Fresh Salsa

Today I was looking for some thing light and fresh to make, since the temperature was pushing the mid 90s. I did not really want to bake or cook a large meal, so I saw the tomatoes my Mother-in-law gave me the other day (since she had so many and did not want them to go bad) and my first thought was salsa! I did not have all the ingredients that I would normally want when making salsa, but I thought I would improvise and make my own version of salsa with what I had on hand. I am pretty pleased with the result and I hope you will be to, give it a try.

Ingredients

- 1 large tomato, diced (no need to remove the pulp of the tomato, it will make a nice juice for the salsa)

- 1 red bell pepper, diced (This is what I had, you can use green, jalapenos, or chiles if you prefer)

- 1/4 of a onion, finely diced (I used a sweet onion, red onions work well too)

- 1 tsp of minced garlic

- 1 can of whole kernel corn (drain only half of the liquid from the can)

- 1/3 cup of Verde sauce (it is sold in the aisle with salsas at the grocery store)

- sprinkle of salt and pepper, to taste

1) Dice your tomato, pepper, and onion and place in a large bowl. Then add the corn, minced garlic, salt and pepper, and the Verde sauce.

2) Mix every thing together and chill it in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.

When I tasted the salsa after making it I have to admit I ate a couple of spoonfuls, it was so fresh and delicious that I just had to. Next time I make this salsa I will most likely add some jalapenos to add a kick and some cilantro and lime. Tonight we are going to be enjoying this salsa over a filet of Tilapia, they go great together (if you haven't tried fresh salsa over fish, I would definitely recommend it).

Enjoy!!

Crockpot Bread Pudding

After this past weekend of Bar-B-Ques and get togethers to celebrate the fathers in our lives there were some left over hamburger buns (a lot of them) and I had no idea what we were going to do with all of them.  So, today I was searching Pinterest for an idea of what to do with them; I decided I was going to make a bread pudding. Most bread puddings call for day old French bread or cinnamon rolls/bread, but I decide to try these hamburger buns and see how it turns out. I was pleasantly surprised, this is a very tasty recipe and it is no fuss because it is made in the crockpot. Give this one a try.

Ingredients

- 8 cups of cubed bread (I used 8 hamburger buns, which totaled 8 cups)

- 4 eggs (I used large eggs)

- 2 cups of milk (I used skim milk)

- 1/4 cup of sugar

- 1/4 cup of butter, melted (I used salted butter. FYI 1/4 cup is 1/2 of a stick)

- 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract

- 2 tbsp of cinnamon

1) Cube the hamburger buns and set them aside in a large bowl or large measuring cup. In a separate large bowl combine eggs (I beat mine before add the rest of the ingredients), milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and melted butter, then beat until smooth. Note: make sure the melted butter is not hot when you add it to your mixture, it will set your eggs.

2) Pour your cubed bread into the bottom of the crockpot and then pour your wet mixture on top. Gently mix to combine, then place the lid on the crockpot.

3) Cook on low for 2-3 hours. (I cooked mine for almost 3 hours). Divide and serve.

Before serving mine I sprinkled it with cinnamon and powdered sugar. My daughter loves this recipe and it looks like we will be making it a lot more at this house. Two other ingredients that are optional, both of which I did not use, are 1/4 tsp of nutmeg and 1 cup of raisins (both are added to the wet mixture before pouring over the bread). I found this recipe on Lynnskitchenadventures.com through Pinterest.

Enjoy!!

Chocolate Protein Balls

I have been searching on Pinterest for different recipes to make using the chocolate protein powder I have. I love using it for the normal shake that it is designed for, but I am super excited about this recipe for protein bars or balls (which ever you prefer to make). (I found the recipe on Make 1 Kaday Blog on Pinterest.) They have the right amount of sweetness when I am craving a sweet snack and they also help to give me the energy I need to keep up with my little ones, not to mention they are on the healthier side. Give them a try.

Ingredients

- 4 Scoops of chocolate protein powder

- 2 cups of rolled oats

- 1 cup of almond milk (I didn't have almond milk so I used skim milk)

- 1/2 of a nut butter (I used peanut butter)

1) Add all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix together.

2) Continue to mix until all the ingredients are well combined.

3) Once the ingredients are combined, make sure your hands are washed and start rolling small balls out of your mixture and placing them on a wax paper lined baking sheet. 

4) Lastly, place the protein balls in the refrigerator until you are ready to eat them.

You can also make these into protein bars by pressing all of the mixture into a baking sheet and chilling, then cutting into bars. Another thing that you can do to add more variety is to use some add ins, such as: chocolate chips, chia seeds, flax, craisins, or coconut flakes.

Enjoy!!

Frozen Yogurt Popsicle with Fruit

I know my kids get super excited when I let them have a popsicle, which is probably not as often as they would like; so, I decided to make some popsicles that aren't filled with excess dyes and sugars. They loved them and so did I, not only for the taste, but for the possibilities of varieties that can be made. Give them a try.

Ingredients

- 1 1/2 cups of yogurt (I used low fat vanilla yogurt)

- 1 1/2 cups of a frozen fruit (I used a blend of raspberries, blueberries, and black berries)

1) Add your fruit and yogurt to a food processor or blender.

2) Blend on low until smooth. There may be some small chunks of fruit, it doesn't need to be completely smooth (I know we prefer small bits of fruit in our popsicles). This is the time that if you would like you could add some sugar and blend; we decided not to add sugar, I didn't think it needed it.

3) Fill your popsicle mold and place the sticks in and place in the freezer for 2-3 hours or until frozen.

4) Once frozen, remove a popsicle from the mold and enjoy. 

One note I do want to make, do not run the mold under hot water to remove the popsicle, for the fact that frozen yogurt popsicles tend to melt a lot fast when you run the mold under hot water. You can use what ever fruit or even vegetable blend you prefer. With this method you can change up what kind of popsicle you have all summer and you can be more confident about what you are feeding your kids.

Enjoy!!

Homemade Chex Mix

I have been eyeing up the recipe on my Chex cereal box for a week or so now for what they call "Ultimate Snack Mix", which  is basically a homemade version of Chex Mix. Well, I am definitely a lover of Chex Mix and any thing that I can do homemade is a plus in my book. I love knowing what is actually going into my snacks and even being able to adjust or adapt a recipe to my liking. This recipe is definitely a fun one to do with kids and a perfect snack to bring along in the diaper bag.  Give it a try, it is rather simple to make.

Ingredients

- 1/4 cup of butter (I used salted butter, but you can use unsalted or even margarine if you prefer)

- 4 tsp of Worcestershire sauce

- 1 tsp of salt

- 1 tsp of garlic powder

-1/2 tsp of onion powder

- 1/4 tsp of sugar

- 7 cups of Chex cereal (you can use rice, corn, or wheat version or a mix of all of them)

- 1 cup of pretzels

- 1 cup of oyster crackers (you can also use cheese crackers, sesame sticks, or bagel chips)

Optional

- 1 cup of peanuts or cashews (I opted out this time)

1) Melt the butter in a large microwave safe bowl. Then add the Worcestershire sauce, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and sugar and mix. 

2) While the butter is melting measure out your cereal, pretzels, crackers, and your nuts (if using nuts) in a large bowl and blend together, then set aside.

3) After your butter and seasoning mixture is stirred slowly add your cereal mixture. Stir to coat evenly.

4) Place your bowl of coated ingredients in the microwave for 5 to 6 minutes on high, making sure to stir thoroughly ever 2 minutes, scrapping the sides and bottom of the bowl. After heating your mixture spread evenly on a paper towel lined baking sheet and allow to cool.

After your mixture has cooled it is finished and you can dig in; store the remaining in an air tight container.

If you prefer not to use the microwave to heat your mix, you can preheat your oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit, prep your mixture the same way, then spread it on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, stirring ever 15 minutes.

You can adjust this recipe to your liking for your add ins and even your seasonings if you prefer; I do enjoy this recipe as is and so do my kiddos. I hope you get a chance to try this simple recipe.

Enjoy!!

Rice Krispy Treats With A Twist

About 5 years ago I started making all my rice krispy treats with Cheerios instead of rice krispies. I love the way they taste and the texture, it is a nice change from the normally rice krispy treat that everyone knows and loves (including me). Truth be told the possibilities are endless of what you can add to the melted marshmallows to make nice treats. I do urge you to try it with Cheerios though. I have done it with plain Cheerios mainly, but this time I switched it up and did a mix of chocolate Cheerios and peanut butter Cheerios... AMAZING is all I have to say about them. So here they are:

Ingredients

- 3 tablespoons of butter (I used salted. Note: diet butters or tub margarines are not recommended)

- 1 10 oz package of marshmallows

- 6 cups of Cheerios (I used 3 cups each of chocolate and peanut butter Cheerios)

1) Melt the butter on low heat in a large saucepan. Then add the marshmallows.

2) Stir the marshmallow and butter mixture until the marshmallows have completely melted. (Note: while the marshmallows were melting I quickly measured 3 cups each of the Cheerios and blended them together in a large bowl)

3) Once the marshmallows are completely melted add the Cheerios and stir until evenly coated.

4) Lastly, transfer your coated Cheerios to a greased glass casserole dish and spread evenly. Note: use a greased spatula or spoon to spread your mixture, if not your Cheerios will stick to your spatula or spoon.

All that is left after those steps to allow to cool, cut, and devour them. Quick sidenote: they are amazing warm too; allow them to cool slightly, so your don't burn your tongue on the hot marshmallow, and then cut a piece and enjoy. I would definitely recommend trying this recipe, it is simple and super tasty.

Enjoy!!!

Homemade Uncrustables

First off, I know it has been forever since I have posted. This year has not been what I expected, after I started to recover from my broken arm, I ruptured my tendon, needing surgery. Well, I have now been in a splint for 11 weeks and am just dying to get back into cooking and blogging; so, I have decided to get back into it slowly with this simple post.

For those of you who have kids you probably know what uncrustables are and how expensive they can be for what they are. Seriously, they are a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, without crust, and can be frozen. Super simple and so convenient, but I refuse to pay $14 for a box of 18 at Costco, when making them at home only cost me $1.75 for 10! These will be our go to for trips to the beach, park, and zoo this summer; just make and freeze them ahead of time, throw them in a cooler or bag, and they will be ready to enjoy by lunch. Give these a try, the kids will love them.

Ingredients

- 1 loaf of your favorite bread

- peanut butter

- jelly, jam, or preserves of your choice (we went with strawberry preserves)

1) Using a large round cookie cutter or a glass and knife (like I did), remove the crusts off of all the slices of bread.

2) Lay each slice of bread on cookie sheet and spread a thin layer of peanut butter on each slice, making sure to stay at least a 1/4 inch from the edges, it will make it easier to crimp the edges.

3) Place a small spoonful of jelly or preserves (about 1 to 1 1/2 tsp) in the middle of half of your slices of bread. Make sure not to over fill with jelly, and there is no need to spread it out.

4) Lastly, place the slices of bread without jelly on them on top of the slices with jelly (peanut butter side down obviously ;) ). Then if you have a sandwich crimper you can use that or you can use a fork to crimp the edges, which is what I did. Then place the cookie sheet in the freezer or enjoy now.

After mine were frozen I wrapped each individually and placed them back in the freezer for when we are ready for them. When I know we are doing PB & J for lunch, I just take some out of the freezer when we wake up and place them in the refrigerator. And when we are heading to the park I throw a few in a little cooler bag in the diaper bag, they make a great snack for when the kids need some energy from playing so hard. Give them a try.

Enjoy!!