Homemade Yogurt Pops!

Every summer Thomas and I make our own popsicles from fresh seasonal fruits and yogurt. All you need is your favorite yogurt flavor, fresh fruit if you would like, something to use for the mold and popsicle sticks. To keep it super simple I like to use the yogurt containers, although you can even buy molds for super cheap at Target or Walmart. Just dice up the fruit into small pieces and blend with yogurt in a blender. You can also use ice cream, sherbert, juice or smoothie mixes and ice chips. Then pour your mixture into the cups, add a popsicle stick, and freeze until solid. Depending on how big they are, it shouldn't take more than 4 hours to freeze. Best part is, these make a guilt free snack that is perfect for a hot summer day! The bonus is they are budget friendly and kids love them too!

Pampered Chef Stoneware!

I'm so excited to cook with this! I got this covered baking dish from Pampered Chef. It can be used in the Microwave and in the Oven. Plus it comes in cranberry red which is my favorite kitchen color! LOVE it!

Link: https://www.pamperedchef.com/ordering/prod_details.tpc?prodId=13833&catId=9&parentCatId=9&outletSubCat=&viewAllOutlet=

Barbecue Season is Here!

Tonight the warm weather finally got to me and I cooked up some great summer barbecue items. We ate a yummy potato salad and oh so good turkey sloppy joes. Both recipes are really great for graduation parties, showers, and grill nights. Enjoy!

Potato Salad

You will need:

A large 10 lb bag of potatoes, I use russet but some like red potatoes just as well
8 eggs

Mayonnaise or light mayonnaise

Dijon mustard

Vinegar

Parsley

Sweet relish

1/2 an onion, very finely chopped

Salt and Pepper

Alternative seasonings--dill, paprika, etc.

Directions:

1. Bring to boil a large pot of water. Add potatoes one by one carefully (unpeeled or cut). Boil for 20-25 minutes. Potatoes should be tender and skin should come off easily. Drain water and let cool.
2. In a smaller pot place eggs in gently. Cover with 1 inch of COLD water. Add a pinch of salt or 1 tsp. of Vinegar. Place on high heat for 15-20 minutes. When eggs are fully hard-boiled switch to a bowl filled with ice water OR alternatively set pot in sink and run very cold water over, draining hot water from pot. Let eggs cool.
3. When potatoes are cooled, peel with a potato peeler. Dice potatoes into pieces of desired size. I like 1 cm x 1 cm cubes. Place into large bowl and set aside.
4. Once eggs are cooled, peel them. To remove shells the easiest hit eggs on bottom of counter or sink peeling bottom first. Rinse under water.
5. Dice up eggs. Add 2 cups of mayonnaise, 1/8 cup of dijon mustard, 2 tsp. vinegar, 2 tsp. parsley and 1 tsp of sweet relish. Stir together.
6. Add mixture to potatoes using a spatula. Add in onions. Mix together. If too thick add 1 tsp of water or vinegar at a time to thin out. If too thin, add more mayonnaise until desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to your preference.
7. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Keep refrigerated when not in use in air tight container for optimum freshness.

Turkey Sloppy Joes (I double this recipe)

You will need:

1 lb ground turkey

1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup bbq sauce

2 tsp mustard

2 tsp vinegar

2 tsp brown sugar
1/4 an onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup red pepper (optional)

Ground Pepper

Directions:

1. Brown ground turkey in skillet. Once meat is no longer pink, season with ground pepper. Put on medium-low heat and saute onions stirring every couple of minutes.
2. Mix all other items in a small saucepan, stirring frequently. Bring to a simmer. Then pour into skillet with meat and onion. Stir well together so all meat is coated in sauce. Cook on low heat for 5 minutes. Let cool.
3. Serve as a sandwich on toasted bun or texas style thick toast. You can also add shredded cheese and lettuce. Great for reheating up and very easy to do in a crockpot on low heat settings.

What's For Dinner Monday!

It was a bit chilly today so we cooked up so comfort foods today. There is nothing like Mexican Goulash and Cornbread so we made big batches of both! It was so yummy!!!

Here are the recipes and some pictures:

MEXICAN GOULASH

Ingredients:

1 chopped up green pepper

1/2 chopped up white/yellow onion

3 Roma Tomatoes, seeds washed out, diced

1 lb ground beef

Mexican seasoning (I use a liberal dash of Emeril's Southwest Seasoning)

Dash of Garlic (if using fresh-1 clove)

1 can (16 oz) petite diced (crushed can also work) tomatoes (do not drain)

1 can (6 oz) tomato paste

1 can corn (drained)

2 cups of elbow macaroni

Directions:

1. Heat up olive oil in skillet. When ready brown beef in LARGE skillet.

2. In a large pot bring water to a boil, add elbow macaroni.

3. Add to skillet pepper, onions, and fresh tomatoes to browned beef. Season. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. Vegetables should be well-sauteed.

4. Reduce to low heat and add remaining ingredients to skillet. Heat up in skillet for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Set aside when done (all items should be well cooked and hot).

5. Drain macaroni in strainer. Return to pot once cooled. Pour skillet mixture into pot and fold items together so noodles and meat and veggie sauce are well-mixed.

6. Serve warm or cold.

SUPER MOIST CORNBREAD

Ingredients:

2 packets of Betty Crocker Corn Meal Mix

1/2 cup of cornmeal or whole wheat flour

2 spoonfuls of sour cream

2 Eggs

1/2 cup of Milk

4 tbsp of butter (melted)

1 can of creamed corn

Colby Jack or Cheddar Cheeses (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 11x11 baking dish with non-stick spray or Crisco.

2. Mix together all ingredients except shredded cheese. Do not over mix, should have dry crumbles.

3. Pour into pan. At this point you can lightly sprinkle over the shredded cheeses if you would like. Bake in oven for 15-20 minute until golden brown.

4. When its done use a knife around the edges of the baking dish to "cut out" bread. Flip immediately over a cutting board (so corn stays evenly distributed and keeps it moist. Remove from pan completely and let cool for at least 15-20 minutes or until cool.

5. Cut and serve.

How to freeze strawberries!

What is more enjoyable in spring than fresh strawberries! We bought LOTS of super cheap strawberries recently at HyVee. And this week they are selling a 4 lb package for $4.68. So here is how you can make those strawberries last for you to use year long:

Step 1: Wash strawberries in cold water and use paper towel to pat dry. I also let mine drain in a strainer over the sink for 5 minutes. Make sure to toss or use any that show any sign of major discoloration or damage--the freshest kind work best. Then use a knife to remove the tops, stems, and leaves.

Step 2: Place berries on a baking sheet, cut side down so that they lay flat. They should be close together but not touching each other. For an easy clean up place nonstick wax paper on the baking sheet.

Step 3: Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for 2 hours or until well chilled, then transfer sheets to the freezer for 6 hours or overnight.

Step 4: After they have been frozen you can remove the berries from the baking pan and place them into a freezer proof ziploc bag or airtight freezer container.

Step 5: Mark container with the date you froze or bought them.

TIP: Strawberries last up to 1 year after freezing if done immediately, but I recommend no longer than 6 months. They are really great for smoothies among other things!

EASY 1 Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Dinner

We made this yummy chicken and rice combo tonight. It was delicious and super easy to do.

Ingredients:
1 Family Size pkg of Chicken Drumsticks (2-3 lbs)
1 can of Swanson chicken soup stock (I used garlic flavored)
2 pkgs of Uncle Bens 6 oz. boxes of wild rice (any flavors work)
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
Assorted Seasonings (salt, pepper, paprika, emeril's original essence, etc)

What I did was combine all of these ingredients in a covered baking pot for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

I placed everything but the chicken in and stirred it up well with a spoon. Then I laid the chicken in and seasoned it how I like it but you can also use your own favorites. I then used the same spoon to pour some of the sauce over the chicken a couple times. I checked on it every 20 minutes to stir the rice and flip the chicken. I baked it for just over an hour but if you use closer to 2 lbs instead of the 3 we used it will be done right at 1 hour.

Hope you enjoy!

Yummy Taco Foldovers!

I needed to use up some ground beef from the freezer and didn't have a lot on hand. So I decided to make taco meat and use it to make taco foldovers. I used crescent rolls (you could also use your own homemade dough), shredded cheeses, and the seasoned taco beef to make them. I also set out sour cream, queso dip, and salsa for dipping with the foldovers and some tortilla chips. To make the queso dip I used up the remaining meat, added some velveeta cheese, spices and some salsa and green chilies and then microwaved them for 2 minutes. Together everything was delicious! My 3 year old ate over 1/2 of the foldovers and my husband wants me to make them again sometime instead of our regular tacos that we normally have once a week. Next time I am going to sneak in some green and red peppers and try it with fajita seasoning and chicken!

'Not-so-guilt-free' Mashed Potatoes

The best thing about fall is all the wonderful, hot and fresh comfort foods on the table at dinner. A family favorite for us is potatoes. Mashed, baked, grilled, sauteed or even in a salad--we eat probably way too many of these. Tonight, just because we all were craving something special, I whipped up some mashed potatoes. Here is the recipe, its very easy to adjust to whatever dinner you are having. Just try not to overdo it since it is soooo rich and creamy.

Ingredients
About 2 lbs of potatoes--peeled and cut into quarter sized pieces
1 pkg. of cream cheese
3-4 large spoonfuls of butter
2 large spoonfuls of sour cream
Salt, pepper, parsley, garlic and other spices to taste

Directions
In a large pot cover potatoes with cool water. Bring to boil and cook potatoes until fork tender. Drain potatoes and place back in pot. Mash potatoes with a fork or potato masher. Then add cream cheese, butter, and sour cream. Mix together until smooth. Add seasonings. You may also add fresh cheese, herbs, and garlic.
Tip: Make in bulk and store leftovers in casserole dish. Then for next night's dinner you can cover the mashed potatoes with cheese and bacon crumbles. Bake in oven until cheese is fully melted. Serve as loaded cheesey mashed potatoes. Voila~a new side dish!
--The Unique Mom

Fun and Simple Treats

Every once in a while our family ends up with 4-5 boxes of cereal that no one is interested in eating anymore. Cheerios, Rice Krispies, Chex, Golden Grahms...you name it. So to cut down on all those gigantic boxes of cereal, I make treats with them. Here are two of our favorite quick and easy treats that use things we already have around the house and help us clean out our pantry faster. They are great year round because a couple of changes make them fun seasonal treats for our family to munch on during our favorite holidays.

Monster Trail Mix
Ingredients: Assorted Cereals, Marshmallows; Chocolate Chips; Raisins, dried fruits; M & Ms, small candies

Directions: In a zip lock gallon sized bag, pour in all ingredients. Have kids shake bags to mix everything. Makes great on the go snacks for kids, just pour a little into a small plastic bag or plastic container and take with you.

Seasonal Tip: For a seasonal treat, use colored candies like red/green m&ms for Christmas, or candy corn for fall. Also, if you use marshmallows, pick ones that come in fun holiday shapes like trees for Christmas and ghosts for Halloween.

Cereal Bars
Ingredients: Assorted Cereals (Rice Krispies, Chex, etc), 3 Tbsp. of butter, 1 bag marshmallows or 6 cups of mini-marshmallows, and for optional add-ins: chocolate chips, raisins, dried fruit, m&ms, small candies, chocolate pieces

Directions: Melt butter in a large saucepan on low heat. After butter is melted pour in marshmallows. Stir mixture often. When all marshmallows are melted, you may add chocolate pieces and melt those into mixture if you want it to be extra chocolate-y. Pour in cereal(s) and turn off heat. Stir mixture so all cereal is coated. At end you may also add in candies and other optional items. Then quickly remove to a well greased cooking pan or casserole pan and spread evenly. You may pour additional candies or toppings on top of mix. Let sit until completely cool all the way through (approximately 1-2 hours).

Seasonal Tip: Melt chocolate pieces into marshmallow mixture before adding cereals. This will make bars "black." Then add orange candies or candy corn at the end to make a special Halloween snack. Or around Thanksgiving make as directed but instead of adding in candies, add dried cranberries and your favorite type of nuts. This works best with Cheerios as the cereal. Be creative and make something different every time.

--The Unique Mom

Mmmmm Smoothies!

It's Friday and I am wanting a cool non-alcholic drink and a smoothie sounds perfect! I have a couple of favorites, but this one is based on the original Orange Julius. My husbands makes it all the time for me. I LOVE it. When I am feeling different I just play around with it and make up my own smoothie. Sometimes I will just opt for fresh fruit instead of sugar and othertimes I will mix myself up something completely different. The great thing about smoothies is they taste great no matter what.

Ingredients
6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate

1 cup milk

1 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

8-9 ice cubes

Directions
1. Combine all ingredients except ice cubes in blender.

2. Blend for about 1-2 minutes, adding ice cubes one at a time.

--The Unique Mom

"Kids" Chocolate Chip Cookies

This special recipe my son loves to eat up. Its extra chocolatey and super fun to make. You just take a basic chocolate chip cookie recipe and make a couple yummy changes. But try not to eat the whole plate right up!

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour


• 1 tsp. baking soda


• 1 tsp. salt


• 1/4 cup cocoa


• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened


• 3/4 cup granulated sugar


• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar


• 1 tsp. vanilla extract


• 2 large eggs


• Several varieties of chocolate chips (semi-sweet, milk chocolate, white chocolate, dark chocolate, chocolate chunks, etc.)


• Chopped nuts or small marshmallows (optional)


• 2 tsp. Hersey's chocolate syrup

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. **Note: For best results chill dough before baking for 1/2 hour.**


2. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add chocolate syrup. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips, marshmallows and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets, or use an icecream scooper for perfect shape and easy scooping.


3. Bake 8-10 minutes or until done in center. Cookies will be a medium brown. Cool on baking sheets and remove to wire racks to finish cooling. Serve warm with glass of cold milk. Yum!

--The Unique Mom

Retro in the Kitchen

I love to cook but I never find really cute aprons and find myself always spilling something on me while cooking. These however are so orginal I want one so bad! Stitch Thru Time offers a huge selection of old-fashioned aprons for moms and daughters. I really love the holidays ones but this red kitchen cherries one is very cool! I might have to get this one!

http://www.stitchthrutime.com/

--The Unique Mom

Mmm! Monkey Bread!

A long time ago I came across this recipe. It is so sweet and delicious no one wants to miss out on it. It's the perfect way to start your Saturday or Sunday morning!

Ingredients:
4 cans refrigerated biscuits (Use the mini biscuits, not Grands or the flaky biscuits. I buy a 4-pack of mini biscuits.)

2 sticks butter

3/4 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons cinnamon

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a bundt cake pan.
2. Shake up cinnamon and white sugar in a freezer size plastic bag. Cut the biscuits into quarters. Break apart pieces and put in bag. Shake up to mix and coat all pieces.

3. Place coated pieces in the bottom of the greased pan. Layer them until full. Sprinkle extra cinnamon/sugar mix over pan.

4. Melt the butter on the stove with the brown sugar over low-medium heat. Let cook and bring to boil for 1 minute but don't overcook.
5. Pour mixture into the pan coating all pieces. Bake for 35 minutes. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a plate. Pull apart and enjoy!

--The Unique Mom

Mama Mia!!! Easy Pepperoni Rolls!

I make these for my son ALL the time. We call them "baby pizzas" and he eats them right up.

What you need is:
--A can of Pillsbury crescent roll-ups (not the crescents, but the mini rolls)
--A can of pizza sauce or your own (a quick tip for picky eater is to puree veggies into the pizza sauce)
--Mozzerella shredded cheese
--Diced Pepperoni (regular is fine, you will just have to cut them into halves)
--Assortment of any other veggies or toppings you like
--Cookie Sheet & non-stick spray
--Cutting board or clean lightly floured surface
--Seasoning if you prefer, I use garlic and italian seasoning

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to about 350 degrees F. Spray non-stick cookie sheet and set aside.
2) Open rolls over cutting board or clean lightly floured surface. Separate rolls and peel out so they lay like flat sticks of dough. Line them all up together so that they lay next to each other on surface
3) Spread sauce over dough. Sprinkle seasoning and toppings on top at this time. Don't put too many toppings on.
4) Next add cheese so that it light coats strips. You should be able to still see the red sauce through the cheese.
5) Now individually roll up the rolls from one end to the next, like a spiral. Place onto baking sheet with the spiral side visable from a birds-eye view. Finish the rest. Evenly space on sheet.
6) Pop in oven and cook for about 8-10 minute or until golden brown and done in the center of the dough. Let cool and enjoy with fresh fruit!

--The Unique Mom