Family Friendly Recipes | There's Just One Mommy

10 Homemade Darth Vader Cake Ideas

OneMommy — Mon, 26 Apr 2021 16:56:59 +0000

Star Wars is always popular with kids, especially boys.

Chances are, if you have a boy in the family, you will eventually be planning a Star Wars party. And, if you’re like most parents, you’ll want to keep that party on a budget, meaning you may be hunting for some DIY Star Wars party ideas.

You’ll also want a fun Star Wars cake. Right?

Whether you’re planning a birthday party or a celebration for May the Fourth Be with You, you’ll find the best Darth Vader cake ideas below.

When it comes to the original trilogy, Darth Vader is one of the most popular characters. He’s mysterious, powerful, and the perfect bit of scary for kids.

Vader is the perfect character to base your cake on.

There’s no need to run to a professional baker. These creative ideas will leave you with a Star Wars cake you can be proud of.

If you have a child that enjoys the Star Wars movies, you may also want to try making your own pool noodle lightsabers. They make acting out your favorite scenes fun, and they are safer than those plastic ones you find at the store.

How to Make a Darth Vader Cake

Feeling creative?

Pick one of the DIY Star Wars cake ideas below and create an awesome Darth Vader themed cake that will wow the guests.

Skip buying a special pan, and use the baking pans you already have to make this DIY Darth Vader Cake.
Use black fondant to create this Star Wars cake with a picture of Darth Vader’s head.
Have a bell-shaped cookie cutter at home? Use it to help decorate these Darth Vader cupcakes.
Make your own edible Darth Vader cupcake toppers with royal icing.
Star Wars fans will rave over this 3-dimensional cake of Darth Vader.

Simple Darth Vader Cake Ideas

Want something that’s even easier and takes almost no time to do?

These fun ideas will make it super simple to create your very own cake for your Star Wars fan. (Affiliate links are provided below. See my full disclosure for more details.)

Add this Darth Vader to the top of any cake to turn it into a fun Star Wars cake. Kids will love that his red light saber doubles as a candle.
Party goers will love this 3-dimensional darth vader cake topper. It even has sound effects!
Using an edible Star Wars cake topper will make your homemade cake look like it was made by a professional.
Purchase your own Darth Vader cake pan and make it super simple to celebrate Star Wars any day of the year.
Use these fun Star Wars cookie cutters as stencils to decorate your cake. Simply fill in the centers with sprinkles and remove the cookie cutters to leave the characters behind.

No matter which of these Darth Vader cakes you try, be sure to create your own mini R2D2 craft. It makes a cute party decoration and keepsake.

Dinner Recipe: Quick and Easy Salmon Patties

OneMommy — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 18:27:03 +0000

Sometimes kids are hard to cook for. They get into little ruts where all they want to eat is mac-n-cheese or peanut butter and jelly.

On top of that, moms are busy! Between taking care of the house and running kids everywhere, we need quick dinner ideas.

This easy salmon patty recipe is one the kids will eat, every single time!

This dinner idea is actually one my kids both agree on. And that doesn’t happen often.

And it’s a perfect dinner idea for Lent.

This easy salmon recipe is so quick and easy to whip up, it will become one of your favorite recipes too!

Salmon Patty Recipe

Affiliate links have been used below. See my full disclosure for more details.

Ingredients:

1 can (14.75 oz.) of either pink or red salmon
1 small onion, diced
1 sleeve of saltine crackers
1 egg
Vegetable Oil

This easy dinner recipe is perfect for getting the kids to help in the kitchen.

Start by opening your can of salmon. (I love this brand.)

Drain the excess liquid and then empty the fish into a small mixing bowl.

Remove the large backbone and other bones. To do this, break the salmon down the middle vertically and use the tines of a fork or your fingers to remove the bones. (I have known people who leave the smaller bones in, as they are very soft and can be digested, but I prefer to remove as many as possible.)

Once the bones are removed, use a fork to break the salmon into smaller pieces. (Kids can do this part!)

Open the sleeve of crackers and dump them into a large plastic zippered bag. Squeeze the air out and seal the bag, and have your child use a rolling pin to crush the crackers.

While the crackers are being crushed, dice up your onion and add it to the salmon. Also add in your egg.

Mix thoroughly.

Add about half of your cracker crumbs to the bowl of salmon and mix.

Make patties with the salmon mixture, just as you would make hamburger patties. I usually get 5-6 patties out of one can of salmon.

Coat both sides of the salmon patties with the remaining crumbs by patting the crumbs and patties in your hands.

Pour 1/4 cup or so of oil into your skillet and heat it on medium heat several minutes.

Gently place the patties into the hot oil and brown on both sides.

Once browned, remove from the skillet. If desired you can drain excess oil off on a plate covered with paper towels.

You can eat the patties on sandwich buns with your favorite toppings, or eat them separately.

We usually eat them with a little bit of ketchup on top and served with mac-n-cheese and peas, just like my mom used to serve years ago.

Savory Sausage & Egg Burrito Bar: Make-Ahead Holiday Breakfast Idea

OneMommy — Mon, 20 Nov 2017 04:51:49 +0000

Every year on Christmas we’d open up gifts and then Mom would go upstairs to make a hot breakfast for us.

As a child I didn’t think about what she was missing out on. But as a parent, I can’t help but think of all those moments she missed.

She missed being able to see our excitement as we opened the boxes and first played with each of the toys she had carefully picked out. She missed all the smiles, laughter, and a bit of that Christmas morning magic.

Moms deserve a special holiday breakfast idea that doesn’t take them away from all that. And that’s why I love this breakfast burrito bar idea.

As a kid my mom always made us goetta for breakfast on Christmas morning. It’s totally delicious, but took her away from watching us open up gifts.

Sausage & egg burritos can be made up ahead of time, leaving you with a hot meal without missing the memories.

Breakfast Burrito Bar

The past few years we’ve had cherry pop-overs for breakfast, but my husband craved something a little more savory.

This year, to go with our cherry pop-overs we’re having breakfast burritos. The savory combination of sausage and scrambled eggs is the perfect complement to those sweet pastries.

Sausage & Egg Burrito Recipe

Ingredients:

Breakfast Sausage (I used Jimmy Dean® Sausage.)
Eggs
Onion
Bell Pepper
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Salsa, Hot Sauce, and Sour Cream for Garnish (optional)

Begin by browing the sausage in a skillet. I love the fact that the Jimmy Dean® sausage isn’t frozen because it means I don’t have to thaw it out ahead of time. Anyone else terrible at remembering to thaw out the meat you plan to prepare?

If desired, drain sausage on paper towels.

Chop your onion and bell pepper into small pieces. Then saute’ in a small skillet with a bit of butter. Or, use the same skillet you cooked the sausage in and skip the butter.

Finally, prepare your scrambled eggs. I scramble 6 for our family of 4.

You can eat your burritos right away, or cook it all up the night before and then refrigerate until ready to eat.

In the morning, simply heat up the sausage, egg, and onion and pepper mixture in the microwave.

Serve the ingredients in large bowls, allowing people to make their own breakfast burritos, just the way they like them. (Burritos are always tasty!)

To assemble your breakfast burritos, spoon a small amount of scrambled egg in a line down the middle of an open tortilla.

Add sausage, cheese, onion, and bell pepper.

Garnish with hot sauce or sour cream if desired.

Roll into a burrito and enjoy.

Want to add a bit of sweetness? Pair the savory burritos with a bowl of homemade yummy muffins.

The holiday season is busy!

What I love about this holiday breakfast idea is that all the ingredients can be made a day ahead of time and reheated in the morning, meaning you won’t miss any of the Christmas morning magic trying to get breakfast on the table.

Plus, setting it up this way allows your family and guests to make it the way they like.

Kids don’t like onion? They can skip putting it on.

Have a picky eater who doesn’t like food touching? Let them dish up individual ingredients on a plate and eat it with a fork.

The holidays are for spending time with family. This year treat your family to your very own breakfast burrito bar and don’t miss out on the memories.

20 Delicious Meals You Can Make in 30 Minutes or Less

OneMommy — Mon, 31 Oct 2016 19:17:57 +0000

Between chores, helping the kids with school work, and running them to extra curricular activities, it can be hard to get a healthy meal on the table in time for dinner. There are only so many times you can feed the family spaghetti or grilled cheese sandwiches before they revolt. If you’re looking for quick meal ideas to get you through the busy work week, check out these 20 delicious 30 minute dinner ideas that will get them racing to the table.

Mondays we need to eat by 5:00 so I can get my daughter to choir practice on time. Tuesdays we get home from scouts just in time to throw together a quick dinner. Thursdays the kids have homeschool gymnastics. Honestly, there are days I would love to have pizza delivered or grab take-out. But that’s not an option where we live. (The closest place to get food is 15 minutes away, add to that the time it takes to get the kids in the car just to drive there and back and we’re talking melt-down city before they get fed.) I’m telling you, these fast meal ideas can be a life-saver.

30 Minute Dinner Ideas

Chicken Taco Soup — There is nothing quite like a bowl of homemade soup. This yummy taco soup can be made from start to finish in 25 minutes. It’s full of chicken, veggies like corn and black beans, and can be topped off with your favorite taco fixings. A fun way to switch up those “Taco Tuesdays.”

Quick and Easy Salmon Patties — I always keep canned salmon in the pantry for this quick dinner idea my kids gobble up. Serve it with mac-n-cheese and a hot veggie and you have dinner ready in under 30 minutes.

Doritos Chicken Tenders — This is a crazy easy recipe that you can make for dinner or lunch in a matter of minutes. Plus, kids will have fun crushing up those Doritos for you.

White Chicken Chili — When the weather get cooler, there is nothing quite like a hot bowl of chili. This version will have them asking for seconds.

Cheesy Chicken Taco and Rice — If you love Mexican/Southwestern type meals, this is the meal for you. I love how easy it is to personalize it.

Skillet Chicken Mac-n-Cheese — Turn that kid-favorite into a 1 skillet meal the whole family will enjoy.

BBQ Chicken Sliders — This is a fun way to use up leftovers from that store-bought rotisserie chicken.

15 Minute Deep Dish Pizza — Faster than delivery and so fun for the kids to help make.

3 Ingredient Brown Sugar Italian Chicken — Delicious and super easy to make. Perfect during the work week.

Pizza Pasta Casserole — Combine 2 classic kid favorites into one in this yummy casserole.

Parmesan Garlic Spaghetti — Instead of that same old tomato sauce in a jar, dress up that spaghetti with this simple idea.

Easy Sausage Rice Skillet — Just 4 ingredients and one skillet and you have a tasty meal in minutes. How much easier can it get?

Skillet Lasagna — You can still have the taste of lasagna during the week, with this simple take on a Sunday classic.

Pierogie Lasagna — This is a favorite quick meal idea around our house. You can easily switch out what type of meat you use to personalize it to your tastes. (We love using Kielbasa for a bit of a change.)

Sloppy Joe French Bread Pizza — All the tangy goodness of Sloppy Joe on a crispy French bread.

Maple Mustard Chicken Thighs — Looking for a new chicken recipe? These chicken thighs are delicious, sweet, savory and super easy to make.

Chicken Parmesan — Whether you have it plain or smother it with marinara sauce and cheese, this is a tasty dish that is sure to have them cleaning their plates.

Orange Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry — Once all your ingredients are prepped, stir frying is a fast meal for any day of the week. This one looks amazing.

Pizza Bagels — Usually we reserve this as a quick hot lunch idea. But when dinner needs to be on the table in 10 minutes or less so I can drive my daughter to children’s choir on time, this one is a hit every time.

Kielbasa, Pepper, Onion, and Potato Hash — This is a simple, inexpensive, and delicious meal that can be made in just minutes.

These yummy 30 minute dinner ideas are perfect whether you’re rushing to get kids to practice on time, or you’ve lost track of time. (Please tell me I’m not the only one that realizes it’s almost dinner time and I still haven’t figured out what we’re going to eat.)

Creamy and Refreshing Yogurt Popsicle Recipe

OneMommy — Sat, 25 Jun 2016 21:46:37 +0000

“Should we buy strawberry or cherry?” my mom asked as we neared the yogurt section of the grocery store. Summer was the only time she bought yogurt, and when she did, I knew we’d be making frozen yogurt pie. That cold, creamy dessert is something my siblings and I still remember about summertime as kids. This yogurt popsicle recipe gives a new twist to that refreshing treat.

With only 2 ingredients, and no need for exact measuring, these yogurt ice pops are super simple to make. They are a perfect recipe for kids to make on their own.

Ingredients

1 — 8 oz. container of Cool Whip, thawed (We used the fat free version.)
2 — 6 oz. containers of yogurt
Popsicle/Ice Pop molds
Large mixing bowl
Spoon

Creamy Yogurt Popsicle Recipe

Use your spoon to scoop 1/2 of the Cool Whip into the bowl.

Next, add both containers of yogurt. Any flavor of yogurt will work for this recipe. We like using a fruit variety, like cherry, strawberry, or blueberry.

Mix the yogurt and whipped topping together until well blended. Use your spoon to fill the ice pop molds. Be sure to leave 1/4 inch space at the top to allow for the mixture to expand as it freezes.

Freeze overnight. To remove your ice pops, just run warm water over the outside of the mold for a few seconds.

Growing up, buying yogurt meant one thing. I love sharing those memories and this delicious summer treat with my own kids. And they love that this yogurt popsicle recipe is a recipe kids can make.

Make memories with your kids with these other kid-friendly recipes:

The post Creamy and Refreshing Yogurt Popsicle Recipe first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

Storm Trooper Cupcakes — Perfect for Star Wars Party

OneMommy — Mon, 16 May 2016 20:19:22 +0000

I have to admit, when my son asked for a Star Wars birthday party I was pretty excited. After all, I grew up with Star Wars.

Whether you’re planning your own Star Wars party, or you’re just looking for the perfect dessert to have while watching the movies with your kids, these Star Wars Storm Trooper cupcakes are sure to bring smiles.

(Related Post: DIY Darth Vader Cake Idea)

Affiliate links have been used below for your convenience. See my full disclosure here.

What I love about these Star Wars cupcakes is that they are so simple to make. They’d be perfect to send in to school for your child’s birthday.

Materials Needed:

Your Favorite Cake Mix (We used this gluten-free one.)
White Cake Frosting
White Cupcake Liners
Marshmallows
Black Edible Food Marker

How to Make Storm Trooper Cupcakes

Bake cupcakes as directed on package. Once cupcakes are completely cooled, frost them with white icing.

Using your black edible marker, draw simple Storm Trooper faces on your marshmallows. My kids have only seen the original Star Wars movies so far, so we went with the classic Storm Trooper look: black band around the top of the head, triangular eyes, upside down curve mouth and a few lines for vents or dots to be bolts at the bottom of the helmet. For a more modern Storm Trooper look you can connect the black band to the eyes like these cupcakes over at Spaceships and Laser Beams.

Once you have your Storm Trooper marshmallows are finished, simply place one on top of each cupcake. You will have your own delicious army of Storm Troopers in no time!

These cupcakes were a huge hit at my son’s Star Wars birthday party this year.

Honestly, they are so simple to make, you could easily whip up a few Star Wars Storm Trooper cupcakes for your own Star Wars fan any day of the year. They’d be perfect for Star Wars Day!