First up… Chewy Chocolate Mint Cookies.  I don’t know a single person that doesn’t enjoy this flavor combination and since I have been  focusing on treats that kids can easily help with, this recipe jumped to the top of my ‘to try’ list!  With only 4 simple ingredients, you can have a batch of these cookies ready in no time.  I originally found the recipe  via Pinterest of course! (http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2011/04/andes-mint-cookies.html?showComment=1323739192245#c8874412180426553846)

Chewy Chocolate Mint Cookies
makes 3 dozen

1 box Devil’s Food Cake Mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 bag Andes Candies mints

1)  Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2)  In a large bowl mix together cake mix, oil, and eggs

3)  Using a tablestpoon or cookie scoop, scoop even amounts of batter onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.  (You can form into balls for nice round cookies or leave them free form.  They do not spread much so I flatened them down a bit.)

4)  Bake 6-8 minutes, remove from oven.  (I bake mine at 7 minutes per our oven)

5)  Immediately place one (unwrapped) candy on top of cookie and return to oven for 1 minute.

6)  Remove from oven and using a small spatula or knife spread melted candy over top of cookie.

7)  Move cookies to cooling rack and allow to cool completely before storing in an air tight container.

These are super yummy and a hit with everyone in the house!  They are so fast and easy, it takes longer for them to cool completely than it does to make & bake them.  The kids enjoyed their job of unwrapping the bag of mints (and eating the extras)!

Since these took no time at all to whip up, we decided to make a second treat to send along.  We made these Pretzel Kisses at Christmastime using chocolate mint kisses and holiday colored M&M’s and sent to our soldiers in their holiday boxes.  The girls spotted a bag of Valentine colors at the store last week and asked if they could make them again.  This is a super kid-friendly treat as they can do pretty much all the steps on their own except for taking the pan in/out of the oven.  Since there so many varieties of both candies used, the flavor combinations are endless!

Pretzel Kisses

1 bag pretzel twists, wheels, or circles
1 bag Hershey Kisses, any variety
1 bag M&M’s, any variety

1)  Preheat oven to 250 degrees

2)  On a parchment lined cookie sheet, spread pretzels out in an even layer

3)  Top each pretzel with a chocolate kiss

4)  Place in oven for 3-5 minutes, just until the chocolate softens but still holds it’s shape.  If they over melt, they tend to be dried out a bit when solid again.

5)  Remove from oven and immeiately place one M&M candy in the center of each kiss pressing down slightly.

6)  Let cool completely, making sure the chocolate has re-solidified before removing from pan and storing in an airtight container.

I normally prepare this chili in the crockpot on busy winter days so we have dinner waiting for us in the evening but it can also be quickly prepared on the stove top.  To save time on busy mornings, much of the work can be done the night before in a matter of minutes and be ready to just pour in the crockpot and turn on (prepare the meat, rinse & drain beans & corn, measure out  chicken broth).  Since this is a bean based chili, I would suggest against freezing as the beans can break down and make the texture very mushy and grainy.

Today I was going to only make a half batch of soup to limit the amount of leftovers but a friend of mine is having surgery so I will take some to their family this afternoon for them to enjoy as well.

White Bean Turkey Chili

1 lb ground turkey
2 Tbsp olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp oregano
2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
3 cans white navy beans, rinsed & drained
1 can whole kernel corn, rinsed & drained
4 cups chicken broth

1)  In a large skillet heat oil and garlic for 1-2 minutes on medium heat, add ground turkey and cook until no longer pink.  (* I like to add the spices directly to the meat as it is cooking to lightly toast the spices, but this is not necessary.  They can just be added directly to the pot with the other ingredients.)

2)  Rinse and drain beans and corn, place in a 4 qt (or larger) crockpot.

3)  Add meat, spices, and chicken broth to the pot stirring to mix evenly.

4)  Cook on low about 6 hrs or high about 4 hours.  Since everything going in the pot is already cooked, it just needs to come to temperature and stay hot until ready to serve.  Times will vary depending on the size and brand of your crockpot.  (* To make on the stove top… use a large pot to brown the meat, once cooked add all the remaining ingredients.  Bring to low simmer over low-medium heat and serve.)

Tonight during dinner she asked “so what did you make for our 100th day treat?”  Uh… nothing!  She perked up and said asked what we could still make in time.  Cupcakes?  Nah… to typical.  Decorated cookies or cake pops?  I didn’t want to stay up all night, plus she’s already taken pops twice for Halloween & her birthday.  I pulled out the three paw print chocolate molds I had picked up a few months ago.  Our district mascot is the Wildcat and I HAD to have these on hand for school spirit treats for the years ahead!  One is a chocolate lollipop mold, we passed on this one this time around as we made yellow ribbon lolli’s for Veteran’s Day.  Another mold is for small individual paw prints, great for cupcake toppers.  The last was a dipped cookie mold…  ding ding ding!  Luckily I had a package of sandwich cookies in the pantry and enough white chocolate coating so we set to work.  Unfortunately the mold only makes six at a time and it’s a multi step process so it did take a couple of hours from start to finish but they turned out well and she will hopefully be pleased when she wakes for school tomorrow.

I individually wrapped them so her teacher could just send them home with the kids at the end of the day!  I’m always looking out for her well being, she has enough going on in the classroom that I wanted something easy she could choose to enjoy in class or send home.

Because many of the ingredients used in my menu plan are either frozen or non-perishable goods, it has been easy (maybe a little too easy) to rearrange the schedule.  I have been trying to stick with the same meals I have planned, but sometimes the days get moved around based on our activity schedule!  I hope to keep more to the schedule this week!

Here is week 3′s menu…

Sunday – Breakfast & lunch were left blank as my kids were spending time away from home with their grandparents!

Monday – I was able to use up a frozen bag of vegetable rice soup mix by adding some diced poached chicken breast.  I was also able to freeze two 8oz jars of leftover soup for quick lunches later.

Tuesday – Simple beef & rice meatballs served with mashed potatoes, gravy and a veggie picked out by the kids!

Wednesday – Since Wednesdays are usually very busy for me, White Bean Turkey Chili made in the crockpot will be ready for us when we get home for the day!  This was on last week’s menu but was moved due to an activity change!

Thursday – Our typical take-out pizza night due to late after school activities.

Friday – A fast and easy meal to use up leftover freezer items.

Saturday – A meal we haven’t had for awhile!  Should be able to freeze half of the recipe for a future meal.

Hope you are all enjoying following us on this journey!  Recipes will be posted throughout the week so you can eat along with us!

While perusing the bread aisle I spotted a familiar blue label and was reminiscent for a minute.  Beefsteak Soft Rye Bread… I hadn’t had it in years but remember my mother and I eating it slice after slice with butter on top or even plain.  It was very rarely used for sandwiches and was usually gone within a day.  It was always the ‘no seeds’ variety.  I honestly never knew rye bread typically had caraway seeds until I was an adult and ordered a sandwich one day at a deli!

This morning as I was doing random things around the house, I kept thinking about that loaf of bread and all the foods that made me feel good as a child.  My grandmother’s sugar cookies and spice cake, my grandfather’s ‘goulash’ that he made with ketchup, another grandmother’s meatballs made at Christmas, and Shake n’ Bake (chicken or pork) that my dad always made when I visited on the weekends.  None of these foods would probably fit into today’s comfort food mold of rich & decedent plates but to me they are my childhood comforts.

Of course I brought a loaf home and enjoyed a turkey sandwich for lunch.  The rest will be eaten with butter or plain and I’m sure finished off by my girls.   It makes me wonder what will be on my their comfort food lists as they grow?

I got side tracked making lunch and while washing dishes looked up to see my stack of reusable containers our lunch meet comes in.  Lightbulb!  Thank you Hillshire Farms for packaging in these plastic (I think Glad) containers.  I save them to use for leftovers and love their perfect size for stacking in the cabinets and fridge.  I grabbed the stack and headed to the dining room cabinets… two side by side fit perfectly in the cubbie and it seemed I had plenty.  I set to work opening and sorting packages, all the while picturing my husband shaking his head at me over all the little items.

In the end I had enough containers and they all fit back into one cubbie.  The items too large for these containers went back into one basket and I never did find that package of pipe cleaners!  I did find I had a large supply of colored popscicle sticks that would be perfect for the upcoming birthday party.  Now to figure out what to make from them!

I’m now out of containers for the kitchen… off to eat a turkey sandwich!

Because I’m not a big fan of coconut, I instead made a chocolate-cherry variation.  This recipe was also great to use up some our our random pantry items.  It used up a partial bag of dried cherries, plain instant oatmeal (saved from the packets of ‘original’ my kids don’t eat from the variety box), almost all the remainder of our honey and a few packets of peanut butter that came from left over Army MRE pouches brought home from my husband’s training!   That jar in the center is my first batch of homemade vanilla extract!

No Bake Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Bites

1 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cherries, diced

1)  In a medium bowl, combine oatmeal, flax seed, peanut butter,  honey, and vanilla until evenly combined

2)  Mix in chocolate chips and cherries

3)  Using a tablespoon or cookie scoop, evenly scoop & roll 24-26 balls

4)  Store in the fridge

There is nothing listed that requires these to be refrigerated, but chilling does help to keep them well formed and prevent them from sticking together.  With the next batch I am going to try white chocolate chips & dried cranberries.  I would have made both batches today but… GASP… I ran out of peanut butter!  There are many substitutions and flavor variations discussed in the comments section of the original recipe including the use of almond butter instead of peanut butter for those with allergies, the use of crushed cereals in place of flax seed, or the addition of protein powder.

Here is the nutritional information for my above.

My youngest protested right away since the word ‘chicken’ was mentioned (thanks to her sister).  But with some pushing, she finally dug in and ate her entire portion… leaving behind the chicken.  My oldest proclaimed after one bite “this is great” and proceeded to finish her bowl before her sister even took one bite and had seconds.  With approval from the kids, this dish will now go into normal rotation!

Some notes before I get to the recipe!

*  I used a package of my precooked crockpot chicken from the freezer for this dish.  My process is mentioned in the post for Cheesy Chicken & Rice Bake

*  Whatever shape pasta you have on hand can be used… penne, bowtie, rotini.  I happened to have half a box of wheel pasta in the pantry so that’s what I used here.  Use a big pot to cook your pasta!  That way you are ready to mix everything together you can use the pasta pot and save on dirty dishes!

*  Instead of buying something different, I just used sliced deli ham.  With the delay in getting to this recipe, I only had a little over 2oz left after a packing lunches recently.  So use whatever you might have on hand!

Cordon Bleu Casserole Pasta Bake

8 oz pasta (dry measure, any shape)
2 cups cooked shredded chicken breast
½  cup shredded swiss cheese
1 cup fat free half & half
8 wedges Laughing Cow Light Swiss
4 oz diced ham

Topping:
4 Tbsp bread crumbs
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic salt

1)  Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2)  Boil pasta until just tender, drain & set aside

3)  In a small sauce pan combine half & half and cheese wedges.  Heat on medium low until melted, stirring frequently

4)  In a large bowl (or your pasta pot!) stir together cooked pasta, chicken, swiss cheese, and ham.  Pour cream mixture over and stir until evenly combined

5)  Pour into 9×13 glass baking dish, sprayed with non-stick spray

6)  In a small bowl, combine topping ingredients.  Sprinkle evenly over dish

7)  Bake 20-25 minutes or until hot & bubbly

I used a shallow baking dish, preparing half of the recipe for dinner and packaging the other half for the freezer.

Using the Recipe Nutrition Calculator through MyFitnessPal I was able to calculate the nutritional information for this dish for those interested.  I included the numbers for 6 or 8 servings based on the portion size you prefer.

Because I was only preparing dinner for myself and my two children, I split the completed recipe into two pans before baking in the oven.  I packed one half of the dish in a disposable foil pan, double wrapped it in foil and clearly labeled it for the freezer.  When ready to reheat, remove it from the freezer the day before and place in the fridge.  When thawed, bake for 25-35 minutes at 350 degrees or until hot & bubbly.

So here is this week’s menu!

With a typical rotation of breakfast and lunch staples through out the week, here is a rundown of dinners…

Sunday – We didn’t get around to breakfast until almost lunch time so ‘lunch’ will consist of snacks throughout the afternoon!  Dinner will be a package of spaghetti sauce I already have made from the freezer & a partial box of garlic bread.

Monday – Here is the Chicken Cordon Bleu dinner that we didn’t get to last week!  Recipe review to be posted Tuesday.

Tuesday – We’re trying a new variation of a Cheesy Broccoli & Rice Bake I found while perusing Pinterest.  Recipe review to follow.

Wednesday - I didn’t schedule lunch as my youngest usually stays a full day at preschool this day & I tend to be on the run all day as I’m kid free!  So I eat (or don’t eat) lunch when I can get it.  Dinner will be easy, since I’ll likely be beat from a busy day.  One of the kids’ faves… fish sticks & tator tots.  We are slowly working our way through a huge bag of each lingering in the freezer!

Thursday – weekly pizza night!

Friday – Yummy White Bean Turkey chili made in the crockpot!  I finally get to use up that last package of ground turkey staring me in the face every time I open the freezer door & the remaining cans of navy beans from a case I picked up at the Hanover Foods outlet a while back.

Saturday – Quick dinner after a (hopefully fun filled) day out with the kids!  No formal plans yet but we’ll see what kind of trouble we can get into!

Here’s to another successful week of clearing out the pantry (and freezer)!  If you get a chance to try out any of my recipes, I’d love to hear your feedback!

Only 6 ingredients!

Seasoned Pretzels

1 lb bag pretzel nuggets
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dill weed
1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
1 packet ranch dressing mix

Ready for the oven!

1)  Preheat oven to 250 degrees F
2)  Pour pretzels into a large bowl
3)  Drizzle oil over pretzels and stir until evenly coated
4)  In a small bowl mix seasonings
5)  Sprinkle seasonings over pretzels and stir until evenly coated
6)  Spread pretzels on a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
7)  Bake 40 minutes, stirring pretzels every 10 minutes
8)  Remove from oven and let cool completely before serving
9)  Store in a air-tight container and they will stay fresh for a few weeks!

NOTES:
*  For an extra kick try the ‘spicy’ ranch dressing mix!
*  I use a slotted spoon to scoop the pretzel onto the pan.  Puddles of extra oil & seasoning can lead to scorching while baking.
*  Make sure to stir frequently to help prevent scorching.

Enjoy!