Cowboy Candy

You haven’t had a burger until you’ve topped it with this sweet and spicy treat! Also called candied jalapeños, it is the ultimate condiment for tacos, burritos, eggs, and more! It’s even great as an appetizer poured over whipped cream cheese and paired with your favorite cracker. The heat isn’t overpowering so even those who can’t handle spicy foods will come back for more.

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds jalapeños, thinly sliced
  • 2 cups apple cider vinegar
  • 4 cups sugar
  • 2 teaspoons salt

Directions

  1. Wearing gloves to protect your hands, rinse jalapeños then remove tops and slice into thin rounds. Set aside.
  2. In a large pot, combine sugar and apple cider vinegar on medium heat and bring to a boil.
  3. Once boiling, add jalapeños, bring back to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
  4. Ladle jalapeños into clean jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
  5. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp paper towel and place a new canning lid and ring finger-tight.
  6. Place in a water bath canner, ensuring jars are covered with at least 2 inches of water, and boil for 10 minutes.
  7. Turn heat off canner and let jars cool in water bath for 5 minutes.
  8. Remove jars from the canner and set them on a clean kitchen towel for 24 hours.
  9. Once cool, remove rings, check seals, wipe down jars, and store in pantry.

Pro Tip: Once you finish a jar, any leftover juice can be used in chicken marinades, in salad dressing recipes, coleslaw, a spicy bloody mary, and more!

SUPPLIES USED:

Waterbath Canning Set: https://amzn.to/3m8MgqL
Food Processor: https://amzn.to/3TOlksV
Dutch Oven: https://amzn.to/41440m5
2-cup Measuring Cup: https://amzn.to/3ZZ1o93

Links are affiliate links but I only list items I personally use and LOVE. This comes at no added cost to you and helps support my blog. Thank you!

Caramelized Onion Honey Butter

Is there anything be better than a crusty loaf of bread with butter? This caramelized onion honey butter takes it to the next level but couldn’t be easier. Spread on bread or sandwiches, in pasta dishes, with pierogi, on steaks, and so much more.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 medium onions, finely sliced
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 1/2 sticks butter, separated and room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoon honey

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Heat oil and 4 tablespoons of butter in a skillet and add onions and salt. Stir until nicely caramelized. Set aside and let cool.

2. Whip softened butter in a food processor or blender. Add honey and cooled caramelized onions and pulse until desired consistency. Enjoy!

SUPPLIES USED:

Links are affiliate links but I only list items I personally use and LOVE. This comes at no added cost to you and helps support my channel. Thank you!

Instant Pot Greek Yogurt

You haven’t tasted Greek yogurt until you make it in your instant pot! It’s absolutely the creamiest and most delicious yogurt and very easy to make and EASY to make. All it takes is two ingredients and a little patience!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 8 Cups Milk (I use 2%)
  • 2 Tablespoons of Yogurt Starter
    • Any plain yogurt from the grocery store that lists active cultures will work

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Pour the milk into the Instant Pot’s insert. Press the “Yogurt” button, then press “Adjust” so the digital readout says “Boil” or “HIGH.” Depending on your model, it will either say BOIL or HIGH. This step takes about 30 minutes and will boil the milk by bringing it to 180 degrees. Once finished, Instant Pot will say YOGT.
  2. Allow boiled milk to cool either by removing insert pot and setting on a counter to cool or leaving in the instant pot. You want it to cool to ~110F so you can add the live culture yogurt without killing it.
  3. Mix 2 Tablespoons of yogurt and add about 1/2 cup of the warm milk and mix until smooth. Pour into warm milk.
  4. Set the insert of milk back in the Instant Pot place glass lid on top and press YOGURT. Depending on your model, you’ll need to press “adjust” and change the setting from “HIGH” to “MEDIUM.” After that, if the readout does not say “10:00,” add time using the + button until it does.
  5. The Instant Pot will incubate your yogurt for 10 hours before switching itself off (the display will read “Yogt” once the 8-hour default programming is complete). You can use the +/- button to adjust the incubation time. The longer the time, the more “sour” it gets. If you prefer a lighter yogurt then adjust to 8:00 hours.
    • Note that, when incubating yogurt, the timer counts up (when pressure cooking with your Instant Pot, the readout counts down) so it can be confusing. Once finished, it will switch to WARM.
  6. Once complete, allow to come to room temperature and then place insert directly in the the refrigerator for at least 6 hours.
  7. Once chilled, you can eat this as yogurt, or to make Greek yogurt strain it through a cheesecloth or clean kitchen towel to separate the whey. Simply line a colander with cheesecloth or clean towel over a bowl and place in refrigerator for several more hours or overnight. What remains will be thick and delicious Greek yogurt.

BONUS: don’t throw out the whey! It can be used in place of buttermilk in pancakes, waffles, pie, etc.

SUPPLIES USED: https://amzn.to/3nnvhRT https://amzn.to/3JVfSzK https://amzn.to/3LYWrsp https://amzn.to/3lS1fFC

Links are affiliate links but I only list items I personally use and LOVE. This comes at no added cost to you and helps support my blog and channel. Thank you!

Quick & Easy French Bread

Ingredients

  • 2 cups warm water, 105-115°F
  • 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
  • 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 5 cups all-purpose flour, more as needed
  • 2 ½ teaspoons table salt or fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • Melted salted butter, optional

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let sit 5 minutes or until it begins to bubble and foam.
  2. In a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment stir together 2 cups flour and salt. Stir in the yeast mixture on medium-low speed or by hand. Knead in 1/2 cup of the remaining flour in increments until the dough is smooth but not sticky.
  3. Drizzle and rub olive oil in bottom of a large bowl place the dough inside, turning to coat. Cover with a dish towel or plastic wrap and allow to rest in a warm place for 30-60 minutes.
  4. Turn the dough onto a well-floured surface and divide it in half. Set one half aside. Roll the other half into a large rectangle (about 15 inches). Starting from the long side, roll the dough into a cylinder. Tuck both ends in and pinch the seams closed. Round the edges and place onto a baking sheet. Repeat with the second dough ball. Make several diagonal cuts across the top of each loaf with a knife or bread lame. Cover loaves and let rise 30 to 60 minutes.
  5. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bake 20 to 23 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. When you knock on it, it should sound hollow. If browning too fast, lightly cover with foil and lower the temperature to 375°F.
  6. Brush the top with melted butter, if desired. Slice and serve while warm

Instant Pot French Onion Soup in 20 Minutes!

This is truly the best French Onion soup and the best part is that it takes only 20 minutes!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 4 large onions
  • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 1 cup dry red wine (I used Pinot Noir)
  • 1 teaspoon fresh or dry thyme
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Optional Topping:

  • Croutons
  • Favorite melting cheese such as provolone, Swiss, Gruyere slices

DIRECTIONS:

1. Slice onions and set aside. Turn on sauté mode on Instant Pot and melt the butter until it sizzles.

2. Add the onions and brown sugar and stir regularly for about 10-15 minutes or until the onions have cooked down by about half and have become translucent.

3. Add the broth, red wine, balsamic vinegar, thyme, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Give it a stir and secure the lid. Hit “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” for 8 minutes. Quick release when done.

4. Layer the croutons on top of the soup then cover with 1-2 slices of cheese. Cheese will melt on its own or you can broil individual servings in crocks.

Enjoy!

Easy St Patrick’s Day Bundt Cake!

This recipe will be a big hit on St Patty’s and a fun way to get the kids involved in decorating! If you like a bakery style bundt cake, you’ll love this recipe!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1-15.25 oz. Yellow Cake Mix
  • 1-3.4 oz. pkg Vanilla Instant Pudding
  • 1 1/4 c. Sour Cream
  • 4 Eggs
  • 1/2 c. Warm Milk
  • 1/3 c. Butter
  • 1 tsp. Vanilla

FROSTING:

  • 1 container Cream Cheese frosting
  • Green food dye
  • St Patrick’s Day decorations

DIRECTIONS: Pre-heat oven to 325 Fahrenheit. Mix all ingredients together in a stand mixer, hand mixer or by hand until well mixed. Pour into well-greased bundt cake pan. Bake for 50-70 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out slightly coated but not wet. Remove from oven and let stand in pan for 20 minutes. Invert onto plate or cake stand. Let cool before frosting. Enjoy!

Easy Appreciation Gift Basket!

Completed basket.

February isn’t just about showing your special someone how much you love them–it’s also a great time to acknowledge those around you who make your life easier. Whether you’re wanting to show some love to your staff, volunteers, teachers, or even your best friends, this is a perfect way to say how much they mean to you. It’s also totally customizable.

For this craft, I needed 12 baskets for my all-female office mates. I knew I wanted a February/Berry theme and decided to put together little baskets of goodies with a note that said, “Thank you BERRY much for all you do!”

So my first stop was Target where I spotted some cute little red pencil cup holders in the Dollar Spot that were the perfect “basket” for my berry items.

Basket

With a cute berry basket in hand, I stayed in the Dollar Spot and found some polka dot green ribbon to attach as a handle to the berry basket. I also found some cute tags that had 12 black and 12 brown tags, plus string to affix.

To keep with either a red/pink or berry theme, I scoured the Dollar Spot for some cute goodies to add to each basket. I found 3-packs of scented markers in berry colors and scents and some adorable cupcake erasers. I threw enough for dozen baskets in my cart and away I went to continue on my berry search.

Up next, CANDY! You can pick whatever red, pink, or berry candies you like but I opted for all pink Starburst, Dove Hearts, and red Lindor berry chocolate truffles.

I had in mind to add some berry-scented chapsticks so headed in the direction of the makeup. I found what I was looking for, though they were a bit pricier than I wanted, but went on my way when I noticed an end cap with Christmas clearance. I stopped in my tracks when I saw the 4-packs of bath bombs for $3 and the 10-packs of e.l.f. mini nail polishes for only $4, all in my red/pink color scheme. Score! They had enough to make up my 12 baskets (1 bath bomb and 2 mini nail polishes per basket) and complete what I was looking for. So the chapsticks went back on the shelf! All told, I spent the following:

  • baskets $12
  • ribbon $1
  • paper tags $3
  • scented markers $4
  • Erasers $3
  • Starburst pink candies $2.69
  • Dove hearts $3.99
  • Lindor truffles $4.79
  • (3) sets of e.l.f. nail polishes $12
  • (3) sets of bath bombs $9
    = 55.47 or $4.62 per basket.
Assorted items for basket.

To assemble, I tied a 9 inch piece of ribbon to each basket to make a handle. I then added one marker, one eraser, a handful of starburst candies, the truffles and hearts, one bath bomb, two nail polishes (one dark shade and one lighter), and then affixed a berry tag, which I printed on cardstock with a cute berry.

My team loved the baskets and thought they were perfect for February. And all told, it wasn’t much work or money to show my coworkers how much I appreciate them!

2020 Cost of Flu Shots: CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Costco, Sam’s Club, Target & More

Flu shot

Along with a new year, flu season has just begun. So if you’re in the market for a flu shot and your insurance doesn’t cover you then you’re in luck. By shopping around, you can pay a lot less!

The below prices are the cash price, without going through health insurance. To help ensure accuracy, I called three different locations from each store/pharmacy type in January 2020 and was quoted the below prices for a standard flu shot. Please note that prices may vary depending on your location, special promotions being run, etc. so I strongly recommend calling the location you prefer to confirm price and availability when scheduling your appointment, particularly since stores run out or have long lines this time of year. Some stores also run special promotions, offer coupons, or match competitor prices so check your local ads and store policies before you head out the door.** 

Curious about what a flu shot entails, risks, and who should consider vaccination? Check out the CDC’s helpful FAQ for all you need to know.

CVS – $39.99
Costco – $19.99
Sam’s Club – $20-$25
Target – $26-$28
Walgreens – $40.99
Walmart – $39.88

Clearly Costco is the winner! Not a Costco or Sam’s Club member? Did you know that you’re eligible to still use their pharmacies even without a membership? Just let the staff at the front door know you’re there to visit the pharmacy.

Have a store or pharmacy to add? Feel free to leave a comment below and please include your city and state!

{No Churn} Mint Chocolate Irish Cream Ice Cream

cupoficecream2
With St. Patty’s Day festivities in full swing, I decided to try an Irish twist on a homemade ice cream recipe I adapted from The Roasted Root. The Irish twist, of course, being Irish Cream whiskey.

First off, this is a super easy recipe. I mean EASY. You can whip up the mix in literally two minutes, requires no churning, no ice cream maker, egg yolks, rock salt. None at that nonsense. And it’s fluffy. Seriously fluffy. No one will believe you that you didn’t buy it from some fancy artisan creamery or spend hours cranking the churn. It’s really that good. Just whip up the cream, add a few simple ingredients, and freeze. With the booze addition, I do recommend prepping this recipe a day before because it can take a bit longer to set up. This is the perfect adult St. Paddy’s recipe but can also be enjoyed year-round!

{No Churn} Mint Chocolate Irish Cream Ice Cream

cupoficecream2close

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups (1 pint) heavy cream
  • 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/4 cup 2% milk
  • 3/4 cup Irish Cream whiskey
  • 1 vanilla bean pod, scraped OR 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup of mint chocolate chips (optional)
  • Green food coloring (optional)

ingredientsprep

Directions:

1. Whip heavy cream until stiff peaks appear.

whippedcream

2. Add sweetened condensed milk, milk, Irish Cream Whiskey, and vanilla until combined.

addingcondensedmilk

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3. Add mint chips and swirl in green food coloring (optional) and pour into a freezer safe container.

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4. Freeze for 8-12 hours until set. Enjoy!

setuptub

Sláinte!

cupoficecream

Rainbow Easter Egg Nests

closeuppeeps

On a recent drug store visit, I was quickly sidetracked by the adorable Easter section. Pastel, glitter, and cute bunnies had completely taken over aisle three! Inspired by the sweeties, I thought up a fun treat to make for the kiddos, an Easter or Spring party, or just because!

The idea for this recipe is super simple–make a batch of Rice Krispies Treats, line them into a cupcake tin to create the nests. Sprinkle with coconut dyed with green food coloring for the grass, hide a few candy eggs in the nests, and top with a Peep.

Step-by-step directions are below!

Rainbow Easter Egg Nests – Makes 24 Nests

Ingredients:

For the Rice Krispies Treats Nests

  • 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 package (10 oz., about 40) marshmallows OR 4 cups mini marshmallows

For the “grass” filling:

  • 2 cups of coconut
  • green food coloring

Candy decorations:

  • (2) 4 ounce packages of Whoppers mini Robin Eggs (or your favorite egg-shaped candy)
  • (3) packages of Easter peeps

Directions:

To make nests:

1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted then remove from heat.

marshmallows

2. Add Rice Krispies cereal and stir until well coated.

ricekrispies

3. Working quickly and being careful not to handle while it’s too hot, Use buttered hands or wax paper to evenly press approximately 1/2-2/3 cup of mixture into two buttered muffin pans. Cool.

4. Pop the nests out of the muffin pans and line on a cookie rack.

nests

To make coconut “grass”:

1. Place coconut in a bowl, add a few drops of green food coloring, and stir with a fork until incorporated and mixture looks like grass.

Decorate!

Sprinkle a tablespoon of the coconut “grass” in the nest, hide a few eggs on top, and nestle an Easter peep on top. You’ll have plenty of extra grass so use it to decorate your display!

nestswitheggs

 

 

 

 

 

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