Holiday Feast Side Dish Alert... I love sweet potato casserole...I really do. Especially when there is a crunchy, nutty topping or layer in the dish. But what I don't always love is the prep-work. If you're hosting the holiday feast, it's a flurry of madness getting everything ready and sometimes you just want simple and easy. THIS. Is simple and easy. Slice the … [Read more...]
Braised Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
I love Brussels sprouts. But for some reason, we don't eat them regularly. They aren't part of our regular veggies with dinner rotation. (They should be!) I seem to always want them around the holidays. I also seem to always want them with bacon. Because bacon makes everything better, especially Brussels sprouts! With this recipe, we are going to cook the bacon, drain off … [Read more...]
Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate
Our Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte has been getting rave reviews from our $5 Meal Plan members. It was on the menu recently and everyone who has tried it LOVES it. But I know that not everyone drinks coffee...and not everyone wants to give their kiddos coffee (mine don't need any extra energy or caffeine!!!). So today, I'm sharing an amazing recipe for Pumpkin Spice Hot … [Read more...]
Honey-Glazed Parsnips
Parsnips, what are those Erin? They're like carrots. Similar consistency, similar flavor and they cook up just the same. They're just a different color. If you've never tried them, this is a great recipe to start with...because I'm tossed them together with some carrots in a similar and delicious roasted and glazed recipe. It goes like this: roast the carrots and … [Read more...]
Cheesy Potato Casserole
Before we start into this delectable side dish, I need to make the following disclaimer. Calories don't exist on holiday feast day. They just don't. They can't really. ;) I'm teasing...there are ways to be smart about calories at a holiday feast...but I like to pretend they don't count or exist. (hehe) Making this calorie disclaimer is important with … [Read more...]
Oatmeal Pumpkin Spice Cookies
I always knew this day was coming. Every mom of 4 boys knows this day is coming. You wonder about this day, the first time you have to start doubling recipes. When will the tripling of recipes begin? Welp, for this mama of 4 boys, it began the other week. With this recipe. I doubled the recipe (which is written below as the doubled version - it makes between 3-4 dozen … [Read more...]
Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes
Kinda makes you wanna lick the screen doesn't it??? Holy melted butter...and cracked pepper. This is the kind of recipe that makes me fall in love with mashed potatoes all over again. I seem to fall in love year after year...about this time...just before Thanksgiving! These creamy mashed potatoes will make everyone at your table drool. Seriously, they will. PRO TIP: … [Read more...]
Trail Mix Brownies
I am a HUGE fan of "dumping" together fun baked recipes like this! I love mixing and matching dried fruit, nuts and seeds into trail mixes...especially after the holiday baking season. (Now is the best time to save on baking ingredients - so STOCK UP!) This resulted from a fun mix and match of goodies I had in the baking cabinet, and a fun homemade fudgy recipe on my … [Read more...]
Strawberry Crepes
So. My boys ask for pancakes EVERY.SINGLE.WEEKEND. morning. (Not kidding.) It's like it's they are programmed to ask for them every Saturday and Sunday. If our schedule allows (like, no early soccer games!), then I'm usually willing to help them make the pancakes and supervise (read, referee) the pancake flipping that has to happen. But there are some … [Read more...]
Chocolate Covered Potato Chips
And........... we have a new favorite after school snack. The first time I made this, the boys were super confused as to why I had 2 pots (the double boiler) sitting together on the stove. I've used them many times before, but they never noticed until now. We had a quick little science lesson about the double boiler, how it worked and why the chocolate needed to be melted … [Read more...]