A quickie and a confession

Sounds dirty doesn't it? Unfortunately it's not -- the confession is about one of my favorite thrifty shopping secrets and the quickie was last night's dinner (sorry!).

Let's start with the quickie. Since I had to take the bf to his rugby practice last night, I wanted to go running while he was at practice and eat dinner before 10:00 p.m., I literally had 30 minutes to cook dinner. We both have been eating really healthy, which of course makes me really crave crap so I had to tackle both (quickness and healthiness) last night. I really wanted chicken tenders and french fries but that would destroy all of the good work we've done this week health wise. I ended up adapting the chicken tenders dinner into a healthier baked alternative.

Quick Roasted Potatoes
4 or 5 medium to large size red potatoes cut into chunks
1/2 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons of each: Seasoning Salt, Garlic Salt, Pepper, Herb de Provence(or Italian Seasoning), Emeri's Essence
Additional Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400. Wash the potatoes and chop. Place in a large saucepan and cover with water. Boil until almost fork tender (about 10 to 15 minutes). Drain off the water and return the potatoes to the pan. Add the butter and olive oil. Stir to coat being careful not to break up the potatoes. Add the seasonings and stir to coat being careful not to break up the potatoes. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Add the seasoned potatoes and bake for 15 to 20 minutes (or until the chicken is finished)

Chicken Tenders:
1 lb. package chicken tenders
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
2 teaspoons each: Emeril's Essence, Garlic Salt, Oregano, Steak Seasoning, Seasoning Salt, Pepper
dash Salt, Pepper, Essence

Preheat oven to 400. Using 3 shallow dishes and one baking dish make an assembly line. In the 1st dish add the flour with a dash of salt, pepper and essence. Mix well with a fork. In the 2nd dish add the egg, milk and mustard. Whisk well. In the 3rd dish add the bread crumbs, cheese and remaining spices. Mix well with a fork. Spray the 4th dish (baking dish) in the line with cooking spray or add some olive oil to coat the bottom. Place the chicken tenders in the flour. Coat well then dip them in the egg mixture. Allow excess to drip off. Coat the chicken in the bread crumbs and shake off excess. Place in the greased baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and the chicken is cooked through, turning over once during the cooking process.

I served this with simple steamed asparagus that I seasoned with a little bit of butter (1/2 tablespoon) salt, pepper, garlic salt, and Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

And now about the confession. I admit that I've been debating over whether or not to blog about this because I like to think of it as one of my best kept secrets. However, I've decided to finally share this secret since it is part of the reason that my closet is full of some awesome designer clothing and shoes.

Before I reveal the source let me give you a list of all the stuff (and amount paid pre-shipping) I've purchased from this source: adorable Moschino Cheap and Chic sandals for $15; Ferragamo pumps for $17; Ferragamo flats for $7; Halston strappy sandals for $30; Lilly pants for $8, Citizens jeans for $14; a Moschino Cheap and Chic blazer for $40; and a Burberry coat for $60. I got all of this stuff from Goodwill's website: shopgoodwill.com. It's a great site that works kind of like ebay. The stuff is sold through an online auction with most bids starting between $5 and $10.

There are new items every day and while some stuff can go quite high (think knockoff LV bags, used Coach bags, random Jimmy Choo heels) there are plenty of bargains to be had, especially on the less well known designer clothing. Check it out next time you're in the mood to shop but feeling thrifty.