Chili Cheesy Turkey Dog

Did you know that Pigs in a Blanket is a traditional part of a Christmas meal in England? Seriously. It is. Here in the states they are hot dogs wrapped in a croissant type dough. They are often served as part of a child’s lunch, hors d’oeuvres, or for us – during the Super Bowl!
No matter how or when you like to serve them here is a fun and “healthier” version for you to try out and enjoy.

Easy Chili Cheesy Dog Recipe

• Servings: 8
• Time: 30mins
• Difficulty: Easy
• Print

An easy yet delicious addition for a fun Supper Bowl Sunday. Adults will like them as much as the kids do.

Ingredients

• 1 can Pillsbury Pizza Dough
• 1 package of turkey hot dogs (8)
• 1 package of cheddar string cheese sticks
• 2 tablespoons melted garlic butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Open pizza dough and cut into 8 pieces. We cut the pieces horizontally so that we had long skinny pieces.
3. Cut the cheese sticks in half lengthwise.
4. Place 1 turkey dog sandwiched between two halves of a cheese stick on a slice of dough.
5. Roll them all up into the piece of dough leaving only a little sticking out the end.
6. Place the roll ups onto a sheet pan (seam side down) that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
7. Bake 15-18 minutes until the dough is a golden brown color.
8. Immediately after removing them from the oven brush the top with melted garlic butter.

Serve with a cup of chili on the side for dipping. Enjoy!

Seven Simple Savory Super Bowl Sides

The Super Bowl is less than two weeks away.  Hosting a Super Bowl party or get together can be a daunting task.  When you host a group of any size for a party like the Super Bowl you need to not only be prepared but be over prepared. How much food do you need? How many drinks per person? Appetizers vs. entrees. And what about desserts? Cookie tray? Ice cream sundaes or cupcakes? All of these things need to be taken into consideration before the big day.

Here are a few of my favorite sides and treats to help make any Super Bowl party a real winner.

Bacon wrapped tots with homemade ranch

Chocolate covered strawberry footballs

Saucy chipotle maple baked chicken wings

Football deviled eggs

Ham and cheese sliders

Jalapeno popper dip recipe

Crack dip

What are your favorite Super Bowl foods that you are going to serve this year?  Check out one of my favorites from last year.

Skinny Boneless Chicken Wings

One Dish, Three Uses

I love a good kitchen product that can be used over and over in different ways. I learned a long time ago from Alton Brown, the man that taught me to cook (sorry Mom), that every item in the kitchen must have more than one use. I give you One Dish, Three Uses!

I will tell you that these are supposed to be banana split boats, and they are perfect for that! They give you a contemporary twist on a classic item without being too trendy. They have great lines and being all white they match anything and everything. I knew that I wanted them for ice cream but that I had other uses for them too.

Banana Split Boat

You can still see how this dish works perfectly for a banana split. Checkout the cutest spoon ever! It is a long handled spoon with a shovel shaped top. I will be using these for everything! My kids had a great time making their own ice cream concoctions with all of the items in my pantry. I stick to the plain old vanilla and hot fudge but I add two cherries (because they are the best part).

Candy Dish

I like to have little candy dishes set out not just during the holidays but anytime I have guests visiting. This dish makes the a great holder for candy and nuts. I happened to have a bag of holiday candies that needed a spot and this was perfect. I set it on the table while we were doing a puzzle and the kids loved it (of course). I have also used it for nuts when we had friends over last weekend.

Dinner Plate

I have to give credit to my 12 year old daughter for this idea. I was putting these dishes away and she said that they would be perfect for dinner to hold our hot dogs. Genius! They are the perfect size for a chili dog and a serving of fries.

*I received product for this post but I was not financially compensated. All opinions, as always, are my own.

Homemade Buttermilk Syrup

I am a breakfast person.  I have never been one of those people that can wake up, eat a piece of toast and be on my way.  I need real food to start my day.   Give me protein, carbs, some fruit, and a cup of coffee.  Then, and only then, I can start interacting with fellow humans.  On the weekends I like to make the breakfasts that take a bit more time.  I don’t have to get the kids off to school so there’s no rush which allows me to enjoy the cooking and eating process.

This recipe is a family tradition.  My grandmother made it,  my mother makes it, I make it, and now my 10 yr old carries on the tradition.  This is a good recipe to start your budding chef on.  It’s super easy and is really a crowd-pleaser.  He really get a kick out of all the rave reviews from tasters.   Our favorite thing is to work together on a breakfast feast.  He’s in charge of the syrup while I make waffles, banana pancakes, or better yet, Apple Puffy Pancakes.

Buttermilk Syrup

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 cube butter
• 2 Tbsp Corn Syrup
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp vanilla

1. Mix together sugar, buttermilk, butter, corn syrup, and baking soda in a large pot.  This will grow a lot so use a big pot. It will reduce as it cooks.   
2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil hard for about 10 minutes until it starts to thicken and is the color of a brown bag.
3. Remove from the heat and add vanilla.

Serve this warm over anything you can justify putting syrup on.  It is amazing on our Apple Puffy pancakes.  I even like to dip apples in it or use it as a caramel ice cream topping.  It’s easy for my kids to take over this one so we make it A LOT!  What’s your favorite recipe to make with your kids?

Back To School Breakfast Baked Eggs

Last year when we were living on the east coast I decided to be a stay at home mom. At the time I wanted to do all of the things that I thought “stay at home moms” did. Today I am still not sure exactly what I thought “stay at home mom” things were. I just know that the working mom in me had an idea of what a stay at home mom did during the day and like most things, I was wrong.

Anyway during this domestic trial I decided that I was going to start cooking breakfast during the week and not just on weekends. Ha! That lasted about 3 days. None of the kids wanted a real breakfast before leaving for school at 7 am. None of us are big early morning eaters. Plus I didn’t like getting up at 6 am just so that I could cook something that nobody was going to eat. So I stopped. But I came up with some great morning breakfasts that I still make. Now I just make them on the weekends.

Baked Eggs

This is one of my favorite breakfasts. I have it about twice a week. It is the easiest breakfast that I make because it takes almost no time to prep and then you can do other things while it cooks. I have also started having it for lunch with salad.

Ingredients

• sliced turkey or ham
• sliced cheese
• eggs

Directions

Place a piece of turkey or ham into cupcake pan. Depending on size, I usually use only half a piece. (It can be done without meat as well.)

Place a quarter piece of cheese on top of the meat. (It can be done without cheese as well.)

Crack an egg on the top of the cheese.

The egg fits perfectly into the muffin tin.

They take 17 – 20 minutes on 325. I like mine a little soft. You need to watch your eggs the first time you bake them, as ovens vary. If you want yours hard-cooked bake for a full 24 minutes.

It’s seriously that easy! The beauty is that you can make the exact amount that you need. I usually make 2 per person and serve them with fruit and cottage cheese for breakfast or with a salad on the side for lunch.

Halloween Tablescape And Dinner Recipe

Every year on Halloween I try to do a special dinner. I try to make something easy, filling, healthy, and fun. Knowing that all they will eating for the rest of the night is sugar – I want their bellies full before they go out for their treats. I make this same dish quite often because it is a favorite of the whole family. It is inexpensive yet filling. It is a meal that can be kept warm all evening so people can eat early or late depending upon schedules.

Tablescape

A tablescape for a holiday meal can be as intricate or as simple as you want it to be. Last year I went very simple. I was traveling the week of Halloween, and I didn’t have much time to set anything up.

I started with a plain white over-sized cloth table-cover. I laid out a roll of chalkboard paper in one direction, and then a Halloween table-runner in the other direction. I used chalk pens to drawn spider webs, spiders, and Halloween words all over the paper. I did not use stencils or anything fancy. In fact that part took about 2 minutes.

Then I added PAPER place settings! That is right I went with paper. There are cute paper plates available everywhere now so there is no reason not to use it for a themed night like this. I got stripes and polka-dots in orange, black, and white to match the tablecloths. All of the paper products cost under $5 and there was enough for 2 meals with my large family. The next thing I did was just gather little things that I had around the house in the orange, black, and white themed colors. I had some empty jars – so I added some candy. Then I grabbed some votive candles out of the drawer, and we were done. This centerpiece cost me nothing.

Pasta And Tomato Juice

Now don’t judge this meal by the name. It might sound boring but it is delicious.

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground turkey
• 1 pound box of whole grain small shell pasta
• 1 large can of no-salt added tomato juice
• Salt free seasoning

Directions

• Put water on to boil and boil pasta
• While pasta is cooking brown ground turkey in a pan. Add seasonings as needed/wanted. My husband doesn’t add any when he makes this dish.
• Drain pasta
• Put pasta back in pot and add the cooked meat and can of tomato juice
• Warm through
• Garnish with shredded cheese

For the past three years or so I have been doubling this every time I make it for my family of 6. Sometimes we have enough for a lunch portion for the next day for a person or two, but most of the time it is all gone because of the teenage boys. This is one of the simplest meals that I make but it is one of the favorites. I like that it is lighter than pasta with sauce but filling and just as delicious.

Quick Summer Pudding Dessert

You know how you crave the summer for the long, lazy days? You picture yourself sitting outside sipping lemonade, eating fruit or cookies while the kids play in the yard. I don’t think we have had one day yet with that kind of lazy time. I feel like everything this summer is just rushing by so fast and I don’t have time to stop and think, let alone do anything awesome and special in the food department.

Last week my girls commented that I had not made even one fun summer dessert yet. I jumped to my defense and then realized that, um yeah, they were right. So I ran to the kitchen that minute to see what I had in the cupboard. That’s when I remembered that I hadn’t done a real official shopping since school got out! We had been traveling so much and eating out, oh man! I did find a few odds and ends and in 10 minutes I had a little treat ready for after dinner.

Vanilla Trifles

So here is my amazing recipe:

• 2 boxes vanilla pudding
• bananas
• 1 box Vanilla Wafers
• whipping cream (whipped until peaks form)

Make the pudding according to the directions on the box. Grab a glass and layer pudding and bananas (you really can’t see the bananas in this picture). Top with crushed up Vanilla Wafers and whipping cream.

With this dessert the fancy glass made all the difference. Sometimes it is not how much time you spend on something, it is the fact that you spent any time at all. The kids were delighted and amazed. They thought I had spent a ton of time making beautiful individual desserts for them all afternoon.

I hope you are all enjoying your summer!

 

Just In Time For Cinco de Mayo: Taco Night

We are a busy family with 4 kids and 2 working parents so school nights seem to fly by. Between practice after school, rehearsals, and lessons it can get crazy. I need fast, go-to dinners that I can get on the table with little to no prep for the busy nights. One of our main go-to meals each week is tacos. It is something that everyone enjoys and we can mix it up by using beef, chicken, steak, or beans so it is almost like a new meal each time.

I have a basic taco seasoning recipe that I use:

Taco Seasoning

• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1.5 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 to 1 tsp sea salt (more or less to taste)
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 /4 tsp onion powder

Shake it all up together in a little bowl with a lid.

After your meat is cooked, drain any grease and drippings (I also rinse my meat), add the meat back to the pan, 2 or 3 tablespoons of the taco seasoning, and 3/4 cup water per 1 pound of meat. Simmer for 10 minutes and you are done.

We like to serve rice, beans, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, sour cream, salsa, guacamole, and olives with our tacos.

We also serve chips and salsa for everyone to snack on while we get the food ready to go.

Final product usually looks something like this:

 

Easy Holiday Fudge

What is on that Holiday to-Do List?

• Turkey thawing – check!
• Lights on the outside trees – check!
• Gift shopping (ordering online) – check!
• Christmas Cards – check!
• Pies in the oven – check!
• Movie tickets ordered for Thanksgiving afternoon – check!

Now that all of those things are done I get to make goodies!

I love to bake during the holidays and there are so many great cookies and treats to make it is hard to decide what to do first. I decided that I would start with the fast and easy treats so that we have things to munch on and give away to people that come and visit early in the month. This Easy Holiday Fudge recipe is one that I have been using for years. It is a delicious, rich recipe that just about everyone loves. I say just about because I have one little one that “doesn’t do nuts” so I always pull some out before adding the nuts and make her her own tiny tray. This recipe is easy to alter to your taste so if you like almonds you can skip the walnuts and add almonds instead. If you don’t like nuts then you can skip them all together!

Ingredients

• 20 ounces Hershey’s® milk chocolate bars, broken into pieces.
• 1(12 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, cut into pieces
• 4 cups sugar
• 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
• 2 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
• 4 cups frozen mini marshmallows
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups walnuts, chopped

Directions

• Put four cups of mini marshmallows in the freezer until frozen. I place them in a bowl (they won’t stick together) in the morning and then make the fudge in the afternoon.
• In a large mixing bowl, place broken milk chocolate bars, chocolate chips and butter pieces; set aside.

• In a large pan, combine sugar, evaporated milk and 2 1/2 cups mini marshmallows. Bring them to a boil over medium heat while stirring constantly. (Seriously, don’t stop stirring, it will scorch.) Continue to cook and stir over a light boil for 7 minutes. This is a great way to get the kids involved. I let them take turns stirring.

• Remove the melted marshmallow mix from heat and immediately pour over the chocolate/butter mixture. With a wooden spoon, stir the mixture until the chocolate is melted and loses its shine. This will take a little while, just keep stirring. As the mixture cools it will lose its shine. Stir in the vanilla. Add the frozen marshmallows and walnuts pieces. Spread into a large buttered cookie sheet. Make sure and use a cookie sheet that has a lip or a side to it.

• Cool completely. I always put it in the refrigerator to cool. Cut into pieces and serve. Store in an airtight container. This recipe makes about 60-70 pieces depending upon how large you cut them.

You can see the texture in this photo. They are rich and delicious. You only need one or two small pieces and you are completely satisfied! Don’t let my photo fool you. This little plate is 4 x 4 so the pieces of fudge are really small. I am not a food blogger so my treats never look quite as good in pictures as they taste in real life.

Wednesday: Week In Review

This Week:

On Wednesday I worked all day but took an hour out of my time to make a treat with my girls. You should see a post about this soon.

And to review a bunch of toys for a toy round-up post coming out later this week. The girls were in heaven. Finally mom’s job pays off for them 🙂

On Thursday Lewis took Adam to take his driver’s license test. I was on pins and needles waiting to hear if he passed. And he did. But my husband being my husband and my son being well, my son they didn’t take any pictures. I will be sure to fix that very soon 🙂

I had a doctor appointment in Reston, Virginia early in the morning so I took Haley with me so we could make it into a girl’s day. I got up early and got my work done for the day and we headed out. She was such a trooper hanging out in the waiting room while I saw the doctor, had x-rays done and then waited for them to decide what to do with me. Everyone knows how long that can take. When they were all finished with me we headed out and drove to Tyson’s Corner to spend the rest of the day because I had a surprise for her that night.

We had a great day together. Including a special surprise. Watch for a movie review post on the 22nd for more!

Saturday Lewis and I hit up a casino that is fairly close to our house. We had dinner at one of the restaurants and it was pretty good. Good prices and decent food, actually much better than I expected. We might have stayed to play a little Blackjack, but I am not telling. We might have won some money too, but again I am not telling.

Sunday we took the kids Back To School shopping in Hagerstown, Maryland at the Hagerstown Premium Outlets. All of the kids finished up their school shopping and Lewis and I each got a couple of things as well. I have to say it was a good set of outlets. They had most everything that we wanted and it isn’t too far from home. We also hit up the regular mall and Sam’s Club since it has been about a year since we checked it out. Our day of shopping was almost too much for some of the kids.

Monday school started! I will try to keep my excitement to a minimum. This year I have kids in 11th, 8th, 6th, and 5th grade. This is the last year that my kids will be spread out over 3 different schools. Next year we are down to two schools, with no little kids left in elementary. I’m not sure I am old enough for this.

As you can tell Abi (the 5th grader) is the only one that was really excited for the first day of school photo. My oldest barely tolerated it, and one of the middle kids (I will let you guess which one) whispered, “You just took a piece of my soul.” Ummmmm….

School means cross-country practice and volleyball tryouts as well. Well it would have meant volleyball tryouts if I was a good mom. But I totally spaced getting the 6th grader the physical and so did she so no tryouts for her so that means no team 😦

Purchase Of The Week:

So Costco was out of our brand of toilet paper the past couple of times that I have been so we have been using some from the pantry stash in the basement. Then I was in Utah for 10 days so we really were running low. And well we were pretty pretty close to running out to be honest. Good thing Sam’s Club had our brand in stock when we went on Sunday. Out of everything that I bought this week this was the most important and needed item.