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slow cooker

Slow Cooker for One or Two

I often hear people share that they do not use a slow cooker because they generally cook for one or two and it just makes too much food. If you have thought this way before, I would like to encourage you to rethink if the slow cooker might actually be a useful tool. Bear with me!

microwave

The microwave is singing!

Occasionally I need recipes that require minimal time, effort, and equipment. I love cooking and making big meals for my family. But with both of our kids in activities during the week, sometimes a meal or a snack that can be made in the microwave is the way to go. My kids enjoy that our microwave is low enough in our pantry for them to help. My preschooler can practice her numbers by helping me use it for cooking, and when the timer ends it sings a little jingle which my toddler loves to dance to. Using the microwave throughout the day is a win for everyone at my house!

chopping food on a cutting board

No Heat Required!

Last week Justine shared a number of recipes that don’t require any chopping. This week I’d like to share some recipes that don’t require any cooking. Sometimes it’s nice to have a recipe that uses minimal equipment and no heat required!

cutting board with a knife on it

No Chopping, No Problem!

Last week I shared our April recipe of the month – Coleslaw Pasta Salad. It is a unique salad recipe because it does not have any chopping, so a knife is not needed. This week I would like to share some other Spend Smart. Eat Smart. recipes that do not need a knife to prepare. Since I have already shared a salad, I have chosen recipes from other categories below.

Coleslaw Pasta Salad

Coleslaw Pasta Salad

Welcome to April! Today is April Fools’ Day and, though I am not very good at coming up with tricks for today, my children played a pretty good one on their dad last year. They made him a tall glass of juice, except it was not juice, it was Jell-O. So, when he tried to take a drink, the juice was stuck in the glass. This does not really have anything to do with our April recipe of the month, Coleslaw Pasta Salad, except that I have been thinking a lot about different ways to involve my children in making meals and snacks at home.

cutting vegetables on a cutting board

“Mom, What’s for Dinner”?

As a busy mom to two kids under 5, I get asked “mom, what’s for dinner?” around the same time every day. To help me stay organized, every Saturday I decide on a meal plan devoted strictly to dinners for the upcoming week. By looking at each day individually I have a better idea of how much time I will have to devote to preparing dinner. This also helps me track which days my family has evening commitments that may make it more difficult to prepare a time-intensive meal.