Kristen, Author at MENUbility

Kristen

Food is a priority. For my family, that means we invest a lot of time and energy into what we cook and eat. Why? Because we find great joy and satisfaction in flavorful meals that we can share together and we care about what we put into our bodies. Since I can remember, I have committed a good part of my weekend to developing upcoming weekly family meal plans (including recipe research), writing and organizing my grocery list, shopping for groceries and then processing them when I get home. I started MENUbility in the hopes that the things I do for my family will provide you with new ideas for dinner, time-saving tools, and the encouragement you need to prepare and enjoy family meals together.

Homemade Mac n Cheese Recipe

Posted on June 30, 2015

A good deal of getting our kiddos to eat what we eat involves compromise. If I’m going to introduce something new during dinner, I try to make sure it’s accompanied by something familiar, something I know my kids will enjoy. Mac n cheese is one of our “go to” side dishes. If my daughter could choose just one thing to eat for the rest of her life, macaroni and cheese would be.. Read More

Summer Vegetable Recipe: Simple Veggie Salad

Posted on June 25, 2015

During the hot summer months, the last thing I want to do is make my house even hotter by turning on the stove and oven. When there’s a chance to serve a dish that involves no cooking at all, I jump on it! Thank God the Summer season is so bountiful with fresh produce, or these opportunities would be few and far between. Lucky for us, no cook side dishes frequent our.. Read More

How to make the BEST Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Posted on June 25, 2015

It’s no secret that my family enjoys cheese. I’m not talking about the ooey gooey cheese that you find on restaurant nachos or pizza, although, those aren’t half bad. I’m talking about hard cheese, soft cheese, fresh cheese, stinky cheese, aged cheese, never-pre-grated cheese. You see, we’re kind of cheese snobs. Even our kids can sniff out the difference between processed cheese and the real deal cheeses (proud mama moment)… Read More

Cheeseburger Pizza Recipe

Posted on June 23, 2015

Get ready, this Cheeseburger Pizza recipe makes a pizza that tastes just like… you guessed it… a cheeseburger! It kind of is a cheeseburger, really. I mean, nearly all the ingredients that you would put on a cheeseburger are on this pizza, so why would it taste like anything else? Ultimately, this recipe will be one of many creative pizza ideas you’ll see featured on MENUbility. If you follow our menus.. Read More

Weekly Dinner Menu for Summer No. 1

Posted on June 20, 2015

Confession: I’m pretty sure I gain a few pounds in the summer time and lose them in the winter time. It’s the opposite of the expected holiday weight gain that most people experience. The same people who tend to put on the pounds over Thanksgiving and Christmas are the same people who tirelessly work to lose them before bathing suit season. Not me. My girlish figure goes by the wayside.. Read More

Easy Beef Stroganoff the Whole Family Will Love

Posted on June 19, 2015

In a previous life, I traveled from time to time for my job, which required “daddy” to cook dinner for the kiddos while I was away. These occasions called for something easy, tasty, and not too intimidating or complicated. A recipe for ground beef stroganoff found its way onto the “while I’m away” menu. My husband told me it was a hit with the kids, but to him, it tasted sort.. Read More

5 Family Meal Ideas for late Spring (#5)

Posted on June 11, 2015

The strawberries have come and gone in North Carolina, indicating that the end of Spring is near, but the green tomatoes popping up on my backyard tomato plants tell me that a bountiful summer is just around the corner. I can practically smell the basil from my office! I am getting pretty pumped about the upcoming Summer menus that I’ll be sharing with all of you. Every couple of months, we usher.. Read More

Quick Healthy Asian Dinner: Sesame Noodles with Grilled Ponzu Chicken

Posted on June 11, 2015

This delightfully quick and healthy Asian dinner packs a lot of flavor and nutrients into a quick and easy weeknight meal. I’ve slightly modified and brought together two recipes from a couple of different sources: Chicken Sate with Ponzu Sauce from Cooking Light served with Lighter Sesame Noodles from an old publication of Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food (circa 2008). You can make the recipes as they appear in the originals, or.. Read More

Easy Crispy Asian Chicken with Soyaki Sauce

Posted on May 27, 2015

Have you wondered how the chicken (like General Tso’s or Crispy Honey) at Chinese takeout establishments could achieve such crispy chicken texture without deep frying it? A while back, I heard the secret was cornstarch. I decided to give it a try on my own, making my best guesses on recreating the texture. This recipe doesn’t have quite the buildup of batter on the outside, but the chicken gets nice and crispy… Read More

Savory Apple Recipes: Apple-Fennel Slaw

Posted on May 27, 2015

I love how much flavor is packed into this extremely simple and versatile slaw! We paired it with Warm Goat Cheese patties sitting on top of a bed of greens that were very lightly dressed with balsamic vinaigrette. I imagine it would be delectable on a pulled pork sandwich as well. If you’re on the hunt for savory apple recipes, you’ve got to give this one a try! What would.. Read More