Pork Carnitas / Sweet and Sour Pork

I love having meals that can stretch to become two. It really helps the budget and planning. It also saves the left overs from becoming science projects.

Here is another of our favorite two for one meals. The first is Pork Carnitas. This is an easy meal that takes just a few minutes prep before dinner.


Pork Carnitas

Pork Roast 2-3 pounds
1 pkg Onion Soup Mix/ or 1 tsp Cumin and 1 can Chicken Broth
1 cup water
Garnish with
limes (squeeze on each tortilla)
Shredded Cheese
Sea Salt
Red onion (optional)
Salsa (optional)
Yellow or White Corn Tortillas
1/2 oil for frying (optional)

Take your Pork Roast, I buy a pretty big one to feed my family of 5 twice, and put in the crock pot on high. Add one package of dry onion soup mix and 1 cup of water. Cook for 7-8 hours. If you do not want to use the onion soup mix you can add a little cumin and one can of chicken broth to bring out some of it's natural flavor.

When the roast is done, shred it with a fork. While you are waiting for the pork to cool, heat a 1/2 cup of oil in a small fry pan. (This is optional for those watching their fat intake) Take your corn tortillas and cook them on each side about 20 seconds. Drain.

Add the pork to your tortillas, garnish with shredded cheese, lime and sea salt.

With the left over pork you can freeze it at this point for another day, or put it back in the crock pot and store in the refrigerator until tomorrow.

Sweet and Sour Pork

Left over pork roast
1 can crushed pineapple with juice
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 -3 tbs soy sauce
1 green pepper diced
Brown Rice served on the side

When you are ready to make your second meal, put the shredded pork in the crock pot, add crushed pineapple, green pepper, brown sugar, ketchup, and soy sauce. Cook on low 7-8 hours. Serve over brown rice.

You now have two wonderful meals for your family.

Quick and Easy Chicken Soup

Are you looking for an easy healthy alternative to chicken noodle soup? With illnesses on the rise, making a hot healthy soup for your family does not need to be difficult. It takes a few minutes of preparation, but it will pay off when evening time comes and you have a delicious healthy meal for your family.

What you need:

2 lbs chicken tenders (cooked until slightly pink)
3 carrots (peeled and sliced)
3 stalks celery (sliced)
3 potatoes (sliced and quartered)
1 sweet onion (diced)
1/2 head of cabbage (sliced)
2 cans of low sodium fat free chicken broth
3 cups water
2 low sodium chicken bouillon cubes
1 tablespoon dried thyme

After cooking chicken until just slightly pink, dice and add to other ingredients in a crock pot. Put on high for 5 hours or low for 8. This soup is easy to make and you will never miss the noodles.

If you have left overs, the next day throw the crock pot back on low all day. Add one to two cans of cream of chicken soup. When you get home mix up some dumplings (recipe below) with Italian seasoning and put on top for 1/2 hour. Now you have two meals for the price of one.

Dumpling Recipe

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
salt
pepper
Italian Seasoning (or favorite fresh herbs)
1 egg
1/3 cup milk

Mix together and place on top of leftover chicken soup for 1/2 hour in crock pot.

Eating Healthy On A Budget

Eating healthier is something we all need to do to ensure the well being of our families. I have found that eating healthy can be very expensive. How do you find the balance between budget and health? Woman's World Magazine has a few tips to help make your meals more nutritious without breaking the bank.

The first tip involves America's love affair with fast food. Most of us crave it and some of us rely on it for the convenience. Surprisingly, there are healthier alternatives for fast food.

• Wendy's Junior Hamburger boasts 230 calories, 8 grams of fat and 13 grams of protein for 97 cents. Ditch the fries and onion rings for a fresh green salad and you have a fast food meal that is inexpensive and won't ruin your diet.

• Subway's six inch Turkey and Black Forest Ham Sandwich with lite mayo and vinegar has 360 calories, 6 grams of fat and 30 grams of protein for only 5 dollars. Add a side salad instead of chips for a healthier alternative.

When visiting the grocery store, you don't have to spend an arm and a leg for healthier foods. Go online and grab coupons from MamboSprouts.com for organic varieties of your favorite foods. Also, visit your local farmers market. The fresh fruits and vegetables and 50% less cash will have you going back for more. Farmer's Markets are also a great place to take the kids for some wholesome family fun. Log on to LocalHarvest.org to find a farmer's market near you.

Another great tip is to switch out diet sodas for sugar free powdered drinks such as Crystal Light. You will save approximately 50 cents per drink! Follow these quick tips to help your family eat healthy meals at a lower cost. You will be glad you did.