Revised Oreo Truffles

I learned how to make oreo truffles in college and have enjoyed them many Christmases since. But once Jeremiah began having more trouble with dairy, it wasn't as fun to make them anymore. So I just stopped. Now that Zoë seems to have trouble with dairy as well, I decided it was time to get creative and try an alternate version. I looked up alternatives to cream cheese and one of the first options I found was coconut cream mixed with some lemon juice. I decided to make it even easier on myself; so after crushing up an entire package of oreos in the food processor, I mixed in all the cream from a 13 oz. can of Thai kitchen coconut cream with a spatula. It was VERY wet, so I didn't let the kids help with the rolling part. Next time I will use either half the amount of cream or double up on the oreos. After rolling into balls I froze for a couple of hours then dipped them in vanilla almond bark.

We had them after dinner that night and they were delicious! The coconut flavor was not overwhelming and they obviously held together quite well. We saved a few for Christmas day and enjoyed the rest. I hope you enjoy this dairy-free version!

Orange Julius... with Banana!

I saw a recipe for Orange Julius and it caught my attention. Then she went and added a banana and I figured I could pass it off as health food for my kids! So I decided I'd whip up a batch one evening after supper. I made Jeremiah a modified version first with coconut milk. Then I made the rest for the boys and I to share.

It was good, but very strong. I had a hard time knowing exact amounts since I did just guess on how much I used for Jeremiah. A few things I will change next time...

- Maybe add a little more milk or ice. The orange juice concentrate was very strong and overpowering, which is obviously delicious. But I wouldn't mind making it stretch a little further so we could have more servings and maybe not quite as strong a taste.

- I will either eliminate or greatly reduce the vanilla. It seemed a little overpowering and unnecessary. **updated 4/20 -- just made them without the vanilla. I liked them WAY better. Only enough leftover to make 3 Popsicles this time!*

The boys and I each got to drink some and I was able to make popsicles (like she suggested) with the rest. I got 6 which was perfect for my little popsicle container. With the strong orange flavor I actually preferred them as popsicles over drinking. This is a recipe I feel is worth tweaking and making great for our tastes this summer! Maybe you will try it too!

Find the recipe by clicking here --> Six Sisters Stuff.

Zeke enjoying a popsicle! 

Yummy! 

The handoff -- look at that concentration from both boys... "Don't drop it!" 

"Hmm, this is pretty good!" 

"But cold!" 

"It hurts! But I want more... "

Yay for popsicles! 

To life... full of fruity summer foods!

Stay Cool Recipes

With the heat coming in full force now, and the fact that we don't have our window air conditioner unit installed yet, I'm doing everything I can to keep it cool in our house. Which includes finding different recipes that require little to no oven or stovetop time. One thing I've brainstormed is trying to mix up batters throughout the day and keeping them in the fridge and then baking them at night or first thing in the morning when it's cooler. I made muffins this morning and they were done by 7:30 am and I also mixed up a chicken enchilada casserole for the crockpot before 9 am. The house stayed under 80 degrees all day! Plus, all my baking and cooking was done, so I didn't have to think about making food the rest of the day! This week I've made 3 great recipes with minimal heat output. I thought I'd share them with you because I think they will be repeated in our house frequently this summer!

We started out the week with Chicken Salad! Not something we had often growing up. I really like it now. And even better, Zeke wolfed it down as well! Probably because it was covered in white sauce and loaded with grapes and chicken. But man, we all really liked it.

On Monday night, I made the sauce and marinaded the meat for Greek Pitas! Just after putting that together, I knew we were going to like it! I got the recipe from the Taste of Home cookbook. When we sat down to eat it, it reminded us of a restaurant we really liked in Kansas City, Jerusalem Cafe. We haven't found a Middle Eastern place here yet, so this was greatly welcomed!

Greek Pitas
1 cup (8 oz.) plain yogurt
1 cup diced, peeled cucumber
1 t. dill weed
1/4 t. seasoned salt
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. lemon juice
2 T. Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 t. dried oregano
1 t. dried thyme
1 1/4 lbs. lean boneless pork, thinly sliced
6 pita breads (6 inches), halved and warmed
1 med. tomato, chopped
2 T. chopped onion

1) In a sm. bowl, combine the yogurt, cucumber, dill and seasoned salt; cover and refrigerate for 6 hrs. or overnight.
2) In a lg. resealable plastic bag, combine the oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, oregano, and thyme; add pork. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 6 hrs. or overnight, turning occasionally.
3) Drain and discard marinade. In a skillet, stir-fry pork for about 4 min. or until no longer pink. Stuff into pita halves; top with cucumber sauce, tomato and onion. Yield: 6 servings

Then on Wednesday night we made Apricot Shrimp Skewers from Pioneer Woman's 2nd cookbook. Simple and only 6 ingredients!
4 fresh jalapenos (I only used 2)
1/2 c. apricot preserves
4 apricots, pitted
1 red onion, halved and peeled
1 lb. lg. shrimp, peeled and deveined
Chopped fresh cilantro to taste

Begin by roasting jalapenos over an open burner or grill (or under the broiler in your oven). Keep them on the fire until the skin is totally black, then pop them into a plastic storage bag and seal them inside. While the jalapenos are steaming, pour the preserves into a bowl. Add 1/2 c. water and whisk it together to thin. Remove the jalapenos from the bag and use a knife to scrape off the blackened skin. Chop the roasted jalapenos, discarding most of the seeds and inner membranes. Stir the chopped jalapenos into the glaze. Set the glaze aside while you assemble the skewers. Slice the apricots into 6 wedges then cut the wedges in half. Cut the red onion into chunks. Then rinse the shrimp under cool water. Thread the shrimp through the tail and top to keep it in place. Then build the skewers. Double up the apricot chunks so you get a good taste of them. Grill the skewers over med. heat. Divide the glaze in half in 2 bowls. Turn the skewers over, then brush the jalapeno glaze from one of the bowls. Continue grilling until the shrimp are opaque and the apricots have nice grill marks. Remove them to a clean plate. Use the fresh unused batch of glaze (and a clean brush) to brush on more glaze at the end. Sprinkle on cilantro and serve immediately. Serve with rice or pasta. (I made pasta.)

I saw these skewers posted the other day on Mel's Kitchen Cafe and I want to try them pronto!

Two years ago I posted some no bake desserts. I actually forgot about some of them, so think I might try them this summer. Or these! I know there will be more, but I wanted to share these with you as we head into the heat of summer.

To life... full of being smart and staying cool in the kitchen!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Clusters

I was in need of something sweet (surprise, surprise) after supper one night. I happened to see this recipe on the side of our HappyO's box. I had all the ingredients, I didn't feel like taking the time to bake cookies, and I'm always up for chocolate & peanut butter combos, so these fit my parameters.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Clusters 
**from the Best Choice HappyO's box

1/2 c. light corn syrup
1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. smooth peanut butter
3 c. toasted oat cereal 

Place corn syrup, chocolate chips, and sugar in medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently until bubbles break the surface. Remove from heat. Add peanut butter. Mix until smooth. Stir in toasted oat cereal until evenly coated. Drop by teaspoons onto waxed paper, forming clusters. Cool. Makes about 3 1/2 dozen. 

I was actually a little embarrassed because Jeremiah had asked for oatmeal cookies and I made these instead. I sampled a couple before he came home from work and thought they were mediocre. But I set them out for him anyway... and he liked them! I might not make them again, but they were a quick fix for my sweet tooth.

To life... full of HappyO's!

Chocolate Almond Frozen Mousse

This recipe is easy... 3 ingredients. Here they are:

Plus I had a good little helper...

Soften the Cool Whip (I had kept it in the fridge, so it was a good consistency already.)

Grab your Hershey Bar with Almonds and soften it in the microwave, 30-45 seconds

Mash it with a spoon

Add a couple tablespoons of cold coffee into the Cool Whip and stir

Finally add in the melted Hershey's bar and mix it up. The chocolate should harden into little bits throughout. You can eat it like this (which I did enjoy) or stick it in the freezer (which I, like PW, liked better).

Another cool summer treat... no heating up the kitchen required. Enjoy!

To life... full of quick summertime treats!

A Compilation of No-Bake Recipes

Yesterday I ran across a no-bake recipe that I thought looked worth trying, so I thought I'd start a post listing recipes I run across that I'd like to try; that way when I am needing ideas of no-bake recipes I (and you) can refer to this running list. If you end up trying one that I have not blogged about yet, let me know. I'd love to hear the results and your opinion!

From Two Peas & Their Pod: Biscoff Pretzel Bites with White Chocolate 
- I've been seeing many recipes pop up recently that contain Biscoff. I may have to try it soon!

Pioneer Woman posted about this quite awhile ago. I have thought about it several times since then. I believe it WILL be made this summer! Chocolate Almond Frozen Mousse  (Made it! 6/28/12)

(Added 4/26/12) No-Bake Banana Split Cake Dessert, from Brown Eyed Baker.
- My challenge for this one will be to find a way to make it dairy free! Or else I won't be sharing it with hubby.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls from Joy the Baker
- I made these yesterday (4/27) using Peanut butter as the binder. They are SO good and I didn't even dip them in the melted chocolate. I made them for the first time in September 2010. You can check out the post here --> The Joy of Baking with Friends! 

Found a new one today: Peanut Butter Crunch Eclair Bars.

To life... full of lists!

This Summer's Feature: No-Bake Recipes

During the summer (especially the hot ones here in Texas!) it seems a foolish thing to use the oven much. But alas I do not have many no-bake recipes in my repertoire. So this summer my goal is to find a variety of no-bake recipes to add to my collection. If you would like to share some of your favorite no-bake recipes as well, I would be more than happy to try them out! If, in the heat of this summer, you are wanting to find a recipe or two to try out, I hope that you can come here and find a few to choose from. My first idea is by no means original, but it is one I don't make often and really there are many varieties you could try to make it different every time.

 Rice Krispie Treats

Rice Krispies + Butter + Marshmallows = Quick, easy and delicious!

 I know, nothing mind-blowing here, but I had to start somewhere. Here are a couple of variations I have tried and enjoyed!

 Scotcheroos

 Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispie Treats (LOVED THESE!)

 To life... full of staying cool in the kitchen!

No-Bake Cookies

My Mom came down for a visit the past few days. The main reason was, of course, her grandbaby :o) But her and I spent time together and we made cookies! Well... I got out the recipe and measured out a few of the ingredients... the rest she did. I've made this particular recipe once before and I think I will keep it as my no-bake cookie recipe. They are quite tasty!



This recipe is from the cookbook, 'The Great American Cookie Cookbook'

Fudgey Cocoa No-Bake Treats

2 c. sugar
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter or margarine
1/2 c. milk
1/3 c. Hershey's Cocoa
2/3 c. crunchy peanut butter
3 c. quick-cooking rolled oats
1/2 c. chopped peanuts (optional)
2 t. vanilla

1. Place piece of wax paper or foil on tray or cookie sheet. Combine sugar, butter, milk, and cocoa in medium saucepan.
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a rolling boil.



3. Remove from heat; cool 1 minute.
4. Add peanut butter, oats, peanuts, if desired, and vanilla; stir to mix well. Quickly drop mixture by heaping teaspoons onto wax paper or foil. Cool completely. Store in cool, dry place. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.


We used creamy pb (because that's all I had on hand) and decided to add in peanuts. We also only used 1 teaspoon of vanilla instead of two. Thirdly, I didn't have quite enough quick-cooking oats, so I used some old fashioned oats as well and I think they tasted just as good with that substitution. These cookies are great, especially for the summer time when you don't want to turn on the oven! One last note, we put them in the freezer to make them last longer. I think I actually almost like them better very cold. For one, they don't melt all over your hand as easy and, two, they don't seem to crumble quite as much. Just my couple of little tips/insights. Hope you have a chance to make them now that the weather is heating up!

To life... full of grandmas and cookies!