August 24, 2012 · 6:53 pm

Dinner in a Hurry, Part 1

School is right around the corner for us which means the pace of life is going to pick up. School all day, then violin or soccer or tae kwon do, birthday parties, homework and on and on and on. One thing that is super important to us is that we all sit down together to have dinner. It doesn’t happen every single day of the year, but most days we make it happen. Sometimes that means we don’t eat until late…like really late…but at least we’re eating together.

One of my time-saving tricks on these nights is to have the kids shower while I am making dinner and they just eat dinner in their pajamas…that way we’re getting two things done at once and they’re all dressed for bed before dinner even begins.

Another timesaver is making sure that everyone is helping out. Someone can get out the plates while someone else gets the silverware out. Someone can get the drinks ready while someone else gets out the napkins…divide and conquer.

I have gathered a lot of super quick recipes to share with you, but instead of giving them out all at once, I thought I would start us off with a sampling and give you some new ones as the year progresses. That way you’ll have some new ideas under your belt throughout the year without having to try and remember all of these recipes from all the way back in August when you’re trying to find a quick dinner in February.

First of all, we have a couple of “go to” quick dinners at our house. No recipe necessary, but I thought I would put them on this list anyways.

1. Breakfast for dinner: Eggs, bacon/sausage, some fruit and maybe some toast

2. Pasta: pasta with some salad on the side…super fast. We usually have some fruit with it too.

3. Hamburgers: we usually have hamburgers with chips (we LOVE Kettle chips) and some fresh fruit

The rest of the dinners on this post are Crock Pot/slow cooker dinners:
4. Tacos are a super duper fast dinner. We keep ours pretty simple with some taco meat, salsa, cheese and these refried beans.

5. Our kids love this CrockPot Lasagna. Serve it with some salad and some fruit and call it a meal.

6. CrockPot BBQ Brisket Sandwiches: serve these with some fruit and this make ahead cole slaw and dinner will be ready when you walk in the door.

7. CrockPot Ravioli Lasagna with some fruit and a salad and…voila…dinner.

8. Slow Roasted Crock Pot Chicken…this cooks the chicken and the veggies all at the same time. Serve with some bread and butter and dinner is done.

9. West Caribbean Crock Pot Chicken…this might be a little too adventurous for the eaters as your house. It’s really, really good though.

10. This recipe for CrockPot Hawaiian Pulled Pork is seriously one of my favorite recipes on this whole blog. Have it with some Kettle chips and some pineapple…so good! Seriously.

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Super Easy to Make

August 4, 2012 · 11:02 am

Camping Menu

We have been camping a lot lately and when I say a lot I mean twice, which is a 200% increase in the amount of camping my husband and I had done in our previous 13 years of marriage.

One of the first things I had to figure out when we decided to take on this challenge of camping was to decide what we were going to eat. I now have a menu that works for us, it’s pretty low key, and it’s one that everyone will eat.

Day 1
Dinner-Hamburgers or hot dogs
Chips
Watermelon
Bread and butter pickles
Wine for the adults and water for the kids

Day 2
Breakfast-Cereal or pb&j sandwiches
Bananas
Milk or juice

Lunch-Turkey and cheese or pb&j sandwiches
Strawberries
Chips
Bread and butter pickles
Chocolate chip cookies

Snacks-Apples, popcorn, cheese slices, yogurt

Dinner-Grilled Italian Sausages on hot dog buns with marinara sauce
Chips
Watermelon
Bread and butter pickles
Wine for the adults and water for the kids
S’mores for dessert

Day 3
Breakfast-Cereal or pb&j sandwiches
Bananas
Milk or juice

Lunch-Turkey and cheese or pb&j sandwiches
Strawberries
Chips
Bread and butter pickles
Chocolate chip cookies

Snacks-Apples, popcorn, cheese slices, yogurt

Dinner-Kabobs (I bought these pre-made and pre-marinated at the grocery store.)
Chips
Watermelon
Bread and butter pickles
Wine for the adults and water for the kids
S’mores for dessert

Day 4
Breakfast-Cereal or pb&j sandwiches
Bananas
Milk or juice

You may have noticed there is a lot of repetition. Yes, there is. One of my goals when planning our camping menu was to keep it simple and to bring as little food as necessary and to have as few leftovers as possible so there wasn’t much to bring home with us.

I would love to know what your family likes to eat while camping. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 🙂

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It

August 2, 2012 · 7:11 pm

Lunch Box Supplies

I do dread packing lunches. It’s always fun the first few weeks and then the fun, well, let’s just say it tapers off a bit. We still have to take lunches though and we are committed to creating as little waste as possible and to make our lunch boxes fun. How do we do that?

Let’s start with our lunch sacks. I let the kids pick their own lunch box. My only requirement is that it be big enough to hold a decent-sized lunch. These kids aren’t getting any smaller which means their lunches aren’t getting any smaller either.

Next, sandwich bags…out with the plastic bags and in with the cloth ones. We have Keeper Sacks and ReUsies. We use these to take snacks to school sometimes too. What do I love about them the most? I don’t have to buy tons of plastic sandwich bags. Why do the kids love them? They come in all kinds of fun colors and patterns.

My ABSOLUTE favorite lunch accessory is our Foogoo thermoses. Why do I love them so very, very, very much? They are dishwasher safe!!! Also, my kids don’t eat a lot of cold sack lunches, so we use these a LOT.

Drinks? We really try to limit sugar intake around here, so my kids get water. I don’t send milk because my children have been known to leave lunch sacks at school over Thanksgiving Break. No one wants to clean out milk that’s been sitting there for five days. So, they get water and they drink it from Kleen Kanteens. We like the hook loop lids…they don’t leak. Also, these come in lots of different colors which may seem like a good idea, but we have found that the steel colored ones are best because there is no paint to chip off. When the paint starts to chip off they just aren’t quite as much fun.

The other super important component of our lunch packing are these containers from IKEA. They are BPA free and come in lots of shapes and sizes. They are great for crackers, fruit, hummus, salsa, veggie sticks and the list goes on and on.

We also use cloth napkins and real silverware. I don’t think my kids actually use the napkins for wiping their mouths or hands, but they are there just in case they are inspired to use their manners at the lunch table. If nothing else, I put their napkins at the bottom of their lunchboxes and if anything spills (which it does) those cloth napkins are great at soaking up the mess. Do I ever lose silverware in the lunchroom trashcan? Probably, but not much.

What are some of your lunchbox must haves? Please share your ideas.:)

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July 23, 2012 · 5:09 pm

Grain-Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

These have been all over Pinterest so I had to try them. They were met with approval by 1/2 of our family. My husband would have liked them if he hadn’t seen the garbanzo beans going into them. Seriously. He would have never known… all you can taste is the yummy goodness of chocolate and peanut butter and there is absolutely nothing yucky about that.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups canned chickpeas, well-rinsed and patted dry with a paper towel
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons peanut butter
1/4 cup honey or agave
1 teaspoon baking powder
a pinch of salt if your peanut butter doesn’t have salt in it
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Combine all the ingredients, except for the chocolate chips, in a food processor and process until very smooth. Make sure to scrape the sides and the top to get the little chunks of chickpeas and process again until they’re combined.

Put in the chocolate chips and stir it if you can, or pulse it once or twice. The mixture will be very thick and sticky. With wet hands, form into 1 1/2″ balls. Place onto a piece of parchment paper. If you want them to look more like normal cookies, press down slightly on the balls. They don’t do much rising. Bake for about 10 minutes. Yields about fourteen 1 1/2″ cookie dough balls.

What did the family think? They were good, but I thought they were best about two days after I’d made them and they were less doughy and more like a cookie.

Where did this recipe come from? Texan Erin Baking

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Filed under After School Snacks, Desserts, Easy, Vegetarian

July 19, 2012 · 2:37 pm

Hummus, Avocado and Tomato Sandwich

Last summer, this heirloom tomato sandwich was my go to lunch. This week I discovered this sandwich. Since we don’t have any tomatoes from our garden yet, I had to buy one. (Which absolutely kills me, by the way. I have five tomato plants with green tomatoes on them. I need it to get warmer around here so the tomatoes will actually ripen!) Anyways, this is a tasty sandwich and great if it’s too hot to turn on the oven.

Ingredients:
2 slices of bread {toasted or not, whichever you’d like}
Hummus [store bought or homemade]
1 small avocado – halved, pitted, peeled and smashed
1 tomato, sliced
salt + pepper to taste

Instructions:
Spread hummus on a slice of bread. Add smashed avocado and sliced tomatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

What did the family think? I am the only one eating this yummy creation. It’s been my go to lunch this week.

Where did this recipe come from? Adapted from Eat, Live, Run

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Sandwich, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

July 17, 2012 · 2:22 pm

No Bake Berry Cream Cheese Tarts

My mother-in-law sent me this recipe before the 4th of July. Yes, this would have been a perfect dessert for the 4th, but we were out of town. I meant to make it last week, but the berries kept getting eaten before I could make the dessert. So, I finally got around to making this last night…we had all of the ingredients AND the family LOVED this! It only made four and there are four of us. The kids wanted to eat mine. Sorry…I am not handing over anything that involves cream cheese and berries.

Ingredients:
4 whole graham crackers (8 squares)
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
2 cups mixed berries: raspberries, strawberries and/or blueberries

Instructions:
Finely crush graham crackers and divide crumbs among four small bowls. I used ramekins.

In a small bowl, mix cream cheese, sour cream, vanilla, and confectioners’ sugar with a whisk.

Put mixture on top of graham cracker crumbs. Top with berries.

Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.

What did the family think? We all loved it! Hubby actually hasn’t eaten his yet and he better hurry up or it’s going to be GONE.

Where did this recipe come from? KU Med Center

photo from KU Med Center

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Filed under After School Snacks, Definitely Making it Again, Desserts, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Make Ahead of Time, Six Ingredients or Less, Vegetarian

July 12, 2012 · 2:37 pm

Blueberry Belgian Waffles

It’s that time of year…lots of blueberries and lots of things to cook so you can use them all before they spoil. We had these yummy waffles last night for dinner with some eggs and bacon.

Ingredients:
2 egg yolks
2 cups milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup oil
2 stiffly beaten egg whites
1-2 cups blueberries (depending on how blueberry-ish you want them)

Instructions:
Preheat waffle maker.

Put all ingredients except egg whites and blueberries in large mixer bowl. Beat on low until moistened. Increase to medium, mix until smooth.

Gently fold in beaten egg whites and blueberries with a wooden spoon.

Pour about 1/2-3/4 cup batter over grids. Close waffle maker, bake until steam no longer escapes, about 3-5 minutes. Repeat. Serve hot with your favorite toppings. We like butter and maple syrup!

What did the family think? YUM!

Where did this recipe come from? CDKitchen

photo from Columbus Foodie

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Filed under After School Snacks, Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Lent, Vegetarian

July 11, 2012 · 5:33 pm

Tuna and Noodles with Basil Pasta Sauce

My kids love tuna noodle casserole so I thought they might like this too. It doesn’t scream “tuna” (as my kids would never consider eating a tuna salad sandwich) but they are still getting the protein and it doesn’t taste too fishy.

Ingredients:
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 28-ounce can of tomatoes, crushed (with or without basil)
Salt, to taste
1 pound pasta shells
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 6-ounce can tuna (may want to use 2 cans depending on your family’s fish likes/dilikes)
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped or torn
A generous 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions:
Melt the butter in a medium pot on medium heat and add the can of tomatoes, including the juice.

Simmer gently, partially covered, for about 15-20 minutes.

Once the sauce is cooking, heat a large pot of well salted water to a strong boil. Add the shell pasta to the boiling water and cook at a vigorous boil, uncovered, until al dente, cooked through but still a bit firm to the bite, which is usually whatever the time specified on the pasta package minus about 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Pour off the excess oil/water from the tuna can and stir the tuna into the tomato sauce. Add the ricotta cheese, and add salt to taste. Turn off the heat. Mix the sauce with the pasta in a large bowl. Mix in the basil.

Pour the pasta into a 2 to 3-quart casserole dish and top with the parmesan cheese. Put under a hot broiler for 4-6 minutes, until the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Serve hot.

What did the family think? Our youngest was at a birthday party eating pizza and cake, but the rest of us had this and liked it.

Where did this recipe come from? Simply Recipes

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Filed under Easy, Everybody Ate It, Fish, Italian, Lent

July 9, 2012 · 10:45 am

Baked Breaded Shrimp

Every Sunday night in our house is fish night. The problem with this is that our boys aren’t huge fish fans and they especially don’t like salmon which is what we normally have on Sundays. I don’t want to fix two separate meals, but I do want them to at least be eating something that comes from the sea since we are having fish. I also don’t want them eating something that comes from a box. These little tasty shrimp were the solution.

Ingredients:
1 large egg
2 tbsps milk
1/3 cup bread crumbs (seasoned or plain)
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)
1 lb shrimp (peeled deveined medium)
Cooking spray

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk.

In a separate small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and cheese.

Dip each shrimp in egg mixture and then coat with bread crumb mixture.

Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.

Spray shrimp with cooking spray.

Bake shrimp for 7 to 9 minutes or until shrimp are pink and no longer translucent.

What did the family think? They loved them and were disappointed that I hadn’t made more.

Where did this recipe come from? Yummly

photo from FoodBuzz

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Fish, Italian, Lent, Six Ingredients or Less

July 3, 2012 · 3:38 pm

Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothies and Popsicles

I have been following Catherine Newman ever since I read her book Waiting for Birdy. (If you are a parent with little people at home you will LOVE this book. Trust me.) So even though we may not have super little people in our house anymore, I am still stalking following her because of her fantastic recipes. It’s been a while since I have made something from her blog, but this makes up for the wait. These are SOOOOO good! We made them into smoothies and popsicles and they were FANTASTIC both ways! I bet you could make them with blueberries, too.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh or frozen strawberries
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt (or plain or strawberry yogurt…we used plain Greek)
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup milk
3 ice cubes
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 T Agave syrup or another sweetener, to taste (we made some with and some without…some of us liked it better with the agave syrup and some of us liked it better without)

Instructions:
Put everything in a blender and mix until well blended.

What did the family think? Love, love and more love!

Where did this recipe come from? Ben and Birdy

photo courtesy of the resident 3rd grader

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Filed under After School Snacks, Beverages, Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Desserts, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian