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Recipe Round-Up: Flexible Ways to Use Produce
Vegetables here, vegetables there, vegetables everywhere! Gardens and farmers’ markets are bursting with produce. You may have some tried and true ways you like to use summer vegetables. If you’re looking for some new ideas, here is a round-up of some of our recipes that allow for flexibility in the vegetables that are used.
A Twist on Tacos
It’s been a month of food mashups here on the Spend Smart. Eat Smart. blog, and today I get to wrap up the series.
A Fun Twist on Two Favorite Dishes!
This month is all about Spend Smart. Eat Smart. recipe mashups: we hope it encourages you to try something new! As a busy mom, I surprisingly enjoy meal planning because it gives me a sense of control for those extra busy weeks. Even though I enjoy it, every so often I find myself in a recipe rut.
A Funny Story About Chicken Alfredo Pasta
Nine years ago, when my son was six and my daughter was two, my co-worker and friend Katy Moscoso came over to watch my kids. I made the Spend Smart. Eat Smart. Chicken Alfredo Pasta recipe ahead of time for them to have for supper. I had made the recipe before, and my daughter liked it. I knew it wasn’t Parker’s favorite, but I figured he might eat some of the pasta. Later that evening, when I returned, guess what Parker told me, “Mom, Katy made this really good pasta, and I loved it!” It turns out he had more than one helping of it. That little stinker didn’t know that I had made the pasta ahead of time, so he thought Katy had made it and therefore thought it was delicious!
Meal Plan Inspiration: How to Find Ideas When You’re Stuck
Does anyone else’s mind go blank when you start to make a meal plan, and you can’t think of anything to write down? Or is it just me? Some weeks the ideas just pop into my head. Other weeks I struggle with deciding what to make. Here are four things I do to help me think of ideas for my meal plan.
Simplifying Meal Planning with Young Kids
Do you find yourself debating a drive-thru run after work and activities on busy evenings? If you answered yes, you are not alone! As a mom of two young kids, I feel like I spend quite a bit of time during the week as the family’s taxi driver. Occasionally we pull into a quick restaurant for a convenient meal after activities, but I have really tried to prioritize meal planning at home. Cooking at home is more cost effective for my family and ensures that my kids are eating well balanced meals.
Spend Smart. Eat Smart. with Family – Holiday Edition
We are in the midst of a blog series where we ask our family members about food, specifically around the holidays. It’s my turn and we get to hear from my dad, Bob! He’s a man of few words so you’ll see I added some color commentary to his answers.
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:
What’s for Dinner at the Hoover Home
Last week Christine started off the month of March sharing about one of her favorite recipes, Scrambled Egg Skillet. As we go through this month, we are each going to share what dinner looks like in our homes and some recipes we are enjoying right now.
Meal Planning Done for You
My kids start school in two days. As much as I enjoy the less structured days of summer, I’m ready to get into a routine again. My son will be in 8th grade and will be playing football so I know when he comes home from practice in the evening, he will be hungry! Therefore, I want to be sure to have a plan for what we will have for supper. I do meal planning regularly but sometimes my brain just doesn’t want to think about what to have. Does anyone else feel the same way? On our Spend Smart. Eat Smart. website, we have sample meal-planning calendars that do the thinking for you! The week-long meal plans include 3 meals and 2 snacks per day and recipes are linked. If you eat vegetarian or are just interested in more plant-based recipes, there is a whole calendar of vegetarian meals and snacks.
Late Night Meal Planning
Have you heard the saying “New Year, New Me”? Once the calendar shifted to January, my personal email was flooded with ways to create new fitness and eating habits, new wardrobe suggestions, tips on how to become a better parent, and the list went on and on. The start of a new year tends to get people thinking about New Year’s resolutions and setting goals for themselves. I have never been one to set a New Year’s resolution but having a 5-month-old and a 4-year-old at home, I have decided this is a great year to set some intentionality for my late-night habit!
Give Plant-Based Protein a Try!
A few years ago, I made the decision to make 2-3 meatless dinners a week. After our daughter turned one, I was hopeful that making this change would be a great way to introduce her to new foods. While searching for meatless recipes, I came to realize there were several benefits from eating plant-based protein a few times a week! Our grocery bills are lower and the health benefits that come with swapping out protein sources is a bonus.
