Butter Syrup: Use on pancakes, biscuits, waffles...

 I got this recipe from my sister-in-law and it's certainly a family favorite. It calls for a lovely amount of butter {naturally!} and buttermilk. I detailed out an alternative to buttermilk, but personally I think it adds a wonderful richness to the syrup that the milk-lemon juice combination just can't mimick.

A little goes a long way with this syrup, so make a batch and keep it in a jar in the fridge for a month or two. I just pop the jar in the microwave for about a minute and we have delicious warm syrup on our pancakes and waffles.

Butter Syrup 

• ½ c. butter (1 cube) 
• 1 cup sugar 
• 1 cup buttermilk {or 1 c. milk & 1 TBSP lemon juice} 
• 1 TBSP vanilla 
• 1 TBSP corn syrup 
• ½ tsp. baking soda 

Simmer to almost boil. Whisk in baking soda and remove from heat.

Serve warm and ENJOY!

Check out the original recipe here: http://www.butterwithasideofbread.com

BAKED HASSELBACK ZUCCHINI WITH GARLIC

Baked Hasselback Zucchini was my tweak this Memorial Day weekend on the traditional Swedish hasselback potatoes. The food photos spread out over the internet for the weekend were mostly of barbecues, salads and potatoes. Not being a great fan of mashed potatoes, I decided to feed my desire for potatoes and fancy food with baked hasselback zucchini. The garlic topping with the fresh herbs…. Ooo La la!

Confession time again! While this foodilicious picture and description of my inspiration for the weekend makes it look like I had a super-productive weekend, it was quite the opposite. Not that I am claiming any weekend to be any different for that matter but some of them (40%?? No? ok 30% ? Alright 15% of my weekends are productive!). 

 They say laughter is contagious, I say laziness is! I see my husband fast asleep at noon, I go right back to bed! I see him watch a movie and relax, I settle down right next to him. So, apart from looking at pictures and making these amazing baked hasselback zucchini, the rest of the weekend was take-out food, leftovers, some meagerly cooking, going to the movies and loads of staycationing! 

For those of you who were never introduced to this term before, Urban dictionary defines it as “A vacation that is spent at one’s home enjoying all that home and one’s home environs have to offer.” A cool way to describe days when you were too lazy to move your ass off the couch and eyes off Netflix!

How cool was your weekend? Let me know with your comments Back to the recipe, it is a very simple recipe with many options for customizing it. Just cut up the zucchini (vs the traditional starchy potato) like shown in the picture and the rest is a breeze. If you end up breaking the zucchini (like I did and put those in the background :P), don’t let that stop you. Just serve them up as “bite-sized baked hasselback zucchini”!

PS: You could also try throwing them on the grill (gently though). I have baked them. Please drop a comment if you do grill them. Would love to know how they turned out.


Check out the full recipe and detailed directions here: http://yummilyyours.com

Hot Fudge Malt Dip

Sweet and creamy, Hot Fudge Malt Dip is just what your weekend BBQ needs!  It pairs perfectly with your favorite fruits, vanilla wafers or pretzels!

In high school, one of my really good friends worked at DQ.  Whenever I would go into visit her, she would make me the best hot fudge blizzard (I’m sure it also included some kind of candy bar, but I can’t remember what).  To this day my preferred ice cream topping is hot fudge, chocolate syrup just doesn’t hold a candle to it’s rich, thick, fudge-y goodness.  Hot fudge, malt powder and chopped malted milk balls are a divine combo.


Dessert dips are super convenient for serving at gatherings and parties, you lay out a few dippers and hungry people can enjoy as much or as little as they like  We loved this with apples and strawberries, vanilla wafers, chocolate animal crackers and pretzel spoons.  This dip got rave reviews at our end of the year homeschool co-op party, in fact, I saw one girl walking down the hall with some on her plate and just a spoon beside it.  Ha!  That’s the best testament to its deliciousness – perfectly spoonable on its own!!

Check out the ingredients and directions here: http://www.crumbsandchaos.net

How I Got My Kids to Eat Their Vegetables

Picky eating can be a pretty touchy subject.  No mom wants to hear they might be making a mistake, especially once you’ve gotten to a point where it seems impossible to change the course you’ve already charted.

Over the past few months, several people have asked me for advice on this topic.  I’ve pondered writing this post many times but until today, something always held me back.  Even just the title seems so self-congratulatory, so smug, like somehow I’ve mastered the art of parenting, having successfully raised perfect Stepford children who can do no wrong.

So let me just say, for the record, that this post is in no way meant to be a lecture on how to parent.  I love my girls to death, but they are far from perfect.  Like all kids they often range from little angels to little demons, sometimes in just a matter of moments.  They whine, they cry, they disobey.  They fight and complain.  Sometimes–a lot of times–they are downright annoying. And contrary to what the title of this post may suggest, they can often be picky when it comes to food.  If left to their own devices, they would probably eat nothing but french fries and toaster strudels.

When they were born, I think I always just assumed our kids would eat everything.  My husband and I didn’t plan to start making special foods for them, nor did we plan to become the parents that always made a side of chicken nuggets or mac & cheese because we knew at least that would get eaten.  We didn’t intend to be the parents who handed over a bowl of goldfish at the slightest whimper, or put our kids to bed with a cheese stick or a slice of bread because they hadn’t eaten their dinner and we didn’t want them to get hungry in the middle of the night.

It just sort-of happened.

The problem with the path of least resistance is that at the time, it seems so much easier.  It even seems like the right thing to do.  What parent wants their child to be hungry?  Until, of course, it isn’t.  You go to a friend’s house for dinner and you are mortified when your six-year-old, who should know better, says rudely as the food is being served, “Ew, that looks gross!  I don’t like that!”  You try a new restaurant and your three-year-old has a temper tantrum because the chicken nuggets look different from the ones you serve at home.

Our rude awakening happened the day my oldest daughter refused to eat a quesadilla.  Trying to be clever, I had made it with roasted vegetables instead of just plain cheese.  She threw a fit to end all fits and I saw clearly for the first time that I had, for the sake of fewer arguments at dinnertime, created a picky-eating monster.   I vowed then that I would do everything in my power to turn my girls into kids who would not only eat their vegetables, but everything else they were served as well.

Check out the full story with detailed strategies here: http://www.livingwellspendingless.com

Tropical treat: Minty Mango juice

Juices are really big here. There is a juice shop on every corner. I tried a mint-mango juice–it seemed like an unexpected combo but it was SO good that I immediately went home to create my own version. It’s wildly refreshing, tangy sweet and…minty! The perfect summer drink–a real tropical treat…

Check out the ingredients and directions here: http://blog.justinablakeney.com

M&M Cheesecake with Chocolate Covered Pretzel Crust

The broken record strikes again.

I mean, I've poured melted chocolate over the crusts of cheesecake before. I've even done chocolate covered pretzel crusts before. Somehow though, I don't really hear anyone complaining.

Okay, that's slightly a lie. People always complain about something. But seriously, "the crust is too thick"??? I don't get that. If you're looking for a pitiful crust of crumbs, walk away now.

Anywho, the star of this cheesecake is obviously the M&Ms. You guys already know my feelings on M&Ms if you've read this post. You can't just sprinkle some M&Ms on top of a cheesecake right before you serve it and think it's a done deal. No. M&Ms are meant to be baked.

Although, sprinkling some extras on top at the end won't kill you either.

Check out the ingredients and detailed instructions here: http://www.yammiesnoshery.com

Creamy Crock Pot Corn

Not a fan of cream corn? Don’t let the name fool you…this Creamy Crock Pot Corn from Gooseberry Patch’s Grilling and Campfires Cooking is not your average cream corn!

Aunt Lou here.

I honestly have no idea how cream corn is made, but it is just not my favorite corn. When I saw this recipe, I knew it would be creamy…it has cream cheese in it…but couldn’t resist trying it…it has CREAM CHEESE in it!

Michael has a real bad habit of not telling me that he doesn’t like something until I have already made it. I made up a dish one night and asked him before hand if that sounded good. Well, he didn’t tell me that he didn’t like that particular meal, so I was a bit surprised when he didn’t like it. Then he tells me that he just doesn’t like that dish period. I just shook my head and went on.

When he tried this corn and said, “Wow! This is really good! And I don’t even like cream corn!” I just shook my head again. Gotta love ‘em!

The recipe said it would serve 8-10, so I cut it in half for us. However, Mommy, Daddy and Ryder LOVED this recipe. I definitely didn’t need to cut it in half! My little guy wanted more and more and more! When your toddler wants to eat his veggies, you remember that recipe!

So I’ll share with you the full amounts…you will definitely want them!

Creamy Crock Pot Corn

So this is a super simple recipe…

Place your corn in your crock pot.

Cut your butter into slices or cubes and add to your crock pot.

Cut your cream cheese into cubes and add to your crock pot.

Add your salt, pepper and sugar.

Stir everything together and cover.

Cook on low for four hours or high for two.


Stir at least once halfway through.



Check out the ingredients and detailed directions here: http://recipesthatcrock.com