Making Oatmeal Monday...Funfetti Cake Batter Oatmeal!

 Hello friends!! It has been a LONG time since I posted something on here...is October as crazy for everyone else as it always seems to be for me?!  I cannot believe it is already November, time is flying by like it always does!

 

So it seems like every Halloween we have so many treats leading up to the big night, and then SO much candy after, that I am always trying to get back some healthier habits come November.  One thing that has been driving me crazy lately, but I have been too lazy to do anything about, is that my kids are eating sugary cereal pretty much every day for breakfast.  This bugs me on many levels.  They are filling themselves with sugar immediately as they wake up, they stay full for approximately 7 minutes, and they get completely addicted and go crazy if I try to have them eat anything else!  I decided to cut it out, except for the occasional weekend treat.  I knew this would not go over well, so I am trying to do some fun things to introduce different breakfasts to my kids...and one of my favorites is oatmeal!!  I love how filling it is, how many different ways you can make it, and there is nothing better on a cold fall morning ;)

 

I told the kids every Monday we would try a new oatmeal recipe, so today we kicked off our Making Oatmeal Monday with something I KNEW my kids would love...

 

Funfetti Cake Batter Oatmeal!

 

Seriously, how fun is this?!  I found this recipe at Amy's Healthy Baking and knew my kids would love it.  I mean, sprinkles for breakfast?!  And, its actually pretty healthy too!

 

The key to making this oatmeal taste like cake batter is using butter extract.  I had never heard of it before, but it made the oatmeal taste exactly like cake mix and I was able to pick some up this morning at WalMart in the baking aisle.  Here is the recipe in case you want make some for your family too! :)

 

1 1/3 C rolled oats

2 2/3 C skim milk

1 tsp butter extract

sweetener to taste

 

Cook oats and milk on the stovetop at medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the oats.  Then let stand until the oatmeal thickens.  Stir in your butter extract and sweetener of your choice (I just used about a 1/4 C of brown sugar) and then add a sprinkles to the top!

 

 

This was a HUGE hit!  The only thing my kids said for when I make it next time is that it was a teeny bit TOO sweet...so you can add less sweetener and it will probably be even better :)

 

Make sure you stop by next week for another Making Oatmeal Monday, we are trying something tasty....and if you like pumpkin you won't want to miss it!

 

Homemade Fortune Cookies...with a secret message inside! {Chinese New Year Theme}

Today we are sharing the Homemade Fortune Cookies we made, with a fun little twist!

Now, I attempted these cookies last night.  Honestly, after 3 batches...I had a whopping 8 fortune cookies that turned out ;)  They are quite simple to make, but not necessarily easy.  I found a fantastic blog that had beautiful pictures and great step-by-step instructions, so if you want to try these out make sure you stop by The Jew and the Carrot.

I changed the recipe up JUST a bit to use things I had or didn't have on hand.  Here is all that you need:

1/2 C sugar

1/2 C flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 egg whites

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp almond extract

That's it!

Now, I'm sure you are supposed to mix the dry ingredients and then the wet ingredients and then mix them all together...does anyone do that?!  I never do...there is NO chance I am dirtying another bowl if I don't have too ;)  I bet that is just one of many reasons I am not a wonderful baker!!

Anyways, once I dumped everything in ONE bowl and mixed it up, I prepared my cookie sheet.  The first time I tried parchment paper, and that did not work at all for me.  I had much better luck when I sprayed a cookie sheet really well and put the mixture right on that.  It also took me quite a few tries to get the size right...a 3 inch circle is really what you are going for.  Anything else will taste fine but not look too authentic.

Bake these in the oven at 375 degrees for 5-7 minutes.  Mine actually took 8-9, you just need to watch really closely and take them out when they have browned nicely around the edges.

 

To make our fortune cookies a little more fun we put a secret message inside.  After school today we are learning about all of the different Chinese Zodiac signs, and what sign each of my kids are.  I thought it would be fun to put in each cookie a letter that when put with the others will make up the Chinese Zodiac for 2014!  

Ok, so once your cookies are done you need to flip them over with a spatula.  Then place a strip of paper in the middle and fold them in half.  Once you have done that place them over the rim of a cup or jar to give it that awesome fortune cookie shape.  You are going to want to do this pretty quickly to make sure they don't harden before you can shape them.

Once you have them shaped you can put them in a muffin tin to hold their shape until they harden. 

I gotta tell you...these fortune cookies are delicious!!  They are soft and a little chewy (probably because we can never wait long enough to let them harden!;) and have a yummy almond flavor.

Thanks so much for stopping by today, make sure to come back tomorrow to see some fun Zodiac activities for kids!!

Fit Friday...Skinny Strawberry Cheesecake Snack!

 

Welcome back to Fit Friday at Blue Skies Ahead!!  I know, I got you all excited about Fit Friday posts, did one...and then NONE since :)  I have continued my quest to get fit, and its going great!  I've dropped about 25 lbs and have 10 more to go before I reach my goal.  The hardest part is definitely waking up at 5 every morning (or earlier!) to get to the gym, but once I'm on the road I love it!

Today I wanted to share a really yummy snack I came up with the other day.  

I think snacking healthy is THE hardest thing for me when I am trying to lose weight.  I do great on my meals all throughout the day...but then dessert time hits and I want to eat that yummy stuff that everyone else is eating!  The obvious solution is to have EVERYONE in the house eating healthy stuff, and this quick, simple dessert was something the entire family enjoyed.

Skinny Strawberry Cheesecake Snack!

This is ridiculously simple.  I just made a box of sugar free, fat free Cheesecake pudding.  Then I added a few strawberries and a couple of graham crackers for the "crust" :)   The kids LOVED dipping the strawberries and graham crackers, and I loved feeling like I got a yummy treat like everybody else. Plus...cheesecake IS my all-time favorite, so this was a pretty good substitute :) 

For a 1/2 cup of pudding, 2 graham crackers, and a couple of strawberries you are just over 100 calories!

So please share...what are some yummy snacks you treat yourself and your family to when you are trying to GET FIT?! :)

Fit Friday...Strawberry Banana Oatmeal Muffins!

 

Happy Friday everyone!!  A LONG time ago, before I got pregnant with my 5th baby and was trying to lose weight after my 4th baby, I started doing Fit Friday posts.  I tried to pick one area to focus on each Friday that I was striving for in my quest to yes, lose weight, but mostly...to get FIT!  Beyond losing that baby weight I wanted to really achieve some serious fitness goals, for me that ended up with me running two half-marathons before getting pregnant with baby #5 :)

Well here we are, 2 years later and I am in the same boat again!  Baby Cohen is 5 weeks old, and I am ready to get FIT again!  Yes, I really want to be able to fit into my skinny jeans again, but mostly I want to be able to do the things I had pushed my body to do before that I never thought were possible. I miss feeling that strength and endurance, so I am going to get it back darn it! ;)

Is anybody else with me??  Maybe you are like me, just had a baby, and need to lose that 15-20 pounds?  Because, we all gain 50 lbs when we're pregnant, right?!  Humor me people! ;)

Maybe you feel great at the weight you are at, but you want to push your body to limits you never have before, whether its running, biking, or just trying something new!

Maybe while you were pregnant you let ALL of your families healthy eating habits go, and you are determined to get back on track!  Again...humor me people, thats what happened at our house!

If you can relate to ANY of these things at all, Fit Friday is for YOU!!

Today I am tackling BREAKFAST!!  You know...the most important meal of the day?  I am SO not a breakfast lover.  I pretty much have to force myself to eat, but one thing I do love is a good muffin!  I mean, obviously, a HUGE Costco muffin would be my first choice, but since this is called Fit Friday I knew I needed to come up with some other options ;)  My kids love muffins too, so I hoped I could find a recipe that was pretty healthy that we could all enjoy.  

I found a great recipe HERE that sounded really yummy, and with a few changes we created something we really loved that we have already made twice this week...

Strawberry Banana Oatmeal Muffins

The original recipe doesn't call for strawberries, but I figured if I threw a bunch in I could cut some of the sugar...and who doesn't love the strawberry banana combo?! ;)

Here is the recipe:

2.5 C Old Fashioned Oats (not cooked)

1 C lowfat vanilla yogurt

2 eggs

1/2 C brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 ripe bananas

6-8 large strawberries

First up, throw everything in your blender besides your strawberries.  You are going to want to chop those up and set them aside.

Once your mix is all blended up, pour into greased muffin tins (or use some super cute cupcake liners you have laying around ;)

Then grab those chopped strawberries and sprinkle them generously on top of each muffin.  Doesn't that just look awesome?

Then you bake these bad boys at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, watching closely and checking with a toothpick to see if they are done.  Mine cooked for exactly 15 minutes and came out perfect.

I'm telling you...these were GOOD!  Plus, you have to love that they have NO flour, butter, or oil.  The original recipe said they freeze great too...we ate all of ours so I haven't tried that yet :)  I calculated these muffins to be a little under 130 calories each, and with the oats they are filling enough to get you through the morning!

Thanks for checking out Fit Friday today!  I would love to know...what is your favorite quick, healthy go-to breakfast that you and your family love?!

Baked Potato Soup

 I don't know about where you all live....but here it has been COLD!!!  Like, crazy cold!  The well-below freezing temps had made for some perfect soup nights, and I thought I would share my favorite soup recipe with you tonight.

Baked Potato Soup!

I have been making this recipe for so long I don't even remember where I got it from :)  I love it because its cheap to make, everyone enjoys it, and I have most of the ingredients in my food storage (besides the potatoes ;)  Its quick and simple, and sure to satisfy your whole family!  Oh, one note, I ALWAYS double this recipe!  We always end up with leftovers, but if I don't we don't have enough for all 6 of us :)

Here's what you need:

¼ c. butter 

¼ c. chopped onion 

¼ c. flour 

14 oz can chicken broth 

1 can evaporated milk

3 large baked potatoes

Salt and pepper 

Grated cheese 

Green onion 

Sour Cream

 



Before I get started, I just poke my potatoes with a fork a few times and put in the microwave to bake.  By the time all the other steps are done the potatoes are cooked and cooled enough to go!

Melt butter in medium saucepan. Add onion and sauté until tender. Stir in flour, and then add broth and milk. Scoop pulp from one potato and mash; add to soup. Bring to boil and then add the rest of the potatoes (scoop the pulp and cut into cubes).

 

Top with cheese, sour cream and green onions...then ENJOY!!!

 

With homemade rolls fresh out of the oven, this is the ultimate comfort meal!  If you try it out let me know how you like it!!

Pumpkin Spice Bread

NOTHING says fall to me like the smell of some YUMMY Pumpkin Spice Bread!

I think Pumpkin Bread is probably like Sugar Cookies...everyone has a recipe that they swear by ;)

But if you don't already have a recipe that you love, you should definitely give this one a try!  I found on AllRecipes and made a few simple changes.  I love that it makes 2 loaves and 1 dozen muffins from just one batch.  I love the way my house smells while its baking in the oven.  And...I LOVE how it tastes!!  

0

Pumpkin Spice Bread

1 15 oz can pumpkin puree

4 eggs

1 C vegetable oil

2/3 C water

3 C white sugar

3 1/2 C flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

This recipe is super easy to make, which is always a plus in my book :)

First you mix the pumpkin, eggs, oil, water, and sugar.

 

Then add all your dry  ingredients and mix until well-blended.

Then stop and take a picture of your adorable shadow that follows you everywhere you go :)

Make sure you grease VERY well 2 pans, and place in the oven at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

Once you have let cool, cut in slices, set out for the kids after school, and make sure to grab a slice for yourself...this stuff is gonna go fast!! :)

Pepperoni Rollups...a new family favorite!

I found a great recipe a few weeks ago and tonight I finally gave it a try!  It was a HUGE success and I thought I would share (if you are like me, and one of the FEW people in the world that haven't made Pepperoni Rollups before ;)

I found this recipe at one of my newest favorite blogs, What About Pie.  I love the simplicity of it, and my kids loved dipping these yummy roll ups in our favorite homemade pizza sauce (oh yeah...I have that recipe too! ;)

All you need for this yummy meal is some frozen loaves of bread, pepperoni, shredded mozzarella, shredded parmesan, and Italian Seasoning.

 

First up, you need to spray a cookie sheet and lay out your loaves of bread to thaw.  I had mine out for  a little over 4 hours and they were just right when I was ready to start rolling them out.

Roll your dough into a square shape, and lightly brush with olive oil.  Then just place a layer of pepperoni all over your dough.

Once you have your pepperoni down then sprinkle your mozzarella, then parmesan cheese.  Finally lightly sprinkle your Italian Seasoning over the top.

Then roll this bad boy up and stick in your oven at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes!

Half-way through baking I brushed the top of the loaves with butter so it would come out with this beautiful golden brown top.  Once your rollups are done baking, make sure you let them cool completely before slicing into them.  They need to have time to set up fully...try to control yourself if you can ;)

My kids love anything they can dip, so I knew I wanted a great pizza sauce to go with these.  This is our families favorite pizza sauce that I got from my sister-in-law Jen...try it...its amazing!!

Best Ever Pizza Sauce

2 10 oz cans of tomato paste

1/2 C water

2 Tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp basil

1/4 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Combine all ingredients in pot over medium heat and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.

Once everything is cooled and ready to go, slice up your pepperoni roll ups and spoon out some Best Ever Pizza Sauce...and enjoy!!

Linking up HERE :)

Gooey Caramel Popcorn!

Hey everyone!  Before I get to this AMAZING recipe I wanted to let you in on something real quick.  

Remember how I said to stay tuned for lots of fun Pioneer/Cowboy activities?

Yeah....not gonna be happening this week :)

See, I know a lot of bloggers have already-written posts saved ahead of time that they can post at will...but I sure don't!  When I post something we have literally done it that day or the day before.  I felt for me that was the only way to keep my blog as genuine as possible.  I didn't want to post things we hadn't really done or tried.  I think when blogging it can be hard to "keep it real", you only see what the blogger wants you to see.  I wanted to be sure I only post things we are ACTUALLY doing in our home, and I don't want to come across as someone better than who I really am ;)

This week has just turned out to be CRAZY busy, and the point of these weekly themes is to ENJOY your kids and have fun with them...not add one more stress to your life :)  So although we don't have time for the activities I had planned, we always have time for a yummy treat!  I did want to share this amazing popcorn recipe from my sister-in-law Camille.

Oh yeah....its GOOEY.

Doesn't that look amazing?!

And you probably have all the ingredients in your pantry right now!  I mean...I'm sure I'm not the only one that has a 6-month supply of marshmallows, brown sugar and microwave popcorn, right?!  (I seriously do...its a problem.)

 

Here is the recipe for this Gooey Caramel Popcorn!

1 bag popped microwave popcorn

2 sticks butter

1 C brown sugar

21 marshmallows

1 tsp baking soda

First up, you want to pop your popcorn.  I try and make sure I get all the un-popped kernels out so you don't have to fear taking a big bite and breaking a tooth :)

Then you toss your butter (I only use 1 1/2 sticks...2 seems a little much!), marshmallows and brown sugar in a microwavable bowl.  Microwave for one minute and then take out and stir.  Repeat until all the ingredients are melted.  It usually takes me 4 minutes all together.

When its all melted add 1 tsp of baking soda.  It should get really creamy and turn this beautiful brown color.

Once you have your caramel sauce ready, drench your popcorn in that gooey goodness, stir it all up, and get ready to get sticky :)

This is our families FAVORITE go-to for movie nights, sitting on the porch watching fireworks, and the drive-in.  I hope you and your family love it too!

Thanks for coming by today and thanks for letting me keep it real...I hope you are all having a FANTASTIC week!! 

Linking up HERE :)

Chocolate Orange Whoopie Pies

Today I had the urge to bake!  

That is pretty rare, but I had an idea I was dying to try...and it turned out better than I had hoped!

Today we attempted Chocolate Orange Whoopie Pies.

These were so easy to make and seriously are DELICIOUS!!  I am usually not a huge frosting fan (weird, I know) but it is always too sweet for me.  This frosting was light and had nice citrus tang to it, a perfect pairing with the rich chocolate cake mix cookies it went with :)

To make your own you want to start with the cookies.  I just did Cake Mix Cookies...it doesn't get any easier than that!  1 box of Devil's Food Cake mix, 1/2 C oil and 3 eggs.  Mix it all up and bake for 12 minutes at 350 degrees.  While the cookies were cooling I got all the ingredients for the orange frosting.

 

I adapted this recipe from the orange frosting recipe on the back of the powdered sugar box, and I was thrilled with how great it turned out.  All you do is mix together:

1 lb box of powdered sugar

1 stick salted butter (softened)

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp orange zest

1/3 C orange juice

I like a really creamy smooth frosting, so as I was whipping it up I would add a teeny bit more orange juice here and there until I had the consistency I wanted and the tangy flavor too!

Once my cookies were cooled I slathered them in frosting and put them in the fridge to set a little (Okay...only about 5 minutes before I couldn't stand it and had to break them out and try them ;) 

So if you are looking for a fun new cookie recipe...give this one a try!  I love the classic chocolate and orange pairing, they were easy to make...and quite tasty too :)

Linking up HERE :)