Blog

cutting board with a knife on it

No Chopping, No Problem!

Last week I shared our April recipe of the month – Coleslaw Pasta Salad. It is a unique salad recipe because it does not have any chopping, so a knife is not needed. This week I would like to share some other Spend Smart. Eat Smart. recipes that do not need a knife to prepare. Since I have already shared a salad, I have chosen recipes from other categories below.

quick meal ideas

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.

Scrambled Egg Skillet

Scrambled Egg Skillet

Justine often writes our recipe blogs because she is so heavily involved in developing recipes for our website. But this month I get to write the recipe blog because this recipe is one that I have loved for a long time. I hope you’ll indulge me and let me share the story of what inspired this recipe.

kitchen spices

Stock Multi-Purpose Spices

Are you tired of the same old salt-and-pepper flavor combo for your meals? If you want to spice things up a notch, stocking your kitchen with a few basic, versatile spices can save you money and precious pantry space.

man cooking at stove

Which Recipes are Diabetes-Friendly?

Our Spend Smart. Eat Smart. team often gets the request to mark which of our recipes are ‘diabetes-friendly’. We want to share why this is not something we do.

Peanut Butter Banana Oat Bites

Peanut Butter Banana Oat Bites

Our February recipe of the month is currently one of my favorite Spend Smart. Eat Smart. recipes – Peanut Butter Banana Oat Bites. This recipe combines peanut butter, mashed banana, an egg, a little sugar, vanilla, baking powder, oats, and dried fruit or chocolate chips to make a tasty breakfast, snack, or dessert. Peanut Butter Banana Oat Bites were very popular in my home when the days were super cold in January.

food waste

Foiling Food Waste Frustrations

There are a few things that frustrate me in the kitchen. Want to hear about them?

kitchen spices

A Spicy New Year

We are refreshing our kitchens here at Spend Smart. Eat Smart. in the new year. Last week Jody shared how she is working on getting back in the groove of meal prepping by making some meals ahead to pack for her lunch. She highlighted our Vegetarian Chili recipe and also shared some great tips on managing our canned food at home to make sure we use the oldest items first. The same principle applies to our spices and the start of a new year is a great time to take a look at what you have.

Vegetarian Chili

Vegetarian Chili

Welcome to a new year! As I start the new year I have a goal to get back into the habit of preparing food on the weekend that I can take to work for lunch during the week. A new recipe on Spend Smart. Eat Smart. that I find perfect for this is Vegetarian Chili. I find this recipe easy to prepare since it uses canned tomatoes and beans and frozen corn. The only vegetables I need to chop are some onion and bell pepper. Using canned and frozen items means I can keep them on hand to have ready when I want to make the chili.

baking Christmas cookies

Delicious Gifts!

The holiday season is in full gear now! I enjoy gift-giving and thinking of things that the people in my life will enjoy and use. I love cooking for other people and I think it is a great way to show your love and care for them. Food gifts can be an easy and inexpensive way to acknowledge someone at the holidays. Here are some that I enjoy!

minestrone soup

Minestrone Soup

Welcome to December! December is usually a very busy month for me. At work we tend to have some bigger meetings and deadlines. My children have music concerts, indoor sports, and parties to attend. My husband and I have our own social events to add in. Most importantly, we have a very special birthday in December – our youngest turns 8 this year. Just thinking about all this makes me want to forget about planning and making meals.

Soups

Simpler Soups

The weather is cooling off – so in comes soup season! Sometimes we see soup recipes that have many steps, including chopping lots of veggies. While sometimes I have time for this, other times I don’t. On my busy days, I need a soup that I can put together in a hurry. Soups are a great way to get creative, have nutritious meals, stretch food dollars, and reduce food waste, all while saving time in the kitchen.