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.  

Easter Weekend Recap

I hope everyone had a WONDERFUL Easter weekend.  I sure did!  While Mr. R was slaving away slinging bikes allllllll weekend (he was at work until 11:30pm Saturday night, no joke), I was having a fun time with mi familia.

Thursday night I met Mr. R's oldest brother, Ryan and his wife, Ashley, and two of our nieces, Katie and Elizabeth, for dinner at yummy Rosebank Farms Cafe at Bohicket Marina.  I had the fried shrimp platter with white cheddar grits.  We had a really bad storm that night and Tucker (our lab) decided it would be a good idea to try and dig through our closet to get away from the storm...now I have claw marks all in my closet!  My parents, my sister, her boyfriend and her rabbit (yes, rabbit) got in town about 11pm Thursday night.




Friday was a great family day.  Ryan and family stopped by our house on the way out of town to say goodbye and then the Evans Clan (maiden name) headed downtown.  It was unseasonably cold on Friday but still a really nice day to have lunch (Sweetwater Grille--grilled cheese w/ bacon), walk around the new Market area, along King Street (where Remy, the bf, discovered Dumas) and finally the Battery.  The sun came out right before we went to the Battery and it was absolutely gorgeous!

Remy bought this shirt from Dumas & Sons by Southern Proper

Originally we were going to have dinner at Fleet Landing but we were all so pooped and wanted to be able to eat with Mr. R so we hit up Harris Teeter for the makings of a big steak dinner to celebrate the March (Mine, Daddy's) and April (Kimberly's) birthdays.  Mr. R WAS able to come home in time for dinner and to cook the steaks on the Big Green Egg!!  We also exchanged birthday presents and my parents gave me this BEAUTIFUL painting of the site that Mr. and I got married.

My sister was SO surprised when my parents told her they had closed early on her house!  It was cool to see her reaction when she opened up the bag with a key and garage door opener!

Saturday we had hoped to go to the beach but again the weather was a little cool.  Instead, Daddy and I went to Walmart to get some Round-Up and attack the weeds in my yard.  I also got two new window boxes and some flower to spruce up the front porch.  Here is my inspiration...pics to come of the finished product!

VIA

 

Kimberly, Remy, and Momma laid out in the back yard and the first two neglected to wear suntan lotion and got burnt to a crisp.  I managed to get some sun too.  We all were lazy and watched the 3rd round at the Masters before finishing up the day with dinner at Red's at Bohicket Marina.  The sun set was beautiful!

 

Easter Sunday morning we took it easy.  Normally we are a church going family but knew that we didn't have much time left together this trip to took the opportunity to relax as a family.  Before my family left we snapped a shot of Rals and his cousin Boingo, the rabbit, on Easter.

 

I spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing and watching the amazing finale of the Masters.  I am SO happy for Bubba Watson's win and even teared up a little after his final shot!  How special for this man of faith to win on Easter, and his wonderful story of his and his wife's recent adoption.  Enjoy the goofy video (VIA YouTube) below made awhile back by Watson and other golfers on the tour.  I hope you and yours savored the holiday weekend!!!

5 Things: Friday Edition

5.  Charleston Restaurant Week starts a week from today.  YIPPPEEEE!!!  Tons of Charleston restaurants offer 3 for $20, 3 for $30 or 3 for $40 and its one of two weeks of the year that I can MAYBE afford to eat at High Cotton or Peninsula Grill.  My picks so far include (click to view the special menu!):

   

ORRRR Any of the Kiawah Island Golf Resort Restuarants (PS, the Crispy Fried Shrimp at The Atlantic Room at The Ocean Course is to DIE for!)

       

4.  Saw these pillows at Target last night and LOVE them!

3.  Mr. R and I are FINALLY going to take down Christmas this weekend.  It was supposed to happen New Years Day but SOMEONE was recovering from New Years Eve.

2.  I picked out my 2nd 2012 planner yesterday.  I decided the big 8 1/2 x 11 was a little too extreme so I downsized with this cutie via Blue Sky.  I am a little OCD when it comes to planners.  Must have week AND month, must have writing lines and CANNOT have times (8am, 9am, ect) on the sides of the days.

1. Look for BLOG POST #100 to come next week, my 2012 resolutions (uggg), some favorite vacation spots, plus a GIVEAWAY!!!!  Till then my friends...have a WONDERFUL WEEKEND! 

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

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!