No Bake Chocolate Cherry Bites-RECIPE

Do you ever have those days where you just feel like you are running around with your head cut off?  Maybe, it's the new school year and the not-so-summer schedule.  Maybe it's that we now have a 5-day-a-weeker in the house which makes our day-to-day schedule a bit more rigid.  Maybe it's the swim lessons, soccer practice, and gymnastics lessons.  Maybe it's that we now have 4 kids.

Who knows.  What I do know is that some days are just plain crazy at our house.  

I told you earlier how I had been playing with some fun spins on my Energy Bites Recipe this summer in this post here.  Yup, so far I shared my Nut-Free Energy Bites with y'all and you have given them your seal of approval.

 Well, today I'm going to share another easy peasy 'bites' recipe with you...hooray!

This one is called, 'No Bake Chocolate Cherry Bites' and guess what?  They only have 4 ingredients.  Can I get a 'holla!  Yesirree Bob, these little beauties will help with that 'running around with your head cut off' feeling you might have (or maybe that is just me?) since they are super duper fast to make and help satisfy little and big tummies everywhere!

We try our hardest to only make our snack-y dessert-y food these days.  It doesn't always happen but we give it the old college try as often as we can.  And since Clif has dived deep into the world of Paleo eating and I have happily jumped on board we have been enjoying the ride trying to come up with simple yet deee-licious tasting sweets :-)

These No Bake Chocolate Cherry Bites are perfect.  Totally Paleo-friendly and Gluten-Free.  You could even make them dairy-free with the use of a non-dairy butter alternative.

Dark chocolate, dried cherries and crispy rice cereal...who can resist that?

Don't they just look divine?


Now that I've teased you enough, I suppose I should give you the recipe.

Go forth and make a batch or two, you will not be sorry!

No Bake Chocolate Cherry Bites (makes 20 bites)
*90 calories per bite

2 cups Gluten-Free Rice Krispies
1 cup dark chocolate chunks (can use semi-sweet chips or bittersweet chocolate chunks too depending on your preferred level of sweetness!)
1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped (no sugar added are best!)
2 Tbsp butter

Combine the dark chocolate and butter together in a microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave for 1 minute and then stir until the chocolate is melted.  In medium-sized bowl, mix together the Rice Krispies and chopped dried cherries.  Pour the chocolate over the cereal/ cherry mixture and stir until well combined.  Using a small ice cream scoop, place dollops of the mixture onto a waxed paper lined cookie sheet.  Let cool in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.  Enjoy!!

Thanks for stopping by today!

XOXO,

2 Ingredient Low-Fat Cupcakes-RECIPE

I love quick cake mix desserts, hello cake mix cookies!  And one of my oldie but a goody favorite easy recipes is a box of yellow cake mix and a can of pumpkin for a hearty yet easy muffin...they freeze well too! Well,  I was surfing Pinterest one night (you can follow me here!) and I came across one recipe that just used a box of cake mix and a can of diet coke to make cupcakes.  Really?  That sounded pretty cool to me, I mean who doesn't want to cut down on calories in their sweets every now and then so that they can just have twice as many servings ;-)

We are a little strict with soda (or pop as it's called here in Illinois!) and hardly ever buy it.  I don't think my kids have even had more than a sip of it in all their wee lives and we hope it stays that way for a long, long time :-)  We are especially not into Diet drinks and the aspartame in them, especially for my kiddos.  So I took a slight spin on that recipe and tried it with club soda.   I figured that maybe the recipe worked with the diet soda because of the carbonation.  And guess what?  It totally did.  The outcome is 24 (not 48 like a standard cake mix recipe makes!) deliciously moist cupcakes...super YUM!

Here is the oh-so-easy recipe in case you want to give it a whirl, and I suggest you do at 70 calories per cupcake!

PS.  This totally works with organic AND gluten-free cake mixes too, boo-yah!

2 Ingredient Low-Fat Cupcakes (makes 24)

1 box of cake mix

1 1/2 cups of club soda

Mix the dry cake mix with the club soda until well combined.  Pour into well greased cupcake tins and bake following the box directions.  

**Mine were ready a few minutes early so just watch that!

 So easy I tell you!  And if you want a dee-lish easy and low-fat frosting you have got to try this one!

Just mix one container of Cool Whip Lite or Fat-Free with one box of your favorite dry pudding mix...that's it!

 Mix together and you have the perfect cake or cupcake topping!

 Combine it with my 2-ingredient cupcakes for the perfect low-calorie treat!

Enjoy!
And thanks for stopping by today!

XOXO,

Oatmeal Creme Pies {Gluten and Dairy Free}-RECIPE

I love me a sandwich cookie.  How about you?  There is just something so fun about eating not one cookie but two and then on top of that getting to enjoy a creamy-filling between them.  

Plus, aren't sandwich cookies the best kinda cookies to stack?

These gluten-free and dairy-free Oatmeal Creme Pie cookies are reminiscent of those good 'ol Little Debbies but with more of a crispy cookie although still nice and sweet.  And the creme is not too sweet but just the right addition of sugary goodness.  I made the creme out of coconut oil instead of the usual crisco-type product and man, was that a good change!  My husband loved these and couldn't get enough.  Which is saying a lot as he grew up being quite the Little Debbie connoisseur :-)  

Oatmeal Creme Pies {Gluten and Dairy Free} (makes about 3 dozen)

For Cookie:

1/2 cup non-dairy butter substitute

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

2 cups gluten-free all purpose baking flour

1 tsp xanthum gum

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups gluten-free oatmeal

1 tsp vanilla

In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix together non-dairy butter substitute, oil, brown sugar, and white sugar until mixture is creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time.  Then slowly add in flour, xanthum gum, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix in oatmeal and vanilla until well combined. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until just golden brown.  Let cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a cookie rack to cool.  

For Filling:

1 7 oz jar marshmallow cream

1/2 cup coconut oil (in a soft not liquid state)

1/3-1 cup powdered sugar (or more to make a creamy filling consistency!)

1/4 tsp salt

Mix the marshmallow cream, salt,  and 1/3 cup of powdered sugar together with an electric mixer, slowly add more powdered sugar until the filling is creamy.  Spread between two oatmeal cookies.  Enjoy!

Just a little peek at the Gluten-free all purpose baking flour and xanthum gum I use in my kitchen. 

Here are the gluten-free oats I use too.

For this recipe, you will also need vegetable oil, brown sugar, white sugar, 2 eggs, vanilla and a non-dairy butter substitute (we really like the Earth Balance brand!)

You will also use baking soda, baking powder, and some salt.  

Mix all the ingredients together in the bowl of an electric mixer and drop by the teaspoonfuls onto  greased cookie sheet.  These cookies spread and get thin so don't try to make them too big!

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes...see how thin and crispy they get!?

To make the creme for the Oatmeal Creme Pies you will need...

Coconut oil, marshmallow fluff and salt.

Plus some powdered sugar.

Just a side note on mixing the ingredients!  You want you coconut oil to be soft NOT liquid!  If your kitchen is warm and you find your coconut oil has turned to a liquid just be sure to add less of it or add more powdered sugar so that you get a nice creamy filling.  You may need to play with these ingredients a bit as the coconut oil can be tricky depending on what state it is in!

Once you get the filling to your desired consistency, spread between to oatmeal cookies and enjoy those delicious oatmeal creme pies you just made!

XOXO,

Plum Organics Yogurt and Puff Parfait-RECIPE plus Giveaway!

Not too long ago, Plum Organics, maker of delicious and easy-to-eat baby/toddler foods asked me to contribute a recipe to their Little Foodie Cookbox.  Totally kool and the gang. 

We give Plum Organics a huge thumbs up in our house.  Squeezy pouches filled with tasty blended fruits and veggies and totally delish and good-for-you ingredients snacky puffs makes this momma one happy camper when it comes to feeding the leeetle ones around here. 

I thought what better recipe to share than one for a Yogurt and Puff Parfait combining their awesome yogurt pouches with  layers of fresh and sweet fruit.  Especially now with all that delicious summer fruit coming into season.  Click here to see the recipe!

What's even cooler though is that Plum Organics is giving a way a goodie box to ONE of you!  Chock full of lots of neat stuff like...

Their awesomely delicious organic fruit snacks....

A variety of pouches filled with yummy fruit and veggie blends just perfect for little hands...

And lots of coupons, coupons, coupons galore!  

Want to win it?!

1.  Just leave me a comment telling me anything...seriously....anything!

Want a few more chances to win?

Okay...

2.  Like Plum Organics of Facebook, HERE
3.  Like Smashed Peas and Carrots on Facebook, HERE

I'll choose a winner on Saturday, June 2, 2012 

Good Luck!

PS.  I was sent products to create my recipe but all opinions are truly 100% my very own!  :-)

 XOXO,

Creamy Fruit Dip-RECIPE

Oooh, the weather is getting warmer and summer feels like it is on the way which consequently means that this baby will also be here before I know it, who's excited to find out if this is a little brother or a sister!!   We have a long (and I mean loooong) list of names right now thanks to many of you and your suggestions on Facebook, thank you so much for that by the way!  There were so many names for us to peruse, it was awesome!  It made date night really fun and will make the moment we decide to name our baby a fun one as we like to linger on which name fits the little miss or mr just right!

Right now I'm enjoying the warmer weather change of fruits available at the grocery store, how about you?  No more boring bananas, apples, and oranges...hello, strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries!  Yay for change and more variety!

One of my favorite additions to our berry-loaded summer fruit plate is the ever-delicious Creamy Fruit Dip!  It is so good.  Nice and light and goes well with so many different fruits, graham crackers, pound cake, angel food cake, you name it.  It's also great to whip up for a party too!  :-)

Creamy Fruit Dip

1 tub of frozen whipped topping (ie. Cool Whip), thawed

1 bar of cream cheese, softened

2 tsp vanilla

In the bowl of an electric mixer place all the ingredients and mix well.  Easy Peasy!  This may be a bit lumpy depending on how soft your cream cheese is but it still tastes great lumps and all!

See!  Even mine has some lumps in it but it is so delish no one will care.

This recipe is just too easy not to make.  And even though this post doesn't require a step-by-step tutorial the pictures are just too pretty not to share :-)

Are you feeling them?  I just love summer fruits and their bright colors...maybe that is why I love visiting the Farmer's Market so much!

Thanks for stopping by!

We'll talk soon!!

 XOXO,

White Chocolate Cereal Mix-RECIPE

Don't you love easy cereal snack mixes?  Like this Sweet Cereal Mix found here or the Lemon Buddies Mix I shared here.  I love how quick they are to make and the fact that they make plenty for a crowd...or just my hungry family!  I thought I would share my version of White Chocolate Cereal Mix (you might also hear of it as "White Trash Mix")  as many of you had emailed me about it after seeing it in my sister's bridal shower post here.  It really is quick and of course easy to swap our ingredients for what you have in your pantry, me likey that a lot.

We seem to make this mix for any holiday...Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Easter...you name it, it is good any time of the year!  To up the cuteness factor I like to use food coloring and mix it in the melted white chocolate chips...so pretty!  That's what we did for my sister's bridal shower seen here.

Remember?  We colored it pink to match her "Pretty In Pink" bridal shower theme...part of our pink foods buffet table.  I love a good theme :-)

How's about that recipe?  

You got it, dudes  :-)

White Chocolate Cereal Mix

3 cups Chex cereal (any variety)

3 cups Cheerios type cereal

1 cup pretzels

1 cup peanuts (or other nut of your choice)

1 cup M&Ms (or raisins, cranberries, chocolate chips, reese's pieces...the list goes on!)

1 bag of white chocolate chips (we love Ghiradelli brand for it's nice melting)

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.  Place the white chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave at 30 second intervals until completely melted.  Pour white chocolate over dry cereal and mix until well coated.  Pour out onto greased parchment paper and let cool in bite-sized chunks.  Enjoy!

Oh, the makings of a great party mix begin with just a few simple ingredients..

I love buying seasonal M&Ms and coordinating this mix with each holiday...who wouldn't want to enjoy this mix year round I say.  I like to stock up on the Easter M&Ms afterward on clearance (what a bargain!) because they work well for lots of different themed Spring/Summer parties and Baby Showers, love those pastel colors!  

Simple Simon...just mix all the dry ingredients together like so.

Melt a bag of white chocolate chips in the microwave and pour over the dry mix until well coated.

Then just pour the mix on a large piece of greased parchment paper or a large greased jelly roll pan and spread it out so it cools in smaller bite-sized chunks.

Then scoop it up into bowls, bags, or little cups...

Enjoy!

XOXO,