If there is one thing I am always on the hunt for, it’s quick and easy recipes. With growing toddler twin boys eating me out of house and home, I’m constantly fighting the grumpy munchies when we get home from work. Dinner needed to be on the table…like five minutes ago. Finding the right quick and easy recipes has been a bit of a challenge. There’s no shortage of recipes on Pinterest, but I find myself quickly overwhelmed and click happy, leaving me with hundreds of options spread across 15 different boards. Some recipes are easy prep and then some just look darn tasty and would take some real elbow grease and time for me to pull off.

So! I decided to create a never-ending quick and easy recipes link up on Chaos & Kiddos! For all those working moms out there who frequent our site for recipes that are manageable for the tight-on-time working parent, we’ve now got this extra bonus post for you! We’ll be collecting quick and easy recipes from bloggers all over the planet!

There’s just one rule – All recipes posted MUST BE 45 MINUTES TOPS from preparation to table. This includes cooking time!

The link up sorts the most recently added recipes to the top of the list, so come back time and time again for new recipes to freshen things up a bit. Bloggers! This is your chance to get creative when sharing recipes that would be an ideal fit for a tired working mom coming home to starving kiddos. It does not have to be dinner specific either! Quick snacks, breakfast, lunch…anything that can be whipped up in a jiffy to quell hungry voices with just a little bit of time and effort.

If you try a recipe and find that it is extra, extra fabulous, please come back to leave some blog love via the comments to encourage other working moms to take special note of a home run quick and easy recipe that you discovered on this link up. And visit the original poster to say thanks for helping save time and energy (and sanity!) in my home!

The name really says it all on this one. As working moms, I’m sure most of us would admit that “on-the-go” is pretty much the only mode we operate in. When it comes to cooking, it needs to be quick and easy. As I work harder to focus on healthy ingredients, I’m often drawn back to my Weelicious Cookbook, where simple healthy recipes abound and cooking is always a family affair. This week, for the Kids in the Kitchen Series, we had to come up with a breakfast food to cook with our children. I immediately thought of the Oatmeal On-The-Go Bars by Weelicious because they’re super healthy, very easy and have lots of ingredients that the boys enjoy dumping in their bowls. And for the working mom, they are a major win, because they’re perfect for me to grab for breakfast as I’m heading out the door in the morning.

I admit, this post was supposed to publish first thing Monday morning. As often happens, life got in the way, and I’m, let’s see, only about 12 hours late. I almost didn’t get it done tonight either! I had one moment of “Oh, I’ll just do it tomorrow,” and thankfully, I convinced myself otherwise. Cooking tonight with the kids (all 3 of them!) will be a memory I hold dear for years to come. The boys were so excited, and their “sissy” was happy to hang out with her family for some tasty fun. They ended up chanting “You can do it! You can do it!” when Emily was measuring ingredients and even hugged each other in happiness, which is a rare occasion for my crazy competitive boys. It was a special night. I’m so glad I followed through. Doing these series with my blogger friends really challenges me to purposefully plan fun activities with my children, which as a busy mom, is something I feel I often overlook when the going gets tough, even though it should be my number 1 priority.

What You’ll Need: 

• 2 cups Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats
• 1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• Pinch of Salt
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 1/2 cups Milk
• 1/2 cup Applesauce
• 1 Egg
• 3 tbsp Honey
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 3/4 cup Dried Fruit (I used raisins and dried cranberries)
• 1/4 cup Nuts or Seeds (I used Pepitas and Sunflower Seeds)

Preparation: 

-Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

-Combine oats, flour, cinnamon, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl.

-Combine milk, applesauce, egg, honey and vanilla in a large bowl.

-Mix the dry and wet ingredients together.

-Add the dried fruit and nuts.

-Pour into a greased baking dish and bake for 30 minutes.

These bars will last 5 days in the fridge and can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Be sure to check out what recipes my gal pals tackled for this week’s challenge and link up your own tasty breakfast posts!

There are two things I’m really into these days – easy, healthy recipes and giving back to my community. I know, those two don’t seem very related, but stick with me. When I got an email from Ronald McDonald House Charities of Richmond asking me to help promote their holiday season Southern Living cookbook in partnership with Dillards, I immediately answered yes and married together these two passions of mine. As I flipped through the amazing recipes in the book, I quickly settled on the Tortellini Caprese Bites as a “must try.” This recipe could not possibly be any easier. I whipped it up in about 5 minutes and since I wasn’t headed to a holiday party that particular afternoon, I modified it a bit to make a nice little Caprese Tortellini Salad that seriously hit the spot for a day of work at home.

Caprese Tortellini Salad

Follow the recipe on page 26 of the Southern Living Christmas Cookbook for Tortellini Caprese Bites.

• 1 9oz. package refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
• 3 cups halved grape tomatoes
• 3 8oz. containers fresh small mozzarella cheese balls
• 60 6-inch wooden skewers
• Basil Vinaigrette

1. Prepare tortellini according to package directions. Rinse under cold running water.
2. Thread 1 tomato half, 1 cheese ball, another tomato half and 1 tortellini onto each skewer. Place skewers in a 13×9-inch baking dish.
3. Pour Basil Vinaigrette over skewers, turning to coat.
4. Cover and chill 2 hours. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Basil Vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 6 tbsp. chopped fresh basil

1. Whisk together vinegar and salt until blended.
2. Gradually add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until smooth.
3. Stir in basil and black pepper to taste.

How I modified the recipe to make a salad instead: 

• Shredded parmesan cheese
• Sweet sausage tortellini
• Oat bran and sesame seed salad toppers

I used sweet sausage tortellini because it’s what I happened to have on hand. Instead of threading the ingredients on skewers, I just tossed all items in a big bowl along with the Basil Vinaigrette. Then I served it up in bowls, sprinkled with a bit of shredded parmesan on top and some oat bran and sesame seed salad toppers to give it some crunch. YUM!

The best part about this Southern Living cookbook (apart from the fact that all proceeds go to support families in need!) is that it’s actually two books in one! With over 280 pages, 200 recipes and decorating tips, on one side you get the holiday-themed Christmas cookbook and a simple flip of the book reveals the second treat, Year-Round Celebrations. I have ear-marked tons of pages with easy, must try recipes and know this cookbook will be one I come back to time and time again. Knowing that a simple $10 purchase will help support such a notable cause and will bless my own family with lots of tasty treats…that’s the easiest $10 you could ever spend. Remember, you can order online if you can’t get to the Richmond locations selling the book in person.

There’s also a Ronald McDonald House Charities of Norfolk a little bit closer to home that is always seeking support for the families they serve if you’d like to give back right here in Hampton Roads.

Be sure to follow along with Ronald McDonald House Charities of Richmond by clicking the links below!

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