Our First Tutorial- Creeper Rainbow Loom

If you have kids in your house like I do, I am sure you know that these Rainbow Loom rubber band bracelets are all the rage! Crazy Gabs was so eager to make bracelets she started by using her fingers and her fathers meat thermometer fork. Luckily her favorite Uncle J came to the rescue with the Loom and bands galore! 

I searched Pinterest for a Minecraft Creeper bracelet, so she could make one for her brother. Who is slightly obsessed with the game. I couldn't find one. :(

After looking at one of Gabs's bracelets, a triple single, I realized we could make that look like a couple of creeper faces! I was sooooooo excited about my plan I set Gabs straight to work! 

Gabs wanted to try her hand at making a video tutorial, after successfully making the bracelet. We filmed it without a script or practice. I think she did an amazing job, for her first time! 

If you use our tutorial and make a Creeper, send us a photo. We would love to see them!

Video Tutorial

Happy National Dessert Day

Who knew there was a day to celebrate one of my favorite things... DESSERT! One of our favorite desserts is apple crisp. It took awhile to find the perfect recipe. We tried ones from just about every family member, and in the end the one we liked the most came from a bag of apples. Sorry, I don't have a picture of the yummy dessert. It rarely lasts long enough to be photographed.


Our Favorite Apple Crisp

8 medium apples
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/8 cups flour
1 1/8 cups oatmeal
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Peel and dice apples and place into a 9X13 pan.
Combine sugar, flour, oats and cinnamon.
Cut in butter until crumbly.
Press oat mixture on top of apples.
Bake for 45- 50 minutes

MPM

On Our Menu this week...

Monday- Hot Beef Sandwiches
Tuesday- Tacos
Wednesday- Pork Kabobs and Sweet Potatoes
Thursday- Wendy's Fundraising night for the kids' school
Friday- Taco bake using leftovers

What are you eating this week?

Meal Planning Monday!

Here's what's cookin this week...

Monday- Summertime Pasta (pampered chef)
Tuesday- Chicken Sandwiches and Fries
Wednesday- French Toast (Birthday Boy's request)
Thursday- Hot Dog Casserole - I'll let you know how this one goes!
Friday- Tuna Hamburger Helper


What's cooking in your house? Are you trying any new recipes?

"I ATE THE BONES...I ATE THE BONES..."

Sorry for the long 4 month hiatus... It isn't that we didn't have some great food and great times in between now and then. 

Life was just busy!

But I am back! 

And with a finger licking good recipe...

I was a little skeptical when my Mother-in-Law first gave us this recipe. I really didn't think I could replicate the famous not so great for you KFC chicken. But I am here to say and I still can hardly believe it, but it did taste just like it. The best part was not loosing the flavor when you pealed away the slimy skin, because there isn't any skin on this chicken.

One change I would make for next time I think, is to omit the butter and just spray the pan with cooking spray. I ended up needing 2 pans when I made this, so the second pan got a coating of cooking spray. The chicken in the second pan turned out with a crisper crust and didn't loose as much seasoning in the turning process.

Baked Fried Chicken

2-3 lbs thawed chicken breast tenderloin strips

Milk

1/2 stick of butter

1/2 tsp salt

1 T seasoning all 

3/4 tsp pepper

2 tsp paprika

1 cup flour

1. Place thawed chicken into a bowl of milk and let soak for 20-30 minutes

2. Pre-Heat oven to 400 degrees. 

3. Melt butter in 9x13 pan

4. Spread butter around the bottom of the pan, Lightly spray the pan if needed to make sure that there are no dry spots

5. Combine spices and flour either in a bowl or ziploc bag

6. Shake off excess milk and dip/shake chicken in seasoning mixture and place in pan

7. Bake for 20 min. Turn chicken and cook for 20 more or until cooked through.

Yummy Nummies...

Mr. J-man needed to take snack to school today. I have loved providing snack this year, because I can make/bake the snack! That was one thing I looked forward to doing for my kids when they got into school. Once he starts Kindergarten I won't be able to make treats, because unfortunately in our school system homemade snacks are not allowed.

When I was making this snack mix, my house smelled like I was baking cinnamon rolls. It was like heaven! The perks of this recipe are that you can use whatever cereal you have on hand and it is all done in the microwave.

Cinnamon Snack Mix

(adapted from www.makeit-loveit.com)

• 8 cups popped popcorn
• 4 cups cereal (Chex, Cherrios, Kix, whatever you have on hand)
• 6 Tbsp butter, melted
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

Combine popcorn and cereal in a large microwave bowl.  Melt butter and then drizzle evenly over popcorn/cereal mixture.  Then sprinkle sugar and cinnamon evenly over top, tossing and stirring as you go.  Then, place the bowl in the microwave for one minute and then remove and stir.  Then, microwave for 30 seconds, remove, stir again, microwave for 30 seconds more, and then stir once more.  Then evenly spread on wax paper and let cool.

For the Popcorn, I pop it in the microwave using the blow-your-mind-microwave-popcorn technique! 

And for those wondering... here's our menu

Monday- Spaghetti

Tuesday- Omelets

Wednesday- Swedish Meatballs

Thursday- Chicken Noodle Soup

MPM- meal planning monday

Here's what's cookin' in Mi Casa...

Monday- Hot Beef Sandwiches with Mashed Tatos
Tuesday- Eat Out
Wednesday- Lund Po'Chops (crock pot meal)
Thursday- Burgers and Potatoes
Friday- Omelets 

Meal Planning

Monday- Tater Tot Casserole

Tuesday- Tuna and Noodles

Wednesday- Eating out

Thursday- Burgers on the grill!!!

Friday- Subs

A sneak peak at our easter fun...

Brownie Peanut Butter Pie

 With Spring Break last week, the days flew by. So, I apologize for not getting this recipe posted Tuesday like I promised. But hey better late than never, right?!

 

When I saw the recipe for Fudge Brownie Peanut Butter Pie at justapinch, I knew it would be perfect to try on National "Pi"e day! The original recipe says the pie has 8 servings, but this is such a rich pie that we ended up with 16 pieces of pie. Also, we discovered that a sliced banana was a great compliment to this pie.

Ingredients

1 box fudge brownie mix

1 pkg deep dish frozen pie crust

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 small tub of whipped topping

Directions

-Mix brownie mix according to directions on box. Spread 1/2 cup of the mix into one thawed pie crust ( you can always make brownies with the rest). 

-Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown and brownie is set. 

-While cooling, mix the cream cheese (best mixes if cheese softened to room temp.) with the powdered sugar. Mix until creamy then mix in the peanut butter until well blended. 

-Mix in 1/2 of the tub of whipped topping until well blended. 

-Spread the mixture into the crust when it is completely cooled. 

-Spread the remaining whipped topping over the filling and if you wish you can top it with miniature peanut butter cups. 

-Refrigerate for at least an hour and enjoy. 

 

 

 

MPM

Our Menu...

Monday- Million Dollar Spaghetti
Tuesday- Oven Baked Tacos
Wednesday- Dinner at Church
Thursday- OMG Chicken
Friday- French Toast Casserole
Saturday- Chili
Sunday- Lunch:
              Dinner: Cheese and Cracker Party


Preview of tomorrow... How we celebrated National "Pi"e day!

Monster Cheesecake Brownies

Friday was National Peanut Butter day, so I thought I should finally share with you this wonderful creation. I had made some monster cookie dough dip and surprisingly, I did not care for it.

Unfortunately, it sat in my fridge for about a week before I came up with the brilliant idea to use the dip on top of brownies. What a genius idea! What could be better than brownies, peanut butter, chocolate, and m&ms?

Mix up your brownie mix and put in pan, then drop spoonfuls of Monster Cookie Dough Dip on the top. I only used about half of the monster cookie dough dip on top.

I used the brownie recipe on the side of my cocoa tub. But you could just use a box mix or your favorite brownie recipe. 



Monster Cookie Dough Dip - (I would just mix up half a batch!)

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup butter, slightly softened
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 ½ cups rolled oats, old fashioned or quick (see Note)
• 2/3 cup plain M&Ms (give or take)
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. With a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter, and peanut butter until smooth.
2. Add in the powdered sugar, brown sugar, flour, and vanilla.
3. Using the paddle attachment on your stand mixer or just a wooden spoon, mix in the oats. You may want to use more or less here. I really like the oats in it and a thicker dip so I added a lot. Remember that the dip will also firm up a bit in the fridge.
4. Add the M&Ms and chocolate chips.
5. Store in the refrigerator until serving. Serve with pretzels, graham crackers, or apple slices. You can dip or spread this depending on how thick you made your dip. Try not to eat it all like I did!
6. Note: You can use more or less oats to adjust the thickness of your dip. Start with about 1 1/2 cups oats and keep adding until you reach your desired thickness. If you use quick oats you might use less since it's finer and will make the dough thicker.

Toll-House Brownies

Ingredients:
1 2/3 cups of Granulated Sugar
3/4 cup (1 and 1/2 sticks) Butter, melted

 

2 tablespoons water
2 large eggs

2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 1/3 cup All-Purpose Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
3/4 Cup Nestle Toll House Baking Cocoa 

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish

Combine the sugar, water, and butter in a bowl.
Add in the eggs and vanilla extract

In a separate bowl, combine the Flour, Cocoa, Baking Powder, and Salt.

Slowly add this to the sugar mixture.

Spread into the baking dish.

The recipe says bake at 350 degrees for 18-25 minute or until a toothpick comes out clean.
I have found it takes a little longer unless you like them super gooey! 

MPM

The Menu at Mi Casa...

Monday- Hot Beef Sandwiches
Tuesday- Goulash
Wednesday- Eat at Church
Thursday- Turkey & Stuffing Roll-ups
Friday- Hamburger Helper
Saturday- Mamma's out, so Daddy's in charge
Sunday- Egg Casserole and Cheese and Cracker party

Pinterest Semi-Fail

A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon a recipe for Apple Butter Yeast Rolls in the crockpot. I am a lover of all things crockpot, so I decided to give them a try on our coveted Wednesday crockpot dinner night. 

First off I had a few things working against me while making these...

1. Kids begging for after-school snack and homework help

2. A time crunch... I had all of 30 minutes to get these into the crockpot before we needed to head out the door.

I made the deadline and got them in the pot before leaving, SUCCESS... or so I thought.

 

This is how my Yeast Rolls turned out.

 

This is what they should have looked like.

Photography skills aren't the only thing lacking in my photo. My rolls turned out more like little dough balls!

Despite their appearance,  they were still pretty tasty.

After looking back through the recipe and reading the instructions thoroughly, I found my miss-step. I didn't put the sugar in the water to poof the yeast. 

Verdict: Will try again!!!

Yield: 24 rolls
Prep Time: 20 minutes active time
Cook Time: 3 hours

Apple Butter Yeast Rolls Recipe

A crockpot bread recipe. From A Spicy Perspective

Ingredients:

2 1/2 tsp. dry active yeast (1 packet)
1/2 cup warm water
3 Tb. sugar
1/2 cup apple butter
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. salt
4 cups bread flour
4 Tb. melted butter
2 Tb. brown sugar (optional)

Directions:

Using an electric mixer with a bread hook, place the warm water (just barely over luke-warm, too hot will kill the yeast) and sugar in the mixing bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let it foam for 10 minutes.

Then turn on the mixer and add the apple butter, egg and salt. Slowly add the flour. Once all the flour is in the bowl, add the melted butter. "Knead" the dough with the bread hook for 5-8 minutes.
The dough will be smooth, but very tacky. Dump it out onto a floured work surface. Using a floured knife, cut the dough into 4 quarters. Then cut each quarter into 6 equal pieces, to make 24 small dough segments.

Turn the ends of each dough segment under to create little balls. Then place a large piece of parchment paper in a 6 quart slow cooker, and press down. Arrange 12 dough balls in the slow cooker. Then carefully lift the parchment paper out, and repeat with the remaining dough balls and another piece of parchment, creating two separate batches. Place the lid on the crockpot and cover the additional dough balls on the counter, with plastic wrap. Allow them to rise for 1 hour at room temperature. *At this point the dough balls could be put in the fridge for up to a week, until ready to bake.

Sprinkle the rolls with a little brown sugar. Turn the slow cooker on high and "bake" for 60-90 minutes, depending on your crockpot. To test, touch the top of the rolls. If they feel slightly firm and are no longer tacky, the rolls are ready. Repeat with the second batch of dough balls. Each batch will cook for 60-90 minutes, 3 hrs total.

 

 

Meal Planning Monday

Here is our Menu this week...

Monday- Spaghetti
Tuesday- Chili
Wednesday- Supper @ Church
Thursday- BBQ Pork Chops and Rice
Friday- Fish
Saturday- Tuna and Noodles?
Sunday- Lunch: Egg Casserole and Muffins
              Dinner: Cheese and Cracker Party

Meal Planning

Here is what is on the menu at our house this week...

Monday- Eat Out at Hickory Park
Tuesday- pancakes in honor of national pancake day!
Wednesday- Easy Tato soup with apple butter biscuits... The best part if this meal, it's all in the crockpot!
Thursday- Oven Tacos
Friday- Salads

And lastly, a pic from the father/daughter dance this last weekend

MPM- Meal Planning Monday

Yes, I know it has been almost 2 months since I last posted. The holidays and finishing the basement got the better of me. Things are starting to get back to normal now that everyone is back in school/work and the basement is done!

So here is what is planned for food this week...
Monday- Tacos
Tuesday- Spaghetti and Salad
Wednesday- Apple Cinnamon Porkloin with Twice Baked Califlower? (the side I am unsure of)
Thursday- BBQ Chicken Salads
Friday- Left Overs