Category Archives: Nico in the Kitchen

Oct 20

New Recipies with Nico: Brownies

I love to make Brownies from a box, but every once in a while I run out of the mix and that is when someone requests this family favorite dessert. I searched for an easy recipe for Homemade Brownies. I found one that called for everything that I keep in the pantry, so I can make them at a moments notice. Let’s see if the boy’s will eat them…

You’ll need two bowls, one for the dry ingredients, and one for the wet ingredients.

The finished product looks pretty good, but let’s see if the kiddos will eat them.

My hubby and the kiddos loved the brownies cake-like texture, but I wanted something with a little more chocolate. I will keep this recipe handy though, just in case I run out of the mix.

Oct 17

Pudding Cups and Ice Pops

Snacks are a must have in our house, and I’m always trying to save a bit on family favorite treats. I spotted an Popsicle Mold at the store for $2.00, and I thought it would be great to make some Pudding Pops for Thade.

My Popsicle mold made 4 Pudding-pops, so I was left with a lot of leftover pudding… But none of it went to waste.

I filled my Silicone Baking Cups with the leftover pudding, and made individual pudding cups. They were just as tasty as the store bought individual cups, but we can reuse our cups, so there was no packaging waste. I stored the homemade cups in the fridge in Gladware. The kiddos loved the tasty treats too.

What homemade snacks or treats do you like to make for your family?

Oct 2

Let’s Make an Afternoon Snack

I bet you’ve seen the recipe for Five Minute Coffee Cup Chocolate Cake, it looks like a fun recipe to make for the kiddos afternoon snack. I thought that and Ice Cold Banana Smoothie would go great with the Chocolate Cake. Let’s see if I can time everything right for a tasty afternoon snack.

I took one look at my coffee cup, and thought I had better grab a bigger coffee cup. I don’t want to clean up a gigantic mess in the microwave, when I could be enjoying some Chocolate Cake…

I added in some Chocolate Chips. I think I would add the Chocolate Chips in with the dry ingredients to help coat them, instead of at the end. All of my chocolate chips sank to the bottom, but it was still pretty good.

The Banana Smoothies were fun and super fast. I added in a few Chocolate Chips too.

All finished, but will the kids eat it?

Well they both loved the Banana Smoothies, but Thade wasn’t a fan of the Chocolate Cake. I think he was missing the Chocolate Frosting that is usually on top of the Chocolate Cake. Dylan and I agree that the Chocolate Cake was pretty darn good.

Thade gives the Smoothies a “thumbs up”, and the cake a “thumbs down”… Oh well, maybe I’ll keep this recipe just for me as a late night snack.

Sep 1

September Monthly Menu

Whoo Hoo Autumn is just around the corner, and I can’t wait to start cooking some tasty Fall foods. I have a few new meals planned for September and a Grandparent’s Day Dinner too. Here is my menu plan for the month of September…

  • 9/1/08: Happy Labor Day! Angus Burgers, Fries, and Grilled Cheese for the Kiddos
  • 9/2/08: Grilled Chicken, Broccoli & Cheese Rice, and Mashed Potatoes
  • 9/3/08: Thade’s First Day of School! Chicken Rings, Fries. Macaroni & Cheese, and Homemade Vanilla Cupcakes with Sprinkles
  • 9/4/08: Beef & Broccoli Stir-fry with Rice and Egg Rolls
  • 9/5/08: Shrimp & Sausage Jambalaya, Cheese Grits, and Corn Bread
  • 9/6/08: Battered and Fried Catfish, Fried Okra, and Apricot Pie
  • 9/7/08: Happy Grandparent’s Day! Homemade Turkey and Noodles, Green Beans, Mashed Potatoes, Homemade Rolls, Hot Fudge Cake, Apricot Pie, and plenty of Sweet Tea
  • 9/8/08: Chicken Fajitas, Re-fried Beans, Tortilla Chips, and Cheese Dip
  • 9/9/08: Chicken Rings, Macaroni & Cheese, and Fries
  • 9/10/08: Salmon Cakes, Corn, and Rice
  • 9/11/08: Patriot Day! Angus Burgers, Fries, and Grilled Cheese for the Kiddos
  • 9/12/08: Grilled Chicken, Noodles, and Green Beans
  • 9/13/08: Pasta, Pepperoni Chips, and Garlic Bread
  • 9/14/08: Turkey, Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole, and Homemade Dinner Rolls
  • 9/15/08: Angus Burgers, Fries, and Grilled Cheese for the Kiddos
  • 9/16/08: Turkey Leftovers and Tasty Sides
  • 9/17/08: Turkey Sloppy Joe’s and Fries
  • 9/18/08: Fish Sticks, Corn, and Macaroni & Cheese
  • 9/19/08: Beef w/ Rice-a-Roni, Green Beans, and Hominy
  • 9/20/08: Chicken Chow-Mien and Crab Rangoon
  • 9/21/08: Pot Roast and Potatoes
  • 9/22/08: Finally, Autumn has arrived! Bean & Cheese, Quesadillas, Tortilla Chips, Salsa, and Cheese Dip
  • 9/23/08: Grilled Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, and Green Bean Casserole
  • 9/24/08: Pot Roast, Noodles, and Brussels Sprouts
  • 9/25/08: Pasta, Black Olives,and Garlic Bread
  • 9/26/08: Fish Sticks, Fries, and Macaroni & Cheese
  • 9/27/08: Grilled Sausage, Rice & Lentils, and Hominy
  • 9/28/08: Chili and Homemade Brownies
  • 9/29/08: Angus Burgers, Fries, and Grilled Cheese for the Kiddos
  • 9/30/08: BBQ Chicken, Corn, Mashed Potatoes, and Biscuits

As usual I’m going to try extra hard (even though I didn’t do so good in August) to keep motivated and keep cooking, and try my best to avoid the take-out meals. We’ll see how it goes though…

Aug 27

Easy Peasy Peach Crumble

My quest continues to find the perfect quick and easy dessert that my whole family will love. This time I’m making homemade Peach Crumble. I found a great recipe for the Peach Crumble, and I’ve altered it just a bit. The recipe is very simple and calls for Canned Peaches, Brown Sugar, Flour, Cinnamon, and Butter. Yep, you read that right, just five ingredients.

I added a little extra Brown Sugar and Cinnamon to the Canned Peaches, and they were so tasty. This was one fast recipe, but only Dylan and I were fans of the Crumble. James and Thade just aren’t Peach fans, oh well…

I thought that this recipe could also be made with any Fruit Pie Filling that is your favorite, and the Crumble topping would be great with just a little Oatmeal added in. I think I might have to give a Cherry Crumble or Apricot Crumble a try, with a big scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream on top too. Maybe even Apple, or Blueberry, or Blackberry, o.k. time to get to the store, I’m ready for DESSERT!