Strawberry Whole Wheat Muffins

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Strawberry-Muffins/Detail.aspx

Well, now that the holidays are coming to a close it's time to get back on track. It's not a 'New Year's' resolution to be healthy, it should be a way of life. I had some strawberries kickin' around in my fridge and thought it would be nice to have some muffins in the morning to go with our cup of coffee. You can make all kinds of substitutes in this recipe especially after reading all the reviews. I used whole wheat flour, Splenda, vanilla, cinnamon, and added some Fibre One cereal as a topping. The batter was really gooey and sticky so I'd suggest sticking straight to the recipe as follows (as I didn't..oops!) Nonetheless, they turned out pretty good for being a 'healthy' muffin. Looking forward to enjoying one with my coffee tomorrow morning. Hope you can add a little 'healthy' in the new year too!

P&J on Mini Pitas

Created a fun lunch for Leeland (almost 18 months old) today and it was so easy and quick to make! Peel half of a mini pita and then spread some peanut butter and jam inside. Be creative with these mini pitas and add all kinds of different fillings for your toddler (egg salad, chicken salad, tuna, etc.) Always trying to come up with quick, healthy meals for my little guy!

1 Year Blog-a-versary & Boxing Day!

Yes, this blog has now turned the BIG 1! It's been fun trying new things, challenging myself, and sharing new ideas. I often hear, "Where do you find the time?" I may be busy at times with my little boys but I have such a supportive husband that deserves all the credit for the magic that happens in the kitchen. He's awesome and I get to spoil him with great meals.

I have some good ideas for the coming year to blog about... so I guess you'll just have to stay tuned! I'm excited to try out some new dishes in my 'new dishes' that I got for Christmas!

As a Boxing Day treat I made a yummy brunch for us. We enjoyed hashbrown casserole, over-hard eggs, thick cut peppercorn bacon, and for dessert some gingerbread pancakes!

Hashbrown casserole

Gingerbread pankcakes

Molasses Sugar Cookies

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Molasses-Sugar-Cookies/Detail.aspx

A nice Christmastime cookie with lots of great flavor! Roll them in colored red and green sugar. Just add some red and green food coloring to white sugar.

Merry Christmas from my kitchen... to yours!

How HOT are YOU?

http://www.franksredhot.com/

We are big fans of hot sauce in my family. We really do put that '#*$^' on everything! Frank's Red Hot has a great website for recipes using their hot sauce. Check it out for something different!

Peanut Butter Balls

Peanut Butter Balls

Gotta thank my friend Shannon for posting on her blog (flavoredinlove.blogspot.com) a great and easy recipe for Peanut Butter Balls. I used crunchy peanut butter and omitted the walnuts and instead of chocolate wafers just melted some semi-sweet chocolate chips with a bit of margarine in the microwave. After I dipped them in the chocolate I just dusted some with sweetened coconut. After testing a few (which were amazingly tasty) they went straight to the freezer!
This is her recipe:

• 1 cup peanut butter (I used smooth)
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1 Tablespoon hard margerine
• 1 cup rice crispies
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (I used a magic bullet to make sure these were adequately chopped)
• 2/3 cup chocolate melting wafers (I actually ran out of chocolate, so I recommend having more on hand)

Beat your wet ingredients together, then stir in the rice crispies and walnuts.  Roll into 1-inch balls.  Place on wax paper or parchment paper lined sheets and chill until firm.

Melt chocolate, roll balls into chocolate, using a couple of forks to help with coating and  removing them again.  Let stand until set.

Spinach Fettucini

Is it just me or are there like a hundred different ways to spell 'fettucini' alfredo. Anyways, too keep up with my spinach kick I bought the green box of pasta to try out. Funny... but it didn't taste at all like spinach and my hubby ate it all up! Try it out for something different!

Salmon Stir-fry

So I made a goal to get back on the 'green' track of things as of today. I stocked up on all kinds of veggies and lean meats in our grocery order the day before and I do not like wasting so it will have to get eaten! Tonight we enjoyed some salmon done up in the frying pan and I stirfried some veggies on a bed of baby spinach. To the veggies I added PC brand Honey Hoisin stir-fry sauce which gave a nice sweet yet spicy taste. I also noticed at the grocery store that organic items are becoming less expensive so we've been enjoying picking up more since it is better... isn't it?

Corn Chowder with Sausage & Chocolate Coconut Mounds

I love a nice soup, chili, or chowder simmering on the stove. They're quick and easy to prepare and all ready when it's time to sit down and eat! Normally I use bacon in my corn chowder but today I picked up some apple sausages for something a little different. I used this http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Corn-Chowder/Detail.aspx recipe as a starter and from there did my own thing. I boiled the sausages for about 10 mins and then removed the 'skin' layer. I put it in the frying pan to brown up and cut them up into chunks while they cooked. I added the sausage to the chowder after the potatoes were done cooking and the simmering process began. This corn chowder was delicious and the added apple sausage gave it great flavor!

For dessert I whipped up some Chocolate Coconut Mounds (aka coconut macaroons). They were pretty easy and quick to do and it was also helpful that I was able to watch them being made on CBC's Best Recipes Ever cooking show (thank goodness for PVR!) You need to use a rimless baking sheet to make these but if you don't have one (like me) all you need to do is just turn over a regular baking sheet and you're good to go. These were a really yummy treat and can be frozen for up to a month! Perfect for when guests are stopping by over the holidays.

Eggnog Pancakes!

Nothing spells (and even smells) comfort like having breakfast for supper. I'm always trying to do something fun with my pancakes whether it's adding some spices, fruit, or in this case some eggnog! I used PC Organic Pancake mix (follow directions) and instead of  3/4 cup of milk I used eggnog and also added some cinnamon and nutmeg to the mix. My little guy loves pancakes, especially with the whip topping. They were nice and fluffy and super good! Try it out!

Pecan Pie Cheesecake

I'm really big on improvising and modifying recipes especially if I look in my cupboards and don't have all the specific ingredients. I get a lot of different recipes sent to me through different sites that I sign up for. This one I had to modify only because I did not want to send my poor husband on a hunt through a busy grocery store to find 'crystallized ginger' pieces which this recipe called for https://lifemadedelicious.ca/en/Recipes/P/Pecan_Pie_Ginger_Cheesecake.aspx. So instead of it being a 'Pecan Pie Ginger Cheesecake' it's simply a Pecan Pie Cheesecake! I also added some nutmeg to the cheesecake mixture and chopped up almonds along with the pecans for the topping. I am taking this pie to a family potluck tomorrow so we'll have to see when it's cut into how it turned out and tasted! What are you making for your family Christmas get togethers?

Visit Life Made Delicious for a $1.00 off  coupon on Pillsbury Pie Crust so you can try this recipe too!

Peanut Butter Fudge

Searching for an easy and delicious Peanut Butter Fudge with chocolate on top recipe? I had been checking around for a good one but had no luck. Then a friend of mine on Facebook sent me the one she likes to use so I had to try it out. It turned out awesome! I used crunchy peanut butter instead of smooth but it gives it a nice crunch and the chocolate on the top reminds me of a peanut butter ball! It also freezes great too and perfect to haul out if you are expecting company over the holiday! Enjoy and thank you Angela for sharing!

Peanut Butter Fudge

1 cup Margarine
1 cup Peanut Butter
Melt 2 minutes in Microwave on high

Stir in : 1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
3 & 1/2 cups Icing Sugar

Blend well with mixer if stirring is too hard for you !
Press in an 8 x 8 lightly greased pan or line with tin foil

Top layer :

1/2 cup Peanut Butter
1/2 cup milk Chocolate Chips

Melt 1.5 minutes
Spread evenly on top of 1 st mixture
chill in fridge 1 hour, cut and enjoy !

Lunchtime with Leeland

Tomato Soup w/ Grill Cheese

I really enjoy cooking up meals for my little guy and watching him eat them up. Today for lunch we shared a bowl of tomato soup and grill cheese sandwiches. It's also important as a mom to make sure we're getting fed too! Leeland is a great eater and I make sure he's getting healthy snacks in between mealtimes. It helps that he is also on a good routine so he's not just snacking all day and come meal time he gives us no fuss and all eats! I foresee very big grocery bills in the near future especially with another little boy growing up fast too!

Noodle Bake & Butterscotch Cookies

Sometimes it's nice to throw on a quick casserole for supper for when Adam gets home from work. It's something that can be prepared ahead of time and put in the fridge and then into the oven. I tried out the 'creamy beef and noodle bake' recipe from my Kraft Canada magazine http://www.kraftcanada.com/en/recipes/creamy-beef-noodle-bake-120589.aspx. It wasn't spectacular or anything special which wasn't surprising but it was filling and convenient.

Creamy Beef & Noodle Bake

I also made some cookies that I found in my Five Roses cookbook that looked super easy. Then I found a nice caramel icing to put on top of them with some sprinkles. They are a nice light, rolled out cookie with some added nutmeg.

Butterscotch Cookies with Caramel Icing

Rules for Making Coffee

I got this great 'Five Roses: A Guide to Good Cooking' cookbook from my father in law back a few Christmases ago and just hauled it out this morning to take a peek. There is so much good info in this cookbook as well as awesome recipes! I found a quick recipe for making Butterscotch Cookies which are made up and chilling in the fridge as we speak so I will need to blog about them once they're made. But what I do want to share has to do with coffee! We love coffee in our family. I enjoy flavored coffees and flavored creamers too. There are rules to making a good pot of coffee which are listed in the cookbook that I would like to share to make sure you are getting the perfect mug of coffee each time!

1. Always start with a perfectly clean coffee maker.
2. Use fresh cold water.
3. Use fresh coffee. Buy only one week's supply at a time and store in an airtight container.
4. Use the right type of grind for your coffee makers.
5. Measure coffee accurately, with coffee measure or standard measuring spoon. Suggested measurements for 1 cup of water are:
weak - 1 tablespoon
medium - 2 tablespoons
strong - 3 tablespoons
6. Depending on what type of coffee maker you have, these measurements may vary. Read manufacturer's instructions carefully.