Real Simple Dinnertime Challenge (Week 3) and a Magazine Giveaway for 5 Readers!

September 5, 2011 by Lisa 92 Comments

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THIS GIVEAWAY IS OVER!

The theme for this week’s Real Simple Dinnertime Challenge is “Get Inspired.” Check out this video for some great ideas from Real Simple Food Director Allie Lewis Clapp!

I really like Allie’s idea of letting the family pick out some recipes they would like in a cookbook. I’m going to give that a try myself. I don’t usually involve my family in my meal planning because they’re really not very interested in it, but maybe this is just what I need. My son Andrew is 17 and very finicky. One day he’ll eat something just fine, next time I make it, he tells me he doesn’t like it. It can be really frustrating. If I can get him to select a few recipes from a cookbook, this might turn things around!

Here are a few ways I get inspired:

Every Monday I have a recipe blog hop on my blog called Melt in Your Mouth Monday. The dishes are submitted from very talented food bloggers. Week after week, I browse through all of the recipes to see what my family would like and bookmark the recipes into a file (main dishes, side dishes, dessert, etc.) That way, when I need a particular recipe, I know where to find it.
Whenever I have time, I do a search on my DVR for cooking shows and record them when it’s convenient. Then when I have some free time and the TV all to myself, I fast forward through the commercials and watch my favorites. I have reproduced tons of recipes after watching America’s Test Kitchen, Cook’s Country, Everyday Food, and the Food Channel.
I subscribe to several food magazines. When the pile of magazines gets too high, I tear out recipes that I’d like to try and put them in a folder. (I pass on the magazines to a friend or bring them to school for the other teachers to use). If I’m having a hard time coming up with a dinner idea, I thumb through the folder for inspiration.
And of course, I visit my favorite blogs and recipe sites all the time to get ideas.

THIS WEEK’S REAL SIMPLE GIVEAWAY:

5 READERS WILL BE CHOSEN TO RECEIVE A COPY OF REAL SIMPLE’S SPECIAL FAMILY ISSUE!

Here are just a few of the articles you’ll find in this issue:

Crackly Ice Cream Topping, p. 73
A fantastic (two-ingredient!) chocolate shell

Snack Prescriptions, p. 75
Delicious, easy ways to fuel your kid through every part of her day

10 Things to Do With Spaghetti, p. 78
Recipes that reimagine the ubiquitous staple. (How about spaghetti pizza?)

Healthy Yogurt Options, p. 80
Five kid-tested favorites

Dinner MacGyver, p. 84
How to rig a few ingredients into 36 family-friendly dishes—without losing your cool

If you would like to win a copy, here’s what you need to do to enter!

Mandatory Entry: Tell me what you do to get inspired to cook for your family? Be sure to comment below. Don’t forget to include your email address in the designated email box in your comment.

Optional Entries (eligible after completing the mandatory entry above) You can do any or all of the following entries below for one extra entry each. The only thing you can do every day is tweet the giveaway! Please leave a separate comment (below) for each that you have done.

2. Follow Real Simple on Facebook.

3. Follow Real Simple on Twitter. @Real_Simple

4. Stumble this giveaway using the SU button at the top of the post.

5. Follow me on Google Friend Connect.

6. Subscribe to my blog via email and never miss a post! (You’ll find it at the top of my sidebar.)

7. Follow me on Twitter. @JaneDoiron

8. Tweet this giveaway using the button at the top of the post. (You can tweet once a day!)

9. Become a fan of Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms on Facebook.

10. Mention this giveaway on Facebook using the button at the top of the post.

11. Follow me on Networked Blogs.

12. Write a post about this giveaway on your blog. (Leave a link to your post.)

~~This giveaway will end on Friday, September 9th at 5:00 pm EST~~. THIS GIVEAWAY IS OVER!
It is open to the U.S. and Canada only. The winner will be chosen by random.org and will be contacted by email. Please respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. To be fair to everyone, the comments not meeting the requirements will be deleted. Good luck!

*I did not receive any compensation for this post. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.