My pre-made ingredient secret; Patak's Curry Paste

I would like to get to know my readers a little bit better so I would like to ask you a question. What is the one pre-made ingredient that you use to make dinners easier for you. It might be a pre-mixed spice rub, pre-cooked meat or really anything, mine is Patak's curry pastes. For those days that I just need something simple that I can throw together that I know is going to taste good and keep my family happy it has become my go to ingredient. Because everyone needs something that takes very little effort that you know will turn out great every time.

Cilantro Chicken with Peanuts an easy meal idea for even the craziest of days

I talked a lot about the ease of cooking, it is so important to not allow cooking to become something that is so complicated that you avoid doing it. Learning how to put things together in a way that is healthy and tasty but also very easy is a vital way to cut down your food budget. I relearned this lesson last week while we were in the middle of moving and unpacking. I felt too tired and things were too chaotic so we ended up eating out for most of our meals, all together we spend more last week on food then I normally do for two weeks worth of meals. The thing is I know plenty of dishes that take no time at all and are very tasty so really I have no excuse. The biggest thing is making sure you have certain basic stock items in your house all the time, that way when those crazy days sneak up on you there is always something you can put together for dinner.  I always have cilantro (coriander) on hand as well as chicken so this easy meal just required me to get some honey-roasted peanuts. Although you could just use plain peanuts as I have done before and it taste just as good. This recipe was yet another culinary delight that I got from my Sonoma Diet Cookbook, I can’t say enough about their recipes. They are not only healthier as they are apart of their diet, which on a side note is a lifestyle-focused diet, which in my opinion is the only way to successfully diet. The other added benefit of the recipes is that they are all easy to prepare and these days with a little one needing constant attention that is a very important thing.

Finding meals that fit in a busy mom's day

So I just had a baby, well two weeks ago I did. And I am amazed at how quickly my life changed when my little girl arrived. It doesn't take long after you have had a baby to realize that everything is going to be different from now on. And one of the differences that was very evident early on was how little time I have to prepare meals let alone eat them. So my love for easy to prepare meals has increased significantly. But not just easy, the meals need to be weather appropriate. It is all well and good to have a bunch of crock pot recipes but when it is hot outside you just want something refreshing yet filling. This recipe for Taco Salad not only satisfies all of the requirements it is also a wonderful childhood memory as it was a dish my mom often prepared for us. The coolness of a salad is perfect for a hot day and yet it is filling enough to serve for a dinner.  And because it only takes 10 minutes to prepare and is easy enough to eat quickly, or slowly in between feedings, it is perfect even for a busy new mom.

Lamb and Chickpea Stew

What is it about inviting people over for dinner that opens up the day to be a bit of a crazy one? More often then not the day guests are meant to arrive for dinner is the day you were late getting home because traffic was terrible, or the kids destroyed the clean house you worked on all day, as well as other disasters.  So when it comes to dinner plans it can be quite stressful.  That is why I love to prepare easy dishes that can be done well ahead of time and be ready when people arrive.  It gives me the freedom to know that no matter how stressful or crazy the day is my dinner is one thing I don't have to worry about.