Cheat Carne Asada!

Manic: You crave carne asada for dinner tonight, but don’t have time to season and marinate the meat. Managed: Cheat and get the carne asada meat from Trader Joe’s!  Here is what I do to make this dish (with help from Trader Joe’s) fast and tasty.

Simple Savory Salmon

Manic:  You want to eat healthy salmon, but don’t have the time or ingredients on hand to make it right. Managed:  Found the easiest salmon recipe that only requires the salmon and two ingredients! This recipe comes from a friend.  Two years ago I picked my son up from his buddy’s house and I was […]

Choice Chocolate on Valentine’s Day

Manic:  I’m ready to justify chomping down on chocolate because it is Valentine’s Day! Managed:  Have it!  But have it the healthy way.  Read on to see which chocolate to eat to get the pleasure and the health benefits, too. To get chocolate’s true health benefits, there are a few things you need to know […]

Really Good Red Chili, Beans and Rice Recipe

Several years ago my very thoughtful sister-in-law made several of us cookbooks for Christmas.  This little hand-made cookbook filled with her very special recipes has survived a move, several kids and a lot of cooking in my kitchen.  It is now stained with various foods, but the contents survive, so today I am sharing my […]

Super Bowl Snack Idea: The Very Versatile Veggie Tray

Manic:  You’ve been invited to a Super Bowl party, but don’t have time to make appetizers to bring. Managed:  Grab a pre-made veggie tray from the store.  My favorite one comes from Safeway.  This veggie tray saves the day in several ways.  Here are some tricks and tips to get the most out of this […]

Finicky Family Recipe: Quick Orange Chicken with Extra Veggies & Brown Rice

Manic:  Not much time before practice and my teenager has announced to me no more eating out!  Wow, he wants to get healthy.  That’s awesome!  However, I didn’t have much time. Managed:  On my last grocery trip, I grabbed a quick fix orange chicken packet mix for days like this manic day.  I decided to give […]

Simply Good Sliders

Manic:  You only have a few minutes to navigate the grocery store for quick dinner items that your entire family will like. Managed:  Bring along one of my favorite tiny cook books called “Cook This, Not That” and you will be armed with good ingredients and good dinner ideas that can be easily prepared. The […]

Great Guac Recipe

Manic:  Need an impressive, but easy appetizer to bring to a party and you don’t have a lot of  time. Managed:  Trader Joe’s has an amazing cheat kit for really good guacamole!  Every time I make it, folks ask me for the recipe.  In addition to the Trader Joe’s kit, I add two more ingredients […]

Gal Pal Bridget’s Breaded Chicken Recipe

When I get recipes from other manic managed moms I know, I call them a gal pal recipe.  Today’s dinner idea comes from a gal pal of mine named Bridget.  She offered this to me after my daughter had dinner with their family and promptly announced that her chicken was the best she ever had!  […]

My Best Breakfast Burrito Trick

Every weekend, I cook my family a nice breakfast.  Family favorites include waffles with whipped cream and fresh strawberries, blueberry pancakes and my breakfast burritoes, but only when done right.  When I say right, that means several things to my finicky family. First they want regular white tortillas, but I prefer the 100% whole wheat […]

From the Corn on the Cob to the Cookies: It’s All Good At Hillside Spot Cafe!

I am an unofficial foodie.  I’m not a food expert, chef or even much of a cook. But I can eat out with the best of them.  I could have trained to be a restaurant critic because I love to eat and I absolutely love to dine out.  And if restaurant food didn’t shrink my […]

My most requested recipe: easy pleasing pot pie!

Both my kids cheered when I told them that I was making pot pie for dinner.  Easy and pleasing, this is a recipe that my neighbor gave me years ago.  Not only does my family appreciate my chicken pot pie, but it is the perfect plate to bring to new moms or someone in need […]

Warm Winter Eats

Well, it is only day 6 in the New Year and I have already strayed from my resolution of cooking more for my family!  However, I have a good excuse.  This weekend I purchased enough groceries for the weekend plus two days into the week, but on Tuesday my daughter got sick and I ran out of food…and […]

Great AM Eats

While visiting just about every corner of Phoenix this week in my son’s hockey tournament, I discovered a terrific breakfast restaurant that you’ve got to know about.  Over Easy in the Scottsdale Ice Den rink serves the best breakfast burrito that I have ever tried.  I paired my egg, cheddar, onion, jalapeno, pepper and hash brown burrito with […]