No-Fail Quiche

One of my most favorite sections of Food Network Magazine is when they do their mix and match recipes.  These are usually a base recipe that you can decide which ingredients you would like and make it your own.  I knew I would love the May issue when I got it because of the 50 Taco ideas advertised on the front but I was really excited when I saw the quiche recipe.  My mom actually called me to tell me she tried it and is is really fool-proof.

Mini Baked Oatmeal

Today was a typical morning where I woke up to hungry kids wanting breakfast before I could get out of bed.  Then I realized that I had forgotten to make up our refrigerator oatmeal yesterday.  I've been trying to think of things to make breakfast a little more exciting (my daughter hasn't been too crazy about oatmeal lately) so I decided to make up some individual baked oatmeal.  My kids all have different tastes so I could put different toppings on them.  I wanted to add some mashed banana in the mix but that wouldn't please everyone so I just sliced some up on a couple of them but I think these would be even more delicious with the banana mixed in if you like it.  It would taste a lot like banana bread.  I topped others with coconut, walnuts, sliced almonds, and some homemade berry sauce.  Tip:  the almonds were still kind of loose on top so you would want to push them in a little. They were easy to mix up and done in 30 minutes. Success.

Fruit or Veggie Muffins

I'm sure many parents can relate when I say I'm constantly trying to get fruits and vegetables in my kids.  They are slowly trying more things but it seems to change from one day to the next what they will be willing to eat.  I came across this great zucchini bread recipe from Lisa over at 100 Days of Real Food.  Zucchini is a vegetable that I can never get my kids to eat.  But, I love a recipe where I can put it in there and they will eat it and I always make sure to tell them they are eating it:  "Guess what kids? You like zucchini!"  I made my own gluten-free version of the zucchini bread.  I prefer them as muffins because they are already portioned, freeze really well, and don't make as much of a mess.  So far I've done this recipe with zucchini, carrot, and apple.  All were really good!  We like to have a couple of these muffins with a nice big smoothie as one of our easy lunch ideas.  The kids love it.

Corned Beef and Cabbage; Shortbread

This is a must-have in our family for St. Patrick's Day. We love it so much that my husband keeps asking why we don't have it other days too. I just always forget! Anyway, this meal is so yummy and satisfying and the best part is you throw it in the crockpot in the morning and dinner is waiting for you later. I love the crockpot. I need to remind myself to use it even more. There are a lot of yummy things that can be cooked in it and it takes a lot of stress out of getting dinner on the table. Anyone that has experienced the daily evening "cry session" with an infant will relate to how hard it can be to cook at that time. This way I can cook in the morning while the little one is happy playing or napping and not worry about it later.