Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

It’s time for the monthly Fantastical Food Fight and I’m so excited for this month’s theme – Mint Chocolate. I knew immediately I wanted to make ice cream – it’s one of my kids favorite flavors.

This ice cream is creamy and rich, plus packed full of mint flavor. My kids thought it was a little strong with their first bite, but after a few more bites, they were loving it! So much so, they ate it all and already asked me to make another batch. Ice cream is simple to make and I love that I can control what ingredients I’m using.

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Cinnamon Toast Crunch Chickpeas

I’m always looking for healthier snacks for my kids and these were so good. They’re easy to make and can be made in a variety of flavors. They’re one of my daughter’s favorite snacks!

This version takes just like Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal – a hint of maple followed up with the warmth of cinnamon. They’re crunchy and a great alternative to snacking on chips or pretzels.

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Tortellini with Sauteed Asparagus and Walnuts

Spring sports for my kids start in a little over a month and I’m always searching for dinners that I can make in less than 30 minutes. This quick and simple recipe is going to be one of my go-to meals for busy nights. It takes no time at all to make and it’s delicious … plus I can get my kids to eat green vegetables without complaining. They both inhaled a bowl and asked for second. Winning!!

I really liked the addition of the walnuts. They added a bit of crunch and texture to the pasta, plus they’re so good for you!

16 oz cheese Tortellini
3/4 lb asparagus, chopped into thirds
juice from one lemon
4 Tbsp butter
1/3 cup walnuts
Fresh ground pepper
4 Tbsp grated Parmesan

Cook pasta according to package instructions. When cooked, transfer to a large bowl; set aside. In a large sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat until frothy. Add the chopped asparagus and toss to coat. Cover with a lid and cook for 4 to 5 minutes.

When asparagus is cooked, using a slotted spoon, scoop the asparagus from the pan into the bowl with the pasta. Keep as much butter in the pan as possible. Add the lemon juice to the pan and season with fresh ground pepper. Pour the sauce over the pasta and asparagus. Toss to combine. Mix in the walnuts and top with extra Parmesan cheese if desired.

Source: Green Valley Kitchen

Shoofly Cupcakes

Today is #FoodBloggerLove day and I’m excited to participate this year. The event had a couple of ways to participate and I chose to be assigned another blogger and show them some love. #FoodBloggerLove Logo.png

I received Amanda’s blog, Crafty Cooking Mama and was excited to learn we have a lot in common. We live about an hour from each other (crazy, right!?), we both enjoy wine and have kids and bully breed dogs.

I decided to make her recipe for Shoofly Cupcakes. I love Shoofly pie and these cupcakes tasted just like it. They’re packed full of molasses flavor and topped with sweet crumble. I would love to figure out a way to make the centers gooey like wet-bottom pie.

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Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal Muffins

Last week, the kids were home due to snow and extreme cold temperature. Of course they needed something to snack on, so I whipped up a batch of these delicious and easy muffins.

My daughter told me that they were her favorite muffins I’ve ever made. Wow! She’s been quite picky lately and I was happy to hear that. These muffins remind me of a bowl of hot oatmeal. I preferred to eat them warm with a smear of butter. Yum!!

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Beef Ragu over Papparedelle

We’re coming out of the Polar Vortex and I’m so glad I made this dish earlier in the week. It was the perfect thing for leftovers. I also love that it’s made in a slow cooker … throw it all into one pot and let it do it’s thing while cooking. All this cold weather is making me want to hunker down and eat comfort foods, and this sure hit the spot!

One of my kids loved it and other was “meh” on it. Those were her words…LOL! She’s been quite picky and outspoken lately. I guess that’s what happens when she’s almost 12. If you have any tips on how to deal with preteen and teenage girls, please send them my way. I don’t know if I’m going to make it with all the attitude and sass. I hope when my son gets to the be this age, he continues to be a sweet angel.

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Instant Pot Sweet Soy Chicken Thighs

Chicken thighs can be boring at times, but when you cook them in a sweet soy sauce, it makes them phenomenal! This recipe was quick and easy to make. I skipped the step of browning the skin before throwing everything into the Instant Pot, but it turned out great!

In about 30 minutes, I had a delicious dinner and enough for leftovers. The sauce is sweet, salty and a little sticky. I served the chicken with noodles and a side of green beans. My husband and I both loved this recipe, my kids weren’t 100% in love with it … but they ate it. Recently, they both have been complaining that everything is “chewy.” Oh the joys of being a parent!

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Stove-top Hot Chocolate

It’s cold … freezing cold here in PA. Below zero wind chills. I want to crawl back into bed, wrap myself in blankets, snuggle with my dog and watch Lifetime movies all day. But alas, as a Mom, my job is never done and there’s no time for relaxing when my kids are off school.

Speaking of my kids, they’re constantly asking for hot chocolate. So, I decided to whip them up a special treat – homemade hot chocolate! I can’t drink it with my sensitivity to dairy, but they both loved it … so did my husband. It’s so easy to make, I’m not sure why I have never done it before! I don’t think I’ll be able to pass hot chocolate made from powder past them anymore.

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Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Mushrooms

I love mushrooms especially ones that stuffed! This past weekend, I bought a pack of large mushrooms from Costco and was planning to make a sausage stuffed version, but stumbled on this recipe for a take on jalapeno poppers.

They are super easy to make and only take a few ingredients. I luckily had everything in my fridge to make them except for a jalapeno. I love when I have the majority of ingredients to make a recipe in my fridge and pantry.

These were creamy and delicious. The jalapeno brought the perfect amount of heat and the mushrooms held up to the heaping of stuffing. This recipe makes 6 large button mushrooms, but can easily be doubled or tripled if you want them for a party.

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Baked Sour Cream Donuts

Donuts are one of my favorite things to indulge in and its been a while since I made a batch. What I love about making donuts at home is that most recipes make only 6 and they’re easy to customize.

These sour cream donuts are light and fluffy. Nothing like a traditional cake donut. They had a hint of tartness from the sour cream and had the perfect amount of sweetness from the glaze. In less than 30 minutes, you can easily whip up a batch of these donuts.

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