Organization doesn't come naturally to me. I have a messy desk at work, a messy closet in my bedroom and for years I was really bad with meal planning. When I had kids, that had to change. It was no longer feasible to not get dinner on the table until 9:00 because we hadn't planned in advance. If you've spent much time on my site you know about my menu board system, a program that I've tried to stick to as much as possible because for the sake of my little ones hungry tummies. ... continue reading...
Search Results for: meal planning
Get Out Of Your Dinnertime Rut With Meal Planning & #YouMexiCan
Confession... over the summer the Hubs and I have fallen off of the meal planning wagon. We had been so good about looking through our menu cards every weekend, grocery shopping for ingredients and knowing exactly what was for dinner when we came home from work. The summer got the best of us though and we are officially in a rut. Lucky for me I was recently asked by Old El Paso to be one of their brand ambassadors and I think that's going to be just the kick in the butt that I need to get ... continue reading...
Back To Basics- How To Make Homemade Instant Oatmeal Packets Recipe
When I was a kid I hated breakfast. I've never been one to be super hungry in the morning and boy did my poor mother ever struggle with getting me to eat. She refused to let me go to school with an empty tummy, and was constantly trying to find something that I would eat before heading out the door. I went through phases of being able to stomach certain foods in the morning-- grapefruit, rice krispies, yogurt, shredded wheat and instant oatmeal were breakfast foods I remember rotating through ... continue reading...
Easy Sheet Mochi Pancakes Recipe
We've taken our favorite Japanese candy and turned it into a quick and delicious breakfast with our easy sheet mochi pancakes recipe! With a mochi filling and a golden crust, your family won't be able to get enough of these pancakes! Make the batter in less than 5 minutes and thenpop it in the oven for a low maintenance breakfast-- no pancake flipping required. Extras can be stored in the fridge for breakfast all week long! Mochi-- the sweet and sticky Japanese candy that my ... continue reading...
Caramel Apple No Bake Energy Bites Recipe- Nut Free, School Friendly!
The perfect 5 minute prep snack idea! This caramel apple no bake energy bites recipe is delicious, nutritious and perfect for school lunches. Packed with protein these nut free bliss balls are a family friendly snack idea. Get the kids to help make this easy snack recipe! Disclosure: Thank you to Martin's Apple Chips for sponsoring this recipe. As with all articles on Hello Creative Family all thoughts and opinions are 100% our own. Raise your hand if you love making school lunches? Let ... continue reading...
Healthy Lemon Raspberry Breakfast Cookie Recipe
Looking for a delicious, easy and healthy breakfast idea? This healthy lemon raspberry breakfast cookie recipe is a delicious and guilt free way to start the day! Perfect for breakfast on the go, its gluten free, low in sugar, dairy free and packed with the bright and beautiful flavors of lemon and raspberries! Freeze extras for breakfast meal planning! Last week I started a new session of teaching Healthy Baking and Cooking For Kids at my local community center. I love teaching this class, ... continue reading...
Napa Valley Turkey Salad Recipe
Your family is going to love this Napa Valley Turkey Salad Recipe! Whip up a big batch on meal planning days for easy lunches during the week. Creamy and slightly sweet with a great crunch from the almonds and celery this is a family favorite. I was recently having a discussion with one of my girlfriends about meal planning. She's a busy mom, like me, and each week she sits down, plans out 3-4 recipes that her family will eat for dinner the following week and does batch cooking on Sunday ... continue reading...
Foil Embossed DIY Planner Dashboards Made With The Cricut
Making DIY Planner accessories is so much fun! Learn how to make foil embossed DIY planner dashboards using your Cricut Explore or Cricut Maker and a scoring stylus! This project includes 11 different options for your tabs. Kick your planner up a notch or two! Read to the end of this post for your chance to win a Cricut! 2017 is coming to an end. I was flipping through my planner the other day, looking back at memories and goals I set for the past year and I realized something-- ... continue reading...
Chocolate Coconut Macadamia Nut Healthy Breakfast Cookies Recipe
Friends, I'm about to introduce you to my latest obsession-- breakfast cookies! They are delicious, nutritious and an excellent way to start the day! My inspiration for these cookies came from one of the kiddos in my kids cooking class. I asked for ideas of what they wanted to learn to cook or bake in class (bonus points if it was something healthy since I strongly believe in filling kids up with food that is yummy and good for their bodies). One of my students told me that he wanted to learn ... continue reading...
Back To Basics- Nutrition Label 101
Do you remember the days when there weren't nutrition labels on packaged food at the grocery store? I know that for a good portion of my life there weren't nutrition labels on foods, but I honestly don't remember those days. Perhaps because I didn't grow up with nutrition labels, I never really paid attention to them, until a few years ago when I became a parent. At that time, the food that I was putting on the table, and nourishing my children with suddenly became a whole lot more ... continue reading...
10 Organization Hacks Every Parent Needs to Know About
My eyes spring open with panic. It's half past seven and I have slept through my alarm ... AGAIN. The bell rings to start school in less than an hour and I have three uncooperative kids to get up and dressed and fed.... oh my! My daughter won't get out of bed. My son is upset because his favourite pants are in the wash ... and they stink to high heaven so can't do a re-wear. My youngest is running around with no clothes on giggling hysterically. And now we are having a battle over the ... continue reading...
Top 12 Favorite Recipes Of 2014 from Sew Creative
----> PIN ME HERE <---- I LOVE food. I think about it constantly, love to play with different flavours in the kitchen and one day would love to have a baking cookbook. As I type this I'm right in the middle of a blogger weight loss challenge and am eating a restricted food diet. Even with limited ingredients I've been cooking up a storm and exploring all kinds of different recipes (and sharing photos on Instagram). Food is a universal thing that everyone can relate to. We all ... continue reading...
Be Awesome Link Party Week 8
Welcome back, friends! I hope that you all had a fabulous weekend and got up to all kinds of fun! Are you ready to party? I hope so, because it's Be Awesome party time! The eight of us, Angie of Echoes of Laughter, Julie of Sober Julie, Crystal of Sew Creative, Jo-Anna of A Pretty Life in the Suburbs, Tara of Suburble, Stacey of This Lil Piglet and Shauna of Satori Design for Living and Virginia of Fynes Designs, are the hostesses of this ... continue reading...
Favorite Things Friday- Saving Dinner Giveaway and Balsamic Chicken Salad Recipe
It happens to the best of us-- we have the best intentions of eating in every night, planning meals ahead of time, trying new recipes and wowing our family with our culinary creations... and then it happens... we fall into the dinnertime rut. I've been there, stuck in that rut, feeling uninspired by food, wanting desperately to crawl my way out but lacking the motivation or time to properly start planning. Then came Saving Dinner. I've tried different menu planning systems ... continue reading...
Crockpot Ranch Chicken Taco Recipe- Menu Card 12
When autumn hits I find myself using my crockpot much more often. It's so nice to come home from a long day at work and to have the aroma of a delicious dinner hit you as soon as you walk in the door. Knowing that dinner can be on the table in minutes without a bunch of fuss is a great feeling. One of my favorite crockpot meals is my Crockpot Ranch Chicken Taco Recipe. ... continue reading...
Curried Coconut Pumpkin Soup Recipe- Menu Card 11
Have I told you all that I've started writing for Yoyomama?!?!? I find it so exciting to see my articles in additional places to Sew Creative. Yoyomama approached me recently and asked if I'd be interested in creating an article and recipe for them about soup. I immediately thought of my Curried Coconut Pumpkin Soup recipe. It really is the ultimate fall soup recipe. ... continue reading...
Panko Buttermilk Chicken Strip Recipe- Menu Card 9
Be prepared. Today I have a recipe for the most delicious chicken strips you will ever taste... it's my Panko Crusted Buttermilk Chicken Strip Recipe. Chicken strips are the last thing that I would ever order at a restaurant. In my mind chicken strips are dry, tasteless and boring. Kids order chicken strips off of a menu, not adults. Then my view of chicken strips was changed completely. A couple of weeks ago my friend Dani Girl took me for a birthday lunch at Two Chefs and A Table here in ... continue reading...
Honey Garlic Baked Meatballs Recipe- Menu Card 8
My latest recipe for Honey Garlic Baked Meatballs is up on Treehouse TV's website. It's a good one so I wanted to share it as part of my meal planning series. I love that this recipe is for baked meatballs instead of fried meatballs. You pop them in the oven and forget about them. They make a terrific 30 minute meal. Read all about my Menu Board here and find Menu Cards 1-7 here. Here is menu card #8 with all of the ingredients that you need. You can make this recipe with hamburger, ... continue reading...
Homemade Whole Wheat Pizza Dough Recipe Menu Board Card #5
Who doesn't love homemade pizza? Today I'm going to share with you my homemade whole wheat pizza dough recipe that is universally loved by kids and adults alike. It also happens to be Menu Board Card #5. You can view Menu Board Cards #1-4 here. A post that describes my menu board system and how quick and easy it is to implement can be found here. I was never a whole wheat pizza type of girl, then I started writing for and participating in the Today's Parent Healthy Family Challenge and ... continue reading...
Crockpot Soda Pop Pulled Pork Sandwich or Salad Recipe Menu Board Card #4
Today we add a fourth card to our menu board recipe series. For more information about my menu board system read here. Today's recipe is for Crockpot Soda Pop Pulled Pork Sandwiches (or Salads). Here is the menu board card: Crockpot Soda Pop Pulled Pork Ingredients: -Pork Shoulder Butt Either Frozen or Thawed (Size doesn't matter. ;) You can use as big or as small of a pork shoulder butt as you would like, leftovers freeze nicely.) -1 can of pop (If you want a healthier ... continue reading...
Weekly Inspiration- 5 Healthy Recipes from Today’s Parent
Shortly after I started Sew Creative I was approached by Today's Parent about taking part in and writing about their Healthy Family Challenge. My family and I jumped at the opportunity-- Fun ideas for how to get more active as a family, fantastic meal planning put together by a nutritionist and most importantly that kick in the butt to actually stick with it, get to the gym 3 or 4 nights a week and get healthier! The opportunity was just too good to pass up. Today is the first day of The ... continue reading...
Salmon, Spinach & Avocado Salad With Brown Rice or Quinoa Recipe Menu Board Card #3
Today we add a third card to our menu board recipes series! This recipe is for a salad made with salmon, avocado, baby spinach and brown rice or quinoa.In case you are just joining us, I have a menu board in my house. On the menu board I have each day of the week along with an envelope (ok now it's 2 envelopes) with all of the meals that we eat. Every time we make a meal we haven't had before I take a couple of minutes to write down all of the ingredients you need for the recipe, where the ... continue reading...
Asian Cashew Lettuce Wraps Recipe Menu Board Card #2
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about creating a weekly menu board and how easy it is to incorporate into your life if you start by writing what you are eating on a recipe card for 2 weeks to a month. That way you will have a collection of 14-31 meal ideas to start out with. I also gave you the recipe for your first meal card- Coconut Lime Chicken. Today I present to you a second menu card. This one for Asian Cashew Lettuce Wraps. I love this recipe for 4 reasons: 1. I LOVE thai food and ... continue reading...
Turkey Tortilla Soup Recipe- Perfect for Turkey Leftovers
Take Christmas or Thanksgiving Turkey Leftovers and turn them into an incredibly delicious and healthy meal your family will love with this Turkey Tortilla Soup Recipe! Perfect to warm you up on a cool day! Christmas is less than one week away! Do you know what you'll be eating for Christmas dinner? We love Canadian Turkey at Hello Creative Family, not just because it makes a festive, delicious and healthy meal for any celebration, but also because there are such delicious things that ... continue reading...
Turquoise Kitchen Remodel Part 3: The Reveal + 20 Tips For A Smooth Renovation Process
It's reveal time! We're sharing our DIY turquoise kitchen remodel which includes a colorful island and other smart features. Thank you to Sunrise Kitchens, Blanco and Sherwin-Williams for sponsoring parts of our turquoise kitchen remodel. All thoughts and opinions are our own. Have you been following along with our Turquoise Kitchen Remodel series? You can find Part 1 where we show the before photos here and Part 2 where we talk about color selection here. Today it's time ... continue reading...
Leftover Turkey Shepherds Pie Recipe + Batch Cooking With Turkey
Filled with all the delicious flavors of Thanksgiving, our Leftover Turkey Shepherds Pie Recipe is going to become your FAVORITE thing to do with your Thanksgiving leftovers! We're sharing the recipe plus tips for batch cooking with turkey! I'm back with another delicious recipe idea using our favorite lean protein source-- Canadian Turkey! This recipe is packed full of all the flavors of Thanksgiving! It can be made using your Thanksgiving leftovers, or you can do a bit of batch ... continue reading...
DIY Lavender “Essential Oil” Tincture- Think Ahead Handmade Gift Ideas Series
DIY Lavender Essential Oil Tincture- Think Ahead Handmade Gift Ideas Series I'm so excited to officially launch our Think Ahead Handmade Gifts series today!!! I hope that you all had a chance to read my post on Tuesday where I introduced the concept of the series and gave you all the opportunity to sign up for our Handmade Gift Givers Club. If not, hop on over to our Handmade Gifts Made Easy post and take a peek! Basically the concept is simple. Handmade gift giving is AWESOME, but ... continue reading...
5 Savoury Recipes That Should Be in Every Family’s Recipe Box
Sometimes 4pm hits, as I wind down my workday, and I realize I have no idea what to make for dinner. And I do have those days, don't we all!, when I am really tempted to take out a box of cereal and declare it "cereal night!" (My children would probably actually love this). But my quest to serve healthy, homemade meals most nights of the week means I hunker down, search the pantry and whip something up that will fill our bellies. When I'm on my game, it's sitting in the crockpot ... continue reading...
Why I Decided The HCG Weight Loss Program Was Right For Me & 2 Week Check In
Hi Friends! I'm 2 weeks into my #PoloWeightLoss blogger challenge, so it seemed like a great time to check in and let you know how I've been doing! I'm sure many of you have heard of the HCG Weight Loss Program before. I think many people almost think of it as a "dirty word". You see someone losing weight and talking about being on a restricted diet and you wonder "Is she doing HCG?" A lot of people keep it a secret that they are taking HCG. I want to be very transparent with all of ... continue reading...
The Dog (cat, donkey and penguin) Days of Summer #KinderMom
Summer. It is here and we are loving it. With my "new career" The Hubs and I decided to keep this summer simple and stay close to home. We're taking this summer to treat our beautiful city like vacation grounds, playing tourist out and about in Vancouver. My kids are animal crazy so we are planning on packing as much animal fun into their summer as possible. ... continue reading...
