Sweet Tooth Tuesday: Peanut Butter Balls

These little balls are bursting with peanut butter flavor and sweet enough to satisfy any sweet craving. This is a treat that the kids can help make. My 5 year old helped with these and had lots of fun doing so. The great thing about these is that they leave no mess! Yay! 

Peanut butter balls

5-6 cups rice crispy cereal

1 cup sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup peanut butter

Put rice cereal in a large bowl. Set aside. Combine sugar and corn syrup in a pot over medium high heat. Bring to a boil. Once it is boiling add peanut butter and remove from heat quickly. Pour peanut butter mixture over rice cereal and toss to evenly coat. Place your hands under the sink and run cold water on them.  Form balls with your hands and place on a sheet of wax paper to cool  Makes 24.

Foodie Friday: Lizard Stew

One of the things I love most about winter is being able to cook soups. I am always trying new recipes and this was a new recipe we tried out of the worlwide ward cookbook earlier this week that my family loved. Let me clarify that this soup does not have lizards in it! I have no idea why it is called that but oh man is it good! I told my 5 year old we were having lizard stew and she flipped out, but after I explained there is no lizards in it she was ok with it and actually ended up eating her whole bowl full. The great thing about this soup is that it is very easy to make! Easy is great right? I'm sure your whole family will like this just as mine does and will become a family favorite. That's the kind of meals you want anyways right-yummy and easy:)

Lizard Stew

1 pound ground beef, browned

1 10oz can green chiles and diced tomatoes (I only put in half the amount of green chiles. I didn't want it too spicy)

1 15oz can chili beans

1 26oz can minestrone soup

1 pound velveeta cheese

Combine all ingredients but the cheese in a large pot. Once soup starts bubbling add cheese and heat through. Serve with corn chips if you desire. This can be cooked in a crock pot as well on the low setting.  You would just add the cheese about a half hour before serving. Serves 6

DIY Thursday: Brown sugar & vanilla sugar scrub

 This year for Christmas I ended up giving my sister in law and one of my sisters this sugar scrub. Sugar scrubs are really easy to make and you can make some really yummy smelling ones. Homemade scrubs work just as well as store bought ones at making skin super soft. Sugar scrubs work great on heels, elbows, anywhere you want to soften your skin. This particular scrub only needs 3 ingredients: sugar, coconut oil and vanilla. Simple enough right? I had fun making this and it really does leave your skin nice and soft. I'm excited to experiment, try new scrubs, and share with you.

Vanilla Brown Sugar Scrub:
 1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1-2 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and add more brown sugar if needed. Put in a jar/container and wrap with ribbon or whatever else you may like.

*Tip-You can save containers and reuse them instead of buying new ones by just removing the labels off of them*

Sweet Tooth Tuesday: Oreo Cheesecake Cookies

These cookies were super easy to make.  They don't have egg so you can feel a little less guilty eating the dough....=) These are great to make when you have little helpers to roll the cookies in the crumbs.
1/2 c. butter

3 ounces cream cheese

1 c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. flour

1/2 c. mini chocolate chips

1 c. oreo cookie crumbs

Preheat oven to 375.

In a bowl, cream butter and cream cheese.  Add in sugar and vanilla.  Mix until well combined.  Add in flour.  Stir in mini chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.  Place oreo crumbs in a bowl.  Roll cookie dough into 2 in. balls and roll in cookie crumbs.

Bake for 12-15 minutes

Enjoy!!

Munchkin Monday: Reindeer Food

I know Christmas break starts today for most schools around us and those kiddos of yours are probably already looking for something fun to do, but then maybe some of you have kids that have their break all planned out and know what they're going to do each day. Whether you have bored kids or kids that have their break all planned out I have a great little activity for you to do. With Christmas Eve tomorrow what would be more perfect to do than make a little bit of reindeer food to help Santa's reindeer make sure and find your house! My family has made some of this before and then I know Trinity just made some cause her little boy and my daughter go to same preschool and he handed some out to everyone of his classmates. Reindeer food is way easy to make and your kids will love making some! They will love knowing Santa and his reindeer won't miss their house.

To make reindeer food all you need is:

Oats

Bird seed

Glitter in any color but it's more festive in red and green (or you can use colored sugar crystals)

There is no set measurements so just combine a little bit of each and viola you now have food for Santa's reindeer!

If you are giving this away to some friends or family make sure to include these simple instructions: 

"Sprinkle on the lawn at night, 

The moon will make it sparkle bright,

 As Santa's reindeer fly and roam, 

This will guide them to your home."