hawaiian haystacks

Believe it or not, finding a picture of this was hard. I found this image off of some ladies old blog. I hate olives. And that big clump of cheese at the bottom bothers me. Beggars can't be choosers.

Anyway--easy, delicious and cheap. I am sure most of you have had them (although the old blogger claimed that only native Utahans knew of them, that's bull. I am from AZ and my WA relatives knew too). If not, do try them.

Cook some rice. Heat up some cream of chicken soup (you can use milk to make it thicker...and 1 can feeds a good size portion to 2 people). You can add cooked cubed chicken if you like, but not necessary.

Here's the fun part, add any toppings you like. You really can't go wrong, except with olives. Here are a few typical toppings I have seen:

• shredded cheese
• Pineapple Tidbits
• Green Onion
• Celery
• Shredded Coconut
• Slivered Almonds
• Chow Mein Noodles
• Diced Tomatoes
• Peas
• Mandarin Oranges
• Green Bell Pepper
• and last night we tried Bacon because it was in the fridge. Yum.

I always use whatever toppings I have instead of buying more. Less exciting, but it saves me cash.

burritos

We used our left over Chicken Taco meat in combination with refried beans, cheese and tortillas. I also like to eat mine enchilada style by adding some El Pato sauce over the top with some cheese and sour cream. Also, it's amazing the difference quality tortillas can make.

Very easy. Comes in handy for the nights you don't have time. And my favorite things about burrito night? Minimal dishes.

grilled ham and cheese sandwiches and tomato soup

picture found here.

It's the ultimate comfort food in my mind. We eat it once a week. Not to mention, it's probably one of the cheapest, filling meals you could provide for your family.

I make my grilled cheese using medium cheddar, white bread and deli ham with a sprinkle of Tony's.

I find one can of soup is perfect for 2 people, and I use one can of milk instead of water. All I add is pepper.

And you have to dip. You HAVE to. It's so good.

**The person who took this picture cooks the soup like this:

I use two cans of Campbell's tomato soup and only half a can of water. Then I add basil, garlic salt, pepper, and tabasco.

I might have to try that sometime.

Chicken Tacos

Super easy and yummy. I can thank my Aunt Wendie for this one.

4 Chicken Breasts (I used 3, that's all I had, and it worked out fine)

1 jar of Salsa

1 Cup of water

1 Pkg. Taco seasoning, but I didn't have any and it turned out delicious!

Combine in a crock pot. Cook on high for 4 hours. Eat with tortillas, cheese, sourcream, etc.

They are messy but crave-worthy.

hey look!

A weekly menu and shopping list to the right! Nice.

This is my attempt to organize myself.

I am committed.

Beginning next week, I will do a recap of my meals and post recipes, if they are worthy of posting.

hobo dinner

* not my picture, but looks pretty accurate

I thought it would be appropriate to kick this blog off with a dinner whose title symbolizes what this blog is all about.

Before you knock it, try it! I got this recipe (if you want to call it that) from my mom. Where she got it? Not sure. But it's good and every man who has ever tried it has loved it. Just thought you might want to know ;) I think it's because when they eat it they feel like they are camping.

serves: 3(easily increased, just add more meat)
total time: 50 minutes
estimated total price (not including things every household has on hand): $ 7

1 lb ground meat
1/2 onion
1/2 pkg baby carrots
7 red potatoes OR 3 baking potatoes

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cover baking sheet with tin foil (easy clean-up. yay!)
3. Form ground meat into patties and place them on baking sheet. (if you know a way to make patties yummy, do it here)
4. Spread carrots out across the baking sheet.
5. Chop onion and potatoes and spread across baking sheet.
6. Season with S & P and a little Tony's or your favorite seasonings.
7. Cover with foil.
8. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes or until carrots are soft.

Serve with ketchup or your favorite steak sauce.

This recipe is very easy to improvise with. I have added things like garlic and celery to it before. It's great to add whatever veggie that is on it's last leg in your fridge.