Family Fun: 25 Days of Christmas - Days 11 & 12 {Christmas Lights and Cookie Night}

Tonight after bath time we got on our jammies and headed out to look at Christmas lights in the neighborhood. The kids were moody and grumpy and bickering in the car the entire time. Joy to the world haha. And neither of them wanted their picture taken.




The next night the girls helped me get ready for my Lawson Cookie Exchange. We baked sugar cookies with peppermint Hersheys kisses.



They grabbed some of the toilet paper our Elf had put on the Christmas tree and made tails for themselves.



Check out our finished masterpieces!



It was really fun and they were actually able to HELP me and not slow me down this year :) And they were very willing taste testers too.

Food: Slow Cooker Beef Stew - Healthy Recipe

Burrrr... it feels cold lately. Perfect weather for some home made comfort food. Tonight we tried a Beef Stew Recipe that I made in the crock pot. I found it on All Recipes. That website can be so hit or miss sometimes. Mainly because I will find a recipe with like 2 million 5 star ratings but then I'll read the reviews and every single person writes this was wonderful "but only after I made the following 75 changes to the recipe!" I am like, you know what people, then go make your own new post. "Aint nobody got time" to read through all these reviews to see how everyone took a 3 star recipe and turned it into a 5 star recipe with all the changes they made. Sheesh! Drive me NUTS. But this one I tried JUST AS IS. Didn't change a THING. And it was...........

DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!! 5 Stars!! Go make this asap! Super easy. Hot and comforting. AND healthy. :)



Slow Cooker Beef Stew

"Stew meat is cooked with potatoes, celery, and carrots in a hearty broth. Garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and paprika add flair!"

Ingredients:

2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups beef broth
3 potatoes, diced
4 carrots, sliced
1 stalk celery, chopped

Directions:
Place meat in slow cooker. In a small bowl mix together the flour, salt, and pepper; pour over meat, and stir to coat meat with flour mixture. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, onion, beef broth, potatoes, carrots, and celery. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 8 hours, or on High setting for 4 to 6 hours.

Food: Chicken Lazone - Recipes

This looks delicious. I hope to make it this week. (I say that about everything I post ha ha)

UPDATE 10/28/13: So we had this a few nights ago. It was... just ok. For us grown ups it seemed to be missing something in the flavor department. We cooked it exactly as directed. Ella loved it and wolfed down two helps. Our neighbor's daughter loved it too and declared it "delicious". My picky eater daughter called it disgusting. (Her reviews can not be trusted). Jimmy and I would have liked it if it had 1) MORE Garlic 2) some veggies to jazz it up... either tomatoes or spinach or green, red, and yellow peppers! YUM!!!  PS we had ours over rice. So I can't say I would rush to make it again (the heavy cream I can live without and honestly if I am going to eat something that heavy and fattening it better be damn tasty) haha!!

Chicken Lazone
Recipe found on food.com. Photo credit: Plain Chicken

Chicken Lazone looks like a very versatile dish. I have seen photos of it served over pasta (like below), with a side of mashed potatoes, over rice, with a side of veggies, and over egg noodles. Guess it is up to what you are feeling! I also think this is a type of dish you can add peppers, veggies, mushrooms too if you want. The possibilities are endless.



Ingredients:
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 lb chicken tenders
1/4 cup butter, divided
2 cups heavy cream

Directions:
Combine salt, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper.  Sprinkle over both sides of chicken tenders. 

In large saute pan, melt half of the butter over medium-high heat.  Cook the chicken tenders until done, about 8 minutes. 

Pour the cream and remaining butter into the skillet.  Lower heat and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 5-7 minutes.  Serve chicken and sauce over pasta or mashed potatoes, if desired.

Food: Crispy Smashed Potatoes - Healthy Recipes

We are going to try these for dinner tonight with our steaks! Can't wait to update with how they come out! :)

Update: We made these tonight and all I can say is WOW! These were AMAZING! Soooooo good! They were crispy, crunchy, cooked perfect, seasoned incredibly. I sprinkled an organic 24 spice seasoning blend over them cause I was out of rosemary and it was delish! Hubby said next time he wouldn't mind me sprinkling some garlic and pepper seasoning over them. They took awhile but definitely something you can break up into stages (i.e. boil the potatoes the night before and keep in fridge. Then take out and get to room temperature before smashing them and roasting.) Will DEFINITELY make again!! :)

Crispy Smashed Potatoes
Original recipe and photo copyright of Love Grows Wild. Go check them out for even more great recipes and fun stuff.



My version (not bad!!) I did use baby reds cause I could not find small white potatoes at the store. Still delicious. They also fell apart when being smashed a little (more so than the ones in the photo) so maybe I will boil them a teensy bit less next time.



These Crispy Smashed Potatoes are a great side dish for chicken, steak, pork, and more! They taste like a fried hash brown, but way healthier and way more delicious!

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large pot, bring potatoes to a boil in salted water. Reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 18-20 minutes. Drain potatoes and transfer to a baking sheet. Let cool 5 minutes, then gently smash each potato with the back of a solid spatula or the heel of your hand. Drizzle generously with olive oil and season with coarse salt, then gently flip the potatoes over and repeat on other side. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes, then flip potatoes and roast for another 15-20 minutes until golden brown and crisp.

Food: Crock Pot Breakfast - Recipe

Gonna try this! Let's hope someone other than me actually eats it! :) I will review it after we have it!

Crock pot Breakfast 



Ingredients:
1 lb. sausage
1 bag (32 oz.) frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
1 dozen large eggs, slightly beaten 
3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:
Cook and strain the sausage. If using sausage links or patties, chop them up into bite size pieces. Place ⅓ of the hash browns in the bottom of the crockpot followed by part of the cheese and topped by ⅓ of the sausage.Repeat this pattern until you’ve used all the sausage, hash browns and cheese or until the crock pot is full.Then pour the eggs on top of the contents in the crock pot.


Turn the crock pot on low for 7-10 hours.

Food: Melt in your mouth chicken - Healthy Recipes

This recipe looks like it could have potential, so I am going to try it. Will review it in an update after we have it :) Wish us luck.

Melt in Your Mouth Chicken:



Ingredients: Serves: 8
Yield: 8 breasts (2 lbs chicken breasts)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons Lawry's Seasoned Salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
1 Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2 Mix cheese, yogurt, bread crumbs and spices together until combined.
3 Place chicken in baking dish.
4 Spread yogurt mix over chicken.
5 Bake for 45 minutes.

My comments: I have read reviews which have prepared me in advanced for the fact that my chicken will look nothing like the photo. I have also read that if I want it to be brown on top I should place it under the broiler for 5 minutes or so to brown it nicely. I am cutting the recipe in half also. :)

Stay tuned...

Food: Pumpkin Pie Cake - Recipes

I feel like I am on Recipe overload lately but here goes! :) I will update after we make it!



Pumpkin Pie Cake

1 box yellow cake mix
3/4 c butter
4 eggs
2 c pumpkin
1/2 c br sugar
3/4 c wht sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2/3 c milk

Mix cake mix minus 1 c (reserve and set aside for topping)1/2 c melted margarine, and 1 beaten egg.
Put in bottom of a 9x13 pan.
Mix together pumpkin, 3 eggs, 1/2 c br sugar, 1/4 c wht sugar, 2/3 c milk and 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon.
Spread over cake.
Mix together 1 c cake mix, 1/2 c wht sugar, 1/4 c marg (not melted)and and sprinkle on top of pumpkin mixture.
Bake at 350* for 50-55 min (or longer depending on your oven)

Food: Sesame Chicken for Slow Cooker - Recipes

Saw this on Facebook and it looked delish. Which means, I WILL find a way to screw it up, ha ha. Just Kidding. I will update post when I get a chance to actually try it out! Stay tuned!



Sesame Chicken for slow cooker

1 1/2 pound boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons dried onion
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 3 Tablespoons water
Sesame seeds

Put chicken into crock pot. Combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, and garlic. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours, or just until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from crock pot, leave sauce. Dissolve 2 teaspoons of cornstarch in 3 tablespoons of water and pour into crock pot. Stir to combine with sauce. Replace lid and cook sauce on high for ten more minutes or until slightly thickened. Cut chicken into bite size pieces and return to crock pot - can leave chicken in and simmer on low or serve. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice.

Food: Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies - Healthy Living Recipes

Gonna try this new recipe for next months book club! Hope they turn out great and that the kids love them!! Will update after I make them of course.

Recipe courtesy of Chocolate Covered Kate. Check out her blog here! She is also on Facebook and you can follow her page here. Thanks Kate!!



Chocolate Pumpkin Pie Brownies.

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup ww pastry flour (or white, spelt, or even oat flour)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp plus 1/16 tsp salt
2/3c sugar or xylitol (or 1/2c maple syrup or agave: it’ll be a bit less cakey with liquid sweetener)
1 packet NuNaturals stevia (or 1/32tsp uncut stevia), or 1 more tbsp agave or sugar
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (or pureed pumpkin or sweet potato)
3 tbsp oil (You can omit, but be warned: the brownies will be gummy)
2 tbsp milk of choice
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips (not optional)
Combine dry ingredients, and mix very well. Combine wet ingredients, then mix into dry. Pour into a greased pan (it will fill up half an 8×8). Cook for about 23 minutes at 330 F. I’m not sure why this is the case, but these brownies seem to taste ten times sweeter if you don’t eat them for at least an hour after they come out of the oven!

Food: Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese- Recipe

If you have not found Spend with Pennies yet, then you are missing out!! She has great deals, awesome recipes and lots of fun stuff. You can find her website here. She also has a Facebook page and a Pinterest account you can follow!

I came across this recipe of hers recently and I can't wait to try it. Only thing is I think I will add is toasted buttery breadcrumbs sprinkled on top after, cause that is Ella's favorite!

**UPDATE** We had this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! It was so easy to make. The crockpot did all the work. The only thing I added to it was kosher salt (it needed it- to taste) and I added a slight sprinkle of garlic powder for flavor too. And I did toast some breadcrumbs in a skillet in some melted butter with some salt and garlic powder and I put it on top of everyone's bowl as a garnish. The kids each had two bowls and we had no leftovers!! I definitely recommend this recipe!! Yay!! :) PS: Be careful not to cook it too long or it will get dry! But you can add some milk to it to moisten it, if that happens.


Recipe and Photo are copyright of Spendwithpennies.com

Instructions
2 cups uncooked elbows
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 cups cheddar cheese
1 cup gruyere cheese (or substitute with a 4th cup of cheddar)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream (light)

Instructions
Make sure macaroni is cooked AL DENTE and drained, rinsed and cooled
Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on high or 2 hours or low for 3 hours, stirring once or twice only.
Serve HOT :)

PS you can also add some meat or veggies to it to make it a complete meal if you wish.

Food: PB Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites- Healthy Living Recipes

Gotta try this one!! Love making healthier options for me and the kids and a way to sneak more chick peas into their diet! I will update post after I make it...

**UPDATE: ok so I made these and here are a few comments. First off, mine look nothing like the photo!! Second, I had to churn the mixture in my food processor for quite a while to make sure all the chick peas were completely smoothed out. This made my mixture very warm. I should have let it cool a bit before adding the chocolate chips, or should have FROZE them first. Cause as soon as I added them to the mixture they melted.  Before they even hit the oven. So my batter was more chocolate then chocolate chip. Third, I was not crazy about the taste of them warm from the oven. Not sure why. So I refrigerated them and definitely like the taste of them better refrigerated. Lastly, my oldest daughter ate 1 but has not asked for any more. My youngest took a bite but didn't like it and gave it back to me. So needless to say I am disappointed. I may try ONE more time, cause I don't mind them, but I think they do need a little sugar in them. Or liquid Stevia for you freakish health nuts! Perhaps some almonds or walnuts... :) Carry on!



NAILED IT!!! (lol- NOT!) By the way this was the first batch. The second batch look like chocolate cookies. Whoops Don't they look so appetizing, delicious, moist, scrumptious and gooey like the above photo... ;)



NO FLOUR, NO OIL, NO WHITE SUGAR
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups canned* chickpeas, well-rinsed and patted dry with a paper towel
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (165 grams) natural peanut butter (can use PB2 from gym to make healthier, check your labels)
1/4 cup (80 grams) honey (agave would be amazing too!)
1 teaspoon baking powder**
a pinch of salt if your peanut butter doesn’t have salt in it
1/2 cup (90 grams) chocolate chips

* My can was a 400 gram can, 240 grams without the water, and I used all but a few tablespoons

** If you need grain-free baking powder, you can use 1 part cream of tartar + 1 part baking soda + 2 parts arrowroot.

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350°F / 175°C.

Combine all the ingredients, except for the chocolate chips, in a food processor and process until very smooth. Make sure to scrape the sides and the top to get the little chunks of chickpeas and process again until they’re combined.

Put in the chocolate chips and stir it if you can, or pulse it once or twice. The mixture will be very thick and sticky.

With wet hands, form into 1 1/2″ balls. Place onto a piece of parchment paper. If you want them to look more like normal cookies, press down slightly on the balls. They don’t do much rising. Bake for about 10 minutes.

Yields about fourteen 1 1/2″ cookie dough balls.

*** Don't even try with regular peanut butter! They'll come out oily. You MUST use natural peanut butter.