My Merlot Chicken

I made the most scrumptious recipe tonight with things I had around the house. The recipe is based off of Chicken Marsala, but I didn't have all of the fancy ingredients and it turned out GREAT! I used Merlot ($3 at Walmart) instead of Marsala wine, whole milk instead of whipping cream and onions instead of shallots, but I'm sure you could use any of the fancy ingredients if you had them! I did this all for under $10 and it seems so fancy!

• 4-5 Boneless Chicken Breasts [1/2 pkg about $4.25 @ Walmart]
• 8 oz. Mushrooms [1 pkg about $1.50 @ Walmart]
• 1/2 of a Medium Onion (chopped) [about $.25]
• 4 Tablespoons Butter [about $.25]
• 1/2 Cup Red Wine (I used Merlot) [about $.50]
• 3/4 Cup of Whole Milk [about $.50]
• 2 teaspoons Lemon Juice [about $.10]
• Dollup of Sour Cream [about $.10]
• Salt & Pepper [about $.10]

I made mine for around $8 but you can definitely keep it under $10!

Pound down chicken until it is about 1/2 inch thick. Salt and pepper to taste. Pan fry chicken in 2 Tablespoons of butter on both sides till nearly done. Remove chicken from pan and rest. In the same pan saute mushrooms and onions in remaining amount of butter. When mushrooms are brown add wine and bring to a boil. Simmer for a couple of minutes. Add milk, lemon juice, and sour cream. Salt and pepper sauce to taste. When well blended bring to a boil and then finish cooking chicken in mixture and reduce to a thick sauce. (If sauce doesn't thicken enough, you can add cornstarch or flour mixture to thicken - take out chicken first)

Serve with rice or pasta.

I think you will enjoy!

CHEAP EATS: English Muffins

So, I tried making English Muffins from scratch to save a few $$. We already make our own bread from scratch about 50% of the time (although to tell the truth I don't think it saves money but it tastes so much better than cheap bread).

At this point I am thinking it would be more beneficial to buy them from the store than to make my own. They simply didn't turn out right.

• There were no nooks and crannies
• It was too dense
• It didn't seem 'done' all the way through

I will try Alton Brown's (from the Food Network's Good Eats) recipe as I have heard that it is far superior at a later date.

I was very excited but the muffins were very time consuming and just not right. Very disappointing. If I ever find a good recipe I'll let you know, but right now English muffins are not worth the time vs. the money saved.

Swagbucks Challenge Update: 31/220 Swagbucks (to earn a $20 Target Giftcard) so far!

CHEAP EATS: Microwave Nachos

I definitely should have took a picture, but I never think to take a picture of food. Anyway, this is the first in my series of dinners which you can make under $5...and exactly how I build them!

This is not the most healthy dish, but is definitely delish, and super easy!

1 Pound Ground Beef ($1.30 bought at Walmart on sale)*
1 Bag of Tortilla Chips ($1 bought at Aldi, normal price)**
1 Bag Sharp Cheddar Cheese ($1.50 bought at Kroger, on sale)
1 Onion (or green onion if choose) ($.25 roughly)
Taco Seasoning (Negligible...I buy a bulk one and it lasts forever)
Some Sour Cream ($.30 roughly for some dollops)
Some Salsa ($.50 roughly)
-----------------------------------------------
Total $4.85 (4 Servings)

Extras: Olives, Jalapenos, Guacamole, Beans, Other kinds of Cheese ... usually I only use these if they are on sale or I have them around.

*You can substitute beef for ground turkey or beans at varying prices
**You can make your own corn chips from corn tortillas (big pack around $2 at Walmart will yield about 3 batches of chips.)

Directions: Fry up your meat in a pan until cooked thoroughly. Add in some taco seasoning to taste, and possibly some salt and pepper. Drain grease. Arrange chips in a single layer on a plate. Sprinkle with cheese, onions, and beef & any extras. Do a second layer of chips the same way. Place in microwave for about a minute (watch till cheese melts). Will make 4 generous plates of nachos. P.S. You could also cook these in the oven on a cookie sheet, but I do it the fast way.

ENJOY!