FFHH Hop – Day 8 – Pumpkin Krispie Treats

October 8, 2012 By MotherCreative 1 Comment

Looking for Halloween Themed Snacks for a Party? These Pumpkin Krispie Treats are a Snap to Make!

Every great Halloween party needs great treats! So why provide the typical snacks when there are so many awesome, Halloween themed recipes that you have to choose from? With a box of Rice Krispies or generic Krisp Rice cereal, a bag of marshmallows and a few other ingredients, you can have some fun with the kids and make some awesome treats that everyone will enjoy! Better yet? Thrifty moms will love these because they are really cheap to make. In fact, most of the ingredients are probably hiding somewhere around the house, especially if you have a candy stash like me!

What you’ll need:

Large, microwave-safe bowl
Shallow bowl
Wax paper
Large platter
3 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
6 cups Rice Krispies or any type of krispie crispy rice cereal
10 ounces miniature marshmallows
Green icing
Black icing (small tube of gel icing will do if you’re picking it up at the store)
Orange decorative sugar granules
Tootsie Rolls, small sized or large size cut into smaller pieces
Optional ingredients include: Red Hots, Raisins, Sugar Babies, M&M’s, string licorice, Reese’s Pieces

[Read more...]

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Vegetarian Dinners that Kids Will Love

September 3, 2012 By T.Wolf 3 Comments

Choosing to cut meat out of your diet is a big decision and can be a bit difficult, especially if you have children. Trying to find vegetarian dinners that the whole family will eat can be hard. I grew up in a family where dinner consisted of meat and a couple of vegetables. However, having recently decided to cut meat totally out of my diet I have found several meals that even my kids will eat. Here are a few vegetarian dinners that your kids are sure to enjoy.

Veggie Burritos

Veggie burritos are cheap and easy to make and are something the whole family can enjoy. This meal is on our menu at least twice a month. Here is the simple recipe that I use, but it can be altered in any way to make it your own.

Ingredients:

• 1 can black beans
• 1 can sweet corn
• 1 package taco seasoning
• 1 jar of salsa
• 1 package of 10 soft taco shells
• 2 cups cheese

Directions:

Heat the beans and corn together in a saucepan until warm. Add the taco seasoning and mix well, use as much or as little seasoning as you want. Once heated through spoon the mixture into a taco shell and cover with cheese. Roll into a burrito and place in a 13 x 9 baking dish. Repeat with all of the shells. Spoon the salsa over the top of the burritos and bake at 350 degrees until heated through, about 30 minutes. Serve with your favorite toppings such as guacamole or sour cream. We typically have a small salad along with this meal.

Black Bean Pizza Burger

What kid doesn’t like pizza? Combine those flavors with a great tasting black bean burger and you have the perfect vegetarian dinner for your family. This recipe can be altered to suit your tastes.

Ingredients:

• 1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
• ½ onion chopped
• ½ green pepper chopped
• 2 cloves crushed or minced garlic
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• ½ cup bread crumbs, oatmeal will work as well
• Worcestershire sauce
• Hamburger buns
• Provolone cheese (mozzarella or another cheese will work as well)
• Pasta sauce

Directions:

Put the black beans in a bowl and mash them using a potato masher or fork. In a food processor place the onion, pepper, and garlic and pulse. Make sure that you do not over do it as you will end up with a soupy mess. Mix the onion mixture in with the black beans.

In a separate bowl mix the eggs with the bread crumbs and Worcestershire sauce. You can add any seasonings that you wish. Add this to the black bean mixture and mix well. Divide the mix into four separate patties.

These patties can be baked in the oven or grilled. I have found the best way to prepare them is in a frying pan with a little bit of olive oil. Fry them for just a couple of minutes on each side. Once cooked through place on the bun and top with the heated pasta sauce and cheese.

I love to serve this burger with sweet potato fries.

Filed Under: From the Kitchen, Kid Friendly Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tagged With: budget meals, kid friendly meals, vegetarian meals

Delicious Popsicle Recipes You Can Make at Home

July 9, 2012 By T.Wolf 1 Comment

The history of the Popsicle begins with an 11 year old boy named Frank Epperson. It is said that he made this treat and then waited 18 years before producing the “Eppsicle” in the year 1923. The name was later changed to “popsicle.” These treats were first sold for only a nickel, my how times have changed! However, it is not going to cost much more than that if you make these fun frozen treats at home.

To get started you will want to pick up a basic popsicle mold from a yard sale or at the dollar store. You can also use ice cube trays or small paper cups with craft sticks. Once you have this, you can pretty much use any type of liquid beverage to create a tasty frozen treat. Here are a few ideas to try:

Basic Popsicle

Ingredients:
• Package of gelatin
• Packet of kool – aid
• A cup of sugar
• A cup of boiling water

Combine all of the ingredients in a 2 quart pitcher. Stir until the powders are fully dissolved. Add cold water to make 2 quarts. Pour into Popsicle molds or paper cups and sit in the freezer. When the mixture starts to thicken, insert the Popsicle stick and then freeze until hardened.

Watermelon Popsicles

Ingredients:
• Watermelon, with seeds removed and chopped up into cubes

Place the watermelon in a blender or food processor and puree. Pour the mixture into the popsicle molds and freeze.

Strawberry Popsicles

Ingredients:
• 2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries
• 1 cup plain or vanilla yogurt
• ½ cup sugar

Puree the strawberries and other ingredients in a food processor or blender. Add to the Popsicle molds and freeze. You can use blueberries, raspberries, or a mixture of fruit to create these wonderful frozen treats.

If you are looking for a more creative Popsicle you can try these:

Striped: Layer the Popsicle mold with different colored yogurt, gelatin, or pudding.

Dreamsicles: Mix about one or two teaspoons of tang with milk. Add about a half of teaspoon of vanilla. You can adjust the amounts based on your taste preferences.

Rocket Pops: Red drink such as fruit punch or red gelatin, freeze until almost solid and then add the white layer, either white grape juice, milk, coconut, yogurt, or vanilla pudding. Freeze again and then add the final blue layer which can be any of the white ingredients with blue food coloring added or a blue drink mix or gelatin.

Filed Under: Delicious Dessert Recipes, From the Kitchen, Kid Friendly Recipes Tagged With: cheap cool treats, frozen treats, Popsicle recipes, popsicles

Looking for a Refreshing Pick-Me-Up? Check Out This Drink from a Blogger Friend!

June 9, 2012 By MotherCreative 5 Comments

My Blogger Friends Have the Best Recipes Ever!

I’ve been working with a great group of bloggers from the Pitch List the past few weeks. We all support each other and frequently visit each others sites. It’s fantastic to see all of the great reviews, recipes and ideas that all of my blogger friends have because it often sparks new ideas in me.

Well, earlier today, I stopped by Kelley’s Passion for Nutrition and noticed that she had posted a brand new recipe for a summer smoothie that was not only super-healthy, but sounded like it would taste pretty amazing, too! I commented that I thought it sounded good and that I knew it would be good for the body, but that I would have to give it a crazy name like “Sea Tea” or something along those lines to tempt my son into trying it. He’s a huge tea addict…yes, he takes after his mother…and I can rarely get him to try anything new unless I tell him it’s a new kind of tea, soda (grr…I don’t even drink soda, so not happy about him getting on this kick) or ice cream.

You know what? Miss Kelley commented back and told me that I just came up for the name of this yummy green smoothie! I feel so honored!

So do you all want the recipe for the newly named Sea Tea? Well, here it is! [Read more...]

Filed Under: Bright Breakfast Recipes, From the Kitchen, Kid Friendly Recipes, Lovely Lunch Recipes Tagged With: best recipes, best smoothies, green smoothies, healthy smoothies, pitch list, sea tea, smoothies, summer recipes, summer smoothies, yummy recipe

Do It Yourself Baby Food

September 7, 2011 By Mindy H. Leave a Comment

Many thrifty moms of infants make their own baby food. The advantages are many: 1) it gives you total control over what your baby is consuming; 2) it is cheaper; 3) it can help emotionally with the transition from exclusive breast milk to solid foods.

Three easy, healthy, and highly recommended do-it-yourself baby foods are avocados, mashed sweet potatoes, and bananas. Avocadoes and bananas are nature’s own baby foods—ready made! Sweet potatoes take a little more preparation, but once they are baked until they are soft, mix them with a little breast milk, and you have a wonderful, nutrient rich dish for your baby.

If you already make your own yogurt, or if you are interested in learning, consider adding whole milk yogurt to your baby’s homemade diet as well. Preparing the yogurt yourself makes this great baby food much more affordable.

Making your own baby food can be greatly aided by having a freezer, microwave, blender, and/or a hand grinder. You will also need to acquire a bunch of very small containers with lids. You can opt to make your baby’s food fresh each time—especially if you’re already preparing a meal that could easily be turned into baby food at some stage (e.g. anything involving very soft, cooked vegetables). You can also schedule times to prepare baby food in bulk and freeze it.

As your child begins to get teeth, your home made baby food options will expand. Once your baby is a toddler, one popular, healthy snack is peanut butter balls. Simply mix peanut butter, powdered milk, oats, and honey until the mixture is able to be rolled into balls in your hands. You may need to continue adding powdered milk incrementally to achieve the desired consistency. You can sneak in all kinds of other healthy ingredients into these yummy treats: raisins or other dried fruit, chopped nuts, flaxseed, etc.

Two popular books on homemade baby food and other simple, healthy foods for children are: Superbaby Food by Ruth Yaron (F. J. Roberts Publisher, 1998), and Feeding Baby Green by Dr. Alan Greene (Jossey-Bass, 2009).

Do it yourself baby food is inexpensive, healthy, rewarding, and will help start your baby out on a path of healthy eating for a life time.

Filed Under: Family Health, From the Kitchen, Home & Family, Infant Health, Kid Friendly Recipes, Living Green, Made from Scratch Recipes, Other Ways to Save, Saving Money Tagged With: baby food, cheap baby food, do it yourself, healthy eating, Spotlight

Making Homemade Baby Food: A Picture Tutorial

August 23, 2011 By Randi M. Leave a Comment

Making homemade baby food is a healthy, inexpensive way to feed your baby. Today, I prepared and froze about one week’s worth of homemade baby food for my twins. Follow along to see just how I did it.

What you’ll need:

Fresh fruits, vegetables or both
Peeler
Knife
Pot
Steamer basket
Food Processor
Bowls
Potato masher
Fork
Strainer
Freezable containers (you can also use ice trays covered in plastic wrap if you don’t have these)

First, I selected the foods, choosing those that are typically recommended as “first foods.” We have bananas, avocados, sweet potatoes and peaches on today’s menu. Don’t overbuy! Notice I only have two of each item. A little goes a long way. I’m choosing to steam all my food today, since it’s one of – if not the – healthiest methods to make homemade baby food. I started with the peaches. Try to use fruit that is quite ripe, so it’ll be nice and soft.

Peel them, and remove the pit from the center.

Next, dice the peaches into relatively even chunks.

Add the peaches to a steamer basket. I have a silicon steamer placed over one inch of simmering water. I put the lid on and let it cook for about 7 minutes.

When the peaches were fork tender, I placed them in the refrigerator to cool. Then, I added them to my food processor and let it whirl until very smooth. I added a bit of water (maybe ¼ cup? It will vary) to make it an extra-smooth, first-food-baby’s-ever-eaten consistency.

Now for the sweet potatoes. I started by peeling them.

After dicing one sweet potato, I realized that was plenty and set the other one aside. Just like with the peaches, I steamed the sweet potatoes, let them cool in the refrigerator and pureed them in the food processor, adding water as needed.

Neither the bananas nor the avocados need to be cooked; they already have a soft constancy, perfect for babies. Cut the avocados in half by working your knife around the pit in a circular motion. Once you’ve reached where you inserted your knife, set the knife down and twist the two avocado halves to open it. To remove the pit easily, give it a whack with your knife and twist.

Scoop the flesh out of the avocados by running a large spoon around the inside of the rind. Then, mash it up in a bowl. I used a potato masher, but you could also use a fork. One of my avocados wasn’t as ripe as I would have liked, and I had quite a few chunks left. So, I chose to work the avocado through a mesh strainer.

It was extra work, but I wanted a super smooth consistency for a first food. Here’s what I ended up with. After this pic, I added some water to make it runnier.

Lastly, I mashed the bananas in a bowl. Like the avocados, I then worked the bananas through a mesh strainer, and ended up with this – a very runny bowl of bananas, without adding any water.

All I had to do from there was add the food to my containers.

Ready for the freezer!

Filed Under: Being Green at Home, From the Kitchen, Infant Health, Kid Friendly Recipes, Living Green, Made from Scratch Recipes, Other Ways to Save, Saving Money Tagged With: feed your baby, homemade baby food, make homemade baby food, Making homemade baby food, Spotlight

Simple Party Food Recipes

August 23, 2011 By Mindy H. Leave a Comment

Some of my favorite party foods are also some of the simplest recipes I know. It’s so fun to make something that looks and tastes good and only takes minutes to prepare. Here are a few party food recipes for your consideration.

Cheesy Chili- This was a standard offering at all the graduation receptions, open houses, and wedding showers I ever attended as a young person.

Dump two cans of chili in your crock-pot. Add half a block of Velveeta cheese. Turn it on low for two to three hours. Serve with tortilla chips. You can add salsa for more of a kick.

Baked Cheese Pastry with Crackers (savory)- This is very tasty and looks fancy, but couldn’t be easier to make!

Open a can of pre-made crescent rolls. Roll it out into a rectangle (Do not separate the individual crescent rolls). Place a block of cream cheese in the center of the dough, and then wrap it like a gift. Bake at 375 until the pastry has just barely browned and the cream cheese is soft (approximately 10-12 minutes). Serve slices with wheat thins or other crackers.

Baked Cheese Pastry (sweet)- Try this sweet variation. You will need two containers of crescent roll dough.

Roll out one can of crescent roll dough. Place (room temperature) cream cheese block in a bowl and mix with 1 cup powdered sugar. Cream until smooth. Spread the mixture on to the dough. Add the additional layer of rolled out dough on top. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 375 for approximately 10-12 minutes.

Chocolate Acorns- Food is always fun when it looks like something else.

Frost the bottom of a Hershey’s kiss with icing or peanut butter. Stick a miniature vanilla wafer on top of the frosting. Make a small peanut butter stem on top of the wafer. It looks like an acorn!

Green Tea Lemonade- Good parties need fun drinks.

Brew a pot of green tea. Use two regular tea bags for three to five cups of boiling water. In a separate pitcher, prepare lemonade. After the tea brews, refrigerate it until it cools. Mix the two drinks to taste.

Enjoy!

Filed Under: Crock Pot Recipes, Delicious Dessert Recipes, From the Kitchen, Kid Friendly Recipes Tagged With: party food, recipes, simple recipes, snacks, Spotlight

Things to Remember When Starting Baby on Solid Foods

August 12, 2011 By Randi M. Leave a Comment

I can’t believe my new twins are over three months old now! Before I know it, I’ll be starting to feed them solid foods, which got me thinking … how do I do that again? I gave myself a refresher course on baby food, and I’ll share here what I’ve learned, so that you’ll know, too, how to feed your baby solid food. Here are some things to remember for a healthy baby:

Wait until your baby is at least four months old before starting any solid foods. She’ll still be getting all the nutrients she needs from breast milk or formula. Starting solid foods now is the first step toward healthy eating habits as your baby grows. Make sure baby is physically able to sit up in a supported high chair and turn her head away. Usually, the first food choice is baby cereal, but new research is showing that vegetables and other soft foods can be just as good a choice. Maybe I’ll try that with my girls.

Give your baby some time to get used to eating solid food. Until now, she’s only ever had liquid, and the new texture of foods and a spoon in her mouth will feel strange. Don’t expect her to eat very much at first, especially at the first sitting. She might spit most of the food out and only eat a teaspoon or less. Just look at it as practice.

Introduce new foods to your baby one at a time. This way, you’ll be able to tell if your baby has any adverse reactions to a particular food. If you do notice any possible allergies, tell your pediatrician. I’ve heard of a “four day rule,” meaning you should wait four days before introducing another new food to baby.

Give baby a variety of foods in a variety of colors. Fruits, vegetables, meats and grains can all be part of your baby’s diet. More and more moms are choosing to make their own baby food. With my older child, I would cook and puree produce, then freeze individual portions in an ice cube tray. Cook baby’s food without adding any salt.

We’ve all heard of the Land of Milk and Honey, but it’s not a place baby should go just yet. Wait until baby turns one to give her cow’s milk, since she can’t digest it properly until then. Continue with breast milk or formula until her first birthday. Doctors say not to give babies honey until at least one year old. I’ve heard that this is due to the risk of botulism.

Photo courtesy of Jencu.

Shop for all-natural products at MotherNature.com

Filed Under: Food Safety, Infant Health, Kid Friendly Recipes Tagged With: baby food, Breaking, healthy baby, solid food

Healthy and Inexpensive Snacks for Toddlers

August 4, 2011 By Randi M. Leave a Comment

I’m always looking for cheap and healthy snack ideas for my 3-year-old that aren’t packed with sugar or salt. I’ve found that by putting in a little time and effort at home, I can save money and offer him much healthier options than pre-packaged snacks. Here are few of my favorites:

1. Snack Kabobs

I love to take advantage of my son’s fondness for anything “on a stick.” He gets such a kick out of it! I chop meat, cheese and fruit into evenly sized cubes and put them on wooden skewers or toothpicks. Be safe about it; make sure you or your child removes the stick before he eats the food. Don’t let him eat the food off right off the stick.

2. Applesauce Pops

These are super easy! Just freeze applesauce on a stick. I use an ice cube tray and popsicle sticks, but if you have one of those nice sets made just for this, it’ll be even easier. My son thinks he’s getting a “popsicle” (he is!), and I know he’s getting something much healthier (and cheaper). Plus, they’re fun to make together with your child.

3. Mini Muffins

These yummy snacks are cheap, healthy and the perfect size for a toddler. By making them myself, I can make them just the way I want for my little guy – with whole-wheat flour and no nuts. Then I add whatever fruit or veggies I have on hand – carrots, zucchini, blueberries, pineapple … the options are endless.

4. Rice Pudding

For a healthier version of rice pudding, I use brown rice and Splenda or honey. First, cook 1 cup of rice according to the directions on the box. Then add 4 cups of skim milk and 1/3 cup of Splenda (or half as much honey), and simmer over medium heat. Once it has thickened, add 2 teaspoons vanilla and some cinnamon to taste. I then divide the pudding into five bowls, cover them and put them in the refrigerator. My son likes to eat it warm, but you could also eat it cold.

5. Graham Cracker “Sandwiches”

These fun treats are one of my favorite kid-friendly snacks. They’re easy because you don’t have to really make anything. I suppose you could make your own graham crackers if you wanted to go that far! Either way, all you have to do is sandwich something between two crackers – I like to use peanut butter (the creamy kind for a toddler) or fruit slices.

What are your favorite snacks for kids?

Filed Under: Kid Friendly Recipes, Saving Money, Toddler Health Tagged With: healthy snack ideas, kid friendly snack, snack for kids, snacks for toddlers, toddler snacks

Harry Potter Recipes

July 1, 2011 By ShannonK 1 Comment

Harry Potter Recipes

The new Harry Potter movie is being released this month. My kids absolutely love Harry Potter and I do too. I am a big kid at heart so before we go to the new Harry Potter movie I plan on having a Harry Potter day with Harry Potter recipes.

Butterbeer – There are so many variations.I am told the recipe from Fox is better than the one from Universal Harry Potter park!

Version #1

Ingredients:

8oz cream soda
2-3 tablespoons of butterscotch syrup

1. Mix in a tall glass and serve over ice.

Version #2

Recipe from http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2010/07/02/harry-potters-butterbeer-recipe-uncovered/

Start to finish: 1 hour

Ingredients:

1 cup light or dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
6 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar
3/4 cup heavy cream, divided
1/2 teaspoon rum extract
Four 12-ounce bottles cream soda

In a small saucepan over medium, combine the brown sugar and water. Bring to a gentle boil and cook, stirring often, until the mixture reads 240 F on a candy thermometer.
2. Stir in the butter, salt, vinegar and 1/4 heavy cream. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Once the mixture has cooled, stir in the rum extract.
In a medium bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar mixture and the remaining 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Use an electric mixer to beat until just thickened, but not completely whipped, about 2 to 3 minutes.
To serve, divide the brown sugar mixture between 4 tall glasses (about 1/4 cup for each glass). Add 1/4 cup of cream soda to each glass, then stir to combine. Fill each glass nearly to the top with additional cream soda, then spoon the whipped topping over each.

Treacle Tart – These are a British dessert and are one of Harry’s favorite desserts. If you cannot find the golden syrup at your local store, try Whole Foods and amazon.com.

Ingredients:

2 –9″ pie shells. You can make your own from scratch or buy the premade shells in the refrigerated section.
2 cups golden syrup (DO NOT use molasses or corn syrup. Does not taste the same)
1 ½ cups fresh white breadcrumbs
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp. of water

      1. Roll out the first pie shell and place in pie pan.
     2. Mix the syrup, breadcrumbs and lemon juice. Pour the filling into the pie      shell
      3. Roll out the 2^nd pie shell, cut it into strips and form a lattice top over the filling.
     4. Brush the pastry with the egg and water mixture and bake at 350° F for 10 minutes.
    5. Reduce the heat to 300° F and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, or until the filling is lightly set.

Filed Under: Delicious Dessert Recipes, From the Kitchen, Kid Friendly Recipes, Made from Scratch Recipes

FFHH Hop – Day 8 – Pumpkin Krispie Treats

Looking for Halloween Themed Snacks for a Party? These Pumpkin Krispie Treats are a Snap to Make!

Vegetarian Dinners that Kids Will Love

Delicious Popsicle Recipes You Can Make at Home

Looking for a Refreshing Pick-Me-Up? Check Out This Drink from a Blogger Friend!

My Blogger Friends Have the Best Recipes Ever!

Do It Yourself Baby Food

Making Homemade Baby Food: A Picture Tutorial

Simple Party Food Recipes

Things to Remember When Starting Baby on Solid Foods

Healthy and Inexpensive Snacks for Toddlers

Harry Potter Recipes

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