Hamburger Helper

I know it would be much more impressive if I pretended to be some sort of homemaking goddess...but I'm not. Hamburger Helper is not a staple in our diet but there are those times when I don't have the time or energy for anything else.

That being the case, I must admit that I've cooked multiple (probably way too many) different Hamburger Helper meals. Here's our favorites!

1. Double Cheeseburger Macaroni
2. Potatoes Stroganoff
3. Lasagna

Also, here's a bunch of printable COUPONS, including some for Hamburger Helper.

Broccoli and Green Beans

Waterless Cookware...truly an amazing invention. For those of you who haven't ever seen it, you can cook all food literally without water. Posted here are pictures of the frozen green beans and broccoli I made tonight for dinner (yes, I really did cook). First of all, how cool is it that I can pour two different veggies in one pan without them getting all mixed up? Second, think of all the nutrition that I didn't boil right out of the food?? I also have the electric skillet that is filled with some sort of oil in the center. I can slap any kind of meat down minus the cooking oil and it doesn't stick/doesn't burn. Seriously. It's also wonderful with pancakes. They actually turn out looking like they do in the pictures. We were fortunate to be able buy these pans a couple of years ago from Salad Master, but I was just researching online and there are lots of different types of these pans for a much more affordable price. I don't know what kinda of warranty/guarantee that comes with these other brands (Salad Master has a fabulous warranty) but if there's anyway you can try these pans out--I definitely recommend them. You can also find used ones on e-bay most of the time for a better deal!

True Story About Cheap Food

It ain't cheap!! That's just it...it used to be cheap, but it isn't anymore.

I remember when I worked at McDonald's back in high school. I was able to purchase a Big Mac Value Meal for under three bucks. We won't discuss the 1170 calories that goes along with one of these meals... The kids and I went to Taco Bell the other day and our total bill was like $15. That's crazy! That's nuts! I went to Burger King and ordered a Whopper with Cheese Value Meal with a drink and paid almost 6 dollars.

My hubby and I have gotten where we'd rather go to one of the "nicer" restaurants like Applebees, Chilis, etc. We're able to get a much better meal there and it usually costs around $30 for all of us...if...we don't get drinks. Soda, tea and lemonade is up to about two bucks now and that's just beyond wrong! Jared used to be happy eating a kids meal somewhere but now he gets done and asks what else he can have. He's almost nine and I can't imagine what his appetite will be like by the time that he is a teenager.

There's also the fact that my family and I have eaten out so much that nothing ever sounds good. We all call out different eating places and I can guarantee you that someone isn't going to want to go there. Once we get somewhere that we can all agree on our order is often wrong or something is undercooked/overcooked.

Anyhow, my schedule drops down to part-time in a couple of weeks and our goal is to stop eating out or limit it to special occasions. Other people do it...we can do it too. I just have one really simple question for all the amazing mamas that actually cook every single night. Does the kitchen clean itself?