Plan-Ahead Dinners That Kids Help Prepare

June 10, 2013 By Leave a Comment

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Planning meals ahead can help you to save a lot of time and energy once dinner time rolls around. As a mother, it is highly likely that you stay busy throughout the entire day. When it's time to prepare dinner, you simply may not have the energy to get around to cooking. This could lead to spending extra money on unhealthy fast foods just because you don't have to cook in order to enjoy a meal. Now that school is out and summer has just begun, it's the perfect time to recruit your kids to help, in order to make ahead some meals that are not only fun to cook together, but are easy to freeze for a later time. Take a break from the stress of everyday life and simply spend some time together in the kitchen. These menu ideas are perfect for preparing freezer meals with the kids.

Beef Stew

While you may have a picky eater on your hands, allowing your child to help you with preparing and cooking the meal may encourage them to try some different food at dinner time. Ask for your kids' help in preparing beef stew, an easy dish that can be frozen and re-heated at a later time when you're scrambling to get out the door, but would still like to enjoy a home-cooked meal. Make this juicy beef stew in the oven, where it will cook for about 5 hours on 250 degrees F. Allow the kids to help cut up vegetables under your supervision, to measure ingredients and to then throw them all into the pot.

Ingredients:
- 2 lbs. beef stew meat
- 1 cup baby carrots
- 4 stalks of celery
- 2 medium onions
- 3 large potatoes
- 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 tsp. pepper, 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 cups V8 juice

Simply brown the meat in a skillet and transfer all ingredients to baking dish. Bake at 250 degrees F for 5 hours and enjoy. Freeze once cool to enjoy later.

Other Menu and Entree Ideas

Some other excellent kid-friendly menu ideas that the children can help to prepare include Sweet and Sour Meatballs, Basic Quesadillas and Baked Macaroni and Cheese. The classic meal of Macaroni and Cheese is a favorite among children, but making it yourself rather than out of a box will provide you with a healthier option that not only looks good, but also appeals to your kids' taste buds.

 

Filed Under: Freezer Cooking / OAMC, Freezer Cooking: Beef, Kid Friendly Meals, Make Ahead Meals, Meal Planning Tagged With: , ,

Yummy Popcorn

June 3, 2013 By Leave a Comment

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Get Ready to Make Yummy Popcorn:  Two Quick and Easy Snacks!

Are you a busy mother without a lot of time for cooking, baking and preparing detailed meals for your children? Would you like for your children to eat as healthy as possible, but also enjoy their food and look forward to eating your meals and treats? Are you looking for a way to save money and time while still producing delicious, homemade snacks that are good for your children? If you are, then try these two yummy popcorn treats. You can use microwave popcorn or your own air popper and corn. They are easy to make, and diverse enough that you can give them to your children on different days for a completely new tasting experience!

Chocolate-Popcorn Medley

Pop one bag of regular popcorn in your microwave. While it still is hot, carefully open the bag, making sure to let out the steam slowly to avoid burning your hands. Empty the bag into a large mixing bowl. Set up a double boiler and slowly melt a handful of carmels in the double boiler. Repeat the process with a handful of semi sweet chocolate.  While the chocolate and caramel still are hot, dip a spoon in the melted candies and then wave the spoon back and forth over the bowl of popcorn. Continue doing this and toss the popcorn around until the popcorn is fully coated. Top off this sweet and salty confection by lightly sprinkling coconut shavings on top. The coconut will stick to the chocolate and carmel, so that each time you eat the pop corn you get a little sweet and a little salty flavor.

Healthy Pop Corn Trail Mix

Pop one bag of healthy or low salt popcorn. Allow the corn to cool before dumping it into a mixing bowl. Make sure the kernels do not get into the bowl. Add one cup of your favorite dried fruit, such as cranberries or raisins. Follow with one cup of your favorite nuts, such as low salt cashews or peanuts. Add one cup of pretzels and one cup of karob (or chocolate) chips. You can purchase karob chips at a health foods store. They taste a little like chocolate, but are vegan-friendly. Mix these items together by lightly tossing, and then bag them, making sure that you get some of every ingredient in the bags. You can easily adapt this to your preferences with a variety of dried fruit and nuts.

These snacks are easy to make, and your children can make them with you!  If your child is old enough, write their name on a few bags just for them and let them customize their snacks themselves.

 

Filed Under: Easy Entertaining, Kid Friendly Meals, School Lunches Tagged With: ,

Satisfying Dinner for the Hungry Teen

May 27, 2013 By Leave a Comment

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You thought your child ate a lot when he or she was small, but now that they are a teenager, it seems like you can't keep food in the house. What can you do to keep your teens fed while saving time and effort? Read on for tips and a recipe you can make ahead of time that is sure to satisfy the wildest hunger.

Stock Up On Healthy Snacks

Kids eat so much because their metabolisms are busy converting energy to their developing bodies. They need healthy, filling food options to provide nutrition. Stock up on snacks such as apples, bananas, trail mix, and yogurt. Your kids think fruit and veggies are boring? Purchase frozen fruit in bulk from club discount stores and have them make their own smoothies. Kids gobble up bags of chips daily? Buy large sourdough pretzels instead and pair them with peanut butter, along with chopped celery and carrots. The kids will get their sweet/salty/crunchy fix as well as a serving of vegetables.

Consider Alternate Protein Sources

If your teenager consumes more meat than an alpha wolf, look into other sources such as beans, whole grains, and eggs to satisfy their need for protein. You can add beans to soups, salads and dishes such as chili in order to cut back on meat while still keeping your kids full. Eggs are one of nature's most perfect foods, combining a lean protein source and complex carbohydrates. They're also cheap.

A Satisfying Dinner Suggestion

The following recipe is one you can make ahead of time, freeze the remaining portions, and is budget-friendly. If you have especially ravenous kids or older teens, double the portions.

Pasta Fagiole With Sausage

1 lb. of red kidney beans
1 lb. turkey sausage or polska kielbasa (or ground beef/turkey...your preference)
1 cup macaroni
1 small onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 can (8oz) tomato sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Soak beans overnight. In greased slow cooker, combine chopped vegetables, beans, sausage/meat, sauce and seasonings. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. During the last fifteen minutes, add macaroni. Taste and add more salt, pepper, or Italian seasoning, if needed.

This dinner recipe is easy and cooks while you're busy at work. Try this recipe and apply the aforementioned tips to keep your teens happy and well fed.

Filed Under: Easy Crockpot / Slow Cooker Recipes, Kid Friendly Meals, Make Ahead Meals, Meal Planning Tagged With: , , ,

Tater Tot Casserole

May 20, 2013 By Leave a Comment

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When you were a child, you probably looked forward to any meal that included tater tots. This simple little potato nugget tastes similar to french fries, but tater tots somehow seem more exciting and delicious than ordinary fries. Your kids probably love them as much as you did, but when you're trying to eat healthy, you tend to skip frozen foods in favor of something you make yourself. Once you take a lot at this recipe for tater tot casserole, you might find yourself excited about tater tot night again.

Start with one pound of boneless chicken. Chicken breasts are delicious, but chicken thighs are a little more economical. No matter what you choose, cut the chicken into bite size pieces and set inside a skillet. Cook the chicken over low heat until cooked through. If you prefer beef, cook a pound of ground beef instead.  Add one small can of cream of mushroom soup, or make gravy with the meat drippings by adding some broth, milk and flour. Add one cup of water to the mixture if you use the soup, and stir until well combined. While the mixture cooks, add one bag of frozen corn and one bag of peas, or the equivalent in your favorite frozen vegetables.

Transfer the mixture to a lightly greased or buttered baking dish. Pour one bag of tater tots over the top of the mixture and make sure they are evenly spread around in one layer. If you're feeling a little fancy, you can arrange the tater tots in a pattern on top of the casserole. Bake the mixture for 25 minutes at 425 degrees or until the tater tots are lightly browned on top. This is also a great make ahead dish. Place everything inside the dish except for the tater tots and cover with plastic wrap. Thirty minutes before dinner time, remove the dish from the freezer, top with the tots and bake as directed.

Tater tots aren't just for dinner either. Create a quick make ahead breakfast dish with tater tots, bacon, cheese and eggs. Whisk one dozen eggs with ½ cup of milk and season with salt and pepper. Cook one pound of bacon until slightly crispy, and arrange the bacon in the bottom of a casserole dish. Cover the bacon with one bag of tater tots (spread evenly) and pour the egg mixture over the top. Cover the eggs with several handfuls of cheddar cheese and bake at 325 degrees until the eggs set.

Tater tots are a great and versatile food. You can pair these little potato nuggets with a simple turkey hot dog for a quick and simple dinner, or you can create a make ahead dish for those nights when you don't have a lot of time. Some stores even carry sweet potato puffs, which will add more nutrition to your meal...and they're delicious!

Filed Under: Freezer Cooking / OAMC, Freezer Cooking: Poultry, Kid Friendly Meals, Make Ahead Meals, Meal Planning, Quick and Easy Cooking Tagged With: , , ,

Make Ahead Breakfast Rolls

May 13, 2013 By Leave a Comment

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Wouldn't it be great if you could just toss a baking dish in the oven first thing in the morning, and enjoy yummy cinnamon rolls a few minutes later? With make ahead breakfast dishes, you'll have time to make something delicious for the whole family. Between getting yourself ready for work, checking on the kids and making sure your spouse is ready, you have enough on your mind. You don't want to worry about what everyone will eat before they head off on their busy days. By throwing everything together the night before, you can get your family ready faster in the morning.

Start with one of the easiest recipes for morning rolls. Combine ½ cup pecans, ½ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup melted butter and 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract in a small bowl. Butter your baking dish, making sure that you coat the bottom and sides. Fill the baking dish with one package of frozen or refrigerated biscuits, and pour the butter and pecan mixture over the top. Cover the dish with plastic wrap, and store the dish in the refrigerator overnight. When you get up the next day, pop the baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes.

The best thing about this recipe is that you can easily transform is with just a few other ingredients. You can swap out the nuts if you want something a little different, or you can add more nuts if you want something a little crunchier. Skip the nuts all together and add a dash of cinnamon to make your own cinnamon buns. You can even add a handful of fruit when you make the dish the night before.

Make ahead breakfast dishes help you save time, and you'll find dozens of ways that you can customize these recipes. Flatten refrigerated bread dough until it's ½ inch thick, and set the dough to the side. Mix ½ cup cinnamon with ½ cup brown sugar. Spread the cinnamon sugar mixture out over the dough, and wrap it over to form a log. Cut the log into ½ inch shapes, pop in a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees the next morning. Have fun mixing and matching your favorite ingredients to create a dish that your family will love.

Filed Under: Kid Friendly Meals, Make Ahead Meals, Meal Planning, Quick and Easy Cooking Tagged With: , ,
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