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Crockpot Southern-Style Green Beans

Southern-Style Green Beans

Southern-Style Green Beans made in the crockpot slow cooked to side dish heaven. Made with fresh green beans and loads of delicious bacon for all my bacon lovers out there!

Crockpot Southern-Style Green Beans

Thanksgiving and Christmas are officially on a countdown now. I started my Christmas shopping and holiday menu planning. One dish that is typically on the table for holidays with my family is a green bean dish and these Southern-style Green Beans are always a huge hit!

Crockpot Southern-Style Green BeansThis side dish goes well beyond just the holidays. Make these any time for a bright, fresh comfort food paired with anything from ham to chicken, baked potatoes to rice. This is a simple dish with delicious flavor and a must make!

Crockpot Southern-Style Green Beans

Crockpot Southern-Style Green Beans

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Crockpot Southern-Style Green Beans

Southern-Style Green Beans made in the crockpot slow cooked to side dish heaven. Made with fresh green beans and loads of delicious bacon for all my bacon lovers out there!

  • 2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed
  • 1 pound thick cut bacon
  • 1 medium yellow onion
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth
  • 4 sprigs thyme
  • salt
  • pepper
  1. Chop the yellow onion.
  2. Wash and trim the green beans.
  3. Chop your bacon and cook in a pan on a medium heat until crispy.
  4. Place on a paper towels to the side.
  5. Dispose of excess bacon grease. I always place my bacon grease into a mug and let it harden before throwing away.
  6. Place the same pan back on the burner and cook your onion for 3 minutes.
  7. Add the green beans for another 2 minutes tossing often.
  8. Place the green beans and onion into the crockpot. Add in a dash of salt, pepper, HALF the cooked bacon, broth and thyme.
  9. Cook on high for 3 hours.
  10. Stir in other half of cooked bacon and serve.

Crockpot Southern-Style Green BeansCrockpot Southern-Style Green Beans

Crockpot Cincinnati Style Chili

Cincinnati Style Chili

Cincinnati Style Chili slow cooked in the crockpot with ground beef and spices topped with red beans, onion and a pile of cheese on a bed of spaghetti.

Cincinnati Style Chili

When I first moved to Cincinnati a few years back everyone raved about the chili here. It took me awhile to get the courage to try out a Cincinnati Style Chili because it is different than what us West Coast people are used to but it is delicious.

There are a few things that make Cincinnati Style Chili special. The first thing you will notice is the obvious serving over spaghetti with a huge pile of shredded cheddar cheese on top. The next is the chili itself. You get a lot of cinnamon and cocoa flavors and the chili, although very meaty, has more of a sauce consistency in comparison to a chunky Texas style chili.

Cincinnati Style ChiliTo get the consistency correct, you do not want to brown the meat before placing into the crockpot. Chop the onion and place in crockpot and break up the meat inside your slow cooker. Add the rest of your ingredients and let cook on low all day.

We are creating a “5 way” today. This is how a popular chili joint here in Cincinnati does it and you can opt out on any step to build it the way you like. I am not a raw onion fan so I leave the onion off.

Start with a heaping portion of cooked spaghetti. Place a couple ladles worth of chili on top. Sprinkle with chopped raw onion, then drained canned kidney beans.

Cincinnati Style ChiliNow for the cheese! Cincinnati Style Chili is not complete without the shredded cheddar cheese. Place a large portion on cheese on top and you are ready to eat. Hot sauce and oyster crackers are also a nice addition and traditionally served with chili here in Cincinnati.

Cincinnati Style Chili

Crockpot Cincinnati Style Chili

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Cincinnati Style Chili

Cincinnati Style Chili slow cooked in the crockpot with ground beef and spices topped with red beans, onion and a pile of cheese on a bed of spaghetti.

Yields: feeds 6

  • Cincinnati Style Chili
  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 white onion
  • 16 ounces tomato sauce
  • .5 teaspoon red pepper
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons vinegar
  • 1 bay leaf
  • .5 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1.5 teaspoon salt
  • Serve with
  • 1 pound spaghetti
  • 1 onion
  • 15 ounce can kidney beans
  • 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • oyster cracker (optional)
  • hot sauce (optional)
  1. Chop one onion and place into crockpot with the ground beef.
  2. Break up the ground beef and add tomato sauce, red pepper, cumin, chili powder, cocoa powder, minced garlic cloves, vinegar, salt, cinnamon and a bay leaf.
  3. Slow cook on low 6-8 hours and remove bay leaf.
  4. Cook spaghetti according to box instructions.
  5. Chop the other onion and drain your kidney beans.
  6. Stack your "5 way" with spaghetti, chili, onion, kidney beans and a pile of cheese.
  7. Serve with oyster crackers and a dash of hot sauce.
  • Preparation time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 6-8 hours

Cincinnati Style ChiliCincinnati Style Chili

 

Halloween Breakfast Casserole

Halloween Breakfast Casserole

Halloween Breakfast Casserole with creamy hash browns, cheese and topped with Canadian bacon, eggs and decorated with ketchup to create a fun and spooky breakfast.

Halloween Breakfast CasseroleThis recipe comes from Betty Crocker and is just a fun way to eat breakfast for Halloween or before a trip to the pumpkin patch or Haunted House this Fall. This recipe is pretty simple to make. The hardest part is creating the eyes. Make sure you create nice little divots/bowls with the Canadian bacon to hold the egg in place and keep an eye on the last 10 minutes cooking. You want the egg whites cooked all the way through.

Halloween Breakfast Casserole

Halloween Breakfast Casserole

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Halloween Breakfast Casserole

Halloween Breakfast Casserole with creamy hash browns, cheese and topped with Canadian bacon, eggs and decorated with ketchup to create a fun and spooky breakfast.

  • 1 pound bag frozen, shredded hash browns
  • 1 can cream of potato
  • 8 ounces sour cream
  • 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 8-10 eggs
  • 8-10 slices Canadian bacon
  • salt
  • pepper
  • ketchup
  1. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl, mix frozen hash browns, cream of potato soup, sour cream, cheese, and a dash of salt and pepper.
  3. Transfer to a large casserole dish.
  4. Use a spoon to make divots to place the Canadian bacon into. Just use the back of your spoon to press the hash browns down to make a little "bed" for each slice. You should be able to make 8-10 divots.
  5. Place the Canadian bacon in these divots to form a little bowl.
  6. Bake for 25 minutes.
  7. Remove from oven and crack an egg into each Canadian bacon divot/bowl you made. Be careful not to make the yolk break and to center the yolk the best you can.
  8. Bake another 30 minutes until the egg whites are completely set.
  9. Transfer some ketchup to a pastry bag with small tip or use a sandwich bag with small slit cut out to create the red of the eyes around each yolk.
  10. Serve.

Halloween Breakfast CasseroleLeggings ‘N’ Lattes has a whole Halloween Brunch Party set up with this Halloween Breakfast Casserole! Make sure to visit HERE to get more fun ideas for a spooky and delicious Halloween brunch set up.

Halloween Breakfast CasseroleHalloween Breakfast Casserole

Autumn Pasta Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette

Autumn Pasta Salad

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BarillaProteinPLUS #CollectiveBias

Autumn Pasta Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette is a high-protein Fall inspired cold pasta made from Barilla ProteinPLUS Penne with fresh broccoli, red onion, pumpkin seeds,  dried cranberry, feta cheese, roasted sweet potatoes and chicken with a delicious cranberry vinaigrette.

A recent visit to the doctor revealed that my son is underweight. I am a small person so I don’t expect my child to be built like a linebacker but we are working extra hard to ensure that the whole family is eating more nutrient dense foods and consuming lot’s of protein.

As a family full of pasta lovers, a protein packed pasta is as good as gold! Barilla ProteinPLUS has 17g of protein to fuel your body. Today, I am sharing a protein packed Autumn Pasta Salad that is perfect for lunchtime this Fall season.

On  my weekly grocery trip to Kroger, I browsed the pasta aisle and picked up Barilla ProteinPLUS Penne for todays recipe and Barilla ProteinPLUS Spaghetti for later in the week. I was also able to grab some fresh broccoli, sweet potatoes, red onion, chicken and the other ingredients needed for my recipe.

Get more recipe inspiration from Barilla!

Click HERE.

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Kroger has some coupons for you!

Click HERE to save on Barilla!

Autumn Pasta Salad

Pasta Salads are one of my families favorite lunches. I like to make a big batch on Sunday and portion it out into containers so everyone can grab one for school or work during the week.

I have made this Autumn Pasta Salad two different ways. One way is to roast the chicken and potatoes for 20 minutes and then add onion and broccoli to the oven for another 25 minutes. Today, the instructions are to just roast the chicken and potatoes and add the onion and broccoli raw in the pasta salad. Both ways turn out great!

Let’s get cooking!

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and boil a large pot of water. Wash the vegetables well and dice the onion, sweet potatoes and cut the florets from a bunch of broccoli. On a baking sheet, add chicken and diced potatoes, then drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake 45 minutes. I like to use organic, thinly sliced chicken for this recipe.

Cook the Barilla ProteinPLUS Penne according to box instructions and drain. Grab a large bowl and add all the pasta salad ingredients and mix up the cranberry vinaigrette. Add about 3/4 of the cranberry vinaigrette to start and you can add the remainder if you wish depending on how much you like.

You may want to add the pumpkin seeds when serving to keep crisp so keep that in mind when mixing all the ingredients together!

Autumn Pasta Salad

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Autumn Pasta Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette, Pasta #recipe #ad #BarillaProteinPLUS #CollectiveBias

Autumn Pasta Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette is a high-protein Fall inspired cold pasta made from Barilla ProteinPLUS Penne with fresh broccoli, red onion, pumpkin seeds,  dried cranberry, feta cheese, roasted sweet potatoes and chicken with a delicious cranberry vinaigrette.

Yields: 7 servings

  • Autumn Pasta Salad
  • 1 pound Barilla ProteinPLUS Penne
  • 1 large sweet potato
  • 1 pound chicken breast, thin sliced
  • .5 cup pumpkin seeds
  • 1 bunch of broccoli, florets
  • .5 red onion
  • .5 cup dried cranberries
  • 3/4 cup feta cheese
  • Olive Oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Cranberry Vinaigrette
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 cup cranberry juice
  • 3 teaspoons Dijon
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. In a large pot, boil water and cook the Barilla ProteinPLUS Penne according to box instructions.
  3. Wash all the vegetables well and dice the sweet potato, red onion and cut the florets from the broccoli bunch.
  4. Add chicken and diced sweet potatoes to a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for 45 minutes, turning half way through. Keep and eye on it in the last 10 minutes of roasting to ensure the potatoes aren't getting too crispy.
  5. Make the cranberry vinaigrette. Whisk 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 cup cranberry juice, 3 teaspoons Dijon, 2 tablespoons honey and a pinch of salt and pepper.
  6. Dice the cooked chicken.
  7. In a large bowl, add the cooked Barilla ProteinPLUS Penne, diced chicken, roasted potatoes, 1/2 cup dried cranberries, diced red onion, broccoli florets, 3/4 cup feta cheese and 3/4 of your cranberry vinaigrette. Stir all ingredients together.
  8. You will have extra cranberry vinaigrette to add now or later depending on your personal taste.
  9. Add the pumpkin seeds before serving.
  • Preparation time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 45 minutes

Comment below with what some of your favorite Autumn inspired recipes are!

Cheesy Mashed Potato Casserole

Cheesy Mashed Potato Casserole

Cheesy Mashed Potato Casserole with russet potatoes, sour cream, butter, crispy bacon, cheddar cheese and green onion.

The cool weather is approaching and holidays are near which means comfort foods are on the menu! Mashed potatoes is a favorite comfort food in this house. Add cheese and bacon and it is a huge hit! This is one of those dishes that you just cannot stop eating. So make sure there will be plenty for everyone. Big crowds will probably need two of these casseroles!

For the holidays, we always serve mashed potatoes of some sort. Cheesy Mashed Potato Casserole pairs perfectly ham. Try our Crockpot Holiday Ham for an easy main dish!

Cheesy Mashed Potato Casserole

Should we get cooking?

You want to start by peeling all your potatoes and cutting them into quarters before dropping them into a large pot of boiling water. Also cook your bacon at this time until crispy and set to the side. Cook potatoes until soft which takes about 20-25 minutes. Drain and add all the goodies. Loads of cheddar cheese, some butter, milk, sour cream and crispy bacon are added in and mixed. Sprinkle some of the cheese and bacon on top.

Place the Cheesy Potato Casserole into the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Take the casserole out of the oven and place green onion on top before serving.

Cheesy Mashed Potato Casserole

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Cheesy Mashed Potato Casserole, side dishes, holiday recipes

Cheesy Mashed Potato Casserole with russet potatoes, sour cream, butter, crispy bacon, cheddar cheese and green onion.

  • 5 pounds russet potatoes
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • .5 cup milk
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • .5 pound cooked, crispy bacon
  • 2 green onions
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  1. Peel the potatoes, quarter and place in a large pot of boiling water for 25 minutes.
  2. While potatoes are on the stovetop, cook the bacon until crispy and chop into small pieces. Set to the side.
  3. Once the potatoes are softened, drain and place into a large bowl (or use the same pot you cooked in). Add the butter, sour cream, milk and desired amount of salt and pepper.
  4. Use a hand mixer to mix until creamy.
  5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  6. Add 2 cups shredded cheese and most of the cooked bacon. Mix again.
  7. Transfer the mashed potatoes to a large casserole dish and sprinkle the remaining cheese and bacon on top.
  8. Place the mashed potatoes into oven for 20 minutes.
  9. Chop up the green onion and sprinkle over top.
  10. Let sit for 5 minutes and serve!

What are some dishes that your family must have during the holidays? Are mashed potatoes on the menu?

Pumpkin Roll Milkshake

Pumpkin Roll Milkshake

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Conagra Brands. All opinions are mine alone. #reddiforfall #CollectiveBias

Pumpkin Roll Milkshake made with vanilla ice cream, pumpkin spice seasoning, a slice of delicious The Bakery at Walmart Pumpkin Cake Roll with Cream Cheese Filling and a dollop of cold Reddi–wip®.

Interested in trying this recipe? Hover over the photo above to click through to Walmart Grocery to shop these products!

The time of year for pumpkin spice everything is upon us! I feel like there is an internal clock built in my body for September 1st that directly connects to my pumpkin spice cravings. Pumpkin spice everything is a must- yes, I am that person.

Bring on the pumpkin recipes!

While on my weekly shopping trip at Walmart, my stomach lead me to these gorgeous Pumpkin Rolls in the bakery section. Since the weather has been in the upper 80’s here in Cincinnati so far this Fall, I decided to make my family a really fun treat of Pumpkin Roll Milkshakes. I made sure to grab some cold Reddi–wip from the Diary section to complete our delicious milkshake creation.

Find more recipe inspiration!

click HERE

Pumpkin Roll Milkshake

Let’s make these Pumpkin Roll Milkshakes! A blender and a few ingredients is all it takes to whip up this yummy Fall treat.

It’s as easy as 1-2-3!

Grab a blender and ingredients from recipe card. Slice the Pumpkin Roll because it is going inside the milkshake! Place vanilla ice cream, two slices of Pumpkin Roll, milk and some pumpkin spice for extra flavor into the blender. Blend until smooth. Pour the milkshake into two glasses (you could make four small milkshakes instead).

Place a straw in each Pumpkin Roll Milkshake and put a dollop of Reddi-wip on each milkshake. You can also dice up another slice of Pumpkin Roll to garnish on top for extra yum.

Now, sit back and enjoy the best flavor of Fall!

Pumpkin Roll Milkshake

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Pumpkin Roll Milkshake made with vanilla ice cream, pumpkin spice seasoning, a slice of delicious The Bakery at Walmart Pumpkin Cake Roll with Cream Cheese Filling and a dollop of cold Reddi-wip®.

Yields: 2 milkshakes

  • 3 cups vanilla ice cream
  • 2 slices Pumpkin Roll (The Bakery at Walmart Pumpkin Cake Roll with Cream Cheese Filling)
  • .5 teaspoon pumpkin spice
  • .5 cup milk
  • Dollop of Reddi-wip®
  • Chopped up slice of Pumpkin Roll for garnish (optional)
  1. Cut 3 slices from the pumpkin roll. Dice one slice for garnish.
  2. Place 3 cups vanilla ice cream, .5 teaspoon pumpkin spice, .5 cup milk and 2 slices of 2 slices of pumpkin roll into blender.
  3. Blend until all mixed. If you want a thinner shake, add a bit more milk.
  4. Pour milkshake into some fun glasses like the Hurricane glasses we used.
  5. Get the Reddi-wip from the fridge and spray a dollop on top.
  6. Garnish with diced pumpkin roll and serve.
  • Preparation time: 5 minutes

tweet tweet!

Grab more “Pumpkin Spice and Reddi-wip Nice” recipes HERE and get ready for Fall!

 

 

Veggie Loaded Breakfast Casserole

Veggie Loaded Breakfast Casserole

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ExperienceScrubDots #CollectiveBias

Veggie Loaded Breakfast Casserole with mushrooms, onion, bell pepper, hash browns, eggs, cheese and topped with jalapeno, tomatoes and avocado.

Veggie Loaded Breakfast Casserole, #ExperienceScrubDots, #adBreakfast foods are a big deal around this house. Breakfast casseroles are amazing! They are simple, hearty and packed with all the good stuff like hash browns… I am such a potato lover. One thing I don’t love about breakfast casseroles is that sometimes clean up isn’t as simple as the prep. Scotch-Brite® Scrub Dots  helps scrub away those kitchen messes fast allowing more family time and less clean up time.

$1.00 off any two Scrub Dots items!

 

Veggie Loaded Breakfast Casserole, #ExperienceScrubDots, #ad

While browsing my local Walmart and picking up all my fresh ingredients for this Veggie Loaded Breakfast Casserole, I also stopped by the cleaning aisle. The New Scotch-Brite® Non-Scratch Scrub Dots Sponge, Scotch-Brite® Heavy Duty Scrub Dots Sponge and New Scotch-Brite® Non-Scratch Scrub Dots Dishwands are easily found. Just look for the bright blue or green and yellow sponges with Scotch-Brite® Brand labeling as shown above.

When do you Scotch-Brite® Heavy Duty Scrub Dots Sponge vs. Scotch-Brite® Non-Scratch Scrub Dots?

Scotch-Brite® Heavy Duty Scrub Dots Sponge :

  • Eliminate baked-on messes.
  • Use on pots,  pans and heavy duty cookware.

Scotch-Brite® Non-Scratch Scrub Dots Sponge:

  • Safely Cleans all cookware.
  • Cleans without scratching.
  • Use on non-stick cookware, counter tops and cook tops.

 

Veggie Loaded Breakfast Casserole, #ExperienceScrubDots, #ad

Visit Scotch-Brite® Brand and experience Scrub Dots HERE. 

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Veggie Loaded Breakfast Casserole, #ExperienceScrubDots, #adVeggie Loaded Breakfast Casserole

Veggie Loaded Breakfast Casserole is really simple to make. I used a bag of has browns found in the fridge section of your grocery store, eggs and shredded cheddar cheese. I picked my fresh veggies and fruits with onion, mushrooms, green bell pepper, Roma tomato, jalapeno and avocado. I also decided to use frozen spinach, although fresh spinach would also work nicely. If you would like to swap any of the vegetables for another your family enjoys more, you absolutely can!

Place your hash browns on the bottom of your large casserole dish. A 9 x 13 pan will work great. Wash all your fruits and vegetables well and dice. The frozen spinach will need to be defrosted and the excess water removed. I place the spinach in a dish towel and squeeze the water out. On top of the hash browns, add your spinach, diced mushrooms, green bell pepper, and onion. In a medium bowl, whisk your eggs with milk and stir in shredded cheese, salt, pepper, and minced garlic. Pour egg mixture over top of hash browns.

Cover and bake for 1 hour. Before serving, add your diced tomato, sliced jalapeno and fresh avocado. A dash of hot sauce is also fantastic on top!

Veggie Loaded Breakfast Casserole, #ExperienceScrubDots, #ad

Veggie Loaded Breakfast Casserole

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Veggie Loaded Breakfast Casserole, #ExperienceScrubDots, #ad
  • 10 eggs
  • .5 cup milk
  • 1 pound shredded hash browns, fridge section
  • .5 onion, white
  • 1 green bell pepper
  • .5 cup diced mushrooms, your favorite type
  • 5 ounces frozen spinach, defrosted
  • 1 Roma tomato
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 jalapeno
  • 1.5 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
  • dash of salt
  • dash of pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  1. Pre heat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Spray your casserole dish with oil of choice (I did not spray my casserole dish to test out my new sponges and dishwand)
  3. Place your hash browns in the bottom of casserole dish. Spread out evenly.
  4. Wash all your vegetables and fruits.
  5. Defrost spinach and remove excess water. Place the defrosted spinach in a towel and squeeze to remove the water. Place evenly on top of hash browns.
  6. Diced your onion, mushrooms and bell pepper. Spread out evenly in casserole dish.
  7. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and milk. Stir in salt, pepper, minced garlic and cheese.
  8. Pour egg mixture into casserole dish.
  9. Cover with foil and bake for 60 minutes,
  10. Slice your avocado and dice tomato and jalapeno.
  11. Remove casserole from oven and sprinkle the avocado slices, tomato and jalapeno over top.
  12. Serve.

Veggie Loaded Breakfast Casserole, #ExperienceScrubDots, #adClean Up Time

With all that baked on food in the casserole dish above, we are putting Scotch-Brite® Brand to the test today! I used the Scotch-Brite® Non-Scratch Scrub Dots Dishwand with my Scotch-Brite® Heavy Duty Scrub Dots Sponges on the side for any extra stubborn messes.

I soaked my casserole dish in hot water for 15 minutes and filled my wand with dish liquid. I cleaned the entire dish using only the dishwand and it came out sparkling clean!

Veggie Loaded Breakfast Casserole, #ExperienceScrubDots, #adDon’t forget your coupon offer below and save on Scotch-Brite® Scrub Dots!

Veggie Loaded Breakfast Casserole, #ExperienceScrubDots, #ad

Pomegranate Kale Salad

Pomegranate Kale Salad

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com. All opinions are mine alone. #InstantMealsBx #WishIHadAWetOnes

Pomegranate Kale Salad with fresh kale, pomegranate arils, apple slices, pumpkin seeds, feta cheese and a spritz of Simply Beyond® Pomegranate Organic Fruit Vinegar. Place in a Rubbermaid container with Wet Ones® Antibacterial Hand Wipes for clean-up to make lunchtime a bit easier.

You may think that us food bloggers spend all day cooking from scratch everyday of the week. False. Even foodies like myself need some go-to products and simple recipes to make life easier. Between raising two young children, working, doing household chores, school activities, family time, and everything in between, I need ways to save time in the kitchen!

Not only do I have a great recipe today for a Kale Pomegranate Salad, I am also sharing a day of family friendly meal planning.

Breakfast

You have all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day! A hot breakfast can get you motivated and filling the kiddos bellies before school is important so they can focus on their schoolwork. Make a batch of Krusteaz Buttermilk Pancake Mix with some fresh blueberries or mini chocolate chips sprinkled in. Just add water and cook according to box directions.

You can even freeze pancakes to reheat in the mornings. Make a big batch and place in the freezer on a baking sheet. Once they are frozen, stack them and place in a freezer bag. To reheat, place stack of pancakes into the microwave for 2 minutes!

Lunch

Pomegranate Kale Salad

Time for the Pomegranate Kale Salad. This salad is so easy to put together and tasty (even the kids enjoyed). We are making 4 today and can easily make less or more depending on your needs.

Begin by washing all your fruits and vegetables. Place equal amounts of kale into each Rubbermaid container and chop the apple. Place 1/4 cup of both pumpkin seeds and feta cheese on top. Remove the pomegranate arils from the pomegranate and toss 1/4 cup worth of pomegranate arils on each salad. Spray with Simply Beyond® Pomegranate Organic Fruit Vinegar. Seal the lid and place a pack of Wet Ones® Antibacterial Hand Wipes on top to pack in the work/school bags.

To easily remove the arils (seeds) from your pomegranate, cut into quarters and place into a bowl of water. Remove the seeds with your hands in the bowl of water.

Pomegranate Kale Salad

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Pomegranate Kale Salad, Wet Ones, Fruit Vinegar, Organic Herbs, #ad, #InstantMealsBx #WishIHadAWetOnes , BabbleBoxx

Pomegranate Kale Salad with fresh kale, pomegranate arils, apple slices, pumpkin seeds, feta cheese and a spritz of Simply Beyond® Pomegranate Organic Fruit Vinegar. Place in a Rubbermaid container with Wet Ones® Antibacterial Hand Wipes for clean-up to make lunchtime a bit easier.

  • 2 bunches fresh kale
  • 1 pomegranate (1 cup pomegranate arils/seeds)
  • 1 apple
  • 1 cup feta cheese
  • 1 cup pumpkin seeds
  • Spritz of Simply Beyond® Organic Fruit Vinegar, Pomegranate
  1. Wash kale and apples.
  2. Chop kale and finely chop apple.
  3. Remove seeds from pomegranate.
  4. In 4 separate containers, place 1/4 cup feta, 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, 1/4 diced apple, 1/4 cups pomegranate seeds on top of 1/2 bunch of chopped kale.
  5. Spray each with Simply Beyond® Pomegranate Organic Fruit Vinegar. Use as much or as little as you like.

More About Organic Fruit Vinegar

Simply Beyond® Organic Fruit Vinegar is crafted from the purest, organic ingredients. You get the perfect balance of red wine vinegar and cranberry or pomegranate juice to enhance the sweetness of a dish. Spritz on salads, pork chops or try some on top of ice cream with fresh berries.

Find out more about Simply Beyond® products and use code babblebox10 for 10% off on all orders through 11/30/2017.

Click HERE.

More About Wet Ones® Antibacterial Hand Wipes

Wet Ones® Antibacterial Hand Wipes are a must-have product, especially for moms like myself. Wipe out dirt and kills 99.99% of germs without soap and water. Wet Ones® come in travel packs and singles that are perfect for throwing into your bag and are hypoallergenic and easy on skin. Wet Ones® are also the best addition to the lunchbox to keep hands clean.

For more information on Wet Ones®

Click HERE.

Dinner

You can make dinner in a cinch with sheet pan chicken and roasted green beans with olive oil, sea salt, pepper and a spray of Simply Beyond® Spray-On Herbs® Garlic. Place 4 your thinly cut chicken breasts onto a baking sheet with a drizzle of olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper. Bake on 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove chicken from oven, turn and add fresh green beans to one side with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Now the fun part! Spray on your Spray-On Herbs® Garlic over both the chicken and green beans. Place in oven another 20 minutes or until chicken is at 170 degrees. These garlic roasted green beans are delicious!

Pair with Uncle Ben’s Minute Rice for a simple dinner that the whole family will enjoy.

More About Spray-On Herbs®

Simply Beyond® Spray-On Herbs® is life changing! Made with only 2 ingredients in a non-aerosol spray so you can use a little or use a lot for the flavor intensity you desire. Customize everyday dishes with fresh herb flavors from grilled chicken, seafood to sauces, fries and even popcorn!

See the full range of Simply Beyond® products and don’t forget to use code babblebox10 for 10% off on all orders through 11/30/2017.

Click HERE.

Dessert

Sometimes a girl just needs a little chocolate (or boy because boys need chocolate too). Whip up this Perfect Size cake that serves 5 in under an hour from Duncan Hines!

Bubblegum Cupcakes

Bubblegum Cupcakes

Bubblegum Cupcakes made with bubblegum soda, extra bubblegum flavoring, a box white cake mix and a simple frosting with fun sprinkles and a gumball on top!

Every once in awhile, you just need to bake up something extra girly and fun! These Bubblegum Cupcakes would be perfect for a birthday party for a girl of any age. Decorate with really fun sprinkles and a big bright pink gumball on the top and we are ready to PAR-TAY!

You may remember those delicious 7UP Cupcakes from last St. Patrick’s Day (click HERE) made with soda. I love baking with soda for a few reasons.

  1. soda makes your cake super fluffy and moist
  2. soda is just fun to bake with
  3. soda adds lot’s of great flavor
  4. soda makes baking easy!

You can make these cupcakes in any color you wish. The bubblegum soda itself is blue so the cupcakes will come out a blue color, I added a bit of red to turn give them a purple tint. Adding even more color to the cake batter would make these even brighter! The frosting color is completely your choice! Go blue, pink, purple, white… maybe a swirl of two colors.

Bubblegum Cupcakes

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees after letting the unsalted butter sit out a bit to soften. Gather a couple mixing bowls, hand or stand mixer, ingredients from recipe card below, a small plate with sprinkles poured in, the gumballs, muffin pan and cupcake liners. Place cupcake liners into muffin pan and start the cake batter.

Use your mixer to make the butter creamy and add in all other cupcake ingredients in. The bubblegum soda will add flavor but if you want more, add a drop of bubblegum flavoring. Pour the batter into liners filling about 3/4 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes in the oven and let cool.

Time for frosting! Use the hand mixer again to mix the butter and vegetable shortening until creamy. Slowly add in confectioners sugar and a drop of bubblegum flavoring. Pick a color for the frosting and add in desired amount. I have made these Bubble Cupcakes a few times and wish I would have made the color more vibrant this round, however, they are still pretty without the added food dye. Mix until smooth. I did not add any other liquid in todays frosting, normally a couple tablespoons of milk would be necessary but it was at a good thickness without. So, if your frosting is too thick, add a pinch of milk. If the frosting ends up too runny, add in more confectioners sugar. If you want to go big with the frosting, make a bit more frosting than instructions say.

Place your bubblegum frosting into a pastry bag with large tip. Frost each cupcake starting with just a ring around each. Dip each cupcake onto the sprinkle covered plate gently to decorate. Finish frosting each cupcake with a dollop of frosting on top. Add your gumball to complete. This recipe will make about 20 cupcakes.

Bubblegum Cupcakes

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Bubblegum Cupcakes made with bubblegum soda, extra bubblegum flavoring, a box white cake mix and a simple frosting with fun sprinkles and a gumball on top!

  • Bubblegum Cupcakes
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 egg whites
  • 1 box white cake mix (I used Pillsbury)
  • 1.25 cups bubble gum soda (I found a Meijer brand)
  • drop of bubble gum flavoring (optional for extra bubblegum flavor)
  • Bubblegum Frosting
  • .5 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • .5 cup vegetable shortening
  • 4 cups confectioners sugar
  • food coloring (I used a few drops of pink)
  • drop of bubblegum flavoring
  • sprinkles to garnish
  • gumballs to garnish
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a mixing bowl, add 1/3 cup softened, unsalted butter and use the hand or stand mixer to thoroughly mix. Add in the 3 egg whites, box of cake mix and 1.25 cups bubblegum soda. Mix again.
  3. Place cupcake liners into muffin pan.
  4. Fill each liner 3/4 full and bake for 18-20 minutes.
  5. Remove from oven and let cool.
  6. Start the frosting. Use the hand or stand mixer to thoroughly mix .5 cup softened butter and .5 cup vegetable shortening. Slowly add in confectioners sugar, bubble gum flavoring and food coloring to desired amount.
  7. Place frosting in pastry bag with large tip.
  8. Frost a ring around each cupcake and dip into a plate full of sprinkles to decorate.
  9. Finish frosting each cupcake and place a gumball on each.

Cinnamon Apple Granola

Cinnamon Apple Granola

Cinnamon Apple Granola made with oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, freshly diced green apples, brown sugar, coconut oil, applesauce and cinnamon. The taste is delicious and the smell is wonderful.

Fall is officially here and the air is crispy, the leaves are changing color and my taste buds are craving… apple pie… for real. I love Apple Pie during the Fall but my waistline says NO, rather rudely I might add. Need to save those calories for the upcoming Holiday’s. This Cinnamon Apple Granola was inspired by an apple pie with cinnamon and fresh green apples.

This granola recipe is very simple to make. You will need :

  • baking sheet
  • parchment paper
  • 2 mixing bowls
  • whisk
  • knife
  • cutting board
  • granola ingredients in recipe below

Combine all ingredients together with a whisk and add to your parchment paper lined baking sheet and place into the oven for an hour. Your house is going to smell like a freshly baked apple pie! It is amazing.

Cinnamon Apple Granola will pair beautifully on top of your morning vanilla yogurt or for a snack during the day at work. You can even place it on some frozen yogurt for a delicious treat.

How will you use this Cinnamon Apple Granola? 

Cinnamon Apple Granola

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Cinnamon Apple Granola, Simply Made Recipes, Autumn recipe, #granola
  • 3 cups oats
  • .5 cup almonds, sliced
  • .5 cups pumpkin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon apple spice (optional for more of an apple pie flavor)
  • .5 teaspoon salt
  • .25 cup brown sugar
  • .5 cup applesauce
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 1 large green apple, diced
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Dice a fresh apple into small pieces.
  3. In your dry ingredient bowl, mix oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, apple spice, cinnamon, salt, brown sugar and diced apples.
  4. Microwave your coconut oil for 30 seconds to melt.
  5. In your wet ingredient bowl, add applesauce, honey, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract and maple syrup. Whisk ingredients together.
  6. Stir all dry and wet ingredients together.
  7. Place granola onto a parchment covered baking sheet.
  8. Place into oven for 65 minutes. Mix every 20 minutes.
  9. Let cool.
  10. Serve for snack or on top of yogurt.
  • Preparation time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 65 minutes