Chicken Cheese Ranch Pockets - Easy Hot Kid Lunch

Here is a fun little lunch idea for the kiddos. I think it will be great for lunch boxes too.  These little sandwiches definitely got my kids stamp of approval.

Here's What You Need:

• 1 can of crescent roll dough
• approximately 2 cups of cubed chicken (I was lazy and bought precooked kind)
• approximately 1 cup of shredded cheese
• couple tablespoons of ranch

Here's What You Do:

Take two crescent roll triangles and press them together to form a rectangle.

Drizzle a bit of ranch dressing down the middle.

Add in a spoonful or two of cheese and chicken.

Fold the sides over so the chicken and cheese is wrapped up.

Pinch the ends to close.

Bake at 375 for 13-17 minutes.

Enjoy!!

I may double this next time so I can freeze some.  So warm and yummy on a cold rainy winter day.

Baked Doughnuts - Need I Say More?

So I found this cute little doughnut pan at the store and I just had to try it out.  I had a great friend bring some healthy doughnuts to a play date one time and they were delicious. So I called her up and tested our her recipe.

These little things were a hit right out of the oven. Elli helped me bake them up and both kids helped me eat them.  No  questions asked.  We made chocolate chip baked doughnuts but you could add fruit or cinnamon or anything your heart desired (but you know my heart desired chocolate).

Peanut Butter Granola - Only 4 Ingredients

Granola is something I love. Seriously.  I probably love it too much.  I love the satisfying crunch and the sweetness.  I have seen countless recipes for making my own granola but it always seemed "out of my league."  I'm not a great baker or chef so trying something like granola just seemed like too much. Until I stumbled across the recipe for 4 ingredient peanut butter granola. Well this got my attention because:

1.  it involved peanut butter

2:  it had less than 5 ingredients.

I decided to give it a try and man am I glad I did. So if you are like me and scared to check this out - DON'T BE. I promise you can make this. If I can bake it, you certainly can too.

Pumpkin Parfaits

Here is another pumpkin infused breakfast idea.  I know - I'm pumpkin crazy right now. I love trying out these new ideas on the kiddos and just seeing how it goes.

So pumpkin parfaits for breakfast....why not?

Banana Split Breakfast

Get ready guys - a few breakfast ideas coming your way. These are not technically recipes but fun ideas I want to archive. I hope that you enjoy them too.

Today's topic:  banana split breakfast.

So this is super simple, super versatile, and super popular in our house.  

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls - Yep

So I am kinda obsessed with pumpkin right now. I can prove it. I have pumpkin waffles, pumpkin butter, pumpkin coffee, and pumpkin creamer in my house at this very minute.  Needless to say, when I heard about making pumpkin cinnamon rolls, I had to try it.  This recipe was a lot of fun to create with my 4 year old. It is really easy to make and only bakes for 20 minutes. Try this out. You will NOT be disappointed.

Breakfast Waffle Kabobs and Cinnamon Dip

This had to be written up today, now, asap. Why? Because most mornings getting Jackson to eat breakfast is a struggle. I have to turn on the iPad to distract him (please don't judge) and then I have to basically feed it to him. If left to feed himself, it just sits on his tray, gets cold, and life goes on. The boy isn't a breakfast person.

Enter waffle kabobs. 

I put one on his plate this morning, turned around and it was gone!  Gone!

Once I showed him how to take the fruit and waffle off, dip in the bowl of cinnamon yogurt dip, the boy went to town.

Single Serving Vegan Brownie

A quick post to share something so delightful with you.  

I just discovered this amazing single serving brownie tonight and immediately came to the computer to share it with you guys.  

So easy to make.

So fun to make.

A healthy twist on a brownie.

And...no huge pan of left overs to trip you up all week.

Frozen Peanut Butter Treat (aka smudgies)

I have been using this recipe for months now and many of my challengers LOVE it. Kids love it, adults love it, and all the while we are eating something clean and healthy. I decided it was time for me to write it up and get it archived on my own personal little recipe book.  I only put my favorites on this blog so that I can find them easily and share them easily with you guys.  So here you go!  An awesome little treat for summer.

Kid Bake Vegan Cookies

I saw this recipe on Pinterest and saved it for a rainy day. I didn't know the rainy day would come so soon but luckily we had the ingredients on hand.  The recipe claimed that this was a great recipe to let kids do on their own because there were no eggs involved (meaning kids could lick away on the spoons without any worries).  

I let my 4 year old try this thing out. She did the dumping, stirring, mixing, and even putting on the pan.  My son was invited but he was more interested in:

1.  playing trains

2.  aggravating his sister while she did the cooking

Alas, we were able to make them and surprisingly enough they were delicious!!! My husband had at least 4 after dinner (I'm not condoning that I'm just saying he did it).

So the pictures for the post are not really of the recipe but more of my daughter cooking and the mess she made. But you know what? It was storming and this made her forget that we were stuck inside so I call it a win/win!

Here's What You Need:

-1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

- 1/2 tsp baking soda

- 1/8 tsp salt

- 1/2 cup salted butter softened (Ok I didn't have a whole stick of butter but it was close and I melted it because I am lazy)

- 1/4 cup white sugar

- 1/2 cup honey

- 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Here's What You Do:

1.  Preheat oven to 300 and grease a cookie sheet to prepare

2.  Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside (be prepared to see flour fly!)

3.  Combine the butter, sugar, and honey and blend.

4.  Add in the chocolate chips and stir or blend but don't over mix

5.  Drop onto baking sheet (these will spread so spread them out - we didn't and we had a lot of separating to do) and bake 18-20 minutes (mine took 20)

I really was surprised at how yummy these are. I just figured it would be something the kids would nibble on for fun but I enjoyed them. I think it will be my go-to chocolate chip recipe from now on.

 

See no worries? They can lick away and I don't care. Pardon that we are in our swim suits in these pics. We made it half way to the pool before the thunder kicked in.  Let me know what you think if you try these out. And show me the mess your kids make baking!  Mine had a blast but it did require some clean up for sure.

Enjoy!

 Original recipe here:  http://www.smartschoolhouse.com/eats-and-sweets/chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe-for-kids/2

Summer Fruity Ice Pops

I don't know about you, but I'm ready for SUMMER!!  This was a long winter and spring has proven to be a damp and dreary one.  I'm soaking up these warm days, as few and far between as they are, until those lasting summer days emerge!  I'm always looking for a freezer pop recipe because the ones in the store... even the fruit ones... are just so dang packed with sugar, sugar, and more sugar!  Is it just me or do they have a weird aftertaste? Why would you need to sweeten already sweet fruit??  So, I was pleasantly surprised to find this little gem of a recipe.  It is a breeze to prepare and delightfully refreshing without all the extra BLAH.

Egg and Cheese Muffins

I have recently been on the hunt for more protein for the kids at breakfast.  A great friend told me how to make these little egg muffins and I love them. They are easy to fix, versatile, and I have left overs for at least another day or two of breakfasts.  I guess this isn't really a recipe but I'm recording it here so I don't forget about these little gems.

As you can see I made mini and regular versions this time so the pictures show the prep for both sizes!

Here's What You Need:

-eggs (One egg per muffin you plan to make. I usually make only 6 muffins at a time)

-shredded cheese

-spinach

-any other veggie you want to throw in

Here's What You Do:

1.  Preheat the move at 360 and spray the muffin pan with Pam for easy removal

2.  Fill the bottom with the veggies you are using.

3.  Fill the rest of the way up with shredded cheese and pat it down a bit.

4.  Whisk eggs together and put into a measuring cup (for easy of pouring).

5.  Pour the eggs over each muffin.

6.  Bake at 360 for 20-23 minutes.

So this time I made 4 regular sized muffins and 4 mini muffins to see if the kids would like them better. Elli loves these things and Jackson did fairly well with the mini ones (I still have to feed them to him) but he got it down.  He isn't a huge egg person so this is a victory for me.  My mini ones were done at 20 minutes and I let the larger ones cook for 23 minutes.  These are delicious straight from the oven but go ahead and put your left overs in the fridge. You can pop them in the microwave for 1 minute the following morning for an easy breakfast on the go.

Versatile? Yes!  Make these with spinach, bell peppers, chopped broccoli - the list goes on and on and on.

Hope this gives you a quick breakfast to get you out of the oatmeal rut.  Oh wait?  Was that just me stuck in the oatmeal rut? Well maybe you'll enjoy it anyway!!

Peanut Butter Cookies

I pack my hubby's lunch for work every night. It is an easy way for us to use dinner left overs and save a few bucks (plus I figure if I have to eat at home - he can't be going out every day too right?) I digress.  I usually pack him a couple of cookies as an after lunch treat and we were out of his favorite kind this week, Fig Newtons. In a scramble, I looked up easy cookie recipes and found this gem. They are super easy to make, dairy free, grain free, and delicious.

Pizza Puffs

As you know, I'm continually on a quest for fun kid lunch ideas. I just hate giving them the same old peanut butter and jelly everyday. Now don't get me wrong, there isn't anything wrong with a good old fashioned pb&j, but we were eating A LOT of them.  The kids were bored, I was bored, our kitchen was bored. So off hunting I went for new quick and easy lunch ideas.  I've already written up the quesadilla craze we had and we love anything wrapped up in a tortilla but I wanted something that didn't require a tortilla this time. Enter - pizza puffs.

These took me very little time to prep and they only needed to bake for about 20 minutes.  Plus, these little guys provide a great opportunity to sneak in veggies. Today I got spinach in them and my kids never knew the difference.  SCORE!

Here's What You Need:

 -3/4 C flour (I used whole wheat)

-3/4 tsp baking powder

-1 cup shredded cheese

-couple pinches of spinach

-3/4 C milk (I used 2%)

-1 egg lightly beaten

-Pizza sauce for dipping

Here's What You Do:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a mini muffin tin pan.

2.  Whisk together flour and baking powder.

3.  Whisk in milk and egg. Then add cheese and spinach and stir together. Let this sit for about 10 minutes.

4.  Pour into individual muffin tins.  This was supposed to make 24 but mine only made about 20 so maybe I filled mine too much.

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and puffy.

Serve these with a side of warmed pizza sauce for dipping.  

Now the original recipe called for one cup pepperoni as well. We didn't have that so I just left it out but I'm sure it would be delicious in there too. I think you could really chop up any veggies and add them in - red bell peppers, tiny bits of broccoli, green peppers and the list goes on and on.

I had about 20 of these little pizza puffs. My oldest ate two and my son only ate one but he is sick so not much of an appetite.  I kept out about 6 or 7 more for the rest of the week. Then I stuck the other ones in the freezer. I will update you later as to how that turns out. Seems like they would freeze well and be something you can grab at a moment's notice.  

Try it and let me know what veggies you sneak in your kids' lunch today!

original recipe here:  http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-search/budget-recipes/pepperoni-pizza-puffs

Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

These breakfast cookies are a big hit in my clean eating challenge groups. They are filling, delicious, and kid friendly.  Not only that but these cookies are completely clean and vegan so you know what you are eating and you know it is good for you.  I give these to my kids without any concerns.  I do need to admit - we don't actually eat them for breakfast - we eat them all day long!  I think they would make a great breakfast warmed up with a dab of peanut butter on top but we haven't tried it yet. We usually have these as an afternoon snack or a treat after lunch.  They really are a versatile cookie and you can use whatever you have in the pantry to make it work for you. I am going to include the original recipe but I'm writing up how I make them personally (and you know it is going to include some chocolate).

Super Easy (not just for breakfast) Breakfast Pizza

When I stumbled across this recipe I had no idea it would be so easy.  So so so easy.  Today it is snowing (again), my kids are sick, and we are bored.  I decided it would be a good day to pull up the thousands of recipes I have saved on the internet and start trying one out.  Elli and I decided the breakfast pizza was the way to go.  The reason this works is because you will most likely have all of the ingredients on hand.  If not, it is super versatile and you can make it however you want.

No more talking!  Let me give you this recipe that will 100% become a staple on our list. I envision it for dessert, for fun lunch, even for dinner (who doesn't love breakfast for dinner!?)

Here is what you need: (kinda because you can really do this however you want!)

-1/2 cup whole wheat flour

-1 tsp baking powder

-2 stevia packets (I didn't have anymore stevia so I used another sweetener we had on hand) or 2 tablespoons sugar

-1/2 cup water, juice or milk (I used 2% milk but to keep it vegan use almond or soy)

-2 tablespoons applesauce (or coconut oil, mashed bananas, vegetable oil...)

-1/8 tsp salt

-You can add any spices you wish. I added a dash or two of cinnamon but you could do pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, you name it!

-And the fun part:  Add in a few handfuls of whatever you want.  We added in 1/2 banana sliced and couple handfuls of mini chocolate chips. You could do blueberries, strawberries, walnuts, raisins, chopped apples, and the list goes on!

 Here is what you do

-Grease a round pan really well so it doesn't stick.

-Mix all ingredients together and then pour into prepared pan

-Place in NON PREHEATED oven at 425 for 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean (mine took exactly 10 minutes)

It looks delicious even without toppings!

Now have fun with toppings. Today I melted the Cinnamon Cheese spread I had and spread that on top (just one wedge). Then I added sliced strawberries and powdered sugar.  Seriously - this is breakfast? Both kids loved it and ate it up.  

This was delicious on top but I'm sure any cream cheese would work.

Who WOULDN'T want to eat that for breakfast?

OK you try your breakfast pizza and tell me what you add to yours.  I'm thinking next time I'll add walnuts and top with bananas and cinnamon. Or what about mini chocolate chips topped with nutella and bananas?  Oh man or what about mini chocolate chips topped with peanut butter and banana.  Yep I have a lot of baking to do!  I may very well be making this tonight for dessert while my kids are sleeping since they ate it all this morning and didn't want to share very many bites with their mom.

I want to let you know the original recipe came from Chocolate Covered Kate. I love her blog. I use it all the time. She takes desserts and makes them healthy.  She is all about chocolate and all about health. She should be my best friend. Really.  I haven't tried a recipe from her site that I didn't love.  Check it out!

http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2010/04/12/the-breakfast-pizzert/

Happy Breakfast!

Vegan Blondie Brownie

I hesitate to put the word vegan in the title because I don't want any skeptics.  These things are GOOD - really good. How do I know? I had my father in law try "a brownie" and he liked them. After that I told him they were made from chickpeas and he still ate several more. So trust me when I say, these things are good! So good in fact that I made them again today because I just HAD to have them. And yes, I HAD to have them.  This is actually a quick recipe and I plan on making them often simply because my kids think they are cookies but they are so clean and healthy they can eat them all day and I don't care!

Please please please give it a try - you won't be disappointed.  

Sorry for the lack of pictures - I had a sick kid and couldn't take pictures while prepping but I really wanted to get this recipe to ya!

Here's What You Need:

- 1 can garbanzo beans (rinsed and drained!)

- 3/4 tsp baking powder

- 1/8 tsp baking soda

- level 1/4 tsp salt

- 3/4 cup brown sugar

- 2 tsp vanilla extract

- 1/4 cup quick oats

- 1/4 cup peanut butter

- 1/2 cup chocolate chips 

Here's What You Do:

- Preheat oven to 350

- Blend all the ingredients (except chips) until very smooth in a good food processor (not a blender)

- Mix in chips and scoop into a greased 8x8 pan and sprinkle a few chocolate chips on top

- Bake for about 30 minutes

 (they will look a little under cooked when you take them out but they firm as they cool and you don't want them to get hard!)

Please let me know what you think of these. Try them! Be brave!  You will like them - I promise.  

Don't forget our challenge. This thing is awesome! 21 Days to focus on nutrition, clean eating, and how to live a healthy balanced life style.  Comment here for more info!! 

Original recipe here:  http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/05/18/chocolate-chip-blondies-and-theyre-good-for-you/  

Check out her blog - awesome good stuff there!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookie for Kids (or you!)

So you know I eat my three ingredient cookies everyday (ok usually two a day!) But I don’t feel guilty about that. They are only about 45 calories a piece and made from completely clean ingredients –no dairy, no oil, just deliciousness. 

Well while scrolling through pinterest during our snow days here recently I saw a new twist on the same cookie idea. The difference? These are peanut butter and jelly cookies instead of chocolate chips cookies. Now I love chocolate chips but not everyone in my family is quite as addicted so I thought this might be a good change for them.  And my kids love pb&j so why not a pb&j cookie?

So here is the recipe. It is easy, quick, and you can feel great about your kids having one or two cookies a day if they are made with these ingredients!

No Bake Peanut Butter Bars

As I have mentioned before, I am constantly working to get the processed foods out of my house and start making my own things for the kids and for me.  This isn't something I'm doing over night. It is a small steady change that I work on. I am busy, my kids are crazy some days, and some days we just need a quick easy snack. But then there are times when I can try out a new recipe and I embrace those opportunities.  This was one of them.  We tried out making the no bake peanut butter bars.  Now you know I posted another peanut butter bar recently here, and this is very similar. The difference is this one is sturdier.  You know for a real snack - a nice heavy snack that will tide you over. The Cheerio one is a bit light and definitely not as filling as this one.  I like both because I like to mix it up.  

Here is what you need:

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup honey

3 cups quick cook oats

Here is what you do:

1  Melt the honey and peanut butter over medium heat until smooth

2.  Mix in the oats and remove from heat

3. Stir well

4.  Press into 9x9 pan

5.  Let cool (I refrigerate mine but that is how I like them. They do not have to be refrigerated!)

Verdict? These were delicious and perfect for everyone. The kids like them for snacks, I eat them for a night time treat, and Daddy takes them in his lunch to work.  Score! Clean, easy, and home made. 

Enjoy!

original recipe here:http://www.food.com/recipe/natural-no-bake-peanut-butter-energy-bars-163297?layout=desktop

No Bake Energy Bites

I am always looking for something quick and easy as a snack option. I love snacking (and ps snacking is super important for your metabolism).  It is very important that we eat every couple of hours to fuel the fire we have burning from exercise.  Although snacking is important, I am not a huge fan of prepackaged granola bars and things - they are convenient but they never quite do the trick for me. I find myself still hungry after eating things like that and if I'm hungry you better watch out!

Enter - No Bake Energy Bites!

These little beauties only require four ingredients and are delicious.  Now, I know there are other recipes out there for no bake snacks and I plan to try more. The particular recipe I used this time included Shakeology which is the supplement I use as part of my daily routine.  It is PACKED full of vitamins (I don't take any other vitamins actually) so I loved that the recipe included this. I will be trying out other versions of this recipe for those of you who do not use Shakeology. Still, I had to share this one too - it is too delicious to pass up.

What You Need:

1 C all natural peanut butter

1/2 C honey

1 C quick cook oats

1 C chocolate Shakeology

What You Do:

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl.

Combine well.

Roll mixture into about 1 inch balls (should make 24-25 balls)

Refrigerate!  

Delicious. These snacks are perfect for my entire family. They aren't messy so my kids can enjoy them in the car and I can enjoy them when things ARE CRAZY in my house (which is 99.9% of the time). They also make a great late night treat if you are having a sweet tooth craving.

Enjoy!