Beach Burritos

We are beach lovers if you couldn't tell by the blog's title. A few years ago a friend of mine introduced us to a dish her family call "River Burritos". They make them while out on adventures in a boat because it requires no refrigeration. We love them and renamed them Beach Burritos. So simple to prepare and enjoy!

Beach Burrito featured on a tortilla chip. YUMMY!

Ingredients:

• 3 cans of any flavor beans (I always use black beans, and mix it up with either pinto, small white, kidney or whatever)
• Italian dressing

Optional ingredients:

• green chiles
• corn
• tomatoes
• olives
• onions
• seriously, whatever you want in your bean salad 

Other items needed for eating at the beach:

• sturdy paper plate or plastic plate
• slotted spoon
• a bunch of paper towels
• tortillas and/or tortilla chips

Prepare:

1. Open cans of beans, drain and rinse in cold water.  
2. Place beans in plastic bowl with lid that seals well. Add any additional ingredients you choose.
3. Dump a bunch of Italian dressing on it. Enough to coat but not have them swimming.
4. Place lid on bowl. Shake, rotate and do a dance in your kitchen while holding the bowl; this ensures the dressing gets spread throughout (much more fun than a traditional spoon).
5. Place in your beach bag along with a slotted spoon, one sturdy paper or plastic plate, and a handful of paper towels. (last items place in a large ziplock baggie together. You won't want them to get sandy or get your bag greasy with dressing when you're at the beach.

How to eat at the beach:

1.  Place one tortilla on the plate. Spoon some of your bean salad onto it, roll it up and pass it out to your family. Repeat until everyone is served. 
2. Immediately put all items away in plastic bag to avoid the sand.
3. If your tortilla is rolled tight enough you shouldn't drip too much. Do not hold over your lap in case of drips, but that is why you bring paper towels, just in case.
4. Or open that bag of tortilla chips and get dippin'. 
5. When you get home throw your extra in the fridge until your next beach adventure. Feel free to add more beans and/or dressing to it before you head out again. 

The end. See I told you it was easy and super good! My kids pick this over pb&j at the beach. It is way more filling too.

*note: the bean salad itself with just beans and dressing is fine out of the fridge for your full day. If you have extra refrigerate it until your next adventure. If you add any of the optional ingredients you are compromising the life of the bean salad somewhat. None of the ones I listed will get you in trouble that day. But you will want to finish your beach burritos within a week. 

Happy Summer!

Pantry Living Week 1

Week 1 is over and life is good.

Pantry after week 1

1. Cereal at start was 44 boxes of unopened cereal.
2. After week 1 is 39 boxes of unopened cereal
3. I've already opened new jars of jam, mayo, and a new bag of flour. 
4. The only purchases made this week were fresh blueberries, 4 gallons of milk and bananas. 
5. We celebrated our daughter's dance recital and went out for ice cream, but its ok cause I used cash. 
6. My cash stash for the summer is about $400. But the Lord continues to bless me and I've had some recent sewing projects that will add to that. *note: No ATM trips allowed.
7.  The "Pasta Fairy" came to our house and left us about 15 boxes of pasta on our porch. Thank you, "Pasta Fairy"! 
8. Only concerns, not sure if we have sufficient peanut butter for the summer and I never bought pepperoni. Oh well. We'll make it work! 

Happy Summer!

Blueberry Crumble Bars

Blueberry time is here! I had several containers full in my fridge and they needed a new way to make it into our bellies. Tonight we tried this recipe and we are big fans already.

Blueberry Crumble Bars

Ingredients:
CRUST
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
3 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
a pinch of cinnamon
1 cup butter flavored shortening
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

BERRY MIX
4 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar
3 tsp cornstarch

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 9x13 pan
2. In a medium bowl, stir together 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 3 cups flour, and baking powder. Mix in salt and cinnamon. 
3. In separate bowl beat egg and vanilla. Combine with crust mixture and cut in shortening with a knife or pastry cutter. Dough will be crumbly.
4. Pat half of the crust mix into prepared pan.
5. In another bowl, stir together the sugar and cornstarch. Gently mix in the blueberries. Sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Could be served with ice cream, or whipped cream. Also can be prepared with any berries. Very yummy! 

*note: original recipe found on allrecipes.com . I have adapted it based on reviews and personal taste. 

Bulk buying: yes or no?

I am all about saving a penny and having lots of food/stuff on hand. But beware of bulk purchases they are not always the best deal.

My fav bulk items from Sam's and other stores: *note: I love Costco, but the closest one is 45mins away.

• Member's Mark Baby Wipes- awesome deal on wipes and they are a good product. I highly recommend them for everyone, not just families with a diapered child. Wipes are amazing for cleaning sticky fingers, faces, steering wheels, spills on clothes, carpets, furniture.....everything!
• Krustez Pancake Mix- best deal on quick and easy, just add water pancake/waffle mix. Much better deal than buying those small boxes at the grocery store.
• Mrs. Buttersworth Syrup- At Sam's you get two large bottles. I keep a small bottle in the cupboards that we refill regularly. *note- we like the fake buttery taste, instead of the real deal maple syrup.
• Eggs- Usually are a better deal in the giant packs instead of just a dozen. 
• Oscar Mayer Turkey Bacon- You get 3 packs in the box. It is not greasy like real bacon, but just as tasty and way cheaper. 
• Member's Mark Toilet Paper- BEST DEAL AROUND! Seriously, people give your bum a break from using awful toilet paper just cause you think you're saving a buck. You're not saving anything! You get 45 rolls of soft, sturdy 2ply paper. 3 squares of this are all that is needed to keep you fresh and clean. Leave the "prison paper" on the shelves and switch to this. Your buns will thank you. 
• Member's Mark Bottled Water- 40 bottles for $3.98. Ten cents a bottle.
• Target Diapers, BIG BOX- I am a huge fan of Target's polka dot diapers. They are a great value and hold it all in. I don't usually put them on my newborns, just because their bums require a little something extra. But once a size 2 they become, it is Up & Up (Target brand) diapers all the way. 

Tip: When shopping at a bulk store watch for sales and in-store coupons they feature. I have gotten amazing deals on kids' bag drinks, Ocean Spray Craisins, and a variety of other items that are not usually a guaranteed better deal in bulk. 

Bulk Items you want to be sure to price check:

• Bulk cereal- We are starting our summer of pantry living with 44 boxes of cereal, so you know we eat A LOT! But you should wait to buy most cereals until they are on sale and be sure to check their "price per ounce/pound". That number is featured on the side of the price tag on the store shelf. Many times the largest boxes are not the lowest price per pound. Also our grocery stores feature different cereal brands every week. There is always something on sale and frequently there are coupons to increase those savings. 
• Laundry Soap
• Shampoo
• Multi-packs of Deodorant
• Zipper Bags
• Tin Foil, Plastic Wrap
• Bread
• Cheese
• Lunch meat
• Fruit Rolls Ups, Fruit Snacks
• The list goes on.......

Here's the rules.

1. Know what your family likes to eat, and what prices are typical. That way when an item is on sale you can tell whether you are actually saving money. 
2. Clip your coupons regularly and keep them in an easy access location in case you find an unexpected sale.  
3. When you find a legitimate great sale STOCK UP! That cereal your kids love is on sale for $1.44, awesome. Don't buy 2, buy 4. When pasta goes on sale for $0.44, great! Don't buy 4, buy 10. 
4. Check best buy dates on really great deals. I once found Rice Krispies on sale for $0.10 a box. No joke. Well they expired that week. Thankfully there isn't much to go bad in that cereal. So I bought a ton and we made Rice Krispie treats for every occasion in the next month or so. But you don't want a cart full of refrigerator rolls that will expire in a week unless you plan on cooking them all up soon. They won't last. 
5. Take your own reusable bags. My grocery stores gives me $0.05 for each one. Its not much but its worth the extra savings. 
6. Always check the "price per pound/ounce" on the shelf sticker. That will help you know what the true comparable price is for all the different sized items to choose from. 

Happy Shopping!

Shred your meat....trust me.

Summer is too hot for the oven. I try to avoid it if I can. Also I'd rather spend my days at the beach and not in the kitchen. Here's a tip, shred your meat. But I've gotten ahead of myself.

Step 1: Pull out crock pot. Stop moaning, this is simple.

Step 2: Take 1 large chicken breast from the freezer and place in crock pot. (I buy the large packs of fresh chicken breasts at Sam's, usually about $1.88 lb. I bag each large breast in a separate freezer bag.)

Step 3: Add minced garlic (from jar in fridge) and pre-cut onions (from ziplock baggie in freezer) *when chopping onions I chop more than I need and throw the extra in a bag in the freezer. I keep adding to this bag each time I feel the need to chop a fresh onion and I'm set when it is time for a quick prep meal.

Step 4: Pour on the flavor and be generous about it. The following is a list of my fav easy additions:

• BBQ sauce
• Ranch dressing, Italian dressing, cumin, salt, pepper, chili powder
• cilantro, salsa
• sesame ginger marinade
• seriously, the possibilities are endless......

Step 5: VERY IMPORTANT! Plug in crock pot and turn it on and set lid in place! You laugh, but it has happened to the best of us. Then pick one-

• Cook on HIGH for 4-6 hours ( I prefer high for 5 hours)
• Cook on LOW for 8 hours

Step 6: Enjoy your day and forget about dinner.

Step 7: After your fun day return to your kitchen and the yummy smells it beholds.

Step 8: Prepare your side dishes. Remember these are what will fill your family's belly. Be generous with the veggies and the starches. The following are a list of my favs:

• White rice, spanish rice or fried rice
• Egg noodles or pasta
• salad (so many options here!)
• quesadillas
• black beans and corn

Step 9: Remove crock pot lid and grab 2 forks. Most likely the meat will shred with little effort. Your newly shredded meat will now begin to absorb the additional juices and sauce in the pot. Allow to sit for a few minutes while you plate the side dishes.

Step 10: Place a scoop of shredded chicken on top of ___________(insert side dish here) or inside a tortilla or bun. Remember the meat is meant to be an accent to your meal, not your main staple. The sides are truly what is meant to fill your belly. The meat provides the flavor.

Step 11: Enjoy your food and be amazed at how far shredded meat will stretch.


*note: I usually do this with chicken because it s the least expensive. Similar things can be done with beef and pork. Cook times may vary.

7-Up Biscuits are awesome!

Here's a rockin' 4 ingredient recipe that my family loves. They are soft and moist like a KFC biscuit. I don't make it too often just cause I worry about the calorie intake, but I've tried to improve that as well. And we don't drink tons of soda so I keep a few cans of lemon-lime soda in my pantry just for this recipe.

7 Up Biscuits


4 cups Bisquick
1 cup sour cream
1 cup 7-up
1/2 cup melted butter (to reduce caloric intake I tried it with 1/4 cup melted butter)

Heat oven to 425 degrees

Mix bisquick, sour cream and 7 up. Dough will be very soft.

Some recipes expect you to roll them out. Not really possible. Just allow them to be drop biscuits.

Melt butter in bottom  9x13 casserole dish. Using two spoons drop large spoonfuls of batter on top of melted butter and bake for 12-15 minutes or until brown, Yields about 15.

DELICIOUS! 

If you choose to use the full stick of butter they taste prebuttered.

ignore the empty space we had to taste test them :)

Enjoy!

Pantry Living Part 2 Starts NOW!

First, this happened....

...which meant it was time for this again!

Here's the deal. My rockin' hubby is a very talented special ed teacher. He works hard in school from Sept until end of June; 10 months of hard earned pay checks. During July and August he does summer school enrichment programs, but its not equal to his 10 month salary. This is my way to help our family survive the awesome summer months. I DO NOT GROCERY SHOP!
Here are my rules to follow:

1. No non-perishable food purchases
2. No meat
3. No paper goods
4. No toiletries and household cleaners (this includes diapers and wipes)
5. Cash only for family outings and excursions
6.  If I choose to splurge on a non-perishable food item (candy bar, bag of chips etc) I must use cash.

Allowable purchases with a credit card or cash:

1. Fresh veggies and fruit
2. Milk and dairy products
3. Eggs
4. Bread

I had an awesome experience last summer with this experiment. I discovered what foods we can't get enough of (peanut butter) and what foods we don't really eat that much(bbq sauce). I got clever with my meal prep and  was sure to go through our food storage preventing out of date items. I learned to gauge my wants vs my needs. I learned our parents are a valuable resource when I find myself in a bind. And this would never be possible without storage space and an extra fridge and freezer.

So let's get this party started and start living simply and efficiently. Pantry Living for the summer is a lovely life!