Cheesy Ranch Spread

While looking at Facebook over the weekend, I saw a recipe for a ranch flavored cheese ball that looked good to me. Although the recipe called for a package of dry ranch seasoning mix, I substituted my Homemade Ranch Mix with great results. And, because I wanted to serve mine right away for lunch, I did not want to form it into a ball and wait for it to chill. Instead, I served it as a soft spread. 

We have eaten this twice now, both soft and chilled. Either way it tastes great! And, I love that it is made with ingredients that I always have on hand. Do you ever try out the recipes that you see circulating on Facebook?

Cheesy Ranch Spread

1 tsp. dried parsley
¼ tsp. black pepper
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. onion powder
¼ cup sour cream
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Whisk together all ingredients. Serve immediately as a soft spread with crackers.

This recipe was adapted from the one found here.

Fascinating Find - Apple Spice Granola

We have been eating a lot of granola lately. My kids favorite is Peanut Butter Granola, but I like to have variety. So, last week I tried this Apple Spice Granola. I was so pleased with it that I couldn't wait for my kids to get home from school so that they could try it. None of them cared for it. Ugh! But, that means more for me.

Rarely do I post a recipe that none of my kids care for. But, this one really is delicious, no matter what they say. I found this Apple Spice Granola at Down To Earth Digs where Stacey writes about “life in the country, tending kids, gardens and critters.” Be sure to check out her tasty recipe along with some very pretty photography at Down to Earth Digs.

Recipe Link: Apple Spice Granola

Blog Link: Down To Earth Digs

Energy Bars

A while back, I told you about some No-Bake Energy Bites that are oh so tasty. However, I didn't make them as often as my children would have liked because they seemed too time consuming with the mixing, refrigerating, and rolling into balls. So, lately I have started using my food processor to do the mixing, skipped the refrigerating, and pressed the mixture into a pan. I then cut them into bars once they have firmed up in the refrigerator. This is so much simpler! And, they taste the same, so no complaints from my kids. Normally I serve these as a snack, but earlier this week my kids ate them for breakfast. 

No-Bake Energy Bars

1 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup natural peanut butter (or other nut butter)
1/3 cup raw honey
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Add all ingredients, except the chocolate chips, to the bowl of a food processor. Process until thouroughly combined. Remove blade from the food processor and stir in chocolate chips. Press into an 8X6 pan and refrigerate until firm. Cut and serve. Store energy bars in the refrigerator.

Pizza Bread

I have told you several times before that I love using the method for refrigerator bread dough outlined in Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. My favorite way to use it is for pizza. My kids favorite is Pizza Rolls, which is pepperoni and mozzarella cheese wrapped inside a roll. So, it seemed natural to me to combine these two ideas to make Pizza Bread. It is a pull apart bread similar to Monkey Bread. I served it with pizza sauce for dipping and my kids fell in love with it!

Pizza Bread

2 lbs. Artisan Bread Dough
¼ cup olive oil
1 Tbsp. Italian Seasoning
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
6oz. sliced pepperoni
Pizza sauce for dipping

Form dough into walnut sized balls (approx. 48). Arrange 1/3 of the dough in the bottom of a fluted pan. Drizzle with 1/3 of the olive oil and sprinkle with 1/3 of the Italian Seasoning. Layer half of the pepperoni and 1/3 of the cheese on top. Repeat. Layer the last of the dough on top, drizzle with the last of the oil, and sprinkle with the last of the Italian Seasoning. Finally layer the last of the cheese. Let rise for 45-60 minutes. Bake at 350º for 35 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes. Invert onto a serving plate. Serve warm with pizza sauce.

Recipe Note: You can find the Master Recipe for this dough in Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, along with an instructional video here.

This post has been linked to the Penny Pinching Party.

Mexican Corn Dip

This is one of my go to summer recipes. I've been making it for more than ten years and to me it never gets old. You can control the spice by adding more or less jalepenos, but whether you like it mild or hot, be sure to place a few jalapenos on top if you take it to a BBQ. This will make sure no one bites into a hot pepper unknowingly.

Mexican Corn Dip

2 14oz. cans yellow corn, or Mexicorn, drained
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup chopped jalapenos (fresh or from a jar)

Stir together all ingredients and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serve with tortilla chips or Frito Scoops.

What is one of your go to summer recipes?

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Lately I have been watching my sugar intake. But, I still have a bit of a sweet tooth, so I began searching for some kind of satisfying treat. I have tried several recipes, and they have all been very tasty. However, this is my favorite one so far. 

These Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars have no sweetener of any kind. The dates add all of the sweetness. But, the dates are not the predominent flavor, the peanut butter is. My picky kids have no idea that this is a healthy dessert and I LOVE that! Eventually I would like to try this recipe with almond butter too. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

1 cup pitted dates
¾ cup natural peanut butter
½ cup unsweetened coconut
3 Tbsp. cocoa powder
½ cup oats

Measure dates, peanut butter, coconut, and cocoa into the bowl of a food processor. Process until the dates are finely chopped. Add oats little by little until mixture forms a ball. Remove from processor and press into a samll baking dish (I use a 9x6 glass pan). Refrigerate until firm. Cut into bars.

This post has been linked to The Thrifty Home's Penny Pinching Party.

Trail Mixes

My kids love trail mixes, and we are constantly trying new variations. The one pictured on the left is equal parts golden raisins, peanuts, and semi-sweet chocolate chips. My little one does not like regular raisins, so recently I bought some golden raisin to see if she would like them better. And, she does. So this variation is a hit with her.

While making up my grocery list a couple of weeks ago, my oldest suggested the trail mix pictured on the right. It is equal parts dried cherries, raw almonds, and white chocolate chips. This one I love! And both of my girls are thrilled when I put it in their lunch bags. 

As a side note, the jars that I store these trail mixes in are up-cycled. The local honey that I purchase comes in them and they use a regular mouth canning lid making them perfect for many different things in my kitchen.

This post has been linked to Mop It Up Mondays.

Dried Fruit

 

While grocery shopping a few weeks ago, I saw packages of mixed dried fruit on sale as a closeout. The mix included dried peaches, apples, plums, and apricots. I was planning to buy dried apricots, but when I saw that the mixed fruit was on sale, I decided to get that instead. I purchased four packages. However, no one cared for the mix. So, they sat in my pantry untouched for weeks.

 

But, over the weekend I had a brainstorm. Why not separate the fruits? My oldest loves the apricots, my son loves the dried plums, and I could eat up the other fruits in my Oatmeal. So, I got out some mason jars and separated them. Now they are quickly disappearing and I have rescued another food from going to waste.

 

What have you done to reduce food waste this week?

 

This post has been linked to The Thrifty Home's Penny Pinching Party.

Microwave Popcorn

We tried something new over the weekend, homemade microwave popcorn. Typically I make popcorn on top of the stove. And, as I have said before, I like sweet popcorn the best. But, my oldest prefers the regular popcorn with butter and salt. So, I tried this specifically for her.

I can't believe how simple this is. So, simple in fact that my kids can make it on their own. And, of course, I love that! Just throw some popcorn into a paper bag and microwave. We made two batches to feed the four of us and we added melted butter and salt. My oldest was in heaven. I have a feeling she is going to be making this for herself all of the time. And, best of all, it is a super cheap snack.

Microwave Popcorn

¼ cup bulk popcorn
1 paper lunch bag

Pour pop corn into lunch bag. Fold over top of bag three times, tightly creasing it each time. Stand bag upright in microwave. Cook on high until all the kernels have popped. (My microwave pops all of the kernels in about 3 minutes and 15 seconds.) Enjoy immediately with melted butter and salt. Serves 2.

This post has been linked to Frugal Tuesday Tip.

Homemade Cranberry Almond Delight

Photo Credit: Kar's Nuts

My girls absolutely love having this trail mix in their lunch boxes. I discovered Cranberry Almond Delight last fall while searching for some healthy lunch box options. However, since my New Year's Frugal Kitchen Goal, I have been working toward lowering my weekly grocery bill. And these individual packets are a bit pricey. But with only three ingredients, I knew I could duplicate this mix easily.

And, along with my effort to prepare more homemade convenience foods, I made a trip to my local dollar store to pick up some small reusable containers. These containers are perfect for my kids lunch bags and at two for a dollar, I won't be heartbroken if one accidentally gets lost or thrown away.

Cranberry Almond Delight

1 cup party peanuts
½ cup raw, whole almonds
½ cup dried cranberries.

Measure all three ingredients into a quart sized mason jar and shake to combine. Cover and store at room temperature.


Hot Corn Dip

Photo Credit: All Recipes

This is one of my favorite party food recipes. And, lately I have been asked for the recipe several times, so I thought that it was time to share it here on You Can Make That. Normally, I warm this in the slow cooker, but I have also heated it on top of the stove, in the microwave, and even in the oven. No matter which method you choose, I am certain that it will be gone by the end of your next party!

Hot Corn Dip

2 – 15oz. cans corn, drained

1 – 10oz. can diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained

1 – 8oz. block cream cheese

½ tsp. garlic powder

½ tsp. chili powder

Add all ingredients to a small slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 5 hours. Serve with tortilla chips or corn chips.

This recipe was adapted from the one found here on All Recipes.

Sweet & Salty Popcorn

Photo Credit - Popcornopolis

Growing up, my mom made lots of stove top popcorn. She served it with real butter and salt. However, I have never been much of a regular popcorn lover. But, when I tried Sweet & Salty Popcorn (or kettle corn) for the first time, I fell in love with it. There is something about that touch of sweetness that transforms regular popcorn into an entirely different snack for me.

Lately, I have been making this Sweet & Salty Popcorn quite a bit. Three times in the last week to be exact! Although this is perfectly good plain, we have found that we also really like to flavor it with cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, or cocoa powder.  All flavors are gobbled up at my house, but my favorite is the pumpkin pie spice.  If you can’t get everyone to agree on a single flavor, each person can season their own portion to taste.

Sweet & Salty Popcorn

¼ cup butter

1 Tbsp. olive oil

¼ cup white sugar

½ cup popcorn kernels

1 tsp. salt

Cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, or cocoa powder (optional)

In a large pot, melt butter and olive oil together over medium high heat. Add sugar and heat until it just begins to brown, stirring constantly. Add popcorn and stir. Cover and continue to cook until all of the popcorn has popped, occasionally shaking the pan to keep it from scorching. Remove from the heat, transfer to a large bowl, and toss with salt and additional seasonings, if desired. Yeild: 8 cups popcorn.

Candy Corn Crunch

Last weekend I went to a party at my neighbor's house. It was a girls night out and we had a blast! It was the first time I'd had a babysitter since I moved to North Carolina and I have to say it was an absolutely fabulous treat to come home to a quiet house where someone else had put the kids to bed. My neighbor went all out with Fall treats and Halloween decorations. And, as part of her decorations, she had candy corn displayed in pretty cocktail glasses on the food table.

As the party was coming to a close, we were discussing what to do with all of the leftover candy corn. One of the girls said that she liked to mix candy corn half and half with peanuts for a snack. Perfect! So, my neighbor gave me the candy corn, and I made up an unbelievably huge batch of Candy Corn Crunch to share. I sent some with my son on a camping trip this weekend, gave some to my neighbor, and the girls and I have been munching on the rest of it.

I would imagine that if you are allergic to nuts, that mini pretzels would be just as good as the peanuts.  And, raisins or dark chocolate chips might be good additions too.

Candy Corn Crunch

2 cups candy corn
2 cups peanuts, cocktail or dry roasted

Mix together and serve.

Travel Trail Mix

Traveling is not always easy. We tend to snack a lot as we drive, so we always stock the car with lots of munchies. We like to have peanut butter crackers, dried apricots, banana chips, and almonds in the car. But, we also try to pack a special snack. This time I made some Travel Trail Mix. We don’t have to worry about the M&M’s melting and the sweet chocolate treat is something that the kids always get excited about.

Travel Trail Mix

1 cup peanuts

1 cup M&M’s

1 cup raisins

Mix together all three ingredients and store in an airtight container.

Bean Dip

We are diligently eating up the last of our food in order to be ready for our big move. Right now I am focusing on freezer and refrigerator foods. I have had 3 jars of home cooked pinto beans sitting around for a while, so I decided to try making a simple, layered bean dip for our Friday Night Movie Night. We liked it so much that we have eaten it twice now. I am so glad that I experimented in the kitchen!

Bean Dip

2 cups pinto beans, drained

½ tsp. chili powder

½ tsp. garlic powder

¼ tsp. cumin

Salt to taste

1 cup sour cream

Banana peppers, jalapeños, or green chilies

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Tortilla Chips

Pour beans into a pie plate. Add chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, and salt. Mash beans with a fork, stirring to combine the seasonings. Evenly spread the beans over the bottom of the pie plate. Spread sour cream on top of beans. Top with peppers. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350˚ for 30 minutes. Serve immediately with tortilla chips.

This post has been linked to Try New Adventures Thursday.

Ham and Cheese Rolls

It is the end of the school year and my kids are getting tired of our typical lunchbox routine.  I have been trying to mix it up by sending crumpets or pizza rolls instead of sandwiches. However, I am still hearing complaints. So, I tried something different with my artisan bread dough: Ham and Cheese Rolls. I made them just like the pizza rolls, only I used ham and cheddar cheese instead of pepperoni and mozzarella cheese. The kids liked them and were happy about their new lunchbox treat. Another crisis averted!

Recipe Note: I make my dough using half white whole wheat flour and half all purpose flour. You can find the Master Recipe for artisan bread dough, along with an instructional video, here.

Ham and Cheese Rolls

2 lbs. artisan bread dough

4 slices deli ham, cut into 24 pieces

24 nickel sized pieces of cheddar cheese

3 Tbsp. melted butter

Divide dough into 24 pieces. Using your hands, flatten each piece of dough into a circle that is the size of your palm. Place cheese in the center of the dough and top with ham. Fold the dough up over the cheese and ham, pinching the seams to form a seal. Place, seam side down, in a greased 9X13 pan. Repeat with remaining dough. Let rest 30 minutes. Bake at 400˚ for 20 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and brush with melted butter. Serve immediately.

This post has been linked to Try New Adventures Thursday.

Wheat Crackers

Yesterday, I told you about the Roasted Red Pepper Spread that we have fallen in love with. These Wheat Crackers are a perfect dipper for this spread. Crackers are so simple to make and taste so much better than store-bought; you may never buy them again! We like these plain, with a spread, or with cheese. And, surprisingly, my kids will dig through them to find the darkest ones to eat first.

Wheat Crackers

2 cups white whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

2/3 cup warm water

1/3 cup olive oil

Additional olive oil and salt for topping

Stir together all ingredients until a soft dough forms. Divide the dough into two portions and evenly roll out each portion onto a greased 10x15cookie sheet (the dough should be rolled all the way out to the very edges of the pan).  Cut the dough into squares, with a knife or a pizza cutter, into the desired cracker size. As the dough bakes, the crackers will shrink and separate. Brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake each sheet of crackers individually at 400˚ for 10-12 minutes. (Watch these carefully, they can brown quickly just like cookies.) Cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Optional Toppings: In addition to the salt, toppings such as rosemary, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, parmesan cheese, or dried onion can be sprinkled on top of the crackers before baking.

This post has been linked to The Thrifty Home: Penny Pinching Party.

Fascinating Find - Roasted Red Pepper Spread

As we get closer and closer to our big move, we have been making a concentrated effort to eat up all of the food in our pantry, fridge, and freezer. I have had a jar of roasted red peppers hanging around for a while, so when I saw this simple recipe for Roasted Red Pepper Spread on Trish's blog, Mom On Time Out, I just knew I had to try it.

The results were spectacular! Everyone at my house loved it, resulting in a 5 out of 5 rating, which is rare for us. We ate it with crackers, but it would be excellent with tortilla chips, bagel chips, or even as a sandwich spread. I have made it twice now and I can honestly say that this recipe is now one of our favorites.

Be sure to check out Trish’s blog for more recipes, craft ideas, and money saving tips. Thanks Trish for such a great recipe!

Blog Link: Mom On Time Out

Recipe Link: Roasted Red Pepper Spread

A Special Snack

Every week while I take my son to piano lessons, my oldest stays at home and creates a special snack. The two younger ones truly look forward to this snack. Not all of her special snacks have been edible, but all have been a learning experience for her.

This week during the lesson I received a call from my daughter asking if she could use some “kitchen equipment.”  A little nervous, I asked what exactly she wanted to use. The answer: the mini muffin pan. I breathed a sigh of relief and asked what she was making. Jam Tarts. My daughter has never used the oven by herself before, so I started to get nervous again. But, she was ahead of me. She planned to have the tarts ready to bake when I got home to help her pre-heat the oven and bake them. No problem.

These Jam Tarts were the best special snack she has ever created. So, I asked her to write down the recipe. After reviewing the recipe below, I realized that she needed a lesson on standard units of measure!

Jam Tarts

A hunk of butter

7 cereal spoons of flour

2 sugar spoons of sugar

Jam

Mix butter and flour to bread crumb texture, then mix in sugar. Then mash in the pan. Then cook for 10 minutes. Then put in the jam of any kind and cook it for five more minutes. Yield: 9 mini tarts.

Do your kids like to create in the kitchen?

Fruit Smoothies

Here in Texas, the warm weather has arrived. And, with the heat, I always dust off the blender for the season. Our favorite thing to make is Fruit Smoothies. Sometime we make them thick, more like soft serve ice cream and eat them with a spoon. Other times, we make them with lots of milk and drink them with a straw. Either way, smoothies are perfect for getting another serving of fruit into my kids every day. Many fruits work in a smoothie: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, cantaloupe, bananas, grapes, kiwi, etc.  And, when you combine several fruits, you can create signature concoctions. The one pictured above is made with a mixture of strawberries, peaches, grapes, and cantaloupe.

Fruit Smoothies

3 cups frozen fruit (or a 1lb. pkg. frozen fruit)

½ cup plain yogurt (or whatever you have on hand)

1/3-1/2 cup powdered sugar (optional)

Milk

Add fruit, yogurt, and sugar to blender. Pour in a splash of milk. Turn to the drink setting and blend, stopping the blender to stir if necessary until you have reached the desired consistency. With just a splash of milk you will have a soft serve ice cream consistency. Adding more milk will result in a drinkable smoothie consistency. Yield: 5 servings.

Frugal Tip: Although you can use purchased frozen fruit for these smoothies, you can also buy in-season fruit for rock bottom prices and freeze it yourself for the future. To do so, wash and slice (if necessary) and lay out in a single layer on a sheet pan. Freeze for several hours, and then store it in zippy bags for later.

This post has been linked to Frugal Tuesday Tip.