This Mama Cooks

A. Making big batches of food, like rice, stir fry, chili or soup, so there are lots of leftovers to be heated up for lunch (or a quick dinner) for the rest of the week.

One of my favorite "big batch" recipes is to make pasta with homemade meat sauce. My kids actually thank me every time I make this, which warms my heart.They also like eating leftover pasta and sauce for breakfast!

You can see the recipe here: http://www.thismamacooks.com/2010/07/healthy-whole-wheat-spaghetti-with-meat-sauce.html
By Anne-Marie

A. Lasagna, of course. I make both traditional lasagna for my family and a dairy free, gluten free, vegan version for me. Theirs gets put in a big freezer pan and I use a smaller Ziploc VersaGlass container.
By Anne-Marie

A. My kids love sweet potato fries. They always ask for seconds, which is great because sweet potatoes (yams) are full of good stuff like fiber, vitamins and minerals.
By Anne-Marie

A. My family's favorite is the Coffee Cup Egg Scramble. It's quick, easy and fun to eat.

You can see more breakfast ideas on my blog at http://www.thismamacooks.com/breakfast.
By Anne-Marie

A. I agree with Lexie - healthier options of stuff kids like, for example pizza with low fat cheese, veggies and whole wheat crust. Also, kids love treats and there's got to be a better way of giving kids a healthy alternative to junk. Our school gives the kids apples, and they inevitably end up in the trash. Instead, they could make baked apples. Same with pudding, it can be made wholesome by using stevia instead of sugar and maybe using coconut milk instead of cow's milk for kids who have to avoid dairy.
By Anne-Marie

A. I'm always challenged to use up what my husband has brought home during hunting season. One of my favorite things to make is venison stew in the crock pot. It's so easy to do and it's a great way to use up extra veggies and potatoes, too.
By Anne-Marie

A. Subway is our go to fast food choice. It's usually a good deal especially when they're doing the $5 footlong specials. I also like that you can choose what goes on the sub and can pick healthy things like olives and tomatoes.

Last night since it was just my daughter and me and I already had dinner while she was at karate practice, I took her to Subway for her favorite meatball sandwich. She had half of it last night and will have the second half tonight for dinner before karate. It saves me from having to cook a big meal just for the two of us.
By Anne-Marie

A. I made this a couple of weekends ago and it was a big hit - Blueberry French Toast Casserole - http://www.thismamacooks.com/2012/02/blueberry-french-toast-casserole.html

It's a healthy take on cream cheese stuffed French Toast. Also, the nice thing about the recipe is that it makes a huge portion, so you can reheat servings for breakfast or snacks during the week.
By Anne-Marie

A. I'm just getting my kids to start liking tofu. Usually I use an Asian seasoning mix to cook them up with vegetables so they taste like something we get at our favorite Asian restaurant. Tofu's also a great substitute for meat if you do Meatless Mondays at your house.

I've also experimented using tofu in smoothies. I think my kids like those the best!
By Anne-Marie

A. My challenge after Easter is what to do with all those hard boiled eggs! Luckily the kids, my husband and I love them plain with a little salt and pepper. We also like to make deviled eggs. My daughter, Lucie, makes excellent ones with mayo and a little bit of relish like her dad showed her to make.

For more sophisticated pallets, try these Blue Cheese Deviled Eggs - http://www.thismamacooks.com/2010/09/more-healthy-appetizers-blue-cheese-deviled-eggs.html. They're so delicious that my son ate a dozen (six whole eggs) of them by himself at a party. He didn't smell very pleasant the next day if you get my drift. So now he's only allowed a few at a time.
By Anne-Marie