There’s something satisfying about a big plate of pasta after a hard week at work or school. If you agree, chances are your family has a favorite Italian place they visit as often as possible. Who could resist the plates overflowing with lasagna, fettuccine Alfredo, and of course those delicious cannolis for dessert? But, what if you could make two Italian dishes at home, plus appetizers and dessert for less? Not only would you please the entire family, but there would be leftovers for the next day. Let’s see how you can save money by enjoying family night at home with delicious Italian food.

A typical dinner for four at an Italian restaurant would include the following:

Appetizers $10
Drinks $8
Entrees $48
Dessert $20

Total: $86

That’s quite a total. Let’s see how much we can shrink it.

Appetizers (Cheese Sticks):
Mozzarella cheese $3
Eggs $2
Seasoned bread crumbs $2
Total: $7

Drinks:
Water $0
2-Liter of soda $2
Total: $2

Entrees (Chicken Alfredo and Spaghetti with Meat Sauce):
Dry Fettuccini $2
Alfredo sauce $3
1 pound of boneless skinless chicken $5
Dry Spaghetti $2
1 pound of 93% lean ground beef $5
8 ounces of sliced mushrooms $3
Spaghetti sauce $3
Garlic bread $4
Total: $27

Dessert:
Cannolis from an Italian bakery $5

Total $41

Less than half of what you would pay at an Italian restaurant! Best of all, these dishes are easy to prepare. Plus, if you enjoy having Italian night at home, you can save even more money by investing in a pasta machine and a good Italian cookbook.

Another perk is being able to enjoy entertainment while having Italian night at home. You could pick out some Italian movies to watch. If the kids are older, you could choose gangster films, but if they’re younger, why not go with the classic Lady and the Tramp?

Family night doesn’t have to be expensive to be enjoyable. In fact, spending time together at home gives families more time to bond. Stop paying expensive restaurant prices and gather your family around the table at home. When your children are grown and gone away to college, you’ll be glad you did.

Barbecue has to be one of the greatest things about summer. The fall off the bone ribs, juicy chicken, and tender pulled pork is enough to make your mouth water. Of course, going out to a great barbecue joint can be expensive. Thankfully, there are ways to save money by making barbecue in your own kitchen.

First of all, let’s talk meat. You don’t have to buy baby back ribs, boneless and skinless chicken breasts, or pork loin to make good barbecue. In fact, some of the best barbecue is made by using less expensive cuts. Country style ribs, for example, are made from the meat cut from in between the rib bones. Why pay more for baby back ribs, which are mostly bone? When it comes to chicken breast though, on the bone is better. As the meat cooks, the bones help keep the meat moist and flavorful. And, let’s not forget Boston butt. While it may look like a fatty piece of meat, it makes the best pulled pork you’ll ever eat.

What about cooking all these delicious meats? Ribs and Boston butt do wonderfully in a slow cooker. You can cook the meat 8-12 hours and the meat will be fall apart tender. Chicken breasts on the other hand do best on the grill or even in a grill pan. If you want your barbecue now though, look no further than the pressure cooker .

You can also find recipes online for homemade barbecue sauce, but most store bought sauces are very affordable and there’s a flavor to suit almost any palate. Whether you like the tangy taste of North Carolina barbecue or the sweeter taste that comes from Memphis, you’ll find a store bought sauce to please your taste buds. Also, don’t forget that many barbecue joints sell bottles of their sauce.

Here’s how I do my country style ribs:

2 pounds of country style ribs
Barbecue sauce, any flavor

1. Slow cook the ribs for 8 – 10 hours, depending on your slow cooker.
2. Remove the ribs from the cooker and place on a cookie sheet.
3. Coat with barbecue sauce and bake at 350 until the sauce adheres to the ribs, about 15 – 20 minutes.

Banana Splits are so yummy, especially for kids during summertime. One of the BEST parts of this ice cream classic is that you can either make your own concoctions or stick to the tried and true. If your child loves to make and eat banana splits, a great summer-themed party could revolve all around making, judging, and eating them!

Make invitations using bright yellow construction paper cut out into the shape of bananas. Write all of the party details on one side, and draw brown spots on the other. Alternatively, hand-deliver real bananas with tags tied to them that include all of the party details. In the invitation, ask the guests to bring their own favorite ingredient for making banana splits along with them, or have them bring a banana that they dress up in some way, i.e. with a hat on it.

Decorate the party area with yellow and brown balloons, streamers, and party ware. Have a large piece of butcher paper lying flat on a table. The kids can draw a huge banana split together and hang it in the party area.

Make the banana splits on the party table. Be sure to arrange the table so that there are dishes with all of the toppings laid out, as well as spoons, bowls, etc. You may want to pull the chairs away from the table while the kids are making their sundaes.

The main activity of the party will be making banana splits. You can have a competition where the kids make their splits using the ingredients you have laid out and the special ingredient they brought. Hold a tasting competition, where everyone gets to taste everyone else’s and wins prizes.

If you have had the kids bring a banana that is “dressed up,” have a competition to see whose is most creative, the funniest, etc. Hand out banana candies as prizes and make sure everyone wins!

Play Pass the Banana like Pass the Parcel.

Have the kids jump up and down and do “banana splits!”

Hold a series of relay races with bananas. Divide the kids into two teams, and have a bowl of bananas at the opposite end of where the kids race from. When a kid runs down, he or she must peel a banana, eat it, place the peel on his or her head, and race back to the team. The first team done wins!

For another relay race, have the kids peel a banana at the start, race down to the other end and make a mini banana split, eat it, and race back. The next kid must do the same. The first team done wins!

Does your family enjoy Mexican food? If so, you probably head to your favorite Mexican place at least every other week. But, why? Mexican food is easy to prepare at home. Plus, many of the dishes contain the same ingredients, making it easy to prepare four different meals in one night. This week, let’s discuss having taco night at home.

The typical family of four would spend the following on a night at their favorite Mexican restaurant:

Drinks $8
Appetizers $5
Four entrees $32
Dessert $12
Total $57

A meal at home on the other hand is much more affordable!

Nachos
Tortilla chips $3
Cheese sauce $4
Refried beans $1
Sour cream $2
Green onions $1
Salsa $3

Tacos
Tortillas $3
Taco shells $2
93% lean ground beef (1 pound) $5
Taco seasoning $1
Lettuce $2

“Fried” Ice Cream
Caramel swirl or vanilla ice cream (1 pint) $4
Frosted Flakes cereal $4

Drinks
2 liter of soda $2

Total: $37

Note that you can use leftover nacho toppings to top the tacos. You can also save money by purchasing a kit that includes soft tortillas, taco shells, and taco seasoning. A few other ways to save money include buying 80-85% lean ground beef, making your own tortilla chips and taco seasoning, and serving water.

You could change this meal up a thousand different ways and still save money. And remember, when items your family uses on a continuous basis go on sale, stock up! You’ll save even more money at family night when you have some of the items stashed away. And, if you’re wondering how to make “fried” ice cream, here’s a recipe.

“Fried” Ice Cream
1 pint of ice cream, scooped into 4 half cup servings
4 cups of Frosted Flakes, lightly crushed
Caramel or chocolate sauce, optional

1.Shape the ice cream into balls and freeze while dinner is being prepared and served.
2.Roll the ice cream in crushed cereal and top with sauce right before serving.
Rolling the ice cream in the cereal before serving ensures that it stays crunchy and seems more like it just came out of the deep fryer.

Do you love appetizers and find yourself bringing home frozen varieties each week? Why?!? These have to be one of the most expensive items in the store. Seriously, we all buy them and love their convenience. But, what if you could make delicious appetizers at home? Would you still buy frozen ones at your local grocery store? This week, let’s discuss how you can save money in the kitchen by making appetizers at home.

First of all, remember that the internet is full of free recipes. You can even find copycat recipes that mimic your favorite restaurants and brand name products. Thanks to website like, CopyKat Recipes, you can find free recipes to make your favorite appetizers.

If you’re a cookbook collector like me though, you may want to try some of the popular copycat cookbooks that are available, such as the Top Secret Recipes series. Some restaurants even sell cookbooks that feature their popular recipes.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Saving money is all well and good, but what about the convenience of frozen appetizers? Thankfully, you can have that in your kitchen as well. Many appetizers can be prepared ahead of time and frozen, either before or after cooking, depending on the recipe. This means that all you have to do is pop them in the oven or deep fryer and you’ll have fresh appetizers in a matter of minutes. Want an example? Try out these mozzarella sticks.

3 Ingredient Mozzarella Sticks
Serves 4

1 (16 ounce) block of mozzarella cheese
3 eggs, beaten
3 to 4 cups Italian bread crumbs

*1*. Cut the mozzarella into sticks, about ½ inch thick.
*2*. Coat the sticks in egg and then toss in bread crumbs.
*3*. Place on a sprayed cookie sheet, spray the tops of the sticks, and bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, or until golden brown, turning after five minutes.

Tip: If you like, you can freeze the mozzarella sticks on a cookie sheet before baking and then transfer them to a zip top bag for easier storage. Simply increase the bake time to 20 minutes.

Most kids love to build things. They also like to participate in contests. This summer outdoor activity combines both and is simple and fun. Building their own sailboat and then watching their creation in action can make a child feel good about him or herself. It also is fun, provides fitness, and exercises creativity and thinking skills.

Toy sailboats can be designed by the child and parent. Another choice is to search the internet for free toy boat building instructions. Many hobby and toy stores also sell ready-made kits that simply need to be assembled. Judging by the child’s age and experience, parents can decide which is best.

For more fun, the project can be made into an event with family and friends. Set up a building area in the local park or your own backyard. Each child should have the necessary supplies to complete his or her boat building project. Parents can decide whether all the kids will do the same project or whether they will each choose their own way to build their boats. Be sure to have snacks and refreshments, as the kids will be working hard.

Once the boats are built, they can be taken to a local pond, creek, or stream where the kids are allowed to race the boats. Determine a starting and finishing point. Be sure to watch which way the water current is flowing. That is the direction the boats will need to go. Determine a signal to start. When the kids see or hear that signal, they must drop their boats into the water at the starting point.

The kids will enjoy running alongside the water bank to keep up with their boats. Don’t forget that kids should have appropriate footwear when running. You may see them cheering on their on boat, hoping it will beat the rest to the finish line. This provides great exercise and healthy competition. One or more kids may get disappointed if they don’t win. It’s all part of learning and growing. Prizes or award ribbons can be given to the winners for first, second, and third place.

Do you love to take your family out for steaks on Friday night, but feel your budget getting tighter and tighter? Then why not fix steaks at home? With the wonderful warm weather, right now is the perfect time to enjoy family night at home. You can break out the grill and create a delicious steak dinner that costs a fraction of what you would pay at the steakhouse. This week, we’ll discuss how you and your family can enjoy a delicious steak dinner in the comfort of your own home.

The typical trip to a steakhouse for a family of four can really add up. In fact, even eating at a steakhouse chain can be quite expensive.

4 sirloin steak dinner $48
4 drinks $8
4 desserts $12

Total $$68

That’s quite a large total when you’re trying to live on a budget and even a buffet restaurant costs around $48 for a family of four. Thankfully, you can prepare a delicious, high quality meal for a much smaller price.

4 (8 ounce) sirloin steaks $10
4 baking potatoes $4
Sour Cream and Butter $4
Salad Mix $4
Salad Dressing $3
Rolls $4
Bakery dessert $6

Total: $31

The truth is you could even afford to serve rib eye steaks if you wanted. You’ll always save money when you prepare your own meals. If you want to save even more money, consider stocking up when steaks go on sale and stashing them in the freezer.

You can make this a special meal by cooking and eating outside or even incorporating other family night activities into the evening. You could play music, have a movie marathon, or even break out some fun games. The fun part apart about having family night at home is being able to be with your family. You can be as loud as you want and do what you want. Best of all, you don’t have to a leave a tip.

Oftentimes, when thinking of waters in Upstate New York, many will think of the Niagara Falls, but there are many more natural waters to explore. Meaning “long lake” in one of the Iroquois languages, Skaneateles Lake contains the most clean water of all the Finger Lakes. In fact, this water is so pure that the city of Syracuse, as well as other areas use it unfiltered.

Just in case you are wondering how to say Skaneateles, it is commonly pronounced “skinny atlas,” but the correct and preferred pronunciation is “skanny atlas.” Regardless of how Skaneateles is pronounced, its pure and beautiful waters are a major attraction to sailors. The calm water flow, as well as the beautiful scenery, adds to the ambiance of a relaxing and scenic sail on the lake.

Rent a boat or bring your own. There are a couple different areas to launch your boat from, including Skaneateles Town Boat Launch and NYS Public Boat Launch. If you are more comfortable with someone else doing the navigation and steering, try the boat cruises. In addition to the boat cruises, try the mailboat. It delivers mail to cottages in the Glen Haven area along Skaneateles Lake, but also carries passengers.

While sailing at Skaneateles Lake, be sure not to miss the many historic landmarks that line the lake. If nature is your thing, Carpenter’s Falls can be viewed inside of a nature preserve off the lake. Another great spot is the New Hope Mill.

Before heading out for sailing on Skaneateles Lake, be sure you’ve got your life vest, sunglasses, windbreaker, and non-skid boat shoes . Some other important items include sunscreen, a sunhat, insect repellent, food and a nautical watch. This is by no means a complete list. Be sure to follow nautical safety precautions.

Also, remember to check the weather before going sailing. Upstate NY can have some pretty cool and windy days. The best time for sailing in Upstate NY is probably summer or late spring. Otherwise, the lake could be frozen or the weather just too cold.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skaneateles_Lake

http://www.skaneateles.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17&...