This week we have been talking about how it is that time of year again – Back to School time. We talked about packing lunches and how it seems that some parents just popped right out of Pinterest and have more lunch box ideas than the rest of us. Then we talked about how there is the rest of us. We shop and pack and do our best. The lunches are nothing to Instagram but our kids have something good to eat. But then we talked about how there are a few easy lunch box ideas that I love. These lunch box ideas aren’t really fancy recipes but they are good, yummy lunch ideas. I mentioned that I would sharing more lunch box ideas and recipes all week. Today is one of those days. One of the things my kids love to take in their lunches is muffins. There are so many different things you can do with muffins, so muffin recipes are a must. Here you go!
Muffins are great items for lunches! They are filling and can be filled with healthy ingredients. They can contain fruits, vegetables and more. Muffins can be made ahead of time and frozen. If you combine a muffin with some yogurt and nuts or peanut butter you get a super yummy and healthy lunch. Having good and varied recipes for muffins can help make this an easy lunch box choice. Here are a few of our favorite recipes. If you try one, let us know how you liked it.
Peach Muffins
Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups white sugar
2 cups peeled, pitted, and chopped peaches
Peaches Yellow Flesh
Directions:
Morning Muffins
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups grated carrots
1 apple – peeled, cored, and chopped
1 cup raisins
1 egg
2 egg whites
1/2 cup apple butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons toasted wheat germ
Directions:
Zucchini Muffins
Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup nonfat milk
2 egg whites
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
1 cup grated zucchini
Directions:
This week we have been talking about how it is that time of year again – Back to School time. We talked about packing lunches and how it seems that some parents just popped right out of Pinterest and have more lunch box ideas than the rest of us. Then we talked about how there is the rest of us. We shop and pack and do our best. We try hard to make lunches our kids will love. My kids don’t always like sandwiches, but they do love wraps – almost anything wrapped in a tortilla. There are so many different things you can do with wraps, so keeping a few recipes is a must. How about recipes for a few favorites? Here you go!
Healthy wraps are great items for lunches! They are filling and can be made with healthy ingredients. They can contain fruits, vegetables and more. Here are a few of our favorite wraps recipes. If you try one, let us know how you liked it.
Banana Wraps
Ingredients:
4 teaspoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup granola
1 banana, peeled and halved lengthwise
2 large whole wheat tortillas
Directions:
Turkey Taco Wrap
Ingredients:
1/2 cup pico de gallo salsa, drained
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
6 (8 inch) flour tortillas
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
1/2 pound thinly sliced deli turkey breast
Directions:
Morning Wrap
Ingredients:
2 (10 inch) flour tortillas
1 cup cottage cheese, divided
1 cup chopped fresh pineapple, divided
1/2 cup granola cereal, divided
2 tablespoons brown sugar, divided
2 bananas, sliced lengthwise
Directions:
Veggie Wraps
Ingredients:
1 ripe avocado – peeled, pitted, and diced
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
8 (8 inch) flour tortillas 2 tomatoes, diced
1 cucumber, sliced
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 head lettuce, chopped
1 (8 ounce) package fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
Directions:
Last week we talked about how it is that time of year again – Back to School time. We talked about packing lunches and how it seems that some parents just popped right out of Pinterest and have thousands of great lunch box ideas. Their home lunches are not only nutritional they are cute, fun and Instagram worthy. They foods are always pretty and so very fun to look at not to mention eat. Their kids show off their lunchtime creations with pride as they enjoy the oohs and aahs of their classmates. Then there is the rest of us. Our lunches are usually nutritious; we try really hard for that point. We shop and pack and do our best. The lunches are nothing to Instagram but our kids have something good to eat. But wait! There are some fun lunch box ideas that aren’t that hard!
There are a few lunch box ideas that I love. These lunch box ideas aren’t really fancy recipes but they are good, yummy lunch ideas. Here are three recipes that I love. I’ll be sharing these lunch box ideas and recipes all week. Have one you’d like me to share? Send us an email and it might be featured in one of this week’s blogs.
Easy Turkey Wraps
Ingredients:
12 (10 inch) flour tortillas
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 head lettuce
1 (6 ounce) package sliced deli-style turkey
2 cups shredded carrots
2 cups minced tomato
Directions:
1. Spread cream cheese evenly over the tortillas.
2. Top the cream cheese with lettuce leaves.
3. Arrange the turkey slices in even layers on top of the lettuce.
4. Sprinkle the carrots and tomato over the turkey slices.
5. Roll the tortillas into wraps.
6. Cut the wraps diagonally into bite-sized pieces.
7. Secure with toothpicks.
Lunch Box Pita Pockets
Ingredients:
1/2 cup deli ham, chopped
1/2 cup shredded lettuce
1/4 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup Ranch dressing
1 pita bread round, cut in half
Directions:
1. Place ham, lettuce, and carrot in a resealable plastic bag.
2. Pour ranch dressing into a small resealable container.
3. Wrap the pita bread in plastic wrap.
4. Pack the ham mixture, ranch dressing, and pita bread along with a spoon in a lunch box or bag until lunch time.
5. Assemble pita pocket by spooning the ham mixture into each pita half and drizzling the Ranch dressing on top.
Easy Granola Bars
Ingredients:
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9-inch square baking dish.
2. Spread the oats and coconut evenly across a baking sheet.
3. Toast oats and coconut in preheated oven until browned, about 10 minutes; transfer to a large mixing bowl.
4. Mix honey, peanut butter, vanilla extract, and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook and stir until smooth.
5. Pour the honey mixture over the oats and coconut; stir to coat. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.
6. Bake in preheated oven until beginning to dry, about 15 minutes for crunchy granola bars, less if you like them chewy. Cool completely before cutting.
August means lots of things – there is so much that happens in August. In many communities one thing that comes around every August is the fair. State fair or county fair, there is always something fun to see, do and eat. There are so many things that we eat at the fair that we might not eat year round. But there are also lots of favorites at the fair that people would eat year round if they just knew how to make it. Either way – fair food is usually good food. (Even if it isn’t always good for you!)
When you think about fair food you could eat at home what comes to mind? How about corn dogs, kettle corn or funnel cakes? These are three popular fair food favorites at almost every fair. There is no need to wait a whole year before enjoying these yummy treats again. These yummy fair food favorites are actually easy to make at home. Here are three yummy recipes so you can enjoy these yummy fair food treats at home. If you try one, let us know. We love to hear from you.
Corn Dogs
Ingredients:
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 quart vegetable oil for frying
2 (16 ounce) packages
16 wooden skewers Add all ingredients to list
Directions:
Funnel Cakes
Ingredients:
1 egg 2/3 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 1/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 quart vegetable oil for frying
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Directions:
Kettle Corn
Ingredients:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup unpopped popcorn kernels
Directions:
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For the last couple of days we have talked about how football season started in my house and how that means little league times three for me. That’s because I have three boys playing little league football this year and a daughter who swims on a swim team. That means every weekday night we are at four different practices at four different places but the times all overlap. I decided that I need to find a good answer to making dinner even though I won’t be home. Otherwise we will end up eating lots of fast food, sandwiches, cereal and hot dogs! Yuck! The need for good healthy but quick dinners made me think I need to start using my crock pot, or slow cooker, again. I’ve gathered a couple of family favorite crock pot recipes that make crock pot cooking easy and yummy.
Sometimes the most simple crock pot recipes are the ones that end up being family favorites. That’s what these recipes are – simple family favorite crock pot recipes. My whole family loves them all. Do you have some simple family favorite crock pot recipes? If you do, share them with us! We’ll feature a few in an upcoming blog.
Crock Pot Taco Soup
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (1 ounce) package ranch dressing mix
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
1 (15.5 ounce) can corn, undrained
1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, undrained
1 (15 ounce) can sliced black olives
1 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 cup tomato juice
Directions:
Crock Pot Pulled Pork
Ingredients:
1 (2 pound) pork tenderloin
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle root beer
1 (18 ounce) bottle your favorite barbecue sauce
8 hamburger buns, split and lightly toasted
Directions:
Crock Pot White Chili
Ingredients:
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken breast
1 (15.5 ounce) can white beans, drained
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 (15.25 ounce) can white corn, drained
1 (7 ounce) can green salsa
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies
1 large tomato, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon lime juice
Directions:
Football season started in my house today. That’s little league times three for me! I have three boys playing little league football this year and a daughter who swims on a swim team. That means every weekday night we are at four different practices at four different places but the times all overlap. I decided that I need to find a good answer to making dinner even though I won’t be home. Otherwise we will end up eating lots of fast food, sandwiches, cereal and hot dogs! Yuck! The need for good healthy but quick dinners made me think I need to start using my crock pot, or slow cooker, again.
Even when it isn’t football season I hate feeling frantic and last minute about making dinner. With all of the activities we run to, some days dinner prep is left to the last minute. We are caught way past dinner time standing in front of the refrigerator and wondering what to make for dinner. I have decided enough is enough and I better get the crock pot off the shelf, dust it off and start thinking about recipes I can make. I have decided to start with chicken recipes. Chicken crock pot recipes always seem easy to find plus they usually seem to be easy to make and very tasty.
Another reason I started with chicken crock pot recipes, is the fact that I always have chicken in the freezer. I love getting chicken in bulk from Zaycon Foods and freezing it in portions that work in my recipes. (If you haven’t tried the chicken from Zaycon Foods, get ready. They are have chicken ordering open now. It is a great way to get chicken breasts that are healthy and tasty. There is even a coupon code ending today – see that blog HERE.)
I went back through a lot of my old recipes and found some favorites. These are a few that are super easy recipes with ingredients that are not hard or expensive to find. My kids love these recipes and ask to have it again which is always a big stamp of approval. Slow cooker recipes need to be fast and easy to prep, in my opinion. This week I’ll be featuring many of my favorite crock pot recipes in an attempt to motivate myself and maybe help some of you too. Do you want to see one of your favorite crock pot recipes featured on PYP? Share your favorite with us and we will feature a few on the blog. We’ll also talk about crock pot tips and tricks. If you have any, share them with us too. We’ll include them this week also.
Now go find your crock pot, dust if off and get ready to make some good healthy but quick dinners with us!
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Yesterday we talked about how much I love the 4th of July! I talked about how Independence Day is one of my family’s favorite holidays – we love the fireworks, the food, the parades, the camping, the picnics. There are so many fun things to do. We always pack as much fun as we can into the holiday. We always seem to be going to at least one picnic or party and we always bring something yummy to eat. Sometimes it seems that the same old recipes for side dishes are boring and over used. This sent me on the search for new recipes for 4th of July picnic food.
Sometimes I get so tired of taking the same old sides when we need to take 4th of July picnic food. Everybody has had them and everybody brings them. I set out to find two new recipes for 4th of July picnic food – a new recipe to make and a new recipe for an old favorite. I found a recipe for a BLT Pasta Salad. It sounds great! I also found a new recipe to make Boston Baked Beans. Yummy! We are making these two dishes and hopefully we’ll find yummy new 4th of July picnic food. Let us know if you try them too! We love hearing from you!
BLT Pasta Salad
Makes 10 servings
Ingredients:
1 16 ounce package medium seashell pasta
1 pound sliced bacon
1 1/2 cups light Ranch-style salad dressing
1 small onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain, and rinse under cold water to cool.
2. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat until browned and crisp. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.
3. In a large bowl, stir together the Ranch dressing, onion, and tomatoes. Mix in the cooled pasta. The pasta will absorb some of the dressing, so don’t worry if it seems like too much.
4. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Crumble bacon over the top just before serving.
Boston Baked Beans
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients:
2 cups navy beans
1/2 pound bacon
1 onion, finely diced
3 tablespoons molasses
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
Directions:
1. Soak beans overnight in cold water. Simmer the beans in the same water until tender, approximately 1 to 2 hours. Drain and reserve the liquid.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
3. Arrange the beans in a 2 quart bean pot or casserole dish by placing a portion of the beans in the bottom of dish, and layering them with bacon and onion.
4. In a saucepan, combine molasses, salt, pepper, dry mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil and pour over beans. Pour in just enough of the reserved bean water to cover the beans. Cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil.
5. Bake for 3 to 4 hours in the preheated oven, until beans are tender. Remove the lid about halfway through cooking, and add more liquid if necessary to prevent the beans from getting too dry.