Appetizers And Snacks | Pennywise Cook

Strawberry Rice Krispie Treats

June 3, 2013 By amy Leave a Comment

It’s only the first week out of school and I’m finding my snack stash to be a little on the low side. Sure I’ve bought the same as usual like I’ve always done throughout the year, but then it dawned on me….she’s home now.

When Addie would have been learning to spell small words, she is now asking for a Pop-Tart. When she would have been learning to add simple addition problems, she is now asking for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. And when Addie would have been out burning off energy on the playground, she is now asking for a piece of candy or popsicle. It’s a never-ending viscous cycle.

She comes to me and asks for something to eat.

I say no.

She comes back 3 minutes later.

I say no.

And the process continues. Am I the only one experiencing this? I feel bad sometimes, like I’m depriving her of her basic needs! But I have to remind myself that she just ate lunch 15 minutes ago and that her main reason for snacking is boredom. I, myself, have that same issue so I can relate. But do as I say, not as I do!

So as I’m telling you all of this, I’m realizing that it’s not exactly a great way to relate my life to these super tasty treats. But I digress and will now tell you about this awesome new discovery that I made!

So I told you earlier this week that I put together a super cool Mickey Mouse party for my now 2 year old. I had so much fun planning this party, it’s ridiculous. This idea came to me when I was figuring out the color scheme.

I wanted RED Rice Krispie Treats. I was thinking what can make things red? Food coloring? Yes, but it’s weird sometimes when things are an unexpected color, but don’t taste any different. (Anybody remember the green ketchup years ago?) Kool-Aid? Maybe. J-ELLO! That’s it!

The rest is history y’all. I whipped up a batch of the original Rice Krispie Treats, but added a box of sugar-free Strawberry J-ELLO to the melted marshmallows before adding them to the Rice Krispies! They turned out delish. They remind me of the Crunch Berries in Cap ‘N Crunch cereal!

You should have seen me when I realized the possibilities. You can make them any flavor that you’d like! Simply add the box of J-ELLO to your melted marshmallows before mixing them with the Rice Krispies. Done deal.

And for the record, I was a teensy bit saddened that they didn’t end up red. I should’ve known that red and white make pink, DUH. Either way, I was very happy with the way they turned out.

Strawberry Rice Krispie Treats

Author: Pennywise Cook

Recipe type: Snack, Dessert

This simple trick can get you several different tasty flavors of marshmallow treats!

Ingredients

3 Tbsp Butter
4 Cups Mini Marshmallows
6 Cups Krispy Rice Cereal
1 Pkg Sugar-Free Strawberry J-ELLO Mix (or any flavor you like)

Instructions

In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in marshmallows and until melted.
Add package of J-ELLO and mix until disolved. Remove from heat.
Add the Rice Krispies and stir until well coated.
Place into a well-greased jellyroll pan or casserole dish and let set.
Cut into squares and enjoy!

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Filed Under: Appetizers and Snacks, Desserts, Kid-Friendly Tagged With: Crispie Treats, Krispie Treats, Marshmallow, Marshmallow Treats, Rice Crispie Treats, Rice Krispie Treats, Rice Krispies, Rice Treats, Snacks, Treats

Hot Boiled Peanuts: It’s a Southern Thang

May 16, 2013 By amy Leave a Comment

Sometimes you feel like a nut…

And sometimes you feel like a boiled nut.

My husband and I are doing the Daniel Fast right now. We’re on day 11 of 21 right now. If you’re not familiar with the Daniel Fast, I’ll sum it up by telling you some of the guidelines.

No meat, dairy, sugar or artificial sweeteners, leavened bread, or caffeine
You can have all vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, and whole grains
No fried foods
Only water to drink
It’s based on the book of Daniel in the Bible and 2 of his fasting experiences
It’s not only physical, but meant to be a spiritual experience

The first time that Daniel did this fast was for 10 days. The second time was for 21 days. We’ve done the 10-day before without issue so we’ve challenged ourselves to try the 21-day. It’s gone really well so far. Considering that my husband is a cheeseburger and french fry kinda guy, it’s VERY surprising how he gets along with this type of fast. Praise God!

And me? What do I do about my sweets you say? Well let’s just say that bananas and raisins are my best friend these days. Remember my Peanut Butter Choco-Banana Ice Cream? I can actually eat that on this fast! But I have to eat it out of a bowl instead of a cone. Darn…

But I digress…

We’ve also been eating a lot of nuts lately. Almonds and peanuts mostly. You can get these HUGE, I mean HUGE bags of salted and roasted peanuts (in-shell) at Sam’s Club for around $5. It’s amazing how much peanuts will fill you up while providing you with energy.

If you’re from the south or have visited the south before, you’ve probably heard of folks offering Boiled Peanuts. There are signs just about everywhere once you get into Alabamer (yes, Alabamer) and Misippi (yes, Misippi). No need to pronounce words correctly around here, we’re too busy enjoying our boiled peanuts. I wish I could insert an audio clip of how I say boiled for y’all. Words like coil, boil, toilet all come out of my mouth a little on the Paula Deen side. Oh who am I kidding? It sounds a LOT like Paula Deen says boil.

So with all the nuts we’ve been eating, I wanted a little change in the nut department. So I though why not boil them?

Since the Hamptom Farms peanuts that I bought were already salted, I knew I didn’t need to salt them again. And I didn’t want them swimming in a bunch of oil (once again, just imagine a little Paula Deen accent). So I used water!

1 big pot full of water, a huge amount of salted and roasted peanuts, and 5 hours later you have hot boiled peanuts good enough to make you slap yo mama! It honestly didn’t get any easier than that.

And we didn’t even have to make a trip down to Alabamer!

Hot Boiled Peanuts: It’s a Southern Thang

Author: Pennywise Cook

Recipe type: Snack, Appetizer

There is nothing to making hot boiled peanuts just like they make on those road-side stands in the south!

Ingredients

Any amount of in-shell roasted and salted peanuts
Water- to cover the entire amount of peanuts

Instructions

Place the amount of desired peanuts into a large pot.
Cover with water.
Bring to a boil, then lower the temp to a simmer.
Cover and let simmer for 4-5 hours or until the shells begin to give a little and the peanuts inside are soft.

Notes

You can of course get peanuts that aren’t salted already, just be sure to salt your water when boiling them.
Your water will evaporate throughout the boiling process, be sure to continue adding more hot water in order to keep the peanuts covered.

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Filed Under: Appetizers and Snacks, Healthy, Kid-Friendly Tagged With: Boiled Peanuts, Healthy Snacks, Homemade Boiled Peanuts, Hot Boiled Peanuts, Peanuts, Roasted Peanuts, Snacks

Stuffed Pizza Cupcakes

November 28, 2012 By amy 17 Comments

I’ve finally started Christmas shopping. Last year I had most of it done by the very first week in December. Yeah, I was a little nuts wasn’t I? Nuts or extremely genius I’d say. This year, I’m probably going to do a lot of my shopping online. Since I’ve stopped blogging at Saving with Amy, I’m very much less in-tune with the current deals and steals across the web.

It’s a weird feeling not being on top of the latest deals.

But my sanity is currently intact so I’m not going to complain. It took a long time to make my decision to quit blogging deals and in the end, it was best for me and my family. And now I get to spend my time making yummy food and fun DIY projects to share with you!

These, my friends, might just be your family’s new favorite snack. When I made these, I had no idea how excited that my family would get about them. They have been requested over and over again. Hubby even wants me to make some for him to take for lunches.

There is nothing better than making something that is requested a second time. Well at least in my book anyways.

I made these earlier in the day and just reheated them for dinner and they were perfect. You could just make them on demand, but I needed the daylight for my pictures. But it goes to show that these are great for making ahead of time for a party or lunches.

You start by rolling out a store-bought pizza dough. Get it as long and flat as you can. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

Next, spread about 1/2 a jar of pizza sauce over the entire pizza dough, leaving about an inch around the edges.

Then sprinkle the entire thing with mini pepperonis. I was going to use the regular size, but when I came across these, I thought they might work better for this. And I was right! So glad that I used the smaller. It made it possible to get a bite of pepperoni in each bite without them trying to separate.

Then cut the dough in half.

Place about 4-5 pieces of cut up string cheese across the dough like this.

Then proceed to roll the dough up. Once rolled, cut it into 1 inch pieces doing your best to keep all the fillings inside.

Place the rolled up pieces into a greased muffin pan with the swirled part facing up.

You’ll top with a little more mini pepperonis and some shredded cheese before baking. Then bake them up and you’re done!

SO amazingly yummy! Everyone will be bound to love these. Come on, pizza dough filled with sauce, pepperoni, and cheese? I think so!

4.0 from 2 reviews

Stuffed Pizza Cupcakes

Author: Pennywise Cook

Recipe type: Main Dish, Snack

5 simple ingredients lead to the tastiest of all cupcakes. STUFFED Pizza Cupcakes!

Ingredients

1 pkg Store-Bought Pizza Dough
½ Jar Pizza Sauce
1 c. Mini Pepperonis, Divided
½ c. Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
6 Mozzarella String Cheese, cut into 1 inch pieces

Instructions

Preheat oven according to pizza dough’s directions.
Begin by rolling out the pizza dough flat. Spread the pizza sauce over the dough, leaving 1 inch around the edges. Sprinkle with ½ c. mini pepperonis. Cut the dough in half.
Lay 4-5 pieces of string cheese across the dough, adding more as you roll. Do this with both of the pizza doughs.
Cut into 1 inch pieces and place in a greased muffin pan with the swirled side up.
Bake according to your pizza dough’s directions checking after about 12 minutes. When tops begin to brown, remove from oven.
Use a knife to separate from the pan and cool.

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Filed Under: Appetizers and Snacks, Cupcakes, Kid-Friendly, Main Dishes Tagged With: Cupcakes, Pizza, Pizza Cupcakes, Stuffed Crust, Stuffed Crust Pizza, Stuffed Cupcakes, Stuffed Pizza

Butterscotch Pretzel Treats

November 20, 2012 By amy 1 Comment

Thanksgiving is in TWO days! This year has just flown by. Have you finished all your big feast shopping? I sure hope so, because the stores are nuts about now. I was in a few stores the other day and just gave up. You know those trips to the store when you have only a couple of items. Then you get in line only to realize that for those 2 items you’ll have to wait in line for 20 minutes. That’s about the time that I start to justify whether or not it’s absolutely necessary that I get those items.

I usually just give up.

I wanted to share with you guys these awesomely yummy treats that I made the other day. When I’m feeling experimental, I pick up things I think might go well together and then kinda throw it together. As you know, sometimes it works well and other times, well, it completely bombs.

I’m human and a novice cook, so what can I say?

So this is why I was so very happy when these tasty Butterscotch Pretzel Treats turned out so yummy! So easy with just 4 simple ingredients and they take literally minutes to make.

They resemble that of rice krispie treats, but I used pretzels instead of the rice krispies. And oh did that make them yummy. I just love the hint of salty that you get with these sweet treats.

The first thing you want to do is get all of the pretzels out of the bag. The reason that I want to unscore pretzels is because the bag tends to have a ton of salt at the bottom, so don’t just pour the entire bag of pretzels into your ziploc. Use your hand to get them out leaving all the salt at the bottom of the bag.

Use meat mallet or something heavy to break up the pretzels a bit.

It’s really not essential that you make them super small. Just get them fairly broken and be done. Put them in a bowl.

Then it’s time to melt up your marshmallows with a little bit of milk. This may be the longest step in the whole process.

Pour the melted marshmallows in with the pretzels and use your spoon to mix it all up really well. There tends to be pretzel crumbs at the bottom, so make sure to incorporate those too.

Pour it all into a greased 9×13 dish and flatten out. Set that aside while you get the butterscotch going.

Using your preferred method, melt the butterscotch chips until smooth. Some people feel comfortable using the microwave, but I’m not good at that so I always use a make-shift double boiler for this.

Pour the melted chips over the marshmallowey pretzels and place in the refrigerator to set.

Cut into bars and serve! It’s so easy to make these and they are SO good. A nice little change from your everyday rice krispie treats, don’t ya think?

Butterscotch Pretzel Treats

Author: Pennywise Cook

Recipe type: Dessert, Snack

With only 4 ingredients, these Butterscotch Pretzel Bars and easy AND incredibly yummy!

Ingredients

1 12 oz Package Butterscotch Chips
1 12 oz Package Pretzel Sticks
1 10 oz Package Mini Marshmallows
2 Tbsp Milk

Instructions

Remove the pretzels from their bag and transfer to a large ziploc bag. Make sure to use your hands to remove them and not pour the entire bag in. This will avoid getting all of the salt into your treats.
Using something heavy, break the pretzels inside the ziploc until fairly small. Pour into a mixing bowl.
Place the milk into a large saucepan. Pour in marshmallows and melt over medium heat until smooth.
Pour the marshmallows into the pretzels and combine well. Making sure to get the pretzel crumbs incorporated well. Pour into a greased 9×13 dish and flatten with the back of a wooden spoon.
Meanwhile, melt bag of butterscotch chips in microwave or over a double boiler until smooth. Pour over pretzel mixture and spread completely over top.
Place in refrigerator to set. Cut into bars and serve!

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Filed Under: Appetizers and Snacks, Desserts, Kid-Friendly Tagged With: Butterscotch, Butterscotch Pretzel Treats, Butterscotch Pretzels, Butterscotch Treats, Desserts, Pretzel, Pretzel Treats, Rice Krispie Treats, Snacks, Treats

Ridiculously Easy Brown Bag Popcorn

November 13, 2012 By amy Leave a Comment

I wish I had a dime for all of the “duh” moments that I’ve had in my life. I will not go into any specifics with you, but just know that sometimes I’m not the brightest crayon in the box.

Now that I’ve thoroughly dissed myself, we’ll move on to this awesome new revelation that I’ve made! It’s been a long time, but a friend of mine guest posted on Saving with Amy about how to make your own popcorn. I remember reading it and thinking oh that’s neat and looks really easy. And then I just moved on with my life to never try it out for myself.

Not sure why I didn’t because I am HOOKED on this stuff now!

You see, to make about 8 or 9 cups of your very own popcorn, all you need is a brown bag like this one. You can get 50 of them at Dollar Tree for a buck! And you need 1/3 cup of unpopped kernels. You can also get these at Dollar Tree for a buck!

For $2, you’ll have popcorn coming out of your ears…

Have you ever looked inside one of those prepackaged bags of popcorn? There are all sorts of things in there that are pretty much unnecessary. Sure it’s nice to have salt or butter flavor, but with all the added fat too? This easy brown bag method makes it easy to make pure popped corn without adding any extra nonsense. In fact, I actually like it plain just like this. No butter or salt needed!

Just try it once and you’ll be hooked like me. It’s too incredibly simple not to.

Ridiculously Easy Brown Bag Popcorn

Author: Pennywise Cook

Recipe type: Snack

A brown paper sack and popcorn kernels are all you need to make your very own popcorn!

Ingredients

1 Brown Paper Bag
⅓ c. Unpopped Kernels

Instructions

Pour to kernels into the brown bag. Fold the top down about 2 times.
Place in microwave and heat on full power for 1:45- 2 minutes. This will depend on your microwave, but 2 minutes is about right for mine. Just stop it once there is about 2-3 seconds between kernel pops.

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Filed Under: Appetizers and Snacks, Healthy, Kid-Friendly, Kitchen Tips and Tricks Tagged With: Brown Bag, Kernels, Popcorn, Popcorn in a Brown Bag, Snacks

2-Ingredient Oreo Bark

November 5, 2012 By amy Leave a Comment

How did your family do with the time change? Everyone enjoy their extra hour of sleep at your place? With 2 girls under 5, there was no extra hour of sleep here. They just don’t cherish that hour like we do. I even had a conversation with my 5 year old the other night about how mommy and daddy like sleep. She just couldn’t grasp why we would enjoy wasting so much time with our eyes closed. That whole conversation was a lost cause. It never really went anywhere and contained no resolution for her.

Sometimes it’s better to just not try and explain things to a 5 year old, huh?

Last week, I had a hankering for something Oreo. I can’t ever bring myself to actually indulge in eating oreos, but I do like to make things containing them. Go figure. I had a package of white chocolate chips in the pantry and some individual packages of Oreos.

Can you say simple? That’s all that I needed to make this incredibly tasty candy bark. It took literally minutes to make and satisfied my Oreo hankering times 2.

I found myself eating so much of it that I sent it to work with the hubby. That’s my secret weapon, y’all. You notice sometimes I don’t always make “healthy” things. Those are usually the ones that I try to send away to a friend or to work with hubby.

It all starts with a cookie sheet covered in wax paper. Crumble up about 12 or so Oreos and lay them around the cookie sheet. Melt up your white chocolate chips and pour them over the Oreos. Smooth out and place in the freezer for about 10 minutes or so and YOU’RE DONE.

Does it get any easier?

This, my friends, would make a fantastic food gift for Christmas! Simple wrap it up in a fancy tin or treat bag and tie with a Christmas bow and you have one cheap and cheerful gift!

Who wouldn’t enjoy Oreo Bark?

2-Ingredient Oreo Bark

Author: Pennywise Cook

Recipe type: Dessert, Snack

With only 2 simple ingredients, you can make a Christmas gift or tasty snack within minutes!

Ingredients

12 or so Oreos (Crumbled)
1 (12 oz) Package White Chocolate Chips

Instructions

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Spread the crumbled Oreos around the sheet.
Melt entire bag of white chocolate chips according to the package or in a double boiler.
Once melted pour over the Oreo pieces and smooth out. Place cookie sheet in freezer for about 10 minutes and then break into pieces.

Notes

If you don’t have a double boiler to melt your chocolate chips, just use two sauce pans. Place hot water in the bottom one and the chocolate chips in the top. Bring the water to a rolling boil and melt the chips.

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Filed Under: Appetizers and Snacks, Desserts, Holiday, Party Ideas Tagged With: 2 Ingredients, 2-Ingredient, Bark, Candy Bark, Chocolate Bark, Christmas Gifts, Dessert, Food Gifts, Oreo Bark, Snack

Candy Corn Fudge

October 19, 2012 By amy 1 Comment

I realize that those of you out there who don’t like candy corn are probably cringing right now. But luckily for you, this fudge doesn’t actually taste like candy corn. And for those of us who do like candy corn, you can make some of this for your candy corn-hater friends and keep all of the actual candy corn for yourself. With Halloween just around the corner now, it’s everywhere!

For Christmas last year, my husband got me 6 bags of candy corn. He got a stellar deal on them after Halloween and put them up until Christmas. He knows the way to my heart.

True story.

And no, that’s not all that he got me.

This fudge isn’t for those watching their sugar. Or calories, or carbs at that. It’s high in everything I’m sure, but is a worthy splurge for the candy holiday. It also looks quite festive and makes a great party snack!

I can’t help but love this recipe because it only contains 4 simple ingredients. Needless to say that the steps are simple too! In total, it took me about 30 minutes, 1 dirtied mixing bowl, a dirtied measuring cup, and a major sugar high to make this. When I say major sugar high, I mean I ate waaaaay too much of the ingredients while making it.

Learn from my mistakes and don’t do it if you want to eat any of the actual fudge.

That’s a mix of white chocolate chips, marshmallows, and vanilla frosting. Who wouldn’t want to dive right into that?! This picture begins the layering process which is much easier than it sounds.

We’ve given the white a little time to cool and set and here comes the orange layer! It happens pretty fast.

And after finishing up the layering, you’ll be proud that you decided to use wax paper because it makes it super easy to remove from the pan and cut into perfect little fudge pieces!

This would be a great fun fall snack to make with the kiddos. Stirring in the coloring is the best part, aside from licking the spoon. I’ve always got an eager spoon-licker around here.

Here’s how to make it!

Candy Corn Fudge

Author: Pennywise Cook

Recipe type: Dessert, Snack

With just 4 ingredients, you can create fun and festive fudge that mimics the look of candy corn!

Ingredients

1 Package Mini Marshmallows
1 Tub Vanilla Frosting
1 12 oz Bag White Chocolate Chips
Orange and Yellow Food Coloring

Instructions

Line a square baking dish with wax paper.
st Layer:
In a large mixing bowl, place ¾ c. white chocolate chips, ¾ c. mini marshmallows, and ¼ c. + 2 tbsp vanilla frosting. Microwave on 50% power for 30 seconds. Remove and stir. Return to microwave and heat for another 30 seconds. Stir and pour into bottom of baking dish. Smooth out to all of the edges. Place in refrigerator to set for 10-15 minutes.
nd Layer:
Place the same ingredients in bowl and microwave as you did the other layer. Add orange food coloring to melted mix until you reach desired color. Pour onto cooled and set white layer. Smooth out to all edges and return to refrigerator for another 10-15 minutes.
rd Layer:
Place the same ingredients in bowl (use up the rest of the white chocolate chips, but you may have some leftover marshmallows and frosting) and microwave as you did the other layer. Add yellow food coloring to melted mix until you reach desired color. Pour onto cooled and set orange layer. Smooth out to all edges. At this point, I place mine in the freezer for 10-15 minutes for it to set really well.
Using wax paper, pull out from dish and cut into squares. Store in refrigerator to keep firm.

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Filed Under: Appetizers and Snacks, Desserts, Kid-Friendly, Party Ideas Tagged With: Candy Corn, Candy Corn Fudge, Candy Fudge, Fudge, Halloween Candy, Halloween Fudge

Peanut Butter Brownies

October 15, 2012 By amy Leave a Comment

I’m getting this yummy recipe up a bit late in the day. I apologize for my tardiness! But in my defense, I ran a half marathon this weekend. And when I said I ran, I mean I literally ran the entire time. My goal was to 1) finish and 2) not to walk at all. Needless to say, I was practicing the method of sitting for 24 hours or so after the race. I kid you not, I could barely walk that night! In the picture above, I was excited to put the 13.1 on my van.

It’s recipes like this one that are the reason that I run to begin with…

My daughter asked me the other day why I always make things with peanut butter. It got me thinking about how much I really do make things with peanut butter and she is exactly right. I have a deep love for the stuff.

Exhibit A:

I don’t think that’s too much peanut butter, do you?

I don’t ever think I’ve gotten opposition to making brownies in this house. In fact, every time I make them you can bet that they will be gone within a day. I have nothing at all against chocolate brownies, but my innovative mind was seeking a twist on regular brownies. Of course! What better than peanut butter to spice things up!

These brownies are really easy to make. The kiddos will surely want to help you out in the kitchen with these. And if not, they will definitely enjoy eating them! The batter is thick like you would expect a peanut butter batter to be. And there aren’t a billion ingredients so you won’t be stuck in the kitchen all day whipping them up.

The recipe calls for nuts on the top, but if your family isn’t fond of nuts, simply leave them off. I’ve always been under the impression that my Addie liked nuts. It was only after making these that I learned that she does not, in fact, like nuts. She brushed them off this go round, but I’ll leave them off next time.

I can’t wait to make these again. They really hit the spot when you’re craving that peanut buttery goodness.

Recipe adapted from Family Living: Our Favorite Cookies Cookbook.

Peanut Butter Brownies

Author: Adapted from Family Living: Our Favorite Cookies Cookbook

Recipe type: Dessert, Snack, Bar

Brownies aren’t always chocolate! Try this peanut butter version for a unique twist.

Ingredients

¾ c. Creamy Peanut Butter
½ c. Butter, softened
1 and ½ c. Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
1 egg
2 Egg Whites
2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 c. All-purpose Flour
½ c. White Whole Wheat Flour
1 and ½ tsp Baking Powder
⅛ tsp Salt
½ c. Chopped Peanuts (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the peanut butter with the butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth.
In a bowl, mix the flours, baking powder and salt together. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Blend well.
Grease a 9×13 baking dish. Spread batter into pan and sprinkle with peanuts (optional).
Bake for 15- 18 minutes until the edges begin to brown. Cool.

Notes

I used a little white whole wheat flour for my brownies to bump up the nutrition, but it’s perfectly fine to use only all-purpose. You would just use 1 and ½ c. total. Also, feel free to use whatever nuts that you have on-hand. I actually used walnuts because I was out of peanuts. Almonds or cashews would be lovely too.

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Filed Under: Appetizers and Snacks, Kid-Friendly Tagged With: Brownies, Desserts, Easy Brownies, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter Bars, Peanut Butter Brownies, Snacks

After School Snack: Frozen Peanut Butter Bananas

October 12, 2012 By amy 1 Comment

These days school is jam-packed full of learning, extra-curriculars, and even a taddy little bit of fun. They’ve even moved lunch time up for many kiddos to make room for other activities. Some children eat lunch at 10:00! What is this world coming to? But they are waking up at the crack of dawn so an early lunch isn’t so bad. But as parents we must be prepared to hear those impending words each afternoon….

I’m huuuuuungry. Can I have a snack?

Can you blame them? They have been busy for 7 HOURS. All of that icky math and science can really work up an appetite you know? The least that we can do is give them a snack. Here’s a simple snack idea for your busy student (or hungry parent!).

Start by cutting up a couple ripe bananas into bite-size pieces.

Microwave 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter and stir in 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder.

Dip each banana piece into the peanut butter and set on wax paper.

You can drizzle any leftovers on the tops if you’d like.

Freeze for at least an hour and you’re done!

Bing bang bong and you’ve got a very tasty (and healthy) snack! It’s a nice little change from chocolate-covered bananas. The peanut butter actually adds nutritional value with it’s healthy fats and boost of protein. Not to mention the potassium in the banana itself. But who cares about all that? The peanut buttery goodness with a hint of cocoa is super yummy!

Here they are after they are frozen. The peanut butter gets hard, but not as hard as chocolate would so you’ll want to eat them pretty quickly after removing them from the freezer. Ie- don’t leave them sitting around for long periods of time.

YUM!

After School Snack: Frozen Peanut Butter Bananas

Author: Pennywise Cook

Recipe type: Snack, Dessert

Frozen peanut butter bananas create a healthy afternoon snack!

Ingredients

2 Bananas, Cut into bite-size pieces
¼ c. Creamy Peanut Butter
½ tbsp Cocoa Powder

Instructions

Place peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for about 30 seconds to melt. Stir in cocoa powder until mixed well.
Dip banana pieces into peanut butter and place on wax paper. Drizzle remaining peanut butter over top if desired.
Freeze for at least an hour. Preferably 3-5 hours or longer.

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Filed Under: Appetizers and Snacks, Desserts, Healthy, Kid-Friendly Tagged With: After school, After school snacks, Afternoon snacks, Bananas, Frozen, Frozen Bananas, Peanut Bananas, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter Banana, Snacks

Sloppy Joe Stuffed Shells

October 10, 2012 By amy Leave a Comment

I am always on the lookout for ways to change up everyday meals. Meatloaf and pizza are good. Don’t get me wrong. But sometimes, they just get old and boring. I have a lot of fun experimenting with food. It’s kind of a hobby of mine. It’s why this blog exists!

Stuffed shells are a family favorite. There are so many variations and concoctions that you can stuff them with. My latest creation? Sloppy Joe Stuffed Shells.

Sloppy Joes are so simple to whip up on a week night for dinner, but guess what? They are sloppy! (whodathunkit?) I was thinking that if we could eat them in shells, they might stay contained and actually be easy to eat.

Hey, we could get rid of that sloppy and just call them Joes! Joe Stuffed Shells……hmmm. Nah. You could possibly call them Not-So-Sloppy Joe Stuffed Shells. That’s too long. I give up. We’ll stick with Sloppy Joe Stuffed Shells.

These aren’t made with the canned Sloppy Joe sauce. It’s homemade and extra easy. I even got to use a green pepper from my garden in it. I’m sure that you’re wondering about the cheese sauce on top there. Well, you see, my husband likes to add cheese to just about everything. And following suit, he asked if I could drizzle some cheese sauce on top of the shells too. I did this for him. Feel free to add it if you like, but they are still just as great without the cheese sauce.

Just as I suspected, these were quite neat to eat! Much neater than a messy old Sloppy Joe Sandwich. My husband isn’t a huge fan of Sloppy Joes themselves. We came to the conclusion after this meal that it was in fact, because they are sloppy. The shells make it really easy to keep all the yummy and sweet meat inside. Which means that you’ll most likely end up eating them with your fingers.

We did and we’re not ashamed!

The best part about this meal is that it’s super affordable. With the meat of your choice (ie ground beef, ground turkey, even chicken!), a few handy sauces, and simple spices, these shells comes together in no time and don’t even require baking.

Sloppy Joe Stuffed Shells

Author: Pennywise Cook

Recipe type: Main Dish,

Believe it or not, Sloppy Joes don’t have to be sloppy when you make them in shells like this!

Ingredients

½ Package Jumbo Shells (you can make an entire box, but you won’t need it)
1 lb Extra lean Ground Beef
½ c. Onion, chopped
½ c. Green Onion, Chopped
1 Clove Garlic, minced
¼ tsp salt
½ c. Ketchup
½ c. BBQ sauce (your choice)
2 tbsp Brown Sugar (I used Splenda Brown)
½ tsp Italian Seasoning
For Cheese Sauce
2 tbsp Butter
¼ c. Skim Milk
4 oz Cream Cheese
1 c. Shredded Cheddar Cheese (Reduced Fat)

Instructions

Prepare noodles according to package. Drain and set aside to cool.
In a large skillet, brown ground beef with onion and green pepper. Drain and add in all other ingredients. Simmer for 5-10 minutes or until warmed through.
Stuff shells with meat mixture.
For cheese sauce- melt butter in a small sauce pan. Add the skim milk. Melt in the cream cheese stirring until smooth. Add in shredded cheese until melted and smooth. Drizzle over stuffed shells.

Notes

These could even make little appetizers at a party!

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Filed Under: Appetizers and Snacks, Kid-Friendly, Main Dishes, Pasta Tagged With: Dinner, Easy Dinner, Jumbo Shells, Main Dish, Pasta, Sloppy Joe Pasta, Sloppy Joes, Sloppy Pasta, Sloppy Stuffed Shells, Stuffed Shells

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