My family is pulled in so many directions during December: Church Christmas pageants, caroling, recitals, school finals, parties, and shopping. All of these activities make it harder for us to sit down as a family and enjoy a meal together. My solution? Fast and easy recipes that can be assembled in minutes and made with ingredients that will convince everyone to find room in … [Read more...]
Peppermint Bark Chex Party Mix
I wanted to make a treat for my family to snack on while we were decorating the tree, but I didn't want to spend a lot of time making it, so I came up with this fast and easy recipe for Peppermint Bark Chex Party Mix. To crush the candy canes without making a mess, place them in a ZipLoc bag and then roll a rolling pin over them. The Rice Chex added a delightful … [Read more...]
Ginger, Sweet Potato and Bean Soup
I know sweet potatoes and beans combined with Asian seasonings sounds like a crazy combination. You are just going to have to trust me on this. This soup is seriously delicious! It is also fast and easy to make, filling, and frugal. I pulled this soup together in under 20 minutes. I was able to do that because I had cooked rice on hand. If you don't have … [Read more...]
Chicken and Summer Squash Skillet
The inspiration for this recipe is extreme fatigue. My family was craving a home-cooked meal and I really wanted to make them one. I went so far as to plan on making garlic chicken and sauteed squash. But as I started cutting up squash in preparation for dinner, I began to wonder if I could get away with combining the ingredients from the two recipes and quickly cooking the … [Read more...]
Slow Cooker Taco Rice Soup
When life is busy it is even more important for my family to find time to eat together. There is something so relaxing about sitting around the table together chatting, laughing, and reconnecting. However, it can be rough to throw together a family dinner when we walk in the door a few minutes before dinner time. Yes, I can throw together a pretty decent meal in 10 minutes, … [Read more...]
Low Carb Hash Browns with Summer Squash
A low carb hash brown with summer squash and potatoes - grated and grilled to perfection! It's a simple combination of grated potatoes and summer squash that makes for a delicious, lower carb option for hash browns. It's that time of year. The time of year when I struggle with my morals. Is it dishonest to hide squash in recipes? What if I adopt the "don't ask, don't … [Read more...]
Strawberry Sorbet
As a mom, I love sorbet. It is lower in sugar than ice-cream and my kids are getting a healthy dose of fruit on their ice-cream cone. However, the frugalista in me winces every time I look at the price of a pint container of sorbet. This recipe is an easy and frugal alternative to store-bought sorbet. When I buy strawberries on sale, I can make twice as much sorbet, for half … [Read more...]
Cilantro-Lime Chicken Casserole
Do you ever start out to make one dish and then end up making something entirely different? I started out to make a lemon chicken casserole with green beans and new potatoes, but then remembered that I had used all the lemons making lemonade. I decided to substitute limes, but then that meant I had to change up the spices. Once I had changed the spices, I decided I needed to … [Read more...]
Lemon Pasta with Chicken and Broccoli
I wanted a fast and easy recipe for Sunday dinner because the eclipse was going to occur right about the time we usually eat dinner. However, I only took into account the timing of the full eclipse and forgot that it would start 20 minutes before that time and last for quite awhile afterwards. Family kept wandering in and out of the house as they took turns looking at the … [Read more...]
Asian Chicken Salad with Quinoa
I love Asian chicken Salad. It is second only to chocolate on my list of favorites. I enjoy trying new variations and often experiment with it at home. When I discovered quinoa while going through my pantry, I knew I had to try it in this salad! Quinoa, with its nutty flavor and crunchy texture, is a natural addition to this type of salad. In this easy recipe, I used quinoa … [Read more...]