French Bread Pizza

Let's face it, by the end of the week who really wants to cook! The problem: going out is not always an option, neither is just ordering pizza, especially since the price on pizza keeps going up. :( Lucky for all of us, the solution could not be easier.

I don't remember where I first saw this, but was so excited to make it!! Much to my delight, my WHOLE family likes it, including my pizza-connoisseur husband. (HAHAHA)

This dinner could not be easier, nor could it be more family friendly! We usually just do pepperoni pizza, but please feel free to do whatever toppings make you happy. I also usually make my own sauce, REALLY could not be easier, or taste yummier! When I'm in a time-crunch, though, it's amazing how yummy store bought pizza sauce can taste.

Try it, I promise you won't regret it!

Homemade Pizza Sauce: adapted from allrecipes.com
1-8 oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. Italian seasoning

In a medium bowl, mix the above ingredients together. Spread over pizza crust, or even just use as a dipping sauce for breadsticks. (Told you it doesn't get any easier).

French Bread Pizza:
1 loaf of French bread
1 recipe of Homemade Pizza Sauce, or 3/4 c. from a bottle of store bought pizza sauce
1 c. shredded Mozzarella cheese
any other toppings desired (pepperoni, sausage, peppers, onions, mushrooms, bacon....)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice the French bread in half lengthwise. Place both halves on a long enough baking sheet to fit both halves. Spread the halves with the sauce. Top with shredded cheese, and the desired toppings. Bake for 5-8 minutes, just until the cheese is melted. Cut into desired sizes, and enjoy!

Berry Trifle

Ever feel like a healthiER dessert on a hot summer day?! Then this recipe is for you!

This is one dessert my husband asks for regularly. Lucky for me, it is possibly the EASIEST dessert to make. Just cut cake and fruit up, make some pudding, and layer it all together. Doesn't get much better than that, and I know it couldn't get much easier!!

I originally found a recipe like this one in the Taste of Home cookbook, but I have altered that one a lot. We love whatever berries are on sale in this, and we change up the pudding flavors to what we have in the pantry or what sounds good with the fruit we have in the fridge.

Play with this recipe, there is no wrong way to make it, and you just might stumble on something you like even BETTER than the original!!

Berry Trifle:
1 cake mix, whatever flavor you like (I prefer either white cake or angel food cake with this recipe)
1 box instant pudding, we like either chocolate or white chocolate
1 container lite Cool Whip
2-3 lbs. berries (i.e. strawberries, raspberries, blueberries...), rinsed and cut into bite size pieces

Prepare and bake the cake according to package directions, and let cool completely before beginning the next steps. (If you're really in a time crunch, just buy an angel food cake in the bakery department at the grocery store.) Prepare the instant pudding and allow to chill in the fridge for a few minutes, while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Cut up the cake in bite-size pieces, set aside. Rinse the berries you are using, and if needed, cut them up into bite-size pieces. Mix the berries together in a different bowl so that it is easier to layer the trifle. Place half the cake pieces in the bottom of a deep bowl. Follow by spreading half the cool whip over the cake pieces. Next spoon half the pudding over the cool whip layer. Take half the berries and cover the pudding layer. Repeat the layers with the cake, cool whip, pudding and berries, until all the ingredients are used. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Chex Mix

Yep, it's the Original Chex Mix up today for your eating pleasure! Why, you may ask? Chex Mix is a must have in our family for road trips. No matter if we are going on a short vacation, or a longer one, Chex Mix is always in the car. I don't mean to be a Chex snob, but there is something about the homemade version that doesn't taste as salty. If it doesn't have as many preservatives in it, I don't feel as guilty giving my kids a snack, let alone eating it myself. :)

I do alter the original recipe a little, because most of the time this mix is needed to be made in a hurry, in between loads of laundry and packing bags. Hope you enjoy this easy tasty snack as much as my family does.

Original Chex Mix:

3 c. Rice Chex cereal                            6 T. butter, melted

3 c. Corn Chex cereal                           3 T. Worcestershire sauce

3 c. Wheat Chex cereal                         1 ½ tsp. Seasoning salt

1 c. peanuts and/or cashews                 ¾ tsp. Garlic powder

1 c. bite-sized pretzels                          ½ tsp. Onion powder

In large, microwaveable bowl, mix cereals, nuts, and pretzels; set aside. In small microwaveable bowl, microwave butter uncovered on high about 30 seconds or until melted. Stir in seasonings. Pour over cereal mixture; stir until evenly coated. Microwave whole mixture uncovered on high for 5-6 minutes, thoroughly stirring every 2 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool. Or to cool, keep the mixture in the microwaveable bowl and stir every 10-20 minutes, to keep the mixture more crispy. Store in airtight container.

Honey Sesame Chicken

No, I am not a photographer, but I figure having a picture to look at what your food will look like when it is done is a plus.

Now, with that behind us, let's get cooking!

We are all crazy busy, going every which way possible, but we all want to have a delicious dinner when we sit around our tables at night. I love nothing more than nights where I don't have to rush to get all of dinner ready once the clock hits a certain time, so that dinner will be ready before my kids throw their pre-dinner-I'm-so-hungry fits.

I was looking up some quick and easy slow cooker recipes and came across this gem from The Six Sister's Stuff Blog. It was SO easy to just throw everything together! My husband and kids LOVED this chicken, and what's easier than cooking up some rice to put the chicken on? I did steam some snow peas to add to the dish, but we devoured those before I could get them on this plate to take a picture!!

Honey Sesame Chicken:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 c. honey
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. onion, diced
2 T. ketchup
1 T. vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 3 T. water
sesame seeds, to garnish

Season both sides of chicken lightly with salt and pepper, put into crock pot. In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours, or just until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from crock pot, leave sauce. Dissolve 4 teaspoons of cornstarch in 6 tablespoons of water and pour into crock pot. Stir to combine with sauce. Replace lid and cook sauce on high for ten more minutes or until slightly thickened. Cut chicken into bite size pieces, or shred, then return to pot and toss with sauce before serving. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice or noodles.

Easy, right?! Enjoy!

Butterfinger Rice Krispie Treats

One word, AMAZING, they should come with a warning label!!!

My husband's favorite candy bar is a Butterfinger, but I am not a big fan of them, at least until now. These crazy treats are addicting. I am so excited to share it with you!

These treats are so easy to make, and yet look like you spent hours on them. They are a perfect treat for your BBQ plans this weekend with the official kick-off of summer. This recipe was inspired by one I found on Six Sister's Stuff, but I have made a few changes to make them that much easier, without sacrificing the delicious flavor and look of the treat. Ready...here you go!!

Butterfinger Rice Krispie Treats:
2 T. butter
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
1-10 oz. bag mini marshmallows
6 c. Rice Krispie cereal
8-10 fun size Butterfinger candy bars, chopped and divided
2 squares chocolate flavored almond bark, found in your grocer's baking aisle by the chocolate chips

Spray a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat until melted. Add the peanut butter and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Add the marshmallows and stir continuously until marshmallows are melted. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the Rice Krispies cereal. Stir in half of the Butterfingers, that have already been chopped. Empty the pot into your baking dish and press the mixture down into the pan. (The easiest way to do this is to spray a rubber spatula with cooking spray and use that to press down the mixture).
Sprinkle the remaining Butterfinger pieces over your treats, spreading them around the whole pan. Melt the almond bark in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir every 30 seconds until melted and smooth. Drizzle the chocolate over your treats with either a fork or a spoon. Enjoy!!!
 

Homemade Granola

Yep, that's right! It's almost swimsuit time. My husband and I have really been trying to eat healthier together, and this has become one of our FAVORITES for breakfast. I am allergic to almonds, so buying granola from the store is not really an option for our family, at least not for me. This recipe is amazing. It is crunchy, tasty, healthy, and keeps you full for a long while! Best part about it, you probably already have all these ingredients in your fridge and pantry. :)


This is one of those recipes that the whole family will love! Our two kids eat this granola with their yogurt at least once a week. Doesn't get much better that having your kids loving healthy options, along with looking and feeling your best!

Here's to an even better look for these upcoming summer months, and to lots of BBQs and swimming parties!

Homemade Granola:

3 ½ c. oatmeal, not instant                                  Heat in large sauce pan:

½ c. shredded coconut                                        1 stick butter

1 1/2 c. nuts (i.e. peanuts, cashews, mixture...)    1/4 c. honey

                                                                             1/4 c. water

                                                                             2-3 tsp. Vanilla extract

                                                                             1/4 c. maple syrup

Mix above together in a large bowl.

When liquid mixture is warm and thinned, begin adding to the dry ingredient mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon until well-coated. Spread the granola over 2 cookie sheets and place in a 300 degree oven and toast for 10 minutes. Remove pans from oven and flip carefully with a spatula to expose the other side. Place back in the oven for an additional 10 minutes. Remove the pans into a big bowl, or tupperware.

Stir together and it's ready for munching plain, with milk, or yogurt.

Cincinnati Chili

Another chilly day here in Utah. Chilly of course is relative, since it is 55 degrees, but after weeks of beautiful temperatures in the 70s and 80s, the 50s are feeling rather cold. As a result, my family has comfort food on the mind.

I had never even HEARD of Cincinnati Chili before I met my husband and his family, but it is now a regular staple in our home. The first time I tried this meal was the night I met my husband's family at his parent's home. What is this? I would always think to myself. Little did I know how tasty and simple it was to make. For those who don't know what this tasty meal is, it's basically a spicy meat sauce on spaghetti noodles. With that being said, it IS quite spicy, if you like things a bit on the more mild-side, you might want to lessen the amount of chili powder and cayenne pepper you use.

I am a BIG fan of a quick meal, or one that I can throw everything into the crock pot and let it cook all day. Who isn't looking for a yummy and healthy dinner that can be made quickly, especially when you have a family!!

Yes, the ingredients list is long, but you will be amazed at how quickly this meal pulls together, and how it gets devoured just as fast. :) This is my mother-in-law's recipe she had for this dish, with a few tweaks from making it A LOT!

Cincinnati Chili: 

1 lb. ground beef                3 bay leaves

1/2 quart water                 1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 large onion, diced            1/2 tsp. All spice

1/2-6 oz. Can tomato paste       1 tsp. Cayenne pepper

3/4 T. vinegar                  1/2 tsp. Unsweetened cocoa

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce       salt and pepper to taste

1 clove garlic                   1 lb. Spaghetti noodles

1 T. chili powder                grated cheese

Brown ground beef in a skillet, drain off extra grease. Add water and onion into a large crock pot. Add all remaining ingredients, except the spaghetti noodles and cheese. Allow to simmer for 4-8 hours on low in the crock pot. Take bay leaves and garlic clove out before serving. Cook spaghetti noodles according to the directions on the package. Serve the Cincinnati chili over your spaghetti noodles. Toppings can include: grated cheese, oyster crackers, chopped green onions, Tobasco sauce, etc. *The Cincinnati chili recipe makes around 15 servings, depending how much sauce you like on your noodles. Add more spaghetti noodles if you need to feed that many at once. 

*This freezes beautifully. If it makes more than you want to use that day or for leftovers, just put it in a freezer-friendly container. Put it in a saucepan the day you want to eat it again for dinner!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

WELCOME TO KRAFTY IN MY KITCHEN!! I am so looking forward to sharing my go-to recipes, new recipes, tidbits, tips, and some thoughts, with you and your family.

Let's face it, anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE to cook and bake. It's never just for myself, usually it is because of my two hungry children in the family room watching Baby Signing Time while I make dinner while my husband comes home from work. Sometimes for a neighbor who needs a little something to brighten their day, and other times, it really is just for fun.

I grew up in the kitchen with my Mom, Grandmas, and all sorts of family cooking together in the kitchen. We had some recipes memorized we made them so much. I can't say when I was young we experimented too much, but I don't remember any big family gatherings which did not involve A LOT of food. 

As a result, I now would prefer to cook at home most nights. This is not to say I don't LOVE to go out, not having to do the dishes and clean up is every mom's dream, but if I cook I know exactly what my family is eating. We have several things that are on our monthly menu, but we keep trying new recipes and experimenting in the kitchen. 

Today I have one of my family's favorite cookies from when we were growing up. My Grandma was an AMAZING cook. She had so many recipes, and never messed them up. Later I learned, you really have to TRY to mess up one of her recipes. I hope you and your family enjoy these as much as we did, and continue to today.

CHEWY OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES:
3/4 c. shortening
1 1/3 c. brown sugar
1 c. flour
3/4 tsp.baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 c. oats, uncooked
1 c. raisins
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together shortening and brown sugar in a mixer. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and eggs. Mix until the ingredients are incorporated and smooth. Stir in the oatmeal and raisins, until just combined. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, or spray with cooking spray. Place teaspoonfuls of the batter about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake the cookies for 7-9 minutes. **The cookies will not look completely baked, they will be a bit brown on the edges, but when you take them out of the oven they will continue to cook just a little on the cookie sheet. This is how you get the chewy oatmeal deliciousness you and your family will love. This recipe makes about 4 dozen cookies. Enjoy!