Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies!

  I often make muffins for breakfast because they are so easy to make and also easy for the kids to grab and eat as many as they would like.  I really like using Kodiak Cakes Power Cakes from Costco (you can buy them other places too!).  This baking mix already has protein in it, so using if for waffles, pancakes, and muffins is perfect for breakfast!  I'm a little bit crazy about making sure my kids have a good amount of protein with each meal, and I LOVE how easy this baking mix makes it!

  So, this morning I decided an oatmeal breakfast cookie could be a fun change of pace for us.  I used this recipe from Yummy Healthy Easy, and adapted it to use the Power Cakes.  Instead of using whole wheat flour and baking soda, I used a half cup of the Power Cakes mix.  So, between the peanut butter and the Power Cakes, these little cookies have plenty of protein and make a great breakfast to start the day!  I also only used 1/4 cup of sugar instead of the 1/2 cup the recipe calls for. The banana helps the cookies in the sweetness department too!  And, we were out of raisins, so I didn't add those.  These would probably be wonderful with mini chocolate chips, but I decided not to add them this time!

  The kids gobbled them up in no time, and will likely grab one or two more as the morning goes on.  I'll make these again!

Slow Cooker BBQ Shredded Chicken

Chad's parents joined us for the day and, as a bonus, stayed for dinner too! For a simple dinner that required very little on my part, I tossed frozen chicken breasts and BBQ sauce in my crock pot and cooked it on low all day. (Thanks to my sister-in-love Amber for this recipe!). That's it! Then just shread the chicken and keep the crock pot on warm until you are ready to eat.

This chicken is delish with tortillas like we had, but also on buns, chips, salad, or all by itself. I made a quick kale and spinach salad (topped with carrots, tomatoes, celery, sunflower seeds, and feta, and dinner was ready!

This meal is perfect for these CRAZY December days where you are basically darting from one party to activity to another party every day. Just put it in the crock pot, and forget about it! 

😊

November 29 - December 6, 2015

** Ok...so here's the deal.  The Christmas season is in FULL swing around here, just as I'm sure it is at your house too!  So, there won't be any full, weekly menus posted until after the first of the year.  Between parties, gatherings, spontaneous fun, family, and all things in between, I plan to still have meals for our family, and stick to our budget, but enjoy the season and not be bogged down when our plans change and we eat hamburgers three nights in a row.  ;-)
  So, I may post a recipe or two, and if so I will update Yummy to Our Tummies on Facebook as well!

Merry Christmas to each of you!

Here is the one notable recipe from this past week.  It's delish, makes a TON, and is also tasty as a leftover.  It's perfect for a night when you want to invite people over but don't want to spend hours in the kitchen.  The original recipe is made in a crockpot, but I made it on the stovetop for lunch on Sunday because I decided last minute we would have it.  It was just as wonderful!  Also, I think any ground meat would work with it...beef, chicken, turkey, venison...whatever you have on hand.  It's a perfect, hearty soup for a thick, crusty slice of bread or some ooey-gooey garlic rolls.  Yum!

Creamy Crock Pot Tortellini Soup
  (courtesy of Family Fresh Meals)
 Serves: 6

 Ingredients 
24 oz jar spaghetti sauce
2 cups water
¼ cup diced onion
3-­4 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup diced carrots
1lb ground beef, browned
4 cups of loosely packed fresh spinach leaves
4 cups beef broth
8 oz cream cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes
8 oz sliced fresh mushrooms
16 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini (you can also use frozen, just add 30 more minutes to cooking time)

 Instructions

1. Combine spaghetti sauce, water, meat, onions, garlic, carrots, spinach, cream cheese, beef broth, and mushrooms in a slow­cooker. Cook on LOW for 7 hours, on HIGH for 5 hours.

2. Before adding in tortellini, take a whisk to your soup to break up any chunks of cream cheese. Stir in tortellini. Cover and cook for 20-­30 minutes or until tender and hot. (If using frozen tortellini, I would cook for about 45 more minutes, or until tender and hot)