Our free Weekly Menu Plan is here to help you save time and money, eat healthier, and bring your family together around the table. Even if you don’t live near a Hy-Vee, you can still use our plan for…

Our free Weekly Menu Plan is here to help you save time and money, eat healthier, and bring your family together around the table. Even if you don’t live near a Hy-Vee, you can still use our plan for…

Our free Weekly Menu Plan is here to help you save time and money, eat healthier, and bring your family together around the table. Even if you don’t live near a Hy-Vee, you can still use our plan for…

Our free Weekly Menu Plan is here to help you save time and money, eat healthier, and bring your family together around the table. Even if you don’t live near a Hy-Vee, you can still use our plan for…

Our free Weekly Menu Plan is here to help you save time and money, eat healthier, and bring your family together around the table. Even if you don’t live near a Hy-Vee, you can still use our plan for…

Our free Weekly Menu Plan is here to help you save time and money, eat healthier, and bring your family together around the table. Even if you don’t live near a Hy-Vee, you can still use our plan for…

Our free Weekly Menu Plan is here to help you save time and money, eat healthier, and bring your family together around the table. Even if you don’t live near a Hy-Vee, you can still use our plan…

Our free Weekly Menu Plan is here to help you save time and money, eat healthier, and bring your family together around the table. Even if you don’t live near a Hy-Vee, you can still use our plan for…

Our free Weekly Menu Plan is here to help you save time and money, eat healthier, and bring your family together around the table. Even if you don’t live near a Hy-Vee, you can still use our plan for the meal ideas.

Our free Weekly Menu Plan is here to help you save time and money, eat healthier, and bring your family together around the table. Even if you don’t live near a Hy-Vee, you can still use our plan for…

Our free Weekly Menu Plan is here to help you save time and money, eat healthier, and bring your family together around the table. Even if you don’t live near a Hy-Vee, you can still use our plan for…

This Instant Pot Whole Wheat Mac and Cheese recipe takes just 18 minutes from start to finish, dirties only one pot, and tastes creamy and delicious! Plus, it's made with all real food ingredients. It…

Slow Cooker Balsamic Shredded Beef is an easy, healthy, dump-and-go, delicious dinner. This freezer friendly recipe is a win for my family and is a great recipe for large groups. So simple!   Slow…

A little sweet and a little spicy, this chicken dish is BIG on flavor and takes just minutes to throw in the slow cooker.

This fake-out lasagna is a dinnertime favorite in my home. Beefy Baked Ravioli is very easy to make too! It's super filling and makes a great beef freezer meal. My kids love it. Some affiliate…

One of our easiest freezer meals: Chicken Parmesan Sliders. Just put a few ingredients into the crockpot and you'll have one of your favorite meals for a busy night. Great meal idea for large groups too! "I…

These easy Ham & Cheese Sliders are a family staple. They are super easy to make, budget friendly, great for a group of people, and even freezer friendly. I've been making these for YEARS and constantly…

Do you have a green bean hater? I dare you to try this bacon-wrapped green bean recipe. I dare you. I took the dare and I now have a transformed husband who looks forward to his green beans. Not…

Looking for a incredibly simple side dish for the holidays, or an easy side dish for a weeknight meal? Although these boiled baby (or new) potatoes take very little work and ingredients, they look stunning…

Delicious dinner recipe? Check. Freezer friendly? Check. Makes a lot of leftovers? Check. Approved by all ages in the family? Check. Feeds a large group of people? Check. Easy to make? Check! I've…

Thank you to my mother-in-law for this quick trick on how to cook corn on the cob in the microwave! Did you know that cooking corn on the cob doesn't require dirtying up a pot, heating up the kitchen,…

Pumpkin Dump Cake is an easy to make, crowd-pleaser recipe goes a long away (serves 9-12 people). It is a delicious twist on classic pumpkin pie that almost any age will like. It's also a great make-ahead…

Slow Cooker Balsamic Shredded Beef is an easy, healthy, dump-and-go, delicious dinner. This freezer friendly recipe is a win for my family and is a great recipe for large groups. So simple!   Slow…

Cancer-Fighting Soup (aka Immune-Boosting Soup) is chock full of vegetables, lentils, and black beans that science has shown helps fight inflammation in the body. Whether you're wanting to help someone…

Friends, making stew gets NO EASIER than this recipe. My mother-in-law taught me this one when I first got married, and I've been serving it up to big crowds ever since. Make ahead and freeze to have on hand for busy nights or when hosting a big group.

Slow cooker chicken and cheese taquitos is a delicious meal that the whole family will love! Be sure to make a double batch for the freezer. Then, you can pull out however many you want and throw them…

When the air turns crisp and the leaves start to change, making a comforting batch of Cheddar and Bacon Potato Soup is mandatory. Using the slow cooker means your home will smell cozy and delicious, too!

Chicken parmesan casserole is a family-favorite freezer meal that is super easy to make. This real food, healthy dinner recipe is a staple in our home. (Looking for healthy freezer meal recipes?…

An easy step-by-step guide on how to cook bacon in the oven. Less mess and better bacon! Skip the Mess: Bake Your Bacon! For years I tried to cook bacon either in a frying pan or the microwave.…

An impressive, yet simple Easter meal for a crowd. Just follow our easy 4 step Easter Menu Plan!

This easy dump and go freezer meal will become a regular family dinner in your home. This freezer friendly dinner is so versatile too. Eat it straight from the slow cooker, put it in wraps, or turn it…

With a husband in full time college ministry, we find ourselves hosting meals at our home quite a bit. I love it. I love hosting people. I love feeding people. I especially love feeding college students…

These freezer-friendly English Muffin Pizzas are something all ages enjoy, and you can easily double and freeze extras for later.

These easy Ham & Cheese Sliders are a family staple. They are super easy to make, budget friendly, great for a group of people, and even freezer friendly. I've been making these for YEARS and constantly…

With 8 years worth of content, it can be easy to forget about some amazing pumpkin recipes that we have shared over the years. Since fall is in full swing, we thought it would be great to resurface some…

This homemade Crock Pot Pumpkin Spice Latte is EASY to make and is my go-to drink when entertaining in the fall or winter. It's made with REAL ingredients from your pantry and everyone loves it and is…

Despite the 90 degree temperature days in mid-MO this past week, the leaves are starting to turn and my yard has the beginnings of an epic leaf pile. Fall is officially here. While I'm admittedly…

Last week I got THE single best (and most hilarious) review of a recipe I've ever gotten in my entire life. Listen to the end of this audio clip from my two neighbor girls (there's a slight pause in the…

There are seasons in life when a home cooked meal delivered to the door of a friend, neighbor, or church member speaks volumes of love. Our family has certainly benefited from many meals from friends over…

Little hands can't get enough of these ham and cheese crescent rolls. Don't believe me? Here's what happened when I was trying to get a picture of these bad boys. Who can blame her? Between the sweet,…

A while back I posted about a favorite recipe of mine, Baked Oatmeal. I can't even begin to count the number of times we've made this in the past few years. We almost always have the ingredients on hand…

I've always been afraid of the fickle beast. That's what my friend, Carla, and I call yeast. Good homemade bread without a bread maker has eluded me for years, because I could never get the yeast or recipe…

People. If I would have known how easy and cheap it is to make your own marinara sauce in the crock pot, I would have started doing this years ago! Instead I've been spending money on expensive jars…

I've made these Zucchini Flaxseed Muffins more times than I can count. Not only are they moist and totally yummy, but they are a great way to include some sneaky nutrition into a kid-favorite. I almost…

Listen. You're busy. We're busy. We aren't here to waste anyone's time. You need to know what ground beef freezer meals are the BEST and you need them pronto for your busy, hungry, growing family. Pulling…

These are our favorite 20 most well-tested, freezable dinner recipes when it comes to getting a good meal on the table. Not only are these make ahead meals family-friendly, but they are also made with…

Looking for meal ideas for new moms? We've created the ultimate list of meal ideas for new parents! You'll want to bookmark this one, friends! Gosh. I look back at these pictures and I remember.…

Is a healthy breakfast possible on those chaotic weekday mornings? We've got you covered with 10 healthy, freezable breakfast ideas to make ahead and have on hand. We started school again yesterday.…

Sponsored by Hy-Vee Columbia As a big proponent of feeding my family mostly "real food", making kid lunches for all three of my kids on school nights is just part of our routine. But,…

At only 5 weeks pregnant, I had hardly even noticed any pregnancy symptoms. Life was going on as normal for the most part. On one particular morning, I served up some oatmeal pancakes and fruit and my…

When you go to the store to buy vanilla you are faced with a dilemma: do you buy the smaller, more expensive bottle of REAL vanilla or the larger, cheaper bottle of imitation vanilla? It's a battle of…

Welcome to day three of our weeklong series: Kitchen Favorites. Each day we will feature a category of kitchen items that we either use and personally recommend or that come highly reviewed from a trusted…

We are in our second day of a weeklong series called: Kitchen Favorites. Each day we will feature a category of kitchen items that we either use and personally recommend or that come highly reviewed…

"Is it safe to put a freezer meal in the crock pot?" "Can I put frozen chicken breasts in the slow cooker?" When it comes to freezer meals, this is a very common question we get from readers…

Bananas getting spotty and overripe? Time to throw them away? Stop, I tell you. Stop! While you may see a banana decomposing right before your eyes, I see a banana that is in perfect condition to…

We're back again (remember the onion chopping trick from yesterday?) to share another kitchen tip I showed Polly while we were making yummy Roasted Corn and Black Bean Salsa last week. This short video…

I'm a big believer in offering my kids fruits and vegetables at every meal. Research has definitively shown that if you keep offering and keep offering, children will eventually try the produce you…

Last week I wrote a post about Three Reasons Freezer Cooking in the Summer is Awesome.  Since I make the oh-so-convincing case as to why you should be whipping up some freezer meals in the summertime,…

Between sports practices, school drop off and pick up, working two part-time jobs, and pretending to keep up with laundry...I am all about slow cooker freezer meals these days. What's not to love?…

Is a healthy breakfast possible on those chaotic weekday mornings? We've got you covered with 10 healthy, freezable breakfast ideas to make ahead and have on hand. We started school again yesterday.…

Sponsored by Hy-Vee Columbia As a big proponent of feeding my family mostly "real food", making kid lunches for all three of my kids on school nights is just part of our routine. But,…

Last Saturday around lunch time, my family was driving home from a birthday party. When I mentioned I wasn’t sure what we had at home to eat, my husband quickly suggested we swing by a fast food restaurant…

These Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes are a part of our family's regular breakfast rotation for good reason. As with so many of our real food recipes, they have sneaky vegetables (i.e. pumpkin this…

Learn how to save time and money and eat healthier by prepping Freezer Smoothie Packs ahead of time. Use our 7 different delicious smoothie recipes to start filling your freezer today. Free printable recipes and shopping lists included.

Freezer meal cooking can be the key to eating healthier for the whole family. Here are 70+ of our favorite healthy freezer meals that all ages will love. Some of the links in this post are affiliate…

While our cookbook, From Freezer to Cooker, doesn't come out until January 2020, we wanted to give you some tracks to run on with how to cook your own fresh recipes or freezer meal recipes in the Instant…

A common question we get about freezer cooking is, "What are some easy freezer meals for 1 or 2 people?" In this post, we will walk you through a great list of make ahead recipe ideas from our blog and…

Don't let your leftover smoothie go to waste. Turn it into popsicles! Smoothies are a regular thing in our house. They are a great way to get some fruit, vegetables, protein, and other sneaky nutrition…

This freezer-friendly Loaded Potato Soup is rich, delicious, and can be thrown together in your Instant Pot right before dinnertime. By Alyssa Nitz of Always Overdressed, Contributing Author Like…

We're so excited to be able to share one of the healthiest, most delicious, and freezable recipes in our cookbook, From Freezer to Table, today--Super Stuffed Baked Potatoes! Super Stuffed Baked Potatoes…

Hi friends. I’m Natalie, a mama, paleo food enthusiast, and blogger over at Lovely Inside Out. I’ve been making freezer meals for a while now to help take the load off our mid-week dinnertime dash.…

Is a healthy breakfast possible on those chaotic weekday mornings? We've got you covered with 10 healthy, freezable breakfast ideas to make ahead and have on hand. We started school again yesterday.…

I'm gonna be straight up honest with you all. My family hasn't been eating all that well this summer. I've been swamped with work, my son has baseball games and practices many nights a week, we've…

After testing 100s of recipes for the past 1 1/2 years for our forthcoming cookbook, we have narrowed down the Instant Pot cooking times for all sorts of recipes. Here is a rundown on how long to cook…

This freezer friendly Instant Pot Tomato Soup has it all. Since it makes a great freezer meal, I've written the recipe to be very large. It could be a great meal idea for groups of people or simply freeze the leftovers in small portions for lunches down the road.

While our cookbook, From Freezer to Cooker, doesn't come out until January 2020, we wanted to give you some tracks to run on with how to cook your own fresh recipes or freezer meal recipes in the Instant…

Prepping meals in bulk and cooking them from frozen in the Instant Pot is the ultimate time-saver. If you can master the art (and yes, it is an art!) of Instant Pot freezer meals, your dinnertime hour…

Cheeseburger Instant Pot Pasta is an easy, one pot meal is full of flavor and sure to please little ones and grow ups alike. Around my house any kind of spaghetti dish is sure to be a hit. If it involves…

You may have tried our Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan Sliders and loved them. All ages do! But, now we've converted this super simple, kid-friendly recipe to work in the Instant Pot both from fresh…

Love that candy bar with chocolate, coconut, and almonds? Well, now you can have everything that's delicious about Almond Joy in one make-ahead, nutritious overnight oats recipe.

This make-ahead Peach Pie Overnight Oats recipe takes just minutes to put together and provides a super nutritious and quick breakfast. Think late summer, ripe peaches, and a delicious slice of…

Kids and adults alike love these simple breakfast burritos filled with all good things including BACON. Make these in mass and freeze them to have on hand for busy school and work mornings as a grab-and-go option. What a nutritious, protein-rich, and delicious breakfast to start your day!

Make-ahead Peanut Butter and Jelly Overnight Oats takes just minutes to put together and provides a super nutritious and quick breakfast.

The Very Berry Smoothie starts your day with a super food punch! This easy, healthy smoothie includes strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries, plus some hidden spinach. Make some freezer smoothie packs ahead of time to have these on hand for a quick, nutritious breakfast.

Sweet potato, clementines, carrots, and bananas create the base of this easy smoothie that's a healthier version of the orange sherbet push-up pops from childhood. Yum! Freezer smoothie pack instructions included so you can prep these smoothies ahead of time.

Here's an easy breakfast idea that your family will love: freezer friendly Pumpkin Chocolate Waffles. They are a great way to sneak some nutrition into your breakfast. Make lots and freeze some for later! These…

Want a high protein, low carb, on-the-go breakfast option that will keep you satisfied all morning? These Cheddar Chive Egg Bites are the perfect solution for a healthy breakfast on busy weekdays. Make…

A few months ago, I found out my two year old was iron deficient. Whoops. Since then, I have been on a mission to find ways to sneak iron into my toddler's diet. A toddler who just happens to hate…

This easy breakfast idea packs in fruits, whole grains, and yogurt for a healthy and delicious start to the day. Not to mention, it's fun! My children regularly ask for a breakfast parfait using cereal…

These easy-to-peel hard boiled eggs in the Instant Pot just might change your life. This recipe is MAGIC, I tell you. In all of my years of trying every hard boiled egg trick in the book, I've never…

With just 3 ingredients, few appetizers are simpler and will be gone faster than Bacon-Wrapped Dates with Goat Cheese. Sure to be a hit at your next party!

Making homemade hummus in the blender (or food processor) is easier than you think. The hummus ingredients come together quickly leaving you with a healthier and tastier appetizer than you could find…

This fresh, delicious, and super healthy Fiesta Chopped Salad (or is it salsa?) works as a light lunch, side dish, appetizer, or snack anytime. Make this on the weekend and eat on it throughout the week.…

I'm always looking for ways to jazz up side dishes. This is one of the many reasons I love this garlic herb butter. It can be made ahead of time, frozen or refrigerated and then plopped on any kind of…

Last week, while our little ones were at preschool together, Polly and I spent the four quick morning hours making, canning, and freezing Roasted Corn Salsa. We actually walked away from the whole project…

I feel silly posting this as new, exciting recipe. Because many of you already make this, right? But, Whole Grain Pizza Bread actually is kind of a new, exciting thing recently discovered in our house! Like…

As afternoon snacks go, dark chocolate chips and peanuts rank #1 in my book. But, Creamy Avocado Dip might come in at #2. This healthy and filling dip is a great love of mine for lunch or for snacking. You…

Here's a healthy and super EASY lunch, appetizer, or snack idea for you. Try out this tasty Mediterranean Layered Dip and make it your way.

If I had to pinpoint one favorite food, it might well be crab legs. A few years ago, when I was on staff with my church, my best friend and I took several high school girls to Charleston for Spring Break. …

These healthy, whole wheat banana chocolate chip muffins are YUMMO. Seriously. Don't let the whole wheat factor make you think they are going to be compromised. Plus, they are freezer-friendly and an easy breakfast for busy mornings.

Cinnamon and apples get me every time. Whether it's Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal or Cinnamon Apple French Toast, I find it hard to resist this classically delicious combo in the fall. Although this…

It feels a bit silly to be sharing a post about how to make garlic bread. I mean, isn't it kind of a no-brainer? Well, maybe. BUT, we want to help you take your garlic bread game to the next level. This…

It's no secret that I am a muffin lover. I love that they are easy to make, easy to eat anytime of the day, and easy to freeze. When these Blueberry Power Muffins were suggested by my friend Noelle…

I love making muffins. Maybe it's because my figure somewhat represents one at the current time (i.e. 7.5 months pregnant) but for some reason I've been wanting muffins in the morning--and afternoon.…

I love this easy healthy breakfast idea: Chocolate Chip Zucchini Breakfast Cookies. These healthy make ahead breakfast cookies are great fresh or also as a freezer meal.  Zucchini for breakfast!? Yep.…

Warning: This post may introduce you to some ingredients that you don't recognize. But, let me assure you that it's worth giving these Flourless Banana Muffins a shot because they are absolutely moist…

These healthy, whole wheat banana chocolate chip muffins are YUMMO. Seriously. Don't let the whole wheat factor make you think they are going to be compromised. The mini chocolate chips will take care…

Republished and updated from September 2012 You may be wondering what the heck coconut flour is and why I would bother baking muffins with it. First off, these Coconut Flour Pumpkin Muffins are worth…