A few weeks back, I shared that I made my favorite granola on Instagram and it’s honestly SO good! I thought i’d share the recipe in case you’re looking for something a little healthier to snack on…

I got this recipe from my coworker about 7 years ago and ever since then, I make it multiple times a year. Even Magnolia likes it.. and she’s picky.

Oven: 325 Degrees

in a large bowl, mix the following ingredients:

1 large “box/silo” of original oats (cannot be instant!)

1.5 cup brown sugar

3 tbsp cinnamon

2-3 cups assorted nuts (I used almonds, sunflower kernels and cashews this last time but you can use any!)

Mix well.

On the stovetop in a small saucepan mix:

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1.5 cup honey

1 tbsp vanilla

Bring to a boil and stir into oat mixture.

Grease well with nonstick spray a large pan with sides (I use a roasting pan). Dump the granola mixture into the pan.

Place in pre-heated oven. STIR EVERY 10 MINUTES – THIS IS KEY!! Once slightly browned (about 20-30 mins), remove from oven. Cool and enjoy.

Beware, this makes a ton of granola but it can be kept in the freezer!

Let me know if you try this and how you like it!

Happy Monday and 1 day closer to Christmas!

This is my reminder (mainly to myself) to get to the post office AGAIN to try to send out our gifts. I’ve been 3 times and Logan once and the line is out the door each time.. but we gotta get them out! 😬

Another slow weekend for us – per usual since March!! So we decided to do something both myself and Magnolia love.. BAKE! This pregnancy im alllll about the sweets and baking so we thought we’d do some of our favorites!

If you need a good Christmas cookie recipe, look no further!! I made these last year for the cookie exchange and almost forgot how good they were..

White Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Chocolate Cookie

Original recipe

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 cups (237g) all-purpose flour (scoop and level to measure)
• 1 cup (98g) unsweetened cocoa powder (scoop and level to measure)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened about halfway (it should be fairly firm still)
• 1 1/4 cups (250g) granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (160g) packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp peppermint extract
• 16 oz. white chocolate, broken or chopped
• 1/4 cup (approx) finely crushed peppermint bits

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with silicone liners or parchment paper.
• In a medium mixing bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt for 20 seconds. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until well combined.
• Mix in eggs one at a time then blend in vanilla extract and peppermint extract.
• With mixer set on low speed slowly add in flour mixture and mix just until combined.
• Scoop dough out by a rounded tablespoon (about 25 grams each) and shape into balls (if dough is sticky you can chill as needed but mine wasn’t sticky at all).
• Space on cookies sheets 2-inches apart. Flatten cookies slightly.
• Bake one sheet at a time in preheated oven about 8 minutes (cookies should appear slightly under-baked).

• Let cool on baking sheet several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool 5 minutes then transfer to an airtight container to fully cool.
• Once cookies are cool, melt white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl on 50% power in 30 second increments, stirring between intervals until melted and smooth.
• Dip half of each cookie in white chocolate then transfer to parchment paper and sprinkle with peppermint bits. Chill to let chocolate set about 10 minutes.
• Store cookies in an airtight container.

We finished Christmas shopping this weekend and now it’ll be wrapping time (which I love!). Logan and I decided no gifts for each other this year – with the twins coming, we’ve already made a few bigger purchases! 👶🏻👶🏻 Do you guys exchange gifts with your significant other??

Kristi

I have always had a love affair with Special K bars but never knew how to make them until I ate them one night while visiting a girlfriend at school in Milwaukee.  Her roommate had made some and I seriously could NOT get enough!!

This is also the ONLY dessert I make that the hubs eats (aside from my cupcake cookies but that’s another story!).  Normally, I’ll make cupcakes or cookies or other bars and he doesn’t even though them! #hesnotasweetsguy #savoryonlyforhim

So I love to make these because we both enjoy them and I love to make things that we both can eat!  Check below for the recipe if you love these little bad boys too!

Special K Bars

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1 1/2 cups peanut butter

6 cups Special K cereal

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup butterscotch chips

Directions:

Pour Special K into a large bowl. Put aside.

Mix sugar and corn syrup in a large saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat.

Add peanut butter to mixture and stir until melted.  Pour mixture over cereal until fully coated.  Pour into an ungreased 13×9 baking pan and pat down evenly.

Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips together over a double boiler over simmering water (you can microwave if easier- i’m just always afraid to burn them!).  Stir continuously until melted.

Pour over cereal mixture in pan and spread evenly.

Let bars cool (either on the counter or if you’re too anxious to eat one, in the fridge for 10 minutes!).  Cut and enjoy! 🙂

Kristi

Happy Friday!

It’s almost the weekend, finally and instead of sharing some favorites on here – I thought I’d share a super good recipe we made this week!

Normally, I’m the worst at picking recipes… I mean, they are just plain ol’ NOT good! But this one… oh my! Even Logan said it tasted SO good!

He actually said the beef tasted so much like Chipotle’s Barbacoa (whatever that is?!). AND it’s Paleo, gluten free and pretty healthy so I’ll take it as a win!

Ingredients:

• 2 lb beef chuck roast
• 4 cups cauliflower rice
• 1 poblano pepper (chopped)
• 1 medium white onion (one half thinly sliced, and the other half chopped)
• 1 6-oz can tomato paste
• 1 cup beef broth
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 T cumin
• 1 T oregano
• 1 T garlic
• 1 T smoked paprika
• ½ cup cilantro (chopped)
• 1 lime (cut into wedges)

Instructions:

• Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Once olive oil is shimmering hot, sear chuck roast for 2 minutes on each side.
• Place chuck roast (with oil and drippings from pan) in crock-pot. Add poblano pepper and sliced onion. Pour in beef broth and tomato paste. Add cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, and garlic. Stir ingredients. Place lid on crock-pot, and heat on low 6-8 hours.
• Once beef is fork-tender, shred on a large plate, using two forks. Return to crock-pot for 30 minutes.
• Serve over cauliflower rice with chopped onion, cilantro, and a lime wedge. Pan-fried plantain slices would also compliment this Cuban dish.

The instructions and ingredients are from the original recipe.  Logan made this today and a few notes for what he did in addition to the recipe:

 The Chef’s Logan’s Notes:

• Add seasoning to the beef roast before searing it – he added Montreal Seasoning and salt/pepper
• Add an additional tablespoon of garlic
• Add 1 T salt
• Add 1 T pepper
• Add 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped cilantro to the crock pot (versus just garnish)

 

For some reason, I didn’t take a picture of it while we ate last night #bloggerfail BUT you won’t be disappointed if you give it a try!! 🙂

Let me know if you like my “meal planning Monday” posts and I’ll show the recipes that are total wins throughout the weeks if so!

Have a fabulous Friday!

Kristi

Hello! Happy let’s hope this work day goes quickly! It is Monday after all…

Our weekend looked a whole lot like a blank blog post… no joke! The Mr. started feeling under the weather on Thursday and spiraled a bit this weekend with a cold so he stayed in bed ALL weekend! In turn… I didn’t do a whole lot either – mainly because it was -2 degrees and snowy!

I did, however, squeeze in a quick coffee and nail date with this girl – which was my highlight for sure!

I’m trying to stick to some goals (I guess you could say, goals!) of the new year while it lasts and therefore I’m sharing a few meals we’ll be enjoying this week!

 Monday – BLTs

Tuesday – Crock pot Cuban Beef

Wednesday – leftovers

Thursday – Chicken Gyros

Friday – leftovers 

As you can tell – nothing earth shattering about these recipes but I’m happy that I went to the store yesterday to get prepped for them.  It really does make the days/nights easier when I’m not thinking “what can we have for dinner…” all week!

Well.. time to get to work and finish out this Monday!

Please share what you’re having this week!! I need all the ideas as usual 🙂

Kristi

Happy Monday!

I am sharing some goals for the new year this week and one of them is to meal plan! This is something I’m terrible at and seriously dread. But I’m vowing to come up with 3 meals a week – that the Mr will approve of, of course!

It’s hard when two people have such different taste buds – he wants ALL the flavor and I like all the bland plainer foods. No joke.

So as to way to hold myself accountable – and in hopes that maybe I help someone else out with meals for the week – I’m going to share our tentative menu every Monday!  Sound like a plan?! I’d love to hear other people’s too as I ALWAYS need ideas 🙂

Last night, we made Mongolian Beef with Jasmine Rice… pretty good, actually so I’m counting that as a meal for the week!

Monday – leftovers (Mongolian Beef)

Tuesday – Beef Stroganoff 

Wednesday – leftovers!

Thursday – Crock Pot Chicken Tortellini Soup

Friday – BLTs ( or something pizza!)

A few things to note: We’ve never actually made Stroganoff but we have some sliced mushrooms in the fridge we need to use so we’re going to give this a try! I’m really excited to try the soup.. it’s been so cold here the last few weeks (think highs in the negatives!) so soup always warms us up!

This is just a start.. I’m hoping to pick healthier meals of course along the way but I’m just proud of myself for coming up with three meals in one week… #itsthelittlethings

We took our Christmas tree down yesterday, finally and y’all… we had a real tree and it was SO dead and sad! We had pine needles in piles and piles behind it.  I’m always sad to see it go but I’m happy to have a cleaner area over there now!

How was your weekend?! Do you like this little meal planning Monday idea?

Kristi

Happy Monday!

I thought I’d start the week off right with sharing a fun drink that many have you asked about!

It’s no surprise that these Mojitos are going to be my new “go to” summer drink after seeing our friends a few weeks ago.. I mean, I’ve only mentioned it approximately 1,205 times 🙂

Full disclaimer: I dont usually like Mojitos but these are the bomb.com! 😂

PSA: I don’t know measurements at all so basically I’m giving you the ingredients and you make the drink to your liking!

First, cut up your strawberries (I used three!)…

And put those right in the glass!

Next, you’ll add your mint leaves to the strawberries!

Add sugar!

Don’t forget the mango rum!

And then you’re going to… muddle muddle muddle!

I forgot to add ice to this before I muddled so it was a little hard muddling those leaves!

Then add a bit of Sprite.

And a splash of sparkling water!

Put in a fancy straw (and ice!!) and mix it up!

Lastly… Enjoy it on a patio or deck in the sun 🙂

For real though… I’m no expert but i’m sure you can finagle the ingredients and create the perfect drink!

Let me know if you give it a try!  Is it Friday yet?!

Kristi

Happy Wednesday!

I had plans to share a fun outfit today but then life happened aka L wanted to get 2 pork butts ready to smoke tomorrow and that seemed to take FOREVER!  I helped with the rub and everything else 😉

Onto today’s recipe….

Logan and I have made these fun waffle pizzas a few times and I keep forgetting to share them! They’re so easy and are great for kids (hello, fun little dinner they can help with) or for adults!

Ingredients:

Waffle Maker

1 pack Pillsbury crescent rolls

1 jar pizza sauce

mozzarella cheese (or cheese of your choice)

Toppings of your choice (pepperoni, sausage, veggies)

First, you’re going to roll out the rolls and separate.  Put your toppings of choice on first (sausage, veggie, pepperoni, etc). Make sure you turn on your waffle iron to get it heated too while you’re preparing the waffles.  I add a bit of non-stick spray on it as well to help!

Next, put on your cheese of choice – we used Mozzarella and a little bit of Italian Seasoning.

After you have your toppings on, you’re going to fold it over (or you can put another crescent roll over it) and place it in the bottom part of the waffle maker.

Close the waffle maker and flip (if yours does that!).

Once it’s done, the light will go off and you’ll be almost ready for dinner!

Heat up your sauce and you’re set to get dunking!

A few tips:

Make sure you pile on the toppings and cheese, otherwise there isn’t a ton of the pizza flavor!

Adding the Italian Seasoning on the waffle added a little extra flair as well 🙂

These are seriously so easy and I love them because they taste good and you can’t mess them up!

Have you ever made these or something similar?! I’m always looking for more (easy) recipes!

Kristi