Valentine’s Day Pesto Cracker Chips

Feb12

These tasty little things can pass as a chip or a cracker. Either way try them. These are super fast and easy to put together. These would be perfect for a Valentine’s Day lunchbox or as part of a cheese or charcuterie board to have with wine. You can change up the shape to suit whatever occasion you are celebrating.

Take a package of wonton wrappers and use a cookies cutter to cut out the shapes you want to use.

Place the shapes on a parchment lined baking sheet and brush with pesto and just a very light sprinkle of salt.

Bake in a 350F oven for about 8 minutes, until golden at the edges.

Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Lasts for a few days, but ours did not last to make it into a container.

As you can see, we tried a few tree shapes that we could use for Christmas and pumpkins for Halloween.

One note about the pesto, if you are putting in a lunchbox check the pesto for nuts. Both pesto types that I bought contained nuts. Our school is nut free so I couldn’t put them in the lunchbox. I have to find a nut free commercial pesto or make my own.

You could also just brush them with a little olive oil and sprinkle of salt to make a plain cracker-chip. That is how I will use the rest of my wontons for the valentines lunchbox.

Chicken pesto flatbreads with arugula salad

Jul24

This looks fancy but really is very easy, fast and delicious. Perfect for busy summer days!

I used prepared flatbreads and brushed with olive oil, add small dallops of pesto all over, added cut up cooked chicken breast (vegetarian option-leave out chicken) and topped with crumbled goat cheese. Then bake this in 425 degree Fahrenheit oven for 5 minutes.

Take out and top with arugula (dressed with balsamic vinaigrette) top with a few cherry or grape tomato halves. Drizzle with balsamic glaze. That’s it, quick, fancy and delicious. Just pop open a nice bottle of wine et voila!

Oatmeal Chocolate Square

Apr30

Do ever need to pull together a snack fast for a playdate or you just really need something sweet but there is nothing to grab? These squares are a very fast and delicious and hit the spot when you want a cookie or a chocolate bar kind of snack. These disappeared quickly, mainly because I can’t pass the pan without cutting out a square.

For the base:

3 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup corn syrup

In a large bowl mix oats, brown sugar and wheat germ. Cut in butter until crumbly.

Stir in corn syrup.

Pour mixture into a microwave safe (glass), greased 8 inch square pan. Spread lightly and microwave on high uncovered for 2 minutes. Stir.

Press down firmly with a damp fork. Microwave uncovered on high for 2 minutes more until bubbly.

Now for the topping:

3/4 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup smooth peanut butter

In a microwave safe dish, combine chocolate chips and peanut butter. Microwave for about 1 minute, but stop part way through and stir, then continue heating. If not melted smooth microwave for 20 seconds at a time until melted smooth. Pour over oat mixture and let cool before cutting.

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Once cooled cut into squares. Good luck with the self control!

Our next project is to give these a makeover so they are healthier and nut free so they are school safe for the lunch box. We will work on that as soon as my little social butterfly has some free time at home to work on it with me.

Mug Brownies

May15

Did you ever need a quick desert for just 2 or 3 people…or yourself? Sometimes a large cake or full pan of brownies is just too much and ~~I can’t control myself and will eat half the pan~~ there will be leftovers. This is your quick fix.