Crispix Mix

Mark and LeDonna were heading north the other day and I thought I'd make them a road trip snack. It's been a long time since I've made Chex mix so googled for some recipes and came across this one that had bagel chips in it that sounded good. I made a couple changes - substituted one box of Crispix cereal (rice on one side, corn on the other) for the 3 different Chex mix cereals, increased pretzels and bagel chips to make up the difference (the recipe calls for more Chex than is in one box of Crispix), and added M&M's after the mix cooled. Here's the recipe as written that I found here at half baked harvest:

• 3 cups corn chex
• 3 cups rice chex
• 2 cups whole wheat chex
• 2 cups mixed nuts
• 2 cups bite-size pretzels
• 2 cups garlic-flavor bite-size bagel chips or regular bagel chips
• 1 ½ sticks (3/4 cup) salted butter, melted
• 4 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
• ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder

1. 1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

   2. In large bowl, mix the chex cereals, mixed nuts, pretzels and bagel chips. Set aside.

   3. Melt the butter in a bowl and mix in the worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder and a good pinch of pepper. Pour the butter over the cereal mixture, tossing well for 3-5 minutes or until the cereal mixture is evenly coated.

   4. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool, about 15 minutes (or just start eating!!). Store in airtight container.

   
   

   True Story ~ I intended to make this whole batch for M and L, but I forgot HOW MUCH a batch makes LOL. So they got a bag, Kyle/Mickey got a bag, Teri got a bag, Brooke got a bag...😂...and I still had more! 

   
   

   

   4.26.23: bland dog diet

   4.26.22: TT front or back 

   4.26.21: crockpot golden mushroom pork chops

   4.26.20: 🔥week 17

   4.26.19: how to design a spring planter

   
   4.26.18: Mickey's spring flowers

   
   4.26.17: double chocolate oatmeal bars

   
   4.26.16: canister vacuum wand guard

   
   

   
   

   
   

Fluffy Carrot Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting

I wanted a quick little thing to take to my tap class and since I had carrots and cream cheese left over from making the bundt cake I was able to make these in under an hour. I made them in a mini muffin tin (using cupcake liners) so it made a lot more than 12 - and I told everyone they could decide if these are cupcakes, or frosted muffins hahah. Even without the frosting they are really moist - I added 1 1/2 t. cinnamon and 1/2 t. nutmeg just because it sounded good to me!   

for the muffins:

• 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup white sugar
• ¾ cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated carrot

for the frosting: 

• ¼ cup cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups sifted confectioners' sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease the bottoms only of 12 muffin cups, or line with baking cups. Sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

   Beat eggs and sugar until frothy and lightened in color. Stir in oil, vanilla extract, and grated carrot; fold in flour mixture. Pour batter into prepared muffin tins.

3. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove to cool on wire racks.

4. Meanwhile, prepare frosting by beating cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and confectioners' sugar together until fluffy. Frost the cooled muffins and chill until ready to serve.

   recipe found here

   
   

   4.25.23: TT medication chart

   4.25.22: chocolate caramel pretzel candy

   4.25.21: 🔥 week 17

   4.25.20: coffee filter glass cleaner

   4.25.19: topopo salad

   4.25.18: Mickey's DIY sensory boxes

   4.25.17: organizing recipes

   4.25.16: washi tape feathers

   
   

   
   

Chicken Scaloppine al Marsala

This recipe has been in my folder for a really long time and we love it - I don't follow it for the chicken prep (which is to dredge and fry the chicken) but that would make it more of a traditional Chicken Marsala, I just make the mushroom sauce and put it over grilled chicken and noodles. So good. 

PS: don't let the 'fancy' title scare you off - it's thin chicken cutlets ('scaloppine') in a mushroom wine sauce ('al marsala'). 

I'll give you the recipe as written (by the way, I have no idea what magazine I tore this out of so don't know who to credit!), then I'll tell you my changes after.

• 1/4 cup rice flour
• 6 thin-cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 4 ounces each
• 3 T. olive oil
• 1 package (8 oz.) sliced brown mushrooms
• 1/2 cup marsala wine
• 1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1/8 t. pepper
• 1 package (10 oz.) brown rice couscous (such as Lundberg)
• 1 T. unsalted butter
• 1 T. chopped parsley

1. Place the rice flour on a large plate. Coat the chicken in the flour. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 T. of oil and sauté half the chicken for 1 to 2 minutes per side until lightly browned. Remove to a plate and keep warm. Repeat with a second tablespoon of the oil and the remaining chicken. 

2. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet and stir in the mushrooms. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until tender. Off heat, add in the marsala and cook for 1 minute, scraping any brown bits from the skillet. Add the broth, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Gently simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. 

3. Meanwhile, prepare the couscous following package directions, about 15 minutes. 

4. Stir butter and parsley into the chicken and sauce and serve with the prepared couscous. 

My notes:

• we serve the mushroom sauce over grilled chicken, so I don't use flour or sauté the chicken in the skillet. 
• I double the sliced mushrooms (brown or white) and cook them in 1 T. oil; add the wine, broth, salt and pepper, butter and parsley as directed. 
• I usually serve this over buttered noodles. 
• substitutes for marsala include madeira, sherry, vermouth, and wine. 

4.24.23: crab dip

4.24.22: 🔥 week 17

4.24.21: dance recital '21

4.24.20: parmesan fondue

4.24.19: double chocolate oatmeal bars

4.24.18: how to use an aqua painter

4.24.17: curvy keepsake lamb and bunny

4.24.16: slow cooker mongolian beef

Tip-sy Tuesday: floor squeegee

Dave asked if I'd order a floor squeegee for him - I said a what? I don't think I've ever heard of that - sure enough it's a thing! Makes cleaning the garage floor so easy - I've always hosed the floor down and then pushed the water and debris out using a big push broom, with the squeegee you can easily just slide it along the floor removing the water much quicker. And I have to say it's a little more fun than the broom!

They make different sizes, I could have ordered a wider one but this works just fine. 

4.23.23: 🔥 week 17

4.23.22: stuffed mini sweet peppers

4.23.21: gift card/cash envelope

4.23.20: beer bread

4.23.19: tipsy tuesday: makeup wipes

4.23.18: hedgehug card

4.23.17: spinach and cheese stuffed mushrooms

4.23.16: perfectly peeled hard boiled eggs

Sock Cupcake Gifts

Amy sent me this picture from dance recital last weekend thinking I'd like to see it - I immediately told her I'm totally stealing this and blogging it (people should know to not send me ideas if they don't want me to ask if I can blog LOL). She said that Miss Lori gave them out at recital. So I figured I should not be rude or presumptuous to just post them without first asking Miss Lori if she minded my sharing (obviously she ok'd it since I'm telling you about it ahahaha!). 

Here's what she did - isn't this a super cute idea?!

I bought the socks personalized with our logo on Etsy, then I rolled up 50 little cupcakes for recital gifts for my teachers, assistants, and the family kids! I ordered little toothpicks with stars from Michael’s to add a topper!

4.22.23: words

4.22.22: toaster bag review by Jen 

4.22.22: hasselback caprese tomatoes

4.22.20: garden sign 

4.22.19: make a dreamcatcher

4.22.18: LeDonna's polenta with meatballs

4.22.17: make a cork wall

4.22.16: garden statue facelift

🔥 Around the Campfire (week 16)

Dear Campers ~ 

Here's a quick recap in case you missed anything at camp last week:

Posts ~

4/14: 🔥 week 15

4/15: bbq chicken sliders

4/16: TT golf club/truck bed storage

4/17: pizza baked potato

4/18: baked pork chops

4/19: PSA carpet cleaning and birds

4/20: words

seedling update - they are growing so big already! 

That's it for this week! See you next week for more projects, crafts, recipes, whatever we can think of to make at camp - bye :)

Sincerely ~

Jill

camp counselor

4.21.23: MSTI: 12-3-30

4.21.22: MSIH chicken broccoli casserole 

4.21.21: Teri's fluffy fruit salad

4.21.20: roasted eggplant parmesan

4.21.19: 🔥
4.21.18: boozy cherries
4.21.17: crayon canvas by Brooke
4.21.16: parrot portrait

  

4/20 ~ Words

4.20.23: honey glazed salmon by Macey

4.20.22: pork tenderloin glaze

4.20.21: TT hummingbird food

4.20.20: Claudette's paint by number

4.20.19: kid craft: pompom bugs

4.20.18: silverware holder (from a beverage carrier carton)

4.20.17: scrabble tile messages

4.20.16: giant donut cake

PSA: Carpet Cleaning and Birds

Quick PSA for today's post - we had our carpets cleaned and it did not occur to me that it might be harmful for birds until I walked back into the house a couple hours after they were done and the smell was SO strong. I immediately thought to myself "I wonder if this is harmful..." and Googled it - sure enough it can be very toxic to birds! And poor Lucy our parrot was sitting nearby rooms that were done. I panicked of course, got her into a room away from carpet and just kept an eye on her, she was fine the rest of that day but the next morning she had a spell of sorts, like she was frozen or something and she fell out of the cage! Not tripped out, but tumbled out. I freaked. 

(Sorry, I probably should have started this post with the fact that she is ok now in case you were worried this story was going to end badly.)

I picked her up and put her on the counter, it took a few minutes but eventually she was walking around and climbing on her cage, ate breakfast and seemed ok once again. I called the vet and they didn't know what would cause her to freeze up like that but if it was a reaction to the chemicals they would expect her to show respiratory issues and I should just keep her away from the carpet areas for a few days and continue to monitor her. It's been a couple days and so far so good - but I wanted to warn anyone with a bird and dirty carpets that you should tell the cleaners that you have a bird, there are other solutions they can use; or remove the bird before having them cleaned. So scary!

LeDonna took this funny pic of Lucy sitting on the stove knob - good
thing she isn't heavy enough to push and turn a burner on haha. 

4.19.23: beef and broccoli, chinese green beans

4.19.22: TT drink coaster hack 

4.19.21: how to make a ribbon flower

4.19.20: 🔥week 16

4.19.19: sports team paddle

4.19.18: book challenge

4.19.17: caramel apple pie with crumb topping

4.19.16: car trash cup

Baked Pork Chops

If the weather is decent we like to just do a main protein on the grill, and I have fun with different side dishes. We were in CA for a bit and it rained a lot, A LOT - so I had to come up with meals made in the oven or stovetop. So when I bought boneless pork chops before realizing it was going to rain again and Dave wouldn't be able to grill them I figured I'd just Shake-and-Bake 'em, and then found that I don't have any Shake-and-Bake. 

I did have the ingredients on hand to make this recipe for baked pork chops I found here at Food Network so made this easy coating that didn't take much more time than if I'da shaken them up with premade mix - and sure enough, they tasted really good...yeah, yeah, I should probably always be making my own coating and forego the boxed stuff but I probably won't haha. But I will use this as my plan B of choice from now on.

• 1 1/2 cups panko
• 5 T. vegetable oil
• 3 T. grated Parmesan
• 2 t. dried Italian seasoning
• kosher salt and ground pepper
• Four 3/4" bone-in pork chops (about 2 1/4 pounds)

Preheat the oven to 450'.

Combine the panko, oil, Parmesan, Italian seasoning and 3/4 t. each salt and pepper in a large resealable plastic bag. Put the pork chops in a large bowl and toss to coat with 1 T. water. Place the pork chops in the bag and shake well to coat, pressing the breadcrumb mixture firmly into the meat. 

Place the pork chops on a wire rack set on a baking sheet and top evenly with any breadcrumbs remaining in the bag. Bake until the breadcrumbs are dark golden and the internal temperature of the chops registers 145' F. on an instant-read thermometer (avoid touching bone), 15 to 20 minutes. 

My Notes: I followed this recipe as written other then I baked the boneless chops at 375' for 15-20 minutes until done (watch them, baking time will depend on how thick your chops are). 

I don't have any photos to show you - Dave asked if I wanted him to take a picture and I said no, they're just plain old pork chops and I'm not blogging it...but then they turned out really good and I wanted to share! Guess what? They look an awful lot like I Shake-and-Baked them!!! 😂😂

4.18.23: TT mixer spatter guard

4.18.22: turkey taco filling

4.18.21: 🔥 week 16

4.18.20: ham and spinach wagon wheel

4.18.19: 'healthier' potato soup

4.18.18: texas chocolate cream pie

4.18.17: Lisa's nieces make k-cup bunnies

4.18.16: hair tie

Pizza Baked Potato

This was a really quick dinner I made for myself based on my favorite go-to when I'm eating alone - baked potatoes! Dave doesn't share my love for baked potatoes so it's my treat when he isn't home. 

I made a microwaved baked potato, wrap in foil and keep it hot. Saute mushrooms, chopped cherry tomatoes, chopped green olives, and chopped turkey pepperoni until hot, stir in pizza sauce to taste. Season with Italian Seasoning, salt and pepper to taste. Put the potato on a baking sheet, top with the pizza toppings and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 400' until the cheese melts. 

4. 17.23: memorial pet blanket

4.17.22: 🔥 week 16

4.17.21: ramen dinner by Brooke

4.17.20: no-sew t-shirt mask 

4.17.19: Cathy's baked mostaccioli 

4.17.18: shoelace tightening tip

4.17.17: money origami

4.17.16: baeckeoffe - can't pronounce it but it's good!

Tip-sy Tuesday: Golf Club/Truck Bed Storage

It's almost time to think about (attempting to) golf and I remembered this convenient storage solution for my golf stuff in the back of my truck - I got an underbed plastic storage tub with rollers on the bottom that is long enough to hold my golf clubs and wide enough for my shoes, cart blanket, balls, etc.  The rollers fit in the grooves of my bed liner and slides in and out of the truck bed so easily. I love this handy solution! 

During golf season I just leave my clubs in the truck most of the time, off season I store them and use the plastic tub for groceries. These work so good for me that I bought a second tub and have them side by side in the truck bed. This system has replaced my original short-person truck bed organizing post, click here for the initial solution. 

4.16.23: 🔥week 16

4.16.22: at home coffee treat

4.16.21: shrimp, spinach, avocado salad

 4.16.20: Mickey's herb box

4.16.19: travel jewelry hack

4.16.18: chocolate souffle

4.16.17: veggie fried rice

4.16.16: funny decluttering picture

BBQ Chicken Sliders

Paige sent me the recipe for her bbq chicken sliders, I said it looks and sounds great but what I really want are the fries that are in the background LOL.

In her words:

I took a whole pack of Hawaiian rolls cut them in half; filled the bottom half with a layer of provolone cheese, topped it with grilled chicken, crispy bacon, and red onion. I added a drizzle of ranch and barbecue. I placed the top buns back on, brushed the tops of them all with a light layer of melted butter and some seasoning (of your choice) and baked them at 350' until the top of my buns were a little crispy! 

And of course you gotta have the chili cheese fries on the side :)  

4.15.23: words

4.15.22: Easter menu and decor ideas

4.15.21: kid craft - paper butterflies

4.15.20: tuna salad stuffed avocado

4.15.19: eggshell candles

4.15.18: LeDonna's Broccoli Cottage bake

4.15.17: cork gardening

4.15.16: t-shirt hack

🔥 Around the Campfire (week 15)

Dear Campers ~ 

Here's a quick recap in case you missed anything at camp last week:

Posts ~

4/7: 🔥 week 14

4/8: starting vegetable seeds

4/9: TT McDouble hack 

4/10: shrimp, pesto, quinoa bowls

4/11: carrot cake cream cheese bundt cake

4/12: cream eggs

4/13: words

Keeping it super short this week since I forgot to post this yesterday!

See you next week for more projects, crafts, recipes, whatever we can think of to make at camp - bye :)

Sincerely ~

Jill

camp counselor

4.14.23: MSTI: pickle in a blanket

4.14.22: MSIH taco-tot casserole 

4.14.21: french breakfast puffs 

4.14.20: fabric masks 

4.14.19: 🔥 recap (with a beautiful bunny cake!)

4.14.18: strawberry cream cheese frosting

4.14.17: Brooke's DIY speaker

4.14.16: how to repair an ironing board

   

4/13 ~ Words

 

4.13.23: blue cheese and prosciutto dates

4.13.22: Easter bunny gnomes

4.13.21: TT cleaning with foil 

4.13.20: Miss Lori's latch hook hanging

4.13.19: herb crusted lamb roast

4.13.18: Florian's sauerkraut

4.13.17: roasted carrots

4.13.16: lemon cream pie with gingersnap crust

Cream Eggs

Mickey told me about an egg recipe she made for breakfast that she loved - actually her exact words were 'it was the BOMB' and 'it was delishhhh'. She saw this on Instagram (search for audrey roloff if you want to watch her video) and sent me the video, she didn't take pics so I'll describe what I see on the video as best as I can (and I took some screen shots to tide us over for now until I make this for myself and take better pictures!). 

Heat a skillet and pour in heavy whipping cream to cover the bottom; turn the heat down and crack eggs directly into the cream, season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook 5 to 7 minutes until the eggs are done to your liking; using a spatula, scoop up the eggs and a little of the cream it cooked in. Serve on toast if desired.

4.12.23: artichoke and cheesy chicken breasts

4.12.22: Easter bunny charcuterie

4.12.21: lemon paprika chicken 

4.12.20: 🔥week 15

4.12.19: dog in the blog - food bowl tip

4.12.18: one year old's birthday cake

4.12.17: granola cookies

4.12.16: tidying up

Carrot Cake Cream Cheese Swirl Bundt Cake

I made this delicious bundt cake for Easter last weekend, I like trying different forms of something like carrot cake - so when I saw this one baked in a bundt pan with a cream cheese swirl in the middle I knew I had to try it. So glad I did, this is so good - and simple too! I'm just going to copy and paste the recipe found at Mel's Kitchen Cafe, she has lots of notes if you want to check out her post - one tip is to not use shredded carrots found packaged at the grocery store. The store bought ones will be too coarse, you'll want to shred them yourself (I have an old school "Salad Shooter" that came in super handy for this recipe!). 

click here for recipe and more notes found at melskitchencafe

Carrot Cake:

• 1 ⅔ cup (237 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3-4 large carrots, ends trimmed and finely shredded (about 2 cups)
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup (212 g) granulated sugar
• ½ cup (106 g) packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup oil 
• ½ cup toasted chopped pecans, optional

Cream Cheese Filling:

• 8 ounces (227 g) cream cheese, light or regular, softened
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup (53 g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg

Frosting:

• 4 ounces (113 g) cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon sour cream
• 2 cups (228 g) powdered sugar

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9- or 10-inch bundt cake pan very well, getting in all the nooks and crannies. Lightly dust with flour, tapping out the excess, and set aside.
• For the cake batter, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl (you can use the bowl of a stand electric mixer here), with a handheld electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugars together until blended. With the mixer running, drizzle in the oil and mix until thick and creamy.
• Add the dry ingredients, carrots and pecans, and mix gently by hand until combined and no streaks of flour remain. Set aside for a few minutes while preparing the cream cheese filling.
• For the cream cheese layer, beat together the cream cheese, vanilla, sugar and egg until smooth and well-combined. You can use an electric mixer or I generally use my blender (Blendtec model) for whipping this together.
• Pour half of the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Spoon the cream cheese mixture in dollops evenly across the top. Finish with the remaining carrot cake batter. It's ok if you can see the cream cheese layer peeking through - the carrot cake may not cover it all the way.
• Bake the cake for 45-60 minutes until the top lightly springs back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.
• Remove fron the oven and let sit for 5-10 minutes before turning out onto a serving plate to cool completely.
• For the frosting, whip together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until smooth and well-combined (again, I use my blender for this but you can use an electric mixer). Add the heavy cream, sour cream and powdered sugar and mix until light and fluffy.
• Once the cake is completely cooled, spread the frosting over the top curve of the bundt cake. If you want to cover the cake entirely, you can double the frosting.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve. The cake can be made, frosted and refrigerated up to a day in advance.
  Jill here - I took some photos of the process, for the record I don't know why I took such ugly pictures hahahah! But here you go:

  

  half the batter in the prepared pan

  
  

  

  top with the cream cheese layer - mine is much thinner 
  than her pictures showed but it turned out just fine!

  
  

  

  top with the remaining batter

  
  

  

  cooling on a rack before adding the frosting

  
  

  

  the frosting is not thick and spreads very easily

  
  
  
  
  

  

  not a great photo, it's very pretty (and yummy) in real life!

  
  
  
  
  4.11.23: TT slicing prosciutto
  
  
  4.11.22: Easter magic cookie bars

  4.11.21: 🔥week 15

  4.11.20: hot cross buns

  
  

  4.11.19: Al and Cathy's DIY fire pit

  
  

  4.11.18: disposable cake pans

  
  

  4.11.17: freezing avocados

  
  

  4.11.16: easy chair back covers