Blog
Simple Swaps: Make it Your Own!
Some recipes earn a spot in my regular meal rotation because they are easy, affordable, and flexible. Our Meat and Veggie Mac recipe checks all three boxes. It’s a great example of a meal that can work with what you have on hand instead of requiring a special trip to the grocery store.
Think Outside the Pizza Box
This month has been all about pizza! In her blog, Katy wrote about making Pizza Boats with her family. And Christine shared in her blog about turning leftovers into pizza. Pizza is a versatile food. There are lots of options for crusts and toppings.
Black Bean Brownies
This fall and winter we have some fun, new Spend Smart. Eat Smart. recipes to share with you. The first is Black Bean Brownies. Last year our intern, Jill, got us started on this recipe. We enjoyed sitting around our table at work to taste and talk about the different versions of this recipe as it became what it is today. I would like to share with you some of the things we learned along the way.
Family Favorites: Meal Planning Help when Life is Busy
School is in full swing and you know what that means…trying to figure out what to feed my family when we have an activity almost every evening. From dance to volleyball to football we are on the go like many other families. To help ease the stress of evening meals I like to do weekly meal planning. Some weeks meal ideas come to me easily and other weeks I struggle trying to decide what to make. A tool I have found helpful for meal planning is our Spend Smart. Eat Smart. Family Favorites Recipe List. We have two different options, one that divides recipes by category (breakfast, side, main dish, salad, soup, and snack) and one that divides recipes based on protein source (beef, pork, fish, poultry, venison, and vegetarian).
Hands on Learning Can Get a Little Messy
When my daughter and son were little, we spent time making cookies and memories. Along the way there were messes but also great learning experiences. I now enjoy teaching Kindergarten through 8th grade students nutrition lessons at afterschool programming for ISU Extension and Outreach.
Connect with your Teen through Parallel Cooking
“Mom, can we use these bananas to make Peanut Butter Oat Bites so I have something to eat before school?” asked my high school age daughter recently.
Pumpkin Muffins: A Delicious Way to Start the Day
School is in full swing for my kids so today I want to share with you the Pumpkin Muffin recipe that helps fuel our busy mornings. These Pumpkin Muffins are a new addition to Spend Smart. Eat Smart. and they get a thumbs up from our house.
Beans, Beans They’re Good for Your Heart!
If you have little kids, or a fun sense of humor, you probably know how the rest of that jingle goes 😊. In my opinion, beans deserve more credit than they get. Over the years I started adding more beans to our weekly meal to save money on groceries. It took me a while to realize that not only was I cutting costs, but I was also enjoying many of the health benefits beans have to offer.
Muffins for Fiber
Last week on the blog Jody gave us a great intro into why we need fiber and what foods have fiber in them. For the rest of the month, we are each going to share some practical ways we try to get fiber. My family loves muffins, in fact, I think muffins might be my husband’s favorite food. We eat them for any meal, for snacks, and when we need a sweet treat. Since they are a regular part of our menu plan, I try to choose muffins that will get us some fiber.
Fuel Your Health with Fiber
Protein is often the talk of the town but today we are going to talk about fiber. Fiber is an important part of health but most of us don’t eat enough of it. Let’s look at the sources and benefits of fiber.
A Refreshing Summer Treat!
This summer our house has turned into playdate central! Most weekdays we have an extra kiddo (or several) at our house. I never realized how much 7-year-olds could eat in a two-hour time span until this summer! With all these planned and unexpected playdates, I try to keep plenty of snacks and drinks on hand so no one leaves our house hungry.
A 20 Minute Stir Fry and 25 More Main Dishes to Love
Our Healthy and Homemade Main Dishes cookbook is available today! The book contains 26 recipes including our July recipe of the month, Sweet Pork Stir Fry. Recipes include nutrition analysis, easy to read directions and tips for success. The cookbook is ideal for new and experienced cooks. It features some helpful tools to make cooking simple, including:
