Let's Make Four Cheese with Bacon Mac

Sometimes when it's cold outside don't you just want some comfort food?  One of our go-to comfort food dishes is this Four Cheese with Bacon Mac.  I found this recipe in Family Circle magazine about six years ago and it's so delicious I've been making it even since.

Family Circle is one (of the many) magazines I subscribe to and each month find a helpful hint or recipe that's fantastic.  You can pick up a subscription from Amazon for $5!  Click the link to start enjoying it for yourself.

But back to the recipe ~ 

Here's What You Need

1 box (1 pound) cavatappi

6 slices bacon, sliced

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups 2 percent milk

1/2 teaspoon onion flakes

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 pound sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup shredded colby-Jack cheese (4 ounces)

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 ounces)

8 slices Kraft Deli american cheese (6 ounces)

Here's What You Do

1.  Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Coat a 3-quart broiler-safe dish with nonstick cooking spray.  Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boiling.

2.  Cook cavatappi 8 minutes in boiling water, then drain.  Meanwhile, in medium-size saucepan, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, 6 minutes.  Transfer to paper towels.  Carefully pour off drippings, returning 2 tablespoons to pan.  Add butter.

3.  Whisk in flour until smooth.  In a thin stream, whisk in milk.  Stir in onion flakes, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes.  In large bowl, toss together cheddar, Colby-Jack and mozzarella.

4.  Remove milk mixture from heat; whisk in American cheese and 1 and 1/4 cups of the cheddar mixture.  Toss bacon pieces with remaining shredded cheese.

5.  In pasta pot, combine cooked pasta and cheese sauce.  Pour half into prepared dish.  Sprinkle with a generous cup of the bacon-cheese mixture.  Repeat layering.

6.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.  Increase oven temperature to broil and broil 3 minutes until top is lightly browned.  Cool slightly before serving.

Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!  Stay warm out there!

Non Stick Skillet

Whisk

Measuring Cups

Rectangle Baker

Linking up with:
Pint Sized Baker
Mandy's Recipe Box

Handmade Tuesday's with Kristen

Let's Be Friends Blog Hop with The Dwelling Tree

JENerally Informed Love From The Kitchen: Tuesday's Table The Diary of a Real Housewife My Own Home While I'm Waiting Tuesday Talk Pennies into Pearls Simply Sweet Home A Dish of Daily Life

Weekending - December 2, 2016

Happy Monday!  I'm a bit sad the weekend is over -- how about you?  What I thought was going to be a very quiet weekend turned into some fun things and lots of rest.

Friday late afternoon I ended up getting tickets to see Annie at the Fox Theater.  I love going to the Fox this time of year!

Their lights are spectacular and the whole atmosphere really helps put you in the Christmas spirit.  Just look at the ceiling in the grand hall and main staircase!

Eric and I popped in one of our favorite restaurants for some beef - Valentine's in Freeburg, Illinois.  It's kind of a hole in the wall a casual dining place, but you can consistently get good steaks there for a very reasonable price.  I got home from work early and Eric was off, so we played like we were senior citizens and went to dinner at 5:00 pm.  It was actually a pretty good gig because there was no wait and the service was super fast.  I had a Groupon so it was quite the deal!

After dinner, we picked up our neighbors who were joining us for the play and headed downtown.  We decided to do dessert at the Fox.  A couple of us picked the ice cream sundaes.  Check out the size of this baby!  It was about the size of my head.  Somehow I managed to eat most of it -- YUM!

Saturday was a total relaxing day for me.  Eric had to work early and I decided to catch up on some emails and watch TV.  We have a Christmas tree in our bedroom and I love laying in bed with the lights on the tree twinkling and working.  Working -- and binge watching Hoarders - Buried Alive.  I know, but I just could not look away!!

When Eric got home, we decided since the weather was pretty decent we should explore an outdoor light display.  We grabbed some dinner at Twisted Ranch (great grilled cheese!) and headed over to Anheuser Busch Brewery.

I think half the state decided that was a good activity to do Saturday night because it was CROWDED!!  Nonetheless, we enjoyed strolling around enjoying the lights and people watching.

They had several s'more stations set up, a chain saw carver and a sand sculptor.  Fun family activity if you're looking for one.

Sunday after church I did something I had never done before.  Eric went off to work and I decided to go to see a movie all by myself.  You know what -- it was quite enjoyable.  I saw Allied and highly recommend it.  I would be surprised if it doesn't get a Best Picture nod.  Brad Pitt is looking fine in this one girls!  Have you seen it?  What did you think?

Oh -- by the way.  You may or may not know that I'm a Pampered Chef consultant.  This week they have been adding stuff to their outlet and when this baby popped up I knew I had to share it with you.  This 13" ceramic plate is currently on sale for $9.90!  The ceramic plate is flat for easier cutting and serving.  It also detaches from the base for use as a platter, compact storage and easy cleaning.  What a deal!  Order quick if you want one because once they are gone, they're gone.  Click HERE to check it out.

And that's a wrap on my weekend!  Can you believe in 19 days it will be Christmas?!?  This week needs to be full of getting stuff done!  Hope you have a productive week too!

Check out what others were up to this weekend.

Champagne and Suburbs

B Loved Boston

More Pieces of Me

The Quinntessential Mommy
How To Get Organized At Home
Over the Moon

This post contained affiliate links.  I may receive a small commission if you click on the link and purchase.  Thanks!

Five on Friday - September 30, 2016

Can you believe it's Friday!!  I'm off work today for a very exciting reason.  Eric, my parents, Kayla and I will be in Jefferson City to witness Ian taking the Oath of Admission and officially become an attorney.  Can you feel the pride oozing from my fingers as I type that sentence?!?  It will be a day we will always remember and I'm so very grateful to be able to be there to see it.

Before all that excitement, here's my five for today ~

1.  Emoji Cookie Cutter Set

Check out these super cute emoji cookie cutters from Pampered Chef!  How much fun would it be to make emoji cookies with the kids?!?  Or think of taking emoji cookies to your next party!  What makes them even better is the fact that Pampered Chef will contribute $1 for each set sold to Feeding America.  Want some?  Click HERE to purchase.

                         

2.  Deep Water Horizon

Many of you might be excited to see Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children that's opening this weekend, but I'm more intrigued about Deep Water Horizon.  This flick is based on the true events that happened on the Gulf of Mexico oil rig explosion on April 20, 2010.  It stars Mark Wahlberg, who I could watch on the big screen all day long.  Also in the movie is Kate Hudson and Kurt Russell.  Rotten Tomatoes is giving this film a pretty good review and I sure hope we can squeeze it in this weekend.

3.  Pintuck Swing Dress by Old Navy

With the arrival of fall, I have a desire to add a few casual dresses to my closet.  This one from Old Navy is calling my name!  How cute is this?!?  It's adorable with the flat as shown in the picture, but I'm also seeing it with leggings and boots.  Perfect to kick around in over the weekend when we go out for a relaxing dinner.  I'm pretty confident I'll be hitting the purchase button and own one of these by Monday morning.  It comes in gray (Carbon) and maroon (Marion Berry).  Want one too?  Click HERE to purchase.

4.  Two by Two

The newest Nicholas Sparks book, Two by Two, is scheduled to release on October 4 

(that's Tuesday folks), so if you want to pre-order now if the time. Here's how Amazon describes it:  At 32, Russell Green has it all: a stunning wife, a lovable six year-old daughter, a successful career as an advertising executive and an expansive home in Charlotte. He is living the dream, and his marriage to the bewitching Vivian is the center of that. But underneath the shiny surface of this perfect existence, fault lines are beginning to appear...and no one is more surprised than Russ when he finds every aspect of the life he took for granted turned upside down. In a matter of months, Russ finds himself without a job or wife, caring for his young daughter while struggling to adapt to a new and baffling reality. Throwing himself into the wilderness of single parenting, Russ embarks on a journey at once terrifying and rewarding-one that will test his abilities and his emotional resources beyond anything he ever imagined.  I see another Nicholas Sparks movie deal, don't you?!?

                                         

5.  Where I am....

Have a wonderful weekend.  I'm going to try very hard to make sure to get a weekending post up on Monday.  I did an fun thing for dinner on Wednesday night that I want to share with you.  See ya later!

Linking up with:

Rebecca at XOXO Rebecca

Jennie at The Diary of a Real Housewife

Amy at The Farmer's Wife

Amanda at Meet At The Barre

Erika at Little Bit of Everything

Simply Sweet Home
High Five for Friday

5 on Friday 
The Triplet Farm
Why Girls Are Weird

This post contained affiliate links.  I may receive a small commission if you click on the link and purchase.  Thanks!

Thinking Out Loud Thursday - August 18, 2016

Happy Thursday!  Glad you popped in to this week's Thinking Out Loud.  Vanessa from X-tremely V and I would love for you to link up below and tell us what you're Thinking Out Loud about today.

Today I'm thinking about some random things that just flat out make me happy.  If you know me, you know it doesn't take much for me to get excited.  Which I'm okay with.  Let's face it, sometimes it's a rough old world out there.  We all need to take advantage of any little thing that makes us smile.  Here are a few of those things for me ~

It's summer and one of my favorite summer foods is corn on the cob.  What isn't my favorite is eating the corn off the cob.  I always cut it off and eat the nice little pile of corn on my plate.  This Pampered Chef kernel cutter makes cutting the corn so darn easy -- I just LOVE it!  They are only $9.50 and worth every penny.  Want one?  Click HERE to order.

Another thing that makes me happy is a good sale.  I love finding bargains and getting good deals.  You can imagine my delight when I realized my favorite mascara was on sale at Beauty Brands!  I use the Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 mascara and love it.  But there are 22 mascara types on sale so you should check it out and see if your favorite is on sale also.

Another thing that puts a smile on my face is when my quarterly Ebates big fat check lands at my house. One arrived earlier this month.  Are you an Ebates fan?  This is seriously getting money for doing nothing but shopping online for products you buy.  Do you have an Ebates account?  Sign up HERE if you're interested.  Here's how it works ~ after you sign up for an account, go to Ebates.com and search for the company you are going to do some shopping at, click through to that website and shop away.  Your discount amount will show up on your Ebates account and once a quarter they will mail you a check.  It's just that simple.  Yep, getting that check always makes me smile.

So that's some things that put a smile on my face.  What makes you smile?  Would love to hear from you!  Link up below and share one of your favorite posts or just leave a comment about something that makes you smile.

Enjoy more Thoughts for Thursday at:

Home of Malones

East Coast Chic

Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop

The Deliberate Mom

This is How We Roll

Bows and Clothes

Party at My Place
This post contained affiliate links.  I may receive a small commission if you click on the link and purchase.  Thanks!

Thinking Out Loud Thursday - June 23, 2016

Welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday!   Thanks for stopping by.  Hope you link up with me and Vanessa from X-tremely V below and share what you're thinking out loud about today.

So it's kind of a thing with me to check out the National Calendar Day website and see what celebrations are going on because, you know, every day should be a party about something!  Well, today happens to be National Hydration Day.  Appropriately placed on the calendar since here in the Midwest we are experiencing temps peaking around 100 degrees and it's pretty easy to become dehydrated.



Staying hydrated in the summer isn't always easy.  Wondering how much water you should drink in a day?  Well, according to WebMD:  "It depends on your size and weight, and also on your activity level and where you live.  In general, you should try to drink between half an ounce and an ounce of water for each pound you weigh, every day.  For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, that would be 75 to 150 ounces of water a day.  If you're living in a hot climate and exercising a lot, you'd be on the higher end of that range; if you're in a cooler climate and mostly sedentary, you'd need less."  

To be honest, I'm not a fan of water.  I know, I know - how can you NOT like water?!?  It just tastes like nothing to me.  So this year I invested in the Infusion Water Bottle from Pampered Chef.

This handy 24 ounce bottle lets you infuse your favorite fruits and vegetables for some awesome tasting water.  The measurement marks on the side help you keep track of your intake.  The shape also fits in most car's cup holders so you can take it with you when you're on the go.  It's also BPA-free and dishwasher safe.  Love it!!  Click HERE if you need one for yourself!

Check out this handy chart that gives you some great combination ideas.  The Pampered Chef Infusion Water Bottle has a cool strainer that keeps your combinations in the bottle and not going in your mouth when you drink.  

Courtesy of PrimeNaturalBeauty

So cheers for water today!  Drink up and stay hydrated!

So that's what I'm thinking out loud about today.  What about you?  What's on your mind?  Link up your blog post below and let us know!  See you tomorrow for my Five on Friday.

Enjoy more Thoughts for Thursday at:

Home of Malones

East Coast Chic

Hodges Podges

Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop

100 Happy Days

The Deliberate Mom

This is How We Roll

Embark on the Journey

Party at My Place
This post contained affiliate links.  I may receive a small commission if you click on the link and purchase.  Thanks!

Five on Friday - June 17, 2016

Happy Friday!  It's hard to believe that we are already 17 days into June.  This summer is going to be gone before we know it!  Eric and I are doing something this weekend we've talked about for literally years.  We are going camping!  Can't say I'm a huge fan of camping, but we're going with my parents so it will be great to spend time with them.  Ian and Kayla are joining us for the day on Saturday.  Should be a great time and a Father's Day to remember.

Before I begin loading up, here's my five for this week ~

1.  Orange Is The New Black
Season 4 debuts today!!  My friend Linda is coming next week and we are designating an entire day to binge watch the whole season in one sitting.  I'm packing a cooler full of refreshments and we are not moving our bottoms off the couch -- and I can not wait!  I've missed my friends at Litchfield Penitentiary and am looking forward to seeing just what they are up to.  Good thing I'm super busy from now until next Thursday or I might have had to sneak in an episode (or two).  But I'm going to use ALL my will power and hold off until Linda gets here.  Are you a fan?



2.  National Martini Day
Get your glasses ready because Sunday is National Martini Day!  Martinis are one of my favorite drinks.  For years now, my go-to drink has been pomegranate martinis.  My recipe is super simple.  It's 2 parts of Langers Zero Sugar Added Pomegranate Juice Cocktail and 1 part Pearl Pomegranate vodka.  Mix it up, pour it in a cute glass and you're good to go.  I might actually need some to get through our camping trip...but I digress.  Need some cute martini glasses?  Check these out HERE.  Pampered Chef has their adorable dot martini glasses on clearance.  The set of four is only $10!  These would make an adorable gift by themselves or paired with a bottle of vodka in a basket.  I'm snatching some up!  How about you?

3.  Pure McCartney

Paul McCartney is touring his way around the country this summer and we here in St. Louis are lucky enough to have him in our city for one night.  Eric and I are going with some friends and it's sure to be one of the highlights of the summer!  Last week his 4 CD collection titled Pure McCartney was released.  I really need to get this so I can brush up on my lyrics.  It would be so embarrassing to be belting out the wrong words to his songs during the concert!  Are you a McCartney fan?  His new CD collection is available HERE.

4.  Blueberry Pie Oreos

I sent Eric to Target to get a few things for the camping trip and he brought home a surprise - Blueberry Pie Oreos!  Don't know how many will actually make it to the campground because we had a weak moment and opened the package.  They are good.  Enough said.

5.  Honest mistake...


Have a great Father's Day weekend everyone!  I'm so glad I have the opportunity to spend this one with my dad.  See you next week!

Linking up with:

Rebecca at XOXO Rebecca

Jennie at The Diary of a Real Housewife

Hill Collection

Amy at The Farmer's Wife

Amanda at Meet At The Barre

Erika at Little Bit of Everything

Simply Sweet Home
High Five for Friday

5 on Friday 
The Triplet Farm
Why Girls Are Weird
Ins and Outs

This post contained affiliate links.  I may receive a small commission if you click on the link and purchase.  Thanks!

Let's Make Apple Crisp

Hello guys!  I took a little unplanned sabbatical last week.  I was knee deep in helping my friend Amanda get ready for her wedding and reception.  Her beautiful wedding was Saturday so now I'm back and ready to roll on the blog again.  A wedding summary will be coming later.

So today I'd like to share with you a recipe that came out of our last girls' weekend.  One of the things I love about having time with my friends is the conversations we have.  Lots of times our chats tend to gravitate to food and recipes.  Over breakfast we started chatting about family recipes and this apple crisp recipe surfaced from my friend Janet. 

Here's What You Need

Granny Smith and Honey Crisp Apples (I used 6 Honey Crisp and 3 Granny Smith)

1/2 a lemon

2 cups flour

4-1/2 cups oats (18 oz. canister)

3 cups brown sugar

1 tablespoon salt

2 tablespoons cinnamon

2 cups butter

Here's What You Do

Cut up enough apples to fill a 9x13 pan.  Janet's trick was to mix one Granny Smith to each two Honey Crisp apples.  I found nine total apples to be the perfect amount.  The Pampered Chef Apple Wedger worked great to cut and core the apples. 

Side note -- I'm in love with this Pampered Chef apple wedger. It cuts the apple into perfect little shapes which are perfect for snacking.  Works great on pears also.  Need one?  Click HERE to purchase.

 I loosely peeled the wedges and cut into small chucks. 

After wedging, peeling and cutting the apples, sprinkle the juice of half a lemon over the apples.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.

Next is making the crisp.  I'm not going to lie, I'm all about the crisp.  I even added some ingredients to Janet's recipe so we'd have a bit more "crisp".  

Mix the flour, oats, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon until well blended.  Melt butter and pour over mixture.  Blend well.  Pile all the crisp on top of the apple.

You might have to press it down a bit on the apples, but just keep going until it all fits. 

Place the 9x13 pan on a cookie sheet to catch the juice if some bubbles over the edge of the dish.  Bake at 375 degrees for 30-45 minutes.  Get ready -- your house is going to smell wonderful while this is baking!  Your taste buds are going to be so ready to dip in to this yumminess as soon as it comes out of the oven!

Linking up with:
Pint Sized Baker
Mandy's Recipe Box

Life is Lovely

Let's Be Friends Blog Hop with The Dwelling Tree

Talented Tuesday Love From The Kitchen: Tuesday's Table The Diary of a Real Housewife My Own Home While I'm Waiting Tuesday Talk Pennies into Pearls Simply Sweet Home

This post contained affiliate links.  I may receive a small commission if you click on the link and purchase.  Thanks!