Mealtimes can be stressful when you’re looking after a brand new baby. I’ve burnt plenty of meals because I had to tend to a crying newborn. I finally went out and bought a slow cooker and instantly fell in love with it. Now I had two new babies.

Every morning, I would throw in some ingredients and forget about it until it was time to eat. I had the rest of the day to take care of my baby and myself and still have supper ready for when my husband came home from work.

Make Your Own Slow Cooker Meal

• 2 cups chopped beef, pork or poultry (or whole chicken breasts)
• 2 cups slice potatoes, rice, elbow macaroni (or any other pasta)
• 2 cups canned or frozen vegetables (peas, carrots, corn, celery, mushrooms, etc.)
• 2 cans of condensed soup (cream of mushroom, chicken or celery, etc.)

Shredded cheese and seasonings can also be added to your liking.

*These amounts can be varied according to your family’s size. Just mix ingredients in the slow cooker and leave the setting on low for 6-8 hours.

If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can also make your own casserole in the oven. Whether you use a slow cooker or the oven, it’s good to stock up on these staples and always have them on hand for quick meals.

Canned - tomatoes, tuna, salmon, mushrooms, low-sodium soups, beans
Frozen - vegetables, soup stock, chicken, lean beef, pork
Dry - whole wheat pasta, brown rice

Another thing that many moms find helpful is to plan a menu for the week and stick to it. Grocery shopping will only need to be done once a week for the items you need for that week’s menu. Gone will be the days where you have to stand in front of your fridge or pantry for a half hour to figure out what to make for supper.

And remember, if someone offers to help you cook or clean - graciously accept. You’re a new mom…it’s OK!

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup butter (softened)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 ripe bananas mashed
2/3 cups plain yogurt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions:

In a bowl combine flour, baking powder and baking soda. In a separate bowl mix butter and sugar until well combined. Add eggs and mashed bananas to butter mixture. Add to flour mixture along with the yogurt and mix together well (until smooth). Spoon batter into lightly greased baking pan and top with walnuts (if using). Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes or until baked through.

Ingredients:

4 chicken breast halves
2 cups long grain white rice
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 packet onion soup mix
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Spread the rice on the bottom of a greased 9X13X2 inch casserole dish. Place the chicken breast halves on top of the rice and sprinkle salt and pepper on breast halves. Mix the celery and mushroom soups together and layer on top of the chicken breasts. Then sprinkle the dry onion soup on top. Pour the chicken brothe over the entire casserole. Cover with foil and bake in a 350F degree (175C degree) oven for 1 1/2 hours.

Serves 4.

This version of nachos and cheese is so delicious, even your kids won’t mind eating healthier!

Ingredients:

Triscuit crackers
Thinly sliced cheese in one inch squares (cheddar, mozzarella or monterey jack are all great options)
Salsa

Instructions:

On a cookie sheet place a single layer of Triscuits. Put a small spoonful of salsa in the center of each cracker. Top with one piece of cheese. Bake at 350F until the cheese is melted.

Serve with extra salsa, sour cream and guacamole.

Yummy!

Smoothies are a delicious and nutritious breakfast option, snack or dessert. Your kids are sure to love them!

Cinnamon Apple Smoothie

1 cup milk
1 cup vanilla yogurt
1 small apple
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
handful of ice cubes

Wash and peel apple. Cut up into cubes and take out the seeds. Add ingredients and blend for one minute.

Serves 1.

Peaches and Cream Smoothie

1 cup evaporated milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup vanilla yogurt
2 fresh peaches, washed and sliced (seed removed)

Blend for one minute.

Serves 1.

Strawberry Delight Smoothie

1 cup milk
1 cup vanilla yogurt
4 large strawberries (or 1 cup frozen strawberries)
1 small banana cut up

Blend for one minute.

Serves 1.

For more great kid friendly recipes visit Easy Kids Recipes.

This is a fun idea for a simple dessert at kid’s parties!

What You’ll Need:

· goldfish bowl, nice and clean
· red hots or Jelly Belly gravel beans
· blue Jello
· ice cubes
· cold water
· purple endive
· parsley sprigs
· gummy fish

Instructions:

Use a new or well cleaned goldfish bowl. In the bottom, the original recipe called for red-hots as the ‘gravel’, but the Jelly Belly beans that look like rocks are also a good choice. Mix up as much blue Jello as your bowl will hold. Mix using ice cubes & cold water instead of the cold water called for on the box. Pour this into the bowl over a knife blade or something to keep from disturbing the gravel. If you want it to have ’seaweed’, poke a couple of pieces of purple endive or something similar down into the gravel. When the whole thing starts to jell, use a wooden skewer to push gummy fish into different parts of the bowl. If you’re going to be able to supervise the serving, you could even add a plastic diver man or other fun accessories.

For more fun kid-friendly recipes visit That’s My Home.

This recipe is from the Baby Bistro Cookbook by Joohee Muromcew. An excellent book full of nutritious, easy recipe that your kids will actually eat!

In the description for this delicious Chicken and Broccoli Casserole, Joohee writes the she feels “very June Cleaver when I make this homey, old-fashioned dinner. Substitute peas, spinach or any green vegetable for the broccoli.”

Ingredients:

1/2 cup rice
1-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup finely chopped broccoli florets
3/4 cup finely chopped cooked chicken breast (about 1/2 breast)
1/2 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese

Preparation:

In a medium saucepan, bring the rice and broth to a boil over high heat and continue boiling, stirring occasionally, for five minutes. Reduce the heat to medium. Cover and simmer for five minutes. Stir in the broccoli. Cover and cook for five minutes or until the rice is tender but still quite wet. Stir in the chicken and cheese. The cheese will melt into the excess liquid.

Serve as is or puree in a blender or food processor to a consistency appropriate for your child.

Makes about 3 cups.

* Note: You can freeze this dish in an ice-cube tray or in small freezer-safe storage containers. The texture of the rice will be slightly gummy upon defrosting, but it’s easily fixed with a pat of butter or a splash of milk.

Making play dough is a fun activity for kids and an affordable alternative to buying it in the store. You can also create some funky custom colors by combining food coloring!

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 cup cold water
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp food coloring

Instructions:

Combine the dry and liquid ingredients in separate bowls. Add flour mixture to liquid. Stir until smooth. Place on medium heat, stirring frequently until color darkens and the play dough forms a ball. Don’t overcook as it will become dry and crumbly once cooled. Remove from heat, cool and knead. When not in use, store in a sealed container. It should last about 1 week.

For other great kid recipes visit BabyTipsOnline.com

We are big believers that “the more involved the kids are in the cooking process, the better they eat!” Here’s a great idea for a fun family dinner that everyone will love.

Pizza Party Night

Ingredients:
Pizza Dough (either homemade or store bought)
Premade Spaghetti Sauce (see note below)
Toppings of choice
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Parmesan Cheese

Notes:
Premade Spaghetti Sauce - I like to buy the chunky veggie sauce. This way, I know my kids will get some type of veggies in their meal. If you do not have the chunky veggie sauce, you can always take some canned, or cooked veggies, and puree them into the sauce. This way, you are guaranteed to get some veggies in (and the kids will have no idea!)

Topping Suggestions - ham, bacon, pepperoni, cut up hot dogs, mushrooms, onions, pineapple, green pepper, tomatoes

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Recipe Created By:

Bek Davis is a trained chef and a work at home mom. You can find more recipes, cooking tips, and mom resources on her highly recommended websites: http://modernmom.info and http://iwebdesigns.org.

I first tried a variation of this dish a year ago and since then it’s my staple for potlucks and large family dinners. It’s always a huge hit! Try it, I guarantee your family will love it.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup minced onion
3 T. powder garlic
16 oz. Cheddar Cheese, shredded
30 oz. Frozen Southern Hash Browns
10.5 oz. Cream of Mushroom Soup
2 cups sour cream
1/4 lb. butter, melted
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Mix all. Put into 9″x13″ greased casserole dish. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees, covered. Cooked uncovered for 15 minutes.

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Recipe Created By:

Bek Davis (Chef Bek) is a trained chef and a work at home mom. You can find more recipes, cooking tips, and mom resources on her highly recommended websites: http://modernmomnetwork.com, http://www.iwebdesigns.org, and http://www.iFreeRecipes.com.