Zucchini pizza bites

Want to know how to get your kid to eat a whole zucchini?! Make these! :)  I found this recipe on one of my very favorite websites Skinnytaste.com . 

It literally takes less than 30 minutes to make!

Here's what you will need:

Zucchini - 1/4 inch thick slices
Mozzarella
Pizza sauce
Garlic salt
Cooking spray

I did not put measurements to this because it's going to vary in how many zucchinis you cut up! I used 2 medium sized zucchini for myself and Caden and had a few slices left over for his lunch tomorrow! 

Slice up your zucchini.  If you dont have very large ones just cut them at an angle to get larger circles.  But the tiny circles are perfect for toddler bites!

Turn your oven on to broil

Spray your baking sheet with the cooking spray and lay your zucchini in a single layer on the sheet. Spray the slices as well.

Season your zucchini with whatever you want.  I used garlic salt! 

Broil the zucchini for about 3 minutes on each side, or until it's cooked the way you like it.  You dont want it too soft or it wont be very easy to eat with the sauce and cheese. 

Spoon the pizza sauce onto the slices and sprinkle the mozzarella on top

Broil for another couple minutes to get the cheese melted.  Keep an eye on it here because on broil the cheese could easily burn fast!

And Voila!  A yummy quick, healthy meal!  This seems more suited for lunch, but I made it for dinner today.  Next time I will probably include a side salad or some other veggie as a side to go with it.  Super easy, quick, and perfect if you just have no idea what to do with those extra zucchini! 

Perfect bacon

We love bacon.  But sometimes I hesitate to cook it because it’s so messy and greasy.  I refuse to cook it in a pan because I always get splattered with hot grease and so does my whole stove top.  And the microwave can take forever since only a few strips fit on the tray at a time.  And because of the constant rotation in and out of the microwave, the rest of breakfast is finished and I’m still cooking bacon in the microwave while we’re eating.  

But I have discovered the oven is a fantastic and easy way to get the bacon cooked just right and leaves you time to fix the rest of breakfast! I’ve seen a few different ways suggested online but I want to share with you what has worked for me. 

I use regular bacon.  I’ve tried turkey bacon this way and to be honest I just prefer regular bacon to turkey. 

Heat your oven to 400.

Line your baking pan with foil to catch the grease and for easy cleanup!

Place a cooking rack on the pan, spray it with cooking spray and lay bacon across it like so:

I used a roasting pan and rack because I don’t have a regular cooking rack and this size allowed me to cook the whole package at once!  the rack gives the bacon that perfectly curled look too.

Bake the bacon for about 30 – 40 minutes.  Cooking time really depends on your oven, and the thickness of the bacon.  So just keep your eye on it as your cooking the rest of your meal and take it out when it looks like the way you prefer your bacon.  I like mine very crispy so it took closer to 40 minutes.

Voila! And there was no crazy greasy mess, no constant attention at the microwave while juggling a toddler, and the rest of the meal prep. 

I realize 40 minutes isn’t exactly “quick” but for me, when I am going to cook bacon for breakfast it’s usually because I have time to make a big breakfast.  Just start the bacon first, and as you’re cooking everything else, it all is hot and ready at the same time. 

Enjoy!

Jessi

Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs recipe!

Today was unexpectedly fun   After a few days of Caden having a fever and being stuck in the house, he was able to go to school today! And a perfect day to go because Cat in the Hat paid a visit! 
I told him last night Cat in the Hat would be at school today and it was the first thing he said when he woke up.  “I see cat in da hat?” hehe. I left my camera for his teachers to take pictures of the visit and they got some cute shots.

 

One of the moms brought in a cute jello snack with red fish inside! Caden hasn’t been a fan of jello so far but I thought he might like it seeing the other kids eat it too….. obviously not the case

  

He had so much fun!  After picking him up I realized I had no plan for dinner so I decided to stop at Publix and grab some bacon and spinach to make some green eggs and “ham”! We aren’t huge fans of actual ham but we looove some bacon!

Doesn’t this look yummy?

Caden thought so  

Here’s what you need:

• 6 eggs
• Tablespoon of milk
• 1 cup of fresh spinach stems removed
• 1/2 a small onion chopped. (I used a 1/2 but thought I should have used 1/4 instead)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Butter to grease the pan
• Blender (I used my magic bullet)

Mix all ingredients except the butter in the blender.  I used my magic bullet because it’s so handy and easy to clean up!

*Note: If you are also using the Magic Bullet, remember to put the spinach in first so it can compact down and you’re not shoving it into the egg!

Yes it all fits! Blend it up and heat your butter up in the pan. Scramble the egg mixture and voila! Green healthy eggs  

And yes they are very delicious! This amount could easily feed a family of four.  I made a lot so we can eat it for breakfast tomorrow too. And probably the next day since Caden only eats toddler portions!

Hooray for green eggs! To make dinner even more fun I read him the book Green Eggs and Ham while we ate.  I think reading to him at meal times will be a new tradition because he absolutely loved it!  Otherwise there’s not a ton of conversation with just a toddler at the table  

Hope yall had a great day too!

Linking up:

Peanut Butter Banana muffins

I'm absolutely itching to blog about Caden's play nook but I have a few things I still want to do in there before I'll feel finished.  But just know its SO FUN!!!!  So instead I decided I should share this delicious recipe from my Deceptively Delicious cookbook!  

I made the Peanut Butter Banana muffins this evening to have for the week for breakfasts (this is what happens when I'm not watching tv!) And they smelled so amazing I just had to try one tonight. And they are so yummy! The deceptive part is that they contain pureed carrot!

Ingredients:

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar (light or dark)
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/2 cup carrot or cauliflower puree. (I used carrot this time)
1/2 cup banana puree (I've found that one banana pureed is equal to 1/2 cup)
1 large egg white
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Get cooking!:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray or line with baking cups

2. in a large mixing bowl, mix 1/2 cup of the brown sugar with the peanut butter, vegetable & banana purees and the egg white.

3. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a seperate bowl.  Then add to the bowl with the peanut butter mixture and stir just to combine. (the batter will be a little lumpy-do not overmix)
Add the remaining 1/2 cup of the brown sugar and stir once or twice. (adding the second half of the brown sugar at the end and not mixing it too much creates a fabulous crunchy top to the muffins)

4. Divide the batter among the muffin cups and bake until the muffins are lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center, 15-20 minutes. (my oven is gas and it took 20 minutes). 

5. store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or wrap individually and freeze for up to a month. 


Peanut butter banana muffins


Try it, You'll like it! A little Yo-Gabba Gabba for you there :) I'm excited to eat some tomorrow. What a  yummy start to the day :)

Home made fruit snacks made out of Zucchini!

These fruit snacks are awesome!!!  And made out of Zucchini. What?! I follow this blog called Choose to Thrive  and she is totally awesome.  I saw this blog post she did on home made fruit snacks and I just had to try it!  I'm soooo glad I did. 

All you need is:

* 2 packs of unsweetened drink mix ( I used Kool-aid like she did )
* 1.5 cups of sugar - Yes I know it's sugar but it's way better than all the junk in regular fruit snacks.  I'll take sugar over all that any day.
 * 4 cups of zucchini pieces. (about 4 zucchini)

I'm not going to go through all the steps because you can just read it on her blog.  But I used the dehydrator instead of the oven.  On her blog she says to leave them in the dehydrator for about a day.  But mine only took about 7 hours.   So here's some pictures!

Caden loves them! I put them on the table and he said "oooohhh" haha it was so cute.

I have to keep myself from eating them all! they're so good!

And you can make all kinds of different flavors.  I did fruit punch.  I'll try grape next I think.  Now go try it for yourself and let me know how you like it! 

Grilled cheese you can feel good about!

Hello hello!  I promised to blog some more about the deceptively delicious recipes so today I wanted to share the recipe for a Grilled Cheese sandwhich!  I know lots of kids totally live on grilled cheese ( and mac and cheese but I'll share that recipe soon ) so this is a fabulous way to make them their fav and know that they are still getting some veggies!  I have a few tips of my own that I'll share in a sec but here is what the cookbook says:


Prep time: 5 Mins. Serves 2

* 1/2 cup of shredded reduce-fat cheddar cheese
* 1/2 cup sweet potato or butternut squash puree

* 1 tablespoon trans-fat-free soft margarine spread

* 1/4 teaspoon salt ( I don't do the salt it tastes just fine without )

* 4 slices of whole-wheat bread

* Nonstick cooking spray

* 1 teaspoon olive oil

1. In a medium bowl, mix the cheese vegetable puree, margarine & salt. Spread on two slices of bread w/the cheese mixture & top with the other two slices.

2. Coat a large nonstick skillet w/cooking spray & set it over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, add the oil if you desire. Put the sandwiches in the pan & spray the top with cooking spray. Cook 4 -5 mins. per side, or until bread is crisp and the filling is melted.

This is not my picture I had to google and "borrow" one from someone because i kept forgetting to take a picture!  But do you really need one? It's a grilled cheese. It's yummy.

I have only used the butternut squash in the recipe so far and it tastes so good!  Trust me you have to try this one.  It makes two sandwhiches so Caden gets one and I get the other ;) Today I even made one for just me!  Caden had school and I was craving one! 

A few tips though, I've ALWAYS made my grilled cheese by spreading butter on BOTH sides of each slice of the bread.  The butter on the inside helps the cheese stick to the bread I think. You can most certainly use olive oil if you want in the pan but I don't see a reason to if you spray the pan with cooking spray and butter the bread.  Also I find that once you've acheived that perfect golden brown on both sides of the sandwhich that this mixture isn't completely melty and gooey.  Yes those are real words ;) So I zap it in the microwave for like 15-20 seconds and it is perfect! 

So go ahead and try it!  And please come back and let me know how you liked it.  I'm sure other friends would love to see everyone's opinions!

Deceptively Delicious!!

I was given this cookbook by my amazing sister in law Stacey for Christmas two years ago when I was pregnant with Caden :)  he never had an issue eating his veggies when I fed him baby food.  Then as he got older he started making his own choices of what he wanted to eat!  Some foods he would eat no problem, others..mostly veggies... he would stick his tongue out and make a yuck face!  I think some things it's just the texture that grosses him out.  And sometimes he loves a food and then decides he's over it and won't eat it again for a while.  Ahhh the joys of feeding your child! 

So I remembered I had this cookbook and decided to check it out and see if the recipes were any good.  And guess what?! So far they totally are!!  I'm so excited to be getting Caden to eat his veggies again and I can tell that his appetite is back up.  Amazing what the right nutrients can do for your body!  My growing boy needs as much as possible too.  Especially because he's always been on the smaller side.  Any time his appetite goes down whether it's because he's sick or just being picky I start to stress.  So I'm totally all about this cookbook. 

I'm also kicking myself now for not making my own baby food!  It is so simple to puree my own food it's ridiculous!  Of course then I was working full time but still if I would have just tried it I would have seen it wasn't as big a deal as it sounded.  Anyway I've made a few recipes from it so I'm going to go ahead and share those recipes with you!  Not all in this one post though.  I'll start with one and create new posts for other recipes as I have time!  

Applesauce Muffins: 

Topping: 

2/3 cup old-fashioned oats

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar (light or dark) 

1 tsp cinnamon

2 Tablespoons trans fat free butter melted

Batter: 

1.5 cups all purpose flour

1 cup old fashioned oats

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup skim milk

1/2 cup butternut squash or carrot puree

1/2 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar

1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil

1 large egg

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. coat your muffin tin with cooking spray or line with paper baking cups.

2. To make the topping stir together the oats, sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl.  Then stir in the butter. 

3. To make the batter, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl.  In a second bowl, mix the applesauce with the milk, vegetable puree, sugar, oil, and egg.  Add the flour mixture slowly, stirring until just moistened.  Do not overmix, the batter is supposed to be lumpy.

4. divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups and sprinle with the streusel topping.  Bake until the topping is lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean.  about 18-20 minutes. 

This recipe was so yummy and so good for you!  Caden ate it right up.  And so did we!  And you're getting a veggie with breakfast! what?!   Try it out! And let me know if you like it! 

Pumpkin Cupcakes and Cream cheese Icing!

Hello Fall! kinda ;) The past two days have been so amazing outside in the mornings and evenings that I feel Fall is finally making an appearance! No more 100 degree weather! Although it is still holding steady in the 80's this week it's a noticeable difference! Especially when it's 60 in the morning ;)

So I've been itching to bake something fall tasting. I found this recipe by just googling pumpkin cupcakes and it's SO YUM! 

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing


■2 cups all-purpose flour

■1 teaspoon baking soda

■1 teaspoon baking powder

■1 teaspoon coarse salt

■1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

■1 teaspoon ground ginger

■1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (I doubled this because I love nutmeg.)

■1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

■1 cup packed brown sugar

■1 cup granulated sugar

■1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

■4 large eggs, lightly beaten

■1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree
Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and the spices. In another bowl, whisk together the butter, brown sugar, sugar and eggs. Add dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Then whisk in pumpkin puree.

Line the cupcake pan with liners and fill each about 3/4 of the way with batter. Bake about 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely before icing.  Makes 24 delicious pumpkin cupcakes :)

I just bought some cream cheese icing at the store but I recommend making your own if you have time and the energy ;)  I wish I would have made my own because it would have tasted much better than store bought but it was still so delicious!!  Next time I plan to do the icing from scratch as well.

I know you noticed that awesome painted pumpkin in the middle there :) I'm almost done painting the other two then I'll blog about all my fall decor!  Just thought I'd throw in a sneak peak.