Jason and I are always trying to save money. He is a starving graduate student, and I am working two jobs (which include blog work because, let's be honest - blogging can be a full-time gig!) To pay off the high credit card debt and save for a home. Budgeting for groceries is crucial at this point. When I plan my meals for the week, it's important to me to choose recipes that I already have the majority of ingredients in, such as tonkatsu. I can usually buy a pound (about $3.99) of boneless pork for Trader Joe's with pantry staples such as flour,...

You can imagine how quickly I ate that cookie, blondie, and bacon caramel popcorn. I will definitely save the pancake mix for busy mornings during the week when I want a full breakfast before going to work. Oh, and that black-tufted pasta from Italy? Yes, I loved that pasta, especially when it was mixed with a Meyer lemon cream sauce, sauteed kale, and crumbled Italian Sausage, along with a cherry tomato mixture. This is my paradise. What about the truffle aftertaste, too? Amazing. Perfectly, you can make it in less than 20 minutes! Since we are on day three of the two-year blogoversary celebrations this week,...

You've probably noticed that I like sandwiches and avocado sandwiches. When Hidden Valley kindly sent me their new sandwich dips and spreads, I was immediately drawn to Chipotle. I knew that I would make a sandwich using avocado. After much consideration, I made a club-style sandwich and added fresh avocado slices, as well as a generous amount of spicy chipotle spread. The spicy spread and salty bacon went together beautifully, while the vegetable mix-ins rounded out the whole savory experience. Avocado is a great addition to any sandwich. Ingredients Eight slices of Applewood smoked bacon Toasted baguette cut into 3-4 equal portions to be served Hidden Valley...

This is only 1 of the 115 recipes in my Meal Prep Cookbook, which will be available on February 5th. Yes, all 115 recipes have nutritional information! This is my favorite recipe from the book. I don't know why. I love the book and all its recipes - which I do! But I make this recipe at least once every week. Some nights, I can make this dish in as little as 10 minutes. On those days, I use Trader Joe's microwave 3-minute jasmine-rice. Everyone has those shortcuts in their freezer. Ingredients 1 cup jasmine rice 1/2 cup chicken stock Reduced sodium soy sauce, three...

The sheet pan allows for less mess and less washing up. This is a win for everyone. The broccoli is crisp and tender, while the steak is incredibly flavorful. You can make the sauce on the stovetop as you cook the beef and broccoli. Ingredients 1 cup basmati rice Cut 1 1/2 pounds of New York Strip steak into 1-inch pieces Divided into three tablespoons of reduced sodium soya sauce Divided into two tablespoons and two teaspoons of brown sugar Two heads of broccoli cut into florets* Two teaspoons of toasted sesame seed oil Three cloves garlic, minced Freshly grated Ginger,...

It's not the worst thing ever. This salad is so healthy with all the carrots, cucumber, bell pepper, and avocado. I could eat it until my wedding. Please, I'd like a huge bowl of peanut sauce. This peanut sauce is so good it would make shoe leather taste divine. These crisp, crunchy, and healthy veggie rainbow rolls are sure to be a hit. If you want to save time, prepare all of your vegetables in advance (cut, diced, stored, etc.) so that you can wrap them before serving. These are best eaten immediately but can be kept chilled for a few days....

Butters, dressed in his best American flag bandana, and these sticky sticky wings are the perfect way to celebrate. Nothing, right? These wings are the best part of the holiday. This caramelized glaze is perfect. The key is to broil the bad boys with the half of the glaze on and then toss them with the leftover glaze, before adding green onions and sesame seed. The crispness is perfect, with the right balance of sweetness, heat and savoriness. Oh, and beers. Don't forget the cold beer to go with them. Ingredients Chicken wings or drumettes weighing 2 1/2 pounds To taste, add Kosher Salt...

Chiberia is officially experiencing the hottest summer in history. We took Butters and the corgi to the best pool party ever to cool down! Can we talk about these power bowls instead of baby corgis? On a bed farro, we serve everyone's favorite Korean Beef made from crumbled Beef (you can also use ground turkey or even chicken), caramelized Kimchi, shredded lettuce, and slices of avocado drizzled with Sriracha Mayo. You can add a little more or less Sriracha to your taste if you are a person who is not a fan of heat. This is a great meal to prepare...

No, wait. Summer's two greatest pleasures. 1. Super sticky, saucy Asian chicken kabobs. And two more. And 2. That's basically what we've been doing in this summer heat, which beats those parka-glove-beanie-Chiberia days by a mile. We don't miss them at all. Instead, I marinate the chicken all summer long - letting it soak up all those saucy goodies - oyster, ketchup honey, chili, garlic, Dijon sauce, garlic, and ginger. Add more chili garlic sauce or Sriracha for extra heat. Ben then fires up his grill and lets it get smoky, charred, and delicious. Ingredients 1/4 cup oyster sauce Use two tablespoons of ketchup Honey 2 Tablespoons Use...