With Thanksgiving around the corner (in the US) I thought I'd share a family favorite with you. This goes back farther than I can remember. My grandma used to make this every year right after Thanksgiving. I will be honest and tell you that I looked forward to her Turkey Noodle Soup even more than the actual Thanksgiving dinner! It's easy to do but does take a bit of time. It is perfect for a Saturday afternoon job and makes a great "get well" gift for neighbors. I always make enough to freeze and have throughout the year. Start by saving the bones and left over meat from the turkey. Place all the left overs into a large stock pot and fill with water to the top of the bones. Add 1-2 bay leaves, some salt and pepper to taste, 1 small diced onion, 1 large sliced carrot and two stalks of sliced celery. Allow all of this to boil for three hours. Once it has boiled for three hours pour the liquid through a strainer into another large pot (don't lose the liquid this is your soup!) and … [Read more...]
Homemade Healthy Fruit Snacks
If you've read this blog for a while you'd know I prefer the healthier side of things when it comes to my kids. I made their milk (lol), I made their baby food, we buy organic and I even make their fruit snacks. I will fully admit I do not make them ALL of the time but I do make them on occasion. They're really tasty and healthy.....oh, and super easy to make! You only need four ingredients! 2 ½ c. strawberries ½ c. lemon juice 2 TBS. honey ½ c. gelatin Simply add your fruit (in this case I used strawberries, but you can use pretty much any fruit), lemon juice and honey to a small pot and bring to a soft, rolling boil. Once the fruit has heated up properly it will become pretty soft. You should be able to easily mash the fruit with a fork. When it is fully softened pour your combination into a blender or food processor and puree it. Pour your puree back into your small pot and whisk in the Gelatin. Be sure to do this in small amounts so that you do not get lumps. Also make sure … [Read more...]
Baked Brie Bites–Pinned it, Did it!
I've been eyeing these baked brie bites on Pinterest for a while but haven't really had an excuse to make them until I hosted book club at my house. They were a hit with the book club ladies, hubby, AND my girls! I'll definitely be making these again for our fall gatherings! You'll have to go to the original website for the actual recipe but here's a few things I learned: 1) Phyllo tarts can be hard to find (at least in my store). I found a tiny area in the freezer section. 2) Next time, more brie, definitely more brie! 3) Next time, slightly less brown sugar. What do you think? Would your family like baked brie bites? … [Read more...]
Mix of the Month- Cornbread
To make your own Corn Bread Mix you will need the following: 4 Cups unbleached flour, sifted 4 Cups yellow corn meal, fine ground 2 Cups buttermilk powder 1 Cup sugar 1/2 Cup baking powder 1 Tablespoon baking soda 2 Teaspoons salt Mix all ingredients well and store in an air-tight container. To make corn bread you will need the following: 1 egg, beaten 1/2 Cup water 2 Tablespoons Vegetable oil 1 1/3 cups of your cornbread mix Mix well and place into a greased square pan and bake at 425 for 13 minutes or until golden brown. … [Read more...]
Apple Cupcakes- Pinned it, Did it
I've seen some pretty cute apple cupcakes floating around on Pinterest lately and my son has a fall birthday so I thought what would be better? Lucky me he even requested his birthday party be at the local apple orchard! Whoot woot! These were really easy to accomplish and I love the way they turned out! Here's what you do: Start off with some freshly made cupcakes. My kids are split even down the middle for taste so I have to make "just chocolate" ones and "just vanilla" ones. Let your cupcakes completely cool and prepare your frosting. I attempted to follow someone elses pin by adding a sliced doughnut on top to add the "apple" shape but in all honesty it was incredibly messy, didn't turn out that well, and they didn't stick...so being the perfectionist that I am I started over with just regular cupcakes and frosting!Once you have your adorable cupcake ready to frost (oh one more thing...to add to the over all appeal try and use red paper liners!) slab on a bunch of red frosting (I … [Read more...]
Mike Wazowski- Krispie Treats
With the release of Monsters University this past summer the buzz in our house is still swirling around with sounds of MU, Sulley and Mike Wazowski. I personally like Mike the best....his one eye thing makes me giggle. I am not taking credit for the idea of these treats as I saw them on the back of a Rice Krispie Cereal box this past summer but I wanted to be sure to try them out and share them with those of you who didn't get to see them, so this is sort of a Pinned it, Did it and Tasty Treat post wrapped into one. Make your Rice Krispie treats as directed on the bag of Mallows or the box. 1 bag of large Marshmallows 3 T butter 6 cups Rice Krispie Cereal Melt the butter and mallows together and add a few drops of lime green coloring. If you add it to the cereal instead it will not cover all of it and you will be left with a less than ideal look. Now the fun part, pick up a piece of softened butter in your hands and rub it all around like you are putting on hand lotion. … [Read more...]
