Philly Cheesesteak Taquitos

 I always need an easy, on-the-go dinner. With kids in sports it's a must!

This is the perfect dinner for spring-time baseball games and the kids LOVE them! They're basically mess free for the car too:) 

Ingredients:

Olive oil

12-16oz roast beef deli meat, chopped small

2t Worcestershire sauce 

1 green pepper, finely chopped (or whatever color pepper you have on hand)

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 8oz package cream cheese, softened

10-12oz provolone cheese (I usually buy the deli slices)

10 flour tortillas

Directions:

In a large skillet over medium-high heat add the oil, beef and onion. Cook until tender. Add the Worcestershire sauce and pepper if desired. Cook and stir for 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or silpat liners) and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the beef mixture and cream cheese until thoroughly combined.

Spoon 2-3 tbsp. of the beef mixture onto each tortilla. Tear up provolone cheese and put a layer on top of the beef mixture. Roll the tortilla around the filling as tight as you can. Place seam-side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling. Make sure the taquitos are not touching.

Spray the tops of the taquitos lightly with cooking spray or brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake 15-20 minutes or until the taquitos are crisp and golden brown. Enjoy!!

*Adapted from Love Bakes Good Cakes

Oreo Pops

I LOVE Valentines Day! It’s one of my favorite holidays. I might go a little over the top, but I love it so much. This year Bryce picked Oreo Pops for his Valentine to give to his friends at school. I was just giddy because I love making things so cute.

I usually make a bunch so that we can give them to teachers and neighbors too. They’re just so dang cute!

Here’s how we attached a Valentine to the pop. It was so fun doing these with the kids and the end result is so adorable!

These are perfect for parties, showers or just because.Kids die over them, so it makes it all worth it. FYI, you can get all of these ingredients at Walmart, mostly in the cake decorating isle.

1 package Double Stuffed Oreos (I always use the chocolate cream ones)

Chocolate Melts, any color of your choice ( I usually use Wilton, they look like this)

Clear Mini Treat Bags, they look like this.

Lollipop sticks

Ribbon

Sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place Oreos in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Place in oven for about 1-2 minutes, no longer. You’re trying to melt the cream a little so it’s easier to insert the lollipop stick without breaking the cookie. Remove cookies from the oven and while warm, insert lollipop sticks. Allow to harden again. 

In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate melts in 20 second increments. Using a spoon, cover the Oreos with the chocolate and let the excess drizzle off. Place on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sprinkles right away before the chocolate hardens.

Once all of the cookies are covered in chocolate and hardened, place them in the treat bags and tie with a ribbon. Then enjoy the delicious, adorable treat!

Cupcakes in a Jar

These are just so cute and practical. They’re also perfect for class parties and birthday parties since it’s a delicious, messy cupcake in a neat and tidy jar. 

I thought of this because it was my friends birthday and all he asked for was a batch of my cupcakes. I contemplated how I could do this since he lives back in Henderson and I’d have to ship them. That’s where I thought of putting them in a jar. They shipped GREAT and were still fresh 2 days later when they got them. I might also add that they put them in the freezer and ate them for several months. 

So whether you’re doing a party, saving a treat for later, or just want to be dang cute, make these cupcakes in a jar!!

What you Need:

1 recipe of your favorite cupcakes, mine is here

1 recipe of your favorite frosting, mine is here

Toppings of your choice, mine is Dulce de Leche

Kerr Half Pint Wide Mouth Jars, 12 count. They look like this. You can usually find them in grocery stores in the canning section. I’ve never been able to find them in Walmart or Target, so you’re better off looking in a regular grocery store. You need to make sure they are this kind or something similar to it. Make sure they have straight sides and are 1/2 pint. They are the perfect size.


Directions:

Clean out jars with hot soapy water and let dry. Mix up your cake mix. Spray jars with nonstick baking spray (I use this.) Fill jars about half full. You don’t want them topping the jar because you need room for your fillings in the jar. These were a little too full. I had to cut a little out to make all the ingredients fit.

Baking time will vary, but bake them at 350 degrees and after about 15 minutes, keep a close eye on them. Once they spring back when touched, remove them from the oven to cool for about 5-10 mintues.

Then pop them out of the jars to cool completely. They should release very easily if you’ve used the spray. You might need to run a knife around the edges to help them out. Once they’ve completely cooled, cut them in half.

Then layer them with the frosting and toppings. Start with the bottom part of the cake, pipe in frosting, layer whatever toppings you like, then put the top of the cake on and repeat the layering one more time.

It should look like this when you’re done:

Then you pop the lid on and voilà!! You have a cupcake in a jar!! It’s most cute when you cut out craft paper for the lid and decorate it with some ribbon around the lid. It’s even cuter when you attach a plastic spoon to the lid with the ribbon. PERFECT party gift!!

Zucchini Carrot Muffins

I make these about once a week. My kids love them so much and they’re packed full of nutritious things so I don’t mind. They even ask for these for dessert after dinner. I love win-win’s when it comes to kids and food. I like to bake them in a mini muffin tin, but they definitely can be made into regular sized muffins. They’re just so cute mini:)

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup old fashioned oats (I’ve used quick oats before and it works)

1/2 cup flax seed meal

1/4 plus 2T brown sugar

1 t cinnamon

1/2 t ground ginger

1/2 t nutmeg

1/2 t cloves

1/2 t salt

1 t baking soda

1 t baking powder

1/2 c mini chocolate chips (optional)

1 c zucchini, grated with skin on

1/2 c carrots, grated

2 eggs

6 oz plain Greek yogurt (sour cream can be substituted)

2 T oil

1/2 cup applesauce

1 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray muffin tin with nonstick spray or line with paper cups. I usually use paper cups when making regular sized muffins and don’t with the mini’s.

In a large bowl, use a whisk to combine all of the dry ingredients with excluding the chocolate chips.

In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the wet ingredients including zucchini and carrots. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and combine well. Fold in chocolate chips.

Using a tablespoon for the min muffin tins or a 1/4 cup for the regular sized muffins, fill each muffin cup. I usually fill 2 mini muffin tins or 1 regular muffin tin. Bake for 6-7 minutes for the mini muffins or 16-18 minutes for regular muffins or until toothpick comes out clean or cupcake springs back when touched. 

Wait 2-3 minutes before removing if not using paper cups. Let cool or eat straight out of the oven;)

*From The Lemon Bowl

Valentines Day Pancakes

I wanted to make a special Valentines Breakfast for my family. So I went on the hunt for an EASY recipe. I knew I wanted Red Velvet, but didn’t want to make a whole “from scratch” thing. This was the perfect recipe!

They are made using a box Red Velvet cake. They were SO fluffy, moist and delicious! I was going to top them with a regular cream cheese drizzle, but decided to amp it up with a Nutella. SO DELICIOUS!! And the perfect Valentines treat for the family! Next time you want to show your family that you really love them…make these:)

Red Velvet Pancakes:

1 1/4 cups flour
2 cups red velvet cake mix
1 T sugar
3/4 t baking powder
pinch of salt
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1-2 cups milk (I used closer to 2)

Whisk together all ingredients except for 1 cup milk.
Add remaining milk 1/4 cup at a time until you’ve reached your desired “pancake consistency” (thinner batter for thinner pancakes, thicker batter for thicker pancakes.)
Pour pancake batter 1/4 cup at a time onto a preheated (about 300º) and buttered griddle or skillet.
When bubbles form on top, flip and cook for another minute or two on the other side.

*Pancakes from somethingswanky.com


Nutella Cream Cheese Drizzle:

1 t vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
4 T Nutella
4 T cream cheese
milk as needed

Put cream cheese and Nutella in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for about 20 seconds to soften. Once you can stir with a spoon (it will be thick), add powdered sugar and vanilla. Add milk little by little while whisking until you’ve reached your desired consistency. Drizzle over pancakes. You don’t need a lot. Now ENJOY your special day!!!

* Drizzle from anyonita-nibbles.co.uk

Ham and Cheese Pinwheels

These are an easy, fun dinner. I also love that I can make them for dinner and then put them in Bryce’s lunch for school. I’m contemplating making them and freezing them individually for lunches. I love having different options for school lunches. They were a hit and I will definitely be making them again.

1 1/2 C warm water
2 T sugar
1 T yeast
1/2 t salt
4-4 1/2 C flour
1 pound deli ham, sliced thin
2 C cheddar cheese, shredded


Pour 1 1/2 C warm water into your stand mixer and preheat your oven to 170 degrees. Add sugar and yeast. Turn the mixer on low for about 30 seconds allowing the ingredients to combine. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes, or until it gets all bubbly .Add salt and flour. Turn the mixer on to low and let the flour mix in. Add the rest of the flour (2 1/2 cups worth) one cup at a time. When the dough pulls itself away from the side of the bowl, you have enough flour.


Turn the mixer to medium speed and allow it to knead for 5 minutes.


Spray your counter with cooking spray, divide the dough into two equal parts and allow them to rest on the counter for 10 minutes. Don’t skip this step. If you don’t let the dough rest it won’t roll out nicely. After the dough has rested roll it out into a large rectangle. Cover it with half of the ham and sprinkle it with 1 cup of cheddar cheese.


Roll the dough up starting at the longer end.Spray a large knife with cooking spray and slice the roll into 12 rounds. Place each pinwheel into a greased 9x13 pan barely touching. Repeat steps above with the other half of the dough. If you run out of space, you might have to use an additional 8x8 pan.

Place pans into your warm 170 degree oven for about 15 minutes, or until they start to rise just a bit. You don’t want them to get super puffy, you just want the dough to have the chance to expand a little.
Turn the oven up to 350 degrees (don’t take the pans out of the oven) and let the pinwheels bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown along the top and bottom.


Take the pans out of the oven and let the pinwheels rest for about 5 minutes. Enjoy!!


*From jamiecooksitup.net

Kids Granola Bar Bites

I think I’ve found a gem here. These are SO good and the kids are crazy for them! I made a batch on Monday, just to try them out, and they were gone by Thursday. Bryce asked for them in his lunch EVERY day and they even asked for them for dessert after dinner! I think I tricked them with the Mini M&Ms. I don’t care, all I know is that they love them, I love them and they’re a healthy snack. Win, win, win!

2 cups rice crispy cereal

2 cups quick oats

1/2 cup chopped almonds (or nut of your choice)

4 T ground flax seed

3 T chia seeds

3 T wheat bran

1 T olive oil (or coconut oil if you have it)

1 t vanilla

1/2 cup honey

1 cup mini marshmallows

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup Mini M&M’s

In a large saute pan, toast the oats and nuts until fragrant. Then combine them in a large mixing bowl with the rice cereal, flax seed, chia seeds, and wheat bran. Add oil and vanilla and stir until well distributed. 

In a microwave safe bowl, heat the honey for 1 minute 30 seconds. It will be bubbly and hot when it’s done. Remove the hot honey mixture and stir in marshmallows until they melt. If they don’t melt all the way, put them back in for an additional 10-15 seconds. Stir peanut butter into honey/marshmallow mixture until completely combined and smooth. Pour over dry mix and stir until everything is coated evenly. 

Let rest about 5 minutes to cool down and then sprinkle in M&Ms. Gently stir to distribute them.

Using 2 sandwich bags with your hands in them, take small handfuls of the mixture and shape them into balls and them place them on a lined cookie sheet. By the end, the M&Ms might be kind of smash from being warm, but it doesn't matter because they're still good...just smash away! 

Refrigerate or freeze until set. After they’re set, you can put them in a large Ziploc bag or airtight container, but store them in the fridge. Then enjoy the goodness!

*Adapted from reallifedinner.com

Rainbow Cupcakes

These were really fun and the kids LOVED them! I made them for a dinner with a rainbow theme and it really brought it all together.

They’re not hard at all and actually didn’t take that long either. You just separate out a white cake mix into 6 different bowls and color them with the colors of the rainbow. That’s it! Then I topped them off with my whipped cream cheese frosting and rainbow sprinkles.

1 box white cake mix (and all the ingredients listed on the box)

Make the cake according to box directions. Separate into 6 different bowls and mix in  red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple food coloring gels into the different bowls. Spoon about 1T of each color into each cupcake liner, trying to layer the colors. I ended up using 1/2 the batter in full sized cupcakes and half in mini cupcakes. Mini cupcakes are always so fun, especially for parties! Then top with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows.)  I topped the regular cupcakes with rainbow sprinkles and the mini ones with one Skittle. 

Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting:

16oz (2 blocks) cream cheese, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1 t vanilla

1 cup cold heavy whipping cream

2T powdered sugar

Cream together cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla. Whip until very light and fluffy with your whisk attachment. In a separate bowl, whip the whipping cream and 2T powdered sugar  until stiff peaks are formed. Fold into the cream cheese mixture. DO NOT OVERBEAT. When incorporated, pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

Enjoy the colors of the rainbow!!

Layered Jello

Lately my kids have been OBSESSED with Jello. They are all about it. So I thought it would be fun to make a pretty, layered Jello for them for Easter. I’m not going to lie, this takes some time people. But look how cute it is!! And it tastes amazing. Now my kids call it sandwich Jello because you can pick it up and eat it like a sandwich, which happens to be the perfect thing for kids!

And just imagine the possibilities! 4th of July, birthdays, parties. Oh, and it’s sure to impress. Our guests loved it and we all sat and enjoyed  eating all the different layers one at a time. So if you feel the urge to make a beautiful Jello, and you have 2 hours of your life to spare (ha) make this awesome Jello!!

4 3-ounce packages of Jell-O
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
4 packets unflavored gelatin
Water as directed

Spray a 9×13 pan with non-stick cooking spray and wipe out the excess with a paper towel. Set the pan aside.

Mix 1 package of Jell-O with 1 1/4 teaspoons (1/2 packet) of unflavored gelatin. Add 1 cup boiling water and stir to combine completely. Pour the first layer into the prepared pan and refrigerate in a completely level shelf of the fridge for 20 minutes.

While the first layer is setting, mix 1 cup boiling water with the can of sweetened condensed milk in a smallish-medium mixing bowl. Set aside.

In a small bowl, sprinkle 2 packets of gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water. Allow it to stand for 2-3 minutes or until the gelatin has absorbed the water and it becomes grainy. When it is ready, add 1/2 cup boiling water and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Add the dissolved gelatin mixture to the sweetened condensed milk mixture and stir completely. Allow to come to room temperature.
When the first layer of Jell-O has set, carefully pour 1 cup of the sweetened condensed milk mixture over the Jell-O layer and return the pan to the refrigerator. Chill for 15 minutes or until set.

After you return the pan to the refrigerator, repeat the Jell-O step (1 package Jell-O + 1 1/4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin + 1 cup boiling water). If you do it immediately after you put the pan back in the fridge, it should be room temperature by the time the sweetened condensed milk layer has set up. Pour it over the milk layer, chill, repeat with milk, then Jell-O, then milk, then Jell-O. You should begin and end with Jell-O layers and have 4 layers of Jell-O with 3 layers of milk in between. As you go, if the milk begins to set up, place the bowl in a larger bowl or a shallow pan and add some hot water to the larger pan/bowl to keep the milk mixture from setting up.

When the last layer has set up, carefully cut into cubes or use a cookie cutter to cut into shapes. If you run the cookie cutter or knife under hot water for a few seconds and then dry it, it will help make pretty final cuts/shapes.

*From Our Best Bites

Birthday Pancakes

I was going with a sprinkles theme with Camryn’s birthday, so I thought Funfetti pancakes would be a great way to start the birthday celebration! I’m convinced that it’s a new tradition for our family. The kids ate them up and kept asking for more. Probably because it’s basically cake in pancake form:)And what kid doesn’t love sprinkles?! You’re kids will surely feel special if you present a tall stack of these pancakes to them on their big day.

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup yellow cake mix

1 T sugar

1t baking powder

1/2t baking soda

1/4t salt

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups buttermilk (regular milk can be substituted)

1/2 cup milk

2T butter, melted

1t vanilla

1/3 cup (or 1.75oz bottle) sprinkles

Heat a griddle or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the flour, cake mix, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt; set aside.

In a separate medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a whisk. Add the milks, butter and vanilla and whisk to combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until fully mixed. Fold in the sprinkles.

Scoop portions of a scant 1/3 cup batter onto the griddle, leaving room for the batter to spread into larger rounds. When the pancakes begin to bubble, flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes. We like to eat ours with whipped cream. They’re basically little cakes, so syrup seemed a little much for me. The kids LOVE whipped cream, so I thought it was quite fitting.

*From Seeded at the Table

Homemade Chewy Granola Bars

I was noticing that the kids wanted to eat a granola bar almost every single day. I get freaked out about my kids eating the same thing day after day after day especially when it is store bought and there’s no way of knowing what’s really in it. That’s when I decided to try a homemade granola bar recipe.

I made several batches until I came up with the best in my opinion. I like my granola bars nutty and chewy and sweet. I also like them chock full of fiber:) These are delicious and my kids eat them up. The best part about them is that you can basically make them your own by adding whatever you like. Try them and you’ll love them!

2 cups old fashioned oats

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 t salt

1/4 t cinnamon or other spice you like

2 1/2 cups additions such as: dried fruit, seeds nuts, flax seed, bran cereal, puffed rice cereal, crushed pretzels, marshmallows, chocolate chips, etc. My combo is 1/4c flax seed, 1/2 cup bran cereal, 1 cup puffed rice cereal (for good crunch), 1/2 cup toasted almonds (chopped) and 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips.

1/3 cup peanut butter or other nut butter

6 T olive oil (you can use other oils or melted butter)

1/4 cup honey (you can use maple syrup)

1 T water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper, then lightly grease the paper with non-stick cooking spray. 

Process 1/3 cup of the oats in a blender or food processor until finely ground.

If necessary, chop up dried fruit and nuts. Stir together all dry ingredients. Whisk together oil, honey, peanut butter and water. Mix together the wet and dry ingredients then spread into prepared pan. Press firmly into the corners and edges so the top is even.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the sides start to brown. They may feel underdone in the middle, but will firm up as they cool. Let cool in the pan on a cooling rack for at least 20 minutes. Then take them out of the pan using the parchment paper. Let cool completely before cutting.

I got about 14 bars out of one batch. Keep them in an airtight container or wrap them in plastic wrap for an on-the-go treat. Enjoy!

*From honestcooking.com

Pizza Rollups

I had this genius idea one day. ANYTHING can go in a crescent roll:) So lately I’ve been trying all sorts of things!! My favorite combo is the pizza one. I made it once and then made it 3 more times. It’s also a KID FAVORITE. Is so easy, so delicious and perfect for those nights that your short on time and patience for dinner. I also recommending making more than you think you need because I ran out VERY quickly all the times I made them with people wanting more.

Crescent rolls

Pizza sauce

Mozzarella cheese

Pepperoni

Unroll the crescent rolls into each individual roll. Spread a thin layer of pizza sauce on the whole triangle except for the very tip. Then add cheese and a few slices of pepperoni. Rollup and place on a cookie sheet and bake as directed on the package of crescent rolls. ENJOY!!

Homemade Play Dough

I found this recipe and since I had all the ingredients I decided to try it. Boy am I glad I did! It was so easy and a perfect recipe for the kiddos to help on. They had a great time pouring ingredients, stirring and picking out the color they wanted their dough to be. It’s so much better than store bought play dough that I’m POSITIVE I will NEVER buy play dough again! It’s a lot more soft and pliable than store bought also. Definitely try it and include your kids!

1 cup flour
1 cup water
1/4 cup salt
1 T vegetable oil
2 t cream of tarter
Food Coloring (regular food coloring, or coloring gels)
Sparkles (If you wanna be a fun mom!)

Pour all ingredients into a saucepan. Stir until everything is mixed well and mostly clump free. Heat over MEDIUM heat. Stir. Don’t EVER stop stirring. After a few minutes it will start to clump up. Stir and stir some more until the dough clumps into a large ball. Remove from heat and dump onto cold counter. Knead by hand until a smooth texture is formed.

Once cooled, it’s ready to play! This took me about 5-10 minutes. I stored mine in empty Play Dough containers that I had left over from dried out Play Dough. You can also use the plastic baby food containers (either Gerber or Parents Choice.) Or you can just store them in a good ole fashioned sandwich bag. This would make such awesome party favors! Enjoy playing!

*From kristanlynn.com