It's time to kick the flavor up a couple notches in your next stew. This is a really interesting stew with a whole lot going on in the flavor department. You have the beef with the chickpeas...that soak up the cumin and cinnamon flavors. Then there's the sweetness from the golden raisins and the salt-y zip from the kalamata olives. This stew is seriously a party on your … [Read more...]
Tater Tot Shepherd’s Pie
It's often joked in the mom circles that you lose brain cells with each kid you have. So I wonder if that means that I've have 4x less than I had before the little dudes showed up. And I wonder if I get an 'all-boy-handicap' of sorts. Because oh-my-holy-guacamole...they make me crazy sometimes. For the most part I'm used to their level of busy-ness and movement, but … [Read more...]
Beef & Butternut Squash Stew
Ever since starting this little food blog a few years back, I've been on a mission. Not only to help people to spend less $$ on groceries, but also to help you learn to love new meals and try new foods (maybe that you were afraid to buy because you didn't know what to do with them). Butternut squash is one of those items that people are afraid to buy because they don't want … [Read more...]
Enchilada Meatloaf
Mix up your next meatloaf night with this delicious Enchilada Meatloaf and its surprise ingredient. This recipe makes 2 meatloaves...one for dinner, one for the freezer. I created it this way so that you can win at least 1 weeknight dinner coming up! It's just comforting to know that you have dinner ready to pop in the oven. Nothing to mix together, just drop it right from … [Read more...]
Shredded Beef Tacos with Pineapple-Pepper Salsa
I'm often asked why I share so many taco recipes...and there are 3 reasons. One, my boys love them. Two, I live in the land of ridiculously cheap corn and flour tortillas...where the grocery stores have in-store tortilla making presses. And three, because I'm trying to pretend that my kitchen is like a taco truck, specifically Torchey's Tacos. (Last ate at one in … [Read more...]
Slow Cooker Carne Asada
Learn How to Make a Carne Asada Marinade to Slow Cook One of the best, most flavorful ways to cook carne asada is in the slow cooker. The time in the slow cooker allows the meat to tenderize, and the acidity of the homemade carne asada marinade adds to the perfectly cooked carne asada. This Slow Cooker Carne Asada marinade is packed with flavor and everyone will love … [Read more...]
Slow Cooker Ride ‘Em Cowboy Beef
Can you see the beef peeking out from underneath the mountain of beans, corn and zesty tomatoes?!!? This is the perfect 'clear out the pantry' meal...and the perfect 'I'm rushing out the door and don't have time to make dinner' meal. Because the hands on time on this is about 4 minutes. Minute One. Place beef roast in the slow cooker. Minute Two. Add seasoning to the … [Read more...]
Shredded Beef Tacos with Mango-Avocado Salsa
This is not the first time that I've shared a recipe with the mango-avocado combination and it probably won't be the last. There's the Grilled Chicken with Mango-Avocado Salsa. There's the salad version with goat cheese and vinaigrette (which I have for lunch several days a week!). And there's the pasta version, with Orzo too. It might because all 4 of the boys … [Read more...]
Beef Roast with Apple, Carrots, Onions, and Red Potatoes
While I love beef roasts in the oven, especially for the holidays, I super-duper-love beef roasts made in the slow cooker for everyday meals, or for Sunday supper. Comfort. Warm. Hearty. Flavorful. And affordable too. I may purchase a nicer cut of roast for a holiday feast, but for everyday meals a round roast will do just fine. And my frugal cooking heart does a leap … [Read more...]
Beef Roast with Winter Vegetables
Gone are the days of summer, the abundance and lower costs of fresh fruits and vegetables. I've come to appreciate the importance of eating seasonally over the past few years. Until five years ago, I hadn't lived in a climate that has actual seasons. Because of this, I didn't pay close attention to changes in the produce because the produce stands and section in the grocery … [Read more...]