Bacon Dog Nachos

So...what's for lunch? It's hard to keep the kiddos satisfied with food options during the summer months. Anyone else have this issue?

My youngest was set on having nachos for lunch! Nothing else would suffice. I tried to offer up other things...but NOOOOOOO! We didn't have any taco meat, and we weren't making taco mac (recipe HERE)  until tomorrow. My older son made up a cheese quesadilla. I offered that up. Still a no go as I got the response, "Does that sound like nachos?" D'oh! So time to scrounge & see what we have...

So here's what I came up with:

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BACON DOG NACHOS

Ingredients:

~ 2 handfuls tortilla chips
~ 1/4 C taco sauce &/or picante sauce
~ 1-2 hot dogs
~ 2 T bacon bits
~ 1/2 C shredded cheese


Directions:

* on a microwave-safe plate, place tortilla chips

* drizzle the sauce around the chips

* thinly slice the hot dog(s) (we had a couple of left over ones from grilling) & scatter on top of the sauce & chips

* spread the shredded cheese on top the sliced hot dog(s)

* sprinkle the bacon bits over the top of the cheese

* place in the microwave for about 30-45 seconds or until the cheese is melted

* it's ready to eat

Yield: 1-2 servings

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After serving up this concoction to my youngest, he got really excited & said he liked.

On of scale of 1-10...he gave it a 10 (with 10 being the best)!

So...it's a good way to use up left over grilled hot dogs or taco leftovers.

ENJOY!

Smashed [Leftover] Potatoes

I think there's something about the Irish in me that makes me want & really love potatoes. And then my eyes get bigger than my stomach...and sometimes I misjudge how much of a potato dish to fix for family &/or company. So I usually end up with a lot more than I bargained for!

At Easter time, I made some lazy cooker mashed potatoes that were pretty good, but I have kiddos that don't like the texture of mashed potatoes. It's OK...I heard the gasps. I understand. It breaks our hearts, too.

Now then, the other night I fixed up a bunch of baby red potatoes. I quartered them, seasoned them how I wanted, boiled them...and had a lot left over! Go figure.

We are really bad about using leftovers. But we had another meal coming up that I knew I could reuse those 'taters!

Here's what I did:

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SMASHED [LEFTOVER] POTATOES

Ingredients:

~ baby potatoes, quartered
~ 1/2 stick of butter
~ 1/4 C parsley, chopped or dried
~ salt & pepper, to taste
~ water to cover potatoes
~ 1/4 C milk
~ 1-2 boullion cube(s); I used chicken flavor


Directions:

* after cutting baby potatoes into quarters, place in a large pot

* cover the potato quarters with enough water to cover the potato pieces

* add butter, parsley, salt & pepper to the water

* bring water to a boil

* turn burner temp down slightly & allow to boil for about 20-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender

* turn burner off & allow the potatoes to sit in the water
(I allowed them to sit until after dinner, when I served the quartered potatoes, I continued onto the next step while doing cleanup & putting away leftovers)

* drain most of the water off the potatoes until there's maybe a half inch of water in the pot

* with a spoon, fork or potato masher, begin breaking down the potatoes

* add the milk & continue smashing gently

* here is where I placed the mixture into an airtight container, threw in the bouillon cube, closed it & allowed it to sit in the fridge for a day or two; you may skip the refrigerator step if you are moving right into making the smashed potatoes right now, just make sure the bouillon cube is good & dissolved

* if you stored the potato mixture in the fridge, pull it out & place the mixture into a medium sauce pan or a large pot if you have a lot

* begin reheating the potato mixture by placing the burner on mid heat & stirring occasionally; the bouillon cube may not have dissolved while in the fridge, so begin stirring it around until it's broken up into the potatoes

* you may need to smash some of the potato lumps a bit more, if you'd like, as you are heating & stirring

* you may want to add a little more salt & pepper, but that is up to you

* (re)serve & consume

Served with smoked ham, steamed green beans & rolls
*GORGEOUS*

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If you prefer much creamier mashed potatoes, feel free to whip them up with a handheld mixer, because just having them smashed will have them a bit lumpy.

And, yes...the skins are left in there! And you know what? My hubby liked 'em. He did. No...my kiddos refused to try them. Cowards.

My hubby did make an interesting comparison: he told me they reminded him of "grandma's house potatoes." I don't exactly know what he meant by that, but I said I was taking it as a compliment & we would move on from there!

So...if you have leftovers that you want to reuse, just repurpose the potatoes & it's a whole new dish a day or two later! And...you've saved money by not purchasing stuff for a whole new side dish.

To change it up a little more, feel free to add garlic powder &/or cheese. No one will know that you had these same potatoes a night or 2 before unless you tell them. It could be our own little secret!

You're welcome.

ENJOY!

S'More [Bacon] Trail Mix

It's summertime, people! That means there has been more baseball tournaments kicked up or attending your favorite baseball team's game(s), swimming, vacations, and...camping!

Now then, I'm not what you'd call an "outdoorsy person". I will go camping, but I'm picky about it. I will go in the woods, but it had better be in a camper...or better yet...a cabin. I'm not a fan of the heat & needing to apply 8 layers of super high sunscreen. I feel like I put in my dues doing years of tent camping on family vacations as a kid. From KOA to KOA as we'd go from state to state. I'm in a different phase of life & would prefer the indoors now.

I will make a few exceptions, however. I love a cool morning on the deck with my coffee in the peaceful stillness while smelling the moisture of the dew as it accentuates the green smell of the grass & leaves. Or, if at the lake since my hubby & sons love the camping scene, I love going out with the early morning fishers in the boat. It's quiet, still, peaceful listening to the water. Yeah...that.

But I'll admit that I do love a good campfire/bonfire/firepit going. I do love roaring & crackling of the fire while roasting up marshmallows...and even more so adding the marshmallow to graham crackers with chocolate. Mmm-mmm-mmm...gimme s'more of that!

Now then, since not everyone enjoys that scene, I came up with a cheater to-go s'mores that anyone can have at nearly anytime!

As it turns out, there was recently quite the baconfest going on in Colorado. Mmmmm...bacon...
So my hubby would keep me up to date on what was going down at the baconfest. And one of the things served was bacon s'mores! BACON S'MORES, people! WHAT??? Mmmmmm...

My hubby has been kind enough to make me chocolate covered bacon before. Yeah...only part of why I love him. And if you can have chocolate covered bacon...why not add some marshmallows & graham? Right? So I started researching & decided to make it a fun trail mix!

So, here's what I did:

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S'MORE [BACON] TRAIL MIX

Ingredients:

~ 1 C Golden Grahams cereal
~ 1 C Teddy Grahams (honey flavor)
~ 1/2 C Milk Chocolate Chips (I used Hershey's)
~ 1/2 C Milk Chocolate M&M's
~ 1 C mini marshmallows
~ 1 C mini marshmallow bites (little dehydrated ones)
~ 1/2 C bacon bits

Directions:

* Place all the ingredients into a large bowl

* Mix together

* Consume


+ Yield: about 9 servings of about 1/2 a cup each

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I love the idea of the different textures & the presentation of this trail mix. There's still the graham in the cereal, the marshmallows & the Hershey chocolate for the traditional look of the s'more. You can always stop at those ingredients if you'd like. But I wanted to bump up the color, the sizes...plus...I had to add the bears for the woodsy-campy feel! Oh...and...uh...BACON!

You can always use turkey bacon bits or imitation bacon bits, too. Or you can leave out the bacon all together if it's something you think is too weird.

Something else you can do for a switch up is by adding nuts or seeds of sorts. You can also maybe use Reece's Pieces or peanut butter M&M's if you want to add a bit of the nutty taste to the mix. You can even add mini pretzels or pretzel sticks, also! Or switch up the chocolate to dark chocolate or white chocolate for something different.

And? You can enjoy them while camping, while on the go, when out watching fireworks, or just while watching the TV from your couch or from inside your blanket fort in the living room. It's S'mores-to-go, people! It's not gooey...the only real mess you'd make is if you spilled it. But it's still easy clean up!

*Note: Use just the M&M's or hardshell candy if you plan on being in the heat for a while.

The jar on top as no bacon.
The jars below are marked with "B" since the have bacon.

Oh...and just store in snack-size plastic baggies, or small jars (like mason jars or reuse baby food jars to hold it). Then you can just pick up some s'more snacking & head out the door! Or it's easy transport when you go camping. Recharge some childhood-like memories with this mix! S'mores, M&Ms, Teddy Grahams, marshmallows...I mean...C'mon!

ENJOY!

Summer Dublin Coddle

Since my family is trying to eat better & cleaner, there have been some switch up in dishes & recipes. Even though we haven't given up EVERYTHING...we have been working hard to work in some better-for-you stuffs &/or changing up some of the ingredients we use.

With that said, I still had some overstock of mixed greens (find out my leafy greens mix HERE), so I was trying to figure out what to use. After doing the cleaner eating research, I knew it was pretty good to get some turkey in the mix. And since I had some cabbage & kale to use, I decided revisit my Dublin Coddle (recipe HERE)! However, it's pretty heavy & perfect for fall & winter eating. With my previous recipe, there were some things missing that could help lighten it up! Well...I changed that a bit.

Here's what I did:

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SUMMER DUBLIN CODDLE

Ingredients:

~ 1 pkg. turkey Lit'l Smokies
~ 1/4 C turkey bacon bits
~ 1 lb. baby potatoes, quartered
~ 1 small onion, sliced
~ 6 C brewed green tea
~ 2 chicken bouillon cubes
~ 1/8 C chopped parsley
~ 2 medium carrots, sliced
~ 2 red cabbage leaves, torn or chopped
~ 3 green cabbage leaves, torn or chopped
~ 2 curly kale stems (just use the leaves), torn or chopped & massaged in lemon juice & sea salt
~ 2 T marjoram
~ 2 T dried (crushed) rosemary
~ 2 T dried thyme
~ 2 T minced garlic
~ salt & black pepper to taste

Directions:

* Place all prepared ingredients into a large pot on medium-hi heat

* Bring coddle to a boil, then slightly lower burner temp (medium-lo), stir occasionally

* Allow to boil for about 15-30 minutes until potatoes & carrots are tender, stirring occasionally

* Turn burner down to lo to allow to simmer & until the cabbage leaves are tender & kale is slightly wilted

* Serve

Yield: about 4 servings

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When I made this, I could only get a hold of ruby potatoes. I really like a mixture of colors, but it was still really pretty! Imagine if I'd thrown in some Yukon &/or purple potatoes!

Also, if you have other root veggies to throw in, do it! If you have some parsnips or turnips to throw in, cut 'em up & do it. The more, the merrier! And, if you use turnips, throw in the turnip greens, too! Some mustard greens work in this coddle, also.

It's lighter, it's pretty, and it lends to that cleaner eating. My hubby liked it, too!  I'm thinking this one needs to be done again! And it's a lighter version, perfect for Spring or Summer dishes!

Short on time that day? Throw it all in the lazy cooker & let it cook on low for about 6-8 hours.
TA-DA!

ENJOY!

Mixed Leafy Greens

Lately, we (my hubby & I) have noticed that we still aren't doing as well in our family eating. Eating? Yes. Good stuff? No.

Not that we have been doing horribly, but there was plenty of room for improvement. And I've mentioned that it's hard when you have kids who like & dislike all different things. But a foot is being put down!

Now then, when we have things like tacos, salad or sandwiches (and sometimes burgers), we have lettuce. Makes sense, right? But we would just get a bag of shredded iceberg lettuce for everything except the salad...but we'd deal with a bag of shredded salad mix which included iceberg lettuce with carrot shreds, choppy cabbage pieces & maybe another kind of lettuce. But we decided to change this.

In the midst of deciding to try to eat cleaner, we decided to work in more greens & salads. And, if you have seen some of my past posts, I really like pretty & colorful food! So I thought thru how to work out the leafy greens situation.

After some research, I figured out that I could get the freshest produce for cheaper, but stock up on it...and...I discovered that I could freeze it!! (Check out my source for freezing lettuce HERE at livestrong.com)

I went to the store & got a bunch (no pun necessarily intended) of leafy veggies. So, not really a recipe, but a tip on a mix.

Here's what I did:

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Mixed Leafy Greens

Ingredients:

~ 1 head green leaf lettuce
~ 1 head red leaf lettuce
~ 1 bunch romaine lettuce
~ 1 bunch curly kale
~ 1/2 head green cabbage
~ 1/2 head red cabbage


Directions:

* separate & wash off all leaves

* tear or chop all leaves into small pieces; discard all big stems

* if using kale, be sure to massage it with sea salt & lemon juice first, to begin breakdown early

* toss all greens together & make sure all leaves all dry

* separate into several freezer bags (as in link, above)

* use as necessary in meals

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One thing I did was spend a little bit on a salad/lettuce spinner to help with getting rid of the moisture. Plus...it's totally fun to use! Then, be sure, because it is IMPORTANT, to lay out the spun greens & pat dry with paper towels. DO IT!!! The lesser the moisture before freezing, the better. Otherwise it will turn to nasty mush when you thaw it out.

Also, if you do not want to separate the different leaf varieties, freeze in much smaller bags so you can decide what to use at any given time while getting a small bag of each needed/wanted for any dish when you need it! Or just do it all in smaller freezer bags & pull out what you need in smaller portions.

And you can throw in some iceberg lettuce if you'd like, and any other leafy greens in any mix (mustard greens, collard greens, Napa cabbage, spinach, turnip greens, etc.).

And...it's gorgeous while giving different flavors, textures, and pumping up the nutrition factor when you use these!

So...salad anyone?

ENJOY!!

Rice for Breakfast

As the family slowly continues the move toward cleaner eating, I have to take a look at breakfast. It starts our day & gets us going. But grabbing a Pop Tart is probably not the best option.

For Christmas, my hubby & I got a rice/veggie steamer. We were STOKED to get it! We haven't used it a whole lot, but we do use it & find new ways to make rice all of the time. The kids really enjoy some plain, steamed, white rice. So do I! But finding out that the white rice is fairly "empty", I wanted to boost it up to brown rice. Yes, it takes longer & takes more prep in planning, but we do what we can.

Now, when we received our steamer from the in-laws, my MIL questioned why we wanted one so badly. I told her we like rice. I thought it was a no-brainer. But then she wanted to know why we have so much rice for breakfast. Yeah...she asked me about that. I was confuzzled!! I informed her we have it or dinners mostly, and she graciously accepted my answer. But her inquiry got me thinking...

Several years ago, my hubby was on a week-long mission trip in Nicaragua. He said that they were served rice pretty much every morning for breakfast. They just added some milk & sugar...so treated it like we look at cereal. He has brought up wanted to do that at home, but we didn't have the thought process or prep in planning to do so.

In the quest of cleaner eating, I decided to swap out some oatmeal (even though good for you...still very heavy for summertime) with rice! And I found a wild rice blend at the grocery store, so I mixed it with some brown rice.

Here's what I did:

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RICE FOR BREAKFAST

Ingredients:

~ 1 C steamed brown &/or wild long grain rice
~ 1/4 C dried or fresh fruit
~ 1/4 C nuts
~ 1 T honey or agave
~ 1/2 T cinnamon

Directions:

* I used equal parts of wild rice blend & brown long grain rice & steamed it according to my steamer's brown rice directions; about enough to last 4 days (about 4 cups worth)

* When finished (about 45 minutes later), I scooped about 1 cup of steamed rice into a small bowl, then added the fruit (I used a dried berry mix) & the nuts (I used sliced almonds); you may mix it all together at this point

* Drizzle the cereal, fruit & nut mixture with the honey or agave (I used honey), and then sprinkle with cinnamon; you may mix it all together at this point

* Consume

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I love this for breakfast!! And it's very vegan friendly, too! It's easy...plus you can refrigerate the left over rice & have it for a few days afterward, too.

If you want to change it up a bit, change up the fruit and nuts. You can also add raw sugar or a sugar-free maple syrup & a bit of milk for cereal option less heavy than oatmeal. I've even mashed up a banana in with it. YUM!!

So...happy eating!

ENJOY!

Rainy Day Burger Wraps

Summertime eating is here, but we have issues with getting bored with our menu planning. It's the time for lighter fare, and we like to keep it quick & versatile. We have some menu items that we might rotate around depending on the week. I bet you can guess that gets a little tired, too, even with the change ups.

This time, I gotta give credit to my hubby. This is his time to take over a lot of cooking...on the grill! Two of our menu items we go back & forth with on alternate weeks happen to be bratwurst (and hot dogs) switched with burgers.

Even though today wasn't rainy, too hot or too cold...my hubby imagined having burger wraps. We could assemble them like our soft tacos, but with typical burger condiments & such.

I ended up cooking them, and here's what I did:

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RAINY DAY BURGER WRAPS

Ingredients:

* 1 lb. ground beef
* 1-2 splashes liquid smoke
* 2 Tbs minced onion
* salt & pepper to taste
* tortilla wraps
* condiments of choice


Directions:

~ brown up ground beef in a skillet with the minced onion with salt & pepper

~ once the meat is browned, crumbly & caramelized, drain the meat & rinse; place back into the skillet

~ set the burner with the skillet on low to keep the meat warm; add the liquid smoke, stir & allow to simmer

~ spoon some of the meat mixture onto a tortilla shell (we used a whole grain tortilla) & top with condiments of choice: shredded cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, ketchup, mustard, mayo, bbq sauce, etc.

~ fold it up & consume

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These ended up really good! They look like tacos...my kids kept pointing that out. But if you planned on burgers, but it's raining...or it's just too hot to grill (so basically for anyone who isn't a die-hard, extreme griller), this is a great option to just throw together. They are quick & easy...and no having to form meat patties! Oh...and we served 'em up with waffle fries!

My hubby has referred to them as "Any-Way-You-Want-'Em Burgers" too. Either way, another variation & slightly lighter version of a burger for the spring & summertime!

ENJOY!

Cucumber Melon Water with Mint

As we continue to hydrate while keeping up variety, I have another flavor of water for you!

One of my favorite scents is the clean aroma of cucumber & melon together. YUM! Then add a little mint to the mix for a refreshing kick. Close your eyes for a moment & imagine it...Mmmmmm...

Well, how about this? Add those very things to your water! Oh yes...that's what I'm talking about!

Here's what I did:

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CUCUMBER MELON WATER WITH MINT

Ingredients:

* 16 oz chunked melon (seedless watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe)
* 2 small seedless variety cucumbers, thinly sliced
* 1 long or 2 short mint sprigs
* about 1 gallon of filtered or tap water
* ice cubes (optional)


Directions:

~ Make sure melon is cut up into 1 to 1 & a half inch chunks; try to make sure as many seeds are out as possible

~ wash cucumbers & thinly slice (I like using English cucumbers since they are seedless already)

~ wash mint sprig(s) (I still had some to use, so I tossed it in there)

~ place all above ingredients into a 1 gallon pitcher, preferably with a slotted lid

~ fill the rest of the pitcher with filtered or tap water

~ add ice cubes, if desired

~ allow to sit for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator, or overnight

~ hydrate until gone; repeat about 2 or 3 times since the melon may not last as long

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This may be my favorite flavored water. Seriously.

Again...I want to hydrate with this water! All while getting some of the health benefit properties from the ingredients. Such a super win!

I used pre-cut melon spears this time, but I always promote swinging by your local farmer's market to get the  freshest stuff. Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do.

May I also suggest making a green tea with honey & milk with this water? Because it is so scrumptious, too!

And don't forget being super green by using that favorite cup or glass to drink from, or keep filling up that reusable bottle!

Happy Hydrating, everyone!

ENJOY!

Rum Cannon Balls

About the same time that I did up the RUDOLPH NOSE CANDY, I wanted to make some rum balls, too.

But I wanted to make 'em right, but also needed them for a wide variety of ages...cuz, you know...kids. So I made a couple of different ones. And they are SO easy! Messy...but easy...oh...and yummy!

Oh, and they remind me of cannon balls (more explaining on that in a moment)!

So I bring you:

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RUM CANNON BALLS

Ingredients:

* Brownie mix - made to package directions
* 1/4 C spiced rum - if making for the big kids (21+)
* 1 T rum flavoring/extract - if making for a wide range of ages
* Edible glitter or decorating sugar

Directions:

~ Bake brownie mix to package directions

~ Once out of the oven & baked, let cool for about 10-15 minutes

~ Take a spatula or spoon & break up the baked brownie into crumbly pieces

~ Add in the rum (flavoring) & mix it all up

~ Remove any rings from your fingers & dig into the mixture to form brownie balls, about 1" in size

~ Take each ball, after formed, and roll in edible glitter/sugar

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I made both kinds. And I gave color distinctions so the kiddos wouldn't consume the wrong ones! The white sugar crystals designated the free-for-alls; the gold sugar crystals designated the one for big-kid-only consumption.

So hoping to make these again. And since they remind me of cannon balls, and with Captain Morgan being used, I want to make these for International Talk Like a Pirate Day, too! (That would be September 19th, if you're keeping score.)

ENJOY!

Citrus Mint Water

How's that hydrating going? Going well? Need to get started? Cuz I've got another water for you!

A couple of years ago, I got on a weird kick of mixing the flavors of citrus (usually orange) with mint. It's a surprising flavor that is bright, sunny & refreshing!

Since I've been playing with flavoring my own water, I thought I'd go back to this flavor just for something different.

Here's what I did:

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CITRUS MINT WATER

Ingredients:
* 1 small to medium orange, thinly sliced & deseeded
* 1 medium lemon, thinly sliced & deseeded
* 1 limes, thinly sliced & deseeded
* 1 long or 2 short mint stems (you may tear off the leaves to use, if desired)
* 1 gallon filtered or tap water (approximately)
* ice cubes (optional)


Directions:
~ wash off all produce

~ thinly slice citrus fruits & remove any seeds

~ place all ingredients into 1 gallon pitcher (preferably with a slotted lid)

~ fill the pitcher the rest of the way with filtered or tap water

~ add some ice cubes, if desired

~ place in refrigerator for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to steep into the water (longer is better, like overnight)

~ serve & repeat


Notes:

= The flavor may be strong; if the flavor is too much, try it with a couple of oranges & the mint.

= Freeze water into ice cubes to give drinks like water, tea (sweet or unsweet), or Sprite a new kick of flavor

= Use to brew up a cup of black tea.

= You may refill the pitcher with the same ingredients about 4 times

= As always...use a fun cup or reusable bottle for another layer of encouragement of hydration!

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This flavor is VERY strong compared to other waters I've posted. Be prepared for a flavor rush! But imagine the amount of vitamin C you are placing into your body while hydrating! And doing so without the extra sugars, syrups & chemicals in other juices & mixes. You're welcome!

ENJOY!