Category Archives: Everybody Ate It

September 26, 2011 · 9:02 am

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars

There’s oatmeal in them, so they’re healthy, right? 🙂

Ingredients:
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup rolled oat

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees with the rack in the middle position.

Melt the butter in a large microwave safe bowl.

Add the brown and white sugars and let cool a bit.

Add egg, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla.

Add flour and wheat germ and mix. Then add the chocolate chips and oats and mix everything up. The dough will be quite stiff.

With a spatula spread dough evenly into a greased 8×8 baking pan or a similar sized pie dish.

Bake at 350 for 25– 30 minutes.

Cut into bars when cool.

Did I change anything? I added the wheat germ and I would have put in a lot less sugar had I thought about it before I dumped it all in there.

What did the family think? It has sugar, butter and chocolate. Enough said.

Where did this recipe come from? Food.com

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

September 20, 2011 · 8:57 am

Lasagna Flatbread

These were so fun…it’s like lasagna and pizza all rolled into one.

Ingredients:
15 oz ricotta cheese
8 oz shredded mozzarella, divided
3 oz parmesan cheese
2 tsp Italian Seasoning
1 egg
1 lb Italian sausage
1/2 (26oz) jar marinara sauce
6 flatbreads

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375.

Combine ricotta, 1/2 of the mozzarella, parmesan, Italian seasoning and egg. Set aside.

In a large skillet, cook sausage or hamburger until it is no longer pink. Drain off fat. Stir in marinara sauce (use as more or less depending on how saucy you want this). Set aside.

Assemble the flatbreads. Spread 1/6 of the cheese mixture on top of flatbread. Top with 1/6 of meat sauce and sprinkle with 1/6 of remaining mozzarella cheese. Repeat for remaining flatbreads.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, until cheese is melted on top.

Did I change anything? For the flatbreads, I used naan since the only flatbread I could find at our store was really, really flat.

What did the family think? It was a hit!

Where did this recipe come from? Plain Chicken

Photo from Plain Chicken

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

September 17, 2011 · 10:27 am

7-Up Biscuits

If you are looking for health food, then you need to stop reading right now because you aren’t going to find it here today. If, on the other hand, you are looking for a recipe for amazingly tasty biscuits, then you’ve come to the right place.

Ingredients:
2 cups Bisquick
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup 7-up
1/4 cup melted butter

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 450.

Cut sour cream into biscuit mix, add 7-Up. Makes a very soft dough.

Sprinkle additional biscuit mix on board or table and pat dough out.

Use the top of a glass to cut out biscuits.

Melt 1/4 cup butter in a 9 inch square pan.

Place cut biscuits in pan and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

What did the family think? Holy cow. Put a little honey on them and they are even more heavenly if that’s even possible.

Where did this recipe come from? Plain Chicken

photo from Plain Chicken

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

September 16, 2011 · 9:11 am

Chocolate Chip Quinoa Cookies

You may be wondering why I have am putting up all of these quinoa recipes all of the sudden. Well, it was on super duper sale at the grocery store, so now I have a bunch of it we need to use up. These cookies were described as “awesome” by my oldest child, so don’t let the quinoa scare you away.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup quinoa
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup all-Purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 tablespoons milk
3/4 cup chocolate chips
Parchment paper

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a food processor, grind the quinoa and oatmeal. I gave it a couple of pulses and called it good. Add quinoa and oats to a bowl, then add in flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine.

Cream together oil and sugars. Add in flax seeds, milk and vanilla.

Add dry ingredients to the wet, in batches, stirring the mixture to incorporate the dry ingredients. You may need to add a splash of milk at this point to get everything to mix together.

Add in the chocolate chips and mix.

Drop by the spoonful on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper and bake for 8-10 minutes.

What did the family think? Yummy goodness all the way around.

Where did this recipe come from? Vegweb

photo from Multiply Delicious

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

September 14, 2011 · 8:59 am

Back to School Cookies

To start off the school year I wanted to make some cookies that were tasty, but also had a little bit of healthy thrown in there too. These cookies turned out great and have been a hit for after school snacks as well as lunchbox desserts. (They are also good with a big glass of milk when the kids are in bed and I finally get a chance to sit down.)

Ingredients:
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 T milk
1 cup flour (whole wheat, all-purpose, whatever you have)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup uncooked quick rolled oats
2 T wheat germ
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
Parchment paper

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the sugars in an electric mixer.

Cream the sugars with the softened butter.

Add in the egg, vanilla, and milk. Cream until smooth.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add slowly to the wet mixture until incorporated.

Once smooth, stir in the oats, wheat germ, chocolate chips, and sunflower seeds.

Using a cereal spoon, drop rounded teaspoons about 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges. Makes around 2 dozen (depending on the size of your cookies).

Did I change anything? The recipe above is my version of one that I found on-line and tweaked a bit…less sugar and I added the wheat germ and sunflower seeds.

What did the family think? Everyone LOVED them!

Where did this recipe come from? A Dash of Sass (and then I changed it up a bit)

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

September 12, 2011 · 10:27 am

Tropical Coconut and Pineapple Smoothie

The day before school started last week we ventured out to our local science museum and ended up eating lunch there as well. Since our house has turned into a smoothie shop, my oldest made a beeline for their smoothies that were all lined up and packed in ice on the counter next to the stir-fry line. I am so glad I let him get it. Not only was it super tasty, but there was enough for all of us to share.

Ingredients:
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 banana, sliced
1/2 cup pineapple chunks
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
2 T honey
1 cup vanilla yogurt

Instructions:
Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

What did the family think? Yum!

Where did this recipe come from? It was inspired by the coconut smoothie we had at our local science museum.

photo from Make and Takes

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

September 9, 2011 · 8:54 am

Crock Pot Ravioli Lasagna

So now that this thing called “school” has invaded our lives, our Tuesdays and Thursdays are a nightmare. School, violin, soccer…we don’t get home until almost 8:00pm. This recipe was a lifesaver yesterday and everyone liked it so much they had seconds.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef, turkey or chicken (browned and drained)
1 (28-ounce) jar prepared pasta sauce
25-30 frozen cheese or meat ravioli
2 cups Italian blend shredded cheese
2 tablespoons warm water

Instructions:
Use a 4-quart slow cooker. After browning the meat in a skillet, drain well and add the pasta sauce (save the jar!) to the meat in your saute pan. Stir to combine.

Scoop a large spoonful of meat sauce and spread into the bottom of an empty slow cooker. Add a layer of frozen ravioli. Then add another layer of meat sauce. Continue layering until you run out of ravioli and sauce. Sprinkle cheese evenly all over the top.

Put 2 tablespoons of water into the empty pasta sauce jar, and shake. Pour this water over the top of your “lasagna.”

Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or on high for about 4. Your lasagna is done when the ravioli is tender and the filling is heated through.

Did I change anything? I didn’t, but I think the next time I make it I am going to use Italian sausage instead of ground turkey.

What did the family think? Everyone had seconds! What’s not to like about ravioli lasagna? 🙂

Where did this recipe come from? Crockpot365

photo from Amazon.com

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Italian, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make

September 8, 2011 · 9:12 am

Back to School Zucchini Bread

My husband and kids absolutely LOVE zucchini bread and I haven’t made it in a very long time. It turns out that making some zucchini bread this week was a great idea because we have had some for breakfast, packed it in lunch boxes and packed it for the kids to take for snacks at school AND it freezes up beautifully if you want to save a loaf for later since this recipe makes two loaves.

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1 3/4 cups white sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans.

Whisk flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.

Beat eggs, oil, applesauce, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl.

Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

Did I change anything? I reduced the amount of oil and added applesauce. I reduced the amount of sugar. I left out the walnuts completely and I didn’t sift anything. All of the changes I made from the original recipe are reflected in the recipe above.

What did the family think? They fought over the last piece.

Where did the recipe come from? Allrecipes

photo from allrecipes.com

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

September 7, 2011 · 10:28 am

Italian Sausage and Spinach Stromboli

We are back from vacation, the kids are back in school and I am back in the kitchen. The boys love pizza and really anything that involves pizza/pasta sauce, so I knew this would be a hit. I just wish I would have made more…everyone wanted seconds.

Ingredients:
1 pound pizza dough, homemade or store bought
All-purpose flour, for work surface
1/2 lb. Italian sausage
2 cups fresh spinach
2 cups marinara sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella (6 ounces)
1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil. Divide dough into 4 pieces. On a lightly floured work surface, stretch out each piece, first to a 3-by-4 inch oval, then to a 6-by-8-inch oval (let dough rest briefly if too elastic to work with).

In a large skillet cook Italian sausage until done. Add spinach leaves and cook until just wilted.

Dividing evenly, scatter sausage/spinach mixture over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Dividing evenly, top with mozzarella and 1/4 cup marinara.

Starting at the shorter end, roll up each stromboli, and place, seam side down, on baking sheet. Using the tip of a paring knife, cut two slits in the top of each. Brush with oil. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve stromboli with 1/2 cup marinara for dipping.

Did I change anything? The original recipe called for salami and broccoli. I’m not sure I want broccoli in my stromboli. I wish I would have added some roasted red peppers to it. Since this is like a rolled up pizza basically, you can add just about anything to it that you’d normally have on your pizza.

What did the family think? Everyone loved it and wanted seconds, but there were no seconds. Note to self: make twice as much next time.

Where did this recipe come from? I got the idea for this recipe from Martha Stewart.

photo from Martha Stewart

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

August 30, 2011 · 9:51 am

Spinach and Cheese Manicotti

The boys have been asking me to make this for a while, so last night was the night. They lapped it up and asked for more…I love dinners like that. Another thing I love about this recipe is that you can make it ahead of time, stick it in the frig and then pop it in the oven when you are ready to bake it.

Ingredients:

1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed completely & squeezed dry
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
15 ounces ricotta cheese
4 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 box (12 to 14 shells) manicotti noodles
3 to 4 cups marinara sauce (1 jar + a little more)
1/2 cup shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese, for topping

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix spinach, cheeses, eggs, salt and pepper. Stir together until well blended.

Place about 1 1/2 cups of marinara sauce in a 9×13-inch pan. Spread it around to cover the bottom.

Place the mixed filling into a plastic bag. You can use either a frosting piping bag or a gallon zip bag. Snip the corner, gather the top and squeeze the filling into the corner. Hold an uncooked manicotti shell in your hand and squeeze the filling inside the shell. Let it overflow on both sides. (Or you can use a spoon. Spoon it in with the spoon part of the spoon and stuff it in there with the handle…very messy…but it worked.) Place the filled shell into the sauce-lined pan. Repeat with remaining manicotti and fill the pan with the stuffed shells, until you run out of shells and filling. You should be able to fill 12 to 14 shells- if you run out of room in your pan, use a separate smaller pan to accommodate the extra.

Cover the pasta with marinara sauce, using about 2 1/2 cups of sauce. Sprinkle 1/2 cup Romano/Parmesan on top. At this point, you can cover with foil and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake, or you can cover with foil and place it in the oven immediately.

Bake, covered with foil, 50 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.

What did the family think? Yum, yum and more yum.

Where did this recipe come from? Recipe Girl

photo from Recipe Girl

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