Cheesecake Trifle

♥ Beginner

My dad believes that you're never prepared to attend a party until a trifle has been made. He right too. They not only hit the spot for flavor, combining all of our favorite things in one, but they also look really beautiful and professional. Let's be honest, it's hard to screw up a trifle.

This one just happens to include all of my children's favorite things. A spin on the traditional red, white, and blue trifle that you see around the fourth of July... this one was gone in a matter of two days. Enjoy!

What you'll need: 
1 Angel Food Cake
1 Box of blueberries
1 Box of Strawberries
1 Box of Raspberries
1 Instant Jell-O Packet, Cheesecake Flavor
2 Cups of Milk
1 Cool Whip, 12 oz.
2 Butterfingers Candy Bars, crushed


How it's done: 

1. Start by preparing your pudding. Make the pudding using the Jell-O packet and the milk. Set in the fridge for 10 minutes.

2.Cut the angel food cake into bite size pieces. Cut off the tops of the strawberries and quarter them. Rinse all of the fruit, and set aside.

3. Once pudding has set, remove from fridge and gently fold in the cool whip. Once combined, it's time to assemble the trifle!

4. Layer in the following order - Angel Food Cake, Fruit, Pudding mixture, Crushed butterfingers bar. Two layers, and whalah! Enjoy!

Peanut Butter S'mores Cookies

♥ Beginner

I've been posting so much "real food" lately, and have been neglecting the sweets. The baking side of me has felt neglected. When my daughter came into my room this morning and said, "mommy, why don't we ever do anything fun in the kitchen anymore?" it pushed me over the edge. So off the babies went to bed, and into the kitchen we went.

I had one last cup of marshmallow fluff left (it doesn't
conform to the No-Preservatives & No-Dye program that we're on), but I needed to use it up. We just happened to have these items on hand, so we got to work creating a new cookie that tastes awesoooommmmme. If you don't like s'mores, or peanut butter, we can't be friends anymore. :)

What you'll need:
1 Box of Ritz Crackers (or similar)
1 Jar of Peanut Butter
1 Jar of Marshmallow Cream
1 Package of Chocolate chips OR Chocolate Bark

How it's done: 
1. Lay your crackers flat on the counter, bottom side up. Put Peanut Butter on half of them (not too much!), and put marshmallow fluff on the other half. Careful to go very light on the marshmallow fluff because when it comes in contact with the warm chocolate it will try to leak out the sides!
2. Push each half together to form sandwiches!
3. Melt your chocolate! (According to package instructions.) And dip your sandwiches in them. Place on baking rack to cool.

(This is where the old me would have covered them in sprinkles or drizzled them with an alternating color candy melt, but since we've given up dyes I restrained myself. :))

Enjoy!!!

Stir-Fry Sauce, Homemade

♥ Beginner

Since our house has gone dye and preservative free, we've had to learn how to make a lot of things on our own instead of buying the store bought stuff. One of those things is Stir Fry Sauce. We like a good chicken or steak stir-fry from time to time, so I needed one that was comparable to the packets we were used to. I think this one really hit the spot and is worth sharing. If you have a few extra minutes you can make your own too, and it didn't require any ingredients that were out of the norm for our household. You can use this for chicken or steak too.

What you'll need:
2/3 C. Soy Sauce
1/2 C. Chicken Broth
1/3 C. Rice Wine Vinegar
3 1/2 Tbsp. Sugar
1 Tbsp. Sesame Oil
2 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
1 Tbsp. Garlic, Minced
2 Tbsp. Cornstarch
1/4 C. Water

How it's done:
1. Combine all ingredients except the water and cornstarch.
2. In a small bowl whisk together the cornstarch and water, until thoroughly combined.
3. Add water mixture to other ingredients.

BBQ Chicken Salad

♥ Beginner

I left the kids at home with the hubby, and left early for work. I worked all day long, then realized that our Home Teachers would be coming by... and earlier than usual. I raced home, and with thirty minutes to spare, whipped out this little gem. It was easy, tasty, and out of the norm for us. The kids were so-so on it, but that's okay for a last minute meal that requires less preparation. And it includes beans. Beans are hard to get my kids to eat, and I don't even think that they realized they were in there. (Win for Mom!)

What you'll need:
2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut in half (made thinner)
1/4 C. BBQ Sauce
6 C. Romaine Lettuce
1 Roma Tomato, Diced
3/4 C. Corn Kernels
3/4 C. Black Beans
1/4 C. Monterrey Jack Cheese, Shredded
1/2 C. Cheddar Cheese, Shredded
1/3 C. Ranch Dressing
Tortilla Strips, desired amount

How it's done: 
1. Preheat oven to Broil. Broil Chicken breasts until cooked fully, flipping once. Cover in BBQ sauce and lower rack in oven. (Keep your eye on it, unless you like blackened, crispy chicken!)
2. To assemble salad, toss lettuce, tomato, corn, beans, and cheeses. Cut up chicken to desired size, and toss into salad. Top with ranch dressing and tortilla strips.

Chicken & Asparagus Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce

♥ Beginner

I've been CRAVING summer. I need some sunshine, a little sand between my toes, fun at the splash park, and maybe even a road trip or two. I need it. My body may start shutting down if this winter continues on much longer. I mean, snow on March 2nd? It feels like some sort of cruel punishment. I am clinically coming down with SAD (Seasonal Affected Disorder), and it's sad. <-- Haha, get it? This is NOT a laughing matter.

When I came across a Pin on Pinterest that made my heart leap, because it made me sense that summer was around the corner I just HAD to give it a try. It turned out pretty well, and I think it shelved my SAD, if just for a night.

What you'll need: 
1 Lb. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
8 oz. uncooked Rotini Pasta
1/2 Lb. Asparagus, Chopped into 1.5" lengths (I used 3/4lb.)
1 C. frozen Peas
1/2 Tbsp. Garlic, minced
1 C. Chicken Broth
1 tsp. Cornstarch
1/3 C. Heavy Cream
2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp. Salt

How it's done: 
1. Preheat your oven to 350*F. Trim your chicken (cut it in half so that it's thinner), and bake it for 20 minutes, flipping once. Baking until the juices run clear. Cover with foil and set it aside. Slice when you have a spare minute.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions, being sure to NOT add salt or oil. While pasta is cooking, cut up your asparagus, and add it to your pasta for the last 4 minutes of cooking.
3. Place your peas in a colander, and drain your pasta over the peas. Set it all aside.
4. In a skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat and add garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Combine chicken broth and cornstarch in a small bowl, stirring well. Add broth mixture to the skillet, and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes, or until thick.
5. Remove the skillet from the heat and add Cream, Juice, and Salt. Add Pasta mixture to the skillet, and  chicken.


Just in case you're curious about the original pinterest pin, here it is.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

♥ Beginner

I LOVE sweet potato fries. Seriously, I love them. If I have the opportunity to substitute regular french fries out for them, I will, no questions asked. So when I started cooking more at home, and I realized just how easy they were to make, I felt like a dummy for always thinking that I had to go out to get them. It's funny how we get like that, isn't it?

Anyhow, it's super easy, and they taste great. The kids went nuts over them, and since they're baked instead of fried I'm telling myself that they are "healthy".

What you'll need:
3 Medium Sweet Potatoes, Peeled and sliced into french fries (I suggest using a mandolin for the slicing, it was SOOO easy)
Olive Oil for tossing
Salt & Pepper to taste

How it's done: 
1. Preheat your oven to 450*F. Line a baking sheet (or two) with parchment paper.
2. Toss fries in a bowl with just enough olive oil to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Lay fries out on the baking sheet, be sure they don't touch each other if you like them crispy.
4. Bake for 30 minutes, turning them over at 15 minutes.

** One of the great things about this recipe is that you can sub out the salt and pepper for nearly any seasoning or spice that you would like. Cinnamon, Sugar, Paprika, Seasoning, Kosher Salt... Get creative!

Cauliflower Garlic Mash

♥ Beginner

Our house is full of mashed potato lovers. If I made them every night, they would eat them every.single.night.

So, I decided to try an alternative - Cauliflower. I didn't get it past them without them noticing that it wasn't mashed potatoes, but they liked it just the same. In fact, my son (who's not even two) ate all of his, and then made the rounds eating everyone else's leftovers.

What you'll need: 
1 head of Cauliflower
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. Minced Garlic
Salt & Pepper to taste
Parmesan Cheese, if you're into that sort of thing.

How it's done: 
1. Clean, and cut your cauliflower into florettes. Boil them in a saucepan for 8 minutes.
2. Pat them dry, and then throw them into the food processor. Add olive oil, garlic, and cheese, and blend until smooth and creamy.

Ta-Da! Enjoy.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

♥ Beginner

We were starting to see behavioral problems in our four year old recently, and knew that we needed to make some changes. ADD & ADHD run very strongly through my family, and we were begining to notice some traits of it in our daughters behavior. I'm not a fan of diagnoses' like ADD, because sometimes I think it's easier to change the activities or nutrition to see if that can help eliminate the problems we were having without medication.

ADD & ADHD are on the rise in America. We're diagnosing hundreds if not thousands of children a day, some as young as two years old. So I went to work, doing some homework on how to assist my daughter in eliminating the behavior problems.

What I found, was that WAY back in the 1990's there was a study done that equated food dyes and preservatives with increases in ADD symptoms. It's been validated for the past 20+ years by parents all over the country who have followed a plan of eliminating food dyes and preservatives, and have seen ridiculous improvements. So here we are, embracing the elimination of those things in our diet as well. It's not been easy, but we're managing okay. I'm finding it's harder to control their eating habits outside of our home than inside it.

One of the things we are up against, is prepackaged foods like Taco Seasonings. Tacos are a favorite around our house, yet those seasonings are packed with preservatives. I did some research and found that making your own seasonings really isn't that hard. So off to work I went. And the results were fantastic!

What you'll need:

1 Tbsp. Chili Powder
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp. Onion Powder
1/4 tsp. crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 tsp. dried Oregano
1/2 tsp. Paprika
1 1/2 tsp. ground Cumin
1 tsp. Sea Salt
1 tsp. Black Pepper

How it's done: 

1. Combine all ingredients in a small container. Cover & label. Instructions: 2 Tbsp. to 1lb Meat!

Broiled Tilapia with Parmesan and Herb

♥ Beginner

We have never been "fish people" in this house. Sadly, I think it's mostly my fault. I would much prefer to cook with chicken over any other protein. Funny thing is, I can't resist a good meal that includes cheese. That's a fact. So when I saw this Tilapia recipe on the Whole Foods website, I knew I had to try it.

The first time I made it, I only made two fillets (thinking that the kids wouldn't eat it). To my surprise, they each had a few bites of ours and loved it. After that, I've made three fillet's and let the kids share one. It's a great family dinner, and super healthy (if you can get past all of the cheese....).

Let me know what you think of it too!

What you'll need: 

1/2 C. Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
2 Tbsp. Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. Sour Cream (Or greek yogurt)
2 Tbsp. Melted Butter
2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp. Basil
1/2 tsp. Terragon
1/8 tsp. Onion Powder (I sub. for Garlic Powder... yummo!)
Sea Salt & Black Pepper to taste.
4 Tilapia Fillets (6-8 oz. each)

How it's done:

1. Combine 1/4 C. Parmesan and all remaining ingredients (except fish) in a bowl. Place fillets in a shallow baking dish or broiler pan. cover fillets in the mixture and let marinate for 15-20 minutes.

2. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan, and place in broiler (approximately 5" from broiler). Broil for 5-8 minutes until fish is white and flaky. I like to lift the fish up with a spatula to check the bottom for pinkness.

We like to serve the fish with steamed veggies or a salad. Enjoy!

Adapted from the whole foods recipe, here. 

Bourbon Chicken

♥ Beginner

There's this Asian fast food place in the mall that I've loved ever since I was a kid. I hardly ever go to that mall anymore, but whenever I do, I make sure to stop and get a free sample of the Bourbon Chicken. Now that our family is getting serious about eliminating food-dyes and preservatives, we're learning how to make much more of the food that we love at home. Bourbon Chicken being no exception. 

I'm not going to lie to you, when I read the ingredients list I thought to myself 'no way this tastes good'. I'm glad we made it anyway, because strangely enough it's delicious. Dare I say, even better than my fast food joint at the mall? Try it for yourself, this was a big winner at our house. 

What you'll need: 

2 Lbs. Boneless Chicken Breast, cut into bite size pieces

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1 Garlic Clove, Minced

1/4 tsp. Ginger

1/4 C. Apple Juice

1/3 C. Light Brown Sugar

2 Tbsp . Ketchup

1 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar

1/2 C. Water

1 Tbsp. Cornstarch. 

How it's done: 

1. In a large skillet, brown all of your cut-up chicken breast. While the chicken is browning, combine all of the remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl. 

2. Once the chicken has browned, remove it from the pan and set it aside. Pour sauce mixture into the skillet and bring to a rapid boil. Let boil for 2 minutes, and then add chicken back to the skillet. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, uncovered. 

Serve over hot rice, and enjoy!

Slow-Cooker Honey Almond Chicken

♥ Beginner

Our Thursday evenings are pretty crazy, and we are typically pulling into the garage around 6:30pm. Anyone with kids (especially more than one) knows that at that point you just shove something onto a plate and expect them to eat quickly because you've still got bath's to give, PJ's to put on, a story to read, and the typical 1 hr. routine of putting them BACK to bed. So I've resorted to "Crock-Pot Thursday's" as it's affectionately known around my house.

My family loves Crock-Pot Thursday because it means that we get to eat a warm, home cooked meal, that didn't take an hour to prepare. It also means that we get to have a few of our favorites that are on rotations far enough from each other that they only come around every once in awhile. One of those favorites is Honey Almond Chicken.

What you'll need:

2 Large Chicken Breasts
1/4 C Slivered Almonds, plus more for garnish
1/4 C Soy Sauce
1/3 C Honey
1 Tbsp. Canola Oil (I used vegetable oil)
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced (Or about a Tbsp. of the already minced stuff)
1 tsp. Fresh Ginger, Minced
1/2 C. Snap Peas
1 Tbsp. Cornstarch
Cooked Rice, for serving

How it's done:

1. Place the chicken breasts, and almonds in the slow cooker.
2. In a bowl, whisk to combine soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, and oil. Pour over chicken and stir to coat.
3. Cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 8 hours.
4. Fifteen minutes before finished, remove the chicken to a plate. Whisk the cornstarch into the sauce, and return the chicken back to the crockpot & add the snap peas. Finish cooking for 15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
5. Serve over rice and garnish with almonds.

Recipe adapted from Spoonful.com

Bread Bowls

♥ Beginner

Let's get real for a second. Like, really real. 

Have you ever heard someone say, "I hate homemade bread." Ever? Nope, that's because it's simply impossible to hate homemade bread. 

Homemade Bread might as well equal a loving embrace from your mom, because even if your mom never made homemade bread, the smell will envelope you in love. That's right I said it. The smell of homemade bread = love. 

Anyhow, who doesn't love their soup in a breadbowl? I do!!! 

These are super easy to make, and you don't have to let them rise twice, so they only take about an hour tops. Bonus!!! 

What you'll need: 

* 4 C + 4 Tbsp Warm Water
* 5 1/2 tsp. Active Dry Yeast (2 packets if you go that route) 

* 1/2 C Butter, Melted

* 2 Tbsp Sugar

* 3 tsp. Salt

* 6 1/2 C. All-Purpose or Bread Flour

How it's done: 

1. Combine yeast in warm water and let proof until foamy (about 3 minutes). 

2. Add Sugar, Butter, and Salt, combine lightly. 

3. Add Flour at 1C increments until it's all worked in. 

4. Pull out dough, and divide into 6 equal portions. Roll into a ball, and place on a greased cookie sheet. Let rise under a warm towel (in a warm place) for 40-60 minutes. Rolls should double in size. 

5. Bake at 425*F for 20-25 Minutes. 

6. Slice off tops, and hollow out insides - then fill with your favorite soup!

Creamy Tortellini Soup, Crockpot

♥ Beginner

Crockpot Thursday!!! This meal may actually end up being one of our absolute favorites. We have made it twice already, and it's even better in homemade bread bowls!

What you'll need:
* 1 Bag Frozen Tortellini (We prefer the cheese)
* 2 Cans of Italian Style Diced Tomatos
* 4 Cups Vegetable Broth
* 8oz. Cream Cheese
* 1 Bunch Baby Spinach, Fresh
** Browned Sausage optional

How it's done: 
1. Combine all ingredients in the crock pot, chunking up the cream cheese and combining with the other ingredients.
2. Cook on low 5-6 hours.

Enjoy!!! We sure have!

Mongolian Chicken

♥ Beginner

Let's just begin this post off with "Yummmmm, I can't believe I ate the whole thing!!!"

Seriously. This was so good. And super easy. Oh, and I cheated by using already minced, refrigerated garlic, and I didn't hate it. Try it. You won't be disappointed.


What you'll need:
* 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
* 1/2 C. Soy Sauce
* 1/2 C. Water
* 1/2 C. Brown Sugar
* 2-3 tsp. Ginger
* 2 Cloves Garlic, Crushed (I used 1 Tbs. Minced Garlic)
* 1 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
* 1 Tbsp. Corn Starch
* 1 Tbsp. Water

How it's done:
1. Cut the chicken into thin strips, or bite size cubes (easiest while still kind of frozen).
2. Place chicken in frying pan over low heat.
3. While chicken is cooking, combine the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, and garlic in a small sauce pot. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
4. Combine in a small bowl the cornstarch and water, and then add the mixture to your sauce. Combining well.
5. Once chicken is cooked through, add the sauce mixture to your frying pan and let simmer for 4-5 minutes.

Best served over rice, or broccoli. We did both! Soooooo good, we all ate it all!

Meatball Sub Casserole

♥ Beginner

Click here for original recipe.

Meatball Sub's are not my favorite food. But the kids sure do love them, and so does the Hubs. So we tried this recipe awhile back, and everyone really liked it - so it's hung around a bit. Maybe your family will like it too.

What you'll need:
* 1 Loaf of Italian Bread, cut into 1" slices
* 8 oz. Cream Cheese, Softened
* 1/2 C. Mayonnaise
* 1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
* 1/4 tsp. Pepper
* 2 C. Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded
* 1lb. Fully Cooked Frozen Meatballs, Thawed
* 1 (28oz) Jar of Pasta Sauce
* 1 C. Water

How it's done:
1. Preheat oven to 350*F, and arrange sliced bread in the bottom of an un-greased 9x13 Pyrex.

2. In a bowl, combine cream cheese, mayo, italian seasoning, and pepper. Spread the mixture over the bread slices.

3. Sprinkle 1/2 C Mozzarella cheese over the top.

4. Mix together the pasta sauce, water, and meatballs and gently spoon them over the cream cheese mixture. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese.

5. Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes.

I like to serve this with the remaining Italian bread as garlic bread, and a side salad.
Enjoy!

Chubby Chicken & Cream Cheese Taquitos

♥ Beginner

OMG, a new family favorite!!!! I made these tonight and they were a huge success. They were super simple, and were quick to make. I had one kid in bed my 6:45pm.... haha!So what if he has ear infections, that had NOTHING to do with his bed time (eye roll). 

If you make these, I know you'll love them too. They made enough to store, and snack on (but they'll be gone by tomorrow night for sure. :)

What you'll need:

* 3	cups cooked shredded chicken (I like rotisserie)
* 6	ounces cream cheese, softened
* ⅓	cup sour cream
* ½	cup salsa
* 1	+ ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
* 1	+ ½ cups chopped baby spinach, stems removed
	coarse salt and fresh black pepper, to taste
* 9 - 10	(6-inch) flour tortillas
*	vegetable or canola oil, for frying

How it's done:

1. In a large bowl mix together the chicken, cream cheese, sour cream, salsa, cheddar and spinach. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 2. Working with one tortilla at a time add 2 heaping tablespoons of the chicken mixture off center and spread out like a log. Roll up and set seam side down on a platter. Repeat until all the tortillas are filled and rolled. 3. Add enough oil to a large skillet to generously cover the bottom. Heat on medium to medium-low heat, cook tortillas in batches, turning to brown each side. Remove to paper towels to drain. Serve with your choice of dunking sauce.