Saturday, February 4, 2012
i just have one little gripe...
Why is it that when you get something sugar free you are substituting the sugar for artificial flavoring?? Splenda this is a jab at you! I want sugar free AND artificial sweetener free, so why is it so damn hard to find it???? and if I had to choose i would choose sugar over artificial stuff anyways! Splenda is sugar that mankind has messed with until the calories disappeared... in other words its NOT NORMAL!! i would rather have sugar knowing where it came from vs. something that comes out of a laboratory! i think im going to have to scour the web to find some alternatives to sugar and to the blasted artificial sweeteners! i will definitely post my discoveries soon!! :)
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
SMORE POPS!!
This is a new take on an old classic! all you need is:
1 bag of marshmallows (they have these JUMBO ones that are awesomeee!!!)
some Popsicle sticks (or toothpicks although those are a bit more difficult.)
chocolate to melt
and graham crackers (again we usually opt for reduced fat)
oh and a foil ball or something to keep the sticks upright until it dries
First crunch up the crackers i have done very fine to very coarse and somewhere in between seems to be the best bet for flavor. Pour crackers onto a plate or shallow bowl.
melt the chocolate however you do it. I use a metal bowl over a saucepan of boiling water..
-step one place the mallow on a stick i personally put it over a flame just for a few seconds to give it that cooked marshmallow flavor..
-step two dip said mallow into your bowl of chocolaty goodness coat completely, let excess drip off it can get messy otherwise
-step three roll the halfway to heaven mallow in cracker crumbs and place upright until fully dried about 5 mins..
absolutely AMAZINGGGGGG and not to messy for the wee ones!! also fun for a party or if you are anything like me fun to make after the kids go down and the husband goes out with friends and you have a hot date with a good book.
1 bag of marshmallows (they have these JUMBO ones that are awesomeee!!!)
some Popsicle sticks (or toothpicks although those are a bit more difficult.)
chocolate to melt
and graham crackers (again we usually opt for reduced fat)
oh and a foil ball or something to keep the sticks upright until it dries
First crunch up the crackers i have done very fine to very coarse and somewhere in between seems to be the best bet for flavor. Pour crackers onto a plate or shallow bowl.
melt the chocolate however you do it. I use a metal bowl over a saucepan of boiling water..
-step one place the mallow on a stick i personally put it over a flame just for a few seconds to give it that cooked marshmallow flavor..
-step two dip said mallow into your bowl of chocolaty goodness coat completely, let excess drip off it can get messy otherwise
-step three roll the halfway to heaven mallow in cracker crumbs and place upright until fully dried about 5 mins..
absolutely AMAZINGGGGGG and not to messy for the wee ones!! also fun for a party or if you are anything like me fun to make after the kids go down and the husband goes out with friends and you have a hot date with a good book.
Pumpkin piewiches... say WHAT!!
This I made when it was around thanksgiving halloween time i dont know but pumpkin ALWAYS taste better in the fall. okay so to get started you need:
1 can pumpkin puree (or if your not counting calories already made pumpkin pie mix)
1 box of graham crackers... i get reduced fat sometimes we go for the cinnamon, whatever you do though stay way from the gingerbread flavor!!!!
1 container of FREE cool whip free as in sugar and fat free..
before i go on can i just add to that all these sugar and fat free recipes still have AMAZING FLAVOR so no need to worry im substituting flavor for fewer calories!!
So if you went with the pumpkin puree your going to need to spice it up, i add a bit of sugar and some cinnamon, along with nutmeg if i have it and a pinch of allspice. You flavor it to your standards though.. Then after that is all mixed you take that and fold it GENTLY into the cool whip. if you mix to much the whip will sort of flatline on you. After thats all mixed put it in the freezer for about 5 mins to stiffen up. while your waiting for that break the crackers in half, 1 cracker should make 1 sandwich. after the whip is done in the freezer pipe it onto one half of the cracker and push the other cracker on top of it to make your beautiful sandwich! line a cookie sheet with them and freeze for about an hour before you eat them.. for leftovers store in a freezer bag or you will experience pumpkin piewiches a la freezer burn!!
1 can pumpkin puree (or if your not counting calories already made pumpkin pie mix)
1 box of graham crackers... i get reduced fat sometimes we go for the cinnamon, whatever you do though stay way from the gingerbread flavor!!!!
1 container of FREE cool whip free as in sugar and fat free..
before i go on can i just add to that all these sugar and fat free recipes still have AMAZING FLAVOR so no need to worry im substituting flavor for fewer calories!!
So if you went with the pumpkin puree your going to need to spice it up, i add a bit of sugar and some cinnamon, along with nutmeg if i have it and a pinch of allspice. You flavor it to your standards though.. Then after that is all mixed you take that and fold it GENTLY into the cool whip. if you mix to much the whip will sort of flatline on you. After thats all mixed put it in the freezer for about 5 mins to stiffen up. while your waiting for that break the crackers in half, 1 cracker should make 1 sandwich. after the whip is done in the freezer pipe it onto one half of the cracker and push the other cracker on top of it to make your beautiful sandwich! line a cookie sheet with them and freeze for about an hour before you eat them.. for leftovers store in a freezer bag or you will experience pumpkin piewiches a la freezer burn!!
rainbow pudding
This one is really fun for us.. we make it often and its simple maybe a little time consuming but TOTALLY worth it!!
2 boxes of fat free sugar free vanilla pudding (or any other light colored pudding)
and food coloring
make the pudding as directed. after that is done separate it out into however many colors you want we usually do 5! mix one color per bowl, (my kids love making new colors).. If you are fancy you can use the decorator bag thingy, or if you are like me and to cheap to buy one at the moment you can fill a little sandwich baggie with one color (if you have 4 colors you need 4 bags so you dont mix the colors) just cut a tiny hole in the corner for the pudding to come out of.... THENNNNN you can get creative, we have made fun rainbow pudding pies in mini pie dishes or we have taken clear cups and stacked the colors to make a rainbow that just screamed EAT ME EAT ME PLEASEEEE!! its a guilt free dessert that i definitely dont mind my kids chowing down on.
2 boxes of fat free sugar free vanilla pudding (or any other light colored pudding)
and food coloring
make the pudding as directed. after that is done separate it out into however many colors you want we usually do 5! mix one color per bowl, (my kids love making new colors).. If you are fancy you can use the decorator bag thingy, or if you are like me and to cheap to buy one at the moment you can fill a little sandwich baggie with one color (if you have 4 colors you need 4 bags so you dont mix the colors) just cut a tiny hole in the corner for the pudding to come out of.... THENNNNN you can get creative, we have made fun rainbow pudding pies in mini pie dishes or we have taken clear cups and stacked the colors to make a rainbow that just screamed EAT ME EAT ME PLEASEEEE!! its a guilt free dessert that i definitely dont mind my kids chowing down on.
chewy granola bars!
So I have a REALLY hard time buying granola bars at the store.. i just feel like they are so full of just STUFF that my kids really dont need to eat! And the calorie and sugar content holy schnikes! so i decided one day you know what lets MAKE some and i have the simplest and CHEAPEST recipe for them EVERRRR!!!
3 cups of quick oats (usually under 2 dollars for a 18oz container)
if you want to use granola then replace 1 cup oats with 1 cup granola
1 can of sweetened condensed milk (around 2 dollars)
and WHATEVER ELSE YOU WANT!
yes that is REALLY IT! we usually add chocolate chips, craisins and/or mini marshmallows to ours but really you can interpret it how ever you want.
mix the oats and all the other ingredients together and THEN add the can of milk. press into a greased pan bake at 350 for 20-30 mins depending on how crunchy or chewy you want them. as soon as they come out cut them but then just let them sit to cool completely.. and then enjoy them! <3<3
p.s. the little ones love finding stuff to add to it so make it an adventure at the store and let them find something to add to the mix, they will be more likely to try it if they do!
3 cups of quick oats (usually under 2 dollars for a 18oz container)
if you want to use granola then replace 1 cup oats with 1 cup granola
1 can of sweetened condensed milk (around 2 dollars)
and WHATEVER ELSE YOU WANT!
yes that is REALLY IT! we usually add chocolate chips, craisins and/or mini marshmallows to ours but really you can interpret it how ever you want.
mix the oats and all the other ingredients together and THEN add the can of milk. press into a greased pan bake at 350 for 20-30 mins depending on how crunchy or chewy you want them. as soon as they come out cut them but then just let them sit to cool completely.. and then enjoy them! <3<3
p.s. the little ones love finding stuff to add to it so make it an adventure at the store and let them find something to add to the mix, they will be more likely to try it if they do!
PIZZA!!!!!!!!!!
can i just say this is one of the CHEAPEST dinners you can make!! seriously 2 pkgs of Betty Crocker dough (40 cents a pkg) makes enough for Big C., Little C., Little J and me Big J!! and you can make it sooo many different ways for instance Big and little C likes cheese and peperoni, while little J. likes cheese and sometimes pineapple and I loveeee jalapeno and pineapple. to make this fun for the kids bust out the cookie/sandwich cutters!! cut shapes before the toppings and you have a more intriguing treat for the wee ones. and if you are low on cutters you can use a cup to make mini pizzas or even a knife to cut a wacky shape! my kids love helping and enjoy all the different shapes we can come up with.
for a family of 4
2 pkg Betty crocker pizza dough mix.
1 bottle of pizza sauce ( usually lasts us 2 or 3 pizza nights)
As much cheese as you want
whatever else you can think of!!!
for a family of 4
2 pkg Betty crocker pizza dough mix.
1 bottle of pizza sauce ( usually lasts us 2 or 3 pizza nights)
As much cheese as you want
whatever else you can think of!!!
Im attempting something new here!
I love to cook specifically me and my kids love to cook together.. Sooo i figured i could make a blog about our cooking adventures and add some YUMMY recipes in the process!! I am not a crazy mom who feels like everything should be organic, sugar free, vegan, vegetarian etc. I'm just a normal mom trying to make things fun and a little bit more healthy for the young ones, while on a budget!! and by budget i mean real world budget not some celebrity type budget thats not really a budget.. I dont have any fancy gadgets (i use a lot of sandwich baggies lol).. I shop at the commissary ( its a military thing) and i dont ever spend more then 15 bucks on stuff to make dessert!! :)
P.s. I'm only giving out basics and my personal twists on them, its up to you to take it, run with it and make it your own! The kitchen is an awesome place to experiment make messes and get super creative!! ESPECIALLY with kids!! <3<3
P.s. I'm only giving out basics and my personal twists on them, its up to you to take it, run with it and make it your own! The kitchen is an awesome place to experiment make messes and get super creative!! ESPECIALLY with kids!! <3<3
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