Finger Bread Sticks... perfect for Halloween!

I LOVE adding fun to dinner!

It's amazing how you can take your normal Bread Stick dough 

and shape it into a different shape and 

Voila... 

you instantly have exited family members,

 Ooohing and Aaahing and thinking that you really did something extraordinary!  

Why not make up a batch of Finger Bread Sticks to serve along side your bowls of soup or Chili during October!  

I promise you it will be a BIG hit for sure!  

Biggest advice of all with making these, 

is to make sure to make them long and skinny, 

because the dough rises quite a bit during baking 

and they can turn out really chubby and fat, which is totally okay, 

because rather than calling them "Witch Fingers", 

you can call them "Monster Fingers"!

However fat or skinny they are, 

I promise you, you'll have a happy family 

that is grateful to have a mom that tries to add FUN 

to dinner and VARIETY to normal everyday life!

Finger Bread Sticks 
1 Tbsp. yeast
2 Tbsp. sugar
1-1/2 cups warm water
1 tsp. salt
3 to 3 1/2 cups flour

Mix yeast, sugar and water together and stir well.
Slowly add one cup of flour and salt and stir.
Then add enough flour until dough is no longer sticky.
Knead for 5 minutes.
Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise for 1 hour.
Break off small pieces of dough and roll them into finger shapes. (I can usually make 20-24 fingers)
Cut 2 slits in the middle of the shape for the knuckles
SMASH a whole almond into the end of the dough for the finger nail. 
Brush with melted butter
Sprinkle generously with Granulated Garlic and freshly grated Parmesan, OR, Romano Cheese.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes (don't overbake) 

Enjoy!

PS... the leftover Bread Sticks are perfect to throw in lunches the next day for school or work

Granola Bars...a staple at our house!

We love running, hiking and backpacking at our house
and so I'm always making some kind of granola/trail bar,
but some recipes I've tried are too sticky, some are too soft, some are too sweet,
but, this one, is JUST RIGHT!!   

 The perfect blend of ingredients,

the perfect texture 

and they hold together and don't get your hands sticky.

We just got back from a major hike 
and they provided much of our energy to get up the mountain!

This is my main stay recipe and best part of all, 

I always have all of the ingredients to make them up!  

While these granola bars are great running/hiking energy, 
 Kids LOVE them as an addition to their lunches they take to school everyday,
and they also make a great afternoon snack, OR, a great energy bar to start the day out!

Granola Bars 
2 cups rolled oats (NOT quick oats)
1 cup chopped almonds
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
2/3 cup coconut 
1 teaspoon salt 
1/4 tsp cinnamon 

Heat oven to 350 degrees
Spread out rolled oats and chopped almonds on cookie sheet and toast in oven for 15 minutes (stirring every 5 minutes to keep from burning) 
Put oats/almonds in large metal bowl and then add in coconut, sunflower seeds, raisins and dried cherries. 
Heat Sweetened Condensed milk on stove until it's runny in consistency and then add salt and cinnamon and stir well.
Pour heated milk over rest of ingredients and stir well.
Pour into an 8x8 inch pan that has been LINED with parchment paper.  
Flatten mixture with spatula or spoon. 
Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour, until mixture looks dry and it is no longer sticky to touch.
Remove from oven and pull parchment paper out of pan and let cool slightly.
Cut into 12 pieces (you may have to reform into rectangle shapes after you have cut them)
Let cool completely.

If you would like, melt some dark chocolate in the microwave and drizzle over the top of the bars.  

Once they have cooled, wrap individually in plastic wrap and store in a cool place, or in the refrigerator!!  

Enjoy 

some homemade granola bars today!!

Treats as easy as 1...2...3!

When kids and hubby sit with you when you're enjoying Pinterest, they many times "spy" yummy things and beg you to make them.  This recipe was one of those.

Treats as easy and 1, 2, 3

Treats so easy,  
your kids can help you every step of the way!

3 Ingredients

3 Steps

and you end up with a whole bunch of yummyness! 

While not the most frugal recipe, it is yummy and easy and sometimes you need that kind of a treat as life gets hectic.

Rolo Pretzel Turtles 

1 bag of Rolos

Pretzel Snaps

Pecan halves

Heat oven to 250 degrees

Unwrap Rolos

Line cookie sheet with parchment paper 

Put Pretzel Snaps on the parchment paper

Put one Rolo on each Pretzel

Bake in oven for 5 minutes

Pull out and top each with a Pecan half and "Smash" the pecan down when you top the Rolo/Pretzel 

Refrigerate for 5 minutes and then remove from sheet and store in Rubbermaid container in a cool place.  

Great lunch option 

(send 2 or 3 in a small container 

for a yummy lunch treat)  

The perfect combination of salty and sweet!

I can guarantee they won't last for long...

Enjoy!

Flax Seeds...make wonderful energy!

Tis the time of year for...

 Running...

 and backpacking!

And with these two events, 

it means we need GOOD energy snacks!

I have been seeing Energy Ball recipes all over Pinterest and I decided to tweak the recipe to things we had on hand and I can honestly say my family is LOVING these! 

We have been making them weekly for the past month so Jade has plenty of good energy snacks for his running practices for Track

(I've loved them on my early morning runs as well!)

Also, they have been wonderful to add to lunches instead of sending cookies for a treat.

  I actually like them much better than my homemade granola bars...they are more "hearty" and not as sweet...

 and they go together SO quickly and you don't have to bake them...

just mix basic ingredients together, 

let chill 45 minutes to an hour, 

roll into balls and keep chilled until ready to serve.

 BTW...I was given some "mini- chocolate chips" from one of my good friends and the first batch I added in some of those...

 However, I just like taking my 60% Cacao Dark Chocolate Chips and breaking them into chunks to add in instead. 

 What I love about these energy balls
 is the ground Flax Seeds. 

I always try to add ground flax seeds to many of my baked goods, because flax seeds are high in 
 Fiber, Phytochemicals
AND Omega-3 Fatty Acids...
This energy ball recipe uses 1/2 cup of them.  

 I just buy whole flax seeds in bulk and then I grind them with a coffee grinder and store them in my fridge.  

Energy Balls

1 cup rolled oats (OLD fashioned, NOT quick)

1/2 cup peanut butter (or almond butter)

1/3 cup RAW honey

1/2 cup ground flax seeds

1/3 cup unsweetened coconut

1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds (unsalted)

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, OR, dark chocolate chunks
1-2 Tbsp. Chia Seeds

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

Mix altogether and refrigerate 45 minutes to an hour

Roll into small balls and keep refrigerated...

BTW....I'm sure you could add in whatever other things you would like...the sky is the limit!  I bet dried fruit or different nuts would be yummy as well!

 Enjoy 2 balls for energy before or after running

Perfect for kiddos to take in their lunches instead of cookies for a treat
OR, for an after school snack,

OR, the perfect thing to bring instead of granola bars 

for energy when hiking or backpacking!

Happy running, hiking and

backpacking energy to all of you!

Carmello...love at first bite!

 Carmello...

such a yummy treat that I have been making up 

since Jade was just a wee babe.

It was one of my boss's recipes that she would make up and  give to us as a treat for the holidays.

  
I love that it uses ingredients that I always have on hand 

AND I love how quickly it comes together.

There have been many a time when we have had unexpected company stop by
OR, when it's 6:00 and you realize your hubby doesn't have a treat to take for his boys to Scouts that night, or kids remind you last minute that they need to bring a treat to school or a party...

This treat is what I always throw together for times like this  

because you can make it in a matter of MINUTES!

 I love the THRIFT of popcorn...

such a tasty snack and treat  

and 

it only costs 23 cents per 1/2 cup popcorn kernels

to pop up a batch of popcorn.

1/2 cup of popcorn will fill a LARGE metal bowl.

Turn your popcorn into Carmello 

and here is the break down in price:

75 cents for butter

27 cents for brown sugar

33 cents for marshmallows

$1.58 is the cost to make up a batch 
of CARMELLO for your family today!

(click here for RANCH popcorn recipe)

Gotta love making homemade treats that are 

FRUGAL

QUICK and easy to make 

and use food storage ingredients! 

Carmello

1/2 cup popcorn kernels popped in air popper

(put into large metal bowl)

(Caramel Coating)
3/4 cup REAL butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 cups of marshmallows

Put the butter and brown sugar in a microwave safe bowl and cook on high for 2 minutes.  

Stir.  

Add the marshmallows and cook for another minute, (or until marshmallows are melted).  

Stir again and pour over popcorn and stir well with a metal spoon until all popcorn is coated.  

(after it has cooled I remove the popcorn and "break it apart" and put it back into the bowl so there are nice pieces for people to  grab and eat).   

Enjoy a quick & easy
frugal & yummy 
treat today!

Carrots + Apples Make Yummy Muffins!

 Today I am Thankful for...
an abundance of all of the YUMMY things
that my family enjoys so much, that of 
APPLES and CARROTS!!

Each time I bite into a crisp apple, or crisp, sweet carrot,
I feel SO blessed and think that there are millions of people that are starving and malnourished in this world that would LOVE to bite into a yummy, healthy, nourishing apple or carrot.   
Wish so badly that we could all make a difference for people in other countries by being able to share our abundance with them!
Having nourishing food to eat is something that I NEVER take for granted!

What to do with all of those garden fresh carrots and apples 

we are swimming in this time of the year!!

I love taking fresh garden produce 
and making delicious things for my family to eat!   

These muffins are SO good, hearty and healthy and a wonderful way to get veggies into your kids diets AND a wonderful way to use your garden abundance.

The recipe called for 3/4 cup oil,
but I didn't want to use that much oil,  
SO, I resorted to my trick I do anytime I am making a sweet bread...
dumped in a SNACK sized  applesauce container (which is 1/2 cup)
and then I filled the container 1/2 full with oil (which was 1/4 cup).
It made the muffins moist AND made it where I only used 1/4 cup oil versus 3/4 cup...
they turned out Fabulous!!

Carrot Apple Nut Muffins

2 cups grated carrots (about 2 or 3 large ones)

1 large apple, peeled, cored and grated

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup oil (I used a snack sized apple sauce and then filled the container 1/2 full of oil)

1 tsp vanilla

3 large eggs

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1-1/2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1 heaping Tbsp. Ground Flax Seed

2 cups unbleached flour

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Grate apples and carrots and set aside

In separate bowl mix together sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla.

Then fold in grated carrots and apples.

Then add in salt, cinnamon, baking soda/powder and mix

and then add in flour and pecans stirring until moistened.

Pour batter in greased muffin tins, OR, tins lined in baking cups.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, OR, until toothpick inserted in comes out clean

(this made 18 muffins)

After removing from oven, lightly butter tops of muffins and un-mold from muffin tins.

Let sit 10 minutes and then store in Rubbermaid container to keep moist. (freeze extras to pull out for future breakfasts, snacks or lunches)

Perfect accompaniment to Spiced Cider (here)

Enjoy!

 Have fun disguising veggies in a yummy way 

and enjoying something delicious as well!

Adding Fun to Dinner! (just in time for Halloween!)

Spaghetti Squids (and Monster Mouths)

make Happy Kids!

SO, with Tracy's new love for Pinterest, we were browsing through photos and our kids spied a FUN photo and begged us to try making it up.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm a little bit of a "health nut"
and I am not a hot dog lover at all!  

Thank goodness  

that Tracy balances me out and he always tells me that

"eating a hot dog once or twice a year isn't going to hurt you".

SO, since I can't handle cheap hot dogs, we at least eat Nathan's ALL beef dogs.

We still had a package of  Nathan's left in our freezer 

 and so this is what we did to make what our kids call

"Spaghetti Squids". 
  
AND I do have to tell you that after eating 

this, it was REALLY tasty and yummy  

(and that says a lot, coming from someone who is not a fan of hot dogs).

(BTW... we only used 5 of the hot dogs 

and saved the rest for Tracy to take on a campout)   

 Try adding a little bit of FUN to dinner-time 

and watch the faces of your kids light up with excitement!
(it would be fun to surprise them and not see you prepare it and have them wondering 

"How did you do that"!) 

This would be SO much fun 

to make as a meal for Halloween!

OH, and don't forget about
"Monster Mouths" for dessert!!  

Apples, Peanut Butter and Candy Corn 

come together to make a tasty, holiday treat

(original post about Monster Mouths here)

Life is about balance 

and it's okay to splurge on a

not so perfect, not so healthy meal  
every once in awhile. 

Enjoy the taste and fun of the season!