The Week We Eat Cheese

 

You have probably seen this popular meme that is all over the internet every year at this time. I'm not sure who the original creator is so I can credit it. Does anyone know? 

This meme is so popular though, because it is so TRUE! For many people this week is time off from work, the days blend together, and we are snacking on all the leftover treats. 

We still have not made all of our holiday treats yet at our house though, we have one more holiday celebration and then New Year's Eve to plan for.  

**this post contains affiliate links 

This year we got some really cool new presents that I will be able to use to make yummy things, and share more recipes on the blog.  The one I am most excited about is our Gourmia Dual Basket Air Fryer. There are so many cool features that this air fryer can do.  It addition to being an air fryer, it can roast, bake, dehydrate, broil, reheat, and keep food warm.  Each of the dual baskets have their own controls, so you can make two things at once with different temps, or use both the same for an extra large batch. There are so many cool recipes in their booklet and online.  I can't wait to start using it, and and sharing my recipes on the blog. 

In the meantime if you are looking for a great air fryer recipe for New Year's Eve, here are two of my favorites. 

Air Fryer Stuffed Potato Skins

and Air Fryer Cheesy Stuffed Mushrooms

This gift came with raving reviews from my boyfriend's mom.  She liked her MyMini Egg Cooker so much that she bought us all one.  After we opened our gifts, she gave us a demo on how to make the perfect hard boiled eggs. (its simple and quick!)   This mini appliance also has a special tray to make omelets. I will be sharing some deviled egg and omelet recipes soon.  

The last gift was this Oster Diamondforce Waffle Maker. We really like waffles, but did not have a good waffle maker.  I used to have one several years ago, but I am not sure what happened to it. It's possible it is packed away with some of my things in storage.   A few years back I had a waffle week where I shared recipes you can make with a waffle maker. 

One of those recipes was this Bacon, Egg and Cheese Sandwich Waffle.  

Another interesting thing we tried was to make this Tater Waffle in the waffle maker out of tator tots. We really liked them this way, even if they did not stay together as one piece very well.  

Did you get any new presents that you are excited about? I would love to hear about them. 

   

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The Benefits of an Every Plate Meal Box

Meal box unboxing day 

My daughter and I decided to try a meal box for the first time about 2 months ago. I had heard that Every Plate was very affordable, so when I saw a special deal I signed us up.  We are currently on our 5th and 6th box, and we have been very happy about the side benefits that we were not expecting.  I recently asked for my daughters thoughts, and I found she liked receiving it for many of the same reasons as I did.  

Loaded Baked Potato Chowder  

My Favorite Reasons 

Cost  - The cost of three meals for two people is cheaper than eating out once at a chain restaurant.   The final cost per week is less than $20 per person for the entire week, and that's with shipping included. I am also spending less on groceries since I have to buy less at the store.  

Healthier Meals -  On nights when I had a long day, I have been known just to throw some kind of frozen food in the oven or air fryer and call it good.  They were not usually the healthiest choices.  We are eat A LOT more vegetables with our meals in our Every Plate box. 

Apricot Glazed Pork Chops 

Trying New Things -  I have to admit, I am not exactly adventurous when it comes to food. When I eat out, I have my regular menu choices at most of the places we eat on a frequent basis. I also have my mainstays in what I buy at the store.  Every Plate has a lot of menu choices we have not tried before, and I have been eating meals that I probably would not make on my own if I didn't have a meal box. 

Convenience -  Our Every Plate box arrives at our door on the delivery day we choose.  It is nice not to have to run to the store to go pick out something to eat for dinner. I know I already have everything I need for dinner right in my refrigerator. 

Time Spent Together - The last couple of years, my almost 20 year old daughter and I have not spent a lot of time doing things together. We don't always want to do the same things, so she would not go anywhere. She has also had a few years where she was dealing with bad anxiety and depression, and didn't want to leave her room.  She has been feeling a lot better lately, and we both enjoy cooking the meals as a team.  She cuts all the produce, while I am usually the one at the stove.  

Recipe Cards - We receive a recipe card with every meal.  Several of the recipes we have tried have been so delicious, we know we want to make them again.  We can make them anytime we want to, since we have the recipe.  There have been several glazes and sauces that we have loved that we can easily make and use with other meals.

Red Hot Ranch Chicken Sandwich and Spiced Potato Wedges 

My Daughters Reasons

Like Old Times/Time With Mom - When my daughter was young, she loved helping in the kitchen.  She told me that cooking dinner with me several nights a week makes her happy, because it reminds her of good memories of when she was a kid. 

Portion Control -  While the portions are big, and we do not always finish them, overall there is less waste and leftovers than meals we would make on our own.  

Variety -  She likes the variety of the meals, and trying things she normally would not try.  

Extras - We don't always finish off all the spices and seasonings.  We are able to keep it and use at a later time on something else.  

Eco - Friendly - My daughter would like to save the planet. She likes recycling, and not having a lot of waste.  The meals are shipped in boxes, and with recyclable freeze packs. 

Farmers Market Penne 

There are only a couple of small things that we wish were a little different, but they are minor.    I don't like hot, spicy food, and my stomach is not happy when I eat it either.  There have been some recipes that I would have like to try, but they only came in a spicy option.    My daughter's wish is that there were more veggie options.  Over the last several months she has decided to go more vegetarian, and has cut back on eating many meats. Every Plate does have some vegetarian options each week, but she would like to have more.   

There has been a couple of weeks that we have skipped.  It is easy to do on the website where you choose your meals.  We have done so on weeks when we were going to be too busy to make meals, or could not agree on three meals for the week.  

Would you like to try Every Plate?  They have a special promotion going on where you can get $20 off your first box. 

You can find out more and get your special reduced price box here. You may find that there are special benefits for you and your family too. 

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Quick and Easy Air Fryer Cheesy Stuffed Mushrooms

I am having a lot of fun trying new recipes out in my air fryer.  Recently Aldi had a  sale on their mushrooms, so I decided to try to make some Cheesy Stuffed Mushrooms.

We already had all of the ingredients I wanted to use on hand for my mushrooms.  In a small mixing bowl, I mixed up a half brick of cream cheese, a handful of cheddar cheese, and a half bag of Aldi's bacon pieces. I also added a little bit of garlic salt, though you can not really see it in the picture. 

When I was mixing up the cheese and bacon mixture, I decided to add some of the mushroom stems as well. 

I generously stuffed the mushrooms with the cheese mixture. 

I placed them in the air fryer basket  I cooked them for about 10 mins at 360 degrees.  Time and temp may vary a little depending on the fryer you use.  It does not hurt to check on the mushrooms about half way through the cooking period. 

These mushrooms were SO GOOD!! My daughter and I may have eaten all of them.  They would definitely be a good easy appetizer for parties, friend get-togethers or just because.  I have a feeling I will be asked to make these often. 

If you have been thinking about getting an air fryer, but haven't done so yet, I highly recommend one. It was a little intimidating at first, but we love it. I bought mine from Kohls on sale with with a coupon. (Kalorik 3.5 quart, regular price $119.99)  I could not find the same one on Amazon, but found some that are similar to mine that are also a good price.  (these are affiliate links) 

      Kalorik XL Air Fryer Pro

      Costway 3.5 quart Air Fryer

        Ultrean 4.2 quart Air Fryer

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Lots of Strawberry Recipes

Recently while at Aldi getting groceries, they had these amazing massive strawberries on sale. I bought a few containers because they looked so good, and I knew I could freeze some for later.  These berries inspired me to post and  my past strawberry recipes.  It looks like I have some baking to do in the very near future.  

Chocolate Strawberry Muffins

Strawberry Bread

Quick and Easy Strawberry Pie

Homemade Strawberry Jam

Strawberry Shortcake Cake

Banana Split Pudding Parfaits

Happy Baking!! 

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Air Fryer Stuffed Potato Skins

I recently bought an air fryer from Kohls that was on sale with a 30% coupon.  It was normally $119.99 on sale for $59.99.  After the 30% coupon and free shipping  code, I only paid about $37 with tax.  I had been thinking of getting one for awhile, so at the price it was too good to pass up.  

Today while looking for something to make for dinner, I saw a bag of baking potatoes that we needed to use.  We also had cheese and bacon so I thought why not make some stuffed potato skins. I was a little nervous using the fryer for the first time but once I realized how easy it is, I was hooked.

I started with 6 washed medium potatoes, which would make 12 potato skins.  I baked them in the microwave, but you can bake them any way your prefer. 

I cut them in half lengthwise and scooped out the potato flesh. They were not the prettiest, but since I was not serving it for something special it did not have to look perfect. 

I split the potatoes into two batches. I placed each batch in the fryer for about 3-4 minutes at 390 degrees to crisp the skin just a bit before filling them.  

For the filling I used the scooped out potatoes, 6 pieces of bacon cut into pieces, and a large handful of cheese. I never measure cheese, I just put in what looks good to me. (our family loves cheese)  I also sprinkled on a little bit of salt and pepper.  What is great about a recipe like this is you can customize it and  add whatever ingredients you want it to the filling. 

I cooked the batches of stuffed potatoes for about 5 minutes each. I sprinkled on a little more cheese on top, and then turned the fryer on for one more minute to melt it. 

There was a little bit of filling leftover, it is going to be added to some eggs in the morning.  

There was a bag of BBQ chicken wings in the freezer, which made for an excellent companion to the stuffed potato skins.  This was such and easy and delicious meal to make, that I will definitely be making it again.  

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Recipes for Kids (Cooking with Kyle)

Long time readers may remember a series I did a few years back called Cooking with Kyle.  My son was interested in cooking and came up with several kid friendly recipes and shared them on the blog.  Well Kyle is all grown up now, and in college.  He still likes to cook, and helps out making meals occasionally  on days I am working.  While we are sheltering in place, making lots of meals and trying to find things for our kids to do, I thought it would be the perfect time to share a roundup of our Cooking with Kyle recipes.  If you have a kid that wants to give cooking a try, here they are. 

Chicken Salad Surprise

This was his first recipe all the way back in early 2012. He came up with his own Chicken Salad recipe and added a healthy surprise.  He was so proud of himself, and I remember it tasting really good. 

Breakfast Burritos

His second recipe was also a big success.  His burritos had mushrooms, sausage, and cheese, but you can make them with whatever ingredients you have on hand. 

Grilled Turkey and Cheese Sandwiches

Kyle still loves turkey and cheese sandwiches, he just does not always take the time to grill them. 

Bean and Cheese Burritos

What can I say?  Kyle really likes Burritos.  In this recipe he made some for dinner.  

Ham and Cheese Bundles and Deviled Eggs

In this post you get two recipes in one, and some silly pictures. 

Cheesy Chicken Legs

This recipe was quick and easy and tasted really good. I am not sure if they still make Fresh Takes, but I am sure there is some there are similar breading kits out there. 

Marinated Pork Chops

Look at that face! LOL!  He was smiling at the beginning of the recipe. We really liked these marinated pork chops, and it looks like it is about time to make them again.  

Cheese Fries

This time it was not a full meal, but a warm yummy snack. 

Chicken Marsala

A quick and easy healthy meal.  

Pizza Bites

Don't have pizza rolls in the house? This recipe shows you how to make your own and they are DELICIOUS! 

Chocolate Strawberry Muffins

Another delicious recipe that we will need to make again soon. They really disappeared fast during the photo shoot. 

Homemade Egg Potato Salad

A great side dish for the Cheesy BBQ Sliders below 

Cheesy BBQ Sliders

These are really good, and kid size. 

Homemade Pizza

This recipe was not your usual pizza.  Kyle put a twist on it, so there was something for everyone. 

I hope you enjoyed this round up of Cooking with Kyle recipes.  Some of them we forgot about, so we need to try them again.   In the next few days I will also be doing a round up for Crafting with Kara posts for those kid crafters out there.  

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