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Crack Pretzels – You Can’t Eat Just One!

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Crack Pretzels – You Can’t Eat Just One!

Maybe you remember a few months back I went a little crazy at the Fisher Nut Store and bought a 25 pound box of mini pretzels.  Well, now that Christmas has passed and I have dipped way more than my fair share of pretzels in chocolate; I STILL had a ton of pretzels left!

After trying a bag of a VERY expensive flavored pretzels (as in $5.99 for a 16 oz package) there was a major LIGHT BULB MOMENT! Season those salty twists with a savory mix of spices and make a delicious snack for a FRACTION of the cost of the very expensive store bought ones.  These are perfectly salty, a tad spicy, and impossible to stop eating.

📍 Pin HERE

What you need:

16 oz. pretzels (whatever style you want!)
3/4 c. butter flavored popcorn oil *
3 Tbsp. ranch dressing mix – I have bulk bottle so I measured, but its about 1 1/2 packets if you have the single servings
1 t. lemon pepper
1/8 t. cayenne pepper (go for more if you like spicy)

Make it:

  • Preheat oven to 250°
  • Combine dry seasonings in a small bowl
  • Add pretzels in a large mixing bowl and pour butter oil over.  Toss to coat
  • Sprinkle dry spices over oil coated pretzels and carefully stir
  • Put in a large baking sheet or roasting pan in a single layer.  Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15-20 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and allow to cool.  Store in a sealed container for 1 week.

*Note: If you don’t have the popcorn oil, use melted butter OR use butter flavored pretzel braids and vegetable oil.  The butter notes are key to the flavor profile so don’t skip out!

Pull Apart Olive Cheese Bread

KETO Fat Head Sausage Biscuits

Cherry Chip Cookies

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Does anyone else have a particular recipe they remember from their childhood?  Something you can picture clear as day and practically taste if you close your eyes?  These cookies are THAT item.  My grandma made them all the time!  I can even see them sitting on the cookie plate in her kitchen ready to enjoy with a cup of coffee!  We always had ‘coffee breaks’ whenever we visited.  Of course ours was mostly milk with a drop of coffee, but we thought it was so grown up!

I recently stumbled on a bag of the Cherry Chips and all those great childhood memories came right back!  The sweet bright red chips, crispy bits of corn flakes, mild almond flavoring, and tender butter shortbread – I HAD to make these cookies!

After searching through my Grandma’s recipe cards and cookbooks, the Cherry Chip Cookie recipe was no where to be found! Luckily, a quick text message to my mom turned up the details on this childhood favorite!

Check out my mom’s recipe ‘card’ below! You know it is as good one when the paper is THAT stained and there are not even directions!!  I forgot how cute they turn out! Little drops of sweet butter cookies, dotted with red chips – these would be PERFECT for Valentine’s Day!

Pin HERE for Later!

What you need:

1 c. butter (no substitutions) – room temperature
1 egg yolk
1 t. almond extract
1/2 c. white sugar
3/4 c. corn flakes (crushed)
2 1/4 c. flour
pinch of salt
1 c. cherry chips (I found at Woodmans, but have seen them in the baking section of large grocery stores)

Make them:

  1. Cream butter & sugar until fluffy
  2. Stir in egg yolk and almond extract
  3. Add flour, corn flakes, and salt and mix just until combined.
  4. Fold in Cherry Chips
  5. This is a dry dough, but easily forms into balls for baking
  6. Roll into tablespoon size balls and flatten slightly with a fork.
  7. Bake at 350° for 10 – 12 minutes until just slightly browned on the edges
  8. Rest on baking sheet for 2 minutes and move to a cooling rack

More Valentine’s Ideas:

Lunch Box Valentine’s Ideas – Using Pantry Staples!

Valentine’s Oreo Pops Recipe

Valentine’s Day Candy Bouquet

Meal Prep Crock Pot Chicken

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Meal Prep Crock Pot Chicken

Let’s talk meal prep.  Are you a planner, scheduler, thought it all out person or a fly by the seat of your pants and hope to pull something together each night person?  In case you haven’t heard it before, I am a TAD BIT of a control freak/over planner.  So you guessed it, I am the meal planner guru type.

My goal is to have a homemade (or MOSTLY) meal 5 of the 7 nights a week.  This is a pretty hefty goal to take on as the sole parent in our home.  However, family meals are something we bond over and I have made it a priority.  The kids weigh in on meal ideas, help prepare meals whenever possible, just hang out with me in the kitchen, and it is a time we really connect.

In order to keep my goal of not eating out or calling for pizza, I like to prep a protein in advance for the week.  Making a large batch of meat keeps the stress of a meal each night at bay.  No worrying about thawing or cooking it each night.  Usually I do this large prep ahead with chicken, however pork loin or shoulder using this same seasoning is a nice change of pace.

At least once I week, typically on Sunday, I prep a large Crock Pot of chicken Breasts.

This tasty, mildly seasoned chicken turns into soup, chicken tacos, chicken salad sandwiches, Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta, BBQ Chicken Sliders, and so much more!

📍 Pin HERE for later!

What you need:

3-5 Pounds Chicken Breasts (bone in or boneless)
1 Tbsp. Salt (Kosher or Sea Salt is Best)
1 tsp. Smoked Paprika (NOT hot)
1 tsp. Black Pepper
1 tsp. Granulated Garlic
1 tsp. Onion Powder or 1 Tbsp. Dried Minced Onion Flakes (which is what I prefer)
a few pinches of Cayenne Pepper (if you like a little spice)

Make It:

  1. Mix the spices together in a small bowl
  2. Sprinkle generously over one side of the Chicken.
  3. Layer, seasoned side down, in a crock pot.  Sprinkle remaining seasoning on each layer of chicken.  You can double up your layers to fit it all in.  It will cook fine.
  4. After about 4 hours, using tongs, rotate the chicken around so the top ones get to sit in the broth for a bit while they finish cooking.
  5. Cook on low for 6-8 hours until fork tender and shred-able.
  6. Serve immediately or shred/cube for use during the week.
  7. Don’t toss the broth at the bottom.  Strain the tasty liquid with a mesh strainer and save for soups or casseroles.  I pour it over my leftover chicken and it keeps it nice and flavorful all week.
  8. If your Crock Pot lid does not fit securely, add a splash of water or broth at the start to prevent over drying.  A few pats of butter on the top also helps! You don’t want it to poach in a ton of liquid but not be completely dry either.

You can also use a whole chicken and cook it the same way if you prefer.  Just cover the inside and outside of the bird well with the seasoning.  Don’t forget to make bone broth with the left overs!

 

 

Pull Apart Olive Cheese Bread

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My family takes olives VERY SERIOUSLY.  We often kid it isn’t a family gathering if there are not olives out!  For Christmas this year we were doing hot appetizers rather than a full meal.  Combining olives with a crusty loaf of bread sounded like an AMAZING idea to me!  It did not disappoint and we managed to destroy the entire loaf! You could serve it with warm marinara for dipping as well.

What you need:

1 – 6 oz. Jar Green Olives (with or without pimentos)
1 – 6 oz. Jar Black Pitted Olives
1 stick softened butter
2 T. Mayonnaise
1 – 8 oz. bag finely shredded cheese (I used a fiesta blend)
1 round loaf of hearty bread (I used a sourdough loaf)

Make it:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°
  2. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper, then place a large piece of foil over it
  3. Using a bread knife or electric knife, cut the round loaf in strips in one direction, being careful not to cut all the way through the loaf. Rotate the bread 90 degrees and cut in the other direction. Take your time as to not cut all the way through or pull the loaf apart.  This was pretty easy since the bread I choose was very sturdy and crusty.
  4. Finely chop the olives (I used a hand chopper/processor)
  5. Mix olives with butter and mayonnaise
  6. Fold in cheese
  7. Using a spatula stuff the olive mixture into the loaf between each cube.  Be sure to press all the way to the bottom.  The loaf will start to open as you work through each rows.  Finely chopping the olives as opposed to just slicing will make this much easier to squish into the loaf.
  8. Wrap the loaf in the foil and place on parchment covered sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes.
  9. Remove from oven and open foil covering.  Return to oven for an additional 15 minutes or until brown and bubbly.
  10. Serve immediately

Note: You could leave the mayo out if it isn’t your thing!  No one even noticed it at our get together.  I think it just helps make the mixture more spreadable as you put it into the bread.

 

More snacks & appetizers to try:

Super Simple Soft Pretzels

Deviled Strawberries

Sweet & Savory Chicken Wings (The Secret Ingredient – Lemon Gelatin!)

 

Gingerbread Muffins

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Turn the warm spices and flavors we all know and love this time of year into a tasty muffin!  Instead of a cutout gingerbread boy, enjoy a sweet, molasses muffin with all the cinnamon, ginger, and cloves you expect from the traditional decorated cookie!

Making these muffins even more special, they are topped with a Lemon Glaze! This is a classic combination and truly hard to resist sitting out on a tray for your next holiday brunch!

📍 Pin HERE for later!

What you Need:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3/4 cup  dark molasses
2 & 2/3 cups  all purpose flour
1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 & 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 & 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup packed  brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream (not nonfat)
1/2 cup milk (not skim)
Optional: coarse sugar for sprinkling – this makes a HUGE texture difference and I highly recommend it

Lemon Glaze:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar (or more, as needed)
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon milk

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F
  2. Grease or line muffin pan with paper cups.
  3. In a large microwave-safe bowl, heat the butter (cube butter for faster melting) and molasses together in the microwave on high for about 1 minute. Stir until combined and set aside to slightly cool
  4. Blend the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves together.
  5. Into the molasses/butter mixture, whisk the brown sugar, egg, yogurt (or sour cream), and milk until all wet ingredients are combined.
  6. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix JUST until combined. Do not over-mix. A few lumps and thick batter is OKAY!
  7. Fill prepared muffin pan, Sprinkle with coarse sugar (if desired, but HIGHLY recommended as it add a nice crunchy texture)
  8. Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then, while keeping muffins in the oven, LOWER the oven temperature to 350°F
  9. Continue to bake for 15-16 minutes until the tops are cracked and centers are set (a toothpick comes out clean)
  10. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes in pan before glazing and serving.

Glaze:

  1. While muffins cool, prepare the glaze by mixing all ingredients together. If needed, add more confectioners’ sugar to thicken or more milk to thin out.
  2. Drizzle on top of warm muffins. Icing will set as the muffins cool

Store on the counter for 2 days or 1 week in the refrigerator.

Recipe courtesy of Sally’s Baking Addiction, HERE

More Holiday Ideas:

Mini Cinnamon Sticky Rolls

Snow Ice Cream!

Paint Chip Christmas Tree Ornaments

Children’s Book Advent Count Down

Halloween Bucket Cookies

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I stumbled on this recipe in an Instagram story and thought it looked fabulous!  After reading the reviews, I KNEW we had to give it a try.  We certainly had plenty of candy still sitting around from Halloween and it was the perfect opportunity to use it up.  Nolan deemed this a HUGE success and a must do next year, too.  It was PERFECT for little helpers in the kitchen.  Candy wrappers to open, eggs to crack, hand mixer to run, and of course using the cookie scoop to plop down dough.

These are delicious cookies with a slightly crisp snap and the bits of different candies in each bite are AMAZING!  We used a crazy combination of M&Ms, Baby Ruth, Reese’s Take 5 (salty pretzel!! YUM), Classic Reese’s, and Milky Way.  Plus, I chopped up a handful of roasted peanuts when measuring out the 2 cups.

Ingredients:

  • 2 c. PLUS 2 Tbsp. Flour
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 c. packed light brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 sticks (12 Tbsp.) butter, melted and cooled slightly
  • 1/2 c. sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 WHOLE egg
  • 1 egg YOLK
  • 2 c. chopped leftover Halloween candy (Reese’s, M&M, Butterfingers, Snickers, Baby Ruth, Hershey’s, etc.)

Make them:

  1. Preheat the oven to 325° F.
  2. Melt butter and set aside to cool
  3. Chop the 2 cups of candy bars into small pieces (I also added a hand full of chopped peanuts while measuring)
  4. Line cookie sheets parchment paper or use a silicone baking mat
  5. Mix the flour, baking soda and salt
  6. In a separate bowl, combine the light brown sugar, butter, granulated sugar, vanilla, whole egg and egg yolk and blend until smooth
  7. Add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
  8. Fold in the candy pieces.
  9. Using a large cookie scoop, drop cookies on each prepared baking sheet and bake until slightly golden and puffy, 14 to 17 minutes.
  10. Let cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack.
  11. Makes appx. 30 large cookies

Recipe courtesy of FoodNetwork HERE

Streusel Coffee Cake

Chocolate Lasagna

Never use a Box Again Brownies

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One of my all time favorite sweet treats is a warm fudgy brownie.  Most of us keep a brownie mix or 2 in our pantry to cure those pesky chocolate cravings!  Put that box down and give these AMAZING homemade brownies a try.  They take no more work than a box mix and the flavor & texture from these homemade ones cannot be beat!

📍 Pin HERE for later!

What you need:

2 c. Sugar
1 c. Canola or Vegetable Oil
4 Eggs
1 Tbsp. Vanilla
1 c. Flour
2/3  c. Cocoa Powder
1/2 t. Baking Powder
1/2 t. Salt
1 c. Chopped Nuts (optional)
1 c. Chocolate Chips or Chunks (optional)

Make them:

Beat together oil and eggs well.  Mix in sugar & vanilla.  Sift flour, cocoa, salt & baking powder into wet ingredients.  Add nuts & chips if desired.  Mix JUST until combined.  Do not over mix or you will lose the fudgy consistency once these bake.  This is a thick batter.

Pour batter into a greased 9×13 pan (I prefer a glass dish).  Bake in a preheated 350º oven for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out JUST barely clean – a tiny bit still stuck is OKAY!  Do not over bake!

Top with powdered sugar or your favorite frosting.  Even better, serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup!

Deviled Strawberries

Streusel Coffee Cake

Chocolate Chip Blondies

Mock Applesauce – A KETO Friendly Recipe!

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After recently being diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, I had to make some BIG changes to my diet. I decided to give a Keto based diet a whirl. When following Keto you can have strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries, but apples are a BIG NO NO. They are high in natural sugars. The problem is I LOVE applesauce! I had to figure out a way to get it back in my life, so decided, WHY NOT give zucchini a whirl.  They really do not have much taste, are high in fiber, naturally low carb, and with some spices it should work!

This did take a few trial and error experiments with lots of playing around to get it to taste right!  Of course everyone has a different taste and texture preference when it comes to applesauce, so play around like I did!  This recipe will help you get started designing your own custom profile!

🍎 Pin HERE for later!

Ingredients: 

  • 10 c. Chopped Zucchini
  • 1 Large Cinnamon Stick
  • 1 large Lemon
  • 1/4 c. Water
  • 1/4 c. Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1 c. Sweetener Substitute (I prefer Swerve)
  • 1/4 tsp. Salt
  • 1 Tbsp. Cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp. Nutmeg

Directions:

(1)  Wash & peel the zucchini. Remove both ends & split the zucchini lengthwise.  Scoop out the insides removing the seeds (like a zucchini boat)

(2)  Small dice the zucchini & add to crock pot.  Sprinkle salt over zucchini

(3)  Zest the lemon – look for appx. 2 tsp. of zest

(4)  After zesting, slice & juice the lemon into crock pot over zucchini.  Be careful to not add any seeds!

(5)  Add water, apple cider vinegar, lemon zest, and cinnamon stick (or even two). I also throw both halves of lemon in to give it a more intense lemon flavor, this is optional.

(5)  GENTLY stir your zucchini to mix up and coat everything. Set crock pot to low and let it cook for 4 hours. Stir every hour or so.

(7)  After 4 hours a good amount of liquid will be in the bottom from the zucchini sweating out. Spoon or drain off as much as possible before the next step. (Careful, IT WILL BE HOT)

(8)  Turn off crock pot, leave top off and allow zucchini cool. Remove the lemons and cinnamon stick.

(9)  Use a food processor or masher on about half of the zucchini. (more or less depending on how “chunky” you want it.) ONLY use “pulse” on the food processor or it will end up WAY to smooth. A stick immersion blender would work also.  Add back to crock pot and turn back on

(10)  Add sweetener, cinnamon, and nutmeg and gently stir to mix all spices well.

(11)  Cook on low again for another 4 hours stirring often.

(12)  After 4 hours, taste and adjust any spices. I added a little more cinnamon (I LOVE cinnamon) and let it cook for another hour on low. This way you can also test the texture. If you want the chunks of zucchini mushier, cook for longer.

  • Eat it warm or refrigerate first. I preferred it chilled, but it will all be by taste preference!

 

KETO Fat Head Sausage Biscuits

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📍 Pin HERE for later!

Ingredients:

  • 1 & 1/2 c. Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
  • 3 Tbsp. Cream Cheese (low fat is fine)
  • 2/3 c. Fine Almond Flour
  • 3 tsp. Baking Powder
  • 1 c. Shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • 1 Pound Pork Breakfast Sausage (any flavor, brand)
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1/2 c. Finely Chopped Green Pepper

Directions:

1. Brown sausage and green pepper. Drain any grease and set aside to cool

2.  In a mixing bowl combine almond flour, baking powder, and eggs. Mix well.

3.  In microwave safe bowl, heat mozzarella and cream cheese for 30 Seconds. Remove and Stir. Repeat, 3 times total (1 minute, 30 seconds total).

4.  Pour hot mozzarella mixture into flour mixture. Mix well.

5.  Add cooled sausage/green peppers and cheddar cheese to mixture and stir well.

6.  Make your “Dough” into a ball. Use plastic wrap or spray the inside of a Ziploc bag and put mixture inside and form a ball. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.

7.  Divide dough mixture into eight sections and form into balls.

8.  Spray cupcake tins (REALLY well) and place balls into eight outer sections. (make sure to add a little water to the inside sections)

9.  Bake at 400° F for 10 to 14 minutes until golden brown and set..

Additional Notes: You really could add any ingredients you like to this. Bacon (fried first of course), onions, broccoli, there are SO MANY options! I first tried making these on a cookie sheet with parchment paper. They  browned more on the edges, but were a dryer muffin, and I wanted them more moist.  On my second attempt I used a muffin tin and they turned out PERFECT. It was a bit of a challenge getting them to come out in “Muffin” form with the tin though, so your choice, both ways worked.  I am thinking aluminum muffin liners heavily sprayed may be a good option too.

 More low carb recipes

Low Carb Cheese Steaks – KETO Friendly!

Parmesan Chicken Tenders

Keto Snickerdoodles

Deviled Strawberries

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Need a perfect finger food dessert for your next get-together?  You HAVE GOT TO try these ‘Deviled Strawberries’  They come together in just a few minutes and use a only a handful of simple ingredients.  These remind me of a delicious bite of cheesecake, but without the spring form pan and long baking time!

PLUS, you can make these keto/low carb friendly by just substituting your favorite alternative sweetener!  Oh and they are gluten free!

📍 Pin HERE for later

What you need:

  • 1 – 8 oz cream cheese (set out to room temperature)
  • 1 c. heavy whipping cream
  • 1 t. vanilla
  • 2/3 c. sugar
  • 2 T. Fresh Lemon Juice
  • 1 pound of large strawberries (approximate).  You will want large berries.  Smaller ones will not work well for this! I learned the hard way!
  • Optional: Graham Cracker Crumbs or Crushed Vanilla Wafers for garnish

Make these:

Prep the Berries.

  • Clean and dry the strawberries.  Slice the top (hull) off of each.
  • Slice each berry in half lengthwise.
  • Remove a small piece off the back round side so the berry will lay flat on the serving tray.
  • Using a hull tool, melon baller or spoon, carefully remove the middle of the strawberry so there is a ‘hole’ to catch the filling.

Make the filling:

  • Beat the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl until smooth & slightly fluffy
  • Mix in vanilla, sugar, and lemon juice.
  • In a separate bowl beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form.
  • Carefully fold the cream cheese mixture and whipping cream together.
  • Put filling into a piping bag or ziptop bag fitted with a star tip (optional) or just nip off the corner for filling.
  • Pipe each strawberry, generously filling the hole you created.
  • If adding the cracker crumbs do so now.  I did not for this photo, because I needed a gluten free dessert option.

Important Note: I would not prep these too far ahead of service.  These held up well for my event and set out about one hour.  The strawberries will eventually start to become soft and more juicy as the sugar and lemon juice from the filling start to macerate.

 

Keto Peanut Butter Cups

Keto Snickerdoodles

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