Easy Caramel Apple Slices

Have you ever wanted a caramel apple, but didn't want to go through the trouble, LET ALONE CUT IT when you did get up the courage to make them?!!

These apples were SO EASY to make, literally took less than 5 minutes from starting to cut to on the table, and were SUCH A BIG HIT!! The only problem? Not making them every day!! :)

Easy Caramel Apple Slices:
3 granny smith apples, sliced
15 caramel pieces, unwrapped
1-2 tsp. water
desired toppings (marshmallows, sprinkles, chocolate chips, reeses pieces, etc.)
Slice the apples to desired thickness and arrange on a plate. Combine the caramels and water in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave at 20 second interval, stirring after each, until the caramel and water are fully melted and incorporated together. Drizzle the caramel over the apple slices, and then top with the desired toppings. SERVE.

See...couldn't be any easier or more delicious than that!!!

Grilled Corn on the Cob

WARNING: ONCE YOU TRY IT, THERE'S NO GOING BACK!!!

I don't know about you, but our family is obsessed with barbecuing and being outside right now. The weather where we live is beautiful, not as hot as is usual this time of year! One of our favorite things to eat in the summer is corn on the cob, and we have become a little snobby with it. Once you grill this stuff, there is NO TURNING BACK!!!!

We have gotten creative with our grilling the corn, and once it comes off the grill, there is never time for a picture, hence my son's plate where the corn was just a little hot for him. :)

My kids love the corn with butter, salt and pepper, but my husband and I like it with a little more spice and kick to it. The sky is the limit, and the flavors are to die for!

Grilled Corn on the Cob:
6 cobs of corn, with the husks removed
6-12 pieces of aluminum foil, to roll the seasoned corn in-depending if you break the cobs in half
melted butter, about 4 T. depending on how butter you like it
salt and pepper to taste
I like to add:
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Remove the corn from the husks, along with all the stringy-gunk, that's the technical term. :)
melt the butter in the microwave until just melted. Add additional ingredients, minus the salt and pepper, in with the melted butter, and blend together. Brush the butter mixture onto each cob of corn on the aluminum foil, add salt and pepper before wrapping the corn up. Continue until all the cobs of corn are coated and seasoned.
Have the grill on low, and place the wrapped corn on the grill. Close the lid, and turn every 5-10 minutes until it has been on the grill for about 25 minutes.
You can also bake it in the oven at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. It doesn't have quite the same taste, but it is super-close!
ENJOY!

Breakfast Fried Rice

Almost 7 years ago, my husband and I spent a week in Maui, Hawaii for our honeymoon. There was no other place we wanted to be than in one of the most beautiful places on earth with each other! We haven't had the chance to take another vacation since with just the two of us, thanks to pregnancies and now our 3 amazing kids, so we dream of that vacation and how special it was and the memories we have of that week. While we were there, we went to a Mexican restaurant for breakfast, Fred's. It was so tasty, but the most amazing thing we ate there was their breakfast fried rice. We have been trying to recreate it since, and FINALLY got it down this week!!!!

Let me tell you, there is nothing better than recreating tastes of the islands, and getting it right! Our family downed a wok-full of this stuff. IT WAS SO EASY AND TASTY, but truth be told, I didn't make it! My husband made it, I just chopped everything up for him.

Doesn't get much better than reliving great times, and sharing those times and memories with your kids!

But without further ado, here is the recipe!

Breakfast Fried Rice:
4 c. cooked white rice (2 c. dry rice with 4 cups water)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
5 eggs, scrambled with a dash of milk
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 medium onion, diced
salt and pepper to taste
soy sauce, to taste
Cook rice in a rice cooker, or pot, until cooked through. While the rice is cooking, or if you have leftover rice, preheat a wok, or large skillet, over medium-high heat. Add a little olive oil, and saute onion, and peppers for 2-3 minutes or until the onion becomes a little translucent in color. Add in scrambled eggs, and cook. Add in cooked bacon, along with a dash of salt and pepper. Add cooked rice in and soy sauce, start with just 1/4 cup, you can always add more. Continue to stir rice until the soy sauce is incorporated completely. Add more soy sauce as needed, but don't go overboard, it makes the rice super salty if you add too much. Let "fry" in the wok for 3-4 minutes stirring about once a minute so the rice doesn't burn. Serve while still hot, and ENJOY!!

Fruity Rainbow Marshmallows

A few weeks ago my daughter graduated from Preschool. She has been able to attend such an amazing preschool where the teachers really care about learning and teaching, whether the kids are understanding what they are being taught, movement and dance classes, cooking, science, math, the list goes on and on. I have loved having her at this preschool. SO...for graduation this year they had a rainbow theme, and talked about how the kids are all different, they're all a different color in the crayon box, but they all have something very important to offer the world.

I was asked to make rainbow marshmallows for the kids, as a treat for after graduation. Let's just say, they are adorable!! AND they are easier than you would think. I was supposed to watch a video about how to make them, but it would never pull up for me, something about technology and I don't get along at times. :) So I found a link that said something about dipping the marshmallow in water, and then dipping it in Jell-o powder. SUPER FUN and SUPER EASY! Can you say homemade peeps?

So here is what I did, and how they turned out. My kids loved them, and I was happy that I learned, essentially, how to make peeps.

Fruity Rainbow Marshmallows:
25 large marshmallows
1 small bow Jell-o powder, any flavor/color you like
1 small bowl of water
YOU WILL ALSO WANT TO HAVE:
1 cookie sheet for the marshmallows to dry out on
1 piece of parchment paper or cooling rack to put on the cookie sheet

Open the bag of marshmallows, you can dip up to three at a time in the water. Make sure they are completely wet. Remove one at a time with a pair of tongs shaking off the extra water, and then dip and completely cover with the Jell-o powder. Place on the cooling rack/parchment paper to dry. It takes approximately 2 hours for them to dry. Then do whatever you like put them on a stick and tie a bow around it, put on a platter to serve, be creative with presentation.
If you really want them to be like peeps, you can let them dry for a little a longer. They taste just like the flavor of Jell-o powder you use.
Enjoy, and have fun. The possibilities are ENDLESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Taco Salad

We LOVE Taco Salads at our house, especially on leftover night. We have tacos at least once a month at our house, and always have leftover meat. What better way to use it up than to make a whole second meal?

There is a secret to making the perfect ground beef taco meat, though. What is that, you ask?

THIS....

I use store-bought taco seasoning, but I never add the water until the spices have cooked with the meat for just 30 seconds or so. When you add the seasonings and just cook it with the meat, it wakes up all those herbs and spices, and makes it incorporate into the taco meat so much better.

So without further ado, here is today's recipe.

Taco Salad:
1 lb. taco meat, browned and crumbled
1 packet taco seasoning, I use McCormick
1 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 can black beans, drained and seasoned to taste with chopped onion, garlic powder, cumin, salt    
             & pepper to taste. Cook on the stove until heated through.
shredded cheese
salsa
dressing of choice
Put all the ingredients out buffet style, and let each person construct their own. Sometimes we like to warm tortillas and build the salad on top of those.

Just as a side note, most of my taco salads have no dressing, we just use the salsa as the "dressing".

Banana Pudding Pie

This post is so LONG OVERDUE, but I'm so glad to be back and blogging about one of my favorite things, COOKING!!! I've been cooking up a storm since my last post, but haven't taken the time to put it up.

Look no further for the easiest and most delicious Banana Pie I have ever tasted. It's so much more cost-effective to make your own, then buying one from a bakery. On top of that, you know exactly what is in it, AND your kids can learn how to cook with a recipe as simple as this.

Let me just say, I was glad I took a picture of this pie as soon as I finished it, there were no pictures once it was sliced. :) Rave reviews and many recipes have been given about this guy, and the best part, NO OVEN or even microwave NEEDED!!! This time of year, the last thing you want to do is turn your oven on, when the temperature outside keeps climbing!

Trust me, this is one to serve for your next family gathering, it WILL NOT disappoint!

Banana Pudding Pie:
1 store bought, pre-made graham cracker crust
4 bananas
1-3.4 oz package instant vanilla pudding
1 3/4 c. half and half
1-8 oz. container Cool Whip
1/2 c. sour cream
pinch of salt
1 sleeve graham crackers
In a large bowl combine the pudding & the half and half. Beat together with a hand-held mixer until thick and smooth. Add 1 cup of the Cool Whip, salt and sour cream and beat together until combined. Set aside.
Slice the bananas into bite-size slices.
Remove all the packaging from your store-bought pie crust. Lay a thin layer of the bananas all around the crust. Cover the bananas with half the pudding mixture. Layer the graham crackers in a single layer over the pudding. Add another layer of bananas, and then cover with the rest of the pudding mixture. Top with the remaining Cool Whip, and a few extra banana slices for presentation-sake. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Brown Sugar Oatmeal Muffins

About a month ago, we decided we needed to have a healthier option for mornings that we are all having to go in opposite directions, and needing our tummies to stay full! Enter these awesome muffins. Don't get me wrong, I love the boxed muffin mixes, but there is something so nice to know you are eating something with lots of nutrition, not just sugar. I originally came across this recipe in "The Taste of Home" cookbook, and love that it is easy to throw together.
 
 This is one of those recipes that is good to keep on hand. I have made a few batches of these muffins now, and freeze whatever is extra for future crazy mornings. They freeze great, and make it so I don't always have to worry about breakfast for the hubby, he can just grab one of these out of the freezer before he heads to work. I love them, for the same reason, before I have to take kids, and the kids love them because they don't know they are a good for them. :)

They don't take much effort, and have such a nice texture when they are done. Try them out this weekend for brunch, I promise you won't regret it!!

Brown Sugar Oatmeal Muffins: makes 12 muffins
1 c. oatmeal, not instant
1 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 c. milk
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
In a small bowl combine the dry ingredients, and mix well. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet just until moistened. Line your muffin tin with muffin cups, and fill them 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan to a wire rack. Serve.