little bit of weight.  As I continued to diet, I realized that I loved eating healthy:  I felt good and had more energy when I did.  A while later, I discovered that eating healthy helps with a health problem that I have.  I have an anxiety disorder, and any health problems in general can flair up a panic attack if I am not careful, and one of the things I can do to prevent this is to eat healthy and exercise. I decided after learning this that I would make the commitment to eat healthy all of the time.  I still struggle from time to time, but I am not taking medications for my disorder, just eating right, exercising, and getting enough sleep.  And I feel great!!
The only problem?  I just graduated from college and am a poor college grad on a limited budget.  Eating healthy can be pricey, and I didn't have the money to spend on expensive healthy food products.
That's where this blog comes in.  Over time, I discovered ways to eat healthier on a limited budget.  My goal with this blog is to provide a fun resource for healthy recipes that you can make on a limited budget.  I also want to provide my knowledge of where I've found great products at lower costs around southeastern Idaho and tips for making your own delicious treats.
Anyone coming up with great ideas, go ahead and get in contact with me!  I love learning about how to eat healthier. :)
Quick disclaimer: by no means am I a dietician.  This is not a complete nutritition guide.  It's tough to eat healthy, and you should study and consult your doctor if you are worried you are not getting enough nutrients in your diet while eating healthy.
Have fun, and enjoy guys!!! :)