Desperate Mom Trail Mix

Hello Everyone!  Okay, the title of this post needs a little explaining.  It should probably be called desperate babysitter trail mix, but I figured that moms are occasionally in desperate need of a snack and usually throw things in a bag, calling it trail mix.  That's what I did anyway.  The kids I was babysitting loved it!

Desperate Mom Trail Mix

1 cup honey combs cereal

1 cup popcorn

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup craisins

1/2 cup almonds

Directions

Put all in a large ziploc bag and toss.  Enjoy!

Sheesh, that was easy!  I hope this trail mix helps you out sometime!

Pumpkin Pie Shake

Hello, everyone! The weather has cooled down drastically lately, and it really feels like fall now. Naturally, I have already been drinking my pumpkin spice coffee, lighting candles, and waiting (rather impatiently) for the leaves to turn. If you couldn't tell, fall is by far my favorite season. :) 

Today I have a pumpkin recipe! *surprise, surprise!* This shake is delicious. It tastes almost just like pumpkin pie filling. I couldn't help but share it with you all. I had a very difficult time taking a good picture of it, however. Perhaps I need to look into some food photography tips. Anyhow, here is the recipe! I highly suggest trying it, because it is quite yummy. 

1 cup milk (for dairy free, use almond milk)

1/4 cup canned pumpkin

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender, and blend it until it is smooth and well combined. 

Pour it into glasses and enjoy! 

This shake was so good! I hope you try it out and like it as well! Have a great week!! 
                                              ~Nutmeg

                                          

Almond Crepes

Hello Everyone!  When I was younger, my favorite breakfast was crepes.  Come to think of it, it probably is still!  My mom doesn't make them a whole lot though, because they are SO time consuming.  Even the small batch that you get from this recipe takes about an hour and a half to make and finish! Personally, I think they are worth the effort if you have the time.  I love that you can put anything in them when they are finished!  My favorite combination is cherry jelly, with mini chocolate chips and whip cream. 

Almond Crepes

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

4 T. sugar

4 eggs

1 1/3 cups almond milk

2/3 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla

splash almond extract

Directions

Combine all dry ingredients.

Combine all wet ingredients.

Whisk together wet and dry ingredients until minimal lumps are found.

Heat a large skillet and add a small amount of butter.  Pour in a half cupful of batter (or less, these could probably get pretty thin) and tip the pan to coat the bottom.  Flip when top of crepe appears to be almost dry.  Enjoy!

Yum....I love these!  I hope you all enjoy them as well!  If you make them, leave a comment to tell us what you filled  them with!

Birthday Cake Puppy Chow

Hello, everyone! I hope you are all enjoying our blog! 

I am sure at some time or another you have had puppy chow. You know, that extremely popular peanut butter and chocolate covered Chex covered in powdered sugar? Well, today I have a variation of that. I have been wanting cake like crazy lately, and since I haven't had time to make it, I came up with this substitute. It has the flavor of cake, with half the effort, half the time, and no complicated ingredients. Plus, it has sprinkles, and that makes everything better. This was very easy to make, and it is a really good last-minute junk food snack! Enjoy! 

Birthday Cake Puppy Chow

5 cups corn Chex cereal

10 oz. vanilla flavored almond bark coating

1 tsp. vegetable shortening

1 1/2 cups yellow cake mix

1/2 cup powdered sugar

sprinkles (as many or as few as you want)

In a medium bowl, measure out the Chex cereal. Set it aside. 

In a large bowl with a lid, combine the yellow cake mix and the powdered sugar. Set this aside also while you melt the almond bark. 

Cut the almond bark into smaller pieces. (If you get it at Walmart, it is in huge block.) In a double boiler over medium heat, melt the almond bark with the shortening. Be very careful! White chocolate is extremely easy to burn, and it will seize if you aren't careful. Stir it constantly, and remove it from the heat while it still has a few small chunks in it. Keep stirring it until it is smooth. 

Carefully pour the almond bark over the Chex, then stir it gently to evenly coat it. Make sure you are careful not to break the cereal. Stir in the sprinkles, and make sure all of the cereal is coated well. 

Now add the Chex to the powdered sugar and cake mix. Put the lid on the container and toss the cereal to make sure it gets evenly coated. There should be no more wet cereal or stickiness! Once you have finished, let it cool, then you are free to eat it! 

This was SO delicious! Everyone in my family loved it. If you make it, we'd love to know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tell us your thoughts! 

                            ~Nutmeg

Raspberry Cheesecake Popcorn

Hello Everyone!  I was babysitting recently, and brought this as a snack.  The kids went absolutely bonkers.  It was quite funny actually.  I personally thought the popcorn was too rich to eat as much as they did, but kids don't really care!  The only problem is you have to eat all in one day, or it get really stale.  Although, I'm not sure if you all think that is a problem!

Raspberry Cheesecake Popcorn

4 cups popped corn

8 oz. vanilla Candi Quik, or almond bark

1 pkg. raspberry Jello mix

1 pkg. cheesecake pudding mix

Directions

Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Combine jello and pudding mix.

Melt chocolate.

Mix together three tablespoons jello pudding mixture and chocolate then drizzle over popcorn.  Toss, and refrigerate for five minutes.  Enjoy! 

The popcorn was extremely enjoyable.  I think that it was one of the fastest, simplest recipe I have ever done!

Tomato and Lime Macaroni Salad

Hello, everyone! I hope you are all doing well! Today I have a simple, yet very delicious recipe. I was experimenting with macaroni salad one day when I came up with this. This is a perfect side dish for a potluck or just to eat at home! The lime adds the perfect taste. I was really happy with the way it turned out, and I'm really excited to share it with you today! Some people like more or less seasonings in theirs, and, to be hones, I didn't measure mine. I would say add them in to taste. 

Enjoy! 

                                   Tomato and Lime Macaroni Salad

     

                               Elbow macaroni noodles, cooked

                               1/2 medium onion, chopped

                               1 can diced tomatoes, drained slightly

                               Italian dressing, to taste

                               Italian seasoning, to taste

                               salt, to taste

                               lime juice, to taste (I personally like a lot in mine!)

                                              

Mix all of the ingredients together in order. Mix it well, making sure everything is well seasoned. Serve warm or cold and enjoy! I think chicken would make a great addition to this as well! 
We would love to hear how you like our recipes! Leave a comment below if you try it and let us know how it turned out!  

Carrot Cake

Hello everyone!  We all know how hard it is to get kids to eat vegetables.  I have found another recipe that disguises vegetables, and kids love it.  Well, my little brother does anyway.  So does my dad.  Actually, carrot cake is his favorite cake.  This one is not a spice filled as some other recipes, however, the spices can definitely be tasted.  My mom thought it could be more carroty, but she loves her veggies.

Carrot Cake

1 lb. shredded carrots

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon cloves

a dash ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

6 large eggs, room temp

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese

5 T. unsalted butter, softened

1 T. sour cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350*.

Grease pan.

Grate carrots.

Combine dry ingredients.

Whisk together eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugars.  Add dry ingredients.  Stir in carrots. 

Bake cake for 35 to 40 minutes, rotating halfway through, or until done.  Cool.

Combine cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth.  Add powdered sugar and process until smooth.  Refrigerate until needed.

Once cake has completely cooled, frost.  Enjoy!

My family heartily enjoyed this cake!  My little brother kept on coming back for more!  I think my favorite part of the cake was the cream cheese frosting, but that is only because spice cake is not my favorite.  My hope is that you and your families will enjoy this veggie filled cake, and will continue to come back for more recipes!