Name: Unicorn Pop Tarts
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 11 min
Total time: 26 min
Ingredients: 15 oz of pie crusts (equivalent to 2 crusts), store bought or homemade; 3 drops blue food coloring; 5 ounces jelly preserves total, any flavor (I used strawberry); 1 cup powdered sugar; 2 TBSP milk (you may add more if you like your icing to be a thinner consistency); 2 drops pink food coloring; 1 egg, whisked; 4 tablespoons mixture of pink and purple sprinkles; 1 heart cookie cutter

Everything You Need to See & Do at COSI

May 1, 2023 by Rachel 6 Comments

There are so many fun and exciting opportunities throughout Ohio. We have an incredible amount of art and culture spread across the state. One of my favorite must-see places is located in Columbus, Ohio. COSI, or the Center of Science and Industry, is an innovative, hands-on science center that is perfect for families in all age ranges. I’ll share with you all of the things you need to see & do at COSI.

Who, what and where?

COSI is located in Columbus, just off of the interstate, at 333 West Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio, 43215. On-site parking is located just off of Broad in an underground (and covered) parking deck. The hours of operation as well as ticket pricing can be found here.

COSI food — Various lunch options from Atomic Cafe

Changing tables for kids and adults are located throughout various bathrooms in the building. On-site food and beverage (as well as adult beverages) are available in both the Molecules and Atomic Cafe (and both are delicious).

Must-See Exhibits at COSI

There are so many different exhibits and experiences available. Some of the exhibits are on permanent display, like “Energy Explorers” and “Big Science Park.” While other exhibits are open on a temporary and rotating basis. These can’t-miss experiences are perfect for the whole family:

Dinosaur Gallery

If you’re a parent of any sort, I’m certain your children have gone through at least one dinosaur phase. For many of us, kids and adults alike, we can struggle with the concept of just how huge these creatures were.

So for the American Museum of Natural History and COSI to come together to showcase these creatures in all of their glory is truly incredible.

This permanent exhibit consists of a full size T. rex, a climbable nest, as well as life-scale diorama of the creatures in their natural habitats.

It’s truly a fascinating exhibit. And our dinosaur-obsessed crew could have spent all day learning even more about these creatures.

Ocean

For as many times as I’ve been to COSI, I don’t think we’ve ever made it through the Ocean exhibit. And holy smokes! It is incredible!

It’s like travelling to a magical world of water, where kids are taught about both Greek mythology and science!

This hands-on exhibit allows kids to use actual oceanic technology like sonar and remote operated vehicles to explore the world around them.

They can even climb into a mini submarine!

Fair warning: You may end up just a tiny bit wet from this exhibit, but it’s totally worth it (and it truly is just a little bit, I promise!)!

Tutankhamun: His Tomb and His Treasures

Tutankhamun, or King Tut, as he’s widely referred, was discovered just over 100 years ago by Howard Carter.

The huge exhibit walks you through a self-guided audio tour of King Tut and his rise to the throne. The audio tour offers a kid-friendly guide for even the littlest explorers in your group.

Our history-loving 10-year-old was completely enthralled to hear the story of King Tut and get a behind-the-scenes look at so many artifacts.

It truly felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience to get to see so many replicas and artifacts from a time in history that continues to be so fascinating for many (myself included!).

Everything You Need to See & Do at COSI king tut

This temporary exhibit runs from now until September 4th, 2023. Tickets to the Tutankhamun exhibit are an additional charge and can be found here.

Planetarium Show

The COSI Planetarium show is like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. Shows run every half an hour from 10:30 AM to 3:30 PM from Wednesday through Sunday. The planetarium itself is the largest planetarium in the state of Ohio!

It is currently showing Passport to the Universe, which is about a 20 minute show. It kept 5 kids and three adults incredibly entertained the entire time. To be honest, space stuff just blows my mind. It’s hard to really grasp how big the universe is. And the COSI Planetarium really puts things into perspective.

The shows are on a first-come, first-served basis. So be sure to plan ahead and get in line about 5-10 minutes ahead of the showing of your choice!

Nature’s Superheroes: Life at the Limits

This brand new exhibit explores the cool ‘superpowers’ that certain species have to help them survive. From mammals that can survive for hours without breathing, to extraordinary (and bizarre!) mating rituals, Nature’s Superheroes covers all of it.

This exhibit is included with your COSI admission and features larger-than-life models, dioramas, and interactive learning.

COSI Tips and Tricks

Arrive early.

We arrived just before opening and there were cars lining up the street to get into the parking deck. We didn’t have to wait at all, but there is just so much to see and do. You’ll want to give yourself ample amounts of time for everything.

Build in breaks to your schedule.

Science and technology are so cool, but it can be overstimulating for some folks (big kids and little kids).

Be sure to build in ‘breaks’ to your schedule for snacks, downtime in the play area (where kids can get some energy out), and get outside at the Big Science Park exhibit for some fresh air!

Get the schedule of the live shows upon arrival.

COSI offers super fun and interactive live-shows on the science stage at certain times throughout the day. Be sure to catch a seat during one of the performances to get a chance to see the power of electricity up close!

HAVE FUN! And consider becoming a member!

There is so much to see and do. The memories you make at COSI will last a lifetime. Becoming an annual member includes benefits like member previews and events, as well as discounted or free reciprocal admission to over 360 other science museums.

Learn more about membership opportunities here.

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Unicorn Pop Tart Recipe

March 27, 2023 by Rachel 6 Comments

As we get further into this school year, our mornings have become increasingly chaotic. Between bathing, clothing, and feeding all three kids, we are often barely to school on time. I try to get my kids to eat something — anything! — before school starts. Some days are easier than others. One of the problems we have run into is that my kids just don’t really like traditional Pop Tarts. Enter the Unicorn Pop Tart Recipe. My kids are obsessed! And I think your kids will be, too!

What You’ll Need

In my opinion, traditional pop tarts really lack because of the dry pastry crust. Thankfully these unicorn pop tarts do not have that problem. I make these using refrigerated pie crusts, like these Pillsbury crusts. The other trick to creating these delicious, flaky pop tarts, is to use your air fryer. YES! Pop tarts in the air fryer will cook these to perfection.

Here’s what else you’ll need:

15 ounces of pie crusts (equivalent to 2 crusts), store bought or homemade
blue food coloring
pink food coloring
any flavor of jelly preserves
powdered sugar
milk
an egg
a heart cookie cutter
and sprinkles!

Be sure to play around with different jelly preserves, food coloring, and sprinkles!

Unicorn Pop Tart Recipe

Unicorn Pop Tarts

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 11 minutes

Total Time 26 minutes

Ingredients

15 oz of pie crusts (equivalent to 2 crusts), store bought or homemade
3 drops blue food coloring
5 ounces jelly preserves total, any flavor (I used strawberry)
1 cup powdered sugar
2 TBSP milk (you may add more if you like your icing to be a thinner consistency)
2 drops pink food coloring
1 egg, whisked
4 tablespoons mixture of pink and purple sprinkles
1 heart cookie cutter

Instructions

INGREDIENTS -

On one of the heart-shaped crust, take 1 tablespoon of your jelly preserves, and place it in the middle. Spread it out evenly on the heart shape. Make sure to leave room around the edges.

Taking your finger, dip it in the egg wash, and evenly spread the egg wash around the edges surrounding the jelly.

Place another heart shaped pie crust on top of the other heart with the jelly on it. Using a fork press down the edges creating a seal.

Using a kitchen brush, dip it in the egg wash and top the rest of your heart shape with the egg wash.

Using a fork, or toothpick, poke about 6 to 8 holes in the top of your top layer pastry.

Depending on the size of your air fryer, place as many pastry hearts in your air fryer that will fit without interfering with the shape of the pastry.

Cook your pop tart at 370° for 7 minutes. Once the timer is done, open your air fryer, and flip your pop tarts. Continue to cook at 370° for an additional 3 to 4 minutes, or until it is reached a soft brown color.

Remove from the air fryer, and transfer to a cooling rack.

While your pastries are cooling, mix together your powdered sugar, milk, and pink food coloring (you can add more or less depending on the color of food coloring you prefer). You can choose to add more powdered sugar if you like your icing thicker, or more milk if you like your icing thinner.

Drizzle your icing over your pop tart and add your sprinkles while your frosting is still wet.

Allow them to cool and the frosting to harden, and then enjoy!

© Rachel

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Air Fryer Turkey Breast

March 7, 2023 by Rachel 6 Comments

Delicious meals don’t have to be difficult. In fact, they shouldn’t be. Air Fryer Turkey Breast recipe is a great way to cook a smaller amount of turkey that turns out perfectly tender and moist in just 45 minutes — without the hassle of the oven.

Why use an air fryer?

As noted above, the primary reason for using an air fryer is that you won’t have to heat up the whole oven. Additionally, the air fryer is just plain ol’ efficient. If you’re still in the market for an air fryer, my two favorites are this one and this one.

What You’ll Need

There are just six simple ingredients with this recipe. You’ll need only the following:

2 pounds turkey breast (with skin)

4 Tablespoons of butter, melted

1 Tablespoon of sea salt

1 Tablespoons of fresh peppercorn, ground well

2 Tablespoon of garlic, minced

4 sprigs thyme, remove from stem

I would add that the ‘optional’ ingredients would be things to enhance your turkey breast. Whether that be a good turkey gravy or cranberry sauce, you won’t be disappointed!

If you are looking for a post-turkey dessert, be sure to check out this Instant Pot Peach Cobbler.

The Full Recipe

Yield: 3-4
Air Fryer Turkey Breast

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

2 pounds turkey breast (with skin)

4 Tablespoons of butter, melted

1 Tablespoon of sea salt

1 Tablespoons of fresh peppercorn, ground well

2 Tablespoon of garlic, minced

4 sprigs thyme, remove from stem

Instructions

INGREDIENTS -
Melt your butter in the microwave or on a double broiler on the stove.
Once melted, add in the sea salt, peppercorn, garlic, and thyme. Mix.
Using a basting brush, brush your butter mix on the top and bottom of the turkey breast.
Place the turkey breast in your air fryer.
Set your Air Fryer to 375 degrees F for 45 minutes.
At the halfway mark of about 22/23 minutes, flip the breast with tongs. Continue to cook.
Once the air fryer has finished cooking, cut and serve!
Top with cranberry sauce, gravy, or eat as is! Enjoy!

© Rachel

Instant Pot Creamy Sausage Rigatoni

February 28, 2023 by Rachel 4 Comments

Today marks the first day of yet another busy week. We are finally ‘healthy-ish’ again. So I’m back to making regularly scheduled family meals. But we still don’t have a lot of time on our hands between practices and extracurriculars. So we need easy meals. And our newest favorite easy weeknight meal is this Instant Pot Creamy Sausage Rigatoni.

What you’ll need

We know that one of my favorite kitchen gadgets is my Instant Pot. Between the Instant Pot and the air fryer (okay, and maybe the Vitamix, too!) — that’s all I need!

As far as ingredients, here’s what the recipe calls for:

1 pound of Ground Sausage

1 teaspoon of Salt

1 teaspoon of Pepper

24 ounces of Pasta Sauce

1 tablespoon of Italian Seasoning

3 cups of Chicken Broth

1/2 cup of Heavy Cream

16 ounces of Rigatoni Noodles

1 1/2 cups of Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Fresh Parsley (Garnish)

1 tablespoon of Garlic

That’s basically it. The fresh parsley is optional, but absolutely delicious.

IP Creamy Sausage Rigatoni Recipe

Yield: 4 servings
Instant Pot Creamy Sausage Rigatoni

Prep Time 3 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound of Ground Sausage

1 teaspoon of Salt

1 teaspoon of Pepper

24 ounces of Pasta Sauce

1 tablespoon of Italian Seasoning

3 cups of Chicken Broth

1/2 cup of Heavy Cream

16 ounces of Rigatoni Noodles

1 1/2 cups of Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Fresh Parsley (Garnish)

1 tablespoon of Garlic

Instructions

INGREDIENTS -
Set Instant Pot to sauté.
When the Instant Pot is hot, brown ground sausage until cooked through.
After ground sausage is cooked, turn off sauté function. Add the broth, pasta sauce, heavy cream, garlic, salt, pepper & Italian seasoning into the instant pot.

Add the rigatoni noodles making sure they are fully submerged into the liquid.
Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set it to seal. Set Manual pressure to 'High' for 6 minutes with quick release.
When all pressure is released, remove lid and stir in the parmesan cheese.

Garnish with parsley.
ENJOY!

© Rachel

If you’re looking for other easy recipes, be sure to check these out. There are so many recipes that are weeknight (and family!) friendly.

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Strawberry Shortcake Adult Milkshake

January 29, 2023 by Rachel 9 Comments

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again — I’m not big on Valentine’s Day. But that doesn’t mean I don’t make it super cutesy for my kids with treats and activities. But this year I’m making a conscious effort to reconnect with my husband. Our kids are getting a tiny bit older (at ages 10, 7, and 4). And it’s time to get back to regular-ish date nights. This February our at-home date night is going to include a Strawberry Shortcake adult milkshake — made with Little Debbie strawberry shortcakes!

What you’ll need

First and foremost, you’re going to need a food processor or a blender. If you have one, or have the funds, I highly, highly recommend the Vitamix. Not only can you use the Vitamix for blending up frozen desserts, but you can use it to make all sorts of other things — like soup!

But here are the must-have ingredients:

Little Debbie Strawberry Shortcake Roll Ice Cream

Baileys Strawberries & Cream

Strawberry Milk

1 Little Debbie Strawberry Shortcake Roll

Whipped Cream

That’s all you’ll need. And I will tell you, these are absolutely addicting. But be sure that you enjoy responsibly!

HOW TO MAKE A STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE ADULT MILKSHAKE

Strawberry Shortcake Adult Milkshake

Prep Time 1 minute

Total Time 1 minute

Ingredients

2 Scoops of Little Debbie Strawberry Shortcake Roll Ice Cream

2 ounces of Baileys Strawberries & Cream

2 ounces of Strawberry Milk

1 Little Debbie Strawberry Shortcake Roll

Whipped Cream

Instructions

Place 2 scoops of ice cream, strawberry milk & Baileys into a blender.
Blend for 60 seconds.
Transfer to a glass.
Garnish with whipped cream & a Little Debbie Strawberry Shortcake Roll.
Enjoy responsibly!

© Rachel

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Easy Homemade Blueberry Lollipops

January 11, 2023 by Rachel 2 Comments

After the busy holiday season, with all of the extra candies and cookies and treats, I *try* to start the year off by starting fresh. Part of that means being mindful of what meals we eat. Now, I’m not saying that it’s perfect — because it certainly is not. In the last two weeks we’ve had pizza takeout twice. It’s about making small changes in moderation. Hopefully some of it will stick around. One of my favorite ways to make changes is by trying my hand at from-scratch recipes. These easy homemade blueberry lollipops are a simple way to try your hand at making candies for your family.

What you’ll need

This recipe is a little different than others I’ve shared. It requires a candy thermometer. If you haven’t used one before, no worries. I swear it’s not as complicated or as intimidating as it sounds. Try the one I’ve linked above — it has a handy clip for the side of your pot!

Besides that you’ll need lollipop sticks, a lollipop mold, and the following ingredients:

sugar

water

light corn syrup

cream of tartar

Blueberry Flavoring

blue Watkins natural food Coloring

Tips to make these easy homemade blueberry lollipops

Before you get started, you’ll need to know a few things. First and foremost, prep everything in advance. If you plan on saving the lollipops for later, be sure to have corn starch off to the side and ready.

Otherwise, I promise the recipe and steps are very straightforward. And you’ll love the results!

Blueberry Lollipops

Yield: 12
Blueberry Lollipops

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Additional Time 15 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

6 tablespoons water

1/3 cup light corn syrup

1/16 teaspoon cream of tartar or half of 1/8 teaspoon

½ vile of Blueberry Flavoring

25 drops of blue Watkins natural food Coloring

Supplies

12 lollipop sticks

Lollipop mold

Candy thermometer

Instructions

INGREDIENTS -
Prepare your lollipop molds by placing them on a flat counter near your saucepan so the transfer is quick. Add your lollipop sticks to your lollipop mold.
In a saucepan, add sugar, water, corn syrup, and cream of tartar. Mix.
Place the hook of your candy thermometer to the side of your saucepan.
Bring all your ingredients to a boil, mixing often with a wire whisk.
Continue to whisk until your candy thermometer reaches the temperature of 260°F. Add in your blueberry Flavoring and Food Coloring. Whisk.
Remove your saucepan from heat once your thermometer reaches 275°F. Immediately pour the ingredients from your saucepan and evenly distribute them into the cavities in your silicone molds. Make sure to pour over the sticks as well.
Allow them to sit and cool.
Once cooled, pop out and enjoy!

Notes

To store, you can individually wrap them in plastic, or dust them in corn starch and place them in an airtight container.

© Rachel

Cuisine: candy / Category: easy recipes

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