Allergy Friendly Valentine's Treats

Did you know that Valentine’s Day is Halloween’s discreet little brother to parents of food allergic children?

Halloween has the benefit of having widespread knowledge about The Teal Pumpkin Project and the risk that the holiday can pose to food allergic kids. For some reason, Valentine’s Day gets overlooked. There is no Teal Heart Project that aims to educate and warn people passing out candy about food allergies.

So as the parent of food allergic children (peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, and a potential rice allergy), I am taking it upon myself to encourage others to educate themselves on food allergies around Valentine’s Day.

Each parent of a food allergic child knows their child’s (and their own) comfort level. Some allergies are so severe that airborne particles can create a reaction. Some people can eat products that say “may contain [allergen]” or “processed in a facility that also processes [allergen]”. The only real black and white element of food allergies is this - if the food explicitly says it contains an allergen, which it is required to do by law for the top 8 most common allergens, the allergic party shouldn’t eat it.

What are allergy friendly Valentine’s Day treats?

Everyone thinks Valentine’s day and immediately goes to candy. As a parent with young kids, I know the pains of sugar rushes and subsequent crashes so I try to limit candy. I am also not above hiding nutritious foods in fun packaging or changing things up a bit. Here are some foods that I love to give my kids to enjoy on Valentine’s Day that are safe for my allergic children:

Starburst jelly hearts

Veggie Chips Hearts

Little Bites Strawberry Muffins

Yogurt Melts

Flavored popcorn - I made regular Orville Redenbacker popcorn and sprinkled pulverized freeze dried strawberries and white chocolate on top of it in the photo above

Graham crackers with pink frosting

Marshmallows

You can also cut pretty much anything that your child loves (like cheese slices or pancakes) into the shape of a heart using a cookie cutter or free handing with a knife. It will instantly be more special and thematic.

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What candies are allergy free?

First of all, thanks for asking.

This is a loaded question. I wish I could give you a list, say thanks for caring, and send you on your merry way to Target. But that is not the case. Food processing changes all the time. Candies from the same brand (think Hershey kisses and Hershey bars) can be processed on different lines in different facilities. And those intricate differences can expose one candy to an allergen whereas another is deemed “safe”.

All allergy parents know the importance of reading labels every time. But if you are new to this or looking to keep your child’s classmates safe (again, thank you!), the safest option is to find candies that say they are free of the top 8 allergens. The top 8 are milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, crustacean shellfish, wheat and soy.

If you’re looking to really get in the weeds, some products can say they are free of the top 8 allergens, but are not produced in a dedicated facility that is free of the top 8 allergens, thus putting some allergic people are risk to exposure through cross contamination. Allergy friendly Valentine’s Day candies that are top 8 free include Amanda's Own Valentine's Day Chocolate Bar, Blow Pops, Dots Valentine Candy, Dum Dums, No Whey Chocolate Heart Truffle Box, Smarties Love Hearts, Surf Sweets Organic Fruity Hearts, and Wonka SweeTarts Hearts.

What candies is safe for nut allergies?

Again, a loaded question. I will just speak from my personal experience with my nut allergic child . He frequently enjoys Skittles, Starburst, Dum Dums, Enjoy Life Products, Swedish Fish, and Sour Patch Kids with no problem.

Each individual allergy is different in severity, so there is no blanket answer for this question. I would direct you to Spokin which publishes lists of allergy friendly Valentine’s Day candy and their exposure, facility dedications if any, etc.

Tips for handing out allergy friendly Valentine’s Day treats

Again, I cannot thank you enough for trying to be conscious of families like mine. Here are some tips when trying to find treats that the whole class can enjoy.

1. Keep everything in it’s original packaging. Resist the urge to make a Pinterest perfect care package. We will instantly throw it away if we cannot confirm it is safe for our kids.

2. Looks for products that say things like “Top 8 Free” which is often clearly labeled on the front of packaging.

3. Don’t buy things that you know have things like nuts or coconut. Even if you just buy a Milky Way over a Snickers, that is helpful!

Food Allergy Resources

If you’re looking to educate yourself more (again, THANKS!), check out these resources:

FARE

Kids with Food Allergies

American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology

Easy Marshmallow Popcorn Balls

If you’re a fan of salty and sweet, look do further than this perfect allergy friendly treat!

Popcorn is an easy go to snack for my kids, even my nut allergic child. It is such a pleasure to be able to grab a snack that I know is safe! Oftentimes, my kids get tired of the same old snacks. This easy popcorn ball recipe uses pantry staple and skips the corn syrup used in the well circulated recipes for popcorn balls on Pinterest.

How do you make popcorn balls from scratch?

Marshmallow popcorn balls are a simple and delicious snack that are easy to customize. You will find a lot of recipes that use corn syrup, but I am not interested in buying something that I will only use once. This recipe only uses pantry staples!

Here’s how to make my easy popcorn ball.

Ingredients:

Roughly 2 bags popped popcorn

10 oz marshmallows (mini melt faster, but any size works)

5 tbsp butter

3/4 tsp vanilla extract ( sub any extract you like)

1/4 tsp salt

Nonstick spray

Mix-ins

Instructions:

1. Pop all your popcorn as you chop your mix-ins into bite size pieces. Separate the mix-ins for each flavor that you intend to make (if making multiple) into separate mixing bowls.

2. Melt butter and marshmallows in a large pot - large enough to fit at least 10 cups of popcorn on top.

3. Once melted, add popcorn. Mix until completely coated. Add the popcorn slowly, you might need less popcorn than you popped. The big thing is to be sure that the popcorn is coated completely, not that you use all the popcorn that you popped.

4. Let it cool for 1-2 minutes. Then add some popcorn to each bowl of mix-ins.

5. Spray your hands with nonstick spray and start forming balls by hand. Start with the mix-ins that are unlikely to have melted, like Oreos or nuts, and finish with things like chocolate chips since those will likely get all over your hands and transfer to any popcorn balls you form next.

Depending on the size you make, this can make anywhere from 10-15 popcorn balls. These definitely taste best the day that they are made, but we ate them up to 3 days afterwards. I’ve read that you can freeze them in an airtight container for up to two weeks, but I have not tried it yet.

This recipe is very forgiving. I didn’t have mini marshmallows, so I used the jumbo ones that I had. I also eyeballed the measurements for marshmallows and butter. But, be warned that should you use too much butter, your popcorn balls might not stick together as well. The oil in the butter negates the stickiness of the mallows.

Like I mentioned, I love this allergy friendly snack - the version that I made was safe for my nut allergy son. However, if you are a big fan of nuts, that could be a fun mix-in to try! Another way to customize these marshmallow balls is for holidays. Here are some suggestions for mix-ins with notes for holiday focused customization.

Mix-ins for Marshmallow Popcorn Balls

Oreos

Chocolate chips (these will melt if you don’t allow mixture to cool)

Butterscotch chips

Chopped caramel (Fall flavor)

Graham cracks + chocolate (s’mores for Fall)

Freeze dried fruit (red, such as strawberries or raspberries, for Christmas or Valentines)

Cinnamon (Fall, Winter)

Pumpkin Spice (Thanksgiving)

Candy eyeballs (Halloween)

Peppermint extract (in place of vanilla, for Christmas)

Cookie dough chunks

Brownie chunks

Coconut

Chopped candy bars

Sprinkles

Easy Valentine Desserts

So many Valentine goodies are unsafe for people with food allergies. They often contain nuts or are produced on shared lines. This being the case, I am always on the lookout for fun treats that my food allergy child can freely consume. But, if you’re looking to spruce easy marshmallow popcorn balls up to serve as an easy Valentine’s Day dessert idea, try one of these ideas!

Add festive sprinkles

Pink, red, heart shaped, the options are endless! This is the easiest way to add some festive colors to your marshmallow popcorn balls!

Think of the traditional valentines flavors

For example, do a variety of chocolate covered strawberries. Pulverize freeze dried strawberries and mix into the popcorn ball. Then drizzle some melted chocolate on top using a Ziploc with a hole snipped in the side.

Mix up the extract

If you’re feeling refined, switch out the vanilla extract for rose extract.

Fall Dessert Shooters

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As Thanksgiving approaches, the thought of sharing food with others carries quite a new meaning. While I would love to share a piece of pie with my mom at our packed Thanksgiving table, that isn’t a reality this year. We will be trading packed tables for socially distanced corners of the patio. And that fact that I can even do that is at the top of my list of gratitude this year.

If you still want to cook or bake for others, fall desserts shooters are a great alternative. Each shooter is contained so you can grab your dessert choices (my choice is all three), and head back to your corner of the patio without touching anyone else’s food. And the flavors offer something for any palette - S’mores for chocolate lovers, pumpkin pie for the true fall enthusiasts, and caramel apple for those with the sweetest sweet tooth.

These easy fall desserts have become a go to for me because they pack a festive punch with little effort. There is more time spent assembling my fall dessert shooters vs. actually baking because all of these recipes are easy no bake desserts.

So if you’ve been looking for fall dessert ideas that keep the realities of 2020 in mind, look no further! Below are the easy recipes + ingredients lists.

And don’t forget to get the shooter glasses in advance and give them a good scrub before you load them with your tasty desserts. I ordered these dessert shooter glasses because the slanted cylinder shape made it easier to add toppings.

Pumpkin Pie Dessert Shooter

Ingredients:

Graham crackers

Butter

4 oz. cream cheese (softened)

1/4 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 tbsp brown sugar

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

4 oz. Cool Whip + extra for topping

Optional: 1 box vanilla box cake mix (and all ingredients required per label)

Directions:

1. Optional: Make boxed vanilla cake according to instructions if you want a bite size piece of cake included in your shooter.

2. Cream together cream cheese, pumpkin puree, and brown sugar using a mixer.

3. Add pumpkin pie + vanilla. Mix until combined.

4. Add powdered sugar. Mix until combined.

5. Stir in Cool Whip gently by hand to create pumpkin pie mixture.

6. Add graham crackers to a food processor and pulverized. I winged the amount, but I would start with just a few crackers.

7. Add melted butter (also winged it, but start with a few tablespoons) to graham crackers until you get a sandy texture. You want to be able to press it firm in the base of your shooter glass.

8. Begin layering - graham cracker, pumpkin pie mixture, bite sized cake, pumpkin pie mixture to fill glass to the top.

9. Top with Cool Whip.

Yields: 6 shooters

S’mores Dessert Shooter

Ingredients:

Graham crackers

Butter

1 Box Jell-O Chocolate Pudding

Cool Whip

Hershey’s and marshmallows for edible garnish

Directions:

1. Make Jell-o pudding according to box instructions.

2. Add graham crackers to a food processor and pulverized. I winged the amount, but I would start with just a few crackers.

3. Add melted butter (also winged it, but start with a few tablespoons) to graham crackers until you get a sandy texture. You want to be able to press it firm in the base of your shooter glass.

4. Begin layering - graham cracker mixture, pudding to the top of the glass then top with Cool Whip, a Hershey’s square, and a marshmallow.

Yields: 6 shooters

Caramel Apple Dessert Shooter

Ingredients:

Graham crackers

Butter

4 oz. cream cheese (softened)

1/2 can sweetened condensed milk (split into two portions below)

caramel ( amount is at your discretion, but I would start with 1/2 cup)

Cool Whip

Optional: 1 box vanilla box cake mix (and all ingredients required per label) + apples, cinnamon, butter for topping

Directions:

1. Optional: Make boxed vanilla cake according to instructions.

2. Cream together cream cheese and 2/3 of the sweetened condensed milk. Set aside.

3. Combine caramel and remaining 1/3 of sweetened condensed milk.

4. Add graham crackers to a food processor and pulverized. I winged the amount, but I would start with just a few crackers.

5. Add melted butter (also winged it, but start with a few tablespoons) to graham crackers until you get a sandy texture. You want to be able to press it firm in the base of your shooter glass.

6. Begin layering - graham cracker, cream cheese mixture, caramel mixture, bite sized cake, cream cheese mixture to fill glass to the top.

7. Top with Cool Whip.

8. Optional: Chop some apple, cook in melted butter and sprinkle some cinnamon on top. Use for garnish.

Yields: 6 shooters

This one is really sweet. If your crowd isn’t a fan of super sweet things, consider a light hand on the caramel layers. This one will also be the runniest and subsequently it will have be less likely to have straight and even layers.

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These easy fall dessert ideas are sure to please a socially distanced crowd in terms of flavor and public health! Enjoy and celebrate safely!

Easy Halloween Desserts - Character Cupcakes

We are a big desserts family. And while I would love to have the time and energy to construct a homemade Haunted cookie Mansion, that is just unrealistic for me. Instead I focus on high impact, low effort.

Halloween is probably my kids’ second favorite holiday, and that is only because they don’t get a lot of presents. I think they enjoy the actual day the most. As we approach this Halloween, I know that it won’t be the same due to COVID. So I have been wracking my brain trying to think of creative ways to have fun at home.

These cupcakes ticked all the boxes - high impact (they loved deciding which character they would eat), low effort (box cake mix and store bought icing), and a fun way to spend an afternoon during the spooky season with my littles.

Halloween baking ideas usually require a lot of supplies or are just too gross for little kids. These Halloween cupcakes are great for little ones. The best part is that I only had to buy one thing to design these cupcakes!

Here’s everything you need for these easy Halloween desserts:

Box of cake mix (I got 22-24 cupcakes from one box)

Can of icing - white or light in color

Set of candy eyes

Oreos

Pretzels

Food coloring

Toothpicks

Cupcake liners

Ziploc bags

I went basic with flavors, but you could also have fun with this! Pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting anyone? You can make simple pumpkin cupcakes using box mix and a can of pumpkin. I also love a spice cake with white frosting.

Each of these Halloween cupcakes can be mimiced easily by eye. All the details in this easy halloween baking idea were done using a Ziploc bag as a piping bag. I put the bag in a plastic cup and fold the top over the sides of the cup. Then I load the bag with my icing and seal it making sure to get all the air out of the bag. Then I snip a small hole in one of the bottom corners for the icing to come out of.

The trick is cutting the hole in a way that creates the look you want. For example, the icing on the mummy cupcake calls for wide straight lines so a larger snip done at an angle will achieve that. However, if you’re looking to add small dots like the eyes of the ghost cupcake, it is better to cut a very tiny bit off the bag to get a small dot when pressure is applied to the bag.

Here’s tips to make each one look of these cupcakes as authentic as possible

Ghost Cupcake

The ghost is made using white frosting and chocolate frosting that I happened to have on hand. You could also dye some of your white frosting a dark color.

Make a scalloped line about 3/4 of the way down the cupcake. Fill in the top 3/4 with icing. Smooth it over with a spatula or butter knife.

Use the dark frosting to create the small eyes and mouth .

Pumpkin Cupcake

I frosted this cupcake with just a spatula originally. Then I took a toothpick and dragged it up and down to create the definition.

A little twirl of green frosting for the leaves and a small pretzel for the stem are the finishing touches.

This is a baking idea for kids as the toothpick lines are a great fine motor activity. You could even have kids draw shapes or letters on the pumpkins with their toothpick.

Gravestone Cupcake

Ice the center of the cupcake with green frosting. Sprinkle crumbled Oreos on the top.

Trim the sides off one side of an Oreo to create the gravestone shape. Using a Ziploc with a small hole snipped in the corner pipe ‘RIP’ on the Oreo.

PRO TIP: If you’re serving these to people on Halloween, wait until the last minute to add the Oreo gravestone. If they sit out, they get soggy and unpleasant.

Frankenstein Cupcake

This guy is far easier than he looks. Ice the cupcake with a shade of green and smooth the frosting with a spatula.

Pipe the hair, mouth, and bolts with a darker color. The hole on the piping bag can be any size as this one can look imperfect and still be perfect.

Add candy eyes and voila.

Monster cupcakes

The impact on these Halloween monster cupcakes comes from two factors: using candy eyes in a few different sizes and using a toothpick to texturize the fur.

PRO TIP: Wait to do these cupcakes last. You can use whatever leftover colors you have as a base to make fun monster colors. I used leftover orange icing for one and the Frankenstein green mixed with some blue for the other.

Mummy Cupcake

The trick here is getting a wider more linear streak of icing from your Ziploc, which can be accomplished through snipping a wider edge in a diagonal line.

Put the eyes down first and pipe around them.

Bat Cupcake

And here is where you can use the other half of your Oreo. Pop it right on top of a cupcake iced with whatever color you want. Using the same Ziploc that was used on Frankenstein, I piped 8 legs.

Add two small dots of frosting on top of the cookie to glue the candy eyes in place.

There you have it. Seven easy Halloween desserts that your kids will love to eat and make! The only downside is that there is really no workaround for the dishes. With all the color mixing, there are bound to be a few bowls and spoons by the end. It’s worth it for the memory.

Browned Butter Banana Bread

Even before the bread baking craze of the 2020 pandemic, I was always baking banana bread. I have gone through many iterations of my favorite recipes, but I think this is my favorite for two reasons.

First, it is easy. I use one bowl and two utensils to make this recipe. Anything with that few dishes is a winner.

Second, the browned butter in this recipe adds such a warm nutty flavor with very little effort. Browning butter is my favorite way to add a warm nutty flavor to foods since we have nut allergies in our home.

There is definitely a finesse when it comes to browning the butter, but once you have the hang of it, it really couldn’t be easier.

So what is this browned butter? Essentially, it is just cooked butter. While melting butter, you continue to stir continuously until you notice that the butter has developed a rich amber color. You will also be able to smell the moment that it browns. At that moment, you remove the butter from the heat. And there you have it, easy browned butter.

I based this recipe on Kate’s recipe from The Small Things' Blog. That recipe calls for melted butter. Once while I was trying to do a million things at once, I let the butter cook a bit long and decided to let it fully brown before removing it from the heat. The end result was SO good.

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Here is my full recipe for Browned Butter Banana Bread:

Ingredients

6 tbsp butter, browned (this is an approximation, you can do as much as a full stick of butter)

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 tsp vanilla

4 tbsp milk

1 tsp baking soda

2 ripe bananas, smashed

Instructions

Spray loaf pan with nonstick spray. 

Brown butter over medium heat.  As it liquifies, stir the butter until it becomes a caramel color and starts to smell nutty.  Remove from heat and let cool. 

Whisk together sugar, brown sugar and eggs. Add flour, vanilla, milk, baking soda. Mix well. 

Mix in smashed bananas and the melted butter. Make sure that the butter isn't too warm or the egg could scramble. 

Bake at 325 for 50-55 minutes.  If the top starts to brown, make an aluminum foil tent and place it over the loaf. 

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If you’re feeling a little crazy, you can include mix-ins like old fashioned oats, chocolate chips, nuts, and so on! Enjoy!

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Easy Halloween Snack Board

Getting kids to eat dinner on Halloween is nearly impossible with all the activity happening at dinner time. Plus the kids are always too excited to sit for long. I have recently opted to have festive halloween snacks available in place of a full dinner on Halloween night.

This easy Halloween snack board presentation is of course fun, but the way that it is served (reminiscent of our weekly muffin tin dinners) tricks the kids into thinking that everything is a treat - even the fruits and veggies!

My biggest tip is avoid sacrificing foods the kids will actually eat for presentation. The goal is to get something in your kids’ stomach that isn’t candy. While sliced cheese isn’t as beautiful as baked brie (hold for drool), make sure you’re using things your kids like to eat.

Here’s what I like to include in my Halloween snack board for kids.

Deconstructed favorites

Think s’mores. Use graham crackers, chocolate in some variety, and marshmallows.

Cheese + Crackers

I mean, duh, right? Not only will my kids eat cheese until the cows come home, it is also usually in the festive Halloween color wheel.

Fruit but make it fun

The easy grab and go fruit and veggies should make an appearance on the snack board even if they will be left for mom and dad at the end of the night. To encourage the kids to grab them on their own, I like to add eyeballs or fun dips (read: ranch)

If you’re in a nut friendly house, you could slather peanut butter on celery and add eyeballs to that too. When it doubt, add some eyeballs.

DIY Elements

Don’t worry, the kids will do the grunt work here. These gingerbread house-esque Halloween cookie kits from Target are so fun! My kids will work throughout the day on their houses or tombstones. It’s a low effort festive way for little kids to celebrate and “help you in the kitchen”. If you’re obsessive (what, not me) you can also save one house to make yourself for the board.

Cookies + Candies

Required. Especially as a peanut allergy household, I make sure to have enough safe treats on hand in case they are bombarded with Reese’s cups only. Plus, I am big on offering a buy-in on any plate I serve the kids. Getting them to eat is half the battle, so if they start with a small chocolate and end with a handful of blueberries, that is a win in my book.

As far as the aesthetic of the board, I usually stick to a tradition Halloween color palette with orange, black, purple, and green. I grab any small (and washable) decor items I have (like skeleton hands and vampire teeth) and mix and match to fill the board and add some flare. I use reusable silicone cupcake liners to contain smaller items like candies or dips for the veggies.

Easiest Oreo Pie

My husband is a pie guy. I didn’t realize this until recently. Had I known earlier, the wedding would have been called off. Just kidding…but in my mind pie ain’t got nothing on the other desserts out there.

Until I made this Oreo pie. In my mind pie had to have some curdy, custardy filling and fruit. None of those words are entirely appealing to me, hence my pie dislike. But if you add chocolate to anything, I will try it. Chocolate covered loafer? Sign me up!

I will also try baking anything that is easy. Cue, Oreo Pie. This recipe has only a few steps and requires zero baking. All you need is a few kitchen staples and a box of instant pudding and you’re set!

Easiest Oreo PIe

Ingredients

Two sleeves of Oreos

1 stick Butter (you likely won’t need the whole thing)

1 Oreo cookies and cream instant pudding mix

Milk (according to the pudding mix package)

1 cup Heavy whipping cream (optional)

2 tbsp Confectioner’s sugar (optional)

(The last two ingredients are for homemade whipped cream. You could also just buy Cool Whip and call it a day.)

Instructions

1. Start melting butter.

2. Pulse your Oreos in a food processor until pulverized. If you don’t have a food processor, you can put all the Oreos into a gallon ziploc and slam it with a rolling pin.

3. Add melted butter to the Oreo crumbs while pulsing (or mixing if you don’t have a processor). Do this little by little. You don’t want your mixture to get too greasy/wet looking. You just want it moist enough that it will stick together to form a crust. The less butter you can use, the crunchier your crust will be.

4. Press the crust mixture into a pie pan with your figures to cover the bottom and edges up the pan. Grab a metal measuring cup and press the crust firmly. Let it rest in the fridge for at least an hour.

5. Mix your pudding mixture with the amount of milk that the container says. Most likely, you will have to whisk for a long time. Let that mixture sit in the fridge to firm up.

6. Once the crust has set and the pudding has thickened, you can assemble. Pour the pudding into the crust and decorate with more Oreos, Oreo crumbles, and whipped cream.

If you want try homemade whipped cream, just mix heavy whipping cream and confectioner’s sugar until medium peeks are formed.

One Step Nut-Free Pesto and 3 Ways to Eat it

Most people probably don’t realize that pesto has pine nuts in it. As a nut allergy family, we are hyper aware of this fact! However, I love pesto so I was determined to find a recipe that allowed me to welcome pesto back into our homes with open arms and hungry bellies.

I stumbled upon this Skinnytaste recipe for Pesto Chicken Bowls that uses a homemade spinach arugula based pesto. As I scrolled, I also realized that this recipe was completely nut free. The recipe below is an adaptation of this recipe that yields more and also packs more of a hidden veggie punch than the original.

I’ll also take this moment to tell you about the best kitchen appliance that you didn’t know you needed - a food processor. Holy cow, this thing is versatile. I use it to make pie crust, smash up oreos to mix in cakes, make meatballs, cut butter into flour, and on and on. (Check out Pinch of Yum’s list of uses for a food processor)

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Nut-Free Pesto

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh basil leaves

• 1/2 cup fresh Spinach

• 1 cup Arugula

• 1 clove garlic

• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

• Black Pepper, to taste

• 3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Instructions

1. Put all the ingredients (except EVOO) in the food processor. Pulse together and slowly add the olive oil while pulsing. Add EVOO until you achieve a spreadable consistency.

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Boom. It really doesn’t get easier than that, and those are the exactly the kinds of recipes that I need in my life.

Now, how do I turn this masterpiece into meals? Below are a few of my favorite pesto-centric recipes that kids are likely to try - a fancy grilled cheese, chicken, and some ‘za.

How do you like to use pesto? Leave me your recs in the comments!

The Best Buttercream Frosting That No One Making

My sweet tooth is my downfall. That, and my lack of self control. With their powers combined, I am unstoppable when it comes to dessert.

I also love baking. All kinds of baking - breads, cakes, pies, tarts, heck even box mixes! With all that in mind, you can imagine that I have needed quite a bit of frosting in my life.

I will gladly go on the record as saying that there is no buttercream like the Publix buttercream. There is a reason that they sell it in a tub at the bakery. It is perfect - silky, sweet but not too sweet, and it will hold up for decorating.

I could never figure out why my powdered sugar based buttercream frostings weren’t turning out like Publix’s version until I discovered Ermine Buttercream. Rather than having cups upon cups of powdered sugar as the base, this recipe relies on a delicate concoction of flour and milk.

When it comes to taste and silkiness this recipe comes the closest to Publix that I have ever tasted. However it does not hold up as well when it comes to intricate decorating unless you plan on leaving your cake (or whatever you’re frosting) in the fridge to firm up.

So let’s get to it!

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

• 2 cups whole milk

• 2 cups sugar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 cups unsalted butter - softened

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Recipe

1. Whisk flour, salt, and sugar together in a medium saucepan. Add milk and cook over low-medium heat whisking constantly. Scrape the bottom of the pan with the whisk to avoid buildup as the flour cooks.

2. Continue whisking constantly until you notice that the mixture is thickening. Stop whisking long enough to see if the mixture bubbles at all. You want just a few bubbles - nowhere near a full boil.

3. Once you see the bubbles and the milk mixture is closer to the consistency of pudding, remove from heat and pour it into a bowl (scraping the bottom of the saucepan fully) with a large base that allows the mixture to spread. This will decrease the amount of time that you have to wait for the mixture to fully cool.

4. Press plastic wrap directly on top of the mixture and up the sides of the bowl some to seal it. This prevents a skin from forming.

5. Wait for the mixture to cool to room temperature. Get your butter out to soften.

6. In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy - a few minutes.

7. Slowly add in the milk mixture one heaping spoonful at a time. Mixing to combine between additions.

8. Beat in vanilla. Mix on high to fully incorporate.

For best results use immediately. I keep whatever I’m icing in the fridge once I’m done and remove it an hour or two before we are ready to eat to allow the frosting to soften a bit.

If you choose to refrigerate the icing immediately, you will need to mix it on high again once you are ready to frost with it to achieve the same silkiness that it has when used fresh.

Enjoy!

Pinterest Pondering: Christmas Leftovers Recipes

All right, party people. The kids are still comatose from all the hustle and bustle that is Christmas Day, but soon their little bodies are going to come at you full speed asking, “What’s for breakfast?” And you know what? After that they’re going to want lunch and dinner too. Brats.

So if you’re as tired as I am today, I hope these few recipe ideas will help you make it through the next few meals easily. God speed.

1. Hot Ham and Cheese Croissants from Life with the Crust Cut Off

2. Crockpot Ham and Potato Casserole from eHOW

3. Cheesy Roast Beef Egg Roll Bites from Kleinworth & Co.

4. Christmas Leftover Pasta Bake from Hungry Happy Healthy

Spiced Apple Butter Donuts with Maple Glaze

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When I was young, my family always visited The Apple Barn Cider Mill and General Store in Sevierville, TN. We even have a great family story about how I ran straight into a pole while walking into the store. It’s a hoot.

Anyway, that is when my love for apple butter began. Ever since, I have loved having toast with peanut butter and a little apple butter on top. When we found out that my oldest has a peanut allergy, I had to come up with some creative ways to use my apple butter.

So what can I make with a bunch of apples?

I give you Spice Apple Butter Donuts with an optional maple glaze. They go great together or apart. It’s a pick your own ending story! And if you don’t have apple butter, skip to the bottom to check out how to make your own apple butter in the crockpot.

Spice Apple Butter Donuts

Yields: 8 donuts

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. cloves

1/4 tsp. salt

1 egg

1/3 cup tightly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

2 tbsp. butter, melted

1/2 cup apple butter

Maple Glaze

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 cup powdered sugar.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray donut pans with cooking spray.

2. Melt butter in a pan and allow to cool.

3. In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.

4. In another bowl, whisk egg, apple butter, milk, vanilla, and melted butter. Be sure that the butter is cool - you don’t want it scrambling the egg. Once combined, whisk in the brown sugar.

5. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until combined.

6. Bake for 10-12 minutes. When a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, they are baked. Remove from pan after 5 minutes.

7. While they are cooling a bit, make the glaze by melting butter and maple syrup in a pan. Vigorously, whisk in powdered sugar. Dip donuts into glaze and allow to set. Enjoy warm if you can!

They’re good for two days in an air tight container or up to two months in the freezer.

How to make apple butter

Don’t have apple butter? It’s easy to make! Check out this apple butter recipe from Pillsbury. All you need is apples, cinnamon, salt, and brown sugar.

Hearty Crockpot Chili

Let’s all just take a moment and give an air high five (Jim + Pam style for you Office fans) to the inventor of the crockpot.

I make at least one meal a week in my crockpot that usually covers dinner for two nights and lunch for at least one. This recipe could feed a small army, so keep that in mind. 1/2 it if you’re unsure. I had a standard size crock pot and it is filled to the brim.

This week, I’m working on some warm, hearty, meaty (terrible word) crockpot chili with my sous chef. Damn, he is good at stirring.

This is a great recipe to keep in the back of your mind and stock up when you see that some of the canned ingredients are BOGO.

Hearty Crockpot Chili

Yields: A literal ton

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground meat ( I often mix use turkey or turkey mixed with some beef)

1 white onion

4 - 8 oz. cans tomato sauce

1 can diced Mexican tomatoes

1 can diced tomatoes

4 cans of beans, drained (I usually go with a combo of pinto and spicy chili beans)

2 envelopes chili seasoning

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon chili powder

shredded cheese for topping

chives for topping

sour cream ( I also use Greek yogurt) for topping

Recipe

Brown the meat. Dump everything in the crockpot. Set on low for 8 hours. Put toppings on. Eat. Boom.

Depending on how liquidy you prefer your chili, you can drain the cans of diced tomatoes.

Easy Oreo Filled Halloween Cookies

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While most millennials are welcoming fall because they can finally have their God-forsaken Pumpkin Spice Lattes, I’ve over here excited to carve pumpkins and trick or treat!

I love Halloween. It is my favorite gift-free holiday. I love coming up with costume ideas, watching Halloween movies, and baking spooky treats with my sous chef. Baking Halloween treats is the perfect way to eat up an afternoon, especially when the day feels like it is just dragging on until bedtime.

Brooks is at the perfect age to help. We count A LOT and practice pouring. Plus, he always gets to taste test so he’s a happy camper. I don’t think he would ever say no to any Halloween treat that includes chocolate. Kid after my own heart.

I came across Halloween Oreos at Target the other day which I scooped up instantly. I also grabbed some Halloween sprinkles to complete these Halloween treats for kids.

When baking with little people, a little prep and keeping things simple is essential. To make this easy Halloween treat, I kept things mostly pre-made with the exception of the cookie dough. I made the original Nestle Tollhouse cookie recipe sans chocolate chips. You can’t go wrong with it. But store bought cookie dough should work just as well!

Before I get into the how-to, let me start with a disclaimer. These bad boys did not come out of the oven looking great. However, I baked them perfectly so that the surrounding cookie could easily be trimmed to leave nice round cookies. And plenty of scraps for mom and dad.

2020 NOTE: I adjusted the fat:flour ratio to try to avoid spreading. The recipe below reflects this.

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl.

Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until fully incorporated after each addition.

Gradually beat in flour mixture.

Stir in sprinkles. We divided the batter in half and did two different kinds of sprinkles that the sous chef painstakingly selected.

Drop dough by tablespoon onto baking sheets. (I used silicone liners. Try an ungreased sheet if you don’t have the liners.) Put an Oreo in the center of the dough drop and push down gently. Drop about 1/2 tablespoon of batter on the Oreo. Use your fingers to completely cover the Oreo with the batter.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown on the edges and chewy in the center. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; trim any excess. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. 

Yields:

Roughly 12-15 covered Oreos with a little left to eat raw. I know it’s not good for your body, but its good for the soul!

3 Easy Dinners for the Whole Family

Now that Vance (8 months) is venturing out into table foods, I have to think about how I can translate one meal into something that a toddler will try, a baby will be able to gum, and that will pair nicely with a beer once the littles are asleep.  

Below are 3 meals that I always have on repeat because they are so versatile. The ingredients can easily be amended based on dietary restrictions or the toddler protest of the week.  Most of these ideas have a decent amount of ingredients, but whenever possible (and still remotely healthy) I will buy canned or frozen items to cut prep time down. 

Usually the kids versions are much faster to prep since toddlers seem to go from content to I'M STARVING AND I'M GOING TO DIE in 3 seconds.  

Tacos 

Ingredients: 

Protein - Chicken, fish, ground turkey whatever is on sale or what your toddler is into (let's be honest, they run the show)

Taco Seasoning - Since this is a weekly item, we buy the huge one at Costco.  Saves a few bucks.  Or make your own.  Here is a simple recipe using spices that you likely already have. 

Shell

Tomatoes

Black Beans

Corn 

Avocado or guacamole

Greek Yogurt (in place of sour cream - I swear it tastes identical)

Shredded lettuce 

Onions 

Shredded cheese

Tostitos or Blue Chips

Mexican Rice - I love the Magnolia Cookbook recipe 

I assume we all know how to make tacos, so I'm not going to belittle you by explaining that. You do you - just don't add cilantro, that's gross. 

How to for Toddler:  Deconstruct everything.  Right now, nothing on my toddler's plate can touch another item except for greek yogurt.  His plate usually has tortilla shells, protein, corn, chopped avocado, and blue chips with greek yogurt.  

How to for Baby: Get that paring knife out! We do the black beans for the protein, cheese for the fun, and avocado so that we make a huge mess. Chop everything into teeny pieces.  

Variations for the rest of the week: Nachos! Chips become the base and throw everything on top! 

Helpful tools: Taco stand  - Make those tacos Instagrammable!

Flatbreads

That donut was from an adventure in "offering dessert with the meal to deglamorize it".  It went so-so.

My husband and I usually opt for this Chipotle Chicken variety with a few adaptations, and we keep it simple for the kiddos.  Again, mixing and touching ingredients is not flying in our house. 

Ingredients:

Naan 

Chicken 

Olive Oil

Mild cheddar cheese

Red Peppers

Mayo

Taco Seasoning

Greek Yogurt 

Avocado

Bacon - cooked until super crunchy (is there any other way)

Marinara Sauce (kids version only)

How to for Adults: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Season chicken with salt and pepper, and cook in olive oil until thoroughly cooked.  Top Naan with shredded cheese, diced red peppers, and bacon pieces.  Pop that in the oven for 5-8 minutes just to melt the cheese and warm everything.  While that cooks, combine equal amounts of greek yogurt and rmayo with a few tablespoons of taco seasoning (to taste) for a simple chipotle-esque dressing.  Throw that concoction in a ziploc bag.  Seal with no air inside and snip a corner.  Drizzle the dressing on the warm flatbread, add the chopped avocado, and enjoy! 

How to for Toddler: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spoon marinara sauce on to Naan.  Sprinkle cheese on top.  (If your toddler enjoys any particular veggies, add those now.) Pop in the oven until warm and the cheese melts.  Serve with some of the chicken from the adult version or some fruits and veggies. 

How to for Baby: Shred the chicken to baby size and serve with pieces of avocado and some greek yogurt for protein. 

Breakfast

Remember how we all thought breakfast for dinner was such a treat as a kid? The reason parents opt for this is because it is easy and usually doesn't result in tears.  Childhood memories ruined! 

Ingredients: 

Bisquick - yeah I'm THAT mom (if you're egg free, have some applesauce on hand to replace the eggs)

Sausage or Bacon (whatever is on sale) I like the kind that you microwave, its easy and tastes the same. 

Berries - always a winner in our house

Mrs. Buttersworth - any other syrup is wrong 

Eggs (we're an almost exclusively egg free house due to allergies, but I think this would be a great addition to other households!) 

How to for Adults and Toddler: Double whammy here! Prep pancakes or waffles according to the directions on the box.  Ditto with the sausage and bacon.  I am not opposed to using the griddle for the bacon then cooking the pancakes on that same griddle.  Honestly, I don't really even remember how to do anything to eggs other than scramble so this one is user's choice! 

How to for Baby: Scramble eggs.  If your babe is a good enough eater chop up some pancake or waffles and serve with diced berries.  (Both eggs and berries are top allergens so make sure that you slowly test to ensure your child is not allergic.) 

And if all that fails, its ice cream for dinner, and we'll try again tomorrow! 

Hidden Veggie Monster Muffins

Sometimes getting my toddler to eat anything that isn't an Oreo feels like an Olympic sport.  

I try to provide balanced options, teach him new foods, and have fun but more often than not that strategy blows up in my face.  There are tears; then he's back to requesting Toy Story for dinner.  

Once this behavior became a trend rather than a rare occurrence, I decided that hiding veggies into foods that he liked was the only option.  Baking seemed like the safest place to start, so without further ado I give you Monster Muffins!

These shockingly tasty (and predictably unappealing looking) muffins include spinach, carrots, bananas, and blueberries with only optional added sugar.  And you can do most of the hard work in a food processor or blender so it is easy clean up too! 

Monster Muffins

Yields: 12 muffins

Ingredients: 

2 cups All Purpose Flour

1 teaspoon baking soda 

2 teaspoons baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/4 cup old fashioned oats

1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional) 

1/4 cup butter (melted and cooled) 

1/3 cup milk 

6 oz. spinach 

1/4 cup honey 

1/4 cup applesauce ( I use one squeeze pouch that is apple cinnamon flavored and omit the cinnamon)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1 tablespoon brown sugar (optional) 

1 banana (ripened) 

1 handful of baby carrots (5-6)

1/2 cup blueberries (frozen or fresh, chopped into small pieces so you don't have large chunks) 

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Line a muffin tin with liners.  (Silicone are recommended) 

2. Melt the butter and leave to cool. 

3.  Combine the dry ingredients - All Purpose Flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon (optional)- in a large bowl.  Whisk together. 

4. Place spinach and carrots into a blender or food processor and blend or pulse until the vegetables are pulverized.  Add the remaining wet ingredients- milk, honey, applesauce, vanilla, banana, and optional brown sugar- and the cooled melted butter to the vegetable mixture, and blend until combined. 

5.  Slowly pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients stirring to combine as you go.  Do not over stir. 

6. Fold in the blueberries. 

7.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  

Nutrition per serving : 162 calories | 28.3g Carbs | 4.3g Fat | 3g Protein

Dairy Free: Banana Oat Bread

As you can see, Brooks loves bananas.  He also loves his carbs, so banana bread is a no-brainer in our house.  I was jealous watching the rest of the family enjoy banana bread while I'm dairy free (while nursing Vance). So I mixed and matched some recipes to create this dairy-free banana oat bread recipe. This does make a very dense bread, so if you are looking for light and fluffy, this is not the right recipe for you.

Ingredients:

3 ripe bananas
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 eggs
1.5 cups loosely packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1.5 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup old fashioned oats

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mash up 3 bananas (or have your toddler do so).
3. Combine the bananas, olive oil, eggs, and brown sugar and whisk until well combined.
4. Add the flour, cinnamon, and oats to the wet mixture.  Stir until combined.
5. Bake for 50-55 minutes at 350 degrees. 

I'm always looking for ways to change up recipes since Brooks's tastes change hourly.  How did you remix this recipe to better suit your family?!