caramel-apple skillet cake (pampered chef)

Caramel-Apple Skillet Cake

---

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 3 small Braeburn apples
• 1 pkg (15.25-18.25 oz) yellow cake mix
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tsp Korintje Cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat butter, sugar, cream and corn syrup in All White Ceramic 11-in. Covered Skillet over medium heat until simmering, stirring until smooth. Cook mixture, uncovered, another 7-9 minutes or until mixture is thickened and slightly darker in color, stirring occasionally. Remove Skillet from heat.


2. Meanwhile, cut apples with Apple Wedger and set aside five of the wedges. Starting at the edges of the Skillet, carefully arrange apple wedges, cut side down, over caramel. Arrange the remaining five wedges in the center.


3. Whisk cake mix, eggs, sour cream and cinnamon in Stainless (4-qt./4-L) Mixing Bowl until blended. Carefully spoon batter over apples and spread batter evenly with Small Spreader. Bake, uncovered, 38-42 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Carefully remove Skillet from oven using Oven Mitt. Let stand 2 minutes.


4. Carefully invert cake onto serving platter. Let stand 5 minutes and serve.

Yield: 12 servings

Body Flush and Detox Water

1 cucumber
1 lemon
1 or 2 oranges
2 limes
1 bunch of mint

Slice them all and divide the ingredients between four 24 oz water bottles and fill them up with filtered water. Drink daily Not only does this taste delicious and help flush fat, but it also counts toward your daily water intake!

Lemons: Help in the absorption of sugars and calcium and cuts down your cravings for sweets.

Cucumbers act as a diuretic and flush fat cells. It is alkalizing to the body (if you have an alkaline body, no diseases can live there), and increase your energy levels.

Limes promote a healthy digestive tract.

Mint is a natural appetite suppressant that also aids in digestion.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

You Will Need:

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground cloves
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1/2 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed
Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Blend in eggs one at a time. Remove 1 cup of batter and spread into bottom of crust; set aside.
Add pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg to the remaining batter and stir gently until well blended. Carefully spread over the batter in the crust.
Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until center is almost set. Allow to cool, then refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Cover with whipped topping before serving.

HAWAIIAN WEDDING CAKE

So moist, and as Hawaiian as your creative juices will allow.

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup coconut
1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple with juice

Mix all ingredients and pour into greased 13 x 9” pan.
Bake at 350 F degrees for 40-45 minutes. Cool.

HAWAIIAN WEDDING CAKE FROSTING:
1 (8 oz.) pkg cream cheese
1 1/2 cup powdered (icing) sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 tsp vanilla

Blend well. Frost cooled cake. Garnish with chopped nuts, coconut or chopped fruit, if desired.

Commentary suggestions:
1 tsp coconut extract in the cake
1/2 tsp coconut extract in the frosting.

sugar cookie bars

I've seen the recipe for these in a few different places and all of them say the same thing: "If you want the taste of sugar cookies without having to go through the work and mess of rolling them out, then this is the perfect recipe for you!" I kind of thought they were exaggerating a little bit because let's be real - we roll out sugar cookies because it's fun and it's an adventure, not because it's a pain in the rear. Then I got making these and realized that all of those people were actually right. I was completely done in no time and I wasn't a slave to the kitchen, having to roll, cut, frost, and repeat. It was the perfect dessert! (I found this recipe at Cooking Classy)

Ingredients:

Cookies:

2-1/2 cups bread flour (or all-purpose flour is fine)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 Tbsp. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup half and half
1 tsp. vanilla
Pinch of salt
Several drops of food coloring (optional)

Directions:

COOKIES: Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. (The longer you beat it, the fluffier your cookies will be.)
Add egg and combine well.
Add sour cream and vanilla and mix until completely blended.
Slowly add the flour mixture and stir until well combined.
Gently press the batter into the greased baking dish and spread out with hands. (If you butter your hands, this will help with the stickiness.)
Bake 17-20 minutes, or until edges become lightly golden.
Set aside to cool completely.
FROSTING: In a medium bowl, cream together butter, powdered sugar, and half and half until light and fluffy.
Stir in vanilla and salt, combine well.
Add food coloring until desired color.
Frost your cooled cookie bars evenly.
Cut into squares and serve.

I have to warn you - these are kind of addicting. Like, scary addicting. But, they honestly might just be worth the few extra pounds. Enjoy

rainbow fruit platter

Egg Muffins

These are one of my all-time favorite & EASY meal-preps.

Spray a muffin/cupcake pan w/ non-stick spray.
Fill with ANYthing you want: ham & broccoli, chicken & carrots, spinach w/ feta & tomatoes, steak & bell peppers....whatever you have in the fridge. (Note: add all veggies RAW - they will cook to perfection during the baking process)
Mix approx 1 egg per/muffin in a blender w/ a splash of milk. Pour directly into each cup just below the rim.
Top with shredded or sliced cheeses of your choice.
Bake at 425 degrees for approx 20 min.
Let cool before removing from pan
These can be stored in your fridge for up to 3-4 days! Simply warm in the microwave for a quick breakfast on-the-go!

HOW TO CLEAN YOUR DISHWASHER

Place a dishwasher-safe cup filled with plain white vinegar on the top rack of the dishwasher. Using the hottest water available, run the dishwasher through a cycle – except for the cup of vinegar, the dishwasher needs to be empty.
The vinegar will help to wash away the loose, greasy grime, sanitizes, and helps remove the musty odor.

* After using the vinegar to sanitize the inside of the dishwasher, sprinkle a cupful of baking soda around the bottom of the tub and run it through a short but complete cycle using the hottest water. The baking soda will help freshen the smell of the dishwasher as well as brighten up the look of the inside of your appliance by removing stains.

* Now that the dishwasher is clean and running right………here are a few IMPORTANT tips to KEEP it that way….until the next cleaning. (A routine dishwasher cleaning is a good habit to get into. And you have to admit…now that you know how it’s done…it’s not that hard.)

*Run the garbage disposal (if you have one) before starting the dishwasher. The dishwasher drains into the same pipe as your sink, so that drain must be clear.

*Run a bit of hot water in your sink before running the dishwasher. You will get cleaner dishes if the water starts hot. You can collect the water you run and use it for watering plants or other purposes. Run the water until what comes out of the tap feels hot.

*Make sure your water starts hot enough. Set the thermostat on your water heater to 120F (50C). Water that is cooler than this won’t do a good job cleaning. Water that is hotter could scald.

*Run full loads to conserve water and energy, but don’t pack dishes too tightly. Dishwashers wash dishes by spraying water over them, so the water needs to be able to get to the dishes to clean them.

*If you are inclined to pre-wash your dishes before you put them in the dishwasher, consider this. Dishwasher detergent NEEDS a certain amount of grease and dirt in order to do its job. Otherwise, it actually foams up during the cycle which is not good for your dishwasher.

reindeer cookies

MINI FALL PUMPKIN PIE CROISSANTS

These start with 2 tubes of Pillsbury refrigerated crescent rolls. Roll each crescent roll out and cut lengthwise in 2. This recipe will make 32 mini croissants. Each croissant will get a generous teaspoon of this luscious cream cheese pumpkin pie filling:

4 oz. (1/2 block) of softened cream cheese
1 cup of canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 – 2 T pumpkin pie spice (adjust to taste)
3 – 4 T sugar (granulated or powdered; adjust to taste if you want the filling sweeter)

Beat the above ingredients together until fluffy and creamy and spread about one teaspoon of filling over each triangle of dough.
Mix together 4 T sugar and 1 T pumpkin pie spice and roll each pumpkin pie croissant in it!Bake at 375* for about 13-15 minutes (this time is for on a baking stone) – you want them to be lightly browned and the dough baked through.

Quadruple Chocolate Cheesecake Mouse Cake

The bottom layer is a moist flour less chocolate cake, it’s then topped with a layer of chocolate cheesecake, followed by a rich eggless chocolate mousse layer, and finally finished off with a layer of silky smooth chocolate ganache.

Surprisingly this cake is relatively easy to make, and it came together rather quickly which is what it’s all about for me these days.  Although there are a lot of instructions, it is quite simple. While this cake is relatively rich, it’s not overly sweet.

Quadruple Chocolate Cheesecake Mousse Cake

Prep Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours, 45 minutes

Yield: one 4 layer 9-inch cake

Flour less chocolate cake, chocolate cheesecake, chocolate mousse, and chocolate ganache make up this 4 layer chocolate delight!

Ingredients

Flourless Chocolate Cake- Bottom Layer
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
• 7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine (I used Callebaut)
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
• 4 large eggs, separated
• pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup packed (2 1/3 ounces) dark brown sugar, with lumps removed
Cheesecake Layer- Second Layer
• 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 16 ounces (2 packages) cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
For the Mousse- Third Layer
• 2 tablespoons dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 5 tablespoons hot water
• 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
• 7 ounces bittersweet chocolate-chopped fine
• 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
Chocolate Ganache- Top Layer
• 4.5 ounces bittersweet chocolate- chopped
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature

Instructions

For the Flourless Cake Layer:
1. Adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan, and butter the sides as well.
2. In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (about 1-inch), melt the butter, chocolate and espresso powder, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat, and allow to cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Whisk in egg yolks, and vanilla.
3. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites and salt together on medium speed until frothy, about 30 seconds. Add half of the sugar and beat until combined, and the remaining sugar, and beat on high speed until soft peaks have formed. About 1 minute.
4. Using a whisk, gently whisk in one-third of the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the remaining egg whites until no streaks of white remain. Gently pour the batter into the prepared pan, and gently smooth the top.
5. Bake until the cake has risen, and is firm around the edges, and the centre has just set but is still soft, about 25 minutes. Transfer cake to a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour. (the cake will collapse as it cools). Once the cake is completely cool remove cake from springform pan and set aside. (If using another pan for cheesecake layer, then you can keep it in the pan)
For the Cheesecake Layer:
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment. Wrap the springform pan with foil twice. Place the springform pan in a roasting pan.
7. Melt the chocolate in a heat proof bowl over a pan of simmering water until smooth, stirring occasionally. Alternatively, you can melt in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between until melted. Set aside.
8. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese on medium speed until smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add in the sugar, cocoa powder, and beat until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl once. At low speed beat in the eggs, 1 at a time. Slowly pour in the melted chocolate and mix until fully combined. Beat in the sour cream just until incorporated.
9. Pour the filling into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
10. Bring a kettle of water to a boil for the water bath.
11. Put the pan and roasting pan into the oven, then slowly pour in the boiled water into the roasting pan, so that it goes about 1-inch up the sides of the springform pan.
12. Bake the cheesecake until the centre is set and the top looks slightly dry, about 35 to 40 minutes.
13. Let the cheesecake cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then using a paring knife, cut around the edges to loosen the sides. Allow the cheesecake to cool completely in the fridge.
For the Mousse Layer:
14. Combine the cocoa powder and hot water in a small bowl, and mix to combine. Set aside.
15. Melt chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. (Alternatively you can melt in the microwave). Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
16. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cold cream, sugar, and salt together on medium speed until the mixture begins to thicken, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to high and whip until soft peaks have formed, about 1 minute.
17. Whisk the cocoa powder mixture into the melted chocolate until smooth and shiny. Using a whisk, whisk in one-third of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the remaining whipped cream into the chocolate until no white streaks remain.
For the Ganache:
18. Place the chopped chocolate in a large bowl.
19. In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream over medium-high heat just until hot, about 3 to 5 minutes. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, and add the butter. Allow the mixture to sit for about 5 minutes, or until all the chocolate is soft. Gently mix with a whisk until the mixture is thick and smooth. Whisk in the vanilla. Allow to cool about 10 minutes before pouring on cake.
Assembly
20. Using a springform pan, place the flour less chocolate cake in the bottom of the pan. Place the cooled cheesecake layer over top. (see notes)
21. Spoon the mousse layer over the cheesecake layer, and smooth. Gently tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles. Using an offset spatula, smooth the top of the mousse, leaving a little bit of room for the ganache layer, about 1/4-inch. (I found that I used all but about 1/2 cup of the mousse.)
22. Place the pan in the freezer to chill the cake. Make the ganache glaze. (The cake shouldn't stay in the freezer more than about 30 minutes)
23. When the cake has chilled for about 30 minutes, pour the slightly cooled ganache over it, and working quickly with a small offset spatula, smooth the top. Using the spatula make a simple design if you wish. Cool the cake in the refrigerator. Do not cover with plastic wrap until the ganache has set.
24. Serve the cake chilled, and store in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.

Jessica’s Notes:

• I made the bottom cake layer and cheesecake layer in 2 separate springform pans to make it a bit quicker. I didn’t have 2 9-inch pans, so I made the cake layer in the 9-inch, and the cheesecake layer in a 9 1/2-inch pan, then simply cut it into a 9-inch circle by placing the 9-inch pan over and trimming the sides. Keep the parchment on the cheesecake and flip the chilled cheesecake onto the bottom cake layer. Remove the parchment.
• I made and assembled the first 2 layers, then chilled overnight. I made the mousse and ganache the next morning and finished assembling.
• I used Callebaut Chocolate Discs 60.3% for the entire cake. I highly recommend using quality chocolate for something like this, believe me, it’s worth it!

SLOW-COOKER SALSA CHICKEN!

Ingredients
2 lbs. (32 oz.) chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
1 cup salsa, homemade or purchased
1 cup petite diced canned tomatoes (choose low-sodium)
2 tbsp. taco seasoning
1 cup onions, diced fine
1/2 cup celery diced fine
1/2 cup carrots, shredded
3 tbsp. sour cream, reduced fat
Directions
Place the chicken in a slow cooker. Sprinkle the taco seasoning over the meat then layer the vegetables and salsa on top. Pour a half cup water over the mixture, set on low and cook for 6-8 hours. The meat is cooked when it shreds or reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. When ready to serve, break up the chicken with two forks then stir in the sour cream.
Makes eight 1 cup servings.

frozen fruit cups

A friend of mine gave me this recipe for a great addition to a packed lunch.

11 0z can mandarin oranges – drained
1 cup diced peaches
1 cup crushed pineapple – drained
1 cup fruit juice from drained fruit
30 oz fresh or frozen sliced strawberries – drained
6oz frozen orange juice concentrate
2 TBSP lemon juice
2 Banannas diced

Thaw OJ concentrate. MIx all ingredients. Freeze in little cups with lids. She buys the little disposable cups from URM however she has used tupperware as well.

Change the fruit depending on what is in season. My sister is doing melon balls for her kiddos.

Apple Cinnamon Loaf

1/3 cup brown sugar (not packed)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 apple, peeled and chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl and set aside. Beat white sugar and butter together in a bowl using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until incorporated; add vanilla extract.

Combine flour and baking powder together in another bowl; stir into creamed butter mixture. Mix milk into batter until smooth. Pour half the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Next add half the apples and half the brown sugar cinnamon mixture. Lightly pat apple mixture into batter.

Pour the remaining batter over apple layer; top with remaining apples and add more brown sugar/cinnamon mixture. Lightly pat apples into batter; swirl brown sugar mixture through apples using a finger or spoon.

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.

Cheeseburger mini muffins

This is a recipe that I used for my daughters school lunchs, and I am pleased to say that my husband loved taking them to work with him as well. The recipe travels perfectly, we have used these for family picnics, baseball games, and just about any grab-n-go event we have to attend. Perfect little after school snack too! They are super hot out of the oven warm with a salad for a simple dinner, or just as yummy served room temp in a lunch box. The best part is they really taste like a cheeseburger with half the fat and calories. = o )

1/2 pound ground beef ( ground turkey or chicken works well for this recipe as well )
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 1/2 Cups- All purpose flour
1 Tablespoon- sugar
2 teaspoons- baking powder
1 teaspoon- salt
3/4 Cup- Ketchup ( I have also used tomato sauce as a substitute )
3/4 Cup- Milk ( any variety you use, I normally use 1 or 2 percent )
1/2 Cup- butter or margarine, melted
2- Eggs
1 teaspoon- prepared mustard
2 Cups- shredded cheedar cheese

In a skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, cobine the ketchup, milk, butter, eggs, and mustard; stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in the beef mixture and cheese. Fill greased miniature muffin cups three-fourths full.

Bake at 425 for 15 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Refrigerate leftovers.
Yield: 5 dozen

Note: Muffins may be baked in regular size muffin cups for 20 to 25 minutes, reciped makes 2 dozen.

I have also made these as ham and cheese mini muffins, using left over ham bits in place of the ground beef, swiss cheese in place of the shredded cheddar, and chopped green onions in place of the cooked onion.

I have also made these with half all purpose flour and half whole wheat flour. Made both ways, they taste great and are a fun alternative to sandwiches!

Make Ahead Cold Lunches {A Weeks Worth of Lunches in a day!}

http://happymoneysaver.com/cold-lunches-in-a-day/

I am re-posting this awesome way to save money by doing make ahead cold lunches! Not only will this save you time but cold lunches can also be a lot more healthy too than the cafeteria mystery hamburgers. Before I tried this method I always had a tough time with packing a cold lunch for my kids.  Even though I always WANTED to pack the kids cold lunches it was a lot of time and work each morning.  I would usually get excited, do cold lunches for about 2 weeks and then get lazy. I found that if I didn’t prepare the night before, it was a mad rush in the morning and it was just so much easier to say – “You’re getting hot lunch today!”

Last year I tried out making ahead a weeks worth of cold lunches all in one day. And it worked! This idea is kind of like freezer cooking but for cold lunches.  Once a week I chop and bag up all the fresh fruit, vegetables, crackers and any other lunch items all at once. Then I add them to a cold or dry lunch bucket to store in my fridge or pantry. The kids can quickly grab the items to throw in their lunches when they prepare them themselves in the morning or evening before.

The cold lunch bucket is just a tub I purchased at Walmart. It fits perfectly in my fridge. Once a week I will separate grapes, chop oranges or apples (if I did apples I would first soak them in pineapple juice or fruit fresh so they keep longer), chop carrot or celery sticks and even make up some sandwiches to freeze.

Some of the items I have kept in my own personal cold lunch bucket this past year are:

• String Cheese, Baby bel cheese
• Yogurt smoothies or other yogurt cups
• Carrots ( I found little cups with lids at Cash n Carry that I add ranch dip to them sometimes)
• Apples
• Sliced Oranges
• Mandarin Oranges, whole
• Green Peppers, sliced thinly
• Celery sticks
• Grapes, Cherries, Cantaloupe or other seasonal fruit cut up

Dry Lunch Bucket

The dry good lunch bucket has all the other dry type items such as bagged pretzels, crackers, homemade granola bars, trail mix, treats and more. This bucket sits in my pantry.

Some of the dry items to consider:

• Crackers or Pretzels
• Homemade Granola
• Granola Bars
• Beef Jerky
• Trail Mix
• Chips
• Graham Crackers
• Brownies or Homemade Cookies ( I bake up a bunch and individually bag them up)
• Special Treats ( usually for a holiday – like a single candy on Halloween…)

Sandwiches & Wraps

I have found that the easiest way for me to make the sandwich part is to take a large roll or sandwich bun, add in meat and cheese, wrap and freeze individually. My children will take them out in the morning frozen and by the time it’s lunch the sandwich has thawed. If they must have the condiments on their sandwiches you can always add them in between the meat and cheese, so when it thaws it won’t sog your bread. Wraps will also freeze really well as well as quesidillas. My kids will eat them cold. By the way – my kids favorite is pepperoni + provolone cheese on a hard roll or bun.

How many to Make? 

I count out the number of days for cold lunch that week times how many children. Here is my own personal math: 4 kids x 5 days = 20.  20 bags of various chopped vegetables, 20 bags of various chopped fruit, 20 bags of chips/crackers, 20 string cheese or even treats if I feel nice that week..hee hee. 20 Sandwiches, quesadillas, or other main dish options. So I make everything all in one day and get it all prepared.  

other suggestions:

also i started making jello and putting in containers i get a weeks worth out of one box so essentially it costs me .50 for a weeks worth of jello or pudding and i finally found a use for those mini containers that came with the rubbermaid set 

Our kids love having roast beef sandwiches. We buy a HUGE roast from Costco, shred it up and make 75-100 sandwiches at a time! (Use whipped dressing, not mayo-as the egg in mayo separates.) Whipped dressing, roast beef, mustard and cheese-they taste fantastic when they thaw! We always make up a whack of paper bag lunches with a granola bar, fruit snack, fruit cup, or little packages of crackers, etc. and store them in our pantry. Then all the kids have to do is grab one of those bags and put a piece of fresh fruit and a frozen sandwich in and their lunches are done! This has saved my sanity so much!!!

To help not get soggy pb&j’s spread the peanut butter on each piece of the bread, making sure to cover all the bread, and then put the jelly in the middle. This “protects” the bread from soaking up the jam or jelly. Also we use whole grain wheat tortilla shells for sandwiches too. I have made Cesar Chicken Salad Wraps for the kids lunches the Sunday before and they never get soggy. I will make up a batch and my husband and I take them for lunches all week too, and they are healthy and taste great. Also, we have a recipe for Asian Chicken Salad that can be packaged in tupperware and taken in lunches too. There is nothing that gets soggy in it and it holds up well all week. Other than that I just pre-bag the side stuff and throw it all together the night before.

Another good idea i do for my kids lunches is use a flatbread or tortilla could work too spread it with cream cheese and cucumbers and roll into a wrap… kids love it!

One of our favorite quick lunch ideas are mini bagels and condiment sized cream cheese or cream cheese in a mini Tupperware. The kids spread them at school so they are fresh and they love them. 

A little tip in the cheap-and-easy vein: Bottled lemon juice will work great for preserving apple pieces. Put a little bit in a baggie of apples and shake/knead it until the juice has contacted all surfaces, then dump out any remaining juice (I also use a little bit of lemon juice in my palm to rub on the cut surface of a head of cabbage to keep it from greying when I leave it in a bag in the fridge for a few days). This might be cheaper and easier to get hold of than pineapple juice (unless you use a fair amount of canned pineapple in its own juice), and it’s great for people who like a tart/sour kick, though it only gives a slight tang unless you let the apples *sit* in the lemon juice for a while to soak some up.

The first time I tried lemon juice, I left the apples to sit for ten or fifteen minutes, unsure of how long it took to get whatever chemical reactions might be needed; I felt the experiment failed because they ended up tasting so strong, but they were a HUGE hit with my husband and his friend 

I cut apples in fours and then sprinkle them with cinnamon. It hides the brown and tastes yummy!

One thing I do is make cupcakes and use a filler to put the frosting in the middle. That way the frosting is inside the cupcake – otherwise what a mess!

One of my daughters favorites is pasta salad, won’t go bad in the lunchbox and very filling:
Large shell pasta
pepperoni
cheddar cheese
green bell pepper
green onion
Italian dressing – I make extra to add the next day as it drys out a little overnight.

Two Ingredient Pumpkin Cake with Apple Cider Glaze

Even the pilgrims would approve...
For the Cake:
1 Yellow Cake Mix
1 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree
For the Glaze: ...
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons apple cider
3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Empty the contents of the boxed cake mix and pumpkin puree into a large bowl. Using a hand-mixer or stand mixer beat until well incorporated. The batter will be very thick, but will come together nicely.
Pour batter into a greased 7 x 11 X 2 pan. This is the small, rectangular-sized pan from your Pyrex set. You know the set you had to have when you got married and rarely ever used all the pieces. Finally, you have a use for it.
Bake at 350 degrees for 28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not over bake.
Let cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan, then flip onto a platter.
Make the glaze while you're waiting.
Combine powdered sugar, apple cider and pumpkin pie spice. Glaze should be thick but pourable. Add more sugar or cider if needed. Pour over the cake while still warm. Reserve some to pour over each slice when served.

Impossible Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup evaporated milk
2/3 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 cup muffin tin with silicone liners, foil liners sprayed with cooking spray or just spray the cups with cooking spray. Either of these three methods will make it easy to take the cupcake out after it’s cooked. Paper liners make it difficult to remove the cupcakes.

Mix the pumpkin, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and milk. Add the flour, pumpkin spice, salt, baking powder and baking soda to the mixture. Fill each muffin cup with 1/3 cup of the mixture. Bake for twenty minutes and let cool for twenty minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle more pumpkin pie spice on top and serve. Makes 12 cupcakes.

***NOTES::: added 8/21/13....put more than 1/3 c of filling (almost to the top is the consensus so far.)

ZUCCHINI PIZZA CASSEROLE

(This is something I really enjoy making when I get the taste for it! Who knew zucchini could taste so darn good! )

Ingredients:

4 cups shredded zucchini (about 5 small zucchini's)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese
2 oz. cheese (I used mozzarella and cheddar)
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 lb. ground beef
2 oz. pepperoni, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups spaghetti sauce
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
4 oz. cheddar or mozzarella cheese (or a mix of both)

Directions:

Shred zucchini. Mix the zucchini with 2 eggs, Parmesan cheese, 2 oz. of cheese and Italian seasoning. Press the zucchini mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 9 x 13 in. glass baking dish. Bake the crust uncovered for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

While the crust bakes, brown the ground beef in a large pan. Add in the onion, pepperoni and spaghetti sauce and cook until onion is soft, about 5 - 7 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven. Pour the meat and sauce over the crust. Top with peppers, sprinkle with 4 oz. of cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes at 400 or until the pizza is heated through and the cheese is melted and slightly browned. Allow the dish to stand for 2 - 3 minutes before slicing and serving.