Christmas play dough

Yesterday I made some Christmas play dough!

I made peppermint, gingerbread and plain.

The gingerbread one smells so good!

Here are some recipes!

Peppermint Play dough

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

2 cups water

2 tsp. peppermint extract

2 T. vegetable oil

4 tsp. cream of tartar

optional red food coloring

I kept ours white and added red glitter!

Add all ingredients to a saucepan and stir until stick together and form a ball.

Place on parchment paper and knead a few times.

Gingerbread Play dough

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

4 tsp. cream of tartar

2 T. cinnamon

4 tsp. ground ginger

2 tsp. nutmeg

2 tsp. all spice

4 T. vegetable oil

2 cups water

Add all ingredients to a saucepan and stir until stick together and form a ball.

Place on parchment paper and knead a few times.

 Basic Play dough

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

2 cups water

2 T. vegetable oil

4 tsp. cream of tartar

optional food coloring

optional 2 tsp of your favorite extract or scent

optional glitter

I added Christmas sprinkles to ours! 

This is a first time of trying this.

Add all ingredients to a saucepan and stir until stick together and form a ball.

Place on parchment paper and knead a few times.

I put out lots of cookies cutters, rolling pin and also some fun toothpick cupcake toppers!

Mongolian beef...Its whats for dinner

Sticking with my menu plan I made another dinner I found on Pinterest!

Mongolian beef with broccoli, brown rice and egg rolls.

I found the recipe here at Our Blessed Family.

I followed their advice and cut the brown sugar in half.
This is definitely a new family favorite!

Ingredients:

2 tbsp Vegetable oil

1 tsp Ginger, minced 

2 tbsp Garlic, chopped

1/2 cup Soy sauce

1 cup Dark brown sugar

{I used 1/2 cup}

1/2 cup Vegetable oil

{I used coconut oil}

1 lb Flank steak or sirloin sliced thinly

1/4 cup Cornstarch

 2 Cups Broccoli steamed

Directions:

Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in skillet over medium high heat until hot. 

Add ginger and garlic and let sizzle for 30 seconds, then add soy sauce. 

Gradually add the brown sugar and let it dissolve while stirring. 

Let the sauce come to a boil, then simmer for 2-3 minutes.

 Remove from heat and set aside.

Place meat and corn starch in a bag and shake to coat the meat. 

Let meat sit for 10 minutes, so the cornstarch sticks to the meat.

Put 1/2 c. vegetable oil in a wok/ skillet and heat on medium-high until hot. 

Add the meat to the wok and brown for about 4-5 minutes. 

Remove the meat from the pan with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain.

Clean the pan out and return meat to pan and cook on high for about 2 more minutes. 

Add the sauce to the pan and cook for another minute. 

Add broccoli and cook for 1 minute longer.

Remove from heat and serve with brown rice.

chili tortellini

Tonight for dinner I made Chili Tortellini.

It was yummy but the recipe made a TON.

I was able to freeze some for another night

and share some with my mom and sister!

I got the recipe off of pinterest.

I actually menu planned before going to the store.

I am trying to get back into that habit.

Then I am not trying to throw something together at

5 'o clock and stressing. Much easier having a plan.

You can find the recipe here!

The few changes I made was I used ground turkey, added 

diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic & Oregano, 

Cheese Tortellini, and used pinto beans 

because it was what I had on hand. 

The photo below shows how much we had left after we ate!

The pan was overflowing!

Apple Cinnamon Rolls

I was in the mood to bake with apples today

and I thought to myself there must be something on pinterest 

that using both apples and cinnamon rolls.

I came across this idea from Six Sisters' Stuff

but they used pie filling in a can which I did not have.

So I looked up an easy Apple Pie Filling recipe 

and found one at Food.com.

Ingredients for filling:

4 cups diced apples

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup sugar

{depending on sweetness of apples, to taste}

2 -4 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, to your taste

1 teaspoon cinnamon, to your taste

1 cup apple juice or 1 cup water

{Try to use juice because it adds to the flavor}

Directions:

1. Sprinkle lemon juice over apples in saucepan.

2. Mix next four ingredients together and add to apples.

3. Mix well.

4. Add very hot juice to pan, 

{I microwave juice for 2 minutes}

 cook, stirring constantly until thickened.

5. Remove from heat and cool.

Next I put premade cinnamon rolls in a round dish 

and added the apples on top.

I baked the cinnamon rolls for 15 minutes.
I checked to make sure the rolls were done and
they were a little doughy still so put them in for another 5 minutes.

When they were done I added the frosting that came 

with the  cinnamon rolls.
Let cool and serve!

Mini Apple Muffins

I have plenty of apples in the house after

picking 10 lbs on Wednesday.

Today I told myself I would make some apple muffins.

I had a recipe saved on pinterest from Skinny Mom's Kitchen.

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat Flour

{I used 2 cups instead of one of each of whole wheat flour}

1 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 large eggs

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup 1% milk

{I used nonfat}

1 cup applesauce

{I used homemade stove top applesauce}

1 cup finely chopped apples

* I also added 2 T. ground flaxseed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Step 1. Combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside.

Step 2. Using a hand or stand mixer combine eggs, brown sugar, milk, and applesauce.

Step 3. Slowing combine dry ingredients into wet ingredients.

Step 4: Fold in apples.

Spray muffin pan with cooking spray and fill cups.

Since I was using mini muffin tin I used a tablespoon in each one. 

 Cook about 13 minutes or until toothpick is clean.

The kids had about half of them eaten by dinner time!