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One-Pot Meals Bring Perfection to Dinnertime

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During this busy time of year, we could all use some short cuts. Cooking dinner is one of the biggest chores of the day—but these one-pot meals are simple to make and delicious.

Spicy Buffalo Chicken Stew

This is a great hearty dinner for the cold winter nights. The beauty of the slow cooker is being able to throw all of the ingredients in and letting it work its magic. You don’t have to worry about constantly checking a pot on the stove.  Libby’s® Whole Kernel Sweet Corn and Libby’s® Sliced Carrots add delicious veggie flavor.

Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup

This is a really satisfying meal for a busy weeknight. And it certainly delivers your daily dose of veggies!  You’ll need two cans of Libby’s® Mixed Vegetables and one can of Libby’s® Sliced Carrots for this recipe. 

Make Your Own Cloth Napkins

With dinner taken care of, you’ll have some time to spend on an interesting project. So many of us are DIYers—why not make something that you can use for this and future dinners? And think of it this way: You’ll also be more sustainable because you won’t be wasting paper.

What’s your favorite one-pot recipe? Share your go-to winter recipe on our Facebook page.

Flavors of Fall

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With September underway, the leaves on the trees will soon begin changing and temperatures will drop! That means that the home cook can move from the grill, where he or she has been stationed all summer, back inside to warm up with some comforting Fall flavors. The ultimate Fall recipes that we bring back into rotation after a summer at the grill are warm and delicious soups.

On a crisp Fall day, nothing is easier to make or more satisfying to eat than the cool weather favorite: soup. And with so many variations, it’s the perfect recipe to make in big batches and stock up the freezer for the chilly days that will soon be upon us. 

Here are some of our favorite recipes to try as the cooler weather comes around:

If you’re in the mood for a creamy soup with an unexpected crunchy garnish, try the Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup with Maple Roasted Garbanzo Beans.

For a heartier recipe that highlights Fall vegetables, the Vegetable Sausage Soup is perfect.

Finally, if you are looking for a spicier recipe where chicken and legumes are the star, the SW Chicken Soup is our go-to.

What recipes are you looking forward to making as the temperature takes a dip?  Let us know on our Facebook page!

Be the Boss of Your Holiday Buffet

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Hosting friends and family is what the holiday season is all about, but entertaining can create some chaos. Grab your holiday party by the reins by serving a holiday buffet that’s easy to prepare and pleases everyone from the foodie to the health nut. Here are a few tips to help you deliver a bountiful buffet and still enjoy the most wonderful time of the year.

Warm Up with Winter Soup

The best friend for a holiday host is a slow cooker. This Butternut Squash Soup with Maple Roasted Garbanzo Beans takes up to six hours to cook, which gives you plenty of time to tend to other party preparations. For even greater ease, serve the soup in the slow cooker so it stays warm while your guests serve themselves!

Brighten Your Buffet

Serve a colorful and healthy salad, like our Carrot and Beet Salad, and skip the worry about keeping your dishes warm during your holiday soiree. Remember to serve the dressing on the side in a decorative carafe so the lettuce stays fresh and crisp.

Treat Guests with Bite Sized Treasures

We all indulge in our favorite holiday desserts, but the abundance of sweets makes it easy to over-do it. Serve extra-small desserts like mini cookies, tarts, and cupcakes, or Carrot Cake Bites, so guests can try multiple items and enjoy the right-sized portions guilt free.

We hope these tips help you be the boss of your buffet this holiday season! Let us know how you prepare for a large crowd during the holidays in the comments.

Multitask Your Cooking: Get Wise With Your Kitchen Time

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These days, it seems like we are juggling work, family, chores and errands 24/7. For this East Coast gal, during the summer, I don’t want to spend any more time indoors in the kitchen than I have to. So, here are my tips to deliver healthy and tasty meals to the table faster and easier. (I definitely need to practice what I preach more often – i.e. planning!)

Plan Ahead
Consider the biggest time saver of all: creating a monthly menu plan. It seems daunting but by dedicating a few hours, you can save yourself an entire month of wondering, “What’s for dinner?”
Simplify by:

    1. Using an online menu template.
    2. Relying on recipe favorites and repeating some throughout the month. Check out this month’s Chicken Fiesta Rice + more CANvenient recipes here.
    3. Making batch dishes on weekends and freezing extras.
    4. Scheduling a few nights for leftovers, “breakfast for dinner” or ordering take-out.

Smart Staples – By keeping some basic food items at hand, you can whip up a last minute meal for those days you don’t have time to plan ahead. My typical freezer and pantry stockers are ground meat and chicken, frozen shrimp, broth, pasta, rice, canned vegetables & fruit, peanut butter, canned tuna, canned tomatoes, olive oil and cereals.

Cooking Techniques that Simplify – My favorite hot weather tool, the grill, is also a fantastic multi-tasker. We often cook an entire meal outside while keeping the kitchen cool and clean (I’ll post more on grilling next month!) I use my microwave daily for speed – for defrosting or steaming foods. Also “no cook” meals such as cereal, salads and sandwiches are always easy yet nutritious time-saving options. We probably do cereal night almost every week!

Slow Cooker to the Rescue – Nowadays, there’s a gadget for every possible kitchen task, but the trusted Crock Pot® or slow cooker is a true time saver. Besides cooking a variety of meals ahead of time, you can use to reheat leftovers, cook oatmeal or even bake bread.

Here’s to summer and less stress in the kitchen!