*Please leave a comment the kids would like to know what everyone thinks about their sandwiches!* –Thank you!

A few days ago Tyler and Alyssa were watching a show called iCarly.  On this episode they held a food challenge, ever since then they have been begging me to have their very own challenge. They thought long and hard about what the challenge should be and finally came up a sandwich challenge and I had to be the judge. I tried talking them out of making me the judge but once again they begged and begged so I finally gave in. So the challenge started I gave them two slices of bread and let them use whatever they wanted. They even decided to names for their sandwiches.
Here’s the list of ingredients that were chosen:

-Mayo
-Mustard
-Pickles
-Chocolate Syrup
-Pepperoni
-Cheese (sandwich cheese and Parmesan cheese)
-Ranch Dressing
-Grape Jelly
-Peanut Butter

I know it all sounds so delicious, at least in a 4 year old and 7 year old eyes.

This was the judging criteria:
-Scale of 1-5, 5 being the best
-Presentation
-Creativity
-Taste

Tyler Scored a total of 12 points
Presentation-3
Creativity-4
Taste-5

Alyssa Scored a total of 12 points
Presentation-4
Creativity-3
Taste-5

Yes they tied I can’t pick a winner even though they wanted me to but I knew one would get their feelings hurt. They were both ok with it but they made it clear that the next time they have a food challenge one will win and one will lose.

Next are the wonderful pictures of their creations. I must warn you they aren’t pretty but the kids had a blast!!

Tyler's sandwich: Pickles Mayo Sandwich

Alyssa's sandwich: Chocolate Sandwich

Printable Recipe

My kids love oatmeal, not the fruit and cream kind just plain Jane oatmeal.  They like to eat it with a little butter and brown sugar, that’s it, nothing else.  Yesterday  I was going to make oatmeal cookies but decided at the last minute to make something that the kids could eat for breakfast, so we came up with oatmeal banana breakfast bars.  The kids loved the bars, all three of them.  I took a bag to Alyssa’s soccer game this morning and Kameron and Tyler ate the whole bag.  Tyler kept saying “Mom these are so good!”, I think he liked them!  Here’s the recipe we came up with yesterday afternoon.

Ingredients
3 cups of oatmeal
1/2 sugar
1/2 brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cup flour
2 ripen bananas smashed
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 cup melted butter and cooled
4 oz cream cheese soften
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup apple sauce
1 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)

Pre-heat oven to 350
1. Add oatmeal to food processor, pulse until there are not longer any big pieces of oatmeal.
2. Add sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and flour to food processor, pulse until well combined, set aside.
3. In large box combine cream cheese, eggs, vanilla and apple sauce, mix with hand mixer until everything is incorporated, not chucks of cream cheese should remain.
4. Stir bananas and butter into wet ingredients.
5. Combine dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mix well until everything is combined, last stir in the nuts.
6. Grease a 13×9 inch baking pan.
7. Add mix to pan and smooth out into an even layer.
8. Bake for 15-20 minutes until nice and golden brown.

Printable Recipe

The title of this post was going to be “The Best Potato Salad Ever”, but I didn’t want any nasty comments left, I’m just kidding!!  Potato salad is kind of like meatloaf everyone has their favorite recipe and it’s the best no matter what anyone else tries to tell them.  So I decided to go with Smooth Southern Potato Salad.  I know some people like chunky potato salad, smooth and a little chunky but in my family it’s all about the smooth potato salad.  You have to give this recipe a try, I promise you will love it!!

A little back ground on this recipe.  I have been eating this potato salad for as long as I could remember.  Every family event that happened during the hot months of Texas you could find potato salad.  Everyone in the family loves it and they expect it at BBQs, July 4th, family reunions or just a summer get together.  The question is who is going to bring the potato salad and how much to make.  This past weekend I made the potato and made five pounds of it and there was nothing left at the end of the night, there never is.  Some folks in my family like it to eat it cold, some warm and hot.  I like to eat it at room temperature my husband and kids like it cold. Normally when I make this I just eyeball all the ingredients but I wanted to share it with everyone so I measured everything and it took me a little extra time than it usually does.  Just give this recipe a try I’m sure you will enjoy it!!

Smooth Southern Potato Salad

Ingredients
5 lb bag of russet potatoes
1 large yellow onion chopped
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup pickle juice (use the juice from the jar)
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1/4 cup mayo
1/2 cup chopped pickles
2 hard boiled eggs chopped
salt and pepper

Directions
1. Peel potatoes. Cut into chunks and boil in salted water until fork tender.
2. While potatoes are boiling, chop the onions and pickles.
3. Drain potatoes and place in large bowl, add pickle juice, milk, butter and mix with a hand mixer until there are no longer any chucks of potato. If you need to add a little more milk or pickle juice you can but add only a little at a time.
4. Add the mustard, mayo, pickles, onions and eggs. Stir gently until everything is combined add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until cold or eat at room temperature!