Every week I have at least one conversation with a friend or new person I meet about what we are cooking or feeding our family. More than not, we talk about the successes and failures in getting our sweet little (or big) ones to eat something other than a hamburger or a bowl of cereal. Here are the top 5 unique meat-free meals my kids will eat everytime. [Read more…]
About Emily Nagel
Calico Pizzas
Here we have it, folks another great way to use up those leftovers sitting in your refrigerator on a Friday night. I started these calico pizzas when I realized that my children were not big fans of the vegetable-ful pizzas I love to make and it only made sense to start producing a variety of mini pizzas so that everyone was happy.
As my kids get a little older, and a little more adventuresome,we have expanded their taste buds with unique variations of this pizzas. Even though there is not really a formal recipe, here are some delicious combos we have come up with: [Read more…]
Buff’s Breakfast Casserole
I am always amazed when I come across a recipe which makes a dish that tastes significantly more complicated than it is. My colleague brought this into the office for our team brunch and it made a big impact. He made it three different ways, cheese, sausage, and with vegetables. If you are looking for a delicious dish to bring a friend’s house or whip up when unexpected company arrives at your house try this deliciously simple breakfast casserole. The recipe is as follows: [Read more…]
Ideas for Leftover Apples
I face this dilemma each and every Fall after I have gotten extra zealous with my apple purchases. There are so many great varieties to try its hard to resist the urge to buy some new ones to try. Although tart Granny Smith is my preferred choice, I am particular to a seasonal Zestar variety we pick up at Ten Ecyk Apple Orchard in Brodhead, WI. Family-owned since 1839, this beautiful farm is worth visiting for its wide-variety of apples, over 50, being harvested each year.
So what to with all those leftover apples? The ideas are endless, here are some [Read more…]
Kid Friendly Roasted Vegetables
Roasted vegetables take on sweeter flavor. One way to make vegetables appealing to a child’s taste buds is to roast them to a perfect crispy perfection. After many trials of scorched vegetables here is my perfected kid friendly roasted vegetables.
- 1 lb of organic carrots
- 1 lb of organic red potatoes
- 2-3 Tbs of olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
- Heat oven to 425 degrees.
Chop vegetables into 1 or 1 1/2 inch pieces. Try to [Read more…]
Fruit and Veggie Smoothie
One of my many ways to get my kiddos eating there green veggies. The best part is that they are the ones who have come up with almost every recipe! Here is the basic smoothie recipe, below is a list of some extras we like to add in for fun.
- 1 cup of frozen strawberries
- 1 cup of frozen blueberries
- 1-2 cups of plain yogurt
- one scoop of Green SuperFood powder or a large hand full of baby spinach
- Apple juice or almond milk
- Honey or agave syrup
Add frozen fruit into the blender. Scoop in yogurt and green power. Add in juice to help the blending process. Puree the smoothie adding [Read more…]
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Fall is around the corner when the different types of squashes show up in mass quantities at our local French market. I have not yet met a squash I didn’t enjoy, but there is something so sweet and savory about the typical butternut squash that makes it my first choice. A bonus to this type of squash is that everyone in the family loves it, especially when its in the form of my roasted butternut squash soup. This recipe simple and freezable. Whats not to love.
- 1 – 2 lb + butternut squash
- 1/2 an onion.
- Olive oil, Salt and Pepper
- 1- box of Chicken Stock or broth
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- Hand blender, blender, or Cuisinart
After washing the squash [Read more…]
5 Tips for Monthly Meal Planning
At a soccer game I got talking to the other moms and found out we each manage our meal planning slightly differently. There are many useful apps out there for making grocery shopping and monthly meal planning much easier. At a stationary store I picked up a handy dry erase calendar that is tracking tool.
My tips or meal planning are: [Read more…]
Weekday Nacho Dinner
There are four of us. My husband and I might be much larger than the other two Nagels, but when it comes to eating, they have us beat. These two boys can eat twice as much as me in one sitting. When I pick them up after work they are ready for dinner before I even have a chance to decide what dinner is going to be.
That’s when I started incorporating the nacho dinner into our life. Its the equivalent to the taco dinner, but speedier. There is no recipe needed, which make it great for your older kids to whip up too. [Read more…]