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.)

Valentine’s Pretzel Buttons

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.)

Baked Potato Soup

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.

Garlic & Butter Broccoli

When I made this, I originally served this with the Poppy Seed Chicken I made one night, but this could really go with so many things. If you're looking for a good, healthy, AND Gluten-Free side-dish, or really could be a lunch time meal if you so wish it to be, look no further than here! It's also great if you're a broccoli lover like myself!

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

Garlic & Butter Broccoli

Ingredients:

20 oz (2 1/2 c.) Broccoli (can be fresh or frozen)

2 Tbsp. butter or margarine

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Cook broccoli in salted boiling water until tender (about 5 minutes) and drain.

In a pan, melt butter. Add garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. Add broccoli and toss.

Garnish with pepper. Enjoy!

See? Quick, easy, and practically fool proof! I hope you all enjoy it as much as we did!

For pin, click here!

Until next time,

Amanda

Poppy Seed Chicken

In our house there's a tad bit of a divide on meat preferance, though we're all accomodating of each other. My husband loves beef, I love chicken, and our son, well, we're lucky if we can get him to eat it, though pork and chicken are usually what he'll try - beef is a no go. So, I try to keep it relatively even for what kind of meats I cook with and with meatless meals so we can all win when I do my meal planning. But I have to say, when you take a look at my Pinterest, you'll find that I have SEVERAL more chicken meals and dishes than I do of any other kind.

When I came upon this recipe it had to be tried. Now, when I meal plan from pinterest, I like to go to the very bottom of the board so that I make sure I'm not just repinning the same things or that I'm actually not just trying the new stuff. I was SO happy when I finally reached the point of being able to try this recipe and boy was it a good one! I didn't eat much because I wasn't all that hungry, but between my son and husband, there was no leftovers to be had and they both said it was definitely something to make again.

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

Poppy Seed Chicken

Ingredients:

3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 chicken bouillon cube

1 (10 3/4 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup

1 (8 oz.) container light sour cream

2 tsp. poppy seeds

salt and pepper, to taste

1 sleeve (approximately 31) Ritz crackers

1/4 c. butter (approximately 4 Tbsp.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large pot, bring water and bouillon cube to a boil. Add chicken breasts and cook until no longer pink. Remove breasts and place on a plate to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, add chicken soup, sour cream, poppy seeds, and season with salt and pepper. When chicken is cool, shred or cut into bite-sized cubes and mix in with soup mix.

In a smaller bowl, crush crackers and add butter. Microwave for 20 seconds or until butter melts. Stir to coat the crackers.

Coat an 8x8-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Add chicken mixture and spread evenly. Top with cracker topping and bake for 30 minutes. Remove, allow to cool and set for 5-10 minutes.

Enjoy!

I'm sure if you try this with your family it'll be a hit!

For pin, click here!

Until next time,

Amanda

Strawberry Cheesecake Salad

I made this as a side dish one night thinking that it would likely go over well. It's since become one of my favorite salads to make and serve. It's so creamy and delicious and just as easy to make! If you're looking for a quick, easy, new salad to take to a family get-together, picnic, or potluck - look no further!

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

Strawberry Cheesecake Salad

Ingredients:

12 oz. cool whip

1 small pkg. cheesecake pudding (powder)

3 6oz. strawberry yogurts

1 lb. fresh strawberries, sliced

3 bananas, sliced (add just before serving or they'll brown)

miniature marshmallows (add just before serving)

Directions:

Thaw cool whip and in a large bowl stir it together with yogurts and pudding powder. Let this set up in the fridge for at least an hour before serving. Wash and slice strawberries and add into mix. Add bananas and marshmallows just before serving. Keep refrigerated.

Use this and I'm sure it'll be a big hit!

For pin, click here!

Until next time,

Amanda