ould you believe it’s only a whole year since we’ve been hit with the Covid-19 pandemic here in the US? There have been so many changes that’s happened over the last year that it feels like it’s been much, much longer. Although it’s been incredibly hard, there are a few good things that have come out of all of the additional time at home for me, and that’s meal planning. Before quarantine life, I tried and failed at meal planning many times. This time around, with my kids at home all of the time, I was able to understand exactly when and how much we eat and to shop specifically for those needs. I’ve even gotten the kids involved in the meal planning process, as I shared here.
I’m by no means perfect, and I still forget to add ingredients to the list, but I’ve come a long way. I even started the New Year with a healthy meal planning class from TiaVFitness to figure out a healthy eating meal plan for myself as self-care in addition to what I prepare for my family. Anyway, this post is all about sharing these free meal planning printables with you.
Download A Free Printable Meal Planner
I started out using the notes app on my phone, a notebook or my planner but I’ve found that having the specific meal planner really helps me to stay on track so I decided to create this one and I’ve been loving it so far. Just download it and enjoy!
I like to plan all three meals to ensure we have enough groceries for everything we eat. One of my biggest mistakes when I first started was only meal planning for dinner and not the other meals so I love this brainstorm sheet.
I used the checklist style grocery list so you can cross off the items as you find them at the supermarket.
There is also a recipe card to keep handy while cooking.
I wanted to share another yummy recipe and this one is perfect for the holidays! These Peppermint Fudge Filled Cookies are delicious, try them and let me know what you think.
This Peppermint Fudge Filled Cookies recipe makes 14 cookies, if you would like to make more cookies, only use 1 tbsp of dough per cookies to get approx. 28 cookies.
Cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
Add in egg, egg yolk, peppermint and vanilla extracts and mix until thoroughly combined.
Add cocoa powder, flour, baking soda and salt. Mix just until combined.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Make balls out of 2-tbsp. dough each (or 1-tbsp if you want more but smaller cookies). Roll balls in the remaining ½ c. sugar. and place on the baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Make a deep cavity in each cookie, using your thumb or the back of a measuring spoon.
Chill cookies on baking sheet for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°.
Bake cookies on center rack of oven for 4 minutes, rotate baking sheet, then bake for an additional 4 minutes. If the indentations have lost their shape, push your thumb or measuring spoon in again to remake.
Cool in pan for about 10-min. then remove to wire rack to finish cooling.
Chocolate Ganache
Place chocolate, cream and vanilla extract into microwave-safe dish and microwave in 15-second increments, until melted. Stir with each 15-second increment. Chill until mixture thickens.
Whip chilled ganache with mixer until fluffy.
Either spoon or pipe ganache into each cookie and immediately sprinkle with crushed peppermint.
I hope you enjoy these delicious Peppermint Fudge Filled Cookies.
Try this yummy Chocolate and Peanut Butter Macarons Recipe! This post may contain affiliate links.
As the pandemic continues and we’re still spending the majority of our time indoors, the kids and I have been experimenting with different recipes. This weekend, I decided to make Chocolate and Peanut Butter Macarons with my son.
Start by lining two large sheet pans with parchment paper. Make sure the parchment paper lies flat so you can achieve perfectly round macarons.
Add the almond flour, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder to a fine mesh sieve set over a large bowl. Sift the dry ingredients into the bowl, discarding any large lumps that remain. Set aside.
Fill a small saucepan half way with water. Bring it to a boil over high heat.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the egg whites and granulated sugar. Remove the saucepan of water from the heat and place the bowl on top of the water. Whisk the egg whites until the sugar has dissolved— about 2 minutes.
Return the bowl to the stand mixer and whip on medium-high speed (Kitchenaid #6-8) using the wire whisk until stiff peaks form.
Once the meringue has reached a stiff peak, add half of the dry ingredients and fold it into the egg whites using a silicone spatula.
Once no large lumps remain, add the second half of the dry ingredients and repeat the folding until they are fully incorporated.
Next, deflate the meringue by smushing the batter against the sides of the bowl and then folding it back onto itself. Repeat until the meringue is at the “lava stage”.
Transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a round tip preferably the Wilton #10..
Pipe 1” circles about 2” apart on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
Hold the tray a few inches off the counter and drop it straight down to release any air bubbles. Repeat 5 times, or until you don’t see any large air bubbles.
Allow the macarons to rest at room temperature for at least 20 minutes, or until they have developed a skin. While the macarons rest, preheat your oven to 315F.
When the macarons are ready to bake, you should be able to touch them without the batter sticking to your finger. Bake the macarons in a pre-heated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until they are set and no longer wet in the center.
Leave the macarons on the baking sheet until they’ve cooled to room temperature.
Instructions for making macaron filling.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the peanut butter and softened butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and mix until incorporated.
With the mixer on low, slowly add in the powdered sugar. When all of the powdered sugar has been added, turn the mixer to high and allow the icing to whip until light and soft— about 2 minutes.
If the mixture is dry and not coming together properly, add the heavy cream and whip on high again until light and fluffy.
Transfer the filling to a piping bag and set aside.
Assemble & Store
Once the macarons have cooled, place them in similar sized pairs. Pipe a small dollop of frosting in the center of one macaron. Then, place the seance shell on top and gently press down so the filling spreads to the edges. Repeat with the remaining macarons.
Store the macarons in an airtight container in the refrigerator to age overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Important!
Be sure to to use Superfine Almond Flour preferably Bob’s Red Mill. Do not use Almond Meal.
Your egg whites can, but do not have to be, at room temperature.
When your meringue is at the “lava stage”, it should flow smoothly like caramel. You should be able to draw a figure 8 in the batter without the stream of meringue breaking.
Knowing your oven is very important when making macarons. Most home ovens are not accurate so an oven thermometer is highly recommended. Keep an eye on your oven and adjust the temperature as needed to ensure it stays at 315F.
Nutrition Information (per 1 macaron, 24 macarons per batch)
20 Super Easy Holiday Desserts to Make This Holiday Season!
I was standing in the supermarket checkout line yesterday, and I kept thinking about how different this holiday season will be. We wouldn’t have the same access to our friends and family as we usually do as we try to remain safe and keep them safe. This will be tough for my kids as they LOVE getting the spend time with relatives during the holidays. That’s why I’m looking forward to making memories with them in the kitchen this year. Since the pandemic started, we’ve spent more and more time together cooking and baking, and this holiday season, we’re looking forward to trying more recipes. In preparation, I decided to round-up 20 super easy holiday desserts to make:
I’m looking forward to trying some of these easy holiday recipes this Christmas and New Year with my family; if you decide to try them too, please let me know.
I’m going to be honest and share that lately I haven’t really been up to cooking dinners for my family. I much rather spend time doing things with them or things that I am passionate about. I know that’s not what a mom should say, but that’s my truth at this moment. I’ve been relying on quick dinners that I am able to prepare in less than 25 minutes. One of my favorites lately is Tilapia Avocado Salad that I make Bumble Bee SuperFresh® Tilapia w/ Garlic & Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
This recipe is so good and easy that I wanted to share for those days when you feel like I’ve been feeling.
Place tilapia in parchment paper provided with the seasoning side up.
Bake tilapia for 17 minutes in preheated oven (must be at least 145 degrees).
Bring water to boil and add quinoa, a dash of sea salt and one teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil.
Chop up avocados, onions, tomatoes and carrots.
Mix cooked quinoa, avocados, onions, tomatos and carrots.
Add sliced tilapia and serve.
I particularly enjoyed using Bumble Bee SuperFresh® Tilapia w/ Garlic & Extra Virgin Olive Oil for my salad because it is fresh tasting and smelling without the icky fishy smell that we all hate. It’s also naturally-seasoned and restaurant quality with ground black pepper, fresh garlic, sea salt and extra olive oil. This is a balanced meal that’s very satisfying and delicious. It’s so simple and you will have dinner on the table within a few minutes.
I’m a huge guacamole fan, we make guacamole a few times a week. It’s one of our family’s favorite snacks. In the past, I liked having guacamole with chips but I’ve moved on to having guacamole with just about anything. The love for guacamole around here is real!
I’ve perfected my guacamole to the point that I’m barely impressed by guacamole served at resturants whenever I go out to eat. Even when my friends come over, they would ask me for my recipe because of the unique texture. Today, I thought it would be cool to share my Greek yogurt guacamole recipe with you.
I’ll be honest, finding the right avocados is half the battle when it comes to making the perfect guacamole. If you’re using Hass Avocados, you’ll know that they are ripe when they are soft and greenish dark purple in color. If they are super soft or almost black they are probably overripe and not good for guacamole.
Once you have selected the perfect avocado, you need to have the right ingredients.
1. Cut avocados in half and remove skin. Remove the seed from middle. You should be left with only the fleshy parts.
2. Chop one garlic clove fine.
3. Chop red pepper and onion.
4. Combine everything in a bowl.
3. Add 4 tablespoons Yoplait® Greek Yogurt.
6. Mix all ingredients together and then add salt and seasoning.
Then you serve! Super easy!
My entire family loves this recipe. The Super Knight have been eating Greek Yogurt Guacamole since he was 6 months old and he still gets excited whenever I make it for him. The Princess Fairy loves to help me make it, she’s made it so many times that she now knows how to make it by herself.
Have you made Greek yogurt guacamole before?
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Yoplait®. The opinions and text are all mine.
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Quaker. All opinions are mine alone. #CollectiveBias #LoveMyCereal #QuakerUp
It’s no secret that I’m not a huge fan of cold weather and now that we are officially in the midst of winter and it’s snowing, I need all the warming up that I can get. I love salads and I’ve shared my favorite summer salad but during the winter I need comfort food and to me comfort food needs to be warm, yummy and satisfying. That’s why last year, I switched to warm salads during the winter. If you follow me on Instagram you know that my birthday was last Friday and I didn’t hold back so this week I want to slow things down a bit. On Saturday, the kids were having cabin fever and after The Super Knight brought me his boots for the third time, I made a shopping list, dressed them and headed out. My plan was to go to both Walmart and the supermarket but I was happy that I was able to find all comfort food I needed at Walmart including the ingredients for my favorite warm salad. I was excited to get a box of Quaker® Simply Granola, with almonds, oats and honey. Finding everything I needed at Walmart saved me from taking the toddler in an out of his car seat. I know y’all know how that can be especially in the cold.
So yesterday, while the kids were out at grandma’s, I took advantage of the opportunity to make my salad. See, this is a salad I usually have by myself since The Princess Fairy has nuts allergies and can’t eat almonds. If your child or another member of your family have nuts allergies as well, download this printout with Tips for avoiding cross-contamination when you prepare foods with allergens at your home.
Without further ado, here is my warm salad recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do:
I rarely get to watch television so I relaxed on the couch in my fuzzy slippers and my warm throw and enjoyed some 90’s sitcoms reruns. I really enjoyed this warm salad, cranberries and kale are so yummy but the Quaker® Simply Granola added texture and crunch. What I love most about this salad is that it leaves me feeling full, Quaker® Simply Granola makes it satisfying. #QuakerUp
[Tweet “I’m sharing a yummy nuts-free Halloween snack “]
We are officially gearing up for Halloween at our home. This weekend, the kids and I decided to do a little bit of Halloween decorating to really set the mood. We were happy to find non-scary decorations at Walmart, these are perfect for my two kids under 5.
Once we were finished decorating, the princess fairy requested a snack. Of course, food allergies is always a concern when preparing snacks for her.
So here is a Halloween inspired snack for kids with nut allergies:
It’s super simple but the flavors together taste like a yum bomb exploding in your mouth.
Ingredients:
All you’ll need is some candy corn and Breyer’s Blast Golden Oreos Ice Cream and candy corn. Make sure that the brand of candy corn that you select is safe (that is no traces of nuts).
It’s best to add the candy corn and ice cream in layers so it can be distributed evenly. Just a small bit of candy corn is enough because if you add too much your snack will be too sweet.
Your end result will be yummy and indulgent. Feel free to thank me for the cheat meal 🙂
Our Halloween snacks were served in our favorite Ball mason jars and I added these cute chalkboard labels that I found at Target to jazz things up. We are going to be using these labels throughout the entire season (they’re only $1). I also found these chalkboard coasters, also $1 #TargetStyleThese labels are also perfect for The Princess Fairy to practice her writing.
Apparently, they were pretty good because I was taking pictures after serving the kids and then this happened. The Little Knight couldn’t stop himself.
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