Go Gluten Free with this Choco-Peanut Butter Cookie Holiday Recipe

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Of the many things that I loved about the holidays growing up, one of my favorites was my mom’s delicious baking. I would sit and help her make her recipes from scratch, often helping myself to licks of batter and bits of cookie dough when I thought she wasn’t looking.  I remember pacing the oven, minutes feeling like an eternity while I eagerly awaited for those gooey, golden-brown disk to be transported from the cookie sheet, dunked in a tall glass of milk and finally, into my mouth.

Now that I am a parent, I have the privilege of  baking sweet treats for my family for the holidays, just like my mom used to do for me so many years ago. However, our tradition was briefly endangered due to the recent birth of our 2^nd baby boy. At 5 months, my wife is still nursing and has been forced into a diet free of gluten in order to appease his volatile stomach, or else face the risk of never sleeping due to a gassy, cranky baby. Not wanting to leave her out of our holiday festivities, I took a basic peanut butter cookie recipe and created an appetizing, gluten-free alternative that everyone can enjoy. I took a trip to my local Price Chopper to pick up the ingredients I needed and so began our experiment. 

Great deals can be found every week with the #HolidayAdvantEdge

 I have to admit that I was doubtful as to whether or not they would be a suitable replacement for our traditional holiday sweet treats, but my uncertainties were immediately put to rest after one bite. They were amazing! Additionally, because there are less ingredients than most cookie recipes with gluten, they were easy to make. Like, ridiculously easy. Don't believe me? Well, check it out for yourself!

Gluten Free Christmas Choco-Peanut Butter Cookies

1 Cup Peanut butter

1 Cup Brown Sugar

1 Egg

Betty Crocker Rich and Creamy Milk Chocolate Frosting

Holiday Sprinkles

1.  In a medium mixing bowl, combine peanut butter, brown sugar and egg.
2. Mix all ingredients until they are well blended.
3. Shape dough into round balls and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Using a fork, gently flatten dough
4. Bake 10 to 12 minutes at 350 F
5. Let cool on a wire rack 10 minutes
6. Decorate with Betty Crocker Frosting and holiday sprinkles

What did I tell you? Was that easy, or what!

It just goes to show you: With a little creativity and some #HolidayAdvantEdge with Price Chopper, you can create some amazing sweet treats that will ensure everyone is included during the holidays!

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Two Holiday Recipes with Price Chopper

Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and its client.


The holidays mean so much to so many different people. It's a time for traditions, both old and new. It's a time for love, family and reflection of all of the positive things in life. It is also a time for food. For most us, it wouldn't be a holiday if we weren't coming together with our loved ones for the preparation and/or consuming of an amazing meal.

In the spirit of this, I have two great Holiday Recipes that I am excited to share with you. To make them, I visited my local Price Chopper and picked up some of the freshest and high quality ingredients.

 The first recipe is a Portuguese kale soup. I discovered this soup for the first time when I ordered it from a local restaurant. My wife and I liked it so much, we decided to try it on our own from scratch and had so much fun figuring it out. What I love about this recipe is it's simplicity as well as it's versatility. Virtually all of the ingredients are interchangeable and can be altered based on your preference. Either way, this recipe is sure to keep you and your family warm during those frightfully cold holiday nights.


Recipe #1: Portuguese Kale Soup
Makes 6-8 servings

Here's what you'll need:

2 tablespoons of  extra-virgin olive oil
2-3 medium potatoes (peeled and diced)
2 medium onions, chopped
4 to 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 pound kale (chopped, preferably fresh but frozen works fine)
Salt and pepper
1 (12-15-ounce) can of red kidney beans
1 can diced tomatoes

1 cup of salsa

2 bay leaves, fresh or dried
1 pound diced chorizo or kielbasa

2 Knorr Chicken Flavored Bouillon Cubes

1 quart of water  

To create the broth: Boil water in large pot and add two Knorr Bouillon Cubes

Heat oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add potatoes, onions and garlic, cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add garlic, bay leaves, and kale to the pot. Cover pot and wilt greens 2-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add kidney beans, salsa, tomatoes, chorizo (or kielbasa), and  pour ingredients into the  pot of broth and bring to a full boil. Reduce heat back to medium and cook 5 to 10 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender.

If you prefer a spicier taste, add pepper flakes or hot sauce to the pot and/or individual serving

The second recipe is a family tradition that we like to call Holiday Pancake Skewers. This particular recipe is kid-friendly because it is easy, healthy, as well as really fun to make. My son and I enjoyed the process from start to finish, as we make messes and memories that will not be wiped away so easily.


Recipe #2: Mini Holiday Pancake Skewers
Makes approx 10 skewers

2 Cups of Bisquick Pancake and Baking Mix
1 Egg
1 1/4 Cups of milk
3 Bananas (Or pancake friendly fruit of your choice)
1 pkg of Blueberries (Or pancake friendly fruit of your choice)
1 Tablespoon of Vanilla Extract
A few sprinkles of cinnamon
Red and Green food coloring 
Approx 20-30 mini skewers (You can cut the pointy ends when working with smaller children) 
1 Can of cooking spray

and most importantly...

1 mischievous assistant!

Instructions:
Using a medium mixing bowl you can easily follow the recipe for pancakes that can be found on the side of the Bisquick box.

First pour in 2 cups of Bisquick mix, then add 1 1/4 cup milk and 1 egg.

Add a few sprinkles, about a teaspoon, of cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract.

Stir until smooth

Place half of batter into an additional bowl (This step will allow you to make two colors of pancakes)

Place 2-3 drops of red food coloring in one bowl, then stir; do the same with the second bowl, only this time, use the green food coloring

Dice one banana into small pieces

Distribute and gently stir 1/4 cup blueberries and 1/2 of the diced bananas each bowl.

Preheat your pan at about medium heat, then apply cooking spray

Pour tiny, silver dollar sized drops of your green and/or red batter into pan. Flip after about a couple of minutes, or until you see bubbles rise. Repeat this step until all batter is used.

While cooking, take two remaining bananas and slice into small circles placing aside for skewers. 

 

When placing mini pancakes and fruit on the skewer you could use the following patten: Pancake, banana, blueberry, pancake, banana blueberry on each individual skewer  or allow your little one to create their own fun pattern until all pancakes have been used

Serve with a side of  maple syrup, jam or all by itself!

With all of this great food, whether it's with family or entertaining guests, I have a feeling that this holiday will be one of the most memorable yet!

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16 Ways you Know You're a Dad

Fatherhood is such a unique experience. Never before have I been so challenged, humbled, afraid and happy, sometimes all at one. From the moment my wife called me with the news that her pregnancy test was positive, I knew my life was never going to be the same.  But the other day, I was thinking; How does one know that they've actually "arrived" as a dad? Is it marked by one defining moment, or by a series of little instances that culminate over time? I thought it would be fun to explore that answer via a trendy, countdown list based on my own experiences:

1. When you login to Netflix, your recommended viewing looks something like this:

2.You can hold a genuine, mature conversation about breasts

3. You never found the color and texture of poop more interesting in your life

4. It's a totally normal occurrence to have someone else’s drool on your clothes, face and sometimes in your mouth

5. When you’re being held up in line because of someone's kid is throwing a tantrum in the grocery store, you aren’t annoyed, but rather relieved that it isn’t your child this time

6. Your Pandora “Quick Mix” ranges from Tupac Shakur, to Raffi’s “Apples and bananas”

Source

7. Child-friendly words like “night-night” and “yummy” will incorporate themselves into adult conversations 

8. The definition of “game time” has evolved from getting ready to watch your favorite sport, to successfully cleaning and changing a wiggly infant after a level 10 diaper blowout.

9. You find yourself daydreaming about catching up on sleep

10. Other people know you’re a dad without you having to tell them, mainly because of your “World’s Greatest Dad” coffee mug, your “#1 Dad” t-shirt, or the “interesting” artwork proudly displayed in your office

11. If you have any tattoos, the majority of them are temporary

12. You're more familiar with the songs on "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" and "Fresh Beat Band" than any current hit on the radio 

13. You babywear, like a freaking BOSS

14.You still love Family Guy and The Simpsons, but you find yourself secretly resenting the main characters for being such crappy fathers

15. Regarding fashion, you tend to value comfort over style.

  

16. It never ceases to amaze you how someone so small can make you feel 1000 feet tall 

(Bonus Round)

17. When you reach into your pocket to grab your wallet, you aren't in the least surprised that you pulled out stickers

 18. When you were younger, you used to stay up all night, mix drinks and help your friends who threw up. Now, you're  STILL up all night, except now you're mixing bottles and cleaning baby throw up.

As fun as this list was to make, I can't say for sure whether or not I am any closer to answering my question than when I started. All I know is that I am fully immersed in my role as a dad and I wouldn't trade this job for anything in the world!

Question: Did I leave anything out? Do you agree/disagree with my list? Comment below!

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