Dominican Rice and Beans - $5 Dinner Challenge

I'm back in my kitchen! It feels great to be back!

Here is the best recipe that I can remember for making Dominican Rice and Beans. I'm not sure there's an "exact" recipe for these anywhere, as they are made everyday for lunch. They're just made. I watched and helped out a few times...so we'll see how it goes! I am no expert, so if you know better or have any tips, let us know!! I'm including some extra photos to help out :)

New Feature: I will now be adding a "Print This Recipe" link at the end of each recipe. The link will take you to a GoogleDoc that contains just the recipe. So if you want print off a recipe that you want to try, you won't waste a ton of ink or have to do any copying and pasting! (If I forget to add the link, let me know...it might take a few misses to get me "into the habit"!)

Ingredients
1 cup rice ($.20)

2-3 Tbsp oil ($.15) (I used canola to keep the meal GFCFSF!)

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup dried red kidney beans ($.50)

1/2 of a 6 oz can tomato paste (Free! Muir Glen on sale for $.75 and used $.75 coupon!)

1/4 green pepper ($.25)

1/2 onion ($.10)

1 large sprig of fresh cilantro ($.25)

Adobo Seasoning ($.25)

Salt/pepper

1/2 cup frozen veggies ($.25)

Traditional Sides: Salad with avocado slices, fried chicken, tostones (twice fried plantains), potato salad, macaroni salad, cabbage slaw salad

Directions
1. Rinse beans in colander. Soak beans overnight in lukewarm or for at least 2 hours in HOT water. Drain beans. Replace beans in pot (the pot you see in the pictures is from the DR!) and cover with at least 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat slightly (I set mine to 8 on my burner) and let boil/simmer for 1.5 hours, or until soft. You will add seasonings as they are cooking (see #4!) Keep an eye on the water level, and add water more if necessary.



2. In saucepan or medium pot, add 2-3 Tbsp oil. Turn on heat. When oil starts to bubble, add rice. Stir rice through to cover it all with oil. Stir rice continuously for approximately one minute. Some rice kernals will turn color and brown slightly. This is your cue. Add 2.5-3 cups HOT water and stir. Once it returns to a boil reduce heat (6-7 on my stove) and cook for 20 minutes. If all the water has not boiled off, cook a little longer.

3. Rice will "sizzle" once its reached the right "consistency" (I didn't know rice had a consistency! What I mean is that the right amount of water will have boiled off.) Cover rice with a trash bag. WHY??? I assume to keep the rice nice and moist, until its ready to be served!

Trash Bag Insulation

4. Thinly slice and dice green pepper and onion. After beans have been cooking for about an hour, add tomato paste, diced green pepper and onion. Add seasoning and cilantro sprig (you can remove it later if you like). Let the beans finish boiling (another 30 minutes), giving the flavors time to mix and mingle!




5. Scoop rice onto plate and ladle beans with lots of juice over the rice. Serve with favorite side of vegetables.

Print this Recipe

Cost $2.20


MANY of you sent me soup recipes for my missing soup during "Soup Week"! Thank you so much! I'm thinking another soup week will be in order in Febraury! If you left a link in the comments from your blog with your favorite meal, be sure to link it up tonight's $5 Dinner Challenge!!!
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JuicePlus+

"Eat more fruits and veggies!"

"It’s the one recommendation in almost every diet plan, every guide to
nutrition, every fitness book. Even organizations such as the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, the World Health Organization, the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, and the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion agree. But as much as it’s preached, most people still don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables every day."

Early last year, I made the "executive" decision to start the boys on JuicePlus+. I started them on it for several reasons.

• Worried! I was worried that he wasn't getting his daily allowances of fruits and veggies. Despite my homemade baby food efforts and my goals for healthy eating, they just were not tolerating a variety of foods. (I do believe that their texture sensory issues played a LARGE part, as once we started oral motor therapy, they were interested in more varieties of foods, tastes and textures!
• Food sensitivites! With their food sensitivites and "ailing digestive health", I knew they needed extra supplementation. Their tummies needed the "boost" in nutrition that JuicePlus+ provides. Since JuicePlus+ capsules are loaded with nutrients and the raw enzymes that are often broken down in the cooking process, I knew their bodies would benefit greatly.
• "You crave what you eat"! This phrase is now permanently embedded in my mind. Eat sugar, crave sugar. Eat salad, crave salad! Try it! It's true! If the boys get the chemicals and enzymes from the JuicePlus+, then maybe, just maybe they would start craving fruits and veggies...even like them! Sound far fetched. I thought so. But as I watch them both eat peas, broccoli, sweet potatoes, winter squash and just about every fruit out there...I can't help but wonder???
  

From the JuicePlus+ website,

"There is no substitute for eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables,
at least 7-13 servings every day. But if you're like most people, you don't eat
enough fruits or vegetables or enough variety. And those fruits and vegetables
that we do eat tend to be overprocessed, over-cooked, or too far removed from
the field. That's why there's Juice Plus+.
It's a convenient, affordable, and natural whole food based nutritional
product providing nutrition from 17 vegetables, fruits, and grains.
Juice Plus+ is not a vitamin supplement, providing a limited number of
handpicked nutrients. Juice Plus+ is a whole food based product providing the
wide array of nutrients found in a variety of fruits, vegetables, and grains.
It's the next best thing to fruits and vegetables...because we don't get nearly
enough of the real thing every day."

"Taking Juice Plus+ capsules every day provides the nutritional foundation
we so desperately need that is so lacking in our diets today."

I glance at my grocery cart each time I walk up to checkout. How much produce do I have? How many items in my cart are "from the edge"? How much "processed" food do I have? I'm proud to say that I buy little to no "processed" foods! I wish I could say the same for many of the other grocery carts! Check your grocery cart next time you roll up to the checkout! If you're light on the produce, then JuicePlus+ might help improve your health and wellbeing.

If you are interested in learning more about JuicePlus+ and ordering capsules for you and your family, you can click here or at any time on the JuicePlus+ icon on the site's left sidebar! If you can't stand the taste of raw green peppers or tomatoes, canteloupe or oranges, then JuicePlus+ is for you! Order now!

Menu Plan Monday

I do realize that I posted the Christmas logo for MPM...It matches so perfectly! I can't help it. I like things that match :) For other menu plans from over 300 bloggers around the blogosphere, head on over to OrgJunkie.com!

Monday- Dominican Rice and Beans (I lived in the Dominican Republic for 6 years!)

Tuesday - Lemon Chicken on Pasta

Wednesday - Twice Baked Potatoes and Green Beans

Thursday - Sweet n Sour Pork on Rice

Friday - Dijon Chicken and Potatoes

Saturday - BBQ Beef and Pasta

Sunday - Church Dinner, bringing dessert

$25 Kroger Gift Card Giveaway...You can enter HERE!

If you'd like a copy of my monthly menu planning template, you can print it out here.

Another news story is in the works...Will link up to it when it becomes available!

And here is the latest newspaper article about the big Walmart win! "Centerville woman"...that'd be me!

If you are in Dayton, I will be on the Fox morning show, Monday at 7:15 am-ISH! Depending on what happens in the world overnight!

And it's a SLAMMIN' week at Kroger this week...check out MommySnacks and StretchingaBuck for the best deals and coupon matches!

$25 Kroger Gift Card Giveaway

Got a Kroger nearby? If so, this giveaway is for you! Don't have a Kroger nearby, but know someone who shops at Kroger? If so, then this giveaway is for you! Everyone these days could use a little help in paying for their groceries!

The lovely folks at Kroger have given me a $25 gift card to give to one of you!

Giveaway Details
1. Contest ends Wednesday, January 7th at 5 pm EST. Winner will be announced in Wednesday night's dinner post.

2. Entry #1: Fill out the form below.

3. Entry #2: Leave a comment telling me in what way you promoted this contest (i.e., posting it in a forum, posting about it on your blog, Twittering about it, and/or subscribe to my feed by email or in a reader). I will combine the comments with the form replies before selecting the winner.

4. Winner will be selected by Random.org.

5. Contest is open to US residents only.




If you can't see this form, then head on over to 5DollarDinners.com to fill it out. And don't forget to leave a comment if you promote the contest, for your second chance to win! Good luck!!!

January Monthly Menu Plan

I love "new beginnings"...each new year brings as we start a new year, each new month, for me, means writing a new menu plan and thinking up new and creative ways to make $5 meals. Each week brings a more detailed meal plan. And with each day, "For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning!" (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Here is my plan for the month of January. Notice "Soup Week"...I'll be making a few of my favorites, as well as trying out a few new recipes!

In looking at this plan, I'm not sure my crockpot's gonna make it through this month! I got a new one of these for Christmas, so my counter's might be a little crowded this month!!! I am very much looking forward to "expedited baking"...since I'm making all the boys snacks now :)

5- Dominican Rice and Beans
6- Lemon Chicken on Pasta
7- Twice Baked Potatoes and Green Beans
8- Sweet n Sour Pork on Rice
9- Chicken Dijon on Potatoes
10 - BBQ Beef and Pasta
11- Potluck : Dessert

12- Potato Veggie Medley
13- Beef Goulash
14- Pork Roast
15- Rosemary Orange Chicken
16- Garbanzo Beans and Winter Vegetables
17- Turkey with Cornbread Stuffing
18- Pulled Pork with Corn Pudding

"Soup Week"
19- Turkey and Wild Rice Soup
20- Tortellini Soup (Thanks to The Meal Planner!)
21- Vegetable Bean Soup
22- Looking for another idea...got one...email me :)
23- Hearty Beef Stew
24- White Bean and Ham Soup (Thanks Emily for the idea!)
25- Turkey Chowder

26- Sweet n Sour Beef Roast
27- Fish
28- "Cheater" Chicken Divan
29- Crockpot Steak and Potatoes
30- Stuffed Peppers (If peppers are on sale??!!)
31- Beef and Asparagus Stirfry
1 - Lentils

I will post the recipe each night...stay tuned!

If you'd like a copy of my monthly menu planning template, you can find it HERE!

New Coupons and Time to "Reload" E-Coupons

With the new year comes the start of a new month, which means NEW COUPONS are out! There are some goodies in my Coupons.com Coupon Bar! Like $.50 on Cottonelle, making a 4pack FREE at Kroger. (Thanks Marcy for the heads up!)

Also, I see Bisquick, a few cereal coupons, Filipio Berio olive oil (matched with a "ecoupon" from Upromise!), Snuggle, Woolite, yogurt, bread, frozen veggies and MANY MORE! Print them NOW, as once they've reached their print limit it's too late!

Now is a great time to "reload" e-coupons that likely expired on December 31st. I know many of mine did. Shortcuts.com, P&GeSaver, Cellfire.com and Upromise.com! Don't have a Upromise account, sign up here: Register your grocery card and save when you shop!

For more "dish" on e-coupons, head on over to read the post I wrote for Nicole at Being Frugal is Fabulous! It's a must read if you're new to "e-coupons"!

Happy Couponing!

Happy New Year 2009!!!

Well, my surprise win has really forced me to quickly rethink my new year's resolutions and goals for 2009!

My original resolution: To spend less than $300 each month on groceries and diapers...using the CASH only system. I found that when I used cash in December, I paid much more attention to what I put into my grocery cart...as I didn't want to come up short on cash come time to pay.

My new resolution (now that all my groceries are paid for!!!): To spend $50-60 a month on groceries using cash only system at Trader Joes or Kroger. Why? Well, I'm not sure that Walmart carries gluten free, casein free, soy free products. I will soon find out! If not, then I will need some extra cash each month to buy rice milk and other GFCFSF flour mixes and other products for the boys.

Goals for $5 Dinners

1. To inspire you all on your own frugal journeys.
2. To be creative and resourceful in the kitchen.
3. To continue spreading the word about the site (HINT: Tell your friends!!!)

Financial Goals for 2009

1. Buy a minivan with cash.
2. Make one extra payment this year on our mortgage.
3. Be wise in the way I spend my prize money.

I would LOVE to hear what your resolutions and goals are for 2009!

New Years Day Food Traditions

New Years Day. More food. Another big meal. The last calorie-fest of the holiday season.

Growing up we ate black eyed peas "for luck" on New Years day.

My husband's family has a cool tradition. At the New Years day meal, everyone writes down their top 5 highlights from the previous year, along with 5 goals they have for the upcoming year. Throughout the meal, everyone shares their goals and highlights. My MIL keeps everyone's lists in a box. It's a sweet time of reflection on the past year and looking ahead at what's to come!

Where I live now, it's a tradition to eat pork with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. My friend Becky shares this Daytonian tradition...

Ingredients
Pork Loin
1 bag of kraut
10 large Potatoes
1.5 - 2 cups milk (depending on how creamy you want your potatoes)
4-6 Tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Salt and Pepper

Directions
1. Place pork loin and sauerkraut in the crockpot and cook for 4-6 hours.
2. Scrub, peel and quarter the potatoes. Boil in large pot of water until tender (15 minutes, depending on how thick the pieces are). Mash. Add butter, milk, salt, pepper and garlic.
3. Slice pork loin and serve with kraut and mashed potatoes.

Leftovers Idea: Shred leftover pork and combine with kraut. Place in bottom of baking dish. Top with leftover mashed potatoes. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the potatoes. Bake 25 minutes at 350. A "New Years Shepherd's Pie"!

What are your "New Years Day Food Traditions"? I'd love to hear what you and your loved ones do to kick off the new year!

$5 Dinners Wins BIG!!!

I'm sitting here in shock as I type this morning. I didn't get much sleep last night.

Why? You might ask.

Well, late last night I was checking my email and saw a comment on a You Tube video that I had posted awhile back as part of a contest called "Money Saving Tips" hosted by Walmart and the Eleven Moms. The comment read, "Congratulations on being one of the Top 10!!!" Cool.

'Wonder what that means. They must have liked my video. There must be a second round that involves voting, campaigning, etc. and then they will then choose an overall winner'...is what I was thinking.

So I hopped on YouTube, searched around and found a new video about the contest that just posted last night announcing the winners of the contest. I didn't "get it" the first time I watched the video. I jumped over to Twitter and saw that one of the Eleven Moms had announced me as a winner, just minutes after I had seen the video for myself. Still didn't "get it". (I'm generally not this "slow". But, remember, I'm in shock!)

But I do believe it's official...

I am one of 10 winners of...

A Year's Worth of Groceries from Walmart!!!!!!

Shocking. I know. Shock. Disbelief. Amazement! BLESSING!

Everything here will go on as planned...I will still make $5 Dinners. I will still post my menus. I will still share money saving tips and ideas.

Once I figure out how all this is going to play out, then I will let you know my New Years Resolution! All sorts of fun ideas and plans are swimming around in my brain about how to best use this prize! Rest assured, I will keep you all updated! So stay tuned!

Here is the video that I submitted to the contest. I posted the video here on the blog back in September, but for whatever reason, that page no longer opens??? The video can also be seen here by clicking on "Winners". Mine is the last video on the filmstrip titled "How to save when buying proteins."




This is such a major blessing from the Lord. I look forward to sharing this blessing with others...how and when have yet to be determined!

A BIG THANKS to Walmart for hosting this contest and for choosing me as a winner! A big Congrats to the other ladies who also entered prize winning videos!!!

Planning Saves Time and Money

If one of your new year's resolutions is to spend less at the grocery store, Andrea from MommySnacks.net is one blogger who can help you do just that! She shares the deals and steals each week for stores like Kroger, Meijer, CVS and Walgreens. The valuable tips she shares with us today are sure to set you on the right foot towards sticking to your resolution and spending less at the grocery store.

I can shop at 4-5 stores with our 19-month old in 2 hours (or less). Some weeks, this turns into a workout as I'm speeding through the stores knowing that I have to be somewhere shortly after my shopping trip. But, honestly, shopping at 1 or even 5 stores can be done efficiently and productively if you plan your trip.Just like Erin plans her meals each week, a little preparation with your shopping plan goes a long way! You will never find me in a store without a list of some sort. It's partly because sometimes I just can't remember, but also because it helps me stay focused on what I went there for.

Here are a few steps to plan your shopping trip to save your time, sanity and hard-earned cash!

• Make a list! Or, as I refer to it: List It. This may seem like an obvious thing, but I walk through the grocery seeing so many people without a list. Creating a list before you step your feet into the grocery helps with your efficiency and your money-savings. You may resist urge to pick up temptation items if they aren't on the list.
  
• Clip your coupons. Or, as I say: Clip It. When you shop for items, you will inevitably have to have those non-negotiables (milk, eggs, produce, etc) but then your list will probably also include sale items that match up with coupons. When your list is created, you can clip or pull the coupons (for binder organizers) and paper clip them together to make check-out a breeze!
  
• Shop! Which is very simply taking your list, clipped coupons and going to conquer the sales one store at a time! I have a mini-binder I keep in my purse at all times. The binder has several dividers inside that I use to keep each store's clipped set of coupons. This makes it efficient at the check-out because I can simply pull out the coupons for that store and hand them over organized.
  

This approach works well for menu planners too because your list will include all your weekly menu ingredients. So, there is no rushing to the store to get something that was forgotten.

I hope you find the List It, Clip It and Shop approach helping you save time and money!

If you are new to couponing, you don't want to miss Andrea's Shopping with Coupons: A Beginner's Guide to Saving. She also has several files available to help you track your spending in 2009! A big thanks to Andrea from MommySnacks.net for sharing her wisdom with us today!