Archive of ‘Recipes’ category

Fun St. Patrick’s Day Treats

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St. Patrick's Day Rice Crispy TreatsRice crispy treats are a favorite in our house, yet another reason to love them is you can make them for any holiday. We have made Christmas trees, pumpkins, Easter Eggs and now four-leafed clovers! Not only are they very easy to make, they are also delicious to eat as well. My son helped with every step of making these and had a blast while doing it.

Ingredients Needed:

1 box rice crispy cereal

1 bag of marshmallows

Green food dye

Butter (we used coconut oil instead)

Melt 2 tbsp of butter and 40 marshmallows in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl for 1 minute. Mix melted ingredients together and add green food dye. Add 4 cups of rice crispy cereal, add another cup if needed. Let set for about 5 minutes and then use cookie cutter to cute out. We used a coconut oil spray and sprayed the cookie cutter a few different times so the rice didn’t stick to it. After you have cut them out set on wax paper to set. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

St. Patrick's Day Rice Crispy Treats 2

 

Organic no oil Carrot Zucchini Bread

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This is my favorite recipe for carrot zucchini bread, I made this today using all organic ingredients and it was great!  I knew I had to share it for my fellow organic loving readers.  I am always trying to make anything healthier, especially if it already contains sugar.  One of the reasons this bread is a perfect healthier option is due to no oil.  Vegetable oil for this recipe would normally be around a cup, which would amount to nearly 2,000 calories and 220 grams of fat!  Apple sauce (especially organic) is an amazing substitute for oil while baking, saving calories and fat.

The next item we switch for a healthier version is whole wheat flour, while whole wheat flour and regular flower have the same calories the whole wheat is much better option.  During the process of making white flour most of the nutrients and fiber naturally found in flour are lost.  Sometimes the nutrients are added back into white flour but not in its natural form, which is another reason white flour is so over processed. Below are the ingredients and directions to our delicious Organic no oil Carrot Zucchini Bread.

Buying organic ingredients does cost a little bit more depending on where you shop, but it is the best choice you can make for your family.  If a food label does not bear the USDA Organic label, it could still have organic ingredients but not enough to be approved for the seal.  What the seal means is that it is produced and processed according to the USDA standards. The seal is voluntary, but many organic producers use it to prove that it is indeed organic.

Most food items that are completely organic — such as fruits, vegetables, eggs or other single-ingredient foods — are labeled 100 percent organic and can carry the USDA seal.
Illustration of the USDA organic seal
  • 100 percent organic. To use this phrase, products must be either completely organic or made of all organic ingredients.
  • Organic. Products must be at least 95 percent organic to use this term.
  • Made with organic ingredients.  Products that contain at least 70% organic ingredients may say “made with organic ingredients” on the label, but may not use the seal.
  • Less than 70%.  Foods containing less than 70% organic ingredients can’t use the seal or the word “organic” on their product labels, even if it does include organic ingredients.

Below are the ingredients and directions to our delicious Organic no oil Carrot Zucchini Bread.

  • 1 1/2 cups Organic Whole Wheat Flour
  • 1 1/2 cups Organic Unbleached White Flour
  • 1 ts Himalayan Sea Salt
  • 1 ts Organic Baking Powder
  • 1 ts Organic Baking Soda
  • 2 ts Organic Cinnamon
  • 1 ts Organic Nutmeg
  • 1 cup Organic Sugar
  • 1/2 cup Organic Brown Sugar
  • 3 Free Range Eggs
  • 1 cup Organic Apple Sauce
  • 1 cup Grated Organic Carrot
  • 1 cup Grated Organic Zucchini
  • 1 1/2 cups Chopped Organic Walnuts

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together, whole wheat flour, white flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg in a Kitchen Aid mixer or mixing bowl and mix.  Next add the sugar, eggs and apple sauce and mix together.  Last add the carrots, zucchini and walnuts and mix.

Next put into greased (we used coconut oil spray from Traders) and put into bread pan, or into cupcake pan.  Let bake for about 50 min. or until it is cooked throughout the center of the bread.

Organic carrot bread

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Easy, Fun Valentine’s Treats with kids

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finished valentine's treats

Valentine’s Day treats are so fun to make, especially with little ones, my son and his friend helped make these treats.  Items needed for these treats are:

  • 1 box Oreos (we used Trader Joe’s) Traders has a gluten-free option for these cookies as well
  • 2 bags of Candy Melts
  • 2 to 3 different Valentine’s sprinkles
  • 30 Lollipop sticks
  • Wrappers  and ties if you are giving them out

candy valentine

Candy melts made by Wilton are great for making tons of different types of candy.  The most important part of this recipe is to not over cook the candy in the microwave, it we be ruined if you over cook or melt rather.

  1. Microwave for 1 minute on  50% power
  2. Remove from microwave and stir (which will be minimal at this point)
  3. Microwave for 30 seconds at 50% power
  4. Remove from microwave and stir
  5. Repeat steps 3 & 4 until tit is smooth

valentine treats

  1. Carefully remove one half of the cookie
  2. Use stick to remove some of filling so stick will lay flat in the filling
  3. Add melted chocolate over the stick and filling to reconnect cookie
  4. Let cookies set for 10 minutes so the chocolate and cookie are reconnected completely otherwise cookie will fall apart

valentine treats

  1. Dip both sides of the cookies so completely covered in chocolate
  2. Wipe excess off of the one side (not the side you are going to use sprinkles on)
  3. Dip into sprinkles
  4. Set aside on wax paper for an hour or two until firm to the touch

valentine's treats

valentine's day treat unwrapped

If you are planning on passing these out in your child’s class I would recommend using the treat bags and twist ties.  Very inexpensive the 50 treat bags cost $1.99 and the twist ties $.99 both from Michael’s.  The chocolates were on sale from $3.99 to $1.99 this week also at Michael’s, the sprinkles I got at Target for a few dollars.

treats and bags valentines

The finished treats!  Since it is before Valentine’s Day I brought these into my mom’s chemo nurses’ today and they loved them, I plan on making them again and bringing to my son’s class.  Something to note Traders has a gluten-free option for these cookies, which is great because my son’s class has a couple of children who need this option.  I love that Trader’s has made it that much easier to make these treats for everyone in his class.

valentine's day treats finished

Chicken Tortilla Soup in a Crock Pot

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It is a little chilly today in Southern California (the low 60’s, haha) so I wanted to make something delicious to warm us up.  My house smells so good right now because of this soup!  I don’t cook a lot with my crock pot, however this recipe is so easy and delicious I had to share.  All of the ingredients I purchased are from Trader Joe’s so some of the items are kind of specific.  I always buy organic when I have the option but some items at Trader’s are not available in organic yet, like the corn.

  • 4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
  • 30 oz. Organic Low Sodium Chicken Broth
  • 2 Organic Green Onions chopped
  • 1 Small Can Organic Tomato Sauce
  • 1 Small Can Fire Roasted Diced Green Chiles
  • 1 Can Whole Kernel Corn
  • 1 Can Organic Diced Tomatoes
  • 1 Can Organic Black Beans
  • 1 Package Trader Joe’s Taco Seasoning Mix
  • 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon Organic Trader Joe’s Crushed Garlic

Combine all ingredients into your crock pot (except the black beans, add the beans when only 2 hours left)  Set the cook time on low for 6-7 hours, after 3-4 hours shred the chicken.  Once completely cooked add cilantro, avocado, tortilla chips, shredded cheese and sour cream.  Add a lime for garnish and enjoy!

Chicken Tortilla

Home for the holidays collection with Febreze

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Febreze has just introduced the new line of home for the holidays scents and we can’t get enough.  The true smell of the holiday season in our house is the smell of a Christmas tree, what better scent is there than that?  Although it is still November I already have the frosted pine scent filling our home.  Walking inside from the cold and being welcomed by the scent of fresh pine is what being home for the holiday’s is all about.

There are limited edition scents this year including apple tart and frosted pine both may be found at Walmart.  Get inspired with delicious cocoa-dusted almonds.  The recipe is now one of my favorites!  All the things I love are included in this recipe, almonds, coconut oil, cocoa powder and I added a touch of cinnamon to mine.  BE AWARE making these will make your entire house smell like heaven.  To see all of the new limited edition Febreze holiday collection click here.

almonds

 

Walmart is offering a gift card to one of our readers!  Simply leave a comment on this blog post on what is your favorite holiday scent.  SheSpeaks is also hosting a giveaway for a $50 gift card to Walmart, to enter their giveaway click here.  For the SoCal Savvy Mom giveaway to Walmart just leave a comment below what scent reminds you most of the holiday season.

This is a sponsored post by SheSpeaks, and Febreze, products were supplied for review, all opinions are my own.

No Bake Halloween Treats – mini pumpkins

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Fun and easy Halloween treats to make with kids!  Last night my 8-year-old and I made these adorable mini pumpkins for Halloween.   The pumpkins are very simple and a blast to make.  This was our first time making these and they didn’t turn out too bad considering my 8-year-old did most of them!

Halloween finish

Ingredients needed:

  • 1 box Rice Crispy Cereal
  • 1 bag of marshmallows
  • 1 bag of tootsie rolls
  • Orange food coloring (we used Color Garden because it is 100% plant-based)
  • Black sparkle gel
  • Green decorating icing

Halloween treats 1

To make:

  • In a microwave safe bowl add 40 marshmallows, melt for 1 min, then 30 seconds until it is melted
  • Add orange dye to melted marshmallows

halloween marshmellows

  • 4 cups of rice crispy cereal, add more if needed
  • Roll into balls, about the size of a tennis ball
  • Set on a cookie sheet and allow the little pumpkins to set (20 min)

Halloween pumpkins

  • Use black sparkle gel to draw on eyes and mouth
  • Use green decorating icing to add leaves
  • Roll out tootsie rolls to use as stump and add-on top

halloween pumpkinsThe mini pumpkins have been a HUGE hit!  I gave them to the his teacher, school nurse, the wonderful women who help at the office in his school and everyone on our street. I just got back from lunch with my brother and just walking through the restaurant everyone was telling me how cute they were.  I hope your friends and family love them too, Happy Halloween!

pumpkin

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