Whipped Maple Apple Dip

I found this on Pinterest!
Anyone else somewhat addicted to it (Pinterest)?  Well, I really can't be, I don't have a whole lot of spare time...  I usually just go through a few categories and hit like and repin if it's something I want to remember!  ;)  SOOOOOO many cool ideas on there!

Anyways, I did find this on there.  SOOOOO good!  The kids GOBBLED this down!  We had just gotten some fresh apples from the farm, so it was PERFECT to make this for their snack that nite!

REALLY easy too!  :)  REALLLLLY good on FRESH from the tree or farm apples!  :oP


Whipped Maple Apple Dip

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1-2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (none of that fake "pancake" syrup stuff!  ;))

Whip cream and  syrup together in a mixer with the whisk until it's whipped topping.  Serve with apples of graham crackers.
Super good and easy!!  :)

If there are any leftovers, you can store them in the frig for 1-2 days.
I had no leftovers, so no need to store any!  ;)

Try it and let me know how you like it!  SOOOO good and easy!!!  :D
My kids LOOOOOOVED it!!!  :D

Frosty

This is by NO means healthy!  BUT, it's really good!  There really are only 3 ingredients, 4 if you count ice.  I found a recipe like this on pinterest, but I did it a bit differently.

I used my Vita-mix, but you don't need a vita-mix to make this, jsut a blender that does a good job at chopping ice!  ;)

The kids LOVED this!  Ok, I'm not gonna lie, I LOVED it!  It's been soooo long since I had a "real" Wendy's frosty, I don't remember how they taste, but when I took a bite of this, I thought it tasted pretty much like the real deal!  ;)

The first time I made this, I added enough ice to make it thick.  I used my Vita-Mix for this.  I just added all the ingredients and added enough ice that I thought would make it thick enough.  It was a little bit on the soft side, but it still tasted REALLY good!

I just made this for our small group and did everything the same, but I put it in the freezer to firm up a bit more.  It took about 3-4 hours to get the right consistency of the frosty.  But it also depends on how much ice you put in it. But it was PERFECT!  Everyone really liked it, so I guess it passed!  ;)

Frosty

can of sweetened condensed milk
half a gallon of chocolate milk
1 container of cool whip or off brand, or whatever you buy!  ;)  (it can be frozen or defrosted)
Ice (I used crushed ice, yes, I think you should use crushed ice too, if you don't have it, just make sure your blender is on long enough to crush it all!  :))

Poor in half a can of sweetened condensed milk, half of the half gallon of chocolate milk, and the whole container of cool whip.

Blended until nice and smooth.  Dump out half of the mixture (or if your blender won't hold that much, just do what it will hold! :)) and dump in the same amount of ice.  For example, I had 2 cups worth of yumminess, so I added AT LEAST 2 cups of crushed ice.  Blend until smooth, or the consistency you want!  And EAT!!!!!!  :)  I'm pretty sure towards the end I added a bit more chocolate milk to get the consistency just right!  Again, it's kind of a trial and error!  ;)
(Don't forget to mix up the rest, OR you can put it back in the cool whip container and place in freezer until ready to use for the next time!  ;))
I do recommend putting it in the freezer for a few hours, I personally think it tastes better!  ;)

So for one can of sweetened condensed milk, a half gallon of chocolate milk and 2 containers of cool whip, I made enough to serve at least 20 people!  I think I put in a total of maybe 6 bucks into the whole thing and it fed that many people! Pretty good!  I think it's cheaper than a real frosty!  If you really want to, make sure you bring home a cup and spoon from Wendy's, then place your home made frosty in that cup! ;)  Also, don't forgot the Wendy's fries to dip in the frosty!  YUMMY!! Man, I really wish I had the ingredients to make one because I'm getting myself really hungry for one!  :)

Enjoy!  Let me know if you make this and if you did anything different!  Honest opinions here, I can take it!  :)

Four Bean Chili

Wow!  This was so good!  The seasoning was PERFECT!  The only bad thing, I didn't measure exactly how much I put in!  I KNOW what I put in, just not the amounts!  It really is also up to the person how much of something you like, less spicy, more spicy... 

I soaked 4 different beans last nite.  I just put it all in one pot, then cooked it.  SUPER easy!  It also makes it WAY cheaper! I got all the other ingredients (canned tomato sauce, a can of diced tomatoes) and then the green pepper was from the Farmer's Market.  I think I figured the whole crock pot of soup cost me right about $5, and I have leftover to use for tomorrow nites supper!  If I made enough I may be able to do ONE more meal!  Are you kidding me?  Atleast TWO suppers for a family of 6, for $5!  How COOL is that? 

I didn't measure out the beans, I just kinda guessed about how much I would need.  (In the recipe, I gave you exact amounts for using cans of beans)  I took black, white, kidney and pinto beans.  Just dumped them in a pot and covered with water overnight. Brought them to a boil and then dropped down to a simmer for 2 hours.  While they were cooking, I cooked my onions in olive oil, and then added the garlic once the onions were almost caramelized.  Dump those in the crock pot with the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and a can of tomato soup.  I added a can of tomato paste and added some cans of water. 

Once my beans were done, I added them to my crock pot.  Let it simmer on low for the rest of the day!  Boy did it smell GOOOOOD when we got home from SPEAR, that was at 3:!5, I still had to wait a little over 2 hours to eat supper!  :(

I then mixed up some homemade corn bread, which I already posted the recipe. 

What a yummy fall meal if I do say so myself!  And cheap to boot!  ;)  I like cheap AND good!  :)

Let me know if you try this, or if you have any questions!  :)

 Up close of this delicious soup!!!  :D

I couldn't wait to try the first bite, I'm not lying, the seasoning was absolutely PERFECT!!!  :)

This was my Gramma's bowl...  I used it ALL the time when I was at her house, she used it ALL the time too!  I remember one time we got into a little "fight" over who was going to use it!  haha!!  ;)

Here it is with the corn bread that I made!  :)  Very good filling meal!  BONUS, we have leftovers for tomorrow nites meal!  Can't wait!  Baked potatoes with this yummy chili on top, then sour cream and cheese, yummy!!!  ;oP








Four Bean Chili

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Large Onion, chopped
3-4 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Lb Lean Ground Beef
1-15 Oz Can White Beans, rinsed and drained
1-15 Oz Can Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
1-15 Oz Can Pinto Beans, rinsed and drained
1-15 Oz Can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
1-28 Oz Can Chopped Tomatoes with Juice
2-15 Oz Cans Tomato Sauce
2 Tbsp Chili Powder
1 Tbsp Cumin
2 Tsp Salt


Saute the onion in the olive oil until it's just beginning to caramelize.  Then add the garlic, more or less to your taste!  ;)
Place everything in the crock pot and turn on low for 8 hours. 
Serve with corn bread.  Or you could add some sour cream, cheese, chives to this as well...  But since I am going to serve this on a baked potato, I'll use those toppings for that!  ;)

Homemade Corn Bread

Yes, as in, you mix the flour and the corn meal together and make your own. ;)  You don't open a box of Jiffy Mix...  It's really easy!  REALLY!  The beauty of this, I added some chili powder to it, you can more or less to make it more spicy! 

I made this tonite to go with the chili.  The kids LOVED it and gobbled it down!  It's so easy!  Only a few ingredients!

I bought my corn meal from the Amish store in Indiana.  I just put it in a Ziploc baggie and place in the freezer until I need it.  ;)

Try it and let me know what you think!  Again, you don't "have" to add the chili powder, just a yummy pretence that we all like!  ;)

Put all dry ingredients in a bowl

Mix all dry ingredients together

Pour all wet ingredients in a bowl and mix

Pour wet ingredients into dry... Mix thoroughly

Place in preheated oven for 20-22 minutes until golden brown...

Here they are, nice and hot! :)

Another view

Here it is with the chili, sooo good! The kids broke up some of theirs to put in the chili... ;)

Homemade Corn Bread

1 cup corn meal
1 cup all-purpose flour
not quite 1/2 cup sugar
1 heaping tablespoon baking powder
1 -2 teaspoons chili powder (more or less to your taste)
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/3 vegetable oil
1 egg

Preheat the oven to 400.
Combine dry ingredients in one bowl, wet ingredients in another. Combine the two and mix until just blended. Pour into greased pan. Use and 8 x 8 pan if you like it fairly (2 to 3 inches) thick or 13 x 9 pan if you like it thin. I used a 13 x 9 pan for the loaf pictured here, which produced a 1 inch thick loaf.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove and serve while still warm.

I don't know what it is about nice and warm cornbread! I remember when my mom would make cornbread, I'd eat it pipping hot with butter on top! Yummy!! ;)

See, super easy, not too many ingredients! Give it a try! :)

Eggs in the Nest

Growing up my mom would make these!  LOVED them, but I was the one picky one that did NOT like "snot" in my egg!  It HAD to be cooked all the way through!  Something about snotty eggs, eww....  Oh wait, I take that back, my dad didn't like snotty eggs either!  ;)

I also remember my mom making these and if the egg broke, she would say, it's OK, I'll eat this one!  Very RARELY did she break one, but on the occasion that she did, she took the one with the cooked egg yolk.  It's no fun when the egg yolk is cooked hard, you can't dip your bread in it!  ;)

These are VERY easy to make!  My kids GOBBLE them down!  There are other names for it, but this is what I remember my mom calling it eggs in a nest!  :)  (it really should be egg not eggs....  ;))

Here I served it one nite for dinner with some hash browns.  I had a bag of hash browns in my freezer, so I just dumped some sea salt and Old Bay seasoning on it!  YUMMY!!!!  :oP

 Up close pic of the egg in the nest! ;)

Here it is, look at that yummy egg yolk!!!  We would eat it all, then take that piece of bread that was toasted in the pan, and scoop up all that yummy leftover egg yolk!

I don't season the kids eggs, but for my hubs and I, I add some SPIKE, I'm thinking Old Bay might even be good?

There really is no "recipe" for this, so I'll just tell you what you need below!


Egss in the Nest

One egg person
One piece of bread per egg
Salt, pepper, spike, or any other seasoning you like
Coconut oil or butter

Take one piece of bread and use either a small cookie cutter (shape of your choice!  :)) or a small cup and cut out the middle.
Here's where you can do it 2 ways. This last time I just put some coconut oil in the pan, and then threw the bread in and then cracked the egg in the middle.
My mom (and I in times past) would butter the bread, I totally omitted that step, obviously, to save time.  I was being lazy and I wanted to see if it really made a difference.  I didn't notice a difference at all. So the choice is up to you which way you want to go!  Just make sure if you don't butter the bread, to put coconut oil or butter in your pan before each egg you make!  Or it will stick!

Ok, so chose one option, place bread in pan, then crack egg in the hole, season if you desire, cook for a bit, then flip.
I usually cook all the kids eggs in the nest first, then I go back and cook/toast their little pieces of bread.
Then I make mine and my hubs eggs.  ;)

Viola!  You are done!  How easy is that?  Super good, super easy, and can be made for breakfast, lunch OR dinner!  Score!!!  :D

For Valentines Day I used a heart cookie cutter to cut out the middle!  The kids LOVED that!  :)

Let me know what you think!  Have you ever had these before?  Do you call them something different?

Blueberry Cheesecake Bites

Oh my-LAN-ta!!!!!!!  SOOOOOO good!!!!  Bonus, they are actually a little healthy for you...  ;)  Shh, don't tell anyone, especially your kids!  ;)

I got this recipe from a website called weelicious, sooo many good ideas and recipes!  I have made quite a few different kinds!  Haven't found one that I haven't liked either!  ;)

I will do a few things differently next time I make, and yes, that will be very soon!  ;)

For the crust, I will cut the whole wheat in half, and I will double the filling, I may put it in a 9x13 pan instead of the 8x8 pan...  Not sure on that one yet.  But def double the filling part!  :)

I'm also thinking of trying it with a pumpkin mixture, and I really think this would be good with chopped up strawberries!  Can't wait to make another batch!  :)


Blueberry Cheesecake Bites (makes 20-25 bites)

Oat Crust:

1 Cup Old Fashioned Oats
1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/3 Cup Light Brown Sugar
6 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, chilled (I used coconut oil, already melted...  worked just as good!  :))

Filling:

4 oz Cream Cheese, room temperature
1 Large Egg, at room temperature
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 Cup Sour Cream
1/3 Cup Light Brown Sugar
1 Cup Fresh Blueberries (I used frozen and it worked GREAT :))


1. Preheat oven to 300 F.
2. To make the crust, place the first 3 ingredients in a food processor and pulse to chop oats.
3. Add the butter and pulse to combine.
4. Press the crust on the bottom of a parchment-lined 8 x 8 baking dish and flatten evenly with your hands. Bake for 10 minutes to set, then allow to cool.
5. Lower the oven temperature to 250 F.
6. To make the filling, place the first 5 ingredients in a bowl and beat to combine.
7. Fold in the blueberries.
8. Pour the batter on top of the crust and bake for 1 hour.
9. Cool and then chill until ready to serve.
10. Cut into squares and serve.*

*To get clean squares, wipe your knife between each slice.

I didn't put the coconut oil in the blender, I just mixed it all in a bowl and pressed it in the pan.  Also, the middle wasn't 100% done, so I just put it in the frig and it firmed up really good!  :)  My kids LOVED this and it even passed with the hubs!  :)  He agrees, the strawberry should be the next one I make!  :)
(p.s. sorry the pic isn't the greatest...  Took it off my phone and it's a bit blurry, having computer and downloading issues, again... have patience with me on this part of the blog!  I'm trying!  :))

Peanut Butter/Chocolate Dip (or sunflower butter)



I could've eaten this whole batch! It was SOOOO good!  Even healthier if you use the natural peanut butter, but since I didn't have any, I used regular creamy! 

I'm thinking cashew and almond butter would be good, even sunflower butter for those who are allergic to nuts, that way they can enjoy this yummy goodness as well!

I served this with apples, banana and 2 graham crackers.  You could use strawberries, marshmallows, pretzel sticks, etc....  I used what I did since that's all I had!  ;)

Super easy to make, and actually pretty good for you, minus the chocolate sauce, but again, you don't "have" to add it...  It just gives it that little bit of chocolate kick which makes it taste even better!  ;)

Here is a bit of cream cheese, carrots, peanut butter and chocolate sauce

Mix it all up!  Ok, in the green bowl, it doesn't look the greatest, but then again it almost looks like a chocolate shake stirred up REALLY good!  ;)

Here's what I served it with, an egg puff (recipe coming SUPER soon, maybe tomorrow? ;)), that was their "lunch", graham crackers, banana, and half an apple cut into slices.

This lunch was not only EASY, it was GOOD and healthy!  Which y'all know I'm all about!  ;)  Easy and healthy!  That's what I like with 4 littles and 2 more coming!  :)

Peanut Butter/Chocolate Dip (or Sunflower Butter)

1-2 oz cream cheese (depends on how much you want, I use almost 2, but will use 1 next time)
1/2 cup natural creamy peanut, almond, cashew, or sunflower butter
1/4 carrot puree
6 tablespoons chocolate syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients together until nice and creamy.  Keep in frig until ready to serve, or just start eating it right away like I did!  ;)  Give me some credit, I HAD to make sure it was worthy enough for the kids!  Just make sure you save enough for them!
Notice in the last picture, they only got about a heaping tablespoon full....  ;)  I am not gonna say if that's how much was left, or if I chose to give them only that much!  ;)

Seriously EASY and good!  Let me know how you like it! 

This would be a GREAT game nite snack, make a big bowl of it, serve it with graham crackers, cinnamon and sugar pita chips or tortilla crisps, marshmallows, pretzel sticks, apples, bananas, pears....  Yummy.....  :)

*Just a note, my kids were actually full after eating this and didn't ask for more.  Now, I am not sure if it was because I made them soaked oatmeal for breakfast, so that fills them up even more, or if the egg puff really did the trick with the other goodies!  ;)