Jul 3, 2009 5:30 am US/Mountain
Thornton Mom Makes Kid-Friendly Cooking Her Trade
Dawn Billesbach Helps Other Moms Beat The Recession
Written by Brooke Wagner
THORNTON, Colo. (CBS4) ―
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Dawn Billesbach is proud of her Southern roots.
"I grew up in South Louisiana. My mother cooked. Both of my grandmothers cooked. We like to feed people in this house," Billesbach said.
She now makes her home in Thornton, with her husband and two young daughters, but down-home cooking is still in her blood.
You won't see any food wars at the Billesbach house. Dawn has kid-tested her simple, crowd-pleasing recipes (see two of them below) and is now sending full weekly menus to subscribers to her Web site, "Menufortheweek.com".
"They have to give it a thumbs-up or I won't declare it kid friendly," Billesbach said.
"Menu for the Week" started as a way for Billesbach to share her weekly meal plans with her two sisters. Then, last October, just as the recession was hitting, Billesbach decided to go into business.
Now, subscribers in 30 states plus Australia turn to her site for a weekly meal plans, recipes and shopping lists for the week. Dawn's goal is to take away the guesswork for busy moms.
"One of the moms who says, I don't mind cooking, if someone would just tell me what to cook. That's my target," said Billesbach.
Subscribers can sample a free week then pay $25 for six months of this online meal planning service. Billesbach believes it can help families beat the recession and pay for itself the first week.
"There are so many ways I think this saves people money, just in going to the grocery store once a week, versus every day, for what you need," Billesbach said.
Billesbach said Menu for the Week also saves money on eating out, and she gives tips on stretching grocery dollars. For instance, she suggests buying sale fruits to freeze for smoothies or salads.
"Little to no prep time, kid friendly, inexpensive, all the ingredients can be found at any supermarket. Those are the things I strive for in every recipe I put out there," Billesbach said.
She tries to stick to five ingredients, 30 minutes or less prep time, and a $12 price tag or less for each recipe. She also likes to hit all four food groups. But, most important is the time together families get when they sit down at the table. Billesbach hopes her menus help families re-connect.
"Now that my kids are in school, sometimes that's the only time we really have together," Billesbach said. "My recipes have always been quick and simple, because, having two kids I don't want to spend all day in the kitchen, even loving to cook. I don't want to be there all day."
Billesbach is also part of a new breed of online business owners; mom-entrepreneurs using social networking sites to get the word out. Billesbach pays it forward to other mom-run businesses by offering revolving free ads on her own Web site.
"As moms and business owners, we're all in it together, and I find that online, too. We all want to help each other out," Billesbach said.
Here are two examples of quick, easy, kid-friendly recipes from Menu for the Week:
Breakfast in a Hurry
1 (1 lb) tube breakfast sausage
6 eggs
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup biscuit mix
Salt, onion powder, and garlic powder - to taste
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Brown and drain sausage.
3) Mix sausage with all remaining ingredients. Pour into a large, oiled casserole dish.
4) Bake for 30 - 40 minutes in preheated oven.
Berry Fruit Salad with Lime Yogurt Glaze
1 cup strawberries - hulled and chopped
1 cup raspberries
1 cup blueberries
1/4 cup strawberry yogurt
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 lime - juiced
1/4 cup sliced, honey coated almonds - found in the produce section
1) In a large bowl, combine berries.
2) In a small bowl, mix yogurt, honey, and lime juice. Toss into berries.
3) Sprinkle almonds as garnish when serving. Keep refrigerated when not serving.
(© MMIX CBS Television Stations, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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