Monday Motivation (all about food)

  I like to cook.  I like to bake. I am not a professional but, since we have to eat and sometimes it's an enjoyable experience we do it.

  Today I was super motivated and made 3 things! Now as I stated I'm not a professional so I will also share the recipes of the items!

  I think the one thing I have on my side at least is that 2 of the 3 are healthy.  The bonus is that everything is kid approved.  As a mom of picky eaters that just makes me so happy!

I started my morning with a cup of hot mint chocolate.  This was a fun recipe with its green color and I even choose to make one red in honor of the upcoming Valentines Day! Easy recipe with minimal ingredients and tasty!

Find the cocoa recipe here.

Next up was a healthy spin on cookie dough bites.  I would never try to make cookie dough healthy but, I would try to make my kids eat healthier.  Guess what 1 out of 2 kids fell for it. That's OK thats a start!  This cookie dough balls although made with chickpeas are actually quite good.  I guess there's enough sweet stuff in them to kind of coat the taste.  I thought they were a little dry but, that just means we need a class of milk with our cookies!

Find the cookie dough recipe here.

Lastly we not only needed some chocolate but we needed a dessert.  Enter the chocolate brownies!  Since I was on a healthy role I decided to stick with it.  This recipe makes a nice moist cake like chocolate brownie.  2 kid approved on this one!

Find the brownie recipe here.

  Now I'm not saying get our of hand and make everything on Monday but, I am saying if your going to make something, make it a little healthy and a lot of good!

Chocolate Banana Smoothie with peanutbutter

  I am a breakfast person.  I wake up and I'm ready to eat.  Unlike my kids whom wake up ready to eat but sometimes it's because they skipped dinner based on personal preferences.

  I cook/prepare a variety of items for breakfast.  Sometimes the meal is cereal or oatmeal but I'm ok whipping up pancakes, waffles or muffins too.  I also like to make smoothies.

  Smoothies are hit or miss with the kids.  Sometimes I actually win getting fruits and vegetables in them this way sometimes the taste gets them straight out the gate.  I remember making a spinach one but my daughter had seen me put strawberries in prior to the spinach. She asked why is it was green?  I lied and said because strawberries turn green when blended sometimes. Hmmm. She has this hate with green things: broccoli specifically.  I will tell you what. She drank that green drink and it was good. Bye, bye spinach do your nutritional magic!

  Today was a banana smoothie with peanut butter.  This recipe was dairyfree but you could easily change milk in place of my substitute. Skipping the peanutbutter is not a big deal either.

1 frozen banana
1 cup of chocolate almond milk
1 T peanut butter

Blend it all together.   Depending on how many mouths are tempted to drink or try it, I may think it out with more milk.  I like thicker smoothies.

  I find it to be sweet enough based on the almond milk so I don't add any extra sweeter but you could add a tablespoon of syrup or honey.

 
Bottoms up! Try a glass of this to accompany your next breakfast or in place of eating if your in a rush!  Do you drink smoothies what's your favorite blend?
 

St.Patrick's Day Bark

  In keeping with the theme of the upcoming holiday.  I made a fee treats for the kids.  One treat was chocolate bark.  The kids have voiced their appreciation for it in the past and I wanted to make it festive.

  I purchased:
  White candy melts
   Green candy melts
   Wilton Gold Spray and Sprinkles
  Sixlets in white

I melted the whole bag of chocolate and about 6 green candy melts.  I sprayed it out on a cookie sheet and swirled the colors on the tray more.

  I sprinkled the gold sprinkles, added the Sixlet candies and sprayed the gold spray randomly on the chocolate.

  I like the color of the gold. I have never used spray before but you can see the shimmer and it's kind of pretty.

  I sat it in the fridge for about 15 minutes and broke up the pieces.

  The kids liked it and it made a nice treat for an afternoon snack.

  Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Chocolate Cookies

  Believe it or not some weeks I do not make anything.  Tonight I made cookies because there I was minding my own business when a plate full of cookies gets my attention on Facebook.  A quick glimpse over the recipe and it's on.

  These cookies boasted of a chocolate flavor and there is no doubt about it when you see them and when you smell them fresh out the oven!

  They were easy to make adding that the teen made these.  The longest process was letting them chill prior to cooking. Ooh the torture.

  However after an hour of that I am almost sure when I took a bite of the first one I had already forgot about the waiting period.

  These are a great little cookie.  They have a great chocolate flavor, were soft, resembled a brownie in flavor and texture.  All you need is a glass of milk to accompany these and you too will be in a happy place.  These would definitely get you bonus points if you cooked them and had them ready for unsuspecting children!

 Get to cooking these!  I know you didn't know you needed them but, your welcome anyways.

Check out the recipe here:
http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2016/03/07/chocolate-sugar-cookies/

Sipping on Strawberries

  Today I took the easy way out.  A milkshake but with the use of strawberries of course!

  A couple scoops of chocolate peanut butter ice cream , some milk and fresh strawberries equals a chocolate covered strawberry milkshake!

  It doesn't get any easier then that.  The teen was gifted this tonight and was pleased with it.  She was impressed with how east it is to make a milkshake and may not the endless possibilities for future creations.

Cheers to the strawberries!

15 days of Strawberries

  So today I used up the strawberry mousse from yesterday in today's recipe.  See let me explain something real quick as with my pumpkin challenge in the fall when I have made enough recipes I start stepping out the box and getting a little creative.  Nothing to crazy just small simple recipes.

  So today I put the Strawberry Mousse in pie shells.  I placed a dollop of chocolate on each pie and splattered some of the leftover strawberry sauce on the top as well.

I can't say they were phenomenal as the major part of the pie was what we already ate yesterday but if we liked it yesterday it would mean we liked it today, lol.  

It was good.  That nice fluffy, creamy mousse in the graham cracker pie shell.  I would try to spread the chocolate on top more versus a dollop but it still was a nice treat.

No formal recipe today.  If your interested just use yesterday's and add it to the pie shell.

St. Patrick's Day prep

  I enjoy springtime.  I like to see all the colors come back. Leaves on the trees and flowers blooming.  Being trapped in the house dodging cold weather makes you appreciate all things nature when the weather gets warmer.  However I will not let St. Patrick's Day slide by unnoticed.

  So today I made a snack in celebration of the upcoming green holiday!  My kids didn't help make these but watched the process and will reap the rewards in their tummies!

  All you need are 3 ingredients:

                               Chocolates

                                pretzels,

       
                          Cake pop sticks

Melt your chocolate.  You can easily melt it in the microwave but I did mine on the stovetop and lived on the edge melting it with out a double boiler.

When your chocolate had melted dip the pretzels in it.

I then formed the shape with the pretzels on parchment paper added the stick and added more chocolate to hold the stick in place.  There you go a shamrock on a stick!

I did contemplate drizzling some white chocolate over the top but skipped that.  I did however added some green sprinkles.

They were fairly easy to make and may consider making them again.  I definitely think they are a cute festive way to celebrate.

Happy St.Patrick's Day!

Baking day and pumpkins

  Today I had a mission for my pumpkin consumption.   Come on now people we all have different goals don't judge.  I knew I was going to make something it was just a matter of what.  I have a couple recipes I want to try.  Some cookies for sure! I have two in mind already.  I also would like to make a pumpkin flavor granola as well as oatmeal.  After those few recipes I have no goal.  I would like to whip up at least a couple savory dishes as well.

  Today I made pumpkin brownies.  I was able to use the rest of the can opened from the smoothie so that was nice. I won't be able to utilize one can for two recipes often.

  I didn't hear any complaints from the household about this brownie.  It was a nice spin on a chocolate brownie.  It had the same texture as I like in my favorite brownie.  Chewy but soft and moist.  Not cake like at all and the chocolate chips when eaten warm were nice pockets of extra goodness.

  This would have been just as good topped with a scoop of ice cream because hey if your going to treat yourself why not add on a little more.

Recipe credit goes to sixsistersstuff.  I have several recipes I use from them! This will not be the last recipe you see from these guys.


  If you have any pumpkin recipes to share I'm open to any!

Young chef appearance canceled tonight!

 Well the young chef was here but not ready for performance.  She had a hard time finishing her food so as they say the show must go on.  Tonight was featuring a dessert with a healthy twist.

Chocolate Peanut butter Avocado Pudding!

Did you catch the healthy part?  I was going to make it anyways in hopes that I could slide it past the children. My son is a very picky eater whom also skipped his meal and I thought I would let him eat this to replace his lack of eating.  Sadly my young chef was still savoring her dinner.

This recipe had very minimal ingredients which you know I like! Easy and healthy let's get this thing moving.

Put all your ingredients into your food processor.  Pulse it until everything is blended together.

You now have a great dessert! Healthy, fast and easy! My type of meal!

Little man was not so fooled.

Its as if he knew something healthy was in the chocolate, peanut butter goodness.

This recipe took very little liquid so it was very thick. I suppose you could add a little more to thin it out.  I liked it though and I have had avocado puddings before.  This one had a nice chocolate flavor with hints of peanut butter and banana.  You couldn't taste the avocado at all.

Recipe credit:

chocolate-peanut-butter-avocado-pudding/

I tried it!

  

  As some of you know I have been conducting reviews so when I received these

the last time I ordered it only seemed fitting to find something great to try with them. 

My children love chocolate and have been asking for popsicles on a daily basis so I decided to put the two together.

 

I looked up chocolate pudding popsicles and decided on these chocolate-pudding pops!

As you have maybe read I do not claim to be a master chef, I am just an average mom with improving cooking skills that likes to eat!  I bake (can I put pudding in that category) in my opinion better than cook.  I do like myself some desserts.  I would like to say I am getting better and as I acquire more kitchen gadgets the sky is the limit!

The ingredients are very simple and you may have all of it on hand already.

Obviously chocolate is the star ingredient!

  The key to this recipe is patience as you stir the pudding while it boils.  

This is the most important part as you are making pudding and you need your milk and chocolate to thicken.

Is it ready, yet? Nope!

Now? Almost!!

Now? Yes!  The pot comes off the stove top to an ice bowl to cool down before we fill and stick them into the freezer.

Fill, (I will add that while I was filling them I noticed a lonely egg yolk that didn't quite make it into the ingredients- now I'm sure there probably was some importance to this but everything worked and tasted just fine).freeze and

Enjoy!!