Crock Pot Mac & Cheese

So I found this recipe and wanted to tackle it because 1. it's easy and 2. the only mac and cheese I have ever made has been out of a box, and that powdered cheese always creeps me out.  So when I came home from my Saturday job I walked through the door, into my kitchen and went right back to work.  It takes a few hours to cook but it's worth the wait.

Macaroni & Cheese

Prep Time: 30 min.

Cooking Time 2-3 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 4-quart

Ingredients:

8-oz. pkg. dry macaroni, cooked

2 Tbsp. oil

13-oz. can evaporated milk (fat-free will work)

2 cups milk

1 tsp. salt

3 cups (about 1/2 lb.) shredded cheese: cheddar, American, Velveeta, ,or a combination

2-4 Tbsp. melted butter

2 Tbsp. onion, chopped fine (I opted out of this)

After cooking and draining your pasta, toss macaroni with oil into your slow cooker.  Stir in remaining ingredients.

Cover.  Cook on Low 2-3 hours.  Now go take a nap and wake up to a yummy smelling home.  At this point, if desired, you can add cut up hot dogs, and cook 1 hour longer

This makes a lot of mac & cheese, perfect for leftovers :0)

Rosemary Chicken w/ Alexia Side

Today I was just looking for fast and easy.  I had chicken and some frozen veggies.  Here's what I made, nothing special:

Rosemary Chicken

Ingredients: 

                     Boneless skinless chicken breasts

                     1/2 tsp Rosemary

                     1/4 tsp Salt

                     1/4 tsp Pepper

                     1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Lay chicken flat on cutting board, cover with plastic wrap and gently pound until even and flat.  Preheat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Sprinkle chicken with  Rosemary, salt and pepper.  Add chicken to pan; cook 3 min. on each side.  Remove from pan.  Add to side dish.

Side dish:  Alexia Roasted red potatoes & harvest vegetables (found in all natural frozen food section).

And of course I added some A-1 sauce, mmm :)

Be mine, Valentine

My husband and I have officially been married for two years.  We got married on Valentine's Day and I know people look at me a little differently when they hear that because usually you would imagine a stereotypical bridezilla type wanting to get married on such a cheesy day, but honestly I just thought it was cool that it was on a Saturday that year and our colors had already been chosen as red, black and white.  It just was a casual pick of the day.  I thought it was cool that everyone would have a reason to be celebrating their significant others on our anniversary.  Love is in the air on that day and it just makes us appreciate our relationship that much more.

So to celebrate our two year anniversary (coincidentally we both had the day off) Ricky (my husband) cooked me a beautiful breakfast.  Delicious omelets and toast, and after we finished I said "AWW I should've taken a picture of it!"  the food was pretty ^_^  Then we basically just drove around, went to a bunch of cool little guitar shops, ate at Napoleons on High downtown for lunch, that place totally reminds me of a New York pizza joint, and had mocha lattes at my favorite coffee spot:  Brioso.

It was a good day of just one on one hanging out and chatting with my best friend <3

Now that I've gotten all romantic-al on you...time to change subjects.

Tonight for dinner I made some feta stuffed chicken breasts.  I couldn't eat it unfortunately because I've been so nauseous lately but I've had it before and this way Ricky gets to eat as much as he probably really wanted to anyways.

Song of the day:  "Curl Up and Die" - Relient K

Yummy Fries

 

Today I made homemade baked french fries! They are much more healthy than deep fried fries and they turned out delicious! Here is the recipe I used:

Ingredients:

3 Russet Potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch strips

Cooking spray

Dried Basil, Salt &amp; Pepper (to taste)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray medium baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. Arrange single layer potato strips on sheet, skin sides down. Lightly spray potatoes with cooking spray. Sprinkle basil, salt &amp; pepper.

3. Put in oven 25-30 min.

My husband and I devoured these in about 5 min., so good! Enjoy! ^_^

What I've Overcome

 

Everytime I hear this song I start to think "..did I write this?" because it is so dead on with how I feel.  Everyone has a past but you should never let your past control who you are, or become who you are.  I love knowing that Jesus has set me free from my burdening past mistakes.  <3 Have a good day! <3

xoxo.kelsey.

Catching up

I have been so very sick all week!  Cold and migraines and stomach aches...oh my.  Needless to say I have really not been cooking up anything exciting, some simple pasta meals and Toll house chocolate chip cookies, nothing fancy.  So I will make it up to you and be working on some things for next week.

Anyways I have a busy couple of weeks coming up.  Next weekend I am going out with all the girls from work, we are getting a limo and dining out at fancy restaurants.  Valentine's day is after that and it will be my 2 year wedding anniversary! ^_^ After that I have a woman's weekend retreat coming up where I will be playing guitar and leading worship with one other girl and I am really getting stoked about it!  My whole life I knew I was supposed to do something with music and when I tried to do everything on my own it just didn't work out, but then God entered my life and He reminded me of my purpose and He was just that missing piece that I needed.  I know music is supposed to be made for God and that is what He is calling me to do, worship Him through song.

Also I would like to share that I did a Richard Simmons "Sweatin' to the Oldies" workout today and I am totally not ashamed.  It was awesome.

Song of the day:  "Come Back When You Can" by Barcelona

Music I'm digging.

I have been playing guitar all day long and realize most of the songs I cover are all by this one girl whom refers to herself as Gregory and the Hawk.  I have been listening to her since around 2006 and she just recently signed to a label.  I have searched for years now to find other artists that share her style but nobody compares really.  I just don't think she gets enough credit and hope she knows she is a huge inspiration to me.  Check her out.

Some other artists I'm listening to lately: 

TaxiTaxi!

Mirah 

Fences 

Okay, I just realized I could go on forever.  So I will leave you with these four little treasures and hope that you will check them all out.  Some really great music right here! 

Sweet Dreams <3

xoxo

Kelsey.