Zesty Noodles and Cheese

Pictures coming soon!

Apparently, I'm into "zesty" recipes right now. This recipe is really easy to alter to fit the amount of spiciness your family likes.

You'll need:

     16 oz. box of pasta

     16 oz. sliced deli ham, chopped

     4 cups shredded cheddar

     1 1/2 cups milk

     1 cup heavy cream

     1/2 cup sour cream

     2 tsp. ground mustard

     2 tbsp. worcestershire sauce

     1 tbsp. franks red hot sauce

     salt and pepper to taste

     1 1/2 cups italian bread crumbs

     1 cup melted butter

     paprika

In a 9x13 baking dish, combine ham, 3 cups cheddar, milk, cream, sour cream, ground mustard, sauces, salt and pepper. Prepare pasta per box instructions then drain and add to dish. (If you're mixture doesn't seem creamy enough at this point you can add a little more milk)  Mix bread crumbs and butter and sprinkle on top of other ingredients. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Sprinkle some paprika on last and then bake at 350 for thirty minutes. 

Coconut Rice

I get a little bored with plain white rice sometimes so I came up with a yummy coconut rice recipe. This isn't necessarily healthy, but it's not bad for you and my kids seemed to like it a lot. It's actually really simple, too!

You'll need:
     1 cup basmati rice
     1 cup coconut milk
     1 1/4 cup water
     salt and pepper to taste
     a couple of shakes of parsley

Combine all ingredients in a pot, bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit for another five minutes or until ready to serve. It will stay hot in the pot for an hour as long as you keep it covered. Do not uncover to stir until you are ready to serve. Makes two cups prepared.

 This goes really good with spicy dishes, like exotic chicken recipes. Enjoy!

My Healthy QUICK Lunch

I decided to try this lunch out yesterday. I've been eating healthier, but have come to realize that sometimes healthy delicious lunches can take a bit of time to prepare. This one is super quick and easy. I made couscous on the stove, which is very simple. Just boil the water, remove from heat, add the couscous and leave it covered until the rest is ready. I heated the frozen spinach in the microwave, then added a little salt and pepper. Then I heated some canned tomatoes in the microwave and added a little bit of salt and pepper to them. The whole plate was less than 500 calories and I couldn't even finish it. Very filling, yummy, and healthy!

Say it with Java!

I found this pumpkin block at the thrift store for a dollar. I brought it home, painted and decorated it. I've been trying to find things to use my extra coffee beans on. I might add a little head on the circle to make it look like a turkey for Thanksgiving.

I put it on the front porch with my other Fall decorations. 

I already had all these materials lying around my house. I just threw a bunch of stuff together to make a cute little basket decoration. It's on my front porch, too.

Apparently my new stylish decor was just what the local wildlife had been waiting for.

This lamp was given to me by my friend Whitney, (I told you we would be seeing that stuff on here). It was a plain silk lampshade. All I did was glue some coffee beans on it for extra texture. I was going to save this lamp to go on my night stand when I finally get one, but Phillip usurped it for his room.

The Lack Thereof

Hey everyone, sorry I haven't had any new posts lately. We've had a lot going on at home. I promise there will be some awesome new posts this week!