Smores please!

I love smores. My kids loves smores. So when I came across this smores crispix recipe, I couldn't resist! Such an easy recipe and it is gobbled up in no time! Make a big batch and send some to preschool, have in your cupboard for snack time, use for your birthday party treat bags, enjoy on popcorn night, bag cutely and deliver to the neighbors! Either way, everyone big and small will love this :)

You will need:

3 cups Crispix cereal
1 cup honey graham mini crackers (Teddy Grahams or Bunny shaped organic ones from Target I like to use)

1/4 cup melted butter
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup mini marshmallows
1/3 c M & M's

Directions:

In 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan combine crispix cereal and graham crackers. In small bowl stir together butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Drizzle over cereal mixture. Stir until coated. Bake at 250° F for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on foil or wax paper. Cool completely. Stir in marshmallows and M&M’s Brand Chocolate Candies. Store in airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Some days I crawl out of bed and just need to put something in my oven for my kids and hub's to wake up to. I love the smell of something yummy when I wake up. It reminds me of waking up at my grandmother's house and there is just something loving about a good smell jump-starting your day and waiting for you at the table. This recipe is one I stumbled across the first year we were married and all I did was tweak it by adding the chocolate chips because my hubby loves banana and chocolate flavors together. Need a jump start this morning and have a few old bananas sitting around? Send a warm message to your gang as you whip up these to start the day! Also a pretty yummy after school snack!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins


1/2 c margarine, softened
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
3 ripe (or old) bananas
1 tsp. baking soda
2 c flour
6 oz chocolate chips (roughly 1 cup)


Combine your soft ingredients first and then mix in your dry ingredients. Spray pans and bake at 350 for 12-18 minutes, depending on your oven. Makes about 12-18 muffins!

Omelet for 1

When I was teaching there was an older gentleman who cleaned my classroom and he was so sweet to me and my students. He often would bring me fresh produce from his garden and eggs from his chickens. The kids all called him Mr. Andy and he had his first grandchild arrive at the same time I had our first born! We always had lots to chat about! Well, you can imagine my surprise when I walked Jaxon to the first day of school and low and behold there stood Mr. Andy. Full of smiles with his perfect round grandpa belly and farmers Pioneer hat stood the sweet old man with his big hand clasping the little hand of his grandson, ready for his first day of school too. We caught up easily and a short time later I found his little grandson selling his grandpa's eggs. Makes my heart swell! Needless to say, I quickly signed up to be on his "egg list" and every Tuesday he faithfully delivers my dozen eggs to me. He gets to keep all his earnings :) Now I don't always need the eggs, but I love supporting this little ma & pop operation. They are the yummiest tasting eggs and lets just say I have gotten pretty creative in how many ways you can serve up eggs in this house! One of my favorite's is this easy omelet.... don't even need an omelet pan, just a simple frying pan, a few ingredients, and you're set! Enjoy!

Omelet for One (or many little ones)

In a bowl just whisk together: 2 Tbsp flour, 1/4 c milk, 3 Tbsp sour cream, 2 eggs, salt & pepper to your tasting


Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat, sprayed with a little olive oil or pan spray. Pour in egg mixture and cover... let sit covered for few minutes until almost all cooked. Add ingredients you'd like to add (ham cubes, sausage, cheese, mushroom,s veggies, anything you want!). Flip one side over the other and let sit for about 2-4 more minutes. Whoa-la! Omelet for one (or two if you are a light eater, I use one to serve 3 kids!)

chocolate granola bars

I love making things in the afternoon as my little ones nap and my oldest son is at school. I feel like our evening starts well when we can walk in the door from picking Jaxon up and sit right down to a yummy snack and catch up on our day together before we press forward. It's even fun to bring a friend or two home from school and let them pig out together and listen to their laughter. Such a fun time to be a mom to a 7 year old boy!! I recently tried these out and they were a fast hit! There is good stuff in them and they taste good too. My 4 year old thinks they are a candy bar, so I let him assume away :) These can be thrown together in about 20 minutes.... give 'em a try!

Chocolate Granola Bars


1/2 cup (natural if have it) peanut butter
1/3/ cup honey
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup whole oats
2 Tbsp wheat germ or flax seed
1/2/ cup shredded coconut
1/2/ cup milk choc chips


Melt butter, peanut butter, and honey in pan over medium low heat. Stir often. Once melted pour in oats and wheat germ or flax seed. Let cool and then stir in coconut and chocolate chips. Or, just stir in right away and get melted choc chips for an over-all chocolate taste.  Pour and flatten into greased 8 by 8 pan lined with wax paper.Let cool in fridge until hardens. Flip out of pan and cut to your preference. I store these in a Rubbermaid container in fridge.

sweet as pie

One thing I love about Thanksgiving is the variety of dishes you get to try out! Now I know Thanksgiving is all wrapped up, but if you want to try a new recipe out for Christmas or for next year...I suggest this one! Not a lot of people love sweet potatoes, but they are REALLY good for you, so I try to use them when I can. I like to boil them, run them under cold water, and just let the peel fall off easily. I mash them up and sometimes freeze them for throwing into tomato sauce foods (spaghetti sauce, lasagna, meatballs sometimes, you get the idea). It is an easy way to sneak some good nutrients in (and by sneak, I mean you don't tell your kids or husband you put it in what they are eating. What they don't know just helps them in this case :) 

However, I do "sweeten" this dish up quite a bit, but it is super yummy in the end. And what's a Thanksgiving without a super sweet yummy dish on your plate!!

Sweet as Pie, Sweet Potatoes Dish

Boil sweet potatoes until soft. Peel and mash. About 3-4 cups needed.

Mix sweet potatoes with:

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup soft butter

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup orange juice

Topping:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

2 Tbsp soft butter

1/2 cup chopped pecans

3/4 cup mini marshmallows

Combine above ingredients and then place into 13 by 9 greased dish or use a casserole dish of your choosing. Hand mix your topping together until crumbly and sprinkle over sweet potatoes mixture. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes or until lightly brown and bubbly. Serve warm!

 Mashed sweet potatoes

 ready for oven

Yum!

Jiffy Corn

Something I've taken my kids and done the last few years is go and help cook for our youth groups heading to God's Mountain Camp in Missouri. I love serving, especially when my kids can be involved in some way, and I really enjoy feeding people well on mission trips because they are also serving so much in between their meals. The first year we made this it was a hit and it is also one of my most requested dishes at family gatherings. Thanksgiving is just around the corner and if you are supposed to be bringing a side dish...you may want to try this! My whole family loves it... I know yours will too!

Jiffy Corn

1 can creamed corn

1 can whole kernel cor (drained)

1 box Jiffy corn mix

1 egg (beaten)

1 cup sour cream (8oz container)

1/2 c melted margarine (I often only use 1/4 cup too)

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Mix all your ingredients together and place in greased pan. I use a variety of pans, but a stoneware is my favorite giving it a nice even baking. Depending how thick you want it, choose anywhere from a quart casserole dish to a 13 by 9 pan. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until center is firm. Sprinkle with cheese and brown top or just let cheese melt. Serve it up!

 Mixing... 

 Ready for oven...

Serve it nice and warm...

easy caramel bars

I love baking in my kitchen with kids. Both my mom and my grandmothers let me as a little girl climb up by them at the counter and help them bake or cook. It is some of my fondest memories as a child and probably because my passion for making food and using it to love people was part of my build-up when God made me. I would help my grandma grind whole wheat to make bread from scratch, sit and eat cake crumbs as my grandmother created beautiful cakes, or help my mom drop pork chops into flour so we could throw them in the oven for dinner. Whatever I was learning as I watched, I now know that those moments were not only teaching moments, but also a great way for my family to use my love language with me. I cherish those times and sometimes want to drive across town and let my grandma show me some more in her kitchen while I just soak it all in.

If you want an easy and yummy dessert to throw into the oven before the kids get home from school, try this out! Seriously too easy and pretty delicious :) I had two good little helpers this week to make some caramel bars. Get your helpers in the kitchen and try these out!

Easy Caramel Bars


1 pkg. white or yellow cake mix
2 Cup oatmeal, uncooked
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup oil
1 egg
12.5 oz jar caramel ice cream topping (This last batch I used caramel-butterscotch topping)


Mix together dry cake mix, oatmeal, and brown sugar. Add oil and egg. Mix well. (will be a dry dough like texture) Spread half of batter into 13 by 9 greased pan. Press around with fingers. Spread caramel topping over first layer. Sprinkle remaining batter on top. Bake for 30ish minutes at 350.  Enjoy!