Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole

I made this Saturday morning and it was AMAZING! INGREDIENTS 1 bag Southwest Style Shredded Potato Hashbrowns, 1/2 can cream of mushroom soup, 1 8oz container sour cream, 1 bag shredded cheddar cheese, (1/4 cup goes on top) DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients together and top with 1/4 cup cheese. Place in a greased baking dish and bake for 30 minutes or until slightly brown on top.

Creamy Beef Stroganoff

This is creamy and rich! INGREDIENTS 1 lb beef stew meat, (if chunks are too big cut in half); 2 TBL olive oil; 1 container Philelphia Cream Cheese Cooking Cream - (10 oz) 1 small yellow onion, chopped; 1 package mushrooms, washed and sliced; 2 cups of water,; salt, pepper, garlic powder, Tony's cajun seasoning (all added to your taste preference); a few dashes of Crystal hot sauce; 1 package noodles, cooked DIRECTIONS Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add beef and onions. Brown for about 10 minutes until cooked thru. Add mushrooms and water - simmer for about 25 minutes (this will make the beef strips tender). There should be a little water remaining, if not add about 1/4 cup of water. Stir in cooking cream and spices. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Serve over noodles.

A Day at the Park

My friends and I wanted to hang out at the park yesterday because it was such a beautiful day. I have to admit, I haven't done this in a while. They have 2 kids, so it was fun watching them run around. People were flying kites and it brought back many childhood memories! Although, this time, I was indulging in amazing food - not the playground! We grilled hotdogs, deer meat sausage and jalapeno poppers! All were amazing. If you want a fun, inexpensive way to hang out on a weekend - be creative and grill up some grub!

Cajun Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo

This was dinner last night and it was sooooo yummy!!! INGREDIENTS 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped; 3 TBL butter; 2 cups heavy cream; 2-3 dashes of Crystal Louisiana Hot Sauce 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated (add more if needed); 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 pound jumbo gulf shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped in half 1/4 cup green onions, chopped; fettuccine, cooked; SEASONINGS sprinkle of salt and pepper; garlic powder; cayenne pepper (however spicy you would like it - a little sprinkle goes a long way!) 1/2 teaspoon of Italian Seasoning; -Remember the seasoning level is however much you prefer as far as salty, spicy, etc. Start off with a little sprinkle of each seasoning, taste-test and gradually add more. DIRECTIONS Saute yellow onion in butter - about 3-5 minutes. Add cream and bring to a boil. Add seasonings, including hot sauce. Let simmer over medium heat for about 8-10 minutes, stirring constantly. Add cheese and stir until melted. Once sauce is thickened, stir in cooked fettuccine and green onions. Serve with garlic bread and a side salad.

Steakhouse Anniversary Dinner

To celebrate our 8 years together (we have been married 2 - but known each other for 8!) - my husband and I went out for a delicious dinner! We went to my favorite steakhouse, but I don't get the steak. I CRAVE their crab cake! It looks like this...

I also get the shrimp & lobster bisque. AMAZING! Then, because it was our anniversary - they bring out a delicious cheesecake for desert!

Along with a few glasses of wine, it was the perfect dinner! A wonderful celebration. Can't wait till our 40th anniversary!

Mardi Gras Part II

So it's been another weekend filled with parades and fun! I love to use my beads to fill up vases around the house. This is one of my favorite vases I got as a wedding gift!

It looks perfect on my little marble side table in the living room!

We caught a lot of beads last night!

It's been a great Mardi Gras - I can't wait till next year! Until then - Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!!!!

Ash Wednesday & Lent

Ash Wednesday is next week. It's the day after Mardi Gras - everyone parties until midnight - and then is stops. The season of Lent leads up to Easter (40 days). It lasts from Ash Wednesday to Maundy Thursday (Easter Eve) and it's a spiritual time, especially for the Catholic faith - a time of reflection. My husband is Catholic and I'm Episcopal. They are pretty similar in beliefs - we have a Bishop instead of the Pope, being a major difference. No meat on Fridays - so in my household I will be making a lot of seafood. A lot of people "give up" something for Lent. One of my friends gave up alcohol once. I have chosen to give up Facebook. Can I REALLY go 40 days with no status updates,check-ins, looking everyone's cute baby and pet pictures? I will have to because I have already made a promise that I will not be on Facebook. It may require prayer - when I have the temptation. I will still have Instigram and my blog though. I'm going back to the era of no Facebook!

King Cake!

King Cake is special to the Mardi Gras season. It comes in all different flavors and fillings - cinnamon, cream cheese, raspberry, chocolate. My favorite is the traditional cinnamon king cake. It's topped with icing and then sprinkles of the colors of Mardi Gras - purple, green and gold. Sometimes a little plastic baby can be found inside. However, now because of choking hazards, most bakeries put the baby on the outside of the cake. Whoever gets the baby on their piece has to bring the next king cake to the party!

The inside looks like this....

This particular year of Mardi Gras has extra special meaning. This was when I met my husband at Mardi Gras in New Orleans! A big group of us in college went down for the festivities. I was on Canal Street (drinking a "Hand Grenade"- they're deadly!) and that's the spot I met my husband. The rest is history! We are getting ready to celebrate 8 years together! - I'm so glad I caught this bead at the Bacchus Parade. It will always be close to my heart:)

Hershey's Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes with Creamy Chocolate Frosting

Sometimes the best recipes come from the back of the box. I have made a chocolate chip cookie recipe for years and everyone says how amazing they are. Well - it's just the one on the back of the butter box! Here's a cupcake for you that will melt in your mouth. I have been looking for a legit cupcake recipe. All the ones I have tried are nothing compared to this baby. They puff up perfectly, cooked all the way thru and that icing.... So here ya go - the cupcake recipe from the back of the Hershey's Cocoa Powder box!! INGREDIENTS 2 cups of sugar, 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 2/3 cups cocoa powder, 1-1/2 tsp baking powder, 1-1/2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, 2 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 1 cup boiling water DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients together. Add boiling water at the end. Mix all together - batter will be very thin. Grease a muffin pan and fill each almost to the top. Bake for 20 minutes - check to make sure they are finished by inserting a toothpick in the middle. Creamy Chocoalte Frosting 1 stick butter - melted, 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar 1/3 cup milk, 2/3 cups cocoa powder, 2 tsp vanilla extract, Mix all together until creamy. Let sit in fridge for about an hour. Frost cupcakes when they are completely cooled.

Deer Meat Spaghetti

One of my best friends from high school, Matt loves to hunt. He made us some deer meat spaghetti the other night and it was AMAZING. My mother-in-law also makes deer meat stew and it's so delicious. It's so fresh and full of flavor! Also, very lean and healthy. INGREDIENTS 1 LB FRESH, GROUND DEER MEAT 1 CAN ROTEL 1 JAR SPAGHETTI SAUCE Salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste DIRECTIONS Brown deer meat, breaking up big chunks to make sure all is cooked through. Drain any grease, add rest of ingredients and stir all together. Wins easiest recipe award!

St. Patty's Day DIY Wreath

St. Patrick's Day is around the corner and I'm elated! I thought I'd take a break from the mesh stuff and try something different. Everything for this wreath costs about $20.00. I already have a lot of paint and brushes. So, I wanted something not too bright green and fru fru, but still cute. I came up with this idea. I may add a green bow when it comes time to put this up on my front door. MATERIALS NEEDED Foam wreath Wooden Initial Burlap ribbon hot glue gun and glue sticks St. Patty's decorations Any other bows, ribbon, etc.

It is quite simple to put this together. Just wrap the burlap ribbon around and fold in the back to secure. Hot glue any little clovers or other decorations. Then paint a wooden letter (this is dark and light green polka dots. I know it almost looks black). Hot glue that on and there you go! It takes about 10 minutes to complete. Simple, inexpensive and cute. I'll take it!

Happy Mardi Gras!!!

Mardi Gras is in full swing! This weekend was filled with parades - even more parades next weekend!!! Here are some photos! Raising Cane's Chicken before the parade - my all-time favorite! Fresh, juicy chicken tenders, crispy fries and the sauce - so amazingly delicious you just want to keep ordering extra little cups of it! The toast melts in your mouth. My version of heaven - would literally be eating this every day and never gaining a pound! (yeah right!) I try to only eat this once a month. It's so good I sometimes eat it a couple of times a month. Fun fact - I worked there in college and I KNOW THE SECRET SAUCE RECIPE - but I will never tell you. Ha!

Some pretty floats...

Moon Pie!

My dinner table decorations. All of our beads!

Mardi Gras!!!

The most glorious time of year in Louisiana - MARDI GRAS!!! Partying, eating and going to parades. It's truly magical. So much culture and history surrounded by good food, family and friends. Crawfish season is starting up too!!! The peak of the season isn't usually until end of March/early April. I will have a post dedicated to just crawfish: how to peel, boil and serve. That comes later. I just wanted to share my Mardi Gras mesh wreath! I make mesh wreaths for all seasons. I'm very proud of this one! It's a bit large, but that's ok. Mardi Gras is all about bright colors and big decorations! The main colors of Mardi Gras are Purple (Justice), Gold (Power), Green (Faith). So check out my latest creation!

Chicken Gyros

These are seriously amazing. Takes no time to prepare and you will impress your friends and family! INGREDIENTS 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar 1/2 cup olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 6-8 chicken tenders salt and pepper to taste warm pita bread 1 cucumber, sliced 1 red onion, sliced 1 tomato, chopped Tzatziki sauce (see recipe in below post) DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350. Season chicken tenders with salt and pepper. Let chicken tenders marinate in olive oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic for 1 hour. Place on a baking sheet with foil and bake for 25 - 30 minutes until chicken it cooked through and registers 165 - 170 on a thermometer all the way thru. To assemble - place about 1 tablespoon of tzatziki sauce on pita bread, place a chicken tender, and then cucumbers, tomato, and red onion. Top with additional tzatziki sauce. Wrap bottom with aluminum foil so it won't spill everywhere! These can be a little messy to eat but so delicious!

Greek Tzatziki Sauce

Tzatziki sauce is a greek yogurt based sauce. Very healthy - since it doesn't contain sour cream. It's fresh and delicious! INGREDIENTS 2 cups plain Greek yogurt; 1 Tablespoon olive oil; 1/2 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1/4 teaspoon dill; 1/2 cucumber, chopped; sprinkle of salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste; DIRECTIONS Mix all ingredients together and let chill for 1 hour before serving. Serve with warm pita bread.

'Nuff Said

This is pretty much heaven on earth. It's nearly impossible to find - and I got the last one at the grocery store last night! It's got a cinnamon/vanilla flavor and little Mardi Gras colored crunchies through out. It's even got some little cake chunks in it. Truly delicious. Hats off to Bluebell for their latest creation.

Needlepoint Work

I love to needlepoint because it's extremely therapeutic and fun! I buy most of my canvases pre-painted. I have painted my own, but it's tough to get it even. It's best to start out with a smaller project and work your way up to a bigger one. If you are new at this and try to needlepoint a huge Christmas stocking, you will get extremely frustrated! I have them sent off to get a pillow or little stocking made - eventually I want to learn to do that myself. Here's some of my latest work.

French Bread Pizza

I haven't thought about this one in a while. When I was in high school, I used to love those frozen french bread pizzas and would bring on for lunch all the time. I have never made a homemade pizza like this. I can say - now that I have, I won't go back to regular pizzas again! It was so delicious, made on fresh french bread - shout out to Albertson's! Anyway - this is a winner. INGREDIENTS 1 loaf of french bread, cut length-wise marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, can artichokes, sliced mushrooms, any other additional pizza toppings you prefer DIRECTIONS To make pizza, place marinara sauce, cheese and toppings. Bake at 450 for 5-8 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.

Zesty Ranch & Pimento Cheese Ball

I made this for Christmas Eve dinner with my family and they LOVED it! I really kind of threw in a bunch of stuff and it turned out amazing. INGREDIENTS 1 8 OZ PACKAGE CREAM CHEESE 1 CUP CHEDDAR CHEESE 1/2 CUP PEPPERJACK CHEESE 1 TABLESPOON OF DRY RANCH MIX 2 TABLESPOONS PIMENTOS 1 CUP PECANS, FINELY CHOPPED Mix all ingredients using a blender. Form into a ball and wrap with saran wrap. Place in fridge for 2 hours. Roll the cheese ball in pecans and cover evenly. Serve with crackers.

Cucumber & Tomato Salad with a Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

This is the perfect side dish for dinner - or to pack in your lunch for work. Light and healthy , it is also especially delicious during the summer when both of these are in season and fresh from your own garden! INGREDIENTS 10 CHERRY TOMATOES CUT IN HALF 1 CUCUMBER, SLICED VINAIGRETTE 1/2 CUP BALSAMIC VINEGAR 1/2 TABLESPOON OF HONEY 1 TABLESPOON OLIVE OIL SPRINKLE OF SALT AND PEPPER MIX ALL TOGETHER AND LET MARINATE FOR 1 HOUR BEFORE SERVING.

Now On Pinterest!!!

Hello all!!! I have had one of the biggest surprises ever! I was browsing Pinterest yesterday, looking for a different version of my Artichoke Baked Chicken - AND when I typed in - artichoke baked chicken, MY BLOG POPPED UP!!! I'm truly shocked and honored. I didn't even think anyone read my blog. I just kind of do this to share some of my recipes with my friends. I haven't updated in a while..but I couldn't believe it. Some had actually re-pinned it too!! Truly amazing and I feel kind of famous! So whoever you are who put my blog on Pinterest - a massive THANK YOU! So - now that I know people actually read my blog...I will have to start updating on a regular basis. More recipes to come soon!!!