Save Money and Shop Smart

If there is one thing I have gotten really good at after college, it is how to shop smart.  Not only am I able to find the best deals when shopping, I would also call myself a master of eating healthy on a budget.

Today, I would like to share with you one of my favorite, good for you, weeknight dinners, Quick Chicken Stir-Fry.  This recipe will be featured in local Sunday papers across the country this coming weekend, so make sure you look for it in the coupon section. It will also have a great offer on Swanson Premium Chunk Chicken!

Once you are able to get your coupon, then it’s off to the grocery store to shop.  Here are a few great tips from Campbell’s Kitchen® (www.campbellskitchen.com) on Smart Shopping:

•  Make a shopping list and stick with it! Type up a master grocery list of foods in the supermarket you typically purchase. Then each week print out the list and circle what you need.  
• Organize your food list based on the MyPyramid food categories. This helps ensure that your grocery cart has a healthy balance of food.  
• Read labels! Compare nutrition labels between brands and varieties of your favorite foods to make choices that best meet your family’s needs.
• Don’t shop when you are hungry! Eat a small meal or healthy snack before you shop. This will help you stick to your list and reduce impulse purchases.

If you would like more great tips about smart shopping, visit the Campbell’s Kitchen’s Smart Shopping section. It’s a great place to learn about eating and shopping healthy.

Quick Chicken & Vegetable Stir-Fry 

From Campbell’s Kitchen

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Cost per recipe: $8.01
Makes: 4 servings (about 1 cup and 1 cup rice each)


Ingredients:

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 3/4 cups Swanson® Chicken Stock  

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

4 cups cut-up vegetables *

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (12.5 ounces)** Swanson® Premium White Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained

4 cups hot cooked rice

Directions:

1.     Stir the cornstarch, stock, and soy in a small bowl until the mixture is smooth.

2.     Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetables and cook until they're tender-crisp. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

3.     Stir the cornstarch mixture in the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook and stir until the mixture boils and thickens. Stir in the chicken and cook until the mixture is heated through. Serve the chicken mixture over the rice.

RECIPE TIPS

  *Use a combination of broccoli flowerets, sliced carrots and green or red pepper strips.

**Or 3 cans (4.5 ounces each)

Just a reminder, in case anyone forgot, I’m fortunate enough to work with Swanson Chicken, which is why I have love to share all these delicious recipes, great tips and money saving offers!

Best, and until next time, Kaitlin!

Can you share that recipe with me?

Did you ever get asked that question? Up until a few months ago, no one really asked me for advice on cooking or entertaining.  Since I started working in the “real world,” it has been a great learning process.  Yes, I get a lot of advice from co-workers (I do work for Swanson) and my family, especially my mother, who is one of the best cooks I know, but most of my successful dishes comes from trial and error in the kitchen. If someone asks me for a recipe, I think it is one of the highest forms of flattery!

Whether you are career focused single woman, like myself, or a busy mom raising a family, recipe sharing is the way to go when looking for easy, quick meals.   My favorite source for recipes is, of course, Campbell’s Kitchen®.  Here are a few of my other favorite recipe-sharing websites:

·      FoodBuzz is similar to Facebook but it’s all about entertaining, food bloggers and sharing great recipes.  You can create a profile, share updates, tag your favorite recipes and follow some of the best food bloggers.  Check out my profile:

·      Tastespotting is all about making food look really good! It’s an online space for food bloggers to share beautiful photographs of their kitchen creations.  At Tastespotting, first impressions come first!

·      GroupRecipes is another food website with social networking capabilities.  You can create a personal profile, upload recipes, share recipes, create menus and more.  It’s a great resource for new recipe ideas!

Now, I would like to hear from you!  What’s your favorite place to find delicious, easy and quick recipes for your family?

Best, and until next time, Kaitlin!

Football! Football! Football!

It’s that time of the year, again! It’s September, time for football, tailgating and a lot of Buffalo Chicken Dip consumption. Once the weather and the leaves start changing, you know it’s fall and you cannot say fall without thinking about football and of course what’s football without the most popular tailgating dips!  Nothing says fall like football and Buffalo Chicken Dip! Buffalo Chicken Dip has become so popular, it not only has it’s very own website, www.buffalochickendip.com, it also has more than 28,000 fans on Facebook www.facebook.com/buffalochickendip. 


There are a lot of recipes for Buffalo Chicken Dip, aka BCD, but my favorite is made with Swanson Premium Chunk Chicken and Frank’s RedHot Sauce.  Using the canned chicken makes my life a lot easier and because it is so convenient, I won’t have to miss a moment of the game! Today, I would like to share my favorite recipe with you and also share my favorite way of serving BCD to all my football-loving friends.  Try serving your Buffalo Chicken Dip in a bread bowl.  All of your guests can tear off pieces of the bowl until the entire dish is gone.  Clean up has never been easier!

Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Chicken Dip 

Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Chicken Dip 

From Campbell’s Kitchen®

Prep: 5 minutes
Bake: 20 minutes
Makes: 32 servings (2 tablespoons each)

Ingredients:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup blue cheese salad dressing

1/2 cup any flavor Frank's® RedHot® Sauce

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese or shredded mozzarella cheese

2 cans (12.5 ounces) Swanson® Premium White Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained

Assorted fresh vegetables and Pepperidge Farm® crackers

Directions:

1.     Stir the cream cheese in a 9-inch deep dish pie plate with a fork or whisk until it's smooth. Stir in the dressing, hot sauce and blue cheese. Stir in the chicken.

2.     Bake at 350°F. for 20 minutes or until the chicken mixture is hot and bubbling. Stir the chicken mixture before serving. Serve with the vegetables and crackers for dipping.

Best, and until next time, Kaitlin!