HOMEMADE FLAKY BISCUITS

The quickest way to get a big smile out of Matthew is for him to walk into the kitchen while I am making these biscuits. They are his FAVORITE. I can never make one batch of these because they are just so easy. I usually double or triple the recipe and put the extra in the freezer for a later time. The best part, the ingredients are things that can be found in my pantry at all times. 

Ingredients:

- 3 cups all-purpose flour

- 3 Tbsp sugar

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 4 tsp baking powder

- 3/4 cup COLD butter (12 Tbsp)

- 1 egg

- 1 cup milk

Directions:

Step one | Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Step two | Cut the butter up into small cubes on a small cutting board and then place it in the freezer for a few minutes until you need it. I am almost positive cold butter is the trick here. Most of the time the butter softens and melts even before the biscuits make it into the oven. 

Step three | Mix all the dry ingredients

Step four | Mix in the egg and milk

Step five | Get your butter out of the freezer. Using a pastry cutter (I don't have a pastry cutter, so I use two knives, works just as well!) cut in the butter. Just try to get most of the butter to a small pea-sized piece.

Step six | Turn the dough into a generously floured surface. You might need to sprinkle some extra flour here so that the dough doesn't stick to you. Knead the dough 15-20 times.

Step seven | Roll the dough out to whatever thickness you desire. Just remember the thicker you go the fewer amount of biscuits you will get, don't worry though, you can always double up your recipe! Sometimes I get 12 biscuits, sometimes I get 14 biscuits...it's all up to you. Using a biscuit cutter (I don't have a biscuit cutter, so I use a regular sized drinking glass, works just as well!) cut out your biscuits. 

Step eight | Place the biscuits on a greased baking sheet or in a cast iron skillet (my favorite) and bake for 10-15 minutes. Depending on how thick you make your biscuits, they might bake longer. When there are about 4 minutes left on your timer, brush melted butter over the top of all the biscuits, gives them that golden-buttery-melt-in-you-mouth extra touch. 

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HOMEMADE FLAKY BISCUITS

ALDI DINNER IDEAS | CHINESE MEAL AT HOME

We have been shopping at Aldi for over a year now and we are still LOVING it. There are so many things that I love at Aldi, that I will one day post about (#aldifavorites), but today I wanted to share one of our go to meals from Aldi's. It is easy, cheap and makes for a quick clean up.

- General Tso's chicken

- White rice

- Mixed vegetables + edamame

The chicken takes about 20 minutes to cook, I boil the mixed vegetables, and the edamame can be steamed in the microwave...in the bag it comes in (my FAV). We usually cook one bag of chicken at a time and it is enough for 3 meals. If we want more leftovers for the week we'll make two bags. 

You just can't beat easy and delicious meal ideas, especially when they are budget friendly!

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ALDI DINNER IDEAS | CHINESE MEAL AT HOME

CREAMY TOMATO SOUP | DINNER RECIPE

We have been having a lot of soup around here lately with all this cold and rainy weather. I typically always have a couple of cans of tomato soup on hand for a quick and easy dinner, and we have been loving it! Recently I thought, I could probably make this on my own instead of buying the can version. I found a recipe, tweaked it a bit, and we ate the whole thing. It even reheated well for a couple of lunches throughout the week. This recipe has definitely added to our meal rotation now!

Adapted from The Pinning Mama

Ingredients:

- 1 can 28 oz crushed tomatoes

1 can 28 oz diced tomatoes

- 1 can 6 oz tomato paste

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp Basil

1 tbsp onion powder

2 Tbsp sugar

2.5 cups chicken broth

1/3 cup butter

1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. Combine the tomatoes,tomato paste, broth, and garlic bring to a boil and let boil for 10 minutes.

2. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the sugar and butter and mix until they are dissolved, melted and well combined.

3. Stir in the basil and onion powder.

4. Very slowly pour in the heavy cream while simultaneously stirring until all the cream is combined and the soup is creamy.

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CREAMY TOMATO SOUP | DINNER RECIPE

ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND POTATO SOUP | DINNER RECIPE

I made this last week on one of our snow days and ended up eating it for a few meals. 

So delicious, warm, and filling...aka the perfect meal for a cold night!

Ingredients:

- 5 cups of potatoes, diced

- 1lb of Italian Sausage

- 1 cup of celery 

- 1/2 cup of onion

- 32oz of chicken broth

- 2 cups of milk or heavy cream

- 1 cup of shredded cheese

- Bacon bits for garnishing

Directions:

- Brown Italian sausage and then drain

- In a soup pot, over medium to high hear, combine the potatoes, chicken broth, onions, and celery and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked sausage and onions to the soup pot. Add the milk and cheddar cheese, stirring until all ingredients are combined and warmed.

- Garnish with shredded cheese and bacon bits.

My MIL introduced me to these containers and I am obsessed! Matthew isn't a fan of this soup, so I put the leftovers in individual containers to freezer for future meals. 

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ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND POTATO SOUP | DINNER RECIPE

POTATO WEDGE FRIES

I had extra potatoes leftover a couple of weeks ago, so I decided to make some potato wedge "fries". I remember my mom making these when I was younger and I haven't had homemade ones since I was a kid, we called them potato wedge fries. They were just as good as I remember, and really easy to make!

Ingredients:

- 4 or 5 small/medium potatoes

- 1 Tablespoon of garlic powder

- 1 Tablespoon of onion powder

- 1 teaspoon of parsley

- 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning 

- 1 teaspoon of salt

- 1 teaspoon of pepper

- drizzle of olive oil

Directions:

- Wash potatoes and then slice them. I slice them thinly because we like them crunchy!

- Mix all ingredients in a large bowl

- Pour onto a baking pan and bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes.

- Salt lightly as soon as they come out of the oven, if desired.

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POTATO WEDGE FRIES

BISCUIT AND GRAVY CASSEROLE | BREAKFAST RECIPE

I made this casserole this past weekend and Matthew and I both agreed that this recipe is a keeper! Easy, quick, and delicious is the best way to get my attention when it comes to recipe searching and this recipe nails all three.

Ingredients:

2 cans(16oz) large, flaky biscuits

1 pound ground breakfast sausage

4 Tablespoons flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon garlic powder

3 cups milk

2 Tablespoon melted butter 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Open cans of biscuits and cut into quarters. Set aside.

2. Prepare a 9 x 13 casserole dish with cooking spray. Then ayer half of the quarters in prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes.

3. Next, brown ground sausage over medium/high heat until cook through. Reduce heat to medium.

4. In a small bowl mix together flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Sprinkle the cooked sausage with flour mixture. Stir flour mixture into sausage until completely absorbed.

5. Next, add in milk and stir to combine. Stir frequently until mixture comes to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and continue to simmer and stir until gravy has started to thicken, (about 5 minutes).

6. Pour gravy over your bottom layer of cooked biscuits. Layer the remaining uncooked, biscuit pieces over the gravy.

7. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown. If you would like, brush 1-2 Tablespoons of melted butter over the tops of the biscuits

This recipe is great for larger groups as well because it makes a lot! Since it's just the two of us, we've been eating it for breakfast this week. Can't go wrong with leftovers! ;)

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BISCUIT AND GRAVY CASSEROLE | BREAKFAST RECIPE

SALTINE CRACKER CANDY | DESSERT RECIPE

This recipe was really, really easy to do, and it is such a fun treat that you could customize for every holiday. I made this back at Easter so I just added pink food coloring to one batch and purple to the next batch. You could add red and blue food coloring for July 4th coming up, or wait and make this around Christmas time and use red and green food coloring, or if you are making this for a football watch party, then you could use the appropriate food coloring for your favorite team! One batch does make a lot, so this is great for big family events, dinner parties, or a potluck at church.

Ingredients: 1 Cup of Butter (2 Sticks) 1 Cup Brown Sugar 1 Sleeve of Saltine Crackers 1 lb. Package of White Almond Bark Melted
Directions: 1. Melt butter and brown sugar over medium heat, bring to a boil and stir while boiling for 5 minutes 2. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil 3. Place crackers evenly on the foil pan 4. Pour sugar mixture over the crackers and spread evenly 5. Bake at 325 degrees for 8 minutes 6. While crackers are baking melt almond bark in the microwave using the directions on the package 7. Pour white chocolate over the cracker mixture and spread evenly 8. Top with your favorite sprinkles (optional) 9. Allow to cool completely and break into smaller pieces (throw the sheet in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes to speed up this step if needed!)

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SALTINE CRACKER CANDY | DESSERT RECIPE

PIONEER WOMAN RECIPES

I've mentioned it before, but I have recently been obsessed with The Pioneer Woman. I've been watching all of her episodes and I have even made a couple of her recipes recently. There are still a ton of her recipes that I want to try, and I am going to share all of those today! If any of you have made any of them, let me know how you liked them!
I made this pepperoni chicken last week and we both agreed that it was GOOD! It made for great leftovers too. I paired it with a salad and garlic and herb noodles. 

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This recipe looks delicious! The more cheese, the better...right?

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I am actually making this for dinner tonight! We love anything with Alfredo ;)

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This looks simple and delicious! Can y'all tell that I'm a pasta lover yet?

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I am making this triple layered confetti cake this weekend for my sister's birthday party! Fingers crossed it turns out as cute as her's lol.

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This chocolate pie looks delicious and will probably be what I make my dad for Father's Day this year. He is the biggest chocolate lover that I know and his name is written all over this pie.

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Do y'all love the Pioneer Woman?? I also want all of her products now too, ha!

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PIONEER WOMAN RECIPES

PARMESAN CRUSTED PORK CHOPS | DINNER RECIPE

Ingredients: 4 boneless pork chops ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese 2-3 TB Italian breadcrumbs (dried) ⅛ tsp. paprika 1 tsp. dried parsley ½ tsp. garlic powder 2 TB olive oil ¼ tsp. pepper

Directions: 1. Mix Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, paprika, parsley and garlic powder and place on a plate. 2. Dip pork chops in the mixture (making sure mixture sticks) and sear in a pan of olive oil on medium-high heat. Sautee for 5 minutes on each side. 3. Place pork chops in a glass baking dish and cook according to thickness. I cooked mine for about 40 minutes. 
I had a little help in the kitchen the night I made these ;) 

Here they are when they were finished. I paired them with green beans, rice and a side salad!

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PARMESAN CRUSTED PORK CHOPS | DINNER RECIPE

RAVIOLI LASAGNA - DINNER RECIPE

Ingredients:

- 2 cans of pasta sauce

- 1 bag of frozen ravioli 

- Mozzarella cheese

- Italian seasoning 

Directions:

1. Boil the Ravioli for around 7-10 minutes

2. Drain the ravioli and let it cool for a couple of minutes while you put a couple of Tablespoons of pasta sauce in the bottom of your dish.

3. Start layering your ravioli to cover the whole dish.

4. Add more pasta sauce to cover the ravioli. Make sure it's all covered, because the ravioli will soak it up while it's baking!

5. The next layer is cheese. Cover the whole dish with cheese, I would say I used about 1/4 cup per layer. Then add Italian seasoning. I just sprinkled on enough to cover the whole dish, lightly. 

6. Repeat steps 3, 4, & 5 until you run out of ravioli

7. Cover with tin foil and bake at 340 for 30 minutes

8. Uncover and bake for another 15 minutes

It might not be a super healthy meal, but it's cheap and super easy to make for those nights when you are crunched for time!

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RAVIOLI LASAGNA - DINNER RECIPE

LASAGNA | DINNER RECIPE

As mentioned yesterday, we love lasagna. We probably have it at least once a month in our home, as it is definitely in our 'favorites rotation'.

The recipe that I am sharing today is my MIL's recipe and it is GOOD! Since it is just the two of us, I like to make them in smaller portions, so that we aren't eating lasagna for every meal all week. When I do make lasagna for dinner I like double the recipe and it ends up making six small ones (which would be equivalent to two regular sized pans of lasagna) and freeze the other five. One small pan is enough for our for three meals (dinner that night, lunch the next day and then either lunch or dinner another day that week).

Ingredients: 1 lb. ground chuck 1 lb. hot sausage 2 28-oz. jar spaghetti sauce 10 oz. lasagna noodles 2 eggs 2 c. small curd cottage cheese 2 c. ricotta cheese 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese 2 T. parsley flakes 1 t. salt 1/2 t. pepper 1 lb. shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions: 1. Brown meat slowly. Spoon off excess fat. Add 1-1/2 jars of spaghetti sauce and mix.  2. Cook noodles in large amount of water until tender; drain; rinse. 3. Beat eggs and remaining ingredients, except mozzarella cheese, in a separate bowl 4. In this order layer these ingredients: 1 T of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of the pan, noodles, cottage cheese mixture, meat/spaghetti sauce mixture, and then sprinkle with thin layer of mozzarella cheese. Repeat until pan is full.   5. Pour remaining jar of spaghetti sauce on top and sprinkle top with shredded mozzarella cheese. 6. Bake, covered, at 350 for 45-50 minutes.

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LASAGNA | DINNER RECIPE

SAUSAGE BALLS RECIPE | BREAKFAST

As soon as I get time to upload all of our pictures from Friendsgiving I will share. We had the best time with everyone and I am happy to report that there were no fires like last year and our table was finished and ready in time...yay!

Today I'm going to share one of my favorite recipes. This also happens to be one of my husband's favorites, too! I usually only make these around the holidays and then maybe once or twice throughout the rest of the year for special occasions. There are a few different ways to make sausage balls, but this is by far our favorite...and it's really simple!

What you'll need:

1lb of sausage (we like Tennessee Pride sausage the best!)

2 cups Bisquick

4 cups sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

**Set the cheese and sausage out about 15-20 minutes before you start so that it is at room temperature when it's time to start mixing everything. This will help when mixing it together and keep your hands from freezing!**

- Preheat oven to 350

- Mix all the ingredients together by hand, this usually takes a good 5 minutes or so. You will want to make sure everything is in one big ball. If you still have cheese or bisquick at the bottom of your bowl then you need to keep mixing! It should look like the picture below once you are done mixing everything together.

- Once it is mixed together well, then spray your pan with some cooking spray, and start rolling them into balls and place on the pan. 

- Depending on your oven, they should bake anywhere from 25-30 minutes. Just watch them, once they start turning brown you'll know they are done!

And that's it! Very simple and they are even great reheated. Growing up we always made a big batch the day we decorated for Christmas and I have carried that over to my own little family. It's such a fun tradition! 

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SAUSAGE BALLS RECIPE | BREAKFAST

NO-CHURN VANILLA ICE CREAM | DESSERT

This ice cream recipe has been a hit at our house lately. It's soft and creamy and absolutely delicious. The best part about it is that it's only three ingredients and doesn't take a whole lot of effort. 

Ingredients

- 1 pint (2 cups) heavy cream

- 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

- 2 Tablespoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Add the vanilla extract and sweetened condensed milk to a small bowl and mix well.

2. Add the heavy cream to a separate bowl (I used our stand mixer!) and whip on high for 3-4 minutes until stiff peaks form. Once that happens turn the mixer on low and slowly add in the vanilla extract/sweetened condensed milk mixture. Let that mix on low for 2 minutes, or until mixed together well.

3. Once mixed well, pour into a freeze-safe container (I put mine in a small bread loaf pan, and it worked like a charm!) and let it freeze for at least 6 hours to overnight. 

We let ours freeze overnight and then I set it out about 5 minutes before we served it, and it was easy to scoop and tasted delicious! 

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NO-CHURN VANILLA ICE CREAM | DESSERT

CREAMY RANCH CHICKEN + ETSY SHOP REVIEW

This meal turned out so easy and required minimal effort and ingredients! 

Ingredients:

1 package of dry Ranch dressing mix

1 package of Zesty Italian dressing mix

1 can of Cream of chicken soup
4 oz onion and chive cream cheese (half of the container)

3-4 chicken breast

Directions: 

- Mix dry ranch seasoning and zesty Italian seasoning together.

- Then mix the two with the cream of chicken soup and pour over chicken breast in crock pot.
- The last 30 minutes it's in the crock pot add in the cream cheese.

- Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4.

I put my creamy ranch chicken over white rice, but you can do any type of rice or noodles.

I received this flag from Tammy over at Just Sew So in the mail last week and I love it! As soon as we moved in I knew we would need a garden flag for the front of our house. They are so cute and I think they just add so much. July 4th it right around the corner and I may or may not already have some of our patriotic decorations up. I just love them so when I received this flag I was beyond excited to add it to my patriotic collection. Like yesterday's sign, I can also pull this out for Memorial Day and Veterans Day. 

The detailing on this flag is absolutely incredible. I can't get over the flag ribbon on the loops and that adorable bow. Seriously, it's just too cute!!

She has so many cute things in her Etsy shop and for great prices! Pineapples are very popular this summer (I am obsessed with all things pineapples) and this pineapple garden flag is SO cute!!!!

You can find her Etsy shop, HERE.

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CREAMY RANCH CHICKEN + ETSY SHOP REVIEW