The Quickest And Easiest Meal Ever!

Every parent knows the struggle of figuring out all kinds of tasty lunch box fillers that wouldn’t be totally unhealthy or difficult to make. If you happen to have a picky eater or two then you know the task gets even more daunting. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches did the trick for a while, but these days I get “the look” if I try to suggest those again…

You know “the look”, don’t you? It’s the one that is sort of a mixture of cringing, disappointment, horror and “whatever you say, Mommy”. It makes me feel awful and I really don’t want to do that to my kids anymore, even though I do think we should be grateful for the things we have – including all kinds of food.

Heck, I couldn’t eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches five days in a row, so I can’t expect them to do so! That’s why I tried a different kind of sandwich and it turned out a huge success!

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Quick Tip: This are super awesome with homemade tortillas but store-bought are really tasty, too!

With 10 Minutes Of Prep Time, You’ll Make a Meal Everyone Wants To Devour

Now, here’s a recipe I’ve been wanting to share with you forever! This is one of my favorite meals to cook – because I hardly have to cook at all to get this done! It’s perfect for those midweek days when you have to rush out the door again, before you’ve hardly had a chance to step inside after a hard day’s work.

I love setting my slow cooker in the morning, literally forgetting I even did it, and then coming home to a wonderful surprise when all these beautiful aromas greet me at the door.

Sometimes miracles happen and I have time to make pita bread pockets from scratch – I always make a large batch and freeze as many of them as I can, so that I can whip up this crazy easy meal on a busy day again.

But there’s no need to worry if you’re schedule is too full to even think about making your own pita pockets. This grab-and-go meal tastes just as great even if you’re using store-bought ones.

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Quick Tip: Add a drizzle of hot sauce if you like your food spicy.

The Only Guacamole Recipe You’ll Ever Need

Am I the only one who has these absolute staples, when it comes to a party menu? Guacamole is one of them. To me, it just doesn’t feel like a party unless I’m serving guacamole!

I still remember when I was a teenager and a friend of mine had just returned from an exchange trip to Chile – she brought with her an amazing recipe that wasn’t quite the kind of guacamole I was used to. Sadly, we lost touch over the years and I never got to ask her what was in it. But this recipe right here is so delicious, I probably wouldn’t even want to try anything else anymore!

The best thing about this is that it’s super easy. Since I’m making this for every party, I appreciate the fact that I don’t need to go through my recipe book every time. Simple ingredients and measurements make this one really easy to memorize – and, of course, share it with everyone who comes begging for the recipe. Trust me, they will!

I like to add a pinch of red pepper flakes in there, too, but that’s totally optional. If you’d rather not add them, it’ll still turn out super yummy.

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Quick Tip: If you’re not serving the guacamole immediately, refrigerate it with the pits added to the bowl. They prevent the guacamole from going brown!

This Tasty Salad Will Easily Feed A Crowd!

Whenever I’m throwing a party I always struggle trying to find a simple, inexpensive dish that will feed a large crowd.

I love all kinds of tiny appetizers, but I’ve noticed the ingredients can be on the expensive side. And quite often they are also pretty time consuming to put together. Lately I’ve started to turn more towards nice, festive salads and they have proven to be a hit every time. So that’s what I had in mind when I started searching for a new recipe for an upcoming get-together.

This Mexican-style pasta salad is a winner! It won’t brake the bank, and the recipe makes 16 servings (which is plenty, even if your guests are going for seconds – which they will…) This salad would also make a great lunch on its own, when served with some fresh baguette and garlic butter. Bring some Mexican flavors to your next party!

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Quick Tip: Use any kind of pasta noodles for this salad.

Every summer, my family heads up a bit west to Sanibel Island, Florida. There, we spend days basking in the sunlight and soaking in the ocean. Our skin becomes slightly darker and our hair a bit lighter. It is so much fun and the perfect opportunity to enjoy some outdoor weather in the sweaty Florida heat without completely melting away. The ocean is great at making sure that does not happen. After a long day at the beach, all we really want is a good meal and a nice big jug of water (that sun is pretty dehydrating!).

One of my favorite parts about being in that town is that my aunt and uncle live there. Their kids are grown and they live alone there so they have always looked forward to our yearly visits. After some time catching up, my uncle always heads outside and prepares us a nice bit BBQ meal. It is so welcomed after a long day at the beach. After chit chatting and catching up, my uncle brings us samples of his grilling. Usually it is a nice big sausage that he slices up for us all to share. My is it good. It got me thinking about what else we could do with sausage.

Photo and recipe courtesy of The Slow Cooking Wife.

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Quick Tip: Use up leftover BBQ sausages for this one.

Fresh cucumbers and juicy tomatoes join together to make this light refreshing dish perfect for a summer day!

I love everything about summer. Warm days, flip flops, shorts, and tan lines. Nothing makes me happier. Add some friends to the mix and you’ve got perfection! And what could more perfect than a cookout with friends on a warm summer day? Absolutely nothing! Throw in this tasty light dish and you’ll be the queen of summer cookouts.

Recipe and photo courtesy Gerlinde in Washington.

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Quick Tip: Italian dressing can be used in the place of olive oil and lime juice.

Do you ever wish you could go back to being a kid?  Think about it, kids have little responsibilities and they do everything with full on heart and joy.  I think this carries over to eating.  My kiddos love to dip their food and they do it so joyfully.  Eating is a full on game and dippable things are a hit in our house.

Grownups and kids alike enjoy taking a food and being able to dip it into sour cream, ranch, or ketchup.  This recipe is perfect for dipping, and so much fun!  Gather your kiddos in the kitchen for this one; they’ll be able to help with each step of the recipe preparation!

Recipe and photo courtesy of Heidi Washington.

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Quick Tip – Don’t let the filo dough dry out while you work.  Instead, keep it covered with a slightly damp kitchen towel.