Fruit Cornucopia

Here is a cute way to serve fruit today!  Even your pickiest little eaters will enjoy these fruit cornucopias.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Holiday Foods

As we are entering the holiday season, or as my husband calls it pie season, I wanted to share some of our favorite egg-free holiday recipes.  Click on the link below each picture for the recipe.  I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Herb Turkey Breast {Slow-cooker} (EF, DF, GF)

Pot Roast {Slow-cooker} (EF, DF, GF)

Cornbread Dressing (EF, DF)

Mashed Potatoes (EF, DF, GF)

Cinnamon Jello Salad (EF, DF, GF)

Cranberry Nut Bread (EF, DF)

Pumpkin Pie (EF, GF)

Pecan Cobbler (EF)

Pecan Caramel Cheesecake (EF, GF)

Cut Out Cookies (EF)

Hobo Dinners

Do you need a quick weeknight dinner?  Try these!  I think they are a great cool weather food.  You could even prepare them the night before or in the morning before work.  Then you just have to put them in the oven when you get home.  Can't beat that!

If you like this recipe, you may also like Meat, Potatoes and Green Beans (EF, DF, GF).

Hobo Dinners - click to link to recipe.

Allergen notes:  These could easily be made dairy free by using a non-dairy margarine in place of the butter.

Fall Snack Mix [Update]

Do you need a fun but really easy fall treat?  I made a fall snack mix a few years ago that everyone seemed to like.  I made it again this year and updated the original post here.  Check it out.

Fall Snack Mix <<Click to link to recipe.

Applesauce Muffins

I have been feeling a little frustrated with school lunches.  My kids typically take about 45 minutes to eat a meal.  At school, they get 20 minutes.  Therefore, they don't typically eat enough for lunch.  So, I have been trying to pack things that they can eat quickly, while giving them some much needed energy!

I store these muffins in the freezer to pack in lunches.  If you pack the muffin frozen, it is thawed well before lunch time.  With the muffin, I pack a Greek yogurt stick, fruit and veggies.  The muffins are made with unsweetened applesauce and honey to keep the sugar lower than most muffin recipes but they are still sweet enough to keep the kids interested in them.  They also have some oat and whole wheat flour to give a little fiber boost in their meal.  I hope your kids like them as much as mine do!

If you like this recipe, you may also like Applesauce Spice Cake (EF, DF).

Applesauce Muffins

½ c old fashioned oats, blended

½ c whole wheat flour

½ c all-purpose flour

½ c honey

1 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

½ t salt

¼ c vegetable oil

¼ c milk or non-dairy milk

1 c unsweetened applesauce

1 t cinnamon

1 t vanilla extract

Measure ½ c oats and blend in a blender or food processor until a course powder and set aside.  Be sure to measure the oats before blending them.  Using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, blend applesauce, oil, milk and vanilla mixing until combined.  Slowing add in the dry ingredients, while mixing the batter.  Spoon batter evenly into 12 greased muffin tins.  Bake at 375^o for about 16 minutes.  Cool in muffin tins. 

Makes 12 muffins

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Well, this recipe was a total accident.  I was experimenting with possibly making some adjustments to my chocolate chip cookies recipe.  But when the batter looked all wrong and I knew it wouldn't roll into cookies well, I almost threw it out.  But I decided to press it into my jelly roll pan and bake it up anyway.  I figured regardless of the result my husband and kids would eat some of it.  Well, what do you know. . .   My mess up baked up into these yummy chocolate chip cookie bars!  I am so glad I didn't throw out the dough!  This recipe makes about 24 two inch square cookies.  I even froze some for the kids' lunches.  If you put a frozen cookie in their lunch in the morning, it is thawed well before lunchtime.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars 

1 3/4 sticks unsalted butter, melted (14 T)

½ c sugar

1 c brown sugar

1 t vanilla

2 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

½  t salt

3 c flour

7 T milk

1 ½ c semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375^o.  Mix both sugars, flour, baking powder, baking sode and salt.  Slowly pour in butter, mix.  Then pour in milk and mix.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Press into an ungreased 17¼ inch x 11½ inch rimmed cookie sheet (jelly roll pan).  Bake for about 15 minutes.  Let cool in pan before cutting. 

Makes about 24 two inch square cookie bars.