Archive for ‘Family Favorites’

July 14th, 2010

Little Blue Signs

 

When we  walked into the house we were staying in while visiting California , the first thing we all noticed were little signs plastered EVERYWHERE. These signs became one of the highlights of our vacation. It was strange that such an ill-kept vacation rental thought it was necessary to hang these in every room and on almost every wall. Personally, I think they should have taken their “sign money” and thrown it towards sprucing up the property.  (….or at least use the money to fix the gaping holes in the walls or the mold growing in the bathrooms.)

 

 I hope they don’t figure out I used Clorox Wipes…

 

 

 

 

I consider ourselves lucky that we had these signs to keep us on the right track! Seriously… I would have never figured out how to open the blinds. Who knew you had to turn the blinds straight???

Keighley

  • Share/Bookmark
February 22nd, 2010

Holy Granola!!!

Bella Readers…

I am inviting you to be some of the first people EVER to see Kiersten (our very own granola girl) & Eric’s wedding photos! Sloan Photographers, the amazing people who documented the wedding, posted a little blurb about these two love birds.

 You must CHECK. IT. OUT!

CLICK HERE

 

Can you handle the amazingness??? SLOAN PHOTOGRAPHY ROCKS!!!

P.S. That handsome dude licking his chops while staring at the cake is my little Nephew, and JAMIE (our very own Mommy expert) son!

  • Share/Bookmark
January 26th, 2010

Friendship Blossoms

Keep the kiddies entertained this week, with this easy Valentines Day craft by Familyfun.go.com!

Friendship Blossoms

Friendship Blossoms

 

Materials
  • Scrapbooking paper or card stock
  • Scissors
  • Lollipops
  • Tap
Instructions
  1. For each, cut three heart-shaped petals, two leaves, and two flower centers from scrapbooking paper or card stock.
  2. Poke a small hole in each, crease the petals as shown, and slide the pieces onto a lollipop stem. Tape the bottom to secure.More messages:
    You’re a sweet heart
    Our friendship is blooming
    Be my bud-dy

  • Share/Bookmark
December 4th, 2009

Deb’s Christmas Sugar Cookies

 

Every year I join the millions of other Christmas cookie makers around the world by making my favorite sugar cookie recipe. I’m not even sure where I got this recipe from. But I love it because these are a little more “cake-like” and not to crisy-if you don’t overbake them. Add some buttercream frosting-made with real butter-and a few decorative items and you won’t be able to stop eating them.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups sifted flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ cup sugar

½ cup shortening

1 egg

2 tablespoons milk

1-2 teaspoons vanilla

 

Directions:

Sift all the dry ingredients together

Cut shortening into the flour mixture until it looks like coarse “meal”

Mix together the egg and all liquid ingredients

Blend into flour and shortening mixture

 

Roll out dough to 1/3” to 1/2” in thickness on lightly floured surface.

Cut into shapes

Bake at 400 degrees for 5-7 minutes

Allow cookies to cool on a wire rack and then frost with buttercream frosting.

Cooking Tip: Watch baking time closely and remove cookies from oven when cookies begin to turn slightly brown.

  • Share/Bookmark
October 19th, 2009

On The First Day of Halloween-Day 1

How about doing something  “witty” (or should I say “witchy”) this year leading up to Halloween? We thought that it would be fun to celebrate Halloween in a creative way for  the 12 Days leading up to the BIG DAY. So here’s how the Bella Life is preparing for the scary holiday…

The Twelve Days of Halloween
(sung to the tune “12 Days of Christmas”)

On the first day of Hallowe’en
My true love gave to me
An owl in a rotten oak tree

 

 Every good party starts with a Halloween tree table centerpiece…

And a few ornaments…

 

Every Halloween tree needs…

Lots of pumpkins at the base.

 

And to keep the owl company how about  having a few skeletons hanging around?

  

 

But if you are really into doing the 12 Days of Halloween just right then may we suggest having a tree big enough to stand in the corner?

 

 OH…And don’t forget the OWL!

 

 

 

 

Happy Halloween Day #1!

Debs

  • Share/Bookmark
October 16th, 2009

Halloween Party Soup #1

Every Halloween night  we have a family tradition-eating Chicken and Dumpling soup and “hot out of the oven” Cinnamon Rolls. Then we head out to trick or treat.  As the family has grown with the addition of in-laws and grandchildren, the time has come to add a new soup. So I’m on a quest to find the perfect companion to my family’s favorite.

 

So here’s Soup #1 that’s being considered:

Claudia’s Country Minestrone

4 T. olive oil

4 cloves crushed garlic

2 lg. carrots

1 lg. onion-chopped

1/4 c. parsley

1 stalk celery-chopped

Heat olive oil in soup pot. Saute’ onion, celery, carrots, garlic and parsley over moderate heat for 10 minutes, until soft, but not brown. then add:

1-16 ounce can diced tomatoes

1/2 small head cabbage-chopped

2 diced zucchini

3/4 cup fresh spinach

Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Then add:

4 c. beef broth

1 potato, peeled and diced

1/2 cup elbow macaroni

Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes or until potates and cabbage are tender.  Then add:

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

1 can kidney beans

 Add extra broth or water ( if needed)

1/2 to 2 cup parmesan cheese 

Stir soup until cheese has melted and adjust seasonings. Reheat before serving and stir in additional pramesan cheese, if desired.

Serves 8-10

 

 

 

 

  • Share/Bookmark
October 8th, 2009

Just Like Mom: Recipes From The Past

Most times our recipes are seriously delicious. But in honor of the recipes that our Mom’s fixed when we were kids-and that we swore we’d never eat as adults-here’s a few “updated” favorites of years past. And to quote my Mom: “Try just a couple of bites-you’ll like it!”

TUNA CASSEROLE

Ingredients:

  • 12 ounces wide egg noodles
  • 1 Tbsp salt
  • 8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 2 cups chopped broccoli (about 1/2 lb)
  • 2 (6-ounce) cans tuna, drained
  • 1 (10 3/4 oz)can Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup
  • 2 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 Tbsp cream
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup crushed potato chips

Directions:

1 Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large (6 qt) pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add a tablespoon of salt. Return to a boil. Add noodles. Cook uncovered on high heat on a rolling boil. Just before pasta is al dente, (firm but cooked through, earliest cooking time minus 2 minutes), add the chopped broccoli to the pasta and cook for 2 more minutes. Drain in a colander and set aside.

2 While the pasta is cooking, dry sauté the mushrooms in a frying pan on medium high heat (no need to add butter or oil, mushrooms will cook in their own juice). When mushrooms have given up their moisture (about 10 minutes), remove from heat and set aside.

3 After the pasta is done and is draining in a colander, heat a large oven-proof pan on medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the onions and cook them until translucent. Add the pasta and broccoli mixture back into the pot; stir in the mushrooms. Stir in the tuna, can of cream of mushroom soup, grated cheese, milk and cream. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4 Spread crushed potato chips over the top of the mixture and cook for 20 minutes at 400°F in the oven, until the topping has browned.

Serves 6.

(How about a new twist on Mac N’ Cheese?)

PEPPER JACK CHEESY MAC N’ CHEESE

Ingredients

  • 2  cups (8 oz.) dry elbow macaroni
  • 2  cups (8 oz. pkg.) shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2  cups (8 oz.) shredded Pepper Jack cheese, divided
  • 1  can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLE® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
  • 1/2  teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 to 1  cup broken tortilla chips (your choice of color)
  • 1/4 to 1/2  teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Lightly grease 2 1/2-quart casserole dish.

COOK macaroni in large saucepan according to package directions; drain. Return to saucepan.

ADD cheddar cheese, 1 1/2 cups Pepper Jack cheese, evaporated milk and black pepper to macaroni; stir until combined. Pour into prepared casserole dish. Combine remaining 1/2 cup Pepper Jack cheese, tortilla chips and red pepper flakes in small bowl. Sprinkle over top. Cover tightly with foil.

BAKE for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake for an additional 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Serves 6

And lastly-another recipe from the past…courtesty of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar

TATER TOT CASSEROLE

 (Updated version is made with turkey not beef.) 

 2 lb ground turkey cooked, seasoned, drained
3-2lb bags tater tots
2 cans cream of mushroom
2 cans evaporated milk
2 cans cream of chicken
Brown meat & place in large cass. dish.
Cover with tater tots. Mix soup & milk together.
Pour over top. Bake at 350 for 1 Hour.
(One of Daddy’s Favorites!)Makes 2- 9”X13” pans

Serves: 18 (and counting!)

So Bella Blog readers…tell us about your favorite (or “unfavorite”) recipes from the past. We’d love to add them to our list to share in the future. 

Happy Cooking!

Debs 

 

 

  • Share/Bookmark
October 3rd, 2009

Pumpkin “Squares” with Cream Cheese Icing

Now that it’s the season of all things “pumpkin” I thought I’d share with you a family favorite. It’s one of those things that if you start eating it you can’t stop. SO…consider yourself warned!

Pumpkin “Squares” with Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 c. oil

2 cups canned pumpkin

2 c. flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

 Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Beat with electric mixer until thoroughly blended. Pour batter into a greased (or non-stick sprayed) jelly roll size baking sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cake tests done. Cool. (For extra moist squares, once these have cooled I stick mine in the freezer and allow them to stay there until I’m ready to frost. 

 

Cream Cheese Icing:

½ cup butter

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

1 (1 lb. box) powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

Combine icing ingredients in a mixing bowl. Beat with electric mixer until smooth. Spread on cooled (or frozen) pumpkin squares. Cut into small squares before serving.

Optional: Add chopped nuts or chocolate chips to pumpkin batter before cooking.

And here’s some variations on the recipe  if you don’t want to do “squares”…

 

Happy Baking!

Debs

  • Share/Bookmark