Little Critters

After the fun my son and I had while making Peanut Butter Snackies, I decided to try again and make something without eggs. While making the cookies, he had a pacifier in his mouth, but as we only use it for sleep time I wanted to make something he could snitch and I wouldn't have to worry about raw eggs! These fit and we had a great time making them. There is peanut butter in them, however you can just double the amount of chocolate chips you put in if your children do not eat peanut butter yet or have an allergy. Variation at the end for making birds nests!

Little Critters

First, you'll need 1 cup of chocolate chips (semi-sweet, milk, white chocolate or use a combination), and 1 cup peanut butter chips.

Mix them together in a bowl.

Melt in the microwave. Place in microwave for 1 minute and then stir, microwave in 30 second increments until all the chips are melted, stiring after each increment.

You'll also need some Chow Mein Noodles. Or if you prefer, use pretzels. I would use a mix of broken up pretzel twists. It will make them more interesting than just plain pretzel sticks.

You'll need 3 cups.

Place in a large bowl.

Once the chips are melted

get your child ready with a spoon (or rubber spatula.)

Pour in the melted chocolate and peanut butter chips.

Stir to coat.

Hint: you may need to help stir in order to get all the noodles/pretzels coated before the chocolate sets.

Next spoon onto parchment paper.

The less uniform the clumps look the better!

Here is my son helping to put them on the parchment paper.

"Am I doing good Mama?"

Back to focusing on the task at hand.

It's coming.

Oh, I have some!

Dropping it onto the paper,

or mostly on the paper!

I love how he is trying to get it all off the spoon.

Now for the decoration: Mini M&M Eyes.

Adding the eyes to the 'critters'.

And eating the m&m's.

The second decoration: toffee bits.

I chopped these up a bit.

Add the pieces to the back of the bugs.

Don't those bugs look great!

And the little helper licking the spoon!

I love having the different eyes.

However, it might look a bit better if the m's were facing in...

or if they were both facing out ;).

Either way, have fun while making these!

These were a great treat to make with my son because he could help me in every stage and I did not have to worry about him snitching. I did make sure the melted chocolate chips were not too warm when I added them to the chow mein noodles.

Pretzel Bird Nests:

 Use pretzels instead of chow mien noodles (I definitely suggest this for the little critters as well!)

 After placing create an indent in the center to place eggs into.

 Once they are mostly (or all the way) set place eggs into nests. I used Whopper's Mini Robin's Eggs, but Cadbury or any other type of mini egg would work great. If you place them when almost set, the eggs will remain in place after they finish setting which is a great thing if you're going to be moving them!

I also really loved the texture and coloring of white chocolate and the semi-sweet chocolate covered pretzels being mixed before forming into nests.

Enjoy!

Menu: March 7-13

 Some weeks I love posting my menus. This is one of them, in fact I'm wishing we were having some of the same items this week. I'm just going to let the food speak for itself!

Here's the menu:

 Monday: Ham & Veggie Pasta

Tuesday: Church Dinner (We had taco salad)

Wednesday: Fried Rice

Thursday: Ate Out

Friday: Canadian Bacon Egg Cups & Banana Muffins

Saturday: Cheddar Cheese Fondue

Sunday: Ham dinner (made by my mom)

Lasagna won this week's poll - it will be posted on Thursday. Vote for the recipe you want to see next week!

Foodless Friday: CSN Stores Giveaway **Closed**

I was recently contacted by CSN stores to host a giveaway on my site. I've wanted to host a giveaway from their site since I won a giveaway last fall (I entered every one I could from blogs I follow!)  I had an issue with the product I ordered being returned by the shipping company (they couldn't find my house - Yey for rural areas!) CSN stores worked with me to send me another one by a different company. Even though it took a while to get it to me, I was impressed with their customer service. Their network of over 200 online stores has anything you might need, from cookware, to home decor, children's toys, and since it is spring and we'd all love to be outside - they even carry wood swing sets! Enter for a chance to win a $50 gift certificate.

Here’s how to enter:

• Leave a comment on this post and simply tell me what you'd get from CSN stores if you were to win (You can actually get something different than what you tell me, I promise!).
• One Entry (comment) per person please!
• Entries will  be taken until ~10 PM on Friday, March 18.
• One winner will be randomly selected and announced next Friday (March 18)
• As CSN only ships to the US and Canada, the contest is limited to people living in those countries, my apologies to those of you living in the rest of the world!

*This giveaway is being sponsored by CSN Stores, they are providing the $50 gift code to one of my readers. That is all.

Feta Cheese & Tomato Open Omelet

I got some cookbooks about a month ago, I know I didn't really NEED more, but they were on sale and I got some good new recipes to add to my collection. Shortly after I got them, I read through a couple of them and made a list of recipes I wanted to try and this one made it on that list and then to my menu. I am trying to vary the proteins we eat at dinners and I love eggs (as I mentioned last week.) If you don't have fresh herbs, you can use dried, although I do have to sing the praises of fresh herbs, they make things taste so much better!

Feta Cheese & Tomato Open Omelet

Taken from: Easy One-Pot: Frugal Recipes for Busy Cooks

In a medium bowl, mix together 5 eggs, 2 Tbsp freshly finely chopped basil, 1 Tbsp freshly finely chopped mint, 3 green onions, chopped. Add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper.

Heat 2 Tbsp Olive Oil in a pan.

Cook over medium heat for 5-8 minutes, drawing mixture from the sides to the center.

Top with 1 cup feta cheese (4 oz) and tomato halves, cut side up. Cook for 2 more minutes, then place under a preheated broiler and cook until light golden brown.

Serve warm. Enjoy!

Menu: Feb 28-Mar 6

I'm finally back down to where I was in September weight wise, as of this morning. I am hoping that I can stick with it and lose 10-20 pounds more. I'm really bad at sticking with diets though. I came to that realization this year...

In other news, my husband will have a draft of his Thesis by the end of this week if all goes well! It's been almost two years I've been waiting to be able to say that. Well, actually I've been waiting to say he's finished and has his degree, but I'll take what I can get. I still feel like celebrating, but I'm sure I'll feel more like celebrating when he has his diploma!

Here's our Menu: 

Monday: Chicken Fajitas

Tuesday: Ate Out

Wednesday: Pizza (it was going to be pepperoni, but it smelled funny so we had a veggie pizza - I used a whole pound of frozen spinach in the dough!)

Thursday: Lasagna

Friday: Leftover Lasagna

Saturday: French Bread Pizza (I was running late and used canned spaghetti sauce on french bread and topped with some of my pizza favorite toppings, this is a really easy and delicious meal.)

Sunday: Baked Ham, Herbed Broccoli, and Candied Sweet Potatoes

Vote for the recipe you want to see next Thursday. This week's winner was Feta and Cherry Tomato open omelet.

Herb Baked Eggs

Last fall I tried out a diet that had the big meal at Lunch and dinner as more of a light meal. The diet did work, but I found it hard to stick with as it basically banned natural forms of sugar. If you wanted chocolate milk you added baking cocoa and artificial sweeteners. I am not a big fan of artificial sweetener.  I first made Herb Baked Eggs as a dinner on that diet. The eggs are delicious and are very easy to make. I actually LOVE eggs. Which is weird as my mom doesn't really enjoy them very much. But my mom has bad memories of gathering eggs from chickens that liked to peck at her. I half wonder if that is the reason she doesn't really enjoy them! She does eat them, but they are not on her list of favorites. Luckily she did not influence me and I really do enjoy them.

 Herb Baked Eggs

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa: Barefoot in Paris

 First, you'll need a clove or two of garlic (one large or two small).

 Some parsley.

 Rosemary, and thyme or oregano.

 Mince all the herbs. You'll want 1/2 tsp of Rosemary.

 1 Tbsp of Parsley and 1/2 tsp of thyme or oregano (you can use 1/2 tsp of both!) I've also thrown in some fresh chives before.

 Mince the garlic - you'll want about 1/2 tsp of garlic as well.

 Grate some parmesan cheese.

 You'll need 2 Tbsp of Parmesan.

 Mix the herbs, garlic and parmesan in a bowl. Set aside.

 You also need butter.

 Cut the butter into pieces and place in a baking dish.

 Add 3 Tablespoons Heavy Whipping Cream. Place butter and cream under broiler until butter is melted.

 You'll also need 8 eggs.

 Oh and salt and pepper. White or black pepper.

 Pull out the pan with the melted butter and cream.

 Slowly add the eggs into the pan.

 Don't stir.

 The butter and cream will move in around the eggs all by itself.

 Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

 Cook under the broiler for 5-10 minutes or until egg whites are cooked. Cook longer if you wish the yolks to be cooked as well.

 Remove from oven.

 Gently lift two yolks out for each person, the whites will come with the yolks. Alternatively you can cook two eggs in individual dishes (such as ramekins). I like the presentation better in individual dishes.

Enjoy!

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