Winter Bucket List

With every season comes excitement and brand new goals. As we go into the last month of the year, I find myself thinking of all the final things I want to accomplish this year. I've always loved the holidays but as I'm getting older and life is ever changing, I have a whole new perspective on it.

I have always loved spending time with my family. As the years have gone on, the family has unfortunately gotten much smaller. But no matter how big or small it may be....

My winter bucket list:

-Making delicious christmas cookies

-Find an ornament that symbolizes all the changes we have made this year, for the better.

-Spend as much time as we can enjoying the christmas lights- taking a drive, enjoying the moment

-Drink lots of hot chocolate!

-Make my christmas gifts this year

-See a play in NYC

-A night of appetizers n' drinks

-Sunday Brunch with the family

I just want to embrace the winter months, the time with the people I love and remember what matters most. Our health, our families, our love.....

Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole

What is more delicious than mashed potatoes? Well that's easy....mashed potatoes with cheese and bacon! You could probably put bacon in almost anything and it would be amazing. Yeah, I'm going to stick to that last comment and say it's a fact, NOT an opinion. I don't even have to mention what cheese does to any dish....if you need convincing, you just aren't right.

Ingredients

5-6 cups of mashed potatoes (about 12 potatoes)

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

8 ounces sour cream

8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1/4 cup butter

8 pieces of bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/4 cup milk (approximately)

Salt & pepper

Garlic powder

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Boil potatoes until tender. Mash potatoes, then add cream cheese, sour cream, butter and enough milk to get the creamy consistency you would like. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Add 1/2 the cheese and 1/2 the bacon to mashed potatoes. Place into a casserole dish and top with remaining cheese and bacon. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. *You could also broil for a minute or two at the end to brown the cheese more.

These were delicious! What would make them even better you ask? The almighty cholula, green onions and French's fried onions!!! Do not judge, it is so good! 

Enjoy!

Thankful Every Day

For the very first time in the eight wonderful years I have been with my love, we have NEVER been able to spend an entire holiday weekend together. I never understood what I had been missing, until this  Thanksgiving. Through the many changes we have made in the past year, we have finally found jobs that allow us to spend time together. Four.whole.fabulous.days. And fabulous they were.

We spent lots of time with family which was great. Spending time with out parents means so much to us and while our family may be small, it is full of love. Here is my beautiful and silly momma, I just love her.

We woke up early on friday morning and were out the door by seven. We had no plans to venture out on the infamous black friday, but why not? It wasn't rushed, it wasn't overly busy, and we did snag a few little things but we weren't planning on spending money. We were just enjoying each other's company.

Later that evening, I was graced with my husband's presence at the awesome movie Twilight and we had a nice date night dinner together afterwards. Let's just say I am no spring chicken anymore and my official bedtime has move up quite a bit since switching jobs!

Although, I was a champ and stayed up until 1 am on Saturday when we had our 2nd Thanksgiving dinner at my moms. The food was delicious and it was a fun, relaxed night.

I've learned a lot in the past year. I've learned what truly matters to me and while it hasn't come without difficulty, I am embracing my new found love for life. Every day is a gift, every day I am thankful, and every day I am blessed with a family that I love more than words.

I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday and continue to embrace this time of year....Tis the season!

Pizza Casserole

So it's been a long five days since the last weekend. Every day you do the same thing. You get up too early, get ready for work, leave for work, come home, make dinner and plop yourself back into your bed. This repeats for five whole days. On the fifth day, in this household we enjoy something called PIZZA. It's quick, it's cheap and it is probably one of the best inventions out there to dazzle our taste buds!

A few weeks back I decided to ditch the traditional pizza crust and make a casserole. Did someone say noodles?!? I love noodles!

Ingredients
1 pound of pasta (your preference, it all works!)
1 lb ground pork sausage (you could get sausage links and remove casings)
1 lb cooked ham, diced
1/2 lb pepperoni slices
1 large onion, diced
1 green or red pepper, seeded and diced (if you want a sweeter pepper, choose red)
2 (26 oz) jars of pasta sauce (I used a tomato basil, and garlic and onion)
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp minced garlic
6 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp italian herb seasoning

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. In a large skillet, brown sausage. Add onion, pepper, minced garlic and dried oregano. Saute until onions are translucent and juices run clear. Mix the sauce with the italian herb seasoning. In a 9"X13" baking dish add a small amount of sauce to coat the bottom. Begin layering the casserole.

1st layer: 1/3 of pasta, 1/3 of sauce, 1 1/3 cup of mozzarella cheese, 2 tbsp of parmesan cheese and sausage, onions & pepper mixture.

2nd layer: 1/3 of pasta, 1/3 of sauce, 1 1/3 cup of mozzarella cheese, 2 tbsp of parmesan cheese and diced ham.

3rd layer: You will add the remaining ingredients, pasta, sauce, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese and top with pepperoni slices.

Bake for 40 minutes.

You won't be disappointed.

This casserole can feed a family of 1000. Ok, maybe not that many. 

It is definitely worth making once. Then you will want it again. Although I never said it was the healthiest for you! All good things in moderation!

Enjoy!

Sausage & Potato Casserole

Are we noticing a pattern here? Maybe you aren't but I know I am, and it's not a big surprise. I am a true potato lover. Yep, I admit it. Mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, baked potatoes....just smother all my food in potatoes, please?!?

Back when I was a teenager like yesterday I worked at a restaurant that served a warm smashed potato salad. It was AMAZING! A bed of fresh local greens and vegetables topped with a heaping load of scrumptious mashed potatoes, hot sauce and balsamic vinaigrette. Well I'm pretty sure it wasn't written like that but it doesn't matter.

My husband doesn't believe me that a restaurant served this. He doesn't understand why I would eat it every.single.meal if I could. I don't really care, it is fantastic. Try your own version, I do...it's a sin if you do not.

Moving on with the point of this lovely potato introduction, I give you my latest creation.

Ingredients
3 cups of boiled potatoes (skin removed and cut into cubes)
3 tbsp of butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp white sugar
2 cups sliced onions
1 lb skinless smoked sausage
2 tbsp flour
2 cups skim milk
12 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tbsp dried parsley

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel potatoes and place into pan covering with water and boil until a fork is easily inserted into potato. (Do not overcook, you do not want potatoes falling apart.) Heat 1 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp of olive oil in large saute pan, add onions and white sugar, caramelizing onions for approximately 15-20 minutes. Cut sausage in half moons, add to onions and brown sausage. In a saucepan melt 2 tbsp of butter over medium heat, adding flour to make a roux. Slowly add milk into pan, whisking continuously. When milk is heated and slightly thickened, reduce heat to low and add 8 ounces cheese while whisking until smooth. (You do not want to add cheese into very hot milk, you will get a grainy cheese consistency.) Add black pepper and garlic powder. When potatoes cooked, allow to cool a few minutes and then cut into cubes, placing into a baking dish coated with nonstick spray. Add caramelized onions, sausage and cheese sauce, mixing all ingredients well. Season top with paprika and dried parsley, topping with remaining cheese. Bake for 30 minutes until top lightly browned.

Serves 6 at around 446 calories, depending on the type of sausage you use. We had a salad on the side, but this meal would taste good mixed with cooked vegetables as well. It's pure comfort in a bowl and must be good if the husband goes back for seconds!

Enjoy!

Chinese Fried Rice

It is a very hard toss up to decide what flavors encompass my favorite cuisine. I am a food lover so I like a variety. If I had to choose, it would be between Italian and Asian flavors. I love them both and on the days I don't have a clue what to cook, they are always an awesome back up plan. About a month ago, I stumbled upon this recipe from the Life as a Lofthouse blog (which I love!) Both recipes are absolutely delicious! We are a big fans of the simplicity and tastiness of this chinese rice!

Ingredients
3 cups cooked white rice (leftover rice works best but we've made it right before and it's still great!)
4 tbsp sesame oil
1 onion, chopped
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
2 tsp minced garlic
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

Directions: Heat the sesame oil on medium high heat in a large saute pan or wok. Add the chopped onion, peas and carrots, and minced garlic, cooking until tender. Turn heat down to medium low, adding egg to pan and scrambling. Mix in rice and add soy sauce, blending all ingredients until heated through.

I don't need chinese take out anymore because of this recipe. So it's good on my wallet as well as my waist since we know all the ingredients!

Enjoy!

I Smiled Because.....

This week I smiled because.......

I got to spend a lot of time with this guy.

 I was allowed Peachwave frozen yogurt, twice! Don't fret...it's healthy, right? 

I found a new love of my life.

And paired it with my morning oats!

I learned that these are delicious.....I might be bias because they are named after my hubs!

The caramel is the best, definitely going to have to enjoy that again!

Tried a few new recipes which turned out to be big hits.

Pierogi Lasagna

Tomato, Basil & Parmesan Soup

The man made me dinner which was awesome!

Once the chef perfects and writes a recipe for his chinese barbecue sauce, I'll be sure to share.

Most importantly, I smiled because I'm here living this life and learning to make every day count. It isn't perfect, but it's perfect for me.

Tomato, Basil & Parmesan Soup

There are so many different varieties of tomato soup out there, it is very hard to choose a favorite. I'm sure you would all agree that on a crisp fall day, tomato soup and grilled cheese sounds like a winner combination!

It's an easy meal full of flavor! I found this recipe on my morning Pinterest search one day and saved it for a dreary, cool day. While I followed the recipe, I added a secret ingredient that brought this soup to a whole different level! I hope you give it a try, it is an amazing soup!

Ingredients
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried basil
1 bay leaf
2 cans diced tomatoes with juice
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
2 cups light cream or skim milk
1-1 1/2 cups of grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Drum roll please......the secret ingredient...........oh the suspense........

1 can of condensed tomato soup!

Directions: Heat oil in a 4 quart+ pot, add onions, celery and carrots. Let cook for 5-10 minutes until onions are translucent. Add oregano, basil, bay leaf, tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer for 15-20 minutes until vegetables are tender. In a small sauce pan, melt butter and add flour to make a roux. With continuous mixing, slowly add 1 cup of soup broth, then add 2 more. (The mixture will still be thick, don't be afraid!) Add the mixture back into the soup and stir until soup is thickened. Remove the bay leaf before continuing.

At this point, I used an immersion blender to puree the soup. If you do not have one, you could add the soup to a blender.

Next add cream/milk, condensed tomato soup and parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes so flavors can combine.

The end result is a creamy, slightly rich bowl of tomato and parmesan goodness!

 Pair it with a grilled cheese and fill that tummy up!

Enjoy!

How to Budget and Meal Plan: Topic #2

For years, my husband and I just spent what we wanted. If we knew there was money in our account, then we were fine. All we had to do is take out that little evil card we had tucked away in our wallet.....our debit card. The one tiny piece of the puzzle that stands between you and your checking account.

My husband always said he never had a debit card until after he met me. He always kept cash in his wallet for the things he might need. I've heard some people still in the year 2012 refuse to have one, for it takes away from the human interaction, and they are correct. It also burns a hole in your pocket if you use it for every.single.little.thing that you may need or think you need. It's easy to do, but if you take the time and break down your monthly bank statements to see what your debit card is REALLY costing you, it's an easy thing to change.

Topic #2: Tracking Your Spending

I know we all live crazy busy schedules and the thought of doing one more tedious task every month, might make you cringe. It is a task though that I support 150% because it allowed me to see that our $2 coffee runs really add up! So do your measly $5 purchases, $10, $20, etc. It all adds up, to a lot in a month. Especially if you are taking that card out multiple times a day. So here is what I did...I tracked every single purchase for three months in a row.

Being that we are a technology based world these days, online banking made it easy for me. To be able to see every transaction and place it into categories, let me see where we were way over spending. I broke it down into these categories:

-Bills
-Gas
-Groceries
-Restaurants/Take Out
-Extras

You don't realize how much you spend when you wing it! My mouth dropped the first month when I saw we spent $1700 on extras! What?!?!?! I won't get into details about any of our purchases, but to see that number flash in front of my face, it was a jaw dropping moment. So I made sure it changed. It has been a slow steady decline over the past few months. I am proud to say that our extras are now about $100 a month.

Just by seeing all those numbers in front of me, I knew what needed to change and it will be the same for you. We all have different financial situations, but in the end we are all trying to live. The goal in life is to do what we can while we are here and enjoy it. Just by taking these little steps, you can save yourself a lot of money and be happier. We are.

We also put the debit card away. When we do our grocery shopping, we stop at the bank and draw out the amount we have allotted ourselves in our monthly finances. If for some reason we have any left over, than maybe we can treat ourselves to a coffee or save it for next time! It makes you stick with your budget if you only have X amount of dollars because you have not left yourself any other choice, right?

SO PUT THE DEBIT CARD DOWN! It's a life saving step, I tell you.

Until next time,

Pierogi Lasagna

When I was little, my grandma use to make pierogis and they were delicious! I remember sitting at the table with the big bowl in front of us with both of my grandparents, who I miss dearly. While we still enjoy pierogis in our home, I decided to take a different approach and make a lasagna! It is a great recipe and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Ingredients
12 cooked lasagna noodles

2 cups ricotta cheese

2 eggs

2 cups grated cheddar cheese, 

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

*2 1/2 cups mashed potatoes (prepared to your liking)

2 cups caramelized onions

12-16 oz diced ham

1 tsp onion powder

salt & pepper

Bacon- crisp & crumbled for topping (You can also use bacon bits)

*I prepared my mashed potatoes with a little salt, black pepper, garlic powder and milk. It was just the right amount of seasoning.

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook lasagna noodles according to packaged directions. Prepare mashed potatoes. In a saute pan, caramelize onions. In a bowl mix ricotta, eggs, onion powder, salt & pepper. Mix cheddar and mozzarella cheese together. Mix mashed potatoes with onions, ham and 1/2 cup cheese. Layer lasagna...noodles, ricotta, noodles, potatoes, and cheese. Repeat ending with noodles and topping with cheese and bacon. Bake for 30 minutes until cheese is golden brown.

Enjoy!

Chicken Enchiladas

I cannot tell a lie....I never had tried enchiladas before making this recipe. It just never was put on my yum I want to eat that radar. Until a few weeks ago and I'm so glad that we chose to make it. It was f.a.b.u.l.o.u.s. It is a quick and easy meal that took about 35 minutes to make, of that only 10 minutes worth of hands on cooking.

Ingredients
**2 cups of cooked shredded chicken
2 cups of monterey jack cheese
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, minced (ribs and seeds removed)
8-10 flour tortillas
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
Juice of 1/2 lime

**Cook chicken beforehead to your liking. You can put it in the crock pot, boil it, use left over chicken or buy a rotisserie chicken to have on hand!

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine chicken, 1 cup cheese, 1 minced jalapeno pepper, and minced garlic. Fill tortillas with chicken mixture, roll and place into 9" X 13" baking dish. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add cornstarch and mix until well combined. Then add chicken broth and allow to thicken. Mix in sour cream, the other minced jalapeno, your seasonings and the lime juice. Bring heat to a simmer and allow flavors to combine. You may need to thicken the sauce if you feel it is too thin at this point. Make a slurry, combining equal parts cornstarch and water, stirring until cornstarch is dissolved. Add to sauce, stir continuously for 2-3 minutes. Pour sauce over the tortillas, top with cheese and bake for 25 minutes. (I will put the oven on broil for a few minutes to brown the cheese a little more.)

Then take some of that yummy sauce and smother your enchilada with it! You won't be disappointed by the flavors in this dish!

Enjoy!

Our Very 1st Date

October 1st, 2004, our very first date.....

The first meal we ate together.

The first restaurant we dined at together.

The first movie we saw together.

The first conversation we ever had.

The first kiss I gave him on the cheek.

The first day, of the rest of my life.

To us......

The man who stole my heart on the second date, my best friend and the love of my life. To many more wonderful years together.

I love you!

How to Budget & Meal Plan: Topic #1

It happens to all of us. That unexpected time in life where things don't go as planned, and you have to make it so you DON'T break it. Your bank that is.

For the past two months, I have relied heavily on sales, coupons, budgeting, and meal planning. Without these concepts, I wouldn't have been able to stay home while trying to find a job. Times are tough, the economy doesn't make finding a job easy, but you still have to eat, right?

I've tried budgeting before but I guess I wasn't fully prepared to go all out. I still knew that if I went over, there was still more money to do what we had to do and then some. It is different for us now.

We use to spend about $60-$100 a week on groceries. In total, we could have spent $400 a month for two people. We would just pick up things we thought looked good and while I liked a good sale, it wasn't my priority. I wanted what I wanted.

Having a very tight budget has allowed me to see what good sales actually are. Having a husband who works in food service has also shown me that all sales are not worth it, and sometimes you can find a better deal with a full priced item! <----- weird concept, right?

Through my coupon clipping, grocery store circular sale searching, and waiting for the right deals to pop up, I have been able to reduce our monthly grocery spending to $80-$100 a month! That's right folks, that's a $300+ savings! If I didn't do it, we wouldn't be able to afford our bills and I wouldn't be able to find the right job for me. I am completely grateful that we have been able to stick to our guns to get through this time. So I decided to write this blog series to maybe help someone else who wants to learn how to properly budget and plan to have delicious meals without going broke. I hope you enjoy and can learn some tricks to help you!

Topic #1: Making a budget

1. Write down all your bills and your projected payments. Tally them all up so you know exactly how much you need to have each month.

2. Write down exactly how much money you make each month that is deposited into your bank account. Subtract your bills from this number. (I know this sounds like a no-brainer, but some don't write it down. If you SEE the numbers in front of you, it allows you to make a budget.)

3. Go into your bank statements for previous months and add up all the money spent on gas and groceries. Place them into their separate categories, Gas and Groceries! (I'm so smart! :-) )

This is where I noticed that we unfortunately spend a lot of money on gas for getting to and from work. Until we can afford a new non gas guzzling car for my husband, this isn't something we can change. We did however make changes that we don't just waste gas to go on long drives anymore. Every gallon of that expensive car juice has to actually take us where we need to go.

4. Subtract the $$ you spend on gas from the remaining money you had after step #2. This amount will be what you have left in a month to buy groceries, save, buy extras, etc.

This is where you need to come up with some numbers and goals for you and your family. Do you want to save a certain amount of money in a year? Do you want to buy a new couch? Do you need to replace a costly household item? What are your goals?

5. After finishing the above steps, (which took you far less time than I took to explain!) how much money you have left is what you can buy groceries with.

For example, after all your bills you have $300 left. You want to save some of it, so you put $200 in the bank each month, which would give you $2400 savings in a year! Then you take that remaining $100 and you make it work for you and your family. I realize some families are far bigger than mine! So you find a budget that works for you.

It may seem like such an easy thing to do, but if you don't see those numbers in front of you, you could be way overspending. Some think it's easier to just wing it and that is fine. I can tell you that wingin' it never worked for us! We would be in a much better place financially, if I had started doing this budgeting and meal planning earlier in our relationship. We didn't, but we are now!

It takes little steps to get to where you want to go, financially or otherwise. I hope you stick around to learn what has helped us.

Until next time,

Oh Monday Monday

Most people hate Mondays. It is the start of a new work week and the end of a perfectly wonderful weekend. I completely understand.

Although, I don't hate Mondays and I never have. Don't get me wrong, I love my weekends spent with the ones I love! I love seeing my husband and having early morning coffee with him. I love being able to talk to him whenever I want. I love being able to make memories with him, and I especially love pawning our dog duties off on him!

Then Monday rolls around and I feel like a new woman, every.single.week. I'm excited to get more things accomplished. I love to start the new week off refreshed and happy. I take Mondays as a day to plan, organize and set the tone for what the week will bring.

Maybe it's because I don't have the five day work week like some, and for that I am very grateful. I am cherishing the time I have to enjoy these Mondays. I know it can all change at any time.

Pumpkin Bread with Pumpkin Butter cream Frosting

Happy FALL!!! 

As the last days of summer came to an end, I felt very sad. It's like saying goodbye to a good friend who won't be back for another 9 months. Sad. On the other hand, a new friend has entered! One that is full of fun promises!

Beautiful colors. Fairs. Apple Picking. Pumpkins. Fall scented candles. Fall decorations. Warm apple crisp. Halloween. Fall baking. Light sweaters. Mums. Crisp mornings. Pumpkin desserts. Cool nights. Thanksgiving. Comfort food. Haunted houses. Candy. Pumpkin coffee. Snuggling. Long drives.

There is so much to look forward to, so goodbye summer!

I started the season off right with making a delicious pumpkin bread. It had just the right amount of pumpkin, cinnamon and a light texture. I felt what made the bread was the pumpkin butter cream frosting! It is delicious.....I would just eat that with a spoon! Although that's not very healthy!!!

Pumpkin Bread
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
2 eggs
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 1/4 cup pumpkin puree

Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and allspice. In a separate bowl, beat eggs until yellow and fluffy. Mix in brown sugar and white sugar. Slowly add canola oil, then pumpkin puree. Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Spray a 5"X 9" pain with nonstick spray and pour pumpkin batter into pan. Bake for 60-65 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool.

Pumpkin Butter cream Frosting
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 tbsp pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp milk

Directions: Cream butter, pumpkin, cinnamon and vanilla together. Slowly add in powdered sugar. Frosting will be very thick, add milk to thin. Spread it ALL over your pumpkin bread! Yum!

This picture may be deceiving, I didn't frost it for beauty. I layered the sweet pumpkin frosting all over the top in anticipation for sinking my teeth into it!

Enjoy!

Fall Goals

There is such satisfaction in setting a goal, no matter what it is and accomplishing it. I love the feeling I get when I cross off things from my to do list. That being said, I have decided to make up some goals for the fall. These will be goals that I WILL accomplish, with no excuses.

- I will go apple picking
-I will make an apple pie from scratch AND an apple crisp
-I will pick out a pumpkin and carve it
-I will go to a haunted house
-I will go to a corn maze
-I will take pictures of the beautiful colors of fall
-I will take my dogs on a fall hike

I think those are all very reasonable goals and I can't wait to start crossing them off. I'm thinking if the weather is good this weekend we might go apple picking! I sure hope so!

Source

Silence

Turn off your TV. Let the clothes dry in the sun. Save running the dishwasher until bed time. Just listen. Silence.

May you find the time in your day to just sit for a minute and listen to nothing. Think of nothing. Love the feeling of nothing. In those few minutes, the clarity you can feel is amazing. Just be.

Or you can lie down instead of sitting. Whatever position you fancy.