Mealtime made Simple!

How many hours a week do you spend planning a menu for the following week?  I used to spend Sundays, yes all day, sorting through recipe books, searching through the recipe box and browsing the grocery ads.  I came to a point where I felt like we were in a rut, and eating the same ol' thing over and over.  Some of you know that I'm a HUGE Dave Ramsey fan, and while listening to him one day, I heard him endorse Mealtime Makeover.com.  I decided that if Dave endorsed it, I had to check it out.  It takes alot to impress me, and Mealtime Makeover has wowed me from the first day I checked out the website.  Bear with me for a few seconds, because I'm going to sound like a commercial.....For just $5.00 a month, you get your 7 day  menu AND a detailed shopping list!  Best of all...your grocery bill will be around $75.00 a week for 7 complete meals!!!  The meals are delicious, and you have the option to choose from several different stores and menu options, such as low-fat, low-carb, Weight Watchers Points plans, etc...it's amazing!  Click on the icon to the right and check out a free menu sample.  If you choose to join, enter coupon code "DAVE" at the checkout and save $2.50 off of your first 3 month subscription.  OK, you can breathe now...I'm off my infomercial soapbox, but seriously check it out.  It's been my sanity saver, not to mention my budget saver!

Another website I dearly love is AllRecipes.com.  It's my "go-to" website for ANY recipe you can think of.  I love that the recipes are rated on a 5 star scale, and other users post their experiences with the recipes, as well as adjustments they would suggest.  The neatest feature is that you can enter items you already have on hand, and it will suggest recipes to make with those ingredients.  I've got several recipes in regular rotation from All Recipes.  Today, I'm going to share one of my very favorites, Homemade Refried Beans. I've tweeked the recipe a bit to suit our tastes, and now I think it's unbeatable!  I ADORE Mexican food, and refried beans are one of first things I go for when I'm eating Mexican food.  These beans couldn't be any more delicious, and they are super economical.  I make a batch and freeze the beans in quart size freezer bags laid flat.  They won't take up much room in the freezer and you'll always have refried beans on hand when the mood strikes for Mexican night!  Try these...I bet after you taste them, you won't buy canned beans ever again.  Ole!!

Homemade Refried Beans

1 onion, peeled and halved
3 cups dried pinto beans, rinsed
1/2 fresh jalapeno, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 t. salt
1 1/2 t. black pepper
1/8 t. ground cumin
1 T. bacon grease, optional
9 c. water

Place all ingredients in Crock Pot.  Cook on high for 8 hours, adding more water if needed.  Once the beans have cooked, strain them and reserve the liquid.  Mash the beans with a potato masher, adding the reserved liquid to attain desired consistency.