#1,587: Veggie Packed Pizza Rolls

I took the 5-Minute No Cook Pizza Sauce recipe that I just posted and used it as the base for this veggie packed pizza sauce recipe.  You can use any pizza sauce (homemade or store bought) that you have on hand and make it healthier by adding more veggies to it.  I whipped this up in about 10 minutes and my husband knows something is up with this recipe but can't figure out what I've done to his beloved pizza!  (If I ask him to try a recipe chances are there is something in it he isn't going to like...and he's right!).

Anyhow, you can totally adapt this recipe to whatever veggies you have on hand.  I used green bell peppers, mushrooms (which my husband thinks he's allergic to...obviously he's not), carrots, zucchini and kale.  Shhh...don't tell my hubby or kids!  I sauteed the veggies in a tiny bit of olive oil to cook/soften them and then added it to my blender.  Once pureed as much as I could get it, I added my homemade pizza sauce and pureed it again.  The kids (and my husband!) loved these.  It was so simple to make and is such a healthier option for them.  

I'll post the original recipe below which actually tells you to make a homemade pizza crust.  I didn't have time for that.  I intended to buy the pizza dough you get in a can and just rolls out (super bad for us I know!) but found mini ones instead.  So I just rolled out the mini crusts (from the pop open can) as much as I could, spread the sauce on it, added some cooked veggie sausage, and mozzarella and then rolled them up. I then put them in my square brownie/muffin pan.  I sprayed the tops with a little bit of olive oil and sprinkled on some Parmesan cheese.  I baked at 375 degrees for about 18 minutes or until the dough was golden brown.  SOOOO simple.  

Original Recipe Instructions: 

1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce
2 cups of chopped veggies (spinach, bell peppers, mushrooms, onion, tomatoes, carrots, zucchini)
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese (can use more if you like it cheesy)

Crust:

2 cups flour (I use whole wheat, but you can do 1/2 wheat and 1/2 all-purpose)
2 1/4 tsp rapid rise yeast
1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup very warm water
3 tablespoons olive oil

Combine 1 cup flour, undissolved yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together the warm water and the oil and add to the dry ingredients. Mix until well blended, about 1 minute. Gradually add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Dough should form a ball and will be slightly sticky. Knead on a floured surface, adding additional flour if necessary, until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes.

Place dough in a large, lightly greased bowl, and cover with plastic wrap.  Allow to rest for 30 minutes in a warm, draft-free place.  Dough should almost double in size.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Chop veggies and saute for 3-4 minutes or until slightly tender.  Blend in a high powered blender with marinara sauce.

Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a lightly floured work surface.  Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a ½-inch thick rectangle, about 12 by 10 inches. Begin by spreading about 1 cup of sauce over the dough, leaving a ½-inch boarder around the edges.  If it seems like it needs more, then add 1 or 2 Tbsp at a time.   Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Begin rolling the dough until you have one large roll.  Slice into 8-12 slices and place in a greased muffin tin.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until rolls are golden brown and cooked through the middle.

#1,586: 5-Minute No-Cook Fresh Tomato Pizza Sauce

I have so many cherry tomatoes fresh from my garden and I've already made a batch of blender salsa, so I decided to make the next commonly used tomato-based ingredient we use in this house: pizza sauce.  I was drawn to this recipe because I didn't have to cook anything, and could get the recipe done in one container (my blender) and in a matter of minutes.  

Although this is not the best pizza sauce I've ever eaten, my family ate it and liked it and didn't know it was from my garden (and less processed than the jarred kind!!).  It is a little gritty with the seeds and skin, but I just put on some ground (veggie) sausage and my family had no idea there was anything different with this sauce.  HUGE win in my book!

1 pound fresh tomatoes (quartered if using larger tomatoes)
6-ounce can tomato paste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon honey or granulated sugar
2 medium cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
Few turns fresh ground pepper
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

Add all ingredients to the pitcher of a blender. Blend until completely pureed. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.  Spread on pizza crust; add toppings and bake as desired.

Keeps refrigerated in an airtight container for 2-3 days or can be frozen.

#1,585: Fruit "Sushi"

Let me start by saying, my kids are not big rice eaters.  I don't know why, because I love the stuff (don't eat it often, but love it).  So I didn't have super high expectations for this recipe and my kids.  Unfortunately I  was right, they didn't love this, but they at least tried it.  Bonus points for that.  

It was really easy to make and you can make this with whatever fruit your kids like best.  We had fresh peaches so I decided to use that in ours.  I thought these were okay, but nothing I would go crazy for.  It says to freeze for 2-3 hours, but I really think that is unnecessary.  I DO think you need to let these chill in the fridge for a while to set up more, but when I froze these, we then had to wait for it to thaw so we could actually eat them (FYI they were terrible frozen).  

If you try it, let me know in the comments if your kids liked these and what fruits you used! 

PS...you might want to check out the original recipe which has photos on how to make this.  Although this is super simple, if you are a visual learner like I am, looking at the pictures might help this make a little more sense!

1 cup cooked rice (about 1/3 a cup per roll)

1 ½ very ripe bananas

Any fresh fruit that you desire

Mash the cooked rice with the banana.  Lay out a piece of plastic wrap and spread the rice mixture into a rectangular shape about the depth of your pinky finger. 

Layer desired fruit(s) in a neat, tight row on one side of your rice rectangle.  Pull one side of the plastic wrap up and gently roll the fruit sushi together.  Stick the roll into the freezer (I think the fridge is better!!) for two hours to help solidify the rice.

#1,584: Healthy (and Kid Approved) Breakfast Cookies

My kids went bananas over these healthy breakfast cookies!  They absolutely loved them!  I got about 2 1/2 dozen big cookies from this recipe, so we stuck a whole bunch of these in the freezer so we have them when school starts in a few weeks.  They were really easy to make, but the dough is really sticky.  These don't spread out as they bake and you are suppose to flatten them a bit with the back of a spoon, but it kept sticking to the spoon.  So after every 2 cookies, I sprayed the bottom of a glass with non-stick spray and that really helped to flatten them with minimal sticking. 

I decided to replace the raisins with chocolate chips so my kids would enjoy these more (a little less healthy, but still overall healthy).  I will definitely be making these again!!  I will also be putting these in the kids lunchboxes!  

1 1/2 cup brown sugar (I used 1 cup, but next time will cut down the amount of sugar even more)
2 cups quick oats
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves (I used nutmeg)
1/3 cup ground flax (I used hemp hearts)
1/3 cup ground almonds (I used chia seeds)
1/3 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup water
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup golden raisins (I used ½ cup chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl mix together sugar, oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, cloves, flax, almonds and wheat germ.

Make a well in the center and add canola oil, applesauce, water, eggs and vanilla. Mix until well blended. Stir in raisins (chocolate chips in my case).

Scoop out golf ball sized cookies onto cookie sheets. Flatten with the back of a spoon. These cookies do not spread when baked.  Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove to a cooling rack, and let cool completely.  

#1,583: Banana Bread Waffles

One thing everyone in my family enjoys is waffles.  Especially the ones we make in our waffle maker, but we usually use the boxed mix, and just add oil and water.  I wanted to make something a little healthier for them and came across this recipe for banana bread waffles.  This looked SO simple, so I quickly whipped them up for the kids for breakfast this morning.  

This recipe literally took me less than 30 minutes from start to finish and my kids loved these!  I made extra and we are going to add these to our "lunchbox list" (healthier items to add to the kids lunchboxes!  These with fruit, yogurt and turkey sausage...healthy lunchbox idea!).  

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

I also added 1/4 c wheat bran

3/4 cup sugar (I used about 1/3 cup)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I omitted)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

1 cup smashed banana (2 to 3 small bananas)

1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used 1/4 cup oil and 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce)

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

Preheat a waffle iron to medium heat. Whisk together the flour, wheat bran, sugar, walnuts, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

(I put this in a large bowl and used my electric beaters to really incorporate this and mash up those bananas) Whisk together the banana, oil, sour cream, vanilla and eggs in another bowl. Fold the banana mixture into the flour mixture until just combined (it's ok if there are lumps).

Lightly spray the top and bottom of the waffle iron with oil or non-stick spray. Fill each section about three-quarters of the way full (there should still be some waffle iron showing). Close and cook until the waffles are golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes. 

Dust with confectioners' sugar if you'd like.

Original Cook's Note: Freeze the waffles in resealable plastic bags for up to 1 month. Reheat in a toaster oven or 300 degree F oven until warmed through and crisp.

#1,582: Pizza-Dilla (Super fast and simple pizza quesadillas)

This is by no means a unique or complicated recipe...and one that I honestly could have come up with myself.  But, it's only fair to give credit, when it is due.  The last 2 years I've let the kids get hot lunch 95% of the time because it's so much easier for me for them to eat hot lunch and not have to deal with making lunches, remembering lunchboxes, or cleaning more containers each day.  BUT in an effort to be healthier, I know that my girls need to be bringing lunches to school instead of eating the highly processed, sugar and sodium laden school lunches.  I feed my students the same lunch that my own children are eating and I know two things: they are not healthy and a lot gets wasted.  So I went in search of healthier options and ideas to make for the girls starting in the next few weeks. 

One thing my kids do like, and is SO simple are quesadillas.  We make them often and in fact, I'm on my second quesadilla maker!  ; )  Last week I met up with my cousin, Alisa and she turned me on to these fresh (only 5 ingredient!) tortillas.  I was so excited to get these for my family and try them out.  I didn't tell them that we were using "new" tortillas and they had no idea these were any different than ones that we traditionally buy.  These are SOOOO good.  I will definitely be buying these again and again.  You have to pre-cook them, but I just pulled out my electric griddle and they were done in no time!  (They literally take 30 seconds per side.  Then I filled them with some pizza sauce and cheese and popped them in my quesadilla maker.  Simple and much healthier than what they would be getting at school.  

Only one of my kids loves pepperoni and none are veggie pizza eaters, but I do think I'm going to get the veggie sausage and add that next time for some added protein.  

The recipe below basically tells you to make a cheese and pepperoni quesadilla and then dip in marinara sauce.  That's fine...but I put pizza sauce and cheese inside the tortillas and they didn't need the dipping sauce then.  

Pizza-Dilla

1 tablespoon canola oil (I omitted)
4 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas (I used the ones pictured above)
6 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 ounce turkey pepperoni (I omitted this time)
1 cup marinara or pizza sauce

I put this in my quesadilla maker so I did as follows:
Spread pizza sauce on one side of a tortilla.  Sprinkle on cheese and any desired pizza toppings.  Top with another tortilla.  Place in quesadilla maker and bake until browned.  

If following the original directions: 

Preheat oven to 400°.  Brush canola oil over a jelly-roll pan, and top with tortillas. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons cheese over each tortilla, and divide the pepperoni among tortillas. Top each with 3 tablespoons cheese. Bake at 400° for 5 minutes. Remove from oven, and carefully fold each tortilla in half. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until browned and crisp, turning after 5 minutes. Serve with marinara.

#1,581: Panna Cotta with Raspberry Coulis

Panna Cotta is one of those recipes that look easy but seem intimidating to make.  So I decided that it was time to tackle this recipe and see if it was as easy as it seems and if I even liked it!  Turns out both are true...it is easy to make and I loved it.  Well, let me rephrase that, I loved the panna cotta itself, but wasn't as big of a fan of the coulis.  It was good, but the panna cotta didn't need it.  It reminded me of a less grainy (slightly thicker) rice pudding.  The kids enjoyed it a lot too...although Chloe only liked the coulis!  

2-1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup 2% milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Raspberry Coulis:
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 tablespoon sugar

Fresh raspberries and fresh mint leaves to garnish

In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over milk; let stand 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine cream and sugar; cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Add gelatin mixture and vanilla, stirring until gelatin is completely dissolved.

Divide mixture among four dessert dishes. Refrigerate, covered, 2 hours or until set.

For coulis, place raspberries, lime juice and sugar in a food processor; process until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Transfer to a small bowl. Refrigerate, covered, until cold.

To serve, spoon raspberry coulis over panna cotta. Top with extra raspberries and mint. Yield: 4 servings.

#1,580: Snickers Cookies

So these didn't turn out exactly as I had hoped, but they were still really good.  Either I used way too much dough around the snickers that the candy got completely engulfed or I should have used bigger snickers.  Maybe the bag of mini ones I got were mini-mini.  :)  (I got the unwrapped kind so that might be the case!).  These are good though!  Don't over bake these or they start to get kind of tough/crispy.  My kids loved these though...and after everyone ate one, we put the rest in a container for our siding guys and shared the rest with some neighbors.  Don't want these hanging around our house too long!

1 bag Snickers miniature candies
2 sticks softened butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter (I omitted)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/2 cups flour, sifted (I used 3 cups)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine butter, peanut butter, and sugars using a mixer on medium to low speed until light and fluffy.

Slowly add the eggs and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Mix in flour, salt, and baking soda.

I’m not sure why this step is necessary.  I DID chill it overnight and it was so hard I had to let it soften to actually be able to wrap it around the snickers.  I’m not chilling it next time!  Cover and chill dough 2 to 3 hours up to a couple of days. 

Remove dough from fridge. Divide dough into 1 to 2 tablespoon pieces and flatten.

Place a Snickers Mini in center of each. Form a ball around the Snickers Mini, taking care to cover it all.

Place on cookie sheet and bake at 325 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Adjust time as needed if using more than 1 tablespoon dough. (Mine took about 18 minutes). Let cookies cool 1 to 2 minutes then remove to rack to cool completely.

#1,579: Chicken Gyros

Allison and I are huge gyro fans in this house...huge!  It's often what we both pick for our birthday meal (sad but true).  So when I found this healthier recipe for chicken gyros, I was excited to try it.  I made it all in the morning and then went out for the day.  Then when we got home, the sauce was already done and the chicken just needed to go in the oven or on the grill (grill...I always choose grill!).  

Brian said he thought this looked gross in the marinade and I wasn't sure he was going to eat it, but I'm sure happy to report that we all enjoyed it. Now with that said, only Allison and I used the tzatziki sauce (delicious by the way) but everyone else enjoyed the chicken with the pita (which we also threw on the grill).  I will definitely make this again!  And I'll top it with some grilled red onion and tomatoes...but my family was hungry and the goal was to get this on the table fast (photo was compromised b/c of it  lol).  

Tzatziki sauce:

1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 regular cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil

For the chicken:
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Juice of 1 lemon (2-3 Tablespoons)
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping Tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper
1 1/4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

To assemble:
Pita bread
Fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced
Red onion, sliced thin

Shred the cucumber or chop in food processor. Wrap in a towel a squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Mix together the yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice. Drizzle lightly with olive oil.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.

To prepare the chicken, combine the garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, yogurt, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Whisk together until mixed well. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour. (I let mine marinate in the fridge for about 8 hours)

Cook the chicken as desired, either in the skillet or with the broiler. Once the chicken is completely cooked through, transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes. (We grilled our chicken).

2015 Family Summer Bucket List

Well, compared to the last few years, our summer bucket this year is kind of lacking!  I don't know if it's because I'm running out ideas, getting lazy and tired, or just not into it this year.  The funny thing is I AM into it this year.  Just on a much smaller scale I guess.  So in no particular order, here is our summer bucket list items: 

• Spend the night in a caboose...again (8/13/15)
• Spend the night in an RV (6/7/15)
• Go to Ed Debevic's  (7/12/15)
• Make mango soft-serve ice cream (6/26/15)
• Make almond-joy banana soft serve ice cream (8/2/15)
• Create melted plastic cup art (6/26/15)
• Make movie night popcorn candy bar (we've decided to drop this one for this summer)
• Make roasted eggplant dip (7/19/2015)
• Eat at All Aboard Diner (8/4/15)
• Visit Santa Claus, Indiana (6/8/15)
• Go to Nashville, TN (6/7/15)
• Go geocaching (6/10/15)
• Make panna cotta (8/5/15)
• Tour Epiphany Farms
• Make Rolo Smores (8/1/15)
• Make Chocolate Zucchini Cake (7/19/15)
• Visit Ropp Jersey Cheese Farm
• Visit St Louis, MO (7/28/15...just the girls)
• Make Homemade Slurpees (6/20/15)
• Take an instagram photo documenting something we did EVERY day this summer (8/16/15)
• Reach 50 geocache finds (we started the summer at 32) (7/16/15)
• Read 10 books (Tracy) (6/25/15)

#1,578: Almond Joy Banana Ice Cream

I decided to put this recipe on our summer bucket list for several reasons:
1.  It's summer...and we love ice cream
2. It's healthy!
3.  It only has 6 ingredients...one of which is NOT sugar.

I took the kids with me to the grocery store and we got all of the ingredients (that we didn't already have on hand) for this recipe.  I was quite surprised that only 1 of the 3 kids liked this.  I personally thought it was good but there is nothing in this that I don't already enjoy eating.  :)  I personally would make this again...but only for myself.  

1-2 Bananas, Frozen
1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
1/8 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes
1/8 cup of sliced almonds
1 dark chocolate square or chocolate chips or any chocolate of your choice
1/8 cup of coconut milk or another milk of your choice

Place all of the ingredients into your blender and pulse until you get your soft serve consistency.  

#1,577: Green and Gold Quinoa Salad

I decided to make this recipe for lunch because I happened to have all of the ingredients already on hand! (Love those kind of recipes/meals!)  I absolutely loved this recipe.  LOVED it!  It was so simple to make and it was great as a leftover as well.  I will probably be making this when I go back to school because I can easily have it as a leftover/lunch for 2 or 3 days.  The quinoa and almonds give this a nice crunchy texture/flavor and the corn gives it a really nice sweetness.  I didn't love the parsley (I don't love parsley though) so I think next time I might try it with fresh basil instead.  Definitely a keeper recipe for me!

1 cup quinoa
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced crosswise
1 bunch  scallions trimmed, sliced crosswise
5 ears corn, kernels cut from cob
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 cup sliced almonds, toasted
lemon wedges

Cook quinoa according to package directions; let cool. In skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high. Add zucchini and scallions. Cook, stirring, until zucchini is crisp-tender, 5 minutes; let cool.

In large bowl, toss quinoa, zucchini mixture, corn and parsley; season.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. (Can be made 2 days ahead.) Before serving, toss in almonds. Serve with lemon wedges.

#1,576: Beef and “Rice” Stuffed Zucchini

I wasn't sure I was going to be a huge fan of this recipe because there isn't too much seasoning of the ground beef and I like my meat tasting NOTHING like meat.  LOL  Sometimes I wonder why I'm not a vegetarian...

Anyhow, this was really, really good.  It was really easy to make too because you basically have to cook the ground beef (I used turkey), then add in the remaining ingredients and then finish off in the oven.  Simple.  I loved the flavor of this as well.  

As you can see in the photo above, I made this recipe as I was supposed to ...in a "zucchini boat" form.  But this takes time to bake in the oven and after making it the first time, I was short on time and wanted to make this faster the second time (with the leftover filling).  SO...the second time I diced up half of a zucchini and placed it in a pan with a little olive oil over medium-high heat.  I sauteed the zucchini until it was almost done and then added some of the beef/cauliflower rice filling and heated it all through.  Still delicious, even easier and faster to get on the table.  

1 lb ground beef (I used ground turkey)
2 1/2 cups riced cauliflower (see below)
4 large zucchini
3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
Salt, Pepper, and Garlic powder, to taste (or your favorite spices) (I added some dried basil)

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Prepare the zucchini, by trimming off the ends and cutting the zucchini in half lengthwise.  Using a spoon, remove the seeds/core of the zucchini.  Dice up the core and reserve for later use.

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef until mostly cooked through.  Add the caul-rice and the core of the zucchini.  Cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add the Dijon mustard and spices.  Cook for another 1-2 minutes or until heated through.

Season the zucchini with salt and pepper and fill each zucchini with the ground beef/”rice” mixture. Bake, covered with foil, for 20 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes or until the zucchini is tender.  For those that eat dairy, sprinkle with cheese after uncovering.

*To make riced cauliflower, cut one head of cauliflower into florets and place the florets in a food processor or blender.  Pulse until the cauliflower is the size of grains of rice.

#1,575: Breakfast Egg and Sausage Cupcakes

I was really unsure about this recipe and my kids immediately told me they didn't like it, even before they tried it.  Then they actually tried it and all 3 LOVED it.  YES!  Plus...I used soy veggie sausage in place of turkey sausage and they had no idea!  My kids are not egg eaters at all so I was thrilled that they not only loved these, they asked me to make them again tomorrow.  The photo above shows 2 of the cups with the tops on, but I pulled the top wonton off the bottom egg cup so you could get a better idea of what it looks like on the inside. 

If you use a traditional muffin tin yours will be circular, but I used my Pampered Chef square brownie pan and they came out in squares.  Such an easy recipe and it was really, really good!!

Update: Okay I went back to the original recipe and I actually made these wrong...I was supposed to put a second layer of egg/sausage but this would have totally overfilled my pan.  Make these however you want...the flavor/taste won't change!  And I've made them both ways and my kids prefer them as a single layer without a top.  I made a batch of these and stuck them in the fridge for the kids to try as something I can put in their lunchbox when school starts and they all enjoyed them cold/cool too.  Yeah, another healthy lunchbox idea!!

Makes 8 egg and sausage cups (either double layer or with one as a top) or 16 single layer cups:

4 Turkey sausage patties (I used soy veggie sausage)
Mild Cheddar cheese, shredded
4 eggs
16 Wonton wrappers

Preheat the oven to 375 and lightly mist the cups in a muffin tin with the cooking spray.

Push a wonton wrapper into the bottom of each of the sprayed cups.

Scramble the eggs.  Add the cooked sausage, chopped into little pieces.  Add a couple of spoonfuls of the egg and sausage mixture into each cup.  Add a pinch of the shredded cheese on top of that.

Now press another wonton wrapper on top and repeat the layering steps with the remaining ingredients.

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.  Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from the muffin tin.

#1,574: Meltaway Cookies

Personally, I probably would not have used bright blue food coloring/icing for this recipe but we made these cookies for the men who are coming to do our siding and Allison said we needed to use a "boy color" and suggested bright blue.  LOL  The cream cheese frosting posted below was so thick I couldn't get it to spread very well.  So I added a little more powdered sugar and a little skim milk until it was thin enough that I could dip the cookie into the icing and it covered most of the cookie.  They aren't the prettiest cookies I've ever made but they are good.  Allison said, "This tastes like a Christmas cookie" and actually I have to agree.  I feel like I've had these before and it's driving me crazy that I can't place where/what I've eaten but it might just taste like a Christmas cookie that's giving me deja vu.  

Meltaway Cookie Recipe

1 C. butter
¾ C. cornstarch
¾ C. powdered sugar
1 C. flour

In a medium bowl, cream butter until fluffy.  Add cornstarch & sugar and blend well.  Beat in flour until thoroughly mixed. 

Drop by small teaspoons onto baking sheet & flatten out with the bottom of a class. (Dip glass in powdered sugar to prevent sticking). 

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  Cool completely on wire rack & frost with Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below).

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (3oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 C. powdered sugar
½ t. vanilla

Mix all ingredients together.  Color with food coloring if desired.

Product Review: Puracyn Plus Wound and Skin Cleanser

Summer months, means extra time outside and for this family, it means more frequent falls.  It also means a lot more minor cuts, scrapes, rashes and insect bites!  My kids HATE getting their "ouchies" and wounds cleaned but they know how important it is to get all of the germs out as well.  It doesn't make it any easier to clean though! 

Now it can be easier!  Puracyn Plus Duo Care Wound and Skin Cleanser is a product you can find over-the-counter at local drugstores such as Walgreens and Rite-Aid, and of course, my favorite…Amazon!  Puracyn Plus is a great ONE STEP alternative to other typical cleaners such as iodine solutions, rubbing alcohol, triple biotic ointments, etc.  This is a great product not only for my kids but my husband as well who is constantly turning to “bubbly medicine” as he calls it with the kids…also known as hydrogen peroxide! 

I don’t know about your family, but my kids will let me look at their wounds and put a bandage on it, but as soon as I try to get any sort of washcloth, wipe, or cream on it, they start freaking out and thinking it’s going to hurt.  The great thing about Puracyn Plus is that it comes in a spray so it makes it so much easier to effectively cleanse, debride, and irrigate the wounds.  The Wound and Skin Cleanser is non-toxic, non-irritating, steroid free and alcohol free.  This makes it safe (and easy!) to use with everyone in the family…kids and adults!  This is the next generation in wound care!

Puracyn Plus also has a cleanser specifically for foot and leg issues such as blisters, skin abrasions & irritations, etc.  Getting minor cuts and skin issues cleaned have never been easier!

You can find out more about the line of Puracyn Plus products by checking them out online.  You can also follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. 

Don’t just take my word for it though, try it for yourself!  I have a limited number of $4 off coupons to share if you are interested in trying it.  If so, fill out the Rafflecopter below and I will be choosing several readers to share these with! 

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Disclaimer: I have been compensated for my review of this product, as well as given the opportunity to share $4 coupons with my readers.  

#1,573: Chocolate Pretzel Cookies

Well now here is a really easy, 3 ingredient cookie recipe!  Chloe helped me make these for the workers who are coming to put up our siding.  I let the kids split one cookie so we could try it and she claimed "Mommy these are SO good.  I could eat every one.  Like EVERY ONE."  I'd say that's a hit. 

Personally these would be better if you used real sugar cookie dough, but for a store bought easy convenience cookie, I'm okay with these.  Because I used the tube cookie dough, these are thin and really crunchy....not my favorite kind of cookie (I like soft ones),but still, definitely not bad.  I used milk chocolate chips and it would not melt easily and thinly (I figured it wouldn't) so I added a little bit of butter and milk to my chocolate chips to thin it out enough to drizzle over the tops.  

1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury™ refrigerated sugar cookies
1 cup crushed pretzels
3 oz milk chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.

Spoon and shape 14 heaping tablespoons dough into balls. Roll balls in pretzels; place 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely before removing to cooling racks.

In small bowl, microwave milk chocolate chips uncovered on High, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth.  (I added ½ tbsp. butter and about 3 tbsp milk too).  Drizzle melted chocolate over cookies; let stand until set.  Store in airtight container. 

#1,572: Grilled Asparagus with Orange Butter

Now here was a veggie/side dish that I LOVED.  The orange butter on this is amazing with the grilled asparagus!  I will definitely, definitely be making this one again!!

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 Tbsp. fresh orange juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 lb. thin asparagus spears, trimmed
Finely grated orange zest

In a small bowl combine butter, orange juice, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Coat asparagus with cooking spray and grill over direct heat, turning once, until you can see grill marks, about 5 minutes.

Transfer asparagus to a serving platter and brush with butter mixture. Garnish with orange zest.

Serves 4.  According to the original recipe/website this is 1 WW Points plus per serving (6 spears)

#1,571: Berry-Nana Smoothie

Here's a simple smoothie I made for my kids to share today at lunch...they LOVED it.  I did omit the tofu (which is an optional ingredient) mainly because I figured they wouldn't love it.  I might try some other time to add it in to see if they can tell it's in there.  This was a thick and creamy smoothie and I had to add some almond milk to thin it out enough for them to drink.  I will definitely make this again for them.

1 very ripe banana (fresh or frozen)
1 cup frozen berries (I used strawberries)
1/2 cup or 1 (6-ounce) container plain, vanilla or lemon yogurt (I used plain Greek)
3/4 cup orange juice or apple juice (I used the juice of an orange + some almond milk to thin out to our desired consistency)
2 ounces soft tofu, optional (I omitted)
1 to 2 tablespoons honey, or to taste

Put everything in a blender and puree until smooth. 

#1,570: Homefried Kielbasa and Potatoes

We just got back from a road trip to Ohio and I had to get something for dinner on the table pretty quickly.  This recipe was perfect for that, and I probably had dinner ready/done in about 20 minutes.  I microwaved my potatoes first until they were almost all the way cooked through and then added them to finish cooking in the pan.  Some of our potato pieces were still not fully cooked so next time I will completely cook them in the microwave first and then just brown them up in a hot (lightly oiled) pan.  My family enjoyed this recipe and it was easy and quick.  My kind of meal.  

14-16 oz. kielbasa
4-5 potatoes
1 Vidalia onion (I omitted b/c my family would have picked it out anyways)
½ tsp. paprika
½ tsp minced garlic
⅓ tsp. Kosher salt
¼ tsp. oregano

Preheat skillet on med-high heat. Cut sausage into slices, and drop in the heated pan. Stir while frying.

As kielbasa is browning, chop the onion and potatoes.

Once the sausage has browned up a bit, and released most of the grease, scoop it out and put aside. Be careful to leave grease in pan.

Drop potatoes into the kielbasa grease to fry. Once they start to brown cut down heat to med-low, and add the remaining ingredients. Stir well.

Once the potatoes have softened, add the kielbasa back into the pan mix in and all to reheat before serving.

#1,569: Grilled Scallions with Soy-Sesame Drizzle

Here is a simple recipe I found in a recent issue of Weight Watchers.  I sadly have to add it to my "never again" category because I couldn't eat this at all.  I like grilled onions...a lot.  But this was too much for me.  The bottoms were under-cooked while some of the tops were overcooked.  The soy-sesame dressing was pretty bad too.  I'm all for eating and grilling veggies, but this one I will pass on.  

32 medium uncooked scallion(s), trimmed  
1 1/2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce  
1/2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil  
(I added a few sesame seeds on top)

Preheat grill to medium heat.  In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce and sesame oil; set aside.  Grill scallions over direct heat, turning once, until marked and softened a bit, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes.   Transfer to a serving platter; drizzle with soy mixture.

#1,568: Better-For-You Sweet Tea

Not too long ago, I came across this recipe in a recent issue of Rachel Ray magazine. We had just come back from Nashville and I was really enjoying drinking sweet tea…which I know is not very good for you.  Since this recipe looked much healthier I decided to give it a try. 

I was not a fan of the tea with the pureed peaches only because it left pieces/bits floating in my drink…not a fan.  So I decided to strain it out and did like it better.  However it still was not sweet at all.  So I added a little bit of stevia (about 3 packets) and liked it much better.  Although definitely not as good as sweet tea, I still think this was ok. Would I make it again?  Probably not, but for a one time try, I didn’t mind it.  And I’ll definitely finish the pitcher…

1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
8 plain black tea bags
2 large peaches, peeled, pitted and chopped, or 8 oz. frozen peaches, thawed
2 tablespoons honey
8 sprigs mint

In a large saucepan, bring 8 cups cold water and the ginger to a boil. Remove from heat, add tea bags and steep 5 to 7 minutes. 

Strain three-quarters of the tea into a large ice-filled pitcher. 

Strain remaining tea into a blender; add peaches and honey. Puree and add to pitcher; stir to combine. 

Divide among 8 tall, ice-filled glasses; garnish with mint sprigs.