The trip to the grocery store this morning said it all. The bill for this one visit was the same that I was spending for the entire month just a few years back. Granted, there are three growing boys in the home, but something still has to give.

The best way to beat the rising costs at the grocery store is to use what you buy. It may seem silly, but most of us have freezers and pantries packed with items that will go bad before they get used. Here are a few tips to make sure that doesn’t happen and to help you stretch that grocery budget a little farther.

1. Make a list of everything you have in your panty. It is best to break it down by categories (fruits, vegetables, condiments).

2. Do the same for other areas in your home (frig or freezer).

3. Now look over the lists and make a menu for the next week or month with the items you currently have.

4. Use the menu to create a grocery list for those items that have to be bought on a regular basis (or might be needed for a particular dish).

Just this quick little project will help you cut back on your groceries and save a bundle along the way. Plus you will find that knowing what you are going to cook makes it easier to actually cook the meals as well.

Kids (and many adults) need to eat more vegetables. The problem is that most kids don’t like vegetables. You can try all the Popeye stories you want, and most of them will still refuse the spinach or broccoli.

To get kids to eat the healthy choices may take some “creative cooking” or even a few tricks, games or other ideas.

1. Hide the vegetables. When you make their favorite foods (lasagna or even spaghetti) mix in some vegetables that have been roasted and pureed in the food processor. They get all the vegetables and don’t even know they are getting them (and the vegetable puree also makes a great tasting dip).

2. Let them choose and grow their own vegetables. The fun and excitement of seeing them grow AND actually picking them from the garden might help them be more excited about cooking them. They will also find that fresh vegetables (particularly carrots) are much sweeter than those purchased in the store).

3. Create creatures and other designs from the vegetables. Celery sticks with peanut butter in the center then covered with raisins and finally pretzel sticks for legs are great ugly critters that can be fun to eat.

Sometimes the only thing you need to get kids to eat well is to be creative. Having fun with food will make it more interesting and more inviting to everyone.

Good dinners don’t have to take hours to prepare or cost a fortune. Here are some quick and easy meals that anyone can prepare in around thirty minutes.

1. Manicotti is an easy dinner that looks like you spent hours cooking. Mix together a 12 oz container of ricotta cheese, two eggs, a tablespoon of sugar, and a teaspoon each of garlic and onion powder (you can also add any precooked veggies you might have like spinach, mushrooms, or roasted red bell peppers – finely chopped). Spoon the mixture into uncooked manicotti shells, and then place the stuffed shells in a casserole dish that has a thin layer of spaghetti sauce already in the bottom. Cover the shells with the remaining spaghetti sauce and top the whole dish with shredded mozzarella cheese and cover it with aluminum foil. Bake in a 375 degree oven until the shells are tender (about 35 minutes).

2. Soft tacos with fresh produce make for a fun dinner. This is an easy meal to throw together is you brown your ground beef and keep it frozen. Just thaw the meat in the microwave, add some taco seasoning, and heat for five minutes. While that is cooking, chop your fresh roma tomatoes, lettuce (use a plastic knife because the metal will make the lettuce turn brown) and shred your cheese (or open the bag). Let each member take a soft flour tortilla and create their own masterpiece. If you don’t want the tortilla, then put your taco meat on a bed of lettuce and enjoy a fresh, warm taco salad.

3. Peanut butter noodles can be a surprising dinner treat for everyone. You’ll need some dried noodles (thin spaghetti works well), 1/2 tsp sesame oil (if you have it), 1/2 cup peanut butter, 1 tbsp sugar, 1/4 cup soy sauce. Cook the noodles as directed. In a separate bowl beat together the rest of the ingredients. Thin the sauce with water until it is the consistency of heavy cream. Pour over the noodles and serve.

4. Have breakfast for dinner. Most meals of eggs, biscuits (from the can or now the freezer section), and bacon can be whipped up in well under 30 minutes. Save on the cleaning time by using the left over bacon grease to make some gravy. Just add an equal amount of flour to the grease in the pan. Let it start to bubble. Season the flour with pepper, salt, and garlic or onion powder to taste. Slowly whisk in some milk until the gravy is the consistency your family prefers.

Make it easy, make it quick, and make sure that clean up will be a breeze as well. Dinner doesn’t have to take all day to be enjoyed by everyone.

It is important for me - as a stay at home mom - to put something on the table for dinner every night that I have cooked myself.  Most days it isn’t a problem.  I remember to take the meat out of the freezer, I start prep work on time, and I put it in the oven at just the right moment so that it will be fresh and ready when daddy gets home.  On days when it doesn’t work out that way, it is extremely valuable to have a well stocked pantry.

1.      Canned chicken can be a life saver.  If you forget to defrost or if you simple don’t have the chicken that you thought you did, then this canned variety can make good chicken salad, chicken and dumplings, or even chicken pot pie.

2.      Instant potatoes are a quick and tasty side.  They may not be as good as homemade, but with a little seasoning, sour cream, bacon bits, and some shredded cheese, you have a side dish that looks like you spent all day preparing.

3.      Canned raviolis (or lasagna, spagettios, etc) are a dinner even the kids can put together.  Add a healthy tough with a remade salad and it’s almost as good as mom can make.

4.      Condensed soups make great soup starters.  Add your favorite veggies and some broth for a perfect winter meal.

5.      Muffin packets are great for pancakes, muffins, or breads.  You can even add some canned fruit to make it more of a dessert.

The pantry is your friend.  With just a few staple items in your cabinet, you make meals in minutes for those days that are too hectic for reason. 

“I can bring home the bacon - fry it up in the pan . . . ” but should I really have to?  It seems that when you choose to work from home, most people (often including your spouse) don’t get the concept that you are actually working.  They expect you to continue to run the household as a full time job even though you are working full time.  This seems especially true when it comes to meals - it’s easier for you to do the cooking since you are already at home.

Trying to manage three meals a day and squeezing in work use to stress me out.  Then my oven died.  That pushed me into complete panic, for about a day.  I was forced to re-discover my crock-pot, microwave, and toaster oven.  It was one of the best bad things that has ever happened to our home.  Not only did I get a new oven, but I got some stress free recipes that help me balance home and work.

Now, many of my more hectic morning start with dinner prep.  I pour everything into a crock-pot (with a liner for easy clean up) and set it on low.  At the end of the day, dinner is on the table and the mess cleaned up before the whining can even start.

There are still those days when things get out of control and we end up eating sandwiches (or the kids’ favorite, cereal) for dinner.  For the most part, the crock pot has made me the greatest work at home chef in the world - to quote my oldest son.

My husband doesn’t cook – so I rarely know what it is like to sit and wait for some one else to fix dinner while I am tortured by their culinary genius.  The closest I have gotten is a meal in a crock pot.  There is nothing more mouth watering than to come home from a long day – staved – and open the door to a house full of the smell of dinner.

Certain smells seem to make me hungrier than others.  There is something about the smell of roasting garlic and onions that will get my mouth watering day or night – morning or evening.  (I guess that’s why these are called “fragrants”).  Chicken is also something I enjoy smelling while it cooks – for some reason it does more for me than beef or pork.

I don’t think I have much to worry about when it comes to being tortured while my husband cooks.  He can scramble eggs and things of that nature, but for the most part my husband is a “warmer-upper.”  The microwave just doesn’t have the same effect as freshly cooked foods. 

Maybe there is hope for me yet.  Both of my older sons have shown an interest in cooking.  Before long, they could be the ones in the kitchen browning up some onions and causing me to wish that supper was already on the table.

Cooking quick and easy is important for me since I’m a work at home, homeschooling, mother of three boys.  I want to get the house clean, do my work, and have dinner on the table when the hubby gets home - and not have two more hours worth of cleaning to face.

Most of the quick cook meals that I have run across (like the 30 minute meals that are so popular right now) only take into account the preparation time and the cook time.  Few people consider the time involved with the clean up.  After a long day, the last thing I want to have to look forward to is washing a lot of pots and pans.

The crock pot is one way I avoid this task.  Not only is it easy to clean up after cooking (especially if you get some of the crock pot liners that are now sold), but if I’ve had a rough day I don’t have to worry about fixing dinner.  It’s been fixing itself all day.

I also enjoy one pot or one dish meals.  Lasagna is a favorite in our house.  It may take longer than 30 minutes (since I don’t precook the noodles) but I only have the one dish to clean when it is all said and done.  It’s even easier if I use a disposable tin pan.  I just throw it in the garbage after we are finished.

Quick meals are a definite blessing for a busy family.  It’s even better when the clean up is just as quick.

A few years back, I cooked a Christmas feast for a couple’s party.  As they were driving out of our drive way, I ran to the bathroom sick as could be.  My first thought was “I’ve undercooked the turkey and poisoned all of the guests.”  Fortunately, it was just me.  Still, if you do any cooking, you can’t help but worry about keeping your food safe for consumption.

I think part of my fear stems from the fact that I have suffered from food poisoning and it is NOT something I would wish on my worst enemy.  The details are not something I’ll share, but let’s just say it’s unpleasant.

Seafood is something that my family (even the younger ones) loves, but that I just refuse to cook.  We don’t live any where near the ocean or sea and I was always concerned about how “fresh” the frozen alternatives really would be.  Alton Brown did a special on his show, “Good Eats” about seafood, and it relieved me enough to buy some frozen shrimp.  I still haven’t cooked it though.

Chicken breasts are my favorite meat item to cook.  Even if you over cook them, you can still find ways to make them edible.  I’m slowly venturing out to other meats and new cuts, but I still worry about getting them to a safe temperature - especially when there is a grill involved.

Trial and error just won’t cut it when it comes to safety issues.  I will continue to look for probes and electronics that will help me keep my family safe.  And I’ll probably leave the seafood to the professionals.

For some strange reason, the holiday season gives everyone an open chance to play with their food. Whether it’s a ginger bread house, or a candy landscape, or a cookie Christmas tree, it’s okay to get in and get sticky.

Every year I promise myself that my kids and I will make a ginger bread house. I have visions of ginger bread mansions dancing in my head. But we already make our Christmas cards AND we already make goodie plates for everyone in the family and in the neighborhood. It just seems that time always runs out.

Traditions are important, especially when it comes to holidays. I think it’s amazing that families take the time to share the food adventure that comes with building some of these great, sweet masterpieces. I’m beginning to think that maybe it’s not just about playing with your food that makes these buildings so great.

This year doesn’t look like it will be our year for Christmas, but who knows what the other holidays will bring. We may just make a gingerbread turkey or a ginger bread Easter basket. There is no reason one holiday should get all of the food playing fun over all those other great holiday seasons.

Hot dogs may be America’s favorite food, but shove a stick through one and fry it up with a corn batter and you have something close to heaven.  Even chicken fingers become something new and exciting when placed on a stick.  There is just something about food on a stick that is fun and tasty without being too tacky.  Food on a stick is so special that some areas even give it a celebration.

Food on a stick is great entertainment food.  Kabobs can be as much fun to put together and cook as they are to eat.  Just build a long shallow pit, fill it with coals, place a few racks on top, and the party will take care of itself.

The stick provides a clean way to eat the food without a lot of clean up.  It’s great for the guests and even better for the host.  Even cookies are being made on sticks – like lollipops – and are being used in place of cupcakes at parties.

Most people think of deep fat fried foods when they think of stick foods, but these party favorites can be healthy as well.  The things that can be served on a stick are limitless.  Let your imagination go crazy and see where the food on a stick theme can take you and your guests for your next get together.

Apparently milk does more than just do a body good.  Recent research has shown that milk can actually help you lose weight.  I’m thinking that to get the benefits I will probably have to drink the milk plain (not with ice cream and a little fruit blended in it), but I’m willing to give it a go.

Our house is already full of milk drinkers.  Raising a brood of boys means a regular lecture about the importance of milk.  I recently joined the bandwagon and have been partaking of a glass of mild with supper.  It’s easier to get the kids to drink what you want when its the only drink offered to anyone.

I take it a step farther in our home.  We use organic milk from grass feed cows.  The benefits of going green when it comes to milk are well known.  Unfortunately, the grain fed cows tend to produce more milk so farmers stick with the grain.  It might cost more, but even without the added health benefits our family would be drinking the organic milk.  It just tastes better.

So, whether you want to grow big and strong or are looking for some added health benefits or just want to lose a couple of pounds, milk is the one drink that can fulfill it all.  So you just have to wonder - do YOU got milk?

There is something about baking cookies that makes a home inviting and pulls a family together. Every Christmas, my children and I gather in the kitchen for two days of nothing but cookies. All the meals are leftovers and eaten off paper plates. We don’t won’t to make any more mess than the cookies will make.

Each of us has that one cookie that makes Christmas complete, but we are still always looking for new recipes or a twist on an old favorite. During the holidays, the magazines are always packed with new options or fun varieties.

Although I would venture to say that my twist on the chocolate chip cookie (using real milk chocolate AND white chocolate chips) is by far the best variety I’ve ever had, I still look over the ingredients and prep of new recipes to see if it stands a chance.

The great thing about trying a variety of recipes for the same cookie is that the kids learn how one ingredient can make the whole thing taste different. I’m training up bakers in this house. I want them to be able to make up their own recipes (someone in this family has to win the Pillsbury Bake Off).

The holidays aren’t too far away. If you have a favorite cookie recipe that you think would make a great addition to our Christmas tradition, please pass it on. We’ll give the new recipes a try and let you know how it comes out.

Breakfast is not only the most important meal of the day, it is an art form in the south. It is best when it is fresh out of the oven and on the table and when the whole family gathers around from Grandpa down to the newest grand baby.

I always prided myself on cooking from (mostly) scratch. It’s been a long time since I didn’t use Bisquick to make my biscuits, but I still use buttermilk. Even when I did cook from scratch, it never dawned on me to make my own sausage.

It’s no wonder the women of old didn’t need to go to the gym or work out to stay thin. The act of just cooking three meals a day - completely from scratch - took all day and required so much energy that they didn’t have the energy left to feed themselves.

I have made sausage from scratch - venison sausage. I added some ground pork and lots of spices and even sent it through the food processor to make sure it had a nice texture. My first attempts weren’t thrilling. They tasted more like hamburgers than sausage. A few tweaks with the spices and I eventually found my niche - but it was an all day event. I made sure to make up enough patties that I could freeze them and not have to start fresh every morning.

My hats off to any of you who are waking up early enough to provide your family with a completely home made breakfast. The rest of us will be up later to start our versions of the great southern breakfast.

If you throw a shindig and want to make sure you pack the house then have food.  Nothing makes you a good host or hostess like a lot of food (except a lot of alcohol, only most guests won’t remember how great you were after they recover the next morning, so what’s the point).

Football season is gearing up, and so are my recipe piles for finger foods and easy entertaining.  Hospitality is one of my gifts, but in the past I would be so busy trying to get everything done that I missed visiting with all the guests.  Now I take a little longer to prepare, make things that are more convenient, and ask for help if I need it. 

There is also a limit to my prep time.  Thirty minutes before guests arrive, I’m done.  It’s like those competitions where they yell “time is up – hands in the air.”  It doesn’t matter how much I have left to do.  The next thirty minutes are all about getting ME ready for the party and into the party mood.  If I don’t get the mini quiches done, no body really seems to notice. 

The more I have gatherings, the more I find that they guests are here as much for the company as they are for the food.  If you have a warm and inviting atmosphere then most people are going to have an enjoyable experience.

Football may be the only exception to the food rule.  There must be good eats at a football gathering.  It takes a lot of energy to arm chair quarterback.  So freeze up some goodies that can be thawed and heated, keep plenty of chips and dip on hand, and what ever you do, keep the veggie tray for another day.  

I want to do what is healthy, and I jumped quickly on the green tea bandwagon. There were so many stories telling the positive effects of the concoction, that I had to give it a try.

Being from the south, ice tea is a regular part of my day. I figured tea was tea and it wouldn’t be much hassle to replace the green tea bags with my regular ice tea bags. After it brewed, the sugar was added (ice tea has to be sweet in the south, it’s in the law books).

The first taste told me that tea was most definitely NOT tea. The whole gallon went swiftly down the drain.

My hopes of switching to green tea were not completely dashed by my iced tea fiasco. Other tea fans have assured me that different brands have a better taste. Some of those other brands will make there way into my shopping cart, as soon as I get the taste of my failure out of my mouth.

It’s probably best if I work my way up to the green tea. I’m starting with some apple and some orange spiced teas. Before long, I’ll be drinking the green tea like a pro and reaping all the benefits that come with it.

Cooking dinner for a house full of males can be a daunting task under any circumstances.  Trying to start a full time writing career, maintain the house, homeschool the kids, AND put a fresh made meal on the table seems impossible on some days.  I’ve found that quick and easy meals are the answer to this dilemma.

1.      Pasta is a great, quick meal.  You can make a pasta salad, with a little drizzle of Italian salad dressing.  It can be spaghetti, with the addition of some marinara sauce.  Or coat it with cheese and call it Alfredo.  Pasta is easy, inexpensive, and fun for the whole family.

 2.      Burgers are a quick fix.  I keep patties in the freezer that I seasoned, patted out, and froze individual.  A healthy dinner can be on the table quicker that my husband can get to the drive through.

 3.      Flour tortillas can be used for any meal.  Wrap up some eggs, sausage, and cheese for breakfast.  For lunch, make it sandwich meat and lettuce.  Dinner is some taco meat and cheese.  (This is also an easy clean up)

 4.      Leftovers can be remade in a short amount of time.  Instead of reheating them in the microwave, recreate them in the skillet.  Add some cream and cheese for a quick sauce and some frozen vegetables to hamburger helper leftovers and you have a brand new meal.

 5.      When I’m in a pinch, I just make breakfast.  Scrambled eggs, pancakes, or even French toast are all quick and easy to put together.

Cooking great meals doesn’t have to take all day.  There are thousands of quick and easy recipes on the internet and hundreds of books all dedicated to the art of quick fix.  Instead of ordering out, treat yourself and your family to one of these fun and timely choices.

It is important to eat healthy, but keeping healthy foods fresh is not always easy. It seems that every time I purchase fresh fruits and vegetables, no body eats them (but if I don’t have them around, you can bet it will be the one thing that they ask for). The healthy choices sit on the table or in the fridge until they are mushy, brown, and fit only for composting.

This house is full of growing boys, and I want them to reach their full potential. It is also important for me to stay active and involved in their lives. A good, healthy diet will keep me on track to accomplishing all the goals needed for everyone in the home.

Throwing out food that has spoiled is not as painful when its vegetables that we grew in the garden. After all, it didn’t really cost us anything to have it around. But fresh fruit or vegetables are expensive when you buy them at the store - or the farmer’s market or road side - and we don’t have the budget to be throwing stuff out (I can just see the dollar bills floating to the ground to be carried off by the wild animals).

Keeping food refrigerated helps keep them longer.  Apples are especially good about keeping.  If the food (especially carrots, onions, and celery) seems near its end, it could be time to chop it up into cooking size and then freezing it for quick fix meals.  There are also many new storage containers that are helping to extend the life of the fresh choices we all want to make.

By finding ways to keep food longer I can make eating a healthy, fresh, and balanced diet an easier task for everyone.

I love to cook, but a few months back my range decided to quit. I had to get creative in order to cook meals. Fortunately, we were blessed with several crock pots when we got married. It only took me ten years to get to really use them.

Don’t get me wrong, at least one crock pot gets used a couple of times each winter to make stew. But when the stove and oven are gone, EVERYTHING gets cooked in the crock pot. I made crock pot lasagna, crock pot tamale pie, and even crock pot cake and other desserts.

Christmas brought me a surprise gift of a new range, but I haven’t retired the crock pots this go around. Instead, they have found a prominent place in my menu. When I know I have a day full of activities, I plan a crock pot meal. This week alone, I have used my biggest crock pot three times. I haven’t even bothered to put it in its usual home under the cabinet. It sits proudly next to the toaster (and has been getting even more use).

As long as people keep publishing great new recipes (especially online and for free) and as long as I have children that will keep me going all day and a husband that wants a family meal at the end of that day, I will probably find the crock pot the one appliance I truly can’t do without in the kitchen.

Do you have a favorite kitchen tool or a secret short cut that keeps you sane come meal time?

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!