Why I'll Die Before I'm 40... and other bad habits

I always joke (in a morbid nurse kind of way) that I'm going to die before I'm 40. Not because I have a death wish, but because I have a few habits that I can't seem to kick. Please read on and give me your best suggestions to help extend my life. 

I love hamburgers and fries with an undying passion. 

You guys, I love me a good fry and hamburger. It is honest to goodness my favorite food. Most of the time I'm enjoying salty fries and a greasy burger when I state "This will be what kills me before I'm 40" (because it will clog my arteries etc). (My habit worsened this past summer). Back in high school I decided to to give up fries for a year. Great idea right? I'll cut down on the bad calories, get rid of my craving, and exercise some self control. Wrong. Although I did make it the full year without fries, I binge-ate fries at every opportunity the entire next year. So now when I think about quitting my habit, I just remember the "binge days" and don't even bother trying. My mouth is watering as I type this right now, I have a serious problem. 

I fully believe in the validity of the 10 second rule. 

I'm a nurse. I took tons of science classes, including an entire semester on bacteria. But I'm pretty sure the 10 second rule is legit. I will pick things up off the floor, rinse them (sometimes), and eat/use them again. For those of you that just vowed to never come to my house for dinner, don't worry- I'm extra careful when I'm having guests over; I rinse the food twice. The only exception to this rule is if anything falls on the floor at the hospital. Anything and everything that touches a hospital floor must be thrown away immediately. There is no 10 second rule once you step inside the hospital. Good thing I haven't dropped my phone on the floor yet. 

A prank will backfire... badly. 

Many of you may not know this, but I love pranks, and I love April Fool's Day. My freshman year of college, I became famous because of April 1st. I could watch prank videos on youtube for hours on end (I may have already done that). I have a series of blog posts written for next month talking about my best pranks, my prank fails, prank ideas, and a prank that backfired just recently. Although the recent prank gone wrong didn't kill me, I think someone someday might. I've had a few close calls. 

I love thrill seeking- skydiving, parasailing, and base jumping; the more dangerous the better. 

No, I don't actually love thrill seeking. At all. I get scared going down a hill too fast on a mountain bike. I always wear a seat belt and come to a complete stop at all stop signs. The only thrill I seek is a double-double and animal style fries at In-N-Out.

How about you? Do you have any bad habits you need to kick? Are there any fellow hamburger lovers out there?

Meal Planning for a Month: FAQ & Tips

I've been talking about how I plan our meals a month at a time. Doing this requires two major steps: planning out your meals and then shopping for your meals. Since I've been telling people about my monthly meal planning endeavor, I get a few common questions. Below are my answers to these frequently asked questions and some tips that will make meal planning easier. These tips apply to meal planning in general- whether you're planning for a week or a month at a time. 

-FAQ-

What if you don't feel like eating what's on the scheduled day? 

I've gotten asked this question by almost every person I've told about our monthly meal planning. I'll be honest- this doesn't happen very much in our house. We love all kinds of food, as long as it's a hot yummy dinner, we both usually feel like it. 

That being said- some days we don't feel like it, we're too tired to cook, or we want to meet up with friends or family. When this happens we just switch that dinner to a different day. I'll usually just bump it to the next day or later in the week. At the end of the month there's always 3-4 dinners that I didn't land up making. I try to make these dinners that don't have a lot of perishable items- that way I'm not wasting ingredients and I have a handful of dinners to start my list with next month! 

What if I run out of food (i.e. no leftovers when you were planning on it or the recipe making less than you needed)? 

In one of my previous posts, I mentioned that I always have a few emergency dinners on hand. These things are usually frozen pizza, spaghetti, or breakfast for dinner- things that don't spoil and can be cooked up quickly when we're in a pinch. 

What do I do if I have leftovers and wasn't planning on it? 

We almost always take leftovers for lunch because I've developed a strong dislike for sandwiches. Sometimes a recipe will make just a huge amount and when that happens I try to freeze half of it and use it either later in the month or for the next month- you get two meals that way! I love unplanned leftovers! 

How do coupons and taking advantage of sales work with this system? 

To be honest, I haven't quite figured this out yet. I just can't seem to get into couponing (maybe one day!), so I can't speak to that. I will say that the veggies and fruit we buy for salads and lunches are the ones that are on sale. I also browse the sales ad for the two times that we do shop- that way if there is a good deal going on (particularly on meat), I will stock up. I still go for the sale items when we do shop, but it's not as big of a part of my meal planning as it used to be. 

You will still save money with this plan because you are in the grocery store so much less, resulting in less impulse buys. Also, I've made a commitment to only going to the grocery store twice a month, so if something runs out before then I make do without until the next trip to the store. We really try to use all of our food and not letting things go to waste, and sometimes that means being a little creative (especially towards the end of the month). Your commitment to staying out of the stores will serve you and your wallet well. 

Doesn't your food go bad if you don't shop that often? 

In short, no. I've found that almost all fruits and veggies will last two weeks. I look for later expiration dates on things like milk and yogurt to ensure that they'll last two weeks. I also will freeze breads and meats so they'll stay good for awhile. We do make one quick shopping trip in the middle of the month to replenish fruits, veggies, and milk.

-TIPS-

Keep a running grocery list. 

We have a spot on our fridge where I write the menu for the week. Underneath the menu is a section where we write a list of things we run out whether it be milk or foil. We write it as soon as we realize it's out, that way we don't forget anything when we're at the store! 

Get your recipes organized. 

Every time I add a recipe to my dinner repertoire, I make sure I put where the recipe is from (Pinterest, cookbook etc.) That way, when I want to make the recipe again, I don't spend a ton of time just looking for the recipe. 

Make Pinterest work for you 

Pinterest can be your best friend or your worst enemy when it comes to planning. If you have a general "food" board that has 200 recipes and you find one you like, trying to find it again can be a nightmare. I learned this the hard way, and decided to make separate food boards- one for breakfast, one for lunch, and one for dinner. I also have separate ones for desserts, veggies & sides, drinks, and snacks. 

Perhaps the best board I've created on Pinterest is my "Meals This Month" board. This is where I pin recipes that I'm cooking that month. That way, when it comes to make a recipe, I can go straight to that board and that recipe. 

I also created a "Pinned it and Did it" board. This board is where I pin projects or recipes that I have actually done. Not only does it serve as a great motivator to actually turn Pins into reality, it allows me to write a little blurb of recipes I've tried and remind myself why or why I didn't like it. This board is also stores previous recipes that I've tried and liked so I can find them easily. 

The key with making Pinterest work for you is getting organized- use those boards to your advantage! 

Brainstorm the next month during the current month. 

Like I addressed above, I'll often have 3-4 meals that weren't cooked. These automatically go onto next month's meals as do any frozen leftovers from the current month. I'll also write down specific ideas or pins that I liked in my planner, that way I can remember them when it comes to plan the next month's menu. By the time I start planning for the next month, I usually have 4-5 meals already planned making it that much easier! 

Be creative. 

Towards the end of your two weeks or the month (before you go to the store again), you may start running out of some ingredients. Instead of making an extra trip to the store get creative with the ingredients you have on hand. We ran out of bread for sandwiches one month, and instead of buying more, we took crackers cheese and meat and made some delicious adult lunchables! The more creative you can get, the less food you'll waste and the more money you'll save. 

Give yourself some grace. 

In all of life you need to give yourself some grace, and that includes menu planning. Maybe one of your new recipes bombed. Maybe you ran out of food after a week. It's okay. This whole menu planning idea has a big learning curve and the point of it is to ease your stress not cause it. Maybe you try it for a month and decide you hate it- great, go to something that's easier for you! I will say that it's taken me a couple of months for the process to get easier so if you're in your first month and thinking that it's something you might like- stick with it! It gets easier I promise! 

-------------------

I think that wraps up our week talking all about meal planning! It's something that's worked well for me, and I hope it can work for you too! 

Do you think you might try to meal plan for a month?

Meal Planning for a Month: Shop

Once you've got your plan of meals, then it's time to make your grocery lists and then head to the stores to finish the process. I've messed this process up a couple of times so I hope you can learn from my mistakes. 

1. Make your ingredient list

I used to just go through every dish and write down the ingredient list. I landed up with a giant list of ingredients that I had to go back through and sort. The main reason this method didn't work was that three weeks into the month I had no idea which dish needed the green bell pepper. 

What I have started doing is getting four sheets of paper. Each sheet represents one week of the month. I write each individual dish down, underline it, and write down all the ingredients needed for that dish. By doing this method, I'm able to have the ingredient list for each dish at my fingertips. This way, I know which recipe needs that green bell pepper!

I should mention that at this point, write down ingredients that you need for breakfast and lunch.  I explained in the last post that breakfast and lunch for us is usually pretty repetitive, so it's easy for me to write down the few staples that we need.  

(You can see here I have week 1 and 2 in separate columns along with each dish and their

 ingredients written underneath each corresponding week).

2. Sort your grocery list

This is probably the most excruciating and terrible part of this process. Now that you have your ingredient list compiled, it's time to combine all the ingredients into a cohesive shopping list. 

I sort my grocery list by food group (dairy, protein etc.) because that's how I make sense of everything. I later sort it by store (that part is easy- don't get intimidated!) I go through all my ingredient lists and write down all the dairy items that are needed. If I need 4 cups of cheese in one recipe and 2 cups in another, I'll go ahead and combine them on my grocery list and write "6 cups cheese". That way, I know the total amount of that ingredient that I'll need for the month. 

The most crucial part in this step is note which fruits/vegetables/perishable items will be used in the second half of the month. We do go to the store once halfway through the month to replenish our fruits, veggies, and milk supply because some things just don't last the entire month! (But almost everything is fine for two weeks). If there's a particular ingredient that will be used in the second half of the month, I put a "2" next to it. By doing this, I'm able to easily see what ingredients I won't need to get on my first trip, and then I'm usually able to write a "second trip" shopping list really quickly.

(My master grocery list sorted by food group)

3. Figure out your stores 

Once you have all your ingredients compiled, it's time to sort the shopping list by store. If you shop at one store for everything, you can just skip this step and get shopping. We shop at three main stores- Costco, King Soopers, and Walmart (Sprouts on the occasion). 

Instead of re-writing every ingredient (because at this point I'm really just ready to shoot myself), I use a highlighter system to sort by store. I take my grocery list (sorted by food group), and highlight all the Costco items in yellow, Walmart items in blue, and King Soopers items in pink. 

I'm a super visual person so this system works for me. Figure out something that works for you, but don't make it too hard on yourself (as in, don't rewrite your whole list if you can help it).  

(My master grocery list sorted by food group and then highlighted by stores. Anything

that's not highlighted are items I already had or was going to purchase on my mid-month 

shopping trip).

4. Hit the stores

By now, you probably have a couple page long grocery list that is pretty and highlighted. You're also probably exhausted and ready to go to a bar instead of a grocery store. I'll be honest- I usually plan my menu on a separate day that I shop. Doing both in the same day is just too much. Muster your courage, and get out there and shop. A few hours later you'll come back with 2.3 million grocery bags, and you'll collapse on your couch. You're almost done my friend, one more step! 

(My shopping buddy this month. No, we didn't take a selfie in an 

aisle of Costco, why would you think such a thing?)

5. Finish food prep and put away groceries. 

We usually have a couple things to prep when we get home. The most common things we have to do is shred rotisseirre chickens and put them in individual freezer bags and separate the big packages of chicken breasts we buy into smaller freezable packages. Occasionally I'll cook some pinto beans and chop some fruit or veggies. Most of the times I'll do the chicken, put away all the groceries and call it a day. 

I also will take 5-10 minutes to go back through my grocery list and write down every ingredient that has a "2" next to it on a sticky note. That way, my grocery list for the middle of the month is already compiled and I don't have to worry about it!

---------------------

Phew, you made it friend. Planning a monthly menu is a lot of work. Now do you see why you shouldn't jump into it right away? The first time I did it, the whole thing took probably 8-9 hours. Now it takes me about 6 hours and I'm hoping to get even quicker. It's a lot of work but it gets easier every month. And I cannot tell you how much it is worth it. 

For the past year, Mondays usually were my meal planning and grocery shopping day. It would only take me 1-2 hours total but I had to do it every single week. Now I spend one Monday a month, and the other three are free for whatever else I want to do! 

My shopping trip in the middle of the month usually isn't longer than an hour, leaving me able to spend my days off not grocery shopping. 

This plan will save you money: less time spent in the grocery store = less impulse buys = money saved. It requires planning and time, but it is SO worth it. 

To finish off the series, I answered some FAQs and compiled a list of tips. Please always feel free to email or comment with any other questions you might have! 

Meal Planning for a Month: Plan

We've been covering the basics of meal planning and now are ready to tackle the big kahuna- namely, meal planning for an entire month (in one sitting). It took me 15 months of regular, weekly meal planning to feel like I could tackle doing an entire month at once. The principles of the planning are the same it just takes a little longer, but it is oh so sweet to have to only do it once a month. 

Before you plan your monthly menu make sure that you have: 

1. A minimum of 10-15 meals on your "dinner repertoire". These are recipes that you know that you and your family love, that are fairly simple, and that you feel comfortable cooking. This list should not include that super complicated dish that you made off of Pinterest a few days ago. This staple list are your tried and true recipes. Click here to learn more about making your own list.

2. Planned an occasional two or even three week menu

I think it's important to work up to planning an entire month so if you're feeling comfortable in planning a weekly menu, go ahead and try planning a two-week menu. The first "month" I ever planned was November 2013 and we were going to be gone for a week because of Thanksgiving. I had been comfortably planning weekly or biweekly menus at this point, and I was glad to have a three week plan to bridge me over to the full month.

---------------------------------------

Alright, let's do this thing. 

Sit down, arm yourself with a blank monthly calendar, your staple dinners list, your computer (or cookbooks) if you're planning on trying some new recipes, some colored pens or highlighters, and a chunk of time. 

First off, back to the first step we covered in Meal Planning 202: 

1. Write down all the obligations that you are aware of
This includes date nights, Bible studies, meal groups, trips away, work days. Plan meals for these days first. I plan all my work day dinners first because like I mentioned in my earlier post, Alex  is usually responsible for getting dinner ready when I work. Staple meals (i.e. spaghetti & meatballs) or crockpot dishes (i.e. BBQ chicken sandwiches) are usually the meals that are scheduled for days I work because they're easy and delicious. 

If you know that some of your dishes will make leftovers, go ahead and pencil in "Leftovers" for the next day or later in the month (if you plan on freezing the leftovers). 

(This was my calendar for January- you'll note that I penciled in date nights, our meal group with church, and work).

2. Choose the new recipes you want to try and schedule them 

I usually only try 2-3 new recipes a month, sometimes less and sometimes more depending on how ambitious I'm feeling. Schedule these 2-3 new recipes on days that you know (or at least think) that you will have the time and energy to cook them up. My new recipes for the month are always scheduled on a day I don't work and usually earlier in the week when I'm more likely to have energy and motivation to be in the kitchen. 

3. Pencil in the days you'll eat out 

We try and go on 2-3 date nights per month that usually include dinner. I'll go ahead and write these into the schedule (usually on a Friday or Saturday night). Often our date nights change from when I originally schedule them, and when that happens I just move the meal that was originally planned for when we go out  to the day that was a planned date night. 

4. Pencil in meals for all remaining days. 
After adding all your nightly obligations, new recipes, leftover  and takeout days, you should only have a handful of days left. I pull out my staple dinners list and fill in the rest of those days with recipes that are already tried and true. 

A few last thoughts before we talk about the shopping part of this gig in the next post: 

-I try to plan meals that share ingredients in the same two week time frame. For example. enchiladas and smothered burritos are regular occurrences in our household and both need most of the same ingredients. Because of this, we'll usually have enchiladas one week and then burritos early the next week. This ensures that I can use any leftover ingredients that I may have from the first week's dish in the second week's dish (i.e. black beans, chicken, green chile). This takes practice- don't get frustrated if you can't work it out the first couple times around. 

-I try to have 2-3 "backup" meal ideas a month. These usually are frozen pizzas, sandwiches, or breakfast for dinner. These backup meals are just in case I don't have leftovers when I was planning on them or if I'm too tired to make what was planned. These backup ideas shouldn't need much prep or extra ingredients, that way if you don't use them, you won't be wasting any ingredients. 

I'm not going to lie, the planning part of this whole ordeal is the hardest part. Once you've got your plan (and your lists which we'll go into more detail about in the next post), the shopping usually goes really smoothly and quickly and then you are done for another FOUR weeks!

Once you've done your plan, it's time to learn how to organize your grocery list and shopping trip.

Is it overwhelming to plan an entire monthly menu at once? What other tips do you have? 

{Linking up with Tuesday Talk at Sweet Little Ones blog!}

On A Budget: Saving on Groceries

One of the biggest budget killers in any household is the category of groceries. We all have to eat, and who doesn't like to eat good food?? With some practice, Alex and I have learned to get a handle of this category. Below are the ways we keep our grocery bill down. Grocery prices can vary drastically depending on region, but using the basic principles I've described below, you'll be able to save a lot of money regardless of where you're located. 

1. Have a plan 

This is probably the most crucial step in saving money on groceries. Planning a weekly menu will help you be organized-you know what ingredients you need and already have, and you can use some of the same ingredients in multiple recipes. All of these things will save you major bucks. I started planning weekly menus and now I'm up to planning for the whole month (more on that in January!) Start small- plan one or two meals a week and then gradually increase from there. 

2. Shop less 

Having a plan means that you won't be going to the grocery store multiple times a week. The less time you spend in a grocery store means you'll spend less money because there's less of a chance of impulse purchases. We go to the grocery store once a week maximum and that's only if I forgot to pick up a critical ingredient that I can't substitute. 

By having a grocery list when I do go to the store and not going additional times beyond that, our grocery bill stays low. 

3. Shop sales

While making a menu plan for the week, I sit down with my grocery store's ads and try to plan at least a couple of my dishes around what's on sale. The sales I especially pay attention to are the sales on veggies and meat since these are the most expensive (and important!) parts of our grocery list. If something calls for an ingredient that's expensive and not on sale, I'll often substitute the ingredient (i.e. green peppers for red pepper) or, if possible, leave it out all together!

3. Be okay with repetition 

We have a really good dinner menu and I try a new recipe at least twice a month. However, breakfast and lunch stays pretty standard for us. Breakfast consists of cereal, toast, or fruit (maybe an egg if we have time), and lunch is almost always sandwiches or dinner leftovers. Alex and I are okay with the repetition and that keeps our costs low. We're not spending boku bucks on frozen entrees for lunch or different kinds of cereal, pancakes, fruit, frozen waffles etc. 

4. Get creative 

One end of the spectrum is being okay with repetition but the other end of the spectrum calls for some creativity when designing your meal plan. I know a lot of families that have a couple of meatless meals a week to help cut down on the meat cost. The hubby likes meat a lot so we only do meatless meals a couple nights a month. However, we save on meat by using cheaper meats that you wouldn't ordinarily think to use. For example, we use pepperoni in a couple dishes a month- it's cheap but still fulfills the protein need that Alex has. :) Turkey bacon or deli cuts of lunch meat find their way into mac n cheese or chef salad. I'll substitute ground turkey for ground beef in a lot of dishes because it's healthier and cheaper. 

Creatively substituting proteins or going meatless can significantly bring your grocery bill down. 

4. Buy less junk 

You will {almost} never find our house with soda, frozen snacks, candy, or other prepackaged items (think cookies, chex mix etc.) We do buy a couple bags of chips a month but only pull those out for the Broncos game. We try to have healthier snacks around like yogurt, nuts, and cheese sticks. Pre-packaged stuff is expensive and we'd rather just not have the temptation around. 

By skipping a lot of the prepackaged snacks we're healthier and we keep our grocery bill down. If you think you or your family will have trouble cutting out some of their guilty pleasures, start slowly. Don't buy soda for a couple weeks, then the next couple weeks don't buy soda or cookies- so on and so forth. Gradually breaking yourself in is the way to do it- soon you won't miss those items and when you do get them it is a true splurge! 

How do you save on groceries? 

Melted Froyo & Chicken Wings

About a month ago, I told you all about me and the husband's man to venture on a monthly date challenge . We're pretty very frugal people, and we decided to challenge ourselves to do a  fun date twice a month. We have fun and enjoy each other's company {mostly} every day, so it's not like this twice a month thing is the only time we're into each other. It's just a way for us to have something to look forward to and get us out of the house. 

Without further ado... Here's date #1

Sarah's Date 

In the spirit of trying to keep things in a budget, my date was the "stay-at-home-but-do-something-different-date." 

I started the night by getting on some pretty clothes and confining my husband to the bedroom while I got to work in the kitchen. For all that think that shoving him in the bedroom is spousal abuse- he had homework that he had to do anyway so he was fine with it... promise. 

Then I got to work cooking up this Chicken Parmesan with Linguine and Broccoli  (Thanks, Pinterest). 

I pulled out the fancy stuff for the table... place mats and napkins I was given when I left Guatemala! 

Throw in some boxed  really fancy schmancy wine, and you're set for dinner! 

I set Alex free from his captivity in the bedroom and we enjoyed our dinner that felt a little more special than normal. 

I've gotta admit, when he came out I had everything dark (blinds closed etc.) and candles lit for a candlelight dinner. But I had gotten so hot making dinner that the "candlelit part" lasted about 2.4 seconds before I'd had enough and opened the blinds, windows, and lights just so I could breathe. Summer- 1 Sarah-0. 

After dinner we hopped in the car and went to our favorite frozen yogurt place and each got a nice serving of froyo. 

Instead of sitting at the froyo place and eating it, I had planned to take it to a little area I had researched in advance and hike around while eating froyo. 

This kind of failed for two reasons. 

Reason #1

Froyo melts. Quick. The hike was only an 8 minute drive and by the time we got there, my coffee frozen yogurt tasted more like iced coffee with gummy bears in it. 

Reason #2. 

It got dark quicker than we were expecting, making hiking whilst eating/drinking frozen yogurt not the greatest idea. 

All in all though, it was a great time and date #1 for the monthly date challenge went down in the books. 

Alex's Date

August was super busy for us because we were apartment hunting and then packing to move at the end of the month. We were pretty tired, so Alex's date was pretty low key but got us out of the house which is the important thing! 

We'd been talking about going to Buffalo Wild Wings for their 60 cent boneless chicken wing night for a lonnnnnng time and hadn't done it yet. We decided to change that. 

What you may not know about me is that chicken isn't my favorite thing... which is ironic considering both of our dates night this month included chicken. 

I like chicken if:

1. It doesn't have bones 

2. It has enough sauce or dressing that I don't actually taste chicken

Buffalo Wild Wings meets both of these criteria... boneless and I really just go for all the delicious sauce on the chicken. 

We stuffed our faces full of poultry and then went home to cook up a tasty dessert. 

Not gonna lie... This was my first time doing s'mores over an electric stove (got the idea from a friend). In case you were wondering- it works GREAT! I had done it over a gas stove before and in comparing the two I would say the electric stove is easier and provides a more even brown. 

This may be the one and only way that an electric stove is better than gas. 

All in all, month #1 of our monthly date challenge went well and was worth the extra effort to plan some dates that weren't "normal" for us. Look for the dates in month #2 of our date challenge in a post coming early October! 

Does anyone else not really like chicken? And did you know that frozen yogurt melts so quick?!

Easy No-Measure 5 Ingredient Salsa

 (Click here to find the printable version of this recipe!)

So you must understand one thing. In my large, crazy, Hispanic family, every time a new girlfriend came into the family, she was often judged on three things: her cooking skills, her willingness to pitch in and cleanup, and her personality (in that order). The girls that could cook like no one's business truly won the hearts of my family. 

So imagine the pressure on me as I grew older and wondered what would be my recipe? You know, the one that at family reunions people would ask, "Sarah, can you bring ____?"

Well, after making salsa for one game night in college, I knew I had found THE recipe. Everyone LOVES this salsa, and anytime we're invited to game night or dinner, I'm usually asked to bring chips and salsa. 

Reasons this salsa recipe rocks: 

#1 You only need 5 ingredients (or 4 if you're feeling lazy)

#2 You don't have to measure any of the ingredients (ain't nobody got time for that!)

#3 IT'S DELICIOUS

Alright, enough talk. Let's make some salsa! 

Go ahead and gather your ingredients. All 5 of them. 4 if you're being lazy (I only add onion if I have it on hand/feel like adding it).

Finely chop your cilantro, jalapenos, and onion. A couple notes about each: 

-Cilantro: I used to painstakingly pick the leaves off the stems and just chop the leaves. Well, I got lazy and now I cut off the main part of the stems and then just chop leaves and stems all together. I don't think it affects the texture and sure doesn't affect the taste! 

-Jalapenos: You can seed the jalapenos or just leave the seeds in there. Seeds = greater spice (usually). I usually cut the stem off and then just chop the pepper, seeds and all. I use 2 jalapenos for an "average" crowd (think "mild" salsa). I would use 1 jalapeno if your idea of salsa isn't spicy and then 3-4 peppers if you're wanting a good kick. This always can depend on the spiciness of the peppers themselves so sometimes you'll need to adjust how many you add. 

Open your can of tomatoes and dump this along with all of your cilantro, jalapeno, and onion. If you're like me, and have a smaller food processor I have to do this in 2 or 3 batches. I just try to make sure each "batch" that I blend has a little bit of each ingredient. 

Blend away! If you want chunkier salsa, obviously don't process it too much; I like my salsa on the smoother side so usually blend for a good several seconds. 

Once all the ingredients are blended, add garlic salt to taste. I put a measurement down below for those of you that just feel the need to use a measuring cup, but I will say this- it's almost easier to add it to taste, that way you don't get it too salty. 

A couple things to remember about the garlic salt: 

1. You have to put more than you think you're going to put. Trust me. 

2. If you feel like your salsa is too spicy, adding a little more garlic salt can help mellow out the flavor.

Grab some chips, and you're about to be the most popular person at the party. 

The recipe is below, or click here for the printable version (PDF format). 

Easy No-Measure 5 Ingredient Salsa

Ingredients:
1 28.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 bunch fresh cilantro
2-4 jalapenos
1/2 onion (optional)
Garlic salt, to taste

Directions: 
1. Finely chop cilantro, jalapenos, and onion
2. Pour can of tomatoes (undrained) into food processor. Add cilantro, jalapenos, and onion. Process to desired consistency.
3. Add garlic salt to taste (approx 1/8 c. if you must measure)
4. Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy! 

Much love and chips and salsa,