Tara's Family
Friendly Recipes

These days, Thanksgiving dinner is typically held at my home. While there’s still a lot of planning and cooking involved, I prefer a simplistic approach to setting my Thanksgiving table. With a houseful of young children, I lean towards a more casual and laid back approach to Thanksgiving decorations. Here are a few easy decorating ideas that I like to keep in mind...

My kids love to decorate for the holidays, and Halloween is certainly no exception. Sometimes it is difficult to find time to decorate between all of their extracurricular activities, but putting together a fun, decorative Halloween display doesn’t have to be a major undertaking. And, it doesn’t need to break the bank either!

It’s no secret that my family is big on college football… and I do mean BIG. On any given Fall Saturday, you’ll find us (and any friends, family and/or neighbors that wish to join) camped out in front of our TV, which has been relocated to the garage for the day, watching from morning until night.

Everyone brings some party food, typically a side dish or appetizer of some sort, but like many hostesses, I’m always a teensy bit worried that my guests will leave hungry. The main dish is simple – hot dogs, burgers and brats always hit the spot. But I’m always up for trying new tailgate recipes to keep things new and exciting.

With school lunch prices on the rise, many parents are opting to pack their child’s lunch. However, coming up with a variety of lunchtime ideas that are appealing to your kids and are easy to prepare can be a daunting task. It’s easy to find yourself sending your kids off to school with the same lunch day after day after day. Keep lunchtime simple and easy by relying on kid-friendly staples, and use On-The-Go Snack Packs to give kids their favorite snacks in convenient, pre-portioned sizes. Kids love these snack options because they are delicious and fun, and I like that they have such a wide assortment of varieties, so everyone in our family of 7 can find a snack they want. Plus, they are perfect for our on-the-go family.

As a busy mom of five, getting the kids off to school in the mornings can be quite challenging. Before our family implemented three simple strategies for our morning routine, our days used to start off with chaos and frustration. By the time my kids walked out of the door to get on the bus, I felt like I’d run an entire marathon and then some.

I’ve loved watching the Olympic Games since I was a little girl. While I’ve never come anywhere close to being an Olympic-level athlete myself, I have a deep respect and admiration for the sheer effort and determination these athletes exemplify, and I hope to instill these same qualities in my children.

The way to my husband’s heart is through his stomach. My kids are well aware of this, so they asked me to help them with this special Father's Day recipe idea to serve Dad this year.

All year long, our family meals require some mental gymnastics to ensure that that I prepare at least one item that appeals to each family member – no easy feat with five kids! So I reserve the right to make Mother’s Day all about what I want to eat…

Whether you're a die-hard college basketball fan or not, it's hard not to get caught up in the enthusiasm of choosing your favorite teams in each bracket and watching the inevitable upsets along the way. And a March basketball party isn't a party without some great snacks to sustain your viewing marathon.