Food, Fast! Round Up

I'm a mom with less than zero time on her hands. So you can bet I am always eager to hear about quick and easy low maintenance recipes that I can slap together in less than an hour's notice without breaking the bank.  I know, I've got great expectations.

After all my snooping around, I just had to share what I'd found. There is a huge wealth of recipe stockpiles out there containing JUST what I need! Since I've already done all the work of gathering them up for myself, I knew this was the perfect thing for my readers. I hope you're all in easy recipe heaven right now! The best part about these recipes is that they are all from healthy eating websites, so you can rest assured they're pretty darn good for you. Enjoy!

Cooking Light's huge directory of all of their different 5-Ingredient recipes

Cooking Light's huge directory of Superfast (20 minutes or less) recipes

Heart Healthy Living's list of 5-Ingredient recipes

Heart Healthy Living's list of recipes under $3

Eating Well's list of 5-Ingredient recipes

Eating Well's list of quick, cheap and easy recipes

Feeding A Toddler

I got this great idea from a post for a Matryoshka (I've always wondered what those dolls were actually called) themed birthday party at On To Baby.

Well, anyways, I thought this was a great idea for a toddler meal, since my little girl loves to graze and really only likes to eat what she can pick up with her fingers.

But what I did was I used the bottom half of an egg carton instead of an ice tray. The holes are a little bit rounder, and it's way cheaper to use something you're going to have to get rid of soon anyway than to buy a bunch of ice trays! Also, it's recyclable if it starts to look like it's seen one too many toddler lunches.

What's In My Toddler's Lunch?

• Grapes
• Mixed Veggies
• Bunny Grahams
• Colby Jack Cheese
• Blueberries
• Pretzels
• Cheddar Bunnies
• Banana Slices
• Strawberry Slices
• Raisins
• Yogurt Melts
• Green Beans

It's fun, it's colorful, and best of all it's healthy! Every good food group is packed into this lunch! And I have never seen Adrianne eat green beans willingly until this idea came around. It doesn't take long at all to put it together because you're mostly just grabbing things from here and there. 

Adrianne doesn't usually finish every last bit, but at least I can rest assured that she has had a healthy and well rounded lunch when I give this to her! Well...Happy feeding!

Guesting A Recipe

I've written up an "Easy Pleasing Recipe" as a guest post over at You Will Rejoice (who just so happens to be a sponsor of mine!). The recipe is for some quick and delicious quesadillas and you can check it out HERE!

If you try it out, be sure to let me know if you liked it! And definitely be sure to leave my sponsor some love!

recipe guest post

Hi, everyone! My name is Alicia Yamashita from over at The Better Nester! I'm a stay at home mom and I love to blog about all things crafty, tasty, and mommy! I cook for myself and my hubby and now our little girl, Adrianne, who sure can be a picky eater at times. Usually I'm so busy chasing her around that I have a hard time throwing a decent meal together. But this recipe that I am about to share with you is a favorite in our house! Personally, I love it because it's so quick and easy to make!

Today, we're making some Easy Cheesy Quesadillas! It only has a few ingredients. In fact, the only ingredients that are really mandatory are the tortillas and cheese! But nonetheless, you can be sure this recipe will make for some happy tummies. After all, who doesn't love some cheesy, melty goodness?!

I cook this recipe for my family, and it's one of the hubby's all time favorites. Adrianne also loves it because it's easy for her to hold and eat. I love substituting the peppers for some extra veggies in this recipe for a quick, nutrient packed lunch for her. The cheese really hides the veggies well!

This recipe would be great for a Mexican themed meal, served with some Spanish Rice or even just sliced avocado. You may even just want to serve it as an appetizer for a large family before an entree. Let's get started! This recipe will yield about 2 quesadillas and is easily doubled as needed.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tortillas, white or whole wheat
• 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup tomatoes, diced (about 1 medium tomato)
• 1/3 cup pepperoncini, sliced (about 5 medium-large peppers)
• 1/3 black or pinto beans, cooked or from a can
• Butter

DIRECTIONS:

Lightly butter one side of the tortilla. Then place it butter side down on a large frying pan.

Sprinkle a tortilla with half of the cheese, peppers, tomatoes, and beans so that all the ingredients are evenly dispersed across the tortilla.

Fry over medium-high heat until the cheese is nice and melted, about 5 minutes or so. Be careful not to let the butter burn the tortilla on the other side. The tortilla should brown, but only slightly.

Fold the tortilla in half with a spatula and gently press flat if necessary. Quickly remove from heat and slice in half or in quarters. Repeat with the second tortilla and remaining ingredients.

And there you have it! Quick and Easy Cheesy Quesadillas that are sure to please! Enjoy!

Tuna Mac 'n' Peas

This easy, please-y meal will only cost you a few bucks and I can't even really say I call this a recipe. But it's something I had every once in a while growing up, so I can say your kids will probably love it!

Ingredients:

• 1 box original macaroni and cheese
• 1 can chunk tuna in water, drained
• 1 cup frozen sweet peas, depending on preference

Directions:

Prepare the macaroni and cheese as directed on the box. I usually will throw in the peas when the macaroni is halfway done so they can cook together in the same pot, but you may cook the peas separately, if desired.

Once the mac 'n' cheese is ready, mix in the tuna (and peas if they aren't already mixed in with the macaroni) until it is all evenly dispersed and creamy. Then serve!

It's as easy as that! And it only takes about 10 minutes to prepare and cook. AND all three ingredients will only cost you maybe a little over a dollar each. You can very easily double the recipe for a whole family.

Enjoy!

Cheesy Penne With Tomato Sauce

Now, this is a new spin on an old favorite of ours. This pasta dish has a chunky tomato sauce which is packed with flavor, not to mention melty, cheesy goodness that is guaranteed to fill you up to the brim while also leaving you wanting more, more, more.

First, you'll have to make the sauce, which takes a little over an hour.

Ingredients for the sauce:

• Olive oil
• 1 medium/large chopped onion
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 3 28 ounce cans of whole tomatoes, drained
• 2 tsp. dried basil
• 1 tsp. dried cayenne pepper
• 2 cups low-salt chicken broth

Directions:

In a large dutch oven, pour in enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot. Saute the onions and garlic over medium-high heat until they become see-through, about 5 minutes or so. Pour in the tomatoes and mash them up, easiest with a potato masher. Mix in the dried basil and cayenne pepper. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for an hour to an hour and a half until the mixture is chunky and saucy.

Ingredients for the pasta:

• 1 pound penne pasta
• 2 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup sliced olives (Kalamata or black)
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Cook the pasta for the minimum recommended cooking time, or even a minute under so that it is tender but firm to the bite, then drain.

Add the pasta to the sauce and mix it up well.

Have your little helper assist you in slicing your olives with a dull baby knife and grate the cheese.

We use black olives here because they are very mild in flavor, much more kid friendly. But Kalamata olives are delicious in this recipe as well.

Now, pour the cheese and olives in with the sauce and pasta. Mix it up as thoroughly as you can.

Finally, sprinkle with the parmesan and stick it in the oven. Bake for about 30 minutes until the pasta is completely heated through. You may wish to transfer the mixture to a large glass baking dish before baking if your pot isn't oven friendly or if you want it to look prettier!

Now enjoy!!