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easy recipes

The Perfect Summertime Grilled S’mores Recipe

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With Summer plans in limbo for everyone, we’re all scrambling to find fun things to keep our families busy. What better time to get creative with Summer recipes, am I right?

All three of my kids are in this really picky ‘grilled cheese’ phase. You know the kind of phase. It’s where literally all they will eat is plain old grilled cheese and nothing else.

GRILLED S'MORES SANDWICH

The funny thing about kids is that no matter how much they refuse real food, they will never ever turn down sweets. To tell you the truth, neither will I! I mean, we all love sweets, am I right?!

GRILLED S'MORES SANDWICH

The great thing about ‘Summer recipes’ is that it doesn’t have to be Summer to create them. As much as we would like to be around the campfire, life doesn’t always work out that way. In fact, on the best of days a good backyard campfire can quickly be ruined by a quick rainstorm or a fussy toddler. So, why not bring the backyard favorite indoors?

GRILLED S'MORES SANDWICH

For instance, a fun family favorite is S’mores. Everyone loves s’mores, right? Even I, someone who doesn’t really like chocolate, LOVES a good s’more. Truthfully, I prefer a non-traditional s’more with chocolate caramels instead of a chocolate bar. But a s’more is a s’more!

Tips for getting your s’more on indoors!

My first tip is this — don’t eat the chocolate (or the marshmallows!) before you start your s’mores! This is the most important and most difficult task!

My second tip is to use real butter. Margarine just doesn’t fry up and crisp the bread the way that real butter does! And I prefer salted butter — it just gives it a little salty-sweet flavor combo that is extra delicious!

Yield: 1

Grilled S'mores

GRILLED S'MORES SANDWICH

Have this decadent and RICH Summer recipe year-round!

Cook Time 7 minutes
Total Time 7 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 slices of white bread
  • 1/4 cup of mini marshmallows
  • 1/4 cup of chocolate (dark or milk)
  • tablespoon of butter

Instructions

    1. Butter one side of each piece of bread with real butter (works better than margarine).
    2. Place 1 slice of bread onto a frying pan
    3. Set the heat to low (electric level 1 or 2). The process is slow and steady!
    4. Place chocolate chips and marshmallows on top of the slice of bread and top with second piece of bread (butter side up).
    5. Cover with lid to frying pan until chocolate starts to melt.
    6. Flip over once chocolate is melted. Fry other side until it is toasted (lid off).

Notes

This is completely addictive. I am warning you! Also, feel free to try with peanut butter cups or your favorite chocolate (like peppermint patties or ROLOs!).

As you can see, this recipe is simple and easy. I wish I could say it was also healthy, but it most definitely is NOT!

So tell me — what is your favorite chocolate for s’mores — milk or dark?

PIN ME - Perfect Indoor S'mores Recipe
PIN ME - Perfect Indoor S'mores Recipe

Easy Memorial Day Cherry Pie Bites

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When it came time for a Mother’s Day celebration I had ONE request — cherry pie! It turns out that bakeries are hard to come by when you’re in lockdown. We couldn’t find one anywhere! And I had very few items on-hand.

But I did have cinnamon rolls! Queue the cherry pie baking!

I remembered seeing somewhere that someone had made pies using a can of cinnamon rolls. I thought, sure, why not? It’s basically combining two of my favorite foods — pie and cinnamon rolls. What a delicious combination, right?!

mini pies

Cinnamon rolls are just something we always have on hand with three kids under 7. They are our special ‘weekend breakfast’ treat. It’s easier than going out for donuts, and all three kids gobble them up! And these were no exception!

muffin tin

With all of the bakeries running a minimal staff this weekend, I figured this is another great opportunity to try this recipe! I tried ordering an apple pie from my favorite local bakery, but they were sold out of pre-orders. So Cherry Pie Cinnamon Roll Bites it is!

cherry pie

Check out the full recipe for all of the details.

Yield: 8

Cherry Pie Cinnamon Roll Bites

mini pies

Quick + Easy Bite-Sized Cherry Pie

Prep Time 8 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 23 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 can of refrigerated cinnamon rolls
  • Cherry Pie Filling

Instructions

  1. Spray a regular-sized muffin tin with your choice of oil (avocado, vegetable, coconut).
  2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  3. Open can of refrigerated cinnamon roll dough. Take each individual roll, and flatten it out with the palm of your hand.
  4. Press into muffin tin.
    muffin tin
  5. Add one tablespoon of cherry pie filling to each of the 8 cinnamon roll cups.
  6. Bake for 15 minutes or until cooked through.
  7. Once cool, drizzle icing from cinnamon rolls on top of cherry pies.
  8. ENJOY!

And tell me — what’s your go-to “in a pinch” recipe?!

PIN ME - Cherry Pie Cinnamon Roll Bites

Overnight Baked French Toast — Dairy Free

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Yesterday was THE day — Mother’s Day! And I’m sure most of us were hoping for a nice, relaxing, day… but didn’t get it! Because, well, life with kids AND stay-at-home orders can be tricky!

Having three kids ranging in age from one to 7, I knew not to expect a relaxing day. Instead, I prepped our breakfast for Sunday morning on Saturday. That way I was in charge of cleanup and be rest assured at no-mess and no-fuss Sunday morning.

PIN ME - The BEST Overnight Baked French Toast - DAIRY FREE

I don’t usually eat breakfast because of my intermittent fasting schedule, but Mother’s Day is a special occasion. Also, Overnight Baked French Toast is a great excuse to eat breakfast! I picked up a loaf of our favorite bread from The Blue Door Cafe and Bakery just up the street. The owner and pastry chefs make all of their artisan breads daily and it is well worth a special trip! Any bread will do, but I would definitely suggest fresh bread if possible.

If you haven’t had or made overnight French toast, you may be wondering what makes it so different. Well, it’s basically like a cross between traditional French toast and a sweet quiche! It’s incredible. My kids, of course, drenched their in syrup, but I actually preferred it without syrup! It’s sweet enough on its own, thanks to the vanilla and brown sugar.

Yield: 6

Overnight Baked French Toast

Overnight Baked French Toast

Delicious, dairy-free overnight baked French toast! Perfect for lazy Saturday mornings.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 loaf of artisan / homemade bread (a brioche, challah, or swiss braid bread are perfect)
  • 8 eggs
  • ¾ of a Cup of Ajoyo Unsweetened Almond Milk
  • ½ Cup of brown sugar, tightly packed
  • 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
  • Powdered Sugar (optional)

Instructions

  1. Use coconut oil to grease the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Slice bread into ½ inch pieces. Arrange the bread slices in an overlapping pattern in the pan. Set aside.
  2. In a bowl, beat together the eggs, Ajoyo Unsweetened Almond Milk, brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon until well-mixed.
  3. Pour egg mixture over bread, evenly coating all pieces. Cover the pan with tinfoil and refrigerate overnight (8-10 hours).
  4. In the morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake, covered, for 25 minutes. Uncover and finish baking for another 10-15 minutes (until baked through).
  5. Remove from the oven. Sprinkle powdered sugar on top. Serve + enjoy with or without syrup!

I think this recipe is going to be a weekend staple in our house! I’ve also made it with pre-sliced, store-bought bread, but we all prefer the fresh bread. Either way, it’s delicious!

What kind of breakfast recipes are your favorite?

Instant Pot Dump + Start Creamy Ziti

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Oh, hi! Just Martha freaking Stewart over here! I have some other content in the works, but I’ve honestly been cooking and creating recipes nonstop. It’s hard not to share such delicious (and easy!) recipes.

I created this recipe for the big kids. We’ve been eating so much pizza — from frozen to takeout — and I’m kind of over it. Knowing that they LOVE pizza, I decided to basically make “pizza pasta.” And, oh my gosh!, it was a huge hit.

My 4-year-old, Remy, was super excited about this meal because I let her help. Thankfully, it’s basically a dump-and-start meal, so it was easy to get her involved in the process. Plus, when she helps, it encourages her to eat something new and different. She’s so picky about food lately so I’m desperate for anything I can get.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy this recipe. It’s SO not healthy! Ha! But it is incredible. It’s hearty, it’s fulfilling, and it’s just super yummy

Yield: 8

Instant Pot Dump and Go Creamy Ziti

Instant Pot Dump and Go Creamy Ziti
Prep Time 8 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 cups of chicken broth
  • 2 cups of heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tsp of garlic powder
  • a pinch of salt
  • 16 ounces of ziti
  • 2 cups of pasta sauce
  • 1.5 cups of shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1.5 cups of mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  1. Dump all of the ingredients (minus the pasta sauce and cheese) into the Instant Pot. Make sure pasta is covered with liquid!
  2. Turn on your Instant Pot to Manual - high - for six minutes.
  3. Let naturally release for an additional 6 minutes, then quick release.
  4. Pour pasta sauce into cooked pasta mixture. Then slowly add cheeses until melty, ooey, and deliciously gooey.
  5. Serve immediately and ENJOY your delicious "Pizza Pasta"!

The before pictures? They aren’t so pretty. Dump and cook meals are not always pretty — but they ARE delicious!

So tell me this — what’s your trick for making kids eat what you make?!

PIN ME! -- EASY INSTANT POT CREAMY ZITI

Easy Whipped Coffee

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Social distancing and stay-at-home orders mean changes to all our everyday routines. But one of the things that I did, nearly everyday, was get a delicious, cold brew coffee from Starbucks. Sure, I’d make my own brewed coffee at home in the mornings. But there’s something extra yummy about coffee that you didn’t brew yourself, am I right?!

It turns out I’ve had a LOT of time on my hands to play around with different ways to make my daily coffee. I’ve done cold brew, drip brew, and making coffee over ice. And then the whipped coffee trend hit Instagram. And my life has changed forever.

PIN ME - The most perfect Whipped Coffee Recipe - Instagram-worthy Coffee!

Whipped Coffee, which is also known as Dalgona Coffee, combines instant coffee, granulated sugar, and hot water to make a delicious — and STRONG! — caffeinated treat! When I first heard about whipped coffee, I heard warnings of “Be careful, it’s very strong!” and I would scoff and think, “I can handle strong coffee.“

I’m here to say this — I was wrong. As someone who can handle strong coffee, this is whole other level of strong coffee. A friend described her post-whipped coffee, caffeine-high, as ‘being able to hear colors.’ It made me laugh, but I’m not sure I’d go that far. However, it is very, very, strong.

Easy Whipped Coffee

Missing your fancy coffee? Try this Easy Whipped Coffee at HOME!

Tips for the perfect ‘whip’

It’s rich. It’s so very rich! And I have some tips for whisking that would have been helpful for me, had I known!

Use a large bowl.

Seems like you wouldn’t need a big bowl, right? Wrong. On my first attempt, I used a small bowl. I figured it would be large enough to whip together 6 Tablespoons. But that whisk moves really fast. So use a large bowl to avoid splatter!

At first the consistency is … odd — but don’t worry!

It may seem like you are doing it wrong, but I assure you — you are doing it right! The instant coffee mixture is so dark at first. The more you whisk it, the lighter — and fluffier! — it gets. I promise it will get peak ‘peak’ness! 😉

Add ice and Ajoyo Almond Milk!

Again, I am a pro at strong coffee. I mean that! My parents raised me to drink strong, dark, black coffee. But this? This is a whole different beast! There is no “black” whipped coffee. Instead, it pairs perfectly with Ajoyo Vanilla Sweetened Almond Milk. Check out more about Ajoyo’s mission and about where you can purchase it here.

Yield: 2

Easy Whipped Coffee

whipped coffee with Ajoyo Almond Milk
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons of instant coffee
  • 2 Tablespoons of near-boiling hot water
  • 2 Tablespoons of granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ Cups of Ajoyo Sweetened Vanilla Almond Milk 
  • ice

Instructions

      1. Heat a mug of water in either the microwave or a kettle until a near-boil.

      ​2. Add 2 tablespoons of instant coffee, 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, and 2 tablespoons of hot water into a medium sized bowl. 

      3. Use a hand mixer with whisk attachment or immersion blender to whisk ingredients together at a medium-high speed until instant coffee mixture develops peaks. 

      4. Pour 1 ½ cups of Ajoyo Sweetened Vanilla Almond Milk over ice. Spoon whipped coffee on top. Mix together before drinking. Enjoy!

So tell me — if you’ve tried it, what did you think?!

Instant Pot Southwest Chicken Noodle Soup

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I don’t know about you, but in times of crisis, I need to be busy. During this odd time in our history, being busy looks much different. No longer are we able break up our days by running to the store or the park.

Now breaking up my day means finding joy in things I maybe didn’t before. I’ve always, always, been a baker. Cookies, cakes, breads, and muffins were my go-to. Now I find myself creating new, yummy meals for my family.

Sure, some — like this Instant Pot Southwest Chicken Noodle Soup — have been hits! Others have not fared as well with the little ones. But when I do find something that everyone will eat, I add it to our weekly routine.

Soup in bowl with peppers and radishes

Instant Pot Meals

When my husband bought me an Instant Pot 4 years ago I responded with a hesitant “Thanks?” He had been a pro at pressure cooking on the stovetop, but I wasn’t even sure I wanted to learn how to use it. After making only rice and hard-boiled eggs for a year, I finally decided to up my Instant Pot game.

Once I really go started with my Instant Pot, I was hooked. I told everyone I could that they should get one. I convinced my mom and my sister to jump on board.

soup with peppers

Instant Pot Southwest Chicken Noodle Soup

When I first threw this recipe together, I was nervous. My kids are picky. One of them loves chicken, but hates corn. The other will eat corn all day, but never touch chicken. Meanwhile, I still need to keep our meals dairy-free for the baby.

To my delight, everyone — husband included! — loved this meal! I hope you’ll try it!

Yield: 8-10 servings

Instant Pot Southwest Chicken Noodle Soup

Soup in bowl with peppers and radishes

Dairy-free

Prep Time 28 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 32 ounce carton chicken stock
  • 4 chicken breasts
  • 1 can of corn
  • 4 tablespoons of nutritional yeast
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 cups of Ajoyo Original Unsweetened Almondmilk
  • 12 ounces of (your choice of) pasta
  • Cilantro
  • Jalapenos
  • Radishes

Instructions

    1. Add the entire carton of chicken stock to the Instant Pot along with four medium-sized chicken breasts, a can of corn (do not drain!), nutritional yeast, and Ajoyo Original Unsweetened Almondmilk. Set pressure to manual – high – 12 minutes.
    2. Instant Pot will take about 15 minutes to come to pressure. During that time, clean radishes, jalapeno peppers and cilantro. Thinly slice the radishes. Set aside. Slice jalapenos (remove the seeds to reduce heat). Set aside. Chop cilantro. Set aside.
    3. Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil. Cook pasta according to the box. Drain. Set aside.
    4. Once the Instant Pot 12-minute timer goes off, let it slow release for 5 minutes. Then quick release the pressure.
    5. Remove chicken breasts with tongs. Using two forks, shred the chicken breasts and return to the Instant Pot. Salt and pepper to taste.
    6. Serve immediately. Garnish with radishes, jalapenos, and cilantro. Enjoy!

Tell me — what’s your favorite way to use your Instant Pot!?

PIN ME - Instant Pot Southwest Chicken Noodle Soup