Sunday, October 30, 2011

Last Minute Halloween Treats

Halloween treats are so fun to make. Food is "funner" at Halloween. (I know funner is not a word.)
I made these whoopie pies for a little get together with a friend. The frosting was more orange in real life. Then, I thought maybe I should do green? Too late now!

These are cake mix cookies and possibly the fastest and yummiest treat to throw together.

1 box cake mix

½ c. oil

2 c. chocolate chips

2 eggs

350 for 8-10 min.

Frosting from this site:

The BEST Cream Cheese Frosting Ever

1 package cream cheese (8 oz)

1 stick butter (8 tablespoons)

4 cups confectioners sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons imitation vanilla (I think if you use pure vanilla extract cut it to 1 tsp)

I threw all the ingredients in a bowl and mixed with a spoon (thats right, by hand) until the confectioners sugar was incorporated. I noticed there were a lot of lumps so I got out the hand held mixer, and used it on med. for less then a minute. (that added SUCH a smooth and light texture!)



My super awesome sister, Michelle made these cupcakes for our little family Halloween party. They are cockroaches and spiders. Cockroaches made out of tootsie rolls, caramels and rasinets. The spiders were a mold. She is gifted!! And she can make cupcakes for you too. Leave me a comment if you need any and I can get you in contact with her!

Eyeball deviled egss. Nasty sounding "eye" know (haha), but delicious just the same! I got the idea from this site and because of sick hubby and grumpy kids, wasn't as creative as hers, but same effect!

Hope you all have a great Halloween!!

Friday, October 28, 2011

Fat Friday: Caramel Apple Cider


I wish this were my photo, but it is not. It belongs to Life Together. That being said:

This drink will warm your insides, make your house smell delicious and save you lots of money! Story behind: My cousin, TC, passed away 3 1/2 years ago in an accident at age 26. My siblings and I grew up with them and they were nice enough to hang out with their icky girl cousins! He worked at a spa and discovered that Starbucks had this delicious drink and shared this important news with my mom and aunt who shared it with us. On his birthday, we make an effort to get a real one at Starbucks. So, when my sister in law told me about this caramel apple cider,I had to try it! And it is very true to the $4 Starbucks version!

We have a cocomotion, which could possibly be one of the coolest hot chocolate makers ever! I got ours at Walmart a few years ago for $20 for my husband for Christmas. He is a hot chocolate junkie so we have used it plenty of times!

Warm up apple cider or make your own. I am too lazy currently to make my own. I did put a little extra cinnamon and nutmeg in the cider though. Then put caramel on top and whipped cream. That's it! You win. Everyone loves it. Enjoy!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Thinking Thursday: Ode to Jonelle

My friend, Jonelle, pretty much rocks. She is an herbalist. She homeschools. She has her babies at home sans epidural. She is a great cook. She is a great gardener (even in the desert)! She is calm. She is hilarious. And she doesn't judge the rest of us who choose to go to hospitals, public schools and the like. Her moto is to each his own. She gives the best advice. She's just great.

Point in case: I was sick with this baby the last few months. Jonelle found out I was pregnant and showed up at my doorstep with a lavender herbal tea out of the goodness of her heart. I didn't ask for any. She didn't ask for any pay. She was happy to listen to my moanings and groanings and ignored my front room strewn with toys and dare I say, children's underwear?!

Next case: my 2 year old had a severe case of diarrhea last week (TMI, I know). There was a bug going around and her bum was so red and diaper cream wasn't doing its job. She was running around saying "Not poopy!" when she was poopy just so I wouldn't change her. It was sad. I texted Jonelle at 9 PM and she graciously gave me some of her homemade bum salve that worked miracles. She also gave me some medicine that helped as well. (Don't ask me the name ophilous). I said I would pay her. She said I didn't need to. She totally went out of her way for me.

Now that you know her, here is a plug for her awesomeness! She doesn't know I am doing this, but she deserves it! She has a business called Herbalogie and sells some really great products there. She has some herbal chapstick that is minty and fresh. She has calming herbs. She has stay well herbs. She has PMS herbs. She is well educated in her field and teaches classes as well about how to be your best self and to find your mission in life. She is also LDS (Mormon) and combines her medical and religious beliefs nicely. You would be doing yourself a favor to check out her sites!



Black Bean and Sweet Corn Quinoa


Can you even say quinoa?! Have you heard of it? I hadn't till about six months ago and I am glad we tried this! It was fresh and yummy and healthy. I also used the leftovers on a mixed green salad with a little mozzarella cheese on top. It was nice to have warm with the cold. Enjoy!

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup frozen sweet white corn
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When shimmering and hot, add the onions and saute for 4-5 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and stir for a minute or two until the garlic is fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.

Add the quinoa and cover with broth. Stir in cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and let simmer for 20 minutes (or until the liquid is absorbed).

Stir in the frozen corn and black beans. Cover and let the pot sit off the heat until the corn and beans are heated through, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in cilantro. Serve warm or chilled – it is delicious both ways!

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Candy Corn Shakes

Candy Corn Milkshakes

Aren't these adorable?! My kids loved them! I was mother of the year when I made them. Of course, they didn't look as good as these, but they didn't see the original to begin with! Here is the recipe from none other than Mels Kitchen Cafe. If you go on her main page, she has a cute button called "Spooky Eats" full of great Halloween snackies.

INGREDIENTS:
1 quart vanilla ice cream
Orange and yellow food coloring
Clear plastic or glass cups
Lightly sweetened whipped cream
Sprinkles, if desired

DIRECTIONS:
Take the ice cream out of the freezer and let it soften for about 20-30 minutes. Spoon 1/3 of the ice cream into a medium bowl. Use orange food coloring, gel or liquid, to color the ice cream orange as desired. Stir well to mix and color.

In another medium bowl, spoon another 1/3 of the ice cream and color it yellow as desired. Stir well to mix and color.

Stir the remaining vanilla ice cream until it is smooth and creamy.

Spoon yellow ice cream into the bottom of a plastic cup, to fill the cup 1/3 full. You may need to wipe the cup down if streaks are in the upper part of the cup from spooning it in. Flatten it out as well as you can, trying to eliminate any air bubbles on the side.

Spoon in orange ice cream on top of the yellow to fill the cup about 2/3 full. Again, wipe down the inside of the cup, if needed, and smooth out the top of the orange ice cream. Top with vanilla ice cream to within 1/4-inch of the top of the cup. Smooth out the top.

Top with whipped cream and sprinkles, if desired. Freeze until ready to serve.

Recipe Source: inspired by this post from Pinterest

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Super Soft Sugar Cookies and FHE Plan!

I made this, but not without someone else providing the materials.=) It was during a Saturday activity at church and is such a great idea. It includes a song, quote, scripture and family goal for each Family Home Evening. In our family, we have Family Home Evening Monday nights and we talk about issues our family is having and Jesus and things we have done in the week. With 3 small kids, they are usually short and sweet, but it gives everyone a chance to learn something and to present a lesson. Since I made this board, we have all been a lot more involved in Family Home Evening. So, thanks Ginger! One of the most crafty people I know!

It's easy to make too. Spray a cookie sheet your color of choice. Mod Podge scrapbook paper onto sheet. Mod Podge "Quote", "Song", "Scripture", and "Family Goal" on circles onto rocks. Add magnets. Done!

Our first week, we talked about anger. We have some fiery tempers in our family and have been working on happy words and controlling feelings. I got the idea from FHE in a Snap.
Song:
"Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam"

Lesson:
Discuss anger and what it is doing in your family. Does your family have a problem with anger? What happens when you react in anger? How can we control anger?

Object lesson #1
MUST BE DONE SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE FAMILY HOME EVENING.

Take a stalk of celery and put it in a glass with some red or blue food coloring. after a few days, the celery stalk will draw up the colored water and the celery will be tinted red or blue.

See how this stalk of celery took on the color of water in which it was standing? Small children are just like that stalk of celery. they take on all the characteristics of the family around them. Is you home colored with anger, yelling sarcasm, and criticism? Or is your home colored in patience, cooperation, soft tones and laughter? Children will absorb examples they receive at home. (note: this object lesson can also be used with sin, pornography, bad movies, music, ect.)

Object Lesson #2
Preparation:
Purchase a can of squeeze cheese or a travel size toothpaste

Have a member of your family squeeze some cheese out of the can. Then ask him/her to put the cheese back into the can. Of course, this is impossible. Angry, sarcastic words, derogatory names or mean comments are very easy to say. But it is difficult and maybe impossible to fix the damage done by angry words.

Treat:
Cheese and Crackers

Our family goal for the week was to go somewhere for alone time if you are feeling angry and whenever anyone was getting angry, we could talk about our lesson. It really helped the mood this week.


I remember when my mom got this sugar cookie recipe from my Aunt Jenny. They were so soft and so yummy! Exciting time for us.=)

Sugar Cookies

1 c. butter

3 eggs

2 c. sugar

¼ c. milk

1 t. baking powder

¼ t. soda

½ t. salt

1 ½ t. vanilla

4 c. flour

Roll out to about an 1/2 inch thickness.

Cook at 350 for 10 minutes.

Also, big shout out to my awesome sister in law who sent me a Demarle cookie sheet liner which really does make everything bake better! You rock, Kellie!

Friday, October 21, 2011

Fat Friday: Pumpkin Bars


These are the best pumpkin bars! Of course, they are Paula Deen and full of not good stuff, but it's the holidays, so live it up! Plus, don't you just love the way the southern say "oil", "ohl".

Bars:

  • 4 eggs
  • 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 15-ounce can pumpkin
  • 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing:

  • 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
  • 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Thinking Thursday: My Favorite Cooking Sites!

I love these sites! They are the best. They are full of different and fun and awesome recipes. Enjoy! And that is about as thoughtful as I am getting today!


Such a great site for a variety of crafts and tons o recipes! And the girls just seem so great that you really want to know them! Plus they love their families and you can tell! I am dying to try these Reeses' Brownies!


This is full of tutorials and fun holiday and kid recipes. And the pictures are beautiful and the layout is perfect! Plus, I feel like she is an old friend. I bet I could show up at her house never having met her and she would cook me some good stuff! Don't these BAKED doughnuts look heavenly?!



These girls have been going for years and Mel's Kitchen Cafe is a sister of them! There are lots of crockpot and freezer meals ideas. Ideas we all need, right?! Plus, they make me want to hang out with my sisters more and share my knowledge with others. These creamy chicken taquitos are so good. My friend at book club made them and I tried to stop at 4, tried to stop.=)


Best dessert site ever! So real and easy and just crazy with yumminess! This girl is so creative! She has lots of holiday ideas that are so fun for kids too. Hot dog mummies! I even like these!


Has a lot of crafty snacky ideas for kids. They are adorable!! And she makes you feel like you can do one cool snack for your kids a week. Lots of holiday themed stuff. I loved these and I have all the stuff, which makes me love them even more!

bento35



Last but not least, my adorable sister in law Monica's site! She is just too cute and you'll love her ideas! This is Skillet BBQ Chicken Pasta and looks so easy and very kid friendly!

These are not recipes, but they are adorable hats that my friend I have had since 4th grade is making these and you should definitely check them out! AshleyOwenKnits

Cupcake Hat

Stripey Pom Pom Hat.  Ready Made Ready to Ship. Great Photo Prop :)

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Baked French Fries and Fry Sauce

I have made a lot of french fries in my time and these are by far the best. I mean, wow!! They are steak fries and so seasoned perfectly and perfect with the sauce. I even made them one Sunday when I had no milk and no eggs and we had Ramen and french fries for dinner. I don't like ramen, so I had french fries for dinner.=) If you haven't checked out Six Sisters' Stuff, you must!! Full of great recipes!

I saw this recipe over at A Kentucky Girl Cooks a couple of weeks ago and I have made them many times! They are so easy to throw together, super inexpensive, and my kids LOVE them. I love that they are baked and not fried- but they still have a "crunch" to them! They also have great flavor. Definitely a keeper at our house.


6 Russet Potatoes cut into lengthwise quarters (I used 4)
6 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons of garlic powder
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Add your oil to a baking sheet with sides.
Cut each potato into 8 wedges. Combine all dry ingredients into bag–either ziplock or paper, and add a few potatoes at a time. Shake to coat well. Place the potatoes coated side down into the oil in the pan.
Continue doing this until all the potatoes have been coated and placed in the oil. Bake for about 20 minutes and then pull out and flip over on the other side. Bake for an extra 20 minutes. Pull wedges out of the oven and then sprinkle with alittle kosher salt. Serve hot.
Have you ever heard of
Utah's Famous PINK Fry Sauce?
OH. MY. GOODNESS. Once you have tried it, you will never go back. Fries and hamburgers will never taste the same once you have had this! And it compliments these Tater Wedges perfectly! :)
This is how we make it:

2/3 cup mayo (light is fine)
1/3 cup ketchup

Mix together until thoroughly blended.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Crockpot Applesauce

Deliciousness here. Especially in the fall and the smell is just lovely! I add some nutmeg too. I got the recipe here: (I have been corrected *THANKS* and it originally came from here! They are both awesome sites, so they can both have credit!)

Crockpot Applesauce2

5 medium-sized Gala apples, peeled, cored, quartered, and sliced
5 medium-sized Golden Yellow Delicious apples, peeled, cored, quartered, and sliced
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup water or apple juice
Place all of the apple pieces in a large bowl and stir in sugar and ground cinnamon. Pour water or apple juice into the bottom of a large crockpot (slow cooker) and add the apple mixture. Cover, turn the crockpot setting to Low, and cook for about 8 hours (or on High for 5 hours), stirring occasionally.
Serve warm or room temperature.

My changes: (I mixed the sugar, cinnamon and apple juice in the bottom of the crockpot and added the apples as I was cutting them, so I didn’t have to dirty an extra bowl. I used an immersion blender in the crockpot to blend half of it and left half of it chunky.)
Makes approximately 4 cups of applesauce.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Some Stuff I Made

I am taking a small one day break from recipes. I do make other things besides food! Just not recently because I am so tired from being pregnant and 3 kids, but really, the sudden burst of energy should come soon, right?! Or does it not come with the 4th??=)

I have never made a wreath before. I have seen a lot of cute wreaths around and complied some ideas together to make this. (My 2 year old loves to pet the bird.) I got a dollar store wreath and wrapped it with some fabric I got awhile ago at DI (for 2 bucks for 3 yards!) Then made some rosettes and added a dollar store bird. My 6 year old had the idea to make a nest for the bird. I like her thinking!
This was fun and super duper easy. My kids love it. I use these pictures from these websites and printed them (free) . My color cartridge didn't work for some reason, but still pretty ok! I used a jam jar, pickle jars, soda bottles. Fun all around!
I couldn't resist putting these rolls in. I put the recipe here, but tied them in knots. This time I made small rolls and liked them even better! My family did too, in fact, they ate about 20 in 2 hours. Seriously! Come on, it's the weekend!=)

Friday, October 14, 2011

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

These are meant for Peanut Butter eggs, like the kind you get at Easter. I used a full size Reeses cup instead and it was too big! It didn't stop my dad and I from eating 2. Evil, I know! I think next time, I'll use the smaller cups and give them out to my neighborhood, because they make a ton!! I bet they would freeze well too! I got the recipe at Picky Palate, my most favorite evil recipe website. So many great ideas! If you have never heard of her, go get caught up over there!


2 sticks softened butter

1 Cup packed brown sugar

1 Cup granulated sugar

3 Tablespoons corn syrup

2 large eggs plus 1 egg white

1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract

3 1/2 Cups all purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 Cups chopped Reeses Peanut Butter Eggs, 12 total eggs (find them in the Easter Candy Section, quick!) You can also use regular Reeses Peanut Butter Cups :)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer beat the butter, sugars and corn syrup until well combined….light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla until well combined.

2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with the chopped Reeses Peanut Butter Eggs. Mix only until just combined. Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes until just turning golden around edges. Let cookies cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Eat with tall glass of milk!!

4 dozen cookies

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Thinking Thursday: The Life of a Table

I really enjoyed writing this. It was one of those bursts of writing you just get one day and it's so exciting and you could just go on forever. I thought about the story line all day long and finally got to write it down at night. I am surprised steam wasn't coming out of my hands! I hope you enjoy. I am a work in progress!

What am I really? Just a laminated board with four metal legs. Hanging out in a dusty box stuffed between other dusty boxes awaiting my future. Kmart is hardly the exciting home, but this is where I am for now. I wait. I hear someone, “How much is that one? 99 dollars! It looks fine, dark top, black legs, oh, mission style!” The next thing I know I am being jostled, shoved, pushed, pulled into a car. More squished than I ever was in the store!

I am pulled into an apartment, put together, angrily at times. “The instructions said it would only take an hour. It’s been three! Where are those screws? This picture makes no sense!” At last, I am whole for the first time in my life. I live in a small apartment, I can see everything! I am right by the window, nearly the only window in the place, but I am home!

Meals follow: macaroni and cheese, hamburger helper, top ramen. She is proud of her cooking skills. Not high quality, but oh, those two are happy. And they make me happy. I listen to them tell stories of their day, crying, laughing, living life. I enjoy this space. I am a surface to finish homework on, to read books on, to watch a tiny tv on. It is a bit cold by the door. Sometimes snow gets on me when the door is opened. Sometimes, the wind chills me to the core, but the inside is mostly warm and cozy.

And I enjoy the homes that come, six actually, each one brings new views. Some without windows, some with, some old and some new, some with laminate floors, some with carpet. Friends come over and eat with them. Crafts, first attempts at bread making. The people grow and the people change, but my purpose remains the same.

One afternoon, I am sitting by the front door in the apartment called “cave apartment”. I hear a crying, then a new object is placed on me. A baby carrier. She reaches in, picks up the baby, snuggles her close, whispering, “shh, shh”. I watch the baby grow. She is sweet, red haired and chubby. People come over, “She is the most beautiful baby we have ever seen.” The baby first sits by me in a chair, then sits in a chair attached to me. She bangs, she makes dents in my new surface. She spills milk, she smooshes goo into me. In the coming years, she scribbles on me, paints on me, squishes play do into me. I enjoy it. I am not as shiny and new as I once was, but I am loved. I am needed!

A new place. Older carpet, older kitchen, no window, only a furnace to watch. Another baby carrier. This time a boy. A dark haired boy who cries nonstop, but he grows. He grows until he is sitting in the attached chair and the girls sits in my chair. The girl refuses to eat anything except macaroni and apples and juice. Crying, tantrums, hitting, time out. The boy, on the other hand, eats non-stop. He loves every meal. He loves food period! He makes a mess. They fight, they laugh, they talk. The meals have changed, no more Hamburger Helper. Macaroni only happens at lunch. They have changed to pasta meals, spaghetti sauce, hamburgers, stir fry. Better caliber. I don’t mind the spills as much. Now I have 2 scribblers, painters, play-doers. I have scuff marks, nail polish, paint. Some that come out after scrubbing, some that don’t come out at all. Most of the time, I am grimy. Hard to keep up with 20 sticky fingers.

Third baby, third baby carrier. A new home, my first real home! I have a wonderful view, a window on either side, wood floors beneath me. A chandelier overhead. I even have a picture to look at. It has gotten louder now. It seems the only quiet time is at night. The loudness is part of life now though and I am ok with it. The new dark haired baby loves food even more than the boy did! And boy, is she messy. Messier than either of the other two combined! She goops food in her hair, rubs it into my chairs, on my legs, underneath. I am a mess, a happy mess. The food is homemade: bread, chicken meals, brownies, rice dishes. A long way from ramen and Hamburger Helper.

Sometimes the two order late night Chinese or pizza for a date night at home. The only peace they get during the day. Quietly, not to wake the children. We don’t want to share this tonight! Late night brownies and late night treats. I hear secrets. I hear news. I hear worries and fears and life is full.

The children talk more, “What’s your favorite part of the day?” is the new game. The answers, “pet store”, “coloring”, “school”, “cuddling with you”, “eating this delicious dinner”. The kids say prayers now and they are sweet and funny at times. The older girl eats now! She tries new things. She still loves bread but will try new things without too much persuasion. The boy loves hot dogs, pickles, ketchup. He is a joker. The little girl sits in my chair, independent since she was young and would never sit in the booster. She won’t eat much now except crackers and cheese and mostly she throws those on the floor. Her favorite activity is jumping and climbing on me, laughing the whole time. The older two are happy still, tired and happy and busy. Life is good. I hear news of another baby. “A baby brother!” the little boy hopes.

One day, I hear him say, “We need a new table. We’ve outgrown this one.” She says, “We could still make it work.” But not really. I only have four chairs and someone is sitting in a computer chair, which usually leads to fights over who gets to sit there. “Ok”, she sighs, “I will look on craigslist, but I want to keep this table. We’ve had it for 10 years. I can make something out of it.” He shakes his head with a smile. He hasn’t liked me for awhile. Calls me an eyesore. And maybe I am. The mission style is done. The rustic weathered wood look is in and well, laminate doesn’t weather well.

After six months, I am abruptly moved out back. I have never lived outside but I don’t mind it too much. The fresh air and green grass is good for me. But for days I sit outside, rain or shine, neglected and ignored. Nobody to talk to, nobody to listen to. I can look inside the window and see the new table sitting in my place. Dark wood, knots throughout, six padded chairs. Happy faces.

But one day, the sun shines, the paints come out. They pour it in on me. They wipe it in their hair. They call themselves, “dragons”. The mother is not happy but then she laughs and takes pictures and I am in them. They eat on me when the weather is nice. They talk about how great it is to have a table outside. They do homework on me, this time for elementary school and preschool. They do crafts and have snacks. She paints my black legs white. She has a goal to paint my wood sky blue but the heat and the growing baby keep her inside. “Soon”, she says, “before the baby comes.”

. I think of my former life squished in a box with other tables. Dusty and looked over. Who knows how long I stayed there? And who knows where those other tables went to? But I know where I am and I am grateful. I have had a journey like no other and now my purpose is to relax on the back porch. To watch kids playing, water fights, thunder storms. My life is still this growing family. Seven houses, endless messes, endless conversations and still more to come.



Wednesday, October 12, 2011

The only pasta Sauce my kids like


This is the yummiest sauce ever!!! It's from The Pioneer Woman. I'm not a huge fan of hers, but this sauce is just awesome! You can add anything to it and it just works. It is so creamy! My kids don't realize there are onions in it either. It is so easy and pretty healthy too! My husband likes it because it is "rustic". My kids like it because it isn't "chunky". I cut this recipe in half because we aren't very good at eating second day spaghetti.

I usually have a salad with it. Yes, we eat salad here. Lots of it AND fruits and vegetables too.=) I make a bagged salad from Fresh and Easy called European mix. It has a bunch of different kinds of lettuce in it. I just get sick of iceberg, am I the only one? And I add some cucumber, green onion and tomatoes (for those who want them). And I use the yummiest Kroger (Smith's brand) salad dressing called Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette. That stuff is amazing! I put some marbled cheese on top. Before I was pregnant, I ate this with every lunch and some dinners and it kept me full and happy and helped me lose 10 pounds. yippee!

2 T olive oil

2 T butter

1 med. Onion

4 cloves, garlic minced

Cook together till onions are soft. Add garlic a few minutes before done.

2 15 ounce tomato sauce

Cook and add cream when done.

1 c. cream

Fresh basil

I never have fresh herbs, but I use dried thyme and it is just delicious and a little Italian Seasoning.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Grilled Peanut Butter and Honey

This is certainly not for the faint of heart nor the diet conscience. Every once in awhile, we get the urge for one of these bad boys. They are melty and warm and yummy and crispy. Pure heaven! And you could add bananas or use jelly instead. I use our yummiest honey, Cox's honey. I talked about it here.

This first was born for me when I was in college. I had faster metabolism and was hiking all over campus, not to mention taking an hour long kick but tae bo class, so the calories didn't bother me then! I made it for my husband to-be and he loved it and was a bit critical towards my evil recipe, but now he makes them.=)

Honestly, it's not that bad. It's pretty much a grilled cheese but peanut butter honey style. I love using crunchy peanut butter. So, make your peanut butter honey and grill it. Maybe use Homemade bread if you have it around? Job done. Happy family. Nice comfort food every once in awhile. Happy memories.

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...