It's Labor Day weekend and you know I'm on a quest to find some delicious, thrifty recipes to add to your BBQ. This recipe is fantastic since it can be made the day before, covered, and refrigerated until use.  The delightful lime green flavor will have everyone coming back for seconds!

4 cups (32 oz.) of lemon-lime soda, divided
2 pkg. (3 oz.) lime jello
6 oz. cream cheese
1 carton frozen whipped topping

Microwave two cups of the soda for 2 min. until hot.  Place gelatin in mixture and stir.  Place in a blender and process until dissolved.  

Transfer to large bowl.  Stir in chilled soda.  Fold in and gently stir whipped topping until combined.  Pour into three quart bowl or jello mold and refrigerate for at least four hours.

School's in session and juggling time becomes a big priority as we wane away from the days gone by of summer fun.  Now is the time to be checking out all those crock pot recipes to throw your wares in, set, and go about your daily routine.  Then when you return home, a combination of enticing smells will great you at the door.

I make this recipe often since it is cheap and versatile.  Adding bone-in chicken breasts that are buy-one-get-one on sale at Winn Dixie makes this a real deal!  Frozen peas can be had at Aldi for 99 cents and an onion soup packet at the same costs 39 cents.  All you need is the 79 cent deal on mushrooms when it's offered and you're set!

Add rice in a slow cooker as soon as you enter your door, and dinner will be ready in 30 minutes!

1 large 3-4 pound package of bone-in chicken breasts with skin
1 envelope of onion soup mix
1 cup water
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 medium onion
4 garlic cloves
2 cups frozen peas

Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker.  Sprinkle with soup mix, pressing seasonings in.  Add water, mushrooms, and garlic.  Cook low about 6-8 hours.  When you place rice in your rice cooker, add 2 cups of frozen peas to the slow cooker.  Both will be done when the rice timer goes off!

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School's about to start and that wistful summer is growing to a close.  With mixed feelings, you gather necessary school supplies and give a second thought to snacks that will fill lunch boxes soon.  How did summer fun pass so quickly?  It seems that just yesterday rays passed through your blinds inviting you to a cool swim at a local pool, river, or beach.

As you kiss you're sweet darlings off this year, why not make it a pack to research some great snacks that can be included in their lunches throughout the next few weeks?  Here's one to get your started.  Just pack these beauties in some wax paper and "I love you" is written automatically on each.

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup butter or margarine softened
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/3 cups of powdered sugar
1 cup of graham cracker crumbs
1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
2 tab. shortening
Decorations such as jimmies, coconut, or whatever is stacking your shelves

In a bowl beat peanut butter, butter, and vanilla until creamy.  Gradually beat in confectioners sugar and cracker crumbs.  Shape mixture into sixteen eggs.  Place on wax paper and refrigerate 30 minutes.

In microwave melt chocolate and shortening until smooth.  Dip eggs in chocolate using forks and allow excess to drip off.  Sprinkle with decorations. Return eggs to baking sheets and refrigerate an additional 30 minutes.

Those delicious gravy packets have gone up a hoot and seem to never make my weekly budget.  Nonetheless, by teenager repeatedly request gravy when I make homemade mashed potatoes.  I used to purchase the beef gravy packages from those discounts stores for 39 cents, but he refuses to ingest these any longer claiming they "taste fake".  

A few weeks ago my youngest cook found a delicious alternate on the web.  With a little tweaking, this latest recipe was added to our files for long time keeping.  It is simple, easy, and delicious!

1 1/2 cups of water
2 beef bouillon cubes
2 tab. flour
1 small onion finely chopped
2 tab. butter

Add all to a pot and whisk.  Simmer until desired thickness is attained.  AMAZINGLY SIMPLE!

Pork chops have been on sale at Winn Dixie for $1.49 a pound lately.  I've got to tell you, in order to take care of these growing boys of mine, I am a frequent meat shopper at this store.  I scour their local weekly ads and ONLY buy what I call the "Super" specials.  Those are the items that are ridiculously priced low to draw their local shopping market in.  On these super sales I buy 3-5 of the same item to stock in my freezer.  You'd be surprised how quickly your freezer will fill offering a diversity of menu items each week.

These pork chops are adapted from a more expensive version that was stored in my cupboard.  Nonetheless, they came out juicy, fortified with exciting, intoxicating flavors.  Give it a try yourself and see!

2 tab. pancake syrup
6 tab. balsamic vinegar
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. pepper
4 - 5 boneless pork chops

Mix marinade in a Ziploc bag and reserve 1/2 cup.  Add pork chops and give a good shake and squish.  Marinate in the refrigerator for one hour.  Drain pork chops and discard marinate and bag.

Cook pork chops on grill basting with reserved marinade until done.  Serve immediately.  

No more lunch meat packages lately in my monthly food pantry bag.  Instead, I've received large bags, six legs in each, of prepackaged chicken.  The type of chicken leg that needs slow roasting for its flavors to internally mature.  And, honestly, after all that grilling these past few months, doesn't a roasted chicken just look divine?  

I paced myself leisurely through my local deep discount food store and came upon a bag of spinach for 59 cents that must be consumed immediately.  Further down that same island were small red potatoes at 59 cents a pound. I could contain myself no further and had to grab down my now dusty 13 x 9 inch pan to make this complete entree.  

2 lbs. red potatoes cut into 1-2 inch pieces
1 package fresh spinach 9 oz.
1 large onion chopped
2 tbs. oil
4 cloves garlic minced
2 tsp. salt, divided
1 tsp. pepper, divided
6 chicken leg quarters
3/4 tsp. paprika

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In 13 x 9 inch pan place potatoes, spinach, onion, garlic, oil, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper.  Toss to combine well.  Top with chicken legs.  Sprinkle remaining salt, pepper, and paprika on top. Roast for one hour and 15 minutes until chicken is browned and potatoes are tender.