I declare this week eat from your freezer week. Anyone with me? I’m really not in the mood to cook. Bake, yes. Always. But cook? No. So we are keeping it simple and cleaning out the freezer at the same time.

Here’s our menu for the week:

Dinner Meal Plan

• Chicken tamale pie from Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition – 2006
• Tomato florentine and tortellini with chicken soup
• Homemade pizza hot pockets
• Turkey, apple and spinach panini with spicy sweet potato fries
• Baked potato with broccoli, cheese and sour cream
• Homemade pizza on thin and crispy crust and homemade sauce
• Leftovers

Lunches

• Greek salad
• Roasted red pepper soup
• Italian Tortellini Soup

This week I’m also making

• Chamomile cupcakes
• Chocolate covered pretzel blondies
• Microwave coffee cup in a mug

What are you eating this week?

Proudly linked up with Menu Plan Monday at OrgJunkie.com

Weekly Meal Plan is a post from: Alli 'n Son

Nothing says I love you like chocolate. Not diamonds. Not gadgets. Not new cars. It’s chocolate. And only choclate.

That’s not to say I would turn down a new diamond, the latest gadget or a brand new car. Don’t get me wrong. But I won’t really know that your heart is in it unless there’s chocolate.

{Note to Hubs: always include chocolate with gifts. As if you didn’t know that anyway.}

You know what else goes well with Valentine’s Day? Champagne. A little bubbly, if you will. It also goes perfectly with chocolate. Which brings me to my latest creation. I’ve been teasing you with this since early January, and you have all waited patiently. Are you ready?

Now, these dark chocolate cupcakes are good. And that’s coming from someone who doesn’t normally like chocolate cake or chocolate cupcakes. Yes, I’m weird, I love chocolate but I’m not a fan of chocolate cake.

They aren’t like your traditional chocolate cake. The champagne doesn’t lend much flavor to the cake itself, but it does create a light and airy cupcake. Thank you tiny, little bubbles.

Where these cupcakes really and truly shine is in the frosting, as all good cupcakes do. The champagne lends this delicate, sweet flavor that kind of explodes in your mouth. It’s not your typical frosting, as it has a slight texture to it from the champagne. But, it’s definitely the perfect compliment to the rich flavor of these moist chocolate cupcakes.

So go ahead, show someone how much you love them with a little chocolate and a little champagne. Who knows, you just may get a little somethin’ something’ in return. Happy {almost} Valentine’s Day.

Recipe source inspiration. 

Sweet Tooth Friday

A few suggestions when joining in:

1. Link directly to your recipe {sweet-recipes only please}, not to the main page of your blog.
2. Please only link up recipes, not posts about recipes. 
3. Link back or include the Sweet Tooth Friday button {code is in the side bar}.
4. Visit 2 other blogs and leave comments. You just may make someone’s day.
5. Subscribe to my blog, follow me on Twitter and like me on Facebook.
6. Stop by again on Tuesday. Each week I pick my five favorite recipes. If you are featured I have a nifty button you can add to your blog.

Code for the button is in the side bar.

This post is proudly linked up to Mondays: Mouthwatering Mondays, Made By You Monday, Mingle Monday, The Girl Creative Tuesdays: Tuesdays and the Table, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, It's a Blog Party, Tip Junkie, Get Your Craft On Wednesdays: Show and Tell, Works for Me Wednesday, This Chick Cooks Thursdays: It's a Keeper Thursdays, Strut Your Stuff, Full Plate Thursdays, Chic & Crafty Party, Transformation Thursday Fridays: I'm Loving It, Foodie Friday, Simply Designing, Show and Tell Friday Saturdays: Sweets for a Saturday, Positively Splendid, Saturday Nite Special Sundays: Nifty Thrifty Sunday, Sundae Scoop Party

Dark Chocolate Champagne Mini Cupcakes with Pink Champagne Frosting is a post from: Alli 'n Son

It gives me such a thrill when the kiddo asks me, totally on a whim, if we can make something in the kitchen. Be it granola bars, Oreos, or whatever his favorite snack of the moment is, he almost always asks me if we can make it, rather than buying it.

I must be doing something right with this boy.

As often as I can I include him in what I’m making in the kitchen. He loves to help with cookies. Of course licking the batter is his and my favorite part {not that I ever let him lick the batter, raw eggs and all. yea. right}. He likes to mix and measure. Dump and stir. He loves to get his hands dirty, and then run to the bathroom to wash them off. He’s funny that way.

It’s one of my biggest hopes that by starting at an early age I’m instilling a love for cooking in my boys. A respect for food. And the desire to try new things. I hope that as they both grow they will become more involved with our every day meals. And just maybe they will get so good that I’ll only have to cook the occasional meal. I know, I know, wishful thinking, right?

While we do make our share of sweets and treats in our house, the majority of them are “donated” to friends and family, coworkers and neighbors. With our every day meals we tend to focus mainly on healthy foods, including lots of fruits, veggies and whole grains. We encourage the kiddo to at least try new foods that are on his plate, even if he determines that he doesn’t like them. It’s our hope that by instilling healthy eating habits, offering healthy snacks options and including the kiddo in our meal planning that he will learn how to prepare, eat and enjoy healthy foods. It has to start somewhere, right, so why not at home, at a young age.

I actually wish that the kiddo was just a little bit older because of a fun contest that’s currently underway. Uncle Ben’s has just launched a national contest, the Ben’s Beginners cooking contest, which encourages kids ages 5-11 to get in the kitchen and cook. All you have to do is cook a rice-based meal with your kids, create a 2-3 minutes video and upload the video. Simple, right? By entering the contest your kid could win $20,000 and a $50,000 grant towards a cafeteria makeover for your child’s school. What school cafeteria couldn’t use a makeover? And, if all of that isn’t cool enough, the kids also have the chance to appear on The Rachael Ray show. Rachael Ray is one of my cooking idols. Oh how I’d love to be on her show. Uh, I mean for my son to be on her show. For more info on the contest, you can check out Ben’s Beginners on Facebook!

Sadly, the kiddo and I can’t enter the contest this year, since he is just shy of four years old. But, if you have kids ages 5-11, you should totally enter. Get in the kitchen, create some healthy meals which include rice and capture the funny moments along the way. You have until February 26th, so get cooking!

For more information about Uncle Ben’s visit them at www.unclebens.com, find Uncle Ben’s on Facebook or check out some recipe ideas

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored blog post for participating in the SocialMoms and Uncle Ben’s blogging program. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Cooking with Your Kids and the Ben’s Beginner’s Contest is a post from: Alli 'n Son

I’m always in awe of moms, dads, grandparents – whoever – those people who seem to effortlessly find the most creative ways to entertain children. The ones who look at a box of transparencies destined for the trash can, and see an art project just waiting to be born. And reborn, with the quick wipe of a wet paper towel.

I see ingredients, a recipe, and dream of ways to change it, enhance it, sometimes break it. I see a blank computer canvas, and create, adjust, enhance.

I don’t see creativity through the eyes of a child. But I’m surrounded by people who do. My mom, a former preschool teacher (the mastermind behind the transparency project) and one of my sisters, an elementary school teacher. These are the ones who make entertaining kids seem so effortless. So fun. So easy.

Last week, after a very long week, I didn’t have the patience, the energy or the desire to entertain the boys anymore. I just didn’t. I was too tire. Yet, there we were, stuck at home because we had spent the week running from place to place to place and I just didn’t want to run anymore. None of us. So, instead of getting on each others nerves all day long (although we did plenty of that too) I brought out an activity introduced to us by my teacher-sister. This is very possibly the best activity on the face of the earth. The easiest. The simplest.

The best way to entertain a preschooler. For 1.5 hours. I kid you not. He played, by himself, for 1.5 hours.

Water beads. These tiny little balls, that when soaked in water for 6 hours, expand to approximately one million times their original size. They turn into these soft, squishy pearls that almost seem to glow.

They also become battle grounds for super heros and villains. Obviously.

I should probably mention that my sister saw this idea on Play at Home Mom, a blog that I’m now officially addicted on. So, if you can’t find me, I’m over there, browsing, Pinning and generally trying to out do my mom and sister for fun kid activities.

What’s your go-to, super-simple way of entertaining your kids for more than 5 seconds?

 This post is proudly linked up with Parenting BY Dummies, Seven Clown Circus, Better in Bulk, A Beautiful Mess, Live and Laugh…Out Loud.

How to Occupy an Almost Four Year Old for One and a Half Hours is a post from: Alli 'n Son

I’m loving all of these Valentine’s Day sweet showing up on Sweet Tooth Friday. So much love. So much chocolate. So much to send my sweet tooth into overdrive.

Instead of making and sharing all of these lovely treats, I’m just going to share the links to the wonderful bloggers who created them. Enjoy. Drool. And share.

White Chocolate Chip Red Velvet Cookies by Simply Sweet Home

Black and Pink Heart Cookies by Something Swanky

Chocolate Heart Cookies by Cooking for my Kids

Homemade Marshmallow Conversation Hearts by a farmgirl’s dabbles

Conversation Heart Cupcake Toppers by Bird on a Cake

Valentine’s Day Trash by Cooking with K

P.S. All of these recipes and more have been Stumbled. I hope it brings some extra love to these great blogs.

P.P.S All images are property of the respective blog. I just swiped them to showcase their awesomeness.

Were you featured in this week’s post or a past post? Go ahead, grab the button {code is in the side bar).

Sweet Tooth Friday Valentine’s Day Edition Two is a post from: Alli 'n Son

I love rice krispie bars. They are the things childhood memories are made of.

I love melting the marshmallows. Watching them puff up in the microwave, hoping that they won’t explode and leave behind an icky, sticky mess.(They never do.)

I love stirring the hot marshmallows, seeing how quickly they deflate.

I love mixing in the rice krispies, which is a labor of love really, because it takes some arm strength to get everything incorporated just right. You have to do it quickly, before the marshmallows become too sticky, but if you don’t do it well enough, you are left with spots of gooey marshmallows. Blah.

I love pressing them into the pan, snacking at the pieces that stick to the spoon, just to be sure that it tastes okay. You should always taste-test as you cook, you know?

I love doing all of this with the kiddo, it’s one of his favorite treats to make.

But, you know what I love almost more than any of that? Taking a classic recipe and taking it up a notch. Which is exactly what this recipe does.

Classic rice krispie treats with a touch of strawberry cake batter.

To. Die. For. I kid you not.

This classic childhood favorite just got reinvented. In the best possible way.

P.S. These make a fantastic Valentine’s Day treat to make and share with your kids. Can’t you just see the memories you would create? Can’t you just taste these cake batter rice krispie bars? Don’t you need to have one right now?

This post is proudly linked up to Mondays: Mouthwatering Mondays, Made By You Monday, Mingle Monday, The Girl Creative Tuesdays: Tuesdays and the Table, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, It's a Blog Party, Tip Junkie, Get Your Craft On Wednesdays: Show and Tell, Works for Me Wednesday, This Chick Cooks Thursdays: It's a Keeper Thursdays, Strut Your Stuff, Full Plate Thursdays, Chic & Crafty Party, Transformation Thursday Fridays: I'm Loving It, Foodie Friday, Simply Designing, Show and Tell Friday Saturdays: Sweets for a Saturday, Positively Splendid, Saturday Nite Special Sundays: Nifty Thrifty Sunday, Sundae Scoop Party

Strawberry Cake Batter Rice Krispie Treats is a post from: Alli 'n Son

Last week our schedule was totally messed up. I worked more than expected at my part time job, Hubs worked many late evenings. All in all, we didn’t eat most of the meals that we had planned. Such is life. On the positive side though? I have almost enough ingredients to make meals this week without going to the grocery store.

Here’s our menu for the week:

Dinner Meal Plan

• Hard shell tacos
• Sesame Noodles
• Chicken dumpling soup in the slow cooker
• The World’s Best Mac and Cheese
• Spinach, provolone and pepperioni calzones
• Homemade pizza on thin and crispy crust and homemade sauce
• Leftover pizza

Lunches

• Paninis
• Roasted red pepper soup
• Italian Tortellini Soup

This week I’m also making

• Chocolate Fudge Brownies
• Bacon-wrapped jalepanos for the Super Bowl
• Microwave coffee cup in a mug

What are you eating this week?

Proudly linked up with Menu Plan Monday at OrgJunkie.com

Weekly Meal Plan is a post from: Alli 'n Son

I hate leaving the house in the winter. If it was up to me, I wouldn’t. I’d just stay at home, warm and toasty, with a cup of coffee, my boys, Hubs and my kitchen. That’s all I really need to be happy in life.

Unfortunately, that’s not going to happen. With one boy in preschool, a part-time job, groceries to be bought {how else am I going to make brownies?} errands to run and any of the other million things that need to be done, I can’t stay at home all winter long.

Until, of course, I can convince Hubs to do all of these things for me. That’s probably not going to happen anytime soon.

Living in Wisconsin all of my life, I’ve had…more years than I care to admit…plenty of experience in this area. I’ve learned how to drive safely, keep on my toes and pretty much avoid most winter-mishaps that present themselves every year. How do I do it? Safely, that’s how.

I know, terrible answer. Really, there are a few tips that I remind myself of when the first decent snow touches our roads, and use each day during snow season.

Leave Early.

Like super early. If I have to be someplace across town, a normal 20 minute drive, I give myself at least 30 minutes to get there. Besides giving me that little extra time, it ensures that I don’t feel rushed, which means I’m not rushing around when I drive, not panicked if I catch too many red lights, and overall more focused on the traffic, street conditions and my fellow drivers.

Ignore the Kids.

The kiddo talks non-stop. Every second of every day. At least that’s how it feels. But when we are driving somewhere, and the roads are questionable, I ask him to stop talking. And then when he does eventually start asking me questions again because he can’t go longer than 5 minutes without uttering the word “why” I ignore him. It’s better to ignore my child for 15 minutes so I can concentrate on the road rather than sliding through an intersection because I was too focused on explaining why the sky isn’t blue today.

Put Away the Phone.

I’m not a texter when I drive. Period. It’s just not safe, no matter what the road conditions are. But…I have been know to glance at my phone while I’m safely at a stop light, waiting for it to turn green. I know, still not the best idea. But when the roads are snow-covered and there’s ice hiding underneath, my phone is safely stored next to me. Still within arms reach, just in case I do run into some driving trouble, but I don’t glance at it even once. Not even at a stop light.

Go Slow.

This one seems like a no-brainer, but I see countless cars and trucks zipping along streets that haven’t been plowed yet. Drivers who think they are invincible or who own giant pick-up trucks who think they can safely navigate even the most snow and ice covered streets without any problems. You can’t. Trust me, just because you have a giant car, that doesn’t mean you are safe. Go slow. Give yourself extra time {see tip number one}. And when you drive in traffic, stop sooner, allow more space between the car in front of you, and when you do pass another car, don’t go barreling past.

Fill Up.

Your gas tank of course, especially if you are talking about temperatures that reach below zero. But also your windshield wiper fluid. Discovering that your windshield wiper fluid has run out while you are stuck on the highway, behind a semi that is spitting out dirty, salty water, is not a happy place to be. It’s dangerous, especially if you are driving on less than ideal road conditions to begin with.

Plan Ahead.

Sometimes you can take all of the precautions in the world, but you still find yourself in trouble. It’s going to happen. You can’t anticipate everything, especially when other drivers are involved. So, make sure your car has the necessary supplies should you find yourself in trouble. A warm blanket or two. Extra hats, mitten, scarfs. A basic first aid kit. A cell phone. Some bottles of water, snacks and chocolate aren’t a bad idea either. Just in case you need to keep kids calm and occupied for a little while. The chocolate is for you of course.

Thank goodness winter only lasts about 9 months of the year in Wisconsin. Okay, it’s not really that long, but it feels like it. But if you keep these types in mind, you will have a much safer winter driving experience. For even more tips on driving safely in the winter, whether you are dealing with snow, hail, rain or black ice, check out The Esurance Blog’s Winter Driving Tips.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post that I wrote while participating in the SocialMoms and Esurance blogging program. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Safe Driving in the Winter is a post from: Alli 'n Son

Hi, I’m Becca from Crumbs and Chaos, a blog I write with my 3 sisters.  We have 11 children between us, hence the name Crumbs and Chaos…we deal with our fair share on a daily basis.  We love sharing our favorite recipes, tips on controlling the chaos and seeing awesome things from our readers every Saturday at our Seasonal Inspiration link party.  I am thrilled to be here today at Sweet Tooth Friday sharing this sweet treat with you.

When Allison said today was National Chocolate Cake Day {it’s me, butting in, because I was totally wrong, I just realized that National Chocolate Cake Day is in February, not January…oops}…I’ll admit that I was really excited.  For two reasons: I really enjoy chocolate cake and I don’t make it that often (my crazy husband prefers pie!) He will, on occasion, request that I make German Chocolate Cake, so I guess that kind of makes up for it.  I was ready to make chocolate cake and the timing was perfect, I actually had two occasions to make this cake in the past couple of weeks.  Let me assure you, it was extremely well received.

After making this cake twice, I’m pretty convinced that this will be my go-to chocolate cake recipe.  It has a great flavor and is super moist.  I love the addition of coffee in the batter, it doesn’t stand out after it’s baked but does add a really nice depth to the overall flavor of the cake.

I decided that I wanted raspberry to be the special addition to this cake.  Using a seedless jam or fruit spread is the way to go, it took very little effort on my part and yet tasted amazing.  The whipped frosting is not overly sweet and the perfect complement to chocolate and raspberry.  If you love the whipped frosting on a cake from a grocery store bakery, you have to try this recipe.  It’s light and fluffy just like that, only it tastes 100 times better!

Thanks for having me today, Allison! I’m up for making chocolate cake anytime!

Sweet Tooth Friday

A few suggestions when joining in:

1. Link directly to your recipe {sweet-recipes only please}, not to the main page of your blog.
2. Please only link up recipes, not posts about recipes. 
3. Link back or include the Sweet Tooth Friday button {code is in the side bar}.
4. Visit 2 other blogs and leave comments. You just may make someone’s day.
5. Subscribe to my blog, follow me on Twitter and like me on Facebook.
6. Stop by again on Tuesday. Each week I pick my five favorite recipes. If you are featured I have a nifty button you can add to your blog.

Code for the button is in the side bar.

This post is proudly linked up to Mondays: Mouthwatering Mondays, Made By You Monday, Mingle Monday, The Girl Creative Tuesdays: Tuesdays and the Table, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, It's a Blog Party, Tip Junkie, Get Your Craft On Wednesdays: Show and Tell, Works for Me Wednesday, This Chick Cooks Thursdays: It's a Keeper Thursdays, Strut Your Stuff, Full Plate Thursdays, Chic & Crafty Party, Transformation Thursday Fridays: I'm Loving It, Foodie Friday, Simply Designing, Show and Tell Friday Saturdays: Sweets for a Saturday, Positively Splendid, Saturday Nite Special Sundays: Nifty Thrifty Sunday, Sundae Scoop Party

Amazing Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Filling and Whipped Buttercream Frosting is a post from: Alli 'n Son

A hundred million years ago my cookbook collection consisted of this tiny binder that my mom and I started when I was in high school. It held about 25 recipes total. A few main dishes. Some soups. A LOT of desserts and cookies. It was a mishmash of recipes, most of which I never even made.

I lived on grilled cheese. Pasta with store-bought sauce. Veggie burgers. Frozen pizza. Giant pancakes. That was about it.

I had no desire to cook. Bake, yes. I almost always have a fresh batch of cookies at my finger tip. But cook? No. There wasn’t a need.

At first it was just me, fresh out of college. I spent my evenings after work at the gym, then came home, stuffed myself full of pasta and went to bed.

Then it was me and Hubs. Still, very little need to cook. He more or less conformed to my eating habits, and added in the occasional lasagna. We weren’t fancy. We didn’t put much value on food. We didn’t have money to buy fancy ingredients.

Over the last few years, since becoming a stay-at-home mom, my need for a creative outlet has morphed from graphic design to cooking and baking. I’m constantly flipping through cook books, dreaming of new recipes. Wondering if I added this or changed that, if it would improve the recipe, or totally ruin it {which has totally happened a time or two}. Cooking, especially baking, takes over many of my waking thoughts. Almost to the point of obsession. And when I’m not obsessing about cooking, I’m obsessing about chocolate.

My cookbook collection has gone from one only, virtually empty binder to an overflowing shelf. I have so many cookbooks that I have to stack them on top of each other, each on competing for the place of utmost importance: on top, within easy reach.

My favorites are splattered and stained. Torn. Written in. The covers are missing. They have been used. Abused. And loved. I have yet to completely destroy a cookbook, but many of them are worse for the wear.

By now you may be wondering what my favorites are, and yes, I’m going to tell you. Because Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and you may be looking for a gift idea. Or you may need to suggest a gift idea to someone. Or maybe you just want to add one more book to your collection.

A | Pretty Delicious: Lean and Lovely Recipes for a Healthy, Happy New You. Filled with healthy, unique and totally flavorful meals, I make something out of this just about every week.

B | The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl. Of course. Because she’s amazing. Have I mentioned her cinnamon rolls yet?

C | Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition – 2006. A classic, yet it’s new to me. This book has endless recipes. Endless. That’s not an exaggeration at all.

D | Betty Crocker Cookbook (Bridal Edition) (Betty Crocker Books). A wedding gift from my Grandma. I think she may have been trying to tell me something.

E | Hershey’s Recipe Collection in 5-Ring Binder (5 Ring Binder Cookbook). Do I really need to explain this one?

F | 5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Recipes (Better Homes & Gardens Cooking). This is my go-to book for easy slow cooker meals.

G | The Bread Lover’s Bread Machine Cookbook: A Master Baker’s 300 Favorite Recipes for Perfect-Every-Time Bread-From Every Kind of Machine. I lived in this book when I had a bread machine. Now? I make the recipes using my KitchenAid Mixer. A little more work, but just as delicious.

H | 4 in 1 Recipe Book for Kids: Breakfast, Lunch, Snacks, and Dinner. Because my boys will learn how to cook, and enjoy it!

Of course there are millions of blogs and web sites that I browse through every day in search of the best recipe. Thank goodness I have Ziplist and Pinterest to keep me organized.

There is one more cookbook which often finds its way to my  hands. One that you can’t find on any other bookshelf {except for my sisters’, as we each have a copy}. One that isn’t available in stores, online. It’s a binder that my mom put together for me a few years ago. It’s filled with childhood favorites and memories. And that cookbook, is as priceless as they come.

What is your favorite cookbook?

On My Cookbook Shelf is a post from: Alli 'n Son