Has anyone else been stress-baking recently? We have made so many different baked goods since being stuck at home that I’ve lost track of everything we’ve made! I can tell you that it’s all been delicious and every time we make something it’s eaten within 48 hours.

Hopefully I’m not the only one baking and cooking up a storm over here. Baking and cooking with kids can be a lot of work, but it can also be really fun if you pick the right recipes!

Since everyone is stuck at home right now with their kiddos home, I thought it’d be helpful to put together a list of easy recipes that your kids can help you bake or cook! Often times recipes are so complicated or have so many ingredients that you have to do most of the work, but with these, your kids can really take the lead!

I’ve split all these things to cook with kids into two sections. First, recipes with five ingredients or less. Most of them have three ingredients, but some of them have four or five. Second, recipes that are no-bake! Kids + the oven just doesn’t sound like a good idea to me, so I wanted to find some good recipes that didn’t require any time in the oven.

Things to Cook with Kids That Have 5 Ingredients or Less

Photo Credit: Joy Food Sunshine

Puppy Chow

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Photo Credit: www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

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Photo Credit: Frugal Fanatic

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

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Photo Credit: Momadvice

Watermelon Granita

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Photo Credit: The Space Between

Hummus

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Photo Credit: Tasty

Mac & Cheese

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Photo Credit: Tasty

Banana Oat Smoothie

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Photo Credit: Tasty

Teriyaki Chicken

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Photo Credit: Cafe Delites

Breakfast Cookies

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Photo Credit: Spend With Pennies

Pigs in a Blanket

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Photo Credit: Cafe Delites

Pancakes

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Photo Credit: Persnickety Plates

Pita Bread

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Photo Credit: Love Foodies

Mini Meringue Cookies

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Chocolate Banana Smoothie

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Photo Credit: Kleinworth & Co.

Chocolate Nut Clusters

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Photo Credit: Mama Loves Food

Shortbread Cookies

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Photo Credit: Mama Loves Food

Chocolate Mousse

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And now, on to the no-bake recipes!

No-Bake Recipes to Make With Kids

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Easy No-Bake Fudge

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Photo Credit: Like Mother Like Daughter

No-Bake Monster Cookie Granola Bites

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Photo Credit: Two Sisters Crafting

Best Ever Rice Krispie Treat Recipe

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Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies

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Oreo Balls Recipe

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Photo Credit: Cookies and Cups

No-Bake Cheesecake Recipe

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Healthy Trail Mix

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Oreo Dirt Cups

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Banana Split Pops

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Apple Nachos

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No-Bake Chocolate Candy Cookies

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Golden Grahams S’mores Bars

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No-Bake Chocolate Tart

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies

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No-Bake Scotcheroos

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No-Churn Graham Cracker Ice Cream

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Homemade Crunch Bars

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Funfetti Dip

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Have you found at least five or more recipes to make with your kids? I hope you have, because just putting this together has made me crave something sweet!

Cooking with kids can be really rewarding, and there’s no better time to teach them than now! Have fun!

Check out the other posts in my Stuck at Home series here:

• 36 Things to Do With Kids
• 10 Things to Watch With Kids
• Working From Home With Kids
• 7 Ways to Stay Connected With Friends and Family

The post Stuck at Home: 35 Things to Cook with Kids appeared first on Life With My Littles.

Things are about to get pretty crazy around here. In the next three weeks, my oldest son starts kindergarten and my daughter starts preschool, plus on Mondays we’ll be at dance class and on Wednesdays we’ll be at BMX racing. Since this is our first time really experiencing what the back-to-school season is like, I’ve been trying to prepare and plan out how we’re going to manage everything without feeling exhausted at the end of each day!

It’s going to be quite an adjustment from our very relaxed summer schedule, so I’ve been thinking about ways to make sure my family gets a yummy dinner each night. I know myself and sometimes I forget to thaw the chicken for dinner, or I as I start cooking I realize that I forgot to pick up a key ingredient at the store. With the busyness of the back-to-school season, I know my forgetfulness is probably going to get worse! Not to mention that I know there’s not always going to be time to cook dinner at home during the week (especially on Mondays and Wednesdays!)!

So what’s a mom to do? Well last week we tried out Applebee’s Carside To Go, and it was fabulous! We got it on a day that I’d spent all day baking brownies and decorating cookies for the state fair, and there was no way I had time (or energy!) to make a quality meal for my family.

Thankfully, there’s always time for Applebee’s Carside To Go! It’s such an easy and convenient way to conquer midweek meals during the busy back-to-school season. It saved me time and energy, and it gave me more time to spend with my family, which is a huge bonus for a busy mom. I know we’re going to be using it on those school nights when I just can’t get dinner together on my own!

Applebee’s has a huge menu, and we had no problem picking what we each wanted. And bonus, there were no tears because even the kids’ menu is packed with yummy options (with options for sides that include fruit and veggies!).

After I downloaded the free app (you can also order online or by calling your local restaurant), we scanned the menu and picked something delicious for everyone. The app was really easy to use and had pictures and descriptions of each item, which was super helpful! Plus, you can use the code “5off25” when you order online to get $5 off your first order of $25 or more! Score!

I chose the Carside To Go option since I can’t leave my kids in the car to go in and pick it up, and there’s no way I’m going in with three kids under six. After we were ready to place our order, I typed in my van make, model, and color so the Applebee’s team could locate my vehicle when I arrived. I was even able to place our order a few hours ahead of time and pick what time I wanted to pick it up (which is SUPER helpful when you’re busy!).

When we got to the restaurant, we parked in the designated spots outside and waited for our dinner to be brought right to our car. We were only there about a minute before someone came right to our car with all of our food and drinks! All I had to do was sign the credit card receipt!

As soon as we got home, we all gathered around the table and enjoyed our yummy dinner! Little J had chicken tenders and fries and Little A and Little R both had macaroni and cheese with yogurt and strawberries. They LOVED their kids’ meals, and they came with apple juice!

My husband got the Southwestern Steak Salad, and let me tell you, that dressing was DELICIOUS! I got the Spinach and Artichoke Chicken Penne and a Caesar salad, and it was every bit as good (and then some) as Applebee’s Spinach and Artichoke dip on their appetizer menu. I also treated myself and got the Dew Berry Burst Signature Soda, and guys, it was DELIGHTFUL, and the perfect treat at the end of a busy day! I highly recommend it.

Using Applebee’s Carside To Go was a huge time-saver, not to mention the value and quality of the food was fabulous. It’s a great option for busy families, and I really would recommend trying it out to help you conquer midweek meals during the busy back-to-school season

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Applebee’s. The opinions and text are all mine.

The post Conquer Midweek Meals During the Busy Back-to-School Season appeared first on Life With My Littles.

This post is sponsored by Rhodes Bake N Serv.

When my husband and I were dating, we went to dinner at his aunt and uncle’s house. He had told them beforehand that I was a vegetarian, and his amazingly sweet aunt made sure to make something that I could enjoy, too. It was a delicious creamy tomato and parmesan pasta dish and I remember loving every bite. A few days later, I asked my husband (then boyfriend) to get the recipe for me, and he did! Since then, it has been one of our family favorites, and now that we have kids, they love it, too!

The best part about it (besides it being super delicious) is that it’s incredibly easy and only takes a few ingredients! You can quickly whip it up on a busy night and have dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes!

I’m also a big fan of quick and easy sides, and one of our go-to sides are Rhodes Warm N Serv rolls. You just pop them in the oven and they’re hot and ready in just a few minutes. We always have some ready to go in our freezer.

I love the Artisan French Rolls and my husband loves the Soft Yeast Rolls. They taste homemade and are so simple! Seriously, if you love homemade bread but aren’t super good at making it from scratch yourself (or if you don’t have the time!), these are perfect for you. Just a few minutes and you’ve got a hot, soft dinner roll that is the perfect way to complete your meal.

The complete meal can be on the table from start to finish in about 25 minutes. We’ve been making it for eight years and it’s still a family favorite! And if you’re in the mood for some meat, too, it pairs great with grilled chicken!

Yield: 4 servings

Creamy Tomato and Parmesan Pasta

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

This creamy tomato and parmesan pasta is super easy and can be on the table in 25 minutes! A great meatless dinner idea for those busy weeknights!

Print

Ingredients

• 1 can Italian tomatoes, drained slightly
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/3 cup whipping cream
• 8 oz penne
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Cook penne to al dente and drain
2. While the penne is cooking, combine the tomatoes and basil in a frying pan on the stove. Cook on medium until it begins to thicken, about 15 minutes.
3. Add whipping cream and Parmesan cheese, and cook for about 10 more minutes.
4. Mix everything together and serve!

Enjoy!

The post Creamy Tomato and Parmesan Pasta appeared first on Life With My Littles.

One of my favorite things about the holidays is cooking. I love cooking up big meals for my family, whether that includes my in-laws or just my immediate family. I’ve now made Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner on my own several times, and while I love doing it, it definitely takes some planning!

One thing that really helps me pull everything together when I only have one oven to cook in is my slow cooker. I just got the new BLACK + DECKER® Portable Digital Slow Cooker and I love it! With its full chalkboard wrap, no mess locking lid (so you can bring it places without worrying about spills!), and easy to use digital control panel, it is easily my new favorite kitchen appliance!

Having a good slow cooker is a MUST when preparing a big dinner around the holidays. You can make almost anything in the slow cooker, so it’s a great appliance to have around. And you can pretty much just throw everything in, walk away for a few hours, and then have a delicious meal, side, or dessert ready for you without any hard work!

One recipe that I love making in the slow cooker is Tomato Tortellini Soup. It was one of the first recipes I successfully made after my husband and I got married over six years ago. He was so impressed that our dinner was full of flavor and that I had made it 100% myself, since up until then most of our meals came from a box! I have actually made several changes to the recipe since then, and now it’s even better and easier. One of these awesome changes was making it in the slow cooker!

It’s super easy and is a perfect warm soup for the holidays. Plus, you can just toss everything in, go take care of other holiday-related things (wrap presents, bake pies, read Christmas books with your kids), and then come back and have a delicious dinner waiting for you!

Yield: 6 servings

Tomato Tortellini Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes

This tomato tortellini soup made in the slow cooker is such an easy, simple recipe! If you’re looking for a delicious crock pot recipe, this is it!

Print

Ingredients

• 1 (19 oz) package frozen cheese tortellini
• 2 cans tomato soup
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 2 cans petite diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients except tortellini and cheese in slow cooker.
2. Cook on high for 2 hours.
3. Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and add to slow cooker.
4. Cook on high for 1 more hour.
5. Before serving, stir in cheese.

The holidays can sometimes be busy and full of running around, but BLACK + DECKER® is there to help make them easier. And not only do they make slow cookers, but they also make toaster ovens and rice cookers that are perfect gifts for the holidays! They’re useful, relatable, and will help make life easier for you and everyone in your life who could use a little extra help!

BLACK + DECKER® small home appliances are the perfect way to make the holidays easier to manage, and you can check them out on Amazon!

Happy holidays, mamas!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of BLACK+DECKER® . The opinions and text are all mine.

The post Tomato Tortellini Soup appeared first on Life With My Littles.

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #FamilyPastaTime #CollectiveBias

One of my favorite recipes growing up was my mom’s lasagna. It felt like a special treat whenever she would make it. I would eat the leftovers for days until it was gone, and when it was gone, I would ask her to make it again. It was that good.

And while I loved it, there was one small thing that was not my favorite about it–the sauce. But the rest of it was so yummy that it made up for it and I ate it all anyway.

A few months ago I decided to try and make my own version of my mom’s fast and easy homemade lasagna by using a different sauce recipe from a skillet lasagna I love. And guess what? IT’S EVEN BETTER THAN BEFORE! I’ve actually made this lasagna for people outside my family and they’ve had seconds (and thirds, even) because it was so good.

The best part is that it’s really easy and quick to make. We get home from church around 4:30pm most Sundays, and I’m able to have this on the table within an hour without even breaking a sweat. It has quickly become one of my family’s favorites, and even my picky 2-year-old and 3-year-old like it!

First, brown your ground beef.

While you’re doing that, make the rest of the sauce. Sautee onion in EVOO with minced garlic for 3 minutes, until fragrant. Then add in tomatoes, tomato sauce (we like using Barilla® Tomato Sauce because of the variety of authentic Italian flavors in it!), basil, salt, and pepper.

Let cook for a few minutes, then add in ground beef.

Now, make the cottage cheese filling. Mix together your cottage cheese, eggs, parmesan, parsley, salt, and pepper. Done.

Time to layer! One of the secrets to making this recipe so quickly is that you use Barilla Oven Ready Lasagna Noodles in the Classic Blue Box. You don’t have to boil them or do anything to prepare them except put them in the pan and layer the rest of your ingredients! With Barilla, you can create your own recipe for wonderful and feed your family happily and healthfully. Barilla is always our go-to pasta! Layer your Barilla noodles, half the cottage cheese filling, half the mozzarella, and half the sauce. Then do it again. Now your lasagna is ready for the oven!

Bake your lasagna at 375 degrees for 30 minutes and you’re done. I can’t emphasize enough how easy it is!

Yield: 13x9" pan

Fast and Easy Homemade Lasagna

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

This fast and easy homemade lasagna recipe really is so simple and quick to make! Less than an hour from start to finish and you’ve got a delicious Italian dinner! Plus, it can be made vegetarian!

Print

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 Tbsp. EVOO
• 3/4 c. chopped onion
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 (14.5 oz cans) Italian diced tomatoes, drained
• ¼ c. Barilla Tomato Sauce
• 3 tsp. basil
• ¼ tsp. pepper
• ½ tsp. salt
• Barilla Oven Ready Lasagna Noodles
• 3 c. cottage cheese
• 2 eggs
• ½ c. grated parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbsp. parsley
• ½ tsp. pepper
• 2 c. mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. Brown ground beef over medium heat.
2. In another pan, sautee onion in EVOO with minced garlic for 3 minutes, until fragrant. Then add in tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, salt, and pepper. When the beef is done, add it, too.
3. Combine cottage cheese, eggs, parmesan, parsley, salt, and pepper.
4. Layer ½ the noodles in pan. Spread with ½ cottage cheese filling. Add ½ the mozzarella and ½ the sauce. Repeat.
5. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

And as if a post all about delicious lasagna wasn’t enough, you can buy your Barilla pasta and sauce at Target and use the Cartwheel app to get 5% off! Hooray!

Next time you’re craving Italian food, skip the restaurant and make this quick lasagna recipe. I promise you won’t regret it!

The post Fast and Easy Homemade Lasagna appeared first on Life With My Littles.

This post is sponsored by Ragu.

Family dinners are something we do every night. It’s a special tradition in our house that I know is going to get harder as our kids get older and more involved, and the Mister graduates medical school and starts his residency next year. I took a Child Development class in college, and we learned about all of the benefits of family dinner, including lower drug-use among children, higher self-esteem, better grades in school, and healthier eating habits. There are tons more (just Google it!) and seriously if eating family dinners together will help give my kids a better chance in this crazy world, we are definitely doing it!

But, with two toddlers in the house, I don’t have a ton of time to make elaborate dinners anymore. I love to cook, but making everything from scratch just doesn’t happen when you have two under three crying for your attention. The problem is that I love that home-cooked taste that comes from making everything yourself.

Luckily, I have a secret weapon: canned pasta sauce It comes in offers an assortment of delicious flavors. Today I want to share with you five simple recipes for dinner that are easy and can be made using canned pasta sauce to save time and help make mealtime more magical! The whole family will love them and the time you save in the kitchen can be spent with your family creating special moments instead.

Red and White Layered Pasta
Layer penne, alfredo, red sauce, and mozzarella. Repeat. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo
Mix steamed broccoli with fettuccine and a jar of alfredo!

Lasagna
Layer lasagna noodles, cottage cheese mixture (3 cups cottage cheese, 2 Tbsp. parsley, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 cup grated parmesan, and 2 eggs), red sauce, and mozzarella. Repeat. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

Spaghetti and Meatballs
Top spaghetti noodles with red sauce and meatballs.

Fettuccine Carbonara
{Recipe via Life With My Littles}

And if you want to put together some simple sides to accompany your meal, just throw together a salad or some frozen breadsticks or garlic bread. They go great with all of these recipes!

Family meal time can be a great tradition. We love doing it at our house, and we are going to try to make it a priority as our lives get busier and more crazy!

The post 5 Simple Recipes For Dinner appeared first on Life With My Littles.

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

At the end of a long day changing diapers and wiping faces, the last thing a busy mom wants to do is spend hours in the kitchen cooking dinner. But it can be hard to find simple and delicious recipes that are fast and don’t require a lot of effort. Well guess what? I have a super easy, super delicious, and inexpensive dinner recipe that is fast and can be on the table in under an hour. Busy moms of the world, you’re welcome.

The best part of this recipe is that you only need an onion, some ground beef, 6 cans of food, and some seasonings. Are you excited yet?

I’m not kidding when I say this recipe was on the table in under an hour. It took me 15 minutes to brown the ground beef and dice my onion, and then after I added everything together, I let it simmer for 30 minutes, and it was perfect. It really doesn’t get much easier.

I also baked some cornbread while the chili was baking, but you could serve it with pre-made bread or whatever you like with chili. That’s part of the beauty of chili is that it can be served so many ways!

The base of this recipe is the same as my incredibly popular Cook-off Winning Chili, but I added a few extra ingredients to spice it up.

First, brown your ground beef.

Next, add all of your cans, diced onion, and seasonings together.

Mix in the beef and let simmer for 30 minutes on medium-low.

And ta-da! Dinner in less than an hour.

Yield: 4 servings

30 Minute Chili

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

This 30 minute chili recipe is so fast and easy! It's the perfect dinner for busy weeknights!

Print

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 can creamed corn
• 2 cans condensed tomato soup
• 1 can RO*TEL, drained
• 1 can Hunt's diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 can black beans
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Instructions

1. Brown ground beef.
2. Combine the rest of the ingredients.
3. Add in ground beef.
4. Let simmer on medium-low for 30 minutes.

Next time you have a busy night (let’s face it, aren’t most nights that way?), you can throw together this super easy 30 minute chili and serve your family something delicious with less effort. Just say yes you CAN!!

The post 30 Minute Chili appeared first on Life With My Littles.

When the Mister and I were both in college, we ate boxed pasta or at a restaurant almost every night. Needless to say, it wasn’t ideal. So when we moved for medical school and I wasn’t in college anymore, I decided to try meal planning. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made! It has helped take the stress out of answering “what’s for dinner tonight?” I want to share why meal planning has simplified my life, and hopefully inspire others to try it out!

1. Meal planning has simplified grocery shopping. Every Sunday night, I sit down and plan our menu for the week. I write down all the ingredients I need to buy, plus any other groceries we need for the week. Then on Mondays, I do my grocery shopping. It is amazing to have a list to follow and to know what I need to buy instead of wandering the aisles saying “I think we could have this for dinner” and throwing a ton of unhealthy boxed dinners into my cart. It always helps to have a plan at the store.

2. Meal planning has made dinner less stressful. Don’t you hate not having any idea what to make for dinner 30 minutes before it’s time to eat? Meal planning helps me to know what we are having for dinner every night. I know how long it will take me to cook, and I know that I have all my ingredients. It’s so much easier to be prepared because I’m not trying to find something in the back of my cupboards to serve my family. Then I can feel good about what I serve my family, and I can actually enjoy preparing and serving dinner. So much less stressful!

3. Meal planning has given me a chance to try new recipes. In the beginning, I didn’t have very many recipes in my arsenal. So I really got to experiment and try a bunch of new recipes from cookbooks and Pinterest. Of course some were not our favorites, but the top five meals my husband and I love to have over and over would never have been discovered if I hadn’t tried new recipes! And if I wasn’t thinking ahead and making a menu each week, I wouldn’t have the chance to pick new recipes to try. So thank you, meal planning!

4. Meal planning has helped me cultivate my cooking skills. I never would have discovered that I love cooking if I hadn’t started meal planning. Meal planning has helped me develop cooking as a talent, and I am so grateful for that! Sure, you might not be super good at the beginning, and it takes time to learn, but that is what recipes are for! Being able to cook has definitely helped make dinner easier, and my husband is sure happy about it!

5. Meal planning has helped us eat healthier. When you are planning out your dinners, you can choose healthier options. You can choose to add veggies and fruits, and then actually buy them when you go to the store! If you aren’t planning your meals, you usually end up just picking something to make for dinner because it either sounds good, or it is fast and comes from a box. But most of the time, cravings and boxed foods are not the healthy option. Making a plan will help you eat healthier and allows you to plan out having fruits and veggies with meals. And who doesn’t want to be healthier?

This may seem dramatic, but meal planning has changed my life! It has made dinner so much easier, simpler, and healthier, plus we have found new recipes and I have found a talent! I hope all those reasons are helping convince you of the amazing benefits of meal planning! It really simplifies my life, and everyone in our family is happier as a result.

Have you tried meal planning? How has it helped you? Let me know in the comments!

The post 5 Ways Meal Planning Simplifies My Life appeared first on Life With My Littles.

First of all, how was your Valentine’s Day!? Mine was fabulous! The Mister and I went on a (childless) date to PF Changs, and I got flowers, chocolate, and Olaf earrings (Little J picked those out). It was perfect!

Anyway, I grew up as a vegetarian, and the thought that chili could be made without meat never even entered my mind. My mom always made chili for her and my dad, but my sister and I never ate it. Fast forward to married life when our church ward was having a chili cook-off. I found a recipe that I had never made in my recipe cards, accidentally used creamed corn instead of regular corn, and won! That recipe is now my fourth most popular post on my blog. Anyway, I realized that I liked the way my chili smelled, and decided to make it without meat for myself one night. And guess what? IT WAS DELICIOUS! And thus, this fantastic 5 can vegetarian chili recipe was born.

Now, not only is this chili vegetarian, it is also insanely easy. Open five cans, pour them in a pot, cook for at least 30 minutes, and voila! Delicious chili!

Something else I love about this recipe is that the chili has a little bit of a kick, but also sort of a sweet taste. I know it sounds kind of weird, but it’s so good! And it is amazing with a side of cornbread!

Here’s all you need to make this easy chili:

You don’t need to add any extra spices or anything, and it comes out amazing and perfect and just wonderful. I can’t believe I went so long without eating chili.

Yield: 4 servings

5 Can Vegetarian Chili

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

The easiest and most delicious 5 can vegetarian chili! Takes 30 minutes to cook and is perfect for an easy weeknight dinner!

Print

Ingredients

• 1 can Black Beans
• 1 can Rotel (drained)
• 2 cans Condensed Tomato Soup
• 1 can Creamed Corn

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a pot on low. And I mean the lowest your stove will go. Any higher and it will get stuck on the bottom, even if you stir.
2. Cover and stir about every ten minutes and cook for at least 30 minutes. You can cook it for longer, but it doesn't need to be.
3. Serve and enjoy!

You’re welcome vegetarians.

The post 5 Can Vegetarian Chili appeared first on Life With My Littles.

This post contains affiliate links.

Our son has always been an amazing eater. He likes almost everything we give him. I think one of the reasons is that I give him a wide variety of foods.

A few weeks ago I was searching on Pinterest for toddler meal ideas, and most of what came up were complicated recipes or clean eating things.

Let’s get real. I am fine serving my son frozen chicken nuggets. If he has some high fructose corn syrup, he’s going to be okay. And I think that most moms are probably with me!

I wanted to share some easy (and real) toddler meal ideas, straight from Little J’s menu, in the hopes that it gives other real moms helpful ideas for more things to feed their toddlers.

One note: I try and give Little J a variety of food groups at each meal; specifically proteins, dairy, fruits, and veggies. It’s easy to get carbs and fat in the diet, but you have to consciously decide to give them the other ones. It’s really helpful to have the little plates with the dividers on them. That way you have to have more than just one thing!

So that being said, here are ideas for each meal and snacks!

Breakfast Toddler Meal Ideas

Breakfast is easily Little J’s best meal. He always eats a huge breakfast, which is nice because he starts his day off on a good note. He almost always asks for more of whatever I give him.

I usually give him a few suggestions for breakfast and then he tells me what he wants. If your toddler can do this, then it’s a great way to give him some independence.

For breakfast I usually give Little J milk, one fruit, and a main dish. Some days he gets two different things because he loves breakfast that much and will easily eat it all.

Here are some of the things he loves:

• Waffles (usually frozen and warmed in the toaster) & syrup
• Pancakes & syrup
• Toast & butter/jelly/peanut butter/nutella
• Scrambled eggs
• Cereal & milk
• Yogurt
• Bagel & cream cheese
• Muffins or toddler muffins
• Oatmeal

Lunch Toddler Meals

Lunch is sometimes a little harder, but he usually ends up eating all that I give him. For lunch he gets a veggie, a fruit, milk, and then his main dish. Here are some ideas:

• Chicken nuggets & BBQ sauce
• Corn dog & fry sauce
• Hot dogs (cut up small) & ketchup
• Grilled cheese
• Cheese or shredded chicken quesadilla
• PB&J sandwich
• Tortellini with butter & parmesan or with tomato sauce
• Macaroni & cheese
• Sandwich with deli meat & cheese
• Peanut butter on crackers
• Cheese & crackers
• Meatballs
• Fish sticks
• Scrambled eggs
• Mini pizza rolls
• Leftovers

Dinner Toddler Meals

For dinner, he almost always gets what we are having. Sometimes if it’s something like soup he has something else because he’s not quite good enough with a spoon. But usually, he gets whatever we are having, plus milk, a fruit, and a veggie. I’m not going to make a list of dinner ideas because we eat a lot of things!

Fruits and Veggies

One thing that I like to do is give Little J drained fruit cups from the store. It’s super easy to serve him those, and it takes ten seconds of preparation.

For veggies, I use either a steamed veggie, or I microwave a cup of frozen vegetables. Again, super easy and it takes a minute to heat them up. I know it can be hard to get your toddler to eat more vegetables, but just keep trying.

Here are some of his favorite fruits and veggies (also, I know he doesn’t like a ton of veggies yet, but we’re hopeful he’ll like broccoli and green beans one day!):

Fruits

• Apples
• Bananas
• Oranges
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Bananas
• Pears
• Peaches
• Pineapple
• Grapes
• Watermelon
• Cantaloupe
• Raspberries

Veggies

• Corn
• Carrots
• Sweet potatoes
• Mixed veggies (frozen and warmed in the microwave)
• Peas
• Cucumbers
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Green beans

Okay, so I know you must be thinking, those all sound great, but that’s impossible to do for every meal!

Yes, it is hard. And that’s okay.

Not every meal is going to be perfect and have a fruit and a veggie. Sometimes your toddler is going to be the worst and decide he suddenly hates everything on his plate. And in those cases, we usually just leave his plate out (or put it in the fridge) and when he gets hungry, we offer it to him again.

I don’t want Little J to become a picky eater, so if he doesn’t eat what is on his plate, he doesn’t get a different meal. And that usually works. Sometimes he’s just not hungry when we eat and he will eat later. But most of the time, he is a great eater.

Snack Ideas

One last thing. Let’s talk about healthy snacks for toddlers. We usually give our son a little of something in one of his bowls and he will eat it while he plays. That kid loves snacks. Here are some of what we give him:

• Pretzel chips
• Pretzels
• Yogurt tubes
• Fruit snacks
• Goldfish
• Cheezits
• Fruit squeeze packets
• Graham crackers
• Crackers (Ritz or Club)
• Freeze-dried fruit
• Cheese sticks
• Veggie straws
• Animal crackers
• Granola bars
• Raisins
• Breadstick cheese dippers
• Nilla wafers
• Teddy grahams
• Cereal

Side note, we also love using plates that separate each food because it kind of motivates me to fill each thing (usually with a main dish, fruit, and veggie).

I hope that is helpful! Like I said, not every meal is going to be perfect, and that’s okay. Just keep trying new things, because even if your toddler hates chicken one day, he could love it a few days later. Toddlers are crazy like that.

So good luck in your feeding adventure, and I hope some of these toddler meal ideas have inspired you!

The post Easy (and Real) Toddler Meal Ideas appeared first on Life With My Littles.