drink up: mock champagne punch

If you're looking for a good punch recipe for the holidays or just for sometime in the future, bookmark this one.  A colleague of mine, Nancy, had this at a Christmas party and I made it for CJ's graduation party.  It's got a bit of a tangy flavor to it, which I really appreciate.

Mock Champagne Punch
2 - 2 liters of ginger ale
large can of pineapple juice
64 oz. white grape juice

A day before, pour one 2-liter of ginger ale into a round cake pan and freeze (I used a bundt pan, which was the perfect size).  The day of, put your ice ring in the punch bowl and add the other ingredients.

Enjoy!

my day in bullet points

My day in a handful of bullet points:

• I had the day off, the first of 11 days off.  This may come off as sarcastic, but in all seriousness, praise God for some time off.
• CJ and I had our Christmas together this morning.  He used my pinterest list and went off the list I made.  I married such a smart man.
• I went to the grocery store today.  Do you know what you shouldn't do on December 23rd?  Go to the grocery store.
• I made lunch:  Sandra Lee's cheddar-beer chicken in the crockpot, Panera Bread's mac & cheese, and pineapple casserole.
• To sum up lunch:  Sandra Lee failed me and CJ liked the Panera mac & cheese.  The pineapple casserole is an old standby.  (Want that recipe?  It's linked there on the sidebar.)
• CJ made cake/cookie pops and started to make pie crusts for Christmas meals.
• I made peanut brittle and peppermint bark in the microwave.  Both are winners.
• I made whiskey-caramel-marshmallow-bacon bark.  It's still in the freezer.  I was intrigued by the flavors.  It looks terrible though, soooo I'm not holding out on this being a winner.
• We are running our third load of dishes and the double sink is still full.
• I burnt my wrist.
• I burnt my fingernail.
• I spilled hot bacon grease on my floor.

The grocery store trip, failed lunch, weird whiskey-caramel-marshmallow-bacon bark, and hot bacon grease mess aside, it was still a good day (I wasn't at work, was I?).

Merry Christmas to you all!

henry then & now

I'm not going to lie.  Sometimes I miss this fuzzy little twelve-pound puppy:

Henry - Summer 2009

Henry - Fall 2011



Today we have a very high energy, very friendly fifty-five pound dog.  And as much as I miss the fuzzy little puppy, I definitely appreciate the fact that he can stay home alone and so long as we don't leave the kitchen trash out, he leaves our stuff alone.

(Famous last words, I'm sure.)

showing off: christmas card wreath

Thanks to Martha Stewart, we now have a new way to display Christmas cards.  Thank goodness, because my old method of hanging a piece of ribbon to the wall wasn't exactly working.

My version doesn't exactly look as pretty as Martha's and I think I have some ideas for improving it for next year.  But as soon as we get some more Christmas cards (I'm sure hoping this isn't it!), hopefully this will look a lot better!

If you're interested in making one yourself, it just takes an embroidery hoop, clothes pins, wood glue, and ribbon to throw together.

what's for dinner: baked cream cheese spaghetti

Can we say lifesaver?  This baked cream cheese spaghetti was on so many levels.

1.  I panicked one night last week because when I went to throw the next day's crockpot recipe together, it required me to do a little pre-cooking.  At 10 pm, I wasn't going to thaw out chicken, cut it into pieces, roll it in flour, and cook it first.  Also, we know that we spend too much money eating out, separately and together, and we also have a full pantry, so we've been making a concerted effort to eat in whenever possible -- and I just didn't want to break down and eat out that night.

2.  I had all but one ingredient on hand and I estimate it cost me about $5.25 to make.  Lesson:  Buy stuff when it's on sale.  I purchased spaghetti in bulk a few weeks ago (a buck per box!) and cream cheese at a $1.25/package.  The french fried onions, the only thing I didn't have on hand, were on sale for $2.99 this week.  I had green peppers leftover from our garden, plenty of homemade pasta sauce from our garden, and a small bag of frozen onions in the freezer, so that all helped.  (Another lesson?  Plant a garden.  It's cheaper to buy one pepper plant at $1.99 than to buy one pepper in the middle of winter for $1.99.)

3.  CJ loved this recipe.  When we were engaged, I learned that he didn't like spaghetti.  (Imagine my horror.  What in the world would I cook?)  But throw in cream cheese, veggies, and meat, and he's a satisfied customer.

Enough storytelling already.  Here's the picture and recipe:

Baked Cream Cheese Spaghetti
from Salad in a Jar

8 oz. uncooked spaghetti
1 lb. ground beef
26.5 oz. spaghetti sauce
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 C. chopped green peppers
1/3 C. chopped onions
8 oz. cream cheese
2 Tbsp. milk
Parmesan
French fried onions

Preheat your oven to 350.

Cook your spaghetti.  Brown your meat.  Add the two together.

Meanwhile, combine onions, pepper, and butter in a bowl and microwave on high for about 4 minutes.  Add cream cheese and milk to vegetables and stir well.

I used a 10x6" dish for this, by the way.

Then layer:
Spaghetti sauce
Spaghetti & meat
Cream cheese/veggie mix
Spaghetti sauce
Parmesan cheese

Bake for 25 minutes.  Remove from oven, add a layer of french fried onions, and then bake 5 minutes longer.

Enjoy!

december is finally here!

Yes, I know that technically it's been December now for 17 days.  But for quite awhile now, CJ and I have both just told ourselves that we need to get to December.  And it's finally here!

To us, December marks the point in which we can start to put this time behind us.  We will celebrate our third anniversary in a few weeks, and with the exception of seven months in the beginning of our marriage, one or both of us have been in school the rest of that time.  It was a challenge for me to work full-time and attend school full-time.  It was even more of a challenge for my husband to work full-time (that'd be 48-72 hours), attend class one night a week, and in this last semester in particular, cram in 150+ clinical hours between September and the very beginning of December.  And while there's still some more work to be done -- CJ has to pass his boards and we both need to find jobs that use our new degrees - we can breathe again.

What we learned though, is that God saw us through this period.  Loving one another is nice.  Having a supportive family and a handful of friends certainly helped too.  But God did this one, and we are so, so grateful.

CJ with his Bake Lore cake: an ambulance with a CJ wearing nursing scrubs and a firefighter helmet.  I wanted something that represented all three of his professions.

My sister-in-law's birthday was Thursday, so I asked Amy to also make watermelon cake pops -- "Saturdays," as she calls them.

The inside of the watermelon Saturdays.  These weren't watermelon flavored, but she just dyed the batter and chocolate coating to match and added mini chocolate chips for the seeds.  Love!

With my nephew Carson

Carson in his new Christmas outfit.

Free entertainment!

showing off: wooden nativity

With CJ now done with school (we'll be celebrating his graduation tomorrow -- so excited!), he managed to squeeze in a quick nativity project for me.  We stole the idea from here (thankyouverymuch pinterest).

Truth be told, I like the colors that blogger used on her nativity, so I might just repaint ours and distress them a little bit.  But for this Christmas, it'll do.  And the best part is, we had everything down to the paint and twine, so it was f-r-e-e.

Merry Christmas!  We hope everyone is enjoying this holiday season!

and for a side: stuffed mushrooms

A former co-worker of mine, Christy, shared this stuffed mushrooms recipe on her blog, Trippin' - Life with Triplets, awhile ago.  These are quick and easy to make, and they never last long.  I can't remember if I've shared this recipe before or not, but even if I have, it's worth the repeat.

I'm not going to lie.  There were more stuffed mushrooms on this plate before I remembered to take a photo.  And the next thing I know they were gone.  Apparently what CJ heard was, "Finish off the mushrooms," when I really said, "The mushrooms are ready to eat."

Anyway, I'll get on with the recipe:

Stuffed Mushrooms

from Trippin' - Life with Triplets

Serves:  Not many

1 pkg. baby portabella or white mushrooms

1/2 C. grated smoked gouda

1/4 C. crushed garlic & herb croutons

butter

salt, optional

Clean mushrooms and remove stems.  Place caps top down on baking sheet.  Put a dab of butter in each.  Pack with cheese.  Sprinkle croutons on top and sprinkle with salt.  Bake 20 minutes at 425 degrees.

P.S.  Christy's blog is definitely worth the read.  She and her husband have a daughter and three triplet boys, so she's never short of good stories.

and for a side: twice-baked potato casserole

Can you guess where I found this recipe for twice-baked potato casserole?  If you guessed pinterest, you're right.  (Seriously?  You haven't joined YET??)

We eat lots of first time meals around our house.  Most of the time it doesn't work out.  But this potato casserole is an entirely different story.  I was eating it before I even had a chance to throw it in the oven.  I practically licked my plate clean.  It's just that good.

Looks delicious, right?

Henry helped out with this one.  It had bacon in it, after all.  But in his credit, Henry is a pretty good helper.  I'm not going to lie.  He's a good mop substitute.

I'll quit jabbering and just share the recipe already.

Twice-Baked Potato Casserole
From Sippity Sup
Serves at least 8

5 lb. potatoes
10 slices bacon
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 C. unsalted butter, melted
1 C. sour cream
1/4 C. chives, minced
2-1/2 C. cheddar cheese
2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Directions:
Preheat ovento 350 degrees.  Peel potatoes and cut into 1" chunks.  Place in large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce to a simmer and cook about 20 minutes.  Drain and return to pan.

In the meantime, heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add bacon and cook until crisp.  Drain, cool, and crumble into pieces.

Mash your potatoes.  Stir in butter, cream cheese, and sour cream.  Add in chives, 2 C. cheddar, half of your bacon, salt, and pepper, and stir.

Transfer to a dish (buttered or sprayed with Pam).  Top with remaining cheese.  Bake about 30 minutes or until your top is slightly golden.  Garnish with remaining bacon.

Hope you all enjoy this one as much as we did!

what's for dinner: cheeseburger soup

A few weeks ago, I made cheeseburger soup and it was pretty darn good, if I do say so. This was my mom's recipe, although it looks suspiciously like something Taste of Home posted.  Maybe mom ripped them off?  Or vice versa?

Either way, here's the really professional-looking photo I took:

And here's the recipe:

Cheeseburger Soup

From my mom and/or Taste of Home, altered a bit

1/2 lb. ground beef

3/4 C. chopped onion

4 Tbsp. butter

3 C. chicken broth

4 C. diced, peeled potatoes

1/4 C. flour

2 C. Velveeta

1 1/2 C. milk

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 C. sour cream

Directions:

Brown beef and drain.  Saute onions in 1 Tbsp. butter.  Add broth, beef, onion mixture, and potatoes to pot and bring to a boil.  Simmer 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

In a saucepan, melt remainder of butter.  Add flour; cook and stir for 3-5 minutes.  Reduce heat to low.  Add cheese, milk, salt, and pepper.  Cook until cheese melts.

Remove heat and add sour cream.  Then add everything to the beef and mixture mix.

Molly's notes:

For starters, this recipe also calls for carrots and celery.  I hate celery and thought it'd be weird to have carrots floating around in there, so I omitted both of those.

I'm pretty sure I probably used a whole pound of ground beef.  And I didn't use 2 cups of Velveeta.  Actually, come to think of it, this one calls for American cheese.  But Velveeta is better.  I didn't measure out 2 cups either.  I figured I couldn't go wrong with more Velveeta.  Also, I think I ended up using 4 potatoes, not 4 cups of potatoes.  I also can't remember if I added in the sour cream at the end.

Next time, I'll take better notes while I'm making the soup.  Just play around with it until you figure out what suits your taste buds best.  Enjoy!

Oh and one last thing...  It kind of bugs my mom when she gives a recipe away and then someone takes it to an event where they can count on her being there.  So if you know my mom and are headed to the same pitch-in meal as she is -- highly unlikely, I know -- just don't bring this soup.

showing off: snack bags

I thought I'd take a break from posting recipes -- since there are lots more to come -- to show off my latest creation, reusable snack bags!  I bought a pattern off of etsy months ago (there are plenty of free versions out there too, by the way -- not sure why I didn't use one of those), got stumped by the pattern, and had to wait until my friend, Leah, was able to come over and show me how to do it.  I'm not sure these are any cheaper than plastic bags, but I suppose I feel a little good about not throwing as many plastic bags in the garbage as before...



Fun, right?  Stella thinks so.

what's for dinner: gnocchi mac & cheese

CJ loves gnocchi, so I was excited to run across boxed gnocchi at the grocery store.  I had no idea what I was going to do with it (I guess serve it with regular spaghetti sauce?  Boring.)  So I was thrilled to run across this recipe for gnocchi mac & cheese on pinterest (yup, still in love).

My awesome photo skills are at work again, as you can tell.  I snapped this photo real quick as CJ was carrying it back to the table to clean it off.  So I guess I should be thankful I got a picture at all.

I will admit this recipe is a bit gratuitous, considering I've been trying to use up ingredients I already had on hand (because why should we have a pantry stuffed full of food when some people don't and also to save money).  It requires some different ingredients (you can find the cheeses at Target, so it's not like you really have to go out of your way).  And when I do make this one again, I plan to double the gnocchi so we have leftovers.

Gnocchi Mac & Cheese

From Cuisine at Home via The Cutting Edge of Ordinary

1 lb. gnocchi

2 Tbsp.  butter

2 tsp. garlic, finely chopped

1 Tbsp. flour

3/4 C. milk

1 tsp. Dijon

1/4 C. shredded Gruyere cheese

1/4 C. shredded Fontina cheese

Salt & pepper, to taste

1/3 C. shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Prepare gnocchi according to package directions.  Drain and place gnocchi in a 1-1/2 qt. shallow baking dish that you've sprayed with Pam.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in garlic and cook about 30 seconds.  Whisk in flour until it thickens and bubbles, then whisk in milk and Dijon.  Continue to whisk until thickened, about 3-5 minutes.

Add Gruyere and Fontina cheese to milk mixture, stirring until melted.  Season with salt and pepper.

Pour over gnocchi and sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano.  Bake about 25 minutes or until gnocchi puffs and cheese  is golden.

Enjoy!

what's for dinner: spicy shrimp & mushroom pasta

Because I don't have anything else to do, I thought I'd share one of our favorite recipes, Spicy Shrimp & Mushroom Pasta, with you.  I first made this years ago when CJ and I were dating and I can't remember the source, but here it is anyway.  And I'll also mention that you might not normally pair these ingredients together, but it is good - promise.

Spicy Shrimp & Mushroom Pasta

10-15 shrimp

olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 C. fresh mushrooms

Spaghetti or linguine, cooked

For the white sauce:

3 Tbsp. butter

3 Tbsp. flour

1/4 tsp. each salt & pepper (or to taste)

1/4 tsp. cayenne (or to taste)

1 1/2 - 2 C. milk

I really need to learn how to take more appetizing photos, right?

Directions:

Heat pan and pour in 1 Tbsp. olive oil.  Saute shrimp, mushrooms, and garlic until shrimp is no longer transparent (7-10 minutes).  Remove from heat and pour in white sauce.

For the sauce, cook butter and flour until butter is melted.  Cook 2 minutes longer.  Gradually add in milk.  Add salt and peppers to taste.

Enjoy!

we're still here.

Hello.  Yes, I've been neglecting the blog.

Here's what you've missed in November:

CJ is about done with school.  He has his final Monday night and a few more clinicals to finish up and then we're home free!  He has to sit for his boards in February and then hopefully he'll find a part-time nursing job.

I'm here.  Nothing new or exciting is going on.  I've been trying to cook more (which is why I'll have plenty of recipes coming your way soon enough) and I've just been tackling this giant stack of fabric (i.e. what's supposed to become Christmas presents):

Stella has been overseeing my sewing:

And that, my friends, is it.  If you think of it, please do say a quick prayer for CJ -- that he will do well on his final Monday afternoon, that he'll pass his boards in a few months, and that a part-time job opportunity will open up for him.

Back soon with new recipes for all you faithful readers!

heath bar crunch cookie bars

This one's a mouthful -- Heath Bar Crunch Cookie Bars.

I'm going to admit that I'm not the world's biggest Heath bar fan.  Don't get me wrong.  If it's the only chocolate in miles and I'm desperate, I'll eat it.  It's chocolate, after all.  But, it definitely doesn't make my top 10 list of favorite candy bars.  I'm not sure what all does, but this one wouldn't make the cut.

My point?  I'm married to someone who likes Heath bars.  So I found this recipe on pinterest (Are you still not a member?  Really?), and they were a big hit.  CJ took a big risk in telling me that he liked these better than my chocolate chip cookies.

Anyway, I took a picture for you.  Because, you know, you've probably never seen cookie bars before or anything...

If you're not like me and do like Heath bars, head on over to Sweet Tooth Sweet Life for the full recipe...and enjoy!

october reading material

Now that I'm not buried in riveting reading material such as Corporate Finance and Business Law, I've rediscovered my love for reading.  I've got quite the stack going on next to my nightstand.

Yep, I really took a picture of my nightstand for you.

In case you're looking for some reading material, here's what I've been reading, in no particular order:

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
This book is a good mix between 1984 and The Giver, both of which I count in my all-time favorite books.  Basically, the United States is now divided into the Capitol and 12 regions and each year, each region picks two tributes (all children) that have to fight it out to death.  I'm not doing this one justice.  But it's good.  Go over to Amazon or BN.com to read a review there.  I've moved on to the second book in the series, Catching Fire, so it was good enough to continue reading.

Weird by Craig Groeschel
This is a Christian book, and talks about how Christians should strive to be weird....in giving, in spending time with our families, etc.

Auschwitz by Miklos Nyiszli
My nook has a list of the NYT bestsellers.  I'm pretty sure this is an older book, but somehow made it on the list years later...and was only $1.99.  Anyway, Nyiszli is a doctor and was used by Mengele in Auschwitz, so this book presents a much, much different point of view than I'd ever read before.  As many of you know, I was a history major in college and the period that I love to study is WWII, so I was pretty geeked out by this book...but this one isn't for everyone.

Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis
Hands down one of the most interesting books I've read in awhile.  Katie is only 22, and at 18 years old, she left Tennessee to move to Uganda.  Since then, she adopted 14 (fourteen!) girls and has started a thriving non-profit, Amazima Ministries, and did I mention she's 22?  Anyway -- it's a wonderful story of what all God is doing through her, and it's by far one of the best books I've read in awhile.  (Yes, I already said that.  But it's worth repeating.)

Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
Yes, I've read it numerous times.  No, it doesn't get old.

Keeping the Republic by Mitch Daniels
I wouldn't be a good little conservative if I didn't read this, would I?


If you've read a good book lately, please leave me a comment.  I'm always, always up for a new book (even if I never finish it).

projects on the horizon

Since I finished my nephew's quilt, I've got about 5 or 10 other projects on the near horizon.  And since I'm low on blog material, you're getting a sneak preview.  Lucky you!

This one's a birthday gift that's about a month late now.  Whoops.  I couldn't really justify working on a birthday gift when I desperately had to get that baby quilt done.

Diamonds...  Any guesses what I'm going to make with this?  Hint:  It's all along a patriotic theme.

Fall fabric.  Again, not exactly my style.

I'm going to use this yellow/teal/orange line from Joel Dewberry for one of my next two quilts.  I really do love this fabric, but unfortunately, it's going to be a gift.  (Fabric is from Lilly Bella Fabrics.)

Since CJ and I love -- no, are obsessed with -- the beach, I had to snatch up this line from Going Coastal to make a quilt for us.  All this fabric is cut, so I'll be starting in on this one soon ... as soon as I finish that belated birthday gift!  (Fabrics from Lilly Bella Fabrics and The Little Fabric Shop.)

Not sure why, but Bridget took a particular interest in my scrap fabric pile.  I'm going to be tearing into this one soon.  For starters, I've gathered quite a bit of scraps so far, even though I haven't really sewn that much.  But then I found a super cute pattern for a quilt that uses scrap fabrics only.  I'm probably more excited about this quilt than the others.

Stay tuned.  I know you're all excited.

pizza meatballs

I haven't been cooking much since CJ hasn't been home much, but I did manage to make these pizza meatballs a few weeks back.  CJ must have approved -- I'm pretty sure he went back for thirds!

I will warn you that this one took awhile to prepare - maybe an hour tops - but was worth it.  I only wish I had a professional camera and could make these look a little more appetizing than my phone camera does.

Head on over to Taste of Home if you want the full recipe!

first quilt...and nephew!

I finished my first quilt ... finally, and just on time!

Henry was quite bored by the entire process:

Here's the final product, nearly a full square at 41"x42".  Bridget wanted to help show off.

Here are a few close-ups of the fabrics.   (I love them.  Can you tell?)

I definitely learned quite a bit throughout this process.  The binding was by far the worst part.  I've got a few ideas for the next quilt I'm going to make, but I may need to call on some experienced quilters to help me out.

But anyway, who cares about a quilt when there's a cute new baby in the family?

Welcome, Carson!  We're so excited you're here!

we're alive!

Hi, friends.

We're still alive.  I just forgot about the blog for most of October.

I have no new CJ projects to report on today.  Between working 48-72 hours a week, he's been in class at least 6 hours every week, and he's been trying to cram in 190 hours of clinicals too...and then there's studying...and his wife...and he might need some sleep in there too...  So needless to say, he's got a pretty darn good excuse for not doing anything.

Well, I take half that back.  He did clean out the garage, enough for me to be able to park my jeep inside.  And really, when it comes down to it, that was the only thing I have begged and pleaded for him to do for me -- and I even helped.  And, it was done with a week to spare before the first frost.

I haven't settled into a routine per se, but I think I'm finally okay with the fact that I don't have anything to do when I come home.  It's okay if I want to take a nap after work or clean (which does happen every great once in awhile) or sew or mess around on pinterest or watch TV.  I earned it, darn it.  I'll be back later this week to report on a few projects.

In the midst of all of this, we welcomed our new (first!) nephew to the world last Sunday, so we're excited about that.  My sister-in-law has experienced some pretty major complications from the delivery though and is going through a rough time, so if you can, say a prayer for her.

That's the update.  Nothing exciting, really.  Just counting down the time until December when we hope to get some sort of life back...

life as we know it

Life is a little rocky for us right now, due to CJ's crazy schedule.  We're still managing to cram in some fun here and there and are definitely counting down to his graduation (2 1/2 months -- we can do it!).

For those of you who haven't seen CJ in months, here's proof that he does exist:

At the Colts home opener a few weeks ago.  Top row, baby!  (The seats were surprisingly still good!)

Yesterday, Leah and I completed the Wine at the Line 5K at Mallow Run Winery.  Leah has been training for the mini in a few months, so she went on ahead of me.  I walked most of the way, but jogged some.  I barely trained, but I figured if I couldn't walk 3 miles, I had bigger problems.  Leah told me I looked really good at the end, jogging to the finish line, but it was only because around mile 2.5, some 75-year old man power-walked past me and I was determined to not let him beat me.  Whatever it takes, right?

After the race

Eric waited for us at the winery ... Not sure what he was doing here?

CJ's birthday is today.  I was just thankful he didn't have to work, even if he did sleep most of the day.  We went out to a nice dinner downtown tonight.  I aimed to take a picture at the restaurant or downtown or something, but by the time I remembered, we were already in our pjs:

I have one post planned for this week and several sewing projects up my sleeve...maybe some cooking...so hang tight until we can get our act together again.

Hope all is well with everyone else...

I. Love. Nutella.

I had my first taste of Nutella in my high school French class.  There for awhile, it seemed like only French people or French students knew about it.  It's fairly mainstream now, and while I miss having this perceived secret product in my pantry, I'm a big fan of all these Nutella-based recipes that are popping up.

So, a few weeks back, I made these Peanut Butter & Nutella Swirl cookies for the guys at Station 2.  They were super easy and CJ reported they were gone by 1 pm.

Go find the recipe at Delightful Bitefuls (via Pinterest, of course).

let there be fire.

CJ saw a recipe -- yeah, I know that's probably not the right word, but it's all I can think of right now -- for firestarters.  It called for sawdust and wax, one of which we have in abudance here and the other which is only a few bucks at the store.

The finished product.  Ignore all the wax and sawdust on my stove.  (Ugh.)

Light up one of those babies, et voila!

If you have a fire pit or go camping, these would be great additions.  And like I said, we have an overabundance of sawdust here, so if you're interested, we'll sell you a handful for a few bucks.  Just let me know!