Pace Picante Sauce giveaway . . . .

At one of my favorite sites www.5dollardinners.com , they are giving away Pace Picante sauce and a cookbook. I LOVE Mexican food and chips and salsa is right at the top of my list. Head on over to see what you need to do for your shot to win free salsa, and check out all the great frugal recipes there. I am always finding great ideas.

Chinese Chicken Salad

Chinese Chicken Salad

7 chopped green onions (green parts too!)

1 1/2 cups chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds

1 small can water chestnuts-julienne cut

1/2 package wonton skins- cut in small rectangles and fried in small amount of oil

1/2 head of lettuce- chopped

1/2 head of Napa cabbage- chopped

2 cups cooked chicken- chopped

1 can mandarin oranges- drained

Toss salad ingredients together. Combine dressing ingredients.

Dressing:

2 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp sesame oil

2 Tbsp oyster sauce

3 Tbsp creamy peanut butter

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

2 tsp sugar

Pour over salad and toss again.

When the weather starts to warm up, I really dislike having to stand over a hot stove at 5 pm at night. So I will turn to making a salad. This one is great and it makes a ton! I also really like the fact that if I am with it, I will do all the prep work in the morning when my house is nice and cool and all that I have to do for dinner is toss and serve. I hope that you enjoy my chicken salad. What do you make when your house is to warm to cook? For more great ideas visit Lisa who hosts Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays.

Menu Plan Monday

I am really liking the fact that my menu is posted online. My oldest boys visit my blog and will tell me that ". . .they are excited for Wednesday because you are making my favorite thing!" So for my boys and for you all as well, here is what we are planning for our crew this week. For more ideas and recipes click here.

Monday: Grilled Salmon and roasted veggies

Tuesday: Chinese Chicken Salad (will post this recipe tomorrow)

Wednesday: Pepperoni Bread (see below)

Thursday: Chicken Monterrey

Friday: Nachos

Saturday: We will be daycamping so we will be cooking hotdogs over the fire.

Sunday: We will eat out to celebrate a birthday.

Pepperoni Bread

1 batch of pizza dough (I make mine in my bread machine)

1 egg beaten

1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese

1 Tbsp. parsley flakes

6 oz. pepperoni

8 oz mozzarella cheese- shredded

2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning

2 Tbsp pepper

1 tsp. garlic salt

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1 jar of favorite spaghetti sauce- heated

Roll out dough to 8"x 18" rectangle. Brush with egg. Sprinkle with Parmesan and parsley. Layer pepperoni and mozzarella. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning, pepper and half of your garlic salt. Roll up jelly roll style. Rub Olive oil on cookie sheet and on bread. Sprinkle with remaining garlic salt and parsley. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with heated spaghetti sauce for dipping.

Kettle Corn and an outdoor movie!

Every summer, our town hosts outdoor movie events. I have not been able to make it to one in all the years that we have lived here, but this year is the year. It is free and sounds very fun- you bring your lawn chairs and your own refreshments (they have some for sale, of course) and enjoy the evening. Tonight, weather permitting, we will hopefully be able to go see Kung Fu Panda. If we go I will be bringing this yummy and very easy treat along to much on.

Kettle Corn

3 Tbsp. oil (we use canola)

1/3 cup popcorn kernels

3 Tbsp sugar

Salt to taste

Heat the oil in a large dutch oven type of pan, over medium heat. Place one kernel in the oil. Wait until it pops before you pour in the rest of the kernels. Once you pour in the kernels, sprinkle the sugar over the top . Put your lid on, and shake while still keeping the pan on the stove, back and forth until the popping sounds have stopped (about 3 minutes or so). You must keep the kernels moving or the sugar will burn! When all popping has ceased remove the lid and pour into a large bowl to cool, sprinkle lightly with salt. Enjoy!

This recipe makes enough for 5 eaters- but we quickly ran out and had to make a second batch- it is that good! You do get a very good arm work out with all the shaking, but I can not stress how important that part is!

Check out Gayle at Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap for great recipes and awesome frugal tips.

Blue Bunny Frozen Yogurt Granola Bars

This is my first time to join in on TILT, but I have found some great ideas over at theDiaperDiaries.net For my first Thing That I Love Thursday I want to introduce you all to a wonderful little treat that I discovered in my local freezer aisle. Blue Bunny Frozen Yogurt Granola Bars- I got the Raspberry Vanilla variety. Let me tell you, these are so good! "Creamy raspberry low fat frozen yogurt with a layer of raspberry fruit filling topped with crunchy granola crumbles covered in a vanilla yogurt coating." is how they are described by the Blue Bunny folks- but my description would be YUMMY! I found these at our local King Soopers ( a local grocery store). I plan on hiding a box in the back of the freezer to have when the kids are eating their popsicles!

Free rootbeer floats at Sonic 6-3-09

I love root beer floats. The cool ice cream married to the flavorful root beer. So good! Today only at Sonic drive-in's they are giving away free root beer floats from 8 pm to 12am. I know what we are doing tonight! Start your summer off right . . . go get your free root beer float at Sonic tonight. This is most definitely works for me! Check out other great ideas here.

Oven Fried Chimichangas

For todays Tempt My Tummy Tuesday recipe, I decided to share what we are having for dinner tonight, and what I brought to my friend this morning.

Oven Fried Chimichangas

1 lb. ground beef

shredded cheddar cheese

8 flour tortillas

3 Tbsp. butter- melted

1 can green enchilada sauce- heated up in a sauce pan over medium heat

Toppings: chopped cilantro, shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, diced tomato, diced onion, sour cream, black olives.

Brown beef. Preheat oven to 400°. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Place a spoonful of meat or so into center of tortilla, sprinkle with desired amount of cheese. Roll up into bundles. Once they are all assembled, brush with the melted butter. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Spoon heated enchilada sauce over top, and place desired toppings on top. Enjoy! These also reheat well the next day as leftovers.♥