I just LOVE homemade granola.  This particular granola bar that I make is truly a decadent dessert though with all the gooey peanut buttery goodness. My kids and husband love it and Ty loves helping to mix all the ingredients together. My favorite time to eat it is right out of the oven when it's warm and soft, but as it cools it hardens to your typical granola bar consistency. YUM!!

This recipe is adapted from Michelle from Crafty Morning's Homemade Mini M&M Granola Bars.

Grocery List

2.5 cups old fashioned oats

1/2 cup rice crispy cereal

1/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes

1/2 cup chocolate chips (I am generous!)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal

1/4 cup sliced almonds

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/8 cup oil

1/3 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup honey

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Toast the dry oats for 10 minutes until they are golden.  Line a 13x9 pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.  Mix all the dry ingredients together. Stir in wet ingredients.  Press into the pan. Bake for 18 minutes.

Let cool then cut into bars! Enjoy!
Linked up here!

New weeknight meals for SPRING!

I have been doing a meal swap with my friend and am LOVING it! If you have a neighbor or nearby friend that you can swap meals with once a week, you MUST! I get a night off of dinner duty AND I get to try new dishes that I wouldn't usually try! Here are some dishes that I am trying out this Spring and meals that she's made for us and we've loved! Have you tried any new dishes lately?

Mushroom Asiago Chicken by Everyday Dishes

This is one of the meal swap recipes that my friend, Rachael shared with us! It was so delicious. My kids even loved the chicken and asiago sauce with it. I definitely plan on making this again with some angel hair pasta for a hearty dinner. And a bonus-- it's a one-pan meal!

Korean Grilled Chicken Breasts by Skinnytaste

Not only is this on the healthier side of the spectrum, but it's an easy chicken marinade to throw together and it is very tasty! I like to serve this one with a side salad and even a cup of brown rice to stick with the Korean theme. I usually would never think about applesauce in marinade, but it goes great!

Lipton Onion Burgers by Lauralie41

I am making this easy burger recipe this week! The Lipton soup packet gives so much flavor and I am topping the burgers with sauteed mushrooms and gooey cheese.  Roasted veggies made a great side for these burgers!

Easy Marinade for Chicken by Jillypooh @ Allrecipes.com

The first time I ever had this marinade was at my niece's first birthday party. My sister used it and my brother-in-law threw the breasts on the grill. HOLY MOLY! This is one of the most flavorful marinades and perfect for grilling season! Must try!

Linked up here today!

Dinners Lately: Meal Planning in the New Year

With the New Year, I wanted to do new dinners. I don't know about you, but I am someone who easily gets caught up the same ole meal rut.  I try to cook 4-5 times a week and I like to keep things fresh.  This is definitely the time of year that I love some good warm comfort foods as the temperatures drop, but I am also trying (on SOME days) to think health conscious.  We could definitely stand to eat a little healthier around here!

Here is the line up of some of the meals that I've tried since the year has started. I think that I can add them to the meal rotation since my family gobbled them up!

Mix and Match Mama's Beer and Cheese Chili

I  usually use a McCormick chili seasoning packet for chili because I am a sucker for a quick and easy dinner and that does the job, but I am forever chili changed after making this recipe for my family. I used some home brew that Justin and my dad made and it gave the chili the best depth of flavor. I LOVE this recipe!!

Lemon Chicken and Kale Soup

For this one, I made my own chicken broth!! I am so impressed with myself and will toot my own horn here. TOOT TOOT! I loved the lemony flavor of the soup. It really brightened up the whole dish. Oh, and I added carrots, which added a sweet element. My hubby and kids liked it, so I call it a win!

Ree Drummond's Black Bean Burgers

PC: Ree Drummond

I am trying to get better at doing Meatless Monday... ok ok, meatless *weekday, so this was a great option for us. I love a good veggie burger and Ree never lets me down. Plus, it gave me a chance to use my Dinnertime cookbook!

Ree Drummond's Chicken Kale Pasta

PC: Ree Drummond

Yes. I am on a kale kick. But I am going to ride this train all the way to healthy town as long I am on it!  And yes. I am addicted to Ree recipes. I can't help it!

Do you have any new recipes you've tried with the start of the New Year?? Please share so I can try them too!!

Quick and easy Creamy Tomato Soup

The other week we were stuck inside listening to the rain drops tap the Windows. Our Christmas tree was lit, movies were on the tv, and my kids were tucked under piles of blankets. The only thing that would complete our rainy day was a steamy bowl of tomato soup and gooey grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch. 

I threw this soup together is under five minutes and it turned out delicious! Much better than Campbell's and took just as quick to make!  

Grocery List 

2 14 oz cans undrained Italian-style diced tomatoes 

1/2 can sliced carrots  

2 cups chicken broth 

1/2 tbsp garlic powder

1/2 tbsp onion powder

Salt and pepper to taste 

1 tbsp sugar (adjust for sweetness)

2 heaping tbsp Alouette cheese spread 

Heat all ingredients in a pot over medium heat.  Once heated through, use immersion blender to make all ingredients smooth. Ladle into bowls and enjoy!

The Alouette cheese gave it an extra zing of flavor. Everyone loved it and we will definitely be having it again! Happy Wednesday!

Friday Favorites: big dreams and little minds

TGIF!! I don't know about you, but it was a very long week. Our house was infected by hand-foot-mouth and we have been couped up most of the week. I am ready for the weekend! Here are some of my favorites this week and reasons I can say that, although it was long, it's been a good week!

New Adventure: Linsley Schneider Photography Facebook Page 

I took a huge leap of faith and giant step outside my comfort zone this week.  Although I was (and still am) terrified and excited I launched my Facebook page for my photography. The amount of support from my Facebook family has been humbling and overwhelming!  This has been a dream of mine for a while now and with the encouragement of my friends and family, I am making it a reality. I can't tell you the last time I was so excited about something outside of my kids. I am at the starting line of a brand new adventure with a long road of learning and building ahead, but my heart is all in and I am praying for success. Please take a second and check out my page and like it if you want! You'd make my heart so happy! 

Linsley Schneider Photography

Little Partners Learning Tower

I have been drooling over the thought of having one of these since Ty could stand. They are a pretty penny and something that we hadn't made a priority in getting, but as much as my little guy loves being by my side in the kitchen, it's been on my wish list.  My amazing sister inherited one for my nephew and he rarely used it, so she passed it to us. I HIT THE JACKPOT! Ty is on it 24-7 and it hasn't moved from the island in the kitchen because he's not off of it long enough. He says "I love my stool!" I am so grateful for my sister and for this addition to our kitchen! 

Fried Plantains

I am spoiled when it comes to food on both sides of the family. My mother and my MIL love to cook and will make home-cooked meals whenever we visit.  Fried plantains are a treat that I've become addicted to since marrying into Justin's family.  We have them savory with salt and when they are a bit more ripe, we eat them sweet with sugar. This past weekend, my mother in law sent a plantain back with us, so I was able to fry it up for dinner mid-week. WHAT A TREAT!! I think I will start buying them on my own and have them more often!

Santa Pictures Through the Years

2013

2014 ( I was pregnant with Elena)

2015

Justin's parents have their Santa pictures dating back to when Justin's oldest sister was a baby. It is the coolest thing to look back at the kids through the years. These are our Santa pictures since Ty has been born and I LOVE looking at them.  My plan is to keep them in the same scrapbook that I keep our Christmas Card pictures in through the years. 

Airport Cafe

Earlier this week we joined our friends and went for lunch at a cafe at our airport that overlooked the plane runway.  It is surrounded by giant windows so you can see the planes land and take off. Some of them even pull right up to the building.  Ty absolutely loved being with his little buddy watching the planes.  And a bonus... a chicken nugget and french fries lunch was less than $3! SCORE! We will definitely be coming here more once the weather gets colder! 

Only two more weeks until Christmas!! The countdown is in full swing!

Linked up here and here!

prep-ahead Christmas breakfasts

When Justin and I got married, we knew we wanted to start a new tradition of Christmas morning at home when we had kids.  We wanted to enjoy them opening presernts and have a time that was just for our family amidst all the Christmas time fun.  My mom always made mornings on holidays special with the perfect breakfast and I wanted to follow in her footsteps. Along with locs and bagels I like to have an easy warm dish to pop in the oven on Christmas morning (or scoop from the crock pot!) Here are some delicious dishes that definitely fit the bill!

Christmas Morning Casserole by Heather at SugarDishMe.com

Made with refrigerated biscuit dough, this one is super easy. Just mix it all up and bake for 30 minutes! No sweat!

Paula Deen's Baked French Toast with Maple Syrup

This was on our Christmas breakfast menu last year and did not disappoint. It is a FULL FLAVORED casserole. A very sweet treat to indulge in while watching A Christmas Story in your jammies on Christmas morning.

Crockpot Overnight Breakfast Casserole by Michelle at TheGraciousWife.com

I love a good crock pot recipe and this one will have you waking up to the smell of breakfast! Like your mom was up before you cooking! It's ready as soon as your hungry in the morning! YUM!

Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake  by Sherri at MadeFromPinterest.com

I think if you are drinking a hot cup of coffee, you need something to dunk it in! This is a perfect complement for that Christmas morning coffee or hot chocolate!

Ree Drummond's Make-Ahead Muffin Melts

When I first got my copy of Ree's  Food from My Frontier for my birthday I flipped through every mouth-watering page. This breakfast recipe is perfect for Christmas morning. It's comforting, filling, yummy, and great to make ahead of time and pop in the oven the morning you'd like to chow down.

Along with these, I always get a Hickory Farms Sausage and Cheese box to munch on while breakfast is warming up and have mimosas for Justin and myself... both traditions that started with my mom.

This is what Christmas morning is all about: spending time with family, not slaving away in the kitchen!

For these and a few other Christmas recipes visit my Pinterest page!

Linsley's Christmas Pinboard

rainy day dinner: chicken noodle soup casserole and almond cookies

It is finally starting to feel like Fall! Putting up Christmas lights in our t-shirts and blowing the A/C in the car while listening to Christmas music was starting to feel funny.  Yesterday the temperature dropped 20 degrees... good ole North Carolina.  It was a great day to spend the morning in the kitchen.
Ty LOVES baking with me. Cooking, in general, really.  He loves stirring ingredients together and hopping up on the chair to see what's on the counter.
Tonight is the annual Cookie Swap I have with some of my girlfriends.  We are having it early this year because my girlfriend, Breck, is due anyday now with her first little baby.  And there was no way we would make her miss out on cookies--especially being days from her due date!
I usually make Lemon Ricotta cookies for this, but decided to change it up this year. Trust me, though. The Lemon Ricotta cookies will happen later in December.
My sister makes Almond cookies every year and I love them!  So I decided to try my hand at it. I used this recipe:

Almond Sugar Cookies from Taste of Home

These were the perfect cookies to bake with Ty because he could eat the batter (NO EGGS!) and he could roll the batter into balls for me.  The dough was a play-do like consistency so it worked out well. And to top it off, he got to smash them with the bottom of a glass.  He loved it. 

Here are the treats for tonight! Each girl brings three cookies to share and we sit around the table tasting each cookie with a cup of coffee or hot cocoa. It is the BEST!  I have Christmas music blaring in the background and the lights all lit up. It really puts me in the spirit! 

For supper, I wanted to make something perfect for the Fall weather.  I usually do chili, but we already had that on Sunday, so I went with Chicken Noodle Soup Casserole. It was so easy and gave the feel of Chicken Noodle Soup, but much easier for my kids to eat.  I adapted Life in the Lofthouse's Chicken Noodle Casserole recipe.  YUM! Definitely a new meal for our weeknight rotation!

all ready for the oven

Adapted from: Life in the Lofthouse's Chicken Noodle Casserole

Grocery List

2 lbs. cooked chicken breast, chopped

2 cups uncooked egg noodles

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup of milk

1/2 cup frozen peas

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup corn

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

seasoned salt to taste

cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350° F.  Cook egg noodles according to package instructions.  Drain. Mix all other ingredients in a big mixing bowl.  Add egg noodles to mixture. Prepare 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray.  Pour chicken and noodle mixture evenly in dish. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Uncover and top with italian bread crumbs.  Bake for an additional 10 minutes without foil. Enjoy!

Honestly, we dug into this so fast that I didn't have a change to finish it. It was perfect for our family. Even Elena gobbled it up!

Have a fantastic December FIRST! Only 30 more days of 2015. It is unreal!

easy slow cooker chicken adobo-- a taste of home

I grew up having my grandmother and mom cook chicken and pork adobo for us. I am half Filipino (mom's side) and half Caucasian (dad's side). We would always joke with my dad, asking him if he loved being Filipino. Of course he said he loved it!
Adobo has always been one of my favorite Filipino dishes, especially when my grandmother makes it, and it is one of my comfort foods.  When people ask me to try Filipino food, it's the one I recommend.
I have awesome memories of when my great aunt babysat my sisters and me.  My mom would leave a typical much for us, like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  Mama Mart would bring some of her adobo from home for her lunch and my sisters and I would bribe her to trade lunch with us.... and she did everytime. Aaah, the good ole days!
The version I've started making for my family is a bit simplified and super easy.  My sister was actually the one who gave me the idea to use the crock pot to make this easy chicken dish even easier. I usually serve it over white rice and with a side of green beans, just like my mom did when I grew up.  Everyone in my family, including Ty, loves it! Here's the recipe:

Grocery List

1-2 lbs. frozen chicken thigh (I've also done it with breast, but thigh wins for flavor!)

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup white vinegar

2 bay leaves

1 cup chicken broth

4 -5 cloves of garlic

black pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in the crock pot and set it on LOW for 6-8 hours.

When it's done, serve over hot rice and ENJOY!

Told you it was easy. Prep is under 5 minutes... you can't beat that!

Now do yourself a favor and go try it! You might love Filipino food now, and have a new weeknight meal!

easy thanksgiving sides

Every year everyone in my family pitches in with sides for Thanksgiving.  There are so many yummy recipes out there, but I am on a constant mission to keep the holidays stress-free and easy, especially since becoming a mother.  The more time I can spend with family, the better! These are some simple Thanksgiving sides for you to try this year!

Corn Casserole by Two Sisters Crafting

Creamy Macaroni and Cheese by ratherbeswimmin'

Sweet Potato Souffle by Lauren Allen @ My Recipe Magic

Caramelized Brussel Sprouts and Bacon by Older Mommy Still Yummy

Crockpot Garlic Mashed Potatoes by Lovely Little Kitchen

Strawberry Cream Cheese Wraps by Buns in my Oven

Check out my Thanksgiving Pinterest board for these and other Thanksgiving ideas!

One of my most favorite Thanksgiving hacks (that my family has been doing for years) is deep frying the turkey.  Not only does it make the most juicy, flavorful bird, it also frees up the oven for warming up the other dishes! Not to mention, it takes a fraction of the time to cook! If you've never tried this before it's a MUST!

a real girl's stockpile list

Let me clarify. I am, by no means, Honey Boo Boo's Mama June (anyone remember that TLC show?!).  I don't have the intention of clearing a whole room out and using it to stockpile hundreds of food and household items- not that I see a thing wrong with that.. more power to the extreme couponers out there!
I'm a mom and a wife of a hard-working man who's looking for small ways to optimize life for my family.  I consider this part of my job as a stay-at-home mom.  As for my personal reasons-- it is part of my journey in learning as much as I can about being grateful for all the things, big and small, that I DO have and to not focus on what I don't have.  This lesson has been something that I've been almost forced into since becoming a one income family and with grocery prices skyrocketing, but now it is something that I am absolutely choosing.  I've already seen a major difference in my own outlook on material things, the world around me, and my appreciation for things that I once wasted so easily-- shame on me!

When I started on this couponing, money-saving kick, one of my best friends sent me an awesome meditation with a message attached: "If anyone gives you crap for couponing.....just tell them you are doing God's work :)" Love her.
Here is a snippet of the meditation that she sent me from The Journey:

"All we know and enjoy is not just the fruit of our God-given human ingenuity, but, properly said, also a gift from God.  May we then not turn to rubbish what God has given us, but use everything as He intends: to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him and our neighbor."
--Donna Raye Nelson, OCDS

So here I am doing God's work (hehe!), learning to appreciate the things that my husband works so hard for, figuring out how to be less wasteful, and maximizing my kids' quality of life.  After all, why spend money on something I can get for free when I can spend it on that gymnastics class that rocks Ty's world? No question.

I've read several places that having a "grocery store" in your home is an easy way to cut your grocery bill.  So I tried some small-scale stockpiling of the things we use.  I try to get these items at their rock-bottom prices and keep them handy, so I don't have to pick them up when they are so pricey.  Here is my FOOD stockpile list.  It's what we use. It's not outrageous. It cuts my grocery bill in a big way!

• Nonstick Cooking Spray: 5 cans
• Canned Beans: 10-12 cans
• Canned tomatoes: 10-12 cans
• Boxed Cereal: 5 boxes
• Granola/ cereal bars: 6 boxes
• Chicken Broth: 5 cartons
• Jelly/ jam: 5 jars
• Macaroni and Cheese: 10 boxes
• Pancake Mix: 4 boxes
• Pasta (variety): 15 boxes
• Peanut Butter: 6 jars
• Re-fried Beans: 5 cans
• Rice: 10 bags
• Pasta Sauce: 12 jars/ cans
• Coffee: 5 boxes (K-cups)
• Chips/ crackers: 10 bags/ boxes
• BBQ Sauce: 5 bottles
• Ketchup: 5 bottles
• Mustard: 5 bottles
• Salsa: 5 jars

This list shows most of the things that my family eats that can be stockpiled without spoiling.  Yours may look a little different than mine, but what a great way to save a few bucks in one place that you can use in another!  After all... waste not, want not, right?
What are some items that you keep stocked or that you'd like to keep stocked for your family?

my top 6 favorite slow cooker meals

The girls on my culdesac joke that I am the crock pot queen and it might be true.  I use my crock pot at least twice a week and am always scouring Pinterest for new recipes.  These are six that I always come back to because they are so darn good and I love a quick and EASY meal!

Slow Cooker Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oatmeal 

The day we arrived home from the hospital after having Elena, my sister had this warm, hearty breakfast for us in the crock pot. Not only are steel cut oats a power food for nursing mothers, but it was such a filling treat after the marathon of having a baby and settling back at home.  I like to make a big pot of this regularly and eat it through out the week! The yummiest parts are the toppings you can add to it-- golden raisins, almonds, chocolate chips... whatever tickles your fancy!

Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings: 

This crock pot meal screams comfort food and is something my whole family loves.  Ty, who can be picky loves this one and, of course, gobbles up the dumplings!  The leftovers make a great lunch the next day too! 

Mexican Slow Cooked Pork Carnitas

Whenever I get a good deal on pork at the grocery store I stock up and use at least some of it to make these carnitas.  I love carnitas in a corn tortilla with red onions and squeeze of lime on top.  This recipe is also weight watchers friendly and it has the perfect blend of spices.

Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowl

Sometimes I like to change up 'Taco Tuesdays' (or Taco Mondays, Sundays, Wednesdays...) with this burrito bowl recipe.  The rice makes this nice and filling and the aroma that fills the house at this cooks throughout the day is mouthwatering! Yum!

Crockpot BBQ Chicken

This is another yummy chicken filling for a sweet Hawaiian roll and a side salad!  Sometimes I make enough to freeze some and have again the following week or as a pizza topping for our Friday night pizza!

Crock Pot Chicken Caesar Wraps

On days where I can't seem to get enough done around the house, this is the perfect QUICK meal.  Justin loves chicken Caesar wraps and the slow cooker makes the chicken so tender.  We just put them in a tortilla and call it a day!

What are some of your favorite slow cooker recipes? Please share them with me in the comments so I can try them!

AHA! moment: pumpkin puree

If you are anything like me, when you look at a pumpkin, you see all the many things you can carve in it.  Honestly, until having babies, I never went to the pumpkin patch to buy a pumpkin to cook with.  The plan was always to take a million cute pictures with it, carve it into something creative, MAYBE roast the seeds, and let it sit on my front steps with my mums and festive wreath as decor for the season until it eventually rotted and I had Justin toss it in the dump. I cannot believe looking back that I wasted such a yummy, versatile squash!
This year, I have Elena who is in the baby food stage and loves almost anything pureed.  If I would have realized earlier how easy it was to make pumpkin puree (which isn't just for babies!) I would have started a LOT sooner! The price of canned pumpkin puree is crazy and one pumpkin makes so much!
Here's how I cooked mine:

1. Wash the squash!
2. Cut it in half from top to bottom.

3.  Scoop out the guts.

4. Rub the inside with olive oil and sprinkle with Kosher salt.

5. Place face down on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

6. Cover with foil and roast at 400*F until fork- tender (about 40 minutes).

7. Once cool, scoop out the 'meat' and puree on high until smooth. (I used my Ninja!)

Not only did Elena love this, but Ty did too.  I didn't even add anything to it.  You could also use it as you would the canned puree in savory sauces and soups or sweet desserts.  And it freezes beautifully! Oh, the possibilities...

Pumpkin isn't just for carving in our house any more!