After the birth of her second child, Aileen Clark was excited to stay at home with her growing brood. But she soon found herself struggling a little with mom life.

“While it was wonderful, it was also very isolating,” remembers Aileen. “I started my blog as a creative outlet and as a way to connect with other moms.”

Little did she know that her blog would soon turn her into a full-blown momtrepreneur. “My blog has grown into so much more!,” she says. “I have made so many meaningful connections.” Each week, she creates new recipes and writes about parenthood, DIY and crafts, family-friendly travel, and more.

At the heart of it all is Aileen’s desire to help busy moms make good food and enjoy their families. Peruse her site and you’ll find convenient slow cooker and freezer meals, as well as kid-friendly recipes that get the whole family cooking. But her favorite kitchen helper is without a doubt the Instant Pot. In fact, Aileen’s first cookbook is dedicated entirely to Instant Pot recipes! She has gathered 175 budget-friendly meals that are fast, delicious, and sanity-saving.

When it comes to feeding her husband and three children, Aileen’s approach isn’t just about speed or convenience: she emphasizes whole foods. “My goal is to balance out the processed foods with real foods like dry beans, fresh fruit, and vegetables.”

Aileen includes dry beans in her regular rotation because they’re a great source of protein and are extremely affordable. They’re also easy for her to work with. “I love that dry beans can be stored long term in my pantry, and soaked beans can be stored in my freezer. It makes it easy to incorporate them into my everyday cooking.” Her favorites include pinto and black beans. “They are easy to make and taste great with so many different dishes,” she explains.

Dry navy beans are the star of her cookout-ready Instant Pot Baked Beans. Her go-to gadget cuts the beans’ soaking time to just 30 minutes, making this classic side dish a cinch!

Check Aileen out at her website, and on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and YouTube