Rich Man's Meals

Chris and I are choosing to live on a tight budget now so that we can quickly pay off debt, save, invest, and be millionaires in a few decades.  We also value healthy eating, and are learning ways to get the best of both worlds of eating healthfully and cheaply.

We call these meals "Rich Man's Meals" because by eating "poor" now, we will be eating "rich" later!

The official poor man's meal:  In a pan heat some olive oil, when heated add a clove or two of minced garlic, and cook for about a minute.  Add 1 can of diced tomatoes with green chiles, 1 can of kidney beans (drained and rinsed well), some chili powder and basil to taste.  Serve over warm rice (brown is healthier, but I like the taste of white better).

Bean Burritos:  In a bowl mix one can pinto beans (drained and rinsed well), and one can fat-free & preservative free refried beans.  When I say "preservative-free,"  look at the list of ingredients on the can.  If you know what all the ingredients are then buy it.  If you don't know what some of the ingredients are, then don't buy it.  Aldi's sells fat-free & preservative free refried beans.  Spread bean mixture in a tortilla and roll it up.  Top with cheese and microwave for about 1 minute 30 seconds.  Top with salsa.

Eggs and toast.  Eggs are a great source of protein and are very healthy in moderation.  I don't pay more than $1.08 for a dozen eggs unless I'm desperate. Use 100% whole wheat toast.  Or eat with pancakes if you're feeling really rich!

All rich man's meals are served with a very generous side of steamed or fresh vegetables. These meals also take little time to prepare, so we usually eat these meals on busy nights.

Also calling them "Rich Man's Meals" really helps you happily and gratefully eat a poor man's meal and help you stay motivated in your choice to live cheap now.

What's your family's rich man's meal?

Teefers

Today Ada has 4.5 teeth.  2.5 on top, 2.5 on the bottom.  I thought her smile without teeth was adorable, but now her smile is even more lovable! Teething has been one of the hardest challenges in motherhood.

When Ada was preparing her bottom teeth to come in, she was drooling so much that I'd have to change her shirt in the middle of the day because it was soaked, and she started to get a rash on her cheeks and neck because her skin was too sensitive for her saliva. If your child has this problem, breastmilk applied to the skin helps heal rashes, and have your baby wear a bib or change clothes often.

The bottom two teeth were a breeze compared to the upper teeth cutting through!  The two nights before the uppers popped through, she would wake up screaming in agonizing pain. I ended up giving her baby Advil those two nights to help with the pain.  As a general rule, we use drugs as a last resort in our house and rely more on natural treatments for ailments.  For Ada, because she can't communicate, I will only give her Advil if I am 95% or more sure that she's crying because of teething pain, and its at night when she's trying to sleep.  When you hear your child crying, it could be any number of things (gas, tired, moody, hungry, dirty diaper, teething), and it's hard to pinpoint what exactly they need.

During the day, these are what I've found useful to ease teething pain.
*cold wet wash cloth (I would keep a glass bowl in the fridge, fill it with ice water, and stick 2-3 washcloths in it to have them ice cold and ready)
*homemade popsicles (these were Ada's favorite!  I would fill them with just water, or water and a tiny splash of juice)
*melon rinds (stick them in the fridge or freezer, and WASH THE RIND SKIN! remember the listeria and cantaloupe scare we had a few months ago?)
*cold celery
*cold apple fingers (slices of peeled apple, or an apple core)

This was back in summer time when her teeth were just starting to cut through.

Lastly, I haven't been able to blog as much lately because of transitioning into my part-time at home job as a breastfeeding peer counselor for WIC, and I've fallen in love with reading this incredible magazine called Mothering (parenting through natural and alternative ways) and have been learning so much!