MommaMias

Popcorn hearts are extremely delicious! Great for a Valentine's day party or to give as gifts! To make you will need 8c popcorn( you can use microwave popcorn). I used the pre-popped from Dollar Tree bc I felt it would be sturdier., 1/2 stick of margarine(1/4c) or you can use butter instead. A 10oz bag of regular sized marshmallows, and red food coloring. I also used red sugar(optional). Melt butter in a 3qt saucepan or dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add bag of marshmallows. Stir until marshmallows are melted. Remove from heat. Add 4 drops red food coloring. Mix until reddish pink. Add 8c popcorn to large mixing bowl(or add to melted marshmallow if you used a large pot ie. dutch oven),Pour melted marshmallow over popcorn in mixing bowl. Mix well until popcorn is coated with the melted marshmallow. Let cool several minutes. Butter your hands( I used butter nonstick spray) and scoop out some popcorn(about 1c) and shape into hearts. Let cool and set on wax paper for easy removal. Sprinkle red sugar or sprinkles on top. Let cool and set about 30 mins before serving. Great for a Valentine's day party or wrap in plastic and give as gifts! Mine didn't really look like hearts but they tasted so good I didn't really care, lol. Enjoy! Note: I also decided to use some hot pink vanilla frosting I found at my Dollar Tree bc it was so pretty and festive.

Candy cane hearts are fun and easy to make. You can serve them at a Valentine's day party or give them as gifts. You will need mini candy canes, dark chocolate melting wafers, sprinkles, and wax paper. Unwrap the mini candy canes and arrange them into heart shapes on wax paper. Add some chocolate wafers to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 60 secs. Stir until all chocolate is melted and smooth. Spoon melted chocolate into the center of candy cane hearts making sure to seal ends with chocolate. Top with sprinkles. Set in fridge for 20-30 mins while still on wax paper. Now your candy cane hearts are ready to serve! Remove from wax paper using a spatula. Enjoy! Note: you can use white chocolate wafers instead. You can also use a squeeze bottle or bag to pipe the chocolate into the hearts. I used a spoon as it tends to harden very quickly as it cools and I didn't want to risk it hardening. You can also top with crush candy canes instead of sprinkles.

To make the best pumpkin pie you need: 1 can of pumpkin(not pumpkin pie mix) 3/4c light brown sugar(instead of white aka granulated sugar) 2 eggs 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp ginger 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/2 tsp allspice 1/2 tsp ground cloves 1 can evaporated milk(12 oz) 1 unbaked deep dish pie crust In a mixing bowl combine all ingredients except milk and mix well. Add milk a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Pour into unbaked pie crust. Place pie curst on a baking sheet to cook crust and bake at 425 for 15mins, then reduce heat to 350 and bake an additional 40-50 mins. Let cool before serving. Enjoy! Note: The secret is to use light brown sugar instead of the white sugar aka granulated sugar. The light brown sugar adds more flavor to the pie. The addition of allspice and cloves are also my secret. I also do not use pumpkin pie spice and do not suggest using it. As it sits on the shelf all the spices meld together. The best flavor comes from adding each spice separately. I have been using this recipe for many yrs. I hope it becomes a favorite of yours too.

You can make a delicious homemade pizza with most of the ingredients right from the dollar store. Imo this is the best pizza I have ever eaten in my life and my family agrees! All you need is pizza crust, sauce, mushrooms, pitted black olives, pineapple tidbits, ham(all were purchased at the dollar store) and shredded mozzarella cheese(I had on hand purchased from Aldi for about $2.99). Sauce the crust. Add the shredded mozzarella cheese. Slice the black olives on top of the cheese. Add mushrooms(as much as you like). Add the pineapple tidbits. Top with ham. Bake at 425 for 9 mins. Now you have a delicious homemade pizza made almost exclusively from the dollar store! It tastes better than most store bought or delivery pizzas! Enjoy! Note: I crisped the ham before I added it to the pizza so it'd be crisp like bacon. You can skip this step and just add it to pizza then bake. I tried it without crisping at first, but found it too chewy. Crisping it first made it better imo.

Pilgrim hats are fun to eat and super easy to make. All you need is fudge striped shortbread cookies, Rolos , orange cake decorating gel, and yellow Reese's pieces. Lay cookies with fudge side up, striped side down. First apply some orange gel to the center of cookie. Add a Rolo on top of the gel. Next add a dab of orange gel to a yellow Reese's piece and stick to side of Rolo. That's it! Your pilgrim hats are now ready! Enjoy Note: I bought all ingredients from the dollar store, except the cake decorating gel.

Strawberry jam thumbprint cookies are easy to make using Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix. Great for Valentine's day, Christmas or any time! To make you will need 2pkgs Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix, 1 stick of margarine(1/2c) softened, 2tbs water, and strawberry jam. Dump sugar cookie mix into mixing bowl. Add stick of margarine. Add 2tbs of water. Mix until soft dough forms. Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Use your thumb to create a well for the jam. Now add jam to the well in each cookie. Bake at 375(350 for dark or nonstick pans) for 7-9mins. I checked mine at 7 mins, but they were too light so I left them in for the extra 2 mins baking for a total of 9mins. Now your strawberry jam thumbprint cookies are ready to serve! Enjoy! Note: To make 1 pkg : use 1/2 stick or 1/4c margarine softened, and 1tbs water. You may also use butter instead of margarine. You can also use raspberry jam if you prefer.

Peppermint bark is my favorite Christmas treat! With only 3 ingredients, its super easy to make! All you need is semi-sweet chocolate, white chocolate, and candy canes or starlight peppermints. Melt the semi-sweet chocolate chips in a large bowl for 2 mins in microwave. Spread onto a lined baking sheet. Refrigerate 1hr. Then melt the white chocolate chips in microwave for 2mins. Stir until smooth and melted. Add some crushed candy cane( I used a magic bullet type machine to crush mine) to the melted white chocolate. Mix well. Spread white chocolate mix over dark chocolate. Sprinkle more crushed candy cane on top. Refrigerate again for 1hr. Your peppermint bark is now ready to serve. Enjoy!

Red velvet cake mix cookies are delicious and easy to make. Perfect for a Valentine's day or Christmas treat! To make you will need 1 box red velvet cake mix, 1 stick(1/2c) margarine, and 2 large eggs. Dump the cake mix into a large mixing bowl. Add the stick(1/2c) butter. Mix. Add 2 eggs. Combine eggs and cake mix. Mix well. Continue mixing until soft dough forms. Note: I found the dough with 2 eggs very sticky and added 2 large spoons of flour. Maybe use 1 egg instead. Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet line with parchment paper. Bake at 350 for 10-12 mins. I also initially sprinkled powdered sugar on them after baking to make them prettier. However, while making my 2nd batch, I decided to roll them in powdered sugar before baking. I think rolling them in the powdered sugar before baking produced a softer, tastier cookie than suggested by the recipe. Enjoy! Note: you do not need red velvet cake mix. You can simply add a few drops of red food coloring to devil's food cake mix to the desired shade of red. The recipe I used did say to use devil's food cake mix and add food coloring. I just happened to have a box of red velvet cake mix on hand. However, I will say, adding food coloring ( recipe calls for 1 whole bottle!)may also add to the stickiness, so beware.

You can make peanut butter blossoms fast and easy with ingredients right from dollar tree! You will need 1 pack of Betty Crocker peanut butter cookie mix 1 pk of Hershey's kisses 1tbs of water 2tbs of vegetable oil Granulated(white) sugar Dump cookie mix into a mixing bowl. Add 1tbs water and 2tbs vegetable oil. Mix well. Continue mixing until a smooth, soft dough forms. Scoop out dough, shapeYou can make peanut butter blossoms fast and easy with ingredients right from dollar tree! You will need 1 pack of Betty Crocker peanut butter cookie mix 1 pk of Hershey's kisses 1tbs of water 2tbs of vegetable oil Granulated(white) sugar Dump cookie mix into a mixing bowl. Add 1tbs water and 2tbs vegetable oil. Mix well. Continue mixing until a smooth, soft dough forms. Scoop out dough, shape into little balls, and roll in sugar. Bake at 375(350 for dark or nonstick cookie sheets) for 8-10 mins. Remove from oven and immediately press a Hershey's kiss in center of cookie. Your peanut butter blossoms are now ready to serve. Enjoy! Note: Instructions are on the back of the cookie mix, except for the addition of the kisses. You can also roll in red(or green) sugar as I did for a more festive cookie. into little balls, and roll in sugar. Bake at 375(350 for dark or nonstick cookie sheets) for 8-10 mins. Remove from oven and immediately press a Hershey's kiss in center of cookie. Your peanut butter blossoms are now ready to serve. Enjoy!

Monster Toes are fun and super easy to make! All you need are circus peanuts and Skittles or M&M's. Simply press a candy into the narrow end of the circus peanut. You can use a dab of frosting to make the candy stick better. That's it! Now you are ready to enjoy your monster toes!

Monster chicken sandwiches are easy to make and fun to eat! To make you need breaded chicken patties, cooked according to instructions on package, cheese, buns, stuffed green olives, and toothpicks. Place patty on bun. Slice cheese in half and arrange to resemble teeth/fangs. Place olives onto toothpicks, pimento side out, for eyes. Place the toothpicks with olives into the top bun. Add any condiments/toppings you like. Monster chicken sandwiches are now ready to eat! Enjoy!

Lollipop ghosts are both fun and easy to make! All you need are round lollipops such as blow pops or tootsie pops, kleenex or other brand of tissue, string or yarn, and a black marker. Simply wrap a tissue around the lollipop pressing down on the top of the wrapper to flatten. You can use a piece of tape if you wish. Tie a piece of yarn or string around the base, then use the black marker to create a face. Now you have cute little ghosts you can decorate with or give away! Great craft/activity for kids! This is also a very inexpensive project. All the materials you need you can find at Dollar Tree.

You can make delicious mint chocolate fudge right in the microwave! Its super easy and only 3 ingredients!. All you need is 1 bag semi sweet chocolate chips(12oz), 1 bag mint chips(10oz), and 1 can sweetened condensed milk(14oz). Add the semi sweet chocolate chips, mint chips, and sweetened condensed milk to a large mixing bowl and microwave for 2 mins. Remove and stir until well blended. Spread into a foil lined 8x8 pan. Refrigerate 1hr. Remove from pan by lifting with foil. Cut into 1 inch pieces. Yields 36 1 inch pieces. Enjoy! Note: If you like a softer fudge, add 2tbs butter and 1/3c powdered sugar to mix after microwaving.

These delicious glazed meatballs are worthy of any New Year's eve party! Made exclusively with dollar tree ingredients, they are as affordable as they are delicious! All you will need is 2pkgs of frozen meatballs(from dollar tree), 12oz bbq sauce(my dollar tree usually has kraft bbq sauce) and 12oz grape jelly. Dump both pkgs frozen meatballs into a large pot or dutch oven. Pour 12oz bbq sauce over the frozen meatballs. Pour the grape jelly over the bbq sauce and frozen meatballs. Heat on medium heat until boiling, stirring occasionally. Once sauce is at a rolling boil, reduce heat to low and let simmer for 20 mins, occasionally stirring meatballs and turning them to achieve a uniform coating. After 20mins, turn off heat and let cool at least another 20mins for sauce to thicken into a glaze. Serve on toothpicks as an appetizer, over rice as a main dish, on a hoagie or hot dog roll. You will also have plenty of glaze left to use on rice, or hoagie or hot dog roll or whatever you want. These are beautiful, festive, and very delicious! Perfect for any New Year's eve party, tailgating party or any party! Enjoy! Happy New Year! Note: these also can be prepared in a crockpot on low for 2-3hrs. You can also use ketchup instead of bbq sauce , or you can use chili sauce(i.e. Heinz) Instead of grape jelly you could use apricot, cranberry sauce or hot pepper jelly. You can also use turkey meatballs, chicken meatballs, or plant based. Little smokies(mini hot dogs) work good as well.

I was interested in making a video with milk-free mashed potatoes in case you don't have any milk at home. Easy substitute is using chicken broth or chicken bullion(powdered or cubes) and water. You just follow the basic instructions of water, this package called for 2c water. Then use the broth or bullion made from water in place of the amount of milk. Also adds extra flavor and lower calories. I did use 1 stick of butter, however, as it had been many yrs since I made mashed potatoes this way. I needed the butter(margarine) to reach my desired texture. You can also you use butter in place of the milk too, adjusting for your desired texture. Hope this video was helpful. Enjoy! Note: mashed potatoes, powdered chicken bullion, and margarine(butter) were all purchased from dollar tree.

Music by: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO6a3ndAxXkoJwz-ubtbyIQ Lasagna is a favorite dish in my family, usually made on special occasions such as birthdays. To make mama's lasagna you need the following ingredients:(for each pan of lasagna) 1. 1lb of grn beef 2. 1pk of polska kielbasa(any brand) 3. 1 big jar of sauce(45 oz) or 2 sm jars of sauce(24oz) 4. 1 box of lasagna noodles 5. 1 32oz ricotta cheese or 2 16oz containers 6. 2 large eggs 7. shredded mozzarella cheese(about 2 1/2 c) 8. Italian style cheese(optional)(we like it bc it has 4 cheeses for added flavor) 9. garlic salt(about 1 tsp) 10. Italian seasoning(about 1 tsp) 11. lasagna pan You can find a basic lasagna recipe on the box. You can follow those directions and add the kielbasa to the browned grn beef. I will also include the directions here: Boil lasagna noodles according to directions on box. Make sure when draining the cooked noodles to rinse with cold water. This stops the cooking process and helps keep the noodles from sticking together. You can also add 1tbs of cooking oil to the water. While noodles are boiling, brown the ground beef and crumble. Dice the kielbasa and add to the browned grn beef. Brown the kielbasa a little to enhance the flavor. When kielbasa has browned, add the jar(s) of sauce to the meats. Let simmer about 20mins to meld flavors. While the meat sauce is cooking, add the ricotta cheese, 2 eggs and about 1/2c. of mozzarella cheese in a medium bowl. Add the garlic salt and Italian seasoning to the egg/cheese mixture. Mix well. Add a little of the meat sauce to bottom of lasagna pan. (you can also just add a little sauce instead, this is basically to keep the noodles from sticking to pan). Now its time to layer. Add a layer of cooked noodles(3) on top of sauce. Make sure noodles touch. Add a layer of meat sauce, covering noodles. Add a layer of noodles. Add a layer of cheese mixture, covering noodles. Repeat layers of noodles, meat, and cheese mixture at least 2x more ending with a layer of meat sauce on top. Add about 2c shredded mozzarella cheese(and Italian cheese if desired) to top of meat sauce. Bake at 350 for 30 mins uncovered. Let cool about 15 mins before serving. Enjoy! Note: I know I do not prepare the lasagna in the traditional way of meat sauce and cheese mixture being in the same layer, but we do not like it made in this way. I also do not recommend using no boil lasagna noodles either. I have tried many times, even with adding extra sauce , but the no boil lasagna noodles are always harder than the boiled noodles. We prefer the recipe the way I shared it with you. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do and becomes a family favorite too.

Hot dog mummies are easy and fun to make! You need hot dogs, any brand and refrigerated dough. I used crescent rolls. Unroll the dough and cut into long strips. Wrap one strip around a hot dog, leaving space for the eyes. Bake at 400 for 8-9 mins until golden brown. Use ketchup or mustard for the eyes. Now your hot dog mummies are ready to serve. Enjoy!

You can make sausage balls with ingredients right from dollar tree. All you will need is 1pkg Bisquick garlic cheese biscuit mix and 2 small pork sausage rolls from Dollar tree. Dump the garlic cheese biscuit mix into a mixing bowl. Add the sausage rolls. Mix with your hands or a stand mixer. Mix well until all baking mix is mixed into the sausage and no baking mix remains. Shape into 1 inch size balls(about the size of golf balls). Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 25mins. Remove from oven after 25mins and serve warm. Yields about 24 sausage balls. Great for any party, tail-gating, church gathering, etc. Enjoy! Note: you can use 2c any baking mix instead of the garlic cheese biscuit mix. If you do then you will need to add 1lb shredded cheese or you can omit the cheese entirely. You can also add any seasoning you like: dried onion, garlic powder, chives, dried parsley, etc.

You can find all your ingredients(and pan if needed) for green bean casserole right at dollar tree. You need 3 cans of green beans( I used only 2), cream of mushroom soup, milk, and crispy onions. Mix together soup and 3/4 c milk. I heated mine on the stove before pouring it over the green beans. Add green beans to casserole pan. Distribute green beans evenly in pan. Pour soup mixture over green beans and mix well. Bake at 350 for 30 mins without the crispy onions. After 30 mins, top casserole with crispy onions and bake at 350 for 5 mins( I did 10 mins). Your green bean casserole is now ready to serve. Enjoy! Note: the green bean casserole recipe is on the back of the crispy onions recipe.

you can make delicious peanut butter fudge right in your microwave with only 4 ingredients! You will need the following ingredients: 16oz powdered sugar 1c peanut butter(any brand) 2tbs butter(I used margarine) 1/3c milk Add powdered sugar to mixing bowl, add 1/3c milk, and 2tbs butter(margarine). Microwave ingredients 2mins on high. Remove and mix ingredients until smooth. Microwave an additional 30secs. Remove and add 1c peanut butter. Mix until smooth. Line an 8x8 pan with foil. Spread peanut butter mixture in pan. Distribute evenly. Refrigerate at least 1hr. After 1hr, remove from pan. Cut fudge into 1 inch pieces. Yield about 36 1 inch pieces. Your delicious peanut butter fudge is now ready to serve. Enjoy!

You can make a delicious Christmas dinner right from Dollar Tree! You can find pork loin chops right in the freezer, Betty Crocker instant mashed potatoes, cranberry jelly, brown gravy mix, and rolls too! You can still have a nice, delicious Christmas dinner without spending a lot of money. Edit: the pork chops were very tender like butter and delicious! I highly recommend them if you're on a budget. I wish you could taste how delicious everything was. I've never tried the pork chops from Dollar Tree and I'm pleasantly shocked! Merry Christmas! Note: They did also have mac and cheese with cheese sauce and stuffing too.

You can make a beautiful and delicious Christmas dessert with ingredients right from Dollar Tree! You will need 1 can apple pie filling, 1pkg Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix, butter(margarine) and cinnamon sugar mix. Dump sugar cookie mix into mixing bowl. Add 1tbs water and 1/4c butter(margarine) softened. Mix until soft dough forms. Spray 8x8 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Dump apple pie filling into pan. Distribute apples evenly. Top apple pie filling with spoonfuls of sugar cookie dough. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mix on top of sugar cookie dough. Bake at 375 for 30-35mins(mine baked for 35mins). Serve warm, alone, with cool whip or vanilla ice cream. I topped mine with cool whip from Dollar Tree. Enjoy! Merry Christmas! Note: if you do not have cinnamon sugar mix, mix 5tsp sugar with 3/4tsp ground cinnamon.

I decided to do an experiment: I wanted to turn my peanut butter fudge into a chocolate peanut butter pie. To make you will need the following ingredients: 1 pastry pie shell(baked according to directions on pkg and cooled) 1c peanut butter(any brand) 16oz(2c) powdered sugar 1/3c milk 2tbs butter(margarine) 1 pkg chocolate pudding/pie mix First we make the peanut butter fudge: Add 16oz(2c) powdered sugar to a large microwave safe mixing bowl. Add 1/3c milk. Add 2tbs butter(margarine). Microwave for 2mins. Remove and stir well. Microwave for 30secs more. Stir until smooth. Add 1c peanut butter. Mix until smooth. Spread into the baked and cooled pie shell. Refrigerate 1hr. Now we're going to make the chocolate pie filling. Pour 1 and 1/2c milk into a large mixing bowl. Add the packet of chocolate pie/pudding mix. Whisk until well blended. Spread on top of peanut butter in pie shell. Return to fridge for another hr. After 1hr its ready to serve. Serve alone or topped with cool whip. Enjoy! Note: I always use creamy peanut butter in both fudge recipes. Not sure if you use crunchy how it would turn out.

You can make delicious cookies fast! All you need is a box of devils food cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar. Simply pour the cake mix into a mixing bowl, add 2 eggs, 1/3c vegetable oil, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Mix ingredients well, until a soft dough forms. Then scoop out and roll into balls, then roll into powdered sugar. Place onto baking sheet and bake at 350(325 for dark or nonstick pans) for 9-11 mins. Now your cookies are ready to enjoy! Note: smaller cookies will produce a crispier cookie, while larger cookies will produce a softer cookie.

White chocolate maraschino cherry fudge is delicious and super easy to make. All you need is a bag of white chocolate chips and maraschino cherries. Microwave the white chocolate chips in a large mixing bowl for 2mins. Remove and stir until melted and smooth. Cut up maraschino cherries into small pieces and add to melted white chocolate. Mix well. Spread fudge into foil lined 8x8 pan. Top with chopped maraschino cherry pieces. Refrigerate 1hr until hardened. Remove from pan by lifting out foil. Cut fudge into 1 inch pieces. Yields 36 1 inch pieces. Enjoy! Makes a festive and tasty gift!