Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix and Minty Marshmallow Recipes

As much as I hate to admit it, winter is really and truly here. The positive side of that, however, is that it's time for hot cocoa and marshmallows!

This year I made hot cocoa mix from a recipe my mom used when I was a kid and tried my hand at making marshmallows. It all turned out so nicely that we gave homemade cocoa and minty marshmallows as teacher gifts this year!

Hot Cocoa Recipe
The cocoa recipe is quite easy and makes a lot of mix. If you store it in a airtight container it will keep for 6 months.

Ingredients
10 cups nonfat dry milk powder
1 can (15 ounces) instant chocolate drink mix (the kind used to make chocolate milk; not hot cocoa mix)
1-1/3 cups powdered nondairy creamer
2 cups confectioners' sugar
Directions
In an airtight container, combine all ingredients. A tip for mixing ingredients: Use a large plastic tub with a lid (an old ice cream bucket works well). Put in about half the powdered milk, half the cocoa mix and half the powdered sugar. Then add the creamer and layer the rest of the ingredients on. Tightly attach the lid and rotate the container to mix.
Yield: 13 cups mix (about 41 servings).

Minty Marshmallow Recipe
This recipe came to me as a part of the Betty Crocker Holiday Trends. I made just a couple changes...

These are so much better than purchased marshmallows! Just skip the mint if you're not a fan.

Ingredients
Butter
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup cold water
2 1/2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
8 to 10 drops red or green food color

Directions
1. Generously grease bottom and sides of 11x7-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish with butter; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the powdered sugar (I used more to help with the stickiness). Pour 1/2 cup cold water into bowl of heavy-duty mixer fitted with paddle or whisk attachment. Sprinkle gelatin over water; set aside. (Handy tip: if you buy Knox gelatin in packets, each packet is 1Tbsp.)

2. In 2-quart heavy saucepan, heat granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt and 1/2 cup water over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to medium-low and heat syrup to boiling. Boil without stirring until syrup reaches 240°F on candy thermometer, about 15 to 20 minutes; remove from heat.

3. With mixer running at low speed, slowly pour hot syrup into gelatin mixture in thin stream down side of bowl (avoid pouring syrup onto paddle or whisk, as it may splash). Gradually increase speed to medium-high; beat until mixture is white and has almost tripled in volume, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add peppermint extract and beat to blend, about 30 seconds longer. Randomly drop four drops of red or green food color into marshmallow mixture in bowl; fold 3 to 4 times to swirl color.

4. Pour into baking dish. Smooth top with damp rubber spatula. Drop red or green food color randomly on top of marshmallow mixture. Using toothpick, pull food color through marshmallow mixture to create swirl pattern over top. Let stand uncovered at least 4 hours.

5. Sprinkle cutting board with about 1 tablespoon of the powdered sugar (again, I used more. I also sprinkled the top of the marshmallows with powdered sugar before removing them from the dish). Place remaining powdered sugar in small bowl. To remove marshmallow mixture, loosen sides from dish, and gently lift in one piece onto cutting board. Spray sharp knife with cooking spray (I found it worked better if I didn't use cooking spray, but dusted my knife with powdered sugar). Cut marshmallows into 1-inch squares (11 rows by 7 rows). Dust bottom and sides of each marshmallow by dipping into bowl of powdered sugar (I tossed marshmallows in the dish, rolled them in the sugar and then rolled them in my hands to dust off the extra sugar. This kept the marshmallows from sticking together in the container). Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 weeks.

About the cups
I found a dozen plain white cups at Walmart for $9. At Michael's I purchased Porcelain 150 paints and fine point marker. I brushed my girls hands with the paints and had them grip the cups. After those dried for 24 hours I added the text. After another day of drying I baked the cups for 35 minutes. They are dishwasher safe and the girls grandparents have a thoughtful gift.

Giving the Gift of Food with Hickory Farms

I struggle with what to get my husband's parents for Christmas. Both sets have so much "stuff" that I dislike getting them things. And, to be honest, my family puts more emphasis on spending time together and less on gifts (my parents get nothing from us and we get nothing from them) so this whole idea of we "must" get them a gift still overwhelms me.

When I received the Party Planner Gift Box ($40) from Hickory Farms I felt an idea forming. As my family enjoyed the meats and cheeses the idea seemed (tasted) even better.

December is such a busy month with parties, church activities, school programs and gatherings that it is often nice to just sit down with meats and cheeses to snack on while you enjoy a movie or spend time with family. Because it's food I know my gift won't sit on a shelf and collect dust. And because it's yummy I know it will be eaten and enjoyed. (The cranberry mustard is divine!)

You can usually find a Hickory Farms display in your local mall, or order online and have it shipped. Either way you're giving a gift that will be enjoyed.

For our soldiers: many of the gift boxes ship free to APO/FPO military addresses.

Disclosure: I was given the Party Planner Gift Box from Foodbuzz and Hickory Farms to sample and share my thoughts. I was not paid for this review.

Spicy Pumpkin Soup

Soups are a wonderful meal on a cold winter evening. This recipe, from Hungry Girl, is my new favorite. It's warm, low cal and filling! I mix 1T fat free sour cream into mine to add a creaminess, while my husband and daughters prefers theirs sprinkled with cheese. I serve it with half a slice of Irish Brown Bread.

Ingredients:
Non-stick cooking spray
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
4 cups Fat Free broth (chicken or vegetable)
15 oz. can pure pumpkin
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup corn
3/4 cup salsa (this is where you can add or reduce the spiciness)
Optional toppings: shredded reduced-fat or fat-free cheese, and reduced-fat or fat free sour cream

Directions:
Spray pot with non-stick cooking spray and heat pan on medium. (Tip: use a larger pot than you think you'll need) Add garlic, chili powder and cumin, and stir for one minute. Add broth to the spices, and bring to a simmer. Add pumpkin and mix well. Add the remaining ingredients and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. This soup can be served with a sprinkle of cheese and a little fat free sour cream on top. Serves 4.

(calories: 162.5, fat: 0.75g, sodium: 1128mg, carbs: 13, fiber: 12g, sugars: 6.5g, protein: 10g = 3 Points)

Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

My sister wanted to make a chocolate dessert for our family's Thanksgiving gathering. I had just pulled this recipe from the latest Family Circle magazine but hadn't had a chance to try them.

Of course they were a hit. The adults enjoyed them but the kids adored them! Tasty little cupcakes that look like their favorite winter drink- and covered with marshmallows! What's not to like?

This is a great recipe for the kids to help with. From working the mixer and adding ingredients to decorating with marshmallows and the candy cane.

The only thing I would change the next time I make these is to add about 2oz melted semisweet chocolate to the cake batter for a bit more richness and moisture. You'll see that addition in the recipe in italics.

Recipe makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar

2oz semi sweet bakers chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons milk or water
1 1/4 cups mini marshmallows
3 candy canes

Directions
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line indents of a standard-size 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
2. Cupcakes. In medium-size bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In large bowl, with mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until smooth and creamy, 2 minutes. Slowly mix in 2 oz melted semi sweet bakers chocolate. Beat in eggs and vanilla until fluffy, 1 minute. On low speed, beat in flour mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fill each cupcake liner two-thirds full (about 3 tablespoons of batter per liner).
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Remove cupcakes
from pan to wire rack; let cool.
5. Topping. In medium-size bowl, with mixer on low speed, beat confectioners sugar, shortening and milk or water until smooth. Spread over cupcakes, about 2 tablespoons for each. Top each cupcake with 8 or 9 mini
marshmallows. With a serrated knife, cut wrapped candy canes into 2-inch pieces. Unwrap and tuck a piece into each cupcake.

291 calories per cupcake

Baked Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

I planted spaghetti squash this year. It was my first-ever garden and I planted every seed in the package. Needless to say, the spaghetti squash took over and produced abundantly! Since my family is getting a bit bored with plain spaghetti squash with olive oils and herbs and spaghetti squash in place of spaghetti I went in search for a new way to prepare it.

I found this recipe at AllRecipes.com. The original recipe is meatless, but I replaced the olives with ground turkey.

Ingredients
* 1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
* 1 onion, chopped
* 2 tablespoons minced garlic
* 2 (14 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes (I recommend draining a bit of the juice)
* 1 tablespoon dried basil
* 1 cube vegetable bouillon
* black pepper to taste
* 1 (15 ounce) can black olives, chopped (I substituted 1/2 lb ground turkey, browned and crumbled)
* 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
* 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Spray a baking sheet with a thin layer of cooking spray. Place squash halves cut side down on the baking sheet.
2. Bake squash 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife can be easily inserted. Remove from oven, and cool.
3. Meanwhile, spray a non-stick saucepan with cooking spray. Over medium heat, saute the onion and garlic until golden brown. Stir in tomatoes, basil, bouillon cube, and black pepper. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until you have a medium thick sauce.
4. Remove squash strands with a fork, reserving the shells. Layer each half with a spoonful of the sauce, a layer of spaghetti squash strands, olives, and mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers until shells are full, or until all of the ingredients are used. Top with Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until Parmesan cheese melts.

Nutritional Information Serves 6 Calories: 280 | Total Fat: 15.9g | Cholesterol: 27mg

Cute and Delicious Halloween Cupcakes

My eldest's birthday falls just a few days before Halloween. If she is anything like her mother, Halloween will be her very favorite holiday. I imagine, however, that there will be few birthdays she is excited to share with ghosts, spiders and pumpkins.

This year she was excited to do just that, and a Halloween theme was chosen. Friends were thrilled to come in costume and Halloween activities were enjoyed.

Instead of cake I opted to create these super cute Halloween cupcakes I saw in Woman's Day. These were incredibly easy to make; the girls loved helping - and sneaking bits of candy!

All cupcakes begin with a cupcake base. We chose a white cake as it wouldn't clash with any topping flavors.

What you need for the spider: white frosting, Mallomar (we found a generic at Fareway), Tootsie Roll midgees, M&Ms and M&Ms Minis.

To do: Top cupcake with white frosting. Cut Tootsie Roll into 8 small pieces. Soften and roll between your hands to create legs. Place legs on cupcake, hanging down sides. Place Mallomar on top o legs. Use a tiny bit of frosting to make M&Ms stick.

What you need for the ghost: white frosting, M&Ms Premiums Mint Chocolate (if you have trouble finding these chocolate rocks would look nice, too). White fondant. Doughnut hole. Mini M&Ms.

To do: Top cupcake with white frosting. Place M&Ms mint chocolates (or chocolate rocks) around the edge of the cupcake. Roll fondant to 1/8" thickness. Use a large cup to cut into a circle (4"-5" diameter). Place over doughnut. Use a bit of frosting to attach mini M&Ms eyes.

What you need for the pumpkin: green frosting (or green food color and white frosting), orange frosting (or mix red and yellow food color with white frosting), fall leaves sprinkles (mine came in a jar of 6 different sprinkles made by Wilton), doughnut hole, green apple Airhead candy.

To do: cover doughnut holes in orange frosting and refrigerate (this will make them a bit easier to handle). Frost cupcake with green frosting. Sprinkle with fall leaves. Using a small pizza cutter, cut small triangles and thin strips from green apple Airheads. Roll strips btween you hands to create vines. Top cupcake with orange doughnut. Place vines and stem on top.

I snapped the image below with my phone while at the library, but didn't get the instructions, so we just guessed at how to do some things. I think our creations turned out adorable and the girls were very impressed!

We opted not to make the vampire. Click the image to see it larger to get the list of what you need. I think construction is really self explanatory.

Chef Mickey's Breakfast Pizza

When I was at Walt Disney World a few months ago I came home with cookbooks. I am finally getting the time to fix "fun food", as my girls call it. This easy breakfast pizza came from the cookbook Cooking with Mickey and the Disney Chefs . (affiliate link)

This cookbook is filled with recipes from Walt Disney World, Disneyland and the Disney Cruise Line, so there is a wide variety. One thing this cookbook lacks is photos of the food. This is both good and bad: I love to look at photos of food but there is no way my food ever looks so pretty. With no images to compare to I am free to think my food looks good!

This very basic breakfast pizza recipe can be "perked up" with meats, but we like it plain. The recipe calls for grated provolone, but I used sliced so I could include the iconic mouse silhouette.

1 12" pre-cooked pizza crust
2 large eggs
1/2 cup coarsely shredded/grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup coarsely shredded/grated Provolone cheese
1 cup coarsely shredded/grated Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste



Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place pizza crust on baking sheet or pizza stone.

In a medium bowl blend the cheeses together.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs, heavy cream, salt and pepper. Mix well and add to cheese mixture. Immediately (to avoid clumping), pour mixture onto the pizza shell.

**I used provolone slices, so I placed them on top of the cheese/egg mixture.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese mixture is set and is beginning to brown.

Cut into pizza wedges and serve hot.

Terrific with fruit "on the side".

Breakfast Tips from Midwest Dairy (+ a Giveaway!)

School has been in session for a couple of months now so you would think we would have our routine down. And some days we do. But other days...

Those other days can be hectic. And cause frazzled nerves (on my part) and a bad start to a long school day (for Brenna). And while I may have the best plans for a good breakfast for Brenna, some days I fail. Sometimes spectacularly.

Because a nutritious breakfast has been linked to sustained energy levels throughout the school day, improved attendance, higher math and reading scores, increased creativity and an improved memory I am taking a few steps to plan breakfast in advance- just like I do with dinner.

I wanted to share these tips from the Midwest Dairy Council which are designed not only to save time, but also help that ensure kids take on the day with a healthy and balanced breakfast:

· Set out cereal boxes and bowls the night before, add milk in the morning, and enjoy
· Divide mini pretzels, nuts, and dried fruit into baggies the night before to sprinkle over yogurt
· Bake a fresh batch of muffins with your kids over the weekend to grab on the way to school
· Stock up on self-serve options such as individual flavored milks and granola bars
· Heat nutrient-rich leftovers for a quick, non-traditional breakfast
· If kids don't have time to eat at home, take advantage of school breakfast programs

One thing I do is make pancakes, waffles or French Toast on Sunday, cool them and freeze individually. They are easy to toss in the toaster or microwave in the morning and top with fruit and yogurt for a quick, warm breakfast.

Win a Cool Touch Griddle Contest is now closed
Congratulations to lucky comment #5!

To help you get your mornings off to a great start Midwest Dairy is letting me give away a Cool Touch Griddle and a bundle of Midwest Dairy goodies- including an insulated shopping tote.

To enter just leave your best school-morning breakfast tip or your favorite eat-on-the-go recipe in the comments. One comment per person.

Want more entries?

1) Tweet this giveaway. Leave a comment with the link to your tweet. (copy and paste: Tweet as often as you wish.

2) Share this on your facebook page. Leave a comment with the link. One link per day, please.

Contest ends October 17, 2010 at 11:59pm. Contest open to US residents only.

I am also excited to announce that Midwest Dairy is an official sponsor of the I_Blog Conference!

Bonus!

Pumpkin Pancakes recipe from Midwest Dairy!

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10-15 minutes

Ingredients
2 cups low-fat vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup 1% low-fat milk
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 egg
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt


Preparation
In small mixing bowl, briskly combine vanilla yogurt, maple syrup and cinnamon until yogurt becomes looser texture. Reserve.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. In a medium bowl, combine milk, butter, egg, pumpkin and yogurt, mixing well. Add wet ingredients to flour mixture and stir until just moist. Do not overmix. Batter may be lumpy. For thinner batter, add more milk.

Lightly coat a griddle or skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium. Using a quarter-cup measure, pour batter onto hot griddle. Cook until bubbles begin to burst, then flip pancakes and cook until golden. Serve warm with maple yogurt topping.

Disclosure: Midwest Dairy gave me a dairy bundle (but not a griddle). I was not told what to write and all thoughts are my own.

A "Wild" Zhu Zhu Party

Thanks to Mom Select and Zhu Zhu Pets for the inspiration for what my now-4-year-old daughter has breathlessly deemed "the best birthday party ever"!

We were selected to host a party featuring the new Wild Bunch Zhu Zhu Pets. These 4 critters are aptly named: ZuZu (a hedgehog), Sweetie (a pink bunny), Rocco (a raccoon) and Stinker (of course, a skunk) and were the hit of the party- for the kids and adults.

We played a couple of games- including racing pets using only noses to start- and guide- them.

The second game pitted the bunnies and raccoons against the skunks and hedgehogs in a type of hide & seek. You'll have to take my word that it was fun because my Flip Video decided to tape everything in brilliant fuzziness.

What the kids enjoyed most, though, was the fact that we moved our Zhu Zhu tracks outside! The Wild Bunch were enjoying the beautiful Iowa day- and everyone got to take home a Zhu Zhu pet!

Of course no birthday party is complete without cakes. And the Zhu Zhu's inspired me... I created two, as we were celebrating 2 birthdays. I used this Zhu Zhu Birthday Cake post as my template for the bunny and the hedgehog.

I began with a Wilton 3D Egg Pan (we have a local library that has cake pans to check out), two cake mixes and a plain buttercream frosting recipe.

Bake cakes according to directions and cool completely. After the cakes are completely cooled, cut one to create a flat surface so your Zhu Zhu doesn't roll away.

Add food coloring to your frosting to match your Zhu Zhu pet (I used melted chocolate for the hedgehog) and frost each cake with a thin layer. This is called the "crumb layer" Which simply means it catches all the crumbs. It doesn't have to be neat. You will refrigerate this for about 30 minutes.

Bunny Crumb Layer

Hedgehog Crumb Layer

Next you will frost your cakes. For the bunny I frosted entirely in pink and then texturized by touching my frosting knife flat on the frosting and pulling up. This made it look "fuzzy".

I made the hedgehog's fur by adding shredded coconut to the tan/chocolate frosting to build the fullness it needed without having an insane amount of frosting.

I used white decorator frosting for the bunny's cheeks as it is much more firm than buttercream. I just kind of "blobbed" it on the front and maneuvered it around until I had the effect I wanted.

I used Jelly Belly's for the noses, brown M&Ms for the eyes, large pink marshmallows cut apart for the bunny ears and a round gummy candy, cut in half, for the hedgehog ears.

The finished cakes were fun, very easy to make and the hit of the party!

Disclosure: The Zhu Zhu Pets were provided by Mom Select. I was not compensated for this post.

Where Milk Comes From: Our Visit to Wolf Creek Dairy

Caelan meets a cute calf

In early August I was lucky enough to take my daughters to tour a working dairy. I grew up a “country girl’; my grandparents owned a dairy and my family raised hogs. And while my girls still get to visit my grandparent’s farm they no longer milk cows- and they never had an operation like Wolf Creek Dairy in Dundas, MN.

Wolf Creek Dairy is owned by Paul and Barb Liebenstein. They, with their daughters and about a dozen employees, care for and milk 400 head of cows around the clock. Barb took us around the farm, patiently answered my daughters' questions and showed us every aspect of the dairy.

Our first stop was the grassy plot covered in miniature barns – friendly, adorable calves. In a nearby barn a new calf had been born not long before we arrived; we got to see her stand on wobbly legs for the first time and pet her still- wet coat.

The new calf stands for the first time

Wolf Creek Dairy has two large, open barns; one for pregnant cows and one for the cows being milked. Each barn is equipped with bedding, large fans and sprinklers for hot days, and rotating brushes for a relaxing body massage. The cows even have a nutritionist – something I wish I had! – to ensure they have a well balanced diet.

I was kind of surprised that the cows didn’t roam a field until Barb told me something I didn’t know: cows lay down an average of 14 hours per day. That’s a lot of down time! And since the barns are cleaned 3 times daily and protected from sun, wind, rain and snow it’s a pretty posh life the cows lead.

This cow is getting her hooves trimmed- it brings a new meaning to "cow tipping"

The milking barn was unlike any I had seen. Sure, I had seen automatic milking equipment, but it has been 30 years. The cows file into the milking area and, not unlike an amusement park ride, a safety gate slowly lowers to keep them from moving too much during milking. The milking room is on two levels so the milking machines can be placed easily on their udders without back strain. The entire process, from entry to exit, takes 7 minutes for the group of cows, as opposed to 30 minutes, per cow, by hand.

State of the art milking barn

Milk is pumped into holding tanks, picked up by a tanker truck and hauled to Land O’ Lakes, the dairy’s milk processor where it is packaged and distributed.

Our tour concluded with fresh baked cookies and, of course, milk in the Liebenstein’s inviting kitchen.

Milk and cookies

Our thanks to Midwest Dairy for arranging this tour for us. We had a great time and learned a lot. And the girls loved the hats!

My little cows moo-ing

State Fair Food

It's not often that I deviate from a recipe post, but today my family will make our annual trek to the Iowa State Fair and I wanted to share this article I wrote for Uptake:

The Fairest Food at the Iowa State Fair

Including my favorite: the hot beef sundae! Mashed potatoes, slow cooked shredded beef, cheese and a cherry (tomato) on top.

To watch what we're eating today follow the #FairFoodFriday on Twitter (no account necessary) with this link or follow me directly: @iatraveler.

Not going to make it to a state fair this year? Get a taste at home with the recipes I found at Delish.com!

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

As I continue to do my best to feed my family good food that isn't filled with preservatives, treats have been difficult. We love sweet things. This cookie recipe has become a favorite. It's a soft cookie, almost cake-like in its consistency. And delicious! My family can't get enough. At only 66 calories each I don't feel bad having two myself.

This is a great "cooking with kids" recipe. Mine enjoy mashing the bananas and carefully adding the dry ingredients.

While my girls really like the cookies plain it is a real treat when we make them into "banana split ice cream sandwiches" by sandwiching a bit of ice cream in between two cookies.

The recipe is from Taste of Home.

Ingredients

* 1/3 cup butter, softened
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1 egg
* 1/2 cup mashed ripe banana
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

* In a small bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, banana and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips.
* Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 9-11 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: 3 dozen.

This recipe can also be found in the Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook (affiliate link):

Eggo Fruit Pizzas- A Quick Breakfast for Busy Mornings

Mornings are about to get crazy around here. School begins in 3 weeks with classes starting at 7:55am. That's sure to take our busy mornings to hectic. Because I am a big believer in a good breakfast I've been testing options the past few weeks. Requirement: a healthy breakfast in a short amount of time.

Right as I was beginning my testing a package arrived at my house from Foodbuzz: the new Eggo Real Fruit Pizzas.


My girls had only recently discovered the goodness from the toaster that is Eggo Waffles, so they were pretty excited to see the "swirly red lettering" on the boxes.

The fruit pizzas come packaged like any other microwave pizza; wrapped in plastic with a cardboard insert to cook them on. Another similarity: not enough toppings, in this case fruit, though the yogurt base and the granola are plentiful.

The Eggo Real Fruit Pizzas are quick to prepare, needing only one and a half minutes which is great for crazed mornings.

The real test in my house is always

Will the Girls Eat It?

The quick answer is yes.

Knowing my girls have small appetites they split the strawberry pizza. Though I thought it could have used more fruit the girls said it had enough. They loved the granola on top and the cinnamon/maple crust. Pronouncing it "yummy" and super-duper" I moved on the the mixed berry pizza.

Knowing my husband would be disappointed by the lack of blueberries on the mixed fruit pizza I added some fresh. He was pleased with the pizza, commenting on the crust being flavorful and "not like cardboard".

The Rundown:

The Eggo Real Fruit Pizzas were a hit in my house and will probably find their way onto my freezer shelves for those crazy mornings when I oversleep and don't have time to fix breakfast. I do recommend fresh fruit or spreadable fruit to supplement the toppings if an adult plans to nosh on one of these.

You can find the new Eggo Real Fruit Pizzas in the freezer section of your grocery store. Suggested retail price is $2.79.

Disclosure: I was sent the new Eggo Real Fruit Pizza to try. Thoughts and photos are my own.

Raspberry Lemonade Pie

Summer festivities (or just a backyard BBQ) call for a cold, refreshing lemonade. This recipe takes the summertime favorite and gives it a twist!

The recipe begins with a basic crushed wafer crust and adds mint leaves for a refreshing kick. My local store didn't have any fresh leaves so I left them out.

The pie is flavored with lemonade concentrate and has a tartness that the raspberry sweetness really compliments. The pie got rave reviews from adults and kids on the steamy 4th of July day I served it.

The recipe, from Cuisine magazine, is easy and can be mixed up with other citrus and fruit combinations.

Raspberry Lemonade Pie

For the Crust:
9 oz. vanilla wafers
1/4 c. packed mint leaves (I didn't include the mint)
6 tbsp. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375. Coat 9" springform pan with non-stick spray.

Place vanilla wafers and mint in a food processor and pulse until fine. Drizzle melted butter into running processor and process until mixture begins to stick together. Remove from processor and press into spring form pan, about 3/4 way up the sides. I used a small silicone spatula to press the crumbs. Cook for about 8 - 10 minutes or until just starting to turn golden. Allow to cool completely.


For the raspberry sauce:
12 oz. fresh raspberries (I used frozen as they were cheaper)
3 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. water
2. tsp. corn starch


For the filling:

2 c. heavy cream
3 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. vanilla
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
12 oz can of frozen citrus concentrate (decrease amount used to decrease tartness)

Puree raspberries in a food processor with sugar. Strain out seeds with a fine mesh sieve. Put mixture in a pan over medium/high heat until boiling. Combine corn starch and water to make a slurry. Add slurry to raspberry mixture and allow to boil for 1 minute. Transfer to dish and chill.

Beat cream, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until stiff peaks form. In a separate bowl, mix sweetened condensed milk with lemonade concentrated until just combined- do not over-mix.. Fold in whipped cream mixture. Pour into cooled crust. Drizzle about 1/4 cup of the cooled raspberry mixture over the top of the pie. With a skewer, gently swirl the sauce to marble. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze at least 8 hours..

When you are ready to serve, thaw pie in refrigerator for 15-20 minutes. Unmold and serve!

Note: this pie does melt quickly! Thaw only as much as necessary to cut it.

Dimplex PowerChef Electric Grills

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Dimplex North America Limited. All opinions are 100% mine.

One of my favorite things about nice weather is the fact that we can grill. And we grill practically everything: meat, fish, vegetables, pizza… Even some fruits.

Doug is the master griller in our house. He is also a die-hard charcoal grill fanatic. Which is fine as he does the majority of all of the grilling. Because I can’t grill on charcoal. I can’t light it right, I can’t get the heat right, and my charcoal grilled food is inedible.

If you’re like me or you can’t have a gas or charcoal grill where you live the Dimplex PowerChef Electric Grills may be right for you. They have small counter top varieties, large free-standing grills and even some that can be wall mounted.

I am especially impressed with the “cheater” technology that produces perfectly cooked food every time. Apparently you can program the grill to the type of food, thickness and level of doneness you desire and the grill will tell you when to flip and when it is done. There is even a “favorite recipe” setting. Nice. Watch this video to learn more.

After searching the website North American distribution seems widespread and there are many online distributors as well. Grill prices begin around $400.

Butoni Riserva Meal for Two

You've probably noticed that I haven't put up a new recipe in a couple of weeks. You could say I've been busy. Between family, travel, holidays and planning a blog conference my days are over-full. Cooking, which really is a stress reliever for me, just hasn't been happening as much as I would like. And when it does I fall back on tried and true favorites, slow cooker meals and making Doug grill.

Last night was the end of one of those days when I was exhausted, I hadn't planned dinner and it was raining. Luckily I had a Butoni Riserva meal in the freezer. A few weeks ago Foodbuzz sent me a coupon to try a new Buitoni frozen meal for two. Ahhh... rescued!

I had chosen the Braised Beef and Sausage Ravioli because it just sounded really good.

The instructions were easy to follow and dinner was ready in under 20 minutes (yes, my stove top takes forever to boil water). Though the package says it is a complete meal for two it easily fed my family of four when paired with a salad and slice of garlic bread.

The ravioli are very large and stuffed with meat and cheese. As we were eating I said to Doug,"This pasta is better than I've had at some Italian restaurants." He agreed.

Just look at the inside of the pasta. Yum! The sauce was a wonderfully tasty mix between a basic red sauce and a cream base. It was smooth and rich.





I was impressed with this quick meal from the freezer. If you serve it with a nice red wine- and without children- it would be a nice meal for a romantic evening for two.











Disclosure: I was sent a coupon to sample this Butoni meal. I paid for the salad and the bread. I was not compensated for this post; all thoughts are my own.

Beef and Spinach Lasagna

Summer always makes life hectic and all the rain we've been experiencing brings its own set of problems. And when I'm stressed or short on sleep - or both- I crave comfort food.

Lasagna is one of those foods that just makes you feel warm and full and happy. This recipe- another one from the Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook- takes the greatness of lasagna and makes it lower in fat and calories by adding spinach.

My girls ate this with nary a complaint. And I loved that it reheated well for lunch the next day and "leftover night" a few days later.

Ingredients

* 1 pound lean ground beef (or lighten it up further with ground turkey)
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 2 jars (26 ounces each) meatless spaghetti sauce
* 4 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 teaspoon dried basil
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
* 2 cups ricotta cheese
* 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
* 9 no-cook lasagna noodles (or cook wheat noodles; it works just as well)

Directions

*If you opt to cook your noodles, begin with that and let them cool while you follow the rest of the steps.
* In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce, garlic, basil and oregano. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, ricotta and 1 cup mozzarella cheese until combined.
* Spread 1-1/2 cups meat sauce into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Top with three noodles. Spread 1-1/2 cups sauce to edges of noodles. Top with half of the spinach mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles, sauce and remaining mozzarella cheese.
* Cover and bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Yield: 12 servings.


Nutrition Facts: 1 piece (prepared with lean ground beef) equals 281 calories, 11 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 50 mg cholesterol, 702 mg sodium, 26 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 20 g protein.

Disclosure: I am an Amazon affiliate. If you purchase this cookbook using the links in this post I may earn a small (very small) amount of money.

Apricot Beef Stir Fry

I'm making an effort to have my family eat better and add more vegetables to our diet. Since Chinese food is always a big hit in our house I thought this recipe would be a hit- and it was! Because it uses frozen stir-fry vegetables it's quick, too! I've made this a couple of times now and it gets a big thumbs up from my girls. The leftovers also reheat really nicely for lunch the next day.

Recipe from Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook.

Ingredients

1 t cornstarch
1/4 c cold water
1/2 c apricot preserves
2 T reduced sodium soy sauce
1/2 t minced garlic (though I used more as we like garlic!)
1/4 t salt
1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes
1 lb boneless beef sirloin steak, sliced thin
1 T canola oil
1 pkg (16 oz) frozen asparagus stir fry vegetable blend

Directions

In a small bowl whisk cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Stir in preserves, soy sauce, garlic, salt & red pepper flakes. Set aside.

In a large skillet or wok stir fry beef in oil until no longer pink. Remove and keep warm. In the same pan stir fry vegetables according to package directions. Return beef to pan. Stir apricot mixture and add to beef mixture. Cook and stir until slightly thickened. Serve over rice.

1 c of beef mixture is 309 calories (not including rice)


Disclosure: I am an Amazon.com affiliate so if 10 of you click on the link and buy the book I may make enough money to buy another bag of frozen stir fry vegetables!

Lime Chicken Tacos

I've been trying to eat healthier. Really, I have. But sometimes you really just want "comfort food"- good, filling food that doesn't scream "DIET!" I've been trying recipes from the Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook for a while now and this is one of my favorites.

Not only is it great for tacos, but it makes a nice chicken taco salad and chicken nachos. It reheats nicely for lunch the next day and, because it's cooked in the slow cooker I classify it as quick and easy. The entire family loves this recipe!

Makes 12 Servings Time: Prep: 10 min. Cook: 5-1/2 hours (or 2 1/2- 3 if cooked on high)

Ingredients

* 1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
* 3 tablespoons lime juice
* 1 tablespoon chili powder
* 1 cup frozen corn
* 1 cup chunky salsa
* 12 flour tortillas (6 inches), warmed
* Sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese and shredded lettuce, optional

Directions

* Place the chicken in a 3-qt. slow cooker. Combine lime juice and chili powder; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours (or 2 1/2-3 hours on high) or until chicken is tender.
* Remove chicken; cool slightly. Shred meat with two forks and return to the slow cooker; heat through. Stir in corn and salsa.
* Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes or until heated through. Serve in tortillas with sour cream, cheese and lettuce if desired. Yield: 12 tacos.


Nutrition Facts: 1 taco (prepared with fat-free tortillas; calculated without sour cream and cheese) equals 148 calories, 2 g fat (trace saturated fat), 31 mg cholesterol, 338 mg sodium, 18 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 14 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 very lean meat, 1 starch.

Disclosure: I am an Amazon affiliate. If 10 of you happen to buy this cookbook using the link to the left I may make enough money to buy some sour cream for my tacos.