S'mores Cups

Happy National S'mores Day! Ok, so it's probably not a national holiday, but I like to pretend everyone gets the day off to enjoy the deliciousness of sugar and carbs. Unfortunately, I don't go camping and I'm nowhere near a bonfire. You aren't either, huh? That's ok, you don't have to in order to eat these mini s'mores cups! My husband said they're the best thing I've ever made and he'd pay to eat them again, they're that crazy good. However, they are the messiest thing I have ever made, from beginning to end. You have been warned.


If you like s'mores, here's what you'll need to make s'mores cups:

* Graham crackers (I used 8 long pieces which probably could have made 10 or 11 mini s'mores but I just made 6)
* 1/2 cup of milk chocolate chips
* Marshmallows (since I made 6 cups, I only needed 3 marshmallows)
* 2 Tablespoons of butter




Start by crushing your graham crackers. Don't have a food processor? Neither do I. I prefer hammers.

Once they're thoroughly crushed, melt your butter and combine the two in a bowl. Here's where the messiness began.

Attempt to pour in the crumbs into your greased up mini muffin tin and make a little divot in each with your fingers. You will most certainly make a mess, but it's ok. Messes are fun. And delicious.

Brush off the excess and stick in the oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. While they're baking, prepare your chocolate chips and marshmallows. Each cup will get 4 chocolate chips and half of a marshmallow.

Once they're done baking, put 4 chocolate chips in the center and then place your half marshmallow (sticky side down) directly on top of the chocolate chips (which are probably starting to melt).

Stick the pan back in the oven for another 3 minutes. When you take them out, your marshmallows will have grown in size and will be nice and fluffy. Let them cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pan.

Melt your remaining chocolate chips in the microwave for 30-45 seconds, drizzle over the marshmallows, and top with your extra graham cracker crumbs. Warning: you will want to eat these over a plate, a napkin, or something because even eating them will be very messy but oh so gooey and delicious!

Why can't we have more holidays like this?

TOTAL COSTS: About $8 (if you don't have any ingredients - prices from Vons)
$1.67 for marshmallows
$2.50 for graham crackers
$2.50 for chocolate chips
$.99 for butter

TOTAL AMOUNT OF TIME: About 30 minutes

EASY-PEASY SCALE (1 super easy - 5 very difficult): 2 out of 5
I wouldn't say they're difficult, they're just very messy. Be careful not to burn the cracker crusts, or burn the chocolate while it's melting in the microwave. Other than that, they're easy enough and, dare I say, more delicious than a conventional s'more!

Pancake Bites (Banana, Strawberry, Blueberry, and Chocolate Chip!)

I get up every morning at 6:25am so I can be ready for work at 6:30am. I work from home, did I mention that? Well, even in my half-awake state, I hate making breakfast. I'm lucky if I'm able to get a bowl of cereal together without forgetting an ingredient (you laugh but it has happened). I saw this Pancakes Bites idea floating around Pinterest and everyone seems to have their own take on it (gluten-free, vegan, etc.) so I decided to make try these out and see which flavor tasted the best. Now I challenge you to do the same - the best part? If you can't eat them all, stick 'em in the fridge and have 'em for breakfast tomorrow!

I wanted to try different filling ingredients (even though I prefer my pancakes plain) so here's what I tried:

*Bananas
*Strawberries
*Blueberries
*Mini chocolate chips

Start by preheating your oven to 350 and make your pancake mix however you like (here is a gluten-free and vegan-friendly recipe, if that's your thing). I wanted to make 12 mini pancake bites so I used 1 Cup of Bisquick, almost 1/2 Cup of milk, and 1 egg. Once it's whipped together, grease up your mini muffin pan and fill as equally as possible.

Next, add your fillings without overflowing. The key is to push them all the way to the bottom but also leave some on top.

Bake for 12 minutes (or until you think they're ready) and if you filled them to the top, they're going to puff up like little muffins.

Be sure to have some maple syrup on hand for dipping, otherwise they're a little bland. Here are my notes after trying them all:

*Banana = with maple syrup, really freakin' good, which surprises me. Husband agrees. Both say this is #1
*Blueberry = not bad but my least favorite. Husband says this is his #2 favorite.
*Chocolate = also really freakin' good. This is my #2. Husband not in the mood for chocolate. I say he has no soul.
*Strawberry = juicy inside, wish I added more strawberries to make even juicier

And there you have it kids - an easy, no mess solution to breakfast. Now I'm off to my fridge to make some more!

TOTAL COSTS: About $20 (if you don't have any ingredients - prices from Vons)

$3.50 for Bisquick

$2.29 for milk

$2.79 for eggs (though I only used 1)

$.69/lb for bananas

$3.99 for strawberries
$3.99 for blueberries
$2.50 for mini chocolate chips

TOTAL AMOUNT OF TIME: 22 minutes

10 minutes of prep (though if you don't use 4 different flavors, it'll go by faster!)

12 minutes of baking

EASY-PEASY SCALE (1 super easy - 5 very difficult): 1 out of 5

They're so easy to make, you have no excuse not to try them. Seriously, if you have leftovers, you can stick 'em in the fridge and save 'em for when you're too lazy to make breakfast!

Mini Egg and Spinach Quiches

So I bought this mini muffin tin from Bed, Bath & Beyond and was trying to think of what I could use it for. The mini donuts post I did was a big hit, but what would be a healthier breakfast item? I stumbled upon this post from TwoPeasAndTheirPod and thought it was perfect - mini egg quiches! It's so versatile because you can add/remove whatever ingredients you like.

To start things off, gather your ingredients. I used:


4 egg whites (instead of 5)
2 whole eggs
1/4 cup of milk (I used 2% but skim works too)
1/4 cup of chopped spinach
1/4 cup of shredded cheese (Cheddar, Mexican blend, you name it!)
Salt and pepper
2 red potatoes (I added this instead of adding a meat, like sausage or bacon)

Note that this will be enough to make 12 mini quiches or 6 regular muffin tin quiches.


Start by preheating your oven to 350 and whisk together your egg whites, eggs, milk, salt, and pepper.

Chop up your spinach and add it to your egg mixture, then pour into your mini muffin tin (I found it worked best to use the 1/4 cup or a spoon to pour into the tin). Try not to have them filled to the top, since you're going to be adding more ingredients and you don't want them to spill over!

Next, sprinkle cheese on top. The more cheese, the better I say!

Feel free to add chopped up pieces of potatoes, sausage, peppers, onions, whatever your heart desires! Be careful, though, not to let it spill over.

Stick in the oven for 20 minutes and very carefully remove them from the tin using a knife or fork (so you don't burn yourself). My husband and I decided to eat these for dinner one night and we were full, so 12 mini quiches can definitely fill up 2 people!

Add some hot sauce, ranch, or ketchup or put them in a plastic bag and stick them in the freezer for later so you can pop in the microwave for an easy breakfast anytime!

TOTAL COSTS: $10 (+ 2lbs. of potatoes - optional)
$2.79 for eggs
$2.29 for milk
$1.99 for spinach
$2.99 for shredded cheese
$4.49 for 2 lbs. of red potatoes (and I only used 2 potatoes)

TOTAL AMOUNT OF TIME: 35 minutes
15 minutes of prep
20 minutes of baking

EASY-PEASY SCALE (1 super easy - 5 very difficult): 1 out of 5
This is something I could easily make again and save for later - they're not messy to eat, a great source of healthy vegetables and protein, and are quick and easy to make!

Mini Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins

I'm from Kalamazoo, MI (odd name, I know) but they're home to some of the best donuts (doughnuts?) in the country - Sweetwater's Donuts. I have found no real comparison in Los Angeles, so when I saw this recipe on AverieCooks, I thought I'd make my own as a nice morning treat with a cup o' coffee. If you have half an hour to spare and a mini muffin tin, you should definitely give these a shot (I may or may not be typing with one hand with a mini doughnut in the other...)

To make 24 mini donuts, you'll need:
1 large egg
5 Tablespoons of softened unsalted butter
1/4 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
3/4 cup of buttermilk (I used 2% and they came out fine)
1 1/4 cup of flour
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
Pinch of salt

For the sugar coating you'll need:
3 Tablespoons of melted unsalted butter
1/4 cup of sugar
1-2 teaspoons of cinnamon (the more cinnamon you use, the darker they'll look)

Start by preheating your oven to 350 and spray the inside of your mini muffin pan with PAM.

Add the egg, butter, sugars, and vanilla to a stand mixer and beat until it's light and fluffy. Be sure to scrape the sides to it's all whipped together. Add the (butter)milk and beat to combine.

Add the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt on low until just incorporated. Expect it to be a little lumpy and thick.

Add the mixture to your mini muffin pan until each cavity is 3/4ths of the way full.

Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until you can insert a toothpick and the center comes out clean. Let them cool for 10 minutes in the pans before removing, at which point, you can make your sugar coating.

To make the sugar coating, use two bowls - one with the melted butter (about 20 seconds in the microwave should do it), the other with the sugar and cinnamon. Do not combine the two!

Once the donuts have cooled, dip the tops into the melted butter bowl and then roll around in the cinnamon sugar bowl so the tops are completely covered. If you want to cover the entire donut with cinnamon sugar, just make sure you melt enough butter and have enough cinnamon sugar on hand! Note that depending on how much cinnamon you use will depend on how dark the donuts look.

You can eat these right out of the oven, refrigerate them for later, or freeze them for up to 3 months for another morning snack (though to be honest, I'd be surprised if these lasted for more than a couple days in any household!)

TOTAL COSTS: About $24 (if you don't have any ingredients - prices from Vons)
$2.79 for eggs (though you only need one)
$.99 for butter
$2.69 for sugar
$2.29 for milk
$3.29 for flour
$4.79 for cinnamon
$1.99 for baking powder
$3.98 for nutmeg
$.99 for salt (though you only need a pinch)
Used homemade recipe for brown sugar and vanilla extract

TOTAL AMOUNT OF TIME: 30 minutes
15 minutes to prep mini donuts
10 minutes to bake
10 minutes to cool
5 minutes to dip all in butter and cinnamon sugar

EASY-PEASY SCALE (1 super easy - 5 very difficult): 2 out of 5
The hardest part is making sure they don't burn in the oven but as long as you keep an eye on them, they'll be fine. My favorite part? They're enjoyable for any season!