Baked Ziti

This is one of my and Mr. R's favorites.  It makes a TON, is super easy and is just plain yummy.  

PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES

READY IN: 50 MINUTES

YIELDS: 6-8 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS

1lb ground beef (I use the highest grade available--less grease)

1 package (16oz) ziti

24 oz ricotta cheese

2 lbs mozzarella cheese

1 jar (32 oz) spaghetti sauce

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (I use 3 cheese Italian blend)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Bring large stock pot to boil and cook ziti 8 minutes.  While boiling pasta, brown ground beef (I usually mix in a little minced garlic and/or salt and pepper).  Drain water from ziti and place back in large stock pot.  Add beef.  Mix in ricotta cheese, 1 3/4lb mozzarella cheese, and 3/4 jar of spaghetti sauce.  Mix all together well.  Lightly grease 9x13 pan.  Fill pan with ziti mixture.  Spread remaining spaghetti sauce over top of mixture.  Spread remaining mozzarella on top of sauce.  Finish with Parmesan mix.  Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and lightly browned.  

Thoughts

• I watched Part 1 and Part 2 of Hatfields & McCoys last night.  SO good.  If you have Comcast, its available On Demand through tomorrow.  However, I also that The History Channel is playing all 3 parts straight through on Saturday night.  DVR is set!!  I am excited to see Part 3, the finale.  Have you watched it?  What did you think?  How hot (for a dirty redneck) is Johnse?

• I am planning on making THIS recipe for Tomato, Avocado & Corn Salad for a birthday party tomorrow night.  Update on that next week!  Thanks Natalie @ designer bags & dirty diapers for the yummyness!

• The first movie trailer Les Miserables was released yesterday and oh my word, I am not sure I can wait until the Christmas release!  It looks amazing.  Props to Anne Hathaway as Fantine in this trailer.  WOW.

• I am so very excited to see two of our nieces tonight!!  K&E come for a week to Kiawah, woohoo!  (I'm excited to see my brother and sister in law too:)

• Can you believe its June 1?  Off course that means the beginning of hurricane season...and I'm trilled!!!  Sometimes I really do wish I had become a meteorologist!

• I am thinking of trying the Couch-to-5k Running Plan, has anyone tried it??  Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

• I made a big change yesterday...5 inches of change!  A huge shot out to my girl Ashley Burg at Tabula Rasa Salon on Cannon Street for this amazingness.  I feel like a new person!  Seriously, Ashley might be the best in town!  She did all of my wedding hair and colors/styles a TON of my friends hair.  If you are looking for someone new, you will not be disappointed with Ashley!!!

The Best Squash Casserole--EVER!

As promised, the recipe for my uncle's wife's squash casserole.  To.die.for.

PREP TIME: 45 MINUTES

READY IN: 1 HOUR 15 MINUTES

YIELDS: 6-8 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS

6 medium squash

1 bell (green) pepper

1 small onion (optional)

1/2 stick butter

1 box chicken or cornbread Stove Top stuffing (prepared according to box)

8oz sour cream

1 cup mild shredded cheddar cheese

1 can cream of chicken soup

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven at 350 degrees.  Fry the squash, bell pepper, and onion with 1/2 stick of butter.  Drain in strainer.  In a bowl, mix together sour cream, shredded cheese and soup.  Add squash mixture and then stuffing.  Mix ingredients all together.  Put in 13x9 casserole dish and top with shredded cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes or until edges start to brown.  

A Pinch Of Green

Happy Friday!  So excited for a low key weekend.  Tonight we are hitting up a bar to see our friends D 'n R play and then plan on spending the rest of the weekend attacking our disaster of a house.  May throw in a little sun tanning:)  No big plans for St. Patricks Day tomorrow but will be sure to throw a little green (AND drink some beer) in my life to avoid a pinch!  What are you doing and how will you incorporate the infamous color?  Have a great weekend!

1. Who wouldn't want an green door like this?  VIA
2. Ombre Cake, how cool!  VIA
3. Avocado Yogurt Dip Recipe---yummmm VIA
4. Anthropologie MADISON SHORTS
5. Tory Burch GREEN SUEDE REVA FLAT
6. J. Crew ONE SHOULDER SWIM SUIT
7. J. Crew BELLFLOWER EARRINGS
8. Kate Spade LE PAVILLION IPHONE CASE

Twice Baked Potato Casserole

This tastes exactly how its supposed to but better!  I tried this out first on Mr. R over Thanksgiving and then again with our friends The Brewers this past weekend on New Years Eve.  I keep catching Mr. R sneaking a spoonful of the leftover out of the fridge!  I originally found the recipe HERE but halved the recipe for the 4 of us.  I probably could have quartered it and been perfectly fine.

PREP TIME: 45 MINUTES

READY IN: 1 1/2 HOURS

YIELDS: 8 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS

2.5 lbs russett potatoes

10 slices bacon (REAL bacon-not the turkey stuff)

4 oz cream cheese

1/4 cup salted butter (original recipe called for unsalted but I didn't have any, salted worked just fine)

1/2 cup sour cream

1/8 cup chives

1 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 tbsp salt (again original called for kosher but didn't have any, reg was just fine)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut potatoes into medium sized cubes (I kept the skin on for added flavor).  Place in large stock pot with just enough water to cover potatoes.  Boil until tender enough to mash with a fork or spoon.  On a separate plate, microwave bacon until crispy (recipe originally called for it to be skillet cooked but thats just so messy...)  Drain water from potato pot.  Mash potatoes to desired creaminess.  Add 1/2 of the bacon (crumbled), cream cheese, butter, sour cream, chives, salt, and 1 1/4 cup of the cheddar cheese.  Mix together until blended completely.  Transfer to a greased 9x13 baking dish.  Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.   Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and potatoes are warmed through.  Add remaining bacon to garnish. 

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

The Reynolds wish everyone a healthy and safe New Years Eve!  We will be laying low with some yummy food (beer brined chicken & twice baked potato casserole recipes to come!) and some great friends!  Wherever you are and whatever you are doing we wish you the absolute best for 2012!

Here's the latest youtube craze with the adorable Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt for your New Years Eve viewing pleasure (ps, don't you think they would make an amazing couple?!).  Enjoy!

Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Perfect for a cold, yucky day and SUPER easy!  We made this last weekend for the (SOUTH!)Carolina/Clemson game and literally ate it for the next three nights it was so good.  Enjoy!

PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES

READY IN: 4-5 HOURS

YIELDS: 6-8 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS

1 ready made rotisserie chicken (I used "mojo" from Publix)

1 can chicken broth

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 can black beans

1 can whole corn kernels

1 can green chilis

1 LARGE can diced tomatoes

1 packet taco seasoning

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients except chicken in crock pot.  Shred chicken on rotisserie and add to mix.  Heat on low for 4-5 hours.  Enjoy!

**SUGGESTED ADDITIONS: sour cream, Fritos, cheddar cheese, cilantro, avocado, your favorite hot sauce

Pretty Little Thanksgiving Things

via Two Twenty One

via Etsy

via Home Stories

via Mochatini



via Good Housekeeping



via Women's Day

via Better Homes & Gardens

via Centsation Girl

Chocolate Chip Oreo Brownies

OH YEAH...I made them this past weekend for a football party and they were a bunch of melt in your mouth yummy goodness and HUGE HIT.  Find the original recipe over here at KEVIN & AMANDA's blog.

PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES

READY IN: 1 HOUR & 20 MINUTES

YIELDS: APPROX. 2 DOZEN SERVINGS

  

INGREDIENTS

1 tub Nestle Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

1 package Double Stuff Oreos

1 package brownie mix (I used Betty Crocker Original Supreme)

       

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 baking dish.  Layer bottom of baking dish with cookie dough (I had to put mine in the microwave for about 1 minute to soften enough to spread).  Layer oreos on top of cookie dough.  Prepare brownie mix according to box.  Pour brownie mix over the cookie dough/oreo layers.  Bake for 55 minutes or until solid in the middle.  

Gourmet Grilled Cheese

Mr. R and I had our regular date with our friends the MacCoys last night for dinner and our weekly Amazing Race viewing.  We are still trying to come up with a catchy name for our get togethers so if anyone has any suggestions, please pass along! 

Last night we dined on "gourmet grilled cheese," salad, Mrs. Fearnow's Brunwick Stew (yes in a can, its the closest to Eastern NC I can find AND Walmart sells it!) and wine (duh).  Here is ours (I had brie, munster & tomato on sourdough) and some other stomach growling renditions for you to try!

  


OTHER IDEAS:

Brie, Goat Cheese, Bacon & Green Tomato
found HERE

Jalepeno Popper Grilled Cheese
Jalepeno Peppers, Cream Cheese, Jack Cheese & Tortilla Crumbs
found HERE

Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese
Blue Cheese Dressing, Cream Cheese, Bleu Cheese, Shredded Cheddar, Shredded Chicken Breast & Hot Sauce
found HERE



Tomato, Mozzerella, Pesto & Basil
found HERE



Avocado, Bacon & Apple Slices
found HERE

Grown Up Pumpkin Pie Milkshakes

Bourbon + Pumpkin Pie = DELISH!
My good friend KMM found this treat on the always brilliant Pinterest.  It was the perfect fall dessert on Sunday night!  Enjoy!

PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES

READY IN: 20 MINUTES

YIELDS: 2 MILKSHAKES

INGREDIENTS

2 cups vanilla ice cream

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup half & half

1 tbsp vanilla extract

2/3 cup pureed pumpkin

1/2 tbsp **pumpkin pie spice

1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs

2-3 oz bourbon

frosting & sprinkles (or cinnamon sugar) for glasses

DIRECTIONS (found online here):

**Create pumpkin pie spice by blending cinnamon, ginger, cloves & nutmeg together.  Add all ingredients to a blender and mix until combined.  Rim glasses with a light coating of frosting and then dip in sprinkles or pumpkin pie spices.  Shake and sprinkle cinnamon on top.  Top with whipped cream if desired.  See our finished product below and forgive the awful blackberry pics! 

 

If My Oven Worked...

I would make these yummy treats!  The oven was fried by lightning (along with our Wii, a computer cord, two breakers, and our cable) in July.  Come to find out the lightning fried the control panel so its going to cost us $500+ to fix it.  Good thing the Big Green Egg is working JUST fine:).

CHICKEN ROLL UPS
Recipe found HERE


CRESCENT BREAKFAST RING
bacon, eggs, cheese & crescent rolls YUMMMM, found HERE


BETTER THAN JIM 'N NICKS CHEESY BISCUITS
Found HERE


PUMPKIN CORNBREAD
Found HERE


ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE & OREO FUDGE BROWNIE BAR
YES looks as good as it sounds...found HERE
 

I'm Dreaming of a White Kitchen...

Imagine that title sung to the tune of Irving Berlin's "White Christmas."  Just sayin...
Check out these beauts for my future home:).

via Apartment Therapy

via Pinterest

via CoCo Cozy

via Apartment Therapy

via Studio Stratton

via Houzz

Jalapeno Poppers

One word: YUM. 
Mr. R and his big bro RAR are masters of the jalapeno popper.  I am a little biased but I DO believe they are better on The Big Green Egg, but then again anything on the Egg is better.  Have'nt heard of this fabulous invention?  Hide it from your husbands because if he gets one, be prepared to be replaced!  We pretty much have a big, charcoaled eating, green, egg/avocado shaped child.

 PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES

READY IN: 1 HOUR

YIELDS: 30 POPPERS

INGREDIENTS

15 jalapenos

2 blocks cream cheese

1 package bacon (the REAL stuff)

desired seasoning

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven or grill (BGE) to 400 degrees.  Wash jalapenos and slice in half.  Scoop out insides and discard.  BEWARE, the spice from the peppers will cause tearing, sneezing and/or tickles in your throat.  Fill each halved jalapeno with cream cheese.  Wrap each jalapeno with a slice of bacon.  Season with desired flavor.  Mr. R and I and the rest of the Reynolds clan use YEP SHAKE by BLUE MOON SAUCES  that we buy at IRWIN ACE in Spartanburg.  PS its also fabulous on steaks and a multitude of other recipes.  Place jalapenos on either a baking sheet for the oven or plate setter for the BGE.  Cook for 45 minutes or until bacon is cooked thoroughly, crisply and cheese is golden brown.  Enjoy!



Fried Green Tomatoes

Happy Friday!  We made it to the 3-day weekend.  I hope everyone has a wonderful Labor Day and one last hurrah for summer.  Maybe enjoy this recipe for the festivities??!!

PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES

READY IN: 20 MINUTES

YIELDS: 15 SLICES

INGREDIENTS:

3 green tomatoes

3 cups corn meal

3 large eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

pepper to taste

salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Slice tomatoes into 1/4 inch slices and set aside.  Crack eggs and blend together in bowl.  In a separate bowl, mix together corn meal, salt and pepper.  ***Only use a pinch of salt, I made the mistake my first go around of using too much and it tasted like we were eating salt cubes.***  Heat oil in medium skillet until almost boiling.  Slice by slice, coat in egg, then drag in corn meal mixture and set in hot oil to fry.  Cook on each side about 2 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from oil and place on paper towel to drain.  Repeat until all slices are fried and ENJOY!

SUGGESTED ADDITIONS:

goat cheese crumbles

peach chutney

ranch dressing



Pesto Cream Cheese Spread

So good, you can't have just one!  Try this wonderful spread with crackers (I served with Ritz Air Crisps) as an appetizer.  I made it this past Sunday for our little dinner party and it was quite the hit.

This is a more "Festive" photo I found,
perfect for holiday parties, right?

 

PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES

READY IN: 1 HOUR

INGREDIENTS:

(2) 8 oz package regular cream cheese

4 tbsp preferred pesto ***I used Classico Basil flavor

1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1/4 cup sour cream

DIRECTIONS:

Soften cream cheese in microwave.  Mix with parmesan cheese and sour cream.  On a flat plate or serving tray, create desired shape (I did a "mound") of cream cheese mixture.  Top with pesto.  Refridgerate for 45 minutes for thicker consistency.  Serve with preferred crackers. 

SUGGESTED ADDITIONS:

sundried tomatoes

pine nuts

almonds

5 Things: Friday Edition

We made it! 

5.  THE HELP
This might just be one of the best books I have ever read and now its premiering on the big screen.  I absolutely cannot wait to see this.  Not only is it an amazing story about some seriously strong women but the fashion of that era is to die for!  Word on the street is possible Oscar Noms! 

Here is the Charleston Post & Courier's review.

Jessica Chastain & Octavia Spencer
(as Celia Foote & Minny Jackson)

AND the movie trailer from IMDB.com

4.  DINNER PARTY

Sunday night Mr. R and I have the pleasure of hosting a little get together for some fabulous friends of ours.  A special guest, Miss RLB, is gracing us with her presence from the big ol' land of California.  I can't wait to see the Croc and am thinking of trying out these two yummy treats.  I will let you know how they turn out.

Cream Cheese & Pesto Spread with Crackers
APPETIZER

Fried Green Tomatoes
SIDE

3.  RUE LA LILLY PULITZER
Get your fix of bright fall fashion today on Rue La La.  The fabulous establishment of Lilly Pulitzer is featured today.  Hurry up before today's steals are gone!

2.  LET'S CELEBRATE!
I'm headed up to Columbia tomorrow to celebrate a dear friend, MCH, and the impending birth of her BABY GIRL!!!!!  MCH and I have been friends since college.  We were sorority sisters (Tri Delta) AND roomates!  She was also a greeter at mine and Mr. R's wedding.  I love she and her hubby, Mr. H, to death and am so happy for their little bundle of joy to arrive.

Here is me and the hot momma breaking it down

at my bachlorette weekend...SO FUN!

        

1.  3+1=4...NIECES!!!!

Anyday now Mr. R and I are going to be proud aunt and uncle again.  Our nieces are our pride and joy and we cannot imagine our lives with out them.  They bring SO much joy.  This little one is the first not to be born in NC/SC so we hope to get up to Valpo, IN just as soon as she makes her way into the world.  We are thinking happy thoughts for our sister in law JBR since she has been on bed rest the past week.  My Momma D is up there watching Miss M (our neice) and we wish them as well as Mr. R's bro DSR the ABSOLUTE BEST!!!