Hello Winter Break! The kids are home from school, which means I have to feed them 3 times a day (isn't school lunch amazing?!). To make it easy, I’ll make big batches of our dinner meal and serve the leftovers for lunch. Here’s what we’ve eaten so far this week and plan to eat the rest of the week: Saturday: A huge pot of chili + baked potatoes Sunday: Elk roast w/twice baked potatoes, green beans and apple slices image from meateater.com - my husband made this! Yay for cooking dads! Monday: Dinner: bean burritos + mango smoothie image from budgetbytes.com Tuesday: North African stew + homemade rolls + apple slices image from honest-food.net My husband is making this! yay for cooking dads! Wednesday: Spinach Lasagne + green salad + oranges image from myfoodandfamily.com My daughter will make this, yay for cooking kids! Thursday: - crustless spinach quiche + grapefruit Friday: First Century Feast What is a first century feast? It’s a fun way to celebrate biblical times by eating the foods biblical people might have eaten. Here’s what that menu looks like: Hummus Tzatziki Falafel tabbouleh Unleavened bread Lentil soup Dried apricots Figs pomegranates oranges apples Olives (fresh and canned) Goats cheese Thick plain yogurt Grape juice I like this menu because it's very inexpensive, healthy and simple. It also happens to include my kids’ favorite foods: hummus, tzatziki and flatbread. It’s very easy for my extended family to contribute because no cooking is required; they just bring a can of olives, bag of dried fruit or some sliced cheese (we have 26 people coming this year!). What will you be cooking and eating over winter break?? If you have any holiday menus you would like to share, send me an email nicolebuhlerRD@gmail.com Thanks for reading and happy holidays!

I had my iron level checked during my "adult-well-child-checkup" on Friday (also known as an annual physical). I give blood a few times a year, and started taking iron supplements a few months ago because I was feeling tired, and thought I was probably anemic. While the lab work didn't show anemia, it did show that I have low iron stores, which indicates that I probably was anemic before I started taking iron. Why am I telling you this? Because I want you to know that everyone needs a checkup, every year. I eat a very healthy, balanced diet, but it looks like I need to start including better sources of iron. Beans and dark leafy greens are a good source of iron, but I'm not absorbing enough to make up for the losses from giving blood. Iron in red meat is easier for the body to absorb, so I'll start eating more of that. I'll use lean red meat so I don't increase my cholesterol while trying to fix my iron. I will also continue to take supplements. The topic of iron is also important for babies and young children. Iron is required for growth, and it's easy for kids to become anemic. It's important to make sure your child is getting enough iron. Iron in high amounts can be toxic, so it is not recommended to give your child supplements unless you know that they need them. The only way to know what's needed is to check in with your doctor at your child's well child checkup. Do you have questions about iron deficiency and the best food sources of iron? You can read more here, and here, or you can email me nicolebuhlerRD@gmail.com and I will happily answer any questions you have! Thanks for reading! Here's my iron rich menu for the week: Monday: ground elk* stroganoff + spinach salad + oranges (i won't put peas in it, I don't like peas in things) Tuesday: cooking class! Chicken Noodle soup + green salad + crackers + grapefruit Wednesday: Taco soup + chips + mango smoothie (https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/simple-taco-soup/) Thursday: Spaghetti with meat sauce + green beans + canned applesauce (ground beef + ragu simple jarred sauce...because it has less sugar than other kinds) Friday: Homemade pizza topped with artichokes, spinach, pepperoni and pesto! (i use whole wheat frozen dough from winco) Saturday: elk* stew + whole wheat bread + any fruit I can find in the house (my husband will make this for us) *My husband is a hunter, that's why I have elk. It is equivalent to 99% lean ground beef or lean stew meat. If you don't eat meat, you can use lentils/beans or leave out the meat!

It finally snowed!! I loved playing in the snow when I was a kid. I still remember the delight of coming inside from the chill, and indulging in CUPS of hot coco heaped with marshmallows!! Now that I'm a mom, I love playing with my kids in the snow. When we come in, I like to whip up some quick warm snacks. However, I save hot coco for very special occasions, because it's loaded with sugar. 1 envelope usually has around between 12-20 grams of added sugar. For reference, the American Heart Association says kids should have no more than 25 grams of added sugar per day. So, instead of drinking our entire sugar allotment for the day, I make mugs of warm vanilla milk (link takes you to the recipe on my website). It is just milk, warmed up in a mug in the microwave, with a splash of vanilla flavoring in it. I usually sprinkle cinnamon on top. My kids love it! I also usually whip up a batch of peanut butter banana oatmeal cookies in my blender (link takes you to the recipe on my website). They only take 5 minutes to make, and you can eat the dough raw without getting sick (that's important if you are impatient like me). My kids love these cookies and will usually eat the entire batch. I don't want you to think that we never eat sugar at my house. We do eat sugar, and we love it! I just try to cut back on things don't matter as much. I also cut back on the sugar in my holiday baking. Whenever I make a recipe, I'll cut out at least 1/4 cup of sugar. My family rarely notices the difference. Take this pumpkin cake recipe that I just posted on the website. The original recipe had 1 2/3 cups of sugar. I used 1 1/3 cup of sugar instead and they were still plenty sweet. For reference, 1/3 cup is 67 grams of sugar. We usually eat the entire batch of pumpkin cake, so between the 5 of us, that saves 13 grams a person. (remember, the limit should be 25 grams per day). It's not a huge amount, but little changes like that make a big difference over time! Do you have any great low sugar recipes you would like to share? If so, send me an email at nicolebuhlerRD@gmail.com thanks for reading and have a happy snow day!

I've been planning January's cooking class menu and want to make Tuna Casserole. It's healthy, easy, and comforting, but my kids don't like the classic version with canned soup. So, I decided to come up with my own recipe. Last week, I created a tuna noodle casserole recipe and made it for dinner. The family devoured it! Even my pickiest daughter ate an entire plate and asked for more (she didn't realize it had tuna in it LOL). Now I'm going to work on fine tuning the recipe for cooking class and taking photos, so we will be eating tuna noodle casserole a few times this week. Good thing my family likes it! Hopefully I can wrap that up and post the recipe soon. Until then, here is my menu for the week, ENJOY! Monday: TUNA NOODLE CASSEROLE + green salad + fresh oranges (doesn't it look good in the photos) Tuesday: LENTIL TACOS + salsa + lettuce + mango smoothie (milk, mangoes, orange juice) (image from allrecipes) Wednesday: VEGGI NOODLE SOUP (December's cooking class recipe) + green salad + fresh apple slices Thursday: VEGGI CURRY W/ RICE + canned applesauce Friday: TUNA NOODLE CASSEROLE AGAIN! w/fruit and vegetable that's still in the house Saturday: CHILI + CORNBREAD + any fruit that's left in the house (probably canned peaches) Sunday: LEFTOVERS

I hope your thanksgiving weekend was full of good food! It's cold and I'm in the mood for some veggie soups, as you can see from my menu this week! Sunday: homemade black bean enchiladas w/SALSA (as we learned in cooking class, salsa counts as a vegetable!) - I was too tired to include any other parts to that meal Monday: Leftover turkey soup with wild rice + orange slices + canned croissant rolls FYI to make that recipe healthier, I'll use about 1 Tablespoon oil to cook the carrots and onion, and then I'll add in whole milk instead of half and half image from tasteofhome.com Tuesday: Potato and leek soup + whole wheat breadsticks + apple slices (the leeks are frozen, but potatoes and apples are inexpensive winter produce) image from tasteofhome.com Wednesday: tuna noodle recipe from a cooking class participant (thanks Lanetta!) + applesauce (I'll be adding frozen peas, the applesauce is canned) Thursday: pumpkin black bean curry + naan bread + rice + mango smoothie (using frozen broccoli and frozen mangoes!) image from minimalistbaker.com Friday: pumpkin garbanzo bean soup + naan bread + pomegranates image from thespruceeats.com Saturday: leftovers, cottage cheese, crackers and canned peaches

When I menu plan, I always look through the fridge and freezer first to see what needs to be used up. Things I needed to use up: leftover chili, leftover stew, and cottage cheese. Instead of eating just chili and stew again, I'm going to turn them into a different meal - see how below! Monday: Leek and potato soup (using garden leeks that I put in the freezer in September and potatoes) + homemade breadsticks + green salad (from my garden) + canned pineapple image from wix.com Tuesday: Spinach Lasagna (using up cottage cheese) + canned green beans + oranges (I bought these last week, they last a few weeks in the fridge) image from https://www.myfoodandfamily.com/recipe/051636/spinach-lasagna-recipe Wednesday: Black beans + rice + frozen mangoes + green salad (I've been cooking my own dry beans, it's a great way to save money, the link below shows you several ways to do this!) image from https://vanillaandbean.com/how-to-cook-black-beans/ Thursday: Shepherd's Pie, made with leftover stew from last week + canned applesauce https://www.themeateater.com/cook/recipes/venison-shepherds-pie-recipe Friday: Baked potatoes with leftover chili from last week + canned pineapple (I cook my potatoes in the microwave, it's fast and easy - it only takes about 5 minutes on high heat) Saturday: trial of new tuna noodle casserole recipes Sunday: Thanksgiving celebration (we do it early with extended family so that we can travel over the holiday) We split up the meal and are in charge of stuffing, pecan pie and rolls. Have a great week!

It's dark, it's cold, and I'm ready for comfort food. At the same time, food prices have jumped in the past few weeks and I'm looking for ways to use the things I have in my pantry and like rice, noodles, dry beans and canned tuna. So here's a menu based on inexpensive comfort foods! Monday: Tuna Noodle Casserole + cooked mustard greens + peach/grape smoothie New casserole recipe, not my favorite, but it sure was easy! If you have a beloved tuna casserole recipe, please email it to me! nicolebuhlerRD@gmail.com We are doing tuna casserole for cooking class in January and I'm determined to find a recipe that is easy and yummy. Tuesday: Bean Burritos + canned corn + apple slices. I cook my own beans in a pressure cooker, it requires no soaking and is so easy. Here's how you can do it yourself. image from Budgetbytes.com Wednesday: Smokey Black Bean Soup + crockpot roll recipe (trying it for thanksgiving!) + apple slices image from budgetbytes.com Thursday: Butternut squash risotto + green salad + canned pears (this recipe is a bit involved and is gourmet, but I have squash, apples and sage from my garden I want to celebrate!) image from SeriousEats.com Friday: Homemade pizza with zuchinni, pepperoni and pesto (all in the freezer!) + green salad + applesauce Image from me! Taken this summer. Saturday: Cottage cheese spinach lasagna + green salad + whatever fruit is left in the house This is my favorite lasagna recipe, it's easy, it's yummy and my 11 year old is making it for us. image from foodandfamily.com Have a good cozy week!

This week, I want to introduce you to a concept called COOK ONCE, EAT TWICE. The idea is that you double a recipe with the intent of eating leftovers another day. I'm going on a trip and leaving the kids home with a sitter - so this will make things easier while I'm gone. The important thing to remember when cooking once, eating twice - is to choose meals you know your family likes. Our favorite meals are: hummus/tzatziki, rice and bean salad, and tortellini soup. Here's the menu! Monday: Green salad with hard boiled eggs, cheese, walnuts, garbanzo beans, apples and bacon! Homemade breadsticks (I love this recipe! Image below is from the website melskitchencafe.com) Tuesday: Cooking class: chicken with rice + butternut squash + green salad + pears I'm so excited to see you guys on zoom! Wednesday: Cooking class leftovers! Thursday: Elk tacos (which are just like regular ground beef tacos), cabbage w/lime juice, cantaloupe, Rice and bean salad, tres leches cake to celebrate a family member’s birthday! Friday: Tortellini Sausage Soup + apple slices (recipe and image from budgetbytes.com) Saturday: Hummus, tzatziki and naan bread before trick or treating Sunday: Leftover rice+bean salad with cheese tortillas and fresh fruit (whatever is on sale this week) Monday: Leftover hummus, tzatziki, naan bread Tuesday: Leftover tortellini soup + cheese sandwiches Wednesday: cottage cheese pancakes + scrambled eggs w/any veggies in the fridge (I’ll just be getting home and will need something simple + fast, this recipe I created has more protein than regular pancakes!) Thursday: leek cabbage soup + whole wheat bread and green salad Friday: out to eat with friends at a Thai restaurant

I'm back from fall break. I came home to an empty fridge, so I had to quickly make a meal plan and get to the store. I hate shopping without a plan and list, but when I've got a meal plan and a list of what I need, it's much less stressful! Sorry this is low on photos, I'll take some this week so there will be photos next time I post these recipes! Here's what I already had: chopped leeks in the freezer, elk roast apples from a friend's tree the last tomatoes and peppers from the garden roasted red bell peppers from the freezer frozen peaches from a friend's tree Here's my menu: M: Mollie Katzen Tortilla Soup (uses up all those tomatoes, peppers and roasted peppers from the freezer) + quesadillas and avocados T: Elk roast on whole wheat tortillas with salsa and cheese (pretty much a taco), peach smoothies, lettuce from the garden W: Crock Pot Leek soup, sliced apples, green salad, cheese sandwiches Th: Tacos, my 11 year old daughter found some new recipes she is going to try. F: Squash Goulash + the last melons from the garden + green salad + toast S: Vegetable Tortellini Soup + sliced apples + whole wheat bread (image from budgetbytes.com) S: Make something creative with leftovers

It's fall break this week and we are going to stay with family, which means I get a break from cooking! Here's what I'm making at home and making ahead to eat on the car ride. Things I need to use up: yogurt (other than that my fridge is essentially empty!) garden stuff: lots of pears!, cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce, squash, melons Monday: Chicken & Rice + Roasted Butternut Squash + Fresh Pears (this is October's cooking class recipe, it's not to late to signup if you haven't yet!) Tuesday: Spaghetti Squash Goulash + Pesto Bread + fresh pears Wednesday: Pear Pasta + Green Salad, I use milk instead of cream to save $ (image from allrecipes.com) Thursday-Saturday: FALL BREAK! Things we will eat while traveling: Rice and Bean Salad https://www.ddinutrition.com/riceandbeansalad Hummus and Tzatziki https://www.ddinutrition.com/hummusandtzatziki Some great recipes from previous cooking classes that I would probably make if I was home: Broccoli Cheese Soup https://www.ddinutrition.com/broccolicheesesoup One Pot Pasta https://www.ddinutrition.com/onepotpasta Have a great week!

Buying things on discount and freezing them saves money on food costs. Growing a garden and freezing the extras also saves money. The only things I'm going to have to buy at the store this week are milk, garlic, curry powder and flour. Are you interested in gardening? Family Advocates will be sending out information about how to join a community garden this week. If you even have mild interest, I encourage you to sign up! Gardening is a great way to get exercise, spend time and save money! Things in my fridge: leftovers sour cream yogurt quart of tomatoes Things in my freezer: garbanzo beans I cooked and froze in a gallon bag deer and elk meat chopped cabbage from spring chopped leeks from spring frozen mangos from winco naan bread, bought on discount and frozen Things in the garden: tomatoes herbs: dill, thyme, basil, rosemary cucumbers bell peppers lots of lettuce kale pears carrots potatoes Menu: Monday: leftovers from last week (spaghetti squash gumbo, shown below) + apples + garden salad Tuesday: tzatziki + hummus + naan bread + mango smoothie (frozen mangos and milk) Wednesday: stew (I'll use deer) + crackers + pears Thursday: leek cabbage soup (uses, leeks, cabbage, sour cream) + homemade whole wheat bread Image from food.com, link above Friday: garbanzo bean curry + naan bread + green salad + chopped apples Photo is of my daughter who used to hate curry when she was in kindergarten. She's 9 now, and it's one of her favorite meals. Got a picky eater? Just keep serving what YOU like to eat and they will learn to like it. Saturday: red lentil kale soup + crackers + fresh pears Image from Oh She Glows food blog, link is above Sunday: Use up leftovers and make something creative!

If you read "The Weekly Spread" last week, you know that I always start my meal planning with things I have in the house that need to be used. From now on, I'll start every post with that list so you can see how I use up leftovers. Things I need to use up: cottage cheese eggplant (from the garden) tofu lots of lettuce spaghetti squash (from the garden) carrots and beets (from the garden) What I'm planning to make: remember that each meal needs a fruit, vegetable, grain and protein Monday: Green salad w/garbanzo beans + stir fried tofu, hard boiled eggs, croutons, cantaloupe Tuesday: Eggplant parmesan (image below from "Cooking for Keeps" blog) with frozen broccoli, fresh pears and store bought french bread Wednesday: Easy Spinach Lasagna (image from myfoodandfamily.com), green salad, chopped apples Thursday: Spaghetti squash filled with ground elk and rice, chopped apples on the side (I basically cook ground beef, add a can of salsa and leftover rice, then top with cheese and put it over cooked spaghetti squash, it's one of my favorite things to do with all of the spaghetti squash I grow in my garden) Friday: Garbanzo bean and eggplant curry, brown rice, canned pineapple, naan bread Saturday: kids will choose something new to make and we will go to the store for ingredients Sunday: Elk roast with roasted potatoes, beets and carrots