Frozen White Hot Chocolate

Here's a dessert special for you guys! I found this recipe on Pinterest and have been in love with it since!

Serving Size: 2-4 depending on how much you want to serve

What you'll need:
-3 ounces of white chocolate
-1 1/2 cups of milk
-2 tablespoons of half-n-half
-2 tablespoons of white sugar
-1 package of hot chocolate mix
-some chocolate syrup
-1 cup of ice

Equipment:
-a blender
-a measuring cup
-a spoon
-an ice maker/ice trays

First, combine the white chocolate and the half-n-half in a 2 cup measuring cup. Put it in the microwave for 15 seconds and then stir. Put it in the microwave for about 20 more seconds then stir until fully melted.

 Next, add the contents of the hot chocolate package and white sugar to the melted chocolate. Stir.

Next, add 1/2 a cup of milk to the mixture. Stir until smooth.

Then, add the chocolate mixture to the blender. Add a cup of milk to it as well as the ice. Then blend on high until all the ice is chopped up.

Then serve with some chocolate syrup on top!

Happy Drinking! :)

Lemon Rosemary Tilapia with Butter and Herb Rice

 Hey folks! I've been cookin' up a storm lately and this is my latest cheap meal. I decided to go for an almost all fresh meal including fresh tilapia and fresh rosemary. Rosemary is the main ingredient in this meal and gives everything that fresh and wonderful taste of herbiness!

Serving Size: 2

What you'll need:

-2 filets of tilapia
-fresh rosemary (about 2 tablespoons of dried rosemary)
-1 tablespoon of parsley
-2 tablespoons of butter
-1 teaspoon of onion powder
-1 teaspoon of garlic powder
-1 teaspoon of lemon pepper seasoning
-2 tablespoons of lemon juice
-and a pinch of dried basil leaves


Equipment:

-9 x 13 inch baking pan lined with foil
-medium sized sauce pan
- a fork

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the baking pan with foil and place the filets on it.

Sprinkle the lemon pepper, 2 teaspoons of parsley, some fresh rosemary and the lemon juice evenly on the filets.

Put the filets in the oven and set a time for 25 minutes.

While the tilapia is cooking, begin to prepare the rice. Follow the directions on the box (usually 1 cup of water to 1 cup of rice).

Once the rice is finished, add the butter, some rosemary, 2 teaspoons of parsley flakes, a teaspoon of onion powder, a teaspoon of garlic powder, a dried basil leaf (shredded) and some salt and pepper (add until the flavor is good enough for you). Then, stir!

Dish it out and serve!

As for cost...the tilapia was on sale and filets are only a 1/4 of a pound. I bought the rosemary fresh in the vegetable section at Publix. You could also buy dry rosemary in the spices section and it will be more expensive, but last longer. As for the rice, I bought a large box of instant rice which will be cost effective in the future. So this price could be cut severely if you already bought rice and rosemary.

Happy Eating! :)

Rigatoni Alfredo Bake: Chicken Florentine Style

 Hey guys! My next recipe for you is one that will feed many (8-10 servings), but it might possibly disappear faster than you may think. I decided to making something with alfredo sauce, spinach and chicken... and this is what I got.

What you'll need:

-1-2 lbs. of chicken (preferably boneless tenderloins)
-1 package of Green Giant spinach (only going to use half)
-1 package of Rigatoni pasta
-1 package of cream cheese ( 8 ounces)
-1 6 ounce package of shredded or shaved parmesan cheese
-2 cups of milk
-1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)
-1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
-a pinch of salt
-a dash of pepper

Equipment:

-9 x 13 baking pan/dish
-medium sized sauce pan (for pasta and alfredo sauce)
-large mixing bowl
-2 forks
-cutting board
-wisk


First, boil the chicken for about 10 minutes or until it is cooked all the way through. Shred the chicken and set aside. Also, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Then boil the pasta and set aside.

Next, prepare the alfredo sauce. Melt the butter. Then, add the cream cheese and stir until the mixture becomes creamy. Add the garlic powder and slowly add the milk until it's thoroughly stirred. Then, add 3 ounces of the parmesan cheese to the mixture. Stir until the cheese has melted.

Keep stirring the alfredo sauce until it starts to thicken. Once it has thickened, remove from heat.

Next, prepare the spinach according to the directions on the package. Add half of the spinach into the alfredo sauce and stir until evenly distributed.





Combine the pasta, chicken and alfredo mixture into a large bowl. Stir until mixed thoroughly.

Then, pour the mixture into a 9x13 baking pan and spread out evenly. Then sprinkle the remaining parmesan cheese on top of the mixture. Put it in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes (or until the cheese is melted and food is warm).

And this is what it looks like when it comes out of the oven!

Look at that beautifully melted cheese... yummm!!

And here is how the money breaks down. I bought the spinach BOGO so it was really only a dollar. The chicken at Publix is always on sale so, it could be cheaper. Also, it could be cheaper depending on the type of chicken you buy. Also, pasta at Publix is usually BOGO every week, so you can always stock up on pasta for half the price. And, this yields about 8-10 servings. You can definitely half the recipe and half the price.

Happy eating! :)

Lemon Pepper Chicken and Pasta side

This meal is probably the most simple, yet delicious meal one could make. It combines the best of carbohydrates with tons of flavor, for only fraction of the price (and plenty of leftovers).

What you'll need:

-1-2 pounds of chicken breast
-lemon pepper seasoning
-salt
-pepper
-parsley
-milk and/or water and butter (for pasta side)

Equipment:

-medium sized sauce pan
-9x13 baking pan
-your hands
-large spoon/utensil

First, cover a 9x13 baking pan with aluminum foil and place chicken breasts on pan, like so.

 Preheat oven to 350.

Sprinkle the pepper, lemon pepper, parsley and salt on the chicken evenly.



Press the spices into the chicken.

Put the chicken in the oven for 45 minutes. Depending on how hot or cold your oven runs, add or subtract 5 minutes.

When there's about 20 minutes left on the timer, start your pasta side. I chose Pasta Roni as my preferred pasta side because it seems to have better quality than most other store bought pastas. I would recommend choosing a neutral flavored side like Italian herb or sour cream and chive. The pasta should take about 15 minutes to cook from start to finish.

Here's what your chicken should look like when it comes out of the oven. Yummy!

Dish and serve!

 And as for cost... I bought this Perdue chicken on sale at Publix for $4.51 for 1.51 lbs, but the Publix brand chicken is about the same price, normally. Catch any of these items on sale, and you've got a steal deal for a meal. ;)

Happy Eating! :)

Hello and Welcome!

I'm currently finishing up my spring semester and am quite busy with studying for finals and getting everything turned in. Stay tuned for my classic chicken and dumplings recipe that's sure to get your mouth watering. :)