It’s a new year guys, HAPPY 2023! Hard to believe that we’ve now been doing the podcast for almost 4 years. We’re 180+ episodes in and if you’ve been a longtime listener then you know we’re pretty discerning when it comes to who we partner with on the show. From Day 1, we always wanted to share products and services that we really liked & felt good about supporting. Which is why I’m excited to give you some additional details behind one of the many Beehive Meals I’ve made for my family over the past couple of weeks.
Beehive Meals is a service that prepares fresh, quality, freezer meals straight to your door. The menus they have are family friendly and I’ve LOVED that this isn’t a microwaved meal or frozen dish I’m throwing in the oven. The meals are all prepped & delivered raw in a vacuum sealed bag, allowing you to cook them whenever you’re ready in a slow cooker or Instapot. Just grab a side or two and before you know it, your family will be eating a delicious family meal! And all without making a huge mess in the kitchen (amen!).
I’m admittedly not the most comfortable mom in the kitchen… Recipes intimidate me, the messes frustrate me and to be honest – it’s just not something I’ve prioritized. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t had all the guilt over the years for not being able to show up for my family at dinnertime the way I want to. I’ve gone in phases of cooking, sure. But inevitably, I’ll go to the grocery store and spend all the $$ just to have it sit there for days before I attempt to use it (again… intimidating!).
Cooking can also be an expensive endeavor on my part and I’ll forget the frustration after making a meal from scratch just to see 2 of my 3 kids sit there & not touch it. Seriously, let’s just say a little piece of my heart broke in those moments. And usually ends up with me looking to my husband with an eyeroll while saying “why do I even try!?”. Sound familiar? If so, then I really think freezer meals might be a great solution for you too! If I can do it, then you can too!
Today I prepped the BBQ Pork in the slow cooker for dinner. I literally grabbed it out of the freezer at 10:30am, dumped all the contents of the bag into the Crockpot, set it to cook and left for work. The kitchen was still clean and I was able to do it in 2 minutes on my way out the door. I ended up cooking this for 7 hours on LOW which worked out perfectly.
When I got home later that afternoon, little bellies were starting to get hungry. So, the timing worked out perfectly. Around 6:00pm, I prepped the pulled pork sliders. On each Hawaiian Roll I put a good helping of the pork, and topped it with a little slice of Colby Jack cheese. Leaving the sandwiches open-faced, I threw them on a cookie sheet and broiled them on LOW in our oven for about a minute. This just toasted the buns a little & melted the cheese for the kids. Then for my husband’s sandwich (and my own), I topped with some red onion and a little slaw from the grocery store. The sauce was sweet and I was SO HAPPY all 3 of my kids ate it! So, I’m counting this dinner as a win and one I know I’ll repeat in the future. The conversations had around the dinner-table really are priceless. So, here’s your reminder to make it a priority in 2023!
Learn more about Beehive Meals here & why they’re now over 1 Million meals served! Enter Promo Code THEMOMVOICE for 5% off your order.
The finished product – a delicious meal that the whole family loves!
OK guys, if you’ve been a listener of ours for a while then you’ve probably heard my woes in the kitchen – and how overwhelming & intimidated cooking is to me! A few months back while recording, Lauren suggested I find a few meals/recipes, and nail those. Then have a good rotation of easy, go-to staples in my house.
My boys can be picky eaters from time to time, but I know that they love baked ziti. For some reason, they don’t like spaghetti (and I think the penne noodles are so much easier to eat for kids). So, that’s the meal I decided to make my own. I cook this at least every over week and it’s SO GOOD as leftovers (maybe even better!?). I taught my 9 year old daughter how to make this last time, and honestly I just had to observe (it’s super easy!). She absolutely loves being in the kitchen and I love seeing how proud she is after making the family dinner.
This recipe makes a 9×13 dish – plenty for the whole family (with leftovers) and takes about 30 minutes from start to finish.
Here’s a few photos of the ingredients & process.
Love this seasoning blend, perfect to keep on hand
Right after mixing in the noodles to the meat mixture
Love this cheese from Sam’s Club, lasts forever
Ingredients: – 1 lb ground beef (I prefer 93% lean) – 1 jar of Rao’s Homemade Marinara sauce (**See my note below in the Instructions about the sauce) – 1 lb of Barilla Penne Pasta – 3 cups of Shredded Parmesan Cheese (I get the big container from Sam’s Club & just reuse it) – Garlic Herb grinder (pictured – I do about 5 cranks on this) – 1 tsp Dried Oregano Leaves – 1 tsp Garlic seasoning (powder form) – Salt to taste
Instructions: This recipe makes a 9×13 dish – plenty for the whole family (with leftovers).
Prep your 9×13 pyrex pan by spraying with olive oil – then set aside.
Preheat oven to 350.
Start boiling your water for your penne noodles – adding some salt and a little bit of olive oil (optional) to the water to reduce sticking when dry.
Once the water is boiling rapidly, add the penne and cook per the instructions on the box (I prefer the al dente instructions). Remember you are going to bake this after for a bit so, you don’t want them overly cooked.
In a large skillet, spray with olive oil to prevent sticking and brown your ground beef over medium-high heat.
***Once the beef is about 90% cooked, turn the heat down to low-medium and add the jar of Rao’s marinara sauce to the meat & mix. I then supplement with a jar of Prego marinara that I keep in my fridge. Adding enough extra sauce to get the sauce to meat ratio that I like. Rao’s is expensive and I’ve done this with the Prego everytime and it’s still delicious!
Mix in 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese to the meat mixture. Add in the Dried Oregano, Garlic Herb grinder and Garlic seasoning to the meat mixture as well. Do this to taste – I am VERY liberal with my spices. I like the sauce to have tons of flavor, so don’t be shy! The 1 tsp amounts would be a good place to start.
Cook the meat mixture on low-medium for 5 minutes, stirring frequently (or until the cheese is fully melted). Reduce to simmer while you finish noodles.
Strain the cooked penne and add to the meat mixture in the skillet. Stir well, but turn off the heat. Once the noodles & sauce are combined, pour into a 9X13 pyrex pan.
Cover the mixture with parmesan cheese and then cover with foil (again, I’m very liberal with the cheese). Bake at 350 for about 10-15 minutes (or until the cheese is melted). I usually remove the foil a couple minutes before taking it out to get the cheese a little brown.
Since the temps are starting to cool down a bit, we wanted to share a favorite recipe of ours that’s become a staple in our homes. Lauren’s been cooking this one for 10+ years now and it really is such a hit for anyone who tries it! And – it’s super easy and quick to throw together. So, when you’re in the mood for a cozy evening with a homemade soup, try this one. We promise you’ll love it!
Ingredients: 4 – cups shredded chicken 4 – (14.5 oz) cans white beans, drained 2 – (14.5 oz) cans of white corn, drained 3 – cups chicken broth 2 – (4 oz) can diced green chilies 2 – chicken bouillon cubes 2 – medium onions chopped 1 – Tablespoon garlic powder 1 – Tablespoon oregano 1 – Tablespoon cumin 1/2 – teaspoon cayenne 1 – 24 oz of sour cream
Instructions: In a large pot over medium heat, combine chicken broth and chicken bouillon cubes. Add all spices and simmer for a few minutes. Add green chilis, corn, chicken, beans, & onions. Cook for 15 minutes. Add sour cream and stir. Cook for another 5 minutes making sure to stir (so it doesn’t stick!).
Hey guys! Sarah here, excited to tell you about a new meal delivery service that I recently found (which I’ve been loving!). If you’ve listened to our show then you’ve probably heard me say more than once how much I struggle in the kitchen – and how I can feel very overwhelmed with everything from the grocery shopping to the actual execution of meals. You’ve also heard me say that I’m trying hard to make better decisions when it comes to my food intake and how I really do feel so much better when I’m eating less processed, cleaner ingredients. And let’s be real – it’s hard to find those things when you’re looking for a quick solution… hence, why I was falling back on takeout so often.
In our episode this week (ep. 138) you heard us chat about Freshly, but I wanted to expand on it a little here. And give you a little more info about the subscription service I’ve been using. For years now, I’ve tossed around the idea of using a delivery meal service… as a podcast listener myself I’ve heard countless ads over the years for other brands but for whatever reason I just never pulled the trigger.
Well, cut to about a month ago – I was feeling really frustrated and beat down with my own personal meal options. As a full-time working mom I was finding myself running to the local taco joint way too often to grab a quick bite for lunch. (And then regretting it shortly after). So, after researching a few different brands, I ended up going with Freshly to give me some healthier lunch options. And here’s why I chose them above the rest:
1.) I loved that their meals were prepared FRESH and are never frozen. I was legit blown away to see the meals delivered on dry ice to my front door with the instructions to refrigerate and enjoy that week. And I have to say… HANDS DOWN the fresh (not frozen) option is the way to go. It tastes sooooo much better (go figure!).
2.) The service is really flexible. The Freshly subscription service is super flexible which I’ve totally appreciated and their website is user-friendly. I’ve been able to do my weekly meal planning in 5 minutes on their website and it’s just been a gamechanger. Having the ability to make these healthier decisions ahead of time for my week has really helped.
3.) And finally, I’ve totally saved money! OK, hear me out… I know what you’re saying… “it’s pricey”, “it’s so much cheaper to shop and do your own meal prep” – but guys, for me this has been such a more economical route. It’s stopped me from overbuying at the grocery store and more importantly wasting food! Because my Freshly meals are delivered ready to go and involve nothing on my end – you literally don’t need much more at the grocery store for the week. Both my husband and I have been eating them now and and it’s stopped our reliance on takeout for lunch (which has saved major $$$) and my waistline is totally thanking me. Ha! We still grocery shop for our weekday family dinners and like to eat together as a family then. But, if you work outside the home (or even for your husband) you should seriously consider this.
So, as we’re heading into the new year, maybe give this some consideration. We have a great deal going with Freshly right now where you can save $15 off any Freshly meal plan for the 1st four weeks using code MOMVOICE15AFF. So, go check it out here and tell us what you think! xo
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