New Cookbooks: New Meals for the New Year.

I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday! I have to say this year was great, spending the Christmas Eve in Niagara Falls, and Christmas Day between my parents' and Corey's parents'. I received two cookbooks that I'm really excited to tell you all about.


First up is The Crockin' Girls Slow Cookin' Companion: Yummy Recipes from Family, Friends, and Our Crockin' Community

What a book! I've already looked through it three times, and the recipes, pictures, everything about this book is fantastic! Easy recipes (all for the slow cooker/Crock Pot), some with just a few ingredients, and they all sound delicious! A few recipes I have made before thanks to Pinterest, from different authors/recipe creators, but they are definitely ones I would eat again. Like White Spaghetti, for instance. Cream cheese, an Italian dressing packet, cream of chicken soup, and all with pasta and chicken. And all in the Crock Pot. What a wonderful invention that Crock Pot is!

I've already started planning which recipes I want to try first - 2013 is going to be our "year of the slow cooker." With the 11.6 inches of snow we have right now, I definitely pulled the slow cooker out at 9am and threw everything together for a pot roast. Corey and I started The West Wing on Netflix from the very first episode, and we're just relaxing while dinner cooks itself. Doesn't get much better.

Next we have My Year in Meals by Rachael Ray 

Flip the book over, and you have My Year in Cocktails by John Cusimano, Rachael's husband, and mixologist.

The recipes by Rachael are phenomenal as usual (she's my favorite Food Network personality/chef). An awesome feature of the book is a calendar, which lists day-by-day which meals that she prepared (for a whole year)!

The most exciting recipes so far (it's a big book to flip through) are the pizzas. I quickly flipped through the book on Christmas night, so I'll be getting to it soon, bookmarking all the delicious dishes I can't wait to try and share with you.

So what new cookbooks are you cooking from right now, or looking forward to cooking from?

Chelsea

Merry Christmas Eve, Eve!

Hope everyone is doing well on this chilly NY day. We're doing last-minute prep for Christmas (I'm glad for once I'm not hosting) I really just want to relax and enjoy the Holiday. I will, of course, be helping my mom cook dinner. I wanted to share the few things I am making/preparing for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day beforehand, so if you're struggling for an easy and last minute idea, maybe I'll help you out!

Source: mykitchenescapades.com via Chelsea on Pinterest

This dressing with a green salad will be my Christmas Eve contribution. We're having pot roast, potatoes, and carrots for the main dish, so salad naturally sounded like a good option. I can't wait to try this dressing.

Source: lifestooshorttoskipdessert.blogspot.com via Chelsea on Pinterest

I posted this on Friday Favorite Finds last week. These will also be going to Christmas Eve dinner.

Champagne Punch
And this punch for Christmas Day - y.u.m.! Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays! Love, The Cashers.

In the arms of the angels, I will find some comfort here...

Friday Favorite Finds: Holiday Favorites Part #1

As much as my blogging is slacking lately, so is my "Pinteresting." I do, however, have enough ideas stashed away to come up with a decent batch of Friday favorites. Here goes!

Source: lifestooshorttoskipdessert.blogspot.com via Chelsea on Pinterest

Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels

I don't care for cinnamon one bit, but mine and Corey's families would really love these- I'm thinking of whipping some up for Christmas Eve, and possibly New Year's Day!

Source: google.ca via Chelsea on Pinterest

Reindeer Cookies 

Sadly, I pinned this image when I first had Pinterest and didn't realize the pin had to link back to an actual site. So... I saw the tutorial on ABC Family the other night between commercials, (yes, I was watching Christmas movies!), and here goes:

Reindeer Cookies

1 Batch Sugar Cookie Dough (Homemade or a Store bought mix or pre-made roll)
1 bag M & Ms (Mini or regular)
1 bag pretzel twists

Shape the cookie dough into a triangular log
Cut into triangle-shaped cookies and bake for suggested time

*Three ways to make the reindeer face*

1) Bake the M & Ms right onto the face and when cookies are done, press pretzels into the corners for ears (Important that the tip of the triangle faces down and you have two points for the ears.)

2) Bake the cookie plain, and press on candy and pretzels afterward while cookie is hot - this is what they did on TV, and personally, it looked like the toppings may fall off... Try it if you want, though!

3) Typically I haven't seen it done this way, but if you prefer a frosted cookie, do so when the cookie is cooled, and add your candy and pretzels.

Source: thedieline.com via Chelsea on Pinterest

Barrymore Pinot Grigio

Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day, our family and friends typically have a few bottles of wine around to share. Usually white wines, unless it's Roscato, one of our favorites (and one you can sample for FREE at Olive Garden!)

Anyway, I came across this wine on Pinterest, and discovered it's my favorite actress Drew Barrymore's brand of wine. I'm a sucker for celeb-endorsed items, and this one is no exception - the only store around that sells it is in Brockport (a slight hike), but I'm hoping to snag a bottle or two the next time I'm in the area.

Source: sixsistersstuff.com via Chelsea on Pinterest

Melt In Your Mouth Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Pot Roast is our Christmas Eve dinner this year - not this recipe in particular. Corey's cousin is making dinner, and I'm responsible for some type of side to accompany pot roast, carrots, and potatoes - friends, what would you make? (I have made this pot roast, by the way, and it's delicious - give it a try)!

Happy Friday, everyone! Part #2 of Holiday favorites next week!

As always, this post is linked to Finding Joy In My Kitchen.

A December to Remember

Hola, Blogaritos! (You do remember Kimmy Gibbler on Full House, right)? Ok good, now that's out of the way, let's just say I know I'm a terrible, horrible blogger. But to recap...

• October was great - we traveled our friend's wedding in Charleston, SC and we celebrated our 1st Anniversary in Disney World (and surprised my mom on their trip too) - she went with my dad and sister.
• Until Early November...Ten days of Disney, I seriously had the best vacation of my life.
• November was also nice, Thanksgiving was delicious (minus the cheesy onion disaster casserole).
• And here we are in December...

As of Saturday, the 8th, Corey and I have been together for 6 years. I'm proud of that. I've got a few more gifts to purchase, a bit more wrapping, and I'm just excited to spend the holiday with family & friends.

Tonight on the menu...something with ground beef. (6 fresh lbs in the fridge that I have to separate and freeze)...many possibilities.

I have been a good blog reader, though, and I'm enjoying the plethora of Pinterest recipes and new menus and Friday favorites all around.

See ya later this week, friends!

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

While this post doesn't come with pictures (my apologies), I promise you that this recipe doesn't disappoint. Our family didn't have a go-to recipe, and one 4th of July we decided that a big pan of yellow, delicious macaroni and cheese would pair perfectly with grilled ribs. We knew that we didn't want anything too complicated, or a recipe that had eggs (pure preference, we just don't like eggs in our mac and cheese). So to Google we went. This seemed to be the winner right away; 3 different cheeses, no eggs (yay!), and ingredients we already had on hand. My father-in-law raved about this dish, and now we make it for nearly every occasion where large groups of people are involved. Mac and Cheese may not be your typical Thanksgiving, Easter, or Christmas side dish, but it's ours now. I hope you try this and love it, and if you do, let me know what you think!

 Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

Courtesy of cooks.com

3 tbsp. butter
1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 1/2 c. milk
2 c. Cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 lb. Velveeta cheese
1 c. Mozzarella cheese
1 (16 oz.) box elbow macaroni

In large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour, salt, mustard and pepper until smooth; take off heat. Little by little, stir in milk until smooth. Stir constantly for 10 minutes on heat until thick; take off heat. Stir in 1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese, Velveeta cheese and Mozzarella cheese until melted.Put cooked macaroni in a greased casserole dish, pour cheese mixture over and mix well. Sprinkle *paprika and leftover Cheddar cheese on top.
Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes.
Recipe can be halved.

*Paprika isn't on the ingredient list, but if you have, it, certainly sprinkle it on top. We've skipped it before and it comes out just fine, too.

Chelsea 

One year ago today... An anniversary post.

One year ago today, I sat in a chair getting my hair and makeup done, surrounded by cousins, my sister, and one of my very best friends.

On that same day, Corey was in a hotel room trying to figure out a bow tie, and showing off his purple argyle socks to a photographer.

At 3 pm, my Dad took my arm and walked me down the aisle to the other man in my life that I love so dearly. That same sweet man that surprised me late last night by telling me he had taken the day off from work to spend it all with me. I love him.

I won't make this long, so I can spend all the time I can with him before dozing off later tonight, but I'd love to share some photos...In no particular order.

Church of The Blessed Sacrament in Rochester, NY

  

Just being happy at the altar, Father Bob was probably saying something witty. : )

County Office Building in Rochester, NY

Lovely and tasty wedding cake!

 My Dad and I.

 My Nana, my mom's mom.

 Ready to be married!

Corey and his mom, Jan during the mother-son dance.

 Corey and his groomsman, Nick.

 

 Corey and the groomsmen - on a local elephant statue : )

The sweetest ring bearer ever, Jackson.

Corey's parents, Jan and Dave.

My parents, Earl and Sherry.

My father hired a bagpiper in honor of my grandfather, and our amazing photographer caught this moment as I was tearing up.

 The t-shirt I wore early in the day to get ready in. I may wear it to bed on occasion : )

Hope you enjoyed reminiscing our wedding almost as much as we are today.

<3 Chelsea