recipe

Halloween Candy Cookie Pizza

I  love Halloween. It’s definitely close behind Christmas on my list of favorites. Growing up my family celebrated the entire month of October with decorations, Halloween music, indoor haunted house, camping with ghost stories, apple orchards, pumpkin patches, hay rides and lots of leaf jumping. Halloween night was the icing on the cake. We would come home from school, finish our homework, have dinner and start the costume process. Rain or snow, we would layer up under our clown or bunny costumes and head out to collect our treats. My favorite part of the entire night was pouring out my bag of loot and organizing my candy by favorites.

Halloween Candy Cookie Pizza

This year I’m able to re-live my trick-or-treating days through the eyes of our four year old Sophia! The past three years have been really fun on Halloween but I continuously get more excited as the years go by. This year she’ll really understand what/when Halloween is and why people are giving her candy if she says ‘Trick or Treat!’

The first step in minimizing challenges is to prepare. The Girl Scout in me always sees the worst outcome of every situation and prepares accordingly. First up was preparing for the trick-or-treaters that come to our home. We live in a big neighborhood so I always buy 6 of the biggest bags of candy. We also participate in the Teal Pumpkin Project where we offer glow necklaces for children with allergies. Kids have the choice of chocolates or a necklace. If you’re super cute, funny or make up a Halloween cheer you can have both!

The second step is the busy night of waiting for Daddy to get home, eat dinner, put on costumes and head out for trick-or-treating while giving time for a little candy sorting before bedtime. We solve this issue by having a pizza waiting for when Daddy gets home so we’re able to spend more time on Halloween fun.

The third challenge in the midwest is preparing for weather. Since Sophie is such a big fan of dinosaurs, her Grandma found a dinosaur costume at a consignment shop that is perfect for her! We were sure to get it a little big so she will be able to wear warm clothes underneath. It also has a hood as the dinosaur head to keep her ears warm. There aren’t any restricting parts to the costume or extra accessories that she could lose on our walk. We also have a backup lighter costume of cat ears and a pink tutu if she refuses to wear the dinosaur costume.

The final challenge is figuring out what to do with all of the candy left over from trick-or-treating. When I was little, my mom and I always made cookie pizza for my Birthday and Halloween. This is my favorite dessert to make for parties because I can customize it using people’s favorite candy bars.

Halloween Candy Cookie Pizza

Ingredients:

  • NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Halloween Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
  • 1/4 c peanut butter
  • 3/4 c NESTLÉ® Milk Chocolate Morsels
  • Candy bars of your choice
  • Candy Eyes and Halloween Sprinkles (optional)

Let the cookie dough sit out of the fridge for a half hour. Spread out cookie dough on a pizza pan being sure to use cookie spray on the pan. Bake according to directions on packaging. I used the shortest amount of time to start and kept an eye until it was the perfect golden brown.
Halloween Candy Cookie Pizza
While the cookie is warm out of the oven, dollop the peanut butter and sprinkle the chocolate morsels evenly.

Halloween Candy Cookie Pizza


Halloween Candy Cookie Pizza

Smear the two together to make the ‘pizza sauce’. If you’re a fan of peanut butter, switch the ratio of chocolate to peanut butter. 
Halloween Candy Cookie Pizza

Chop the candy bars into decent sized pieces and sprinkle evenly throughout pizza. Add the candy eyes and Halloween Sprinkles.
Halloween Candy Cookie Pizza


Halloween Candy Cookie Pizza


Halloween Candy Cookie Pizza


Halloween Candy Cookie Pizza

Cut and serve. Best eaten warm and with milk. 
Halloween Candy Cookie Pizza

Halloween Candy Cookie PizzaHave you been a fan of Butterfinger since Bart was the spokesman? It’s my favorite topping on Halloween Candy Cookie Pizza. What do you do with your leftover Halloween candy?

Other Halloween posts:

Halloween Party Treats

Halloween Home Tour

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Halloween Candy Cookie Pizza Recipe

Mexican Salad with Honey Lime Dressing

Mexican Salad with Honey Lime Dressing- This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ExperienceFrontera #CollectiveBias

We LOVE Mexican food. It’s one of the only types of food our picky 3 year old will definitely eat! It is so helpful to have freezer meals on the ready for nights when you just need a break. When I meal plan and order groceries on ClickList every Sunday I make sure to add in one frozen meal that will require no additional cooking (other than throwing together a salad.) This gives me more time to spend with my family and a break on dishes!

Frontera Frozen Meals

Having the chance to go to the park or play a board game is rare during a weeknight for our family. My husband gets home at 6 and bedtime is 7:30. Dinner, bath and story time takes up that entire hour and a half. I schedule a frozen meal once per week to make family fun time possible. If I’m able to throw in Frontera® Frozen Bowl to heat up while we do chalk outside waiting for Daddy, we’re able to eat as soon as he gets home and enjoy some fun before bed. Frontera Frozen meal night is our favorite week night! Our favorite is the Barbacoa Taco Bowl. It is a signature central Mexican dish where tender beef is roasted, then slow cooked with ancho, guajillo, and chipotle chiles. This kick is paired nicely with my mexican salad.

Mexican Salad with Honey Lime Dressing

Mexican Salad with Honey Lime Dressing

Mexican Salad with Honey Lime Dressing

Ingredients:

  • romane lettuce
  • diced tomatoes
  • corn
  • avocado
  • black beans
  • shredded cheese

Honey Lime Dressing:

  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • cilantro garnish

Frontera Frozen Meals

Frontera Frozen Meals

Sophie’s favorite is the Chicken Fajita Bowl with fire-roasted poblano peppers and chipotle chiles. It has big chunks of chicken and is served over rice. There are four flavors to choose from:

  • Frontera® Chicken Fajita Bowl
  • Frontera® Tinga Taco Bowl
  • Frontera® Barbacoa Taco Bowl
  • Frontera®Veggie Taco Bowl

Next time you’re making your weekly meal plan, plan a Frontera Frozen Bowl night. I promise, streamlining meals by using ClickList, easy pick up at Kroger and a night of no dishes, you’ll have a much happier week. Click here to save $1.00 on any ONE (1) Frontera meal. Download this awesome deal before it’s gone!

Frontera Freezer Meals

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Frontera Frozen Meals

Peanut Butter Jelly Waffle Sandwich

Peanut Butter Jelly Waffle Sandwich- This post has been sponsored by The J.M Smucker Company, Pepperidge Farm®, and Ziploc® brand. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It’s back-to-school season and for us that means figuring out what to add to our daughter’s lunchbox that will keep her satisfied until after school snack. Our picky 3 year old does not always eat her PB&J sandwich but if I make her PB&J in the waffle iron she can’t refuse! I’m also sure to make her lunch balanced with veggies, grain, fruit, dairy and protein. High fructose corn syrup seems to be in every dessert item and most shelf items. I make it a priority to only buy breads that do not contain high fructose corn syrup like Pepperidge Farm® Farmhouse Breads.

healthy bento box option for kids

One trick we’ve learned is to put her lunch in a bento box so each food is in it’s own special container. She gets excited to open the lid and see what treasures are in the small containers. In Japan, the word of bento, the container itself, has been around since the 16th century. The act of making a special meal with love using the compartmentalized box is what I like most about using a bento box.

Meijer Back-to-School Shopping

With school just around the corner I will be very diligent with my Sunday meal planning and prep. Meijer has our favorite selection of exotic fruits and vegetables. Each Sunday I’ll pick up our groceries, chop the fruits and veggies and divide them into food storage containers for quick healthy snacks. For long road trips we usually pack a bento box but for short trips to the park or museum we always use Ziploc® brand containers Go To Variety Pack. Our favorite is their 14 piece variety pack that has one medium square (salad size), one small square (sandwich size), two small rectangles (strawberries or carrots) and two extra small squares (nuts & granola). Being someone that does not like to spend time in the kitchen, having food storage containers that can be tossed in the dishwasher and easily stacked in a drawer once cleaned is key.

For a video on how to make a Peanut Butter Jelly Waffle Sandwich click ‘play’ below or continue down to the recipe:

Peanut Butter Jelly Waffle Sandwich

Ingredients:

  • Jif® Peanut Butter (we use creamy for her but I would prefer crunchy)
  • Smucker’s® Seedless Strawberry Jam
  • Pepperidge Farm® 12 Grain Farmhouse Bread

Directions:

  • While the waffle iron pre-heats, spread the Jif® Peanut Butter and Smucker’s® Seedless Strawberry Jam on two separate slices of Pepperidge Farm® 12 Grain Farmhouse Bread (or any flavor you choose).
  • Close the Peanut Butter Jelly sandwich together and place in center of hot waffle iron.
  • Slowly press handle down until iron is mostly closed.
  • Cook for approximately 30 seconds to 1 minute or until you can smell the toasty goodness of PB&J.

healthy school lunch

peanut butter jelly waffle sandwhich

If you’re frantic with what to eat for dinner or what to put together for school lunch, I highly suggest my Sunday Meal Plan/Prep routine. When you shop at Meijer, be sure to use these special offers and your mPerks: 

  • Jif®- $0.35 off any Jif Peanut Butter 16 oz or larger 8/27 until 9/17
  • Smucker’s®- $0.65 off any Smucker’s® Fruit Spread 12 oz or larger 8/20 until 9/17

healthy school lunch for kids

I’ve always been a Jif® and Strawberry Smucker’s® girl. Isn’t it strange how you continue to buy whatever you ate as a child for your children? I’m thankful my parents fed us Jif® and Smucker’s®! What is your go-to for school lunch?

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Healthy Kid Lunch Idea

Easy Peanut Butter Recipes for Kids

Easy peanut butter recipes for kids are a must for getting protein into my child. I remember the days fondly when Sophie used to eat like a champ. She wasn’t able to verbalize what she wanted to eat but we knew her go-to foods and it helped her to sleep through the night. For about six months she has been such a picky eater. We’ve tried several tactics on getting her to eat but the most successful is sticking to the foods she likes. We wish her favorite foods were salmon and spinach but we all know a toddler’s palate is more in-tuned to milk and peanut butter. That’s why I’ve decided to get crafty with different peanut butter recipes for her lunch box and after school snack. I’m going to share three easy peanut butter recipes for kids using foods that you likely already have on hand.

Peanut Butter Banana Sushi
Easy Peanut Butter Recipes for Kids

I love figuring out one staple food that works for my daughter and mixing it up for different recipes. Here I did 1 peanut butter 3 ways. The first recipe is:

Peanut Butter Banana Sushi Roll Ups (a favorite after school snack)

Ingredients:

  • Whole wheat tortilla roll
  • Peanut Butter
  • Banana
  • Honey

Spread peanut butter on the whole wheat tortilla evenly but not all the way to the edges. Lay the banana in the center and drizzle with honey. Roll up banana with the tortilla and cut into bit sized pieces. *Can also sprinkle coconut or sprinkles for added fun.

Peanut Butter Banana Sushi Roll
Toddler Lunch with peanut butter banana sushi rollBecause of the cooking time, I usually make the second recipe for Saturday breakfast or after school snack.

Strawberry Peanut Butter Quesadilla

Ingredients:

  • Whole wheat tortilla
  • Peanut Butter
  • Sliced strawberries

Warm a pan on stove top to medium heat. Spread one half of the tortilla with peanut butter and the other half with sliced strawberries. Fold in half and cook in the warm pan. Flip the quesadilla once it starts to brown slightly. Cut into triangles and serve. *Can swap out the strawberries for any fruit. Sophie really likes blueberries or bananas as well.
Peter Pan Simply Ground Peanut Butter and Strawberry Quesadilla
Peanut Butter Strawberry Quesadilla Toddler BreakfastThe third recipe is more of a dessert but I will give it to Sophie as a special after school treat sometimes. She thinks it’s really special because it’s frozen but it couldn’t be healthier!

Frozen Peanut Butter Banana Bark

Ingredients:

  • Freeze dried banana chips
  • 1-2 c plain greek yogurt
  • Peanut Butter
  • 1 tbsp Honey
  • Unsweetened shredded coconut

Line your pan with parchment paper. Add one layer of banana chips along the bottom of the pan. Heat your peanut butter until it’s slightly melted. Mix the peanut butter and honey with yogurt until desired consistency (can add more peanut butter for a nuttier taste). Dollop spoonfuls of yogurt mix onto bananas and carefully smooth over top. Sprinkle shredded coconut over the yogurt and stick in the freezer over night. Break apart bark and serve. *Bananas can be substituted for any freeze dried fruit. You can experiment with fresh fruit but you will get a different consistency because of the added moisture.

Peter_Pan_Peanut_Butter_Bananas (1 of 1)
Peanut Butter Banana Bark
Frozen Peanut Butter Banana BarkMy favorite part about each of these recipes is how healthy they are. They seem like treats to her because they’re so sweet but they have fresh, whole ingredients that help fuel my growing toddler. She has been eating this crunchy peanut butter better than the smooth. It’s also a win in my book because there are no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives so I’m confident in feeding it to my little girl.

We’ve been working on going through the entire process of our activities with Sophie because that is what she is learning at her Montessori school. I took Sophie to our local Walmart to have her grab the ingredients and put them in the cart. We checked out, headed home and laid out all of the ingredients for one recipe on the island. Sophie cut the strawberries with an egg slicer while I spread the peanut butter. She laid out all of her strawberry slices and helped me fold the quesadilla in half. Soph helped me load our dishes in the dishwasher. I cooked and cut her quesadilla and we shared the meal we had just made together. Having her help with each part of the process through the end helps her understand that there are many steps in her food being laid in front of her at snack time.

 

Do you have your kids help you in the kitchen? What about buying the food, helping with the meal and doing the clean up? It’s a long process but we’re focusing on making sure we do this once per week with Sophie.

Looking for similar kid-friendly recipes?

Gourmet Campfire S’mores

Nutella Parfait Dessert

Gooey Granola Bars

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Peanut Butter Recipes

Easy Fall Chili Recipe

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #GameTimeClean #CollectiveBias

I love having people over. Especially during football season when the air is crisp, the leaves are crunchy and the smell of chili is filling our home. Chili is my go-to meal during the fall and winter months. The best part about this easy fall chili recipe is being able to whip it up in the morning and have it ready to be dished out for dinner when you get home. It’s also the perfect dish to bring to a tailgate or fall pitch-in because you’ll always come home with an empty dish.


Easy_Fall_Crockpot_Chili_Recipe_Tailgate_pinterest (1 of 1)

Easy_Fall_Crockpot_Chili_Recipe_Tailgate (1 of 1)

Easy_Fall_Crockpot_Chili_Recipe_Toppings (1 of 1)

Fall Chili Recipe

When we go tailgating we bring along our camping tub that has our outdoor essentials. Paper plates, plastic silverware, cups, toilet paper (you never know), hand sanitizer, Viva® Vantage® Towels and my homemade lemon cleaner. When you get a bunch of rowdy sports fans together, playing bags, throwing the football and spilling their chili, you’ve got to have fiber-packed paper towels like Viva® Vantage® Towels to clean those tough messes.
Easy Fall Chili Recipe for the Crock Pot

Easy Fall Chili Recipe

Easy Fall Chili Recipe for the Crock PotEasy Fall Chili Recipe

Servings: 6 people
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Passive Time: 6-8 hours

Ingredients:

  • 1  lb ground beef (could be substituted for any meet. ex: polish sausage, ground turkey
  • 2  40 oz cans chili beans (Brooks is our favorite brand)
  • 1  15 oz can black beans (rinsed)
  • 2  14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 1  medium onion
  • 2  tbsp minced garlic
  • 2  tbsp chili powder
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Brown meat and sautée onions. Toss all ingredients into a crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Garnish with sour cream, shredded cheese, green onions, bacon, hot sauce or crackers.

And don’t forget the Viva® Vantage® Towels found in the paper towel section at your local Walmart, to help handle the mess.

Viva Paper Towels at WalmartHomemade Natural Lemon Cleaner Recipe

If you’re planning on hosting a tailgate using this easy fall chili recipe, don’t forget easy clean up with Viva® Vantage® Towels (coupon) and print out these free Tailgate Printables to help make your football party more festive!
Free Tailgate Printable for Football Season
Free Tailgate Printable( click photo to download your free tailgate printables)

All this talk about chili has gotten me excited for Sunday’s football game. Be sure to stop by Walmart to pick up a pack of Viva® Vantage® Towels for your next tailgate. What is your go-to tailgate recipe?

 


Easy Fall Chili Recipe for Tailgate


Lemon Homemade Natural Cleaner

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