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One Hundred Dollars a Month

I am your typical housewife living in high maintenance suburbia. I have a handsome husband, 2 kids and a flock of pet chickens. I try and feed my family with $100 a month. With the help of coupons, gardening and bartering I am able to squeeze the most out of our grocery budget and still manage to have a little fun along the way.


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Old Fashioned Chicken and Noodle Lasagna

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chicken lasagnaAside from a few lasagnas with white sauce, I’ve pretty much always made {and loved} a simple red sauce lasagna. So when I saw this recipe for a lasagna that seemed to be having an identity crisis and couldn’t decide whether it was a soup or lasagna, I was intrigued and had to make it.

Made it. Loved it. So should you. It’s so different than any lasagna you’ve probably ever tried. And trust me when I say that’s a good thing!

carrotsIngredients

1 pound boneless chicken breast {or 3 cups of chopped rotisserie chicken}
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1 sprig or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
5 tablespoons butter, divided
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup flour
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup milk {I used 2%}
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup frozen peas
9 No-boil lasagna noodles
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups {6 oz} shredded Monterey Jack cheese

white cheese sauceDirections

Preheat oven to 350F. butter a 2-quart baking dish and set aside. Bring a medium saucepan full of water to a boil. Sprinkle water with thyme. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and add to water; reduce heat, cover and simmer until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove from water and place on cutting board to cool. Toss cooking water. {Skip this step if using rotisserie chicken}

While chicken is cooking, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large saucepan. Add mushrooms and onions and cook until just tender, about 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from pan and set aside.

Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in same saucepan and reduce heat to medium-low. Whisk in flour until well combined. Stir in chicken broth, milk, 1 tablespoon thyme, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat, cooking and stirring until thickened. Remove 1 cup of the sauce and set aside.

Old Fashioned Chicken and Noodle Lasagna recipeAdd in carrots and peas into the pan and stir into sauce. Cover and cook until tender, 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Coarsely chop chicken and add to sauce. Add in mushroom mixture and stir to combine. Simmer until heated through.

Old Fashioned Chicken and Noodle LasagnaSpread 1/3 cup of the reserved sauce in prepared baking dish. Top with three noodles, half the chicken mixture and a third of the cheese. Repeat layers, ending with 2/3 cup of sauce {do not add final layer of cheese yet!}.

Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until noodles are tender and cheese is browned and bubbly. Enjoy!chicken lasagna

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7 Companion Plants to Grow With Onions

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I love to harvest onions.  They smell warm and onion-y, and since I am pretty much willing to throw them into anything, they are always a welcome harvest.  Onions are super duper easy to grow, but I like to use companion planting anyway.  Mostly, onions provide protection for other plants {the smell masks the presence of other plants, which tricks pests into thinking it’s not worth stopping off for a bite to eat}.  There are a couple of plants, though that onions do well with.  I’ve come up with a handy dandy list of companion plants for onions, because, as I’ve mentioned before, lists are awesome.growing lettuce in winter

  1. Lettuce.  Lettuce has a different root depth than onions, so it won’t compete for underground soil space if it is planted together.
  2. Carrots.  Again, carrots have different depths than onions, so they do well in tight quarters.head of cabbage
  3. Cabbage.  Anything in the cabbage family {Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower, etc.} all do well WITH onion.
  4. Chamomile.  Chamomile improves the flavor of onions.
  5. Summer Savory.  Like Chamomile, savory is rumored to improve the flavor of onions.strawberries in wooden box
  6. Strawberries.  Strawberries really benefit more from onions.  Onions help strawberries fight off disease.
  7. Leeks.  Leeks can confuse onion flies–and therefore deter them.

Do you grow onions?  Do you use companion planting when you do?

~Mavis

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52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Start Your Vegetables and Plants From Seed {Week 14 of 52}

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52 Ways to Save $100 a MonthWelcome to my 52 Ways to Save $100 a Month series. We’re serious about saving money in 2016. Sometimes it’s the little things and sometimes it’s the big things. I’m here to walk you through some little things that can add up to BIG savings. 52 little things to be exact. Every week, join me back here for another small money saving tip or idea that might not seem like significant savings until you see the overall yearly savings. It might just blow your mind. So pop in each Tuesday and read a new tip that will help you on your way to save $100 a month!

52 Ways to Save $100 a Month

You might think this week’s post is about how to save money by buying and using seeds instead of buying seedlings from your local nursery. And don’t get me wrong, a packet of seed can run as low as $0.25 while a 6 pack of veggie starts or even individual plant starts can run a few dollars per container. So clearly you’ll save money. But no, this post is about patience.

Because let’s be honest. Those little overpriced plant starts are tempting to buy, because they are already growing. Starting your garden from seed requires a little time and a little patience. But trust me when I say it is sooo worth it! Here are some tips and benefits from growing your garden from seed:heirloom tomato seeds

Ordering Your Seeds:  I know many stores have great seed sales, I think the easiest way to order seeds is through a seed catalog. I love seed catalogs because I can plan out my entire garden and order all my seeds at the same time. You can also get discounts for bulk orders, so that makes it more cost effective, too.  You can check out the list I compiled of tons of free seed catalogs.  Also check out Nine Great Tips for Seed Shopping From Catalogs.heirloom tomatoes

How Much Do Seeds Yield: 1 packet of tomato seeds can give you a year’s supply of tomatoes if you are willing to can up your own pasta sauce, canned tomatoes, salsa, tomato soup and only eat tomatoes during the summer months fresh from your garden {you know, when they taste the best anyway}. You may also have so much produce growing that you’ll have to utilize that art of freezing your bounty. I’ve been doing this for years and one little seed packet keeps my family in fresh produce all year long.How to Start Seeds Using Grow Lights

Growing Plants From Seed: You can check out all sorts of growing guides I’ve compiled through the years. It’ll walk you through how to grow your produce from start to finish. See the Complete List of Growing Guides. I also like to start seeds using grow lights. You can get tips on How to Use Grow Lights to Start Seeds here.

shasta daisy flower bouquetWhen Seeds Aren’t Necessary:  When it comes to buying seeds, many people also dump a lot of money into flower seeds. Or, more frequently, shell out big bucks for already blooming flowers to plant themselves. While seeds are still the cheaper option, there’s an even better one: perennial flowers. If you choose perennial flowers, it’s like the gift that keeps on giving year after year. You might have to do a little maintenance, but you won’t have to spend another dime to have the same flowers you love pop up in your garden come spring. That amounts to a HUGE SAVINGS!

Do you grow your garden from seed or do you prefer to use starts?

one hundred dollars $100How Much Can You Save: $600 My garden budget was $1,200 for last year, this year it’s $600 {and I am aiming to go even lower}. That’s 100% possible because I’m going to grow my entire garden from seed.

52 Ways to Save $100 a MonthMore Ways to Save:

52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Clean Out Your Closet {Week 1 of 52}

52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Break Up with Cable {Week 2 of 52}

52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Barter Better {Week 3 of 52}

52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Change Your Own Oil {Week 4 of 52}

52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Adjust Your Thermostat {Week 5 of 52}

52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Take Advantage of Your Perks {Week 6 of 52}

52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Pack Your Lunch {Week 7 of 52}

52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Make It Yourself {Week 8 of 52}

52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Preserve Your Bounty {Week 9 of 52}

52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Keep the Change {Week 10 of 52}

52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | The Art of Borrowing {Week 11 of 52}

52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Ditch the Gym {Week 12 of 52}

52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Clip a Coupon {Week 13 of 52}

This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site. For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting One Hundred Dollars a Month.

Pedometer, Strawberry Fruit Leather, Tips for Surviving a Red Eye Flight, Cheesy Roasted Cauliflower Recipe and More

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quotes - we can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses

Quote of the Day “We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”

lucy puggleSo. About that spot on Luy’s belly. It’s gone. How weird is that? It had to of been a bug bite she had a reaction to. Her mood is the same {crazy} and she is eating just fine and the red patch didn’t seem to bother her one bit. I’ll ask the vet about it when I take her in get her nails done today just to be sure though. Thanks for your input everyone. 🙂

This morning I’m sharing some photos of the perennial fruits we have growing in our garden over on Dig for Your Dinner. I’ve always wanted to grow something exotic like kiwi fruit or even grapes… okay, so grapes are not exotic, but if I can grow lemons… maybe I should give them a try.

Have a great Tuesday,

♥ Mavis

*This deal post will be updated throughout the morning so be sure and check back for deals. * Amazon prices can change without notice. Please verify price before ordering. Amazon offers Free Shipping with a $49 purchase or Amazon Prime. {Sign up for a free Amazon Prime 30 day trial!}

cat necklaceAmazon Daily Deals for 4/5/16

the nesting placeAvailable Kindle Books I think look interesting…

The prices on Kindle Books can change quickly, so grab them while you can. Don’t have a Kindle? Download the kindle app on your other devices. It’s easy! 🙂

pure organic bars
Subscribe and Save Deals

Subscribe and Save prices reflect a 15% discount for ordering 5 or more items in 1 month.

7 Tips for Surviving a Red Eye Flight

Has the travel bug hit you yet?  Go on the cheap by checking out 7 Tips for Surviving a Red Eye Flight.  Find more travel ideas on Pinterest Board.

martha stewart living magazine

Discount Mags is offering a 2 year subscription to Martha Stewart Living for only $9.95 a year when you use code MAVIS at checkout. This deal will expire 4/6/15 at midnight EST.

soccer canopyHome and Kitchen Deals

Cheesy Roasted Cauliflower

I think we can all agree that cheesy potatoes are basically awesome, but did you know you can use the same basic recipe and cauliflower instead?  Cheesy Roasted Cauliflower is a great way to sneak some veggies into your family’s diet.  {Pin it for Later}.

columbia jacket

REI Outlet Deal of the Day – Women’s Columbia Snow Eclipse Jacket $59.73 shipped {was $150}

pairs in pearsAdd on Items

*These are all Amazon Add-on Items and they will ship with qualifying orders over $25 and are eligible for free shipping on $25 orders with Amazon Prime {or will ship FREE on $35 orders without Prime}. 

prime pantry april

If you are an Amazon Prime Member, you can get FREE Prime Pantry shipping {a $5.99 value} when you buy five qualifying items and use promo code PANTRYAPR at checkout.Shop Prime Pantry.

butterfly kitKid’s Stuff

april ebook dig for your dinner

They say April showers bring May flowers, but you have to get the flowers {and everything else} in the dirt, if you want to see them.  April’s Gardening eBook will walk you through what to direct sow, what to start indoors–and everything else you could possibly do in the garden in April.  If you haven’t picked up any of the previous eBooks, April is a great “grand opening.”

If you really want to map out your next few months of garden chores, go ahead and grab May, June, and July’s eBooks now too.  That way, you can read about gardening, even when the weather is not nice enough to be outside gardening.  All the cool kids eat, sleep and breathe gardening.

jenni o coupon

Check out these New Printable Coupons:

Find More Printable Coupons

This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site. For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting One Hundred Dollars a Month.

Mavis Butterfield Etsy