Busy, busy, busy! Does this describe your life? In a world where the pace keeps getting faster it can become stressful to create a good meal at an affordable price. Do the kids expect you to be a magician when it comes to putting dinner on the table at the end of a long day? Although there is no magic wand, there are some creative ways to avoid sacrificing nutrition in our hurried efforts to feed the family.

Did someone say tacos? They are a staple in our home, especially when there is little time to prepare a big meal. A little seasoned ground beef, some shredded cheese, chopped lettuce and tomato and a few taco shells and dinner is served. Chopped onions, olives, salsa, sour cream, jalapenos and any other favorite toppings can be added to liven things up. Buffet style is a great way to serve tacos. Set out the fixings and let everyone assemble their own.

Soup is another highly nutritious meal, especially if you load it up with vegetables and toss in some beans for fiber. For an even easier meal, make the soup ahead of time and heat on low in the slow cooker while you work. Dinner is ready when you are!

Stir-fries are another great meal that can be made quickly. I keep a basic vegetable stir-fry mix in the freezer at all times. These usually come with sauce already in them, or you can keep a bottle of your favorite sauce in the pantry. When dinnertime comes, put some minute rice on to cook and stir-fry the veggies. Add some frozen shrimp for an extra treat.

Keep some spaghetti and a jar of ready-made spaghetti sauce in the pantry and you'll have another great way to put a decent meal on the table in a matter of minutes. Serve with some garlic toast and a basic lettuce salad.

Got fussy kids that don't want fancy foods? Mac-n-cheese is the ticket! Put a few hot-dogs (cut into pieces) and a handful of frozen peas into the water and boil with the macaroni. My son is 18 and he still asks for this dish sometimes!

When thinking back on what my mother fed a family of seven, the main thing I recall is casserole. Mom didn't use a lot of variety, so when she said we were having casserole for dinner, we knew to expect a dish that consisted of stewing beef, onions, wide noodles, mushroom soup and canned corn. That was it, casserole. Today the term casserole can mean any number of dishes. I have two favorites to share.

Cabbage Casserole

1 small head of cabbage
1 pound hamburger
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup raw rice
1 (10.5 oz.) can tomato soup
1/2 cup water
1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Chop the cabbage into bite sized pieces and put into a 9 x 13 pan. Brown the hamburger and onion together in a frying pan. Remove from heat and stir in rice. Pour meat mixture over the cabbage. Mix the soup and water in a saucepan and heat through. Pour the soup over the cabbage and meat. Sprinkle with cheese (1-2 cups depending on personal preference) and fluff with a fork. Bake in oven on 350 degrees for 1 hour. This may just be one of the only ways to get some kids to eat cabbage!

Tater-tot Casserole

2 pounds ground beef
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 pound cheddar cheese slices
10 oz. frozen peas
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup water
2 pound bag of tater-tots

First, brown the hamburger in a frying pan. Then layer ingredients into a 9 x 13 pan in this order: ground beef, onion, cheese slices, and peas. Mix the soup and water together and pour over the entire casserole. Arrange the frozen tater-tots on top in rows to completely cover dish. Bake for 1 hour at 375 degrees. This is a real kid pleaser!

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