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Showing posts with label Recipes and Food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recipes and Food. Show all posts
I've mentioned here and there that in our family, we do once a month grocery shopping, and every time I mention it there is always someone asking me how exactly that works - well, here is my attempt to explain it!
Why We Shop Once A Month
First of all, why do we grocery shop once a month? The short answer is that our family lives in a somewhat rural area, and this is one way we save money.
1. It saves us money on gas.
2. It saves money on impulse buys.
3. It saves money on duplicate purchases.
Not only does shopping once a month save me money on the gas it would take to drive to the grocery store every week, but I find that with shopping once a month, I spend less money than if I tried to shop once a week. Grocery shopping comes with the temptation for impulse buys, and so limiting my trips to the store cuts down on that temptation. I also think that going once a month helps me keep track of what I actually have left in my pantry, so that I'm less likely to buy something that I actually already have at home.
I actually had once-a-month shopping modeled to me by my mom when I was growing up - we often went shopping just once a month, with short stops in between for perishables. So it was natural to continue doing my shopping that way as an adult. I have been once-a-month shopping since Derek and I were first married, though it has definitely become more challenging as we have added more mouths to feed.
Essentials For Once A Month Shopping
1. A deep freezer. It is a definite advantage if you want to grocery shop just once a month to own a big deep freezer. If we didn't have one, I don't think I'd be able to go a month between shopping trips. We have had a deep freezer for our entire married life because we are a hunting family, and when we get something we need a big freezer to store our supply of meat for the whole year. I use the deep freeze for more than meat though - I buy alot of fruits and vegetables in frozen form, and I freeze our bread until we need to use it. I buy the big bags of cheese and freeze half of it until we need it.
Another benefit we have - which is not an essential but is really helpful - is that we have a second fridge in our garage. It's an old fridge that was left there when we moved into our house, and it still works great, so we use it for extra space for items that need to be refrigerated. Not necessary at all, but it is an advantage we have for once-a-month shopping. You could definitely shop once a month without two refrigerators though - I did for years. A second freezer, on the other hand, is probably necessary if there are more than 2-3 people in your family.
2. A place to buy in bulk. Since we shop once a month and have a larger family, buying in bulk is a must. We have a Sam's Club membership currently, and we get alot of our most-used items there - cheese, honey, eggs, apples, peanut butter, etc. It saves us money, and I don't have to worry so much about running out of an item before the month is through since we are buying bigger quantities.
3. A place to store food. It was alot harder to buy a month ahead at our old house because we didn't have a pantry and we had limited cupboard space in our kitchen. I ended up storing alot of bulk items in our laundry room, which was not ideal, but it worked! But you definitely need enough room to store the food - if you don't have the space, once a month shopping is probably not feasible.
How I Do It
After my confession on how I am not great at meal planning (I'm working on it), you are probably wondering how I manage to shop once a month if I don't plan out our meals. Well, I do plan meals in a very general sense, just not specifically from week to week (that's where I struggle).
At the beginning of the month I go through our pantry to see what we still have in there, and I start to form some ideas of what I could make over the next month using food I already have. I usually can come up with a pretty good list of ideas this way, and then I start my grocery shopping list by filling in the ingredients that are not in my pantry.
Next, there are several items that I know we are going to need each month, regardless of what I end up making for dinner, so those go on the list. Typically it's these items:
Basic Ingredient List
Frozen chicken
Cheese
Bread
Cereal
Oatmeal
Rice
Beans (canned or dry)
Noodles
Broth
Tortillas
Frozen Vegetables
Frozen Fruit
*Some Fresh Produce
Peanut Butter
Honey
Sugar
Flour
Eggs
Butter
Olive Oil/Coconut Oil
Milk
Extras (for baked goods):
Nuts
Raisins
Craisins
Chocolate Chips
You can make alot of different types of things with basic ingredients like this, so I try to make sure we are stocked up on the basics.
I usually have a pretty good idea of how much each item is going to cost (at least I did, before inflation started messing me up), and so I start to calculate the price of all the basic things I need to get. Then I know how much wiggle room I have for the things that add the "flavor" to the menu - specific spices I'll need, condiments, special types of noodles, or any other unique ingredients - which I buy in smaller quantities.
The Shopping
After I come up with a really good grocery list, I usually have to schedule out at least 6-8 hours to get the shopping done. This is when I take one of the kids with me and we have a "mom day", with shopping a good lunch, and a small toy or treat. It's a fun and practical way to get our one-on-one time in! As I go through the store and check items off my list, I try to think about how much of each item we will need for the whole month - we typically end up with ten loaves of bread, for example, most of which will get put right into the freezer at home.
I usually pick one non-perishable item each month to stock up on as well, and I'll buy two or three months worth of that item (for example, if it's noodles, I'll buy 20 extra boxes of noodles). Stocking up here and there ensures that there is always something we could make out of basic ingredients when things start getting scarce at the end of the month, and it's also a comfort having a stock of some basics when supply chain issues and inflation start affecting things.
Then I take my ridiculously full cart to the checkout. Is it a little embarrassing - yes! But if any comments are made I just say I have five kids and only shop once a month, and that clears things up.
For transporting things home in my car, I usually bring the cooler and a huge freezer bag for the frozen items, to prevent them from thawing out while we finish our shopping. If it's a really hot day, I'll buy a bag of ice as well to help keep things cool until we get home.
Storing The Food
As I mentioned, there are alot of items that we end up freezing each month.
-All the meat that is purchased goes immediately into the freezer.
-Bulk bags of cheese are opened and separated into two freezer bags. We put one into the fridge to use, and one in the freezer, ready to be pulled out when we need a fresh bag. We also freeze extra blocks of cheese. Freezing does make block cheese crumbly though so we don't freeze unless we have to.
-We freeze all loaves of bread and tortillas that are not going to be used right away.
-I freeze any fresh produce that is freezer-friendly and that I know we won't be using right away. This is a fairly new practice for me. For example, this month I bought fresh ginger and celery in bulk, with the intention of chopping it up and freezing it for later use in soups and other recipes!
Aside from freezing, I also have started buying these five gallon buckets with gamma seal lids for my grains, and I want to get extra buckets to store flour and rice - it's just a safer way to store larger quantities of dry goods to ensure mice, moisture, or insects don't get into it!
Touch-Up Trips
Usually a couple times of month we make a very quick stop at the store for perishable items that won't last the whole month, like milk. We may occasionally have a craving for a specific meal, or I might have missed something on my grocery shopping trip, and we'll buy ingredients for that specific meal. But for the most part, we don't have to do a shopping trip until the beginning of the next month.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you do about produce?
This is definitely the question I am asked most often. As I mentioned, we do buy alot of vegetables and fruits frozen, or freeze certain things ourselves - for recipes that call for vegetables, such as soups or casseroles, I feel that frozen vegetables are easier to store and work just as well. We use frozen berries for our cereals and yogurt, and frozen fruit for smoothies. Frozen produce can keep in the freezer for quite a long time, and the affects to the nutritional value are negligible, so you are still getting most of the benefits of fresh fruits and veggies!
Other produce actually does keep quite well in the fridge. For instance, we buy carrots, apples, onions, and oranges fresh and keep them in the fridge, and they easily last most of the month before looking a little wrinkly or old. Potatoes last really well just in our pantry. I buy alot of peppers (bell peppers, jalapeños, etc), and they keep for around 2-3 weeks in the fridge.
With produce that does not keep as well (tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.), if I bought them for a specific meal, I try to make that meal toward the beginning of the month rather than toward the end. And for certain produce that we might like to have on hand, like bananas, I'll just buy some when we make our 2-3 milk stops during the month.
I will say that I live in a pretty dry climate, and that does help me when it comes to making produce last. I imagine areas of higher humidity may be worse for produce longevity.
Do you plan out thirty meals at the beginning of each month?
No, ha! As I mentioned, I don't think I am good at meal planning on a weekly basis, much less a whole month. What I do is think through the ingredients I have and come up with a list of possible meals for the whole month - sort of a list of options that I keep in the back of my mind. It's usually a list of 10-15 meals that I could potentially make (because I know there will be leftovers, nights eating out, nights that we just wing it, etc). Then I'll just make sure I have all the ingredients on hand for those meals (plus usually a few new recipes I want to try).
Maybe this is just us, but typically the meals we like to eat are different arrangements of alot of the same basic ingredients (see my basic ingredient list above). If I have those on hand, I can make most things I want to make for the month, without having to plan out every detail.
I'd love to try this to save money, how should I start?
I haven't got this question put exactly this way, but I'm including it here to address how it could look to start shopping less often. If you have a good amount of freezer/refrigerator space and are currently shopping once per week, you could start by stretching out your grocery shopping routine from one week to two weeks between, and see how it works for you. If it goes well and you like it, you could move to three or four weeks next and see if you find it manageable or helpful!
If you don't, that's fine too! Shopping once a month won't work for every family. It works for us because (1) we live in a rural area about 40 minutes from the nearest big town, (2) we eat rather simply (no special diets for anyone in our family), and (3) we have a good amount of freezer space, and (4) I get particularly tempted to buy "extras" when I am in the store, so being in the store less is very helpful for our budget. You may not have the same situation, benefits, or struggles that we do, but if you think shopping less often would help you, start slow until you find that sweet spot for your family!
If you have any other questions, drop them below and I'll follow up! Or if you grocery shop once a month, I'd love to hear. I feel like an aberration most of the time, since most people seem to shop once per week!
When the air gets crisp in the fall, and the leaves start to drop from the trees, I always insist we go on some sort of fall hike. I enjoy the family time, I enjoy getting out in nature, I enjoy taking pretty pictures with the autumn colors.
But mostly I like the smell.
The main kind of deciduous tree we have in our mountains is the aspen tree, so I can't testify whether every tree produces the same type of spicy, woodsy smell that aspen leaves do when they fall. But I do know one thing - that is close to the top of my list of favorite scents in the whole world.
I always said if I could bottle that scent up, I'd be a happy lady. Well, a few years back I stumbled a scent mixture that, while not exact, is pretty close to my favorite fall-leaves-on-the-ground scent.
I had actually used a Bath and Body Works aromatherapy lotion, and then rolled on a little of a thieves essential oil blend. When I sniffed my wrists, I couldn't believe it! It was shockingly close to the scent you get when you clomp through a grove of aspen trees and disturb the fallen leaves. Success!
Anyway, ever since then, this combination has been my favorite scent to diffuse in the fall.
Aspen Leaves Essential Oil Blend
2 drops Bergamot essential oil
2 drops Orange essential oil
2 drops Germ Fighter blend (or any traditional thieves blend)
Fill your diffuser with water, and the above quantities of essential oils, and enjoy the spicy/woodsy scent that fills your room!
Disclaimer: I am not a big essential oil enthusiast, I just like to use them for air freshening in certain areas of my house. I make no medicinal claims of any kind. If you are pregnant or have young kids or pets in the house, be aware that not all essential oils are considered safe for everyone. Several oils in typical "thieves" type blends may not be recommended for kids under 6. Do your research and use your good judgement!
Do you have a signature dish?
A signature dish is a food item that you are known for, that everyone loves when they taste it, that is one of the first things to run out at a potluck because it's general knowledge that you make this particular thing very well.
I have long wished to have a signature dish.
Do you want to know what some of my most popular blog posts are?
Fudge recipes.
Several years back, when I was pregnant with my girls and therefore had a massive sweet tooth, I went a little crazy on the fudge recipes. I came up with several actually, all using my basic white chocolate fudge base recipe (which was an adaptation of a different fudge recipe - I make a lot of fudge, okay?). I especially loved the fall adaptations, though my most popular by far is my lemon fudge recipe.
Anyway, if you love fudge, and you love fall flavors, I thought I would share my three autumn-inspired fudge recipes again! Since it's been so many years since I experimented with my fudge recipes, maybe I need to come up with another fall fudge flavor - stay tuned.
Pumpkin Maple Fudge - I remember not being totally satisfied with the way this fudge turned out, though it was still delicious. I think I wanted the pumpkin flavor to come through more, so a re-work of this recipe may be coming.
Caramel Apple Pie Fudge - This, more than any of the other recipes, is really a full-on dessert fudge!
Cinnamon Orange Fudge - This one was certainly fall-ish, but I think it could be yummy for Christmas too!
What do you think, what fall flavor should I experiment with next?
How was everyone's Christmas? We had a lovely day yesterday celebrating Jesus's birth and enjoying time together! I'm sure I'll have some sort of recap or photo post coming in the next few days, but today I wanted to pop on here and share a recipe.
The last several years, I have been making a cheeseball for our family to enjoy on Christmas morning. We make so many cookies and fudge for Christmas morning, the cheeseball is a nice little island of salty in the middle of all that sweet.
I usually make a jalepeno-bacon-pecan cheeseball, but this year I poked around on the internet for a second cheeseball to add to our Christmas spread. I wanted something with raspberry in it, but I didn't find exactly what I was looking for - so I took inspiration from other recipes and came up with my own!
I had Derek try my creation, and he declared it a success, so I thought I'd share the recipe here! It turned out just the way I wanted it to - raspberry and cream cheese, with just a little kick. I know it's the day after Christmas now, so it's too late to make it for Christmas morning this year, but this might work for any New Year's Eve parties just around the corner!
Spicy Raspberry Cheeseball
2 packages cream cheese
4 heaping tablespoons raspberry preserves
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp chipotle pepper
2 ounces white chocolate
1/2 cup walnuts
For Dippers:
wheat crackers
graham crackers
1. Combine cream cheese, 2 heaping tablespoons of raspberry preserves, and spices in a bowl. Mix together with electric mixer until well combined. Form with spoon into a ball and chill while preparing coating.
2. Finely grate the white chocolate and crush the walnuts. Mix white chocolate and walnuts together and spread onto a cookie sheet. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons of preserves in the microwave for 20 seconds to slightly melt. Drop preserves by spoonful on top of the mixture in cookie sheet.
3. Take cheeseball out of the refrigerator. Wet your hands so the cheeseball won't stick, then gently pick it up and roll it in the cookie sheet mixture to coat. Arrange in a bowl or plate, and chill until ready to serve with crackers!
Did you try any new recipes for Christmas this year?
A Quote
"The woods are so human that to know them one must live with them. An occasional saunter through them, keeping to the well-trodden paths, will never admit us to their intimacy, If we wish to be friends, we must seek them out and win them by frequent, reverent visits at all hours, by morning, by noon, and by night; and at all seasons, in spring, in summer, in autumn, in winter...They have their own effective way of keeping aliens at a distance and shutting their hearts to mere casual sightseers. It is no use to seek the woods from any motive except sheer love of them; they will find us out at once and hide all their sweet, old-world secrets from us. But if they know we come to them because we love them, they will be very kind to us and give us such treasures of beauty and delight as are not bought or sold in any marketplace."
- Lucy Maud Montgomery, The Blue Castle
A little anthropomorphizing of the woods for you this morning, ha! I always like L. M Montgomery's fanciful descriptions in her books though, and this one was sweet and a little true, I thought.
A Book
So, I started reading Little Women, which I've never actually read. You are all welcome to be shocked now.
A Bit Of Nature
If you wake up early enough, and keep an eye out, there is a five minute window when the light coming up over the mountains is just gorgeous.
A Recommendation
So, I thought I'd give you a couple recommendations that were given to me this week. One is this pumpkin chili recipe. I had friends over for a book chat this week, and the conversation turned to different chili recipes. Pumpkin chili sounds interesting, so I think I'm going to have to try it one of these days!
The other recommendation was Wick Wish Candle Co - this company makes "literary and fandom" candles. One of the girls brought over a couple of hers on our book chat night, so we could smell them, and they were so cool! And weirdly they did smell like the books they were representing. I want one now (maybe for Christmas). The ones I smelled were "Jane Austen", "Anne Shirley", and "Little Women" and they were so good.
A Moment Of Happiness
This one is going to double as one more recommendation - if you have the room, you should consider a big dog. Maybe a bloodhound mutt, like our Harvey.
(Harvey, crashing the pictures I was trying to take for the Stitchfix post that I keep forgetting to share!)
As I was doing my devotions this morning, our big 'ole dog came over to me and stuck his nose on top my lap, and while it can be a little annoying at times, I love how sweetly he gets his message across. I scratched his ears and let him outside, and now he is back in, snoring behind me as I type this. The sound makes me smile.
I love having a big dog, because whenever the kids are outside I know he is keeping an eye on them and will alert me if any strangers or questionable wildlife come too close. And when Derek has to be gone for work trips, I honestly don't know what I'd do without Harvey - he sleeps at the foot of the stairs and makes me feel safe. I'm really grateful for him. He started out a little like the puppy in Marley And Me, but just like in that movie, he is a better and better dog with each year.
(If you want to join me for your own "Wednesday Five", feel free!)
Confession: I give my kids Marshmallow Mateys for breakfast sometimes.
Now that we've gotten that dirty little secret out of the way...
Lately I have been branching out a bit on breakfasts for the kids. When I went to the homeschool conference this summer, one of the speakers said that you can't really get mad if you gave your kids sugary cereal with nothing more substantial added in, and they act all crazy later.
As we've established, I have nothing against breakfast cereal, but I did think she had a point.
So while we still do Coco Puffs for breakfast occasionally, I've added a few other things into the rotation, with the intention of helping my kiddos get some brain-sharpening, focus-encouraging nutrients in, especially on school days! Here are a few of my current go-to's.
Oatmeal - One of the reasons I used to default to cereal was because it was a quick, easy breakfast for the kids - but I've learned that oatmeal is fairly quick and easy too! And it's healthier and more sustaining since they are getting the whole grain. I use old-fashioned oats, and add a little brown sugar, nuts, chocolate chips, raisins, apples, or cinnamon. The kids think I'm the best mom ever when I add in chocolate chips (but it's still less straight sugar than cereal!).
Muffins (made with freshly-ground flour) - I mentioned that I got a grain mill this summer, and I have to tell you, I love it! When flour is freshly ground, it still contains all the nutrients that the whole wheat berry contains, so it's more sustaining, has a lower glycemic index, and it's healthier. But beyond that, I like the way baked goods taste when they are made with fresh flour, and the texture is chewier (which I actually love!). I have a few go-to muffin recipes from this book. I try to make one batch every week so they can be our on-the-go breakfast, but that doesn't always happen.
Hard-Boiled Eggs with toast - Also quick to make, because I just pull them out of the refrigerator! (Are you noticing a theme here? I like quick and easy breakfasts.) I have to be careful with this one though, because sometimes I forget I boiled the eggs and we don't end up eating them.
Yogurt - We don't eat yogurt as often as I'd like, because with five kids and me that could get expensive really quick. But sometimes I buy a big container of plain yogurt, and I mix it with honey and frozen berries for the kids' breakfast. This is also one of my favorite breakfasts for me!
Cereal or Donuts - Everything in moderation, right? Sometimes cereal or donuts is just easier, and I don't shame myself or anyone else for going there. Having a sugary breakfast sometimes is fine in my book.
What are your breakfast go-to's? Any other quick-and-easy ideas for me?
This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and ProYo, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #ProYoHighProteinIceCream http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV
As most of you know, the first trimester has left me exhausted during most days over the last couple months. Combine pregnancy fatigue with four energetic kids, and I am really valuing a little quiet during nap time lately. I've been avoiding the to-do list, keeping my laptop closed, and taking that time to refresh during the day. It's really helped me to recoup and be ready to handle the pre-dinner chaos! I either take a nap, or I settle on the couch with a book or the remote...and ideally I want some sweet treat that I can enjoy every now and then all by my lonesome!
During some of my pregnancies I craved anything sweet, and it didn't even matter what it was. But this time around heavy, overly fatty desserts just sound gross. But at the same time, my sweet tooth is demanding to be satisfied! It's a real conundrum.
However, I recently discovered ProYo Low Fat High Protein Ice Cream! This is a type of ice cream that uses less fat and a high protein content in it's formulation, so I had to give it a try.
I picked up a few different flavors at King Soopers, and I wanted some sort fruit sauce to top it with that would also be less sweet than traditional ice cream toppings...so I came up with this triple-berry ice cream topping recipe to enjoy with my ProYo Low Fat High Protein Ice Cream! I'm really happy with how the sauce, and my dessert, turned out - I didn't douse the fruit in sugar, so the berries kept that slightly tart taste, which is perfect on top of sweet ice cream.
Triple Berry Ice Cream Topping
1 1/2 c. of blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries (frozen)
2 tbsp. sugar
1/4 c. cranberry juice
1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat, until fruit is thawed and sugar is melted.
2. Mash berries up until desired chunkiness is reached for your sauce.
3. Increase to medium heat and let mixture reach a rolling boil. Boil for five minutes.
4. Remove from heat and pour into glass container. Refrigerate until cool, and serve over your favorite ice cream!
The topping should keep for one week in the refrigerator, and this recipe produces about 3/4 c. of topping. I would double the recipe if you intend to share with guests (hint: ProYo Low Fat High Protein Ice Cream is also soy-free and gluten-free, which is really useful to keep in mind when I'm entertaining since some of my friends have food sensitivities).
I tried this triple-berry topping over the Vanilla Bean flavor, and I thought the flavors mixed together well (I also think it would be good on top of the Coconut flavor)! ProYo Low Fat High Protein Ice Cream uses a sugar and xylitol blend, so despite having a lower sugar content, it tastes just as sweet and delicious as normal ice cream. I thought this made the tart berry topping a perfect counter. The next flavor I'm going to try...Dark Chocolate Toffee! Yum.
If you'd like to try ProYo Low Fat High Protein Ice Cream, ProYo has a great coupon right now for buy one 14 oz. container, get one free - available now through 7/7, while supplies last! ProYo High Protein Low Fat Ice Creams are available nationwide at Kroger and other Banner stores. You can find a store that carries it by using this store locator!
What is your favorite ice cream topping?
Maybe I'll get some ideas for another homemade topping recipe in the future!
This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Milo’s Tea, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #TastetheMilosDifference http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV
One of my favorite things to do in the summer is to sit on the porch with Derek in the evening. As the winter months come to a close, and the air turns warm, I am so looking forward to spending some time together as a couple outside. The evening air is gorgeous in the mountains. I have visions of sitting on the porch together, listening to the hummingbirds whizzing by, talking and drinking iced tea.
Are you ready for a confession? It has been a long time since my husband and I have gone on a date.
There are certain tastes that we associate with certain memories. For me, the tastes of different drinks conjure memories of different seasons of my life. I specifically associate cranberry, orange, and tea with winter and Christmas memories, so I thought why not combine all three into a family tea recipe that would fit perfectly into a Christmas family gathering or party menu? And so this recipe was born.
The very first year Derek and I were married, I went all out on the holiday baking. When you are newly married, the holidays are twice as exciting, and for Thanksgiving and Christmas that year, I baked as much as our small budget would allow us. I actually made four different kinds of fudges for Christmas. Four! That's not even counting the cookies and store bought candy. It's a wonder we made it through January without having to buy all new pants.
Lucky for you guys, all that fudge recipe experimenting made me a fudge-making expert, and now I come up with a new variety practically every month. Since Thanksgiving is in two days, I thought I'd share my newest fudge recipe with you. In case you are an over-eager holiday food maker, like I am. You may not need another pumpkin recipe with the abundance of pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving, but this recipe is great for Christmas too!
I was under the impression that August was National Watermelon Month, or something like that. It only seems appropriate, since August is the last month of summer, and hence the last month that watermelon will be available.
Last weekend, I attempted to make some patriotic fudge. I made it once a couple years ago, and it was pretty and yummy, so I wanted to attempt it again so I could share the recipe.
This afternoon treat idea and recipe is brought to you as part of a compensated opportunity by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #KreateMyHappy #CollectiveBias
Naptime. As a mom of young children, I know that whether I use the time to check things off my to-do list, or relax and enjoy a fun snack, it is the one time of day when I can do something (anything) uninterrupted.
Don't get me wrong, I love hanging out with my kiddos! They are ask much fun to be around, and I love watching them play or learn new things. I can't even get too annoyed when they are wanting my attention, because I love that they do want my attention - I love that as a parent I am the most important person in their lives, the person they can count on, the one they want to share all their precious little news with first. I love being that person. I love being their mom.
But it is also nice to have a little time in the afternoons to just regather my energy for the rest of the day. My mom once told me that she wanted to cry when I told her I was done with nap time, and now I understand why! I am pretty lucky that my kids all nap at the same time (I'm pretty sure my luck will run out by the time Baby #4 gets here), but even when Wyatt doesn't nap, I have instituted "quiet time", which is a time for him to play in his room - quietly! Because sometimes moms still need a little chance to re-couperate in the afternoon.
I used to try to squeeze everything possible into my limited nap time window, but with the fatigue that comes with being pregnant, lately I've been mostly using nap time to just rest, and maybe enjoy a snack. So today, I want to share one of my most recent snack creations!
I am calling these Smothered Rice Krispies Treats. I recommend buying the packaged Rice Krispies treats, because they make this recipe a lot quicker and easier! I found mine at King Soopers.
Smothered Rice Krispies Treats
2 Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Treats squares
1/4 c. Milk Chocolate M&M's
1/4 c. Peanut Butter M&M's
1/2 c. Jet Puffed miniature marshmallows
1 tbsp. peanut butter
1 tbsp. Strawberry preserves
1/4 c. chocolate chips
Servings: 2
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Farhenheit.
2. Unwrap the Rice Krispies Treats, and place them onto an oven-safe plate.
3. Spread either peanut butter or strawberry preserves over the top of your Rice Krispies Treats. Add a layer of M&M's on top of each Rice Krispies Treat. I used Peanut Butter M&M's for the Treat with peanut butter, and Milk Chocolate M&M's for the Treat with strawberry preserves.
4. Add a layer of marshmallows over the top of the M&M's. Put Rice Krispies Treats into the oven for 5 minutes, or until the marshmallows start looking toasted.
5. In the meantime, put the chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl. Heat the chocolate chips in the microwave for 20 seconds, stir, and repeating the 20 seconds until they are completely melted.
6. Once the marshmallows on top of your Rice Krispies Treats look toasted, remove them from the oven, and immediately drizzle the melted chocolate chips over the top of the Treats. Enjoy your Smothered Rice Krispies Treats while they are still warm!
One of the reasons I liked this invention was because they are so easy and quick to make, but they taste decadent! The peanut butter chocolate version is so gooey and good, and the one with preserves tastes like a chocolate covered strawberry. I let Derek have a taste after I made one for myself, and he asked me to make one for him later too! They are perfect for nap time because of how little time they take to prepare - and because if you have them during naptime, you don't have to share!
You can also visit Kellogg's website for more Rice Krispies Treat ideas - you can also vote for your favorite recipe as part of a contest they are hosting - and there is a chance for you to win prizes - just by tweeting, pinning, or Instagramming your vote with the hashtag #RKTreatSweeps and sending a link to RKTreatSweeps@Kellogg.com. Check out the website for more details!
What do you like to do during your kids' naptime?
Naptime. As a mom of young children, I know that whether I use the time to check things off my to-do list, or relax and enjoy a fun snack, it is the one time of day when I can do something (anything) uninterrupted.
Don't get me wrong, I love hanging out with my kiddos! They are ask much fun to be around, and I love watching them play or learn new things. I can't even get too annoyed when they are wanting my attention, because I love that they do want my attention - I love that as a parent I am the most important person in their lives, the person they can count on, the one they want to share all their precious little news with first. I love being that person. I love being their mom.
But it is also nice to have a little time in the afternoons to just regather my energy for the rest of the day. My mom once told me that she wanted to cry when I told her I was done with nap time, and now I understand why! I am pretty lucky that my kids all nap at the same time (I'm pretty sure my luck will run out by the time Baby #4 gets here), but even when Wyatt doesn't nap, I have instituted "quiet time", which is a time for him to play in his room - quietly! Because sometimes moms still need a little chance to re-couperate in the afternoon.
I used to try to squeeze everything possible into my limited nap time window, but with the fatigue that comes with being pregnant, lately I've been mostly using nap time to just rest, and maybe enjoy a snack. So today, I want to share one of my most recent snack creations!
I am calling these Smothered Rice Krispies Treats. I recommend buying the packaged Rice Krispies treats, because they make this recipe a lot quicker and easier! I found mine at King Soopers.
Smothered Rice Krispies Treats
2 Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Treats squares
1/4 c. Milk Chocolate M&M's
1/4 c. Peanut Butter M&M's
1/2 c. Jet Puffed miniature marshmallows
1 tbsp. peanut butter
1 tbsp. Strawberry preserves
1/4 c. chocolate chips
Servings: 2
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Farhenheit.
2. Unwrap the Rice Krispies Treats, and place them onto an oven-safe plate.
3. Spread either peanut butter or strawberry preserves over the top of your Rice Krispies Treats. Add a layer of M&M's on top of each Rice Krispies Treat. I used Peanut Butter M&M's for the Treat with peanut butter, and Milk Chocolate M&M's for the Treat with strawberry preserves.
4. Add a layer of marshmallows over the top of the M&M's. Put Rice Krispies Treats into the oven for 5 minutes, or until the marshmallows start looking toasted.
5. In the meantime, put the chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl. Heat the chocolate chips in the microwave for 20 seconds, stir, and repeating the 20 seconds until they are completely melted.
6. Once the marshmallows on top of your Rice Krispies Treats look toasted, remove them from the oven, and immediately drizzle the melted chocolate chips over the top of the Treats. Enjoy your Smothered Rice Krispies Treats while they are still warm!
One of the reasons I liked this invention was because they are so easy and quick to make, but they taste decadent! The peanut butter chocolate version is so gooey and good, and the one with preserves tastes like a chocolate covered strawberry. I let Derek have a taste after I made one for myself, and he asked me to make one for him later too! They are perfect for nap time because of how little time they take to prepare - and because if you have them during naptime, you don't have to share!
You can also visit Kellogg's website for more Rice Krispies Treat ideas - you can also vote for your favorite recipe as part of a contest they are hosting - and there is a chance for you to win prizes - just by tweeting, pinning, or Instagramming your vote with the hashtag #RKTreatSweeps and sending a link to RKTreatSweeps@Kellogg.com. Check out the website for more details!
What do you like to do during your kids' naptime?
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