Date Night Dinner for Two for Under $30

Anyone who has seen Lady and the Tramp knows that spaghetti and meatballs is a signature romantic meal. 

Fortunately for us, the classic dish eliminates the need to slave over the stove for hours, trying to create the perfect Date Night dinner. Not only is this delicious entrée fast and simple to prepare, all of the ingredients can be purchased for under $30; under $20 if some are on sale! 

Meatballs:

INGREDIENTS

1lb ground beef

3/4 cup bread crumbs 

3/4 grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg

1tbs pepper

1tbs all purpose seasoning 

1 1/2tbs garlic powder

Salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Season the thawed ground beef with the spices. Then mix in the egg, bread crumbs, and grated Parmesan. 

Pull small pieces of beef and roll it into a ball in the palm of your hand and place on a NON-GREASED baking sheet.

(to save clean up time, cover the baking sheet with aluminum foil before baking) 

Cook for about 15 minutes or until the meatballs are lightly browned on the top. Remove from sheet and place on a paper towel covered plate. 

Spaghetti & Sauce: 

INGREDIENTS

Half a package of uncooked spaghetti

1/2 Jar of your favorite sauce

3tbs of parmesan

1tbs pepper

1/2tbs onion powder

Salt to taste

1/2 cheese of choice

While waiting for those meatballs to bake, boil water with a dash of salt and olive oil in a medium sized pot for the pasta. If you wait until the water is boiling before adding the spaghetti, it cooks faster and more evenly. Once pasta is at desired tenderness turn off the burner and drain it. Then add the rest of the ingredients and mix it all up! 

After mixing the sauce into the spaghetti throw the meatballs in the pot and mix it together. Cover the main course and let the flavors mesh while you make a deliciously healthy side salad! 

 

Side Salad:

INGREDIENTS

1 cup fresh spinach

1 cup romaine lettuce

1/4 cup fresh cilantro 

1 tomato 

1/2 small white onion 

1/2 tbs lemon juice

1tbs olive oil

Dice the tomato and onions. Chop up the cilantro. Cut the spinach and romaine lettuce into smaller pieces. Finally add all of the ingredients together in a pretty bowl and serve along side the spaghetti.

Now the only thing you have to worry about is what movie to watch and of course what to wear to WOW your date ;)  

Sunday Dinner

This week for dinner I decided to try a new recipe, Pink Bean chili with Shrimp and Beef. This meal took about half an hour to make since I cooked everything simultaneously.

To make it into a baby food, after meal is cooked add 1 cup of water and blend to desired consistency. 

That way every one can enjoy the same meal as you sit together sharing and enjoying the company of one another! 

Ingredients

1/2 pound of ground beef

1 cup of rice

1/4 cup frozen spinach

1 8oz can of corn

2 garlic cloves

1/4 cup of onions

Directions

Season ground beef.

Brown the seasoned ground beef with the onions and garlic.

Warm beans in separate pot along with the frozen spinach and add 1/3 cup of water (do not drain the beans) 

• Season beans with garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and salt to taste with a dash of lemon zest. 

When the meat is about half way browned add the shrimp so that it can soak up the yummy juices of the beef.

When the meat is brown drain it and add it to the beans. 

Cook for 10 minutes on low, then add corn. 

Meanwhile cook a pot of white rice until soft. 

When it is almost ready (maybe has 2 minutes left) add it to the chili mixture. 

Mix and cover, cook on low for 5 - 7 minutes and serve in bowls.

I also served this yummy mean with a side of honey biscuits! 

BUEN PROVECHO! =)

DIY Baby Food

As a young mother, I know better than anyone how difficult in can be to save money. Kids are their own people, and they come with their own needs and expenses. One way Pedro and I have managed to save HUNDREDS of dollars is by making our own baby food!

What I do is make our regular meals (lunch and dinner), I add about a cup of each dish, then I add a cup and a half of water and I blend it up in the Magic Bullet to the desired consistency.  I have been using the regular spices that the meal calls for ever since Nico started on mashed solids at about 6 months, and I have had no health problems (food allergies, upset stomach, etc.) with it at all! 

Best of all is that Nico loves it just as much as he likes Gerber. He has tried a variety of different meals which helped me avoid encouraging picky eating habits, and allows him to get all kinds of vitamins and minerals from diverse sources! 

Today for lunch he enjoyed Parmesan Crab Cake Bites with Cheddar Pasta and Beats! For dessert he had Cinnamon Banana Puree!

The recipes are simple:

Parmesan Crab Cake Bites with Cheddar Pasta and Beats

1 cup cheddar pasta

5 crab cake bites

1 half can of beats

1 1/2 cups of water

Mix all ingredients together and blend to desired consistency. 

Cinnamon Banana Puree

1 1/2 table spoons of cinnamon

3 bananas 

1 cup of milk

Mix all ingredients together and blend to desired consistency.

Whimsical World News: What's for Lunch?

The one thing most people will never be able to forget about their school days it is the food they served in the cafeteria. Depending on what school you attended, there are different variation to the generally uniform bland preservatives being passed off as food.

I did not look forward to these meals at all and would fantasize about deliciously packed lunches from home.   

When I moved to Puerto Rico, though I did not appreciate the public school system, I was incredibly impressed with their lunches! Each public school offered students free home made breakfast and lunch. The meals include rice and some sort of bean, meat, vegetables, a baggie (yes, bag) of milk, and a fruity dessert. 

 

This made me curious as to what children eat for lunch around the world and here is what I found:

France

 

Kenya

 Brazil

 

Japan

 

Israel

 

Finland

 

 

Sweden

Germany

4 Affordable Dates for ANY Schedule

Most of us know by now that nurturing a strong and healthy relationship takes time, communication, love and respect. 

However, there is another important element that many people seem to overlook: companionship.  

As a couple, it is important to spend time together. Whether you are a new couple just getting to know each other, married with children, or have been married for decades, being together is what strengthens your bond. 

Though the concept is simple, to spend at least one night a week together, many people find this incredibly difficult to maintain. There are millions of excuse and intrusions that can pull us away from enjoying our soul mate. One of the most common excuses among the couples that I talk to, is that they don't have the time or the money to have a date night every week.

I have to disagree! 

With a little creativity and effort, any one can have a Date Night once a week on any budget. To get the gears in motion here are 4 romantic dates that won't break the bank, and that won't takes weeks of elaborate planning. 

1. Movies & S'mores! - After the kids have gone to bed bust out the grown up treats! That's right, the marshmallows and mini Hershey bar; it's S'mores time!! First place the chocolate on the gram cracker followed by a marshmallow. Make as many as you want together, 6, maybe 10 if you have a sweet tooth like me! Put them in the oven to broil for about a minute then cover with the other crack, flattening your gooey sandwich. As the s'mores chill in the freezer, pick out 2 movies that you each want to see. For added fun the movie could be a complete surprise to your partner! Whatever the other picks is mandatory for the other to watch, so make it good.
Supplies: Chocolate bars $3, marshmallows $2, gram crackers $2.50
NO BABYSITTER REQUIRED!!!

2. Sunset picnic - Drive out to an area that is well known for a guaranteed amazing sunset view and wait for a clear evening. Make a nice simple meal, pack it up, and enjoy a beautiful sunset dinner! You can even light candles if it is not a windy day. Spend a couple hours enjoying a relaxing adult conversation, without the distractions of home. 
Supplies: Gas, dinner, dinner containers/basket, blanket, candles (optional)
BABYSITTER REQUIRED

3. Road Trip Dinner - Pick a nice (or nice-ish) restaurant that is atleast 45 minutes away to have dinner at. Enjoy the drive with each other talking, listening to music, playing car games, etc. This can be a great way to bond and it is a wonderful opportunity for a deep meaningful conversation, or a lighthearted good time! It could even be fun to bring the kids along on this one for a meaningful family bonding, with one condition, NO ELECTRONICS ALLOWED! (Except for the GPS of course.)
Supplies: Gas, money for dinner
BABYSITTER OPTIONAL

4.Chapter by Chapter - Go to the local book store and spend sometime picking out a book together. Then after the kids have gone to bed, cuddle up and read a chapter aloud. This will only be boring if you pick out a boring book! Make it a page turning mystery novel, or a cool action sci-fi adventure! Depending on how long the book is, this can provide weeks of Date Night fun! You might even find that this is something you want to start doing every night, which would be especially helpful to your relationship if the book you choose is the bible! 
Supplies: Book, cuddle/reading spot
NO BABYSITTER REQUIRED!!!

Recipe of the Week: Pasta with Sausage and Peppers!

Bow Tie Pasta with Sausage and Sweet Peppers

This is an easy dinner the whole family will love! 

A good trick for getting a picky toddler to eat his colorful peppers is to play a game!

 Get him to eat all of the red ones in a certain amount of time and give him a treat every time he wins, continue with all of the veggies until they are all gone! A lot of the times kids just need positive reinforcement.

Ingredients:

1 pound Italian sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 green bell peppers, chopped

8 ounces farfalle pasta

1/2 cup beef broth

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

 

 

 Directions:

 

 Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. 
While pasta is cooking, cook sausage and peppers in large skillet over medium heat until sausage is brown and juices run clear. Drain sausage mixture and return it to the pan. Pour in the broth, season with black pepper and bring to a boil.

Toss pasta with sausage sauce and serve.