Favorite family recipes for the end of summer rush: Weekly Meal Plan Ideas #31
It feels like life comes at us fast and hard at back to school season. The lazy days of summer are winding down, and there is an amped up level of stress as routines start back up. One thing that helps make things way less stressful for me is to take some time to meal...
The essential school lunch shopping list: Everything you need in your pantry + fridge | Back to School Guide
This past year we all spent a good amount of time and thought into prepping our pantry for an emergency - but now as we head back to school our pantries may not be stocked very well for every day snacks and packing lunches. So we have updated of one of our favorite...
Lunch bags for teens and big kids who are too cool for lunch boxes now | Back to School Guide
As my kids have gotten older, I've shopped more for lunch bags for teens, because the lunch box has gotten less and less cool. Which is really kind of sad because, holy cow, there are some super cute lunchboxes out there. My high school kids were always so happy that...
5 meals that feature the summer bounty of zucchini | 2021 meal plan ideas #30
A few months ago, I decided to join our Cool Mom Picks WeTime project and plant my own vegetable garden. My rookie mistake was planting 6 mounds of zucchini seeds. I truly do not understand the remarkable ability of this little plant to pump out so much fruit (yes,...
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 may be pulling out a lunchbox that hasn't been used...
Sweet and celebratory allergy-free birthday cake ideas for kids with strict food restrictions
I've had to navigate the world of food allergies with my kids for almost two decades, but not eating eggs and dairy seems like a walk in the park compared to some families whose kids have to avoid eating all major food allergens to be safe and healthy. And that can...
5 dinners featuring the best of August produce | 2021 meal plan ideas #29
It's already August and my youngest child starts school tomorrow—gasp!—but I'm holding on to summer a little longer with these meal plan ideas that use August produce. Because fresh, light dinners with loads of veggies in them are going to power us through this hot,...
10 craft canned mocktails for easy summer (or anytime) entertaining
As more of us, like Kristen, are thinking about drinking less these days, I've been looking for some festive canned mocktails (or, hey, bottles are fine too) I can add to the drink offerings when we host. For our friends or family who don't or can't drink alcohol,...
10 of our most popular summer-themed recipes, tips, tricks, and more!
Summer is in full swing, and we're enjoying a bit of time with our families this week. We're sharing the 10 most popular recipes, tips, tricks, and ideas that you may have missed. From lemonade stand tips to tasty store-bought popsicle recommendations to watermelon...
5 fantastic dinners featuring summer veggies | 2021 meal plan ideas #27
We've been grilling a lot this summer and eating our fair share of tacos, too. But after my mom called, raving about the absolute perfection of the fresh veggies she got at the farmer's market this week, I wanted to focus on summer veggies for our meals this week....
The eco-friendly portable charcoal grilling system that saved my camping trip
Last week, we packed up our kids for a quick four-day camping trip to Crater Lake, Oregon. As I was prepping all of the meals -- which included all things that you could cook in a campfire for three meals a day -- it occurred to me that due to the wildfire...
5 cast iron skillet dinner recipes | Weekly Meal Plan Ideas #26
As I was prepping camping meals for our impromptu camping trip last week, I got to thinking that I should totally be using my cast iron skillet way more in my everyday meal planning. There are a ton of benefits to cooking in a cast iron skillet, including the fact...
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The great list of Thanksgiving cooking hotlines to save your Turkey Day.
As much as we’d like it not to be the case, Thanksgiving really can be stressful, whether you’re cooking for two or for twenty. If you find yourself hiding in the pantry, holding a brandy, and wishing you had someone to call, look no further. Our annual list of...
Thanksgiving dinner help: What to make from scratch and what to buy ready-made
As my family’s Thanksgiving host for almost 25 years, remembering last year’s “just us” celebration – complete with drive-by visits, drop off meals for my mom, and toasts over Zoom – is bittersweet. While many of us are excited to welcome back more traditional...
10 handy kitchen gadgets that make holiday cooking and baking easier
Anyone else looking for handy kitchen gadgets for holiday cooking and baking? Since I'm cooking more of the big-ticket dishes this year, so I've been cruising my favorite culinary purveyors for fun new tools. And now that I've landed on these, I'm not sure how I...
5 smart tips for choosing a recipe online
If you've ever searched for a recipe online, you know how incredibly overwhelming it is to find a good one. There are millions of recipes out there, and as you may have discovered, not all of them are great. It's so frustrating when you've bought a ton of...
How to host a pumpkin carving party for kids: 5 tips to keep it fun and no-stress.
My kids are getting restless for Halloween, so I'm thinking about pulling together an impromptu pumpkin carving party to hold them over. It's the perfect way to kick off fall and get excited about the upcoming holidays. Even better, it's a low-key, easy kind of...
Recipes
The Woks of Life | Awesome food bloggers you should follow
My sister and I were chatting about what to make for dinner this next week and I suggested Egg Foo Young, at which point she said, "I could eat Chinese food every day of the week." And while I totally agree with that statement, the thought of making Chinese food...
10 of the best beginner Instant Pot recipes that we’ve actually tried…and can recommend
I wasn't an easy convert to the Instant Pot and when I finally jumped in, to be completely honest, it was hard to find the best beginner Instant Pot recipes. Actually, it was hard to even find good Instant Pot recipes at all -- and I still think there are a lot of...
Virtual cookie exchange: The best holiday cookie recipes from our readers!
Whether you are a prolific cookie baker or an enthusiastic cookie eater, holiday cookie season has begun! We all have our tried-and-true favorites (to bake and to eat), but we also love to try new recipes. So, we turned to you, our Recipe Rescue Facebook audience,...
5 simple meals to ease you into the busiest time of the year | Weekly Meal Plan Ideas #44
I know, I know...it seems unreal that we have to continue to come up with meal ideas after this past week, but alas here we are. This coming week, I am going to make good use of that turkey carcass in my freezer and turn out a few easy meals that don't require a...
Say cheers for these holiday cocktails and mocktails that feature your favorite holiday flavors, from gingerbread to candy cane
More than anything, I'm looking forward to spending time with friends and extended family this holiday after our "quarantine Christmas" of 2020. And with more socializing comes the chance to try new cocktails in all the flavors of the holidays, from gingerbread to...
