Top Time Saving Tip for Working Moms

Learn my number one time-saving tip for busy families. If you implement this consistently into your life, it will save you time, money and your sanity - I guarantee it!

And if you would like a modified version of our menu and grocery list, send me an email at nicola[at]executivemomscoach[dot]com and I'll gladly pass it along.

Menu and Easy Recipe of the Week: Taco Soup

After what felt like too much food and not enough physical activity last week with family in town and in celebration of my husband's birthday and Thanksgiving, we have decided to go with a pretty basic menu this week.

Sunday: Taco Soup (see recipe below)
Monday: Leftover Taco Soup
Tuesday: Baked Salmon with Pesto Marinade, Steamed Asparagus and Pasta
Wednesday: Baked Chicken with Teriyaki marinade, Steamed Broccoli and Brown Rice
Thursday: Cheese Tortellini with Grilled Chicken and Marinara Sauce and Salad
Friday: Pancakes, Eggs, Turkey Bacon and Fruit
Saturday: OPEN

Taco Soup
1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 med onion, finely chopped
2 cans corn, drained (or frozen corn)
2 cans kidney beans, drained
2 cans rotel tomatoes (this is a specific brand with chilies and seasoning included)
2 cans chicken broth (low sodium)
1 packet taco seasoning

Toppings:
Sour cream
Cheddar cheese (grated)
Tortilla chips
Avocado

1. Brown meat in large pan and drain.
2. Combine all ingredients in large pot.
3. Heat through on medium heat until hot.
4. Let each person top with grated cheese, sour cream, avacado and chips (depending on what they like).
   

Notes:

• This soup makes plenty for leftovers or to be frozen.
  
• This soup tends to be even better the second day.
• When made with the Rotel Tomatoes, this soup does have a spicy bite to it. To make it more kid friendly, you can use plain, diced tomatoes without chilies.
  
• If your child(ren) don't like things mixed together, you can also leave out some of the meat, beans, corn and make your child(ren) a plate with a little of everything separated.
  

Easy Recipe of the Week: Lasagna

Extra-Easy Lasagna

3/4 pound ground beef (or turkey)
3 cups marinara sauce (recipe calls for Prego Traditional)
6 dry lasagna noodles
1 15 oz. container ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz. package)
Fresh or chopped frozen spinach (defrosted and drained)
1/4 cup water

1. Cook meat until browned; stir to separate. Spoon/drain off fat.
2. Add marinara sauce; heat through; stir often.
3. In 2-quart oblong dish (this is smaller then a 9x13 baking dish), spread 1 1/2 cups of marinara mixture (half the mixture) on bottom of dish.
4. If using fresh spinach, mix into ricotta by using a food processor. If using chopped frozen spinach, mix defrosted and drained mix in with the ricotta cheese using a fork.
   
5. Top with 3 noodles, half the ricotta and half the mozzarella cheese.
6. Repeat with 3 more noodles, remaining ricotta mixture and cheese (leave a small amount of mozzarella out to use on top).
7. Top with remaining marinara mixture and sprinkle with small amount of mozzarella cheese.
8. Slowly pour 1/4 cup water around the inside edge of the dish and cover.
9. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 10 minutes.
10. Let sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Tips:

• Find ways to alter this recipe for variety and varying tastes. Last night I used sweet Italian Sausage, which everyone (including my 2 1/2 year-old) liked. Often I use the Traditional Prego sauce, but sometimes I use the Trader Joe's Vodka Marinara Sauce, which provides a creamy taste and consistency. Add lots of spinach if you like. Add less or no spinach if you like. Play around with it, be creative and find ways to get healthy foods into your families bellies. You can throw nearly anything into a food processor with the ricotta and most will never know.

• Although this recipe doesn't take long to make, you can eliminate the dinner-time chaos by making this in advance and then just cooking it an hour before it's time to eat. This is necessary for those who work outside the home and don't have time to make and bake the dish after work. Make the recipe as indicated above; however, leave out the water until you are ready to cook it. Yesterday morning I made the lasagna and then covered it and wrote a reminder on the top to add 1/4 cup water (I've forgotten to add the water before). When I got home at 5:30 p.m. I added the water, put the foil back on and stuck it in the over. A delicious dinner was on the table by 6:30 p.m. (including some warm bread I stuck in the oven while the lasagna was cooling and a Cesar salad from a bag.
  

• Enjoy a no-brainer dinner night as a result of making this dish. Depending on your family size, you should end up with plenty of lasagna left over for an easy, no-brainer meal the next night. Or freeze the remaining to use over the next few weeks when you don't want to cook.
  

Easy Recipe of the Week: Slow Cook Pork Chops

I often get asked to share some of the easy, family-friendly recipes we use. Once a week I will post a new recipe that has been tried and approved in our house.

---------------------------------------------------------------
Pork Chop Dinner with Apples and Squash (from Betty Crocker's Slow Cooker Cookbook)
-4 servings-

1 small butternut squash (or two bags of fresh, cubed butternut squash from Trader Joe's)
3 large unpeeled cooking Apples
4 pork loin chops, 2/4 inch think (about 1 1/4 pound)
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Peel squash. Cut squash in half; remove seeds. Cut squash into 1/2-inch slices. (See why the pre-cut bags are so nice!)
   
2. Cut apples into fourths; remove cores. Cut apple pieces crosswise in half.
3. Remove excess fat from pork (I usually don't do this).
   
4. Layer squash and apples in 3 1/2- to 6-quart slow cooker.
   
5. Mix remaining ingredients. Coat pork with sugar mixture. Place pork on apples. Sprinkle with any remaining sugar mixture (we usually don't add all the mixture to cut down on some of the sugar).
6. Cover and cook on low heat setting 8 to 9 hours or until pork is tender.
   

---------------------------------------------------------------

We usually add a simple salad or steamed asparagus with this and we are good to go. The other nice thing is that this dish is often better the second day, so we make enough for leftovers and don't have to worry about making dinner the next night!