RUM-N-NOODLES

Maple Glazed pecans      I love these, they are a healthier snack (compared to grabbing a candy bar) and make a fun stocking stuffer.  They look and taste kinda fancy but are really easy to make.  I'm not going to do a running total on these because they a just a snack not a meal.  But you can add them on top of overnight oats or oatmeal just before you dig in to change it up a little and add some protein. Ingredients   2 cups pecans  1/3 cup real maple syrup  1/8 teaspoon finishing salt (optional)      Heat up a dry frying pan on medium high heat and toss in the nuts.  Let them toast up for a minute or 2 then add the maple syrup.  Stir occasionally until the syrup is cooked down and you don't see much of it on the bottom of the pan.  Remove from the heat and spread the nuts out on a baking sheet to cool.  While the pecans are still hot you can add the finishing salt.  So...

Save the planet while you build your savings      I'm not an environmentalist by a long shot, yea i recycle, i grab a blanket before i turn up the thermostat and i combine errands to save trips in the car.  But I'm not the person laying awake at night worrying about polar bears (come on, those bears are just mean).  Cooking your meals at home does more for the environment than you think.  The over night oats are a great example.  A container of oatmeal has 30 servings and a gallon of milk makes 32 bowls of the oats.  Now picture 30 fast food containers piled up next to 1 empty (recyclable)  oatmeal container and 1 milk jug, that image could even make a polar bear friendly.  

Breakfast Burritos      Kwik trip is selling 1 dozen eggs for $0.79 so this seemed like a good time to do breakfast burritos.   Burritos are really one of me favorite foods.  There is no end to the different kinds of burritos you can make and it is easy to add in veggies to make them healthier.  And when I make burritos I make a lot, the extras go in the freezer for lunch at work or a meal when I just don't want to cook.  I have even had to section off my freezer because I had 3 different types of burritos frozen in there. Ingredients 10 Tortillas  1 dozen eggs 4 red potatoes 3 cups frozen onions and peppers 1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt (or adobo) 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese      Cube the potatoes and fry over medium heat in a 12 inch skillet.  When the potatoes start to get crispy add the onions and peppers.  You want to go a little well done on the veggies to keep the frozen burritos from ...

I Deserve This      I think the biggest thing holding a lot of people back is always telling themselves what they deserve.  I deserve a new car, I deserve a night out, I deserve a bigger TV.  I think the problem comes in because they always deserve things when they can least afford them.  I'm not saying don't get a new car, don't ever go out, or don't get that big new TV, I'm saying plan for it and earn it.        There was a TV commercial recently (I think it was for insurance but I don't remember) that showed a guy putting in extra hours at work and riding the bus back and forth.  As he rode the bus he would look longingly at a car dealership he passed.... finally he was able to go in and get the truck he wanted.  It was about the joy he got from something he earned, not the bitterness of something he just "deserved".        I wanted to post this because I fall into this trap just li...

Pan Seared Chicken       Bone-in skin on chicken thighs are cheaper and in my opinion taste better than the boneless skinless chicken breasts.  You can remove the skin for a healthier dish, but keep the bones.  The bones plus a chicken ramen noodle flavor packet we saved from the Pad Thai and you have chicken stock for just the cost of the water. Ingredients  bone in skin on chicken thighs (2 per serving) 1 table spoon vegetable oil seasoning salt to taste      This is almost as easy as the overnight oats.  Heat the oil in a skillet on high heat.  As the pan heats up lightly season the chicken with the seasoning salt (go light on the seasoning salt, these can get very salty very fast).  Add the chicken to the pan skin side down and cover.  Cook on high for 2 minutes then reduce the heat to medium cook another 10 minutes and flip, 10 minutes on the other side and you are done.  See its that easy ...