One Crazy Cookie

Do you enjoy a little crunchy and sweet treat?  This is a great quick and easy fix!! Very delicious!! PB & Chocolate Blast Chex Mix adapted from General Mills 6 cups corn or rice Chex cereal 1 cup white chocolate baking chips 1 cup peanut butter chips 1 cup plain M&M's 1. Line a cookie sheet with foil or waxed paper.  Pour 3 cups of cereal and 1/2 cup M&M's in a medium bowl. Melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave for abour 1 minute or until chips can be stirred smooth.  Pour melted chips over the cereal and stir to coat evenly.  Spread mixture onto the cookie sheet. 2. Repeat the above using the peanut butter chips. Let mixture cool to set ( it may need a few minutes in the fridge.) Break apart and store in a airtight container. Enjoy!

This is another one of those recipes I got from my sweet sister!! These are both cute and delicious! I was a little hesitant to make them for fear it would take too much time. Luckily, I was wrong. They were simple and went together pretty fast.  This recipe is a KEEPER!! Mini Chicken Potpies makes 20-24 mini pies 1/3 cup butter 1/3 cup flour 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 1  1/2 cups water 2/3 cup milk 2 tsp. chicken bouillon granules or 2 cubes. 1 cup chicken, cooked and diced 2 cups cooked diced small vegetables (I use potatoes, carrots and peas.  You can also use frozen mixed veggies) 2-3 cans refrigerated biscuits shredded cheddar cheese (optional) Preheat your oven to 400. Cook vegetables until tender.  Set aside.  In a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until well blended.  Gradually stir in water, milk and bouillon.  Bring to a boil stirring constantly and boil for 2 minutes.  (It should be like gravy). Remove from heat. Stir in chicken and v

This weekend marked another milestone for me, Senior Prom.  One step closer to my oldest graduating! I really just want time to slow down!! He looked so handsome and his date was beautiful!! Since I can't slow down time I need to make the best of it so I will start with menu planning! This Week's Menu Monday: Mini Chicken Potpies Tuesday: Taco Salad Wednesday: Chicken & Pasta Thursday:  Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf Friday: Balsamic BBQ Chicken and Baked Sweet Potatoes Saturday: S &S Pork / Fried Rice Sunday: Mystery Meat (Something I found in the freezer. I'm hoping it is steak!!)  Have a beautiful week!! Linked to: Menu Plan Monday

Inspiring and flavorful ingredients can turn a blah salad into something so much more.  Olives and olive oil add a whole new taste dimension to your basic salad, not to mention the bonus of heart-health benefits they provide. Refreshing salads can answer cravings for fresh and more nutritious meals in the spring and summer.  I LOVE salads, olives and olive oil, so I was so excited when the International Olive Council contacted me about posting about their new Add Some Life campaign ! The Add Some Life campaign strives to inspire you about the taste, versatility, benefits and importance of making olives and olive oil staples in your daily life. Whether it’s with our families, our careers, or the food we put on the table, we all strive to find things that can add more “life” to our experiences. Olives and olive oil are the perfect way to do just that. They add flavor. They add health benefits. And they add a sense of excitement to everyday life. Over at Add Some Life it is filled w

Did you know that simply drinking the leftover milk from cereal bowls may help kids work towards fulfilling their body’s daily dairy, calcium, and Vitamin D needs? And what better way to slurp down to the bottom of the bowl than with the new Curvy Straws, available in-pack of specially marked boxes of Big G cereal ! With these collectable, connectable Curvy Straws, children of all ages can enjoy mixing and matching to build bigger, colorful straws all while helping them work towards stronger bones and muscles through increased calcium intake! My kids are loving these straws!! Be sure to collect all six different colorful straws featuring beloved Big G cereal characters Participating Big G cereals include Cinnamon Toast Crunch® (17 oz.), Lucky Charms®(16 oz.), Reese’s® Puffs (18 oz.), Honey Nut Cheerios® (17 oz.), Trix®(14.8 oz)  and Cocoa Puffs® (16.5 oz) Made with more whole grain than any other ingredient, Big G cereal, combined with a ½ cup of milk, can help provide a great sta

I had a craving for something with a peanut butter and chocolate combination. This was perfect. It tasted delicious and the whole batch was gone in a flash!! So I guess the family liked it! Peanut Butter Brownies adapted from Taste of Home 2/3 cup butter, softened 1 cup peanut butter 1 cup sugar 1 cup packed brown sugar 4 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 cups  flour 1 teaspoon  baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, cream the butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in vanilla. Add flour, baking powder, soda and salt gradually to the creamed mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips. Spread into a greased 13 x 9 pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. *If you want a thinner version.  Spread in a bigger pan and don't cook so long. The

OK..Now that I got your attention a bit, it is more of a "Mommy Moment" and I have felt very strongly that I need to share it with you.  As many of you know my son is a runner. It is his passion and no one puts more heart and soul into it than him.  However there came races that his body would just shut down and he said his legs felt like they weighed 500 pounds.  It was like watching him in slow motion as he would struggle to cross the finish line and then collapse.  No matter how hard it was and how much pain he was in he ALWAYS somehow managed to finish.  After trying different changes in his diet and fluid intake and everything else we could think of with no improvement we finally started seeking medical help.  After seeing two different doctors the second one finally took it seriously and started to test out everything.  We saw the heart specialist, he was tested for several different types of diseases and passed a stress test with flying colors. Finally we were sent

I am a huge fan of Rolos.  They are the perfect combination of chocolate and caramel.  So when my sister showed me this recipe I knew it was a must make!! Thanks to Cookies and Cups for a delicious recipe the family devoured it!! Rolo Cake Mix Bars adapted from Cookies & Cups 1 box (18.25 oz) yellow, vanilla or white cake mix, dry 2/3 milk 1/4 cup butter, melted 40 Rolo Candies, unwrapped and cut in half Preheat oven to 350° Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. With your mixer, beat cake mix, milk and butter until combined. Mixture will be thick and sticky.  Divide batter in half and press 1 half into the bottom of the pan. Bake until just set, approximately 8-9 minutes. Remove base from oven and place Rolo candies, caramel-side down on top. Drop remaining batter on top of Rolos in teaspoon sized amounts. Bake for 20-24 minutes longer until top begins to golden. Cool completely before cutting into squares. Oh YUM!!

How would you like to have some bubble blowing fun with our next generation of colorful bubbles? Crayola Outdoor Colored Bubbles are a magically colorful way for kids to enjoy one of their favorite outdoor activities and they're now designed to clean up better! Crayola Outdoor Colored Bubbles aren't ordinary bubbles. Because they contain color, they're messy and will leave temporary colorful marks on skin, cotton and cotton-blend clothing and intended outdoor surfaces. This took some moms by surprise when they used the product last year.  They loved the idea of bubbles in different colors, but weren't expecting them to be messy.  Crayola quickly acted on parents' feedback and created a new version that keeps all the fun for kid and makes clean up easier for parents. Color magically rubs off skin, hoses off of many outdoor surfaces and washes out of cotton and cotton blend clothing. As you can see my kids had a ball!! They loved the colored bubbles!! Even t

This is a flavorful homemade lasagna.  The key is to let the flavors blend together for 24 hours before cooking.  Double the recipe and freeze one for later.  24 Hour Lasagna Meat Layer 1- 1 1/2 hamburger, cooked and drained 1 clove garlic minced 2 teaspoons parsley flakes 1 Tablespoon basil 1 teaspoon salt 1 lb. canned tomatoes 2 (6 oz.) cans tomato paste Cheese Layer 3 cups cottage cheese 3 eggs, beaten 1 teaspoon salt 3/4 teaspoon pepper 1 Tablespoon parsley 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese 1 (10 oz.) box lasagna noodles 2-3 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese 1. Mix together the hamburger, garlic, 2 teaspoons parsley, 1 Tablespoon basil and salt.  Add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Let simmer while you prepare the cheese mixture and cook the lasagna noodles. 2. Mix together the cottage cheese, eggs, salt, pepper, parsley and parmesan cheese. To put the lasagna together: Spray pan lightly with cooking spray. Place one layer of noodles across the bottom of pan. Spread

I love Easter and everything about it!! Therefore I am sad that it is behind us this year and that my children are going back to school tomorrow!! Needless to say it looks like we really wore the dog out this weekend!! HA HA..funny thing is I really don't know how, but isn't he cute!! Now it's time to be off and running once again!! Literally, because this week we have not one but tow track meets.  My son qualified to run in a big invite out of town this weekend (two less dinners to cook)! This Week's Menu Monday: Parmesan Chicken Casserole Tuesday: Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas Wednesday: Ham & Beans Thursday: Beef Noodle Bowls Friday: Out of Town for a Track Meet Saturday: Out of town Sunday: Calzones Have a Fabulous Week!

I am always paranoid about boiling eggs..don't kow why, but it's just one of those things I worry about.  I was so excited when my cousin sent me this recipe, it will sure take a little stress off me! Thanks to my sweet sister who was on the ball and has her Easter eggs already colored for sharing her pictures with me!! Melissa's No-Fail Hard-Boiled Egg Recipe from Kara Lay the eggs in a single layer in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water by at least 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook for 1 minute. Cover with a lid, turn off the heat and allow the eggs to sit for 15 minutes. Rinse with cold water. My adorable parents getting into the action! Thanks Kara & Candice! Now it is ready..set..go time at my house!! (meaning I better hit the store and get some eggs..NOW!!) Happy Easter everyone!!