Tasty Tuesday - Avocado Black Bean Burritos

When I was younger, as in birth to 5 years ago, I hated avocado. I didn't like it plain or in guacamole. I straight up wanted nothing to do with it. I tried a few guacamoles over the years that I didn't completely hate, but I always ordered my Mexican food with no guac. Then Chipotle opened, and my life changed forever. Their guacamole is one of the best things that ever happened to my mouth. I love it, and even better, so do H and B.

I gave straight avocado a try again, and I found that I now love it on everything. Avocado spread on a sandwich, chunks in a salad, or even just spooning it from the peel right into my mouth. I am having a love affair with avocado, and I hope it never ends.

In my search for all things avocado, I came across a burrito recipe on Pinterest that looked oh so good. Fried chicken, sour cream, lots of avocado, and cheese all wrapped up in a warmed burrito. It was a big let down. Like major. I loved the idea of letting avocado be the star, so I got to recipe tweaking, and what I came up with was fabulous. So simple, but so good!! I made a chicken version and a vegetarian version. Rob and I both agreed that the vegetarian version made with spicy black bean burgers was tastier than with chicken.

One of by best girl friends in a vegetarian, so we subjected our friends to this on The Walking Dead night a couple weeks ago. Everyone ate at least two burritos, so I'd say it was a hit. A major plus for me is that it only takes a couple minutes of prep time, and cooking the burritos doesn't take long either. Quick and easy.

My not so fabulous rolling skills

Avocado Black Bean Burritos

4 pack Morning Star Farms Spicy Black Bean Burgers
2 ripe avocados
1 lime
7 oz pico de gallo
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
8 tortillas
oil or butter for frying

1. Cook spicy black bean burgers on stove according to package instructions. One cooked, cut into cubes, approximately 16 pieces per burger. Place cut up burger into a large mixing bowl.

2.Cut avocado into cubes. Place in bowl.

3. Add cheese and pico to bowl. Squeeze lime juice into bowl. Mix thoroughly.

4. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. coat pan with oil or butter.

5. Spoon mixture onto tortillas and roll into closed burritos.

6. Cooking two or three at a time, place burritos in pan. Cover and cook until lightly browned. approximately 2 minutes on each side. Repeat until all burritos are cooked.

Notes: The black bean burgers can be cooked in the microwave, but cooking them on the stove top gives them a crispiness that adds a nice textural element. If you prefer not to use black bean burgers, you can use chicken instead, as is shown in some of the pictures. I used 1 large chicken breast and cooked it with taco seasoning in the crockpot. Any Hispanic variation on the chicken would turn out well, I assume. If you like a lot of heat, adding a diced jalapeno would complement this dish very well.

These will definitely be going into the rotation. I have a big thing for Mexican food, and would probably eat it 6 nights a week, no problem. I need at least one night for pasta, but otherwise I could live on burritos, enchiladas, Mexican casseroles, and quesedillas. Pretty much anything that involves corn, beans, salsa, spice, and of course avocado.

A huge thank you to everyone that entered our Ry + Rue Kids giveaway. Congrats to our winner, Dagmar Moretti! Check your email for how to redeem your shop credit.

Tasty Tuesday - Toasted Marshmallow Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cookies. They are pretty high on my list of favorite treats. Right behind cupcakes and ice cream. And if you can mix ice cream with cookie,s even better. But that's not where this post is going. Traditional chocolate chips cookies are pretty heavenly right? Especially when they're warm out of the oven. So why mess with perfection? Because Nutella, that's why.

It's no secret that I LOVE Nutella. I have a Pinterest board dedicated solely to Nutella, and even threw a Nutella party a couple years ago. I stumbled across this recipe on Pinterest over the weekend, and decided this was the perfect way to mix up the usual Toll House recipe.

I'm not going to share a recipe for the cookie, because I just followed the recipe on the bag. I used milk chocolate chips. You'll need the usual cookie ingredients plus Nutella and jumbo marshmallows.

Toasted Marshmallow Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

1. Make your preferred chocolate chip cookie dough.

2. Drop spoon fulls of dough onto a silicone baking mat, or parchment paper. I rolled my dough into balls, but that isn't necessary.

3.Make a small indentation in the top of the cookies.

4. Spoon in Nutella. Approximately 1/2 tsp per cookie.

5. Top with 1/2 jumbo marshmallow.

6. Bake for 10 minutes at 375.

7. Let cool on the pan for a couple minutes, and then devour. Or move to a cooling rack. Your choice, although I recommend option 1.

Notes: Bake time may differ if you are using a recipe other than Toll House. I did use half a marshmallow for my first go round, but when I make them again I will probably use a whole one. The bites with toasted marshmallow are the most delicious, and there's no such thing as too much gooey goodness.

It only took an extra 5 minutes total to add the extra steps for these cookies, and it was definitely worth it. It added so much extra to the already delicious warm chocolate chip cookie. If you don't keep Nutella and marshmallows in your house at all times, I recommend you start now. So worth it.

Nutella Stache

And if you like the looks of this recipe, you'll love these Nutella S'more Bars.

Tasty Tuesday - Tuscan Tortellini Stew

As anyone in the northern half of the country knows, it's freezing right now. It's so cold out that Brooke is mostly refusing to walk on her own because her face hurts from the air. We will be spending the majority of this week avoiding the outdoors and dreaming about summer. I'm ready for 80 degrees and sunny, but at this point I'd settle for 30 and partly cloudy.

When I was pregnant with the twins, one of my best friends asked me what she could make for us. My immediate response was Tuscan Tortellini Stew. This is a long loved favorite of mine, and it only took me about 5 years to get the recipe from her. It's a crockpot recipe which is always a plus. My new 6 quart crockpot is my favorite thing to cook with, well aside from our grill, but it's not getting much use right now.

I modified the original recipe and added double the tortellini. Two year olds are picky, and most days pasta is a guaranteed food. Squash however is not. I didn't add extra vegetables when I made this, but only because my crockpot was already full. If I have more room next time, I'll probably add carrots and some extra green beans.

Tuscan Tortellini Stew


1 (2lb) Butternut squash - peeled, seeded and cut into 1"cubes
1 large zucchini, sliced and quartered
1 large yellow squash, sliced and quartered
1 large onion, diced
1 red pepper, chopped
4 oz fresh green beans cut into 2" pieces
1 28oz can crushed or diced tomatoes
32 oz vegetable broth
2 Tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
4 coves garlic, minced or pressed
1 tsp salt
20oz package fresh cheese tortellini
5oz package baby spinach

1. Prep all vegetables.

2. Place all ingredients, except tortellini and spinach, in a 5 or 6 quart crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or high for 3.

3. Turn crockpot to high. Stir in tortellini and cook for 15 minutes.

4. Stir in spinach and cook for another 5 minutes.

5. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

Notes: If you like a little spice to your food, crushed red pepper is a great garnish. I do prefer this fresh from the crockpot, but it also freezes very well and keeps in the fridge for up to a week.

Tasty Tuesday - Favorite Chicken Nuggets

So who else has a picky eater? Pretty much every toddler mom on the planet? Yeah, I thought so. I consider myself rather lucky when it comes to the toddler food battle. We have a few vegetables that the kids will always eat. Hummus is one of their top three favorite foods. Bananas and berries disappear in this house almost as quickly as I can buy them. Overall, it's not a terrible situation.

However, as soon as it's time to sit down for dinner, all bets are off. Even if I fed them ice cream, macaroni and cheese, and french fries for dinner, someone would decide they don't like cheese or ice cream. That kind of stuff happens on the regular. Brooke in particular is great at declaring the food she devoured last week is something she doesn't like this week. Unless it's nuggets with sauce.

Chicken nuggets and french fries. The toddler dinner of champions. I'm sure H and B would be content with the Chik Fil A drive through 6 nights a week. Naga, naga, not gonna happen. When it comes to at home options, we avoid the frozen nuggets, except for the occasional Mickey nuggets from Grandma. We have found that a slightly varied version of Bisquick's Ultimate Chicken Fingers recipe is a guaranteed eat in this house hold. Pair them with sweet potatoes fries and BBQ sauce, and the kids will actually sit at the table and eat for 10 solid minutes.

Favorite Chicken Nuggets

1 - 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
2/3 cup Bisquick
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 egg
1 TBSP melter butter (optional)


1. Preheat oven to 450. Trim chicken breasts as needed. Cut into thin slices or cubes as desired.

2. Mix all dry ingredients in a 1 gallon ziploc bag.

3. Whisk egg in small bowl until mixed.

4. Dip chicken in egg and then shake in ziploc bag until fully coated. I do a few pieces at a time.

5. Place coated chicken on a silicone baking sheet or aluminium foil sprayed with cooking spray.

6. Bake at 450 degrees for 12-14 minutes.

7. Remove from oven and brush with melted butter if desired.

Notes: You can add to and mix up the seasonings if desired. I used 1/2 tsp of onion powder when I made this batch. I didn't think it added anything to it, so I left it off the ingredients list. Adding Italian seasoning would give the chicken a good flavor. The original recipe calls for you to melt the butter and drizzle over the chicken before baking, but I prefer it after.

When it comes to sweet potato fries, we either use Simple Truth or Alexia frozen fries. I used to make them myself, but ain't nobody got time for that. You can find my "recipe" for those on
this post.

Tasty Tuesday - Mixed Vegetable and Sausage Soup

I love soup. Now that Brooke and Harrison have learned the art of dunking bread in their broth, they love soup too. A hot bowl of soup paired with a baguette on a cold Indiana day always hits the spot. I made multiple batches of a few of our favorite soups a couple weekends ago, and froze a bunch. Even with enough frozen soup to last us a couple weeks, I still wanted to give this one a go. 

We first tried this at my uncle's house over Christmas. It was super delish, so I asked for the recipe. The original recipe used a couple canned soups, and I wanted to deviate from that. The flavor was great though, and the main ingredients are things the kids will happily eat. Broccoli and carrots are pretty much guaranteed edible vegetables where H and B are concerned, so we eat them a lot. And Harry LOVES sausage. He definitely gets that from me, or my dad. Smoked sausage was, and still is, a staple at my parent's house. 

So, a few tweaks here and there, and I am pretty darn happy with the outcome of this one. An added plus, since the recipe uses pre cooked sausage it's easy to make last minute if you didn't plan ahead, something I do far too often. This one will definitely be making it into our soup rotation.

Mixed Vegetable and Sausage Soup

Makes 8 servings

Prep time - 10 minutes

Cook time - 30-40 minutes

Ingredients

6 tablespoons butter
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 small onion, diced
6 tablespoons flour
2 1/2 cups milk
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder

3 large carrots, sliced
10-16 oz broccoli
10-16 oz cauliflower
1 or 2 lbs smoked sausage

Directions:

1. Prep all vegetables.

2. Melt butter in large pot over medium heat.

3. Add onion and celery to butter. Cook for 5 minutes, or until fragrant and softened.

4. Whisk in flour. Cook until starting to brown.

5. Slowly whisk in milk, keeping smooth.

6. Whisk in broth, then add cheese and sesonings. While continuously stirring, bring to a boil.

7. Add vegetables. Cook for 10 minutes.

8. Add sausage and cook until vegetables and tender and sausage is warmed through.

9. Serve hot and enjoy with a side of crusty bread.

Notes: You can use fresh or frozen vegetables. I used a mixture of both because I had some fresh cauliflower and carrots that needed to be used. Cooking time will vary depending upon the use of fresh or frozen. I used two pounds of Eckrich turkey sausage. Using one pound will let the veggies take more of center stage. Using flavored sausages would change the flavor and add more dimension to the soup. I think spicy sausage may be used on our next go round. We have recently learned how great the take and bake baguettes from the grocery are. I highly recommend serving one with this soup.

Tasty Tuesday - Crockpot Chicken and Noodles

I have fond memories of eating chicken and noodles every time I visited an old friend from school. It seemed like every time I came over for dinner, her mom made chicken and noodles. Maybe I just enjoyed it so much that it's all I ever remember eating when I joined them for dinner. The noodles were always frozen egg noodles and it was served with a heaping side of mashed potatoes.

I recently had a friend tell me noodles served with mashed potatoes is a Midwest thing. She also told me it  gross, which I refuse to believe. A double dose of carbs is definitely not gross. I also love my mom's homemade beef and noodles served over mashed potatoes. Another double dose or carbohydrate goodness. A Midwest thing or not, I love it.

I unfortunately don't have time to do homemade most days and the crockpot is my best friend, especially on days that we have to close up shop at work. I tried a couple recipes and came up with a version that we love. Easy and still tasty.

Crockpot Chicken and Noodles

3 chicken breast (fresh or frozen)
1 can cream of chicken soup
32 oz chicken broth
4 TBSP butter
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp sea salt
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
19 oz pkg frozen egg noodles (I used store brand)

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients, except noodles, in crockpot. Cook on low 4 -6 hours.

2. Shred chicken into large pieces.

3. Return chicken to crockpot along with frozen noodles. Cook on low for 2-3 hours, or high for an hour.

4. Serve noodles alone or on a bed of mashed potatoes.

When I made this last week, the first night I served it with just a side of green beans. When doing leftovers, I made garlic smashed red potatoes to go along with. Both ways were totally delicious, but the kids preferred the noodles without potatoes. Although, they aren't big on potatoes unless they're in fry or tot form. Sometimes I wonder if they are truly my children. Ok, not really but how can you not love mashed potatoes?

There you have it, another Tasty Tuesday recipe in the books on the blog. And now I'm hungry.

Tasty Tuesday - Beef Vegetable Soup

It's soup season! One of my favorite things about cooler weather is soup. I love soup, especially ones that take hours to cooks in the stove top. They make the entire house smell amazing and after a few hours of cooking, they develop delicious flavors. One of my go to soups is beef vegetable soup. It takes about three hours to cook, is oh so easy, and it freezes well.

I first tried this recipe a few years ago when one of my besties had us over for dinner. It was so good that I asked for the recipe, and she told me it was in the Betty Crocker cookbook, which I already owned. I have modified the recipe a little over time mainly to include more veggies and an easier cut of meat to work with.

Beef Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

1 TBSP cooking oil
2-3 lbs bottom round roast
2 TBSP beef bullion granules
8 cups water
2 bay leaves
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp black pepper
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1/2 onion, chopped
3 large red potatoes, cubed
10 oz frozen corn
12 oz frozen green beans
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with juice

Directions.

1. Heat oil in a large pot. Brown meat, half at at time. Drain any fat from pot.

2. Return beef to pot along with water, bullion, bay leaves, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Bring to a boil.

3. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for two hours.

4. Remove beef from broth. Strain broth to remove fat and bay leaves.

5. Once beef has rested and is cool enough to handle, cut into cubes.

6. Add beef and broth back to pot. Add in all the vegetables. Cook for 45 on med-low heat, or until vegetables are done.

7. Ladle into bowls, and ENJOY.

Notes: I often times will let the broth completely cool in the fridge to make fat removal easy. This does not change the texture or moistness of the meat. This soup freezes extremely well and keep in the fridge for up to a week. It's even better the next day. Best served with a crusty bread such as a baguette. I frequently add more vegetable to the pot than the recipe calls for. The more veggies the better, IMO.

I am always on the look out for great soups. I have yet to find a baked potato soup recipe I love. I think mainly because I want one for in the crockpot. Oh, and it needs to involve bacon, lots of bacon. Anyone have any great recipes to share?

Tasty Tuesday - Nutella S'more Bars

It's officially feeling like fall in Indiana. Yesterday was cold and rainy. We had a wet morning at the zoo, and I was still cold after the kids' naps even though it was 70 degrees in the house. I just couldn't shake the cold. I decided we needed soup for dinner and to put the oven to good use. The kids got in on the action too, and we made a super easy, delicious dessert.

I love baking, especially during the fall months. I really love baking with Nutella. I pinned this recipe last week and wanted to make it right away. I tried it out on Saturday and loved the results, but there were a few things I wanted to change. The bars were really greasy. They were delicious, but I thought there was too much butter. Is there such a thing?  I really loved the few bites with browned marshmallow on top, but I felt there should be more exposed marshmallow. So with those two things in mind, I tweaked the recipe a little and love the bars even more.

Nutella S'more Bars

Ingredients

14 graham cracker sheets (there are 9 in a package so you'll need two)
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1/2 cup) butter, room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup Nutella
7oz jar marshmallow creme

Directions:

1. Crumb graham crackers in the food processor until they are finely ground. There should be no lumps.

2. Mix the graham cracker meal with flour and salt. Set aside.

3. In a separate bowl, cream butter, sugar, and vanilla.

4. Stir the graham cracker mixture into the creamed butter and sugar. Mix until just combined. It should be crumbly.

5. Spread into greased or parchment paper lined 13x9 pan. Keep back 1/4, approximately 1 cup, mixture. It will be used to top the bars.

6. Spread Nutella evenly over garaham cracker crust.

7. Spoon marshmallow creme onto Nutella. You won't use the entire jar. The marshmallow doesn't need to be spread, just dolloped around the pan.

8. Crumble remaining crust onto bars. There will be exposed marshmallow.

9. Bake at 350* for 30 minutes. Marshmallow should be lightly browned and puffy.

10. Remove from oven and let cool before cutting.

Notes: I use parchment paper so I can pull the bars from the pan to let it cool. I have made the crust both with my Kitchen Aid and by mixing entirely by hand. Both yielded similar results. These are amazing while still warm, but cut cleaner if you let them cool for 30 minutes first. The first time I made the bars they were gone within a day, so I'm not sure how long they keep. Store in an airtight container.

H and B were all about their treats. Although, they were just as happy to lick Nutella off their spoons while helping me bake. There are quite a few fall recipes I want to try out, so I'm glad to see they were eager to help bake. We may have found a new activity to pass the time while we're stuck indoors. Our kitchen table is the only place they can sit to help, so be prepared for lots of pictures of them hanging out on the table over the next couple months. 

And now I think I'll go have a bar and a cup of coffee. Happy Tuesday!

Tasty Tuesday - Chicken Enchiladas

I discovered this recipe a while ago thanks to a fellow blogger. The first time I made it, it was instantly added to our favorite recipes list. I make it usually every couple weeks and have varied the recipe a bit over time. I've made these enchiladas for company quite a few times, and they always go over well. The last time I made them was while we were in Seattle, and everyone loved them. Angie and Michelle may have arm wrestled over the leftovers. Ok, so that didn't happen, but the leftovers were coveted by everyone in the house.

We love Mexican food around these parts, and we also love the crockpot. The meat for these enchiladas is cooked in the crockpot. I've done the meat on the stove before, but the crockpot yields better results. Once the meat is done, it only takes a few minutes to roll up the enchiladas and about 30 minutes to cook. It's an easy recipe from start to finish and perfect for a weeknight dinner or company.

Chicken Ranch Enchiladas

Ingredients

1 packet taco seasoning

1 packet ranch dressing

1 pound chicken breast

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup frozen shredded spinach (optional)

3/4 cup salsa

3/4 cup ranch dressing

2 - 2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or colby jack cheese

8 soft taco/burrito size tortillas

Directions:

1. In a crockpot combine taco seasoning, ranch dressing packet, chicken, chicken broth and spinach (optional). Cook for 4-6 hours on low.

2. Remove chicken breasts from cropckpot and shred. You can return the chicken to the crockpot and let it continue to cook. The chicken will become more moist, but it's not necessary to cook the meat any further.

3. Mix the salsa and ranch dressing. Pour half the mixture into a bottom of a greased 13x9 pan.

4. Layer enchiladas in the following order: tortilla, 1-2 teaspoons salsa/ranch mixture, large pinch of cheese, 1/8 of shredded chicken.

5. Continue to roll remaining tortillas. Lay them in the 13x9 pan on top of salsa mixture.

6. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of enchiladas. Bake at 375* for 25-30 minutes, until cheese is fully melted.

7. Use any remaining salsa/ranch mixture, and drizzle over enchiladas.

Notes: I save the remaining broth from the chicken and use it in Mexican Rice-a-Roni. Instead of water, I use the broth. It makes a perfect side. Adding rice or peppers to the enchiladas is a nice way to mix up the recipe. Both whole wheat and white flour tortillas produce good results. I usually use a medium salsa to control the spice level. Using a hot salsa or adding a little cayenne to the chicken would be two great ways to kick up the heat. I very often throw the chicken in the crockpot still frozen. Add an hour or two of cook time if using frozen breasts.

Harrison and Brooke are always excited to eat this, and Rob and I are too. Making a full pan leaves us with a few lunches of leftovers, and they always get eaten right away. As I'm writing this blog post, I'm also thinking about when the next time I am going to make these, probably tomorrow. I love this recipe that much. Seriously, make this recipe tonight, you won't be disappointed.

Tasty Tuesday - Fall Apple Dishes

One of my favorite things about fall is going apple picking.  We've already been once, and I know we'll be going again soon. We bought a half bushel of apples and even though we've been eating them every day, we still have a lot left.  I could make a batch of apple crisp big enough to feed a small town, or I could try out some kid friendly apple recipes. 

Yesterday the kids and I spent most of our day in the kitchen testing some recipes.  We made applesauce, apple chips, sautéed apples, inside out caramel apples and apples dipped in pancake batter.  We were appled out by the end of the day and the kitchen looked like a tornado came through.  

First up is applesauce. I broke out my Baby Breeza yesterday morning with the intention of making mass quantities of applesauce. I however forgot to clean the steam tank before storing it, so there were mineral deposits in the tank. While cleaning it I then proceeded to get water on the motor.  Oops.  Of course it's 3 days past warranty. Thankfully taking it apart and using the blow dryer on it got it back to working order.  

I love my Baby Breeza and can't speak highly enough of it if you plan to make your own baby food.  It steams and blends the fruits and veggies in one easy step. You cut up the food, put it in the canister, push a button and walk away.  So easy!

While the Baby Breeza was fighting for its life, I rinsed the steamed apples and got to making applesauce on the stove.  It turned out really well and the kids went to town on it. 

Applesauce with Cinnamon and Honey

Ingredients

4 medium sized apples

3 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons honey 

1. Peel, core and cut up apples. 

2. Add apples and water to a sauce pan. Cover and cook over medium heat until apples have softened, approximately 20 minutes.  

3. Transfer apples to a food processor and purée to desired consistency. 

4. Return apple purée to sauce pan and mix in honey and cinnamon.  

Notes: If you are making this for a child under one year old, omit the honey. Children under one year of age should not consume honey. We like our applesauce with a lot of cinnamon, as you can see in the picture. 1/2 teaspoon is probably enough for most palates.  If you are making this in the Baby Breeza, steam and blend apples as you normally would. Add in cinnamon and honey after the apples have been blended and give it a few quick pulses to incorporate the honey and cinnamon.

One of the items on my fall bucket list is to eat a caramel apple. My braces prevent me from eating caramel apples, or real caramel, so I picked up some caramel apple dip at the store.  I cored out the inside of my apple and filled it with caramel dip.  I put it in the freezer to let it set up.  I wound up with a frozen apple and still runny caramel dip.  If you're going to make inside out caramel apples, use real caramel not Marzetti's dip.  It was delicious but messy.  

Inside Out Caramel Apples

To do it properly, cut your apple in half and core out the middle.  Melt caramels in a double boiler or make caramel from scratch.  Pour caramel into cored apples and let sit up in fridge.  Slice halves in quarters and enjoy.  

The kids ended their day with sauteed apples for dessert. This was their favorite apple dish of the day.

Pan Sautéed Apples 

Ingredients

1 apple peeled, cored and sliced

1/2 tablespoon butter

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Melt butter in a warm sautée pan over medium heat.  

2. Add apples and sprinkle with cinnamon. 

3. Sautée until softened and lightly caramelized, approximately 10 minutes. 

Notes: These are fantastic on their own, or great over vanilla, or cinnamon if you can find it, ice cream.  The kids had theirs mixed in with vanilla yogurt.  

After the kids went to bed I got to work on dried apple rings. These took about 5 minutes to prep and will be great snacks throughout the week.

Dried Apple Rings

Ingredients

2 apples 

Cinnamon (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 200*. 

2. Wash, core and slice apples into rings.

3. Place apples on silicone baking mat or parchment paper lined pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

4. Bake at 200* for two hours.

Notes: I like my dried apples a little chewy, so I sliced them a bit thicker and only baked them for 2 hours. If you like them crispier like chips, slice the apples thinly and bake for a longer period of time. If you have a mandolin, I do but I was too lazy to break it out, this is the perfect time to use it. Even slices and no half rings? Yes please.

After all of the apple cooking I did yesterday, I never wanted to see an apple again. However I did want to give one last apple dish a go, so we had apples for breakfast today. I've had this idea pinned for over a year now, and I'm just getting around to trying it. The kids enjoyed it, and Rob and I did too.

Pancake Batter Dipped Apples

Ingredients

1 batch pancake batter of choice 

2 apples, cored peeled and sliced into rings

butter

cinnamon (optional)

1. Make pancake batter. Add cinnamon if desired.

2. Heat skillet over medium heat. Grease with butter.

3. Dip pancake rings in batter and let excess batter drip off. Place on skillet. Cook both sides until golden brown.

Notes: I used Bisquick and added cinnamon to my batter. I find that Bisquick pancakes turn out just as well as from scratch. These are best when eaten straight off the skillet. The hot, sugary apple covered in warm pancake is delish. You will want to cook these no higher than medium heat as you want to apple to cook slightly without burning the pancake. Make sure your skillet is nice and hot before beginning. I used a butter knife to pull the rings from the batter and it worked well.  This is another time that using a mandolin would be helpful.

I still have a half dozen apples left and will probably just make more applesauce now that my Baby Breeza is working again. After I do that I'm going to swear off apples for a week or two. Mutsu apples are available for you pick starting October 4th, so a couple more weeks and then we'll be out going apple picking again.

As an apple recipe bonus, last week I made breast milk apple pancakes for the kids. I still have frozen milk I'm trying to use up, and pancakes are the prefect way to do it.  Just substitute breast milk for cow's milk. I added diced apples to pancake batter with a little bit of cinnamon.  The kids ate them up!

Recipe bonus #2 is for Hard Apple Cider Sangria. I have not tried this yet, but thanks to Buzzfeed, I will be. It would probably be really good and a little bit sweeter with pear cider.

Now that we've covered everything from breakfast to breast milk to booze, I think I'm spent. Happy cooking everyone!

Tasty Tuesday - Taco Salad

I am linking up again today for the Kid Tested Mommy Approved link up party.  Today is hosted by Colleen at Meet the Sullivans and the topic is family friendly recipes. Football season is upon us and one of my go to recipes for football guests is taco salad. It's my mom's recipe and she's been serving it to our family, and the constant waves of friends that were always stopping by the Justice household, for years. Everyone loves it, it's quick and easy to make and it's super easy to make a vegetarian version too. I have quite a few vegetarian friends, so that's something I look for in recipes.

It turns out great every time, but you do have to follow the recipe pretty much to the T to consistently get great results. The recipe calls for Hidden Valley ranch dressing mix and if you use bottle ranch or ranch dip, your salad won't taste right. The ingredients need to be layered in a specific order, otherwise the taste will be off. When people tell me they tried making "my" taco salad and it didn't turn out the same, it's pretty much always for one of those two reasons.

Somehow between all of the craziness of Sunday, I had time to make taco salad for us and our guests that came over to watch the game, I told you it was quick and easy. The kids got to try it for the first time and our nephews, who swore they didn't like salad, ate it up and asked for seconds. I believe the exact quote I heard was, "Wow, this is really good." 

Taco Salad

Ingredients

Hidden Valley ranch salad dressing mix

1 cup milk

1 cup mayonnaise

1 pound ground beef

1 package Old El Paso taco seasoning

1 head iceberg lettuce, or 12 oz package romaine lettuce

2 medium tomatoes

1 can dark red kidney beans

1 8 oz package shredded cheddar cheese

1 bag nacho cheesier Doritos

Instructions

1. Mix milk, mayonnaise and salad dressing mix. Place in fridge for at least 30 minutes.

2. Brown ground beef and season with taco seasoning. Set aside to cool.

3. Cut up lettuce and tomatoes.

4. Layer ingredients in a large bowl in the following order: lettuce, tomatoes, kidney beans, cheese, ground beef. The salad can be stored in the refrigerator like this for up to a day.

5. Immediately before serving, crunch up 2/3 of the bag of Doritos. Layer on top of other ingredients.

6. Pour approximately 1/2 of the prepared salad dressing over top of the salad. You want the dressing to pick up some of the flavor from the Doritos and ground beef, which is why it's important to layer the ingredients in the order listed above. Serve immediately after mixing.

Notes: I always use romaine instead of iceberg lettuce simply for nutritional content. Iceberg is what the recipe originally calls for. If you want to prepare a vegetarian version, substitute one package of MorningStar Farms Grillers Recipe Crumbles for the ground beef.  The salad is best if eaten right after mixing. If you have leftovers, freshen the salad with remaining Doritos before serving.

 H and B were a little skeptical at first, but they put their terrible fork skills to work and dug in. 

Make sure to follow the link below to see what other family friendly recipes are being shared today. I'm hoping to find a couple to add to my recipe box Pinterest board.

For those of you that read our blog regularly and saw the post about our sweet dog Layla, I thought I should share an update.  She is home and is doing well.  The medication she is on has her pretty strung out, but she is dealing with it like a champ.  She had a few seizures back to back to back at the emergency vet when she was there overnight and that prompted them to give her more medication than originally planned. She hasn't had any seizures since they started the meds, which is the great. Hopefully she'll adjust to the medication quickly and then we can tweak her dosages to the lowest amount possible while still maintaining efficacy. Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and prayers you sent our way.