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5 Quick and Easy Family Meals

If you are short on time with a hungry family waiting for food, then what you need are easy-to-prepare and healthy meals that you can ready in a jiffy. The recipes below require few ingredients and take less than an hour to prepare.

Try any of these on a busy day and make sure you get the rest of your chores done on time.

1. Grilled Lemon Chicken and Asparagus

This healthy recipe is delicious which you can quickly put together on the dinner table. The recipe only takes 20 minutes to prepare. (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

  • 1 tsp Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • 1 sliced lemon
  • And as much asparagus as you would like

Directions:

Pre-heat a grilling pan on the stove on medium-high flame and brush it with oil. Season both sides of the chicken breast with salt and pepper and grill for 4-5 minutes per side. Add the sliced lemons wedges during the last 3 minutes of the cooking time and cook until the chicken is done. Serve with hot sauce and a side of steamed asparagus.

2. Grilled Cheese with Spinach

If you have a particularly busy schedule for a day, then a cheesy grilled sandwich with a side of veggies is the perfect meal for your family. It only takes 20 minutes to prepare and you probably already have the ingredients at home. (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

  • 4 ciabatta rolls
  • 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 4 tbsp. marinara sauce
  • 8 oz. Mozzarella cheese
  • Pepperoni and spinach as to your liking

 

Directions:

Spread liberal amount of butter on the outside of the bread rolls. On the insides of the rolls; spread marinara sauce and put as much mozzarella, pepperoni and spinach as you want.

On a low flame, heat a non-stick grilling pan and grill the sandwiches for 4-5 minutes on each side. Grill until the outsides are golden brown and the cheese melts. Serve with different condiments and a side of steamed veggies.

3. Easy Baked Salmon

This recipe is an easy one as you can marinade and freeze the fish the night before, ready to be grilled and served when you are short on time. It takes few ingredients and can be prepared in just 30 minutes. (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

  • ½ tbsp. brown sugar
  • ½ tbsp melted butter
  • ½ tbsp olive or vegetable oil
  • ½ tbsp honey
  • ½ tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
  • ½ large salmon fillet (cut into 4 pieces)

 

 

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients except the fish in a bowl. Then pour marinade over the salmon fillets. Let the fish marinate for at least 30 minutes (or overnight).

Pre-heat a grill pan on a medium heat and sear the salmon (discard the marinade) for 6-8 minutes on each side or until completely cooked. Squeeze a lemon on top and serve on a bed on steamed spinach.

4. One Pot Chicken Pilaf

This recipe is very easy and makes a very filling and comforting meal. The chicken pilaf takes maximum 30 minutes to prepare and saves you from a pile of dish washing later. (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp. olive or vegetable oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 4 boneless chicken breasts, cubed
  • 1 tbsp curry paste
  • 2 cups of basmati rice
  • 4 cups of chicken stock
  • 2 cups of frozen veggies

Directions:

Heat oil in a deep skillet and fry the onions until translucent, then add the chicken and cook until white on the outside. Mix in curry paste, add in the rice and cook for 2-5 minutes. Add in the frozen veggies and chicken stock and bring it to a boil. Then cover the lid and let it cook for 10 minutes or until the rice is tender and all the stock is absorbed. Serve with a side of your choice.

5. Quick Pesto Pasta

Pesto pasta is a quick and easy recipe when you have kids who love pasta and adults who are too busy to sit down for a real meal. It takes a maximum of 20 minutes to prepare. (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

  • 400 gms of Linguini
  • 1 cup fresh basil leaves
  • 2 tbsp. roasted pine nuts
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Fill deep pot with water, add 2 tbsp. of salt and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to packet directions (until al dente). Drain and keep aside.

In a food processor, add basil, pine nuts, garlic, salt, pepper and parmesan. Add in the oil slowly and blend it until smooth. In a pot, mix the linguini with the pesto and serve with extra parmesan grated on top.

Budgeting Made Easier: 7 Tips to Keep Your Family’s Finances Under Control

It might sound hectic to maintain a budget on a regular basis but it is necessary to keep track of all that money you have.

It isn’t necessary to spend a lot to live a happy life, but you need to make sure that it is spent in the best possible way.

Here are a few tips you can follow to be better at budgeting:

Make a budget

If you area tech savvy mom, use the spreadsheets; if you are a traditional paper pen mom then use that, but make sure to create a budget that best works for you.

List down all your family’s future financial goals, and then make a plan of action accordingly. For instance, aim to save up for your child’s college tuition fees or for a vacation you want to take with your family by the end of this year.

Plan your meals; eat at home more often

Eating out every weekend might sound fascinating but it wouldn’t be if by the end of the month you’re tight on money! Plan your meals a few days before the start of next month and cook meals at home more often than ordering out.

This would help you list down all the groceries you need. Buy everything in bulk at the start of the month to save time and remember to stick with the list to avoid impulse purchases.

Record your sources of income

Figure out how much money is coming in the house every month.  Do not account only for the paychecks of the head of the family, but for everybody who is earning in the family. Also include any investment made that generates timely returns. This would help you understand your current financial standing and devise a more accurate budget.

Record your expenses

Keep track of all the receipts and amount of money flowing out of your hand to help avoid personal bankruptcy. Doing so will help you know that where you are spending less and where you need to control.

Make a habit of recording these expenses on a daily basis because leaving them for the “next day” would only create stress for you.

Search for sales, coupons and discounts

The best way to keep your expenses under budget and save some money is to hunt down for coupons and discounts.

Checkout the circulars and website of the stores you frequently visit for you groceries. These might allow you to save some money from your already allocated amount for that particular expense. To save time, download online apps that alert you of major coupons in grocery stores near your place.

Make a checklist for all bills

Forgot to pay the bills and you are charged to pay an extra amount? The best way to manage this is by preparing a checklist for all the bills, along with their deadlines, that needs to be paid that month.

Save for the rainy day

Budgeting doesn’t mean allocating each penny down to zero. While allocating money under several different heads of expenses allocate a portion for savings. It is essential to save a portion of your income and not spend it on current expenditures.

The future is uncertain. You should always be ready to pay for unexpected events or emergencies. Budgeting requires a lot of self control and dedication. We believe that with these points in mind you are sure to succeed, and if you do then don’t forget to reward yourself!

Financially Savvy Home Upgrade Ideas

When it comes to sprucing up your home, everybody thinks of getting upgrades that change the entire outlook without burning a hole in the pocket.

There are several ways you can improve the way you home looks without spending too much.

1. Bathroom Makeover

It is a good idea to start with giving your bathroom a mini makeover in two simple, cost-savvy steps.

First, buy and place a fresh granite vanity top in it. Depending on the size, a variety of bathroom countertops are available in elegant colors, designs, and textures in reasonable prices.

Second, get a wall or all of them painted and place a new mirror.

With a chic countertop, bright paint, and a beautiful looking bathroom mirror, your bathroom is sure to look pleasantly different.

2. Lounge Makeover

Your lounge sure needs to be upgraded as that’s where the guests sit and judge you for your interiors.

You simply need to have an accent wall in your lounge. Do that by adding a unique textured paint or by applying nice wallpaper on that one wall.

Using wallpaper should be preferred over textured paint because it brings less mess and more durability. Unlike textured paints, wallpapers are water resilient and last a long time. Yes, wallpapers are expensive, but not when you are getting just one wall covered.

Also, having an accent wall gives rooms a look trendier than the tacky looking rooms ballooned with wallpapers.

3. Kitchen Makeover

Your kitchen is the first thing people check when buying a house. Unclaimed corner spaces or walls should be taken advantage of to incorporate unique selling points.

Inclusion of rollouts is an easy and cheap way to make your kitchen look clean, organized, and up to the minute. They make it easier for you to look out for things that remained out of sight before rollout installation.

You can also consider installing dark colored countertops to add a strikingly classy feel.

4. Simple DIY fixes for $1 or less

If you do not want to go for renovation of particular rooms or areas in the house, here are a ways you can make your home look beautiful while costing $1 or less each.

Upgrade

  • Use a whitening pen to whiten and polish tile and window grouts
  • Add decent LED push lights to the roof and walls
  • Polish and coat your wooden structures
  • Install self-adhesive hooks for towels, cooking spoons, etc.
  • Use cable clips to keep cables out of the way and safe
  • Replace washers of leaking faucets
  • Cover ripped paint or polish with pens or nail paints of the same color

 

Embellish

  • Go for add-ons such as small flower vases, frames
  • Install key hooks of nice designs
  • Add tint to existing lamps, lights, and shades
  • Use wall stickers to decorate particular areas such as kids room

Organize

  • Include portable closets
  • Place a laundry basket
  • Install file  and book holders for books and other important files and documents

Clean

  • Clean light fitting and fans often
  • Use glass cleaners on glass and mirrors
  • Get oven and grill spray to keep your oven, grill, and stoves cleans
  • Wash the carpets with shampoo (no need to buy expensive cleaners)

Follow these simple relatively inexpensive tips to help give your home an impressionable upgrade,