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  • Grandma’s Danish Sugar Cookies

    Grandma’s Danish Sugar Cookies

    I received a copy of A Cookie to Celebrate by Jana Douglass for review. All opinions are my own. Grandma’s Danish Sugar Cookies is a family recipe passed down the generations.

    Grandma's Danish Sugar Cookies is a family recipe passed from one generation to the next, and loved by friends too!

    Family recipes. We cherish those meals passed down from generation to generation. The secret sauce, special ingredient, and particular ways to handle the food were written with love for a family that has continued to grow.

    Unfortunately, I don’t have very many of these recipes. My grandmothers were both fantastic cooks, but recipes were not written down and shared too often.

    Danish Sugar Cookies passed on from my great grandmother.

    So a little over a year ago, my childhood BFF reached out and asked for my mom’s sugar cookies recipe. She claimed them to be the best she’s ever had, and wanted to make them with her children for the holidays. Not remembering the days of cookie baking myself, I didn’t have the recipe.

    A quick call (just kidding, calls with my mom are never quick) and I had the recipe written down along with it’s history. The sugar cookie recipe my mom always used came from her grandmother, my great grandmother and was for Danish Sugar Cookies. I had no idea, but it’s only made these cookies even sweeter.

    Family recipes are such a treasure. These Danish Sugar Cookies were handed down from one generation to the next.

    My friend received the recipe, made them with her kids, and let me know they were just like she remembered. I was glad I could help bring those good memories back into her family.

    It took me a year, but I finally decided it was high time I make these cookies. Even if sugar cookies aren’t my favorite, I would still have fun making and then decorating them.

    Learn to decorate these danish sugar cookies with Jana Douglass.

    Thanks to A Cookie To Celebrate by Jana Douglass, I felt confident in my ability to decorate these cookies. They deserved to look as special as their history, and it helped me learn a new skill!

    If you’ve wanted to learn cookie decorating, but feel overwhelmed with online tips and How-to’s I would highly suggest Jana’s book. It’s straight forward, funny, and feels like your best friend is walking you through each step.

    Print Recipe
     Grandma’s Danish Sugar Cookies Yum
    Grandma's Danish Sugar Cookies is a family recipe passed down from generation to generation.
    Servings
    Ingredients
    Servings
    Ingredients
    Grandma's Danish Sugar Cookies is a family recipe passed down from generation to generation.
    Instructions
    1. In a small bowl combine butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
    2. In a separate bowl combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
    3. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together. The dough gets stiff, so you’ll have to use your hands to fully mix it.
    4. Divide the dough in two. Wrap each section in saran wrap and chill for at least 1 hour, but up to 1 week.
    5. Preheat the oven to 330°. Grease cookie sheets.
    6. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to 1/8-1/4 inch thick. Cut with cookies cutters.
    7. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
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    Print Recipe
     Grandma’s Danish Sugar Cookies Yum
    Grandma's Danish Sugar Cookies is a family recipe passed down from generation to generation.
    Servings
    Ingredients
    Servings
    Ingredients
    Grandma's Danish Sugar Cookies is a family recipe passed down from generation to generation.
    Instructions
    1. In a small bowl combine butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
    2. In a separate bowl combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
    3. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together. The dough gets stiff, so you’ll have to use your hands to fully mix it.
    4. Divide the dough in two. Wrap each section in saran wrap and chill for at least 1 hour, but up to 1 week.
    5. Preheat the oven to 330°. Grease cookie sheets.
    6. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to 1/8-1/4 inch thick. Cut with cookies cutters.
    7. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
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  • Fresh Pumpkin Bread Recipe

    Fresh Pumpkin Bread Recipe

    Fresh pumpkin gives this pumpkin bread recipe all the amazing flavor a quick bread should have.

    This recipe for Fresh Pumpkin Bread is everything your pumpkin loving self has wanted.

    I’m not a big pumpkin lover like many are these days. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin drinks  – I can easily pass them all up. 

    What I can’t pass up is the opportunity to keep food from going to waste. As it was, we happened to have 1 large pumpkin leftover from Halloween that never got carved. I couldn’t just throw it out! So I pureed it up, and stuck it in the fridge. 

    Pumpkin Bread Recipe

    I got to thinking, what in the world could I use this pumpkin for now? When of course, it dawned on me – quick bread! If you’ve been around, you know I love these quick sweet breads. From my Mom’s Banana Bread to my Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread and Zucchini Bread Balls, I  just can’t get enough of them.

    The pumpkin bread did not disappoint. The kids gobbled up both loaves for after school snack, though they did leave some for Mark and I to enjoy as well. 

    I’ll be straight up honest, it definitely tastes like pumpkin. But in bread form, I really didn’t mind it. Who knows, maybe by next year I’ll be eating all things pumpkin with the rest of you – though probably not likely.

    Pumpkin Bread Recipe

    I hope you enjoy this recipe for Pumpkin Bread as much as we have. 

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     Pumpkin Bread Yum
    Delicious quick bread featuring fresh pumpkin
    Cook Time 50 minutes
    Servings
    loaves
    Ingredients
    Cook Time 50 minutes
    Servings
    loaves
    Ingredients
    Instructions
    1. Preheat oven to 325 F.
    2. Beat the eggs, 1 cup pumpkin, vanilla, and sugar.
    3. Sift flour before measuring. Then add salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.
    4. Mix the dry and wet ingredients.
    5. Add the rest of the pumpkin and mix well.
    6. Grease two loaf pans. Evenly divide the mixture between the two pans.
    7. Bake for 60 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
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  • Peanut Butter Munchies Cookie Recipe

    Peanut Butter Munchies Cookie Recipe

    Chocolate peanut butter cookies filled with peanut butter create Peanut Butter Munchies.

    Chocolate cookie with a Peanut Butter filling - it's a Peanut Butter Munchie
     

    A Peanut Allergy

    Guess what!! A couple weeks ago I took Lincoln in to the allergist to do an oral challenge with Peanut Butter. He had been diagnosed a year ago as having a peanut allergy, along with a few other food allergies. 
     
    As far as we knew though, he had never reacted to peanuts, but just had a strong aversion to them. So when his most recent tests came back inconclusive, the only way to know for sure was to feed him peanuts. 

     
    This is of course done in a controlled environment, at the allergists office, so that were he to have a reaction, immediate care could be given. Lucky for us, we walked out about 3.5 hours later knowing he can eat peanuts just fine – even if he doesn’t actually like them.
     
    The kicker to this new diagnosis (or is it an undiagnosis?) is that he should now eat peanuts a few times a week to keep the peanut allergy from coming back. Unfortunately, he still really does not like peanuts. 
    Peanut Butter Munchies
     

    Trying out Peanut Butter

    I came across this recipe for Peanut Butter Munchies in the blog archives, and thought just maybe I could tempt him with a chocolate cookie that happens to have peanut butter in it. The trick almost worked. He took a bite or two, then looked at me and asked what else was in it. I asked him if he liked it. He said he sort of liked it. So I encouraged him to eat the whole thing before telling him what was inside. 
     
    However, I have 4 other kids, and most can’t hold their tongues. When he again asked me what was inside, his sister chimed in “It’s peanut butter! Isn’t it great!” That was the end of that cookie. He refused to eat the rest of it, claiming he never actually liked it. Awe well, a bite or two is still something, and will hopefully keep any peanut allergy from returning. 
    peanut butter munchies
    In the process, you all get to benefit from prettier pictures of the cookies and a more accessible recipe card! I hope you enjoy these as much as the rest of my family did. The original recipe source is unknown as I had this written down in an old recipe collection. Although, it was copied wrong, so this is my personal take on the original.

    Peanut Butter Munchies

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     Peanut Butter Munchies Yum
    Delicious chocolate peanut butter cookie with a peanut butter filling
    Peanut Butter Munchies
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 10 minutes
    Servings
    cookies
    Ingredients
    Cookie Dough
    Filling
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 10 minutes
    Servings
    cookies
    Ingredients
    Cookie Dough
    Filling
    Peanut Butter Munchies
    Instructions
    1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
    2. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, and baking soda. Set aside.
    3. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup Peanut Butter.
    4. Add egg, milk, and vanilla. Beat well.
    5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and mix well.
    6. Form dough into balls approximately 1 1/4″ in diameter. Place on a cookie sheet, and set aside.
    7. Combine powdered sugar and 1/2 cup peanut butter. Shape into approximately 3/4″ balls.
    8. Flatten the chocolate balls, place peanut butter ball inside, and fold chocolate ball around it.
    9. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten the cookies, and sprinkle with some vanilla sugar for an extra dash of yum.
    10. Bake for 8 minutes. Allow to cool for 1 minute, and then remove from pan to a cooling rack. Enjoy!
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  • Disney’s BRAVE – Scotch Eggs Recipe

    Disney’s BRAVE – Scotch Eggs Recipe

    Make it a movie night with Brave and these Scotch Eggs! 
    Make it a family movie night. Watch Brave and enjoy Scotch Eggs.
    We love the movie Brave. It was one we were truly excited for from the first preview we saw over 6 years ago. When Brave came out we were in the middle of the Princess craze with our little girls.  They loved Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, and the Little Mermaid. It was also during a time where there seemed to be a lot of backlash on Princesses in general.
     


    Why did Princesses always need a Prince? Couldn’t they take care of themselves? They’re always so helpless – well except Belle. I think people often overlooked her in their generalizations of the helpless Princesses. Actually, I could give a good argument on why every single one of the Disney Princesses was not helpless, and actually quite brave in their own individual stories. 
     
    That should probably be its own post. Instead, let’s talk about Brave and the strong-willed red-headed Scottish Princess. Merida. She is a spitfire! And one of my favorite princesses to watch. I’m raising my own little spitfire, and while she and I have way too many head-butting moments like Merida and her mother – I am actually grateful for that determination. 
    Make it a movie night with BRAVE and this recipe for Scotch Eggs.
     
    When I first watched Brave, I thought it was how Merida was brave enough to stand up for herself against family. She was brave to be herself, and live her own life. The more I watch it, the more I love the ending. Merida was brave for doing those things, but she became braver when she admited she was wrong, took ownership of her choices, and apologized to those she hurt. Saying sorry and meaning it, is the bravest thing any of us can do, and too few of us choose to do. 
     
    I’ve made it a personal goal to always apologize to my children when I’m wrong, or when I let my inner bear come out. I want them to know that I’m human, and that apologizing is a good thing. The first few times were not easy, but it’s become a natural habit, and has allowed a lot of trust between us all. 
     
    Check out these other family movie night recipes:
     
    For a fun family movie night, I would highly suggest making these Scotch Eggs! They were a lot of fun to make, and they tasted fantastic! Granted my kids hate eggs…but they all gave the scotch eggs a try, and some really liked them. Some just enjoyed the sausage casing, but that’s ok too. They showed me they were brave enough to give something new a try. 
    Make it a family movie night with this recipe for Scotch Eggs and the movie Brave.
    I knew the kids would be hesitant to try the eggs, and I wasn’t sure just how filling they would be so I paired it with a side of sauteed root veggies. A couple of chopped potatoes and some rainbow carrots from our backyard garden were just screaming to me for a hearty Scottish side. Toss them in a little oil, add some garlic and salt and cook up until fork tender. You’ll love it with the Scotch Eggs!
    Scotch Eggs
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    Ingredients
    1. 8 large eggs, hard boiled, chilled, and shelled
    2. 16oz pork sausage
    3. 2 raw egg
    4. 1/2 cup milk
    5. 1 cup flour
    6. 2 cups panko bread crumbs
    7. dash of thyme, basil, and chives
    8. oil for frying
    9. salt and pepper
    Set up a breading station using separate bowls
    1. 1. Flour, salt, and pepper
    2. 2.Egg Wash – raw eggs and milk, whisked to mix well.
    3. 3. Panko Bread crumbs and herbs
    4. Portion the sausage into 8 balls. Flatten each ball into a thin round disc.
    5. Encase each boiled egg evenly in the sausage, making sure it closes well all around.
    6. Coat with flour, egg wash, then panko bread crumbs.
    7. Preheat oil to 350F.
    8. Cook meat encased eggs for 5 minutes until golden brown.
    9. Drain on a paper towel, and season with salt.
    10. Serve warm.
    Home Maid Simple https://www.homemaidsimple.com/


  • Zucchini Bread Balls Recipe

    Zucchini Bread Balls Recipe

    Zucchini Bread Balls are as simple as whipping up your favorite recipe and using a special pan. 

    Zucchini Bread Balls recipe is bite sized portions of your favorite sweet bread.

    I often struggle with the creative side of my brain. I’m a very analytical thinker, and therefore out of the box ideas, and “playing pretend” has been quite the struggle for me. 

    This became apparent to my family when I was just 2 years old and refused to stir the fake cookie batter in our rendition of Little Red Riding Hood until there were actual ingredients in the bowl. Grandma couldn’t have cookies made from thin air. 

    I’m not saying I can’t be creative. I can, it’s just not as natural for me as it is for others. I like to follow recipes, only changing a few things here and there as I go along. I prefer instructions to build crafts, and my poor kiddos have no idea what I’m building when I play LEGO’s with them – truth be told, neither do I.

    So this past month, when our oven’s pilot light went out, I could have let the non-creative side cry and give in to stove top pasta every day for a month, or I could allow that glimmer of creation eek out a bit. 

    As it turns out, necessity breeds creativity.  Share on X

    Zucchini Bread Balls recipe is bite sized portions of your favorite sweet bread.

    Now I know, there are other dishes besides pasta I can cook on the stove top. Really we weren’t hurting for actual meals. The real let down came to our sweet tooth. The kids are home for the summer, and they want cookies! Our garden is growing, and I wanted Zucchini Bread! I have not found a solution to the cookie dilemma yet, but these stove-top Zucchini Bread Balls are the bomb! 

    I don’t know that I’ll ever make a loaf again since these don’t require slicing, and losing precious crumbs all over the counter. Plus they’re bite-size. Everything is better bite-size, right?

    The key to my creative genius this month was an Aebelskiver pan. Mark bought me one early in our marriage so I could make poffertjes – a Christmas morning staple from my childhood. 


    If the pan can make pancake balls, couldn’t it make other sweet bread balls? I had to try, and cross my fingers that it would be successful. It was, though I learned some valuable lessons in the process.

    Zucchini Bread Balls recipe is bite sized portions of your favorite sweet bread.

    When making Zucchini Bread Balls, heat your pan over high heat, but just before adding the batter, turn it down to low. The cast iron pan will retain the heat for a nice even ‘bake’. Left on high, and you’ll burn the outside of the balls, and have a very doughy center. On the same token, if you don’t heat the pan hot enough you’ll be waiting a long time for those balls to cook. 

    Zucchini Bread Balls
    Yields 28
    Zucchini Bread balls made on the stove-top makes adorably delicious bite sized treats.
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    Prep Time
    5 min
    Cook Time
    10 min
    Total Time
    15 min
    Prep Time
    5 min
    Cook Time
    10 min
    Total Time
    15 min
    Ingredients
    1. 1 1/2 cups flour
    2. 1 tsp Roasted Saigon Cinnamon
    3. 1/2 tsp baking soda
    4. 1/4 tsp salt
    5. 1/4 tsp baking powder
    6. 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
    7. 1 cup sugar
    8. 2 cups shredded Zucchini
    9. 1/4 cup vegetable oil
    10. 1 egg
    11. 1/4 tsp California lemon peel
    Instructions
    1. Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg. Set aside.
    2. Combine zucchini, sugar, oil, egg, and lemon peel.
    3. Add flour mixture to zucchini mixture, and stir just until combined.
    4. Heat Aebelskiver pan on high for 1 minute. Turn heat to low.
    5. Fill each hole half full with batter.
    6. When the bottom is browned, use a toothpick to turn the batter, and cook the other side.
    7. Remove from pan, and enjoy warm with butter.
    Home Maid Simple https://www.homemaidsimple.com/
     


  • Braised Pork Chops with Garlic Butter and Basil

    Braised Pork Chops with Garlic Butter and Basil

    These braised pork chops will be the last way you cook your pork chops ever again!

    Braised pork chops with garlic butter and basil You may also like this recipe for Cinnamon and Sugar Sweet Potatoes

    A couple weeks ago I picked up the last pork chops I’d ever get from Zaycon Fresh. If you were one of their customers you probably have had some strong emotions over the past 2 weeks as they suddenly closed their doors and left us all hanging. Thankfully I had received my 25lbs of Pork Chops before the crazy closing. Unfortunately, I did not receive my 40lbs of chicken. <Sad Face>

    I digress a bit there. I ordered the pork because it’s Mark’s favorite type of meat, and one we don’t always grab due to tight budgets. That first night after filling our freezer, I walked out of the kids’ bedroom to the most delicious aroma filling our house. 

    Braised pork chops in garlic butter and basil Mark was in the kitchen cooking us up a late night adult dinner of braised pork chops. That first bite – oh my word! I was ruined for any other meat flavor. 25lbs of pork chops were going to be cooked just like this because there was a celebration going on on my taste buds. 

    You know in the movie Ratatouille when Remi is trying to refine his brothers taste buds? If you haven’t seen it, well just watch this. Then get ready for a pork chop that will bring all that action to your mouth. 

     A few days later I just had to have more of that pork! So I called up Mark at work and asked him to send me the directions so I could get it on the table before he got home. 

    Now, this may not be traditional braising, or correct braising, but it’s pretty close, and the final result is a tender piece of pork chop that even kids can enjoy. I paired our braised pork chops with mashed sweet potatoes and a side salad for a balanced plate. 

    Braised Pork Chops with Garlic Butter and Basil
    Serves 4
    The only braised pork chops recipe you’ll ever need.
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    Cook Time
    40 min
    Cook Time
    40 min
    Ingredients
    1. 4 boneless Pork Chops
    2. 8 TBS Butter
    3. 3 TBS minced garlic
    4. 3 TBS fresh basil
    5. lime juice
    Instructions
    1. In a large frying pan, melt 2 TBS butter.
    2. Sear both sides of the pork chops over high heat. Remove pork from pan.
    3. Add the rest of the butter, garlic, and basil. Turn heat to low, and melt the rest of the butter.
    4. Return the pork to the pan. Cook over medium-low heat for approximately 30 minutes, periodically basting the pork with the butter and herbs. Turn the pork over halfway through cooking.
    5. With 5 minutes left of cooking, splash the pork with lime juice.
    Home Maid Simple https://www.homemaidsimple.com/
    We used the Dorot Gardens garlic and basil that you can find in the freezer section of your grocery store. I love how convenient these are, but they are by no means necessary for this recipe. 


  • Book Club: The Rent Collector by Camron Wright + Banana Slice Bar Recipe

    Book Club: The Rent Collector by Camron Wright + Banana Slice Bar Recipe

    If you haven’t had a chance to read The Rent Collector by Camron Wright yet, put it on your list!

    The Rent Collector by Camron Wright I thought it would be fun this year if I shared a book every month that I’m reading with my local book club. If you happen to be local and want a good book club to join, let me know! I’m a bit late getting started, but you all don’t mind overlapping some books each month right? 

    In January I hosted our club. We were discussing The Rent Collector by Camron Wright. This is a book I highly encourage everyone to read! It was my first taste of author Camron Wright, and I got hooked. Shortly after reading this one, I borrowed The Orphan Keeper because I needed more of this type of storytelling. 

    Storytelling. The finest kind is what you will find when reading The Rent Collector. Camron Wright based The Rent Collector off a documentary his son filmed called River of Victory. The book takes the real struggles and story of the family in this documentary and fictionalizes them just enough to fill in gaps and do what a good story does – grab at our emotions and pull us in. 

     The Rent Collector by Camron Wright

    Survival for Ki Lim and Sang Ly is a daily battle at Stung Meanchey, the largest municipal waste dump in all of Cambodia. They make their living scavenging recyclables from the trash. Life would be hard enough without the worry for their chronically ill child, Nisay, and the added expense of medicines that are not working.

    Just when things seem worst, Sang Ly learns a secret about the ill-tempered rent collector who comes demanding money – a secret that sets in motion a tide that will change the life of everyone it sweeps past. The Rent Collector is a story of hope, of one womans journey to save her son and another womans chance at redemption. It demonstrates that even in a dump in Cambodia – perhaps especially in a dump in Cambodia – everyone deserves a second chance. 

    The Rent Collector by Camron Wright and Banana Slice Bars. Since I was hosting Book Club, I had to have a snack to share. I recalled that I had a Cambodian Cookbook – not sure why I have one – and started browsing through that. This recipe for Banana Slice was the perfect sharable treat, and they served well with Coconut Ice Cream. 

    Along with the bars and ice cream, I whipped up a mango pineapple drink – diced mango and pineapple blended well. Add a bit of Stevia and lots of water. 

    We had a pretty nice evening discussing different aspects of the book. The characters, and what was real verse fiction. Since I had read the book on my phone – thank you Hoopla – I missed out on seeing photos of the family. Luckily one lady had brought her copy and I got to connect even more with this family through their photos. 

    Banana Slice
    Taste Cambodia while discussing The Rent Collector at your next book club.
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    Ingredients
    1. 3 bananas, mushed
    2. 2 eggs
    3. 3/4 cup rice flour*
    4. 3/4 cup brown sugar
    5. 1 cup coconut milk
    6. pinch of salt
    7. 2 egg yolks
    Instructions
    1. Preheat the oven to 350F
    2. Mix the rice flour with the bananas.
    3. Mix in the brown sugar
    4. Add coconut milk and whole eggs. Stir until well combined.
    5. Pour into a 9×13 baking pan.
    6. Bake for 10 minutes.
    7. Whip the egg yolks. Brush on top of the bars.
    8. Bake for another 10 minutes.
    9. Let cool.
    Notes
    1. *I used a gluten free flour from Pillsbury. It is partially made with rice flour.
    Adapted from Nyum Bai!
    Adapted from Nyum Bai!
    Home Maid Simple https://www.homemaidsimple.com/
    The above recipe came from the book Nyum Bai! If you would like to purchase a copy to enjoy more Cambodian foods, consider purchasing from the Green Gecko Project as they put all the proceeds back into helping kids get off the streets in Cambodia. 

    Now this is a book club, so I feel the need to ask a question. If you have read the book, I’d love to know your thoughts 

    Do you think Sopeap was looking for redemption? Or did it just fall in her lap?

    Next book discussion will be When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

  • Slow Cooker Kung Pao Lettuce Wraps with Turkey

    Slow Cooker Kung Pao Lettuce Wraps with Turkey

    This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Conagra Brands. All opinions are mine alone. #RecipesThatCrock #SeasonalSolutions #CollectiveBias

    Enjoy Asian cuisine at home without slaving over the stove. This recipe for Kung Pao Lettuce Wraps with Turkey is simmered in your slow cooker all day, blending the flavors to perfection.

    Slow Cooker Kung Pao Lettuce Wraps with Turkey are a delicious family recipe. ad One of the first things Mark and I enjoyed when we got married 12 years ago, was a Lettuce Wrap appetizer. I had never heard of food being wrapped in just lettuce before, but I was hooked!

    I’ve been slightly obsessed with lettuce wraps ever since. Well about a month ago, I decided I wanted some Lettuce Wraps again for our Sunday dinner. But I really didn’t want to be in the kitchen a lot either, so I decided to toss it in the slow cooker in the morning. By the time we got home in the evening, our house was smelling fantastic, and all I had to do was pull out the lettuce.

    Slow cooker Kung Pao Lettuce Wraps with Turkey recipe. ad Mark loved them! The kids loved them. It was a fantastic meal all around. Fast forward, and I wanted to make some lettuce wraps again this last week. I’ve been eyeing the P.F. Chang’s® Home Menu Sauces for quite some time, and finally decided they needed to make an appearance in our dinner. I headed out to Meijer where I knew I could find all my ingredients. Since we’re cooking easy, I also picked up a can of RO*TEL® Tomatoes with Green Chilies. When I’m simmering in the slow cooker, I find a can of RO*TEL is easier to use and provides the same flavors as if I went through all the work of chopping and dicing fresh.

    Make recipes that crock with Meijer. ad

    You know we love Asian cuisines around here, and P.F. Chang’s knows how to create the perfect sauces. Do you know their secret? It’s cornstarch! No crazy chemicals, just good old-fashioned, found in every home cooks pantry – cornstarch. This helps the sauce stick right to your food, so you don’t lose any of the flavors. Reading the label – because I read labels like crazy these days – and I know every ingredient on their list. 

    Slow Cooker Kung Pao Lettuce Wraps with Turkey recipe. ad 8 Ingredients is all it takes for these Slow Cooker Kung Pao Lettuce Wraps. I like to use turkey as it is a bit healthier for you, and I kind of have a freezer full of it – another post for another day. All you have to do is toss everything in your slow cooker, set it to low, and then go enjoy your family for the day. Then come home in the evening, and sit down to a delicious Asian meal that you barely lifted a finger for.

    Kung Pao Lettuce Wraps
    Serves 6
    Enjoy Asian Cuisine at home without all the work!
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    Prep Time
    10 min
    Cook Time
    6 hr
    Prep Time
    10 min
    Cook Time
    6 hr
    Ingredients
    1. 2lbs Ground Turkey, cooked and drained
    2. P.F. Chang’s® Kung Pao Home Menu Sauce
    3. 12oz RO*TEL® Tomatoes & Green Chilies
    4. 12oz Baby Corn
    5. 1 cup sweet onion, chopped
    6. 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
    7. Salt and Pepper to taste
    8. 1tsp Lime Juice
    9. Lettuce
    Instructions
    1. Combine all ingredients, except the lettuce, in your slow cooker.
    2. Cook on low for 6 hours, or high for 3.
    3. Serve on Lettuce
    Home Maid Simple https://www.homemaidsimple.com/

    Looking for more slow cooker recipes? Grab more Recipes and Inspiration here. 

    Slow Cooker Kung Pao Lettuce Wraps with Turkey recipe is a meal your family will love. ad

     

  • Almond Butter Cookies Recipe

    Almond Butter Cookies Recipe

    Everyone loves Peanut Butter Cookies, especially when you add a little chocolate kiss to the top, but have you ever tried to mix it up with Almond Butter? These Almond Butter Cookies are a good alternative if you’re looking for a way to use up some Almond Butter. 

    Grab this recipe for Almond Butter Cookies.

    It was last fall and my friend messages me about this deal she found on Pinterest for free Almond Butter. I love free food, especially trying new foods that I wouldn’t otherwise buy. So I signed up to get the free Almond Butter, and it eventually showed up in a box much too large for the actual butter, but whatever, it’s another box for the kids to imagine with. 

    Go ahead and raise your hand if you signed up for this deal too!

    Our first decision was to replace the Peanut Butter in Venice’s sandwiches. She loves her plain PB sandwiches with globs of the butter unspread on white bread. That turned out quickly to be a no-go. Add some jelly? Nope. The kids still wouldn’t go near it. 

    So for the next 2 months, this Almond Butter sat in our pantry as we reached around it for our constant favorite, Peanut Butter. Then one day, I decided I had the energy to make Peanut Butter Cookies for an after school snack. I started mixing everything together, but when I went to grab for the PB, it was gone! All I had left was the dreaded Almond Butter.  

    Almond Butter Cookies - the only tasty way to eat Almond Butter.

    I couldn’t let my energy go to waste. So I popped open the jar and decided Almond Butter shouldn’t really change our favorite Peanut Butter Cookies too much.  I mixed them up, placed the pans in the oven, and then texted my friend – 

    Almond butter should be able to replace Peanut Butter in cookies right?

    She laughed, and then told me she didn’t think it would work. Turns out she was experiencing the same issue in her house. The Almond Butter we were both so excited to get for free, had sat in her pantry with constant avoidance. In her opinion, I had probably just ruined my cookies by adding the Almond Butter. Too late to go back, though, I tried to stay optimistic that the Almond Butter cookies would come out tasty. 

    Almond Butter Cookies are approved by 4 year olds.

    You guys!!! Don’t take it from me alone, ask the 4-year-old. These Almond Butter Cookies are good! Now, are they better than Peanut Butter cookies? No. They also don’t keep nearly as long, so only make in smallish batches, and eat them the same day. After a day they get pretty hard. I personally like my cookies soft. The girls came home from school and laid into these cookies without even asking what kind they were. After all, they still look like Peanut Butter cookies, just a bit darker. 

    [amd-yrecipe-recipe:1]

  • Baked Spinach and Artichoke Dip

    Baked Spinach and Artichoke Dip

    Get your party on this weekend with this recipe for Baked Spinach and Artichoke Dip. So good, you may want to double the recipe. 
     
    This dip is seriously so delicious! I made it for the first time 6 years ago as a review for Carapelli Olive Oil. After that one time, I never found occasion to make it again. I have no idea why! Maybe it was to avoid eating a whole pan by myself, a very real possibility here. With the Super Bowl here now and an invite to watch commercials with family, I decided it was high time to make it again. So of course, I made it not only once this week, but twice.
    Baked Spinach and Artichoke Dip  
    So creamy and cheesy, and full of flavorful artichokes and spinach. The first time I had a Spinach and Artichoke dip was at Olive Garden. Sadly they no longer have that appetizer. This baked Spinach and Artichoke dip will most likely make a frequent appearance around here now. 
    Baked Spinach and Artichoke Dip
    Yields 24
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    Prep Time
    15 min
    Cook Time
    25 min
    Total Time
    40 min
    Prep Time
    15 min
    Cook Time
    25 min
    Total Time
    40 min
    Ingredients
    1. 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
    2. 1/3 cup diced red onion
    3. 1/2 cup mayonnaise
    4. 1/2 cup sour cream
    5. 14oz can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
    6. 10oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to drain
    7. 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
    8. 2 cups Colby Jack Cheese
    9. 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
    10. 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
    11. Assorted crackers, vegetables, breadsticks or toasted pita bread wedges, for dipping
    Instructions
    1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
    2. In skillet, heat Olive Oil.
    3. Sauté onion in oil until softened, about 3 minutes.
    4. In a large bowl, combine sautéed onions, mayonnaise, sour cream, artichoke hearts, spinach, sun dried tomatoes, cheese, and garlic powder.
    5. Spread mixture in shallow baking dish.
    6. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until mixture is hot and bubbly and the edges are golden brown.
    7. Serve hot with assorted crackers, vegetables, breadsticks or toasted pita bread wedges.
    Adapted from Carapelli
    Adapted from Carapelli
    Home Maid Simple https://www.homemaidsimple.com/

     PIN this Baked Spinach and Artichoke Dip for later!

    Try this Baked Spinach and Artichoke Dip for your next big gathering!


    Don’t like Spinach? Try this Hot Artichoke Dip instead – only 4 ingredients!