Halibut with Citrus-Ginger Glaze - Whole30

For a while now I've had a recipe for Halibut with Citrus-Ginger Glaze that was in a Whole30 cookbook. As with other Whole30 recipes, this one was flavorful and delicious. 

Halibut is a more expensive type of fish, but for this recipe, it is necessary given the preparation method. It is well worth spending extra money on this meal. The Whole30 cookbook said that other white fish could be substituted: cod, turbot, dogfish, haddock, or striped bass.

FOR THE GLAZE

1/2 cup apple cider

Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons

Juice of 1 orange 

1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger

FOR THE FISH

3 tablespoons cooking fat

2 halibut fillets (5 ounces each)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS 

For the glaze, cook the apple cider in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to about 1 tablespoon, 4-6 minutes. Add the lemon juice, orange juice, and ginger. Cook until reduced by half, 3-5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the lemon zest. Set aside.

For the fish, heat 2 tablespoons of the cooking fat in a large skillet over high heat. Swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. While the fat is heating, season the halibut with the salt and pepper. When the fat is hot, place the fish top-side-down in the pan and sear for 2-3 minutes. While the fish is searing, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon cooking fat. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and brush half of the fat on the paper.

Remove the halibut from the pan and transfer seared-sided-up to the greased, lined baking sheet. Brush the remaining cooking fat over the top of the halibut. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, until the flesh is just barely firm and flakes easily with a fork. 

Transfer the fish to a serving dish or individual plates and spoon the glaze over the top just before serving. 

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos - Whole 30 and Paleo

Last week, I made Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos. The recipe was from a pin on Pinterest that led to The Real Food Dietitians. I doubled the recipe since the package of chicken came was two pounds. I'm glad I did. It was an easy recipe to make and tastes great! 

We used tortillas. However, the Real Food Dietitians said it could also be served in a lettuce wrap or on a bed of greens. We topped the meat with onions, yellow peppers, fresh tomatoes, and salsa that we got at the local farmers market this summer. Fresh cilantro and some sliced avocado would taste good on the chicken tacos as well.

The Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos take about 10 minutes to prep and cook for four hours.

Ingredients

1-1 1/4 lb. chicken breast or thighs
1/2 cup organic or homemade salsa
1/4 cup water
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. ground coriander (optional)
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (more for more heat)
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Salad greens or bibb lettuce
Fresh cilantro
Toppings: Fresh chopped veggies of choice, olives, avocado, fresh salsa, lime wedge, etc.

Directions

Place all ingredients except the toppings and salad greens/lettuce in a slow cooker and cook on high for 4-5 hours. Remove chicken and shred with 2 forks (Note: I did this right in the slow cooker). Return to slow cooker and cook on low for an additional 30 minutes. (Note: I cooked the chicken for 4 hours and then kept it on warm until dinner). 

Serve chicken taco meat in a lettuce wrap or on a bed of greens, top with cilantro and desired toppings.

Roasted Vegetable Medley with Sausage (Paleo Whole30)

This past week I made Roasted Vegetable Medley with Sausage. It's a Paleo and Whole30-compliant dinner that's super easy to make. Everyone enjoyed it, and we had plenty of leftovers that reheating nicely. I would definitely make this recipe again.

Ingredients

1 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into fourths, and then sliced into bite size pieces (I didn't include this)
1 medium red onion, sliced into rings
1 bell pepper, top and seeds removed and sliced into strips (I used 2 peppers)
1 1/2 cups mushrooms, halved (I used 16 ounces of fresh mushrooms)
3 large pre-cooked sausage links, sliced into bite sized pieces (I used 4 sausages that were nitrate-free with sun-dried tomatoes and basil)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped (I used 1 tbsp. dried. However, I think fresh basil would have tasted better)
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425° Fahrenheit and line 1 large or 2 medium baking pans with parchment paper.

Cut up all of the vegetables and sausage and place in a large bowl.

Add olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Toss until coated.

Add basil, salt and pepper, toss again. Spread vegetables and sausage out in an even layer on baking sheet(s).

Place in oven and roast for about 20 minutes, stirring once. You want the vegetables to be brown on the outside edges and tender on the inside. Serve and enjoy.

Asian Slaw with Ginger Dressing (Whole30)

This past week I tried a new Whole30 recipe: Asian Slaw with Ginger Dressing. The Napa cabbage, carrots, scallions, cilantro, and cashews have a flavorful homemade dressing. The dressing had ten ingredients that were blended in the food processor.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients 

Ingredients - Dressing

1 2" piece of fresh ginger
2 T fresh lime juice
1 T rice wine vinegar
1 t soy sauce
1 t maple syrup
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 t toasted sesame oil
pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
1/4 cup olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Ingredients - Salad

1 small green cabbage (about 1 1/2 pounds), shredded. I used a Napa cabbage

4 medium carrots (shredded or sliced)

4 scallions (white and green parts), thinly sliced
1 medium red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips

2 T chopped fresh cilantro

Ingredients - Topping

1/2 cup coarsely chopped raw or roasted cashews

Instructions

To make the dressing, put everything in a food processor and blend.

Place the salad ingredients into a large mixing bowl.

Add the dressing to the mixing bowl, and everything well to coat the vegetables.

Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Sprinkle the cashews on top.

Chinese Chicken Salad

This recipe for Chinese Chicken Salad, which serves six people, appeared on my Facebook feed. It leads to The Read Food Dieticians. I had the majority of items on hand and modified the recipe slightly.

It is a colorful, fresh salad packed with flavor and texture. This is a recipe that I would definitely make again!

Ingredients

For the Salad
•3 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage (may substitute green cabbage)* - I used 2 cups coleslaw mix
•1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage* - I used 2 cups red cabbage
•1 cup shredded carrots (pre-shredded works, too) - I used 2 cups pre-shredded carrots
•1 cup sugar snap peas, thinly sliced - I used 2 cups sliced snow peas
•1 cup fresh cilantro, leaves separated from stems and roughly chopped - I didn't have this on hand, but would use it next time
•3 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced - - I used 6 green onions and about 1/4 cup finely-diced yellow onion
•1 cup oranges (peeled and cut into chunks or a 12-15 oz. can mandarin oranges in 100% juice, drained well) - I used canned mandarin oranges
•⅓ cup slivered or sliced almonds, toasted - I didn't both toasting the almonds
•3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
Optional: Black and/or white sesame seeds for garnish - I used white sesame seeds

*May substitute one 12-ounce bag of bagged coleslaw mix for cabbage and add an additional ½ cup carrots or snow peas if desired.

For the Dressing
Note: I did 1 1/2 batches of the dressing since there were additional ingredients in the salad
•3 Tbsp. coconut aminos - I used soy sauce
•2 Tbsp. avocado oil or olive oil - I used olive oil
•3 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
•4 Tbsp. rice vinegar
•½ tsp. ground ginger
•¼ tsp. garlic powder

Directions

Combine cabbage, carrots, sugar snap peas, onions, and cooked chicken in a large bowl. Toss well to combine.

In a small bowl (or jar) combine dressing ingredients. Whisk or shake well to combine.

Pour over salad just before serving.

Gently stir in oranges, cilantro, and almonds.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and enjoy. (As a side note, the salad is in a bowl that I made in my pottery class. This is one of my favorite glaze colors.)

One Pan Garlic Chicken with Brussels Sprouts and Potatoes

I've been trying a lot of new recipes during Minnesota's stay-at-home order. This one was one that I saw on my Facebook feed and it led to The Slow Roasted Italian.

It was very easy to make and had a lot of flavor. Instead of the sweet potatoes, I used white potatoes since I'm trying to use what I have on hand rather than go to the grocery store. I also didn't use smoked paprika. I've tried that spike before and don't care for it. So, I used plain paprika. This is a recipe that I would make again since everyone liked it.

Ingredients

2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 pound), cut into 3/4"-1" cubes (I used white potatoes)
1 pound small Brussels sprouts, (if they are bigger, cut them in half)
1 medium red onion, cut into slices (I used a yellow onion since I didn't have a red onion)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, divided
1 1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
2 teaspoons New Mexico chili powder
2 teaspoons smoked paprika (I used regular paprika)
6 cloves garlic, minced
optional garnish: Parsley, chopped (I didn't use this)

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, for quick clean up. Place the baking sheet into the oven to preheat the pan with the oven; this will help the vegetables caramelize faster.

In a medium bowl combine 2 tablespoons olive oil with the honey, mustard, chili powder, paprika, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Whisk to combine. Add chicken and toss to coat. Set aside.

Add sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, onion, and garlic to the preheated sheet pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Toss vegetables with a spoon, until coated well.

Clear a space for chicken breasts around the pan. Place coated chicken breasts on the baking sheet. Spoon the remaining honey mustard marinade over the chicken. Wiggle the pan until the vegetables are in a single layer.

Bake 30-35 minutes until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are fork tender. Set oven to broil high for 2 minutes or until the edges of the vegetables begin to brown. (Note: I didn't broil the dinner. I think I would next time.)

Serve and enjoy!

Mongolian Beef - Keto, Whole30, and Gluten-Free

On Sunday, I made Paleo Mongolian Beef which is a Whole30, Keto, Gluten-Free recipe. It was a pin on Pinterest that led to I Heart Umami.

The recipe sounded easy enough to prepare with minimal ingredients. I was really looking forward to making and trying this recipe. Although the prep time was supposed to be about 15 minutes, it took longer than that. The cook time, also, was a bit longer than the 10 minutes that the recipe said.

We felt like it was a rather salty recipe. I don't know if it was the soy sauce and fish sauce - maybe half the amount or eliminating the fish sauce would have been better. It also wasn't as spicy as I thought - even with the garlic, ginger, and hot peppers.

At any rate, I won't be making this recipe again. It's still worthwhile to try new recipes and expand what we eat, though

Ingredients

Beef Marinade:

• 2 lb skirt steak, beef flap, or sirloin, thinly sliced against the grain
• 4 tbsp coconut aminos (I used soy sauce because I couldn't find coconut aminos in the store)
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 4 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 2 tsp arrowroot starch (I used corn starch since there was such a small amount and I'm not doing a strict Whole30 program at this point)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 6-8 tbsp avocado or olive oil

Aromatics:

• 6 large cloves garlic, finely minced
• 6-inch length thinly sliced ginger from index through ring finger quantity
• 4 whole red chili peppers (fresno or serrano), remove seeds, slice to thin strips
• 6 bulbs scallions, cut into 3-inch length. Separate white and green parts.

Instructions:

1. Thin slice beef against the grain. Add ingredients from coconut aminos to baking soda. Mix well and set aside in the fridge.
2. In the meantime, prepare garlic, ginger, scallions, separate white and green parts, and remove the chili pepper seeds and slice them to thin strips
3. In a well-heated stainless steel skillet or cast iron, add 2 tbsp cooking fat. Pan fry the beef in one layer without disturbing over medium-high heat until crisp brown, about 2 minutes then quickly sear the flip side, about 30 seconds. Set the beef and the pan juice aside.
4. Start the skillet dry and add 1 more tbsp cooking oil, saute aromatics with a pinch of salt until fragrant, about 1 minute.
5. Add beef back to the skillet and green scallion parts. Quickly toss to coat the flavor for another 30 seconds. Serve hot and immediately.

Sheet Pan Lemon Rosemary Chicken Thigh Dinner

This year I'm trying to incorporate make more Whole30 meals on a regular basis rather than just doing the Whole30 for a month. I found a pin on Pinterest that led to The Clean Eating Couple for Sheet Pan Lemon Rosemary Chicken Thigh Dinner.

It is quick to prepare and the cooking time is only 20 minutes. The most time-consuming part was cutting the Brussels sprouts and potatoes in half.

The recipe, as printed below, serves two people according to the website. However, three of us had dinner and there were leftovers for about one more meal and a side dish.

The flavor was amazing! It reminded me of lemon rosemary roasted chicken I had in San Francisco back in 1991. I have not been able to find a similar tasting until now.

I will definitely be making this again. Easy to make and flavorful. A great combination!

Sheet Pan Lemon Rosemary Chicken Thigh Dinner

Ingredients

1.25 lbs chicken thighs (I used about 3/4 pound skinless chicken breast and 3/4 pound skinless chicken thighs)
3 cups Brussels sprouts (16 ounce bag, halved)
2 cups fingerling potatoes (10 ounces, halved)

For the marinade:

⅓ cup olive oil
1.5 tablespoon lemon zest (I used the zest from two lemons. It wasn't 1.5 tablespoon, but it was plenty for this recipe)
¼ cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed (worked out to be the juice from the two lemons)
½ tablespoon rosemary, chopped (I used fresh rosemary)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease with olive oil.

In a bowl, whisk together marinade. Place marinade and chicken in a dish or large ziploc bag to marinate for at least 5 minutes. (You can marinate overnight ahead of time for more flavor.)

While the chicken is marinating, cut the brussels sprouts and the potatoes.

Place the chicken on a lined baking sheet, reserving the marinade in the dish.

Toss the Brussels sprouts and potatoes in the remaining marinade until coated.

Fill in the remainder of the sheet pain with the Brussels sprouts and potatoes until the sheet is covered.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. (I baked the dish at 350 degrees for 30 minutes...and then left it in the oven for a bit longer since we were cleaning the barn and had to finish that before the -20 to -30 weather moves in overnight.)

Substitutions for this recipe

If you don't like rosemary, you can substitute thyme or basil.

You can substitute Brussels sprouts with broccoli or butternut squash.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

Last week I made Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos after seeing a pin on Pinterest that led to The Real Food Dieticians.

The recipe is easy to make. However, the spiciness and flavor was less than I anticipated. I would double the spices the next time I make this recipe.

For a Whole 30 meal, the meat can be served in a lettuce wrap or on a bed of greens and top with a variety of toppings.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 4 hours
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

2 pounds chicken breast or thighs (I used 1 pound chicken breasts and 1 pound of chicken drumsticks)
1 cup salsa
1/2 cup water
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (more for more heat)
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Salad greens or butter leaf lettuce
Toppings: Fresh chopped veggies of choice, fresh cilantro, olives, avocado, fresh salsa, lime wedge etc.
Optional: gluten-free tortilla

Instructions:

Place all ingredients except salad greens/lettuce and toppings in a slow cooker and cook on high for 4-5 hours.

Remove chicken and shred with 2 forks. Return to slow cooker and cook on low for an additional 30 minutes.

Serve chicken taco meat in a lettuce wrap, gluten-free tortilla or on a bed of greens, top with cilantro and add desired toppings.

Celebrating Easter through Food and Traditions

On Saturday (the day before Easter) and Easter Sunday, we did many things that related to the holiday. Some of the activities we've been doing since Sophia and Olivia were young, and others are new things or recipes we tried this year.

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Dying Easter Eggs

This year the girls wanted to try some new ways of dying Easter eggs. They found an idea on YouTube about taking white rice and putting it in a paper bag. 

Add some food dye and mix it up.

Select a hard-boiled egg that is completely dry. 

Drop the egg into the bag and shake it. 

The dye and rice will color the egg.

The pattern is random and different than dye that completely covers an egg.

The girls also dyed eggs the traditional way. We put 1 cup of boiling water in a mug with 1 teaspoon of vinegar and food dye. 

For a couple of the eggs, Sophia used rubber bands to cover the egg so that the egg would stay white where the band were placed.

Eenie, the cat, wanted to watch the egg dying process.

The girls checked on the eggs to see how dark they were getting.

They waited patiently until the eggs were the color they wanted.

Sophia and Olivia also used a white crayon to make designs on some of the eggs.

After they drew on the designs, the eggs were put in the dye.

It was nice to see them still want to dye eggs...a tradition we've done since the girls were very young.

By the time the girls were done, they had a variety of eggs that were decorated in different ways.

They had a fun time decorating eggs this year.

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Make and Frost Sugar Cookies

We saw the cookie cutters when we were unpacking the Easter bin. The girls said, "We used to make cookies all the time." And we did. Not sure why we stopped making cut-out cookies around the holidays.

At any rate, Sophia found a good sugar cookie recipe on All Recipes. She mixed the dough together while Cooper looked on. He brought "Blue" (the sock monkey) with the hopes of getting a cookie-dough treat.

Sophia rolled out the dough and cut out the cookies using a variety of Easter-theme cutters. Didn't realize how many cookie cutters we had.

Olivia helped with the frosting and decorating of the cookies. Needless to say, the dogs were interested in this process and hoping for food to fall to the ground.

Olivia enjoyed the decorating part of cookie-making.

We had cookies in several colors.

We used sprinkles and decorations we had on hand.

Towards the end, we had a lot of blue cookies. For some reason, the girls made a lot of blue frosting.

The cookies were delicious. Between the cookie recipe and almond-flavored powdered sugar frosting, they were a flavorful dessert.

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Here's something we didn't expect for Easter: lots of snow. Last year, we were enjoying warm weather at Easter. No coats and Spring-like clothing could we worn comfortably.

This year, we had almost six inches of snow on Saturday...the day before Easter. The roads also were covered with ice since we had rain and sleet that fell before the snow.

Olivia did some shoveling in the morning so that the little dogs could go outside to go the bathroom and wouldn't be struggling with the snow.

She also shoveled around the car so that we could get in the car and I could take her and Sophia to the salon. Olivia had a massage to help the sore muscles she has due to gymnastics. Sophia had her eyebrows waxed.

We did some other errands while we were out which was fun. Sometimes just doing everyday things together - the simple things - is enough. Spending time together as a family is important...and when we enjoy doing errands - like picking up the vacuum cleaner from the repair shop, going to Target, or going to the post office - it makes them all the more pleasant to do.

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One of the recipes I tried this year was Egg, Ham, and Spinach Hash Brown Casserole that I saw on a pin on Pinterest which led to The Joyful Kitchen. It is a dense casserole that's very tasty. I didn't add the ham and it turned out fine. 

Egg, Ham, and Spinach Hash Brown Casserole

Ingredients:

3 large russet potatoes (or frozen hash browns which I used)

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 onion, diced

1 – 2 cloves minced garlic

1 c. diced ham

1/2 bag (6 – 7 oz.) fresh spinach

1 c. shredded colby jack cheese (or the shredded cheese of your choice)

4 – 5 large eggs

1 c. milk or cream

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 360° F. If using frozen hash browns, cook according to package instructions. If using fresh potatoes, peel, wash, and grate potatoes. Add olive oil to a large skillet over med-high heat. Place grated potatoes in an even layer in skillet. Cook until browned on one side, then flip and cook on the remaining side until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper.

Place hash browns in a sprayed 3 quart, rectangle baking dish. Return skillet to heat.

Turn heat down to medium. Add onion and garlic, and saute for 3 minutes. Add spinach and ham, and continue cooking until spinach wilts. Remove from heat.

Sprinkle half the cheese on top of the hash browns. On top of that, spread the onion spinach mixture in an even layer, then sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.

In a bowl, whisk the eggs and milk (or cream) together. Season with salt and pepper, then slowly pour the egg mixture over the casserole so that everything is evenly covered.

Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes, or until top is golden brown, and the egg is completely cooked. Let cool 5 – 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

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Something that we have never seen before this year are groups of eagles that are flying together. We often see a single eagle flying or sitting on a tree limb. Never have we seen four eagles like we did on the Saturday before Easter.

It was breathtaking to watch them circle and fly together. There seemed to be two pairs - not four individual birds hanging out together.

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I was looking for a recipe that was Whole30 compliant and came across one for Deviled Avocado Eggs. Found one on Pinterest that led to To Simply Inspire.

The avocado is a substitute for Miracle Whip or mayonnaise. The deviled eggs taste like they are filled with guacamole rather than the traditional filling. This is a tasty recipe. However, I prefer the traditional deviled eggs (as does Sophia).

Deviled Avocado Eggs

Ingredients

3 hard boiled eggs, cut in half

1 large avocado

2 tsp lime juice

1 tsp cilantro

Pinch of garlic powder, salt and pepper

Sprinkle with paprika, optional

Directions

Remove the cooked yolks from the hard boiled eggs into a bowl. Add the avocado to the bowl next.

Then add the remaining ingredients and mash together well with a fork.

Add the mixture to the egg halves. Sprinkle with paprika if desired.

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One of the things that the girls wanted to try was a charcoal face mask. So, on Saturday afternoon, we all did a charcoal face mask.

It takes a while for the mask to dry. They aren't smiling because as the mask dries, it tightens and you can barely talk or move your mouth. It's like forced quiet time.

When it is dry, it pulls off. Now, if you have the skin of a 15 or 17 year old, the mask comes off a bit more easily. It is significantly less painful than pulling off the mask from a 51 year old's face. There's a video that I watched that I still laugh at because it captures the feeling of removing the mask from my face.

At the time I thought the woman was over-reacting. Having gone through the charcoal-mask-removal-process, I know that she's not. It is that painful. Your skin, though, is really soft afterwards. Probably because it pulled off at least the top two layers of skin.

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Easter Baskets and Gifts from the Easter Bunny

The Easter Bunny brings some gifts for everyone each year. In addition to some candies, there are practical items: a new shirt, coffee, shampoo, and beef sticks.

Sophia got some treats like a new piece of jewelry, a gift card to Starbucks, nail polish, and lip gloss.

 Olivia got a new shirt that glows in the dark, Goldfish crackers, a bracelet, and gift card to Starbucks.

I got a new type of conditioner, glue sticks (for making window stars), eye shadow, and face mask.

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One of the hits this year in terms of desserts were Bunny Cupcakes with a BUTTERFINGER® Surprise Inside. The idea came from a pin on Pinterest that led to Suburban Simplicity.

Ingredients

24 vanilla cupcakes (homemade or semi-homemade - I used a vanilla cake mix)
24 ounces fluffy white frosting (I made a homemade vanilla frosting using a recipe from Wilton's)
24 candy eyeballs
24 small pink candies
1 10 ounce bag BUTTERFINGER® NestEggs
Bunny Ears
 - 24 regular size marshmallows
 - Pink sprinkles

Directions

Make cupcakes according to package instructions. Once the cupcakes are cooled, hollow out the center with a small spoon or melon baller for the surprise.

Place a BUTTERFINGER® NestEgg inside. Add a few sprinkles if desired.

Frost your cupcakes with a generous amount of frosting.

Place two marshmallow ears on top of the frosting. (Bunny ears are made by cutting a standard size marshmallow in half on the diagonal with a kitchen shears. Add pink sprinkles to the sticky side.)

Place a pink candy for a nose and two candy eyes above the nose to finish the bunny face.

Adults and kids liked the Bunny Cupcakes. My sister (below) was intrigued with how the cupcakes were made and liked the surprise in the inside of the cupcake.

One of my nephews ate three cupcakes he liked them so much. So, these are definitely something we would make again.

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I saw a pin on Pinterest for Rice Krispie Nests. The pin led to Crafty Morning. The recipe for the Rice Krispie bars results in a rather hard bar/nest. I'm used to bars that are more sticky and soft (by adding more butter and marshmallows).

The flip side is that the mixture forms into nests quite well. They would be, in my opinion, more of a decoration than something edible. Found out that no one in my family; and none of my nephews or nieces, brother, or sister are big fans of Rice Krispie bars. So, this isn't something I would make again.

Rice Krispie Nests

Ingredients:

3 T butter
1 10 oz bag of marshmallows
6 cups of crisp rice (or rice krispies)
Edible Grass or coconut dyed green (I did the dyed coconut)
Robins egg candies

Directions:

Melt the butter over medium heat and stir in the marshmallows. Continue stirring until completely melted. Pour the mixture over the crisp rice cereal and stir until well combined.

Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray and shape the nests. The girls used their hands or the back of a spoon.

Let the Rice Krispies cool in the pan, remove then, and decorate. Fill with colored coconut and the robins eggs candies.  

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Easter Breakfast

I made a Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Brunch Ring that I saw on a pin on Pinterest that led to Pillsbury. Sophia and I enjoyed this and would have it again. There are 8 crescent rolls used for the recipe - so there are about 8 servings.

Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Brunch Ring

Ingredients

4 slices bacon, cut in half crosswise
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
4 eggs, slightly beaten
Salt and pepper, if desired
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury™ refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend (4 oz)
Chopped fresh cilantro, if desired
1 cup Old El Paso™ Thick 'n Chunky salsa, if desired

Heat oven to 375°F. Line large cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper. In 10-inch skillet, cook bacon over medium heat about 4 minutes or until cooked but not crisp, turning once. (It will continue to cook in oven.) Set bacon aside; drain all except 2 teaspoons bacon drippings from skillet.

In medium bowl, beat 1/3 cup of the milk, the eggs, salt and pepper with fork or whisk until well mixed. Stir in bell pepper. Pour egg mixture into skillet. As mixture heats, portions of eggs will begin to set. Gently push cooked portions with metal spatula to outside edge of skillet. Avoid stirring constantly. As more egg sets, push it to the edge and place it on top of the already set egg mixture. Cook 5 to 6 minutes or until eggs are thickened throughout but still moist.

Unroll dough; separate into 8 triangles. On parchment-lined cookie sheet, arrange triangles with shortest sides toward center, overlapping in star shape and leaving 4-inch round circle open in center (see diagram). Crescent dough points may hang over edge of cookie sheet. Press overlapping dough to flatten.

Place bacon on each of the triangles. Sprinkle 1/3 cup of the cheese onto widest part of dough. Spoon eggs over cheese. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup of the cheese. Pull points of triangles over eggs and cheese, and tuck under dough to form ring (filling will be visible). Carefully brush dough with remaining 1 tablespoon milk; sprinkle with remaining 1/3 cup cheese.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until deep golden brown. Cool 2 minutes. With broad spatula, carefully loosen ring from cookie sheet; slide onto serving platter. Garnish with cilantro and salsa.

In addition to the breakfast ring, I also made plain crescent rolls for those who didn't want eggs with their roll.

For fruit, I cut up fruit and arranged it in an egg shape. The idea came from a pin on Pinterest. The pin leads to a unsafe website. I just looked at the pin for how to make it. I modified some of the fruit that was used based on what the girls like. In the original recipe, the ingredients are:

Red grapes (I used green grapes since Olivia doesn't like red grapes)

Strawberries

Kiwi (I used green grapes since kiwi wasn't in stock at the grocery store)

Pineapple

Mandarin Oranges

Arrange the fruit in an egg shape on a platter.

It is a simple way to encourage everyone to eat some fruit along with their breakfast.

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Church Service

We went to the 8:00 a.m. service this year. It was rather ambitious getting up and out by 7:45 a.m. given that I made breakfast and we ate it before leaving.

It was a nice service and the altar had a beautiful display of flowers.

I enjoyed listening to the music - organ, violins, piano, and choral.

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Easter Dinner at My Brother's Home

My brother had a nice meal prepared for us all: roast beef, carrots, potatoes, and cheesy potatoes.

He also made coleslaw and cucumbers.

There was a table of potato chips, dip, fresh vegetables, deviled eggs, and lemonade for before and during the meal.

The kids ate together at one table.

The adults ate together at another table.

After dinner, my brother brought out a couple of guns for Olivia to get practice on before taking her firearms safety test and doing the field day on April 28th.

We were grateful that he is loaning us a couple of guns since we don't have ones she will be tested on and needs to be comfortable with on the field day. 

 The grandfather to the girls' cousins was there and he is a hunter, so he provided some tips about stance and holding a gun.

The cousins - all of whom are comfortable with handling guns - showed Olivia how to load a rifle so that she can do some target practicing at home.

They suggested setting up some water-filled plastic bottles or putting up a couple of bales of straw and putting a target on it.

This was definitely not a typical way that we spend Easter, but it was good for Olivia to start getting prepared for her test. She's super eager to begin trap shooting this summer through 4-H. Who knows...this could become a new hobby and interest for her during her high school years.