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Welcome to the jungle…it’s school vacation week!

21 Feb

“You drive us wild, you drive me crazy.”

Peanuts 550 piece puzzle

The Gang's All Here! It's February Vacation Week! Jigsaw puzzles like this one might be one thing you can use to keep older kids busy during school vacation week.

Welcome to school vacation week!!

As I type this those words are echoing in the background because the kids and their dad are playing Guitar Hero on Wii. It just so happens that those exact words are playing at this very moment.

Coincidence, totally.

Additionally, Alex has found another guitar downstairs and is playing a completely different tune on that one while Guns N Roses plays on the TV for the others.

School vacation week has the potential to make any parent crazy. The kids are home full days for a full week and depending where you are in the country, you may be confined to the indoors due to the weather. Knock on wood, it’s been a beautiful winter here. I can’t remember a February this warm in a long time. We have been outside without jackets several times this week and each time, I’m amazed that it’s February and we’re getting to play outside, and not in the snow!

I don’t plan a ton for February vacation and my friends laugh at the reason, but it’s true: we have never had a February vacation where no one has thrown up. The stomach bug usually hits our house this week every year so we end up having to cancel whatever plans we’ve made. Each year, including this one, I’m cautiously optimistic, but even so, I bought two bottles of Gatorade last week just in case. It’s a regular full time work week for Don, which also surprises everyone, since schools are closed, but yes, he has to work and yes he’s got a ton to do.

Overall, I look forward to school vacation week. It gives us a break from all the running and scheduling that we have to do during a regular week when you’ve got two people working and three kids with three different schedules. It’s a lot to manage and I love the break. I love having everyone here. However, if we’re not careful, it can get ugly pretty quickly. We’re not in any way immune to the bickering and arguing that can erupt if they’re left to their own devices for very long.

The secret to a successful school vacation week is having 1) plenty of snacks on hand to prevent low blood sugar meltdowns and 2) plenty of things to do (free or almost free) even if you don’t end up doing them all. Activities can range from crafts and activities to outings or a good combination of both.

Two of my kids have birthday parties this week and I’m hoping to schedule them all for a playdate one day also. I have to work a day, and we’ll have a cousin sleeping over here a night as well. Other than that, there’s lots of free “stuff” to do locally because everyone knows the kids are out of school. For example, if you live in Rhode Island and have younger kids, check out the Learn All About It website to see what kinds of activities they have going on this week. If you see one you’d like, be sure to sign up by calling the store.

I’ve got more projects around the house planned in my head than we’ll ever do, but at least I’ve got plenty of options. My goal is not to have everyone sitting around bored all week or sitting in front of the TV all week either. There’s plenty of other things we can do instead. The week will end up flying by, I’m sure.

Below is a recipe I’ve shared in the past, but never on my own blog. I’m sharing it because I’m sure it’ll make an appearance on my table this week for a snack.

Sour cream dip for fruit.

This is a great snack for kids and adults alike!

YUMMY FRUIT DIP

The girls found this recipe in one of their kids’ cookbooks: “Silly Snacks: Family Fun in the Kitchen.” It was so fast and it’s SO good!

Mix together:

8 Ounces Sour Cream

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla extract

Fruit of your choice.  In the past we have used red grapes, nectarines, plums, apples, strawberries, peaches and bananas. We also have skewers, which makes it even more fun to eat.

Mix and dip!

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Halloween in….February!

20 Feb

Caroline was thrilled when I told her she could be the one to choose a costume from Costume Discounters to review.

A few weeks ago, I received an email from a representative at Costume Discounters, asking me if I would be willing to do a product review of one of their Halloween costumes from their website. I’d be able to choose any costume I’d like within a certain price range, and they’d send it to me for review. I agreed, and here is the review. The opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own and I was not paid to provide a positive review.

If you remember, I posted way back in October that we no longer buy Halloween costumes for our kids because we’d accumulated so many from dance class and other things, but that I felt bad for Caroline because most of what we have, she’s already worn, and being the oldest, many no longer fit her.

Therefore, when Costume Discounters contacted me, I decided to let Caroline be the one to choose a costume, which she could then wear for this coming Halloween. I also knew that by doing that, the costume would be handed down so that ultimately they’d all get to wear it if they wanted to. She was thrilled.

The Costume Discounters website had tons and tons of costumes to choose from. I was amazed by the huge selection and very pleased with the selection in our price range ($35 and under). Caroline and I scrolled through probably every single category and might have even clicked on every single link. I liked the fact that you could click on the category and then click on the costume itself for a better view. Being that we live in New England, where it tends to be chilly at the end of October (last year we even had snow the weekend before Halloween) we were trying to choose a costume that she could wear and still be relatively warm when she walked the neighborhood that night. I was also keeping an eye on the styles, since she’s a 12 year old but doesn’t fit into “kid” sizes, which can be hard when we go shopping, finding something “appropriate” in an adult size.

Ultimately, Caroline chose the Renaissance category and picked out a gorgeous Lady in Waiting costume to try. The “Popular Themes Renaissance” category had a large variety of costumes to choose from with a large price range as well. We sent the company our choice and were excited for the costume to arrive.

Caroline couldn't wait to try on her new costume!

We didn’t have to wait long! The costume arrived in less than one week’s time, and Caroline was so excited! When she took it out of the package, it was exactly as we imagined, beautiful dark green velour and good quality material. I’ve done “cheap” in the past, so I know that you get what you pay for.

The only problem that we had was that when she went to put on the costume, there were gold ties that were supposed to tie and hang down the front of the costume and as she put the costume on, one of them fell right off. However, I contacted the company right away and got a response immediately. I was offered an exchange of the costume for a new one, but we opted just to keep the one we had, and cut off the other tie to match, as we liked it just the way it was. Costume Discounters does have a good exchange and return policy though, should you need it.

You can tell the quality of the fabrics used in the costume were good, just by looking at it.

All in all, I was very pleased with my experience using the Costume Discounters website to choose a costume and I’d recommend it to someone else looking to purchase a costume online. I know that Caroline is already looking forward to Halloween in the fall, and I know she’ll enjoy her new costume when she goes to the various Halloween parties and trick or treating on October 31!

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Vanilla Rich Chocolate Chip Cookies

17 Feb

This chocolate chip cookie recipe is definitely a keeper!

A few months ago I came across an advertisement by McCormick for their pure vanilla. It came with a recipe for Vanilla Rich Chocolate Chip Cookies. As I looked at the recipe I noted that it called for 4 tsp. of vanilla, much more than usual for vanilla, and I promptly tore it right out of the magazine for future use.

It’s funny, with all the recipes I have and all the cookbooks I have, I’ve never found a recipe for chocolate chip cookies that is “my” specific, always-go-to-recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies. This recipe might just be it. I tried it out recently because I wanted to make cookies for a friend’s 40th birthday. She’s someone who is always “there” and never asks for anything in return. I decided that I’d make her a plate of 40 chocolate chip cookies and this is the recipe I used. Even though I made 40 for her, I still had another two dozen or so left for us. This recipe made a ton.

The cookies are delicious. I like hard, crunchy chocolate chip cookies and of course I like vanilla, butter and brown sugar. This recipe had it all! I will say though, as much vanilla was in them, it wasn’t an overpowering taste and it didn’t seem like it had as much vanilla as I knew it did! Try them and see how you like them!

INGREDIENTS

3 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt

1 1/3 cups butter, softened

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 eggs

4 tsp. McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract

1 pkg. semisweet chocolate chips

(This recipe also calls for 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, which we don’t use.)
DIRECTIONS

Mix flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl.

Beat butter and sugars in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. (I used my Kitchen Aide Mixer.)

Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well.

Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed.

Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.

Drop by rounded tablespoons about 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake in preheated 375 degree oven 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. (Mine took more like 11-12 minutes but I always set for ten minutes and then increased by one minute intervals.)

Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

Makes 5 dozen.

Cool on baking sheets one minute.

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After school snack: Homemade Granola Bars x2

16 Feb

This was the first time that I thought to use a pizza stone for them, and I wish I'd done it sooner. Made it much easier to cut them.

A few years back I came across a recipe in the newspaper for “Becky’s Homemade Granola Bars.” Through the years I’ve made them a variety of ways. My kids always love them for an after school snack, and the last time I made them Elizabeth came home and saw them and said, “Oh Mommy I was thinking about these ALL day at school, and I didn’t even know you were going to make them today!” Score one for Mom…

This recipe is one you can make a variety of ways, using whatever you have in the house really. I’ve done craisins, raisins, chocolate, and even snuck in carrots once or twice with the raisins. I actually loved those, nice and sweet.

Here's what happens when I don't take the photo quick enough...an empty plate!!

One time when I made them,  I didn’t have half the stuff on the list so I made up my own, using her original as a basis for it. They came out great, best I’d ever made. I don’t always do them the same way, either. I almost always double her original recipe to make lots.

So below are the two recipes, mine first, and then Becky’s below that. Two for the price of one.

Jen’s Chocolate Craisin Granola Bars
INGREDIENTS
2 cups Oatmeal (Quick Oats)
1/3 cup Wheat Flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 package Craisins
2/3 cup chocolate chip (I use semi sweet)

1/2 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter
1/4 cup honey

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Mix first five ingredients in a large bowl together.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, mix butter, honey and brown sugar, stir.

Pour hot ingredients from saucepan over the dry ingredients in large bowl. (This will melt the chocolate chips.) Stir until completely mixed.

Pour out onto a cookie sheet and flatten out until even all the way across the pan in both directions. There may not be enough mixture to spread right to the edge of the pan but it’ll get pretty close.

Bake 20-22 minutes, check at 20 minutes. You’ll kind of be able to see the edges crisp up. With them being chocolate colored, it’s hard, but you can still tell. Cool completely in pan and cut or break into bars.

Next….

A nice big bowl is needed to mix all the ingredients together.

Becky’s Granola Bark (my notes in parenthesis.)
INGREDIENTS
1 cup oats
1 cup sliced almonds (I’ve used pureed almonds, 1/3 cup.)
1/2 cup coconut flakes (I never used them I don’t like coconut)
1/4 cup wheat germ
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons honey

other mix-ins could could include pumpkin puree, carrot puree, raisins. (As I mentioned above, I particularly like the raisin and carrot combo, makes it sweet.)

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 325 degrees.

In a bowl mix together dry ingredients. Set aside.

In small saucepan combine butter, honey and brown sugar.

Pour over oat mixture and stir to combine.

Spread on cookie sheet and bake 20 minutes.

Let cool completely in pan and cut or break into pieces.

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Valentine’s Day: Oh the pressure!

15 Feb

Gifts lined up and ready to go for our Valentine's morning

Valentine’s Day can be a lot of pressure, especially for someone who is crafty, loves to cook, bake and eat, and then write about what she crafted, cooked, baked and ate. Like Christmas, people wait (or at least they tell me they’re waiting) to see what I’ve produced for cards, for cookies, for meals. It’s a lot of pressure and I set the bar high for myself.

Valentine’s Day also comes right on the heels of Christmas. It’s not supposed to be a huge gift-giving event, but there’s pressure to make it that way. I do try very hard to make our gifts small token gifts, a treat they want. I try not to do any candy since we get a truckload, or rather, a school busload of it at 3:30 on Valentine’s Day afternoon. Being on a budget, I struggle with what to give, what to buy, what not to buy. What I want to buy is often not what is in the budget. I’d love to say, “Instead of giving gifts this year, we’re going overnight to an indoor water park for the weekend!!” But, giving token gifts is cheaper. The indoor water park is not in the budget. Maybe next year. Since having kids, Don and I haven’t exchanged gifts on holidays. We focus only on the kids, and we figure we’re showing our love for each other in little ways all year long instead. We know our time will come around again when we’ve got an empty nest and we’ll wonder then where this time went.

No matter what, they always love their gifts.

I try to make my budget as equal as I can per child without spending too much more on one than another, but so they each have the same amount of items to open in the morning. And no matter what, they always love their gifts, hopefully because I spent so much time thinking about them and choosing them.

I actually don’t make their Valentine’s Cards anymore. We’re huge Snoopy fans, we had a Snoopy nursery, Snoopy birth announcements and parties when they were babies, so I have tried the past few years to get them each a Snoopy card for Valentine’s Day, to provide balance between giving them handmade items and giving them the “popular” items they also love.

This year we celebrated Valentine’s Day as a family at 7:00 am since Don had a 7:30 am meeting. He also had an after school meeting and a night time meeting, so we thought we wouldn’t be seeing him at all. But, later that day, we were thrilled to find out his after school meeting was rescheduled and it meant he’d get to come home for dinner after all, and then go back for the night time meeting. So we were blessed. His 14 hour day was now only 12 hours and we’d get to spend dinner time together after all.

Each year I try to think of the perfect meals and snacks to make the day special. I love hearts so I have always had tons of heart shaped items from dishes to platters to bakeware.

For breakfast, I toyed with the idea of cinnamon buns with pink icing, pink pancakes or pink waffles. I looked on Pinterest and pinned a ton of things that looked great but just weren’t it. I just wasn’t feeling it, no matter what I saw.

In the end, I chose to get up early and make muffins, something I used to do for them all the time when they were younger and less of them were in school. It’s a nice treat on a school day to have a hot muffin right out of the oven. I even thought of making them last night but I don’t like them when they’re cold. A little pink food coloring in them and we were good to go. I even put pink food coloring in their milk and gave them red apples for their fresh fruit.

By 7:15 am Don was gone, the gifts were opened, and by 7:25 am one kid had already lost her bedtime by getting in trouble. I won’t say who or why, to protect her privacy. But that’s the way things go sometimes, Valentine’s Day or not.

After School Snack: Valentine's Monkey Munch!

By 8:40 am they were on the bus, I’d taken Motrin for my headache and I had the rest of the day to type my stories for this week’s papers, and to plan out my after school Valentine’s Day snack and our Valentine’s Day dinner, both of which are new recipes I’ve been wanting to try out. (Remember my Monkey Munch recipe? The snack was a  Valentine’s version of that!)

Despite all of the pressure, I try to remind myself that it’s the little things that matter and the little things they’ll remember. I remind myself that the more I make the holiday out to be, the more of a precedent I’m setting for myself for the future.

Hopefully when they think back on their Valentine’s Days growing up, they’ll think that they were absolutely perfect.

Pink muffins and pink milk for my little Valentines.

Everyone got a treat they'd really been wanting.

Valentine's earrings on, off to school!

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Happy Valentine’s Day! My gift to you: Apricot Chicken two ways

14 Feb

Happy Valentine's Day from me to you!

Today is Valentine’s Day, and to show my love for you, I’m giving you not one, but TWO recipes today!

Both recipes are for the same dish: Apricot Chicken. One is baked in the oven and one is a crock pot recipe sent to me during my crock pot recipe contest last month. It was the first one I tried, sent to me by Joanna Sprik at Jolyn’s Cupcakes and Candies. Stop over at her blog and check it out!

Her recipe was very simple and tasty too! My only problem….I made it on a day I was recovering from being sick, and because I wasn’t 100% yet, I forgot to take a picture of the final product, and it was so good! Next time I make it, I’ll post a photo of it!

JOLYN’S CROCK POT APRICOT CHICKEN

Just two ingredients to go in the crock pot with your chicken!

INGREDIENTS

24 oz apricot preserves (2 12oz jars),

6 seasoned chicken breasts (can use tenders too)

1 envelope onion soup mix

I put it all in my crock pot and cooked it all day long, served it over white rice.

Thanks for sharing Joanna!

**********************************************************************************************************************

It's like dessert for dinner...

BAKED APRICOT CHICKEN

I posted this recipe on Facebook a couple of years ago, it’s one I’ve been making for years. Here it is now, as I posted it then:

Apricot Chicken A Norman LeClair Recipe (The Red Rooster Restaurant, NK RI)

I’m writing the original recipe with my own modifications added in. I’ve made this for so many years that I’ve kind of modified it to my liking. Basically so it’s like dessert instead of dinner. 🙂

2 whole chicken breasts, skinned, boned, halved and flattened
I actually use several (depending on how many people)boneless, skinless tenders or breasts instead of going through all the work of skinning and boning the whole breasts.

1/2 cup bread crumbs
Recipe calls for flavored, I use plain.

4 mushroom caps, stems removed
sometimes I skip these if I don’t have any mushrooms. Not crucial to recipe, in my opinion.

2 teaspoons butter

Glaze:
1/2 cup Apricot Jelly
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 tsp. ginger
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon soy
Recipe also calls for pinch of crushed red pepper, I don’t use it.

In flat dish, press crumbs into chicken on both sides; reserve.

Mix well in bowl: apricot jelly, ginger, garlic, red pepper, vinegar, soy sauce; reserve.

Butter or spray one oven proof casserole dish.

Lay out chicken in dish.

Top with mushroom caps.

Spoon glaze on chicken and mushrooms.

Dot with butter.

Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Remove to serving plates and spoon remaining glaze on chicken.

I serve on a bed of white rice.

Enjoy!

Baked Apricot Chicken

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

10 Feb
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookies

These are my go-to cookie when it's after dinner and I'm craving a quick cookie for dessert.

My friend Marcia and I both found this recipe at the same time a few years back. I called her to tell her about it and vice versa. I’ve been making it ever since. I’m not even sure where I first saw it, I think in my Name Brand Cookie cookbook maybe.

Anyway, as is typical for recipes I like, it’s fast and easy and has few ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

Few ingredients...super easy!

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup chocolate chips (I use semi sweet)

1 cup peanut butter

1 egg

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Put all ingredients into bowl and mix thoroughly.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet, about 2″ apart. Press down lightly with fork and sprinkle a little sugar on top of each one.

Bake 12 minutes until set. *check for done at 10 minutes, 12 may be too long depending on your oven.

Let stand on cookie sheet 2 minutes, remove to wire cooling rack. Cool completely.

Makes 2 dozen

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Easy “Chinese” Beef and Broccoli

9 Feb
Easy "Chinese" Beef and Broccoli

You can tell this is my dinner plate. Nothing is touching. Lots of room for possible run-off!

We love Chinese food at our house, and every once in a great while we splurge and get some takeout. In the meantime though, when we can’t do that, I try to find Chinese food-like recipes to make at home. I’m also always looking for new things to do with stew meat, which is one of the staples on our shopping list.

A couple of years ago I found this recipe online, on About.com when I searched for ways to use stew meat.

Normally I serve this over white rice, and I actually do put mine on top of the white rice, believe it or not. But, every so often we try to create our own version of Chinese Fried Rice, and this was one of those times. I used the Instant Brown Rice from Aldis with their frozen peas and I cooked the rice in the microwave first, as I normally would. Then I sauteed it with olive oil and soy sauce and the peas in a large frying pan. It came out so well! I thought we were out of eggs, or I would’ve scrambled some in as well. Turns out, we weren’t, and I could’ve done it after all.

Here’s the recipe as it was on About.com with my modifications in there too.

I mix the gravy mix right in the 2c. measuring cup.

INGREDIENTS

2 to 3 cups leftover steak thinly sliced into 1″ strips (aka stew meat in my house)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups fresh broccoli florets (or 1 16 ounce bag frozen florets)
1 package dry brown gravy mix (I use two)
1 cup water (I use 2 cups because I use two packs of gravy mix)
pepper to taste

I add in a package of fresh sliced mushrooms if I have them.

Cooked white rice or Chinese Noodles (I do rice.)

DIRECTIONS

Another one pan meal!

Heat oil in large frying pan over med. high heat. Add sliced steak strips (stew meat) and saute until hot, about three minutes (longer if frozen as mine always is.) Add broccoli (uncooked) and mushrooms if you choose to use them, and mix.

In a small bowl stir together the gravy mix, water and pepper (I never use pepper.) Add to the broccoli and beef in the pan.

Heat to a boil, stirring occasionally.

Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer about 10 minutes.

Serve over rice or noodles.
Makes 4-5 servings

Enjoy!

a look at the fried rice

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Arizona Chicken Casserole

8 Feb
Arizona Chicken Casserole

This is one of my other favorite chicken dinners!

This recipe is from 2002. I know that because my parents got the recipe while on vacation in Arizona when my daughter Elizabeth was just 12 weeks old. I remember that trip distinctly because Elizabeth ended up being in the hospital for four days while they were on that trip, and every time I make this meal, that’s what I remember! I’m sure having been on the actual trip, my parents probably have better memories than that, whenever they have this meal!

This meal has very easy prep, but a long baking time, so take that into account when you’re planning. You have to start much earlier then you plan to actually eat.

It can be served over rice or as you see it here, egg noodles, or whatever your prefer. My kids all like some part of this meal, whether it’s the chicken, the noodles, the artichoke hearts, the mushrooms or all of the above. That makes it a good one for our family.

The only unique ingredients in the recipe are the sherry and the artichoke hearts. The sherry I almost always have on hand (Holland House Cooking Sherry) and the artichoke hearts I usually don’t, so I have to plan ahead and be sure to pick them up if I know I’m going to be making this.

Nothing in this recipe is expensive so it keeps to our budget-friendly meal planning.

INGREDIENTS

One pan, one dish, I love it!

3 lbs Chicken Breasts (I use boneless, skinless chicken tenders, 3 per person.)
salt, pepper, paprika (we don’t use the paprkia.)
6 T. butter or margarine
1 cup whole mushrooms (we slice them in half)
1 can (15 oz) artichoke hearts
3 T. flour
2 cups chicken boullion
1/3 cup sherry

Sauce for Arizona Chicken casserole

You make the sauce in the same pan you cooked the chicken in. Makes for easy clean up.

DIRECTIONS

Sprinkle chicken with desired amount of salt, pepper and pakrika.

Place 4 tablespoons of butter or margarine in large skillet. Brown chicken.

When all chicken is browned, place in 9×13 baking dish.

Add mushrooms. Drain artichoke heats and add to chicken and mushrooms in casserole.
Add remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to skillet and melt over medium heat.
Stir in flour until all flour is absorbed.

Gradually add boullion and continue stirring until thickened. Stir in sherry.

Pour sauce over chkcken, cover and bake at 375 for 45 minutes.
Remove cover and bake additional 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Finished and ready to serve!

Finished and ready to serve!

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New after school snack recipe: Peanut Butter Yogurt Dip

7 Feb

I’m a couponer now, I told you last week. In my new life as a couponer, I have discovered something in the coupon fliers: Recipes! Last week I found one that looked like it would be a great after school snack that all my of kids and I would like. It only had two ingredients (even better!) and both were things I almost always have on hand. I decided to try it this past week and my kids inhaled it.

The thing I like about dips with veggies and/or fruit is that I find that my kids will consume much more fruit or veggies with a dip than they would if they came home and I directed them to the fridge for a piece of fruit. So, I like to find new and different dips for them and I love to surprise them with something new when they come home. They show up ravenous, so I like to have their snack on the table when they get in, before anyone has a low-blood sugar meltdown. Sometimes I’ve only just gotten in myself, so my after school snacks need to be quick and easy, just like all my other recipes and meals.

So, here’s our newest addition to the recipe files. I’ve already made it twice in one week, it was so good. Please note that if you have a peanut allergy in your house, this would not be a good one for your family, my apologies.

You only need two ingredients for this recipe! Love it!

PEANUT BUTTER YOGURT DIP

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup non-fat vanilla yogurt

Dipping suggestions: bananas, apples, graham crackers

Mix the yogurt and peanut butter together until completely mixed. Try to refrain from licking the spoon over and over before the kids come home. 🙂

When I first made this I only had single-serve yogurt cups, 4oz each but they worked out great, I just used two. When I made a stop at the store later on in the week I picked up a bigger container and more peanut butter. The second time I made it, it was a weekend, and Alex mixed the whole thing herself, so even kids can make this dip pretty easily.

PB Yogurt Dip

My kids love to come home to a new after school snack.

That’s it! That’s all there is to it. The first batch I made had a little left over, the second time I made it, the entire thing went. Give it a try and see what you think!

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