Homemade Chocolate Frosty – no ice cream maker! {#TruMoo #ad}

Kim

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of for . All opinions are 100% mine.

Don’t you hate when you get all excited about a recipe and then you realize it takes a special appliance or ingredients that you don’t have? That’s how I felt when I first saw a DIY frosty recipe floating around on Pinterest. I clicked over just to find out it required an ice cream maker. Now, I have an ice cream maker and I love it…but it’s one of those that requires ice and salt and needs to be monitored while churning, etc. Ain’t nobody got time for that. I break that out for special occasions. THIS recipe is different. No ice cream maker needed! And it uses common ingredients that you may already have in your fridge/pantry.

It’s thick and creamy and taste just like a Frosty from Wendy’s! But guess what…this one is made with light whipped topping, fat free sweetened condensed milk, unsweetened cocoa, and lowfat 1% TruMoo Chocolate Milk! Just blend the ingredients together and stick in the freezer for 30 mins to an hour, stir and enjoy!

My kids are so excited that I can make these at home, and I am excited that they are getting more milk in their diet (my 11 and 13 year old girls are not drinking enough milk these days). TruMoo Milk contains no artificial growth hormones, no high fructose corn syrup and contains 8 essential nutrients. (See )

This one was in the freezer for a full hour and was nice and thick and spoon worthy! If you take it out sooner, you can use a straw…just depends on your preference!

Homemade Chocolate Frosty

1 container of whipped topping (8 oz); frozen
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup (8 oz) chocolate milk (I used 1% TruMoo)

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Pour into freezer safe container and freeze for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from freezer and stir. Makes 2 servings.

Recipe source:

It’s easy and delicious. The leftover condensed milk can be stored in the fridge so you can make this again and again 🙂 We’ve already made it a couple of times!

If you are not a chocolate fan, that’s okay, because TruMoo also comes in Strawberry and Vanilla flavors. You can make your own special frosty drinks with whichever flavor you like best. .

*GIVEAWAY*
Would you like to try TruMoo too? All you have to do is leave me a comment answering the question “What TruMoo flavor are you most excited to try?” For an additional entry, like and leave a separate comment telling me you did so. I will be choosing 2 people to receive 2 FREE vouchers for TruMoo products. (US only please) Giveaway ends 8/14 (midnight, EST), winner will be contacted via email and will have 48 hours to confirm win.

Easy Homemade Toaster Strudels and a prayer request

Kim

If you follow me or other food bloggers on Facebook, you may have heard about the terrible accident another blogger’s daughter was in yesterday. The little girl was apparently walking to school and was hit by a car. She is in ICU in a medically induced coma due to her injuries. I don’t know details, and really, it’s none of my business since I don’t know the family personally, but as a parent my heart goes out to them. When you follow someone’s blog for a period of time, you start to feel like you know them! So, please take a minute and say a prayer for this little girl and her family. Thanks!

These homemade toaster strudels were very easy, very quick, and VERY awesome!

I have them posted today over at (where I am a contributing writer for those of you who may not know.) I’d love for you to pop over and check them out!

Super Skinny Chocolate Muffins {copycat Vitatops}

Kim

If ya don’t like chocolate, you’re at the wrong place today (and uhhh, how are we friends? Just kidding.) I know there are some people who just don’t care for chocolate. Some of these people even share my same genetic pool. I truly don’t understand it. Anyway…these are for the chocolate fans out there. Especially the chocolate fans who loooove chocolate, but don’t necessarily care to wear their fat pants on a daily basis. These be some skinny muffins. Pinky swear.

and yes, I ate both of these as soon as I took the picture.

Super Skinny Chocolate Muffins {copycat Vita Tops}

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups old fashioned oats
3 egg whites
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (I used Hershey’s Dark)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (I used cinnamon, b/c it’s all we had!)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (or regular plain yogurt)
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup hot water (I think coffee could be used here too)
1/2 cup sugar or sugar substitute (I used half Splenda and half xylitol) Update: I prefer to use half stevia or xylitol and half real sugar.
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray (or use cupcake liners).
Using a food processor (or a blender), blend all of the ingredients together except for the chocolate chips. Blend until oats are ground and mixture is smooth. (Note: grinding oats first, before adding other ingredients may make it easier to get a smooth consistency. I still had a few pieces of oats, but I was fine with that.)
Pour mixture into prepared muffin pans. These aren’t going to rise a lot, so you can fill them pretty full for larger muffins, or about half to 2/3rds for the traditional VitaTop look. Add a few chocolate chips to each muffin cup (about half of them) to ensure each muffin has chips in it. (If you add them to the batter bowl, they all just sink to the bottom.) The other half of the chips will be added to the tops in the next step. If you don’t want any on top, add them all now.
Place muffin tins in the oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove from oven and distribute the other half of the chocolate chips on top of each muffin. This just makes them look all pretty and like VitaTops.
Place the muffins back into the oven and bake for an additional 2-5 minutes (mine took 5-7), or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Source:

We got 12 decent sized muffins for 3 points plus each. I think next time I will make them smaller. I haven’t had Vita Top muffins in a while, but from what I remember, these are pretty darn close. I thought they were good, and my kids thought they were okay, but not great…but they don’t have to worry about fat pants and 41 year old metabolisms. ugh. This recipe also does not contain flour, so I’m assuming could easily be made gluten free.

Thanks to for featuring this recipe!

I may be linking up at any of the following – (Monday) , , , , , , , , , , , (Tuesday) , , ,,, , and , , (Wednesday) , , , , , , , (Thursday) ,, , , , (Friday) , , , , , ,, , , ,, , , ,, , (Saturday) , , , (Sunday) , , ;

Copycat Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad

Kim

I’ll admit, I’ve been somewhat obsessed with copycat recipes of late. I’m not sure if it is because I live so far from restaurants now, or because I just want to see if I can replicate restaurant food at home. I imagine it’s a little of both! This particular salad is my husband’s favorite thing from Applebee’s Restaurant, so I wanted to give it a try. There are several versions of the recipe on line, but I based mine off of one from .Looks good, right?! What’s even better…it is very easy to put together with some pre-packaged items from the grocery store.

Copycat Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad

from

Dressing –

3 Tablespoons honey

1 1/2 Tablespoons rice vinegar

1/4 cup mayonnaise (*I use )

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/8 teaspoon sesame oil

Salad –

6 crispy chicken strips, cooked

Pre-packaged salad mix (w/romaine lettuce, carrots, and cabbage)

Pre-packaged coleslaw mix

3 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted (I used toasted sesame seeds instead)

1 cup Chow Mein noodles

For the Dressing

Whisk all of the ingredients together in a small bowl.

Refrigerate while preparing salad.

For the Salad

Cut chicken strips into bite size pieces. Set aside.

Mix together about half the bag of each of the pre-packaged salad and coleslaw mixes.

Top with cut up chicken, almonds & Chow Mein noodles.

Drizzle the dressing on top, to taste.

Makes approx. 3 large salads

You can make as much or as little as you want by altering the amounts of salad used. The amount of dressing used per salad is such an individual preference, so you may need more or less. The amount listed was enough for 3 salads (a dinner sized salad entree) for us, but my husband said he would have liked more dressing (he likes a lot, where I like just a little!)

I added mandarin oranges to my salad, and I used toasted sesame seeds in the place of almonds, just because I love them! This was a convenient, filling and delicious salad, and I can’t wait to tackle my next copycat recipe! So far, I’ve tried Copycat Chick-fil-a Chicken, Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana, and Chili’s Monterey Chicken.

Have you got a restaurant favorite that you make at home? I’d love to hear about it!

I’m linking up this recipe over at – (Wednesday) , , , , , , , , (Thursday) ,, , , , , (Friday) , , , , , ,, , , , ,, , (Saturday) , , , (Sunday)

Yay! This recipe was featured at and !

Monterey Chicken {Chili’s Copycat recipe}

Kim

Cheese. Chicken. Bacon. Barbecue Sauce. You know it’s gonna be good. Unfortunately, I took the pics when I was in a huge rush to get the kids out the door to volleyball practice, and the lighting was terrible, soooo….don’t judge the recipe by the picture! This blob of cheesiness was pretty darn tasty (and see for a much better picture). Monterey Chicken used to be a popular sandwich at Chili’s Restaurant, (and may still be, haven’t been in a while!) and contains some of my favorite things. I served mine on a plate with sides, but plan on trying it on a nice toasty bun one day soon. Either way, it’s delish.

Monterey Chicken
source – my changes in italics

Marinade:
3 T. Honey

3 T. reduced sodium Soy Sauce
3 T. Worchestershire Sauce
1/2 t. minced garlic
1/4 t. sea salt

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Topping:
8 oz. Monterey Jack Cheese
8 slices bacon (I used pre-cooked)
8 T. barbecue sauce (Sweet Baby Ray’s)

* Marinate the chicken in a mixture of honey, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and salt for at least an hour (but can be marinated overnight.)
* Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour a little of the marinade in the bottom of a large baking pan and place chicken on top. Cover with aluminum foil and cook for about 30 minutes or until the center is no longer pink and juices run clear. (Cook time will depend on the size of your chicken breasts).
* While chicken is cooking, fry up the bacon and set aside – or use pre-cooked bacon as I did.
* After chicken is cooked through, spread with barbecue sauce, top with bacon and cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly.

Now, I have a little cheat for you – I had pre-cooked chicken breasts from the freezer (thawed), so I placed the cooked chicken in the marinade for a couple of hours (or could be done in the morning before work), then placed my chicken on a baking sheet, covered with barbecue sauce and baked until it was warmed throughout. Then I topped with my pre-cooked bacon and cheese stuck it under the broiler until the cheese was nice and melt-y. It took 15-20 mins at the most (start to finish). The pre-cooked chicken absorbed the marinade well, and it was a time saver since we had to be out the door pretty quickly for the kids’ practices. We had baked potatoes (cooked in the microwave in steamer bags) and a salad as quick and easy sides.

This recipe is a keeper!

I am linking this recipe up at (Monday) , , , , , , , , , , (Tuesday) , , , , ,, (Wednesday) , , , , , , , , (Thursday) ,, , , , , (Friday) , , , , , ,, , , , ,, (Saturday) , , , (Sunday)

Homemade Peanut Butter Eggs

Kim

Somehow, Easter is right around the corner. Like, this weekend around the corner! Things have been quite hectic around here. Between volleyball for my 2 girls, and a nasty virus/strep going around the house, things have been out of sorts. Everything was kind of on hold last week, b/c my 4 y/o was sick, and when you have a little one that is sick (high fever, headache, feeling miserable) he/she only wants their mommy! Thankfully, towards the end of the week, he started feeling better. Just in time for dentists appointments and Number One’s 12th birthday! Yikes…I have a child that is almost a teenager!! (and the tween years are proving to be challenging as well.) So, I feel stretched a little thin right now. So much to catch up on, and so much to do this week. BUT, I definitely wanted to share these homemade peanut butter eggs asap!

Homemade better-than-Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs!!

I kid you not, these things are SO.GOOD. And better yet, they are EASY. Except for the whole dipping in chocolate thing. I really suck at that. Ever since the allergy doctor told me that I had a false positive on my peanut allergy test…I’ve been a little peanut butter obsessed. (He said that adults can NOT develop a peanut allergy, but you can to all other nuts. I’ve been testing the theory out, and I have had no problems eating peanut butter. I may need stretchier pants due to peanut butter cup consumption, but no rash, itching or hives!) So…enough rambling, on with the copycat recipe! I’ve played around with ingredients and combos, and this is my favorite ratio.

Homemade Peanut Butter Eggs

1/2 cup peanut butter* (your favorite brand, but I don’t recommend the kind that has to be stirred)

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup finely ground graham cracker crumbs (I ground my own in a food processor)

a good pinch of salt (this amount will vary depending on your preference, and peanut butter used. Start with a small pinch, mix, taste, and add more if needed.)

chocolate chips (about a cup)

coconut oil/butter/crisco – if needed to thin out chocolate, I used about a teaspoon of coconut oil

*I think these would still be delicious with Sunbutter or WowButter if you need to avoid nuts. They won’t taste exactly the same, but still good! I made a version with soynut butter that was quickly devoured.

Add all ingredients into a bowl and mix, mix, mix. It’s thick and difficult to incorporate, but keep at it and it will come together. Or, use a mixer/food processor. I didn’t try this, since I was working with a fairly small quantity. However, it only makes a few, so feel free to double the recipe. I wish I had!
After mixing the ingredients together, form into ‘egg’ shapes, place on wax paper, and place in freezer to get nice and firm. I didn’t time this, but maybe 20-30 minutes? While the eggs are in the freezer, melt your chocolate (and oil/butter if needed) in a microwave safe bowl. (Place in microwave for 1 minute, stir well, continue heating in 30 second intervals until completely melted)
When chocolate is melted, remove peanut butter eggs from freezer. Dip peanut butter into chocolate, one at a time, to coat. When peanut butter is completely covered in chocolate, place on wax paper to cool and harden. If the peanut butter starts to soften too much, put back in freezer.

Other than me not being much of a chocolatier, these were pretty easy to make, and they tasted great. My girls and I loved them, and I just had to compare them to a real Reese egg, and I have to say, I thought mine were better! I think it’s because the homemade version had more filling and a thicker layer of chocolate. I also used a semi-sweet chocolate instead of milk. YUM.

This made about 6 good size eggs…but I also did some taste testing of the filling 😉 Research people. Research!

I am linking this recipe up at (Monday) , , , ,, , , , , , , , (Tuesday) , , , , , ,, , (Wednesday) , , , , , , , , (Thursday) , , , , , (Friday) , , , , , ,, , , , ,, , (Saturday) , , , , (Sunday) ;

This recipe was featured at

Bourbon Chicken

Kim

This is called Bourbon Chicken, but I made a few small changes in the recipe, and it tasted just like General Tso’s Chicken to me. Since I’ve never actually ordered Bourbon Chicken, I left the name, b/c who knows, maybe they taste the same. Whatever you want to call it, you can also call it delicious! This was SO good, and the closest I have come to restaurant flavor at home. The best part…it’s not FRIED!

I prepared mine in my cast iron skillet, but I think it could be made in any frying pan.

Bourbon (or General Tso’s!) Chicken

adapted from – my changes are in italics

2 lbs. boneless chicken breasts – cut into bite size chunks

1 T. olive oil

3/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 t. fresh ginger, minced

1/4 cup orange juice

1/3 cup light brown sugar & Stevia blend

2 T. ketchup

1 T. rice wine vinegar

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

1 T. cornstarch

Notes: I mixed my brown sugar with Stevia in the Raw to decrease the sugar a little, but you can use all brown sugar if desired. I also used orange juice instead of apple (b/c that’s what I had on hand), and I used fresh ginger and rice wine vinegar since I had them. You could use ground ginger and apple cider vinegar as per original recipe instead. Also, this is spicy so adjust the red pepper accordingly. I used a generous 3/4 tsp and thought it was delicious, but it was too hot for the rest of the fam. (I left some plain cooked chicken out for the kids.)

Heat olive oil in a large skillet.
Add red pepper flakes and stir for about 30 seconds.
Add chicken and cook until lightly browned.
Remove chicken from pan and add remaining ingredients, heating over medium heat until well blended and dissolved.
Add chicken back into pan with sauce and bring to a hard boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes uncovered.

I served mine over brown rice, with green onions and sesame seeds. If you like Chinese food, I would recommend giving this a try!

I am linking this recipe up at (Monday) , , , ,, , , , , , , , (Tuesday) , , , , , , ,, , (Wednesday) , , , , , , , , (Thursday) , , , , , (Friday) , , , , , ,, , , , ,, (Saturday) , , , , (Sunday)

Olive Garden Copycat Zuppa Toscana – Lightened Up!

Kim

Oh yes! The perfect cold weather comfort food. I mean seriously, this is the food version of a warm, fuzzy blanket in front of a blazing fire when it is snowing outside, with a cup of hot cocoa in hand. Which almost describes my weekend, seeing as how our downstairs heating unit went out this week…so we spent a lot of time huddled up in the living room in front of the fireplace, b/c for whatever reason, it takes a week for the part to come in. These heat people need to get with the program, I mean helloooo? What about over night delivery?! Anyway. That’s a gripe for another day. This soup is so warm and comforting, it will make you forget about the frigid temps.

Not only is it delicious, it’s also pretty good for you, thanks to reducing the cream and a good amount of the superfood, kale! Yes, under all that cream and sausage, there has been a leafy green hiding. Even better, these changes were made without sacrificing the flavor we know and love from this very popular soup.

I’ve had a few friends waiting patiently for me to get this recipe posted since I put a pic on FB the other day, so here goes!

Olive Garden Copycat Zuppa Toscana – lightened up!

adapted from

1 lb Italian Chicken Sausage (see notes)

3 medium baking potatoes, with skins (1/8 to 1/4 inch slices-see notes)

1 large chopped onion

1/8-1/4 cup bacon bits (optional)

2 cloves minced garlic

2 1/2 (packed) cups kale, stalks removed and chopped

16 oz. chicken broth

1 quart water

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup fat free half and half

1/4 cup skim milk

NOTES:

I used Spicy Chipotle Chicken Sausage b/c that is what I had on hand. Hot Italian Chicken Sausage would be excellent however.
Slicing the potatoes in varying widths helps add texture to the soup. The very thinly sliced potatoes ‘dissolve’ into the broth, making it thicker and creamier.
I used a 1/2 cup heavy cream b/c I happened to have some leftover from another recipe, however, next time, I will only use half-and-half and milk. Cream is delicious, but not really necessary, and will reduce the fat even more by leaving it out.

Directions

Remove sausage from casings and cook in a large pot over medium high heat until done.

Remove sausage, add onions, and cook on medium heat until translucent.

Add garlic to onions and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds or so).

Add sausage back to pot, then add broth and water.

Bring to a boil, and add potatoes.

Cook on medium high until potatoes are done.

Add bacon bits to soup if using. I used about an 1/8 cup of Hormel Peppered Bacon Bits.

Taste, and add salt and pepper if desired. I didn’t add any.

Turn heat to low, and add kale, cream (if using), half-and-half, and skim milk.

Heat through, and serve!

VERDICT – This soup was creamy, delicious, filling with a slightly spicy kick. In my opinion, it tasted very much like the original, but I have only had it at Olive Garden once, a few months ago. However, this is definitely on my list to make again very soon.

I may be linking this recipe up at (Monday) , , , ,, , , , , , , , (Tuesday) , , , , , , ,, , (Wednesday) , , , , , , , , (Thursday) , , , , , (Friday) , , , , , ,, , , , ,, (Saturday) , , , , (Sunday)

DIY Twix Bars {w/Biscoff} – recipe update; Peanut free option

Kim

I’ve started this post several times. This morning I woke up with renewed energy and determination to block out the horrible events of , and make this a great week for myself and my children. Then I took my three kids to school. I cried after I dropped each one of them off. The realization that I cannot protect them all of the time hit me. The despair of what has happened in that small Connecticut town hit me with renewed force. I cried all the way home. I can’t block it out. I can refuse to watch the news. I can avoid the newspapers, etc. But the tragedy of that day’s events is embedded into my heart and mind. However, I also realized I can curl up in despair this week before Christmas and mourn for those poor children and teachers and families, or I can honor their memory in the best way I can and continue to make this a wonderful holiday for my children. My children, that I feel so blessed to have and that I love with all my heart. So, I came home (which I know I am so fortunate to be able to do), turned on the Christmas music and the Christmas lights, said a prayer for the victims and guidance for myself, and started this post again. (I also broke out the Christmas M&M’s but let’s keep that just between me and you.)

I made these Homemade Twix Bars a couple of years ago. They were delicious. On Friday, in an effort to avoid the news and reality, my youngest two kids and I made them again. But this time, I made a little change. And this time….they taste almost exactly like a Twix candy bar! (which happens to be one of my favorites!) They are soooo good.

DIY “Twix” Bars

Club Crackers (or store brand)

1 c. Graham Crackers, crushed

3/4 c. Brown Sugar

1/3 c. White Sugar

1/3 c. skim milk

1/2 c. light butter

For frosting –

1/3 cup peanut butter (or PB replacement – I used )

1/3 cup Biscoff spread

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Place a single layer of Club crackers in the bottom of a 13×9 baking pan, set aside.
In a saucepan, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugars, milk and butter and bring to a boil. Continuously stir and boil for 4-5 minutes. The mixture will thicken and have a caramel consistency, and pull away from the sides of the pan.
Pour caramel mixture over the crackers and spread evenly to coat. Careful, it’s HOT.
Immediately top with another layer of Club crackers, pressing down slightly.
Chill for about 30 minutes. (I don’t think we waited that long!)
While bars are chillin’ – combine peanut butter/wowbutter, Biscoff and chocolate chips in a microwaveable bowl. Microwave for one minute. Stir well to combine. Microwave in 15 second increments if needed until mixture is smooth.
Pour chocolate mixture over cooled bars and spread evenly. Allow to cool, then cut into “Twix” bars or squares. ENJOY!

Verdict? SO GOOD!! We all loved them and my kids agreed that they tasted very much like a Twix candy bar. They are definitely a keeper! They would make a great addition to your cookie tray, to give as gifts, or just enjoy with your family. It’s also a great recipe to make with the kids b/c they can layer the bottom layer of crackers (just make sure they understand that the crackers need to be touching each other. We had a few gaps 🙂 which made the caramel stick to the bottom of the pan.) An adult needs to handle the caramel mixture b/c it does get super hot. I also did the second layer of crackers to prevent any burns. The kids can also measure things out for you, stir the chocolate mixture, and help spread the frosting. Most of all, the kids can help eat them!

I hope everyone has a great week, holds their loved ones a little tighter, and prays to make this world a safer, better place for us all.

I’m sharing this recipe with – , ,, , , , , , , , , ,

Homemade Chocolate Frosty

Copycat Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad

Monterey Chicken source – my changes in italics

Homemade Peanut Butter Eggs

Bourbon (or General Tso’s!) Chicken

Olive Garden Copycat Zuppa Toscana – lightened up!

DIY “Twix” Bars

Monterey Chicken
source – my changes in italics