• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
Living On A Dime To Grow Rich

Living On A Dime

How To Save Money And Get Out Of Debt

  • Shop
  • Free Newsletter
  • Videos
    • Our Favorite Christian Resources – Bible Translations, Christian Speakers And More!
    • Show Notes
    • Amazon Recommended Items
  • Recipes
    • Beverages
    • Breads
      • Quick Breads
      • Yeast Breads
    • Desserts
      • Cakes
      • Candies
      • Cookies
      • Pies
    • Dinner Recipes And Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
      • Dips
      • Pasta And Rice
      • Salads and Dressings
      • Sauces
      • Soups
      • Vegetables
    • Gluten Free Recipes
    • Cooking Ideas And Tips
    • Miscellaneous Recipes
      • Breakfast
      • Homemade Cleaners
      • Kids Recipes
      • Mixes and Gifts In A Jar
    • Quick and Easy Recipes
  • Saving Money
    • Save Money On Groceries
    • Managing Money
      • Budgeting
      • Getting Out Of Debt
      • Kids And Money
      • Saving Money Everyday
    • Bath and Beauty
    • Organizing Ideas
      • Cleaning
      • Decorating
      • Laundry
      • Organizing
    • Gardening
    • Holidays
      • 4th of July
      • Christmas Recipes And Ideas
      • Easter
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
      • Valentine’s Day
    • Miscellaneous
      • CFS/FM
      • Moving
      • Staying Home
  • Free Bible
  • About Us
  • Contact

Check Out Our Dining On A Dime Cookbooks!

Check Out Our Dining On A Dime Cookbooks!

Get 25% Off Now!
Get Them Here!

Easy Summer Menu

Tips:

  • When traveling with food, spray the lid or the foil covering with non stick cooking spray to keep things from sticking to the covering.
  • Your pizza cutter is not just for cutting pizza. Use your pizza cutter to cut lattice strips for pies or to trim the edges you need removed from things like sponge cakes or hard brownies.
  • Make your life easier. Find and use as many cooking shortcuts as you can. For example, if you cook ground beef ahead of time and keep packets of it in your freezer, your prep time for many meals will be 15 minutes or less. This works great for spaghetti, lasagna, tacos, enchiladas, casseroles, taco salads, etc.
  • If you are tired or in a hurry and a recipe calls for chopped onions or minced garlic, you don’t need to take time to chop and mince all of that. Just pull out the garlic powder or onion powder and use it for seasoning instead. Some gourmets may have a heart attack over this, but they probably haven’t been juggling a colicky baby and 2 toddlers all day, so give yourself a break. Forget the chopping if you need to.

Quick and Easy Menu:

Barbecue Taco Platter*
Fruit Plate
Fruit Dip*

Recipes:

If you double this recipe, it makes a large batch (big enough to feed a party of 20 guests or 2 teenage boys.) :) :)

Barbecue Taco Platter

1 lb. ground beef, cooked and drained
1/2 pkg. taco seasoning
1/4 cup water

Bring to a boil and simmer 15 minutes.

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
1/4 cup milk

Mix and spread on a plate. Top with ground beef mixture and toppings listed below. Then drizzle with barbecue sauce. Serve with tortilla chips.

Toppings

Lettuce
Chopped green chilies
Chopped green onions
Cheese
Tomatoes

 

Here’s an even faster version of the above recipe from my mom:

Taco Platter

2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Fiesta Dressing Mix

Mix everything and spread on a platter. Serve with tortilla chips.

Toppings to add:

Refried beans
Hamburger
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Olives
Green onions
Chopped green chiles
Cheese

 
This fruit dip is a little different, but if you like hot things, you should enjoy it. If you prefer your dips cool and sweet, try the second recipe. Both recipes are quick and easy!

Spicy Fruit Dip

1 (8 oz.) jar strawberry or raspberry preserves
1 (16 oz.) jar picante sauce
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese

Mix preserves and picante sauce. Pour over softened brick of cream cheese. Serve with tortilla chips or crackers.

Easy Fruit Dip

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. lemon juice

Take cream cheese out the night before so it is very soft. Whip with a mixer, add milk and lemon juice and whip together.

 

photo by: jeffreyww

Related Posts

This easy baked beans recipe makes the best baked beans! A quick and easy side dish for burgers, barbecues and picnics that everyone loves!

Easy Baked Beans Recipe For The Best Baked Beans!

This breaded, pan fried lemon chicken recipe with bell peppers over pasta makes a quick and easy chicken dinner you can make for under $5!

Easy Pan Fried Lemon Chicken Recipe

This garlic salad recipe is one of our family's favorites - similar to coleslaw with a strong garlic flavor and everyone absolutely loves it!

Garlic Salad Recipe – Creamy And Delicious Coleslaw Like Recipe!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Joyce Musser

    June 2, 2011 at 10:55 am

    I also use the pizza cutter to cut pancakes and french toast for my grandkids.

    Reply
  2. Bea

    June 2, 2011 at 12:25 pm

    These recipes look good.

    Reply
  3. Mary Crabtree

    June 2, 2011 at 1:12 pm

    Thanks for the tip about spraying the inside of the foil–that will help alot! Also, I am keeping you all lifted up in prayer as you get settled in your new home!

    Reply
  4. susan

    June 2, 2011 at 6:04 pm

    Love the receipe for easy fruit dip! I will be using this with the fresh strawberries I just got from a local farmer. strawberries are my favorite fruit. How is everything going in your new house? I know it takes a while to get settled. I hope you will love your home and your neighborhood. Has any of your neighbors came by to welcome you into the neighborhood? I just wondered if people still bring a dish by and welcome a new family. In my neck of the woods we welcome new neighbors by bringing by a dish of food and to introduce our selfs.

    Reply
  5. Crystal

    June 2, 2011 at 6:44 pm

    Just checking….on the fruit dip recipe….did you mean to say take the cream cheese out the night before? Wouldn’t it go bad?

    Reply
  6. Pat in Kitchener

    June 3, 2011 at 9:51 am

    Barbecue Taco Platter

    1 lb. ground beef, cooked and drained
    1/2 pkg. taco seasoning
    1/4 cup water

    Bring to a boil and simmer 15 minutes.

    1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
    1/2 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
    1/4 cup milk

    Mix and spread on a plate. Top with ground beef mixture and toppings listed below. Then drizzle with barbecue sauce. Serve with tortilla chips.

    Toppings

    Lettuce
    Chopped green chilies
    Chopped green onions
    Cheese
    Tomatoes

    As you can tell this is a new to me food. So question, do you put the toppings on top when you serve, or do you put them in separate bowles to be put on by the person eating the taco ?

    Reply
    • Jill

      June 3, 2011 at 11:39 am

      Pat you just put them all on as layers. Now we have some who don’t like onions or chillies so we sometimes will put one or two things in separate bowls but you mostly just layer what you want.

      Reply
  7. Kim

    June 4, 2011 at 5:22 pm

    Thank you so much for your timely article and customer e-mail on dry feet! My husband, a diabetic, has been having issues with dry feet and what he has been doing has not helped. I had just purchased the Gold Bond cream with Aloe and Vitamin E last night to try on my dry hands! I love God-incidences!!!

    Reply
  8. Evelyn

    June 6, 2011 at 2:37 pm

    Tawra and Jill, thank you for the tasty fruit dip recipe. I tried the sweeter version and my children enjoyed it. I also have an simple alternative for dipping or blending with chopped fruit which I had forgotten about. When I was working, we would have a fruit pot-luck one day per week and we used lemon or lime yogart to top the fruit. Also, sesame seeds make a nice addition to the mix.

    Also, thank you for the article on dry feet. My teen daughter has recently come to me with that problem and I didn’t want to use harsh foot tools on her feet. I checked the pads at the 99cent store, but they only contained 1% salicylic acid in them. Also, the face toners I checked only had .05% so readers might want to check the labels before buying those cheaper products. I will take your recommendation and buy those items at Walmart. Thank again!

    Reply
  9. Kathy

    June 7, 2011 at 10:53 am

    Thanks for the great ideas on cracked feet! I can’t wait to try them. CVS has a good product in a tube called Heel Balm, I think for $10.00. But your idea is way better. My manicurist (who retired) told me that using a Ped egg or anything similar, you have to go in the correct direction, like shaving your legs, and I can’t figure out which direction! Avon used to have a product with the pads and acid together, but they usually dry out too fast. So I will definitely be trying yours. Thank you!

    Reply
  10. Candice

    June 9, 2011 at 5:42 pm

    Thank you for the tidbit on the pizza cutter uses! It has saved me so much time! I love your site, can’t wait to try some of your recipes!

    Reply
  11. Heather :) :) :)

    June 7, 2012 at 9:16 am

    The barbeque taco platter looks really good :) :) Love and hugs from the ocean shores of California, Heather :)

    p.s. Thanks for the recipes :)

    Reply
  12. Kim

    June 7, 2012 at 3:00 pm

    I’m confused. Do you boil & simmer the meat w/the taco sauce or the cream cheese, milk & ranch dressing?

    Reply
    • Tawra

      June 7, 2012 at 9:07 pm

      Boil these 3 things together.
      1 lb. ground beef, cooked and drained
      1/2 pkg. taco seasoning
      1/4 cup water

      Bring to a boil and simmer 15 minutes.

      Reply
  13. [email protected]

    June 8, 2012 at 7:43 am

    I cook and season taco meat 5 pounds at a time in my large dutch oven. I then freeze in meal-sized portions and use for tacos, burritos, nachos, taco/rice casserole and bun tacos (tacos on a hamburger bun). I cook up all the meat in the early part of the day, so the kitchen doesn’t get hot. And I have easy to make meals for several days in a month. I like the taco platter idea. I’ll add that to my list of what to do with this cooked taco meat.

    Reply
  14. Maggie

    June 20, 2012 at 10:32 am

    You can also put taco seasoning in the cream cheese or sour cream before you layer it on the plate. It is easy to stir into the sour cream and you can use whatever portion you need to give you the flavor you want.
    Also, here is a great fruit dip. If you ever make this, you just can’t stop eating it.

    1 cup sour cream
    1/2 cup light brown sugar
    4 teaspoons Grand Marnier liqueur – (I use orange juice concentrate instead of Grand Marnier and the flavor is the same)

    Whisk together all ingredients in a medium bowl until sugar is dissolved. Chill for an hour, then stir once before serving.
    This tastes awesome and is easy to prepare. Most of the time, you will have the ingredients at home.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Sidebar

22 Dinners In 20 Minutes!

22 Dinners In 20 Minutes!

Free e-cookbook

(No strings attached.)

We respect your email privacy | Powered by AWeber Email Marketing

Recent Posts

  • Get Organized Now! Motivation And Practical Tips To Get Organized!
  • Easy Baked Beans Recipe For The Best Baked Beans!
  • Easy Pan Fried Lemon Chicken Recipe
  • Garlic Salad Recipe – Creamy And Delicious Coleslaw Like Recipe!
  • Stop Cutting Coupons and Start Saving!
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
Search This Site

Categories

  • CFS/FM
  • Chit Chat
  • Dessert
  • Featured
  • Organizing Ideas
    • Cleaning
    • Decorating
    • Laundry
    • Organizing
    • Staying Home
  • Reader's Favorites
  • Recipes
    • Beverages
    • Breads
      • Quick Breads
      • Yeast Breads
    • Breakfast
    • Desserts
      • Cakes
      • Candies
      • Cookies
      • Pies
    • Dinner Recipes And Main Dishes
    • Dips
    • Drinks
    • Gluten Free Recipes
    • Homemade Cleaners
    • Kids Recipes
    • Leftovers
    • Miscellaneous Recipes
    • Mixes and Gifts In A Jar
    • Pasta And Rice
    • Quick and Easy Recipes
    • Salads and Dressings
    • Sauces
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups
    • Vegetables
  • Saving Money
    • Holidays
      • 4th of July
      • Christmas Recipes And Ideas
      • Easter
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
      • Valentine's Day
    • Kids
    • Managing Money
      • Budgeting
      • Getting Out Of Debt
      • Kids And Money
      • Saving Money Everyday
    • Miscellaneous
      • Bath and Beauty
      • DIY
      • Gardening
      • Moving
    • Save Money On Groceries
      • Cooking Ideas And Tips
      • Kids And Food
      • Meal Planning
        • Quick and Easy Meals
      • Quick And Easy
  • Uncategorized

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org
  • Shop
  • Free Newsletter
  • Videos
    • Our Favorite Christian Resources – Bible Translations, Christian Speakers And More!
    • Show Notes
    • Amazon Recommended Items
  • Recipes
    • Beverages
    • Breads
      • Quick Breads
      • Yeast Breads
    • Desserts
      • Cakes
      • Candies
      • Cookies
      • Pies
    • Dinner Recipes And Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
      • Dips
      • Pasta And Rice
      • Salads and Dressings
      • Sauces
      • Soups
      • Vegetables
    • Gluten Free Recipes
    • Cooking Ideas And Tips
    • Miscellaneous Recipes
      • Breakfast
      • Homemade Cleaners
      • Kids Recipes
      • Mixes and Gifts In A Jar
    • Quick and Easy Recipes
  • Saving Money
    • Save Money On Groceries
    • Managing Money
      • Budgeting
      • Getting Out Of Debt
      • Kids And Money
      • Saving Money Everyday
    • Bath and Beauty
    • Organizing Ideas
      • Cleaning
      • Decorating
      • Laundry
      • Organizing
    • Gardening
    • Holidays
      • 4th of July
      • Christmas Recipes And Ideas
      • Easter
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
      • Valentine’s Day
    • Miscellaneous
      • CFS/FM
      • Moving
      • Staying Home
  • Free Bible
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2023 · Kellam Media And Publishing, Inc. dba Living On A Dime · All Rights Reserved · Privacy Policy · Disclosure Policy · Terms Of Service · Refund Policy