Mommy Octopus

Thanksgiving is a great time to show your appreciation to your family, God, and your many blessings.  One way I like to show my gratitude for those around me is to make fun food!  If you need a fun snack for the kids or something to bring to a fall party, check out how simple it is to make these adorable Thanksgiving Pretzel Turkeys!

Ingredients

• Pretzels
• Candy Corn
• Rolos
• Reese’s Pieces
• Sugar Pearls

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300.

On a sheet tray lined with parchment paper lay your pretzels with the salted side down with the double rounded end pointed toward you.

Place three candy corns on the single round end.  It’s easiest to start with the middle one and just place the tip under the middle of pretzel and the top part resting on the top of the pretzel.  Place the other two candy corns along the angled part of the pretzel so that they are touching the first candy corn.

Gently lay an unwrapped Rolo on top of the candy corns.

Place the tray in the oven until the Rolos are soft, 2 minutes.

You can push the Rolos down one of two ways.  You can use the back of a spoon to press them gently down to make sure they contact the pretzels and the candy corns.  The spoon is more direct and you are sure the Rolo is set.  But it tends to deform the Rolo more.

You can also do it while you apply the eyes and beaks. This way leaves the Rolo shape a little more but if you aren’t careful you get chocolate on your fingers that gets on the eyes and beaks.

Apply 2 pearls for the eyes and half of a Reese’s pieces for the beak.  Take a toothpick and dab it in the melted chocolate at the edge of the Rolo and dab it in the center of the pearl to finish the eye.

Let cool at least 30 minutes before moving to a serving tray or airtight container.  Enjoy!

My mom recently came back from New York and with her she brought nearly a bushel of apples!  My kids have been gobbling them up like crazy, but I figured we needed something fun to do with them besides just eating them.  We decided to make Simple Oven Dried Apple Rings.

What’s nice about them is that they can be done right in your oven and it’s almost a “fix it and forget it” type of dish that doesn’t take too much effort.

First step, wash your apples well and core them.  Slice into 1/4 inch rings using a mandolin.

As you slice the apples, discard the tops and bottom rings and drop the remaining apples into a bowl with 2 tbsp lemon juice and 2 cups of water to prevent browning.

Dry the apples on a clean kitchen towel and then lay the slices on wire racks over baking sheets.  Place in the oven on low heat (140 degrees F) for 2-10 hours depending on your preference, turning occasionally.  Longer for crisp slices and less for soft slices.

Then enjoy!  Store extra in an airtight jar or container in a dark, cool place.

I have seen several recipes for egg roll in a bowl, however some contained soy sauce, which we cannot have due to my son’s allergy and some contained funky things that we didn’t have on hand.  For lunch today, I put together our own version of Eggroll in a Bowl that was a huge hit around here!  My hubby loved it as well!

We had received cabbage in our Bountiful Basket this past week and we had carrots and onions leftover from a previous basket so everything we needed was on hand.

First up, throw a pound of Johnsonville Italian Sausage or similar brand into a large skillet.  Brown the pork until done.  Add in a whole chopped onion and stir to combine.  Cook over medium high heat about 5 minutes.

As the onions cook, prepare your cabbage and carrots.  I found it easiest to chop the cabbage and then put it through my food processor to shred.  Same with the carrots.  I peeled them and put them through the food processor.  Much easier!

Add in your cabbage and carrot mixture along with your coconut amines, garlic, and ginger.  Stir to combine and cover.  Cook on low about 5-8 more minutes.

Enjoy!

My husband had the great idea to stir a little horseradish mustard in his at the end and he loved it that way!

This is a great carb free meal that also goes well on the Trim Healthy Mama plan.  This would be an S meal.