Scouting Sunday #13: 8 Great Homemade Recipes

 So if you recall, this series is designed to share with you some of the things I've found during the week that I love- most are diy, crafty items, and I think they're all great!  If you're a blogger and you've been "Scouted" be sure to grab a button at the bottom to put on your blog or post!

This week, we're celebrating awesome food, like:

Cheesy Cauliflower Pancakes

Don't those look delicious?  The substitution of cauliflower for potato shaves off about 60 calories per serving (though the cheese adds right back on to that).  If you want to save even more calories, opt for the cheese free version:

Original Cauliflower Pancakes

If you're a cookie addict, like me... you'll love these homemade oreos!

Homemade Oreos from My Kitchen Addiction

but if you're looking for a lighter, healthier snack, check out this:

Blow Your Mind Microwave Popcorn

It really does work!  We've been making all our popcorn like this, but as a note, our microwave takes about 2 minutes longer than it calls for on this website.  Yum!

If it's a snack for the kids you're looking for, why not try:

Homemade Graham Crackers from Baking and Boys

but if you're looking for something for dinner instead, have:

Homemade Crescent Rolls

or try some awesome veggies with:

Zucchini Chips

and lastly, finish it up with some awesome weight busting water!

Apple Cinnamon Water Detox Drink

I hope you've enjoyed today's Scouting Sunday!

  If you're a blogger and you've been "Scouted" be sure to grab a button at the bottom to put on your blog or post!

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Pizza (or anything) Pockets {Recipe}

So both of my kids seem to love anything that has pockets, or that has to do with pizza.  One day, I was willing to experiment with both and so we had fun with it.  This is what I did to come up with our delicious pockets:

We started with two tubes of already made Pillsbury Pizza Thin Crust Pizza dough.  This made 8 pockets, and each were a decent size. 

We started by cutting the roll of dough in half.

We set aside one half and unrolled the other, and then cut it in half.

I had all of our ingredients pre-chopped and on a tray ready to use.  I did this the same day I went grocery shopping, so this was fun, I grabbed little bits of all the produce that we would use in the days to come: 1/2 a pepper, one little floret off the broccoli, a handful of black olives, half a zucchini, 3-4 mushrooms and a half a tomato, and some spinach.  I also used a can of pizza sauce, and opened up the alfredo sauce we would use the next day in fettucine alfredo (incidentally, my husband made that, and also threw in some of those mushrooms and zucchini and it was fantastic!).  We also had pepperonis, mozzarella cheese, and some diced chicken I bought to top off salads with.

We spread sauce on half of the dough (pizza sauce on left, alfredo on right)

And then topped the sauce off with all the toppings.

then, fold over the dough, and take a fork and press in all around the edges to seal.

I then also took a basting brush to my margarine tub...

And gently brushed over the top of the pockets to help them turn that wonderful golden brown color.

Don't they look delicious?

 

They were golden brown and crispy all over after about 7 minutes in the oven set at 425 degrees.

This next picture they had started to cool so the cheese wasn't as gooey as it was when they first came out, but they were wonderful!

My favorite combination was Alfredo Sauce, Spinach, Tomato, Broccoli, Black Olives and Cheese.  Nom!

My Favorite Waffles {Recipe}

I love waffles.  I love putting all sorts of different toppings on them, cutting them into strips and dipping them in syrup or folding them in half over a slice of bacon or sausage.  I've been tweaking this recipe for years and think I have it perfected.  I think it's best if when you cook them, you cook them just a little longer and get a nice crisp on the outside.

First, you'll start with these ingredients:

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups flour (I use all purpose white)
2 Tbsp Sugar
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
2 Eggs
1 3/4 cups Milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla


Start by measuring out all the dry ingredients:

And Mix them together in a bowl, making a well in the center (which you can't see very well in my picture):

Then move on to your wet ingredients:

Start by cracking the eggs in a bowl and mixing them well (probably should do it better than i did here):

Add in the milk, oil and vanilla:

 

Mix together well:

 

Now, add this mixture all at once into the well of your dry ingredients:

Mix together, just until moist.  The batter will probably still be a little lumpy:

Spray your waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour waffle mix in iron per your waffle maker directions.  Mine calls for about a 1/2 cup of batter and takes between 7-9 minutes to cook.  Resist the urge to peek!  If you open it up too soon, you end up with a split waffle that won't go back together.

When they start to smell delicious, they're done.  Pull them off the iron and enjoy them hot!

I'm linking up to these linky parties!!

Love Bug Cupcakes {Recipe}

A couple of months ago we made little Love Bug Cupcakes in honor of Valentine's Day. I thought they were so cute, took pictures of them, promptly lost them somewhere on my hard drive and then found them again and decided to write a post on how to make them! They were so cute, and so easy!

Start with a box of cake mix, the frosting of your preference, a bag of marshmallows, pull and peel twizzlers, red sugar crystals, and something for the eyes. We used Silver Dragees, even though you're not supposed to. It was what I had in my kitchen at the time.

 Make the cupcakes according to the boxed directions,and let them cool.  While they're cooling, go ahead and decorate the Marshmallows.  To do this, pour some of the red sugar crystals onto a plate.  Wet the marshmallow with water, then roll it in the red sugar crystals.  Then, just set them aside to dry.

While those are drying, you can go ahead and frost your cupcakes:

I didn't want to make them all into love bugs, so what I did was took a heart shaped cookie cutter, set it on top of the frosted cupcake, and sprinkled some red sugar crystals into the bounds of the cookie cutter.  Tip the cupcake from left to right to coat and then tip upside down to remove extra.

By now, your marshmallows should be dry.  Pull apart the Twizzlers, and cut them into small pieces for the antennae, and larger pieces for the wings.  All you do is stick them into the marshmallow.  Do the same for the eyes and the bug is done!  Now, stick a toothpick into the bottom of the bug, and then onto the cupcake.  Voila!  You have some beautiful love bugs!

My daughter just loved how cute they were!

I liked how they looked in groups alternating with the hearts.   I just thought they were adorable!  

Do you have any holiday crafts that you haven't posted?  Perhaps you should post them now!!!

I'm linking up here: 

Holiday Crafting, Tutorial, Colored Coal (M&M) Cookies in a Jar

 

Here's a simple recipe for an M&M cookie mix in a jar!  We used the red and green m&m's for the holidays and the mix was very easy to put together.  My only wish was that we had saved the m&ms for the very last layer because they almost got lost in the layers of flour and sugar.

"Colored Coal Cookies"

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 1 1/4 cups candy-coated milk chocolate pieces
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Directions

1. Mix together flour, baking soda and baking powder.
2. Layer ingredients in jar in order given in a 1 quart ''wide mouth'' canning jar. Add the flour mixture last. It will be a tight fit when you add the flour mixture so be sure to pack everything down firmly.
3. Instructions to attach to jar:  

  M & M's Cookies. 

Empty jar of cookie mix into large mixing bowl. Use your hands to thoroughly blend mix. 

Add 1/2 cup margarine or butter softened at room temperature. Mix in 1 egg, slightly beaten, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Mix until completely blended. You will need to finish mixing with your hands. 

Shape into balls the size of walnuts and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet 2 inches apart.

Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 12 to 14 minutes until edges are slightly browned. Cool on cookie sheet for about 5 minutes then remove to wire racks to finish cooling. Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Holiday Crafting, Tutorial, Joy to the Cookie (Cranberry Nut Cookies) in a Jar

 

I really wish I had taken a picture of just the jar here, because this mix, when layered, looks gorgeous.  The cookies themselves are lovely!  

Joy To the Cookie

Ingredients for the Jar:

• 5/8 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Assembly Instructions: 

Using a canning funnel, layer the ingredients in a 1 quart canning jar in the order listed.  Decorate the jar with cloth, stickers, ribbon or other accessories.  Make sure to include the cooking instructions!

Cooking Instructions:  

Ingredients not Included:

1/2c. softened butter

1 Egg

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a cookie sheet.

In medium bowl beat together the ingredients that were not included with the jar until fluffy.  Add the contents of the jar and mix together until blended.

Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto baking sheets, bake for 8-10 minutes.

Cool.

Holiday Crafting, Tutorial, Christmas Tree House Fire Coffee (Bavarian Coffee)

 

This coffee was designed with the crafting of my "naughty" gifts.  My husband named it, I thought it was hilarious and had to use it.  It is actually a bavarian coffee, which is often used with mint of some sort. Making the coffee was very easy. 

 Christmas Tree House Fire Coffee (Bavarian Coffee)

Ingredients for the Jar:

In a bowl, mix the following ingredients:

1/4 cup instant nonfat powdered dry milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup instant coffee
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder


Assembly Instructions:

Then, using a canning funnel, pour the mix into a canning jar, tapping the jar on the table to settle it a bit.  Then, decorate the jar however you like, with a square of fabric, a piece of ribbon, sticker, tag, whatever that you like.  Make sure you include the directions on how to serve a cup!

Cooking Instructions:

To serve combine 3 tablespoons of mix with 1 cup boiling water; stir to blend.

Holiday crafting, Tutorial, Cream of Elf (er... Mushroom) Soup

This is yet another soup that was made for my "Naughty and Nice" gifts.  This soup is just amazing, and the kudos for the awesome name goes to my husband, who giggled for a long time before he was even able to share it with me.  It's easy to put together, and it looks incredible in the jar.

 

Cream of Elf (er.... Mushroom and Wild Rice) Soup

Ingredients for the Jar:

• 1 package Country Gravy Mix (2.75 ounces)
• 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
• 2 teaspoons dried minced onion
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 1/4 cup uncooked wild rice
• 1 cup uncooked white rice
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped dried mushrooms (I used Oyster and Porcini)

Assembly Instructions: 

Pour Pioneer Country Gravy Mix into wide-mouth pint jar. In small bowl, stir together bouillon granules, onion, celery and parsley. Pour into jar to make second layer. Add layers of wild rice, white rice and mushrooms. Seal with lid.

Decorate the jar with cloth, stickers or ribbon and don't forget to include a tag with the cooking instructions!

Cooking Instructions: 

Empty contents of jar into a large saucepan. Add 7 cups water; heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes or until rice is tender, stirring occasionally. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Makes 6 servings.