Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Leftovers, Lunches, & Hamburger, Rice and Cheese

Hi Everyone!
I hope this finds you well, I have been going a bit crazy lately, but I have been thinking about this blog a lot.
I wanted to post videos and pictures which I still will as I continue to write and expand this blog.
As a Health Coach I find that most of us want to eat right but we often don't because of time.
Most people are in a hurry, stressed and often exhausted. I find that lunches for the week seem to be one problem that I was facing with my husband.  Because he doesn't like sandwiches for lunch and I am not a fan of processed food if I can help it, I make sure that I always make just a little more at dinner time so he can have it for lunch the next day. The problem with that is when he is in the field there is no way to heat it. I started searching and came across a really cool item on Amazon that was brand new at the time. For $19.99 plus shipping I  bought a Crock Pot Lunch Warmer for my husband to take to work.
What a cool tool, you can take it to the office and plug it in and it heats your lunch for you so when you're ready to eat it's warm and inviting.  My husband, being the genius man of action he is, went to the hardware store and got a power-inverter so he can plug it into the cigarette lighter in his work truck and it has worked like a charm!
Imagine the stories he came home with when he cracked opened his Crock for a warm lunch when everyone else on the crew had a cold ham sandwich.
 We load the Crock insert right after dinner with what will become his lunch the next day and pop it into the refrigerator. Then in the morning just pop it into the shell of the Crock and Voila!
I recently saw these at Target and got a second one in case he needs two crocks for things that won't fit into just one, and having a spare never hurts.
Well, we have talked Blog and tips, now lets get to the FOOD!
I love food and I LOVE TO COOK, but I know we have time constraints and need to feed our families on a budget and in a shorter period of time so here are two tried and true recipes form my kitchen that are cheap, filling, and can be for one adult or a family.

 Let's start with a recipe my husband Wayne created when we had 8 people to feed on a budget.

Hamburger, Rice and Cheese

1 lb. of hamburger
1 C. uncooked Rice
2 C. water
1 C. or more of shredded Cheese - we use mild cheddar

Bring water to boil and add rice, cook until done about 20 minutes, let set 5 minutes, fluff with fork
While rice is cooking, brown hamburger and season to taste - we use garlic salt and pepper.
Plate a bed of rice, then hamburger, and top with cheddar.
EAT! - Should feed 4

Vegetarian or Vegan, No Meat Defrosted??

*I came up with this because I was tired and didn't have any sauce in the house. - I'll share my sauce recipe with you next time- SUPER EASY

 Garlic Butter Noodles

Take a Dime's width of Spaghetti for each person
Add to boiling water cook approx. 4-5 minutes until al dante'
While the noodles are cooking heat either 1-2 TBS. of Butter per person or EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) and 2 cloves of garlic- or more, add to a pan and just melt the butter with low to medium heat with the garlic for 1-2 minutes until garlic is aromatic.
Add to drained noodles with a pinch of Salt and Pepper,
EAT!
* Garlic can be mashed, chopped, minced, fresh, or out of the jar it all works.*
* If you have kids, add cheese, they love cheese on top parmigiana is always a good choice

I hope you have a great week and you try these recipes.
 I will  work on pictures and "How to videos" to post soon,

 IT'S ALL ABOUT GREAT FOOD AND COOL SHOES!