I love Mary's snack mix!

I've had a potty training two year old at home this last week, so I decided to make her some fun snacks! One of my FAVORITE treats is the snack mix my Great Aunt Mary makes- I can't remember ever visiting them without enjoying some of it!

For this recipe you will need: Wheat Chex, Goldfish Crackers, Pretzels, Cheetos, Cheerios, Worcestershire Sauce, Butter, Garlic Powder and Nuts if desired. I leave the nuts out to make it kid friendly.

In a very large bowl, mix 4 cups of Cheerios, 3 cups of Wheat Chex, the whole bag of goldfish, the whole bag of pretzels and 3/4 bag of Cheetos. In a heatproof bowl, mix 1 1/2 sticks of butter with 1 TBS garlic powder and 2 TBS Worcestershire Sauce and pour over the mixture tossing well to coat.

Put the mixture onto a couple of large baking sheets and bake at 250 degrees for 45 minutes- stirring every 15 minutes. Cool and store in an airtight container. I love this even more than Chex Mix!!! Don't take any shortcuts and try to microwave it instead, it makes the Cheetos stale. And beware...it's super addicting!

What I love today, I may not love tomorrow!

The other day, I was staring blankly in my cupboards and refrigerator trying to find something that sounded good for lunch. This varies greatly day to day!! On this particular day, I decided on Tuna Melts. They hit the spot that day...but haven't sounded good since! Pregnancy does such crazy things to your appetite. I keep my tuna melts pretty simple- Tuna, Cheddar, Whole Wheat Bread, Black Pepper and Tomato. Easy, Cheap and about 10 minutes from start to finish.

 Start by pre-heating the oven to 400 degrees. I throw two pieces of wheat bread right on the oven rack while it's pre-heating to toast it lightly.

Remove lightly toasted bread from the oven and split 1 can of tuna in water (drained) onto the bread.

Cover the tuna with a few thin-cut slices of tomato and grind fresh black pepper on top.

Top with very thin slices of Sharp Cheddar Cheese and bake about 7 minutes- or until cheese is melted.

Two open faced tuna melts with a Clementine totaled less than 400 calories for lunch and filled me up well! Hoping this sounds good again another day :)

I love the versatility of cake mix!

In college, I first discovered the recipe for cookies made out of cake mix on the side of the box. I've been a BIG fan ever since! I love how fast they are to make, and how easy they are to change up!

The first step is the most important...line up a good helper :)

For these cookies you will need: 1 box of your favorite cake mix, 1 stick of butter (melted), and 1 or 2 eggs...depending on the consistency you are going for. If I add in chocolate chips, I use two eggs. If I make them plain to use as sandwich cookies, I only use one egg.

In a mixing bowl, melt your butter. Add in cake mix and eggs. Stir until combined and cake mix is thoroughly moistened.

Mix in chocolate chips- this was my first time using the Hershey's Mint Chocolate Chips. They are AMAZING!

Lightly spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and scoop out dough.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Allow to cool at least five minutes before removing from the baking sheet. My favorite things about these cookies....they stay soft for as long as they last, they take less than 15 minutes start to finish and they perfectly fill 2 cookie sheets so you only have to bake 1 batch!!

I love the change of Season...it means new meal options!

Every year, when the weather cools, I get so excited to break out my favorite cool weather recipes. Last night, I decided to make Black Bean and Salsa Soup....I never get tired of this one! The best part of this recipe, the ingredients are so easy to keep in the pantry for a quick and healthy meal!

This recipe is vegetarian as written, but I use homemade chicken broth instead. You need 2 cans of Black Beans (I use the reduced sodium), 1 jar of  salsa (I like Medium and I usually use whatever is on sale), cumin and stock/broth. I also like to add onion and garlic to mine.

Since I puree the whole pot when I am done, I never chop anything. Cook one onion and a few cloves of garlic in a little of the chicken broth over medium heat.  I cook until they are tender, about 10 minutes.

Rinse and drain both cans of beans and add to the pot with the salsa and cumin. I usually double the cumin because I love cumin!

At this point, throw the mix into your blender, use a potato masher or an immersion blender to puree. I season to taste with black pepper and salt. You can add more cumin or chili powder for a little kick!

I love this topped with cheddar cheese and crushed tortilla chips. Fresh tomatoes are a great addition as well. I don't like sour cream, but the original recipe calls for sour cream and sliced green onions. Any way you top it, this is one delicious dinner! ***Bonus- it freezes beautifully***

I love a fast fix!

Ever decide you need something sweet...and you want it right now?! I've found the perfect recipe for this problem. Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies. They make a small batch and only require 3 ingredients!

1 cup of peanut butter, 1 egg, and 1 cup of sugar.

  

Throw everything into a bowl...

Mix...

Roll into balls (They don't spread, so you can put the whole batch on one cookie sheet!)

Cross the tops with a fork and throw in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, and enjoy! Could not be more simple....or delicious!

I love theme food for the holidays!

Fall is my most favorite time of year, and Halloween is my husband's favorite holiday. The last few years, I  have tried to make lots of themed food for Halloween. A family favorite- Mummy Dogs! Nothing healthy about these cute treats, but they sure are tasty!

You only need 3 ingredients for this recipe- easy! I always use the reduced fat crescent rolls.

Start by pre-heating your oven to 375 degrees. I like to use my pizza cutter for the dough- slice each triangle of crescent dough into skinny strips.

Wrap each little smokie with a strip of the dough, leaving a small space on the top for the mummy face.

Repeat process until you have used up all the dough- I usually get about 40 mini mummies. This can also be done with full sized hot-dogs, but these are super cute as a party appetizer or for kids. I did cut some of my mini dogs in half to make them kid-safe.

Bake for about 12 minutes- or until crescent dough is lightly browned. Use yellow mustard and a toothpick to apply "eyes" to each mummy.

I like mine served with a mixture of yellow and spicy mustard. Cute and tasty :)