I think I am one of the few people in the universe who has not read the Harry Potter series. Although I love to read, I have commitment issues when it comes to reading books, and a whole series is just more than my ADD attention span can handle.

My husband and son are big fans of the book series, so when we recently went to Universal Studios Islands of Adventure and were immersed into the Wizzarding World of Harry Potter, they were just a tad bit stoked. I knew enough from watching some of the movies to be enchanted as well. Walking through the streets you immediately felt transported to another land.

To be honest with you, even though I don’t know much about Harry Potter, I was willing to hang out anywhere that had this delicious drink concoction called Butterbeer. Apparently, Butterbeer is the beverage of choice for the Wizards at Hogwarts Academy. One sip from the closest beverage cart and I was hooked. In fact, we had so many great things to eat and drink on our vacation, but of all of it, my craving for Butterbeer hasn’t ceased.

Our friend Katie gets her first sip of Butterbeer!

What does a food blogger do when they are craving something? First beg Chef Steven Jayson, who created the recipe, to share his secret. When this results in no avail, scour the internet trying to find copycat recipes or create the recipe itself.  The Butterbeer created by the chef at Islands of Adventure and approved by J.K. Rowlings herself is a buttery and creamy mixture made without ice cream. I found this recipe on Fox News and decided it seemed the closest in ingredients to what I tasted at Islands of Adventure in Orlando. Close, but not quite… but delicious nonetheless! To get the real thing, I think I’m just going to have to go back to Universal Studios in Orlando…sooner rather than later!

Recipe: Butterbeer (from Fox News)

• 1 cup light or dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 6 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup heavy cream, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon rum extract
• Four 12-ounce bottles cream soda

1. In a small saucepan over medium, combine the brown sugar and water. Bring to a gentle boil and cook, stirring often, until the mixture reads 240 F on a candy thermometer.
2. Stir in the butter, salt, vinegar and 1/4 heavy cream. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
3. Once the mixture has cooled, stir in the rum extract.
4. In a medium bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar mixture and the remaining 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Use an electric mixer to beat until just thickened, but not completely whipped, about 2 to 3 minutes.
5. To serve, divide the brown sugar mixture between 4 tall glasses (about 1/4 cup for each glass). Add 1/4 cup of cream soda to each glass, then stir to combine. Fill each glass nearly to the top with additional cream soda, then spoon the whipped topping over each.

I’m sharing this post as part of the I’m Lovin’ It roundup on TidyMom!

I grew up in a household where hamburgers, hotdogs and steaks were the only things that were grilled. If we went beyond that to chicken or anything else more exotic, it was a rare day.

Don’t you think the grilling revolution, where everything from salad to desserts are now grilled, has really made more of an appearance in the past 5-10 years or so? I have yet to learn how to actually grill, so now that it has come about that all these goodies can be cooked on the grill, I get to pass on the recipes to my husband and get a night off from cooking. Works for me!

And yes, I do understand that it is kind of pathetic that I haven’t learned how to grill yet. The truth is, our grill knobs melted off the very first time we used it and my husband now goes through some kind of MacGyver moves to get the grill on and it frankly, scares me. Grill shopping is on my to-do list for this summer because I totally want to learn how to grill. If you have grill recommendations, please pass them on. Preferably a grill with knobs or buttons that don’t melt off… that would be nice to have.

We recently tried Grilled Bananas and were blown away at the flavor! Topped with ice cream and some ice cream toppings, we had the best banana splits, ever. Grilled pineapple and grilled peaches are also favories of ours.

If you know how to turn your grill on, ahem, then making grilled fruit is easy as pie (which is something else I seem to be challenged at, so maybe that’s not the best terminology). Either way, try it… you’ll like it! I promise!

Recipe: Grilled Bananas (Adapted from Food Network)

• 2 bananas
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• Caramel sauce for drizzling
• Vanilla ice cream (optional)

1. Preheat your gas grill
2. Slice the bananas, in their skins, half crosswise and then lengthwise so each banana is 4 pieces
3. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and ground cinnamon.
4. Sprinkle the brown sugar cinnamon mixture over the cut side of the bananas. Allow to sit 5 minutes for flavors to blend.
5. Place the bananas, cut side down, on the center of grill. Grill for 2 minutes or until grill marks appear. Using a pair of tongs, turn them over and cook for 5 more minutes, or until the skin pulls away from the bananas.
6. Remove the bananas from the grill and serve them immediately, on top of vanilla ice cream and drizzled with caramel sauce.

I consider myself very lucky to have a mom who I can also call my best friend. I love many things about my mom, but I’ve managed to sum up a few of my favorite things about her that make me smile.

1. It’s the thought that counts. My mom isn’t a big card sender and coincidentally, neither am I. When I was growing up my mom and I would be in a department store and I’d hear her calling my name.. “Kristen, come here!” I’d walk over and she’d have a card in her hand and would say “Now, if I were the card buying type, this is the card I’d give you for your birthday.” Although she didn’t buy the card, she thought of me when reading a card and in my opinion, that was good enough. I have so many great memories of my mom and I, standing in the card aisle, laughing and crying over cards we would give each other if we were the card buying type.
2. Never underestimate the power of Midol. No matter what, when I call my mom and am being overly emotional or unreasonable about something, she’ll say “Honey… what time of the month is it?” I usually am annoyed and dismiss her thoughts that everything irrational in my life is PMS. Then, sure enough, a couple days later she is proven right.
3. Choose your friends wisely. One thing my mom drilled through my head growing up was to choose my friends wisely.  She would often remind me the people I associated myself with determined what other people might think of me. I now spend a lot of time teaching this life lesson to my kids and have to remind myself of this lesson often as an adult. Choose your friends wisely as they are a huge part of shaping who you are and who you become.
4. Be spontaneous. When I was a senior in high school, in the dead of winter, I woke up to this note on the kitchen table “Went to find the sun… be back on Sunday”. My parents were tired of the winter and decided that instead of complaining about it, they would do something about it. They packed up their Mustang convertible and headed south in search of warmth.  My mom has always had a bone of spontaneity about her and I admire that so much. It’s hard with younger kids, but I can’t wait until I can take after my parents when it comes to being spontaneous.
5. Sing like no one is watching. I can’t hear the song “How Great Thou Art” without thinking of my mom. When that song is played, I am immediately taken back to Sunday morning in church and my mom’s beautiful voice booming over the entire congregation. When you are moved by a song, you’ve got to sing it and sing it loud… like no one else is around.

I could go on and on, but I’ll save the rest for another day. Mom – if I were the card buying type, my card would say something like “Thank you for being my mom… in good times and bad, I know I can always turn to you for love, advice and support. I admire you, treasure you and love you.”

This recipe for Strawberry Lemonade Sprtizer is something I’d love to share with my mom today. She loves lemons and can eat strawberries again after a long respite. Cheers to you, mom, and all the other mamas out there doing the most difficult job in the world. I’ll add a little spike of vodka for those of you who have toddlers or teenagers. You deserve it!

The adorable straws in these photos are from one of my favorite sponsors, Hey Yo Yo on Etsy. Make sure to check out their store for festive paper straws, cupcake liners nut cups and more.

Recipe: Strawberry Lemonade Spritzer from Delish

3 cups strawberries, hulled
2 Tbsp sugar
8 cups prepared lemonade (I used Country Time, but fresh or frozen will do as well)
Club Soda

1. In a food processor, combine strawberries & sugar. Puree until smooth.
2. Add lemonade and mix. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
3. Right before serving, combine lemonade & club soda (2 parts lemonade and 1 part club soda)

My mom is an excellent cook but there were times in my life I would think that maybe she wasn’t so much. Like when she would make liver and onions. Or how about white sandwich bread with white hamburger gravy poured over it? I want to gag just thinking about it.

We lived in a house where choosing something else for dinner was not an option. If it was on the table you were expected to eat it, and that was that.

Our house is the same way. I’m not a short order cook and we have a rule where you have to at least take a bite of everything on your plate. With four kids sitting around the table, you can imagine we’ve had our fair share of resistance to eating some of the things I cook.

I was ready for the pouts and whines the other day when I placed a bowl of Kale Chips on the table. My friend Aggie raves about Kale Chips quite often and then Michelle published a post on her blog about them. With all the good things I’ve heard about Kale Chips and how even the most vegetable resistant kids love them, I thought I’d give them a try.

Let me end this blog post by saying this… 4 days later, Kale Chips have been baked each day. I love them, my husband loves them and the best yet… the kids love them.  I’m so glad to know that my kids won’t be blogging about the nasty green things their mom used to make them eat. Kale Chips, in this household, have been a hit!

What is a food your parents cooked that you dreaded seeing on the dinner table as a kid?

Recipe: Oven Baked Kale Chips (from What’s Cooking with Kids)

• Bunch of kale
• Olive oil
• Salt, to taste
• Cracked black pepper (our addition but not required)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Hold the thick stem of each kale leaf with one hand. Pinch the base with the fingers of the other hand and rub them up the stem – the leaves will tear right off!
3. Put the kale pieces on a baking sheet lined with a silpat (a silicone baking mat) or with parchment paper.
4. Pour on a little olive oil and toss with clean hands.  Sprinkle with salt (and pepper if your kids like that…)
5. Make sure they are in a single layer on the baking sheet sheet.
6. Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes or until crisp.

You can find more great, kid friendly recipes like this in Michelle’s new cookbook, The Whole Family Cookbook. Make sure to check it out!

I’m optimistically looking in my pantry and trying to figure out ways to get rid of all the hot chocolate mix I stocked up on during the frigid winter. My hope is that spring is here to stay and I won’t need to warm the kids up when they come in from playing outside with hot chocolate anymore. Of course, it just got done snowing, but I’m still eternally optimistic.

I’ve made Frozen Hot Chocolate, which is such a good warm weather treat. I’ve also seen Hot Chocolate popsicles , which are on my list to make as well. But what about baking with hot chocolate mix? Surely hot chocolate mix would be a perfect addition to cake or cookies?

Lucky for me, I stumbled across a recipe on Baked Bree that gave me a great starting point for some pretty amazing cookies. I made a few minor changes and the end result was hot chocolate in cookie form with marshmallows… perfect for the hot or cold months.

Pssst – don’t forget to head over to the Giveaway for the Kitchen Aid Pasta Press attachment!

Recipe: Hot Chocolate Cookies with Marshmallows (Inspired by Baked Bree)

• 2 sticks butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 1/4 cups flour
• 1/3 cup hot chocolate mix
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups mini marshmallows

1. In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugars until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until well incorporated.
2. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, hot chocolate mix, salt and baking soda.
3. Slow add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture. Mix until well blended.
4. Place by rounded teaspoon onto parchment lined baking sheets.
5. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until slightly firm.
6. As soon as you remove the cookies from the oven, begin topping with marshmallows.
7. After cooling for a few minutes on the baking sheet, move to wire wrack until completely cool.
8. (I even went as far as to use my small kitchen blow torch to “roast” some of the marshmallows – yum!)

I’m not Irish, however I married a full-blown Irish man, so that makes me what they call “Irish by Marriage”.

What I have found out, through my 11 years of marriage to an Irish man, is that once you are “in” with the Irish, your entire life starts to become very Irish. Green suddenly becomes your favorite color. Gifts for your home start pouring in, many adorned with an Irish saying or shamrocks. When you run down the list of options for kids names, you begin to notice most of them have Irish roots… Kelly, Megan, Molly, Collin, Patrick.

You would think my initiation into the world of the Irish would leave me with an abundance of ideas for a St. Patrick’s Day feast, but it hasn’t. What do the Irish like to eat? From my experience? Ice cream, whiskey and beer. Now you know the secret to why Irish people are always so chipper… it isn’t from the Corned Beef and Cabbage, I can tell you that!

I decided to turn to the Foodily recipe site for a St. Patrick’s Day menu since as much as it would be fun to live off of ice cream, whiskey and beer, some people (non-Irish people, I assure you) may frown upon that. For this St. Patrick’s Day, we are going to feast on:

• Beef and Irish Stout Stew
• Bourbon Carrots
• White Soda Bread
• Irish Potato Salad
• St. Patrick’s Day Grasshopper Ice Cream Cocktails (recipe below)

So, let me tell you a bit about Grasshoppers. I don’t know that this is truly an Irish dessert, but at most occasions within our family, Grasshoppers are somewhere to be found. We most always have a bucket ready to serve in our freezer. The minty flavor of Grasshoppers plus the green tint just make me think of St. Patrick’s Day, so we’re going to go with that.

When I texted my husband at work to get the recipe, I discovered that he doesn’t really have a recipe. He bases it all on the taste and feel of the ice cream, which was a total light bulb moment for me… if he’s tasting the grasshoppers as he makes them, that then explains why he is always so chipper when he’s done making them. I think I want to be on grasshopper making duty next time!

Recipe: St. Patrick’s Day Grasshopper Ice Cream Cocktails

• 5 Quart Plastic Bucket of Vanilla Ice Cream
• 3 shots of Creme de Menthe liquor
• 1 shot of Creme de Cacao liquor
• 1 shot of Irish Whiskey (We prefer Jameson brand)

Place all ingredients in a large bowl. Knead together by using two large ice cream paddles or spoons or use your stand mixer and knead using your bread hook attachment. Once well blended you can either serve or place back in the freezer to re-freeze. If desired, top with whipped cream. (Adjust liquor to taste. For a darker green and stronger mint flavor, add more Creme de Menthe)

So, Fat Tuesday is here…and after stepping on the scale this morning I can tell you that Fat Tuesday it is indeed.

Today is the end of the fat food around here for awhile… and by fat food I mean the food I’ve been cooking up in my new deep fryer. You know, the homemade yeast doughnuts, the fish tacos, the beer battered onion rings? Those recipes have been so easy to make since my deep fryer has been out. I’ve now packed my deep fryer away after using the heck out of it for a couple of weeks and am looking forward to some non-frying days to come.

I’m not bidding farewell without sharing one more recipe with you though. I was browsing through Coastal Living magazine the other day when I stumbled across this recipe for Avocado Fries. I had never heard of such a thing and knew I needed to become familiar with these little nibblers as soon as possible. If you think avocados couldn’t get any better, you were wrong. Slicing them into strips, breading them and then putting them in the fryer for a few minutes makes for one fantastic snack.

Of course, avocados are wonderful without taking any of these extra steps, but if you just want to somehow fit avocados into a Fat Tuesday treat, Coastal Living certainly has the way with these delicious Avocado Fries.

Recipe: Avocado Fries (From Coastal Living Magazine)

• Canola oil for frying
• 1/4  cup  all-purpose flour
• 1/4  teaspoon  kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 2  large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/4  cups  panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 2  firm-ripe avocados, cut into 1/2-inch wedges

1. Pour oil to depth of 1 1/2 inches in a medium saucepan or Dutch oven. Heat to 375° over medium-high heat.

2. Meanwhile, combine flour and salt in a shallow plate. Put eggs and panko in separate shallow plates. Dip avocado wedges in flour, shaking off excess. Dip in egg, and then dredge in panko to coat.

3. Fry avocado wedges, in batches, 30 to 60 seconds or until golden brown, and drain on paper towels. Place on a baking sheet in a 200° oven to keep warm while frying remaining wedges. Sprinkle with additional salt to taste.

I’m linking this post up to I’m Lovin’ It on the Tidy Mom Blog!

It is no secret that I love sweets. In fact, when Lent rolls around each year and I see people giving up sweets, I hide… I don’t want those kind of crazy thoughts to invade my brain. I can tell you straight up, me without sweets, would not be a pretty sight.

When the folks over at The Motherhood asked me if I would like to be a co-host for a virtual Cooking Connections class surrounding all things sweet, I jumped at the chance. An hour devoted to nothing other than desserts? I’m in!

You can join in the virtual chat based class as well, this Wednesday 1pm EST on The Motherhood. Julie, from Mommie Cooks and I will be joined by a team of dessert experts who will share some great recipes, techniques and tips surrounding:

• Kid Friendly Desserts & Desserts on the Go
• Your Favorite Desserts, Lightened Up
• Desserts Worth Indulging & Special Occasion Desserts

In the meantime, I am doing my best to diligently research sweet treats prior to the Cooking Connections class. I want to make sure I am armed with the best dessert recipes out there to share with you! Researching, taste testing, experimenting with dessert recipes is tough, I tell ya’, but I am more than willing to do it for you and the Cooking Connections Sweet Treats class.

I know there is still a chill in the air, but I am anxiously awaiting spring and summer, which means sweet treats of the frozen variety. In this case, Frozen White Chocolate Hot Chocolate. Yes, you read correctly… frozen hot chocolate. OK – it isn’t necessarily hot, but this recipe takes your favorite hot chocolate mix and turns it into a rich, frozen, decadent treat.

Recipe: Frozen White Chocolate Hot Chocolate (Adapted from Epicurious)

• 6 half-ounce pieces of high quality white chocolate
• 2 Tbs half and half
• 1 envelope store bought hot chocolate mix
• 1  tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 3 cups ice
• Whipped cream (optional)
• Chocolate shavings (optional)

Place the white chocolate pieces and the half and half into a microwave safe bowl. Heat for 1 minutes, stopping to stir half way through. Continue to heat until melted and smooth.  Add the hot chocolate mix and sugar, stirring constantly until thoroughly blended. Remove from heat and slowly add 1/2 cup of the milk and stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature.

In a blender place the remaining cup of milk, the room temperature chocolate mixture, and the ice. Blend on high speed until smooth and the consistency of a frozen daiquiri. Pour into a cup and top with homemade whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

I know… I know… stop talking about the darn homemade pasta, right? I’m sorry! I just can’t help it. When I made homemade pasta for the first time last week, it was kind of a moment for me. I looked back at my Hamburger Helper days many moons ago and marveled at how far I had come. I mean, really… I was making homemade pasta. How cool is that?

So anyway, as much as I enjoyed just sitting around admiring the cute little fresh pasta shapes, I knew my family wouldn’t be thrilled with the pasta just being kitchen home decor. I needed to implement it into something that would feed their hungry bellies. Enter the booklet that came with the KitchenAid Pasta Attachment. I’ve always had a love for appliance booklet recipes. They tend to be some of the best of the best, in my opinion. This Rustic Baked Rigatoni is no exception… it is a simple recipe with a blend of flavors that don’t compete with each other. Instead, they compliment each other in the best way and give the fresh, homemade pasta its moment to shine!

I eliminated the Italian Sausage and made some other changes simply based on what I had on hand. I doubled the chicken to make up for the missing sausage.

Rustic Baked Rigatoni (From the KitchenAid Pasta Attachment Recipe Booklet)

• 1 tbs olive oil
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced into 1/4″ pieces
• 2 Italian sausage links, sliced diagonally into 1/4″ pieces
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1 small green pepper, seeded and sliced (I used a yellow bell pepper)
• 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 14.5 ounce can petite diced tomatoes with juice
• 3/4 cup half & half
• 1/2 recipe basic egg noodle pasta, extruded into short cut rigatoni, cooked and drained
• 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese (we used cheddar)
• 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese (we used Parmesan)

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium  heat. Add chicken and sausage links and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes. Add onion, green pepper, and garlic. Continue cooking and stirring until meat is completely cooked through and vegetables are tender, about 6-7 minutes. Add rosemary, cayenne pepper, and tomatoes. Stir well to combine and bring mixture to a simmer. Stir in half and haf and remove mixture from heat. Add cooked pasta and stir well to combine. Transfer mixture to a greased 2 1/2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Romano cheeses. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. Serve immediately.

I have a confession to make. I love mall food court food…

There, I said it. Do you think less of me now? I understand if you do… truly… guess we won’t be hanging out at the mall together anytime soon then, which is a bummer.

I bribe my kids to be good at the mall with the promise of Pretzel Bites once we are done. Then, I am the most lenient mom ever just so we can get to the pretzel bite reward at the end. Knock down a rack of clothes? I’ll turn my head and pretend I didn’t see it happen. Run away from me and head down the escalator? That’s fine… we’ll meet up with you at the bottom like it was totally planned. Have a screaming meltdown in the middle of Ann Taylor? Pure entertainment… isn’t she just the cutest little thing?

As long as we can get the pretzel bites at the end, I’m a happy camper.

Now I don’t have to go to the mall to get pretzel bites anymore. I’m thrilled to share that I can make these babies right here in my very own home and I can use my bread machine, which gives me more time to be a good mother and to teach my beloved children how to act in public. I’m working on it… I promise.

Recipe: Homemade Pretzel Bites for the Bread Machine (from All Recipes.com)

• 1 1/8 cups water (70 to 80 degrees F)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 2 quarts water
• 1/2 cup baking soda
• coarse salt
• melted butter – not in the original recipe, but a must for mall food pretzel like experience

1. In bread machine pan, place the first four ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select dough setting (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons water or flour if needed).
2. When cycle is completed, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough into eight balls. Roll each into a 20-in. rope; form into pretzel shape. In a saucepan, bring water and baking soda to a boil. Drop pretzels into boiling water, two at a time; boil for 10-15 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels.
3. Place pretzels on greased baking sheets. Bake at 425 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with salt.