Blog
Cool Cucumber Salad
This time of year, you can find a cucumber almost anywhere you go – the farmers market, the grocery store, or the food pantry. They are also being harvested from home gardens. I have a cucumber plant in my garden that is growing nicely and I hope to pick and eat a cucumber from it soon. In a few weeks, I will give you an update on how my garden is growing and share some pictures. Today, I would like to share with you one of my favorite cucumber recipes.
Apple Crisp Bars
This week it is my turn to share a Spend Smart. Eat Smart. recipe mashup. Christine and Katy shared main dish mashups, so I thought I would sweeten it up and share a dessert mashup. I used the base of our Cranberry Oatmeal Bars recipe to make, what I am calling, Apple Crisp Bars.
How Much Protein Do I Need?
I hear and read a lot about eating protein foods, but I often end up confused. Am I not eating enough protein? Am I eating too much? This week and next week on the blog, Jody and I are digging deeper into protein needs to help us all better understand this topic.
Free Garden Seeds
Have you noticed the displays with garden seeds going up in the stores in your community? Those displays are a sign to me that it is time to start thinking about our garden for the summer. We do not plant our garden until after the middle of May to avoid freezing, but it is fun to start planning what we want to plant. For us, the garden is a family project that gives us tasty fresh vegetables, but it can feel like a risk. What if the seeds do not grow? What if an animal eats the plants? What if we do not like what we grow?
Baking Without Eggs Part 2
Last week, I shared how I used chia seed ‘eggs’ instead of chicken eggs in some baking recipes. Since then, I have learned more about baking without eggs. Our friends at AnswerLine shared these tips with me:
Baking Without Eggs
Egg prices are tough for everyone right now. We usually make breakfast food for supper on Wednesday nights. My children’s favorite is when we make smoothies, scrambled eggs, and toast. They each like to help with making one of the foods. They have to take turns making the smoothies because they all want to run the blender. Since egg prices have started going up, we have stopped making this family favorite meal, which is a bummer for everyone.
Be Sodium Aware During American Heart Month
Last week, Christine shared about American Heart Month, a time for us to focus on our heart health. One way to do that is to be more aware of the sodium we eat. Eating too much sodium can contribute to high blood pressure and heart disease. But our bodies need sodium to function normally. Below are some ideas for finding a balance with the sodium we eat.
Spend Smart. Eat Smart. with Family – Holiday Edition
This week I am continuing our family interviews with a conversation I had with my mother-in-law, Jan. She and my father-in-law, Dean, have been taste testers for many Spend Smart. Eat Smart. recipes over the years. They are also excellent home cooks and a joyful part of our family. Here is what Jan shared with me:
Spicy Stuffed Potatoes
My children love it when I make baked potato bar for supper. I am not sure why, but I think it has something to do with the fact that they have all of the ingredients out on the counter, and they get to choose what they want to make their own creation. Our November recipe of the month, Spicy Stuffed Potatoes, is perfect for your own baked potato bar.
Try Something New
I do not eat a lot of dried fruit besides dried cranberries mixed into recipes or stirred into oatmeal. It has never been a food I am interested in eating. I think the problem is that I do not like raisins and so I have told myself I do not like other dried fruit. It might be time for me to branch out and try something new.
Milk Options
In today’s world, asking for milk can lead to many options, from the traditional cow’s milk to plant-based alternatives. Popular plant-based milks include soy, almond, oat, coconut, and pea milk. Cow’s milk is recommended for its calcium content and other nutrients like vitamins D, A, and B12. Though, these are often added to plant-based milks. Reading labels is key when deciding which milk to choose to make sure the milk has the nutrients you need. Let’s use the table below as a start to explore some milk options.
Whole Meal Salad
This is our final week highlighting some of our Spend Smart. Eat Smart. salads, and, in my opinion, we saved the best for last. Whole Meal Salad is a hit at my house every time I serve it. My family loves this recipe because they each get to make their own perfect salad. The Whole Meal Salad recipe is written for one, but I easily adapt it for my family by setting all the ingredients out on the counter and letting each person choose what they would like. Earlier this summer, my youngest child separated all of the ingredients on his plate and then individually decorated each spinach leaf with his favorite toppings because he wanted every bite of his salad to be perfect.
