Category: Food

Thanksgiving Recipes

Thanksgiving to me means family & food. Lots of food. And some of the best recipes come from my mom. Luckily, she shares them with me & then I post them here {so I remember & you can enjoy them too}.

Easy Hash Brown Casserole is a family favorite. It’s a wonderful way to start out a Thanksgiving brunch; serving it with eggs or omelets. But we most often have it as a side dish with our main afternoon meal. And then fight over the leftovers {if there are any} the next day.

Ingredients
2 lb shredded hash browns, slightly thawed
2 c shredded Swiss cheese
1 stick Country Crock, melted
1 pint heavy cream
1/2 tsp Lawry’s seasoning salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Directions
Mix all ingredients together in a 9×13 baking dish.

Preheat oven to 375. Bake for hour & a half hours. Enjoy!

{Half of my family dips this in ketchup, the other half thinks we’re weird.}

Honey Ginger Carrots are also a Thanksgiving & really all fall & winter staple around our house. There are many variations, but this is my favorite way to fix them.

Ingredients
1 lb package of baby carrots
1 tablespoon Country Crock spread
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1 /4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a pot on the stove on medium. Add equal parts water & orange juice if you’re feeling fancy to cover carrots. Cook until tender. Enjoy!

These ingredient amounts for the carrots serves four. Feel free to double or triple for the size of your crowd!

Yay for Thanksgiving recipes. I’ll be sure to share more when our other dishes are finalized for our Thanksgiving menu.

Thank you to Good to Know & Unilever Spreads for being a sponsor. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Tags holidays, product review, sides

Food

{Make Ahead Meals} Baked Spaghetti

Post author By Suz
Post date October 30, 2012
4 Comments on {Make Ahead Meals} Baked Spaghetti

My friend Sarah brought over her baked spaghetti while the babies were still in the NICU. We loved it so I emailed her requesting the recipe. Five months {oh so quickly} later & I was left this weekend craving warm baked spaghetti for this cool week. My aunt stopped by Saturday & helped me prepare a couple of things including this. We doubled the recipe then divided it into three freezer ready containers.

Ingredients
1 box of noodles {we used rotini, Sarah used spaghetti noodles}
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 lb ground chicken or turkey {we used turkey, Sarah makes hers with chicken}
2 c shredded cheddar cheese
{we threw in chopped onions & mushrooms too}

Directions
Boil water for the noodles, add the pasta & cook until a dente {usually 7-10 minutes}. Drain the pasta & set aside.

Cook the ground meat in a large saute pan. Stirring to make sure it browns completely. Pour the spaghetti sauce & vegetables if you want over the meat. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Pour a layer the meat sauce mixure in the bottom of your freezer/oven safe pan. Top with pasta. Top with cheese. Continue to layer until you reach the top of your dish. Stopping with sauce. Cover with an extra layer of cheese.

We covered with aluminium foil & the plastic freezer dish cover & placed two in the freezer. The third pan, I put in the refrigerator so we could enjoy it Sunday night.

From the refrigerator, bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes. Uncover, add a little more cheese if you wish & bake for an additional five minutes.

Tags make ahead meals, pasta

Everything Else Food Travel

B & Kevin’s Couples Shower

Post author By Suz
Post date October 2, 2012
No Comments on B & Kevin’s Couples Shower

Beth {who ended up sick & unable to attend}, Kelly, Kim & I {& technically our spouses} gave our good friend B & her hubby-to-be an uptown Charlotte shower Saturday night.

We went with a luau themed drinks & dessert party.

IMAG1489 — All set up & ready for the guests!

For the drinks part served: Diana’s punch aka spiked Hawaiian punch, red & white wine, sodas & water, & had a 1/4 keg of Miller lite.

IMAG1483 — Cookies, Brownies, Dessert Sliders & Lemon Squares

Our desserts included: chocolate chip cookie bites, brownie bites, strawberries, pineapples, marshmallows, pretzels & melted milk chocolate in a chafing dish for dipping all the above.

IMAG1486 — Melted chocolate goodness for all!

We also had lemon squares with blueberries & raspberries, dessert sliders & vanilla cupcakes.

We decorated the cupcakes with mini umbrellas, hung Chinese lanterns, had wreaths made of the umbrellas & had bright flowers throughout. Oh & gave the happy couples lais!

They were a trip opening gifts~ taking their time & being so sweet!

P1030554 — The happy couple & the pitcher I gave them.

Laughing & joking & being so happy to have all their favorite people together in one place.

Based on this crowd & party, I know the Apr wedding is going to be a blast!

Tags party, weddings

Food

Crockpot Mac n Cheese

Husband’s sister was up last week taking care of the babies (thank you F!). She had made her crockpot mac n cheese for us when she was here visiting earlier in the summer. Lucky for me {& you}, she gave me the recipe this time. I was able to get a minute or 10 yesterday & throw this together. Perfect with frozen chicken tenders & canned lima beans. {hey, I have twin babies & I cooked!!}

Ingredients
16oz box of macaroni {cooked & drained}
1 can evaporated milk
2 eggs {beaten}
1/4 c butter
2 c milk
2 tsp cooking oil
salt & pepper to taste

3 c shredded cheddar cheese

Spray crockpot with Pam. Combine first 8 ingredients {I used used the same pot the noodles had cooked in}.

Pour mixture in crockpot. Sprinkle cheese on top.

Cover & cook on low for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Stir before serving. This makes a lot, so enjoy for a cook out or pot luck or just your family!

Tags crockpot, pasta, sides

Food

Sarah’s Lemon White Chocolate Bars

Post author By Suz
Post date August 30, 2012
3 Comments on Sarah’s Lemon White Chocolate Bars

My college friend Sarah recently started a blog. She’s one of the most crafty women I know & she’s also a great baker. I was so happy to discover her lemon white chocolate cookie recipe earlier this week.

I’ve been craving all things lemon since popping these babies out. I think it’s due to the fact that coming within 10 feet of lemon at the end of the pregnancy gave me heartburn. I’ve nommed like crazy on lemon squares from my mom’s friend & drank lemonade by the gallon.

I ventured out with Lucy in tow Wednesday, just happened to pass the cake mix aisle & somehow lemon cake mix & eggs ended up in my cart. And then the world smiled upon me & both babies napped *at the same time* Wednesday evening, so that I was able to make these delicious bars. Like Sarah says, seriously the BEST & EASIEST ever!

Ingredients
1 box lemon cake mix
1/2 c vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 c white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Mix together cake mix, oil & eggs. I mixed by hand for noise sake but you could use a mixer too.

Blend in the chips.

Smush & flatten the batter into a 8×8 pan. I used non-stick brownie pan but still sprayed in with Pam.

Sarah recommends baking for 18-19 minutes. My oven is slow & things got a little crazy {shocker right?}, so these bars baked for more like 20+ minutes. They are still delicious & I may or may not have enjoyed almost half a pan in the last day.