Grandma Belle's Birthday ~ Happy Birthday to the sweetest Grandma!

It is my Grandma's birthday today so we celebrated with a lunch yesterday.  We all made a dish or two and brought it down to Grandma's to have a celebration for lunch.  We had quite the spread! 

I tried the Pioneer Woman's ~ Best Lasagna EVER recipe and it turned out really good! 

Here is the recipe:
The Pioneer Woman's The Best Lasagna Ever Recipe

Here are pictures and how it turned out:

Browning the meats & garlic

Adding the tomatoes, paste and seasonings

Simmer for 45 minutes....Mmmmmmmmm

Set up your stations.....

Mixing the cheese....

Stations set up!

And build the lasagna...

Gotta have cheese!  I didn't have the slices so I used shredded....

the yummy meat and sauce...worth the 45 minute wait..........

Finished product, I have to agree with the Pioneer Woman - it is the BEST Lasagna EVER.

We also had to make a cake per Will's request....so here's the cake.................

I used a cake mix and added pudding.  I used my previous Fudge Recipe as the icing. 

We also love deserts.......so here are some more deserts...............

It was quite the spread and everything turned out so good!  We will be having a guest post from Annie Belle with her Squash Casserole Recipe which is the BEST!  ;)  Happy Birthday to the sweetest Grandma ever! 

Marshmallow Creme Fudge!

If you have not tried to make the fudge recipe with marshmallow creme, you should!  I made some for the kids.....okay, so I made some for MYSELF, the other night and it was so good!  I didn't put any nuts or vanilla in the recipe and I used milk chocolate chips versus the semi-sweet.  Very quick, very easy and it definitely satisfies that sweet tooth!

Marshmallow Creme Fudge Recipe (altered to my pantry)
Ingredients:
1 1/2 sticks butter
3 cups sugar
1 cup milk
1 bag milk chocolate chips
1 7 oz container marshmallow creme

Melt the butter, sugar & milk on stovetop.  Once it comes to a rapid boil on medium heat, let boil for 4 minutes.  Remove from heat and add the chocolate chips and marshmallow creme.  Stir good and pour into greased container.  Let cool.  See, easy, breezy...........then enjoy!

Spaghetti?? Pizza??? How about BOTH!

Mama Belle and I got ahold of a new recipe from my Auntie Mary G from Wisconsin.  She said they make it there all the time.  It was such an interesting recipe and new to us, so we had to give it a whirl!!  I don't know the name of it, but it's a combination of two favorites ~ spaghetti and pizza!  It was really good and the kiddos liked it, too. 

Spaghetti/Pizza Bake
Ingredients:
16 oz pkg spaghetti
2 eggs
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 c milk
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
Hamburger or sausage (about 1 lb)
32 oz jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 tsp oregano
3 c mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Break spaghetti into 2 in. lengths; cook, drain and cool

In a large bowl beat eggs; add milk and 1 c mozzarella cheese, garlic powder and salt.

Stir in cooked spaghetti and mix well, Grease jelly roll pan.  Spread spaghetti mixture into pan and bake at 400 for 15 minutes.

Brown meat and drain while "crust" is baking.

Spread spaghetti sauce over baked spaghetti and sprinkle with oregano. 
Sprinkle 3 c cheese over sauce, top with meat. 

Bake 30 minutes and let stand 5 minutes before cutting. 

In a large bowl beat eggs; add milk and 1 c mozzarella cheese, garlic powder and salt

Stir in cooked spaghetti 

Mix well

Spread spaghetti mixture into pan

Bake at 400 for 15 minutes

Spread spaghetti sauce over baked spaghetti and sprinkle with oregano

Sprinkle 3 c cheese over sauce

Top with meat

Bake 30 minutes  

Let stand 5 minutes before cutting

Enjoy!

Monkey Bread for my Little Belles!

Not only do my kids love this recipe, but my hubby does, too.  Win/Win!  It's a fairly easy recipe.....just takes about 30 minutes in the oven.  I got the recipe I use from a cookbook I got at my friend, Chrissie's wedding.  Isn't that a great wedding favor idea?  Everybody contributed a recipe beforehand and they had printed up cookbooks for guests.  I just love it! 

Here is the Monkey Bread recipe:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp cinnamon
2 cans butter-me-knot biscuits
1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease the pan and then sprinkle with 1/2 cup pecan. 

Combine the white sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.  Quarter the biscuits and roll them in the sugar/cinnamon mixture.  Arrange them in the pan on top of the pecans. 

Melt the butter and stir in the brown sugar.  Put this mixture on top of the biscuits. 

Bake @ 350 for 30-40 minutes.  Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes and then ENJOY! 

Grease the pan and then sprinkle with 1/2 cup pecan. 

Combine the white sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.

Quarter the biscuits and roll them in the sugar/cinnamon mixture.  Arrange them in the pan on top of the pecans. 

Melt the butter and mix in the brown sugar.  

Pour the brown sugar mixture over the biscuits.

This is what the finished product looks like...

Let it stand for 10 minutes....

And, then EAT!  My kiddos and hubby already had a bite!

Mama Belle's Roast - Crockpot Recipe!

My mother has always made the BEST roast and you know what is even better about her recipe??  It's a crockpot recipe!  It makes a huge roast and you can use the leftovers later on in the week for sandwiches or any other recipe you can incorporate this in to. 

Mama Belle's Roast Recipe:
2 cans Beefy Mushroom Soup
2 cans water
1 large roast
1 package Lipton onion soup mix
flour
Seasoning Salt

Whisk the soups, 2 cans water, and one package of the Lipton onion soup mix in your crockpot.  Coat the roast with flour and the seasoning salt.  Brown the roast in 1/2 inch of oil on all sides.  Put the roast in the crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.  The last hour you can add any veggies you want to add in.

Whisk the soups, 2 cans water, and one package of the Lipton onion soup mix in your crockpot

Coat the roast with flour and the seasoning salt

Brown the roast in 1/2 inch of oil on all sides

Brown the roast in 1/2 inch of oil on all sides

Put the roast in the crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours

Serve it with your choice of sides....I had Hunky Ranch Potatoes!

Pecan Sandies ~ Oh cookies!

I was pleasantly surprised when I got to work and had a HUGE Ziploc bag of pecans waiting for me.  It was like Christmas!  My grandmother had sent them for me.  She is so sweet and one of the best cooks I know....I would much rather have a meal with her at her house than to go to any restaurant.  :)

I found a recipe that I have been wanting to try and here it is! 

Recipe for Pecan Sandies from Bake or Break

I did alter the recipe by adding a 1/2 bag of white chocolate chips to it. 

Pecan Sandies Recipe (altered to my pantry!)
1/2 cup salted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 & 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1 egg
1/2 bag of white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Beat butter & sugar until fluffy on medium/high.  Beat in vanilla and salt.  Add one egg and beat.  Gradually add flour and use low speed.  Fold in pecans. 

Spoon onto cookie sheet and cook for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown. 

Makes about 18 cookies.