Yogurt Pops

This isn't exactly a recipe, per se, but they are soooo good, and I haven't met anybody else who makes them. My mom used to make these for us when we were kids, and the first time I had "official" frozen yogurt, I was baffled by the fact that it tasted so much like ice cream, and nothing like the literally frozen yogurt that I was used to.

These are a great alternative to ice cream or a regular popsicle, and go over really well with my son when he's cutting a tooth.

Ingredients

• 2 6oz cups of low-fat yogurt, any flavor you like ($1.00)

(Total Cost: $1.00)

Divide yogurt evenly into popsicle molds, put sticks in place, and freeze. Run warm water over molds to release popsicles before eating.

Serves: 4 (your popsicle molds may make more or less)
Cost per serving: $0.25

This recipe costs even less if you take your yogurt from one of the large cartons instead of using the individual cups.

Chicken & Rice Casserole

This recipe is adapted from one by an e-maginary friend, whose EXCELLENT cooking blog can be found at http://eatathomecooks.com. I combined her recipe with a recipe I already had (primarily drawing from hers), and it was really yummy!

Ingredients

• ~ 1 lb raw boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed ($3.99)
• 1 C. organic brown jasmine rice, dry ($0.25)
• 1 C. shredded (extra sharp) cheddar cheese (~1.50)
• 1 lb. bag frozen veggies ($0.97)
• 1 can cream of chicken soup ($1.49)
• 1 32oz box organic chicken broth ($2.50)
• salt & pepper to taste (negligible)

(Total Cost: $10.70)

Pre-heat the oven to 350. In a large casserole dish (I used a 9"x13" Pyrex dish), spread chicken evenly across the bottom. Sprinkle frozen vegetables on top, then cheese, then rice. Mix cream of chicken soup with chicken broth, add seasonings if desired, and pour over the top. Bake uncovered for 1 1/2 hours, or until liquid has been absorbed by broth.

Serves: 6-8
Cost per serving: $1.78 - $1.34

I could have made this more inexpensively by using chicken thighs instead of breasts ($2.78/lb vs. $3.99/lb), using the store brand of cream of chicken (or making my own!) and using non-organic chicken broth (or, again making my own). I am hoping that one of these days I will get a nice, big, stand-alone freezer, and then I will have room to store home-made soups and stocks, which I expect will save us a bunch of money in the long run. :-)