Thanksgiving Week

Trying to catch up on our Thanksgiving week! It was pretty hectic because we were leaving for Disney the day after. But, we still made time for some crafts! Addi LOVES painting and while the vision for this tree didn't turn out how exactly how I saw on Pinterest, it is still beautiful and definitley a little more free spirited. :) What matter is, she had an absolute blast just going for it. 

 Tuesday night, we had a Thanksgiving meal with our friends. This is by far the best meal of the year. We had: turkey, ham, cornbread dressing, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, green bean bundles, corn casserole, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, cranberries, rolls and then pumpkin bars and apple pie for dessert. I spent all day in the kitchen and the house smelled like heaven. It actually made me tear up a little because it smelled just like my grandmother's house. :)

 Sweet little Eliza.

 Me and the crazy girls!

Addi's cute little outfit. She was balancing Pascal on her head. 

 Josh's smoked turkey. I need more!

  The next day, our playgroup paid a visit to the fire station! I anticipated Addi to just be so excited because she loves when fire trucks go down our street. Not so much! She was really quiet and almost scared the whole time. She's deathly afraid of fire and maybe she thought there was going to be fire there? Also, she thought the sirens were going to turn on and she doesn't like loud noises. Just like her momma! 

 The firemen were so nice and welcoming to our little group. They had a pretty sweet TV set up that Addi took advantage of!

 This rescue boat was a hit with all the kids. They did not want to get out!

 We went and ate lunch with Leslie and Brilie downtown afterwards. Flying Fish is SO good!

 There were some LSU fans in town that the girls glared at. Too bad we stink so bad and we couldn't trash talk them. ;)

 We went and saw sweet baby Gracynn that night! She is SO precious. Addi gave us a little taste of what to expect when Rhett gets here. I was holding Gracynn and Addi was playing with a plastic ball. She said catch and chunked the ball right at Gracynn's head! Oh my word!! Luckily, I caught it just before it hit, but my word! Rhett is going to be a tough little boy!

Sadly, I didn't get one picture from Thanksgiving. But, we had a delicious meal at Josh's grandparent's house and had a great time visiting. :)

Chicken Enchiladas

This recipe is so super easy because there is not that many ingredients and the cooking creme adds so much flavor and creaminess to the dish.

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts
1 can of diced green chiles
1/2 onion-diced
1 container of southwest flavored Philly Cooking Creme
1 can of enchilada sauce
1/2 cup shredded cheese
6 flour tortillas
cilantro (optional)

All you do is swirl a couple of teaspoons of EVOO in a saute pan, get your chiles and onion cooking a little, I let mine go for about 3 or 4 minutes, then put your chicken in there and cook till it's done, probably 15 minutes. Take your chicken out and shred it using two forks, put it back in the pan with the chiles and onion, stir in the WHOLE container of cooking creme. Fill your tortillas with the mixture, roll up and place seam side down in a baking dish. I also like to pour a little of the enchilada sauce on the bottom so they won't stick. Top with the rest of the enchilada sauce, and cheese and then bake for 25 minutes at 350. I topped mine with some fresh chopped cilantro and it gave it a really nice flavor.

Enjoy!

Chicken Spaghetti

I'm sure mostly everyone has had this at some point or another. I had not had it since high school, and someone posted about it and I needed it asap! I love it and it's so easy and yummy! It is also great to make ahead, or make ahead and freeze!

Ingredients:

3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 (8 ounce) package spaghetti
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
1 pound processed cheese food (eg. Velveeta)
salt and pepper to taste
1 pinch garlic powder

Directions:

Boil chicken in a large pot of salted water. When chicken is done, remove from pot, keeping water/broth at a boil. Shred chicken and set aside. Put spaghetti in boiling chicken broth and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente. When done, drain broth.
Return pot with cooked spaghetti to stove, put over low heat. Add shredded chicken, soup, diced tomatoes with chile peppers and cheese. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Pour into casserole dish, top with shredded cheddar and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Enjoy!!!

Asian Glazed Chicken Thighs

This was so good! I got boneless skinless chicken thighs and the meat is so flavorful and juicy! I think next time I will marinate these overnight in the sauce, but I just dipped in the chicken and poured the rest of the sauce on top. One time, I just kept brushing on the glaze as they were baking.

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken thighs

Marinade Ingredients:
1/8 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire
1 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. cilantro

Preheat oven to 400. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

Serve with rice and we also had edamame with it too!

Enjoy!!!

Turkey Chili

I made this Sunday night in preparation for our snow day! It was DELICIOUS, but better than that, it's actually semi-healthy! I used turkey instead of ground beef, and I added finely chopped carrots and butternut squash (just had it in the fridge) for an extra veggie dose. The original recipe calls for chopped zucchini, but I didn't have it and I'm not sure if I would like that, but feel free to use that if you like!

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp. ancho chili powder (if you don't have ancho, just double up on regular)
1 tsp. regular chili powder
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (14.5 ounce) can beef broth
1 (7 ounce) can salsa
1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, or coarsely chopped tomatoes packed in puree
1 (7 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble turkey into the pot, stirring with a wooden spoon to break apart as much as possible. Season with taco seasoning mix, oregano, chili powder, and tomato paste, and mix until meat is evenly coated with seasonings. Continue cooking, reducing heat if necessary, until turkey is well browned.
Pour in beef broth, and simmer to reduce liquid slightly, about 5 minutes. Add salsa, tomatoes, and green chilies, and continue cooking at a moderate simmer for ten minutes. Adjust the thickness at any time you feel necessary by adding water.
While chili is still cooking, heat one tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onion and green bell pepper, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent and bell pepper is lightly browned. This is where I added the carrots and squash. Add veggie mix to the chili, and continue cooking at a very low simmer.

Ladle chili into serving bowls. Top with sour cream, green onion, and cheddar cheese, and serve.

This was the best chili we've ever made and it had just the right amount of spice.

Enjoy!!!

Coffee Punch

I LOVE this punch! It tastes like a frozen cappuccino!


Ingredients
4 cups brewed vanilla-flavored coffee, cooled
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream, softened
Ground cinnamon(maybe start with 1 tsp. and add more if you like)

Directions:
In a large container, combine the coffee, milk and sugar; stir until sugar is dissolved. Spoon ice cream into a punch bowl; pour coffee mixture over the top. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Serve immediately. Yield: 2-1/2 quarts.

Enjoy!!!

Buttermilk Pie

Wow!!! Can't believe it's been over a month since I've posted over here! So, this is something that I found off of another blog and thought sounded delicious, so I made it! It is SO good y'all! This is a southern thing too, so even better!

Ingredients:

3 eggs
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/16 teaspoon salt

one unbaked pie shell

Directions:

Beat eggs, sugar, buttermilk, butter, vanilla and salt in a mixing bowl until smooth.
Pour into pie shell. (Cover edge until last 10 mins or so)

Bake in 350 degree oven for 40-45 mins or until light brown. (Mine had to go a little bit longer and remember, once it cools it firms up, so it's okay if it's a little jiggly!) Also, we think it's best served chilled with some whipped cream!

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie Dip

I made this for playgroup tomorrow and I might have to make another batch! Me and Josh have been eating it with apple slices and it is SOOO good!!!

Ingredients:

1 (15oz.) can pumpkin puree
8 oz. block of cream cheese
2 (7oz.) containers of marshmellow creme
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

Soften the cream cheese and then combine all the ingredients in a mixer and mix until combined! Serve with apple slices, gingersnaps, or graham cracker sticks. It's so good you might end up eating it with a spoon!



Enjoy!!!

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

Easy, delicious, and only 250 calories per serving. I'm not even kidding.




Ingredients:
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can corn
1 can green chiles
1 can of chicken broth
1 packet of taco seasoning mix
1 lb. chicken
1 cup sour cream
shredded cheese (for serving)
tortilla chips

Oh and you could also add black beans or olives! Beans give Josh TERRIBLE heartburn so we like to steer clear of that.

Directions:

Boil your chicken till it's done. Shred and set aside. Pour everything from tomatoes to seasoning mix in your crockpot. Add the chicken. Cook on low for 2-3 hours. Stir in sour cream right before serving. Garnish with cheese and chips!




Enjoy!!!

Beef Enchiladas

I've been on an enchilada kick lately, so we have this once a week. It's so good and easy! Oh and you could also substitute chicken for the beef!

Ingredients:
flour tortillas(I used 6 of the smaller sized ones)
1 lb. of ground beef (I actually used venison last night, because we have a whole freezer full of it!)
1 4oz. can of diced green chiles
1 10oz. can of enchilada sauce
1/4 cup of sour cream
packet of taco seasoning
lots of shredded cheddar

Directions:
Brown your ground beef with the green chiles. Drain. Put a few Tbsp. of enchilada sauce in the bottom of your square pan. Mix the sour cream with the rest of the enchilada sauce in a saucepan over medium low heat. (Or microwave it, you just want it to be hot.) Take a tortilla, put a couple of spoonfuls of the meat mixture in and sprinkle some cheese over the top. Roll up and place seam side down in the pan. I usually have some ground beef left over so I just pour that over the top of the enchiladas, then I pour the sauce, and then I top with about a cup of shredded cheddar. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 375!

Enjoy!!!

Sausage Bake

This is my go to 30 minute meal, my go to company's coming dinner, and a meal that just says fall to me. It's so easy and so good! Try it!

Ingredients:
1 lb. smoked sausage
1 red pepper
1/2 onion
2 medium yellow squash
salt
pepper
olive oil

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 375. Cut the sausage and veggies into chunks and toss them in the olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Bake for 30-40 minutes.

Enjoy!!!!

Chicken Stir Fry

I started making this after I had chicken fried rice at Pei Wei. It's so good, so simple, and probably best of all this version is very healthy! Shocking I know!

Ingredients:
4 cups cooked rice
1 red bell pepper (diced)
1 1/2 cups of cooked diced chicken
1 head of broccoli (chopped)
1/2 bag of shredded cabbage and carrots
soy sauce
sesame oil
garlic powder

Optional:
onion-I have been really squeamish over onions lately so I left this out.
egg-just crack an egg into the mix about halfway through cooking, I just forgot about this one!
mushrooms
baby corn
water chestnuts
fresh garlic (just didn't feel like chopping tonight!)

Directions:
I do a combo of half olive oil, half sesame oil because the sesame oil has a really strong flavor. Use about a Tablespoon of each and heat your pan over medium high heat. Throw in your broccoli, red pepper and if you want to add any of the other options, now is the time to throw it in.

Let that cook for about 5 minutes, then throw in your cabbage mix. The cabbage will start to brown and get really soft after a few minutes. Toss in your chicken and this is where I sprinkled a little bit of the garlic powder in. Let that go for another couple of minutes, shake a couple of dashes of soy sauce in and stir. I honestly don't know how much soy sauce I added. Taste as you go!

When your mix looks like this...


Stir in your rice, add soy sauce to taste and your done!!!

Enjoy!!!

Brownie Pillow Cookies

These are SO good and SO easy!!!

Ingredients:

box of brownie mix-bake as normal, in an 8x8 pan.
tube of chocolate chip cookie mix.

Bake and cool your brownies, then cut them into 1 inch squares. Preheat your oven to 350. Take 1/2 cup of cookie dough, make an indentation in the middle and smoosh a brownie square in the middle. Form the cookie dough around the brownie to form a ball. Mine only made 6 cookies, but they are huge! Bake for 13 minutes, or until they start to brown up around the edges.

Enjoy!!!

Croque Monsieur

I made these for dinner tonight and oh my word, these are seriously delicious. I used gruyere because we had some in the fridge, but you could use any type of swiss.

Ingredients:

sliced Italian style bread
shredded gruyere
sliced ham
honey mustard
butter
eggs

Directions:
Assemble your sandwich: put a dab of honey mustard on each piece of bread, layer the ham and the cheese.

melt a couple of tablespoons of butter in a saute pan and get it to where it's starting to bubble up a little. Crack an egg in the pan and then put your sandwich down on top of the egg. Flip after two minutes and then remove when cheese is melted.

Enjoy!!!

Amazing slow cooker chicken

This might not look too spectacular, but trust me this was some of the best chicken and sauce we have had! And it's super easy to make and only takes four ingredients! Can't beat that!

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts (I used frozen)
1 block of cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
1 pkg. Italian dressing seasoning mix

Toss all of that in a slow cooker and put it on low for four-five hours. We served it over rice, because it makes the most amazing sauce.

Enjoy!

Taters Precious!

These potatoes are a spin off of Pioneer Woman's fluffy new potatoes. I just changed it up a bit.

Ingredients:

10 red potatoes
3/4 tub of cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 stick of butter
salt
pepper
1/3 cup mozzarella

Directions:
Boil or bake your potatoes till they are almost cooked. I did both, I boiled them for about 15 minutes (mine were HUGE) and then baked them in the oven for 10 minutes. I then sliced them in half and scooped out most of the filling. You have to be careful here, because you want to leave a little bit of potato in the skin so it can hold the mashed potato mixture.
I melted the butter and cream cheese together, and then added the sour cream and salt and pepper. I mashed the insides of the potatoes with about half, maybe a little more of the butter and cream cheese mix.
Put the potato mixture back into the skins and then I spooned a little more of the cream cheese/butter/sour cream mix onto the potatoes. Then I topped it with a little mozzarella.
Bake at 400 for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is a little golden.

I got several comments saying these were the best potatoes EVER!!!

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Chicken that doesn't have a name...yet

Ingredients:

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I put mine in frozen.)
1 can of golden mushroom soup
1 pkg. of Italian dressing mix
1 green bell pepper
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Put the chicken in your slow cooker. Put the soup through chicken stock over the chicken. Cook on low for 4-5 hours. You have to watch it because the chicken can easily overcook! When it's done, stir in the heavy cream. Serve over rice!

Enjoy!

Taco Ring

This is so good! It's also very easy to make which makes it VERY good!

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 can diced green chiles
3/4 cup shredded cheddar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 can crescent rolls

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Brown your meat with the green chiles. Stir in the taco seasoning.

3. Drain the grease and then stir in your cheese and sour cream.

4. Unroll crescent rolls and separate. Arrange triangles in a circle on a greased baking sheet with wide ends overlapping in center and points toward the outside. There should be about a 5 inch diameter in the center.
Scoop meat mixture evenly onto widest ends of dough at center of ring. Bring points in and over and tuck underneath the wide end.

5. Sprinkle a little more cheese on top.

6. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Enjoy!!!

Green Chile Bacon Mac and Cheese

I made this over the weekend using things in the pantry and fridge. You could definitely adjust this to whatever cheeses and meats you have.
Again, there was no measuring, so I'm trying to estimate how much I used.
Start by boiling 4 cups of elbow macaroni until al dente.

Then you basically, you make a roux out of the flour and butter.
Ingredients:
5 Tbsp. flour
1 stick butter
1 1/2 cup milk

Melt the butter in a saucepan and then add your flour. Whisk till all the lumps are gone. Keep whisking until the flour/butter mixture starts to get some color to it. Then, add your milk! Start with 1 cup, then add more if necessary. You want it to be a sauce like consistency, but not too thick because you still have to add your cheeses. That is your basis for any sauce you want to do. After you make that, you can add your cheeses and whatever else you want.

I added:
1 cup mexican four cheese blend (shredded)
1 cup grated parmesan
1 can of diced green chiles (drained)
1 bag of Hormel bacon bits
2 Tbsp. cream cheese

Just add all of these into your sauce and stir until melted. Drain your pasta and stir in the sauce. Pour into a greased casserole dish. Top with more shredded cheese.

I made a cracker crumb topping using club crackers.
Just melt a stick of butter and crush up half a package of club crackers (ritz would be good also!) and mix together then sprinkle over your mac and cheese.

Bake at 375 for 15 minutes.

Hope you enjoy! I'm going to try to start writing down how much I use of things, because it's really hard to think back how much I used.

Spinach Artichoke Dip Lasagna

Okay so I'm going to attempt to re-create the lasagna I threw together the other night!

First, I boiled a package of lasagna in lightly salted water. While that was cooking I made my fillings.
The first filling was the ricotta mixture.
-15oz. container of ricotta
-1 egg
-1 Tbsp. oregano
-1 Tbsp. dried basil
-1 tsp. rosemary
-1 tsp. thyme
-1 tsp. garlic powder
-1 tsp. black pepper
-1/3 cup grated Parmesan
Mix together and set aside.

The next filling was the spinach artichoke dip.
-1 jar of alfredo sauce
-1/2 8oz. package of frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained)
-15 oz. can of artichoke hearts (drained and chopped)
-8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
-2 Tbsp. sour cream
-1/3 cup grated Parmesan
-1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

I also had two cooked chicken breasts that I had chopped.

So....to assemble!

In your pan, lay down four lasagna noodles. Put half of your ricotta mixture on top of the noodles, then scatter half of the chicken over that. Then put half of the spinach dip over the chicken. Now for the good part, layer sliced provolone over the artichoke dip! Repeat.

Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 40 minutes. Take foil off and bake another 10 minutes or until cheese is a little browned. Let sit for 10 minutes.

Enjoy!!!