Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Easy weeknight meal, Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

:: Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup ::

Happy day after LABOR DAY! Sara and I started school a few weeks ago, but many of our California friends are just starting today. Though, I am extremely jealous that most of my friends were able to enjoy a few more weeks of summer, I am not envious of having to establish the back to school schedule during this incredibly hot week we have ahead. Not to worry friends, we aren’t firing up the oven or stovetop just yet, we are breaking our go to recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup.

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Avocado Toast

Avocado Toast Recipe simplyhappenstance.com #cleaneating #avocadosAvocado Toast //

So… I’ve been on a serious {carb-overload} toast kick. I can’t seem to shake it. I usually start my day with a healthy, protein-packed smoothie, but lately… all I crave is a warm cup of coffee and a buttery piece of toast. {Yikes!} Perhaps not the healthiest way to start my day {insert frown face}. I’ve noticed within an hour or two, my stomach is already growling. I decided it’s best not to fight my craving, but instead… let it ride out. After all, how long can this toast addiction of mine last?

So, in an effort to make my latest obsession a little more nutritious, I gave Gwyneth Paltrow’s recipe for Avocado Toast a try. It’s from her It’s All Good cookbook – a fave of mine! You guys… how have I not been eating this? Not only did I love it… but so did 3 out of 4 of my kids {success, right?}! It reminded me of my husby’s tasty homemade guacamole on toast! PERFECTION, I tell you!

Avocado Toast | simplyhappenstance.com #cleaneating #avocados

As you can imagine, the ingredients are super simple… some healthy bread, mayo, ripe avocados, sea salt, pepper, and a squeeze of fresh lemon.  [Read more…]

Chocolate Ricotta Pudding

Valentine's Day and chocolate go together so why not try this Chocolate Ricotta Pudding with Raspberry Sauce. :: Chocolate Ricotta Pudding ::

Do you have your Valentine’s Day plans all figured out? Menu all planned? If not, don’t fret! This recipe for Chocolate Ricotta Pudding With Raspberry Sauce is a magical end to a Valentine’s Day meal at home. Sara shared, in the guest post recipe of Nutella Cheesecake featured on Simple As That, her favorite Valentine’s Day plans.  She like myself, tends to spend the night-in with the kids and hubby, rather than battle with the prices and the crowds. We both often don’t have the luxury of having our husbands home on holidays, so it makes like easier to make a fun meal at home.  Often times it’s just our kids and us, so dessert has to be the star of the show! [Read more…]

Vanilla Bean Scones

Vanilla Bean Scones {recipe on simplyhappenstance.com}-33Vanilla Bean Scones //

My kids and I love the little Vanilla Bean Scones at Starbucks. Unfortunately, we don’t get them too often, because they tend to run out early in the day. They’re delicious (and clearly we aren’t the only ones who think so)!

Having never made scones before, I decided to search for a ‘copycat’ recipe online. Lucky for me, I came across one that The Pioneer Woman posted some time ago. I wouldn’t describe the recipe as quick and easy, friends… rather, I think it’s a bit labor intensive. (Sort of like the work involved in making homemade sugar cookies, cutting them out, frosting them, etc.) There’s lots of love that goes into creating these little gems, but it makes them absolutely irresistible!

I’m sort of at a loss for words in describing them, but in my (“expert” of all-things-sweet) opinion, they’re the perfect flakey scone texture! The glaze compliments the slightly sweet biscuit, sealing in the moisture. However, the star of the scone is definitely the vanilla bean! Did you know that there are usually 25,000 tiny vanilla seeds in one scraped vanilla bean pod? Amazing! Well, all of those mini flecks add the most intense flavor!  [Read more…]

Chocolate Almond Oat Bars

No Bake Chocolate Almond Bars {simplyhappenstance.com}-44:: Chocolate Almond Oat Bars ::

{no-bake + gluten-free} 

Let’s talk about these chocolate bars! I’ve been trying to cut back on processed sugars over the past year {ok… several years!} It’s not always easy, since I’m the busy mama of four, have a crazy love of baking, and have a total sweet tooth! These days, I try to sweeten the treats I make using raw honey, when I can. I feel so great when I’m able to offer my kids a wholesome, homemade treat using fine, simple ingredients. These Chocolate Almond Oat Bars are just that. 

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Vanilla Spice Donuts With Maple Glaze

Halloween inspired with fall flavors, Vanilla Spice Donuts with Maple Glaze:: Vanilla Spice Donuts With Maple Glaze ::

Who doesn’t love a warm glazed donut? These Vanilla Spice Donuts With Maple Glaze are tasty and full of fall flavors with a hint of Halloween wrapped into one.  Both kids and adults alike love donuts .  I think donuts bring along a sentiment of childhood in all of us.  I remember going to Winchell’s as a kid on a special occasion and being able to pick out the largest apple fritter with a little carton of milk.  I loved that! 

Today, my kids love going to get donuts.  I have over the years built some sentiment into their childhood with us going to get a donut on Sunday morning.  Sometimes, we bike to the store, or walk, either way it’s time with my kids that I have enjoyed.  It gives us an activity to do as my husband is often scheduled to work on family day, Sunday. This particular Sunday, the kids had asked for donuts and I decided it was time to make a homemade version of a simple frosted donut.  These Vanilla Spice Donuts With Maple Glaze are kid friendly and adult approved, oh yeah did I mention, they are baked and not fried. [Read more…]