Valentine’s Crunch Mix

January is over! I can’t believe that we made it through a whole month already! This year is flying by!

Since it is February I put out all of my Valentine’s Day decor and my girl’s have been excited to get some fun “Love Day” stuff happening. Cards, treats, parties, and even a Valentine’s Day dance this year. Oy!

Last week we made these Easy Valentine’s Day Cupcakes. This weekend we decided that we needed to make another delicious Valentine’s Day treat. So I went to Pinterest. After looking around for a while I remembered that one of my Facebook friends had posted her cereal mix recipe last week. I went and looked it up. We made a couple of changes to make it fit our needs and came up with this yummy treat was was made and eaten up in less than 2 hours. Fortunately I have enough supplies to make it again to take to a party next week.

• Servings: 24
• Time: 10mins
• Difficulty: Easy
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This recipe is so easy to make – even the kids can help and it’s perfect for any Valentine’s Day party or just for a weeknight treat.

Ingredients

• 6 cups Chex cereal (I used half rice and half corn)
• 2 cups pretzels (I used the small square ones)
• .75 cups light Karo syrup
• .5 cup sugar
• .5 cup butter
• 1 cup plain Valentine’s Day M&M’s
• 1 cup mini marshmallows
• pink and red sprinkles

Directions

1. Mix the cereal and pretzels in a large mixing bowl.
2. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan.
3. Add the Karo syrup and sugar to the melted butter.
4. Heat together over medium heat until boiling.
5. Boil for two minutes.
6. Pour evenly over the cereal/pretzel mix and mix well.
7. Add marshmallows and M&M’s and mix well.
8. Spread mixture onto a greased cookie sheet and have the kids sprinkle the sprinkles over the top of the crunch.
9. Allow to cool completely.
10. If they don’t eat it all in one sitting (yeah, right) place the leftovers in an air tight container for tomorrow.

You can buy Valentine’s Day treat bags and use them to hand out your treat to friends and neighbors! My girls are making a double batch to take to their friend’s Valentine’s Day party before the school dance.

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
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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!

Apple Strudel

They say humility is a virtue, and I suppose that’s true.  When it comes to special occasions though… I admit… I do love to show off.  Pretty food just tastes better.  This recipe is both beautiful and delicious.  There’s nothing wrong with friends and family feeding your ego while you feed their bellies.

Phyllo dough is super complicated and time consuming to make from scratch. This is one of the few exceptions to my homemade is ALWAYS better rule.  The pre-made frozen phyllo dough from the store is just as good for this recipe and saves a ton of time.  It can, however, be frustrating to work with unless you follow these tips.

1. Thaw in the fridge overnight, the night before.
2. Keep the portion not being used covered with plastic wrap.  It dries out VERY quickly.
3. Don’t sweat a couple tears in the dough, you’re going to use several layers.  Just try to alternate where the tears are so they’re not all in the same place causing a weak spot.

• Servings: 8
• Time: 1 hour plus thawing time
• Difficulty: Intermediate
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Try this recipe for an elegant end to a stay date this Valentine's day.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 2 Tbsp Cognac
• 1 stick butter
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs (homemade is best)
• 1 lb Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 medium McIntosh apple, peeled, cores, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 10 sheets phyllo 14×9 inch
• confectioner’s sugar for dusting (optional)

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 475. Line a 9×13 baking sheet with parchment paper. Simmer raisins in Cognac in small saucepan over medium heat 1-2 minutes, until liquid is mostly absorbed.  Cover and set aside to cool.
2. Combine 1 Tbsp butter and bread crumbs in a small skillet and toast over medium heat stirring often until golden brown.  Set aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl, gently toss apples, raisins, breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon, salt, and lemon juice.
4. Melt remaining  butter.  Using a large sheet of parchment as a work surface, place 2 sheets of phyllo next to each other, overlapping by about 1 inch.  Brush entire surface lightly with melted butter and sprinkle with about 1/2 tsp sugar.  Repeat 4 more times so you have used all 10 sheets. You should have a rectangle about 14×16 inches, 5 layers thick, and 2 sheets wide (overlapping by 1 inch on each layer).
5. Place filling near the bottom of the phyllo and slightly spread it out leaving 2 1/2 inch border on the bottom and 2 inch border on sides.  Fold the dough on the sides over the apples, then fold the bottom up over apples. Roll/fold the phyllo and apples up creating a rectangle package of apples wrapped up on phyllo.
6. Place strudel seam side down on prepared baking dish.  Once again, brush lightly with butter and sprinkle with 1 tsp sugar.  Cut 4, 2 inch crosswise slits to vent in top of strudel.
7. Bake 15 minutes.  Cool about 30 minutes.  Dust with confectioners sugar. This is best served warm with plenty of fresh whipped cream.

Don’t over sweeten the whipped cream if you make your own (which you should) so the tartness of the apples can come through.

I know I’m not the only one who shows off for special occasions.  What’s your best showpiece recipe?

Ahh, Mom’s Chicken Noodle Soup

My mom’s homemade chicken noodle soup is the best.  That is all.  It’s like a delicious bowl of warm blanket that wraps you up with every bite.  I can still remember the first time I had canned chicken noodle soup.  I was at the babysitters house.  She put this bowl of stuff in front of me and said lunch is ready.  I asked what it was.  “It’s chicken noodle soup.” she said with a smile, thinking she had given me something warm and delicious.  I was polite and ate it.  It was OK, I thought, but that stuff is NOT chicken noodle soup.  Chicken noodle soup, as I knew it, was full of flavor with big chunks of chicken, potatoes, and carrots, delicious homemade broth, and… wait for it… homemade noodles.

 

Mom's Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

• Servings: 8-10
• Time: 3hours
• Difficulty: Intermediate
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This chicken noodle soup recipe is how my mom used to make it with a few tweaks of my own. It's so basic. It does take some time to do it right, but it's so worth the wait. It's perfect for cold days or when your sick. It makes a lot, but that's ok. It's even better second day.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken
• 1 small onion roughly chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 carrots peeled and chopped
• 2 medium russet potatoes chopped (I like to leave the peels on)
• 1 Fennel bulb sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 large parsnip peeled and chopped
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 recipe homemade egg noodles (you can substitute egg noodles from the store, but they’re REALLY not as good)

Directions

1. Place chicken in a large stock pot and fill with enough water to cover by about 2 inches along with the onion, bay leaves, and plenty of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 1 1/2 – 2 hours.
2. Place chicken on a plate to cool slightly.
3. Strain broth and place in fridge for an hour or so to bring fat to the top. You can skip this step, but it allows you to skim the fat off which I prefer.
4. Return broth (sans fat) to the pot along with the carrots, potatoes, fennel, parsnip, and spices and bring to a boil on high heat.
5. Once it begins to boil, lower the heat to maintain a low boil until the veggies are tender, about 15-20 minutes.
6. Add chicken and noodles and boil another 10-15 minutes.

Enjoy with Delicious Crusty Beer Bread. Do you have a recipe for food that’s more comforting than this? If so, please share.

Superbowl Food vs. New Years Weight Loss Goals: Skinny Boneless Chicken Wings

So you’ve set your new year’s resolutions.  You’ve written them down, made some changes, things are going well.  If  you’re like 90% of the rest of us, weight loss is on the top of the resolution list.  If you are among that 90%, at this point you’ve probably gotten a gym membership (if you’re still looking around, check out our Get Fit in 2017 guide.)  You’ve probably also made it to the health food store for some protein powder, vitamins, and  other “when you’re in a hurry” essentials.  Well done!  You’re off to a great start. And so am I.

Watch out for hurdles. Party food can really sabotage a low fat, low calorie diet plan. With the Superbowl right around the corner I need a game plan for avoiding all those fatty, albeit delicious, finger foods at the party.

I simply can’t turn down chicken wings. If they’re at the party, I’m going to eat them. My strategy is to bring my own chicken wings that have been altered to be not just low fat but nutritious and still delicious. Their oven baked instead of deep fried and I’ve replaced the white flour breading with wheat germ which gives them into a nice dose of folic acid. There are a lot of foods that do not translate well from fattening to nutritious. This is not one of them. I was actually surprised at how yummy these turned out.

Skinny Boneless Chicken Wings

• 4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
• ½ cup low-fat milk
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp water
• ¾ cup wheat germ flakes
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
• Salt and pepper
• Frank’s Red Hot Sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut each chicken breast into 3 evenly sized pieces. Place milk and a small shallow bowl. Beat eggs and water in another bowl until slightly foamy. In another Bowl combine wheat germ cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Dip each piece of chicken individually in milk, then we term mixture, then eggs, and then wheat germ mixture a second time. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheets. Repeat with all the pieces of chicken. Lightly spray each piece of chicken with cooking spray. (Olive oil spray us best)

Bake for 20 minutes turning over halfway through cooking time. until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees. Sprinkle them with Frank’s Red Hot Sauce to taste.  I love spice so I tend to use a lot of Frank’s.

Serve with light blue cheese salad dressing. I always use Lighthouse brand. It’s delicious.

Fancy A Cocktail?

Happy New Year! With the new year comes new experiences and new challenges!

This year instead of making resolutions I am going to focus on the experiences that I want to have and the challenges that are in my way.

For example I love to throw parties but since I am not a big drinker I never know what to serve as the “cocktail” for the evening. Enter the Stirrings Blogger Recipe Challenge. Stirrings challenge was to have each person create 2 unique and fun cocktails.

Thanks to this challenge I was able to put together a couple of really fun and delicious recipes that will be served all year when I have people over. I came up with two really great options (that can also be made sans alcohol for those of us that do not indulge often or at all).

Mele Kaliki Cocktail

Ingredients

• 2 oz Simple Lemon Drop Martini Mix
• 1 oz Grapefruit Juice or Grapefruit Soda
• 2 oz of Coconut Rum
• Lemon Sugar to Rim the Glass

1. Rim the glass with lemon juice and sugar.
2. Mix the ingredients and pour slowly (so that you don’t lose the sugar rim) into the glass.
3. Garnish with a lemon or lime slice.
4. Enjoy!

Lemon Cranberry Kiss

Ingredients

• 1 oz Lemon Drop Martini Mix
• 1 oz Margarita Mix
• 1 oz Coconut Rum
• 1 oz Dark Rum
• 2 oz Cranberry Juice or Cranberry Soda

1. Rim the glass with lemon juice and sugar.
2. Mix the ingredients and pour slowly (so that you don’t lose the sugar rim) into the glass.
3. Garnish with cranberries.
4. Enjoy!

Both recipes were delicious without the alcohol as well so try it both ways!

You can find out more and follow Stirrings Mixers here:

• For purchase: All Harmon’s grocery store locations
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Stirrings
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/StirringsMixer
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stirrings
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/stirringsmixers/

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?

Puffy Apple Pancakes

When the weather starts to turn cold, I tend to migrate to the kitchen ( even more than i normally do). I think it’s a multi sensory thing. The taste, the smell, and the sight. It’s all so comforting when it’s chilly outside. This is my favorite breakfast or brunch recipe to make for house guests. It fills the house with the most homey delicious scent. When you pull it out of the oven it is gorgeous. Have your guests seated when it’s done baking, it does fall rather quickly. And the taste, oh the taste! Yum!

WARNING! I made these for my cousin and her husband when they were staying with us a few years ago. Then I had to make them again every morning that they stayed because he loved them so much. I even had to make two batches on the last morning because one just wasn’t enough. I really wonder how many times my cousin has made these since then. I’m guessing at least 300.

• 6 eggs
• 1 1\2 cup milk
• 1 cup flour
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1\2 tsp salt
• 1\4 tsp cinnamon
• 6 Tbsp butter
• 2 apples, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar

1. Oven to 425. Place the butter in a 9x 13 pan to melt the butter while the oven is Heating. When it’s melted put the apple slices on a flat layer in the pan too lightly toast them. Do not let them burn.    
2. In a blender mix eggs, milk, flour, sugar, vanilla, and salt, until blended. If using an electric mixer, better will remain slightly lumpy.
3. Remove pan from oven and immediately poor batter over apples. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake in center of oven 20 minutes or until puffed and brown. Serve immediately.

These are amazing with homemade buttermilk syrup.  It tastes like eating a caramel apple for breakfast.

Homemade Egg Noodles? OMG

Nothing says “I love you”, like homemade noodles from scratch. If you’ve ever had homemade noodles in chicken noodle soup or minestrone soup, you know, they are worlds apart from the stuff at the store.  When my mom used to make soup, my siblings and I would always ask, “with homemade noodles?”  My mom was a pro and could whip these up in no time, so her answer was usually “yes”. (insert smiling children and applause here) With a little practice they become really easy to make so if it’s not quite right the first time, keep trying.  Making your own ingredients saves money and gives tons of extra flavor. It is a skill worth perfecting.

Mom’s Homemade Egg Noodles

• 1 cup flour, plus about 1/2 cup more
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 2 eggs lightly whisked

 

Whisk dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Add eggs and mix with a fork until you have a solid mass.

Slowly knead more flour into the dough.  I do this inside the bowl to make less clean up.  You have to go by the way it feels for the amount of flour to knead into the dough at this point.  It should be only slightly sticky and fairly smooth.  If you add too much flour you will get tough noodles that are impossible to roll out.  Too little four will mean really sticky dough that is impossible to peel up after you roll it out.  Trial and error is your friend.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface.  You’ll need to continually lightly flour the dough, flip it over, roll some more, flour again, and repeat until the dough is about 1/8 inch thick. If you like a thicker or thinner noodle, go for it.

Slice it into thin rows and cut them to the length you want your noodles with a pizza cutter.

Toss them a bit and allow them to dry for about 15-20 minutes.  They’re ready to use.

Add them right to your soup and boil for about 10 minutes.  You can also boil them in water for other uses. Definitely try these in Chicken Noodle Soup or Minestrone Soup.