Shaped Frozen Yogurt

We found this idea in this months Zoo magazine.

Find a cookie cutter you want to use, place it on top of waxed paper or plastic wrap, and then on a plate or cookie sheet (something that will fit into your freezer). Have your kiddo fill yogurt into the cutter.

After freezing for a couple of hours unmold, if you have issues, run the sides under warm water really quick, we didn't have any problems though.

Enjoy, we topped with a couple of heart shaped sprinkles also!


You could use about any combo, I think key lime yogurt and a dinosaur cutter would be awesome.

Grilled Pizza

We love pizza, my daughter requests to eat it daily. This pizza was and end of the month/budget use what is in the house creation. It is really good with chicken and fresh veggies too.
I use this for my dough recipe. Heat grill to 400 F. To grill the pizza, I clean the grill well, ie scrape all of the little bits from the surface from the last time we grilled. I rub an onion half over top of the grate ( I heard somewhere that it will help the dough from sticking.) I have the pizza all shaped, on a flat pan and then slide it onto the grill. I don't use a pan underneath. Let the pizza crust cook for 4-5 minutes, with the lid closed and then flip it over and add all of your ingredients. It is best to have all of them ready, outside next to your grill. I usually take a cookie sheet and have everything ready in bowls to quickly add. Once your crust is topped close your grill lid and cook another 5 minutes or so.
The above pizza has tomato sauce that I spiced up with some garlic salt and Italian seasoning, browned hamburger meat with onion and Monterrey jack cheese, not exactly our ideal pizza but like I said we were using up stuff from the pantry! Grilled pizza is a great way to keep your house cool in the summer, no oven. Don't be scared of the pizza dough falling through your grill grate, we have a Webber grill and it has never happened to us, and we have been grilling pizza for a couple of years.

Summer Treat, Monkey Tails

This is one of my favorite summer treats. I think you could say it is pretty healthy as well.

I grew up calling them Monkey Tails.

Recipe is as follows

Banana's

Chocolate chips

Popsicle sticks ( I used wooden skewer cut in half today as I did not halve Popsicle sticks)

Pretty self explanatory. Cut the banana in half, place the stick in one end. Freeze 1 hour. Melt chocolate, dip banana in chocolate, freeze. I bet they would be good for a week or two in the freezer, they don't stay around that long in this house!

Korean Beef

This is yummy! I started with the original recipe, Sara Moulton from Food Network.

the marinade:

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 scallions, white and 2 inches of the green parts, finely chopped, plus additional chopped scallions for garnish
2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons Asian toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons hot red pepper flakes
1 1/2 pounds skirt steak

- I used less soy sauce, maybe 1/4 cup, subbed salad vinegar for rice vinegar, powdered ginger since I didn't have fresh. I sliced up the steak and combined all for 24 hours. I stir fried in my wok, steamed veggies and served with brown rice. Really yummy.

my new favorite breakfast

This is one of those wholesome, yummy summery recipes. We tend to eat oatmeal for breakfast quite a bit around here, but the weather finally turned and I didn't feel like a hot bowl of cereal. This recipe is modified from the Beyerly's food magazine.

Cold oats with berries

1 cup of Steel Cut Oats
1 cup of skim milk
1 cup of yogurt (plain if you like it tangy, vanilla if you want it sweet)
Combine the ingredients and place into the fridge overnight to soak. In the morning dish out 1/2 cup serving, can add more milk if you like it a little more runny. Top with berries. FYI, my husband heated this up too, and liked it enough to eat that way!

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are my go to, no fail cookies. I can have the ingredients on hand at all times and can have them in the oven in ten minutes if I need too!

1 cup butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 package (3-1/2 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
2 eggs
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, sugars, vanilla and pudding mix; beat until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs. Combine flour and baking soda; add gradually to pudding mixture. Stir in chocolate chips, batter will be stiff. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls about 2 in. apart onto ungreased cookies sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 9 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks. Yield 4-1/2 dozen.
This recipe is from Country Cookies. They are sweet, so semi-sweet chips is a must, I like to use seasonal M&M's but will put 1 cup candies to 1 cup of chips.