Quick Oven Nachos

It’s summer and the kiddos are hungry all day long! I am visiting my sister in Wisconsin right now and between us we have six hungry kids. For lunch a few days ago I whipped this yummy meal up in no time. My mother used to make these quick oven nachos for my sister and I when we were younger, so this meal brought back great memories!
Now on to the recipe…

Ingredients:
tortilla chips
shredded colby jack cheese
thinly sliced deli turkey, cut into bit size pieces
fresh diced tomatoes
green onions, chopped
sliced black olives
chili powder
cumin
fresh ground pepper

First line a baking sheet with foil, then spread out a layer of tortilla chips. Next sprinkle your desired amount of cheese and evenly layer the rest of your toppings. Lightly sprinkle chili powder, cumin, and fresh ground pepper over the nachos. Now place the nachos under broil just until the cheese is melted. Please don’t leave your nachos unattended because it does not take long. Serve nachos warm and garnish with a dollop of sour cream or guacamole.

The great thing about making these nachos is you can easily accommodate everyone's dislikes and likes all on one platter! For example, people who don’t like tomatoes only put tomatoes on half and so on. Please do not feel limited to my ingredient list, have fun making your own creation.

Enjoy!

Roasted Red Pepper, Tomatillo and Cilantro Hummus

This recipe has been moved to Cherishedbliss.com, click here for the full recipe!

Enjoy!

Easy Slow Cooker Applesauce

Nothing makes your house smell like the holidays like a crock pot full of apples. Making applesauce is so easy and I hope you will enjoy this recipe with your family soon! Your kiddos will be smiling :)



In this batch I used:
4 large Honey Crisp Apples
5 Gala Apples
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

* You may use any combination of apples or adjust the sugar and cinnamon to your taste. Some apples are sweet enough that you do not have to add sugar.

First, peel and core apples; then slice each apple in wedges. Add enough water to the slow cooker to cover the bottom, a few tablespoons. Place apple wedges in the crockpot and sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or until the apples are tender.
 


Next, gently mash the apples with a potato masher until you have applesauce.

Serve warm or let applesauce cool and refrigerate.

Pico de Gallo

Pico de Gallo is a wonderful addition to just about anything! Top burgers, tacos, nachos, fish, grilled chicken...the possibilities are endless! This is how I make my Pico de Gallo, I hope you enjoy the recipe!



4 roma tomatoes, chopped
1  jalapeño, seeded and chopped (add seeds if you want more spice)
2-3 garlic cloves minced (depending on the size of your garlic cloves and taste)
1/2 sweet yellow onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (or to taste)
juice of 1 lime or lemon
kosher salt and ground pepper (to taste)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Mix all ingredients together and enjoy the freshness and the aroma of all these wonderful Mexican flavors!
Makes approximately 2 cups.

Homemade Croutons

This recipe has been moved to Cherishedbliss.com, click here for the recipe!

These croutons are an excellent addition to a salad covered in Homemade Ranch Dressing, click here for my recipe!

Watermelon {my favorite summertime treat}

Watermelon... oh how I love watermelon! I look forward to this wonderful fruit every summer. Not only is this fruit tasty and refreshing, but it is so good for you! Check out these
fun, food facts about watermelon:
- only 46 calories per cup, balled
- high in potassium
- high in vitamins A and C
- the high content of water makes watermelon a great snack option for weight loss
- a wonderful thirst quencher on a hot summer day
- low in sodium
- low in saturated fat

When choosing a watermelon look for :
- dark green color
- heavy weight for the size of melon
- look for the "ground spot"
- the bottom of the watermelon should have a yellow, creamy spot indicating it sat on the ground while soaking up all the vitamins from the nice, warm sun

Need watermelon recipes, here is a few of my favorites...

Watermelon Lemonade


Cucumber Watermelon Salad


Watermelon Popsicles

What are you doing with your watermelon this summer?

Charoset

Charoset is traditionally served during Passover and can be found on the Seder plate. My family and I celebrate Passover each year. It is a special remembrance of the story of Moses in Egypt and a great reminder of the Last Supper. This wonderful mixture of apples, walnuts, and spices cannot only be enjoyed during Passover but throughout the year.
My family loves Charoset for an afternoon snack and I am enjoying it as a light, easy lunch option. Very refreshing and wonderful served on Matzos.

Charoset
Recipe that my family uses
2 gala apples
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
a pinch of nutmeg
a pinch of cloves
1 tsp honey
1 TBS sweet Passover wine
(you can use grape juice for children)

Core and peel apples (you can leave the peel on if you like). Finely chop apples. In a medium size bowl add apples, walnuts, cinnamon, honey, wine or grape juice. Add more honey if needed and stir, combining well.
If you like this recipe check out my Charoset inspired
Crock pot Apples Stuffed with Walnuts

Thank you for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Happy Earth Day

To celebrate Earth Day the kids and I made Earth Rice Krispies Treats! This is a fun visual for little ones and gives you an open opportunity to inform them about how important their planet is to their future! This fun family project can allow you to talk about ways everyone can save energy around the house!

These are a few ways we try to reduce energy around our house!

-turn off the water while brushing our teeth

-turn off lights in a room when it is not in use

-place recycling where everyone can use it

Ok, now onto the recipe and tutorial...

3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 package (10 oz., about 40) regular marshmallows
or
4 cups miniature marshmallows
6 cups Kellogg's® Rice Krispies® cereal
blue food coloring
green food coloring

Note
-For best results, use fresh marshmallows.
-1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow crème can be substituted for marshmallows.
-Diet, reduced calorie or tub margarine is not recommended.
-Store no more than two days at room temperature in airtight container.

Divide all ingredients in half. You will need two pans, one pan for blue and the second pan for green.
In two large saucepans melt butter over low heat. 

Divide marshmallows in half, add 14 drops of blue food coloring to one pan and 14 drops of green food coloring to the other pan. Stir until completely melted.
Remove from heat. 

Add  3 cups of KELLOGG'S RICE KRISPIES cereal to each pan.
Stir quickly until well coated.
Then, with cooking spray coat 2 large mixing bowls and add the green mixture to one bowl and add the blue mixture to the other bowl. 

Once the mixture is cool (5-10 min), spray hands with cooking spray, then use your hands to combine the colors and form into a ball. Make into any size you like! Yes, your hands will be sticky, but not too bad :)
Best if served the same day.

This is my little one enjoying this beautiful day outside and eating "My Planet", so he says!

Pita Pizza Pockets

These were actually invented by my husband one day when he was looking for a new, quick and easy lunch. I am sure we are not the first ones to make these cute little pizza pockets, but the day my husband pulled these out of the oven the kids and I were in awe of his brilliance! Pita Pizza Pockets are a super easy after school snack, a fun Saturday lunch, or a quick dinner option for a busy night!

1 package of mini multi grain pita pockets
8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
veggies of your choice-
I used bell peppers, spinach, and black olives in this batch
turkey pepperoni
pizza sauce (recipe below)

Homemade Pizza Sauce
6oz can tomato paste
6 fl oz of warm water
1 1/2 TBS grated Parmesan cheese
1 TBS honey
1/4 tsp garlic powder (or to taste)
1/2 tsp onion powder (or to taste)
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp basil
1/8 tsp of black pepper
a small pinch cayenne pepper
kosher Salt to taste

Mix all ingredients in a bowl

Preheat oven @ 400 degrees. Then add sauce to pita pockets. Next add cheese, pepperoni, and veggies. Place on a cookie sheet lined with foil and cook until cheese is melted and bubbly. My family warms the extra pizza sauce and uses it for dipping.
Enjoy this meal with a nice garden salad topped with
Creamy Italian Dressing!
YUM, YUM !
Thank you for stopping by and have a wonderful day :)

Brownie Batter Dip

Original Recipe Found Here

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I found this amazingly, addictive Brownie Batter Dip recently at
Raising 4 Princesses 
and had to give it a try!
Wow, it is a keeper!!! It will have your taste buds dancing :)
This dip is a perfect addition to your sweet Valentine’s Day Party!
This has already been made twice in my kitchen.
I have been putting it in my kiddos lunch and pairing it with fresh strawberries and Graham Crackers!

Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) 1/3 less fat cream cheese (softened)
1/2 cup butter (room temp)
2 cups powdered sugar
5 TBS flour
5 TBS cocoa powder
2-3 TBS milk (add more if needed)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

 cream together cream cheese and butter

 alternate adding powdered sugar and milk

 mix in remaining ingredients until smooth and tempting

 add more powdered sugar or milk to reach desired consistency

Enjoy!
Happy Valentine’s Day :)
Thank you for stopping by!
-Audra

Kale Chips

I have recently seen Kale Chips everywhere from Pinterest to Food Network and had to give them a try. I have always been a big fan of kale and all the nutrients this vegetable carries. I usually add raw kale to salads or throw in a couple of leaves while juicing.

Kale is low in Saturated Fat, and very low in Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Protein, Vitamin E, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Folate, Iron and Magnesium, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Potassium, Copper and Manganese.

 

 

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You may not be able to tell by the picture above but this is crispy Kale. It literally melts in your mouth. I will have to admit I am not a big fan of Kale Chips, but I will continue to crisp this vegetable and crumble all the nutrients over soups, salads, sandwiches, and dips.

(shhhhh kids will never know)

The possibilities are quite endless!

 

This is how I made my Kale Chips:

It is really simple!

1 head of Kale (washed and dried)

Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

Shredded Parmesan Cheese

( I did not accurately measure any of these ingredients)

 

Cut or tear kale into bite size pieces.

Add kale pieces to a large mixing bowl.  Lightly drizzle olive oil over kale; start with a 1 TBS of oil and add more as needed. Then sprinkle salt and pepper to taste and add your desired amount of shredded Parmesan. Toss all ingredients until evenly coated. Spread kale evenly on a cookie sheet.

 

Cook at 250 degrees for about 30 minutes, tossing once half way through.

 

Enjoy :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Homemade Applesauce

This is a delicious applesauce recipe! I think the secret is the golden delicious apples. Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does! Your kids are sure to come running when they smell this cooking :)

Ingredients:

4 large Golden Delicious Apples

1/2 cup of apple juice (I use Simply Apple) or water
2 TBS sugar, if you use water

(less or more, depends how sweet you want your apple sauce)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp of  fresh lemon juice

 

Peel and core apples, cut into eighths. In a medium saucepan, combine apples, juice, sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice. Heat to boil and then reduce to low, cover and simmer until apples are very tender, 20-25 minutes. Remove from heat and mash coarsely with potato masher.

Happy, Little Snack

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You have been running errands all day and the kids are super hungry and you haven’t even had a chance to start dinner. Beware…drive thru windows are tempting you right and left on the way home. Your children are even whining, “Mom, can we stop there and eat.” Stop and think for a second! What quick fix do I have at home? Offer a small plate of fruit with crunchy mini rice snacks and a dipping side of fruit yogurt. A happy, little snack such as this will conquer the hunger inside your darling little ones without filling them up on empty calories. Now you will be able to prepare a nourishing dinner with peace.

 

If you have older children they can help organize a healthy snack for little ones. Having your older children help prepare healthy snacks for their younger siblings not only helps you out, but teaches them how to prepare healthy snack alternatives for their children in the future!