St. Patrick's Day Treats

I love making themed food for holidays. One of my more popular desserts for St Patrick's Day is my Minty Pudding Parfaits and Shamrock Pretzels. Both are easy enough to make along with your children!

Good Ole Southern Seafood Boil!

Some of you may remember several months ago when I shared about my trip to Alabama to visit my best friend. While there, I got to experience my first crawfish boil! Let me tell ya, you couldn't get seafood any fresher than what we did. Both the crawfish and shrimp were caught the same day we ate it (& the shrimp there come with the heads still on!) When I got home, I told the kids I would do a seafood boil for them sometime over summer when we could get corn on the cob and little red potatoes fresh from the farm (to make up for not being able to get fresh seafood lol).

One of my many servings I had in Alabama!

I went to Amazon to purchase my seafood boil seasoning, Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seafood Seasoning since it's hard to find this sort of thing around here.

Prepping the food, I cut the earns of corn in half and soaked the clams in salt water (it makes them spit out debris) 

The neat thing about making this meal is that everything gets cooked in one large pot together (though I forgot to take a photo of this part). You start out with the potatoes since they take the longest to cook, then you add things in one by one according to the length of time it takes to cook (smoked sausage or kielbasa is next, followed by the corn, clams then shrimp). I wasn't able to get crawfish so since my kids love clams, I used those in place of the crawfish.

The finished product on the table! If we were eating outside, I could've just put some butcher paper down and laid it all out. I had melted butter to dip the clams into.

A close up of the food, yum!!

To give you a rough idea how much I made, we had 2lbs of shrimp, 50 clams, 2lbs of sausage, 1 dozen ear of corn and about 2-3lbs of little red potatoes. 

We all absolutely LOVED this meal and I'd like to start a tradition of making this once a summer for a special treat! 

Have you ever had a crawfish or seafood boil?

Ham and Cheese Sliders

These tasty sandwiches are great for a lunch, supper or taking as a meal to a friend! Such an easy recipe but yet it tastes like you spent forever making them! Perfect for parties or having company over as you can prep them ahead of time & just bake when you need them ready to eat!

12 slider rolls

1 1/4lb chipped ham (or turkey ham or any variation you prefer)

mayo

cheese

sauce recipe:

1 stick of butter

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp poppy seeds

1/3 cup brown sugar

Slice slider rolls in half, spread a bit of mayo on both halves. Using a 9x13 pan, place bottom halves in pan, divide up evenly the ham, top with a little cheese (if using sliced cheese, use about a quarter of a slice or put a little bit of whatever kind of cheese you prefer on it). Place "top" of roll on slider. (*tip, to make clean up easy, I line my pan with foil & spray some pam. Keeps the topping from sticking to my pan)

In a small sauce pan, combine all the sauce ingredients & bring to a light boil. Drizzle the sauce over top of the sliders. Cover with foil & bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes. I like to take the foil off the last 5 or so  minutes and let a nice crust form on top of rolls from the glaze!

Printable Ham & Cheese Slider Recipe

Hello Fresh

If you've followed here any length of time, you know I absolutely LOVE to cook and am always trying out new receipes! I also have a huge garden during the summer so I appreciate fresh foods and incorporating them into my cooking. You can imagine my delight when I recently got the chance to participate in reviewing a fresh food & recipe delivery service from Hello Fresh.

(click on photos to enlarge)

What is Hello Fresh?

Hello Fresh is a company that sends out boxes of food weekly that contain almost all of the ingredients you need to make 3 mouth-watering meals. They do the work for you of coming up with creative recipes that are good for you & use fresh food, all delivered right to your front door!

How does this work?

First, you want to check out their page to find out if they deliver in your area. If they don't but you have a near by Fed-Ex office that accepts ground shipment, you could have your box delivered there for you to pick up. From there, set up your own account then take a look at the upcoming weeks meal choices and see if it is something you would enjoy. They offer 2 types of boxes, the Classic box & the Veggie box (for those who may prefer  meat-free meals). Select which kind of box you prefer. Then you can choose if you want your box to be for 2 or 4 people. If you selected the Classic box and you see a recipe you don't care for, Hello Fresh offers 2 different meals you can swap them with (not offered for the Veggie box at this time). Your order has to be placed by Wednesday night for delivery for the following Wednesday.

Speaking of delivery, no worries if you aren't home when your box of food is delivered. Those boxes are packed exceptionally well and can stay cold for a long period of time!

A keypoint about this company is just because you ordered a box one week, does not lock you into a certain number of boxes you have to have delivered. If you don't like any of the upcoming recipes for the next week, or you are going on vacation, simply pause the delivery service. You can even cancel at any point with no problem or added cost!

How we used it:

My kids were anxiously awaiting for Fed-Ex to arrive as I had shown them the recipes online we were expecting and they were drooling!! The meals we were expecting were chili dusted shrimp with corn relish, steak & brussels sprouts stir-fry and chicken quinoa stew. The box was securely wrapped and was evident it could not have been tampered with. On top were the 3 large recipe cards and then inside was all the ingredients bagged & labeled according to which meal each bag was. It was amazing how cold the inside of the box was. The large, reusable ice packs were still frozen solid!

Since the food box was delivered around supper time, we waited until the next day before we dove into making our first meal which was the chili dusted shrimp with corn relish. I love the large, colorful recipe cards that they include for each recipe. Not only does it include the list of ingredients & measurements but it also includes the nutritional info! Then on the other side, it shows pictures along with the step by step instructions of how to make this recipe. So the guess work is taken out of it for even the most novice cook. 

All seasonings were pre-measured, even the garlic cloves were peeled & ready to chop up!

My kids love to cook so they really enjoyed taking over a lot of the food prep & cooking. They felt the recipe cards made it easy to know exactly what to do & they didn't think the recipes were very complicated at all to prepare. 

Occasionally, there are one or 2 minor things you need to add to the dish that isn't included, like a 1 tsp of sugar but this is noted on the recipe card with an asterisk. 

The second meal we made was steak & brussels sprouts stir-fry over basmati rice.

I never would've thought to put brussels sprouts in a stir-fry but let me tell ya, it was amazing!!! Browning them in the pan with a little olive oil (after quartering them up) really gave these veggies awesome flavor (I hated them as a kid). We loved the kick of heat that the jalapeno added to it.

The pic isn't smudged, that's steam coming off this yummy dish!

The third recipe we made was chicken quinoa stew. I have been cooking with quinoa for awhile so I knew we would love this recipe!

We enjoyed this soup and found it very filling, perfect for a cold, winter day!

Each meal we made was meant for 2 people but let me tell ya, those portion sizes were very generous and easily fed my older 4 kids & I for a lunch. In fact, we had some of the stew leftover for another day. All the veggies were fresh and things like the scallions & garlic were in sealed baggies so no worries of the other food all tasting like them. The meat was vacuum packed. We loved the steak & brussels sprouts stir-fry so much, I went out & got some meat & brussels sprouts to make it for another meal this week!

All in all, this was such a treat having someone come up with tasty meals AND put the food on my doorstep! I definitely felt spoiled! I think Hello Fresh would be perfect for the busy family who doesn't have time to come up with & shop for healthy food & recipes. It would also make a great gift for new parents! How about a friend or family member who lives in another state and since you can't take them a meal when they need a hand, this would make a great gift as well.

Classic Box Price (3 meals):

2 people- $69

4 people- $129

Veggie Box Prices (3 meals):

2 people- $59

4 people- $109

Pricing includes shipping!

If this sounds like something you'd like to try or to treat yourself to one week, use the code MBDSX9  to receive $40 off your first box!!!

Christmas Party (w/recipes!)

The 2nd Christmas after Noah died, I decided I wanted to host a Christmas party for my fellow homeschool co-op moms. I figured it would be a way to be surrounded by supportive friends and a way to distract myself for just a little bit. Since then, I've continued to have them over as it gives me something to focus on with the holidays being bittersweet. And because I love cooking so  much, I make all the food so the moms can feel like they truly have a night out! I didn't do up the food as fancy this year since the party was the day after one of my children was discharged from the hospital and my time was a bit limited in the days prior due to that.

I forgot to take pictures until we were already digging into the food but you get the idea! I had a surprise for the moms this year, a chocolate fountain!! No, that's not mine unfortunately. I have connections and was able to borrow one though.

For a simple veggie tray, I laid out broccoli, broccoli-flower (a green cauliflower), cherry tomatoes & red/orange/yellow peppers to make it look like a decorated Christmas tree (and it was partly eaten in this picture lol) Another idea for a veggie tray would be to make a wreath with the veggies.

These cute little bites were filled & shaped to look like little Christmas trees (didn't try it but as I write this I guess I had a theme going huh?) I used yellow tomato in these but wish I had used red so the color would've popped a bit more.

8 oz. Cream Cheese softened. 

1/2 cup mayo

 8 slices Bacon, cooked & crumbled

1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

4 tortillas (8 inch) I used green but any will work

1/2 cup shredded romaine lettuce

Black olives (cut in half if they are big)

toothpicks

  Mix cream cheese and mayo in medium bowl. Add bacon and tomatoes; mix well. Spread onto tortillas making sure to go to the end so it "holds" when you roll it up; top with lettuce. Roll up tightly. Shape it into a triangle then wrap & let chill in the fridge to let the cream cheese harden up. Cut into slices then using a toothpick, secure a piece of black olive on the bottom.

(printable recipe)

The cups on the back of the cookie sheet are Taco Bites and the ones in front are Pepperoni & Sausage Pizza Puffs. I had a dish of sour cream & salsa that everyone could top their taco bites with and in a mini crockpot, I had some of my homemade pizza sauce to dip the pizza puffs in.

Pizza Puffs

3/4 cup flour 
3/4 tsp baking powder 
1/2 tsp garlic powder

3/4 cup whole milk

1 egg, lightly beaten 

1 c shredded cheese 
(I used some mozzarella & cheddar, any kind would work)

1/2 c pepperoni, diced up

4 oz sausage, cooked and crumbled 

pizza sauce for dipping

Pre-heat the oven to 375°. Grease a 24-cup mini-muffin pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, garlic powder and baking powder; whisk in the milk and egg. Stir in the mozzarella, sausage and pepperoni; let stand for 10 minutes.

Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups. Bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.
(printable recipe)

Some of the other food I had were dip & homemade hummus for the veggies, cocktail weiners in a sweet & spicy sauce (in one of the mini crockpots), a hot dip served with a side of beer bread or crackers, and all sorts of things to dip in the chocolate fountain. To drink, there was hot mulled cider and a Christmas punch.

For the hot dip, I know this sounds weird but it is a HUGE hit! Mix 1 cup of real mayo, 1 cup of shredded parmesan cheese and 1 cup of diced vidalia onion (I chop mine up good in the food processor). Blend well and place in a baking dish. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes or until top browns. Serve with bread pieces or crackers, yum!!!

Of course, we played our typical regifting game of "Now You Have It, Now You Don't". We all bring something from home wrapped up and the gifts are anything from practical to funny or embarrassing!

Have you gone to any Christmas parties this year or hosted any? Do you have any favorite "go to" appetizers or finger food you like to make?

Don't forget to check out the Christmas Recipe Exchange. Last I saw, there were 29 recipes linked up!

2nd Annual Virtual Cookie Exchange

YAY!!! The week has arrived to share your Christmas recipes!! Whether it's cookies, candy, a dessert or whatever you feel like sharing! My goal is to hopefully share a new recipe each day this week but we'll see what life allows. We've had some challenges the last few days so no promises. But either way, this link up will be open until Dec15 so please feel free to link up new or old posts sharing your favorite recipes! Go ahead and share this post all over so we can get as many people to participate as possible! I love reading & trying new recipes so even if you don't have a blog to link up, come back & check out the new recipes. And thank you to each of you who take time to participate!!!

To get started, here is a simple candy recipe that is a hit with everyone!

1 pack of Oreo cookies (or a knock off brand which is what I usually use)

1 8oz block of softened cream cheese

Melting chocolate

Crush the cookies either in your food processor or put them in a ziploc bag & whack the heck out of them to smash them up. Then blend the crumbs well with the cream cheese. Roll into small balls & place on a waxpaper lined cookie sheet. I put them in the freezer to harden to make it easier to dip. Melt your chocolate either in a mini crockpot (like I used), microwave or double broiler. Dip the balls into it & let harden. Chill & try not to eat them all at one time!

Don't forget to check out all my recipes I have listed on my blog!

This recipe is also part of a Christmas recipe roundup hosted by the SchoolHouse Review Crew.

Online Cookie Exchange!

I don't know about you but I love this time of year knowing all the baking my kids and I get to do. We have recipes that we make year after year but we also like to branch out and try new things. Last year I started doing a virtual cookie exchange here at TLB, a way for us all to share our tried & true Christmas recipes we love. Once again, I will be hosting a link up where you can post your favorite Christmas cookie or dessert recipe that you make for the holidays. Feel free to link up an older post or use this as an excuse to dive into baking this week and post a new recipe. The linky will be open from Dec 2-7 so come back and link up as many recipes as you'd like. If you don't have a blog, that's ok. Come back & visit the other blogs to check out the recipes and maybe find some new ones to try this year. Please feel free to share this on your social media, the more the merrier (and the more recipes we get to see!!!) I can't wait to see what you all share this week!!!!

Christmas party food

2 weeks ago I hosted our co-op moms Christmas party like I did last year. First & foremost I really enjoy entertaining, cooking, being with friends etc. But part of the reason I also do this is to give me something to look forward to because honestly, the holidays are a tough time for me. This week especially I've had more tears than usual and really am not up to doing much. So I thought I'd share a few pictures of some of the food I made as I recall the fun night we had!

I usually start putting together ideas for my party pretty early on. As in, I've already pinned some ideas from Pinterest for next years party! I enjoy trying to be creative not only with food but also presentation. Homeschooling moms especially don't get much of a break, so I want to make it a special time for everyone.

Sadly, I had accidently left my good camera at co-op that week, so the pictures I took were only with my phone. But at least they give you an idea.

Last year I made a veggie wreath so this year I made a veggie tree. It was pretty simple actually. I took a cone shaped foam, covered it in plastic wrap and used toothpicks to secure the broccoli. Then I just wedged in the carrots & tomatoes (no toothpicks) in between. This was taller than the picture makes it look, roughly 15-18" maybe?? I also had a side of dip to go with it.

One of the sweet treats I made were little santa hats. I used mini pretzels, dipped them in white chocolate then right into red sprinkles. I cut mini marshmallows in half, put a little white chocolate on the cut side then put it on for the white "pom-pom" like the typical hats have.

Just another picture of some more of the desserts. In the back are oreo truffles & saltine toffee. I also made mini cherry cheesecakes (super easy but taste SO good!)

Everything I made was all finger food. Other food I served was some homemade seafood & egg salad served in mini phyllo shells, buffalo chicken dip & a cheesy vidalia onion dip both with a variety of things to dip them in. I made a wreath using mini cocktail sausages wrapped in pieces of crescent roll with a side of dipping sauce and cheddar sausage balls with honey mustard dressing.

Another thing I did different this year was to have a hot beverage station with choices of a cappuccino mix, a homemade hot chocolate mix and a spiced Christmas tea mix. I had hot water in an insulated self dispenser which kept it nice & hot all night for people to make whatever they wanted 

We all had a great time of just sitting around chatting & catching up sans kiddos. Of course, it wouldn't be a party without playing a white elephant gift of now you have it, now you don't. That game never fails to have us rolling in laughter from the usual variety of "gifts" we bring! The idea is everyone brings something from home they don't need or want, no buying anything new. It can be practical, funny, goofy or downright weird (we had all of the above!) Everything is wrapped & each person has 3 numbers. Each time your number is called, you pick a gift but you don't unwrap it. You can take a gift that someone else has already choosen (hence the name of the game). When your third number is called, you have to decide what gift you want as that is the one you will keep and then you open it to be embarrassed surprised at what you got. After your gift is unwrapped, no one can take it.

If you hosted any parties or attended any this Christmas season, what were some of your favorite foods you had? 

Don't forget to stop by and check out the virtual cookie exchange linky party that is going on. Many people have shared different recipes they've made so far this year. Feel free to post one of your favorite to share with us all!

Virtual Cookie Exchange Linky Party!!

Woohoo, it's party time!!! Let's exchange those photos & recipes of your favorite Christmas cookies & goodies!

I admit, what I'm sharing so far is candy I whipped up. I may get to some cookies later today, but this candy is quite delicious so I wanted to share it with you all.

First up is Oreo Cookie Truffles. You can't get much easier than this, yet they taste so decadent! It only takes 3 ingredients to make this wonderful treat.

1 package of oreo cookies (or a knock off brand like I used for these)

1 8oz package of softened cream cheese

melting chocolate

Crush the cookies either in your food processor or put them in a ziploc bag & whack the heck out of them to smash up. Then blend the crumbs well with the cream cheese. Roll into small balls & place on a waxpaper lined cookie sheet. I put them in the freezer to harden to make it easier to dip. Melt your chocolate either in a mini crockpot (like I used), microwave or double broiler. Dip the balls into it & let harden. Chill & try not to eat them all at one time!

My second candy treat is called Saltine Toffee. Again, another simple recipe that is addicting. I dare you not to keep taking a bite as you package them up!

4oz of saltines (1 sleeve of saltines)

1 cup of butter

3/4- 1 cup of brown sugar

bag of chocolate chips

Line a jelly roll pan (15x10" pan) with wax paper. Spray with a little pam. Then lay out the crackers in a single layer. In a sauce pan, melt butter & sugar together. Bring it to a boil & let boil 3 minutes without stirring. Pour mix over the crackers then bake at 400 for 5-6 minutes. Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the top & let melt. Once melted, spread evenly & let completely cool. (if you like nuts on top, this is the time to add them). I popped my pan into the fridge for a bit to harden. Then break into pieces and store in sealed container.

________________________

Now it's YOUR turn! Share with us something you enjoy making this time of year then come back and check out what everyone is sharing and try making something new. Thanks for participating!

ps. Check out the awesome giveaway I have going on right now!

Upcoming virtual cookie exchange!!

As I am preparing to host our homeschool co-op Mom's Christmas party later this week, it got me thinking about what cookies I am making for our cookie exchange. Which then lead me to think of YOU all and how much fun it is to get new recipes for cookies. Sure, I can go browsing the internet for new recipes but I prefer making a recipe that someone else already has & deemed worthy of sharing.

So, dust off one of your favorite cookie, bar, candy, special "Christmas only" sweet recipes, whip up a batch & take a picture then get ready to join the Christmas Cookie Exchange Linky Party happening here this coming Friday, December 7th. (feel free to also use a recipe that you may have previously posted on your blog before). I will have a linky open where you can link up your recipe. If you are really ambitious, you are welcome to share more than one even. Then come back & visit as others share recipes & find some new ones to bake for your friends & family this year!

Please feel free to spread the word, invite others & share this button. I look forward to seeing you all here on Friday!

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

Ahhh yes that time of year.....apples, pumpkin in many forms (coffee & cappuccino anyone?) as well cool, fall nights. We've been itching to make some goodies using pumpkin and one of our latest creations was pumpkin spice pancakes. These were a hit with everyone. The pumpkin isn't strong tasting for those who don't like an overwhelming taste of it. The hint of spices rounded out this yummy breakfast and it couldn't be complete without the dollop of whipped cream on top!

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

2 tbsp. brown sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

¾ tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

Dash of ground ginger

Dash of ground cloves

1 cup milk

½ cup pumpkin puree

1 large egg

2 tbsp. vegetable oil or melted butter

Directions:

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and spices and stir with a fork to combine.  Mix together the milk, pumpkin puree, egg and oil or butter in a liquid measuring cup.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk together just until combine.  (The batter may still have a few lumps – that is okay.)

 Heat a greased skillet or griddle over medium heat.  Once the skillet is hot, add a 1/3 cup scoop of batter to the pan.  Let cool until bubbles begin to form on the top surface.  Carefully flip with a spatula and cook the second side until golden brown, a couple minutes more.   Repeat with the rest of the batter until it has all been cooked, regreasing the pan as needed.  Serve with cinnamon sugar, maple syrup, and/or whipped cream.

*note, I doubled this recipe with my family which gave me a few left overs. These also freeze well.

Mexican Stuffed Peppers w/Quinoa & Black Beans

I've had a pretty good crop of peppers so far (and they are still coming in strong). I use them in canning salsa & also in my homemade spaghetti sauce, that is if I can get to them before the kids eat them up. Yes, they love sliced peppers dipped in ranch dressing along with dicing them up for homemade supreme pizza or stromboli. The other day I was making a batch of stuffed shells (I'll share that recipe & pics another day) and had a hankering for stuffed peppers. I was going to just use the same filling but then I decided to do some browsing of other ideas and came up with Mexican Stuffed Peppers! They were amazing paired with a homemade enchilada sauce. And you can't go wrong with a filling of the healthy quinoa & black beans. If you've never read up on quinoa, I'd encourage you to check it out. It's incredibly versatile & so much better for you than pasta or rice.

(I'm working on figuring out how to conform my recipes to make them printable size for you all. Haven't figure it out yet but if you know how to do this, shoot me an email!)

• 4 bell peppers (any color), sliced in half stem-to-tip, seeds removed
• 1c quinoa, uncooked
• ½ medium onion, diced
• 1 (15oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 roma tomato, seeded and diced
• 1 (4oz) can diced green chiles (don’t drain)
• ¼c cilantro, minced
• ¼tsp salt
• ¼tsp pepper
• olive oil, if desired
• ½c Monterrey Jack, grated
• ½c cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 recipe red enchilada sauce (or 1 (28oz) can)

1. Add quinoa and onion to a large saucepan with 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil 5 minutes, cover, turn off heat and let steam 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork. ( I actually only used 1/2 cup of quinoa & 1 cup of water. I had a little bit of cooked ground turkey to also add to this)
2. In the meantime, microwave pepper halves 2-3 minutes to soften slightly. (Prepared this way, the peppers should come out crisp-tender. If you want them crisper, you can omit this step.)
3. Pour quinoa/onion mixture into a mixing bowl. Stir in black beans, tomato, green chiles and their juices (I used jalapenos from my garden in place of this), cilantro, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper. If the mixture seems to dry, drizzle in a bit of olive oil (I didn’t need any).
4. Pour enchilada sauce into a 9×13″ baking dish. Divide filling among peppers. Nestle stuffed peppers into the enchilada sauce. Sprinkle with cheeses.
5. Cover the pan with foil and bake at 375 degrees 25-30 minutes. Remove foil and cook about 5 minutes longer. Serve peppers drizzled with enchilada sauce.

Red Enchilada Sauce

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• ½-1 canned chipotle chili (packed in adobo), rinsed and minced (oh how I love this!)
• ½tsp cumin
• ¼tsp garlic powder
• ¼tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
• 2c water

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and chili powder. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
2. Bring sauce to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer about 10 minutes.
3. Makes about 3¼c sauce.

(sorry for the annoying watermarks on my photos but sadly I've discovered this last year that people are stealing my photos without permission unfortunately.) I don't mind sharing but please ask first.

The darkest night is often the bridge to the brightest tomorrow.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Linking up with:

The Better Mom

Creative Mondays

Raising Arrows

Titus 2sdays