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

My Favorite Snack

I've found my new favorite snack. I've got a HUGE sweet tooth that I'm currently trying to tame:) This is SO beyond delicious to me. I feel like I'm cheating and eating some sort of dessert. I've also found my new favorite yogurt:

I'm not much of a Greek yogurt fan...at all. I tried several and was disappointed by the taste and texture. But this one...YUMM. I love how it has a great taste, has double the protein, AND is still only 80 calories. Love it. I personally prefer the vanilla flavor over anything. I also use this yogurt in my breakfast every morning with some cottage cheese, Fiber One and some strawberries. I'm tellin ya...GOOD! Anyway, back to my favorite snack. If you're a peanut butter fan, you'll absolutely fall in love with this!!!! And you also won't feel so bad because it's packed with protein, fiber, is SUPER filling, but is still only around 200 calories. 

1 small container vanilla Greek yogurt (about 1/2 cup)

1 T peanut butter

1/8 t cinnamon

1 apple cut up

Mix yogurt, peanut butter and cinnamon until smooth. Devour with cut up apples and ENJOY!!!

Cream Cheese Lasagna

 

 It's no secret that cream cheese is one of my favorite things. When I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it! I love making lasagna, but never do because I never have ricotta on hand. I love how the cream cheese takes the place of the other cheese in this dish! I also love how perfect it stands up. Sometimes lasagna can get soupy, but this is the perfect combo of sauce and cheese. I love a twist on classic dishes!

 

1 box of lasagna noodles (about 9-12 noodles)
2 quarts (64 oz.) Aunties Spaghetti Sauce, recipe found here (or storebought is fine if you must...:))
1 lb. Jimmy Dean sausage
2- 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
11/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Italian Seasoning

 

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large sauce pan, brown the sausage over medium heat, breaking into small pieces. Once the meat is fully cooked, add the spaghetti sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.
Boil the noodles in a large pot of salty water, according to package instructions. Remove the noodles and lay them out on wax paper.

Spray an 9X13 inch baking dish with non-stick spray. Smear 9-12 noodles with an equal portion of cream cheese. (The number of noodles used depends on the width of the pan.)

Start assembling the lasagna: One large scoop of meat sauce on the bottom, 3-4 noodles across (cream cheese side up), 1/3 of the mozzarella and parmesan. Repeat. After the third layer of noodles with cream cheese, pour the rest of the sauce over the noodles before adding the last layer of the mozzarella and parmesan. Sprinkle the top with Italian Seasoning.

Bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes—until the cheese is toasty and the sides are bubbling. Wait at least 10 minutes before cutting.

If making this ahead, cover well, refrigerate, and bake for 40-50 minutes to heat through!

*From A Spicy Perspective

Tortellini Soup

This is my NEW FAVORITE FOOD! It is beyond delicious AND beyond easy. You can either put it in a crockpot or can cook it on stovetop. I love it’s versatility. I love how it’s delicious the next day for lunch and dinner:) I just love it, OK! You will agree with me in saying it’s your favorite meal as soon as you make it. 

1 lb Jimmy Dean Sausage

16oz package frozen tortellini

1 small package fresh baby spinach

2 cans Italian style diced tomatoes

4 cups or 1 box chicken broth

1 (8oz) package cream cheese

1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Brown sausage and then put all ingredients into the crockpot or soup pot, chunking up the cream cheese. If using the crockpot, cook on low for 3-4 hours. If doing stovetop, cook on med-low for about an hour or so, until tortellini is tender. ENJOY!!!

* From Little Fellows

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

Homemade Brittle

I LOVE Christmas. I love everything about it. More importantly, I love Christmas FOOD! I like making special little treats too. My kids call them “goodies.” We LOVE receiving goodies and we also LOVE making our signature goodies to deliver to people over the Holidays. I’m a brittle person. I basically like any kind of brittle. Rich, crisp, crunchy, chocolaty brittle.

My all time favorite is the California Brittle from See’s. You can go ahead and buy me a 2 pound box of that for Christmas:) I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I originally decided to make a brittle this year at the request of Justin’s Boss. He gave me his specific specifications of his perfect brittle, which happened to be mine too!! There MUST be almonds. There MUST be a thick layer of chocolate. Now get the good stuff…none of this Nestle chocolate chip business. The best is Ghirardelli or Guittard, which you can find in almost any grocery store. Splurge…believe me

. I have to admit, it was extremely easy and by far the best brittle I’ve had. Even the hubs loved it and he doesn’t like almonds OR brittle. So there you have it. It’s easy AND delicious therefore you must make it. Now get to work!

1 cup raw whole almonds

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

1 cup sugar

1/4 t salt

1 t vanilla

2 (12oz) bag milk chocolate chips (4 cups)

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

Toast almonds by spreading them in a single layer on a plate and microwaving on high for 3-5 minutes (stir after each minute).  On foil-lined baking sheet, arrange almonds in a single layer over an area measuring approx. 13x9 inches. I do this by getting a jelly roll pan and lining half of it with foil, folding the foil up in the middle of the pan to create an edge.

In a heavy 2-quart saucepan combine butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt.  Cook over med-high heat, stirring constantly with a clean, dry wooden spoon till butter is melted.  Continue cooking and stirring for approx. 7-10 min. until candy is the color of the brown skin of the almonds; it will start smoking slightly. You need to work quickly at this point so that the toffee doesn’t burn. As soon as it reaches the almond color, immediately pour candy, without scraping pan, over almonds, covering all nuts.  Sprinkle 2 cups of chocolate chips evenly over the hot candy.  Cover with another baking sheet and wait 1 minute. The chocolate should be completely melted. Spread the melted chocolate with a rubber spatula until it is smooth over top of the toffee.  Sprinkle with 1/4 cup pecans.  Let cool completely. 

After the toffee is cool and the chocolate is hardened, Pick it up (it should be a solid piece now), remove the foil, and turn it over. Melt 2 more cups of chocolate chips in the microwave in 15 second increments and pour over top of the bottom of the toffee. Immediately sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of pecans. Wait until the second layer of chocolate is cooled and solid and break into pieces. You can only do 1 layer of chocolate, but it’s best with both layers:) Then wrap it up and pass it out to your friends for the Holidays and they’ll be begging you for the recipe! The first time I made it I think I literally ate half of the pan. It’s TOO DANG GOOD!!!

*From theyummylife.com

Snickers Cupcakes

I love a good Snickers now and then. So then I though…why not a Snickers cupcake?!

So I made some. And they’re my new favorite:) A moist, fluffy cake filled with caramel then topped off with a light, whipped peanut butter buttercream.

Cupcakes:
1 box devil’s food cake mix
3 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 t vanilla

Peanut Butter Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 t vanilla
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1-2 T whipping cream

1 can Dulce de Leche

2-3 regular sized Snickers bars for garnish

For the Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners. In a large bowl, combine all cake ingredients except the cake mix and mix until smooth. Stir in cake mix. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake about 17 minutes or until cupcake springs back when tapped. It’s RARE that I bake mine longer than this. Make sure you know your oven and DON’T over bake!!

Once cooled, open the can of Dulce de Leche. Microwave in a bowl until warm and loose. Pour into a piping bag, fitted with the fill tip. Fill the cupcakes with the Dulce de Leche.

For the Frosting:
With the whisk attachment, beat the butter until basically white – about 4 minutes, scraping down the sides often. Add the peanut butter and beat another 2 minutes. Add vanilla and slowly add the powdered sugar until frosting becomes thick. Add whipping cream until desired consistency is reached. You want to make sure you add enough whipping cream to get the frosting nice and fluffy and not dense. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

Use the rest of the Dulce de Leche and drizzle over the frosting. Top with a small piece of Snickers. Enjoy!!!

*From Your Cup of Cake