Frozen Lemonade Cupcakes For Mothers Day

As a little girl I would often visit my grandparents home and outside of their home was this huge   Lemon bush in which I  loved picking the lemons from and eating them just as I would an orange this must have been the beginning of my love for lemons.

Now I enjoy finding recipes that are lemon flavored especially baked goods. Here is the most recent one I found from Nestle and I think would be a perfect Mothers Day dessert.

Frozen Lemonade Cupcakes

from Nestle

You can have your lemonade and eat it too! Individually-sized pound cakes are dressed with a flavorful whipped topping and garnished with fresh lemon peel. Serve frozen for a refreshing anytime treat to stay cool this summer.

Ingredients:

• 1 can (14 ounces) NESTLÉ LA LECHERA FAT FREE Sweetened Condensed Milk or NESTLÉ CARNATION Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1 container (6 ounces) frozen lemonade or limeade concentrate (about 2/3 cup), partially thawed
• 1 tub (12 ounces) frozen light whipped topping, thawed
• 1 (10.75 ounces) frozen reduced fat or fat free pound cake
• Grated lemon peel (optional)

Instructions:

PAPER-LINE 18 muffin cups.

CUT pound cake into 18 slices. Using 1 3/4 inch-round cookie cutter or appropriate size to fit into paper liners, cut slices into rounds (discard cake scraps or save for another use). Place cake rounds into paper liners.

COMBINE sweetened condensed milk and lemonade concentrate in large bowl; stir well. Stir a large spoonful of whipped topping into mixture. Fold in remaining whipped topping. Spoon evenly into liners. Freeze for 2 hours. Cover; freeze for several hours or overnight before serving. Garnish with lemon peel.

Spring Cupcakes For Easter

Who knew that Tootsie Rolls could be shaped into bunny heads and Starburst candies could be chopped into chick beaks and rabbit noses? With a little bit of know-how and creativity, dash assistant editor Shannon McCook shows us how anyone can transform everyday candies and snack foods into adorable cupcake adornments.

Check out the how to instructions and videos on dashrecipes.com: Click here to go there now.

Fun Bunny Shaped Recipes For Easter Celebrations

Create a Hopping fun Easter celebration with these adorable Bunny shaped recipes.

 Bunny Pancakes

from: Pillsbury



Put a smile on your kids face Easter morning when you serve up these Bunny pancakes.  Click here for complete how to from Pillsbury.

How to Make Bunny Pancakes 

from: Muffin Tin Mom

The Muffin Tin Mom shows you step by step how to make these adorable Pink bunny pancakes for your Easter celebration.  Click here for instructions.

Bunny Puffs

from: Pillsbury

The kids will hop right over when you serve these charming rabbits, with a chocolate treat wrapped inside crescent roll dough.

Click here for recipe and instructions.

 

 Cinnamon Roll Bunnies

from: Taste of Home

A tube of purchased cinnamon roll dough and a little imagination make these adorable bunnies almost too cute to eat! They’re sure to appeal to “somebunny” at your house this Easter. Click here for how to instructions

 

Easter Bunny Bread

From Taste of Home

These cute bunny breads are a must make for Easter meals. Kids of all ages love the chocolate egg surprise found inside. Click here to get full recipe.

Easter Bunny Rolls Recipe

From: Taste of Home

If you're planning an Easter feast, why not hop to it and roll these yummy Bunny rolls.  Click here for recipe

Bunny Veggie Tray 
from: Taste of Home

Serve up some healthy veggies in this adorable Bunny bread.  Click here for how to instructions and recipe.

Easter Bunny Cheese Spread

from: Taste of Home


We have all seen the holiday cheese spread balls - now you can create and serve your own Bunny Cheese spread  with this adorable Bunny shaped cheese spread.  Click here for how to instructions and recipe.

 

Bunny's Favorite Pizza

From: Nestle

This dessert pizza will be the hit at the kid's table at Easter this year. Click here for recipe.

	How to prepare the perfect hard cooked egg Our friends at the American Egg Board have offered their expertise so you can prepare the perfect hard cooked egg. Directions: 1. PLACE eggs in saucepan large enough to hold them in single layer. ADD cold water to cover eggs by 1 inch. HEAT over high heat just to boiling. 2. REMOVE fromburner. COVER pan. LET EGGS STAND in hot water about 15 minutes for large eggs (12 minutes for medium eggs; 18 minutes for extra large). 3. DRAIN immediately and serve warm. OR, cool completely under cold running water or in bowl of ice water, then REFRIGERATE. Complete Hard Cooking Instructions Tips for preparing hard cooked eggs: Hard-cooked, not hard-boiled. Although the cooking water must come to a full boil in this method, the pan is immediately removed from the heat so that the eggs cook gently in the hot water. This produces tender, not rubbery, eggs and minimizes cracking. Banish the greenish ring. This harmless but unsightly discoloration that sometimes forms around hard-cooked yolks results from a reaction between sulfur in the egg white and iron in the yolk. It occurs when eggs have been cooked for too long or at too high a temperature. Our method – cooking eggs in hot, not boiling, water, then cooling immediately – minimizes this. Very fresh eggs can be difficult to peel. To ensure easily peeled eggs, buy and refrigerate them a week to 10 days in advance of cooking. This brief "breather" allows the eggs time to take in air, which helps separate the membranes from the shell. Hard-cooked eggs are easiest to peel right after cooling. Cooling causes the egg to contract slightly in the shell. To peel a hard-cooked egg: Gently tap egg on countertop until shell is finely crackled all over. Roll egg between hands to loosen shell. Starting peeling at large end, holding egg under cold running water to help ease the shell off. Storage time: In the shell, hard-cooked eggs can be refrigerated safely up to one week. Refrigerate in their original carton to prevent odor absorption. Once peeled, eggs should be eaten that day. Food safety precaution: Piercing shells before cooking is not recommended. If not sterile, the piercer or needle can introduce bacteria into the egg. Also, piercing creates hairline cracks in the shell, through which bacteria can enter after cooking. Never microwave eggs in shells. Steam builds up too quickly inside and eggs are likely to explode. High altitude cooking: It's almost impossible to hard-cook eggs above 10,000 feet.

Dollar-Wise Dinners

Amy Hannold, 247Moms Frugal Living Editor

In one of my recent articles for Thrifty Thursday, I mentioned the importance of having some “Friday Falldown” meals, ready in your pantry.  I’ve had some requests to give some examples of those – and to share a few of my favorites.

The premise behind “Friday Falldown” meals is having appetizing meals, which are easy to prepare, ready for those nights when cooking is last on your “want-to-do” list.   Best success is found with comfort foods – these sound good when you’re tired.  Create a few and be ready to resist the urge to order take-out.

So, here go the ideas:

Freezer Finger Food Meals – Beyond Pizza:

Frozen chicken, fish, potatoes, and appetizer-type foods – or you could pair the meats with baked potatoes, and all of the fixin’s.  Commercially-made frozen entrees, or TV-Style dinners you’ve made for yourself from leftovers.  Our favorite is to splurge, nutritionally speaking, and enjoy some frozen pot pies – with salad, of course!  Buy these with coupons and stash ‘em away out of sight – until just the night you need them.

Eggs and Bacon – It’s Not Just For Breakfast:

A “backwards” meal, as my kids call it, is enjoying breakfast for dinner.  Already prepared pancakes or waffles (made on the weekends and frozen for quick meals) along with some “special treat” sausage, bacon or corned beef hash – voila – dinner is ready.  While I’m at it, I’ll share with you another comfort food breakfast.  It’s a German-side of the family delight called “Cornbread and Cocoa”.   Bake cornbread (or removed pre-make cornbread from the freezer).  Heat and enjoy slightly crumbled up in a bowl under a generous pouring of cocoa.  Yum!  My point is, whatever makes your family breakfasts special, enjoy them during the week, or on a Friday and all will be pleased.

Chicken or Beef, Freezer Marinated:

When I buy large quantities of chicken, pork, or beef steaks, I like to separate them in zippered freezer bags.  To the bag, I pour in some Italian salad dressing or cream of mushroom soup.  For four servings:  mix one can of cream of mushroom (or cream of chicken), one cup of water, ¾ cup of rice and some spices.  Toss with chicken breasts. Place into gallon-size freezer bag.  To enjoy, thaw the bag in your refrigerator, bake in a 9 X 13 pan at 375 for 45 minutes.   

Simmered Specialties:

Treat yourself to dinner ready when you arrive home – wouldn’t that smell great as you walked in from a busy day?  The same ingredients listed above with the freezer meals could be used in the crock-pot.  Italian dressing, mixed with onions and chicken into the crock-pot in the morning.  During the last hour of cooking, you can add other chopped vegetables such as mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes, etc.  Utilize your rice cooker at this same time, or cook pasta and a meal is ready!  The internet has many crock-pot, freezer and “once a month cooking” recipes – all you have to do is experiment and you’ll discover some new family favorite, easily prepared meals.

Share some of your “Friday Falldown” Meals:

Image: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

FREE Meal Planner Printables

Two Free daily meal planner printables with grocery lists from The Project Girl.  Click here for your Free printables.

Stretch Your Family Meals

By Renae Chiovaro for Ideas That Spark


Cooking at home is the most economical way to feed your family. Here’s how to make the most of your time and money.

• Cook once, eat twice. That doesn’t mean you have to serve the same meal each night! Cook extra servings of the main ingredient from which you can make several meals. A baked whole chicken could be used for tacos, a casserole or a salad. Plan your meals ahead and don’t just eat leftovers: Eat leftover makeovers!
• Take time to plan a menu. Without a plan, it’s too easy to eat out. Recipes that call for seasonal ingredients are more affordable -- this is especially true for produce. Warm weather is a great time to visit the local farmers market for fresh produce at a lower price.
• Substitute ingredients for items you have on hand. Most recipes can be altered with similar substitute ingredients. Don’t be afraid to deviate from the recipe.
• Try cooking with less meat. Meat is the main ingredient in many recipes, and generally, it’s also the most expensive part of a meal. If a recipe, such as a casserole, calls for 1 pound of ground beef, try using half. Compensate with additional grains, pasta, rice or vegetables.
• Serve smaller portions. Instead of plating a whole steak for each person, cut the meat into portions. Seconds can be served if needed.
• When cleaning up, don’t immediately toss plate leftovers. If your kids are picky eaters but enjoyed the meal, contain leftovers for tomorrow’s meal, should they not enjoy what you’ll be serving tomorrow as much.

Stretching your meals is doable with a little planning and experimentation. Make the most of your meals by turning leftovers into new dishes and substituting ingredients. Most important, take inventory of your pantry and freezer and use items already available to you.

Renae Chiovaro is a mother of two boys who blogs at madamedeals.com on
how to save money in all aspects of life.

Free - Menu and Grocery List Printable

Simplify your meal planning and grocery shopping with his FREE printable from A Feathered Nest.  You will save time and money when you plan your weekly meals. Click here to get your FREE menu/grocery planner list.