Guilt Free Ice Cream

Pin 5   Guilt free ice cream

Ingredients:

Variations:  bananas and nutella

                  bananas and peanut butter

                  bananas and maple extract with crushed walnuts

                  bananas and hersheys syrup

  

Directions: 

peel and freeze bananas

let bananas sit out ten minutes to soften slightly

combine desired ingredients 

Blend (I use a Ninja Smoothie Maker)

Serve soft - like soft serve ice cream or freeze to serve like hard packed ice cream

Either way...its delish!

Popcorn Pizzaz

Popcorn Pizzaz  

pin 4

Tasty popcorn...made tastier with a few little additions.  Blue Raspberry and Cherry were the flavors of the day.  Cherry was the taste testers favorite and happened to be the one made with Kettle corn. 

Ingredients:

2 packages microwave popcorn approx 6 c popped corn each bag

(I used one plain and one kettle corn)

14oz  evaporated milk

3oz package jello powder

Optional additions:  semisweet morsels, mini marsh mellows  

Directions: 

1.  Preheat oven 275 degrees.  Line sheet pan with foil and lightly grease foil with butter.

2.  Pop microwavable popcorn according to package directions

3.  In small saucepan pour 1/2 can evaporated milk, stir in 1 1/2 oz jello mix.

4.  Stir constantly 5 minutes, until it thickens slightly.

5.  Place 5-6 c popcorn into deep pot, pour warm jello mix over it and stir with a wooden spoon.

6.  Once coated, pour onto lined pan and bake for 15 minutes.

7.  Remove and allow to cool 

Repeat steps with second flavor.

Tip:  Wash pans immediately, as jello mix will harden and be difficult to remove.

We made a third batch and added chocolate chips and mini marsh mellows.  Placed in oven 4 minutes, removed, and allowed to cool.  Kids loved it!

Enjoy!

   

This recipe adapted from Mari who found it at the Eagle Brand website.  Thanks, Mari!

Fluffy Pancake Lovin'

   Fluffy Pancake Lovin'

Pin 3

Oh, I love pancakes!  Sadly, I have never been able to make a good one...until now.  I have made it my mission to overcome my pancake failures.  Yesterday I participated in the annual Marine Corps sponsored Run Amuck, a "3.5 mile course through grueling obstacles, steep hills and deep mud pits".   Yep, it was an amazing experience!  I awoke with renewed resolve this morning.  
PANCAKES...my next mission!  Oorah!!! (Just a little left over from yesterday)
My version is adapted from one posted by Kris @ allrecipes.com.

Ingredients: 
3/4 cup milk
2 tbsp white vinegar
1 c all-purpose flour
2 tbsp white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
2 tbsp butter melted

Blueberry Bonus:

I added a little blueberry goodness, because blueberries make pancakes happy.
3/4 c frozen blueberries
1/4 c sugar 

Directions:

1. Combine milk and vinegar, set aside for 5 minutes to "sour".
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, set aside.
3. Whisk egg and butter into "soured" milk. 
4. Pour wet ingredients into flour mixture and mix.
5. Heat a griddle (I think of it as heavy artillery) 230-300 degrees.
6. Pour batter onto hot griddle until they are your desired size (add frozen blueberries if your feeling frisky) and cook until they start to bubble, flip and cook until lightly browned.

Blueberry Bonus:

Add 3/4 c frozen blueberries and 1/4 c sugar to saucepan and heat on high until boiling, stir constantly.  Reduce heat and simmer five minutes, stirrrrrrr, stirrrrr, stirrrr.

The only challenge you will find here is - how to share!  Yummo! 

Meet the Crusterator

Meet the Crusterator

If your kids love sandwiches without crust...meet your new best friend!  Our kids have dubbed this "The Crusterator"!  It effectively removes crust and seals edges.  It's like PB&J gone WILD!  Very little waste too.  My kids weren't too excited about getting sandwiches shaped like hearts, dolphins, and dinosaurs in their lunch bags anymore (one more jab in Mama's heart).  I almost walked past this little gadget at the grocery store.  It was hanging inconspicuously near the jam.  

Wonder-Sandwich-Sealer-N-Decruster

Easy to use and clean.  We use organic: whole wheat bread, strawberry jam, and peanut butter. Slap the ingredients on and press both plastic pieces firmly onto sandwich.  Voila!  Unless, you've just been to see the Avengers, in which case you have to use a hammer for everything, including making a sandwich...because that is how Thor would make a sandwich.

Hammer not necessary

I found mine at the grocery store, you can find yours here:

Wonder-Sandwich-Sealer-N-Decruster

My new favorite gadget

You'll be glad you got one!

Walnut Dip Extraordinaire

Pin 2                          Walnut Dip Extraordinaire!

Yes,  I did title this with LARGE, BOLD letters.  Fruit dip this good deserves nothing less!  If I could shout it at you through the computer I would.  This may be the fastest pin to make, consume, and clean on pinterest and possibly the tastiest.

My friend, Binki, invited me to a candle party in 2000.  That was when the whole "candle party" thing became popular locally.   Candles weren't really my thing, but I went because that's what friends do (okay she may have threatened me...a little...also something friends do).  Man, was I glad I went.  She had this amazing dip served with sliced, tart Granny Smith apples.  As I packed up to leave I announced,  "I showed up, I candled, now hand over the recipe."   And this is how I came to have this extraordinary recipe that is remarkably simple, quick, and delicious.  Enjoy!

 

Ingredients:          

1/4 c granulated white sugar

3/4 c  brown sugar

8 oz  cream cheese (softened to room temperature)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract 

3 oz chopped walnuts (recipe calls for 6 oz, I use 3)

Sliced apples for dipping, we prefer Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Red Delicious - Organic)

Load all ingredients into mixer.  Mix. Refrigerate 2 hours. Eat.

Easy peasy lemon squeezy.  

(Side note: Lewis Grossberger's article article exploring the origin of the phrase "Easy peasy lemon squeezy" is an interesting read). 

Before it can make it to the fridge...

It's already disappearing.

We always double this recipe.  We have also tried a variation using 1 tsp maple flavored extract and 1 tsp vanilla extract.  Good, but I'll stick with the original.