Memory Lane Rice Krispie Treats

Rice Krispie Treats

Sometimes I get caught up in complicated recipes and need to be reminded of the simple things in life. I had extra marshmallows from the Chocolate Dipped S'mores Cups recipe and leftover mini M&Ms from our holiday Trail Mix Jars (recipe to come), so I bought some bulk Rice Krispies and took a trip down Memory Lane. Once in a while, you just have to simplify!

Ingredients:
3 tbsp butter
1 package marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies (yes, off-brand Crisp Ricies or whatever taste just fine)

Directions:
1. Microwave butter and marshmallows for 2 minutes. Stir. Microwave another minute.
2. Stir in Rice Krispies until totally covered.
3. We added 1/2 cup mini M&Ms, but Reese's Pieces, peanut butter chips, or any tiny candy is also delicious! Or keep them plain -- still delicious. :)
4. Press into the bottom of a buttered 9x11" pan. Cool.
5. Cut 'em up and eat 'em up!

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

This is a Pampered Chef recipe and a great way to get your picky eater to gobble up some vegetables! It's quick and creamy and a family favorite! I eat it with roasted broccoli (recipe to come) but I my boys wouldn't touch the stuff. That's okay -- there's veggies in the sauce!

Ingredients:
1 package (16 oz) uncooked pasta (we use the shell kind)
2 yellow squash
1 can evaporated milk
2 cups shredded six-cheese Italian blend
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt

Directions
1. Cook the pasta! When pasta is done, save 1/4 cup of the water for later use. Drain the rest and set aside.
2. Peel the squash using a vegetable peeler, cut length-wise and slice into thin slices.

3. Saute in a saucepan or pot until very soft.
Optional: I like to toss my cooked squash into the food processor so that my boys can't detect even a hint of vegetable. You can skip this step!! The squash will break down and blend. If you put it through the food processor, run until desired consistency and return to pot/pan.
4. Gradually add milk, whisking constantly.  Cook over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes.
5. Reduce heat to medium and add cheese. Cook 3-4 minutes. (Still whisking constantly.)

6. Add nutmeg, salt and that 1/4 cup pasta water you saved from step 1.
7. Combine sauce and pasta and stir up.
8. Enjoy!

Yummy Breakfast Cups

Yummy Breakfast Cups
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I like to make these for the family on the weekends. They're super simple and don't require maintenance.  Just assemble, bake, eat!

Ingredients:
4 slices turkey bacon (or pork bacon)
4 slices whole wheat bread
1 tbsp butter
4 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Heat pan of medium-high heat and cook bacon according to package directions.
3. While bacon is cooking, butter your bread and cut each piece in half vertically. (I used Dave's Killer Bread because it's our favorite, but it makes for some giant slices!)
-- Side note: if you want these to be prettier, use a cookie cutter or the top of a drinking glass to cut your toast into rounds. I love buttered toast, so I don't like to waste any when I'm just cooking for the family! They don't mind the extra toast hanging over the edge!
4. Place your bread halves in the bottom of each cup of your cupcake pan(totalling once slice of bread per cup) so that the bottom is completely sealed.

5. Lay the bacon strip across the buttered bread and crack one egg on top. Add salt and pepper to taste.

6. Bake at 400 degrees until eggs set, about 8-10 minutes.
7. Pop the breakfast cups out with a knife and eat up!

Baked Chicken & Red Pepper Egg Rolls

Baked Chicken and Red Pepper Egg Rolls
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YUM! The best way to get 3 servings of vegetables and lean protein without a bunch of added fats! My husband goes crazy over these, and I love making them. Plus, they reheat well and taste great in my lunch the next day!

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small strips
2 large bell peppers, cut into strips (any color!)
1 medium onion, sliced
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp grated ginger
12-15 egg roll wrappers (depending how full you stuff them!)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken strips just until no longer pink. Push to one side of pan.
3. Add peppers and onions and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring often.

 

4. Add soy sauce, garlic and ginger and stir well. Cook until most of the liquid is absorbed.

5. Remove from heat and cool for 15 minutes. THIS IS IMPORTANT! If you use it while it's still hot, the egg roll wrappers will break down and leak.
6. Once cooled, layer an appropriate portion of the ingredients onto the egg roll wrapper with one corner of the wrapper toward you. Fold the bottom up. Fold the right point in, then the left. Continue rolling the egg roll, keeping it snug! Secure it with a dab of water or leftover soy sauce mixture from the pan. My husband was nice enough to photograph the egg-rolling stages!

7. Place on non-stick baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.
8. Enjoy! I serve my egg rolls with low sodium soy sauce and/or freshly squeezed lemon juice!

Fish Taco Roll-ups

Fish Taco Roll-ups

These are a healthy, throw together recipe! My husband doesn't like corn tortillas, so we have to use flour tortillas in my house. (Weird with fish tacos, I know!) Swap in corn tortillas and cut them in half instead of fourths. He also doesn't like fish, so I use tilapia instead of cod because it's a milder taste. The health benefits of fish are just too much to pass up! You can add and subtract ingredients to your taste (or your fridge contents).

Ingredients:
3 flour tortillas
3 tilapia fillets
1/2 tbsp and 3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp oregano
1 lime
3 tbsp sour cream
1/2 cup cabbage
1/4 cup salsa or diced tomatoes
(Avocado is also yummy, but we didn't have any!)

Directions:
1. Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add tilapia fillets and season with oregano and lemon juice. Cook thoroughly -- about 6-7 minutes or until fish flakes apart.
2. In a separate sauce pan, heat 3 tbsp oil. Cut flour torillas into 4 quarters. Drop tortillas into hot oil one at a time. Cook on each side for about 15 seconds, then remove and set aside.

3. Spread sour cream over each piece of tortilla.
4. Top with an appropriate-sized piece of tilapia.
5. Drizzle with fresh-squeezed lime juice.

6. Top with cabbage and salsa mix.

7. Roll tortilla from corner to corner, so the point of the triangle is the open end of the taco. Use a small dollup of sour cream to keep it together.
8. Enjoy! We had it with corn tonight. We usually have black beans or rice as well, but we weren't very hungry tonight. This recipe makes 12 mini roll-ups.

French Onion Stuffed Mushrooms

French Onion Stuffed Mushrooms
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I tried these out for a holiday potluck last night and they were a hit! One of the easier stuffed mushroom recipes I've found and possible one of my favorites. Also a great way to get your loved ones (ahem, my husband!) to eat some vegetables!

Ingredients:
3 tbsp olive oil
2 yellow onions, sliced
1/4 cup beef broth
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese
24 mushrooms, rinsed and stems removed
Salt
Parsley

Directions:
1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. You'll also want to preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
2. Slice onions and toss in skillet. Saute for 15-20 minutes or until soft.

3. Add beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Saute until all juice is absorbed. Set aside.
4. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in same skillet. Add mushroom caps and a dash of salt and saute for 1-2 minutes. 

 

5. Remove mushrooms and set it baking dish, open stem side up.

6. Fill mushrooms with onions and top with grated Swiss cheese. Be generous! Fill those puppies with as much as you can. Let it overflow a little! These cheese will help keep it all together. :)

7. Bake mushrooms in oven (325) for 10 minutes.

8. Flip the oven to broil and watch closely. Broil just long enough for the cheese on top to brown (took me about 3 minutes). Remove from oven and sprinkle with parsley.

9. Let cool for 5 minutes. While cooling, line a plate with a paper towel. Place mushrooms on paper-towel-plate to absorb the extra juice.

10. Move the mushrooms to a pretty serving plate and enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of The Pioneer Woman blog.

Super Simple Scarf

Super Simple Scarf
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This might be one of the easiest sewing projects on the face of the earth. The beauty of it? They keep you equally warm as the $30 scarves. My dad enlisted me to make these because our entire family is HUGE sports fans. What a great gift! Choose any fleece fabric you like, but I'm an Oregon State University alumni and I love my Beavs!!

What you'll need:
1/4 yard fleece
Sewing machine
Black thread (or corresponding thread, depending on your fabric choice)
Scissors

Directions:
1. Your fleece probably came folded in half off a bolt. Well unfold that and fold it in half the long way (like a hot dog, not a hamburger, if anyone remembers that from elementary school) with the good side of the pattern on the inside

2. Place the fabric under the foot of your sewing machine about 3 inches from the end. I like to do a 1/4 inch hem, but do what ever you're comfortable with! A smaller hem will mean a wider scarf.

3. Run a backstitch, then run a hem all the way down to about 3 inches from the other end. Finish with another backstitch.

4. Now turn your fleece sleeve inside out -- or right side in, rather. (I also folded mine in half here so it wasn't so long.)

 5. Cut slits on each end through both pieces of fabric about 3 inches up. (Up to where you stopped your hem.)

6. Now tie the slits, knotting a piece from each the top and bottom layer of fabric.

7. Presto Magnifico! A warm scarf sporting the best university! (Or what ever other fabric you chose!) Definitely wearing this all winter and to Beaver baseball games!!