As my family has grown in number, it has become challenging to practice hospitality. It is especially tricky when we want to welcome a large family into our home for a meal. Where will everyone sit? Can we afford to feed everyone? Do I even have enough bowls for everyone to use? Thankfully, with a little advanced planning, I’ve been … [Read more...] about Practicing Hospitality with Large Families
cooking tips
How to Make 10 Freezer Meals in 3 Hours
During the latter half of the summer, I made one or two freezer meals every weekend. This was in preparation for the arrival of my third child. As August approached, I got together with a friend who was also pregnant and we spent an afternoon together making freezer meals. I’ve seen lots of blog posts on how to make a significant number … [Read more...] about How to Make 10 Freezer Meals in 3 Hours
How to Cook Real Food Without Spending All Day in the Kitchen
I do my best to feed nutritious meals to my family. It’s been really tough during this season, though. I’m in the third trimester of pregnancy and I’m caring for my 3-year-old and 2-year-old. I’m tired. By the time evening arrives, I’m tempted to feed them any old convenience food in order to avoid being on my feet and working over a hot … [Read more...] about How to Cook Real Food Without Spending All Day in the Kitchen
7 Ways to Get Kids to Try New Foods
Many kids go through a phase (a phase that may last years) during which they don’t want to try new foods. Getting them to open their mouths to allow entry to an unfamiliar food is like trying to gain entry into the Bullion Depository at Fort Knox! Since my kids began eating solid foods, I’ve made it a habit to introduce new foods to … [Read more...] about 7 Ways to Get Kids to Try New Foods
16 Easy, Nutritious, and Kid-Friendly Lunch Ideas
It’s often difficult for me to get a nutritious meal on the table for lunch. I don’t always have a lot of time to dedicate to preparing lunch. When I do have plenty of time, I’m often distracted because I have two young kids vying for my attention. A few weeks ago, I began searching for easy and nutritious lunch ideas. Here are 16 of the … [Read more...] about 16 Easy, Nutritious, and Kid-Friendly Lunch Ideas
Printable Kitchen Staples Checklist
It’s super frustrating to be in the middle of preparing a recipe and realize that you’re missing some common ingredient needed to complete the dish. This happens to me on occasion and it’s probably happened to you, too. Christine, one of my readers, recently asked if I had ever created a pantry checklist—a tool that could reduce how often … [Read more...] about Printable Kitchen Staples Checklist
7 Different Ways to Plan Meals
You don’t have to spend too much time with me (or reading this blog) to realize that I love making lists and planning. Naturally, this extends to meal planning. In recent weeks, I’ve been questioning if my menu planning approach is still the best for my family. Is there a more efficient way? Is there a way I can focus more on keeping … [Read more...] about 7 Different Ways to Plan Meals
Budget-Friendly Dinners Roundup
Every time I visit the grocery store it seems like food prices have increased. My husband’s salary hasn’t increased proportionally and we keep adding to our family, so we must find ways to pay for increasing amounts of increasingly expensive food. As I’m beginning to brainstorm for our summer menu, I’ve been looking up ideas for “dollar … [Read more...] about Budget-Friendly Dinners Roundup
