 Super Simple (3 Ingredient) Dinner By: Charissa Menu planning and dinner prep doesn’t have to be difficult. It can be as simple as 3 ingredients, yes 3! 3 ingredients: *Chicken breasts (I use about 3 for my family of 5.) *Salsa (Choose your favorite.) * Black beans  Directions: *Put all 3 ingredients in the crockpot. I don’t even drain and rinse the beans, but you could. *Set your crockpot on LOW for about 6 hours. The setting can be adjusted to suit your time frame and to take into account your specific crockpot. *When properly cooked, the chicken will be tender, and you can quickly shred it with a fork.  This tasty meal can be eaten as is or you can make some additions. Possible additions: *Eat with tortilla chips. *Place on tortilla wraps and roll them. *Top with sour cream or avocado. There you have it! It’s a simple dinner with tasty ingredients that your family will hopefully love! What’s your favorite simple dinner? Share it in the comments below!  Charissa was born and raised on Cape Cod. After 9 years away from the Cape, she and her husband returned home to start their family. A former 5th grade teacher, Charissa has spent the last 12 years at home with her 3 children while working various part-time jobs. Just about a year and a half ago she decided to pursue something she had been thinking about for many years; she started a blog! She loves sharing her passion for living a full life without all the busy over at http://www.thenotsobusymom.com/. You can follow her on Facebook and Instagram (@thenotsobusymom) to learn more.
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 Welcoming Fall with Healthy Curried Lentils By Molly Fall has arrived and along with it the desire for warm hearty food. My husband has created this delicious healthy vegan curried lentil dish that we enjoy serving with buckwheat groats or brown rice. We eat it for one or two nights and then freeze the rest for quick meals another day. Curried lentils 1 bag lentils (27 oz/765 g) + 8 c water 1 lb frozen chopped spinach 1 lb carrots, fresh and diced 1-2 lb onion, fresh and diced 1-2 cans (14,5 oz each) diced tomatoes 4 cloves garlic 2 T garam masala 2 T curry powder 8 oz cashews + 8 oz water in the blender then add extra 8 oz of water In dutch oven on stove top bring lentils (with the 8 cups of water), carrots and onions to simmer and simmer for 30 minutes. Then add rest of ingredients and simmer for about 90 minutes. For richer flavor cook onions down first. Makes about 8 11oz servings. What are your favorite healthy go to Fall meals?  Molly, her husband, and their 1, 6 and 8 year split their time between their little piece of the cape in Orleans and Cambridge. She was a kindergarten teacher before her oldest was born then became a SAHM. She loves running, books, supporting literacy, nature walks, arts, craft, knitting and sewing as well as being outside and on the beach!
Including children in the process of meal planning and meal preparation makes it fun and a whole family activity! In this episode, Cape Kids Cast makes their own pizzas! Plus learn more about 4 of our favorite weekend events! Cape Kids Cast ~ Real Kids, Real Talk! Email us info@capecodmoms.com for advertising and interviewing inquiries.  My Favorite Gingerbread Recipe By Molly This gingerbread recipe has been modified from a Joy of Cooking recipe. It is my favorite because it is vegan and doesn’t require any refrigeration! Gingerbread CookiesIngredients
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 Almond Butter Kisses Cookie Recipe By: Amy Christmas cookie baking day is one of my favorite parts of the holidays. I love the smell of cookies baking all day long with holiday music playing and the entire family and our friends working together to make some tasty treats! Peanut butter kisses were always one of my favorites to make with my parents and grandparents growing up along with my grandmother's M&M Christmas cookies. After my son was born we found out he was severely allergic to peanuts which came as a total shock. I have been a major peanut butter love my whole life and I had to remove it completely from our home. Lucky for us he is not allergic to tree nuts so we are able to substitute almond butter and other choices. A few years ago I took the recipe for Peanut Butter Kisses and substituted almond butter and them came out amazing. My son who refuses all kinds of "butter" substitutes enjoys these cookies and I catch him trying to sneak them all the time just like I did as a child! Plus they are pretty darn close to the original peanut butter ones, to the point that I have actually grown to enjoy this option more. Feel free to substitute any other type of "butter" option that will work for your family. These make perfect gifts for teachers, friends and family and they were featured on a Cape Kids Cast where Ethan touts them as a great peanut free option. Ingredients
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 Christmas M&M Cookies Recipe By: Amy Growing up I was always thrilled when the holidays rolled around because it meant that we would be making Christmas cookies! One of my favorite cookies to make every year was my grandmother's Christmas M&M cookie recipe. I have fond memories of making these both with her and with my parents. Years later my parents gave me a photocopy of her recipe and it brought tears to my eyes to see the recipe written in her handwriting. Every year now I make the same cookies with my kids and even though she never met my children it makes me always feel like she is with me. These cookies are very addicting and believe me when I tell you that you and the kids will not be able to eat only one. We even featured them on a Cape Kids Cast! So get your mixing bowls out and have the kids get their aprons on, it's time to make some cookie memories for the holidays! Ingredients
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 Falling Out of Summer By: Brianna Inevitably, most of us are eagerly anticipating fall and all the joys it brings by these last weeks of summer. We are ready for less traffic, kids back to school (if they go), cooler weather, and fun fall activities. We are compiling a list of the closest harvest favorites that will be posted here soon. Many will be off Cape, but are worth the drive! If you have an activity or a place to recommend, reach out to us so we can make sure it gets on the list! We wish you all a happy Labor Day weekend and first week back to school! In case you are eager to get your fall baking going, below is a delicious pumpkin cranberry muffin recipe our family loves. Hope you enjoy trying it too! Pumpkin Cranberry MuffinsIngredients: 1.5 cups cooked pumpkin puree (or canned pumpkin) 2 eggs 1/4 cup oil or applesauce 1/4 cup molasses 1/4 cup orange juice 3 tsp ginger root grated (or 2 tsp ginger spice) 2 cups all purpose flour 1/4 cup brown sugar 2/3 cup granulated sugar 1.25 tsp baking powder 3/4 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1 tsp ground cloves 3/4 cup dried cranberries (or fresh crushed/finely diced) 1. Mix all dry ingredients together EXCEPT brown sugar 2. Mix all wet ingredients together 3. Combine them, adding small amounts of the dry ingredients into the wet to incorporate 4. Do not overmix! 5. Mix together brown sugar and cranberries 6. Fold in cranberry mixture (you can add walnuts, raisins, pumpkin seeds, ect too!) 7. Spoon into muffin liners/tins 8. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. ENJOY!  Brianna is a native Cape Codder and homeschooling mom of 4, a six year old girl, three year old boy, and twin 7 month old boys. She enjoys nature exploration, beach days, snowboarding, baking, fishing, travel, crafting, and writing, as well as geocaching, hiking, and picnicking with her children. She runs a blog and Facebook page called "The Mostly Crunchy Mama" and owns a children's consignment shop in Orleans called Little Codders. She enjoys staying up late long after the kids have gone to sleep to indulge in homemade desserts, to sew, write, coupon, and generally catch up on life without little hands needing help. An avid volunteer with 14 years of experience working with the American Cancer Society, as well as several other organizations, she has a background in business management but left behind her career after deciding self employment was a better fit for family life and a good work/life balance.
3 Simple and Tasty Breakfast Ideas By: Charissa Sometimes a family can get stuck in a breakfast rut. Sometimes we think we don’t have time to make a healthy breakfast, and sometimes we might even forgo breakfast all together. To hopefully encourage you and inspire your breakfast menu, today I’m sharing 3 simple and tasty ideas.  Oatmeal Oatmeal is such a great breakfast choice because of the wide-variety of ways you can embellish this tasty, hearty meal. My family often enjoys peanut butter and fruit in their oatmeal. Some other toppings and additions to consider are: honey, brown sugar, maple syrup, slivered almonds, canned pumpkin, and raisins. Preparing oatmeal in the microwave takes just a minute, so even in a time crunch, oatmeal is a simple option.  Egg Burrito Eggs are a great way to start the day, and adding them to a burrito makes them portable.To create the burrito just scramble a couple eggs, season as desired, and then wrap them in a tortilla shell. Some tasty additions to this burrito can include: avocado, salsa, cheese, and crumbled sausage.  Yogurt Parfait Does this sound too fancy? It’s not. It looks fancy, but it’s very easy and super delicious. Pick your favorite yogurt and dish it into a bowl or cup. Then add some fruit like blueberries and strawberries. Sprinkle some granola on top the fruit. You can even add a little honey for a sweet kick. I think any three of these breakfast choices will be crowd-pleasers in your family, so give 1 (or all) a try this week! Feel free to share your favorite breakfast options in the comments below! The more ideas the better!!  Charissa was born and raised on Cape Cod. After 9 years away from the Cape, she and her husband returned home to start their family. A former 5th grade teacher, Charissa has spent the last 12 years at home with her 3 children while working various part-time jobs. Just about a year and a half ago she decided to pursue something she had been thinking about for many years; she started a blog! She loves sharing her passion for living a full life without all the busy over at http://www.thenotsobusymom.com/. You can follow her on Facebook and Instagram (@thenotsobusymom) to learn more.
 By: Pamela When your child is obsessed with #donuts you make a healthy-ish version using spelt flour, agave, coconut oil, protein powder, eggs, unsweetened applesauce. Check out this delicious kid approved recipe below. Recipe: 1c spelt flower 3 scoops protein powder (I used orgain vanilla) 1/2 t baking soda 1/4 t baking powder 1/8 t pink Himalayan salt Mix together dry Next: 2 eggs 1/2 c unsweetened apple sauce 1T avocado oil 1T vanilla 3T agave Mix together wet. Then add to dry Then Bake 15 min at 375 in a donut tin. Create the glaze: Glaze is 1/4 c dark chocolate with 1t coconut oil melted. Dip top in this then sprinkles. Do you have a special recipe to create a healthier version of your favorite treat? Share below  Pamela is a working mom to an adorable little baby girl. She originally hails from Falmouth, but currently resides on the North Shore with her husband, daughter and their 2 dogs. She is still extremely active in the Cape Cod community and travels down here a lot. She has an incredible amount of experience in the marketing field as well as the health care field. Currently her focus is on healthy living and fun creative projects. She loves being outdoors, spending time with her family and friends as well as a Cape Cod favorite: the beach!
 Peanut Butter Eggs By Molly It is spring time now and Easter just passed which means Reese’s Easter Peanut Butter Eggs are on sale. I love peanut butter and chocolate and I use to love Reese’s Easter Peanut Butter Eggs but now can’t bring myself to buy them. But I came across a recipe from Minimalist Baker that I thought I would try with a few modifications. I think they came out really well next time I might use Green and Black’s 70% dark chocolate instead. Peanut Butter Eggs Modified from the Minimalist Baker Ingredients:
Directions: 1. Add dates to a food processor and process until only small bits remain. Next add almonds and peanuts to the food processor and mix until they turn to meal – a few small chunks are OK. 2. Next add peanut butter in 1 Tbsp at a time (8 Tbsp) until the mixture forms a loose dough. If it seems too wet to handle, add almond pulp or more peanuts. If it seems too dry, add more peanut butter. Refrigerate for 5 minutes so it's easier to shape. 3. Scoop out large rounds of dough - heaping 1 Tbsp - and form into an "egg" shape. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and pop in the freezer to harden for about 20 minutes. 4. In the meantime, melt your dark chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave in 30 second increments. Then work in small batches to coat the "eggs." Take just 1 egg out of the freezer at a time for dipping - otherwise they'll get too soft to dip well. 5. To dip, drop eggs one at a time into the chocolate, flip once, pick up with a fork and gently tap on the rim of the bowl to remove excess chocolate. A little excess is OK. Place back on the parchment-lined baking sheet and pop back in the freezer to set. 6. Repeat until all eggs are dipped, re-warming chocolate as needed. 7. For optimum freshness, store eggs in an air-tight container in the freezer or fridge until serving. What are your favorite Spring recipes? Have you tried any new recipes?  Molly Hubner
Usborne Books & More Independent Educational Consultant I am always looking for people to join my Usborne team, host parties (Facebook or home), or just share these wonderful books! For more information visit my website or contact me atmollyhubner@gmail.com. Plus follow me on Instagram www.instagram.com/mollyhubnersusbornebooks/ |
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