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!