Creamy Baked Mac n Cheese

Sometimes you just have to have a big bowl of macaroni and cheese. The Kraft kind will work once in a great while, but a big bowl of this recipe could be a regular at my household. I researched recipes and took what I loved from each one and came up with this. It was yummy in my large pregnant tummy.

Ingredients:
3 cups uncooked elbow macaroni shells
6 thick slices of bacon cooked and cut into small pieces.
2 cups milk
1 cup cottage cheese
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup Colby cheese
1 cup Cotija cheese (found with other Mexican food dairy products)
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste
1 can of Campbell's condensed cheese soup
2 Tbs butter
3/4 cup bread crumbs

Directions :
Blend milk, cottage cheese, cumin, salt and pepper, and soup in blender. Pour over dry noodles in casserole dish. Stir in bacon and half of each shredded cheese leaving the rest for the top. Add remaining cheese to the top. Combine butter and bread crumbs and spread as the final topping. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Eggnog Bread Pudding with Cranberry Sauce

Christmas Day was the first time I have ever tried bread pudding. Can you believe that? It never sounded good to me. My two brothers love it. One of them blogs about it frequently here. Only one of them could attend my Christmas dinner and it is because of his love for bread pudding that I thought I would give this a go. I am now converted to bread pudding as well. THIS WAS TASTY! I love eggnog. The sweetness of the pudding combined with the sweet tart of the sauce was sort of a genius combination. I am sort of patting myself on the back for this one. Let me know if you try it!


Ingredients:
1 loaf stale French bread
1 quart eggnog (I used vanilla flavored eggnog)
3 eggs
2 Tbsp. Vanilla
1 C. raisins ( I omitted the raisins, but thought about using craisens)
1/2 C. sugar
Directions:
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan. In a large mixing bowl, crumble the bread and pour the eggnog over it, letting it sit until bread is soft, at least 2 hours. In a smaller bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla and stir into the bread and eggnog mixture. Add the raisins and mix well.

Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until knife comes out clean. Let cool before cutting.


Cranberry Butterscotch Sauce

Ingredients:
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup fresh or thawed frozen cranberries, chopped
1/2 cup water
1/2 Jar of butterscotch sauce (found in the ice cream toppings section)

Directions:
Cook sugar in a dry 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork or flat whisk, until sugar is melted and turns a deep golden caramel. Tilt pan and carefully add cranberries and water (caramel will harden and vigorously steam). Simmer over moderately low heat, stirring, until caramel is completely dissolved, then pour syrup through a very fine sieve into a heatproof bowl, pressing hard on solids. Let cool. Add 1/2 Jar or more to taste of butterscotch sauce. Top bread pudding with whip cream and then sauce.

A Story About a Ham

This is a story about a ham. I bought this ham at Costco as I had been eyeing it for several weeks after a tasty sample. Tis the season for sales on spiral sliced ham. I am trying to be a bit more economical about my meal selections as I realize that come March food prices are going to go up due to inflation. This ham made my week! Let me explain how.

First, it made a lovely Sunday meal with the delicious glaze provided, along with funeral potatoes and green beans as sides.






The next night it became a delicious Hawaiian pizza with fresh pineapple (also from Costco) and sliced up ham. I used the ready-made Boboli pizza crust. I highly recommend this brand for homemade pizza.





However, this was my favorite. Maybe it was because I had a cold, or because it was extra cold in Arizona this week, but this soup not only hit the spot, but became my new favorite.

White Bean Soup
(adapted from epicurious)

Ingredients:

2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup plus 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 (14- to 15-ounce) can stewed tomatoes (with Italian seasonings)
2 cups cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 (19-ounce) cans white beans, rinsed and drained (3 cups)
1 (1/2-pound) piece baked ham (1/2 to 3/4 inch thick), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 baby arugula I used a small 5 oz container, but wish I had more. You can also use baby romaine if you prefer that taste.


Cook garlic in 1/4 cup oil in a 3 1/2- to 4 1/2-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat, stirring, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Coarsely cut up tomatoes in can with kitchen shears, then add (with juice) to garlic in oil. Stir in broth, beans, ham, and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Stir in greens and cook until wilted, 3 minutes for romaine or 1 minute for arugula.

So easy! So delicious! Let me know if this becomes your ham story! I know it will repeat itself for me next year! Serve and Enjoy!

Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

I keep saying I will eat lighter. If you saw me you would know why. I look like I am due tomorrow, but I am actually due in 4 months. I don't feel that sorry for myself. Getting fat is part of pregnancy and quite fun for a food lover like me. This recipe has been adapted to fit my craving. It was slightly healthier, but I increased the milk and the butter for just a bit more flavor. It is still healthier than most Alfredo recipes and really really tasty. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 lb uncooked fettuccine (whole wheat if you can find it)
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 Tbsp Gold Medal all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
Dash freshly ground black pepper
Dash ground red pepper (cayenne)
3 Tbsp butter
2 tsp finely chopped garlic
3 oz 1/3/less fat cream cheese
2/3 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
3 chicken breasts

Directions:
Cook fettuccine as directed on package, omitting
salt. Drain; return to saucepan. Cover to keep
warm; set aside.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir milk, flour, salt,
black pepper and red pepper with wire whisk until
smooth. In a 2 quart saucepan, melt butter over
medium-low heat. Add garlic, cook 1 minute,
stirring constantly (do not burn). With wire whisk,
stir milk mixture into butter mixture in saucepan.
Cook over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until mixture
thickens and boils.

Stir in cream cheese until melted. Stir in Parmesan
cheese until melted. Pour over fettuccine; toss to
coat. Sprinkle with parsley.

Pound chicken until pretty flat. Drizzle with olive oil and rub into chicken. Sprinkle with garlic salt and grill until cooked.

Slice chicken into thin strips and top each serving of fettuccine with chicken.

Christmas Wreath 2010

Maybe it should be my tradition to make a new wreath every year. I find it to be a super fun craft and very rewarding thus far. Here's how:



I found a Styrofoam wreath at Michael's craft store and covered it in ribbon just to hide the ugly white.



This is my favorite. I gathered pecans from a local pecan tree grove that I take my daily walks to. It was great to get some exercise, find some free treasures, and save money on expensive pecans. I then painted them using acrylic paint and then coated them with glossy Mod Podge to give them a shine. Finally I glued them on with a hot--glue gun ,which seemed like an eternity, and then....




Add a ribbon and then hang. This old house has a little sass this year and I love it.
Grand total: $ 10 dollars (using 40% off coupon at craft store)

Happy Crafting!

Tickled Pink!

Perhaps you will recall my new favorite thing to make is cupcake bouquets. The supplies are expensive, the construction is time consuming, but the result is fantastic.

This was my favorite bouquet. I made this for my sister's baby shower. She is having a girl. A baby girl who has been wanted for quite sometime. The theme of the shower was appropriately called "Tickled Pink" because we truly are. I am so excited to share the joys of motherhood with my sister.

The cupcakes were Pink Lemonade Flavored

Ingredients:
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
Pinch salt
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. vegetable oil
2 egg whites
1/3 c. thawed frozen Pink Lemonade Concentrate
1/4 c. buttermilk
2 or more drops red food coloring
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin pan with liners.
In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, egg whites and lemonade concentrate. Alternately whisk in flour mixture and buttermilk, making three additions of flour mixture and two of buttermilk, beating until just smooth. Add just enough food coloring to turn the batter a light shade of pink.
Scoop batter into liners (fill about three-fourths full). Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched. Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on rack. Top cooled cupcakes with frosting.

Lemonade Buttercream:
3 c. + 3 Tbsp. confectioner’s sugar
1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
2 Tbsp. pink lemonade concentrate
Red food coloring
Add the butter, confectioner’s sugar, lemon juice, and a few drops of food coloring and mix until combined. Turn the speed to med-high until the buttercream is fluffy and uniformly pink. Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes.

I used extra large Smarties candy for the center of my flowers. I have no tips for frosting as that is a work in progress.

Can I tell you my favorite news of all?



I AM TICKLED PINK TOO! I cannot wait to have a little assistant in the kitchen come March. Stay tuned my lovely friends!

WInner of Apple Slicer!

Here are your random numbers:

6

Timestamp: 2010-11-14 00:50:56 UTC

Thanks to all for participating. Please come back for more tastiness and more prizes. If I could buy your friendship I truly would!

Congratulations to MaryBeth! I'm excited for you to enjoy more apple dishes this season with the help of this handy gadget.