A Little Background About Me
Welcome to Lazy Day Cooking Club! Hi, I’m Carrie Barnard, the creator of Lazy Day Cooking Club. Cooking has been a lifelong passion of mine, and it all started when I was just a toddler. I grew up with both of my parents running their own restaurants, so the kitchen became my second home. From helping manage my mother’s restaurant as a teenager to creating my own meals in college, food has always been central to my life.
When I first started cooking for myself in college, my main goal was to save money, and I hated complicated recipes. That’s when I began experimenting with simplifying meals—focusing on delicious results with as few ingredients as possible. Over time, I became known among family and friends for my easy-to-make, crowd-pleasing creations. My nickname? “Betty,” a nod to Betty Crocker!
For the past 25 years, I’ve been cooking for my family and friends, learning how to make amazing dinners without the need for complicated recipes or fancy ingredients. Today, I’m a mother to 8 incredible children—yes, 8! Some are biological, and some I’ve been blessed to adopt through foster care. My passion for helping others has only grown over time, and it’s what inspired me to start Eating on a Dime, a website where I share easy recipes that anyone can make.
With over 3 million fans on Facebook and recipe videos viewed over 100 million times, Eating on a Dime has become a trusted resource for affordable, simple recipes that families love. We’ve been featured on KOCO5, The Oklahoman, BuzzFeed, Huffington Post, Business Insider, and Parade for our money-saving kitchen tips.
Why I Created the Lazy Day Cooking Club
In 2018, life threw me a curveball—I unexpectedly became a single mom to my 8 kids. Dinnertime became even more challenging, and I realized that I needed a solution to make meal prep easier while still serving delicious, homemade meals. That’s when I discovered the magic of prepping freezer meals for the week. I could spend one day preparing meals, freeze them, and then just toss one into the crock pot each morning. Dinner was done!
This simple method was life-changing, and it became the foundation for Lazy Day Cooking Club. Today, the club helps thousands of busy families get dinner on the table with minimal effort, saving both time and money.
Meet Christina!
In 2019, my sister, Christina Auchter, joined the Eating on a Dime team. She loves to call me “Betty” because of my constant kitchen experiments, and now we affectionately call her “Betty Junior.” What’s funny is that Christina used to hate cooking! But after discovering our easy recipes that work on a budget, she fell in love with it.
Christina is now a vital part of the Lazy Day Cooking Club. One of her best tips is “Cook once, eat twice,” where she teaches our members how to create a second meal from leftovers. She’s an amazing support to me and all of our members. Christina is married to her wonderful husband Drew, and together they have two beautiful daughters.
Here’s What You’ll Love About the Lazy Day Cooking Club:
- Ready-to-Go Meals in Minutes: Prep your meals in advance and have dinner on the table in just 2 minutes of effort.
- 20 New Recipes Every Month: Enjoy a variety of family-friendly, easy-to-follow recipes delivered to your dashboard.
- Time-Saving Meal Prep: You can prepare 2 weeks’ worth of dinners in just one hour!
- Save Money and Reduce Waste: Members save between $200 and $800 a month by using our meal plans.
My Promise to You
I’m so glad that you’re here and invite you to become a part of our community. My promise is to continue providing you with easy, delicious recipes that save you time in the kitchen without sacrificing flavor. I’ll also share my best tips for how to simplify your cooking routine and make the most of every meal.
If you ever have any questions or comments, I’d love to hear from you!