This is my daughter’s favorite dish and one that our family enjoys at least three times a month. I used to make homemade spaghetti sauce very complicated with tons of diced vegetables and herbs but there were too many competing flavors. I also used to use stewed tomatoes which my kids kept on picking out. I have since simplified my recipe into something everyone loves. Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef 1/2 pound ground sausage 28 oz can Italian crushed tomatoes 28 oz can tomato sauce 2 Tbsp brown sugar 1 Tbsp dried basil salt to taste olive oil 1 pound spaghetti noodles fresh basil parmesan cheese Directions: Brown ground beef…

Sometimes the best foods are made when you don’t have all the ingredients you are used to and you have to improvise. That is how I came to this wonderful and easy recipe! I have made beef stew countless times with beef broth, onion soup mix, and a can of cream of mushroom soup. However, one day, I had none of these items but I had a great cut of beef chuck, fresh carrots, potatoes, celery, and Worcestershire sauce, and this new favorite recipe with way less processed ingredients was born. Ingredients: 3 pounds beef chuck (cubed) 6 carrots (peeled and sliced) 1 onion (diced) 8 potatoes (peeled and diced)…

With the abundance of fresh tomatoes, zucchini, and basil we have been enjoying this summer (thanks to my super gardener father), this recipe was a no brainer. Made with ease in your slow cooker, this nutrition packed one pot meal is sure to please. My kids all had seconds and my son even listed minestrone soup as his favorite food on the poster he made for his first day of school. Ingredients: 32 oz vegetable broth 16 oz dried mixed beans 6 carrots (peeled and diced small) 1 onion (diced small) 2 cloves garlic (I just drop the whole cloves in without mincing) 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning 2 medium zucchini…

This is a lunchtime favorite for my kids. I grew up on Campbell’s chicken noodle soup but this is a thousand times better plus it is not so salty and is made with ease in the slow cooker requiring very few ingredients. The only work is having to chop all your fresh vegetables but they will taste so good. I also like to chop the carrots into pumpkin shapes for fall and hearts for special days or sometimes just because. Ingredients: 1 whole raw chicken (skin, bones and all… just don’t forget to take out the bag of giblets) 32 oz container of chicken broth 2 pounds carrots (cut into…

A delicious, healthy, and easy breakfast to start your family’s day and all it requires is less than five minutes of prep work the night before. Ingredients: 1 cups steel cut oats (we get ours in a huge bag from Costco) 2 cups whole milk 2 cups apple cider 3 apples diced 1/4 cup brown sugar (you can use less if you don’t like it as sweet) 2 tsp ground cinnamon a splash of vanilla (I also buy the huge bottle from Costco as I bake a lot) a pinch of salt Do yourself a favor and buy slow cooker liners for this as the oatmeal really sticks to your…

If you like egg rolls or cha gio, you are going to love these! Authentic Vietnamese and waaaaay better than any from a restaurant. This recipe is from my mom. The only adjustment I made was I doubled the quantity of shrimp… because shrimp comes in two pound bags… and what am I going to do with the other one pound of defrosted shrimp? This is not an everyday simple recipe at our house but something more time consuming and special to make for parties and other celebratory occasions. Somehow my husband and I always find ourselves up until 2am frying egg rolls before all our kids’ birthdays. Ingredients: 2…