hjelseth family menu | week 2

k here it is again!

week two :)
(though I meant to post this much sooner - - LIFE hasn't allowed for that to happen) :)

before beginning all this, I always look through our fridge, freezer, and dry foods to get an idea of what groceries we already have. i like to make a list of main food items we have and that need used up and try to work off of that when choosing dinner items. 

this week my list included: broccoli, potatoes, shredded cheddar cheese, frozen spaghetti, chicken breast

:: MONDAY ::

spaghetti + broccoli + garlic bread

:: my favorite spaghetti recipe is HERE. and it makes a TON!!
when I make this, we can actually get F O U R meals out of it! butttt we don't prefer to eat the same spaghetti four nights in a row... so I throw half of it in a freezer ziploc to pull out another week :) which is exactly what happened this week. spaghetti leftovers from two weeks prior X2!
#winning
:: broccoli I steam in the microwave with a little butter + salt
:: garlic bread - i buy the parmesan garlic break from costco,  slice it, put a little butter, garlic powder, parsley, and parmesan cheese on top & broil in the oven for 2 minutes. SO YUM!

:: TUESDAY ::

leftovers!

:: WEDNESDAY ::

out for dinner!

(brandon's dad's birthday)

:: THURSDAY ::

crockpot corn chowder

another favorite I found on pinterest long, long ago!
:: recipe HERE!
so good. especially on these cold winter nights.

:: FRIDAY ::

leftovers!

always counting on leftovers in our house ;)

:: SATURDAY ::

mac + cheese w/ crunchy salad

:: here's my homemade mac + cheese recipe (which is also under the OUR TABLE tab on the blog)

Homemade Mac+Cheese:
ingredients:
 1/2 box of elbow macaroni noodles
1 egg
couple tbsp butter
couple splashes of milk
couple handfuls shredded cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
couple tbsp olive oil

directions:
:: cook noodles as directed on package + drain + return to pot on stovetop
:: stir in one whisked egg, the butter, and milk
:: add in shredded cheese. add in what you need to get the amount of cheesy-ness you desire! :)
:: combine + stir until all your cheese is melted (I sometimes will turn the burner on low as I'm doing this)
:: we like ours topped with breadcrumbs, so I combine those with olive oil, and then sprinkle on top after pouring the mac + cheese mixture into a baking dish. crumbled bacon on top would also be sooo good!
:: to brown the top up a little, I put the pan in the oven under broil for just a couple minutes

:: and then the crunchy salad we're repeating again from last week cause it was soooo yummy!

aunt carol's crunchy salad:

SALAD:

2 tbps butter

1 pkg ramen noodles

1/2 cup chopped almonds

handful sunflower seeds

4-6 cups romaine lettuce

2 cups chopped broccoli

some chopped green onions

:: melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. add the uncooked ramen noodles (break them all up), almonds, and sunflower seeds, and saute until toasted light brown (3-4 minutes). let cool.

pour dressing (recipe below) into the bottom of your salad bowl.

add the lettuce, broccoli, green onions, and toasted crunch mix. toss when ready to serve.

VINAIGRETTE:

4 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp salt

6 tbsp rice wine vinegar

2-3 drops tabasco sauce

1/2 cup olive oil

:: mix all the vinaigrette ingredients with a wire wisk (or just shake all together in a mason jar).

:: SUNDAY ::

leftovers!

enjoy friends!!
hjelseth family menu | week 1

Xoxo
-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

hjelseth family menu | week 1

my first time doing a post like this- but lots of you friends answered 'yes please' to the poll on my insta stories :) so here we go!

lately it has been sunday where I sit down and plan our "week" out, but often times it may fall on any other weekday too. either way, I just plan out a whole 7-8 days worth so we're set.

and there's no doubt things may come up in the week where we fall off of this 'schedule'. I just continue to use our menu as a guide and follow the planned out meals one after the other.

I pull ideas from pinterest, favorite family recipes of ours (a handful of these I have posted previously under the OUR TABLE tab on the blog), and any others I have collected in my cookbook.

**disclaimer: we don't eat cinnamon rolls for dinner, but I was in need of adding some sort of picture :)

:: MONDAY ::

enchilada pasta + crunchy salad

:: the enchilada pasta is a favorite I found years back via pinterest. the link to that recipe is HERE.

:: i'll be making the crunchy salad for the first time ever. I came across it in jen hatmaker's book, of mess and moxie. 

seems simple, yet so yummy!

aunt carol's crunchy salad:

SALAD:

2 tbps butter

1 pkg ramen noodles

1/2 cup chopped almonds

handful sunflower seeds

4-6 cups romaine lettuce

2 cups chopped broccoli

some chopped green onions

:: melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. add the uncooked ramen noodles (break them all up), almonds, and sunflower seeds, and saute until toasted light brown (3-4 minutes). let cool.

pour dressing (recipe below) into the bottom of your salad bowl.

add the lettuce, broccoli, green onions, and toasted crunch mix. toss when ready to serve.

VINAIGRETTE:

4 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp salt

6 tbsp rice wine vinegar

2-3 drops tabasco sauce

1/2 cup olive oil

:: mix all the vinaigrette ingredients with a wire wisk (or just shake all together in a mason jar).

:: TUESDAY ::

leftovers!!

:: WEDNESDAY ::

lemon parmesan garlic chicken  + veggies w/ garlic bread

:: recipe HERE. and it is soooo good!

a favorite of ours that is always in the dinner rotation!

:: THRUSDAY ::

date night out!

(I'll serve the kids just whatever I can pull together) :)

:: FRIDAY ::

meatloaf + steamed broccoli

:: the recipe to my meatloaf is HERE.

:: and the broccoli I just steam with a little butter & salt.

:: SATURDAY ::

leftovers!

:: SUNDAY ::

parmesan chicken + green beans + garlic bread

:: I'm using this recipe HERE for the chicken.

:: and will just steam the green beans with a little butter, salt, & seasoning.

if this seems to be of interest to many, I can continue to share. so let me know what you think!!

leave a comment here.

or message me on insta!

Xoxo

-Brittney
follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

OUR TABLE || favorite fall recipes

ever since the temperatures dropped a bit & fall rolled around, the amount of weekly meal planning and cooking in the kitchen I've been doing has increased so much more. it seems to be that the busyness from summer died down a bit and I now have time for it again :) anddd we aren't spending almost every evening out on the back deck bbqing like we had been.

it feels sooo good to be cooking yummy things!

I've shared a handful of things I've made recently on my insta stories and have gotten lots of questions for the recipes! so I thought I'd just make this post real quick and throw in a few of the ones I've been asked about!
I'll start with the most recent one I made just the night before last for when our weekly bible study friends came over & it's so appropriate for the season... cream cheese pumpkin roll!!

PUMPKIN ROLL || I can't take any credit for the recipe other than a good pinterest/google search. this isn't any secret family recipe... just good ol' allrecipes.com ;) I have this saved to my pinterest board to keep for reference when I need it.
...and here's the direct link to it! :)
Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Filling

SIMPLE APPLE CRISP || a favorite here that my mom started making YEARS ago. and seriously the easiest apple crisp EVER! and the BEST too!
this is a pampered chef recipe. who remember's pampered chef parties!??
my mom held them at our house allll the time when I was growing up and we fell in love with some of their recipes and have made them our 'regulars'. and this apple crisp is certainly one fo them!

Quick Apple Crisp:
ingredients:
5 granny smith apples (though I usually do 6)
1 package yellow cake mix (yep! easy peasy right there!)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 chopped nuts (I always leave this one out)

directions:
:: preheat oven to 350*.
:: peel, core, slice apples, and cut them in half. if you don't have one of these, you NEED one!
:: place apples in a deep 9x13 baking dish
:: combine cake mix, sugar, cinnamon, butter, and nuts (if you choose), until crumbly.
:: sprinkle mixture over prepared apples
:: bake 35-40 minutes or until apples are tender.
:: serve warm + top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you'll be in heaven! :)

HOMEMADE MAC+CHEESE || this is one I kinda just 'toss' together, but I'm gonna attempt to nail it down to an actual(ish) recipe :) my measurements aren't really 'measurements' though so forgive me!
if you've never had homemade mac+cheese, you are missing out! it's nearly just as simple as boxed, and is soooo delish!!

Homemade Mac+Cheese:
ingredients:
 1/2 box of elbow macaroni noodles
1 egg
couple tbsp butter
couple splashes of milk
couple handfuls shredded cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
couple tbsp olive oil

directions:
:: cook noodles as directed on package + drain + return to pot on stovetop
:: stir in one whisked egg, the butter, and milk
:: add in shredded cheese. add in what you need to get the amount of cheesy-ness you desire! :)
:: combine + stir until all your cheese is melted (I sometimes will turn the burner on low as I'm doing this)
:: we like ours topped with breadcrumbs, so I combine those with olive oil, and then sprinkle on top after pouring the mac + cheese mixture into a baking dish. crumbled bacon on top would also be sooo good!
:: to brown the top up a little, I put the pan in the oven under broil for just a couple minutes

so yum! and perfect fo accompany dinner or even for a weekend lunch!


BANANA BREAD || this one I have shared before! and HERE is my recipe to the BEST banana bread I've EVER had!
though call me bias! ;)

there ya go, friends!!
any questions on any of them, feel free to ask :)
also would LOVE to know some of your favorite things to make during this time of year!

Xoxo

-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

our table || toddler meal ideas || re-play giveaway

first, I gotta say so far i've been pretty lucky with good eating children.
I know it's not that way for all you mamas. keep trying with those picky eaters and don't give up!
 boy can harper eat! and thankfully it hasn't ever been a real struggle to get her to do so. so far, (and I know this can change-though I don't foresee it happening!) tanner has been a pretty good eater too. I'm already seeing a glimpse into our future of feeding a growing boy and it sounds expensive!

both kids pretty much accept what we give them to eat at meal times. and quite honestly, if they don't like what they're given... well, I'm not one to run and fix something else :) 

ya kinda get what mom makes in this house.

tanner eats some of what we eat and then some simple, whole foods too. like fruit, bread, yogurt, ect. paired with what might be suitable from what the rest of us are eating.

harper 100% eats what brandon and I eat. it's busy enough making meals 3+ times a day, that I'm not about to fix her something separate. that's how it's always been, and that's what has worked for us :)

breakfast and dinner are pretty simple. but lunch can be one meal that I can run short on ideas. it's the meal of the day where we generally aren't all eating together and the only meal I'm making at the moment is for harper. (I've developed a bad habit for myself of just snacking though lunch. with the busyness of the kids and the day, I find it challenging to stop and get myself to stop and eat an actual meal. working on it!!)

***dietitian tip: in general (for all meals), I try to include fruit/veggie, protein, whole grains***

---breakfast items: eggs (scrambled, fried, boiled), whole wheat toast, fruit, oatmeal, yogurt, nut butter toast with strawberries

---dinner: too much variety to list here, but whatever is for dinner, that's what harper has.

so here are some toddler lunch ideas (that you could also carry into some breakfasts and dinners too) that I commonly feed harper!

--and how about these re-play plates! I loooveee them!--

1 //  grilled turkey + cheese sandwich made on whole wheat bread + watermelon

2 //  hard boiled egg + whole wheat crackers + strawberry & banana slices

3 //  ham + cheese sandwich made on whole wheat bread with lettuce, tomato, and mayo + apple slices

4 //  pb+j made with natural peanut butter on whole wheat bread with apple slices

5 //  veggie bites (I buy these at costco and harper loves them!! as does tanner) :) with whole wheat crackers + cucumber slices

chicken nuggets (made with breast meat) and annie's mac+cheese also make their way into the rotation :)

curious on any other things we might eat/feed our children-- just as me! I am more than willing to share!


I've been so happy with these re-play products! great quality, the dishes are deep enough to keep food on the plate rather than sliding over the edge ;), and there are so many fun colors!
Re-Play is graciously giving away a feeding set in any color to one lucky winner! just head over to my instagram (@brittneyhjelseth) to enter! giveaway runs thrusday, april 20th through thursday, april 27th. the winner will be announced by the following friday morning!

and BONUS in the meantime for all my readers/followers, use code: JustUsHjelseth2017 for 15% off of $20!!
www.re-play.com
I will most certainly be using my own coupon code for myself! :)
code expires 4.27.17

Xoxo

-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

our table || feeding baby + toddler || nuby giveaway

meal times are quite busy now with having two kids to feed. with toddler snacks in between there, it's like I'm feeding kids allll.day.longgg. which quite literally, I kinda am. cause when you also add in nursing the baby...

BUT hello, I love food too, so I get it ;) and being a dietitian, I try so hard to be giving my kiddos wholesome, healthy food that is nutrient dense.

tanner is now eating three meals a day so when it's time to eat for harper, it's also now time to eat for tanner. so that makes for me spending A LOT of my day in the kitchen. I honestly don't mind much, cause again, I'm a dietitian (I've actually still got that active license even as a stay at home mama now) ;) so food is where it's at for me!

feeding two babes who are at two different stages can seem tough. like there is so much food to prep. I try my best to keep it simple. 

here are a few things that we do & a few food ideas that we've found to work well.

(keep a lookout- I'm planning to do a post on 'meal' ideas for each age here in the near future) :)

---------------------------------------------------

Tanner: (age 8 months):

for my ease, tanner eats when the rest of us eat. I also believe it's important to include everyone at meal time (even the baby). so much can be taught just through them watching us and I try my hardest for all meals to be eaten at the table with the tv turned off.
this guy likes to be able to chew (gum) ;) his food so purees are out. giving him small, bitesized pieces is what he's been liking best.
each time tanner eats I try to have it include either a fruit or veggie paired with either some dairy or a whole grain.
simple foods that have been working well as of late: avocado, raspberries, banana, kiwi, whole wheat bread, whole grain cheerios, string cheese, plain whole milk greek yogurt.

how cute is this 'bear plate'!! nuby is one of my favorite baby brands. I've mentioned their sippy cups before (in our 7+8 month favorites) and how they just DON'T leak!! they have so many other great products too, like this sure grip miracle mat. the fun colors, and the bear shape of the plate will bring more fun for tanner as he gets older too. and I just know the suction holding down the plate will become so wonderful as tanner enters the 'throwing everything on the floor stage' ;)
(we'll likely have to get ourselves another shape of the plate being that the ears of the bear make it a little big to suction tightly to our particular highchair tray). it still does the job for what we need now!
and I can't get over the cuteness of the bear face :) harper loves it too!

----------------------------------

Harper (age 2.5):

harper is a good eater and always has been. I am ever so thankful for that!
there have certainly been exceptions, but she eats all meals at the kitchen table and when it's meal time, that's what we're there to do. we try to limit the playing and distraction around her. of course we still try to make meal time fun and enjoyable, but also keeping it focused. harper eats whatever brandon and I eat. I don't make special food for her.
common foods:
--breakfast items: eggs, toast, fruit, oatmeal, peanut butter toast, greek yogurt
--lunch items: sandwiches (pb&j, turkey&cheese), meat + cheese + whole grain crackers, cucumber + carrots, apples, breast meat chicken nuggets
--dinner: whatever I've made for dinner that night. that's what we all have :) too much variety and things to mention here!

snacking:
harper generally has a snack between breakfast and lunch and then sometimes after nap, before dinner. depending on what time she wakes and when we're eating. I try to limit any snacks after 4:30pm.
--common snacks: string cheese, granola bar, whole grain goldfish, popcorn, cut fruit, carrots or pretzels + hummus, apple sauce pouch (from costco with no added ingredients), 'milk pouches' (from target), chocolate milk (made with carnation instant breakfast)

this nuby snack n' sip cup is fun for harper. she loves her 'owl cup' so much. and it makes it fun for her to drink (even just plain old water) ;) out of it. and to make it extra fun for her, I can fill the top of her cup with her snack. her favorite to fill it with is goldfish :) but it's also just as easy to add in some cut fruit, whole grain cereal, or dried fruit. it's fun for her too, so it makes eating a healthy snack that much easier. and the best win for mama- it does not leak!

I've teamed up with Nuby to give away one of their cute bear character sure grip miracle mats! head over to my instagram (@brittneyhjelseth) to enter! giveaway runs tuesday, march 28th through friday, march 31st. the winner will be announced by monday morning!
open to US residents only.
**I received these items for a review, but all opinions are my own :)

xoxo
-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

OUR TABLE || trader joe's

I know I'm SO far behind the game when it comes to trader joe's.

like everyone and their dog seem to know all about the wonderfullness they have to offer and all the right things to buy and look for. except me. well with the exception of cookie butter. which is ah-maze-ing. but that's all I've known to equate trader joes to!

I've always been a fred meyer + costco gal and that's where we've done (and still do) all our major grocery shopping. and of course the couple things we pick up at target when we're there. 

I've never felt a need to shop at 'specialty' grocery stores when the others meet all our needs in what we're looking for. however, I have a few friends who shop trader joe's and I'm always intrigued at what they buy. so I gave it a whirl and have some good finds! (half of which were recommended by friends) :)  I'd still say they're 'extra' things that we don't really need, but it's fun to try new things and find new options.

here are a handful of things that I'd call a 'win' at trader joe's!

*disclaimer: my dietitian self is not proud of a single one of these items. BUT. I AM HUMAN, TOO ;)

pictures help, so there's your visual!

mini croissants // take out the night before to let rise, bake in the morning. 

turkey corn dogs // for the times when i'm just 'stuck' on what to feed my toddler/feeling lazy about it

mini ice cream cones // a small little after-dinner sweet treat

cookie butter // enough said

cookie butter cookies // well if you like cookie butter, what are you waiting for. these are double the good!

refrigerated pizza dough // for making "homemade" pizza, this dough was so good. made for a super quick + easy dinner too

--I have also been very impressed with their produce! this time of year there's just not much you can do about good, fresh produce. the strawberries this winter have been so horrible! their's however have been the best we've had in awhile.

let me know what it is you love from trader joe's so I can add it to my list for next time! I love finding new things, so please share!

xoxo

-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

OUR TABLE || blueberry muffins

I posted these on my insta stories last week and had so many ask about the recipe! 

so here ya have it! they really are as good as they look! 

I found this recipe on pinterest a couple of years back and have still hung on to it to keep making time and time again. so when my neighbor dropped off a pallet of fresh blueberries, what else was I to do!? we somehow still have some so I may be making another batch here in the next few days :) I probably ought to give some away though so we don't eat all of them! cause too many muffins consumed  could most certainly contribute to too much muffin top that I'd rather be without ;)

So here ya have it! the best blueberry muffins you'll ever make!

Recipe {HERE} 

my tips:

-- go with the streusel topping!! amazing.

-- from what the recipe says, it takes extra flour + sugar to get the topping crumbly

 --  I find that I have to cook them a minute or two longer than the recipe says

I have made them with blueberries and with raspberries. both turned it great, but I'd have to say that blueberry turned out the best. 
so stick with blueberry! ;)

ENJOY!!

xoxo

-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

OUR TABLE || no bake cookies

these are one of our favorite (and easiest) cookies to make! being that they are 'no-bake' it's so quick and easy to whip these up.

this recipe has been in my family for quite awhile and we've been making them for years.

ingredients:

1/2 cup milk

3 tbsp cocoa powder

1/2 cup butter

2 cups sugar

dash of salt

3 cups old fashion oats

1 tsp vanilla

1/2-3/4 cup peanut butter

-in a sauce pan, combine milk, cocoa, butter, sugar, and salt.

-stir continuously until all combined and bring to a boil.

-one boiling, remove from heat and add oatmeal, vanilla, and peanut butter.

-stir until all combined.

-drop spoonfuls onto wax paper, let them set, and you're done!

ENJOY!! :)

Xoxo

-Brittney

OUR TABLE || Freezer Meals

FREEZER. MEALS.

those two words can put a busy mama's mind at so much ease. and in my case, a mama caring for a two year old + a newborn! 

a delicious (still homemade) meal that's ready to go without the need to prep the meal. 

I had mentioned back in my one month favorites how I had prepped freezer meals towards the end of my pregnancy. hands down the best thing I've done to prep for adding a new baby to our family. I still haven't had to actually make dinner yet! and we're 7 weeks in with our little Tanner. that's a combination of freezer meals, friends/family bringing us meals, and any other reason we haven't been home at dinner. but I still have a good handful of them in the freezer and it gives me a peace of mind that I don't have to worry about what's for dinner. 

that question that is so often so dreaded.

"what's for dinner?"

must admit I went a little bit overboard with how many I made, but when you have an extra freezer in the garage that's just waiting to be filled... it was plum full!

here are ones that I found on pinterst and made:

spaghetti casserole // this one was a win! I'll be saving this recipe to make it even not as a freezer meal

slow cooker sweet and tangy meatballs // simple, easy, and good! win, win, win!

slow cooker honey sesame chicken // we haven't had this one yet, but looks delicious.

spaghetti sauce // this has been my favorite spaghetti sauce recipe. I decided to make it, split it in two, and freeze it.

baked ziti // now this one we have tried, and honestly I wouldn't recommend it. it's fine, but there just isn't much flavor to it.

slow cooker 8-can taco soup // haven't had this one, but looking forward to it as Fall is rolling in!

ravioli lasagna // good, but a little bland.

crock pot sweet and sour bbq meatballs // still have this one to try, but how can you go wrong with meatballs, bbq, and sweet + sour?!

slow cooker black bean and corn salsa chicken // another one that is waiting for us :)

cheesy chicken and black bean enchiladas // these are a fave for sure!! I made them first while I was pregnant with Harper and they have carried through over the last two years!

 no question it is time consuming to make all these. it took me a good two afternoons. but I tell ya, it was so, so worth it.

a few tips from my experience:

-pull all your recipes, make that big, long grocery list, and knock all your shopping out in one big trip.

-use frozen, diced onions. save yourself from all the chopping.

-make sure you have all the saran wrap, tin foil, disposable pans, and freezer ziplocs you'll need.

-take it one recipe at a time and try to do those that have the same meats back to back.

-recruit your mom or a friend to help.

-being SO pregnant, you might find yourself being SO over it when you're about half way through (I did!)... and remind yourself that you'll be happy you did all this once baby arrives!

freezer meals are our dinner life line right now!

Xoxo

-Brittney

OUR TABLE || banana bread

banana bread. everyone has made it right?! well I hadn't e v e r made a loaf until just recently!

being that I am not a lover of bananas anyway, bread made with bananas certainly didn't sound like something I would ever want to make. so needless to say (since Brandon loves bananas), if they don't get eaten quick enough- they're an unappetizing brown color, and over time in our household many bananas have gone in the trash! 

but that all has changed now :)

there were a few brown bananas sitting on our counter a few weeks ago, so I decided to give it a whirl. and if I ended up not liking it, Brandon and Harper could enjoy all the bread they wanted!

while I was looking through recipes, I ran across one with a picture that showed an icing over the bread.

I was sold.

I settled on this recipe and followed it. for the most part :)

I have a delicious family zucchini recipe that I've made hundreds of times so decided to combine the two recipes a little.

bread ingredients:

5-6 ripe bananas

2/3 cup melted butter

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 tsp vanilla

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp allspice

3 cups flour

icing ingredients:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla

-preheat oven to 350 degrees

-peel and mash bananas. (I put them into the food processor- much quicker!)

-add all (bread) ingredients, except flour until well combined

-slowly add flour

-pour evenly into two 4x8 loaf pans

-bake for 1 hour

-while bread is baking, combine all icing ingredients. pour over bread once it is finished baking.

in some ways almost look forward to when the bananas turn brown now :) and if it's only one or two, I'll throw them in the freezer until I have enough to make bread.

Happy hump day! enjoy!

Xoxo

-Brittney

OUR TABLE || lemon cheesecake pie

This. Lemon cheesecake pie.

the picture truly does no justice to just how delicious it is!

light. creamy. lemony. sweet. (but not too sweet). and the crust. oh the graham cracker crust!

I made this for supper club a few weeks ago and it was a hit!

I've made it a few times now (the first was actually on Harper's first birthday) :) and it is such an easy, go-to dessert. I think Brandon would say this is top in his favorite desserts. and I would agree!

The original recipe is here.  and for the most part I follow it to a T, except for just a couple of my own modifications :) not sure how she gets hers to turn out so yellow! mine never has, but it's still delicious at that.

Here are my modifications:

1. and most important (in my opinion)! make your own crust and do not use a premade one. nothing compares to a homemade graham cracker crust!

recipe I use:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup sugar

6 Tbsp melted butter

-in a bowl, mix all ingredients together with a fork.

-press into a pie pan.

-bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

-let chill for 2 hours before adding pie filling. I throw mine in the freezer if I'm needing this step to be a bit quicker

2. the '2 8 oz bars of cream cheese' I replace one bar with neufchatel cheese.

it's right next to the cream cheese in the grocery isle and is 1/3 of the fat :)

3. for the sour cream - go with fat free

That's it. everything else, just follow the original recipe!

You will love this! 

We still have some leftover pie in the fridge and I'm quite contemplating getting myself a piece now. 

Pie for lunch?? Sounds good to me!

Xoxo

-Brittney

OUR TABLE || turkey meatloaf cups

It's been a little while since I've shared a meal on here. We still have been eating some good meals (here and there). However, it took a heck of a lot more effort on my part during the first trimester! BUT this baby brother and I are now into the second trimester and feeling more alive with energy to get back into the swing of things! and we'll start with sharing this favorite meal :)

During these winter days there really isn't anything like a home cooked meal. Am I right!??

The best is staying inside, enjoying a warm dinner right from the oven, and of course one that little effort and time.

and what's a better comfort food than meatloaf??!

Well the answer to that is these turkey meatloaf cups. I can absolutely promise you won't feel disappointed :)

In the past I made my meatloaf in my bread loaf pan, but discovered that these 'cups' cook more evenly and are easier to serve. This one is a favorite around here and gets thrown into the meal rotation quite frequently. Husband and toddler approved! A win win :)

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey breast

1 lb ground italian sausage

1 medium onion chopped

2 eggs

1 cup milk

3 tbsp dried parsley

1 tbsp dried oregano

salt + pepper to taste

1/4 cup dried italian bread crumbs

4-6 slices of bread*

Glaze Ingredients:

3 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp yellow mustard

1/3 cup ketchup (I like to use the HEINZ no salt added)

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

-Add all ingredients (except slices of bread and 'glaze ingredients') to a large mixing bowl.

-Tear slices of bread into small (dime sized) pieces and add them to the mixing bowl. 

*I save the heels of my loafs of bread, keep them in a bag in the fridge, and then use those in my meatloaf. It allows the bread to dry out a little by the time I am ready to use them for my meatloaf :)

-Now mix all ingredients in the mixing bowl together with your hands until well combined.

-Lightly grease muffin pan.

-Evenly fill all 12 'muffin spots' in your pan with your meat mixture.

-Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour.

-While meatloaf is cooking, mix the glaze ingredients together in a bowl.

-Once meatloaf is done, spoon glaze over each meatloaf cup.

Now add this to your weekly dinner menu and enjoy!!

Xoxo

-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

OUR TABLE || TODDLER FRUIT POPSICLE

I know it's only 'just' January, but there are days I find myself already longing for summer!

the sunshine. the swimming. the summer walks. the food. the flowers. the long days. the bbqs with friends. 

and for Harper... the popsicles!

We've made homemade fruit popsicles and she just looooves them! (and as a dietitian mama these healthy ones give me no guilt in giving to her). She was having them as a snack all the way into November. I'm thinking it's time I make some now just to feel the spirit of summer (this picture here is a couple months old). and I'm certain she won't object. I mean just look at that face :)

So here it is. They are just too easy not to try.

Ingredients:

1 cup frozen fruit (we use mixed berries)

1/2 cup milk

Combine both in a blender until smooth. add more or less milk if you desire a different consistency.

Pour into popsicle molds, insert the stick/handle and freeze.  We like these Nuby Pop Trays. They don't make too big of a popsicle for our little pint-sized-Harper, and have a lip that helps catch the drip! Amen from all the mamas :)

that's it! two very, very healthy ingredients for growing littles in a yummy, mama approved snack!

Enjoy! Cheers to pretending summer is just around the corner ;)

xoxo

-Brittney