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Aug 53 min read

Classic Puppy Chow

AKA - Muddy Buddies

"Try Puppy Chow for a quick and easy snack. No baking needed, and just a few ingredients. Everything is better when it's homemade!"

This simple delicious treat is something everyone of all ages loves. Chocolate peanut butter and cereal coated in powdered sugar... what is there not to LOVE!?? This base recipe is a blank canvas for you... Add in any little mix ins' your little heart desires... My favorite is chunks of Reeses peanut butter cups and Reeses Pieces... and yes... for all the social media gurus out there... I pronounce them... Reese's Pee-sees! lol WYKYK! You can deffinately play with your food on this recipe... What are you waiting for... go make you some!

Classic Puppy Chow

Servings – 10 Cups Prep Time – 15 Minutes

Ingredients:

8 cups corn, rice or wheat Chex cereal
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, I use Jiff
1 cup milk or semisweet chocolate chips, I like TollHouse or Ghirardelli
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, optional
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar

Optional Additions:

Mini M&M's
Mini chocolate chips
Chocolate Covered Sunflower Seeds
Oreo cookies, chopped
My Homemade Peanut Butter Cups or Reese's peanut butter cups, chopped
Reese's Pieces
Butterfingers candy bar, chopped

Directions:

Measure cereal into a large bowl and set aside.

In a separate large microwave-safe bowl, combine peanut butter, chocolate chips, butter and salt. Microwave in multiple intervals of 15 seconds, stirring in between, until the mixture is melted and smooth.

Mix in vanilla.

Pour over the cereal. Stir well until the cereal is evenly coated. Take care not to crush the cereal while stirring.

Pour half of the cereal mixture into a gallon-sized resealable plastic bag and pour half of the powdered sugar over it. Seal and shake until the cereal is evenly coated. Repeat with the other half of the cereal and powdered sugar. Shake until all the cereal is well coated.

Pour into a large bowl and enjoy! If desired, stir in one or more of the fun fix'ins listed above!

Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature OR freeze and enjoy right out of the freezer!

Notes:

Variation Ideas

One of the best things about this snack is how easy it is to customize for occasions, holidays and even just to things you like. I’ve made lots of Puppy Chow variations over the years and here are my favorites:

Cookies and Cream: A rich, chocolatey snack mix that tastes like an Oreo. Add in crushed Oreo cookie pieces and chunks of cookies and cream Hershey bars.

Double Chocolate Flavored: Use dry brownie mix instead of powdered sugar.

Nutella Flavor: Use Nutella® instead of peanut butter for a different flavor. Add in roasted hazelnut halves for a crunch.

Make It Seasonal: Try fun twists for every season. Fall leaf colored sprinkles with orange and brown M&M's, Valentine colored sprinkles and red, pink & white M&M's, Goblin Goodies purple and green M&M's with eye candies, and Peppermint Bark with crushed candy canes and chunks of peppermint Andie's Mints.

Fruity: Use white almond bark or white melting chocolate (adding a 1/2 cup in addition to) as the coating in place of the chocolate and peanut butter, coat in powdered sugar, add in Fruity Pebbles or Trix cereal pieces with chunks of freeze dried pineapple and strawberries and white chocolate chips. This became a summer favorite in my house when the kids had a lemonade stand!

Switch Up The Cereal: Don’t have Chex cereal? Try Golden Grahams, with mini marshmallows and chocolate chips, or Cookie Crisp with chunks of Chips Ahoy chocolate chip cookies, or even Cinnamon Life cereal with a light dusting of cinnamon and sugar for the coating.

The possibilities are ENDLESS!

Nutrition:

"This recipe is a keeper. I made them as per the recipe, and they were delicious! I even use tostadas for a crispy version!"

CWT is not a certified dietician or nutritionist. Any nutritional information shared on this site is an estimate counted through measurements and package nutritional information used in each recipe. If calorie, macro counting and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through your choice of nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary depending on national brands used per recipe.

Aug 22 min read

Grilled Chicken Ceasar Salad

"This crisp, fresh caesar salad with homemade crispy croutons and perfectly juicy grilled chicken (hello, Spring!) time to start up the grill!"

Grilled Chicken Ceasar Salad

Servings – 4 Prep and Marinade Time – 2 hours Cook Time – 10 Minutes

Ingredients:

Chicken

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 clove garlic, grated
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Dressing

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
1 clove garlic, grated
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Salad

2 heads romaine, roughly chopped
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions:

Chicken:

In a small bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

In a gallon size Ziplock bag or large bowl, combine chicken and olive oil mixture; marinate for at least 2 hours, turning the bag occasionally. Drain the chicken from the marinade.

Preheat grill to medium high heat. (You can also do this in a frying pan if you don't have access to a grill)

Add chicken to grill, and cook, turning occasionally, until chicken is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees, about 4-5 minutes per side. Let cool before dicing into bite-size pieces.

Dressing

In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, buttermilk, Parmesan, garlic, lemon juice, Dijon and Worcestershire; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Salad

To assemble the salad, place romaine in a large bowl; top with chicken and croutons. Pour the dressing on top of the salad and gently toss to combine. Top with Parmesan.

Enjoy!

"I made this for a work potluck and got rave reviews! Chicken caesar salad is not normally a favorite of mine but this recipe is absolutely delicious. Much better than what you typically get in a restaurant. It now has been part of my easy summer dinner rotations for years."

Aug 23 min read

Spinach Pies

"You may have heard of Spanakopita, which is a Greek spinach pie, but have you ever tasted the Italian version? There are several ways to present this delicious dish, whether it is in a loaf shape, or in a hand pie style! All you need for this delicious recipe packed with spinach is pizza dough (homemade or store bought), frozen spinach, olives, garlic, red pepper flakes, olive oil and mozzarella cheese!"

You know you are a Rhode Islander when you know what a "Whimpy Skimpy" is! These have been made at Caserta's Pizza on Federal Hill, since 1946. a R.I. institution!

Only in little Rhode Island are the “pies” pictured above named spinach pies. Anywhere else in the country they would have other names, like calzones. This recipe is similar to my favorite spinach pie served at one of the amazing restaurants in the city I grew up in. Their traditional pies have pepperoni it is a delicious tradition!!

Spinach Pies

Servings – 3 loaves or 6 individual pies Prep Time – 20 Minutes Cook Time – 25 Minutes Ingredients:

12 ounces frozen spinach, chopped and drained - you can also use one bag of fresh spinach. 1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 ounces black olives
1/4 cup olive oil
4lbs pizza dough (store bought or homemade) - made into 6-inch rounds for individual or leave them in 2lb balls to roll out to make a loaf to slice.
12 ounces shredded mozzarella
4 ounces sliced pepperoni

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a large sauce pan over medium heat add a drizzle of olive oil, spinach, garlic, salt, black and red pepper. Once the spinach is fragrant and heated through, add in the olives.

Roll out the large balls of dough into a 12x12-inch squares or the 6" individual balls into 4" flat rounds.

For the 6" calzone style:

Spread the spinach mixture over half of each pizza round. Fold the other side of the dough over the spinach, making a half-moon shape. Do not pinch the ends. Brush the dough lightly with olive oil.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes until light golden brown. Cool slightly (but not totally cold), open the dough to reveal the spinach filling, and then cool completely.

Once cooled, spread the mozzarella to cover each entire pie and top each with the pepperoni. Bake open-face until the cheese melts and bubbles, about 10 minutes. Fold back into a half-moon shape, making sure the spinach is on the bottom, and serve.

For the loaf style:

Spread the spinach mixture over the entire square of dough leaving 1" space from the edges. Add mozzerella cheese, and peperoni pieces. Starting at one end roll dough over spinach rolling into a log shape (like you would with cinnamon rolls). Halfway into rolling pull over the ends to the top of the dough inwards and continue rolling until you come the other end of the dough. Place on baking sheet seam side down. Brush the top of the dough lightly with olive oil.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes until light golden brown. Cool loaf completey.

Once cooled, slice each loaf into 6 slices, showing the spiral side and serve.

"I learned to make these back on the East Coast. When I moved to the South, I missed alot of food I was used to. Even certain ingredients are hard to find or can't get them at all. You improvise and create new recipes, coming very close to the original. When I made these some thought they came from a bakery asking if I had took a trip home. I miss the neighborhood with the Italian/Irish/Portuguese roots I grew up in, so now I just bring it to me! Salute!"

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