Grateful Wednesday and Redneck Recipes

Wow, Wednesday sure snuck up fast this week. So here are my thanksfuls, to be followed by some redneck recipes for a busy week. Hope you're feeling thankful, too.
1. I'm thankful for this soaking rain to feed my garden and my flowers.
2. I'm thankful for the five little yellow flowers on my tomato plants that tell me tomatoes will soon be here.
3. I'm thankful that my youngest will spend next week with my mom in Georgia. That will help me spend lots of time with the other kids next week and all their end of year activities.
4. I'm thankful that my reign as PTA president is nearly over.
5. I'm thankful that summer is almost here but equally thankful that the kids have another 9 days of school.
6. I'm thankful for my siblings and my sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law.
7. I'm thankful that all the kids have had great years at school this year.
8. I'm thankful for my new writing snack. REgular low-salt almonds mixed with a much smaller can of Planter's dark chocolate covered almonds. Yum.

If you're like us, the last couple weeks of school are as busy as the Christmas season. Teacher gifts, field day, EOGs,boy scout celebration, band concerts, and baseball season. I hate to give the kids hot dogs and frozen pizza for dinner, but when we're on the run, it's hard to cook a really healthy meal. SO I've found a few quickie, short-cut meals that work well for us. I hope you'll enjoy them, too. Some of them include some high-sodium items, as is often found in short-cut cooking, but each meal includes at least one veggie. Also, I like to keep fresh fruit on hand and include at least a couple of apple slices at each meal (although it's also a good time to stock up on the individual packs of applesauce, fruit cups, etc.).
Oh, and the best part of these meals is my kids LOVE them. These are kid-tested and pass with flying colors.
1. Chicken on the grill (or George Foreman or in Broiler). Put chicken breasts in plain italian dressing the night before. Let them marinate all night. You can marinate them for less time, but I like to get my ducks in a row the night before. Serve with Knorr Sides Plus Cheddar Rice with broccoli and carrots or Roasted Chicken Rice with Harvest Vegetables. They're with the dry goods at your grocery store. You just cook with water and a little butter for ten minutes. Plus all the "Sides Plus" include two full servings of veggies. I need two packets for my family. My kids LOVE them, I'm not kidding. Serve chicken over the rice. It's not a perfect meal, but it's quick, easy, and contains veggies. 15 minutes or less.
2. Pick up a packet of (I like Lipton brand) fettuccine alfredo, you know the same kind of thing in an envelope where you just add water or milk. I've also heard good things about the frozen variety but never tried myself. Saute some sliced kielbasa (I like Hilshire Farms lite kielbasa)in a little onion and a lot of sliced green pepper. Then serve over the fettuccine alfredo. Quick and easy.

I know these recipes aren't rocket science. You could have figured them out yourself if you had the TIME, but sometimes it's nice to get a quick, easy idea that requires a small number of ingredients. Plus, they're both inexpensive options. Enjoy!