🍽️ Recipes

Easy, beginner-friendly meals for busy moms. Not perfectly healthy, not perfectly eaten by picky kids, but they’re real and they keep your household fed.

  • Strawberry Cheesecake Cottage Cheese Pops

    The other day, we were outside enjoying the sunshine—I was busy weeding, and Liam was on one of his little adventures. Suddenly, he proclaimed, serious as can be, that he had found an Easter egg. Considering that we had counted all the eggs on Easter and made sure we had found them all, I thought he must be mistaken—until he opened it and, sure enough, there was candy inside! We were both so surprised, and I couldn’t help but feel proud of his treasure-hunting skills, so I let him eat the candy.

    A few minutes later, Liam went inside, saying he needed to put his hoodie away. When he came back, wouldn’t you know it? He found another egg—just sitting there in plain sight. How did we miss it before? That’s when it hit me. I watched as he went inside a third time, and it finally clicked. My clever little trickster had a stash of Easter eggs still full of candy in his room, and he was sneaking them outside to ‘find’ them again.

    I laughed, called him out, and he just gave me that classic, mischievous grin. We both burst into laughter—caught in the game of his own little Easter egg adventure.

    Honestly, it’s moments like these that make me grateful for quick and easy treats like these Strawberry Cheesecake Cottage Cheese Pops. Sure, they’re packed with creamy, fruity goodness and a boost of protein—but more importantly, they’re a sweet surprise waiting in the freezer… and unlike those Easter eggs, I actually know where these are hiding.

    Why You’ll Love These Pops

    These Strawberry Cheesecake Cottage Cheese Pops are everything you want in a treat—cool, creamy, and perfectly sweet with a boost of protein from cottage cheese and a touch of vanilla protein powder. They’re a refreshing snack for sunny days, a satisfying post-workout treat, or even a sneaky way to get some extra protein into your kids.

    Plus, they’re quick to make and easy to customize. Add extra strawberries, swirl in some jam, or skip the graham cracker crumbs for a lighter version.

    And the best part? You can ‘hide’ these in your freezer for when you need a little pick-me-up, just like Liam’s surprise Easter eggs… only this time, I actually know where they’re hidden.

    Strawberry Cheesecake Cottage Cheese Pops Recipe

    Ingredients:

    • 1 cup cottage cheese (full fat)
    • 4 oz cream cheese (softened)
    • 1–2 tbsp honey or maple syrup (optional)
    • 1 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen, chopped)
    • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
    • Pinch of salt
    • Optional: 2 tbsp crushed graham crackers (for ‘crust’ layer)

    Instructions:

    1. In a blender, combine cottage cheese, cream cheese, honey, vanilla extract, and salt. Blend until smooth and creamy.
    2. Add strawberries and pulse to combine. Leave small chunks for texture or blend fully for a smoother popsicle.
    3. Optional: Add a sprinkle of crushed graham crackers to the bottom of each popsicle mold.
    4. Pour the mixture into molds and insert popsicle sticks.
    5. Freeze for 4–6 hours or overnight.
    6. Run warm water over the molds to release.

    Notes:

    • Adjust the honey based on the sweetness of your protein powder.
    • Use fresh strawberries for a brighter flavor, or frozen for convenience.
    • These make a great post-workout treat or a kid-friendly summer snack.

    And That’s a Wrap!

    These Strawberry Cheesecake Cottage Cheese Pops have become a little bit of sunshine on a stick for us. Whether it’s a hot afternoon or just a sweet surprise after a long day, they always bring a smile—just like Liam’s little Easter egg adventure.

    If you give these a try, I hope they bring a bit of joy to your day too. And if you catch any little “tricksters” hiding their own treats, you’ll know you’re not alone.

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  • Chocolate & Peanut Butter Mini Muffins (Naturally Sweetened)

    When I first started making muffins and made banana peanut butter muffins, my 5-year-old son stuck his nose up at them without a second thought. (Toddlers and their refined palates, right?) Since I know chocolate is always a safe bet with him, I figured I couldn’t go wrong by combining chocolate and peanut butter into a mini muffin. And sure enough — these were a total win!

    These mini muffins are naturally sweetened with honey (or maple syrup if you prefer), packed with cocoa and peanut butter, and just the right size for little hands (or big snackers). Plus, they’re quick to whip up and freezer-friendly if you want to stockpile snacks ahead of time!

    If you’re looking for a kid-approved, lunchbox-friendly, or “I-just-need-something-chocolatey” treat, you’ll love these!

    Ingredients You’ll Need:

    Before we get baking, here’s a quick look at what you’ll need:

    • All-purpose flour
    • Unsweetened cocoa powder
    • Baking powder
    • Baking soda
    • Salt
    • Natural creamy peanut butter
    • Honey (or maple syrup)
    • Eggs
    • Coconut oil (or avocado oil)
    • Milk (dairy or almond milk)
    • Vanilla extract
    • Mini chocolate chips (I used Lily’s Sugar Free Dark Chocolate Baking Chips)

    Step-by-Step: How to Make Chocolate & Peanut Butter Mini Muffins

    Step 1: Gather Your Ingredients
    First things first — gather all your ingredients and set them out.
    This helps everything move faster once you start mixing!

    All the ingredients ready to go!

    Step 2: Preheat and Prepare
    Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
    Go ahead and lightly grease your mini muffin tin or line it with mini liners. I personally use these silicone mini muffin molds so I can easily pop them out when they are done cooling!

    Step 3: Mix the Dry Ingredients
    In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
    This will make sure everything is evenly combined and no lumps of cocoa hide later!

    Step 4: Mix the Wet Ingredients
    In a separate bowl, stir together the peanut butter, honey, eggs, melted coconut oil (or avocado oil), milk, and vanilla extract.
    Mix it until it’s smooth and creamy. I had to whisk for a while before it totally smoothed out.

    Step 5: Bring It All Together
    Now pour your wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients.
    Gently stir everything together — just until combined. (A few lumps are okay! Overmixing = dense muffins.)

    Step 6: Fold in the Chocolate Chips
    Toss in the mini chocolate chips and gently fold them into the batter.

    Step 7: Fill the Muffin Tin or silicone molds
    Scoop the batter into your mini muffin cups, filling each about ¾ of the way full. As you can see, I was pretty heavy handed on the spray 😂

    Step 8: Bake and Cool
    Bake for 10–12 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when a toothpick poked into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs (not wet batter!).
    Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

    A Quick Note:

    When I first made this batch, I realized I didn’t have baking powder on hand! I made a quick swap by using ¾ teaspoon baking soda plus ½ teaspoon distilled white vinegar mixed into the wet ingredients — and the muffins still turned out soft and delicious.
    So if you ever find yourself out of baking powder, you can do the same!


    Chocolate & Peanut Butter Mini Muffins (Naturally Sweetened)

    Ingredients:

    • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (or half whole wheat flour)
    • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup natural creamy peanut butter
    • ½ cup honey (or pure maple syrup)
    • 2 large eggs
    • ⅓ cup melted coconut oil (or avocado oil)
    • ž cup milk (dairy or unsweetened almond milk)
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ½ cup mini chocolate chips (I used Lily’s Sugar Free Dark Chocolate Baking Chips)

    Instructions:

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a mini muffin tin or line with mini muffin liners.
    • Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
    • Mix the wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, honey (or maple syrup), eggs, melted oil, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
    • Combine wet and dry: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Be careful not to overmix!
    • Fold in the mini chocolate chips.
    • Fill the muffin cups about ž full with the batter.
    • Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
    • Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

    Notes:

    • If you don’t have baking powder, you can substitute by using ž teaspoon baking soda plus ½ teaspoon distilled white vinegar added into the wet ingredients.
    • These muffins are naturally sweetened and perfect for freezing — just store in a freezer bag for up to 2 months!
    • I used Lily’s Sugar Free Dark Chocolate Baking Chips, but feel free to use any mini chocolate chips you like!

    Final Thoughts

    These chocolate and peanut butter mini muffins have been such a hit around here — especially for quick after-school snacks or tossing into our homemade lunchables! I love making a batch at the start of the week and slipping a few into my son’s lunchbox for an easy, naturally sweet treat. (And let’s be honest — I usually sneak a couple for myself too 😆).

    If you give these a try, I’d love to hear how they turn out for you!
    Leave a comment below— I love seeing what you bake! 🥰🍫