A realistic 2-3 week Thanksgiving planning calendar for busy parents. Like duh, we can’t all start in October.
One look at the Thanksgiving planning calendars, and it brings up a whole lot of stress. I was supposed to order a turkey *when*? While Thanksgiving falls late on the calendar this year, it's still never enough time. Because my sister Karen has hosted Thanksgiving at...
How to choose the turkey that’s right for you: What do all those different terms mean? Argh!
Cooking a Thanksgiving turkey is always a little stressful – whether this is your 23rd Thanksgiving turkey in a row or your very first. What I've learned over the years is that guests (and their dietary restrictions!) change, budgets go up or down, labeling laws...
Weekly meal plan: 5 low-calorie comfort food dinners, so you can still fit into your pants this holiday season
We know fall is all about comfort food, but you know, we do still want to fit into our pants this holiday season. So, this week we're looking for low-calorie comfort food dishes that still give you all the satisfaction of their weightier counterparts. So grab a pen,...
Olive & Cocoa: A surprisingly good option for gourmet gift boxes
I'm a big fan of gourmet gift boxes, but a lot of our favorites can be pricey. And shipping...oof. The more affordable options often seem kind of banal to me, or just don't have the quality I want. So when I was sent a box from Olive & Cocoa, well it was not at...
Cravings by Chrissy Teigen: The new food site you’ll love so much, you’ll help crash it (again).
Chrissy Teigan fans, raise your hands! (Oh look...it's all of us!) If you're not already following every single hilarious word she tweets, allow us to point you to her brand new food blog, Cravings by Chrissy Teigen, named for her best-selling 2016 cookbook. As you...
Can a vitamin-infused coffee help us beat seasonal fatigue? And lose weight? And look prettier? And make more money?
When I was sent a few samples of a vitamin-infused coffee called VitaCup to try out, I was pretty -- okay, wildly skeptical. For me, coffee has to taste good above all, because I'm drinking so darn much of it. Especially now when I'm waking up at 6:30 and it's still...
5 new must-haves at Trader Joe’s this month
With the holidays about to kick into full gear, now is a great time to hit your local Trader Joe's to see what's new and delicious for November. So, let me make things a little easier for you and share five of my favorite new(ish) picks this November at Trader Joe's....
Weekly meal plan: 5 flashback recipes that remind us of our childhoods
Another week, another meal plan ready for you! And this week we're feeling sentimental, throwing back to some of our favorite childhood recipes...with some sophisticated upgrades. Your kids may even have fun getting in the kitchen to help you cook these too. They were...
New reusable straws in silicone: Sign us up!
We have fully made the leap to metal straws around here, thanks to the insistence of my eco-crusader kids. Well, that and those. pesky facts about what one-time use products like straws are doing to the planet. I carry mine around with me, but still, metal has its...
Our ultimate guide to last-minute Halloween recipes: Treats, dinner, lunch ideas, cocktails and more!
We truly love Halloween, which is why we start gathering creative, fun recipes on Cool Mom Eats, around, oh...July. But we're busy! Just like you. (It's a parent thing, right?) So if, like us, you still need some last minute Halloween help for recipes, class party...
These 6 BOOzy Halloween cocktail and mocktail recipes are easy to whip up and so so fun!
If you're scrambling for creative, Instagram-worthy cocktails to help ring in Halloween this week, you might want to check out these awesome, spooky Halloween cocktail recipes. I think one really great cocktail goes a long way to make your party fun and memorable --...
Tricks for making the best Chaffle recipe: We tried this newest Keto craze and it’s good!
Full disclosure: I am not on the Keto diet. This may explain my confusion when I started seeing "chaffle" recipes pop up everywhere from low-carb Instagram feeds to some of my favorite big-name cooking websites. At first, I wondered if chaffle was a typo. But no,...
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Tips and Tricks we live for!
How to keep an avocado from turning brown after you’ve cut it. (And it’s not what you think)
I've been an avocado lover for a long time, but when I don't want to eat the whole thing on my own, I've discovered a little trick that can help keep it from turning brown that's so easy it's kind of ridiculous. And best part: no extra ingredients or fancy tools or...
Moving? This incredible service will donate your food to food pantries in your community.
This week on Spawned, we got wind of one of the coolest cool picks of the week: Move For Hunger. Recommended by our guest, Art of Happy Moving author Ali Wentzke. She recommends Move For Hunger to her clients and readers as an incredible idea for making your...
Grocery shopping in a foreign country: 9 fun ways to make it educational for kids
I know a lot of our readers have made resolutions to commit to sharing more experiences with their kids instead of buying them stuff, and that includes travel. While we all know the many benefits of travel, you might not have considered that simply eating your way...
8 creative, easy ways to wrap a bottle of wine to make a holiday wine gift a little more gifty
Grabbing a bottle of wine and throwing it into a skinny, store-bought gift bag or just sticking a bow on top is pretty much my standard way to gift a bottle wine to any party hosts, close friends, or special teachers this time of year. But now I'm rethinking my...
We found the best grab-and-go gifts right at Trader Joe’s. Holiday shopping made easy!
I love that this time of year, I can accomplish both my food shopping and a lot of my gift shopping at at Trader Joe's, all at the same time. Lucky for me, Trader Joe's has some of my favorite affordable grab-and-go gifts that make it worth the 30 minute drive for...
Recipes
12 of the most indulgent pancake hacks: Jazz up your favorite breakfast recipe for National Pancake Day!
If your family loves pancakes, Tuesday's National Pancake Day is a perfect excuse to try out these pancake hacks that take breakfast to 11! Of course there's nothing wrong with celebrating with your tried-and-true from-scratch recipe or one of our favorite boxed...
Weekly meal plan: 5 recipes that only require you to cook 3 nights. Whoo!
Grab your pen and grocery list, because next week's meal plan is ready! We've found 5 great recipes that make smart use of your time in the kitchen. We have tips to stretch your cooking, so one session in the kitchen lasts for more than one recipe (whoo!). We also...
10 tasty ways to doctor a boxed brownie mix. You’ll never go back to plain brownies again.
There's no easier or more satisfying way to satisfy a sweet tooth than a quick boxed brownie mix. But if you want to take your brownie game to the next level with minimal effort, then try some of these clever boxed brownie mix hacks. You get the easy benefit of...
Weekly meal plan: 5 easy meals including great ideas for using leftovers
Grab your pen and grocery list, because next week's meal plan is ready! We've found 5 great recipes that make smart use of your time in the kitchen. We have tips to stretch your cooking, so one session in the kitchen lasts for more than one recipe (whoo!). We also...
Last-minute Valentine’s treat ideas for the kids: 150 ideas from sweet to savory, homemade to…not so much
Need some help with last-minute Valentine's treat ideas? Good ones? No need to explain to us. Whether you've got Valentine's classroom treat duty, you're looking for a thoughtful after-school snack or want to surprise the kids with heart-shaped bit of edible love...
