Recipe Rut

I am in a bit of a dinner rut myself but I am finding new things to make my kids for lunch that are easy and they seem to enjoy. I have started getting the good old Ramen noodles (chicken flavor) for them. My boys are 3 and 6 and they will usually eat a whole package each. I do break up the noodles before I cook them. Another one of their favorites is a package of easy mac with a microwaved cut up hotdog in it. Doesn't look to good to me but they snarf it down every time. I am still looking for new things everyday myself so good luck.

Beef and Noodles

1-2 # chuck roast cut into small chunks (or you can purchase beef stew meat, but cutting a roast up is cheaper)
2 cans Campbells Golden Mushroom soup
1 soup can of cooking sherry
1 small can of mushroom pieces
1 packet of Lipton Onion Soup mix
dash of pepper
Bag of whatever noodles are your favorite (we like the big puffy Amish noodles)

Mix everything together in a casserole dish ~ Except the Noodles ~ cover and cook at 250 degrees for 3 1/2 hours.
(your whole house will smell wonderful!)
Cook and add your noodles, recover, put back in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until heated through. Enjoy! =)

Hi L.,

I know exactly how you feel! I was like that about a month ago, and I just finally buckled down and started searching. I spent on & off all day at work one day just researching recipes. Then I spent about an hour at home that night after the kids went to bed. I ended up finding fabulous things that I had never tried before, a lot of them very low maintenance, easy, and cheap! I feed 7 daily, so I was looking for cheap and easy above all! If you would like some of the recipes I've come across, I'd be happy to email you some of them. Otherwise, I would suggest websites, like the one already mentioned, kraftfoods.com, or I found quite a few recipes on goodhousekeeping.com, bettycrocker.com, and websites like that. Otherwise, just google 'recipes' and you'll find lots!
Good luck!
D.

Login onto www.kraftfoods.com. They have awesome recipes that are really easy. Good Luck

Suggestion: Get some of your friends together and swap recipes. My mom used to do this all the time when she'd get stuck! Now you can even do it through email. Have everyone bring a recipe or several and then either sit down with cards and copy the ones you like or they can bring copies. Also, I grab a magazine at the store and go through them while waiting at the dr. office, etc. I mark any recipes I like and then cut them out immediately when I get home and toss the rest of the mag.

Since winter is coming also go to www.crockpot.com. I use my Crockpot ALL the time!!! In fact, I own 3! lol Also, dig out those cookbooks you have stored or Mom's or Grandma's. I've found sometimes that I have new recipes in my current books that I've never tried.

Good luck! And, if you find a killer recipes...sent it along! I think we all look for new stuff to fix!!!!

I use Kraftfoods.com. It has all kinds of ideas and great recipes.

Get a crock-pot recipe book.

L. :)

Hi L., I think we have all been there! Some of my favorite family recipes come from the Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten) cookbooks. They are simple basics and my children love dinners that I make from "Family Style" - one of her more recent one's. The newest cookbook is all about basic cooking, I'm putting this on my Christmas wish list; its bound to be good too. Another great book to have is the Joy of Cooking; its like an encyclopedia of recipes and can inspire you when you're stuck for ideas. Sometimes I look in my pantry or fridge and go about cooking based on what I have. Then I look in a cookbook index or go on-line to epicurius.com or foodtv.com and type in that keyword to see what I can come up with - not having to go to the grocery. Good luck!

Go to www.kraftfoods.com Sign up and you can find tons of easy and good recipes that the kids will like. Enjoy.

They also send out a big packet with recipes in it. It's great!

S.

I have a couple easy recipes that my 4 yr. old girl and 20 mo girl...love and at times eat seconds.

1 lb. hamburger-crumbled and fried w/onion and grn. pepper
2 cups of uncooked macaroni-cooked
1 can of tomato soup
1 can of cream of mushroom
1 pkg. 8 oz. shredded colby-jack cheese

combine all ingred. after you haved fried the hamburger and cooked the macaroni and put in over for 30 mins. or till bubbly on 350.
The last 5 minutes put fried onions--in the can on top.