Its a Hero

recipes

No-Bake Nutella Cups

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Confession: I do not like chocolate. I don’t hate it, I just don’t go out of my way for it. And, nine times out of 10, if offered chocolate, I will decline. But hey — good news! That means more for you!

Oh – and I don’t really like cake either.

But guess what?! Like so many of you, I DO love Nutella! I try to avoid having it in the house because I just cannot stay away. In fact, when I was pregnant with Ari seven years ago, Nutella was one of the foods I craved the most. Shortly after I gave birth, my aunt brought me these delicious No-Bake Nutella Cups.

Not only are they absolutely delicious, but they are easy to make and can be frozen and enjoyed later. But enough of the babbling — let me get to the good stuff so you can try them for yourself.

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See? Easy peasy! They can be enjoyed immediately, or return them to the fillo cup container and re-freeze for later! I usually freeze them and pop them out one (or 5!) at a time for a snack.

What’s your favorite make-ahead dessert?

 

 

Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

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I’ve mentioned several times over the last 8 years that I am a novice cook, at best. My abilities have always been hindered because of my fear of making something that tastes awful. So, for years, I just avoided cooking. I mean, Chad has always loved to cook — and he’s great at it! So I took a backseat.

But 3 years ago Chad bought me an Instant Pot and I started to dabble in making meals for our family. It’s still been something I’m not ultimately comfortable with; but the Instant Pot is an amazing invention. And the growth of its popularity has given me more and more courage to branch out and try new recipes — and adapt old ones!

My most recent Dinner Conquest was a Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup, adapted from this recipe.

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I am IN LOVE with comfort food this pregnancy — and this? paired with some rolls or a piece of toasted bread? Perfection! It’s just what this baby ordered! I’m in love with how creamy and hearty it is — which is perfect for a cold Winter’s afternoon!

We’re definitely adding it to our weeknight dinner rotation! 😉 The kids loved it — and so did I (and so did this baby in my tummy)!

 

a Valentine’s Day Treat for Kids

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I have to admit it — Valentine’s Day is generally not a holiday that gets me super excited. No, I’ve never had a bad Valentine’s Day experience; it just hasn’t been a holiday that holds much tradition in our family.

But, as I’ve mentioned before, KIDS CHANGE EVERYTHING, y’all. They even make some moms who are not crafty (::cough-cough:: me…) bring out their inner crafty.

And my kids constantly remind me about these little holidays that I mostly think are silly. So I’ve found ways to make even the smallest of holidays a teensy bit special for these two nuts!

A couple of years ago I started the tradition of making Valentine’s Day Puppy Chow!

Puppy chow has long been a favorite in my house — I mean, who wouldn’t want sugar-coated cereal as a snack!? So why not turn it around and splash a little pink on it, am I right!?

Here’s how we make our allergy/nut/gluten-friendly Valentine’s Day treat!

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I added pink sprinkles for good measure this time 😉

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These make a perfect classroom treat and I cannot wait to share them with Ari’s preschool this year! Just put them in a pretty little package and you’re good to go!

Happy Valentine’s Day, friends! Is there any special thing you do or make with your kids to celebrate!? 

The Only Banana Bread Recipe You Will Ever Need

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Since I lost my job in December (eek – still stings a little to say!) I’ve been upping my domesticity game in a major way. Not only have I been keeping myself on a ‘cleaning schedule’ [ugh — that sounds terribly domestic], but I’ve also been trying to stay on a meal schedule of some sort.

And that includes breakfast.

Sure, it doesn’t always work out the way I want it to; but I stick to a ‘semi’ plan — which is helpful. I’m not going to lie — a lot of our breakfasts have included Organic Pop Tarts (yep – we’re totes real AND crunchy granola like that). But about every other week I make this AhhhMAZING banana bread and we can’t help but eat it morning, afternoon, and night. Seriously.

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I can’t help but cut myself a piece while it’s still warm. I toast it for a few minutes and put a teeny bit* [*relative term] of butter on it… life-changing!

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So please — if you’ve got some bananas on the counter that are turning an ugly color, consider putting them to good use with an awesome banana bread recipe! You won’t be mad. I promise. 😉

Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

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Well, friends, it’s been a few months since I received my awesome electric pressure cooker Christmas present from Chad. I’ll admit — there are only a few things that I’ve perfected. But that’s just it — I’ve perfected them. Albeit, one of those things is rice; but we’ve always eaten a lot of rice. So it’s useful!

Another recipe I’ve perfected? Macaroni and cheese. But not just any macaroni and cheese. It’s THE BEST macaroni and cheese I’ve ever had! Seriously, I’m not even joking. [PS. I wouldn’t joke about macaroni and cheese! Ha!]

To explain further, I’m the kind of person who despises leftovers — I really dislike eating the same meal over and over again, reheated and all. I think it’s gross.

But this mac and cheese? Makes a hugely generous portion. Last week we ate it for three days straight — lunch and dinner — and I wasn’t tired of it. It’s that good.

So it’s safe to say it’s officially on our regular dinner rotation! 🙂

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PS. If you don’t yet have a pressure cooker, the Instant Pot is the way to go! It’s electric, so no scary ‘OMG it’s going to blow up on my stovetop!’ moments. And that means that everything is digital — no guessing with heat/time/etc. I absolutely love it and it’s made my life a thousand times easier.

Share your favorite weeknight recipe below!!

Easy Gluten-Free Pumpkin Donuts //

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I’m going to admit something kind of serious… I’m a bit over Pumpkin Spice Lattes. And it has nothing to do with Food Babe’s “investigative” uncoverings… which I’ve known about for the last several years. It just doesn’t taste the same to me anymore.

That being said, I’m still all Team-Pumpkin. I love pumpkin flavored treats this time of year. And for whatever reason I’ve been desperately seeking a healthy-ish alternative to donuts. I realize that regardless of how you make it, a donut has sugar. And sugar isn’t healthy. But if you do it right, you can health-ify it a bit.

Enter the Easy Gluten-Free Pumpkin Donuts!

EasyGFPumpkinDonuts

EASY GLUTEN FREE
PUMPKIN DONUTS

1 Box/Bag Gluten-Free Yellow Cake Mix

1 Can Organic Pumpkin

Coconut Oil

Cinnamon/Sugar Mix
(I use Trader Joe’s

Pumpkin Spice

ingredients

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees (or 375* convection).

Mix, by hand, the cake mix and the organic pumpkin. Stir in 1 Tablespoon of Trader Joe’s Sugar, Chocolate and Coffee Bean Mix.
Add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon & 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice.

Stir until mixed completely. Use coconut oil to grease donut pan.

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Spoon mixture into 6-donut pan, halfway filling each mold.
Bake for 13 minutes in convection oven.

Test to see if donuts are done by gently pressing on one.
The donut consistency will be spongy and will bounce back.

They were a HIT in our house! Moosh loved them, but he loves everything. But Chad loved them, too! And that’s saying something! If you’re looking for a semi-guiltless pumpkin indulgence, try them out this Fall — or as we like to call it, Pumpkin Season! 😉

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