3 "C" Cookies -- Crispy, Crunchy and Chewy

Sometimes you need a break from the traditional cookie recipes you bake all the time, and this recipe is just what you have been looking for. It's simple to throw together, it makes a bunch, they freeze beautifully, and they are delicious. The texture and buttery flavour of these cookies is EVERYTHING!

To make these cookies, you'll need:

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup oil

1 cup softened butter (not melted)

1 egg

1 tsp real vanilla

3 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cream of tartar

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup sweetened, shredded coconut

1 cup Rice Krispies

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Beat together: white sugar, brown sugar, oil, butter, egg, and vanilla together.

3) In a separate bowl, mix the flour, salt, baking soda, cream of tartar, oats, coconut and Rice Krispies.

4) Mix the two bowls of ingredients together.

5) Roll into ball, and flatten with a fork.

6) Bake until lightly brown in colour (approximately 10 minutes).

For a closer look at how I make these cookies, check out the short YouTube video here.

Seriously... sooooo yummy!

These cookies are fantastic for school lunches, and I love mine with a cup of coffee or tea. If you give them a try, let me know what you think. 

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also like the cookie recipes here.

5 Tips for Making School Lunches that Kids will Actually Eat

We're a couple of months into the new school year, and lunches are already starting to get a little boring. Am I right?!? Are you looking for a few fresh ideas? Today, I am sharing 5 tips for making school lunches that kids will actually eat.

1) Make snacks for lunch - My kids love things that are easy to grab and eat, and serving snacks for lunch works perfectly. Some people opt for fancy Bento boxes, but my older kids prefer a collection of individual dishes. It also makes it easy to hit all the different food groups and create a balanced lunch.

2) Make breakfast for lunch - My kids love breakfast foods, so taking french toast or pancakes in a thermos is always a popular lunch option. Cereal is a simple choice too!

3) Stock the freezer with homemade goodies - I love having individually wrapped goodies in the fridge ready to pop in the lunch boxes. My kids love taking homemade biscuits and cookies.

4) Mix up some smoothies - Smoothies are wonderful healthy options, but making them in the morning can be time consuming. Making them in bulk and freezing them in these jam jars is perfect. Check out the full "how to" here.

5) Include a sweet treat - A sweet treat is something for kids to look forward to receiving in their lunch box, and it can be a good motivator for encouraging them to eat the healthy items. In our house, the rule is that the cookie can't be eaten unless the other items are eaten too. Clever, right?!?

I love finding new, creative, and EASY ideas for kid's lunches, don't you? What are your favourite ways to add variety and fun to lunch boxes? It's a long school year, so I can use as much help as I can get! 

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

The BEST Homemade Frozen Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Is there anything better than warm cookies right of the oven? My boys are obsessed with my homemade chocolate chip cookies, but it's not always convenient to serve them straight from the oven. That's why I love having frozen balls of chocolate chip cookie dough "ready to go" in the freezer. If you haven't tried this little trick, you are missing out!

I start by mixing up my favourite chocolate chip cookie dough recipe. You can find the full recipe here.

I use a cookie scoop to place balls of cookie dough onto a cookie sheet covered with a sheet of parchment paper. Then, I cover the cookie balls with a piece of plastic wrap, and place them in the freezer until frozen... about 4 hours or overnight. 

You can find the inexpensive cookie scoop I use here. (affiliate link)

When the cookie balls are completely frozen, they can be placed in a freezer bag until you are ready to bake them. (Cookie dough can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months if it is wrapped well.)

When you are ready to bake the cookies, just place the frozen cookie balls on a cookie sheet, and bake like you normally would... adding a couple of minutes to the cooking time. They are soooo delicious!

I love this process for making chocolate chip cookies, but you could use it with other recipes too. 

It's so wonderful having cookie dough in the freezer "ready to go". It's perfect for surprise visitors, after school treats, and school lunches.

Give it a try. I guarantee you won't be disappointed!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also like this recipe for oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

Pantry Pancake Mix... with free printable tags

When it comes to cooking for my busy family, I love a good shortcut. It's always helpful to have ingredients for quick meals in my pantry, so this "make ahead" pancake mix is wonderful. It's great to have on hand for making a quick breakfast before school... and the leftover pancakes can be cut up and popped in a thermos for a simple school lunch.

To make pantry pancake mix:

Mix the following dry ingredients in a bowl, and use a funnel to put the mixture into a jar:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 white sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt

Then, add a fun tag to the jar. 

To print the tags I designed: click on the picture below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8x10 photo.

When you are ready to make the pancakes:

1) Dump the contents of the jar into a bowl.

2) Add:

• 1/4 cup melted (cooled) butter.
• 2 cups buttermilk (or 2 tbsp vinegar and enough milk to make 2 cups)
• 2 eggs

3) Stir (just until most of the lumps are gone).

4) Add approximately 1/4 cup batter to a buttered/heated skillet.

5) Cook pancakes on one side until bubbles appear, and then flip.

6) Cook the other side until lightly browned.


We serve our pancakes with maple syrup and fruit, and they are delicious!

Pancakes are fantastic served fresh, but you can make them ahead of time and freeze them too. 

Let them cool, put them in a freezer bag, and place them in the freezer. When you are ready to eat them, pop them in the microwave for about 30 seconds or reheat them in the toaster.

I absolutely love having this homemade pancake mix in my pantry. It's simple to make and the pancakes are light and fluffy.

My kids love pancakes, and I love a good shortcut, so this pantry pancake mix is perfect for my family. What's in your pantry that you couldn't live without? Do you have any good mealtime shortcuts to share? I'm always looking for new ideas.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Find more family friendly recipes here.

First Day of School Lunchbox Treat... with free printable tags

The first day of school is a special day that requires an extra special treat. This little lunchbox treat is perfect for a child's luncbox, and it is wonderful for kids to share with classmates too. I'm even sharing the "punny tag" for free for you to use below.

My kids love Fruit by the Foot, so I thought it was the perfect first day of school treat to include in their lunches this year. To add some extra cuteness, I designed a "Put Your Best FOOT Forward" tag to attach to the treat.

Seriously, isn't it cute? Who doesn't love a good pun?

To download the tags I designed for free: click on the picture below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4x6 photo.

And it's simple to make a bunch to share with friends and classmates too!

Do you have a special first day of school lunchbox treat you like to share? I think these "Froot by the Foot" treats are simple and cute, don't you?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

I love a good cookie recipe... and so do my boys. Chocolate chip cookies are a staple around here, but these soft and chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are also a favourite. The cookies freeze well too, so they are great for packing up individually, freezing, and popping in my boys' lunch boxes.

Here's the recipe for my favourite soft and chewy chocolate chip oatmeal cookies:

Ingredients:

1 cup butter (softened... not in the microwave)
1 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2  teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups quick cooking oats
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2) In a large bowl, cream together: butter, brown sugar, and white sugar.
3) Beat in eggs (one at a time)
4) Add vanilla.
5) In a separate bowl, whisk together: flour, baking soda, oats, cinnamon, and salt.
6) Mix wet and dry ingredients.
7) Stir in chocolate chips.
8) Drop by heaping spoonful onto an ungreased cookie sheet. (I use a small cookie scoop.)
9) Bake for 12-14 minutes. Allow to cool, and transfer onto a wire rack.

If you love a soft and chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, you are going to love this recipe. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Lunchbox Shortcuts for busy moms and dads

Packing healthy lunches doesn't need to be stressful for busy moms and dads. Sometimes a few little shortcuts is all that is needed to make life a lot easier. Today, I am sharing a few lunchbox shortcuts that will help you make school lunches like a boss!

1) Pre-made or "make ahead" smoothies - My boys are always in a rush to get outside and play, so they like when I pack them things that they can eat quickly. Smoothies are perfect!

Hans Dairy* makes a pre-made smoothie with all natural ingredients that your little ones are sure to love. My boys are big fans of the strawberry flavour.

Or you can make a big batch of homemade smoothies, stick them in the freezer, and pop them in the kids' lunchboxes each morning.

2) Lunch of snacks - My boys aren't huge fans of sandwiches, so I often fill their lunches with their favourite healthy snacks. Using individual containers makes it easy to customize lunches for picky eaters. Check out this lunch of carrot sticks, strawberries, Hans Dairy's* rice pudding, a hard boiled egg, pretzels, applesauce, and a homemade ginger cookie. 

A yogurt parfait is another fantastic choice for a healthy lunch that feels like a snack. You can mix fresh fruit and Hans Dairy* natural yogurt with some granola for a tasty and nutritious lunch that kids will love!

3) Quick grab bins - When it comes to making lunches, a little prep goes a long way. Pack your own single serving snacks and lunch staples in bins so that the contents can be easily "popped" into lunch bags.

4) Fill a freezer - Filling a freezer with individually packed homemade goods can save time and money... and it will help you avoid filling lunch boxes with processed snacks that contain unwanted preservatives. Freezer staples in our house include: lunchbox biscuits, chocolate chip cookies, and ginger cookies.

What are your favourite lunchbox shortcuts? I hope you find my tips helpful, and I encourage you to check out Hans Dairy's* healthy choices for school lunchboxes. You can feel good about their products because they are free of any artificial sugars, flavourings, colourings, and preservatives.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

*Disclosure: I have partnered with YMC and Hans Dairy and have received compensation for this post. All opinions in the post are my own.

Peanut Free Lunches for Picky Eaters

Packing lunches is one of the tasks I detest the most. My boys' schools are peanut free, and they don't like sandwiches, so my options for filling the lunch boxes are limited. I know I am not alone in this struggle, so today I am sharing some simple peanut free lunch ideas that kids will actually eat.

Make your own "lunchable" - These DIY "lunchables" are healthier and better for the environment than the pre-packaged, store-bought versions. The kids won't be able to resist the adorable (and easy to open) containers filled with their favorites. You can even get your kids involved by letting them choose what they want to put in the containers.

Make ahead freezable smoothies - Make a batch of your favorite smoothies, put them in these freezer jam jars, and stick them in the freezer. If you put them in the lunch boxes in the morning, they'll be ready to enjoy at lunch time.

Breakfast for lunch - My fussy eaters don't love sandwiches, but they really enjoy breakfast foods. So, "breakfast for lunch" is a perfect option for my boys. Their lunch box staples include: cereal in a thermos, french toast, and hard boiled eggs.

Homemade baked goods - It's always helpful to have a well stocked freezer. I bake large batches of goodies, store them in the freezer, and pop them in my boys' lunch boxes each morning. Three of my favorite lunchbox recipes are: 

• fluffy lunchbox biscuits
• my favorite chocolate chip cookies
• soft and chewy ginger molasses cookies

Fridge and pantry favorites - A well stocked fridge and pantry on Sunday will make it easier to pack lunches quickly and efficiently all week. In addition to fruits and veggies, I like to purchase: morning rounds, preservative free meats, unsweetened fruit cups, cheese strings, yogurt tubes, raisins, whole wheat crackers, pretzels, hummus, pasta and salad dressing (for a quick pasta salad), granola bars, etc...

My boys don't like taking leftovers because they think the school microwave is gross, and they take too long to eat. However, if your kids enjoy leftovers, that is another great option.

I hope some of these options work for you and your fussy eaters. I also have a school lunch ideas Pinterest board that you can check out for more simple lunch ideas.

Do have a fantastic peanut free lunch idea you'd like to share? I'd love to have you leave it in the comments below. I am always looking for school lunch inspirations.

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also like these helpful school lunch hacks.