Recipe Time: Homemade Crackers!

Snack time in this house requires a crafty mommy. Maybe not so much if I was comfortable giving Lauryn the "snacks" you find on the grocery store shelves. But since Im not, I have to get creative when 2:30pm rolls around. Lots of kids snacks revolve around crackers. So I have been scouring the internet looking for a healthy, yet easy to make cracker. And I have finally stumbled upon a gem!

1/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup water
Seasonings to taste - I used Herbes De Provence

 Pulse all ingredients, except water, in your food processor until crumbly.  *Be sure to add any seasonings now!

Turn your machine on and let it run as you add the 1/4cup of water. Continue to run your processor until your dough starts to ball up.

On a lightly floured surface, or on parchment paper as shown, roll the dough out to 1/4'' thickness. This dough rolls extremely easily. It freezes really well too.

Since Lauryn is going to be the only one really eating these crackers, I decided to use our handy 1'' flower fondant cutters. You could just use a pizza cutter and cut the dough into small squares if youre not into the shapes. I think it adds a cutesy little flair. :)

If you have little hands helping you with this process, dont fret if they decide to eat a "precooked" flower! The dough is perfectly safe raw. No raw ingredients means no chance for crummies in tummies. 

Place crackers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place in a preheated 400 oven for 12-15 minutes, or until they start to lightly brown. 

*Again! Make sure you add your seasonings to the dough before you add the water. I completely forgot and had to dump some seasonings on the crackers last minute. The seasonings didnt stay on the cracker well after baking. 

As you can see, some of the seasonings survived baking, but most fell off when I removed the crackers from the parchment paper. Sigh. Theyre delicious though! And how easy are they?! About 30 minutes in the kitchen and I made 80 bite sized healthy crackers for my little girl.

Of course she had some crackers with cheese for snack today! Nutritious and delicious. Mommy and baby approved!

Be sure to check back soon! I have two recipes coming up that I am super excited about! Homemade goldfish crackers and homemade graham crackers! YUM!

Recipe Time: Banana Ice Cream

Moving not just to a new house but a new state put a pretty large amount of strain on all of us. Our first week in our new home, we decided to take a walk down to the locally owned ice cream shop. It was a short walk from our house and we all were in need of a little cheer. Since then, we have gone there for ice cream every Wednesday. Granted its only been 2 months, but its a new tradition that we all love! 

I however, started to feel a little guilty giving Lauryn ice cream every week. I know, it really isnt a big deal, but ice cream should be a treat. So I started looking for alternatives. She would never know the difference anyway. And that is how I stumbled upon this delicious and nutritious recipe! Oh and did I mention its just ONE ingredient?!

 

Thats it. Bananas. Yes, Im serious. 

 

Just slice them up and stick them in the freezer for 2 hours. Then stick them in the blender and let them go until smooth. I did add a tiny splash of milk, but it was totally unnecessary. 

 I sprinkled Lauryns with some fresh blackberries and strawberries! I mixed a spoonful of peanut butter and a little cocoa powder into hubby and I's. 

And as you can see, she didnt even care that it wasnt "real" ice cream. She gobbled it up. And I had absolutely zero feelings of mommy guilt over this Wednesday Ice Cream Day!

I kid you not, it tastes just like ice cream. Its creamy and rich. Absolutely delicious.

 

Recipe Time: Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

If you havent noticed already, I hate buying things premade. Its never as healthy or as tasty, or cheap, as something you whip up fresh that day! My family is worth the minimal extra effort. My husband and I are pretty picky when it comes to pasta sauce. But this is a recipe that we both LOVE.

1 28oz can of organic crushed tomatoes
1 small can of organic tomato paste
1-2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Fresh or dried basil to taste

 1. Heat your olive oil in a sauce pan on medium heat. Occasionally Ill add minced onion or garlic to this step and let that simmer for a little while.

2. Add the crushed tomatoes and 1/4cup of the tomato paste (its about half the can). Mix until the tomato paste is incorporated well. We tend to add fresh green peppers and mushrooms at this step also. Makes for a yummy sauce!

3. Add basil and stir. Turn heat down to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes.


Sorry for the lack of photos of the finished product. I completely forgot! Oops! Ill try to remember to update this once we have spaghetti again! Enjoy!

Recipe Time: Homemade Salsa!

Salsa is such a staple in our home. My husband loves it! But I hate buying it every grocery trip because, well lets be honest, even the cheap not so good isnt that cheap! I came across a recipe a few weeks or so ago for homemade salsa and thought why not give it a try! So I planned to buy all the ingredients and we would have freshly made salsa for taco night! Heres what youll need:

1 28oz jar of whole peeled tomatoes with the juices
2 jars of rotel peppers and chilis (you can get both mild, hot or a combination of both like we did)
1 clove of garlic
1/2 an onion
1 jalepeno (seeded and deveined if you dont like so much spice to your salsa)
1/2 a lime
fresh cilantro
salt

1. If youre food processor is big enough, throw everything in it (except the lime) and process until it meets the consistency you like. If you have a small processor (like mine unfortunately) just process everything separate (or as much as yours can handle).
I had to do most of my things seperate, then pour it into a bowl and mix everything thoroughly at the end. Not a big deal, it still tastes great!

2. Squeeze the juice of 1/2 lime into the salsa and either process until mixed, or  mix by hand.

Mmm salsa! It keeps in the fridge for quite a long time! I think I kept ours in for 2-3 weeks, just in a bowl covered with plastic wrap, and it was still just as tasty as the day it was made! Next time I make it though Im going to try canning! Also! It makes a ton of salsa! I believe the ingredients cost close to $6-$7, but it makes almost 6 cups of salsa if I remember correctly! Waaay cheaper than store bought! Tastes better too :)

Bust open a bag of tortilla chips and dig in! I promise youll love it!

Recipe Time: Animal Crackers

Kids love animal crackers. I love animal crackers! But, I wasn't too keen on feeding the over processed snack to my daughter. So I scoured Google to find a homemade version. That is where I came across Julie.

Onto these adorable crackers!

Homemade Animal Crackers:

1 Stick Butter
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Egg
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Allspice
1/8 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Cup Oats
11/2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder (Optional)

1. Cream together softened butter and brown sugar.

2. Add in the egg and vanilla, then combine well.

3. Now mix in the cinnamon, allspice, and salt. *I just used cinnamon for the plain cookies. For the chocolate cookies, I nixed the cinnamon and allspice completely.

4. Next add the oats, baking powder, whole wheat flour, and optional cocoa powder. Mix well. *I used 3Tbs of cocoa powder for our chocolate crackers.

5. Form dough into a ball and wrap with waxed paper. Place in the refrigerator for a minimum of an hour, or up to overnight.

6. When ready, grab off a hunk of dough, and let it "warm up" for 15 or so minutes. I tried to roll it right from the fridge and it was hard as heck! Allowing it to warm up helped a lot! Roll the dough out to 1/4" thick on a lightly floured surface.

7. Cut out crackers and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I swear this step seems never ending! So many teeny crackers! Bake in a preheated 350degree oven for 5-7 minutes.

Store in an airtight container and see how long they last. They're absolutely delicious! I even include a few in my husbands lunches for work! Lauryn adores these, and they're super soft so they're easy for her to eat.

Recipe Time: White Wine Chicken

Here's another one of our absolute favorites! Crockpot dishes are such a life savor some days. This one is quick and easy to throw together and tastes delicious. We usually pair this with a spring mix salad with an olive oil dressing.

White Wine Chicken

1 (10.75oz) can condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
1 tsp dried minced onion
1 tsp dried parsley
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp milk
1 package mushrooms
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I normally just use 2 large breasts)

1. Place raw defrosted chicken breasts in bottom of crockpot,

2. In a medium bowl, mix together cream of chicken soup, milk, and white wine until smooth. Then stir in the mushrooms, spices, and salt and pepper.

3. Pour mixture over chicken. And cover. Cook on low for 5-6 hours, or high for 3-4 hours. During the last hour of cooking, take a wooden spoon and "shred" the chicken in the crockpot. Doing it during the last hour makes this super easy, the chicken practically falls apart on its own.

4. Prepare pasta according to package, we use whole wheat egg noodles. Using rice for this dish would be delicious also!

5. Serve sauce over pasta or rice and enjoy!

*Note: You don't need a ton of pasta for this dish. The sauce is super filling!

Recipe Time: Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

I found this recipe on Pinterest a few weeks ago and have been anxiously awaiting the trial. Let me tell you, this tastes twice as delicious as it smells while cooking. And its not as unhealthy as you may think!

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

2 butterball turkey bacon strips, cooked and shredded
1 tsp minced garlic
1 package ranch dressing mix or 1/2 cup ranch dressing
1 10.75 oz can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 cup fat-free sour cream
16 oz. chicken breasts, frozen or defrosted/raw
8 oz. pasta (I used penne) cooked
 *Some people have said that this has a little too much ranch flavor, or a little too salty, this can be fixed by adding only half the ranch dressing mix.

1. Combine the bacon, garlic, ranch, cream of chicken, and sour cream. Stir until smooth.

2. Place raw chicken in crockpot sprayed with non-stick spray. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Cover and cook on high for 3.5 hours. Shred the chicken with 2 forks, I used a wooden spatula. Then prepare your pasta according the package.

This was so filling! My husband and I, plus the little, all had some and we still have leftovers! Which I will add, this freezes really well! 

Now for the real shocker, the nutritional facts! 

456 calories, 61 carbs, 5 fat grams and 36 protein grams.

Freaking amazing! 

I must give credit where credit is due, so I applaud you Kelly this will be a staple in our home from now on!

Recipe Time: Calabrian Pork Chops with Red Potatoes and Sweet Cherry Peppers

I WISH I could take credit for this meal, but unfortunately, I can't. I pulled this beauty from Teresa Giudice's "Fabulicious" more info on that can be found here! This is now one of our favorite meals! Its cheap, easy and healthy. A perfect trifecta!

Calabrian Pork Chops with Peppers and Potatoes

7Tbs extra virgin olive oil, divided
2Tbs red wine vinegar
2tsp finely chopped fresh basil
1tsp dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2tsp salt
1/4tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 (6z) boneless pork loin chops, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 1/4lbs medium red potatoes, cut lengthwise into sixths
6 hot or sweet fresh cherry peppers, tops removed, seeded and quartered

*If you can't find fresh cherry peppers, pickled cherry peppers works just as well. I use a whole jar. These wont need cooking so just add them to the potatoes with the browned pork.

1. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk 3Tbs of the olive oil with the vinegar, basil, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper. Let stand for 15 minutes. Add the pork to the mix, stir to coat, and let it marinate for another 15 minutes.

2. Heat 2Tbs of the olive oil in a large skillet, over high heat. Remove the pork from the marinade, letting the excess marinade drip back into the bowl. In batches, add the pork to the skillet and cook, turning occasionally, until the pork is browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer the browned pork to a plate, leaving any remaining fat in the pan.

3. Add the remaining 2Tbs olive oil to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium. Add the potatoes and peppers, if using fresh, and stir well. Cook, stirring often, until the potatoes begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of water and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the water evaporates and the potatoes are almost tender and lightly browned, about 15 minutes.

4. Return the pork to the skillet, adding the peppers if using pickled peppers, cover and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper, serve hot.

I honestly can't say anything else about this dish, other than its absolutely delicious! Our little one even loved it, she was literally shoveling handful after handful into her mouth at dinner. Its a cheap, healthy, hearty meal, that is bound to be a winner in your house too!

Happy Valentine's Day - A day late

I love love love valentine's day! Even more now that I have a sweet baby to smother with extra hugs and kisses! Nothing spectacular to show you guys from yesterday but have a look at some of my favorite snapshots from the day!

Started munchkins day off right with some whole wheat heart shaped french toast! -- And of course I had to make chocolate covered strawberries. They were absolutely delicious by the way.

 She looks absolutely thrilled about Valentines Day doesn't she?

This is the happy, excited about everything, baby I know! She is in love with the teddy bear, now named Rupert, that her daddy got her!

Being the awesome mommy I am, I purchased a GIANT stuffed ladybug for her for Valentines Day. The thing is huge! Just wait, you'll see. But this was her reaction when I started to pull it off of the table. Seriously one of my favorite photos from the entire night!

She loves the freakishly large ladybug!

I told you this thing was big! My 19lb, 10 month old sitting on it, and there's still plenty of room on the back for another 1-2 kids! And the best part, it was only $10 at walmart! Something this large at a carnival would easily run you, ooooh $50, maybe less, but I suck at carnival games.

This was the dinner I made. It was delicious! Chicken breasts baked over portobello mushroom caps, drizzled with a white wine sauce, garlic mashed potatoes, fresh steamed green beans, and bruschetta! I'll link the recipes below! I was even able to score a teeny kid sized heart shaped plate for the little! Very festive.

We topped the evening off with a homemade chocolate lava cake. These things are so good, but super easy to "over-bake". The recipe says to bake them at 400degrees for 12-14 minutes. I baked them for 13 minutes, and when they came out, I thought they were a little underdone. They seemed to have a little too much lava in the center, although I'm not entirely sure how thats possible. So I tossed them in the microwave for 15 seconds. Mine came out with no lava what-so-ever, hubs went in the microwave for 7 seconds and had a little lava. I'd just throw them in the oven for 14 minutes and that should be about perfect!


Recipe Links:

Chicken Breasts over Portobello Mushroom Caps
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Lava Cakes - I nixed the cinnamon, cayenne, nutmeg, and almond oil in these. We wanted just a chocolate flavor. We also cut the recipe in half and covered the remaining batter in the fridge. We heated it up the next day in the microwave for 30 seconds. Delish!

Recipe Time: Grilled Sausage with Peppers

Growing up, my mother worked a full time job and took care of us kids along with the housework, mostly on her own. So meals were simple, and usually from a box, she didn't have time for much else unless it was the weekend. But having the opportunity to be a SAHM, and especially with our daughter eating what we eat, I have made it my "job" to find delicious, yet easy and relatively cheap meals. We have tried a ton of new recipes and thankfully only a handful have been thrown into the "never again" category. This little gem is so simple and ridiculously healthy! And it doesn't take much time at all!

Grilled Sausage with Peppers

1 package sweet (or hot) Italian sausage - we use turkey sausage for a healthier alternative
1 green bell pepper, sliced into 1/2 inch ribbons
1 red bell pepper, sliced into 1/2 inch ribbons
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced into 1/2 inch ribbons
1 medium onion, sliced into 1/2 inch ribbons
3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Chop all veggies into ribbons, I'm super anal about this (maybe a little OCD too, hence the different bowls) so this step, no matter the recipe, always takes me what seems like forever! I want them perfect! Don't forget the garlic!

 2. Heat 3Tbs olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. While you're doing this heat your grill up nice and hot, then lightly oil the grates.

3. Throw your veggies in the skillet and let them start to soften (about 5 minutes), then stir and cover. Cook another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. While your veggies are covered, throw the sausages on the grill. They'll take about 20-25 minutes. Flip them often and cook until no longer pink. I had to interrupt hubs man-grill time to get this photo. He's absolutely loving his new grill!

5. Uncover and stir veggies. Cook another 5 minutes. Then remove from heat and keep warm until sausage is done. If you plan it right, it'll all be done around the same time.

Voila! Excuse the fact that my husband felt the need to cut every single piece of sausage, except one, completely in half, to check for doneness. This smells absolutely delicious while cooking and is surprisingly filling! We served it with some Italian bread and the leftovers made for amazing sandwiches the next day. Our little one even enjoyed this recipe! Its super healthy, cheap, and ridiculously easy! A definite keeper in our books!