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30 Days of Movement with Spend Smart. Eat Smart.
Being physically active is one of the most important things people of all ages can do to improve their health. Being active has many benefits, including:

The Comfort in Homemade Bread
Last week Katy shared about the comfort homemade soup brings to her and her family. As I thought about one of my comfort foods I thought of homemade bread. I come from a long line of bread bakers. Growing up I have memories of making whole wheat bread with one grandma and oatmeal bread with another grandma. And my kids know my mom almost always has some sort of quick bread made when we go to visit. Banana bread is a favorite. I find comfort in making homemade bread, smelling it bake in the oven, and eating it warm out of the oven with butter or peanut butter.

Beef Stew
Welcome to December! This time of year is busy, but I hope you can find a couple of hours to make our recipe of the month – Beef Stew. This recipe is hearty and it fills your home with a wonderful smell. Below I have some tips from my family on making this recipe.

Homemade vs Bought: Cheesy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
As colder weather arrives, I find myself drawn to a warm bowl of soup. My boyfriend’s favorite soup is broccoli cheddar, and we find ourselves craving it this time of year. The question becomes, do we go to the nearest restaurant and try theirs, grab a can from the store, or make from scratch? I recently tried all three and am here to share my thoughts!

Pumpkin Recipe Roundup
Pumpkin is a classic flavor that reminds me of the fall season. One 15 ounce can holds about 2 cups of pumpkin. Some pumpkin recipes on Spend Smart. Eat Smart. use the full can while others may use a smaller amount. What do you do with any leftover pumpkin?

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes
Fall baking season is in full swing! If you are anything like me, you spend summer counting down the days until there’s a chill in the air and you can break out those sweatshirts. Whether you like it warm or cold, we can all agree that fall brings wonderful flavors with it. One of my favorite fall memories is cooking in the kitchen with my dad.

Soup…What’s Saving My Life Right Now
A co-worker asked on a recent meeting as an icebreaker question ‘what’s saving your life right now?’ My response was a good book. The more I thought about it though, soup should have been my answer. I’m in a real rut of meal planning right now. The thought of having to think about what to cook my family for supper makes my head hurt. Soup to the rescue! My family loves soup and I’m grateful for that. Here’s what I love about soup.

#WinterSquash
It’s fall so that means pumpkins, apples, and winter squash. I’m guessing that last one surprised you bit. In the fall we hear about all things pumpkin and apple. Based off social media posts, millions of people post about pumpkins and apples while only thousands post about winter squash. Even though winter squash isn’t talked about as much, it is a great fall vegetable to include in your meals.

Start Simple with Food Preservation
This time of year is one of our favorites. The work of planning and planting a garden is behind us and now it is time to think about how to preserve our summer bounty. Whether you are freezing, canning or dehydrating there are necessary steps to take to ensure both quality and safety.

Spend Smart. Eat Smart. – With Friends!
Over the past few months we’ve heard from Christine’s mom, Katy’s friend, and Justine’s children. For the final blog in our interview series I talked with my friend and colleague, Kristin Taylor.

Get Help Buying Healthy Foods
For many of us, money is tight right now. The cost of groceries and gas are extremely high and additional SNAP benefits provided during the pandemic have ended in many states.

How do you like your zucchini?
My kids love zucchini…in cake that is! And their grandma (my mom!) enjoys making it for them when zucchini is in season. A couple of weeks ago Parker got to help grandma make zucchini cake for us. It was quite delicious with cream cheese frosting!