Homemade Pizza

One of the things I started making from scratch after we started eating healthier is PIZZA! Real Fit, Real Food Mom was posting homemade bread and homemade pizza dough recipes using her bread machine and then I realized hey, I have a bread machine that’s been sitting in my cupboard for 10 years…. So I adjusted her pizza dough recipe to make one large pizza and added the toppings that we like. I have been making this about every couple weeks ever since. Once in a while I might do mini pizzas instead, which is a recipe I found in the 100 Days of Real Food cookbook using pita bread found at Trader Joe’s. And I admit, there has been the occasion where we ordered pizza or picked up a Papa Murphy’s pizza. We do okay with the Papa Murphy’s pizza but always feel yucky after eating the ordered pizza. So why do we do it then? I know… It’s a battle we deal with. The want to eat out because it’s convenient, and then the regret. For more information on the ingredients of pizza from these big companies, check out Food Babe’s post on pizza. Now I suppose you could mix up the ingredients for the dough and then knead it yourself instead of using a bread machine, but I have not tried that. The bread machine is convenient to use, of course. I have also made bread, hamburger/hotdog buns, and cinnamon rolls with my bread machine. And there are many more recipes I want to try.

making homemade pizza

 

Here’s the bread machine I use (or a newer version of it since mine is so old):

 

Homemade Pizza
 
Author:
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 2¼ cups flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ¾ cup hot water
  • 3 TB olive oil
  • 3 TB raw honey
  • ½ TB yeast
  • 1 can pizza sauce (I use half and freeze the other half)
  • 12 oz - 16 oz shredded mozzarella cheese (depending on how cheesy you want it)
  • Toppings of your choice. Some ideas: uncured pepperoni, sausage, olives, ham, pineapple, green pepper, spinach, red onion, mushrooms.
Directions
  1. Put all the dough ingredients in the bread machine (in order listed, through the yeast), and push the dough button. All machines are different but mine takes about 1½ hours.
  2. While you are waiting for the dough to be done, you can prepare the ingredients.
  3. After the dough is ready, preheat oven to 400 degrees, and sprinkle flour onto a large surface where you can roll the dough out. Put flour on the rolling pin too. The dough will be sticky, knead it several times before rolling it out. I found best results after kneading the dough a lot.
  4. Grease a large pizza pan, roll the dough out and carefully transfer onto the pizza pan. This part is tricky. I have had success and I have failed and had to start over. Practice makes perfect! ;)
  5. Prick the dough with a toothpick and add the pizza sauce, cheese, and toppings.
  6. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Check after 10 min.
  7. Wait 5 min before cutting and serving.

 

My daughter (9 at the time) rolling out the pizza dough:

rolling pizza dough

 

This is typically what we use for toppings. Half ham & pineapple, half uncured pepperoni, olives, and bell peppers:

homemade pizza

 

A healthier version with spinach and zucchini added:

homemade pizza

 

And my kids like to take pizza for lunch sometimes (warm or cold):

pizza for lunch

 

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Smoked Sausage & Navy Bean Soup

Ham is expensive. Especially if you want an uncured healthier selection. So of course you could use ham in this recipe but I wanted to try something different that wasn’t so expensive. Or bacon is another good option. And I only use half the amount of sausage but you can use the whole amount. I like to save half for next time, or use it for breakfast! 🙂 Homemade chicken broth is always preferred, but not required of course. It does make it taste SO much better though. And of course you can do this in the crockpot too. (For a vegetarian option, leave out the meat and use a veggie broth instead.)

Two Ways to Soak Beans – Overnight and the Quick Soak Method:
For the Overnight Method, add the beans to a large bowl, cover with water and let sit overnight. You will want extra water on top because the beans will soak up the water during the night. Drain and rinse well. For the Quick Soak Method, add the beans to a pot and cover with water by about 3 inches. Bring to a boil and simmer briskly for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour. Then drain and rinse well.

smoked sausage & navy bean soup

 

Smoked Sausage & Navy Bean Soup
 
Author:
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 1½ cups dry navy beans
  • smoked pork sausage (mine was 12 oz) - I only use half but you can use whole
  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 8 cups chicken broth (homemade preferred)
  • 3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 2 tsp parsley
  • salt & pepper (sprinkle desired amount)
  • ⅛ - ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
  • Other Options: diced tomatoes, butternut squash, zucchini
Directions
  1. Soak the beans. There are 2 methods for this, either overnight or the Quick Soak Method (see above for further info). Drain the beans and rinse well.
  2. Cut up the sausage into circles or chunks (I cut them in half now).
  3. In a large stockpot cook the sausage, chopped onion, and garlic on medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes.
  4. Add the chicken broth, the beans, and all the remaining ingredients, stir. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to medium-low and cover.
  5. Cook for about 2 hours, or just until the beans are soft, stirring occasionally. (The beans should mash easily.)
Notes
You could also make this soup in your crockpot.

 

I have also made this soup using a different kind of bean (pinto) and ham instead of sausage. It was just as good!

ham & bean soup

 

ham & bean soup

 

And my daughter took some for lunch in her Soup Thermos!

ham & bean soup for lunch

 

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same, but Organic Fibro Mommies will earn a small commission (which helps to offset web hosting fees, maintenance, etc.). Your support is greatly appreciated!

Fall Recipes

Since Fall arrived I’ve been thinking about soups and stews, casseroles…. comfort food! Okay, I was actually already thinking about all those foods. 😉 Here’s a collection of our Fall Recipes. Just either click on the title or the picture to get to the recipe. Of course most of these recipes are not just for Fall. You can pin them to Pinterest to use any time of the year.

Fall Recipes

 

Split Pea Soup

split pea soup

Whole Chicken in a Crockpot (& homemade broth!)

whole chicken and homemade soup recipe

Chicken Noodle Soup

chicken noodle soup

Grandma’s Baked Chicken & Rice (only 1 dish and so easy to make!)

baked chicken & rice

Chili & Sweet Cornbread

chili & cornbread

Pot Roast with Homemade Gravy

pot roast & homemade gravy

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

beef stew

Potato Soup

potato soup

Baked Potato Soup

baked potato soup

Apple Spiced Pork Tenderloin

apple spiced pork loin

Tater Tot Casserole

tater tot casserole

Baked Mac ‘N Cheese

baked mac 'n cheese

Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

apple cinnamon pancakes

Beef Enchiladas with Homemade Sauce

Beef enchiladas with homemade sauce

Homemade Pumpkin Puree (& Roasting the Seeds)

homemade pumpkin puree

Pumpkin Recipes

pumpkin recipes

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

cheesy chicken enchiladas

Cheesy Beef Taco Skillet

We used to love the Hamburger Helper crunchy taco meal-in-a-box. Well of course we haven’t had that since we started eating organic, meals from scratch. Then I came across Real Fit, Real Food Mom’s Cheesy Taco Brown Rice recipe and it gave me an idea. Let’s add some hamburger to that and whatever else we want to throw on top! It was SO good. I make this quite often now, and I use my homemade taco seasoning in this recipe. You can use chicken broth to cook the rice, or water works just fine too. My homemade chicken broth is best, of course. 😉 This is an easy meal that everyone loves.

So what is in the Hamburger Helper Crunchy Taco meal that makes it bad for us? Well it has GMO corn flour, corn starch, and corn syrup. Cottonseed oil, which is one of the worst. Cotton has high pesticide usage because we don’t eat it but they use the oil from it and put it in our food. Why is that allowed?? It shouldn’t be. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) that is used to enhance flavor just to get you to eat more of it. This is what companies put in foods to make you addicted so you eat a lot of it and want to continue to purchase their products. Silicon Dioxide is used as an anti-caking agent. GMO soybean oil. Yellow dye #5 & #6 for color, and we all know why food dyes are bad right? They have been linked to hyperactivity (ADHD) in children, among other things. And there are many other questionable ingredients in Hamburger Helper. It’s so easy just to make your own and you will know what’s in it, plus you can make sure it’s all organic healthier ingredients.

cheesy beef taco skillet

 

Cheesy Beef Taco Skillet
 
Author:
Ingredients
  • ½ - 1 lb ground beef (grass-fed organic preferred)
  • 1 - 15 oz. can tomato sauce
  • 2 cups chicken broth (or water)
  • 1 cup rice
  • Taco Seasoning (link to my homemade seasoning is included above)
  • 1 cup shredded cheese (plus extra for on top if you want)
  • Optional: sour cream, salsa, tortilla chips, corn, black beans, tomatoes, green peppers
Directions
  1. In a large pot, bring the tomato sauce and chicken broth to a boil.
  2. Brown the hamburger in a frying pan.
  3. After the tomato sauce and chicken broth are bubbling, stir in the rice, turn down to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
  4. When the hamburger is ready, drain the grease if necessary and add the taco seasoning and ¼ cup of water (just enough to mix up the seasoning).
  5. Then add the rice when it's ready, add the cheese and stir everything up. Just cook until the cheese is melted.
  6. You can add corn/green peppers and cook it with the hamburger if you want, or black beans instead of the hamburger (or in addition to). You can also add tomatoes, sour cream, salsa, and tortilla chips.

 

Here is the rice and hamburger combined:

IMG_6112

 

And now we have added the shredded cheese! Yum.

IMG_6113

 

Ready to eat! Or you can add more toppings like sour cream, salsa, corn, olives, tomatoes, avocado, whatever you like.

IMG_6114

Chicken Stir-Fry

I used to make stir-fry using one of those seasoning packets, which contain a lot of bad ingredients. Like MSG, preservatives, and other questionable ingredients. I never realized how easy it is to make a good stir-fry without using that seasoning packet. I just cook some rice on the side, use leftover chicken (or cook some if you don’t have leftovers – you can use pork or beef strips too), fry up whatever veggies you want (with some onion) and add soy sauce, garlic, ginger, & some pepper. Easy and so good. 🙂 For a vegetarian option, eliminate the chicken and add more veggies to make a veggie stir-fry. I actually forgot to put the chicken in one time and no one even noticed.

stir fry with homemade sauce

 

Chicken Stir-Fry
 
Author:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts (or you can do beef or pork)
  • 1 TB and 1 tsp coconut oil (1 tsp for cooking the chicken and 1 TB for the veggies), or use toasted sesame oil
  • a variety of stir-fry veggies (we usually do green beans, broccoli, carrots, and bell peppers because that is what we always have on hand but you can also add cauliflower, peas, zucchini, asparagus, whatever veggies you want)
  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • ¼ cup soy sauce (see what I use, pictured below, or you can use coconut aminos)
  • ½ tsp minced garlic
  • ½ tsp ginger
  • pepper
  • 1 cup rice, 2 cups water (or chicken stock)
  • sesame seeds (optional)
Directions
  1. Heat up a frying pan with 1 tsp of coconut oil. Add the chicken and cook until both sides are done and there's no pink in the middle.
  2. Cook the rice by bringing 2 cups of water to a boil, add the rice, bring to a boil. Then turn to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
  3. Start chopping your veggies while that's cooking. When the chicken is done, set aside for now.
  4. Then in the same frying pan, add 1 TB of coconut oil (or the toasted sesame oil). Start adding the onion and veggies and cook on medium until all the veggies are tender.
  5. Add the garlic, ginger, & pepper (and sesame seeds if you want). Cut the chicken into strips or squares and add to the pan. Stir in the soy sauce and cook another 5 minutes to get everything mixed up.

 

I like to buy the toasted sesame oil at Trader Joe’s sometimes. It’s great for stir-fry!

stir fry and toasted sesame oil

 

My daughter likes to take leftover stir-fry in her lunch using a soup thermos to keep it warm:

stir fry school lunch

 

Here’s the soy sauce I use:

bragg soy sauce alternative

 

You can purchase it through Amazon:

 

Or there’s also coconut aminos soy sauce alternative:

 

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same, but Organic Fibro Mommies will earn a small commission (which helps to offset web hosting fees, maintenance, etc.). Your support is greatly appreciated!

Chicken Fajita Quesadillas

I am frequently trying to figure out what to make with chicken. And it’s usually leftover chicken from my whole chicken in a crock pot. Well I was trying to decide between chicken enchiladas, chicken burritos, or chicken quesadillas. It came down to the quesadillas because of the ingredients we had, and my husband wasn’t thrilled. He said just plain chicken and cheese doesn’t sound very exciting. So I decided to spice it up! I used my homemade taco seasoning, mixed it up with the cooked chicken and added bell peppers and onion. We also dipped our quesadillas in sour cream, salsa, and guacamole. I made the kids’ quesadillas slightly different depending on their preferences (Tyler doesn’t like a lot of green peppers or onion, and Kailey doesn’t like a lot of meat). So I call these Chicken Fajita Quesadillas. You could also just have fajitas. 🙂 For a vegetarian option just eliminate the chicken. You could do black beans or refried beans instead.

 

chicken fajita quesadillas

 

 

Chicken Fajita Quesadillas
 
Author:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 2 thin boneless skinless chicken breasts (or 1 - 2 cups of leftover shredded chicken)
  • 1 - 2 tsp coconut oil (to grease the pan)
  • 2 cups shredded cheese (or sliced cheese will work)
  • taco seasoning (see link for my homemade taco seasoning above)
  • 1 bell pepper (any color), sliced into strips
  • half an onion, sliced into strips
  • 4 - 6, 10" tortillas
  • butter for each side of the quesadilla
  • Optional: sour cream, salsa, and/or guacamole for dipping
Directions
  1. Cook the chicken in the coconut oil until there's no pink. Cut into cubes or strips. (If using leftover chicken you can eliminate this step and just fry up the bell pepper and onion in some oil first, then add the chicken.)
  2. Add the seasoning and a little water to mix it up. Add the bell pepper strips and onion and mix everything up, frying for a few minutes.
  3. Heat up your skillet and start preparing the quesadillas. Butter one side, fold over with the butter side down, then start filling.
  4. Fill with the chicken/pepper/onion mixture, add cheese, folder over and cook each side for a few minutes until slightly golden brown.
  5. Cut in half or into triangles and serve. You can dip in sour cream, salsa, and/or guacamole.

 

 

The chicken, bell pepper, onion, and taco seasoning all mixed up:

fajita meat & veggies

 

Cooking the quesadillas:

quesadillas cooking

 

All done and cut into triangles. Served with salsa & sour cream. You can do guacamole too.

chicken fajita quesadillas

 

I used these tortillas to make my quesadilla and it was really good! They don’t work very good for rolling up into a wrap or a burrito, but great for quesadillas. 🙂 (I heard you should warm them up or leave out for a bit and they will roll up easier. I just haven’t tried it yet.) 

sprouted grain tortillas

Healthy Veggie Scramble

I never thought in a million years I would be eating a breakfast like this. I thought it would be gross. Well now I’m obsessed! Ever since I found the recipe in The Food Babe Way I have been making it and tweaking the recipe to my liking. It is very customizable. My adjustments from the original recipe are that I cut the recipe in half, I don’t add mushrooms (just because I don’t like them), I added garlic powder and onion, an egg, and I have been adding my cauliflower ‘rice’ instead of quinoa. The recipe for “Riced” Cauliflower is found in the Grain-Free Family Table cookbook. Sometimes I also add a little bacon or sausage but not usually. Only if I have some in the fridge that needs eaten up. My daughter likes it too. My husband and son do not. My husband even had it wrapped in a tortilla and added hot sauce. He would like it if I added meat, more eggs, and didn’t put the quinoa or cauliflower in, or tomatoes, or spinach… Okay, I would really have to change up the recipe for him to like it, lol.

healthy veggie scramble

 

Healthy Veggie Scramble
 
Author:
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 TB coconut oil
  • 1 - 2 cups spinach (or chopped kale - I don't chop the spinach but you can)
  • ½ - 1 cup cooked quinoa, rice, or cauliflower 'rice'
  • ½ - 1 cup of each veggie of your choice (broccoli, chopped tomato, chopped bell pepper, chopped zucchini, cauliflower)
  • salt & pepper (sprinkle desired amount)
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp onion powder, 1 tsp minced onion, or 1 or 2 TB chopped fresh (optional)
  • 1 - 2 eggs
  • Other options: mushrooms, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, bacon, sausage
Directions
  1. Heat the coconut oil in a sauté pan on medium heat.
  2. Add any veggies you want, the spinach, and if you are using cauliflower 'rice'. Saute for 5 - 10 minutes.
  3. Stir in the quinoa/rice and seasonings.
  4. Push everything to the side of the pan, crack the egg(s) in the middle and scramble.
  5. Then mix everything in with the egg(s). Serve immediately.

 

After the coconut oil is heated up in the pan, add the veggies you want and the spinach (the spinach will shrink up after it cooks).

making veggie scramble

 

 After sautéing the veggies for 5 – 10 minutes, stir in the quinoa/rice & seasonings. Then push everything to the side, crack the egg(s) in the middle and scramble.

making veggie scramble

 

 Mix everything together and serve immediately. Serves 2, unless you’re really hungry. 😉 

making veggie scramble

 

 Here’s the cauliflower ‘rice’ I use. It’s basically just cauliflower that has gone through the food processor so it is in very small pieces.

cauliflower 'rice'

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

I have been making my own spaghetti sauce for a while now. It’s so easy I can’t believe I haven’t been doing this all along, and I love adding in all the herbs & seasonings. I used to buy the jar of Prego or Ragu and dump it in. You would think that the contents of those jars was just tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, some onion and herbs & seasonings. But no. There’s also calcium chloride, sugar, canola oil or soybean oil, natural flavors (which could mean anything), and none of it is organic. If you can find an organic jar of spaghetti sauce with all good ingredients, than great! I prefer to make my own and it’s pretty easy too. I also add in chopped veggies, kale/spinach, olives, whatever we have on hand and want to add in. Serve with spaghetti noodles or another type of noodle that you like. Zucchini noodles would be good! We also like to have bread with butter, or a biscuit. I make blueberry muffins sometimes, or cornbread would be good too. Of course garlic bread would be the best. 🙂 For a vegetarian option just eliminate the hamburger.

homemade spaghetti sauce

 

5.0 from 1 reviews
Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
 
Author:
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • ½ - 1 lb hamburger (grass-fed organic is best)
  • ¼ cup chopped onion (or 1 TB minced onion)
  • 1 can tomato sauce
  • 1 can diced tomatoes (or just cut-up a tomato into small chunks)
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • Salt & pepper (sprinkle desired amount)
  • ½ tsp turmeric (optional)
  • 1 TB dried kale or spinach, or chopped fresh (optional)
  • small can sliced olives (optional)
  • Other options: chopped bell pepper, zucchini, corn, carrots
Directions
  1. Brown the hamburger, drain if necessary.
  2. Add the onion and any veggies, sauté for a few minutes.
  3. Then add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and all the seasonings (and olives if desired). Cook for 10 - 15 minutes to thicken.
Notes
Tip: If you don't have a can of tomato sauce, you can add a 6 oz can of tomato paste instead and some water (I just fill the 6 oz can with water a couple times and add it but it just depends on how saucy you like it).

 

I make slightly different versions of the sauce, depending on what veggies I have on hand.
And I rarely measure. different spaghetti sauces

 

Here’s my dinner the other night with organic spaghetti noodles, the homemade sauce,
and organic corn on top. So good!spaghetti with corn on top

 

At the end of summer I had an abundance of tomatoes so I cut some up and froze them. It worked out just fine and I added some to our spaghetti sauce. My husband said it tasted better than usual.
Fresh tomatoes from the garden as opposed to out of a can? Yep, I think so! 🙂 diced tomatoes ready to freeze

 

My daughter takes some leftover spaghetti in her Soup Thermos to keep warm for her school lunchleftover spaghetti in soup thermos

 

To make zucchini noodles, use a spiralizer (shown below):

 

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same, but Organic Fibro Mommies will earn a small commission (which helps to offset web hosting fees, maintenance, etc.). Your support is greatly appreciated!

Easy Vegetable Soup

When my best friend was home recovering from a procedure, we came up with this soup to throw together using ingredients she had and I made it for her while she rested. Now I make it for myself for lunch quite often! It’s so easy and good. It lasts me 2 or 3 days, unless I’m sharing with my daughter, which I usually do. And she likes to take some to school in her Soup Thermos. 🙂 If you want to make a bigger pot of this soup for the whole family or to freeze some, just double the recipe. At the end of last summer I blanched and froze a patty pan squash, so I use some of that in my soup. While you can leave the skin on summer squash, I found myself trying to cut it off while eating my soup. I just liked it better without the skin. But the skin does hold a lot of nutrients. The great thing about this soup is there are many options. Just add in any veggies and herbs you like. Homemade chicken broth is best. For a vegetarian option, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

Of course, homemade soup is the better option. There are a few organic soups I buy sometimes. I check the ingredients and to see if they are BPA-free cans. Canned soups are usually in cans that contain BPA (Bisphenol A), a very dangerous chemical that can seep into the food. There are concerns on how BPA can affect the brain. And the soup itself is typically full of preservatives, artificial flavors, etc. Even the organic soups aren’t perfect. It is best to make a big batch of soup and freeze in smaller portions.

bowl of vegetable soup

 

Easy Vegetable Soup
 
Author:
Serves: 2-3
Ingredients
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • ¼ cup rice or quinoa
  • 1 medium/large potato, peeled & chopped
  • 1 large carrot, peeled & chopped
  • ½ cup zucchini, cut into slices or chunks
  • ½ cup butternut squash or another summer squash, cut into chunks
  • ¼ cup chopped onion or ½ tsp onion powder
  • rosemary - 1 tsp dried or 1 TB fresh
  • ½ tsp dried basil
  • parsley - 1 tsp dried or 1 TB fresh, chopped
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • salt & pepper (sprinkle desired amount)
  • Other options: green beans, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, chopped tomato, barley, peas, corn
Directions
  1. Bring chicken broth to a boil.
  2. Add the rice/quinoa and cover, cook on low.
  3. Start chopping the veggies/onion/potato and add them in, along with all the herbs & seasonings.
  4. Then turn up the heat to medium after you add everything, keep it covered and stir occasionally. You will basically cook until the rice/quinoa is done and the carrots are tender. It's about 25 minutes of cooking time, after bringing it to a boil.

 

Here’s the first batch I made of this soup. This one had rice in it. SO good!

vegetable soup cooking in a pot

 

 

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same, but Organic Fibro Mommies will earn a small commission (which helps to offset web hosting fees, maintenance, etc.). Your support is greatly appreciated!

Fun Valentine’s Treats

Let’s face it, it’s really hard to find a babysitter for Valentine’s Day. Everyone wants to spend it with their loved one. So last year we had some fun with the kids on Valentine’s Day and then went to do our thing on another day when we could get a babysitter. So what we did is melt some chocolate, and dip yummy healthier foods in the chocolate sauce. It was a lot of fun and SO good. Also included below are some healthier options for those Valentines the kids bring in to class, how to make dye-free natural red/pink food coloring, and a fun Valentine’s breakfast idea. The holidays can still be fun, even when you are trying to be all-natural and healthier! 🙂

valentines treats

 

The Chocolate Sauce
I used dark chocolate chips or carob chocolate chips, add a little milk, and stir frequently while it’s heating up. Just keep adding milk to get the consistency you want. I have a really neat mini crockpot I use to keep the chocolate sauce warm.

Healthier Options for Chocolate Sauce Dipping
Peanut butter balls, strawberries, raspberries, cherries (be careful of the seeds!), kiwi, mango, oranges, apples, bananas, blueberries (probably any fruit), homemade mini sugar cookies, pretzels, homemade donuts (cut into pieces to dip or do mini donuts), graham crackers, and of course marshmallows would be good (see a healthier option below).

Recipe for the peanut butter balls (pictured above): For about 2 dozen, I did 3/4 cup of creamy peanut butter, 1/4 cup butter, softened, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, and about 1 cup powdered sugar. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl mix the peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar with your hands to form a dough. Shape into balls and place on the baking sheet. Refrigerate until ready to use. If you want a healthier option, here’s a recipe (just omit the chocolate chips).

Recipe for the mini sugar cookies: I still haven’t posted this recipe yet but I have been using this one for a while now. It makes about 2 dozen cookies but it depends on the size. Since we are going smaller it should be more. 3 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside. In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs & vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Form into small round balls, place onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 – 10 minutes.

Recipe for the donuts (or mini donuts): I followed this recipe and just didn’t put in the chocolate chips. If you do mini donuts, I recommend baking at 325 degrees for 10 minutes.

Here’s the mini donut pan I have and I love it! The donuts popped out of the pan very easily, I didn’t have to grease it, and it’s 100% silicone and dishwasher-safe.

The marshmallows I buy (vegan, gluten-free, gelatin-free, GMO-free – ingredients are Tapioca Syrup, Cane Sugar, Tapioca Starch, Filtered Water, Carrageenan, Soy Protein, Natural Vanilla Flavor. I’m not happy about the carrageenan but the other ingredients are better than regular marshmallows which usually contain corn syrup, refined sugar, dextrose, modified cornstarch, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, artificial flavor, and blue #1. Of course making your own would be the best option. And I am not against gelatin. I think it definitely has some health benefits.):

 

Healthier Options for Valentines
There are organic lollipops, fruit snack packs, or valentines gummy bears by YumEarth (shown below), Annie’s valentines fruit snack packs (that I haven’t been able to find yet), and Trader Joe’s has organic lollipops too. Or you can tape something else to the valentines like a pencil, stickers, those little tattoos, rings, erasers, etc. It’s also okay to just hand out valentines, with nothing attached. Maybe even make homemade valentines. Kids might not think this is AS cool but we don’t always have to go all out for every-single-holiday. Maybe we can do something cool for one holiday and then be more relaxed on the next, and take a break!

 

Natural Red Food Coloring
I have not been successful on making a true red natural food coloring yet but I have not experimented that much. Here’s a recipe with a real pretty red coloring, by Real Mom Nutrition: http://www.realmomnutrition.com/2014/12/16/recipe-naturally-colored-frosting/. (You could also put the beet in the juicer to get the liquid.)

 

Natural Pink Food Coloring
I was able to make a pretty pink natural food coloring using raspberries. You don’t need a juicer to make this either. Just cook 6 oz of raspberries in a pan on med until it turns into a sauce. Then strain the seeds and cook the sauce longer until thickened. Cool to room temp and add to your frosting. See the color below on my daughter’s birthday cake. 🙂 

pink raspberry frosting

 

Don’t want to mess around with homemade food coloring? No problem. Here’s some all-natural food coloring you can purchase through Amazon:

 

Fun Valentine’s Breakfast
You could make my apple cinnamon pancakes and use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to make them into heart-shaped pancakes (make sure it’s not a plastic cookie cutter so it doesn’t melt when using it on the pan to make the shapes). Then you can make heart-shaped fruit to go with using a mini heart-shaped cookie cutter, or to make heart-shaped strawberries, just cut off the green stem, cut a V into the top of the strawberry, and slice.

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