Friday, August 31, 2012

Spaghetti Squash With Apples


[This recipe was originally posted in conjunction with the Meijer Ad week of 9/2/12-9/8/12]

I don't usually post a new "sale recipe" if only one of the ingredients is on sale.  But that's exactly what I'm doing today...mostly because it's hard to know what to do with squash!  Squash is on sale at Meijer next week, and it will probably appear in the sale ad (and in lots of produce stands!) a few more times this fall.  Squash prepared this way is delicious, and it will make your kitchen smell amazing!  Enjoy!


Recipe Round-up (Meijer Ad 9/2/12 - 9/8/12)

What are you cooking up for the first week of the month?  What are you planning to pack in your kids' lunches?  There are lots of good ingredients on sale this week, so draw up a menu plan and let's get cooking!


Thursday, August 30, 2012

Almost Betty Crocker Brownies


(This recipe was originally posted in conjunction with August's theme of Snacks from Scratch.)

Our family loves fudgy, chewy brownies!  Fresh out of the oven or cold, plain or frosted, brownie sundaes, as a dessert crust...any way you serve it, we'll eat it.  And the basic Betty Crocker Fudge Brownies that come in the red box are our favorite!  That's why I knew I wanted to try this recipe as soon as I saw it mentioned on Money Saving Mom.


Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Oyster Snacks


(This recipe was originally posted in conjunction with August's theme, Snacks from Scratch.)

These little bites of deliciousness take only a few minutes to prepare, and are a healthy(ier) substitute for potato chips.  You can also use them as salad croutons, or in soup.  (I'm thinking they would really amp up the flavor of a bowl of tomato soup!)  Oh, and they give you really great breath!


Saturday, August 25, 2012

Recipe Round-up (Meijer Ad 8/26/12 - 9/1/12)

What's on sale is what's for dinner!  Here are a few things you can make with ingredients that are on sale at Meijer this week:

Friday, August 24, 2012

Almost Lofthouse Cookies


(This recipe was originally posted in conjunction with August's theme, Snacks from Scratch.)

Lofthouse Cookies.  You know, those soft, melt-in-your-mouth, super-sweet-but-still-so-good frosted sugar cookies that are sold in the bakery section of your grocery store?  They're stacked in plastic trays, and the color of the frosting and sprinkles depends on what holiday is around the corner.  You know what cookies I mean, right?  The ones that are so appealing, the ones your kids beg you to buy.  And sometimes you (OK, I) give in!  And then you (OK, I) eat just as many as the kids because they are soooooo good in spite of having all those preservatives and ingredients that we can't pronounce on the label!

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

HoHo Bars



(This recipe was originally posted in conjunction with August's theme, Snacks From Scratch.)

HoHos and Swiss Cake Rolls are my kids' favorite packaged snacks.  You know what I'm talking about, right?...that yummy combination of chocolate cake, fluffy white filling, and chocolate coating.  These bars are a delicious substitute for the store-bought treats!  They don't look anything like the cute little rolls, but in my opinion, they taste better than the original.  Better yet, they make a HUGE batch, so you get at least 36 bars for your time and money instead of six packages of two rolls.  Enjoy!

Monday, August 20, 2012

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Recipe Round-up Delayed

Hi All,

The Recipe Round-up will be posted tomorrow (Monday) instead of the usual Friday or Saturday.  I'm digging out from a week of camping :)  Thanks for your patience!

Lisa

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Caramel Corn Bites


(This recipe was originally posted in conjunction with August's theme, Snacks from Scratch.)

This is the perfect snack to pass around the campfire, to munch on in front of a football game (or the Olympics!)...or to sneak handfuls at a time when your kids aren't watching.  AHEM.  The original recipe uses an 8 oz bag of plain or butter-flavored hulless popcorn (Okie Dokie brand), but I adjusted the recipe to use a 6 oz bag of the corn because most store brands come in the smaller bag.  Enjoy!  Disclaimer:  these are extremely addicting!

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Recipe Round-up (Meijer Ad 8/12/12 - 8/18/12)

Did you miss the Recipe Round-up?  Thanks for being patient while I took a couple weeks off :) 

Here's what you can make with what's on sale next week:

Friday, August 10, 2012

Homemade Chewy Granola Bars



In keeping with August's theme, Snacks From Scratch, I present to you "my" homemade granola bar recipe!  I tried about four different recipes before I settled on this one.  The "losers" weren't bad, but this was was definitely our favorite...and I probably won't ever buy granola bars again!

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Fresh From the Farmer's Market: Old-Fashioned Cucumber Salad


We've been getting a LOT of cucumbers from our CSA lately.  And even a really big lettuce salad only needs about half of a cucumber.  Some people make pickles with their cucumbers, but I didn't have time to try that this year...maybe next year!  Instead, I've made a couple batches of this fresh-tasting cucumber salad.  The vinegar in the dressing gives it a little kick, balancing out the cucumbers perfectly.

Friday, August 3, 2012

August Theme: Snacks From Scratch

The votes are in!  I received more votes via email than in the comments of my "Vacation" post, but that's OK...I'm just glad that you cared enough to vote!

Snacks From Scratch is the winner...but only by a few votes!  Costco and Aldi was a popular choice as well.  Because so many of you would like to hear more about Costco and Aldi, I decided to dedicate a month to that topic.  Look for that series in September or October.

Here are my thoughts on making snacks from scratch (just in time for back-to-school!):