Chicken and Mushroom Sandwich

A few weeks ago, I realized that my grocery budget needed a major overhaul. Summer is here and my expenses always double in the summer. From utilities to entertainment; gasoline and groceries. You name it, with my entire family home for 3 months, it is going to cost more!

Thanks to BFree for sending product to use in this recipe! Be Free offers wheat and gluten free options ranging from pita to bagels, breads and rolls.

This year, I want to enjoy having my son and husband home with Harper and I. Sometimes, money stress really hampers our summer fun. So, I began examining our expenses and finding ways to cut them where possible without sacrificing any standard of living... well lets be honest, standard of eating!

I made it my mission to uncover great meals for a family of 2 adults and 2 preschool-ish age kids that would cost us less than $7 total.

$7 seems like a cheap meal right? Originally I thought about doing $5 meals, but I doubted I could produce delicious and nutritious meals on such a tight budget. We are not big beans and rice eaters. The possibilities have been promising so far on this inexpensive gourmet mission. I incorporate sale items into my menu to maximize my savings and to get the best use of fresh ingredients.

Sandwiches are a great option for any meal. They are fun to eat and they tie so many good flavors together! There is no shortage of sandwiches you can make! If you can dream it, make it and eat it! This is another one of those incredibly yummy and easy recipes that you can create for under $7. I loved that it created minimal dirty dishes in the preparation process and that the sandwich was substantial enough to make a meal on its own.

Ingredients

1 pound of boneless skinless chicken breast sliced thin or diced into small chunks.

1 cup of sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup of shredded cheese

8 slices of your choice sandwich bread, I used BFree Brown Seeded Sandwich Bread
Spicy Brown Mustard

Directions

 Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a frying pan. Cook thinly sliced chicken breast thoroughly.

As your chicken is browning, saute sliced mushrooms until they are a golden color.

When your chicken is ready add the cheese and allow to melt.

Add spicy brown mustard to the bread. Add cheesy chicken to the bread and top with mushrooms.
Serve while hot.

Do you ever serve hot sandwiches for dinner? What is your favorite kind to prepare?

You might also like my Elvis Sandwich Recipe or My Peanut Butter Chicken recipe. 

minions puppets

This super simple popsicle stick craft brings the fun of the minions to your craft time! These are great for book-markers or as the star of a dramatic play session!

There is nothing like a toy you make yourself! On a rainy day a little imagination can go a very long way. We made these DIY minions puppets on a whim and had so much fun playing with them! I know your kids will like them too! They came together in a few moments time and kept the kids entertained for at least an hour!  

To make this easy Minions Puppet Craft you will need:

craft sticks

Blue and Yellow Paint

Craft Eyes

Instructions:

Paint the bottom half of the craft sticks blue.

Paint the top half yellow.

Add an eye and here you have easy minions puppets!

If you have an idea for handmade puppets for toddlers and preschoolers I would love to hear about it in a comment. 

EASY Apple Pie Cheesecake Parfaits

When time is short, but the craving for a treat is strong, you can't go with this EASY Apple Pie Cheesecake Parfait recipe!

This is one of those shortcut creations that has saved the day and dessert a few times for my family. It takes 3 easy ingredients and requires only about that many minutes to create!

I used canned apple pie filling, graham cracker crumbs and Philadelphia Cheesecake Filling. This is pre made and sold in a big tub. I always like to keep this on hand for last minute entertaining or indulging!

All you have to do to create this yummy parfait is to layer those 3 ingredients {apple pie filling, graham cracker crumbs and Philadelphia Cheesecake Filling} in a pretty glass and serve chilled!

The luscious cheesecake filling pairs well with juicy apples. The graham crackers add a nice texture to this mix! Of course you could use cherry pie filling, or any flavor you prefer in this recipe.

You might also like this Coconut Rice Krispie Treat Recipe. It is dairy free and delicious!!

DIY Pencil Pouch for Back to School

In a few weeks, we will begin running over supply lists and stocking up on essential items for the school year. This year, why not DIY a few supplies to save some cash and make your child's supplies stand out from the crowd?

I made a DIY pouch for my son to store his pokemon cards in earlier this week, and I knew that this would also be perfect for storing his pencils and markers during the school year. This was so easy to make! It is a perfect craft for kids of all ages, including teens!

You only need 2 materials for this DIY Pencil Pouch. You can buy them both at Dollar Tree if you don't already have them to make this a super economical craft!

All you need is a zipper seal baggie and printed duct tape. I used one gallon sized bags. As you can see in the video, I folded my baggie about 1/3 of the way up and taped it to hold that way, just to make the pouch a smaller size for smaller hands.

This is so easy to make. You can have it finished in under 5 minutes for a sturdy, handy pouch you can use in so many ways. From storing pencils and pens to holding treasures like Pokemon cards or even makeup!

• Begin by tearing duct tape to fit the width of the baggie.
• Layer it from the bottom to the top.
• Fold the sides over then flip the bag over and continue to layer tape from bottom to top.
• Then stuff it with the contents of your choice.
• Now you have a super easy and economical back to school supply that will be a one of a kind!

You might also enjoy this post on how to save money on back to school clothes. 

Mermaid Tail Craft

This easy mermaid craft requires basic supplies and creates a cute craft in under 5 minutes. Your mermaid fans will flip a fin for this easy craft!

My 3 year old has recently discovered the Little Mermaid. Mermaids are a frequent topic of conversation, as are unicorns, kittens, and Minnie Mouse. I had an idea to make a fun little craft with Harper that would keep her day dreams flowing like the tide. We were thrilled with how cute it turned out and how easy it was to make.

I loved this craft for my preschooler because it used her fine motor skills, she got to use her scissor skills and it involved glitter glue! Who doesn't like glitter glue!?

Supplies:
3 craft sticks
1 triangle of construction paper in any color
A heart shape of green or blue construction paper
8-12 circles of blue and green paper
Glitter Glue

Instructions:
Glue the craft sticks into a triangle shape.
Glue the triangle shaped paper onto the craft sticks.
Begin layering the circles of paper on the triangle to form the scales.
Add the heart shaped paper with the point in.

This was such an easy craft that was a lot of fun for my 3 year old!  It was easy, but it offered a little challenge to her with the layering of the scales.

You might also like this glitter rain drop craft.

You can check out the Mermaid Tail video on youtube to see me make this craft.

#BringIt With BodyArmor

As a mom of a couple of busy kids, I have learned to always be prepared for what life is going to offer. From play dates to practices; from defeats to game-winning runs, and of course, the art of keeping the kids fueled for fun!

Keeping a great sports drink on hand is important for not only the comfort of my hot and thirsty little athletes but also to keep them on their A game! That is why I turn to BODYARMOR when it comes to my kids. BODYARMOR is a premium sports drink with potassium-packed electrolytes, coconut water and vitamins – and has no artificial flavors or sweeteners. That is super important to me as a mother. I want to offer my kids healthier alternatives to popular sports drinks because they have practically no nutritional values to benefit growing bodies.

This post is sponsored by BODYARMOR. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

BODYARMOR is really handy for moms; I love that I can pick up 15 packs at Sam's Club and keep my kids hydrated and satisfied all summer long, no matter what sport they are headed out for! From a practice or tournament, or even a pick up game with neighborhood kids, BODYARMOR helps me to offer a healthy snack to my busy kids. I consider that the win for this mom! Healthy snacks and happy kids are a combination like a game winning hit!

When I grab a 15 pack of BODYARMOR, I can share the flavor and fun with our teammates and friends, which always earns a smile. BODYARMOR is on sale $12.98 (save $3.00) till July 16th, making it a deal you won't want to miss!

Is your young athlete working to be the best? Check out how your athlete can become the next BODYARMOR athlete here: https://goo.gl/hRK7tC.

If you want to stock your cooler with BODYARMOR this summer. You are in luck! Someone is going to win an awesome cooler and a one year Sam's Club membership!

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