Easy Vegetable Pie

     Oh my, what a pie! The vegetable pie is a savory blend of cheddar cheese and broccoli. It is especially for picky eaters who don't like vegetables, just like my daughters. This pie is perfect for them. It's kind of like hot pockets that could be baked into individual serving sizes, mini loaf pans, and muffin tops.

     This is such an easy and delicious dish. You can tweak it to your liking with your preferred ingredients, and it always turns out great! Bon Apetit!

Note: If you want it to be a complete meal, just add in some cooked chicken, ham, or any other kind of meat.

Ingredients:
2 cups chopped broccoli or sliced fresh cauliflowerets
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
1/2 cup Original Bisquick® mix
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 eggs

Directions:
1.) Heat oven to 400ºF. Grease 9-inch pie plate. Heat 1 inch salted water to boiling in medium saucepan. Add broccoli; cover and heat to boiling. Cook about 5 minutes or until almost tender; drain thoroughly. Stir together cooked broccoli, onion, bell pepper and cheese in pie plate.

2.) Stir remaining ingredients until blended. Pour into pie plate.

3.) Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes.

Shades of Pink

       It's officially spring, but it snowed a couple days ago. The weather actually warmed up for three days after that, but based on our area's forecast, the rain will return for a few more days. In the meantime, I'm taking advantage of the sunshine, since spring is coming up. It's my favorite season of the year. When you go inside a clothing store during this time, you can see the splashes of green, orange, yellow, and pink colors of its apparel and accessories.
       Now, this post is about the different shades of pink. You don't have to be a girlie girl to rock this color. Also known as fuchsia, it's an ultra-feminine hue that suggests strength, savviness, and self- assurance--and it's guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. When it's done right it looks cool.
        Here's how to wear it. Mix this color with something masculine, like a menswear tailored jacket, or temper a vivid dress with nude or black accessories.

Candles and Roses

      

We threw a surprise birthday party for my sister-in-law, and I chose our piano as the focal point of my decoration plan. Since it occupies a massive space in our living room, why not embellish it for the occasion?

Having a mixture of flowers and candles has always been my favorite arrangement. It creates an elegant and romantic ambience, especially since Valentine’s Day is around the corner. You can use this as a centerpiece for a dining table if you’re planning a dinner for your sweetheart, friends, or family.

Baked Spaghetti

"Satisfying" and "hearty" are great words to describe this one-dish wonder. But in addition to its heartwarming taste, casseroles also offer two things every busy cook can appreciate: convenience and speed.
This recipe is simple to assemble. You just pop them into the oven for baking. Add some fresh fruit in the side or garlic bread, and dinner is ready.
This yummy spaghetti casserole was requested by my daughters, who really love all the cheese. It's perfect, especially during this cold and snowy weather. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 package (16 ounces) spaghetti
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 jar (26 ounces) meatless spaghetti sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 cups (16 ounces) small-curd cottage cheese
• 4 cups (16 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1.) Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce and seasoned salt; set aside.

2.) In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, Parmesan cheese and butter. Drain spaghetti; add to egg mixture and toss to coat.

3.) Place half of the spaghetti mixture in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2in. baking dish. Top the half of the cottage cheese, meat sauce and mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Uncover; bake 20-25 minutes longer or unti cheese is melted.

New Year's Bash

We had a New Year's Eve party in our house with friends and family. I wanted the event to be grand and festive, so I chose the dining table to have the biggest, holiday decorating impact. Since it's the gathering spot for celebrations, it deserves special treatment. Our family's tradition for New Year is to have circular objects decorated around our house to respresent luck and fortune for the upcoming year.

Directions:
Tie glasses to the overhead light fixture with varying lengths of ribbon. Knot the ribbon to be sure the glasses are held securely in pace. To continue the theme, fill tall glass vases and wine glasses with fruits. To invert the vases, hold a flat plate on top of the vase and flip it over. Carefully remove the plate from underneath the vase. To flip the wine glasses, placing your hand over the top of the glass should do the trick. Adorn the tops of the vases with single pieces of fruit or clusters of grapes. Use pottery plates and serving pieces for a casual ambience.

Holiday Centerpiece

Ring in the holidays with this fantastic centerpiece your party guest will not forget.
Mix fruits and flowers to set the mood with a little seasonal splendor. Add easy embellishments, such as evergreen and sheet moss. Insert sprigs of bright red berries to fill in, and add a cheery color.

Place the arrangement into a crystal pedestal to add height. The best thing about this centerpiece? It will last long, up to two weeks. If the flowers fade, replace them with fresh cut of blooms or with pots of small evergreens, such as cedar and cypress. This will make your holiday dinner elegant and memorable!
Happy Holidays!

Orange Cream Cheese Bread

It has been cold and rainy so far. Winter is definitely arriving soon. Since there’s nothing much to do outside, I’ve decided to turn to my other passion, cooking. For this hobby, I specifically like to bake. When I am baking bread, I just love to smell the aroma of cinnamon and chocolate filling the house. 

The best reward for cooking is your family enjoying what you’ve made. Because of that, you become more inspired to experiment with more recipes. Also, it makes your family have a closer bond.

My daughters and I really loved the moist, creaminess of this bread. If you love nuts as much as I do, feel free to add them on! It’s really good, especially for the holidays.

Ingredients:
1-8 oz  package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup  shortening
1 2/3 cup  granulated sugar
2  eggs
2 1/4 cup  all-purpose flour
1 tsp  salt
1 Tbsp  baking powder
1 cup  milk
1/2 cup  chopped walnuts
2 Tbsp  grated orange peel
1/4 cup  orange juice

Directions:
1.) Combine cream cheese and shortening, creaming well.
2.) Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
3.) Add eggs, beating well after each addition.
4.) Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix well after each addition.
5.) Stir in walnuts and orange peel.
6.) Pour batter into 2 greased and floured 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 3 inch loaf pans.
7.) Bake at 375 degrees F for 55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
8.) Let cool in pan for 10 mintues. Then sprinkle orange juice over loaves. Remove to wire rack to finish cooling