Meal Planning and Shopping Tips

Written by Karen @ To Work With My Hands, Contributing Writer Whether you enjoy it or hate it, gathering food and preparing it for our families is something we all have to do. Sometimes I really enjoy it. At other times...not so much. But, with over 27 years of experience behind me, I've learned a few things that have helped make it a natural part of my routine. It all starts with a plan. Building The Menu: Since I shop for groceries every other week, I plan our meals two weeks … [Read more...]

Protein Packed Nut Butter Bites

Written by Contributing Writer, Kari at Living Strong, Health & Wellness Snack time! Personally, I'm not a big "snacker". I can go meal to meal without needing any extra food to keep me going. Although, having a family, I need to have a plan on hand for our meals and snacks and then I need to make sure they are ready and available to eat! My kids, on the other hand, seem to need a snack every 30 minutes. I can understand why since they are on the go, non-stop, active kids. This can … [Read more...]

The Best Beef Stew in the Crockpot

Cooking with my daughter Julia is one of my favorite things to do.  She loves helping! I have been slacking on my meal planning lately, but when I am on top of it, she is right there by my side eager to help.  Cooking when it's easy and tasty is something I always strive to do. This Beef Stew is the best because you just dump the ingredients into the crockpot and later you have a delicious dinner... AND the best part? No huge mess to clean up! ;) **I wish I had a photo of the … [Read more...]

Chicken Tortilla Soup With A Kick

  Written by Kari @ Living Strong, Health & Wellness, Contributing Writer It is October and it's officially cooling down enough to try this great recipe, which is perfect for any chilly weather you might experience over these next few months! This belly warming soup is simple, quick and so delicious! All you need is a blender and a stock pot (or slow-cooker) and you're set to make the most amazing tortilla soup you have ever had! You can keep this a mild meal or add some … [Read more...]

Reinventing the Cold Lunch

Written by Kari, Contributing Writer With school starting soon and routines getting back in order, if your child attends school, packing a lunch is a part of that routine. I’m not sure about where you live, but the choices for ‘hot lunch’ are not acceptable at my daughter’s school, so everyday is a ‘cold lunch’ day. I understand the convenience of your child eating hot lunch at school, but the overall consequences are nothing short of disastrous. {photo credit} And no, I’m not … [Read more...]

Eating Real Food on (Really Long) Road Trips

Written by Jenn @ A Simple Haven, Contributing Writer This summer, my little family and I took a two and a half week road trip through Canada and Maine. We made several stops along the way; either in a hotel or a friend's house for a night or for several days in a rental house. We travel pretty regularly as a family but this was by far the longest we've been away from home and all of the conveniences home affords--especially in the kids and food departments. Adventures in traveling with … [Read more...]

10 Easy Freezer Meals {Including a Family Favorite}

Freezer meals are so easy and convenient. As a busy mom of 3, some days I fail to plan dinner, 4pm rolls around and I'm thinking what in the world is for dinner? I don't like to admit it but meal planning is one of my weaknesses. Can any of you relate? So when I have meal planned, it helps, but what I find helps me the most are freezer meals. This can be done several different ways but the ways I think are the easiest are the "dump all ingredients into a freezer zip bag and freeze method" … [Read more...]

What’s So Great About a Household Notebook

Written by Jenn, Contributing Writer Several months ago, I came across a few blog posts and videos explaining how to set up a household notebook.  While hardly revolutionary, I had never heard of such a thing. Thank you, interwebs. Since then, I have adopted my own version and don’t know how I’d function without it.  Nearly every piece of paper I regularly need or receive can be contained in my cute little binder from Target. It helps me live more intentionally, be more organized, and … [Read more...]

Organized Meal Planning Made Simple

Written by Kari, Contributing Writer Meal planning has never been one of my favorite activities. I remember when I got married almost 13 years ago the dread I faced every time I went to the grocery store. I never had a plan, I never knew what to get and I had no creativity. My husband was a trooper, because I sure didn’t woo him with my amazing skills in the kitchen. As time went on, I moved from the same ole repeated 5 meals to a broader menu, but I still despised the duty of planning meals … [Read more...]

Dehydrating Greens for Easy Nutrition All Winter Long

Written by Kristen, Contributing Writer This has not been the grandest year for my garden. There's no abundance of tomatoes to can, no peppers to freeze, and hardly enough basil to make one batch of pesto, but I decided to give myself grace with gardening and not aim for perfection. I've realized that even in an off-year with the garden, certain crops always do well. One of those for us is Swiss chard, and I've got more than our family cares to eat. In the past I would lightly steam and … [Read more...]