Chicken Tamale Casserole

Adapted from Cooking Light

1/3 cup Milk
2 Eggs
1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 teaspoon Ground Cayenne Pepper
1 can Cream Style Corn
1 box Jiffy Muffin Mix
1 can Chopped Green Chilies
1 can Red Enchilada Sauce
1/2 Rotisserie Chicken, shredded/chopped
2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Cooking Spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 13x9 casserole dish with cooking spray. Mix together muffin mix, milk, eggs, cumin, pepper, corn and chilies; pour into prepared dish and bake for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven oven and poke top with fork; pour enchilada sauce over top.  Evenly spread chicken over sauce and sprinkle with cheese.  Bake for an additional 15 minutes.  Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.  Makes 6 servings.

Reviewed: Freezing Sprinkles Cupcakes

At the end of January, BF and I drove into town for cupcakes and drinking chocolate from Sprinkles.  Since we don't go into town that often I decided to get a whole dozen.  As we were checking out, the cashier told us about proper storage of a Sprinkles cupcake and mentioned that they could be frozen in an airtight container.  I decided to test it out and put a few in the freezer.

Here it is just over a month later and I am ready to try my once frozen cupcakes.  I am slightly skeptical that the cupcakes will be damp from frost or maybe even dried out.  I have thawed out the cupcakes on the counter uncovered until they came to room temperature. Let's get to tasting!

(Unwrapping cupcake)
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(Creating perfect bite by removing a little of the bottom cake portion - don't worry I'll eat it, too)
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(Biting into cupcake)
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(Mmm, cupcake.....nom nom nom)
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And the results!  A frozen Sprinkles cupcake is just as good as a fresh cupcake!  I don't think I would leave them in the freezer much over a month as just a bit of frost was forming on the top, but it didn't impact the flavor or quality of the cupcake.

Oh, and if you have never had the drinking chocolate from Sprinkles - it is a must try!  They only have it seasonally through March, but it is amazing.

No Spend February - Follow Up

At the end of January, BF and I challenged ourselves to make February a no spend month.  BF really stuck to the plan when it came to buying stuff. (I just hope he has forgotten about half of the things he said he would get this month though!) Our biggest accomplishment was not dining out as often. In January we spent $170 going out to eat, and in February we got it down to $100. We also did good on groceries by staying really close to the budgeted amount for the month.

Although we didn't save up $500 like I was hoping, I still think the month was a success. The experiment was good for our budget and we learned that we really didn't need some of the things that would have normally turned into impulse purchases.

Success  :)

Dining Out = $100

Groceries = $500

Unexpected :|

Toll Tag = $80
Vet = $216

Fail  :(

E-Cigarette = $60

Post Office = $16

Cupcakes = $8

BF Miscellaneous = $129

Poor Frank hurt herself and had to go to the vet. The $216 was very unexpected, but we love the furry monster and she is worth it. I think she is on more medicine right now than an old lady - hence her new nickname from BF, "Grandma Puppy". 

Butternut Squash Bisque

Adapted from Martha Stewart

3 tablespoons Butter
1/4 cup Chopped Onion
2 sprigs Fresh Thyme
1/4 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 large Butternut Squash, cubed (about 4 cups)
2 cups Chicken Stock
1 cup Half-and-Half
1 cup Water
Salt

In a medium-large pot, heat butter and saute onions until brown. Mix in thyme, cinnamon, and cayenne. Add squash, stock, and water. Bring to a boil; then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes. Puree in a blender until smooth; return to stove on low, add half-and-half, and season to taste. Thin with stock or water as needed. Serves 6.

Corn Casserole

Adapted from Paula Deen

1 can Whole Kernel Corn, drained
1 can Cream Style Corn
1 8 ounce package Jiffy Muffin Mix
1 cup Sour Cream
1/2 cup Butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 pan or casserole dish. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.  Pour into greased pan and smooth out top. Bake for 55 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 6 servings.

Sausage Balls

Adapted from Trisha Yearwood

1 pound Hot/Spicy Pork Sausage
10 ounces Grated Cheddar Cheese
3 cups Bisquick
1/4 cup Melted Butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a stand mixer. Using a 1 1/2 ounce disher, scoop mixture onto parchment lined sheet pan. Roll into uniform balls. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Financial Planning and Overcoming Debt

In 2008 the company BF had been employed with for eight years went bankrupt. We were in our mid-twenties and didn't have a real financial plan in place. We quickly learned that decisions had to be made - and in our case it was taking a leap of faith and moving across the world for a chance at better employment in a country with a better economy. BF's new employer paid for our flights and two weeks in a hotel - that was all. We had to figure out how to get any personal belongings shipped over and what to do with everything we left behind - including our house. And I would have to find a job once we got there.

Through the transition we racked up $10,000 in credit card debt. This was in addition to the student loans and car loan we already had. We stayed overseas for two years working, traveling - living an adventure.  When we finally wanted to return to the US, it was a challenge to find new jobs as the economy had not recovered. After applying for what felt like a thousand jobs we both eventually found something, and in our luck with the same company we were already employed with. What we learned though from the complete experience has set us up for success in the future.

We moved home knowing we never wanted to completely rely on a job as the deciding factor in our life. That meant we had to pay off our debt and start saving for our future. By this time we were still carrying the $10,000 in credit card debt, $75,000 in student loans, and $45,000 in vehicle loans and only had about $100 in savings.

We came up with an aggressive plan that created security while reducing debt. I used a variety of methods from Suze Orman, Dave Ramsey, MSN Money, and lots of financial blogs. The best tip for us was the snowball approach from Ramsey. It just means that as you pay off one debt, you roll the amount you were paying into your next debt's payment.

By living below our means, putting raises and unexpected income towards the plan, extreme budgeting, and saying no (a lot) we have eliminated $65,000 from our debt in two years. We still have $65,000 to go, but we are working hard to pay it off before the end of 2014.

B+C=F Financial Plan
1. Make a budget - COMPLETE
2. Enroll in company matched 401K - COMPLETE
3. Pay off credit card debt - COMPLETE
4. Save 3 months expenses in an emergency fund - COMPLETE
5. Pay off 2 of 3 vehicle loans - COMPLETE
6. Pay off student loans - IN PROGRESS
7. Pay off remaining vehicle loan
8. Save 3 more months in the emergency fund
9. Open and max out Roth IRA's for each of us
10. Save 6 more months in the emergency fund

*This post is not to be considered financial advice.