Spring is coming and you can plan now for this delicious, cheap and FAST summer meal.

We plant about a row of lettuce [bib or whatever you prefer], a parsley plant, a rosemary plant, a basil plant and cilantro [if you like it].

What is great about these is all of them are small enough that you could grow them inside in a series of pots. We live outside Toledo, Ohio which is pretty far north. It is where Lake Erie, Ohio and Michigan all touch. Even this far north these things are grown in June and ready to eat. The following recipe works for us a couple times a week and ends up costing about $1.50-$2.00 TOTAL for the meal for 6 of us.

I buy the boneless/skinless frozen Chicken Breasts when they go on sale. I also buy the baguettes for $1.00 when they go on sale at the grocery then I cut them in 1/2 and wrap them in aluminum foil and freeze.

To assemble this quick and easy meal do the following.

1. Pull out a Frozen Chicken Breast and put it in a skillet with a tight lid. Put in enough water to go 1/2 way up the piece of chicken. Cover tightly and cook on high.

2. While that is cooking grab basil leaves, Rosemary, Parsley, Cilantro [if you like it], Lettuce leaves from your garden. Grab a clove of garlic from your fridge. Wash everything well and dry it on paper towels or in a lettuce dryer.

3. Check the Chicken and flip it over. It is still frozen in the middle. Add water if necessary.

4. Chop up the herbs and pull out 4 tablespoons of butter [I don't use margarine. I use real butter.] Put the butter, herbs and minced garlic in a bowl and set it on the counter so the butter can soften.

5. Pull a baguette from the freezer and warm it in the over.

6. Pull the chicken out and slice it thin [or even chop it if you prefer.] It is still raw in the middle and that is fine. Dump the remaining water from the skillet. Put the chicken back in the skillet, add about 1/4-1/2 cup Italian dressing to the chicken and cook until it is completely done.

7. Pull the baguette out of the oven and slice it long way.

8. Stir the butter and put it on the bread.

9. Put the lettuce leaves on a plate, spoon chicken on top and serve with the buttered bread.

Despite all the steps you see here this is done in 15 minutes or less. Fast, easy, healthy and filling.  I serve this for a quick meal or when I have friends over for dinner in the summer.

Save money without depriving yourself.

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Tiffany Colter is a passionate freelance writer whose credits include Today’s Christian, Charisma Magazine, Toledo Business Journal, and the Afictionado E-zine. Tenacious in her approach not only to create a great story, but also to mentor other writers, Tiffany can always be found in the presence of a book or laptop. A former world traveler who is fluent in three languages, she strives to reach those who are hurting around her.     She enjoys helping others build a strong business and writes a daily marketing blog for writers called the Writing Career Coach and a common-sense money management site, TheBalancedLife.com. Tiffany lives outside Toledo, OH with her husband, a recent cancer survivor, and their four girls.

Money Saving Ideas is a section designed for any person, no matter their current financial situation. This section has a variety of tips on saving money in different areas. If is for people who want to save money, or NEED to.

Today’s tip is simple and delicious. Buy a chicken.

I was at my local grocery [Toledo, OH] this past week and whole chickens were only $3-$4. Did you know you could make 3 meals out of a single chicken? It’s true. Roast it on day one. Boil it on day two. Skim off the meat when you boil it and mix it with refried beans to make a yummy chicken and bean burrito. On day 3 you have the base to Chicken noodle soup, chicken with dumplings or, Chicken vegetable soup. Not only will you save money [a $4 chicken spread over 3 days is pretty economical] but you’ll save time!!

And don’t forget about the health benefits.

The Balanced Life has some exciting things coming. Later this week I’ll begin launching tips for people facing Cancer and other sudden illnesses. As the wife of a recent cancer survivor I understand the emotional and financial turmoil of that disease.

I’ll also be announcing the star of our webinars. These FREE thirty minute events will share tips on living a balanced life as well as offer you the opportunity to ask questions. Make sure you let others know. Each week we’ll be able to accomodate up to 22 participants which gives lots of opportunities for people to take advantage of it. Sign up using The Balance Sheet sign up on the right and click “webinars”.

I’ll see you tomorrow with more tips to help you live the balanced life.

Receive notification when new tips are posted by subscribing here.
Tiffany Colter is a passionate freelance writer whose credits include Today’s Christian, Charisma Magazine, Toledo Business Journal, and the Afictionado E-zine. Tenacious in her approach not only to create a great story, but also to mentor other writers, Tiffany can always be found in the presence of a book or laptop. A former world traveler who is fluent in three languages, she strives to reach those who are hurting around her.     She enjoys helping others build a strong business and writes a daily marketing blog for writers called the Writing Career Coach and a common-sense money management site, TheBalancedLife.com. Tiffany lives outside Toledo, OH with her husband, a recent cancer survivor, and their four girls.

Did you see the newsletter?

Here is some of what we talked about:

Money Saving Recipes: Create beautiful crepes for an evening at home, or for a dinner party.

The Magic of Compound Interest: Revisited

Free Webinars on Common Sense Money Management

Sudden Income Loss-How to survive it!

Tiffany’s Live speaking events
If you missed it, click here: This Months Balance Sheet Newsletter - http://eepurl.com/Fr_

Then register for your own by filling in the form on the right.

We all need to eat, right? This area gives great ways to save money on your food budget without feeling deprived. Some of these recipes are great to eat as a family and others are nice enough to serve to guests. What all of them have in common is that they are easy on the bank account AND taste buds.

Crepes

Crepes are more than super thin pancakes, in Brittany, France they are a cultural tradition. In this month’s newsletter, the Balance Sheet, I give a number of great fillings to serve with these crepes. What I like about this recipe is they are simple enough that a child can help mix them but elegant enough to serve when company comes over. If money is tight you can fill them with less expensive fillings. When celebrating a special occasion you can jazz them up a bit.

Be sure to sign up for the newsletter so you receive it when it releases next week.

Crepes

2 1/4 cup flour [Use all-purpose flour. The others may not work as well]

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3 cups Milk

3 eggs

2 tablespoons melted butter [I sometimes use olive oil]

Mix the dry ingredients, the add the wet ingredients and whisk until smooth. Melt 1 teaspoon butter in a large skillet and spread it around with a pastry brush. Add just under 1/2 cup batter to the center of the pan and rotate it as you pour in the batter [you want this to cover the bottom of the pan and be as thin as possible.

Cook unit it looks dry on top and the bottom is brown. Then flip the crepe and cook the other side for a minute or two. Stack the crepes on a plate and keep them covered so they don't dry out.

You can do them ahead and refrigerate up to 2 days [or freeze up to 3 months].

This recipe costs less than $1 and, depending on the filling, can feed a family of six or more.

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Bio
Tiffany Colter is a passionate freelance writer whose credits include Today’s Christian, Charisma Magazine, Toledo Business Journal, and the Afictionado E-zine. Tenacious in her approach not only to create a great story, but also to mentor other writers, Tiffany can always be found in the presence of a book or laptop. A former world traveler who is fluent in three languages, she strives to reach those who are hurting around her.     She enjoys helping others build a strong business and writes a daily marketing blog for writers called the Writing Career Coach and a common-sense money management site, TheBalancedLife.com. Tiffany lives outside Toledo, OH with her husband, a recent cancer survivor, and their four girls.