Freezer Friendly: Homemade Crockpot Chili

Hi there :) Missed you guys! But, do tell.  How much are you loving the easy and delicious recipes from Team ACT?  I tell you what... I am SO glad she is a part of my team! In honor of Fall being Just . Around. The. Corner - let's get some chili cooking!  Set it - forget it - and enjoy it after a long day. I've tried many crockpot recipes for chili.  Some have been better than others, but this one has been my favorite so far.  And it makes a LOT.   I had plenty to serve for dinner to 4 adults and have enough to freeze for later.  We LOVE LOVE LOVED it served over baked potatoes with some cheese sprinkled on top.  This recipe was also the first in which I made my own homemade chili seasoning.  The recipe I found and used was delicious and had a little kick.  The best part about making your own is being able to control the amount and type of ingredients - I used less salt and more hot peppers for the kick.  YUM.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal No-Bake Cookies

Happy Holidays!!  Yes.  The season has officially begun - it's my favorite time of the year!  We are having our first ever cookie swap.  So excited!  My wonderful DH was more than happy to be the guinea pig for my new recipe ;)  Let me tell you... we ate pretty much the entire recipe in one weekend.  I made these Friday night - Monday night there are 3 left.  Yep.  Good thing they're calorie free on the weekends... ah hem.  Haha!  Needless to say these scrumptious cookies are the ones I'm taking to the cookie swap.  Hope you have a happy and healthy holiday season - take some time to enjoy the small things this time of year!

Meatball Subs! - Freezer Friendly!

Along with my freezer cooking preps a few weeks back, I made a pan of meatballs for us to have.  These are by far my favorite - and they are so moist and juicy!  This time instead of making them small, I made them about the size of a ping pong ball and cooked them a bit longer.  Last Saturday, we had just gotten back from a trip and were in full "Let's do nothing" mode.  Ever have one of those days?  We literally did nothing all day.  It was great to relax!

Well, I couldn't very well cook could I?  So I pulled out these babies and whipped up some marinara.  Actually, I had planned to have these sandwiches because I had bought some club rolls and shredded mozzarella, but I forgot the sauce!  So I made some really quickly.  I might just start making it this way all the time.  

For the sauce: Take a large can of whole peeled tomatoes.  Add to a sauce pan and use a spatula to break up the tomatoes.  I added a dash of basil paste and 3 cloves of smashed garlic (that I later removed).  You could also add some red pepper flakes, some onion, and/or olive oil.  This is where you can go crazy.  Add some shredded veges to make a pumped up spaghetti sauce that your kids won't know there's veges hiding in :)  I let it simmer for about 10 - 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

For the meatballs: Pull 6 out of the freezer (or enough for you and your family - 3 meatballs per sandwich).  I defrosted at 1.5 minutes on 30% power. Then cooked them for 2 minutes on full power or until heated through.  

Now it's time to assemble the sandwich!  Slice the rolls almost all the way through and place in a "bed" of foil (this will help when you heat it and also helps the sandwich stay upright).  Put in a little marinara, add 3 meatballs, spoon a little more marinara over the meatballs, top with shredded mozzarella cheese and broil until the cheese is brown and bubbly.  I put mine in the toaster oven for even less work!

These were to-die-for.  Really.  And took no time to make!

Put remaining marinara in the refrigerator (or freeze) until you need to use it.  I used it to make Cinci's Chili on Sunday.  Yes!!


The Verdict
Hello easy peasy sandwich.  You are my new favorite.  Yespleaseandthankyou.

P.s. Make meatball sliders the same way for a quick, easy, and fun appetizer!
P.p.s. Even Little One loved these sandwiches!!

Wonton Dessert Stacks

A super simple dessert to go with a super simple supper!

The idea of this dessert could totally be built and made into whatever flavor combination you like!  (Hint: I'm thinking next time adding a chocolate element... mmmm... mouth watering!)  

Spaghetti for a Crowd! Freezer Friendly :)

My last and final recipe to make one / take one and it sure was a crowd pleaser!!  I hope the sweet family enjoyed it as much as we did last night!  This Spaghetti for a Crowd recipe (the way I make it) would feed 6 adults easily.  I was amazed at how much it made.  You're taking one jar of spaghetti sauce and stretching it in unbelievable ways! Haha!  DH and I both had huge servings, have enough for both of us to have lunch... and we still have a hearty serving left over that I'm going to stick in the freezer for one of those nights that you need dinner ready real quick - you know like 5 minutes ago? ;)  A big huge plus is Little One enjoyed the sauce!  He's not big on the texture of pasta - weird, I know! - but gobbled up the sauce since it is hearty.  It's super easy to throw together!  I love meals like these.  I hope you enjoy it too!  

Lasagna Cupcakes

Hello sweet ones.  Oh how I've missed you.

Life has been... well... life around here lately.  We've moved, so you'll notice different counters and lighting in the pictures. Moving with a little one is no joke and I'm quite sure I don't ever want to do it again.  Boo.  Tiredness all . the . time won out and as a result, we either ate sandwiches or I resorted to the same fall-back recipes that I've posted before or we ate out.  To say that I'm ready to get back into the swing of things is an understatement.  I've never realized how much of a routine / schedule person I am... until I'm off of it.  I think that's a result of Little One himself.  We try to stick as close to a routine as possible.  So, yes, we're ready to get back.  Tonight I had a minor meltdown because dinner was late.  Little One was having 'one of those days' and quite frankly I was too.  I didn't get to make this recipe as originally planned, so I tweaked it a little.  

And look how cute they still turned out!  Think individual lasagna cups!  I'm thankful for a fun and tasty recipe to kick start the cooking off again.  And a heartfelt thank you to my faithful followers who are still hanging on :)

Grape Salad

Okay, this is not what you think of when you see the name "Grape Salad".  It's a sweet indulgence with a burst of brightness from the grapes!  A yummy addition to your summer time picnics :)  The best part is, it's a snap to put together!  Top it with crushed Butterfinger for a tasty dessert treat.

Cheese "Cookies"

This is quite possibly one of DH's most favorite recipes on the planet.  I *try* to make them for all his special occasions... birthdays, father's day... and they're a great "thinking of you" snack too.  His mom made them for him growing up.  I will never forget the first time I had these cookies - at his high school graduation party.  It was the first time I was actually meeting his family and to try the much talked about cheese cookies.  I popped one in my mouth thinking "Oh, they're going to be sweet because they're 'cookies'."  I almost choked because they are buttery, cheesy, and flaky.  Haha!  Since that moment, I've seen them called Cheese Straws when they're out or you buy them in the store.  These are called "cookies" because of their round shape.  So... I tried making them for the first time in college.  I hand shredded a block of cheddar cheese, mixed them diligently, and they were terrible!  I couldn't get the batter to stick together.  I anxiously called his mom to ask what I was doing wrong.  It would have definitely fallen into the "disaster" category.  But, still, he stood by me :)  Haha!  Over the years, I've continued to make the beloved cheese cookies and have fiiiiiinally perfected the recipe to nothing short of a quick and easy and most importantly, reliable, recipe! Hello buttery, cheesy, salty, savory cookies.