I’ve been keeping meals at our house pretty simple lately.  We’ve been focusing on eating more fruits and vegetables at every meal and eating all of our family’s comfort foods in moderation.  It’s easy to fall into a routine of over indulging, especially when you are cooking for a large family all of the time.  A taste here, a taste there…I’ve done it!  I’ve been really paying attention to the size of my portions this month and it’s helped me cut down a lot because I really don’t want to completely give up the foods I love.  Sometimes I do this by baking individual servings in ramekins.  This creamy White Cheddar Farfalle with Peas & Carrots is a family friendly meal that everyone can enjoy…even in a small portions!

Since I’ve been cooking and eating with a portion controlled mindset, I’m loving any foods I find that are mini.  I’ve always liked trying new pasta shapes in my cooking because my children really think it’s fun.  Last week I bought a box of this Mini Farfalle pasta.  Isn’t it cute?

This twist on your traditional macaroni and cheese is really easy to make and it can be ready and on your dinner table in about 45 minutes.  You simply cook and drain your pasta, make that creamy White Cheddar Cheese Sauce, stir in a package of thawed peas and carrots and toss everything together.

After the pasta is coated well, you can fill your ramekins or casserole dish with the pasta, top with additional shredded cheese and bake for about 25-30 minutes or until the cheese on the top has melted and it’s nice and bubbly.

My children really liked this meal.  They liked the smaller pasta and they enjoyed having it baked in their own “special dish”.  This cheesy pasta goes well as a main dish with a salad or it can be served with any meat and a steamed vegetable as a side dish.  I’ve even made this meal ahead of time and frozen it.  You can prepare it as usual, skip the baking part and store it in the freezer for later.

However you decide to serve this pasta, I think your family will really enjoy it, especially your kiddos.  Who doesn’t love tiny pasta shapes?!  Maybe they won’t even notice the veggies!

Do you have any great ideas for cutting down the portions of your favorite (maybe not always so good for you) foods?  If you do,  I’d love for you to share them with me in the comments below!

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Sometimes preparing dinner during the week can be a hassle.  With homework, after school activities and the running around that comes along with it, I am often exhausted when it’s time to make dinner.  One of my New Year’s resolutions this year was to be better prepared and organized every day.  For me, this means scheduling household cleaning, grocery shopping, and meals without feeling completely wiped out at the end of the day.  If you are looking for some great printable meal and grocery planners you can find them here at Money Saving Mom.  These free planners are very helpful and you can choose from a few different styles to fit your needs.  In fact, these have really helped me stay on top of things in my kitchen.

As most of you know, unfortunately some days just don’t go as planned.  You can be very organized and ready for the day when one of your children suddenly becomes ill, or your toddler decides to create a huge mural on your wall with marker and you have to spend half the day scrubbing and cleaning up with a Magic Eraser.  Those are the days when all of your plans can go right out the window.

On days like those, One Pot or One Pan Meals are a blessing.  If you have a few great, homemade One Pot or One Pan meals on hand, you can still quickly prepare dinner, place it in the oven and sit down with your family to eat without feeling like a complete mess.  This One Pan Meatloaf and Roasted Potatoes & Carrots is a simple, comforting family meal that can be on the table in an hour.  This moist and flavorful, old fashioned style meatloaf cooks right in the pan with seasoned golden potatoes and fresh carrots for cozy, satisfying meal that can be served along with a salad or steamed green beans.  Sometimes the simple meals are the one’s that my family tends to enjoy the most.

If you happen to have any left over meatloaf, you can even make a tasty meatloaf sandwich for lunch the next day.  The next time you have a busy week or are left with little time to prepare dinner for your family, have this simple and delicious recipe on hand!

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Good Morning!  What kind of weather are you waking up to today?  My family woke up to a cold but beautiful snow covered landscape!  It was the first snowfall of the season, but it looks like it is going to melt over the next few days and return to average fall temperatures for at least the rest of the week.  On this chilly morning, a warm breakfast was definitely in order to get everyone moving and out the door.  We love carrot cake and oatmeal at our house, so it was only a matter of time before I decided to combine the two:)  I just love coming up with new, fun ways to make oatmeal.  My children really like to guess what the next flavor is going to be too!  This Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal is a warm, hearty breakfast that even allows you to sneak in some veggies first thing in the morning.  Old fashioned oats are blended with freshly grated carrots, raisins, walnuts and spices for an amazing breakfast treat.  I like to serve our oatmeal warm from the oven with a splash of milk.  This oatmeal can be made ahead of time and placed in the refrigerator overnight until you are ready to bake it in the morning.  Better yet, this oatmeal is freezer friendly, so make a double batch and store some in the freezer for the busy upcoming holiday season!  If you like the flavor of carrot cake, you will love starting your day with this delicious oatmeal!

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I have been so blessed to have a wonderful harvest of zucchini from my garden this year.  With the last of the zucchini almost ready to be picked, I have been wrapping up my zucchini baking.  At times throughout the summer, I felt like zucchini was taking over my kitchen, but I was able to use that zucchini in a lot of different recipes.  Most of my zucchini recipes are freezer friendly, and I love that I have been able to use fresh vegetables grown in my own garden to help stock my freezer for the next few months.

Quick breads are a favorite of mine because they are quick and everyone seems to like them.   They go over really well for breakfast or even a snack.  This filling Zucchini & Carrot Nut Bread is made with whole wheat flour, and packed with veggies and nuts.  It makes for a great after school snack and will keep your children full until dinner time.  It also goes great with a cup of afternoon coffee.   If you have a few zucchini left in your garden, you can start stocking your own freezer with a few loaves of this delicious bread.  It’s always nice to be ahead of the game!

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Well it’s Monday and I have another muffin recipe for you!  These muffins are a nutritious breakfast packed with whole wheat flour, oatmeal, carrots and raisins.  These muffins can be baked right away or you can store the batter for up to 2 days and bake the desired number of muffins you would like each morning.  I love being able to pull out the batter and baking these right away on a cold morning.  My children love waking up to the aroma of fresh muffins and knowing they are going to have a warm breakfast.  This recipe makes about 30 muffins and they freeze wonderfully.  If you give these a try I hope your family enjoys them as much as ours.  After eating two muffins each, my children asked if I could pack some of these delicious muffins in their lunch too:)

This recipe is adapted from the Williams- Sonoma Cabin Cooking Cookbook

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If you are looking for a different muffin recipe give these Morning Glory Muffins a try.  These muffins have everything…carrots, apples, raisins, coconut and nuts.  They are a delicious and satisfying  breakfast or snack.  Your home will smell delightful when these are baking in the oven.  I always make a double batch of these because they freeze great too.

This recipe is adapted from allrecipes.com

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