{Fall Bucket List} Nature Walk

First official day of FALL Y'ALL and I couldn't be happier to bring to you our first activity from the Fall Family Bucket List hosted by two of my best blogging buddies: Elizabeth from Chasin' Mason and Desiree from Macke Monologues. 

Although Northern California doesn't produce the same Fall as Northern Illinois, we are still going to go all out for Fall, including a surprise trip back to Illinois very soon! My mom doesn't know when we are coming, but I told her to be prepared for Apple Orchard and Pumpkin Patch trips, and maybe I can even convince her to bake us some cookies :) We will probably hold off on pumpkin carving and Halloween decorating until October, but if it were up to Myles our whole house would be filled with 'punkin' right now! He is officially obsessed and I love it. Every time we go to the store we have to stop by the Halloween decorations and we have even already been to the Spirit Halloween store to pick out out costumes. But before I get too ahead of myself, here is our first Fall activity. 

If you follow me on Instagram (@theeveryday_momma), then you may remember one of these shots. We actually took this walk a couple weeks ago, when the temperatures were a little more Fall like (back to the 80s last and this week!) There is a big city park blocks from our house that we frequent. This particular day we decided to do some exploring and happened upon a secret trail.

Then we found some blackberries that Myles really wanted. I didn't know if they were okay, but my dad assured me they were just fine. I was still a little skeptical, but I went ahead and let him. He was happy and we are all still alive :)

What is on your Fall family bucket list to do over the next couple months?

{Kids in the Kitchen}: Fruit Leather & GIVEAWAY

Another Monday here and that means another Kids in the Kitchen post! Fall officially starts this week and I am so exited for all things Fall! Check back here tomorrow to see what we did for our first Fall activity! But for now, on to Kids in the Kitchen! If you are new to the series, check out my introduction post. This week we are doing snacks; if you missed the past weeks, here is our breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert. Snack time is a BIG deal around here; Myles' very favorites are fruit and fruit snacks. He could seriously eat a whole box a day if I let him (we try to limit to one every other day, but even that is difficult for him!) Needless to say my choice for this weeks' snack recipe was an easy one; easy for me to make to: 

2-Ingredient Fruit Leather

What You Will Need

3 cups of fresh fruit
1 tablespoon of honey 
Parchment paper (a must)

Directions

1. Turn oven on to 200 degrees. 

 2. Prepare your fruit (rinse, de-stem, etc.) Measure out 3 cups and pour into blender. I chose to use raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries. The raspberries made it very tart, so be wary of that when choosing your fruit. 

3. Add the tablespoon of honey and blend on high until it is a uniform liquid.

4. Prepare the pan(s) by lining them with parchment paper. The three cups makes enough to fill two 9x13 pans. 

5. Pour the fruit mixture onto the parchment paper lined pans. Spread out with a spatula to make as even as possible.  

  6. Place the pans into the oven and 'bake'/dry-out for 1.5-3 hours. There is a high variation due to many factors (altitude, oven, thickness of fruit strips, etc.) I cooked mine for 2 hours and that was just a bit too much. 1 hour 40 minutes probably would have been perfect. I would start checking at 1.5 hours and every 15 minutes thereafter. You want it to be dried out (not wet), but not so dry that it just cracks off of the paper. 

7. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes. Peel off paper and then shove in your mouth!

And we still have our giveaway going on: 

Win a 30 Piece Caddy Collection from Curious Chef!

Also don't forget to check out what all of the other ladies put together for this week's item in the link-up below. And if you have a post (new or old) that you created featuring kid friendly snacks ideas submit it below in the link-up. No post this week? No problem; join us next Monday when we will be sharing our kids' creations!  

 And in case you want to join and get a head start, here is the complete list for the coming weeks:
September 29: Kid Creations...(Let your kids come up with a recipe!)

{Kids in the Kitchen}: Strawberry & Banana Shortcake Kabobs & GVIEAWAY

Well here I am back again with Kids in the Kitchen and I haven't posted since last week's dinner post. Part of me really misses blogging regularly and I have a ton of things on my mind lately I want to write about, but time with my little and house duties always come first. I have been keeping so busy lately, I literally don't sit down at all during the day, so when night comes and Myles is in bed, I have been reading and relaxing instead of writing. Seasons of life come and go, so I am just learning to go with the flow and embracing this season as well. I promise I have not totally checked out yet.... Good thing for this series to keep me around at least a bit!

If you are new to the series, check out my introduction post. This week is all about dinner; if you missed the past weeks, here is our breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Myles is not a dessert fan, he doesn't like cookies, cakes, or chocolate, so I went with a fruit based dessert and added a little treat for the adults in the house! These would be fun for a party or little get together at your house:

Strawberry & Banana Shortcake Kabobs

What You Will Need

*This makes 12 kabobs*

24 package of pre-made sugar cookies
2 banana
12 large strawberries
Small circle cookie cutter (I used a shot glass)
6 wooden skewers
 Vanilla icing

Directions

1. Bake cookies according to package. 

2. While the cookies are baking, cut the strawberries and bananas. Cut bananas into 24 pieces of the same size. For the strawberries, cut the bottom and top off. Then cut each strawberry in half, making 24 pieces. Keep the two pieces from the same strawberry together so that the kabob will stack properly. 

3. When the cookies are done, use the cutter (or shot glass) to cut them while they are still hot. 

4. Cut wooden skewers in half to make 12 smaller skewers. Assume kabobs by staking cookie, bottom strawberry piece, banana, cookie, banana, and top piece of strawberry.

6. Drizzle icing and enjoy! 

And we still have our giveaway going on: 

Win a 30 Piece Caddy Collection from Curious Chef!

Also don't forget to check out what all of the other ladies put together for this week's item in the link-up below. And if you have a post (new or old) that you created featuring kid friendly desserts ideas submit it below in the link-up. No post this week? No problem; join us next Monday when we will be talking all about snacks!  

 And in case you want to join and get a head start, here is the complete list for the coming weeks:
September 22: Snack Attack!
September 29: Kid Creations...(Let your kids come up with a recipe!)

{Kids in the Kitchen} Mini Chicken Pot Pies & GIVEAWAY

Well better late than never... right?!?! You may have noticed I've been super slacking on this here ole blog of mine. I think I am just going through a funk (which seems pretty normal in the blogging world every now and again) but hope to get my grove back soon! In the meantime, I will still be here every Monday finishing out the Kids in the Kitchen series. 

If you are new to the series, check out my introduction post. This week is all about dinner; if you missed the past weeks, here is our breakfast and lunch. In keeping with the muffin tin theme, I am revisiting a popular and favorite recipe on the blog and in our home. It happens to be a perfect dinner idea for toddlers and adults alike (and perfect for lunch leftovers as well!):

Mini Chicken Pot Pies

What You Will Need

*This makes 16 minis.*

2 chicken breasts, cooked and dices/shredded

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed 
1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, diced

1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup

2 cans flaky layers refrigerated biscuits (16 biscuits)

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

*Make sure to have chicken cooked before starting these steps. I put 2 chicken breasts and 1 cup chicken broth into the crock pot and cocked on high for 4 hours. Then I shredded the chicken. You can also cook in oven/stove top and dice it up.*

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. In large bowl, combine chicken, vegetables, mushrooms, soup, cheese, garlic powder, salt, and pepper; mix thoroughly. 

I didn't realize I gave him the salt first and what happened was pretty amazing! LOL.. I ended up just scooping that salt covered section out before mixing the rest!

3. Lightly grease a muffin tins. Take one biscuit and roll it out just enough to make it wider, but not too thin (about 5 inches round). Place the biscuit over the top of the muffin cup and spoon 1/16 of the mixture (about 2 tablespoons) onto the biscuit. Then press the mixture down into the cup, leaving some of the biscuit hanging over the edge of the cup. The mixture should at least reach the top of the cup. Pull the extra dough over the filling towards the center. You can pinch the dough to keep it in place, if needed.

4. Repeat for the remaining fifteen biscuits. When finished place tins in the oven and bake at 375°F for 20 to 22 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown. 

6. Remove from oven and let cool for 4-5 minutes. Enjoy! 

This time I actually made 8 mini pot pies and then a normal pot pie with the rest of the mixture. I placed the remaining mixture in a glass pie pan and then topped it with a box of cornbread (made according to the box). I cooked it along with the minis at 375 for 22 minutes. I am pretty partial to cornbread, but it was amazing!

And as promised a super awesome giveaway for your little ones:  

Win a 30 Piece Caddy Collection from Curious Chef!

Also don't forget to check out what all of the other ladies put together for this week's item in the link-up below. And if you have a post (new or old) that you created featuring kid friendly dinner ideas submit it below in the link-up. No post this week? No problem; join us next Monday when we will be talking all about desserts!  

 And in case you want to join and get a head start, here is the complete list for the coming weeks:
September 15: Delicious Desserts.
September 22: Snack Attack!
September 29: Kid Creations...(Let your kids come up with a recipe!)

{Kids in the Kitchen} Let's Do Lunch!

Hello September (yay!) and week two of the Kids in the Kitchen series. If you missed last week, we shared a healthy and toddler friendly breakfast: Egg, Sausage, and Cheese Muffins. And if you are new here altogether then check out the details of this series in my introduction post.  

This week we are taking you all on a lunch date! It happens to be in my kitchen and we are serving another muffin tin, toddler friendly recipe. I love muffin tin cooking because I can create bite sized, on-the-go food (perfect for my on-the-go son) and I can make double batches to freeze for leftovers. This week's muffin tin concoction consists of my son's top three favorite lunch time foods:

Ham, Mac, & Cheese Bites

8 oz elbow pasta, cooked according to the package
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons wheat flour
1 cup fat free milk
2 cups mixed Colby-jack/cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup ham, diced
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Cracker Crust:
1 cup Ritz crackers, crushed
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. (Cook pasta before starting).

2. In a large skillet, melt butter on medium heat. Stir in flour and whisk for a couple minutes. Slowly pour in milk and whisk until is boils. Then, stir in cheese until completely melted.

3. Remove skillet from heat and stir in pasta, ham, dry mustard, and any other seasonings you wish.

4. Spray or grease the muffin tin(s). 
Cracker crust:
With a mixer: add crackers, Parmesan cheese, and butter. Pulse on low until fully mixed and crackers are finely crushed.
Without mixer: crush crackers into a bowl. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Add butter and mix thoroughly with hands. 
Line the each muffin tin cup with the cracker mixture. 

5. Add the mac and cheese mixture to each cup; fill to the top and then lightly pat down to help pasta bind together while cooking. 

 6. Bake for 10-12 minutes; the tops should start to brown. Let cool for about 10 minutes. Carefully remove bites from the tin with a spoon and enjoy!

Also don't forget to check out what all of the other ladies put together for this week's item in the link-up below. And if you have a post (new or old) that you created featuring kid friendly lunch ideas submit it below in the link-up. No post this week? No problem; join us nex

 And in case you want to join and get a head start, here is the complete list for the coming weeks:
September 8: Dinnertime!
September 15: Delicious Desserts.
September 22: Snack Attack!
September 29: Kid Creations...(Let your kids come up with a recipe!)

What You Will Need

8 oz elbow pasta, cooked according to the package

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons wheat flour

1 cup fat free milk

2 cups mixed Colby-jack/cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup ham, diced

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Cracker Crust:
1 cup Ritz crackers, crushed
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. (Cook pasta before starting).

2. In a large skillet, melt butter on medium heat. Stir in flour and whisk for a couple minutes. Slowly pour in milk and whisk until is boils. Then, stir in cheese until completely melted.

3. Remove skillet from heat and stir in pasta, ham, dry mustard, and any other seasonings you wish.

4. Spray or grease the muffin tin(s). 
Cracker crust:
With a mixer: add crackers, Parmesan cheese, and butter. Pulse on low until fully mixed and crackers are finely crushed.
Without mixer: crush crackers into a bowl. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Add butter and mix thoroughly with hands. 
Line the each muffin tin cup with the cracker mixture. 

5. Add the mac and cheese mixture to each cup; fill to the top and then lightly pat down to help pasta bind together while cooking. 

 6. Bake for 10-12 minutes; the tops should start to brown. Let cool for about 10 minutes. Carefully remove bites from the tin with a spoon and enjoy!

Also don't forget to check out what all of the other ladies put together for this week's item in the link-up below. And if you have a post (new or old) that you created featuring kid friendly lunch ideas submit it below in the link-up. No post this week? No problem; join us next Monday when we will be talking all about dinner!  

 And in case you want to join and get a head start, here is the complete list for the coming weeks:
September 8: Dinnertime!
September 15: Delicious Desserts.
September 22: Snack Attack!
September 29: Kid Creations...(Let your kids come up with a recipe!)