Back To School Dinners on a budget

Okay...so it's off to the races again, school starting means homework, quick dinners, sports, and everything that calls for the end to summer. While it can be hard to get back into the swing of things it can also be exciting. Right now the clothes are new, the backpacks haven't been broken in yet and the shoes sit unscuffed. In the meantime...your wallet just had a hit for school supplies, your schedule just became more cramped, and you have less time for just about everything. One thing you can take off your plate are quick dinner fixes. Here are a few ways how...

1- chicken, it may take a while but its pretty simple, And I don't mean a little chicken strips I mean a whole chicken. Put it in a roasting pan with rice and enough water for the rice and the chicken, add some salt and seasonings as you wish and pop the whole thing right in the oven. about 20 min per pound of chicken so a 4lb chicken would take 1 hour and a half roughly. (check to make sure it is all the way done before removing)
this will give you dinner, with about 5 minutes prep time and lunch for the next day! Chicken sandwhiches
prep time 5 min
cook time 1-1.5 hr

2- pasta- easiest thing you can make. Angel hair cooks super fast. Throw some water to boil, ten minutes on the timer, add some salt, a chicken bullion, throw in the pasta, stir a few times and you are done. Take it add some ricotta cheese and tomato sauce and you have leftovers again for lunch.
If you have some extra chicken still throw that in too!

prep time- 2 min
cook time- 20 min

3- Having a long day? which day isn't right? lol hotdogs and french fries,  broil them in the oven takes about 5 min for the hotdogs and then bake another 10 for the fries on whatever heat the package directs you. Add a salad with bacos and a great dressing and the children will love it!

prep time- 2 min
cook time- 15 min

Quick tip---if you want to preheat your oven faster turn it on broil first then give it a few minutes and put it on the temp you really need ;) (do all of this before adding in the food)

4- breakfast for dinner? scrambled eggs- its great protein and quick! Crack a dozen eggs in a bowl (should feed 4-5) and add salt, italian seasoning if you have it, some chopped garlic, onions, whatever floats your boat. Then pop some good bread in the toaster and add butter and jelly- and it is super filling- only clean up is the pan for eggs!- leftovers-? save for breakfast!!

prep time - 7 min
cook time-10 min

5- Pizza- most grocers have pizza dough cold and fresh for 2-3 dollars. Grab some and head home! Leave it out for 1 hour, then spread it on a baking pan, broiler pan, whatever you have that is flat. put down pizza sauce if you have it, (butter and garlic will work if you don't have pasta sauce or want a different flavor). Add your veggies that are leftover from the week, and toss in the oven! Way better than takeout and you used the veggies up!

prep time- 10 min
cook time- 15 min

all great meals- i hope you enjoyed the blog tips for today!!

Also if you haven't met the school rush yet go to www.qualitynannyservices.com for all your domestic help needs!

Holiday Travel tips

So you are about to pack up the car and go visit grandma who is 7 hours away and its the holidays. Your 2 littlest ones are "almost" potty trained and your older one is "bored" a l l   the time.  Some helpful hints
-don't forget the bottled water and blankets, much cheaper to stock up at the grocery store before leaving than buying on the road
-pack the potty chair-especially if you have a minivan. Put it in the back seat and take it along
-the license plate game- find all the alphabet on different license plates
- the alphabet game on signs or plates
- the radio game- pick a word and whenever someone hears it and they shout it out they get to pick the next song
-bring a laptop or make sure to have some movies for the dvd players that kids will love- Cars 2 is out and its a keeper
-let the eldest help with the roadmap
-play "musical chairs"- each time you have to stop lets the kids pick new seats then they won't feel as if they have been stuck in the same place all trip long
-also you could always leave in the evening - let the kids sleep through the trip and each adult drive a "leg" of the trip so you get some sleep too!

If you have any other good car games post below!

Toys, toys, and more toys, When is enough?

Well, it's that time of year where we all go shopping and go a little overboard for the little people in our lives we love so much. So how many toys should we get these little guys for Christmas? We all know the look on their faces when they open a box with socks in it and that HUGE present is the one they want so..my recommendations? Get each one something they reallllly want that is a splurge, then sprinkle in a few "cool toys" and close with some more traditional items such as the sweater YOU really want to give them ;) One item I always buy is a book for each child. My eldest is getting a book on drawing this year, the tots ones on shapes and colors. Too many HUGE gifts can take away from each other and this time of year is really about family, love, and time spent together~

The Library

Do you ever have those days where you just are home with the children and are looking for something to do? Try your local library. Books open the door to a whole new world, whether you are reading to your little ones or chatting about a book your older ones have read. One fun thing to do is to explore your libraries in your county. Often we use the one closest to our home to rent dvd's for free or to go for a quick trip but we have found that there are bigger libraries in our county and the children enjoy visiting the different libraries. Each library has a unique children's area with different puzzles and toys :) Some libraries even have Cafe's in them now so mom can grab a cup of hot tea or coffee :) Also remember to pick up a book of classes in your district while you are there- they have children's art classes, music, and some are a great idea for a mom's night out or a new hobby~