meals my kids love

Julia Child-Inspired Dijon Deviled Eggs (Easter Appetizer)

This delicious Dijon deviled eggs recipe is the perfect Easter appetizer - so easy that kids can make, yet elegant enough for holiday meals.

> Those of you celebrating Easter in the weeks to come (or at least taking part in Easter egg hunts) may find yourselves inundated with hard-boiled eggs soon. Deviled eggs are a definite kid-pleaser, in my house at least. And this recipe makes the YUMMIEST deviled eggs I have ever eaten. Moreover, deviled eggs are a […]

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Mama’s 30-Minute Sweet Cabbage Recipe (GF Side or Main Course)

My mama's sweet cabbage recipe is the perfect fall side dish, but tweaking the ingredients transforms it into a tasty 30-minute one-pot meal.

Easy Weeknight Recipe: Sweet Cabbage Skillet Dinner or Side Dish Think your kids (or you) don’t like cabbage? This sweet sautéed cabbage skillet will change your minds. Full of fresh fall flavors, this sweet fried cabbage recipe is naturally gluten- and dairy-free. Make it as a vegan side dish, or add your favorite sausage (meat

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Old-Fashioned Oven Baked Apples Recipe (Easy & Healthy)

Old-Fashioned Baked Apples Recipe: Perfect Prep-Ahead Holiday Dessert, Easy and Delicious There’s nothing like the scent of oven baked apples cooking to make your home smell warm and cozy at the holidays. “Baked” apples are a ten-minute everyday breakfast treat in our home, thanks to the microwave. But when I’m making a lot of baked

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Healthy Microwave Baked Apples Recipe (Ready in 10 Minutes!)

Want a tummy-warming, healthy start to your day? These weekday-friendly microwave baked apples are ready in just ten minutes!

When I was growing up, each day began with a good breakfast. And breakfast always began with a serving of fruit. On chilly mornings, my favorite breakfast fruit was my mother’s delicious homemade baked apples. Originally published Oct. 5, 2017; last updated October 2020. My mama baked apples the old-fashioned way, in the oven. Usually

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How To Make Steamed Vegetables In The Microwave (Fast & Easy Side Dish!)

Ready to try microwave-steaming vegetables? Broccoli, carrots, zucchini,or green beans are all great places to start.

How To Steam Veggies In The Microwave: Steaming vegetables in the microwave is about as easy as cooking gets. If you haven’t done this before – or if you wish your kids would eat more veggies – then microwave-steamed vegetables is a technique worth trying. Originally published May 10, 2016; last updated July 2020. Microwave-steamed

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The EASIEST Way To Cook Dried Beans (Foolproof and No-Fuss!)

Looking for easy healthy meals? Knowing how to cook dried beans in a slow cooker, the EASY way, is the ultimate in easy meal prep slow cooker recipes.

How To Cook Dried Beans In A Slow Cooker: Even if you didn’t cook at home much before, I’m betting that recent global events have you spending more time than ever in your kitchen: Restaurants are closed except for takeout and/or delivery. Store shelves are often out of half of what you want. And if

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Decadently Easy PB&J French Toast

Want a quick & easy breakfast recipe that's kid-friendly and delicious? Try Peanut Butter & Jelly French Toast; PB&J French Toast is also an easy brunch idea.

Let Peanut Butter & Jelly French Toast Fuel Your Morning: Already a fan of regular French toast? Looking for something a little different for lazy weekend mornings at home? Or a surprisingly elegant dish for your next brunch? What about Peanut Butter & Jelly French Toast? PB&J French Toast is deliciously decadent, but SO simple

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Meatless Monday Recipe: Minestrone Casserole Bake

Whether you're looking for a new Meatless Monday recipe idea or just some winter warm-up comfort food, this Minestrone Casserole Bake is perfectly yummy.

The Perfect Winter Warm-Up Comfort Food Does your family do Meatless Mondays? Eating a more plant-based diet can help your family save money while conserving natural resources. While we don’t do Meatless Mondays every week (or always on Monday), I try to do them at least a few times per month. Today’s recipe, Minestrone Casserole Bake,

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Best Make-Ahead Breakfast Recipes: Overnight Oats & Morning Muesli

Looking for a healthy, filling, make-ahead breakfast for mornings on the go? These easy, yummy picks are my best make-ahead breakfast recipes for a reason.

If you missed my last post, here’s the short version: the weather has finally turned cooler, and Essie and I are loving our homemade oatmeal for breakfast. Most of the time, I just make homemade quick oats for each of us every morning; Essie’s current fave is the Baked Apple Oatmeal recipe I published last

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Best Morning Oatmeal Recipes, Quick & Healthy

If you think oatmeal is too fussy for a quick weekday breakfast, think again. Read on for some of our best morning oatmeal recipes and fave oatmeal hacks.

Fall has finally come to our neck of the woods. Which means that Essie and I are back to eating oatmeal most mornings for breakfast. If you think oatmeal is too fussy for a quick weekday breakfast, think again. Not only is oatmeal extremely filling and satisfying, but it’s also super-healthy when you make it

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Chilaquiles (Breakfast Nachos): Fun DIY Breakfast for Kids

Looking for a fun brunch bar idea for your kids? Or a breakfast/hearty after-school snack they can make themselves? Then give chilaquiles a try, and savor the flavors of Mexican cuisine!

Does your family enjoy exploring new cultures through their foods? We do. Trying the local cuisine is always tops on my vacation list. Likewise, whenever I return somewhere I’ve visited or lived, I cannot wait to taste my local favorites again. Among my guilty pleasures whenever I visit Mexico is a plate of chilaquiles (CHEE-la-KEY-lays)

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Our Favorite Leftover Easter Ham Casserole

My family LOVES eating this one-dish meal for dinner the day after Easter. Give our leftover Easter ham casserole a try, and you'll see why.

The BEST thing to do with leftover Easter ham: Does your family eat ham for Easter dinner? Mine ALWAYS does. That’s because my favorite part of Easter dinner ham is all the yummy things you can do with the leftovers – yummy fried rice, the hash we all love, and especially Ham Casserole. When I

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Yummy Summer Breakfast Parfait

Essie is the one who put the "yummy" in my Yummy Summer Breakfast Parfait recipe. With fresh berries at their peak, you've got to give this recipe a try.

I’ll admit it. The name Yummy Summer Breakfast Parfait is a blatant attempt to follow my long-standing rule of giving foods appealing names. A recent scientific study at Stanford confirmed my practice: People are more likely to try strange foods with appealing names. But like other recipe names I’ve bestowed, it’s also based in reality.

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Comfort Food to Warm Your Winter

It’s winter in the northern hemisphere, which is where most of you live, dear readers. Are you hibernating? Or are you out hunting for some comfort food? I recently stumbled across a collection of super-simple slow cooker recipes gathered for the New Year. As I scanned the pictures and titles, I could feel myself getting

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