Praline Pecan Crunch Snack Mix

I discovered this super-yummy snack mix, when I was leading a service-learning workshop a few years ago. I couldn't quit eating it! I begged Linda for the recipe, so here it is:

1 (16-ounce) box Quaker® Toasted Oatmeal Squares Cereal (about 8 cups)
2 cups pecan pieces
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
4 tablespoons margarine OR butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1. Heat oven to 250ºF. Spray 13 x 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Combine cereal and pecans in pan; mix well.
3. In large microwaveable bowl, combine sugar, corn syrup and margarine. Microwave on HIGH 1 minute 30 seconds; stir. Microwave an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute 30 seconds or until boiling.
4. Stir vanilla and baking soda into sugar mixture. Pour over cereal mixture; stir to coat evenly.
5. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Transfer to baking sheet, spreading mixture in even layer. Cool completely; break into pieces.
6. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

Makes 10 cups.

Dinner Tonight: Swiss Chicken

I love to make this yummy (and easy!) recipe that I found years ago at Publix.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
large zip-top bag
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast cutlets
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon dried oregano
4 (.75-ounce) slices Swiss cheese

Steps
1. Preheat large sauté pan on medium-high 2–3 minutes. Place flour and seasoned salt in zip-top bag; shake to mix. Add chicken, wash hands; seal tightly and shake to coat.
2. Place butter in pan and swirl to coat. Using tongs, add chicken and residual flour; cook 2–3 minutes on each side to brown.
3. Add wine, broth and oregano. Bring to boil and cook 6–8 minutes, turning chicken occasionally, until liquid is reduced by half.
4. Top each cutlet with 1 cheese slice; cover and cook 1–2 minutes until cheese is melted. Serve with sauce.

Grandma's Chocolate Ice Cream

This is the recipe we always make for ice cream socials, family gatherings, and neighborhood parties. It's a tradition in my husband's family and it's sooooo yummy!

6 eggs
2 c sugar
2 qts half and half
1 pint whipping cream
16 oz Hershey’s syrup

Beat eggs ‘til frothy. Add sugar and beat ‘til fluffy. Mix in half and half, one quart at a time. Mix in whipping cream. Mix in chocolate syrup. Pour into a 4-quart ice cream freezer canister and freeze according to directions.

IF there is any leftover, freeze it in a tupperware container, and enjoy it another night.

Famous Lemon Pie

My husband's family LOVES pies, but I grew up in a cake family. I'm trying to learn the art of baking pies. Here's the family recipe for the lemon pie he loves so much.

Crust:
1 Stick (1/2 Cup) Butter or Margarine, Melted
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Diced Pecans

Mix in a 13 x 9 inch Pyrex baking dish. Bake above mixture at 350 degrees, stirring occasionally, (mixture will be crumbly) for at least 15 minutes (possibly longer depending on how hot your oven is). Press this crust into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch pie plate.

Filling:
3 Tablespoons Cream Corn Starch
1 1/4 Cups Sugar
1 Tablespoon Grated Lemon Rind
3 Eggs, Separated
1 1/2 Cups boiling water
6 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

Combine corn starch, sugar, lemon juice and lemond rind. Beat eff yolks, add to corn starch mixture. Gradually add boiling water. Heat to boiling over direct heat. Boil gently 4 minutes, stirring constantly. (Egg whites can be used for meringue - Daniel didn't like meringue so I never made it). Refrigerate.

Cooking Between Carpools - Italian Beef

4lb roast
2c water
2T Italian seasoning
1t each salt, dried oregano, dried basil, garlic powder, dried parsley and pepper
1 bay leaf
French rolls or tortillas

Cut roast in half; place in a 5qt slow cooker.
Combine the water and seasonings; pour over roast.
Cook on low for 8 hours or until meat is very tender.
Discard bay leaf and shred beef with a fork. Return to slow cooker to soak up more juices.
Serve on French rolls or serve with cheddar cheese in tortillas.

I always feel bad when I have to waste things, so I'm always looking for ways to repurpose things around our house.  Frugal Hacks is the queen of stretching pennies by stretching food and other goods around the house.  Check out this article she wrote:  Loaves, Fishes, and Ten Ways with Leftovers - it's full of practical ideas that you can use in your house!

8 Tips for Eating Organic on a Budget

Kelly from Faithful Provisions posted this article titled, 8 Tips for Eating Organic on a Budget.  She shares many wise and simple ways to keep your budget and make healthy food choices.  Check out her other posts while you're on her site!

Quick and Easy Dinners: Super Simple Chili

My sister introduced me to this easy recipe.  It's super easy and it's my brother-in-law's favorite chili.  It's great to double if you need to feed a crowd, or to freeze for later, or to share a meal with a family in need.

2 pounds ground beef

1 (8 ounce) jar salsa

4 tablespoons chili seasoning mix

1 (15 ounce) can light red kidney beans, drained

1 (15 ounce) can dark red kidney beans, drained

1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 (15 ounce) can corn

1.     In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute ground beef until browned. Drain grease, if desired.

2.     Add the other ingredients. Mix well, reduce heat to low and simmer for at least an hour.  
(you can also do this in the crockpot, if that fits your schedule better)

Quick and Easy Dinners: Two Part Mexican Meal

Day One - Burritos

• Brown 2lbs ground beef.  Drain.  Add 1-1.5c salsa.
• Cook 2 cups dry rice (white, brown or jasmine) according to package instructions.  After steaming, add the juice of 1 lime and a handful of chopped cilantro.
• Heat 2 cans black beans (drained).  Add a handful of chopped cilantro.
• Serve in burritos with Colby jack cheese.

Day Two - Burrito Pie

As your cleaning up dinner from day one, put together a casserole with the leftover ingredients, layering flour tortillas and Colby jack cheese with the beef, rice and beans.  Add a can of diced chiles if desired.  Heat at 350 for 30 minutes. 

Easy & Healthy Breakfast Ideas

I love the idea of making hot breakfasts, but it's so hard to get things going early on school mornings.  This post has some simple and clever ideas for busy mamas:

10 Make-Ahead Breakfasts to Start Your Day Off Right
http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/recipe-roundup/10-makeahead-breakfasts-to-start-your-day-off-right-recipe-roundup-155762

And here is a favorite that my friend Angie makes for her family:

Baked Oatmeal

6 cups oats
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
2 cups milk
1 cup oil
4 eggs

Combine and pour into greased 9 x 13 inch dish. Bake uncovered at 350 for 30 – 35 minutes.



Happy day,

Healthy Snacks!

Are you looking for healthy snacks for you and your kiddos? 

Check out this post written by Michele of Frugal Granola:

Simple Snacks for Busy Mamas

And you'll find more ideas in the comment section of her post!

Happy munching,

Wanna Host a Dinner Party? Puzzled about Having Kids in the Mix?

We love opening our home to friends and family, but sometimes it's tricky to entertain with kids in the mix!  Check out this post for some practical ideas for hosting with kiddos around:

Tips for Hosting a Dinner Party (with Kids in the Mix) from Simple Mom

 

10 Minutes Together: Taste Test

Between full-time jobs and running a household, sometimes the best we can do as parents is to squeeze in ten minutes of quality time with our kids! These quick-and-easy “Ten Minutes Together” lessons are designed to help parents and kids on-the-go make the most of their busy lives together.

10 Minutes Together: Taste Test : A quick lesson in money management, value shopping, and nutrition!

(This is an activity that Susan Ragsdale and Ann Saylor wrote for ParentFurther.org.  They have a zillion tools and ideas for parents, so take time to visit their site!)

Chicken Tortilla Soup for Dinner

We totally enjoyed dinner & leftovers from a new crockpot soup that I tried this weekend.  The recipe is slightly modified from the fix it & forget it cookbook

4 chicken breast halves (frozen or thawed)

2 cans black beans, undrained

2 cans Mexican tomatoes

1c salsa (mild, medium or hot, depending on your preference)

4oz can chopped green chilies

14oz can tomato sauce

1 pack ranch dressing mix

Toppings:  Tortilla chips, Grated cheddar cheese,  sour cream

Combine all ingredients except chips & cheese in large slow cooker.  Cover.  Cook on low 8 hours.  Just before serving, take out chicken breasts & slice/shred them into bite-sized pieces.  Stir into soup.  Serve with chips & cheese.

Serves 6-8 people.

Homemade Blizzards

Our family likes to make smoothies and frosties, but we've never made Homemade Blizzards.  I know my kids will totally love making them, so I thought I would share FunMom's recipe with you too.  What a great addition to family night, or a yummy celebration!  Enjoy!!

Raising Kids With A Heart for the World

Lindsay from Passionate Homemaking continually inspires me.  I really like this article she wrote on Raising Kids With A Heart for the World.  It's full of creative, simple, yet intentional ways to help our children learn, respect and love other cultures.

Success on the Grill! Jared's Rib Rub

My brother-in-law shared a great rub recipe with us a few years ago.  Now we mix it in batches to keep on hand for ribs and chicken.  The recipe makes enough for 6 racks of ribs.

Jared’s Rub
1/2c brown sugar
1/2c white sugar
.5 c paprika
2.5T pepper
2.5T salt
1.5T chili powder
2T garlic powder
1.5T onion powder
Mix together. Rub over the meat. Grill. Add BBQ sauce at the end of grilling.

Food Presentation Using A Trifle Bowl

The presentation of food can add so much to a meal!  Look at these clever ideas for using a trifle bowl from faithfulprovisions.

Cooking for Large Groups

I was intrigued by Meredith's blog posts titled Feed A Crowd For Less at Frugal Hacks. I rarely cook for more than 10 people, but I'm looking forward to checking out her tips, resources, and books during my next large group cooking adventure!

Oreo Balls - Yum Yum!

I made these truffle-like delicacies for a Bunco party on Friday, and they were yum yum! The were fairly easy to make, and my children loved helping me make them. Beware - they are super rich!

Oreo Balls
* 8 ounces softened cream cheese or whipped cream cheese
* 18 ounces package of Oreo cookies, crushed
* 2 cups semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
* 1 tablespoon shortening
Mix cream cheese with electric mixer until fluffy. Add the crushed Oreos and beat on high until well mixed. Chill for at least 2 hours in the freezer. Then roll Oreo cookie mix into one inch Oreo Balls.
Next, melt the chocolate chips and shortening with a double boiler or in the microwave.
Dip the Oreo balls completely into the melted chocolate using tongs or a toothpick.
Put on wax paper. After the Oreo balls harden, keep them in the refrigerator.
Makes about 3 or 4 dozen Oreo Balls, depending on the size"