Kid Approved, Menus for Survival

Some may call it OCD, I call it survival! Planning is everything to maintain sanity when you are multitasking to the max. I would like to introduce you to one of my favorite survival tools. The meal planner.

New year, new planner! More time at home means more meals at home, taking time spent in the kitchen to a new level…more planning. On the other hand, without the commute home and dead sprint to get cooking done before bedtime, makes cooking less stressful..so enjoy it!

Also check out Simple Purposeful Living at https://simplepurposefulliving.com/ for meal planners https://simplepurposefulliving.com/product/simple-purposeful-living-52-week-meal-planner/, recipes, inspiration and great organization tips!

You can plan meals for the month, week to week, get to know your freezer inventory (awesome for a pandemic) and save yourself the chaotic 7:00 pm panic of what am I going to make tonight?!

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In a pinch, you need to be ready to take a WOMENT and hit the easy button. I always have an arsenal of frozen pizza, corn dogs, taco fixings, hot dogs and mac and cheese. Here are a couple of my “kid friendly” go-to recipes beyond the basics.

Tator Tot Casserole (The Midwest version of Shepard’s Pie😉)

1 lb. ground beef
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 T onion flakes
1 T worcestershire
1 T Thai chili sauce
2 cans green beans drained
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup milk
4 oz. Velveeta
1 bag frozen tator tots

Preheat oven to 350. Cook and drain hamburger. Season your meat. I add a teaspoon of salt per 1 lb. (Thank you Sunny Anderson😊), pepper, garlic powder, onion flakes, splash of Worcestershire and a drizzle of Thai chili sauce.. totally optional, but I like to add my own twist every time I cook..make it your own! Mix in a couple of drained cans of green beans, 1 can cream of mushroom soup, a splash of milk and about 4 oz Velveeta cheese, stir until melted. Put in a greased casserole dish, top with a layer of tator tots and bake 30 minutes until bubbly. Dish up..and enjoy. I know, it’s super classy, but soooo good…and easy!

Tip: Brown a 3-5 lb. family pack of hamburger at once. Season the meat the same way as the tot casserole. Split it up into freezer ziplock bags for a quick weeknight meal. Awesome for loose meat sandwiches (aka Maid-Rites), tacos, soups, you name it!

Spaghetti With a Kick

I know, anybody can make spaghetti, but this is a shortcut to kick it up a notch.  Brown hamburger and drain, add a packet of onion soup mix (this is where your salt comes in), pour in a jar of your favorite marinara sauce and a heaping spoonful of grape jelly. 

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I know, sounds kind of crazy, but you won’t believe how it takes spaghetti to the next level!  Serve over your favorite pasta, sprinkle with cheese, bread sticks, salad, done!

The Best Pot Roast

3-4 lb. beef chuck roast
2-3 T olive oil
Salt
Pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1-2 T Worcestershire
4-5 potatoes, skin on and quartered
5-6 carrots peeled and cut in chunks
1 onion quartered
8 oz. red wine
2-3 cups low sodium beef stock
2-3 sprigs rosemary

I love Sunday dinner. Ree Drummond has one of my favorite pot roast recipes. I always use chuck. A big Le Cruset Dutch oven works best, but any large oven safe pot you have will do.

Preheat oven to 275. Brown some carrots, potatoes, and onion in olive oil.

Remove from pot. Salt and pepper your roast really well, sear on all sides in olive oil.

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Remove beef from the pot and deglaze with about a cup of red wine (you can use beef stock too in the event you’re wine is gone, like mine.. it’s a pandemic after all!) Scrape up the fond with a wooden spoon.

Add your roast back to the pot and fill halfway up the side of the roast with beef broth. Top with your veggies and a couple sprigs of Rosemary. I didn’t have fresh, so I used some that I dried from my garden. I like to add a splash or Worcestershire too.

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Cover and cook for an hour per pound. One pot meal, my favorite! You can do this in a crock pot too, but I think it’s more tender in the oven.

Strawberry Applesauce Jello

Growing up in the Midwest, jello was considered a salad..lol. then there was dessert. This is an easy kid Approved jello, my kids request it all the time..Thanks, Grandma!

1 package strawberry jello
1-2 tsp red hot candies
15 oz. jar applesauce
1 tsp lemon juice

Boil a small package of strawberry jello in a cup of boiling water, stir and dissolve. Melt in a few red hots, the little bitty old-school candies (once again, strange..I know, but that’s what grandma did.

Grandma made cinnamon candied apples, and the flavor mimics the original candied apples.

Stir in a 15 oz. Jar of regular applesauce, squeeze of lemon, cover and chill. Great with a dollop of whipped topping.

For dessert, forget killing yourself on pie crust or cakes from scratch. Opt for frozen pie crust, they’re great and nobody will ever know. Go semi-homemade and use a boxed cake mix, whip up a cream cheese frosting if the mood strikes. My kids favorite is strawberry cake.

Strawberry Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Just bake one boxed strawberry cake mix according to the package.

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Best Ever Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese softened
1 stick butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1-2 T cream or milk
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
3-4 drops red food coloring

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Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter. Add the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, almond, salt and beat. Totally optional to use red food coloring, but my kids love to have pink frosting. We always top with sprinkles too.

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Take it easy, take a WOMENT and enjoy time at home getting creative with some meal plans.