Monday, April 8, 2013

Valentine's Pretzel Buttons

I've seen these things done several times for Christmas and other get together's, so when I was looking for a cute and simple idea for Valentine's Day, this was perfect and so cute!

These pretzel buttons are so easy and nearly impossible to screw up. They're also incredibly yummy and make the perfect snack for this day or to give away with Valentine's!

(Not my image or recipe. Click title for original.)


Ingredients:
A bag of small square pretzels
Bag of Hershey’s Hugs (striped ones)
Valentine’s M&M’s (red and pink)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 200F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Place the pretzels on the cookie sheet and top them with hugs.

Bake for 4-5 minutes until the chocolate is shiny and soft, but NOT melting – they should still hold their shape.

Carefully place on M&M in the center of each hug and press it down to spread the chocolate.

Allow to cool completely and enjoy!


Told you it's quick and simple! Hope you enjoy it like we did!

For pin, click here!

Until next time,

Amanda

Pumpkin Pie Smoothies

I love me a smoothie and so does my son. One of my favorite things to do when I was a stay-at-home mom was make us a smoothie every morning. It was little ritual we'd have while we sat and watched some cartoons together. Now that I'm not at home, we're kind of limited for this kind of stuff to weekends and lately we haven't had the time, but it's always a great thing to do when we can fit it in.

I was unsure about this recipe when I made it because it sounded good but in smoothie form, a Pumpkin Pie seemed weird for breakfast. I also wasn't sure the kiddo would like it. I was pleasantly surprised to find it both delicious AND that my son loved it! So here I am, sharing it with you wonderful people!

(Not my original image or recipe)

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Ingredients:
½ banana, peeled, frozen, and diced
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup Greek yogurt
¾-1 cup soy milk
Pumpkin spice
Cinnamon
Pinch of Ground Cloves
1 tsp. vanilla
4-5 ice cubes

Directions:
Blend all until smooth and sprinkle with cinnamon, pumpkin spice and cloves.


And there you have it! A quick and easy breakfast or snack idea!

For pin, click here!

Until next time,

Amanda.

Slow Cooker Baked Potato Soup


I've said it before that I love quick and easy meals. If they happen to be made in slow cooker to make my life that much more easier, LOVE them! So when I came across this recipe a year or two ago, I knew it'd be a hit. And of course it was! My husband loved it and I've made it a time or two since and it's gone over well again!

(Not my picture or my recipe. Click title for original source.)


Ingredients:
5 lbs. russets, washed, not peeled, diced, into ½-inch cubes
1 large yellow onion, diced
10 cloves garlic, whole
8 cups chicken stock
16 oz. cream cheese
1 Tbsp. seasoned salt

Garnishes:
Crumbled bacon
Shredded cheddar
Green onions

Directions:
Add potatoes, onion, garlic, seasoning, and chicken stock to slow cooker.

Cook on High for 6 hours or low for 10 hours.

Remove and puree garlic cloves along with ½-1/3 of soup, and reintroduce to crockpot.

Stir in cream cheese and allow to melt. Stir every 10-15 minutes until soup is well blended.

Top with choice of garnishes.


For pin, click here!

Until next time,

Amanda.

It's Been Awhile...

I've realized it's been about a month and a half since my last post and I don't have much of an excuse except that we've been really busy. I started a new job recently and my brother-in-law was getting married, alongside us dealing with some medical turn up's, holiday's, and the all-around craziness of life!

In the time I've been gone I haven't stopped trying new recipes and doing a couple crafts though! Now I'm back to share said recipes and crafts with you!

I'm a person that likes to store recipes I've tried if I like them, so once I'm done I like to type them up and save them on my computer. I also print them out and put them in a categorized and organized binder or "recipe book" for future reference. I know it's a not a crazy idea, but I've got over 500 recipes so I'm sure that it's a bit excessive ;).

During my break away, I sat down and actually typed out all the recipes and whatnot and now they're all prepared for you lovely followers!

Stay tuned for new posts!

Amanda.