New Vintage Pieces & a Recipe

Ya'll I'm eeking out over these cute necklaces!
I was so excited I couldn't wait to share them!
These 3 "happys" are already listed in the shop and over the next few days I 'll be listing more as I get them made up. But for now here's a peek...

Also, I mentioned the other day about a Taco Soup that I make.
We seriously have it probably every 2 weeks and guess what? It's a Weight Watchers Recipe.
Which is an added bonus, just sayin'.
When I had my first babe, my best friend made it and brought it to us after coming home from the hospital.
Isn't that such a blessing? The churches we've always been a part of have had that ministry where they try and send meals to the family for a week.That was always such a reliever to not have to worry about cooking during that time. And I've gotten to bring meals over which I love cause' I get to be one of the first's to see the new little baby. And if I was really lucky I got to hold them too ;)
Ok..anywho... so here is what you'll need...

1lb ground turkey or lean gr meat
1 onion
1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
1 pkg Taco Seasoning
1 can Pinto Beans
1 can Chile Beans
1 can Corn
1 can Stewed tomatoes {Mexican Flavor}
1 can Stewed tomatoes {any flavor}
  Brown meat and onions, then drain. Mix Hidden Valley Ranch mix and taco seasoning into meat.
Then without draining the cans add all of the other ing. Simmer 1 hour.
This is delicious served with Fritos or Baked Tostitos chips.
Then we always put on the sour cream and shredded cheese.
Oh, and one more thing it's really more of a thick consistency.
Saying soup may make you think it's thinner or watery, but it's not.
Much love,
heather.

A_ is for Apple Recipes

It’s that time of year_ time for Apples_ and Apple recipes.

We love apples in our household!

And don’t even get me started on caramel apples, oh my.

Is it just me or do all of these things bring on the feeling of Fall?

Hot chocolate_ a fire in the fireplace_ red noses_ boots_ leaves changing_

craft shows_ pumpkins_ I love it all, ya’ll!

I mentioned before, about an easy Skillet Apple Pie that I made out of the Southern Living magazine. Since then I’ve made it 2 more times, it’s super easy, and only needs 8 ingredients. I’m all about easy _ I’m all about recipes that don’t call for a ton of ingredients_ and I’m all about something that is really, really good….I would give it an A+. You just have to trust me on this one. I also tried another recipe out of the magazine yesterday called Apple-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake. It’s definitely not as easy and has quite a few more ingredients than the skillet apple pie….but overall, I would give it a B+.

Ok. funny story: so I haven’t made too many pies in my lifetime. And this recipe called for refrigerated pie crusts…well I couldn’t find any in the refrigerator isle, but I knew of the ones in the freezer section. So I got those. Don’t do that_ ever! It was a mess to get them unrolled and they were falling apart on me_ I finally had to take the dough and roll it out with a pin..I sweated over the first one I made, that is for sure. Then in making the second one, I found the refrigerated crusts over by the biscuits {duh}…and it made making them a breeze.

Easy Skillet Apple Pie

2lb Granny Smith Apples                      1 tsp ground cinnamon

 2lb Braeburn Apples                              ¾ C sugar

  ½ C butter                                              1C light brown sugar

1- 14oz pkg refrigerated pie crusts            1 egg white

2Tbsp sugar                                               Butter pecan ice cream

Preheat oven to 350*.

Peel apples and cut into ½ inch wedges.

Toss apples with cinnamon and ¾ C sugar.

Melt butter in a 10inch cast iron skillet over medium heat, add brown sugar, and cook stirring constantly, 1-2 minutes or until sugar is dissolved.

Remove from heat and place 1 piecrust in skillet over brown sugar mixture.

Spoon apple mixture over piecrust and top with remaining piecrust.

Whisk egg white until foamy.

Brush top of piecrust with egg white, sprinkle with 2T sugar.

Cut 4 or 5 slits in top for steam to escape.

Bake at 350* for 1 hour or until golden and bubbly, shielding with aluminum foil during last 10min to prevent excessive browning, if necessary.

Cool for 30 min and serve with ice cream.

My family isn’t huge on nuts…like with brownies we leave off the nuts or in making cookies we leave them off. Now obviously, pecan pie or eating them plain we like, but just not as an added bonus. So I left the nuts off the cake…turned out just the same, I guess. :)

Apple-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

Cream Cheese Filling:

1-8oz pkg cream cheese, softened                                                    ¼ C butter, softened

        ½ C sugar                                                                                1 large egg

        2Tbsp all purpose flour                                                                      1tsp vanilla extract

Apple Cake Batter:

1C finely chopped pecans                                  3C all purpose flour

             1C sugar                                                             1C light brown sugar

2tsp ground cinnamon                                             1tsp salt

              1tsp baking soda                                             1tsp ground nutmeg

              ½ tsp ground allspice                                    3 large eggs, lightly beaten

         ¾ C Canola oil                                              ¾ C applesauce

                        1tsp vanilla extract                                     3C peeled and finely chopped Gala apples

Praline Frosting:

½ C light brown sugar                                    ¼ C butter

      3Tbsp milk                                                       1tsp vanilla extract 

                                                                                1C powdered sugar

 Prepare filling: Beat first 3 ing. at medium speed with an electric mixer until well blended and smooth. Add egg, flour, and vanilla, beat just until blended.

Prepare Batter: Preheat oven to 350*. Bake pecans in shallow pan 8-10min or    until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Stir together 3C flour and next 7 ing. in a large bowl, stir in eggs and next 3 ing., stirring just until dry ing. are moistened. Stir in apples and pecans.

Spoon two thirds of apple mixture into greased and floured 14-C bundt pan. Spoon Cream cheese filling over apple mixture, leaving a 1 inch border around edges of pan. Swirl filling through apple mixture using a paring knife. Spoon remaining apple mixture over cream cheese filling.

Bake at 350* for 1hr or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack and cool completely.

Prepare Frosting:             Bring ½ C brown sugar, ¼ C butter, and 3 Tsp milk to a boil in a 2qt saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla. Gradually whisk in powdered sugar until smooth, stir gently 3-5 min or until mixture begins to cool and thickens slightly. Pour immediately over cooled cake.

Happy Apple Recipes & Happy Monday!

Heather :)

Linking up with heather for

& Carissa at

Crock Pot Red Beans & Rice

Growing up in Louisiana and living only 30 minutes from New Orleans we are used to jambalaya, seafood, etouffee, gumbo, and RED BEANS & RICE. Most of my cooking skillz came way later (a lot of trial & error) and I learned the most of from my mother in law...her and Paula Deen could be sisters, like really. Cooking is a way of life, if you will, for her.. she says it's how she shows her love.. and I will often hear my kids tell this to whomever when on the subject of MawMaw..it's too cute.

Well Red beans and rice has become one of those meals that's super easy and one of those meals that you can throw it all in the crock pot and let it do it's thang...which I love because I can get it going in the morning and by evening we have supper..plus it makes your house smell reallly good, too. So when all of the neighbor kids come in they're like "Oooow something smells so good..what's your mom cooking?" Then you get to do a little happy dance... so here's what you will need:

*Camelia Kidney beans (they're the bestest and I find taste the least like dirt..b/c well some
brands just do)
*Sausage
*Seasoning (Tony Chachere's & Shrimp & Crab boil)
*Garlic
*Goya- ham flavored concentrate
*onion (diced up into pieces)
*T. Cooking oil

The night before I plan to cook my beans I soak them in water for around 4-6 hrs. It helps to soften the beans up for cooking and allows you to drain off the dirt before placing in crock pot.

Dice your onion up and in a tiny bit of cooking oil cook the sausage and onion til' brown.
After you've drained your beans, pour them into the crock pot, with sausage/ onion mixture and a T. cooking oil.

Here's where I just start adding in this & that. You really can't go wrong.. I add in about a T. minced garlic, the ham flavoring, Tony Chachere's, Shrimp & Crab boil, salt, etc..
At this point you have everything in the crock pot and you want to fill with water just til' the beans are covered. Turn to high and let cook for 6hrs.

I will stir throughout the day if I'm home.. if not, it won't matter. When ready your beans will probably be a little runny..if you like that then leave them, but if you like thicker beans then take the back of your spoon and mash them upside the pot, stirring, and then mashing more beans, until you get a thicker consistency.

Quick make up some Jiffy cornbread to go along with them... and that's how we do it where I come from.

Ok and lastly, I just had to throw this in...we have Dollar Tree Store's where we live and you just never know what these store's are going to have in stock for... a $1! And guess what, the best part is they have 0 grams of sugar in them... but they taste really good.
Obviously, I've seen these flavorings in the normal stores but they don't cost a $1. And I was kinda skeptical beings these were so cheap. But they're good, really good..and they can be used in your coffee, added into soft drinks, you can put them over ice cream, etc... So that was my little happy dance find for last week...what was yours?

Sorry for the major blurriness happening here in this picture... :)

Linking up for

Heather :)

Summery Cake Recipe

I posted awhile back and mentioned a yummy, Summery cake I had made...and well lots of you inquired about what it was. I have no idea the name of the cake or where I got it from. Probably my mom or mother in law but I can't remember. It's like super easy & fast to make...and it's a cake that you keep in the refrigerator. So it's that perfect dessert to cool everyone off. Only thing, you have to like coconut_no coconut pieces are in it_ just coconut flavoring. But it is definitely one of my family's favorites!

Ingredients:
*Yellow Cake Mix
(I usually get Moist Deluxe & you will need the ing on box as you follow & make the cake using the box directions)
*Creme de Coconut (in a can)
*1 can condensed milk
*Big Cool Whip

Mix the cake ing. together, following the box directions, put in the oven to bake.

Then mix together condensed milk & creme de coconut. If you can't find the creme de coconut, like me this last time, I found something similar over by the mixed drinks isle in my grocery. It worked just the same.
After cake comes out of the oven let it cool really well.
Next, you are going to poke holes all over it_all the way down to the pan. I used a wine topper thingy cause it makes wide enough holes. But whatever works..

Then pour your condensed milk/Coconut mixture into the holes filling each one until mixture is gone. This is not a pretty step but it is like sinfully good. I mean, this cake had me at condensed milk.

Last, top with your cool whip & refrigerate for at least 3 hours. The colder the better...

I hope you guys' love it! Have a great weekend!!

Linking up with Casey for her recipe exchange:

Heather :) 

Homemade Butterfinger Ice Cream

Gosh, it's like a 100 degrees already outside at our house. Stifling already and it's still only May. Yesterday, for Memorial Day we grilled, of course. We had some ribs, corn, and some deviled eggs.

Later, we were invited over to our neighbors to swim and hang out at the pool. So that was a treat. But...the real treat, was that we got to make some Homemade Butterfinger ice cream.

When I was a kid my family made this at least once every summer and we loved it. Thought I should share the fam recipe and if you haven't ever had it, you need to. Just saying, at least once in your life. Here goes:
Homemade Butterfinger Ice Cream
*6 eggs beaten
*1 cup of Sugar
*1 12oz. can of Pet Milk
*1 14oz Eagle Brand Condensed Milk
*1 pint heavy cream
*7-10 butterfinger candy bars chopped up(we like 9-10 but it all depends on how much butterfinger you want in each bite)
*3-4 cups milk add to the fill line
*1 teaspoon vanilla
*1 teaspoon salt

Beat your eggs, sugar, and salt together. Then mix in all other ingredients, saving the butterfinger for last to add in. Pour into freezer. Freeze in electric freezer until firm. Enjoy...

Heather :)