Muffin Tin Monday...you're a star...

There's not a theme this week, but I really wanted to try out this tin with my star cutters as well. He has pumpkin crumble with a giraffe fork, baked potato chips, an apple (from the orchard we went to last weekend), mozzarella and colby jack stars, peanut butter and pumpkin star-wiches and a handful of m&ms in a star silicone cup. If you want to participate in Muffin Tin Monday and take a look at all the wonderful lunch ideas out there, click on the button below! 

 

pictures from older posts

Easy Pumpkin Crumble from Our Best Bites...here's the recipe if you missed it!

my little helper guarding the oven!

cute pics for Christmas...it's a game from the dollar store nestled in my handy picks container from JoAnn's

 

 

 

bento and playdough at home

When we're at home, I usually still fix big A a bento style lunch. (he'll eat more of it, if it's cute!) So he had avocado with a dump truck pick, key lime yogurt with leaf sprinkles, peanut butter and pumpkin dinosaurs and colby jack bears!

I love these plates. I found them at HomeGoods in a pack of two which is great since I have two boys! The sections are big, so I can put a decent amount of good eats in each section for him!

new mini cutters from HL

 

Mommy's way of keeping big A busy while little A is napping...new toy

Play Dough at the Target Dollar Spot...and each lid has a little animal mold...we made ducks, elephants, horses, bears and puppies!

Another recipe or two

I made Easy Pumpkin Crumble tonight since I had all the ingredients on hand. It was really good...not too sweet. It would go really well with coffee...or a pumpkin latte! 

I'm trying to use what I have in my refrigerator, freezer or pantry before I say I have to go to the grocery store! I made mini pizzas using Italian Herb flat bread (in my refrigerator), monterrey jack cheese (in my refrigerator), canned tomatoes with garlic and olive oil (in my pantry), and pepperoni (in my freezer). My husband thought it was great. I finished the chicken and dumplings for lunch (we've eaten it for a few days)...another problem of mine is overcooking...like for 12 when it's usually eaten mostly by my husband and me...I'm working on it! 

A couple weeks ago, we had beef fajitas. I had bought a family size bag on sale and only used half, so I knew I had  meat I could use this weekend. As much as I love to cook, I completely forget to prepare things, like thawing meat in the morning so I can use it that night. I think my boys have made me absent minded. I completely blame them:)  I actually took the fajita meat out of the freezer when I was making the pizzas. I knew I wanted to make it overnight so we could eat it for lunch. I just put all this in the crock pot and hopefully tomorrow we'll be having some good eats!

one medium sized onion sliced,

salt,pepper, onion and garlic powder, parsley,

the rest of the canned tomatoes in garlic and olive oil, 

beef fajita meat (you could use skirt steak)

one can diced tomatoes,

one cup water,

I layered it in this order in the crock pot, covered it and turned it on low.  

I'll serve it in tortillas with avocado and salsa.

Foodie Fridays!!! Chicken and Dumplings

2-3 chicken breasts (cut in chunks or cut up after cooking)
2-3 stalks of celery chopped
1 onion chopped
2-3 carrots chopped
1 box frozen peas
1 carton of mushrooms (you can use canned)
1 cup frozen corn
fresh herbs...I used parsley, sage and thyme
Chicken stock (probably 2 boxes, but I used some home made and 1 box)
Flour and butter to make a roux (or leftover cream gravy)
salt and pepper
onion powder
garlic powder
oregano
1-2 cans of crescents or biscuits
I change out my vegetable all the time...this week, I used a bag of frozen cauliflower, 1/2 a bag of frozen green beans, a bag of frozen peas and carrots, and an onion.
In a large dutch oven, begin to saute onions, celery and carrots til very soft...in either olive oil or butter. Add chicken, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and oregano; stir to coat and cook til done. Add the mushrooms.
Add chicken stock and roux to the thickness you like...mine is somewhere between a soup and stew...not super thick. Bring to a boil and then lower the temperature just a bit and add biscuits or crescents (cut into smaller pieces). Let the dough cook and then turn the temperature down to a simmer.
Add leftover gravy or a little bit of white / country gravy mix to the pot. Add corn and peas and fresh herbs to the pot and simmer for 15 minutes or so before serving.

Fun Find today

Since I have two little boys and I'm not sure I will have another child...I try to grab the 'boyish' stuff I see, when I see it!

Today, Target is putting their Christmas stuff out in the dollar spot section (even those these were $2.50 each). I found blue snowflake silicone muffin tins, green Christmas trees and red candy canes and gingerbread men(I think...I only bought the snowflakes!) They also had cute Christmas spatulas...if you're children are older than mine and participate more in the cooking. They had their Christmas sprinkles out...cute red and white candy canes, green and red dots, and green jimmies with white snowflakes...if I remembered them all correctly....for $1. The Fall / Harvest sprinkles were half off, so I got a handful for Thanksgiving and next year.
Hobby Lobby also had a lot on sale for Halloween and Thanksgiving baking. I found some leaf sprinkles...that I forgot to use in Monday's leaf themed Muffin Tin and some pumpkin silicone cups. My big A loved it in his bento...he said, "look Mommy, a pumpin!" 
I'll post pictures tomorrow when I take them...in better light! 
Party City does not have their Christmas stuff out yet, but I'm hopeful! I too, love the acorn and fall leaf picks I found there!

Muffin tin Monday...trees, leaves, and harvest!!!

For today's theme (sorry, I took this picture this morning, and it was rather cloudy, so I just couldn't get the lighting right and my 3 year old was getting impatient for his snack...he wakes up at 6 usually, so he's hungry again at 9:30!!!) ok...we have grapes and leaves in a small green leaf baking dish, cheese trees (that look more like hay!) in the red leaf baking dish with acorn pics, in the pumpkin trio, we have a harvest moon sandwich adorned with more acorns, scarecrows resting in a strawberry field and forest animals sitting close by. If you would like to participate in Muffin Tin Monday, click on the button below!