Author: Nicole

Hi thank you for stopping by. I am very excited to have you here. Pull up a chair and have a seat, this is the view from my side of the table.
Recipes

Baked Spaghetti (Paula Deen)

Nicole


This recipe was just OK. I think the concept of the recipe is a great one especially if you are using leftover spaghetti sauce. The sauce in the recipe is truly its downfall. My family liked the recipe but no one was overly impressed with the sauce. This is one of those recipes that you take the idea behind the recipe and simply replace the sauce. The Italian season was just over the top that’s all I could taste.
I think I will make this recipe in the future, but instead of this sauce I will use leftover Nana’s Spaghetti Sauce instead, or worse case scenario a jarred sauce would work. I think it would be fantastic using a bunch of different cheese’s like, parmesan, mozzarella, asiago, and even some provolone. Yum.
This is a great base idea/recipe but “fixing” the sauce would be a great improvement.
Ingredients:
  • 2 cups canned diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups tomato sauce
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup diced onion
  • 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt pepper combo
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons seasoning salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 small bay leaves
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
  • 8 ounces uncooked pasta
  • 1 cup grated cheddar
  • 1 cup grated Monterey Jack

Directions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a stockpot, combine the tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, onions, peppers, garlic, parsley, seasoning mixtures, sugar, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat and let simmer, covered, for 1 hour. 
  3. Crumble the ground beef in a large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until fully cooked, with no pink color remaining. Drain the fat from the meat, and then add the ground beef to the stockpot. 
  4. Simmer for 20 more minutes. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. 
  5. Cover the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan with sauce. Add a layer of pasta and then a little less than 1/2 of each cheese; repeat the layers, ending with the sauce. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. 
  6. Top the casserole with the remaining cheese, return it to the oven, and continue to cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 5 more minutes. Cut into squares before serving.

Original Recipe Source

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Recipes

Pumpkin Pie Hot Chocolate

Nicole




At this time of year my favorite find is Pumpkin Spice anything. I love pumpkin spice latte’ and any kind of hot chocolate.  When I found a pumpkin spice hot chocolate I knew I had to give this recipe a try. It’s what I consider the best of both worlds. The recipe certainly lived up to my expectations. It’s thick, creamy and has an amazing pumpkin pie flavor.

The smell in the house while this is cooking on the stove is incredible. This would also work great in a slow cooker. Try serving this recipe throughout the day on Thanksgiving. Your guest will be very happy I know I was!!

This is the doubled recipe. One recipe wasn’t even close to enough I had to double it!

Ingredients:
  • 5 cups milk
  • 2/3 cup hot cocoa mix (no marshmallows)
  • 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
  • 3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • Pinch of salt
  • Whipped cream or marshmallows optional

Directions:
  1. In a medium sauce pan over medium low heat whisk together your milk and hot cocoa mix. 
  2. You will want to keep your heat no higher than medium. It’s important that all of your spices to have a chance to mingle in the hot chocolate.
  3. Add canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice.
  4. Heat until desired temperature is reached.
  5. Pour into mugs and top with whipped cream and/or marshmallows

Original Recipe Source


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Recipes

Starbucks Frappuccino Chilled Coffee Drink (Copy Cat)

Nicole



I was super excited to try this recipe and now I sure am happy I did. I actually took a few different recipes I found and combined them into this one. This recipe is right on the money (at least to me) so to speak when it comes to making  Starbucks Frappuccino Chilled Coffee Drink.

I have always loved getting a bottle of their chilled coffee drinks, but the prices keep going up and my conscience won’t let me buy them too often. I made this recipe which made a gallon of this delectable drink and it didn’t cost much at all. I had all the ingredients on hand so I didn’t have to go out and buy anything.


I used cheap creamer, some old Godiva ground coffee that needed to be used up, and cheap sugars. Nothing special!!

The coffee turns out incredible!! No brewing necessary but you certainly can to speed up the process. 

It’s simple,  just place the coffee grounds in a pitcher of water, cover, and wait 24 hours.


I run the coffee and grounds through either a towel or cheesecloth to remove the grounds, then add the remaining ingredients to the pitcher, mix and chill. 


It’s just that easy and certainly worth the wait. It may take a little time but its worth the price you pay for a great cup of chilled coffee. No ice is necessary as a matter of fact I wouldn’t add any ice because you don’t want it to water down your amazing Frappuccino!!



Ingredients:
  • 1 gallon of water (16 cups)
  • 4 ounces of ground coffee (any of your choice)
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • ¾ cup nondairy coffee creamer vanilla or plain
  • Press and seal or plastic wrap

Directions:

  1. To a 1 gallon pitcher add 4 ounces of ground coffee, and then fill the pitcher up with cool tap water
  2. Mix well
  3. Cover the pitcher with Press and Seal or plastic wrap and allow pitcher to sit on the counter for at least 8 hours uninterrupted. I usually allow it to set 24 hours. You can skip this step by just brewing up 16 cups of coffee. I only have a Keurig and hate to use up 16 over priced K-cups.
  4. Strain the coffee grounds out of the coffee using either cheesecloth of a clean damp towel.
  5. Once the grounds have been strained out of the coffee mix in sugar, brown sugar, and coffee creamer into the coffee. Mix well!
  6. Recover with Press and Seal and refrigerate overnight or until coffee is cold.
  7. Pour, no need to use ice, Enjoy!

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Recipes

Silhouette Sunday: Holiday Gift Boxes

Nicole



I have a few Christmas gifts that I have already bought for some family members. I decided instead of spending extra money on boxes that are just going to be thrown away I would make my own gift boxes using the Silhouette machine. To stay ahead on the gift wrapping I decided to go ahead and make the boxes up.
I visited the Silhouette store and found this adorable Christmas Tree box. Aren’t they cute?
In just a matter of minutes and a little glue I made these boxes that are just the right size for the earrings and necklaces I purchased.
I added a little tissue paper and I stuck a gift take on them, and now they are residing in a bag at the top of my closet. Hum I sure hope I can find them when I go looking for them again.
Have you tried making your own gift boxes? Did you have any luck? I love the idea of making my own boxes and love how cute they turned out!!


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Recipes

Sticky Honey Sauced Chicken

Nicole



I wasn’t really sure what to expect with this recipe. The original recipe serves 2 so I had to double the recipe. The one you see below is doubled. It distressed me when I realized this one recipe was going to empty almost an entire honey bear container of honey. LOL silly huh?
Initially when I could smell this recipe cooking I wasn’t all that impressed. Don’t get me wrong it smelled good if you like the smell of soy sauce. I was had a terrible feeling that this was going to taste like soy sauce and nothing else.
I made it, let it cool and put it away for the next night’s dinner. I was afraid my husband wasn’t going to like it, but I was wrong BOY was I wrong. He not only liked it but he loved it. He was actually exited because he said it tasted just like something he loved  at a restaurant he ate at all the time when he was stationed in Washington at Fort Lewis.
I really liked it too. I was afraid I had over cooked it because my slow cooker is the opposite of slow it cooks extremely fast. It actually turned out perfect. To me it’s a cross between sweet and sour chicken and teriyaki chicken. Either way it was a real winner!!
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
  • 1.5 pounds boneless chicken breast
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. black pepper
  • 1 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp. dried onion flakes
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 2 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Directions:
  1. Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper, put into crock pot.
  2. In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes. Pour over chicken.
  3. Cook on low for 3 hours or on high 1 1/2 hours. Chicken into bite size pieces, then return to pot and toss with sauce.
  4. Serve over rice.

Original Recipe Source


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