Teacher Mom Recipe Ideas

Candy Prescription

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RX Valentine Class Set

We could have bought a box of pre-printed cards to give to classmates for Valentine’s Day, but that would not have been complicated or original enough for my tastes. I had multiple suggestions like Paper Fortune Cookies and Button Paper Clip Bookmarks, but Mr. Star Wars and Miss Priss were having none of it. They just wanted to give a snack size bag of Valentine M&Ms or a box of candy hearts with their name written on the back in Sharpie pen.

We compromised. I cooked up these little Valentine “medicine bottles” that are filled with mini M&Ms. We printed stickers that looked like prescription labels. The labels say, “Heart Medicine” and have a use by date of 2/14/15. I got the satisfaction of a homemade, crafty Valentine, and my kids are happy because it involves candy.

RX Valentine supplies

Materials

  • Mini plastic bottles with lids (I used Bead Landing 6.3″ x 5.3″ x 1.4″ bead storage jars, sold in a box of 30)
  • Mini candies (mini M&Ms, Chiclets, candy coated sunflower seeds, Tic Tacs…)
  • Avery return address labels (2/3″ x 1 3/4″, template 5195)
  • funnel and teaspoon for filling bottles (optional)

Directions

RX Valentine labels

  • Fill each bottle full with candies.
  • Put lid on and tighten.

RX Valentine Chiclets

  • Wrap the label around the jar. The bottom of the label should line up with the base of the jar to help adhere it evenly and not overlap with the lid.

RX Valentine 3 Samples

Notes

  • I bought the plastic bead jars at Michael’s Crafts.
  • The glass jar with the cork lids that I use for many American Girl projects would be a great little bottle for these Valentine gifts. I get the jars with the cork stopper at Hobby Lobby.

XO Happy Valentine’s Day (almost).

RX Valentine finished

Holiday Party Dip

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spicy spinach dipIt’s been a food-a-thon around here. It started with the various holiday treats my students gave me last week, which we have been happily eating. I baked two batches of Christmas cookies over the weekend, and then my in-laws arrived yesterday, and we headed out for a fancy dinner. Cut to this morning when I baked a sour cream coffee cake, turkey chili, spicy spinach dip, and pita toasts. I don’t cook often, but when I do, I mean business.

I served the spicy spinach dip with the pita toasts as an afternoon snack. I would qualify the dip as Super Bowl worthy. I also like the fact that it has a festive feel due to the red tomatoes and green spinach. So, readers, Merry Christmas and happy snacking this holiday season!

spicy spinach dip ingredientsIngredients

  • 2-3 T. chopped jalapenos (I used canned and drained)
  • 3/4 c. chopped green onions
  • 1 10-oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
  • 2 c. seeded and chopped tomatoes
  • 8-oz cream cheese,  softened
  • 2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1/2 c. half and half

Directions

  • Mix all ingredients together. Make sure the cream cheese is blended well.

spicy spinach dip ingredients mixed

  • Pour into buttered ovenproof dish.

spicy spinach dip pre baked

  • Bake at 400 degrees until browned and bubbly (about 20 minutes).

Pita Toast Ingredients

  • 1 package pita bread pockets
  • 1/2 c. melted butter
  • 2 t. lemon pepper
  • 2 t. cumin

pita chipsPita Toast Directions

  • Cut pita pockets into 8 triangles. Separate the triangles into halves.
  • Blend butter, lemon pepper, and cumin.
  • With a pastry brush, spread each piece of pita with butter mixture.
  • Bate at 350 degrees until browned and crisp (about 10 minutes).

pita chips bakedNotes

  • You can use different herbs in the butter mixture for the pita toasts and serve them any time. Italian seasoning is a great replacement for the lemon pepper and cumin. Serve the Italian seasoning pita toasts with soup.
  • The dip can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated. Bake about 10 minutes longer if the dip has been in the refrigerator before it goes in the oven.

spicy spinach bite

A Camping Crumble

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dump cake serving

Last weekend, Mr. Star Wars had his fall camping trip for Boy Scouts. TheRoomDad happened to have his annual guy golf trip planned for the same date (coincidence? perhaps not). I agreed to take Mr. Star Wars to the campout in TheRoomDad’s stead. Little did I know that the temperatures would drop to 37 degrees, and while that is not extreme cold for many parts of the country, it is arctic for us. We live in South Carolina y’all. I barely own mittens.

Mr. Star Wars and I negotiated a deal. We would spend the day at the campout and leave after dinner. Or more specifically, we would leave after dessert. Why dessert? The lure of the Dump Cake. What is Dump Cake? A fruit and boxed cake concoction that is the highlight of every campout (according to Mr. Star Wars). Basically, it is a poor man’s fruit crumble. By the time the sun went down, Mr. Star Wars eagerly accepted my offer to stop at the grocery store to purchase ingredients and make a Dump Cake just for us at home.

We opted for cherry and pineapple, but Mr. Star Wars did briefly consider a blueberry and peach combination. You can choose almost any fruit combination. I am including the recipe we used, but you can substitute any can of fruit pie filling and any can of chopped fruit of the same amounts.

Ingredients

  • 21-oz. can cherry pie filling
  • 15-oz. can crushed pineapple, undrained
  • 1 box white cake mix (or yellow cake mix)
  • 3/4 c. butter (12 T.)
  • vanilla ice cream to top (optional)

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

dump cake mix fruit

  • Dump the cherry pie filling and crushed pineapple in a 9 x 13 in. baking dish and gently stir fruit together.

dump cake add cake mix

  • Sprinkle the cake mix evenly on top of the fruit and make sure it covers the fruit completely.

dump cake with butter

  • Sprinkle slices of butter on top of the cake mix.

dump cake baked

  • Bake for 1 hour or until the top is golden and bubbly.
  • Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

dump cake w ice creamFor those of you anticipating the arrival of many family members for Thanksgiving, you might want this recipe in your back pocket as a back up dessert plan. I am pretty sure it is fail proof. Have a great holiday!

Teacher Birthdays with Coffee Cake

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Teacher birthdays are better with coffee cake. My school has a teacher birthday buddy system. It is basically a birthday version of Secret Santa. People who want to participate secretly draw a name from a hat. On the birthday buddy’s big day, the assigned person anonymously brings a small gift (not to exceed $10) and usually a food treat too that can be shared with the faculty.

nutty sour cream coffee cake

In honor of my buddy’s birthday this week, I got her a small personal gift and baked a nutty coffee cake with a cinnamon sugar center that I left in the staff kitchen. The birthday buddy had the first slice honors and then kindly e-mailed everyone to let them know that a treat was available in the kitchen. When I arrived on the scene at 9:47, there were two slices left. Teachers are always hunting around for a little snack mid morning and/or need a bite to tide them over if they have forgotten to pack a lunch. Teachers love having a group snack appear in the staff room or faculty kitchen.nutty sour cream coffee cake

Coffee Cake Ingredients

  • 1 c. butter, softened
  • 2 3/4 c. sugar, divided
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 c. flour
  • 1 T. baking powder
  • 1/4 t. salt
  • 2 c. sour cream
  • 1 T. vanilla
  • 2 c. chopped pecans
  • 1 T. cinnamon

Coffee Cake Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Cream butter and 2 c. sugar. Add eggs then sour cream and vanilla.
  • Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl.
  • Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients.

nutty sour cream coffee cake

  • In a third bowl, combine remaining 3/4 c. sugar, chopped nuts, and cinnamon.

nutty sour cream coffee cake

  • Spray bundt pan with Pam. Spoon half of the batter into the pan and spread gently with a spatula to level the batter. Sprinkle 3/4 of the nut mixture on the batter.

nutty sour cream coffee cake

  • Pour the remaining batter over the nut mixture and gently smooth the top. Sprinkle the remaining nut mixture on top.

nutty sour cream coffee cake

  • Bake for 1 hour. Let sit for ~20 minutes and then invert the bundt pan onto a plate.

nutty sour cream coffee cakeRecipe Notes

  • Speaking from experience, the baking powder ingredient is important. It is NOT baking soda. There is a difference!
  • Make sure the bundt pan is greased well or the cake will not come away from the pan cleanly. Pam spray seems to be the most reliable to get the cake out of the pan. I have also tried greasing the pan with Crisco and greasing/flouring the pan and have had the cake break apart when I invert onto the cake plate.

nutty sour cream coffee cake

 

 

Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Dip

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roasted red pepper dip

Our infamous event planner neighbor, Ms. Jackie, went above and beyond for her latest party. She hosted an 80s prom night last night in her backyard oasis, Possum Grove. She even rented a dance floor and had a balloon arch photo area. In honor of this big event, I cooked up a new party dip to share with guests rather than making one of my old reliables. This hot and cheesy roasted red pepper dip was better than I expected. I think throwing the bacon bits on the top before baking really elevated the flavor satisfaction levels.

The cream cheese base in this dish reminds me of the Hot Artichoke Dip and the Charleston Cheese Dip, which have always been favorites of mine. If you need appetizer ideas for football watching this fall or are cooking for a cocktail party with friends, I recommend this roasted red pepper dip recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 c. mayonnaise
  • 2 T. finely chopped onion
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4-5 sun dried tomatoes, drained and chopped (~4 oz)
  • 1/3 c. chopped roasted sweet red peppers
  • 1 c. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
  • 1 c. shredded Italian cheese blend
  • 1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
  • 3 cooked bacon slices, crumbled
  • Ritz and/or Club crackers for serving

Directions

  • In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, onion, and garlic until blended.

roasted red pepper dip base

  • Stir in tomatoes, red peppers, mozzarella cheese, Italian cheese blend, and 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese.

roasted red pepper ingredients

  • Spread mixture in a greased baking dish. I used an oval baking dish, but a 9-inch pie pan would work too. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese and bacon bits.

roasted red pepper pre baked

  • Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes until edges are bubbly and lightly browned.
  • Serve warm with crackers.

Notes

  • Can be doubled.

roasted red pepper dip bite