Forgetful Momma

Secular Homeschooling in Canada

Family Friendly Recipes

Do you love to cook and bake for your family? Or are you someone who only cooks because you have to feed your family and don’t want to order take out every night? No matter which category you fall into, I have you covered with these family friendly recipes.

Family Friendly Recipes

I love to cook most of the time. I do not love to cook supper every night. Thankfully I married a man who also loves to cook so we can switch off when the need arises. And I’m now rising a child who enjoys cooking. We all love food, and when you love food, learning to cook is natural.

Over the past eight or so years since I started Forgetful Momma I have been sharing recipes. It has honestly become my recipe book, just tonight I looked up the ingredients in my cheeseburger soup. I haven’t been adding them as often lately with my focus being on homeschooling but I am trying for one recipe a month now.

The types of recipes you can expect to find here are:

Breakfast – Sometimes something different is nice, often the breakfast recipes are something that I can make ahead of and let them get when they wake up.

Main Course – Main courses in our house can be almost anything from a 30 minute meal which is great for a week night when you are tired, and/or busy and just don’t want to spend a lot time cooking to meals that are better off made on the weekend when you have more time.

Slow Cooker – I love my low cookers, plural. I have 3 different sizes because we make many things in them. They are a favorite for both in the winter to make hot meals for warming up and for in the summer when you don’t want to heat up the house by running the oven.

Desserts – Everyone needs desserts and you aren’t going to find super fancy desserts, but ones that anyone can make and they are going to be delicious.

Snacks - Because everyone needs snacks in their life.

Condiments – Because Life needs flavor and why should you have to buy it?

Slow Cooker Tater Tot Sloppy Joe Casserole

by

In keeping with not running my oven this summer I made this delicious sloppy joe casserole. Yes, I could have just made regular ol’ sloppy joes but I didn’t. I also didn’t have burger buns for regular ol’ joes. This is a great combination of sloppy joes and french fries.

Slow Cooker Tater Tot Sloppy Joe Casserole

Slow Cooker Tater Tot Sloppy Joe Casserole[/caption]

Slow Cooker Tater Tot Sloppy Joe Casserole

*This post contains affiliate links, see my disclosure policy for more information.*

What you need:

  • ground beef
  • onions
  • BBQ sauce
  • 1 package tater tots
  • shredded cheddar cheese

How to make slow cooker tater tot sloppy joe casserole:

Be sure to use non-stick spray to coat the inside of your slow cooker. The tater tots will stick otherwise, and may burn.

Brown your ground beef and onions together for that delicious flavor that only onions give. Drain grease, then stir in BBQ sauce.

Spread half the tater tots in a single layer on the bottom of your slow cooker. Spread all of your burger which is your sloppy joe mixture on top of the tater tots, all of it. The remaining tots on top. Easy peasy.

Cook on low for 3 hours, then spread shredded cheddar cheese on top and cook for another 30 minutes or at least until the cheese has melted.

Use a big spoon to scoop out servings. This is also amazing topped with some crispy fried onions, some Parmesan cheese, etc.

Slow Cooker Tater Tot Sloppy Joe Casserole

Slow Cooker Tater Tot Sloppy Joe Casserole

Yield: 6
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 pgk tater tots
  • 1/2 cup diced onion
  • 1 cup BBQ sauce
  • 2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

  1. Be sure to use non-stick spray to coat the inside of your slow cooker. The tater tots will stick otherwise.
  2. Brown your ground beef and onions together for that delicious flavor that only onions give. Drain grease, then stir in BBQ sauce.
  3. Spread half the tater tots in a single layer on the bottom of your slow cooker. Spread all of your burger a.k.a. sloppy joe on top of the tater tots, all of the burger. The remaining tots on top.
  4. Cook on low for 3 hours, then spread shredded cheddar cheese on top and cook for another 30 minutes or at least until the cheese has melted.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g
© Ashley Mullen
Cuisine: Slow Cooker / Category: Main Course

Similar posts that you may be interested in:

Easy Sloppy Joes

Easy Sloppy Joes

Summer of Slow Cooker Meals

by

Have you ever been to Saskatchewan in the summer? It’s like living in an oven. A very hot, pre-heated oven. Which makes using the actual oven very uncomfortable, and our central air run like crazy. Which has led me to avoid using it as much as possible.

Summer of Slow Cooker Meals

Summer of Slow Cooker Meals

*This post contains affiliate links, see my disclosure policy for more information.*

I am going to spend the summer using my oven as little as possible, like, not at all if possible. I guess this post also could have been called “How to Save Money in the Summer”.

With three different slow cookers, I really shouldn’t have a problem not using my oven. I know it seems crazy to have three slow cookers, but they are all different sizes.

The smallest (1 1/2 quart) was perfect when we were a family of 3-4 (little ones who don’t eat a lot). I’m quite sure that it moved West with us, this little slow cooker.

The medium sized one is new, but since I picked it up at the Salvation Army I’m not too worried. And it’s the perfect sized for making some chicken breasts.

My large slow cooker, it gets replaced regularly. I some how manage break them, a lot. It’s my most used, because it holds a lot. It is great for casseroles, and big enough for making hams, chickens, turkey and all that good stuff.

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken

Slow Cooker Recipes

Slow Cooker Tater Tot Sloppy Joe Casserole

Easy Slow Cooker BBQ Meatballs

Slow Cooker Chicken Stew

Slow Cooker French Onion Soup

Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken

Homemade Bread

I do make our bread, usually from late September to mid May. Because then the weather is just too hot. I refuse to run the AC on the same day that I run the furnace and the house gets too warm.

homemade bread

Normally I switch to buying bread, and then listening to my son complain because he doesn’t like store bought bread. Instead managed to pick up a $10 bread machine.

A $10 bread machine is a whole heck of a lot cheaper than buying bread for this family, even for just a week. I had already decided to buy one for full price when I found mine.

Expect to see lots of new slow cooker recipes coming over the next few months (I gotta spread them all out some).

Resources You May Need

Similar post you may be interested in:

Book Series for this Summer – Not for your Kids

My Favorite Mom Things this Summer

Slow Cooker Poor Man’s Stew

Slow Cooker French Toast Casserole

by

This slow cooker french toast casserole came along because I was testing out cooking bread in my slow cooker the other evening. It cooked really well, fell a bit flat to baking it in the oven but my house didn’t get heated up like it does when running the oven. The problem was, I took it out of the slow cooker to cool and then forgot about it. Talk about hard bread.

Slow cooker french toast casserole

Slow Cooker French Toast Casserole

*This post contains affiliate links, see my disclosure policy for more information.*

I hate to waste food, so a hard loaf of bread meant I needed to figure out something to do with it because my kids were going to be waking up and wanting breakfast. I had seen french toast casseroles on Pinterest before and figured why not try something to “save” the bread.

I did pop it into the microwave for 30 seconds to make it a little easier to cut, it was hard, like break a window hard. I cut it up into chucks, and tossed it all into the my large slow cooker.

Slow cooker french toast casserole

Mix together your eggs, milk, vanilla, and maple syrup in a bowl.

And here is where it gets really easy, pour this over the bread. Give it a stir, and cover it.

Slow cooker french toast casserole

I set mine on high for two and a half hours.

Please, please, spray your slow cooker with a non-stick spray, or wipe it down with butter/margarine or something. I forgot. It stuck, it stuck badly. It took a good soaking, and scrubbing to get my slow cooker clean.

My kids wanted more syrup on their french toast so they got more. They loved it! I liked it too.

Slow Cooker French Toast Casserole
Slow Cooker French Toast Casserole

Slow Cooker French Toast Casserole

Yield: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 loaf of crusty bread
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 cup of milk
  • 1 cup maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp of vanilla

Instructions

  1. Grease your slow cooker pot very well.
  2. Cut up your bread and toss in the slow cooker.
  3. Mix together your eggs, milk, maple syrup, and vanilla.
  4. Pour over the bread, give a stir to cover the bread.
  5. Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g
© Ashley Mullen
Category: Breakfast

Similar posts that you may be interested in:

Rhubarb Crisp in the Slow Cooker

Rhubarb Crisp in the Slow Cooker

Easy Slow Cooker BBQ Meatballs

Easy Slow Cooker BBQ Meatballs

Slow Cooker Chicken Stew

Slow Cooker Chicken Stew

Easy Homemade Sandwich Bread

by

I make all the bread that our family consumes, at least 3 seasons on the year, and it is definitely saving us money, and in the winter the heat from the oven adds an extra bit of heat to our home. This sandwich bread is our favorite recipe for bread that doesn’t require a bread machine. There is just something about homemade bread coming out of the oven.

Easy Homemade Sandwich Bread

Easiest Homemade Sandwich Bread

*This post contains affiliate links, see my disclosure policy for more information.*

I had another bread recipe that I used up until now, and it was great, but I was trying to find a way to cut back on the grocery bill, and that recipe used a lot of ingredients. The recipe that I am using now only has four ingredients which fits our budget so much better and makes it easier to make in the long run.

Easy Homemade Sandwich Bread

What you need:

  • 1/4 c canola oil
  • 1 tsp white sugar
  • 1 1/2 tbsp yeast
  • 2 3/4 cup water
  • 6 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 tsp salt

How to make easy sandwich bread:

Yeast, warm water, and sugar. Make sure your water is warm, not too hot or you’ll kill the yeast, too cold and it won’t react. I only use a cup of water at this point, and then let it sit for abut 5 minutes until the yeast is all foamy.

Toss in the remaining water, oil, and three cups of flour, oh and toss in some salt as well. Mix, cover and let it sit for about 10 minutes. It will get a bit bubbly. Add in the remaining flour and mix it well. I use my mixer with a dough hook, and mix until the dough becomes a ball of dough around the hook.

Remove from the bowl and place into another, but greased bowl. Cover, I cover with a piece of parchment paper and them a dish towel, that way the dough doesn’t stick to the towel as it rises. Let it rise in a warm spot for an hour, then divide it into your loaf pans.

Easy Homemade Sandwich Bread

It you want to make two large loafs of this sandwich bread, divide it into two, I divide it into 3 medium sized loafs. Let it rise for another hour, and then bake at 350˚ for 30 minutes.

Kids in the Kitchen - Making Bread

Easiest Homemade Sandwich Bread

Yield: 2 -3 loafs
Prep Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/4 c canola oil
  • 1 tsp white sugar
  • 1 1/2 tbsp yeast
  • 2 3/4 cup water
  • 6 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Place yeast, 1 cup of water, and sugar into the bowl of your mixer and let sit for 5 minutes or until the yeast is foamy.
  2. Toss in the remaining water, oil, salt, and three cups of flour. Mix, cover and let it sit for about 10 minutes. It will get a bit bubbly. Add in the remaining flour and mix it well. I use my mixer with a dough hook, and mix until the dough becomes a ball of dough around the hook.
  3. Remove from the bowl and place into another, but greased bowl. Cover, I cover with a piece of parchment paper and them a dish towel, that way the dough doesn't stick to the towel as it rises. Let it rise in a warm spot for an hour, then divide it into your loaf pans.
  4. It you want two large loafs, divide it into two, I divide it into 3 medium sized loafs. Let it rise for another hour, and then bake at 350˚ for 30 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g
© Ashley Mullen
Easy Homemade Sandwich Bread

Similar posts that you may be interested in:

Peanut Butter Cup Baked Oatmeal Bowls

Peanut Butter Cup Baked Oatmeal Bowls

Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cups

Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cups

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

by

Baking has become a fun way to spend time some one on one time with each of our kids, but my oldest has gotten to the point where she doesn’t need help anymore and these cookies she made were delicious! She did a great job with no help from anyone. I love her independence in the kitchen and the delicious treats we all get to enjoy from it. These peanut butter chocolate chip cookies came out looking amazing, but they that tasted even better!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies - forgetful cookies

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

*This post contain affiliate links, see my disclosure policy for more information.*

What you need:

  • 1 1/2 c flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 cup margarine softened
  • 1/2 c creamy peanut butter
  • 1/2 c white sugar
  • 1/2 c brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/2 c chocolate chips

How to make Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies:

This recipe is simple enough. Mix all the ingredients together, leaving the chocolate chips for last. Then scoop your cookie dough onto either a greased cookie sheet, or a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies made with margarine

Simple enough that my nine year old made them without help. There aren’t too many life skills that are as important as knowing how to cook, says a Momma who has to look up how to boil an egg when she makes potato salad. BUT in my defense, no one here eat boiled eggs so it’s not something I need to know how to do at the drop of a hat.

Getting our kids in the kitchen is one of our most favorite ways to spend some one on one time with them. My youngest, at almost 5, wants to be a taste tester and a chef when he grows up. And a superhero.

My kid knows her way around the kitchen, and knows to set the time for her cookies. Don’t they look delicious?!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield: 30
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 c flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 cup margarine, softened
  • 1/2 c creamy peanut butter
  • 1/2 c white sugar
  • 1/2 c brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/2 c chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375
  2. Mix margarine, sugar and egg.
  3. Add in remain ingredients, leaving the chocolate chips for last.
  4. Drop spoon fulls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone sheet.
  5. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are golden.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 30 Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g
© Ashley Mullen
Category: Dessert

Similar posts that you may be interested in:

No Bake Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies

No Bake Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies

Egg Free Dairy Free Oatmeal Cookies

Egg Free Dairy Free Oatmeal Cookies

chocolate chocolate chip cookies

chocolate chocolate chip cookies