Category Archives: Everybody Ate It

July 17, 2012 · 2:22 pm

No Bake Berry Cream Cheese Tarts

My mother-in-law sent me this recipe before the 4th of July. Yes, this would have been a perfect dessert for the 4th, but we were out of town. I meant to make it last week, but the berries kept getting eaten before I could make the dessert. So, I finally got around to making this last night…we had all of the ingredients AND the family LOVED this! It only made four and there are four of us. The kids wanted to eat mine. Sorry…I am not handing over anything that involves cream cheese and berries.

Ingredients:
4 whole graham crackers (8 squares)
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
2 cups mixed berries: raspberries, strawberries and/or blueberries

Instructions:
Finely crush graham crackers and divide crumbs among four small bowls. I used ramekins.

In a small bowl, mix cream cheese, sour cream, vanilla, and confectioners’ sugar with a whisk.

Put mixture on top of graham cracker crumbs. Top with berries.

Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.

What did the family think? We all loved it! Hubby actually hasn’t eaten his yet and he better hurry up or it’s going to be GONE.

Where did this recipe come from? KU Med Center

photo from KU Med Center

Leave a Comment

Filed under After School Snacks, Definitely Making it Again, Desserts, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Make Ahead of Time, Six Ingredients or Less, Vegetarian

July 12, 2012 · 2:37 pm

Blueberry Belgian Waffles

It’s that time of year…lots of blueberries and lots of things to cook so you can use them all before they spoil. We had these yummy waffles last night for dinner with some eggs and bacon.

Ingredients:
2 egg yolks
2 cups milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup oil
2 stiffly beaten egg whites
1-2 cups blueberries (depending on how blueberry-ish you want them)

Instructions:
Preheat waffle maker.

Put all ingredients except egg whites and blueberries in large mixer bowl. Beat on low until moistened. Increase to medium, mix until smooth.

Gently fold in beaten egg whites and blueberries with a wooden spoon.

Pour about 1/2-3/4 cup batter over grids. Close waffle maker, bake until steam no longer escapes, about 3-5 minutes. Repeat. Serve hot with your favorite toppings. We like butter and maple syrup!

What did the family think? YUM!

Where did this recipe come from? CDKitchen

photo from Columbus Foodie

Leave a Comment

Filed under After School Snacks, Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Lent, Vegetarian

July 11, 2012 · 5:33 pm

Tuna and Noodles with Basil Pasta Sauce

My kids love tuna noodle casserole so I thought they might like this too. It doesn’t scream “tuna” (as my kids would never consider eating a tuna salad sandwich) but they are still getting the protein and it doesn’t taste too fishy.

Ingredients:
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 28-ounce can of tomatoes, crushed (with or without basil)
Salt, to taste
1 pound pasta shells
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 6-ounce can tuna (may want to use 2 cans depending on your family’s fish likes/dilikes)
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped or torn
A generous 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions:
Melt the butter in a medium pot on medium heat and add the can of tomatoes, including the juice.

Simmer gently, partially covered, for about 15-20 minutes.

Once the sauce is cooking, heat a large pot of well salted water to a strong boil. Add the shell pasta to the boiling water and cook at a vigorous boil, uncovered, until al dente, cooked through but still a bit firm to the bite, which is usually whatever the time specified on the pasta package minus about 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Pour off the excess oil/water from the tuna can and stir the tuna into the tomato sauce. Add the ricotta cheese, and add salt to taste. Turn off the heat. Mix the sauce with the pasta in a large bowl. Mix in the basil.

Pour the pasta into a 2 to 3-quart casserole dish and top with the parmesan cheese. Put under a hot broiler for 4-6 minutes, until the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Serve hot.

What did the family think? Our youngest was at a birthday party eating pizza and cake, but the rest of us had this and liked it.

Where did this recipe come from? Simply Recipes

Leave a Comment

Filed under Easy, Everybody Ate It, Fish, Italian, Lent

July 9, 2012 · 10:45 am

Baked Breaded Shrimp

Every Sunday night in our house is fish night. The problem with this is that our boys aren’t huge fish fans and they especially don’t like salmon which is what we normally have on Sundays. I don’t want to fix two separate meals, but I do want them to at least be eating something that comes from the sea since we are having fish. I also don’t want them eating something that comes from a box. These little tasty shrimp were the solution.

Ingredients:
1 large egg
2 tbsps milk
1/3 cup bread crumbs (seasoned or plain)
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)
1 lb shrimp (peeled deveined medium)
Cooking spray

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk.

In a separate small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and cheese.

Dip each shrimp in egg mixture and then coat with bread crumb mixture.

Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.

Spray shrimp with cooking spray.

Bake shrimp for 7 to 9 minutes or until shrimp are pink and no longer translucent.

What did the family think? They loved them and were disappointed that I hadn’t made more.

Where did this recipe come from? Yummly

photo from FoodBuzz

1 Comment

Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Fish, Italian, Lent, Six Ingredients or Less

July 3, 2012 · 3:38 pm

Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothies and Popsicles

I have been following Catherine Newman ever since I read her book Waiting for Birdy. (If you are a parent with little people at home you will LOVE this book. Trust me.) So even though we may not have super little people in our house anymore, I am still stalking following her because of her fantastic recipes. It’s been a while since I have made something from her blog, but this makes up for the wait. These are SOOOOO good! We made them into smoothies and popsicles and they were FANTASTIC both ways! I bet you could make them with blueberries, too.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh or frozen strawberries
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt (or plain or strawberry yogurt…we used plain Greek)
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup milk
3 ice cubes
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 T Agave syrup or another sweetener, to taste (we made some with and some without…some of us liked it better with the agave syrup and some of us liked it better without)

Instructions:
Put everything in a blender and mix until well blended.

What did the family think? Love, love and more love!

Where did this recipe come from? Ben and Birdy

photo courtesy of the resident 3rd grader

Leave a Comment

Filed under After School Snacks, Beverages, Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Desserts, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

June 27, 2012 · 10:21 am

Lite Alfredo Sauce (with some sneaky cauliflower)

This is not the super rich alfredo sauce you might get at your favorite Italian restaurant. This version is light and has lots of cauliflower in it. If you are trying to get more veggies into your kids (or yourself) and you are a pasta eating family like we are, then this dish might be right up your alley.

Ingredients:
For the topping:
1/2 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
1/3 grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme

For the pasta:
3 cloves garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large head cauliflower, cored, cut in large pieces (or use frozen cauliflower)
water to cover (about 4 cups)
1/2 tsp dried Italian herb blend
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
14-oz box spaghetti, cooked and drained (I used GF rice fettucine noodles)
1/2 lemon, juiced

Instructions:
Combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and 1 tbsp olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring, until the mixture is well toasted, and golden-brown. Stir in the thyme; remove from heat, and reserve.

In a medium saucepan, warm the garlic cloves in the olive oil over low heat for a few minutes, or until the cloves begin to bubble. Add the cauliflower, enough water to cover, dried herbs, pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook until the cauliflower is soft.

Turn off the heat. Use a stick blender (or standard blender) to puree the mixture into a smooth sauce. If it seems too thick add a little water or broth, if it’s too thin simply simmer until it reduces and thickens up. Then, stir in the cream, and add the Parmesan cheese. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Cover and reserve.

Boil the spaghetti according to directions and drain well. Return to the pot, add the lemon juice, and pour over the cauliflower sauce. Toss to coat the pasta. Divide into four pasta bowls and serve hot topped with the toasted Parmesan breadcrumbs.

We had this with meatballs and some strawberries on the side.

What did the family think? Everyone LOVED it! Seriously, that doesn’t happen very often so I was super happy.

Where did this recipe come from? American Food

photo from iFood

1 Comment

Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Italian, Lent, Not so Easy, Vegetarian

June 19, 2012 · 3:12 pm

Cinnamon Vanilla Pancakes

My husband wanted to have pancakes for Father’s Day breakfast “if we had a mix”. Are you kidding me? You are married to a food blogger. There are no pancake mixes here. 🙂 We had these instead.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon vegetable oil, or as needed (or cooking spray)

Instructions:
Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Whisk in the milk, egg, 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until only a few lumps remain. Let the batter stand for 5 full minutes for extra fluffiness.

Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat, and brush with 1 teaspoon vegetable oil (or use cooking spray). When the oil shimmers, slowly pour about 1/4 cup of batter into the hot pan. Cook until bottom is browned, about 2 minutes, then flip and cook until the center of the pancake is set and the other side is browned, about 2 more minutes. Keep warm until serving.

What did the family think? Yum! Yum! and more Yum!

Where did this recipe come from? Allrecipes

photo from Allrecipes

Leave a Comment

Filed under After School Snacks, Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Lent, Vegetarian

June 7, 2012 · 9:23 am

Snack Ideas: The Kids Are Home for the Summer and They’re Hungry

Snacks are an essential part of summer. The days can be long and the kids get hungry. They need a little extra fuel to get them through all of that swimming, baseball playing and sprinkler jumping. Hopefully this list of (mostly) easy and (mostly) healthy snacks will keep their bellies full until mealtime…or at least until they ask for another snack. 🙂

*Apple slices dipped in peanut butter
*Apple slices dipped in Nutella
*Fresh fruit (keep some already prepped and ready to go on the kitchen counter or in the frig)
*Carrots sticks, pepper strips, celery sticks for crunching, munching and dipping
*Edamame
*Hummus with pita chips (we love Trader Joe’s hummus)
*Dried fruit (raisins, dried cranberries, dried apricots, dried bananas, etc.)
*GORP
*Yogurt
*Frozen yogurt tubes
*Yogurt and granola parfait
*Peanut butter and cracker sandwiches
*Cheese cubes or string cheese
*Chips and salsa
*Chips and guacamole
*Crackers and cheese
*Hard-boiled egg
*No Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Granola Balls
*Applesauce
*Smoothies
*Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
*Oatmeal Applesauce Cookies
*Mini Chocolate Chip or Blueberry Muffins
*Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Dip
*Graham Cracker sticks (dip in yogurt or softened cream cheese for extra yumminess)
*Zucchini Bread
*Fruity Peanut Butter Sushi
*Chocolate Chip Cookie Pretzel Bars
*Strawberry Nutella Muffins
*Popcorn
*Mini Waffle Ice Cream Sandwiches
*Sunshine Cupcakes
*Blueberry Lemon Cream Cheese Muffins (These are a little bit of work, but they are SO good!)
*Graham Cracker Sandwiches
*Banana Bread
*Peanut Butter Krispies
*Pretzel sticks to dip in peanut butter
*Vanilla yogurt and fresh fruit parfait (strawberries, blueberries and bananas work well)
*Fruit leathers

Please share your ideas with the rest of us…we’d love to hear them!

1 Comment

Filed under After School Snacks, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

May 31, 2012 · 11:00 am

Italian Cream Cheese Tortellini Bake

This was a HUGE hit in our house last night and (bonus!) it makes a lot of pasta, so there are plenty of leftovers to go in lunch boxes for the next day or two.

Ingredients:
4 cups tortellini, uncooked
1 pound Italian bulk sausage, cooked
40 ounces pasta sauce
3/4 cup Philadelphia Italian Herb and Cheese Cooking Creme
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Fresh basil, optional

Instructions:
Cook pasta as directed on package. Drain pasta when finished cooking.

Add cooked sausage to pasta sauce; simmer on medium heat 2 min., stirring frequently until heated through. Remove from heat.

Whisk cream cheese spread, milk and Parmesan in large bowl until well blended. Add pasta and basil; stir gently until pasta is evenly coated.

Spread half the meat sauce onto bottom of a greased casserole dish. Cover with pasta mixture and remaining meat sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes minutes.

We had this with a green salad and some grapes.

What did the family think? Everyone loved it and had seconds. Our youngest said he liked it so much that he was going to have 100ths.

Where did this recipe come from? It was adapted from a recipe at Once a Month Mom

photo from Michelle’s Tasty Creations

Leave a Comment

Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Italian

May 25, 2012 · 10:57 pm

Poor Man’s Stroganoff

There are many, many, many versions of stroganoff out there. Everyone in my family LOVED this one which is HUGE for me. HUGE. There was zero complaining. That is rare around here, folks.

Ingredients:
1-2 teaspoons olive oil
1 ½ pounds lean ground beef, turkey or chicken
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
¼ cup flour
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup low-sodium beef or chicken broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup sour cream, light or regular
Egg noodles, cooked per instructions on the bag

Instructions:
In a large skillet, brown the ground beef with the onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook until the meat is no longer pink. Drain the grease.

Stir in the flour and tomato paste to the meat mixture and mix to combine well. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 1 minute.

Add the broth and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring to combine all the ingredients. Simmer vigorously for 3-5 minutes until the mixture is slightly reduced and thickened.

Stir in the Worcestershire sauce. Cook until flavors blend, about 5 minutes on medium heat. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the sour cream, mixing well to avoid lumps.

Serve over egg noodles.

What did the family think? Two thumbs up from everyone!!!

Where did this recipe come from? adapted from a recipe at Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

photo from Campbell’s

Leave a Comment

Filed under Chicken, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It