Basic Peanut Butter Smoothie

Last summer I started making different smoothie recipes to sip by the pool. Being stuck at home with the weather, I decided to mix one up today and channel warmer weather.

The peanut butter smoothie is my favorite!

What I really love about smoothies is that they are so versatile and easy to make. You can really mix in anything you want. I generally try to stay on the healthy side though. Also, you don't have to be too specific on measuring out ingredients. It is up to you and your taste preference.

This recipe is for one serving.

Put the following ingredients in a blender. Blend until you reach your desired smoothness.

1 cup almond milk

1 banana

1 large spoon of peanut butter

1 small spoon of chocolate chips

4 ice cubes

Like I said, you don't have to be too precise. I just eye the amount of peanut butter and chocolate chips I want. You can also substitute the chocolate chips for chocolate syrup.

After you are done blending, pour it into a cup and enjoy! This was my lunch today.

 

4 Ingredient Dessert

I would like to start sharing at least one recipe each month that I have tried. Mainly because I have a board on Pinterest titled "When I Learn to Cook" and there's no time like the present right?  Maybe the problem is that I'm a picky eater. And when I see a recipe that has 10 ingredients I'm immediately looking for something simpler. 

I'm actually a pretty good baker so I decided to start with a super simple recipe that I got from my Mom. I needed a dessert for a New Year's get together and this one only has 4 ingredients! All of which we already had in the pantry. Yet, I still managed to mess something up. Opps...learn from my mistakes.

Wasp Nest Cake 

You will need:

1 3oz. Cook and Serve Vanilla Pudding

2 cups milk

1 box of yellow cake mix

1 package of butterscotch morsels

Preheat your oven to 350.

 

Step One:

Mix the milk and pudding mix. Bring it to a boil. Be sure to do this slowly and remember to stir or you will end up with a scorched pot like me. 

 

Step Two:

Remove from the heat and stir in the dry cake mix. 

 

Step Three: 

Pour into a greased 9x13 pan and sprinkle the butterscotch morsels evenly over the top.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes and you are done!

This is what it will look like when you take it out of the oven. It is supposed to resemble a wasp's nest, hence the name. Let it cool and enjoy!

Slow Cooker Hashbrown Casserole

Hashbrown casserole is one of my favorite comfort foods and I couldn't wait to try it in the slow cooker. It took me fifteen minutes to mix everything and put it in the slow cooker and all of the ingredients cost about eight dollars. This is super easy for college students to make for breakfast or dinner.

 

 

1 bag frozen hashbrowns

1 8oz container sour cream

1 can cream of chicken

1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese

1/2 cup butter melted

desired amount of sausage

 

 Make sure to spray the inside of the slow cooker with non-stick spray or you will be scrubbing the sides!

Mix everything together and put it in the slow cooker. Cut the amount of sausage you want to use into small pieces and mix it in as well.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Cook on low for 4-5 hours.

 





Easy Slow Cooker Chicken

 

Yesterday I made my very first crock pot meal! My grandmother recently gave me this small slow cooker that is the perfect size for my little apartment. I was pretty nervous about using it but it turned out super easy and the chicken tasted great. I wanted something that was very simple to start with. I looked up a lot of recipes for chicken cooked in a slow cooker and adapted them into this:

 

Italian Slow Cooker Chicken

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 Italian salad dressing mix packet

1 can cream of chicken soup 

1 package of pasta (I just got what was on sale)

 

1.Put chicken in slow cooker and sprinkle with the Italian dressing mix.

2. Cover the chicken with a thin layer of water and cook on low for 5-6 hours

3. Mix in the cream of chicken soup and let cook for another 15-20 minutes.

 

I served this chicken over pasta with a little cheese sprinkled on the top and a side salad. I was very pleased with how it turned out and am eating leftovers tonight!