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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.
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.
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.
Recipe Mashup – Slow Cooker Pork Roast on a Sandwich
This month we are sharing food mashups. These are ideas for using foods or recipes in unexpected ways. You will hear about a mashup from each of the Spend Smart. Eat Smart. bloggers through the month of June! Have you tried our delicious Slow Cooker Pork Roast? This is one of my favorite recipes on our website. It is rich and tasty and has bright citrus flavors that are somewhat unexpected in a pork recipe.
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!
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.
Sloppy-ish Joes!
This month I am excited to bring some attention to an old favorite recipe and offer an idea for how you might try it a different way. Sloppy Joes have been around for a long time and most people have a favorite version of them. My favorite is the version on our website. This recipe tastes more like ketchup and mustard than it does like barbeque sauce or tomato sauce – it’s delicious!
Stuffed Peppers: A Delicious Twist on Pasta Night!
Pasta is a fan favorite at our house. I love the flexibility of pasta and how I can use a variety of sauces, cheeses, noodles, and even protein. Thankfully our daughters enjoy pasta, so some form of a pasta dish ends up on our meal plan at least 1-2 times a week. To switch it up, I love using the Stuffed Peppers recipe on Spend Smart. Eat Smart. This recipe provides the same flavors as our favorite pasta dishes, but with a fun twist!
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.
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: