Ingredients:

• 4 cups whole milk
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 12 ounces chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Red food coloring
• Whipped Cream Vodka
• Whipped topping or marshmallows, optional

Directions:

• Heat the milk and sugar on the stove until the sugar is dissolved and the milk is steaming.
  • You don’t want it to boil and scald, so once you get lots of little steamy bubbles around the edge of the pot, it’s hot enough!
• Take it off the heat and add the chocolate chips and vanilla extract.
• Whisk until melted.

• Add red food coloring to give it the red velvet look.

• For the adults, add a shot of vodka into your hot cocoa.
• For the children, top with whipped topping or marshmallows!

Notes:

• You know I always go for the special dark chocolate for my chocolate chips!

As always we ask that you please enjoy our recipes responsibly. Don’t ever drink and drive. Enjoy some delicious Red Velvet Hot Cocoa with your family this weekend!

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Ingredients:

• Chicken
• Baby Potatoes
• Spice Mix
  • Smoked Paprika
  • Garlic
  • Onion Powder
  • Salt
  • Pepper
• Olive Oil

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Make a spice mix from the smoked paprika, garlic, onion powder, salt and pepper.
• Rub the chicken with olive oil and the spice mix.
• Put the potatoes on a pan and drizzle with olive oil.
• Place the chicken on the pan.
• Bake for an hour or until the internal temp of the thickest part of the breasts are at least 165 degrees.
• Remove from oven and let items rest for 10 minutes.
• Serve & Enjoy!

Notes:

• I love a good one pan meal and this is no exception.
• You can use whatever spices you want to create your spice mix.

Now that we have everything plated up, I let the boys in on a little secret…we are going to eat with our hands! They totally flipped and I may have just become the coolest mom ever!! As a reminder…make sure you have LOTS of napkins ready to go! You are going to need them!

Next up, I made a delicious spiced wine for the adults. This is super easy to make and a tasty adult beverage to SPICE the fun fare up a bit!

Ingredients:

• Red Wine
• 2 Cups Pomegranate Juice
• Orange Zest
• Sliced Oranges
• Knob of Ginger
• Cinnamon Stick
• 1/4 – 1/2 Cup Sugar (optional to taste)

Directions:

• In a large stockpot, combine all ingredients.
• Simmer the spiced wine for 30+ mins.
• Pour into your favorite wine glass.
• Enjoy!

Notes:

• You can let this simmer all day as it smells amazing!!!
• I LOVE my Rachel Ray stockpot and I know you will too!

We had a blast eating dinner with our hands and laughing our heads off while going through a TON of napkins. Maybe next time we’ll add some good old fashioned jousting after dinner. So, to all me Lords and me Ladies, we hope you will all enjoy this savory fare with your family and friends!

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Ingredients:

• 1 oz. Coconut Rum
• Splash of Pineapple Rum
• 2 oz. Lemon-Lime Soda
• 1 oz. Blue Curacao

Directions:

• Fill your glass with ice.
• Add 1 oz. Coconut Rum
• Add a splash with a splash of Pineapple Rum.

• Top it off with 2 ounces of lemon lime soda.
• Add 1 ounce of Blue Curacao.
• Stir.

• Add a fresh fruit garnish if you’re feeling fancy and pretend it’s a warm beautiful day on the beach.

Notes:

• This cocktail is also great with white rum or vodka and lime or citrus rums or vodkas.
• For the non-alcoholic version, I used a Blue Curacao syrup! Top your lemon lime soda with the syrup. You can even add a 1/2-1 teaspoon of coconut extract for a yummy tropical flavor!

This is such a tasty and festive drink for the summer. It helps you escape to the beach, even if one isn’t anywhere close to where you are! So, hold your glass high and say, “Cheers for an Ocean Breeze!” Enjoy this concoction, but, as always…please drink responsibly!

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Ingredients:

• Glaze
  • 1 Cup Brown Sugar
  • 3/4 Cup of Honey
  • 1/2 Cup of Dijon Mustard
  • Can of Pineapple Tidbits
  • 3/4 Cup of Water
• Fully Cooked Ham – Butt Portion

Directions:

Start with the glaze.

In a small saucepan, I added the brown sugar, the honey, the dijon mustard, the pineapple tidbits, and the water.

Bring to a boil and then simmer until slightly thickened.

Make sure to buy a ham that will fit in your Crockpot! Butt portions tend to do better, but if you have a larger Crockpot, you can get a shank (or find a small one)!

My 9 lb fully cooked hickory smoked ham BARELY fit in my 6 quart Crockpot.

Slowly add the glaze on top of your ham.

Cook on low for at least 6 hours.

I left my Crockpot on warm once it was ready (internal temperature of 160) and it was fall apart tasty.

Add the glaze back into a saucepan and simmer it down until it’s nice and thick and pour it over the sliced ham to serve. (Optional)

Notes:

• You can also look for a spiral sliced ham to save some time with slicing!
• Don’t have a lot of time? Cook on high for 3-4 hours (until it reaches an internal temp of 160 degrees).
• An easy way to tell it is getting close to being ready, watch for the meat to pull away from the bone!
• Baste your ham with the glaze as often as you want!

Slice and serve with your favorite side dishes! We’ll have a fresh green salad and scalloped potatoes. Wishing everyone a Happy Easter!

Looking for more crockpot recipes? Make sure to check out some of our favorites!

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Ingredients:

• Pasta
• Asparagus
• Sugar Snap Peas
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Olive Oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions:

• Boil water in a large pot and follow the directions on the box of pasta.
• Cut veggies at an angle.
  • NOTE – I did toss my asparagus and sugar snap peas in the pasta pot for the last minute and then drained them. Just to heat everything up to the same temperature.
• Once everything is drained in a colander, I tossed the pasta & veggies with a healthy amount of olive oil, salt, and pepper.
• Serve warm & enjoy!

Notes:

• If you’re using frozen veggies (broccoli, peas, green beans) pour them into the pasta pot about halfway through cooking your pasta, drain, and voilà!
• This can be served cold as a side dish…just cube some leftover ham and toss it in with the pasta and veggies.
• Now, if you have picky veggie eaters like the my kiddos, this recipe CAN work for you. There’s always ONE veggie your kid will snack on. For instance, I learned my 5 year old, who hates asparagus, will actually eat it raw from Grandma’s garden. So guess what? Raw asparagus it is! It add a nice crispness to this pasta dish.
• Also, using fun pasta shapes will put a smile on just about anyone’s face.
• You can get really creative here and add your favorite herbs and spices. I think a lemon pepper or garlic would be phenomenal! Oh, and maybe even try some freshly grated parmesan cheese! Your possibilities are truly endless!

This quick meal is perfect for spring with the fun pasta and colorful veggies! I am sure you will find your perfect combination that will get gobbled right up by your family!

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Ingredients:

• 2 cups of ice
• 1/2 cup (or a small can) Pineapple juice
• 1/4 cup crushed pineapple
• 1/2 cup Cream of Coconut
• 1 ounce Coconut Rum
• 1 ounce White Rum
• Maraschino cherries for garnish, optional

• Pour everything in the blender with the ice.

• Start mixing until a nice slushie consistency!

• The crushed pineapple add extra sweetness and texture. So tropical and yummy!
• Pour into a glass and serve immediately.
• Extra points if you have little drink umbrellas.

Notes:

• Leave out the rum if you’re making virgin Pina Coladas.
• These make great after school or Spring Break snacks.
• Just top yours with a shot of rum and you’re good to go!
• Sit back and pretend you’re on a beach somewhere warm!

I love topping mine with maraschino cherries. YUM. I’m gonna spend the weekend sitting in the backyard wishing for some warmer weather!

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The first step in the recipe is making a Blackberry simple syrup. Don’t worry, it sounds much fancier than it is. A simple syrup is just an equal ratio sugar/water solution that’s simmered on the stove. A lot of drinks call for a simple syrup because the sugar is already dissolved and the syrup blends easily to any cold drink you’re preparing.

Blackberry Simple Syrup

Ingredients:

• 1.5 Cups Fresh Blackberries
• 1 Cup Water
• 1 Cup Granulated Sugar

Directions:

• In a medium saucepan, add all ingredients.
• Simmer until all of the sugar is dissolved.
• Allow to cool.
• Strain blackberries from the syrup.

Now your blackberry simple syrup is ready to go for your favorite drinks or even as a replacement for regular syrup for your pancakes and waffles! I just know you will enjoy this as much as my family!

Blackberry Whiskey Limeade

Now for the grand finale! You’ll need your favorite whiskey. The smoothness of whiskey goes really well with the sweetness of the blackberry syrup and the tartness of the limeade. Plus, it is such an easy recipe!

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Blackberry Simple Syrup
• 1 oz. Whiskey
• 2-3 oz. Limeade
• Limes (sliced) and blackberries for garnish (optional)

Directions:

• Fill glass full of ice.
• Add blackberry syrup.
• Add whiskey.
• Top with limeade.
• Stir to mix.
• Garnish with fruit (optional).
• Enjoy!

Not only is this a gorgeous drink, it’s absolutely delicious. This may be one of my favorite adult beverage recipes! Be careful though, they are deceptively potent. Please drink responsibly! Enjoy a batch of these Blackberry Whiskey Limeades at a relaxing afternoon with friends!

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Now, I’m sure like me, you’ve seen a few “sour grapes” recipes floating around. Also, maybe like me, you think to yourself, “how in the world is that even appealing?” I decided to bite the bullet as I have two sour patch loving kids and wanted to surprise them. Fingers crossed!

The recipe is really easy. You take some cleaned, still damp grapes from your colander and shake them around in lime gelatin powder. Sounds easy enough. I can’t imagine what they’ll taste like.

HEAVEN. That is what they taste like. I know, I’m just as shocked as you. My kids finally had to shoo me away from the plate because I could not stop sampling these grapes. They’re sweet and tangy and WAY WAY better than sour patch kids candy. Even my 10 year old agreed with that sentiment. If you try one single recipe, let it be this one. And let the kids help! It’s so easy! Bonus, no post-chewy-candy dentist trip necessary because hey, they’re grapes!

Of course, as my kids and I were snacking on the crazy delicious green grapes, we started throwing around some different possible flavor combinations. I had these red globe grapes so we tossed them in raspberry gelatin. Verdict? Just as amazing. You guys have got to try this awesome trick! Use these for St. Patrick’s Day or anytime you want a fun and tasty treat!

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Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons of butter
• 12 oz marshmallows
• 6 cups of rainbow colored cereal

Directions:

Melt the butter in the microwave in a large dish (approx. 30-60 seconds).

Add the marshmallows to the melted butter, mix well and microwave another 60-90 seconds until the marshmallows are melted.

Add the 6 cups of cereal and stir, making sure to fully coat the cereal with the marshmallow mix.

Spread the mixture into a greased 9×13 pan.

Once they’re completely cool and firm, you can cut them into bars or use cookie cutters to make them into shapes!

Fruity, gooey, sweet, and crunchy cereal bars make  a great after school snack or dessert. These rainbow cereal bars are SO tasty!

Don’t these look so festive?!?! Perfect for a Spring day!

Notes:

• Spray the bowl with non-stick cooking spray to make clean up a breeze!
• I also spray my wooden spoon and cookie cutters!

These colorful treats are just perfect for spring or anytime really! They taste great and are so easy to make…what are you waiting for? Get started on this tasty treat today!

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If you give a mouse a cookie, he’ll probably ask for a glass of milk! My five year old is super obsessed with books and learning to read, so I wanted to make some cute little snacks to go along with a couple of his favorite titles. These are super simple and super cute! They’re also great for after school snacks or even incorporating into a homeschool lesson for your littles!

I kept these snacks really simple because…1- I’ve been really busy these days and 2- If you keep it simple, the kiddos can definitely help you!

I absolutely used store bought cookie dough, but if you have time, you can use your favorite recipe! I like the mini cookies too. They are the perfect size for tiny hands! So, if you give a cookie to a kiddo, they are definitely going to want a glass of milk while they read one of their favorite stories!

Now, for the fruit caterpillars, I decided to use our favorite fruits and make kebobs. Kids love food on a stick! Plus, once you take the fruit off, you have little holes in the fruit JUST like the caterpillar leaves as he eats through his food. Even my oldest, who is way too cool for Eric Carle, loved the fruit kebobs after school. So cute, right?

There are tons of books you can make snacks for and turn into fun lessons for your kids. I hope your kiddos love these snacks as books as much as we do!

Featured Books:

• If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar

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