What is it about rice krispie treats that make you feel like a kid?

Maybe its the gooey marshmallow crispy crunch you get in every bite.

Or maybe it’s the sticky sweet let me get all 10 fingers stuck togetherness that does it.

Whatever it is it’s just G.O.O.D!!!!!!

I remember as a child my aunt would make these for every function my grandmother would have over at her house.  I just remember how I would always steal one when no one was looking and then eat another when they were served.  I could never get enough and I just thought that they were the best dessert ever.

Now all grown up I can totally understand why kids all ages can become mesmerized by these tasty treats…

So tell me do you feel like a kid when you eat rice krispie treats?

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A big bowl of creamy Fettuccine Alfredo is like comfort in a bowl.  This dish is sinfully delicious and can be made in 20 minutes or less. I love creamy pastas.  I love all kinds of pastas but Fettuccine Alfredo is such a classic that you can never turn it away when its made for you.  It’s one of my kids absolute favorite dishes for me to make them. 

You can either make this dish meatless or  with chicken, bacon, mushrooms, or veggies. Fettuccine Alfredo is a great way to show how a few ingredients can be the most divine dinner meal ever. 

If you don’t believe me then try for yourself.

Let’s make some pasta… 🙂

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Crêpes, Crêpes, Crêpes, Crêpes, Crêpes, Crêpes, Crêpes, Crêpes! (In my singing voice)

Phewwww, trying say that 10 times fast… 🙂

Crêpes are thin-like pancakes that can be stuffed with sweet or savory fillings.  Living in France years ago a good friend of the family would make crêpes for us whenever we asked.  I remember how easy she used to make it seem and how delicious they were.  A big plate full of nutella and banana crêpes would line the table and us children and adults would literally run each other over just to get to one first.  That sparked the beginning of my love affair with crêpes.

Now you can kind of say that I have become a crêpe master, well not a master–per sey— but I definitely have the scars and bruises to show how to make crêpes.  You see in case you forgot, I used to own a crêpe restaurant, Crêpe Royale, with my sister and family a few years ago and I would make an absurd amount of crêpes up to the point where I would have dreams/nightmares of making crêpes and its batter.

Now fast track to today…  I hadn’t made a crêpe since we closed the restaurant over a year ago and I felt nostalgic and really hungry for one.

I think so many are afraid of making crêpes because they don’t really know how to make them.  So here is a crash course in crêpe making–and oh don’t get frustrated if you mess up of the first couple dozens— just sprinkle some cinnamon sugar on them and keep it moving.  Let’s just say that the mess ups were the best part. 🙂

Remember practice makes perfect! Read the rest of this entry »

Do you like chicken wings? What about buffalo chicken wings?  You know something spicy… I love me some buffalo chicken wings but sometimes I’m just lazy and really do not feel like fighting with the chicken bones and just want the juicy meat all by itself.  That’s why I love some buffalo chicken tenders. How about you… Do you like buffalo chicken tenders? I had a a few chicken breasts in fridge and cut them into tenderloins, seasoned them in flour, egg wash and then seasoned panko crumbs.  I fried them and then basted them in a hot and spicy buffalo sauce.  These chicken tenders were so easy and delicious they completely hit that chicken tender craving I was having. These chicken strips are great for an everyday meal, tailgating, weekend game gatherings, parties and picnics. Make sure you serve them with celery and bleu cheese for dipping and you got a great way to enjoy some chicken tenders with a little kick. Yum!!!!! Read the rest of this entry »

Mini frittatas with eggs, mushrooms, feta cheese and shallots made in muffin tins make for a delicious easy breakfast.  The use of the muffin tins make this a prefect on the go breakfast that you can throw in the microwave and warm in seconds.  With frittatas you can pretty much add whatever you want inside.  This recipe I chose to add juicy mushrooms with shallots and feta cheese.

You know that sounds yummy… right!!!! Read the rest of this entry »

A favorite family classic in our home is a simple Italian dish made up of chicken cutlets with garlic and mushrooms in a sweet sauce.  I think sometimes in another life I was Italian, because I cook so many Italian recipes at home.  Having a variation of chicken recipes in my repertoire definitely gives me the ability to make different chicken dishes for my family.  I mean dinner can get pretty boring if the same dish is being made every night.   I like to use three chicken breasts, cut in half each one and then pounded to 1/4 inch.  This not only  stretches the meal but also helps with tenderizing and cooking time.

I love cooking Italian because you can make some of the delicious meals with such few ingredients.  This classic Italian dish is truly one of the easiest recipes to make and will make all think you were in the kitchen for hours at a time.  Trust me once you make this dish once you will find it become a staple in your home. Enjoy! Read the rest of this entry »

Did you know that you can make cookies out of a box of pudding mix? Well you can… pretty cool right!!!! Adding the pudding mix to the cookie batter makes the cookies soft and chewy just the way I think cookies should be.  I’m not really a crunchy cookie type gal.

I also added vanilla and butter extract to the mix to give it that vanilla cake flavor also.  Plus when you add sprinkles, who doesn’t like a little sprinkles to their cookies.  It just makes it Fun and Pretty!

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There is nothing sweeter then the smell or freshly brewed coffee in the morning.  The excitement I get when I hear the my coffee machine turn on, it guarantees what I know to be the beginning of my day.  As you can see I am a coffee lover!  Having a 7 week old definitely gives me the need for coffee in the morning.  Having a newborn definitely has been like starting parenting all over again.  You see my oldest are 11 and 8, so its definitely taking me a little bit to get used to, but I am enjoying every minute of it… even the sleepless nights.

I think I have gotten my routine down now though which I think is one of the best things with a little one.  Usually while Jacob is sleeping and the older ones are waking up to get ready for school I sneak in my kitchen, for 5 minutes and make my coffee.  While I finish up making lunches, I have Jacobs bottle warming up and my coffee brewing. 

Once my coffee is finished I add brown sugar to my cup and then sweet cream.  I love my coffee with lots of cream and sugar. I love using Coffee-mate’s creamer, so you had to know how excited I was to see their new Extra Sweet and Creamy Creamer.  They have some delicious flavors, like the Italian Sweet Cream Coffee-mate creamer.  Sweet, smooth, adds great flavor and a perfect combination with my strong coffee. Read the rest of this entry »

Is there an appetizer that no matter where you go you always find yourself ordering?  When my sisters, brother and I were little, and even up to this day when we go out to eat, we always get fried mozzarella, whether it be in the stick form or wedges, we always get it. I mean what is better then hot crispy fried cheese???? NOTHING, I know!!!!

There are so many variations to making mozzarella sticks.  You can fry them. You can bake them.  You can roll them in breadcrumbs or… you can roll them in Panko crumbs.  Panko was the way I chose to go.  I love using panko crumbs.  It just gives your food such great texture and the crunch you get is pretty outstanding.

My mouth is starting to water just thinking of these mozzarella sticks…. Mmmmmm.

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I’m always thinking of quick and easy recipes to make at home for dinner. Especially with a newborn now and the kids’ busy schedule life can get pretty hectic. When I was asked to create a recipe for Mardi Gras, using Johnsonville Kitchen’s new fully cooked sausage, I knew I wanted to make a rice dish that was easy, simple and very delicious. I mean who doesn’t like rice? But I didn’t want just any regular rice, I wanted to make yellow rice and incorporate it in my recipe with the Johnsonville’s fully cooked sausage. I mean who doesn’t think of some kind of jazzed up rice dish for Mardi Gras… I know I do. Especially if its packed with lots of flavor, which this one is. 🙂

I used the Johnsonville’s New Orleans Brand, Andouille Smoked Sausage of course, it went perfectly with my Mardi Gras-inspired recipe. These split rope sausages have such great flavor and they have NO Fillers, which is HUGE! Did you know that Johnsonville Sausages are proudly made using only premium cuts of pork to pack in the real flavor and is also available in other unique flavors. I also like these split rope sausages because it allows portion control and if a recipe doesn’t call for using all of the sausages then I can save them for another day, another recipe.

I also added a few touches of my own, such as chopped garlic, onions. green pepper, chicken stock for the rice to cook in, and a can of diced tomatoes. This is a perfect 30 minute meal for any day of the week, especially during a busy week.

Now I know that Mardi Gras isn’t for a few days but early planning is always the key to a great celebration. If your like me and you wont be finding yourself celebrating Mardi Gras in New Orleans, but still want to celebrate the planning ahead is exactly what you need to do. Invite some friends and neighbors over make a big pot of this delicious Yellow Rice dish and enjoy!

Just make sure you have some King Cake to end the night with!!!!! 😀

Johnsonville Split Rope Sausage is packed with flavor to make your dinners easier and more delicious. Get ready for Mardi Gras with Johnsonville! Visit Johnsonville.com for great recipes!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Johnsonville Sausage. The opinions and text are all mine.

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