E-mealz!

So my hubby is a Dave Ramsey fanatic. He listens to his podcast everyday. We have been following (to the best of our ability) his financial program for several years now. The other day he came home to inform me that Dave is now endorsing (and maybe helped create?) a site called "e-mealz." I had to check it out.

Basically it is pre-planned meals on a budget. You sign up, and it costs $5 a month ($1.25 a week - which is about the cost of some random candy item you toss in your cart when you are waiting in line to check out). With your membership, you get a weekly menu that includes recipes (EASY recipes) AND a grocery list that goes along with it...with the breakdown of what each item costs. You can even pick a particular store...say you shop at Kroger's...you would pick the "family Kroger's" menu. The huge plus is that there are so many options. they have meals for 2, special diet restrictions (low-fat), menus for vacation, menus for holidays, AND points value menus. Yay! The points value menus not only tell you how many points are in a meal, but also how big the serving size should be!

I signed up this week and I am actually pretty impressed so far. The weekly grocery total for the meals is between $70-$80. NICE! I am sure it varies depending on what menu you choose, but I know it is designed to save you money. Also, the lady who created the site helps you link coupons to the meals she posts...so...if crescent rolls are on the menu, she tries to tell you where you can find a coupon for them. Pretty handy, eh? I will keep you updated on what I think, but on the meantime you can check out the site for yourself! http://e-mealz.com

On to fajitas! OK, this is mostly just a foundation for you to mix and match whatever you and your family love best. Here is how I like to make them:

Easy Chicken Fajitas:

Olive Oil

2 Chicken breasts, sliced into thin strips

10 oz container of fresh, sliced mushrooms

1 large red pepper, sliced

1 large green pepper, sliced

1 medium onion, sliced

1 package Fajita seasoning (this is totally a preference thing, but the ONLY fajita seasoning I like and use is Old El Paso and the only place I can find it is Meijer)

Water, as needed

Whole Wheat tortillas or Flat-out wraps (whole grain w/ flax)

Toppings:

Shredded Cheese

Fat-free Sour Cream

Shredded Lettuce

Tomatoes

Whatever your little heart desires

Pour 2 T of Olive Oil into a hot skillet and start to sweat the onions. Add the chicken. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Add salt and pepper to taste (and I actually added garlic here as well). Turn the pan down slightly and add the peppers and mushrooms. Once the vegetables have released their juices, add the packet of seasoning (it has corn starch in it so that it thickens slightly). If the sauce becomes too thick, add water a little at a time until it is the consistency you want. I usually end up adding about 1/2 to 3/4 c. of water. Turn the heat down and let the mixture simmer for about 5 minutes so that the flavors combine. Tell everyone to get off their lazy bums and come make their own fajitas...LOL.

OK. Heres the deal. This time I used a Flat-Out wrap instead of a tortilla. Why? Because the tortillas we have are 3 points a piece! Flat-Outs are 1 and they are very similar in taste and texture once all of the meat and veggies are in them. Total points for the Fajita mixture (chicken, veggies, and seasoning - yes the seasoning counts): 3 per serving, it serves 5. Now, your cheese adds up fast so be careful! I measured out 1/4 c. (which is the serving size) and didn't quite use it all - 1 serving of shredded cheese is 3 points. I love this meal, and even though it was pretty healthy all the way around, I was disappointed b/c I stuffed myself. LOL. I need to still listen to my body's signals and stop eating when I am full - regardless if I have the points to eat more. There's just some crazy voice in my head that says, "one isn't enough...you NEED more..." I'm working on that!