3 gazpacho recipes to keep on hand for summer, from totally authentic to quick and easy
Gazpacho is one of our favorite go-to dinners for hot summer nights because it's cool, it's easy, and it's sooo good. Add a salad -- or maybe grilled cheese for the kids -- and you have a satisfying, lighter dinner with very little work. Plus, gazpacho is the the...
Weekly Meal Plan: 5 vacation-style dinner ideas to make right at home.
One of my favorite things about vacation is eating. This summer, we have had to postpone or cancel our planned vacations like everyone else, but I realized that doesn't mean we have to cancel the food. Intrigued? Well this week's meal plan is focused on five meals I...
Weekly meal plan: 5 fun, party-inspired family dinner ideas to help you change things up
We're all sick of cooking dinner too, especially with the July heat. Since we're all struggling to get excited about more home cooked meals, we thought we'd focus on fun. We hope these 5 easy meals gor the week ahead are ones that will make dinnertime enjoyable for...
4 insanely delicious ways to change up your sun tea this summer. We’re trying them all!
The days are hot and sunny right now, which means it's perfect for making sun tea. This is a staple in the South — I remember growing up and seeing my mom's 80s Sun Tea pitcher (just like this one!) on the back porch, brewing up some naturally sweet tea. It's great to...
Is it safe to eat in restaurants yet – especially with kids? Here’s what the experts say.
Although I've ordered plenty of takeout over the last few months (support your local restaurants, y'all!), I haven't eaten in a restaurant since February. I know I'm not alone. But recently, there's been a huge surge in interest about eating out, at least in the...
100+ tasty and easy no-bake desserts you need to get you through summer. Bookmark it!
My quarantine baking obsession has waned, now that it's summer and sooooo hot outside. Over the years we've shared so many delicious no-bake dessert ideas, so I thought I'd collect them all in one place so you can bookmark this page as one huge, handy reference for...
Weekly Meal Plan: 5 dinner recipes offering a twist on some of your staples.
Just like many of you, I am cooking a lot more than I did before COVID and I find it's easy to get into a rut and just fall back on those meals I don't have to think very hard about. (Which may or may not include a box of cereal). For this week's meal plan, I chose...
5 of our favorite Trader Joe’s summer barbecue picks, because summer is definitely not canceled
It's officially barbecue season! Which means that I'll be hitting my local Trader Joe's to grab some of their latest summer barbecue picks for all the outdoor meals we will be having. Because it's just too darned hot to turn on the oven, and hey, barbecue! From...
Weekly Meal Plan: 5 easy summer dinners the whole family will eat
Grab your pen and grocery list, because this week’s meal plan is ready! This week I'm embracing the hot summer weather, with cool, easy summer dinners. I'm trying to think of lighter meals that won't make you feel bleh (you know) after eating them, and won't require...
How to make simple syrup, and 9 ideas for how to use it. You will never be without it again!
I have become the biggest fan of simple syrup, ever since I realized how easy it was to make simple syrup at home. For God's. sake, do NOT every buy simple syrup! And I say this as someone who will buy nearly anything if it's convenient. I got in the habit of asking...
What to make with the veggies in your July CSA box!
Many of us on the Cool Mom Eats team have made the leap to CSA memberships  this year, since COVID-19 has limited our access to farmer's markets in town. And sometimes ,we get some ingredients that we aren't used to cooking with -- which can be fun! But also, a little...
Weekly meal plan: 5 favorite dinners from past meal plans that I know will make my family happy
Grab your pen and grocery list, because next week’s meal plan is ready! This week I've taken a look back at some of my favorite dinners from past meal plans, because I'm craving some easy meals that are guaranteed to please my family. These have been crowd-pleasers in...
Trending right now. As in this second.
Tips and Tricks we live for!
8 spectacular Halloween dinner theme ideas for a fun, safe night at home
With lots of families looking for trick-or-treating alternatives this year, one of Liz's suggestions was to host a fun Halloween themed dinner with the kids. Which, by the way, is a great idea for teens who may have outgrown trick-or-treating too, or a fun option...
DIY haunted gingerbread houses for Halloween: Our favorite tips to make yours extra fun
I've always wanted to make a DIY haunted gingerbread house for Halloween, and this seems like the year I finally do it. Let's be honest, Halloween isn't going to be the same this year. In lots of ways. And that kind of sucks. But on the other hand, sometimes the...
5 simple kitchen experiments for kids that count as homeschool science class. You already have the ingredients!
Lately, my homeschooled children been having fun with these simple kitchen experiments for kids that absolutely count as science class time. And as we get into our second month of school, I really need this in my back pocket! Honestly, some days, my kids complete...
6 snack tray ideas for kids to munch on independently all day. Say no to snack servitude!
Just as I was resigning myself to a lifetime of snack servitude for my son during at-home learning, I saw Kate post a gorgeous snack tray idea for kids on the @CoolMomEats Instagram feed that she spotted from Prashana Vidanapathirana. Is it possible? Would a little...
The best way to clean your kids’ lunch boxes in the age of Covid: It’s easier than you think.
In the past, we've written about how to clean our kids lunch boxes safely, say if a banana gets left in there over the weekend or a container of spaghetti somehow gets tossed back in without a lid. But this year, we have the fun (i.e. not at all fun) added layer of...
Recipes
8 spectacular Halloween dinner theme ideas for a fun, safe night at home
With lots of families looking for trick-or-treating alternatives this year, one of Liz's suggestions was to host a fun Halloween themed dinner with the kids. Which, by the way, is a great idea for teens who may have outgrown trick-or-treating too, or a fun option...
5 recipes for a week full of food hugs | Weekly Meal Plan 227
I believe that good food is like a warm hug from the inside out. And we can all use more hugs right now, since we are not all getting as many of the actual physical hugs. Leading up to Halloween and election day (VOTE VOTE VOTE) I have designed next week's meal...
Upgrading 6 kids’ menu favorites for the whole family. In case they’re missing their favorite restaurant.
So many of us miss eating out our favorite local restaurants these days, unless they've got heat lamps outside these days and a good social distancing table plan. As for our kids, well, they mostly miss eating out so they can make us spend good cash on the most...
DIY haunted gingerbread houses for Halloween: Our favorite tips to make yours extra fun
I've always wanted to make a DIY haunted gingerbread house for Halloween, and this seems like the year I finally do it. Let's be honest, Halloween isn't going to be the same this year. In lots of ways. And that kind of sucks. But on the other hand, sometimes the...
5 fall-inspired family dinners for the week ahead | Weekly Meal Plan 226
For next week, I am planning some of my family's favorite fall-inspired dinners that are easy to make, prep and clean up. Because Fall seems to be full of all kinds of busy even though we are doing all of the things from home. And honestly, fall cooking is my...
