Recipes

From My Side of the Table: Starbucks Love Them or Hate Them?

Nicole
I read an article yesterday about the Starbucks CEO and that got me to thinking about the whole concept of Starbucks and the relationship I have with them. I have a love hate relationship with Starbucks.
I love them because I love their frozen drinks. I love having them in my hands and slurping them down on a hot Houston summer day, or even having a nice hot coffee or hot chocolate on a cold wet winter day. They smell good, and taste great! My favorite drink at Starbucks is their Strawberry and Cream Frappuccino. It’s wonderful, and no matter how hard I try I can’t quite replicate it, but I am close!!
What I hate about Starbucks is their coffee really isn’t THAT good and when I say THAT good I mean $5’s of good!  Of course when you think about it most “coffee houses” have over priced coffee. I even noticed that McDonald’s coffee is starting to reflect the Starbucks prices, or in some cases they are closing in on them. On the grand scheme of things in my opinion Starbucks coffee is watered down tasting, and it makes me choke each time they tell me how much I owe them. Maybe I have grown too cheap for Starbucks?
With all of that being said I don’t completely avoid Starbucks, but by no means am I their number one customer. I never thought a thing about paying their prices until I married my husband who is a BIG coffee snob. He doesn’t mind paying $25 a pound for a bag of good coffee (Seriously), but he will not pay $5 for Starbucks. They $25 a pound coffee is the best coffee I have ever had, but it’s still something we don’t have often. We have it in the house, but we don’t drink it daily.
What are your Starbucks feelings? Do you love them, hate them, or like me… both?

Recipes

Baked Penne with Philadelphia Cooking Creme #LoveMyPhilly

Nicole

This is a fantastic recipe! Not only is it simple to make, but it’s also very very good! Next time I would half the recipe because it’s double what we would normally eat. The great thing is I can freeze the left overs for another meal. I also think the next time I make this recipe I will make it with Italian sausage to give it some extra pizazz! I really like using the cooking with the cooking crème! In truth I could eat it with a spoon it’s so good!!


Ingredients:

  • 1/2 lb. extra-lean ground beef
  • 1/2 cup chopped onions
  • 1/2 cup green peppers
  • 1 jar (24 oz.) spaghetti sauce ( I used Ragu)
  • 1 tub(10 oz.)PHILADELPHIA Italian Cheese and Herb Cooking Creme, divided
  • 1 cup KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided
  • 3 cups cooked penne pasta (I used rigatoni because I had it on hand)

Directions:

  1. Heat oven to 350°F.
  2. Brown meat with vegetables in large nonstick skillet. Stir in spaghetti sauce, 3/4 cup cooking creme and 1/2 cup mozzarella: cook and stir 2 to 3 min. or until mozzarella is melted. Add pasta; mix lightly.
  3. Spoon into 2-qt. casserole; top with remaining cooking creme and mozzarella. Cover.
  4. Bake 20 min. or until heated through, uncovering after 15 min.

Recipes

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Nicole

I was looking for a good Sunday dinner recipe last week when I came across OrgJunkies Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe. It can’t get any easier than this recipe. You put all the ingredients in the crockpot and you let it cook. This recipe is super simple and super easy. Thanks for the great recipe Laura. CLICK HERE for the original recipe. 

Ingredients:
  • 2 pounds beef chuck or stew meat, cut in 1″ cubes 
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper 
  • 1 1/2 cups beef broth
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce 
  • 1 clove garlic 
  • 1 bay leaf 
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 4 carrots sliced or baby carrots 
  • 2 cans of potatoes
  • 2 onions, chopped 
  • 1 stalk celery, sliced

Directions:

  1. Place meat in cooker (no need to brown first). 

  2. Mix flour, salt and pepper and pour over meat; stir to coat meat with flour. 
  3. Add remaining ingredients and stir to mix well. 
  4. Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours or high 4-6 hours. 
  5. Stir stew thoroughly before serving.

Recipes

Chicken Marsala Wraps

Nicole
This is a really great recipe. There are so many things to like about it like the fact that it’s quick and easy and better yet it’s full of flavor. I love anything that you can roll into a tortilla and call it a meal.
Although my original recipe didn’t call for it I love topping my wrap with lettuce and tomatoes. Even a little avocado goes a long way too. It’s a great way to get some extra veggies in your diet. I am sure you could be creative and add some roasted veggies too. Wow wouldn’t that be good?
Ingredients:
  • 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon of margarine
  • 2 cups thinly sliced onions
  • 2 cups of pre-cooked chicken breast
  • 2 large cans of mushrooms
  • 1 cup of Marsala wine
  • 8 ounces of mozzarella cheese
  • 4-6 10 inch tortillas
  • Top with Lettuce and Tomatoes if desired
Directions:
1.     Add olive oil and margarine to a large skillet over a medium heat. Add onions and mushrooms and begin to cook for around 15 minutes or until you find the onions to be tender.
2.     Add your marsala wine and chicken and cook for 10 minutes until the wine becomes reduced. Add marsala chicken mixture to a warm tortilla and top with mozzarella cheese.

3.     Wrap up and serve. Top with Lettuce and Tomatoes if desired. 

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Recipes

Make more money now!

Nicole
Money is always short in our family. I am a stay at home mom of four kids and my husband works too many relentless hours as a mechanic. We can always use extra money, and I am always in search of ways I can add additional money to our household. While searching on AllYou I can across this article that I found help. I hope it helps you too!! Elizabeth Prachaska Guest Blogger for Colie’s Kitchen grocerymoney@yahoo.com
Tired of turning over the couch cushions looking for loose change? These days it can be tough to find a 9-to-5 job, much less a convenient part-time opening with flexible hours. But opportunities do exist. Search through these suggestions for a part-time position that will work for you—and bring in some money:

Original Article