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Sometimes getting the kiddos to eat anything can be a real challenge. And then I found spinach balls. I don't know if it's their bite size appeal or what, but the kiddos devour spinach balls whenever I make them. I tend to make them as an appetizer or for a party, but they can also be eaten as a side for dinner or can replace traditional meatballs in a spaghetti dinner. All I know is they are a hit in our house and very budget friendly. Not to mention sneaking in some vegetables to their diets without too much of a fuss. Ingredients: 2 10 oz. packages of frozen chopped spinach 1 box of stuffing mix 1 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese 6 eggs 1 cup butter Instructions: Preheat oven to 350F. Melt butter in microwave. Lightly whisk eggs. Defrost spinach and drain excess water. I like to press the spinach with a paper towel in the colander. Combine all ingredients until well incorporated and the stuffing mix is moist. Using your hands, form small balls and place on a...

This post may contain affiliate links. Please visit the disclosure and privacy policy for more information. Valentine's Day is another holiday where you can spend a lot of "dough" on gifts. Instead of buying expensive flowers, jewelry, or candy, consider making a gift. The gift of food is always a win in our family, and butter cookies are a hit at any holiday. These butter cookies also known as spritz cookies are easy to make with a cookie press. I'm a big fan of the electric or battery operated cookie press, but they also make manual ones. We have had our cookie press in our family since I was little so they are an enduring investment. After you mix up the dough, you add the cookie dough into the device, and as the name implies, you press out each individual cookie. It's a fairly quick process and results in intricate looking and tasty cookies. Of course, if you don't have a cookie press, you can always rolls and cut the cookies with traditional cookie ...

Money in, money out. Every month you play the number game. Your paycheck gets auto deposited in your bank account and goes out to the rent, utilities, credit card or student loans. If there is anything left over after everyone else has been paid, you might throw some extra into your savings account. Bills first, Fun next, Savings last. You might even have a savings goal: 6 months of expenses as a safety net or saving for long term goals like a down payment on a house or even early retirement. But what if I told you that you shouldn't pay your bills first every month? What if I told you that the order should be Me first, Bills next, Fun last? When asked, most people will agree that saving money is critically important. Emergency funds give peace of mind and if we ever want to retire someday we have a retirement goal. But very few save money. Saving money is hard when we want things NOW. Getting into the habit of saving is easy if you make a few simple changes. The fi...

There is nothing better in this world than a delicious desert without baking.  And the best way to start such a dessert is with a pie crust, of course.  My kiddos love Oreos (or their generic equivalent - they don't know any better).  Using them for a pie crust is quick, simple, and cost effective.  Remember, you can always substitute the sandwich cookies with other flavors (Vanilla, Peanut Butter, Mint) and there is no need to remove the filling from between the cookies. Ingredients: 24 whole Oreos (or your favorite generic version) 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) melted butter Instructions: Place Oreos in a food processor and blend until crumb-like (think course sand). Combine crumbs and melted butter in a mixing bowl and mix well.  Pour the mixture into a pie dish. Press the mixture evenly and firmly with your fingers and knuckles to cover the bottom and sides of the pie dish. Refrigerate crust for about a half hour to an hour.  Fill with your f...

So lunch time at work has become my nemesis of spending money and eating unhealthy.  It's way too easy to "forget" lunch and "need" to stop somewhere to pick up a quick, pricy, and often unhealthy lunch option.  So, with my New Year's resolution of trying to be more healthy and spend less money, here are my tips for keeping myself in line during lunch time at work. Get a Refrigerator Of course, this is a bit of a splurge, but I promise over time it actually saves money.  I bought one of those little refrigerators.  You know the ones we had in the dorm room in college.  I actually bought it when I was pumping and had to store breast milk (obviously super convenient for that).  But I've also learned that it is super handy for keeping lots of healthy snacks on hand which saves me from running to the vending machine or the nearby convenience store.  Some of my favorites include yogurt, cheese sticks, coffee creamer, salad dressing, ketchup, and obviou...

So I broke down and got an Instant Pot for Christmas.  After all of the raving reviews and yummy recipes I see on social media, I had to give it a try.  Without compensation, I give it two thumbs up.  It certainly has its limitations.  It is not as fast as often touted.  You have to give it time for the water to come up to temperature, and water can only come to a boil so fast.  You know the old adage, "a watched pot never boils."  It also has a learning curve on figuring out how to do what you want it to do.  It probably doesn't replace your trusty Crock Pot, but it does seem to create a lot of good recipes and is fairly simple once you get the hang of it. With the cold weather upon us, I did a tried and true chicken soup.  It was fairly easy and the resulting soup was so good even the kiddos asked for second helpings.  Here's the recipe: Ingredients: 1lb pasta - I selected alphabet pasta, but any noodles will do. 5-6 large carr...