a very good mac and cheese

http://funwiththefullwoods.blogspot.com/2011/12/baked-mac-n-cheese-with-bacon.html...

oh my goodness, this recipe is definitely a keeper...one of the best mac and cheese I have ever tasted...sides? green beans w/ almonds and the princess made some cheese and garlic biscuits...
everyone dug into it too quick for me to take any pics...sorry

Sunday night dinner

we are at the end of the month and I am trying so hard to use up what we have and only buy if I have to and bare necessities at that...so looking for a recipe for dinner tonight, came upon this one...

http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/sidedishes/bacon-potato-hash/

and I only changed a few things...I added carrots and celery to the potatoes and cooked them together...and Tim and I both really liked it and will make it again and again...not sure Ross cared for it, but, hey, cannot please everyone now can I?

to go with dinner have been wanting to make these muffins for awhile now and OMGosh
are they wonderful? so so so good, more like a dessert tho cause they taste just like a pecan pie...you have got to try these...

http://www.southernplate.com/2008/10/pecan-pie-muffins.html

cottage pie

these 2 recipes have been in my favorite's for awhile now and tonight since it is real rainy and cold, decided to try them...
both recipes, I would change just a little bit but overall am happy with how they turned out...
the first: cottage pie, or shephards's pie (with beef)...never knew that...if it is lamb it is called shephard's pie and if it is beef it is a cottage pie...so, cottage it is...
http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/main-courses/shepherde28099s-pie-13/...

I thought by adding cheese, sour cream and bacon to the mashed potatoes would add taste, but it still needs a little something more, maybe some garlic???

otherwise I really do like the pie...waiting to see what Tim and hubby think about it...Zoe loved it, she made her own little personal pie with only corn, beef and potatoes...

so for the biscuits, Zoe made them...from this recipe:

http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/breads/bacon-cheddar-bubble-bread/

and they were delicious...you have to try them...so so good...

panera's

can you believe all this time, we have lived so close to a Panera and I have never eaten there? well, one more thing off my bucket list. Tim took us there for lunch,
today since he knew I was not feeling well...cannot get rid of this migraine...
it was pretty good...had baked potato soup and 1/2 of a turkey sandwich...see I love
their cookies, and so had to get one to eat later with a glass of cold milk...

feeding antlers

yesterday, I was not at home the whole day...a little tired today with a bad migraine also...
when I make up the Friday night dinners on paper it looks good, sounds good, but when reality sets in and I have to make what I put down, it is a different story...
but, that's ok...I really do like cooking and I love it when people happen to like what you have made...
for dinner they had a choice of shicken & wild rice soup or split pea with ham soup (all homemade of course) with salad, bread and dessert...
both soups were delicious (or so I thought) but, we did not have a lot of people that came out to eat...if my dinner follows a Thursday night taco night, that next day typically does not do well...and Thursday we sold 420 tacos...so we kinda expected not a huge crowd for dinner...would be nice if we had more than 12 however...
a little depressing to be down there ALL day to cook for 12 people but hey what can I say???

at least they will use the leftovers for the brunch we are having, so it doesn't go to waste...

btw Tim liked the chicken tetrazzini that he has had it for 3 nights...

so, the dessert I made was a magic bar (ya know those 7 layer bars everyone makes with choc chips, sweetened cond. milk and coconut, etc.) well, this is them except in a pie...the pie was a huge success...
of course I did not take my camera last night...

here is the recipe for the pie, you have got to try it...

http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/desserts/magic-bar-pecan-pie/

turkey tetrazzini without the turkey...

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/11/turkey-tetrazzini/

this is what is for dinner tonight and I am excited about it...cannot wait to try it...
I have this recipe bookmarked in my favorites for awhile now but only today decided to give it a try...looks very yummy not baked yet...
I kinda used the recipe, except substituting chicken for turkey, and I did not use mushrooms...
we are eating way too much antler food and I have gained weight this way and this new
year am determined to eat better, or at least cook more than I have been...
have to cashier for bingo tonight so made dinner at 2pm so it will be ready for everyone to eat when they are ready...
will post and let you know how it tastes...
OMGosh OMGosh was this dinner fantastic??? it was extraordinary, why have I never made this before? I mean seriously? this will be one of my staples from now on...you guys need to stop what you are doing and make this right now...too good...
Ross said it was just OK, but we don't listen to him anyway, so we??? haha

sweet potato cupcakes

this is what I made for the girl at Elks that won my cake of the month raffle...she loves these and asks me to make these quite often...Ross and I both love them also, altho Tim does not like them, not sure why cause he loves pineapple?
made 5x the recipe so I could give some of them out for my random acts of kindess this year that I am doing...
took 24 cupcakes to Tim's work for them to enjoy...last time I did, even the guy who only eats vegan came up to tim to rave about his mom's cupcakes...

dinner tonight?

wanted to surprise Tim as he had been on vacation for a week and went back today and I knew he would be a little bummed, so I made one of his favorite dishes of all times...it used to be that I was scared of soups and each time I wanted to make one, I would look for a recipe online and follow it to a T...not anymore (& it only took me 60+ years !)
Coco's makes a good corn chowder, and I also remembered that a friend of mine used to make a fabulous soup...so on my own, I tried to replicate both recipes into one, and everyone in my family (& friends who have tried it) all love it...
when I emailed Tim at work and said I was making corn chowder, he said, "that sounds
amazing."
here is my corn chowder...
melt 1 stick of margarine in a dutch oven (get it?)
stir in 6 tbs of flour and let slightly brown,
add 1 large container of chicken broth and stir till slightly thick then add 2 1/2 cups of milk and let thicken once again...
add 1 large pkg of corn
(I use) 1 can of carrots
(I use) 1 can of potatoes
garlic salt and pepper
I also will add onions to roux when Zoe is not eating...
and then at end I add cooked bacon...

the princess helped me today, she loves cutting up the potatoes...she loves this dish as much as her uncle does, only she eats around the carrots...we served little pieces of french bread with dinner tonight and she added lemon curd to her bread...don't even ask???

new year's 2012

for a huge surprise Sam made us all dinner for Sunday night (her dad is visiting grandma in El Segundo)...she made ham, mashed potatoes, green beans and rolls...a very good dinner made all the better that I did not have to cook...yeah...

for Monday night, dad still is gone and i asked Tim what he wanted and he said "breakfast," so that is what I did...I made cinnamon rolls, sausage links, and a terrific potato & egg casserole that I got from here: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/05/easy-potato-and-bacon-breakfast-casserole/...
I had made this before and this time substituted shredded potatoes for the southern style and I browned them a little first, and Tim and I liked the taste more...but he
wanted leftovers saved to eat more, so I take that as a compliment...

ross should be home tomorrow, maybe he will take me out to eat...haha...