Happy Birthday to The Hunter!

Seriously just ate way too much. Like I am sitting in my office chair with my blue jeans unbuttoned...yeah that's a bad picture! But it was totally worth it! All for an awesome birthday extravaganza for the Hunter!

We've been married for almost 5 years and have created our own little birthday traditions. There is always a certain meal he cooks me for my birthday and there is a certain meal I cook for his birthday. He always cooks me meatloaf...I know that sounds weird...but he seriously makes the most amazing meatloaf! Along with that he makes homemade mashed potatoes, creamed corn, and a yellow cake with chocolate icing.  Until recently, my Gramma always made the traditional birthday dinner of her famous Beef Curry and homemade chocolate cake for me, but it has gotten harder for her to do this for me because of her arthritis in her hands. I would love more than anything to make the famous Beef Curry for her and get the Gramma seal of approval! That would make me happy!

Now for Kyle's birthday, he always asks for homemade lasagna. I had never made homemade lasagna before until a few years ago and for some reason I only thought Stouffers could only cook it (ya know the frozen kind). It really and seriously is super easy. Just takes a little time and patience. Along with the homemade lasagna, we had garlic bread and ceasar salad. His birthday cake was a homemade strawberry cake with homemade strawberry icing! I think Martha Stewart would lose count as to how many times I just said homemade! Take that!

We had my mom and dad over tonight also, and I'm pretty sure they left with happy tummys! yay!

Super Yummy Lasagna

(I just made up that name)

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef (I used 2 lbs because the Hunter likes extra)



32 oz spaghetti sauce (I used Prego Itailan Sausage sauce)
1 1/2 cup water
15 oz container Ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese, whatever you like)
12 oz shredded mozzarela cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan
2 eggs
dash of salt and pepper
8 oz package lasagna noodles

Directions:
1. Brown Beef, drain.
2. Add sauce and water. Simmer.
3. In other bowl, mix together cheeses, eggs, and s&p.
4. Spreed a little sauce in a 9x13 dish, cheese, then layer in noodles (use 3 per layer). Sauce, cheese, noodles. Sauce, cheese, noodles. Finish with sauce.
5. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 1 hour.
6. Remove foil, sprinkly mozzarella cheese all over top, and cook another 10 minutes!

SUPER YUMMY!!!!!!!

So glad I typed this up, because this is what it was on before:

 I do that to all my recipes. I'm crazy. That's why I blog them!

Happy Birthday to The Hunter!

I am so glad I get him to myself. And I am so crazy about him. I can't wait to see what amazing things God has planned for him!

Ok, I'm done being all lovey dovey.

Night!

Love, Amanda

Baby It's Cold Outside

Well I guess the winter weather has officially hit! Of course, once softball season starts, we always get super cold weather and it always rains! Not to mention the occasional sleet/snow chances! I guess I won't complain because it has been a crazy warm January and first half of February!

It was such a beautiful first day of softball! I believe I was wearing shorts that day...! Nice scoreboard!

Anyways, got a lot going on around here lately! Hoping that I don't totally stress myself out. I have a tendency of doing that to myself all the time!

Tonight I cooked the most AWESOME meal ever! I got this recipe from one of my most favorite cooks...the Pioneer Woman...I just love her blog and most of all her new TV show that comes on food network on Saturday mornings. So of course this is where I got my idea! I believe the Hunter loved his meal, in fact he had seconds and told me that I should write this recipe down for later. Alrighty dear, I'll just blog it and maybe yall will like it too!

Corn and Cheese Chowder



• 4 Tablespoons 1/2 Stick Butter
• 1 whole Onion, Chopped
• 3 slices Bacon, Cut Into Pieces
• 3 whole Bell Peppers, Finely Diced (red, Yellow, Orange)
• 5 ears Corn, Kernels Sliced Off
• 1/4 cup All-purpose Flour
• 3 cups Chicken Stock Or Broth
• 2 cups Half-and-half
• 1 cup (heaping) Grated Monterey Jack
• 1 cup (heaping) Pepper Jack
• 1/3 cup Sliced Green Onions
• Bread Bowls

In a large pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Cook onions for a couple of minutes. Add bacon and cook for another minute or so, then add diced bell peppers and cook for a couple of minutes. Finally, add corn and cook for a minute. Sprinkle flour evenly over the top and stir to combine. Pour in broth and stir well. Allow this to thicken for 3 or 4 minutes, then reduce heat to low. Stir in half-and-half, then cover and allow to simmer/thicken for 15 minutes or so. Stir in cheeses and green onions. When cheese is melted and the soup is hot, check seasonings. Add salt and pepper as needed.

I stuck exactly to this recipe! All I have to say is DELISH! I had also got out my bread machine and made a big loaf of white bread to serve with it. It was perfect for getting the very last drops of the chowder out of my bowl! HA!

I know i didn't take a picture of my beautiful masterpiece (not good blogging on my part), but trust me it was good! And here's a link to the Pioneer Woman's blog and you can check out her picture of the chowder fabulousness: Corn and Cheese Chowder .



So the Hunters birthday is Tuesday, yes Tuesday....Valentines Day! Poor guy has to get me something on his birthday. He has put in his birthday supper order and I have a wonderful meal planned for him. Just have to find a good time to cook it ...with our really busy schedules and all. What a great week it's going to be next week! Hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's with your loved ones! I'll send you off with a old picture of the Hunter and me!

Besides my mom and dad, he was always one of my biggest fans! He always came to watch me play back in college! What a great guy!

Happy Valentines!

Love, Amanda :)

Twenty Seven

Ok, so I figured since it's 2012, my resolution is to be a better blogger. 2012 is going to be a crazy year so I thought that writing about it could be really fun! It only took me a couple of weeks to figure out my new years resolution, but hey, better late than never! I usually start out the new years by saying my resolution will be to say nice things and watch my tongue, but that never lasts very long... I'm too much of a smart ass to follow through with that!

The new year always starts out for me with my birthday. I always tell my mom I wish she could've planned me a little better and had me during the summer so that I could get presents during the summer. Having a January birthday usually doesn't bring me much because it's after Christmas. But as I get older, birthdays really don't matter all that much as they used to. I use to get excited about getting older! When I turned 16, I got my drivers liscense and a car....not sure about 17.....when I turned 18 I could vote and I met the hunter (kyle)...19 and 20 were some pretty awesome college years...turning 21 was a memorable experience (we wont go into detail)...22, I got engaged to the hunter and married him...23,24,25, and 26 flew by so fast I can barely remember them. And here we are at 27...Lord help me, I'm getting closer to 30!!! Not quite sure what to think of you yet 27, but I sure feel a heck of a lot older!

My sis-in-law Sarah and bro Greg at my birthday dinner! Love them so much!

Anyways...

I love to cook...when I have the time....and when it's not volleyball or softball season. So that leaves the offseason, the summer, and the weekends for me to test out cool recipes.

I made these bad boys for dinner last night...

They are Chicken Enchiladas with Green Chille Sour Cream Sauce...seriously these are the bomb. And super easy to make too....made plenty of leftovers! Got this recipe off my favorite website...Pinterest! Here's the recipe link: White Chicken Enchiladas

And here's the recipe if you don't feel like going to the link:

Chicken Enchiladas with Green Chille Sour Cream Sauce

10 soft taco shells

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
1 (4 oz) can diced green chillies

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan

2. Mix chicken and 1 cup cheese. Roll up in tortillas and place in pan.
3. In a sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add broth and whisk until smooth. Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly.
4. Stir in sour cream and chilies. Do not bring to boil, you don't want curdled sour cream.
5. Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.
6. Bake 22 min and then under high broil for 3 min to brown the cheese.

I never really follow recipe directions because I always add my own stuff as I cook it. I added extra cheese, and made a little extra sauce because it is so good. Also, I totally didn't broil anything...I cooked them for 30 minutes at 350...I just took them out with 10 minutes left and then added cheese so it wouldn't burn! I'm pretty sure I didn't eat all day so I could have these for dinner! Enjoy!

Hope yall have a great rest of January...It's gonna be a crazy one!

Love, Amanda