Assembly is quick and easy. While your English Muffins are toasting, spray a small bowl with cooking spray/oil and crack an egg into it.

I break the egg up a little with a fork but my friend prefers to scramble hers. Microwave the egg (yes, you read that right!) for about 30 seconds. You will have to adjust the cooking time based on your microwave.

Add a little ham or sausage and cheese to your sandwich and you’ve recreated a healthy and quick version of a fast-food favorite!

If you like this idea, you might also like these Restaurant Copycat E-books. They are free to download.

Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 3

Sauteed Parmesan Broccoli

Ingredients:

1 pound broccoli florets

3 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon brown sugar

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

1. Blanch the broccoli up to two days in advance. To blanch: bring a pot of water to boil and carefully add the broccoli. Fill a large bowl with half water and half ice. Allow broccoli to cook 1-2 minutes, until it is tender. Immediately remove broccoli from boiling water and transfer to ice water. This stops the cooking process and keeps the bright green color. Leave in the water for 1-2 minutes. Drain and if prepping ahead, place broccoli in a dish that has been lined with paper towels. Use within two days.
2. In a small bowl, combine the Parmesan cheese and brown sugar. Set aside.
3. In a large skillet, heat the oil on medium high heat. Add the broccoli and red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir to coat and cook while stirring 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and sprinkle with the cheese mixture. Stir to coat.

Peanut Butter heart

We recently tried this Peanut Butter Play Dough recipe and I think we ended with only half as much as when we started. Apparently this is as tasty as dessert! Even if you have older children, don’t discount the idea of homemade playdough. My two children are older but still looked forward to this snow day activity.

Peanut Butter "Lego"

Peanut Butter Play Dough

1 cup smooth peanut butter

1 cup powdered milk (plus enough to keep from sticking)

1 cup honey

1 cup oatmeal

Simply mix ingredients, adding a little more milk if needed to make dough firmer. It will appear a little stickier when mixing than it will when being used.

Have fun!

(If you enjoyed this idea, you might also like the post I wrote about our other snow day activities.)

Jalapeno Popper Dip

Ingredients:

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup mayonnaise (I never said this was a low-calorie, healthy dish!)

1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained

2 ounces canned, diced, jalapeno peppers, drained

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Combine softened cream cheese and mayonnaise in a large bowl. Stir until smooth. Stir in green chilies and jalapeno peppers.

2. Pour into oven safe dish and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

3. Original recipe calls for microwaving on high for about 3 minutes, but I preferred baking it at about 400 until sides were bubbling and top was golden, about 20 minutes.

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If you will be hosting overnight guests this Christmas season, you will probably be looking for a quick and hearty meal. This is one of my favorite meals to prepare when I need a hearty dish that will serve a crowd or to give to families dealing with illness, new homes, etc. I often refer to this as the “Hospitality Dish” because it is perfect for families who need a meal and I have had many return to me asking for this recipe. I’m almost embarrassed to share how simple it is!

This is an extremely flexible dish and the exact amounts can vary depending on how many people you need to serve. You can add extra green beans, potatoes or sausage and it will still taste great. I usually add a can or two of green beans and a couple more potatoes for a larger crowd. The recipe also doubles well.

Ingredients:

Roughly 4 cans green beans, drained (do not use French cut – I can promise it will not look appetizing if you do)

About 6 potatoes, peeled and diced into bite-size pieces

1 lb Kielbasa or Smoked Sausage link, cut into bite-size pieces

1 large onion, diced

A little black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer a couple of hours. The longer it cooks, the better it tastes!

You will need:

1 cup flour
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup salt
Food coloring

In a bowl, combine flour and salt. Add hot water and food color to the flour mixture and combine thoroughly. This will make a small amount so you may want to make a batch for each child. (The picture above shows two batches.)  The playdough will keep in the fridge about a week.

Have fun and consider creating alongside your child!

This post has been linked to:

Ultimate Recipe Swap hosted by Life As Mom

Ingredients for Casserole:

6 medium sweet potatoes  (or 2lb can)

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3/4 cup apple juice (could also use orange juice)

2 Tablespoons butter

Ingredients for Topping:

1 cup honey cereal, crushed- such as Mom’s Best Naturals Honey Nut Toasty O’s or Oat & Honey Blend

2 Tablespoons chopped pecans

1 teaspoon melted butter

• If using fresh potatoes, cook until tender and remove skins.

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 2 quart shallow casserole dish.

• Cut potatoes into 1/2 inch slices and place in the casserole dish.

• In a small pan, heat brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, juice and 2 Tablespoons butter until boiling. Stir constantly. Allow to boil 1 minute and continue stirring.

• Pour brown sugar mixture over potatoes.

• In small bowl, combine the topping ingredients until crumbly and sprinkle over the potatoes.

• Bake uncovered 15-20 minutes or until it bubbles. If more crunch is desired for the topping, place under a broiler very briefly.

I assembled this dish without a recipe so I cannot give you exact amounts. Just add a little of the spices at a time until it smells/ tastes right to you.

Sauteeing the veggies and meat

Ingredients:

1 lb or more elbow macaroni – I used almost 2 lbs

1 can undrained diced tomatoes – I used the “chili ready” variety.

1 small can tomato sauce

2 cans beans – I used one can kidney beans and one can chili beans

Left over meat – I used about 3 slices of pork tenderloin and some meatballs, chopped into smaller pieces.

green pepper, onion, celery  – 1 each, chopped or sliced

cumin

chili powder

2 Tablespoons butter

Directions:

Cook elbow macaroni according to package directions, but do not cook all the way through. Set aside.

Saute green pepper, onion, celery in a little bit of olive oil. When the vegetables start to become tender, add meat.

When meat is warm and vegetables are tender, add butter, cumin, parsley, chili powder, salt and pepper to meat. Stir until they are well-coated.  Add tomatoes, sauce and macaroni to the meat mixture.  Cook about 30 minutes.

Top with a little hot sauce and cheese.

Enjoy!

• Simply slice the apple in half. If the apple will not be served immediately, brush or spray lemon juice on the cut sides to prevent browning.
• Attach the raisins using peanut butter as the “glue.”
• Push the pretzel sticks carefully into the top of the apple and top with another dab of peanut butter glue and a raisin on each pretzel.
• A bed of lettuce leaves (I should have used a few more) tops off the presentation.

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