If you’re in one of the many states currently experiencing a winter storm, let me introduce you to a beautiful little secret – snow ice cream. My kiddos aren’t huge fans of hot chocolate – I think in part because it’s hot. Bo will drink it but it truly isn’t something that the kids are excited about. (And yes, I find this very strange — personally, I love hot chocolate. Maybe when they are a bit older!)
The trio was dismissed from school early today and Mike’s work closed early as well due to our winter storm. I had everyone home for the afternoon and we made the most of it by playing out in the snow. We “helped” Mike shovel the driveway (he mostly used the snow blower) and then built a snowman and a snow fort in the yard.
After we stripped off our wet snow pants and boots, I threw together this snow ice cream – literally in minutes. This recipe is extremely easy and provides instant gratification. The trio all sat on the barstools at the counter and slurped this up in no time. It’s delicious! If you like vanilla ice cream, I promise this will be a recipe you will enjoy!
In a medium bowl, combine the white sugar with the vanilla. Add the milk and heavy cream and stir until well combined. Using an ice cream scoop or measuring scoop, scoop packed snow into individual bowls (I filled a large bowl with snow and brought it inside). Pour cream mixture over the top of each scoop until it looks coated and absorbed. Serve immediately.
The picture doesn’t begin to do this banana bread justice. It’s delicious! Moist, yummy, and highly munchable. My kids love it. So much so that Clara and Anna got in trouble on Friday afternoon for ripping chunks of the warm loaf off and eating them in the kitchen while I was folding laundry. Needless to say, even though the picture isn’t great, our loaf of banana bread didn’t look this nice for long…
I originally developed this recipe when I was out of eggs and wanted to make banana bread by replacing the eggs with flax. I loved how it turned out so much that I’ve made it this way numerous times. I think it yields a more flavorful loaf — with loads of extra fiber!
We ate this bread for dessert on Friday and breakfast on Saturday. Gotta love recipes that double as a dessert and a breakfast! This banana bread receives 4 Wooden Spoons from our family. Mike won’t touch anything that has banana involved.
½ cup sugar (I am sure you could replace with agave or honey, but I haven't tried it)
½ cup applesauce
3 Tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1.5 C flour (white/wheat/or a mixture)
½ tsp salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350. In a measuring cup, combine flax and water and stir. In a medium bowl, mash the bananas with the sugar, applesauce, and vanilla. Add the flax mixture and then add the baking soda, salt, and flour. Mix until just combined. Bake for 55 minutes. Moist and delicious! This recipe makes 1 loaf.
For years, these sticky buns have been our Christmas morning breakfast. My mom started making them on Christmas morning when I was in high school and it became a tradition. The best part about these rolls is there is relatively little prep work so they are quick and easy to throw to together before bed on Christmas Eve after an exhausting evening playing Santa.
On Christmas morning, just heat up the oven and bake for 30 minutes. By the time we finished our stockings and Santa gifts, the rolls were ready to enjoy for an effortless Christmas breakfast that still tastes special. I bet they’d be a great New Year’s Day breakfast too…
1 small package Cook-n-Serve Butterscotch pudding mix
½ cup chopped or halved pecans (optional)
Instructions
Spray a bundt pan with PAM. If using pecans, distribute the nuts around the bottom of the pan and top with the frozen rolls. Sprinkle the pudding mix over the top. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the brown sugar and cinnamon and cook until well combined. Pour the butter mixture over the top of the rolls. Leave rolls to rise overnight (or for at least 7 hours).
In the morning, preheat the oven to 350. Bake for 30 minutes. Flip bundt onto a serving dish and serve.
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We only did half of the pan with nuts, as the trio isn’t a big fan of them. Anna and Clara each had two rolls but Bo didn’t have any this year. I think he was too excited about his new gifts!We had a lovely holiday! I hope your family did too!
For me, it just isn’t Christmas without lots of baking and goodies. Growing up, my mom and Aunt Sally would both bake like crazy during the Holiday season and on Christmas Eve there would always be a table filled with all types of treats. I’ve always loved baking and I love sampling everything even more. One of my goals it to carry on the tradition of making holiday goodies with my trio — we’ve got lots of recipes on our list this year!
Aunt Sally passed away when I was in high school, but her memory lives on. This year, I knew that I needed to make a batch of her M & M cookies — they were always one of my favorite Christmas treats — so I asked my mom about the recipe and she swore it was on the M&M package. Of course, the package I had didn’t have a recipe — so I Googled it and tried a batch, but they just weren’t right. Finally, I wised up and messaged my cousin Kelly and low and behold, she had the recipe. They are perfect. They taste just like they did when I was little. I couldn’t be happier.
We made these yesterday afternoon and we all had a cookie (or four) after dinner. Delish!
Preheat oven to 375 and line cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a stand mixer, cream shortnening, sugars, eggs, and vanilla thoroughly. Add dry ingredients gradually to creamed mixture, mixing well. Fold in ½ cup M&Ms, reserve remaining M&Ms for decorating. Drop by teaspoon (or melon baller) onto baking sheet. Decorate tops of cookies with remaining M&Ms - I do about 3 per cookie on top. Bake 10 to 12 mins or until golden brown. Makes 6 dozen 2½ in cookies.
This side dish is so easy to make I’m not even sure it warrants a recipe. I don’t remember ever having brussel sprouts when I was little — it doesn’t seem like something my Grandpa would eat — but I discovered them last year and roasting them is actually very delicious.
I made these as a side dish for tortellini on Monday evening. By the time Mike walked in, the trio was already sitting at the table, and loudly lamenting that they dislike brussel sprouts. Mike, who barely touches a vegetable himself, told them they were good and tried one. And actually ate it. This, my friends, is legendary. Sure, he doesn’t love them — but he ate one and commented, “They aren’t bitter like I remember them being as a kid.” Baby steps.
Anna ate one. Clara ate half a breadstick as her entire meal — and then ended up in the front room having a snack after her siblings were in bed because her belly hurt from not eating — and Bo — well, we won’t even talk about Bo. Let’s just say he didn’t eat it.
Personally, I think these are delicious. They are quick and easy to throw together for a side dish for anything from chicken to pasta. And as the lone vegetable eater in the house, I’ll make them for myself since they require very little prep work. If you like vegetables (unlike the rest of my family) then you’ll like these. Promise.
Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with foil. Place cut brussel sprouts on the sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Season with pepper and salt to taste. Roast for 15-18 minutes.
*** Also great sprinkled with a bit of Parmesan cheese ***
These aren’t the prettiest muffins ever, but considering the amount of fiber they pack, they are surprisingly tasty. I made these on Tuesday morning. I’ve been hitting the gym with a friend or two around 5 am on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, so by the time I showered on Tuesday, I was starving and wanted to make a warm breakfast that I thought the kids and I would both enjoy. A quick flip through the cookbook and I settled on these — they pulled together very quickly and by the time I’d dried my hair, found the kiddos clothes for the day, and allowed them to open their Advent calendars, we were ready for breakfast.
The kids enjoyed these with butter served with milk. I enjoyed mine with a cup of steaming hot coffee to kick-start my day in the right direction. Next time, I think I’ll consider subbing the white flour for wheat and try subbing the sugar for honey. Subbing the oil for applesauce also seems like a no-brainer. I’ll update this post with the results.
These muffins received 3 1/2 wooden spoons from the trio and me!
In a large bowl, mix cereal and milk. Add egg, oil, salt, and sugar and mix well. Add the baking powder and the flour, stirring only until combined. Using an ice cream scoop, fill 12 muffin tins sprayed with baking PAM. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes.
When Bo was a baby I swore that highly processed foods like Spaghetti-Os would never cross his lips. Then, I became pregnant with twins and since Mike is a closet Spaghetti-Os and canned pasta eater, they ended up in our cabinet. Canned Spaghetti-Os is still one of those foods that I just can’t force myself to feed them — so I save them for Daddy dinners or for the babysitter on date nights. Of course, my kids love them.
When I ran across a pin on Pinterest for homemade Spaghetti-Os, I knew I had to make them for my kiddos. Of course, I couldn’t just leave the recipe alone and had to change it up a bit — and Pizza Spaghetti-Os were born.
Of course, Bo was smart enough to realize that these were not the same as their canned counterpart and at first refused to eat them. However, once he took a bite, he thought they were yummy — even if they didn’t taste quite like “real” Spaghetti-Os. The girls gobbled them up – no problem.
The secret ingredient in these is the pepperoni flavored pizza sauce by Contadina. We can’t find it by us (there is three cheese and regular, but not the pepperoni) so we buy it in bulk when we visit Mike’s parents. I served pepperoni on the side as I thought it might be a texture issue for my kids. However, I think finely chopped pepperoni directly in the pasta would be a delicious addition.
15 oz can Contadina brand Pepperoni flavored pizza sauce
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
½ tsp. granulated sugar
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
¼ cup skim milk
1 cup shredded pizza-blend cheese
Instructions
Cook the pasta according to the package directions. In a large saucepan, heat 2 Tbsp. of the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper, then stir in the pizza sauce, water, tomato pasta, salt, pepper, sugar, and remaining butter. When the butter is completely melted and the sauce warm, stir in the milk. Simmer until the pasta is done.
Remove from heat and stir in the pizza cheese until melted. Drain the pasta and combine with approximately ¾ths of the sauce (any more and it will be soupy). Stir to combine. Add finely chopped pepperoni or serve with pepperoni on the side.
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I made this for dinner on a week night last week and it was very quick and easy. Not quite as easy as opening a can, but still not a lot of effort. After my trio ate there were enough leftovers for another full meal.
One of the current staples in our diet right now is this tangy Buffalo Chicken Dip. I originally made it a little over three years ago after it was suggested to me as a use for shredded chicken on Facebook. At the time, Mike wasn’t a fan. He thought it was too spicy, so I didn’t make it again.
However, my friend Laura had the dip at her house several months ago when we were over for one of our dinner gatherings and Mike chowed down on the stuff. I took that as my sign to make it again. Apparently he only likes new foods if I am not the one to make them… But that’s an entirely different issue.
I pre-shred several pounds of chicken at one time by cooking a 5 lb. bag in a large crockpot and then giving it a spin in my Kitchen-Aide. I freeze in ½ pound baggies and just pull two out when I want to make this dip.
In a small crockpot, place the chicken (if still frozen, let it thaw in the crockpot for a little while first before adding the other ingredients), Buffalo sauce, dressing, cheese, and cream cheese. Stir occasionally until heated through and well combined. Serve with chips and celery sticks.
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Since then, I’ve made this dip at least once a month. It’s great for lunch, delicious as a pre-dinner snack while the kiddos are eating their dinner (Mike and I usually eat after they are in bed), and best with lots of chips while watching Bears football. This past Sunday, we watched football at the Kilmartin’s and enjoyed a variety of Buffalo Chicken dip inspired goodies. My girls donned their new Bears attire, which proved to be good luck for da Bears as well!
There is never a dull moment here at Casa de Weitl and our Memorial Day weekend has been no exception. I left as the sun was rising on Saturday morning to pick up my mom and bring her to our house for a few days. We stopped briefly in Tuscola and still made it back here before 1:30. Seven hours of driving is a long haul – and lucky me, I get to do it again on Thursday!
We arrived to find Mike and the trio putting together the new twin beds for Anna and Clara’s room which turned out very cute. Now we just have to finalize the rest of their room decor! By the time the beds were put together, it was nearly dinner time, so we all headed to Delaney’s for a quick dinner.
Bo’s ear was swollen to five times it’s normal size on Saturday and not long after, Anna’s eye started swelling and was completely swollen shut by the time she woke up on Sunday (look closely at the photos above… and this is after two days of medication!). I tried to take them to the Y care clinic but they wouldn’t see them since it was Anna’s eye. We know that it was caused by some type of bite, but we aren’t 100% sure what kind. We thought it was mosquitoes at first, but now we are leaning towards a possible spider bite? Anyway – Bo, Anna, and I spent Sunday morning at the ER and came away with three prescriptions for each of them and orders to liberally apply bug spray and limit sun exposure as much as possible. Fun. Clara stayed home with Grammie while Daddy worked in the yard during this debacle.
On Sunday evening, we enjoyed our typical pizza and movie routine with the kiddos watching Winnie the Pooh and the grown-ups watching I Don’t Know How She Does It after the trio was in bed. The movies were fine, and our movie made me laugh several times, but there really wasn’t a lot of plot to it. Sometimes that’s a good thing though…
Monday morning, we headed to a local strawberry patch to pick strawberries. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived at 9:15, nearly all of the strawberries had been picked over. We managed to pick about a quart of pinkie sized berries. Just enough for strawberry pie! That was probably long enough to have Bo and Anna in the sun anyway – but I had big plans for lots of strawberries. Needless to say, we had to supplement with some store-bought berries for a few other recipes I’m planning this week.
In the midst of all of our normal routines, we are also in the process of potty-training the girls. We’re one week in of constant, vigilant effort (we’d tried for a couple of hours before without much luck – this time I was serious about it!) and it’s going very well. Anna’s only had one accident each of the last two days and Clara hasn’t had any since Saturday morning. I probably just jinxed it – not to mention the eww factor of talking about potty training in a recipe post – but meh. Such is my life.
After lunch today (we had these baked Monte Cristos with raspberry jam – which I highly recommend) Bo and I made strawberry pie. Bo was a big helper and mashed the strawberries for the sauce and arranged the whole strawberries in the pie. Such tiny little strawberries! We’ll be grilling out this evening and topping off our dinner with a slice of fresh strawberry pie. Happy Memorial Day!
Cut the stems off the strawberries and wash thoroughly. Mash about half of the strawberries and pour into a saucepan. Add sugar, water, Jell-O, and cornstarch. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until boiling. Let boil for one minute and then remove from heat and allow to cool. Meanwhile, arrange the remaining strawberries in the pie crust. Once the sauce is cool to the touch, pour over the berries and refrigerate for several hours. Serve with whipped topping. Yum!
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Each Monday, I’ll showcase a family and kid-friendly recipe to share with your family. Please let me know if you try one of my recipes! Enjoy!
We made this bread for dessert last Wednesday (we added chocolate chips) and I didn’t manage to take any photos of the final product. This recipe originally came from a blog friend, but I’ve modified it slightly. All three of the kids love this bread and it’s a great way to use up ripe bananas. As you can see, Bo, Clara, and Anna all love to help cook. After I had poured the batter into the pans I let them use their spoons to lick the remaining batter. They were in Heaven.
Banana Bread
1 1/2 C sugar
3/4 cup applesauce
3 eggs, beaten
1 tbsp vanilla
5 med very ripe bananas, mashed
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3 C flour (I use 2 cups all purpose and 1 cup whole wheat)
1 tsp salt
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Bake for about 60 minutes at 350, test with toothpick in center. It’s also good if you add some chocolate chips in the batter, or walnuts if you desire!
Each Monday, I’ll showcase a family and kid-friendly recipe to share with your family. Please let me know if you try one of my recipes! Enjoy!
