Southern Made Simple

Keeping things simple with a smidge of Southern charm

Laura Tucker

Corned Beef & Cabbage Egg Rolls

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St. Patrick’s Day has been heavy on my brain for the last few weeks, and last weekend I decided to do a little fusion of Irish and Asian cuisine when I made these scrumptious Corned Beef & Cabbage Egg Rolls! They’re very similar to a classic reuben, only wrapped up and fried to golden perfection and dipped in a little thousand island!

Corned Beef & Cabbage Egg Rolls

Y’all already know how I feel about egg rolls. You’ve seen them quite a few times here on Southern Made Simple! (Cajun Dirty Rice Egg Rolls, BBQ Egg Rolls, Taco Egg Rolls, Sweet Potato Casserole Egg rolls – just to name a few!) I’m not sure what my fascination is exactly, but I just can’t get enough of them. They’re a great appetizer that you get to eat with your hands, and honestly what’s not to love about that?!

Corned Beef & Cabbage Egg Rolls

Usually during this time of year you can find corned beef brisket for a pretty good price in the supermarkets. My friend Kathleen over at Grits and Gouda has a wonderful and simple tutorial for how to cook your corned beef in the Instant Pot, which is exactly how I cooked mine to make these corned beef & cabbage egg rolls! 

Corned Beef & Cabbage Egg Rolls

To make these egg rolls, simply prepare the brisket and allow it to cool. Shred the brisket as finely as you can, then layer a small amount onto an egg roll wrapper, followed by a layer of shredded swiss cheese and then a layer of shredded angel hair cabbage. Roll it all up, drop it in the fryer for a few minutes and voila! 

Here’s a printable version of the full recipe if you’d like to give it a try:

Corned Beef & Cabbage Egg Rolls
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Corned Beef and Cabbage Egg Rolls

Ingredients

For Corned Beef Brisket:

  • 3-4 lbs Corned Beef Brisket + seasoning packet included with corned beef
  • 1 medium onion sliced
  • 2 cups water

For Egg Rolls:

  • 1 package egg roll wrappers you can find these in the produce section
  • 1 bag shredded angel hair cabbage
  • 2 cups shredded swiss cheese
  • Shredded corned beef brisket
  • Thousand Island for dipping
  • oil for frying

Instructions

For Corned Beef Brisket:

  • To prepare the corned beef brisket, I use my Instant Pot. Place brisket inside Instant pot and pour water, seasoning packet and onion on top. (If you don't want to use an Instant pot, prepare the brisket according to package instructions if available)
  • Secure lid and make sure the valve is set to seal.
  • Set Instant Pot to manual high pressure and cook for 1 1/2 hours
  • Allow the Instant Pot to release pressure naturally for roughly 15 minutes, then do a quick release.
  • Remove brisket to a cutting board or large plate and allow to rest until mostly cool.
  • Shred the brisket with a fork, and then use a knife to cut the shredded meat into smaller portions to make wrapping in an egg roll wrapper easier.

To Assemble Egg Rolls:

  • Preheat oil in deep fryer to 350 F
  • Lay egg roll wrapper sideways with one corner pointing towards you.
  • About 1/4 of the way up the egg roll wrapper, layer a small portion of shredded corned beef, followed by shredded swiss cheese and then shredded cabbage. Be careful not to overfill. Roll the wrapper carefully, tucking in sides midway through the roll. Seal edges with either water or an egg wash.
  • Start by frying just one egg roll at a time - submerge egg roll in preheated oil for 4-5 minutes, turning once during cook time.
  • Remove from oil and transfer to wire rack to drip off excess oil. Cut into egg roll to make sure it is fully cooked all the way through. If not, adjust your cook time slightly.
  • Fry remaining batch of egg rolls and serve with Thousand Island sauce or your favorite dipping sauce. Enjoy!

Tried this recipe?

Tag me on Instagram: @SouthernMadeSimple or use the hashtag #SouthernMadeSimple and share your love of southern cuisine!

Corned Beef & Cabbage Egg Rolls

If you have extra egg rolls left over, I’ve found that they reheat best when popped in an air fryer for a few minutes. I like to dip mine in thousand island dressing, but Russian dressing or even a BBQ sauce would be a great option! While this dish isn’t truly an Irish dish, it’s still a fun little twist on the classic Irish Corned Beef and Cabbage dish, and it’s a perfect appetizer to serve for your St. Patrick’s Day celebration! 

Looking for a few more St. Patrick’s Day inspired dishes? Here’s a few you might like!

Irish Soda Bread | Irish Soda Bread Pudding with Bailey’s Caramel Cream Sauce | Bailey’s No Bake Cheesecake Trifles |  Shamrock Sugar Cookies | St. Patrick’s Day Sugar Wafers | St. Patrick’s Day Snack Crafts for Kids

Bailey’s No Bake Cheesecake Trifles

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These Bailey’s No Bake Cheesecake Trifles are a wonderful way to ring in St. Patrick’s Day! With a hint of Bailey’s Irish Cream and a few sprinkles on top, what’s not to love? 

Bailey's No Bake Cheesecake Trifles

Earlier last week I shared a scrumptiously indulgent breakfast using traditional Irish Soda Bread and transformed it into a bread pudding using Bailey’s Irish Cream Liqueur. St. Patrick’s Day is something I’m leaning a little more into these days. I’ve been finding so much joy and value in learning about my heritage and Irish culture, and my favorite ways to do that are through music and food. 

And speaking of Irish music, I highly recommend giving the song The Rattlin’ Bog a listen. It’s a classic Irish song that’s been around for what seems like forever. Be warned – it’s insanely catchy, so you might get it stuck in your head for days. My kids have been bouncing off of the walls for days chanting it. 😉 

Bailey's No Bake Cheesecake Trifles

Since I had the bottle of Bailey’s on hand from my previous recipe, I decided to give it a whirl in a no-bake cheesecake dessert. No bake cheesecakes are my jam. I especially love serving them in these small little parfait jars that I found on Amazon. They’re a perfect small-sized portion for an indulgent treat such as these! 

Bailey's No Bake Cheesecake Trifles

I start with a layer of crushed ginger snaps. You can use crushed graham crackers, but I really love the bite of ginger paired with the liqueur. The cream cheese mixture is simple – 2 bricks of cream cheese, 1 1/2 cup confectioners sugar and 1/4 cup Bailey’s. Spoon a small amount of gingersnap crumbs into the bottom of the serving glasses. Then pipe the cream cheese filling into the jars and set in the refrigerator for a bit to firm back up. Top with whipped topping and a few sprinkles and you’ve got a sweet St. Patrick’s Day treat! 

Here’s a free printable copy of my recipe if you’d like to give it a try! 

Print Recipe

Bailey's No Bake Cheesecake Trifles

Ingredients

Bottom Layer Crust

  • 20-25 ginger snaps crushed
  • 4 Tbs butter (I use Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter) melted

Cream Cheese Filling

  • 2 8 oz packages cream cheese softened
  • 1 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
  • 1/4 cup Bailey's Irish Cream Liqueur

Instructions

Crust:

  • Using a blender or food processor, pulse ginger snaps until just slightly course
  • Pour melted butter over crumb mixture and stir
  • Spoon crumb mixture into the bottom of serving glasses and press lightly to compact

Cream Cheese Mixture:

  • Using a mixer, beat together all ingredients in a large bowl until well combined. If mixture it too liquidy, add a little more confectioners sugar.
  • Transfer mixture into a piping bag and pipe a thick layer over ginger snap crumbs
  • Refrigerate until cream cheese mixture firms back up - about an hour
  • Top with whipped cream, sprinkles or caramel sauce
  • Enjoy!

Tried this recipe?

Tag me on Instagram: @SouthernMadeSimple or use the hashtag #SouthernMadeSimple and share your love of southern cuisine!

By the way, here’s that recipe for  Irish Soda Bread Pudding with Bailey’s Caramel Cream Sauce that I mentioned earlier. If you have a little Bailey’s left over, use it to make this dish for an extra sweet breakfast! Irish Soda Bread Pudding with Bailey's Caramel Cream Sauce

Looking for more delicious Irish inspired recipes to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? Check out these posts found right here on Southern Made Simple! 
Irish Soda Bread | Irish Soda Bread Pudding with Bailey’s Caramel Cream Sauce | Shamrock Sugar Cookies | St. Patrick’s Day Sugar Wafers | St. Patrick’s Day Snack Crafts for Kids

How will you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year? Do you have a favorite way of celebrating? Will you be adding these Bailey’s No Bake Cheesecake Trifles to your menu?  Leave a comment below and share the love! 

Celebrating National Peanut Month – Peanut Snack Board

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Growing up right next door to the peanut capital of the world in the wiregrass region of Alabama, I’m no stranger to the importance of peanuts and the impact they have had in our great state. I am the proud granddaughter of a peanut farmer who farmed peanuts in Dale County for over 65 years, starting at the young age of 13. My hometown of Enterprise, AL has a statue seated in the center of downtown dedicated to the boll weevil, which crippled the cotton industry and forced farmers to turn to peanuts in order to keep their farms and families alive. The growth of peanut production had a profound impact on the economy, and now approximately half of all peanuts produced in the United States are grown right here in Alabama.

Peanut Snack Board

March 1st kicks off National Peanut Month, and what better way to celebrate the crop that turned our state around than with a peanut-themed snack board filled to the brim with all sorts of peanut concoctions and confections! My family loves to make snack boards on the weekend and graze on them all throughout the day. Making a peanut-themed snack board is perfect for getting a good dose of protein and many other nutrients. Peanuts are actually considered a superfood as they deliver superior health benefits in a very small serving. In fact, studies have shown that small amounts of peanut consumption has been associated with a reduced risk of cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Grabbing a handful of lightly salted peanuts to snack on is an excellent choice for your health, and indulging in the goodness of creamy peanut butter cup or peanut butter cookie is certainly good for the soul!

Sugar Roasted Peanuts

Included in my peanut-themed snack board are peanuts served 4 ways: boiled, roasted, sugar roasted and parched. Each way is deliciously different from the next, and it offers a little something for everybody to accommodate their taste preferences. Boiled peanuts are certainly the way to my heart and will always take first prize in my book, but sugar roasted peanuts come in at a respectable second. 

Instant Pot Boiled Peanuts

Also included in my peanut-themed snack board is an assortment of peanut goodies, such as peanut butter cookies, peanut butter cups, peanut butter flavored cereal, various peanut candies and a small bowl of peanut butter to spread on graham crackers. Adding a small bowl of jelly to the board is also a fun idea and allows snackers to make their own mini PB&J crackers!

Peanut Snack Board

I’ve always felt that peanuts are a part of my DNA. There’s just something so euphoric about pulling fresh peanuts off the vine, cracking open a parched peanut at a ball game, or dropping a batch of green peanuts into a pot to boil. I’ll always remember the amazing smell of the peanut mills driving through my hometown growing up, and I’ll always be grateful for the impact they had on my grandfather’s family as the years went on. 

Peanut Snack Board

Throughout the month of march, I encourage you to intentionally incorporate peanuts into your diet and to scope out ways to support local farmers and purchase peanuts grown right here in Alabama. It may not be harvest season, but you can still shop local and benefit Alabama farmers by visiting your local co-op to find a variety of peanuts to stock your own peanut-themed snack board!

Irish Soda Bread Pudding with Bailey’s Caramel Cream Sauce

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This recipe for Irish Soda Bread Pudding with Bailey’s Caramel Cream Sauce is a delicious way to liven up traditional Irish Soda Bread and transform it into a scrumptious breakfast with a hint of Bailey’s Irish Cream liqueur – just in time for St Patrick’s Day!  

Irish Soda Bread Pudding with Bailey's Caramel Cream Sauce

This past weekend we broke out a few St. Patrick’s Day decorations and began decorating our home with lots of green,  sparkly shamrocks and a few lovely little leprechaun figurines.  Last year was the first year we actually put out decorations for the holiday, but because we’re homeschooling until the end of this school year I thought it would be a great way to tie our heritage into our curriculum and to freshen up our “classroom” with something new and fun to look at. I put a loaf of Irish Soda Bread into the oven and asked Alexa to play Irish music for us to tap our toes to while we decorated. It was such a fun way to spend our Saturday!

Irish Soda Bread Pudding with Bailey's Caramel Cream Sauce

Last year around this time I shared a recipe for how to make Irish Soda Bread with you all. When I was a teenager I had the opportunity to travel to Ireland, and while visiting a rural farm there I got to make Irish Soda Bread and dance the night away to Irish folk music with local teens my age. It’s one of my favorite memories to date, and for that reason Irish Soda Bread will always hold a very special place in my heart. Soda bread is a very no-frills type of bread. You only need 4 ingredients to make it, and you don’t even have to knead it! The acid in the buttermilk combined with the baking soda give this bread a bit of a rise, and the “X” carved into the center is said to ward off the devil in your home. It also helps the center of the dough cook all the way through, but I like the thought of keeping the devil out of my home (and my bread) much better! ?
Irish Soda Bread Pudding with Bailey's Caramel Cream Sauce

We always enjoy our soda bread with a pad of butter and a little jam on top, but this time I had a specific vision in mind to transform our loaf of soda bread into something extra sweet to enjoy for breakfast the next day.

Irish Soda Bread Pudding with Bailey's Caramel Cream Sauce

At the end of the day, I took the remaining soda bread, cubed it with a serrated knife and spread the bread cubes onto a baking sheet to lightly toast them. I whipped up a mixture of eggs, sugar, milk, plain yogurt, vanilla, cinnamon and a smidge of Bailey’s Irish Cream liqueur and poured it over the bread crumbs in a large 9×13 casserole dish and folded in a cup of raisins. I covered it and placed it in the fridge overnight to let the bread really soak up the liquid. The next morning I popped it in the oven and whipped up a homemade caramel sauce to pour over it when it came out of the oven. Making a bread pudding out of Irish Soda Bread is going to be an annual thing in our house for sure, and it’s a great way to use up day-old soda bread!


Here’s a full copy of my recipe if you’d like to give it a try:

Irish Soda Bread Pudding with Bailey's Caramel Cream Sauce
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Irish Soda Bread Pudding with Bailey's Caramel Cream Sauce

Ingredients

For Soda Bread:

  • 4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 3/4 cup buttermilk

For Irish Soda Bread Pudding:

  • 1 loaf Irish Soda Bread cubed
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 8 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup Bailey's Irish Cream liqueur add more or less to taste
  • 1 cup plain yogurt
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

For Bailey's Caramel Sauce:

  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 5 Tbs Salted Irish Butter I use Kerrygold brand
  • 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla
  • 2 Tbs Bailey's Irish Cream Liqueur more or less to taste

Instructions

For Irish Soda Bread:

  • Preheat oven to 425 F
  • Grease a round 9 inch cake pan and set aside
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients
  • Create a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour buttermilk into center
  • Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the flour mixture into the wet center in a circular motion, making sure to stir until ingredients are just combined. Be careful not to overwork the dough.
  • On a well floured surface, turn out dough and gently work it into an even round shape about 8 inches in diameter. I like to pat a little extra flour on top of mine, but that's optional.
  • Place dough in greased pan and make a cross using a knife in the top of the dough. Place another 9 inch round cake pan on top
  • Bake for 25 minutes, then remove top pan and continue to bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until a nice golden crust forms.

For Irish Soda Bread Pudding

  • Preheat oven to 300 F
  • Cube soda bread and place bread cubes on baking sheet
  • Lightly toast for 15-20 minutes
  • While bread is toasting, pour 1 cup of raisings into a bowl of warm water to rehydrate them
  • Pour toasted bread cubes into greased 9x13 casserole dish
  • In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, yogurt, sugar, vanilla cinnamon and Irish cream liqueur
  • Drain water off of raising and toss them into the casserole dish with the bread cubes
  • Pour egg mixture over bread cubes, trying to make sure each cube of bread is covered with some of the mixture
  • For best results, cover and refrigerate overnight to allow the bread to really soak up the liquid. If time does not permit, you can go ahead and bake now.
  • Preheat oven to 350 F
  • Uncover dish and bake for 40-45 minutes
  • Serve with hot Bailey's Caramel Cream Sauce and enjoy!

Bailey's Caramel Cream Sauce:

  • Add 1/2 cup water to small saucepan and bring to a boil
  • Whisk sugar into boiling water and bring up to a rapid boil
  • Reduce heat to medium-low and cover with a lid. Allow to boil for 6-8 minutes, or until sugar and water begin to turn an amber brown color.
  • Gently add in cubed butter, making sure not to splatter the mixture onto your hands. Whisk vigorously as the mixture will begin to bubble quickly
  • Slowly add in the heavy whipping cream and whisk until foaming mostly subsides
  • Add in vanilla and liqueur. Bring mixture back to a boil just to thicken, then remove completely from heat and allow to cool slightly before serving.
  • Pour over Irish Soda Bread Pudding and store remaining in a jar and keep refrigerated. Enjoy!

Tried this recipe?

Tag me on Instagram: @SouthernMadeSimple or use the hashtag #SouthernMadeSimple and share your love of southern cuisine!

The caramel sauce will keep in a fridge for a few weeks, and in my eyes it’s basically the equivalent of liquid gold. It’s the star of this Irish Soda Bread Pudding, and I can assure you it’ll be good on just about anything. I only added a small amount of liqueur to mine, but you can certainly add more if that’s your thing! 

Irish Soda Bread Pudding with Bailey's Caramel Cream Sauce

If you like this recipe for Irish Soda Bread Pudding with Bailey’s Caramel Cream Sauce, be sure to check out these other fun recipes for St. Patrick’s Day right here on Southern Made Simple!

Irish Soda Bread |Shamrock Sugar Cookies | St. Patrick’s Day Sugar Wafers | St. Patrick’s Day Snack Crafts for Kids

 

Strawberry Brownies

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These Strawberry Brownies are a sweet treat that I’ve had tucked away in my old recipe binder for nearly a decade. They’re a Valentine’s Day favorite around here, and they come together with just a few ingredients! They’re actually one of the very first recipes that I ever shared on this blog back in 2015, and now I’m bringing them back to life with a few new photos to share with you just in time to make your Valentine’s Day extra sweet!

Strawberry Brownies

Years ago before I had children, I taught Sunday school for a few years. The kids in my class would always request that I bring a plate full of these strawberry brownies, even though it wasn’t anywhere close to Valentine’s Day. I always kept a couple of boxes of Strawberry cake mix on hand so I could whip them up on the fly before Sunday School to surprise them with their favorite special treat. I’m always amazed at the wonders you can do with a simple box of cake mix. Next to sliced bread, I think they’re one of my favorite culinary conveniences!

Strawberry Brownies

The glaze on the brownies is the star of the show, and it’s poured over the baked brownies while they’re still hot right out of the oven. The brownies will soak up a good bit of the glaze, giving them a gooey and dense middle layer that is absolutely irresistible!

Strawberry Brownies

Here’s a free printable copy of the recipe if you’d like to give it a try!

Strawberry Brownies
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Strawberry Brownies

Ingredients

For Strawberry Brownie Mix:

  • 1 box strawberry cake mix
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil

For Glaze:

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 Tbs water

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 F
  • Spray an 8x8 square dish with nonstick cooking spray
  • Combine cake mix, eggs and vegetable oil until just combined and all lumps are smooth - do not not over mix! Batter will be very thick.
  • Pour into greased baking dish and bake 30-32 minutes, or until brownies are set (brownies will continue to cook and firm up a little while cooling, but you want them to still be a little dense in the middle)
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and water and pour over brownies while they're still warm.
  • Allow brownies to mostly cool before cutting
  • Enjoy!

Tried this recipe?

Tag me on Instagram: @SouthernMadeSimple or use the hashtag #SouthernMadeSimple and share your love of southern cuisine!

Strawberry Brownies

If you like this recipe, be sure to check out these great recipes found right here on Southern Made Simple!

Strawberry Milkshake Cookies | Strawberry Lemonade | Strawberry French Toast Bake | Fresh Strawberry Pie |  Valentine’s Day Snack Crafts for Kids | Valentine Sugar Cookies


Happy Valentine’s Day, friends! Don’t forget to check out our brand new Etsy shop if you’re on the hunt for a perfect gift! 😉

Free Printable: I’m Berry Glad You’re My Valentine

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These I’m Berry Glad You’re My Valentine free printable tags are a simple and sweet way to let your valentine know they’re “berry” special! 

I’ve always loved Valentine’s Day. As a child, I remember picking out my Valentine’s Day cards for my elementary class each year. It was always important to me to make sure the card I was giving to each individual person matched their personality in my eyes. Katie got Tweety Bird because she was so sweet. Becca got Bugs Bunny because she loved to crack jokes. Jimmy got Elmer Fudd because he looked like him, and Josh got Pepé Le Pew because, well, you know. I was always the kid that thought way too much about the Valentine’s treats I handed out, and to this day I really haven’t changed all that much. I still love it!

Free Printable: I'm Berry Glad You're My Valentine

And now that my oldest daughter is at an age where she passes out Valentine’s treats to her friends and classmates, I love coming up with treats that are a little less conventional than the boxed ones that you get at the store. Not that there’s anything wrong with those, I just have a tendency to be a little “extra” when it comes to things I really should not be extra about. It’s a gift and a curse!

Case in point, last year my daughter and I couldn’t make up our minds about which treats we wanted to send, so we sent each kid in her class TWO Valentines! We made these adorable Rubber Ducky Valentine’s Day Treats and a bag full of candy in these “I’m Beary Glad You’re My Friend” treat bags.

Free Printable: I'm Berry Glad You're My Valentine

This year, instead of being “beary” glad to send treats to our Valentines, we’re BERRY glad! During my recent trip to the Dollar Tree, I spotted a bag of these classic strawberry hard candies and thought they’d be perfect to hand out in treat bags. They’re not commonly given out as a Valentine candy, but that’s why I chose them. It’s something different!

I’ve linked everything you need to put these together in the Amazon widget below. You should be able to find everything at your dollar store, but you can always Amazon your supplies in a pinch or if you prefer not to get out. I’m also linking a pack of pint sized strawberry cartons in case a cellophane bag isn’t the way you want to go. I think these candies would be SO cute with a little Easter grass inside a strawberry container!

 

 Click here to download the free printable tags, or just click on the image below! 

Free Printable: I'm Berry Glad You're My Valentine

If you use this printable, I would love for you to subscribe to my blog in return! Of course, it’s certainly not required. Just appreciated! Happy Valentine’s Day!

I’ve sized these to fit the width of a standard-sized cellophane treat bag. They’ll print 4 to a page. Just load your cardstock into the printer, hit “print” and you’re good to go! 

Looking for more fun and FREE Valentine printable ideas? Here’s a few that I’ve done over the years that you may like:

Free Printable “I’m Nuts Over You” Valentines | Free Printable Rubber Ducky Valentine Printable | I’m Beary Glad You’re My Friend Valentine | Free Printable “You Make My Heart Glow” Valentines | Valentine’s Day Snack Crafts for Kids | Healthy Valentine’s Day Snacks for Kids

Free Printable: I’m “Nuts” Over You Valentine

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These “I’m Nuts Over You” Valentine Printables are a fun way to make any Valentine recipient feel loved! 

Maybe it’s because I grew up in the land of peanuts, or that my grandfather was a peanut farmer, or perhaps it’s because I’ve never breathed air that didn’t consist of at least 35% peanut dust, but whatever the reason is for my extreme love for all-things-peanut, I sure am glad I was made that way. 

I'm Nuts Over You Valentine Printable

Not long ago I shared my recipe for these Sugar Roasted Peanuts, and as we’ve inched closer and closer to Valentine’s Day I decided to come up with a unique Valentine’s Day treat featuring the crunchy candied snack!  Of course, you can also use dry roasted or parched peanuts if those are your preference. Heck, you could even use circus peanuts if you’re a fan of those! 

I'm Nuts Over You Valentine Printable

You really don’t need a whole lot of supplies to make these Valentine treats, just a pack of cellophane treat bags which you can find on Amazon, at Walmart or the Dollar Tree. Once you prepare the peanuts, just print off the free printable Valentine tag I have below on cardstock, staple it all together and you’ve got a scrumptious peanut-y treat ready to hand out!

 


I'm Nuts Over You Valentine Printable

Click the image below to download the free printable, or find it linked below! 

I'm Nuts Over You Valentine Printable

CLICK  >>HERE<< TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE PRINTABLE!

If you use this printable, I would love for you to subscribe to my blog in return! Of course, it’s certainly not required. Just appreciated! Happy Valentine’s Day!

I'm Nuts Over You Valentine Printable

If you’re looking for more fun Valentine’s Day printable or snack ideas, check out the links below – all found right here on Southern Made Simple!

Free Printable Rubber Ducky Valentine Printable | I’m Beary Glad You’re My Friend Valentine | Free Printable “You Make My Heart Glow” Valentines | Valentine’s Day Snack Crafts for Kids | Healthy Valentine’s Day Snacks for Kids

How to Make a Kid Friendly Charcuterie Board

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This shop has been compensated by Inmar Intelligence and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #LANDOFROSTLUNCHES

As we’re marching onward into the new year, I’ve been reflecting on many of the changes and transitions my family made during the previous year. One of my goals for 2021 is to find ways to make those transitions we made feel a little more seamless in our daily lives, particularly the large transition of moving from traditional school to homeschool for my oldest daughter. Keeping a semi-flexible schedule and daily routine is important for all of us in the house, but keeping things fresh, fun and interesting is a top priority when it comes to not only school work, but preparing our meals as well.

How to make a Kid Friendly Charcuterie Board

One way I’m changing things up this year is letting my oldest daughter be much more hands-on in the kitchen during lunch time. While we aren’t ready to dive right into cooking with precise measurements, cook times and ingredients just yet, I still want her to become familiar with putting balanced meals together and show her that she can use her creativity in the kitchen just like she does in the classroom. One of our favorite ways to do that is to create kid friendly charcuterie boards filled with a balance of interesting colors, textures and wholesome goodies to fuel us through lunch and snack time!

How to make a Kid Friendly Charcuterie Board

Traditionally, charcuterie boards feature cured meats, dried fruits, cheeses and nuts. However, the beauty of creating charcuterie boards or “snack” boards is that there truthfully isn’t a wrong way to do it. The sky is the limit when it comes to what you can add to your own board! Because we love to make these boards to serve for lunch and then to munch on later in the afternoon for snack, I love to add fresh meats, fresh and dried fruits, nuts, a variety of cheeses and crackers.

One piece of advice that I feel is important when creating a charcuterie board with your children – listen to their cues when it comes to filling up the serving platter. If your child is easily over stimulated, scaling back on the variety of foods you include may be a good idea. On the flip side, you may have a little one who wants ALL the snacks, and that’s okay, too! Creating a charcuterie board is a great way to learn about the food pyramid and all of the different food groups. Let them pull things from the pantry and refrigerator that they truly love, all while showing them how to incorporate healthy and balanced options onto the board!

How to make a Kid Friendly Charcuterie Board

At the beginning of the week, I always make out my Publix shopping list and try to make sure I have plenty of fresh produce and other ingredients to build a charcuterie board on hand. In addition to fruits and veggies, I love to keep a variety of Land O’ Frost® premium meats on hand – particularly Land O’ Frost® Premium Meat Oven Roasted Turkey Breast and Land O’ Frost® Premium Meat Old World Style Black Forest Ham. These meats are a go-to staple for my family as they’re a healthy and affordable protein, contain no added hormones, no artificial flavors, and no by-products. Plus, Land O’ Frost is a family owned company, and I love having a large variety of products and flavors to choose from while shopping at my local Publix.

How to make a Kid Friendly Charcuterie Board

To add a little “pizzazz” to our charcuterie boards, I taught my daughter how to fold the meat accordion style and keep it in place using toothpicks. Not only was this a fun way to make our board look extra pretty, but it was also a great tool for improving her hand-eye coordination! We used cookie cutters to make fun shapes out of cheese slices, and this can also easily be done with the slices of meat on the board.

Here are a few of the things we added to our board to give you some ideas for how to create your own kid friendly charcuterie board:

Fresh Fruit (grapes, strawberries, blueberries)
Dried Fruit (raisins, yogurt covered cranberries)
Nuts or granola
A variety of cheeses
Fresh Veggies (carrot sticks, broccoli, etc.)
Fruit Dip or Veggie Dip
Crackers or pretzels
Cured Meats (if your children are into it. We chose pepperoni!)

How to make a Kid Friendly Charcuterie Board

We’re looking forward to getting really creative in the kitchen in 2021 and perfecting our charcuterie board skills while learning about the importance of making mealtime balanced and fun. Next time you’re making your grocery list, make sure you swing by your local Publix to pick up all of your charcuterie boards needs, including Land O’ Frost premium meats to make your charcuterie board complete!

What things are you looking forward to in 2021? What are some of your favorite things to add to a charcuterie board? Leave a comment below and share your ideas! Happy New Year, friends!





2 Ingredient Fruit Dip

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This 2 ingredient Fruit Dip is so simple, sweet and versatile! It’s a must-make if you love to make charcuterie or snack boards, and it also makes an awesome topping for pancakes, French toast, etc.! 

Charcuterie and snack boards have grown tremendously in popularity over the last 2-3 years it seems, and I am absolutely a fan of the craze. Not only are they a beautiful and an aesthetically pleasing way to serve finger foods for a gathering, but they’re also a perfectly acceptable way to transition snacks into a meal when cooking is the farthest thing from your mind. When I break out the giant serving platter and start pulling snacks out of the pantry and fridge, my family knows that this mama isn’t cooking anything else the rest of the day. 

2 Ingredient Fruit Dip

You may recall some of the charcuterie boards I’ve done in the past. My Halloween Charcuterie Board is a favorite of mine, and I also have a Sweet & Savory Charcuterie Board, a Spring-themed Charcuterie board and the Ultimate Summer Charcuterie board on the blog if you’re looking for a few ideas when creating your own. I love to incorporate a mix of both fresh and dried fruits on the boards I create, and I love to have a dip to serve alongside the fresh fruit or to smear on top of crackers. 

2 Ingredient Fruit Dip

Making a fruit dip is super simple, and this 2 Ingredient Fruit Dip is a go-to for me when making charcuterie boards. All you need to whip up this dip is a container of whipped topping and a container of strawberry (or whatever flavor you prefer) cream cheese!

Here’s a free printable copy of the recipe if you’d like to give it a try:

Print Recipe

2 Ingredient Fruit Dip

Ingredients

  • 1 8 oz container Cool Whip thawed
  • 1 8 oz container strawberry cream cheese spread softened

Instructions

  • Using a hand or stand mixer, combine thawed whipped topping and softened cream cheese and mix until smooth and there are no chunks of cream cheese left.
  • Serve immediately and refrigerate any leftovers.
  • Enjoy!

Tried this recipe?

Tag me on Instagram: @SouthernMadeSimple or use the hashtag #SouthernMadeSimple and share your love of southern cuisine!

If you want to lighten this dip up just a bit, you can swap out the whipped topping with a sugar free variety, or you can even make your own from scratch!

2 Ingredient Fruit Dip

This recipe will make more fruit spread than you’ll need for a charcuterie board, so my favorite thing to do with the leftovers is to serve it on top of French toast, pancakes or smeared over a bagel of piece of toast for breakfast. 

Looking for more Charcuterie Board Inspiration? Check out these posts right here on Southern Made Simple!

Spring Charcuterie Board | Ultimate Summer Charcuterie Board | Sweet and Savory Charcuterie Board | Halloween Charcuterie Board

A New Adventure + TWO Giveaways!

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Towards the beginning of 2020, my husband purchased a CNC machine with a laser attachment to cut and laser engrave on wood. He spent a lot of time tinkering with it, and one day he handed me a beautiful pair of earrings he cut and designed. And then, naturally, the requests began pouring in from me with ideas for new earring designs. Over the span of a few months, my wooden earring collection had grown quite a bit, but the thought of selling them to the public never even dawned on me until a few weeks before Christmas. 

When the Hallmark channel started rolling out those beloved Dolly Parton Christmas movies, my love for The Queen of Country Music was rekindled, just like it always is during the holiday season. I asked my husband if he could laser engrave a picture of Dolly onto a pair of earrings for me, and ever since the moment those earrings first dangled from my earlobe, he’s been cutting and lasering earrings out in his shop ever since. I shared these earrings on my social media pages and the orders began rolling in! I was pretty surprised at the newfound success and demand these earrings brought. We cut dozens upon dozens of monogrammed and custom earrings for locals in our community shopping for last minute stocking stuffers. We honestly never thought we’d be selling earrings like this, but it’s been such a blessing to us!

When we built our home in 2017, my husband and Grandaddy saved several large chunks of the cedar trees that were pushed down to clean the land for our build. My husband has sawed and sanded each piece of cedar used to make these earrings, and in a way it’s our way of sharing a little piece of us with the rest of the world. Right after Christmas I opened up our own Etsy shop where people can search and shop online for our handmade items. 

A New Adventure + TWO Giveaways!

In fact, if you’d like to take a look at what we’ve got available in our shop, you can easily click on the “Etsy Shop” tab located at the top of my website! If you’re viewing this on your desktop computer, it’ll look like the picture shown above. 

In the meantime, you can also CLICK HERE to go directly to our Etsy shop! 

And now for the best part: The Giveaways!

A New Adventure + TWO Giveaways!

I’m giving away a total of 4 pairs of handmade laser engraved earrings to two lucky Southern Made Simple followers! Each winner will receive a pair of leopard print earrings and a personalized pair of monogrammed earrings, just because I love you all! 

You can enter over on Instagram and Facebook – and YES! You can double dip and enter at both places! The only requirement to enter is to make sure you’re following and to leave a comment sharing what state you’re following from. Easy peasy!

Click HERE to enter on Facebook

Click HERE to enter on Instagram

The giveaways will end on January 8th, 2021 at 11:59pm CST. Open to US residents only. The giveaways are in no way sponsored by or affiliated with Facebook or Instagram. Good luck, and thanks so much for following!