Kid-Friendly Archives - Pennywise Cook

Chocolate Marshmallow Mousse

April 7, 2016 by amy 2 Comments

We hope that you enjoyed Pennywise Kids’ first video last week! We’re back with another and even more excited about this one.

Chocolate.

Marshmallow.

Mousse.

Need I say more? This mousse tastes very similar to Jason’s Deli’s chocolate mousse that you find on the salad bar. One of my favorite parts of going there.

It’s easy to make so the kids can help. And I love how light and fluffy it is. A great summer treat!

Chocolate Marshmallow Mousse

2016-04-07 11:11:03

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Ingredients

7 oz Milk Chocolate Bar (We used several smaller ones)
1 and 1/2 miniature marshmallows
1/3 c milk
1 c whipping cream (chilled)

Instructions

Place chocolate, marshmallows and milk into a large bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute.
Stir until melted. It's alright if the marshmallows aren't all melted. Set aside to cool to room temp.
Beat the whipping cream until stiff. Carefully fold into chocolate mixture until combined. It will lighten up.
Pour into serving dishes and chill for 1-2 hours. Serve and enjoy!

Adapted from Four Ingredient Cookbook

Pennywise Cook http://www.pennywisecook.com/

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Filed Under: Appetizers and Snacks, Desserts, Kid-Friendly, Pennywise Kids

Pennywise Kids- Pizza Tortillas

March 31, 2016 by amy 2 Comments

There’s a new chef in town! And she’s a kid!

Chef Addie will be joining me in sharing some fun and fabulous Pennywise recipes. We’re calling it Pennywise Kids!

Watch the very FIRST Pennywise Kids video below! The recipe from the video is also below.

Pizza Tortillas

2016-03-31 09:05:09

Serves 1

Any easy snack for kids!

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Prep Time

5 min

Prep Time

5 min

Ingredients

2 Flour Tortillas
7 or 8 Pepperonis
1 Tbsp Black Olives, Chopped
2 Pieces Provolone Cheese

Instructions

Lay your provolone cheese on one tortilla.
Next add pepperonis all around.
Then spread chopped black olives on top.
Add the other tortilla on top.
Microwave on high for 45 seconds.
Cut and serve!

By Chef Addie (Pennywise Kids)

Pennywise Cook http://www.pennywisecook.com/

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Filed Under: Appetizers and Snacks, Kid-Friendly, Pennywise Kids

Cheesy Cauliflower with Better Bakery Melts!

January 14, 2016 by amy Leave a Comment

The following is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Better Bakery. It is 100% my own opinion.

Better Bakery in front Well happy New Year to you! I am not used to this 2016 yet. It feels futuristic to write 2016. Am I the only one? So weird with that 6 there.

Did you make any resolutions? I made a few. To lose weight is one. Not that original, eh? I’ve got more, like to get my youngest to eat ~~anything~~ more veggies. Picky McPickerson she is.

What do you do when your daughter won’t eat her veggies? Throw CHEESE on it!

Cauliflower is already one of my go-to veggies because of the mild flavor and tenderness. But with cheese? I mean. Yaaaassss! And I love that you can grab them in the frozen food aisle and they are ready to prepare. Easy peasy lemon squeezy!

This cauliflower is bound to turn Picky McPickerson into Veggie McVeggieson. You want to know how cheesy it is? My daughters thought it was Mac & Cheese!

Did you happen to catch that super tasty looking stuffed sandwich there in the front? Of course you did. It’s pretty magnificent. Oh. My. Goodness. This is something new I found that has quickly become a family fave- Better Bakery Artisan Melts.

The bread on the outside looks like a pretzel and even sorta tastes like a pretzel, but it’s artisan bread. Heaven on a plate and the ultimate main dish to the Cheesy Cauliflower side. My favorite kind of Better Bakery Artisan Melt was the Chicken & Bacon Club. It is so good! I was pretty impressed at how closely the sandwich matched the picture on the box. That just doesn’t happen with some products.

These handcrafted artisan melts are made by bakers who are committed to the Better Bakery art and want to make better food. How nice that? They truly love what they do and make a quality product that reflects that!

The Cheese & Pepperoni Pizza kind was also tasty! They are a great quick and easy lunch or dinner idea when you’re in a hurry.

You can pick them up in the freezer section of your grocery store. I found them at Walmart! Better Bakery stands by it’s promise of “Always Handcrafted” with each sandwich hand cut, rolled, topped, and picked.

You can get a coupon for $1.50 off 1 Better Bakery Artisan Melts and locate a retailer near you, here!

To make those, it’s as easy as popping them into the oven or microwave. The recipe for the Cheesy Cauliflower is below! Here’s to the new year with successful resolutions!

Cheesy Cauliflower

2016-01-14 09:45:07

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Ingredients

1 (16 oz) pkg Frozen Cauliflower
1 c. Cream of Chicken Soup
1 c. shredded cheese
3 tbsp milk
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°.
Cook cauliflower according to directions. Place in small baking dish. Add salt and pepper.
Mix together the soup, milk, and cheese. Pour and spread over cauliflower.
Bake for 10 minutes.

Notes

I tweaked this recipe a little. The original recipe called for an entire can of cream of chicken and more milk, but I found it wasn't need so I reduced amounts. Feel free to play with seasonings!

By Four Ingredient Cookbook

Adapted from Four Ingredient Cookbook

Pennywise Cook http://www.pennywisecook.com/

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Filed Under: Appetizers and Snacks, Kid-Friendly, Main Dishes, Reviews, Sides and Vegetables, Sponsored Tagged With: artisan melts, better bakery, cheese & pepperoni pizza, chicken & bacon club, sandwich

Birthday Cake Crispy Treats

August 13, 2015 by amy Leave a Comment

Long time now see, eh? Only since February. That’s not too long is it? Nah. We’re all busy folks.

How have you been? That’s good to hear.

I’ve been doing well. Just a teensie bit busy, but good. I have been thinking about you and how I have left you hanging for months without a recipe. Then today, I whipped up something that I thought was worth sharing.

And here we are!

These, ladies and gentlemen, are Birthday Cake Crispy Treats. Made with all the same ingredients regular crispy treats are, except cake mix is added.

And sprinkles.

They are incredibly simple, uber tasty, and contain enough sugar to send you to the moon.

My 4 year old helped me in the kitchen to make these today. She is a great spoon-licker! And I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but I am too.

Birthday Cake Crispy Treats

2015-08-13 12:34:09

Birthday Cake flavored Crispy Treats!

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Ingredients

4 tbsp Butter
1 Bag (10 oz) Mini Marshmallows
1/2 c. Dry Yellow Cake Mix
5 c. Crispy Rice Cereal
1 Container Sprinkles

Instructions

In a large sauce pan, melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows.
When the marshmallows begin to melt, remove from heat and add dry cake mix.
Stir in cereal until its coated well with marshmallow mixture. Sprinkle in half of the sprinkles. (Don't over-stir or the sprinkles colors will bleed)
Press the mixture into a greased baking dish. Top with the other half of the sprinkles.
Wait at least 30 minutes before cutting and serving.

Notes

Before you stir the cereal together with the marshmallow mixture, you might spray the spoon with cooking spray to avoid sticking.

Adapted from Gimme Some Oven

Pennywise Cook http://www.pennywisecook.com/

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Filed Under: Appetizers and Snacks, Desserts, Kid-Friendly, Party Ideas

Valentine’s Day Granola Cookies

February 12, 2015 by amy Leave a Comment

I’m a pretty big fan of granola. Are you?

I bet you didn’t know that nothing says Happy Valentine’s Day more than granola.

It’s true.

When you make these Valentine’s Day Granola Cookies, it’s like a big old gigantic bear hug of Valentine’s Day goodness. For one because you can make them into cute and adorable little hearts. And for two because you’ll make them healthier for your favorite Valentine.

These tasty cookies are made using better for you ingredients, so you can feel good about making these for your Valentine.

I recently read a research study that showed that corn oil is better at lowering cholesterol than extra virgin olive oil! You learn something new every day!

I like to use Mazola® Corn Oil because it has a neutral flavor and lets the other flavors in my cooking and baking stand out. Mazola® Corn Oil made a great addition to the granola cookies that I made. I’ve also used to it to make breaded chicken and stir-fry.

I have a special tip for you. Happy Valentine’s Day from me. I love you. Yes, I do! I can’t take all the credit for it. I saw this on Rachael Ray recently and thought it was genius so I had to share.

Sticky stuff like honey is so hard to measure out and then get out of the measuring cup. You lose some as you pour it out because it sticks. I never feel like I get all the honey out. Here’s a tip:

Put plastic wrap into your measuring cup
Fill with desired honey (or sticky substance like corn syrup)
Bunch at the top.
Snip off a small hole and squeeze out every last drop.
Throw away plastic wrap and have a CLEAN measuring cup with no honey lost in the process!

Genius, right? LIFE-changing!

The Mazola® Corn Oil does a great job holding all my wet ingredients together. The egg whites and honey kinda want to go off and do their own gloppy goo mess, but the oil man. It keeps the harmony.

I will not lie to you, Valentine. I did eat from this very spoon.

Here is yet another genius idea. I KNOW! I really, really love you.

Put a cookie cutter on parchment paper (that’s on a cookie sheet). Spray it with a taddy bit of cooking spray to keep from sticking. Then spoon in your granola and pat down. Remove your cookie cutter and you have your heart-shaped cookie.

I was so happy with how they turned out. I was going for a cookie-like texture and not a granola bar and this was exactly what I got!

I’ll be making these often. I love how versatile they are. You can add in raisins or nuts or whatever you’d like. I added a few chocolate chips to these and red sprinkles on top to be festive. You can certainly leave them out to keep them better for you.

Check out more research facts about the benefits of Corn Oil and be sure to check out Mazola®, too!

Valentine's Day Granola Cookies

2015-01-26 12:55:03

Yields 15

Skip the chocolate and try these better for you granola cookies instead!

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Ingredients

2 and 1/2 c old fashioned oats
1 c crisp rice cereal
1/2 Mazola® Corn Oil
1/4 pure honey
2 egg whites
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°.
Mix together oats, cereal, and chocolate chips.
Wisk together oil, honey, egg whites, and vanilla.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Place greased cookie cutter on parchment paper and scoop in granola. Flatten and remove. Repeat until all granola is used.
Bake 15 minutes or until sides begin to brown.

By Pennywise Cook

Pennywise Cook http://www.pennywisecook.com/

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Filed Under: Appetizers and Snacks, Cookies, Desserts, Gift Ideas, Healthy, Kid-Friendly, Sponsored

Easy Fried Rice

January 23, 2015 by amy 3 Comments

When my hubby and I were dating, he wouldn’t eat anything but cheeseburgers.

True story.

Date nights with candlelit quarterpounders? Pretty much. He didn’t like anything green, and he especially didn’t like anything foreign.

That is, until you sit him down at a place called Benihana and feed him fried rice. It’s the one thing “foreign” that I could always count on him to eat.

Thankfully he has outgrown most of his picky pants stage and likes to eat a variety of things. But that fried rice is still the only thing he’ll order at a Thai, Chinese, or Japanese place.

I started making this rice soon after we got married for two specific reasons. I just remembered another, so there’s really three.

1) It’s easy. It’s not something you have to think too much about. Just throw it all together in a skillet and boom!

2) It’s really quick. No need to slave over the stove all night.

3) Hubby eats it. Reason enough for me!

This is the perfect meal or side dish to make with leftover rice. It’s best when the rice has been refrigerated and is cold. I have been known to make rice the night before just for this meal.

It really confuses my family.

And then they understand when we have this meal the next night!

I make this with whatever frozen veggies that I can find on sale. Fresh veggies? Of course you can use them, too! It’s such a versatile and easy thing. You can’t mess it up. The variety that I got had sugar snap peas, green beans, red peppers, celery, mushrooms, broccoli, carrots, and onions in it.

Slap an egg in there with your cold rice and add some soy and teriyaki sauce and you have got a really tasty dish.

Here’s the way that I make it, but remember that you can add or take away whatever you’d like.

Simple Fried Rice

2015-01-22 19:55:52

Why not make your own fried rice at home? It's simple, tasty, and easy on your wallet!

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Ingredients

2 c. brown rice, cooked
1 (12 oz) bag of frozen veggies (stir fry mix is good)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 egg, scrambled
2 tsp minced garlic
1-2 tbsp soy sauce
1-2 tbsp teriyaki sauce
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat in large skillet.
Add frozen veggies and cook until softened.
Add garlic and cook until browned.
Add egg and cook combining into veggies.Then add the cold rice.
Fry over high heat. Add soy and teriyaki. Add salt & pepper to taste.

By Pennywise Cook

Pennywise Cook http://www.pennywisecook.com/

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Filed Under: Healthy, Kid-Friendly, Main Dishes, Meatless, Sides and Vegetables

Zucchini Brownies {3 Ingredients}

January 12, 2015 by amy 14 Comments

The weekend is over.

How do you like that reality? I don’t like it at all. Seems as though I find myself saying almost every single Sunday evening, that I don’t know where the weekend went. It’s gone in a vapor. Such is life I suppose.

So why not make some brownies to make life more enjoyable?

Warm, gooey, chocolatey brownies. Yes, I think that would make a great Sunday evening pick me up.

Oh, what’s that you say? You’re trying to eat healthier? I got you covered…

These brownies have a secret ingredient that I makes them healthy. Something that some like and some don’t.

And believe me, if you’re the person that doesn’t like this ingredient, it won’t matter.

I promise.

You see, these brownies are made with zucchini. Yep, that green, tender, cucumber look-alike stuff. You won’t be able to tell that it’s in them.

I’m not sure that anyone would ever request that big measuring cup of green goo to be placed into their brownies. If you don’t tell them, they won’t even know.

I did just that. I made these for my family. They gobbled them up with their normal brownie enthusiasm.

“Mmmmm I love brownies.”

“These are so good!”

Then after they’ve had their fill, I break the news out on them like a spider monkey.

“You just ate zucchini and you didn’t know it!”

{insert evil veggie sneaking laugh there}

So you see, you have just became a zucchini ninja. Turning dessert time in vegetable time.

With the quickness. There are only 3 ingredients in the brownies which makes them extra easy and extra quick.

A box of brownie mix. A cup of that green goo, which is just pureed zucchini. And a 3rd cup of milk (any kind you’d like).

Ninja. Yep.

Zucchini Brownies

2015-01-12 05:44:09

3 ingredients including a VEGGIE makes dessert time healthy and tasty!

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Ingredients

Box of brownie mix (18.3- 18.9 oz)
1 cup pureed zucchini
1/3 cup milk (of your choice)

Instructions

Preheat oven to degree listed on brownie mix.
Mix together mix, puree, and milk.
Pour into greased 9x13 baking dish.
Bake according to directions on brownie mix.

Notes

I used almond milk to cut calories in my brownies. Tasted great!
To puree your zucchini, cut it into chunks and throw it into a blender, food processor, or magic bullet thingy.

By Pennywise Cook

Adapted from Frugal Foodie Mom

Pennywise Cook http://www.pennywisecook.com/

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Filed Under: Desserts, Healthy, Kid-Friendly

Turkey and Dressing Enchiladas

November 19, 2014 by amy 29 Comments

When I think of Thanksgiving, the very first thought that comes to mind is FOOD. I think that’s what most people think of. I mean that’s what it was all about back in the day. The Pilgrims and the Indians shared a meal together to show their thanks for helping them to survive once they arrived in America. They gathered around FOOD.

Food is almost always the centerpiece. Birthdays (cake), Christmas (cookies and Ham), showers (finger foods), potlucks (things covered in butter or cheese), etc. You get the idea. We are a culture that is built around enjoying our food.

As a mom now, I also see the other part of it. It’s also about the time that you put into it all. Blood, sweat, and turkey tears at Thanksgiving!

Luckily, I have a recipe for you today that might just present an alternative to the usual Thanksgiving all-day affair. It’s not your everyday, full-blown turkey extravaganza, but it’s pretty and would make a great meal if you’re having people over around the holidays. And if you’re not in the mood for spending hours in the kitchen on a normally very busy day, this might be right up your alley too!

Turkey and dressing go hand in hand. Why not snuggle them up close together? (For the record, this is actually a picture of ham and dressing) Prepare your dressing according to the package or recipe and then lay out sliced turkey (or ham). Plop your dressing right down in the middle. They’re going to warm up real nice together in the oven…

It’s time to cuddle y’all! Tightly roll inward trying to keep that dressing from falling out the sides. If it falls out, just stuff that dressing right back into the sides.

We had some leftover dressing, so I just sprinkled it all over the top. I have turkey on the left here and ham on the right. I normally make this with turkey, but I had a request from the hubs to try it with ham.

Using your favorite turkey gravy (yes you can just make it too!), pour it ALL over the top of your rolls. Oh my goodness, this is when it gets sooooo tasty!

This is what it looks like right before you pop it into the oven.

Turkey…

Dressing…

Gravy…

…all in one yummy delicious place.

It’s a beautiful presentation and worthy of company. I make it for my family and every time I say I need to have somebody over so I can make this for them!

I haven’t tried yet, but I think it would be yummy to add in some cranberry sauce to a few. What gorgeous color that would add to the dish!

Make this yourself and let me know what you think!

Turkey and Dressing Enchiladas

2014-11-19 05:46:17

A simple dish made with simple ingredients, but doesn't actually look like it was simple to make! Turkey and dressing make a special cuddle in the oven to create this tasty dish!

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Ingredients

1 (6 oz) box dressing- Or make your own!
1 (12 oz) jar or can turkey gravy- Or make your own!
14-16 pieces of thick-sliced deli turkey

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°.
Make dressing according to package (or recipe) directions. Let cool.
Drop a large spoonful onto a slice of turkey. Roll inward tightly and place seam side down in a casserole dish. Repeat until all slices are stuffed and rolled.
Pour gravy over all of the rolls evenly.
Bake 25-30 minutes.

Notes

I have made this with both think and thick turkey slices. If I am using thinner pieces, I double them up.
We used ham with some of them this time around. It was a hit!
Feel free to make your own dressing and gravy (especially if you already planning to do so), this is just a quicker way!

By Pennywise Cook

Adapted from The Four Ingredient Cookbook

Pennywise Cook http://www.pennywisecook.com/

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Filed Under: Holiday, Kid-Friendly, Main Dishes Tagged With: dressing, enchiladas, stuffing, thanksgiving, thanksgiving enchiladas, thanksgiving recipe, thanksgiving recipes, turkey, turkey and dressing, turkey and dressing enchiladas

Apple Dip

November 3, 2014 by amy 2 Comments

When I was young, our neighbor had an apple tree in their yard. I remember first finding out that the tree had apples on it. I ran over there and picked me one and took a big bite out of it. And then I realized…this was no regular apple tree. It was a tree of crab apples. Have you ever had a crab apple? They are not so good. Very sour, hard, and give you a sore tummy.

Now regular apples, I love. I’m more of a green apple eater than red, but I’ll eat whatever I can get. And I adore dips for my apples. Just a big dollop of peanut butter and a juicy slice of apple can make my day.

Fall is the season when apples are ready for harvest. Though I find them just as juicy and fresh anytime of year at the grocery store. And they don’t seem to vary too much in price, which is nice.

I’ve got a dip for you today that you’re going to love. After we ran out of apples, we used our fingers to scrape the rest of the dip off the bowl. It’s so good.

This dip is very similar to 2-Ingredient Fruit Dip, but the ingredients are a little different.

It’s a simple mixture of cream cheese (you know its going to be good), brown sugar, vanilla extract, and sour cream. Yeah, that sour cream gives it a creaminess. Love it.

I love this dip for get togethers. It would be really great to buy a bunch of different types of apples, slice them, and put them on a platter with this dip in the middle. You would have so many colors!

Just make sure that you don’t get any crab apples.

Oh yeah and, you don’t just have to eat this with apples. It’s amazing with any fruit! The recipe was originally called “Caramel Fruit Dip”, so I was going to pair it with apples thinking, you know, apples and caramel are wonderful together. After eating it, it does not have that caramel taste I was expecting. But it is still a wonderful partner for apples!

Apple Dip

2014-10-31 12:30:47

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Ingredients

1 (8 oz) pkg Cream Cheese, Softened
1/2 c. Brown sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
1 c. Sour cream

Instructions

Mix all ingredients together with mixer and chill. Serve!

Notes

I used 1/3 less fat cream cheese and fat free sour cream and this still tasted wonderful!

By Pennywise Cook

Adapted from The Four Ingredient Cookbook

Pennywise Cook http://www.pennywisecook.com/

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Filed Under: Appetizers and Snacks, Desserts, Healthy, Kid-Friendly Tagged With: apple, apple dip, apples, dip, easy fruit dip, fruit, fruit dip, Recipes

Family Christian Dress Like A Veggie Event

October 18, 2014 by amy 1 Comment

I cook with them quite often, but I must admit that I’ve never dressed like one. If the “you are what you eat” thing were true, I would most definitely be an edamame bean.

Or a cob of corn.

Or broccoli.

Honestly, I would probably be a new breed of veggie. Like a tomcobbrocame. This would be pronounced: Tom-cob-broc-ah-may. I’m so good at this that I could start a new language. Veggie language! YES!

Let’s move on shall we?

I know you guys are always looking for a good deal and also for a FREEBIE so I wanted to share this awesome contest happening through Family Christian stores! This may take some creativity so put your thinking caps on.

We are huge VeggieTales fans around here. I have been since I was young. I sound like an old fart referring to when I was young, don’t I? I’ve been a fan for a long time, but not too long if you know what I mean. ANYWHO! Family Christian is proud to announce their Dress Like A Veggie Event at ALL of their locations!

Here are the details:

When: Friday, October 31st 2014
Where: At ALL Family Christian Stores (find a location near you)
What to do: Dress like a veggie, take a photo in-store, post it to their Twitter and/or Instagram using the hastag #FCVeggies and tagging @FamilyChristian

The grand prize winner will receive a $250 gift card to Family Christian. FIVE runner ups will receive $50 appreciation certificates.

Your child does NOT have to dress like a VeggieTales veggie, just any veggie to qualify. You must have at least ONE child dressed up to enter the contest.

And ALL children that stop by during the Dress Like A Veggie Event will receive small goodies!

You can find some great costume inspiration on this Pinterest board. I know you guys are creative so see what you can come up with! This is so exciting, I know my girls are going to be stoked.

They’ve always wanted to dress up like a cucumber you know…they just never knew it.

This post is written by me on behalf of myself and Family Christian Stores. All opinions expressed are 100% mine.

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Filed Under: Deals and Coupons, Freebies, Kid-Friendly, Random Blurbs, Sides and Vegetables, Sponsored Tagged With: christian, Family Christian, veggie, Veggies, veggietales

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