Sweet and Sour Chicken

This is one of my most requested recipes. Instead of going out for Chinese, try this one tonight:

Sweet and Sour Chicken

2 pkgs. Ritz crackers, crushed
1 1/2 T. Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. season salt
Mix these together, put in bowl.

1 (8oz.) container plain yogurt, put in another bowl
1/2 c. melted butter (to drizzle over chicken)
8 chicken breasts, cut in 1/2 and pat dry
Dip chicken pieces in yogurt, then dip in cracker crumbs, set on 13 x 9 inch pan, not touching each other. Now drizzle melted butter over chicken. While baking, make sauce.

Sauce:
1/2 c. ketchup
3/4 c. water
1/2 small can drained crushed pineapple or tidbits, add just before serving
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 T. cornstarch, min in 1/3 c. water to thicken
1/4 c. vinegar (apple cider)
Simmer 30 minutes. Serve over rice. Baking time: 45 minutes. Temp: 350. Serving Size: 6-8.

The Cost of Raising Children

Can you believe how expensive it is to raise kids?!?!?!
I take this as a challenge and think that I can do a better job for way less than this:

The table below shows the estimated annual costs of raising a child, based on a survey by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The table shows costs based on a family with two children on a per-child basis. The data comes from the Consumer Expenditure Survey by the U.S. Department of Labor, conducted from 1990-92.The figures have been updated to 2001 dollars using the Consumer Price Index. The USDA ends its cost survey when a child legally becomes an adult at age 18. It does not include any estimates for sending your children to college nor does it offer any cost estimates if your child remains in your home as a dependent after the age of 18. The College Board reports that in the 1998-99 school year, a resident student at a four-year private college will spend about $23,578 a year; a student at a public college will pay $9,008 a year. See the footnotes¹ below for further information. If you're a single-parent family, use the Single-Parent Family table.

Dual-Parent Family

Age of Child	Housing	Food	Transportation	Clothing	Health	Child care/ Education	Miscellaneous	Total
Before-tax income: up to $39,100
0 to 2	2,500	910	780	370	460	840	630	6490
3 to 5	2,470	1,010	750	360	440	820	680	6,630
6 to 8	2,380	1,300	880	400	510	560	680	6,710
9 to 11	2,150	1,560	950	450	560	340	720	6,730
12 to 14	2,400	1,640	1,070	750	560	240	900	7,560
15 to 17	1,940	1,780	1,440	660	600	400	660	7,480
Total	41,520	24,600	17,610	8,970	9,390	9,990	12,720	124,800
Before-tax income: $39,100 to $65,800
0 to 2	3,380	1,090	1,160	430	610	1,380	980	9,030
3 to 5	3,350	1,260	1,130	420	580	1,530	990	9,260
6 to 8	3,260	1,600	1,260	470	660	980	1,030	9,260
9 to 11	3,030	1,890	1,330	520	720	640	1,250	9,190
12 to 14	3,280	1,900	1,450	870	720	470	1,250	9,940
15 to 17	2,820	2,110	1,840	780	770	810	1,010	10,140
Total	57,360	29,550	24,510	10,470	12,180	17,430	18,960	170,460
Before-tax income: $65,800 and up
0 to 2	5,370	1,440	1,630	570	700	2,090	1,630	13,430
3 to 5	5,340	1,630	1,600	560	670	2,270	1,650	13,720
6 to 8	5,250	1,970	1,720	610	770	1,560	1,690	13,570
9 to 11	5,020	2,290	1,800	670	820	1,090	1,720	13,410
12 to 14	5,270	2,400	1,920	1,100	830	840	1,900	13,170
15 to 17	4,810	2,530	2,330	1,000	870	1,470	1,660	14,670
Total	93,180	36,780	33,000	13,530	13,980	27,960	30,750	249,180

Single-Parent Family

Age of Child	Housing	Food	Transportation	Clothing	Health	Child care/ Education	Miscellaneous	Total
Before-tax income: up to $39,100
0 to 2	2,240	1,010	730	330	220	530	380	5,440
3 to 5	2,550	1,060	640	350	330	720	500	6,150
6 to 8	2,710	1,340	740	410	390	650	670	6,910
9 to 11	2,600	1,550	530	420	490	310	540	6,440
12 to 14	2,600	1,550	620	710	520	400	520	6,920
15 to 17	2,760	1,690	970	830	520	300	600	7,670
Total	46,380	24,600	12,690	9,150	7,410	8,730	9,630	118,590
Before-tax income: $39,100 and up
0 to 2	4,820	1,560	2,220	470	510	1,290	1,580	12,450
3 to 5	4,820	1,650	2,130	500	690	1,620	1,690	13,410
6 to 8	5,290	1,980	2,240	570	790	1,510	1,870	14,250
9 to 11	5,180	2,380	2,030	580	950	880	1,740	13,740
12 to 14	5,190	2,380	2,110	950	1,000	1,260	1,720	14,560
15 to 17	5,340	2,470	2,290	1,090	990	1,030	1,800	15,010
Total	92,850	37,110	39,060	12,480	14,790	22,770	31,200	250,260

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture. Estimates are based on 1990-92 Consumer Expenditure Survey updated to 2001 dollars using the Consumer Price Index.

¹ The figures represent estimated expenses on the younger child in a two-child family. Estimates are about the same for the older child, so a family of two would then double the total cost. Thus, a family with two children and an income of less than $39,100, could expect to spend somewhere around $249,600, for two children by the time they each had reached age 18. If you have only one child, the USDA assumes you'll spend slightly more on that child and suggests multiplying the total expense for the appropriate age category by 1.24. If you have three or more children, the USDA assumes you'll spend slightly less per child. To estimate expenses for each child in a family with three or more children, multiply the total expense for each appropriate age category by 0.77. For expenses on all children in a family, these totals should be summed.

Budgeting Ideas

I think we can all agree that our parents lived a very different way of life than we do today. I was helping my mom clean out a closet the other day and we stumbled upon a small pamphlet that was written in 1978 that included various ways to save the average family time and money. I started reading several pages aloud with my mom and we laughed until we cried!! Did people really live like this?? Life is so much easier today with dependable disposable diapers, easy bill pay, and five dollar pizza places. A lot has changed in 30 years!! But, I think there is still some to be learned from those that have gone before us.

Here’s a list of my favorite ideas to save you time and money that still may be relevant in today’s world:

· * Set up a monthly cooperative dinner party where each couple brings one course for the meal. Besides being an enjoyable evening, there’s minimum work and expense. Play some games and it’s a fun date night!

· * If you work and buy your lunch, take a brown bag lunch several days to save money.

· * Stock up when products go on sale. It’s smart to have a food-storage of products that you need and you’ll use!

· * As a general rule, the more preparation you do in the kitchen, the less costly the meal will be. You pay for everything the food processing company does! Use that kitchen of yours! Not only foods, but cleaners and toys for the kids can be made in the kitchen that will save you money!

· * When you don’t have time for a regular shampoo, you can use baby powder to dry clean your hair. Just sprinkle a little powder through your hair and brush out. The powder will absorb excess oil and leave your hair ready for a quick set.

Here’s a list of money saving ideas that are for the die-hards:

· * When baby grows too long for his one-piece ropers that snap at the crotch, cut and hem them to make T-shirts.

· * Recycle stained baby clothes by sewing a “bib” over the stained area. Cut a pretty scrap of fabric onto the bib--large enough to cover the stained area. Trim with rickrack and attach to the garment front.

· * Don’t throw away your old shower curtain. Use it to make a cute little rain outfit for your toddler with poncho and rain hat to match. Add bows and decorate with pinking shears.

Previous generations have learned to use, re-use and recycle to accommodate tougher financial times. We can learn from them and adjust our way of life to fit the challenging economic times we’re in today!

Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole

Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 pounds skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
• 8 oz Swiss cheese, cubed
• 8 oz ham, diced
• 1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup milk
• 1 box of stuffing
• 1-2 T. butter

PREPARATION:

Brown chicken and place chunks in baking dish, add cubes of swiss cheese and small pieces of ham. Mix cream of chicken soup with 1 cup of milk; mix well and pour over all. In a separate pan, melt butter, pour in dry stuffing, mix. Pour stuffing over casserole. Bake about 30 minutes at 350° or until tender and bubbly.

Crock Pot Lasagna

Crock pot Lasagna

12 lasagna noodles, uncooked 1 jar spaghetti sauce ¼ c water

1 lb ground beef, browned and drained 1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 carton (16 oz) cottage cheese 2 c mozzarella cheese

1. Break noodles in half. Place half of the noodles in the bottom of greased crockpot. Stir Italian seasoning into meat and spread half over the noodles already in crockpot. Layer half of the sauce and water, half of the cottage cheese, and half of the mozzarella cheese over beef.
2. Repeat layers. Cover and cook on low heat 4-5 hours. Do not cook more than 5 hours.