April Fools' Day "Juice"

Tonight, I am making  jello in clear glasses with straws sticking out to serve to my kids tomorrow.  Hehehe.

Easter {Egg-free}

Easter is only a week away!  Because the date changes every year, it always sneaks up on me.  I am still trying to decide what we should have for Easter dinner.  I always serve ham for Easter, so that is decided.  I am thinking about maybe baked potatoes and green beans.  Some other things things that have been on menu in the past...

Resurrection Rolls (EF) - We make these with the kids Easter morning.

Lemon Cream Pie (EF,) - I made this for our Easter dinner last year.  It is one of my husband's favorites!

Easter Cupcakes (EF) - We made these fun cupcakes the past two years.  I think we may skip these this year and have only one dessert in an attempt to cut back our holiday indulgences.

Easy Banana Pudding (EF) - I think this creamy light pudding is a pretty color for Easter.  Plus, I really like it!  I may make this for our Easter dinner dessert this year.

Slow-cooker Ham and Beans (EF, DF, GF) - This is what I plan to do with my leftover ham.  Yummy!

Fettuccine Alfredo

This is a recipe my Mom's friend gave her years ago.  It is a great basic Alfredo sauce.  Because it uses milk rather than cream, I like to think I can feel a little less guilty eating it.

My friend loves Fettuccine Alfredo.  Recently, we had them over for dinner and I made this for her.  We served it with Easy Grilled Chicken (EF, DF, GF) and a tossed salad.  It was a big hit with the adults and kids.

Fettuccine Alfredo

1 stick butter

3 T flour

2 c whole milk

½ c Parmesan cheese

In a saucepan, melt butter.  Stir in flour with wire whisk, until fully incorporated and starting to bubble.  Gradually, add milk, stirring constantly.  Simmer until sauce starts to thicken.  Add cheese and stir until fully incorporated and thickened.

Cook 1 package of fettuccine, as directed.  Place pasta on a plate top with chicken and sauce.  Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese. 

In the picture, I mixed the pasta into the sauce for easier serving, especially for the kids.

Cheeseburger Soup

Tomorrow is the first day of Spring and I am so ready!  I really am just fine with Winter, but this year seems to have been pretty rough for most of us and I am ready for some warmer days.  But I am sure there will still be some cool damp days this Spring and this delicious soup will warm you right up.  I made this for a crowd recently and everyone seemed to like it, even the kids.  Enjoy!

Cheeseburger Soup - Click to link to the recipe.  The recipe in the link is very much like the one originally posted by Taste of Home.  The Recipe Critic doubled the beef and cheese.  I also did this.

Gluten-free notes:  If making gluten-free, make sure your chicken broth is gluten-free.  Some websites suggest that Velveeta is gluten-free but if doubt, try using the cheddar.  

Meatball Subs

My mom gets me a subscription to Women's Day.  I rarely have time to read them so they are in a heaping stack by my bed.  One night I flipped through this one.  I thought this recipe sounded so good and like something maybe the kids would like.  It was really good!  We will for sure be making this one again.  I also love that the meatballs are made without egg or gluten!  Win!

We served our meatballs and sauce on toasted and broiled hoagie buns with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.  Mmmmm.

Beef and Sausage Meatballs in Tomato Sauce - click to link to recipe

Dairy-free and gluten-free notes:  To make dairy-free, simply omit sprinkling with cheese and serve on a dairy-free bread.  To make gluten-free, make sure your tomato paste is gluten-free and serve on your favorite gluten-free bread or pasta.

Mexican-Style Roast Chicken {Slow-cooker}

I combined flavors from two of my favorite chicken recipes, to season this whole chicken.  I was very happy with the results.  Plus, my house smelled AMAZING as it was cooking.  You can serve this shredded for tacos or sliced with some Spanish rice and beans.  Enjoy!

If you like this recipe, you may also like Shredded Chicken {Slow-cooker} (EF, DF, GF) and Shredded Chicken Tacos (EF, DF, GF).

Mexican-Style Roast Chicken {Slow-cooker}

1 whole chicken

2 t salt

1 t black pepper

2 t garlic powder

1 t onion powder

1 T cumin powder

1 T chili powder

¼ t cayenne pepper

In a small bowl, mix all spices together and set aside.  Roll about four foil balls and place in bottom of slow cooker.  Rinse chicken and drain.  Place chicken over foil in slow cooker.  Rub seasoning all over top and under the skin of the chicken.  Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours.