Birthday Cake Batter Pancakes

Birthday Cake Batter Pancakes

Makes about 6 pancakes.

The kids loved these.  We used regular syrup instead of the glaze, but next time, I would try it, so I'm including it here.
Source: Happy Food Healthy Life

For pancakes:
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup yellow cake mix
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 to 1 cup milk
assorted sprinkles
whipped cream and additional sprinkles for topping, optional

For glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
assorted sprinkles

To make glaze: Mix milk, extract and powdered sugar until glaze forms. You may need to add a little more sugar or water/milk to reach desired consistency. Mix into glaze and drizzle on pancakes.

Combine flour, cake mix, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl and mix. Add 1/2 cup of milk, egg and vanilla extract and stir until smooth. You want the batter to look like regular pancake batter; not too thin, not too thick. This will vary greatly on the brand of cake mix you use. Start with 1/2 cup of milk and add more if needed.

Preheat a skillet on medium heat. Fold desired amount of sprinkles into batter. Pour batter in 1/4 cup measurements onto skillet and let cook until bubbles form on top, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook for 1 minute more. Serve with vanilla glaze.

20-Minute Applesauce Breakfast Cookies

20-Minute Applesauce Breakfast Cookies

Makes 36.

The word "cookie" is used loosely here.  Let's not get carried away and think that these taste like true cookies.  But if your toddler likes them, call them cookies as much as you'd like.  
Adapted from: Shape

3 ripe bananas
2 c. rolled oats
1/3 c. applesauce
2 T. honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 c. dried cherries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a fork, mash the bananas in a bowl. Stir in oats, applesauce, honey, dried cherries, cinnamon and vanilla extract. Mix batter well. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto a lined cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.

Smoothie Muffins

Smoothie Muffins

Makes about 16 muffins.

I originally made these as a quick breakfast option for the wee one, but after trying them myself, I realized they weren't half bad!
Source: FitSugar

3 ripe bananas
2 cups packed baby spinach
8 strawberries
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Puree the bananas, spinach, and strawberries in a blender.
In a medium-size bowl, combine the flour, sugar, egg, oil, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
Pour the smoothie mixture into the bowl and mix well.

Put paper or silicone muffin cups in a muffin pan (you'll need two pans for 14 muffins).
Spoon the batter, filling each cup about three quarters full.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Allow muffins to cool on a rack and enjoy!

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes

Makes about 16 pancakes.

Because these do not contain any sugar, they aren't exceptionally pleasing to adults, but I make them for the wee one and she loves them.  I freeze the leftovers and pop them in the microwave for an easy, healthy breakfast.
Source: SparkRecipes

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp allspice
1 large egg1 3/4 cup fat-free milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin

Preheat griddle or pan to 350 degrees.

In large bowl, blend pumpkin, egg, and milk with electric mixer.

Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and allspice and stir until blended. (Some small lumps are OK.)

Pour about 1/2 cup batter on hot griddle, lightly sprayed with cooking spray.

Flip cakes after about 1 minute. Then cook another minute on other side. 

Easy Crockpot Applesauce

Easy Crockpot Applesauce

An easy, delicious applesauce. 
Slightly adapted from: One Organic Mama

15 apples of your choice
2 cups water (approximately)
3 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
1/4 t. ground cloves
***I added 1/4 cup brown sugar to sweeten it up a bit

Cut and core apples.  I cut them in half, in half again, and then cored them.  Go ahead and leave the skins on, because it is waaayyy easier, they add nutrition, and you won't be able to taste them in the end.

Cover the bottom of your crock pot with about 1/2-1" of water, add apples and spices (and sugar if using), and mix up.  Cook on high for about 4 hours.

Once your apples are soft, use your immersion blender to puree.  Let cool and serve, store, or can.

Chicken Bundles

Chicken Bundles

Makes 4 bundles.

One of my favorite recipes.  Easy, delicious, and a kid-pleaser for sure.  This is a great meal to take to new moms (especially if they have other children already), but is also a great option for a busy weeknight.  Leftovers reheat well, or you can pop them in the freezer for a future meal.
Adapted from: Allrecipes

8-oz. canister refrigerated crescent roll dough (buy the seamless sheet option to make things even easier!)
3-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 lb. chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (about 2 cups)
2 T. minced onion
Salt & pepper
1 T. milk, if needed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Unroll crescent dough.  If you are working with the seamless sheet, simply cut into 4 rectangles.  If you have the traditional dough, separate into four rectangles, while simultaneously pinching together some of the triangles to form those rectangles.  That was wordy... hope it makes sense!  Basically, you want 4 equally-sized rectangles from the one sheet of dough.

Make chicken filling by mixing together cream cheese, shredded chicken, onion, salt and pepper, and a little bit of milk, if needed.  Place chicken mixture evenly on top of each rectangle.  Pull corners up and together to form little pockets, pinching together any open ends.

Place onto greased baking sheet.  Bake in a preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Baked Oven Tacos

Baked Oven Tacos

Makes 18-20 tacos.

I used flour tortillas instead of the recommended hard taco shells.  They still tasted great, but, as you can imagine, they didn't hold their shape while baking.  This made for a messy eating experience, and not nearly as nice of a presentation, but do whatever floats your boat!
Slightly adapted from: Mommy, I'm Hungry

2 lbs ground beef (or turkey/chicken)
1 small onion diced1 small can diced green chilies2 T. taco seasoning1 (8 ounce) can low sodium tomato sauce 1 (16 ounce) can fat free refried beans 2 cups shredded reduced fat Colby-jack cheese 18-20 hard taco shells

Optional Condiments- Lettuce (shredded) Tomato (diced) Salsa Guacamole Sour CreamOlives, sliced  

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  
In a large skillet brown ground beef and onion over medium-high heat. Drain off any excess liquid. Return to pan, add chilies, refried beans, tomato sauce, and taco seasoning. Mix well and cook for a few minutes if mixture seems runny. 
Spoon the taco meat mixture into the taco shells and place into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, standing up. Sprinkle cheese over the top of the taco meat in each shell. Place into the oven and bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the tacos are heated through. Remove from the oven and top with any optional condiments for serving. 

Ultimate Chicken Fingers

Ultimate Chicken Fingers

Serves 4.

Shown here with Parmesan Oven Fries, these chicken fingers were so so good.  We all LOVED them. I really need to make a batch and freeze them (to replace the store-bought chicken nuggets), but each time I make them, we just want to eat them!
Source: Betty Crocker

2/3 c. Bisquick mix
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 t. salt or garlic salt
1/2 t. paprika
3 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut crosswise into 1/2" strips
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 T. butter, melted (I omitted this)

Heat oven to 450 degrees.  Line cookie sheet with foil; spray with cooking spray.

Mix Bisquick, cheese, salt, and paprika in a 1-gallon resealable plastic bag.  Dip the chicken strips into egg; place in bag of Bisquick mixture.  Seal bag; shake to coat.  Place chicken on cookie sheet.  Drizzle butter over chicken (if using).

Bake 12-14 minutes, turning after 6 minutes, until no longer pink in the center.

Healthy Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins

Healthy Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins

Makes 18-20 muffins.

Here's a winner recipe -- a muffin that's healthy and the whole family loves.  Enough sweetness from the honey, yet plenty of healthy ingredients to start your day right.  The wee one loves these for breakfast and as an after-nap snack, and I love that I can make them, freeze them, and pull them out one by one for a wholesome, homemade treat.
Source: Fit and Healthy with Debbie

2.5 cups old fashioned oats 
1 cup plain low fat greek yogurt
2 eggs
1/2 cup honey
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp ground flax seed
1 tsp vanilla
2 ripe bananas 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray tin with non-stick cooking spray or line muffin tins with silicone or foil liners.
Place the oats in the food processor and pulse for about 10 seconds.  Add remaining ingredients to the food processor. Process until everything is mixed together and oats are smooth.

At this point in the process, you can separate the batter into different bowls, adding dark chocolate chips, nuts, blueberries, or whatever you want to make a variety of muffins.  Or you can add one ingredient to the entire batter.  Or, like I prefer them, leave them plain!  They are still great!

Divide batter among cupcake liners, and bake for 18-20 minutes (mine only took 14-15 minutes), or until toothpick comes out clean.

20-Minute Applesauce Cookies

20-Minute Applesauce Cookies

Makes 9-10 large cookies.

A sugar-free healthy "cookie" that's perfect for the wee one's breakfast or snack.
Source: Shape

3 ripe bananas

2 c. rolled oats1/3 c. applesauce1 tsp. vanilla extract1 tbsp. ground flax1/2 c. dried cherries, raisins, or a mix of both

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a fork, mash the bananas in a bowl. Stir in oats, applesauce, dried cherries, flax and vanilla extract. Mix batter well. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto a lined cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.

Chalupa Pie

Chalupa Pie

Serves 6.

This was a favorite childhood meal in our household.  And now I'm realizing that adults love it too!
Source: my mom

1 8-oz. can crescent rolls
1 lb. ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
1 can Rotel
1 c. sour cream (or greek yogurt)
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1-2 c. crushed tortilla chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Press crescent roll dough into a greased pie plate.  It won't look pretty, but it doesn't need to.

Meanwhile, brown ground beef.  Drain and stir in taco seasoning, Rotel, and sour cream.  Top crescent roll crust with ground beef mixture.  Top with shredded cheddar and crushed tortilla chips.

Bake for 30 minutes COVERED with foil.  Then, remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes more before cutting and serving.

Cowboy Casserole

Cowboy Casserole

Serves 6.

Don't be grossed out.  This is a family classic in some parts of our nation.  It's comfort food, and it's good, and it is truly a family pleaser when it comes to what your kids love.  So whip it up -- even the night before if you want -- and bake for dinner this week.  
Source: The Cutting Edge of Ordinary

1 1/2 pounds ground beef 
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can (15.25oz) whole kernel corn, drained (I used 1-1/2 cups thawed frozen corn instead)
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons sour cream
1 bag (30 oz) frozen tater tots (such as Ore-Ida Crispy Crowns)

If you can, let the tater tots sit on the counter to defrost for an hour or so. The original recipe uses frozen tater tots, but allowing them to thaw for a bit seems to help the cooking process.

In a large skillet cook the onion until tender and translucent. Add the chopped garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the beef and cook over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain the mixture and place into a large bowl and set aside.

In a small bowl combine the soup, milk and sour cream. Whisk until smooth. Add to hamburger mixture and stir to combine. Add corn and 1 cup of cheddar cheese. Gently mix to combine.

Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer half of the tater tots on the bottom, pour the hamburger mixture over the top and then layer with the other half of the tater tots.  Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese and bake at 350 for 25 - 30 minutes, or until golden brown and crunchy.

Oven Hot Dogs

Oven Hot Dogs

Makes 8 loaded hot dogs.

Here's a way to bring summer back, inside your oven.  It's also a great way to feed a crowd of hungry teenagers.  So tell your kids to invite a few friends over for Friday night dinner, and cook these.  You might even love them too.  :)  Just remember -- use a fork!  Picking up to eat may prove dangerous...
Source: Alyssa B. Young

8 hot dogs
8 hot dog buns
1 can of chili
1/2 an onion, diced
cheddar cheese
mayonnaise
mustard
sweet relish

Line inside of hot dog buns with mayonnaise and sweet relish. Evenly add mustard. Fill with hot dogs and squish into a 13×9″ baking pan.

Top hot dogs with chili, cheese, and diced onion. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350F for 45 minutes.

Carefully remove from the pan with a spatula.

Fall Bark

Fall Bark

Serves 6-8.

A dear friend made this and brought it over as dessert for our shared family dinner.  It was delicious and loved by all.  A beautiful and tasty autumn treat!
Source: Real Simple

• 1/2 pound white chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup miniature pretzels
• 1/2 cup candy corn
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 
  
• Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on 2 sides.
• 
  
• Heat the chocolate in a double boiler or medium heatproof bowl set over (but not in) a saucepan of simmering water, stirring often, until melted and smooth.
• 
  
• Spread the chocolate in the prepared pan and sprinkle with the pretzels, candy corn, and dried cranberries. Chill until firm, about 1 hour.
• 
  
• Remove the bark from the pan and break into pieces.

Beef & Cheese "Foldover"

Beef & Cheese "Foldover"

Serves 4.

Super easy, great-tasting meal for those busy nights.  Kid-friendly, too!  I replaced half the corn with black beans, added some taco seasoning, and baked it on crescent roll dough instead of Bisquick baking mix.
Adapted from: Kraft

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup ketchup
2 T. A.1. Original Steak Sauce
1 T. taco seasoning
1 container refrigerated crescent roll dough (the non-perforated "sheet" is easiest to use)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Brown meat with onions in a large skillet; drain.  Return to skillet.  Stir in corn, black beans, ketchup, and steak sauce; set aside.

Unroll crescent roll dough on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.  Turn up edges to create a crust.  Spoon meat mixture onto the dough; spread to within 1" of edge.  Top with shredded cheddar.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Banana Baby Muffins

Banana Baby Muffins

Makes about 12 mini muffins.

These little guys are dense, and a little gummy, but the wee one loves them, and that's good enough for me!  And since they are so good for her, I let her have 2-3 some mornings.  :)
Slightly adapted from: The Iowa Farmer's Wife

2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup oats
1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water
1/4 c water
1 mashed banana
1 tsp cinnamon (or nutmeg)
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp plain yogurt (I used Greek)
1 tsp olive oil

*the original poster makes her own by grinding organic oats in a coffee grinder.

Mix dry ingredients. Add flaxseed and 3 tbsp water and mix well. Combine water, banana, yogurt and oil until you have a smooth consistency. Grease a muffin tin with organic butter or olive oil. Pour batter into muffin tins. Bake at 350˚ for 15-18 minutes.

Potentially the Healthiest Muffins Ever

Potentially the Healthiest Muffins Ever

Makes 8-10 muffins.

Love these muffins for myself and for the wee one.  Although she's (still) a good vegetable eater, it never hurts to sneak in more!  These muffins are super moist, super flavorful, and a good way to treat yourself to something healthy.  I didn't name these, and it's true that they still have a fair amount of sugar, but they taste AWESOME, and I don't know you could keep the taste if you eliminated the sugar.  So these are good muffins for mom and baby to share.  If you're looking for a recipe for baby, and only baby, check out the healthy banana muffins I'll be posting later this week.
Notes and nutritional information at the bottom also from the source listed below.
Source: Ceci n'est pas un food blog

½ cup sugar*
1 egg
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
¾ cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup ground flaxseed
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
½ cup pecans, chopped
2 cups carrot, zucchini and/or apple, shredded

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin pan with muffin cups.
In a large bowl, mix the sugar with the eggs. Add the applesauce and mix well. Mix in flour, flaxseed, cinnamon, nutmeg and baking soda. Stir in the nuts and vegetables. Ladle batter into prepared cups.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of a muffin comes out clean.

Nutrition Info (per muffin)**: 114 calories, 4 g fat (0.5 g saturated), 17 mg cholesterol, 17 g carbohydrate (2 g fibre, 10 g sugar), 3 g protein, 116 mg sodium. An excellent source of vitamin E and manganese.

*You may want to bump this up to ⅔ cup if not using apple
 **Incorrectly assumes an equal proportion of carrot, zucchini and apple

All-In-One Taco Dinner

All-In-One Taco Dinner

Serves 4-6.

Here's a tasty, easy-to-prep, make-ahead-friendly, freezer-friendly meal that you AND your kids will love.  And, it's pretty healthy, so that's a plus too.

1 lb. ground turkey
1 packet taco seasoning
1 (15-oz.) can black beans
1 (15-oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 c. frozen corn, thawed
1-1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (or Mexican blend)
Sour cream
Taco sauce
crushed tortilla chips (or 12 crunchy taco shells, crushed)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook ground turkey in a large skillet until no longer pink.  Drain if needed, and then add taco seasoning, along with any water as directed on seasoning packet.

Stir in black beans, diced tomatoes, corn, and shredded cheddar.  Pour into a baking dish and top with crushed tortilla chips.

Bake for 20-30 minutes or until dish is piping hot and tortilla chips begin to brown slightly.

To serve, top with sour cream and taco sauce, if desired.

Cake Batter Pudding Cookies

Cake Batter Pudding Cookies

Makes about 2 dozen.

A friend gave me this recipe and we made them together on the first snowy day of the season.  I can't believe it was mid-January before that happened!  Needless to say, it was the perfect way to spend an afternoon.  The snow was falling, the babies were sleeping, and we were sipping coffee and munching on warm, fresh-outta-the-oven cookies.
Source: Chef in Training blog

1 1/2 sticks (or 3/4 cup) butter 3/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup sugar 1 (3.4 oz) package instant vanilla pudding mix 3/4 cup yellow cake mix 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 1 tsp baking soda 2-1/4 cups flour 1/2 tsp salt sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Stir together flour, salt and baking soda and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars together.

Add in pudding package and cake mix and beat until well blended.

Add eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth.

Add flour mixture slowly until well incorporated.

Mix in sprinkles.

Roll into balls and place on greased baking sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Allergen-Free Cookies

Allergen-Free Cookies

Makes about 2 dozen.

These cookies are free of the top 8 allergens, and they taste great too!  The "Top 8" include milk, soy, egg, wheat, peanut, treenut, fish, and shellfish.  I should note that our doctor said that most allergists and dieticians agree that soybean oil and soy lecithin are not considered to be reaction-inducing allergens when it comes to a soy allergy, but some children do react to them.

Cherrybrook Kitchen Gluten Free Dreams Sugar Cookie Mix
1/2 c. Soy-free and dairy-free butter substitute -- We use Earth Balance Soy-Free in the tub
1/4 c. rice milk
2-1/2 t. vanilla
Canned frosting -- the Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy Vanilla I used was free of allergens

Here's the mix:

Prepare cookie dough according to package directions:

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Blend margarine, rice milk, vanilla and cookie mix at medium speed.
3. Roll the cookies into 1 inch balls and place them onto an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
4. Bake 12-14 minutes or until they are a light golden brown. Cool 1 minute before removing from your cookie sheet. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
5. Enjoy!

Frost, if desired.