Chocolate Coconut Bars -Gluten and Dairy Free

Super easy, super good, can't wait for them to be gone so I can try it again!!!

Next time I am going to spread the chocolate icing in the bottom of the pan, or just mix it in the food processor!  Ohhhhhh and pineapple, gonna try pineapple in the next batch too!
Let me know how yours turn out :)

Chocolate Coconut Bars

2 cups shredded coconut

3 Tbsp. coconut oil

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 Tbsp. chocolate icing or chips

Place the syrup, coconut and oil into a food processor and blend for 2 minutes.  Press into a small (I used a 4 x 6 casserole dish).  Warm up the icing (I use store bought/dairy free chocolate icing, but I think chips would be awesome mixed in) and drizzle over the top.  Refrigerate for 1 hour and then cut into small squares.  That's it!

saving some plastic and $: baby pool fix

 Every year I seem to buy a plastic baby pool at the end of the season for about $5.  This one I bought last August.  We used it for a month or so on the deck, put it in the basement as a toy box and then brought it back out as soon as it got warm enough to take a bath outside.  It was starting to get holes in it from where we push the side down to let the water out, (now you know you've done it too :) and so the repairing challenge has begun.  I tried several different tapes and they all failed.  At this point I usually give up and toss it to the curb on trash day, but decided this year to try something new......BATHTUB CAULK!!!  It worked like a charm!  I am so happy to save some trash in a landfill and ultimately money in my pocket, even if it is only $5.  It is something I can feel good about and as you can tell from the picture, so do my babies.

Granny's Apple Cole Slaw

This is my version of Wolfgang Puck's Apple Cole Slaw.  It took me about 15 minutes to put together, needs about an hour in the fridge before serving, and if you 'like' cole slaw you will LOVE it!!! 

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup mayo
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar or 2 Tbsp. honey
1/4 tsp. poppy seeds
dash of pepper, paprika, and salt
1 Tbsp. brown or yellow mustard
(Mix these together and put into the fridge while you cut your apples)

2-3 Granny Smith apples sliced and cut into matchsticks
1 bag of cole slaw mix
1/4 cup raisins
1 cup sweet corn
 (mix these in and put into the fridge for about an hour before serving)

Stir in nuts of your choice before serving.  I used honey roasted and sliced almonds!  Have a very Happy Fourth of July, everyone :)

easy Banana Ice Cream - dairy and gluten free

"Why yes, you CAN have an ice cream cone for lunch!"   Have you ever been able to say that to your kids?????  I can and you can too!  Just follow these simple steps and you will all be screaming for ice cream!  I promise the only ingredients in this were bananas and real vanilla extract.  You can add ingredients to your taste or diet, but this one was excellent plain!

STEP 1: Break up and freeze bananas

STEP 2:  Blend in blender with 1 tsp. vanilla a few pieces at a time.

STEP 3: Put in storage container and back into the freezer for scoopable ice cream!

Optional Add-Ins:  Peanut butter, chocoalte chips, strawberries, cherries, marshmallows, nuts, Reeses Peanut Butter cups (yes, please), Hershey's syrup (in the above picture), M & M's, caramel sauce, crushed graham crackers, vanilla wafers, or oreos, oh my!

Outdoor Chair Cushions- RE DO in 1 hour!

Our patio furniture has lasted us about 9 years so far and still looks great....except for the chair cushions of course.  I usually buy them on sale at the end of the season every other year, but this year we can't wait.  They looked that bad!  This time I wanted to save the landfill from my ripped cushions and try to recover them.  I LOVE THEM!!!  Here is what I did:

BEFORE

I bought 8 yds. of Outdoor Fabric from the clearance section at Hancock Fabrics.  (it was 56" wide)

It was $6 yd. and I had a 10% off coupon making my purchase around $44.00

My cushions were standard sized at 42" x 22"

I cut the fabric at 47" leaving me a rectangle 56" x 47".  (You may need to trim off the sides or take it in depending on your cushion size.)  Next, I folded it over and sewed the top and side seams, right sides together with my surger, but you could use a conventional machine.  Basically this left me with an inside out pillowcase.  Flip it right side out and put in the cushion. 

Then, I used my surger and closed off the bottom of the cushion.  If you have a regular sewing machine you may want to slip stitch it closed.  That is it! 

AFTER

You could sew it more fitted if you want or add the seperation lines in the middle of the top cushion, but I was pleased with them and was happy to be done in just a few minutes per pillow. I made 6 in less than 1 hour!

The babies were happy too!!!

Italian Sausage Casserole - freezer meal

Here is a super simple recipe for Italian Sausage Casserole.  I doubled it (so half it if you want just one). It is perfect to have one tonight and throw the other into the freezer for later.  Ciao!

ITALIAN SAUSAGE CASSEROLE

2 Pks. Italian Sausage

1 onion

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

2 zucchini

2 boxes Penne or Bowtie pasta

2 jars spaghetti sauce

1 cup. mozzarella cheese

Saute the sausage (I split the sausages and squeeze them out of the casing).  Add the diced onion, zucchini and garlic, cook for 5 minutes.  Boil noodles and drain.  In a large mixing bowl or pot mix all the ingredients together.  Spoon half into a casserole dish and top with cheese.  Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. 

Put the remaining into freezer safe bags and store in the freezer until next time.  Thaw and bake the same way. 

Serve with salad and garlic bread or if you want to try focaccia bread try this recipe:http://naturallyhomemade.blogspot.com/2012/04/homemade-focaccia-bread.html

mini chocolate croissants: freezer recipe

I have been enjoying the benefits of preparing great food in advance and storing it in the freezer.  It is called 'freezer cooking' and has been saving me valuable time and money, as well as being able to pull amazing things out and in a flash wowing my guests.  Recently, I tried a chocolate croissant recipe that was well worth the effort.  My kids called them an awesome dessert, but I just had to have a few with my morning coffee, making them breakfast!  This recipe makes 64 mini rolls, but only about 50 made it to the freezer.  This is one of those recipes that I don't mind the kids polishing off quickly so I can try it again ;)

Mini Chocolate Croissants

2 TBSP. Yeast

1.5 cups milk

3/4 cup butter

1 tsp. salt

3/4 cup sugar

3 eggs

7 cups flour

1/2 bag chocolate chips

Melt the butter in the milk in a saucepan.  When it is warm, not hot, pour it into the yeast and sugar.  Let set for 5 minutes.  Add eggs, mixing well.  Add salt and then the flour 2 cups at a time until well blended. (I use a Kitchen Aide mixer)   Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces.

Roll out one portion of the dough into a circle about 12" in diameter.

Here is where little hands can help (but be sure you have extra chips or you will run short).  Cut the circle of dough into  16 pieces like a pizza.  Add chocolate chips to each triangle and roll them up from the outside in, placing each crescent roll on a greased cookie sheet.  (Because these are mini sized I used 3 cookie sheets total.)

Set the cookie sheets in a warm place and let rise 2-5 hours or until doubled in size.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until golden brown.  Place on a cooling rack to cool and then sprinkle with powdered sugar.  After flash freezing them, I do it on the cooling rack, then put into a gallon sized plastic bag for storage in the freezer.  Take out of the freezer and let them defrost for 15 minutes before serving, or if you want you can heat them up for a few seconds in the microwave and serve warm.  I grabbed 3 on the way out the door this morning and ate them in the car with my latte...HEAVEN!!!!!