Blog
Recipe of the Month- Lentil Tacos
This month I’d like to highlight our recipe for Lentil Tacos. Tacos are a go-to meal in our house and occasionally I like to make Lentil Tacos.
Recipe of the Month – Beef Stew
Throughout 2025 our Spend Smart. Eat Smart. bloggers will be highlighting some of our favorite recipes from the website. You can find these in the blog released on the first Monday of each month. It is a chance to remind our readers about some of our older recipes that have not been in the spotlight for a while. I get to go first, and I chose our recipe for Beef Stew. It is rich and tasty and ideal for the frigid winter nights we have ahead of us. Here are some of the things that put Beef Stew at the top of my list.
Extra Sweet Memories
I have fond memories of the holidays as a child and now that I have two young daughters of my own, creating that same Christmas magic has been such a joy! Our oldest daughter is six and she’s starting to remember a lot of our holiday traditions. She remembers specific decorations that need to be unboxed, fun holiday events we do every year, and she even remembers special foods that we prepare that aren’t typically on our family’s menu. Read below to hear about a few of her favorites!
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.
Embracing Fall Flavors! The Underrated Delight of Brussels Sprouts
I love fall produce! There is something so comforting about roasting root vegetables and baking apples as the weather begins to shift. Starting in November, I find myself adding Brussels sprouts to my grocery list at least every other week, sometimes weekly, depending on my meal plan! Brussels sprouts are high in Vitamins A and C which are known to help your immune system. With two young kids at home, I am always looking for foods that will help me build my immune system to fight off those fall and winter viruses!
Roasted Vegetables and Kielbasa
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! If you’re anything like me, you probably have a bit of a mess in your refrigerator with bits of this and that leftover from holiday gatherings and meals. This month’s recipe is the perfect way to use what is left in your vegetable drawer to make a tasty meal.
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:
Rooting for Turnips! Embracing a New Favorite in Our Kitchen
When my husband and I were newly married, I was working late one evening and asked him to prepare the Sloppy Joes recipe on Spend Smart. Eat Smart. The recipe calls for an onion and my husband, thinking he was grabbing an onion from the produce drawer in the fridge, chopped up a turnip and added it to the meat and vegetable mixture. To both of our surprise, it was actually really good! We had a good laugh that he couldn’t distinguish a turnip from an onion, and I realized that I could become more adventurous with turnips than simply roasting them.
Spend Smart. Eat Smart. with Family – Holiday Edition
Over the next few weeks Christine, Justine, Katy and I are going to share the interviews we did with a few of our family members about the holidays. We hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoyed talking with our family members. Today I’m going to share with you the interview I did with my 11-year-old daughter Paige. She likes to bake and be creative in the kitchen. I think you’ll notice a theme to her answers😊
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.
MyPlate Series – Jody
The past two weeks Christine and Katy have shared how they use MyPlate at home when thinking about meals and snacks. Today it’s my turn!
MyPlate Series – Christine
We’re kicking off a series of blogs about MyPlate this week. MyPlate is a simple guide to help us think about food groups at meals and snacks. A few of us Spend Smart. Eat Smart. blog authors will share how we use the MyPlate ideas at home.
