I’ve been seeing a lot of recipes using strawberries lately! You usually find them around certain holidays such as Memorial Day or Fourth of July. I love strawberries and wanted to create my own quick and easy recipe using strawberries! Strawberry pie just sounds delicious so the recipe I am sharing with you is quick, easy, simple, and delicious. You only need a few ingredients and your No-Bake Mini Strawberry Pies are ready!

I usually don’t like to make large desserts. Why? Because I have little self control when an entire pie is sitting in my house with easy access. I found a way to create mini-pies so that I can control my serving size and limit my portions.

The recipe I’m sharing with you is the No-Bake Mini Strawberry Pie Recipe!

You’ll need:

• Ready Made No-Bake Mini Graham Cracker Crusts (found in the baking aisle)
• Vanilla Pudding (I use the Snack Pack Pudding Cups)
• Fresh Strawberries
• Whipped Cream

That’s it!

First, spread a thin layer of vanilla pudding on the graham cracker crust. Make sure you cover the sides as well. This will help the strawberries to stick to the bottom.

Slice your strawberries into thin slices. I love using my Strawberry Slicer to slice up my strawberries! It’s quick and easy! (Just be careful–blades are sharp!)

Fill your graham cracker crust cup with the sliced strawberries.

Cover the strawberries with whipped cream. Place two slices of strawberries on top. Chill and serve!

This is on of my favorite homemade pizza recipes that I make often. Instead of the usual pizza toppings, using pesto, chicken, black olives and artichoke hearts makes for a delicious and interesting change! There should be enough toppings to make two pizzas. You can purchase pre-made pizza crusts at your grocery store or make your own crust. I have included my favorite crust recipe as well. It is easy to make and my son loves to help me knead it and roll it out!

Chicken Pesto Pizza

1 chicken breast, cooked and diced (I season mine first)
1 6-8 oz. jar basil pesto sauce
1 16 oz. bag of shredded mozzarella cheese
1 12 oz. jar of marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
1 2.25 oz. can sliced black olives
1 jar pizza sauce for dipping (optional)

Instructions:
Spread an even layer of pesto sauce on the uncooked crust.
Place the chicken, black olives and artichoke hearts evenly on top of the pesto sauce. Sprinkle a liberal amount of cheese on the top. Bake according to directions on pre-made crust package. You will have left over pesto sauce. Use pizza sauce for dipping.

Easy Homemade Pizza Dough (familyfun.com) 

1 cup plus 2 Tb. warm water (105-115 degrees)
2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast (a 1/4 oz. envelope)
a pinch of sugar
About 3 cups unbleached flour
1 1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tb. olive oil

Instructions:
Pour the water into a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast and sugar over it. Let the mixture stand until it becomes slightly foamy, then stir it until the yeast dissolves. In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture and the oil to the flour and stir until a soft dough forms.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Dust your hands with flour and knead the dough. Add a little more flour if the dough is too sticky to handle, but not too much that it becomes stiff and dry. Continue kneading until the dough is smooth and springs back when pinched, about 10 minutes.

Lightly oil the inside of a large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and turn it over once so that the top, and bottom will be coated with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it in a warm place until the dough doubles in volume, about 1 1/2 hours.

Flatten the dough with your fist. Cut it in two and shape each piece into a ball.

On a floured surface, roll out each piece of dough into a round shape.  Carefully place the crust on a pizza baking sheet or baking stone.

After placing toppings on your crust, bake each pizza at 425 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden.

This crust is also great for stuffed pizzas!

I love to add ingredients to pancakes to make them extra special! My kids absolutely love pancakes and have always enjoyed them with added banana. I decided to try adding some left over baked sweet potato and they turned out so wonderful! I am excited to share this delicious recipe!

Sweet Potato Pancakes

1 1/2 cups pancake mix (I use Log Cabin All Natural)
2 eggs
2/3 cup plus 2-3 Tb. milk
2 Tb. plain unsweetened applesauce (oil substitute)
1/2 cup mashed baked sweet potato
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tb. ground flax seed

Instructions:
Preheat griddle to 375 degrees. Mix pancake mix, eggs, apple sauce, milk, sweet potato, vanilla, spices and flax seed. Combine until lumps disappear. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to measure each pancake. Pour the batter onto a lightly greased griddle. Turn pancake when bubbles form on the top. Only turn the pancake once and cook for 60 seconds on the other side.  Makes 10-11 pancakes.

Tip: bake the sweet potato the night before you plan to make them so it is ready to add in the morning!

One of my favorite things about the fall holiday season is eating pumpkin flavored desserts and breads! I have been making this recipe for over 10 years and it is one of my favorites. I have made quite a few changes to make it healthier for my children, since they love muffins and breads so much! By cutting down on the sugar, adding carrot, zucchini, flax seed, apple sauce and whole wheat flour, this bread becomes a nutritious and healthy snack.

Pumpkin Bread

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup plain apple sauce (no sugar added)
3 eggs
1 can (15 1/2 oz) pumpkin
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
2 Tb. ground flax seed
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup shredded zucchini

Grease 3 medium sized loaf pans.  Set oven to 325 degrees.  Beat sugar with oil and apple sauce.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Continue beating for 2 to 3 minutes until light and fluffy.  Add pumpkin.  In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and flax seed.  Beat into pumpkin mixture.  Add carrots and zucchini.  Divide batter into 3 loaf pans.  Bake for 55 min. or until toothpick comes out clean.  Remove from pans and wrap in plastic wrap to insure moisture. Adapted from Homer’s Favorite Pumpkin Bread by Pat Howell.

This recipe for Easy Chicken Salad is one of my favorite quick and easy lunch recipes. It tastes great and takes no time to make! Enjoy it with crackers or make a sandwich on your favorite bread. It costs under $6.00 as well!!

Easy Chicken Salad

1 can of white chicken breast in water (12.5 oz)
1/4 c. mayonnaise
2 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1 dash garlic powder, salt and pepper
3/4 c. grapes, sliced in half
1/4 c. sliced almonds
1 green onion, sliced

Drain chicken. Mix first 5 ingredients until well mixed. Add the grapes, almonds and onions and mix. Makes 4 servings.

Craving a sweet treat?  Looking for a fun and festive dessert to make with your kids?   These ooey, gooey pumpkin shaped treats are just the thing!

Halloween Marshmallow Treats

3 Tb. butter

1 package (10 oz) marshmallows

Orange food coloring

6 cups rice crisp cereal

1 Hershey’s chocolate bar (broken into 12 pieces)

Green gel icing

Cooking spray

Directions:

In a large microwave safe bowl, heat butter and marshmallows on high for 3 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes.  Continue stirring until smooth.  Add rice crisp cereal and orange food coloring and stir until incorporated and desired color is achieved.

Using a ½ cup measuring cup coated with cooking spray, divide the cereal mixture into 12 portions.  Using buttered hands, shape each portion into a round pumpkin shape.  While still soft, stick a piece of chocolate in the top of each pumpkin to serve as the stem (use a butter knife to cut a slot if necessary).  Use the green icing to pipe a vine on each pumpkin.  Serve the same day.  Inspired by Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Surprise Pumpkin Treats.

With cool fall weather in the air, a hot bowl of chili hits the spot! This recipe for Warm White Chili is sure to be enjoyed by the whole family. It is simple to make and affordable as well!
Money saving tips: when possible, buy store brand beans, corn, green chilies, cheese and sour cream. Choosing frozen chicken breasts will also save money.

Warm White Chili
3 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
2 1/2 cups chicken broth or stock
2 cans great northern beans, drained (15 oz)
1 can white corn, drained (15 oz)
1 can chopped green chilies (4 oz)
1/2 white onion, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
2 gloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 Tb. olive oil
sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese for topping

Instructions:
Sauté diced onion and celery until tender in olive oil.
In a large pot, add chicken, broth, beans, corn, green chilies, onion/celery, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper. Mix. Bring to a boil then cover and reduce to low heat and simmer for 45 min.
Top chili with sour cream and cheese. Can be served with corn bread.
Makes 4-6 servings.

I love my slow cooker. I love that I can gather all of the ingredients I need in the morning, throw them in the slow cooker, set it for 4-8 hours, and dinner is READY in time by 5 or 6pm.

Lately, I have become a HUGE fan of the recipes found on the back of the McCormick Seasoning Packets. I have tried the Slow Cookers Italian Herb Chicken, Savory Pot Roast, and now the BBQ Pulled Pork. These seasoning packets can be found in the spice section of your local grocery store. They only require just a few ingredients! This week I made the BBQ Pulled Pork.

Here is the recipe found on the back of the McCormick BBQ Pulled Pork Spice Packet:

Makes 10 servings.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours on LOW or 4 hours on HIGH

3 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast, trimmed
1 package McCormick® Slow Cookers BBQ Pulled Pork Seasoning
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup cider vinegar

1. Place pork in slow cooker.
2. Mix Seasoning Mix, ketchup, brown sugar and vinegar until blended. Pour over pork. Cover.
3. Cook 8 hours on LOW or 4 hours on HIGH. Remove pork from slow cooker.
4. Shred pork, using 2 forks. Return pork to slow cooker. Mix and heat with sauce before serving. Serve on sandwich rolls, if desired.

Test Kitchen Tip: Use 3 pounds boneless pork loin roast in place of the pork shoulder roast.
Slow Cooker Tip: For best results, do not remove cover during cooking.

We put our BBQ Pulled Pork on wheat buns, added a little sauce, pickles and onions, and enjoyed! I give this recipe two thumbs up!

Have you tried this BBQ Pulled Pork Recipe? Tell us what you think!

Check out this Taco Pizza Recipe!