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Happy New Year!

At the end of December, we put our planner away and the to-do lists aside and just focused on enjoying time with family and friends. The past 2 weeks have been wonderful; we had a chance to reconnect and recharge. However, we are ready to get back into a routine! Thank you for hanging in there while we took a short break. This next year will be full of new experiences and new recipes that we are so excited to share with you here! Before we dive back into recipes – and food allergy friendly finds – we want to talk about some kitchen basics. Food safety is a priority…
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The Best No-Bake Fudge

Cooks Country is a new magazine we decided to pick up at the grocery store last week. We liked it because it’s an oversized magazine. The images for the recipes are huge and lets be honest, the photos are the best part! We found an amazing fudge recipe and made it not once, but twice! WE plan to make it one more time since it’s so easy and extremely tasty. [wpvideo J8kKE2EY] Ingredients 3 cups packed brown sugar 12 tbsp unsalte butter, cut into 12 pieces 2/3 cup evaporated milk 1/2 tsp salt 12oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped (we used Artisan Kettle bars, and you dont even need to chop, they…
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Christmas Chili

It’s that time of year where we want and need a good meal, but our schedules are over flowing with activities and a good meal is hard to come by.  However, this recipe is basic and you can find it on the back of your McCormick White Chicken Chili season packet. We named it Christmas Chili because of the red and green bell pepper that we added. This meal is ready in under 20 minutes. Get ready! Ingredients 1 large frying pan with high sides 1 pound of organic chicken, cubed 1 tbsp oil salt and pepper for chicken on both sides 1 red bell pepper, diced 1 green bell…
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Sheet Pan Steak Fajitas

Who likes easy dinner clean up?! *Raises Hand* Perfect recipe for weeknight cooking! Especially if you have tiny steak lovers! However, I would HIGHLY recommend grilling the flank steak over putting it under the broiler. The broiler worked fine, if you cook it 1-2 minutes on each side. However, it can easily become chewy and tough in a matter of no time. Flank steak is not cheap. For a little over one pound, we paid almost $12.00. This steak is delish, but you need to be careful in how you cook it. This recipe was good – and the kids did eat all of their food. But watch that steak!…
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Berry Good Chocolate Cake

The LAST issue of Cooking Light Magazine has this lovely cake recipe as it’s cover + feature for December. I’m so sad to see this magazine come to a close. This has been a staple in our home for many years. However, like with many things that have happened this year, when one door closes, another one opens. I’m excited to see Cooking Light Magazine’s sister, Eating Well Magazine. Eating Well will continue to have some of the features of Cooking Light Magazine. Cooking Light will continue as an online pub, much like the rest of the industry. Bitter Sweet. As a jornalism major in college, print was my all-time…
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Pumpkin Mousse

A few years ago I made a pumpkin mousse instead of a pie for Thanksgiving, and it was wonderful. Since many of us don’t really care for pie crust, I decided to bring out this old recipe once again. It’s been a while, and if you follow my Instagram, you saw that I royally messed up this super simple recipe! Ended up fixing it and it turned out fine. Here is how to make it. Ingredients 1 (15oz) pumpkin 3 cups heavy cream 3/4 cup super fine sugar 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice 1 tbsp vanilla extract Ginger snap cookies for garnish, or graham crackers Whipped cream or vanilla ice…
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Haricots Verts Casserole

Just a little twist on the classic green bean casserole – a staple at Thanksgiving tables tomorrow. Ingredients 11 x 7 baking dish + non stick spray 12oz haricots verts 2 tbsp canola oil 3 cups sliced mushrooms 1/2 cup chopped onion / shallot 1 tbsp flour 1 cup unsalted chicken stock / vegetable stock 2 tbsp heavy cream salt and pepper 3 tbsp parmesian reggiano, grated 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs Directions Trim and blanch the haricots verts and place in the baking pan. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium hi heat Add the 3 cups of mushrooms and the onion or shallots. Cook until…
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Pumpkin Spice Latte Bread

If you’re really looking to spice it up this Thanksgiving, this bread is the answer. We love breads because they travel well – no worrying if your pie plate is safe in the trunk, or on so-and-so’s lap, or if your crust is done perfect and not gooey in the middle. Lets be honest, we don’t even like the crust! So really, just make something that is super flavorful for Thanksgiving dessert. A homemade bread pulls double duty, too. It’s flexible. Well, I guess pie is too. But bread can be served with coffee or milk any time of day. You can warm it, or eat it ala mode, or…
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White Chicken Chili

Baby it’s cold outside! We were not ready for the 18* Wisconsin weather this morning. Well, let me re-phrase that. I was not ready for this bitter cold. My kids on the other hand, all they can think about is, “MOM IS IT GOING TO SNOW? WE LOVE SNOW!” This chicken chili recipe will warm you up in no time. And if it happens to snow, you’ll be prepared for 3 nights of dinner, easy. That means you can snow blow your driveway and not worry about your tummy. This recipe makes a lot. So with that, we have thought of how we might recycle the leftovers. Chicken Chili over…
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Slow Cooker Chili

Chili is one of the best winter comfort foods – and it’s super easy to make and very flavorful. We also love how verstaile chili is, and if you have some nice tupperware, it’s very freezer friedly. So go ahead and make a double batch. For those busy winter nights after school, you’ll thank yourself for an easy meal. My kids are spice sensitive. Many kiddos don’t like spicy foods, so this recipe is amazingly family friendly. It’s a very flavorful recipe without a ton of heat. If you want extra heat, you can always add more seasoning to your individual portion. Or cool it down with some sour cream.…
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Cranberry Oat Breakfast Bars

Recently I attended a yoga retreat with my friend Misty who brought these amazing bars along as a snack.  Misty is an incredible woman who helps at our school a LOT (she’s my work wife, we joke), so I knew her treats would be as amazing. And they were! The Cranberry Oat Breakfast Bars are the perfect treat – not too sweet and super healthy. And since Craisins (dried cranberries) are a safe, PN/TN free food, I thought this would be a perfect recipe to add to our mix of healthy snacking. Also, kids approved today when we made this recipe for breakfast – crumbles well over yogurt if you’re…
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Whole Wheat Banana Oat Muffins

We are having a beautiful fall; however, it is almost winter in Wisconsin. The days are darker, colder and comfort food is on our minds. This week we decided to make some healthy-ish breakfast muffins (always comforting) since we have a lot of activities. If the kids want to sleep in a little, these muffins allow them to eat in the car on the way to school + activities. And since I made them, I feel OK with that! Prep time is about 10 minutes, then they bake for 18. If you want to get it all done in 1 batch, have two cupcake pans sprayed or lined and your…
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10 Minute Baked Potato

What?! Did you even know this was such a thing? We were in a hurry the other day, yet we were all craving a good, hearty meal. We had potatoes, steak, mushrooms and a bunch of herbs and shallots in the fridge. With less that 20 minutes to get dinner on the table, we googled this potato recipe, and now it’s a game change for us. All you need is a baked potato or 4. Rinse well, poke with a fork all over. Pop into your microwave for 5 minutes. Check on it, flip it, put it back in for 5 more minutes. I’ve made potatoes this way 2 times…
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Halloween Party Menu

Halloween is one of our favorite holidays to celebrate – it can also be one of the trickiest when you have to think about food allergies. This is one of the reasons why we always host a party, we are in control of the menu. This year I have the pleasure of hosting with a good friend of mine, and let me tell you, it’s so much easier having a buddy to plan and prep with! Here is what we have decided on for food: Appetizers Taco Dip Veggie Tray Fruit Tray Cheese + Triscuits Mains Macaroni & Cheese Bar Bacon Sausage Chives Salsa Avocado Parmesan Curls Crock pot meats…
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