Root Beer Float Popsicle Recipe

July 2, 2020

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“Pop?” my little guy asks.

When I don’t move quick enough, “POP!” he demands, as he runs to the freezer door and pulls at the handle with all his might.

‘Pop’ equates to ‘Popsicle’ and it’s safe to say that my kids are 100% freezer snack fans. It is also safe to assume that because of this and the heat of summer, Popsicle’s are flying out of my freezer as quick as the sea birds take off to the sky when you run full force through the sand towards them.

I have been eyeing up homemade Popsicle making since I stumbled upon some recipes on Pinterest. (If you visit my Pinterest Board, fair warning, there are a few adult only recipes).

It took me awhile to find the right Popsicle mold, and this one is perfect. For some reason, the metal ones intimidate me. All I envisioned was sharp edges, cut little hands, and required hand washing. Let’s be honest – it was actually the hand washing that terrified me.

I can honestly attest to the ease of this unit.

We recently experimented with our newest toy (the Popsicle maker) and are completely hooked on the Root Beer Float Popsicle creation.

Friends, fair warning this is the easiest recipe in the world – a hot (or should I say cold – I crack myself up) two ingredients.

Root Beer Float Popsicle Recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

2 Cans of Root Beer
Vanilla Ice Cream

Pour the two cans of Root Beer in a bowl and stir until the soda turns flat (that means no bubbles). Pour the Root Beer 3/4 of the way up in each mold. Add one spoonful of vanilla ice cream to each mold and stir. Top each mold with a spoonful of vanilla ice cream. Place molds in freezer for 20 minutes (just enough to set-up). Add the Popsicle handles to each mold and freeze for approximately 5 hours. That is it! So simple, and very refreshing for hot summer days.

Enjoy!

Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry

April 18, 2017

Alright, who needs some midweek dinner recipe lovin? I know I do! I go for a few things when I attempt my meal planning on a Sunday night.

1) Ease – When you work full-time, add on a commute, allow time to pick-up Lo and get home, sometimes it is 6:30 pm or 7 pm before I am even standing in my kitchen. I actually enjoy cooking but I do not enjoy it when it feels like another chore on an already busy day.

2) Semi-Healthy – I know. I sound like a jerk. Semi-healthy? Really? Could not just go for the healthy? I am real, people. Real I tell you! Maybe I have not yet mastered my meal planning and maybe I have not studied up on nutrition enough, but for me, #1 and #3 matter so much. If that Mac’ N Cheese calls for whole milk, butter and cheese – I am doing it! I do though always opt for fresh over processed and really strive for veggies and color. So there. Give me some slack.

3) Delicious – Yep. Mac’ N Cheese! 🙂 Nathan and I enjoy food. We love to eat. We barely eat breakfast and lunch is always on the go or at a desk, so dinner is kind of special and homemade always tastes best.VIEW STORY »

Kid Friendly Recipe – Personal Pizza

February 20, 2017

Who remembers middle school home ec class? My fondest memories include sewing everyone in my family a pillow that year. Lucky them! Now who remembers the egg-in-the-hole recipe? You know, you cut a hole in the center of a piece of bread and crack an egg in the hole, flipping the toast? Please tell me you remember! Heck, even Food Network has a recipe on their website. No lie – Here. See! I told you. I actually found myself laughing hysterically at the reviews as if this was a Julia Child’s recipe.

If the Food Network can legitimately highlight the ol’ egg-in-the-hole recipe (suddenly this sounds dirty!) then I can share my super easy, like super, super easy lunch recipe that makes it rounds in our home. No shame!!

My daughter is at the age where we have an opinion for everything! Gone are the “easy” days of going with the flow or just doing as asked. I use to be able to prepare Lo’s breakfast, lunch and dinner, sit her in the highchair and place her meal in front of her, without even a peep. No options. No questions asked. Not now. Instead, my little vibrate two year old has her mind made up before I can even say, “Are you hungry?” And, it never fails that I am left starring at my screaming child negotiating a menu with her. It drives me insane! I hate when I lose control of the toddler train.

Nowadays we have two food groups in our house – chicken nuggets and fries (I know that is two things but they go together in one long winded statement) and pizza. Chicken nuggets and fries or pizza. I suck at the food pyramid guide.

So, when you are working with two options and a toddler who seems to play mind tricks on you and your words, you change it up for their and your own sanity.

ENGLISH MUFFIN PERSONAL PIZZAS

English Muffins halved (I use whole wheat or multi-grain)
Pizza Sauce
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Pepperoni
Dried Basil and Oregano to taste
Salt and Pepper to taste

This is the easiest lunch or dinner recipe for your kids! The great thing is that they can get involved with their food and start to appreciate cooking at an early age. Lo is adamant about pulling a chair over to the counter or stove and joining in the cooking action with me. So, this recipe is perfect because it is basically assembling.

Half the English Muffins in the quantity of pizzas you want to make. Spread a spoonful of pizza sauce onto each half. Sprinkle shredded Mozzarella cheese on each muffin half. Add salt and pepper to each personal pizza. Then add dried basil and oregano to season. Add pepperonis to top and then bake on a baking sheet for 10 – 15 minutes at 375 degrees.

You can have so much fun with personal pizzas. Set aside cooked ground sausage, bacon crumbles, pre-cut veggies, etc to really build your own personal pizzas. This option is a great meal for sleepovers when you have multiple kids with multiple pallets staying under one roof.

Here are some additional food inspired posts:

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Easy Pot Roast Recipe

September 22, 2016

Happy first day of Fall. It is Fall, right? I mean apparently it is officially, but where are the bright orange and red leaves? Where are the cool temperatures? Where are my favorite Steve Madden boots? No, seriously, where are my boots?

All this lack of Fall feels has me longing for Fall even more. So when this past weekend came around and the temperatures dipped into the mid to low 70’s, I was all flannel and comfort food craving.

So, I turned to the easiest meal there is. Crock Pot Roast.

EASY CROCK POT ROAST
Serves 4

1 Tbsp of Olive Oil
2.5 Lb Chuck Roast
1 Pack on French Onion Soup Dry Mix
1 Can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 Cup of Water
1 Yellow Onion
6-8 Carrots (peeled and chopped)
1 Tbsp of Rosemary
Sea Salt and Pepper, to taste

Want to know the secret? You need to sear your meat and turn your crock pot on low before you begin. Add 1 Tbs of olive oil to a heated pan. Season all sides of the roast with sea salt and pepper. Divide the 1 Tbsp of rosemary and season the top, bottom and longest sides of the roast with the rosemary in addition to the salt and pepper. Sear each side of the roast, including sides. Once seared, transfer to the crock pot. In the same pain sear the yellow onion, which has been peeled and quartered. Sear all three sides of the onion, then add to the crock pot. Add peeled and chopped carrots to the same pan and allow the heat to season and sear the carrots, before transferring them to the crock pot. Add one pack of french onion soup mix, one can of mushroom soup and 1/2 cup of water to the crock pot. Stir and cook on high for five hours or low for eight hours.

I like to serve up pot roast with homemade mashed potatoes. Recipe below! Yes, this is a two for one. And, yes you are welcome.

HOMEMADE MASHED POTATOES

Serves 4

4 Russel Potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 Stick of Butter
3/4 cup of Milk
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Peel and chop potatoes. Heat a pot of water and season with salt. Add the chopped potatoes. Cook until tender. I use a fork and when I can easily poke, they are ready. Drain the potatoes and mash with a fork. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the butter and milk slowly, using an electric hand mixer. Once the mashed potatoes are at a mashed consistency you like, you are finished.

Just like that, dinner!

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One Skillet Sausage Penne

July 17, 2016

Winner. Winner. I have your Sunday dinner.

No, seriously, I have your dinner all planned. Most likely you have all the ingredients too and if not, well, then high-step yourself to the market.

I love pasta! I love everything about it. The heartiness, how it soaks up all the flavors that are fused in the pot, how its BFF for life is cheese and they are unstoppable, how cozy and warm I feel when it sits there looking all gorgeous at me.

You are gorgeous!

There is absolutely zero Italian bloodline running through my veins but I adore Italian food. I think if I ever made my way to Italy, I would eat my way through every town, spending a ridiculous amount of money on food. But, hey, that’s just me.

This dish is so delectable, and incredibly easy. Everything about it screams, “Get in my Belly now!”

ONE SKILLET SAUSAGE PENNE

1 lb of Ground Sage Sausage
1/2 of a Red Bell Pepper (diced)
1/2 of a Yellow Pepper (diced)
1/2 of a Orange Pepper (diced)
1/2 of a Yellow Onion (diced)
2 Cloves of Garlic (minced)
2 Cups of Penne Pasta
1 – 24 oz Jar of Pasta Sauce (I used Five Cheese Flavor)
1 Cup of Water
1/3 Cup of Half & Half
1/2 Cup of Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Dried Basil, to taste

Instructions:
In a large skillet cook sausage on medium heat, until meat is brown. Drain off fat. Add diced bell peppers and onion to skillet. Cook for about two to three minutes, then add the minced garlic. Stir to combine all ingredients and add salt and pepper, to taste. Add the jar of pasta sauce and stir. Once combined, add 1 cup on water and combine. Add dried penne pasta and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer covered for 20 minutes. Once the pasta is tender, add the half and half and cheese. Plate and sprinkle dried basil, to taste.

Buon appetito!

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Shrimp Salad Sandwich

July 20, 2015

Loyal readers, you know me by now. I am a simple girl just trying to get by.

New readers, oh, hello! Thanks for joining my party. I am a new mommy, wife and full-time business professional. Basically, I am just like your wife, your sister, your friend, heck, I am like a lot of woman out there who seem to stack on more and more responsibilities as the years go by, forgetting that our days are not getting longer. Well, in essence they are but we still are dealing with 24 hours, people. Quit adding to your plate!

I am part of a club, a club of really tired Momma’s! The RTM Club. There, I stake claim to the name. So, what I deal with is real life issues such as stress and demand and hungry bellies. See, I can deal with the stress and demand and actually try my very best to remedy a solution but damn you, hungry bellies, you never go away.

So, back to the RTM Club, we like to find ways to eliminate processes without sacrificing quality. Am I right, RTM’s?

This here is a recipe that does just that. I whipped this up while unloading groceries, feeding a baby some sweet potatoes and packing a bag for a little evening pool dip. See? You will love me and this recipe!

Shrimp Salad Sandwich:
Serves 2

1 Lb of Shrimp (I get mine steamed and seasoned at the market to save time!)
2 Stalks of Celery – Finely Diced
1/4 Cup of Mayo
Lemon Juice to taste
Old Bay to taste
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Cup of Lettuce
2 Croissants

As mentioned above, if you can get your market to steam and season your shrimp for you, do it, as it will save you so much time in the kitchen! Peel and chop the shrimp and set aside. Dice two celery stalks and add to bowl. Add 1/4 of a cup of Mayo and then continue to add more Mayo by the spoon if this does not fit your desired consistency and flavor. HERE is where you store the mixture in the refrigerator so you can feed and change your baby and head to the pool. Not down with that? Skip ahead. Add the juice of about a half a lemon and stir. Season the mixture with Old Bay, salt and pepper. To assemble sandwich add a layer of mayo to one side of a croissant, add a spoonful of mixture, a handful of lettuce and the croissant half.

Serve alongside an ear of corn and savor the flavors of sweet summertime!

Seriously, this dish is so easy, I even had time to make a simple strawberry shortcake for dessert. Four ingredients: Strawberries, Honey (for sweetening and to pull the juices), Sara Lee Pound Cake and Cool Whip.

I am not a Saint, nor mother or wife of the year, but I swear my husband wanted to know what alien possessed his wife’s body to make such a dinner from start to finish. Raise your forks, RTM’s, this one is for you. Enjoy!

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Prosciutto, Mozzarella & Basil Bites

July 12, 2015

This may be one of the world’s easiest appetizer recipes. An oldie, but a goodie in our home. Pre-baby dinner-in resulted in a highly orchestrated meal. We did it right let me tell you. Multiple appetizers, wine in glasses, music on and general bliss as we talked about our day, joked and cooked dinner together. It was truly an evening affair. Post-baby, goes a little like this: Feed baby dinner, which now-a-days ever since baby has learned the fabulous art of raspberries consists of blowing pretty much half of the food that enters her mouth back out on me; immediately dunk baby in bath to further the destruction of the baby food which is wedged up her nose holes and in her ears; dry and dress baby for bed, which turns into a wrestling match now that baby is rolling and hates clothing after a bath; feed baby bottle and rock baby to bed… who is hungry?

Pretty much any simple recipe I had pre-baby has made the cut… no, survived the new madness. Kind of like us!

Why I like this recipe? You get the salty from the prosciutto, the creaminess from the Mozzarella, the kick from the basil and the sweet from the balsamic and now a blogger who sounds like Giada De Laurentiis.

Prosciutto, Mozzarella & Basil Bites
Serves 2 – 4

1 – Package of Sliced Prosciutto
1 – Ball of Mozzarella
Fresh Basil Leaves
Balsamic Vinegar to taste

Slice the prosciutto slices into long strips and set aside. You will use the strips to wrap the ingredients and hold everything together. Slice the Mozzarella Ball into bite-sized strips. Assemble by gathering a Mozzarella slice and a piece of basil. Wrap the ingredients with the strip of prosciutto. Drizzle your favorite balsamic vinegar across the bites and voilà, there you have it! Enjoy!

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Balsamic Sprouts and Squash

May 22, 2015

I love when an experiment works. This side dish was created from leftover ingredients in our refrigerator. I literally opened the veggie drawer, assessed and started sauteing. Because that is what I do people, I saute. Pretty simple.

A little background. I never use to be a fan of Brussels sprouts.Yuck, yuck, yuck. The thought of them made my nose wrinkle in disgust. Why? Who knows!

Somewhere along the way it changed. I cannot really pinpoint when but it happened. Now, I could eat them as my veggie for every meal. I have a couple Brussels Sprout side dish recipes saved in my back pocket, but I do think my latest kitchen creation is worth a Blog Post.

BALSAMIC SPROUTS AND SQUASH:
* Please notice I am not making note of serving size or amount of Brussels Sprouts or Squash to use because this recipe can be adapted to any serving size.

1 Tbsp of Olive Oil
Brussels Sprouts
Summer Squash / Yellow Zucchini – sliced then halved
2 Garlic Cloves – Minced
Balsamic Vinegar to taste
Salt & Pepper to taste

I can see why people steer clear of certain foods. They are intimidating. Mango, Avocados, Brussels Sprouts – why, why, why do you look so complicated? Well, let me tell you that I found this little gem of a video and it truly helped.

Prep the Brussels Sprouts. I follow this video by washing, cutting the Brussels Sprouts in halves, cutting the stock and scoring.

While you prep the Brussels Sprouts, add 1 Tbsp of Olive Oil to a pan on medium high. Once heated add the Brussels Sprouts and cook for about 2 – 3 minutes. Then add the halved Squash, minced garlic and season with salt and pepper. I like my Brussels Sprouts slightly seared so I add then first to get the cooking time started. Remove from pan and drizzle with Balsamic Vinegar to taste. Enjoy!

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Puppy Chow

March 1, 2015

Do you ever associate certain foods or recipes with a particular person? I know I do.

Maybe it is a recipe that no one else can touch. I have that type of food association with potato salad. No matter where, when or with who… if I am enjoying potato salad somewhere, I am not quite fully enjoying because unless it was made by my grandma, Meema, well there is no comparison. No one can touch her potato salad recipe.

Maybe it is recipe that you can rely on that person to make for every special occasion. My mom’s cheesy potatoes make their debut at every holiday meal. She really has no choice. It is one of her specialties that us kids just love. I feel sorry for her that she will never be able to venture out with other dishes, because it is expected that when we sit down to eat, her cheesy potatoes will be on that table.

Maybe it is a recipe that you associate with a memory. You know, an item that takes you back to a certain place. For me, Puppy Chow hits home in this category and reminds me of my paternal grandmother. Known to us grandkids and to many as TuTu.

Unique name for a grandmother, huh? We think so too, but you know we would have it no other way. The story goes that when I was a baby I referred to her as Grandma… that was until she traveled to Hawaii to visit her sister and brother-in-law who lived on the island. There she heard little girls saying “TuTu.” She eventually inquired and learned that “TuTu” is the most common used named to refer to one’s grandmother. It stuck. She liked it and when she returned from her trip she quite simply stated that she would be called TuTu. So, there you have it!

I can’t quite remember the exact moment I had Puppy Chow, but I know it was with TuTu. In fact, when I sit here and write this and think back I just keep thinking of me as a child in her kitchen reaching my hands up onto the counter and pulling down a tupperware container full of this sweet treat.

I am sure I am not the only one who knows her that associates this food with her. It has made its fair share of debuts at family gatherings and picnics. This is not a recipe she created, in fact the recipe exists out there under many names, but as sweet as this dessert is so too are the memories I also have of her. To me, anytime I hear or enjoy Puppy Chow I know I will think of my TuTu. And, as I make it… I smile at the wonderful memories this simple recipe has given me.

PUPPY CHOW:

8 Cups of Rice Chex Cereal
1 Stick of Butter
1 24 oz. Bag of Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1/2 Cup of Peanut Butter
2 1/2 Cups of Powdered Sugar

Measure out the cereal adding 4 cups to a large mixing bowl and reserving the remaining 4 cups to the side. Cut up the stick of butter into three sections for easy melting. Add the butter, bag of semi-sweet morsels and peanut butter to a sauce pan and stir until combined on low heat. Be sure to stir and pay attention to the melting. You do not want to burn the chocolate. Once melted add to the rice cereal in the mixing bowl and stir lightly. Add the remaining 4 cups of cereal that were reserved to the side and combine ingredients. Add 1 cup of powdered sugar to a gallon bag and pour half of the cereal mixture into the bag, seal and shake. Continue to add the powdered sugar and cereal mixture to the bag, seal and shake until all ingredients are combined. I add powdered sugar and the cereal mixture in batches as I find it is easier to coat vs. combining all ingredients at once.

You may think I am thanking you for checking out the Blog, which I am, but also consider Puppy Chow as a gift! After returning to work from Maternity Leave, I plan on thanking my office for all of their assistance while I was away. Just package the Puppy Chow in a container. Here I used tupperware, baker’s ribbon and a gift tag.

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