English Muffin Pizzas – Simple Toddler Meals

English Muffin Pizzas

Lunch time always proves to be a challenge when it comes to figuring out what to make. The kids either don’t want what your making, you’ve already served it 3 days out of the past 5, or it just doesn’t sound appealing.

So I created a cheat sheet of sorts. For lunches. You know, to take the guessing game out of the picture AND always have ingredients on hand for meals my kids will actually eat.

You can find all of my quick, easy toddler lunches here  but I thought I’d share an all-time favorite in our home, English Muffin Pizzas! And the best part is these take less than 10 minutes to make from start to finish (unless the kids are helping…).

Remember, the toppings listed below are just suggestions. There are countless other combos that would make this pizza just as tasty. These would probably make some tasty appetizers too if you’re looking for a quick fix.

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English Muffin Pizzas

Preheat your toaster oven to 425 (or use your large oven if making many). Line a toaster oven safe tray or cookie sheet (for oven use) with foil.

Grab an english muffin and cut it in half. Add all of the ingredients into small, separate bowls in an assembly line. Move a stool over and let your child hop up to counter height, or assemble on the kitchen table.

Have your child spread about a spoonful of sauce onto each muffin half. Then have them take a small amount of each topping and add it to the sauce. Let them top each pizza with a pinch of cheese (careful not to over do it).

Before placing the pizzas in the oven, let your child sprinkle the top of each pizza with a little bit of Italian seasoning. Put pizzas on prepped tray and bake in the oven for 5-7 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and golden. Let cool for a minute or so then serve and enjoy!

Chocolate Ricotta Stuffed Strawberries

Chocolate Ricotta Stuffed Strawberries

Love is in the air and Valentine’s Day is just a few days away. For those of you who, like me, are watching their girlish figures this dessert recipe is for you! These chocolate ricotta stuffed strawberries are not only delicious, they’re filling too! They’ll satisfy even the biggest sweet tooth.

The strawberries at my local Costco looked absolutely amazing this week. So I knew I was either going to dip a few in chocolate or come up with something creative. This was the creative option. And it took all of 10 minutes to prep and make.

Make a few for you and your significant other or a whole platter for a party! Everyone will be glad you did.

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Spinach Chicken Feta Meatballs with Classico Tomatoes in Pitas with Tzatziki Sauce

Spinach Chicken Feta Meatballs with Classico Tomatoes

This past weekend as we celebrated the big game with friends and family I included these spinach chicken feta meatballs with Classico tomatoes in my food spread.

to make them even tastier, I also served a few in mini pitas with homemade tzatziki sauce. Oh.my.yum! Green goodness at its best.

Paired with a classic Greek salad and homeade greek dressing, the party was a success. And no one missed the fatty dips and deep fried appetizers.

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Healthy Dip Alternative: Homemade Tzatziki Dip Recipe

Homemade Tzatziki Dip Recipe

It’s no secret that I absolutely love appetizers! When I host friends and family over I want to feed them. This homemade tzatziki dip recipe is not only delicious, it’s the perfect alternative to higher calorie dips and tastes great on everything.

In planning my food spread for the big game this past weekend, the one thing I wanted to focus on was healthy alternatives that are delicious too.

I used this tzatziki dip drizzled over my mini chicken, feta, tomato meatball pitas for a delicious and savory appetizer as well as a dip for our veggie tray.

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Classic Chicken Noodle Soup

Classic Chicken Noodle Soup

Cold and flu season is in full swing around here and it seems as though everyone I know has a runny nose and a cough. So before the plague hits our house I decided to make a batch of classic chicken noodle soup for dinner.

Not only can we enjoy the deliciousness of it now, but I’ve frozen half for later… just in case. And if we have any issues with congestion I’ll just add a pinch of red pepper flakes when I heat it back up on the stove. Problem solved!

This chicken noodle soup is not only delicious, but very easy to make. I didn’t even thaw the chicken tenders I used or chop them up. Nope. I just let the boiling soup do all the work.

If you’re looking for a comfort-filled meal that tastes great with a sandwich or a big green salad then this is the soup for you.

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No Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars with Brownie Crust

No bake peanut butter cheesecake bars with brownie crust

So you remember the cinnamon brownies I posted about yesterday? Well… I just couldn’t wait to share with you what I made with them! Because who doesn’t love peanut butter and chocolate and cheesecake together?! Ok… maybe quite a few people. But if you DO love this combo then you have to try these!!

While these do require two steps AND waiting for the cheesecake topping to set in the fridge a few hours they are totally worth it. You could even bake the brownies the night before, then mix up the cheesecake in the morning, put them in the fridge and enjoy them for dessert that night.

Don’t like peanut butter? Just skip it for a classic cheesecake or add some berries for an equally tasty treat. I originally was going to cut out cute strawberry hearts and put them on top (sans peanut butter) but the peanut butter was calling out to me. I’m so bad!

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Cinnamon Brownies

Cinnamon Brownies

One thing I absolutely love about making brownies from scratch is the amount of variation you can do and still have something turn out amazing! I’ve been on a cinnamon kick lately. With the delicious taste of it in my morning latte I wanted something I could enjoy in the  afternoons as well.

My absolute FAVORITE brownie recipe comes from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking from My Home to Yours. Her classic brownie recipe is simply amazing. Ooey, gooey, thick and chocolatey. It’s perfect. So I’ve always used her approach to brownies when I make mine.

Cinnamon Brownies

If you love brownies you’re going to love this cinnamon brownies recipe. I’ve made them in a bigger pan for a more narrow brownie because I’ll be using some of them as the crust to my no-bake peanut butter cheesecake. If you want a thicker, more traditional brownie feel free to use an 8×8 pan.

And the cheesecake I’m making? Just wait! They’re going to be an out of this world dessert for Valentines Day you won’t want to miss. But you’re going to have to wait until next week for that recipe!

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Turkey and Zucchini Lasagna

Turkey and Zucchini Lasagna Turkey and Zucchini Lasagna

One of my favorite dishes to make is lasagna. But because it’s loaded with delicious calories and carbs I tend to make it only 2-3 times a year. But with a few changes I’ve made my favorite dish slightly more forgiving on the calories. This turkey and zucchini lasagna is flavorful, easy to prepare, and worth every extra point I used on it!

My original plan was to use the zucchini as noodles but I didn’t find enough good looking zucchini to do that so that plan will have to wait. And if you try this with my bolognese sauce (recipe to come) I just know you’ll fall in love with this dish.

I think the best part of a lasagna is the re-heating factor. We made enough to serve 6 so we had lunch for the rest of the week! It tasted fabulous heated back up in the oven or the microwave.

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How to Make the Perfect Latte At Home with Vanilla Cinnamon Simple Syrup

Making the Perfect Latte

How to Make the Perfect Latte at Home

I don’t know if I’ve said it enough but I absolutely adore coffee. I love it so much that I have a cup of it every day. But sometimes… just sometimes… I have a delicious latte instead. And I’m going to teach you how to make the perfect latte at home just like I do.

Now the delicious beverage you see above is, in fact, made from my Tassimo home brewing system. BUT you CAN make this same delicious latte at home without a single-cup brewing system if you don’t have one.

And this latte above has one thing my Tassimo doesn’t – a delicious vanilla cinnamon simple syrup that you can use in lattes, coffee, and anything else that needs to be sweetened.

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5 Crowd Pleasing Super Bowl Party Recipes #SB47

Super Bowl Party Recipes

With the big day getting closer we’re starting to prepare our Super Bowl Party menu including a few favorites from game days past. Below you’ll find a variety of super bowl party recipes that are proven crowd pleasers!

From appetizers, to crock pot meals, to main courses, we have just about everything you need to host the perfect super bowl party. So invite the friends over, pull out your football field table runner and football coasters and serve up some delicious dishes.

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