Pizza Monkey Bread

This recipe is great for both adult and kid. Any food that is stuffed is fancy right? RIGHT! And anything pizza is just plain yummy! It's a fairly easy recipe to put together and you can add any of your fav pizza toppings to it!

You'll need:

2 can refrigerated home style biscuits

1 pkg turkey-roni (you can use plain pepperoni)

2 c shredded mozzarella

your fav. pizza toppings (I use finely chopped green bell peppers and onions)
1 stick butter melted
1 tea italian seasoning
1/2 tea garlic powder
marinara sauce

Heat the oven to 375 F.
Mix the melted butter, italian seasoning and garlic powder together in a bowl.
Open the biscuits up and slice a pocket in the biscuit stuff it with a few pepperonis, about 1 tabl cheese and your toppings. Pinch the pocket closed and completely dip it into the butter mixture and place standing on its edge in a bunt pan. Repeat with the rest, and place into the oven to bake for 35 min.
Allow to cook 5-10 min, then invert pan on a plate, if needed tap around the pan until it falls out.
Dip in warmed marinara sauce and enjoy!

Greek Marinaded Chicken

I wasn't sure about this recipe when I saw the ingredients, but went a head and tried it anyways...it was delish! It really has a great flavor, one I didn't expect! I'm planing on making this again soon! 

1 c. plain greek yogurt

2 tabl olive oil

4 minced garlic cloves

1/2 tabl dried oregano

1/2 tea salt

1/2 tea dried parsley

6-8 chicken drum sticks skin/fat removed

In a mixing bowl, whisk the yogurt, olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt and parsley together. Place chicken in the marinade and turn to coat evenly. Cover wih foil and place in the frig for an hour. 

Pre-heat grill and cook 10-15 min until juices run clear. Goes great with some garlic bread and a side salad!

Quick Sweet and Salty Popcorn

Every Friday we as a family do movie night. I make popcorn and usually put a surprise buried underneath the popcorn. Instead of hiding a special treat this week, I made a quick sweet and salty popcorn that we all gobbled up! This is also something fun that the kids can help out with. 

10 c air popped popcorn

6 tabl melted butter

1/4 c brown sugar

salt

After you've popped your popcorn, melt the butter in a bowl, stir in the brown sugar and mix well. Drizzle over the popcorn a little at a time mixing/sharing the popcorn in between drizzling. once you've drizzled all the butter/sugar mixture give it a good stir, sprinkle a little salt over and shake up. Pour in individual bowls and have at it!

4 Cheese Tomato Basil Pizza & Pepperoni Pizza

I went on a home made pizza kick a few years ago, trying out several different recipes, and trying different flavors. From grilled, to oven baked, seasoned crust to plain. THIS IS THE BEST RECIPE BY FAR! 

Its hard to please each family member when it come to food. Everyone has different likes/dislikes...but this pizza won over everyone's taste buds!

I also usually like having my kids cook with me, but I've found that most pizza dough's are "tricky" to work with, and its difficult for the kiddos to help. This dough is SUPER kid friendly once it has risen! I let the kids work with it for a while, rolling it out over and over. (with VERY cleans hand I should add) and the toppings were fun for them to spread and sprinkle around!

I found it on food network, one of the Pioneer Woman's fabulous recipes! I made a few "tweaks" (not many) that I thought would make it yummier for MY family.

1 pkt active dry yeast

1 12 c. warm water

4 c flour

1 tea salt

1/3 c olive oil + more for drizzling

12 oz fresh mozzarella thinly sliced

1 c. pepperoni 

Pizza sauce (I used store bought, it made it quicker)

4 Cheese Tomato Basil Pizza:

salt and pepper

2-3 large table spoonfuls of basil pesto (y.u.m!)

1 c. fresh mozzarella shredded 

1/2 c. fontina shredded

1/2 c. pecorino ramano shredded

1/2 c goat cheese crumbled

1/4 c. olive oil

4 minced garlic cloves

1 pint yellow cherry tomatoes halved

1 pint red cherry tomatoes halved

16 basil leaves thinly sliced

1-2 tabl. balsamic vinegar

Mix together your warm water and yeast. Set a side for a few while you get the dough ready...In a mixer with the paddle attachment, mix your flour and salt together. Drizzle in the olive oil, making sure its mixed well. Next slowly add in your yeast mixture until its well combined. Remove the dough and form it into a ball, drizzle the mixing bowl with olive oil and spread it all over the bowl with your hand. Then rub your hands all over the dough making sure its well coated with oil. set inside the mixing bowl, and cover with foil and let sit for 1 hour.

*This is a great dough for little kiddos to help out with once it has risen!

After dough has risen, remove it from the bowl, divide it in half, and roll it out to fit your pan (I used a large rectangle cookie sheet)

Transfer onto the cookie sheet, spread some pizza sauce over the top, place the sliced mozzarella cheese and pepperoni. Bake at 500 for 13-15 min.

Next for the 4 cheese tomato basil, take the other half of the dough, and the same way roll it out to fit your pizza pan of choice. Spread the basil pesto all over the top. Sprinkle the cheese over the pesto.

Heat a small pan with the 1/4 c olive oil, add the minced garlic, and quickly stir around. You don't want it browning, just slightly golden. Pour it into a mixing bowl, add the tomatoes, salt and pepper & basil. Mix it up well and spread that over the cheese. Bake it in the oven at 500, for 13-15 min. Slice 'em up and serve!

Quick Cucumber Sandwich

This isn't anything special, just something I often make for the kidlets. It's a quick and healthy lunch to make, and the kids really like it!

Sliced whole where bread-my kids like the kind with nuts.

Cream cheese softened

1/4 tea (per sandwich) Italian dressing seasoning

Peeled Cucumber

Spread two slices of bread thick with cream cheese. Sprinkle italian dressing seasoning over one side of the cream cheese bread, and place you cucumbers on the other side of bread, slightly over lapping. 

Sandwich together an cut in half-if that's how you roll. 

My kids really do like this sandwich, which makes for a happy mama. It's healthy and a quick lunch. Also it travels really well-perfect for picnic lunches! 

Chicken Parm & Spaghetti

My friend sent me this recipe, and it's the easiest chicken parm I've ever made, and so far the best tasting! Chicken parm isn't one if my fav's, but the hubs loves the stuff. After trying this recipe, I can see why! FYI it'll make your house smell yummy...be patient it will be done before you know it!

2 tabl olive oil
2 garlic cloves minced
2 chicken breasts cut up into bit sized pieces
1 jar of your fav spaghetti sauce  (I used Costco's organic Classico brand)
1 pkg italian croutons (approx 2 cups)
3 c. shredded mozzarella divided
1 1/2 c shredded parmesan divided
12 oz spaghetti noodles

Pre heat your oven to 350, drizzle olive oil in the bottom of a 9" x 13" glass baking dish. Sprinkle in the garlic, and spread around evenly. Place chicken evenly on top, pour the spaghetti sauce over the chicken, making sure its completely covered. Next take half the mozzarella & parmesan cheese and sprinkle over the chicken/sauce. Sprinkle the croutons over that, and finish off by sprinkling the remaining cheese over that. Bake for 35 min.
When the chicken is half way through cooking, start cooking your spaghetti noodles. Serve the parm chicken over the noodles, and enjoy!

This is a quick recipe, and its quite "forgiving" meaning the ingredient amounts don't have to be exact. You can alter it to your family's size/liking. If you really like garlic, toss in another minced clove, if you need more chicken, add another chicken breast.
We usually have a little left over from my family of 6...however all my kids are 6 and under, so its like the equivalent of feeding 4 adults. 

Healthy Berry Smoothies

We've been on this smoothie kick for a few months. I've been making berry smoothies as a special healthy treat 1-2 times a week for the fam.

I sent the hubs to Costco, and in my craziness told him to pick up a bag of frozen strawberries, and another bag of mixed berries...I didn't even think of how humongous the bag would be since they're Costco sized. The hubs walked in with 2, 3 gallon bags of frozen berries lol! 

So we've been creating smoothie recipes lately. Here's one of our fav's so far...

2 c milk

1/2 c Greek yogurt

1-2 tea vanilla (unless you use vanilla Greek yogurt)

1-2 tabl agave nectar 

2 c. frozen strawberries

1-2 tabl chia seeds

2 tabl oats (helps keep the recipe thick)

If you choose to use vanilla Greek yogurt you can skip the vanilla, unless you want extra vanilla flavor. Also you can skip the agave nectar unless you want it sweeter. 

In a blender, pour all the ingredients in, and blend until smooth. 

Whats nice with this recipe is that you don't need to add ice cubes since you have the frozen strawberries! 

If you have one of those fancy pants Vitamix blenders, count your self lucky! I've been wanting one BAD for quite some time, but cant bring my self to spend the $400 to buy it. We would totally use it several times a week...but I opt to keep my kids clothed...mommies "wants" can be put on hold lol! My plan is to fully use the life out of my $20 blender...And probably replace it with another lol!

*Don't be hatin' my cheap glass ware...Its inexpensive...after 4 kids you learn a thing or two. Don't spend too much mula on fancy things the kids will only break! (unless you keep it out of sight/their reach) We're doing the whole Duck Dynasty thing anyways!

Fruit Salad

I don't know about you, but when I'm sleeping, or half way there, I get some of the best ideas. A lot of the time I'll come up with a new dinner idea, or some clever activity to do with the kids. The other night I thought "wouldn't cinnamon be good in a fruit salad? There are so many spins on fruit salad, and I'm sure someone already tried this one, but to me its a new recipe.

You'll need:

1 1/2 c. halved red grapes (green works too, but red tend to be healthier-so I'm told)
1 pear chopped
1 apple chopped (I used Gala-our fav!)
1-2 bananas (depending on size, and how much you like 'em)
8 strawberries quartered
1/2 c. chopped walnuts (can use slivered almonds)
1/2 lemon
1-5oz container vanilla greek yogurt
1/2 tea. cinnamon)

Place fruit in a mixing bowl, squeeze the lemon juice over the fruit (this will keep it from browning and you'll be able to store it in your frig for 2 days.) then toss fruit.
Open the top of the yogurt, and stir in the cinnamon (I had enough room inside my yogurt container to do this.) pour yogurt over fruit, dump in the nuts, and mix well.

To me, the flavor of cinnamon wasn't overwhelming. It was very mild. You can add more or less if you prefer.
2 of my kiddos loved it, then there's the baby who doesn't eat solids yet, and Miss. Drama Queen who has to be dramatic about EVERYTHING...I wonder where she gets THAT from?!?

I made this to go along with the Pumpkin Spice Muffins I made for breakfast.