Keep it simple.  If you don't have time to make something, your local Meijer delicatessen has all the side dishes you could possibly hope to indulge in at any picnic or barbecue.  If you have the time but not the energy, remember that no one expects a gourmet dessert or dip.  Check out recipes that are quick to make and require fewer ingredients.  My favorite go to recipes for potlucks are cheese balls or dips.  They're so easy to make and very easy to add your own touch (I like adding extra fresh vegetables).

For more posts related to this blog, click one of the following links:

In 1934, Hendrik Meijer, an immigrant from the Netherlands, opened a storefront grocery in Greenville, Michigan.  The town wasn't very big and neither was the grocery store.  However, that store manage to carry enough of what people needed at prices they could afford.

Just about everyone who walked through the door became a loyal customer.  This pattern has repeated itself again and again for seventy-five years.  This success was based in part on Hendrik Meijer and his son, Fred, keeping their standards high and their prices low. 

Also because Hendrik came to an early realization that what brings people back isn't stocked on shelves or piled high on the floor.  People appreciate honesty, integrity and humanity.  Theses qualities are in as much demand today as they were back in 1934.  Every day, in every Meijer, you'll find an unlimited supply.

MealBox:
Take your saved recipes and generate a shopping list while cruising the aisles at your local Meijer.  Download it now from your computer or phone!

WineList:
Not sure what to pair with your meal? Overwhelmed with the amount of wine Meijer offers? If you had WineList on your phone you wouldn't have these problems.  Add it to your iPhone or iTouch and use it on your next shopping trip.  Download it now from your computer or phone!

For more blogs related to this post, click one of the following links:

MealBox has a terrific selection of refreshing desserts that will cool you down while lifting your spirits up.  Take a glance through our ice cream desserts (link will refresh screen and recipes will appear in MealBox widget), they are all must try recipes for the summer!

What's your favorite ice cream focused recipe?  Let us know or just add it to MealBox!

For more blogs related to this post, click on a link below:

We encourage you to look through the recipes and then save them in your recipe box so that you always have new ideas waiting for you when you're tired of the same old thing.  But why use Mealbox? Our recipes are linked to our OneStop Savings and Money Saving Coupons that you won't find anywhere else, allowing for more affordable cooking creativity. 

Even expert Foodies need new inspiration and that's another way Mealbox is there for you?  Did you know we have a variety of ideas on the foods we love best? (clicking the links below will refresh the page, returning to the homepage, and will load your recipes in the widget on the right.)

On Mealbox there are at least:
49 Chili Recipes
23 Meatloaf Recipes
13 Spaghetti Recipes
27 Stew Recipes
340 Chicken Recipes
119 Beef Recipes
275 Salad Recipes

So we challenge our Foodies, get out there and embrace your love of art (tasty, delicious art)!

For more blogs related to this post, click one of the links below:

Is it your first time venturing into the world of outdoor cooking?  Some things you might want to know:

1. There's a difference between charcoal and gas in price and flavor.  Charcoal grills cost less but charcoal gives your food a smokey flavor.  Gas is efficient in heating but could give a very slight gas-flavor to your food. 

2. What tools do you need?  Basically in addition to the grill you need something to flip your meat or veggies with, long metal tongs work nicely.  You may also want to consider a long metal spatula.  If you are going to cook a lot of veggies on the grill, a metal basket is a great way to keep them together.  The last must have tool is a scraper for cleaning your grill when you're done.

3. What to grill?  MealBox is full of delicious grilling ideas (clicking link will refresh this page and recipes will load in MealBox widget).

Have your own grilling suggestions or stories?  We'd love if you shared them in the comment section below!

For more posts related to this article, please click one of the following links:

Adding a recipe is simple:

1.) Sign-in to Mealbox using your Meijer ID in the "Profile" tab on the widget.  (Not yet a Meijer Member?  There's a link in the "Profile" section that will direct you to where you can create an account.)
2.) Go to the "Recipes" tab and then select "Collections".
3.) Click on "Submit Your Recipe".
4.) Fill in the information about your recipe, be thorough and have fun with it, if you have a picture of the finished product or a YouTube video of the cooking process, we'd love you to add those too!
5.) When you're all done, click "Submit" and as soon as it's approved your recipe will be live!

Looking for new ideas? Click here for some of the great recipes that have already been submitted by other Meijer Mealbox Members!

For more posts related to this blog, click one of the following links:

Looking for other options for your menu planning?  We have a delicious selection of all your favorite Mexican recipes (clicking link will direct you to homepage where recipes will load in Mealbox Widget).

For more posts related to this blog, click one of the following links:

 Another way to give back to others is the Meijer Simply Give card.  It looks just like a gift card and can be found near our checkout lanes in your local Meijer store or click here to find them online.  Purchasing this card is a donation that will help replenish food pantry staples like tomato sauce, pancake mix, peanut butter, applesauce, syrup, green beans, jelly, quick oats, and more.  Your nontaxable $10 donation will be converted into a Meijer Gift Card and given to food pantries in communities Meijer serves.  In addition, Meijer will donate a total of $100,000 to participating food pantries to help restock their shelves. 

Let's begin with really young kids.  Baking is probably the easiest, as well as the safest place to start.  Your ingredients are mixed in a bowl, not on a surface.  You don't usually need to use knives, just spoons and measuring cups.  Most kids want to feel grown up and they know that cooking is part of being an adult, adding an ingredient or stirring a batter gives them that grown up feeling along with pride and a sense of contributing to the final dish.  Not to mention, the finished product of sweet chocolate chip cookies or a tasty cupcake will definitely put a smile on their face.

 As your kids get older you can start giving them more responsibilities that are still fun.  Ask them to make a salad with as many colored vegetables as possible. Challenge them to make cut or mold fun shapes out of the different veggies as well.  Making the lettuce in to a canvas takes away the chore and creates an art project.  Depending on how creative your kid is though.... you may want to give them a time limit.

Another sure way to get kids excited, let them plan the meal.  You may end up with bbq chicken and French toast but this will also help them learn what foods go together and what recipes taste better with one another.

One sure fire way to get your kids cooking...the promise of not having to do dishes afterward.

For more blogs related to this post, click on one of the following links:

To easily add a recipe to your Meal Planner, just drag the image of the dish into the Meal Planner bar.  Tip: For Meal Planner, be sure you drag the image onto the date on which you want to prepare the meal.

Changing your Meal Planner is just as easy.  You can simply switch what meal a recipe is planned for by clicking the meal (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner or Other) to the left of the name of the recipe above the actual Meal Planner bar.  Once your recipes are added, Meal Planner automatically generates shopping lists and coupons based on the ingredients needed for the whole week of meals. 

When you're done, you can print your weekly meal plans along with all of your selected recipes, the custom shopping list and corresponding coupons.  You can also send meal plan info to your email address or to a cell phone.  Just use the "Print and Send" buttons above the calendar bar.

Important: Be sure to sign in to save your work before you close your browser.  In other words, Mealbox lets you do lots of things before requiring you to sign in which makes it more interesting to try out without committing yourself but if you want to save what you have created for another time, you will need to sign in. 

For more blogs such as this, please click one of the following links:

Looking for a new dessert this Easter?  Hop over to Mealbox and check out the recipe for these adorable Strawberry Bunnies!  (Click here, the page will refresh and the recipe will load in the Mealbox widget on the right of the page.)

To view more blog posts related to this topic, click one of the following links:

Looking for more blogs like this? Click one of the following links to be directed to related postings:

Want to get even more out of the recipes you have saved?  You can also add these recipes to your weekly Meal Planner just as easily as you saved them!
1.) Select the recipe you want from your Recipe Box.
2.) Switch from "Recipe Box" to "Meal Planner" at the bottom of your Mealbox Widget.
3.) Drag the image from the recipe into the space for the appropriate meal date.
4.) Select whether you would like to prepare the recipe for breakfast, lunch, dinner or another time.
5.) Your recipe will be added to your shopping list along with any weekly Money Saving Coupons and Specials that may be associated with the ingredients!

 Why search for the recipes, specials, or coupons when Mealbox does it for you?!

 For more posts related to this blog, click on one of the following links:

For attitional blog posts related to this article, click one of the following links:

Family Affair
Two heads are better than one so three heads or more are fantastic, this applies to cleaning as well.  The more people you get involved the faster and easier the projects will be completed. Make a list of chores and divide it up according to each person's abilities, some chores may need teamwork so schedule that in as well.  Arm each person with the tools and materials they will need ahead of time so they don't waste time looking for items.  For example, make sure the person cleaning the bathroom has the scrub brush, toilet bowl cleaner, glass cleaner, and rags before they get started.  Mealbox can help if you need extra supplies with amazing coupons on Spring Cleaning products (click here and look to the Mealbox widget on the right).

Cleaning can get boring very quickly; keep everyone motivated with fun music or even a book-on-tape.  Another tip, plan breaks out every hour or two and have a snack or lemonade ready to help the team rejuvenate.

Reward your cleaners with a special dinner after a day of hard work.  Mealbox is full of delicious pizza recipes for all members of the family (click here and look to the Mealbox widget on the right) or if you don't have the energy to cook, Mealbox has a coupon for frozen pizza too! (DiGiorno Pizza For One, Stouffer's French Bread Pizza, coupons expire 4/4/09, Meijer Self Rising Pizza, coupon expires 3/26, links directs you to Mealbox at the right of site for coupon)

Organize
The key to getting your house and yard cleaned fast is organization.  Start outside and work your way in, walking around your yard and home and making a list of areas that need attention.

Spring is a great time to get the yard ready for new growth, make sure to take note of dead plants to be removed to make way for the new.  The moderate temperatures spring brings also makes it easier to do work that requires more elbow grease.  Use this opportunity to do any strenuous repairs like painting or repairing outdoor fixtures like gutters.

On the inside of the home, now is the time to clean the windows and their treatments.  Most windows allow you to move the panes so you can clean the outside at the same time, if your windows are not moveable; remember to add them to your outdoor cleaning list.  As to the treatments, get the dust off with your vacuum or wash them if the fabric allows.

One of the biggest project inside the home can be re-organizing after the winter.  It's time to get rid of old clothes and outdated items.  The one year rule works well here; if you haven't worn it or used it in a year, then it's time for it to go.

With these tips and the savings you'll find on Mealbox, you'll tackle Spring Cleaning like never before!

For more blogs related to this post, click one of the links below:

The Pot o' Gold at the end of the rainbow is looking a little fuller this year thanks to great money saving recipes from Mealbox!  As always, Mealbox has some fun ideas to help you with the upcoming holiday without spending too much extra green.  St. Patrick's Day is a perfect time to plan a get together and with our delicious recipes, you won't need any additional luck in impressing friends and family. 

Click and of the following links and you will be directed to the Mealbox at the right side of the page for the recipe:
Cheddar Fondue
Sweet Potato Fritters
Baked Potato Soup
Boiled Corn Beef Dinner
Irish Stew
Irish Beef Stew

For additional recipes for your upcoming party, click here and check out the Mealbox at the right of the site.

For additional blog posts related to this article, click one of the following links:

Easy, Healthful Alternatives

Looking for more information, check out "The Diabetes Prevention and Management Handbook" brought to you by the Meijer Healthy Living Dietitians.

 For related blog posts, click one of the following links:

Breakfast, lunch or dinner.  We have a variety of recipes to choose.  Click here and look to MealBox on the right for a plethora of casserole options.

Looking for something else, try these chocolaty tips on our other loveable recipes:

Salads: Yes, the leafy kind.  Try grinding up some bitter sweet chocolate as a replacement for bacon.  A great paring with dried cranberries, cherries or other salads featuring fruit.

Entrees: Chocolate can enhance the flavors of different meats: Beef, pork and poultry specifically.  Try adding 2 ounces of white chocolate to a white sauce to when it's complete and cover chicken, pork or even salmon.

Pasta: If you make your own pasta, try adding 2 ounces of bittersweet chocolate and 1 1/4 teaspoon of chocolate extract to your dough.  Or if you are a little less zealous with your pasta cooking, simply add an ounce (30 grams) of chocolate to your sauce.  Trust us, it's delicious.

Side Dishes: How about chocolate baked beans? Again just add an ounce of dark chocolate to your pot.

Soups and Stews: Chocolate is a popular ingredient at the US Chili Con Carne Competitions so why not try it in your own chili or stew with a tablespoon of cocoa powder.

Information for this post was gathered from fxcusine.com, www.cdkitchen.com, www.cacaoweb.net, and from Linda McCloud at www.associatedcontent.com

To view other blog posts related to this subject, click one of the following links:

Every week our advisory team: Shari Steinbach, MS RD; Janine Faber, MEd RD LD; Tina Miller, MS RD; and Maribel Carbrales, MBA RD LDN, provide recipes and advice that will help you in planning your week and life around healthier eating and living habits.  Their Weekly Nutrition Menu is located in the Healthy Living tab of the Mealbox website (www.meijermealbox.com) or you can find the recipes with the Mealbox Widget (located at the right side of this website) in the Healthy Living Collection located under the "Collections" tab in the "Recipes" category.  These menus coordinate with our weekly Meijer specials to help keep your budget healthy too!  Check back every week for new recipes as well as previous ideas from the Healthy Living Advisors!

 To view other blog posts related to this subject, click one of the following links (blog tags):

"We know the importance of experiential learning," said Michigan's Surgeon General, Dr. Kimberlydawn Wisdom.  "Meijer store tours provide parents with new information to make food purchases that are healthy, budget-conscious, easy to prepare and good-tasting, too."

 Each class is held after school and provides nutrition education ad a cooking demonstration based on a sample recipe.  The program is led by Generation With Promise facilitators, a chef from Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeast Michigan, and a nutrition educator from Michigan State University Extension.  At the end of each session, the child and caregiver receive a bag of groceries with the necessary food items to re-create the sample recipe at home.

"Many people falsely believe that it costs more to eat healthy," said Christina Miller, one of Meijer's on-staff Healthy Living advisors.  "These tours are an excellent opportunity for us to teach parents and their children how to make budget-wise, nutritious food choices."

Grand Rapids, Mich. - based Meijer also will provide simple meal-planning ideas and recipes families can use to easily incorporate healthy food choices into family meals. 

This article is from www.progressivegrocer.com  January 29,2009

To view other blog posts related to this subject, click one of the following links:

Accessing these recipes is easy! 
To begin, these recipes are located within the "Recipes" tab in Meijer Mealbox. 

Next, in order to ensure you will see the special money-saving offers right away, make sure that you sign-in with your Meijer Member User email and password.  (If you are not a Meijer Member there is a link in the "Sign-In" tab that will direct you to our membership site.) Otherwise when you click on the tab you will have to enter your zipcode every time. 

Next, once you click on the tab, click on the "Meal Type" tab and the "Top 25 Budget Meals" will ALWAYS be the first box on the page! 

Start saving now and make sure to check the Top 25 Budget Meals every week as they continuously change based on our weekly promotions! 

-Saut'e  vegetables with liquid instead of oil.  Broth, juice, wine or water in a covered nonstick pan works best.

-Steam, stir fry (in a nonstick wok or skillet), simmer or microwave vegetables.

-Puree or mash potatoes, sweet potatoes and other vegetables with low fat milk or reduced sodium chicken broth.

-Add a small amount of butter just before serving.  Cooking dilutes butter's favor, so you will use less if you add it last.

-Sprinkle Parmesan or Romano cheese on vegetables for flavor and not much fat.

-It may be winter but why not, roast or grill vegetables as a low fat way to bring out the flavor.

Keep your vegetables light during cooking by making easy changes to preparation. (Adapted from American Dietetic Association's Public Relations Team.)

Practice these great tips on some delicious Mealbox recipes:
Saut'e of Zucchini and Yellow Squash
Asparagus with Dill Sauce
Grilled Corn in the Husk with Chipotle Butter
Celery Root Mashed Potatoes
Orange and Spice Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Golden Onion and Sage Mashed Sweet Potatoes 
Roasted Vegetable Salad
Oven Roasted Vegetables
Grilled Artichoke Skewers
Grilled Pepper Salad Flatbread

    -Only fill the crockpot one half to two thirds full.  The foods will not cook properly if the appliance is filled to the brim.  If the food and liquid level is lower, the foods will cook too quickly.  Overall the pot will not lose liquid as long as you keep the lid on.

- Foods cooked on the bottom of the slow cooker cook faster and will be moister because they are immersed in the simmering liquid.

-Remove skin from poultry, and trim excess fat from meats.  Fats will melt with long cooking times, and will add and unpleasant texture to the finished dish.  Fatty foods will also cook too quickly.

-You can thicken the juices and concentrate flavors by removing the lid and cooking on high for the last half hour of cooking time.

-Don't life the lid to stir, especially if you are cooking on the low setting.  Each time you lift the lid, enough heat will escape that the cooking time should be extended by 20 minutes to half an hour.  To check progress without lifting the lid, spin the cover until the condensation falls off. Then it's easy to see inside.

-Add tender vegetables like tomatoes, mushrooms and zucchini during the last 45 minutes of cooking time so they don't overcook.

-Dairy products should be added during the last 30 minutes of cooking time, unless the recipe states otherwise.

(Content for tips was adapted from www.about.com and www.realsimple.com)

Start saving time this week by trying one of these great Mealbox slow-cooker recipes:
Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Slow Cooker Taco Meatloaf
Slow Cooker Baked Beans
Slow-Cooker Hearty Beef Chili
Slow-Cooked Spiced Pork Chops
Slow-Cooked Beef Roast with Mushrooms
Slow-Cooked Harvest Beef and Veggies
Texas Style Slow-Cooked Chili
Slow-Cooked Pulled Pork
So-Good, Slow-Cooked Ribs
Slow-Cooked Roasted Tomato Country Ribs

One of your goals, of course, is to save money-and Meijer is here to help, with value pries that won't break the bank.  Visit our Super Snacks for The Big Game collection on Meijer MealBox for great recipes and great deals!  MealBox will assemble your shopping list while stretching your budget with valuable coupons you won't find anywhere else.

You can always count on scoring big and spending little at Meijer, your money-saving resource for the Big Game and every day.

For additional tips on freezing, see Tina's Tips, located under the Healthy Living tab or click here.